Monday, May 6, 2019
VOL. 52, NO. 14
Truth Conquers All Since 1969
Earth Day earns week-long celebration among CLC campuses Payton Higgins
Staff Reporter On April 15 CLC hosted its fourth annual Business Idea Competition in room A013 at the Grayslake campus. The contest, which began in 2016, is designed to allow student entrepreneurs to develop and share their skills and ideas for a new product, service or business. These ideas can then carry students into the real world with internships, employment opportunities, and business connections. Each of the five finalists is selected after a difficult round of preliminary judging. The competition awards cash prizes of $1,000 to the first place winner, $500 to the second place winner, and $250 to the third place winner. The winners are decided by a panel of expert judges after the finalists each give a four-minute pitch and four-minute Q&A with the
judges. This event was sponsored by CLC Business and Social Sciences division and the Suzy’s Swirl Company, with additional student support from the CLC Business Club. Emma Uren gave the first pitch of the night with her idea; “Doodles to Da Vinci.” Her idea is designed to be a subscription service that benefits Spanish learning students in the United States and Spanish speaking tutors in Costa Rica who work for non-profit organizations. In Costa Rica, those who work for humanitarian non-profit organizations have more difficulty generating income for themselves without the abundance of side jobs that are readily available in places like the U.S. This online service would allow these Spanish tutors to help Spanish learning students through weekly feedback and assignments, while
also providing them with a new stream of income. The next pitch came from Scott Stetz, introducing his idea for the “Change” app. This is a mobile app that seeks to eliminate the hassle of loose change by tracking transactions and cataloging the total change acquired through these transactions. The app would allow for connections to banking apps and is designed to run similarly to apple pay or apple wallet in that it’s easy, efficient, and can be done from your smartphone. Sherry Gade continued the contest with her pitch for the “Bone Bar,” which turns the mundane chores of dog care into an exciting experience for the whole family. The business would feature grooming services, a custom toy, and squeaky center where fully customizable dog toys are offered, a doggy disco daycare, a doggy dinner, and a red carpet
photo booth for the end of the visit. “Bone Bar” is designed to target active millennials and baby boomers whose dogs have become their babies. Mikaela Cleveland was the fourth presenter, pitching her idea of the “Seizure Patch.” This innovative piece of medicine is designed to be a more costeffective and reliable alternative for those suffering from epilepsy. It will function as a “technological service dog” says Mikaela. The device measures changes in hormones, heart rate, and other vital signs to predict an oncoming seizure. This, in turn, would allow those living with epilepsy to lead independent lives and avoid hospital and ambulance trips. As the patch serves as medical aid, it will be available to insurance coverage. Shawn Illingworth presented last, pitching his
idea “Mover/Shaker.” It is designed to be an app which works similarly to Uber or GrubHub to aid those in the process of moving. The app would connect drivers, helpers, clients, and other necessary crew onto the app. This allows clients who are looking for help on their big move to pick and choose an efficient and inexpensive moving crew from the local area. All of the pitches were well received by both the audience and the panel of judges, making it a difficult decision in the end as to who should earn the awards. The outcome of the judges’ decision awarded Emma Uren and her “Doodles to Da Vinci” the third place prize of $250, Scott Stetz and his “Change” app the second place prize of $500, and Mikaela Cleveland and her “Seizure Patch” the first place grand prize of $1,000.
College of Lake County students collects trash for Earth Week Image Courtesy of Arturo Ramirez
CLC holds farmer’s market to support local harvests
Gene splicing leads to big changes in medicial field
Women’s soccer team seeks new players
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News
THE CHRONICLE Page 2 | Monday, May 6, 2019
Veterans Lounge provides safe space for military members Kevin Tellez
Managing Editor The College of Lake County opened a Veterans Lounge at the Grayslake Campus in the C-Wing on April 8. In conjunction with the new Veterans Lounge, CLC’s Veteran Student Services will be moving into the C-Wing near the lounge during the week of April 22. The Veterans Lounge will be a place where military families and affiliates can access information about community resources, local opportunities, and earned benefits. But more than that, it will be a place where veterans can connect as a community – to meet, relax, and even receive support from staff and other veterans. Veteran Student Services of CLC supports veterans with a wide variety of resources and a likeminded community. Veterans are given the support they deserve, regardless of where they are on their educational path. The demand was high for
a Veterans Lounge from the CLC veteran student body. “Yes, there has always been a demand; in the early history of CLC, as stated by Mr. Anderson, during his time at CLC, the Veterans Club was the largest club on campus,” said Joseph Bochantin, Veteran Student Services Coordinator. “In my 3.5 years here, my Student Veterans have been quite vocal about getting an area of their own, and the institution has listened,” he said. “The inspiration came from CLC’s veteran students asking me why we didn’t have one,” Bochantin added. “Most of our peer institutions have a Veterans Center or a lounge. “CLC has one of the largest student Veteran/ Military member populations in the state,” Bochantin said. “CLC has a rich history with veterans; for instance, our current Chair of the Board of Trustees, Richard Anderson, is not only an alumni of CLC, he is a Student Veteran Alumni of CLC.” The Veterans Lounge was built entirely from
the school’s own budget. “No money has been donated to date,” Bochantin said. “The school has allocated some money for this space.” The best intentions were meant for military students when building the lounge. “I hope this space gives them a feeling of belonging, and our veterans and military members are welcomed here at CLC,” Bochantin said. “I see this space as a gathering space for like-minded people to share their experiences in a place for them.” “With a place of their own, I hope that our veterans will share their experiences with each other without having to be overly concerned about who may overhear them and possibly feel offended by their experiences,” he said. “The activities and purposes of the lounge will be general. The purpose of the lounge will be to provide a space for our Student Veterans to come together,” Bochantin said. “Any activities would include and welcome the whole population of
veterans, service members, and their families as well as people who come by to support our veterans.” “For our population, some of my students join the Student Veterans club; but not all of my student are members,” he added. “Therefore, the club will use the normal route for
obtaining meeting spaces through our Student Activities department.” “The lounge is open from 8 a.m.-10 p.m. daily when classes are in session,” Bochantin said. “When classes are not in session, the lounge will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.”
OPEN
Graphic courtesy of Hope Pham
Columbia College guarantees partnership with CLC Anastasia Gustafson
News Editor The College of Lake County is partnering with another university, expanding its evergrowing list of guaranteed transfer agreements. Columbia College Chicago, a private, nonprofit college is now a proud partner with CLC and its students.
Like the other guaranteed transfer agreements between CLC and outside universities, as long as students meet the requirements detailed in the partnership agreement and transfer to Columbia to complete a bachelor’s degree, the students will be granted admission. The growing list of guaranteed transfer
Image courtesy of the Washington Examiner
partnerships is a shining star for prospective CLC students. The fear that community colleges are not beneficial to college goers is being annulled by the efforts of CLC to ensure further educational opportunity and an effortless transition to four-year universities is in the cards for all students. “Through this partnership, we’re offering our students yet another high-quality option in Illinois,” Karen Hlavin, CLC’s vice president for student development said. “We can now provide qualified students an opportunity to plan their transfer to Columbia several semesters in advance and take advantage of advising from both institutions at the same time,” Hlavin said. The addition of Columbia College Chicago makes for 28
colleges and universities in total that are partnered with CLC for guaranteed transfer agreements. Most of the partnerships honor the pursuit of an associates degree and a reasonable GPA as the only requirements for entrance to their school. This means that going to CLC does not have to bring community college students academic timeline to a crawl. “We’re excited to have established this agreement, as it helps provide a clearer academic transition for CLC transfer students continuing their studies at Columbia,” Holly Herrera, Ph.D., associate administrator and officer for transfer initiatives and academic partnerships at Columbia, said. For CLC students, the future of possibilities is bright when considering a transfer to Columbia College Chicago.
The agreement is one of the more expansive in the list regarding guaranteed transferability and options. “The agreement covers 49 undergraduate majors, from acoustics to theatre design and technology. Students thrive at our location in the South Loop, close to the city’s top museums, theatres, and cultural attractions,” Herrera said. While there are some concerns from many CLC students about the transfer process, Herrera illuminated the fact that students who decide Columbia College Chicago is for them will also not be alone when they decide to transfer. “We are also impressed that nearly 90 percent of transfer students from CLC successfully graduate from Columbia. This agreement will only strengthen our partnership,” Herrera said.
Features
THE CHRONICLE Page 3 | Monday, May 6, 2019
Beekeeper’s passion helps maintain sustainability mission Elizabeth Taylor Features Editor After just one conversation with Edward Popelka, you’d know how passionate he is about not only protecting our bees and the environment, but also helping CLC to become a leader in this arena. “I think because we’re here at the college, we need to lead by example,” Popelka said. “I’m hopeful that maybe I can help spread the word; get the bug in everybody’s ear.” Popelka, of Spring Grove, works at CLC as a maintenance engineer and is the Grayslake campus beekeeper. His path to CLC and where he is now wasn’t as smooth as the college’s transition to being a more sustainable and environmentally friendly school which he helped spark and facilitate. Having skipped taking classes when he was 18 and 19, coming back to work for CLC was almost a wake up call about education. “After a while, it’s kind of contagious,” Popelka
said on the spirit of learning on campus. “You enter an environment like this and it’s hard not to join in all the fun stuff going on.” Popelka couldn’t resist the calls of education at CLC, earning an associates of applied science in industrial maintenance and repair. Once he had an associates, Popelka began pursuing a bachelor’s degree from the university center as well, but this is where he ended up on the path to where he is now. “One day I ended up in the horticulture building taking all these horticulture classes,” said Popelka. “I just became obsessed with bees.” This sudden motivation to not only learn about bees and how to help save the environment, Popelka noticed CLC was lacking sustainability programs. Popelka recounts a time 10-13 years ago when anything leftover from events or just garbage was taken and destroyed with no chance of recycling and how this angered him and made him question whether he can sit by and watch it happen.
He felt so moved and upset about the way CLC was handling its waste and treating the environment that he marched to the Vice President’s office and said exactly what he was feeling. “I was kind of disgusted and ashamed of us,” Popelka said. “I said, ‘if this is how we roll, I don’t want to roll with us anymore.’” Looking at other schools nationwide and what they have done with sustainability, he wondered why CLC isn’t doing that as well. Over the past ten years, Popelka says that CLC has made “leaps and bounds” when it comes to being more sustainable and green. “Our geothermal wells have saved us over $1 million in energy costs in the past two to three years,” Popelka said.” I’m very proud to work for our college, we’re cutting edge.” Most of his work, especially with the bees, is centralized at the Grayslake campus, but Popelka does see a need to help revitalize the Lake Shore campus. “We’re hoping to help
them down there and hoping to beautify that area,” Popelka said. “It’s all about supporting our community.” While he is dedicated to CLC because of the work he has done here over the past 18 years, even as a citizen of Lake County he values it and hopes others will too. “I feel CLC is our greatest community investment.” Popelka said. “A lot of our money goes here so people in Lake County should consider coming to our college to see what we’ve got going on.” After 18 years working at CLC, Popelka describes
his journey as “amazing.” While he considered retiring for a short time, he does not see his work as finished yet and says that he still has “time frames and plans” which he wants to see through. Popelka plans on continuing his work with the bees and making more of CLC’s campuses environmentally friendly through recycling and sustainability programs because he is “all in.” “We have some great stuff going on at CLC,” said Popelka.
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Taylor
CLC students learn to fine dine with future employers Arturo Ramirez Health & Science Editor On April 25, the College of Lake County had hosted a Business Etiquette Dinner where students were able to network and dine with employers. With this event, students were able to learn what not to do in professional settings, how to navigate social and professional encounters, and enjoy fine cuisine in style. Students were served a four-course meal and training from a Professional Etiquette Consultant. The attire for this event was professional. Danielle Hopkin, student worker, has been working with CLC since Feb. 2019. Hopkin was in charge of signing students for attending this event. She said that the goals of this event was, “to really teach students when they go on a interview or a dinner with a future employer that they are trying to
impress, just techniques what to do and really just making connections “I’d never had an opportunity like this,” Hopkin said. “So I think the students need to take the opportunities, get out there, try to do stuff like this since it really helps you with the real world.” Jennifer Campos, has been working with CLC since Feb. 2019 with the Student Job Placement Center. Campos helped make name tags, collected money, was responsible for reimbursements for the event, and she created flyers to help advertise this event. “The goals here is for our students to learn how to network when they are out at different job interviews, or different events such as this one. Where they can learn how to communicate with others, and how to properly have dinner with an employer if they were ever invited out.” “Part of an interview sometimes, they invite the potential employers out to
dinner or lunch, and this is showing them how to do all of that,” said Campos. “Networking is a great way to show who you are and what you can bring to the table, and what you can offer the company. It’s a great way to show growth for yourself.” “The students that take advantage of this opportunity are so great. They are very open to different things that CLC offers. Our goal is also to reach out to more students so that they can get more involved,” Campos said. “This is an excellent way to show them what the next steps are to getting the jobs that they are looking for,” Campos said. Dawn Russo, a Computer Science major at CLC, heard about this event through her Promise Program. “It’s a program here for low income that allows you to come here and not have to worry about money and problems going on,” stated Russo. This was Russo’s first time attending the event. Russo said that she was
Photo courtesy of Yasmeen Iqbal
“interested in some internships,” that were being offered during the event. Like many students, Russo had the chance to learn what not to do in professional settings and how to properly dine with future employers and business partners. Emily Nielsen, a student who is currently working on her entrepreneurship and business skills at CLC, so that she can one day run her own Antique Business store. She heard about this event through her mom. “My mom told me about
it, and I was really interested about it because I want to learn how to be proper in a business,” she said. “One thing I learned is how to use the utensils properly and properly cutting the foods. I would attend again, as long as they have music to make it more engaging, and social activities to get to know one another a little more better.” Nielsen believes that people should have the courage to attend events like this to improve themselves and their communities.
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A&E
THE CHRONICLE Page 5 | Monday, May 6, 2019
‘Fear No Art’ Festival highlights meaningful life messages Rebecca Martinez A&E Editor A festival of dance, drama, music, poetry, and music, “Fear No Art” highlighted the various mediums of artistic expression within our own local community. “Group Therapy”, choreographed by Alex Warda and performed by Grace Ford, Najdia Kiblinger, Stefanie Krammer, Alena Martin, Katrina Rautanen, Sara Schoenberger was a moving dance performance about mental illness. This piece addressed the conflicts people are met with when confronting mental illness in a setting like group therapy; from pain and humiliation to acceptance, these dancers made great strides at destigmatizing mental illness. “Group Therapy” incorporated the soft rock ballad “Go or Go ahead”
by Rufus Wainwright, with blue lighting and flowing white dresses to create a soothing and dream-like landscape. “The Love of Dance Bonds” was an energetic piece, choreographed and performed by Anthony Aguilar, Efrain Aquirre, Talia Barrientos, Ebony Maise, Carlos Rincon, Shayna Soloway, Alexa Sostre, Ben Torres, and Bailey Turek. This modern performance was set to music by Lil Wayne, A$AP Rocky, and Cardi B, including dialogue from Beyoncé’s “Pretty Hurts” that says, “My aspiration in life would be to be happy”, with breakdancing, dance circles, and a marching segment. “The Love of Dance Bonds” emphasized self love and a love of others that was profoundly genuine; it was a uplifting and captivating performance to watch. Among other talented
dance and musical pieces, there was also artwork just outside of the JLC, which many audience members appreciated after the show. Sydney Schuck’s “Bottles”, a mixed media piece of various medicine bottles and syringes accumulated after three years, speaks to the perception of illness
“Bottles” by Sydney Schuck
within society. “I encourage you to think about the people that have to face comments on a daily basis: ‘You don’t look sick’. How can you help destigmatize people living with a disability?” Shuck said. Schuck’s courage in sharing her struggles and amplifying the voices of people with
disabilities is nothing short of commendable. CLC’s “Fear No Art “festival was not only a platform for local community members to express their beautiful art, but each piece had a powerful message that resonated with the audience and spoke to the sincerity of the artists.
Photo courtesy of Rebecca Martinez
‘La llorona’ disappoints audiences with lazy script Peter Anders Staff Reporter “The Curse of La Llorona” is a horror movie starring Marisol Ramirez, Linda Cardellini, Patricia Velasquez, Raymond Cruz, Sierra Heuermann, and Tony Amendola. Directed by Michael Caves, it was released in theaters by Warner Brothers on April 19. “Curse of La Llorona” tells the tale of Anna Garcia and her children Chris and Samantha, who are forced to fight off against the legendary spirit of La Llorona in 1970’s Los Angeles, knowing that she will not stop until they are all dead. “The Curse of La Llorona” is part of “The Conjuring” franchise, and yet it isn’t. Even though there is a part where the character of Father Perez (played by Tony Amendola), who the audience might remember
from the spinoff of “The Conjuring” and “Annabelle” makes an inherent reference (followed by a short montage) to the events of said film. Yet the studio and the producers refuse to outright label it as part of the franchise, and there is no clear indication as to why. The most offensive part of “The Curse of La Llorona” is how insanely boring it is, being barely over 90 minutes long, it almost feels like a three hour endeavor. The movie starts off somewhat decently enough, showing the origin story of La Llorona, but then we are introduced to our bland uninteresting protagonist. The main objective of a horror movie is to incite the element of fear in the audience, or at the very least, incite the feeling of dread. In this regard, “The Curse of La Llorona” also fails quite spectacularly. It seems to mistake actual horror for a never ending barrage of jump scares.
Once one learns the movie’s so called “secret formula”, it is almost impossible to be caught off guard by them. It does not help that the script is as lazy and uncreative as it is. Instead of relying on smart characters being thrust into circumstances they could never hope to understand, the writer instead decides to rely on characters being forced into situations through their own sheer stupidity. When it comes to the characters, any attempts at emotional or dramatic scenes do not work well because of the mediocre dialogue and underdeveloped characters. “The Curse of La Llorona” is a very bad horror movie. As a (possible) spinoff of the ‘“Conjuring” it fails, as a stand alone film it fails, and as a horror experience it fails. The movie does not do any one thing so bad that it becomes memorably bad, rather it just gives the bare minimum effort in
all categories but slightly misses the mark as to become a regular old fashioned bad movie. La Llorona may be known
as the “weeping woman” in Latin culture, but this movie will make your wallet cry if you actually pay money to see this junk.
Image courtesy of Screen Geek
A&E
THE CHRONICLE Page 6 | Monday, May 6, 2019
‘Play On!’ humors but enlightens others with underlying themes Fernando Reynoso
Freelance Contributor The James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts showcased “Play On!” on April 12 through 14 and from April 19 to 20. “Play On!” is an event for students to choose plays to act, direct, and produce themselves. The four plays chosen for this event were “Drugs Are Bad,” “East of the Sun,” “That First Fall,” and “Wedding Duet.” The first play that kicked off the show was “Drugs Are Bad” by Jonathan Rand and directed by Robert Williams. A high school student named Brad (Nate Toledo) arrives home to find his mother (Chantal Moody) and father (Joshua Pride) waiting to confront him about their disapproval of his excel in school, desire
to go to college, and dating a respectable girl. This twist of a parent’s hopes for their children’s future is hysterical, especially at the end when the mother and father reveal that it was all a ploy to steer their son Brad to make the best choices for his future. “East of the Sun” was a poetic adaptation by Darcy Parker Bruce of the Norwegian fairy tale “East of the Sun, West of the Moon.” The play was directed by Jonathan Rocha, and centers around Rosemarie (Isabella Cernuska) who is confronted by Aaron Telling Tales (Reese Starzec) about her affections towards Daniel (Elijah JanssenWeitz) and about her own childhood trauma, but she soon overcomes it by the strength she finds as a survivor. The set for this play was
utilized very well with the lighting of the night into day, a beaming comet, and sound effects of the forest. The third play “That First Fall” by Daria Polatin and directed by Samuel Kim is a story about two young women, Skyler (Abigail Giles) and Zoe (Briana Livesay), whose friendship is strained from the distance of their school, and a secret from their past. After sitting on a stoop catching up, Zoe insists on Skyler to attend a house party with mutual former high school classmates, but when Skyler says she has other plans they have an argument about the direction Skyler is taking with her life without her best friend. The argument is soon defused because of their strong friendship. The final play is the comical “Wedding Duet” by Lauren Wilson and directed
Image courtesy of CLC News Website
by Dylan Thomas. In this humorous story the newly Bride (Maddison Crecchio) and Groom (Joshua Pride) are stuck at the threshold of their room when suddenly all their fears and anxieties come tumbling out in a slapstick of banter and brawling that ultimately ends with the couple making up, and the Groom (Pride) carrying his
Bride (Crecchio) across the threshold. Like Shakespeare said, “the course of true love never did run smooth.” Not only were the plays outstanding but the work of the rest of the team from the set, costume, sound, and the rest of the faculty members that had a hand in making the show possible - did a fantastic job.
‘Avengers: Endgame’ sets new standards for entire genre Jason Lee
Staff Reporter
After 11 years and 22 films, the Infinity Saga has officially come to a close. The MCU has brought us something truly unique in Hollywood, bringing these iconic characters and stories that have all led up to this epic event. Does it all pay off? “Avengers: Endgame” takes place after the catastrophic events of “Infinity War,” where Thanos obliterated half of the universe with the powerful Infinity Stones. Together, the remaining Avengers and their allies do whatever it takes to reverse the damage and bring back their friends in a final and emotional fight. The acting is again amazing, and it really proves that the perfect casting choices were made in this universe. Robert Downey Jr. is phenomenal as always as Iron Man, giving his most dramatic and conflicted performance as the character, which is saying a lot. Downey Jr. brings the right balance of charisma and darkness to his performance,
and it’s a considerable reflection on how far Tony Stark has come since escaping out of that cave. Chris Evans is fantastic as the most honorable Avenger, Captain America. Even in a world where he’s lost, Steve Rogers still has that same desire to do the right thing, which has always been the best part of his character. Evans also has some humor to contribute to his performance, but his more hardened and poignant acting pays off here. Chris Hemsworth is great as Thor, and he certainly has a drastic change in the film. Just like Downey Jr. and Evans, Hemsworth has a lot of humor in his performance, and when he’s dramatic and tough, it really works. The rest of the cast also gives exceptional performances, particularly Scarlett Johansson, Paul Rudd, Bradley Cooper, and Brie Larson’s return as Captain Marvel is nothing short of awesome. Finally, Josh Brolin is outstanding in his performance as Thanos, still proving how perfect of a casting choice he is. Brolin’s not some overthe-top maniac who’s evil
for the sake of being evil, he’s a sophisticated and calc-ulated survivor with a plan that has understandable motivations, and they do definitely get more twisted in this film. The tone is also handled extremely well, having worthwhile comedy that never manages to distract from the darker weight of the film. With the darker tone comes the biggest stakes yet, and it’s appropriately somber at times. The movie’s also very shocking, and it left my jaw dropping. What also adds to this culmination is the amount of callbacks and references, and it’s pure gold. The reason why the story only mostly works is because there’s unfortunately some plot logic that I had problems with, especially since they not only defy the rules, but there are some things that aren’t addressed properly and really make me question certain aspects of the plot. The third act is unparalleled; it’s not only gonna make fans cry tears of joy, but it’s an epic spectacle for anybody to enjoy. The visual effects also
Image courtesy of cnet.com
help the action sequences shine, as they look even better than “Infinity War.” This is overall a very wellbalanced story, as it has the aftermath, the effort, and the outcome, and it really is the true conclusion to most of these heroes and their journeys. In terms of that widely discussed three-hour runtime, it’s perfectly fine here, as the pacing is not only pretty smooth, but the movie is too investing for you to
even care. This is no doubt Marvel’s most ambitious, emotional, and epic film to date, and it really works thanks to the Russo Brothers and their gargantuan effort put into these movies. This film is not only one of the greatest MCU films, but it’s one of the best superhero movies period. This truly is an event in Hollywood that concludes over a decade of building a universe.
Health & Science
THE CHRONICLE Page 7 | Monday, May 6, 2019
Indoor farmer’s market brings focus to locally grown food Erin Neeson Staff Reporter In honor of Earth Week, on April 25, CLC’s Campus Farm held an indoor market at the Grayslake campus where over a dozen local food producers shared how to find locally grown food around Lake County. Along with offering information on different local farm markets, they hosted their own farmer’s market in which raw honey, herbal teas, and some of the first greens of the season were sold. Not only is home grown food typically healthier for you, it is also healthier for the environment. With attention to, it reduces the amount of carbon dioxide emissions by reducing the amount of travel necessary to transport food from a farm to an individual consumer. Eating local food can also help preserve green space by supporting local farmers who will use empty lots to build urban gardens rather than harmful developments. CLC Business major, Jarred Winandy, agrees that supporting local farmers is one of the many
Graphic courtesy of Hope Pham
ways to help increase food sustainability. “I buy locally grown food because I know it is healthier for me and the environment,” Winandy said. “I never knew where my food was coming from, but now that I am more health conscious, I focus on buying from local food
markets. It is a win-win situation for me and the environment.” As well as, being in a win-win situation, there is a multitude of benefits from purchasing local food. Local farms typically offer food at the peak of its freshness which not only contains the optimal
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amount of nutrients, but it often tastes better. Supporting local farms also supports your local economy by helping keep local producers in business. It can also support your community and the connections you make amongst peers who also
value food sustainability. Despite how negligible your individual impact may feel, unifying a community of environmentally conscious individuals is the first step towards making the Earth a happier, greener, and healthier place.
THE CHRONICLE Arturo Ramirez
Health & Science
Rebecca Martinez A&E Editor
Bethany Newby Copy Editor
Anastasia Gustafson
Staff List John Kupetz Adviser
Sammie Wilkins Editor-in-Chief
Kevin Tellez
Managing Editor
Elizabeth Taylor Features Editor
Brandon Ferrara
Business Manager
Daniel Lynch Opinion Editor Hope Pham
Graphic Designer
News Editor
Contributors: Peter Anders, Numaan Elamin, Andrew Fine, Michael Flores, Payton Higgins, Jason Lee, Jose Moreno, Erin Neeson, Fernando Reynoso, Katrina Topacio, Jack Van Reck.
Health & Science
THE CHRONICLE Page 8 | Monday, May 6, 2019
New technology splicing people’s lives together Katrina Topacio
Staff Reporter Genome editing allows for scientists to directly edit, delete, or repair specific genes in the human genome. In late 2012, Feng Zhang, biochemist and professor at MIT’s Departments of Brains and Cognitive Sciences and Biological Engineering, discovered that CRISPR-Cas9 could successfully be harnessed for genome editing and reported the first of its use on mammalian cells, according to the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT. The CRISPR-Cas9 technique is currently paving the way for new scientific exploration into gene editing. CRISPR stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats. So what exactly is the CRISPR-Cas9 technique? “The CRISPR-Cas9 technique is used to insert pieces of DNA from the same species into bodily cells,” according to Dr. Branko Jablanovic, who has taught biology at CLC for 14 years. “The CRISPR part is a short RNA chain which is placed into the cell and uses molecular ends to connect to the specific segment on the host DNA, while the other end connects to a Cas9 enzyme that cuts that piece of DNA,” Jablanovic continued. “The result of this process is either deletion of a particular gene, or replacing that gene with another one from the same species.” Previous gene editing techniques were more costly and less efficient to use. “CRISPR-Cas9 geneediting is very predictable, inexpensive, and very easy to do,” Dr. Jablanovic stated. He added that much of the current experimentation with CRISPR is done to enhance features of crops in order to allow for higher quality and quantity of foods. In terms of the future of CRISPR-Cas9, scientists are preparing to utilize it
more for health purposes and ridding the human genome from certain heritable diseases. However, there still exists many restrictions on the experimentation of the technique on humans. “At this stage, there is no research on people; animal models (usually rats) and human tissue cultures are used to research singlegene disorders such as cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, and sickle cell disease,” said Dr. Jablanovic. “CRISPR-Cas9 also holds promise for the
team would filter T cells from the blood of eligible patients with cancer, then use the gene-editing technique to knock out three of the cells’ existing receptors and with a lentiviral vector insert the gene for a receptor called NY-ESO-1, a protein that appears on the surface of some cancer cells.” T-cells are white blood cells that help to prevent disease and that naturally kill off cancer cells. By editing the T-cells to have the new receptor, it will allow them to latch
explained Dr. Jablanovic when asked about the ongoing debate between civilians and scientists. CRISPR can only be used to treat somatic cells, which constitute every other cell in the human body except for the egg and sperm cells. When CRISPR edits or changes a certain gene in any way, the effects could be permanent and scientists risk the fact that these changes will affect the altered human’s future generations. There is still no way of
Image courtesy of Verdict.com
treatment and prevention of more complex diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, mental illness, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection,” he added. Privately funded research and experimentation is still ongoing. According to an article published in “The Scientist” on April 16, by Shawna Williams, associate editor of “The Scientist,” doctors in the University of Pennsylvania have recently tried to infuse CRISPR-edited cells into two patients, one with multiple myeloma and the other with sarcoma as a trial run. This marked the first patients treated with CRISPR-edited cells in the United States. Williams interviewed Dr. Edward Stadtmauer, oncologist at the University of Pennsylvania, who said that “[his]
onto cancer cells more easily. With the help of CRISPR, Stadtmauer and his team hope to develop a new form of immunotherapy for cancer patients and potentially edit the faulty genes that cause genetic diseases. With the rise of such a revolutionary technology, much contention regarding the uses of CRISPR-Cas9 and genetic modification has resurfaced. Since CRISPR-Cas9 is still a novel technology, the effects of the technique are still unclear, which makes governments hesitant to fund projects that perform gene therapy on human test subjects. “Due to the ethical concerns, research on egg and sperm cells is forbidden. Genetic changes on those cells would transfer to their offspring and could artificially alter our species,”
telling what the consequences are as of today. However, there are still many ways for scientists to use the CRISPR technique. Scientists are using the bulk of CRISPR technology to enhance crops and other vegetation. In the article in “The Scientist” from the Feb. 1. on CRISPR-Cas9 by Ashley P. Taylor, aggrotech companies circulate several arguments to convince federal regulators and general public how necessary this technique is to grow food. The human population is expected to reach 10 billion by 2050, while at the same time more and more fertile land is taken to build towns – the only answer is to increase the productivity of crops. To prepare for the future, crops will need to be in more abundance since the population is steadily increasing.
CRISPR may be the only solution to designing crops with greater mass production with minimal time needed. Yet, none of the CRISPR-edited crops are being sold in marketplaces because regulation of the technology has not yet been enforced nor are there any guidelines on how to differentiate between CRISPR crops, GMOs, or organic foods. “Today, much of the research is done at the universities, but the global regulation of the procedure is not uniform,” said Dr. Jablanovic. “The European Court of Justice ruled last year that CRISPR-Cas9 geneediting is similar to transgenic or GMO food and that needs to be labeled as such. American Congress (National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Law) and USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), however do not require any special disclosure on the label for this CRISPRCas9 gene-edited food.” Most of the public outcry on the issue of modified crops is the lack of labels. When asked about the issue, Dr. Brankovic felt assured that if CRISPRedited crops were to make their way onto the shelves of supermarkets, the government will be prepared with the proper labels to inform the public exactly what they are eating. “Having witnessed a backlash from consumers about improper labeling of GMO food, most aggrotech companies as well as consumer protection agencies will eventually ask FDA (Food and Drug Administration) to impose some labeling oversight. The crops of the future are knocking on our doors. Are we to open the door or not?” The future of gene editing is here. The CRISPRCas9 technique has already begun to revolutionize many aspects of society as well as our very own lives. It’s important to be cautious and aware of the ethical concerns of CRISPR as the field of molecular biology takes another step forward into the unknown possibilities of gene editing
Health & Science
THE CHRONICLE Page 9 | Monday, May 6, 2019
Calorie counting doesn’t always have positive results Arturo Ramirez
Health & Science Editor Eating and consuming calories is an essential habit needed for us to maintain being alive and functional. Now, is counting our calories a bad or good habit to pick up on? As some may wonder why this is such a big deal, I would insist that not monitoring your calorie intake could potentially lead you to become obese. Obesity is an expensive illness and it is one that further exposes an individual to other stressful health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, short breaths (which causes a lack of oxygen to the brain), and other devastating symptoms that cause harm to obese individuals. Through my own experiences and studies, I have learned that counting calories may be a solution towards preventing obesity. Recently, laws have been enforced on restaurants
to display caloric information on their foods to their consumers. Three research based articles, “Calories in Crisis” by Teal Burrell, ‘Calorie information and dieting status modulate reward and control activation during the evaluation of food images,” by Andrea L. Courtney, and “The Influence of Bundling and Caloric Knowledge on Calories Ordered and Purchase Intent,” by Judy Harris and Veronica L. Thomas all assert the same thing. Obese individuals do not keep track and limit their calorie intake, which ultimately allows them to experience such an illness with other complex and unhealthy diagnostics. Burrell’s article reveals that exercising and losing weight will not have an impact on the amount of calories you lose. Burrell reports that those that are actively exercising tend to consume “about 200 more calories per day than sedentary people.” With this information, you are capable of
manipulating the amount of calories you may consume after a good workout and lose weight, if that is your focus. It’s been noted by Burrell that when our bodies lose weight, our bodies tend to slow down its metabolic rate, which makes it even harder to lose weight at times. The author also points out that our calories vary for each of us, we all use our calories for different purposes. This article brings up a good point on calories, they are units that hold different values for each of us. Meaning, if I eat 20 calories--I just may use up those 20 calories instantly and not store some of the nutrients as fats. Whereas, if another person consumed 20 calories--it may take them an hour to fully use maybe half of those calories, and their bodies may store some fat during the process. The following article builds on this phenomenon. “Going Nuts Over Calories” is an article written by Sharon Durham,
Public Affairs Specialist, Agricultural Research Service in Research and Science, that reveals how calories in foods are not always readily used by our bodies. The Atwater System, which was invented by the American chemist Wilbur O. Atwater, has been used to measure the calories within certain foods. Many of the main categories that are measured using the Atwater System are: carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Durham reports that most of the research on measuring the calories used was done on by “measuring the ‘energy value’ of the nut.” A study of walnuts shows that less calories are being consumed by our bodies, and the researchers understand why nutconsumers do not gain excess weight due to this. Durham points out that the Atwater system does have some flaws, and this was shown when different almonds’ caloric content were measured. Whole raw almonds, whole roasted, chopped roasted
almonds, and the way the almonds were eaten showed how the calories used within those almonds varied when using the Atwater system. The calories in foods vary by how some of them are made, such as cooking your meals can cause a change in the food’s calorie content. The way you eat your meals can also interfere with how many calories are consumed, for example, swallowing your foods whole rather than chewing them can differ the calorie-content in them. In the end, Durham reveals that our diets are personal and have to be individualized to each of us, and this means that our calorie intake varies by the way eat them and use them. Should we count our calories, that is our ultimate decision. Counting your calories may not be an efficient way for you to limit your calorie-intake to lose weight, which is why our diets are personal and individualized.
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Graphic courtesy of Hope Pham
Opinion
THE CHRONICLE Page 10 | Monday, April 22, 2019
Photo courtesey of USA TODAY
Presidential candidate stands against American values Daniel Lynch
Opinion Editor Biden is the single most undeserving person to serve as president. In case you need a refresher, he’s been in the game of politics since the 1970’s. If you examine the prospect of voting for him, one would hope this would include a long resume of policy experience and good, diplomatic judgment. What you will find instead is an almost miraculous record of supporting terrible policies for the wrong reasons. As early as the 70s he aggressively opposed the desegregation of schools. In 1984, he joined with South Carolina’s Strom Thurmond, patient zero for racism in modern American politics, to sponsor
the Comprehensive Crime Control Act. This act eliminated parole for federal prisoners and limited the number of time sentences could be reduced for good behavior. He and Thurmond again joined hands to push 1986 and 1988 drug enforcement legislation initiating what became mass incarceration of minorities. Joe Biden was also an enthusiastic supporter of the 1996 welfare “reform” that ended the federal government’s 60-year commitment to direct provision of aid to poor and indigent people. Instead, he aided the banking and credit card industries. He has a record going back to 1978 of consistently working to make it more difficult for poor and working people to declare bank-
ruptcy. And, he actively supported the 1999 Gramm-LeachBliley Act that repealed the New Deal-era GlassSteagall Act. This legislation was created to support the separated commercial and investment banking and directly lead to the 2008 recession. On reproductive freedom, through the 1970s he was openly anti-abortion and asserted in a 1974 interview that he felt that Roe v Wade “went too far” and that he didn’t think “a woman has the sole right to say what should happen to her body.” He supported the Hyde amendment, which denied federal funding for abortions and opposed the use of US foreign aid for abortion research. Maybe most importantly, we have his treatment of
Anita Hill. His role as chair of the Senate judiciary committee in condoning committee members’ sexist attacks on Anita Hill when she came forward to testify against the supreme court nominee Clarence Thomas. He then abruptly adjourned the hearing while two other female former employees of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under Thomas were waiting to give testimony corroborating Hill’s allegations; Biden thus assured confirmation of one of the most dangerously conservative supreme court appointees of the 20th century. As if it needs mentioning, he voted for the war in Iraq. And recently, he has voiced anti-net neutrality sentiments as if to assure big businesses he
will still work for them. If your biggest voter concern is beating Trump in the sheer number of votes, it can’t be understated that Biden comes from Delaware-- a state with three electoral votes. In terms of strategy, this isn’t a battleground state that he would sway. Has Biden been a genuinely bad person or an idiot for his 40-year long political career? It’s impossible to say for certain, but the evidence should be absolutely clear: this is not a candidate that has experience in actually helping workingclass Americans. Among a talented field of intellectual candidates, Biden offers literally nothing besides an easy, yet bad choice. Comic by Numaan Elamin
Monday, May 6, 2019
Truth Conquers All Since 1969
VOL. 52, NO. 14
Photo Courtesy of CLC Lancers Website
Men’s tennis team competes for National title Jack Van Reck
Staff Reporter
The CLC Men’s tennis team has completed its regular season with a 9-2 record, making them second place in the region behind Prairie State. That being said, they have secured their third consecutive spot at nationals. The team’s success this season can be attributed to many different reasons, but the most evident comes from their willingness to compete. Brian Szramek, 19, a
freshman on the tennis team, believes quite simply that their mind set is enough to propel them to victory. “Just resilience and a lot of passion,” Szramek said. “We all love tennis and it shows when we play. We are always very passionate when [we] play and that results in us winning a lot of matches.” Their resiliency was showcased after one of their players suddenly quit, causing someone to fill the vacancy. This vacancy was filled by sophomore Gurnoor Virdi,
20. After being asked to fill the vacant spot in the doubles, he was immediately ready to do so. Virdi explained how their coach, Jim Love, always prepares them to be ready to play at a moments notice. Sophomore Oliver Gallego, 21, thinks a major key to their success is the new players that came in to replace those who left from the previous year. “We lost a bunch of players from last year,” Gallego said. “It was actually five out of the six starting players
from last year, and we now have three state qualifiers that came from high school. That definitely adds to our strength.” Currently out of the six starting players, four of them are freshman. Coach Love, who is now completing his sixth season at CLC after coaching high school, men’s tennis for 15 years, attributes a lot of their success to their attitudes towards each other and the school at large. “One thing I like about the College of Lake County players is that they are a
very respectful group of players,” Love said. “They tend to appreciate each other and appreciate the opportunity to play tennis.” Love also contributes a lot of the teams success to their new assistant coach, Betsy Poggense. He explained how having her on the roster has made it much easier to give more attention to things he might not notice. The team boards the plane on May 11 and heads to Arizona for their shot at the national title for NJCAA Division II.
last season and we lost 7 players.” Annalyse Maze, Wauconda High School graduate, who transferred from Central Michigan University and is a current CLC student is ready to bolster the center of defense for the Women’s team. “I decided to transfer to CLC because I felt that when I was senior in high school, I was so ready to leave and get away that I rushed into my college decision and realized that where I picked to go to school was not the right fit for me,” Maze said. “I wanted to take a step back and have time to figure out what my next step in life would be; I can do that at CLC.” Maze is eager to get back to playing as she describes her playing style as aggressive when defending the goal. “I am most excited about getting back into the sport
and being able to develop a bond with my new teammates,” Maze said on May 1 correspondence. “I consider myself to be a center defender because that is where I play most of the time, however, I can move around and adapt into different positions.” While soccer has always been an important aspect of Maze’s life, family is where she finds her inspiration. “I try my best to emulate my dad as a player because he has taught me everything I need to know about soccer. He was a soccer legend and I try my hardest to live up to that standard on the field,” she said. Maze’s presence at defense can prove valuable as the Women’s Soccer team conceded 29 goals in 14 games in the Fall 2018 campaign. Mackenzie Parchment,
Lake Zurich High School, is a new addition to the team, and has been committed to play for CLC since Nov. 1. The welcoming ambience is a reason as to why Parchment decided to commit to CLC. “I decided to attend CLC to further my soccer career and to pursue my academic goals,” Parchment said. “I thought Coach Talbot and the few girls I met were really kind and welcoming. I am most excited about making new friends and to start a new soccer experience with a team full of talented players. I believe we have the potential to be a great team.” Desareih Juarez, Waukegan High School, is a midfielder with a defensive approach to the game that will be looking to play in front of the defense to disrupt an opposing offense’s chance of scoring.
“My positions are center midfield and center defensive midfield,” Juarez said. “My playing style is more defensive so I always try and stay back to help the defense and make it easier to transition the ball up top.” While excited to take part of CLC’s team, Juarez also shares who her soccer inspiration is. “I can’t wait to play with my old high school teammates and new ones. Soccer is something I’m really passionate about,” Juarez said on May 1 correspondence. “I also try to be something like my dad in his good old days,” she said. The new acquisitions that Coach Talbot has recruited will be the deciding factor when it comes to improving from their fifth place Skyway Conference finish in 2018 and having a more successful Fall 2019 season.
Women’s soccer team searches for new recruits Jose Moreno
Staff Reporter New recruits look to bolster women’s soccer team ahead of 2019 season The Women’s Soccer team has been busy making moves lately when it comes to recruiting new players for the Fall 2019 season. Kevin Talbot, coach of the Women’s Soccer team, is spearheading the scouting campaign to gain new acquisitions. The acquisitions will look to improve on the fifth place Skyway Conference finish from 2018. Quantity is vital to keep in mind when gaining new players as they must account for the number of players that depart at the end of each season. “I think 24 players would be great to have, I think there’s a good chance to get there,” he said. “We had 18