Preparing for homecoming is supposed to be exciting—not stressful.  The tradition is an undeniable aspect of the high school experience—but it comes with a price tag. A set of acrylics—$70. Hair? Call it a wildcard—hair type, the style, DIY or salon—all variables that set the price. Spray...

Twenty-five points weren’t enough. Iron volleyball needed extras in both sets to beat Lincoln-Way West on Oct. 30, 28-26, 26-24, and claim a second consecutive regional championship. Community controlled most of the first set, building a six-point cushion before the Warriors rallied to 24-22. Senior...

Community’s annual Homecoming Week will take place from Sunday, Oct. 12 through Saturday, Oct. 18, featuring a full slate of student events, spirit days, competitions and a formal dance. Sunday kickoff: Powderpuff football Homecoming Week kicks-off Sunday, Oct. 12 with the annual Powderpuff...

Community recognized longtime coach and teacher Mr. Bryan Thomas in a pregame ceremony before the Oct. 3 football game against Bloomington High School. Thomas will retire at the end of the school year after nearly three decades in Unit 5. Thomas began coaching at Community in 1997 while student-teaching...

Unit 5 brought staff from every school to Normal West on Sept. 26 for the district’s first all-level institute day, the “Excellence in Education Summit.” The day featured 38 sessions presented by Unit 5 teachers, administrators and students across two periods, 8:45–9:45 a.m. and 10:15–11:15...

Twenty-five points weren’t enough. Iron volleyball needed extras in both sets to beat Lincoln-Way West on Oct. 30, 28-26, 26-24, and claim a second consecutive regional championship. Community controlled most of the first set, building a six-point cushion before the Warriors rallied to 24-22. Senior...

Community fended off Collinsville to claim the IHSA sectional championship—the program’s third and first since 2017—setting up a home supersectional against No. 1 in-state Naperville North on Tuesday, Nov. 4. The match against the Kahoks brought what head coach Mr. Matt Chapman called “adversity,”...

Preparing for homecoming is supposed to be exciting—not stressful.  The tradition is an undeniable aspect of the high school experience—but it comes with a price tag. A set of acrylics—$70. Hair? Call it a wildcard—hair type, the style, DIY or salon—all variables that set the price. Spray...

Iron Icon is a recurring Inkspot segment highlighting Community alumni making an impact after graduation. Through interviews with teachers, coaches and staff, each installment spotlights an alum’s achievements—whether on the field, in their career or in the community—while connecting their success...

Last season, Ironmen football left fans breathless. Undefeated in Big 12 Conference play. A 10-2 record. A 7A IHSA State Quarterfinals appearance. Nearly toppling Mount Carmel—a program that’s long stood as a titan of Illinois high school football. The wins? Impressive. The roster? Stacked—with...

Halloween’s done, but that doesn’t mean the scares have to be. Two Inkspot staffers sort your November horror queue—pairing 2025’s buzziest releases with a couple of modern staples and explaining what to watch and why it works. This year has swung big: originals have broken out, franchises...

After a year of bright, hopeful superhero flicks, Marvel flips the script with “Marvel Zombies,” a four-part miniseries that takes a dark, gritty, refreshing swing and dares to ask, “Who will save our heroes?” Set outside the main Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Marvel Zombies” is a direct...

The cast of “The Diary of Anne Frank” reflect on why the story still matters, pointing to the play’s urgency amid current events, the importance of free expression and the harm that follows when prejudice goes unchecked. 

Trigger Words is a perspective series examining the language we throw around without thinking—and the impact it can leave behind. In a culture where “jokes” blur with insults and memes replace meaning, this series unpacks the words we’ve normalized and asks: Who’s listening? And what are they...

First they came for the Center for Disease Control, and I did not speak out—because I was healthy. Then they came for the migrants and refugees, and I did not speak out—because I was a legal citizen. Then they came for paper straws, and I did not speak out—because I was not a turtle. Then...

3:30, and Community’s doors burst open—students spilling out. Backpacks slung over shoulders, hands shoved deep into pockets, they rushed toward buses idling at the curb, they wove through the parking lot chaos—horns blaring, engines revving—a steady current, all moving with one purpose: getting...