Columbia students: Don’t >> staff sit by when the college is deciding our future
editor’s note
MANAGEMENT
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
» ALEXANDRA YETTER
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
I
n my first editor’s note of the semester, I called on the college to have more open, earnest communication with students in the midst of an impending Master Plan for 2030. Now that the college is actually doing this through workshops, a forthcoming survey and individual interviews, students have reverted to passivism. In a Wednesday, Feb. 19 Master Plan workshop—one of two held thus far— only four students showed up. Two of those students were Chronicle staffers covering the event. To put it bluntly: This is embarassing. From my experience in classrooms and from interviewing students for nearly two years, I know the student body has important, meaningful ideas with more depth than how comfortable the chairs in the Student Center are or how many places there are to pick up coffee on campus. First of all, students need to recognize this momentous opportunity. For the past five years, the Strategic Action Plan has dictated where money, resources and time are siphened off to, from increasing enrollment to building the Student Center to growing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives. Now, students have the opportunity to have a say in where these resources are allocated for the next 10 years. Although the current student body will likely not still be at Columbia in 10 years, we will be alumni who can dictate on the front end what resources should be available to us in 10 years. More importantly, we have the chance to make the school better for future generations of Columbia students based on our own experiences. Sure, the college can certainly be more aggressive than sending out a few emails to create awareness of Master Plan workshop events. For instance, social media campaigns, classroom announcements and partnering with well-established student organizations on campus—such as the Student Government Association and the Black Student Union—may be a next step, but we need to meet them halfway. Active students on campus, including SGA and BSU’s leadership teams,
VOL. 55, ISSUE 20
Alexandra Yetter
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
MANAGING EDITORS
SENIOR VIDEO EDITOR
Ignacio Calderon
SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Shane Tolentino
Mike Rundle Mari Devereaux Kendall Polidori Main Line: (312) 369-8977 Editor-in-Chief: (312) 369-8834 Director of Photography: (312) 369-8961 Managing Editors: (312) 369-8963
REPORTERS
NEWS EDITOR
Paige Barnes
OPINIONS EDITOR
Margaret Smith
REPORTERS
Isaiah Colbert Dyana Daniels Nick Forsythe Lauren Leazenby Myer Lee Mateusz Janik June Keating Valeria Mancera-Saavedra Jonah Ocuto Ryan Rosenberger
should be proactive by bringing their organizations to workshops or holding events of their own specifically to talk about what ideas they could recommend COPY for the Master Plan.However, individual students are just as responsible for COPY EDITORS Summer Hoagland-Abernathy showing up. Brooklyn Kiosow Ella Watylyk Because—not to be dramatic—this is our chance to change everything. GRAPHICS This is our chance to ask for more mental health resources and counselors GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Jennifer Chavez on campus; for lower tuition costs and Wesley Enriquez more scholarship opportunities; for safe John Sammis Lucas Smith spaces for undocumented students in the midst of ICE raids ordered by the MULTIMEDIA Trump administration; for more prevaDEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Camilla Forte lent environmental efforts to make the PHOTOJOURNALISTS Justin Anderson campus zero-waste, such as widespread Zac Clingenpeel composting initiatives and; for more Mengshin Lin nationally-recognized keynote-worthy Jacqueline Luttrell Steven Nunez speakers to come to address the campus; for more access to campus resources, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Blaise Mesa such as the Photography Lighting Studio, across majors; for more study abroad ADVERTISING/ programs and scholarships for students MARKETING to participate in said programs; or even for more gender-inclusive housing units MEDIA SALES REPS Cale Holder Sunjoy Walls in residence halls. Katie Williams These initiatives could have a lasting effect on the face of the college for long SENIOR STAFF after the Master Plan expires in 2030. We, as students, cannot continue to GENERAL MANAGER Travis Truitt sit out major opportunities like this one FACULTY ADVISER Curtis Lawrence and have passive remorse after the fact. Much like the 2016 presidential election, people who do not participate in the process should not feel at liberty to criticize the results. It’s time for Columbia students to step up and make good on the civic participation we all like to tout.
2 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE MARCH 2, 2020
ayetter@columbiachronicle.com
@c
c c h ro n i c l e
@c
c c h ro n i c l e
Th
e C h ro n i c l e
(312) 369-8960 Senior Video Editor: (312) 369-8959 Senior Graphic Designer: (312) 369-8995 News Editor: (312) 369-8956 Opinions Editor: (312) 369-8925 General Manager: (312) 369-8955 Faculty Adviser: (312) 369-8905
The Columbia Chronicle is a student-produced publication of Columbia College Chicago and does not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the views of college administrators, faculty or students. All text, photos and graphics are the property of The Columbia Chronicle and may not be reproduced or published without written permission. Editorials are the opinions of the Editorial Board of The Columbia Chronicle. Columns are the opinions of the author(s). Views expressed in this publication are those of the writer and are not the opinions of The Columbia Chronicle, Columbia’s Communication Department or Columbia College Chicago. Letters to the editor must include full name, year, major and phone number. Faculty and staff should include their job title. Alumni should include year of graduation, or attendance, and major. Other readers should note their city of residence and occupation or employer, if related to the letter’s subject matter. All letters are edited for grammar and may be cut due to a limit of space. The Columbia Chronicle holds the right to limit any one person’s submissions to three per semester.
Letters can be emailed to Chronicle@colum.edu or mailed to: The Columbia Chronicle 600 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL. 60605
campus
Chronicle staff takes home 21 awards from Illinois College Press Association » ColumbiaChronicle.com
Tax forms: College sees declining revenue; president and CEO receives 40% total compensation bump » ALEXANDRA YETTER
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
year of enrollment decline for Columbia, and it was no surprise that total revenue also plummeted at a private school dependent on tuition dollars. The results were financially dramatic with the college forced to make cuts to resources and staffing while continuing its recruitment strategy in the hopes of stemming the tide. Total revenue dropped by approximately 9%, from $275,842,222 in 2016 to $251,942,785 in the 2017 reporting year, according to the latest IRS 990 tax forms report, an annual document submitted by nonprofit institutions. The report is released approximately 18 months after tax forms are filed. The most recent report shows information between Sept. 1, 2017, and Aug. 31, 2018, including contributions and grants, total revenue, assets and administrative compensation. Between the 2016 and 2017 reports, enrollment dropped nearly 10%, from Fall 2016 to Fall 2017. While there are few surprises for school officials in the federal report when it is released, it serves as a window into school finances for others including students,
» WESLEY ENRIQUEZ/CHRONICLE
2017 MARKED ANOTHER
parents, faculty and unions that represent staff and parttime faculty. For many, especially in times of reduced resources and fewer hours available for adjuncts, eyes turn to the salaries of the highest paid administrators listed in the report. The total compensation for President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim, for example, was $912,965, up by 40% from $651,091 the year prior. The report showed Kim’s base compensation went from $416,780 to $569,272. Kim’s total compensation includes his home, car, health care and other benefits, according to Lambrini Lukidis, associate vice president of Strategic Communications and External Relations. Kim’s contract was extended through the 2023–2024 academic year by the Board of Trustees, as reported Nov. 18, 2018 by the Chronicle. Kim’s salary is decided by the Board of Trustees. Lukidis said the college would not comment on Kim’s compensatory breakdown. Kim decides top administrators’ salaries, in consideration with comparative analyses based on market location, the institution and the position, said Jerry Tarrer, senior vice president for Business Affairs and CFO.
But overall, salaries, other compensation and employee benefits spending went down more than 10% in 2017, from $114,019,601 to $101,800,477— or by approximately $12 million. During the reported 2017–2018 year, the college reported 3,624 individuals employed, down from 4,075 the year prior, or by approximately 11%. As revenue declined, Tarrer said the college tried to be proactive by not hiring as many adjuncts, a move he said was reasonable given the fewer students enrolled. For comparison, 2017 tax data reported by the Chronicle for Higher Education ranks Kim among the top 100 highest-paid college presidents in the U.S., with the highest-paid being Bryant University’s Ronald K. Machtley, who earned approximately $6 million. Kim was listed in the 990 forms as the only Columbia employee to receive a bonus, totaling $42,500. Faculty Senate President Sean Johnson Andrews said administrative salaries are being discussed across higher education institutions, but in this case reducing Kim’s bonus would not make much of a difference. Of the $251,942,785 in total revenue reported for 2017, $211,930,709 was collected through tuition and fees and
residence centers—both of which are central revenue generators for higher education institutions, said Michael Joseph, vice president of Enrollment Management. To absorb the enrollment hit, Joseph said colleges have to rely on other sources of revenue, including contributions and grants, as well as the endowment. Unlike in previous years, 2017 marked an uptick in contributions and grants and the endowment, which is a pool of financial, real estate and additional investments. Contributions and grants increased by more than 12%, from $5,646,117 to $6,351,215. Shawn Wax, vice president of Development and Alumni Relations, who joined the college in 2017, said in a Friday, Feb. 28 email to the Chronicle: “We continue to make progress with our fundraising productivity due largely to the support of foundations and the philanthropic community in Chicago. Our greatest challenge, although I see it as our greatest opportunity, is to increase alumni participation in our fundraising initiatives. Our alumni community cares deeply about the mission of Columbia; our job is to show them how they can support it.” The college’s endowment funds increased by more than 13% in 2017, from $173,049,139 to $196,912,601. This was as a result of market gains as well as proceeds from the sale of real estate, Tarrer said. To absorb the enrollment hit, the college turned to making cuts in areas such as real estate expenses, salaries and hiring freezes, said Johnson Andrews, also an associate professor in the Humanities, History and Social Sciences Department. Johnson Andrews said the college’s
overall financial health is largely due to a stronger business model that did not exist in the past. “We’ve made it this far, so in that sense we’ve sustained that loss,” Johnson Andrews said. At the same time, though, Tarrer said revenue is continuing to be allocated for maximum impact on students’ experience while reducing the cost on the administrative support side and shifting those resources over to the academic side. “We’re encouraged by the enrollment growth we have seen thus far,” Tarrer said in Friday, Feb. 28 follow-up statement to the Chronicle. “Administrative leadership at the college, along with Columbia’s Board of Trustees, is working hard to ensure the long-term financial stability of the institution.” As the college continues to evaluate its business model in the midst of more optimistic enrollment numbers, officials are investing in strategies to increase enrollment, such as expanding the number of scholarships available and keeping tuition as affordable as possible. “We all hear the stories in the news about the rising cost of higher ed,” Tarrer said. “It’s really important, we believe, in our service to the student body, to find ways to make education more affordable.” Joseph said institutions need to look to additional sources of revenue through recruitment strategies such as adding new programs, international marketing and online courses. “[Cuts] are never easy. Hopefully that’s all behind us as we saw growth this past fall, we’ll see growth again this spring and we’re on track to see additional growth this coming fall,” Joseph said. “In order for us to do what we want to do and provide the kind of education that we want to provide, it is important for us to continue to see growth.” ayetter@columbiachronicle.com
MARCH 2, 2020 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE
3
campus
» MATEUSZ JANIK STAFF REPORTER
what do you want Columbia to look like? Should classrooms be set up differently? Should sustainability be more prevalent? Should the curriculum change? The college wants to know. Through a handful of workshops for faculty, staff and students, Columbia is seeking input on ideas to implement in the Vision 2030 Columbia College Chicago Master Plan, a set of goals the college will prioritize for the next decade. The plan follows the 2015– 2020 Strategic Action Plan heralded by President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim, which outlined goals in student success; developing a 21st century curriculum; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; community engagement; optimizing enrollment; and aligning financial resources. “By 2030, I want it to be really clear that this is the school that a young creative comes to because they want to be successful in the real world,” Kim said in a Monday, Jan. 27 article by the Chronicle. “The key to continuing the growth is to be very mindful of what young people are looking for.” The biggest accomplishments of the Strategic Action Plan were the construction of the Student Center and the first uptick in enrollment in more than a decade. IN 10 YEARS,
To collect input, Columbia is partnering with Gensler, an architectural design firm that partnered with the school for the planning and design of the Student Center. Gensler Principal architect Meghan Webster and Urban Designer Nicholas Pryor have been working closely with senior administrators to co-create a six-month development review, allowing them to interact with individuals at the college and research the campus environment. This will be carried out through workshops, interviews with departments, shadowing people during their everyday campus routine and a college-wide survey expected to be sent within the coming weeks, Webster said. Conversations for the review process will center around classroom and workplace environments, sustainability and student wellness, Webster added. “A big focus of this is user experience,” Webster said. “It’s not about what you want—we’re going to write that down—but more about how you experience the campus as a student, and the things that [we] can adapt and change about the campus in the next 10 years that can really enhance the experience.” As of press time, two workshops have been held at the Student Center for students, and another two for faculty and staff, to offer their expertise.
Gensler organizers Meghan Webster, Michelle Maher and Amrita Kulkarni welcome students to the Strategic Plan Workshop at the Student Center.
4 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE MARCH 2, 2020
» MENGSHIN LIN/CHRONICLE
Looking to 2030: College seeks input for Master Plan
Music student Dee Daniels shares his memorable learning experience during the Strategic Plan Workshop at the Student Center on Wednesday, Feb. 19.
During a student workshop on Wednesday, Feb. 19 attended by the Chronicle, only four students attended, including the two Chronicle staffers covering the event. During the workshop, representatives from Gensler asked questions about the students’ daily schedules and how they interact with Columbia’s campus and facilities. Toward the end, students were asked to write what they thought about the campus and what they want to see implemented in the future. Isaiah Moore, co-president of the Black Student Union and junior double major in television and cultural studies, said the idea of getting student input is valuable but could be done in a more effective way. For instance, Moore suggested utilizing student organizations to get the word out, considering the Black Student Union has approximately 50 students at each of its weekly meetings. “Partnering with SGA and student organizations can ensure some kind of turnout, from the organizational standpoint,” Moore said. “Really using the students to help you because we want to see Columbia be a better place, as well.” Regarding what he is looking for from the Master Plan, Moore said student organizations have been searching for a designated space to meet ever since The Loft, 916 S. Wabash Ave., closed and the Black Student Union had to move
its meetings to the Library, 624 S. Michigan Ave. “A lot of other student organizations are looking for places to call home,” Moore said. Lesley Calvillo, a sophomore animation major, said she misses Frannie’s Café being at 1104 S. Wabash Ave. and hopes to see more comfortable environments like The Loft to relax. “I do go to the Student Center a lot, too, and that’s really great, but I feel like there still isn’t a place that’s really comfortable if you want to relax,” Calvillo said. While practicing on the concert hall stage of the Music Center, 1014 S. Michigan Ave., band members of Indigo Flood shared their thoughts about possible improvements to campus. “Our practice rooms are just old closets that we go into and it’s fine, but I spend most of my time in there,” said Tiago Ribeiro, a sophomore music major. “There’s just so many students now with the new people coming in, so it’s kind of tough to find a practice area.” Joshua Freehill, a sophomore music major, said he always hears sound bleeding through the walls of practice rooms in the music building. “There was one time we were practicing and there was a metal band or something, but you could hear everything they were doing through the walls of the building,” Freehill said. “We all deserve the right to make noise as music stu-
dents because we have to in order to practice.” Raquel Monroe, co-director of the Academic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office and associate professor in the Dance Department, participated in the faculty Master Plan workshop. “I found it to be a useful exercise,” Monroe said. “Thinking about the way our built environment impacts how we work and with whom we work therefore influences how we work with students.” Monroe would like to see a space to practice dance with her students that does not have columns in the way of movement. In terms of low student turnout, Monroe said it is tough to make students aware of these workshops when there are multitudes of other factors at play. Monroe recommended creating a social media campaign and having class visits to reach more students rather than just sending out email alerts. Overall, Monroe said she thinks the Master Plan will help the campus community intersect. “I want the building[s] to help us be interdisciplinary, so that no department is necessarily sectioned off from other departments,” Monroe said. “As we move through space, we’re forced to engage with one another and cross into each other’s spaces.” mjanik@columbiachronicle.com
campus
Final bow: Bobbi Wilsyn, ‘heart’ of the Music Department, exits the Columbia stage » KENDALL POLIDORI MANAGING EDITOR POINTING TO AN array of framed
photos along the walls of her office capturing faces of various Columbia faculty, Bobbi Wilsyn recalled the first time she had a hand in one of the college’s performances nearly 40 years ago, a Christmas ensemble with choir students. Glowing with positive feedback after the show, Wilsyn was told if she could get 20 students to sign up for a vocal performance class, she would be able to co-teach it. She got 90. Wilsyn began her Columbia career in 1981 and has taken on a number of roles, including as an adjunct faculty member, artistin-residence, senior lecturer and, her current position, the voice and choral ensemble coordinator and professor of instruction. Wilsyn will be retiring—or, in her own words, “redesigning my career”—from her position in May to continue what she has always done in her free time—perform, sing and pursue motivational speaking. During her time at the college, Wilsyn has worked under four presidents and has had to get comfortable with change, she said, adding that as a jazz singer
she is familiar with improvising. She has taken each wave of change at the college with ease, welcoming new faculty such as Derek Fawcett, an adjunct faculty member in the Music Department, with open arms. In 2006, before Fawcett joined the college, Wilsyn attended a concert for his previous band Down the Line. When Columbia later recruited him to become an instructor, Wilsyn was one of the people who interviewed him for the job. Fawcett came to the college during a time when the Music Department was changing, including the introduction of contemporary music. Because this area of music was not Wilsyn’s specialty, Fawcett said she did not hesitate to ask for help with modernizing the department. “[She went] out of her own musical comfort zone. … I appreciate the seriousness ... she took,” he said. Since then, Fawcett said Wilsyn has been the person he goes to when facing any challenges or doubts in his musical work. As she is leaving the college during the introduction of a new Master Plan, Wilsyn said she wants to see the administration accommodate students by
providing larger practice spaces and places for students to collaborate. In the college, she said the Music Department has been at the forefront in delivering a diverse mix of faculty and students. Events to celebrate Bobbi Wilsyn: Bobbi Wilysn Tribute during Jam Hour Wednesday, March 11, 12 p.m. 1014 S. Michigan Ave. Free Admission “Diversity in Music” panel Friday, March 20, 1 p.m. 1014 S. Michigan Ave. Free Admission Jazz Showcase Wednesday, March 25, 7:30 p.m. 806 Plymouth Court $10 Staff/$5 Students/ $20 General Admission Brianna Blake, a senior music major, said Wilsyn is one of the reasons she transferred to Columbia and the only reason she has stayed. Blake said Wilsyn’s push to work hard was exactly what she needed in order to challenge herself. “She has done and continues to do what I want to do,” Blake said. “[Without her] in the voice
department … heart will be lost.” Sydney Harden, a senior music and American Sign LanguageEnglish interpretation double major, said Wilsyn helped her come out of her comfort zone, and that it is important to have a close connection to instructors whether it is in the classroom or during private lessons. “She did more than her job,” Harden said. “It is going to be really sad to see her go.” Wilsyn said a fond memory is singing on the back porch of her family’s home in Los Angeles. She was also influenced by the music she heard while growing up— gospel music in church, doo-wop in the garage with her friends and her older cousin playing jazz. “I always sang every opportunity I had,” Wilsyn said. “I tell my students when I open the refrigerator and the light comes on, I do a 10-minute show.” But it was not until her mid20s when she realized she could make a career out of her passion. Wilsyn was in Las Vegas at a Lena Horne and Tony Bennett show with her mother when the performance made her cry. “I want to do this,” she told herself. In her teaching, Wilsyn tries to recreate that same feeling for her students. For her, teaching goes beyond the music, and she hopes
to see the day when students are not “so angst,” impacting the growth of their work. “Sometimes it just takes a pat on the back,” she said. “[I want to] help students know they have been given a gift. … If they could simply experience the joy of sharing that gift, then it might help them.” While Wilsyn has had many accomplishments throughout her career, she said she is most proud of receiving the Black Excellence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Jazz, a recognition from the South Side Jazz Coalition for being a jazz educator and performing with the Chicago Jazz Ensemble, which she always dreamed of doing. Wilsyn has no plans of slowing down, though, and will continue performing and releasing projects already in the works. Along with her own performances, the college has three celebrations planned in her honor, plus a master class performance Friday, March 20 with nearly 20 music department alumni. “Music is the great harmonizer,” Wilsyn said. “It brings people together and they speak one common language.” kpolidori@columbiachronicle.com
» MENGSHIN LIN/CHRONICLE
» COURTESY BOBBI WILSYN Bobbi Wilsyn, voice and choral ensemble coordinator, will “redesign” her career by focusing more on vocal performance when she retires from the college in May, after nearly 40 years as an educator.
MARCH 2, 2020 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 5
campus
6 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE MARCH 2, 2020
arts&culture
Check out Chronicle Headlines on Spotify and Apple Podcasts » ColumbiaChronicle.com
Upcoming exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Photography turns the lens on democracy STAFF REPORTER DESOLATE SITE of the Unabomber’s Montana cabin, a 1950s woman dressed up for a civil rights event and the ghostlike shell of a once-segregated school are just a few of the images Art and Art History Department Professor Joan Giroux feels represent democracy. The photos are from the permanent collection of the Museum of Contemporary Photography, 600 S. Michigan Ave., and may end up as part of the upcoming exhibit “What Democracy Looks Like,” which will explore the current state of democracy through the eyes of Giroux and six other faculty guest curators. The exhibit will open Monday, July 13 and run through Sunday, Sept. 27, but the seven faculty members have already begun the process of selecting pieces from the MoCP’s permanent collection to be displayed in the exhibit. Representing several different disciplines, these faculty members will bring their areas of expertise to the exhibit, said Kristin Taylor, curator of Academic Programs and Collection Instruction at the MoCP. While the faculty are free to approach the theme however they choose, Taylor said most are looking to the upcoming elections as a source of inspiration. Giroux said she is focusing on the photographs of locations and physical spaces. “[I am] thinking about space and how the shapes of the spaces that we are in and the objects that surround us inform us in understanding democracy,” she said. Giroux is looking through every photograph of the MoCP’s 16,000-piece permanent collection in alphabetical order THE
by artist to make her selections. Now one-third of the way through, she has already chosen more than 300 images, which she will have to narrow down. Being forced to pick just a handful of pieces from the collection has caused her to think about whose perspectives are most important to put on display, she said. “How do we have one stand for the many, or many stand for the one?” Giroux said. “In democracy, there’s always a little bit of a push and pull between those things.” Guest curator Sharon Bloyd-Peshkin, an associate professor in the Communication Department, said the current political climate makes it timely for the museum to join a larger cultural conversation about the state of democracy in this country. She said she was invited to be a curator, in part, because of her work with voter registration on campus. “I feel one of the things democracy looks like is a place where as many people as possible register to vote,” Bloyd-Peshkin said. Another facet of a healthy democracy, she said, is free press. Many of the pieces she has selected so far are created by photojournalists, photos she said represent first-hand documentation of events.
» LUCAS SMITH/CHRONICLE
» LAUREN LEAZENBY
Joshua Fisher, an assistant professor in the Interactive Arts and Media Department, will implement augmented reality in the exhibit to symbolize his sense that democracy is currently experiencing a breakdown. Fisher is designing a device that will record viewers’ comments about what they see in the exhibit. An algorithm will corrupt that message, and someone will walk around the exhibition space broadcasting the misconstrued version of what they are saying. “My hope and my belief is that, July through September, the space will become crowded with a whole bunch of augmented reality agents speaking nonsense, which will perhaps parallel what is
happening in our political space,” Fisher said. To complement the augmented reality, Fisher will also select pieces for the exhibit. He said he is interested in the tension between urban and suburban communities, and is hoping to juxtapose Greg Stimac’s lawn mowing portraits with historical images of protests. Other faculty chosen as guest curators include Assistant Professor Melanie Chambliss of the Humanities, History and Social Sciences Department; Associate Provost for Faculty Research and Development Ames Hawkins, who is also a professor in the English and Creative Writing Department; Associate Professor Raquel Monroe of the Dance Department, who
also serves as co-director of Academic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; and Associate Professor of Instruction Onur Öztürk of the Art and Art History Department. Making use of the large and diverse on-site collection is an important function of this exhibit, Taylor said, as well as engaging the college to be more involved with what the MoCP does. “We’re always trying to grow and really be more and more integrated with what the college is doing, and to really always be in touch with the work that all of the students and faculty are doing across the college,” Taylor said. lleazenby@columbiachronicle.com
MARCH 2, 2020 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE
7
arts & culture
Life viewed through windows at ‘Harry’s Gallery’ » STEVEN NUNEZ PHOTOJOURNALIST
Columbia, Harry Foster has always wanted to host an exhibit to show a cohesive body of work. While shooting cityscapes and street photography, he noticed a recurring theme: windows. “Windows are kind of like a view into someone’s story,” said SINCE COMING TO
Foster, a sophomore photography major. “I was trying to think of how I’m going to get people at an art show interested in a window.” To make the concept interesting, Foster used thick, white, beveled frames built like windows to display a mix of digital and film prints at his packed Friday, Feb. 7 exhibition held at the Auxiliary Art Center, 3012 W. Belmont Ave. In doing so, the
on film in the Detroit area. After moving to Chicago to attend Columbia, Foster lost interest in shooting landscapes and took up portraiture and architecture. Foster also has an appreciation for graffiti culture and views it as an art that is untapped. Through a collaboration with graffiti artist Gollum, Foster was able to incorporate illustrated elements from his childhood on each
frame, such as cartoon characters from “Harold and The Purple Crayon” and “Calvin and Hobbes.” “Graffiti art is not something I do, but something that I’m always going to be tying into my work in the future,” Foster said. “I’m out of my comfort zone, and I think that gave me a lot of growth and taught me a lot.” snunez@columbiachronicle.com » STEVEN NUNEZ/CHRONICLE
Sophomore photography major Harry Foster held his first photography exhibition at the Auxiliary Art Center, 3012 W. Belmont Ave., Friday, Feb. 7.
frames worked as a metaphor for 19-year-old Foster’s own stories dating back to when he was 16, all viewed through windows. Attendees also had the chance to hear performances from Foster’s friends, musicians WemmyMo and RayMundo Lakino. To keep up with the amount of work he was generating in preparation for the exhibition, Foster would leave rolls of film in his refrigerator and develop it later. Foster’s favorite piece in the exhibit is a warm, long-exposure photograph taken on a roof in the Bridgeport neighborhood because of the way the roof sloped into the cityscape. Despite being a Detroit native, Foster said he will always have a place in his heart for Chicago, where he found his direction in photography and the friends who helped bring his vision to life. Foster built his foundation in photography by creating images of urban and non-urban landscapes
Harry Foster’s exhibit also featured work from grafitti artist Gollum and musical performances from artists such as WemmyMo and RayMundo Lakino.
FOR ALL OF YOUR ART SUPPLY NEEDS, SHOP
WELLNESS F A I R
SHOP YOUR CHICAGO AREA BLICK STORES CHICAGO LOOP 42 S STATE STREET 312-920-0300 LINCOLN PARK 1574 N KINGSBURY AVENUE 312-573-0110 EVANSTON 1755 MAPLE AVENUE 847-425-9100
20% OFF
ENTIRE PURCHASE OF NON-SALE, IN-STOCK ITEMS ONLY. IN STORE ONLY. VALID ON EVERYDAY LOW PRICE.
VALID 3/2/20 – 3/15/20
Coupon must be surrendered at time of purchase; no copies may be used. One coupon per day. Not valid on previous purchases or with any other discounts, sales, or promotions, including yellow-labeled items. Not valid on phone/mail/online orders. Not valid on “Lowest Possible Price” items. Not valid after “Buy More, Save More” discount has been applied. Not valid on Custom Printing and/or Framing orders. Some product exclusions may apply. For a complete list of exclusions, visit bit.ly/blickexclusions
*AO25437*
BLICK ART MATERIALS 8 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE MARCH 2, 2020
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020 11:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M. 754 S WABASH – VARIOUS FLOORS Be the best YOU! Come to the Spring Wellness Fair for FREE massages, FREE guided meditation, FREE HIV testing, FREE exercise demos. There will be on campus and off campus wellness resources and giveaways on the 5th floor. Sponsored by Student Health and Support, Residence Life and Student Diversity and Inclusion.
arts & culture
Q&A: Broadway actor Mike Iveson on what the Constitution means to him » ELLA WATYLYK COPY EDITOR
bility, to really interrogate the say that. Other constitutions of tain wing of American politics document’s meaning. other countries will spell that out. that really hopes that citizens will How has the play affected how What does the Constitution mean not get involved. … The show has you interpret what it means to be to you? encouraged me to try and resist an American? I think of it [as] more of a thing the idea that all this stuff that govOne of the things that does that I get to have some active erns me is not something I should come up in the show is ... [what] engagement with as opposed to have a say in. the constitutions of other coun- … a scroll in an ivory tower that ewatylyk@columbiachronicle.com tries can do that ours doesn’t even I’m not related to. There’s a certry to do. … That’s an eye opener. What are the things that are priorities that we want to write down in words, and [what] are the things we assume that everyone’s going to know? I think there’s an assumption that men are equal to women [in the U.S Constitution], but it Mike Iveson portrays an American Legion member who moderates constitutional debates in “What doesn’t actually the Constitution Means to Me.”
» COURTESY JOAN MARCUS
through college, 15-year-old Heidi delivered speeches about the Constitution for prize money. This sets the scene for “What the Constitution Means to Me,” a play written by Heidi Schreck and directed by Oliver Butler, which follows the story of the character Heidi as she traces how the document affects different generations of women in her family, offering audiences a different take on the Constitution. Boasting two Tony Award nominations and a finalist spot for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the play “What the Constitution Means to Me” will come to Chicago’s Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut St., from Wednesday, March 4 through Sunday, April 12. The Chronicle sat down with TO PUT HERSELF
Shreck’s longtime friend and the show’s original Broadway actor Mike Iveson, who plays an American Legion member and the moderator of the debates, to discuss how the show explores different facets of the Constitution. CHRONICLE: The play discusses women’s issues related to the Constitution as well as successes and failures of the document. How do you think audiences are responding to this message, or how do you hope they will respond? IVESON: I hope the response will be pretty varied. … By watching Heidi actively interrogate what the document has to do with her life and the lives of the women in her family, it encourages everybody to do the same. … Heidi’s play is really an appeal for people to not leave it up to other people to interpret the Constitution. We all have the ability, if not [the] responsi-
Music Center at Columbia College Chicago 1014 S. Michigan Avenue
M u s i c
D e p a r t m e n t
E v e n t s
Thursday March 5 SGA Open Mic Night in the lobby
5:00 PM
Friday March 6 Deep Dish Music Festival
8:00AM - 3:00 PM
MARCH 2, 2020 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 9
metro
Chicagoans take a dip in Lake Michigan for 20th annual Polar Plunge » ColumbiaChronicle.com
Community meeting to address gun violence in Pilsen wracked with conflict » CAMILLA FORTE/CHRONICLE
Attendees pack the auditorium of Pickard Elementary, 2301 W. 21st Place, to hear community organiz- Lucia Villarreal, a 43-year-old Pilsen resident who attended the meeting, stands up to voice her disers and elected representatives address the issue of gun violence in the 25th Ward. content with the way the issue of gun violence has been handled by officials so far. » MARI DEVEREAUX MANAGING EDITOR SHOUTS FROM AGITATED attend-
ees echoed throughout the Pilsen elementary school auditorium, demanding action and denouncing “politically correct” language from police commanders and elected officials on stage. Phrases such as “The community is not the police” and “Where is the money?” could be heard repeatedly from residents. Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th Ward), the alderperson representing Pilsen, held a meeting at Pickard Elementary, 2301 W. 21st Place, Thursday, Feb. 20 to create an open line of communication between public servants and citizens in a “long overdue” conversation about how to effectively address gun violence in the community. More than 100 residents attended the meeting, largely in response to three recent shootings in Pilsen occurring on Saturday, Feb. 8; Sunday, Feb. 9; and Monday, Feb. 10, as well as a double homicide shooting in nearby Chinatown on Sunday, Feb. 9.
Among those in attendance were Chicago Police Department commanders of the Ogden (10th) and Near West (12th) districts; leaders from nonviolence groups; State Sen. Tony Muñoz (1st District); Cook County Board Commissioner Alma Anaya, who represents the 7th District, including Pilsen; as well as a mother whose 16-yearold daughter was shot and killed. Each offered their own testimony and ideas on how to work together to solve the ongoing gun violence. “We have heard stories from people who now are moving out of our community because they don’t feel safe anymore,” Sigcho-Lopez said at the meeting. “Gun violence is the worst issue we’re [facing] today.” Since 2014, there have been approximately 188 shootings in Pilsen alone, according to The Trace, an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to coverage of guns in the United States. So far in 2020, 310 people have been shot across the city, as of press time, according to a Chicago Tribune shooting database.
10 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE MARCH 2, 2020
Junior journalism major Melanie Medrano, who was born and raised in Pilsen, said many residents have grown accustomed to witnessing and dealing with gun violence as part of their daily life. “Around summertime, if we sit outside our house, we know what the difference between a firework and a gunshot is,” Medrano said. “We know when it’s time to leave and call it a night, and we know when it’s time to just hang out.” Lucia Villarreal, a 43-yearold Pilsen resident who attended the meeting, said she has witnessed multiple shootings, assisted in imprisoning “violent gang members” and requested more police personnel for the past 20 years—to no avail. “My house has been shot up three to four times by stray bullets,” Villarreal said. “My daughters … know to this day how to hit the floor when gunfire erupts.” Sigcho-Lopez said much of Pilsen’s struggle is due to inequalities and a lack of opportunity, mental healthcare, funding and programming.
Andre Rodriguez, a street outreach mentor, said he decided to focus more on Pilsen while working at New Life Centers of Chicagoland—an organization created to address issues such as youth violence, justice system involvement and unemployment. He saw a need for gang intervention, safe spaces and youth resources. “When you step outside of Pilsen, the narrative is, ‘They’re gentrified already. They don’t even have a problem,’” Rodriguez said. “But you know that’s not true. I know that’s not true.” Near West District Cmdr. Stephen Chung said the 12th District is trying to make the community safer by using peace circles; teaching youth alternatives to gangs, guns and drugs; and building trust within the community through schools and organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club. While fielding protests and complaints from frustrated attendees who felt they were not being heard, Ogden District Cmdr. Gilberto Calderon laid out the Neighborhood Policing Initiative plan, which
would have officers patrol their beat on foot so they could listen more closely to residents’ safety concerns. “If there is anybody in the audience that thinks that we as a police department do not care, you’re wrong,” Calderon said. Attendees also posed their own ideas for solutions. One suggested residents apprehend suspected criminals on their own without relying on law enforcement, while others advocated for more funding, youth programs without cops and solidarity with other neighborhoods tackling the same problems. Sigcho-Lopez said it is important community members listen and advocate for one another so the neighborhood’s needs are heard and proper resources are allocated. “It’s gonna take a village,” Sigcho-Lopez said. “This is a very tough issue. We really believe that this is just the beginning of this coalition—community groups, the public officials, the commanders—[who will] join us to address this issue.” mdevereaux@columbiachronicle.com
metro » CAMILLA FORTE/CHRONICLE
U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood not expecting top-of-ticket campaign bump Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-14) speaks at City Club of Chicago, hosted at Maggiano’s, 111 W. Grand Ave., about the motivation behind the Black Maternal Health Caucus, which she helped form. » PAIGE BARNES NEWS EDITOR WITH SEN. BERNIE Sanders (I-Vt.)
in the front-runner position in the 2020 primaries, some more moderate Democrats are worried about his—and other Democrats’—electability if he were to face off against President Donald Trump in November. But Illinois Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-14) said no matter which Democratic presidential candidate ends up at the top of the ticket, it is unlikely to provide much of a boost to her campaign—and the nominee could actually hurt her chances. Underwood, a freshman representative running unopposed in the Tuesday, March 17 Democratic primary, was voted into office in 2018 by a mere 5 percentage points in a traditionally Republican district in the far western suburbs, covering parts of Dekalb, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry and Will counties. She was part of a wave of female, freshmen Democrats such as Rep. Alexandria OcasioCortez (D-N.Y.), who many pundits believe were elected in response to Trump’s 2016
election. But Underwood’s more moderate stances on issues such as health care set her apart from the growing group of democratic socialists like Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez. During a Monday, Feb. 24 address to civic leaders before the City Club of Chicago, held at Maggiano’s, 111 W. Grand Ave., Underwood said the nomination of any of the eight Democrats currently on the ballot would be “neutral at best or really difficult at worst” for her bid. Rather than relying on party politics and top-of-theticket excitement to boost her chances, Underwood’s re-election campaign is focused on community concerns, chief among them being health care. Underwood said being the youngest black woman to serve in the House of Representatives is like a “superpower” because she is able to address issues affecting her generation in Congress. “I ran for Congress in the 14th Congressional District of Illinois because the people in my community—the same community I grew up in—deserve better,” she said. “And since I’ve arrived, I’ve been committed to addressing the concerns of my constituents.”
Before running for office in 2018, Underwood worked under the Obama administration as a senior advisor at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help implement the Affordable Care Act. Since being elected, she introduced and sponsored the Chronic Condition Copay Elimination Act and the Primary and Behavioral Health Care Access Act of 2020, both of which have been referred to House subcommittees. “We fought too hard to protect people with preexisting conditions through the Affordable Care Act, and we refuse to backtrack on our progress in providing necessary services like preventive care and mental health treatments,” she said. Underwood, however, does not co-sponsor Medicare for All and instead proposed her own bill, the Health Care Affordability Act of 2019, to expand the Affordable Care Act. As a former nurse, Underwood has prioritized health care legislation during her first term in Congress, even co-founding the Black Maternal Health Caucus alongside Rep. Alma Adams (D-N.C.) last April.
During her City Club address, Underwood pointed to the racial disparities in health care. She said black women in Illinois are six times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related condition compared to white women, and 72% of those deaths are preventable, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. “It’s absolutely critical that we prioritize listening to black women and their families, [and] our caucus has been committed to doing that work,” Underwood said. The fight for the Black Maternal Health Caucus was personal, she said. Dr. Shalon Irving, Underwood’s friend in graduate school at Johns Hopkins University, died suddenly three weeks after giving birth to a baby girl from complications of high blood pressure. She was 36 years old. Underwood and Adams have taken an “all hands on deck approach” by working with groups representing health care providers, insurers and even ride-share providers to be able to address the “unique challenges” that often go unrecognized, she said. For instance, if a woman
does not have access to a car or cannot get time off from work, it does not matter if she needs to get to her primary care provider, Underwood said, explaining the interconnected non-clinical issues. “When we talk about maternity care providers, we need to have a conversation about bias,” she said. “We typically call it implicit bias, but sometimes it’s explicit and sometimes it’s just racism.” She said the legislation introduced by the Black Maternal Health Caucus goes beyond making health care more affordable by taking a holistic view on all possible factors that contribute to maternal health disparities. Funding for the caucus’ priorities are included as part of the Fiscal Year 2020 Labor-HHS-Education Funding Bill, the House’s first appropriations bill of the year, which specifically allocates funds to make black maternal health a priority. “We need to start thinking about what we’re going to do when a black woman is dismissed and she says that something is wrong,” Underwood said. pbarnes@columbiachronicle.com
MARCH 2, 2020 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 11
metro » MENGSHIN LIN/CHRONICLE
Activists support pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong from Chicago M.H. is organizing thousands of supplies, including medical masks similar to the one he is wearing, to be shipped to Hong Kong in the midst of surging prices due to the high demand.
Once the supplies reach their destination, pro-democracy protesters will be able to sell the IN HONG KONG , pro-democracy masks at a much lower price so advocates continue to protest people who lost their jobs due against China’s oversight, many to protests will have affordable wearing medical masks to hide access “whilst the donated masks their identity during protests. will go to frontliners,” according But in the face of a rapidly to M.H. expanding global outbreak of “People line up overnight to the coronavirus, supplies are buy two boxes of masks ... without running out. knowing the quality of the mask,” In turn, prices for masks have said M.H., a lighting engineer in Chicago and contact between the U.S group and the Hong Kong protesters. Many of the Chicago-based volunteers sending supplies are from Hong Kong. The group, a faction broken off from the organization Global Solidarity with Hong Kong, has been supporting the pro-democracy movement from afar by sending supplies and equipment A Chicagoan labels the masks for the shipment to family in Hong Kong. Prices of medical intermittently from masks in Hong Kong have skyrocketed due to high demand heightened by the coronavirus.
» MENGSHIN LIN PHOTOJOURNALIST
surged in Hong Kong due to the overwhelming demand. Since the Hong Kong government has not stabilized the price of masks, a Chicagobased organization has been collecting and shipping out crates of masks worth more than $20,000 to Hong Kong, according to the group’s organizer M.H., who requested to be referred to by his initials for fear of retribution.
12 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE MARCH 2, 2020
the Urban Voice Community Church in Bridgeport. The shortage of masks has primarily affected Hong Kong and China, but its effects have been felt across the world, reaching major American cities like Chicago, which has also had two reported cases of the coronavirus. Ed Abderholden, a cashier at Ace Hardware, 725 S. State St., said the store has run out of stock of National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-approved respirators, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared for “public health medical emergencies.” “We had a shipment come in over the weekend of about 30 boxes [containing] 10 masks each, and somebody came in and bought all of them,” Abderholden said. “We tried to reorder, and the warehouse is completely empty for the Midwest region for Ace Hardware.” M.H. said the mask shortage has caused significant unrest among the general population, with some people banging on the
doors of stores that have closed due to the shortage. “The first level is to get as many masks to Hong Kong as possible for the people in need,” M.H. said. “The second level of doing this is to enhance the Yellow Economic Circle.” Since June 2019, many Hong Kong businesses have been labeled as “yellow” or “blue”—either by themselves or consumers—to denote if they are pro-democracy or pro-government, respectively. These identifications help protestors choose which businesses, and ultimately which movement, to support, as reported Friday, Dec. 13, 2019, by the Diplomat, a current affairs magazine. M.H. has hired individuals in Hong Kong who have lost their jobs due to their participation in the pro-democracy movement to help re-sell supplies on the ground. “If the masks are all shipped to one place, the cost is drastically reduced,” M.H said. “So we are helping both sides and both parties through this consultative shipment.” mlin@columbiachronicle.com
metro » ZACHARY CLINGENPEEL/CHRONICLE
Supporters rally in solidarity of Chinatown businesses negatively affected by coronavirus fears (From left) Cynthia Garcia and Beatriz Thomas dine at Joy Yee during the restaurant crawl in Chinatown. They were invited to the event by Ricardo Contreras, who is friends with organizer Jose Corcoles. » ISAIAH COLBERT STAFF REPORTER
coronavirus epidemic gradually worsening as the number of cases climb worldwide, many Asian-owned businesses in Chinatown are losing customers as some people are associating the coronavirus with people of Asian descent. To support these small businesses, residents from across the city gathered in Chinatown Square to restaurant hop, fill their stomachs and support local businesses. Jose Corcoles, a teacher at Marwen Center for Visual Arts and bartender for Cafe Ciao, and Carlos Matias, Midwest regional manager for spirit importer CNI Brands, jumpstarted the hop, held Monday, Feb. 24, following a Facebook conversation they had about businesses in Chinatown. “[Corcoles] posted an article about the stigma of the coronavirus bringing down business in local restaurants by 50 to 80%,” Matias said. “I commented, ‘Hey, I was just there last week; I didn’t even think twice to not go down there. We should probably start something.’” Gideon Yim, a friend of Matias, WITH THE GLOBAL
said some of the Facebook comments on Matias’ post were “nasty” and “racist.” In response to the issue, Matias and Corcoles decided to host the restaurant hop so Chicagoans could show their support to the impacted businesses. Not everyone was thrilled with the idea, though. One response to the Facebook event page read: “You guys can go catch the virus, I’m good. I ain’t risking it. I heard around 1,000 people from China arrived to Chinatown with their family members. Fleeing the virus outbreak. What makes you think we would put our families in risk for other people’s business.” This is one example of racist backlash to the coronavirus as people associate it with individuals of Asian descent due to the virus’ outbreak in Wuhan, China. However, the virus has no linkage to Asian people. Rather, it is a disease originating from animals such as camels, cattle, cats and bats, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “A lot of fear-mongering that’s going on is rooted in racism,” Corcoles said. “It’s really ironic that this country
would demonize another group of people and accuse them of bringing over diseases considering how this country was founded, which was off the backs of bringing in disease and [the] genocide of a whole [group of ] people.” Although the Facebook event listed 217 people going to the event and 868 people interested, turnout was nowhere near the amount projected. Still, Corcoles said he was fortunate to have excited supporters show up. “We expected five or 10 people ... all of us getting together to go eat some food and a week later we had over 1,000 hits,” Corcoles said. Allan Chow, an employee of Chowbus—an online food delivery service in Chicago that introduces people to Asian food— attended the event to encourage people to go to Chinatown and support local, hidden businesses. “Coronavirus isn’t just an Asian thing,” Chow said. “It definitely started there, but viruses don’t care. It affects all of us.”
One of the event’s organizers, Carlos Matias (left), leads a round of applause in Lao Sze Chuan to celebrate the restaurant bar crawl in Chinatown.
Visit ColumbiaChronicle.com for additional reporting. icolbert@columbiachronicle.com
Attendees and business owners gather for a photograph in Chinatown Square before leaving to shop at businesses throughout Chinatown, Monday, Feb. 24.
MARCH 2, 2020 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 1 3
metro
Democrats move into Chicago ahead of primary, some campaign offices vandalized » CAMILLA FORTE/CHRONICLE
» CAMILLA FORTE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
is mere weeks away, and 2020 Democratic presidential candidates are beginning to move into Chicago, with campaign offices cropping up across the city. The latest addition is Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-Mass.) office, which opened its doors on the South Side in Chicago’s Washington Park neighborhood Thursday, Feb. 27. Warren is polling nationally at 19%—a surge following her fiery debate performance in Nevada, according to a Sunday, Feb. 23 CBS News/YouGov poll— and has 8 delegates following the Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada primaries, situating her in third place in the race after those contests behind Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg. “I have been increasingly impressed with Elizabeth Warren, starting with the way she stood up in the Senate against a lot of the bad stuff the Republicans are doing and continuing with her plans,” said Anne Alt, who signed up to volunteer for Warren’s campaign during the event. The Warren office opening comes on the heels of several cases of vandalism against other Midwest campaign offices belonging to Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Most recently, a Bloomberg office in the Edgewater neighborhood was tagged with the words “racist” and “sexist,” as reported Monday, Feb. 24 by CBS. While the Bloomberg campaign has labeled the acts as indicative of a divisive sentiment within the Democratic party, many supporters and volunteers at the Warren campaign office do not view it as part of a larger issue. THE ILLINOIS PRIMARY
Pam Johnson (left) dances with André J. Washington (right) as Montell Jordan’s song “This Is How We Do It” blasts through Warren’s newly-opened South Side office.
“It’s a horrible thing that happened,” said Vee Caban, a volunteer for the Warren campaign. “But I don’t think [it’s] indicative of everything that’s going to be happening in every poll center.” Josh Fox, a Hyde Park resident who attended the office opening, said, to him, the incident seemed to reflect an issue with Bloomberg as a candidate rather than the Democratic electorate as a whole. “He’s pretty polarizing,” Fox said. “I mean, he’s basically not a Democrat.” Other attendees of the event were more concerned about acts like these taking away from bigger election season issues by perpetuating divisive rhetoric. “Anyone who does that certainly isn’t supporting their personal favorite candidate in the way that they think they are,” said Jimmy Miotto, a graduate student from the University of Chicago. “A
14 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE MARCH 2, 2020
positive campaign is the best way to move forward. ... If you have problems with someone, the best way to show your displeasure is to vote for the person you care about.” Ken Turner, who came to the opening to get a better idea of the level of support Warren has in Chicago, said the vandalism shifted the focus away from what is really important during the current election. “It’s not about a particular candidate, it is about a philosophy, and it’s about a party,” Turner said. “Whoever wins the nomination ... no matter what I feel about them right now, I’m going to support them because there’s a bigger issue. I hope that we as Democrats and independents come together and understand only we can solve it.” cforte@columbiachronicle.com
Ken Turner applauds as organizers announce the office is open for business.
Attendees are encourged to make their mark by writing on pre-designated walls.
opinions
Get the latest news in your inbox by subscribing to our newsletter » ColumbiaChronicle.com
Endorsement: Bernie, for more than the bros
E
lection year, a time ripe with both hope and trepidation for the future of our country. With caucuses, debates and nationwide campaign tours already underway, presidential candidates have been in our ears and on our minds for what may feel like forever. This is all coming to a head here in Illinois as the primary election, Tuesday, March 17, draws closer. With this, as well as the future of our country, in mind, The Columbia Chronicle is officially endorsing Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) for president. Why? Because the United States needs a leader who will consistently follow through on promises to make change. For younger generations—especially those now venturing into early adulthood after leaving home, college or trade school for the first time—it is increasingly important that a candidate has solutions to the myriad of issues facing them in the world right now, as opposed to a
ED I TO R I A L
Sanders, given his record, is not just a candidate for the youth. He is the candidate of the middle- and lower-class, the candidate for those who have served in the armed forces and the candidate for those who do not have a platform to talk about the candidate who simply ruminates on a few socio-economic or racial injustices they face. moderate stances. Sanders is the former of The issues listed above matter to voters these candidates. in a world where every day a new obstacle is Sanders has been campaigning on the stacked against them—whether it is derived same ideas—free college, Medicare for All, from the climate crisis, violence or clashes the Green New Deal, a $15 minimum wage with our laws and freedoms. and universal background checks for weapWhile Sanders may be viewed by some as ons, to name a few—for years. Since his first an extremist for his democratic-socialist presidential election run in 2016, he has yet politics, extremes are seemingly the only to waiver on his most important stances— way to ensure the drastic change the majoreven as some other candidates grab onto ity of Americans want will happen. his coattails for what the Democratic Party Already, the popular majority of would have previously labeled as Democratic voters in Iowa, New Hampshire far-fetched ideas. and Nevada have shown heavy support for him, proving that this country is ready for President Donald Trump’s polar opposite. In a political climate as polarized as America’s, any stance remote from the two parties can be dismissed. E However, with each ardent speech and CL I In a staffON debate performance, Americans can rest wide poll, Sen. HR C / Bernie Sanders assured that Sanders’ big ideas are the straIS M (I-Vt.) won with 63%, M tegic plans of a devoted politician, not the followed by Sen. Elizabeth SA Warren (D-Mass.) at 14.8%. HN ramblings of “communism,” as presidential O »J
opponent and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg suggests. For the American people, the most important thing a candidate can offer is consistency. Holding firm in their stances and addressing questions and concerns head-on—no flip-flopping, no cloak and dagger—is how they win votes. Additionally, as with any national or local election, it is crucial that citizens educate themselves on who they are voting for. The saying goes, “Blue no matter who.” However, with all the facts, voting records and efforts for transparency on our side, electing the right Democratic nominee will eliminate our need to acquiesce and go with whomever is left standing. The Illinois primary is set for Tuesday, March 17, but early voting is open now at select locations. Get registered, bring your friends to the polls—whether here or in the state you call home—and play your part in our democracy. If you are not yet registered to vote, or are unsure if you are, you can check at vote.org/ am-i-registered-to-vote. The deadline for registration may vary depending on state, but in Illinois registration is open as late as Election Day. chronicle@colum.edu
COMIC » JENNIFER CHAVEZ/CHRONICLE
Whether rain, snow or shine, classes will still be in session MARCH 2, 2020 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 15