Welcome to “Inkspill,” a podcast where hosts Abby Ruebush and Avani Rai take turns inviting Community’s staff to “spill” on all things NCHS. In less time than it takes to finish a cup of tea, listen to our guests dish on piping hot topics. For our eighth and final “Inkspill” episode...

Illinois FFA named Peter Metivier as one of ten State Officer candidates, selecting him to compete for the organization’s five highest student leadership positions during its State Convention. Metivier, who currently serves as FFA’s Section 9 President, said to be nominated was an honor. “I'm...

Two standout seniors were among the over 140 students recognized at the annual Foreign Language Awards Ceremony on April 22. Each year, the event honors the Foreign Language Honor Society’s new inductees and celebrates students’ accomplishments within the foreign language department’s 15 courses. Kara...

Welcome to the seventh episode of “Inkspill,” a podcast where hosts Abby Ruebush and Avani Rai take turns inviting Community’s staff to “spill” on all things NCHS. In less time than it takes to finish a cup of tea, listen to our guests dish on piping hot topics. This episode, Mr. Chris Belt,...

“The Lightning Thief” opens its run on Community’s stage Thursday, April 20, packed with striking theatrical elements—fight scenes, an onstage rock band and otherworldly LED lighting. Based on the first book in Rick Riordan’s best-selling “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series,...

Karthika Nair has lived in the United States her entire life. Yet, there are very few days, the senior said, she “truly feel[s] at home” in Bloomington Normal. That feeling of home, that sense of acceptance, Nair said, comes when she can celebrate her culture with the community. For two...

Community held its second voter registration drive of the school year March 3. The event, organized by Ms. LaTishia Baker, registered 13 students in-person and several others virtually ahead of April 4's Consolidate Municipal Elections.  Baker first organized a student voter registration drive in...

Welcome to the sixth episode of “Inkspill,” a podcast where hosts Abby Ruebush and Avani Rai take turns inviting Community’s staff to “spill” on all things NCHS. In less time than it takes to finish a cup of tea, listen to our guests dish on piping hot topics. This episode, 18-year special...

The Black Student Union, in its inaugural year, organized Community’s most comprehensive celebration of Black History Month in recent years. February’s recognition of Black Americans’ accomplishments, culture and history was the BSU’s first large-scale opportunity to address the organization’s...

Mr. Ricky King, 2023 Bilingual Teacher of the Year recipient, spills on the ESL Department at Community.

There’s a storm inside Houston's Brown Convention Center. Lightning flashes, crackles, zigzags… Multicolored beams of red, blue and gold dance across the amphitheater, spotlighting the match taking place in the arena below.  There’s the booming commentator, the referees’ piercing whistles,...

He was the youngest of five siblings—the self-proclaimed baby of the family.  She—the oldest of four. He grew up in Morton, Illinois—a rural town with a population of under 14,000.  She went to high school in the suburbs of Chicago—graduating in a class of 500.  He was an athlete,...

The Sweet Spot puts desserts from eateries around town to the test, deciding whether they hit the spot or miss the mark. Two Inkspot staffers review each product based on taste, presentation and value - separating the savory sweets from the crummy confections. This week, Abby Ruebush and Avani...

America’s Midterm elections are the younger sibling of U.S. politics -- forgotten, neglected, underappreciated, and overlooked.   The Midterms exist without any highly publicized conventions, clickbait-worthy debates, no elaborate merchandise lines--from beanies to flyswatters-- to capture the...

SkillsUSA National champion recognized at School Board meeting Katelyn Olson (’24) was recognized at Unit 5’s September Board meeting for earning a gold medal in the Medical Terminology event at the National SkillsUSA competition.  Olson was the one of three Illinois high school students...

Each week, the Sweet Spot puts desserts from eateries around town to the test, deciding whether they hit the spot or miss the mark. Two Inkspot staffers review each product based on taste, presentation and value - separating the savory sweets from the crummy confections. This week, Avani Rai...

21 awarded national recognition for academic achievement 21 seniors earned academic honors from the College Board National Recognition Programs for their “outstanding performance” in the classroom and on College Board assessments.  As juniors, the students posted a GPA of 3.5 or higher and...

Heading into the 2022 IHSA State Track and Field meet, Ali Ince had already achieved her share of accolades. Ince added two more State titles Saturday, May 21 -- taking first in the 800 and 400 -- before anchoring the Lady Iron's 3rd place 4x400 relay team. Check out the Inkspot's feature story...

Since the McDonald’s Shamrock Shake was first m-introduced in 1970, flurries of fans have awaited March 1 for the season’s first sip of the minty green drink.  Over the decades, the Shamrock Shake has become a cornerstone of the St. Patrick’s day season, sparking an obsessive following. This...

As the American Red Cross battles its first-ever blood crisis, experiencing the worst blood shortage in over a decade, Student Council hosted its second blood drive of the year Feb. 25.   Students, staff and community members donated a combined 75 units of blood, enough to save 225 lives.  The...

Staffing shortages, said Superintendent Kristin Weikle at the Oct. 17 School Board meeting, are “one of the biggest challenges [the district] is facing” this school year. Unit 5’s struggles to staff vacant positions in the food service and custodial departments, and the lack of substitute teachers...