Tick-tack-tick-tack-tick-tack-tick-tack. The hot concrete of Comlara park sparked with each strike of Armoni Conner’s make-shift clothesline rope, surrounded by the giggles of seniors as they skipped. When Conner heard the “picnic” in Senior Picnic, she knew what she was going to bring—her...

The May-hem is upon us—the inboxes are full. The college tees are out. The senior absences keep adding up. Senior season has arrived. As the countdown to graduation winds down, the spotlight often shines on spirit week polls, senior sunset movie picks and yearbook superlatives. But one of the...

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...

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...

After graduating a senior class responsible for three straight Sectional Final appearances and a combined 89-15 record, few expected the Ironmen to replicate that success. And they didn’t. Instead, they redefined it. With a 27-7 finish and a return to the IHSA 4A Sectional Semifinals, this...

San Diego’s Marine Band took the Kevin Yale Vernon stage on March 6, performing a rock-heavy setlist for Community music students. Choir, band and orchestra members were excused from their eighth-hour classes to watch “America’s oldest continuously active professional musical organization”...

Community’s dance team closed out its season with the annual Guy/Girl routine, performing during halftime of the boys basketball team’s regular-season finale against Normal West on Feb. 21. The performance served as a farewell for the Iron Dance seniors, marking the end of their seasons. Iron...

Community clinched its second consecutive Big 12 Conference title Friday, Feb. 21, marking just the third time in program history the Ironmen have won back-to-back championships. The title is Community’s eighth since joining the Big 12 in 1983—all earned since 2011. But this championship stands...

Students in Mrs. Sydney Batty’s 6th-hour Molecular and Structural Biology class dissected lamb kidneys on Feb. 19 as part of their unit on the urinary system. The hands-on lab allowed students to explore kidney structures up close, reinforcing concepts studied in class. “In Biology,” Batty said,...

The Iron and senior Kenna Malinowski aim to “make a splash” in the Regional championship against Rock Island after cruising past United Township 65-27 in the IHSA 4A girls basketball postseason opener. The Ironmen, head coach Mr. Dave Feeney said, have found their “groove” as they chase a...

He can’t shine the spotlights or change the gels. He can’t pace the catwalk on a “Little Women” showday, work the boards or program any cues. Still, when the curtain closed on Community’s winter production, one name stood out on the crew list—Gus. He’s new to the crew this year—popular,...

The Iron’s co-ed cheer team made its first IHSA State Final appearance since 2019 on Friday, Feb. 7, finishing 24th in the preliminary round with a score of 82.90, ahead of Glenbrook North in the 25-team field. Community qualified for State with a third-place, no-deduction routine at the Mascoutah...

Community’s annual Stay Another Day night highlights the growing impact of alum Mackenzie Nelson’s mental health movement, showing how a personal mantra has become a nationwide call for awareness and support.  

“Grease,” “Ferris Bueller's Day Off,” “Superbad,” “Booksmart,” “High School Musical 3: Senior Year.” Senior year has served as a legendary backdrop for some of the most iconic coming-of-age films of all time. Chances are that long before we ever entered high school hallways, we...

With a 4-1 Big 12 record, the Ironmen girls basketball team sits behind undefeated Bloomington (6-0) and Peoria Notre Dame (5-0) in the conference standings. The Ironmen host the PND Irish tomorrow in a critical matchup that could shake up the title race. The Inkspot's Bella Green caught up with...

The Washington Panthers denied the Ironmen girls basketball team’s quest for a third consecutive State Farm Holiday Classic title, handing Community a 61-43 loss on Dec. 30 and a runner-up finish. The championship contest marked an emerging rivalry as Community dashed Washington’s Classic trophy...

The Normal Marching Band will debut on the international stage during the London New Year’s Day Parade, capping a season of milestones. Since its formation as a co-op in 2018, the band has develiped into a state powerhouse, earning three consecutive 6A Illinois State Championships. Now, the band...

The Ironmen girls basketball team secured a fourth consecutive Intercity Tournament title on Nov. 29, opening the 2024-25 campaign 4-0 on the back of statement wins and standout performances. After losing last season's starting lineup and welcoming 10 juniors to the roster, head coach Mr. Dave Feeney...

The girls basketball team aims to secure a fourth-consecutive Intercity title when they tip off their season against the Normal West Wildcats on Nov. 23 at Illinois Wesleyan’s Shirk Center. This year’s Intercity tournament debuts in a centralized format at Shirk, with State Farm stepping in as...

Welcome to “The Up-Beat,” where a group of Inkspot reporters take a break from breaking news to share what’s been making them smile this week. Bella Green, Kirsten Santana and Carter Hull share what is making them happy in the season two premiere.

The East Gym floor underwent an overhaul this summer, the lastest improvement in a facilities revitalization project spearheaded by athletic director Mr. Nic Kearfott. After over two decades of continual use–countless physical education classes, hundreds and hundreds of volleyball and basketball...

The girls track and field team claimed their third straight Big 12 Conference title on May 3, posting seven first-place finishes at Champaign’s Harold Jester Track. The Iron finished the night with 131 points, 39 ahead of their closest competitors–hosts Champaign Centennial. The Danville Vikings...

Down by double digits against the Alton Redbirds in the opening quarter of Feb. 22’s Sectional Championship contest, Community’s girls basketball team found themselves in uncharted territory.  For the senior-heavy roster, trailing an opponent was a rare occurrence as the 31-3 Iron entered the...

Inside the Paint is a roundtable discussion where the Inkspot’s basketball beat reporters dive deep into the Ironmen boys and girls basketball seasons. Zachary Knox-Doyle, B.J. Dumas, Bella Green and Ben Kerber offer a courtside pass to all things Ironmen basketball. Join us as we break down...

Welcome to "The Up-Beat," where each week a group of Inkspot reporters take a break from breaking news to share what's been making them smile this week. Ali Ince, Ben Kerber, Bella Green and Charlie Faulkner share what is making them happy this week.  

The 31-3 Ironmen girls basketball team makes their third consecutive trip to the IHSA Sectional Finals tonight after a third-quarter rally for a 70-50 victory over the East Moline United Township Panthers on Feb. 20. Community found themselves trailing 30-26 at the half, unable to contain the Panthers’...

Last season, the girls basketball team set a program win record, going 31-4. Now, the Iron have the opportunity to make history again, adding to the class of 2024’s already impressive list of accomplishments. After knocking off Normal West in the Pekin Regional Semi-Final contest on Feb. 12,...

Inside the Paint is a roundtable discussion where the Inkspot’s basketball beat reporters dive deep into the Ironmen boys and girls basketball seasons. Zachary Knox-Doyle, B.J. Dumas, Lucas Drengwitz, Bella Green and Ben Kerber offer a courtside pass to all things Ironmen basketball, breaking down...

Inside the Paint is a roundtable discussion where the Inkspot's basketball beat reporters dive deep into the Ironmen boys and girls basketball seasons. Zachary Knox-Doyle, B.J. Dumas, Bella Green and Ben Kerber offer a courtside pass to all things Ironmen basketball, breaking down the season so far...

Community’s girls basketball team were crowned outright Intercity champions for the third straight year on Tuesday, extending their tournament reign with a 4-0 start to the season. This group of players have never lost to a Bloomington-Normal opponent in Intercity or regular season action, the program’s...

The girls basketball team tips off their season looking to win a third straight outright Intercity title when they take on the Bloomington Raiders tonight.  The Raiders enter the contest with a new head coach after going 5-22 on the season and 0-4 in last year’s Intercity tournament.  Community...

Despite the Normal Marching Band falling short of their start-of-season goal to make a finals run at the Bands of America Super Regional, the group garnered numerous accolades throughout the 2023 season. Among them was a first-place finish at the 6A Illinois State Marching Band Championships at Illinois...

The Ironmen head to the IHSA 7A Football Quarterfinals for the first time since 2015 with a 31-30 overtime victory over the Bradley-Bourbonnais Boilermakers Saturday at Dick Tharpe Field. Watch the highlights and the video recap of the second round playoff win.

The Normal Marching Band took second in their first two competitions, debuting the 2023 season show “The Game.” The season opener at the Washington Invite was a rematch of last year's State Finals, with the NMB once again finishing 2nd behind the defending 6A State Champions from Morton High School. The...

The boys soccer team finished second in the 2023 Intercity tournament, their lone loss coming in the tournament’s opening round to eventual Intercity champions U-High. Community fell 1-0 to the Pioneers in Aug. 30’s match at U-High. Despite the Ironmen recording a 10-9 advantage in shots on...