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Whatever you are interested in, we've got it covered.

Inkspot

Whatever you are interested in, we've got it covered.

Inkspot

The Normal Marching Band went from "seed to bloom" in their 2024 show, performing a song list of: "Flower Duet" by Léo Delibes, "Singing in the Rain" by Nacio Herb Brown, "Country Gardens" by Perry Grainger, "A Road, A Path" by Roy Magunson, "Kingfishers Catch Fire" by John Mackey and "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong.

Seed to bloom

Normal Marching Band caps season with top honors
Bella Green, Senior Staff Reporter
Nov 22, 2024
The Normal Marching Band cultivated success and harvested a bounty of accolades this season with their plant-themed performance, “Seed to Bloom,” culminating in a flourishing finish at the Illinois Marching Band Championship on Oct. 26, their final show of the year.
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Swanson approached the Inkspot at the end of the 2022-23 school year asking if the program would be interested in reviving the livestreams the journalism students began prior to COVID. 
The science teacher has been instrumental in mentoring the Inkspot staffers in color commentary and play-by-play.

Evolution of a Voice: Mr. Joel Swanson’s journey to courtside commentator

Inkspot Staff and Ben Kerber
Oct 25, 2024

When Mr. Joel Swanson steps into the broadcast booth, it’s as if he’s entering his own laboratory—a place where the unpredictable elements of live sports mix and react. Over the airwaves, the veteran science teacher’s voice becomes the nucleus around which the game orbits, holding together...

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The perfect Mother’s Day gift: Insights from Community’s staff moms

The perfect Mother’s Day gift: Insights from Community’s staff moms

Ali Ince, Staff Writer
May 11, 2024

The second Sunday in May, a day circled in bright red ink on the calendar–Mother's Day: a day dedicated to honoring and celebrating mothers. While Mother’s Day is a heartwarming occasion, it can also be a source of stress for sons, daughters and partners as they hunt for the perfect gift. Roses...

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Fishing, Niekamp says, is about "25% luck, 75% skill." That skill Niekamp has worked to hone fishing a lake near his grandpa's home in Wisconsin each summer. 
Photo Courtesy: Dexter Niekamp

Niekamp’s big catch

The three-sport varsity athlete's fourth season
Lucas Drengwitz, Staff Writer
May 9, 2024

Dexter Niekamp squints against the glare of the lights, a towering figure with a focused gaze. The senior’s eyes are filled with determination and anticipation as he waits to strike.  There is the snap, the jerk of the line... His movements—fluid and precise.  This is another chance...

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Bird brained: The Inkspot puts Mr. Kevin Suess’ bird knowledge to the test [video]

Bird brained: The Inkspot puts Mr. Kevin Suess’ bird knowledge to the test [video]

Bryce Hickman and Carter Hull
Apr 25, 2024

The Inkspot quizzed the Community's resident ornithologist, Mr. Kevin Suess, on all things avian in honor of April 26's National Audubon Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness of birds and the importance of preserving their habitats. The holiday recognizes the work of John James Audubon, the...

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After five years in America, and Unit 5, Anna Fukomoto (second from the left) returned to Japan in January. She returned with more than her belongings, but a sense of belonging, something her time as a member of the cross country and track teams helped her discover.

Finding Fukomoto

How studying in America helped Anna Fukomoto find herself
Abby Ruebush, Editor-in-Chief
Feb 21, 2024

A new class of jittery sixth graders funneled into Chiddix Junior High, anxious to enter a foreign world: lockers and their dreaded combinations, too-short passing periods in crowded hallways and an eight-class, recess-less schedule.  Entering junior high: a nerve-wracking experience for every 11-year-old...

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The cast, crew of ‘The Dining Room’ on why audiences should see the winter play [video]

Inkspot Staff
Jan 31, 2024
Hear why the cast, crew of "The Dining Room" think audience's will enjoy the show.
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In an effort to end the stigma around mental health, Community alum Mackenzie Nelson launched the brand Stay Another Day, a clothing brand that donates a portion of its proceeds to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Photo Courtesy of: Stay Another Day, LLC

From personal struggle to mental health awareness brand

Community alum Mackenzie Nelson's 'Stay Another Day' journey

“Another day,” she told herself, pulling into the Community parking lot every morning.  “Another day,” she thought, sitting alone at the back of the classroom.  “Another day,” she said, crying in her bedroom after softball practice.  Stay another day, just one more day. The phrase...

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Mrs. Mary Esther Baldwin says ‘adios’ after over 25 years as Spanish teacher [video]

Marielsie Iglesias, Senior Staff Reporter
Jan 9, 2024
Mrs. Mary Esther Baldwin talks about the path that lead her to education; the veteran Spanish teacher's coworkers and former students discuss her legacy.
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Digital Illustration // Brad Bovenkerk
Acorn Image // College Board

Florida’s threats to AP Psychology should scare you—but don’t let them psych you out

Abby Ruebush, Editor-in-Chief
Nov 14, 2023

Ever wonder what high school courses Wednesday Addams or Miles Morales would take?  That’s the premise behind College Board’s new social media campaign. Amidst posts on financial aid and SAT practice problems, fictional characters are now the subject of an inquiry: What Advanced Placement...

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Para-normal activity

Are Normal's halls haunted?
Avani Rai, Editor-in-Chief
Oct 26, 2023
Moaning Myrtle. Peeves the poltergeist. Nearly Headless Nick. While Community lacks the thousand year legacy of Hogwarts, the school has had its fair share of rumored spirit sightings. The Inkspot’s team of amateur ghost hunters set out to find the paranormal at Normal Community that, according to Gallup, 32% of Americans believe exist.
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Tell me how to get to Sesame Street

Tell me how to get to Sesame Street

Abby Ruebush, Editor-in-Chief
Sep 18, 2023

There’s an alternate universe where Community alum Paul Rudolph still spends his days surrounded by high school music students.  A universe where Rudolph (’84) conducts a classroom in Central Illinois, teaching teenagers to sight read, to play scales and chords, to march in formation.  That...

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A Q&A with Community teachers on their extra-curricular interests

A Q&A with Community teachers on their extra-curricular interests

Anna Dunne, Senior Staff Reporter
Sep 18, 2023

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New Faces of Normal

New Faces of Normal

A Q & A with 2023's new instructional, administrative and support staff members

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