February 17, 2020

Monday, February 17, 2020

VOL. 53, NO. 9

Truth Conquers All Since 1969

Human trafficking plagues the nation and Lake County Tanner DeVore

Managing Editor

Lake County State’s Attorney, Michael Nerheim called human trafficking a “serious problem” in the United States.

In a Feb. 8 email, Nerheim said: “The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office is working aggressively with our law enforcement partners, both local and federal, to identify and prosecute these offenders. Simultaneously, we are working with our community partners to ensure resources are provided to the victims of this horrific crime.”

Human trafficking is a global issue, but with the U.S. ranking as one of the top countries affected, it is also a personal issue. About 35 CLC students on the Grayslake campus were asked last week to say what they knew about the problem. Nine of every ten of these students said they knew human trafficking is a prevalent problem in America, and three of every four said they knew it is a problem in Lake County. According to the Illinois Task Force review and the world population review, Illinois is among the top 15 states for human trafficking.

This crime does not just include forced prostitution. It also includes forced labor, organ removal, forced marriages, and others. The promise of payment also does not automatically discount human trafficking being done.

This is just a way for traffickers to compel victims into participating. Human trafficking is a tricky crime to pursue because law enforcement relies primarily on the victims to come forward.

However, many victims are threatened or coerced into their actions through promises of money or drugs.

In a Feb. 8 email, Fred Day, the Lake County State’s Attorney assistant, described how the office approaches potential victims: “There are basically two types of rescue operations. One is where we know for a fact that human trafficking is taking place, and we coordinate with local, county, state or federal partners to go in and get the victim(s) out.

“However, those cases are extremely rare. In most cases, it is not overtly obvious that we are dealing with a forced human trafficking situation and is usually part of a separate investigation into other illegalities.

“In those cases, we approach interviews with everyone’s safety in mind.

We do interviews of the victims away from the alleged human traffickers and in remote locations to try and get them to explain what is going on.

“Then, the case is screened to determine if it’s human trafficking or more of a prostitution situation. However, there are times when a potential victim does not want our help or services and does not come forward to claim they are a victim of human trafficking.

“We do everything in our power to

protect the people involved, including having crisis counselors and trauma specialists on hand as protection for the victims.

“It comes down to trust and developing a relationship with the victim in hopes they become willing to come forward and make a full disclosure.

“In any case, we try very hard to treat survivors of human trafficking as victims and not defendants or perpetrators.

“Of course, there ARE situations where we have cases of prostitution – which is still a crime - so that creates additional challenges for us.”

This also creates a conflict when determining how many cases of human trafficking are taking place.

Day discussed the problem in his email: “We are unable to specifically pin down the exact number or how much human trafficking is taking place at one time in one specific place because victims routinely do not identify or report as victims.

“We routinely only get cases where someone reports they were forced into or came across criminal sexual activity and it leads into an investigation into human trafficking. However, that is only a small portion of the cases of human trafficking that take place.”

“Another thing that makes trafficking a difficult crime to catch as well as analyze is that since it relies on victims coming forward, higher numbers of reported cases don’t necessarily mean a

higher amount of crime in an area, only a higher amount of exposure or rates of law enforcement intervention.”

This crime, which does not require a large population, is one that Lake County is far too familiar with. The county’s location between Chicago and Milwaukee and the link via Interstate 94 help explain why, according to Day. “We are a hub of commerce through the Midwest, and the use of the interstate connecting Lake County to Milwaukee and Chicago make it easier for human traffickers moving between states,” he added in his email.

The damage to victims is felt long after they escape the trafficking. A lot of physical and psychological damage has been done to them. However, numerous facilities and agencies can help rehabilitate victims. One of them is Reclaim13.

“Reclaim13’s Cherish House is the only home in Illinois that is specialized to serve minor victims emergently,” the facility’s director and founder Cassandra Ma said in a Feb. 9 email. “We, also, have a 24-hour hotline to respond to emergencies on a 24-hour basis.”

Trafficking is a growing problem in low-income areas. As the conomic status goes down, the rate of crimes related to trafficking goes up. Working visas allow traffickers to obtain foreign labor and take advantage of workers in a poor work environment. If laborers quit or complain and get fired, their visa is no longer active, and they get deported

back to the country they were trying to escape.

Something that can combat human trafficking is knowledge of what human trafficking is, who is affected by it, and how to treat victims of it. Because it was criminalized on the federal level, federal agencies were trained before local. This favoritism resulted in a vast amount of uninformed officers who aren’t properly equipped to deal with someone who is being trafficked. The danger to the victims results in investigations that must be done carefully.

“Educate yourself to the crime of sex trafficking, volunteer to help where possible, make resources available to victims and people working to fight this problem,” Day said in his email.

“In addition, people who see a situation where human trafficking could be occurring should contact the human trafficking hotline at (888) 373-7888, or various victim outreach programs in Lake County, like A Safe Place and the Stepping Stone Network.”

“Everyone can do something,” Ma added in her email..”Traffickers prey upon the vulnerable in our communities. We can all look out for those who are the most vulnerable. When it comes to children, children who are bullied, who don’t seem to have great home lives, who are missing from school, etc. tend to be those most vulnerable to harm.”

Fourteen men were arrested in Lake County as part of a multi-day human trafficking sting. Officers cracked down on the men who showed up to a Waukegan hotel and offered money to an undercover detective to perform sexual acts. The officers lured them to the hotel through classified advertising websites. Multiple media sources such as ABC7 Chicago, Fox News, and the Daily Herald have reported that this occurred at 4100 block of Fountain Square Place in Waukegan, Illinois. The address for SpringHill Suites by Marriott is 4101 Fountain Square Place in Waukegan, Illinois. ~Photo by Cody Dufresne

News

THE CHRONICLE Page 2 | Monday, February 17, 2020

President Donald Trump acquitted of all impeachment charges Martin McMurray Staff Reporter

On Feb. 5, the U.S. Senate acquitted Donald Trump, the 45th president of the United States, of all charges relating to alleged abuse of power, by a vote of 52 to 48.

All charges of obstruction of justice were dropped by a vote of 53 to 47.

All but one Republican senator voted to acquit President Trump, that individual being Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah.

Before his case was entered for voting in the Senate, Trump was impeached Dec. 18 by a majority of the Democratcontrolled House. This made him the third president to be impeached and marked the first fully partisan impeachment, where a president was impeached without the support of his own party.

This decision marks a clear victory for the president and the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

Throughout the proceedings, McConnell successfully held together with the entire GOP caucus and was able to block all

witnesses or evidence that was not provided after impeachment in the House from testifying before the Senate committee.

Throughout the proceedings, the president engaged with his constituents via Twitter @realDonaldTrump.

The impeachment process of Trump began in September 2019 when a formal inquiry reported to the House of Representatives was made.

It alleged that Trump had solicited foreign interference to assist in his 2020 bid for reelection, and further obstructed the inquiry itself by ignoring subpoenas for testimony and witnesses directed at officials within his administration.

Adam Schiff, D-California, and Jerrold Nadler, D-New York, were appointed as the main prosecutors for the impeachment proceedings, and they provided several “articles of impeachment”, or cases arguing for removal from office, against the president on the basis that Trump had allegedly abused presidential power in his dealings with Ukraine in 2018, as well as obstructed justice during his previous

investigations regarding the Mueller investigation from 2017 to early 2019.

Schiff and the prosecution made the case that Trump had withheld vital aid to the Ukrainian government unless there was an investigation launched into possible wrongdoings by Hunter Biden, who is the son of former Obama vice president Joseph Biden.

This claim was based upon evidence that Trump conducted a phone call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, where Trump allegedly attempted to obtain a quid pro quo for Zelensky to investigate Biden and his involvement with the Ukrainian natural gas conglomerate Burisma Holdings.

The topic of Trump’s impeachment and its implications have been controversial for many.

Supporters of Trump maintain that the use of quid pro quo is used quite often in politics, and especially foreign relations. The Cuban Missile crisis would be an example of where a quid pro quo was reached - the USSR would remove missiles in Cuba if the United States removed missiles in Turkey.

President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.

~Photo courtesy of Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead

Opponents of Trump said the actions of Trump during his investigation are unbecoming of a president and that his disrespect for the judicial system is shocking.

Since Trump’s acquittal, he has removed two witnesses, Gordon Sondland and Alexander Vindman,

from his administration.

Vindman was previously the director for European Affairs on the U.S .National Security Council, and Sondland was the ambassador to the European Union from 2018 to 2020.

Students take kindly to de-stressing with ‘Week of Kindess’ events Zoe Rabin

News Editor A variety of events were held during the week of Feb. 10 to celebrate of the College of Lake County’s Week of Kindness.

The events were planned by collaborating with several organizations and CLC clubs, including Environmental Club, Veterans Association, Student Government Association, Alpha Alpha Pi and Take Note, CLC’s acapella club.

A new and unique event was held each day of the week to promote positive vibes around campus.

These events were organized by CLC’s chapter of the international honor society, Phi Theta Kappa.

All events were held on student street at the Grayslake campus.

Positive Rock Painting

to

brighten their day.

PTK planned an event for Thursday titled “Empathy and Equity,” In which it hoped to encourage students to be more generous and kind to others.

However, because of a lack of attendance, it was canceled.

To conclude the Week of Kindness, a Valentine’s Day concert is expected to occur, in which Take Note is expected to Leila Manthi shows off a brightly colored rock during the Week of Kindness Rock Positivity event. have an array of songs,

including both group ~Photo by Cody Dufresne and solo performances. was held Monday to help around the world and will help As of Feb. 13, the event students de-stress from make their day special” read a was expected to occur. their responsibilities. poster advertising the event.

Cesar Monsalud, a The Environmental Club Wednesday was “Take sophomore who is majoring provided students with a a Compliment, Leave a in Computer Science and variety of paints and rocks Compliment” Day, where is PTK’s vice president of to spread positive vibes. students could write finance and the key organizer On Feb. 11, students anonymous compliments of the Week of Kindness, wrote Valentine’s day on post-it notes and leave explained why he decided to cards for veterans. them for other students to hold the week of kindness.

“These cards will be sent all read and take with them “We wanted to create

events that spread love, kindness, and positivity within CLC,” Monsalud said. “Our goal was to make everybody a little happier this week. With all the negativity in the world, we want people to know they are loved and appreciated, and that they mean something to others”.

“At the events, I got to connect with people that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to connect with otherwise,” said Leila Manthi, who is pursuing a career in film directing. She also is the vice president of Black Student Union and is a CLC student senator.

“It was nice to have a break,” she said. “Often times we forget to take a break. We forget to be nice to others and nice to ourselves, so it was great to have a little bit of time to not worry about school or work. The only thing on my mind was to paint a rock.”

Features

THE CHRONICLE Page 3 | Monday, February 17, 2020

Best-selling author gives students insight on her life Easton Herbon Features Editor Throughout February, the College of Lake County has been holding events to support Black History Month.

Author Kimberla Lawson Roby came to the Grayslake campus Feb. 13 to talk about her books and her life and to provide advice to students.

Roby is a New York Times best-selling author who has books such as Casting the First Stone, A Sinful Calling, Better Late Than Never, Sin of a Woman, and her most well-known series Reverend Curtis Black.

Born in Rockford, Illinois, Roby grew up Catholic and attended church regularly.

During this time in her life, she said she was subject to many different influences and experiences.

During her seminar, she briefly touched on her experiences with sexual assault and how she has portrayed it in her books to spread awareness.

In many of her books, she explains her history of encounters with the

Kimberla Roby, author of “Casting the First Stone” and other works, came to CLC Feb. 15. ~Photo courtesy of blackwomenauthors.com

scandalous nature of pastors in the churches she has been a part of and how they have affected her general point of view toward those in high positions of power within religious institutions.

Readers have said her writings and experiences have connected to their own personal experiences.

Others have expressed their disagreement with her views on the church, explaining that they struggled to conceptualize where her opinions

were coming from.

Roby touched on her faith and how people tend to put their faith into others and how you should not place that faith in other people and that you should separate yourself from the nay-sayer to live a healthier and better life.

Besides her opinions on religion, Roby explained her experiences as a writer and gave tricks to the students and faculty attendance on how to overcome writer’s

block and on how to come up with ideas for writing effectively.

As she was explaining ways that she wrote her stories, she also explained how she goes about her process when writing a new story.

“I started creating the characters mentally,” Roby said. “How to walk around, how to write anything down. I can see the character -- what they look like, what their job is, if they have a good relationship with their

parents. Once I create that storyline, I sit down and do a one- or two-page synopsis on what chapter one is going to be.”

Roby also covered how writers should go about writing when they start and how they should accept the negativity from critics.

“You have to have very thick skin,” Roby said. “You have to be prepared to hear the good, the bad and the ugly.”

She went into some detail about how African American female authors in the industry do not get the publicity that they deserve.

Roby explained how oftentimes people of other color or race or gender will prevail just because they do not fulfill what publishers look for in writers.

“You do tend to see people of other colors get just a lot more publicity and a lot more attention,” Roby said. “If you see authors that are doing interviews even on morning shows, you don’t see a lot of black authors.

You don’t see a lot of black writers in general.”

For further questions, contact Kimberla Lawson Roby at kim@kimroby.com.

TRiO student support services enhance college experience Nichole Barclay Features Editor

TRiO student support services is a CLC program that provides many resources to eligible students seeking to improve their college experience.

The services include individual academic assistance, financial aid assistance, financial literacy education, tutor and study groups, college and university visits, educational outings, one-on-one guidance, and student success workshops.

These opportunities can boost the success of college students and make their campus life far more enjoyable and uncomplicated.

To qualify for the program, students must either be a first-generation student, a low-income student, or have

a documented disability with the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD).

Students who meet one or more of these criteria can apply to join the TRiO program in room L125 on the Grayslake Campus.

TRiO Student Support Services has been at CLC for 10 years and is fully funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

They can serve up to 140 students a year and usually fill up about 100 of those slots, although there has recently been an increase in students interested in the services TRiO provides.

Cynthia Padilla-Gaytan, the manager of TRiO and a former CLC student herself, said, “CLC has great opportunities for students to get tapped into different programs.”

It is very common for TRiO participants to recommend the program

to their friends or family.

TRiO staff members work to ensure that students feel welcome and part of a family when they come to TRiO support services.

Padilla-Gaytan has been working at TRiO since October 2013, alongside Jennifer Brown, the office associate at TRiO. Carlos Cruz and Sujata Datar are both student support specialists at TRiO. Brown said she enjoys seeing the “student glow up” that happens to many TRiO members as well as the “I can do this” attitude that TRiO helps foster.

Cruz said TRiO is impactful and effective because many students have no family support or resources to navigate college, which is where TRiO can help.

Many participants come to TRiO lost and confused and leave as proactive and confident individuals.

Datar said the best feedback is when TRiO participants recommend their friends to the program because they enjoy it so much.

Most TRiO members decide to stay involved in the program throughout their college career.

In fact, there is a 96 percent rate among participants.

Cynthia Padilla-Gaytan stated, “We have alumni who come by during their breaks to talk about what a difference the program has been,” Padilla-Gaytan said.

Many members of TRiO continue to a TRiO program at their transfer school.

Ninety percent of TRiO participants also are in good academic standing at CLC and are able to keep their GPA above a 2.0 with the assistance of TRiO. TRiO Student Support Services is an invaluable resource for CLC students who are first generation,

come from a low-income family, or have a documented disability with the Office for Students with Disabilities.

The services provided will positively impact a college student’s grades, well-being, and overall experience at CLC. Applying to TRiO could change your life for the better and allow you to be part of an amazing family, so why wait?

After all, one of the biggest risks in life is sometimes not taking a risk or a chance a Interested students should stop by room L125 to learn more about TRiO Student Support Services.

Features

THE CHRONICLE Page 4 | Monday, February 17, 2020

Humanities dean seeks more CLC-community links Nate Albite Copy Editor

Unlike professors and instructors who see their students daily, CLC administrators have a larger disconnect from students even if they desire to create strong and long-lasting relationships with them.

Sheldon Walcher, dean of the Communication Arts division at the College of Lake County, said CLC faculty and staff are here not only to do their jobs but also to aid students in their success.

“Everybody that works at CLC from the folks in facilities who sweep the floors and take out the trash, to the deans, to the president, to everybody that keeps the grounds, we are all actually here for you,” said Walcher, who joined the college in November 2019.

“We are proud of the work that we do whether it’s directly with students or in support of students to foster success. If you asked any one of us, ‘Why do you do this?’ we would all say, ‘to help

students.’

“If you have a question or a problem or something that I can do to help you, please reach out to me. I really want to be here for your success.”

Support from administrators is shown by administrator attendance at sporting events and co-curricular and extra-curricular student-led activities.

“I am really only able to go to events like graduation, art gallery openings to see students,” Walcher said. “Now keep in mind, I had been a teacher for 10-15 years so that interaction with students on a one-on-one basis is something I certainly miss.”

Walcher decided that CLC would be a good place to work when he heard about CLC President Dr. Lori Suddick’s contributions in the past.

Before working at CLC, Walcher worked at Kankakee Community College and College of Dupage and has been an academic administrator for 10 years, collectively.

Student-led organizations and clubs bring the diversity of Lake County to CLC, as

well as student businesses and projects.

“A major thing CLC is doing that can be built on is involving students in real projects at the college,” Walcher said.

“I really believe in internships and being able to mentor students throughout their experiences. If we think of learning as not just what happens in the classrooms but outside the classroom, we have a lot of opportunities to do that.”

One of the bigger things that Walcher wants to accomplish is to create more connections between communities and the college.

“I’m really passionate about the Lakeshore Campus and our opportunities in Waukegan to build programs and to support students there,” Walcher said.

“I would love to see student-run businesses, where students can translate their classroom experiences to reallife business experience and employment opportunities at the College of Lake County.”

Dr. Sheldon Walcher is the new dean of the Communication Arts division at the College of Lake County as of November 2019. ~Photo courtesy of College of Lake County

A&E

THE CHRONCILE Page 5 | Monday, February 17, 2020

CLC prof invites students to take a reading journey Lucero Martinez

A&E Editor When it comes to reading, people may find it either a burden or a pastime. Reading books is sometimes forced onto people by the education system and it can become hard to find time to read when the person is older and has more responsibilities.

One of these people was Laura Seeber, a CLC English professor.

Seeber was born into a family that loved reading and her childhood was filled with stories; her family would do several reading-related activities.

When her school was introduced to AR Reading courses, which is an online software used to monitor a student’s reading skills by administering quizzes on the stories, she slowly began losing her love of reading.

“Every book you read, you are tested on the concepts,” Seeber said.

“I hate to admit this, but I really hated reading after that for years.”

However, as she entered college and graduate school, she then rediscovered her love of reading after being challenged by her classes. Even with her responsibilities as a professor, Seeber still

“Brain on Fire” by Susannah Cahalan.

“It’s a memoir about a woman who goes from a normal life to having symptoms no one can explain,” Seeber said.

She said the story describes the author

We Weren’t,” which is a story about how coping mechanisms could make a personal situation worse.

It comes to accepting the fact that even if her writing wouldn’t be able to fix her life problems she would be able to

Some of McCarthy’s other works include “The Orchard Keeper”, “Outer Dark”, and “Blood Meridan”, which they all concern of the violent development of the new frontier. ~Photo courtesy of favfavorites.com

tries to maintain her reading by listening to audiobooks during breaks.

For people who wish to learn about the life of another person, Seeber has recommended two memoirs.

One of those nonfiction recommendations is

as she struggles and overcomes Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, a rare form of brain inflammation that could quickly escalate to hospitalization, or in extreme cases, death.

Another memoir Seeber recommends is Jill Talbot’s “The Way

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preserve the lessons and memories she had for the future.

If memoirs are not your preference or if you prefer fiction, then some recommendations for the fiction department are “The Road” and “The Crossing” from Cormac McCarthy” or “In a Dark,

Dark Wood” by Ruth Ware and “Someone We Know” by Shari Lapena for lighter reads.

McCarthy has been an especially recommended author for his postapocalyptic and gothic novels.

One of the reasons that Seeber enjoys reading is to gain knowledge of new topics.

“To be able to gain and share that knowledge is part of my drive,” she said.

She added that she also enjoys seeing the creativity and dedication that authors have to write these novels.

As for college students, a book that is most recommended is “When Breath Becomes Air” by Paul Kalanithi. It explains the importance of life in context with battling an illness and shows how life can become instantly fragile transitioning from one day to the next.

Regardless of the reasons to read, there will be many people who might think differently after they close the cover or reading app.

THE CHRONICLE Zoe Rabin News Editor

Jason Lee

Opinion Editor

Andrea Morales Sports Editor

Lucero Martinez A&E Editor

Staff List John Kupetz Adviser

Arturo Ramirez

Cody Dufresne Head Photographer

Easton Herbon

Editor-in-Chief

Features Editor

Tanner DeVore

Maddie Reuland

Managing Editor

Nate Albite Copy Editor

Business Manager Minha Khan

Health and Science Editor

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

A&E

THE CHRONICLE Page 6 | Monday, February 17, 2020

‘Birds of Prey’ sets flight on stylish, sparkly anti-heroines

thanks to the R-rating, contains some F-bombs.

The costumes and production value were also great, adding to the eccentric tone and accurately representing the characters and what they stand for.

The movie does serve as a strong case for Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, but what did others think?

Longtime College of Lake County English and Humanities Professor Patrick Gonder gave his own set of opinions on the film.

“I really enjoyed the movie,” he said. “I thought it had a true sense of humor, which most superhero films don’t, as it had an organic feel.

“The fight scenes were done really well, as you felt an impact here. Casting was spot on, especially Huntress and Black Canary, and Margot Robbie was great. Ewan McGregor definitely had a blast.”

Overall, people should definitely check this out for the entertaining, visually stunning, and R-rated Harley Quinn

Jason Lee

Opinion Editor The next installment of the DC Extended Universe is here in the form of “Birds of Prey,” which follows Harley Quinn after her breakup with the Joker. Teaming up with Black Canary, Huntress, and Renee Montoya, she and the anti-heroines protect Cassandra Cain from the sadistic Black Mask, who seeks a valuable diamond.

Margot Robbie does a fantastic job as Harley in “Suicide Squad,” but she does even better here, having both a better performance and arc. Robbie carries the film extremely well, as her charisma, child-like humor, and absolute insanity are fully embraced in her wildcat performance.

The supporting cast does great as well, including Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Huntress, Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Black Canary, Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya, Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain.They serve for great characters who carry solid arcs and strong themes of feminism.

Ewan McGregor does

From left, Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez), Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco), Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) are ready to take on Black Mask (Ewan McGregor). ~Photo Courtesy of FilmAffinity.

absolutely amazing as Roman Sionis/ Black Mask, and quite honestly, to say he’s one of the most evil superhero movie villains ever is a massive understatement.

Cathy Yan brings amazing direction to the board, as her sparkly visual style alone captures the feminine and retro tone of the story and characters. A lot of glitter and colors are thrown around, and it’s not just for show. It encapsulates some amazing shots and the overall mood.

The film does a great job

of setting up the team and building the dynamics, though it was too much a Harley film at times.

The titular team doesn’t start working together until the third act, which is a bit disappointing.

The action sequences are amazing, boasting some of the best in the DCEU to date. My jaw was dropping multiple times with how brutal the film could be at points.

Well-choreographed, creative, and bonecrunchingly awesome, the stylish action sequences stand out in how much more

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practical and grounded they are in comparison to the regular superhero movie explosions, and one baseball bat sequence stands out with its choreography and brutality. The climax is also extremely fun with how it uses the characters and setting.

As for the comedy, it’s hilarious. A lot of the jokes are honestly on par with the comedic gold of “Shazam!” A lot of self-aware jokes and

adventure, a pillar for the DCEU’s improvement.

clever one-liners, along with snarky remarks and crude comments are thrown around, which

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Opinion

THE CHRONICLE Page 7 | Monday, February 17, 2020

92nd Oscars makes history with delightful twists and wins Jason Lee

Opinion Editor The 92nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, honored the best films of 2019 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Feb. 9.

“Joker” had the most nominations with 11.

After that were the movies “The Irishman,” “1917,” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” with 10.

It’s no surprise that the Academy favors historical dramas and romances, leading many to question whether there’s a true bias in the Oscars.

Movies based on comic books get overlooked unless they have a special impact on society. “Black Panther” got a lot of nominations last year because of its cultural impact.

As for “Joker” this year, its arthouse and Scorcese-like style definitely contributed to its recognition.

There was a lot of debate over who would win what until the ceremony, though many of the inevitable wins were agreed to be Joaquin Phoenix for best actor, Renée Zellweger for best actress, and “Parasite” for best

“Parasite” as the winner for best picture, the audience erupted. It wasn’t surprising to an extent, as the film was honestly the most acclaimed release of 2019. A masterpiece with fantastic storytelling, timely themes, and unexpected tonal shifts and twists, the film deserved its Oscar.

Bong Joon-ho, the cast and crew, and translator were all visibly happy with the win.

“Parasite” winning The cast and crew of “Parasite” embracing Jane Fonda best picture was not only a minor surprise that and accepting best picture at the 92nd Oscars. ~Photo Courtesy of CNBC everyone was happy with, unlike the controversial international feature film. Me Again.” “1917” won win of “Green Book” last The final wins were a in cinematography and year, but it also marked mix of predictable wins and visual effects, which was history for the Oscars massive surprises. Brad Pitt no shock given the fact that and Korean cinema. It’s and Laura Dern won best it’s a historical war film. the first foreign language supporting actor and best But what about best film to win the award. supporting actress. “Toy picture? Well, the internet A lot of people, including Story 4” as best animated seemed to agree that the the press and celebrities, feature film was no shock, award was either going to have expressed a lot of and both “Parasite” and go to “1917” or “Parasite,” joy and excitement at “Jojo Rabbit” took home with a lot more people the film winning. awards in original screen- betting on the former for Patrick Gonder, play and adapted screen- the win. However, many longtime College of Lake play. were hoping that “Parasite” County language arts and “Joker” and “Rocketman” would win and make humanities professor, had won the awards related to history for the Oscars. hopes and predictions music, the former winning It started to look more before the ceremony. best original score for its hopeful when Bong Joon“I really hope ‘Parasite’ haunting and beautiful ho won best director for wins,” he said. “That was music and the latter his work on the film. the best picture of last winning best original song When actress Jane Fonda year. ‘1917’ was good, for “(I’m Gonna) Love presented and announced but best picture? No.”

Ari Kagan, a film major from Buffalo Grove, said, “‘Parasite’ wasn’t my favorite movie of the year, but there’s no question that winning best picture is monumental for a foreign film.”

I myself wished “Marriage Story” won all of its nominated awards, which was a masterpiece and my personal favorite from last year, but I can’t really complain given how amazing “Parasite” was.

The ceremony overall was a pretty decent one, though I should mention it had a lot of amazing musical performances, ranging from the multilanguage performance of “Into the Unknown” from “Frozen 2,” Billie Eilish’s performance of “Yesterday” during the In Memoriam sequence, and especially Eminem’s surprise performance of “Lose Yourself.”

The show did run a bit long, and some of the comedy left a lot to be desired. Although the hostless structure worked fine, let’s go back to getting a regular host next year.

Monday, February 17, 2020

Truth Conquers All Since 1969

VOL. 53, NO. 9

Lady Lancers come prepared in second game against McHenry, fall short of win Sarah Pope Staff Reporter The College of Lake County women’s basketball team came in Feb. 11 with a calculated and aggressive mindset for their second game against visiting McHenry County College.

A month prior, the women experienced a devastating loss 81 - 45 against McHenry, and although Tuesday’s match ended in a 78 - 62 loss, the team was proud of their improvement.

While McHenry led the score for the majority of the game, the Lancers started off strong, finishing the first quarter with an initial score of 23 - 20.

They began to trail behind during the second quarter and into halftime, with a 13-point gap against McHenry.

Sophomore Kylah Collins from North Chicago, reflected on the second quarter.

“We couldn’t stop it,” she said. “They just came out

and kept scoring. That was our drought.”

The team regained their footing after a much-needed halftime, providing the women with an opportunity

opponent only scored 13, bringing the third quarter to a score of 64-54.

10 of these points were scored by Collins, 3 points by sophomore Camille Cuevas

Head Coach, John Bongiorno strategizes with the women during a brief timeout. From left: Sophomore Camille Cuevas (Warren), freshman Emily Etherton (Round Lake HS), sophomore Taylor Feltner (Antioch HS), and sophomore Kylah Collins (N. Chicago HS). ~Photo by Sarah Pope

to refresh physically and mentally.

They kept McHenry on their feet in the third quarter, scoring 17 points while their

(Warren), and 2 points each by freshman Emily Etherton (Round Lake) and sophomore Taylor Feltner (Antioch).

Feltner, who took a slamming fall onto the court while attempting to block a score from McHenry in the second quarter powered through the remainder of the game.

“For the next minute, it hurts, and then the adrenaline just takes over and it makes me want to play harder,” Feltner said.

She added that a fall like that can leave a player shaken.

“But today I wasn’t,” she said. “I was just mentally focused.”

Collins compared this game to a prior match-up against Kankakee Community College in December 2019.

She recalled that the Lancers trailed by 7 points with only a minute left in the game, and ended up winning by 2 points.

“We know it’s possible to make a comeback when we’re down,” she said.

The women brought the same energy into the fourth and final quarter.

Only a minute before the final buzzer, the Lancers were down by 12 points but

refused to be discouraged by the score.

In the final 30 seconds, McHenry scored the last basket, to make the losing score 78 - 62.

“We went into this game knowing who their players were. Knowing that they only had two main players, we tried to double-team one and that started to shut down the other,” Feltner said.

“We had confidence going in because we didn’t want to take them lightly. We knew where they were strong, and we tried to do the best we could.”

The women’s basketball team will take on Morton College in a home game on Feb. 18, marking the last game of the season.

Although time together as a team is running out, the Lancers plan to rally around each other.

Their coach, John Bongiorno will have a final practice for the women to finish the season strong and improve on their current record of 16 - 11.

CLC volleyball team in need of players for upcoming season Andrea Morales Sports Editor Before the College of Lake County’s volleyball season commences, the team is having a preseason that includes open gym, practice, and drilling for about five months.

The team’s preseason begins on the second week of March and will run until the season begins Aug. 1.

Bill and Janet Szczesniak have been coaching CLC’s volleyball team for seven years and are excited for what this upcoming season holds for them.

In the previous season, there were only eight players. The average

number is 12 to 14 players.

The coaches have been trying to recruit players and especially need to “heavily recruit setters,” Bill Szczesniak said.

The coaches describe their previous season as a good one. They said the women were playing tough throughout their games, although they only won seven games during their season.

For the upcoming season, Bill Szczesniak mentioned that they are recruiting as many players as they can, specifically “looking for outside hitters, which are their main determining position.”

The coaches have been recruiting many players from around the country,

including a setter from Arkansas and an outside hitter from Florida.

They are still recruiting women from the area, specifically from club teams or high schools that are within the district.

They are also trying to spread the word throughout CLC’s campus. that they need more players.

Janet Szczesniak said there are a lot of people who are not aware that the CLC has a volleyball program, making it much more difficult to build a strong team.

This upcoming season the team will have four sophomores returning, but they will be leaving CLC in May 2021.

The preseason consists

of “conditioning, strength training, working on bettering skills and overall getting them ready,” Bill Szczesniak said.

CLC also has a new strength and conditioning program with the U.S.A. Olympic coaches to make the players stronger for the three out of five set games they play.

Preseason also consists of open gyms for the women to become familiar with skills by doing a lot of reps.

Bill and Janet are ecstatic for the season to commence: “We’re actually going to have a pretty good size group that we can handle before the season,” Janet Szczesniak said.

Their overall goal is to

make it to the finals in the regional tournament, which is held at CLC every year. This year, the tournament will be Nov. 7 to Nov. 8.

The coaches said they hope to recruit as many players from around the area and country as possible so that they can train and work hard with them to improve all their volleyball skills.

They also hope to have a strong season that will run from Aug. 1 until Nov. 8, along with qualifying for the national tournament.