Monday, September 17 , 2018
VOL. 52, NO. 2
Truth Conquers All Since 1969
CLC recognized for LGBTQ+ inclusive initiatives
Sammie Wilkins Editor-in-Chief
The College of Lake County was named one of the top five LGBTQfriendly community colleges in the nation for its continual effort in providing a safe and comfortable environment for its community. Within the past year alone, CLC has made extreme efforts to reach out towards members of the LGBTQ+ community in order to make them feel safer and more comfortable while on campus. Philosophy professor and faculty coordinator for the LGBTQ+ resource center, Shanti Chu, has played a large role in making CLC an all-inclusive and safe environment for all. This is precisely why CLC was given a perfect score by Campus Pride, the organization that puts together the master list of LGBTQ+ friendly colleges, for its overall campus safety efforts. “We have policies in place for reporting LGBTQ+ related bias incidents and hate crimes along with efforts to prevent future incidents. Our campus also has ongoing training for public safety officers along with students, faculty, and staff on identifying hate crimes, hate crime prevention and how to report/respond to bias incidents/hate crimes,” Chu said. “The Title IX Not Anymore Training is crucial in this
effort and is available to the entire CLC community.” Not only does CLC help the students by preventing bias and hate from occuring on campus, but it also provides training for staff members as well. “The National Safe Zone training program is an optional annual
department on transgender and gender nonconforming experiences/ concerns along with antiLGBTQ+ violence,” she said. “We also conducted this training for the Gurnee Police Department last fall. Both police departments have been very welcoming to us and
training that I conduct for CLC employees on LGBTQ+ concepts, identity, inclusivity, and safety. When the training is completed, employees are given the CLC Safe Zone sticker to put on their door/desk to let students know that they are in a safe space and have allies,” Chu said. “The LGBTQ+ Resource Center has also provided training for the CLC police
have been respectful.” Other than improving its safety measures, the college has also been working toward providing a more welcoming setting to its LGBTQ+ students by sponsoring diverse events and making progressive changes to the college itself. “We have created more events to foster a safe and inclusive environment for the LGBTQ+
community through our monthly yoga nights, film nights with discussion, bringing in educational speakers, social justice initiatives such as clothing drives/volunteering and celebration of LGBTQ+ holidays such as National Coming Out Day, Transgender
Graphic by Michael Flores
Remembrance Day, World Aids Day, etc.” Chu said. “We want students to know that we are here and we are also a physical office space in B113D where people can come in, hangout, chat, and do homework.” “The presence of a gender neutral bathroom along with signs at each bathroom stating that people are welcome to use the bathroom of their
Substance prevention award
Annual Ruck March successful again
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choice has been crucial in helping foster inclusivity, safety, and comfort,” Chu said. People are also now able to change their name on Blackboard, the main platform in which students and professors interact, which can help those who no longer self-identify as a specific name, to change it. “I think all of these efforts help LGBTQ+ community members feel included and safe. It also helps allies and people outside of the community to learn more about issues that they may not have been familiar with and conscious of,” Chu said. “It’s one thing to say that this is a ‘safe space’ and it’s another to truly embody this support. Our policies and actions need to reflect this commitment, which we are continuing to work on everyday.” For those who wish to learn more about getting involved in improving LGBTQ+ efforts on campus, please feel free to join Pride Alliance Club or stop by the LGBTQ+ Resource Center for more information. “It is an opportunity for LGBTQ+ students and allies to come together in a safe space and have discussions relating to gender/sexuality and plan events throughout the semester,” Chu said. “They are a very active group and welcome people who are not part of the LGBTQ+ community and meet Mondays from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room.”
DACA injunction temporarily held off
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News
THE CHRONICLE Page 2 | Monday, September 17, 2018
CLC professor awarded for fight against substance abuse Anastasia Gustafson
Staff Reporter A College of Lake County professor received the Dr. C. Vincent Bakeman Memorial Award for effectively helping others battle drug use Sept. 7. Karen Wolownik-Albert, the Executive Director of the Gateway Foundation in Lake Villa received the distinguished honor for her efforts helping prevent substance abuse. Wolownik-Albert is a licensed clinical social worker who was born and raised in Michigan. She attended the University of Michigan Ann-Arbor and began her career in the Detroit area shortly after college. Originally, she had started in “child welfare and juvenile justice.” She explained that she “worked a lot with adolescents and their families in community and residential settings.” “One of the big trends was this pattern of untreated or undertreated substance use disorders,” she said. This inspired WolownikAlbert to begin working
more intently in the field of drug use disorders. “This was also a time where we also looked at substance use behavior as a criminal issue and criminal behavior, not a behavior health issue,” she said. Wanting to be a catalyst for positive change, Wolownik-Albert began investing her time and career to improve the perception, environment, and policies around drug use disorders. She said that if she could address the substance abuse, some of the other challenges her clients and their families were experiencing would probably improve. She started out as a program director for the Gateway Foundation in Lake Villa, where they have multiple avenues for which diverse sets of people can go to receive help. The four populations they deal with are adolescent males, adult females, young adults or college aged young men, and older adult males. In her eight years at the Gateway Foundation, she has also helped enact two outpatient programs, one in Lake Villa and one in
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Gurnee. Wo l o w n i k - A l b e r t is also an active leader in the Lake County Opioid Initiative, where they meet every month at CLC to work on new ground-breaking practices for those who are suffering from drug or substance use. Now she is the
executive at the Gateway Foundation and is still fighting to make a difference. “The lack of resources for certain populations and reaching out to lots of stakeholders in the community and being able to bring them together,” she said, referring to the hardest part of her career
There are programs she is involved in that help fix this problem such as the aforementioned Lake County Opioid I n i t i a t i v e . Wo l o w n i k Albert describes that “while it has been a challenge to navigate [all] those systems, the work [they’ve] been able to accomplish has been amazing.”
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Graphic by Michael Flores
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Daniel Lynch A&E Editor
Juan Toledo Copy Editor
Michael Flores
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Peter Anders, Anastasia Gustafson, Kevin Krause, Jason Lee, Rebecca Martinez, Andy Pratt
News
THE CHRONICLE Page 3 | Monday, September 17 2018
CLC community reflects on 9/11
Rachel Schultz News Editor
Every once in a while, a tremendous tragedy takes us by surprise and changes us as a nation. Pearl Harbor and the assassination of John F. Kennedy are examples of watershed moments in U.S. history. The hijacking of four planes on Sept. 11, 2001, called “9/11” for shorthand, is one of these moments. For those who lived through it and were old enough to remember, it changed them, as people won’t ever forget the flaming towers, planes crashing into buildings, the Pentagon, and the selfsacrifice of the passengers who forced a fourth plane down in rural Pennsylvania before it could reach its intended target. Ed Popelka, CLC’s
beekeeper, recalled his experiences on the morning of Sept. 11. He was living in Colorado at the time, and said that when he heard that a plane hit the South Tower of the World Trade Center, he wondered at first if it was an accident. When the second plane hit, he realized that it wasn’t. “I had to go the courthouse,” Popelka said. He needed to take care of some legal business, but all government buildings were shut down that day, and all planes were grounded. “As I continued to watch, it was very devastating,” he said, as he watched the towers in flames, then their collapse. “It wasn’t pretty. You’re thinking of all these people and all the firefighters that were in there trying to save [them],” recalled Popelka. On top of everything else,
Sept. 11 is his brother’s birthday, he said. “I didn’t even know what the heck was going on,” recalled CLC student Roxie Blum, who was attending a fashion design class at her high school in Deerfield when the news came shortly after 9 a.m. that two planes had crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. “I knew it was a bad thing, obviously,” she said. “It was crazy.” For an hour, she and her classmates were glued to the small TV screen in her classroom, as the horrible display unfolded. Kevin, another CLC student and retired Round Lake police officer, recalled waking up and hearing his girlfriend at the time shouting something. “‘It sounds like we’re at war,’ she said,” he recalled. Only semi-awake, he
briefly thought that a nuclear attack had been launched on the United States, then rolled over and went back to sleep. Only later, when he was awake enough to realize what had happened, did the full impact hit him. “I didn’t know what it was. I thought it might have been an act of war,” he said. Before he became a police officer, he served a stint in the army and was reluctant for the United States to commit to war, especially in Iraq, because he thought that telegraphing our military intentions was unwise. “My brother lived across the river in New Jersey, and he took the train every day to Manhattan for work,” said Rob, a police officer and graduate of CLC. “For whatever reason that morning, he didn’t go.”
The train that his brother normally took to work ran under the World Trade Center, he said. Instead of going to work right away on the morning of September 11, the brother decided to go for a walk. “While he was walking his dog, he watched it happen,” Rob said. “It was interesting working that day, because it was very quiet,” he said. “Just dead silence, very eerie.” Rob and the other police officers were tasked with patrolling and protecting Muslim-owned and Indianowned businesses and other locations that were vulnerable to vandalism in retaliation for the attacks that day.
CLC displays 9/11 tribute. Photo courtesy of Sammie Wilkins.
Features
THE CHRONICLE Page 4 | Monday, September 17, 2018
Second annual Ruck March builds support for veteran suicide prevention Andrew Fine Staff Reporter
On Sept. 8, the Lake County Veterans and Family Services Foundation hosted the 2nd annual Ruck March of Lake County. The Ruck March is a 20 kilometer march of all military veterans or supporters, for the intent to bring awareness to the veteran suicide epidemic that is occuring in our home country. “Veterans are too tough to ask for help,” said Bob Gorlman who is a peer supporter of the event. Veterans make up nearly one out of 6 or 17 percent of daily suicides. Events like this allow veterans to come together and form a brotherhood just like they have in the past. These events are the secret weapon to veterans who are too uncomfortable to speak out on their own but want to better themselves.
“Getting everyone in the community to support military veterans, and that not one person can do the work, but everyone contributing can. Everyone must come together as a band,” said M.J. Hodgins, former CLC graduate and the founder of the organization on her goal for the event. Veteran suicide is an epidemic that this country is facing and needs to be adequately addressed. As Hodgins says the ultimate goal is “bring awareness.” Letting veterans know that they are not alone in any sort of way, and that there are outlets to reach out to when they come back to civilization is the “No. 1 priority” says Hodgins. Former President of the Veterans Club, Jessica Lopez, 26, graduated from CLC with a focus on social work. As a Marine Corp Veteran, Lopez personally
faced problems as a veteran she wouldn’t have ever suspected. “Every veteran knows someone who has committed suicide, and I personally knew three veterans that committed suicide,” Lopez said. However, when Lopez finished up with the military and wanted to pursue her education at CLC it was hard for her to adapt. “I was older than everyone in my class, and people were complaining about stuff that I didn’t understand. It was hard for me to come back to civilization,” she said. Lopez is just one example of the many problems veterans face when they return back home. “I needed to be around veterans. That’s why I joined the Veterans Club and am a active participant in all sorts of veteran clubs,” Lopez said. When veterans like Lopez understand and experience
real-world problems, it becomes harder for one to concentrate and comprehend all kinds issues that one will be faced with. Each person wears a rucksack with weight in it, as it symbolizes that carried by those who are struggling with PTSD and depression.
“It represents the emotional and physical baggage veterans face every single day” says Lopez. It’s a symbolic representation that the weight these veterans face reminds them they are not alone and can be carried by their peers.
Photo Courtesy Lake County Veterans and Family Services Foundation
Monthly work days help conserve CLC’s environment Arturo Ramirez
Features Editor
Sustainability Manager at College of Lake County, David Husemoller, has been working on “setting up monthly environmental work days on campus.” On Saturday, Sept. 8, Husemoller and Karen Parra took students and volunteers toward the east of the Horticulture building to diminish the buckthorn, which is “an invasive species,” Husemoller said. “It just grows and spreads like crazy, it’s a European tree that was brought over to kind of create hedgerows for keeping cattle in fields. It’s really dense and the tips of the branches are thorny,” Husemoller said. “Buckthorn creates berries that birds can eat, but the fact is, it gives them diarrhea. And so, it’s great for spreading seeds around, it’s how it spreads to quickly--the birds eat it and can’t hold on to it, so kind of a gross fact. It’s part of how it spreads so quickly, and then the roots of these trees and shrubs create toxins in the soil,” he said. It’s important to note
that buckthorns ultimately create toxins that prevent other plants and trees from growing; thus, potentially this would cause a shift in the environment and its life as well. “I’m scheduling all kinds of special events so that students can get involved and learn about what’s going on around the world,” Husemoller said. “I also do a lot of projects here on campus to reduce flooding, to save energy, to promote renewable energy, and improve recycling. There’s a lot going on.” On Sept. 14, Husemoller plans to get “students together for world cleanup day.” “This is the largest civic action taking place in world history, so people across 100 different countries are cleaning up our world,” Husemoller said. “We’re going to have people in all three campuses working on Friday, to clean up around all three campuses.” Accessibility Coordinator for the Office of Students with Disabilities, Karen Parra, has been working with CLC for 11 years, and was recently accepted into a
graduate program. “That graduate program is focused on sustainability and conservation, and so I’ve become more involved here at the CLC campus, with efforts and initiatives to sustainability
conscientious,” Parra said. “So, I’ve stepped up to talk to David Husemoller, and said that I’d like to do some work. So we decided that work days would be a great idea, so we started to plan out once a month that
we would meet here at the campus and chip away at some of the invasive species that are in our woods,” she said.
Photo courtesy of David Husemoller
Features
THE CHRONICLE Page 5 | Monday, September 17, 2018
Car show raises money for scholarships and collision awareness Arturo Ramirez
Features Editor College of Lake County’s Automotive Club hosted a car show on Sept. 8, outside on Grayslake T-Lot. As well, the club hosted this event to raise awareness for both the Automotive and Collision Programs. “The car show raises money for scholarships,” Tracy Campbell, business analyst of the Facilities Department, said. “All kinds of vendors paid to be here, and that’s what helps to pay for entertainment so that there’s no cost, and then any money leftover also goes towards scholarships,” Campbell added.
“We’ve been very fortunate in having the community want to participate as far as vendors. They’ve always been very responsive, which is nice. They’re looking for an opportunity to engage with the CLC community, as the community engages with them,” she said. Student and CLC employee in Institutional Effectiveness and Research, Leslie D. attended the car show, adding that she “loves looking at old cars.” “Everything from the design of the layout of where cars are going to be setup, getting vendors here, working with students who design and build their own trophies, the categories, basically
I’m still working on it,” Octavio Cavazos, department chair for Automotive Collision Repair and Instructor, said. “We’ve had well over 100 cars come in and leave, the parking lot is designed to hold 220 cars,” said Cavazos said. Recruitment Specialist, Miguel Mireles helped make the “Future Techs Scholarship Car Show” event happen. “There has been a lack of students, because they are not really aware of the hands on technical programs that CLC has to offer, so within the divisions which is Engineering, Math, and Physical Sciences-we have 11 hands on technical programs,”
Mireles said. On the day of the event, the Automotive Club was putting on a display of automotive collision repair, which is to actively work on the outside of the body of a car. “We also have automotive technology, which is really doing the inside of the car. Which is being a mechanic, rebuilding the engine, fixing the brakes, the transmission,” Mireles said. “So, a lot of times students don’t know that these programs exist, but there’s a lot of job openings when you get a certificate. So, they could just take a few classes and then they’re done,” he added. “I
am the career program coordinator, so I help all of the department chairs here with their career programs in terms of marketing, recruitment, and advising. So that hopefully respective students and the community know about our programs.” “The students in the Automotive Program and the Collision Program have been very, very outgoing, and have been involved in every step of the way,” Cavazos said. “They spend a lot of late nights here working on building trophies, and cleaning the shops to make sure its clean and presentable for when we have tours going through the shops to help guide the cars.”
Former CLC student recalls 1997 Pulitzer Prize Andy Pratt Staff Reporter The search for truth can begin at the College of Lake County, even for investigators. Pulitzer prize winning investigative reporter, and college alum, Deborah Nelson offered advice to current students that are interested in investigative work. “I’d encourage anybody who thinks they’re interested, to try working for their school paper,” Nelson said. “I wouldn’t have known, if I hadn’t worked at mine.” Nelson won the Pulitzer prize for Investigative Reporting in 1997, for working on a series of articles for the Seattle Times. According to an 2012 College of Lake County press release, Nelson worked with Alex Tizan and Eric Nalder to expose “widespread problems in the federal government’s Indian Housing Program.” The series can be read at http://old.seattletimes.com/ news/local/tribalhousing/ Having grown up in a large family, Nelson attended the College of Lake County from the Fall of 1971 to the Spring of 1973. She wrote for the
Cornfield Chronicle, the student newspaper at the time, having worked on her high school newspaper prior. Nelson originally considered pursing an art major. “It’s not a ‘last chance,’” Nelson said. “It’s a door to the future. It’s a door to a 4 year school, a door to a career.” During the Fall of 1972, the Cornfield Chronicle found itself caught in local conflicts. Among other issues, then editor in chief Paul Christensen and staff photographer Roy Czajkowski decided to cover an event at the college, where Jane Fonda and Tom Hayden spoke out against the Vietnam War. “People could talk about things,” Nelson said, regarding the college at the time. “You could talk about the war, without it being a taboo subject.” After graduating from the college in the Spring of 1973, Nelson transferred to Arizona State University, where the adviser of their student newspaper called the State Press, convinced her to pursue a career in journalism. “I went home and thought about it, and thought he was right,” Nelson said.
“I loved art, but realized that I loved journalism more.” The following year, she was motivated by the love of a boy, and the love of a dream, to transfer to Northern Illinois University. Nelson graduated with a Bachelors in Science, focusing on Journalism, in 1975. According to Nelson, her most memorable experience as an investigative reporter, may have occurred during her first investigative assignment for the Daily Herald. While covering the Prospect Heights area, the Sanitary District kept raising the rates, while refusing to provide any budget or reasons. She remembers asking a Super Intendent of the district to let her look at a document, which was available as public record by law. He said that he wouldn’t let her, and slammed the door in her face. She realized that she loved the chase. “Sometimes this exhilaration, that outrage that drives you,” Nelson said. “That my reporting could bring about change.” Nelson has gone on to win a series of awards, and even published a book called “The War Behind Me”
in 2008, regarding the friends she had while at the Vietnam War. College of Lake County. She currently teaches at “A bunch of us are still in the University of Maryland, touch,” Nelson said. and is a freelance reporter for Reuters. She sometimes hears from
Pulitzer Prize Winner Deborah Nelson poses with a pen and notepad. Photo by Sam Kittner
A&E
THE CHRONICLE Page 6 | Monday, September 17, 2018
James Wan’s ‘Nun’ excercises gothic theme
Rebecca Martinez Staff Reporter
The bone-chilling season of Halloween has arrived a few weeks early with the release of the latest addition to the acclaimed Conjuring series, “The Nun.” “The Nun” was released on Sept. 7, making a successful $132.8 million globally in its opening weekend. The film stars Taissa Farmiga in the pivotal role of Sister Irene, a novitiate preparing to take her vows to become a nun; Demián Bichir as well-versed Father Burke; Jonas Bloquet as Maurice, or “Frenchie”, the uncouth town local; and Bonnie Aarons as the infamous demonic nun. What makes “The Nun” so easily terrifying is its location. Set predominantly in a dungeon-like abbey in Romania during the 1950’s, the film was destined to scare its viewers from the moment the theater lights dimmed. Characters can’t walk five feet without encountering ankle-high fog among clusters upon clusters of crosses that resemble frightening warning signs
rather than comforting symbols. Not to mention the large cemetery near the abbey that has bells above the graves, signifying security coffins that alert the living if a person has been buried alive. Of course these bells sound throughout the movie, evoking an indescribable sense of dread. Still, the amount of crosses in the cemetery and the dismal gothic structures of the abbey cause the location to appear perfectly fit for Dracula. The plot itself, however, surrounds the mystery around the apparent suicide of a nun at the aforementioned abbey, which causes Father Burke and Sister Irene to travel to Romania in order to investigate the nun’s death. Along the way, they pick up Frenchie, who leads them to the abbey. Once they arrive, however, they soon find that the nun’s death is only the beginning of a truly sinister turn of events. The group finds that the origins of the demonic nun involves black magic dating back to the Dark Ages, stacking the odds against them even higher. What really makes “The
Image courtesy of MovieWeb
Nun” multifaceted and more than a superficial horror movie, is the complexity of Father Burke and Sister Irene. Father Burke, a man experienced in the repercussions of the supernatural, is tormented by the failed exorcism of a young boy he once tried to save. The demonic nun preys upon Father Burke’s guilt, tricking him throughout the movie by posing as the boy, allowing Father Burke to painfully deal directly with the consequences of his chosen profession. Oppositely, Sister Irene’s issues lie in her inexperience. She’s often patronized as
being a novitiate, not yet a “real” nun. Yet, Irene continues to mature and shows nothing but bravery in the face of pure evil, leading to her eventual choice of taking on her vows and calling upon her faith when coming face to face with the titular villain. Another attribute Irene possesses, beyond her courage and intelligence, is her ability to see visions; though she had these visions mostly as a child, they later provide an integral clue found inside the abbey. However, as much of the film’s audience might have noticed, Farmiga is real-life
sisters with Vera Farmiga, one of the main characters, Lorraine Warner of the first two Conjuring films. Could this be a deliberate casting choice for the series’ future? Beyond their obvious sibling resemblance, there are certain ties that connect their characters together, such as their abilities to both have visions and connect with the supernatural. Could Sister Irene and Lorraine Warren cross paths later on in The Conjuring universe? It’s an interesting possibility to ponder, but we’ll have to wait at least until the third Conjuring film, which is currently in development, is released.
Peppermint fails to refresh vigilante genre Jason Lee
Staff Reporter “Peppermint”, directed by Pierre Morel, had a stellar lead performance by Jennifer Garner as Riley North, but failed to bring a breath of fresh air to the revenge vigilante genre. Garner gives a great performance as Riley, as she is extremely cunning and strategic in the film. She is also a very determined character here, as she’s relentless in her quest, and invulnerable to whatever she comes across for most of the movie. Throughout the duration of the film, she’s rarely seen in peril which makes her look and appear less human to the audience as she is seen in a superhuman light. Plus, she was away for five years of training, but is that really enough to make
her become this unstoppable woman? The story itself is a paintby-the-numbers revenge tale like “John Wick.” This film just goes with generic storytelling that lacks any great twists or new story elements in this certain movie category. The action sequences are executed well, they’re stylishly directed and well shot, and the cinematography allowed for the action on screen to be followed with ease, but it could not save the quality of the film. The plot was well paced, as the movie went by pretty fast, though the runtime is neither too short or too long, which could have played a role in the quick passage of time. “Peppermint” had the potential to be something different despite its familiar concept, yet it failed to do
Image courtesy of the San Diego Reader.
so. There have been a good amount of action films this year with a female lead, like Alicia Vikander in “Tomb Raider,” and Matilda Lutz in “Revenge,” so “Peppermint” already had
a few competitors before it came out. While the movie had the opportunity to be the best of them, it once again missed the mark on that one. Unfortunately, well paced action scenes and
a talented actress such as Jennifer Garner aren’t enough to save this film from a cliche-ridden script and lack of major character development.
A&E
THE CHRONICLE Page 7 | Monday, September 17, 2018
‘Kin’ disappoints sci-fi fans despite star-studded cast Peter Anders Staff Reporter ‘Kin’ is a science fiction adventure film directed by Jonathan and Josh Baker, based on the 2014 short film ‘Bag man’. The film starring James Franco, Jack Reynor, Myles Truitt, and Zoe Kravitz was released by Lionsgate on Aug. 31. ‘Kin’ is one of the weirdest major releases in recent memory, as it looks simultaneously expensive yet cheap at the same time. The plot is both simple yet convoluted and the actors are both great yet terrible. The bizarre experience becomes an infuriating one in the last fifteen minutes, managing to sink any goodwill the film may have had. ‘Kin’ follows the story of young teenager named Eli Stalinski who lives in
Detroit with his father. One day, when scavenging for materials, Eli discovers a high powered laser rifle and takes it. Coincidentally, his juvenile brother, Jimmy Solinski, has come home and is a target of a very powerful crime boss, who will stop at nothing to destroy them. The best part of ‘Kin’ is arguably the acting, especially from Myles Truitt as Eli (in his acting debut). Dennis Quaid, being the veteran actor that he is, brings actual depth and character to a thinly written part. You buy his dilema, and his emotions all come across as genuine and sincere. Jack Reynor plays his role exactly as he should, surpassing the character written on the page and actually manages to make Jimmy an understandable character. James Franco plays the villainous crime
boss, and while he plays it fine enough, he feels like he is still playing Tommy Wiseau from ‘The Disaster Artist’ at times and is never really imposing. ‘Kin’ ultimately falls apart due to its script and the uneven tone established by it. Writer Daniel Casey has not written much, with his credits mostly consisting of television experience, and it shows because the writing feels amateurish. The characters behave inconsistently, betraying their established nature and common sense for mere plot convenience. One thing needs to be established right out of the gate for ‘Kin’, is that this movie is inconsistent in its visuals. At times it looks pretty good, with the special effects and alien technology being uniquely designed and intricate, and the action scenes look good and are well shot and well directed. Yet, one cannot help
but notice how sparsely populated the sets are, even when the movie moves to Las Vegas it feels empty and deserted. There are times where the film feels like it is heading towards a big battle between extraterrestrial forces, the men after Jimmy, and the hilariously ineffective local law enforcement, yet that major battle never happens. The extraterrestrials never partake in the action in a way that justifies the amount of time spent hinting at them. Throughout the film, we cut to the aliens hunting Eli and tracking him constantly, and yet they never really come into play and we only get hints at what they are capable of. It feels like it has less to do with artistic intent, and more to do with budget constraints. All of this would not spell doom for ‘Kin’ in most cases, as it would be another forgettable sci fi flick, but the last five minutes of the
movie change that. When the plot twist is revealed (along with a cameo that left me scratching my head; however, I won’t spoil here), you will admire the gall of the filmmakers. Up until the ending, the film feels like it could easily stand on its own, but the sequel-bait ending is unintentionally hilarious. It makes the whole movie feel like a really expensive tv pilot, and the entire affair feels worse than it actually is as a result of this. Despite a solid cast and some interesting drama and character dynamics, ‘Kin’ is mostly a mediocre affair through its running length. An uneven tone and uninspired direction leave you feeling empty, until the twist, where the audience is left feeling bamboozled yet unintentionally amused.
Image courtesy of Glitter Magazine
Modern rap group releases first album under record label Kevin Krause
Staff Reporter
A rap duo by the name of $uicideboy$ had released their debut album, “I Want to Die in New Orleans,” on Friday, Sept. 7th. The album was their 43rd musical release since their formation in 2014, but their first album under the official label G*59 Record. The group consists of cousins Ruby da Cherry
(Aristos Petrou) and $crim (Scott Arceneaux Jr.) of New Orleans, La., who have released their previous projects - mixtape and singles independently without a label, mainly remaining in the underground Soundcloud circle. Their first official album was originally titled “I Don’t Want to Die in New Orleans” because at the time of the album title conception, the duo were very interested in touring
and just wanted to get out of their hometown. That was about a year ago. Now that they’ve been touring, they are homesick, and believe New Orleans to be their roots and where they belong. On July 31st, 2018, they premiered the first single from the album: “Carollton”. It was received very well, and led to much more hype for the actual album release. Following the release
of “Carollton,” they had released one more single, “Meet Mr. NICEGUY” on Friday, Aug. 24th, two weeks before the release of the album. Due to the release of these two singles, the album received praise from its listeners, and helped it generate steam and excitement. The album itself features 14 songs, one being the fourth installment of their series of singles “I No Longer Fear the
Razor Guarding my Heel” series. It also features many samples between songs from everything to news reports from New Orleans, to commercials and documentaries about New Orleans. The album can be listened to on Spotify, SoundCloud, Amazon, and iTunes, and can buy physical releases of the album on http://www. suicideboysstore.com.
A&E
THE CHRONICLE Page 8 | Monday, September 17, 2018
Women’s Center recognizes ‘Miss Representation’
Juan Toledo Copy Editor
An official selection of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, “Miss Representation,” will be screened on Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m. and Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in room A011 at the Grayslake CLC Campus. The documentary, which challenges sexism and exposes how the mainstream media contributes to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America, was written and
directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom. The film will be shown in collaboration with the Women’s Center. “I made Miss Representation because we live in a society where media is the most persuasive force shaping cultural norms, and the collective message the media sends to our young women and men is that a woman’s value lies in her youth, beauty, and sexuality, and not in her capacity as a leader,” Newsom said. “I wanted to shed a light on this problem, because if we don’t question that thinking and work to change
it, we are going to continue to be marginalized.” The film draws back a curtain to reveal a glaring reality we live with everyday but fail to see. The media’s limited and often disparaging portrayals of women and girls makes it difficult for women and girls to feel powerful and achieve leadership positions. “Miss Representation” also features stories and provocative interviews with politicians, journalists, and entertainers like Rosario Dawson, Condoleezza Rice, and Nancy Pelosi.
Image courtesy of Kanopy
Music world mourns loss of modern hip hop artist Daniel Lynch
A & E Editor
Image courtesy of Soundlink Magazine
Hip hop artist Mac Miller died on Sept. 7 of an alleged overdose. Miller catapulted to success by his skill in music, his topical and cogent rhymes, and by radiating an unwavering positivity. His success was categorically documented in the release of his 2011 album, “Blue Slide Part,” which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. Throughout Miller’s
career, he celebrated successes up to his most recent album “Swimming,” which released in August of this year. After Miller’s passing, there was a massive boom in listeners skyrocketing his career further. This is a routine phenomena, when an artist leaves their work behind, everyone wants to enjoy it in their memory. Three of his past records made their way onto the top 100 billboard, while his two previous hits “Self Care” and “Hurt Feelings,” are also charting in the top 100
singles category. What was normally criticized as a failure, is now meant to be used to enjoy and respect an artist now that they are no longer alive. Many fans have taken to social media to mourn the artist and to express how important and vital his music was to their own mental well-being. As it should be, the death of an artist, especially one that’s important to your life, should have his or her work be remembered as a tribute and celebration of life.
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Opinion
THE CHRONICLE Page 9 | Monday, September 17 2018
Washington internship teaches more than just journalism Rachel Schultz
News Editor
As a College of Lake County communications student aiming for a career in journalism, I had a tremendous opportunity this summer. For two months, I was a journalism intern in Washington D.C. The program that sponsored me was “The Fund for American Studies”, a libertarian organization that recruits students from around the world and across the U.S. to give them hands-on experience in government, media, nonprofit organizations, and other important fields. We interns were boarded at The George Washington University campus in Foggy Bottom. I was a part of the journalism program. My internship was virtual, which meant that I didn’t have to report to an office necessarily. Instead I, and some other interns were given passes to the National Press Club, where we could interview people or write stories. While walking from my room to the Press Club every morning, I always passed the White House. I visited the U.S. History Museum, where the original Star Spangled Banner, the giant U.S. flag that inspired Francis Scott Key’s to write the national anthem during the War of 1812. I visited the Newseum, where the history of journalism is preserved in many stunning exhibits, like Checkpoint Charlie, the famous guard tower that guarded the gateway to West Berlin. A section of the Berlin Wall stood nearby, the West German side covered with colorful graffiti, while the East German side was a stark gray, a symbol of the total control exercised over the East German people by their oppressive Communist government. Being a journalism intern in a libertarian program was a great experience. Libertarians are the mavericks of American politics. They embrace a spectrum of positions that are variously liberal, conservative, moderate,
mainstream, and some that don’t show up on either leftor right-wing platforms. While not a libertarian myself, I wholeheartedly agree with some of their major positions, especially in regards to freedom of speech. Washington, D.C. is the ideal city to think about freedom of the speech. All fifty states, as well as just about every country in the world, are represented there. The importance of free speech was hammered
Ottoman Empire. Sumeyrah, who is the sweetest girl ever, said that she was “so sad” that the Armenians made up such a horrible story to slander the Turks. She said that the Armenians were killing Turks, and that Turkey was merely defending itself. She said that the Armenians wanted their own nation, so they decided to resort to murder and rape in the hope of forcing Turkey to grant them independence. If only that were true. I remember reading a book
for various families until she met her Armenian husband, who had also lost virtually his entire family. The genocide was perpetrated by the Turkish military against Armenians, Assyrians, and Pontic Greeks, who were forced to leave their homes and walk in “death marches” without food or water until they dropped dead from hunger, thirst, and exhaustion. Others were burned to death in their houses, beheaded, tortured, or tied to wooden
Photo courtesy of Rachel Schultz
home to to me on more than one occasion. One weekend, I went out with a Turkish international student, Sumeyra, and her Chinese roommate, Sumeyrah, a Muslim, was looking for halal food, so we finally found a Uyghar restaurant in Virginia. While we were eating, Sumeyra mentioned an Armenian acquaintance back in Turkey. I mentioned something about the Armenian genocide under the
written by an American journalist with an Assyrian father and an Armenian mother. She recalled that her mother often told her, “Don’t wait until you lose me to realize how much you love your mother.” The mother had witnessed the deaths of her own mother and younger siblings before and was stranded as an orphan in a strange city with no friends or relatives to depend on. She worked as a servant
crosses and set on fire. Those who could flee, did so, making their way to Russia, Iran, Iraq, and the United States, among other countries. Although the West was aware of the atrocities perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire, retribution was not forthcoming. In fact, decades later, the Armenian genocide was the inspiration for another dictator’s plans for the Final Solution in Germany. When Adolf
Hitler embarked on a rampage of world conquest and genocide, he boasted, “Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?” Not only does restricting free speech harm individual rights, it also is a basic denial of people’s right to exist. An example of denying free speech in the United States is what happened to Native Americans. Deprived of the right to speak their native languages, native children were forced to learn English and adopt clothing and customs that they didn’t understand. Native Americans were not even considered people under American laws in the 1800s. Not until a tiny tribe called the Poncas sued the U.S. government in 1879 were Native Americans officially recognized as human beings. Standing Bear, the Ponca chief, argued that he and his people hadn’t come from the woods or the earth, or from outer space. In the courtroom, he raised his right hand and said, “That hand is not the color of yours, but if I prick it, the blood will flow, and I shall feel pain. The blood is of the same color as yours. God made me, and I am a man.” The result of exercising his right to free speech in the face of seemingly impossible odds was a courtroom full of tearyeyed people, including the judge, who ruled in the Ponca’s favor. For the first time, American Indians were entitled to the right of habeas corpus under the U.S. Constitution, which guaranteed their right to a fair trial and declared that the government could no longer imprison them without reason. In these polarized times, instead of seeing enemies in people who disagree with us, why not love our enemies and dialogue with them instead? We just might find a human being underneath all the rhetoric, and save lives in the process. After all, free speech is a two-way street.
Opinion
THE CHRONICLE Page 10 | Monday, September 17, 2018
Late alumn’s experience at CLC remains unforgotten Andy Pratt
Staff Reporter An education from the College of Lake County, can be a life long and rewarding experience, and many alumni from the college went on to serve as proof of this fact. A story I find to be particularly inspirational, is that of Paul Christensen, editor-in-chief of the then student newspaper known as the Cornfield Chronicle, during the Fall of 1972. Paul went on to graduate from the college in 2002, and was also an employee with the College of Lake County with Student Services, for around 15 years. Although he passed away in 2006, a younger sister of his named Patricia Christensen was kind enough to talk about his life.
“He was never one to shy away,” Christensen said. It was during the Fall of 1972, when antiwar activists Jane Fonda and Tom Hayden spoke at an event on campus, to protest the United States involvement in Vietnam. Paul chose to cover the event. “[Paul] told me every professor scheduled a pop quiz, or test, at the same time as the event,” Christensen said. Paul’s career as a college journalist was short lived, but it left an impact. He became editorin-chief during his first semester at the college, which is an example of one of the various unique opportunities that can be offered through student organizations. Christensen said that at one point, the college “attempted to expel Paul.”
Although their dad did not approve of Paul’s work for the Chronicle, he did believe in Paul’s right to do his work. Patricia can remember driving with their dad, asking people to sign a petition for Paul. They lived with foster parents at the time, in a Catholic household. “[We] were always allowed to disagree with dad,” Christensen said. For various reasons, including the desire to grow as an young adult, Paul eventually decided to drop out of college. His career path eventually lead to him joining the Navy, in which he got to serve on a submarine. Paul eventually received a medical discharge, after suffering from seizures. Years later, Paul was hired for a job with Student Services, at the Waukegan campus of the
College of Lake County. He had also decided to return as a student to focus on computer science. According to the website for the Illinois General Assembly, Paul graduated from the College of Lake County, with 2 degrees in 2002. According to Patricia, his time as an employee with the college was “the best time of his life. He felt like he was helping people, doing good,” Christensen said. “I think he liked himself better.” While Paul worked at the Waukegan campus, Patricia remembers visiting him while at work, and how everyone he worked with regarded him amiably, and knew his name. Patricia later went on to pursue a career in journalism, eventually working with the Chicago Tribune, among other
Picture of Paul Christensen Photo courtesy of Patricia Christensen
media outlets. She can remember asking Paul about his work while at the Cornfield Chronicle. “It really impressed me,” Christensen said. “He was always excited. I never got to read [the issues], but I always listened to him talk about it.”
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Opinion
THE CHRONICLE Page 11 | Monday, September 17, 2018
DACA injunction temporarily postponed Kevin Tellez
Managing Editor The seven states that had originally planned to overturn the DACA program last year were unable to demonstrate the program’s harmful effects to the federal government in time. DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, is a federal program developed by former President Barack Obama in 2012 to protect young illegal immigrants who had arrived to the U.S. from immediate deportation for a period of two years. Due to the excessive time it took for the states to move on to preliminary injunction with the lawsuit, US District Judge Andrew Hanen refused to continue with the injunction of DACA as of Friday, August 31
Unfortunately, this does not mean that the program will remain running indefinitely. The ruling remains suspended until a definite answer is given. “If the nation truly wants a DACA program, it is up to Congress to say so,” Hanen wrote in a discussion with Fox News editor Matt Richardson. “As the Justice Department has consistently argued, DACA is an unlawful attempt to circumvent Congress,” stated Justice Department spokesman Devin O’Malley to Richardson. The seven states pushing the lawsuit against DACA agree with O’Malley’s sentiment and argue that Obama never had the authority to create a program that circumvents Congress in the way that DACA does. According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the
number of immigrants who had federal protection from DACA was 689,800 as of Sept. 4th, 2017, the day before the Trump administration decided to end the program. The figures from this report also show that nearly 80 percent of recipients were from Mexico. The number of recipients has only been climbing since then. As of January of 2018, there have been nearly 800,000 immigrants who had received protection since DACA’s inception in 2012 - 798,980 to be exact - as per the USCIS. In many cases, the immigrants who apply to DACA seek resources that they aren’t able to get in their own country. Keeping this program running is not just for the benefit of its recipients, but it is a means to upkeep the United States image as the “Land of Opportunity.”
To end this program would be entirely hypocritical against our national beliefs. It would not be humanitarian. It would not go with our moniker as the land of prosperity. And ultimately, it would be an un-american decision. DACA may be unconstitutional according to many, but according to many others, it’s a step in the right direction to benefit humanity. The decision to end this program by the Trump administration - among several other poorly executed decisions in foreign policy - is pushing this country backwards into a time of aggressive nationalism. Even if it’s for a short time, federal judge Hanen’s decision to keep DACA running was a good one. But sadly, it’s merely a glimmer of false hope. The rationale was only because
the states were unable to push the lawsuit forward in time. If the seven states against DACA had more support and more timeliness with their lawsuit, it would be a matter of when - not if - in regards to the program’s cancellation. Even Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in the discussion with Matt Richardson that he was confident the courts would ultimately find DACA unconstitutional. He agrees that a definite end to the program was denied only because the states waited too long to request it. The future of support for countries abroad looks bleak from the Trump administration’s point of view. Cancelling DACA and refusing help for hundreds of thousands of innocent families is one step closer towards America becoming a country with no intercontinental remorse.
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Monday, September 17, 2018
Truth Conquers All Since 1969
VOL. 52, NO. 2
Nike stirs controversy with 30th anniversary ad campaign Brandon Ferrara
Sports Editor
Nike, one of the world’s most recognizable and popular consumer brands, has raised major controversy over its 30th anniversary of their “Just Do It” campaign. The company’s campaign features a print ad, paired with a commercial featuring various successful athletes, some of whom included tennis star Serena Williams and basketball all-star Lebron James. The inclusion of former NFL quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, was the catalyst for the brands controversy. Not only does he narrate the whole commercial, but he is featured in the print ad staring intensely into the camera. The text in the print ad reads as follows: “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”
With no context, many people would be very supportive of this message, as people are naturally inclined to stand up for the issues they care about; however, this advertisement carries a somewhat different connotation based on recent events involving the football star. For those who are not familiar with the issue, former starting quarterback Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers, started to kneel during the National Anthem in protest of police brutality in 2016. For many, this action was perceived as very disrespectful to the U.S. as a country, but on the other hand, it is an American right to have free speech. Since then, he has opted out of his contract with the 49ers and has not been picked up by another team. Despite the split opinion on Kaepernick’s protest, Nike decided to fuel their ad campaign with
reference to these protests. It may seem like Nike is late to the game in support of Kaepernick and his mission, as this movement started a few years ago. But his protest and belief is still fresh in the hearts of some Americans, as many have openly spoken out against Nike’s “egregious” stance and burned their already purchased Nike products. Delving into the analysis of the ad and the reasoning for their decision to endorse Kaepernick is something no ordinary person can successfully determine. Professor Lori Oriatti teaches business ethics, administration, and marketing at the College of Lake County. She holds a Master in Business Administration degree (MBA) from Loyola University Chicago. Oriatti has previously worked at the Quaker Oats Company and the Gatorade Company before
starting her teaching at CLC. Having some work experience in the marketing and business world, she can give an explanation as to why Nike may have referenced the protests and put Colin Kaepernick as the face of their “Just Do It” campaign’s 30th anniversary. “From a consumer product company’s perspective, it was risky move,” Oriatti said. “Divisive topics tend to upset a portion of the consumers who buy the product.” The main purpose for advertisements is to reach the target market and relate to the people buying the product. “Nike wanted to resonate with their target market, which consists of 15 to 40 year olds,” Oriatti said. “There is research that supports the claim that people buy brands that have the same values and ideas as them.” That being said, publicly
traded companies have to ensure that their stockholders are taken care of, and a controversial ad campaign is something that can affect the stockholders’ shares and opinion of the company. “Nike must be conscious of both the target market and the people who hold stock that are not necessarily part of the target market,” Oriatti said. It has been longer than a week since the ad has come out, and Nike’s stock has not changed. The only aspect or numbers that have increased are the company’s online sales, which doesn’t correlate with the release of the ad. “There’s enough people that are supportive of the ad who remain in Nike’s target market, which cancels out the backlash and boycotts,” Oriatti said. “Often times one has to decide if the reward outweighs the risk.”
Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Times