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Ivy Tech Community College 13 results
Bloomington has become a hub of comedy in the Midwest for seasoned, touring professionals and young, local comedians, says writer Christine Brackenhoff. And while Bloomington’s comedy fans are welcoming, they’re also known to give genuine feedback. (clockwise from top left) Emil Wakim (photo by Tall and Small Photography), Shanda Sung (photo by Christine Brackenhoff), Emily Davis (courtesy photo), Mat Alano-Martin (photo by Christine Brackenhoff), Harlan Kelly (courtesy photo), Maria Bluck (photo by Tall and Small Photography), and James Tanford (photo by Christine Brackenhoff).

Bloomington Is a Hub — and Curator — of Live Comedy
Christine Brackenhoff
Bloomington has become a hub of comedy in the Midwest for many reasons, writes Christine Brackenhoff. For young comedians, seasoned professionals, and savvy comedy fans, Bloomington is home to a dynamic and welcoming comedy environment. With the Limestone Comedy Festival celebrating its 10th year next month, here’s a look at the local laugh scene. Click here to read Christine’s article.
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A new queen emerges from a queen cell in a honey bee hive of writer and beekeeper Erin Hollinden. Honey bee populations in the U.S. have declined from 6 million in the 1940s to 2.5 million today. But more than 200,000 hobbyist beekeepers such as Erin are trying to keep them (and ultimately us) alive. | Photo by Marla Bitzer

Local Beekeepers Labor with Love as Honey Bees Decline Worldwide
Erin Hollinden
Honey bee populations in the U.S. have declined from 6 million in the 1940s to 2.5 million today. Pesticides, drought, and habitat destruction, are just a few reasons the bees are dying. But more than 200,000 hobbyist beekeepers, like writer Erin Hollinden, are trying to keep them (and ultimately us) alive. Click here to read Erin’s article.
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Artists and art advocates created the Arts Alliance of Greater Bloomington in 2010 to be a path for communication and a network of resources for members. Its recent focuses have been to connect with other arts organizations in the community, relaunch the online directory, and manage their space in College Mall, the Arts Alliance Center (pictured), which houses a gallery and a “Flex Space” for various projects. | Courtesy photo

Arts Alliance Mission to Connect Artists, Art Users, and Art Advocates
Emily Williams
Artists and art advocates created the Arts Alliance of Greater Bloomington in 2010 to be a path for communication and a network of resources for members. Recently, writes Emily Williams, the organization has focused on connecting with other arts organizations, relaunching its online directory, and managing its space in College Mall, the Arts Alliance Center. Click here to read Emily’s story.
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The pandemic has affected writers and literary arts organizations in unique ways in the past 19 months. Writer Hiromi Yoshida interviewed several writers and organization leaders to learn how they continue to work through the changes — and take their writing and organizations in new directions. The results are, she writes, inspirational and uplifting. | Illustration by Christian Bowden

Writers and Literary Groups Have Taken ‘New Directions’ During Pandemic
Hiromi Yoshida
The pandemic has affected writers and literary arts organizations in unique ways in the past 19 months, says writer Hiromi Yoshida. Several writers and organization leaders told Yoshida how they continue to work through the changes — and take their writing and organizations in new directions. The results, she writes, are inspirational and uplifting. Click here to read their stories.
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Overcoming Barriers to Mental Health Services in a Pandemic
Eszi Waters
Economic distress, loss, and isolation due to the pandemic have increased the need for mental health services in Monroe County. While local providers have reinvented how they offer such services, many people still confront barriers to accessing them. Eszi Waters spoke to people at several agencies to see how they have adapted. Click here to read the article.
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Truth Matters is an event to help people detect disinformation in the news and on social media platforms. After watching two films on the topic, audience members will be able to ask questions to the panel of media experts pictured above: (clockwise from top left) Filippo Menczer, professor at the Indiana University School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering and director of IU’s new Observatory on Social Media; Jen Senko, director of the film ‘The Brainwashing of My Dad,’ who will participate via Skype; Alex J. Semchuck, associate professor of communication at Ivy Tech Community College in Bloomington; and Jason Peifer, assistant professor at the IU Media School (Courtesy photos). The background image is a screenshot of Hoaxy, a tool that visualizes the spread of articles online, which was created by Menczer and his team at the Observatory on Social Media.

Truth Matters Event To Raise Awareness About Disinformation in the News
Limestone Post
Fake news masquerading as journalism? Truth Matters, an event at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater on October 19, features two films and a panel of media experts that will help people detect disinformation in the news and on social media platforms. (Limestone Post is one of 14 sponsors of this event.) Click here to learn more about Truth Matters.
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The Granfalloon: A Festival of Music, Literature, and Art, Inspired By Kurt Vonnegut by Julie Warren
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Hoosier author Kurt Vonnegut Jr. was an astute observer of people, culture, and communities. He has also inspired the Granfalloon festival, a multi-day celebration of art, ideas, and building connections between people. Organized by the IU Arts and Humanities Council, the second annual Granfalloon features music, academic panels, and creative activities to connect the campus and the community. Click here to read more about our own granfalloon.
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Just as theater teaches us about ourselves and about the world we live in, local youth theater programs help students (of all ages) learn literacy, creativity, self-determination, critical-thinking skills, and empathy, writes Jennifer Pacenza. | Photo courtesy of Cardinal Stage Company

Behind the Curtain: The Ways the Stage Teaches
Jennifer Pacenza
Just as theater teaches us about ourselves and about the world we live in, local youth theater programs help students (of all ages) learn literacy, creativity, self-determination, critical-thinking skills, and empathy, writes Jennifer Pacenza. In her latest column for Limestone Post, she looks at how theater does much more than just entertain. Click here to read the full story.
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This summer, 25 IU Mandela Washington Fellows took part in Bloomington's 4th of July Parade. Sierra Leone's Eastina Marian Boimadi Taylor says she met many inspiring people while in Indiana, and and she is using many of their ideas back home. | Courtesy photo

IU Mandela Washington Fellow Takes ‘New Ideas’ from Indiana Home to Sierra Leone
Limestone Post
Eastina Marian Boimadi Taylor was so inspired by her visit to Indiana this past summer that she is using some of the ideas created here to inspire others in her home in Freetown, Sierra Leone. She says, "All I see now is possibilities." This is the second of two Q&A articles featuring young leaders in the Mandela Washington Fellowship at Indiana University. Click here to read the full story.
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The Ivy Tech Storytelling Series focuses on divisive issues — such as race, reproductive rights, and immigration — and makes them personal. In this guest column, Reverend Forrest Gilmore, pictured here at a dress rehearsal for the second live-storytelling event, recalls a heart-wrenching experience from his past. He also shows how stories help us make sense of our lives and are an “opportunity to expand our capacity for community.” | Courtesy photo

Guest Column: Ivy Tech Storytelling Series Connects People in ‘a Different Way’
Forrest Gilmore
The Ivy Tech Storytelling Series focuses on divisive issues — race, reproductive rights, immigration — and makes them personal. In this article, Reverend Forrest Gilmore recalls a heart-wrenching experience from his past, but he also shows how stories help us make sense of our lives and are an “opportunity to expand our capacity for community.” Click here to read the full story.
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Trio da Kali (Mali/soulful Mandé griot traditions). | Courtesy photo

Lineup for 24th Lotus World Music Festival Announced
Benjamin Beane
The lineup for the 24th annual Lotus World Music and Arts Festival has been announced. In the coming weeks, writer Benjamin Beane will profile some of the more prominent acts that will perform. Lotus, which Beane says “perfectly encapsulates Bloomington’s celebration of cultural diversity,” begins September 28. Click here for the provisional lineup.
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