Earlier this year, two students from Northern Illinois University were featured at an art show devoted to African-American art at the Museum of Science and Industry. The show is one of the longest running in the nation.

Both NIU students were accepted to present art that depicts what every day African-Americans go through on a daily basis. One piece is titled “Crossing the Rubicon.” The artist says it depicts the injustices prevalent in the African-American community, particularly Chicago.

The other piece of art was started off as a portrait but then transformed into an homage to the artist’s sister. It touched in on the spirituality of her sister. It also allowed the observer to interpret it in their own way about spirituality.

Both are art majors at Northern Illinois University and show pride in their home communities and also their community at Northern Illinois.

The annual art show is called the Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition. It was hosted at the Museum of Science and Industry from January 16 to February 19. It has been running since 1970 and features various media, ranging from paintings and drawings to mixed-media and photography.

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For more than 70 years, scientists at Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont have carried out groundbreaking research into nuclear power. On April 19, 1946, the University of Chicago accepted a contract to run the laboratory on a plot of wooded land in southwestern Cook County that was previously used for atomic experiments as part of the Manhattan Project. The laboratory was initially part of a program devised by President Harry S. Truman after World War II that moved atomic research from military control into civilian hands.

The goal of Argonne and other laboratories established under the Atomic Energy Act was to develop peaceful uses for nuclear power, specifically in generating electricity and medical research. One civilian application of atomic research is the medical use for ultrasound technology, which was pioneered at Argonne. Currently, the laboratory is focusing on nanotechnology research, specifically the electric polarization of materials as small as three atoms thick. While finding peaceful uses for nuclear energy has always been the focus at Argonne, the lab performed some military research during the Cold War. The USS Nautilus, the world’s first nuclear submarine, was developed at Argonne in 1954.

The intellectual energy and strong academic institutions of Illinois are always on display at Argonne National Laboratory. The laboratory’s scientists have earned hundreds of awards during thepast 70 years, and all signs point toward continued innovation in peaceful nuclear technology for the 21st century.

To those that call the state home, it almost goes without saying that the people of Illinois are some of the kindest, most industrious people in the world. Still, when Illinoisans go above and beyond what is expected of them to help others, they deserve to be commended and thanked.

This week, Springfield resident Johann “Joe” Thomas went viral for doing the right thing while working a shift as a server at a local IHOP, where he has been taking care of his regular customers for over 11 years.

Keshia Dotson, who was eating at the IHOP one Saturday in March, witnessed Thomas helping a woman with Huntington’s disease eat her breakfast. Huntington’s disease is a genetic disorder that makes ordinary tasks like eating impossible as it progresses.

The viral incident was not the first time that Thomas helped the woman. She and her husband are regulars at the Springfield IHOP. The server noticed that her husband would usually assist her as his own meal became cold. One day, Thomas sat down at their table and offered to help while the man enjoyed his meal. They have followed the same routine ever since.

Joe Thomas’ coworkers have nothing but positive things to say about his kind demeanor and willingness to go the extra mile for IHOP guests. “This is no big deal to him,” one coworker said. “He does this every time. He’s a great coworker.”

Thomas agrees that this sort of thing is second nature for him.

“I really treat people like I want to be treated,” Thomas told CBS news. “I have a soft heart. Everything I do is honestly just natural, besides the way my parents raised me. I don’t think about it. I just do it.” He hopes that people will follow his lead and “pay it forward” by doing good deeds for others.

It could be the cheering of the crowd, the wild mascots energizing the crowd or the mounting tension in the last few seconds of a close game, but no matter the reason, high school basketball serves as a focal point for many people. The Prairie State is home to many amazing high school basketball players. The stars of the team are remembered, and the trophies they win are fixtures in high schools around the state as a sign of their success. Not all players go on to play professionally, but they still deserve to be recognized for their contributions to basketball.With the state finals approaching, the Chicago Tribune created a 100 greatest players ever list that spans the course of Illinois’ 118-year-old high school basketball history.