11/22/2016 Independent Fall Issue #7

Independent

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Northeastern Illinois University

www.neiuindependent.org

Vol. 36 Issue 7

Opinions

News

Is the alt-right spreading across the Atlantic? pg. 7

A&L

Student spotlight: Alec Thorsen pg. 11

NEIU’s greenhouse does more than sell plants

Sports

pg. 2

The greenhouse cultivates plants like the vanilla bean orchid among other projects. | Laura Rojas

6th annual Score-For-ACause soccer tournament pg. 18

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Tuesday, November 22, 2016

www.neiuindependent.org

News

Biology department gives students freedom to grow

The greenhouse grows it’s very own banana tree. | Rut Ortiz

Laura Rojas The semi-annual greenhouse plant sale held by NEIU’s Biology Department took place on Nov. 15. Kip Conwell, a biology lab manager who has been with NEIU for nine years, said this function has been going on for more than 35 years at the university.

“It’s a very long standing tradition,” Conwell said. According to Conwell, more than 20 student volunteers came together to help with the event.

The biology department hosts a fall sale that offers plants capable of surviving the winter weather while the spring sale, which is scheduled in

April, offers plants capable of thriving in the outdoors, such as garden crops.

Each sale differs from the other in terms of the types of plants being sold, explained Conwell.

“The plants are grown by volunteers that are students, usually biology students, but anybody can do it,” said Conwell. “Everything we sell was grown here in the greenhouse either from cuttings are seeds.”

Conwell described the vanilla bean orchid as a unique plant that the greenhouse grows, and said it takes nine months to flourish — they must be pollinated by hand — and the flowers only bloom for 10 hours.

The whole process for refining the vanilla beans, however, takes

about a year.

All proceeds collected from the greenhouse plant sales go right back into an account for the greenhouse to fund its expenses. Conwell also noted that the major contribution the greenhouse provides for NEIU is the ability to conduct research projects for biology students taking plant anatomy, morphology and other such classes.

“Six or seven years ago, there was so little research that was student led research for undergraduates,” Conwell said. “Starting from 2010, we have been growing our research program. It’s burgeoning. It’s amazing how much student research is happening.”

He said approximately “40 to 50 biology student researchers” are spending “20 to 30 hours per week” after classes in labs.

There are students who have won awards for their research and presented their work at conferences. Conwell said that some students from NEIU will be going to Japan for a research project.

“I think that it pays dividends, I think that it makes a lot of sense,” said Conwell about the research projects the biology department is working on for its students. “The students get a lot out of it and faculty members are very satisfied because they can see that they are growing the opportunities for their students and the students are

really succeeding.”

Dr. John M. Kasmer, chair of the biology department said in an email that he is proud of how much the department can offer students given their limited resources.

“If I had to identify just a couple of things that have made the biggest difference in going from a department with a small faculty and little active research to a vibrant productive department,” Kasmer said.

“It would be a long string of excellent hires of tenure-line faculty, and grants that have provided funding to support faculty-student summer research and renovation of both teaching and research labs,” Kasmer continued.

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Tuesday, November 22, 2016

3

NEIU to remain a ‘welcoming place for all’ Rut Ortiz Four bathroom stalls with racially charged graffiti written on them were discovered in a men’s bathroom on the first floor of BBH. NEIU Police Chief John Escalante said that police were notified in the early afternoon on Nov. 15. He said that the doors had racially insensitive rhetoric that promoted the segregation of stalls by ethnicity.

The result of the presidential election has left many of those who did not vote for President-elect Trump in fear and weeping at the prospect of an unknown future within the United States. This result incited protests across the nation, from Los Angeles to Boston. Chicagoans rallied in front of Trump Towers at least three consecutive nights, chanting phrases such as “Not my president” and “F--Trump.”

If the president-elect lives up to the promises he made during his campaign, millions of people will be deported and NEIU is home to a population of undocumented students.

Interim President Richard Helldobler said in an email on Nov. 17, “No matter what happens, the election results won’t change the University’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

“Northeastern will continue to be a welcoming place for all, from all backgrounds and experiences, of all races, ethnicities, sexual orientations and religions, and whatever their immigration status.”

This secondary email assuring students that NEIU would remain a safe space came eight days after the primary email from the Helldobler wherein he said: “Last night the country chose its 45th president. We respect democracy and the intentions of all those who cast votes in this election. As with the conclusion of every election cycle now is the time to come together as a country and a commu-

Pablo Medina

Mayor Rahm Emanuel declared Chicago a “sanctuary city”; NEIU leadership promises to keep the school’s traits of diversity and inclusion.

nity while still working toward a more perfect union on the issues that still divide us.

“A change in the White House will not alter Northeastern’s commitment to our Mission and the diversity of all members of our community, including those who are women, African Americans, Latinos, Muslims, LGBTQA, undocumented, and others. We must as a community put our collective arms around those on both sides of the political aisle who have been the targets of the divisive rhetoric of this election cycle.”

This outlook has not been fully adopted across the nation.

CNN published a recent article chronicling the spike in post-election hate crimes.

Racist and anti-Semitic graffiti was recorded in a picture from Wellsville, New York showing a swastika spray painted on a dugout surrounded by the words, “Make America

White Again” echoing CNN’s headline of the same theme.

The article reported that a Muslim student in Michigan was approached by a man who threatened to set her on fire if she did not remove her hijab; slurs such as “Whites Only,” “Trump” and “Go back to Africa” were scrawled in a bathroom in Minnesota; Nazi-themed graffiti hailing the new president-elect was found in Philadelphia and a student in California handed out “deportation letters” to his classmates.

These are only a handful of occurrences that have surfaced after Election Day. Dr. Daniel Lopez, vice-president for Student Affairs said in an email, “Northeastern Illinois University is committed to celebrating the diversity of all members of our community, including those who are women, African Americans, Latinos, Muslims, LGBTQA, undocumented, and oth-

ers. The recent presidential election has been a catalyst for expressing many viewpoints, some of which may have offended you or caused you to have negative feelings.

“I want to make sure you are aware of resources that may benefit you as you work through your feelings about the recent presidential election and the discussions you are having.”

In a Fox News article published on Nov. 17, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel convened with mayors from America’s major cities such as LA, New York and Boston and declared their cities as “sanctuary cities.”

A sanctuary city is one where local law enforcement is not obligated to report to the federal government the immigration status of the people they are in contact with on a daily basis.

According to Fox News, Emanuel assured that Chicago will remain a

safe place during a press conference.

“To all those who are, after Tuesday’s election, very nervous and filled with anxiety as we’ve spoken to, you are safe in Chicago, you are secure in Chicago and you are supported in Chicago. Chicago will always be a sanctuary city,” he said.

ABC7 Chicago reported on Nov. 10 that a similar disturbance occurred at a high school in Gurnee where bathroom stalls were scrawled with the same message. Escalante said that although there is an ongoing investigation, NEIU Police have not come to any conclusions as to the person responsible and no one is in custody.

“What we’re thinking, and hopefully this is all it is, is someone that was very ignorant and as we call a ‘copycat’ who probably saw this on the news and probably chose to do the same thing here unfortunately,” Escalante said.

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Tuesday, November 22, 2016

NEWS

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Rut Ortiz Fibonacci Blue via Flickr

Anti-Trump protesters took to the streets only a day after the election results came in on Nov. 8.

The Board convenes to vote on whether topics raised would go from suggestions to approved decisions.

Post-election stresses Board of Trustees makes final calls students and affects social climate Rut Ortiz

Pablo Medina According to a New York Times article published on Nov. 14, President-elect Donald Trump had amassed 290 electoral college votes to Hillary Clinton’s 232 votes.

Many voters expressed a range of emotions following the Nov. 8 election, with some shocked from the disbelief that Trump had won the electoral vote.

“I found out the results around six in the morning. It was really surprising to me, and on Election Day, I felt like my vote didn’t count because he won,” said NEIU sophomore Daisy Barrios .

“I woke up moments before the results were announced that Trump had won, and I looked at what the media was reporting, and my response was, ‘What did I just wake up to?’” said NEIU junior D’Angelo Hampton.

Since the election, many Trump voters have taken their celebration to social media, praising the voting results and sharing some messages of

unity.

“A bunch of my white friends were all supporting him, so I had to block them when they wrote stuff like ‘Trump won’ and ‘Let’s get on the Trump train,’” Barrios said.

Hampton had his own post-election reaction.

“I did a lot of thinking, because there is a lot to think about, it’s not as simple as ‘Trump is president’ and that’s that,” Hampton said. ”We have to live with that fact as reality and we have to go on with our day for now and we’ll figure some s--- out later.”

Despite Clinton having lost the vote of the Electoral College, Hampton expressed his determination to continue into the future with Trump as the President-elect.

“Then we have to take it because him winning is not the end of the world, it just means there will be more work to do and more fights to go through,” Hampton said.

Since Trump’s acceptance of the election results, NEIU students like Barrios and Hampton are concerned Continued on page 6

The Board of Trustees of NEIU decided to increase tuition and fees effective for fiscal year 2018. They also decided to open a request for proposal process to executive search firms, changes towards overtime regulations and approve a recommended expenditure of more than $100,000.

The vote on tuition means an 8 percent increase, which was recommended by the university finance committee. This fee applies to undergraduates in their first year at NEIU and existing undergraduates attending their seventh year or greater.

According to the president’s report, students “continuing in their second through sixth years of enrollment” will not be impacted by the increase. Student fees would also be increased by 7 percent.

Graduate enrollment rates are currently 2 percent above the undergraduate rate.

The graduate rate will also increase accordingly. This spike in tuition will come on the tail end of approved tuition increases for courses within the College of Business and Management.

NEIU’s fiscal year 2018 does not begin until July 1, 2017.

“We are very sensitive to and, in fact, we dislike raising tuition and

fees,” said Interim President Richard Helldobler. “But we’re in this sort of national environment where appropriations are declining.”

Board Chair Carlos Azcoitia asked what the result would be if the university implemented a 5.5 percent increase and took on the decreased amount of appropriations recommended by Gov. Bruce Rauner.

“The 8 percent is proposed but based on whatever revenue we receive from the state, there’s a possibility of reducing that to 5.5 (percent),” Azcoitia said.

“The university would be expected to cut $4.3 million,” Helldobler said. “If that happens, we’re in a whole lot of hurt. That would be financial exigency.”

The vote on the increases passed 9-2, the vote on opening the RFP process was unanimous.

The Board will select a number of firms who will potentially conduct a national search for presidential candidates. Firms will submit a request for proposal to the Board. If a firm’s RFP is selected, the firm would give a presentation and the Board chooses who will represent NEIU. “It is the consensus of the executive committee that a Request for Proposal or RFP process be used to select an executive search firm,” Helldobler read from the president’s

report.

Votes were not as streamlined towards changes in the Fair Labor Standards Act. The FLSA is the law that regulates items such as minimum wage and overtime pay. According to the president’s report, employees making more than $23,660 but less than $47, 476 will become non-exempt and this would become effective Dec. 1 including “some FLSA exceptions for teaching and academic administration.”

Additionally, a limited number of positions currently grouped as Administrative and Professional will now be changed to Civil Service.

“The university recommends this change to the Board regulations to serve in the best interest of the university,” Helldobler said.

The expenditure of approximately $200,000 for maintenance during the winter months was also brought to the Board for approval. This expenditure would contract a vendor to remove snow during the months of mid-November 2016 through early March 2017.

“We discussed this in committee, we hope it doesn’t snow,” Azcoitia said.

The vote on the removal of snow around main campus and El Centro was unanimous.

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Tuesday, November 22, 2016

5

Senator Sanders speaks at southwest suburban school Alec Thorsen

Guest contributor Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders spoke at North Central College, Nov 18, continuing his message about the need of political revolution in this country.

Speaking to a crowd of 3,300, he said, “What democracy is about is having a serious discussion made on serious issues.”

Sanders also spoke about media coverage of the recent election that was filled with scandal and personality.

He maintained the ideas that the refinancing of student debt and a workers need to make a living wage were not radical concepts, and that real change comes not top down but bottom up.

Promising to work with Trump on projects like infrastructure and trade, Sanders also committed to vigorously opposing the president-elect on any issue rooted in bigotry or racism.

“We must go forward (on social justice), not back.”

His new book “Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In” is available to buy now.

Photos courtesy of Alec Thorsen

Sen. Bernie Sanders spoke to 3,300 people at North Central College in Naperville on Nov. 18.

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Tuesday, October 25, 2016

NEWS

Post election Continued from page 4 of the effects from his success.

They are also concerned about his supporters and recent instances of hate crimes and rhetoric.

“I feel there’s going to be a World War III because of how he plans to deal with all of this,” Barrios said.

“He might create a lot of chaos with different Latinos, Muslims and black people when he becomes president.”

Hampton said, “All the thinking I did throughout the day was what a lot of my friends and comrades were thinking and feeling, the reality of their situation, experiences and fears, because no one can invalidate what’s going on with other people.”

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Some of the fears emerging from Trump’s success concerned the safety of undocumented immigrants in the United States, especially those that are close to students’ lives.

“The thing I’m more afraid of is if he changes the immigration status for illegal people here,” Barrios said. “They’re afraid something will happen when he goes into office by January, and they are afraid to go outside.”

In response to the election results, protests have formed across the nation. They have spiked in cities like Chicago, Louisville, Los Angeles, and Portland.

The massive groups of demonstrators caught Trump’s attention, reflected in a post on his Twitter on Nov. 10.

The tweet read: “Just had a very open and successful presidential election. Now professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting.

Very unfair!”

Hampton said that protesting is a response to the emotion of silenced voters, and that it empowers the public to use their voice.

“I understand why people want to protest. For the people who protest, it’s totally fine with me. Protesting has done so many good things and brought so much awareness,” Hampton said. “At the same time, protests can backfire, like any plan can. People should do what they feel is right, they should do what their heart tells them to do.”

The outrage felt toward the Electoral College caused petitions from Change.org and MoveOn.org to emerge in order to amend the Constitution towards the termination of the Electoral College and return to a direct vote system.

These petitions in addition to attempts to convince the remaining electors of the college to choose

Clinton, are an effort to redirect the remaining votes. Even with the remaining votes, Clinton will have a total of 248 electoral votes to Trump’s 290 votes.

Hampton questioned the fairness of the Electoral College in voter representation, and likened it to the representation from members of Congress.

“Either way, (the Electoral College) still ends up not being completely equal, but there’s a reason why both systems are put into place, to have multiple sides come to an issue and come to a middle ground,” Hampton said. “It’s fair and not fair at the same time, but more unfair. It’s an issue that we might want to tackle differently than to just abolish the Electoral College.”

Hampton said that he did not believe that Trump was really going to win but then he did.

“While the entire race was

happening, even with all the bulls--between Hillary and Bernie, they were clashing, and people were using ‘We don’t want Trump as president’ as a reason to back whichever one of those two came up,” Hampton said. “While that was happening, I was thinking ‘What if he really isn’t planning on doing any of this stuff?’

Because he is not that stupid, people are much smarter than we give them credit for, most of the time. There was a possibility in the back of my mind saying, ‘What if he was only doing whatever it takes to get votes?’”

Correction: In an article published on Oct. 25 about proposed tuition hikes, it was incorrectly reported that Campus Recreation is seeking a $4.55 per credit hour fee increase.

Campus Recreation is seeking a $.40 per credit hour fee increase.

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Opinions

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

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The Independent Race: A social construction Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Brett Starkopf Managing Editor Robin Bridges Production Editor Pablo Medina News Editor Rut Ortiz Opinions Editor Danny Montesdeoca Sports Editor Spencer Jones Arts & Life Editor Jason Merel Online Editor Christian Gralak

Independent Staff Copy Editor Dovid Bulgatz John Cummings Rabica Qazi Production Staff Cecilia Hernandez Writers Laura Rojas Idoia Solano Emilie Messavussu Covadonga Solares Brian Quevedo Cartoonists GN Marketing and Advertising Director Samantha Sandowski Payroll Manager Saddaf Waseem

The Independent is a public forum for the university and community around Northeastern Illinois University.

The Independent is completely student run and receives no prior review of its content by anyone other than its student editors. Views presented do not necesarily represent those of the administration, faculty or students.

The Independent is a member of the Illinois College Press Association and Associated Collegiate Press.

Brian Quevedo I am going to let you in on a little secret that many seem to not be aware of: Everything you and I have learned about race is a false. It’s no one’s fault.

Your family and peers have formed these ideologies based on what they have learned and witnessed throughout their lives. So when someone says, “Oh, but he looks Japanese more than European. His eyes are slightly more slanted. I had no idea he was Italian,” it is out of straight unintentional ignorance.

How can we assume what someone is just by looking at them? We all seem to believe we’re experts when it comes to identifying race, but we have all unconsciously created frames of what every ethnic group’s physical appearance is supposed to look like.

According to R. J. Corsini, author of “Current Psychotherapies,” our unconscious is the information we can not access, but our behavior displays the unconscious forces that drive them.

“During our childhood, we acquired countless memories and experiences that formed who we are today. However, we cannot recall most of those memories. They are unconscious forces (beliefs, patterns, subjective maps of reality) that drive our behaviors,” Corsini said.

These notions and frames have been conditioned by the social and political context we live in and yes, your former classmate,who moved from Cuba, played a role in this.

In the U.S., society tends to categorize everyone into groups and judge them based on their physical characteristics.

If someone has Haitian or Jamaican ancestry – no one will care.

They will be identified as an African-American in the U.S. and be put into this one category based on their physical characteristics.

NEIU complies and sorts data on all 9,538 students by gender, major affiliation and race. Statistics represented for Fall 2016.

This transcends across the Atlantic into Europe where black people have also faced their share of discrimination based solely on their physical characteristics.

Larry Adelman, executive producer of a three-part series on PBS, Race: The Power of an Illusion, touches on the complexity that comes with physical characteristics in the U.S. by pointing out that despite the fact that in our society African-Americans are thought of as having dark skin, it is not unusual to also encounter African-Americans who are light-skinned. What is the reasoning behind us classifying lightskinned African-Americans as Black, but dark-skinned Greeks as White

or dark-skinned Indians as Asian?

The observational differences we are accustomed to do not reveal anything that is beneath the skin.

The existence and appearance of one trait does not guarantee the presence of another. We are not able to identify a person’s eye color from their height, blood type from the size of someone’s head, or even subtler traits like a person’s ability to play sports or their mathematical skills.

Racial characteristics do not make sense and are subjective.

Another mind blowing fact: Race is not even real. Race is a socially constructed term. Society has lied to us about the concept of biological race and there is no actual scientific

evidence that proves we are all biologically different.

Larry Adelman explains the term race as a modern idea. It did not always exist and has not always been with us, regardless of how we view the term now.

In ancient times, according to Adelman, physical appearance was not as important as opposed to language, status, religion, and class distinctions. However, colonial America’s economy was centered around slave-trade. When the concept of freedom was first introduced during the American Revolution a moral conflict was created: How could a nation that proclaimed the equality and natural rights of man justify slavery?

By creating the term race, according to Adelman, the issue was resolved by setting Africans apart.

The idea of black inferiority allowed our founding fathers to justify slavery for the sake of their economy and privilege.

This is solely taking into account the slave-trade that occurred in the U.S. It was also vital to the production and trade of sugar in the Caribbean and Brazil before it was the center of the colonial U.S. economy. Racial inferiority has also been used to justify the exploitation of labor of the indigenous people in the agricultural fields in Central America.

Many of us believe we are 100 percent of whatever ethnic group we identify ourselves with, but how do we know that? The society we live in is going to continue to focus on how different we all are instead of rationally realizing how we, the species known as homosapiens, are biologically identical. Our physical traits should be irrelevant. Unfortunately, until we recreate the institutions that have been founded on the ideologies of white supremacy, inequality will continue to be an issue each one of us has to face on a consistent basis.

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Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Opinions

www.neiuindependent.org

The alt-right crosses the Atlantic Pablo Medina Just as Britain wanted out of the European Union, the followers of Donald Trump wanted out of the Democratic leadership of the United States.

According to a report from the National Police Chief ’s Council, since the June 23 British referendum to vote in favor of leaving the European Union, race driven hate crimes have risen by 42 percent compared to June 2015, condemning immigrants of the U.K. from their respective countries.

Similarly, since the U.S. Presidential Election on Nov. 8, many media outlets have reported national student protests in cities like Los Angeles, Denver, Ft. Lauderdale and Chicago.

More than 200 cases of hate crimes have been reported from the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Not only are the social unrests becoming familiar, but so are both Trump and U.K. Independence Party leader Nigel Farage.

Farage met with Trump on Nov. 12 at Trump Tower in New York, which resulted in, according to a Trump aide, “a very productive” meeting.

“It was a great honour to spend time with Donald Trump today. He was relaxed, and full of good ideas,” Farage wrote on his Facebook picture with Trump. “I’m confident he will be a good President. His support for the US-UK relationship is very strong.

This is a man with whom we can do business.”

Though the U.K. and U.S. are in two different hemispheres, the nationalist movements in both countries are eerily similar.

In the message and approach.

A U.K. independent nationalist and a Trump nationalist have a lot in common – the desire to impose stronger immigration regulation for

their homeland, a sense of protecting traditional values and a return to prosperous times in their respective country’s history.

The real distinction between the campaigns of the U.K. Independence Party and that of Trump is in the voters’ motives and collective thoughts of minorities.

The voters of the United Kingdom were concerned with the progress and lone strength of their country in the European Union, whereas Trump’s voters chose him with the acknowledgement of his negative and inappropriate comments against the LGBTQ community, the disabled community, women, black Americans, Muslims, army veterans and even members of the Republican Party.

Farage expressed his approval in sharing political views and actions to strengthen the relationship of the United States and the United Kingdom, especially praising Trump’s intent to place Jacob Epstein’s bust of Winston Churchill back in the Oval Office.

“Especially pleased at @realDonaldTrump’s very positive reaction to idea that Sir Winston Churchill’s bust should be put back in Oval Office,” Farage tweeted on Nov. 12.

The bust was removed after a loan by the British government to George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009, the same time President Obama was put in office.

Besides replacing the bust back into the office, Farage resonated with Trump in the recognition of both governments’ contributions to each other, according to an interview with Fox News on the same day.

“Trump is an anglophile. He understands and recognises what our two great nations have done together, between us, and thank goodness we’re coming to the end of an American president who loathed us,” Farage stated.

This interview gives an impression of the closeness of Farage and Trump’s agendas, and reflects Farage’s perception of Obama’s communications.

Though Trump and Farage may build a strong bond and contribute to both sides, their plans to resolve their countries’ cultural divide remain unknown.

Some media outlets encouraged the need to unify under the leadership of Trump, some analyzed the different things that contributed to Trump’s rise and others emphasize a message to fight the opposing the side.

The mainstream media is stuck in a divide over which tactic will ease the tensions between liberals and conservatives, much like how the public is stuck finding their individual resolutions for avoiding conflict.

Is anyone really correct in this situation?

The answer is no, because both opinions do not place enough of an emphasis on careful planning and understanding of both sides.

The closest to a resolution we will ever come to for this post-election atmosphere is to consider all perspectives of the choices made so far.

There is always a hidden side to every decision made by any politician, whether it’s the ‘official’ story or their legitimate agenda.

The most important views to take from the election are the true powers of the U.S. citizen and the deceptive nature of politics and mainstream sensationalist media.

The goal to keep in mind through instilling change in the nation is to know that politicians are in no obligation to uphold the voice of the people.

Sometimes, politicians just say things to gain votes, like how Trump marginalized minorities to appeal to white voters and minorities going

Photo by Michael Vadon via Flickr

Brexit leader Nigel Farage met with U.S. President-elect Trump at his Manhattan Trump Tower on Nov. 12.

against their set of values.

In an age where information becomes easier to receive every year, and technology makes opinions and facts more accessible, it is too simple to go with the message of the media and believe a person is contributing enough to the cause.

Even if the U.K. and U.S. come to agreements, those agreements may not reflect the beliefs and struggles of what their countries express.

The abusive power of the politicians and the media always comes from the people foolish enough to allow it to happen through their un-

educated vote and passive feelings.

Whether a politician is liberal, conservative or in another part of the spectrum, dishonesty is an integral tool for anyone engaged in politics, even for those simply commentating on it.

No matter what efforts are made to unite the cultures of any nation to the United States, the people must be able to distinguish talk from action.

When politicians actually do what they say they would instead of leaving their words for the media to manipulatively serve to the U.S. audience.

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Donald Trump speaking at an immigration policy speech in Phoenix, Arizona.

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

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Courtesy of Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons

US fails out of the Electoral College Dovid Bulgatz Donald Trump has been elected to be the next president of the United States.

I can’t say I voted for him, but it doesn’t matter, since Illinois voted Democrat.

Actually, if you look at the election map, practically all of Illinois was red except for Chicago, making the whole state blue.

I’m not saying the election was rigged, but I definitely believe the election system is broken and hopefully these next four years will show why it needs to be revised.

I mean, we are 50 states, but only seven of them matter because the population can’t decide whether they

want align themselves with Democrats or Republicans.

In fact, the popular vote went to Hillary Clinton by around 200,000 votes, but the Electoral College majority went to Trump.

This election has made the House of Representatives, the Senate and the President all Republican.

This might be cause for panic, but nothing has happened yet.

It’s possible they might have some good ideas. Unlike the past six years of Obama fighting the House and Senate, these new policies have a chance to not be a shell of what they originally started out as.

The only thing, I think, we can definitely take away from this election is what elections mean now.

This campaign has been nothing but slander and opposition for the other candidate.

Say what you want about Bernie Sanders, but he campaigned like a mensch.

He didn’t run negative ads and he stayed on the issues, but he got booted out as soon as possible.

There are two major reasons why this is the worst thing about this election: one, because it allows the candidates to duck their stances on all the issues, and two, because no matter who wins, half the country’s not going to accept the winner.

That’s bad. Real bad.

The population doesn’t need to be happy with the result, but they do need to acknowledge the winner.

And I don’t think that’s going to happen.

The people voted.

They don’t want a person who’s right for the job as president; they want a personality. A personality who’s fun to watch on TV, full of twists each episode.

Do I think Clinton or Trump are fit for the job?

Not really.

I thought Clinton would be able the handle the job, but most people, including myself, don’t like how it’s been handled: with every issue in a deadlock because Congress is so removed from the needs of the actual populous and the planet.

I don’t think we should treat this as the apocalypse, the way the media

will have you click-baited into believing. Trump did not get to where he is by not having at least a few good points.

Granted, it wasn’t steaks, universities, a wall, or how to greet models, but, I think we should at least give him a chance.

He does have some legitimately good ideas, otherwise, he wouldn’t have been initially supported by the GOP or elected to implement them.

America voted for an unpresidential candidate to be the president, and whether you agree with the majority or not, you still need to accept who our country elected to lead them for the next four years.

Besides, moving is such a hassle.

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Tuesday, November 22, 2016

A&L

www.neiuindependent.org

Student spotlight: Alec Thorsen

Through NEIU programs, Thorsen’s studies have taken him to China and Korea. | Alec Thorsen and Noemi Reyes

Jason Merel Alec Thorsen is a senior at NEIU, studying art and photography. He graduates in December but it’s not too late to check out his upcoming senior thesis project, Nov. 28 through Dec. 9 in Gallery 217– room 217 in the Fine Arts building.

The exhibit will feature five pieces in which Thorsen explores photographic works that have been reinterpreted using new technology like laser cutters and 3D printers.

For one of the pieces he took a panoramic picture, shot on 35mm film, and rendered it through 3D printing software.

Thorsen said his goal was to take a classic form, such as relief sculpture,

and update it using new technology.

“It’s at once old and new and everywhere in between,” Thorsen said.

He used a photo scanner to play with scale. He said this helped him to better understand how the 3D printers work while abstracting the photograph.

Thorsen said he wanted to reference photography through another medium, much like the work of Chuck Close or other abstract painters. Incorporating new technologies in his process felt very natural.

“There are a lot of transferrable skills that play into both art forms,” Thorsen said.

Thorsen is an officer of the Art Club and has helped organize off-campus art shows at Lane Jackson

Gallery and Genesis Art Supply.

He said the off-campus exhibitions were a great opportunity for student artists to learn professionalism and gain exposure.

He also helped paint three murals in and around the Albany Park and NEIU area with the Art Club. These works include the mural in the booth at NEIU’s WZRD radio station, the mural on the outside of the Albany Park Community Center and a mural called “Bridge builders” that the Art Club helped produce along with a local artist.

Thorsen has also visited China twice and Korea once through NEIU programs. During the first trip, to China, he studied lacquer techniques using the sap of trees.

The second trip to China was a collaboration between the Art and Business departments, to propose public sculptures. His trip to Korea was through the Communication, Media and Theater department and focused on cinema.

Before coming to NEIU, Thorsen studied theater and cinema. He then spent a few years as a stand-up comedian.

He said there was a natural progression from live performance to cinema and short films.

“I wanted more staying power with my audience,” Thorsen said. “I wasn’t getting that with smaller projects and I was surrounded by talented people.”

So in 2015 Thorsen directed and

produced a short film called “Bryan Walters” with several of his friends.

From that project, Thorsen figured out that he wanted a more technical understanding of the camera, which led him to NEIU. Outside of school and his Art Club responsibilities, Thorsen is currently in post-production on a sequel to “Bryan Walters.”

After graduation, Alec hopes to work across many disciplines of the art world.

“I like to have my hand in a lot of things at once,” Thorsen said. “It’s a good way to never get bored.”

Stop by Gallery 217 to check out this and other student art exhibitions.

His short film, Bryan Walters, can be viewed at bryanwaltersmovie.com.

www.neiuindependent.org

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

11

Alex Aiono comes to Northeastern Covadonga Solares You could definitely tell something was going on at NEIU on Friday Nov. 12.

If it wasn’t for the long lines that filled the Student Union’s hallways, it could be for the sense of excitement on the faces of the people waiting outside of the Alumni Hall’s doors.

Alex Aiono, a 20 year-old rising YouTube star, was about to perform on campus, at an event organized by Student Leadership Development and sponsored by other NEIU organizations such as Northeastern Programming Board, the United Greek Council and the Council of Clubs.

The Arizona-born singer started his YouTube career five years ago.

During his journey he has gathered more than three million subscribers to his channel.

He became known in the online music scene after he released his cover of Drake’s “One Dance” remixed with Nicky Jam’s “Hasta el Amanecer,” an instantaneous success that went viral and became the flashpoint in his career.

Even though his fame comes from his multi-instrumental covers, Aiono also produces his own music

Photo courtesy of Student Leadership Development

YouTube sensation Alex Aiono performed for a packed house in NEIU Alumni Hall on Nov. 12.

and is one of the main characters on the AwesomenessTV’s web series “Royal Crush.”

But that wasn’t all. Preceding the YouTube star headliner, the crowd could also enjoy the performance of two world dance competitors: The Puzzle League and The Future Kings.

Both are Chicago-based hip-hop/ pop dance companies that have taken part in prestigious world contests and delivered an amazing show that included many different dance styles and engaged the public in an energetic act.

On top of the music and dancing shows, there was also a contest orga-

nized by SLD to find the best dancer in the crowd, giving them the chance to win two free Chicago Bulls tickets to see the upcoming game against the Los Angeles Lakers at the United Center.

The participants had to dance to the viral TZ Anthem (better known as Juju On Dat Beat).

Even Aiono decided to take part in the dance off against one of the students.

The tickets for the concert were free for NEIU students and the public could purchase tickets for $10.

The show sold out days prior to the event.

Students from UIC, North Park, Wright College and Loyola University attended the event, which gathered more than 400 people at Northeastern’s Alumni Hall.

The University also set up a bunch of geofilters on Snapchat to advertise the concert on social media.

Red Bull sponsored drinks at the event to keep the crowd hydrated and hyped.

After Aiono played most of his best covers accompanied by a keyboard (including recent hits such as “Fake Love,” “Black Beatles,” “Broccoli,” “No Problem” and “Let Me Love You),” he stayed in Alumni Hall to take pictures with all the fans that had attended the concert.

The feedback from the public on the activity organized by SLD was highly positive.

All the artists said that they would love to come back to NEIU to perform so we’re really hoping to see them again soon on our stage!

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A&L

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

www.neiuindependent.org

Review: ‘Romeo y Julieta’ at Aguijón Theater Idoia Solano Romeo and Juliet opened at the Aguijón Theater Nov. 11.

The show was produced and performed by the Aguijón Theater Company of Chicago, a Cuban based theater-company.

Despite the thousands of times that this famous play has been performed, this modern Spanish-speaking version of Romeo and Juliet is special for Northeastern.

They are connected by one of the stars and main characters of the play, Juliet.

The actress that plays this essential role is a student here at NEIU. Clara Navarro is a Spanish international student.

She is a 21-year-old senior student of physical theater in Spain that is also studying in the Communication, Media and Theater program here at Northeastern.

However, this play is very unique for reasons beyond just its modern approach.

This was one of the newest renditions of William Shakespeare’s classic play.

It is performed entirely in Spanish, with actors of different nationalities.

Non-Spanish speakers do not fear: English subtitles are available above the stage.

It was perfectly performed by the all-Latino cast of actors, and it was very easy to get lost in the story and stage.

The Aguijon actors and actresses were able to masterfully make use of the small stage and props.

They were also able to transform the tiny stage into a townsquare, or even as a boxing ring depending on the different scenes of the play.

She has been in Chicago for just three months, but she has definitely made the most of them.

For one, she got the role of Juliet above many other talented candidates.

Ever since getting the role, she has been working extremely hard on the character.

When describing her work on Juliet she said, “The journey of the construction of the character has been interesting and complicated at

the same time, especially at an emotional level.”

Since September she has dedicated countless hours on her lines, going to rehearsals frequently, and even working on it in her free time at home.

She is always trying to reach perfection in her performance.

“This play, despite the Shakespearian language, provides a young, fresh and musical atmosphere, that we hope is going to captivate the public as much as it captivates us when we are on the stage.” Navarro said.

After a wonderful premier last Friday evening, Navarro, as well as the rest of the cast, seemed to be looking forward to maintaining the high level of energy and to keep improving it as much as possible throughout the season.

Overall, this play is essentially a piece of art, but it’s even more special for the Northeastern community, as one of our amazing students is playing a key role on it.

This version of Romeo and Juliet is going to be performed every Friday through Sunday until Dec. 18.

Flyer courtesy of Aguijon Theater

www.neiuindependent.org

Photo by Spencer Jones

Aztec Dave’s draws a crowd on Food Truck Friday.

Food Truck Friday finishes for the fall Emilie Messavussu The final Food Truck Friday of the fall was Nov. 18.

Five food trucks parked at NEIU in the D lot at 3701 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. The Fat Shallot, The Happy Lobster, The Tamale Spaceship, Aztec Dave’s and Beaver’s Donuts came prepared to serve hungry students.

Even as the winds picked up and the sun set, customers continued to line up, ready to grab grub on-the-go from the food trucks.

There was a sweet and warm aroma from Beaver’s Donuts who served fresh coffee as well.

Aztec Dave’s offered tacos, tortas, burritos, chips and salsas.

The Fat Shallot served classic sandwiches such as grilled cheese, Reubens and BLTs. Isaac Gomez of The Fat Shallot said they like to leave their customers full and satisfied.

Mostly found in the downtown area, they can also be found by the University of Chicago in Hyde Park.

There was also the Tamale Spaceship, which served soups, salads, wraps and of course, tamales.

“We make everything from scratch,” said

Pepe Balanzar of the Tamale Spaceship. “We don’t use any canned foods.”

The Tamale Spaceship makes chicken and pork tamales.

You can find the Tamale Spaceship in the Loop from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday.

For those craving seafood, The Happy Lobster served the tastiest lobster dishes on wheels.

The Happy Lobster’s menu contains mostly dishes with lobster and is a special treat for seafood lovers.

Their specialty is the lobster roll.

“It’s a toasted bun topped with fresh lobster, butter, seasoning, and a dash of mayo.” said Alex Robinson of the Happy Lobster.

With the motto “good food makes people happy” appearing in their logo, they consistently post their locations on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for customers who are interested in finding their next stop.

All of these food trucks operate in the Chicagoland area and serve authentic foods for Chicagoans who want a quick bite to eat.

Check them out on social media to catch up to your favorites.

Food Truck Fridays have concluded for the fall semester but look forward to a tasty return in the spring.

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

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Tuesday, November 22, 2016

www.neiuindependent.org

Sports

Danny Montesdeoca

Gamma Phi Omega and Sigma Lamba Gamma hosted the sixth annual Score-for-a-Cause soccer tournament, Nov. 15. Proceeds from the tournament go to the ADA.

Sororities score at charity tournament Danny Montesdeoca Sororities Gamma Phi Omega and Sigma Lambda Gamma collaborated to bring the sixth annual Scorefor-a-Cause soccer tournament to NEIU on Nov. 15.

Participants paid $25 per team to register and teams were limited to five players. Admission was $2 per person.

All of the proceeds went towards

the American Diabetes Association, which is the main philanthropic organization that Gamma Phi Omega works with, according to Jannedh Lema, a member of Gamma Phi Omega and one of the event’s main organizers.

“We try to raise money for the American Diabetes Association at least three times per year,” Lema said.

The tournament was open to ev-

eryone, not just NEIU students. Four out of the eight teams that participated were composed of non-NEIU students.

The games were competitive, but friendly.

Two NEIU teams made it to the finals round, though none of them competed for first place.

The first place game was a highly-contested battle between outsiders Los Arabes and Las Hermosas.

Los Arabes featured two NEIU alumni, Yazan Bata and Steve Ortiz.

Los Arabes were the favorites coming into the game, having swept the competition in the opening rounds.

Their team was well-balanced with technically-gifted footballers.

Las Hermosas didn’t quite have the same standard of players, but managed to more than hold their own in

the opening rounds.

It was Las Hermosas who opened the score and never looked back.

They left as winners of the tournament, much to the dismay and frustration of Los Arabes, who could never get a consistent rhythm during the game.

The tournament was an overall success. Lema said that the goal was to raise over $200, which they managed to do.

www.neiuindependent.org

Fantasy Basketball free agent pick-ups Spencer Jones Guards Jrue Holiday, New Orleans Pelicans: After spending time away from the game to be with his ill wife, Holiday returned to action Nov. 18 against Portland, scoring 21 points and dishing out seven assists in 23 minutes.

It’s going to take him a few games to get back into proper conditioning, but this is a pick up that you must do if he’s available.

Zach Lavine, Minnesota Timberwolves: If you’re playing in a head-tohead category league and need more scoring, look no further than this young athletic shooting guard.

Though the Minnesota Timberwolves are off to a shaky start, Levine has been scoring at will when given the minutes.

He’s streaky, so pick him up while he’s hot.

Tyler Johnson, Miami Heat: Dwyane Wade’s departure from the Heat over the summer left a noticeable scoring hole on the roster.

Though there’s not many like Wade in the league, the Heat have leaned on some of their younger players to get the job done.

Johnson has filled the void the best he can, and he’s one of the few fantasy free agents that deserves a roster spot.

The second-year guard from Fresno State hasn’t put up jaw dropping numbers, but he’s one of those under-the-radar

picks that is worth taking the gamble on.

Forwards Wilson Chandler, Denver Nuggets: The pairing of Chandler with Danilo Gallinari on the wings has been effective so far for the Denver Nuggets. He’s been in the league for eight years, so understand what you’re getting when you pick him up for your fantasy team.

He’s a great substitute for someone who lost out on a player like Paul George or Gordon Hayward in the draft. Though Chandler isn’t as savvy as those two, he knows how to put the ball in the basket and walk away with a respectable amount of assists and rebounds per game.

Mirza Teletovic, Milwaukee Bucks: The Bucks are off to a slow start and so is the newly acquired Teletovic.

Picking him up this early in the season is a good move as long as you’re not giving up someone that’s been more productive.

Teletovic is like a microwave: he can heat up quick.

According to ESPN, he’s owned in 12 percent of their leagues. If you need some help behind the arc or at the free-throw line (75 percent in Nov.), keep him on your watch list.

If you have the opportunity to risk a roster spot, then pull the trigger.

One game he could go off for 30 points, and the next he could see limited activity because of his poor shot selection.

Centers Timofey Mozgov, Los Angeles Lakers: The Los Angeles Lakers have been surprisingly good thus far. Everyone knew that they had talent on the roster, but no one was expecting them to mesh this soon.

Though the young guys have been running the show at the Staples Center, veterans like Mozgov haven’t taken a backseat in the fantasy aspects.

On Nov. 15 against the Brooklyn Nets, he went off for 20 points in 29 minutes. Last Friday against the San Antonio Spurs he had zero points in 14 minutes and only four rebounds.

He’s sometimes inconsistent but his defense is what gets him added to fantasy teams. He’s averaging a block per game, and for a center, his free-throw percentage isn’t terrible. If you’re looking for another big to add to your roster, Mozgov would be suitable. If he’s not available, then take a look at Golden State’s Javale McGee. McGee has the same impact defensively in less minutes. He also has a higher average in blocks, and is widely available in most fantasy leagues.

Robin Lopez, Chicago Bulls: Seeing fan favorite Joakim Noah go was tough, but Lopez has earned the respect from the blue collar city of Chicago. He’s younger, cheaper, and better offensively than Noah at the moment. He’s also part of the reason the Bulls rank in the top five in both offensive and defensive rebounds.

Over the past four games, he’s been in double digits for rebounds and has had at least two blocks per game in that time span. Lopez would be a steal if he’s available now; and through ESPN fantasy draft, only 56 percent of league owners think he’s worth the roster spot.

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

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This week in Chicago sports history

- Nov. 28,1929 Chicago Cardinals running back Ernie Nevers scored an NFL record 40 points. He rushed for an NFL record six touchdowns and added four extra points to tally all of the Cardinals’ points in their 40-6 victory over the Chicago Bears.

- Nov. 28, 1997 Chicago Bulls’ Michael Jordan scored 26 points against the Indiana Pacers to move past Elvin Hayes (27,313) for third on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with 27,332 points.

- Nov. 29, 1934 The Detroit Lions started their streak of playing on Thanksgiving Day. They lost to the Chicago Bears 19-16.

This was also the first national NFL game broadcasted on CBS Radio.

- Nov. 30, 1996 Chicago Bulls’ Michael Jordan became the 10th player in NBA history to reach 25,000 points. *Sources: www.NBA.com, www.NFL.com