Category Archives: In the Community

LLCC in the community

08.26.19

Bluebird houses installed on campus

Boy Scout Troop 210 and volunteers to install bluebird housesTony Rothering, professor of biology, worked with Boy Scout Troop 210 to install 28 bluebird houses on the LLCC campus in Springfield on Saturday, Aug. 24. The undertaking was Zach Rothering’s Eagle Scout project. WICS/Fox Illinois covered the event.

“Bluebirds like the habitat at LLCC, and adding these houses means more bluebirds will come to campus, likely roosting over the winter as well,” explains Professor Rothering.

This bluebird trail was completed by Zach Rothering as an Eagle Scout Project in memorial to his grandmother, Kay Rothering (A proud Alum of LLCC)The bluebird boxes were made by Rothering and his son Zach, and funded by memorial gifts for Rothering’s mother, Kay.

LLCC is the only community college in Illinois with a continuous bird banding research project on site. In cooperation with the Lincoln Land Association of Bird Banders, LLCC biology students can participate in the capture, banding and release of birds, recording information which is added to a massive data pool on bird migration patterns. The bird banding program began in fall 2012. Since then, more than 23,000 birds have been banded with the help of LLCC students and community members.

Zach Rothering instructing Boy Scout troop how to install the bluebird housesBoy Scouts installing final pieces of bluebird house

08.22.19

Dr. Colin Suchland and Tim McKenzie panelists for “Ethics, Morality and Contemporary Values” Sept. 18

Colin Suchland, Ph.D., professor of sociology, LLCC; Timothy McKenzie, professor of journalism and philosophy, LLCC; and Adriana M. Crocker, LLB, Ph.D., professor of political science, UIS, will serve as panelists at “Ethics, Morality and Contemporary Values” on Sept. 18, 6 p.m. in the Thorne Deuel Auditorium at the Illinois State Museum, 502 S. Spring St. This panel presentation will explore the use of truth and facts in contemporary life. The presentation is a first in the series “Finding Truth in the Age of Alternative Facts” hosted by LLCC’s Academy of Lifelong Learning and the Illinois State Museum.

The moderator for all three programs will be Jim Leach, news director of News/Talk 94.7 and 970 WMAY. Registration is requested by calling 786-2432.

Other presentations in the series are:

  • Oct. 16: “Pants on Fire” – Participants will uncover big and little lies in everyday interactions. Panelists include Bethany Bilyeu, Psy.D., LCPC, director, UIS Counseling Center; David Brady, senior software engineer, match.com; Lucinda Caughey, associate professor of computer science, LLCC; Siobhan Johnson, deputy director human resources, Illinois Department of Public Health; and Shane Overby, detective, Springfield Police Department.
  • Nov. 20: “Who’s Checking the Fact Checkers?” – In this presentation, participants will discover methods of finding truth on the internet and in other media. Panelists include Chris Krug, publisher, TheCenterSquare.com; Kate Schott, interim editor, The State Journal-Register; Tia Carol Jones, managing editor, Chicago Defender; Rachel Otwell, multimedia journalist, NPR Illinois + ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network; and John O’Connor, political writer, the Associated Press.

For more information and panelist biographies, visit www.llcc.edu/all-newsletters-and-special-events.

05.13.19

In the community

Jolene Lamb, coordinator, Culinary Institute, participated in a cooking demo May 10 with the Central Illinois Food Bank, preparing an asparagus, snap pea and radish salad at Sam’s Club. Look for her recipe in Wednesday’s Epicuriosity 101 column!

05.01.19

In the community

Chris McDonald, Ph.D., will moderate the “Tales from the Vault” program at the Illinois State Museum Research and Collections Center tomorrow, May 2, from noon to 1 p.m. He will share the significance behind WWI artifacts from the Illinois State Museum’s collections. Special attention will be paid to the “war relics” brought home by Springfield ambulance driver Kent Hagler.

Tony Rothering, professor of biology, led a bird banding demonstration at Elkhart last weekend which was covered by the New Herald News in the story, “First-ever Elkhart Hill bird banding a cold but colorful success.”

04.01.19

In the community

Chris McDonald, Ph.D., professor of political science, presented a talk and led a discussion on “The Rise of Populism in Europe” on March 28 for the World Affairs Council of Central Illinois (WACCI) as part of its “Great Decisions” program. There were approximately 25 attendees.

01.24.19

In the community

Michael Phelon, coordinator of the Open Door program, was a keynote speaker at Jacksonville Mayor Andy Ezard’s annual Unity Breakfast on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 21.

01.15.19

In the community

Tony Rothering, professor of biology, presented “Adventures in Bird Banding” to the Morgan County Audubon Society on a snowy evening in Jacksonville Jan. 11.

Professor Tony Rothering talking with Morgan County Audubon Society

11.30.18

In the community

Chris McDonald, Ph.D., professor of political science, presented “Illinois in the Great War” Wednesday evening to approximately 50 attendees at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library. Last week, he provided a presentation on “WWI in 5 Items” to 24 attendees at a local DAR chapter meeting.

On Dec. 8, he will discuss “Christmas in the Trenches” at the Illinois State Military Museum.