The University of Illinois Springfield COVID-19 saliva testing site is now offering free tests to the public. A separate “community lane” has been established in the lower-level PAC testing area for community visitors.
The free tests are being funded through an agreement between the Illinois Department of Public Health and SHIELD Illinois using federal relief money.
This story appeared on NPR Illinois on May 6, 2021.
Showing posts with label Community. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Community. Show all posts
Friday, May 7, 2021
Wednesday, April 28, 2021
UIS begins planting 1,000 Japanese maple trees
The University of Illinois Springfield is planting Japanese maple trees on its campus.
UIS plans to place the first 100 near the UIS-LLCC bike trail.
The trees were donated by Davidsan's Japanese Maples, a business in New Berlin.
The donation is being made to honor more than 30 years that Springfield has had a sister city relationship with Ashikaga, Japan.
UIS plans to place the first 100 near the UIS-LLCC bike trail.
The trees were donated by Davidsan's Japanese Maples, a business in New Berlin.
The donation is being made to honor more than 30 years that Springfield has had a sister city relationship with Ashikaga, Japan.
This story aired on WICS Newschannel 20 on April 27, 2021.
Monday, April 26, 2021
Lynn, Moore honored by UIS at 50th anniversary celebration
UIS Chancellor Emerita Naomi B. Lynn and retired U.S. Marshal Robert Moore were honored by the University of Illinois Springfield with awards for service and alumni achievement during a virtual 50th-anniversary celebration.
Lynn was presented the 2021 Distinguished Service Award for extraordinary commitment, dedication and service to the advancement of the University of Illinois. Lynn served as president of Sangamon State University and then was the first chancellor of UIS. She retired in 2001 and continues to live in Springfield.
Moore received the 2021 Alumni Achievement Award for outstanding success and national or international distinction in one’s business, profession or life’s work.
Over a career spanning nearly 50 years, Moore has become a distinguished and nationally recognized leader in the practice of law enforcement, facilitator of community policing initiatives and historical research of African Americans in law enforcement.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on April 25, 2021.
Lynn was presented the 2021 Distinguished Service Award for extraordinary commitment, dedication and service to the advancement of the University of Illinois. Lynn served as president of Sangamon State University and then was the first chancellor of UIS. She retired in 2001 and continues to live in Springfield.
Moore received the 2021 Alumni Achievement Award for outstanding success and national or international distinction in one’s business, profession or life’s work.
Over a career spanning nearly 50 years, Moore has become a distinguished and nationally recognized leader in the practice of law enforcement, facilitator of community policing initiatives and historical research of African Americans in law enforcement.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on April 25, 2021.
Thursday, April 15, 2021
UIS’ Twelfth Night Goes Live This Friday
A production originally slated for last year will premiere in just a few days.
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night has a plot so familiar, you probably don’t realize how much it has been adapted into other works, contemporary and classic.
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night has a plot so familiar, you probably don’t realize how much it has been adapted into other works, contemporary and classic.
University of Illinois Springfield Department of Theatre’s Production will blend both live and prerecorded elements. The show will be performed live (virtually) and that performance will be recorded and played back for the subsequent nights.
Director Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson discussed that and more on Let’s Talk Arts and Entertainment.
This story aired on WMAY on April 14, 2021.
Wednesday, March 3, 2021
UIS, LLCC to host virtual Career Connections Expo
People in Central Illinois looking for a career have a great opportunity coming up this week, and you won't even have to leave home for it.
The University of Illinois Springfield and Lincoln Land Community College are hosting the 2021 Virtual Career Connections Expo.
It will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 4.
Representatives with more than 50 organizations are expected to attend.
This story aired on WICS on March 2, 2021.
Thursday, February 11, 2021
Center at UIS hopes to steer Lincoln scholars to his life in Illinois
To fully embrace a historical figure like Abraham Lincoln, Anne Moseley said, you have to literally walk in his footsteps.
A prime example, said Moseley, the acting director of the Center for Lincoln Studies — which officially opens Friday — is walking into the House of Representatives at the Old State Capitol, the spot where Lincoln gave his "House Divided" speech in 1858 after he had accepted the Illinois Republican Party's nomination for U.S. senator.
"There is a presence you feel when you walk into (the Old State Capitol)," Moseley insisted. "To quote 'Hamilton,' 'It's the room where it happens.' Anyone who is passionate about Lincoln and passionate about studying his life and times, you have to come to Illinois in order to embrace Lincoln and understand him. That's how you make good scholarship."
The center, which is housed at the University of Illinois Springfield's Public Affairs Center, has a goal of getting researchers to look into Lincoln's life in central Illinois and "to discover the Lincoln we know and love," Moseley said.
This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on Feb. 10, 2021.
A prime example, said Moseley, the acting director of the Center for Lincoln Studies — which officially opens Friday — is walking into the House of Representatives at the Old State Capitol, the spot where Lincoln gave his "House Divided" speech in 1858 after he had accepted the Illinois Republican Party's nomination for U.S. senator.
"There is a presence you feel when you walk into (the Old State Capitol)," Moseley insisted. "To quote 'Hamilton,' 'It's the room where it happens.' Anyone who is passionate about Lincoln and passionate about studying his life and times, you have to come to Illinois in order to embrace Lincoln and understand him. That's how you make good scholarship."
The center, which is housed at the University of Illinois Springfield's Public Affairs Center, has a goal of getting researchers to look into Lincoln's life in central Illinois and "to discover the Lincoln we know and love," Moseley said.
This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on Feb. 10, 2021.
Wednesday, February 10, 2021
It’s a virtual grand opening for the Center for Lincoln Studies on Friday
The Center for Lincoln Studies at the University of Illinois Springfield will hold a virtual grand opening on Lincoln's Birthday Feb. 12, 2021.
WTAX's Joey McLaughlin talks with the acting director of the Center for Lincoln Studies, Anne Moseley, about the center and its virtual grand opening for the center this Friday.
The interview aired on WTAX on Feb. 9, 2021. Listen to a recording online.
WTAX's Joey McLaughlin talks with the acting director of the Center for Lincoln Studies, Anne Moseley, about the center and its virtual grand opening for the center this Friday.
The interview aired on WTAX on Feb. 9, 2021. Listen to a recording online.
3 appointed to U of I System Board of Trustees
Gov. JB Pritzker, D-Illinois, has appointed three people to the University of Illinois System Board of Trustees.
On Friday, Pritzker named the following individuals to six-year terms on the board:
Ramón Cepeda, finance executive
Sarah Phalen, banking executive
Tami Craig Schilling, agricultural communicator
The board, which oversees the U of I System, consists of 13 members, 11 of whom vote.
The governor appoints nine trustees to the board. No more than five board members may belong to a single political party.
Sarah Phalen is a Republican from Springfield. She earned a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and her MBA from the University of Illinois Springfield.
Phalen serves as the president and CEO of INB, a 13-branch bank headquartered in Springfield.
In addition, she is the treasurer of the Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance and treasurer of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation.
This story appeared on WICS Newschannel 20 on Feb. 9, 2021.
Friday, January 29, 2021
Abraham Lincoln Birthday symposium to be held remotely
“Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of Coronavirus may speedily pass away,” said Abraham Lincoln Association President Michael Burlingame as he paraphrased the famous Lincoln quotation.
Burlingame made the statement while announcing that the annual symposium commemorating Lincoln's 212th Birthday will be held remotely this year, with the full slate of speakers available on-line.
The Symposium is named for Benjamin P. Thomas (1902-1956), the renowned Lincoln biographer and one-time Executive Secretary of The Abraham Lincoln Association. The symposium is supported by a generous gift of Thomas's daughter, Sarah Thomas, and her family to The Abraham Lincoln Association Endowment Fund. The event is co-sponsored by the University of Illinois Springfield. For more information about the Abraham Lincoln Association, visit www.abrahamlincolnassociation.org.
Burlingame made the statement while announcing that the annual symposium commemorating Lincoln's 212th Birthday will be held remotely this year, with the full slate of speakers available on-line.
The Symposium is named for Benjamin P. Thomas (1902-1956), the renowned Lincoln biographer and one-time Executive Secretary of The Abraham Lincoln Association. The symposium is supported by a generous gift of Thomas's daughter, Sarah Thomas, and her family to The Abraham Lincoln Association Endowment Fund. The event is co-sponsored by the University of Illinois Springfield. For more information about the Abraham Lincoln Association, visit www.abrahamlincolnassociation.org.
This story appeared in the Canton Daily Ledger on January 28, 2021.
Wednesday, January 27, 2021
Springfield firefighters required to do weekly saliva COVID-19 testing
The Springfield Fire Department officially began weekly rapid saliva COVID-19 testing in partnership with the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS).
The Springfield Fire Department is requiring their workers to get tested for COVID-19 every week on the UIS campus.
“We are sending every crew every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of every week to go to UIS and to get tested,” Springfield Fire Chief Brandon Blough said.
The Springfield Fire Department expects to test around 150 to 200 people a week. Most should expect the results from UIS within 24 hours.
The Springfield Fire Department is requiring their workers to get tested for COVID-19 every week on the UIS campus.
“We are sending every crew every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of every week to go to UIS and to get tested,” Springfield Fire Chief Brandon Blough said.
The Springfield Fire Department expects to test around 150 to 200 people a week. Most should expect the results from UIS within 24 hours.
This story aired on WICS on Jan. 26, 2021.
Wednesday, January 13, 2021
UIS health roundtable will discuss vaccines, herd immunity
The University of Illinois Springfield Innovation Hub, UIS Center for State Policy and Leadership and the Community Health Roundtable will host a Zoom public webinar titled “COVID-19 Vaccine: The Journey to Immunity” at noon on Friday.
The roundtable will feature public health and health care panelists discussing the COVID-19 vaccine and answering questions around the safety and efficacy of each vaccine, allocation and distribution.
Additionally, panelists will discuss COVID-19’s impact on specific populations and how the impact has determined vaccine prioritization, along with giving some understanding of when herd immunity will be reached.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on Jan. 12, 2021.
The roundtable will feature public health and health care panelists discussing the COVID-19 vaccine and answering questions around the safety and efficacy of each vaccine, allocation and distribution.
Additionally, panelists will discuss COVID-19’s impact on specific populations and how the impact has determined vaccine prioritization, along with giving some understanding of when herd immunity will be reached.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on Jan. 12, 2021.
Tuesday, January 5, 2021
“Whatever it takes” – UIS official led with love
Dr. Clarice Ford lived a storied life before coming to Springfield where her impact will be felt for generations to come. Her first positions at University of Illinois Springfield, in 2008, were executive director of the diversity center and associate vice chancellor of student services. In 2014, she became the vice chancellor for student affairs. She died earlier this year after a brief illness.
Ford’s best known phrase was “whatever it takes” – a missive to students to graduate and succeed no matter the obstacles.
One testament to the power of her mentorship is evident in her protégé, Justin Rose, a former student who is now in the position she first held at UIS as director of the diversity center. Rose said Ford’s role in the lives of students often transcended that of adviser. Many came to call her “Mama Ford."
Ford’s best known phrase was “whatever it takes” – a missive to students to graduate and succeed no matter the obstacles.
One testament to the power of her mentorship is evident in her protégé, Justin Rose, a former student who is now in the position she first held at UIS as director of the diversity center. Rose said Ford’s role in the lives of students often transcended that of adviser. Many came to call her “Mama Ford."
Ford’s legacy will live on, not only in the countless students whose lives she touched, but also in a UIS fund in her name and a planned section of the UIS library in her honor. The Outlet has also set up a scholarship fund in her name.
This story appeared in the Illinois Times on December 31, 2020.
Thursday, December 31, 2020
Springfield firefighters to soon get access to U of I's saliva-based, rapid COVID-19 testing program
The Springfield Fire Department, nearly two months after a COVID-19 outbreak sidelined more than one-third of its force, will soon have access to once-a-week rapid virus testing through the University of Illinois.
The city is authorized to spend up to $100,000 on the testing program, though most expect the actual number to be far below that. The program will likely be covered with either federal or state COVID-19 relief funds.
It comes about two months after the department was hit with a COVID-19 outbreak that, at its height, quarantined 73 firefighters, including 19 who tested positive for the virus.
The rapid, saliva-based test was developed by the University of Illinois, which has been administering them with emergency approval from the Food and Drug Administration since mid-August.
University officials say the rapid testing has allowed them to keep classrooms open for students while keeping the virus at bay. Positivity rates on all three campuses have been much lower than that of their surrounding communities.
This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on December 30, 2020.
Thursday, December 17, 2020
Springfield dreams, Visions of 2021 and beyond
A pandemic, a civil rights uprising, economic turmoil, an historic election – this year has brought many hardships. It has made the inequalities and divisions in our society more clear. It's also been a time for reflection and change.
Social service providers and community activists, already making due with a lack of resources, have been forced to find new solutions for increasingly complex problems. Illinois Times and NPR Illinois asked various community leaders about lessons learned and hopes for the future.
Allison Lacher heads exhibitions for the University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery. An artist herself, she's a co-founder of the DEMO project. It was an alternative art space on the Springfield Art Association campus, in an old house that was demolished in 2018.
The social component of art has been largely lost, though creativity abounds with virtual art tours and auctions, and socially distant exhibitions. Springfield has a robust arts scene, though groups often work in silos. "I keep wondering about what would happen if the visual artists in Springfield organized en masse," said Lacher.
"It's not always the artists who are carving out the structures and opportunities that we work within, or the objectives of those structures and opportunities. So what do we all need, as an arts community in Springfield? What do we prioritize? And how do we advocate for that together?" Looking ahead, Lacher envisions organization among the arts community to start answering those questions collectively.
Social service providers and community activists, already making due with a lack of resources, have been forced to find new solutions for increasingly complex problems. Illinois Times and NPR Illinois asked various community leaders about lessons learned and hopes for the future.
Allison Lacher heads exhibitions for the University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery. An artist herself, she's a co-founder of the DEMO project. It was an alternative art space on the Springfield Art Association campus, in an old house that was demolished in 2018.
The social component of art has been largely lost, though creativity abounds with virtual art tours and auctions, and socially distant exhibitions. Springfield has a robust arts scene, though groups often work in silos. "I keep wondering about what would happen if the visual artists in Springfield organized en masse," said Lacher.
"It's not always the artists who are carving out the structures and opportunities that we work within, or the objectives of those structures and opportunities. So what do we all need, as an arts community in Springfield? What do we prioritize? And how do we advocate for that together?" Looking ahead, Lacher envisions organization among the arts community to start answering those questions collectively.
This article appeared in the Illinois Times on December 17, 2020..
Wednesday, December 16, 2020
Award-winning documentary draws attention to race riot, larger racial issues
Dr. Wesley Robinson-McNeese recalled a scene where he was swimming with some Air Force buddies in the waters off Biloxi Beach in Mississippi in the late 1960s.
A stranger pulled up in a pickup truck and, producing a shotgun and hurling epithets, promised that he was going to "blow away" McNeese, who is Black, if he didn't get out of the water.
"My friends said, 'Wes, you’re a soldier, you don’t have to do that,'" McNeese remembered. "I said, 'He’s not aiming the shotgun at you guys. He’s aiming it at me.'"
That is one of several personal episodes McNeese recounted in his scathing poem "Face to Face," which was inspired by an event commemorating the centennial of the 1908 Race Riot in Springfield. It was originally published in Quiddity, a literary journal published by then-Benedictine University Springfield, later in 2008.
McNeese, 72, a retired emergency room physician and executive director of diversity initiatives for the Southern Illinois University System, has periodically given readings of the poem in the area.
Now, thanks to The Storyteller Studios in Springfield, the poem has new life as a three-and-half-minute film narrated by McNeese from inside the remains of Black-owned homes that were burned in Springfield's Race Riot.
University of Illinois Springfield assistant history professor Devin Hunter said he heard McNeese recite the poem on a couple of occasions, including once when he drew a standing ovation at the Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum.
"It really made an impression on me, both the words and how it resonated with people," Hunter recalled.
Hunter was working on a project funded by the University of Illinois President's Office collaborating with artists, performers and writers in how they might capture and interpret the Race Riot in their various forms.
A stranger pulled up in a pickup truck and, producing a shotgun and hurling epithets, promised that he was going to "blow away" McNeese, who is Black, if he didn't get out of the water.
"My friends said, 'Wes, you’re a soldier, you don’t have to do that,'" McNeese remembered. "I said, 'He’s not aiming the shotgun at you guys. He’s aiming it at me.'"
That is one of several personal episodes McNeese recounted in his scathing poem "Face to Face," which was inspired by an event commemorating the centennial of the 1908 Race Riot in Springfield. It was originally published in Quiddity, a literary journal published by then-Benedictine University Springfield, later in 2008.
McNeese, 72, a retired emergency room physician and executive director of diversity initiatives for the Southern Illinois University System, has periodically given readings of the poem in the area.
Now, thanks to The Storyteller Studios in Springfield, the poem has new life as a three-and-half-minute film narrated by McNeese from inside the remains of Black-owned homes that were burned in Springfield's Race Riot.
University of Illinois Springfield assistant history professor Devin Hunter said he heard McNeese recite the poem on a couple of occasions, including once when he drew a standing ovation at the Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum.
"It really made an impression on me, both the words and how it resonated with people," Hunter recalled.
Hunter was working on a project funded by the University of Illinois President's Office collaborating with artists, performers and writers in how they might capture and interpret the Race Riot in their various forms.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on December 14, 2020.
UIS star party will observe great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn
The University of Illinois Springfield Observatory will hold a virtual star party for the great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Dec. 21.
The conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn is an infrequent event occurring when the "apparent" positions of the planets converge in the sky. Although they appear close together, Saturn will be at a distance of nearly 460 million miles behind Jupiter.
Normally, just one planet is visible through the telescope at a time, but for a few nights, both will be visible simultaneously in the same telescope field of view with their closest approach on Dec. 21.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on December 14, 2020.
The conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn is an infrequent event occurring when the "apparent" positions of the planets converge in the sky. Although they appear close together, Saturn will be at a distance of nearly 460 million miles behind Jupiter.
Normally, just one planet is visible through the telescope at a time, but for a few nights, both will be visible simultaneously in the same telescope field of view with their closest approach on Dec. 21.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on December 14, 2020.
Monday, December 14, 2020
Elijah Jones: It takes hard work to bring people together
My name is Elijah Jones and I am a 22-year-old senior at the University of Illinois Springfield studying communication. I plan on finishing my education at UIS on Dec. 16. I am a first-generation college student and the oldest of eight siblings.
I have been in Springfield since 2016 and the growth I have experienced is like nothing I could have ever imagined. I helped establish my university’s first modeling organization which I was president of for two of the three years since its foundation. Our organization was built on uplifting and pushing college men to succeed plus offering a support system of brotherhood. After college I plan to stay in Springfield to save up some money in order to move to Nevada and begin working with Habitat for Humanity while working toward my goal of becoming an event planner.
During this fall semester, I have worked as an intern for the Faith Coalition for the Common Good. I have learned a lot about what goes into community organizing to bring about systemic change. I have also learned that organizing an event is more than just “event planning.” It takes hard work to bring people together and for them to understand why it is in their self-interest to work together to build power for change. These are skills I will be able to use in the future."
I have been in Springfield since 2016 and the growth I have experienced is like nothing I could have ever imagined. I helped establish my university’s first modeling organization which I was president of for two of the three years since its foundation. Our organization was built on uplifting and pushing college men to succeed plus offering a support system of brotherhood. After college I plan to stay in Springfield to save up some money in order to move to Nevada and begin working with Habitat for Humanity while working toward my goal of becoming an event planner.
During this fall semester, I have worked as an intern for the Faith Coalition for the Common Good. I have learned a lot about what goes into community organizing to bring about systemic change. I have also learned that organizing an event is more than just “event planning.” It takes hard work to bring people together and for them to understand why it is in their self-interest to work together to build power for change. These are skills I will be able to use in the future."
This profile was published in The State Journal-Register on December 13, 2020.
Tuesday, December 8, 2020
UIS Perspectives: Promoting equity through digital inclusion
The following is an excerpt from a column by Vickie Cook, UIS executive director of online, professional and engaged learning. This column appeared in The State Journal-Register on December 6, 2020.
The University of Illinois Springfield has worked with students and their families to help them find ways to connect to the internet since the pandemic began disrupting education in March. The issue of inequitable access for our students and their families became significantly apparent as students returned to their homes in urban, suburban and rural areas both in Illinois and beyond our state borders.
To promote equity across Illinois, UIS is committed to continue our support of digital inclusion. Digital inclusion is the ability of all individuals to access and use digital information regardless of geographical location or annual income. In 2019 about 63% of rural families reported access to broadband internet services, which was up from only 35% in 2007.
Unfortunately, too many digital deserts still exist in the United States. In 2017, it was predicted 260 million devices would be connected to the internet in our country by 2020. We know that the pandemic has created the necessity of many more devices to have reliable internet connectivity.
Income disparity also significantly impacts the access to and use of digital technologies. Adults who earned less than $30,000 per year reported that only a third owned smartphones in 2019 and more than 40% reported not having broadband access. School districts around the state — including those in Sangamon County — have provided hotspots and as much help as possible to Pre-K through 12th-grade students.
University of Illinois Springfield has supported students with finding ways to connect, checking out devices, and helping access connections through community support. Schools, churches and local community groups have stepped up to help meet the needs of students trying to study from home by allowing WiFi access from their parking lots.
Low-income students enrolled in higher education may also be unable to keep up with their counterparts in various geographical or higher salary demographics, putting their college opportunities and future career aspirations at risk. UIS has committed to providing as much support as possible to our students. The UIS Information Technology Services staff provide troubleshooting and help desk support, loan out devices, and provide connections to resources that may help students find better connectivity in their areas.
Read the entire column online.
The University of Illinois Springfield has worked with students and their families to help them find ways to connect to the internet since the pandemic began disrupting education in March. The issue of inequitable access for our students and their families became significantly apparent as students returned to their homes in urban, suburban and rural areas both in Illinois and beyond our state borders.
To promote equity across Illinois, UIS is committed to continue our support of digital inclusion. Digital inclusion is the ability of all individuals to access and use digital information regardless of geographical location or annual income. In 2019 about 63% of rural families reported access to broadband internet services, which was up from only 35% in 2007.
Unfortunately, too many digital deserts still exist in the United States. In 2017, it was predicted 260 million devices would be connected to the internet in our country by 2020. We know that the pandemic has created the necessity of many more devices to have reliable internet connectivity.
Income disparity also significantly impacts the access to and use of digital technologies. Adults who earned less than $30,000 per year reported that only a third owned smartphones in 2019 and more than 40% reported not having broadband access. School districts around the state — including those in Sangamon County — have provided hotspots and as much help as possible to Pre-K through 12th-grade students.
University of Illinois Springfield has supported students with finding ways to connect, checking out devices, and helping access connections through community support. Schools, churches and local community groups have stepped up to help meet the needs of students trying to study from home by allowing WiFi access from their parking lots.
Low-income students enrolled in higher education may also be unable to keep up with their counterparts in various geographical or higher salary demographics, putting their college opportunities and future career aspirations at risk. UIS has committed to providing as much support as possible to our students. The UIS Information Technology Services staff provide troubleshooting and help desk support, loan out devices, and provide connections to resources that may help students find better connectivity in their areas.
Read the entire column online.
Monday, December 7, 2020
Local program looks to lessen Central Illinois nursing shortage
A shortage of nurses across Central Illinois is raising concerns about how hospitals will care for patients as COVID-19 cases rise.
The pandemic has only made this issue more apparent.
However, the nursing program at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) created a University of Illinois Springfield campus to help solve this problem, and it's stronger than ever amid the pandemic.
They're partnering with Memorial Health System to train Central Illinois students to become Central Illinois nurses.
UIC Professor Sara McPherson said she's seeing even more passion in her students during this pandemic.
"It's very rewarding to be a part of graduating nurses who stay local in the area and can help fulfill this shortage, and continue to take care of patients, families, in the community," McPherson said.
This story aired on WICS Newschannel 20 on December 4, 2020.
The pandemic has only made this issue more apparent.
However, the nursing program at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) created a University of Illinois Springfield campus to help solve this problem, and it's stronger than ever amid the pandemic.
They're partnering with Memorial Health System to train Central Illinois students to become Central Illinois nurses.
UIC Professor Sara McPherson said she's seeing even more passion in her students during this pandemic.
"It's very rewarding to be a part of graduating nurses who stay local in the area and can help fulfill this shortage, and continue to take care of patients, families, in the community," McPherson said.
This story aired on WICS Newschannel 20 on December 4, 2020.
Wednesday, December 2, 2020
UIS music students to stream performances this weekend
Music has a magic all its own, and audiences can benefit from its charms this weekend with live streamed events.
According to Yona Stamatis, violinist with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and an instructor and director of the University of Illinois Springfield Music Program, “Perhaps now, in the context of the current health crisis, one cannot overstate the power of music to bring comfort, joy, camaraderie and a sense of hope for the future. During this unprecedented time, the arts play a uniquely important role as both an outlet for emotional and creative expression and also as an opportunity to interact – if virtually – with others.”
“While the UIS Music Program offers a rich calendar of events every year,” said Stamatis, “in an effort to protect the health and safety of all in our community, we have changed to a virtual format for this year’s events. While the performance experience may not be precisely the same, we appreciate our ability to reach audiences on a far broader geographical spectrum. The more the merrier!”
According to Yona Stamatis, violinist with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and an instructor and director of the University of Illinois Springfield Music Program, “Perhaps now, in the context of the current health crisis, one cannot overstate the power of music to bring comfort, joy, camaraderie and a sense of hope for the future. During this unprecedented time, the arts play a uniquely important role as both an outlet for emotional and creative expression and also as an opportunity to interact – if virtually – with others.”
“While the UIS Music Program offers a rich calendar of events every year,” said Stamatis, “in an effort to protect the health and safety of all in our community, we have changed to a virtual format for this year’s events. While the performance experience may not be precisely the same, we appreciate our ability to reach audiences on a far broader geographical spectrum. The more the merrier!”
This article appeared in The State Journal-Register on December 2, 2020.
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