March 29 | The Columbia Chronicle

MAR

29

CHLOE MCMULLIN & ZACHARY CLINGENPEEL/CHRONICLE

2021

Students, faculty struggle with the cancellation of Spring Break Campus, page 5

Arts & Culture, page 11

Metro, page 8

Opinions, 13

Call of the Cauldron brings witchcraft to Columbia

The Chronicle takes readers behind the scenes of the Friends Experience

Chicago-based food services deliver meals with love

Sia’s “Music” movie is ableist and includes offensive racial imagery

editor’s note

Editor’s Note: Standardized testing is elitist, fails to measure student potential » BROOKLYN KIOSOW CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF I REMEMBER WALKING into a slightly too cold, all-white room with aisles of desks to take the ACT my senior year of high school. I stayed up late the night before, testing how quickly I could read and panicking in my bedroom. When I finally sat down to take the test, my eyes were heavy and my heart was pounding.

I have never been good at taking tests, and I’ve talked to numerous people who have said the same thing: “Tests make me anxious,” “I don’t do well under pressure” and “I don’t understand how tests measure my capability.”

While scrolling through Facebook a few days ago, I noticed the University of Kansas—my undergraduate alma mater—shared an article by the Lawrence Journal-World announcing that it would no longer require students to take the ACT or SAT to be admitted.

These new admission standards are scheduled to begin for the incoming class in Spring 2022, and according to the article, the Kansas Board of Regents unanimously approved the changes because the test-free component would allow KU to remain competitive nationally, as many schools have eliminated standardized testing after the pandemic made it more difficult for students to take those tests.

According to The National Center for Fair and Open Testing, also known as FairTest, “more than half of all 4-year colleges and universities will not require applicants to submit ACT or SAT scores for fall 2021 admission,” and 1,240 of the nation’s 2,330 bachelor’s degree-granting institutions are now test-optional.

Columbia College Chicago does not require standardized tests as part of its undergraduate admissions policy.

While reasoning behind the decision varies, a shared link is the desire for a more diverse campus and weeding out unfair advantages. Schools like the University of Chicago—which was the first highly selective college to make standardized testing optional—saw an increase in enrollment of students from underrepresented backgrounds in 2019-2020.

The decision to make the tests optional and the creation of programs 2 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE MARCH 29, 2021

like UChicago Empowerment Initiative —which is meant to serve as an enhanced admissions program with more financial aid and programming— indicates the importance of removing obstacles that may interfere with students applying to competitive colleges.

According to a 2019 article from The Washington Post, ACT and SAT scores are often linked to family income, the education level of a student’s mother and race.

Alongside the high cost of attending college, there are a number of costs associated with test prep, testing and visiting potential colleges before deciding on a school. According to the College Board, it costs $52 to take the SAT, or $68 to take the SAT with essay, and the ACT costs $55 or $70 with the writing test fee, according to ACT.org.

Some students also take the test more than once to improve their scores.

With ACT and SAT testing admission requirements proving to be elitist, there is also the question of whether a test can prove academic capability. Among my high school friend group, there were a number of people nervous to share their test scores, as they were afraid their score meant they were incompetent or unlikely to do well in college.

Because I did not receive a remarkable ACT score, I remember keeping the score to myself. But as a student who has a Bachelor of Arts in English and is less than two months away from receiving a Master of Fine Arts in creative nonfiction writing, I think my personal achievements speak louder than a test score.

I was fortunate enough to have the ability to take the ACT more than once and score high enough to attend a college like KU. However, this is a privilege not everyone has, and it should not be a requirement to get into college.

With the elimination of obstacles— such as the cost of test prep, testing and getting to a testing site—there is room for a more diverse and non-testingcentric campus. Tests should be given to examine someone’s knowledge and growth, not to serve as a barrier to get into college.

BKIOSOW@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

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A single mother balances classes at Columbia, work and life in quarantine » ColumbiaChronicle.com

» BROOKLYN KIOSOW CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF » SHANE VERKEST MULTIMEDIA REPORTER STUDENTS LIKE GABRIELLE Pelayo were

looking forward to taking a break from classes and having the chance to relax for a week. However, due to a new initiative at the college, she will not get the opportunity just yet.

Because she works on the weekends and does not have time to herself, Pelayo said she feels drained mentally and needs time off from schoolwork.

“I really hope this is just a temporary thing,” said Pelayo, a freshman double major in creative writing and acting.

“If this persists, I’m not sure if I am going to survive.”

As students and faculty approach the middle of the semester, many, like Pelayo, are in need of a break from Zoom and approaching assignment due dates.

But in November, the college announced that during the Spring 2021 semester there would not be a Spring Break—initially scheduled for the week of March 29—instead adding “Making Week” in May. Faculty leaders say they had no input in the decision.

THE INTRODUCTION OF MAKING WEEK

Making Week will take place right before the final week of the semester and will be a week when no classes take place and no assignments are due.

The Office of the Provost sent out an email in November describing what Making Week will entail, but some students and faculty are unsure how a break near the end of the semester makes up for the absence of a break mid-semester.

Representatives from campus groups such as the Faculty Senate and Columbia’s part-time faculty union said they were not included in the decisionmaking process.

Diana Vallera, an adjunct faculty member in the Photography Department and president of CFAC, said while she recognizes the decision was right at the time because the college needed to plan ahead, it is disappointing that CFAC was not consulted, as it is another large scale decision made by Columbia.

“When you have stakeholders, when you have unions and student [and] faculty groups, those leaders have to be invited to the table,” she said. “That

really was highlighted during the pandemic when we had to bargain for safety issues.”

Senior Associate Provost Nathan Bakkum said the decision to eliminate Spring Break and introduce Making Week was made in November so faculty could begin planning their courses accordingly, and students would be aware of the updated academic calendar.

Bakkum said that in November the COVID-19 positivity rate in Chicago was between 10% and 15%, and the city had imposed strict travel restrictions.

“Those travel restrictions were really key to this decision,” he said. “The safety of our community is the number-one consideration in all of our planning through the pandemic.”

Bakkum said the college is not equipped for students to quarantine, specifically in residence halls, as there was a concern that students may travel out of state for Spring Break as travel restrictions changed.

THE REACTION

Jenn Lee, a graduate student in the English and Creative Writing Department and a graduate student instructor for “Writing and Rhetoric II,” said the college should not get to decide what young adults do during Spring Break.

“I didn’t like the decision ahead of time, and now that I’m in the middle of [it] … I really don’t like it,” Lee said. “I understand the impulse, but … for an institution that publicly and fairly loudly [expresses concern] about mental health and student health, it seems like a very strange decision to me.”

Sean Johnson Andrews, associate professor in the Humanities, History and Social Sciences Department and Faculty Senate president, said the Faculty Senate was told the college was making this decision, but they were not asked to give input.

He said Faculty Senate members have brought up concerns about this decision a few times during Campus Reopening Task Force meetings and have asked the college to create a more formal pause in the semester, but administrators have not been receptive.

The Assessment Task Force, which includes representatives from Student Affairs, the Office of the President, Strategic Communications and other of-

fices across campus, was consulted in the decision, Bakkum said. He said the President’s Cabinet, the Office of the Registrar, Academic Advising and several department chairs were also part of the decision.

Patricia McNair, an associate professor in the English and Creative Writing Department and Faculty Senate member, said she learned about Making Week the same way as other students and faculty—in the email detailing the college’s plans for the spring semester.

“I find that very frustrating,” McNair said. “It was a decision that was made ... without our input, and there was no way at that time to say, ‘I don’t really want to do that with my class.’”

Guy Villa, assistant professor of instruction in the Graphic Design Department, said in his discussions at the end of classes, he found that many of his students were disappointed they did not get a Spring Break.

“I could already tell students were getting burnt out and they were looking forward to that week to take a breather, and now we aren’t really going to get it,” Villa said.

Bakkum said it is important to think about “how to build some rest into the flow of the class,” as this has been a focus in his conversations with faculty about the absence of Spring Break.

Vallera said she recently emailed the Office of the Provost inquiring whether adjunct faculty would be required to work during Making Week and be available to their students, after receiving inquiries from CFAC members. While there will be no classes held, Vallera said the college informed her that facul-

» CHLOE MCMULLIN & ZACHARY CLINGENPEEL/CHRONICLE

‘Burnt out’ students struggle with cancellation of Spring Break; faculty leaders say they were not consulted

ty should still communicate with their students during Making Week.

LOOKING FORWARD

Some students and instructors are still confused by the decision.

AlJoya Hall, a junior technical theatre major, said it is always around this time of the semester when she feels like everything begins to “intensify.” In the past, she has used Spring Break to relax and not think too much about school work.

“Usually after Spring Break is when everything starts piling up,” Hall said. “So the fact that we don’t have that breather time, and we have to jump right into everything toward the end of the semester isn’t really helping us mentally or physically.”

Villa said having a week off before finals week throws off his schedule because his class now has to complete final projects sooner.

In the future, Bakkum said there will be an ongoing conversation about whether or not Making Week will continue in spring semesters to come. If Making Week were implemented alongside a Spring Break, the college would potentially have to extend the academic year, which could be an issue due to the timing of Columbia’s summer sessions and J-term.

McNair said the best way for students and instructors to get through a semester without a break is to continually communicate with one another.

“If students are at the point where they really need a break, they need to talk to their teachers,” McNair said. “We don’t intend to make it harder on anybody, because [then] it’s only harder on ourselves as well.”

CHRONICLE@COLUM.EDU MARCH 29, 2021 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 3

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» SOFIA FELINO/CHRONICLE

Columbia begins on-campus tours for a limited number of families

IN MARCH, COLUMBIA’S DEPARTMENT OF UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS REOPENED ITS DOORS TO A SELECT NUMBER OF PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS.

» NOAH JENNINGS STAFF REPORTER KENDALL HODGE TOOK a tour of Columbia as soon as she was able, although the college’s procedures looked different from other college tours she had taken.

Hodge, a high school senior from Florida, was one of about 175 prospective students who registered to tour the college in person under its new COVID-19 safety guidelines.

Since the start of the pandemic, prospective Columbia students and their families have relied on technology to visit the campus virtually, rather than physically visiting the college like they have in the past. But recently, that changed for some students like Hodge. “[The tour] made the idea more real in my head that this was a place where I could really go and see myself being a student there,” Hodge said.

In-person tours of the campus for prospective students began on March 15 with new safety protocols in place.

Tour groups now include the tour guide, the prospective student and up to two guests of the student, as opposed to tours in the past containing several families with one guide.

4 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE MARCH 29, 2021

Every visitor must also take a rapid COVID-19 test on campus 30 minutes prior to their scheduled tour, and to complete the tour, the results must be negative. The test is paid for by the college.

The tours do not allow access to any of the student housing buildings, and standard Columbia community safety guidelines, such as mask-wearing and social distancing, apply at all times.

Derek Brinkley, assistant vice president of undergraduate admissions, said all tour slots prior to May 1, which is National Decision Day, were filled in the first three hours after registration opened on March 8.

This left many prospective students and parents disappointed, including Piper Ruth, a high school senior from Colorado.

“I’m not quite sure where [Columbia] is on my list of colleges,” Ruth said. “It’s still up there [in my] top three, but it’s just hard to know if I don’t know the student body and the buildings.”

Ruth’s mother Tina Ruth said she does not feel comfortable investing money into the college without being able to experience a tour.

“It’s like that show they have on

TV where you don’t meet your fiancé before you marry him,” Tina Ruth said. “This is almost a quarter of a million dollar investment in her education. Who would just put that down on something that you don’t have a really good feel for and haven’t been able to visit one or two times?”

Brinkley said the college made five tour slots available per day, five days a week from March 15 to April 30, meaning 175 students in total could tour the college prior to decision day.

There is a waitlist available for a tour in the event that a family cancels, but Brinkley said he does not envision many people canceling.

Hodge said she enjoyed visiting the Theatre Department in person the most during her tour.

“I definitely was super surprised with what [the college] was like,” Hodge said. “It’s going to make it a very hard decision for me.”

From Sept. 1, 2018, to Aug. 31, 2019, the last full recruitment cycle before the pandemic, 8,718 prospective students attended some form of on-campus event, including 3,289 students who took tours.

Brinkley said the reason for fewer tour opportunities is for the safety of the tour guides, families and the Columbia community.

“My primary goal was to make sure that students stay safe,” Brinkley said. “Yes, I want students to choose Columbia … but I don’t want to put [prospective] students, families, our students, our staff [or] our faculty … at risk for catching COVID just because we want to get tours up and running on campus.”

Brinkley said there are still virtual opportunities for prospective students to try to get a feel for the campus without taking an in-person tour.

One of these opportunities is available through the Columbia Visits app. Families can “walk around” campus through augmented reality technology in the app. They can point their device at campus buildings to identify the building, get information about it and see photos of its various rooms and spaces.

Students can also use the virtual tours site to watch videos about specific areas of campus as well as schedule a student-led virtual tour or a Q&A with an admissions counselor.

Emily Caldara, a high school senior from Lindenhurst, Illinois, took an in-person tour of Columbia. While Caldara took a tour of another college before the pandemic, she said her experience at Columbia was better, even with the safety measures in place.

“It was just as immersive [and] just as informational,” Caldara said. “It was everything I could’ve gotten out of [a] pre-pandemic tour.”

Tina Ruth said she and her daughter tried the virtual opportunities, but those did not fill the void left by not being able to be on campus.

“It’s a huge investment to be willing to send my daughter across the country to a place that we’ve only walked outside on the street once,” Tina Ruth said.

Hodge said students and parents who were able to schedule a tour should not take the opportunity for granted.

“You have to keep your mind open and be excited about being able to even experience something that others are not able to,” Hodge said.

NJENNINGS@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

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Call of the Cauldron creates a safe space for witches at Columbia » CAMRYN CUTINELLO STAFF REPORTER WHEN ALEX KROPP started at Columbia,

they noticed a lack of space for witches on campus. To change that, Kropp, a sophomore filmmaking major, set out to create a club on campus to both educate people and encourage them to practice their craft.

Kropp began posting on the Columbia app at the beginning of the Spring 2020 semester and asking if there were any other witches at Columbia who would be interested in starting a club. The post quickly received interest from multiple students, and Call of the Cauldron was formed soon after.

“Call of the Cauldron helped me a lot because a lot of the other officers, in my opinion, [are] more advanced than me,” said El Concepcion, a sophomore filmmaking major. “I’ve learned a lot from them, and I really appreciate [what they have taught me].”

The club, which currently has 25 members, is meant to be a safe space for witches to talk to one another and share their

knowledge about witchcraft. The club meetings are held over Zoom every other week, and officers in the organization lead meetings with pre-prepared topics that range from things members have learned through research, to their own personal experiences with magic.

The club aims to fight against false stereotypes associated with witches, and Concepcion said there are many stereotypes that stem from movies such as “The Wizard of Oz” or “Hocus Pocus,” which portray witches in a negative light.

“It’s not what people think it is,” Concepcion said. “It’s not worshiping the devil. It’s not ... [flying] on broomsticks.

We’re not green.”

Sophomore television major Karel Ramirez said a common perception of witchcraft includes the devil as a central figure. “[The biggest misconception is] that every witch worships the devil, which is not true, because not everyone believes in the devil,” Ramirez said.

The club works to share knowledge about

witchcraft in order to dispel stereotypes, emphasizing that witchcraft is an earth based practice that utilizes the natural world, such as the elements, in its practice.

In the present day, witches have a multitude of potential paths to follow, and there are ways to practice witchcraft without appropriating cultural practices. Many witches utilize tools such as herbs, candles, crystals and tarot cards in their practice.

“I would describe modern witchcraft as going back to the original roots in a way that incorporates modern technology,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez said technology can make witchcraft easier, as now witches can drive to the store to pick up specific herbs or plants they need.

Witchcraft can include rituals and spell work, or it can be something smaller. Concepcion currently uses simpler witchcraft, such as writing sigils, which are symbols of a person’s desired outcome, on things that they own.

Despite the inaccuracy of many shows and movies surrounding witchcraft, many

witches such as Concepcion learned about witchcraft through these shows.

“The most accurate depiction of witchcraft that I’ve seen lately would have to be ‘The Craft’ series,” Concepcion said. “There’s special effects, and they fluff it up because it’s a movie, but the rituals that they go into in both of those films are pretty realistic.”

The organization has hosted a few different events where they give out goody bags, and it holds online tarot card talks for people who want to learn more about the club or different elements of witchcraft.

The best place to start for anyone interested in witchcraft, Kropp said, is to talk to others who practice witchcraft.

The club can be found on EngageColumbia, where members also post about events they are hosting.

“Don’t be scared,” Concepcion said.

“I promise we don’t bite; we’re not scary people. We just want to practice our craft.”

CCUTINELLO@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

» K’VON JACKSON/CHRONICLE

» K’VON JACKSON/CHRONICLE

AMULETS AND NECKLACES ARE A PART OF CONCEPCION’S WITCHCRAFT PRACTICE.

EL CONCEPCION WEARS A HEMATITE AND EVIL EYE RING USED TO KEEP NEGATIVE ENERGY AWAY FROM THE WEARER. MARCH 29, 2021 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 5

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Understaffed Counseling Services navigates ‘exacerbated’ student needs during the pandemic WITH NATIONAL STATISTICS showing nearly 80% of college students are worried about their mental health amid the pandemic, Columbia’s Counseling Services office is currently operating while short-staffed and without a director.

“They’ve had a short staff for a very long time,” said Craig Sigele, academic manager of the Communication Department and president of the United Staff of Columbia College, or USofCC. “They had ads trying to recruit people, but they haven’t filled [the spots], and that’s been since September. People continue to leave because of the environment.”

As reported by the Chronicle of Higher Education on Jan. 26, research institutes New America and Third Way surveyed 1,008 college students nationwide in both August and December 2020 to better understand the pandemic’s impact on current and prospective students.

The survey showed students becoming increasingly concerned about their mental health, with 73% reporting “some” or “significant” concerns in August and 79% reporting concerns in December.

Since September, Columbia’s Counseling Services staff has been without a director. It is currently operating with two therapists and an administrative assistant, as well as two graduate student interns for the 2020-2021 school year, according to a Mar. 12 email to the Chronicle from Beverly Anderson, associate dean of Student Health and Support.

In a Feb. 18 email to the Chronicle, Dean of Students John Pelrine said the department is “currently budgeted for four therapists, one coordinator, one director and an administrative assistant.”

In the job openings section of its careers website, Columbia currently lists staff therapist, coordinator of counseling services and director of counseling services among its open positions. The director position was posted on Oct. 12, 2020.

Julia Ravenscroft, a junior acting major, said she had never thought of talking to a therapist until she learned of Columbia’s Counseling Services when she came to the college in 2019.

While trying to schedule a session with a therapist at some point in the middle of the Fall 2019 semester, Ravenscroft said she was told there were no more spaces available and that 6 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE MARCH 29, 2021

she would have to try again during the next semester.

Eventually, she was able to get three individual sessions before the pandemic hit in March.

After students, faculty and staff were sent home in March due to the pandemic, Ravenscroft said she did not hear anything from Counseling Services until April when she received an email from the office with links to mental health resources, but no information for how to continue her sessions with the college.

Ravenscroft said she tried contacting Counseling Services again by phone in September of 2020 but did not hear back.

The Counseling Services web page currently says, “Due to high demand there is delayed availability,” but encourages students to make an appointment through the website, indicating a Student Relations staff member will reach out to them to discuss needs and may connect them with “campus and community resources— including local therapists—to mitigate a student’s concerns.”

Joan McGrath, administrative assistant in the Cinema and Television Arts Department and grievance co-chair of USofCC, said in a Feb. 18 email that therapists from Counseling Services contacted USofCC in Fall 2017 because they needed help voicing problems for the college to address.

Less than a month after meeting with USofCC, McGrath said one of the four therapists on staff was fired for taking sick time beyond the 10-day allotment and using vacation time to cover additional sick time. Therapists were not allowed to use vacation time to supplement sick time due to an internal policy different than that of the college, and the therapist was told that “therapists need to be there for the students.”

McGrath said the issues reported included a stressful managerial environment, concerns for how clinical interns were being used and poorly communicated policy changes that were not put into writing.

In 2018, she said therapists wanted to try and fix working conditions themselves, but felt like they could not take time away from counseling students in order to advocate for a better work environment.

Later in 2019, USofCC began advocating for pay increases when therapists approached them because Columbia therapists were on the low end of the pay scale compared to other local institutions.

» RYAN BRUMBACK /CHRONICLE

» MATEUSZ JANIK STAFF REPORTER

As a result of the union advocating for a job study to review the equity of union positions, McGrath said the staff therapist minimum salary was raised from about $38,000 to $45,000 in September 2016. In March 2020, counseling staff received pay increases around 31% to 38%, with the possibility of incoming therapists being paid as much as $60,000, McGrath said.

McGrath said a letter written by an exiting therapist to the dean of students and associate dean of Student Health led to an audit of Counseling Services by a college auditor. The content of the completed audit was not shared with therapists, though McGrath said the therapists were all interviewed for it.

In a Feb. 16 email to the Chronicle, Pelrine wrote: “The college policy on matters like this allows only employees with a need to know to be informed of internal audits or investigations. If there was an audit, no Columbia employee would be allowed to discuss it with you.”

Barry Schreier, communications committee chair for the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors, said the only way to adequately know how a college’s counseling services office is operating is to get the exact number of contracted clinical hours per week and the percent of utilization from that office directly. This is known as the Clinical Load Index.

The Chronicle was unable to verify if the college has ever used the CLI model as of publication.

In her March 12 email to the Chronicle, Anderson said she did not have any numbers to offer the Chronicle measuring student demand during the pandemic. However, since the onset of the pandemic, Anderson said staff members

“have noticed that the pandemic has exacerbated symptoms that were already present for students,” such as stress, anxiety and loneliness.

According to informal and internal surveys conducted in 2020 by the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors, Schreier said institutions that belong to AUCCCD have reported that telehealth communication services have a higher satisfaction rate among students.

In the email sent to the Chronicle Feb. 18, Pelrine said Counseling Services is “providing telemental health services in addition to keeping in-person opportunities available” and that students have been reacting positively to the remote services.

“I think [online counseling sessions are] better because I’m in the comfort of my own home, and I don’t have to make the commute—when bad days hit sometimes anything feels like too much,” said Nik Brecht, a junior illustration major. “I think with the right therapist or another type of provider, it can be a very good experience.”

Brecht said he sought help through the college’s Counseling Services last semester due to issues with depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Although it took two weeks after reaching out to hear from someone at the office, Brecht said he eventually was able to attend three sessions remotely with Columbia’s telemental health services before deciding not to continue any further counseling through the school.

“I don’t want to slam them, but I do think they really need to reevaluate how they handle some things,” Brecht said.

MJANIK@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

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‘It’s a bold feminist act’: Columbia filmmakers hope for more female representation

» VICKI LEI/CHRONICLE

»CAMRYN CUTINELLO STAFF REPORTER

FOR THE FIRST time in 93 years, two women have been nominated in the Best Director category for the Academy Awards. For students like junior television and arts management major Marliese Ruch, these nominations made them feel bittersweet.

“I felt really overjoyed because it’s not something that has happened often, but at the same time, there was also a feeling of ‘Why did it take this long for two women to be nominated for Best Director?’” Ruch said. “The Oscars have been around ... for a very long time.”

These nominations, given to Chloe Zhao for directing “Nomadland’’ and Emerald Fennel for directing “Promising Young Woman,” represent a changing film industry, where women and people of color are recognized and given opportunities more often.

Kristin Pichaske, associate professor in the Cinema and Television Arts Department, said she believes these nominations are not just by chance.

“There have been a lot of forces over the last few years really pushing for equity in film for women,” Pichaske said. “Women have been banding together in recent years to push for more opportunities, better festival distribution, more recognition and slowly chipping away at the power structure that makes it so difficult.”

The lack of women in the film industry is also felt at the college level. Ruch said in film classes at Columbia, it is common to see male students speaking over female students.

“You take film classes, and there will be male students in the class who mansplain to you what a film is or they try to speak over you or talk down to you because you’re a woman, and that is definitely discouraging,” Ruch said.

Emma Pillsbury, a senior cinema arts and science major, said for future filmmakers, these nominations make them hopeful that the changing film industry could better allow them to succeed.

Pillsbury said as a female filmmaker, there are often feelings of doubt that sprout in her mind, and some filmmakers might feel they are not able to make it as a director due to their gender and because film is historically a male-dom-

inated industry.

“It feels hopeless after a while being a filmmaker, being like, ‘I don’t think I’m going to make it because I’m a woman’ or ‘I’ll have to work even harder,’ because clearly [men] are getting things worked out in a way where it’s much easier for them to get hired,” she said.

To Pichaske, inequality in the film industry is not just due to people being biased against movies women make.

“That goes for people of color as well,” Pichaske said. “A lot of it has to do with the power structures in Hollywood that favor privileged white men.”

Zhao is the first woman of color in Oscar history to be nominated for Best Director. Nine people of color also received nominations for acting this year, a stark contrast from 2015 and 2016 when all acting nominations went to white actors.

Viola Davis and Andra Day received Best Actress nominations, Davis for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and Day for “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.”

Pichaske teaches courses on docu-

mentary film, and while other areas of filmmaking may have seen a recent increase in women, she said documentaries have always been a place for female filmmakers.

“You don’t need the kind of resources to make a documentary that you do to make a Hollywood film. The power structures are very different,” Pichaske said. “You can do a lot with just blood, sweat and tears, and so women have always been fairly prominent in the documentary world.”

Susan Kerns, associate chair and associate professor in the Cinema and Television Arts Department, said the need for more women’s voices in the film industry is not because of a lack of female interest in filmmaking.

“The interest has always been there.

Women have always been interested in not just making films but telling stories ... that reflect them,” Kerns said. “So what’s changed is really the discussion around inclusion.”

The change can also be seen in the movies nominated for awards at the

Oscars this year. Ruth Leitman, associate professor in the Cinema and Television Arts Department and documentary co-coordinator, said that both “Nomadland” and “Promising Young Woman” are complex narratives that do not typically receive Academy recognition.

“For ‘Promising Young Woman,’ this is a first-time filmmaker,” Leitman said. “She’s nominated for an Oscar. It’s unheard of. Why [was she nominated]? The film [is] undeniably innovative, unapologetically inyour-face and bold.”

Leitman said that she hopes the Academy does not backslide and continues to recognize women in the film industry. She said she is excited for her students who are entering the larger world of film and hopes women see the power they hold.

“It’s a bold feminist act,” Leitman said. “A woman with a camera has a lot of agency and a lot of power.”

CCUTINELLO@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM MARCH 29, 2021 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE

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metro

How to use non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, and why they have become popular » ColumbiaChronicle.com

Chicago Black-owned food services bring love from their kitchen to your home » RYAN BRUMBACK /CHRONICLE

» ISAIAH COLBERT OPINIONS EDITOR

WEEKS AFTER CHANELL Hale graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in social work, she realized her passion lies in cooking.

“When you have such a gift, it’s something that you should share with the world,” Hale said.

Hale started Dreamyvents Catering, a meal planning, catering and private dining experience where customers can fill out service inquiries on her website.

Although Hale is based in Chicago, she delivers food all around the country, even traveling to Mexico to prepare meals in people’s homes.

“I also like to speak to the customer and see what it is that their goals are, because everyone has different goals,” she said.

Customers can choose from various menus, including custom menus built around dietary needs as well as vegan and detox-oriented options, all “bussin” with well-seasoned flavor, according to Dreamyvent Catering reviews.

Dreamyvents Catering offers meal prep subscription services as well as individual meal options.

Hale said she purchases 95% of the groceries she prepares for meals while the other 5% of groceries come from customers’ homes.

When the pandemic halted her business for a few months, Hale said she started Feed the Kiddos, an initiative that fed children healthy meals following the closing of Chicago Public Schools during the pandemic, funded by donations from volunteers and community organizations like the Bronzeville Distribution Pop-Up Shop and Thankful for Chicago.

“Although I was not making money through Feed the Kiddos, it was still very rewarding to replace what I was doing with my business and use the resources to do something for my community,” Hale said.

During the pandemic, Hale has shared tips with customers on her social media accounts about how different foods can help with one’s immune system and mental health.

She said her goal is to combine what she 8

THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE MARCH 29, 2021

learned in her studies as a psychologist with food therapy.

“The energy that you put into food is transferable,” Hale said. “It’s all love in my food, and I think people can truly feel that when they’re eating it.”

Zuri Thompson, a community engagement specialist, was originally trained to be a doula but also wanted to empower families who struggled with food security.

In 2020, Thompson, alongside Clinetta Pinex and Mikesha Russell, founded Take It Off My Plate, an organization that organizes meal deliveries to support women and families by preparing curated meals for them.

During her time as a doula, or someone who supports a person through their pregnancy, delivery and postpartum period, Thompson expanded her work to be a “community doula.” Instead of birthing newborns, she plays a supportive role in birthing opportunities within communities.

Take It Off My Plate was inspired by an emergency response from Chicago Birthworks Collective, a doula company for BIPOC families, Thompson said.

Chicago Birthworks Collective created the Love Package Project to distribute food and supplies for Black mothers and babies in response to “the peak in racial exhaustion that occurred in June 2020 when Black families on Chicago’s South Side were completely restricted from basic family items while enduring the public brutalization of Black bodies,” according to its website.

“I offered to prepare meals for the women who would be showing up [at Love Fridges] to get these packages, because my focus is always around food access and food security for different populations,” Thompson said.

Take It Off My Plate delivers to Chicago neighborhoods such as Bronzeville, South Shore and Logan Square. It also has online forms for visitors to request

assistance or nominate different communities to receive help with meal kits. It is funded through crowdsourcing with donations through Cash App, Venmo and Paypal.

The organization contacts the people it serves and inquires about dietary restrictions and how many people are in patrons’ households. Thompson said having that initial contact is always “extremely heartwarming” because it helps to validate people and help them feel seen.

“The community work that I do, whether through the Doula Part projects, consulting project management, or Take It Off My Plate, it’s that community doula mentality of showing up [and] doing this work with the empathy, compassion and empowerment of a traditional doula,” Thompson said.

ICOLBERT@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

metro

Hundreds gather for Stop Asian Hate march » MENGSHIN LIN PHOTOJOURNALIST DURING AN ASSIGNMENT for the Chicago

Sun-Times, Chronicle photojournalist Mengshin Lin took photos as hundreds gathered at the Illinois Centennial Monument in Logan Square on March 20 and marched through the neighborhood in response to the recent shootings in

Atlanta targeting the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.

Kiran Li, a DePaul University alum; Min Wang, a Michigan State University alum; and Jennifer Chan organized the march on social media and did not expect there would be hundreds of participants.

MLIN@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

A RALLY PARTICIPANT RAISES A NEPALI FLAG WHILE MARCHING IN THE STOP ASIAN HATE RALLY.

HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE MARCH DOWN NORTH KEDZIE BOULEVARD ON THE AFTERNOON OF MARCH 20.

PEOPLE GATHER AT THE ILLINOIS CENTENNIAL MONUMENT TO PROTEST HATE CRIMES AGAINST ASIANS.

» MENGSHIN LIN /CHRONICLE

RENEE HONG, STUDENT AT THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO, CHEERS ON THE MARCHERS FROM HER APARTMENT.

VINCENT GU, 10, PARTICIPATES IN A RALLY FOR THE FIRST TIME. HIS FATHER, NAN GU, SAYS IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THIS EVENT WILL BECOME ONE OF THE MOST PIVOTAL MOMENTS OF HIS SON’S LIFE.

A REFLECTION SHOWS CHILDREN ATTENDING THE MARCH IN LOGAN SQUARE ALONGSIDE THEIR PARENTS.

MARCH 29, 2021 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 9

arts&culture

She Votes panel discusses period poverty and menstrual equity » ColumbiaChronicle.com

Sustainability takes a larger role in film production

»RYAN BRUMBACK /CHRONICLE

» RACHEL PATEL STAFF REPORTER WHEN ONE THINKS of environmental activ-

ism, the location of a movie set might not be the first thought that comes to mind.

But sustainability leaders met via livestream recently to discuss the many ways the film industry can incorporate more socially and environmentally responsible practices into the preand post-production of movies and TV shows.

Hannah Soto, founder and CEO of Grey House Productions, a Chicago-based, women-owned video and production company, said she helps educate people on how important adopting sustainable practices are and how easy it can be.

The company is built around the core values of sustainability, equity and hospitality, Soto said.

“For us, it started as one small step at a time,” she said. “It was way too big of an idea to say, ‘How do we make a sustainability movement in the industry?’

I would ask, ‘How can we just reduce or remove plastic bottles on set? How can I remove or reduce the amount of waste?’”

10 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE MARCH 29, 2021

Soto said that GHP is transparent with its resources, and that small steps like considering how to limit waste on a set can ultimately make a big difference.

On top of taking action through her own brand, she has hosted panels with the Chicago Film Office to share knowledge on sustainable film practices and encouraged others to be more environmentally friendly.

At a livestream on March 18, Soto spoke with other environmental leaders about sustainability in filmmaking to educate and empower others across the film industry, for both on- and off-set situations.

Soto said she began thinking about sustainability and how it applies to film in 2019. She said it started small, with steps as simple as considering ways to share resources from sets—such as cameras and props—to limit the amount of waste produced.

Taking on sustainable practices does not have to happen overnight, Soto said. If a company slowly switches to all LED lights or repurposed sets, it makes a difference.

“There are a plethora of resources.

... Just take one small step on a time,” she said. “You can donate food, props and clothing. Also, re-home some things. Is there the potential to rent something from a colleague instead of needing to purchase it yourself?

Share your resources, we truly are in this ... together.”

Others at the panel included Delta Institute’s Senior Associate Megan Conway, Good Planet Innovations’ CEO and Founder Michael Kaliski and Earth Angel’s CEO and Founder Emilie O’Brien.

Delta Institute, a Chicago-based nonprofit that works with partners across the Midwest to address complex environmental challenges, is currently focusing on reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills. The institute is working with municipalities, counties and businesses to develop management plans and strategies for wasted materials, as well as expanding their services to help production sets.

During the panel, O’Brien emphasized the importance of being aware of the harmful effects waste can have on the environment.

“We produce a ton of waste,” she said.

“So we have to look at how we can reduce and also divert that waste, as well as [understanding] the energy consumption that it takes to power our sets can often be quite high and demanding.”

Kaliski said it is important for companies to be mindful and ask themselves if they really need to fly to various countries to shoot, and if plastic bottles on set can be replaced with reusables.

O’Brien said just a single feature film production could average up to 250 tons of waste over the course of filming and accumulate over 64,000 plastic water bottles.

By adopting more environmentally-friendly habits, production companies can continue to help fuel the film industry while ensuring the Earth stays healthy for future years to come, Soto said.

“Sustainability and hospitality go hand-in-hand,” she said. “As much as we care for people, we also can care for the future by making sure that we take care of the resources here on earth, ... and that we’re not generating an excessive amount of waste ... on productions.”

RPATEL@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

arts & culture

» ABBY MCFARLAND/CHRONICLE

» ABBY MCFARLAND/CHRONICLE

‘We were on a break’: The Friends Experience is bigger and better than ever

THE FIRST OF THE 12 ROOMS IN THE FRIENDS EXPERIENCE IS A RECREATION OF CENTRAL PERK, THE FREQUENT HANGOUT SPOT IN THE SHOW, COMPLETELY MADE OUT OF LEGOS.

» ABBY MCFARLAND DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY AS THE ICONIC purple door with the

gold frame is opened to display the orange, velvet couch surrounded by a grand fountain, “I’ll Be There for You” by the Rembrandts plays on a constant loop and saturates the space of the Friends Experience.

The immersive exhibit, 540 N. Michigan Ave., is filled with 12 rooms that fans of the sitcom “Friends” can enjoy this spring.

Recreations of sets range from Monica’s eclectic kitchen to Joey and Chandler’s living room. Props used in the show, such as Phoebe’s guitar, are on display and a gift shop is packed with merch like sweatshirts with the show’s logo and a Central Perk apron.

The exhibit, brought to Chicago by Superfly X, Warner Bros Consumer Products and Warner Bros Television Group, originally opened in Chicago in Octo-

ber 2020 but closed shortly after due to the pandemic.

“We opened during an unprecedented time,” said Anna Blake, director of brand marketing at Superfly X. “I was really proud of the team because we developed really strict health and safety standards.”

The idea of an exhibit inspired by “Friends” began during the 25th anniversary of the show in 2019 and was created to allow fans to experience the show for themselves.

“We did a small club pop-up in New York, where we had certain elements of the experience, and it was so successful that we knew we wanted to do an even bigger, better version of it,” Blake said. “We always knew we wanted to come to Chicago, so it’s been a few years in the works.”

But due to the pandemic, the Friends Experience implemented “Monica Clean,” a way to keep visitors safe and tie the COVID-19 restrictions into

THE COUCH THAT ROSS, RACHEL AND CHANDLER TRIED TO MOVE, LEADING TO THE HILARIOUS LINE, “PIVOT!” IS ONE OF THE MANY PHOTO OPS AVAILABLE FOR FANS.

the show. It was inspired by Monica’s character, who is known for her obsession with cleaning.

“We were able to use Monica and ‘Monica Clean’ as a way to make it a little less scary in the time that is a scary year,” Blake said. “It’s hand sanitizer and wipes readily available at every touchpoint, it’s our staff wiping down every surface, deep cleanings throughout the day ... and requiring masks—making sure that we’re providing the safest environment for both our fans and our staff.”

Throughout the tour, guests are encouraged to take photos and immerse themselves in the sets packed with details from the show. Rachel’s 18-page letter to Ross is on display, and people can pose with the couch that Ross struggled to get up the staircase in season five.

Participants can also learn about what went into the creation of the Emmy Award-winning show through

behind-the-scenes looks at the wardrobes, scripts and more.

The scripts on display, all signed by the cast, include the 100th episode and “The One Where Ross and Rachel Take a Break.” There are also mannequins for every one of the main characters, adorned with outfits inspired by each person.

The detail and time that went into the creation of this exhibit shows how special it is, and Blake said being able to enter the “Friends” show by sitting in the reimagined sets is what makes this exhibit so amazing.

“For us, it’s all about bringing joy to our fans, celebrating the show and celebrating the ability to do something fun and safe,” Blake said.

The Friends Experience opened to the public on March 17 and will run through May 31. Tickets are $35 and private access tickets are also available.

AMCFARLAND@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

» ABBY MCFARLAND/CHRONICLE

» ABBY MCFARLAND/CHRONICLE

MONICA’S KITCHEN, STOCKED WITH FOOD THAT CAN BE SEEN IN THE SHOW, ALONG WITH THE PURPLE DOOR, IS AMONG THE MORE DETAILED ROOMS IN THE EXHIBIT.

TO SLOW THE SPREAD OF COVID-19, GIFT SHOP GUESTS CAN USE AN ORDER SHEET TO MARK THE PRODUCT THEY WANT. MARCH 29, 2021 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 11

opinions

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

Awkward: How to handle a sexy dream about a friend your friend gave you has been filling your room all night.

You check your phone and see they . oday is the first warm day of the just texted, “Wanna hang out? It’s really year, and you and your friend have nice out today!” found time to hang out. The two of What do you do? It would be so weird to you buy some honey lavender ice cream see them after that dream, but you can’t and head to the hiking trails to take in avoid them forever. The Chronicle spoke the pleasant weather. with sex and mental health experts to As you skip along, you talk about every- navigate the path to forgiving yourself thing under the sun. Suddenly, you look and forgetting your sexual dreams. over, and your friend is naked. You quickly avert your eyes downward, but you see IT’S NOT A BIG DEAL their fingers slowly slide into your ice “What’s important is reminding cream, and you, too, are now naked. oneself that a lot of times we have dreams You wake up from this dream with a about many, many things that our start to find you never turned off your subconscious could react to,” said diffuser, and the lavender essential oil Jennifer Litner, sexologist and director of Embrace Sexual Wellness.

“The first step is reassuring yourself. ... It’s going to be okay. It could just mean you enjoy your friend.”

She said having all kinds of dreams about friends is a normal occurrence. Your subconscious can be activated in a variety of different ways based on what is going on in your life, and a dream about a friend could be based

» SUMMER HOAGLAND-ABERNATHY COPY CHIEF

T

»SAVANNA STEFFENS/CHRONICLE

HARMLESS APRIL FOOLS’ DAY PRANKS

on something as small as a perfume they were wearing that you thought was sexy.

IT MIGHT NOT BE ABOUT SEX

Lizzette Arcos, a psychotherapist at Youth & Family Counseling, said dreams with nudity and sex in them often have nothing to do with sex. Instead, those feelings and images may be symbolic of another facet of your waking life.

“It’s not necessarily [that] you’re sexually drawn to that person,” she said.

Arcos suggests exploring how you feel around your friend. Have you been vulnerable around them, pulling back barriers and showing your true self?

Arcos said this may explain your nudity in a dream, as you literally display yourself. Does your friend make you anxious? Perhaps your nudity may represent your inability to defend yourself from them, she said.

IF IT IS ABOUT SEX, THAT’S OK AY

“At night, when our body is refueling, that’s absolutely when, if we are at all aroused, our brain might be having sexual thoughts,” said Catalina Lawsin, Ph.D., a clinical health psychologist, specializing in sex and relationships at her private practice. “It’s absolutely

natural for the people who we engage with to be in those dreams.”

Lawsin said sexual thoughts about platonic friends, whether in dreams or in your waking life, should be normalized and destigmatized. There is no reason to feel ashamed or guilty, she said.

However, Lawsin said, if you are having negative feelings like shame or guilt, lean into them and ask yourself why you’re having them. Are you afraid that your sexual dreams will create a shift in your relationship?

Return to examining yourself, instead of your friend, she said, because you want to find what this dream is saying about your wants, needs or desires, not theirs.

Lawsin said if you want to discuss dreams like this with someone you trust, make sure the conversation is not in writing. There is nothing wrong with having these dreams, but you still want to protect your own privacy.

“Having sexual fantasies, whether in a dream-like state or not is entirely normal,” Litner said. “It’s part of the human experience, so just [be] able to be gentle with yourself around that, and [do not put] any shame around it. It’s okay to have fantasies about all kinds of things.”

SHOAGLANDABERNATHY@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM

APRIL FOOLS’ DAY IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER, AND BECAUSE THIS HOLIDAY IS OFTEN FILLED WITH HARMFUL “JOKES” (I.E., TELLING SOMEONE YOU’RE DYING, SENDING SOMEONE A JUMP-SCARE VIDEO, ETC.), THE CHRONICLE IS GIVING YOU 15 OF OUR BEST EMOTIONALLY- AND SENSORY-FRIENDLY PRANKS.

» ELLA WATYLYK COPY EDITOR

» DYANA DANIELS MANAGING EDITOR

»AMARIS EDWARDS STAFF REPORTER

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Switch the orientation of someone’s bed while they’re out of the house for a few hours.

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Change all of the clocks in the house so it seems like Daylight Savings Time never happened (but don’t let your prankee be late for work).

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Tell your pet you’re putting them on a diet and put a piece of (pet-friendly) fruit in their bowl.

Sprinkle instant mashed potato powder in someone’s backyard. The next time it rains, their yard will be filled with mashed potatoes.

Cover someone’s driveway with rubber bands.

They can’t be swept with a broom, so someone will have to pick them up individually.

Glitter bomb someone by creating a pocket with glitter inside, using a thin piece of colored tissue paper, and glue both sides to the inside of a homemade greeting card.

4

Glue a penny on the ground and watch as people try to pick it up.

4

Put bubble wrap under rugs around the house.

5

Cover someone’s desk with sticky notes with fun messages on them.

5

Replace the salt in the salt shaker with sugar (if sugar will not harm the prankee).

12 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE MARCH 29, 2021

Imagine the sweet taste of a caramel apple. Switch out the apple for an onion, and you’ve got yourself a fun prank!

Replace family photos with pictures of celebrities.

Your housemates will be confused as to why SZA is plastered all over their house.

Cut out paper insects and tape them inside a lamp.

When someone turns the lamp on they will think a large bug is in the lamp!

4

Press Ctrl, Alt and the down arrow keys to flip your co-worker’s Windows screen upside-down.

You can turn it back by pushing Ctrl, Alt and the upward arrow key together.

5

Hide confetti on a ceiling fan and watch your friends in the confetti shower, but make sure it won’t cause anyone a sensory overload!

opinions

Review: ‘Music’ is a mockery of the disabled and neurodivergent community » AMARIS EDWARDS STAFF REPORTER

»VICKI LEI/CHRONICLE

MY SKIN CRAWLED as I saw the main character, Music, restrained on the park ground when she was having a meltdown. Showing this flawed and harmful tactic used on autistic individuals was one of many ignorant choices made in Sia’s directorial-debut film, “Music.”

The musical drama was released for one night on Feb. 10 in select IMAX theatres around the U.S. and was followed by an on-demand release Feb. 12.

In the film, Kazu “Zu” Gamble, played by Kate Hudson, is a recently sober drug dealer. She is given custody

of her younger half-sister Music, who is autistic, in the wake of their grandmother’s death.

One morning, Music, played by Maddie Ziegler, has a meltdown as Zu is trying to braid her hair. Though Ziegler may have studied autism for her role as Music, she depicted it incorrectly by using exaggerated eye and hand gestures in the scene that are caricatures of autistic body language. In reality, it was a mockery to those on the spectrum.

Sia missed an opportunity to cast an autistic actor for the film and because Ziegler is neurotypical and not on the spectrum, she cannot authentically portray what an autistic person’s meltdown would look like, as she has not had that experience herself.

As the story progresses, Zu learns how to care for Music with the help of their neighbor Ebo, played by Leslie Odom Jr. The trailer gives the impression that the movie is about highlighting autistic and neurodivergent lives through dance and song. Instead, we receive a nearly two-hour film about the love-quarrel between Zu and Ebo, occasionally seeing Music asking

for eggs, getting her hair braided, having a meltdown or starring in a dance sequence.

While I watched this film, I thought about my nephew, who is on the spectrum. He is a 9-year-old with an extensive memory. One day, when I visited home, he sat me down to explain the history of evolution.

He hates people clapping for him— not because he’s trying to be mean, but because it creates too much sensory stimulation. He will stim at times, flapping his hands because he is excited about a movie he is watching or because something is upsetting him.

If someone saw “Music” and used that as a tool for how to interact with my nephew, they would converse poorly with him, minimizing the complexity of who he is and dehumanizing him.

The autism spectrum is diverse, with differentiations from person to person.

While Zu is supposed to come off as the quirky, dark-humored half-sister, she is ruthless in the ways she talks about Music, pushing for her to be admitted to an institution as if she needs to be “fixed” or “cured.”

Not only is the movie ableist, but it also crosses the line with offensive racial imagery.

White dancers and characters culturally appropriate Black hairstyles such as Bantu knots—Ziegler included—and in a bizarre scene, characters Zu, Music and their grandmother appropriate Asian culture. Zu and Music appear to be wearing stereotypical Asian dresses while their grandmother wears chopsticks in her hair.

The entirety of Ebo’s character is also a racial stereotype. He is the only African character, played by an African American actor—and the only character in the movie with AIDS—selflessly helping Music and Zu, always uttering words of African wisdom.

To make matters worse, Sia’s reaction to backlash was distasteful.

According to Newsweek, one Twitter -user posted, “Several autistic actors, myself included, responded to these tweets. We all said we could have acted in it on short notice. These excuses are just that—excuses. The fact of the matter is zero effort was made to include anyone who is actually autistic.”

In since-deleted tweets, Sia responded, “Maybe you’re just a bad actor.”

Just like Murphy’s Law, anything that could go wrong went wrong in “Music.”

AEDWARDS@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM COMIC

MARCH 29, 2021 THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLE 13