The Columbia Chronicle, November 11, 2019

PAGE 2: Editor’s Note: Free speech vs. right to protest

PAGE 4: Suzanne Blum Malley leaves college after 25 years of service

PAGE 3: Initiatives work to decrease academic disparity PAGE 7: Students bring awareness to Rohingya Cultural Center Volume 55, Issue 11

November 11, 2019

ColumbiaChronicle.com

PROTEST ERUPTS OVER JEFF SESSIONS A POLITICAL CLASH AMONG NORTHWESTERN STUDENTS

SEE JEFF SESSIONS, PAGE 13 » IGNACIO CALDERON/CHRONICLE

editor’s note

Political discourse should be a quiet revolution, not an angry chant » ALEXANDRA YETTER CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

I

f you know me, you know I like to debate and speak my mind, especially when it comes to highly-charged political issues. But in all the discussions I’ve ever had, no matter how heated they have become, I’ve never once screamed at the top of my lungs in order to drown out the other person’s opinion.

So naturally, as I sat in Lutkin Hall on Tuesday to cover former Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ address to students at Northwestern University, as reported on page 13, I was astonished to hear protestors banging on the walls, breaking through police lines and, in one case, screaming at a high pitch, all to prohibit Sessions from speaking.

Meanwhile, students inside Lutkin Hall engaged in a more productive form of rebellion by politely yet firmly asking Sessions the difficult questions, such as whether President Donald Trump was right to pull U.S. troops from Turkey, while still listening to his point-of-view.

They even called out a student officer of Northwestern University College Republicans for censoring the questions submitted by the audience.

Those outside the building, like it or not, were interfering with Sessions’ freedom of speech guaranteed under the First Amendment. It is a difficult pill to swallow, but even racism and white supremacist speech is protected under the First Amendment—just like protestors’ ability to chant “F--k Sessions” outside the hall is protected.

As one student, who is a Trump supporter, pointed out to me: When Democrat Stacey Abrams addressed students on Northwestern’s campus earlier this year, conservative student groups did not interfere with Abrams’ right to speak.

Of course, that said, both sides have taken protesting to the extremes before.

But shouting hate-filled rhetoric at student attendees—which the protestors did after the event concluded—accomplishes nothing except deepening the chasm between political parties. Rather, protestors should have attempted to engage in a productive dialogue or, at the very least, heard what the other side had to say. How is any progress to be made in this country if we’re at each other’s throats from college into adulthood? If anything, college campuses provide the optimal ground for vigorous debate on 2 THE CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 11, 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

Katherine Savage Kendall Polidori REPORTERS Paige Barnes Isaiah Colbert Dyana Daniels Mari Devereaux Mateusz Janik Knox Keranen Lauren Leazenby Valeria Mancera-Saavedra

highly contentious topics. We should be using this to our advantage rather than defaulting to the same hateful rhetoric

COPY beginning to define this country. of mine, “Do COPY CHIEF Margaret Smith In a previous editor’s note

COPY EDITORS Summer Hoagland-Abernathy not let political apathy get in the way of a Ella Watylyk historic moment,” I called on Columbia students and young people alike to be engaged GRAPHICS in the news and politics in a history-makGRAPHIC DESIGNERS Maddy Asma ing era. What I failed to mention is how Jennifer Chavez Wesley Enriquez to properly engage.

Shane Tolentino Political clashes rarely occur on Columbia’s majority-liberal campus, so MULTIMEDIA we must take this spar at Northwestern

SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR Mike Rundle as a lesson. Northwestern students outside PHOTOJOURNALISTS Korrigan Agen Lutkin Hall are a prime example of what Justin Anderson not to do; this type of action will get us Ignacio Calderon Camilla Forte nowhere. Those inside the hall asking the Jacqueline Luttrell tough questions are a prime example of

Steven Nunez what should be done.

PODCAST PRODUCER Yasmeen Sheikah Once, in the dead center of a ADVERTISING/ Cheesecake Factory in Cincinnati, Ohio, MARKETING with my grandmother, who has a different way of looking at the world than I do,

SALES MANAGER Anthony Karlsson

MEDIA SALES REPS Breanne Jacobs we talked about abortion. She began the Kathryn Williams conversation by leaning over the table Tara Woods and asking me, “Alex, why do women have abortions?” Taking a deep breath, SENIOR STAFF I slowly and carefully explained the far-ranging number of reasons people

GENERAL MANAGER Travis Truitt

FACULTY ADVISER Curtis Lawrence with uteruses seek out an abortion.

Then she asked me why they don’t just give the baby up for adoption, whether they can live with themselves after the fact. And I explained. And she countered. And I re-explained. And she listened. Finally, she said she knew it wasn’t her place to tell anyone whether they can have an abortion or not, but she wished they didn’t have to.

A quiet revolution. @c

ayetter@columbiachronicle.com

cchronicle

@c

cchronicle

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e C h ro n i c l

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campus

Enrollment for Chinese students at Columbia defies national trend » ColumbiaChronicle.com

Initiatives at Columbia bridge academic disparities » MARI DEVEREAUX STAFF REPORTER

Due to this, David said administrators have discussed installing a “help” button on the Columbia website’s homepage so people can be more easily directed toward certain resources or answers to common questions.

Joyce Guo, president of the Asian Student Organization, said Asian students in particular can struggle with their education due to certain biases.

“Because there is that stereotype that Asians are naturally super smart, ... I’ve noticed all throughout my years at school ... there’s a lack of outreach from teachers if I, or if other Asian students, need extra help,” Guo said.

At TRIO, Teixeira said they are working to create a safer learning space for underrepresented students.

“If [we] provide an environment where you just go to study, you are more likely to reach out to services,” Teixeira said.

Moore said campus organizations are not always enough to combat the expenses, over-

whelmingly white faculty and limited integration of culture and identity in the classroom.

According to the Institutional Effectiveness Fact Book, Columbia faculty were approximately 80% white, 9.3% black, 3.1% Hispanic and 2.5% Asian in 2018.

David said the college is attempting to be more deliberate in its recruitment of faculty that reflect Columbia’s values and student body.

Seminars that engage faculty in DEI pedagogy are methods Columbia is using to ensure students feel welcomed, safe and culturally accepted, David said.

In addition to TRIO week, a semiannual event open to Columbia’s student body, TRIO plans to implement the Student Ally Program for faculty next year—a series of workshops on how to support, communicate and work with marginalized student communities, Teixeira said.

Monroe also cited affordability as a key reason for students

transferring out. Because of this, Monroe said Columbia decided to give more money in scholarships.

“This year, we rolled out financial aid in greater proportions than we have in our history to be able to support students,” Monroe said.

Assistant Vice President of Student Financial Services Cynthia Grunden said in a Nov. 7 email to the Chronicle that $26.5 million worth of unrestricted scholarships have been disbursed to student accounts so far for the Fall 2019 term.

While the college tends to strategize ways to help groups and demographics of students, David said Columbia is still balancing the personal needs of its students.

“We are also trying to figure out how to crack that nut of reaching the [individual] student,” David said, “helping them to address any concerns and problems they have and be successful and happy here.” mdevereaux@columbiachronicle.com » MADDY ASMA/CHRONICLE

AS CO-PRESIDENT of the Black Student Union, junior television and cultural studies double major Isaiah Moore said they have noticed black students transfer out of Columbia at disproportionate rates compared to their white peers due to a host of inequitable factors.

“A lot of black students that come to this school, from not only out of state but also from the neighborhoods of Chicago, end up transferring out … that’s pretty disheartening,” Moore said.

At Columbia, similar to other universities, academic disparities between students of color and white students is a common issue, one that can bar many from an equitable college experience.

In Columbia’s 2012 cohort, only 32.9% of black students graduated within six years, as opposed to 53.1% of white students, 59.6% of Asian students and 46.1% of Latino students.

The disparity is reflected in national data, as 41% of black students attending college in America graduated in six years, compared to 63% of white students, 54% of Latino students and 71% of Asian students, according to a 2017 report by the U.S. Department of Education.

Francisco Gaytán, interim associate provost of success and retention at Northeastern Illinois University, said finances, academic preparedness and if a student’s parents went to college all tie into a larger systemic issue of racism.

“You have to get to the core of U.S. society, which is structured on disproportionate access to resources based on race,” Gaytán said.

Raquel Monroe, co-director of Columbia’s Academic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion office, said administrators are investing in the success of students of color by hiring more diverse faculty and applying for DEI programming grants that would invite speakers to discuss DEI strategies.

Monroe said the DEI office is also developing “transformative curriculum” which includes a diverse literary canon, a broader perspective that speaks to students and applying lenses of race, status, gender, sexuality and ability to classroom topics.

At Southwest Tennessee Community College, located in Memphis, Tennessee, graduation rates have nearly tripled in the last three years, and the achievement gap between black and white students has shrunk by two percentage points since 2016 after the school began working with Achieving the Dream— an organization dedicated to equitable student success.

Jacqueline Taylor, associate vice president of retention and student success at Southwest, said due to the history of poverty and lack of social and economic mobility in Memphis, these numbers represent a significant turning point.

“For us, it’s really become more of a social justice issue,” Taylor said. “Southwest has been a very integral part of making change that gives all students the chance to succeed.”

Monica Teixeira, director of the TRIO Conaway Achievement Project at Columbia, said supporting students outside the classroom is extremely important for higher retention rates.

TRIO—funded through a federal grant—helps students who are first generation, income eligible or disabled to solve problems and build skills with resources, personal connections and academic support.

Within the program, 43% of the 160 students served annually graduate in six years and 96% are in good academic standing.

Senior Vice President and Provost Marcella David said the Academic Progress Report has been instrumental in identifying students at risk of failing classes by connecting them to tutoring.

Angelica Hornewer, president of the Latino Alliance, said she noticed a lack of awareness surrounding resources, such as TRIO.

NOVEMBER 11, 2019 THE CHRONICLE 3

campus

Suzanne Blum Malley departs college after 25 years, but feels Columbia is in ‘excellent hands’ » ALEXANDRA YETTER & MATEUSZ JANIK CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & STAFF REPORTER

4 THE CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 11, 2019

reverse, as reported Sept. 27 by the Chronicle.

David announced Blum Malley’s departure Nov. 4 and said she would be working to find someone to fill the role of senior associate provost.

“In working closely with academic leadership, Suzanne has been instrumental in the implementation of the 2015-2020 Strategic Action Plan and in the transformation of the core curriculum,” David said in the Nov. 4 announcement. “Her leadership and passion for promoting an environment of continuous improvement is reflected in all areas of academic affairs, from operations to program development and review to academic support services and has been unfailingly motivated by

her love for Columbia and her commitment to its success. She will be missed.”

Quinn is confident David will find someone to “step into the role” and “bring new experiences and new perspectives into the provost office.”

In Methodist’s announcement, Wearden also highlighted Blum Malley’s efforts with the Strategic Action Plan at Columbia, as well as improving retention and graduation rates during her tenure at the college.

“I had the privilege of being Dr. Blum Malley’s colleague at Columbia, where I was able to witness firsthand her excellent work building and maintaining collaborative rapport with the faculty,” Wearden said in the Oct. 31 press release.

Despite the improvements she helped implement, Blum Malley recognizes there is still continuing work to be done at the college even after she leaves in January, especially in keeping programs up to constantly-changing industry standards.

She encouraged her colleagues to celebrate what is being done well and figure out how to fix what is not in order to accomplish the ultimate goal: “Make sure that our students who come here … leave with degrees.”

“The work is never done; the people that I work closely with also appreciate that,” Blum Malley said. “I am very confident that Columbia is in excellent hands.” chronicle@colum.edu » FILE PHOTO

AFTER NEARLY 25 years of working at Columbia, Senior Associate Provost Suzanne Blum Malley has acquired institutional knowledge of the college described by some as irreplaceable, but when the opportunity came to join the small group of female provosts in the nation, she could not pass it up.

“Having women move into the highest leadership positions in academia, or in any field, is really important,” Blum Malley said.

“It is still a significantly smaller group of women provosts across the nation ... than is reflective of the percentage of women in our population, so it’s exciting to be part of that group and continually pave the way for talented women and men behind us.”

Blum Malley, who also serves as an associate professor in the English and Creative Writing Department, will be the provost at Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina, beginning Jan. 15, as reported Nov. 3 by the Chronicle. She previously worked as interim provost at Columbia after the early departure of former Provost Stanley T. Wearden in January. Marcella David took on the role of senior vice president and provost in June.

A 2019 Times Higher Education World University Rankings report found that only 34 of the top 200 higher education institutions are led by women.

Blum Malley said she thought she would enjoy being interim provost when she took on the role.

As she navigated her new job, she realized she liked the complexity and “energizing” ability to better the institution within the job while “keeping service to students at the center of decision-making.” So, she began looking for openings.

She said Methodist University, where her former colleague Wearden now serves as president,

provided an opportunity, and she “took a leap.”

Associate Provost for Academic Personnel Pegeen Quinn said Blum Malley is more than ready for her new role at Methodist and that her connection with Wearden will make for a good team.

“She is just an amazingly strong leader; it almost seems like that’s part of her DNA,” said Quinn, who has been at Columbia for the past 15 years and has worked with Blum Malley for the last five.

Sean Johnson Andrews, Faculty Senate president and associate professor in the Humanities, History and Social Sciences Department, also pointed to Blum Malley’s link to Wearden, whom “she has a good working relationship with already, so that should be a good asset” for Methodist.

Some in the Columbia community were surprised by the announcement, including Johnson Andrews.

“It’s not unusual for leadership to shift this way when you have a new provost. Sometimes, the people who worked under the old provost [Wearden] find it better to go and work for the old provost,” Johnson Andrews said. “I hadn’t expected [Blum Malley] to leave just because she hadn’t said anything about it. But obviously, with these kinds of things there’s a lot of secrecy and confidentiality until everything is finally announced.”

In her time as interim provost, Blum Malley presided over delicate matters such as the announcement of the closure of two academic programs, the reorganization of the Global Education Office, summertime staff layoffs, the questioned departure of Norman Alexandroff—whose family had a legacy at the college dating back to its inception—as well as other student and personnel matters. As she departs the college, this is the first semester since Fall 2008 for which Columbia’s decade-long decline in enrollment has begun to

Suzanne Blum Malley, senior associate provost, will depart the college Jan. 15 to take on a new role as provost at Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Provost Marcella David will be working to find someone to fill the position.

campus

» MARI DEVEREAUX STAFF REPORTER JOINED BY SENIOR Vice President and Provost Marcella David and Vice President of Student Affairs Sharon Wilson-Taylor, President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim kicked-off a discussion with students by acknowledging the college’s shortcomings.

He assured students that Columbia will continue to improve in key areas, such as enrollment, curriculum development, fund allocation and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

“Although we are trying to deal with issues of racism and other forms of oppression on this campus, those problems are still alive and well and have yet to be fully resolved,” Kim said. “We’re taking this very seriously and trying to understand what are you actu-

ally experiencing … and what can we do to make that better.”

Kim made the remarks at the annual “Let’s Chat with Dr. Kim” event Tuesday, led by members of the Student Government Association. Students had the opportunity to ask Kim about topics pertaining to their personal school experiences at the gathering, held for the first time at the new Student Center, 754 S. Wabash Ave. A common concern voiced by Columbia students during the event was the lack of knowledge among students surrounding key resources provided by the college, as well as the desire for more comprehensive services.

As junior radio major and SGA Executive Vice President Jori Roberts said, there are a number of spaces on campus that are available to all students.

“I think the problem is a lot of students feel like they have to be in that major to use that resource,” Roberts said.

However, some campus resources, such as photography, film or audio arts and acoustics equipment are off-limits to students in certain majors, as reported Nov. 4 by the Chronicle.

Kevin Herrera, sophomore marketing major and SGA commuter senator, pointed out that other schools in the Chicago area provide resources for commuter students that Columbia does not.

As commuter senator, Herrera questioned what resources the college did have in place for commuters and suggested Columbia add a page to its website listing those offerings.

“At another school like [the University of Illinois at Chicago], for example, they have listed

» JACQUELINE LUTTRELL/CHRONICLE

President Kim addresses diversity and inclusion, access to resources

President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim tells students Tuesday he hopes to improve student/college communication in a number of areas.

where [students] can go study, where do they park, how much is parking around the area and things like that,” Herrera said.

In regards to commuter costs for transportation, SGA President Kierah King, senior dance major, said SGA has been working on a petition with other Chicago schools to receive discounted or tuition-funded student Metra passes.

While Kim said he does not have a confirmed solution to ensure students are aware of all the resources available, he and

Students are not sticking to their majors » VALERIA MANCERA-SAAVEDRA STAFF REPORTER

»J EN NIF ER CH AVE Z/ CH RO NIC LE

PATRICK KYLE SWITCHED his major from comedy writing and performance to cinema art and science at the end of his freshman year, and subsequently changed all of his classes for the following semester. Because the late registration did not leave many class choices, Kyle said he was placed in courses that did not seem right for him.

Kyle said he was more passionate about film, causing him to switch majors. Although it was initially a setback, he said he eventually realized comedy was not the vocation for him.

Out of the 2,091 freshmen students enrolled at Columbia in 2012, only 970 graduated within a six-year period, according to the Fall 2018 Institutional Effectiveness report. Of all graduates, only 34% graduated in the major they had initially chosen.

“This is part of some college students’ experience,”

said Director of Academic Advising Keith Lusson. “They come as one thing and end up pursuing another.”

Talking and interacting with other students who share the same interests is a good way to investigate a potentially better-fitting career path, as well as

asking questions of professors and administrators to see if they can offer a different point of view, Lusson said.

Betsy Edgerton, associate professor in the Communication Department, said students should look beyond what the college and classes can offer stu-

dents by researching careers and specific industries. “[Students need] to look at the new major as a researcher would, to figure out everything you can about the people who work in that industry,” she said.

On the other hand, Lusson said switching majors can be complicated for seniors due to the number of credits they have already taken throughout their years of study. But, that is not something that should stop them from doing it if that is the student’s desire, he said.

“At the end of the day ... it’s that student’s education,” Lusson said.

“You’ve just got to be very real about it.”

It is crucial that students stay informed about their financial status at school and the possible changes that switching majors may bring, said Assistant Vice President of Student Financial Services Cynthia Grunden.

Grunden said, in terms of financial aid, students should consider whether they will exhaust their

Wilson-Taylor said the college will work on redesigning the website to make information more visible to everyone seeking Columbia’s resources.

“This is one of my single greatest frustrations … the fact that we have students who, because they don’t know, are not taking fullest advantage of what is actually here,” Kim said.

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

Federal Pell Grant during their enrollment, since the grant only covers a total of six years of college. Students can also exhaust Monetary Award Program Grants, which are only applicable for up to 135 total credit hours.

“Major change doesn’t necessarily mean that any of that has to happen,” Grunden said. “Especially if a student changes their mind early enough and [makes] good use of their elective credits.”

Students should always reach out to their academic advisers in order to achieve their academic goals, Lusson said.

Linda Davis, assistant director of advising at Roosevelt University, said this situation is a constant variable in academic institutions because there are no specific periods of time in which the number of students switching majors increases or decreases.

“You don’t want to go into a career choice that’s not what [you want] passion-wise,” Davis said.

“You have to remember you’re going to be doing that for every day of your life.” vmancera-saavedra@columbiachronicle.com

NOVEMBER 11, 2019 THE CHRONICLE 5

campus

T THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT AT COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO PRESENTS:

KENDRICK SCOTT RESIDENCY CONCERTS KENDRICK SCOTT RESIDENCY CONCERTS November 14–16, 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.

THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT AT COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO PRESENTS:

Featuring the Columbia College Chicago Jazz Ensemble

THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT AT COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO PRESENTS: Directed by Scott Hall

KENDRICK SCOTT RESIDENCY CONCERTS With special guests:

Featuring the Columbia College Chicago Jazz Ensemble

The Fusion Ensemble Directed by Bill Boris

Directed by Scott Hall

November 17, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.

November 14–16, 8 806 p.m.S.and 10 p.m.

Jazz Showcase, Plymouth Court November 17, admission 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. $20 General Featuring the Columbia College Chicago Jazz Ensemble and family of performers Directed by$10 Scott Staff, Hall faculty, Jazz Showcase, 806 S. Plymouth Court $5 Students with ID $20 General admission

D

N N

J

ChicagoVox Directed by

$

Martez L. Rucker

$ With special guests: The Fusion Ensemble Directed by Bill Boris

ChicagoVox For tickets, visit jazzshowcase.com or Directed by Plymouth Court or call 312-369-8330 tickets.colum.edu,

Martez L. Rucker

$20 General admission

6 THE CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 11, 2019

F

ChicagoVox With special guests: Directed by The Fusion Ensemble Martez L. Rucker Directed by Bill Boris

November 14–16, 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. $10 Staff, faculty, and family of performers $5 Students with ID November 17, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Jazz Showcase, 806 S.

K R

For tickets, visit jazzshowcase.com or

$

arts culture

Best mustache competition gets hairy » ColumbiaChronicle.com

Students to help Rohingya Cultural Center

» DYANA DANIELS STAFF REPORTER NASIR ZAKARIA WAS 14 years old when he escaped captivity in what was then the country of Burma. Kidnapped by the military, alongside others, he waited until the soldiers were asleep to make his way through the jungle. If they found him, they would kill him, and if he stayed, they would likely still kill him.

When Zakaria came across a truck driver, he was taken to the next town over to live with his uncle, but he could never go back home. Zakaria risked being put into slavery or facing arrest as he was smuggled from then-Burma, now Myanmar, to Bangladesh, then Thailand and Malaysia, where he then spent 23 years.

At age 38, he was admitted into the U.S. with his wife and children, and in April 2016 he opened the Rohingya Cultural Center, 2740 W. Devon Ave., in Chicago.

Zakaria’s story was told to students at a gathering of Columbia’s Muslim Student Association on Wednesday, Oct. 30, by Laura Toffenetti, assistant director of the Rohingya Cultural Center. She spoke to the group at the Student Center, 754 S. Wabash Ave., about how they can help the struggling organization.

Toffenetti said Chicago is home to more than 1,600 Rohingya refugees who have resettled after facing persecution in Malaysia. Because their language is so rare, it can be hard to find translators or ways to communicate, and 90% of them cannot read or speak English.

The center has been facing financial obstacles as donations have decreased and a government grant they applied for last year was denied. Although the center can cover the costs of rent and utilities, it has become a community effort to find more donors as the center is “due to run out of money in the end of March,” Toffenetti said.

MSA is working to reach out to brands and companies to spread the word on what

is happening with the center, said Hinda Akel, senior communication major and vice president of marketing for the MSA. “We are trying to let people know they exist. That was the biggest issue. People did not know it exists,” Akel said.

Funded by donations, the center serves more than 400 local Rohingya families.

The center also has a soccer team, provides English as a second language classes and staffs full-time caseworkers.

It also offers support to families and helps organize demonstrations to raise awareness about the genocide of Rohingya people.

“When [our vice president] took a trip to the Rohingya Cultural Center, she was telling us all about it, and we, luckily, were able to get someone to come and speak to MSA. And I feel like that whole interaction is what MSA is about,” said Oula Yassine, senior fashion studies major and president of MSA. MSA plans to move forward with fundraising and is planning to ask leaders

of local mosques for donations on their holy days to aid the center.

“We are working on talking with our local mosques because the mosques that we live around are really keen on giving back to different communities,” Yassine said.

“Usually, during Friday prayers­­—which is our holy day—they do a list of donations for certain causes.”

Last year, the center created a “Mommy and Me” class to help Rohingya mothers learn English. Toffenetti said there were no English education classes where families could bring their children and said people were “isolated in their homes.”

Toffenetti said many in the Rohingya community work minimum wage jobs and that it can be expensive living in Chicago with such large families.

“There’s a myth that refugees are extraordinary people, but they’re not,” Toffenetti said. “They’re just regular people in extraordinary circumstances.” ddaniels@columbiachronicle.com

» JACQUELINE LUTTRELL/CHRONICLE

» MIKE RUNDLE/CHRONICLE

Laura Toffenetti, assistant director of the Rohingya Cultural Center, speaks to Columbia’s Muslim Student Association.

Rohingya Cultural Center, 2740 W. Devon Ave., was created in 2016 to provide support to Rohingya refugees in Chicago through programs ranging from sports teams to Quran classes.

NOVEMBER 11, 2019 THE CHRONICLE 7

arts & culture

» KENDALL POLIDORI NEWS EDITOR WITH A COUPLE of keyboards from Goodwill, large monitor speakers, a few guitars and a microphone, Sloan Struble made his first album in his childhood bedroom in Aledo, Texas, during his last year of high school.

Prior to leaving for college in the fall, Struble was itching for change in his life. Now, with his album “Fuzzybrain” out for more than a year—produced under his professional name Dayglow—and with his first tour underway, Struble has found the change he needed through his music.

Struble said prior to creating his album he was in a “weird stagnant place” of waiting for things in his life to change, but felt stuck. That feeling motivated him and drove all of the inspiration for the songs on the album.

Although Struble self-produced “Fuzzybrain,” he brought a full band along with him on tour as they opened for the Nashville-based, indie-pop band COIN, creating a show people will never forget. At 20 years old, Struble performed at the Vic Theatre, 3145 N. Sheffield Ave. Struble’s confidence and looseness onstage would make anyone believe he is a stage veteran, and with the pure joy that is clearly written on his face, he has the ability to captivate a crowd for as long as he needs.

As if his energy and quirky dance moves were not enough, Struble truly brought down the house with his vocal range. Throughout the night he jumped between

a high and low pitch, and brought each song home with a soothing, melodic tone, complemented by his use of the cowbell during a vocal break.

His song “Dear Friend,” touches on the reality of friendships growing apart. In it, he sings, “Growing older every moment, time’s falling through my hands.

And I don’t have to know the meaning, but I’d love to have a chance.”

The lyrics bring people back to the days fresh out of high school, where things change too quickly and once-close friendships dissolve until one day you are sitting alone missing the memories and relationships you used to have.

Before performing the song Friday, Struble said it was the perfect opportunity for everyone in the audience to make a new friend and had everyone turn to the person next to them and introduce themselves.

Struble and his band even performed a cover of the classic Tears for Fears’ song “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” before going into his own song “Run the World!!!,” a mash-up made in heaven.

With more shows on the tour ahead of him, Struble said he is working on new songs and plans to self-produce another album in the future. And since he created the artwork for the cover of “Fuzzybrain” by sculpting a clay version of himself in the same bedroom he produced the album, fans may see more of Struble’s creativity in the near future.

“I’m just working on making my own sound,” Struble said. “It’s an addicting thing to do.” kpolidori@columbiachronicle.com

Sloan Struble, a.k.a Dayglow, uses his self-produced music to bring change in his life. Struble performed at the Vic Theatre, 3145 N. Sheffield Ave., Nov. 1 as an opener for COIN, a Nashville indie-pop band.

8 THE CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 11, 2019

» KENDALL POLIDORI/CHRONICLE

Review: Dayglow, an indie-pop daydream

Critique: ‘Jojo Rabbit,’ are Nazis really that entertaining? » MARGARET SMITH COPY CHIEF

ever-so-foul actions attached to his name, must those very notions be challenged in yet another Oscar-baiting endeavor?

The protagonist of the film is Jojo—a young boy who lives alone with his mother—and his imaginary sidekick who, from the first second of the film to one of the very last frames, is Hitler himself. » KEVIN WINTER/GETTY

WHILE DEATH MAY be a part of life, reminiscing on the horrors of the Holocaust does not have to happen time and time again.

Director Taika Waititi, known for “Thor: Ragnarok” (2017), released his latest project, “Jojo Rabbit,” Oct. 18.

Set in the latter part of World War II Germany, the movie, by nature, centers on the intersection of the beautiful and the gruesome.

Ice-covered, cobbled roads lead to dead bodies; grassy countryside highways carry war-ravaged soldiers home; pastel German villa homes hide vulnerable Jewish stowaways.

And while filmed, framed and dressed up to be an eye-pleasing film, one cannot justify a storyline that both misses its mark and

finds itself improperly retracing the lines of both overdone cinema and the history of the world.

What Waititi’s film, which grossed $4.9 million as of press time, failed to do, shockingly, is fully condemn Adolf Hitler— though it had every opportunity to do so. No matter how much we know about the Nazi leader and the

The cast of “Jojo Rabbit,” a satirical film about a young boy in Nazi Germany who befriends a Jewish girl he finds living in his walls.

arts & culture What is vexing about the film is the picture that is painted of Hitler: He has a quick wit, he can be buddy-buddy, even uplifting to the lonesome 10-year-old Jojo; he can turn the scene from intense and borderline tragedy to one where audience members can exhale and have a laugh.

Quite honestly, this portrayal is irresponsible. Decades pass and generations grow older, yet the sting and stain of genocide remains; nevertheless we find ourselves watching men in costumed SS apparel spending the entirety of the film repeating the heinous language of the supremacist group.

The humanization and familiarization of Hitler is bar none the most disconnected pop-culture move this critic has seen in some time. Its plot is grabby to the people who consume media that walks the line between insensitivity and fair play—however, this gleeful take on trauma dips into the former bearing no apology.

The audience is supposed to know, as it is hoped everyone does, that Nazis are vile—undoubtedly.

And with this information in our pocket, we hold out until the last few minutes of the film when Hitler is finally put in his place— how unsavory it is, however, that we must wait nearly an hour and a half to get there.

I beg that critics do not attempt to liken the film to a lighthearted timepiece or something ingeniously taken out of history books. NPR called it “quirky” in an Oct. 17 review. Perchance googly-eyed critics have forgotten, World War II was not “quirky” and neither were its symptoms.

This is far from a tasteful recount of war times, if there even is such a thing—this is a nasty pounce on a topic that has been played out and milked for decades.

Hollywood should do better, however, I wonder, can they?

Executives sat in meetings, planned budgets and hired actors only to show us once again, and this time unbelievably diluted, that Nazis are … bad. msmith@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

Kendrick Scott in Residence November 11 - 17 Tuesday November 12 Meet the Artist: Kendrick Scott

12:00 pm

Wednesday November 13 Wednesday Noon Guitar Concert Series at the Conaway Center

12:00 pm

Thursday November 14 Kendrick Scott Residency Concerts At the Jazz Showcase, 806 S. Plymouth Ct. For tickets, visit tickets.colum.edu or call 312-369-8330 Friday November 15 Kendrick Scott Residency Concerts At the Jazz Showcase, 806 S. Plymouth Ct. For tickets, visit tickets.colum.edu or call 312-369-8330 Saturday November 16 Kendrick Scott Residency Concerts At the Jazz Showcase, 806 S. Plymouth Ct. For tickets, visit tickets.colum.edu or call 312-369-8330 Sunday November 17 Kendrick Scott Residency Concerts At the Jazz Showcase, 806 S. Plymouth Ct. For tickets, visit tickets.colum.edu or call 312-369-8330

8 & 10 pm

8 & 10 pm

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4 & 8 pm

NOVEMBER 11, 2019 THE CHRONICLE 9

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

If Katie Hill goes, so should Donald Trump been accused by more than 25 women of sexual misconduct, harassment and rape, yet remains unscathed in his career.

Hill’s relationship with a subordinate was inappropriate, but not a crime; the same cannot be said for many of her male counterparts on Capitol Hill who have committed crimes without repercussion. Her resignation following the release of the revenge porn just doesn’t balance out, as that material is illegal to distribute in California.

» AP/MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ

D

ouble-standards are nothing new when it comes to gender and politics, and Rep. Katie Hill’s (D-Calif.) resignation after the height of the #MeToo movement proves not much has changed in Washington.

Hill announced her resignation Oct. 28, following allegations published in conservative news outlets alleging Hill was having an affair with a male congressional staffer. Hill denied the allegations and later admitted to having an affair with a female campaign staffer.

Afterward, her husband—with whom Hill is in the midst of a divorce— allegedly leaked nude photos of Hill to conservative news outlets in a move referred to as “revenge porn.”

“I’m leaving because of a misogynistic culture that gleefully consumed my naked pictures, capitalized on my sexuality and enabled my abusive ex to continue that abuse, this time with the entire country watching,” Hill said during her final speech on the U.S. House floor Thursday.

Meanwhile, down Pennsylvania Avenue, the commander-in-chief has

Recognition of the Armenian Genocide is long overdue

speaker, is state the facts. We can say that ‘The Ottoman Empire committed this grotesque crime against the Armenians.

But their campaign of extermination failed. And above all, we will never forget and we will never again be silenced.’”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan not-so-surprisingly responded to the vote by saying American lawmakers had “no right to give lessons to Turkey,” according to an Oct. 30 article by The New York Times.

In a 405-11 vote, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) was, surprisingly, one of the 11 who voted against the resolution. After receiving backlash on Twitter for her decision, Omar tweeted: “My issue was with the timing and context. I think we should demand accountability for human rights abuses consistently, not simply when it suits our political goals.”

So, 104 years isn’t enough time? An entire ethnic group being killed, and the remainder displaced,

Editorial Board Members Blaise Mesa Co-Editor-in-Chief Katherine Savage News Editor Ella Watylyk Copy Editor Jennifer Chavez Graphic Designer

chronicle@colum.edu

GUEST COLUMN cannot continue to be ignored.

Luckily, the rest of the House did not agree with Omar, and our victory ensued.

For my Armenian grandparents, for the countless Armenians left displaced and for the 1.5 million who were killed as a result of an attempted ethnic cleansing, we can finally rejoice at the recognition.

Our cries have finally been heard.

As the Armenian proverb suggested, “Let it be late, let it be good,” indeed. chronicle@colum.edu

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?

Shane Tolentino Graphic Designer Korrigan Agen Photojournalist Paige Barnes Staff Reporter

10 THE CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 11, 2019

Dyana Daniels Staff Reporter Knox Keranen Staff Reporter Lauren Leazenby Staff Reporter

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

» MADDY ASMA /CHRONICLE

Starting in 1915, the Turks of the Ottoman Empire killed 1.5 million Armenians.

As a result of the genocide, Armenians

translates to “Let were left displaced all over the world, it be late, let it be good,” an Armenian leaving more in the diaspora than in proverb tweeted by Armenian American Armenia today—the same reason my journalist Liana Aghajanian just after great-grandmother fled to America. midnight on Oct. 30. The proverb is a per- Despite all of this, Turkey has never fect summary of how Armenians around recognized the genocide and, until the world felt collectively when the U.S. now, America has not either. This is a House finally passed a resolution on Oct. tremendous victory for my ancestors 29 to recognize the Armenian genocide, and Armenians around the world.

104 years after its atrocious occurrence.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) pushed As a previous staff member at the for its resolution for 19 years, according Chronicle, I wrote a commentary for to his heartfelt speech on the U.S. House Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, floor, after his many Armenian American April 24, about why Americans should rec- constituents educated him on the topic. ognize the genocide, and I am absolutely Between tears and pauses, he said, “What ecstatic to finally see it come to fruition. we can do, what we must do, mister » OLIVIA DELOIAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

What’s even more unsettling is older Democrats’ disavowing of Hill.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) took part in the commonality of victim-blaming when she said, “It goes to show you, we should say to young candidates, and to kids in kindergarten really, be careful when transmitting photos,” as reported Oct. 31 by POLITICO. Instead of teaching 5-year-old girls not to take photos of themselves, we should be teaching boys to refrain from sharing private pictures without consent in the hopes of destroying girls’ lives; just like we should not teach women how to lower their chances of being raped, but rather teach men not to rape anyone.

If anything, this incident proves that all men need to do to ruin women’s political careers is post naked photos of them.

Whereas if a woman wants to remove a man from political office, she needs to first suffer a criminal offense, and even then her chances of success are slim.

In a party that claims to be progressive and supportive of the #MeToo movement, the generational divide on Hill’s situation

EDITORIAL is jarring for constituents within the party. On one hand, there are older Democrats victim-blaming Hill, and on the other there are congresspeople like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) pointing out the rampant double standard.

“This doesn’t happen to male members in the same way—revenge porn in this respect. It’s horrific,” OcasioCortez said in the Oct. 31 POLITICO article. “We’re talking about a major crime … being committed against her.”

As a party heavily populated with women and led in the House by a powerful woman, Democrats should have stood unanimously behind Hill, demanding that if she goes, every male politician reckoning with #MeToo—including the president—needs to follow her out the door. Instead, the generational divide only highlighted the ever-present disarray and polarization within the party.

If this fall from grace is what happens to women who have consensual affairs and then are harassed by their allegedly abusive husbands, the standard bar for punishment on the male side needs to be raised.

opinions

COMMENTARY

War can change if you want it to » MATEUSZ JANIK STAFF REPORTER

A

» COURTESY CALL OF DUTY

mjanik@columbiachronicle.com

faculty—I have experienced that I am just like other students. Though I will admit I do enjoy getting double discounts as a senior and a student, my age has been both a blessing and an annoyance at times.

Coming from Kalamazoo Valley Community College—where my classmates were a few years older than my grandchildren—my peers and I meshed well as I pursued my associate degrees in multi-meCOMMENTARY dia/video and graphic design.

On Orientation Day at Columbia, I clearly had a student name tag on, but I was still directed to go with the parents. When it was time to explore the gauntlet of student organizations, I was greeted as a parent, and the look of shock when I said I was a student was obvious.

Undergrad; gasp. Photojournalism; faint. Break out the smelling salts. » JACQUELINE LUTTRELL I’ve always been a driven person. My PHOTOJOURNALIST motto is, “Go hard or go home.” I came to learn all I can and leave to set the he National Center for Education world on fire. With that mindset, it’s Statistics defines nontraditional been easy to stay focused. Professors students as meeting one of seven have been great by holding me to the characteristics: delayed enrollment same standards as other students, into postsecondary education, attends with some expecting even more college part time, works full time, is from me. I welcome this challenge. financially independent for financial Yet, its been painfully obvious there aid purposes, has dependents other are not many like me as an underthan a spouse, is a single parent or graduate. I have yet to meet another does not have a high school diploma. student my age, nor are there any orgaIn 2018, I started at Columbia nizations for us, so it is as if we don’t as a “nontraditional” student. exist. If there were others like me, it Columbia is an environment where would be nice to connect with them. traditional molds are not supposed Although I have continued to to exist. Once I got here, aside learn from my fellow students and from the occasional mishap—such understand the world we live in from as being mistaken for a parent or their perspective, there have been times my annoyance with the lack of manners or the entitled attitudes of my younger peers has gotten to me.

I have seen students act with blatant disrespect, to the point that the mom and grandmother in me roared.

But I must applaud Columbia for the “Life Experience Credit,” a program where, under special circumstances, a student may be granted up to 16 credit hours in their major for life and work experience. This program was invaluable to me, given my previous experience as a photographer.

As a creative, I don’t fit a mold. I am a black woman, mother and grandmother in a stage of life and career where a mold does not exist.

As a senior in life and a senior student, I am not “nontraditional.” I am authentic.

I’m not a ‘nontraditional’ student, I am authentic

T

» STEVEN NUNEZ/CHRONICLE

nother year means the release of a new Call of Duty game, and as with almost every game in the franchise, this one is not short of controversy.

Released Oct. 25, “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare” is already under fire after the game was accused of rewriting history to blame the real-life, controversial U.S.-led attacks during the Gulf War on Russians.

When the 2019 game was announced back in May, Jacob Minkoff, campaign gameplay director and design director at Infinity Ward, explained the campaign delivers “the most authentic and realistic game” the game’s developer, Infinity Ward, has ever created. This game is the most recent installment of a series that is mostly fictional.

In the game, the mission, “Highway of Death,” puts the player in the shoes of Alex, a CIA agent embedded in a pro-U.S. militia whose objective is to ambush Russian forces in a valley of burnt-out vehicles set

in the game’s fictional country Urkistan.

Before the mission begins, the rebel militant leader, Farah Karim, gives a brief history of the area, explaining how the valley earned the name “Tariq Almawt,” or “the highway of death”—which replicates a real highway that runs between Kuwait and Iraq, otherwise known as Highway 80. According to the game’s dialogue, Russian forces bombed the main road while people were fleeing from a nearby town that was under invasion.

Here is where the issues begin. Not only were these attacks real, but they were actually carried out by the U.S. military.

On Feb. 26, 1991—toward the end of the Gulf War—U.S.-led forces drove Iraqi troops out of Kuwait, then bombarded vehicles between a two-mile stretch of Highway 80, north of Al Jahra, Kuwait.

The attacks left upwards of 500 people dead, according to the Project on Defense Alternatives—a company that conducts defense policy research and analysis.

However, it is still uncertain how many civilians were among those massacred.

In the game, the details were far too similar to be a coincidence. Details such as how a majority of the burnt-out vehicles in the mission are civilian and how white flags that were used to check the wind direction seem to be referencing eyewitness reports from the actual events where Iraqi soldiers held up similar flags to surrender, according to an Oct. 29 article by Eurogamer, a video game journalism website.

While people on social media pointed out the jarring similarities, others were quick to say that Infinity Ward’s revisioning preserves the U.S. as the “good guys,” and contributes to Russophobia—a fear or dislike of Russians.

To me, Infinity Ward’s decision to revise the narrative of the crimes doesn’t feel like it was directed at Russia, but it does feel like a missed opportunity to show a wide audience the realities of war.

For a game that’s aimed at confronting geopolitical issues through an ethically gray perspective, it still shows the United States’ denial when it comes to its military past with other countries.

It’s understandable the game would want to separate the reality of the event from the gameplay, but since it used the name “Highway of Death” and other indicators from real-life reports, it is all too clear what the game was getting at.

Modern Warfare itself is a critique on rules of engagement in today’s age, so it would have been nice to see Infinity Ward tackle the events directly, instead of using some gimmicky trope.

jluttrell@columbiachronicle.com

NOVEMBER 11, 2019 THE CHRONICLE 11

opinions

12 THE CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 11, 2019

metro

See a full photo gallery of the protest of Jeff Sessions at Northwestern » ColumbiaChronicle.com

Jeff Sessions’ visit to Northwestern University sparks protests, political clash on campus quad

» ALEXANDRA YETTER/CHRONICLE

» CAMILLA FORTE/CHRONICLE

» IGNACIO CALDERON/CHRONICLE

Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions addresses Northwestern students at a Tuesday event held by the Northwestern University College Republicans. » ALEXANDRA YETTER CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF FROM THE INSIDE of Northwestern University’s Lutkin Hall, the sounds of banging on walls, highpitched screaming and angry, guttural chants drowned out much of former Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ address.

Sessions, who is also a former senator of Alabama, was invited by the Northwestern University College Republicans student organization in an unaffiliated university event Tuesday to speak on “The Real Meaning of the ‘Trump Agenda,’” held at Lutkin Hall, 700 University Place, Evanston. When word spread about the event, a protest was quickly organized on Facebook.

The evening started out calmly, with a long line of students filing into the hall as “Sweet Home Alabama” played. Meanwhile outside, more than 50 student protestors chanted the slogans on their signs that read “F--k NUCR,” “F--k Sessions.”

Things escalated further when an attendee stepped outside

the front door to take a video of the protestors while laughing, stirring angry reactions from the crowd.

Some students found a window on the side of the building to open, climbing inside the building, which had been closed off after ticketed attendees had entered, with a standby line filling the hall.

Once inside, the students opened the front door to let other protestors in, passing armed police and security guards until the doors were shut again.

Just as Sessions began his address inside, opening with a line on free speech, protestors outside plastered themselves against the doors, chanting “racist” and “white supremacist” through the thin walls, igniting amused reactions from many in the auditorium, including Sessions.

When asked by an audience member about the protestors outside, who by that point had begun screaming loudly, Sessions responded: “This is stupid. This is not right. … Guaranteed in the First Amendment, you can’t have protestors shut down people’s right

Students gather outside Lutkin Hall to protest Jeff Sessions’ address, calling him and those who attend the event “racist” and “white supremacists.” Protestors clash with attendees outside as they exit the event.

to speech. And this stupidity is not good. This great university should not tolerate it for one minute.

You shouldn’t be blaming young Republicans articulately defending their beliefs and putting up with this kind of trash.”

Sessions’ appearance garnered debate on Northwestern’s campus beforehand, and in a poll of 30 Northwestern students, 90% said they believed Sessions should be allowed to speak on campus, according to a Nov. 6 North by Northwestern article.

At one point outside, a student broke a window with a skateboard. When attendees eventually filed out of the building past the swaths of protestors continuing their shouts of “racist” and “white supremacists,” the opposing student groups clashed as one side hurled insults and the other side demanded their right to free speech. Those supporting Sessions’ right to speak denied they were racist, pointing out the racial diversity among attendees.

Northwestern freshman neuroscience major Evan Scully, wearing a red “Make America Great

Again” cap, pointed to the double standard in the protestors’ reactions. When Democrat and former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams visited campus the month prior for an address, as reported Oct. 11 by The Daily Northwestern, Scully said he did not notice a protest by Republican students take place.

“I understand people have the right to protest, but, at the same time, I think it’s more valuable for us to go in there and listen to what they have to say instead of making it impossible for the people inside to hear [Sessions],” Scully said. “Even if you don’t like them, I think it’s very important to come listen to them and hear what the other side has to say.”

Although not as contentious, the atmosphere inside the hall during the event was not overwhelmingly friendly toward Sessions—or members of the College Republicans club.

During the Q&A portion of the event, a moderator read questions from audience members.

When many of the questions focused on the shining moments

of Sessions’ career, an audience member calmly spoke out, “Stop censoring the questions, please,” which was met with applause. And when asked if he participated in rollbacks of LGBTQ+ rights as attorney general, Sessions said he had not, prompting someone to shout out: “False.”

A handful of questions probed at Sessions’ take on the ongoing impeachment inquiry, particularly in regards to whether President Donald Trump was correct in asking Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.

“I’m sure he didn’t ask [Ukraine] to do anything improper,” Sessions said, to some responding, “Yes, he did.” Barreling on, Sessions said, “I don’t think that’s an impeachable offense,” as one audience member pointed out, “He threatened to withhold aid.”

Sessions’ public support for Trump came just days ahead of his Nov. 7 announcement to seek his old Alabama Senate seat. ayetter@columbiachronicle.com

NOVEMBER 11, 2019 THE CHRONICLE 13

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Supreme Court to hear case that could eliminate DACA for good IN SEPTEMBER 2017, President Donald Trump announced his administration’s intent to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy. This would impact more than 800,000 people who were granted protection from deportation under the program.

In 2017 alone, 242,979 individuals granted DACA status were told they had a limited amount of time before their status would dissolve.

In June, the Supreme Court decided to review three lower court decisions ordering the government to keep DACA in place.

The court will hear the consolidated case Tuesday, Nov. 12.

Introduced by the Obama administration after Congress

failed to pass the DREAM Act, DACA granted children brought into the U.S. illegally who met certain conditions the authorization to work in the U.S., as well as deferred action from deportation for two years with the possibility of renewal.

» WESLEY ENRIQUEZ/CHRONICLE

» YASMEEN SHEIKAH PODCAST PRODUCER

In 2017, then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security stating DACA amounted to “circumvention of immigration laws,” making it “an unconstitutional exercise of authority by the Executive Branch.”

The Trump administration then chose to rescind the Obama administration’s memo that created DACA and “phase out the program in an orderly fashion,” according to the DHS. The cost of applying for DACA status and its renewal is $495. If individuals were unable to pay the fee prior to the renewal deadline, they risked deportation when their certification expired.

Trying to end DACA was blocked by lower courts and resulted in multiple lawsuits against the Trump administration.

One venti college degree to go, hold the crushing student debt » BLAISE MESA CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

14 THE CHRONICLE NOVEMBER 11, 2019

“Any way we can enhance the opportunities to pursue higher education is, of course, worth it,” Davis said.

He meets many people with so much student debt that even though they have jobs, their income is hardly enough to cover monthly loan payments, Davis said.

The legislation could also benefit companies. As it stands, a company giving more than the current $5,250 per employee participant cannot write off the contribution on its taxes, according to a May 30 article by Society for Human Resource Management—a group that helped craft the legislation. Contributions above the cap are considered income for the employee.

“Providing tax-free education assistance is an important tool for furthering higher education,” said Chatrane Birbal, director of policy engagement for SHRM, in the article.

of these cases, recipients can continue to apply for renewal, but those who wish to apply to DACA for the first time are unable.

Some speculate the Supreme Court will find DACA unconstitutional given the court’s conservative majority.

“There have been positions made by pundits that the Supreme Court sometimes feels like an arm of the White House,” said Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia, clinical professor of law at Penn State Law and director of the Center for Immigrants’ Rights Clinic.

Wadhia said the court has not consistently voted one way or another and that DACA is different than other cases..

“It’s not really about foreign affairs and foreign policy like the way some of the immigration questions get wrapped into these cases,” Wadhia said. “Similarly, the DACA story is an American success story. So for the courts to deal with this … raises some considerations.”

According to the article, 8% of companies offer taxable tuition assistance for employees.

Chipotle offers one such assistance program.

Briscel Martinez, senior communication major at Columbia, worked for Chipotle and considered joining its Cultivate Education benefits program, but it only offered educational assistance to certain majors—none of which she wanted to pursue. So she decided against it. She said she does not know anyone who currently works for a company that helps ease the heavy burden of tuition.

Both Chipotle’s and Starbucks’ programs offer full tuition coverage to specific schools—not including Columbia—but the average cost of tuition is generally more tha n the current $5,250 cap.

The average cost of in-state tuition at a public school is $10,116 per academic year, according to a 2019 U.S. News & World Report

study. The average cost of tuition at a public and out-of-state school is $22,577, and it is $36,801 for private colleges.

“It is an incentive, quite frankly, to get the best employees and to also assist those employees,” Davis said. “Education is a premium.

Education is the key.”

ysheikah@columbiachronicle.com

bmesa@columbiachronicle.com

» WESLEY ENRIQUEZ/CHRONICLE

THE COST OF education would have put Olivia Williamson in an estimated $40,000 of debt, but because of the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, Williamson attended the University of Arizona online for three semesters and will graduate from the University of North Carolina Wilmington with only $10,000 in debt.

Williamson was reimbursed $2,000 by Starbucks each semester to cover tuition. She was able to avoid having to pay any taxes on her tuition assistance and said the payments eased the burden and stress of paying for college.

“Pulling out a whole bunch of loans wasn’t really that enticing,” she said.

The program pays a student’s full tuition for online classes at the University of Arizona if they work 20 hours per week at Starbucks.

Under current tax law, students accepting more than $5,250 in tuition assistance from employers will pay taxes on the assistance, although this did not apply to Williamson.

Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.) and Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.) introduced legislation Oct. 23 to increase the cap on tax-free education assistance employees can accept up to $11,500.

In 1986, Congress amended the tax code to allow businesses to contribute up to $5,250 in tuition assistance for employees before taxes would be taken out. But with the soaring costs of college compared to 1986, and accounting for inflation, the tuition assistance would not cover as much of tuition as it used to, Davis said.

Davis introduced the legislation because he said student debt is among the biggest problems that exist for students pursuing higher education.

“Courts across the country have repeatedly agreed with plaintiffs in their assertion that the Trump administration’s termination of DACA was arbitrary and capricious, with callous disregard for the major disruption this sudden move would cause,” according to a June 2019 article by the National Immigration Law Center.

One of the three consolidated cases the court will hear, McAleenan v. Vidal, was introduced by six DACA recipients and backed by the Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic at Yale Law School, the National Immigration Law Center and Make the Road New York. The Supreme Court is also considering Trump v.

NAACP as well as Regents of the University of California v.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

These three U.S. district court cases had an outcome that now allows DACA recipients to renew their status. With the Supreme Court agreeing to hear all three

Students start grassroots effort to provide a student newspaper to UIC » ALEXANDRA YETTER CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

» JUSTIN ANDERSON/CHRONICLE

LAST SEMESTER WHEN student workers went on strike at the University of Illinois at Chicago, no one on campus knew what was really going on amid conflicting reports. The misinformation highlighted the need for an independent, student-run newspaper.

Brody Ford, senior political science and communications double major, was creating a documentary on the strike for the Roosevelt Institute when he connected with Sophia Lackens—junior urban studies major, who had created a social media page to post memes of the strike—and Maricel Ortega, senior English major, who ran a student strike group.

Bonfire is the University of Illinois at Chicago’s new student-run newspaper.

Eventually, about 20 students, including Brian Lee, a senior marketing major who works in design and writing for the paper, joined together to create the Bonfire newspaper for the UIC community, funded by the college’s student government. The yet-to-be-launched online-exclusive platform is currently in the works as content creators join in a grassroots effort to produce material for the launch.

“The strike [made] us more aware of how important a free press was and how much we needed it, because there wasn’t a lot of media attention toward the strike; a lot of people are really misinformed about it,” said Ortega, who writes and edits for Bonfire.

“Students have probably been thinking about it for a while, but that woke us up.”

Although the school has a news platform, UIC Today, it is run by the Office of Public and

metro Government Affairs rather than students, operating more like public relations than journalism, Ortega said.

The Bonfire’s purpose is to talk about the big issues students are facing on campus, from new construction projects, possible strikes, upward enrollment and financially inaccessible dormitories.

“Serving as a watchdog and holding our authorities accountable because our administrators, they make massive profits … and then [we wonder] why we don’t have all the resources that we need,” Ortega said.

One way the Bonfire team will act as a watchdog is by filing as many Freedom of Information Act requests as possible, with one story already in the works from FOIAretrieved daily campus crime logs, Ortega said.

At the same time, the Bonfire will also have a satire and op-ed section because they “understand we’re all stressed and sometimes we need to laugh,” Ortega said, with many of those pieces speaking to

the common UIC experience at such a big, commuter-dominated school.

“There’s not that community presence at UIC, but we all have a shared experience of going here,” said Lackens, who is working closely within the satire and op-ed section. “We’re all going to Dunkin’, we’re all spilling Dunkin’ in our lectures; we’re all falling on the ice outside the library.

[We’re] building that community through laughing at our shared experiences.”

The satire section will also poke fun at the college and its leaders, with one article in the works breaking down the UIC chancellor’s birth chart to provide some insight into his decision-making.

“If you’re able to get people … further civically engaged with their school and community, that helps that investment in journalism throughout,” Ford said.

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

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