Between Friday, August 9th and Monday, August 12th Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed more than 260 bills on issues ranging from digital driver’s licenses to single-use plastics in hotels. Perhaps most exciting among these bills is naming the giant puffball mushroom as the official mushroom of the state. If you think this is silly or frivolous, think again! This is legitimately wonderful news for our state.
Ever since Lady Emu’s capture this community has been desperate for a new symbol to rally behind. Symbols matter because they are a shorthand for the values of the community it represents. This is why we get so fired up about the importance of replacing the Chief mascot with the Kingfisher, a problem we hope the university will resolve because having a good symbol or mascot is generally seen as good for morale. In the meantime, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better morel booster and salve for the loss of Lady Emu than the giant puffball. Unlike emus, the giant puffball is indigenous to this state and tastes delicious sauteed in some butter and garlic. It also represents the hard work and dedication of a group of young citizens who leveraged their curiosity to do meaningful research and then lobbied for change through our systems of government.
It all began in November 2023 when Charlotte DiGangi, a student at the Prairie School of DuPage asked, “What is the Illinois State Mushroom?” Upon hearing that Illinois did not have a state mushroom, her class did a deep dive into the state’s fungal biome as well as state legislative processes. They did extensive research, came to a consensus that the giant puffball was the ideal state mushroom for Illinois, and put forth Senate Bill 3514. Their work wasn’t done after putting forth the bill, they then had to present their findings, testify in committee hearings, and gather support via collecting witness slips. This is not an insignificant amount of work.
In a world where people mostly handle politics by yelling at strangers on Facebook and sobbing quietly at home, and where getting a Congressperson to actually answer the phone much less take any accountability for listening to their constituents seems impossible, it’s inspiring to see what a determined group can achieve via collective action. If literal school children can affect change through dedicated research and hard work, what could a group of well-informed and passionate voting-age citizens achieve?
This is our community and our state and we can work together to make it better by leveraging existing political and legislative processes. Moving beyond symbols and mascots, there are so many issues in our Champaign-Urbana and within Illinois that could use collective action. Gun violence, the opioid crisis, affordable housing, agricultural oversight — the list goes on. We need to work together and demand better. So let us allow the story of the giant puffball (and the students who put in the labor to get it designated the Illinois state mushroom) to be an inspiration to us all. If all else fails you can always fry one up to fuel your trip to the voting booth this November, because that is the literal least amount of civic effort we all owe one another.
The Editorial Board is Jessica Hammie, Julie McClure, Patrick Singer, and Mara Thacker.