Top stories of the year

• Enrollment numbers increase
  • After several years of weak enrollment, Bradley finally saw an uptick in the freshman class size this past fall. Around 1,100 new students enrolled on the Hilltop, increasing last year’s enrollment by nearly 200. As a result, Wyckoff Hall re-opened to accommodate more students.
• Library gets renovated
  • The Cullom-Davis Library’s summer renovations were completed last fall. The library was outfitted with new furniture, including study pods, chairs, desks and dry-erase surface tables, as well as charging stations and network upgrades. Shelving on the first and second floors was also reduced to make more space.

14 October issue

• Clowns
  • Clown hysteria reached the Hilltop in October 2016, when the Twitter account @IllinoisClown tweeted they would be making a pit stop in Peoria, with the goal of creeping out a few people along the way. Just days before, Eureka College went on lockdown for an afternoon after another clown account tweeted a threatening message at the school.

21 October issue

• New core curriculum
  • Bradley rolled out a new core curriculum program at the beginning of this academic year. All incoming freshmen enter into the program, which involves enrolling in additional writing courses and taking core classes throughout students’ years at Bradley, according to director of the Academic Exploration Program Gregory Haines.

2 December issue

• Lydia Moss Bradley celebration wraps up
  • Campus celebrated the 200th birthday of university foundress Lydia Moss Bradley throughout fall 2016. The celebration included commemorative banquets, historical exhibits throughout Peoria and a Lydia-inspired ice cream flavor at The Spotted Cow.

3 February issue

• CAT announces move to Chicago
  • In February, Caterpillar Inc. announced its global headquarters will move to Chicago later this year. The news shocked the Peoria community, as well as Bradley students, faculty and staff. According to a Dec. 2 Scout article, Caterpillar is still accepting applications for interns at the Peoria location.

10 February issue

• Convergence Center plans move forward
  • The Board of Trustees approved plans for the new Business and Engineering Complex in early February. The project, originally dubbed the “Convergence Center,” will house the business and engineering schools and replaces Baker and Jobst Halls.

7 April issue

• Bradley hosts AFA-NIET, Neil Flynn
  • Bradley hosted the American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament (AFA-NIET) in early April. “Scrubs” and “The Middle” actor Neil Flynn, a 1982 alumni of Bradley and former member of the speech team, returned to the Hilltop for the first time since graduation to tour campus and receive the 2017 AFA-NIET Distinguished Alumni Award.