Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will be the first African-American woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. The vote came Thursday afternoon. Three Republican Senators broke from their party with votes to confirm her for the nation’s highest court.
Tremell Jenkins is a first-year psychology student at Northern Illinois University. He feels the selection of Brown Jackson is a good thing for the country.
“I think it’s really important," Jenkins said. "First off, the representation, and the fact that it shows that people of other cultures also can do their own thing and can be in this spaces productively, and help society as a whole.”
Brown Jackson won’t be sworn in until after Justice Stephen Breyer retires at the end of the current Supreme Court term.
Entertainment
The NIU School of Theatre and Dance is hosting a performance of "The Conference of the Birds."
Junior theatre studies major Finn Stumpf is an actor in the show and said they’ve been rehearsing for this performance since the beginning of the semester.
They said the show is a big deal on campus because this is the first production since the pandemic that felt more normal.
“It makes you realize how masks are super important," they said. "Also in theater, it kind of is a limiting thing to only have your eyes up to be able to act with, so it was very nice being able to share something for the first time in two and a half years.”
"The Conference of the Birds" is a lyrical play guest-directed by Chicago-area director Cecilie Keenan.
The show was translated and adapted from a twelfth century epic poem. Stumpf says the play focuses on Islamic traditions and “ideas around letting go of your material self to find God.”
Stumpf says the play is a big ensemble piece that allows every actor to shine in the spotlight a little.
“A lot of work has been put into it," they said, "and it’s a really beautiful play with lots of costumes and lots of lights.”
The final performances for "The Conference of the Birds"will take place Friday and Saturday. Tickets are free for NIU students and are available for purchase through the school’s website.
Community Calendar
Rep Yo Org, a night of entertainment for NIU organizations to get students involved, will be held at the Holmes Student Center on Friday at 5:30 p.m.
Common Grounds Coffee will be hosting a poetry reading and open mic night called “Wax Poetic” on Friday at 5:30 p.m. Attendees hoping to participate can register for a 5-minute time slot.
The NIU Prevention Education and Outreach group will host a series of virtual sexual assault awareness events.
Sports
Spring sports are in full swing at NIU, from intercollegiate matches to club teams at the Rec Center.
In other sporting news, teams like NIU Men’s Tennis will look to keep the momentum going into the MAC Championship in 2 weeks time. Head coach Patrick Fisher earned his 187th career victory, this past weekend, becoming the all-time leader in wins in program history.
NIU football is also working on building depth throughout theirspring practice sessions. Coming off the teams pro-day at the end of last month, the organization only has five scheduled practices left before the annual Huskie Spring Showcase scrimmage.
Other groups such as NIU cheerleading are currently competing at nationals throughout this week. The group will look to bounce back after a fourth place finish last year.
Weather
The geese have finally made their way back onto campus as temperatures begin to rise. Today we will experience some light showers on-and-off throughout the day, but Friday is expected to experience some snowfall with temperatures in the mid 30s.
This weekend, temperatures will be in the mid 40s and 50s and it will be mostly cloudy with some partial sun.
Starting Monday, thunderstorms are expected to carry through the week.
Contributions by: Allyson White, Kurt Bitting, Gabe Fiorini, Brandon Montemayor, Amanda Woo, and Maddie Vikse