The Columbia Chronicle, October 7, 2019

PAGE 5: Wellness, Athletics and Recreation programs expand beyond fitness

PAGE 13: After complaints, e-scooters have uncertain future in Chicago

PAGE 6: ASL interpreters provide accessibility in theatre shows PAGE 11: OPINION: Columbia should provide period products for all Volume 55, Issue 6

October 7, 2019

ColumbiaChronicle.com

» COURTESY JOHN DOE

STUDENT LOSES $2,000 IN COLUMBIA OUTLOOK EMAIL PHISHING SCAM

» MARI DEVEREAUX STAFF REPORTER » COURTESY JOHN DOE

» WESLEY ENRIQUEZ/CHRONICLE

A COLUMBIA STUDENT lost $2,000 in September after falling victim to one of several alleged dog walking job scams circulating among the school’s Outlook accounts, causing Columbia administrators to warn students to be on the lookout.

The student—whom the Chronicle will not name for privacy concerns and will be referred to by the pseudonym John Doe—said the interaction started when he received an email from a “colum.edu” account asking if anyone wanted to walk dogs for an aunt, who

was identified as Janette Winston, and was moving from California to Chicago.

Looking for a lighter workload and better pay, Doe said he took the job, feeling secure that the offer had come from a fellow Columbia student because the address had a “colum.edu” extension.

Kathie Koch, chief information officer at Columbia, said this popular form of phishing attempts to coerce users into clicking on a link sent by an external source, allowing hackers to send a scam email to everyone within the institution’s email system.

SEE SCAM, PAGE 3

editor’s note

Trump’s border ideas are a sign of ignorance » BLAISE MESA CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

W

hat do snakes and alligators have in common? They were allegedly considered as a form of border security.

The New York Times reported Oct. 1 that President Donald Trump wanted to dig a 2,000-mile moat across the southern border and fill it with snakes or alligators. White House aides went so far as to estimate the cost of a snake- or alligator-filled moat. These ideas were proposed after Trump allegedly suggested shooting migrants in the legs to slow them down, or shutting down the southern border entirely.

The English language does not have a word for how stupid these ideas are.

Half-witted, brainless and dense seem like the appropriate words to use, but they don’t capture the headache-inducing pain these alleged proposals caused.

Trump suggested these border measures not because he desires to secure the border, but because he doesn’t have sympathy for others.

The pilgrimage to the U.S. from Mexico in some places already includes a swim across the Rio Grande—an 1,885mile “moat” along the southern Texas border. Surely only someone who dislikes immigrants would allegedly propose inhumane and impractical tactics to prevent them from entering the country.

Immigrants coming across the southern border are looking for a better life.

These proposals are not a reasonable solution to people escaping trauma or searching for better opportunities. If a politician suggested the use of alligator-filled moats to combat another issue facing America, they would be laughed out of office.

Trump has denied ever suggesting this border security tactic in one of his many Twitter barrages.

“Now the press is trying to sell the fact that I wanted a Moat stuffed with alligators and snakes, with an electrified fence and sharp spikes on top, at our Southern Border,” Trump tweeted Oct. 2. “I may be tough on Border Security, but not that tough. The press has gone Crazy. Fake News!”

The Trump administration may claim to be tough on border security, but in reality, they have been ignorant, and this alleged moat is just another example of 2 THE CHRONICLE OCTOBER 7, 2019

MANAGEMENT CO-EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Blaise Mesa Alexandra Yetter

MANAGING EDITOR

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Grace Senior

DIGITAL CONTENT & BRAND MANAGER

Micha Thurston

Miranda Manier

REPORTERS

NEWS EDITORS

REPORTERS

Katherine Savage Kendall Polidori Paige Barnes Isaiah Colbert Dyana Daniels Mari Devereaux Mateusz Janik Knox Keranen Lauren Leazenby

that. While the idea of a moat may seem largely impractical, it doesn’t fall too far from Trump’s other absurd ideas.

The fiscal year 2018 Entry/Exit Department

COPY Overstay Report by the U.S. of Homeland Security estimates there

COPY CHIEF Margaret Smith

COPY EDITORS Summer Hoagland-Abernathy were 569,604 suspected in-country Kaci Watt overstays. A border wall is an impractical idea, considering there are people GRAPHICS who entered the country by plane or boat.

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Maddy Asma Of the immigrants now considered Jennifer Chavez illegal who came to America in 2014, Wesley Enriquez 66% overstayed their visa, according to a Shane Tolentino 2017 report by the Journal on Migration MULTIMEDIA and Human Security.

Immigration is a complicated issue,

SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR Mike Rundle PHOTOJOURNALISTS

Ignacio Calderon and the solution is not as simple as conCamilla Forte structing a wall­, or moat.

Jacqueline Luttrell Some states dealing with undocuSteven Nunez mented people would not benefit from a

PODCAST PRODUCER Yasmeen Sheikah border wall. Florida, New York, Illinois ADVERTISING/ and New Jersey all rank in the top six MARKETING states with the highest number of undoc MEDIA SALES REPS Breanne Jacobs umented immigrants, according to a Anthony Karlsson 2016 report by Pew Research Center.

Kathryn Williams Even border patrol agents advise Tara Woods against funding a wall to stop immigration. A March 22, 2018, New York Times SENIOR STAFF article said border patrol agents “need

GENERAL MANAGER Travis Truitt more technology and additional person FACULTY ADVISER Curtis Lawrence nel to curb the illegal traffic.” You’ll note Trump’s ideas definitely lack technological advancements.

Trump is attempting to spend billions of dollars on border security that goes against the recommendations of industry professionals. This money could be allocated to other ideas, if not for Trump’s hatred of immigrants.

The president should understand that immigration reform is a complicated topic, something too complicated for your average alligator. @c cchronicle

bmesa@columbiachronicle.com

@c cchronicle

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“AT THAT POINT,

it looks like an internal email being sent,” Koch said. “It’s really being sent from the phisher, but because you clicked the button, you gave them access to our address book, and now they can send it to everyone.”

A Sept. 12 email from the Office of the Chief Financial Officer cautioned students to avoid phishing scams by looking out for emails with suspicious domains, not releasing any personal information and being wary of unrecognizable attachments.

That same day, Doe began email correspondence with the alleged scammer.

Doe was told to email Winston from his personal account because the alleged student said their aunt would not respond to Outlook emails.

The real name of the person whom the emails originated from and whether they attend Columbia is unclear.

Doe said Winston sent pictures allegedly of themself and the dogs, was very personable and crafted detailed messages, making them seem like a trustworthy figure. “[It was] very to-the-point… She’s never asking me [about] my bank account or anything like that,” Doe said. “It always felt like she was trying to get something situated for her move. ... To me, because of all the details, I just thought, ‘Oh, OK, this looks legitimate.’”

However, once they began texting, Doe said it quickly became apparent how “shady” the details of the situation actually were.

Over the course of a week, Winston asked Doe to complete a series of tasks. First, he was instructed to deposit a $2,450 check that was mailed to him into his bank account, using $2,000 to pay for appliances for Winston’s new home, keeping $350 for himself as pay for the job and using $100 to buy dog supplies.

Winston suggested Doe withdraw the $2,000 in cryptocurrency. “[The store manager] also [accepts] bitcoin as means of payment,” Winston texted to Doe. “I can look for a bitcoin ATM not more [than] 15 minutes from you and instruct you on how to deposit it in their bitcoin account via the bitcoin ATM.” When Doe thought the check had cleared at his bank, he opted to withdraw

the money in cash, then spent it on a money order.

“When she asked me to do bitcoin, immediately I didn’t want to be involved anymore,” Doe said. “I was going to end the relationship, but I thought I had her money.”

Not wanting Winston to call the police and accuse him of theft, Doe said he then complied with more of Winston’s requests.

Doe used the cash to buy a money order, sending it to the address of an office in Indianapolis that Winston provided via an overnight delivery. The address is the location of an apartment complex.

While he was very suspicious at this point, Doe said he knew he was being scammed on Friday, Sept. 20, after talking to a friend from high school. She told Doe she was tricked in a situation nearly identical to his, where the initial check she thought had cleared later bounced. “[It was] literally the exact same thing that happened to me,” said Doe who later learned that his check had also bounced. “I was like, f--k, I need to go to PNC [bank], right now. I already knew the cash was gone, but I didn’t want them getting into my bank account from the check itself.”

That same day, Doe went to freeze his bank account and was informed that since he had withdrawn the amount in cash and spent it on a money order, there was nothing that could be done. He then called the Chicago Police Department with help from Campus Safety and Security.

Finally, on Saturday, Sept. 21, the counterfeit check bounced, taking $2,000 out of his account. Doe is currently waiting for a CPD investigator to begin work on his case.

In its August Consumer News report,

the Federa l Deposit Insurance Corporation warned that due to federal regulation, funds may be made available in one’s bank account before the check has officially cleared. Scammers often take advantage of this by having victims deposit counterfeit checks into their accounts and then asking them to send the proceeds elsewhere before the check bounces.

While this incident caused him to lose a good portion of the money he had saved from his stressful summer job, Doe said he fortunately had enough in his account to pay back the money he had withdrawn and avoid legal action.

“At the end of the day … it’s money, it’s a setback,” Doe said. “And I have a pretty good life, I have access to education, support from my boyfriend and my mom. I have a happier life than that person who’s scamming people.

But it just sucked.”

The Chronicle attempted to contact Winston but the phone line was disconnected, and they did not respond to email interview attempts.

While there is not proven correlation between the use of Microsoft Outlook and spam emails, some students have become more aware of the practice since the school’s mandatory switch to Office 365— which includes Microsoft Outlook— at the start of the Fall 2019 semester.

Nicole Denton, senior comedy writing and performance major, said she receives scam emails on her school account once or twice a week, and usually deletes them right away if they look “informal” or are not school-related.

After talking with classmates, Denton found there were other people who received variations of the same dog walking email scam she did.

“I found that weird because it seemed very informal to be sent out to a large section of the student body,” Denton said.

Senior creative writing major Alison Brackett said she was shocked and disappointed when she received an email from a professor she did not know, asking her to review an “important message from University Admin.”

“It was definitely concerning, considering

» WESLEY ENRIQUEZ/CHRONICLE

SCAM, FROM FRONT

[Outlook] is new and [the college is] making us use it,” Brackett said. “I would expect it to be safe, and it worries me because other people might click on the link.

Because I almost did it. It was a Columbia email, so I was like, ‘I don’t have any reason not to click it.’”

Terry Cottrell—vice president for Information Technology and Planning at the University of St. Francis in Joliet and the instructor of “Advanced Cyber Security” at Northwestern University— said while there are many administrative benefits to using Microsoft, the platform is more vulnerable to spammers because it is so prevalent in the business world.

“Once an institution adopts that platform, they’ll see an increase in spam attacks, and they will need to purchase a stronger front-end anti-spam platform to try and compensate for it,” Cottrell said.

According to Koch, students and faculty should forward all scams to itphishing@ colum.edu and report the instance to client services. The most important step in fighting for cyber security is helping people identify the red flags of a fraudulent email, she said.

Koch said the Information Technology Department has started raising awareness by adding banners to the tops of emails that originate from outside of Columbia and distributing fliers with warning signs such as strange URLs, poor grammar, urgent wording and requests to send money.

Within the next few months, the school will also offer interactive, internet-based modules to students and faculty through KnowBe4, a security awareness training platform designed to help people detect phishing scams.

“It’s all education,” Koch said. “We, as users, have to be really careful. It’s all in making sure people understand. If [there’s] any question at all, don’t click it.” mdevereaux@columbiachronicle.com

OCTOBER 7, 2019 THE CHRONICLE 3

campus

Q&A: Columbia student creates raging video game soundtrack

» ISAIAH COLBERT STAFF REPORTER

THE CHRONICLE: How is “Fight’N Rage” significant to you as both its composer and as a Uruguayan?

VARELA: I used to grow up playing Nintendo video game consoles. To have the game with my music coexist with Super Mario games, I still can’t believe it. It makes me a bit emotional. As a Uruguayan composer, it’s the first video game from Uruguay that made it to disc consoles. It obviously feels great to be in some sort of a historical moment. It kind of shows that, nowadays, there’s nothing you can’t do.

What were the inspirations in recording the music for the game?

The first references that [García] gave me were beat ‘em ups from the ‘90s like “Streets of Rage,” ... which is more electronic and synth. I decided to use some of that but add some metal and rock, which are genres I am very familiar with. I mixed some very different genres like flamenco or Latin music, experimental music, classical music, jazz and funk. The

‘Lethal Ladies’ highlights the women of true crime through art » LAUREN LEAZENBY STAFF REPORTER

4 THE CHRONICLE OCTOBER 7, 2019

a horror movie trivia night Oct. 25, and a how-to event for making homemade bath bombs and soaps Oct. 29.

Bowen said while the exhibit and events are a serious look at morbid subject matter, there is still a lighthearted element to it.

For example, students will also have the opportunity to make serial killers’ portraits out of breakfast cereal at The Crawl during Columbia Weekend, Oct. 18, in the Student Center, 754 S. Wabash Ave. Exhibit artist Katarina Jacobs—a senior fine arts and studio management major at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago—said in her pieces she wanted to “flip the script” on how women have historically been portrayed in art.

“Nature/Nurture,” the painting Jacobs said she feels particularly protective over, took years to complete and features a woman

What methods did you use to compose the soundtrack?

I wrote every note down as if I was going to write music for an orchestra, just because that’s how I think of things and what works best for me. I recorded all the guitars and bass, and all the other instruments I played on a keyboard. ... [I made it] sound as real as possible using a computer.

Which tracks are you most fond of and why?

The sixth track—it’s called “Mirages”—has a flamenco influence from bulerías, which is a flamenco style that I was studying at the time. It’s one of the more unique pieces that does something that no other game, that I know of, has done—that kind of fusion. Another would be “Immersion.” I think it’s one of the best tracks I wrote ... it has more classical influences. icolbert@columbiachronicle.com

In 2017, Varela won the Fulbright Scholarship, which allowed him to study in the U.S. and apply to Columbia.

holding rats and vines. In these works, Jacobs said she depicts women with exaggerated facial expressions of disgust and anger, emotions art does not often portray women having.

“I’m just trying to show grotesque forms of representing women’s emotions that are much more broad than what has historically been shown,” Jacobs said.

SAIC student Czeslawa Wojtkowski’s pieces, also featured in “Lethal Ladies,” have similar overtones of violence and power.

Wojtkowski, who has studied fibers as an art form at SAIC for two and a half years, said their dig-

ital collages printed on fabric capture the heartbreak and emotions they felt during a past tumultuous relationship. One of Wojtkowski’s displayed pieces, “Where Did You Sleep Last Night,” will also be featured at the ARC Gallery, 1463 W. Chicago Ave., in November.

Wojtkowski said “Lethal Ladies” is exemplary of a reclamation of the negative and mostly sexual stereotype that is often used to depict dangerous female characters in art. “It’s a good representation of unbridled emotion from non-male people,” they said. lleazenby@columbiachronicle.com » IGNACIO CALDERON/CHRONICLE

THE WIDESPREAD CULTURAL fascination with true crime has birthed a genre of art related to violence. The movement, spearheaded mainly by women, has made its way to the Columbia Library in the recently-opened exhibit, “Lethal Ladies: The Women of True Crime.”

The exhibit—which runs through the end of the Fall 2019 semester on the first floor of the library, 624 S. Michigan Ave.— was curated by the Columbia Aesthetics of Research committee and features pieces submitted by both students and local artists.

Aesthetics of Research is an initiative that aims to get Columbia artists involved at the library.

This semester, Aesthetics of Research is capitalizing on the true crime trend, said Kristy Bowen, founding member of the

Aesthetics of Research committee. Bowen, who is also a library access services assistant and course reserve coordinator, said women are at the forefront of content creation in the true crime sphere, producing some of the more well-known podcasts and films on the subject.

“Killers are fascinating,” Bowen said, “but a lot of them are super driven by misogyny and hatred of women, and I was like, ‘I don’t know if I want to focus on that.’”

Instead, the focus of “Lethal Ladies” is not only on women as perpetrators, but also honors the women who have been victims and survivors, though not only in the context of violence, Bowen said. The exhibit aims to subvert patriarchal expectations of women, instead promoting powerful female emotion in art.

“Lethal Ladies” is a month and a half of library events related to the theme, Bowen said. There is

beautiful thing about that process was trying to find out how to make those genres ... coexist in the game.

» CAMILLA FORTE/CHRONICLE

TWO HEROES FIGHT for the fate of the world against mutants who enslave humans in “Fight’N Rage,” an award-winning, Uruguayan video game in which a Columbia student played a key role. The game utilizes the “beat ‘em up” combat system, a genre of video games featuring solo, handto-hand combat fights against multiple enemies.

“Fight’N Rage’s” style was developed by Sebastián García, publisher and developer of SebaGames, as well as Gonzalo Varela, a music composition for the screen graduate student at Columbia. García worked on the game’s design, graphics and code, while Varela composed and recorded all of the music for the game’s original soundtrack.

The game was released on Steam, a video game distribution

service platform, in September 2017, and was just released on Nintendo Switch Sept. 26 and Xbox One on Sept. 27.

Varela spoke with the Chronicle about his experience composing the soundtrack, his influences and what the game means to him.

How did you come into the role of composing the original soundtrack for “Fight’N Rage”?

[García] listened to some of my music and wanted me to write music for a previous game he was making. He liked it but didn’t end up releasing that game. I did release the music ... in an album called “Dreamnesia.” After that project didn’t go that well, [García] started this new one and, fortunately, contacted me. He was interested in seeing what I could do for this new project.

Katarina Jacobs’ work, “Nature/Nurture,” is featured in the “Lethal Ladies” exhibit curated by Aesthetics of Research, a committee founded in part by Kristy Bowen.

WAR programs muscle up to deliver inner peace » LAUREN LEAZENBY STAFF REPORTER

improve wellness, said Avery Otten, co-programming director of WAR and senior cinema art and science major.

“Now that the wellness minor is moving forward, [Brticevich] wanted the wellness ambassadorship program to start,” Otten said.

“It’s a whole scheme to get people to care about their well-being.”

Brticevich said students must bring a friend along to at least half of the programs in keeping with the program’s mission, which is for students to get others involved. At the end of the year, ambassadors can win prizes for participating.

“It’s a way of cajoling students into thinking about themselves in a holistic way,” Brticevich said.

One of the ongoing programs is a series of roundtable discussions designed to help students vocalize their experiences, said co-programming director of WAR and junior illustration major Kira Berkoff. Keynote speakers and

Counseling Services facilitate peer-to-peer discussions about topics like eating disorders and domestic violence, Berkoff said.

WAR is broadening the definition of wellness, even when it comes to exercise. Otten said he leads a class that combines heavy metal music and stretching.

Self-defense is also a form of wellness, and Brticevich said the “Kick @ss Self-Defense” program

dissects the tendencies of perpetrators and teaches students how to use what they have to defend themselves.

WAR is also expanding beyond the Fitness Center space. Berkoff said upcoming DIY projects like bullet journals will make use of the Makerspace on the second floor of the Student Center. “[Wellness is] part of everyone’s journey,” Brticevich said.

“Whether they realize it or not.” lleazenby@columbiachronicle.com » IGNACIO CALDERON/CHRONICLE

FOLLOWING THE GRAND opening of the Student Center, the Wellness, Athletics and Recreation program is making the most of its new space in the Center, and its initiatives may soon branch out into the classroom as a potential wellness minor.

The college has partnered with Kinema Fitness to operate the new Fitness Center located in the Student Center, 754 S. Wabash Ave. Kinema Fitness is working with the Wellness, Athletics and Recreation, or WAR, program to reach beyond physical health to focus on other aspects of wellness, such as mental and emotional health, said Mark Brticevich, coordinator of WAR and adjunct professor in the Science and Mathematics Department.

“This body is a manifestation of what goes on in your head and your heart,” Brticevich

said. “That is what wellness is all about.”

A wellness minor may be available at Columbia “very soon,” Brticevich said, though nothing is in place yet. He said the minor would likely require six courses to complete, with each course addressing a different aspect of wellness.

“The wellness minor will be something that will go with [students] the rest of their lives,” he said. “My dream is, if the wellness minor does well, somewhere down the road we’d actually have a wellness major. We could develop some life coaches.”

Until the new minor comes to fruition, Brticevich hopes to get more students involved in wellness through the peer-to-peer Wellness Ambassador Program.

To become a Wellness Ambassador, students take a quiz to gauge their state of well-being, then attend various WAR events over the course of the year to

campus

Mark Brticevich, coordinator of WAR, teaches “Kick @ss Self-Defense,” a program that gives students tips and techniques on how to avoid being a victim of a crime.

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5

arts culture

See our guide to multicultural markets » ColumbiaChronicle.com

ASL interpreters take center stage in Chicago productions » KATHERINE SAVAGE NEWS EDITOR

» JENNIFER CHAVEZ/CHRONICLE

LIGHTS DIM, THE audience silences, a curtain opens and actors take the stage, but they are not the only ones. American Sign Language interpreters also take their position on theatre stages as the show is about to begin.

The amount of preparation and practice it takes to interpret shows often goes unnoticed, said Susan Elizabeth Rangel, an ASL interpreter and ASL director at the Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St. Prior to any show, interpreters memorize the script, listen to audio recordings of the show and sometimes watch a video of the performance, Rangel, who is deaf, said through a sign language interpreter.

When the interpreter is deaf, they have to take extra time to discuss the character’s voice and the tonal inf lections so everything matches up between ASL and the original script, Rangel said.

6 THE CHRONICLE OCTOBER 7, 2019

Beyond memorization, interpreters must also adapt to last-minute changes in the script.

“The interpreters have to be ready to change what they’re doing at a moment’s notice because we want to give [the deaf community] the same accessibility,” Rangel said. “We don’t want it to be a different experience for the hearing theatregoers and the deaf theatregoers.”

Many theatres offer closed-captioning for shows, but Rangel said this doesn’t always help the deaf community because English and ASL have different structure and grammar.

Freelance ASL interpreter Sheila Kettering, who interprets at the Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora, Illinois, said she prepares for a show for about 50 to 75 hours. She said it is important for the audio to be heard before the show so the voices and tone are correct.

“With musicals, you want your deaf audience to feel the rhythm and the melody of that music, as well,”

Kettering said. “It takes an additional component of preparation.”

She said people often wonder how a deaf person can enjoy a musical.

“Even if they can’t hear the music, they can experience the dance and the feel from the speakers; they get the rhythm,” Kettering said.

Rangel is particular about the

the Theatre Department contacts the ASL Department to pick out the perfect interpreter or interpreters for the show, Dully said.

Wilson said he wants to see accessibility options involved in the design and production of shows. Having interpreters directly shadow actors would be a step in the right direction with this, he said.

We don’t want it to be a different experience for the hearing theatregoers and the deaf theatregoers.

SUSAN ELIZABETH RANGEL

interpreters she selects for each performance, making sure they fit the role just as much as the actors.

“The characters, the culture that’s involved, the language that’s used, you have to find an interpreter that can match and have all of that inside them already,” Rangel said.

The number of interpreters at each show can vary depending on the size of the cast, said Andy Wilson, house manager and accessibility coordinator at the Goodman Theatre.

Most theatres have interpreters stand below the stage in the center. However, when the Paramount introduced interpreters in 2015, Kettering said the interpreters were either on the side with a music stand in front of them or in the seats alongside patrons.

This year, the Paramount is moving them to the front of the stage, making it easier for deaf patrons to view them, she said.

Columbia’s Getz Theater Center, 72 E. 11th St., takes requests for ASLinterpreted performances, according to Production Manager Pete Dully. When interpreters are requested,

Wilson added he would like to see an increase in the number of shows with ASL interpreters. Both the Goodman and the Paramount have one show per production run that includes ASL interpreters.

However, Wilson said they need more people using these services. He is working to connect with the deaf community to bring more people to the theatre.

“We need to do a better job of going out into the community and reaching out to folks and making them feel like this is a worthwhile investment,” Wilson said.

“If they come in and they sit down for a two-hour show, they’re not going to leave disappointed that we didn’t do it well.”

Marilyn Halperin—director of education and communications at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, 800 E. Grand Ave.— said she wants the performances to be on a regular basis, as the Shakespeare Theater has one ASL performance per production cycle.

Halperin said having closed-captioned productions could also help the deaf community and increase access to theatre.

However, she said having these show components is difficult because of the high cost of captioning.

Rangel said all the preparation and hard work pays off when she sees people in the deaf community enjoying the shows.

“If the deaf people are having the same emotions, the looks on their faces, if everything is the same, then we’ve done our job,” Rangel said. ksavage@columbiachronicle.com

arts & culture

REVIEW: ‘Here comes the cowboy’ for a sold-out show CANADIAN SINGER AND songwriter Mac DeMarco graced the Chicago stage with his unique vocals and energy, delivering expected classics and delighting the audience with a rarely performed favorite.

With back-to-back performances, the Sept. 28 sold-out show at the Riviera Theatre, 4746 N. Racine Ave., was packed wall-to-wall.

Prior to DeMarco’s set, the Japanese pop-duo Dustin Wong and Takako Minekawa kickedoff the night with rhythmic loops and percussion.

Rocking his signature hat, T-shirt, cuffed jeans and sneakers, DeMarco came skipping onstage, swinging his microphone around, starting with one of his more synth-heavy jams, “On the Level,” for his return to Chicago.

As an excited long-time fan, it was nearly impossible

to keep the camera steady while standing in front of the stage, as his powerful melody took over.

Although on tour for his latest album, “Here Comes The Cowboy,” DeMarco mostly performed his adored classics, including “Another One.” With the stage lights out, the crowd held up their phone lights to become one with the performance.

Although it was released in 2017 and is one of his most streamed songs off his “This Old Dog” album, this is the first tour DeMarco played “Still Beating” live, and fans went crazy for it.

While his discography of smooth, groovy tunes is more than enough to connect with his audience, his comfort on stage Canadian singer and songwriter Mac DeMarco brings his unique energy to Chicago for a Sept. 28 sold-out show while on tour for his latest album, “Here Comes The Cowboy,” released May 10 of this year, at the Riviera Theatre, 4746 N. Racine Ave. makes it feel like a dear friend is singing directly to each and every talent for wicked guitar riffs and Between his yelps, hearty people can’t look away from, a Mac person in attendance, with a deep, even amateur drum skills, his laughter, talk of Portillo’s Italian DeMarco show is not one to miss. soulful voice that sounds better voice isn’t the only thing he has beef, picking up bras thrown to live than on recordings. With a going for him. him on stage and dance moves kpolidori@columbiachronicle.com

Interested in sound?

You’re invited!

OPEN HOUSE

» KENDALL POLIDORI/CHRONICLE

» KENDALL POLIDORI NEWS EDITOR

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

M u s i c

D e p a r t m e n t

E v e n t s

Wednesday October 9 Wednesday Noon Guitar Concert Series 12:00 pm at the Conaway Center

Sunday, November 3rd, 11am-2pm Evanston Campus

RSVP today soundopenhouse2019.eventbrite.com OCTOBER 7, 2019 THE CHRONICLE 7

arts & culture

Dance Center begins to intertwine cultural dance and performance The focus of his work is to facilitate connections and bring projects and people from Europe TANGUY ACCART MOVED to Chicago to the U.S., and vice versa, said two years ago with one goal in Accart, cultural attaché for the mind—to build cultural connec- Consulate General of France in tions between the Midwest and Chicago. His efforts include the Europe, particularly France. first Between Gestures festival Accart said there was barely any for performance and dance in connection between them. partnership with Columbia’s

» COURTESY ALYSSA GREGORY

» KENDALL POLIDORI NEWS EDITOR

Brazilian dance artist Pol Pi makes his first appearance in Chicago Oct. 24 for Between Gestures.

Paris for two weeks to take master classes through the Centre national de la Danse, said Ellen Chenoweth, the director of the Dance Presenting Series, who also joined the students on the Dance Presenting Series. It will trip. She said the festival will allow take place Oct. 24 through Nov. Columbia students to continue to 2 at The Dance Center, 1306 S. build on the relationship.

Michigan Ave. “It is a rare opportunity to get Soon after Accart made his to see what is going on in the move to the city, he got in touch contemporary European scene with Petra Roggel, director of without actually traveling there,” the Goethe-Institut Chicago, 150 Chenoweth said. “This is a rare N. Michigan Ave. Together, the chance to see what is happening … two wanted to develop a project and be exposed to new ideas.” involving European connections, Accart said in the U.S., dance is and since both have a background used to describe movement, while in performance art, putting on a performance is used to describe performance and dance festival the art of that movement. In fit perfectly.

Europe, however, he said the disAccart said the idea for the tinction between the two words festival started small, with only is not used and dance, overall, is four performances originally set about questioning the body. to take place. Now, with a total The festival will highlight the of eight performances, panel differences between the two discussions and film screenings, dance and performance art forms he is proud of what the project through a number of panel discushas become. sions, which Roggel said she hopes “[This will] provide a better will give the right context in order understanding of what the cre- to define and connect more quickly ation is today in dance and per- with audiences. formance,” Accart said.

Along with performances at Roggel said when first beginning Columbia’s Dance Center, the to develop the festival, she and festival is also in partnership Accart were in search of strong with a variety of places in the partnerships and institutions and city that will host events as well, said, so far, Columbia is the best such as the Poetry Foundation, partner they could have imagined. Stony Island Arts Bank, the Art It was more than a year ago Institute of Chicago and the when a group of students went to Museum of Contemporary Art.

Admission for students will be $5 for performances and free for panel discussions.

Although the performances will not include Columbia students, there will be a few students taking part in panel discussions and in masterclasses with Raquel Monroe, associate professor in the Dance Department.

Chenoweth said the festival will allow the college to embrace a spirit of openness and connect students with international networks, which was her main motivation. She said the training students receive at the college prepares them to be part of international conversations, such as this festival.

Performances at the Dance Center will include Pol Pi—a Brazilian dance artist based in France—with his performance ECCE (H)OMO at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 24. Noé Soulier—a Centre national de la Danse affiliated artist born in Paris—will perform Movement on Movement at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 25.

It is both performers’ first time appearing in Chicago.

“It is a sensibilization … how to look at a body,” Roggel said. “The more we talk about it, the more we see. This will help to overcome the differences and juggle with it. ...

It will reflect much better where we come from, and why we talk of dance or performance art.” kpolidori@columbiachronicle.com

» COURTESY ALYSSA GREGORY

» COURTESY OLA MACIEJEWSKA

The first dance and performance Between Gestures festival, which connects European dance to the Midwest, takes place Oct. 24 through Nov. 2, with two performances at Columbia’s Dance Center, Oct.24-25.

8 THE CHRONICLE OCTOBER 7, 2019

The Columbia Chronicle

arts & culture

» SHANE TOLENTINO GRAPHIC DESIGNER THE CHRONICLE IS celebrating Inktober, an art challenge created by artist Jake Parker, with five Columbia-themed drawings. Inktober aims to help improve skills and develop positive drawing habits throughout the month of October.

Charlie Curtis-Beard and the 2019 Manifest “Amplify” star

Comedy performance in front of a crowd

“Moose Bubblegum Bubble” by Jacob Watts

The Columbia Renegades’ mascot, the phoenix

Columbia’s new Student Center, 754 S. Wabash Ave.

Chicago neighborhood ‘props’ up a hidden gem » JACQUELINE LUTTRELL/CHRONICLE

» JACQUELINE LUTTRELL PHOTOJOURNALIST HIDDEN IN THE Bridgeport neighborhood is the largest prop house of vintage items in Chicago.

With 36,000 square feet of items, Zap Props, 3611 S. Loomis Place, has supplied the film and TV industry with props for more than 30 years. Its items have been in movies and shows such as “A League of Their Own,” “Empire” and “Chicago Fire.” For students in the South Loop, it is a short trip on the Orange Line and the #9 Ashland bus to get there.

Zap Props, which has rented to Columbia students in the past, has a seven-day base rental period.

The dusty aisles are little slices of nostalgia, filled with street signs, old globes and even a wooden Donald Duck replica.

Items are stacked nearly to the ceiling, including old refrigerators, a hanging display of meat and photos of various hair styles. jluttrell @columbiachronicle.com

Zap Props, 3611 S. Loomis Place, is located in an unsuspecting warehouse in Bridgeport. For photographers and filmmakers, its props are a priceless resource.

OCTOBER 7, 2019 THE CHRONICLE 9

opinions

Get the latest news in your inbox by subscribing to our newsletter » ColumbiaChronicle.com

Inclusivity is not child’s play

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It’s important to be provocative in 2019 » ANTHONY KARLSSON MEDIA SALES REP

The concept of gender, especially regarding children, is a touchy subject for most parents, even those who are liberal-leaning. A mother in a Los Angeles testing group for the Creatable World doll line asked, “Is it transgender? How am I supposed to have a conversation with my kid about that?” Later, she said, “It’s just too much. Can’t we go back to 1970?” as reported Sept. 25 by Time Magazine.

But what this initiative may force parents to do is stop in the middle of the toy aisle and have a discussion they would normally avoid with their child.

Although parents can take the easy way out, it may be hard to silence the questions of a child who is genuinely curious about the inclusivity they are seeing.

Approaching the topic of profiting off of inclusion is also a slippery slope.

Come June, many companies roll out overpriced, rainbow-adorned merchandise just in time for LGBTQ+ Pride Month, yet ignore those consumers for the other 11 months of the year.

But, there are parents out there who feel the injection of this doll into the market is unnecessarily political.

We live in a “say this, not that” culture, and there is a fundamental problem with that: It constrains free thought.

Sometimes you have to push past social boundaries to get a point across—as Colin Kaepernick did in 2016 when he first knelt during the National Anthem to protest police brutality and racism.

If you go against the status quo, many people immediately assume you must not be intelligent. That in itself is ignorant and is the very reason we need to be provocative.

If we look back through history, some of the most iconic figures whom we look up to today were radicals with provocative ideas. The thought of women having rights at one time was taboo, and if it weren’t for Elizabeth Stanton and Susan B. Anthony speaking up on these controversial topics, women may not have the rights they do today.

Malcolm X spoke truth to power as he fought in the Civil Rights Movement so African Americans could have equal rights. Many people didn’t want black people to have rights, but he pushed the culture forward into a better place. It is the work of the outliers who choose to, and continue to, speak their minds whom we need to take notes from.

We shouldn’t have to be comedians or artists to say something controversial nowadays. It’s within each and every one of our constitutional rights to speak up. In an ever-changing world, students, business professionals and general citizens should be free to express their true perspectives without the fear of being judged or shamed because they hold an unpopular belief. Ignorance is an innate human quality. Everyone knows a thing or two, but we can’t know everything.

People are starting to confuse their

chronicle@colum.edu » MADDY ASMA/CHRONICLE

ith the introduction of American Girl’s first male doll and Barbie’s first hijabi doll in 2017, modern inclusivity is still a young concept.

Mattel, the toy company known for manufacturing and developing Barbie dolls, is one of many businesses to recognize this societal evolution. The company recently decided to launch a new, more inclusive type of toy.

The Creatable World doll is gender-neutral and comes in six different skin tones, includes two wigs and a variety of clothing styles and shoes. The dolls are “designed to keep labels out and invite everyone in,” according to Mattel’s website.

This is the latest action taken by a company with a 3% drop in sales during the first quarter of this year, as reported April 25 by The Wall Street Journal.

Prior to this, in 2016, the company released dolls of color and dolls of varying body types. But unlike these inclusive measures, not all parents are pleased about the idea of a doll lacking gender definition.

However, Mattel said this is not a political stance. “We’re not in the business of politics, and we respect the decision any parent makes around how they raise their kids,” Mattel’s President Richard Dickson said, as reported Sept. 25 by Time Magazine. “Our job is to stimulate imagination. Our toys are ultimately canvases for cultural conversation, but it’s your conversation, not ours; your opinion, not ours.”

The dolls, with all of their accessories, start at $29.99. While Mattel may still be raking in a profit, its decision to start the dialogue of inclusion at such a young age level is commendable.

As consumers, we can accept or dissect the reasoning companies give us for their actions.

Are they gung-ho for inclusion or are they simply trying to find a new avenue for profit? For any company that faces such a wide breadth of the population, like Mattel, it is important to look at the company’s true identity and its motives.

Are its employees

EDITORIAL representative of minority groups? Does it promote inclusivity, not just in word but in action? Is it committed to standing by its decisions regarding inclusion, or will it fold under the pressure of backlash?

We must investigate these questions and be informed consumers to support the companies that promote a common goal and boycott the ones who don’t.

It might be nice to see inclusion entering the narrow aisles of stores, but it would be even nicer to see inclusion around every corner.

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL beliefs with facts. People feel so strongly about their beliefs that if you say anything to the contrary they take it as a personal attack. We’re at a moment in time where people are scared to say what they truly believe for fear of being rejected. We can’t live in a world where people are too afraid to say something because of potential backlash from their peers. How else do we create a conversation that leads to change?

I am not advocating for saying distasteful things, but I am encouraging the expression of true opinions and beliefs. Say “no” to things you don’t believe in. Join marches and pump your fist up high. Swear in public. Talk about topics that get people riled up.

The more they hear and see it, the more you plant a seed in their mind. akarlsson@columbiachronicle.com

Editorial Board Members Alexandra Yetter Co-Editor-in-Chief Micha Thurston Digital Content & Brand Manager Margaret Smith Copy Chief Shane Tolentino Graphic Designer Breanne Jacobs Media Sales Rep Anthony Karlsson Media Sales Rep

10 THE CHRONICLE OCTOBER 7, 2019

Camilla Forte Photojournalist Dyana Daniels Staff Reporter Paige Barnes Staff Reporter Lauren Leazenby Staff Reporter Mari Devereaux Staff Reporter Knox Keranen Staff Reporter

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

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

opinions

COMMENTARY

Columbia needs to offer accessible period products » KATHERINE SAVAGE NEWS EDITOR

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» JENNIFER CHAVEZ/CHRONICLE

ksavage@columbiachronicle.com

COMMENTARY

French Montana overly sexualizes Muslim women for his own gain » YASMEEN SHEIKAH PODCAST PRODUCER

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eligious modesty has been a controversial subject for many years. Some believe it to be unjust and oppressive, while others find it allows liberation and self-identity.

Cultural appropriation and the over sexualization of women are not new issues, but after recently coming across the cover of French Montana’s new album “Montana” and its music video trailer, I realized just how low some people are willing to go for attention.

The cover shows Montana surrounded by six painted Muslim women wearing niqāb—a veil covering the entire face apart from the eyes. He is sitting in a casual position leaned forward with a controlling look in his eye. The women are seated behind him with their legs crossed. » CHARLES SYKES/AP

hile washing my hands in one of the Columbia Library bathrooms, I noticed a sign that said period products are located on the 11th floor or in the bookstore, which instantly made me angry.

If I were to get my period in the bathroom I was in and not have anything on me, I would have to go down the library elevator, walk out to the lobby and go up a different elevator to the 11th f loor.

Or, I would have to walk next door to the bookstore.

An August 2013 study by Free the Tampons, a group that advocates for free and accessible period products in public restrooms, found that of women ages 18-54, 86% have started their period unexpectedly in public without having period products on them. Additionally, only 48% reported getting a tampon or pad from a dispenser in the bathroom.

As of now, only Illinois, New York, California and New Hampshire have acts requiring high schools to have free menstrual products.

The Illinois General Assembly passed the Learn with Dignity Act in Aug. 2017. The act, which became effective Jan. 1, 2018, requires all Illinois schools, grades six through 12, to have free period products available in all bathrooms. Legislators concluded that period products are a healthcare necessity, and when

students don’t have access, it can force them to miss several days.

Colleges are not required to provide menstrual products in all bathrooms—but they should.

However, Loyola University has a student organization, Students for Reproductive Justice, that places free period products in select men’s, women’s and gender-neutral bathrooms, according to an Oct. 3 Loyola Phoenix article.

The Chronicle surveyed eight Columbia buildings to see if any of the bathrooms have period products for purchase. Most of the buildings had at least one machine in one of the bathrooms or a vending machine with period products outside the bathroom.

Lambrini Lukidis, assistant vice president of Strategic Communications and External Relations, said the machines inside bathrooms have not been functioning for 10 years. Columbia made the switch to products in vending machines because of previous issues with people vandalizing the machines and just taking the period products.

She said there is at least one vending machine in each building, with products in the vending machine usually costing $1.50. However, the Student Center, 754 S. Wabash Ave., did not have any in the vending machines.

Lukidis said she would have to look into if this was something Columbia was working on getting.

Not only is it costly to pay for these products, but additionally, going to a vending machine for a pad or a tampon can be embarrassing.

There have been several times where this has happened to me, and, because of it, I decided to go home because I was frustrated. If there had been easily-accessible products, it would have saved me from missing classes, missing assignments and even missing tests.

It would be nice to be able to make it through the day with minimal interruptions because periods already have some unpleasant side-effects, such as premenstrual syndrome and menstrual cramps. Having accessible period products would be one less thing menstruating students at Columbia have to worry about while on their period.

Montana also had all six Muslim women wearing bright red, high-heel boots. Although these are seen as fashionable in some areas of the world, it is unacceptable in Muslim-majority countries. Women undergo abuse and face jail time and lashings for dressing and behaving in certain ways.

The oppression of Muslim women

by Muslim men is an ongoing issue of masculinity, one that should not be dragged into the music scene by a man who does not care about the effects of his actions.

I am particularly appalled by the praise he receives for “connecting back to his Muslim roots.” In Islam, hijabs are worn as a devotion to God by women who— in the religion— are praised and ranked at a high status.

How dare a Muslim man sexualize Muslim women for profit? It’s discomforting this is deemed as an act of representation, rather than an outrage.

As a Muslim woman, it is extremely insulting to see the over sexualization of other Muslim women who cover themselves. The hijab is meant to protect us, yet all Montana is doing is making us look as though we are oppressed and cannot live our own lives and express our own sexuality.

Montana’s album cover makes it seem as though Muslim women have no identities and are nothing more than sexual dolls for men. Even by writing this sentence I can feel the fire burning inside of me. The fact that a Muslim man thought it was okay to share this image, and for music outlets to say he is connecting back to his roots, is absolutely enraging.

Some Twitter users disagree, though. One user—who is a Muslim woman—wrote, “Hijab and niqāb are part of Arab culture not Islam. French Montana’s video is based on his culture and not on his religion. Get the facts right before you get triggered. Idiots.”

Hijab is not a cultural thing. If it were, Arab Christians and Jews would also wear them, and that would still be considered an offensive case of cultural appropriation, and Montana would be in the wrong regardless.

We live in a time where women who cover themselves are stereotyped as oppressed, uptight and judgmental of other women who don’t dress the same.

I don’t care what a woman wears as long as she is happy, but I will never accept a man thinking he can overly sexualize a woman and say it is “for the culture.” Mr. Montana, do better. ysheikah@columbiachronicle.com

OCTOBER 7, 2019 THE CHRONICLE 11

opinions

12 THE CHRONICLE OCTOBER 7, 2019

Follow the steps of the impeachment process » ColumbiaChronicle.com » STEVEN NUNEZ/CHRONICLE

metro

E-scooters have e-normous issues, Chicagoans say » KNOX KERANEN

STAFF REPORTER

Chicago’s West Side this summer, shareable electric scooters, or e-scooters, were seen zipping up and down city streets or, in some cases, tossed haphazardly onto sidewalks, driveways and lawns, dredging up multiple concerns from residents.

In less than two weeks, the pilot program, which allowed 2,500 e-scooters— with 10 companies each providing 250 into a 50-square mile pilot area—will conclude, and citizens will await a decision on the continuation of this additional motorized traffic in the city.

Following other major U.S. cities, such as San Francisco, the Chicago Department of Transportation and the Department of

THROUGHOUT PARTS OF

Business Affairs and Consumer Protection launched its E-Scooter Share Pilot Program to run from June 15 to Oct. 15.

Logan Palmer, a 22-year-old resident of Logan Square, said he scours the sidewalks for an e-scooter to rent every morning and night to ride to and from the Logan Square Blue Line station.

“You’re living in Chicago, so you are walking all the time. Anytime I see a scooter ... it’s like a little victory,” Palmer said.

To use an e-scooter, users download the company app that corresponds to the scooter. After loading funds onto the app— generally $1 to access and 15 cents per minute to ride—an e-scooter can be unlocked.

The scooter pilot area is roughly bounded

by Irving Park Road to the north, the North Branch Chicago River and Halsted Street to

Despite the rules, sidewalks on the West Side are sometimes riddled with a maze of scooters.

the east, the South Branch Chicago River to the south and Harlem Avenue to the west, according to the city’s website.

Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th Ward), whose Near South Side Ward includes Pilsen, Chinatown and parts of the West Loop, said some residents are concerned about the disposal of scooters, but he said the program is just a test run, and if residents have concerns, they should call Chicago City Services at 311.

Huu Nguyen, a director on the board of the Logan Square Neighborhood Association, said motorized vehicles are not permitted on the Bloomingdale Trail, otherwise known as The 606—an elevated greenway and trail network that leads to the city’s northwest side—however, this has not stopped some e-scooter users from riding on it.

“It’s just dangerous … there is a lot of [pedestrian and bike] traffic up there, in varying speeds with so many mixed-uses,” Nguyen said. “I am surprised I’ve not seen anybody get clotheslined.”

The city has identified scooter traffic on The 606 as an issue and has since required the 10 companies to update their geofencing technology, making scooters slow down and eventually shut off when a user tries to ride on the trail, according to a Sept. 24 press release from BACP. That same geofencing technology prevents scooters from leaving the boundaries of the pilot area, according to the CDOT website.

But some have questioned the effectiveness of the geofencing technology.

In a July 2 tweet, Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd Ward) sarcastically wrote, “Nice job with that ‘Pilot’ program @ChicagoDOT this fella [pictured] is ‘piloting’ his ‘geofenced’ scooter at Clark and Hubbard. One mile east of the ‘Pilot Area.’

I predict a November vote to ban this crap.”

The image attached in the tweet shows a person riding a Wheels brand scooter.

Isaac Reichman, spokesperson for the BACP, said the city tested the geofencing technology of all 10 companies.

Of the 10, only Bird was cited for scooters failing to come to a complete stop when they left the pilot area, although the scooters did slow down.

Additionally, the BACP issued citations to Bird, Bolt, VeoRide and Wheels for failing to provide a timely response to complaints of not collecting scooters outside the pilot zone within two hours of being notified.

The BACP issued 39 citations since June, each costing up to $1,000. These citations include: not responding to consumer complaints within two hours, not having a light on the front of scooters and not having a functioning bell attached to scooters.

Nguyen’s priority ahead of accessibility is safety. Riders should be required to wear helmets, she said, and if they cannot afford one, the city should provide one for them.

Visit ColumbiaChronicle.com for additional reporting. kkeranen@columbiachronicle.com

OCTOBER 7, 2019 THE CHRONICLE 13

metro

» DYANA DANIELS STAFF REPORTER BLAIR DELANE HOLT was a 16-yearold student at Percy L. Julian High School riding a CTA bus home on May 10, 2007, when a gunman fired shots into the bus, fatally striking the teen in the abdomen and wounding four others. Blair was the only one to die as he shielded one of his classmates .

His school ID, a CD he made and his last school photo are among the memorabilia that make up the Gun Violence Memorial Project, part of the 2019 Chicago Architecture Biennial’s “...and other such stories” exhibition.

“When I got the call, I drove to the hospital crying all the way and running lights to get to my son. But my only child died at 16 and I will never be the same,” Annette Nance-Holt wrote as part of the exhibit.

Created by the MASS Design Group, a nonprofit architecture and design collective behind The National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Alabama, the exhibition debuted at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St., on Sept. 19 and will remain until Jan. 5, 2020.

The installation features four glass houses made of 700 bricklike shelves, containing various memorabilia from victims of gun violence, such as the 2019 high school graduation tassel of Mendell Butler-Lebel, who was killed in July 2018, the day after his 17th birthday, when shots were fired into the parking lot of a community center in Florida.

Each shelf represents one of the 700 people who die in gun-related deaths every week in America.

“We create space for the public to visualize the dignity of those that were lost, to see themselves

in it and to hopefully motivate for the end of the epidemic in any way that is possible,” said Michael Murphy, founding principal and executive director of MASS Design Group.

Nance-Holt and Pamela Bosley co-founded Purpose Over Pain, a Chicago gun restrictions advocacy group made up of parents who lost their children to gun violence. “[Their stories] moved us,” Murphy said in reference to Bosley and Nance-Holt. “It moved me in a profound way to think about what we are memorializing today.”

The memorial of Terrell Marquis’ Bosley—the son of Bosley—who was fatally shot in the parking lot of his Far South Side church in 2006 while attending choir practice, is a diorama that his mother created that symbolized his life. It includes replicas of a Christmas tree, his driver’s license, his first car and a church.

» IGNACIO CALDERON/CHRONICLE

Gun Violence Memorial Project debuts in Chicago

Visit ColumbiaChronicle.com for additional reporting. ddaniels@columbiachronicle.com

Inside each of the four glass house installations, stories of victims can be seen through their donated items and heard from speakers that hang overhead.

» CAMILLA FORTE PHOTOJOURNALIST VINTAGE 6000-SERIES TRAINS took passengers for a historic ride through the Loop in honor of Customer Appreciation Day, Oct. 1.

Built between 1950 and 1959, the vintage trains have not hosted the public since they were retired in 1992.

The event was run by members of the historic car crew, including current and retired Chicago Transit Authority employees.

For some, like Graham Garfield, coordinator for the Heritage Fleet Program and unofficial CTA historian, this was a nostalgic trip.

“For generations of Chicagoans, this is very much the quintessential ‘L’ car,” Garfield said.

The crew members also answered passengers’ questions about the train and provided commentary through a built-in speaker system during the ride.

» CAMILLA FORTE/CHRONICLE

Passengers take a ride back in time on CTA The trains are part of the CTA’s Heritage Fleet Program, which maintains historic rail cars, buses and other equipment to preserve the past through outreach events such as this one.

Meant as a thank-you to CTA riders, the Customer Appreciation Day event commemorated the CTA’s 72nd anniversary as a working institution.

John Zupko, a rail instructor from the historic car crew, got involved with the program due to his past experience as a conductor for the CTA dating back to the late 1970s.

“Being here as long as I have, I have always been fascinated by the history of the CTA,” Zupko said. “I totally embraced it when we formed the heritage … part of the CTA to show our customers what it was like back in the early days to ride the trains.” cforte@columbiachronicle.com

14 THE CHRONICLE OCTOBER 7, 2019

The 6000-series train takes passengers on 15-minute rides around the Loop, stopping to pick up more people along the way.

Rail instructor John Zupko (right) used to conduct the 6000-series trains in the the late ‘70s.

Chicago History Museum free for Columbia students » PAIGE BARNES STAFF REPORTER THIRTY MANNEQUINS STANDING

tall are dressed in silk and feathered Hollywood couture. More than 300 objects representing Chicago’s role in design during the Great Depression are displayed in glass cases. And opening soon, more than 100 Muslim Chicagoan stories will be represented through objects and in videos that will play on a loop.

All are at the Chicago History Museum, now free of charge for Columbia students.

Students, faculty and staff now have access to free admission at the Chicago History Museum, a 10% discount at the North and Clark Café and a 10% discount at the museum’s store, all located at 1601 N. Clark St., according to a Sept. 20 email from the Office of the Provost.

“It was [Virginia Heaven’s] great idea to bring more students to the

learning that have a lot to offer,” Heaven said.

Both Reid and Heaven agreed the entire process went through seamlessly.

“Both the museum and the college are very responsive to things that are going to benefit students,” Heaven said. “No one was opposed because it’s a learning opportunity.”

She said making admission free addresses the problem of students who want to visit the museum

repeatedly or attend outside of the museum’s free days, but cannot afford it.

Columbia has other university partnerships with various museums around the city, such as the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum Of Contemporary Art Chicago, which allow free admission for students with their Columbia ID. “This might be opening the way to other possible partnerships,” Heaven said. “Maybe this is the beginning of much more.” pbarnes@columbiachronicle.com » IGNACIO CALDERON/CHRONICLE

The “Silver Screen to Mainstream” exhibit features garments of Hollywood glamour expanding across all classes from the 1930s through the 1940s.

Chicago History Museum in several capacities as a way of generating more hometown energy and vigor,” said Colbey Emmerson Reid, professor and chair of the Fashion Studies Department.

Heaven, the museum’s head curator of costumes, as well as an associate professor in the Fashion Studies Department, currently has an exhibition called “Silver Screen to Mainstream” at the museum.

Reid said Heaven reached out to her in June to help facilitate the partnership. According to Reid, the collaboration took some time between the two institutions because they wanted to flawlessly execute the contracts, Reid said.

Heaven said having the opportunity for students to experience authentic pieces of history is something they may not have if they were simply watching or reading about the lesson.

“This is a perfect example of how we can get the students out of the college [and] into other places of

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