Vampires used to skulk in crumbling castles, draped in capes and centuries-old rot. Now they wear pressed suits, flash charming smiles—and drain entire cultures dry. With “Sinners,” director Ryan Coogler trades jump scares for generational trauma. His fifth feature, following “Creed” and...

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...

What does it feel like to die? If you knew you’d be reborn, would that make the process any less terrifying? Less painful? Less traumatic? These are just some of the existential questions at the heart of Bong Joon-Ho’s “Mickey 17.” Six years after winning Best Picture for “Parasite,”...

Are Movie Theaters Dying, or Are We Just Forgetting Why They Matter? In the dark ages—before mobile devices and flat-screen TVs—early man had no choice but to journey to vast structures for entertainment. These coliseums of storytelling, with their dim lobbies and the scent of butter-soaked popcorn...

The Ironmen grapplers head into tonight's Senior Night meet with a flawless 18-0 record, boasting the No. 16 ranking in Illinois. Under the spotlights of the Mrs. Kevin Yale Vernon Auditorium, Community will look to extend their dominant season as they host Olympia in a one-of-a-kind match to honor the...

Iron volleyball's postseason push ended in a two-set match against the West Wildcats in the Sectional Semifinals on Nov. 5, closing Community’s 2024 campaign with a 29-9 record. The Iron lost the first set 25-14, a score that head coach Ms. Christine Konopasek said could have easily thrown the team...

In celebration of the 50th IHSA Girls Volleyball State Series, the organization has recognized the state’s top 50 programs, naming one school each day as they countdown toward Nov. 16’s milestone state championship tournament. Community was named the state’s 20th-best program in late October,...

Ironmen volleyball is set to settle their season series against crosstown rivals, the 34-3 Normal West Wildcats, in a high-stakes Sectional Semifinal showdown on Tuesday, Nov. 5, at 6 p.m. at Normal West High School. Te season series tied at 1-1 after Community handed West one of their three losses...

The Ironmen (28-8) are set to host the Minooka Indians (18-18) tonight at 6 p.m., with the Regional Title and a spot in the IHSA Sectionals on the line. The contest is a high-stakes rematch of last season’s Regional Championship tilt, which ended in an “incredibly frustrating” fashion, according...

The Iron have their sights set on a 4A Regional Championship title when they host the 11-19 Pekin Dragons on Oct. 29 in the first round of regional play at 6 p.m. The goal won’t be an easy one, though, as head coach Ms. Christine Konopasek said postseason matches are the most emotionally charged...

This year's fall production of “Peter and the Starcatcher” marks the first show under newly appointed director Ms. Cassie Adelman. Ahead of Friday's 7 p.m. final performance, Adelman reflected on the personal and professional journey that led her here. Adelman steps into the role previously...

The snack vending machine in the fishbowl was out of order on Oct. 11 after students damaged the machine’s delivery bin and stole items from its bottom row. The damages and lost inventory, Mrs. Molly Stolfa, one of the directors of Community’s Student Support Program, said, will potentially cost...

Iron volleyball suffered their first Big 12 Conference loss on Oct. 8, falling to Normal West in a rematch of last year’s conference title game. With the Iron 6-1 in conference play and the Wildcats 7-0, West is primed for their second straight conference title. While Community defeated the Wildcats...

Iron volleyball took a break from practice on Oct. 17 to focus on team bonding, holding a pumpkin painting competition in the senior cafeteria. The 16-player roster's competitive spirit was on display as the athletes spent nearly two hours perfecting their creations. That was time well spent,...

Iron volleyball finished 2-2 in the Intercity Tournament, while the U-High Pioneers went 4-0 to claim their second consecutive Intercity Title.  The Ironmen opened Sept. 28’s action against the Central Catholic Saints with a frustrating two-set loss (25-17, 25-23), head coach Ms. Christine Konopasek...

The 10-3 Iron volleyball team's perfect home record and six-game win-streak is on the line when they host the annual Intercity Volleyball Tournament this Saturday, facing the undefeated Normal West Wildcats (17-0), U-High (17-2) and Central Catholic (14-2). Community's road to an Intercity title won't...

Iron volleyball opened the 2024 season 4-2 in non-conference play, showcasing a new offensive scheme and well-rounded roster.  After last season’s frustrating season-ending loss to the Minooka Indians, finishing the year 25-12, head coach Ms. Christine Konopasek and the Ironmen shifted the program’s...

Casting a long shadow over the vast expanses of the “Alien” universe is the Weyland-Yutani corporation, a gluttonous mega-company that prioritizes profit over people and pursues corporate goals with little regard for the catastrophic consequences. “Alien: Romulus,” the franchise’s seventh...

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...

For nearly a century, students have tackled the SAT armed with a pencil., taking the college entrance exam on paper.  On April 17, Community's juniors take the SAT digitally for the first time.  The College Board began piloting the digital SAT last spring before fully implementing the digital...

You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t heard of the King of Monsters. Since first laying waste to Tokyo in 1954, the grandfather of kaiju has been featured in 38 films, with the latest entry in the Monsterverse franchise, “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” hitting theaters on April...

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. Bryce Hickman, Leonor Rivas, Kirsten Santana and Carter Hull share what is making them happy this week.  

After finishing the 2023 season with a 10-7 record, the Bloomington Normal boys lacrosse team saw significant changes in the off-season with the appointment of head coach Mr. Jackson Fischer and the graduation of several key players. A 2023 Illinois Wesleyan graduate, Fischer is the program’s fourth...

Four members of the girl's swim team competed in the IHSA State Swimming and Diving preliminary rounds Nov. 10-11, marking the end of the season for the team. The meet marked the third consecutive trip to State for Kenna Malinowski ('25). Malinowski has qualified for State in the maximum four events...

Four members of the girls swimming and diving team compete at this weekend’s IHSA State competition in Westmont, following a second-place finish at Sectionals. After back-to-back Sectional Championships, the Iron finished 33 points behind Washington High School this season. Five first-place finishes...

Community suffered a 2-0 loss to the Minooka Indians during the Regional Championship game on Oct. 26, a disappointing conclusion to the 2023 Iron volleyball season. Community fell to the Indians 25-21 in two sets, finishing the year with an overall record of 25-12. Head coach Ms. Christine Konopasek...

A volleyball Regional Championship Title is on the line when the Minooka Indians (19-15) play host to the Iron Thursday at 6 p.m. The second-seed Iron opened the postseason win, defeating the seven-seed Pekin Dragons in straight sets (25-17, 25-10) and improving to 25-11 on the season. Head coach...

The volleyball team takes on the Pekin Dragons (16-17) in the first round of Regional action Tuesday, Oct. 24, at 6 p.m. at Minooka High School. The Iron enter the contest as the two-seed with a record of 24-11. Those 11 losses, Head Coach Ms. Christine Konopasek said, have prepared Community to win...

Boys cross country takes top honors at season opener The boys cross country team took first in the Normal Community Co-Ed Open Sept. 1 at Maxwell Park, edging out Elmwood Brimfield 39-48.  Two Ironmen posted top-five finishes, with Joey Yaros taking second and Jack Thomas finishing fourth out of...