They called us the TV generation. Because that’s pretty much all we had. No smart phones. No computers. No internet. We had a family TV. That’s all. Some families had two TVs, but these were wealthy families. A few kids had TVs in their actual bedrooms, but those were kids known as “brats.” In particular, … Read more
Chamindra de Silva is a self-taught, aspiring, realistic naturalist artist with a deep passion for conservation. Nature is his muse behind his creativity and his immense love and affection for nature since childhood later led him to become an aspiring natural artist. This is an interview with The Sunday Observer’s Chamindra de Silva about his … Read more
dive deeper | Unpaid internships are probably not worth your time. By Keshav Ramesh 6/24/22 9:43 am Photo credit: Insha Lakhani The Biden-Harris administration recently committed to paying White House interns for the first time in history, beginning in the fall of 2022. This is a fantastic new policy that deserves a closer look at … Read more
Jeanne Holy takes a stroll in her Champaign garden, where she grows flowers and plants that she uses in her arrangements (below). Robin Scholz Photos/The News-Gazette Jeanne Holy, President of the Illinois Prairie Chapter of Ikenobo Ikebana, a group that makes Japanese flower arrangements, with the vase containing the arrangement on the screen at right, … Read more
“(Re)Framing Protest: Design + Hope” at the branch museum reminds us that no matter how protected, decorated or planned, space belongs to the people. In the summer of 2020, it was the people who enlivened the space, gathering on Monument Avenue to occupy the historic boulevard and, more importantly, redefine community. Protesters shed light on … Read more
I first saw the 1980 film Out of the Blue on a grainy VHS tape I rented from Video Fan on Strawberry Street when I was still in high school. I remember feeling a little depressed by it, while also thinking it was a low-budget mess. My how things change. For most of its life, … Read more
Readers of this column will notice that another person named “Bernt” appears in the photo and byline above. After writing this column for more than four years, Joe Bernt has decided to step down due to challenging, if hopefully temporary, health concerns. Joe has done a great job highlighting library events, writing thought provoking book … Read more