December 6, 2021 | The Columbia Chronicle

»RYAN BRUMBACK /CHRONICLE

DEC 6 2021

Campus, page 3 10% tuition increase sparks criticism

Metro, page 13 The Christkindlmarket returns to Chicago

Arts & Culture, page 16 Big Time Rush’s Kendall Schmidt talks band reunion

Opinions, page 18 Columbia’s on the naughty list this year

editor’s note

Editor’s Note: Beginning to unpack the Chronicle’s 2021 » NOAH JENNINGS CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AS THE CALENDAR turns to the final month of

the year, we begin to unpack 2021. Where do we start?

I feel as though in history, 2020 will be the year thrown around the most, and 2021 will be the younger sibling desperate for the attention it deserves.

2020 was a year of isolation and deprivation to the world around us. And while some of that carried over to 2021, innovation and hope is what ultimately prevailed this year.

It may feel as though we are still in the same place we were at the end of the year in 2020.

It’s easy to feel frustrated or hopeless. But let me assure you, we are in a different place than we were a year ago.

I, for one, hadn’t been on campus for nine months until this fall. This time last year, the Chronicle was still fully remote, and many of us had never met in person.

It’s truly remarkable to think about how much the Chronicle has evolved in one semester. When Camryn Cutinello and I took over as co-editors-in-chief in May, neither of us had even set foot in the Chronicle office, aside from tours before enrolling at Columbia.

Navigating a safe, hybrid return to the Chronicle office was at the forefront of our minds at the start of the semester. During this time, the Chronicle was welcoming 18 new staffers, more than any recent semester, doubling our staff size from the summer.

And while that was incredibly exciting, it took considerable time and effort to make sure everyone was ready to hit the ground running, all while navigating a completely new environment.

I’m very proud of the management team for the work we’ve done in this area to really make the team, a team. It always warms my heart to see the friendships built between seasoned Chronicle veterans and staffers now finishing their first semester.

Once training was complete and it was full systems go, one of our main priorities was to have as much campus coverage as possible.

Every event on campus was a story to us because it never would have happened just months earlier.

This resulted in an influx of campus coverage for the Chronicle that we hope to continue in future semesters. We have

built more relationships with members of the Columbia community, and we hope to build more.

We also began to rethink how we approach multimedia. In the beginning of 2021, Frequency TV partnered with the Chronicle often, especially to produce the Media Hub Minute. Now, with Frequency TV on an “indefinite hiatus,” we’ve learned how to produce the Media Hub Minute and all video content internally. We have also placed a larger focus on shortform videos — an area we hope to build even further in the near future, expanding our social media footprint.

Overall, we look back at this semester as a new beginning. While we have some members of the Chronicle staff graduating this December, we have a relatively young group that we truly believe can carry the Chronicle to new heights.

We may still have some of the existing challenges that persisted in 2020, such as only seeing the top halves of everyone’s masked faces, but progress is being made. Even during Zoom meetings, there is now laughter and banter from those gathered together in the office.

Now, I have a hard time imagining how I used to work without the office. The Chronicle is working in the physical presence of people again. We’re taking on new stories like never before, and people are coming to terms with the fact that I’m shorter than the average guy, contrary to what Zoom had them believing. Progress.

»staff

Staff Reporters

Photojournalists

Producer/Director

REPORTERS

Samaher AbuRabah Seanice Batchman Olivia Cohen Amaris Edwards Kristen Gesicki Irvin Ibarra Rachel Patel Jordan Perkins Abra Richardson Amina Sergazina Nathan Sirkin Robin Sluzas

MULTIMEDIA

Jared Callaway Bianca Kreusel Peter Midwa Valentina Pucarelli Shane Verkest Jackie Elliott

GRAPHICS

Graphic Designers

Vivian Jones Lucas Martinez

Copy Editors

Gabby Bach Amanda Burris Justice Lewis

NJENNINGS@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

2 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE DECEMBER 6, 2021

MANAGEMENT

Camryn Cutinello Noah Jennings Anna Busalacchi Managing Editor Summer Hoagland-Abernathy Senior Editor Zachary Clingenpeel Directors of Photography Sofia Felino K’Von Jackson Deputy Director of Photography Cale Holder Sales Manager Ryan Brumback Lead Graphic Designer Colleen Hogan Lead Page Designer Editors-in-Chief

Faculty Adviser General Manager

COPY

ADVISERS

Curtis Lawrence Travis Truitt

VOL. 57, ISSUE 2

The Columbia Chronicle is a student-produced publication of Columbia College Chicago and does not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the views of college administrators, faculty or students.

All text, photos and graphics are the property of The Columbia Chronicle and may not be reproduced or published without written permission.

Editorials are the opinions of the Editorial Board of The Columbia Chronicle.

Columns are the opinions of the author(s).

Views expressed in this publication are those of the writer and are not the opinions of The Columbia Chronicle, Columbia’s Communication Department or Columbia College Chicago. Letters to the editor must include full name, year, major and phone number. Faculty and staff should include their job title. Alumni should include year of graduation, or attendance, and major. Other readers should note their city of residence and occupation or employer, if related to the letter’s subject matter.

All letters are edited for grammar and may be cut due to a limit of space.

The Columbia Chronicle holds the right to limit any one person’s submissions to three per semester.

campus

Columbia adjunct wins international competition » ColumbiaChronicle.com

College’s 10% tuition hike ignites concerns and frustrations in the Columbia community

DECEMBER 6, 2021 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 3

»JARED CALLAWAY/CHRONICLE

»JARED CALLAWAY/CHRONICLE

certain amount of money we can get,” Lam said. “So there is not a lot of support regarding tuition anyways, and with the increase that’s even much less support.”

MARCUS BAILEY, A junior music major, was Reese Givens, a junior film surprised after hearing tuition would be and television major and SGA increased by 10% for the Fall 2022 semester. president, said the tuition He said the increase felt “very sudden.” increase was not a shock to “I know that a lot of colleges back in Ohio, her and other members of where I’m from, typically do it over a course of the SGA because they had a few years, or not as significant percentagebeen informed of the school’s wise,” Bailey said. “This is a pretty big increase. deficit earlier in the year by It sucks.”

Kim. Despite this, Givens President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim feels divided. announced the increase in tuition, along with a “I want to empathize with 2.5% increase in residence hall prices, during a the administration because Nov. 16 meeting with the Student Government I understand the position the Association. school is in. We are in debt, Despite the 10% increase, Kim said [and] we are having to run on Columbia will still cost less than its a very tight budget,” Givens competitors, citing tuition prices at Savannah said. “But I just don’t know if College of Art and Design, DePaul University putting the college’s debt on to PRESIDENT AND CEO KWANG-WU KIM SITS WITH MEMBERS OF THE ADMINISTRATION AT A MEETING WITH THE STUDENT and Emerson College. the backs of students who are GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION. Even with the lower price tag when and start to do fundraising in an effective way,” tuition increase and said they would like to also in debt, [and] also taking compared to some competitors, students such Kim said. “So I think there’s a lot of upside. But see the money go toward improving students’ out loans, was the best idea.” as Louis Lam are questioning how they will be Givens said she was concerned about that’s why [alum donations] right now [are] academic experience. able to afford the new tuition price.

“If tuition rates are in fact going up, we Cinema and Television Arts Department relatively small.”

Lam, a junior communication major In an email to the Chronicle on Nov. 17, hope that we can see where that money goes,” programs being cut and wondered if the and international student senator for SGA, tuition increase would go toward bringing Diana Vallera, president of CFAC — the Chakraborty said. “And our hope is that it is concerned about the tuition hike for part-time faculty union — and adjunct faculty goes, clearly and apparently, into bettering those programs back. international students and whether he can In response, Kim said he was unable to member in the Photography Department, said the academic experience of students.” afford tuition next year.

Matthew Rillie, membership chair speak on curriculum and that the school is she finds the tuition increase troublesome in Lam said the increase has a big impact going to have to be very strategic in where they light of the national student debt problem and of the United Staff of Columbia College on international students as they do not and coordinator of Student Support and can reinvest. He also noted the the ongoing pandemic.

Vallera said the administration has failed at Engagement for Student Diversity and 10% increase won’t bring the school out of the current deficit. welcoming the larger Columbia community — Inclusion, said the tuition increase is Kim said many colleges including CFAC — into the decision-making heavy news.

“I think students and staff have a lot build a fundraising model process.

“I firmly believe that if the stakeholders of questions right now. It hasn’t seemed that is highly dependent on alums. Columbia has failed to were brought into the conversation, we would really clear about how people can get those successfully follow this model, have found creative solutions to the financial answered,” Rillie said. “It seems like the email with less than 1% of alums strains through a [diversity, equity and went out, and then most people are looking donating to the college. inclusion] lens and centering a commitment to the Chronicle or union reps to answer “I think it’s more that we have to student learning,” Vallera said. “We were questions.” not done a good job historically not provided this opportunity.”

Rillie said they would like to remind the of really building relationships Vallera said CFAC will continue to institution of the hardships many students with our alums and really advocate for students to receive the and staff have experienced over the past building their pride in the quality instruction they deserve amid the couple of years.

MEMBERS OF THE STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION LISTEN institution,” Kim said. tuition increase.

“I would invite administration who want to TO UPDATES ABOUT THE TUITION INCREASE. Kim said the college has a lot of Madhurima Chakraborty, president of say how hard it’s been for the college to think work to do, but it also has a lot of the Faculty Senate and associate chair of the about how hard it’s been for the people of the qualify for financial aid through the federal possibility for growth.

English and Creative Writing Department, college,” Rillie said. government.

“It’s really only in the last four or five years said following the announcement the Faculty “[International students] can only work JPERKINS@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM that the college has really started to grow up Senate Executive Committee discussed the NSIRKIN@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM 20 hours on campus only. There’s only a » JORDAN PERKINS STAFF REPORTER » NATHAN SIRKIN STAFF REPORTER

campus

Staff union mulls college’s ‘disappointing’ offer as strike possibility looms » CAMRYN CUTINELLO CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

THE COLLEGE’S REPRESENTATIVES presented

a new offer to the United Staff of Columbia College’s bargaining committee on Friday, an offer USofCC President Craig Sigele said is “disappointing.”

The proposal, which was sent in an email to faculty and staff, would include a total pay raise of 14.5% over six years. Within that number, 10.5% would be retroactive pay to make up for the years the union has gone without a contract. The current contract expired on Aug. 18, 2018.

USofCC’s membership includes full- and part-time staff of the college who work outside of the classroom.

The proposed contract would also include a signing bonus of $1,500 for full-time employees and $750 for part-time employees.

Sigele, also the academic manager in the Communication Department, said the college’s initial proposal included a signing bonus, but the union’s bargaining team asked them to remove it in favor of including that money into the pay increase.

“We asked them to remove it, because

we wanted the money to go into yearly increases that would be cumulative,” Sigele said. “Because the signing bonus is a one-time payment, it doesn’t go into your base pay. So it’s sort of just a way to tempt members into agreeing to a less than perfect option.”

The email signed by the college’s negotiating team said its offer is “designed to recognize the commitment and contributions of our union colleagues, address the recent rise in inflation, and account for the college’s ongoing financial and enrollment realities.”

It said the latest offer was informed by “significant financial and enrollment realities.”

While the college initially planned for a deficit of $10 million per year over a span of several years, COVID-19 has further increased the deficit, according to the college’s email, which said the school forecasts a deficit of $25 million for the 2022 fiscal year.

“It’s disappointing because we’re below inflation,” Sigele said. “We’re in year four of no raise. And the amount of compensation is not enough. We’re just going to be treading water.”

The email said the college took inflation into consideration when drafting the proposal, saying, “It is why the college included higherthan-normal increases (totaling 7.5%) for

4 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE DECEMBER 6, 2021

fiscal years 2021 and 2022, a signing bonus of $1,500 for full-time members, and a signing bonus of $750 for part-time members.”

“The numbers barely cover inflation over the past four years,” Sigele said. “And looking forward to next year, they’re only planning a 2% raise, and we know inflation will be above 4% midway through next year. So it looks like we will continue to be below the consumer price index called the inflation rate.”

The email cited the recent 10% tuition increase, writing that the administration plans to use the money to “to help the college invest in student services, operations, and personnel (including raises).” But it will not completely fix the college’s financial struggles.

As of press time, the union and college’s negotiating teams were scheduled to meet over the weekend, at which time the union planned to present a counter offer. If a tentative agreement is not reached, the union will meet this week to determine whether membership still agrees with its previous vote to authorize a strike.

In October USofCC voted with 94.9% of voting members favoring authorizing the executive committee to call a strike.

The USofCC has sent a notice to the

administration and federal authorities ending their agreement under the current expired contract, a move that would allow the union to call a strike as early as Jan. 15.

“Striking is something that we don’t want to do and [is] the last effort, but if we strike it is because the administration is forcing us into having to strike in order to get what we need,” Sigele said.

Sigele said he feels the demands of the union are reasonable, and he is “emboldened” by the support of the faculty and part-time faculty union. “[Staff members] are energized,” Sigele said. “If we need to strike in order to have our demands met, they’re excited, they’re energized by that.”

CCUTINELLO@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

DECEMBER 6, 2021 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 4

campus

Come, Celebrate! and support emerging artists.

»SHANE VERKEST/CHRONICLE

Columbia’s Indian community brings Diwali celebration back on campus

STUDENTS ENJOY PLENTY OF DELICIOUS, TRADITIONAL FOOD OPTIONS AT THE DIWALI FESTIVAL. » VALENTINA PUCARELLI STAFF REPORTER

INDIAN SWEETS, SAMOSAS and momos brought

Columbia international and domestic students together to celebrate the traditional Indian holiday, Diwali.

Sankalp Tambe, a second-year arts management graduate student from India, helped organize the event. He said the main reason for the celebration at Columbia was so people do not forget their roots and feel a sense of togetherness.

“For us who come from India, miles and miles away from here, [we] never really thought we’d be doing school here,” Tambe said. “Now that we’re doing [Diwali] here, we’re just trying not to forget our roots.”

Several students gathered in the International Student and Scholar Services office at 624 S. Michigan Ave. for a small Diwali celebration on Nov. 9.

Diwali is the festival of lights in which families gather to celebrate life, health and wealth through a variety of traditions.

The celebration on campus featured traditional Indian sweets, snacks, music and candles for people to enjoy.

2019 was the last time Columbia held a Diwali celebration, and the event was one of Tambe’s first on-campus memories.

“My first memory of being on campus and meeting with other international students was this event, so more than just linking up with people, more than just networking … it feels like home,” Tambe said.

Tambe and Monika Jaiswal-Oliver, an adjunct faculty member and academic manager in the Business and Entrepreneurship Department, began discussing an on-campus Diwali celebration this past summer.

“The major significance of Diwali is just spreading happiness,” Jaiswal-Oliver said.

She said because she was an international student from Badora, Gujarat, India, 23 years ago, she relates to international students at Columbia.

“We do miss home so I thought it would be nice to bring in a little celebration here at Columbia,” Jaiswal-Oliver said.

Jaiswal-Oliver said families clean and paint their houses, bless their accounting books and jewelry and cook homemade sweets in preparation for the main day of Diwali on Nov. 4.

“On the day of Diwali, they pack [sweets] in boxes and give it out to their families as presents along with other gifts that they have, but the biggest way of celebration is through prayer,” Jaiswal-Oliver said.

Jaiswal-Oliver said she doesn’t have any family in Chicago, so each year she tries to replicate the holiday with her husband and daughter by going to the temple and buying sweets.

“Keeping it alive is very important to me,” Jaiswal-Oliver said.

Steeve Dcruz, a freshman film and television major from India who attended the event, said having the celebration on campus is warming and makes him feel comfortable.

“It helps us better adapt to the school [student] body and all,” Dcruz said.

“Diversification is actually a major thing here in Columbia so it helps us fit in.”

VPUCARELLI@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

ShopColumbia’s 2021 Holiday Market signature image: ©Yulia Yrkoski, 2021 @gargoyleclaws

ShopColumbia’s 13th Annual

Holiday Market December 1 - 23, 2021

Celebrate! ShopColumbia, Columbia College Chicago’s art boutique, returns in person to host its 13th Annual Holiday Market.

The Holiday Market is a month-long showcase of one-of-a-kind items designed and created by Columbia artists.

For a complete list of programming, visit: tinyurl.com/ShopColumbiaMarket2021

SHOPCOLUMBIA Columbia College Chicago’s art boutique 619 S Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60605

shop.colum.edu Holiday Market hours: Monday - Friday, 10am - 4pm DECEMBER 6, 2021 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 5

campus

‘She went out of her way to make others comfortable’: Columbia community remembers

former interim Provost Louise Love was held in high regard for her kindness, work ethic and dedication to Columbia students and staff, died peacefully due to lung insufficiency on Nov. 6 surrounded by her family, according to her husband, Ernie Love. She was 77.

Love held various positions while working in Columbia’s provost office, starting in 2006.

According to an email from the Office of the President, Love joined Columbia in the summer of 2006 as deputy provost and was appointed to the position of vice president of Academic Affairs in October 2007. In June 2011, she stepped in as interim provost until retiring from the college in July 2014.

Whatley said. “Anyone who worked for her would tell you that. My professional habits that I have to this day, I credit to Louise Love.”

Whatley went on to credit Love for “not sweating the small stuff” and keeping things in perspective.

“I think it’s just very telling that Louise’s wishes were to not have a big fuss made over her,” Whatley said. “I have no doubt that Louise Love lived a tremendous life, and I was only privy to a small portion of what that life was, but the portion I got to see was an amazing human being. … Even now in her death, her wish was for people to not make it about her.”

In lieu of charitable donations, Love requested those who want to remember her do a kind act for another person.

Before coming to Columbia in 2006, Love worked as the senior associate provost at Roosevelt University and held the position of vice dean of students at Northwestern University, which is also where she earned her doctorate degree in philosophy and English literature.

Love touched many lives over the course of the eight years she worked at Columbia.

Andrew Whatley, senior director of Enrollment Marketing Communications, worked with Love and experienced her kindness firsthand.

“I have worked very closely with Louise, and she was a mentor; she was a friend. She was just a delightful person to work with,”

Love’s selflessness was not only apparent in her professional life, but it was a fundamental aspect of her personal life, as well, according to her husband, Ernie.

“The entire time we were married, 44 years, there was never any ego involved in anything she did. She didn’t aspire to any of the positions that she was chosen for, she was asked to do it,” he said. “She was an amazing administrator. … It was never about her, never.”

Ernie Love also taught the former “FirstYear Semester” course at Columbia.

Ivan Brunetti, associate professor of illustration in the Design Department, said Love left an undeniable impression on his life.

“I was very saddened to hear the news of

» OLIVIA COHEN STAFF REPORTER

»RYAN BRUMBACK /CHRONICLE

FORMER INTERIM PROVOST Louise Love, who

6 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE DECEMBER 6, 2021

Louise’s passing. I often think about how important she was in my life,” Brunetti said in an email to the Chronicle. “Louise is the reason I am a teacher here at Columbia. … In retrospect, she really took a gamble on me.

Actually, she believed in me far more than I believed in me.”

In a column titled “When your name says who you are” submitted to the Chronicle, Elio Leturia, associate professor in the Communication Department, said that Love stood out to him from the beginning.

Leturia said that Love asked him out to lunch to navigate a situation he was facing with a supervisor. Leturia said prior to that he could count on one hand how many times a colleague had spontaneously asked him to lunch throughout his 16 years at Columbia.

“Louise always came across as approachable, smart and polite,” Leturia said. “Louise was able to see through people, and was a real advocate for faculty.”

In addition to a personal relationship, Leturia said that in 2012 he asked for Love’s help on securing interviews with international faculty for a project for Wanderer magazine.

Through every facet of their friendship, Leturia said that just her name alone could describe her as a person.

“Louise Love … As someone who translates everything in his head, her name appeared as ‘Luisa Amor.’ Unusual, since I have never heard of Love as a last name in Spanish,” Leturia said. “Amor, an unusual last name that so clearly describes who she was, a caring leader.”

Pegeen Quinn, associate provost for Academic Personnel, also kept a professional and personal relationship with Love.

“Louise had a very real dedication to Columbia, a real love for the college,” Quinn said. “In the eight years that she worked here, she always looked for ways to empower and provide opportunities for her staff.”

Quinn said Love will be remembered as an administrator who went above and beyond to bond with Columbia students by going to the college’s early convocation event and offering

to meet with them one-on-one over lunch.

Love made a point to be involved with Columbia’s campus as much as possible, attending plays, recitals and other events on campus with her husband, Quinn said. “[Love] was a wonderful mentor,” Quinn said. “She was a thoughtful and approachable leader.”

Quinn said during her time as interim provost, Love would pick up flowers weekly for the office and put pillows on the chairs of the office’s conference room to make the staff feel more at home.

When Love served as deputy provost, she worked closely with Len Strazewski, retired associate professor emeritus, during the period when he served as interim associate provost. Strazewski said he remembers Love as being meticulous, well-organized and thoughtful.

“We worked well together. … She was a very sweet person,” Strazewski said. “She really liked people; she really liked Columbia, and the Columbia faculty and I enjoyed working with her.”

Aside from her extensive work at Columbia and other universities in the Chicagoland area, Love published a cookbook, “The Complete Book of Pizza.”

Love was responsible for many accomplishments while at Columbia, including advancing the college’s student transfer system. According to Quinn, Love was “instrumental” in lifting the college’s ban on articulation agreements, which made Columbia a more transfer-friendly school.

Within the provost’s office, Love is remembered for helping implement the process of faculty rankings, leading the college’s Higher Learning Commission Self Study and working as the liaison for the parttime faculty union, Quinn said.

“It was a joy just to be around her. … [Love] went out of her way to make everyone feel comfortable and valued in the provost office,” Whatley said.

In addition to her husband, Love is survived by daughters, Mary and Sarah; and her granddaughters, Alex and Ella.

OCOHEN@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

campus

In Memoriam

lives of the people below and the contributions they made to the Columbia College Chicago community.

James Newberry

Nick Oza

»RYAN BRUMBACK /CHRONICLE

FORMER ENTERTAINMENT LAW INSTRUCTOR, MENSCH DIED AUG. 26 AT THE AGE OF 70.

FOUNDER OF THE PHOTOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT, WHERE HE TAUGHT FROM 1967 TO 1975, NEWBERRY DIED AUG. 23 AT THE AGE OF 84.

Elliott Scott

»RYAN BRUMBACK /CHRONICLE

»RYAN BRUMBACK /CHRONICLE

Martez Rucker

ADJUNCT FACULTY MEMBER IN THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT, RUCKER DIED JAN. 30 AT THE AGE OF 37.

FOUNDER OF ECHO MAGAZINE AND FORMER ADVISER OF THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE, GOLD DIED MAY 2 AT THE AGE OF 90.

»RYAN BRUMBACK /CHRONICLE

»VIVIAN JONES/CHRONICLE

Linda Mensch

EMPLOYEE IN THE STUDENT FINANCIAL SERVICES OFFICE, GAHAN DIED JAN. 21 AT THE AGE OF 73.

TWO-TIME PULITZER PRIZE WINNING PHOTOGRAPHER AND COLUMBIA ALUM, OZA DIED SEPT. 27 AT THE AGE OF 57.

Joshua Shapera

»SEDONA STEFFENS/CHRONICLE

»VIVIAN JONES/CHRONICLE PRESIDENT OF THE COLUMBIA COLLEGE FACULTY ORGANIZATION AND PROFESSOR EMERITA OF ANTHROPOLOGY AND HUMANITIES, ERDMAN DIED OCT. 2.

Don Gold

»SEDONA STEFFENS/CHRONICLE

Nancy Gahan

»RYAN BRUMBACK /CHRONICLE

Joan Erdman

IN THE PAST year, the Chronicle commemorated the

ADJUNCT FAULTY MEMBER IN THE CINEMA AND TELEVISION ARTS DEPARTMENT AND PREVIOUSLY ASSISTANT TO THE CHAIR OF THE AUDIO ARTS AND ACOUSTICS DEPARTMENT, SCOTT DIED MAY 11 AT THE AGE OF 60.

PART-TIME FACULTY IN THE AUDIO ARTS AND ACOUSTICS DEPARTMENT, SHAPERA DIED ON DEC. 18, 2020 AT THE AGE OF 49.

DECEMBER 6, 2021 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 7

campus

The Little Food Library offers free food; here’s why and how you can check it out GETTING ON THE train, or eating? Paying a

bill, or eating? While these may seem like unfathomable choices for some, they are real life choices that have to be made by those dealing with food insecurity.

Food insecurity affects one in seven residents of Cook County, according to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap Study, and it also impacts college students.

“Food insecurity is about the struggle to have enough food to nourish yourself every day,” said Raquel Monroe, co-director of Academic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Monroe, also an associate professor in the Dance Department, teaches “Advanced Topics in Dance,” which discusses Black feminists and choreographic practice. But in this class, Monroe is also covering the topic of food insecurity.

Monroe said people struggling with food insecurity often have to make tough choices,

which include being able to buy food or pay rent. “[They are] difficult choice[s] that we don’t want anyone to have to make,” Monroe said.

“So many of our students are having to make those kinds of choices.”

The Student Government Association and the Columbia library’s answer to this problem is the Little Food Library. The Little Food Library is comprised of two cabinets on the second floor of the library stocked with nonperishable and single-serve food items such as protein bars, popcorn, pretzels, nuts, fruit juices and more.

The Little Food Library is open to anyone at Columbia. It is not monitored and does not require an application or proof of financial need, and it is accessible during regular library hours.

Michelle Ferguson, project manager for the Little Food Library, has had a passion for helping people impacted by food insecurity since she was a kid. “[My passion] started when I was a child,”

8 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE DECEMBER 6, 2021

»JARED CALLAWAY /CHRONICLE

» NATHAN SIRKIN STAFF REPORTER

Ferguson said. “My father was a truck driver, and [he] would bring things home, and we would distribute them in our community.”

Ferguson went on to do volunteer work at food pantries, which included providing meals for people in her community.

“You don’t know what is happening to individuals within their home setting,” Ferguson said. “So to be able to bring

THE LITTLE FOOD LIBRARY, LOCATED ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE COLUMBIA LIBRARY, 624 S. MICHIGAN AVE., INCLUDES SNACKS SUCH AS GRANOLA BARS AND CHIPS, AS WELL AS BASIC SCHOOL SUPPLIES.

something literally to someone’s table to assist them in feeding their children or themselves,

it makes a world of difference.”

Plans for starting the Little Food Library were in the works in 2019, alongside other projects such as the Little Free Library and the Little Art Library.

But Dennis McGuire, assistant director of the Columbia library, said when the campus was shut down due to COVID-19 they decided to prioritize the Little Food Library.

“We saw the need for helping students with food insecurity,” McGuire said. “We decided instead of trying to tackle all three at once, [to] focus on the one that had the most urgent need at the time.”

The Little Food Library does not supply whole meals. Individuals with additional needs can contact ColumbiaCares, an organization that provides ColumbiaCare Packages. The service provides a week’s supply of food to students experiencing a temporary need.

Students who submit a request through the Student Alert system in MyColumbia are eligible for assistance twice per month during the academic year.

If you have a question about the Little Food Library, please call the library at 312-369-7900.

NSIRKIN@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

campus

Columbia alum helps refugees with living necessities WHEN REFUGEES GET settled in a new empty

CHILDREN’S SHOES OVERFLOW ON SHELVES AND RACKS IN THE FREE STORE.

FROM KITCHEN UTENSILS TO WINTER CLOTHING, THE FREE STORE OFFERS ANYTHING TO HELP FAMILIES GET SETTLED IN CHICAGO.

DECEMBER 6, 2021 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 9

» K’VON JACKSON /CHRONICLE

» K’VON JACKSON /CHRONICLE

apartment in an unfamiliar country, they have to learn to navigate day-to-day living in a new environment. Where to buy necessities, how to apply for school and where to make friends become experiences that they must start from scratch. The Refugee Community Connection helps with just that.

Nan Warshaw, president and co-founder of the RCC, received her Master of Arts degree in entertainment and media management from Columbia in 1993 and received a Doctor of Arts honorary degree from Columbia in 2015.

RCC is a volunteer-based organization helping refugees and special immigrant visa holders through “adopting” a family and concentrating on their needs.

Since 2009 a Special Immigrant Visa has been available from the U.S. for Afghan and Iraqi people who worked with the U.S. military.

At least 263,000 Afghan civilians have been affiliated with the U.S. mission and tens of thousands are eligible for SIVs, according to the International Rescue Committee.

According to RefugeeOne, the largest resettlement organization in Illinois, Chicago can expect more than 1,500 Afghan refugees to make their home here.

The majority of refugees get settled in the Rogers Park and West Ridge neighborhoods, with some settling in Skokie and Albany Park.

“We supplement what the resettlement agencies are not able to provide, and we are not an official resettlement agency, we are welcoming neighbors,” Warshaw said.

Warshaw said RCC has always been locally operated, and recently after the media coverage of the Afghanistan and

Taliban conflict, more than 2,000 people joined the RCC Facebook group.

“We have to make our country more compassionate, there’s so much division and hate out there,” Warshaw said. “I’m not going to take my time to argue with people with differing views; instead I’m going to take action and do things right here where I can make a difference. … Everyone else can do that too, and the more we do that it makes our country, our city, our world a better place.”

Warshaw said RCC is contacted by at least one new family every day, and people normally find out about the organization through word of mouth. Usually, a member of the community lets RCC know that a family member or a friend is coming from Afghanistan, but recently they started working with resettlement agencies due to a high number NAN WARSHAW, ALONG WITH OTHER VOLUNTEERS, ORGANIZES DONATIONS FOR THE FREE STORE. of refugees.

RCC donation store and has dedicated eight really appreciative and trying, no matter what Evan Zemil, co-founder of RCC, to 14 hours a day helping refugees since 2017. they’ve been through. I admire them,” Nelson said he met Warshaw in 2016 while he was Nelson said she connects with many said. giving a speech at a church while watching families while volunteering at RCC. Warshaw said RCC is most in need of people the presidential election returns.

Last winter a family came outside in thin willing to donate their time as volunteers.

Zemil has many years of experience, clothing and flip-flops. After they received the Even a few hours of working at the donation helping more than 200 families in the goods from RCC, the 10-year-old boy yelled store or remote outreach work can make a Afghan community.

“Happy Christmas!” and threw his hands in difference. More information is available on “[Warshaw has] been working tirelessly the air. the RCC Facebook page. trying to get people involved, she’s like a “I think I cried all the way home,” ASERGAZINA@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM whirlwind,” Zemil said.

Nelson said.

RCC has two free donation stores located Nelson said she has heart problems and a in Albany Park and Rogers Park, in which late-stage illness that destroyed her liver, but refugees can get everyday necessities like the thought of someone needing her makes her furniture, dishes, feminine products, diapers get out of bed. She admires refugees’ drive to and any other household items. move forward, especially the children.

Patricia Nelson, a co-administrator of “I haven’t met anybody who hasn’t been the RCC Facebook group, volunteers at the

» K’VON JACKSON /CHRONICLE

» AMINA SERGAZINA STAFF REPORTER

feature

The Chronicle looks back at 2021 » CAMRYN CUTINELLO » NOAH JENNINGS CO-EDITORS-IN-CHIEF 2021 WAS ANOTHER busy and unpredictable

year, especially within the Columbia community. There was never a dull moment, so much so that it may be hard to remember everything. Since the Chronicle was there for it all, we are taking a look back at the highs, lows, twists and turns that 2021 had in store.

A NEW PRESIDENT TAKES OFFICE

Following multiple days of votes being tallied, Joe Biden defeated former President Donald Trump to win the 2020 presidential election.

With Biden and then-Vice Presidentelect Kamala Harris — the first Black, first Asian American and first woman to hold the office — set to be inaugurated on Jan. 20, members of the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives gathered to certify the election results on Jan. 6. That morning, Trump held a “Save America” rally at the Ellipse within the National Mall.

Protesters marched from the rally to the U.S. Capitol, and eventually breached police lines to storm the Capitol. Members of Congress were evacuated as rioters flooded into the building. Five people died as a result of the riot, including a Capitol Police officer.

Hours after the riot, Congress certified the results, and on Jan. 20, Biden was inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States, with Harris at his side. The inauguration featured performances from Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez and Garth Brooks, as well as a poetry reading from Amanda Gorman, the United States’ first-ever youth poet laureate.

Trump did not attend the inauguration.

VIRTUAL EVENTS

2021 began with the majority of classes and campus events held in a virtual format, following the same trend as 2020.

This included commencement ceremonies, which were held virtually for members of the Class of 2021.

In response, an independent group of students launched the #commenceanyways campaign to host their own in-person graduation ceremony.

Originally, the group aimed to hold their ceremony at Soldier Field, but after they were unable to raise enough money, they instead held the commencement at the Loews Chicago Hotel rooftop for 45 graduates.

Along with commencement, the 20th

iteration of the Manifest Urban Arts Festival, the annual student-run event that highlights graduating seniors’ work, was hosted in a web format.

COVID-19 TESTING VACCINATION EFFORTS

AND

To begin the spring semester, the college required students returning to dorms to provide a negative COVID-19 test within three days prior to their return to campus and quarantine at home for the 10 days prior. All students attending an in-person class also had to provide a negative test no more than five days old before their first class. The first week of the semester was held completely virtually.

The college also required students to present their Daily Pre-Check before entering, which asked students to assess their health and to inform the school if they came in contact with anyone confirmed to have COVID-19.

On April 19, the college officially announced it would require students to be fully vaccinated for the fall semester or receive approval for a medical or religious exemption. Columbia was the first fouryear institution in Illinois to announce such a policy.

Columbia began administering “several hundred” Moderna vaccines to enrolled students living in Chicago a few days later on April 22.

At the start of the fall semester, Columbia reported that 97% of the campus community was fully vaccinated.

On Nov. 12, the college announced it would distribute booster COVID-19 vaccines during two periods, the first from Nov. 15-19 and the second from Dec. 6-9.

ON THE GROUND REPORTING

As Chicagoans got their vaccines, events moved from a virtual to in-person format.

Chicago gathered to celebrate Juneteenth as a federal holiday for the first time.

Despite the cancellation of the parade, Mexican-Americans took to the streets to celebrate Mexican Independence Day in September.

Native Americans gathered in October for the 68th Annual Chicago Powwow.

Live music returned, with Lollapalooza, Pitchfork and Riot Fest all holding in-person events.

Many Chicago traditions were able to return this year. In August, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Gov. J. B. Pritzker joined South Side natives for the 92nd annual Bud Billiken parade. The

10 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE DECEMBER 6, 2021

Air and Water show returned with a solo act by the United States Navy Blue Angels.

People also took to the streets to protest the outcomes of court cases that gained national attention. In October, the Texas abortion law passed, causing women’s rights activists to mobilize in Daley Plaza. Following the not guilty verdict in the Kyle Rittenhouse situation, Rev. Jesse Jackson joined protesters to express their anger and to ask the federal government to intervene in the trial.

RETURN TO CAMPUS

The fall semester had a completely different feel to it, compared to the spring semester, as Columbia made big strides toward a full return to campus.

An estimated 75% of classes in the fall semester had either a fully in-person or a hybrid modality, compared to just 25% of classes in the spring semester.

A new cohort of first-year students experienced something close to the typical Columbia experience, as Convocation returned to Grant Park to kick off the new

academic year. President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim described

feature seeing students’ faces again at Convocation as “emotional” after months of being largely online. Convocation was only the beginning of many events taking place on campus, as Columbia hosted student plays, holiday celebrations an and

brought back Wicked Week.

In March, the college began offering a limited number of in-person tours for prospective students and their parents for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

Throughout the semester, Columbia’s on-campus COVID-19 case numbers have remained relatively low.

A NEW POLICY ON BRINGING CHILDREN TO CAMPUS

As students, faculty and staff returned to campus after 18 months, the administration took a look at policies and how they needed to adapt to the pandemic.

On Sept. 21, the college released its first formal policy on bringing children to campus.

The policy stated minors

would only be allowed on campus, u n d e r “emergency or unavoidable circumstances.”

It said prior approval would be needed to bring a child onto campus.

The policy disappointed many members of the Columbia community. The Faculty Senate voted unanimously to urge the college to revoke the policy.

Leaders from Columbia’s part-time faculty union, United Staff of Columbia College, the Faculty Senate and the Student Government Association released a joint statement asking

the college to reverse the decision.

In response to the joint statement, which was emailed to Kim and members of his cabinet, Senior Vice President and Provost Marcella David said the administration would form a working group led by Senior Associate Provost Nate Bakkum to discuss the policy.

On Oct. 11, members of the faculty and staff held a rally outside the 600 S. Michigan Ave. building to protest the policy. Some attendees brought their children to the protest.

Kim and Madhurima Chakraborty, president of the Faculty Senate and associate chair of the English and Creative Writing Department, expressed hope that the dialogue from the working group would be positive and a solution would be reached.

Chakraborty told the Chronicle on Nov. 17, the day before the first meeting of the working group, that the Faculty Senate looked forward to the discussion surrounding the policy.

THE UNITED STAFF OF COLUMBIA COLLEGE

After working on an expired contract for more than three years, the United Staff of Columbia College voted in favor of authorizing the executive committee to call a strike, with 74% of members voting and 94.9% voting in favor.

This vote came after the union and the college reentered negotiations in September on a new contract. The current contract expired Aug. 31, 2018.

In June, the staff union responded to a job listing for a housekeeper to clean and upkeep the college-owned house Kim lives in. The union wrote a letter to the editor expressing their interest in the position, saying “a parttime job is exactly what we need to make ends meet.”

Longtime staff members Mary Mattucci and Michael Bright were laid off after their positions were eliminated. Mattucci had worked at Columbia for 40 years and Bright for 22 years. The decisions faced criticism, with the full-time faculty in the Communication Department writing a letter to the editor in support of Mattucci and praising her work for the college.

The union asked Columbia to extend the healthcare coverage for Mattucci and Bright, as both were a few months from their 65th birthdays when they would qualify for Medicare. The request was denied.

USofCC President Craig Sigele said the union started a GoFundMe with a goal to cover the healthcare expenses for Mattucci and Bright, and they were able to raise the necessary money themselves.

Negotiations continue to progress between the college and the union. Sigele said the union and the college are in agreement on most areas

of the contract, but the main issue has come down to money.

TUITION IS INCREASED BY 10% FOR NEXT YEAR

On Nov. 16, Kim announced a 10% tuition increase for undergraduate students beginning in Fall 2022 during a meeting with the Student Government Association.

Residence hall prices will also increase by 2.5% for the next academic year. Additional fees, such as registration and instruction fees, will be wrapped up into a flat $1,450 fee.

The college announced the creation of a “student aid pool,” established by the board of trustees. The $1.5 million dollar pool includes a fund for scholarships for returning students.

Matthew Rillie, membership chair of the USofCC and coordinator of Student Support and Engagement for Student Diversity and Inclusion, said the college should consider the hardships students and staff have gone through since the beginning of the pandemic.

For more information on the tuition increase, flip back to page three.

LOOKING TOWARD 2022

The Chronicle learned to adapt again this year, going from a fully virtual to a hybrid newsroom. The return to the newsroom and to print lit a spark under new and returning staff members. Reporters focused on covering the campus with a new diligence, as just being on campus was a story in itself.

As the Chronicle closes the pages on 2021 and looks toward 2022, our staff members will continue to figure out how to adapt to the ever-changing world.The news doesn’t slow down for anything, and the Chronicle will be there to report on it.

VISUAL CREDITS FROM TOP CLOCKWISE: ZACHARY CLINGENPEEL IRVIN IBARRA SOFIA FELINO ZACHARY CLINGENPEEL K’VON JACKSON VALENTINA PUCARELLI LUCAS MARTINEZ IRVIN IBARRA

CCUTINELLO@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM NJENNINGS@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

DECEMBER 6, 2021 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 11

metro Ice skating season returns to Chicago as the city glides into winter Chicagoans protest Kyle Rittenhouse verdict » ColumbiaChronicle.com

V PASISKEVICIUS, A frequent ice skater

» ABRA RICHARDSON /CHRONICLE

during Chicago’s winters, said having the ice rinks closed last year was heartbreaking.

Pasiskevicius was a regular at the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink for many years before it was shut down in 2020 but said he is glad to be back. “[I came] to see all the veteran skaters because we have a group up here,” Pasiskevicius said. “There’s about 40 of us, that we skate every year with each other, so it’s mainly to see the friends and the Christmas tree.”

The McCormick Tribune Ice Rink in Millennium Park, 1 N. Michigan Ave.,

opened to the public on Nov. 19 for its 20th anniversary, along with the Ice Skating Ribbon at Maggie Daley Park, 337 E. Randolph St. The ice skating season will go until March 6 for the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink and March 13 for the Ice Skating Ribbon, weather permitting.

The McCormick Tribune Ice Rink offers free admission, and the Ice Ribbon has free admission at select times. Skate rentals are available for $13 to $22 — depending on the rink, time and date of reservation.

Each rink requires reservations to adhere to the maximum capacity on the ice, with the Maggie Daley Ice Skating Ribbon having a capacity of 500 people per time slot.

Sarah Moran, a sophomore film and television major, said until this year, she had never been to the Ice Skating Ribbon at Maggie Daley Park.

“I’ve [gone] ice skating pretty much every year since middle school for my birthday, so this seemed like a great opportunity, and it looked cool,” Moran said. “[Skating in Maggie Daley Park] was different from your normal rink — it’s a ribbon.”

Patrick McArdle, a junior film and television

major, skated with Moran to celebrate her 20th birthday on the rink’s opening day.

“It’s fun. I haven’t been ice skating in a long time, so it’s nice to be able to go out with friends and do something like this that you only really get once a year if you’re lucky,” McArdle said.

This year, the Ice Skating Ribbon is SK ATERS SPEED DOWNHILL AT THE ICE SK ATING RIBBON AT MAGGIE DALEY sponsored by the PARK. cool experience here downtown, having a Immersive Van Gogh Experience at the Germania Club Building, wonderful skyline, but also having a great 108 W. Germania Place. Skaters can glide opportunity for some outdoor exercise.”

The Department of Cultural Affairs and around on Van Gogh’s brushstrokes as his Special Events will present free skating artwork is reflected onto the ice.

“What we are excited about this year … lessons at the McCormick Tribune Plaza is that we have decals on the Ribbon itself,” rink on most Saturdays and Sundays from said Jackie Guthrie, park supervisor for 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. The lessons teach beginner Maggie Daley Park. “It offers more of a unique and intermediate ice skating and hockey skills. Ticketed reservations for lessons experience for those people skating.”

The partnership between Maggie Daley are required. “[Ice skating is] a must-do,” Pasiskevicius Park, the Chicago Park District and the Immersive Van Gogh Experience allows ice said. “It’s one of the biggest and best skaters a unique experience under the city attractions, [and] it’s quite easy to get a ticket lights with decals of Van Gogh’s artwork and a spot. … People should definitely come.” out and have the experience.” underneath the ice.

“This is such an added treasure for Chicago, KGESICKI@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM so we encourage everyone to come out,” ARICHARDSON@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM Guthrie said. “People are able to get a really

» ABRA RICHARDSON /CHRONICLE

» KRISTEN GESICKI STAFF REPORTER » ABRA RICHARDSON STAFF REPORTER

SK ATERS TAKE OVER THE MCCORMICK TRIBUNE ICE RINK ON OPENING NIGHT.

» VALENTINA PUCARELLI /CHRONICLE

» ABRA RICHARDSON /CHRONICLE

A PARENT HELPS THEIR CHILD ICE SK ATE AT THE MCCORMICK TRIBUNE ICE RINK IN MILLENNIUM PARK ON NOV. 19.

12 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE DECEMBER 6, 2021

A SK ATER SHOWS OFF THEIR IMPRESSIVE SPREAD EAGLE WHILE GLIDING AT THE MCCORMICK TRIBUNE ICE RINK.

metro

» BIANCA KREUSEL/CHRONICLE

Sauerkraut, cider and holiday cheer return for Chicago’s 25th annual Christkindlmarket

THE PICASSO STANDS PROUDLY IN THE CENTER OF DALEY PLAZA AS PEOPLE SHOP.

» KRISTEN GESICKI STAFF REPORTER » BIANCA KREUSEL PHOTOJOURNALIST A CROWD OF people gathered excitedly outside

and novelties for families and friends to share.

“It’s a German tradition,” said Leila Schmidt, the manager of marketing and intercultural communications at German American Events. “We started off with 13 [vendors] in 1996, and now we’re up to 55 different vendors from all around the world — not just Germany. Sixty percent [of vendors] are still German, but you’ll find them from Canada, from Chicago and local areas. We’ve pretty much grown a lot since then.”

Helmut Hamberger, the vendor for the Bavarian Workshop from Munich, Germany,

has been a part of the market for 23 years, selling ornaments, masks and other Bavarian wares.

“We’re very happy to be here, especially with what’s going on in Europe right now.

They’re facing a lockdown.

All the markets are canceled,” Hamberger said. “It’s been very festive. People are happy to be here.”

The Christkindlmarket was only available online last year due to COVID-19, with vendors and customers buying and selling their products virtually. This year, customers can choose to shop in-person or online.

“I feel so happy,” said Sabine Korger, vendor at the Bienes Honighaus Germany booth.

“Last year was canceled, and now we are back, and it feels really, really good.”

Korger has been a vendor at the Christkindlmarket for 13 years, selling selfcare items made from honey, including soaps and lotions. She said the market gets her in the holiday spirit.

“I love it,” Korger said. “I love Americans and coming here. People are very lovely and positive, and they are so patient. I love it every year.”

Schmidt said safety is the Christkindlmarket’s number one priority this year due to COVID-19. There are signs

KGESICKI@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM BKREUSEL@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

» BIANCA KREUSEL/CHRONICLE

» BIANCA KREUSEL/CHRONICLE

at Daley Plaza as festive music and bright lights filled the air. Patrons sipped hot cocoa and German apple cider as they celebrated the start of the holiday season.

The Christkindlmarket — an annual event in Chicago inspired by German and European holiday traditions — returned to Daley Plaza, 50 W. Washington St., and Wrigleyville at Gallagher Way, 3635 N. Clark St., on Nov. 19, marking the attraction’s 25th anniversary.

Inspired by the 16th century, first-of-its-kind outdoor market in Nuremburg, Germany, the Christkindlmarket is best known for its holiday charm, along with vendors’ STRONG SMELLS OF CHOCOLATE AND GERMAN BAKED GOODS ARE IN THE AIR AT foods, gifts and DOWNTOWN CHICAGO’S CHRISTKINDLMARKET, WHICH IS LIT UP FROM VENDOR memorable mugs BOOTHS AND SURROUNDING TREES.

throughout the market asking individuals to wear their masks, sanitize and social distance as much as possible.

From apple cider to sauerkraut, the Christkindlmarket is filled with edible delicacies.

Alicja Hawryl, a first-time visitor to the Christkindlmarket, was intrigued to see the German-inspired market herself.

“I’ve never been here before, and I wanted to check it out,” Hawryl said. “It’s been so far so good. I saw some stuff from Poland where I’m from, so [that makes me] very homesick.

We got some apple ciders which are delicious.”

With many different traditions and cultures coming together, the Christkindlmarket is a beloved Chicago event.

“Take in the whole experience. When you come to the market, you want to make sure you’re not in a rush. You really want to enjoy it. You’ll want to stroll around the market, bring your loved ones and get the annual mug,” Schmidt said. “Try out different foods. Stop by the vendor booths, chat with them and see what kind of cool, special gifts you can get for the holidays.”

Visit the Christkindlmarket’s website for its list of 2021 vendors and maps.

The Christkindlmarket runs until Dec. 24 at Daley Plaza and until Dec. 31 in Wrigleyville.

THE BRIGHTLY-LIT GERMAN GREETING, “WILLKOMMEN TO THE CHRISTKINDLMARKET CHICAGO,” WELCOMES VISITORS TO THE HOLIDAY MARKET.

DECEMBER 6, 2021 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 13

metro

» VALENTINA PUCARELLI/CHRONICLE

Chicago kicks off the holiday season in bright fashion

A COUPLE SHARES A KISS FOR A PHOTO IN FRONT OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO CHRISTMAS TREE ON NOV.19 IN MILLENIUM PARK.

» VALENTINA PUCARELLI/CHRONICLE

» K’VON JACKSON/CHRONICLE HUNDREDS GATHER AT MILLENNIUM PARK IN ANTICIPATION FOR THE TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY. » K’VON JACKSON/CHRONICLE

ON NOV. 19 THE FAMOUS 51-FOOT CITY OF CHICAGO CHRISTMAS TREE WAS ONCE AGAIN LIT DURING A CEREMONY THOUSANDS ATTENDED IN MILLENNIUM PARK.

» K’VON JACKSON DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY THE HOLIDAY SEASON officially started in Chicago with the 108th annual tree lighting

ceremony at Millennium Park.Last year’s lighting, which normally draws crowds in large numbers, was held virtually due to the pandemic.

The Nov. 19 event featured live performances from DJ Selah Say, the Mariachi Herencia de Mexico and Grammy Award-nominated singer Brian McKnight.

This year’s tree, a 51-foot spruce, was donated by the Benavides family of Logan Square. At 6:30 p.m. the city’s official tree was lit to cheers of joy and a fireworks display above the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St. Holiday celebrations continued with a menorah lighting on the fourth night of Hanukkah on Wednesday, Dec. 1.

KJACKSON@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

14 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE DECEMBER 6, 2021

A FIREWORKS DISPLAY COMMENCES ABOVE THE CHICAGO CULTURAL CENTER AFTER THE TREE IS LIT.

metro

Looking back: Danny Fenster’s imprisonment and the persistence that got him home » MIK A REN MALONE/COURTESY, SEDONA STEFFENS/CHRONICLE, RYAN BRUMBACK /CHRONICLE

» ANNA BUSALACCHI MANAGING EDITOR

WHEN BRYAN FENSTER heard about his

brother’s detainment by military force in Yangon, Myanmar, he said he took two quick breaths of panic and then went into fight mode, doing everything he could for nearly six months until Danny Fenster was freed on Nov. 15.

Danny Fenster, 37, managing editor of Frontier Myanmar and a 2009 Columbia journalism alum, was arrested at the Yangon International Airport on May 24 on his way home to Detroit to surprise his family. For more than 170 days, the Fenster family persevered in raising awareness of Danny’s imprisonment, resulting in his release just in time for them to celebrate Hanukkah together.

On Nov. 28, the first day of Hanukkah, Danny was one of the honorees at the Menorah in the D 11th Annual Lighting, a public ceremony in Detroit that celebrates the holiday. Danny lit the first candle on the menorah and recited a prayer, saying “Blessed are you Lord, our God, king of the universe who bestows kindness upon the undeserving, for he has bestowed goodness to me.”

During the journalist’s imprisonment, friends, colleagues, former classmates and students, government officials and strangers alike became a major support system for the Fenster family, advocating for Danny’s release.

The Fensters created BringDannyHome. com, a hub for stories about Danny and more than 50 drawings of him from artists around the world. The site also sold “Free Fenster” T-shirts.

“Our hope is that if we humanize [Danny], people all over the world, [while] they don’t know him, if they can find some kind of connection to him maybe they’ll be empowered to contact their officials or share his story to keep this thing going,” Bryan Fenster said in June after the court’s first extension of Danny’s detainment.

The petition for Danny’s release garnered more than 43,000 signatures, and his imprisonment even caught the attention of popular rock band U2, which linked to a Chronicle article in a tweet that received close to 1,200 likes.

Months passed with the Free Fenster community not knowing why Danny was detained and no official charges being filed against the journalist. The Fensters and Danny’s wife had minimal communication

with him through brief, closely monitored phone calls. In July, Danny contracted COVID-19 but was not treated for the virus.

On Aug. 31, the family held a press conference to bring awareness to Danny’s 100th day in Insein Prison, with journalists from more than 40 domestic and international media sites in attendance.

“I think it’s inherent in human nature, something called hope, and I think it’s the one thing that keeps us from jumping off buildings,” Buddy Fenster, Danny’s father, said at the August press conference.

Columbia faculty, staff and students reacted strongly to the situation, such as Sam Weller, an associate professor in the English and Creative Writing Department and one of Danny’s former teachers.

“There’s no better symbol than a young man who once sat in my classroom at Columbia College Chicago, who is now sitting in a prison in Myanmar for simply just doing his job,” said Weller, speaking about fascism and the increasing threat to journalists’ rights in a June interview with the Chronicle.

Noah Isackson, an adjunct faculty member

in the Communication Department and one of Fenster’s former instructors, said Fenster’s freedom speaks volumes about perseverance, endurance and faith.

“As anyone that has worked in journalism for as long as I have, your heart skips a beat, and then you realize that it isn’t just some abstract journalist, it’s someone that you not only know but someone that you’ve worked with and were involved in an early part of their career, and it’s terrifying,” said freelance journalist Dan Sinker, a former associate professor in the Communication Department and one of Fenster’s teachers, in a June interview with the Chronicle.

Fenster was sentenced to 11 years of imprisonment after being found guilty of three charges: incitement, unlawful association and violation of immigration laws, all based on the assumption that he continued working at Myanmar Now after its license was revoked.

All charges have since been dropped.

Conditions under the military regime that took control of Myanmar on Feb. 1 remain dangerous for civilians. Many journalists and citizens are still imprisoned, along with

Myanmar’s elected president, Aung San Suu Kyi, who was overthrown by a military junta.

In a press conference on Nov. 16, Danny expressed gratitude for the efforts that brought him home but said he wants people to “keep focused on what the actual story is here,” referring to the struggles of Myanmar people under the violent regime and the attacks on democracy and free press around the world.

“What Frontier [Myanmar] does and what a lot of the Westerners that go there to edit work [do] — they go to help locals tell their story for an international audience, and we believe that that is really important, and we believe that that brings these outside powers to bear on the country,” Danny said.

ABUSALACCHI@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

DECEMBER 6, 2021 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 15

arts& culture

How to build a capsule wardrobe » ColumbiaChronicle.com

Big Time Rush’s Kendall Schmidt discusses reunion, upcoming performances and new music » GABBY BACH COPY EDITOR

AFTER AN ALMOST eight-year hiatus, Big

16 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE DECEMBER 6, 2021

‘Does this song encompass what the new Big Time Rush sounds like?’” Schmidt said. “’What does that sound like?’ ‘What does that sound like in 2021, compared to what did that soundlike in 2010?’”

Rehearsals for the December shows started on Nov. 22. At the time of the interview, Schmidt could not reveal much about what rehearsals for the month leading up to the concert will look like. However, the band plans to expand beyond the choreography, costumes and set design from their previous tours to create a new look and feel for Big Time Rush.

“We need to advance. We have to advance,” Schmidt said. “We want to be more exciting than just, ‘It’s good to see Big Time Rush again.’”

The members of the band have discussed possible setlist ideas for the performances, but Schmidt said there may be room for some improvisation, as well.

“It would be fun to have a few audible songs. If it’s like, ‘Hey, let’s play this [song,]’ let’s switch it up. Let’s decide to do something different,” Schmidt said.

While much may change for Big Time

Rush in the next few months, one thing has always remained consistent in their 12 years together: their love and appreciation for their fans.

“I can only speak for myself, but I know this about the guys: Everybody in the band is so grateful for the response, grateful for all of the stories that people have told us and grateful for the fact that people even still care,” Schmidt said.

GBACH@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

» LUCAS MARTINEZ/CHRONICLE

Time Rush is back. Band member Kendall Schmidt said he is excited to be performing and recording new music with his bandmates again.

“That’s the goal of the [reunion],” Schmidt said. “I want to be on stage with the guys again.

It’s been long enough.”

The pop band, best known for its Nickelodeon sitcom of the same name, is reuniting for three performances — in Philadelphia at the Wells Fargo Center for Jingle Ball on Dec. 13, in Chicago on Dec. 15 at the Chicago Theatre, 175 N. State St., and in New York City on Dec. 18 at the Hammerstein Ballroom.

Schmidt said he started talks of a reunion with bandmates Logan Henderson, James Maslow and Carlos PenaVega at the end of 2019, but when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, they had to change their plans. Instead of performing, the band members posted several videos to their social media pages filmed remotely in the second half of 2020 to reach out to fans: “A Message from Big Time Rush,” an acoustic cover of their song “Worldwide” and a Christmas video that featured one of their holiday singles, “Beautiful Christmas.”

“We knew how dark of a time it was for people in general,” Schmidt said.

“We figured if it could bring anybody joy, it would be nice to do those video[s].”

On July 19, the band was finally able to announce their reunion through an Instagram video, which poked fun at the band members with lighthearted references to the Nickelodeon TV show.

At one point, Maslow is referred to as “Bandana Man,” his character’s superhero alter ego who makes repeat appearances on the show. His response: “What did you call me?”

Schmidt said the bandmates wrote the script for the comeback video together with the intention of making a distinction between

the band’s music and the television show.

“We weren’t really talking about doing a [TV] show again. We were talking about doing music. We wanted to make it clear that the band aspect of Big Time Rush was coming back,” Schmidt said. “We didn’t want anyone to get confused about that, so it seemed like a funny way to do it.”

Tickets for the first two announced dates went on sale on July 21. Both performances sold out within minutes of release on Ticketmaster. The current resale ticket prices for the Chicago date range anywhere from $350 to more than $2,300 for pit seats.

In the time since the announcement, Big Time Rush has been working on new music.

Their new single “Call It Like I See It” will be out on Dec. 13. This track is different from the one they teased in September on their social media platforms. This will be the first new song they have released since June 2013.

According to Schmidt, this time around, they have “100% creative control” of their sound — even if they are still trying to figure out what that means in 2021.

“Now, we have to make all the decisions.

arts&culture

Blue Man Group connects strangers through performance » BY BIANCA KREUSEL PHOTOJOURNALIST » BY ABRA RICHARDSON STAFF REPORTER THE BRIAR STREET Theatre erupted in

various colors of splattered paint and banging drums as three mysterious blue men with wide, curious eyes performed on stage to laughter and gasps, with some audience members even wearing ponchos in the front rows to avoid being covered by paint.

The Blue Man Group began performing in 1991 at Manhattan’s Astor Place Theatre in New York. It was first started by three close friends, the original Blue Men — Chris Wink, Matt Goldman and Phil Stanton. The show developed over time and now includes various percussion performances from multiple Blue Men, small skits and audience engagement, all while the performers stay completely silent.

“What [we are] trying to do in an abstract way, a new language, is connect all of us in the audience,” said Tom Galassi, the Blue Man

Group’s captain. “We’re freaking you out, and by the end of it, it’s cool and you look at the people you don’t know and laugh with them. …

It’s about finding what to say about all of this.”

The Chicago show at the Briar Street Theatre, 3133 N. Halsted St., was filled with engagement and laughs, but the performers and crew members needed to overcome a number of obstacles in order to have performances like this again.

“It was really strange going from not leaving my house for 18 months to this,” Galassi said.

“It was really difficult because Blue Man Group essentially is really not a COVID-19 friendly show. There’s a lot of things that we used to do that we can no longer do.”

Sticking a tube down a random audience member’s throat was a part of the show before COVID-19, but now the Blue Men do this to each other instead.

Brett Presson, the stage manager for the Blue Man Group, said the production crew worked hard to change the show to follow COVID-19 safety protocols. All team members

trained with face masks and figured out replacements for certain segments, while keeping the crowd engaged. They began shows again in August 2021 with the new rules in place.

“We use all these tools, characters and music to get to this place,” Galassi said.

“There’s no handbook for what to do to connect everyone, that’s the fun part.”

Jeff Quay, associate music director for the

Blue Man Group and band member, plays music in a glass box while the Blue Men perform their acts. He said the crew works hard to earn and maintain positive reactions from the audience.

“There’s a couple of conundrums in the show,” Quay said. “The band is taking cues from all directions all the time, so it’s a complex equation.”

Showtimes and tickets are listed on the group’s website.

BKREUSEL@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM ARICHARDSON@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

THE BLUE MAN GROUP PERFORMS THEIR SIGNATURE PAINT DRUMMING AT THE BRIAR STREET THEATER, 3133 N. HALSTED ST. COURTESY OF BLUE MAN GROUP.

DECEMBER 6, 2021 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 17

opinions

Learning to live with depression » ColumbiaChronicle.com

Editorial: The college’s decisions in the past year have landed Columbia on the naughty list

THE WORLD HAS been through a lot this past

year, and Columbia has experienced many changes. Some of these changes have been beneficial to the learning and working experience of students, staff and faculty, but others have been met with backlash and anger from the college community.

Christmas and the holiday season is fast approaching, and the staff at the Chronicle have analyzed whether Columbia belongs on the nice or naughty list this year.

Students spent most of 2020 and the Spring 2021 semester learning remotely. Columbia finally returned to in-person learning this fall, and just as students began to feel a semblance of normalcy, it was announced that undergraduate tuition would be increased by 10% for the next school year.

This decision alone is enough to land Columbia on the naughty list. The increase, which President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim said he believed to be the largest in the school’s history, is a slap in the face to students who stuck with Columbia through remote learning.

Students kept Columbia afloat through the pandemic, and we as students have been rewarded with a 10% tuition increase.

Kim made a point to mention that tuition has not been increased in the past two years, a decision made “in recognition of the fact that students and their families are coping with the COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying economic downturn,” according to an email from the president’s office sent July 2, 2020.

But students and our families are still coping with the COVID-19 pandemic and struggling financially. Raising tuition, especially by such a large percentage, hurts them. Columbia is in a deficit and hurting financially, too, but the financial burden should not fall so harshly on the backs of students.

Another issue that has put Columbia on the naughty list is the mistreatment of faculty and staff.

The United Staff of Columbia College has worked for more than three years on an expired contract. As they negotiate for a new one, Columbia is not currently offering the salaries staff say they need to compensate for the years without a new contract and rising inflation.

Meanwhile, two longtime, loyal staff

members saw their positions eliminated.

Mary Mattucci and Michael Bright, who worked at Columbia for a combined 62 years, were laid off in the fall, and Columbia refused to extend their health care coverage by a couple of months, at which point they would have been eligible for Medicare.

Instead, the Columbia community, led by the USofCC, came together to raise the money for them.

The staff plays a huge role in the experience of students at Columbia. They deserve a fair and equitable contract and to be rewarded for their loyalty. The Chronicle supports the United Staff of Columbia College as they continue negotiations with the administration.

Columbia claims to care about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, but when they are given the opportunity to prove it, they sometimes fall short. The children on campus policy — if it was needed at all — would have been an opportunity for the college to look at the issue from a DEI standpoint, but Columbia made the decision not to allow children on campus unless there is prior approval.

This decision impacts the entire community, but it especially hurts mothers and those from lower-income households.

Childcare is expensive, and if childcare falls through during a pandemic, there may not be time to get prior approval if a member of the faculty, staff or student body has to bring their child to campus.

Transparency and communication are important when issues like this arise. The college should not make decisions that impact students, faculty and staff without first including them in the conversation.

The Student Government Association, the Faculty Senate, the USofCC and the part-time faculty union deserve a seat at the table for these decisions.

Senior Vice President and Provost Marcella David announced the formation of a working group including various constituencies throughout the college. This is a move in the right direction for Columbia, and hopefully the administration will consider forming more groups such as this.

While we have heard that this policy may soon be revised or coming to an end, the fact that the policy existed in the first place and has been in effect for as long as it has is unacceptable.

18 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE DECEMBER 6, 2021

»VIVIAN JONES/CHRONICLE

» THE EDITORIAL BOARD

Our list doesn’t end with these points.

Another addition to the naughty list is the delayed reaction from the administration to the violence against Asians and AsianAmericans in our country. The Asian Student Organization wrote a letter to the editor condemning the extended silence from the administration following the shooting in Georgia that killed eight people, including six Asian women, on March 16.

Anti-Asian hate was rising, and administrators at other institutions had spoken out in support of their students, but Columbia’s silence was deafening, as the office of the president sent an email statement to students 17 days after the shooting.

The reasons above are why Columbia is on the naughty list this year.

That being said, there were some saving graces for the year.

Columbia was the first four-year institution in Illinois to announce a vaccine mandate.

Because of this, 97% of Columbia’s campus was vaccinated at the beginning of the fall semester. Between this and the continued mask mandate, Columbia has had very few COVID-19 cases at any given time. Even as cases in Chicago rise, Columbia’s have remained low, with active cases typically in the single digits.

This allowed students to return to campus in the fall. For students to be able to safely attend classes in-person was a huge win.

Columbia’s continued diligence and the work of the administration, faculty and staff to make the campus safe enough to reopen was, and continues to be, a big accomplishment.

The return to in-person learning this fall was exciting, and Convocation started the year off on a high point. First-year students were introduced to Columbia in a way that was fun and exciting. To celebrate Convocation in person was something many students wished for, and Columbia did not disappoint in that regard.

Looking forward to next year, our hope is the administration will listen to the complaints of students, staff and faculty and be transparent about where funding is going, especially after such a large tuition increase.

The money should go toward bettering the learning experience of students, which includes equitable pay for the staff and faculty who teach, support and inspire us inside and outside of the classroom.

Students chose Columbia for a reason.

For many, Columbia is their dream school, and they are willing to pay the increased tuition next year, even if it’s painful. The administration should consider this and make it worth our money.

CHRONICLE@COLUM.EDU

Top 5 New Yewolutions

» GABBY BACH

1

Be more organized - I’ve been so busy this semester working three jobs, plus classes.

I need to find a better way to keep all of my commitments in order because this semester has been a roller coaster.

2

Develop better self-care practices - When I start to get busy, I tend to feel guilty about taking breaks. This behavior will stop in 2022!

I want to actively take care of myself in the new year.

3

Set firm boundaries - I let myself get taken advantage of by taking on more work than I can handle. I need to feel comfortable saying no and make sure those boundaries do not crumble.

4

Travel, if it is safe - Once I finish my B.A. at Columbia this spring, I would love to be able to visit friends from out-of-state. Here’s hoping it will be safe to travel in the summer.

5

Enjoy more of Chicago’s nightlife - I just turned 21, which means a whole part of the city opened up to me for the first time. I’m looking forward to attending a future Taylor Swift night at Scarlet Bar in Northalsted.

» SEANICE BATCHMAN

» RYAN BRUMBACK

» AMARIS EDWARDS

1

1

2

Be more selfish - I want to put myself first more to discover more of what I value and how to care for myself!

2

2

For my locs to surpass shoulder length - I locked my hair in August and redid them in October. I want them to be at least at my collarbone by the end of the year.

3

3

4

4

Release a few books by the end of 2022 - I’ve been working on a few books for a series I started called “Cheryl.” I want to release six short stories!

3

4

Be fully vegan - I completed my goal of going vegetarian by February. Time to take it a step further!

5

Read 20 books - I’ve read so many Black literature and Black history books this year, and I want to double my 2021 goal!

Cook five to six times a week for myself - I’d like to move on past my prestigious life of being a professional fast food consumer and cook more for myself, especially Korean dishes.

1

More yoga - I took a yoga class this semester, and it’s improved my mental and physical health. I’d like to expand and see where it can take me!

Get time management on track - To Clean one area a day - I consider myself relieve stress and take control of my life, pretty tidy, but I’d like to be better about a better schedule system next year is in cleaning more regularly instead of once every the works. two weeks.

Local concerts - There are so many Go to the moon - Impossible? Pertalented artists in the city and shows haps. Even so, I think sipping moon juice happening all the time. I want to add with a space alien would be pretty cool. new artists to my playlist and meet people at shows around the city.

Exercise more - This is the one always on my list that I never succeed Finish a book a month - As a child, at. I just want to be able to go up stairs in I used to be able to read 500-page books peace. regularly. As a writer, it allowed me to have a wide imagination, and I want to Experiment more with artwork - I bring that into my life again. always end up taking the same few paths and mediums. Changing it up sounds very Going out by myself more - I’m gofun and healthy. ing to take myself out on dates! Whether that be restaurants, going to the theatre, or spa days. I want to treat myself and love myself!

5

5

»VIVIAN JONES/CHRONICLE

»CONCEPT BY ROBIN SLUZAS/CHRONICLE

DECEMBER 6, 2021 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 19

» BIANCA KREUSEL/CHRONICLE

See you next year!