SPlog

In college many of us didn’t really need an excuse to go imbibe with a large group of people. At the U of I it’s almost a rite of passage amongst students to find a …

‪Artist‬ Hank Willis Thomas, fresh from his opening of “UNBRANDED: A CENTURY OF WHITE WOMEN, 1915-2015” last week at Jack Shainman Gallery, will ‪‎lecture‬ in room 62 of the Krannert Art Museum Thursday, April 16th …

This afternoon SEIU Local 73 helped organize a rally for low wage workers in Illinois. The rally took place outside of the McDonald’s at the corner of Neil St. and Kirby Ave.  Ricky Baldwin of SEIU …

The Campus Faculty Association is hosting a talk this coming Tuesday by Jeff Brown, the William G. Karnes Professor of Finance in the College of Business. Brown’s talk, “How Universities Respond to Economic and Financial Challenges,” takes …

The 10 day forecast. Weeks ago it seemed like highs in the upper 40’s were warm and the low didn’t touch 32 we’d be thrilled. The slushy streets and grey landscapes were trying both mentally …

From the press release: ​The students and staff of Edison Middle School will be honoring Illini Basketball player Rayvonte Rice on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. with an all school assembly in the Edison Middle School …

The University of Illinois softball team is hosting the 12th Annual World’s Largest Softball Tailgate on Saturday at Eichelberger Field. The family friendly event begins at 10 a.m. and will have face painting, giveaways, and …

REO Speedwagon’s Kevin Cronin’s son gets in on the ever popular “Fuck her right in the pussy” meme while his father is giving an interview to TMZ. Stereogum has called it the best REO Speedwagon …

V. Picasso is re-opening in Downtown Champaign soon after a five-year hiatus. The wine and tapas bar was originally open in Urbana and will be resurrected in the former Ippatsu salon spot at 122 N. …

From a Unit 4 press release: Awopbopaloobop awopbamboom! Central High School will present the musical, Grease, April 22-25 at 7pm and April 26 at 2:30pm. The musical contains songs written for the movie as well. Cost is …

From a UHS press release: When Tim Broeker was in high school years ago, acting in the musical Working proved to be a pivotal theatre experience. Now, as Director of Theatre at Urbana High School, …

Incredibly sad news coming from the WCIA 3 news desk this afternoon. Longtime anchor Dave Benton has announced that tonight will be his final newscast as an anchor. Benton opened up about having terminal cancer …

Local band The Chemicals aren’t the bragging type…but they do have a brand new album out called A New Language, which you can exclusively stream here on Smile Politely until the album’s official release on …

O’Brien Auto Park in Urbana is slated to have a new owners in late 2015. Majority owner Joe O’Brien and president Jim Turner have agreed to sell the business to Napleton Automotive Group. While this …

So if you were unaware, the house that graces the front of American Football‘s debut self-titled record is not the house they lived in. This house, shown above, was where members of the band lived while …

From the minds of local comedy purveyors comes the newest musical comedy to address something that’s not really a planet…but almost. This Sunday, April 12th, at Staerkel Planetarium, you can catch the debut of the …

This weekend is the 2015 Boneyard Arts Festival, and Smile Politely Radio is here to talk to you about the festival events you shouldn’t miss. Tune in live at 5:30 to catch a preview of …

SPEAK Cafe, a regular event featuring performances by artists and activists at the Krannert Art Museum, will take place tonight from 6:45 – 8:45 p.m. The newly appointed Urbana Alderman Aaron Ammons, who has been …

From the desk of Tom Kacich at The News-Gazette earlier this week, it was announced that Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who is running for President in 2016, will be making an appearance in Monticello: The first presidential …

Help ring out National Poetry Month with a reading by four local-area poets at the Urbana Free Library. Champaign-Urbana’s “Quintessential Poets” — John Palen, Elaine Fowler Palencia, Frank Modica and Mary McCormack — will read …

On April 11th, Krannert Art Museum will open its Master of Fine Arts exhibition, featuring work by the talented artists and designers lister below. Click on the links to get a better sense of their …

On Friday, April 10th, from 4 to 6 p.m., Parkland College’s Giertz Gallery will host a sneak peek at the art on display for the 2015 Boneyard Arts Festival. This will be a chance for …

From the press release: C-U Comedy Moves To Soma Ultralounge C-U Comedy has been the official home for comedy in Champaign-Urbana for the past 5 years. In that time, we have been recognized three years …

The federal transportation funding bill ends in May, and without a long-term solution on the horizon, the American Public Transportation Association is working with the nation’s public transportation systems to raise awareness for the need …

Ticket’s for Mother’s Day buffet brunch at Refinery are on sale now. The event is catered by Caribbean Grill/Signature Events, but it is not Caribbean cuisine, which is a bummer. That’s not to say that it …

If you’ve had Prairie Fruits Farm‘s Fresh Chevre, then you know. This is the creamiest, most delicious soft cheese in the world. And according to Chicagoist.com, it’s April’s Cheese of the Month.  The fresh goat …

Looks like there’s a new frozen yogurt establishment opening in Campustown at 512 E. Green Street this week: Orange Left Forzen Yogurt. Check out the information from the press release below: Orange Leaf To Hold …

Swimable registration and lesson booking now open! Date and Time: April 6-16, 2015, all day Location: U of I Campus Recreation Center East, Urbana Champaign-Urbana, Illinois — Swimable is an aquatics program for children with …

This is pretty cool. Krannert Center for the Performing Arts is ranked #14 on College Degree Research’s list of 50 Most Beautiful Conservatories and Schools of Music. It’s notable that Krannert ranks ahead of Berklee …

Recovery advocate Veronica Valli will be co-hosting a screening of A Royal Hangover at The Art Movie Theatre on Monday April 20th at 7:30 p.m. A Royal Hangover, featuring comedian/actor Russell Brand, is a British documentary that …

April is Sexual Assault Awareness month and tomorrow evening the University will join the It Happens Here project to host an event. From the release: The survivor-centered event will occur Tuesday, April 7, 2015 at …

Jarling’s Custard Cup is set to open April 8th. Here’s their statement: Needless to say, we’re rejoicing:

We The Animals needs your help to fund the recording and release of a new album. The band started a GoFundMe page and is accepting donations for the expensive task of making a record. As …

So, things got pretty heavy yesterday, and have been crazy over the last week with April Fool’s Day fun and all that good stuff. Here’s something that will (hopefully) bring a smile to your face …

Passover begins today. Without hammering away at religious details, it can be said that this sacred holiday celebrates Jewish survival. In January, people from all over the world acknowledged the 70th anniversary of the liberation …

Yesterday, The Pauly Report covered the policing and media coverage of the Lil Bibby concert at the Canopy Club on Tuesday night. The discussion on social media and in the comments have been interesting, to …

Join us tonight on Smile Politely Radio for a conversation with Tom Miebach on this year’s Turn It Up! The Uniting Pride Center hosts Turn It Up!, a variety show of community members and local artists …

For the University of Illinois Wildlife Medical Clinic, a non-profit organization that provides care for 1,500 ill or injured animals every year, spring means the arrival of many new mouths to feed. Each year, dozens …

They’re now based out of Chicago, but Santah got their start as a local band here in C-U. This is their second Daytrotter session, and you can stream the first three tracks for free (and …

From the press release: Summer Farm Tour Brings Fun, Education to Families April 2, 2015– Visit Champaign County and the Champaign County Farm Bureau invite the community to engage with local farmers at the inaugural …

Got an old TV, computer monitor, or other electronic items not being used anymore?  Area residents are invited to bring old or unwanted electronic items to the upcoming Countywide Residential Electronics Collection to have these …

It goes without saying, but what happens in Springfield can have a profound effect on our local community. One important piece of legislation currently before the General Assembly is this. You can get a pdf …

Here’s some pretty awesome news to start our your Thursday from the City of Champaign. You’re now able to pay and refill your meter from your phone. Yes, it’s true. Check out the information via …

From the Facebook event: This will be the 9th annual Corporate Internships & Careers Fair to take place in the Research Park. The Career Fair is a great way for students who are specifically interested …

I wish I could tell you that it’s April Fool’s Day still, but it’s not.  This is just what happens when people who are pushing a really bad agenda get desperate.  One would assume that …

The Pygmalion folks have been busy putting together a bill that will top the #PygX lineup. We think they’ve done that with arguably the most diverse lineup we’ve seen in the Fest’s 11 years. What …

After noticing the obscene amount of money made by food trucks in Austin, TX, Polyvinyl Records has acquired local Thai establishment Nitaya Thai. “It’s a pretty wild story,” co-founder Matt Lunsford said. “We were pretty …

There is a lot of theatre in this town, and we know how hard it is to find qualified people to review it all. Maybe you’ve studied “Theatre” at a “College,” and maybe you haven’t. …