Talk With Your Mouth Full

Springfield residents are learning a new language. On November 15^th, locals had the opportunity to learn sign language hosted by Our Vibrant Community at the Spaghetti Shop.
The founder Rhiannon Gurley taught the basics from animal signs to the alphabet. She said “she started the community mainly for the underserved population and that she’s creating activities for more people to learn." Gurley’s events are opened for all ages, any questions contact Rhiannon on her Facebook page.

Springfield celebrates Veteran's Day
Clint DeRoze

Springfield residents filled the streets today to honor those who have served. The city held its annual Veterans Day Parade all along downtown with over 100 attendees.

The parade included veterans from wars past and present marching all the way up to the capitol building.

While the beautiful weather might have a little to do with it, many veterans appreciate the large crowd today.

Vietnam veteran Bed Yoakum said “We truly need to recognize the veterans and the sacrifices not only they make, but their families make and their children make.”

Veterans who marched in the parade were then celebrated during a ceremony in the state capitol.

United We Stand

 Arielle Caldwell



 

Diversity is one of many top priorities here at UIS. In fact, international students make up 19.3% of the student body. Though UIS does not encourage nor condone division, intolerance or stereotyping, with our country’s newest President elect, Donald Trump, uncertainty and racial tensions have been on the rise post presidential election. But encouraging words from UIS instructor, Professor Jae Ha who is originally from South Korea brings comfort. "I think in today’s world we need each other to prosper by being alone we cannot prosper." Continuing to embrace all walks of life is a step forward in bringing much needed unity to not only our school but to our world.

Diversity of Food at the University of Illinois Springfield

Diversity of Food at the University of Illinois Springfield
by: Remel Hoskins

The Indian student population continues to increase at the university of Illinois Springfield and so does the food.

Many of the universities Indian residents cook their traditional meals from their homeland. Most of them cook and eat communally, learning recipes from their families or from the internet. Cooking the traditional foods is a way many Indians students feel at home despite being thousands of miles away.

Swati Singh is a graduate student at the university and explains one of her home cooked meals, "We call it chole’ but its made of chic peas with uh onions, tomatoes, spices like cumin, turmeric, and we cook it toss it and we give it a boil with water so its kind of spicy tangy liquid sort of thing."

Springfield’s only Indian Store provides the students with the ingredients they need to cook their homestyle meals. It is also an extremely cost effective for them to cook food as opposed to buying fast food or food on campus.

Fitness Assessment at University of Illinois

Fitness Assessments at University of Illinois’ Recreation and Athletic Center

The University of Illinois’ Recreation and Athletic Center is offering free health assessments every Tuesday from eight thirty to ten thirty a.m.  In just a few short series of exercises and measurements they can tell you your blood pressure, body fat percentage, resting heart rate, muscular endurance, and your flexibility.  This assessment is important for anyone looking to start a fitness routine because it can give you a baseline or starting point and it can tell those who are already have a fitness routine how far they have come.  This assessment is free and is offered to students as well as faculty.  You can just drop in or you can make an appointment if you prefer.  It would be a good place to start your New Year resolution if fitness will be your goal.   

Assistant Director of Fitness and Wellness, Alex Cosner says,  “A fitness assessment would be good for anybody who’s just getting started or somebody who’s already been further along in their fitness journey to see how far they’ve come or how far they’re looking to go.”  For more information go to uis.edu/campusrec