BEST Culture 2023
When I first took this position as Culture Editor, I kept asking myself: What exactly is the best way to sum up the culture of Champaign-Urbana? Where should I start? It turns out, what makes …
Culture
Weekender: December 1-3
Enjoy this first weekend of December with suggestions from our editors.
Jeffrey Trask on why reparations are a win for everyone
Jeffrey Trask is a busy man. After working as the Mercy and Justice Pastor of New Covenant Fellowship from 2001 to 2012, he founded the Champaign County Christian Health Center (CCCHC) in 2003, which provides …
The gardens around Japan House are a beautiful place to visit any time of year
Japan House and the surrounding gardens are a true gem in Champaign-Urbana. You can celebrate at the Matsuri Festival, see the Sakura trees at the Spring Open House, or even cry in your car. Another way …
The continued fight against a preventable disease: HIV/AIDs in C-U
AIDS awareness and activism has a long and important history here in Champaign-Urbana, thanks in particular to the work of Joan Lathrap (who just recently passed) and Julie Pryde at the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District, …
A guide to shopping local 2023
Thanksgiving is happening this week, which officially marks the beginning of the holiday season. With all of the big stores pushing “Black Friday” sales and doing their best to compete for your attention, we like …
Bringing quantum science from the lab to the library
On Saturday, November 4th, with more than 200 people in attendance, a team of researchers from The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois launched the first public quantum network in the entire …
Let’s get our birth charts read with Lisa Merrifield
During the pandemic, some people got into sourdough starters or gardening; not me, I got into astrology. I’ve always been fascinated with personality tests (Enneagram, Myers-Briggs, and DISC are all ones that I’ve tried) so …
Weekender: November 17-19
We have a little something for everyone in this installment of The Weekender.
Energy and culture: An interview with Jamie L. Jones
Jamie L. Jones is an assistant professor at the University of Illinois and is a researcher in the fields of the environmental humanities and U.S. literature. This summer, her first book Rendered Obsolete: Energy Culture …
Weekender: November 10-12
Need help planning your weekend? Our editors have some suggestions.
What’s In Your Bag, C-U: Lola Pittenger
This summer I interviewed Lola Pittenger from Glow by Lola. As a teacher, student, mom, small business owner, yoga instructor, breathwork coach, and more, I was curious to see what she carried around in her …
Weekender: November 3-5
No matter what your interest, we surely have a suggestion for your weekend.
Hawai‘i in Champaign: An interview with Lanialoha Lee
The Hawaiians have a saying: from mauka to makai. Uka is mountain and kai is ocean, and the proverb reminds us that everything is connected. There are no mountains in Illinois, but for Lanialoha Lee, …
Get your Culture here: Four things to try for a joyful November
We made it through a historically cold Halloween and now November is here. There will be plenty of holiday lights and markets coming up. But for this November edition, I wanted to focus on some …
Weekender: October 27-29
Whether you are in the Halloween spirit, or looking for non-spooky things to do, we have you covered.
The spookiest things you can buy at Curtis Orchard
It’s Spooky Season, and it’s also peak season for our own, beloved, Curtis Orchard. I recently made my annual fall visit to Curtis Orchard to look at the pumpkins up for adoption and hear the …
The students behind the Kingfisher mascot
If you’ve read Smile Politely for any length of time, you know we are big fans of the Kingfisher mascot and we’ve pointed out that the University of Illinois students have been really embracing it, …
Equability is making clothing more accessible
If you are an able-bodied person there’s a good chance that getting dressed in the morning — buttoning shirts and zipping pants— aren’t things you have to think about. But for people with different abilities, …
Weekender: October 20-22
Our editors have some great suggestions for your weekend.
Homecoming: An Illinois tradition
The history and culture surrounding the University of Illinois is unique and full of many interesting topics. Even as a person who has lived in this community for a long time, I’m always learning something …
Weekender: October 13-15
How are you spending this mid-October weekend? We have some solid ideas.
Let’s stretch
If you’ve ever been sitting at your desk for too long, you know how nice it can feel to stand up and stretch. Sometimes I catch myself, hunched over the computer, looking like the witch …
Get your Culture here: Four University things to do in October 2023
As I was putting this list together. I realized the commonality between all of these events was the University of Illinois. As someone who has lived in Champaign-Urbana for most of my life, sometimes I …
Weekender: October 6-8
There are so many things to do on this crisp fall weekend. See what our editors suggest!
Siobhan McKissic gives us the ultimate tour of the Ricker Library
Sometimes I like to write a longer introduction to give you, the reader, more background about my subject. My hope is that you’ll feel like you know them as you read. For this article, there …
The power of books
A pumpkin spice latte. The footlong sub of commercial-jingle fame. A gallon (or so) of gas. But your five dollars may best be put to use this weekend at the Urbana-Champaign Books to Prisoners Benefit …
Weekender: September 29-October 1
Check out our editor’s suggestions for your weekend.
The University YMCA celebrates 150 years
The University YMCA will be throwing a celebration in honor of its 150th birthday. This particular Y is one of only two independent campus YMCAs remaining in the United States and has been part of …
Comedian Carmen Christopher brings big city stand-up to Urbana on October 19th
Los Angeles-based comedian, actor, and writer Carmen Christopher is coming to Urbana for the first time as part of his 16-city stand-up comedy tour. The tenth stop is a show at the Rose Bowl Tavern …
Senator Paul Faraci on continuing a legacy and forging a new path
Illinois State Senator Paul Faraci is about as townie as they get for someone who wasn’t born here. After moving with his family from the south side of Chicago, he graduated from Edison Middle School, …
Weekender: September 22-24
Whether you’re headed to PYGMALION, or just hanging around, we have your weekend covered.
Non-music things to do at PYGMALION 2023
As a Millennial, nothing gives me more nostalgia than a great burned CD. It immediately takes me back to sitting in class where there would always be a few people who could make exceptional mixes. …
Don’t miss Alaska 5000 at PYGMALION
On Thursday, September 21st, Alaska 5000 will be performing as part of the first day of Champaign-Urbana’s incredible PYGMALION festival. Alaska got her start on RuPaul’s Drag Race, first as a competitor in season five …
Building the Ultimate community
Jess LeRoy came to Champaign-Urbana in 2009 for graduate school, and like many of its residents, she decided it was a great place and never left. While in school here, she started playing Ultimate. (A …
Weekender: September 15-17
This is a weekend packed with cultural experiences. Check out our suggestions!
Isis Rose talks about her vision for a more inclusive birth community
Birth is a unique experience for everyone and there are so many ways of bringing a baby into the world. BIPOC for Better Birth is a non-profit established last year in Champaign-Urbana that supports birthing …
What made this summer the way that it was, and what is to come this fall?
Summer 2023 has been a time of frequent stress for meteorologists and farmers alike in the Midwest. Rain was sparse early in the growing season, and when it finally arrived during the summer it came …
Weekender: September 8-10
September is in full swing, and there are so many great options for diving into C-U culture this weekend.
Get your Culture here: Five things to do in September 2023
Champaign-Urbana really comes alive in September, and there are so many things to do it was hard to pick just five experiences. From some non-music things to do at music festivals, to hearing people talk …
Weekender: September 1-4
From sportsball to swordplay to swing dance, we have some great suggestions for your Labor Day weekend.
Weekender: August 25-27
Need some ideas for this last weekend in August? Our editors have some solid picks.
A Building, A Feeling, and A Latrine: Back to School 2023
It’s late August and the students are BACK. Which means it’s time to head to campus for another back-to-school edition of B/F/L! A BUILDING 508 S. Sixth Street Just the other day, I was eating …
Lola Pittenger has big dreams and so much to offer
“I humbly meet you in the place where you stand today. That is how I serve my community, I’m going to recognize and acknowledge where you are at, why fake it?” This is how Lola …
Weekender: August 18-20
Whether you choose to venture near Campustown, or stay the hell away, we have some suggestions for your weekend.
Shannon McFarland is strengthening her community, one baseball game at a time
Shannon McFarland wants to change the world. Sitting on the bleachers overlooking McFarland Field (named after her family) McFarland laid out how baseball is positively influencing the youth in the surrounding area and beyond. As …
Weekender: August 11-13
Our editors have some solid suggestions for your weekend plans.
Access determined: U of I digitization project revitalizes, returns Native records
“This item is currently under review and is not available to the public.” A digital stroll through the Archive of Native American Recorded History turns up this phrase more than once. It represents the heart …
Weekender: August 4-6
It’s August, suddenly. But that doesn’t mean that summer is over! Check out what we’re recommending this weekend.