Editing Illinois State University (section)

==Student life==
[[File:KandR.jpg|thumb|The Student Fitness Center and Kinesiology and Recreation building, completed in 2011]]

As of September 2024, total on-campus enrollment was 21,546, with 19,107 undergraduate students and 2,439 graduate students.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |date=September 2024 |title=Illinois State sees total enrollment climb with largest entering class in the University’s history |url=https://news.illinoisstate.edu/2024/09/illinois-state-sees-total-enrollment-climb-with-largest-entering-class-in-the-universitys-history/ |access-date=September 5, 2024 |website=News |publisher=ilstu.edu}}</ref> The total amount of first time in college (FTIC) students at Illinois State University is 4,285.<ref name=":0" /> As of 2019 56.6 percent of students are female, while 43.4 percent are male. About 28.8% of all students were from minority groups. There are currently 613 international students. The average new freshman student had an ACT score near 24 and a gpa of 3.6 out of 4.0.<ref name=":0" />

The school newspaper, ''[[The Vidette]]'' first published in 1888 as a subscription-based newspaper serving both the university and Town of Normal. In 1915, the paper received funding from the university and dropped its subscription model.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Vidette Digital Archives |url=https://videttearchive.ilstu.edu/?a=p&p=about&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN------- |website=About the Collection |publisher=Milner Library |access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref> In 2021, ''The Vidette'' ceased printing newspapers and became an entirely online news source.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Vidette News Staff |title=Vidette moving to digital-only format next fall |url=https://www.videtteonline.com/news/vidette-moving-to-digital-only-format-next-fall/article_62fc1c94-3a55-11eb-8b9a-23ded570b9b8.html#:~:text=form%20since%201888.-,Beginning%20with%20the%202021%20fall%20semester%2C%20the%20organization%20will%20not,print%20editions%20of%20the%20newspaper. |access-date=May 19, 2022 |publisher=The Vidette |date=December 9, 2020}}</ref>

ISU owns a public radio station [[WGLT]] ("News, Blues and All That Jazz"), which broadcasts on 89.1 in Normal, 103.5 in [[Peoria, Illinois|Peoria]], and by streaming audio. The call letters are from keywords of the school's motto: "Gladly-Learn-Teach." The university also maintains a student radio station, WZND. TV-10, a part of the School of Communication, provides the only live local television newscast produced entirely in Bloomington-Normal.

===Student organizations===
[[File:Moulton Hall.jpg|thumb|Moulton Hall]]

ISU has over 400 registered student organizations (RSO) and several university groups that sponsor student-focused events.<ref>{{cite web |title=Redbird Life |url=https://redbirdlife.illinoisstate.edu/ |website=Redbird Life |publisher=Illinois State University |access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref> The Multicultural Center is home to student diversity advocacy organizations such as the Asian Pacific American Coalition (APAC), the Association of Latin American Students (ALAS), Black Student Union (BSU), and Pride.<ref>{{cite web |title=Multicultural Center |url=https://illinoisstate.edu/student-life/multicultural-center/ |website=Multicultural Center |publisher=Illinois State University |access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref>

Illinois State University's student spirit organization, RED ALERT, has over 4,100 members, roughly one-fourth of the student body. The group was founded in 2006 to promote student involvement in university athletics.<ref>[http://www.isuredalert.com/] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071025051941/http://www.isuredalert.com/|date=October 25, 2007}}</ref>

ISU is the home of the Gamma Phi Circus, the oldest collegiate [[circus]] in the world, founded in 1929.<ref>{{cite web | title = Illinois State University Circus | url = http://www.gammaphicircus.ilstu.edu | access-date =October 25, 2008}}</ref> It is one of two collegiate circuses in the US; the other is run by [[Florida State University]].

The ISU Forensics Individual Events team is one of the most successful forensics [[individual events]] teams in the country. In 1995, 1999,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cas.bethel.edu/dept/comm/nfa/teamind90.html |title=NFA National Tournament: Team and Individual Champs 1990–1999 |publisher=Cas.bethel.edu |access-date=October 9, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100529045133/http://cas.bethel.edu/dept/comm/nfa/teamind90.html |archive-date=May 29, 2010 }}</ref> and 2000 it won the [[National Forensic Association]] team championship and in 2005 its team won the [[American Forensic Association]] team championship.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.americanforensics.org/history/awards/niet_chp.html |title=Afa-Niet National Champions |publisher=Americanforensics.org |access-date=October 9, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927123755/http://www.americanforensics.org/history/awards/niet_chp.html |archive-date=September 27, 2011 }}</ref> Illinois State has been selected as the host of the 2011 NFA National Championship. Famous alumni include [[Nelsan Ellis]] of HBO's ''True Blood''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cas.bethel.edu/dept/comm/nfa/1999int.html |title=1999 NFA Interpretation Elim Rounds |publisher=Cas.bethel.edu |access-date=October 9, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060904215714/http://cas.bethel.edu/dept/comm/nfa/1999int.html |archive-date=September 4, 2006 }}</ref>

===Greek life===
The Illinois State University Greek community was established in 1967. Statistics kept by those involved claim more than 10% of the student population as active members of Greek Life.

===Folklore===
The ghost of [[Angeline Vernon Milner]], the university's first librarian, is said to haunt the former library building, now called Williams Hall.<ref>{{cite web |title=Western Illinois University at the Legends and Lore of Illinois |url=http://trueillinoishaunts.com/haunted-places/colleges-and-universities/illinois-state-university/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110523020007/http://trueillinoishaunts.com/haunted-places/colleges-and-universities/illinois-state-university/ |archive-date=May 23, 2011 |access-date=June 21, 2011 }}</ref><ref>Angie Milner: The Woman, the Librarian, the Ghost." The Vidette October 27, 2004</ref><ref>Favorite Haunt; National Cable Show to Tell ISU Ghost Story." The Pantagraph October 22, 2004</ref><ref>Library's Founder said to Haunt Stacks." The Pantagraph October 30, 2000</ref><ref>Milner Played Great Role in Developing ISU Library." The Pantagraph October 30, 2000</ref>