Metro,
Arts Culture, Kamala Harris joins Pritzker campaign trail Riot Fest electrifies Douglass Park again
THE FALL TIME of year never fails to invoke a sense of change – new classes, new fac es, and for us at the Chronicle, new staff members and new stories to share.
Change is something the Chronicle not only embraces, being that it is the nature of our industry, but it’s also something we embody by writing stories, making images, graphics, videos and podcasts about the evolving community we ourselves are a part of.
While this fall is bittersweet for me, as it’s my last semester here at Columbia, I am thrilled to be the new co-editor-in-chief alongside Noah Jennings and co-lead such a passionate team of talented creators.
In this edition, we wanted to showcase Columbia’s unique sparkle that returns to the South Loop every fall, reminding Chicago of our brightly colored murals on campus buildings, the different art show cased through campus gallery windows and the lively bustle of students going to and from classes.
We also wanted to highlight Columbia’s sense of passion to create change that is equitable, accessible and about our students who have historically been on the cutting edge of standing up for what they believe is right.
Throughout these pages, we feature stories about the different safety and disability services for students on campus, which we hope can be a resource to new and returning students alike.
On page 6, we take a deep dive into Co lumbia’s library archives, revealing the college’s pro-abortion rights curriculum nearly 50 years ago when women in the U.S. had more body autonomy than they do today.
On page 7, we investigate the school’s below-average student retention rates and the steps the college is taking to rectify this issue.
And with the school announcing over the summer its intention to improve its human resources and Title IX processes, see the article on page 3 to learn about the new leadership in the Office of Eq uity Issues and how the college plans to implement changes.
Since the Chronicle’s last print issue in May, The Creatives, we have continued to see harmful legislation pass across the country, threatening LGBTQ+ rights, voting rights, abortion rights and more.
As a result of these threats, our
publication is constantly working to tell the stories that our community is impacted by, but we feel it’s also im portant to showcase how students, faculty and staff at Columbia are making a difference and creating solutions to issues.
As election season gears up, many of us have the opportunity to vote in November and can utilize the campus’ nonpartisan voter registration and education resource, Columbia Votes, to participate in the midterm elections.
And as the semester gets into full swing, the Chronicle is determined to maintain itself as an informative, hyper-local news source for our readers by publishing daily digital content because we understand now, more than ever, the importance of local news and hope we can inspire you to make change in your communities.
Back to school means back in the Loop, back to the drawing board and back for a new beginning with new things to learn. We aimed to capture this essence on cam pus highlighting you, the students, who make Columbia what it is now and what it will become in the future as you carry your college experience with you through life.
So as we return back to school with our best foot forward, we encourage you to embrace the change in the air.
ABUSALACCHI@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COMCo-Editors-in-Chief
Anna Busalacchi
Noah Jennings
Olivia Cohen
Justice Lewis
Kamy Smelser
K’Von Jackson
Bianca Kreusel
Peter Midwa
Julie Arroyo
Kayla Macedo
Amanda Burris
Samaher AbuRabah
Amaris Edwards
Laura Hawbaker
Irvin Ibarra
Cierra Lemott Leah Love
Abra Richardson
Elizabeth Rymut
Amina Sergazina
Robin Sluzas
Zoë Takaki
Addison Annis
Jared Callaway
Sam Tucker
Jackie Elliott
John McGowan
Elias Gonzalez
Lucas Martinez
Kailey Ryan
The Columbia Chronicle is a student-produced publi cation 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 graph ics 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).
Ruth
Kimberly Kapela
Avery Timmons
Curtis Travis
Views expressed in this publication are those of the writer and are not the opinions of The Columbia Chronicle, Columbia’s Communication Depart ment or Columbia College Chicago. Letters to the edi tor must include full name, year, major and phone number. Faculty and staff should include their job title. Alumni should in clude 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 sub ject 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.
THE OFFICE OF Equity Issues, an office of two people, is undergoing a complete turnaround with new employees after the former Title IX coordinator at the college, Verron Fisher, left in May of this year for a position as the Title IX deputy director at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Dean of Students Douglas Eck said since Fisher left the college, the Office of Equity Issues, which deals with reports of sexual misconduct and discrimination, has had an interim Title IX coordinator and interim Title IX investigator, until recently when a new full-time Title IX coordinator was hired.
Neil Callicoat, the new director of the Office of Equity Issues and Title IX coor dinator, began in his position on Aug. 10 and said the goal now is to hire a full-time investigator, for which interviews are currently underway.
Callicoat said the college is dedicated to finding the right person for the role.
“I want to make sure that we’re put ting the right person in the role [of Title IX investigator] as opposed to putting someone in as soon as possible,” Callicoat said. “There’s a much heavier weight on getting the right person than getting the first person. I’m very hopeful that we’ll find someone.”
Orterio Villa, former interim Title IX coordinator and former director of Student Organizations and Leader ship, recently left the college. Current ly, Nissan Wasfie, director of Student Communications, will remain in his role as interim Title IX investigator until the position is filled.
“With the school year having started, the Office of Equity Issues has been very busy providing supportive measures to students who have reported sexual ha rassment or sexual misconduct issues,” Callicoat said in an email to the Chronicle on Sept. 16.
Callicoat has administered an hour-long training with student resident assistants, making sure they understand Title IX and their role to report an instance as well as the resources available for students. He has plans to do more training for other faculty and student groups on campus.
With years of experience work ing in different roles in the education
industry, Callicoat said he began doing Title IX-based work about five years ago and recently left his position as deputy Title IX coordinator at DeVry Universi ty. He received his bachelor’s degree at Northern Illinois University in organi zational management and his master’s degree in business administration at the Keller Graduate School of Management. He is also a certified Title IX coordinator and civil rights investigator under the
after Dehnert said she told Human Re sources “everything” in February 2020 and heard nothing back prior to making her allegations public.
In the letter, Kim stated that “the re view by Mayer Brown identified areas for improvement in the college’s handling of sexual misconduct and related allega tions.” These included centralizing key functions that fall under the umbrella of Title IX, strengthening Title IX training
ing sessions on campus in coming weeks and months.”
However, Pernot said the experts have not yet been selected, and they have not finalized which campus groups will receive training, although they are looking at both employee and student groups.
Eck said he did not receive prior notice to the letter Kim sent on changes being made to the college’s Title IX process, and that some of the information was “unknown” to him.
“I think what Dr. Kim has communi cated is what every institution is striving toward,” Eck said. “We don’t want to have a bureaucratic process. We don’t want to have silos of separation in how we address Title IX issues.”
Eck said Title IX training for various faculty and student groups on campus is a “paramount priority” moving forward and that students can expect more engagement from the office this fall.
Charee Mosby-Holloway, the director of Student Diversity and Inclusion and a confidential resource on campus, was a part of the search committee for new employees in the Office of Equity Issues, along with Eck.
Association of Title IX Administrators, or ATIXA.
Callicoat said he feels strongly about Title IX rights and ensuring all students have equal access to their education.
“I think that Title IX is very important, and everyone should at least have an understanding of what Title IX is, what it isn’t and how to reach out if you need resources or to make a report,” Callicoat said. “I want to make sure that everyone on campus has at least that baseline un derstanding of what our office does.”
On July 8, President and CEO KwangWu Kim wrote a letter to faculty, staff and students outlining the findings of an investigation by the Mayer Brown law firm of alleged sexual misconduct toward former faculty member Cara Dehnert by former Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing Sam Weller that resulted in his termination, as reported by the Chronicle.
Mayer Brown also reviewed the college’s Title IX and Human Resources processes
on an individual and community level and boosting overall awareness of the Title IX office, among other things toward “fostering a safe and secure community.”
Callicoat said he has “surface level fa miliarity” with the Weller investigation and has had conversations with people about it. He declined to name with whom these conversations were held.
“There has been a lot of discussion here about the things that we can do to help better improve our reporting and our response, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can do,” Callicoat said. “One of my first action items here in the first couple of months is to really review our [Title IX] policy to see if I have any input that I can put into it.”
In an email to the Chronicle, Chief of Staff Laurent Pernot said the college is in the process of selecting outside experts to help “further think through possible structural and procedural enhancements to our handling of Title IX and related issues and to conduct additional train
Mosby-Holloway said she is not aware of the conversations being had about strengthening Title IX processes at the college, but said she is hopeful that the institution will put in the work to improve any gaps that may exist in the Title IX processes and procedures.
“Just given my experience that gen erally when a student is coming to me, something horrible has happened to them; they’ve gone through a really difficult, sometimes very traumatic experience,” Mosby-Holloway said, speaking of her role as a confidential resource. “If we have a process that is re-traumatizing someone, I think it creates so many barriers for folks to come forward to seek the support and resources they need.”
Mosby-Holloway said ensuring aware ness of Title IX and the resources acces sible to students is key.
“It affects everyone in our commu nity whether faculty, staff [or] student. It’s unfortunate, but no one is immune from sexual violence or sexual assault or harassment,” Mosby-Holloway said. “And so I think getting information out there is really important.”
» KAYLAoverwhelmed and wor ried for Fannin at first, but said she was impressed by the on-campus se curity features she saw while touring.
With more than 1,000 new people joining the Columbia community, Ronald Sodini, associate vice president of Cam pus Safety and Security, stressed it is a critical time to talk about safety on cam pus and in the Loop, specif ically, street safety.
Students can list emergency con tact information on their MyColumbia page. At the bottom of the page, students can also indicate if they would need evacuation assistance.
Additionally, students with mobility, physical, invisible and other disabilities, both permanent and temporary, can con tact the Services for Students with Dis abilities office for more safety support and adaptive equipment.
» LAURA HAWBAKER STAFF REPORTER » ROBIN SLUZAS STAFF REPORTERAS STUDENTS FIND their footing in their first weeks on campus, they face a South Loop neighborhood with an increased reported crime rate. According to Chicago Police Department data, there have been 2,260 reported crimes this year in District 1, which includes Columbia’s campus, as of Aug. 28. That represents a 94% increase in reported crime as of the same time last year, including a 113% increase in theft and a 46% increase in aggravated battery.
New first-year students Tyler Fannin, 19, an acting major from Omaha, Nebraska, and Olyvia Thom, 18, an audio arts major from Virginia Beach, Virginia, are not too worried about safety in Chicago because they feel well prepared by the college.
“They went over it in [orientation], and there is also a security building you can go to if you need to report anything,” Thom said.
Thom added she believes each city has safe and dangerous parts and re liance on being smart can keep a person safe.
Fannin echoed Thom’s confidence in the college’s Campus Security and Safety presentation at orientation.
“Honestly, I am not as freaked out as my parents are,” Fannin said. “They’re nervous, but I’m fine with all of this. I’m just vibing.”
While Thom and Fannin agree, their mothers have differing ideas about safety in Chicago based on the city’s size.
“I feel she’s going to be safe,” said Olyvia’s mother, Tamieka Major. “This is my second time visiting the city. I’m a native New Yorker, so coming here, I didn’t think there would be a whole bunch of crime or things of that nature.”
Marlo Fannin, Tyler’s mother, felt
Columbia’s mass notifi cation system, Everbridge, provides crime advisories to Columbia community members via text and email. In the last five months, Everbridge has alerted the community to area reports of gunshot wounds, robbery attempts, car theft and a letter that threatened the detonation of an explosive on campus, among others.
In addition to Everbridge, Columbia offers free training and information sessions to keep students informed.
“We have a course we offer called ‘Navigating the City with Confidence.’ … Another name we use is ‘[KickA@@], KickAss,’” Sodini said. “The course is co-sponsored by the Office of Campus Safety and Security and Student Services.”
Sodini said the class covers attentive ness to your surroundings and what to do if you are confronted in a bad situation, including active shooter incidents.
Students can register for one of three remaining classes via the Engage app by searching “Navigating the City with Confidence.” The free classes will be of fered on Sept. 28, Oct. 12 and Nov. 16 in The Haus, 623 S. Wabash Ave. Class times can be viewed when registering.
A service the college offers to help ensure safe travel between buildings, particularly at night, is the Security Escort Program, which can be found through Columbia’s Engage app and is available for students and employees. Additional resources are available on the Campus Safety and Security website.
SSD Director Jeanne Kelly stressed the importance of utilizing the Security Escort Program for transport, setting up a safety plan and being familiar with the accessibility of campus buildings, such as bathrooms and elevators.
“Become familiar with the spaces, so [students] know how they can exit … for whatever purpose, whether it’s an emer gency or their own personal issues that they need to deal with,” Kelly said.
Kelly also suggested students car ry cards, wear bracelets or load their phones with information about their medications, allergies, health insurance and other important information related to their disability.
“Emergency personnel … they’re going to be looking to see if there’s any type of information like that,” Kelly said.
Non-campus-related resources students can download include the Find My Friend GPS apps for both Android and iPhones and Glympse and Citizen in the Google Play store.
COMMAND CENTER SUPERVISOR DEBRA LYONS SITS IN COLUMBIA’S COMMAND CENTER WHERE VIEWS FROM SECURITY CAMERAS SCATTERED ACROSS CAMPUS CAN BE WATCHED. OLYVIA THOM STANDS OUTSIDE HER NEW HOME-AWAY-FROMHOME WITH HER PARENTS, OLATUNDE THOM AND TAMIEKA MAJOR, ON MOVE-IN DAY AT THE UNIVERSITY CENTER. TYLER FANNIN AND HIS MOTHER MARLO WAIT FOR FAMILY MEMBERS IN THE “MOOSE” PARKING LOT UNDER THE “L” TRAIN TO COMPLETE HIS MOVE INTO THE UNIVERSITY CENTER. » ROBIN SLUZAS/CHRONICLE » ROBIN SLUZAS/CHRONICLE » COURTESY OF CAMPUS SAFETY AND SECURITY
» ADDISON ANNIS PHOTOJOURNALIST » AMINA SERGAZINA STAFF REPORTER » ZO Ë TAKAKI STAFF REPORTER
WITH THE BUSTLING South Loop serving as Columbia’s campus, being surrounded by tall, old buildings and a loud environ ment can be intimidating for everyone regardless of their physical or neurological abil ities. However, the Columbia community has resources that strive to accommodate each student’s needs.
The Services for Students with Disabilities office — or SSD — located at 623 S. Wa bash Ave., provides individ ualized help and resources to students like extended time, class breaks, a reduced distraction environment, use of an interpreter or notetaker, braille, bigger text and more, said Danielle Hirschhorn, a coordinator at SSD.
Jeanne Kelly, director of SSD, said one common misconception new students have while transi tioning from high school is that the college will already have all the information about a student’s disability and accommodations ready, when in reality they do not; it is up to the student to reach out to SSD for accommodations.
Kelly said the SSD office encourages students to advocate for themselves and reach out to their staff if they need ac commodations.
“The more information we have from students specifically by coming into our office, the more we can advocate for them,” Kelly said.
According to the SSD office, ap proximately 9% of the Columbia stu dent population has self-identified as having a disability. Over 98% of these students identify as having invisible disabilities and more than 50% have more than one disability.
The Student Diversity and Inclu sion office, also known as SDI, focuses on prioritizing diversity and inclusion through programming, student support, educational outreach and intentional community building.
and understood in society.
Varying Visions members post updates regularly on their Instagram. They also have a Discord server students can join, which can be found in a link in their Instagram biography.
“[We] hold a space safe for students with a wide range of conditions to meet and assist each other and also potentially
erating with a baseline where we have considered accessibility,” Sauzer said.
Students with disabilities are also provided with amenities throughout campus housing.
Brooke Lopeman, executive di rector of the University Center, dubbed as the UC, 525 S. State St., said the building is widely accessible.
“From the time you enter the front doors, everything is wheel chair accessible, including the front doors of the building, eleva tors; even our laundry room has wheelchair accessible doors,” Lopeman said.
Specific housing units are equipped with a tap entry in stead of the swiping card in tra ditional doors, Lopeman said.
The UC also offers resourc es like numbers in braille on each of the washers and dry ers, as well as having art spac es, a meditation room and relaxation rooms.
Charee Mosby-Holloway, director of SDI, said their office has calmer light ing for students with sensory disorders, providing a space on campus that is “low impact.”
“Our students requested that we have things like fidget spinners available, so we were able to find money in the budget to make those things available,” Mosby-Holloway said.
A new student-based organization, Varying Visions, serves as a safe space for students with all kinds of visible and invisible disabilities to showcase their work and talk about how their disability impacts their daily life and fuels their creativity. The group also discusses ways to make this marginalized, sometimes overlooked community more accepted
discuss certain things the campus can do to improve accessibility,” said Maxwell Mootz, senior film major and Varying Visions co-president.
Another resource for students with disabilities is the on-campus library at 624 S. Michigan Ave. Jennifer Sauzer, head of access services and assessment at the library, said they have work sta tions set up that are wheelchair acces sible with adjustable height, elevators on all floors and accessibility stations. These stations are able to accommodate both mobility devices and students who do not want to sit for extended periods. These resources are available on the first and second floors of the building.
“The library is really committed to meeting the moment, and first of all op
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, housing units have roll-in showers with seats and grab bars, roll-up sinks, and convert ible kitchen cabinets removed at the sinks for accessibility and pop-out drawers instead of swingout, Lopeman said. In the case of fire alarms going off in the building, there are bed knockers for hearing impaired students and strobes for vision impaired students, she added.
Many of these accommodations can also be added and removed from units easily upon request.
Kelly said Columbia aims to continu ously improve its efforts and relationships with students who have disabilities. She said this semester students can expect to see SSD office hosting pop-up tables with different themes at various buildings where students can stop and chat.
» ELIAS GONZALEZ/CHRONICLERUTH LEITMAN ATTENDED her first abortion rights protest outside an abortion clinic during the 1988 Democratic National Convention in Atlanta. Abortion rights were always important to her, but the cause became personal when she had an abortion a few years prior.
Leitman, who accompanies her film making and photography career as an associate professor in the Cinema and Television Arts Department, also has a familial connection to abortion, as her great-grandmother had one as well.
Leitman said her great-grandmother was the sole breadwinner of her family and left three children behind, including Leitman’s grandmother, after dying from a self-induced abortion.
Leitman said she has always felt com mitted to abortion advocacy.
“I felt really fortunate to have that choice, and I think it shaped where I am and where I led my life,” Leitman said. “If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have been able to pursue the career I’ve had as a filmmaker, and I was made very aware of how that changed my life.”
Roe v. Wade was overturned on June 24, after weeks of anticipation of the announcement after a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion from Politico on May 2.
“When the memo was leaked, all of my classes came to a screeching halt,” Leitman said. “My students did not want to talk about the issue at hand, their work or where they were on their projects; they all wanted to talk about abortion rights in this country.”
Louis “Luchiano” Silverstein worked at Columbia from 1969 until 2018. During his time at the school, Silverstein held many roles, including time as a dean of the college and chair of the Life Arts and Liberal Education Department.
Silverstein said during the ’70s, Colum bia was ahead of its time, especially con sidering its abortion rights curriculum. These classes included courses called “Women and Their Bodies” and “Birth and Culture,” which were taught by two nurse midwives. The courses are no longer offered at Columbia.
Silverstein said these classes discussed various elements of the reproductive process, including the socioeconomics behind birth control and abortion culture.
“The ‘Women and Their Bodies’ [course] included a section in part on abortion and
birth control, and some students went on to become involved in creating a safe society in which abortion could be avail able to a larger number — safe abortion,” Silverstein said. “Abortion has always been available — [but safe abortion was not readily available for] women that are lower-income … and women of color.”
Silverstein said these classes also studied the history of birth control, the safest methods that were available and ways to go about seeking an abortion.
“These are classes I don’t think were taught anywhere [else] in Chicago area or anywhere else during that time,” Silverstein said.
In an email to the Chronicle, Silver stein said the original courses from the ’70s were canceled after he was no longer chair of the department.
Robin Whatley, associate dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said many existing courses at Columbia in tersect with the topic of abortion in some capacity.
Prior to coming to Columbia, Arcana was a part of JANE, an underground or ganization that provided illegal abortion services in Chicago from 1969 to 1973 under the code name “Jane,” when Roe v. Wade was decided by the Supreme Court.
education would look like, but said one interesting aspect of the Supreme Court’s decision is the link to political activism, civic engagement and voting.
“By giving power to the states to make the determination about reproductive rights, the Court has put the spot light on what is happening in state legislatures, as well as in the federal legislative process, to a lesser degree,” said David, who received her J.D., mag na cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School.
Whatley said many classes incorporate abortion dis cussions into the curriculum during at least one week of the course. What ley said these courses include “Biology of Human Reproduction,” “In troduction to Women’s, Gender and Sex uality Studies,” “Women in U.S. Society,” “Religion and Gender” and “Religion in U.S. Law and Politics.”
Judith Arcana taught at Columbia for about five years during the mid-70s as a part-time professor, teaching “Women’s Studies” courses when the subject was beginning to pop up at colleges around the country.
Arcana also helped create classes re garding women’s sexuality studies and developed and taught a course called “Our Bodies, Ourselves,” which later fell under the umbrella term “Body Classes.”
Arcana said her courses were not tied to the traditional classroom because she wanted her students to have a hands-on learning experience and have them get “dirt under their fingernails,” rather than learning gender theory at a desk.
Arcana joined JANE in the summer of 1970 after experiencing a pregnancy scare of her own.
Arcana said she was referred to JANE by a friend who was a medical student at the University of Illinois. She was told by the friend to call the clinic and ask for “Jane.”
After finding out she was not pregnant and breathing a sigh of relief, Arcana ended up being recruited to join the or ganization and started working there the same year at age 27.
The workers at JANE, who were called “Janes,” held various jobs with the under ground organization and performed tasks such as driving the women they were helping to facilities where they would receive abortions, answering the phones and arranging appointments, counseling women and taking their information, along with attending weekly meetings.
“Every one of us was joining up for a different set of reasons; there was overlap of course. … I think the women who joined the service were people who thought … there was a disconnect between the real lives and needs of women and the way women were thought of and dealt with, both by the medical industry and by the culture at large,” Arcana said.
Arcana and six other Janes were ar rested in Chicago on the job in 1972 while driving a woman to receive her abortion services after being followed by police. By 1973, the charges against the Janes were dropped, as Roe v. Wade was decided.
Arcana said by the time JANE ended, it had evolved into a “complete” clinic that was self-maintained and organized.
In an email to the Chronicle, Senior Vice President and Provost Marcella David said she is not sure what a course on abortion
The description of Arcana’s “Wom en and Their Bodies” class said the course explored the “oppression and exploitation [of women who] have been kept ignorant of their bodies and bodily functions and must [rely] upon an elite group of mostly men — gynecologists — for care and knowledge,” according to Co lumbia’s course catalog circa spring 1976.
The catalog said the class discussed top ics ranging from anatomy to physiology, pregnancy and childbirth, sensuality and sexual choices, contraception, abortion, rape, aging and menopause.
Heidi Marshall, Columbia’s head of Archives & Special Collections, said the course “Women and Their Bodies” was taught “at least” through the 1979-1980 school year.
Arcana’s class was largely made up of women, but some men chose to sign up. The class was discussed in the CC Writer — the Chronicle’s former name — which reported that many women took the class out of curiosity, instead of sending a po litical message.
In 1973, the CC Writer wrote: “Women expressed the importance of being able to share and exchange facts, ideas and views with other women in an open atmosphere. Some said that taking the course has made them feel stronger, more certain of themselves as individuals and closer to other women.”
The article said this course was a “cru cial part of one of the greatest non-violent movements in the world,” and that it was happening right at Columbia.
“It is important for people to control their lives,” Arcana said, whose name was Judith Pildes at the time of the CC Writer’s 1973 publication. “One way is to control their bodies, and you do that by learning all you can and sharing knowledge with others. Doing this is, for me, a step towards gaining a sense of liberation of the spirit.”
A GROUP OF STUDENTS SIT IN THE “WOMEN AND THEIR BODIES” COURSE.SUE PURRINGTON (LEFT) OF THE CHICAGO NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR WOMEN AND JEAN PETERMAN (RIGHT) OF THE ILLINOIS PRO-CHOICE ALLIANCE HOST A FORUM ON CAMPUS IN 1991. » ARCHIVAL/CHRONICLE
»AMINA SERGAZINA STAFF REPORTER
IN EACH YEAR of the last decade, more than a quarter of first-year students have left Columbia prior to their second year. Now, with the help of administrators charged with focusing specifically on the issue, the college is creating revised retention goals, developing new strat egies and amplifying collaboration among faculty.
The new leadership roles for this goal were announced last month in an email from the Office of the President that named Michael Joseph as senior vice president for enrollment management and retention and Associate Professor Greg Foster-Rice as the associate provost for student retention initiatives.
Joseph said the college aims to increase the first-year retention rate to the 74% range by the next academic year and to 80% in the long term. The highest retention rate in the past decade was 71.5% in Fall 2018, according to retention data from the college.
COVID-19 has contributed to lower retention, but first-year retention was low prior to 2019.
“[Columbia doesn’t] really do well anywhere, quite frankly,” Joseph said referring to retention. “I think we need to look across the whole insti tution in every program, including every department as well ... We really don’t have any particular academic departments where retention is strong.”
Joseph said there are two groups of students who especially struggle with poor retention: students who have high financial need and students of color. He said these students are found across the student population.
Jewel Baker, the vice president of Soul Sisters — a student organization de signed to foster sisterhood among Black women — shared that one of the reasons why some of her Black classmates dropped out is that some find the experience “a bit overwhelming.”
Baker, a junior cinema and television major with a minor in photography who has experienced being the only Black woman in a lot of her classes, said she has adapted to this, but other students may find it more challenging.
She said that in Black and Brown com munities — like the South Side where she was raised — art is not viewed as a realistic career path like medicine or law, and many schools simply don’t have the
resources to have art programs to encour age the kids.
Not only the culture within the com munities, but the lack of representation of successful Black artists in the main stream media also makes students doubt themselves as artists, and could add to lower retention rates of Columbia as an art college, Baker said.
“But even though we may not have [Black artists] that we look up to ... just know that you can become that person for somebody else,” said Baker, who hopes that the presence of groups like Soul Sisters and the Black Student Union will help improve retention rates.
Elijah Jagours, the BSU president, high lighted the lack of Black students and faculty on campus as another reason for lower retention rates. Even though Jagours is a senior music major, during his freshman year he was thinking about leaving Columbia.
But Jagours said it was the annual BSU Blackout Party, scheduled this year for Oct.14, that helped convince him to stay.
“It’s obvious that Columbia is a predominantly white institution; I think that that can be seen even in the education,”Jagours said. “I’ve had Afri
can study classes where the teacher is white, which has completely discour aged me from even wanting to really even learn anything just because it doesn’t feel right, even if the person may be qualified or not.”
Jagours wishes that in the future Columbia will make an effort to reach out to more Black graduate students for teacher assistant roles and recruit more from predominantly Black high schools.
Foster-Rice said the college is ana lyzing if there are connections between why students commonly drop out and other challenges.
Rolando Cisneros transferred to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign after his first year at Columbia in 2021 and is now a junior lighting design and tech nology major. He dreamed of living in the city, but COVID-19 restrictions at the time, isolation from friends and feeling like he did not fit in made Cisneros switch to a more traditional campus.
“Columbia has a certain vibe to it; it’s not a bad thing,” Cisneros said. “A lot of people wear whatever they feel their expertise is on their sleeve. It’s like how people say ‘that’s your only personality trait.’”
Cisneros said faculty at Columbia are very well connected, but the school was geared more toward film and photography majors because he felt they had more resources.
Currently, Cisneros is fulfilling his dreams of DJing and working on shows and enjoys the more tight-knit community he has found at the University of Illinois.
Foster-Rice said it will be a long process of analyzing different data to come up with solutions for retention rates. He plans to work with student organizations like the Student Government Association and faculty groups to learn about challenges in students’ experiences.
“I would like to make myself ap proachable. I like to hear from students about any challenges that they’ve had. I’d also like to hear what are the things that make students feel like they be long and that they’re very engaged with Columbia,” Foster-Rice said.
ASERGAZINA@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM MACEDO/CHRONICLECOLUMBIA’S 623 S. WABASH Ave. building is home to various resources for students, allowing them to access materials and equipment for their artistic practices. The variety can be overwhelming, and knowing what prerequisites are needed to access each resource can be daunting. Here’s a floor-by-floor breakdown of the resources that can be found there.
can also rent a Chromebook for up to a week and borrow chargers for phones, iPads and several kinds of computers for a 24-hour period.
Though it serves as a classroom for many printing classes, the second floor’s Printmaking Facility is also available to students beyond instructional hours.
Open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. on Fri days and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, with specific open studio hours that vary day to day.
The space is accessible to students who completed the five-week screen print ing course or “Printmaking I.” The space is then avail able to students through graduation, regardless of whether they continue to take printmaking classes.
Construction 1” and “Apparel Evaluation” — but all other students need to set up an appointment for fashion authorization with an instructional specialist.
For specialized equipment such as the embroidery and knitting machines, demonstrations will be held at the Fashion Lab on Wednesdays at 3 p.m. through Nov. 22.
“Every semester, we’re giving incoming students their own kits to start off the se mester with,” said Ruqyyah Karim, 2015 fashion alum and instructional specialist at the Fashion Lab.
Within the free kits, students will re ceive materials such as muslin and a sewing kit, which are also available to purchase in the lab.
Though the space is not usually too packed, Zena Salam, an instruction al specialist and 2016 fashion alum, warns that it gets hectic towards the end of the semester.
“Come early during finals to claim your space,” Salam said.
automatically have access to the space.
In the Fabrication Facility, students will find a computer numerical con trol router, a vacuum former, pottery wheels and power tools, among other equipment. And when classes are not being held in the facility, students can use the classrooms and computer lab as study spaces.
Students can buy materials at bulk prices, and can also rent out tools for the day.
For certain tools, such as laser cut ters and 3D printers, students need in dividual authorization training before using them. For most of the resources, authorizations are issued through a level system.
A short training video grants stu dents access to level one, giving access to simple hand tools, ceramics and the training center.
New to the building is the first floor’s TechBar. Now open after a year and a half of development, the space provides students with “tier one,” or basic support with technology.
“Our Columbia students are providing tech support to [their] fellow Columbia students,” said Dok Kang, an academic technology architect.
While students shouldn’t expect mira cles, the TechBar can address pesky issues that can hold up an assignment or prevent access to one’s email.
“We do not open up the computer, we do not fix hardware, but we provide sim ple technology solutions, especially [for] first-year students,” Kang said.
The TechBar specializes in software used collegewide, such as Canvas and Office 365.
The TechBar is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and students can have questions fielded in person or remotely— via email, phone or through Microsoft Teams. In addition to assistance, students
With five printing press es, risograph printers, a di rect-to-garment printer and materials available to pur chase on-site, students can experiment with a variety of techniques, including etching, lithography and relief printing.
The space, which is plastered with prints and student work, is what Meghann Sottile, an instructional specialist at the Fabrication Facility said is “smaller [and] more intimate” than other facilities, which makes it something of a haven for students.
“It is a really inclusive environment,” Sottile said. “There’s definitely like a community, especially as the semester goes on and students start to become more familiar.”
On the seventh floor, the Fashion Lab is open to all students in the School of Fine and Performing Arts. There are industrial sewing machines, dress forms and other sewing supplies available to students from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thurs day, from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Fridays and from 9 a.m to 5 p.m on Saturdays.
Fashion students become authorized to use the space through many of their classes — including “Pattern Making and
The Open Studio, housed on the eighth floor, is a free workspace available to any student.
“The idea is anytime, all building hours, any day of the week, this space is avail able for students to work on models, painting, draw ing, sculpture, whatever it is they want to work on,” said Chris Kerr, director of Instructional Facilities.
There are no sign-in or pre requisites needed to use the space, which features work tables, a photo shoot area and storage lockers for students to store work. The studio is open from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on weekdays and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays.
The 10th floor’s Fabrication Facility hosts an assortment of tools and materials that span a range of dis ciplines—from woodworking to digi tal output. Once a student has taken a class in design, photography, theatre, art and art history or fashion studies they
For levels two and three, in-per son training sessions are longer and students are granted access to ad vanced wood and metal working tools.
The authorizations are granted through out the fall semester, with the majority taking place in September.
“A lot of people are scared to come up and use the big power tools, and that’s only some of what we have up here,” said Andy Young, an instructional specialist at the Fabrication Facility.
“I always say that it’s no matter what major you’re going for, it’s great to have tools under your belt, and I say that no pun intended.”
THE VARIETY OF SUPPLIES AND WORK SPACE IN THE OPEN STUDIO IN ROOM 809 OF 623 S. WABASH AVE. OVERLOOK THE HEART OF THE CITY. MACHINES IN THE FABRICATION FACILITY ON THE 10TH FLOOR OF 623 S. WABASH AVE. ARE AVAILABLE TO CUT WOOD AND OTHER MATERIALS.
CLASSES ARE BACK in session, Columbia’s campus is buzzing in all areas and the South Loop neighborhood is bustling with college students once again.
For some, they have been through this process of adjustment back to college life from wherever they spent their summers. For others, this is their first time navigating not only college life, but also the experience of living in Chicago.
But together, they are all going through the process of figuring out the perfect routine that works for them and finding their way through the city. In other words, they are “Getting Back in the Loop.”
Over the past few weeks, the Chronicle has document ed this process in all facets of the college experience, whether it be move-in weekend, a fun club activity to meet new people, New Student Convocation or simply going to class. /CHRONICLE
ABOVE: NICK FOLEY PERFORMS DURING ACOUSTIC KITCHEN AT THE HAUS IN 623 S. WABASH AVE.
RIGHT: BLACK LIGHTS ILLUMINATE THE FIFTH FLOOR OF THE STUDENT CENTER DURING THE “GOOD VIBES ON THE GOLF COURSE” EVENT, CREATING VIVID AND BOLD COLORS ON CLOTHING.
ETHAN ALONZO (LEFT) AND HALEY PATTON (RIGHT), TWO COLUMBIA VOTER REGISTRATION GENIUSES, SIT TOGETHER AT JONES
COLLEGE PREP HIGH SCHOOL TO ENCOURAGE STUDENTS OF AGE TO REGISTER TO VOTE IN THE UPCOMING ELECTION.
COURTNEY KING DANCES ON STAGE TO GET THE CROWD EXCITED FOR THE SPEAKERS AND PERFORMERS AT CONVOCATION.
AHSHA DAVIS (CENTER) FROM WCRX ENCOURAGES STUDENTS TO SPIN THE WHEEL TO WIN FUN PRIZES DURING CONVOCATION ONLY DID COLUMBIA STUDENTS HELP HIGH SCHOOLERS REGISTER, ALSO ENCOURAGED STUDENTS TO CREATE ZINES, EXPLAINING IMPORTANCE OF VOTING.
BELOW: COLUMBIA FAMILIES ASSIST THEIR INCOMING STUDENTS MOVING INTO BUREN ST., DURING LABOR DAY WEEKEND.
AS A NEW group of students enters Columbia, another group is embarking on their final classes and preparing for whatever comes after walking across the stage at commencement.
During Convocation, the Chronicle in terviewed senior representatives at their organizations’ booths and asked what advice they had for first-year students that they wish they had received as first-years. These were their responses:
Senior film major Arianne Batang said even though she knows it can be hard, show up to class and practice self-care. Batang also advised that being involved on campus is a good way to make friends.
“If you are having trouble making friends, join an organization, join a club and really put an effort when attending
meetings,” Batang said.
Batang said she used to be in troverted, but joined the Asian Student Organization to be come a “social butterfly.”
“It paid off a lot because I think I’ve found a really great community with everyone here,” Batang said.
Batang said she took a gap year be tween her first-year and sophomore year of college because of the cost of classes and the far commute to campus. Batang transferred back to Columbia after a year because she felt it was the best option for her and she wanted to achieve her career goals.
“My overall career goal is to promote representation of marginalized commu nities, specifically Asian-American com munities in film and television,” Batang said. “I feel like the more I learn will help me accomplish that.”
Senior television major and Call of the Cauldron’s president Karel Ramirez has attended Columbia since 2019 and com mutes from Lyons. Ramirez’s advice on commuting to campus and taking public transportation is knowing multiple routes to get to your destination.
Ramirez said when she was a first-year student, she struggled with social anx iety, which affected her ability to work and socialize, but now has jobs and is running the club.
“Definitely try to find your place,” Ramirez said when talking about getting involved on campus. “Know that the more social and outgoing you are, the more op portunities will come your way.”
Ramirez’s parting words of advice to incoming students is to make the most out of college by finding yourself.
“College is a horrible, terrifying, painful experience,” Ramirez said. “But at the end of the day once you graduate, it will be one of the greatest things that you will ever accomplish, so try to find yourself.”
Senior acting major Ariana Kanaya shared advice regarding classwork, per fectionism and navigating Chicago outside of the Loop.
Kanaya said she struggles with online classes, but is doing her best to attend class and keep up with classwork. Outside of classwork, Kanaya said an aspect of herself that she worked on at Columbia was perfectionism. Kanaya said she knows that it is hard because Columbia is an arts school, but perfectionism will only hold
you back from growing.
Kanaya, who was representing the Ca reer Center at Convocation, said explor ing neighborhoods in Chicago will make newcomers feel more comfortable using public transportation. Kanaya mentioned the CTA’s Harold Washington Library and Jackson stops, which can connect riders to the Orange, Brown, Pink, Purple, Red and Blue lines.
“Get out of the Loop, explore all of the other neighborhoods, because each neighborhood has such character about it,” Kanaya said.
Kanaya’s piece of advice to first-year students as a senior who has experienced Columbia for four years is to put yourself out there and believe in your capabilities, as it is the only way you will grow.
“Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there in the city. … The sooner you start believing in your capabilities, you’re only going to help yourself,” Kanaya said. “Most importantly, enjoy this experience. You’re going to grow so much as a person, and that is so important to your development as a person.”
SABURABAH@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM‘Enjoy this experience’:
At final convocation, seniors give first-year students advice
VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA Harris came to Chicago, alongside Gov. J.B. Prtizker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, and rallied an enthusiastic crowd of students and Chi cago locals that signaled abortion would be a major topic in the Illinois midterm elections and governor’s race in November.
“This year’s election is so important and I know I say that every election cycle, and it is true,” Harris said. “But what is at stake this year in these midterms is so apparent, and I do believe that when you know what we stand for, you know what to fight for.”
This is the second time Harris has been in Chicago since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Other politicians, including Speaker of the House of Illinois Emanuel “Chris” Welch, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, spoke at the event in support of reproductive rights, women’s rights, the approaching midterm elections and upholding democracy.
To fire up the crowd, Welch promised
that “Roevember” is coming, referring to the push this November for protecting reproductive rights since the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
“Roevember is coming. You heard me, Roevember is coming. In Roevember, we will show them that Illinois votes,” Welch said, referring to the impact he expects reproductive rights to have on upcoming elections.
Harris reminded the audience that the U.S. Supreme Court recently stripped a recognized constitutional right from the people and women of America and that further restrictions have been discussed in the form of a proposed nationwide abortion ban.
“Right now ... so-called leaders, extrem ists ... are passing laws to criminalize healthcare providers and punish women around our nation,” Harris said. “They are calling for a nationwide abortion ban, that would include Illinois.”
During the rally, Lightfoot promised solidarity to immigrants and refugees, the LBGTQ+ community, people of color and women in Chicago.
“We got to show people who we are … that we stand strong with the LGBTQ+ community, we stand strong with people of color and we stand strong with women’s right to determine when and if they want to be pregnant,” Lightfoot said.
Stratton called out Republicans for attacking women’s rights and reproductive rights.
“We all know that women’s rights and reproductive freedoms are under attack by Republicans all over this country. Senate Republicans introduced a national abortion ban, confirming this was never about states’ rights. It was always about control,” Stratton said.
Pritzker assured the audience that in Illinois, reproductive rights for women are protected, and this is something his opponent, Darren Bailey, voted against.
“With the signing of the Reproductive Health Act, we enshrined into Illinois law a woman’s right to choose, and every Re publican, including Darren Bailey, voted against that,” Pritzker said.
Raoul told the crowd his daughter had recently graduated and is on her way to
becoming a lawyer to uphold the United States Constitution.
“I want that to be a constitution that protects her as an equal, that’s why in two weeks, we’ll be in D.C. arguing for the Equal Rights Amendment to be the 28th Amendment of the United States,” Raoul said.
The overturning of Roe v. Wade has become an important issue for voters and students.
“I think abortion rights is most important,” said Rattryna Yim, a junior at the University of Illinois Chicago. “I care about that because I have a little sister, and I don’t want her to grow up in a world where she doesn’t have any rights like that.”
HARRIS GREETS PRITZKER ON STAGE, PRAISING HIM FOR ILLINOIS’ ABORTION ACCESSIBILITY.
» ELIZABETH RYMUT STAFF REPORTER
NIGHTS WERE FILLED with celebrations of culture, featuring fireworks, thousands of people, loud music, cars honking and a sea of red, white and green flags flying above caravans of cars. The occasion for these extravagant fiestas? Mexican Inde pendence Day.
“[The celebration] means a lot to our Mexican culture; it means everything … our independence, it means a lot to us,” said Devin Belez, who was celebrating on South Michigan Avenue. “We’ll be partying all weekend; it’s for the culture.”
The holiday, which was celebrated Sept. 15-17, marks the end of a decade of war between Mexico and Spain, which led to Mexico’s official independence from Spain in 1821.
Sept. 16 is referred to as “El Grito de Dolores” — the cry of Dolores — in honor of Miguel Hidalgo, a Mexican Catholic priest, who gave a speech to motivate peo ple to revolt against the Spanish in 1810.
Hidalgo was executed for his cry for independence; however, his words stayed with the Mexican people. It has since become a tradition for the Mexican pres ident to shout “Viva México!” from his balcony on the eve of Sept. 16 each year.
“I’m feeling proud of where I come from. [We’re] celebrating us; it’s history for us, and we’re celebrating it,” said Thomas Perfecto, who was at Grant Park North.
Other celebrations took place through
out the city, separate from the nighttime partying. In Pilsen, a large crowd enjoyed the 20th annual Mexican Independence Day parade.
Restaurants like Cantón Regio, located at 1510 W. 18th St. in Pilsen, also showed their pride by decorating.
“We’re trying to get together, the staff, to get outfits to be festive and decorate the restaurant, as well,” said Daniel Gutierrez Jr., owner of Cantón Regio. “We’ll probably have some live music, a mariachi band playing that weekend.”
PEOPLE SURROUND AND DANCE NEAR A POLICE CAR CHANTING “VIVA M É XICO!” FLAGS COULD BE SEEN ALL AROUND THE LOOP FOR MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY WHILE MARIACHI MUSIC WAS PLAYED ON MICHIGAN AVENUE. » JARED CALLAWAY/CHRONICLE AMID THE INTERMITTENT FIREWORKS, BURNOUTS AND CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT SQUAD CARS, A FAMILY BEARING THE FLAG OF MEXICO EMBRACES. » SAM TUCKER/CHRONICLE FOR MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY, SETTING OFF FIREWORKS IS A TRADITION AND MORE CONTINUED TO BE SET OFF THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT. PEOPLE CELEBRATE ON MICHIGAN AVENUE BY REVVING UP THEIR ENGINES AND WAVING THEIR MEXICAN FLAGS. K’VON JACKSON/CHRONICLE » BIANCA KREUSEL/CHRONICLE » ABRA RICHARDSON/CHRONICLE
Sept. 16-18.
The three-day festival riled up crowds and excited the performers, too.
“Every time I pull up to a rock ‘n’ roll festival in America, I just feel like home again,” said British singer and songwriter YUNGBLUD.
»AMINA SERGAZINA STAFF REPORTERDESPITE PROTESTS FROM Douglass Park neighbors in the days leading up to the festival, and at times sweltering heat and long food and beverage lines, spirits were high as more than 100,000 fans converged over three days and nearly 100 artists took to the stages, thrilling the crowds at this year’s Riot Fest.
A mix of classic and up-and-coming artists from a variety of genres offered something for everyone at one of Chi cago’s biggest annual music festivals on
On Saturday, YUNGBLUD performed select songs from his new self-titled al bum for the Riot Fest crowd. He was jumping around the stage with high energy, even with a bleeding knee.
“It’s my most personal album yet,” YUNGBLUD said. “I went to places and I dug really deep. This album, more so than anything, it’s a setup for what else is to come, for the rest of my life. I opened a door that couldn’t be closed.”
YUNGBLUD said he believes that art should not be categorized or formulated and views studying music in college as valid of a path as any other. He said he wishes he went to college for art because “the best thing about art is being around other artists.”
“No matter if you’re big or you’re small,
that doesn’t define you as iconic,” YUNG BLUD said. “I always say the Cramps are just as iconic as David Bowie, yet one played stadiums and one played clubs. Success doesn’t define art. Authenticity defines art, so just make something real, and that’s when it will be iconic.”
Jake Hill, an American rapper and song writer, shared that performing at festivals like Riot Fest takes a big toll on his mental health — and makes his anxiety worse.
“When it’s my own shows [anxiety is] not that bad,” Hill said. “When it’s festivals and nobody really knows who I am, and I get on a stage in front of a bunch of people who are either waiting for the next act or just check ing me out, I’m like, ‘Okay, f—, I got to show them who I am, I got to make sure I’m real cool on stage.’ There’s extra pressure to make them remember me.”
He described the past month as “the roughest point of my life” and said he is dealing with depres sion, obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety.
Hill said in these neg ative experiences he
finds inspiration to make music, but it creates an unhealthy mindset, and he hopes to write more positive songs in the future.
“If I can write a song about what I’m going through, and somebody else mes sages me and says they’re going through the same thing, that helps me know I’m not alone, just like it helps other people know they’re not alone,” Hill said. “Maybe it’s not the healthiest thing to write about all the time, but I’m good at it because I know what it’s like, and I live it.”
Hill said to help improve his mental health he recently started doing guided
YUNGBLUD, AN ENGLISH SINGER AND SONGWRITER, REFLECTS ON THE FESTIVAL, SAYING, “THE BEST THING ABOUT ART IS BEING AROUND OTHER ARTISTS.” COOLIO KEEPS IT COOL AS HE ENTERS THE STAGE ON THE LAST DAY OF RIOT FEST TO AN EXCITED AND CHEERING CROWD. THE CROWD ROARS FOR MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE AS THE MUSIC BEGINS TO PLAY AND MEMBERS BEGIN STEPPING ON STAGE TO PERFORM. DONNING PINK HAIR AND MAKEUP, CAROLESDAUGHTER PERFORMED AT RIOT FEST ON SEPT. 16.meditation, eating healthier, taking vi tamin D and doing talk therapy. “Being mentally good is my biggest version of success because right now I’m so stressed out,” Hill said.
Lead singer of Mannequin Pussy, Mari sa “Missy” Dabice, said she may enjoy a couple of drinks at an artists’ open bar after her early Riot Fest set on Sept 17. But for her, it’s a rare occurrence; Dab ice shared that on tour it’s easy to start drinking, and it took her a lot of time and discipline to realize that it just puts her into a state of depression.
“[I] make touring as much of a job as possible and have very little fun. You just have to not drink, and stretch every day, and do vocal warm-ups, and drink a lot of water and try to eat as healthy as you can,”
Dabice said. “There’s a lot of restrictions, and you need to take care of your body in a very concentrated way to be able to have that energy every night.”
But Dabice said tours and festivals are not only about discipline, they also allow her to express herself through clothes in a way she can’t outside this context. At the festival, Dabice wore heart-shaped sunglasses, black leather boots and a sheer black dress — with nothing underneath aside from the star stickers on her nipples.
“At festivals and shows you experience a completely different type of freedom to dress and express yourself,” Dabice said. “We’ve worked very hard to build a place where we’re safe to make music and ex press that with other people. You can’t just walk down the street, being very exposed
and respected at the same time.”
Singer and songwriter carolesdaughter said before she started her music journey, she never went to shows or festivals and instead spent the majority of her time doing what she enjoys: writing. But after music became her profession, she said she started to feel more like being an influencer than an artist.
“It feels like 5% of my time is actually writing and making music, it’s so little of my time,” carolesdaughter said. “[The majority] is spent touring and promoting and making content. It feels like you’re just making throwaway content that is not lasting. It’s not pieces of art; it’s just like something to click on and something to get views, which don’t even translate into real streams, and people that go to your shows
and actually love you and relate to you, so it’s all useless and the world is terrible.”
Carolesdaughter said she does not think a college education is necessary for artists, and even though people can learn inter esting and technical things in college, no one can teach them how to make art. She added that there are a lot of “nepo babies” in the arts, referring to people who benefit from nepotism.
“If people already have that innate gift, and they go to an art college or whatever to go study that, and they perfect the technical side of it because there’s a lot to learn that can be taught,” carolesdaugh ter said. “But the real soul of it has to be there already.”
GERARD WAY OF MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, DRESSED IN A COAT AND A HEADWRAP, PERFORMS ENERGETICALLY ON STAGE AS THE CROWD SCREAMS IN EXCITEMENT. MANNEQUIN PUSSY LEAD SINGER MARISA “MISSY” DABICE TALKS ABOUT HER RIOT FEST WARDROBE, SAYING, “AT FESTIVALS AND SHOWS YOU EXPERIENCE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TYPE OF FREEDOM TO DRESS AND EXPRESS YOURSELF.” ICE CUBE SMILES AS THE CROWD SCREAMS AND CHEERS FOR HIM AS HE HEADLINES THE FESTIVAL. JXDN PERFORMS PASSIONATELY WITH EMOTIONS FILLING THE STAGE AS THE CROWD SINGS ALONG TO THE LYRICS. ASERGAZINA@COLUMBIACHRONICLE.COM KREUSEL/CHRONICLE KREUSEL/CHRONICLE KREUSEL/CHRONICLE“Soldier Field was such a big deal, and at the time she was one of the biggest artists on the planet,” Ambo said. “I felt like, ‘If you can do this, you can do pretty much anybody.’”
While the first digital cam era was invented in 1975 by East man Kodak, Ambo said he prefers film as a photo medium rather than digital photography because he likes the quality of film better.
“The reactions … there’s no delay in the shutter. You get immediate results,” Ambo said. “[Film is] much more ex pensive, obviously, and that was the common denominator of changing to digital, because everybody wanted cheap production.”
Ambo said the likelihood of an aspir ing photographer reaching the pinnacle of the field today is more difficult than in the past, because digital cameras changed the industry by making taking photos more affordable and accessible.
Chicago, Smart Bar and Gman Tavern, opened the live music venue in 1982.
Metro fostered both Shanahan’s and Ambo’s professional growth.
Shanahan’s achievement in concert venue history is held in high esteem by many different bands. In 2013, he received an honorary degree from Columbia College Chicago presented by alum and WXRT radio host Marty Lennartz.
Shanahan said he left Columbia in his mid-20s to open Metro and credits friends from the school with helping to get his club started, emphasizing how much Columbia means to him.
For Shanahan, the creativity it took to build his vision was what mattered, in addition to giving a place for people like Ambo to thrive. He said the impe tus to build Metro Chicago reflected his interest in producing community centered music events to present the many varieties of music available in Chicago.
» ROBIN SLUZAS STAFF REPORTERGENE AMBO DID not plan to be a concert photographer. He began taking pho tographs of friends’ bands because he said it was “a lot” more interesting than taking pictures of cemeteries, “L” tracks and girlfriends.
Because Ambo did not have access to superstar acts, he found his niche at Metro Chicago, 3730 N. Clark St., shooting up-and-coming bands like Metallica in 1983 and Motörhead in 1985.
“In my little world … I had everything I needed right there,” Ambo said.
Ambo’s new photo book, “Heavy Metro: Access All Eras,” celebrates the icon ic Chicago venue, which is owned by Columbia alum Joe Shanahan, with a portion of the proceeds going to help Metro Chicago through funds from Save Our Stages, a COVID-19 relief fund for small business venues.
“The success of Gene’s book is because it chronicles the Metro. The room’s community-oriented spirit results from the ability of people to celebrate music,” Shanahan said. “People came without even know ing what band was playing. If a band like Metallica was trying to find a place to play, they’d consider where peo ple go, and the Met ro would come to mind.”
Ambo said his awareness about how to make a living in the photography field was solidified when he photographed Ma donna on film during her “Who’s That Girl Tour” at Soldier Field in 1987.
“There’s so many people doing it for free right now, it’s hard to be com petitive and actually make a living,” Ambo said. “People will go out there and shoot their night away and spend all their own money doing it and give everything away with no restrictions.”
A self-taught artist, he said he learned from watching and work ing with other iconic concert photog raphers and by visually inspecting their photos.
Early on, collaboration with super star concert photographers was key to Ambo’s expanding knowledge base.
Despite the new barriers to achieving concert photogra pher superstardom, Ambo feels it is still possible for new con cert photographers to become success ful in the field by ob taining the exclusive right to take photos of a specific band.
Both Ambo’s and South Side native Shanahan’s careers were launched al most simultane ously. Shanahan, the founder and owner of Metro
“I think that the unholy marriage of commerce and art has always been a really hard thing to balance,” Shanahan said. “How does it make sense financially?”
Shanahan advised students who are considering becoming concert venue owners to take more business and math classes to ensure a smoother ride, rather than learning the hard way.
PHOTOGRAPHER GENE AMBO RECENTLY RELEASED HIS BOOK “HEAVY METRO: ACCESS ALL ERAS,” WHICH HIGHLIGHTS MANY OF HIS FAVORITE BANDS THAT HAVE PLAYED AT THE CLASSIC CHICAGO VENUE. GENE AMBO, A WORLD RENOWNED CHICAGO PHOTOGRAPHER, PUBLISHED HIS FIRST BOOK IN JULY, WHICH INCLUDES PHOTOS HE TOOK OF METALLICA, THE SMASHING PUMPKINS AND NIRVANA. JOE SHANAHAN, FOUNDER OF THE METRO, TALKS WITH GENE AMBO AS THEY RELIVE MEMORIES OF THE ’80S WHEN THE METRO FIRST OPENED.