PAGE 3: SAA could introduce four sports teams to campus this semester
PAGE 13: Spinning with Singles speed dating event comes to Navy Pier Oct. 17
PAGE 7: Logan Theatre’s horror film series runs through October PAGE 10: Editorial: Justice for Laquan will come from sentence Volume 54, Issue 7
October 15, 2018
» ARIANA PORTALATIN & TESSA BRUBAKER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & NEWS EDITOR SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT and Provost Stan Wearden will leave the college in January 2 019 to become president of Methodist University, five months earlier than his previously planned departure in June. Senior Associate Provost and Associate Professor in the English and Creative Writing Department Suzanne Blum Malley will succeed Wearden on an interim basis, President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim announced to faculty and staff in an email Oct. 10. Kim said Wearden approached him with news of the job opportunity at Methodist University a couple months ago, and Kim encouraged him to pursue it, even when Wearden informed him that Methodist University wanted him to start in January. “It certainly was my intention to leave in June, but this opportunity came up, and they wanted someone sooner,” Wearden said. “It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.” Wearden said he appreciates that Methodist University is a traditional liberal arts school that offers programs in other professional areas, such as health and sciences, and that it is a faith-based school. “I like a school where students really get an opportunity through the curriculum to explore their spirituality,” Wearden said. “I got my Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, so in some ways, it’s kind of like going home for me. It’s a strong school with a strong tradition and a strong reputation.” Blum Malley said she was offered the interim position shortly after Wearden informed Kim that he would be taking the president position at Methodist University. She said she is excited for Wearden and his new role, as well as her own. “I am, of course, sorry to see him go, but very happy for him,” Blum Malley said. “I’m excited about stepping into the interim provost role. We’ve worked really closely over the last several years, so I have a strong sense of what we’ve been working on and how to guide it for the next six months.”
Visit ColumbiaChronicle.com for additional reporting.
» MIKE RUNDLE/CHRONICLE
Suzanne Blum Malley to step in as interim provost
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editor’s note
Relationship between college, adjunct faculty must improve » ARIANA PORTALATIN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
A
string of recent updates regarding the college’s relationship and collective bargaining with parttime faculty demonstrate a flawed rapport between the two parties, an issue that must be amended for the greater benefit of the college. In an Oct. 11 email to faculty and staff, President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim responded to several issues raised by the part-time faculty union. The email began by clarifying that the union, formerly known as P-Fac, only represents adjunct faculty at the college, despite changing its name to the Columbia Faculty Union. Dr. Kim reaffirmed the college’s commitment to collective bargaining with the union and the value of adjunct professors at the college. According to the email, C-Fac’s contract expired Aug. 31, 2017, and the bargaining teams of both parties have met more than 20 times since September 2017. The college presented the union with a new Collective Bargaining Agreement Oct. 5, which included compensation increases, increases to the annual professional development fund and equal access to facilities and equipment in each department, among other provisions. Kim stated in the email that the union had yet to respond to the proposal or make proposals of their own. He also said the union refused requests by the college to involve a federal mediator to assist negotiations. Kim also used the email to defend the college against multiple allegations made by the union, including a charge that the college is evolving into a forprofit institution, that Kim’s official title was changed and that the college has instituted a “dumbed-down curriculum” and abandoned its mission of access and commitment to diversity. These allegations are not new to those who have paid close attention or have witnessed the disagreements firsthand. In 2017, the union formed the OurColumbia coalition with others on campus making the same allegations and more: budget cuts, rising tuition, curriculum changes and bad faith bargaining by the college. OurColumbia held strikes in December 2017 and April 2018 in 2 THE CHRONICLE OCTOBER 15, 2018
MANAGEMENT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MANAGING EDITORS
Ariana Portalatin Molly Walsh Blaise Mesa Samantha Conrad Micha Thurston
CREATIVE DIRECTOR AD & BUSINESS MANAGER
REPORTERS NEWS EDITOR REPORTERS
Tessa Brubaker Olivia Deloian Jermaine Nolen Timothy Michalik Katherine Savage Kaci Watt Alexandra Yetter
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protest. Additionally, a press conference COPY CHIEF has been scheduled for Oct. 17 outside of COPY EDITORS the 600 S. Michigan Ave. building to call for the removal of Kim and his administration from the college and protest SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER the college’s alleged lack of response to ` GRAPHIC DESIGNERS sexual assault allegations at the college. The coalition encourages professors to lead students into a walk-out to join the conference. “I am proud to have the privilege of STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS leading an institution characterized by so much talent and passion ... passion that inevitably leads to disagreements and healthy debates,” Kim said in the email. “But I hope these disagreements MULTIMEDIA EDITOR and debates can be grounded in factual MULTIMEDIA REPORTERS information and occur within a framework of mutual respect.” Whether these allegations are to be believed is up to those involved and Columbia’s community. However, it is MEDIA SALES REPS clear the relationship between the college and union is seriously flawed and it’s impacting faculty, staff and students. BRAND MANAGER In recent faculty surveys and rallies on campus, it is also clear that faculty and staff at the college who educate stu WEBMASTER dents and prepare them for careers are displeased and searching for solutions. When students’ education is disrupted by these events, it is clear a problem FACULTY ADVISER exists. The issue does not lie with faculty GENERAL MANAGER and students protesting what they see as injustices; it lies with the simple fact that they feel forced to make these decisions in the first place. We all know Columbia is at a turning point in its history as it works to improve its financial situation. But there is another crucial focus: the happiness of faculty, staff and students who define Columbia’s success. @c cchronicle
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campus Renegades begin rebuild by launching rebranding campaign Global Education Office expands opportunities for students » ColumbiaChronicle.com
» BLAISE MESA MANAGING EDITOR
Coyle also wants the rebrand to show incoming students they can play sports at Columbia. Some students have suggested bringing snowboarding or martial arts to Columbia, Schmidt said. SAA has no plans to bring martial arts or snowboarding to Columbia, as of press time. Junior illustration major Sophia Quillec said she attended an interest meeting Oct. 5 because she wanted to propose changing the Renegades logo and said it should be more fun. Quillec is also a member of the Medieval Combat Society and said she would like to see more sports at Columbia. Being involved in athletics helped her find friends after she transferred, and she said she enjoys the exercise. “[Sports are] social and active, so you are not working out alone,” she said. “I’m an illustrator, so I spend a lot of time sitting down.”
Schmidt said there will soon be a submission link online for any student interested in suggesting ideas for the rebrand. Activating the submission link was delayed because SAA was unable to meet with Nissan Wasfie—adjunct professor in the Business and Entrepreneurship Department—but SAA was able to meet with him Oct. 12. The link is not active as of press time. Student submissions for the rebrand will be due by February. Coyle said the rebrand is building on the growth SAA experienced in the past few years. He said he expects more than 300 students to be involved in SAA after the rebrand, and hopes to have 16 teams total, four more than the 12 current teams. “As soon as they get to lace up the cleats and put [a] ball in their hand, that’s all that matters,” Coyle said. bmesa@columbiachronicle.com
» JOCELYN MORENO/CHRONICLE
COLUMBIA STUDENTS MAY soon participate in flag football, tennis, badminton and baseball on campus as part of the Student Athletic Association’s rebrand. SAA held rebrand interest meetings, with specific meetings for flag football, tennis, badminton and baseball, during the first week of October. Rebrand interest meetings were held Oct. 2 and 5 at 623 S. Wabash Ave. and 600 S. Michigan Ave. SAA President and senior live and installed sound major Matt Coyle said students could see new teams come to campus this semester. Coyle said there are enough people in SAA to field the new teams if they were to be introduced, but being unable to find a faculty advisor would be one of the main reasons the teams do not get started. “We [have] tennis courts,” Coyle said. “We can figure out [how to implement
tennis], and badminton is not that far off from tennis.” Community Representative of SAA and junior music technology major Jacob Schmidt said the rebrand would be more than just creating new teams. “It can be anything from an entire makeover of [the] student athletic organization to a new logo for Renegades,” Schmidt said. “[The rebrand is] anything the students want. The whole point is that students get behind it.” Schmidt said the interest meetings included brainstorming sessions to see what students want changed, such as the Renegades’ logo. “The logo looks really boring on a T-shirt,” Coyle said. “We need something exciting on there. We want people to rally behind a cause.” SAA wants to bring an identity to campus, similar to the way students at the University of Oklahoma call themselves the Sooners, Schmidt said.
OCTOBER 15, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 3
campus
Columbia professors haunt South Dakota Film Festival SELLING ANY HOUSE can be difficult, but selling a haunted one is even more challenging. A realtor faces this problem in the new horror-comedy film, “This is Cindy.” Adjunct Professor in the Cinema and Television Arts Department Terry Miller wrote, directed and edited the film, which was inspired by a real estate agent he once worked with. “There was something really unique about her, and the more I got to know her, the more intriguing she became,” Miller said. “So I developed a character, [and] I started writing a character profile of her.” The film deals with what is real and fake in the world. It reflects the 2016 election even though it
» COURTESY/TAMMY CHANG
» KATHERINE SAVAGE STAFF REPORTER
“This is Cindy” is a movie about a realtor selling a haunted house, and was written by Adjunct Professor in the Cinema and Television Arts Department Terry Miller.
was written in 2015, Miller said. “It’s a peculiar film. It’s strange because horror films are supposed
to be dark and creepy, but this [film] is also a comedy,” Miller said. “[It] veers more towards
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comedy where it’s kind of bright and sunny.” Miller asked Carolina Posse, assistant professor in the Cinema and Television Arts Department, to produce the film. “This was a half-hour script and, after I wrote it, I realized I had the money to produce it. I knew this was going to be a big project, and I needed somebody who could make it happen,” Miller said. “I approached Carolina and she agreed to be my partner in crime.” Posse and Miller have been collaborating on this project for more than two years, Posse said. “Filmmaking is very much about the process. You’re constantly working on the film, and it never feels like it’s ever done in a way,” Posse said. “That includes securing screenings and sending it out to festivals and having interviews.” The first film festival they entered “This is Cindy” in was the South Dakota Film Festival in September, where it won best screenplay, Posse said. “The biggest compliment we got at the festival was at an
after-screening party. A woman, who is a realtor, came up to me and Carolina and said, ‘I’ve worked with [that character],’” Miller said. “After that, I was like, ‘Thank god, we nailed the character.’” Sophomore cinema art and science major Gillian Fauntleroy said she was intrigued by the film. Learning about faculty projects could be a teaching tool for students in class as they share experiences, Fauntleroy said. “It’s nice to see what differences [faculty members] have in terms of what they like to make,” Fauntleroy said. “They know their craft. If they know what they’re doing, then they know how to teach it and I’ll know what to do.” In addition to hands-on learning, faculty members value having student involvement in their projects, Posse said. “There is a lot of collaboration [at] Columbia,” Posse said. “This is one of many projects we are doing. We need [student] support to keep making more of them.” ksavage@columbiachronicle.com
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New student organization on campus encourages students to speak their truth » MIKE RUNDLE /CHRONICLE
» OLIVIA DELOIAN STAFF REPORTER SPEAK YOUR TRUTH executive board members start every weekly meeting by greeting members with a hug, letting students know they are welcomed into an inclusive space where they can write, share and finally speak their truth. The Speak Your Truth Writing Collective, a new student organization that started in Spring 2018, is intended to give students a place to write and share their work without focusing on a particular genre. Meetings are held every Tuesday in the Library, 624 S. Michigan Ave., at 4:30 p.m. in the North Reading Room. Vice President of SYT and junior poetry major Lily Someson said the group started after the current executive board shared
Vice President of Speak Your Truth Lily Someson said the group was started by students who wanted to create a place on campus where they could write freely.
a creative writing course. After realizing there was not a place on campus where they could write freely outside of class, they decided to create one.
“It’s been fantastic ever since,” Someson said. “We’re so close, and it really happened just out of a love for writing and a respect for one another.”
campus Bella Crum, SYT president and junior poetry major, said meetings consist of workshops and prompt-writing, during which members write about whatever the prompt suggests. Members can then decide to share their work with one another, she said. All students are welcome to join the organization, regardless of their major. “The number one thing I hear a lot is, ‘Well, I’m not a real writer,’” Crum said. “Everybody is a real writer. We very much are a space for experimentation and a place to play, [to] try things out and learn.” Upcoming meetings include an Oct. 30 Halloween tarot card meeting with readings by Someson and an end-of-the-semester workshop and publication day, Crum added. Crum said the workshop and publication days are also meant to give members an opportunity to get work edited and potentially find a publication to publish work. There are currently about 14 members in SYT, and Crum said
one of their goals for the semester is to continue outreach efforts to bring as many people to the group as possible. SYT’s head of internal marketing and junior nonfiction major Riley McFarlane said Convocation played a large role in allowing them to recruit new students. “You know how it is as a freshman, you’re kind of just lost,” McFarlane said. “A big part of this group is having a sense of place and having people around you that don’t put pressure on you to get something done.” Someson said an ongiong goal of the group is continuing to create an environment in which members feel safe to join and then have the opportunity to write about anything. “That’s where the name comes from—Speak Your Truth,” McFarlane said. “It has grown from that ideology—feeling safe and able to speak what you believe is true.” odeloian@columbiachronicle.com
OCTOBER 15, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 5
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arts culture
Chicago magic showcased in tricks and talents at local theater » ColumbiaChronicle.com
Big Screams from Logan Theatre’s Big Screen » JERMAINE NOLEN STAFF REPORTER
of a live organ fill the auditorium as the 1922 silent film “Nosferatu” illuminates the screen at the Logan Theatre. The halls are lined with cult classic film posters from the 1980s as movie goers make their way to their seats. The Logan Theatre is hosting its 7th annual Horror Movie Madness series throughout the month of October. The theater, 2646 N. Milwaukee Ave., will feature a long list of cult classic horror films leading up to Halloween, as well as a party Oct. 19. “We are really into Halloween, so when Mark Fishman first acquired the theater, it was one of the things he really wanted to do big,” said Jennifer Zacarias, director of Marketing and Events at the Logan Square Theatre. “He’s a lover of horror movies, he’s a lover of Halloween and so am I, so it makes it very easy.” She said the film series started with regular late-night movies. The theater offers monthly themed programs, and October’s theme is horror films. The Logan Theatre plays two Halloween movies a night, at 10:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. All movies are cult classics and look better on the big screen, she added. “Sometimes it takes a little while for us to pick the movies, because aside from bringing back the ones we know people love—such as ‘The Shining,’ ‘Halloween,’ THE CREEPY NOTES
jnolen@columbiachronicle.com
» PHOTOS HALIE PARKINSON/CHRONICLE
The Logan Theatre celebrates the Halloween season with the Horror Movie Madness film series.
‘Friday the 13th’—we try to [play] something new,” Zacarias said. One of the films new to the event this year is “The Thing,” a 1982 science fiction film starring Kurt Russell, which will play Oct. 16-18. “I really look for horror films that have a lot of suspense. I look for films that might not have a lot of outward scares, but there’s a lot done with the film-making to build up to scary moments,” said senior cinema arts and science major and President of the Cult Cinema Club Jack Porter. “What really makes a good horror film is, through a combination of cinematography and editing, they can make anything scary.” Second year Kishwaukee Community College student Megan Renwick said people are drawn to the genre because it is an interactive experience. “You get scared, you sweat, your heart races—that is something that you get from thrill rides, but you are watching a movie to get this [feeling],” she said. The Logan Theatre film series offers free family afternoon matinees, as well as 8 p.m. screenings during the week leading up to Halloween. Costumes are encouraged. “People enjoy the fun of it,” Zacarias said. “ It’s [a holiday] people can have a lot of fun with, and it’s a wide spectrum. We also do a kids’ screening for families, where it is free to the public, and we do activities and play ‘Charlie Brown’ and ‘Casper.’”
OCTOBER 15, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 7
arts & culture
Hotel showcases Chicago street artists, offers art therapy program
» TIMOTHY MICHALIK STAFF REPORTER
“You have people from out of town; it’s a cool opportunity to have [guests] randomly come across my work and see it tied to their Chicago experience,” Grotto said. In addition to standard hotel amenities, each room in The Annex—which opened in fall 2017—includes a “unique mural from some of the city’s prominent streets artists,” according to the press release. Each year, Hotel Chicago West Loop donates 10 percent of the its $119 nightly room rate to an art charity when guests ask for the “Annex rate” while booking their room. This year, The Annex will be working with an art therapy program at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab— an innovative rehabilitation center. Six to eight pieces will be commissioned by both emerging and established local Chicago street artists annually. The Annex |
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AbilityLab], they’re using art as therapy to deal with these situations in their lives, such as significant burns, loss of limbs. Really tough stuff.” tmichalik@columbiachronicle.com » COURTESY /JODY GRIMALDI
IN CELEBRATION OF its one year anniversary, Hotel Chicago West Loop’s The Annex is showcasing its second wave of street artists and muralists with a public opening Oct. 11. Nearly 100 murals are featured throughout the hotel. The goal of The Annex, 1622 W. Jackson Blvd., is to convey artists’ personal vision of Chicago, said Hotel Chicago West Loop Arts Director Jennifer Decarlo. The Annex gallery space is the brainchild of renowned fine art photographer and patron Helmut Horn, who is one of the owners of the property and management company, according to Decarlo. Chicago-based artist and muralist Brandin Hurley is one of the more notable participants. “They asked us to represent Chicago, but they didn’t want it
to be too specific. A lot of people will paint skylines, the Hancock tower or ‘Cloud Gate,’” Hurley said. “[Hotel Chicago] wanted it to be more emotional than that—a little more subtle. I really enjoy the lushness we get here in the summers; you can really feel the vibrancy.” The event is free and part of a renovation of what used to be the Rosemoor Hotel, according to a Sept. 20 press release. Hotel Chicago West Loop is divided into three gallery sections: The Annex at Hotel Chicago’s Permanent Collection, comprised of work created or collected by Helmut Horn; The Annex | Mural, where Chicago artists’ works are featured; and the Annex AbilityLab Showcase, which is the main event, Decarlo said. The Annex features street artists and muralists, like Asend, Hurley and Josh Grotto, Decarlo said.
Murals will also feature future work from those who are involved with AbilityLab, Decarlo said. “Starting this winter, there will be art [featured] by people who have had significant disabilities,” Decarlo said. “[Through
Hotel Chicago West Loop’s The Annex features art from local Chicago artists.
» MOLLY WALSH DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR
T
he turkey is on the table, in-laws are chattering, cousins are running around and White House agents are urging everyone to sign an oath of loyalty to the president of the United States. Happy Thanksgiving from comedian Ike Barinholtz, writer and director of “The Oath,” a comedy and drama-thriller about family, politics and the holidays, now in theaters citywide. Barinholtz stars in the film as Chris, a high-anxiety news junkie hosting his sparring relatives in an age of political divide. In an Oct. 1 interview with The Chronicle, Barinholtz discussed balancing genres, the news cycle and coming home for the holidays.
THE CHRONICLE: What inspired you to make this film?
BACZKOWSKI: After the 2016 election, we did a big Thanksgiving at my house, and after dinner we were having a few drinks and my mom and my brother and I got into a pretty spirited discussion that turned into an argument. I woke up the next morning and said to my wife, “If we got into that fight, and we are all on the same side and voted for the same person, what is going on at some other tables?” I knew the arena of the family holiday table had been changed forever in America, and there was no going back on that. How do you balance comedy and tragedy?
Every day when I check Twitter. When you see a funny video of a dog pulling down someone’s pants,
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and then you go and watch something like a child being separated from a mother at the border and start crying. I feel like we live in a roller coaster era. I knew it was going to be a different movie in terms of tone. There are movies that I have really loved in the past that mark that line of bloody, sad, funny and uplifting. The challenge was balancing it; if we don’t balance it, and we just make a straight up comedy, then people would say we are not giving enough gravity to this serious situation. How do you balance what you watch on the news and how you consume it?
» HALIE PARKINSON/CHRONICLE
Ike Barinholtz pledges allegiance to satire
arts & culture
“The Oath” is a new comedy and drama-thriller written and directed by comedian Ike Barinholtz. The film is open now in theaters around Chicago.
the film changed since you wrote it, and do you think it has become more relevant?
to work for you,” and “I will be loyal to you,” and it was strange. It’s something I’m working on. I After we shot [the movie], there was much like my character— Conceptually, structurally and was something called National really obsessed with the news tonally, it’s very similar to what Loyalty Day. We have a president cycle, especially the year before we set out to do. Throughout every that is so obsessed with loyalty he and the year after the election. I step of the process, things were tweets about it. It was life copying was just consuming way too much. happening in the news that were art that was already copying life. You can think of it like coffee. If you starting to echo what we were All it did was reinforce our thinkdrink 50 cups of coffee a day, you doing. During the writing process, ing that we need to get this movie are going to have a heart attack. I turned on the news one day, and out right now. There’s a sense of there was this macabre cabinet urgency here. It’s been almost two years since meeting where they all sat with the election. Has anything about the president and said, “I’m proud mwalsh@columbiachronicle.com
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OCTOBER 15, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 9
opinions Justice for Laquan McDonald lies in sentence, not conviction
F
ormer Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke was convicted of second-degree murder in the 2014 death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald Oct. 5, and 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm for each shot fired. He was found not guilty of official misconduct. As reported by The Chicago Tribune Oct. 5, Van Dyke is the first Chicago police officer in about 50 years to be found guilty of murder in an on-duty shooting. When sentenced by Judge Vincent Gaughan, he faces a minimum of six years in prison for the charge of aggravated battery with a firearm. A hearing is scheduled for Oct. 31. Prosecutors initially charged Van Dyke with first-degree murder, but jurors were given the option by Judge Gaughan
to convict him of second-degree, which comes with a shorter prison term and a chance for parole. Jurors were told the conviction of second-degree would be warranted if they decided the shooting was unjustified, but also if Van Dyke believed his actions were reasonable, as reported Oct. 5 by the New York Times. Although Van Dyke’s conviction is a milestone for police accountability, the justice is not in the conviction, but in the upcoming sentence. Despite Van Dyke’s conviction of second-degree murder, a heavier sentence could result from the 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm. According to Illinois aggravated assault and battery laws, an aggravated assault
involving a firearm or the discharge of a firearm is categorized as a Class 3 felony. Class 3 felonies with the use of a firearm can bring two to five years imprisonment, or five to 10 years if the court takes into account aggravating factors. As reported Oct. 10 by the Tribune, legal experts are unsure how to predict how long Van Dyke will serve, as no one knows whether Judge Gaughan will impose consecutive or concurrent prison terms for each of the aggravated battery counts. According to NOLO—a legal services and resource website—when sentences run concurrently, defendants serve all sentences simultaneously. When sentences are run consecutively, defendants have to finish serving the sentence for one offense before starting to serve the sentence for another. If Judge Gaughan decides to impose consecutive prison terms, Van Dyke could serve life in prison. But if he decides to impose the terms concurrently, it
EDITORIAL is likely he will only serve six years for the second-degree conviction with the potential of release on parole. We cannot accept a short-term sentence for Jason Van Dyke. Although the conviction sparks a tremendous step toward ending police brutality and holding officers accountable, the real justice will come from serious sentencing. Serving only six years with parole would not give Laquan and the McDonald family the justice they deserve. odeloian@columbiachronicle.com
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Editorial Board Members Olivia Deloian Staff Reporter Blaise Mesa Managing Editor Micha Thurston Ad & Business Manager Jermaine Nolen Staff Reporter Katherine Savage Staff Reporter Kaci Watt Staff Reporter
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Peeping Mark wants Facebook to take over your home » ALEXANDRA YETTER STAFF REPORTER
F
rom the bathroom to the living room, Facebook has invited itself into homes with the Oct. 8 announcement of Portal, a home camera with a built-in microphone designed for easy video calls. The announcement stated the calls are secure, and that Facebook doesn’t listen, view or keep call content. Don’t be fooled by the charade, though; we should all be very, very scared. Humans are hardwired to be curious and seek new information. It’s an instinct powered by dopamine, according to neuroscientist Jaak Panksepp. Like Pavlov’s dogs, the ring of a phone notification releases dopamine in our brain, a feeling more satisfying than sex or candy, according to University of Michigan psychology professor Kent Berridge. Who hasn’t searched for a trivia answer and, five hours later, found themselves watching videos of cats falling off windowsills? Even while writing this commentary, I’ve checked my Instagram feed half a dozen times, and there were only three new posts. That curiosity instinct has been ramped up by the availability of limitless information, potentially leading to widespread diagnosis of Internet Addiction Disorder, according to PsyCom, a mental health resource. At the root of IAD is Facebook, the epitome of an endless flow of content and information. Surveys by NBC University Oxygen Media found that 34 percent of respondents check Facebook first thing in the morning; 40 percent self-identify as addicted to Facebook; 43 percent said
they have no problem posting drunk photos of themselves on the platform; and 27 percent of people look at Facebook while going to the bathroom. In a half-baked attempt to solve social media addiction, Mark Zuckerberg announced Jan. 31 he no longer wants people to waste hours on Facebook. Instead, he wants people to focus on meaningful connections through the platform. Enter: Portal. There is a real risk with the Portal device for a situation that closely resembles the dystopia depicted in Dave Eggers’ 2013 novel “The Circle.” In the book a social media company manipulates citizens’ obsessive need for the latest technology to contaminate their lives and hold political influence, perhaps even in elections. Huh, that sounds familiar. Facebook has become such a subliminal presence in daily life that we don’t notice it changing the way we think, how we make connections or even what items we purchase. By entering our homes, Facebook can now more easily influence our behavior, as it is already doing. What Facebook doesn’t advertise with Portal is the device’s ability to record call history, according to an Oct. 9 statement. The stipulations of sharing this information can be found in the Facebook Safety Center. Facebook’s history of hacking and data breaches doesn’t bode well when the very concept of this device comes from a founder and CEO widely known to tape over the camera of his own devices. We cannot blindly trust technology and social media companies to look out for our best interests or to look out for our privacy when their invasion brings them financial rewards. An Oct. 8 Vox Twitter poll found that 96 percent of those surveyed did not trust Facebook enough to bring the camera into their home. Yet 56 percent of those surveyed by NBC University Oxygen Media said they had no problem posting their whereabouts on social media and 53 percent reported that they regularly post about their personal lives on social platforms. Facebook has wronged too many too often, and its latest business venture spells nothing short of danger. Will it take yet another data breach impacting millions of users to change social media habits? How about another FBI investigation into election meddling? It’s time to cut the cord and let Zuckerberg’s pet project drown. Perhaps then we won’t salivate when our phone dings.
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COMMENTARY: If media outlets spent less time on high school and middle school sports and more time on professional female athletes, women in sports would have a larger fanbase, says Blaise Mesa.
COMMENTARY: If media outlets spent less time on high school and middle school sports and more time on professional female athletes, women in sports would have a larger fanbase, says Blaise Mesa.
ayetter@columbiachronicle.com OCTOBER 15, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 11
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12 THE CHRONICLE OCTOBER 15, 2018
Attorney general candidates debate ahead of November election » ColumbiaChronicle.com » HALIE PARKINSON/CHRONICLE
metro
Navy Pier’s Spinning with Singles event brings speed dating to new heights Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave., will host its third annual Spinning with Singles event Oct. 17, the week of Sweetest Day on Oct. 20. The event features speed dating on the famous Centennial Wheel and a mixer.
» KACI WATT
STAFF REPORTER
“[It is] a really cute meet-cute story, [like] ‘We met on a ferris wheel.’ That’s adorable,” Velasco said. “It’s a fun Chicago thing. It’s not like you met in front of a bar. You met somewhere cool and relevant to the area.” Tickets to the event cost $50 and are available on Navy Pier’s website until event capacity is reached, according to JordanParnell. Tickets include the speed dating
on the ferris wheel and the following mixer on the yacht. “I’ve got high hopes for the event,” JordanParnell said. “It’s not too late, we still [have] some spots left. We encourage people to sign up, bring a friend and come experience this awesome night at Navy Pier.” kwatt@columbiachronicle.com » COURTESY /HALIE PARKINSON
FIRST DATES ARE nerve wracking, especially from 200 feet in the air. Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave., is hosting its third annual Spinning with Singles event Oct. 17, with speed dating rounds conducted on the Centennial Wheel. The previous year’s event took place in February; however, Navy Pier Spokesperson Payal Patel and her team decided to move the event to October for warmer weather and to coincide with Sweetest Day, Oct. 20, an annual holiday dedicated to romantic gestures. “We will have a bunch of daters who will go for a spin on Navy Pier’s iconic Centennial Wheel and will date for a rotation. The gentleman will exit the gondola and move onto the subsequent gondola and repeat the process,” Patel said. Following the speed dating, daters will be escorted to an Elite Yacht, operated by Entertainment Cruises, for a mixer, Patel said. Participants are encouraged to mingle over cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and live music, courtesy of DJ Lovebug, she added. Patel said the event started when the new ferris wheel was introduced in 2016. She said they were looking for ways to introduce creative events with the new attraction. Compared to its predecessor, the wheel is enclosed and allows for a climate-controlled environment, making events on the ride possible year round.
“Navy Pier takes pride in that we are a part of a lot of special moments for people: first dates, first kisses, first anniversary celebrations, engagements,” Patel said. “Navy Pier is a place where people come to make memories. We’re hopeful this type of event is helping create even more memories.” PR Coordinator for Navy Pier Lydia Jordan-Parnell has worked the event for the last two years and has witnessed various connections between couples on the pier. “I [have seen] some first date jitters, also a lot of excitement [and] energy. We see people from all walks of life. Last year, we had a mom and daughter come. It was very fun to watch them connect with different participants,” Jordan-Parnell said. Prior to boarding the Centennial Wheel, participants will fill out contact information cards at registration to avoid pauses during dates, according to Patel. Icebreaker questions are also provided to partcipants to assist in guiding the conversation, she added. In an age saturated with high pressure, split-decision online dating like Tinder, Jordan-Parnell said it is nice to have an opportunity to meet somebody in a setting like Navy Pier. Spinning for Singles participants must be at least 21 years old. Loyola University Chicago senior Samantha Velasco said she is interested in attending the event.
OCTOBER 15, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 13
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» JERMAINE NOLEN STAFF REPORTER CHICAGO PARKING METERS have gone paperless, making parking around the city less complicated. As soon as old parking meters can be removed, motorists will no longer be required to place a paper receipt in their window after paying for street parking. Chicago Parking Meters LLC, the private company that manages the city’s metered street parking, is installing new touch screen paperless pay boxes for all 36,000 metered parking spaces. All new parking meters will be installed by mid 2019. The company’s website encourages drivers to download the ParkChicago app to further simplify the parking process. Once a user downloads the app,
they can pay for parking with their smartphone and extend time remotely when needed. “[I use the ParkChicago meters] quite often. [They are] actually my first choice besides using parking lots,” said Bronzeville resident Cory Harris. The deal to privatize Chicago’s metered parking was announced by former Mayor Richard M. Daley in 2008. Daley announced the deal worth more than $1.5 billion to lease out Chicago’s parking meters for 75 years. “I feel as if [ParkChicago going paperless] forces people to get smartphones,” Harris said. “Some older people, they don’t use those apps, and it kind of forces them to get into that lifestyle.” According to ParkChicago, the new pay boxes will resemble the ones in use now but will have an
14 THE CHRONICLE OCTOBER 15, 2018
upgraded touch screen. Although a receipt may be printed, drivers are not required to place it in the dashboard of their car. Parking enforcement will now use handheld tablets to access a database that shows the status of each parked car. Oak Forest resident Skylar Galberth said he commutes three to four times a week and uses the ParkChicago parking spots exclusively because he finds them to be the least expensive option. “Not having to run back and forth to the meter is super convenient,” Galberth said. The app requires a pre-funded amount of $20 or more to set up an account. There is also a 35 cent convenience fee applied to cars parked less than two hours. Ticketing personnel will be able to search your license plate
» PATRICK CASEY/CHRONICLE
Chicago gives paper metered parking receipts the boot
number, so there is no need to place a receipt in your window. The application is able to send users a notification 10 minutes before your parking time is up and will give the option to add time. West Pullman resident Willie Jubiter said he has never had any issues with parking in Chicago, but is aware of others having issues with parking enforcement.
“It being automated and [being] able to connect the parking meter to your license plate number is a really good idea because it protects you in the event that [the printed] ticket just so happens to fall off the dashboard,” he said. “I’m all for automation, but I would have to see how [it all works].” jnolen@columbiachronicle.com
metro MAGGIE BACZKOWSKI
C
OCCUPATION: Organization Founder » COURTESY /DAN MACHNIK
struck me. I thought, ‘What more do we want from people?’ They’re » KACI WATT on their way to school, they’re STAFF REPORTER proactive, they’re protecting their friends and were just in the wrong hicagoan Maggie Baczkow- place at the wrong time. There is ski decided in 2014 to do no escaping this. I felt like I was her part to end gun vio- called to action. Instead of creatlence in the city she calls home. ing another nonprofit organization, Baczkowski created Strides for why don’t we form Strides for Peace Peace, a nonprofit organization that where we can become a funding provides funds to existing organi- source for existing organizations? zations in Chicago dedicated to Based on our relationships, we ending gun violence. choose community partners and The Chronicle spoke with fund their goals. Baczkowski about founding Strides for Peace, its annual Race Against Is there a specific example of Gun Violence event and her hopes a time when have you seen the for Chicago, guidance and the impact of Strides of Peace? impact it has on the community. Every day, Diane Latiker—founder of Kids Off the Block—has kids THE CHRONICLE: How did Strides showing up at her home and she for Peace start? takes them in, takes care of them BACZKOWSKI: Strides for Peace and provides some stability to her was formed because of a shooting neighborhood. She wanted a basthat happened in 2007. There was a ketball program and needed fundyoung man who died on a CTA bus ing. Latiker knew what she wanted, protecting his friend and his story she organized it, put it together
NEIGHBORHOOD: North Side
and we funded it. It’s something she does every year now. We are happy that we can participate in that and partner with her. What is your Race Against Gun Violence event?
We copied the marathon charity program where the runner can pick an organization they want to fund and 100 percent of the funds go directly to either a community partner or community affiliates. They can use our race as a platform. It is a venue where a lot of bridges can be built and where there are a lot of people trying to accomplish the same things in one area. Is advocacy work something you personally have always been passionate about?
I don’t think of myself as an advocate. I think of myself as somebody who has a responsibility to Chicago and my community. I feel I must play a part in making Chicago a better place by putting myself in
Maggie Baczkowski founded Strides for Peace in 2014 to help fund existing organizations that work to put an end to gun violence in Chicago.
other people’s shoes and trying to create opportunities and solutions What do you hope for Chicago’s future in terms of gun violence?
I hope that there can be healing. When it is up close and personal, it is painful and complex. You can no longer speak categorically about the subject or people. When people use terms such as ‘them vs. us,’ it creates separation. When it’s ‘us
and we,’ the nuances are apparent. There isn’t one size that fits all. You can’t address the gun violence in silence. We have to have courage to witness and understand what’s uncomfortable. As Albert Einstein said, ‘Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.’ We can start by listening. kwatt@columbiachronicle.com
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