Student Life is thrilled to announce that it has partnered with the Illinois Community College Student Activities Association (ICCSAA) to host Clint Smith as its keynote speaker for its 2022 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebrations. LLCC will join several other community colleges across the state for this event. This online virtual event will be streamed at LLCC on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022, from noon-1 p.m. More information will be released as the date approaches. This event will be open to all.

Clint Smith is an American writer, poet and scholar. He is the author of Counting Descent, a 2017 poetry collection that was a finalist for the NAACP Image Awards and won Best Poetry Book from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. Smith received a doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He was a regular contributor to the Pod Save the People podcast, where he discussed the week’s news with a panel of other activists. His latest book, How the Word Is Passed, topped The New York Times Best Seller list in June 2021. He is also the host of the web series Crash Course: Black American History.

Did you know that the next LLCC Student Life Blood Drive is on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.? Thinking about signing up but are unsure if you can donate blood? One question the Student Life staff frequently gets from new and returning donors is, “ am I eligible to donate?” If you are reading this and asking yourself the same questions, email kyle.roughan@llcc.edu for an informational flyer.

Sign up for an appointment as they are required. Be sure to share this blood drive with your family, friends and neighbors! Appointments are required.

If you have any questions about donating or need assistance signing up, please reach out to Kyle Roughan, student engagement coordinator,  at kyle.roughan@llcc.edu or call 217-786-2315.

Each year, students face many forms of service or resource insecurities. Of the many insecurities a student may have while at LLCC, food insecurity is often one of the most basic and personal insecurities to navigate. As a campus community, we have risen to this all too common challenge by establishing the LLCC Food Pantry and other events and programs throughout the year to support those in need.

As you can imagine, holidays like Thanksgiving are difficult time as many lack the resources to have a Thanksgiving meal. One initiative that has risen this year to help combat food insecurity faced by our students is called Operation Full Belly: Help for Hungry Students. Operation Full Belly is a joint venture between the Student Life Office, Phi Theta Kappa, TRiO Student Support Services and the LLCC Foundation Office to offer students in need a chance to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal.

To make Operation Full Belly a success, we need your help. Now through Thursday, Nov. 11, Student Life and PTK will be collecting food item donations. At the same time, the Foundation Office will be collecting monetary donations through Friday, Nov. 12. Funds collected as part of Operation Full Belly will be used to purchase grocery baskets and gift cards for our students who have indicated a need for assistance this Thanksgiving Holiday.

If you can contribute, please visit www.llccfoundation.org/donate and choose “Pay it Forward” from the drop-down menu and in comments type: Student Life/PTK/TRIO. Cash/checks can also be dropped off in the Foundation Office indicating that the gift is for this fund-raising event, and your donation will be directed accordingly.

If you have any questions about Operation Full Belly, please reach out to either Anne Armbruster (anne.armbruster@llcc.edu, 217-786-2478) or Kyle Roughan (kyle.roughan@llcc.edu, 217-786-2315)