Certificate of Publication
Public Notice Illinois


Save
Save
Save
Save

Link

January Spring

Link

Advantage Newspaper Consultants (ANC)

Link

Top Web

Link

Metro Creative Graphics

IPA HEADLINES

College journalists get crash course in pandemic coverage

BradleyStudentUnion

The Student Union at Bradley University is empty and quiet as the school's Peoria campus, like all others throughout Illinois, have gone silent during the coronavirus outbreak. The Bradley Scout student newspaper, also like others, have gone to an online-only publication while students stay at home.

 

Students spend spring break reporting on COVID-19, shifting to online-only format

By CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN
For Illinois Press Association

Student journalists were as blindsided by COVID-19 as any of us.

College newspapers around the state had cranked out print editions the first week of March and were buttoning up academic tasks while packing for spring break.

That spring break was extended a week. Students and staff were then ordered to leave campus.

“Things were getting pretty weird,” said Eric Fidler, adviser of the four-member Daily Egyptian staff at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He’d just returned from vacation as the situation was escalating. “We had a week to lurch into online-only. And it was compounded. One of my standard lines is if sources don’t call you back, go to their office. You can’t do that now. It was suddenly a whole new landscape.”

 

TheScoutAward

Students on the staff of the Bradley Scout newspaper pose with awards won in this year's Illinois College Press Association contest. Pictured are: (front, from left) Tony Xu (editor-in-chief), Erin Martiens (design editor), Blake McBride (assistant voice editor), Veronica Blascoe (copy editor), Anthony Landahl (managing editor); and (back, from left) Ronan Khalsa (sports editor), Jade Sewell  (voice editor), Hernan Gutierrez  (sports reporter), Haley Johnson  (news editor), Angeline Schmelzer  (assistant news editor).

Sudden death of the print product

In Peoria, Bradley University students didn’t know that as they were laying out the March 6 edition of The Scout, it would be the last one for their scrapbooks.

“It’s very, very emotional,” said Editor-in-Chief Tony Xu, a senior who’s worked for the paper since his freshman year. “Me personally, I wanted to have a full archive and bind it into books.”

The plan was to still publish the March 20 print edition - until campus was evacuated.

Perhaps because they didn’t have time to grieve, the staff dived headfirst into covering the biggest story on the planet.

“They jumped right in and were developing plans the same way we were at the professional level,” said the paper’s adviser, Chris Kaergard, who in addition to being the president of the Illinois College Press Association is also associate editor at the Journal Star in Peoria. “It was nice to see their neurons firing the same way we’re making the adaptation.”

News Editor Haley Johnson secured an interview with a Bradley student studying in Korea. Interviews were also streamed with students in multiple locations of Italy. Johnson wrote about two engineering majors and an alumnus who were put under 15-day quarantine while traveling in Peru.

 “That really hammers it home,” Kaergard said. “These are kids they know and they hang out with, who are living it overseas.”

The Scout was already in the process of moving to an online-only format over the next few years.

“This is just encouraging them to test-run those adaptations even sooner,” Kaergard said.

“They’re adapting to meet the industry where it’s going.”

 

AlestleStoreClosedSi...

‘They were already reeling’

At Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, Alestle staffers were still processing the news that came out just before Thanksgiving. Administration was relocating the paper from its offices to a space about one-quarter of the size.

“We were all going through the stress of that,” Program Director Tammy Merrett said. “It was like a punch in the gut. Why would they do that to us? Well, we’re kind of a thorn in their side - which means we’re doing our job.”

Compounding matters, the Alestle’s managing editor-in-chief, Madison Lammert, and managing editor, Jennifer Goeckner, had just been thrust into their roles last summer when the editor-in-chief resigned abruptly.

The wide-eyed leaders stepped up, and their staff dug in - while technically on spring break.

“They both rose to the occasion and have been doing a great job - especially with some rebuilding of staff morale and quality of work,” Merrett said.

One particular topic The Alestle tackled was wording in emails sent by the university to its students and staff. In one, the subject line read “Extended Spring Break,” while the body of the email stated “This is not an extended Spring Break” and vaguely told students that while faculty were not to administer tests or enforce deadlines, students were to continue their academic pursuits.

Many professors gave tests. Students were confounded and panicking during a time already peppered with anxiety.

“People got freaked out on campus because of the email — is this an extended spring break, or isn’t it?” Merrett said. “Our staff was motivated by that.”

She said it took administration about three days to discuss and clarify the policy.

AlestleGraphicBetter

 

Small but mighty

The Scout and Alestle boast a couple of dozen members of their staff. In Carbondale, the staff became four when two reporters joined the staff right before spring break.

Fidler said two staffers are doing virtually all the heavy lifting.

Junior Kallie Cox has been writing at least a story a day — consistently texting Fidler with story ideas.

“She’s been doing great,” he said. “It’s a lot of pressure. It’s one story, but you’re covering the biggest story in the world. You’re trying to get the angle that’s most important to the community.”

Cox wrote about 3,500 students who have signed a petition for pass/fail options. She worked on a two-part series about how student service workers are holding up, given their impossible job of keeping students and their families informed and as calm as possible.

“Kallie always wants to do everything,” Fidler said.

Editor-in-Chief Rana Schenke, a junior fashion design major, is at the controls and a calming influence in the storm.

“She’s extremely well-organized,” Fidler said. “If anyone would be good at coordinating this sort of thing, she’s the one.”

Students are gassed. Many of them are green. And they’re still fighting the good fight, Fidler said.

“I’m impressed they can even write a story at this point,” he said.

There are silver linings.

“They’re really rising to the occasion,” Merrett said, “and they’re getting a lot of experience they wouldn’t have otherwise gotten. I’m proud of the work they’re doing, and I tell them that pretty much every day.”

Return
Press Releases

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 8, 2025

Contact Information:
Christopher Weishaar
Digital Public Relations Specialist
cweishaar@studentloan.org
(515) 273-7140
 


Six $1,500 scholarships now open to Midwest high school seniors
High school seniors from six Midwest states have a chance to earn the scholarships
 

WEST DES MOINES, IOWA — High school seniors from Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin now have a chance to receive one of six college scholarships worth $1,500. Registration is open now through April 30, 2025. Parents are also able to register their student.

High school seniors or their parents may register for the ISL Midwest Senior Scholarship at www.IowaStudentLoan.org/Midwest. ISL Education Lending will award $1,500 scholarships to six students whose names are randomly drawn after the registration period. There are no financial need, grade point average or class rank requirements. The ISL Midwest Senior Scholarship can be used at any eligible institution in the United States.

Registered participants also receive emails highlighting financial literacy tips, such as the importance of early career and college planning and ways to reduce student loan indebtedness.

“Student loan debt is a huge concern for new college students,” said Steve McCullough, president and CEO of ISL Education Lending. “As a nonprofit, we provide tools and resources to help high school seniors plan so they can reduce the amount of debt they need to take on while achieving their education goals. Students sign up for a chance at a $1,500 scholarship, and we take that opportunity to share information with them about our free resources.”

The ISL Midwest Senior Scholarship is open to legal U.S. citizens who are seniors at a high school in one of the qualifying states during the 2025-2026 school year and who intend to attend college, either virtually or physically, in fall 2025. It is a no-purchase-required program, and full rules and details are available at www.IowaStudentLoan.org/Midwest.

Additional Resources Available
In addition to offering student loans, ISL Education Lending has other resources for families planning for college and for students who intend to pursue advanced degrees. The Parent Handbook consists of valuable tips to help families of students in sixth through 12th grades prepare for success in college and other postsecondary options. Parents of students in eighth through 12th grades can also sign up to receive twice-monthly emailed tips on academic, college and career planning through the Student Planning Pointers for Parents program. The College Funding Forecaster helps families understand the total cost of four years of college based on a freshman-year financial aid offer. Information about these resources is available at www.IowaStudentLoan.org/SmartBorrowing.

# # #

About ISL Education Lending
Established in 1979 as Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation, a private, nonprofit organization, ISL Education Lending helps students and families obtain the resources necessary to succeed in postsecondary education. ISL has helped nearly 400,000 students pay for college, offering student loans and other products under the name ISL Education Lending. The organization, based in West Des Moines, Iowa, also provides an array of borrower benefits, financial literacy tools and community reinvestment programs, including support for free college planning services for students and their families. For more information, visit www.IowaStudentLoan.org.


 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 7, 2025

Contact Information:
Illinois State Medical Society
Jann Ingmire
janningmire@isms.org
(312) 520-9802
 


Illinois State Medical Society offers free programs for health professionals to address human trafficking awareness
 

As January marks National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, the Illinois State Medical Society (ISMS) is offering a free, two-part webinar series aimed at equipping physicians and other health care professionals with the tools to identify and support those individuals exploited by human trafficking. The series, which is available on demand, is designed to challenge stereotypes, clarify the various factors contributing to trafficking, and provide practical approaches for assisting survivors of both sex and labor trafficking.

Health care professionals are uniquely positioned to identify and assist trafficking victims due to their frontline access and trusted roles within the community. By offering these programs, ISMS aims to raise awareness and offer resources to professionals who may come across survivors in their care.

January 11 is recognized as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, and the month as a whole is dedicated to increasing awareness of trafficking, which affects millions globally. According to a 2017 survey of 127 human trafficking survivors, 69% reported having accessed health care services at some point during their exploitation. Of those, 85% sought treatment for injuries or illnesses related to their trafficking. Despite this, only 6% of health care workers reported having treated someone who was a victim of trafficking.

The two no-cost, on-demand programs, available 24/7, offer continuing medical education (CME) credits and are designed to help health care professionals recognize signs of trafficking, improve their response, and ensure proper support for survivors.

Human Trafficking: Identification and Response in a Healthcare Setting 

Presented by Anna Pastor, coordinator, Cook Co. Human Trafficking Task Force

Human Trafficking: Practical Approaches and Resources in a Healthcare Setting

Presented by Traci Kurtzer, M.D., medical director for trauma informed care and education, Northwestern Medicine

The programs are free to all health care professionals and the public. 

###


 

 

Disaster Checklist for Newspapers

Click Image to Find the IPA Disaster Checklist!

 


2501 CHATHAM RD. , SUITE 200              

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS 62704

217-241-1300