April 26 | The Columbia Chronicle

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2021

Protesters call for police reform and justice for Adam Toledo Campus, page 3

Arts & Culture, page 10

Students, faculty and staff voice concerns to President Kim

First in-person theatre performance Chauvin verdict brings relief and of 2021 in “Tales of Berlin” calls for more work to be done

Metro, page 5

Opinions, 11 Artists are not responsible for what children view

editor’s note

Editor’s Note: America often correlates work with meaning, so pursue your passion » BROOKLYN KIOSOW CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF IN 2014, I enrolled at the University of

Kansas with a major in journalism.

At the time, I was not sure if I wanted to major in journalism or English, but I was leaning toward English.

When I expressed this to my academic adviser after my second week of classes, she advised me to take an entirely different route—something more “traditional” and “secure,” she said.

When she pushed further and asked what I would do with an English degree, I panicked. I was only 18; I didn’t know what I would do with a degree in English, but I knew I was interested in writing, literature and rhetoric. I thought, “Aren’t I in college to pursue something I like doing?”

Now, as I approach my graduation date in May and prepare to leave Columbia with a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative nonfiction, I am asked this question more than ever: “What are you going to do with that degree?”

It isn’t that I don’t get it—I do. It is hard to get a job that pays a livable wage nowadays, and the traditional jobs hiring that relate to English and creative writing often do not pay a lot. But it has never been about pay for me, and people often scoff when I say this.

While I understand it sometimes has to be about money, because many people have families to provide for and bills to pay, it is still worth critiquing the view the U.S. has on work and its direct correlation to fulfillment and meaning. If we must find our meaning in our work, we should try to pursue our passions.

The U.S. is obsessed with work. Even as other countries shorten their workweek, the U.S. pushes people to work more— creating a stressful and less pleasant way of life. According to an article from The Atlantic, the most advanced countries give new parents the right to paid leave, while the U.S. does not guarantee employees this right. Many employees in the U.S. also depend on their job for health insurance, while other countries’ citizens are guaranteed access regardless of their employment.

This raises the question: Should your job be your duty, or your passion? We live in a society where work often gives people meaning, and a common conversation topic is your job’s demanding work schedule and how little sleep you have been getting.

2 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE APRIL 26, 2021

I have seen my own friends and colleagues talk about these things, stating they only slept three hours last night, or they had to stay up after an eight-hour work shift to finish an assignment. It is like there is a need to prove how hard you are working compared to the person next to you.

In an article for The Atlantic, Derek Thompson discusses the idea of “workism” or “the belief that work is not only necessary to economic production, but also the centerpiece of one’s identity and life purpose.” Thompson also says Americans’ conception of work has changed in the past century, “from jobs to careers to callings—from necessity to status to meaning.”

The shift from a job simply being a job to being a true calling makes sense, as people often introduce themselves as “an engineer,” “an editor” or “a nurse” before saying anything else about who they are.

However, if someone derives meaning from their work, and their work is not something they are passionate about, it can lead to burnout and a potential lack of fulfillment.

Because people in the U.S. often find meaning in their work, and this can be difficult to escape, it is paramount to follow your passions and put yourself on a career path worth working toward.

It is easy to fall into the trap of putting work at the forefront of who you are, but if you have the opportunity to follow your passion, it really is a true piece of who you are.

For me, this means focusing on writing creatively to express myself, editing critically to expand my understanding of writing and closely reading other works to grow as a writer.

When I think back to my interaction with the academic adviser at KU, I wonder what would have happened if she had convinced me to switch to a degree in business, or marketing, or engineering. I would not be where I am today—writing a collection of essays for my graduate thesis, interviewing authors and filmmakers for the Chronicle or hunting for jobs related to editing and writing.

I would not feel like my work is truly a part of who I am—and I wouldn’t want to claim it as my life’s purpose.

If we can’t completely change the relationship the U.S. has with work, we can at least truly say our work is also our passion.

BKIOSOW@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

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VOL. 56, ISSUE 14

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Columbia parent’s speaker series builds connections » ColumbiaChronicle.com

‘Burnout is real’: Faculty, staff and students voice their concerns to President Kim about the future of the college FOLLOWING HIS STATE of the College ad-

dress, President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim held multiple Zoom forums for students, faculty and staff to speak their minds and ask questions about the state of the college, Kim’s address and the well-being of students.

Faculty and staff representatives who spoke to the Chronicle criticized aspects of Kim’s state of the college assessment, suggesting he is not aware of much of the work they do and bristling at the notion that more will be asked of them without additional compensation and resources being provided.

The forums covered topics such as the elimination of celluloid film from instruction, Kim’s reimagined core curriculum and his new ideas for complex collaboration between majors, among other topics.

STUDENT FORUM

During the April 16 student forum, Kim, along with 22 additional members of his administration, including Senior Vice President and Provost Marcella David and Dean of Students John Pelrine, spent time answering pre-submitted student questions. One student was in attendance in addition to the Chronicle reporters present.

At the forum, Kim addressed criticism from the Asian Student Organization in a Letter to the Editor published by the Chronicle April 11 for taking more than two weeks to release a statement addressing anti-Asian hate after the Atlanta spa shootings on March 16.

Kim said he took time to “cool off” before writing a statement.

“It’s fine to write something down or to have a thought while it’s still hot,” Kim said.

“But, the responsible thing is to wait until it cools off a little bit.”

In response to the Cinema and Television Arts Department’s decision to remove celluloid film from its curriculum beginning next fall, as reported by the Chronicle Dec. 14, Kim said he spoke with Columbia alumni Len Amato, former president of HBO Films, and Paul Garnes, a film producer known for his work on the film “Selma,” to learn more about industry trends.

“They understood why students might be disappointed because it feels like some of the fun part might be going away,” Kim said. “But they also said that Columbia

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» NOAH JENNINGS, CAMRYN CUTINELLO, AND MATEUSZ JANIK

College Chicago students needed to understand that from an industry perspective, film is in fact gone already.”

Regarding the fall semester, Kim said the college is planning for approximately 75% of classes to have an in-person component, whether that means courses following a fully in-person or a hybrid model.

FACULTY FORUM

Kim also hosted separate faculty and staff forums to answer questions about his collegewide address. The Chronicle was denied access to those forums.

Sean Johnson Andrews, Faculty Senate president and associate professor in the Humanities, History and Social Sciences Department, said during the faculty forum, attendees asked questions about implementing complex collaboration among majors, connecting students with industries and what the reimagining of the core curriculum will look like.

Andrews said faculty members also have concerns beyond what was brought up in the forum.

In his address, Kim spoke of revamping the way the curriculum is taught. He suggested students should be taught more practical skills, such as the ability to read and understand a contract, along with the creative aspects that are already taught.

One of the main concerns from faculty is how resources will be provided for faculty to be able to execute Kim’s vision, Andrews said.

“A lot of these changes and a lot of the future of the college relies on us digging even deeper for more energy and enthusiasm,” Andrews said. “Burnout is real and the wall is real, and so how are we going to get past that to continue pushing for advancing the mission of the college [and] making changes in the curriculum?”

Andrews cited faculty concerns about course caps being raised and sabbaticals being canceled as examples of how the administration is asking more of the faculty without giving much in return.

“The faculty haven’t had a raise across the board in over a decade,” Andrews said.

“It would be nice to have some nod to the work that we have done and some promise on the horizon of relief or benefit other than just continuing to keep our jobs.”

Diana Vallera, president of CFAC— Columbia’s part-time faculty union— and adjunct faculty member in the Photography Department, attended the April 15 faculty forum.

PRESIDENT AND CEO KWANG-WU KIM HELD A SERIES OF FORUMS FOR STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF TO EXPRESS THEIR CONCERNS AND ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE COLLEGE.

“We just redid the whole first-year experience and now really what he’s calling for is a whole new revamping,” Vallera said. “A lot of people in that room were interested in some support—especially for [current] students—and he focused on the ones that were leaving.”

Although she said it is a “terrific” idea to focus on students leaving, Vallera said the college has to discern between the “wants” and “needs” of students and have evidence that supports these claims before making any decisions.

STAFF FORUMS

Craig Sigele, academic manager of the Communication Department and president of the United Staff of Columbia College, said during his campuswide address, Kim called for more work from faculty and staff.

“He basically suggested that everyone was not doing enough, and they needed to do more,” Sigele said. “Everyone I’ve spoken to has been upset by what they heard.

And if that was his goal, then he did a good job, and I think he’s got people’s attention.”

Sigele said some of Kim’s suggestions, such as staff working with students on career plans or incorporating the learning of business skills in classes, “highlighted the disconnect” between the administration and the work done by academic and student service departments.

“It makes it seem like he’s not aware of what is being done,” said Sigele who attended a forum on Thursday, April 15.

“The policy-making just doesn’t jive with what actually happens on the ground, and [he’s] asking for more work or more participation by the Career Center,” Sigele said. “That means they need more funding or they need more staff ... the hand towel is running dry.”

Sigele said Kim’s remarks have not helped improve the morale of staff and faculty following a difficult year.

“We’ve just come out of this COVID war, and now we’re being challenged to do more,” Sigele said. “And [this] seems to be off message. It just seems to be the wrong message at the wrong time.”

Matthew Rillie, coordinator of Student Support and Engagement for Student Diversity and Inclusion, said staff wanted to know more about specific details regarding Kim’s messaging around student retention, DEI and continuing to strengthen Columbia as a college for creatives.

Rillie, who is also a membership chair with USofCC, said it is a rare occasion to have staff members and Kim in the same room, but his messaging felt “fairly meaningless” among most staff because none of their questions were answered and no details were discussed.

“We want to talk about this more, we’re ready to continue to do really gritty, beautiful work,” said Rille, who attended a session for employees of Student Affairs and Residence Life Operations on Thursday, April 22. “However if we’re only met with broad messages from leadership, then that’s not leadership.”

Despite staff being dissatisfied with aspects of Kim’s address and assessments of where the college is, Sigele said he is excited to be part of the process of looking forward and thinking about reshaping the college over the next 10 years with the strategic plan.

“I really think [Kim] does listen,” Sigele said. “Although, I think it just shows that a lot of conversations are going to be needed to be had.”

CHRONICLE@COLUM.EDU APRIL 26, 2021 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 3

campus » ZACHARY CLINGENPEEL /CHRONICLE

Students take their best shot as vaccination requirement announced » BY STAFF

college will require students and employees who leave the city to return four weeks after their first dose to get a second shot.

Columbia was the first Illinois college to mandate a COVID-19 vaccine for returning students, with DePaul and Loyola universities following suit shortly after Columbia’s announcement.

During an April 16 student forum, Kim said that while the vaccine is required, there will be some exceptions.

“The thing that we’re working on right now is the language so that it both explains that the requirements in place [are] to try to guarantee the community’s safety … but also acknowledges that there will be exceptions,” Kim said. “We will honor the valid exceptions.”

Kim did not specify what the “valid exceptions” would be and said the wording of the exceptions is something he is working on.

To receive the vaccine, members of the Columbia community can sign up to be notified of vaccine appointments via VAXQ. While being vaccinated isn’t a require-

ment for current students to finish the semester, they are able to sign up through VAXQ along with staff and full- and part-time faculty who are teaching in the Spring 2021 semester or are scheduled to teach in Summer or Fall 2021.

While the college is welcoming walk-in appointments on the first floor of the 618 S. Michigan Ave. building Mondays through Fridays between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., it still recommends registering through the VAXQ system to secure a vaccination slot.

Lukidis said the number of doses on campus will be limited and recommends students and employees find access to the vaccine through non-campus providers if possible.

“I think at a lot of institutions of higher education … students and faculty and staff are really looking forward to just coming back to campus,” Lukidis said. “We’re grateful for the generosity of the city of Chicago for giving us these doses.”

CHRONICLE@COLUM.EDU

» ZACHARY CLINGENPEEL /CHRONICLE

» ZACHARY CLINGENPEEL /CHRONICLE

COLUMBIA STUDENTS AND employees are now eligible to be vaccinated for COVID-19 on campus. Vaccinations began just three days after the April 19 announcement that all students will be required to be vaccinated for the Fall 2021 semester.

According to an April 21 email, the college received “several hundred” doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine reserved for Columbia students and employees.

Lambrini Lukidis, associate vice president of Strategic Communications and External Relations, said the college has talked “extensively” with the Student Government Association and has conducted polls to get a sense of faculty and staff willingness to be vaccinated.

Lukidis said the college’s motivation to require the vaccination was for the safety of students and also meeting student desire for in-person instruction.

“It’s really important for the college to make this move … primarily because this is a college for creatives,” Lukidis said.

“The types of disciplines and programs

we have require collaboration and in-person instruction.”

To be eligible for a vaccine, students must be currently enrolled in the Spring 2021 semester.

To avoid wasting doses, Lukidis said students and employees leaving the city must specify if they can return to campus in time for their second dose. Students and employees who get vaccinated on campus must receive both doses through the college.

According to the April 19 email, if a student arrives at the college not vaccinated in the fall, they will still be able to attend class, but will be required to begin the vaccination process and test once a week when on campus until the vaccination process is complete.

“We’re going to do our best to vaccinate as many people as we can,” Lukidis said.

“We always knew that we were going to be getting fewer doses than we have students and employees … based on the distribution and what we expected to get from the city.”

The Moderna vaccine requires a waiting period of 28 days between doses, and the

STUDENTS WAIT IN LINE TO RECEIVE MODERNA VACCINATIONS FROM CARE ATC, WHO PARTNERED WITH THE SCHOOL TO DISTRIBUTE THE VACCINE TO THOSE ENROLLED IN CLASSES THIS SEMESTER. 4 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE APRIL 26, 2021

JORDAN DAWSON, FRESHMAN CREATIVE WRITING MAJOR, WAITS TO RECEIVE HER FIRST DOSE OF THE MODERNA COVID-19 VACCINE THURSDAY, APRIL 22.

metro

The Chronicle highlights noteworthy cannabis shops in Chicago » ColumbiaChronicle.com

Guilty Chauvin verdict brings relief, but with calls for more police accountability » ZACHARY CLINGENPEEL PHOTOJOURNALIST

and time again where many [accused] officers don’t even get a case, much less a conviction.”

In a Twitter thread, Lightfoot gave her immediate reactions to the verdict, writing, “I join my fellow Chicagoans, Americans, and human beings across the world as justice is being served in Minneapolis today.”

Pritzker said in a public statement that the verdict “marks an important milestone on the journey to justice, but the fullest measure of progress is how we deliver accountability, safety and meaningful change.”

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the nation following the verdict, emphasizing that there is still more that needs to be done.

“There’s more to do,” Biden said.

“It’s the work we do every day to change hearts and minds as well as laws and policies. That’s the work we have to do.”

Several Chicago-based organizations planned to gather after jurors announced they had reached a

verdict. Revolution Club Chicago posted on its Facebook page, calling for protesters to meet at Cloud Gate in Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph St. Another local activist group, Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, planned for action in Daley Plaza at 5 p.m. in a Facebook Group post Tuesday.

A small group of demonstrators gathered at Daley Plaza after the verdict was announced. The people represented groups such as ChiResists, Chicago Alliance and Chicago Torture Justice Center.

Mark Clements, community organizer with Chicago Torture Justice Center and a former victim of prison torture, was present at the Daley Plaza event and said he is glad the verdict was guilty. “[The verdict] sends a loud booming echo to the system that its racism will not be tolerated any longer,” Clements said.

ZCLINGELPEEL@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

» VALENTINA PURCARELLI/CHRONICLE

FORMER MINNEAPOLIS POLICE officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of the murder of George Floyd, after nearly a year of international protests amid a global pandemic.

On Tuesday, April 20, a Minnesota jury found Chauvin guilty on all three counts he faced — second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, and Judge Peter Cahill revoked Chauvin’s bail. The former officer was then led out of the courtroom in handcuffs.

Around an hour before the verdict, the college notified the Columbia community via email, call and text that all campus buildings except residence halls would close at 3 p.m. until further notice based on “the situation in the city and the South Loop.”

Columbia later notified students, staff and faculty that the campus would reopen Wednesday, April 21, and operations would continue as usual.

On Monday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker activated the Illinois National Guard to be deployed to Chicago in anticipation of the verdict by request of Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, as reported by the Associated Press.

In spite of these precautions, Chicagoans remained peaceful with very little activity or protesting following the verdict.

In a Tuesday email statement to the Chronicle, Senior Vice President and Provost Marcella David said she was “relieved at the guilty verdicts.”

“I can only hope that this case, and other questionable use of force cases, will catalyze a widespread reexamination of some current, and, in my view, outdated police practices,” David said.

Isaiah Moore, senior television and cultural studies double major and Student Organization Council president, said that the verdict was a step toward police accountability.

“I’m glad to see it happen right now,” Moore said. “We’ve seen this story time

DESPITE CITY AND COLLEGE PREPARATIONS, CHICAGOANS REMAINED PEACEFUL WITH ONLY A SMALL GROUP OF PROTESTORS DEMONSTRATING TO PASS THE PEOPLE’S ORDINANCE IN DALEY PLAZA. APRIL 26, 2021 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 5

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» VALENTINA PUCARELLI/CHRONICLE

Little Village organizers call for justice for Adam Toledo and other victims of police shootings

WILLIAM GUERRERO, BETTER KNOWN AS “THE KID FROM PILSEN,” RAISES HIS HANDS AS THE CROWD CHANTS “HANDS UP, DON’T SHOOT.”

» VALENTINA PUCARELLI PHOTOJOURNALIST MORE THAN TWO weeks after 13-year-old Little Village resident Adam Toledo was fatally shot by a Chicago police officer, protesters marched through the Logan Square neighborhood, calling for police reform.

Marchers gathered around the Illinois Centennial Monument, 3150 W. Logan Blvd., on Friday, April 16 carrying signs reading “Abolish the police” and “Justice for Adam,” following the release of a video showing the March 29 police chase and shooting of Toledo.

Reina Torres, a 16-year-old community organizer with GoodKids MadCity and The Pilsen Alliance who helped lead the protest on Friday and a vigil on Sunday, April 18, said Black and Brown youth came together to show “there is 6 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE APRIL 26, 2021

power to the people, and we are stronger than the people in power.”

“This protest was to show the injustice that these police do when it comes to our Black and Brown people,” Torres said. “We came together to show our respects to Adam Toledo, Anthony Alvarez and all the other Black and Brown folks.”

Torres said protesters demanded that Eric Stillman, the police officer who shot Toledo, resign; that Mayor Lori Lightfoot talk to and understand Chicago’s Black and Brown youth; and that resources, such as more funding for after-school programs, mental health clinics and medical clinics, be funded by the city.

According to a statement provided to ABC7 news by Stillman’s attorney Tim Grace, “the juvenile offender had the gun in his right hand, came to a fence, looked at the officer which could be interpreted

as attempting to acquire a target and began to turn to face the officer attempting to swing the gun in his direction.

“At this point the officer was faced with a life threatening and deadly force situation,” according to the statement.

“All prior attempts to deescalate and gain compliance with all of the officer’s lawful orders had failed.”

The body cam footage shows Toledo was empty handed when Stillman shot him in the chest.

The families of people fatally shot by Chicago police, like Alvarez, who died March 31, and Marc Nevarez, who died October 23, also attended the protest.

“There is no reason why a mother should be burying her kid,” said Sandra Nevarez, Marc’s mother. “Enough is enough. We need justice.”

Ana Solano, a Little Village resident and community organizer with the nonprofit Únete La Villita, said

the protest’s organizers were very intentional about uplifting the families that have been affected by police violence. She said the community has their back and stands with them.

Edith Tovar, a Little Village Environmental Justice Organization community organizer, said Toledo’s death has shaken the Little Village community to the core.

“This was a young person,” Tovar said. “They were in seventh grade, and they were not given an opportunity to grow, to learn, to see what their life could have been.”

She said there is a stark difference between when a white man commits a crime versus when a Black or Brown man commits a similar crime or is accused of one.

There have been many instances in which white men who commit crimes are taken into custody alive, Tovar said, while Black and Brown children aren’t given that grace.

“They are seen as grown, dangerous men that should be killed, and I think it goes back to our communities not being funded correctly,” Tovar said.

Before the video of Toledo being shot by a police officer was released, Lightfoot asked for a peaceful response as Toledo’s family grieves, as reported by Block Club Chicago April 15.

According to Torres, the Friday event was peaceful until what was thought to be a loud taser sound was heard around 10 p.m., and youth organizers started running toward a large group of police by the Logan Square Blue Line station.

In an email response to Chronicle questions, the Chicago Police Department had no information available about the event described by Torres.

Torres said she believes the police purposely made a taser sound to get the youth riled up.

“Nobody protects us like we protect us, so of course our youth were ready to throw down,” Torres said. “They were ready to protect one another.”

According to a CPD spokesperson, two people were arrested: Graham Lefauve, an 18-year-old Logan Square resident who allegedly spat on an officer, and Anthony McCollum III, 20, the son of Black Lives Matter Chicago’s executive director Amika Tendaji.

metro » VALENTINA PUCARELLI/CHRONICLE

McCollum III was charged with a misdemeanor for reckless conduct for allegedly being “part of a large crowd observed pushing and shoving uniformed Chicago Police officers,” according to the CPD spokesperson.

“Cops are supposed to protect and serve,” Torres said. “They are hired to arrest—not murder—but in reality, they protect the rich, the white and the property, not our Black and Brown people.”

On Sunday, April 18, Little Village community members held a vigil in Douglass Park. Dixon Romeo, campaign director for United Working Families, an independent political organization run by Black, Latinx and women of the working class, said the goal of the vigil was to give people a space to focus on

healing and work toward a better world as a community.

Irma Morales, a member of Únete La Villita, said the purpose of the vigil was to “ease the spirit” after such a large event two days prior.

“It’s necessary to have emotional and mental healing spaces, as well as to know that there are people around us willing to support us physically and morally,” Morales said.

Later on Sunday, April 18, neighbors gathered in the spot Toledo was killed, near the intersection of West 24th Street and South Sawyer Avenue and near the memorial created by artist Pablo Serrano for Toledo, for a peace walk with Toledo’s family to honor his life.

VPUCARELLI@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

ANTHONY ALVAREZ’S FAMILY WALKED AT THE FRONT OF THE APRIL 16 MARCH ALONG WITH THE FAMILIES OF OTHER VICTIMS OF POLICE SHOOTINGS.

» MENGSHIN LIN/CHRONICLE

» MENGSHIN LIN/CHRONICLE YAQUELYN RAMOS ALONG WITH THOUSANDS OF OTHER PROTESTERS RESTED FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE DURING THE MARCH IN THE LOGAN SQUARE NEIGHBORHOOD.

THE MOTHER OF MARC ANTHONY NEVAREZ CALLS FOR JUSTICE FOR HER SON WHO WAS KILLED BY CHICAGO POLICE LAST OCTOBER.

A PROTESTER DRESSED UP AS “POLICE BACON” ON FRIDAY, APRIL 16 TO DEMAND JUSTICE FOR ADAM TOLEDO, WHO WAS FATALLY SHOT BY CHICAGO POLICE LAST MONTH.

»K’VON JACKSON/CHRONICLE

» MENGSHIN LIN/CHRONICLE

PROTESTERS GATHERED ON FRIDAY, APRIL 16, THE DAY AFTER POLICE BODY CAM FOOTAGE WAS RELEASED SHOWING 13-YEAR-OLD ADAM TOLEDO BEING FATALLY SHOT BY CHICAGO POLICE.

APRIL 26, 2021 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 7

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» ZACHARY CLINGENPEEL /CHRONICLE

Clean up crew clears the way for two endangered birds to get down and dirty HELEN GOLDBERG PICKS UP MICROPLASTICS WITH HER GRANDCHILDREN JACOB AND ETHAN BOYER TO HELP PREPARE MONTROSE BEACH FOR THE RETURN OF TWO ENDANGERED PIPING PLOVERS.

» ZACHARY CLINGENPEEL PHOTOJOURNALIST WHEN MOST OF us “get freaky” with our significant others, we do not get a dedicated cleaning crew of gloved and masked super fan volunteers to make our intimate space safe.

But for resilient lovers Monty and Rose, two federally endangered piping plover birds expected to arrive soon, this service is crucial for the species’ survival and could become a new annual occurrence.

The piping plovers are one of about 70 breeding pairs of the species left in the world. In 2019, the two birds landed for the first time at Montrose Beach, 4400 N. Lake Shore Drive, and returned again last year.

“Plovers are very faithful to sites 8

THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE APRIL 26, 2021

where they are successful,” said Edward Warden, conservation stewardship coordinator at the Shedd Aquarium and president of the Chicago Ornithological Society. “It is sort of like an ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ kind of thing.”

This year, to prepare for the birds’ expected arrival, Shedd Aquarium Action Days, a conservation effort by the Shedd Aquarium, included its first plover-centric cleanup April 11.

The goal was to remove harmful litter and debris from the beach—an action that Warden, one of the lead organizers of the event, hopes to see turned into an annual event. The aquarium wanted to host a cleanup in 2020 but was unable to do so due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions.

“Conserving wildlife isn’t just a problem for big national forests or far away

large tracts of land,” Warden said.

“It really can be just a handful of acres on a local beach.”

Warden said he expects the pair of love birds to land on the beach around the first week of May. In fall and winter, the birds migrate south to warmer climates.

The conservation activity was hosted by the Shedd Aquarium and the Alliance for the Great Lakes with help from the Chicago Ornithological Society, Illinois Ornithological Society and Chicago Audubon Society.

The groups worked with the Chicago Park District, which manages the beach area, for the cleanup, along with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service due to the involvement of an endangered species.

More than 100 volunteers signed up for the event, and the Shedd Aquarium had to close registration to the public to keep cleanup crews small and socially distanced, turning away “hundreds more,” Warden said.

Organizers at the event gave out buckets and PPE to volunteers to aid with the cleanup of small plastic items and other trash.

Aquarium workers taught volunteers how to look for small, harmful microplastics and litter that would threaten the two endangered birds looking for food on the beach. One of the specific types of debris volunteers were instructed to look for were nurdles, which are small plastic resin pellets that wash up on beach shores from ocean and coastal pollution.

“It is easy,” said Maggie Cooper,

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» ZACHARY CLINGENPEEL /CHRONICLE

OWEN BEALE AND ALANNA HUCK-SCARRY SEARCH THE SHORE FOR TRASH. HUCK-SCARRY SAID THEY JOINED THE CLEANUP TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE AFTER THE WINTER MONTHS.

A LARGE SECTION OF THE BEACH CALLED THE MONTROSE DUNES HAS BEEN ROPED OFF SO BEACHGOERS DO NOT WANDER INTO WILDLIFE TERRITORY AND INTERFERE WITH THE ANIMALS. » ZACHARY CLINGENPEEL /CHRONICLE

VOLUNTEERS WITH THE SHEDD AQUARIUM CARRY CLEANUP BUCKETS AND BAGS TO REMOVE SMALL LITTER THE PIPING PLOVERS MONTY AND ROSE COULD POTENTIALLY EAT, WHICH COULD KILL THEM. » ZACHARY CLINGENPEEL /CHRONICLE

conservation stewardship facilitator with the Shedd Aquarium. “Anyone can do it. You go to the beach, you bring a bag and you pick up anything that you find.”

The beach is home to several other wildlife species that benefit from the conservation effort including shorebirds and nesting birds, all of which could be seen on the beach April 11.

A section of the beach has been roped off as a protected area for these species.

“We impact the earth, and we need to give back and help when we have an impact on the earth,” said Naomi Carroll, a volunteer and kindergarten teacher.

Carroll came with her colleague Liza Merriott to prepare a presentation

for their kindergarteners on the importance of environmental conservation.

“I think that this really highlights for all of the people that showed up today that these spaces are important for people and wildlife,” Warden said.

Shedd Aquarium Action Days currently include a number of future cleanup events, including cleanups in Bob Mann Woods, Skokie Lagoons and 63rd Street Beach as well as a Chicago River Day cleanup in collaboration with Friends of the Chicago River. The times of future cleanup events can be found on the Aquarium’s website.

ZCLINGENPEEL@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

JEFF SKRENTNY USES A SHOVEL TO REMOVE LARGE WOODEN DEBRIS FROM THE BEACH.

APRIL 26, 2021 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE

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arts&culture

LGBTQ+ people use fashion as a form of self expression » ColumbiaChronicle.com

Theatre Department’s first in-person performance since the pandemic tells the ‘Tales of Berlin’ used Hitler’s regime in Germany to comment on modern politics.

Carin Silkaitis, director of “Tales of A CORRIDOR WITH images of Hitler-era Berlin” and the Allen and Lynn Turner Germany lining the walls, a montage Theatre Department chair, said the play of audio clips from the Black Lives had been in production since Spring Matter protests in 2020, a news 2020 via Zoom. Originally, Silkaitis said broadcast from the AIDS epidemic in the production was supposed to be the 1981, and noise from the 16th Street musical “Cabaret,” but the show had to Baptist Church bombing in 1963 be changed because the mask mandate prepare theatregoers for Columbia’s would have impeded actors’ singing. first in-person theatre performance The play was an original work created since the start of the pandemic. by students in the “Production & Perfor“Tales of Berlin,” an interactive mance” and “Creating a Performance” experience put on by the Theatre classes based on the musical “Cabaret,” Department from April 14 to April 17, Silkaitis said.

Justin Christensen, a junior musical theatre major who played Bobby, a gay man in love with his friend, said he was “at a loss for words” when he saw the set for the first time and the feeling sunk in that the play would be in-person with a live audience.

“I was nervous about doing this process because we JUSTIN CHRISTENSEN AND ELLE PRENDES, JUNIOR AND SENIOR haven’t done live theatre in MUSIC THEATRE MAJORS, PERFORM IN “TALES OF BERLIN.” so long,” Christensen said.

“It’s obviously a little different, but I feel incredible and so happy about it. ... I get to do what I love again.”

The Courtyard Theatre, 72 E. 11th St., was transformed into individual box-like rooms with props like tables and backdrops to create the individual settings from different periods of time.

A large, clear plastic curtain allowed actors to perform their scene in each room in front of the standing audience. When each scene was finished, viewers walked across the theatre to the next room.

Silkaitis said students used “moment work,” a technique created by the Tectonic Theater Project, where actors and designers create theatrical units like improv scenes, dialogues and costumes that are then combined into a whole play.

“When [students] saw [how the play] happened, and they saw it evolve, ... I think they were amazed by their own brilliance,” Silkaitis said. “I was so moved by all of the gorgeous work that they were able to create and so proud of them.”

Lele Lima, a senior musical theatre and marketing double major, said the “moment work” required everyone in the class to trust the process.

“We had to be really passionate about acting to stick with it because ‘Zoomland’ is completely different than actually putting on a show in person,” she said.

Lima played the role of Zen, an immigrant and ex-soldier from Germany. It was her first performance in the U.S., as she is an international student from Brazil.

Morgan Schoenecker, a junior musical theatre major who played the character Kost, a German woman who gets more involved with Nazism over time, said the play’s message is to look at the past and reflect on the similarities between now and then.

Lima said she is happy with the message the play sends about people who are being discriminated against and are unwelcome in their own nation, but still stay strong because of their belief in who they are.

“I really hope that people can feel that it’s okay to be different, it’s valid to be different—even when your government [and] ... the world says you can’t be different,” Lima said. “Embracing our uniqueness is our most powerful virtue.”

Awkward: How to handle someone getting your pronouns wrong — again

which you would like to be addressed.

If you think they are putting in an honest effort, you can let them know you appreciate their efforts and that you understand it may take a short time to adjust, she said.

But there are situations in which that person may not adjust. Sylvia Mikucki-Enyart, relationship researcher and assistant professor at the University of Iowa, said in a Thursday, April 15 email to the Chronicle that if a person continues to use incorrect pronouns for you, you have the option to bring a supervisor into the situation or contact the human resources department.

And if you are questioned about it, you can further explain the person who is right for the job uses “they/them” pronouns. However, Mikucki-Enyart said this also should be done in a private conversation.

Ultimately, if you are someone whose pronouns are being misused, and you can remove yourself from that situation, Tsai said you should try to do so.

“I don’t believe it’s worth your time spending it with people who don’t respect [you],” she said. “Maybe it’s better to just remove yourself from the situation and spend time with friends and family that respect who you are.”

IF SOMEONE ELSE IS BEING MISGENDERED

SHOAGLANDABERNATHY@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

» COURTESY/CARIN SILK AITIS

» AMINA SERGAZINA STAFF REPORTER

» SUMMER HOAGLAND-ABERNATHY COPY CHIEF

IN GENERAL

Among your circle of friends, psychologist and friendship expert Irene S. Levine said a great first step is explaining that the pronouns you use are how you see yourself and that you hope the person using — or misusing — them will respect your feelings.

10 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE APRIL 26, 2021

IN A PROFESSIONAL SETTING

School and work are different than casual gatherings. You cannot avoid certain people like teachers, classmates, employers and coworkers because you have to see them every time you go to class or work.

Tsai said in a Friday, April 16 email to the Chronicle that in cases like this, if you want to remind the person each time, you can pull them aside and let them know the pronouns with

Allyship is important.

Tsai said you can pull aside the person misgendering someone and let them know what they’re doing is wrong. She said it’s important you don’t make them look bad by criticizing them in front of everyone because they will be less receptive to your advice.

Mikucki-Enyart said you could simply restate the sentence using the correct pronoun. For example, if someone said, “He is the right person for the job,” you could say, “They are the right person for the job.”

» SAVANNA STEFFENS/CHRONICLE

“NOW, EVERYONE, TAKE a look at Ezra’s work. He is a great example of …”

It does not matter what praise your teacher was going to sing about you. You tune out everything after you hear the word “he.”

It should not be that hard for your teacher to remember you use “they” pronouns, yet this is about the seventh time this semester he has made this mistake.

How can you get through to him?

What do you do when someone keeps getting your pronouns wrong? The Chronicle spoke with relationship, communication and etiquette experts to find out.

If this person is someone you can avoid, and they continue to persistently use the wrong pronouns, she said, this person may not be a considerate or kind person, and you may not want to continue being close to them if they keep hurting you like this.

If you want to keep this person in your life and you are in a safe situation, Bonnie Tsai, founder and director of Beyond Etiquette, a social and business etiquette consulting agency, said you could keep wearing them down by reminding them over time. Or, she said you could have a conversation with them.

ASERGAZINA@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

opinions

The fashion industry was not made for fat people » ColumbiaChronicle.com

Opinion: Artists are not your personal babysitter

another marginalized community: those who identify as LGBTQ+. In a letter to his 14-year-old self in an Insta» NOAH JENNINGS allowing their children to listen to as well as for the 2013 “Wrecking Ball” gram post, Lil Nas X said he wants the STAFF REPORTER adult topics, because drug use and adul- music video, in which she was nude song to “open doors” for members of the tery are referenced in “Old Town Road.” at times. community to embrace themselves for Nonetheless, Cyrus taking control of who they are and to feel accepted. s a child, my mom did not let my With “Montero,” Lil Nas X joins a list of siblings or me watch movies other artists who faced similar backlash her own body in the performance and It is irresponsible to eliminate the or TV shows with any sort of from parents for the shift in their music. in the music video was something the opportunity to empower members physical violence, whether it manifestJust last year, Cardi B and Megan world had seen little of from women of the LGBTQ+ community or any ed through weapons or fist fights.

Thee Stallion were at the center of in the music industry at the time and marginalized community through If there was a piece of content she did controversy over their song “WAP” for helped to normalize women expressing music, simply so parents need not press not want her children to see, she took the sexually charged lyrics throughout their sexuality. a few extra buttons on their phone In cases like these, the concern for before handing it to their child. matters into her own hands. Parents to- the song. day seem to be forgetting the tools availWhile Cardi B wrote the song, she said parents lies in worries about the content When we put boundaries on artists, able to them in the wake of artist Lil on Twitter her music is not for children, their child is consuming. And while ac- for any reason, we put boundaries on Nas X’s latest music video for his song and during an Instagram livestream, cess to technology has expanded since the ideas we can develop. Without these “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name),” she shut off the song playing in the I was a child, there are also now more creative works normalizing ideas such which resulted in outrage from many background when her daughter walked tools to help parents in these situations. as inclusivity for the LGBTQ+ commuMeasures like this are already in nity, we would not be having conversaparents who deemed it inappropriate. into the room. place with the YouTube Kids app, which tions about these important topics.

The video, released March 25, includes Despite the concern from some is for children ages 12 and under. With scenes such as Lil Nas X sliding down a parents, “WAP” made waves for female NJENNINGS@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM the app, “Montero” cannot be watched. pole partially clothed, as well as a part empowerment. The song busted gender In fact, none of Lil Nas X’s songs where he gives the devil a lap dance. stereotypes that exist in the music The song reached the top spot on the industry, as expression of female appear on the platform.

While it may be upsetting for Billboard Hot 100, and the music video, sexuality has historically faced harsher the parents of a young child to find as of publication time, has more than criticism than male sexuality, especialout they viewed something they ly in the rap genre.

150 million views on YouTube. consider inappropriate, the only Similarly, a few years earlier, Miley In a now-deleted tweet, rapper Joyner people to blame are the parents Cyrus was under fire for several Lucas said because of Lil Nas X’s themselves, not the artists performances that encouraged body previous song “Old Town Road,” for pushing the envelope with positivity for women. children were automatically exposed to their work.

Cyrus faced criticism for her “Montero” when it came out.

Just as with Cardi B and Miley In response to Lucas, Lil Nas X performance at the Video Music Awards for twerking on stage with Robin Thicke, tweeted that parents were already Cyrus, Lil Nas X’s song empowers

A

»CHLOE MCMULLEN/CHRONICLE

WAYS TO SPEND MAKING WEEK (THAT THE COLLEGE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT)

» MATEUSZ JANIK SENIOR REPORTER

» VALENTINA PUCARELLI PHOTOJOURNALIST

» MENGSHIN LIN PHOTOJOURNALIST

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Watch the dumbest show available. - I would personally go for “The Vampire Diaries,” “Community,” “New Girl” and “Jane the Virgin.”

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Pick up where you left off. Finish that game you bought a few months ago or the series you had to stop watching since midterms got in the way.

Draw, sketch or doodle. - We might not all be the best at it, but you cannot deny the fun of doodling in a notebook or on the side of some notes.

Test the touching-Earth theory. - Going on a walk outside or in a park can give you the break you need while improving your mood with nature.

You gotta clean. - Take a minute and look at your surroundings. Now buy some cleaner and get to work. You will thank yourself later.

Take a break. - Whether you’re packing a bowl or making a drink, let yourself take a break and enjoy a part of the week. Just remember to be responsible.

Cook. - Having online classes and working remotely has allowed me to spend more time in the kitchen, exploring new recipes.

Clean your phone and computer. - Make some folders. Organize your virtual life a bit.

Cut your hair. - This is your sign to get a pixie cut.

I’ve been thinking about it all week, but I am a busy human and too afraid of going to a hair salon during the pandemic.

Go to a protest. - There are a lot of things going on right now, and it can be very frustrating. Going to a protest masked can be a good way to find community and people that share the same values as you.

Make up your late work! Have missing assignments or projects you never had time to do? Don’t you worry— Making Week can be a great time to catch up on late assignments and start a new project.

Enjoy the spring. - Winter is finally over, and it is time to escape from Zoom. There are flower blossoms at Jackson Park—go there before it is too late!

Go on a walk. - Have you sat in your work chair for too long? Go on a walk during Making Week! From the Lakefront Trail to Indiana Dunes National Park, pick your favorite, and get sweaty!

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Go on a road trip. - Hop in the driver’s seat and start a short road trip! Enjoy the ride to the middle of nowhere to clear your mind!

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Do nothing. Yes! DO NOTHING! You have been working too hard without treating yourself. Relax, and give your body a break!

APRIL 26, 2021 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 11

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