The Chronicle, October 22, 2018

PAGE 7: Walking tour unearths Lincoln Park’s history as a graveyard

PAGE 8: Photo Feature: “Because of a stray bullet, her dreams were not accomplished.”

PAGE 10: Commentary: Elizabeth Warren’s DNA tests do not equal culture PAGE 13: Veterans struggle to get access to medical marijuana in Illinois Volume 54, Issue 8

October 22, 2018

ColumbiaChronicle.com

C-Fac, supporters call for President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim’s resignation SEE PAGE 3

» HALIE PARKINSON/CHRONICLE

editor’s note

Accountability, justice needed for Khashoggi investigation » ARIANA PORTALATIN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

A

s the public continues to speculate about the sudden and mysterious death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the Saudi Arabian government investigates, one thing is certain: Journalists continue to be at risk, and President Donald Trump and the White House need to take necessary steps to ensure a proper investigation is done to find out what happened to Khashoggi and hold those responsible accountable.

Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and critic of the Saudi Arabian government who lived in self-imposed exile in the United States, went missing Oct. 2 after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to obtain paperwork for an upcoming wedding.

According to an Oct. 19 Washington Post article, Saudi government acknowledged that Khashoggi was killed during a fight with a group of people inside the consulate. The investigation resulted in the firing of five top officials and the arrests of 18 others, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s adviser Saud al-Qahtani and deputy intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Ahmed al-Assiri.

Turkish investigators previously concluded that Khashoggi was dismembered by a 15-member Saudi team dispatched to Istanbul and was reported to have audio and video of Khashoggi’s murder.

According to the article, at least 12 members of that team are also connected to Saudi security services. Investigations are continuing with 18 detainees.

The Trump administration waited a week before commenting on Khashoggi’s disappearance but did not accuse Saudi Arabia of any wrongdoing. Congress opened its own investigation Oct. 10 to force Trump to be more aggressive in determining what happened.

White House press secretary Sara Sanders issued a statement acknowledging the investigation results and said the White House would continue to follow investigations. However, many public officials continue to question the results.

While Trump said he had spoken with and was demanding answers from Saudi Arabian leaders, he also said he was not open to ending arms sales with Saudi Arabia. Trump said he would have to wait for investigation results before 2 THE CHRONICLE OCTOBER 22, 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 Timothy Michalik Jermaine Nolen Katherine Savage Kaci Watt Alexandra Yetter

COPY

jeopardizing U.S.-Saudi relations, say COPY CHIEF ing, “This took place in Turkey, and to

COPY EDITORS the best of our knowledge, Khashoggi is not a United States citizen.”

Does Trump care more about money SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER than he does a person’s life? Regardless ` GRAPHIC DESIGNERS of whether the incident happened in Turkey, if Saudi officials are responsible

for what happened to Khashoggi, Trump should hold them accountable.

According to an Oct. 19 CNN article,

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Trump has financial stakes in Saudi

Arabia, and any jeopardization of U.S. relations with the country or a negative outcome from the investigation could mean bad news for Trump, who has

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR worked to woo the royal kingdom.

MULTIMEDIA REPORTERS Also of concern is that Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo insisted on giving Saudi officials space to conduct the investigation, which some speculated would allow them to buy time to

MEDIA SALES REPS construct a cover-up.

It’s understandable that Trump would want to wait for the results before makBRAND MANAGER ing any decisions, but Trump’s negative relationship with the media makes it

seem unlikely that anything will be done.

WEBMASTER Trump faced criticism for praising Rep. Greg Gianforte’s, R-Montana, May 2017 attack on Guardian journalist Ben Jacobs during a rally Oct. 18.

FACULTY ADVISER “Any guy that can do a body slam, he’s my

GENERAL MANAGER kind of guy,” Trump said during the rally.

Trump can condemn the disappearance of Khashoggi all he wants, but that does not mean real action will be taken.

Khashoggi supported freedom of expression, as any journalist would. The White House needs to set an example for other countries by guaranteeing justice and safeguarding the first amendment rights of journalists. @c cchronicle

aportalatin@columbiachronicle.com

@c cchronicle

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GRAPHICS Jocelyn Moreno Patrick Casey Jeremy Marynowski Grace Senior

PHOTOGRAPHY Steven Nunez Halie Parkinson Orlando Pinder Mike Rundle

MULTIMEDIA Zack Jackson Bridget Ekis Miranda Manier Kevin Tiongson

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» TESSA BRUBAKER & OLIVIA DELOIAN NEWS EDITOR & STAFF REPORTER

THE COLUMBIA FACULT Y Union and OurColumbia coalition is demanding the resignation of President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim amid allegations that Kim and his administration allowed a culture of sexism and racism at the college.

A press conference calling for Kim’s resignation was held Oct. 17 outside the 600 S. Michigan Ave. building. The press conference included testimonials from students, C-Fac members and the president of the faculty union at University of Illinois at Chicago.

“This campus is in desperate need of measures to advance diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Diana Vallera, adjunct professor in the Photography Department and C-Fac president. “Dr. Kim’s administration promotes a racist and sexist culture. He creates a hostile environment where the most socially marginalized voices are silenced and disregarded.”

Vallera said the college needs to make sure they retain and hire both male and female faculty of color.

Prexy Nesbitt, adjunct professor in the Humanities, History and Social Sciences Department and C-Fac’s director of diversity, said he wants the administration to bargain with C-Fac fairly and respectfully.

“Until they start treating every human being in this school with respect and with understanding and with compassion, with caring, we are gonna continue to be here,” Nesbitt said. “We’re going to mobilize, and we’ll only get stronger.”

However, support for C-Fac at the press conference was not universal.

Michele Hoffman, adjunct professor in the Science and Mathematics Department, passed out fliers during the conference that read, “Diana Vallera is the problem, not the solution,” raising issues about C-Fac’s president, including what is described as unprofessional student involvement.

Hoffman said she attended the conference to see what C-Fac had to say about the current state of the university and was surprised upon hearing its proposed arguments.

“This press conference didn’t touch upon things I thought they might be touching upon today,” Hoffman said. “They described a bunch of things regarding racism [and] sexual discrimination, and those are really serious issues, [but] those also aren’t things [C-Fac] bargains for.”

Hoffman said state and federal regulations have control over diversity at universities and part-time faculty do not have a say in that.

Hair Trigger to celebrate 40th anniversary » ColumbiaChronicle.com Hoffman said she has not experienced instances of racism and sexism C-Fac addressed because the Science and Mathematics Department has many female faculty members of color and various gender identities.

Hoffman also said she finds the involvement of students in the C-Fac protests and press confrences to be problematic and does not believe they should be involved in an employment agreement.

The C-Fac steering committee denied the allegations made in Hoffman’s flier in an Oct. 19 email statement to The Chronicle.

“We will not dignify any of the accusations except to say the college has discriminated against Diana Vallera in the past, and we’re disappointed in witnessing these tactics again. Michele Hoffman has admittedly never attended any Union meetings or made any attempt to contact any of the leadership. She does not know Diana Vallera, and we are investigating her sources. We will always support our students’ activism,” the statement said.

C-Fac’s new collective bargaining agreement will make sure the contract is committed to diversity issues, Vallera said.

Senior Director at the News Office Lambrini Lukidis said it was disappointing to hear the allegations made by C-Fac and OurColumbia about Kim and his administration. She said the work Kim has done even within his senior leadership team filled with women leaders should speak volumes.

“Overall it was disheartening to hear that.

We deny the allegations of institutional sexism, racism and misogyny,” Lukidis said. “Dr. Kim’s record speaks to the contrary of that.”

Senior cinema art and science major Jack Porter said he came to the rally to protest his unhappiness with the size of classes and his education.

“I’m protesting the fact that they’ve been cutting a lot of classes and continually downsizing and making our education not worth the money,” Porter said. “The education I have gotten has not always been up to snuff, as Columbia likes to advertise it, and I’m very disappointed with how they’ve been shortchanging students these past few years.”

Nesbitt spoke to The Chronicle after the conference and said unless the college starts to change how they treat the union and students, a big C-Fac strike may be in the future.

“We’re gonna be here for a long time.

We’ve got a lot of work to do,” Nesbitt said. chronicle@colum.edu

» PHOTOS HALIE PARKINSON /CHRONICLE

campus

Students and faculty gathered outside of 600 S. Michigan Ave. Oct. 17 to express their thoughts on Dr. Kim and the future of Columbia.

Sophomore filmmaking major Anna Chandler led the conference discussing Dr. Kim and his cabinet, asking them to step down.

Director of diversity in C-Fac and Adjunct Professor in HHSS Prexy Nesbitt expressed his thoughts on Dr. Kim and how he feels professors at the college are mistreated.

OCTOBER 22, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 3

campus

Columbia creates video to focus on children » ALEXANDRA YETTER STAFF REPORTER A PROMOTIONAL VIDEO project five years in the making has wrapped up with a serious message for parents going through a divorce or separation.

The project was commissioned by the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Domestic Relations Division and created by students in the Cinema and Television Arts Department’s “DocUnit” course.

It was made to educate arguing, divorced parents on how to co-parent peacefully for the sake of their children.

“It’s about helping parents either correct their course or get off on the right course as they’re going through a divorce,” said senior interdisciplinary major Jessica Siletzky. “[It is about] working toward co-parenting in a healthy way to avoid what can

become an ugly, long process in the court system fighting over custody, as well as how it can be really damaging to the kids.”

Siletzky worked on the project and is also a divorced mother.

According to independent social worker Gary Direnfeld, the messier a co-parenting relationship is, the worse the effects on children might be.

Direnfeld said children raised in these situations are at a greater risk for mental health, behavioral, academic, social and vocational problems as they age.

One patient of Direnfeld’s had been taken to several doctors for chronic headaches and stomachaches before he ended up in Direnfeld’s office. Direnfeld asked him not about how he felt, but about how his parents get along.

The boy told Direnfeld they fight and that he hears them from his bedroom with a walkie-talkie.

The boy told Direnfeld that when the fights get physical, he goes into the kitchen and tells his parents he has a headache or stomachache, which causes the attention to shift to him.

When parents are labeled by social workers as high conflict, they are often mandated by a judge to sit in on peaceful conflict resolution classes, said Associate Professor in the Cinema and Television Arts Department Jeff Spitz, who worked on post-production for the project.

“They’re at a crucial turning point where a judge has mandated they go in for mediation training, and a judge, ultimately, can decide if the children are going to have a future plan that’s determined by the parents or the judge,” Spitz said.

The video was created specifically for the mandated mediation classes, Spitz said. It is designed to play for 45 minutes within the hours-long class and teach parents to co-parent peacefully.

“People can be selfish in these situations,” Siletzky said. “But

if you focus on what you want to fight for, and you want to fight for your kids to be happy, it changes how you’re thinking about what you’re doing,” Siletzky said.

Experiencing parental divorce while in college causes students to concern themselves with how their tuition will be paid, where they will go during the holidays, how they will be able to see extended family and whether they will need to take sides, Direnfeld said.

Additionally, divorce can also impact a student’s mental

wellness and future relationships with signifcant others and their family because they have nothing to model off of, Direnfeld added.

“Parents get wrapped up in what they’re going through because divorce is so hard and traumatic,” Siletzky said. “Sometimes all the parents can do is handle themselves and their own situation, and they forget what is happening with their kids.

It’s good to refocus them on [their kids].” ayetter@columbiachronicle.com

» GRACE SENIOR/CHRONICLE

The Music Center at Columbia College Chicago 1014 S. Michigan Avenue

M u s i c

D e p a r t m e n t

E v e n t s

Monday October 22 Hip Hop Ensemble in Concert New Music Ensemble in Concert at the Sherwood

7:00 pm 7:00 pm

Tuesday October 23 Gospel Ensemble: Showcase in Concert

7:00 pm

Wednesday October 24 Wednesday Noon Guitar Concert Series at the Conaway Student Piano & String Recital #3 at the Sherwood Thursday October 25 Amy Campher Senior Recital Student Piano & String Recital #4 at the Sherwood

I wouldn’t wait to get a ticket, lest the parade pass you by.

ORIENTAL THEATRE • 800-775-2000 • BROADWAYINCHICAGO.COM

4 THE CHRONICLE OCTOBER 22, 2018

Friday October 26 Classical Guitarists Rodolfo Perez and Norman Ruiz at the Sherwood Saturday October 27 Open House at the Music Center

12:00 pm 7:00 pm 7:00 pm 7:00 pm 7:00 pm

11:00 am – 2:00 pm

campus

» KACI WATT STAFF REPORTER WHEN SHE WAS 16 years old, Alessia Cara was surrounded by men in suits deciding her fate. But today, she wears the suit in her video for “Growing Pains,” the lead single from her upcoming sophomore release.

Cara participated in a discussion held at 618 S. Michigan Ave. on Oct. 15., hosted by the Business and Entrepreneurship Department. The event started with the “Growing Pains” video and transitioned into a conversation with the Grammy winner. She spoke about her forthcoming album and gave advice to Columbia’s aspiring artists.

During the talk, Cara highlighted the struggle new artists face and the pains that come with growing up. She recalled

sitting in board rooms trying to prove herself.

“When I was first starting out, everything was dependent on a label,” Cara said. “Now, things have shifted so you can put out music in any way you want using the resources we have, such as YouTube or SoundCloud. Get that idea out of your head that you have to rely on the go-ahead from a guy in a suit. You can do it on your own.”

Associate Chair of the Business and Entrepreneurship Department Jerry Brindisi said the purpose of events like these is to allow students to hear from working professionals in the industry. “[Students] can learn from the artists and what they have been through and navigated,” Brindisi said. “An artist like this who is willing to come in and take questions directly from our students

without a filter tends to be candid, which is a great opportunity for our students.”

Cara said new artists should understand that what they have to say is important because it’s most likely felt by others, too.

As artists, sharing those feelings through music is important, which is what Cara wants to do herself.

“We all have growing pains, no matter if you’re the most wealthy, famous person on earth or the complete opposite of that,” Cara said. “We all have our own pain to deal with, but we all grow from it.”

The transition from childhood to adulthood is never seamless, Cara said. A theme about learning how to navigate the real world runs through the upcoming album. The lead single “Growing Pains” embodies the message of the album fully, she said.

» HALIE PARKINSON/CHRONICLE

Grammy winner Alessia Cara gives advice to Columbia’s aspiring artists

The video for Alessia Cara’s single,“Growing Pains,” from her upcoming release, depicts the theme of growing up, which runs through the rest of the album.

Aspiring artists should not feel forced to fit a mold in terms of looks or age, Cara said. There is no cut off to finding success and for some that is earlier in adulthood than others, she added.

“Just put stuff out, and don’t rush yourself. There’s no clock on anything. There’s seven billion people on earth. Not everyone is going to become successful right away,” Cara said.

Sophomore contemporary urban and popular music major Asher Jaffe said he was glad he attended the discussion because he learned it is possible to be genuine in the industry. “[The event is] such a cool opportunity,” Jaffe said. “It makes me happy that I [go] to this school.” kwatt@columbiachronicle.com

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6 THE CHRONICLE OCTOBER 22, 2018

arts culture

Chronicle discusses Kanye holograms » ColumbiaChronicle.com/Multimedia

Garden of the Dead tour unearths forgotten history of Lincoln Park » BLAISE MESA MANAGING EDITOR GRAB YOUR FLASHLIGHT and prepare to walk through history as the Garden of the Dead Walking Tour sheds light on a time when Lincoln Park was Chicago’s only graveyard.

The tour is hosted by the Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark St., and is led by professor of instruction in the Art Theory and Practice Department at Northwestern University Pamela Bannos. Two tours are scheduled for Oct. 23 and 30.

The tour—which has run for 10 years— starts at the Chicago History Museum and walks to such historic sites as the Lincoln Monument, the Benjamin Franklin Monument, the Couch Tomb, the South Pond and Potter’s Field, according to

Bannos. She said the tour lasts between 1.5 to 2 hours.

Bannos discovered the forgotten history of Lincoln Park while searching through the Chicago Tribune’s digital archives, which were published in 2007.

She said she searched through the Tribune’s archives using keyword phrases, such as “Chicago cemetery” and “city cemetery,” to find articles about Lincoln Park.

Bannos discovered articles that detailed residents digging up bones, then began to map them on a satellite map. When Bannos was finished, she noticed the dots on the map were scattered. “[At one point], this was Chicago’s only cemetery,” she said. “Everybody who lived in Chicago was buried in this ground from 1845 until 1859. The records I found show that 35,000 people were buried there.”

Water from Lake Michigan would find its way into the graves when the tide would rise and fall, said Norman Raidl, former leader of the Lincoln Park docent program and current volunteer at the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool.

Raidl said this caused a series of epidemics because the water flowing back into the lake would become contaminated.

The bodies were exhumed from Lincoln Park and moved to other burial sites in the 1860s, Bannos said. But she estimated there are at least 12,000 graves left in the park.

Junior radio major and creator of The Chicago Beat podcast—a Chicago history podcast—Eva Eig came to Chicago from Maryland in July 2017.

Eig began researching the city’s history when she first moved to Chicago, but she

did not read about the history of Lincoln Park. Eig was surprised to learn how common it is to find bodies or bones in the park and that confederate soldiers are buried in trenches in Lincoln Park.

“Any kind of Chicago history is interesting to learn about,” Eig said.

In her years leading the tour, Bannos said the majority of people were unaware Lincoln Park was used as a graveyard, despite the historical markers located throughout the park to describe the history of that location.

Raidl said there are no ongoing preservation programs at Lincoln Park, but part of the docent training program includes a lecture that chronicles the history of Lincoln Park, with a segment on the time it was a graveyard.

“It’s a history that has never been documented or told in any Chicago history book,” Bannos said. “It was mind-boggling that we didn’t have this history of our entire first generation [who were] buried in Lincoln Park.” bmesa@columbiachronicle.com » PHOTOS STEVEN NUNEZ/CHRONICLE

The Garden of the Dead Walking Tour has run for the past 10 years and is led by Pamela Bannos. It starts at the Chicago History Museum and walks past the Couch Tomb and Lincoln Monument.

OCTOBER 22, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 7

PHOTO FEATURE

“When a person’s life is taken from a gun, they don’t talk about the effect,” Milagros said. “They don’t talk about the PTSD...My son lives with the absence of his sister. My sisters live with the absence of their niece. It’s a domino effect.”

Milagros and her family at a Milagros and Rafael are comforted by fellow members of the New Life Covenant Church in Humboldt Cuban restaurant.

Park. The church describes itself as “a place for the hurting.”

“I told [Alexandria], always fulfill your dreams. No matter how hard and challenging they may be, dream.

You are going to go through different obstacles in life.

Don’t let that stop you from living your dream.”

Life after loss: Burgos family lives with “the gap”

“When we go to Washington, we leave a note. I take a picture of my daughter, and l leave that also with a letter. Letting them know the story that because of a stray bullet, her dreams were not accomplished.”

STORY & PHOTOS BY ORLANDO PINDER 8 THE CHRONICLE OCTOBER 22, 2018

The Burgos’s home; Alexandria’s Milagros holds Alexandria’s graduation photo. final resting place.

“Now, I’m my daughter’s voice.”

PHOTO FEATURE

“We have to let them know that this is not a normal way of living ... it’s a shame that our kids can’t even walk down the streets to go to school.

It shouldn’t matter where you live, whether it’s South Side or North Side.

They should have a safe environment for everyone who lives in the city.”

M

“

y daughter was sitting in a kitchen, waiting for her younger brother and she was shot by a stray bullet,” said Milagros Burgos, speaking through tears.

Alexandria Imani Burgos, the daughter of Milagros and Rafael Burgos, was waiting to give her brother a ride home from his girlfriend’s house in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood.

“They were like two peas in a pod,” Milagros said.

Milagros and her husband were walking out of a theater when they received a call from their son.

“We couldn’t understand him. He was crying and he’s like, ‘Alex got shot.’ We didn’t understand because [they] were somewhere that was safe,” Milagros said. Despite their confusion, they instructed their son to apply pressure to the wound.

When they arrived, the yard was filled with paramedics and police officers. A paramedic instructed the family to go to the hospital. “It was the Illinois Masonic Hospital. She was born there, I was born there,” Milagros said.

About 12:35 a.m. on Oct. 19, 2014, Alexandria was pronounced dead.

“

Milagros and Rafael spot their daughter’s photo among hundreds of other homicide victims at a victim memorial service.

“Sometimes we feel like our hands are tied because no one is really listening.

This is why we do what we do,” Milagros said, “We want to take our struggles and turn them to strength. We want to turn our pain to purpose but there are so many people who just don’t understand.”

Milagros stands in front of a mural she commissioned for Russell Lowell Elementary School.

Alexandria was a freshman at Wilbur Wright College and aspired to be a social worker. The shooter was never found.

“She had the right to live...the right to achieve her dreams,” Milagros said. “She did what society expected her to do: be a good student, be a good citizen .... Someone was able to get a gun and use it in a tragic way.”

The death of Alexandria remains an agonizing pain for Milagros and her family.

In spite of their tragedy, Milagros and her husband spend the majority of their free time participating in marches and rallies and speaking at gun violence prevention events all over the country.

“We don’t want other families to go through what we are going through. We live with that absence, that gap,” Milagros said. “One life gone by gun violence is too [many].”

Milagros and her husband say it is too easy to get a gun, and although they are not in favor of banning all weapons, they believe stricter gun laws, and thorough background checks, will help save lives.

We want to take our struggles and turn them to strength. We want to turn our pain to purpose, but there are so many people who just don’t understand.

”

Milagros stands in front of her daughter’s photo.

DESIGN BY SAMANTHA CONRAD OCTOBER 22, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 9

opinions

Melania Trump wore controversial pith helmet while in Kenya » ColumbiaChronicle.com EDITORIAL

Recognizing discrimination can help end violence against trans people

LY N

MORE N O /C H R O

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he long-running debate over Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s, D-Massachusetts, ethnic heritage has been resolved following DNA test results.

CE

» MICHA THURSTON AD & BUSINESS MANAGER

The report, released Oct. 15 by the Boston Globe, states “[Warren] had a Native American in her family tree dating back six to 10 generations.” The test was conducted by Stanford University genetics professor Carlos Bustamante.

These DNA results, however, do not constitute cultural identity.

According to a statement released Oct. 15 by Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr., a leader of the tribe Warren’s ancestor belonged to, DNA does not suffice.

“A DNA test is useless to determine tribal citizenship,” he said in the statement. “Using a DNA test to lay claim to any connection to the Cherokee Nation or any tribal nation, even vaguely, is inappropriate and wrong.”

It’s silly to think we would even be debating a senator’s ethnic heritage, but according to an Oct. 15 CNN article, the debate began when Warren ran for Senate

JO

Elizabeth Warren’s DNA test insults Native Americans

color, and we need to be better educated and informed to best help them and end discrimination. We need action now, before the violence gets worse.

According to a November 2017 study by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and NPR, LGBTQ people of color face more discrimination than their white counterparts.

Nearly one in three LGBTQ people of color reported employment discrimination. LGBTQ people of color are six times more likely to be afraid to call the police, fearing discrimination by officers.

Trans people, because of their marginalized status, may be forced into certain dangerous situations, such as unemployment and homelessness. We often walk by homeless people on the street without giving thought to how they ended up in that situation. And because it’s not directly affecting us, we may not do anything about it.

»

C

iara Carter, a transgender woman of color, was killed in Garfield Park Oct. 3. She was the 22nd trans person known to have been murdered this year and the second trans woman of color killed in Chicago since Aug. 31. This does not account for undocumented cases of violence against transgender people, which means the actual number may be higher.

According to the Human Rights Campaign, at least 29 transgender people were killed in the U.S. in 2017 with violence—the most ever recorded. From the details of the cases, the reports disproportionately affected transgender women of color. “The intersections of racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia conspire to deprive them of employment, housing, healthcare and other necessities, barriers that make them vulnerable,” the Human Rights Campaign stated.

It is abundantly clear transgender people are at risk in our country, especially those who are also people of

Society should start by educating children at a young age about transgender rights and discrimination. Make it a part of everyday academia, and understand when a hate crime is happening.

Teaching these issues can help the next generation grow up without misconceptions about the LGBTQ community.

We need to call discrimination what it is to try and put a stop to it. We need to create more diverse workplaces where transgender people in 2012 against former Sen. Scott Brown, R-Massachusetts, who openly questioned her racial heritage. Warren defended her claims by citing stories from her childhood told by her mom and dad, as she told Boston radio station WBUR in 2012.

The backlash against Warren increased after President Donald Trump mockingly referred to her as “Pocahontas” on several occasions. The slurs and mockery are equally, if not more, unacceptable and offensive to the Cherokee Nation as Warren’s questionable claims.

As a biracial woman, I sympathize with Warren’s desire to prove her ethnic heritage because it is frustrating to be told how you can and cannot identify.

But I also understand that my cultural belonging and identity can’t depend on an ancestry test like 23andMe. Unlike Warren, I don’t need a DNA test or stories from my parents to tell me who I am. My blackness is undeniable and

aren’t facing discrimination or homelessness because of their status. We need to change the culture of hate.

Transgender people and LGBTQ people face discrimination every day in a physically violent environment. This is a life or death situation, and we must create a culture in which hate is not allowed.

That way, in the future, people like Ciara Carter aren’t killed for being who they are. tbrubaker@columbiachronicle.com

COMMENTARY unmistakable; it is at the forefront of my entire being. My grandma told me that we are Norwegian, and this was later confirmed when she took a DNA test herself.

But despite being told all my life that I was Norwegian, that culture never had any impact on my upbringing, so I cannot and do not claim the culture as my own simply because it shows up in my spit.

Culture, race and identity run so much deeper than skin or blood—especially in a culture as sacred and unique to various Native American tribes. Perhaps Warren can use her DNA results as a jab at Trump, but to claim the traditions of the Cherokee Nation, and to identify with the systemic oppression Native Americans have endured, is not only offensive, but a blatant dismissal of the white privilege Warren has as a blonde-haired, blue-eyed white woman. mthurston@columbiachronicle.com

Editorial Board Members Tessa Brubaker News Editor Blaise Mesa Managing Editor Olivia Deloian Staff Reporter Kaci Watt Staff Reporter Katherine Savage Staff Reporter Alexandra Yetter Staff Reporter

10 THE CHRONICLE OCTOBER 22, 2018

Jocelyn Moreno Senior Graphic Designer Grace Senior Graphic Designer Dennis Percevecz Media Sales Rep

Did you catch a mistake, think we could have covered a story better or have strong beliefs about an issue that faces all of us here at Columbia?

Why not write a letter to the editor? At the bottom of Page 2, you’ll find a set of guidelines on how to do this. Let us hear from you. —The Columbia Chronicle Editorial Board

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FOR A PART-TIME STAFF REPORTER Applications available online: www.columbiachronicle.com/jobs OFFICE LOCATED AT : 3 3 E . C O N G R E S S P A R K W A Y , S U I T E 2 2 4 | 3 1 2 . 3 6 9 . 8 9 5 9 OCTOBER 22, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 11

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Staff discusses C-Fac rally, “Mid90s” and gun violence » ColumbiaChronicle.com/Multimedia

Veterans face hurdles when seeking access to medical marijuana » JERMAINE NOLEN STAFF REPORTER

Illinoisans will die because of opioid use by 2020.

“It’s like they want to keep you medicated.

Even recently, I went to the doctor, and I told her, ‘I don’t want to take all these pills anymore, what can I do?’” said United States Navy veteran Malikah Boyd.

Boyd, a full-time student, is considered 90 percent disabled and has been out of the military for a year. Boyd, who has experience as a rehabilitation counselor, said opioid addiction can take hold within a week’s time.

“The opiate is more addicting,” she said.

“However, if you are openly telling [the VA] that you smoke marijuana as a release, then they will cut off your pain pills. Say you broke your neck while in service and did not heal properly so you need [the pills] for that injury, but you like to smoke because you have anxiety or PTSD, [the VA] will cut you off because you smoke marijuana.” jnolen@columbiachronicle.com

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Severe fibromyalgia

Cancer

403

415

438

447

560

649

707

931

999

653

Other debilitating conditions

1704

2526 » GRAPHICS SAMANTHA CONRAD/CHRONICLE

despite several U.S. states’ approval of the use of medical marijuana, the VA is required to follow federal laws.

Federal law classifies marijuana and all derivative products as a Schedule One controlled substance, making it illegal to the federal government.

“With the VA, they give you a lot of anti-depressants and a lot of synthetic medications to treat your conditions,” said United States Navy veteran Calvin Harris. “I was in the medical field for 14 years. All the Xanax, Adderall and things they typically give [these] guys have a lot of side effects.”

Harris said some people become addicted to prescription pain killers and may even overdose. For this reason, he thinks a natural alternative would be positive.

Lawmakers acknowledged in the Alternative to Opioids Act that drug overdoses have become the leading cause of death nationwide for people under the age of 50. At the current rate, more than 2,700

QUALIFYING PATIENT APPLICATIONS BY DEBILITATING CONDITION JULY 1, 2017, TO JUNE 30, 2018

3408

4151

ILLINOIS MILITARY VETERANS are being left behind in the war on opioid addiction, even though Illinois permits doctors to recommend medical marijuana as an alternative to other drugs.

Post-traumatic stress disorder—a disorder in which a person has difficulty recovering after experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event—is now on the list of most commonly treated conditions by patients who use medical marijuana in Illinois, according to a new Illinois Department of Public Health report. The report states between July 2017 and June 2018, of 21,000 qualifying patients who applied for a medical cannabis card, 20 percent indicated PTSD as their debilitating condition, equating to 4,151 applicants.

The increase in users is due in part to a commitment from Gov. Bruce Rauner to

end opioid addiction in Illinois. On Aug. 28, Rauner signed the Alternative to Opioids Act, allowing physicians the authority to recommend medical marijuana prescriptions to any patient with a condition that would be otherwise treated with an opioid painkiller.

“It is unfortunate that veterans face unique hurdles in obtaining medical cannabis in states like Illinois that permit it, unlike other patients who can simply go to their primary care physician and obtain a recommendation,” said deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws Paul Armentano.

“Veterans are forced to go outside their standard health care practitioners in order to have these discussions and obtain the paperwork necessary to register for the state’s medical marijuana access program.”

The VA was unable to be reached for comment as of time of press, but according to the Veterans Affairs Public Health website,

OCTOBER 22, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 13

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Nonprofit reduces student debt with volunteer work

» KATHERINE SAVAGE STAFF REPORTER COLLEGE GRADUATES SHARE a common goal—to find a job to pay off their mounting student loan debt, which now exceeds $1.5 trillion in the U.S. A nonprofit group promotes a new way to help pay off the debt.

Shared Harvest Fund launched in June with the goal of paying off $20 million in student loan debt by 2020.

The organization partners with other nonprofits looking for volunteer workers. Students, and graduates, can volunteer a set amount of hours per month with an organization and, in return, have a check sent directly to the lender of the student’s choice.

The organization was founded

by Dr. Briana DeCuir, Dr. Joanne Moreau and Dr. NanaEfua B.

Afoh-Manin when they noticed the negative effects student debt had on people.

The organization identified several groups of students and graduates who need help or can help.

“You have our change-maker organizations, which are our nonprofit partners,” DeCuir said. “The third arm deals with our corporate partnerships, and that is where we take a look at corporations who are looking to increase their social impact.”

The Shared Harvest Fund was inspired by a pilot program, Agenda for Sustainable Development, that was started by the United Nations in 2015.

According to the U.N., the program promises “sustainable development” to everyone. Shared Harvest Fund aims to someday be a part of this program and have similar initiatives, DeCuir said.

“Our five sustainable development goals looked at good health and well-being, quality education, gender inequality, decent work, economic growth and peace, justice and strong institutions,” DeCuir said.

Shared Harvest Fund partners with Global Girls Inc., an organization that helps young girls learn life skills, said founder and executive director Marvinetta Woodley-Penn. “ We teach mindfulness, social-emotional skills, negotiation skills, ensemble-building skills, and we allow children to have fun just being young people,” Woodley-Penn said.

Volunteers help pay off student loan debt while also helping the different nonprofit organizations, she said.

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“We need so much help because we have a small staff,” WoodleyPenn said. “This is the way of

» JEREMY MARYNOWSKI/CHRONICLE

sharing resources and benefiting both partners.”

The volunteer projects are geared toward the volunteers’ strengths and majors, DeCuir said. Volunteer applications are available on Shared Harvest Fund’s website.

“The goal of this is to make it convenient for professionals who already have busy jobs,” DeCuir said. “Why not spend that extra four hours a month you have doing something for someone else that also feeds your spirit and [get] a loan stipend for [it]?”

Senior social media and digital strategy major Anais Moron said she would be interested in a program like Shared Harvest Fund.

“That would be perfect because it helps you with debt,” Moron said. “A lot of times, [volunteer organizations] don’t pay you—it’s just for the experience—but this is experience [that] helps you with the debt.” ksavage@columbiachronicle.com

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» STEVEN NUNEZ/CHRONICLE

Nonprofit organization GoodKids MadCity called for more voter turnout at the midterm polls during the Women’s March to the Polls Oct. 13. Visit ColumbiaChronicle.com for more photos.

$5 OFF A D M IS SI ON wi th t h is A D

OCTOBER 22, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 15

COMPLETE A WORK IN PROGRESS Would you like support for your project? All majors are encouraged to apply for the Albert P. Weisman Award—helping junior, senior, and graduate level students complete ambitious creative projects. Recipients receive a $2,000 award and dedicated mentorship. To apply:

1

Go to colum.edu/weisman for more info and to start your application.

2

Register for a mandatory info session on Handshake:

3

Apply before deadline: DECEMBER 2, 2018.

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