PAGE 3: Jo Cates has plans to update Columbia’s Library
PAGES 8-9: Columbia students go to great lengths to save money
PAGE 6: Smashed Plastic brings vinyl back to Chicago PAGE 13: Bernie Sanders voices support for the Chicago Teachers Union Volume 55, Issue 5
September 30, 2019
ColumbiaChronicle.com
COLUMBIA BREAKS DECADELONG ENROLLMENT SLUMP » KATHERINE SAVAGE NEWS EDITOR
After 11 years of enrollment decline resulting in faculty and staff layoffs, tuition increases and disappearing resources, President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim announced the college’s first enrollment increase since 2008. For Fall 2019, enrollment at Columbia has
» GRACE SENIOR/CHRONICLE
increased by 1.8% to 6,947 students, according to a Thursday, Sept. 26, college-wide email from Kim. This increase is compared to Fall 2018, which saw 6,825 in total enrollment, according to Institutional Effectiveness data. This spike in enrollment is a result of the large number of incoming freshmen, a 34% increase from Fall 2018. This freshman class is the “most diverse ever” with 49% of students identifying as a person of color, according to the announcement. Kim said the enrollment numbers coincide with implementing strategic plans,
academic and curricular changes, diversity initiatives, as well as an increase in financial aid. “This year, we boosted scholarship spending, in particular increasing the number of portfolio-based scholarships awarded by faculty and launching new scholarships for students at [CPS] high schools focused on the creative fields,” Kim said. He added scholarships have also been extended to high school students nationwide from the Arts Schools Network. Kim said the census also found 90% of recent Columbia graduates reported having a job within a year of earning their degree. The retention rate—the number of students who entered as a freshman and stayed
for their sophomore year—has increased by 4% from the previous year, raising this year’s retention rate to 71.5%, the highest rate on record for the college, Kim said. “We are all committed to offering quality academic and professional opportunities to every one of our students, and I am proud to reaffirm our institutional commitment to ensuring that the broadest range of students have access to these opportunities,” Kim said. “We have asked a lot of each other and been through a lot together over the last few years, so it is particularly gratifying to see things coming together.” ksavage@columbiachronicle.com
editor’s note
Do not let political apathy get in the way of a historic moment MANAGEMENT
» ALEXANDRA YETTER CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
I
n the far back of the Chronicle’s newsroom, news channels play on the TV throughout the day. So, when Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced the U.S. House would be moving forward with an official impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump, Chronicle staffers’ eyes were glued to the screen. This could be the fourth time in American history that the U.S. Congress has made significant steps to remove a sitting president—Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, who were impeached, Richard Nixon, who resigned before impeachment, and now Trump. Pelosi announced the proceedings after weeks of investigations and pushback from trigger-happy Democrats hammering for impeachment. In order to remove him from office, however, the U.S. Senate will need a two-thirds majority vote, which many politicos are skeptical will occur. If impeachment fails, the Democratic Party’s reputation may be severely battered ahead of the 2020 presidential election in November. While speaking about the news with Chronicle Faculty Adviser Curtis Lawrence, who is also an associate professor in the Communication Department, he told me this feels reminiscent of the aftermath of Nixon’s Watergate scandal in 1974. He remembers his neighbor yelling at kids outside as she watched the hearings over her jigsaw puzzle— “Watergate is on, stop running through my yard!” While the media went abuzz with Pelosi’s announcement, though, Columbia students were unimpressed— no doubt a result of the political apathy that is spreading throughout my generation and the college. I’ve heard students claim Democrats have been attempting to impeach Trump since the 2016 election, and that the official inquiry is no new feat. Complaints of the news media overblowing the inquiry have also been voiced by students on-campus, with the whole ordeal making them want to shut out the news even more. There is something simultaneously heartbreaking and mind-blowing about these responses. At a somewhat-politically active, albeit liberal-leaning school 2 THE CHRONICLE SEPTEMBER 30, 2019
CO-EDITORS-IN-CHIEF
Blaise Mesa Alexandra Yetter
MANAGING EDITOR
Miranda Manier
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Grace Senior
DIGITAL CONTENT & BRAND MANAGER
Micha Thurston
REPORTERS NEWS EDITORS
Katherine Savage Kendall Polidori Paige Barnes Isaiah Colbert Dyana Daniels Mari Devereaux Mateusz Janik Knox Keranen Lauren Leazenby
REPORTERS
such as Columbia, I expected hoots and hollers from the hallways and sidewalks after Pelosi’s announcement. Part of my fellow classmates’ reasoning for their political apathy has merit— impeachment was teased to impassioned voters after former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s testimony before Congress regarding Russia’s interference in the 2016 elections. Others are worried about the line of succession if Trump is successfully removed from office. They worry Vice President Mike Pence may actually be the greater of two evils, especially given his disgusting LGBTQ+ rights record. I cannot help but wish young people were more like Co-Editor-in-Chief Blaise Mesa, who not only watched Pelosi’s announcement, but also watched Thursday morning’s inquiry into the whistleblower complaint with rapt attention. We later chuckled at the inane questions asked by congresspeople, just as young journalists watched and mused upon the Watergate hearings of the ‘70s. “Do they know how journalism works?” Mesa asked me, chuckling, as congresspeople asked about how leaks to the media happen. Regardless of what happens, however, that does not mean young people, including those at Columbia, should ignore history being made. Years from now, people will ask each other where they were and what they were doing when Pelosi announced official impeachment proceedings, and—the spark that started it all—what they were doing when news of the Ukrainian whistleblower broke. So, listen up, Columbia—the world is watching the impeachment investigation. And you should be, too. ayetter@columbiachronicle.com
COPY COPY CHIEF COPY EDITORS
Margaret Smith Summer Hoagland-Abernathy Kaci Watt
GRAPHICS GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
Maddy Asma Jennifer Chavez Wesley Enriquez Shane Tolentino
MULTIMEDIA SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR PHOTOJOURNALISTS
Mike Rundle Ignacio Calderon Camilla Forte Jacqueline Luttrell Steven Nunez Yasmeen Sheikah
PODCAST PRODUCER
ADVERTISING/ MARKETING MEDIA SALES REPS
Breanne Jacobs Anthony Karlsson Kathryn Williams Tara Woods
Main Line: (312) 369-8977 General Manager: (312) 369-8955 Editors-in-Chief: (312) 369-8959 (312) 369-8961 Advertising: (312) 369-8984 Creative Director: (312) 369-8986 Production: (312) 369-8834 News Editors: (312) 369-8980 (312) 369-8963 Copy Chief: (312) 369-8976 Faculty Adviser: (312) 369-8905
The Columbia Chronicle is a student-produced publication of Columbia College Chicago and does not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the views of college administrators, faculty or students. All text, photos and graphics are the property of The Columbia Chronicle and may not be reproduced or published without written permission. Editorials are the opinions of the Editorial Board of The Columbia Chronicle. Columns are the opinions of the author(s). Views expressed in this publication are those of the writer and are not the opinions of The Columbia Chronicle, Columbia’s Communication Department or Columbia College Chicago. Letters to the editor must include full name, year, major and phone number. 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.
SENIOR STAFF GENERAL MANAGER FACULTY ADVISER
Travis Truitt Curtis Lawrence
Letters can be emailed to Chronicle@colum.edu or mailed to: @c cchronicle
@c cchronicle
Th
e Chronicle
The Columbia Chronicle 600 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL. 60605
campus
Columbia students dig up fossils in summer paleontology expedition » ColumbiaChronicle.com
» KATHERINE SAVAGE NEWS EDITOR AFTER A NINE-YEAR absence from Columbia, Jo Cates returned as the library director in July with much more on her desk than just book orders and budget concerns. During a time when college libraries across the country are reimagining how best to use their spaces and continuing to digitalize their collections, Cates has to “get creative” with her plans for Columbia’s library. She came back amid staffing cuts that affected the entire campus, including the library, 624 S. Michigan Ave. In 2005, when Columbia’s enrollment was 10,842, the library had a staff of 39 people, she said. Now, with a student population of 6,947, the library has a staff of 16. That would mean for every staffer in 2005, there were 278 students, and in 2019, there are 434 students per staffer. Cates said having a smaller staff now than in 2005 makes sense because with a bigger population you would need more staff. However, she does plan on hiring a few more employees to get to at least 18 staffers. At Rush University Medical Center, her previous institution, Cates said she had a 15-member staff. Rush’s Fall 2018 enrollment was 2,708, according to its census. With that headcount, there would be 181 students for every staffer. “We maintained approximately the same hours and similar services as we do at Columbia,” Cates said. “Decreasing staff is a trend and a reality among most small- to mid-size academic libraries today.” But even with challenges ahead, Cates said she is happy to be back. “I feel lucky to have a job and to come to work, and I’m looking around at this incredibly talented library staff, and one of the things I’m doing is I’m speaking
to their strengths,” Cates said. “I’m looking to realign some people with what they do best.” She is taking over for Jan Chindlund, who retired from the college in 2018, as reported July 3, 2018, by the Chronicle. Chindlund served as the library director from 2007 to 2012 and then continued as the dean of the library. Cates was at Columbia from 2001 to 2012 and held positions such as library director, dean of the library and associate vice president for academic research. During her absence, she spent time as a library director for both Rush and the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Cates said she returned to Columbia with “new knowledge” to apply. One of the challenges facing Cates involves the world-renowned Center for Black Music Research. Cates’ goal this year is to take the archives, specifically the Center for Black Music Research archives, and make them more accessible for students and connected to the curriculum at Columbia. “The downside is it’s three people [working in the archives], so this may be ... a process, but the more open and accessible we can make it in the next year or so, the better for everybody,” Cates said. Two employee positions within the Center for Black Music Research were eliminated and a third employee resigned in May, leaving many to question the future and functionality of the Center, as reported July 22 by the Chronicle. Now, a new library committee, Programming and Events, is focusing on how the library could creatively advertise the archives and other services through different events, Cates said Cates was selected from a pool of more than 100 applicants, said Suzanne Blum Malley, senior associate provost and associate professor in the English and Creative Writing
» CAMILLA FORTE/CHRONICLE
Library puts ‘glorious changes’ in motion following staffing reductions
Jo Cates, Columbia’s returning library director, hopes to introduce changes that will better align with student needs.
Department, who looked at Cates’ overall career, not just her time at Columbia. “She had a track record of proven improvements to library services for students and faculty while maintaining high morale [among] her staff,” Blum Malley said. Cates has extensive knowledge about the inner-workings of libraries. In 2013, she wrote a case study for the Journal of Academic Librarianship. The study centered around how staff should respond if a library were destroyed by a natural disaster, such as a hurricane. She explored what would happen to all of the destroyed materials and how that space would then be used. One new idea Cates plans to implement is the library’s own version of a Genius Bar—a concierge-style support team that helps connect customers to the right services, and is based on a tool by Apple. The library’s version will be a central hub for information in one place, she said. During her time at Rush, Cates created a similar type of program. Blum Malley said she is already seeing some of the work Cates has done, specifically how the library is working with being more available to students. She added, “They’re working on cross-team training so any staff member the student runs into can help them with something or take them directly to where they need to go.”
To manage workflow, “self-directed” teams will be created to focus on a specific task rather than having one person do it, Cates said. For instance, several years ago, Columbia had an intellectual property librarian, a title that no longer exists. Now, it will have a “copyright awareness team,” whose purpose is to help students find resources regarding copyright. Cates has been meeting with deans, department chairs and faculty to get a sense of what they and the students need. Several faculty members she spoke with said they want a greater focus on research tools. “We can ... return to our core mission of providing access to high-quality information resources and teaching our students how to evaluate them and use them,” Cates said. Craig Sigele—academic manager and part-time faculty member in the Communication Department and United Staff of Columbia College union president—said the Communication Department has a good relationship with the library and he hopes to see it become more engaged with faculty. Sigele said he wants to see the library connecting more with the curriculum and helping students fulfill course requirements. “It’d be really helpful if they had tutorials built into the library site where a student can be ... reminded how to use a database,” Sigele said. “The more
digitally-integrated they are in the curriculum, the better.” After talking with students, Cates said her biggest concerns are about the space the library provides. “One of the themes in the upcoming year is creating the best space we can for our students. And part of that is cleaning it up and getting rid of clutter,” Cates said. Cates plans on getting rid of some of the broken and mismatched furniture the library has acquired over the years. She also wants to promote wellness in all aspects by having more alternative seating, such as exercise balls. Cates said students should be able to see these changes in the spring. Senior marketing major Alex Foster enjoys having a place to go between classes, with the library being one of them. Foster said she would love to see the library renovated because “it’s really old.” Cates wants the library to be a space where students can search for exactly what services it offers without feeling confused about where to find the resources they need. “After we’ve had a chance to see if any of these plans have legs,” Cates said, “I’m pretty convinced we’re going to see some glorious changes, which translate into wonderful, better [and] more services for you all.” ksavage@columbiachronicle.com
SEPTEMBER 30, 2019 THE CHRONICLE 3
campus
» LAUREN LEAZENBY STAFF REPORTER ONE NIGHT, ON a small ranch in 1980s Illinois, two children and their grandfather are forced to defend their livelihood as a wolf wreaks havoc on the family farm. Directed by 2018 cinema art and science alumnus Nathan Marquez and produced by senior cinema art and science major Jazmin Bryant, “A Wolf Comes at Night” made its debut Sept. 29 in the Culture and Diversity Film Festival held in the Ruby Theatre of The Complex Hollywood, 6476 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, California. The film follows Lucy, her brother, Leo, and their grandfather over the course of the night as the wolf destroys their farm. The grandfather expects Leo to act as the man of the house in the face of the threat. “[The grandfather] grabs a gun, and he tells Leo to go out-
side and to handle it, to be the man that he wants him to be,” Marquez said. “Lucy, in the moment, does something that surprises everyone.” The project was produced in practicum, an advanced cinema and television arts workshop course built to mimic the process of working in a film studio. “The department and the faculty that teaches practicum serve a little bit like what a studio would in Hollywood,” said Carolina Posse, an assistant professor and producing coordinator in the Cinema and Television Arts department. Bryant and Marquez worked on the project in the Spring 2018 semester, but the process of making a film takes much longer than fifteen weeks—closer to a year and a half, Posse said. The theme of the film centers on disrupting traditional ideas of femininity and masculinity, Bryant said.
“It really is about switching gender roles and understanding that women have the same power that men do,” she said. The film also features an allblack cast, including Chicago actor Cedric Young, known for his role as Sonny on “The Chi.” “It was very important for us to have a cast that was all minority,” Bryant said. “For the director, that was really important.” Five scripts are chosen by the department for placement in the practicum pool. In the semester prior to the shoot, students apply and interview for “creative head” positions, such as producer or director. During the semester, the class meets four hours a day, two days per week, which is a lot of work, Bryant said, but it exposes students to how the industry operates. Even after the end of the semester, work on the film does not cease.
» COURTESY JAZMIN BRYANT
‘A Wolf Comes at Night’ goes to Hollywood
Jazmin Bryant, a cinema art and science major, produced the film “A Wolf Comes at Night” in a Columbia practicum course.
“We continue in post-production, working on the edit, coloring, facts, sound design [and] credits,” Posse said. Marquez said the practicum course taught him to keep a consistent passion for his projects. “At the end of the day, if it’s your project, no one else is going to be the most passionate one about it,” he said. As for consistency, Marquez said post-production involved reaching out to a number of film festivals.
Bryant said the team wanted to pick festivals within the film’s niche—those with a focus on diversity and animals, as the wolf in the film was a real dog on set. The Culture and Diversity Film Festival is the first festival to screen “A Wolf Comes at Night.” “To see it in Los Angeles, in Hollywood, is just a dream come true, even if it is just a student film,” Marquez said. “But it’s a project that we worked really hard on.” lleazenby@columbiachronicle.com
Chicago - South Loop S. State St. & E. Harrison St. In University Center, by Wing Stop 312-588-1010 SportClips.com/IL205___
$12
MVP Haircut
MVP Haircut
Reg. MVP Varsity Price: $28; Jr./Sr. Price: $25. Not valid with any other offer. Void if bartered, copied, traded or sold. Valid only at South Loop Location Only.
Reg. MVP Varsity Price: $28; Jr./Sr. Price: $25. Not valid with any other offer. Void if bartered, copied, traded or sold. Valid only at South Loop Location Only.
EXPIRES 1/31/2020 • CODE: 2050
EXPIRES 1/31/2020 • CODE 2052
for New Clients • Valid ID Required
1101 S. Wabash | 312-488-0820 | meisasian.com
4 THE CHRONICLE SEPTEMBER 30, 2019
$5 Off for Returning Clients
Columbia bookstore turns a new page » PAIGE BARNES STAFF REPORTER
complete nuisance to the staff,” she said. Under Follett’s layout, an employee needed to pull the books if a student wanted them, Now, anyone can access them, Gilstrap said. The aisles are also wider under the new format, making them more accessible and compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Barnes and Noble-specific merchandise has made its way into the store as well, said Griffen MacCorkle, 2019 acting alumnus and bookstore cashier. However, the bookstore still contains a mix of leftover merchandise from Follett like T-shirts, sweatshirts and pants. “There’s a lot of variety to give options if you want to buy some Columbia clothing or Chicago clothing … or looking to get some school merchandise for your family and friends,” said Jayson Hallberg, sophomore animation major. “This is the place to go.”
People passing by on Michigan Avenue can now admire the student artwork featured in the window fronts. MacCorkle said he recently put up drawings and paintings on the pillars of the bookstore and thinks they will receive more student artwork soon. Featuring art is essential for a school like Columbia, and allows the school to support its students, said junior multimedia photojournalism major Mary Plazak. Gilstrap said a committee will
select student’s artwork in a “fair” way through the provost’s office. “The richness of our college in terms of diversity is what makes us great,” he said referring to the range of majors represented at Columbia. “But it also makes tackling some of these challenges that more traditional schools don’t [face] tougher for us.” Visit ColumbiaChronicle.com for additional reporting. pbarnes@columbiachronicle.com » STEVEN NUNEZ/CHRONICLE
FROM EYE-CATCHING student artwork, Chicago-themed merchandise and new designs for Columbia apparel, students who go inside the campus bookstore to pick up textbooks are being met with a fresh new layout. In partnership with Barnes and Noble College, Columbia’s bookstore, 624 S. Michigan Ave., is hoping to attract more students under new management, as reported Aug. 12 by the Chronicle. “I’ve definitely noticed the [new] variety,” said senior fashion studies major Jonnique Beadle. “Being a major [that focuses on design], I could see they expanded and did a lot of work on it because ... last year, it was just basic.” When the contract with Follett, the previous operator, ended, the college made the decision to solicit offers for a new partner to run the bookstore. Barnes and
Noble College was chosen based on its ability to provide a “value proposition” to lower price points on books, said Bryon Gilstrap, director of procurement and administrative services. In its proposal, Barnes and Noble College guaranteed to price match with Amazon, something that appealed to the leaders of the college. After evaluating it, the price point was calculated to be cheaper through Barnes and Noble College than Follett, Gilstrap said. Junior social media and digital strategy major Megan Troglio said she noticed generic books are cheaper now, but there was not a noticeable enough change in cost regarding textbooks. “It’s an arm and a leg either way,” Troglio said. Troglio liked the new layout for the displays because it provided greater accessibility when buying textbooks. “I can find it without being a
campus
Students appreciate the clean layout and Barnes and Noble merchandise at the campus bookstore, 624 S. Michigan Ave.
DELILAH’S 2771 N. Lincoln * (773) 472-2771
PUNK ROCK MONDAYS $1 American Beer
$2 Jim Beam
Free Pool !!! Free Whiskey Tastings !!! Thursdays in September @ 8pm SEPTEMBER 30, 2019 THE CHRONICLE 5
arts culture
Sign up for our weekly Newsletter » ColumbiaChronicle.com
» KENDALL POLIDORI NEWS EDITOR
Record Pressing, on the corner of Diversey and Tripp avenues, one steamless machine is the source of all the vinyl-making magic, which runs completely on a closed hot water system, the only plant in the U.S. to utilize this process. The magic of creating fresh vinyl leads to a different listening experience for music lovers, which has led to a dramatic uptick in the sale of vinyl, with $14 million in sales in 2017 alone, the highest earnings since 1991. After 30 years of nonexistent vinyl production in the city, Smashed Plastic, 4200 W. Diversey Ave., blossomed under owner and Chicago DJ Andy Weber. At the plant, the machine melts PVC pellets into a long chord, which wraps around a puck-like mold. After the pellets melt into a record, the machine picks up a top and bottom label and bakes them right into the record. A pin then comes down to screw everything in place, the thick steel element inside is pushed out and water runs through coils in the mold—first hot, AT SMASHED PLASTIC
then cold. A plate then sandwiches the record in place and cuts its edges. The machine then grabs the record, places it on a spindle and completes the job. Excess plastic and water is reused for the next order. While other U.S. companies produce vinyl, none have the Chicagoesque touch of Smashed Plastic, where Chicago-based artists comprise 95% of their sales. “We started out thinking really small, and now, all of a sudden, it ballooned into what we are doing now,” Weber said. Tied to the Chicago music scene, Weber witnessed the difficulty artists faced ordering vinyls from companies outside the city. Weber said he knew from the beginning he wanted to have an “open-door policy,” a place where artists can physically go and see their music made into a vinyl product. With an ability to connect to artists personally and a knowledge of music, Weber’s passion goes beyond the listening aspect. “There is a warmth to [vinyl]. There is a more authentic reproduction of the sound. ... It is almost its own instrument,” Weber said. “[This] is what people are drawn to.” Chicago-based heavy psychedelic group
6 THE CHRONICLE SEPTEMBER 30, 2019
» CAMILLA FORTE/CHRONICLE
Smashed Plastic brings vinyl production to Chicago after 30 years
(Left) Since February 2019, Smashed Plastic Record Pressing has produced vinyls for artists with 95% sales from Chicago-based bands. (Right) Andy Weber, owner of Smashed Plastic Record Pressing, 4200 W. Diversey Ave., walks the Chronicle through Chicago’s only vinyl production company.
REZN produced their first two vinyl records in the Netherlands. But, for their latest record, “Live at Electrical Audio,” the band collaborated with another Chicago band, Lume, and used Smashed Plastic’s production for an all-around Chicago-centric piece of work. Spencer Ouellette, who plays modular synthesizer and saxophone for REZN, said it was difficult to get vinyl produced overseas, specifically regarding shipping. He said it made sense to have their record produced and sold in Chicago, because both groups are based in the city. “It is good representation of what Chicago is capable of producing physically in the music scene,” Ouellette said. Recording music for vinyl is different because it is made to exist physically, rather than as a modified version in the streaming world. For that reason, the two bands recorded the tracks live, with no touchups—something they had not done before, Ouellette said. “There is an ownership factor to it,” Weber said. “It is something tangible.”
As for working alongside Smashed Plastic, Ouellette said the best part for him was the easy access to collaboration. “[They] have no shame in sharing their excitement … We really felt like we were in good hands, just based on their enthusiasm,” Ouellette said. Jake Walczyk, a La Grange resident and manager for Ritt Momney, an indie group who produced “Her and All of My Friends” with Smashed Plastic, said it was important for them to establish a relationship with Chicago companies. After working with a California company and having issues, Walczyk said producing vinyl with Smashed Plastic is convenient and personal. If the company continues to grow at the right rate, Weber said it will eventually add two additional machines, along with completing store renovations. Live shows and podcasts will soon be on-deck for Smashed Plastic Record Pressing. “This is a passion project for all of us,” Weber said. kpolidori@columbiachronicle.com
arts & culture
» PAIGE BARNES STAFF REPORTER IN SP IR ED BY “ T HE Vagina Monologues,” a new comedy show, “The P*ssy Paragraphs,” introduces stories on body, gender and sexuality through a transgender-affirmative and intersectional female lens. “The Vagina Monologues” was written by Eve Ensler in 1990 and inspired women at the time to talk about their bodies in a new way. But Madeline Brittingham, senior music business management major and “The P*ssy Paragraph’s” executive producer, said Ensler’s production was not inclusive and did not allow the women featured to tell their own stories. Now, the cast and crew of “The P*ssy Paragraphs” will bring its hour-long show to life, hoping that audience members will feel empowered to tell their own stories after the performance, Brittingham said. “There is a great value in telling
a variety of stories from a variety of different backgrounds and experiences,” Brittingham said. “A big part of that value also comes from them telling their own story and being able to put their own spin on it.” The show will run for four weeks at the Laugh Out Loud Theater, 3851 N. Lincoln Ave., at 8 p.m. on Oct. 11, 18, 25 and Nov. 1. Tickets are $10 for students and $15 for general admission and are available on the Laugh Out Loud Theater’s website. The creators of “The P*ssy Paragraphs” recognized that in order for the production to be truly inclusive, it was necessary to use transgender-inclusive language, Brittingham said, in reference to the asterisk in the title of the show. “Pussy has a very cis-female connotation to it,” she said. “Not everyone who identifies as a woman has a vagina, [nor] everyone who has a vagina identifies as a woman.” The show initially started out as a sketch written by 2018 comedy
writing and performance alumna Lucy Brooks for her semester at Second City, said Bethany Schmieder, senior comedy writing and performance major. In May, Brooks came to Schmieder and Brittingham with the project idea. “We wanted to find that balance of taking ourselves seriously, [and taking] people’s struggles and stories seriously,” said Schmieder, the show’s stage manager, “but, also using comedy as a way to make it more palatable for the audience.” River Coello, a writer and performer in the show, said the project was appealing because of the trans-affirmative lens the show has and how inclusive it is for transgender and nonbinary people. “I feel very ready to share these parts of myself,” Coello said. “They’re a part of my story that I have watered and nurtured for a very long time.” Coello acknowledged the crowd may not be ready to take in transgender experiences, but Coello is prepared to be
Columbia alumna, director and producer Rachel Relman at the premiere of her TV pilot “Kings and Queens.”
element among their films, meaning most filmmakers are part of the community, and LGBTQ+ characters are not restricted to coming out and transitioning clichés. “It’s lovely to keep reminding the world we’re here and we’re queer,” Knight said. “We’re not just watching movies, we’re making movies.” mdevereaux@columbiachronicle.com
» COURTESY MADELINE BRITTINGHAM
‘The P*ssy Paragraphs’: A new and freeing, trans-affirmative comedy show
» JACQUELINE LUTTRELL ⁄CHRONICLE
LGBTQ+ film festival ‘dazzling’ audiences
get together and watch films that be so heavy, they can be lightspeak to intersectionality. hearted and fun. And I think that “It’s great for our own commu- is conveyed pretty well in the pilot,” nity to come out and support and Relman said. see the vast experiences that we She hopes the show will help the all have,” Knight said. “To see it drag scene in the city gain more » MARI DEVEREAUX Brenda Webb, the executive all in one place is kind of dazzling.” visibility and inspire scriptwriters STAFF REPORTER director of Chicago Filmmakers Since he began his career as a to produce their own content. who founded Reeling in 1981, film critic, Knight said a lot has Director, executive producer FROM GAY THRILLERS to docu- thanked the crowd for coming out changed in the entertainment and actor Michael Cicetti’s farmentaries, lesbian vampires to support the work of indepen- industry, with TV shows like cical series “5A5B” follows the to side-splitting comedies and dent filmmakers. “Pose” on FX, featuring transgen- lives of New York City neighbors dramedies, Reeling: The Chicago “Very few of them will ever be der characters of color, and movies Kev, a gay geek, and Jan, a straight LGBTQ+ International Film seen in a movie theatre,” Webb such as “Love, Simon.” suburban divorcee. Fes t iva l showca sed d iverse, said. “Film festivals are one of the “Probably the most exciting thing “I really wanted to create a piece r arely-seen queer films. few opportunities to see films like is there seems to be a much more that spoke to the energy and the On opening night of the 37th this in a theatre.” mainstream appetite for queer- friendship dynamic … between gay annual festival Sept. 19, hundreds The 11-day festival hosted a themed stuff,” Knight said. “Now, men and straight women,” Cicetti gathered at the Music Box Theatre, unique lineup of 51 programs, there’s a whole bunch of shows said. 3733 N. Southport Ave., to watch including feature films, short with queer characters.” Cicetti wanted the piece to conthe premiere, “The Shiny Shrimps,” films and web series, also shown Rachel Relman, 2016 comedy vey the two demographics’ “shared a French film about a gay amateur at Landmark’s Century Centre writing and performance alumna, fears, neurosis, insecurities and water polo team coached by a Cinema, 2828 N. Clark St., and who wrote, directed and produced desires.” homophobic Olympic champion. Chicago Filmmakers, 5720 N. the independent TV pilot “Kings While it was a challenge to creThe audience roared with Ridge Ave. and Queens,” was inspired to make ate his own commercial entity laughter and teared up in silence Richard Knight Jr., features a “dramedy” series after immers- as an independent showrunner, as the movie navigated issues of programming director, said as ing herself in Chicago’s drag scene. Cicetti said making “5A5B” and generational divides, transphobia the second longest-running Relman said queer stories, while being part of Reeling was worth and illness using sassy one-liners, LGBTQ+ film festival in the U.S., often dramatic, have lots of come- it for the LGBTQ+ representation. smart humor and poignant scenes, Reeling is an important place for dic potential. “Inherent queerness,” Knight setting the tone for the festival. the queer community and allies to “Our lives don’t always have to said at Reeling, is the central
Cast and production team of “The P*ssy Paragraphs” celebrated raising more than $800 from their fundraiser show in July and over $700 from their GoFundMe.
vulnerable and celebrate those experiences. Director Sam Mauceri said the show matters because of the lack of transgender representation in the media. “Trans people face innumerable difficulties in our lives that are imposed upon us by the society in which we live,” they said. “We don’t get to see ourselves in any media representation. ... We deserve better.” Mauceri said everyone should care about seeking out these “fresh
and exciting” stories because transgender people exist all around and make art that is universal to all human experiences. Writer and performer KC Horne said audience members don’t need an invitation to feel welcomed. “You may not have the same experiences as any of our castmates, [or] maybe you will,” Horne said. “But, we are going to invite you in and bring you along for the ride.” pbarnes@columbiachronicle.com
SEPTEMBER 30, 2019 THE CHRONICLE 7
feature
Oh, the lengths Columbia students w
» BLAISE MESA CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF WHEN RIDING THE South Shore Line, you are supposed to keep your feet off the seat. Tricia Parent ignores this rule, opting to keep her feet propped up. The South Shore Line is just one leg in Parent’s approximately hour-and-a-halflong commute from Michigan City, Indiana, to Chicago. Parent, a senior animation major, does not commute because she wants to—she commutes to save money, an estimated $14,000 a year in savings, she said. Columbia is one of the better animation schools in the country, which is why Parent comes to Chicago four times a week for classes and work, she said.
“It’s just a lot cheaper,” she said. “I couldn’t afford to live in Chicago; I couldn’t afford room and board.” But her commute is more than just a train ride. After the approximately 80-minute train commute back to Michigan City, she gets in her car to drive an additional 20 minutes. Although the drive from Parent’s home in Indiana to Chicago would be faster than her commute on the South Shore Line, she said taking the train saves her more money. South Shore trains run less frequently than Metra trains. Parent can choose between three South Shore Line trains that run at 5:30 a.m., 6:40 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. On her commute home, she has another three options: the 9:16 p.m., the 11:06 p.m. or the 12:51 a.m. train.
“I have to pray to God my teachers let me leave at nine. Otherwise, I’m [in Chicago] until midnight,” Parent said. If she misses the 9:16 p.m. train, she does not get home until around 1:40 a.m. “Then, I turn around and take a 7 o’clock train in the morning,” she said. Parent has never been at the station until midnight before, but once the train came on the wrong platform, and she and her fellow commuters had to rush over to the other platform to catch the train. “You [have] to be real dedicated to commute this long.” Parent’s mornings start at 4:30 a.m. so she can get to the train. She uses the gym at the Student Center in between classes. But shuffling in workout times is not her only headache.
Parent said it is hard to make friends because her time is split in between Indiana and Chicago. She is either at school or working too often to make friends in Indiana, and she does not want to make the trip to Chicago any more frequently. Ayesha Chaudhary, coordinator of psychiatry at Duke University’s counseling center, said commuters can lose the opportunity to make social connections. Chaudhary said time on the train is time not spent with friends or developing meaningful connections. However, one expert said efforts to avoid piling on student debt can have long-term dividends. Betsy Mayotte, president and founder of The Institute of Student Loan Advisors, said students should try to reduce » MIKE RUNDLE/CHRONICLE
Tricia does some of her homework on the train, but does not do her animation homework on her commute. “I get too sucked into it, and I would never leave the train,” she said. Parent said on-board WiFi is not always reliable. She prefers New York City trains, partially because they run at all hours. “These trains suck,” she said.
8 THE CHRONICLE SEPTEMBER 30, 2019
feature
will go to shave off student expenses the amount of loans they take out. She said every $10,000 borrowed generally takes 10 years to pay back, but some repayment programs can take up to 25 years to repay. “The idea of having the debt hanging over their heads for that amount of time can be overwhelming for borrowers,” Mayotte said. Even students living in Chicago may still have long commutes. Approximately 70% of Columbia students do not live in campus dorms, according to Institutional Effectiveness. Nine percent of college students reported being homeless in 2017, and 36% of students were food- or housing-insecure during 2017, as reported by the Chronicle April 16, 2018.
According to the Journal of International Education Research, about twothirds of college students balance work, families, school and commutes. Some students cut down the commute by living closer to campus. For about the same rent as they would pay in a Columbia dorm, Aaron Atkins, sophomore comedy writing and performance major, shares his Gold Coast studio apartment with his girlfriend, Isabella Dillman, senior comedy writing and performance major, who helps cover monthly expenses. Atkins acknowledged he could have rented a one-bedroom apartment for approximately the same price or lower elsewhere in the city, but said he cared more about the location than the unit.
Atkins’ studio is a 15-feet by 11-feet, $1,200 studio apartment that could be covered by a single area rug. Because of the tight spaces, he and Dillman use a pull-out couch and can even cook dinner in the kitchen while sitting on the couch. According to Columbia’s website, the cheapest dorm option is a small, double occupancy shared apartment in the Dwight Lofts dorm, 642 S. Clark St. The unit costs $10,320, or about $1,200 a month, for the academic year. The total undergraduate tuition cost per semester for this academic year is $16,327, according to the college’s website, while the cost for students living without their parents is $24,327 per semester including room and board. Atkins is also not using student loans
to pay for his studio apartment, as some students living in dorms do. Mayotte said interest and certain repayment plans can double the cost of a dorm for student borrowers. Atkins is able to spend the savings on classes at Second City and production shows. But even in a nicer neighborhood in the city, the lack of space is detrimental to Atkins and Dillman. “There’s no stimulation here,” Atkins said. “You do get stir crazy. Chaudhary said anxiety can impair someone’s ability to concentrate, sleep and have fun. “It feels claustrophobic in here,” Atkins said. “You feel anxious, and it’s hard to be creative.” bmesa@columbiachronicle.com » MIKE RUNDLE/CHRONICLE
Isabella Dillman [above, right] loves to cook, but said cooking in a studio is a nightmare, as she occasionally uses the couch as a countertop. However, Atkins [above, left] doesn’t cook as much. “Microwave dinners are the move,” Aaron Atkins said. “Anyone in a studio [apartment] will tell you that.”
SEPTEMBER 30, 2019 THE CHRONICLE 9
“Back to School Essentials” video pressures Americans to take action against gun violence » ColumbiaChronicle.com EDITORIAL
Presidential deportation figures do not tell the whole story
W
hile former President Barack Obama earned the nickname “Deporter-in-Chief” for his high number of deportations, compared to President Donald Trump, Obama was the lesser of two evils. The Obama administration was responsible for approximately 385,000 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportations each year from 2009 to 2011, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, collected by Axios, a news and information website specializing in politics. Trump deportations hit 226,119 in fiscal 2017, then ticked up to more than 250,000 in fiscal 2018, according to the same data source. They have hit an administration high of 282,242 as of June, with one-third of the fiscal year left. While Obama’s deportation numbers and rationale behind them are worth exploring, simply comparing numbers side by side does not explain the difference in ideology between the two
presidents regarding immigration. Beginning as far back as his 2016 campaign, Trump has promoted fear of anyone and anything beyond our borders. His new isolationism is the opposite of Obama’s globalization. Our hopes of garnering strong relationships with other countries and improving our future as a whole is waning. On Sept. 25, 2018, Trump told the U.N. General Assembly, “We reject the ideology of globalism and accept the doctrine of patriotism.” Obama, however, promoted teaming up with other countries. “There are enormous benefits to be gained from global integration,” Obama said during a July 9, 2016, address to the NATO. This dichotomy illustrates the two president’s positions on U.S. foreign policy, specifically immigration. Obama’s deportations were high, in part due to the Secure Communities program, which was established in 2008 under President George W. Bush. The Secure Communities program
allowed ICE to access fingerprints and information of individuals booked in participating jails. If these individuals were flagged as undocumented, they could face deportation. In 2011, Secure Communities was active in 1,595 jails across 44 states and territories, including Illinois. However, Cook County did not participate. The Secure Communities program led to more than 142,000 individuals being deported by ICE that year, according to the American Immigration Council. Since Secure Communities was suspended in 2014, deportations have decreased. Trump reactivated the program in 2017, resulting in more than 43,300 program-related deportations that year alone, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. If we want an administration that will
fight for immigrant rights, we simply need to remove the current president from office. These actions may already be underway as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced an official impeachment inquiry. It’s the duty of Americans to follow through with our desires for a more inclusive nation. We can do so by making sure we are registered to vote, researching the candidates and exercising our constitutional right. If not for you, do it for the immigrants who are either undocumented and unable to, or will not because of fear of being kicked out of a country that promised long ago to take in “your tired, your poor/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” chronicle@colum.edu
1. ENROLL IN COLLEGE 2. MOVE TO CHICAGO 3. EAT DEEP DISH PIZZA 4. GO TO CLASSES 5. VISIT THE BEAN 6. MAKE MEDIA Eager for experience on sets, in writers rooms and in edit bays? Frequency TV is Columbia College Chicago student’s opportunity to get started.
frequencytv.colum.edu/volunteer
frequencytv.com
@frequencytv
Editorial Board Members Blaise Mesa Co-Editor-in-Chief Kendall Polidori News Editor Katherine Savage News Editor Summer Hoagland-Abernathy Copy
Editor
Jennifer Chavez Graphic Designer Maddy Asma Graphic Designer Camilla Forte-Silva Photojournalist Ignacio Calderon Photojournalist Breanne Jacobs Media Sales Rep
10 THE CHRONICLE SEPTEMBER 30, 2019
Paige Barnes Staff Reporter Dyana Daniels Staff Reporter Lauren Leazenby Staff Reporter Knox Keranen Staff Reporter Mari Devereaux 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
» WESLEY ENRIQUEZ/CHRONICLE
opinions
opinions
R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to actually do it » GRACE SENIOR CREATIVE DIRECTOR
N
owadays, when people talk about respecting others, it is automatically assumed that it applies only to elders or people of authority. That needs to change. Having grown up in a fairly traditional household, my parents always
to want to understand why people have the opinions they do and where those may stem from. If after respectful debate there is still a disagreement, then it should be left at that. We do not have to hate each other, we can just live with the fact that we disagree. If you can understand why you disagree with someone, you’ve learned something anyway, and, hopefully, also taught them something about your viewpoint, as well. We have to understand—our brain is programmed to dislike what it doesn’t understand, but, much like me and math, we can train our brains to be curious instead of closedoff. With a mindset that seeks to understand, rather than rebuke, we may be able to see how we, as humans, essentially want the same things—to live and be understood—no matter our political differences. Take into account how we think and talk about politicians, especially President Donald Trump. It is so common in today’s society to talk about what we hate about a certain person in power with no respect toward them. Bear in mind, there’s a difference between respectfully disagreeing
» GRACE SENIOR/CHRONICLE
COMMENTARY
pushed the idea that children must respect those around them, and, growing up, I knew that meant every person I encountered deserved respect. Too often, I hear people disrespectfully speak about those who have different opinions than them. In doing so, however, there is a bitterness and closed-mindedness directed toward others’ thoughts and opinions. It is important—especially in today’s divisive world—that people learn to respect others, not because of who they are or what they think, but because everyone is human. Navigating life is hard enough as it is, and breeding hate from disrespect on differing opinions is unnecessary and causes more problems in the long run. In my own life, I’ve had a lot of opportunities to form relationships with people who have different experiences than me—I spent a lot of my childhood in Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand, places where culture and respect are different from the U.S. You could not walk down the street and hear people gripe about other people, like one can here. Instead of taking the easy way out, we need to train ourselves
with someone’s policies and blatantly disrespecting their humanity. This expands to how we speak about politicians in general, because of the nature of their work and how the decisions they make impact a large portion of people. Just because they are politicians does not mean that anyone should demonize or dehumanize them. When people only speak on what they dislike about someone or their policy stance, it only breeds more disdain among mankind, and makes us less likely to focus on a common goal that we all agree with—making carbs healthy. gsenior@columbiachronicle.com
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 2 Wednesday Noon Guitar Concert Series at the Conaway Center
12:00 pm
Thursday October 3 Student Piano & Strings Recital #2 at the Sherwood
7:00 pm
Friday October 4 Music Faculty Showcase 1:00 pm Classical Guitarist Alberto Quintanilla in Concert 7:00 pm at the Sherwood
SEPTEMBER 30, 2019 THE CHRONICLE 11
opinions
3730 N. CLARK ST METROCHICAGO.COM @ METROCHICAGO
EMPIRE PRODUCTIONS WELCOMES
BOY HARSHER
CAVE IN
SPELLLING / FEE LION SCARY LADY SARAH WED OCT 09
WAR ON WOMEN SWEET COBRA LAZER/WULF THU OCT 10 GREEN BALLOON TOUR
TIGER ARMY
TANK AND THE BANGAS
SADGIRL KATE CLOVER SUN OCT 13
PELL WED OCT 16
SAT NOV 02: A METRO + SMARTBAR ALL BUILDING EVENT
23 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE
ABIGAIL & ZOOEY GLASS, ANTHONY ROTHER, ARIEL ZETINA, DANNY DAZE, GARRETT DAVID, HARRY CROSS, DJ HEATHER, HIJO PRÓDIGO, JAMES MURPHY (EXTENDED DJ SET), JEFF DERRINGER, JUSTIN AULIS LONG, LA SPACER (LIVE), MICHAEL SERAFINI, DJ MINX, NISHKOSHEH, OLIN, PHILLIP STONE, SASSMOUTH, SEVRON, SOLD, T. MIXWELL + MORE! FRIDAY OCT 04 / 7:30PM / ALL AGES Madison House & 1833 present The Polly People US Tour with
GUS DAPPERTON SPENCER.
SATURDAY OCT 05 / 8:30PM / ALL AGES A Very Emotional Tour with
EMOTIONAL ORANGES CHIIILD
FRIDAY OCT 11 / 7PM / ALL AGES
THE REGRETTES GREER / HALA
SATURDAY OCT 12 / 8PM / ALL AGES
HALF•ALIVE SURE SURE
12 THE CHRONICLE SEPTEMBER 30, 2019
THURSDAY OCT 17 / 7PM / 18+ Empire Productions welcomes
NAPALM DEATH & MUNICIPAL WASTE SICK OF IT ALL / TAKE OFFENSE SATURDAY OCT 19 / 21+
GHOSTLY 20
8PM IN METRO: TOBACCO / SHIGETO (LIVE) DRAMA / STEVE HAUSCHILDT / SV4 (DJ) 10PM IN SMARTBAR: CIEL (DJ) GALCHER LUSTWERK (DJ) / JTC SHIGETO x CHARLES TREES (DJ) SUNDAY OCT 20 / 6PM / ALL AGES
THE WONDER YEARS HOMESAFE / FUTURE TEENS
THURSDAY OCT 24 / 9PM / 18+ American Darkness Tour 2019 with
CHELSEA WOLFE IOANNA GIKA
FRIDAY OCT 25 / 9PM / 18+ The Middle Passage Tour with
IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE CHINO XL * POISON PEN
LEFTOVER CRACK KISHI BASHI PETER HOOK & THE LIGHT TODRICK GHOSTEMANE DANNY BROWN BEA MILLER WHITE DENIM SKIZZY MARS
OCT 27 OCT 29 NOV 01 NOV 03 NOV 05 NOV 07 NOV 08 NOV 09 NOV 11
metro
See a full photo gallery of Chicago’s Dakota Pipeline Protest » ColumbiaChronicle.com
Bernie Sanders in support of CTU: ‘I am demanding a change in national priorities.’
» ALEXANDRA YETTER CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Richard M. Daley and Rahm Emanuel, the latter of whom is still widely criticized by union members for cutting CPS resources while in office. “I don’t think she’s living up to what she said she would do as a candidate,” Criswell said, adding that she hopes to see improved resources for students, including nurses and counselors. Lightfoot vowed to work with CTU more closely than her predecessors, according to WGN-TV. Both Sanders and other officials at the rally highlighted the importance of bettering education, which has a trickle effect on other major issues facing the country. Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th Ward) said during the rally that remedying the education system is more important in today’s “darkest chapter” because of family separation, “children terrorized, encaged” and children “brutalized in our own backyard.” In response, Sigcho-Lopez called for more nurses, social workers, librarians and resources in Chicago public schools. Sanders also pointed to the parallel between a poor educational system and economic disparity in the U.S. “What we are seeing is teachers
standing up and fighting for justice,” Sanders said. “Every problem in society—hunger, domestic violence, poverty—it walks into your doors, doesn’t it? You see it every day and at a time when we, in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, have the highest rate of childhood poverty of almost any major country on Earth. … I am demanding a change in national priorities.” Reiterating his hallmark campaign promises, Sanders promised tripling funding for schools, increasing pay for teachers and school-workers and making college more affordable. “How many of you are dealing with student debt?” Sanders asked, to which both
Additional reporting by Mike Rundle. ayetter@columbiachronicle.com » MIKE RUNDLE/CHRONICLE
HOURS AFTER U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced an official impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, 2020 presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) called for an end to “Trumpism” and highlighted the importance of the education system. “Not only are we going to beat Trump, we’re going to decimate Trumpism,” Sanders said at the Sept. 24 rally for the Chicago Teachers Union strike authorization vote held at CTU headquarters, 1901 W. Carroll Ave. “We’re going to end the racism, and the sexism, and the homophobia, and the xenophobia and the religious bigotry that comes out of that administration. We’re going to put all of that behind us and create a nation that brings all of our people together.” Sanders’ address came on the first of a three-day strike vote by CTU. On Sept. 27, CTU announced members voted 94% in favor of a walkout. The earliest a strike can now occur is Oct. 7. The potential walkout is in response to ongoing negotiations with Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration. The contract,
among other things, would make C h ic a go publ ic s c ho ol teachers the highest paid in the country, Lightfoot said. James Ruml, a substitute teacher with CPS, pointed to Sanders’ campaign support for raises for teachers, limits on charter schools and making school lunch free for all students as key reasons for supporting Sanders for president. “He has the most detailed and robust plan of any of the presidential candidates by far, as far as K–12 education,” Ruml said. Many rally-goers were energized by Sanders’ presence and his ideas as an influential figure wholeheartedly supporting a potential strike. “He’s an international figure. With him coming here to support the union, [he] might just make our mayor start bargaining in good faith and give us a good contract that actually gives the students what they need,” said Marquiette Criswell, a teacher at Duke Ellington Elementary School and self-proclaimed “Bernie supporter.” Criswell said she does not think Lightfoot has done a good job thus far with CTU because she is using the same bargaining representatives as former mayors
Sigcho-Lopez and Ald. Rossana Rodríguez Sánchez (33rd Ward), a former Columbia internship and career adviser, raised their hands. As president, Sanders said he would not only make public colleges and universities tuition-free, but he would also cancel all student debt—and pay for it through taxes on Wall Street. “I do not want one kid in this country … to not think that he or she cannot get a higher education because their family lacks the funds,” Sanders said. “If we look to the future of this country, the children are the future, and we have a moral responsibility to make sure that those kids get the very best education that we can provide them.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) discusses issues facing Chicago teachers at union headquarters, 1901 W. Carroll Ave., Sept. 24, ahead of CTU’s vote to authorize a walkout, which could occur as early as Oct. 7.
SEPTEMBER 30, 2019 THE CHRONICLE 13
metro
» ALEXANDRA YETTER CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF EDITOR’S NOTE: THIS article is part of the Chronicle’s ongoing coverage of immigration issues under the Trump administration. The issue continues to impact Chicago, with officials detaining five people Sept. 23 at a pizzeria on Chicago’s East Side. In doing so, the Chronicle hopes to bring to light the faces and families behind the larger immigration debate. After the Trump administration announced citywide raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials this summer, thousands of Chicagoans took to Daley Plaza to protest, with Hyon Lee joining the crowds. Donned in a Statue of Liberty crown and “Child of Immigrants” T-shirt, Lee held a sign that read “Give me your tired, your poor, your yearning to breathe free … so that we can keep them in cages” at the July 13 rally. The Chronicle’s Senior Photo Editor Mike Rundle snapped a
photograph of Lee—who, at the time, told Rundle her name was Annie Lee. A few days later, Lee messaged Rundle on Instagram and told him she wanted to tell him her story. Here is what Lee, a Chicagobased pastry chef from South Korea, had to say, in her own words: I can’t remember the year, but it was Christmastime and I was visiting my family in Detroit, and it was the same time where there was that [attempted] terrorist attack on the plane where [there] was a shoe bomber [in the Miami International Airport in 2001]. This was post-college and we were riding the Greyhound. We’re waiting to get on the bus and then all of a sudden, a bunch of cops go through the entire line, they’re picking out all the people of color—which includes me and my then-boyfriend. They start asking us if we’re citizens or not. My [now-] husband was a citizen. I was not, but I did have my Green Card on me. It was funny because a couple weeks prior, I was thinking, “Man,
» MIKE RUNDLE/CHRONICLE
Behind the sign: One protestor’s ICE story
Hyon Lee is a Chicago-based pastry chef and immigrant from South Korea. She recounts an experience with ICE officials.
I should keep my Green Card at home because if I lose this, it’s going to cost another $1,500,” because that’s how much it cost to replace it last time. So I was like, “I don’t want to lose that again.” So, I showed them [the card] and they kind of pushed us through. … And then the guy behind us, they asked him about his citizenship. He was Hispanic, and he showed his Green Card. It took a little longer, we noticed, and then the ICE agent was calling his peer over. They started talking a little bit and then he asked for my Green Card again, and then they started to compare our Green Cards. Mine was brand new, so I tried to tell them because I could hear [the ICE agent], he was like, “Oh, this one is a darker yellow than
his.” And I was like, “Mine’s brand new, so maybe his is a little bit older because it’s faded.” We [were] really trying to vouch for him. They just kind of ignored me, and then they started taking him away. It was the Greyhound station, we’re waiting in line, we have all our luggage with us, and all he had was a backpack, a blanket and a six-pack of Gatorade. This was Christmastime, so you could tell this was his gift, this is what he had leftover, this is what someone gave him and he thought [it] was important to take a backpack and blanket with him. To this day, I [think], “Man, I really wish I could have left [my Green Card] at home.” They could have questioned me instead because I would have been fine, and
I would have [been a distraction]. I wouldn’t be the comparison to other immigrants. I didn’t see him, he was never on the bus. His stuff was still there even when we were loading in after a couple of hours. I never saw him again. Anyone with any human decency would probably be against ICE. It’s tragic what’s happening. This is not the America that my family thought of. This is supposed to be the welcoming America that everyone can come [to], work hard and make something out of themselves. This guy wasn’t a threat. He had a blanket on him, that was his Christmas present. He was just trying to work hard, I think. I went to the ICE march because it was really therapeutic for me. ... I just hope this ends. I don’t think it’s going to end well because every day it seems like it’s getting worse and worse. It’s weighing very heavily on me. I feel like everybody feels like that, and it’s a helpless feeling. The majority of us probably feel like we can’t do much other than get angry about it. This interview has been edited for word count and clarity. ayetter@columbiachronicle.com
14 THE CHRONICLE SEPTEMBER 30, 2019
Thousands walk to bring suicide awareness ‘Out of the Darkness’ » CAMILLA FORTE PHOTOJOURNALIST
within the organization ever since, recognizing its value to people who have had experiences like his. “It’s a safe place,” Moore said. “You can say things here, [and] you can express emotions here that are difficult to do outside of this community.” This year featured a memorial wall for individuals to pin up a photo of their loved one, as well as honor beads in various representational colors that help to signify a person’s individual connection to suicide. A group of Columbia students— who came together because they had all been affected by friends and family members struggling with mental illness—attended the walk. “We’ve been talking about trying to get other student [organizations] to walk next year, as well,” said sophomore English major Abby Nelson. “We’re also scoping it out to see how it would be if we could
STUDY ABROAD Tues. FAIR Oct. 8
11:00am-1:00pm
@ Student
Center
2
nd floor
get a bigger group from Columbia to come.” Sharon Tuider, a first-time participant and blue ribbon winner—awarded for helping to raise more than $1,000 in honor of her son, who died last year—said she felt camaraderie with the people walking alongside her. “I find comfort in knowing that I’m not alone, that there’s millions
and millions of people [affected by suicide],” Tuider said. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255 or text 741741 to the Crisis Text Line. cforte@columbiachronicle.com » CAMILLA FORTE/CHRONICLE
MORE THAN 7,000 people gathered at Montrose Harbor Sept. 21 for the Out of the Darkness Chicagoland Walk, in remembrance of those lost to suicide Organized by the Illinois Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the Out of the Darkness Walk is the largest in a series of annual, nationwide community walks. “We’re here to walk to bring a message of hope to Chicago—a message that says we will not continue to lose our loved ones to suicide. We have to do better,” said Robert Gebbia, CEO of the AFSP. This year, the Chicagoland walk has raised more than $1 million, which will go toward the AFSP’s goal to lower the national suicide rate by 20% by 2025. The organization hopes to achieve this goal
by engaging in what they call “core strategies.” These include funding scientific research; educating the public about mental health and suicide prevention; advocating for public policies in mental health and suicide prevention; and supporting survivors of suicide loss. The walk’s greatest emphasis is on providing a support network for those personally affected by suicide. “The whole idea of it is to remove the stigma of suicide—remove the stigma of mental health so that people are willing to talk to each other, to go get help when they need it,” said Steve Moore, co-chair of the Board of Directors of the AFSP Illinois chapter. Moore, who is also chair of the AFSP Advocacy and Policy Committee, became involved with the organization after attending a walk following the loss of his son to suicide in 2006. He’s been active
metro
Walk participants make “comfort plaques” on-site to take home after the walk.
FASHION AND FILM PRESENTS:
ADVANCED STYLE A documentary that examines the lives of seven unique New Yorkers whose eclectic personal style and vital spirit have guided their approach to aging.
DISCUSSANT Nena Ivon Department of Fashion Studies
DATE Tuesday, October 8, 2019
TIME Pizza @ 5:45 pm Discussion @ 6:00 pm Screening @ 6:30 pm
LOCATION The Hokin Auditorium 623 S. Wabash Ave. First Floor
SEPTEMBER 30, 2019 THE CHRONICLE 15