Best of September

BEST OF SEPTEMBER

IN THIS ISSUE

NEWS

FEATURES

OPINION

Spoken-word Artist Encourages Activism Denice Frohman discusses the importance of activism.

What’s at Stake in Picking a Deep Conservative to Replace RBG. What’s next? The answer is more at risk then it should ever be allowed.

MUSIC

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As a nation, we must not lose understanding of 9/11 Approach 9/11 with a new lens, one which teaches us to come together, as a nation.

THE TEAM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF·············································· Sadie Romeo MANAGING EDITOR········································· Nicole Littlefield ENTERTAINMENT WRITER···························· Cody Wagner STAFF WRITER···················································· Kevin Ashley STAFF WRITER···················································· Dominique Thomas STAFF WRITER···················································· Rogelio Valdes STAFF WRITER···················································· Gabriella Gallardo MULTIMEDIA EDITOR······································ Danny Olivares GRAPHICS EDITOR··········································· Jessica Tapia PUBLICATIONS EDITOR································· Brenton Russo ADVISER································································· Jim Fuller

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Album review: Marilyn Manson’s “We are Chaos” Showcases a StillEvolving Rockstar He may of created contorvery, but he still gained many adoring fans.

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NEWS AS A NATION, WE MUST NOT LOSE UNDERSTANDING OF 9/11 Sadie Romero, Editor-in-Chief

“Planes hitting a building.”

Theodore Darden, professor of Justice Studies at College of DuPage, remembers those four words repeating in his head over and over again throughout his 2 ½ hour car ride home on Sept. 11, 2001.

“I was trying to come to an understanding.

What were we actually witnessing?” He began to ask himself questions. “Is this going to happen in every city?

What is going to be next? Is it going to hit our subways, our bus systems? How do we secure ourselves?”

Just before 8:46 a.m. EST, Darden was on a military base, Fort McCoy in Wisconsin, training at the State Patrol Academy, along with law enforcement from all across the state.

“Class had just started,” Darden remembered, “The instructor was talking. His pager buzzed. He looked at it and started reading, ‘Plane hits the World Trade Center.’ He begins reading out loud because he was in disbelief of what he is reading.

By the time he got to the word ‘hits,’ all of our pagers started going off. It sounded like a beehive. It was buzz, buzz, buzz.

Everyone was grabbing their pagers, and we are all reading the same thing. We all just stared at each other in disbelief.”

He remembers everyone rushing out of the classroom and into the room that had a television. Right as they turned it on, they saw with their very own eyes, the second plane hit the second tower. At that moment, Darden knew. He recalls the feeling of the room. They all knew it was an act of terrorism. None of the law enforcement could leave the room, he said, their eyes were glued onto the television in utter disbelief until the first building collapsed.

Shortly after, they were all immediately called back to their departments.

“By the time we were leaving, the alarm

was going off on the base,” Darden said.

“Everything was already blocked off. They had soldiers out, fully armed. They had these large cement barriers that blocked the road.

The only people they were letting off that base were us. They were on high alert. It changed the world forever.”

Sept. 11, 2001 stands as the most deadly

foreign attack on the nation, yet, its layers reveal so much more than just that. It changed the scope of life as an American, for every person. Darden recalls a day when the words “international terrorism,” even “domestic terrorism,” he said, were almost unknown in smaller communities. When some Americans didn’t assume all Muslims and Islamists were radicalized. When the federal government did not have access to an individual’s information while obtaining no warrant, simply based on their internet search history. When national security was not largely politicized. Yet, the

events that took place on Sept.11th, in a way, created the norm that this nation sees in the 21st century.

“For younger people, I suffice to say, it is starting to fade, a lot,” Darden said. “I think the reality of what happened and how it changed our lives forever, it is starting to change. We are witnessing a pandemic, which no one had ever experienced on this level since 100 years ago. We are talking about an economic crisis unlike you’ve ever seen before. Social unrest, which this country has seen throughout its history, but has never fully gotten a grasp of.

And now, we are coming up on 9/11, talking about a nation that should be thinking about what happened that day and how it impacted all of us. But isn’t it ironic how divisive it seems the nation is, right as we are about to remember a day that supposedly brought us all together? How is this day going to look beyond this?”

The terrorist attack quickly brought a massive wave of patriotism into the United States.

In former President George W. Bush’s famous Bullhorn Speech, the streets of New York City cheered, unitedly, as Bush ululated a message to the terrorists: “The people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.” Yet, Darden points out that, in the current day, such a sense of patriotism is almost unknown to some.

“We looked to our first responders and our military, at that time, when we really got into this patriotic mood, and now, we are at a crossroads when we are talking about ‘our police are too militarized,’” he said. “So, what does 9/11 really mean in terms of remembrance? We went through the Fourth of July this year, and I cannot remember what it looked like–Labor Day, Memorial Day. All these things have taken a back seat -this is

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NEWS really a strange moment. 9/11 is supposed to be one of those days like Dec. 7 – Pearl Harbor.

These are sacred days in our nation, in which we are all supposed to come back together in remembrance. Hopefully, they also inspire us to be our best selves, to be our untied selves.”

Darden hopes to remind students, faculty, American people, that this day mustn’t be forgotten. A common misconception about 9/11 is that it is “their day.” They, referring to our first responders, our military men and women, those lives that were lost. Yet, he reminds us that, instead, it was “our day.”

Every American lost something that day.

Loved ones were lost. Freedoms were lost.

Rest was lost. Peace was lost. Finding a way to create inclusivity in this day, recognizing that it affected everyone within the nation, will bring understanding of what 9/11 really means, Darden said. It is a way to correctly give tribute where tribute is due.

“Think about D-Day,” Darden said. “We have lost almost all of our soldiers from that day. Does it have the same type of feeling that it once had? I can remember when I was a

young kid, Dec. 7 meant something. It shows up, and they do a couple of news programs.

But really, it kind of faded. I wonder if the same thing is going to happen to 9/11. Are all the things we talk about -a pandemic, social unrest, an economic crisis -going to diminish 9/11? Does our history really mean anything to us? I say that because we tend to focus in on the day – Sept. 11, Dec. 7, July 4. We have these days, but what does that really mean to us historically? How does that impact us and how did that change our lives?”

Global pandemic or not, Darden believes Sept. 11 has already slipped through the metaphorical fingers of our nation, in a way.

Watching the news networks on this day each year, there are flags, there are first responders, military personnel. Yet, people are at work, children are at school, Americans are unable to gather in proper commemoration. The main communities affected – New York, Washington D.C., Pennsylvania – all host their tributes each year, but we must look beyond simply that. What are we doing in our own communities? How are we personally

Everyone needs a little positivity in their life, but the news can be such a bummer. Join Danny, Kevin and Nicole as they talk about current topics but always leave you with a silver lining.

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remembering? What are we seeking to teach ourselves from these events?

“When you have such an event, such a tragic day, a threat to us all, a threat to the freedom of this nation and to what we stand for, it is important that we come together in remembrance,” Darden said. “If we can just get back to that type of understanding, to that type of togetherness, to that type of belief, in not only ourselves, but our fellow Americans.

This day should never be devalued. It should be an opportunity for us to remember but also an opportunity to inspire us to realize what this great nation is all about, and what we can aspire to be. That we can move in a united direction to do so.”

EPISODE ONE STREAMING TODAY

FEATURES SPOKEN-WORD ARTIST ENCOURAGES ACTIVISM Nicole Littlefield, Managing Editor

Denice Frohman grew up going to diverse public schools with curriculum that didn’t reflect the history and achievements of people of color. Having a Puerto Rican mother and a Jewish father, Frohman didn’t connect with many of the authors most schools teach about in high school, but all of that changed when she attended New York’s Dowling College on a full-ride basketball scholarship.

As a freshman, Frohman discovered the world of poetry. Unlike the writers she was taught about in high school, these writers spoke her language. She discovered more and more authors and poets who understood what it felt like to be from two different worlds.

“When I stumbled into the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and I read Sandra Cisneros, Gloria Anzaldú, and Nikki Giovanni it was like my whole world cracked open,” Frohman said.

“As I was discovering myself and discovering so many writers of color and queer authors that spoke to me and were familiar to me.

Poetry also became the vehicle for building social consciousness and it was the political education course I never had in high school.

It was the history and english classes with diverse curriculums that I wanted and that I deserved.”

Her new-found passion for poetry connected her to others with the same devotion, which led Frohman to advocate for the poetry club.

The private college had a smaller campus, so the school challenged Frohman to get 200 signatures to start a poetry club. She ran all around campus to get the signatures.

“At that time in college, I didn’t see myself as a change-maker,” said Frohman. “I saw something that needed to happen and went to my peers and started organizing.”

Because of her love for poetry, Frohman committed to supporting her passion and founded a club that has offered so much more than club meetings and open mics. A decade after it began, the poetry club still stands and offers a place for writers.

On Friday, Sept. 25, Frohman was the keynote speaker for the Latinx Heritage Month ¡Ya es el Tiempo! (Now is The Time!) event.

The event was a collaboration between six community colleges: COD, Elgin Community

College, College of Lake County, McHenry County College, Waubonsee Community College and Harper College. Frohman and Elgin City Councilmen, Tish Powell and Baldemar Lopez, discussed the importance of activism and advocating for things that matter to yourself.

College of Lake County student Ambar Marquez said, “Activism means doing more than just being a bystander, it means being an ally in the best way I can.”

Frohman couldn’t remain a bystander when it came to her passion for poetry. In 2013, the Woman of the World Poetry Slam champion and was a Hispanic Choice Award winner. In 2015, she won the CantoMundo Fellowship.

Her poems have over 7.5 million views online.

However, no one could have prepared her for the fear she felt when Hurricane Maria devastated her loved ones on Puerto Rico.

Having just recovered from the havoc caused

by Hurricane Irma, the Caribbean was not prepared for Maria’s arrival. In Sept. 2017, the category 4 winds destroyed homes on the island of Dominica then moved to Puerto Rico and left them without power.

“It is estimated that over 4,645 Puerto Ricans died in the aftermath of the hurricane due to the failure of two governments, due to neglect, and due to a failed response that was proportionate to the devastation,” said Frohman. “The entire electrical grid was wiped out. Puerto Ricans on the island, many of whom did not have power for almost a year.

There were thousands of blue tarps on top of roofs. Homes were destroyed. There were FEMA meals that never arrived, thousands and thousands of water bottles that were found in Dorado -- the aid never got to the people -- and 400 schools that were closed.

During the hurricane and then aftermath of the hurricane because we could not reach our loved ones, a diaspora sprang into action.”

Based in New York City, the Diaspora for Puerto Rico, Inc. is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that hopes to progress the power of the Puerto Rican community and promotes their self-efficiency.

Instead of feeling helpless, Frohman went back to what she knows and began to work as a

poet to help Puerto Rico. After to talking to other Puerto Rican poets, Frohman co-organized #PoetsforPuertoRico and collaborated with other organizations to provide the resources the Puerto Ricans needed.

While the island still recovers from the natural disaster, an 800-page group chat between Gov. Ricardo A. Rosselló and his closest aides were leaked. The messages were laced with homophobic, sexist, transphobic and overall offense speech.

After the release of the governor’s private messages, thousands of Puerto Ricans filled miles of a major highway in San Juan. Peurto Ricans showed the pain they felt from the destruction caused by a natural disaster and the manmade chaos. Frohman attended the massive ‘Ricky Renuncia’ march along with thousands of others who caused an 11-lane highway to shut down.

“When I saw all of the young people, old people, women, men, kids, babies, college students with a pot or pan in their hand.

Almost everyone had something in their hand that they were banging or making noise with. It was such a moment of reckoning and reflection that there is so much that gets in the way of us being connected to our power,” said Frohman.

The consistent two weeks of street protests showed the pain the islanders felt from the destruction of a natural disaster and the chaos caused by a manmade disaster. The protests forced Rosselló to resign from his position who officially stepped down on Aug. 2, 2019.

“Until we’re able to change the system, we have to work within the system we’re given,” said Elgin City Councilwoman Tish Powell. “I want to encourage all of you to move beyond

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OPINION WHAT’S AT STAKE IN PICKING A DEEP CONSERVATIVE TO REPLACE RUTH BADER GINSBERG Kevin Ashley, Staff Writer

The race has begun for President Donald Trump to fill a third Supreme Court seat. The death of feminist icon and social progressive, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, has given the president a rare opportunity to shape the court and nation for decades to come. Trump has announced his nominee for the current vacancy is Amy Coney Barrett; she is a conservative Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals judge with a consistent conservative voting record on immigration and gun rights. When she takes position on the Supreme Court, she will be the exact opposite of RBG. What will it mean for not only the court but all of the social progress the nation has made?

We don’t know, but it probably won’t be good.

Barrett has been a judge for over three years. and we can see her current conservative record on key issues like immigration and gun rights.

After that, not much can be known about how she will rule on issues except for what she has stated.

In her 2017 confirmation hearing, when she was appointed to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals she said her religious beliefs will not impact her rulings. However, because of how young her career is as a judge, all we really have to go off is her word.

On the topic of abortion, it is no secret that she is clearly against it. Her Catholic upbringing alone can show us that. So it is not unreasonable to assume that when she is placed on the Supreme Court challenges to Roe vs. Wade will be presented.

David Goldberg, a professor at the COD, said, “Assuming that this justice will fall in line with the conservative majority and will have reservations about Roe, about the ruling and its implications, what we are likely to see is not an overturning of Roe, but they’ll kick it back to the states.”

In essence, the most likely event wouldn’t be an outright banning of abortion throughout the nation but a reset on the clock to when the states had full control over whether or not someone can have an abortion and what restriction comes with it.

“What is likely to occur is that the court will

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uphold additional restrictions,” Goldberg said. ”On the ground what that would look like is that states that have a more pro-life policy will have more authority to uphold those restrictions.”

In the next term, whether it is a Trump or a Joe Biden victory, this challenge to Roe Vs. Wade will rise. Depending on the cases presented it will shape reproductive rights in this nation for a generation.

The Republican Party has made it clear in their platform what they want to be done when it comes to abortion rights, the Affordable Care Act and gay marriage. These issues were decided upon in the courts. But in their 2020 platform, which was also their 2016 platform, they stated they don’t agree with the court rulings on these issues and want them overturned. For that reason it is reasonable to assume that the Republican party wants to appoint justices who will do exactly that.Barrett has stated she does respect court precedent and has stated she will not allow her personal beliefs to interfere with the interpretation of the law. But why else would the Republican party put her on the court if she won’t help their agenda? There is very little reason to assume she won’t help push their political goals because that is exactly why she is being placed on the court.

A silver lining though is the lifelong nature of the courts as Chad Kinsella a Political Science Professor from Ball State University explained, “It is possible, given the new, reinforced conservative majority that several precedents, including reproductive rights, could be reconsidered and even undone.

However, it is far from a guarantee as judges have much more freedom to make decisions and, as lifelong appointees, do not have to worry about the political ramifications of their choices.”

Since justices do serve for life they aren’t completely beholden to an electorate or political leadership for their rulings and decisions. “Anything is possible,” Kinsella said. “But I would not expect all precedent to be completely overturned just because there

is another conservative justice. Keep in mind (Neil) Gorsuch and (John) Roberts have not always ruled consistently for the conservative majority.”

Although there is a genuine reason for concern no one knows what exactly the future holds. However, guesses can be made, and since the Republican Party has detailed what they want to do and what they want the conservative justices to do when they are appointed the future looks very bleak for many liberal rulings. One can only wait and see what exactly will happen in the days to come.

RUTH BADER GINSBERG 1933-2020

MUSIC ALBUM REVIEW: MARILYN MANSON’S “WE ARE CHAOS” SHOWCASES A STILL-EVOLVING ROCKSTAR Cody Wagner, Entertainment Writer

Many who hear the name Marilyn Manson think of the rockstar who created controversy in the world of music. His onstage antics from wiping his ass with the American flag to tearing pages out of the Bible brought him instant dissatisfaction among parents but caused him to gain many adoring fans.

In the late 90s, Manson was the king of shock rock, which refers to a style of rock meant to scare and push the boundaries of human excitement and satisfaction. Alice Cooper, Iron Maiden, GG Allin, etc., these artists are all examples of shock rock as they enhance thrill and surprise within their art.

Manson, in my opinion, tops the list, especially during the 90s. Parents, politicians, religious leaders were all after him for his music and the messages of rebelling against the traditionalized American systems.

Now Manson is back with a new album, “We Are Chaos.” But it’s not the Manson of the 90s we hear. While still dark, the new album, sounds more like a mature rebellion. It’s articulate and artful.

Manson has stepped away from his crazy antics.

He sounds older. No longer do we hear mockery about religion and its values but rather a refined interpretation of death and humanity.

It’s a definite change from the widely disapproved and opinionated previous album, “Heaven Upside Down.” This album was not critically acclaimed and was seen as mediocre compared to his albums in the past. I would agree. But there was one single I particularly liked.

The song “Kill 4 Me” had a different tone. It’s very melodic and dark, contributing to Manson’s character. But it’s also not too heavy or too poppy, despite having more of a pop-like sound. The lyrics still fit the darkness of Manson’s persona.

“We Are Chaos” is a different Manson. It makes sense in the hardships that this year has held but also the darkness that can lie within a person in everyday society. This album is darker and more emotional than “Heaven Upside Down.” It recalls Manson’s early personality but with a newer, more modern-sounding album.

The album was released on Sept. 11, a day that changed our country forever. Prior to COVID-19, it’s also really the last time we experienced an event with such a negative impact to the whole country.

The timing of the release is not a coincidence.

That event reset the country. And this album feels like a reset for Manson.

Much of his work in the mid-to-late 2000’s proved

to be a misstep and a drift away from the Manson presented in the 90s. Sure, the guy is getting much older and doesn’t have the hyperactive, cocaineinduced energy as he once did in his youth, but the music started to become something different than it once was. It related more to the goth scene rather than metal, and too many elements of pop were added to his work following the widely controversial and rebellious album, “Holy Wood, In the Shadow of the Valley of Death.” “We Are Chaos,” breaks that trend.

Much of the album deals with dark subject matter, mainly relating to death and darkness residing in the everyday human. ‘’Solve Coagula’’ opens with: ‘’You are the one,/Tore off both your arms/ Gouged out your eyes/And ripped out your own tongue/So listen’’ These lyrics are haunting and gruesome in nature but also relate to Manson,s image of darkness and unrelenting fear. That’s the Manson of the 90s.

He uses these gruesome lyrics to connect with an audience that has dealt with inner pain that goes beyond and deeper than a gruesome physical injury. The song touches on an unknown individual who is broken and does not want to be fixed.

This could be talking about Manson himself, an addict, an insecure individual or anybody. It’s one of several tracks off the album that dive into that type of subject matter that fans have come to appreciate and value throughout his successful career as a valued musician.

The song “Don’t Chase the Dead” has a chorus of, ‘’Don’t chase the dead, or they’ll end up chasing you.” It’s a key example relating to the idea of actions having consequences. The choices you make involve the hurting and dissipation of one’s body. Death is sure to find you. If you chase after death, (substance abuse, drunk driving, hurting or killing others) it’ll end up chasing you.

The song ‘’Keep My Head Together’’ contains a line that stuck with me: “Don’t try changing someone else; you’ll just end up changing yourself.’’

I I have had great insecurities relating to my life as I have been a truly non-confrontational person. But I’ve found a nice-guy attitude makes you a target for people who enjoy inflicting harm on others.

In the past, I was taken advantage of because of my nice personality and ability to do well in school. I always hated myself for never standing up to people. Yet, I listen to this song and feel like I shouldn’t change who I am just for the satisfaction

of others. They should be willing to accept me as my own person. I think this line gives confidence to those struggling with deep insecurities.

The last track, ‘’Broken Needle’’ contains lyrics that reflect Manson’s fear of one day being damaged and being forgotten by society. The song relates to Manson as a needle used to play vinyl records: ‘’I am a needle,/Dig in your grooves/Scratch you up/Then I’ll put you away.’’

Manson understands that he is getting older, and the lyrics reflect a worry that people will put him away and forget his impact within the world of music. Manson not only deals with his personal fears but the emotions related to the current status our world finds itself in.

Who can forget the songs “ The Beautiful People” “Lunchbox” or even ones of his most famous pieces a cover to the Eurythmics song “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This), which became a hit during the MTV Music Video era with its haunting imagery that attracted children and angered parents? Manson’s new album proves he still has much to show the world of music.

But the new album is not his best work. Many of the songs are great with sound and presentation, but the album itself feels short and a lot of the tracks require several listens to understand what’s being said because of their extremely fast pace.

The album feels too short to create the usual emotional impact of a Manson album.

Still, “We Are Chaos” brings about a great change from Manson’s last installment, and it’s a change for the better. The album dives deep into messages of death, violence and the confusing destruction amongst humans. And that strikes exactly the right tone for this past year as the world has turned upside down due to death, sickness, violence, aggression and frustration with the issues of not only our country, but our world.

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