March 9, 2020 | The Columbia Chronicle

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» PHOTO ILLUSTRATION/ CAMILL A FORTE, MIKE RUNDLE AND SHANE TOLENTINO

2020

14 adjuncts were overpaid by the college.

Now, they have to pay it back.

Story by Alexandra Yetter | See “Overpaid,” page 3

Campus, page 4

Arts & Culture, page 7

Metro, page 14

Opinions, page 15

College prepares faculty in light of coronavirus outbreak

Art exhibition celebrates Women’s History Month

Mayor Lori Lightfoot endorses Joe Biden for president

Opinion: Increased police presence on CTA sparks violence

editor’s note

It’s time to get over fake news phobia

>> staff MANAGEMENT

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

» ALEXANDRA YETTER

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

S

tanding in the back of The Promontory, a Hyde Park restaurant, leaning against the bar with my legal pad and recorder out, I listened carefully to prominent Chicago politicos discuss the Super Tuesday results in real-time.

Once the panel opened it up to audience questions, the inevitable—and at this point, expected—question came: “How do you distinguish the real fake news from the fake-fake news?”

The answers from the panelists varied slightly, with political consultant Delmarie Cobb tactfully acknowledging her ebb-andflow relationship with the press throughout her career in politics—Cobb worked as Hillary Clinton’s press secretary in Illinois during Clinton’s 2016 bid for office—and recommending going to the outlet you trust most.

Cobb said she often turns to black media outlets such as The Chicago Defender to support journalists covering news the predominantly-white mainstream media does not.

But it was Ald. Jeanette B. Taylor’s (20th Ward) answer that nauseated me.

“I don’t trust any of them; I go to Facebook,” Taylor said. “For me, it’s more so a conversation and the people that I think I can learn from.”

At this point, I am no stranger to the public’s fear of fake news. At nearly every event I cover and in nearly every class I attend, someone inevitably cries “fake news!” or someone will timidly ask how to dodge fake news, as if it were a villain stalking neighborhood streets looking to steal children.

But what really struck a chord for me was that I had mistakenly assumed the public understood, at least at the surface level, that journalists were more reputable than Facebook posts.

When people refer to “fake news,” they are usually referencing one of two things: a media outlet or story they don’t personally agree with, and thus do not believe; or legitimate faux-journalism, such as personal blogs or editorials, columns and op-eds, none of which adhere to journalistic commandments.

Similarly, calling former 2020 presidential candidate Andrew Yang a “political commentator” and featuring the CNN emblem underneath his face does not make him a journalist.

VOL. 55, ISSUE 21

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 Val eria Mancera-Saavedra Jonah Ocuto Ryan Rosenberger

Both are due to misinterpretations of journalism.

“Fake news” started as a Trumpist methodology during the president’s 2016 bid for office, something his supporters could chant during rallies as journalists squirmed in the press pit. But four years

COPY later, it has rapidly spread to all facets of society, regardless of political ideology.

COPY EDITORS Summer Hoagland-Abernathy Now, at what I suspect is the height of “fake Brooklyn Kiosow Ella Watylyk news-phobia,” even our public officials—as seen with Taylor, surrounded in a room by GRAPHICS her constituents—are publicly renouncing their trust in the media.

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Jennifer Chavez It’s no secret that public officials often Wesley Enriquez spar with, or are even burned by, aggressive John Sammis Lucas Smith reporters. Public officials have a job to do as do journalists, and sometimes those

MULTIMEDIA jobs cause the two to butt heads. However, a room filled DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Camilla Forte that is no reason to stand in PHOTOJOURNALISTS Justin Anderson with constituents who trust you and have Zac Clingenpeel likely voted for you in the past, and tell them Mengshin Lin you do not trust the fourth estate and have Jacqueline Luttrell Steven Nunez replaced them with a social media entity at the heart of an investigation into foreign

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Blaise Mesa meddling in the 2016 election—and likely the 2020 election, according to former ADVERTISING/ Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

MARKETING The press has its issues, just like the three branches of government.

For

SALES MANAGER Cale Holder in the newsMEDIA SALES REPS Sunjoy Walls instance, a lack of diversity Katie Williams room is an ongoing struggle, but one slowly being addressed, such as with the Chicago SENIOR STAFF Sun-Times, which as part of its recent contract negotiations with the Chicago News GENERAL MANAGER Travis Truitt Guild, established a website posting the FACULTY ADVISER Curtis Lawrence gender and race of its employees.

But public officials and their constituents should call the press out in the rare cases when reporters’ facts are incorrect so they can be remedied, not just default to the cry of “fake news” whenever they are unhappy with the front page.

2 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE MARCH 9, 2020

ayetter@columbiachronicle.com

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(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

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campus

Adjunct Keturah Shaw-Poulos dead at 51 » ColumbiaChronicle.com

‘Oops’: 14 adjuncts were overpaid by the college. Now, they have to pay it back

» ALEXANDRA YETTER

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

marized Columbia’s Employee Overpayment Policy.

“Overpayment occurs when compensation that is not owed to the employee is paid in error,” the email read. “Any overpayment represents a legal debt owed to the College, which it has a duty and obligation to recover.

Employees are responsible for reviewing their paychecks for accuracy. Employees, departments and Human Resources must report overpayment of wages [or] salary immediately to the Controller’s Office.”

Plotner did not notice she was being overpaid because her

Vallera said she saw it as a legitimate concern.

At the same time, Vallera said the college was “quick and responsive” and she “didn’t have to argue” when she told them Plotner would need to set up a repayment plan because the debt would cause financial hardship.

“They made a mistake and we have to be responsible as faculty to pay that back, but they have to make all the accommodations to be able to pay that back,” Vallera said.

Although Vallera was not told why the overpayment occurred— adding that there was “no rhyme

mistake” for which the college is working with individuals who have either paid in lump sum or set up a repayment plan.

Besides double-checking for accuracy, Lukidis did not know of any safeguards being implemented at this time. She added that if the reverse were to occur—an employee being underpaid—they would need to reach out to payroll to correct the error.

A Wednesday, Jan. 29 email sent to faculty and staff from Jerry Tarrer, senior vice president of business affairs and CFO—sent around the same time Plotner found out she was overpaid—sum-

biweekly paychecks differed only slightly compared to what she should have been making, adding up throughout the semester.

For assistance in setting up a repayment plan, Plotner reached out to Vallera, whom she said was extremely “helpful” and “empathetic” throughout the process.

Vallera said she was disappointed she did not hear from the college about 14 adjuncts being overpaid because the union could have helped. When the college provided her a list showing how many were affected and how much each cost—overpayments ranged from $500 to $3,000—

or reason” to those affected—she said past errors have usually been fixed quickly.

Jennifer Sadler, chair of the Faculty Senate’s Faculty Affairs Committee and assistant professor in the Business and Entrepreneurship Department, said she has not heard of this issue happening with full-time faculty, but if it did occur, faculty would also be required to repay the college.

Sadler said the college can always be looking into how to improve its payroll system and suggested standardizing the deduction of money from future paychecks when overpayment occurs.

» LUCAS SMITH/CHRONICLE

Kayli Plotner picked up the phone when she realized a Chicago number had been trying to reach her. It was a payroll officer from Columbia who told her she was overpaid in the Fall 2019 semester, and she now owed the college approximately $1,000.

“They were just like ‘Oops, sorry we overpaid you,’” said Plotner, an adjunct faculty member in the Communication Department. “It was irritating to be told a mistake that was not mine was now my financial burden.”

Plotner was one of 14 adjuncts across departments who were overpaid during the Fall 2019 semester, according to Diana Vallera, parttime faculty union president and an adjunct faculty member in the Photography Department.

By the time she learned of the error in December, Plotner had moved from Chicago to Denver for a new job, missing a letter mailed from the college alerting her to the overpayment. Because she was not teaching during the Spring 2020 semester, she also had not been checking her Columbia email.

Once she discovered the issue, she said she was told by payroll she would not be assigned courses at Columbia again until she paid back the excess funds.

“It plays into how strange and unorthodox this entire thing has been to where they accidentally overpay me, and now it’s my responsibility to pay it back, even though I had no idea it was happening,” Plotner said.

According to a Feb. 28 email sent to Plotner from payroll, if she had paid before Jan. 8, she owed the net pay of $977. However, since she discovered the issue later, she now owes the gross pay of $1,226 “since wages were paid in a subsequent year of 2019,” the email stated.

“It really added to the stress of normal life to be told you have a thousand-dollar bill floating around out there,” Plotner said. “I ONE UNASSUMING DAY,

just moved, I just started a new job, I just got all of my finances back to where they were before I moved, because moving across the country is extremely expensive, and it was really frustrating.”

Although Lambrini Lukidis, associate vice president of Strategic Communications and External Relations, confirmed 14 adjuncts were overpaid, she said, to her knowledge, no statements were made on whether adjuncts would not be rehired or assigned classes based on their repayment.

Lukidis attributed the overpayment to human error, calling it a “regrettable and unfortunate

“I can understand that that would be a financial burden for anybody to have to pay back, especially given that adjuncts are usually paid quite significantly less than full-time faculty are,” Sadler said.

To prevent this from happening to adjuncts in the future, Vallera advised adjuncts look at the union’s pay scale, make sure paycheck amounts are accurate and seek help from the union if in doubt.

According to the union’s contract, the standard compensation rates for a three-credit course range from $4,600 to $5,600.

With the assistance of the Dean of the School of Media Arts Eric Freedman, Plotner worked with payroll to establish a payment plan where approximately $200 each pay period will be deducted from her paychecks when she next teaches an online course at the college in Fall 2020.

Despite the frustration, Plotner plans to return to Columbia because of her personal connection to the people here.

“There’s a special kind of grit to being a student at Columbia in the journalism department because it’s pretty intense,” Plotner said. “Having those kinds of students and that kind of faculty will be what would bring me back as an adjunct.”

In the meantime, Vallera said she hopes this issue does not impact other adjuncts’ decision to return to the college.

“To me, it’s about how the college values the part-time faculty,” Vallera said. “When we see the president of the school is making a salary increase of 40% and the part-time faculty still have no health insurance— not even access, nothing—and we’re still living paycheck by paycheck, we still have part-time faculty in assisted living … our faculty have to be valued, and part of that value is through fair pay.” ayetter@columbiachronicle.com

MARCH 9, 2020 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE

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campus

Columbia joins colleges preparing for the worst in face of coronavirus outbreak » JONAH OCUTO STAFF REPORTER RESPONSE TO a growing concern over the global outbreak of coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, Columbia is encouraging faculty to prepare for the worst case scenario, which can include alternate means of instruction if the school decides not to hold in-person classes.

Faculty and staff who teach were advised in a March 4 email from all three deans at the college, as well as Senior Vice President and Provost Marcella David, to instruct students to stay

“We recognize that not all course experiences can be fully replaced by online activities, but we ask for your expertise and ingenuity in reconceiving how you might deliver essential course content in a new way,” the email read.

The college also plans to release a survey to faculty and students soon for them to weigh in on Canvas accessibility and performance, according to the email.

The move comes as the University of Washington announced Friday, March 6 it would cancel all in-person classes for the next few

weeks because of the coronavirus, which has left 13 people dead in the state, as of press time, according to the Associated Press.

With six confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Illinois thus far, other colleges are also preparing for campuses to be impacted.

Gloria J. Gibson, president of Northeastern Illinois University, sent a Wednesday, March 5 email to the university community referencing potential closure of the university.

“If an outbreak occurs in Chicago, we will have to consider temporary closure of the University and all

» JUSTIN ANDERSON/CHRONICLE

IN

home if they feel sick. The email recommended excusing absences that would have previously required a doctor’s note and suggested faculty permit students to avoid attending class if experiencing any symptoms of illness, such as coughing, fever or shortness of breath, until the symptoms subside.

In preparation for increased absences, the college directed faculty to plan for a disruption of college operations, encouraging the use of Canvas to deliver recorded lectures, facilitate online discussion and shift in-class activities to “online collaborations.”

Posters emphasizing the importance of washing one’s hands to combat the coronavirus have been put up in various locations across campus.

4 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE MARCH 9, 2020

of its facilities,” Gibson said in the email. “We are developing contingency plans, updating our emergency operations plans, and are looking into ways to minimize the impact a closure could have on instruction.”

Marcos Antonio Colon, a senior cinema art and science major at Columbia, said he supports the college’s approach to the epidemic.

“I definitely do feel like that’s a pretty safe countermeasure for the safety of the students,” Colon said.

At the same time, Eilish MorseO’Rourke, a junior musical theatre performance major, said a shift to online learning could hold negative implications for students who depend on in-class activities, such as rehearsals and performances.

“It would be cutting our education short, basically. We couldn’t really do any of our usual practicing,” MorseO’Rourke said.

Notably, in the email the college also encouraged the faculty and staff who teach to be conscious of racially-fueled discrimination toward students.

The Chronicle reported on the discrimination some Columbia students of Asian descent have faced in Chicago in a Monday, Feb. 17 article.

To combat discrimination, the college is pushing faculty to consider how they handle interactions with students.

“News reports have put a particular face on the coronavirus outbreak, and our political climate has led some to embrace isolationism and othering,” the email read.“But ours is a global campus, and this is a global virus.

We ask you to think carefully about your interactions with students and colleagues, and we ask you to resist singling out individuals because of their appearance or place of origin.” jocuto@columbiachronicle.com

campus

Columbia’s female creators come together for confidence and support » KENDALL POLIDORI MANAGING EDITOR

major, Lily Indie quickly grew frustrated by the male-dominated work and class environment around her.

Indie, a junior at Columbia, said at first she was not intimidated in her classes, but once she started on a group project, she struggled with feeling like she had to be better than her male partners. She said it always feels as though she has to prove herself.

“It is hard for [men] to see [things] through a female lens,” Indie said.

Initially, Indie was inspired to form an all-female comedy-specific group but then decided to create a more general space for all AS A TELEVISION

female and nonbinary creatives to come together. By actively creating work together and by having a genuine interest in women around them, Indie said the group developed quickly and easily.

Now in its second semester as an official student organization, the Coalition of Female Creators is geared toward self-care activities that recognize the personal strengths of the women and nonbinary creators in the group and that help them learn from constructive criticism.

“We have been trying to focus a lot more on fostering a community among us,” Indie said.

Kick-started in Fall 2019, the group holds weekly meetings Mondays from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Student Center to

serve as a space for female and non-binary creators.

Going forward, Indie said she wants the group to boost its connection with other organizations on campus through lending their space for women to lead activities or discussions.

While March is International Women’s Month and an empowering opportunity for women to showcase their work, Indie said it is important for women to continually be vocal about their creative ideas throughout the year.

Lillian Pugh, a freshman filmmaking major, said it is important for people to take the time to learn more about women and nonbinary people who have done good things for the country, or in their field of interest, and find ways

to support them. For Pugh, it all starts with loving and respecting oneself because doing so will then boost others.

“You don’t have to love every other woman,” Pugh said. “But you do have to respect her.”

On Monday, March 2, the group gathered for a “Gamer Girls” night of activities and games to get to know everyone in attendance.

The 14 female creators shared laughs and passed around Target-brand cheese crackers and chunky chocolate Chips Ahoy! cookies over rounds of Cards Against Humanity and JackBox. Kallie Dahlman, a sophomore filmmaking major and treasurer for the coalition, said she was looking for a solid group of girls to hang out with, and the coalition

» MENGSHIN LIN/CHRONICLE

Members of Coalition of Female Creators engage with JackBox, a digital party game, during a Monday meeting at the Student Center.

Lily Indie, the founder and president of Coalition of Female Creators, started the student organization last semester.

Coalition of Female Creators is a student organization that meets every Monday afternoon at the Student Center.

was the strongest place she has found on campus.

“This is a good group to find those connections, find girls who support each other,” Dahlman said. “[It is] a place to relax and relate to people comfortably.”

Aside from the coalition, Pugh is unaware of any other spaces on campus specifically female-focused.

Sharon Ross, an associate professor and associate chair in the Cinema and Television Arts Department, has been at the college since 2003, and said with media industries being male dominated, it is important for female students to learn how to network at the college because it will give them a pathway to do so in a professional setting.

Ross said the introduction of the #MeToo Movement was a big wake up call for the department; it was a moment for her to train the next generation of media makers. She added that the college can do more in acknowledging these issues through incorporating female-focused work in core curriculum and connecting across departments.

Freshman comedy writing and performance major Bella Thornton said she actively supports and makes space for other female creators because people have made space for her.

Thornton said without those opportunities, she would not have been able to muster the confidence in the work that she does today— which includes a student-run improv and sketch group, False Positives, that Thornton helped put together with Shelby Steele, a freshman comedy writing and performance major.

“If we are not opening up spaces to other female collaborators,” Thornton said, “we are closing down a part of ourselves that is looking for light and curiosity and engagement.” kpolidori@columbiachronicle.com

MARCH 9, 2020 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 5

campus

Upcoming campus events bring Spanish art close to home STAFF REPORTER LETURIA , AN associate professor in the Communication Department, is no stranger to the prejudice international artists can face when they come overseas.

He said when he came to America from Peru in the 1990s, he encountered negative stigma on a regular basis, creating a drive to bring awareness to international education.

“My purpose is to expose people to other ways of thinking, that there’s not only one way,” Leturia said. “The American way is not the only right way to do things.”

So when Leturia was contacted by Instituto Cervantes, a cultural organization founded by Spain’s government, he thought it would be a great opportunity not only to get in touch with Spanish arts, but also to promote Columbia’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion mission.

Leturia said students immersing themselves in the art of other cultures is more important than ever before, as Columbia’s international student body has grown.

ELIO

“I have an interest in promoting internationalism at Columbia because the more that we learn about other cultures, the better we get along, and the more we understand each other,” Leturia said.

In Fall 2019, approximately 60 students enrolled at Columbia were from Spanishspeaking countries, such as Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Honduras and Chile, according to data from Institutional Effectiveness.

As part of the collaboration between Columbia and Instituto Cervantes, Spanish filmmaker Nayra Sanz Fuentes screened three of her short films on Monday, March 2 at 1104 S. Wabash Ave. Architect and musician Rubén Alonso will showcase “Antropoloops” on Monday, March 9 at 6:30 p.m at the Hokin Lecture Hall, 623 S. Wabash Ave. Eliminating prejudice toward other cultures is a major goal of Alonso’s “Antropoloops,” an audiovisual event featuring the live remixing of world music, simultaneously allowing audience members to follow

» ZACHARY CLINGENPEEL/CHRONICLE

» JONAH OCUTO

Todd Burbank—a friend of Elio Leturia, an associate professor in the Communication Department— watches Fuentes’ short film “Selfie,” in the audience as part of the Spain On Campus speaker series.

music, especially through remix,” Alonso said. “Trying to remix traditional music is a tool for trying to know each other and finding the commonalities in our differences.”

As a filmmaker, Fuentes said her goal is to create art that changes the audience’s worldview.

“When you see a film, and you go out of the room, your view of the world has, at least somehow, changed for a bit,” she said.

Although it can be challenging, Fuentes said films allow audience members to step into another person’s perspective because of the direct and indirect connections to the space.

Jose Luis Martin Ortiz de Taranco, an international exchange student from Spain, said students should After showing three of her short films, filmmaker Nayra Sanz Fuentes (left) and Leturia field questions from audience members, Monday, March 2. take advantage of 6 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE MARCH 9, 2020

along on a map projected on a screen. The show has traveled across the globe, from Argentina to Germany, and will be featured during his event on campus.

“Behind this composition idea, there is this thought that we can approach other people’s

the opportunity to engage with international artists. “[International art] is something normally that universities do not promote when it comes to artists from overseas,” Ortiz de Taranco said.

“It is sometimes very difficult to get to know what they’re doing on the other side of the ocean, and that is really important.”

While studying abroad in Europe, Ortiz de Taranco noticed international artistry is not promoted as much as it is in the U.S., adding that striking a balance is important.

“That is worse because it closes your mind to only what you have around yourself,” he said.

Leturia said opening minds and eliminating the preconceived notions some may have is a benefit of bringing international artists to campus. “[If we stay closed off,] we are going to make some comments that are based on the lack of knowledge about these other cultures,” Leturia said. “[When we think of Spain,] we think about bullfighting and we think about flamenco dancing ... when there’s much more than that.” jocuto@columbiachronicle.com

Listen to “Chronicle Headlines” on Spotify and Apple Podcasts » ColumbiaChronicle.com » CAMILLA FORTE/CHRONICLE

arts&culture

Artists depict the universal female experience at ‘Suffra-Jetting’ exhibit The “Suffra-Jetting” exhibit celebrating the female experience and the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote will be open March 13 through April 4 at Woman Made Gallery, 2150 S. Canalport Ave. » MARI DEVEREAUX

MANAGING EDITOR

of her camera with her hair uncovered and wearing her late mother’s nightgown, Verneda Lights flashed a furious expression as she captured a self-portrait.

Lights later modified the work, titled “Fury,” by lining the curvature of her face with vibrant swatches of yellow, red and green, crafting the barbed wire word “NO,” which ascends from her tongue.

During her artistic process, Lights reminisced on the 11 years she spent as her family’s caregiver, frustrated with the “unfairness” of the medical establishment, as well as the burden black women carry within America’s socioeconomic structure. Often these women do not have control over their own bodies, the right to protest or working protections, she said.

SITTING IN FRONT

Lights is one of 39 artists from Chicago, and across the world, who will be showcasing their artwork as part of the free “Suffra-Jetting” exhibition at Woman Made Gallery, 2150 S. Canalport Ave., Friday, March 13 through Saturday, April 4.

“Historically, there’s much to be angry about,” Lights said. “It is useful to channel frustration into problem solving work. … You have to seek a remedy. For me, that remedy has been my art and also my writing.”

Woman Made Gallery, a nonprofit organization founded in 1992, aims to cultivate and promote work by female-identifying artists and hosts approximately eight group exhibitions a year, curated and juried by both artists and non-artists.

The gallery only accepts work from female-identifying and nonbinary artists and is run by a

Gallery coordinator Marta Kowalska-Porcz sets up the “Suffra-Jetting” exhibit, placing an artist’s statement next to a piece of performance photography.

female board of directors, business women and curators.

According to a study by Artnet News and In Other Words, only 14% of exhibitions at 26 prominent American museums between 2008 and 2018 featured work by female artists.

Artist and juror Malika Jackson chose 43 pieces out of 300 works submitted by local and international artists for the exhibit. All works chosen fit the theme of the “female experience”—motherhood, racism, inequality, violence and spirituality.

Jackson said she spent two days combing through the submissions, looking at the art before the artists’ names or statements.

She said she sought pieces that captured the vision of her friend Candace Hunter, who originally came up with the idea for the “empowering” exhibition.

“It’s important because we need a voice,” Jackson said. “Many times female artists are not heard.

That needs to be done in a wider arena ... and not just doing art for Women’s History Month.”

The exhibited work takes on forms such as paintings, drawings, photography, printmaking, mixed media works and sculptures.

Kelly Witte, a freelance visual artist from Racine, Wisconsin, said this is her first time submitting work for the gallery, and her work was selected.

Titled “Not Up For Grabs,” Witte’s pop-art style piece uses a mixture of bright pinks and printmaking techniques to make a blatant political statement on then-candidate Donald Trump’s statement “Grab ‘em by the p---y,” while subtly touching on issues of women’s health and sexism.

“I hope it’s an opportunity for [viewers] to discuss their own opinions and beliefs,” Witte said.

MahlÕt Sansosa, an artist who practices performance photography and is currently residing in Brazil, submitted a piece that spoke to the African diaspora and black women specifically, exploring nationality, sexuality, femininity and religion.

In the photo series taken in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, an Islamic nation, Sansosa is seen in a short black skirt, a hijab and red high heels—symbolizing an aggressive form of femininity. Sansosa also carries a large cross in the photo that reads “Africa” to represent the burden women bear in society, Sansosa said.

The process of performance photography is “durational,” Sansosa said, and can take years to fully complete because she is physically living through the work.

Deborah Hirshfield, an artist from Evansville, Indiana, who taught art and music at Chicago Public Schools for 20 years, said she interpreted the theme of this exhibit as women suf-

fering and “jetting,” or pushing through hardships.

Combining her interests in feminism, women and love of fiber, Hirshfield worked tirelessly in her cramped basement to create the piece “Madonna” with hanging baby shoes, pregnant mannequins, fabric and LED light halos.

Gallery coordinator Marta Kowalska-Porcz said since all exhibits are free and attract approximately 3,000 attendees annually, the gallery relies on funding from organizations and its membership.

While the exhibit celebrates Women’s History Month and the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote, she said it also acknowledges the racially divided legacy of suffrage and the fact that there is more work to be done in terms of true equality.

“We hope that it will encourage people to use their rights to vote, to realize there are people who are still discriminated [against] for some reason, and they’re not able to vote,” Kowalska-Porcz said.

“We just want people to be aware. ... It’s not only political about the vote, but it’s also women’s experiences throughout the years.”

The opening reception of the “Suffra-Jetting” exhibit will take place Friday, March 13 from 6–8 p.m. at the Woman Made Gallery. mdevereaux@columbiachronicle.com

MARCH 9, 2020 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE

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arts & culture

Review: ‘Guns Akimbo,’ a neon-drenched nightmare » JONAH OCUTO STAFF REPORTER CAMERA HAS just spun 360 degrees around Daniel Radcliffe for what feels like the tenth time in 30 minutes and my mind, too, has been sent spinning—not because of the blazing neon lights, screwball editing or the preposterous plot—but at the realization that I’ve actually just spent $7 on a film that features a juiced-up techno-remix of “You Spin Me Round,” by Dead or Alive. » COURTESY “GUNS AKIMBO”

THE

“Guns Akimbo,” directed by Jason Lei Howden and released Friday, Feb. 28 to lackluster acclaim, follows Miles, a video game developer with a penchant for anonymous online harassment, who finds himself roped into SKZIM, a death match streamed online to millions of viewers.

Hunted by the bounty hunter Nix, Miles has to face his fears and confront SKIZM’s leader in order to save his ex-girlfriend.

Notably, the film was shrouded in one of the most peculiar Twitter

Miles, played by Daniel Radcliffe, desperately calls for help from two police officers in a still from the film.

8 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE MARCH 9, 2020

controversies in recent memory.

After private messages leaked of Dilara Elbir, a non-black editor-in-chief of the zine Much Ado About Cinema, showing her using the N-word, Twitter users condemned Elbir, and some Much Ado About Cinema collaborators quit. Elbir posted an apology video suggesting an attempted suicide, as reported Monday, Feb. 24 by Vulture, New York magazine’s entertainment and culture site.

In response, Howden defended Elbir’s use of the N-word as a joke and called out journalist Valerie Complex and a blogger who goes by the pseudonym “DarkSkyLady” on Twitter saying, “These toxic, disgusting ‘film writers’ bullied Dilara Elbir from Much Ado About Cinema until she attempted suicide,” even though neither Complex nor DarkSkyLady had anything to do with it, Vulture reported. So followed 72 hours of volatile exchanges between Howden and others,

from both his personal Twitter account and allegedly the film’s official account.

According to IndieWire, Howden’s actions pushed Saban Films, the film’s distributor, to release the following statement: “We are releasing ‘Guns Akimbo’ this Friday, February 28. While we do not condone, agree or share Mr. Howden’s online behavior, which is upsetting and disturbing, we are supportive of the film and all the hard work and dedication that has gone into making ‘Guns Akimbo.’”

To be completely frank, I dreaded the notion of watching “Guns Akimbo.” It included everything I hate in one sickening package: egregious, nauseating cinematography; sloppy plotting; cringe-worthy jokes—everything that haunts a film-lover’s dreams.

Nevertheless, I held out, hoping that at the very least I could have a good laugh at the film’s absurdity.

The film, on paper, has a unique plot as far as action-comedy films

go, but finds itself bogged down by its haphazard story. This film could function just fine as a piece of popcorn cinema, but as a result of a pretentious director, it loses itself in the drama. There’s an odd subtext beneath “Guns Akimbo,” referencing the dangers of online harassment and the pain bullying can inflict, which while sincerely important, is a bit hard to take seriously when wrapped up in the film’s irreverence.

“Guns Akimbo” in and of itself is eerily similar to what Howden’s tweets were: thoughtless remarks intended to heal, only to end up doing the opposite.

Coincidentally, the antagonist of the film is a director of sorts, so convinced of his own infallibility, he ends up destroyed at the hands of his own creation.

If that isn’t ironic, I don’t know what is. jocuto@columbiachronicle.com

arts & culture

Chicago hip-hop artist ‘The Honorable Hakim Dough’ is a teacher at heart Columbia alumnus and Chicago hip-hop artist The Honorable Hakim Dough is pursuing in life, there always seems to be one common thread: educating others.

On the mic, Dough is a hyper-conscious songwriter whose vivid lyrical pictures teach hard lessons about the realities minority communities face.

Now, Dough is putting his educational spirit into action with the “Teens, Hoodies & Studio Time” campaign to give aspiring Chicago artists free studio time in a professional environment.

Dough said the main objective of the campaign is to pay it forward, even with the finite amount of resources at his disposal.

“I don’t have the most sponsorships or endorsements,” Dough said. “But what I do have, I like to give back.”

NO MATTER WHAT

For every two of Dough’s “Thankful, for the Chi” hoodies sold, the proceeds will cover one hour of studio time for an emerging artist.

According to Dough’s website, contestants have to be between 14 and 24 years of age. They also have to submit a 250-word summary on why they are thankful for Chicago, as well as an additional 250 words on why they are the ideal recipient for the studio time, along with a demo of their own music.

Aside from free studio time, winners will have the opportunity to get up close and personal with industry professionals by taking part in workshops in areas such as songwriting, creative strategy and community building, to name a few. The deadline for submissions is Tuesday, March 31.

Dough said giving back to youth was an easy decision because they usually don’t have the resources to jump-start their careers.

“They were a no-brainer for who I’d like to give back to,” Dough said.

The campaign was inspired by Dough’s 2018 album, “Thankful, for the Chi.” Over a series of jazz and gospel-inspired instrumentals, Dough pays homage to Chicago through a series of dizzying lyrical exercises and the sociopolitical content in his songs.

In his song “Wanna Rap?,” Dough sings: “Too many dandelions dyin’ due to environment and guns/The antithesis of photosynthesis is mamas losin’ sons.”

Dough said “Thankful, for the Chi” was a snapshot of his experiences from 2015 to 2018, the period of time in which the album was conceived. Some of those experiences include living in the Bronzeville neighborhood and dating a woman who attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Dough said.

“The people I’ve been able to connect with [and] the people

» STEVEN NUNEZ/CHRONICLE

» RYAN ROSENBERGER STAFF REPORTER

Hakim Dough is running a “Teens, Hoodies & Studio Time” campaign in an effort to give young aspiring Chicago artists free studio time in a professional setting.

who have taken me under their wing ... they’ve essentially given me access or entrusted in me responsibilities to do and be what I say I am,” Dough said.

Dough’s passion for educating others was one of the catalysts for coming to Chicago in the first place. He moved to the city in 2015 to attend graduate school at Columbia where he studied arts management. Dough earned

his Master of Arts Management degree in 2017.

“I’ve always been someone who enjoyed teaching,” Dough said. “A big part [of why] I went to graduate school is because, at some point, I knew I wanted to come back and be a professor.”

Visit ColumbiaChronicle.com for additional reporting. rrosenberger@columbiachronicle.com

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Sen. Bernie Sanders swings through Chicago ahead of Illinois primary » ColumbiaChronicle.com » MARIO TAMA/GETTY IMAGES

Biden wins big on Super Tuesday, black Dems change the primary trajectory Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden arrives with wife Jill (center) and sister Valerie at a Super Tuesday campaign event at Baldwin Hills Recreation Center on March 3, 2020, in Los Angeles, California. After his make-or-break victory in South Carolina, Biden’s momentum continued in the Super Tuesday primaries. » ALEXANDRA YETTER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

front row seat watching Super Tuesday results as former Vice President Joe Biden staged what some called a sweeping comeback, thanks largely to black voters.

“This is black power,” said Ben Joravsky, a long-time political reporter and podcast producer at The Chicago Reader.

“The Democratic Party was going in one direction and then black people voted. … The problem, as an outsider looking in ... is that this is where [the candidates’ support] ends.”

» CAMILLA FORTE/CHRONICLE

CHICAGOANS TOOK A

Before Saturday’s South Carolina primary, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg were the two frontrunners in terms of delegate count, but black voters changed the nomination trajectory in a single night, Joravsky said during a March 3 Super Tuesday watch party hosted by the Reader at The Promontory, a Hyde Park restaurant.

South Carolina is the first election of the primary season where there was a significant portion of black voters, more than 60% of whom voted for Biden.

(Center) Ben Joravsky, a Chicago Reader journalist, and (right) Ald. Jeanette B. Taylor (20th Ward) speak with a Super Tuesday watch party attendee.

10 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE MARCH 9, 2020

In the Super Tuesday election—where more than a third of delegates were up for grabs, the most on any primary day—voters in 14 states cast their ballots, with many states having similarly diverse populations as South Carolina, propelling Biden to accumulate 627 delegates, placing him in first nationally, just ahead of Sanders, who has 551 delegates, as of press time.

The Democratic nominee needs 1,991 delegates to win the nomination.

But for some black voters in Chicago, Biden is the wrong choice to represent them.

Ald. Jeanette B. Taylor (20th Ward) said the Democratic Party has ignored black voters, which is why she chooses candidates based on policy, not color.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m an unapologetic black woman all day long ... but at the end of the day, I want somebody in that office who is going to look out for all of us,” said Taylor, who has officially endorsed Sanders.

“We’ve got to be honest about what the Democratic Party has done to black folks, and it’s nothing. They played us. They took advantage of our vote, they’ve gotten our vote, got into office

and forgot about the people they’re supposed to serve.”

Political consultant Delmarie Cobb, who also worked as Hillary Clinton’s Illinois press secretary during her 2016 bid for president, said many black voters fell in love with Obama and will vote for Biden because of that. She, herself, endorsed Clinton in 2016 because of Obama’s endorsement, Cobb said.

“I don’t fall in love with any of these people; these people are here to represent me,” Cobb said. “Part of the problem that we have is that, as black people, we keep falling in love with them.”

Cobb does not expect as much of a turnout from black voters in Illinois’ primary just two weeks away.

“We can’t say to the people here in Chicago, ‘People died for the right to vote.’ That means nothing to Chicagoans,” Cobb said. “But you say that to someone in the South, and that means everything to them. ... That’s why they’re turning out in droves.”

It’s still not clear if one candidate will have a particularly strong showing in Illinois, with pundits speculating that some Democrats will likely remain

loyal to Biden given his ties to Obama and the former president’s connection to Chicago, while others lean more left and will, therefore, go for Sanders.

Apart from one delegate to Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), the remainder of delegates so far have gone to candidates who have since dropped out.

The alignment of moderates behind Biden is largely seen as the Democratic Party’s unification against democratic-socialist Sanders. Mayor Lori Lightfoot joined the unification, endorsing Biden days later on Friday, March 6.

In an ideal world, Taylor, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, said she would have a Sanders-Elizabeth Warren ticket. But at the end of the day, Taylor said many Democrats, including herself, will vote for “anybody but Trump” in the November general election.

“The one weakness I hate that we do is go vote Democratic. We don’t care who it is after the fact,” Taylor said. “[Democrats are] going to go with Biden even though he ain’t worth s--t.” ayetter@columbiachronicle.com

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Pinky promises and the golden boy: Buttigieg, Warren exit presidential race

» WESLEY ENRIQUEZ/CHRONICLE

» MARI DEVEREAUX MANAGING EDITOR WILL NOT have a female president or an openly gay president for at least another four years now that Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg have dropped out of the race.

AMERICA

Elizabeth Warren Anne Marie Mitchell, an associate professor in the Communication Department, said she was heartbroken for Warren’s supporters and the country when the news broke.

“She gave so many people a vision of what a hardworking, thoughtful woman leader could look like, and she gave a lot of young girls in this country an idea that they can do anything, and that’s what we need,” Mitchell said.

Following major losses in the Super Tuesday elections, Warren announced she was ending her bid for office Thursday, March 5.

With more than a dozen states casting their ballots, Warren acquired 64 delegates compared to former Vice President Joe Biden’s 664 delegates and Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) 573 delegates, as of press time.

Mitchell, who once volunteered for Warren’s campaign, said she felt a lot of positivity and hope between Warren’s pinky promises with Girl Scouts and her committed relationship with an “intelligent” community of supporters.

“This is just the beginning.

She’s 70, but she acts ageless and there’s so much that she’s going to bring,” Mitchell said. “It shows girls in this country that a woman is eventually going to be president.”

Freshman public relations major Anna Busalacchi organized a group on campus to support Warren and increase political engagement on campus. She was

distraught and teared up when she heard of Warren’s exit from the race.

“She was a hero to all women across the board, showing that women are strong and they can be in these leadership positions and they can debunk those leaders that are abusing their power,” Busalacchi said.

Jason Seawright, a professor of political science at Northwestern University, said although Warren had a strong voting record and significant achievements, she struggled to connect people to her Medicare for All vision and turn her polling numbers into votes.

Sexism “definitely” played a role in Warren’s unsuccessful run, he added.

“There are voters who have higher expectations for women than for men,” Seawright said. “Although women tend to win about as often as men in the U.S., women who run for office are usually more qualified than the men they run against.”

Pete Buttigieg Buttigieg dropped out of the race Sunday, March 1 following a thorough defeat in the South Carolina primary and endorsed Biden soon thereafter.

Businessman Tom Steyer and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) also dropped out of the race following South Carolina’s primary, with Klobuchar also endorsing Biden, while former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg dropped out after Super Tuesday. He, too, has endorsed Biden.

Although Buttigieg performed well in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, he consistently struggled with a lack of resources and an inability to appeal to black and Latinx voters.

A November 2019 Quinnipiac University poll found Buttigieg had support from less than 1% of black voters in South Carolina while Biden carried more than 60% of the black vote.

Junior cinema art and science major Devon MacNerland said Buttigieg’s “tricky past” with the black community could have stemmed from when he fired a black police chief as mayor in 2012, along with the general pattern of racial profiling and racism within South Bend’s police force.

“The black vote is ... unbelievably important to the elections, in general,” said MacNerland, who is originally

from Los Angeles. “That is one of the most highly-contested votes in the country.”

Junior graphic design major Michelle Lee and senior marketing major Therese Niedbala were both surprised by the news of Buttigieg’s departure.

Niedbala said Buttigieg’s presidency would have been historic because he would have been “the first openly gay president ... [who] would have spoken a lot for how the American government can better represent people.”

Lee, a Christian Republican who supported businessman Andrew Yang before he dropped out on Tuesday, Feb. 11, said she would have voted for Buttigieg in the general election if he had won the nomination because of his “less extreme nature” and ability to “play the field.”

“He seemed like he was the golden boy,” Lee said. “He could have won, because he had all the right credentials. He’s young, he’s charismatic, he has military background, he’s a very strong leader.”

Buttigieg’s more moderate stances were not popular among all Columbia students, though.

Junior comedy writing and performance major Jack Garrett,

a self-ascribed single-issue voter, said he prefers Sanders and his liberal policies.

“I mean, [Buttigieg] is a Republican. He’s not progressive at all. He’s pro-war and not prowhat I like,” Garrett said. “I’m not convinced he even had the gay vote. It didn’t seem like a crucial thing to his candidacy. He didn’t run on any particularly proLGBTQ platform.”

According to a Fox News voter analysis, only 22% of LGBT caucus voters in Iowa favored Buttigieg. Forty-two percent said they would vote for Sanders.

Dick Simpson, a professor of political science at the University of Illinois at Chicago and former alderperson, said it was wise of Buttigieg to get out while he could still have some effect on the final outcome, even if his candidacy was emblematic of a larger movement.

“Like Lori Lightfoot here in Chicago, it shows that being gay does not disqualify you from running for high office,” Simpson said. “More and more gay candidates are winning elections at all levels, and it shows that even the presidency isn’t impossible.” mdevereaux@columbiachronicle.com

MARCH 9, 2020 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 11

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Abortion rights advocates rally in Chicago ahead of Supreme Court case C. OBOZA was 14 years old when he witnessed his friend bleed to death giving herself an abortion with a coat hanger.

“A woman [can] decide with her own body if she would like an abortion, and if she cannot afford one, she has a right to have a free abortion,” said Oboza as he held a sign that read “Free abortion on demand.”

Now 44, Oboza attended a rally MICHAEL

organized by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action, or PPIA, outside Federal Center Plaza, 219 S. Dearborn St., on Wednesday, March 4, in honor of his friend who did not have access to a safe and affordable abortion.

Oboza was one of nearly 50 people who attended the rally as the Supreme Court started arguments that same day in June Medical Services v. Russo, the first abortion case to reach the Supreme Court in 30 years.

The case, which originated in Louisiana, is the

A clinic escort volunteer raises a sign in support of safe, legal abortion at the abortion rights rally at Federal Plaza, 219 S. Dearborn St.

12 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE MARCH 9, 2020

first abortion-related case since Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh—both appointed by President Donald Trump—were sworn onto the bench.

If the Supreme Court decides to uphold Louisiana’s law, getting an abortion will be more difficult because physicians would be required to have admitting privileges at local hospitals to legally perform an abortion, though those privileges can be denied.

For doctors, operating without admitting privileges could lead to them being fined or imprisoned, and clinics may also face fines or have their licenses revoked.

This decision could initiate a domino effect impacting other abortion clinics in the U.S. if the Court does not decide in June Medical Services’ favor.

The Supreme Court is expected to come to a decision in late June.

Paula Thornton Greear, vice president of external affairs for PPIA, said the current case is another “unconstitutional overreach” that goes against the current rulings of Roe v. Wade.

Thornton Greear said it is not enough to keep abortion legal and said legislation needs to go further by keeping abortion affordable for all marginalized communities.

“The reality is that structural racial injustice, transgender inequality, gender discrimination and many other forms of oppression are painfully intertwined with the process by which fundamental rights are afforded in this country,” Thorton Greear said.

A group of counter-protesters was also present at the rally.

Mario Navarro, an anti-abortion activist and director of Operation Save Chicago, said it is increasingly difficult to be an anti-abortion activist in Chicago because violence has broken out against his group before.

Navarro said Operation Save

» MENGSHIN LIN/CHRONICLE

» PAIGE BARNES NEWS EDITOR

Abortion rights advocate Billie Kincaid, 29, chants during the Planned Parenthood Illinois Action rally at Federal Plaza, Wednesday, March 4.

Amanda Batsleer, 43, attends a rally held by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action at Federal Plaza.

Chicago is different than other anti-abortion organizations because they are not trying to “push an agenda,” rather they want to “liberate a human” from death.

“We believe each child is made in the image of God,” he said. “Therefore [they] must be protected from conception to natural death.”

Despite abortion rights advocates at the rally telling Moriah Stefanski, 19, assistant director of operations for Operation Save Chicago, that she is too young to be involved with the group and will change her mind when she is older, she said God’s word to her is “very clear.”

“Abortion is not a human right because nobody has the right to murder another human being,” she said.

Members of Mujeres Latinas en Accion, a bilingual organiza-

tion based in Pilsen that provides a safe space to talk about women’s reproductive health, stood in a semi-circle with PPIA protesters, holding signs that read “If my uterus had a gun, would I have more rights?” and “Abortion is a right—no going back.”

Jocelyn Moreno, a 2018 Columbia graphic design alumna, attended the rally with Mujeres Latinas en Accion.

“There’s a lot of fear obviously right now with our political climate ... so people don’t really know ... what they have access to [and] what their rights are,” she said. “My job is to come in and make sure we are speaking about these things and we provide our community with the best resources and the best information.” pbarnes@columbiachronicle.com

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Musician R. Kelly pleads not guilty during hearing, new trial date set for October » MARI DEVEREAUX MANAGING EDITOR » KENDALL POLIDORI MANAGING EDITOR A HUSHED courtroom filled with dozens of fans and supporters, R&B artist R. Kelly pleaded not guilty to an updated, superseding federal indictment as investigators revealed the seizure of approximately 100 electronic devices in a search of Kelly’s storage facility.

During an arraignment hearing on Thursday, March 5 at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse, 219 S. Dearborn St., Judge Harry Leinenweber moved Kelly’s trial on counts of sexual exploitation of children, conspiracy to defraud the United States, child pornography and female coercion or enticement from April 27 to Oct. 13 to allow the government to prepare additional evidence found during the seizure.

faced 21 counts of sexual assault and abuse, as well as four state and two federal indictments, over the past 30 years.

He is currently in custody in the federal Metropolitan Correctional Center, 71 W. Van Buren St., just blocks from Columbia’s dorms. Kelly also faces an indictment in New York for a racketeering scheme as well as counts of state and federal sexual misconduct charges in Illinois and Minnesota.

During the hearing, prosecutor Angel Krull said the government plans to use the electronic devices as evidence during the next trial in addition to filing more charges in the coming weeks, including adding another alleged victim.

Krull objected to defense attorney Michael Leonard’s request for the witness’ drug and psychiatric records. She said the

government has no obligation to provide this.

Milton Brown and Derrel McDavid, Kelly’s associates and co-defendants, also pleaded not guilty to paying thousands of dollars to retrieve pornographic videos in a bid to avoid criminal charges.

After the hearing, shouts of “Free R. Kelly,” “They lying,” “Show me a rape kit” and “Here to support our brother Rob” echoed throughout the first floor of the Dirksen Federal Building.

Kelly’s supporters showed up in groups and one woman, Ruth Castro, even came from Allentown, Pennsylvania. Castro wore a homemade R. Kelly necklace and earrings adorned with Kelly’s face, as well as a shirt that read “The Injustice Case of R. Kelly.”

Castro said she believes the women accusing Kelly are “acting.”

» MADELINE LAURITSON/CHRONICLE

IN

The superseding indictment, which included the same 13 counts against Kelly as the original indictment, added a new accuser, who was under 18 at the time she was criminally sexually abused, according to the indictment, and removed someone from the list of victims.

Defense attorney Steven Greenberg said in a press conference after the hearing that the changes to the list of victims show a struggle on the government’s part to be consistent in who they claim as victims in the case.

“It’s kind of telling at this late stage to be dropping victims entirely from your case,” Greenberg said. “So we view that as a positive that they can’t get a consistent theory as to who the victims are.”

Kelly has been sued five times, charged on sexual abuse allegations 33 times and has

Defenders of R&B musician R. Kelly show their support for him after his hearing at the Dirksen Federal Building in downtown Chicago, Thursday, March 5.

“My daughter was abused and when you’re abused you don’t act the way they act,” Castro said. “And then they change their stories.”

Terri Speaks, a supporter of Kelly from St. Louis, Missouri, said she believes Kelly is telling the truth and that it is all about the money. She said she hopes he is let go.

“I know girls like that in my neighborhood ... [who] like to mess with older men for money, to take care of them,” Speaks said. “[They] don’t want to work.

‘Cause who works? None of ‘em.”

But others hope to see Kelly brought to justice.

Jim DeRogatis, associate professor of instruction in the English and Creative Writing Department, has chronicled accusations against Kelly for the past two decades and recently published the book: “Soulless: The Case Against R. Kelly.”

Tandrey Hawkins, a sophomore music business major at Columbia and Chicago rapper known as T-Star, said Kelly needs to serve time in prison so there is a level of security for the girls who have brought charges against him.

“It has been going on for a very long time and it should have been stopped a long time ago,” Hawkins said. “Hopefully it will be solved in some way, some shape, some form.”

Jocelyn Hudson, a 2019 radio broadcasting alumna, said while she thinks Kelly should be in prison already, at least he is on trial due to significant community advocacy.

“At the end of the day, we hope for justice and I think so far everybody should feel satisfied with themselves, especially as a city,” Hudson said. “Back then, we brushed it off—I think now we can take pride in this. … We united as a city. We united as cultures. We united as females, to put this man behind bars.” chronicle@colum.edu

MARCH 9, 2020 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 13

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Mayor Lori Lightfoot endorses Joe Biden for president » JUSTIN ANDERSON/CHRONICLE

» MARI DEVEREAUX MANAGING EDITOR » JUNE KEATING STAFF REPORTER MAYOR LORI Lightfoot and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) joined a growing list of public officials who have endorsed Joe Biden for president.

“What impresses me is how Joe Biden has turned his pain into empathy and purpose— qualities that every great leader needs and are profoundly missing in this White House,” Lightfoot said during a Friday, March 6 press conference.

Standing beside Biden’s wife, Jill, Lightfoot and Durbin declared their support for the former vice president in the 2020 Democratic primary at the Union League Club.

CHICAGO

Visit ColumbiaChronicle.com for additional reporting. chronicle@colum.edu

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Police sanctioned violence on CTA

went viral, causing Mayor Lori Lightfoot to release a statement.

N O/ In a tweet that CH RON ICLE same evening, Lightfoot stated “... the video is extremely disturbing and the actions by these officers are deeply concerning.” Both officers have been stripped of their police powers, as reported Wednesday, March 4 by the Associated Press.

Our elected officials should cut deeper than being “deeply concerned” when those who bear the police badge use their lethal weapons so flippantly. Gun violence is hard to justify—it becomes increasingly more difficult when sound reasoning for these actions is nearly nonexistent.

If you’ve ever ridden the CTA, there is a very good chance you’ve seen a passenger cross between train cars.

Maybe you’ve even done it yourself. Is it safe? Not necessarily. Is it recommended? No. Should it be deemed illegal and punishable by law? No. EN

TI

G

un violence in Chicago doesn’t only exist in a few sectioned-off neighborhoods, it doesn’t just happen in dark, tucked-away alleys or between citizens whose names will soon become part of the endless, reeling list of people who have succumbed to this madness.

Gun violence can be, and often is, police violence—happening in broad daylight, disrupting communities from the outskirts of the city to the heart of it.

On Friday, Feb. 28, at the Grand station on the Chicago Transit Authority Red Line, two police officers attempted to handcuff and arrest a man who was moving between train cars. When the man resisted, he was pepper sprayed, tased and shot by an officer after another officer yelled, “Shoot him!”

The incident was caught on camera by another CTA passenger and immediately

» SHANE TOL

» MARGARET SMITH OPINIONS EDITOR

O PI N I O N

According to City Ordinance No. 016-110, crossing between train cars is prohibited on the CTA. The consequences one can face, depending on which rule they are in violation of, can result in removal, a period of supervision, a fine or community service. Interestingly enough, being tasered and then shot by a CPD Mass Transit officer does not fit the consequential criteria outlined by this ordinance.

These actions are trivial in the grand scheme of punishable crimes here in the city. Passing between cars on a train is on the same scale as jaywalking, littering or sleeping on a public bench. Should the next police officer on the corner, outside a convenience store or in the park take it upon themselves to fire a weapon when they witness these “crimes” and the perpetrators resist arrest?

This is not to say that crimes should go unpunished. But it is to say citizens of Chicago should be able to trust that police officers will assess situations and use the proper, necessary action if and

only when it is for the cause of justice.

In this police state we live in, officers’ knee-jerk reactions of aggression and the use of any weapon on their person is damaging to both the people afflicted by it and possibly passersby. It skews the lines between right and wrong, safety and danger—and perpetuates the aura of violence that shrouds the CPD. It is more than mind-boggling or disheartening that actions as frivolous as switching train cars via emergency exit will result in gunfire, hospital visits and legal charges—which were dropped by the CPD, though they were hardly sound in the first place.

It is bone-chilling when we consider the recent surge of Mass Transit officers assigned to patrol the CTA in order to prevent violence, only to see that they are, in fact, the ones manufacturing it.

While their presence may serve as a comfort to the powers that be in Chicago— resting their heads at night thinking they have serviced their citizens in a new way via police “protection”—it also serves as a nightmare for other citizens who interact with trigger-happy officers who prefer escalation over peace and protection. msmith@columbiachronicle.com

COMIC

» JOHN SAMMIS/CHRONICLE

MARCH 9, 2020 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 15