MIDWEST / EASTCOAST
FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2015
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COMMUNITY NEWS
FRIDAY, 20 MARCH, 2015
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COMMUNITY LEADER’S DAUGHTER SHAVES HEAD FOR A CAUSE BY A STAFF WRITER
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HICAGO, IL -- Prominent community leader Harish Bhatt’s daughter Karishma Bhatt is one of the many students who are shaving their heads to cure childhood cancers. “Every 3 minutes, a child is diagnosed with cancer. Help me fund the research that will save their lives”, pleads Bhatt. Students at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) College of Medicine are shaving their heads for St. Baldrick’s, an organization that raises money for children’s cancer research. By shaving their heads, the students are not only raising money, but they help normalize the experience of losing hair during cancer treatment, a process that is quite difficult for adults and children alike. “We spend so much time and effort shaping and coloring and caring for our hair, that it becomes one of the defining aspects of our personality and person identity,” says Shikhar Shah, first-year medical student at UIC. “I’m shaving my head because I want those kids who are suffering from cancer and losing their hair and sense of
Ex-cop is guilty of taking cash from dead man’s room
Karishma Bhatt self to know that it’s not the end of the world, that a bald head can be normal.” Many students who participate have loved ones who have suffered cancer and they wish to shave their heads on their behalf. Yu-Hui Huang, one of the two girls who is shaving her head at UIC this year, says, “My motivation stems
BY A STAFF WRITER
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ILES, IL -- A former Niles police officer who stole hundreds of dollars from the room of a man who had died at a Niles YMCA residence will be sentenced next month. William Christie, 53, was convicted on charges that in 2009 he stole $1,700 in cash, including more than $500 in coins, from a cardboard box in the room at the Leaning Tower YMCA in Niles last week. Christie was originally called to the facility once a call had been made that the man residing there had died. After Christie arrived at the facility, he sealed off the room and told staff at the YMCA that no one was permitted to enter the room. Over the course of several days, Christie tried to re-enter the room many times, raising the suspicions of the staff who then contacted the Niles Police Department. according to the Tribune report. Surveillance equipment was used to record Christie of the theft. Christie, who resigned from his post as a cop after 27 years the same month of the crime, is set to be sentenced on April 6.
is a noble cause, and it is also a necessary one. Ian Winter, president of the UIC Chicago Cancer Society, which is hosting the St. Baldrick’s event, notes, “Many people do not realize that pediatric cancers are actually an underfunded research area. Much of the money that goes into cancer research is for adult patients, who are much more numerous than pediatric patients. I am shaving my head to raise awareness of this issue, and to try to do my small part in raising money to help close the funding gap.” An estimated 15,780 children were diagnosed with cancer just this past year. UIC medical students are acutely aware of the issues the medical community currently faces, and are dedicated to contributing as much as they possibly can to solving these problems. For children who suffer cancer, although five-year survival rates have increased over the past 35 years, we are still only at an 80% five-year rate for children diagnosed before the age of 20. Charities such as St. Baldrick’s are dedicated to changing this, and UIC students are doing their part on March 21.
Iftekhar Murtaza gets death for killing 2 Indians
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William Christie
from having watched those close to me fight cancer with some wins and losses.” She adds, “I can’t wait to walk around bald and show kids with cancer that they’re not alone.” Karishma Bhatt, who is also shaving her head and is a member of the planning committee, says, “I hope shaving my head will show young girls that losing hair, which is such a big part of our appearance and can be a major factor in a person’s self-esteem, is not something to be ashamed of.” The event will be held on March 21 at Hawkeye’s on Taylor Street, a popular hangout spot for UIC students. The students organizing the event hope to draw UIC students, loved ones, and community members to the event to support the students shaving their heads. Michael Wedoff, who is on the planning committee of this year’s UIC St. Baldrick’s event, states, “No child deserves to have cancer, let alone lose their hair as a result of treatment. Events such as St. Baldrick’s aim to normalize baldness in a fun and exciting manner while raising money for an allimportant cause.” Raising money for children’s cancer
BY A STAFF WRITER
ANTA ANA, CA -- Iftekhar Murtaza, convicted of killing the father and sister of his exgirlfriend in a fiery attack on the Indian American family’s Southern California home, has been sentenced to death. The Orange County district attorney’s office said 30-year-old Murtaza, who was convicted for the murders of 56-yearold Jay Dhanak and his 20-year-old elder daughter Karishma in 2007, was sentenced on March 3 in Santa Ana. Prosecutors say he killed the pair in a plot to reunite with his then-18-yearold ex-girlfriend Shayona Dhanak after she ended their relationship citing her Hindu family’s opposition to her dating a Muslim. Authorities say Murtaza and a friend burned the family’s Anaheim Hills home
Iftekhar Murtaza and kidnapped and killed Dhanak’s father and sister, leaving their bodies in a park. A jury recommended Murtaza receive the death penalty. “We’re very pleased with the verdicts,” said prosecutor Howard Gundy at the time. Dhanak’s mother Leela was stabbed and left for dead after the home was
Karishma Dhanak, ex-girlfriend’s sister torched, but she survived. Two of Murtaza’s friends were convicted in the killings, and one of them was sentenced to life in prison.
CHINATOWN MARKS KICK BUTTS DAY
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BY A STAFF WRITER
HICAGO, IL – The Kick Butts Day is a national day of activism held on March 18 that empowers youth to stand out, speak up and seize control against Big Tobacco. Youth from Chicago’s Chinatown neighborhood launched this observance with a gallery reception at the Chinatown public library on March 16 evening. The gallery features a collection of photos with childhood toys to depict the harmful effects of tobacco. The free gallery will be open to the public at the Chinatown Library (2353 S. Wentworth Ave) until March 23. The Kick Butts Day is a nationwide initiative sponsored by the Washington, DC-
based Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, one of the largest non-governmental education and advocacy initiatives aimed at decreasing youth tobacco use in the United States. Chicago has made substantial strides in reducing smoking among youth with youth smoking rates declining by more than 20% in a report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2014. However, early initiation of youth into smoking still remains high. In Chicago’s Chinatown neighborhoods
of Armour Square and Bridgeport, among youth who smoked cigarettes, more than 1 in 4 reported trying cigarettes before the age of 16, according to data from the 2014 Illinois Youth Survey, administered by the Illinois Department of Human Services. This gallery event is made possible with support from a Drug-Free Communities grant by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA). The program is led by the Asian Health Coalition and partners from the Coalition for Asian Substance Abuse Prevention, a diverse group of organizations and individuals working to increase awareness, prevent tobacco use, and remove the cultural and linguistic barriers to seeking treatment to address the highlight of the high rates of tobacco use in the Chinatown community