A tornado touched down in Glen Ellyn on July 27, cutting a path through the town that missed the College of DuPage (COD) campus by a few miles. While winds reached over 60 mph on campus grounds, Glen Ellyn was fortunate enough to see little damage. The town was far from alone; this year has seen a significant uptick in tornado activity, with over 200 reported touching down in Illinois alone. Only three-quarters of the way into the year, this well surpasses the previous Illinois record of 142 in 2024.

Many of us have heard whispers on the wind of an approaching “super El Niño” that is predicted to develop before the year is out. While Chicagoland area locals are used to all sorts of extreme weather changes at the drop of a hat, the language has caused many to dread the worst.

But what is El Niño, anyways? El Niño is one half of a climate pattern known as El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which is centered in the Pacific Ocean.  Karly Schmidt-Simard, associate professor and Earth Sciences Department chair at COD, also known as Dr. S, explained this phenomenon:

“El Niño and La Niña are a classic example of climate oscillation, where conditions see-saw back and forth between two more-or-less opposite types of conditions. In the case of this specific oscillation, we see periods with below-average sea surface temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean – La Niña – and periods with above-average sea surface temperatures in the same region – El Niño. This strongly impacts and can even reverse the direction of winds in the area and has far-reaching impacts on areas around the world.”

Despite the way it sounds, locals should not despair. According to Schmidt-Simard, the developing El Niño may have even been a boon.

“Typically, [an] El Niño phase is actually linked with slightly reduced tornadic activity here in Illinois.”

The tornado count also isn’t as cut-and-dry as one might think. As Schmidt-Simard explains, some reports are made by laymen who might not know what actually counts as a tornado, and there are some parts of the country that simply aren’t watched.

“The reporting of tornadoes has changed a lot in recent years, and that makes it very hard for us to untangle any apparent trends or changes from longer-term variability because it’s hard to establish what the baseline really looks like.”

While it is true that the developing El Niño conditions are projected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to be particularly strong this year, especially surrounding the winter months, it doesn’t mean we’re in for a particularly harsh winter. 

“El Niño is typically associated with warmer and drier weather here in Chicagoland because it shifts the polar jet stream northward and keeps cold Arctic air farther away from us,” Schmidt-Simard said. NOAA projects that this winter will be warmer than average with a relatively normal amount of precipitation for northern Illinois. 

Schmidt-Simard knows nothing is certain, though. 

“As we know from experience in the Midwest, it’s always best to be prepared for anything and ready for the weather to turn on a dime!”

COD’s meteorology department is a significant authority on the matter, as it has been tracking and recording weather for decades, both on campus and during its yearly storm-chasing programs. As Schmidt-Simard puts it, “the faculty and students in our program live and breathe weather.”

Schmidt-Simard is a big part of the college’s storm-chasing programs, which she describes as “a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I’ve been lucky enough to have five times and counting” – clearly a sentiment shared by others as “many of our students travel from other states and countries to join us.”

During the four 10-day trips the department goes on each summer, students cover hundreds of miles each day, chasing the best opportunities to spot interesting weather phenomena. Schmidt-Simard said during the 2026 trips, they saw a few small but photogenic tornadoes on Trip 2 and also visited Palo Duro Canyon for an evening hike. Additionally, they launched a weather balloon to gather data on real-time atmospheric conditions.

Gallery • 3 Photos

Tornado caught touching down on land during a 2026 storm chase. Photo provided by Karly Schimdt-Simard.

Beyond storm chasing, when time allows, students also get to experience behind-the-scenes tours at places like the National Weather Center in Norman, Okla. or the National Wind Institute in Lubbock, Texas. Schmidt-Simard’s favorite spot to stop on the trip is Prairie Dog Town in Lubbock, Texas, which is an open park that is home to lots of adorable black-tailed prairie dogs.

COD’s meteorology department also hosts its own website, NEXLAB, which they have been running since 1998. The website is a completely free platform for viewing real-time weather data and forecasts. 

“Our website is kind of a big deal,” said Schmidt-Simard. “We get an incredible amount of traffic from users all around the world and have received thank-you notes from National Weather Service offices and other governmental agencies.”

To learn more about COD’s meteorology department, view the local forecast or access the data they collect, visit their website at weather.cod.edu. Schmidt-Simard can be reached for questions through her school email simardk@cod.edu.

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College of DuPage (COD) has introduced a new Associate in Applied Science degree in Healthcare Management, the first two-year degree of its kind offered by an Illinois community college. The program is designed to give students a pathway into the business side of healthcare, without requiring them to pursue clinical training or commit to a four-year degree from the start. 

The degree grew out of COD’s decision to phase out its Health Information Technology program, said Andrea Brus, Health Information Technology assistant professor and leader of the development. The older program struggled to attract students unfamiliar with medical records, billing and coding, and its name itself was misleading.

“When we think of health information technology, most of us think of computers,” Brus said. “The technology was born out of when this degree dealt with medical record technologists, when medical records were on paper.” 

The program’s opening course, Healthcare Management 1100, covers where care is delivered and how the U.S. health insurance system works, including copays, coinsurance and premiums. Brus said the course has value even for students who don’t stick with the degree, since most will eventually need to navigate their own coverage. 

“Even if students don’t pursue this degree, it’s such a great class,” Brus said. “I think because you’re all going to be getting jobs, and you have to understand what type of health insurance you’re going to be taking on.” 

Of the program’s 61 credit hours, 12 are elective credits that students can apply toward about 15 COD certificates, from long-term care to entrepreneurship to healthcare data management. That design came out of collaboration with COD’s Business and Technology division, including Management chair Shannon Toller. 

“Healthcare is so broad, but they might have a very specific thing that they want to focus on,” Brus said. “So there’s 15 certificates — students can use those elective credits and personalize their education.” 

Brus said, as a long-term goal, she wants the program to be as cost-friendly for students as possible. 

“The next big thing I want to do once we get this launched is can we make this an open education resource where all of the textbooks are included,” Brus said. “That would be the next big goal of this program.” 

Toller said supporting industry-specific tracks is familiar territory for her department, backing up programs in music management and automotive service management. 

“Anytime there’s an opportunity that our coursework can support something that is a specific industry, I’m happy to do that,” Toller said. “For a long time within management, we have supported these other kinds of more industry-specific degrees.” 

Toller also pointed to COD’s existing 3+1 transfer partnership with Concordia University, which allows management students to pursue a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, as an early sign that demand for a healthcare-specific track existed. Toller said the partnership’s popularity over the years was one indicator that a dedicated healthcare management degree could succeed at COD. 

Although no formal transfer agreements for the new degree are finalized yet, Brus said she has reached out to roughly 15 Illinois schools offering bachelor’s degrees in healthcare management or administration and found strong interest. Toller said she and Brus have met with Aurora University’s healthcare leadership to shape the curriculum with future transfer in mind. 

“We were thinking about what Aurora liked to see,” Toller said. “They had a dean of healthcare that came and met with us to talk about the potential between putting those things together. That’s part of what shaped the courses that we put together.” 

Along with Aurora University, Brus and Toller both said that Western Governors University is expected to be a viable option for students seeking an online bachelor’s degree in healthcare management. 

Because several of COD’s clinical health programs have limited and selective enrollment, Brus said the new degree gives students who are not admitted to those programs — or who decide clinical work is not for them — an option to remain in a healthcare-related field at the college. 

“Sometimes having a degree that kind of aligns with that helps their success because they come in here and they already feel a little bit knowledgeable,” Brus said. 

Brus said the healthcare industry’s shift from standalone hospitals to large conglomerates convinced her that students needed a broader entry point. 

“Healthcare is always changing; it’s always in motion,” Brus said. “We saw this as a better pathway for students to get involved in healthcare and not necessarily be pigeonholed in clinical programs.”

To learn more about the new associate healthcare management degree, visit the Healthcare Management Website or contact Andrea Brus through her email brusa235@cod.edu

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To commemorate 25 years since the terrorist attacks that took place on Sept. 11, 2001, College of DuPage (COD) will host a memorial event on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. The event will take place in the Honorable William J. Bauer Mock Courtroom within the SSG Miller Homeland Security Education Center (HEC), running from 7:30 a.m. to  8:15 a.m, coinciding with the time both towers were hit. 

John Mondelli, manager of the Homeland Security Training Institute and one of the event’s speakers, emphasized the community aspect of the event.

“This is not just an [Homeland Security Training Institute] or Suburban Law Enforcement Academy event, and it is not about marketing or any one department. This is a College of DuPage event, and I really appreciate how Continuing Education and everyone involved have worked together to help coordinate it. It speaks to the community of COD,” Mondelli said.

Anyone within the COD community is invited to attend and reflect on the tragedy while honoring those who took action, particularly first responders.  

Featured guest speakers include: 

• Muddassir Siddiqi, president of College of DuPage
• John Mondelli, manager of the Homeland Security Training Institute
• Brian Baudek, manager of the EMS/Fire Science Program
• Michael Zegadlo, manager of the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy

At the event, Mondelli plans to recite the statistics of individuals killed during the attacks.

“I usually read the numbers during the ceremony because I think hearing them matters. They are large numbers, and sometimes it is easy to lose sight of what they actually represent. Every number was a person, a family and a life that was changed,” Mondelli said.

2,977 people died in the attacks, between those on the hijacked planes, within the two towers, and inside the Pentagon. It remains the deadliest terrorist attack in American history. 

Members of the community can also view a 1,000-pound beam from one of the World Trade Center towers permanently on display in the HEC. Among thousands of applicants, COD obtained a historic piece of the towers, alongside a small number of other institutions in 2011. Its placement in the HEC serves as a memorial to the brave firefighters, EMTs and law enforcement officers who preceded the first responders COD trains. It also serves as a reminder of the resilience the future first responders COD trains may have to show one day.

The beam will have flowers placed on it to honor those who lost their lives on the day the towers fell. COD’s Suburban Law Enforcement Academy recruits will also perform a ceremonial procession with bagpipes. 

2,977 American flags will also be flown on the lawn of the HEC to memorialize each life lost. Additionally, a reflection wall will allow those around the COD community to write their own thoughts about the events of Sept. 11.

Michael Zegadlo, manager of the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy, highlighted the significance of taking a look back at history. 

“The Sept. 11 attacks changed our nation in a profound way and, as we get farther from the attacks, it becomes more important to keep the memory of the bravery, heroism and sorrow experienced by those impacted alive,” Zegadlo said. 

Mondelli reflected on the importance of remembering the events of Sept. 11 and discussing them with up-and-coming first responders. 

“I [also] think there is value in continuing to talk about Sept. 11 with newer police officers, firefighters, EMS personnel and other first responders. Some were very young when it happened, and others were not born yet. I think they should have the opportunity to understand what happened, the sacrifices that were made and how that day changed national security, police work and the responsibilities of first responders,” Mondelli said. 

The event will include reflections on the tragedy facilitated by the speakers, as well as a moment of silence for the lives lost.

Mondelli stressed the personal effects the events of Sept. 11 had on him. 

“September 11th has always had a strong impact on me. The loss, the response and everything that changed afterward are things I still think about. Like most people who were old enough at the time, I remember exactly where I was when it happened.”

Mondelli also had advice for younger people looking to find value in remembering the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

“I was not alive during World War I or World War II, but that does not stop me from appreciating what those generations went through or the sacrifices they made. I look at Sept. 11 in a similar way. You do not have to personally live through an event for it to have meaning or for its lessons to matter.”

The event will also be livestreamed via COD’s Facebook page.

Directions around COD’s campus are available online. 

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Two nights, one dream – BTS turned Soldier Field into a sea of purple as a worldwide crowd packed in for their first Chicago show since military service. From false-start anticipation to nonstop energy, the band captured the weekend with fan favorites such as “Not Today” and “Fake Love” colliding with surprise deep cuts that differed each night. BTS turned the concert into two unforgettable, unrepeatable shows that fans will remember forever.

For those out of the loop, BTS is the seven-member South Korean group — RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook — who spent much of the 2010s and early 2020s becoming one of the biggest bands on the planet before stepping away for mandatory military service. This tour marks their real comeback: their first time performing together as a full group in years and the moment fans everywhere have been counting down to. 

This comeback tour is built around their new album, “Arirang,” released earlier this year. Named after a centuries-old Korean folk song, the 14-track record blends hip-hop and pop with traditional Korean elements, using the “Arirang” melody as an emotional thread running through the record. The lead single, “Swim,” became an instant hit and the album itself broke records before the album even dropped. Coming into Chicago, expectations for this tour were sky-high — and somehow, they were still exceeded. 

What made this stop even more special was that BTS played Soldier Field not once but twice, and each night had its own personality. Alongside the new material from “Arirang,” they dug back into their old albums for beloved originals like “Not Today” and “Fake Love,” both of which sent the crowd into an absolute frenzy — the kind of songs that everyone, no matter where they’d traveled from, knew word for word. 

But it was the surprise songs each night that really got people talking. On the first night, the group pulled out “Tomorrow” and “Hip Hop Phile,” deep cuts that had longtime fans losing their minds. Then the second night flipped the script, surprising fans with “134340” and “Mikrokosmos” instead. It meant that even people who came to both shows got two completely different experiences and it turned the whole weekend into something fans were still comparing days later. 

Long before the show started, it was clear this wasn’t going to be an ordinary night. The crowd was massive, stretching from the front barricades all the way up into the highest rows of the stadium, selling out the entire arena. And it wasn’t just a local crowd, either — fans had clearly traveled from all over to be here. You could see it in the flags and posters waving around, the stadium was completely transformed into a gathering point for a global fandom, all funneled into one place for one night. The kind of crowd you would see once in your lifetime. 

Before the group stepped onstage, the anticipation alone became part of the  performance. Music swelled, lights shifted and the stadium surged to its feet, only for the moment to pass and the wait to continue. It happened again and again; it never got old. If anything, it built the energy higher each time, as if the stadium itself would not be able to hold much more anticipation. 

When the moment finally arrived, the release of energy was immediate and overwhelming — the kind of roar you feel in your chest more than hear with your ears. The band began with “Hooligan”, immediately making the crowd jump up and down with excitement, shaking the entire stadium with the bass of the song. From that first burst through to the very end, the entire stadium stayed locked in: singing, dancing and celebrating together as if everyone in that crowd had known each other for years instead of hours. 

From vocal delivery to rap styles, the band killed it. However, one thing I would have changed, more for the band and less as an audience member, would be to make the water breaks a bit longer. The band took only 2-3 minute breaks after a set, and although I love seeing them perform for as much time as possible, I believe that longer breaks would help the artists recover. Throughout the concert, every audience member could see the amount of hard work they were putting in on their vocals and choreography. A longer rest would allow the members to come back on stage with all their energy. 

Amidst the downs, what really stood out most by the end of the night was not the scale of the production or the size of the crowd, but the shared sense of joy running through the entire stadium. Strangers from different corners of the world, united for a few hours under the lights of Soldier Field, all just there to have a great time.

The post A Night To Remember: BTS Takes Over Soldier Field appeared first on The Courier.

Isabella “Luna” Escobar, 2025-26 student trustee, returned to public comment — speaking both for herself and on behalf of another speaker, Joanna Osorio, who could not attend — to press the board on transparency around Student Trustee Danna Gonzalez, who remained in her position following past use of racial slurs. 

Escobar, who was the former student trustee, argued the student trustee role represents the entire student body, including those affected by the remarks, and called for clearer procedures for future student trustee elections along with steps toward accountability, including racial sensitivity training. 

“The student body deserves transparency and evidence that these actions do not pass without accountability being placed,” Escobar said. 

Gonzalez did not give a response back to Escobar; however, in a previous interview, Gonzalez stated that she would demonstrate accountability and reshape her priorities as student trustee. 

“My commitment will be demonstrated through sustained action, like continuing my education, actively advocating for underrepresented students, holding myself and others accountable and showing up differently,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez delivered an upbeat account of the first week of the fall semester, describing packed hallways, well-attended orientation and student success fair tables, where professors personally walked students to the tutoring center. She recounted overhearing a student remark that “COD is actually pretty cool,” as evidence of the energy displayed on campus. 

Gonzalez spent much of her report on two projects tied to student advocacy. The first was the opening of the new Civic Engagement Center, which she credited to COD President Muddassir Siddiqui’s sustained push about the college valuing civic life alongside academics and gave a shout-out to Eddie Contreras, civic engagement officer in Student Leadership Council (SLC) who spoke about his devotion to civic engagement during the opening; and the new campus wayfinding tool, the “MazeMap.” She noted the map’s origin traced back a full year, to comments Escobar made at the August 2024 board meeting about navigation being a major obstacle for students. Gonzalez credits PTK — COD’s Honor Society — with yearlong advocacy for turning that feedback into an actual product. 

Vice Chair Florence Appel highlighted the advocacy for the community college baccalaureate undergraduate college degree, which would allow community colleges in Illinois to award bachelor’s degrees, as a standing legislative priority and previewed two upcoming ICCTA gatherings; a full meeting Sept. 18-19 in Springfield and the ACCT Congress in downtown Chicago in mid-October.

After the trustees gave their reports, the board received an update on the college’s civic engagement efforts and plans to expand opportunities for students to participate in civic learning, service and community involvement.

Stephanie Quirk, co-chair of the Civic Engagement Community of Practice, presented on behalf of more than 15 faculty and staff members working to coordinate and highlight civic engagement across campus. The group has identified three areas at the center of its work: civic learning, serving others and connecting with a purpose.

Quirk said the college has already seen significant student participation in these programs. Last year, COD Votes, a program that helps students become more civically engaged, provided nearly 5,000 students with information on voter registration, polling locations and important deadlines. Also, more than 600 service-learning students completed over 10,000 volunteer hours last year. 

However, a recent campus survey shows a gap between students’ interest in community-based learning and their access to those experiences. 80% of surveyed COD students said community-based projects were essential to their degrees, but nearly three-quarters reported never experiencing one as part of their coursework. The survey also found 74% of faculty considered civic engagement essential to a college education and want to incorporate more of it into their courses.

“As our work continues to evolve, we aim to bridge this gap so faculty feel supported and COD students gain real-world leadership experiences,” Quirk said.

The Strategic Long-Term Plan was revisited from the last board of trustees meeting; it’s a plan that outlines COD’s priorities over the next five years. During the presentation, they covered how the college plans to measure its progress.

The plan centers on five priority areas: student access and success, innovation, learning and workforces, people and culture, and institutional effectiveness and community engagement. Together, the areas are intended to advance student success and community impact while staying true to what the college describes as a “culture of care.” 

During the presentation, the five “Northstar” key performance indicators were introduced. These indicators will be used to evaluate the outcomes of the plan. Instead of measuring individual initiatives, the indicators are intended to show whether the college’s work is producing broader changes over the five-year period. 

For student access and success, it will be measured by graduation and transfer rates. Innovation, learning and workforce will be measured through students’ earnings potential based on enrollment in programs connected to occupations that pay above a living-wage threshold.

The remaining indicators will measure whether employees would recommend COD as a place to work, the college’s efficiency and use of data in decision-making and whether community members and partners would recommend COD based on their experience here.

The trustees will meet next on Sept. 17 in the Student Service Center room 2201. Meetings are open to the public and agenda meeting details are posted 48 hours in advance on the COD website.

The post COD Board Hears Renewed Concerns Over Student Trustee, Updates Civic Engagement Efforts appeared first on The Courier.

On a night that seemed like any other, the freaks, weirdos and absurdists of Chicago’s music scene came crawling out of the woodwork to gather at the Concord Music Hall and attend what was hands down the best concert I’ve ever seen. At the center of it all, Will Wood and the Tapeworms brought their unique sound back to the stage as they toured North America celebrating the 10th anniversary of their second album, “Self-ish.” 

Will Wood, singer-songwriter and head of the band, defies all genre classifications. While his music most often leans toward alt rock, psychedelic and cabaret, each song is its own unique blend that pulls inspiration from all corners. Some constants do remain; you will hear from either his iconic hand-painted electric keyboard or baritone ukulele. In full-band form, he is joined by his tapeworms; Mario Conte on drums, Matt Berger on saxophone, Vater Boris on bass and Mike Bottiglieri on guitar.

The tour was a resurrection; coming in a year after the band’s 2025 Mr. Wood is Dead tour celebrating the 10thr anniversary of their album “Everything is a Lot.” While the head of the band regularly tours on his own, his full band is much harder to catch. I was quick enough on the draw to snag a ticket before they sold out for both  shows on Aug. 18 and 19.

With that in mind, I was ready to go all out. Will Wood has been one of my favorite musical artists since a close friend tuned me on to them a few years ago. The energy in the venue was electric; excited conversations struck up between fans, many of whom had created their own costumes complete with face paint and props matching the aesthetics of the band. In truth, I never felt more at home at a concert.

Their set was chaotic in the best way possible. The energy of the music rocked from high to low throughout the night in a rollercoaster of emotion as Wood and the other band members engaged the audience between songs, intermeshing comedy sets, telling personal stories, asking for audience participation and setting off confetti cannons.

It’s no wonder the group has been able to enrapture their audience for over a decade. Will Wood and the Tapeworms are able to get a leg up on the competition — literally. During the high-octane parts of the show, the band members romp across the stage, dancing, juggling, performing balancing acts, swapping instruments and, in one notable section, Wood pretzels himself over the keyboard to play it with both hands and one foot.

As can be expected, the band draws in eccentrics — some of whom made themselves known throughout the night. This has sometimes been an issue in the past, when certain audience members have recorded without permission, thrown items on stage and even given band members dead animals. I was relieved to see that the crowd was (relatively) well behaved this time around.

While clarifying that photography was fine during this performance, Wood noticed that an audience member had gone retro, capturing moments from the concert on their DSi’s Flipnote Studio. Reportedly, this echoes an audience member in the Cleveland show who did the same and posted the gallery online.

As the crowd called for an encore, the band revealed the cherry on top — a new song being unveiled during the tour. We still don’t know its name, but fans are hopeful this is a sign for a full album release in the near future. Mingling after the show revealed that some fans had been worried that this tour may have been their last hurrah, since the anniversary tours were the first time the band had seen light since their last album release in 2020.

For me, the experience was unforgettable. It was a ridiculously fun time — I met many wonderful people and even got to mosh for the first time when they played “Dr. Sunshine is Dead.” I’ll be (im)patiently keeping my eyes out for future releases and tours.

For those looking to check out Will Wood and the Tapeworms, they can be found on YouTube, Spotify, Bandcamp and more. Those looking to dive deeper into Will Wood can check out his movies, art and podcast.

The post Will Wood and the Tapeworms Return to Chicago for a High-Octane Anniversary Tour appeared first on The Courier.

Annika “Annie” Larson is an up-and-coming member of the College of DuPage (COD) costuming department – which creates the clothes used in the school’s dance and theater productions. She joined the seven-person team in January 2026 and remains their newest addition. Despite her fledgling status as a team member, Larson is no amateur in this field. Her crafting roots go back to her family – who have a long-standing tradition of making their own costumes by hand for the Renaissance Festival each year. According to Larson’s father, she’s been making her own costumes since she could walk, around 16 years ago.

Being self-taught comes with a lot of trial and error, but that is little in the face of real passion, Larson said.

“I like to sew. Let me try to make some dress out of a bedsheet, and it looks like I made a dress out of a bedsheet.”

Larson found her way into the shop through COD’s dance department. As a member of the dance team, she met Kimberly Morris, head of costumes and makeup, and asked to join the team as soon as a position opened. Her multifaceted perspective gives her the ability to see the bigger picture and see how the pieces come together.

“I’m able to pay special attention to the needs of the people that I’m costuming since I’m also a member of the dance team,” Larson said. 

Larson credits much of what she’s learned to Morris and Assistant Costumer Gretchen Woodley, along with longtime shop member Lynn Borge.

“She’ll teach you anything you need to know if you have the passion and the want to work there.”

For Larson, the shop has been the ideal environment to expand her skills and horizon. 

“It’s just a nice community,” Larson said. “Everyone loves working together, and we’re all friends. We work well together and have fun at work while still getting work done.”

In the last season, Larson picked up new skills that are already influencing her personal projects. While helping to produce the “Fight Girl Battle World” show, she learned to knit for the first time while costuming the headpiece for a tentacled octopus character. Now, she’s loom knitting her first sweater.

During the same season, she built a skirt from scratch, mastered garment fasteners and closures and learned to bend fabric into curled, sculptural shapes using coat hangers sewn between layers.

Larson’s favorite production to work on was last season’s “Sherwood’s Merry Mateys” for its creative costume designs, such as a two-headed lizard and jellyfish, that challenged the costume department and helped her grow.

Larson also especially appreciates learning and applying techniques for creating period pieces, as those call back best to her roots in the Renaissance Festival.

“I love working on period costumes,” Larson shared. “I’m very much a history buff, and I love working on costumes that reflect that.”  

The costuming department has a cornucopia of resources for her to draw from. They keep an extensive stock of vintage clothing for such period pieces. The team is dedicated to the historical accuracy of the performances – corsets, hoop skirts and silhouettes.

“We find that to be important when we’re showing a piece that it’s actually accurate.”  

When you’re as passionate and dedicated as Larson, you find joy in even the most tedious work the job brings. For her, hand-sewing is one of the best parts of her job.

“Any alterations that I can do by hand, even if it’s sewing on 30 buttons to a suit jacket. I really enjoy that.”

The only part of the job that can get to her is the ever-dreaded hell week, where all the disparate parts of a production come together and are forced to fall into place in that final week before opening. There, the advantage of her two-part perspective comes back to bite her with double the work others already struggle to handle. From her experience, the costuming crew is the heavier side of the balancing act.

“You don’t just have to worry about yourself. You have to worry about every single person in the cast.”

Having survived the worst of her herculean labors in the last season, Larson is looking forward to her future in the department. For her, the COD costume shop is an important stepping stone in her path towards a career in film, where she hopes to work in props, costuming and set fabrication.

However, it will be a while longer before Larson looks to snip the thread on this chapter of her story. For now, what she’s most looking forward to is this year’s production of  “A Christmas Carol” and the challenges it will bring.

Only time will tell how Larson’s skills continue to develop and blossom. In the meantime, one thing remains true; very few could manage to dance to the tempo she does.

The post People of COD: Annika Larson, 16 Years in the Making appeared first on The Courier.

Six years after their last release, indie rock giants The Strokes dropped their long-awaited follow-up “Reality Awaits.” The album combines the band’s signature cheeky lyrics and grungey guitars with new sounds and relevant topics that mesh well to a certain degree. 

The Strokes made their debut in 2001 with their breakout album “Is This It,” which sold over 2 million copies. Since then, the band has amassed critical and commercial success while managing to stay relevant in the modern era, with their 2020 album “The New Abnormal” winning Best Rock Album at the Grammys.  

The band recently made headlines after their performance at Coachella 2026 included striking visuals critiquing U.S. imperialism, so the album’s political tone is no surprise. “Going Shopping” pokes fun at consumerism and “Tyrants of the Mellow Moon” describes the world falling apart. Many of the songs take on a satirically violent and pessimistic view. 

The album combines The Strokes’ classic garage-band sound with a newer attitude. Many of the band’s past albums involved laid-back lyrics about life and relationships. They do tend to dip into current events, like on “The New Abnormal,” which contains some references to political tensions of the time. That album balanced those themes with catchy love songs. “Reality Awaits,” on the other hand, focuses almost solely on darker topics paired with a falsely happy tone to contrast the horrors of reality. It’s an ambitious move by the band and an intriguing concept for an album, but not enough to carry the record to greatness. 

My favorite song from the album is “Dine N’Dash.” Although I enjoy The Strokes’ new sounds, this song reminds me of some of their older albums with a classic indie rock feel. The instrumentals are extremely catchy, and singer Julian Casablancas hits every high note effortlessly. “Lonely in the Future” also stands out with its lyrics poking fun at pop culture within a chipper beat. 

One aspect that brings the album down is the over-reliance on Auto-Tune. Many of the songs feature Casablancas’ signature vocals hidden behind a wobbly filter. This choice has worked out well for the band in the past, like on the track “Oblivius” from the “Future Present Past” EP from 2016, where the effect helps the vocals match the jauntiness of the instrumentals. This time, though, it comes off more as a crutch. The first track, “Psycho Shit,” takes the listener on a musical odyssey, one that would have sounded much stronger if the Auto-Tune was dialed back. 

I also found that a few of the songs on the back half of the album blended together. “Liar’s Remorse” and “The Fruits of Conquest” did not catch my attention. The songs aren’t bad by any means, but they don’t stand out as much as one would expect. When compared to their last album, “The New Abnormal,” which blew both fans and critics away, the record as a whole fails to match the same standards. 

I would rate the album a 6/10. Some of the songs are catchy, and the ideas tackled are compelling. However, amongst the band’s discography, it fails to stand out. People unfamiliar with the band’s past works may enjoy it more than those who expect a certain standard. I also wound not consider it the band’s worst record, though, as it has something interesting to say and some intriguing creative choices. The pessimistic political tone, which delved into some uncharted territory for the band, does make up for some of the blandness. 

“Reality Awaits” can be streamed on Spotify and Apple Music. 

The post The Strokes Explore a New, Broken World on “Reality Awaits” appeared first on The Courier.

The album is a metamorphosis. All of us undergo change in life, some of us many times over. While we are reinventing ourselves, we have little say over what parts of our old selves are kept and what gets left behind. For many of us, the grief of our past selves never really goes away, only changes with us, no matter how far away we end up.

If you’re the kind of person who’s always looking for dark, complex music to sink your teeth into and rock out to, Sarah and the Safe Word’s newest release will hit the spot. The band’s newest album, “The Disappearing Girl,” rides the line between funeral and celebration of life. In the words of the band, “this is a story about the strange magic of becoming someone new after the old version of yourself vanishes.”

Throughout the album, lead vocalist Sarah Rose rips into her past and her past self. The mind, much like the body, gradually changes and grows  into something new, something a little different. Every five to seven days, our stomach lining eats itself and grows a new one. Every month, a new layer of skin. All of us are changing gradually – the only thing that exists is in the present moment. As time goes on, we slowly lose parts of ourselves and pick up new aspects in turn. Rose is keenly aware of this fact and channels the pain of becoming into this new work.

Rose is expertly backed up by vocals and instrumentation from guitarist Kienan Dietrich, bassist Maddox Reksten and Beth Ballinger on the keyboard.

I first discovered the band a while ago from a friend’s recommendation and quickly found myself addicted to their sound. Their albums tell stories, chaining together alt rock, gothic and ‘dark cabaret’ genres into an incomparable experience.

The album was announced in October of 2025 after the band split from Take This to Heart Records. As their first independent release in eight years, it works as a beautiful reintroduction to the world as they prepare to begin touring across North America – alongside Spaceman Bob as special guests of Bear Ghost’s Tiny Hitman Tour.

As a genderqueer person, “Disappearing Girl” resonated with me on a very personal level. While all the members of Sarah and the Safe Word identify as queer, Rose is a transgender woman. In the album, we see her old self depicted in the opening track “Sulfur and Rouge,” as subdued and grieving. This first song is immediately followed by a musical breakdown as Rose is harshly torn down. The tonal switch between the first song and the rest of the album is one of my favorite parts of the experience.

As for shortcomings, I’m hard pressed to find any, as this has been my favorite album the band has released. While I had been surprised to see so many collaborative works that bring in other artists in their first independent album in eight years, I largely consider those songs to be the best the album has to offer. Personally, I’m thrilled to see what Sarah and the Safe Word has to offer next.

For those looking to see the new Sarah Rose live, Sarah and the Safe Word will re-appearing in West Chicago’s WC Social Club on Oct. 9 as a part of the Tiny Hitman tour.

The post Sarah and the Safe Word’s Newest Album “The Disappearing Girl” Lays the Past to Rest appeared first on The Courier.

Whether audiences grew up with the book or the film, “Matilda” remains one of the most delightful ways to kick off a new school year with a little extra magic. 

 While plenty of viewers reach for stressful campus dramas or generic coming-of-age flicks this time of year, the 1996 adaptation of Roald Dahl’s beloved novel stands out as the ultimate back-to-school comfort watch. For students bracing themselves for a new semester of homework, teachers and routines, Matilda’s story is a reminder that curiosity, kindness and a little bit of mischief can get you through even the toughest of classes. 

Directed by and starring Danny DeVito who portrays Mr. Wormwood, the film follows Matilda Wormwood – played by Mara Wilson – a brilliant and bookish 5-year-old who is wildly underestimated by her neglectful, television-obsessed parents. When Matilda finally starts school at Crunchem Hall, she finds herself under the rule of the oppressive headmistress Miss Trunchbull, who treats children more like prisoners than students. Fortunately, Matilda finds herself in the classroom of her sweet and encouraging teacher, Miss Honey, and soon discovers she has a surprising telekinetic gift to match her sharp mind. 

What makes “Matilda” stand out from other school-set films is how well it captures the anxiety of walking into a new classroom without ever losing its sense of fun. Matilda is instantly endearing because she is smart without being smug and brave without being fearless. Rather than presenting herself as an untouchable prodigy, the film lets her feel small and overlooked at home, which makes her strength at school even more rewarding to watch. Her arc, from invisible to unstoppable, feels earned rather than convenient. 

From the opening scenes of Matilda outsmarting her parents to the triumphant final showdown with Miss Trunchbull, her journey balances laugh-out-loud comedy with genuine heart, making it just as satisfying for a first-time viewer as it is for someone revisiting it for the tenth time. 

Matilda’s first walk into Crunchem Hall, unsure of what to expect and overlooked by a crowd of strangers, mirrors what a lot of incoming freshmen feel walking onto campus for the first time. New freshmen often encounter the uncertainty of how classes will go and wonder if they will find where they belong. Just like Matilda, most students eventually realize that nobody actually has it all figured out on day one – that the nervousness begins to fade once they find their footing. 

The theme of standing up for yourself is really the backbone of the film. Matilda and her classmates kept finding small ways to push back against unfairness, whether it is a well-placed prank or simply refusing to back down. 

The movie’s pacing also makes “Matilda” an easy watch for anyone easing back into a school routine. It moves quickly, adding humor scene after scene and keeping the entertainment moving throughout. It’s the kind of movie that can be watched in one sitting after a long first week of classes and still makes viewers smile. 

Not only does “Matilda” work as a stand-alone film, but it also serves as a fantastic gateway back to Roald Dahl’s original novel for anyone who wants more of the story. The book leans a little darker and stranger in places. The film adaptation softens some of those edges while keeping the core story intact, making the two a great pair for anyone who finishes one and wants to explore the other. 

Although “Matilda” is charming and quotable from start to finish, it is not without its flaws. Miss Trunchbull’s villainy occasionally tips so far into cartoonish territory that it weakens some of the film’s more serious themes, like childhood neglect, abuse of authority and adults failing to listen to children.  A few side characters, particularly Matilda’s parents, also remain fairly one-note throughout. 

In school movies, a bit more nuance in how faults are portrayed is always appreciated and “Matilda” leans heavily into exaggeration rather than realism. Even so, the film’s warmth, humor and genuine celebration of curious, book-loving kids make those flaws easy to overlook. Its unapologetic silliness is part of what makes it such a rewatchable film. 

“Matilda” is more than just a nostalgic kids’ movie. It is a funny, empowering story that reminds students of any age that intelligence, kindness and a little bit of nerve can carry them through a tough school year. Whether it is watched the night before the first day of classes  or during a study break, DeVito’s film leaves viewers with a message about standing up for yourself that sticks around long after the credits roll. Between its lovable characters, sharp humor and timeless message, “Matilda” earns its spot as the perfect film to kick off any school year. 

You can watch “Matilda” on Netflix, Apple TV and Amazon Prime

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