Quick Hits 4/24
Last week was a bonanza for those who like any kind of art! There was a film festival, play, and 32 other events all over campus! Read this edition of “Quick Hits” to learn about these events and everything else you need to know about what has happened and what is to come on Illinois Central College campuses.
30-Second Stories
THIS WEEK: Arts Week
This week, ICC hosted 34 events around the East Peoria campus to celebrate art in all of its forms. Everything from pottery to jazz to theater had representation. There were presentations by professionals, exhibits, fun little photo op stations, and even live shows!
Some highlights were learning to take pictures without a camera on Monday, learning the history of tattoos on Tuesday, an open mic poetry event on Wednesday, and #1 bestselling author Joe Chianakas giving a speech on Thursday.
On Thursday, Professor Anita Tuccillo and her students presented how vine charcoal for drawing was made. Once it was created, students used it on the sidewalk as chalk.
One of the biggest events was the Student Film Festival, which each have a 30-Second Story below.
On Saturday, there was the International Fair, which will be covered in-depth in an article coming soon.
This past weekend, the Rocky Horror Show had a production, which also has an upcoming article.
In total, there were six multiple-day events, four events on Monday, eight events on Tuesday, six on Wednesday, six on Thursday, one on Friday, and two on Saturday.
Tuesday, April 9: Peoria Journal Star Visit
Last Monday, Harbinger Student Media and a basic news editing class met up at the Peoria Journal Star (PJ Star) headquarters. The PJ Star’s executive editor Romando Dixon acted as their tour guide.
“It was not just an educational thing,” says student Tyler Gall, who went with the news editing class. “We got to learn how people go about their day.”
However, the one of most defining factors of the trip was how most of the Peoria Journal Star building is unused.
There used to be over a thousand people working at the PJ Star. However, they experienced severe cuts over the past decade, especially after COVID. Now their current news team is merely 13 people, including leadership. In the past, there were more than 60 people in the newsroom.
There were only four people working at the PJ Star in person during the ICC visit. The rest of them were working virtually.
Outside of the newsroom, the editorial side of the PJ Star was almost entirely shut off and abandoned. There are unused old podcasting production, publishing, and advertising rooms.
The PJ Star even has an abandoned helipad leftover from when they had a news helicopter.
However, the PJ Star building has a second purpose: it is the printing press center for the region. They deliver print newspapers everywhere from Green Bay to Indianapolis.
This side of the building was very busy and full of factory workers.
“Looking at the factory side of things and how newspapers are actually made and distributed is a really big thing,” says Gall. “There are so many people hired, and so many different kinds of people coming in and out.”
Wednesday, April 17-18: Student Film Festival
ICC’s 15th annual film festival has Last week, ICC had its yearly Student Film Festival had 13 entries.
First place was tied between LOOP, a time-travel film directed by Tony Trad, and Welcome to Greengold Acres, a documentary about a young man who runs a farm entirely himself, which was directed by Jadon Ylinen.
Roman Castle, a crime film directed by Nicolas Cheesman, won third place.
The fan favorite was Manners & Mannerisms, a film poking fun at social norms, that was directed by Quinto Peterson and Alex Fako. It also won an honorable mention.
Honorable mentions were Necessity, directed by Cynthia Hartford, and Manners and Mannerisms, directed by Quinto Peterson and Alex Faico.
The other films are as follows:
- Honors Film Project — Laura Blunier
- Evil Residents — Owen Fandel
- Love Floats — Audry Taylor Hart, Britt Avalon Bentley
- How to do Everything with Tim Spence — Alec Jirousek
- Borderline — Ashley Melohn
- The Photograph — Immanuel Saatkamp
- Watch The Sunrise — Gavin Schroeder
- Stray Dogs Trailer — Katherine Young
Harbinger Student Media was able to get an interview with Nicolas Cheesman, the third-place winner, who did almost all of the work on his film by himself.
“One of my friends Aaron Sharp did some of the cinematography, but mostly everything I did myself,” he says.
Nick’s film explores themes of crime and religious repentance. It has a fast-paced style with many cuts and each scene has a cerebral title that gets the viewer looking for a specific theme within the scene.
“I threw in words and definitions in there to get the viewer thinking about stuff in their own head,” he says.
Nick’s film website is saintnickstudio.com. He has other projects he has recently made on there.
“I just got done with a Nike shoe commercial with some motion design. It was similar to this with quick fast cuts and a lot going on and thrown in,” he says.
Communications professor Debbie Hedeman helped put together the film. When asked about how she likes it, she said “I love it. That’s why I’ve been part of it for over 15 years”.
Coming Soon to ICC
- Monday, April 22: SGA Popular Opinion
- When: 9 a.m.- 12 p.m.
- Where: East Peoria Campus, Student Lounge
- More Information
- Monday: April 22: National Cheese Fries Day
- When: 10 a.m.- 1 p.m.
- Where: East Peoria Campus, Student Lounge
- More Information
- Tuesday, April 23: One Book, One College 10th Anniversary Party
- When: 11:30 a.m.- 1:30 p.m.
- Where: East Peoria Campus, Academic Building, Skywalk and the library
- More Information
- Tuesday, April 23: Hard Bop Jazz Band
- When: 7:30
- Where: East Peoria Campus, Academic Building, Lecture Recital Hall, 127F
- More Information
- Wednesday, April 24: Mindfulness (Wellness Wednesday Series)
- When: 11:30 a.m.
- Where: East Peoria Campus, Student Lounge
- More Information
- Wednesday, April 24: Overcoming Test Anxiety (Student Success Workshops)
- When: 5-6 p.m.
- Where: Peoria Campus, Academic Support Center, S220
- More Information
- Thursday, April 25: University of Illinois Springfield Transfer Center Table Visit
- When: 10 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.
- Where: Peoria Campus, Student Center
- More Information
- Thursday, April 25: Dream Chasers Dialogue: Leveraging Your College Experience
- When: 11 a.m.- 12 p.m.
- Where: East Peoria Campus, Academic Building, 210
- More Information
- Thursday, April 25: Conversation Starters
- When: 12:30 p.m.
- Where: Peoria Campus, Student Center, Academic Support Center, S220
- More Information
- Thursday, April 25: Gentle Yoga
- When: 1:30-2:15 p.m.
- Where: East Peoria Campus, Academic Building, International Center, 304A
- More Information
- Thursday, April 25: Agri-Business Club Evening of Etiquette
- When: 6 p.m.
- Where: East Peoria Campus, Academic Building, Tranquility Room
- More Information
- Saturday, April 27: Fashion Club Spring Fashion Show
- When: 6:30 p.m.
- Where: East Peoria Campus, Performing Arts Center, Dance Studio
- More Information
- Monday, April 29- May 3: De-Stress Week
- When: 10 a.m. -2 p.m. all week
- Where: East Peoria Campus, Academic Building, Third Floor, Student Lounge
- More Information
- Monday, April 29: University of Illinois Springfield Transfer Center Table Visit
- When: 10:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.
- Where: East Peoria Campus, Academic Building, Atrium
- More Information
- Monday, April 29: UNITE Club Weekly Meetings
- When: 2-3 p.m.
- Where: East Peoria Campus, Academic Building, 302A
- More Information
- Monday, April 29: ICC Concert Band Spring Concert
- When: 7:30 p.m.
- Where: East Peoria Campus, Performing Arts Center
- More Information
- Tuesday, April 30: S.A.F.E. Club Dorm Cleanup
- When: 10 a.m.- 2 p.m.
- Where: East Peoria Campus, Student Housing, Clubhouse
- More Information
- Tuesday, April 30: Relax in the Stacks
- When: 1-3 p.m.
- Where: East Peoria Campus, Academic Building, Library, 312
- More Information
- Tuesday, April 30: Gentle Yoga
- When: 1:30-2:15 p.m.
- Where: Peoria Campus, Student Center, S220
- More Information
- Tuesday, April 30: S.A.F.E. Club Weekly Meetings
- When: 3-4 p.m.
- Where: East Peoria Campus, Academic Building, 320A
- More Information
- Tuesday, April 30: Pre-Health Club Weekly Meetings
- When: 4:30-5:30 p.m.
- Where: East Peoria Campus, Academic Building, 220A
- More Information
- Tuesday, April 30: ICC Vocal Jazz Spring Performance
- When: 7:30 p.m.
- East Peoria Campus, Performing Arts Center
- More Information
- Wednesday, May 1: Relax in the Stacks
- When: 1-2 p.m.
- Where: Peoria Campus, Student Center, Library
- More Information
- Wednesday, May 1: Fashion Club
- When: 4-6 p.m.
- Where: East Peoria Campus, Academic Building, 131C
- More Information
- Wednesday, May 1: ICC Guitar and Percussion Ensemble Performances
- When: 7:30 p.m.
- Where: East Peoria Campus, Academic Building, Lecture Recital Hall, 127F
- More Information
- Thursday, May 2: University of Illinois Springfield Transfer Center Table Visit
- When: 10:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.
- Where: East Peoria Campus, Academic Building, Atrium
- More Information
- Thursday, May 2: Ultimate Study Break
- When: 11 a.m.- 2:30 p.m.
- Where: East Peoria Campus, Student Housing, Clubhouse
- More Information
- Thursday, May 2: Mindfulness (Thriving Thursdays series)
- When: 11:30 a.m.- 1:30 p.m.
- Where: Peoria Campus, Student Center
- More Information
- Thursday, May 2: $500 Simply Divine Dinner
- When: 5:30-9:30 p.m.
- Where: Peoria Campus, Student Center, Dogwood Hall
- More Information
- Reservations
- Friday, May 3: Fashion Club
- When: 11 a.m.- 1 p.m.
- Where: East Peoria Campus, Academic Building, 131C
- More Information
- Sunday, May 5: ICC Concert Choir Spring Performance
- When: 7 p.m.
- Where: East Peoria Campus, Academic Building, Lecture Recital Hall, 127F
- More Information
In Case You Missed It
- April 8: S.A.F.E. Club Researching ICC Campus’ Millennium-Old Native American Mound – Harbinger Student Media: More than a millennium ago, ancient Native Americans built a sacred mound on the ICC campus overlooking the bluff. Today, the Student Association for the Environment (S.A.F.E.) club is hoping to learn more about it, as well as bring attention to this piece of history and get it governmentally protected.