Local News in Champaign County

Nirosta Steel, Barwick, Lattimore bring musicality to PYGMALION Day 2

Music reverberated throughout the Tryon Festival Theatre in the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts Friday, featuring openers Julianna Barwick and Mary Lattimore, along with headliner Nirosta Steel. The show was part of PYGMALION, a festival running Thursday through Sunday…

Unmade plays haunt Illini in Big Ten opener against Buckeyes

Illinois (2-2, 0-1) walked away from Ohio Stadium following its 42-19 loss to Ohio State (3-1, 1-0) with few highlights. The offense collected 462 yards — including nearly 200 on the ground. Junior punter Lars Rau and fifth-year kicker Ethan Moczulski impressed on special teams.…

Visualized: UI welcomes largest-ever first-year class

On Sept. 9, the University released a report on first-year enrollment for Fall 2026. The annual report describes the demographic information, residency status and academic profiles of incoming students. Notably, this year’s report reveals that the incoming freshmen class is the…

Rare Book and Manuscript Library obtains first edition of Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’

The University’s Rare Book and Manuscript Library opened a new exhibit Thursday, celebrating its acquisition of a first edition of Mary Shelley’s groundbreaking novel, “Frankenstein.” The exhibit, titled “‘I could people the hours with creations’: Celebrating Mary Shelley’s…

Racing Mount Pleasant headlines night of music at PYGMALION Day 2

Tote bags and flowy skirts were scattered throughout the crowd at Racing Mount Pleasant’s show Friday night. The band performed at the Rose Bowl Tavern alongside openers Tractor Kings and Candi Jenkins. The bands performed as part of PYGMALION, an annual music, comedy, literature…

Lisa Low preaches poetry at PYGMALION Day 2

Under overcast late-September skies, students, residents and literary enthusiasts alike trickled into Urbana’s Analog Wine Library at 6 p.m. Friday for an evening of poetry, prose and pinot noir. The reading’s featured author, Lisa Low, is a poet whose work explores estrangement,…

Astronomy On Tap proves science is for everyone on PYGMALION Day 2

Scientific language can often be difficult to understand for the average person, which is exactly what Astronomy On Tap strives to change. Gallery Art Bar hosted the international organization for the second day of PYGMALION Friday evening. Astronomy On Tap formed in New York…

Gallery | PYGMALION brings, comedy, music and more to C-U

Robby Hoffman delivers raunchy comedy at PYGMALION Day 1

Krannert Center for the Performing Arts welcomed Emmy Award-winning comedian Robby Hoffman to the Tryon Festival Theatre Thursday night. As one of the headlining acts for PYGMALION, Hoffman’s set started at 7:30 p.m. and lasted just over an hour, including topics like “nepo…

Students, community members rally at anti-data center protest

Students for Environmental Concerns held a rally Friday and demanded stricter regulations on large data center development in Champaign County. The possible development of hyperscale data centers in Champaign County has raised concerns and been a topic of discussion for the…

Mary Helen Specht talks ‘Mudlark,’ analog technology at PYGMALION

Author Mary Helen Specht’s book talk on her newest novel, “Mudlark,” opened PYGMALION weekend with a blend of science fiction, mother-daughter love and Greek references. Students and Champaign-Urbana community members gathered at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts at 5:30…

The Belair Lip Bombs close out tour at PYGMALION Day 1

The Rose Bowl Tavern filled with sounds of guitar riffs, warm vocals and energetic drums as Australian indie-rock band, The Belair Lip Bombs, took the stage Thursday for PYGMALION Day 1. The four-member band — Maisie Everett, Mike Bradvica, Jimmy Droughton and Daniel Devlin —…