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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

A mockup of the video scoreboards being installed in the East Gym over the summer.

Image Courtesy of: Community Athletics department // Used with Permission

New digital scoreboards to be installed in East Gym

Inkspot Staff and Bailey Kozlen
May 19, 2025

Community will install new digital scoreboards in the East Gym this summer, replacing outdated equipment first installed when the building opened in 2004. The upgrade comes in response to the Illinois High School Association’s mandate requiring shot clocks in boys and girls varsity basketball games...

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Community’s bass fishing team poses after winning the inaugural Big 12 championship. Coach Derrick Schonauer said the sport is rapidly growing, adding a conference and regional tournament this season. 

Photo Courtesy of: Mr. Derrick Schonauer // Used with Permission

Community wins Big 12 bass fishing title, falls short at regional

Carter Hull, Staff Reporter
May 19, 2025

Community’s bass fishing team captured the inaugural Big 12 Conference championship on May 8 at Banner Marsh, sweeping both team and individual titles.  Johnny Thomas, Nick Rosenlund and Will Newbold led the Big 12 performance, reeling in five fish totaling over 18 pounds. Their haul included a...

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Photo Illustration // Mr. Brad Bovenkerk

TikTok trend promotes Chromebook vandalism, raises fire safety concerns

Lyra Townsend, Staff Reporter
May 16, 2025

A dangerous TikTok trend encouraging students to vandalize school-issued Chromebooks has prompted a districtwide warning from Unit 5’s IT Department. Known online as the “Chromebook Challenge,” the trend instructs students to insert pencil lead, staples, paper clips or other conductive materials...

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During an interactive presentation at Community, music students explored how certified music therapists use rhythm and melody to support clients in settings ranging from hospitals to schools to hospice care.

Image Courtesy of: Illinois State University

Music therapy presentation introduces students to new career path

Lyra Townsend, Staff Reporter
May 7, 2025

Ten music students gathered in the choir room before school on April 24 for an interactive presentation introducing music therapy, a growing field that blends music and healthcare. Led by Madison Larson, a graduate student in Illinois State University’s music therapy program, the session featured...

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Tied to lawn chairs and soaked in ice water, Bryce Hickman (left) and Carson Folwer (right) put a playful spin on the #SpeakYourMIND challenge. 

Photo Courtesy of: Bryce Hickman

Students revive viral challenge for new cause

College club relaunches ice bucket challenge to raise mental health awareness
Bella Green, Editor-in-Chief
May 5, 2025

Buckets of ice water are back this spring—but this time, they’re promoting mental health awareness. Students at the University of South Carolina launched the #SpeakYourMIND campaign on March 31, reviving the format of the 2014 ALS Ice Bucket Challenge to spark conversations about mental illness. The...

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Fall colors reflect off Dutchman Lake in Shawnee National Forest, located near Vienna in southern Illinois. Just a five-hour drive from Bloomington-Normal, Shawnee, which spans over 280,000 acres, is the closest national forest to the area—offering hiking, fishing, rock climbing, horseback riding and some of the state’s most scenic trails.

Photo CC by U.S. Forest Service // Department of Agriculture, Used with Permission

Executive order threatens protections across 112 million acres of U.S. Forests; Science teachers react

Bryce Hickman, Senior Staff Reporter
Apr 30, 2025

America’s national parks and forests, long viewed as a national treasure, are far more than havens for bird watching, hiking, mountain climbing and sightseeing—they are critical to climate regulation and biodiversity. The U.S. national park system now spans more than 273 million acres, including 433...

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Bryce Hickman earned Community's third-ever State Journalism title. The senior took first in Review Writing after failing to qualify in the event the year before.

Senior wins state title in IHSA Journalism Finals

Zachary Knox-Doyle, Sports Editor
Apr 28, 2025

Senior Bryce Hickman made history at the IHSA State Journalism Finals on April 25, becoming just the second Ironman to win a Journalism state championship. Hickman earned first place in Review Writing at the event, held at Heartland Community College, following in the footsteps of 2018 graduate Katie...

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FFA members like freshman Michaela Byrd collected donations to fund tree planting during lunch hours.
 
After making a donation, Byrd said, students wrote their names on a tree leaf and received a sticker.

FFA tree drive takes root in Earth Month effort

In celebration of Earth Month and in partnership with the Ecology Action Center, Community’s FFA chapter surpassed its fundraising goal this spring, collecting $615—enough to plant 123 trees across Bloomington-Normal. The drive, held March 31 through April 4 at a booth in the atrium, supports...

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Meet the 2025 Prom Court

Meet the 2025 Prom Court

Arwen Georgas and Armeen Chatha
Apr 24, 2025

Eight juniors were named to the 2025 Prom Court, nominated by their peers ahead of Saturday’s dance at the Marriott in Uptown Normal. This year’s event—set to a “Great Gatsby” theme—will culminate with the crowning of Prom Royalty, a term NCHS adopted in 2021 to replace traditional gendered...

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Global ‘Hands Off’ protests draw millions, including over 1,000 in Bloomington

Global ‘Hands Off’ protests draw millions, including over 1,000 in Bloomington

The Inkspot captured scenes from the April 5 protest outside the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts [photo gallery]
Malachi McCool, Staff Reporter
Apr 23, 2025

Millions of people rallied across all 50 states, U.S. territories and more than a dozen cities worldwide, on April 5 as part of the “Hands Off” movement—a coordinated pushback against what organizers describe as a growing threat to democracy, fueled by the influence of President Donald Trump and...

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Illinois replaced the SAT with the ACT for high school juniors, ending an eight-year contract with the College Board—state officials cited cost as the deciding factor.
Photo Illustration: Mr. Brad Bovenkerk

Illinois switches from SAT to ACT, raising questions about the future of standardized testing

In context: What the shift says about the future of standardized testing
Andrew Naour, Staff Writer
Apr 21, 2025

When Illinois high school juniors sit for their required state assessment this year, the test will look different. Beginning with the 2024–25 school year, Illinois will replace the SAT with the ACT as the state-mandated assessment for high school juniors. The shift follows the expiration of the state’s...

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Image Courtesty of: Illinois Wesleyan

5 students selected for IWU Honor Jazz Band

Ironmen join top high school performers in two-day clinic, concert

Five students from Community were selected to participate in Illinois Wesleyan University’s second annual Honor Jazz Band, joining approximately 30 of the state’s top high school musicians for a two-day clinic and concert event hosted by IWU’s School of Music. Sophomores Jake Piotrowski, Joe...

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Cell phone ban in schools? Community responds to proposed legislation [video]

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has proposed legislation to ban cell phones in schools. Community students and staff weigh in on the controversial proposal and its impact on learning and school culture.
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For more than a decade, each week before spring break Community showcases its music offerings with lunchtime concerts.

Jazz Ensemble, acapella celebrate Music In Our Schools Month with atrium performances

Community’s student musicians brought live performances to the atrium ahead of spring break, as part of an annual lunchtime concert series celebrating Music In Our Schools Month, a music education awareness event now in its 40th year nationwide. Jazz Ensemble, Voicemale and Key of She rotated performances...

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FBLA qualified 10 more students for Nationals than last season, marking their most successful state competition to date.

Community FBLA earns top state honors, qualifies record 65 students for nationals

Community’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter was named the top chapter in Illinois, earning the Outstanding Chapter Award at the annual State Leadership Conference in March. At the two-day event, the school set a program record with 65 students qualifying for this summer’s National...

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