Top of the Morning, Dec. 16, 2025
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Dec. 16—Thanks to Principal Justin Kean and all of Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley Elementary for taking an idea of ours and running full speed with it.
For the cover of our upcoming Music City Bowl special section, sports editor Matt Daniels asked the family of Illini standout and GCMS grad Aidan Laughery if we could meet at his elementary school. We thought having a few students there to cheer them on would be nice.
A "few" turned out to be the entire student body and staff, many kids bringing posters they made for their favorite Illini. A last-minute assembly organized by Kean packed the gym and served as the perfect backdrop for photo editor Robin Scholz. It was a wonderful scene made possible by a supportive community.
"Aidan (and the Illini) has a ton of fans here," Kean said. "Not only is he very well known and loved, but his mom is a teacher at the elementary school."
Aidan was impressed — and impressive. Not only did he interact with those on hand, he recorded a message for a student who went home sick earlier in the day and missed his appearance.
Aidan took questions, signed autographs and posed for pictures. He played to the crowd by asking the students to predict the score of the Illini's game against Tennessee.
"It was awesome to have Aidan and his parents here," Kean said. "The kids were very excited and loved when he asked them what the score would be, and they all said '6 7.' "
Robin's photos and Matt's story will appear in theses pages on Dec. 30. For a sneak peek, visit us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
