March 2, 2020 by The Chronicle

Monday, March 2, 2020

Truth Conquers All Since 1969

VOL. 53, NO. 10

Sustainability adviser resigns, citing ‘disinformation’ Zoe Rabin

News Editor The volunteer adviser of a College of Lake County student club resigned from her position Feb. 12, citing what she said were false statements made about her by another campus group. Shannon Bassi, the former Sustainability Club adviser and current administrative assistant in the dual credit/college readiness program, sent her resignation letter to members of the club, telling them she was excited to devote her energy to an “entrepreneurial opportunity” but sad over leaving her role as an adviser “and no longer spending time with some really fantastic students.” The full text of Bassi’s letter was posted by the Young America’s Foundation on the organization’s Facebook page. On its page, the group said Bassi’s letter “laments the YAF chapter.” The CLC Young Americans for Freedom chapter said in the fall 2019 semester on its Facebook page that Bassi had booed speakers at a Nov. 13 conservative panel held on the Grayslake campus and that she had placed fliers that it said were defamatory about the group. Bassi declined to comment about her resignation and said her letter contained what she wanted to say. Teresa Aguinaldo, CLC dean of student life, also declined to comment. “The intolerance of the left on our campus is rampant,” Rob

Corn, chair of the CLC chapter of YAF said on the chapter’s Facebook page. Another member of the CLC YAF chapter said his organization welcomes the controversy. “The more drama and backlash we face, it seems our members only get happier and more motivated,” he said on the CLC YAF chapter’s Facebook page. Bassi, however, expressed a different sentiment in her resignation letter. “Unfortunately, I have been impacted quite negatively by a particular group on campus whose dissemination of lies about me has taken a large toll, as well as much of the joy out of my volunteer position in this role,” said Bassi in her resignation letter sent to sustainability club student members. “I am concerned by the very presence of some of its members, as well as their effect they are having on other people who do not know the truth - not only about me, but about divisive topics, and what I see as a very harmful and hurtful strategic agenda of disinformation fueled by half-truths, skewed data, and twisted logic.” Bassi also said in her letter that she wishes the best of luck to the students of the sustainability club and that she is thankful for the time she did have as the Sustainability Club’s adviser.

Shannon Bassi’s resignation letter as it appeared on YAF’s Facebook page.

Pictured is the Black Conservatives Panel hosted by the CLC YAF chapter. The group said on its Facebook page that Shannon Bassi booed at the Nov. 13 event.

~Photo courtesy of CLC YAF’s Facebook page

News

THE CHRONICLE Page 2 | Monday, March 2, 2020

Student Government president candidates promise great changes Martin McMurray Staff Reporter

The Student Government Association is the official representative body of the College of Lake County’s student population. The president of SGA is responsible for heeding the concerns of the officers and senators that are below him, as well as listening to the concerns of his constituents on campus. This responsibility currently falls to Mizraim Hernandez, who is the president for the 2019-20 school year. As Hernandez is in his last year at CLC, he will need to be replaced by another individual in fall 2020. That is why next month, CLC will be having an election for SGA president, in which three candidates will be running to replace Hernandez’s position as president. The names of these three candidates are Leila Manthi, Marilyn Lambert, and Le’Andres Callahan. All three candidates were recently interviewed and were asked several questions pertaining to their individual campaigns. Le’Andres Callahan is a twenty-year-old psychology major, in his second year here on campus. He has been a student senator for his entire time here at CLC and understands all the aspects of the Student Government here on campus. Le’Andres says that he is great at listening to other peoples’ concerns, and is goal-oriented, and considers himself a man of the people, not only for CLC but for his community as well. He has made clear that his reason for running for president is because he wants what is best for the students. He has several goals for his administration, one of which is to get more students involved on campus. Callahan is also interested in making the many clubs and organizations on campus more accessible and advertised to all students. Le’Andres has explained that he intends to make these goals a reality as soon as he is elected. “Even if I

am not elected, I will do my best to accomplish this because of my love for my college,” said Callahan. Callahan has made clear that he has seen a real problem with many students on campus about not being involved with clubs or organizations, he noticed that many students go to class and back home. “I plan on bringing more recognition to the smaller and lesser-known clubs,” says LeAndres. Le’Andres does not intend to remove anything, but merely improve on what already exists. By this time next year, Le’Andres intends to finish a new Legacy Project on campus. He believes that democracy is important because it shapes our daily lives. “Not everywhere in the world is a democracy, and we are lucky to live in a democratic society. Not only because it gives a voice to the voiceless and power to the common people, but also because it gives us a right to create and dismantle laws that we see unjust,” explains Callahan. Leila Manthi is a firstyear student here on campus. She is nineteen years old and is majoring in social work. Just like Le’Andres, she has had much experience in government, serving on several executive boards throughout high school, as well as her time at CLC so far. In high school, Manthi was involved in student council, as well as the vice president of the Future Business Leaders of America chapter. She currently serves as the vice president of administration for her Boy Scout troop and is an incumbent SGA senator. Leila shares that one of her best qualities is her willingness to understand the struggles of others, as well as sympathize with their problems. “I can’t count the number of times a friend has come to me and said something that wasn’t really the best, but I sat there and offered the best help I could,” said Manthi. Manthi is running

Pictured left: Leila Manthi, Marilyn Lambert, Le’Andres Callahan.

for office in order to embolden the voice of the common student. She explains that previous administrations tended to only focus on the loudest voices, but often leave out the quieter ones of dissenting opinion. “I want to be able to give a voice to every single person who signs their name on the dotted line, for every CLC Lancer,” Manthi said. Leila has several goals for her administration, which she has aptly named “Leila’s Three Goals.” Firstly and most important, Leila intends to unify the Grayslake, Lakeshore, and Southlake campuses with increased cooperation between the campuses on projects and events. Secondly, Leila intends to create a community where all students have a voice in their government and the decisions being made. Finally, she intends to improve the relationship between CLC students and the government that serves them. She hopes to reduce the negative reputation that the student government association seems to have throughout the student population. Manthi believes that democracy is very important because it allows everyone, not just the upper echelons to voice

their opinions, and she wants people to know that she is first and foremost a student, not a politician. She stresses that she is just like anyone else, that she enjoys video games, listening to music, and hanging out with her fellow students. “I love meeting new people, so if you see me come up and say hi! I will fight for you and your voice.” Marilyn Lambert is a freshman and is on a pre-med track majoring in cellular biology and minoring in psychology. She is currently 19 years old. Marilyn is an officer in SGA and has helped lead other students in making events run smoothly. “I go out of my way to make sure each student I meet at CLC can find the help they need,” says Lambert. “I want to help people achieve their goals.” Marilyn explains that she is qualified to be SGA president due to her being an adamant worker, as well as her previous experience leading and working with others. “I won’t stop until I can get the best job done,” says Lambert. “I want to make sure that I can do the best job I possibly can for every student at CLC.” Lambert explains that she is running for SGA president because she

Photo by Cody Dufrense

wants to make SGA and the school as a whole the best that it can be. She intends to make student government here on campus more available to students, and the community as a whole. Perhaps more importantly, one of her outlasting goals is to reduce the negative stigma associated with attending CLC. “I want people to be proud and excited to be going to CLC,” says Lambert. “We are all going to college to further our education.” Marilyn intends to make several changes to the campus during her presidency, one of which will be improving advertisement and accessibility to events for the community such as the Turkey Trot or summer games. Just like LeAndres, Marilyn is interested in creating a new Legacy Project, something that will be accessible to all students to further their educational goals and fuel their creativity. “Everyone’s voice being heard is imperative to any school, business, or even our daily life,” says Lambert. Marilyn believes that democracy is important for everyone because it allows everyone’s voice to be heard.

News

THE CHRONICLE Page 3 | Monday, March 2, 2020

Patrons’ privacy is an open book at some US libraries Tanner DeVore Managing Editor

Trust may or may not be built between patrons and their library. Whether you go there to research a paper about World War II and want to check out Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” or just a simple cook book, a library has tons of options for any type of reader. There is an unspoken agreement that what you check out at the library is your personal business and that you will not be judged for what you choose to check out for whatever reason. “Just as a larger issue there’s a question with all of the technology that we have, the concept of the erosion of privacy; and a lot of it being voluntary, so a lot of times when people sign agreements it’s for usages of internet web browsers or when you sign up for a credit card,” CLC sociology professor John Tenuto said. “We often give away a lot of permission to vendors to access information about us.” Tenuto said crediting agencies are an example, citing the “big focus on what your credit score is.“ “The crediting agencies

are private businesses and, in essence, are taking your information,” Tenuto said. “Most people don’t realize they can say, ‘No, I don’t want you to take my information.’ “It’s not some government agency or some sort of civic duty where we have to be tracked in terms of all our purchases. “It’s just a thing the financial institutions use because they can do that now. “It’s easy for people to get loyalty cards in stores, and they don’t realize the purpose a lot of the time is to track and collect information about how you purchase, when you purchase, and what you purchase. “Now some people wouldn’t have a problem with that but then the store knows I like a product and then they’ll stock it and they’ll send me coupons for it, and other people will have a problem with it… like look, I got the loyalty card so I could get 10 percent off. “I did not get the loyalty card so you could find out when I’m buying personal care products.” It’s a prevalent problem, all of the instances in life where consumers are presented with terms of service agreements or

like Professor Tenuto said, loyalty cards. That same mindset is getting applied to libraries. “So that same problem is coming into libraries,” Tenuto said. “Libraries and privacy have always been an important right. “In fact, in almost every community that I’m aware of, I’m sure there may be exceptions, but a parent is responsible for the fees like if a kid checks out and doesn’t return it. “The parent is responsible financially for those fees -- however, cannot by law ask the library what specific book their child took out...because the child has privacy rights.” Tenuto also talked about the progress of self-checkouts appearing more frequently. “They started to put the books that you selfchecked out in public with your name on it, visible, which is a violation of law in most communities,” Tenuto said. “I spoke with the person who ran the WarrenNewport Library, and I expressed my concern with this new system. “Let’s say I have a drug addiction. Let’s just say as a hypothetical situation, I’m having some problem and I want to take a book out that can help me. “I’m struggling with a

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mental illness, and I want to check a book out, right? “I mean that’s private information. I want to keep that private. What happens? It gets stuck out in public with my name on the side of the book. “So that any person that walks by can see that book and say oh, Tenuto, I know him. “He teaches over at the College of Lake County. Oh, look at what book he’s taking out. “There’s no reason for that except that it facilitates the library being able to have selfcheckout and less work for the library staff to do. When I asked the Newport library they said, ‘Yeah we’re aware that it’s a violation of rights, but we can’t think of any other way to do it.’ That sort of sets the tone of what’s been going on with libraries over the last decade or so.” Tenuto talso said that a a few years ago an outside vendor needed the staff to provide birth certificates and other private information that could be sold since they were of a third party. The Antioch Public Library displays hold items for patrons publicly but covers the whole book with paper along with that person’s name as a way to maintain privacy.

Antioch librarian, Amy Blue said this raises ethical concerns. “It is contrary to our own professional ethics to let anybody else know what people check out,” Blue said. “We have recently allowed people to keep their own history, but we wouldn’t make it available to the general public. We would only release it to law enforcement with a court order. “We used to not even keep it. It wasn’t even an issue because we didn’t have it. “Now we have it for people who’ve turned it on (electronic tracking).” It seems as though there are some libraries that have hold items displayed publicly. Most libraries are elevating to be more electronically inclusive, which serves as an optional convenience for patrons while also giving away information if and only if that library uses outside vendors. Some libraries though, like the Antioch Public Library, hold their privacy policies and the rules made up by the American Library Association to high regard.

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Features

THE CHRONICLE Page 4 | Monday, March 2, 2020

Ignored vaccine caused athlete to become amputated Minha Khan

Features Editor In recent years, the vaccination debate has been a hot topic all over the United States. Politicians, celebrities, and all sorts of people with large platforms have spoken out about whether they support or oppose vaccines. However, in all the jumble of information, people often get swayed by opinions of those they admire even if there arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t facts to back them up. It can be easy to lose sight of some of the real-life consequences of not getting vaccinated. I got the chance to interview Jamie Schanbaum, meningitis survivor, GSK spokesperson, and gold medal-winning U.S. para-athlete. Jamie was a college student at her dream school when she contracted meningitis, an illness she had never been educated about before. Once she showed the first symptoms, it was a mere 14 hours before she was in the hospital unable to walk. She was only 20 years old.

Despite her paralysis at the time, she thought she would get better. However, she ended up staying in the hospital for 7 months and had to have her legs under her knees as well as multiple fingers amputated. A harrowing experience to say the least, but for Jamie, the worst part was the realization that there was a vaccine that could have prevented it. After learning about how easily she could have prevented contracting meningitis by getting a vaccine, she decided that she needed to get out there and do something to prevent other people from having a similar experience to her. For a disease that is estimated to kill 1 in 10 people, she believes it is common sense that everyone should take preventative measures. This is when she decided to dedicate herself to promoting awareness and creating a change surrounding meningitis. What started with Jamie and her mother speaking to local churches and schools quickly progressed. Her drive for change took her

all the way to the Texas state capital. In 2009, the Jamie Schanbaum Act was passed which stated that all college students in the state must receive their meningitis vaccine. She even created The Jamie Group, an organization to educate the public on meningitis. She specifically targets college students because they are at a significantly higher risk for contracting the disease. Beyond her work for the organization. She also achieved the impressive feat of winning a gold medal at the Paralympics. She said that after her experience with meningitis she felt alone, and like she couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get involved in anything. However, her therapist encouraged her to start biking, and her drive at the sport led her all the way to the Paralympics. In 2011 she won the gold medal, and while she has since stopped cycling professionally, she continues to do it as a hobby. Her main focus today remains spreading information about meningitis, and she told me she hopes all students will talk to their healthcare providers about

getting vaccinated.

Photo of Jamie Schanbaum. ~Photo courtesy of John Pesina

A&E

THE CHRONCILE Page 5 | Monday, March 2, 2020

Theater Club calls students to join the act Kat Mamulashvili

Staff Reporter Acting may seem like an easy thing to do, but as both professionals and casual enthusiasts will remind others, acting is a craft that comes from the deepest chambers of expression we have hidden within us. “The actor is an athlete of the heart,” said acclaimed French dramatist Antonin Artaud. Many have thought about becoming actors at some point or another, but why do few ever go on to even audition at their local theaters? Statements such as “it’s not a real job,” “it’s too competitive,” and “I’ll never make it” are common responses to people who try to enter this field. Indeed, many have given up on the dream before they even had the chance to think about it. However, the College of Lake

County’s Theater Club may just be the opportunity that people need. Interested? You should be. Briana Livesay, the student director, has better ideas of what the club has to offer. If a person is nervous that they will be cold-called to recite a Shakespearean monologue seconds upon entering, there is no cause for worry. “We always begin the club going around the room and introducing ourselves,” Livesay said. “We say our name, our pronouns and answer a question that I pose. “This provides a welcoming atmosphere and everyone feels as though they are a part of the group.” She said the club is all about encouraging others to participate. This does not have to be by jumping forward in front of the college to reenact a scene from Romeo and Juliet or Shakespeare

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in general. Getting involved takes on many different roles. Volunteering to act in a class or participating in bake sales to promote upcoming shows are other ways of being involved. There are perhaps skeptics who may ask for the meaning of theater as a whole. “Theater is such an important piece of art, and we wanted to give people the opportunity

to participate in a club that honors such a sport,” Livesay said. “[It] has been a beautiful way to teach and inform audiences no matter what age.” Livesay explained that theater allows a person to view life from a different point of view. She added that it is thus vital torecognize what is going on in the world. But what of Shakespeare, who hails from the 16th century?

“Even if a play takes place in an earlier time period, it can almost always be related to something occurring in the world,” Livesay said. There may be some people who are interested, but they may think that they are unable to join because of a lack of acting experience. However, anyone can join the club at any time with any level of experience. There are some incredible things on the club’s agenda this year. “We have the exciting opportunity to work with an actual playwright and do a staged reading or two of his plays and provide him with feedback on the shows,” Livesay said. “In addition, we recently put in our input on next year’s show season.” L i v e s a y explained how theater has impacted her life. “Theater is such an important aspect of my life, and I want to celebrate it in any

way I can,” she said. “Joining the club and being a board member is a wonderful way to share my love for the activity and encourage others to express themselves.” Make the decision to go and try your hand at being a part of the Theater Club. For all we know, a beginner could soon become the next actor.

THE CHRONICLE Zoe Rabin News Editor

Jason Lee

Staff List John Kupetz Adviser

Opinion Editor

Arturo Ramirez

Andrea Morales

Tanner DeVore

Sports Editor

Lucero Martinez A&E Editor

Editor-in-Chief

Cody Dufresne Head Photographer

Easton Herbon Features Editor

Maddie Reuland

Managing Editor

Business Manager

Nathaniel Albite

Minha Khan

Copy Editor

Health and Sciene Editor

Contributors: Fernando Reynoso, Aristidas Tankus, Tanner DeVore, Edgar Solano, Lynn Bryant, Emily Bubel, Nichole Barclay, Sarah Pope, Kat Mamulashili

Health & Science

THE CHRONICLE Page 6 | Monday, March 2, 2020

Dangers of sleep deprivation among students and faculty Easton Herbon

becomes too serious. “Good sleep hygiene is recommended for optimal sleep,” said Professor Lally. “Years of research indicate that people who sleep between 7 and 8 hours each night live the longest. In addition to the adequate amount, there must be quality too. As previously stated, poor sleep causes inflammation which is correlated with a variety of diseases.” Establishing a good sleep schedule and engaging in certain activities will greatly benefit your sleep hygiene. These activities include limiting sugar or caffeine after 3 or 4 pm, only taking power naps up to 20-40 minutes sometime later in the day, reading a book later at night to limit artificial light at night, and to exercise. Exercising earlier in the day is recommended, and limiting strenuous exercise later in the day due to the endorphins that are released during these activities. Sleep is very important to living a healthy lifestyle, and being able to have a routine to follow helps aid in this process.

Health & Scienc Editor

Sleep deprivation in the minds of students and faculty around a college campus is a very relevant topic among many. The average college student finds themselves staying up late nights and not obtaining enough sleep for the oncoming day, because of school work, extracurricular activities, and sports. Sleep deprivation is a very serious ongoing study that continues to be looked into because of the many harmful things it does to the body. Many things are taken into consideration when talking about the negative effects of sleep deprivation. All of these factors play key roles in how effective students are within the classroom and within certain learning environments and their ability to retain information. “When thinking about how sleep deprivation can affect students, people who haven’t had enough sleep will have more trouble than those who are well-rested learning and remembering new information,” said Professor Nora Benjamin, Psychology Professor and Chair at the

Human skull model taken at the College Of Lake County nursing lab department ~Photo by Cody Dufrense

College of Lake County. Lack of sleep affects everyone physically, cognitively, and emotionally quite drastically in many different ways. With no sleep, the ability to learn and retain the information is greatly decreased and often increases anxiety levels along with levels of irritability, lack of impulse control, and depression linked to insomnia. Your immune system is drastically weakened due to your body not producing enough antibodies to fight illnesses, and the likelihood of hypertension, strokes, and heart disease is greatly increased. Lack of sleep is also associated with chronic inflammation that causes

damage to neurons, which increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Weight gain is also correlated to sleep deprivation due to hormones related to hunger becoming unbalanced which results in food cravings. Commuters face a great danger because of sleep deprivation as well. “Up to 60% of driving accidents involve sleep deprivation, and driving while sleepy is one of the leading causes of death among college students,” said Professor Martha Lally, Professor of Psychology at the College of Lake County. “Overall, there is not a single organ in the body that is not negatively affected by sleep loss.”

Students who suffer greatly from sleep deprivation due to things such as late-night studying and “cramming” the night before a test is, in fact, negating all information they did weeks prior. REM sleep, or Rapid Eye Movement sleep, is where people consolidate memories and convert the short term memories to long term memories. This stage occurs in the second half of the 7-8 hours of recommended sleep, so if one is not receiving enough sleep, they will not be able to retain any information due to lack of REM. Sleep deprivation is a very serious and ongoing problem among students and faculty and should be corrected before it

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Opinion

THE CHRONICLE Page 7 | Monday, March 2, 2020

Low socioeconomic students must play the ‘game’ harder Arturo Ramirez

Editor-in-Chief

Parents are the biggest influencers on how children interact in the world. Families in low-income communities struggle to make ends meet when they try to provide the best education for their children. However, even with all their struggles, low-income communities cannot provide the same level of education that are provided in higher income areas. This problem is compounded when instructors do not reflect the background of their students, such as the background of Latinx students or others. To begin, today’s society in the U.S. requires us to be responsible adults once all continue to age into their lives. Such responsibilities often include earning a degree, maintaining a job, raising children, and taking care of our health. Parents usually carry the most responsibilities within the household, considering that they often have to work to be able to feed, clothe, and care for their children. Sacrifices are made to care for their children, and sacrifices may be the act of dropping out of school or picking up more jobs. What kind of education would children have if their parents did not go to school because of a lack of income? Would the children be well-guided in their studies? Are students able to receive reflective care from instructors who do not share the same culture as them? “Overcoming the Challenges of Poverty” is an essay written by Julie Landsman, and it discusses the problems that highpoverty students may face in their schools. The article finds that many teachers assume students have access to internet at home and that many families have access to public transportation. The author also reveals that a school’s social worker performed a survey that found every teacher owned a car, whereas “only 40 parents--in a school with 500 students--did” (Landsman 18). Interestingly, the article also shares some insights in what instructors and administrators can do to help students earn a high-quality

of education despite the students’ economic status, and their personal struggles (20-21). The article also stresses that school workers who grew up in the same area as students can assess the needs of students and can relate more to students who come from these high-poverty homes. “Subtractive Schooling: U.S.-Mexican Youth and the Politics of Caring,” by Angela Valenzuela argues that students are being stripped from their sources in two ways. The first way holds that students from Mexican descendance are “de-Mexicanized,” a process of diminishing students from their culture. The second way students are stripped from their sources is “the role of caring between teachers and students in the educational process” (Valenzuela 336). The author shows that teachers tend to judge a student’s attitude toward learning based on their clothing (343). In her conclusion, Valenzuela urges educators to place struggling youth into stronger educating networks. “The Latino Education Crisis the Consequences of Failed Social Policies” by Patricia Gandara and Frances Contreras argues that latino students lack the resources needed for intellectual development-one resource being preschool. The authors reveal that there are school facilities that inadequately serve low income Latino students, there is a lawsuit, Williams v. State of California, that was carried against the state of California for underfunding the education of Latino students. In addition to their argument, they also observe lower income students that underperform tend to be placed in lowerlevel classes where other underperforming students are placed. Subsequently, these students cover and learn less material than higher-learning classes. On a short note, the book demonstrates that from all of these given examples, the educational support systems are insufficient for students to succeed. To relate the three given sources, I would like to give a personal example of my own education path.

I identify myself as a 21year-old Latino male who intends to get a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry as the ticket to get into medical school. Much of my early education began in public schools where low-income families were located. I was born and placed in education networks that were designed for low-income families to “succeed” into their educational paths. I remember taking a placement exam at Thomas Jefferson Middle School. The GAP placement exam was a rigorous program intended for high-achieving students at the school. I wanted to place into the program because I also wanted to be a highachieving student. The need to challenge and improve oneself with education was stressed to me at my schools, so that is why I intended to place into the program. Eventually, my scores came back to reveal that I was not “competent” enough to be placed in a group of high-achieving students. As punishment, I was placed with “regular” students who were rather “lowerachieving” and less serious about their education. Over time, my attitude toward my own education also shifted, because I had been placed with these students. To this day, I find myself needing necessary additional educational support that I have missed from early educational opportunities such as the GAP program in my middle school. There are times where I feel my education could be better if I would have received better educational assistance from the public schools I attended. I would like to share one more finding significant to this writing. In a New York Post article, “Critics Cry ‘Grade Inflation’ at NYC Schools as Students Pass without Meeting Standards” by Susan Edelman, many students found themselves not receiving a proper grading system that actually helped them succeed in their exams. I also know that the “A” I received in my middle school courses was not the same “A” that students received in the GAP program. In addition to Latinx students not receiving adequate

education, it is reported by Illinoisreportcard.com that only 1 percent of Waukegan High School students exceed the SAT exam, while 51 percent of these high school students shows “a minimal understanding of the knowledge and skills needed relative to the Illinois Learning Standards.” As of 2019, the Illinois Report Card website shows that the teacher’s demographics are 74.2% white, 5.3% black, 4.7% are hispanic. Landsman argues that teachers who do not reflect their students cultural identities, such as hispanics, tend to miss some of their needs. Many white teachers may find themselves ignoring the needs that hispanic students struggle some of the early education needed to perform well in the school’s curriculum. Using the same website, Lake Forest High School students grades 9-12 show that 37% of their students exceed the SAT exam, while 4% of these high school students partially meet the SAT standards. The website shows that Lake Forest High School has 97.7% of teachers who are white, 0% are black, and 0% are hispanic, and have minimal teachers of different backgrounds as of 2019. What’s more, I conducted an interview with Jesus Ruiz, dean of Lakeshore at the College of Lake County. A graduate from Waukegan High School, Jesus is a success story from one of the neediest schools districts in Lake County. He stressed that the need to have “Latinx role models, teachers and administrators is extremely important to help students see themselves as capable of success.” He is currently finishing his last year of a doctorate program at Illinois State University with an emphasis in Equity, Inquiry and Research. He has spent many years creating pathways for students of color and was able to triple the number of admissions for these students at a local medical school, Chicago Medical School Rosalind Franklin University. During the interview, he mentioned how his own experience going from Waukegan High School to Loyola as an undergraduate, was a “rude awakening.” His almost perfect GPA

meant little as he found himself underprepared to take college courses. He overcame the obstacles and began dedicating his efforts to helping change this reality for other students of color. Both essays “Overcoming the Challenges of Poverty” and “Subtractive Schooling: U.S.-Mexican Youth and the Politics of Caring” explicitly show how schools blame students for their education failures. In reality, the students have enough responsibilities on catching up on the education expectations that their parents were unable to hold. There is an ongoing theme from all of the sources, excluding the personal interview conducted with Jesus Ruiz and the information gathered from the Illinois Report Card Website: Teachers assume that students are “competent enough” to succeed in their classes. While this may be true, there are limitations to the amount of education these students receive (Gandara 97). There is a lack of early education given to many Latinx students. With this in mind, many of these students are unable to take advantage of AP, Honors, and higher level placement courses that requires such precedent education for them to understand and master. To bring this together, it is clear that a better education support system is needed for students to continue to succeed in future educational goals. One solution to all of this, would be that administrators would need classes that help them understand the needs of other students that share a different background that they may not have. Teachers also should be aware of some of the stories and struggles that these students may face. In addition, teachers and administrators should be held accountable to policies that do not “assume” that students are capable of being successful, when in reality the students are not receiving the proper sources that other higher-income area schools are receiving.

Hire a Lancer! Career and Job Placement Center’s Featured March Intern! Riley Pemstein, Rudolph CPA

College of Lake County’s Career and Job Placement Center proudly presents our March featured intern, Riley P., who has been working as a Tax Preparation Intern at Rudolph CPA since December 2019.

Riley experiences real world working experience in his field of study.

Riley’s supervisor commented, “We enjoy having Riley at our CPA firm. The financial statements that he prepares in our office mirror the same material that he studies in his managerial accounting class. It’s rewarding to see him align his studies with real life work.”

Congratulations and great job Riley! We wish you continued success in your education and career path! Career and Job Placement Center connects many qualified students with internship and job opportunities across Lake County, where students apply their education in a “real world” setting and obtain valuable professional experience. If you would like to learn more about the Career and Job Placement Center, our services and a list of events, please visit our website at www.clcillinois.edu/cjpc.

Opinion

THE CHRONICLE Page 9| Monday, March 2, 2020

CLC biology instructor offers Coronavirus insights Jason Lee

Opinion Editor An ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, started in December 2019. As of now, more than 80,000 cases have been confirmed, primarily in China, and more than 40 other countries. There have been 2,711 deaths connected to the disease, though luckily, over 27,000 people have since recovered. What do professionals think of the virus, though? Michele McCormick, an adjunct professor for the College of Lake County’s Department of Biological and Health Sciences for six years, had a lot of interesting thoughts about the disease. “Researchers have been able to sequence multiple full-length genomes of the virus and have found that it is very similar to other types of coronavirus that have been previously identified in bats,” McCormick said.

“It even uses the same cell receptor to get into a cell. “There has been a big spike in cases reported from China, but that has more to do with how the virus is being diagnosed and reported than it has to do with the number of people infected. “At first, only people with symptoms were being reported and the test for that required genetic tests, which required a number of days before results were obtained. “Because of the big workload that the healthcare officials in Wuhan are under, they are now able to diagnose based on symptoms and a chest scan, which is much quicker and also means more potentially contagious people are isolated from the general public. “Epidemiologists are using the pattern of cases around the world and the number of flights out of Wuhan and nearby cities to create models of the potential spread the coronavirus will have. “Virologists grow the

From left: Jason Lee, Michele McCormick, and Sarah Adornetto.

They were protesting against chemicals beingreleased from a plant in Gurnee. ~Photo Courtesy of Jason Lee virus in culture and also infect animals with it to determine survival time and mode of transmission of the virus. “Medical and pharmaceutical researchers have several vaccines in development that might be ready for human trials in a few months but will not be available to the general public for probably a year. “A quicker method is to inject antibodies of the virus into people for their immune systems to mount a

response against the virus, but producing a big supply is a challenge. “Antiviral drugs are another possibility, but they can take years to develop. Perhaps researchers will find an antiviral drug that is already available could be useful since they interfere with the replication in a cell.” As for how it’s being further studied,. “Lastly, researchers are studying how zoonotic infections (originating in

animals other than humans) are able to jump species,” McCormick said “It’s important to remember that tens of thousands of people have been infected that have recovered. “The biggest potential threat really is for countries that do not have strong health care systems, such as Africa. “Some countries in Africa have a weak system of medical care, not the whole continent. “In terms of this virus, the multiple labs that have sequenced the virus have put it for anyone to use on the genome database GenBank. “The WHO is maintaining a database of any research being done on the virus on its website, and the U.S. National Library of Medicine is keeping track of all of the clinical trials that have been completed so far.” Overall, the ongoing coronavirus is in a dreadful and dangerous stage for us that we can only hope will diminish.

Image of mental illness in ‘Joker’ no laughing matter Emily Bubel

Staff Reporter Last year’s psychological thriller, “Joker,” caused massive outcries and concern for people going to see it in theaters in the United States. Based on the famous comic book villain of the same name, the movie tells the story of Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), an aspiring comedian who is disregarded by society, and his descent into madness. The movie depicts Arthur’s transformation into the Joker executed in a relatable way to people nowadays, specifically pertaining to concerns of mental illness and society, which got a lot of people concerned. It was a question of whether the movie should have been released because of the concerns. Patrick Gonder, a

long-time English and Humanities instructor at the College of Lake County, specializes in comic books and graphic novels as well as films. He discussed the issues raised about the film’s release. “No, I would say there are things to be worried about,” he said. “I think we need to fill and play the part in the stigma behind mental illness.” Some people also thought Phoenix glorified mental illness through his performance. “The Joker has these existing, or could be seen as a demonized, mentally ill person, where this film tries to see him as a protagonist, tries to portray what it’s like to be mentally ill,” Gonder said. Meanwhile, others believed that he did and that they should have been more sensitive, considering what has happened in the past. In 2012, a mass shooting

Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) completes his transformation into the Joker, about to kill Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro).

occurred inside of a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado while moviegoers were watching “The Dark Knight Rises.” A man, dubbing himself the Joker, injured 58 people and killed 13. This is something that could happen again, and is more likely to, due to the fact that the Joker has a huge fan base, mostly comprising of people who relate to the Joker in their own ways. It is also more

~Photo courtesy of Energy 106.

likely due to the increase in mass shootings in the United States. “People under distress may feel their future looks negative, and they are at high risk for impulsive behaviors, including hurting themselves, or others,” said Dr. Martha Lally, a psychology professor at CLC. “When access to a firearm is available, those under distress may respond violently.”

Obviously, Arthur Fleck was under distress. His dream of being a comedian was failing, and he felt like a complete outsider to the rest of the world. When there is a movie in which a man has a hard life and then turns into someone who becomes powerful, that can make a person who can relate think they can become powerful too. Some may even look up to the Joker as an idol. Although we should be worried or cautious about a movie like this because of how big of a fan base the Joker has, along with the stigma behind mental illness, the Joker should have been no worry because of the differences between this movie and the other ones. The character also has always been known to have a mental illness and that is what makes his character the way he is in his own psychotic and demented ways.

Opinion

THE CHRONICLE Page 10| Monday, March 2, 2020

A seasoned analysis of CLC food prices, services Sarah Pope

Layout Designer A’viands, a national provider of food service management, made an appearance on the Grayslake campus in 2017, marking CLC’s decision to begin outsourcing its own food services. This has spiked the popularity of Café Willow—the central hub that offers diverse, internationally inspired cuisine, and a large, open, and well-lit eating area. Naturally, with the increasing traffic in Café Willow, students have asked questions regarding the food. One of the pressing questions at hand: Why is the food so expensive? The answer is simple: It’s not. Wendy’s 4 for $4 (a sandwich of choice, four nuggets, a side of fries, and a small drink) may seem like a more reasonable choice than a Smash Cheeseburger for $4.10 in Café Willow, but there’s more to the prices than meets the eye. Alexa Waheed, a second-year student studying political science, said she doesn’t eat at the cafeteria often. “I probably eat here about twice a month, depending on my schedule and what they’re serving,” she said. But this doesn’t mean Waheed is uninformed about Café Willow. She admits that while $3 for a grilled cheese may not seem reasonable up front, you’re not just paying for the bread and cheese. “I sit on the Food Service Advisory Committee for the Student Government— the prices are the way that they are because they have to get everything shipped in, and there’s also the cost of the materials like the produce.” This also includes labor costs for the many employees of Café Willow, and

Cafe Willow serving some of CLC’s night-class students.

they a number who are students themselves. Anyone can run up the street and grab a Wendy’s 4 for $4 for lunch instead of swinging by Café Willow, but Wendy’s is a corporate superpower. It can afford to massproduce food and offer low prices, while also having thousands of minimumwage employees at its disposal. Each purchase made at CLC contributes to a much smaller economic ecosystem. This past year introduced the new Dining Dollars program, which allows students to apply their leftover financial aid toward food purchases and receive a 5 percent discount in return for using the program. Alongside Café Willow, CLC also began to outsource other areas of its food services in 2017. This includes the Café Willow Coffee Shop, which serves Seattle’s Best Coffee™ (part of the Starbuck’s empire); the Atrium Coffee Shop, which serves Signature Starbucks drinks, such as the popular frappé or iced

coffee with seasonal flavors; and even the vending machines, which are now serviced by an outside company. A quick look above these vending machines informs students that every purchase made contributes to the Giving Back Textbook Scholarship, which awards students up to $500 each semester for textbooks and course materials. When a purchase is made on campus, the profits are used to benefit other areas. In fact, an overwhelming portion of the profits made from Auxiliary Services (Athletics, Food Service, Bookstore, etc.) is funneled back into the Education Fund, which is primarily used to pay for employee salaries and benefits. This allows CLC to hire and retain exemplary professors and supporting staff, which directly benefits students. Howevere, there are some concerns, about the availability of food services on other campuses. While Grayslake is the highest-traffic campus of the three,

it’s the only campus with such an extensive food selection. The school’s website states: “The CLC Bookstore at all three campuses offers a variety of cold drinks, snacks and meal items.” It also says: “Each campus has food, snack, coffee and drink vending machines.” The lack of a cafeteria of any size on campus leaves Southlake and Lakeshore students in search of something with more sustenance than a bag of chips or a grab-and-go sandwich, causing them to travel offcampus or bring their own meals from home. Implementing more food options on the secondary campuses would benefit CLC, as well as the students who take classes at the Southlake and Lakeshore campuses. Nonetheless, food services provided by CLC only continue to improve in quality and concept. Café Willow received a 3-Star Green Restaurant Certification recently, recognizing the

~Photo by Cody Dufresne

college’scommitment to sustainability.This includes the availability of eco-friendly reusable containers, separation of trash, recycling, and compost, and energy use in the facilities themselves. The café is open during the week 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Breakfast is served until 10:30 a.m. when the facility switches to lunch. After 2:30 p.m., students can stop by the Café Willow Coffee Shop until 8:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday for a quick boost of energy and a choice of snack, including pastries, yogurt, fruit, pre-made sandwiches and more. More information about College of Lake County’s food services can be found on the website, clcillinois.edu.

Do you have the next BIG IDEA? CLC wants to hear about your BIG idea for a new product or service! Open to all currently enrolled CLC students (individuals or teams) March 22: Applications due Enter the contest by uploading your BIG idea via video to YouTube.

CASH PRIZES

$1,000 1st place winner $500 2nd place winner $250 3rd place winner For more information, contact Venkat Krishnamurthy at bdv486@clcillinois.edu CLC Business and Social Sciences Division

April 13: Competition Event Finalists will “pitch” their BIG ideas to the CLC judging panel. 7 p.m., Room A013

2 nd

$500

Visit www.clcillinois.edu/businessidea for rules and information.

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