09/10 Independent Vol 39 Iss. 20

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2019

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Student-run newspaper since 1962 VOLUME 39 ISSUE 20

SGA organized town hall for Sean Spicer lecture

Rebecca Denham

News Editor NeiuNewsEditor@gmail.com

With a 24 hour notice, approximately 30 students, staff and faculty met in the North Side campus cafeteria at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 29 for a town hall organized by the Student Government Association (SGA) to discuss student thoughts on Sean Spicer coming to NEIU for the Daniel Goodwin lecture series on Thursday, Sept. 12.

The discussion was led by SGA president, Melanie Glover, who introduced the town hall as “a space designed to support students, a space designed for your voice to be heard, and a space for you.”

Glover was followed by the vice president for student affairs, Daniel Lopez, who stated that he would be taking notes on the questions and responses of the evening.

NEIU’s Ombuds officer, Tyler Smith, moderated the event. Ombuds is a neutral, impartial and independent resource for students and faculty to discuss university-related conflict.

“So that puts me in a good position to be here tonight to facilitate this discussion,” said Smith.

While there was a general structure to the meeting, with prompt questions and a discussion arch that was suggested, students and faculty

NEWS

‘Teach in, Speak out, Think together.’

SEE PG. 4

responded honestly to the concerns surrounded Spicer’s lecture. The only stipulations to the town hall were that each person had two minutes to speak, that every person present avoided blame, speculation and inflammatory language and that everyone was to be mindful of their emotions. Notes were being taken by members of the SGA to be compiled and given to the administration.

The first topic of discussion that was raised around why there would not be microphones available for the audience to ask questions to Spicer directly. The general consensus of the group, simplified by Smith for the note-takers, was that “there’s some reason behind the decision that doesn’t seem so clear or transparent.

It may be in some way to monitor and weed out certain questions that they don’t want to address at the lecture.”

Faculty Senate Chair and professor of English and women’s and gender studies, Vicki Byard, rebutted this concept. Byard stated that the reason there would not be microphones available at the lecture was that “they wanted to be able to get in as many questions as possible and then hear from the speakers. That’s the rationale for why they’re doing it this way.”

The discussion then shifted to why Spicer was being invited to begin with. NEIU student, Isaac Krantz-Perlman, was the first to bring

CAMPUS LIFE

Check out the latest campus calender.

SEE PG. 9

Photo By: Frannie Mendoza

Current student Wendy Cruz was brought to tears by the thought of Spicer being on NEIU’s campus, or as she referred to it, “her home.” up the underlying fear felt by other students in the room.

“I’m Jewish, I see a lot of people in the space who are targets, not just of Trump, but of the rising white supremacist violence that’s happening in our country right now,” said Krantz-Perlman. “That makes me really scared.”

He continued by making a statement regarding NEIU’s decision to bring Spicer to campus.

“You give these people who push

OPINIONS

Scapegoating the mentally ill: Monsters in plain sight SEE PG. 14

violent policies like concentration camps, like a border wall, like a Muslim ban, coverage. And when you give these people coverage, on any platform, large or small, I think that encourages violence and helps makes their ability to grow that much better.”

The next to speak was undocumented student, Gabriela Loredo.

“To me, this is like a safe space.

So why are we inviting people of this nature, that indirectly attack us, our parents and families, to come to a

A&E

‘13 Reasons Why’ you should check out A&E. SEE PG. 17

place like this, and enter our safe haven? Why are we not allowed a voice in our own safe space?”

Smith summarized Loredo’s statements for the note-takers.

“I just want to capture this underlying theme of everyone really questioning what you understood to be true about this institution. And how you will feel about being here moving forward.”

Listening to the students speak Town hall / page 2

SPORTS REPORT

The Road To Istanbul Is Competitive As Ever.

SEE PG. 20

2

NEWS |

SEPTEMBER 10, 2019

INDEPENDENT EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Robin Bridges

MANAGING EDITOR AND ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Frannie Mendoza NEWS EDITOR Rebecca Denham CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR Grace Yu OPINIONS EDITOR Ata Younan ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Charles Sipps ONLINE EDITOR Ankush Vyas PAYROLL MANAGER Francisco Sebastian DESIGN STAFF Marco Mendoza CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Matthew Rago Jose Moreno Victoria Hong The Independent is a public forum for all of Northeastern Illinois University’s campuses and surrounding community. The Independent is entirely student-run and is published bi-weekly, except during summer and semester breaks. The editor-in-chief is responsible for the content of the Independent, and views presented do not necessarily represent those of the administration, faculty and students. The Independent is a member of the ICPA, CMA and ACP. For further details email: TheNeiuIndependent@gmail.com.

Town hall Continued from 1

about their trepidation of Spicer being on campus elicited a response from justice studies Assistant Professor, Adrian Castrejón. “It just makes me so angry that we’re doing this. And if you are a faculty or staff and you are not angry, then that is a problem.

This goes against everything that we should be doing for our students, we should be here supporting them and not inflicting this sort of trauma and fear,” said Castrejón.

Student Wendy Cruz called attention to the fact that Northeastern was just recognized as the seventh safest campus in the United States. “What does that say for our institution? It is not only affecting our lives, but it is affecting our academics and our careers. How are we supposed to feel safe to come to campus and focus on education, when we’re allowing a future for white supremacy to happen in our school by inviting this specific person on our campus?” said Cruz.

As the discussion reached its end, NEIU student, SGA trustee and note-taker for the town hall,

NEIUINDEPENDENT.ORG

Fatima Siddiqua, rose to speak.

“I want to thank you for being advocates for yourselves. For being thoughtful for your friends who could not be here and for showing up today and for making sure to ask those questions. I was able to meet with President (Gloria) Gibson and while none of us can speak for her, what I took away from our meeting was that she is our advocate,” said Siddiqua. “At the end of the day, she works for the students and I think we should give her the benefit of the doubt.”

Following Siddiqua was a conclusion from Lopez. “But I think it’s important for me to say that if I was not an advocate, I wouldn’t be here. So I’m here for you. I appreciate you being here,” said Lopez. “I think it takes a lot of courage for you to express these concerns. And just know that whatever we end up doing, my job is to protect you.”

Other lecturer, Donna Brazile, was not mentioned during the discussion.

The town hall ended with organization and further discussion of countermeasures to address Spicer arriving on campus on Sept. 12.

Photo By: Frannie Mendoza

Photo By: Ata Younan

Photo By: Frannie Mendoza

Photo By: Frannie Mendoza

September 10, 2019 | NEWS

3

Free counseling on campus for students Rebecca Denham

News Editor NeiuNewsEditor@gmail.com

The Student Counseling Services (SCS) office, a department of Student Affairs, offers a variety of free and confidential counseling resources for currently enrolled students. In the last year, SCS saw approximately 420 students.

Running independently from private insurance and student fees, Nancy Easton, director of student counseling services, stated that “our services are offered by the school because there is a recognition that when problems come up in someone’s life, they can really derail a student’s ability to do what they came to school to do.”

SCS provides individual counseling, group counseling, couples counseling, crisis intervention, outreach workshops and programs that cover topics such as test anxiety, public speaking,

anxiety, healthy relationships and self-care.

“We try to help with things that will give people skills that can help in their college career, even if they might not ever really want to come into a counseling center and talk about their own personal problems,” said Easton.

However, if a student was looking for a professional to speak to, the process to schedule an appointment can be done in person at one of their three locations - main campus in room B119, El Centro welcome center annex or CCICS wellness suite on the first floor - where the office’s front desk will work to find an appointment slot that aligns with students’ schedules.

Otherwise, a student can make an appointment over the phone at (773)442-4650.

Both Valerie Olson (pictured right) and Ashley Reyes (pictured left) work in the SCS main campus and are also alumni of

NEIU. Olson double majored in psychology and women and gender studies and Reyes majored in sociology and minored in women and gender studies.

For the initial appointment, Easton explained that the student will, “spend about 90 minutes with us. The first 30 minutes will be to fill out some initial paperwork and then they will meet with a counselor for the remaining 60 minutes. During that time, we will get more of a sense of what is happening and maybe be able to make some recommendations.”

Despite how busy the schedule gets during the course of any given semester, “we try to see everybody for that first appointment within a week of they’re coming in,” stated Easton.

“Which means sometimes we add in additional appointments.

However, that can depend on a lot of different things, partly the students’ schedule versus the availability that we have. Sometimes

they might have a preference in a particular counselor and that will change the time frame.”

While SCS prefers to work on an appointment basis, they also have an open availability crisis intervention service.

According to Easton, “anyone who walks in and says, ‘I really need to talk with somebody, today,’ we will make someone available to meet with them and help them sort out what needs to happen to come up with a plan.”

Crisis intervention meetings generally last between 20 and 30 minutes.

For more long-term treatment to maintain a student’s mental health, SCS will assist in connecting students with resources off-campus that can provide medication that works with their insurance or offers medication at a low cost for students that do not have insurance.

Depending on the situation,

SCS also offers a treatment summary where, with the student’s consent, CSC could “facilitate what would be either a verbal discussion or written summary with an off-campus provider in order to allow the student to transition from our office to another.”

Similarly, SCS can also connect students to services on campus that they do not offer, such as the food pantry and housing resources.

A new feature that Easton is excited to share is SCS’s extended hours.

“While we are not open for business outside of nine to five, if a student is an established client, we now have appointment availability in the five o’clock and six o’clock hour. So for students who are taking evening classes, we will have those counseling appointments available Monday through Thursday.”

Photos By: Rebecca Denham

Student Counseling Services (773) 442-4650

NEIUIndependent.org

4 NEWS | September 9, 2019

NEIU offering Uber shuttle program between campuses Victoria Hong Writer

Remember the NEIU shuttle program? The NEIU shuttle program consisted of a car with six seats that would transport students between the Main Campus, El Centro and the Jacob H. Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies (CCICS), plus the Kimball Brown Line CTA station on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Although this would be very helpful for those whose schedules match up with the shuttle’s, it is not helpful if the shuttle reaches capacity or the time tables do not work for students’ schedules. Introducing Uber!

Replacing the shuttle program will be free rides with Uber within certain guidelines.

The Uber ride is between the Main Campus, El Centro or CCICS. The Uber ride is meant solely for students to attend class, therefore

there will be date and time restrictions.

Got a class at another location?

Forget taking the CTA or trying to find another parking spot, take a free Uber to class.

Interested in the Inner City Studies program or the College of Business and Management but campus too far away? Not anymore!

How do you get this? According to the NEIU Ride with Uber website…

Fill out an NEIU Ride With Uber request form which is available at the Welcome Desk in Village Square on the main campus, at the Welcome Desk in the first-floor lobby at El Centro and the administrative office on the third floor at the Carruthers Center.

A valid Northeastern ID card must be presented at the time an NEIU Ride With Uber request form is submitted.

Ride request forms will take

24-48 hours to review and process as are subject to review, enrollment verification and class registration before approval.

Once the request is approved, NEIU will issue a customized Uber voucher to the student.

A link to the customized Uber voucher will be sent to the student’s N-mail address.

Once the Uber voucher has been claimed, the student will be able to schedule an Uber ride during the specific dates and times to attend class.

Northeastern will cover the cost of the ride(s) taken within the parameters established for the customized Uber voucher.

Once the voucher has been applied to the student’s Uber account, the voucher will automatically pay for any rides that fit the parameters of the voucher.

Any rides that do not match the voucher parameters will not be paid

for by the school. For more information about how your voucher works, visit Uber’s website, https://www. uber.com/us/en/business/vouchers-experience/ and scroll down to their FAQ section.

While the deadline for applica-

tions ended on Sept. 9, any applications received after are subject to further review for approval.

Although a student may not be able to take an Uber to attend a lecture or event at another NEIU location just yet, change is on its way in.

Photo By: Rebecca Denham

Teach in as an alternative to Spicer lecture Rebecca Denham

News Editor NeiuNewsEditor@gmail.com

Organized by a four part collaboration made up of the Student Government Association (SGA), the department of Academic Affairs, the department of Student Affairs and the University Professionals of Illinois (UPI), the ‘Teach In, Speak Out, Think Together’ discussion will be taking place from 1-4 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 11, in the Pedroso Center.

This event was created in response to Sean Spicer and Donna Brazile coming to lecture at NEIU on the following day.

President of the UPI and professor of justice studies and women and gender studies, Nancy Matthews, discussed the ultimate goal of the discussion.

“The idea of a teach in sounds like we are going to have a lot of experts explaining things to people.

But then the speak out term gives room for more people to participate who have something to say - but I guess you could call it all teaching in some way. The thinking together part is to emphasize that we are an intellectual community, an educational community,” stated Matthews.

The intention of this discussion was not to compete with the Spicer/

Brazile lecture, but rather to inform and equip students with a balance of empathy and information regarding the speakers and NEIU as a cohesive student body before the lecture took place.

Matthews further explains, “the event is for grappling with those really important issues of democracy.

It is also about educating people on the very real threats to democracy and fairness and society that are happening right now.”

Within the three-hour time slot, the lectures and discussions will be interspersed. Microphones will be provided for participants to be able to ask the speakers questions. The

finalized list of speakers is yet to be released.

When asked her opinion of the lecturers coming to campus, Matthews remained balanced. “People started organizing within minutes of the announcement happening. So I knew there would be protests, but I felt like there needed to be space for using this as a teachable moment.”

Despite the controversy behind the speakers selected for the Daniel L. Goodwin lecture series, Matthews’ opinion is filtered through a macro lens. Her thoughts on Goodwin and his selection are as follows.

“I think this is an unfortunate reality of living in a capitalist society. A so-

ciety in which public higher education is so poorly funded that we become very dependent on wealthy people who can give us big chunks of money.”

However, Matthews sees the value in this controversy.

“We can be advocates for free speech and intellectual exchange of ideas because we still need to be able to have dialogue and discussions, even with people that we strongly disagree with. And so the teach in, speak out, think together is a combination of those things,” said Matthews.

A follow up event is scheduled for Sept. 17 from 4 - 7 p.m.

September 10, 2019 | NEWS

These incidents occured on NEIU campus property between the dates of July 30 and September 4.

July 30 – Student Union * Officers responded to fire alarm. Building was evacuated.

No smoke or fire was found.

Engineers scheduled to correct problem.

July 30 – Quad Area * Officers responded to call of extremely disoriented male with visible scrapes on fingers and cheeks. Ambulance transported him to hospital for evaluation.

July 31 – C Building * Victim reported losing her footing on stairs being occupied by protestors and fell, injuring herself. She refused medical attention at this time.

August 1 – BBH * Victim claimed she slipped and fell outside second floor bathroom. Victim was trans-

ported to hospital by a friend for medical attention.

August 8 – The Nest * Complainant believes someone is tampering with her mail.

August 9 – B Building * Police presence was requested during advisement meeting due to odd behavior from student.

August 11 – Parking Garage * During routine patrol, officers came across unoccupied van with sheet draped over front seats obstructing view to rear. Owner was not present. No entry was made.

August 13 – E Building * During routine patrol, officers found two newspaper staff members in office. Both had failed to follow university policy and check in with police after hours.

August 16 – PE Building * Unknown offender stole bicycle tire while bicycle was secure on rack.

August 16 – Library * Victim reports theft of MacBook by unknown subjects who found his bag that he had left unattended. Subjects returned bag but stole computer.

August 20 – LWH A desktop computer was found uploading “malware” program.

August 26 – BBH Unknown offender wrote graffiti on building’s glass door.

Facilities management notified for clean up.

August 27 – BBH Staff reports a person that he used to share office space with stole files from him. He is also filing a report with CPD and getting an order of protection.

5

August 27 – Parking Lot F Subject reported that her car was stolen from campus lot. A tow truck was observed loading a car with a matching description.

Subject admits to being late on car payments.

August 28 – Fine Arts Student became irate after speaking with dean of students.

Officers made contact with him and served him with an active order of protection. Case is still ongoing.

August 27 – Grounds Shed Unknown offender stole ten-gallon shop vacuum, back pack blower and a ladder from storage unit.

August 28 – The Nest Officers responded to a fire alarm at the nest. Fire department prevention bureau was conducting a fire drill, however no notification was made to campus police.

August 27 – Off Campus Student received phone call from unknown male offering her thousands of dollars for a photo shoot and a role in a movie.

Student felt uncomfortable and refused offer.

August 27 – Parking Garage Victim reports traffic accident while backing out of parking spot. Her vehicle was struck, causing damage, but no injuries were reported.

September 3 – El Centro Unknown offender wrote graffiti on building owned by university. Photos were taken.

September 4 – Parking Lot J Police received complaints of a dog left unattended inside a parked car. Windows were left half open. Owner showed up and officers spoke with her. * Updated reports

The NEIU police blotter is requested from our campus police for every issue of the Independent because this publication exercises its right to do so, courtesy of the Clery Act. The Clery Act is a federal statute requiring all higher education establishments that participate in federal financial aid programs to maintain records of campus crime and campus security information. Any case that is considered on going may not be listed in the blotter. For this reason, there may be updated reports published retroactively once those cases are closed. For more information about the Clery Act, visit the NEIU police department’s webpage.

SEPTEMBER 10, 2019 | NEWS

7

Community petitions dis-invitation of Spicer Grace Yu

Campus Life Editor NEIUCampusEditor@gmail.com

The controversial invitation elicited protestation and almost 500 signatories to demand withdrawal of the invitation.

It reads as follows: “Dear Dr. Gibson, we are appalled that former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer has been invited to speak at Northeastern Illinois University. This is an insult to all NEIU students and employees who are members of groups targeted with violence and vitriol by the Trump administration,” reads the circulating petition to withdraw Spicer’s invitation to speak at NEIU on behalf of the upcoming Sept. 12 Goodwin Lecture Series.

“Spicer was the willing mouthpiece for Trump’s vicious assaults on immigrants, people of color, women, LGBTQ people, Jews, Muslims and other oppressed groups. We implore you to withdraw this invitation because Sean Spicer—and his boss, Donald Trump— do not uphold NEIU’s strategic values,” it continues.

The 495 signatories (the count as of early morning Sunday, Sept. 8) accumulated by the petition include NEIU faculty, staff, students, alumni, community members, Chicago alderperson Rosanna Rodriguez, unaffiliated

persons, the NEIU Student Government Association (SGA) and even a former classmate of Sean Spicer.

All grant their names to a letter expressing deep concern, even lamentation, towards the former press secretary’s invitation to speak at the NEIU North Side campus.

“Hosting former Trump Press Secretary Sean Spicer at NEIU would violate our responsibility to support and respect our students.

NEIU must not financially reward complicity in the administration’s bigotry, discrimination and violence,” said Brett Stockdill, Professor of Sociology at NEIU, who started the petition.

WBEZ News reported that a combined $50,000 was committed towards paying Spicer and Donna Brazile, former chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), for their upcoming discussion here on campus.

The speaking fees will not come out of public funds, but out of contributions by Daniel L. Goodwin, the donor who lauds his own name through the establishment of a lecture series.

However, the consent to host a guest as controversial as Spicer is seen as capitulation towards the actions of accomplices who propped up and continue to prop up Donald Trump, or at the least, as a sort of complicity in Spicer’s self-adulation.

For news like this and more, check us out online at NEIUIndependent.org

“The thing with Spicer is he’s using this kind of secular sacredness of this university as a free speech zone to redeem himself for bad past actions. So I really think of him as manipulating what I kind of hold as a precious thing about free speech as a way of being an apologist for himself,” said Sophia Mihic, Professor of Political Science at NEIU. “This is a university of many first-generation students and of many of the identities that are being targeted by the Trump administration. So he may not be taking part in things that are happening now, but he is turning to us to validate him now,” she continued.

Disagreement with the political ideologies of invited guest speakers to university campuses, (Milo Yiannopoulos at UC-Berkeley in 2017 and Charles Murray at Middlebury College, also in 2017) has invoked protest surrounding the issue of free speech in the recent past.

“My first inclination was not to sign [the petition] because I am a strong advocate of free speech. But in running through a conversation with a friend of why I’m an advocate of free speech, I came to the view that that’s not what this is about. I think it’s about condoning or not condoning action,” explained Mihic.

Stockdill further explained his reasoning for starting the petition in terms of the right to freedom of expression.

“Disrupting an event like this is an expression of free speech. Such disruption is necessary to lift up the voices of those who stand against anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, racism, sexism, homophobia and other oppressive systems,” he said.

The NEIU community has opted via petition to amplify the expression of the masses oppressed under that very same administration.

NEIUIndependent.org

8 CAMPUS LIFE | SEPTEMBER 10, 2019

Campus Life Calendar: 9/10 - 9/23 Student Employment On-Campus Job Fair Tuesday, Sept. 10, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Alumni Hall (SU 115) Looking for a part-time job while attending school? Here’s your opportunity to meet with on-campus departments! Bring copies of your résumé. Contact Maria Lebron at m-lebronfigueroa@neiu.edu.

“Be NEIU” Tuesday, Sept. 10, 3 p.m., University Commons (Quad) Come take an aerial picture forming the shapes of the letters N-E-I-U. Wear NEIU blue. The first 40 students will receive a free NEIU T-shirt (sizes not guaranteed).

queer career series, on how to ace that job interview. Allies are welcome.

Daniel L. Goodwin Distinguished Lecture Series: Donna Brazile and Sean Spicer Thursday, Sept. 12, 7:30 p.m. – 10 p.m., Recital Hall (FA 160A) Have y’all heard about this one yet?

A couple of discussions will take place regarding Brazile’s and Spicer’s invitations to give the Goodwin Lecture at NEIU. •

Womxn in STEM Mixer Tuesday, Sept. 10, 3 p.m. – 4 p.m., Student Center for Science Engagement (BBH 247) Network with other women in STEM in the first mixer of this kind on campus.

Tug for Funds Thursday, Sept. 12, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m., University Commons (Quad) This event is a tug of war for developmental funds to be awarded towards your student organization. It will take place rain or shine. Now accepting submissions and teams. Organized by Student Leadership Development. Email Albert at apchanth@ neiu.edu to register your team and team name or if you have any questions.

Resume Development and Elevator Pitch Techniques Thursday, Sept. 12, 3 p.m. – 4 p.m., Student Union (SU) 214 Get tips on how to build a strong and effective résumé and how to develop a memorable elevator pitch: the skills to get the job! Light refreshments, cookies, job opportunities provided. Presented by Neville Maycock from Northrop Grumman.

Queer Career Series: How to Ace that Job Interview Thursday, Sept. 12, 3 p.m. – 4 p.m., Pedroso Center (B-159) The Pedroso Center and Career Development are hosting the first session of our

•

The day prior to the lecture: TEACH – IN / SPEAK – OUT / THINK TOGETHER Wednesday, Sept. 11, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m., Pedroso Center (B-159) In the spirit of education and open debate, discussions will be framed around the following questions: Why should you care? Why are people upset about the speakers? What are the policies that harm people? How do we have political debate in the context of polarization and troubling politics? How do we have civil and civic engagement in the context of political polarization? Co-sponsored by the NEIU Chapter of University Professionals of Illinois (UPI), Academic Affairs, Student Affairs and Student Government Association (SGA).

•

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Fall Fest Friday, 4 p.m. – 10 p.m., University Commons (Quad) and Parking Lot J Food, beer garden, outdoor games, inflatables, face painting, Hawaiian

Poetry and Pancakes Saturday, 9 a.m. – 11 a.m., Gazebo Courtyard (B-Wing Patio) This event will feature readings by alumni of the Creative Writing program hosted in the English Department. Also, pancakes!

2019 La Copa Tournament Saturday, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., PE Complex Celebrate Latinx/a/o Heritage Month with our annual soccer tournament, “La Copa.” We will have students, faculty, staff and alumni at all experience levels and of all genders participating. The winning team members of La Copa will each receive one ticket to the Chicago Fire home game on Sunday, Sept. 29.

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Student & Alumni Picnic Saturday, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., University Commons (Quad) Food, beer garden, outdoor games, inflatables, face painting, Hawaiian artist and balloonists. Plus live acoustic karaoke and a live kids concert.

Registration is $10 per person, but is free to NEIU students and children under 12. Sponsored by Student Leadership Development (SLD).

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NEIU’s 4th Annual Homecoming: Let’s Glow Crazy Saturday, 6 p.m. – 10 p.m., Alumni Hall (SU 115) Admission is FREE for students with valid ID, $5 for guests with valid ID. Come dance the night away!

Presented by Black Caucus. ALL STUDENTS WELCOME!

Follow-up: Tuesday, Sept. 17, 4 p.m. – 7 p.m., location TBD A follow-up has been tentatively planned.

NEIU Weekend 2019 Friday, Sept. 13 and Saturday, Sept. 14, North Side Campus Join NEIU alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff and neighbors for NEIU Weekend 2019. This campus-wide event has something for everyone.

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artist and balloonists. Music lineup includes The Breakfast Club, DJ Perry Donta’e and The Pack Drumline. Oh, and also T-Pain. T-Pain’s concert will take place in Parking Lot J outside of The Nest from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Entrance to the Fall Fest is free; food will be available for purchase.

Sponsored by the Northeastern Programming Board.

Reception for Biennial Juried Art Alumni Exhibition Friday, Sept. 13, 6 p.m – 9 p.m., Fine Arts Gallery (Building E) A reception will be held for the current exhibition that runs Aug. 26–Sept. 20. This exhibition juried by Milllicent Kennedy, artist, curator and NEIU Art alumna, features work in all media by NEIU alumni who graduated with a major or minor degree in art. Free and open to the public.

Please feel free to direct any questions to the Art Department at art@neiu.edu.

3v3 Tournament Saturday, Sept. 14, 11 a.m. registration, 12 p.m. tournament, PE Complex, Main Gym Co-ed basketball tournament, $10 per team. FIBA rules (10 minutes or 21 points to win). Prizes will be awarded to first place and runner-up teams. Register beforehand (https://tinyurl.com/ neiu-3v3tourney) or register at the event.

Hosted by the NEIU Health and Physical Education Student Organization. Contact t-caldwell@neiu.edu with any questions.

Workshop: How to Turn a Career Fair into a Job Offer Monday, Sept. 16, 3 p.m. – 4 p.m., B119 To help ensure you are prepared to put your best foot forward at the Sept.

10 Student Employment Fair and the Sept. 17 COBM and Computer Science Career Fair, students are encouraged to attend workshops that will help walk you through the steps you should take before, during and after a career fair to increase the chances of getting that job offer.

Walk-in Hours at Career Development in B-119 are also available. Please feel free to contact Career Development for additional information at OCS@neiu.edu.

College of Business and Management (COBM) and Computer Science Career Fair Tuesday, Sept. 17, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Alumni Hall Find opportunities in business and management or computer science. Dress sharp and bring a résumé!

Calendar/ page 10

Campus Screening ‘BOSS: The Black Experience in Business’ Trudy Leong Writer

On Aug. 29 in the Golden Eagle Room, NEIU Rotaract Club and NEIU Beta Gamma Sigma had a screening of the first episode of WTTW PBS Chicago’s “BOSS: The Black Experience in Business,” followed by an audience discussion moderated by Vincent Williams, Vice President of Economic Empowerment and Director of the Illinois Small Business Development Center at YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, Laura Parks and Mildred Francis Center.

The screening included documenting the rise and destruction of Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma and the failure of the Freedman’s Bank.

Black Wall Street was the Greenwood neighborhood in Tulsa in which African-American businesses were concentrated and thrived in the early 20th century.

In 1921, during a race riot, whites and the local police killed about 300 African-Americans and destroyed Greenwood within hours.

In the audience discussion following the screening, moderator Vince Williams described the current major obstacle for African-American business, “I serve in all nine locations (of the YWCA) and every single one of them said they have a problem with access to capital.” In addition, Williams stated that he grew up in Morgan Park, Chicago. In that neighborhood, there used to be a social group of African-American business owners.

“They had me in this - I call it their social group. It was Jack and Jill. This little snooty black, but middle class, upper middle-class organization. But

they wanted no one to know that we were black-owned business. So now today, I try to share with them and I talk to them, it’s to your advantage to be a blackowned business, to be a woman-owned business, to be a veteran-owned business, to be an LGBTQ-owned business.

Times have changed.” But the group’s head still grew double hedges to hide the fact that African-Americans were meeting at that location.

The BOSS screening also included a description of the rise and fall of the Freedman’s Bank, enacted by the U.S. Congress for African-American veterans and former slaves.

The experience of losing all their savings persisted with African-American families for generations in distrust of banks and hoarding cash.

Williams said, “I’m talking like $1,000, $2,000. We cleaned out this place down in Louisiana.”

Panelist Jacques Sarr of the Jacques International Language Academy described his business and his work to promote diversity.

Sarr, fluent in nine languages, believes that teaching and learning languages helps in networking and enhancing community cohesiveness.

Sarr will host his International Business Networking event on Friday, Sept. 27, 4 - 6 p.m., at his academy at 2953 W. Devon Ave. As a student, I felt that the screening and audience discussion was sobering and enlightening for creating a better present and future.

Both episodes of “BOSS: The Black Experience in Business” are available now on YouTube as well.

p o t S r e v e N g n i n Lear

The Office of Community & Professional Education (CAPE) non-credit offerings for Fall 2019.

New! Travel with CAPE Starting Soon:

Activist Democracy Bootcamp Mindful Self-Compassion Gentle Nutrition, Intuitive Eating, And You Donorschoose.org for Classroom Teachers Books That Look Like Me GRE Test Preparation GMAT Test Preparation Business Planning American Sign Language Spanish Conversation Sewing Creatively: An Intro Class Art Classes: Sept 14 - Canvas Art Musical Storytelling for Singers & Instrumentalists Private Music Lessons & Dance Classes (Group Piano Class / Guitar Lessons / Drum Lessons)

Online: Paralegal Certificate Course Project Management Certificate Series Victim Advocacy Certificate Six Sigma Certificate Series Technical Writing Certificate Cyber Security Certificate Series And even more online...

neiu.edu/cape cape@neiu.edu 773-442-5080

NEIUIndependent.org

10 CAMPUS LIFE | SEPTEMBER 10, 2019

Calendar Continued from 8

LGBTQ+ Coming Out Support Group Tuesday, Sept. 17, 3 p.m. – 4 p.m., Pedroso Center (B-159) Every fourth Tuesday of the month. Sponsored by the Pedroso Center and Student Counseling Services. Contact CDIA@ neiu.edu for more information.

What is the University Ombuds?

Wednesday, Sept. 18, 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m., Golden Eagles Room (SU 103) Do you know what an Ombuds does at a university? Do you have a university problem you need to resolve confidentially? This session, presented by University Ombuds Tyler Smith, will offer and opportunity to meet the new University Ombuds and learn about the role of and services provided by the Office of the Ombuds. Contact the Ombuds Office, ombuds@neiu.edu.

History Department Lecture: Dr. Daniel Greene Wednesday, Sept. 18, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., Recital Hall (FA 160A) A presentation by Newberry Library President Dr. Daniel Greene (as of Aug. 2019) regarding his work as curator of the exhibition “Americans and the Holocaust” at the National Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Free and open to the public. Contact the History Department, c-steinwedel@neiu.edu.

Post Optional Training (OPT) Workshop Thursday and Friday, Sept. 19 and 20, 4 p.m. – 6 p.m., Lech Walesa Hall (LWH) 1002 International students about the graduate: those who wish to extend their I-20 for 12 months after graduation, come learn the step-by-step application process on how to apply for OPT and what options there are after graduating. Contact: C-Gonzalez2@ neiu.edu.

Want to make sure your event is included?

Email Grace Yu at neiucampuseditor@ gmail.com.

Tax-free coffee, food Victoria Hong Writer

New this year at the NEIU North Side campus is our Goldie Bucks Meal Plan which is available for students, staff and faculty. The meal plan lets you put money onto your NEIU ID card and use that to pay for food and drink at three locations, Golden Eagles Nest Cafeteria (located in the Student Union) and both Café Descartes stores (located in Village Square and Ronald Williams Library).

Load money onto your NEIU ID card through the GET app (available for both Android and Apple users) or the website, https://get.cbord.com/neiu/full/login.php.

Money can be added in 50 dollar increments ($50, $100, $150, $200). As a bonus, you get 5% extra credit put on your card every time you put money on your ID card.

events funded by student activity fee for the weeks of SEPT 10TH - SEPT 24th TUESDAY, SEPT 10TH FRIDAY, SEPT 13TH Syllabus Party • 5:30–7:30pm T-Pain Rider • Golden Eagles - Gamma Phi Omega Phi Iota Alpha & Gamma Phi Omega

Council student leadership development of Clubs Updates TUESDAY, SEPT 10TH Be “NEIU” University Commons • 3-4pm

THURSDAY, SEPT 12TH Student Organization’s “Tug for Funds” University Commons • 2-4pm

npb

WEDNESDAY, SEPT 18TH Online Ticket Sales begins at 10am on SEPT 10TH FRIDAY, SEPT 13TH Fall Fest Feat. T-Pain • University Commons & Parking Lot J • 6-10pm

The ultimate cherry on top is that every purchase made with Goldie Bucks is tax free.

Any remaining credits purchased during Fall semester will roll over to Spring semester and can be used then. Any remaining credits purchased during Spring semester will roll over to Summer semester and can be used then. There will not be any refunds or rollover for any unused credit after the end of Summer semester. Funds roll over to the next semester after purchase but won’t roll over from the Summer to Fall terms.

Now all that’s left is to ask yourself: “Will I be able to eat and/or drink $200 worth of food and coffee between now and next semester?” And of course, the answer is “Yes, because a college student’s blood is half coffee, especially during finals week.”

black caucus SATURDAY, SEPT 14TH Black Homecoming “Let’s GLOW Crazy” • Alumni Hall • 6-10pm

COBM-SAC TUESDAY, SEPT 10TH “How to Prepare for a Career Fair” • CBM 149 • 3-4pm TUESDAY, SEPT 17TH College of Business and Management and Computer Science Career Fair • Alumni Hall • 10am-4pm

sga/senate updates SENATE RESOLUTION 20-001: Goodwin Lecture Series Regarding Sean Spicer - passed Student Government Association members are part of various committees aimed to better NEIU. If you have any concerns or issues please visit the SGA offices located in the lower level of the E building near Health Services.

If you need accommodations to attend these or any University event, please contact Student Disability Services within 48 hours of the time of the event at (773) 442-4595 or SDS@neiu.edu.

CAMPUS LIFE | SEPTEMBER 10, 2019 11

Send us your Letters of Leadership

Once a semester the Independent offers the opportunity for campus clubs and organizations to introduce themselves to the entire campus community. We call this a Letter of Leadership. The letter should be written by the president or vice president and should be between 450 to no more than 600 words and within it please provide the following: An Introduction of your club or organization.

An introduction of yourself and who are you in relation to this group.

Who is the organization as a whole?

What is the purpose or mission of the group?

Where can interested students find the group?

How can interested students become involved?

When does the group meet and how often?

Why is the mission of the group important to NEIU and it’s community?

Why should students become involved?

If you have any upcoming events or programs that students, faculty or the community can attend.

Please do not feel pressured to follow the bullet points in the order that they appear either. They are only a way to get you started with your letter. There are many excellent examples of past letters on our website at NEIUIndependent.org.

Send your letter to NEIUCampusEditor@gmail.com. Letters appear on a first come- first served basis, so get them in as soon as possible. Is your club department or business looking to advertise an upcoming event or program? Send an email to NEIUIndependentAdvertising@gmail.com to find out how.

How to play the Scavenger Hunt: 1) Follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

2) Everytime you see a post with the Green Guy (aka our biggest fan), slow down and read the caption.

The Green Guy knows where the containers are hidden and he will tell you clues!

3) When you find the container, take a photo with it OPENED. Post it online and don’t forget to tag us!

4) Wait for us to repost your photo and tag you back.

5) Stop by the newsroom at E-049 to redeem your prize!

Happy Hunting and Good Luck!

The Green Guy

The winning container will always have a code inside and a message saying that you are the winnner.

& Nick Paterson

13

OPINIONS | September 10, 2019

The Trump administration has adopted the Southern Strategy...And it’s working to perfection Matthew Rago Writer

Once perceived as a political outsider, Donald Trump burst onto the national scene when he insinuated that migrating Mexican nationals entering the U.S. were not part of the upper echelon of Mexican society, but rather the rapists and criminals that had been ostracized from Mexico.

Phrased in a manner that stimulated heated debate, opponents lambasted Trump’s remarks as an incendiary attack meant to dehumanize an entire demographic.

His supporters, however, largely rebuked such accusations as overly sensitive and borne from distaste towards a man perceived as a political intruder, going so far as to introduce the derogatory moniker of ‘snowflake’ upon those offended by Donald Trump’s comments.

Recognizing that the national spotlight suddenly shone bright upon his podium, Trump followed up on his polarizing comments with a barrage of remarks and tweets that further demonized Mexican and Central American migrants.

Such comments, which critics condemned as thinly veiled derogatory rhetoric, provided political allies with just enough wiggle room to construct a feasible public relations spin.

However, keen viewers readily identified that the Trump campaign, seizing a fleeting opportunity, opted to adopt and mutate a tried-and-true political strategy popularized by the GOP platform: The Southern Strategy.

The Southern Strategy was an ingenious political tactic first introduced by the Nixon administration and later perfected by the Reagan administration.

Identifying that the two leading political parties were undergoing an ideological shift--conservatives had previously gravitated toward the Democratic platform while liberal Americans mostly voted Republican--Nixon’s confidants proposed that he use a strategy that would earn loyalty from southern, Democratic voters fatigued by the party’s newfound acceptance of minority demographics, particularly the support that

John F. Kennedy and his successor, Lyndon B. Johnson, offered toward the Civil Rights Movement.

However, modern scholars have since criticized both Nixon and Reagan for their then-novel strategy. More specifically, critics attacked the use of veiled racial language disguised as a vendetta against recreational drugs for the sake of recruiting Southern white voters.

White House Counsel and political advisor under the Nixon campaign, John Ehrlichman offered the following explanation pertaining to the War on Drugs: “The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people. You understand what I’m saying? We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin. And then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.”

Historically, the Southern Strategy

has been flawlessly implemented by the Republican party for political gain. However, in 2019, any tangible, identifiable hostility toward the African-American demographic, barring a few notable exceptions, will essentially result in the immediate disqualification for a prospective candidate.

Unfortunately, rather than instilling fear in Americans by manufacturing a relationship between African-American and drugs through crude exaggerations over the effects of drug use, the Trump administration has opted to focus their attention on demonizing immigrants and attributing upticks in crime, particularly violent crime and illicit drug distribution, to migrants.

In the same manner that Nixon, and later Reagan, inspired loyalty through the reinforcement of unfounded biases bestowed upon the demographics they perceived as political threats, Donald Trump and his administration have mutated the Southern Strategy to demonize, dehumanize, and target the Hispanic/Latinx communities.

Viewers can draw parallels between Reagan’s depiction of the African-American welfare queen and Trump’s depiction of the criminal Hispanic; George Bush’s Willie Horton ad shares disconcerting similarities with

the Luis Bracamontes ad that was denounced as so racist that even traditionally right-wing outlets refused to air it; Trump’s pardoning of Joe Arpaio, the man who was indicted by the United States Justice Department for criminal contempt after he refused to cease his racially discriminatory practices and went on camera to describe his prisons as Mexican concentration camps feels eerily similar to Reagan’s pardoning of the aforementioned John Ehrlichman.

Whether we support, reject or remain indifferent to such a political tactic, it matters not, for the Donald Trump administration has successfully adopted and molded the Southern Strategy to fit seamlessly into the current political and social atmospheres.

Found some errors?

Copy editors are paid to read and correct stories for us. Apply for this position by messaging NEIUmanagingEditor@gmail.com

NEIUIndependent.org

14 OPINIONS | September 10, 2019

Scapegoating the Mentally Ill

Chuck Sipps

Arts and Entertainment Editor NEIUArtsLifeEditor@gmail.com The upcoming film ‘Joker’ recently released its second trailer, receiving much fanfare and acclaim. The movie will follow Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) and his descent into madness.

Arthur will change from a failed comedian into the Clown Prince of Crime that fans of Batman know and love. While there is palpable excitement for the film, there is also an extremely problematic message that this film perpetuates- that the mentally ill are dangers to society.

This isn’t unique to ‘Joker’, between our current administration’s hateful rhetoric and the years of negative representation of mental illness in the media, the mentally ill have often been characterized as the monsters hiding in our closets and under our bed. The monsters we should be fearing don’t even bother hiding.

Joker is one of the most famous characters in media. Whether its film, tv, video games, pajamas, cereals or basically anything else you can think to buy, the Joker can be found on it. He is Batman’s most formidable foe and rivals the Cape Crusader in terms of popularity.

What superpower does he possess to stand toe to toe with the Dark Knight? While some would argue none, in the comics,

A letter to the Editor Sean Spicer is the former White House Press Secretary and White House Communications Director. In a time where alternative facts are valid points in the day to day discussions, we can’t ignore that this position of power retains an enormous amount of influence in what we believe now a days.

Coming from Brazil the appearance of Sean Spicer in NEIU leaves me with an uneasy feeling. Jair Bolsonaro, the current president, was elected almost completely based on fake news that were spread through WhatsApp chats.

Many electors believed the things that were being spread about the other party called “Partido dos Trabalhadores”, also known as, PT.

Joker has been depicted as having “super sanity.” Essentially the idea is that the Joker is only “insane” because he can understand the workings of the world on a level that “normal” folk are unable to perceive. While we may view his deeds as evil, to his “super sane” mind, they make perfect sense. This casts Joker as the “Other.”

One who doesn’t fit into societal norms.

Joker inflicts extreme violence, so he is to be feared. His violence comes from his insanity, so his mental illness is also to be feared. By learning through media to fear any mind we

“

Just one bad day.”

This portion of the Joker’s famous “One Bad Day” monologue voices his belief that anyone can become as crazy as him if they have a bad day.

Joker attempted to drive Commissioner Gordon mad, though in the end, Gordon resisted and Joker was thwarted. The fallout of this is that Joker didn’t become this way because of one bad day but because his mentally disturbed mind was prone to violence. This again perpetuates the fear that the “Other” is dangerous to the “Normal”

All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy. ” - The Joker, The Killing Joke (1988)

don’t understand, we are taught to fear those whose minds work differently in the real world.

What does the Joker himself think of all this? In Alan Moore’s 1988 graphic novel “The Killing Joke,” he says: “You see it doesn’t matter if you catch me and send me back to the asylum... Gordon’s been driven mad. I’ve proved my point. I’ve demonstrated there’s no difference between me and everyone else! All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy.

That’s how far the world is from where I am.

because it teaches them to fear those around us. We all know that everyone is capable of having a bad day and if we subscribe to the Joker’s way of thinking, we know what a bad day can lead to.

There are countless other examples of the mentally ill being depicted as monsters in media. Why do we do this? Why do we fetishize the mentally ill as these amoral fiends that are one step away from killing us all?

The answer is it’s easier to vilify a marginalized group like the mentally ill than it is to acknowledge our societal problems.

This generated a mass effect in which many ended up voting for Bolsonaro, and that in the long turn got him elected.

Unfortunately it doesn’t stop there. A week doesn’t go by where the president doesn’t say something sexist, homophobic or simply incorrect. In one of his latest statements, he called Brigitte Macron, the first lady of France, ugly, in a Facebook post.

That started a feud with France and, obviously, the president Macron. Then, Bolsonaro refused the 20 million aid the G7 were eager to send to Brazil to help in the burning of the Amazon fires, he said he would only take it if Macron apologizes.

When he is not making statements like that he cancels diplomatic meetings on short notice

for ‘medical reasons’ like he did on September 2 when he was supposed to talk about the ongoing burnings.

When I arrived here in the US I didn’t know who Sean Spicer was. As soon as I started to do a bit of research on him, I rapidly understood what he represented to the American people.

The act of being constantly lied to is something that is exhausting and frustrating. We are living in a dangerous time where information and facts are not perceived as something that contains the truth.

I wonder what George Orwell would say if he still was alive. In his most famous novel 1984 the act of erasing the past and changing facts are a day to day job that has the only purpose to control the ‘proles’ and maintain the power

We have corporations that are willing to sell us out at the first sign of profit. We have lobbyists who corrupt our politics with ill-gotten gains. We have people willing to defend a document rather than the innocents lost to needless gun violence. These are monsters not even a man dressed like a bat can thwart.

What can we mere mortals do against them? Fighting nameless and faceless conglomerates seems impossible; they have more money and resources than most of us could ever comprehend.

We want to fight back but it feels impossible. When we are offered an easy way out, we take it. In this case, the out is the mentally ill.

We blame these cases of great evil and harm on the mentally ill because it helps us to accept how these things can happen.

A “normal” person couldn’t do this, only a monster. There is no Boogie Man, Dracula or Wolfman to blame our problems on. Instead of accepting the social responsibility we all have, we sensationalize the mentally ill until they resemble the monsters that go bump in the night.

Real monsters don’t go bump in the night. Real monsters work during the day in board rooms all over the country. They don’t come and suck your blood, but they do profit off it. And that is no laughing matter.

of the Party. After 2016 this book regained a new meaning and a new importance in today’s society. We can really and truly understand the frustration and pain that the character Winston feels throughout the book when he tries to remember the truth behind past events.

As Orwell said in the book: “It struck him that the truly characteristic thing about modern life was not its cruelty and insecurity, but simply its bareness, its dinginess, its listlessness.”

Ana Peres

About Ana: “I’m an international exchange program student. I will be attending NEIU for the Fall Semester of 2019. My major is in Creative Writing. In Brazil at PUCRS I’m a junior.”

OPINIONS | September 10, 2019

15

Greta Thunberg is the coolest girl in the world Grace Yu Campus Life Editor NEIUCampusEditor@gmail.com

Greta Thunberg, the coolest girl in the world, arrived on U.S. shores about two weeks ago, on Wednesday, Aug. 28, at a Lower Manhattan marina up the Hudson River.

Thunberg, a climate activist, arrived on a carbon emissions-free yacht named Malizia II with her father and a small crew provided by Team Malizia, skippered by professional sailor Boris Hermann and Pierre Casiraghi, a nephew of Prince Albert II of Monaco.

At a mere 16 years old, the Swedish teenager is a rare beacon of hope for a still-tender but already jaded Generation Z. She is due to attend the U.N. Youth Climate Summit in New York on Sept. 21, joining a throng of young, progressive environmentalists stateside.

In addition to her organizing work in climate action, Thunberg has spoken publicly on social media about her Asperger syndrome, calling it a “superpower.”

With 3.1 million followers on Instagram and 1.35 million followers on Twitter, her confident and exuberant response about being on the autistic spectrum hits back to her many outspoken critics who use the Web as a public forum in an attempt to derail her movement.

And they have done so even in the cruelest of terms, commenting on her facial expression, her appearance, etc.

In fact, when it comes to social justice action, Asperger’s may have even granted Thunberg an advantage, since people with this diagnosis are often known for their directness.

The most talked about aspect of Thunberg’s voyage, which set across the sea from Plymouth in the southern UK, is her preferred mode of transportation.

“Rather than flying, she (Thunberg) sailed across the Atlantic in an ‘emissions-free’ yacht in order to spare the earth’s atmosphere the exhaust from a plane that was flying to New York anyway, with or without her,” wrote Niall Ferguson for The Boston Globe. This sort of commentary misses the point with the fine grace of a sledgehammer missing a nail on the head.

Thunberg’s actions show us, the Western world, what is possible. Her emissions-free trip is performative in the sense that no individual consumer choices cannot change systemic

Greta Thunberg, outside the Swedish parliament. | Anders Hellberg

injustices, but they do make a highly publicized statement. That if one person can view lifestyle choices of lesser convenience as a small sacrifice to make for the planet, then so can all of us.

Millennials are far more immune to the naysaying, and House representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (NY-14), one of the Green New Deal’s strongest advocates, is one of Thunberg’s most prominent allies. Intergenerational conflict does not materialize here.

“This Entire Week Has Been Incredibly Depressing. But Then I Saw a Young Woman Give People Hope,” reads the title of a Mother Jones article published online last Friday, Sept.

6. This is the sentiment that I, a decade older than Thunberg, share profoundly when it comes to the adolescent vanguard of this new international movement.

In August 2018, Greta Thunberg started skipping school every Friday to sit outside the Swedish parliament and protest world leaders’ inaction towards mitigating the impact of global climate change. The movement, which has grown worldwide to inspire weekly strikers on every continent, is called “School Strike for Climate.”

14-year-old Alexandria Villaseñor, who is only in the 8th grade, is the organizer of the stateside student-led movement called Fridays for Future. Thunberg has been joining them

while in New York, lending support to the protesters whose three simple and actionable demands are: “no more fossil fuels, a just transition to 100 percent renewable energy by 2030, and holding polluters accountable” reports i-D magazine.

17-year-old Xiye Bastida, an indigenous Otomi Toltec climate activist also in New York, told i-D, “We as youth cannot vote, and you know that. Our civic duty is to go to school. We are disrupting that so that you pay attention to the crisis that we’re going through.”

When youth clamor for widespread social and political change in our day, I am reminded of the revolutions of the Long Sixties, the heat of change encircling the globe: Civil Rights and anti-Vietnam War protests in the U.S. and the establishment and subsequent collapse of Communist governments and demonstrations

by Leftist movements the world over. During May of 1968 in France, workers and student intellectuals chanted in solidarity, Soyez réalistes, demandez l’impossible! - “Be realistic, demand the impossible.”

How astute of an observation would it be to say that something feels different this time around? The new chant of the youth is, “We are unstoppable, a better world is possible!” It is almost as though the lessons of generations past have taught this new movement to, for

the sake of being realistic, make demands born of concrete political possibilities rather than abstract ideals. It is one thing to write treatises on the ills of capitalism, it is quite another to recognize that industrial capitalism may change the fundamental chemistry of the planet and kill us all.

Activists such as Thunberg and Ocasio-Cortez -her equally criticized compatriot across the Atlantic -are the recipients of attacks by climate-deniers who a growing body of research has linked to gender reactionism. At Chalmers University in Sweden, Jonas Anshelm and Martin Hultman published findings that suggest the values of climate-deniers are consistent with proponents of a “masculinity of industrial modernity that is in decline.” The study states, “these climate skeptics tried to save an industrial society of which they were a part by defending its values against ecomodern hegemony.”

So why do we call Thunberg and her fellow activists cool? Youth, social media savvy, progressive values and their wide reach, their ability to relate to large swaths of the Millennial and Generation Z masses may be enough to make them likable and hugely popular, but not enough, per se, to make them viable political leaders in the global culture wars. Why take their lead? Is theirs a movement that can actually win? Supporters of this declining masculinity of industrial society in the Western world seem to be afraid of women and children; do we really live in a world where little girls often possess the courage to face reality, and old men seem to only rarely? So this what we are now up against.

The truth is that women, children, minorities and other oppressed groups bear the brunt of the most dastard effects of industrial capitalism, which is only sustainable at a high cost to the most vulnerable sectors of human society and to equally vulnerable natural resources.

The personal experience of these activists, which instates in them differing values from those of the (now-changing) status quo, makes them, above all, realistic. Maybe it doesn’t sound quite sexy.

But this realism, paired with inextinguishable hope, is what has given girls like Greta Thunberg the daring to make some noise and make the change.

16

ARTS & LIFE

NEIUIndependent.org

| September 10, 2019

The role of the silent protagonist in gaming Chuck Sipps

Arts and Life Editor NEIUArtsLifeEditor@gmail.com

In “Far Cry New Dawn,” the pseudo-sequel to 2018’s “Far Cry 5,” developer Ubisoft doubles down on a problematic storytelling technique, the silent protagonist. “Far Cry” utilizes a first-person perspective, we see through the eyes of the character we are playing as, and this in theory should allow us a deeper sense of immersion. We are not passive observers; we are the vehicle that drives the hero forward. When that vehicle is a nameless, faceless and desireless entity, it is impossible to care for.

The silent protagonist has been a staple of gaming for time immemorial.

The basic definition of this is a hero who doesn’t speak. Some popular examples of this troupe are Link from “The Legend of Zelda,” Gordon Freeman from “Half Life” and Artyom from the “Metro.” If we look back to the late ‘80s and early ‘90s many, if not all, of our protagonists were silent.

This had less to do with storytelling decisions and more with limitations of the hardware.

Video game cartridges didn’t have the space to hold hours of dialogue and thus our heroes remained silent. While there were some workarounds with written scripts, it would be many years until we heard more than the odd grunt or yelp from our heroes. Then came disc-based media and with it the space to

I don’t speak therefore I am not? finally give voice to the silent protagonist.

Most characters took the leap forward. Mario developed his now iconic catchphrases; Jak, from “Jak and Daxter,” took the leap from complete silence in “The Precursor Legacy” to being fully voiced in “Jak II.” Many characters joined him in that leap but surprisingly Far Cry” has taken a step backwards, going from a fully voiced character to a voiceless one.

The reason for this may come down to the writing quality for the voiced protagonist in “Far Cry” games that came before 5. Some complained that the writing was stilted or the characters too unlikeable. Rather than improve the writing, Ubisoft opted to remove it entirely. The formerly named, voiced and motivated characters are now known by voiceless titles, such as The Deputy in “5” and The Captain in “New Dawn.” This would be fine if these characters were meant to be the nameless action heroes of bloody ‘80s romps, but the writers consistently put the player in a situation where they are supposed to care for the main protagonist. Unfortunately, the lack of voice acting doesn’t evoke sympathy or make the character more compelling.

Their silent adventure is made awkward and inadvertently laughable.

The story of “Far Cry 5” and “New Dawn” are meant to be serious. A group of religious zealots have taken over a small town in Montana via a combination of extreme violence and a

mind-altering drug, and it is up to you to stop them. As you progress through the game you are confronted by the Seed Family, the leaders of the New Eden cult.

Each of these encounters is treated as a harrowing experience that is meant to leave its mark on the character.

When captured by Jacob Seed, a veteran and full-blown psychopath, the player is subjugated to weeks of unimaginable torture. The escape from Jacob’s compound is long and arduous, and when you finally do attain freedom it is meant to be a moment of celebration.

However, within moments of being free you receive a call from your allies (who somehow know everything that happened and that you are alright), even though you don’t communicate with them in any way, and the next mission sees you racing a dirt bike in an extreme obstacle course. How are players meant to emotionally invest in anything that happens if nothing has any lasting effect?

The simple answer is you can’t.

This type of situation isn’t exclusive to “Far Cry.” 2019’s “Metro Exodus” had similar problems, with omnipotent allies knowing every aspect of your situation even though you don’t communicate it to them. Each time this happens it breaks immersion. It takes you out of the story and reminds you that you are playing a video game. Imagine watching a movie or a TV show and being constantly reminded that you are indeed watching

a movie or TV show, it would make the story all the harder to invest in. Yes, we are all aware that we are partaking in media, but most media allows us to suspend our disbelief so we can buy into what we are seeing.

To play devil’s advocate, some games utilize silent protagonists and it all comes together beautifully. “Journey” and “Limbo” are great examples of this, but these are games constructed around that silence that allow the players to decide for themselves what is going on and reflect on it. Much like poor use of narration in film is an example of weak storytelling, so too is the silent protagonist an example of weak storytelling in gaming.

The silent protagonist has had its time in the video game sun, and it is an important reminder of how far games have come. But it should be only that, a reminder, and not a crutch to excuse poor writing in storytelling. If we take away the characters’ ability to speak, we take away our ability to care about them.

Silence may speak volumes, but not when it comes to video games.

What do you think? Do silent protagonists still deserve a place in today’s video games? Have some good or bad examples of their use in games? Any which way tell us your thoughts at either neiuartsandlifeeditor@gmail.com or in the comments section on neiutheindependent.org

ARTS & LIFE | September 10, 2019 17

Secrets. Lies. Popularity. Drama.

‘Thirteen Reasons Why’ Season 3 Review Matthew Rago Writer

The third installment of “Thirteen Reasons Why” came along, injected said emotions with liberal dose of steroids, and dropped them smack dab in the middle of Liberty High.

When Netflix announced that it had greenlighted a third season of “Thirteen Reasons Why,” it would be safe to assume that Season three would center around the fallout of the school shooting that almost was. While the writers opted against completely abandoning that storyline, Tyler’s attempted massacre took a surprising backseat to a classic whodunit angle, a tired trope that was elevated by an enticing combination of character development and redemption tales.

Perhaps the producers identified that, considering the current political climate in America, depicting (or God forbid, glorifying) a school shooter might lead to actual mass murder.

On the other hand, it’s possible that the writing staff felt the storyline had exhausted its welcome and instead opted to manufacture a totally different narrative. Either way, “Thirteen Reasons Why” returned to Netflix with an abundance of its trademark teenage angst.

Season three was not perfect by any means. First, the writers lazily introduce a new character for the sake of plot advancement. Ani, whose mother is a caretaker for the Walker family, may unintentionally be the most annoying character in the history of television.

From day one, she is afforded an unbridled level of social authority.

Throughout the entirety of Season three, she continuously probes into the personal lives of her newfound friends, demanding answers when in any realistic scenario,

no one in their right mind would feel entitled to do so.

Second, Season three features an entire faction of Liberty High attempting to shield Tyler Down from the ramifications of trying to shoot up a school.

Rather than report Tyler for attempting to massacre the entire school, Clay and company attempt to use their nonexistent experience with crisis management to coach Tyler, whose emotions are visibly and dangerously volatile in the immediate aftermath of “the incident,” to reconsider his murderous agenda.

Sure, Tyler was the victim of a horrenous sexual assault in Season 2, but at what point are we no longer expected to remain empathetic towards those attempting mass murder?

My last criticism centers around the relegation or complete absence of main characters. Courtney is seen very briefly in only a handful of scenes, though her absence can be explained by her pending graduation. Marcus, Tommy and Sheri are completely absent. Cyrus and Mackenzie are essentially demoted to props as each character appears in only two episodes.

Unfortunately, the writers failed to introduce new characters interesting enough to fill the void left by departing actors and reduced roles.

Season three centers around the disappearance of serial rapist Bryce Walker, whose body was discovered shortly after a homecoming football game that devolved into violence and chaos.

Relative indifference surrounding his disappearance shifts to obligatory mourning, though the impact of premature loss was punctuated by a misplaced protest at Bryce’s funeral from Jessica Davis’s assembly of sexual assault survivors, aptly named “HO,” a title which is described as

an attempt to diminish the impact of the slur by “reclaiming it.”

However, when Jessica balks at the prospect of protesting Bryce’s funeral, Casey, a character introduced as a headstrong ally of Jessica, scathingly disparages her, claiming Jessica’s reluctance to protest Bryce’s funeral casts her as a victim rather than a survivor.

Casey, becoming enraptured by the concept of scandalization, regardless of whether the execution remain abstract or readily visible, creates a fascinating dialogue that explores whether it’s more important to be loud or remain constructive.

Such a complex dynamic is part of the genius of Season three, as the writers expertly manipulate our emotions so that even the most morally righteous parties operate in a manner that casts the most callous antagonist in a sympathetic light.

Upon learning of Bryce’s death, questions arise as to who the responsible party is. This is where Season three finally finds it footing, as nearly every single character, including Bryce’s own parents, harbors a jealously guarded motive.

Zach develops a relationship with Bryce’s ex-girlfriend Chloe. Clay hosts two concurrent vendettas against Bryce. Justin and Jessica each deal with the aftermath of Bryce victimizing Jessica.

The list goes on and on, casting a shadow over nearly every character and making for some absolutely brilliant television. Such uncertainty reinvented the mundane nature of a classic whodunit by weaving a complex web of tangible revenge stories that were almost offset by the moral compasses of a wholesome, if flawed, group of protagonists.

The writers also offer a half-hearted attempt at illustrating the idea that Bryce

is genuinely seeking to redeem himself.

Ani, being the insufferably annoying character that she is, is instrumental to this device, as her receptiveness to his sexual advances and general friendliness highlight Bryce’s most endearing features.

This is despite the fact that the audience is forced to acknowledge that Jessica’s newest ally and partner in HO is literally laying with her rapist. However, I would be remiss if I failed to acknowledge the inconsistency in the way the writers depict Bryce.

One moment, Bryce is shown flashing the same malice and indifference that we became accustomed to in the first two seasons. The next, he’s sobbing on a yoga mat and offering sincere gestures of apology to anyone forgiving enough to listen.

But, once again, these are kids we are dealing with here, young men and women who are attempting to discover their true selves as they desperately cling to misguided loyalties and allegiances.

Because of that, these contradictions are an important storyline instrument, as they cast further doubt on who actually sought out vigilante justice against Bryce.

Season three isn’t a must-watch, but if you’re able to look beyond inconsistent character portrayals and the agonizing introduction of Ani, Season three is a worthwhile investment. It’s an engrossing tale that follows a community simultaneously united and divided by the secrets they begrudgingly protect.

While the main focus of the season is the eventual reveal of both the murderer and his or her motive, viewers will come to appreciate the complex entanglement of tragedy, unity and redemption that will inevitably define the legacy of Season three of “Thirteen Reasons Why.”

18 ARTS & LIFE | September 10, 2019

NEIUIndependent.org

Detroit Become Human Review Robo Jesus and the Deviant Bunch

Chuck Sipps

Arts and Entertainment Editor NEIUArtsLifeEditor@gmail.com

‘Detroit Become Human’ developed

by Quantic Dream and Studio Head David Cage is an ultimately flawed but highly ambitious look at just what it means to be human.

The game follows three separate android protagonists: The Jesus stand-in Marcus (Jesse Williams), the battered house droid Kara (Valorie Curry) and deviant hunter Connor (Bryan Dechart).

Each member of the trio has their own individual storyline that ultimately merges into one whole. The gimmick is that each and every choice that you, the player, make shapes the story being told.

It’s just a shame that the writing quality doesn’t match its lofty ambitions.

Going through each of the protagonists’ storylines separately, Marcus starts as a caretaker for his dying master, Carl.

Carl is a world-renowned painter and as such he treats Marcus more like a son than a machine.

After Marcus is wrongfully blamed and terminated for Carl’s death, he awakens in a garbage heap filled with his

fallen android brethren and becomes a deviant, an android that no longer listens to any master and seems to have free will. From there the Jesus references do not stop. It is a well worn and hackneyed tale, and it just isn’t as profound as Cage seems to think it is.

With Marcus, your choices ultimately determine what kind of resistance you will lead to save your fellow androids; peaceful protest or violent revolution?

Regardless of which path you choose, neither is compelling enough to justify exploring the branching pathways that ‘Detroit’ offers. It is a shame though, as the game’s choice system is incredibly nuanced but it is also incredibly vapid.

There are a lot of choices but so many of them lack meaning.

Kara is the next protagonist to explore. Kara’s journey begins as she awakens in an android repair store. She has just been repaired and though her master Todd says that she was hit by a car, it is made abundantly clear that she was a victim of domestic abuse.

That abuse doesn’t only extend to Kara, but to Todd’s daughter Alice as well. This abuse is what leads to Kara

becoming deviant, as she stops Todd from abusing his daughter and the two run away together. Again the writing is where Kara’s story really struggles.

It is so heavy-handed and devoid of surprises that it didn’t feel rewarding to play. The “twist” was so obvious that it was easy to assume it was a red herring but alas that was not the case. There was also an issue with the erratic and inconsistent way the game pronounced the name Kara. Finally, in Kara’s sections more so than any other it felt like choices were made on behalf of the player without their input.

The game’s assertion that player choice is king loses meaning if choice is taken away at pivotal moments. The final protagonist is Connor, an android designed to hunt deviants and the most intriguing character in the game.

Connor is a new prototype that joins up with the Detroit Police Department to stop the deviant threat. While this story is also filled with tropes, including the “No I’m the original, he’s the clone” shtick, Connor is the most compelling of the characters. Watching him come to terms with who he wants to be, and

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if that even matters, lead to the most interesting and gut-wrenching decisions.

The dynamic he shares with Lieutenant Hank Anderson (Clancy Brown) is one of the game highlights and draws the player in so deeply that the game might have been better served focusing solely on Connor’s story.

Detroit Become Human isn’t a bad game but it’s not a good one either. It wastes too much of its storytelling potential and instead wades into well-established conventions of the genre. There are numerous examples of scenarios playing out that don’t feel driven by player choices, but instead because the writers felt these things needed to happen.

While the acting across the board is strong there is just a lack of originality in the writing. The quick-time-events are also overutilized and it was frustrating to fail scenarios not because of a choice players made but because of an errant button press. Hopefully whatever David Cage and Quantic Dream attempt next relies less on cliches and more on character and heart.

‘Detroit Become Human’ is awarded 313 Potatoes on The Sipps Potato Scale.

September 10, 2019 |

Sports 19

Chicago White Sox Breakdown: Catcher Matthew Rago Writer

Adopting the rubric that brought the Chicago Cubs their first World Series title in over 108 seasons, the Chicago White Sox siphoned off their most valuable assets for the sake of initiating a long-awaited rebuild.

However, following two difficult seasons of prospect development, Chicago White Sox fans can finally see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.

With the majority of the team’s prospects having either already exhausted their prospect status or teetering on the precipice of a Major League promotion, it’s time to look forward towards constructing a roster capable of contending for the ever elusive playoff berth.

Beginning with the catcher’s position, this feature takes an in-depth look at the overall organizational options while attempting to project which players will lead the Sox charge into future contention.

James McCann This past December, the Chicago White Sox signed catcher James McCann to a oneyear, 2.5 million dollar contract. Primarily a stopgap between the departing Omar Narvaez, traded in late 2018 to the Seattle Mariners for closer Alex Colome, and former first round pick Zack Collins, the McCann signing was largely regarded as an inconsequential transaction.

After all, “McCannon,” as McCann is fondly referred to, is predominantly known for his defensive prowess. Additionally, with incumbent starter Welington Castillo already on the roster, it was largely assumed that McCann would be relegated to the role of backup catcher.

Fast forward to September and the nar-

rative on McCann has shifted drastically. An unlucky combination of injuries and offensive struggles for Castillo opened the door for McCann to usurp Castillo on the depth chart and stake his claim as the White Sox’s starting catcher.

McCann responded by getting off to a blistering start, peppering opposing pitchers to the tune of a .367 batting average (BA) in the month of April and a .338 BA in May, earning him his first career All-Star berth. However, McCann’s defensive contributions have been equally if not more important for the White Sox. Tasked with handling a pitching staff overwhelmed by season-ending injuries, McCann’s pitch calling helped transform former No. 1 overall pitching prospect, Lucas Giolito, from the worst qualified starting pitcher by nearly every quantifiable metric into a bonafide staff ace and an American League All-Star representative.

Though McCann’s offensive production has tapered off since the All-Star break, he has remodeled himself from an acquisitional afterthought to a potential mainstay behind the plate.

Zack Collins White Sox catcher Zack Collins is an enigma. Drafted tenth overall in the 2016 MLB draft, Collins was widely considered the top college bat coming out of the college prospect pool after a stellar career at the University of Miami.

However, Collins saw himself relegated from a top 100 prospect to a complete MLB Pipeline omission after putting up pedestrian numbers throughout his first three seasons in the White Sox organization.

Nevertheless, Collins’ remarkable plate dis-

cipline offered a faint glimmer of hope for even the most staunch pessimists, as his current on-base percentage (.402) sits an incredible 123 points above his batting average (.282).

In June, Collins grossly underwhelmed in his brief stint in the majors, hitting for a paltry .077 average over nine games with the White Sox. However, since his demotion, Collins recalibrated his plate approach by emphasizing contact over plate discipline, subsequently raising his batting average by an incredible 50 points and earning him a second promotion on Sept. 2.

Major League scouts have seemingly come to the consensus that Collins, who has failed to take significant steps forward defensively, profiles best as either a first baseman or designated hitter, two positions that offer minimal value from a defensive standpoint.

Should Collins transition to first base, he’ll find his future with the cast in a shadow of doubt considering that the White Sox recently invested in a top 3 pick, University of California first baseman Andrew Vaughn.

However, if Collins can improve his defensive mechanics and continue to emphasize contact rate over walk rate--Collins has struck out in over 28 percent of his plate appearances in 2019--it is feasible that the White Sox could opt to move forward with Collins as their primary backstop.

Yermin Mercedes Despite displaying an offensive arsenal that rivals even the most capable MLB prospects, Yermin Mercedes has routinely been absent from every credible top prospect list. What makes Mercedes’ omission even more perplexing is that he is hitting for a higher batting average than both Collins and

top-five MLB prospect Luis Robert. The knocks against Mercedes are two-fold. First, at age 26, he’s a relatively older prospect even for AAA Charlotte.

Second, he has a glove made of concrete.

Looking beyond his stellar 44% caught stealing percentage, Mercedes has been susceptible to a plethora of blemishes behind the plate, allowing 16 passed balls and committing 8 errors in his first 4,661 innings in 2019 (for comparison’s sake, McCann has allowed 23 passed balls and committed 23 errors in 4,438 innings). Mercedes’ value will likely be limited by a shift to designated hitter.

Despite his defensive limitations, a statline of 23/80/.317 across AA and AAA may be too enticing to keep him out of the big leagues.

Expect Yermin Mercedes to make his major

league debut this September.

Seby Zavala Seby Zavala has experienced a disappointing regression in 2019. The former 12th round draft pick has barely managed to hover above the Mendoza line at AAA Charlotte, hitting for an embarrassing .222 batting average.

What makes Zavala’s season even more disappointing is the fact that at this time last year, Zavala’s offensive outbursts stimulated legitimate debate as to whether or not Zavala had leapfrogged Collins as the White Sox’s most promising catching prospect.

Fortunately, Zavala’s defensive prowess and steady power numbers (he’s hit 20 home runs in 2019) suggest that he may be a candidate for a bounce back year in 2020.

Honorable Mentions: Gunner Troutwine (Kannapolis Intimidators), Evan Skoug (Winston-Salem Dash).

NEIUIndependent.org

20 SPORTS | SEPTEMBER 10, 2019

The road to Istanbul is competitive as ever Jose Moreno Writer

The UEFA Champions League, Europe’s elite club soccer competition, starts on Sept.

17. 32 teams will battle it out to reach the final match taking place at the historical Atatürk Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey on May 30, 2020.

There are a number of teams who are favorites to take home the illustrious Champions League trophy. Mainstays of the competition such as Real Madrid and Juventus F.C. will want to reclaim their place as legitimate title contenders as both left a lot to be desired during the 2018-2019 season.

Ligue 1 champions, Paris Saint-Germain F.C., will be wanting to capitalize on their dominance of the French league to claim European glory this upcoming season. The unpredictable landscape of this season’s UEFA Champions League makes for an enthralling watch.

The 2018-2019 season was one to forget for Real Madrid. They finished third in La Liga, being 19 points adrift from first place as their rival Barcelona won the league.

In the European front, the Madrid side got eliminated early on in the Round of 16 against Dutch underdogs AFC Ajax.

Eager to make a comeback, Zinedine Zidane was reappointed as the new manager after the troubled managerial stints of Julen Lopetegui and Santiago Solari. Under his management, Real Madrid won three straight Champions League titles from 2016 to 2019.

Zidane, a Real Madrid legend himself,

cemented his legend status by being just as successful when managing. The post-Cristiano Ronaldo era has been arduous for the Spanish team because they have not been able to replace him. To resolve that, they have signed superstar forward Eden Hazard.

The Belgian winger scored 16 goals and assisted 15 to help Chelsea finish third in the Premier League and return to the Champions League last season.

Madrid furthered their summer recruitment by signing players Luka Jović, Éder Militão, and Ferland Mendy. There is no doubt hoping these players will give them the winning edge when they play Paris SaintGermain F.C., Galatasaray S.K., and Club Brugge KV in the group stage. The return of Zidane and fresh talent make Real Madrid a viable candidate to reach top status in Europe.

Many pinned Juventus to become Champions League winners when they signed Cristiano Ronaldo. The Italian giants have won eight straight Serie A titles but the trophy that has evaded them is the Champions League. Last season, they crashed out of the competition in the quarterfinal stage after losing to Ajax. Juventus signed Ronaldo for the main purpose of becoming European champions, but that dream faded as they were outclassed offensively by such an inferior team such as Ajax.

To correct errors made before, La Vecchia Signora fired then-manager Massimiliano Allegri and brought in an attack-minded manager in Maurizio Sarri. Sarri previously

coached at Chelsea in the Premier League.

He guided them in finishing third in their league as well as winning the UEFA Europa League, Europe’s second-tier competition.

To strengthen their defense, Juventus signed 19-year-old Dutch center back Matthijs De Ligt, a promising defender and former team captain from Eredivisie championship-winning team Ajax. De Ligt is one of the world’s best young players and he proved to be a driving force toward victory in last season’s competition with Ajax, helping them reach the semifinals.

Juventus contains a menacing offense with the likes of Paulo Dybala, Gonzalo Higuaín, Douglas Costa and Miralem Pjanić.

Despite the impressive lineup, Juventus must cope with the loss of 35-year-old captain Giorgio Chiellini after he injured his right anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during training, putting him out of commission for 6 months.

The absence of the defensive stalwart in the center of defense will be critical because of the leadership he brought to the locker room and the defense he ran on the field.

Juventus will face Atlético Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and F.C. Lokomotiv Moscow in the group stage. If Juventus does not triumph in the Champions League this season, then their season will be a failure.

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is in a similar position as Juventus, in the sense that they dominate their league (PSG has won six of the past seven titles in Ligue 1) but have

disappointed fans in Europe as they could not move past the quarterfinals. Their famous comeback in the 2016-2017 season comes to mind when it comes to disappointment. PSG beat Barcelona 4-0 at home in the Parc des Princes in the first leg match.

PSG then travelled to the Camp Nou to face Barcelona in the second leg match where they ended up losing 6-1 and getting eliminated by the aggregate score of 6-5.

It happened again as recently as last season when they faced off against English side Manchester United. This time PSG played the first leg away from home when they visited Old Trafford. PSG won 2-0 while playing aggressively and not letting Manchester United build up significant attacking opportunities.

The stage was set for PSG to advance to the next round while playing at home against an out-of-sorts Manchester United. PSG lost the game 3-1. The aggregate score was 3-3 and PSG bounced themselves right out of the competition due to the away goals rule.

To improve their attacking options, PSG signed controversial striker Mauro Icardi on a season-long loan from Inter Milan. Icardi has an extensive history of disciplinary issues while at Inter.

With the addition of Icardi, PSG hopes to launch a menacing attack team comprised of Neymar, Kylian Mbappé, Edinson Cavani and Ángel Di María. It remains to be seen if PSG can put the ghosts of past disappointments behind them to propel themselves to the pinnacle of European football.

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