Random Acts of Knowledge

Individuals forced to flee their homes due to war, famine, crime, or natural disaster often struggle long after they have found a new place to live. Dr. Wendy Pearlman has interviewed hundreds of Syrian refugees and shared their stories in three books and a recent lecture at Heartland Community College. Dr. Pearlman discusses the impact that displacement has on individuals and the communities that...

Oksana Perestoronina and her husband fled their home of Ukraine in 2022 when war came to their doorstep.  Her search to start a new life led her to Heartland Community College, where she took English as a Second Language Courses. After gaining some confidence with language Oksana took the next steps toward a new career: nursing.

Getting kids interested in biology can start from the inside out. Instructor Jacinda Shoot discusses the STEM Anatomy Workshops that bring middle and high school kids into a Heartland Community College lab. Jacinda also talks about an interesting hobby that requires some heavy lifting.

The impact of a tornado can extend far beyond the damage done to persons and property. In his documentary "A Brief History of Chasing Storms," filmmaker Curtis Miller travels to towns defined by tornadoes in one form or another. The film will kick off the Heartland Hawk Film Festival on May 6, 2026 at the Normal Theater. 

Clinical services for substance abuse and mental health disorders are an important part of every community healthcare system. Yet, even in a clinical environment, individuals might struggle to engage in recovery. Clinical psychologist Charles Drebing, PhD, discusses the value that Peer Support Specialists -- individuals with lived experience in mental health or substance use recovery who are train...

Was 3-year-old Christina McNeil killed by her own father or, instead, by a suspect who later would be convicted of another murder? Barton McNeil is serving a 100-year sentence for the killing of his daughter. He has long claimed that the murder was committed by an estranged girlfriend, Misook Nowlin, who would later be convicted of killing her mother-in-law. With the help of the Illinois Innocence...

Resources for individuals who are leaving prison are available but many incarcerated people have no idea what is really waiting for them on the other side. Support for formerly incarcerated people extends beyond just navigating the rules of release but also includes a change of mindset, according to Toy Beasley, with the Illinois Coalition to End Permanent Punishments. View the transcript here.

Whitney Rapp is Director of the Electric Vehicle Career Pathway Program at Heartland Community College. One of the projects Whitney works on is to promote the Certified Manufacturing Associate Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program. This program consists of students completing modules that are set to be completed throughout a 5-week time span. During this time, students learn the basic skills needed...

Jamie Snow is in prison, convicted in 2001 for the 1991 shooting of a gas station attendant, William Little, in Bloomington, IL. For the last several years, a diverse group of people who learned the details of Snow’s case and found troubling elements in his trial have been advocating for his release. In this episode, Snow’s daughter and a former juror on the trial of a co-defendant are joined by a...

In an age with long-form videogaming, the appeal of Dungeons & Dragons might not seem apparent to some.  But unleashing creativity and storytelling with a little teamwork and a handful of dice takes players to places not found on video screens. An instructor who introduces prospective game players to the role-playing game talks about what drew her to D&D and explains what is needed to get...

What does the story of Medusa have to do with the Me Too movement?  How does the Hercules depicted by Disney differ from the hero celebrated in 900 BCE? Heartland Community College Outstanding Faculty of the Year Tom McCulley is teaching Greek Mythology not only to college students but also to adult learners and middle school kids.  He says that the stories of ancient Greece resonate in surprising...

Dual Credit programs, such as the College NOW program at Heartland Community College, offer not only an early opportunity for students in high school to gain college credits, but they also offer a pathway for students to transform their lives. Three high-achieving students who were selected in the COUNTRY Financial Scholars program discuss how access to early college set them up for success. View...

Ronnie Carrasquillo spent nearly half a century in prison.  Sentenced in 1977, Carrasquillo first sought parole in 1984 and went before the board over 30 times before finally gaining release in October of 2023. Carrasquillo talks about his initial sentence of 200-600 years, growing up in prison, and his multiple appearances before the parole board. View the episode transcript here.

In May 29, 1856, Abraham Lincoln gave the keynote address at a political convention in Bloomington, IL.  His remarks were called, by his law partner William Herndon, “the grand effort of Lincoln’s Life.”  Today, no written copy of this speech exists.  And some differ on what it was Lincoln said. Historian Bill Kemp discusses the "lost speech" and offers up some theories as to how it got that way....

The recent rise of electric vehicle manufacturers such as Tesla and Rivian has shown there is a market for transportation that does not rely as heavily on fossil fuel.  But despite the buzz around today’s electric cars and trucks, the concept is far from new. Bill Kemp with the McLean County Museum of History discusses a history of the electric vehicle that goes back to the early 1900s, and an ove...

Artist and activist Jessica McGhee was devastated to a community garden she and others had cultivated in their neighborhood was removed without much explanation.  Unable to create a new garden, she funneled her energy into the creation of art projects using discarded items such as plastic, wire, and bottles.  Using these materials she has created the exhibit 'An Unblighted Area' which is on displa...

The impact of the criminal justice system on an individual extends far beyond the sentenced punishment for a crime. Beria Hampton, an ambassador for the Illinois Prison Project, discusses how her upbringing and environment left her ill prepared for how criminal charges (which she eventually beat), and incarceration would upend her life. View the transcript here.

Heartland Community College Health Sciences Faculty discuss how a service learning trip to South Africa opened their eyes to the differences in health care around the world. Health Sciences students at Heartland can register for a 10-day program in Cape Town, South Africa.  The program provides 3 credits of Service Learning 101. View the transcript here.

For poet Cathy Gilbert, the joy and chaos of having twin infants was mixed with the heartbreak of losing a parent to dementia. Heartland Community College professor of English Gilbert discusses the major life events that led to her new poetry collection "My Limbs a Cradle, My Whisper a Song." View the transcript here.

Farming can be one of the most stressful professions one can have. The documentary Greener Pastures captures the day-to-day lives of four small, Midwestern, multigenerational family farms over the course of three years. Filmmaker Sam Mirpoorian talks about the film, which is the guest feature at the 2024 Heartland Hawk Film Festival. Mirpoorian says he was prompted to make the documentary when he...

The exponential growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) capability has been celebrated in some circles and caused concern in others. In academic circles, some instructors and administrators are worried that AI presents a threat to the way they evaluate student work. In this episode, Roy Magnuson, an educator who has dived deeply into the changes that AI is bringing to institutions of higher ed., di...

Being a or a class clown or workplace cutup is one thing. Getting laughs on stage is another. For those who have thought about trying out for an open mic night or competing in an amateur comedy show, there are a few tips to consider. Joe Strupek, longtime emcee of the Heartland Community College FunnyRaiser event, discusses what it takes to successfully take the stage as an amateur standup. View t...

Keeping farmland productive is challenging in many ways. One of the greatest enemies to a good crop is erosion. An edible windbreak of fruit and nut trees and bushes planned for the agriculture instructional grounds at Heartland Community College will not only serve to help fight off the Central Illinois wind and rain but also provide a link in the pollination chain. Associate Director of Agricult...

One fateful night in 1996 Kristine Bunch woke to a home full of flames. She struggled to extract her young son from the fire but failed.  Much to her surprise and horror, she was charged with setting the fire that killed her child.  Bunch was convicted on expert testimony which was later held in question. No one would have taken a second look at her case had she not fought from prison to find advo...

No matter their age or background, when students go to college there are new stresses that can tax their mental health. The challenges of COVID-19 put the spotlight on the importance of mental health for college students. But, as in the past, the largest barrier is getting individuals to not attach a stigma to addressing their mental health. Sarah Stalter, Assistant Director of Behavioral Health C...