Blackburn College

Christmas at Blackburn
2025-12-07 14:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Clegg Chapel (at Hudson Hall)
Blackburn’s annual holiday tradition, Christmas at Blackburn, is a beautiful ‘lessons and carols’ service that includes many of the most beloved hymns of Christmas sung by the Blackburn College, and Community choirs. The Rev. Dr. Carter Aikin presides over the service, which also includes congregational singing, scripture read by members of the Blackburn and greater Carlinville community, and prayers. This year, for the first time, there will be two times available to attend this concert. Join us Sunday, December 7th at either 2:00 pm or 7:00 pm in Clegg Chapel in Hudson Hall for this warm expression of love and joy going into the holiday season.

Psychology Senior Seminar Presentations: Session 1
2025-12-09 17:00 - 18:30 | Olin Lecture Hall
Please come and support our senior psychology majors for their seminar presentations. They each conducted an original research experiment and will present their findings. Presentations will be 20 minutes in length with 10 minutes for questions before the next speaker.

5:00 – Abby Sobczak – PERMA with In-Season and Out-of-Season Athletes
5:30 – Gracie Jent – Dog Ownership and Well-Being
6:00 – Gaby Solis – How Coaches can Impact College Athletes in their Performance and Motivation

Blackburn College Softball Cornhole Tournament
2025-12-13 10:00 - 17:00 | Blackburn Athletic Center
Join the Blackburn College Softball Cornhole Tournament!
Date: December 13th, 2025
Registration: 10:00 AM | Start Time: 11:00 AM
Location: Blackburn Athletic Center, 700 College Ave, Carlinville, IL 62626
Entry Fee: $40 per team
Cash Prizes:
1st Place: $300
2nd Place: $150
3rd Place: $50
Register your team today and compete for bragging rights and cash prizes!
Payment Link: https://square.link/u/gaFp6FLw
Registration Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe62ayFHR8-xStBK0eaK7ZvoaXKrMm85sLGh5tDcSvjCBeRXg/viewform?usp=pp_url
Email: kathleen.jacoby@blackburn.edu

Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation
2026-01-14 16:00 - 17:00 | IL
View the MLK Convocation Program (PDF) >

Blackburn College Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation 2026
Wednesday, January 14, 2026 at 4:00 pm in Bothwell Auditorium
Keynote Speaker Dr. Margaret Lawler
Dr. Margaret “Margie” Lawler earned her bachelor’s degree in law enforcement administration from Western Illinois University in 1993 and her Master’s degree in College Student Personnel Administration from the University of Central Missouri in 1995. In 2019, she completed her doctorate in Education with an emphasis in Community College Leadership at Ferris State University.
Dr. Lawler’s professional foundation is in Housing and Residential Life, where she served for more than 18 years. Throughout her career, she has developed extensive expertise in recruitment, hiring, staffing, diversity initiatives, and campus-wide programming. She credits her early work in student affairs for shaping her commitment to leading effective DEI spaces and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives across organizations. Collaboration, relationship-building, and team
development remain central to her leadership approach. She has hosted large-scale programs, facilitated professional development training, and continues to mentor doctoral students and former staff.
In 2010, Dr. Lawler transitioned to corporate operations at Caterpillar, Inc., first serving as a Materials Specialist and later being promoted to User Technician at the Corporate Headquarters in Peoria, Illinois. During this time, she earned her Six Sigma Green Belt certification—an achievement she considers pivotal in strengthening her process-improvement and operational leadership skills.
Dr. Lawler returned to higher education in 2015 at Illinois Central College, where she served in two newly created full-time roles: Diverse Faculty Recruiter and Compliance Officer. She also taught freshman seminar courses as an adjunct faculty member, further supporting student success. In 2019, she joined the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as an EEO Investigator, conducting investigations involving discrimination, harassment, and other claims within the Office of Access and Equity.
Following a position elimination in 2021 due to national Title IX regulatory changes and the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Lawler embraced an opportunity to shape a new role at Blackburn College. As the institution’s inaugural Executive Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Chief Diversity Officer; and Title IX Coordinator, she developed both the institution’s compliance infrastructure and its DEI training programs. She also served as advisor to the Black Student Union and as the Designated School Official for the international student program.
Dr. Lawler’s career is defined by her willingness to lead with purpose and to build foundational programs from the ground up. In May 2023, she accepted her current inaugural role as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer and Deputy Director of Personnel for the Illinois Secretary of State, where she leads statewide DEI initiatives.
Dr. Lawler is a proud member of the Graduate Chapter of Epsilon Sigma – Sigma Gamma
Rho Sorority, Inc. in Springfield, IL – where she actively volunteers within her community,
partners with community leaders and supports programs for the local youth.

MLK Lunch & Learn
2026-01-15 11:00 - 13:00 | Demuzio Center Blackburn College, 700 College Ave., Carlinville, Illinois, 62626
Learn about the life and legacy of Loretta Scott-King and The King Center.
Presented by Marina Wirsing.

MLK Day of Service
2026-01-19 11:00 - 17:00 | IL
Get to know our Carlinville Community this MLK Day!

Aaron Kaburick in Concert (Rescheduled for Saturday, January 24 at 2pm)
2026-01-24 14:00 | Bothwell Auditorium at Blackburn College, 700 College Avenue, Carlinville, IL, 62626, United States
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Given both the forecast and our hope to get in Aaron Kaburick’s performances, we are making changes to the schedule this weekend.
Sunday’s 2pm performance is now SATURDAY AT 2PM. Sunday’s reserved tickets will be accepted at this performance.
Saturday night’s 7pm performance will continue as scheduled with the ticket reservations unchanged.
There is no longer a Sunday performance.
Please direct any questions to music@blackburn.edu.
We appreciate your flexibility as we try to get in as many performances as possible despite the weather. This is our best effort to get as many people as possible to see Aaron’s cabaret. We appreciate your understanding!
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Welcoming home another Carlinville native, Aaron Kaburick will perform in Bothwell Auditorium at Blackburn College on Saturday, January 24 at 7:00 PM and Sunday, January 25 at 2:00 PM ! If you are unfamiliar with his work, Mr. Kaburick has a wonderfully successful Broadway career. This evening features a cabaret-styled concert with good music, memories, and Carlinville connections.

Aaron Kaburick in Concert
2026-01-24 19:00 - 21:00 | Bothwell Auditorium at Blackburn College, 700 College Avenue, Carlinville, IL, 62626, United States
Tickets can be reserved for this free event. Find tickets on Eventbrite
Welcoming home another Carlinville native, Aaron Kaburick will perform in Bothwell Auditorium at Blackburn College on Saturday, January 24 at 7:00 PM and Sunday, January 25 at 2:00 PM ! If you are unfamiliar with his work, Mr. Kaburick has a wonderfully successful Broadway career. This evening features a cabaret-styled concert with good music, memories, and Carlinville connections.

Celebrating Girls and Women in Sports Day 2026
2026-01-31 12:00 | IL
Celebrate the power, passion, and impact of women in athletics at Blackburn College’s 2026 Women in Sports Day Celebration on Saturday, January 31. Join us beginning at 12:00 pm in the Blackburn Athletic Center for an inspiring program featuring a dynamic keynote speaker and student-athlete presentations honoring the trailblazing women who have shaped—and continue to shape—the world of sports.
Justine Siegal will serve as the keynote speaker for the event. Read more about Siegal at the press release for the event.

Blackburn College will celebrate the achievements, leadership, and lasting impact of women in athletics during its 2026 Women in Sports Day Celebration on Saturday, January 31, 2026, beginning at 12:00 pm in the Blackburn Athletic Center. The event will feature keynote speaker Justine Siegal, a nationally recognized baseball coach, sports educator, and advocate for gender equity in sports whose career has helped expand opportunities for women and girls in the game. The event is free, but registration is required.
Siegal is widely known for breaking barriers in the traditionally male-dominated world of baseball. In 2009, she became the first woman to coach a professional men’s baseball team when she joined the Brockton Rox of the independent Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball. In 2011, she again made history as the first woman to throw batting practice to a Major League Baseball team, working with the Cleveland Indians during spring training.
Siegal is also helping lead a new chapter for women’s athletics through the launch of the Women’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL). The league will play its inaugural season in Springfield, Illinois, at Robin Roberts Stadium beginning August 1, 2026, with four teams representing Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Boston. League organizers selected Springfield for its central location and baseball history, including one of the earliest paid women’s baseball games in 1875 and the city’s connection to the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The WPBL’s inaugural season will include a regular season, playoffs, and a championship, creating a new professional league for elite women to compete in baseball.
Read more about Siegal at the press release for the event.
Following the program, keep the celebration going by cheering on the Blackburn women’s basketball team as they face Principia College at 1:00 pm in Dawes Gymnasium. Alumni, students, families, and friends are invited to come together to recognize the remarkable legacy and bright future of women in sports.

Humanities Salon: The Memory Salon
2026-02-05 18:00 - 20:00 | Jaenke Alumni Center, 700 College Avenue, Carlinville, IL, 62626, United States
What are your most cherished memories? Bring us your childhood photos, your moments of pride, and your songs you know by heart.
Historically, a Salon was a gathering of people who came together to exchange and discuss intellectual and artistic ideas of the day. Fancy attire was worn and tea and cakes were served. To honor this tradition and establish a creative community at Blackburn for writers, artists, performers, and lovers of all art, the English & Communications hosts our own Humanities Salon, which is open to all students, faculty, and staff who want to:
● read their own creative work;
● perform a short musical, theatrical, dance, or any stage act;
● share and discuss an original work of art;
● share any work of art of any medium that you simply love;
● listen and be part of the creative community at Blackburn.

Music & Theatre Guest Artist: Tom Drury
2026-02-06 19:00 - 20:30 | Clegg Chapel (at Hudson Hall)
Tom Drury, Guest Artist
Friday, February 6 – Clegg Chapel
A Carlinville native, Drury returns home for a special organ recital in Clegg Chapel. Currently an instructor at the University of Southern Indiana, Drury took his first organ lessons in Clegg Chapel.

Blackburn Student Studio Recital
2026-03-01 14:00 - 15:30 | Clegg Chapel (at Hudson Hall)
Blackburn Student Studio Recital
Sunday, March 1 – Clegg Chapel
An event featuring solo vocal and piano performances by Blackburn music students.

Humanities Salon: The Fantasy Salon
2026-03-19 18:00 - 20:00 | Jaenke Alumni Center, 700 College Avenue, Carlinville, IL, 62626, United States
Join us with your best sorcery, dragons, and unicorns! Or, if fantasy worlds aren’t your style, bring us your favorite imaginings and personal epic quests.
Historically, a Salon was a gathering of people who came together to exchange and discuss intellectual and artistic ideas of the day. Fancy attire was worn and tea and cakes were served. To honor this tradition and establish a creative community at Blackburn for writers, artists, performers, and lovers of all art, the English & Communications hosts our own Humanities Salon, which is open to all students, faculty, and staff who want to:
● read their own creative work;
● perform a short musical, theatrical, dance, or any stage act;
● share and discuss an original work of art;
● share any work of art of any medium that you simply love;
● listen and be part of the creative community at Blackburn.

Create Space: Jam Session
2026-03-24 19:00 - 20:30 | Renner Art Gallery
This semester, there will be four “Create Space” events. Create Space meetings are an opportunity for students to create art in a nonjudgmental space with art therapist Daniel Lanctot facilitating. There will be no group or self-critiques. The main focus is on the process of art-making and not so much on the end result. The goal is to use creativity to gain self-insight and as a practice of self-care.
In March, Create Space will be music themed: a jam session focused on creating a song as a group using our voices, instruments, and music recording software (March 24 – Renner Art Center).
Sign up for Create Space events.
Reach out to daniel.lanctot@blackburn.edu with any questions.

Center for Teaching and Learning: Professional Development Opportunity
2026-03-27 08:00 - 17:00 | IL
The Center for Teaching and Learning would like to make you aware of an upcoming opportunity for professional development through Eastern Kentucky University. Dr. Lisa Blue visited campus in August of 2024 to talk with Faculty about AI, since then her institution opens up educational webinars to anyone:
From Vending Machine to Sparring Partner: Designing AI as a Thinking Partner in Professional Education
Speaker: Tim Jansky, Ph.D., Associate Professor, School of Education
Date: Friday, March 27, 2026
Time: 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET
Location: Virtual, registration required
Drawing from a redesigned undergraduate course in teacher education, Dr. Jansky will share a practical, transferable framework for using AI as a dialogical partner, one that challenges assumptions, identifies gaps in reasoning, and creates productive intellectual tension. The session will offer concrete examples of how students can use AI for productive challenge rather than passive answer-seeking, while learning to evaluate suggestions, justify decisions, and work transparently.
This talk will be especially useful for faculty, instructional leaders, and others interested in preparing students for AI-saturated professional environments. Please use the link to register:
Register for the Spark Talk
If you don’t receive a confirmation from ai@eku.edu within 24 hours of registering, or if you have any questions, please reach out to Lisa Blue. Please feel free to register even if you can’t attend in real time. All registrants will receive a link to the recording after the event.

Blackburn Spring Play: AIRNESS
2026-03-27 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-03-28 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-03-29 14:00 - 16:00 | Bothwell Auditorium at Blackburn College, 700 College Avenue, Carlinville, IL, 62626, United States
Blackburn’s Department of Music & Theatre will stage the play “Airness” in Bothwell Auditorium.
Showtimes are Friday at 7 pm, Saturday at 7 pm, and Sunday at 2 pm. Blackburn students, staff, and faculty attend for free. General admission is $10.
When Nina enters her first air guitar competition, she thinks winning will be easy. As she befriends a group of charismatic nerds all committed to becoming the next champion, she discovers that there’s more to this art form than playing pretend. From artistic merit to originality to feeling itself, Nina must learn the pillars of air guitar if she wants to compete. There are 7 pillars of air guitar, after all, including the elusive state of “airness.” Will Nina be able to let go and set herself free onstage? A shred-or-be-shredded comedy about the spirit of competition and community found through music.

Center for Teaching and Learning: Teaching in a Polarized Time
2026-04-08 12:45 - 13:45 | IL
The Center for Teaching and Learning would like to make you aware of a professional development opportunity through the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC). The webinar is scheduled for April 8th, please see event details below.
From the CIC:
Please join us on Wednesday, April 8, 1:45–2:45 p.m. (ET) for Teaching in a Polarized Time: Course Design for Constructive Dialogue, a webinar with faculty members who have met these challenges with courses designed to bolster student skills and confidence for constructive dialogue across lines of difference:
Syon Bhanot, Associate Professor of Economics, Swarthmore College (PA)
Robert G. Boatright, Professor of Political Science, Clark University (MA)
Madison Dircks, Peer Learning Assistant, Clark University (MA)
Jon A. Shields, Professor of Government, Claremont McKenna College (CA)
Register for Webinar

Eberle Speaker Series: Dr. Cynthia Ganote
2026-04-09 19:00 - 21:00 | Bothwell Auditorium at Blackburn College, 700 College Avenue, Carlinville, IL, 62626, United States
INCLUSION & BELONGING EXPERT DR. CYNTHIA GANOTE TO SPEAK AT BLACKBURN COLLEGE AS PART OF EBERLE LECTURE SERIES
Thursday, April 9 event in Bothwell Auditorium is free and open to the public
Blackburn College will host Dr. Cynthia Ganote, an inclusion and belonging expert, educator, and consultant, as part of the Kathleen J. Eberle Memorial Lecture Series in the Social Sciences. The event will take place on Thursday, April 9, at 7:00 pm in Bothwell Auditorium and is free and open to the public.
Ganote works with individuals and organizations to strengthen communication and build more inclusive environments. A sociologist by training, she has spent more than 25 years teaching and working in areas related to race, class, gender, and inequality. Ganote has taught at Vanderbilt University, Saint Mary’s College of California, and the University of Louisville. She received the 2022 Multicultural Teaching Award at Louisville, which recognizes faculty who create inclusive learning environments.
Her work centers on how small, everyday interactions shape culture over time. Alongside colleagues Dr. Tasha Souza and Dr. Floyd Cheung, Ganote co-developed microresistance training, an approach that gives people practical tools to respond to microaggressions, misunderstandings, and conflict. The focus is on what can be done in the moment, whether someone is directly affected or observing the exchange.
“Conversations about belonging are happening across higher education, and they are especially important on a campus like Blackburn where relationships and community are central to the student experience,” said Dr. Trisha Prunty, professor of psychology and social science division chair. “Dr. Ganote offers a way to think about those ideas beyond the classroom, and we invite the community to be a part of that conversation.”
This event at Blackburn College is funded through the Kathleen J. Eberle Memorial Lecture Series in the Social Sciences, an endowed fund established to bring guest lecturers and speakers to campus who will inspire, engage, and inform students, faculty, and the community in the area of social sciences, with a focus on social justice issues.

Beth Brill '26 - Senior Capstone Recital
2026-04-10 19:00 - 21:30 | Bothwell Auditorium at Blackburn College, 700 College Avenue, Carlinville, IL, 62626, United States
Beth Brill ‘26: Senior Capstone Recital
Friday, April 10 – Bothwell Auditorium
Blackburn senior Beth Brill will perform a recital centered around her original compositions.

Campus and Community Clean-Up
2026-04-11 10:00 | Demuzio Center Blackburn College, 700 College Ave., Carlinville, Illinois, 62626
A day of service and an arts showcase. Blackburn will host a Campus and Community Clean-Up event, bringing students and residents together for clean-up efforts in various parts of the Carlinville community, including a small group on campus.

Center for Teaching and Learning: Book Chapter Read
2026-04-13 12:00 - 13:00 | IL
Center for Teaching and Learning: Book Chapter Read
The Center for Teaching and Learning would like to invite you to join a book chapter read on April 13th, 12:00-1:00pm in the ADRs. The book is, “Follow Your Bliss and Other Lies about Calling.” Specifically we will be reading Chapter 5- Unexpected Callings: With Great Power Comes Lots of Work. There are 17 books available, if you are interested please email Angie Morenz at angela.morenz@blackburn.edu.
Lunch during the session will be provided by the CTL. Please let Angie know of your interest as soon as possible, she will deliver the books to your office.

Music & Theatre Guest Artists: Alexandra LoBianco & Joshua Benevento
2026-04-17 19:00 | Bothwell Auditorium at Blackburn College, 700 College Avenue, Carlinville, IL, 62626, United States
Alexandra LoBianco & Joshua Benevento, Guest Artists
Friday, April 17 – Clegg Chapel
An evening of Lieder (German art song), featuring Schubert, Brahms, Wolf, Mahler, and more!

IDEAs Challenge Exhibition
2026-04-24 19:00 | Renner Art Gallery
Blackburn’s IDEAs (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Anti-racism) Challenge in the Arts is an annual juried competition invites students to explore these themes through creative expression in visual art, storytelling, and performance, sparking reflection and conversation.

Music & Theatre Guest Artist: Craig Jordan
2026-04-24 19:00 - 20:30 | Bothwell Auditorium at Blackburn College, 700 College Avenue, Carlinville, IL, 62626, United States
Craig Jordan, Guest Artist: Recital
Friday, February 20 – Bothwell Auditorium
The performance will feature Matt Mason’s The Pianist’s Guide to Illinois, including the debut of a new movement, “Carlinville,” commissioned by Blackburn Music & Theatre.

Beautification Day
2026-04-25 07:00 - 14:00 | IL
Join Us for Beautification Day 2026!

Beautification Day is back! On Saturday, April 25, 2026, Blackburn alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends will come together once again to enhance and beautify our beloved campus. This special tradition is a chance to give back, reconnect, and leave a lasting impact on Blackburn.

Get Involved
Beginning February 4, 2026, you can register to volunteer or make a donation to support this year’s event. Whether you’re able to roll up your sleeves or contribute from afar, your support makes a difference!

This Year’s Featured Project
This year’s primary project will focus on improvements around Rahme and the Beaver statue on Stoddard Hill, two beloved campus landmarks, along with additional beautification efforts across campus. Volunteers will also help with:
Planting new foliage across campus
Staining walking bridges
Painting, Mulching, and more!

Why Participate?
Make a direct impact on the look and feel of Blackburn’s campus
Reconnect with fellow alumni, students, and staff
Enjoy perks like a free Beautification Day t-shirt, coffee, donuts, and lunch

How to Sign Up
Starting February 4, 2026, registration and donation options will be available right here. Stay tuned for more details, including project descriptions and event logistics.

Sign up and contribute to Beautification Day >

Music & Theatre Guest Artist: Craig Jordan Masterclass
2026-04-25 10:00 | Bothwell Auditorium at Blackburn College, 700 College Avenue, Carlinville, IL, 62626, United States
Craig Jordan, Guest Artist: Masterclass
NEW DATE: Friday, April 25 – Bothwell Auditorium
Jordan is currently pursuing a Doctor of Music degree in Piano Performance & Pedagogy at the University of Iowa in the studio of Dr. Rène Lecuona.

Honors Night
2026-04-28 16:30 - 17:30 | Bothwell Auditorium at Blackburn College, 700 College Avenue, Carlinville, IL, 62626, United States
Honors Night Rescheduled to Tuesday, April 28 Due to Severe Weather
Tonight’s Honors Night reception and ceremony have been canceled due to forecasted severe weather, including a Tornado Watch and Flood Watch in effect until 9:00 pm, and recommendation from local emergency officials.
Honors Night will be rescheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, April 28, during Student Worker Appreciation Day. The reception in Mahan for award winners and their guests will be from 4:00–4:30 pm, followed by the ceremony in Bothwell from 4:30–5:30 pm.
A livestream of the ceremony will be available for those unable to attend at the rescheduled time.
We appreciate your understanding and flexibility, and we look forward to celebrating our students tomorrow.

The Lodge's 4th Issue Launch Party
2026-04-30 18:00 - 20:00 | Jaenke Alumni Center, 700 College Avenue, Carlinville, IL, 62626, United States
The Lodge’s, Blackburn’s Literary and Arts Magazine, made for Blackburn students by Blackburn students, will host its annual Launch Party to celebrate the online publication of the 4th issue. Join us in Jaenke on Thursday, April 30th at 6pm to celebrate Blackburn’s creative community. Creative writers will read from their published works, and featured visual art from the magazine will be on exhibit. Delicious refreshments will be served, and The Lodge website will be available for viewing. Come out and support your creative friends at Blackburn!
