LLCC and Lanphier Beehive Co-op

A new beehive box painted by Lanphier High School Art Club.The LLCC Apiary has a new beehive sponsored by Lanphier High School. The Lanphier Art Club recently painted a beehive that will be put into use this spring. The new hive is a collaboration between LLCC’s Biology Professor David Cox and the Lanphier Science Department. Professor Cox will share data on the hive with Lanphier science classes. Lanphier dual-credit biology students will visit the hive once a year to see the bees, collect data and harvest honey.

LLCC at Central Illinois STEM Fair

LLCC Mathematics and Computer Science, Natural and Agricultural Sciences, and Workforce Institute represented the college at the seventh annual Central Illinois STEM Fair in Rochester on April 10. LLCC promoted STEM education using robots, chemistry experiments, flying drones, microscope demonstrations, live Venus fly traps, geology trivia, interactive GIS displays and many other activities.

Special thanks to the faculty and staff who participated, including Dean Butzow, Jennifer Davis, Jeff Martin, David Pietrzak, Jennifer Ram, Sam Reif, Scott Searcy, Rich Teeter, Brent Todd, Lisa Volk-Draper and Rosie the Snake. Many students also participated, including Farren Ackerman, Isaac Barrett, Angelea Cooke, Liam Green, Sean McCarthy, Aaron Robertson, Alex Sidener and Preston Siewert.LLCC faculty, staff, and students promote STEM education at the Central Illinois STEM Fair in Rochester on April 10, 2024.

26th annual LLCC Livestock Judging Contest

More than700 students participated in the LLCC Livestock Judging Competition.Over 800 FFA and 4-H members from Illinois and Indiana participated in the 26th annual LLCC Livestock Judging Contest on Thursday at the Christian County Fairgrounds in Taylorville. The contest was hosted by the LLCC Livestock Judging Team and Agriculture Club.

Students participate in the LLCC Livestock Judging Competition.Livestock judging teaches students critical thinking skills, public speaking and can lead to collegiate scholarships. Contestants in the event judge classes of beef, swine, sheep and goats, and they evaluate the animals on their quality as either breeding stock or for meat.

Eclipse Watch Party was outta this world

A collage of photos from the 2024 total solar eclipse. 1. The eclipse as seen from DuQuoin, IL, Linc sporting eclipse glasses, a group of LLCC students viewing the eclipse.

Students, faculty and staff experienced the total solar eclipse together at the watch party, sponsored by LLCC Student Life. Special thanks to Deborah Wheeler‘s 3-D Art and Design class for creating and constructing Linc’s larger-than-life eclipse glasses. Check out our photos below and on social media. And, if you didn’t get a chance to watch “live.” Be sure to check out the Lincoln Land Community College Facebook page and watch Professor Samantha Reif‘s live hits from the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds as she and her team experienced the totality of the eclipse on Monday.

More photos of LLCC staff and students experiencing the total solar eclipse 2024. One staff member holding a Lincoln mask with eclipse glasses.

Today’s the day. Join us for the Solar Eclipse Watch Party!

image of total solar eclipseA total solar eclipse will be visible from southern Illinois on Monday, April 8. While the eclipse will still be visible from the Springfield area, it will not quite be total. LLCC is providing an opportunity for those not making the journey to southern Illinois to still experience the total solar eclipse through the college’s Facebook page and activities on the LLCC-Springfield campus during the Solar Eclipse Watch Party from 12:30-3:30 p.m.

Samantha Reif, LLCC professor of geology, will be in southern Illinois and going live on Facebook every half hour starting at 12:30 p.m. to show what the sun and surrounding environment look like, provide information on the astronomical event and answer questions from viewers.

“Illinois is set for a rare, twice-in-a-lifetime event — back-to-back total solar eclipses crossing on the exact same spot. Carbondale played host in 2017 and will do so once again on April 8 of this year,” says Reif. “We’ll be using technology to enable students, faculty, staff and community to still have an opportunity to experience what a total eclipse is like.”

Those who follow LLCC’s Facebook page will receive notifications when live video feeds are taking place. The video will be available on the LLCC Facebook page afterward as well.

Reif’s live-streamed videos will be shown on a screen in A. Lincoln Commons on campus. The LLCC Library will be handing out solar eclipse glasses during the event while supplies last. Other activities include exhibits from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Illinois State Museum; music from DJ Yinka; and space-themed snacks. The Logger Activities Board will help event participants to also make pinhole viewers to safely view the eclipse event.

“It’s important to keep safety in mind when viewing the eclipse,” explains Reif. “Eclipse glasses can be used, or welding glass #12 or 13 can be used to directly see the eclipse. Sunglasses provide no protection.”

Reif says indirect viewing is safe and easy. “A pinhole viewer can be made by poking a hole through a piece of cardboard, stiff paper or even a paper plate. Turn your back to the sun, hold your viewer in front of you so the sun shines on it and project the shadow onto the sidewalk. The hole will project a perfect, clear image of the sun and the moon passing in front of it.”

LLCC’s Facebook page can be found at facebook.com/LincolnLandCommunityCollege. Reif also has more information about solar eclipses available on youtube.com/@llccedu.

LLCC Solar Eclipse Watch Party happening Monday

image of total solar eclipseA total solar eclipse will be visible from southern Illinois on Monday, April 8. While the eclipse will still be visible from the Springfield area, it will not quite be total. LLCC is providing an opportunity for those not making the journey to southern Illinois to still experience the total solar eclipse through the college’s Facebook page and activities on the LLCC-Springfield campus during the Solar Eclipse Watch Party from 12:30-3:30 p.m.

Samantha Reif, LLCC professor of geology, will be in southern Illinois and going live on Facebook every half hour starting at 12:30 p.m. to show what the sun and surrounding environment look like, provide information on the astronomical event and answer questions from viewers.

“Illinois is set for a rare, twice-in-a-lifetime event — back-to-back total solar eclipses crossing on the exact same spot. Carbondale played host in 2017 and will do so once again on April 8 of this year,” says Reif. “We’ll be using technology to enable students, faculty, staff and community to still have an opportunity to experience what a total eclipse is like.”

Those who follow LLCC’s Facebook page will receive notifications when live video feeds are taking place. The video will be available on the LLCC Facebook page afterward as well.

Reif’s live-streamed videos will be shown on a screen in A. Lincoln Commons on campus. The LLCC Library will be handing out solar eclipse glasses during the event while supplies last. Other activities include exhibits from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Illinois State Museum; music from DJ Yinka; and space-themed snacks. The Logger Activities Board will help event participants to also make pinhole viewers to safely view the eclipse event.

“It’s important to keep safety in mind when viewing the eclipse,” explains Reif. “Eclipse glasses can be used, or welding glass #12 or 13 can be used to directly see the eclipse. Sunglasses provide no protection.”

Reif says indirect viewing is safe and easy. “A pinhole viewer can be made by poking a hole through a piece of cardboard, stiff paper or even a paper plate. Turn your back to the sun, hold your viewer in front of you so the sun shines on it and project the shadow onto the sidewalk. The hole will project a perfect, clear image of the sun and the moon passing in front of it.”

LLCC’s Facebook page can be found at facebook.com/LincolnLandCommunityCollege. Reif also has more information about solar eclipses available on youtube.com/@llccedu.

LLCC providing coverage of total solar eclipse

image of total solar eclipseA total solar eclipse will be visible from southern Illinois on Monday, April 8. While the eclipse will still be visible from the Springfield area, it will not quite be total. LLCC is providing an opportunity for those not making the journey to southern Illinois to still experience the total solar eclipse through the college’s Facebook page and activities on the LLCC-Springfield campus during the Solar Eclipse Watch Party from 12:30-3:30 p.m.

Samantha Reif, LLCC professor of geology, will be in southern Illinois and going live on Facebook every half hour starting at 12:30 p.m. to show what the sun and surrounding environment look like, provide information on the astronomical event and answer questions from viewers.

“Illinois is set for a rare, twice-in-a-lifetime event — back-to-back total solar eclipses crossing on the exact same spot. Carbondale played host in 2017 and will do so once again on April 8 of this year,” says Reif. “We’ll be using technology to enable students, faculty, staff and community to still have an opportunity to experience what a total eclipse is like.”

Those who follow LLCC’s Facebook page will receive notifications when live video feeds are taking place. The video will be available on the LLCC Facebook page afterward as well.

Reif’s live-streamed videos will be shown on a screen in A. Lincoln Commons on campus. The LLCC Library will be handing out solar eclipse glasses during the event while supplies last. Other activities include exhibits from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Illinois State Museum; music from DJ Yinka; and space-themed snacks. The Logger Activities Board will help event participants to also make pinhole viewers to safely view the eclipse event.

“It’s important to keep safety in mind when viewing the eclipse,” explains Reif. “Eclipse glasses can be used, or welding glass #12 or 13 can be used to directly see the eclipse. Sunglasses provide no protection.”

Reif says indirect viewing is safe and easy. “A pinhole viewer can be made by poking a hole through a piece of cardboard, stiff paper or even a paper plate. Turn your back to the sun, hold your viewer in front of you so the sun shines on it and project the shadow onto the sidewalk. The hole will project a perfect, clear image of the sun and the moon passing in front of it.”

LLCC’s Facebook page can be found at facebook.com/LincolnLandCommunityCollege. Reif also has more information about solar eclipses available on youtube.com/@llccedu.

In the News

LLCC alum Brad Booker was in the news after winning an Oscar for best animated short film.

Chad Jones, head coach, women’s basketball, was interviewed by WICS on Friday, March 15 about the team earning a spot in the national championships.

Bill Harmon, professor and ag program coordinator, and LLCC student Alex Sidener were interviewed by the Illinois Farm Bureau during the national Professional Agricultural Student (PAS) Conference held at LLCC last week.

LLCC ag students Jhia Walker and Wes Bland were interviewed by WFMB about the PAS Conference.

Samantha Reif, professor of geology, was interviewed by WTIM on March 12 about the upcoming total solar eclipse, which will take place on April 8. LLCC will be hosting a Solar Eclipse Watch Party, including trivia, snacks, music, activities and a live stream of the solar eclipse experience from southern Illinois.