The independent: Volume 44 Issue 4

Thursday November 2, 2023

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Thursday November 2, 2023 | www.neiuindependent.org | Student-run newspaper since 1962 | Volume 44 Issue 4 Limited to 1 free copy per person.

NEIU For You 3.0 Now Eligible for Transfer Students and Veterans page 6 NEIU’s ‘NEIU For You’ scholarship is extended for two more years, now open to transfer students and veterans, driven by a 9.5% increase in first-time freshman enrollment.

“But they can’t walk around the city on their toes and confuse my grandchildren.”

- Lech Walesa, 2019 page 8 In the wake of our recent exposé on Lech Walesa Hall, students are taking a stand.

Discover the passionate voices behind this drive for change and how they’re reshaping the campus landscape.

Jessie Fuentes Speaks at Pedroso Center Inaugural Homecoming page 12

NEIU’s Stand Against Opioid Abuse: A Look into the Narcan Training Event page 19

Explore the inspiring journey of NEIU alum and 26th Ward Aldersperson, Jessie Fuentes, who’s igniting change and leading impactful discussions at the recent Pedroso Center Homecoming event.

Learn how NEIU and community partners are equipping individuals with Narcan training and knowledge on opioid harm reduction, empowering them to save lives.

news: State of the University: Admin Touts

Enrollment, Pressed on LWH, Workday Written by: Dan Maurer, News Editor

According to the NEIU Constitution, the university’s president is required to address the Faculty Assembly with a State of the University Address, similar to the annual State of the Union Address the U.S. president gives to Congress.

Interim President Dr. Katrina Bell-Jordan began her address by acknowledging the faculty, staff and students in attendance, asking each in turn to stand, and recognizing them with a round of applause.

“Everything we do here at NEIU is for you and in service and support for you, our students,” Dr. Bell-Jordan said. “And it’s a reflection of our commitment to providing you the best education and preparation for your graduation and career success.”

During her address, Dr. Bell-Jordan touted enrollment increases in firsttime freshmen, transfer students and new graduate students. According to Undergraduate Admissions Director Ryan Trout, at a previous event, this is the first time NEIU has had increases in all three types of students since 2009. However, Dr. Bell-Jordan acknowledged that NEIU’s retention rate had fallen to 60%.

During a question and answer session, attendees raised concerns to Dr. Bell-Jordan and her administrative team on multiple issues, including the name of Lech Walesa Hall, the Workday payroll system, staff workload and turnover.

One attendee asked if there was any way to revisit the name of Lech Walesa Hall, saying, “I find [the name] is a little troubling for me as a trans-woman. And for my LGBT brothers and sisters.” The auditorium erupted in applause at the question.

Dr. Bell-Jordan said that the issue “deserves discussion” and that it was already being discussed in the University Diversity Council (UDC).

Dr. Shireen Roshanravan, NEIU’s Executive Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, said she encouraged the UDC to bring up LWH, saying, “The University Diversity Council can certainly move forward a proposal in that way to be discussed through the channels for engagement… We can certainly take that on.”

On the issue of Workday, Justice Studies professor and Union Professionals of Illinois (UPI) president Dr. Nancy Matthews said, “I find it unbelievable… the number of questions that I get on a daily basis about people’s not being sure what their salary actually is, are just endless.”

Matthews continued, “Every single week, there’s some new question or problem.” Matthews was applauded for her statement.

Dr. Bell-Jordan responded that there will be a shared governance meeting on Nov. 3, 2023, regarding Workday issues. The webinar will be open to the public.

Dr. Shannon Saszik, professor of

psychology and member of the Faculty Senate, said, “Whatever company I work for, my expectation is that I’ll get paid, I’ll get paid on time and my paycheck will be correct.” She went on, “I still have to pay taxes, and I cannot figure out what I need to do for deductions, what I need to pull out for retirement savings, because you can’t give me a paycheck, which is reflective of my actual pay.”

“You’re absolutely right,” Bell-Jordan said. “The ability for employees, for faculty, staff and our students to know exactly that the salary that they are expecting is the salary that’s going to show up in their bank account is an absolute minimum expectation.”

“Change management is hard,” Manish Kumar, the Vice President

Photo Credit: Ryland Roberts

for Finance and Administration, said, and acknowledged that the implementation of Workday could have been better. He said that this was the first time all of NEIU’s business processes were being digitized and automated. He also warned that it will take time to fully implement the system, saying, “We will continue to run some challenges in spring as well. But we will work diligently, we will work very closely with you, to fix those problems.”

Kumar also addressed those working on the Workday implementation, saying, “Thank you to Academic Affairs, HR and IT for working so hard on getting things corrected, getting things implemented, right?” He continued, “They are working long hours, and

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Thursday November 2, 2023

Staff: Editor-in-Chief Leslie Lozada

Managing Editor Jasmine Rodriguez

Production Editor Savannah Owens

Section Editors Dan Maurer Gabriel Gurrola Ananth Prabhu

Production Team Hannah Grajciar Xareni Uriostegui Lesly Alonso Clifton Harty Dania Ramos Luis Anzo

Writers Angie Ybarra Bella Cardoza Joshua Lasko Zachariah Simmons Ryland Roberts

Contributing Writers Michael Rodriguez Dash Valladh Jiaming Lou Joanna Fanfan

Community Writers Marshall Wallace Joseph Dole

Copy Editors Jasmine Rodriguez Syed Faisal Anika Tracy

Mission Statement: The Independent’s mission is to gather and report on important and relevant information to the university and its surrounding communities, as well as to be a creative and critical outlet for community members to express their views and concerns and to offer examples of potential solutions to ongoing problems.

Contact the EIC for any questions or if you have a letter to the editor: independent-eic@neiu.edu Contact the Production Manager for any questions or interest in visual design: pindpnews@neiu.edu All full articles can be found at www.neiuindependent.org Scan here to access The Independent online:

Continued from page 1: State of the University: Admin Touts Enrollment, Pressed on LWH, Workday trying to accommodate every request that is being made.”

He also apologized to the NEIU community, saying, “I sincerely apologize to the people, to our faculty, staff and students who are facing these payroll issues.”

Another issue raised by multiple attendees was the overworking and underpayment of university staff.

Rebekah Fitchett asked, “What is the university doing to address the issue of the chronic understaffing and civil service positions, leading to burnout and a rise in employee turnover?”

“Part of the work this transitional year,” Dr. Bell-Jordan answered, “is to try to identify where those understaffing resources are most critical.

Not that any area is less critical. But those specifically critical to our potential enrollment, student success initiatives, are ones that I believe … are the spaces that we really have to hunker down.”

“This is not a problem or situation that is solved overnight. We didn’t get here overnight,” she continued.

“And so I do know that there are concerted conversations in each of the VP areas about where the understaffing exists, and how we can manage our budgets to try to bring back some of those positions.”

Dr. Liz Rodriguez, from the Center for Teaching and Learning and Vice Chair of the University Advisory Council, suggested reimplementing the Employee Excellence Award merit raises, saying she did not remember them happening last year.

Dr. Bell-Jordan confirmed the awards had not occurred last year and

continued saying that merit-based awards were in the budget. She said the Employee Excellence Award needed to be “backfilled” for fiscal years 2023 and 2024. Dr. Rodriguez asked if that was a promise, and Dr. Bell-Jordan responded, “It’s in the budget.”

Dr. Isaura Pulido asked if NEIU would reapply for the Seal of Excelencia, to which Dr. Bell-Jordan replied, “Whether we move forward with the Seal this year, I think will require conversations about what our priorities will be for this year. One of the things that has been important to do in this transitional year is to have some serious conversations about what we really think we can do this year.”

Another attendee asked about the status of the properties on Bryn Mawr Avenue that NEIU had acquired through eminent domain in 2016. Manish Kumar said the mortgage market had changed since assessments and marketing by JLL and CBRE. According to Kumar, mortgage rates at that time were up to 2%. Currently, they are at 8%. Kumar reminded the university community that decisions on the Bryn Mawr properties lie within the scope of the Board of Trustees.

Prior to the question and answer session, Dr. Bell-Jordan highlighted a number of programs and initiatives at NEIU. Among them were an ongoing overhaul of the NEIU website. NEIU is also educating students at Stateville prison through a connection with the Prison + Neighborhood Arts Project. NEIU has the Business Innovation and Growth Center at the Carruther’s Center for Inner City

Studies, which it plans to also open on the main campus.

NEIU, in partnership with Argonne National Laboratory, also has instruments for measuring climate change atop Bernard J. Brommel Hall through Community Research on Climate and Urban Science (CROCUS).

Finally, NEIU has a 1.6% budget increase, to $85.3 million, representing the first budget increase in years.

President of the Student Government Association, EJ Schumacher, had this to say of the State of the University Address: “I appreciate and I respect Interim President Bell-Jordan’s attention to the concerns presented, especially from the faculty and staff that stood up today. I’m glad to hear that they are aware of a lot of those concerns. I think that there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done.”

Dr. Bell-Jordan concluded her address to NEIU with a question: “In preparation for that important step in charting NEIU’s path forward. I believe strongly that our campus community is overdue for engagement about, first, how we think about our past, our present and our future. As a Hispanic Serving Institution, a minority-serving institution, as a four-year public, comprehensive institution, and as an urban university that serves a majority of traditionally underrepresented students in higher education. We are also overdue and engaging on what it means to serve this population of students. In other words, what does it mean to be a serving institution? And what does this mean at the classroom level, department level, college and university level?”

Thursday November 2, 2023

October 2, 2023 Off Campus Battery-Simple Student reports off-campus battery incident where unknown male subject made unwanted physical contact grabber her buttocks as he passed by her on a bicycle at Spaulding and Argyle.

October 5, 2023 Parking Garage Truancy During patrol of garage, officer located 2 subjects in back seat of parked vehicle.

Both subjects are highschool students.

Officer escorted them back to their highschool & released them to custody of highschool.

October 7, 2023 Nest Criminal tresspass of state property After officers had escorted out a group of authorized guests at the nest, they were seen entering building once again after desk personnel stepped away for a few minutes.

October 8, 2023 Off-Campus Other Police Department Officers assisted Chicago Police at the Cairo Nights Hookah bar after shots

were fired.

October 11 2023 E-Building Deception/Forgery University Controllers office reports unknown subjects attempted to alter several checks in an attempt to collect funds.

Matter is under investigation.

October 19, 2023 P.E Building Disturbance Officers responded to call to remove a combatives subject from building after he became hostile and was screaming and yelling profanities at others. Subject left prior to officers’ arrival

October 12, 2023 Nest Theft under $500 Student & nest resident reports theft of her ear pods out of her dorm room & later recieved notifications on her cell phone that ear pods have been activitated.

October 20, 2023 Parking Garage Disorderly Conduct all-other Officers responded to the parking garage for a person pointing a laser at the nest. A student was located and referred to student conduct.

October 16, 2023 Nest Battery-Simple Officers responded to a fight at the nest, where a door was broken, case remains under investigation.

October 22, 2023 El Centro Criminal Trespass to Property Chicago Police reported that multiple subjects trespassed into the granite building adjacent to El Centro. Subjects were cleared from the building by CPD.

October 17, 2023 Nest Theft over $500 Nest resident reports theft of FED EX package that was delivered to her under another name and therfore returned but FED EX has no record of return. Package was a cellphone valued at $1000.

October 26, 2023 Althetic Field Criminal Defacement of Prop Graffiti found on university property at the athletic field. Offender is unkown at this time.

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October 26, 2023 Student Union Retail Theft Unknown subject seen on camera taking food item and beverage from criteria.

Staff refused to sign complaints at this time. Wants incident documented.

October 26, 2023 Foster & Central Park Other Police Department NEIU Officers assisted CPD after shots fired adjacent to cat fix auto center and the Bohemian National Cemetary. *** The NEIU police blotter is requested from our campus police for every issue of NEIU Independent because this publication exercises its right to do so, courtesy of the Clery Act. The Clery Act is a federal statute requiring all higher education establishments that participate in federal financial aid programs to maintain records of campus crime and campus security information. Any case that is considered ongoing may not be listed in the blotter.

For this reason, there may be updated reports published retroactively once those cases are closed. For more information about the Clery Act, visit the NEIU police department’s webpage.

news: Shots Fired Near NEIU Main

Campus Leads to Lockdown Written by: Dan Maurer, News Editor & Leslie Lozada, Editor-In-Chief Photo taken by: Bader Aiwan

After shots were fired near NEIU’s Main Campus, the university was placed in a lockdown and the NEIU community were told to shelter in place.

According to witnesses, about 10 shots were fired near the NEST at 8:50 p.m on Thursday, October 26, 2023. The campus was locked down at 9 p.m.

According to statements from NEIU Campus Police officers, suspects were moving through the Bohemian Cemetery toward NEIU Parking Lot F. The lockdown was issued when the suspects came close to the campus.

According to the WindyCity Weather and News Scanner on X (formerly known as Twitter), one vehicle crashed into the cemetery fence, and the suspects left the vehicle and went toward the campus.

One eyewitness heard a helicopter

overhead around 9:05 p.m. and heard an officer’s radio saying armed officers were going into the NEIU parking garage. It was also confirmed via Citizen App, from a police audio recording, that officers on the scene requested “air support” to help find the suspects.

The NEIU access road along the west side of the campus was blocked off for a time.

According to NEIU Campus Police, all suspects are in custody, and no one was shot, killed, or injured.

According to the 16th & 17th District Chicago Police Scanner on X, three suspects were arrested and four weapons were recovered, as well as shell casings, near Central Park and Foster.

At 9:45 PM, N-Safe Alert through the Campus Shield App notified the NEIU community that the situation had been resolved with all suspects

in custody. The Citizen App was also updating about the shooting, confirming that the lockdown was lifted and that the suspect was in custody.

One student, who was sheltering near the Student Lounge, said, “I can’t believe this is happening right now, I just came here for fucking food.”

According to multiple students, the announcement over NEIU’s public address system announcing the allclear was muffled in some rooms.

One student had to open their door in order to hear the announcement.

NEIU Campus Police Chief Joseph Przybyla declined to comment on the situation to the Independent, directing all comments to Chris Childers, NEIU’s Executive Director of Marketing and Communications.

At 12:26 a.m, on October 27, 2023, NEIU issued a Targeted Announcement with details of the incident in which it said, “We acknowledge the

anxiety and fear those on campus this evening may have felt during this episode and we thank you for your cooperation while sheltered in place.

A safe environment is crucial to our campus community and Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) is committed to the safety and security of our faculty, staff, and students.”

Continue to watch The Independent website for further updates.

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Thursday November 2, 2023

letter to the editor: “Surviving COVID-19 Again” Written by: Marshall Wallace, Community Writer

Here I was at Stateville’s Health Care Unity (Hereinafter HCU), on Friday August 18, 2023…

I felt sick but not totally out of it.

I had been there since 9:30 in the morning, waiting to see Dr. Perez.

Some other men saw her and left but not me. Oh, they were peeved too. I was told she couldn’t hear that good: another nurse would relay the message, whatever one of us said to her. Hmm… Listening, I decided to write down what I was gonna say. In that way, my message would not be misunderstood. My nose wasn’t running but I sneezed a lot. I coughed up phlegm; Funny thing, I had a fever but no chills. No vomiting or diarrhea. I hadn’t eaten either.

Two hours passed, more men came; more left. Whether it was the dentist, physical therapy, talking to the psyche, or seeing the eye doctor, lunchtime they bounced. When they returned, saw patients, and they left. I knew the kitchen was done with much. In fact, the kitchen changes shifts between 12:30 and 1:00pm. I asked corrections

Officer Smith, (hereafter C.O) about our trays. He was working at the HW main entrance.

“Your trays will be waiting for you back at your units.” Unquote.

I knew better. The closer it became 1:00. I began to realize I was S-O-L. The other men in the bullpens - places for us to sit as we waited to see the medical pro assigned to us by pass; were grumbling too. It was late.

Some men came and left. Yet, no Dr. Perez. Tired of hearing us grumbled CT. Clark asked if anyone would like to leave. Hell yeah! I was ready to bounce. She opened the door, I waited right outside, caught the escort line back to C-house, my unit.

It was almost two in the afternoon when I stepped into my cell. For over four and a half hours, just wasted.

Getting out my cell is always cool but sitting and waiting like I did… no haps. Security will tell ya after so many hours, “Your pass is canceled today. We’ll reschedule whoever you were here to see.”

Sure enough, that’s exactly what

happened. Friday night, for institutional mail, I received a Medical Pass for Dr. Perez on Monday, the 21st.

I thought it didn’t matter. All Saturday, I tossed and turned with a fever.

Sunday Morning, I tried to get up and moving but I couldn’t. I chilled, as soon as the shift changed on 3 toll, I was leaving with the C.House Medline - the Diabetes, Treatments, and Hypertension Folles.

After I had a cellhouse worker inform Sgt. Pinto, she was okay with me leaving with the Medline.

As soon as I made, it over to the HCU and the men received their meds and treatment, I was called.

I went into the examination room, I hopped on the medbed, and the curtain was shut. The nurse took my vitals. I was still burning up!

No diarrhea or vomiting, just the fever. I sneezed some but not much coughing.

“Mr. Ward, I’m Going to have to swab you for COVID-19 and the flu,” the nurse said.

“Okay,” She pulled out a six- inch Q-Tip,

“This is gonna feel strange. It may hurt… I’m sorry to have do it.”

“That’s okay, “I winked at her, “I’m sort of used to it, the swabs tests.”

The First swat was for the flu; she inserted it in my right nostril, all the way up... I held onto the bedrail. The next one was for COVID-19. It was worse. Seemed like after she Inserted it into my left nostril, she was probing around in my brain! DAMM! Finally, she pulled out; she set them in test tube survey. ...

“I’ll have your results in a few minutes, Mr. Ward.”

Scan QR code to read more

On September 13th, 2023 a group of NEIU Student Media Board members, Jasmine Rodriguez, Leslie Lozada, Dan Maurer, Xavier Morales-Greene, Clay Cofre, Phil Kostov, Indigo Kupryjanczuk, Scott Andrews, Orion Meadows, along with Peer Wellness Counselor, Jared Scovill, Associate Director of Student-Led Media and Event Program-

ming, Dennis Sagel, PNAP/NEIU professor Tim Barnett and NEIU Photographer, Todd Crawford visited incarcerated NEIU University Without Walls (UWW) students inside Stateville Penitentiary to meet, bond and build trust. Due to the recent influx of participation and media submissions from current and alumni UWW cohorts, Johnny Tay-

lor, Robert Curry, Reginald Bo-Clair, Dan Perkins, David Wales, Marshall Stewart, Benny Rios, Tylon Hudson, Jerel Mathews, Chester McKinney (C-Mac), Miguel Morales, Michael Sullivan, Joseph Ward, Michael Bell, Darnell Lane, Juan Luna, Joe Dole, Raul Dorado, Darrell Fair, Antonio Kendrick, Devon Terrell, and Eric Watkins, the NEIU Student Me-

dia Board has been committed to bringing the narratives of our fellow NEIU students to the NEIU community and beyond. The group team building activities were facilitated

by Liz Rice, Shepsara Satimu and Nicholas Ward of Albany Park local theatre company, 2nd Story.

Photos taken by Todd Crawford

letter to the editor: Stateville The “Q” Files: The CCSAO’s Secretive Witness Quarters, and the Records Concealed in the “Raiders of Lost Ark” Storage Room Scan this QR Code to read online:

Thursday November 2, 2023

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news: NEIU Trustees Approve AFSCME

Contract Extension Written by: Zachariah Simmons, Staff Writer

In a unanimous 10-0 vote during their first meeting of the semester on Sept. 21, 2023, the NEIU Board of Trustees (BoT) agreed to approve the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Contract Extension.

AFSCME – whose Local 1989 is a union that represents roughly 175 civil service employees at NEIU – states in the Priorities section of their website that they are “fighting to promote freedom and opportunity for all working people.”

The BoT is a state-assigned group, and, according to NEIU’s website, “the board has the authority and responsibility to operate, manage, control and maintain Northeastern Illinois University.”

Before the vote, Imelda Robles, Vice President of the AFSCME Local 1989, had called for an extension to the bargaining agreement for the union.

“The members of Local 1989 have all experienced firsthand the upheaval caused by the many changes in our administration in recent months,” Robles said. “Because of this, [they] felt it would be mutually beneficial to extend our current bargaining agreement by one year with some added provisions so that all parties would be able to come to the table to bargain a full contract in the future in good faith.”

Robles said, “Despite what has been said at previous board meetings, [AFSCME] is not preventing an increase in starting wages for new hires… it in no way benefits [faculty] to hire employees at or below the Chicago minimum wage of $15.80.”

“The union is not some separate entity declaring things from on high,” Robles continued. “The staff and employees of NEIU, we’re the ones that make up Local 1989. We are the ones working in these understaffed offices. We are the ones experiencing a revolving door of new hires because of our low starting wages.”

Robles concluded, “Local 1989 wants to work in cooperation with the NEIU administration to get the pay all of our members deserve. All workers deserve to be paid a living

wage, and the provisions of this extension agreement help our members towards that goal. I’m proud to work in the civil service, and our members work tirelessly to support our students and faculty.”

Following Robles, Dr. Nancy Matthews – Justice Studies Professor and President of University Professionals of Illinois, the union that represents NEIU faculty – seconded Robles’ call for an extension of the AFSCME bargaining agreement before expressing the concerns of her own constituency.

“The same week in April that we reached the agreement on the [UPI] contract, averting a strike, NEIU also rolled out Workday, a new HR platform,” Dr. Matthews said. “Five months later, administrators and union members are experiencing high levels of frustration and stress.”

She continued, “Clearly, it’s a complex institutional problem, and I’m sure this system can be made to work for us. But, the current issues are leading many people to spend hours daily resolving individual cases of incorrect pay or not being paid at all.”

Dr. Matthews then provided anecdotes to further the point: “The union fast fund, which is an emergency fund for students, had to make a grant to a student worker who hadn’t been paid.”

Another union member who had been trying to buy a house, she said, had their income verification delayed because they had only been paid half their salary.

In a later statement, Interim President Dr. Katrina Bell-Jordan expressed,“I want to take this moment to absolutely recognize not just that change management is difficult, but that it impacts our community. And we need to take a moment before we talk about operations to just acknowledge that these have been some difficult months, but we are moving forward.”

She expressed gratitude for the collaborative efforts of staff, department leaders, deans, and directors who meet frequently to address problems and improve systems. “I just really want to appreciate the

candid feedback that we’re getting,” Dr. Bell-Jordan said,”That’s how we move forward with honest, good conversations about what’s working and what we can do better.”

BoT chair José Rico led the rest of the discussion, thanking everyone for their public comments and welcoming all to the beginning of the school year. He acknowledged issues around Workday and said he hoped they would be resolved as soon as possible.

He also expressed his confidence in Interim President Bell-Jordan, what she has been able to accomplish in her time here and the “good vibes” that can be felt amongst the Board, staff and faculty since this change had taken place.

In addition, he gave preliminary information, referencing a meeting with Illinois State Representative and Higher Education Co-Chair La Shawn Ford and Senator Mike Halpin, where expectations were set in regard to the budget for the coming year.

Rico described the BoT’s role as a fiduciary steward. “That’s our role here.. we want to make sure that the resources that we have are stewarded well. And we’re going to have a lot of questions and one of our main roles is to make this transparent.”

Throughout, there were conversations of budgetary needs. Of a potential tuition hike, BoT Secretary J. Todd Phillips said, “The recommendation … was [a] 3% increase for undergrad tuition, a 5% increase for graduate tuition and a 5% increase in student fees.” He included percentages of the last two years as well, indicating an overall upward trend in tuition increases.

Further, he explained the tuition increase was only being considered under the condition of flat enrollment, meaning there would be no increase in overall income from student tuition. “There are any number of ways to get $1.2 million.

One of them is increasing the unit cost [tuition], another is increasing enrollment and another is doing well in our investments.”

“The extent to which we increase the tuition makes it that much more difficult for the recruiters to

Classified International Club gathers Wednesdays 5-6 pm in LWH Lecture Hall Ad: 1001. Unite, learn, and share!

market and ... attract students to our university,” Phillips said. “So we’re very happy to keep it flat, if we think we can still achieve our goals… and offer a high-quality education at an affordable price.”

Correcting a misnomer, Phillips said, “There is no deficit...what we have to continue to do and what I believe Interim President Bell-Jordan is doing a fantastic job of leading us through is a creative and innovative review of the ways we spend money.”

BoT Vice Chair Marvin Garcia did also clarify that due to NEIU’s Tuition Guarantee Plan, any increase would only affect incoming students.

BoT Approvals Included: Financial Year ‘24 Final Operating Budget - The projected budget of FY24 was smaller than investment income of FY23 and was approved FY25 Tuition and Fees Recommendations - This has been tabled due to lacking insight on projected costs Preliminary FY25 Operating and Capital Budgets Request - There is a projected increase in expense of 9.2%, and though it does not lock the school in permanently, it was approved.

NEIU for You 3.0 Renewal & Expansion for Veterans and Transfer Students - As described by Secretary Philips, “the committee had fervent conversation on this,” and it was approved.

Change Order to the Technolutions Contract to Purchase Text Credits - The Board approved the implementation of Customer Relationship Management software Technolutions The next regular Board meeting will be held Nov. 16 2023, at CCICS in Bronzeville. This meeting will not be open to the general public, but all Meeting Agendas, Minutes, Presidential Reports to the Board and subsequent meeting footage can be obtained at the Board Meeting Materials section of the NEIU website.

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Thursday November 2, 2023

news: Faculty Senate Discusses Removal of

‘Robert’s Rules of Order’

Written by: Zachariah Simmons, Staff Writer

During the recent NEIU Faculty Senate meeting on Oct 10th 2023, Vice Chair Adam Goldstein proposed that the Senate end its usage of Robert’s Rules of Order for their meeting procedures. This was followed by discussion and clarification from many in attendance.

According to the Robert’s Rules Association, “Robert’s Rules of Order (RRO) is America’s foremost guide to parliamentary procedure. It is used by more professional associations, fraternal organizations, and local governments than any other authority.”

That being said, Goldstein said that this structure “is a fully non-inclusive, white supremacist, inequitable system that was created out of a white supremacist environment, for white exclusive spaces.” He continued, saying, “We are at a minority white institution. So why are we using this?”

After being asked to soothe fears that without this structure the Senate may fall into disarray, Goldstein said, “Nobody actually uses Robert’s Rules of Order, which is hundreds of pages long…the only things we actu-

ally use are motions, seconding, and voting…in fact [RRO] actually creates more chaos.” The first necessary step, according to Goldstein, is to eliminate the requirement of following these rules.

Professor of Psychology, Dr. Shanon Saszik said, “Our mission is access, and Robert’s Rules of Order is a non-access process…that goes totally against our mission as a university and so, I would recommend that it be stricken from all organizations on campus.”

Goldstein said, “This committee needs to talk, [it] needs to debate, to engage. Robert’s Rules of Order, intentionally, looks to quote ‘restrain the individual to the benefit of the whole.’” He provided further context and explained that the College of Arts and Sciences Academic Affairs Committee (CASAAC) has already undergone a similar process and has removed the requirement of RRO from their bylaws with great success.

A motion was briefly presented to vote on this but given the Senate is still under RRO, there is a requirement that the body must wait until

the following meeting to vote on any bylaws changes so it was tabled for the time being.

Faculty Council on Academic Affairs (FCAA) Co-Chairs Dr. Tracy Luedke and Dr. Lesa Davis, whose department is currently undergoing revision of the Faculty Assembly Constitution and Bylaws, echoed what had been said by Goldstein.

“We have arcane, non-inclusive, unproductive bylaws and constitution… that is rigid and static…and has a tendency to be tangled up in the minutia.” They added that, in regards to certain aspects of these documents, “We are examining, if we need this at all…we don’t think carefully defining the word ‘policy’ will get us anywhere.”

Given the continued issues experienced around the implementation of WorkDay, a Joint Shared Governance Meeting will be held Nov. 3 or 10 - pending confirmation of attendees and will be accessible university-wide via Zoom.

Interim President Katrina Bell-Jordan also spoke during her report

where she discussed the recent “big picture meeting,” she was a part of which addressed issues around the economic standing of the university and its prospects for growth. One of those issues being the University’s upcoming Outdoor Marketing Campaign that is to be headed by Executive Director of Marketing and Communications, Chris Childers.

There were also tandem public comments from Department Chair Dr. Denise Cortez and Educational Inquiries Professor, Dr. Erica Meiner, calling for a postponement in the search for a new NEIU President until spring 2025 at the earliest.

Additionally in a 17-2 vote, Professor of Accounting, Business and Law, Dr. Tung Cu became an At-Large Member of the Faculty Senate.

Due to the State of the University Address being scheduled on Oct. 24, 2023, the next Faculty Senate will be held at 3:05 p.m. Nov. 7, 2023 in the Fine Arts Building, Room FA 203. All members of the University community are allowed to attend.

news: NEIU For You 3.0 Now Eligible for Transfer

Students and Veterans Written by: Gabriel Gurrola, Campus Arts and Life Editor

NEIU’s Board of Trustees (BoT) voted to extend the NEIU For You scholarship for an additional two years and widen the group of students eligible to receive the scholarship to include transfer students and veterans on September 21, 2023.

According to the President’s Report to the Board of Trustees, the proposal to extend and expand the scholarship is based on a 9.5% increase in enrollment of new firsttime freshmen for Fall 2022 and Fall

2023, and a less significant impact on the enrollment of new transfer students where NEIU For You is more limited.

Manish Kumar, Vice President of Finance and Administration, provided insight into how NEIU For You has increased enrollment numbers, “From 2018 to 2023, the new undergraduate enrollment [number] decreased over 13,000 credit hours,” he said. “In 2023, we saw a slight increase in new undergraduate credit

hours by 3.5%, and [the] new trend projection shows a modest increase in new undergraduate credit hours in 2024 and 2025.”

NEIU For You was founded in Spring 2021 amid a steep decline in admitted freshmen and overall projected enrollment. Initially, the scholarship covered the cost of one year of tuition for first-time, fulltime incoming freshmen. In November 2021, NEIU For You expanded to cover the cost of the first four

years of a bachelor’s degree.

Then-NEIU President Gloria J. Gibson commented on the expansion of NEIU For You: “As a university dedicated to serving those who are commonly underserved, we have a responsibility to ensure every student who wants a college degree has the opportunity to earn one.”

The Independent reached out to Kumar for further comment on the extension and expansion of NEIU For You but did not get a response.

Thursday November 2, 2023

7

news: Student Government on Potential

Tuition Increase

Written by: Jiaming Lou, Contributing Writer Photos taken by: Michael Donald

Student Government Association (SGA) is one of NEIU’s shared governance organizations, run by students (and an advisor) to represent the student body at large on issues concerning the well-being and logistics of student life.

During their meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023, the SGA discussed–and passed several resolutions, including a stance on the potential tuition increase for fiscal year 2025, no-penalty mental health days, and old business regarding explanations for sudden salary increases–and salary disparities– among staff.

Justin Krieg, Interim Executive Director for University Budgets, was invited back to clarify remaining questions regarding the tuition increase in the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) budget proposal, which he previously presented to SGA. The plan for FY25 was presented to the Finance, Buildings and Grounds Committee which, according to Krieg, “essentially tabled the proposal…They wanted us to bring in additional information about the anticipated expense increases that would likely need to be covered before they were willing to… think about whether or not the tuition and fee increase was needed to help cover those costs.” The committee resurfaced the proposal on October 23, the outcomes of which the Independent has reported on.

One concern was how the increased tuition would be distributed among general student fees, and what the additional funds would go towards. Per a shared document with the current breakdown, $1,000,200 “represents essentially…negotiated increases in salary for each year.” $800,000 of that is “non negotiated… about what the…raise for each of the employees would be.”

In response, Student Trustee Edwin Medina requested a breakdown by individual position for the past five years, to which VP Schumacher additionally specified for “a category breakdown with the number of individuals that fall under [each] category.”

Krieg noted it would take a bit of time to put the report together, due to “a delay in some of the increases coming in…[resulting in] some differences that exist between our budgeted [salaries] and the current posted salaries for employees.” That is, reconciliation work currently remains for FY25, but a transparent account regarding tuition distribution seems not too out of reach.

On the note of finance, the first of three resolutions was introduced.

The first resolution, sponsored by

SGA President Maggie Sabanagic and co-sponsored by Student Trustee Edwin Medina and SGA Vice President EJ Schumacher, opposed the proposed Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) tuition increase. Following the reading of the resolution out loud, SGA advisor and Director of Student Leadership Development, Veronica Rodriguez called for a pro-con cycle, a formal process in which “someone should speak for it, [and] someone should speak against [it], even if you don’t [agree] just to get the ideas out there.”

Senator Mikulas Koudelka said, “The overwhelming majority of students that I’ve talked to about this feel opposed to a fee increase. This, you know, I’m not surprised.” He continued, “Anytime a fee increases, anything from tuition to ethics, people are almost overwhelmingly opposed, even if it can be explained to them how they stand to benefit from paying more.”

VP Schumacher nodded aggressively in agreement.

“When they do increases…from the information that I have…it’s never to improve anything,” Medina went on, “It’s to maintain the status quo.

So they won’t let go of someone. So someone can keep their job.”

President Sabanagic added, “If you’re going to be paying more, something has to get better. I’m not sure what.”

“It shouldn’t be put on students’ backs…to make sure that we’re increasing our retention rate, or … increase our enrollment… At the end of the day, we pay to be here.” Medina went on, “Everyone who works here gets paid to be here. So they have a responsibility, not only to use the best of the dollar amount that they receive from tuition–from the state–to make sure that they’re functioning well and…have…strategies to fix this mess.”

Using salary information for the 2021-2022 school year, Medina compared the salaries of three staff members whose salaries ranged from a $20,000 to $60,000 increase in just one year to three other staff members (from the same department) whose salaries increased by a much lesser rate–and in the case of one, actually dipped. He said, “I was trying to see if that was… all across the board.” And evidently, they were not.

Medina acknowledged there were other factors to take into consideration, “If we’re looking at equitable pay for people on campus…

it’s not fair. It’s not fair that you, who manages the financial aspect of the university, if you are covering your people and not looking at the rest of the university, then you do not have that fiscal responsibility to the students. You do not. You’re not here to make sure that that money is being spent where it needs to be spent. And this…this makes me think, this is why you are trying to make money.”

Senator Koudelka echoed Medina’s sentiments, asking everyone on board to consider “a 60% increase on a salary of $60,000. Is that justified?”

The resolution passed unanimously.

Following procedure, the resolution will be received by Dr. Terry Mena, the Vice President of Student Affairs, who will send it to Dr. Katrina Bell-Jordan, Interim President.

The second resolution, sponsored

by VP Schumacher and co-sponsored

by President Sabanagic and Senator Joanne Fanfan, advocated for Illinois to mandate five mental health days per year for all university students statewide.

Following the reading, Schumacher said, “There was a law passed in Illinois that gives K-12 students five mental health days per academic year without a doctor’s note that does not take university students into consideration.” They also credited Illinois State University with doing something similar, and the passing of this resolution would mean an alliance across Illinois universities to request action from the state.

Trustee Medina expressed concern about faculty contracts requiring a specific number of teaching days. Medina went on, “So that means students have to be okay with extending how long the semester took place. So along with having those five days, it’s like, okay, so we need to add a week to the semester, or whatever the case is.”

Another concern brought up by Schumacher was how the absence of attendance would affect grading, which members agreed should be left to the state to work out.

Trustee Medina reported working with Dr. Bell-Jordan on the reissue of a “Fall Break.” He introduced it as a way to include mental health, but a more fixed break; a Spring break in the fall. “The last update that I got from President Jordan is that she’s going to be working with the registrar because the registrar’s responsible for making sure that those days are fixed into the calendar.” The fall break and the mental health breaks would not conflict with each other.

This resolution was also passed unanimously.

Due to time constraints, the third resolution–concerning livestreaming future SGA meetings for the public– was postponed for the next meeting.

Executive reports: Trustee Medina updated SGA on the Presidential Search Committee.

While Medina was not able to disclose the timeline, he reported that the Committee has met with the hiring agency AGB Search and is actively in the search process.

President Sabanagic appointed Senator Mikulas Koudelka as the student representative to the Faculty Council on Student Affairs. VP Mena–who was also present in the meeting–explained that each division of the University (Student Affairs, Finance and Administration, University Advancement, Enrollment Management) is represented by an advisory council, which is established by the governing groups every year.

The SGA meets in Student Union Room SU 215 at 3 p.m. on Tuesdays (bi-weekly). Meetings are open to the public.

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Thursday November 2, 2023

opinion: Student Debt Relief Hail-Mary Written by: Dash Valladh, Contributing Writer

Suspense, as thousands of American students watch on with bated breath, as the Biden Administration launched a new student relief plan known as “Saving on a Valuable Education” (SAVE). The administration describes this plan as the most affordable option for reducing debt, namely their interest payments.

It is an income driven plan as it basedis your payment plan on your income and family size. Another key fact is that borrowers who have only undergraduate loans, will see their payments capped at 5% of their discretionary income, while those with graduate loans as well have to pay between 5%

and 10%, a weighted average based on their original principal balances.

This plan eliminates all remaining monthly interest on subsidized and unsubsidized loans after the scheduled payment has been made.This means that if you make your monthly payment, your loan balance won’t grow due to unpaid interest that accrued since your last payment. As an example, if your interest was 50 $, but you paid 20$ in your scheduled payment, then the remaining balance of 30$ will not be carried over to the next payment.

Despite millions of Americans registering for this program, it will

undoubtedly face legal trouble from both the republicans and the conservative dominated supreme court. This was the case for the administration’s last student debt relief plan, that aimed to cancel almost half a trillion dollars in student debt, which saw a contentious legal fight in the supreme court, where it was struck down, after ruling it as unconstitutional in nature. Detractors claim this plan’s purpose is only to grab the headlines and gain favorable reception from the American voters, rather than anything substantial in nature.

This is part of the current administration’s strategy of using a collection

of smaller individual plans to chip away at the student debt, which involves going after predatory for-profit universities, carrying over unprocessed claims from the Trump administration and generally recounting past errors.

Nevertheless if this plan survives the legal gauntlet, then millions of students will be eager to register for this plan, and the administration will no doubt seek to use this as a hail mary for any future student debt relief effort.

To register for this plan, go to the website, at studentaid.gov/announcements-events/save-plan

opinion: “But they can’t walk around the city on

their toes and confuse my grandchildren.”

- Lech Walesa, 2019

Written by: Ryland Roberts, Contributing Writer Photo taken by Author

Since the release of the Lech Walesa Hall (LWH) article from the last issue of the Independent, students have been taking action around NEIU. You might have noticed posters titled “RENAME LECH WALESA HALL” hung around the school. Those were posted by Ross Vecchione, a firstyear student who plans on majoring in physical education. With a past in social justice, he quickly put himself in motion to get the word out with his petition about changing the name of LWH to something else, telling everyone he knew about the history behind the name and why we should care as students.

“That they make an effort to include all types of students and naming a building after somebody who not only has been sort of seen as like as someone who’s just homophobic but also someone who just representative of the past and has continued to change the society is not really that great,” Vecchione said to the Independent when asked how he believes the current name of the building affects the community.

On NEIU’s website, there is a statement on diversity: “Northeastern Illinois University is the most diverse public comprehensive university in the Midwest. This diversity affects the core of the institution – we learn, teach, and work in an environment that is made richer, more relevant, and more rewarding by the deeply diverse group of individuals that makes up

our University community.” With NEIU’s diversity clause in question, what are students doing in protest of LWH’s name?

One of the Independent’s photographers caught Ross with a few friends getting ready to put up a large sheet of paper to cover Lech Walesa’s mini-exhibit. The paper was covered with little rainbow hearts.

“Right, yes. But they can’t walk

around the city on their toes and confuse my grandchildren. This is not normal, the majority is different, and they have to conform to this majority. They have to submit to the majority and this is how our children trick us,” Walesa said in a 2019 WP article. Now, one may ask why this comment didn’t gain any traction.

With the knowledge of what Walesa said being spread through

the paper or by word of mouth, students are jumping into action.

Vecchione posted posters and spread his petition around school, and other students joined in. Many may wonder what’s next. History repeats itself sometimes; will we see the same events unfold like they did in 2013, when Lech Walesa first came out with his set of homophobic comments? Only time will tell.

Thursday November 2, 2023

9

opinion: “Super Mario Bros. Wonder” : The Video

Game That Breathes New Life Into Mario Written By Ananth Prabhu, Sports and Health Editor Photos provided by Author and Edited by Hannah Grajciar

The long-awaited video game, “Super Mario Bros. Wonder” (SMBW) was finally released in retail stores on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. It is the newest 2D scrolling platformer sequel to the Super Mario Bros. video game franchise and brings new physics, mechanics, power-ups, creativity and animations to Nintendo Switch tablets.

Nintendo has finally ditched the word “New” from the 2D platformer franchise of the Mario Bros. that was omnipresent on the games titles of the Nintendo DS, 3DS, Wii, Wii U and Switch. However, all seasoned Mario Bros. players will notice familiarity and nostalgia from a variety of past 2D and 3D Mario games in SMBW, while also feeling a great sense of novelty as well. SMBW is worth experiencing for everybody, especially after so many of the prior Nintendo Switch Mario titles have been ports off of the previous Nintendo consoles with little to no modifications.

SMBW is a 2D platformer with 3D elements. The characters, enemies, platform textures and vividly colored backgrounds can be interacted through 3D rendering. The kingdom’s map and realistic facial rendering with eye-tracking enhance the gameplay.

SPOILER ALERT!!

The starting cut-scene of the game begins with a new story plot that extends beyond the classic Mushroom Kingdom. SMBW takes place in the Flower Kingdom where Prince Florian is the leader of the kingdom, and Bowser steals the mystical Wonder

Flower to transform into a living castle and performs a hostile takeover of the lovely kingdom. The Flower Kingdom consists of seven main worlds and “Special World,” which features bonus challenges. The world map combines linear levels with an open world feature for flexible gameplay. Wandering around the world map resembles the look and feel of the world map of Super Mario 3D World (SM3DW) on the Wii U and Switch consoles.

Unlike previous games, they are instead on a mission to stop Bowser from destroying Prince Florian’s magnificent kingdom and reconcile peace and prosperity within his kingdom. Since Peach needs no rescue like in past games, she is a playable character.

2D Mario Bros. games typically have countdown timers to urge players to reach the flagpole within a set time. However, SMBW is the first 2D Mario Bros. game without a countdown timer. The traditional 3D Mario Bros. games usually do not have timers. There is also no tracking of points at the top of the screen from enemy stomps and gatherings of the collectibles.

In addition, there are up to 12 playable characters to choose from.

The physics of each character remains the same, however, there exist differences in their aesthetics. The characters are Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Yellow Toad, Blue Toad, Toadette, four different colored Yoshis and Nabbit. The Yoshis and Nabbit

are considered “baby-mode” because they are invulnerable to enemies and cannot use power-ups, and they can only perish by falling into a pit, lava or poisonous swamp.

Games within the Mario franchise typically have collectibles, and SMBW is no different. The collectibles in each SMBW level offer inspiration for perfectionists to explore and accomplish every nook and cranny of the game. The levels contain collectibles such as flower seeds, three purple 10-coins, single gold and purple coins and green 1-up mushrooms. The 10-coins feel as if they were inspired from “Super Mario Maker 2” (SMM2). As always, the 1-ups symbolize extra lives, and 100 gold coins sums up to a 1-up. The purple coins can be used in the Poplin shops in each world of the game to purchase seeds, Standee poses, more 1-ups or Boost Badges. There are a total of 12 Standee poses for each of the 12 playable characters for a total of 144 Standee poses.

It would not be a Mario Bros. game without power-ups. Each level offers different costumes with unique abilities. The elephant flower costume allows fewer pounces on enemies and swinging of the trunk to knock them out. The bubble flower costume allows the player to blow bubbles to jump on the bubbles as platforms while covering larger gaps, and the bubbles transform enemies into gold coins. Power-ups also progress as players advance, starting with mushrooms when they are small and then

upgrading to various flowers. Unlike past Mario titles, this game lacks the flying power-up.For those players who enjoy flying over the entire level while skipping the action and challenges on the ground, they may be filled with disappointment. Furthermore, the multicolored pipes that spawn power-ups and POW blocks are reminiscent of SMM2’s ideas.

The spin drill flower is all too familiar to those who have played the 3D Mario game “Super Mario Galaxy 2” (SMG2), where Mario and Luigi could dig through small planets. The spin drill costume in SMBW allows players to move through ground blocks or platforms to avoid enemies or progress in the level.

There are other inspirations from SMG2 that take place in this new game, such as anti-gravity effects that feel as if the player is traveling through space. However, the mystical seeds of the levels are completely new and unique to this video game.

Upon touching the seeds, bizarre and hallucinatory transformations happen to the map’s playing field to transcend the player into unexpected events. These transformations include anti-gravity, dancing pipes, accelerated or decelerated movement, sloped and tilted terrains, changing water and air interactions, semi-solid platforms coming to life and moving around, superpowers for enemies and cute little musical dance numbers.

The power of the mystical seeds feel (continued on page 10

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Thursday November 2, 2023

Continued from page 9: State of the University: Admin Touts Enrollment, Pressed on LWH, Workday capabilities of creativity and pure fun. Each seed’s unique characteristic surprises and keeps the player in a state of wonderment.

One thing is for sure: speedrunning the game may be far more challenging when the seeds’ interactions come to life.

In addition to the conventional power-up costumes, the player can opt to wear a badge for each level of the game that gives unique abilities.

The three categories of badges include action, boost and expert.

Only one badge can be worn at a time for each level. Action badges allow drifting down via parachute, floating while jumping, doing one-sided wall jumps, high jumping, dolphin-kicking and other abilities. Boost badges allow earning additional gold coins for enemy kills, safety bounces, starting levels with mushroom status, hints for hidden collectables, adding extra “!” blocks and other abilities. One of the expert badges is all too familiar to players of Super Mario Galaxy (SMG) and SMG2, which is the ability to perpetually hop, similar to the spring costume of the two 3D Mario games.

Jet running and invisibility are two other expert badges. With the combination of various characters, power-ups and badges, there are ways to spice up the gameplay.

In order to make the 2D scrolling platform more realistic and give a 3D feel, the developers of the game have used perspective distortion, linear perspective and aerial perspective.

For instance, the player’s character other players to appear as translucent can use warp pipes to transition characters on the same level’s map, between the mid-ground, foreground and they can leave checkpoints called and background, while maintaining “Standees” on each other’s map of an appropriate proportionality in the level. When a player dies, they each scene. In addition, they have have five seconds to hover the ghostadded shadows and darkening of the form of their character towards a livtextures to allow certain intricacies ing character or a Standee checkpoint

to pop in the player’s field of vision. in order to continue playing the level.

This aspect of SMBW has never been I have experienced a unique form of done before in the previous 2D Mario camaraderie between players in the Bros. games, so it is definitely worth online portion of the game, where the more advanced players slow down to experiencing.

The online component of the game help the beginners and juvenile playhas taken inspiration from the previ- ers to regain control of the level from ous 35th anniversary game, “Super their character’s ghost-forms.

Mario Bros. 35,” (SMB35). Released in As a player saves more ghost play2020, players would compete online ers, heart points increase to encourby playing side by side, rather than on age further assistance to newcomers. the same map. The online multiplayer Playing custom scrolling levels with action of SMBW allows up to three other online players creates a tightly

opinion: Kenneth Branagh’s

“A Haunting in Venice”: Capturing the Halloween Spirit on Screen Written by: Bella Cardoza, Staff Writer Illustration by Clifton Harty

Do you like murder mysteries?

Are you a fan of old period dramas?

If you said yes to any of those, then “A Haunting in Venice” is just right for you! The movie itself is based on a short story by Agatha Christie called “Halloween Party”, from the Hercule Poirot series.

Hercule Poirot, having seemingly retired from his detective duties, is called to attend a seance in Venice, Italy, which is where he has taken up residency. As he is called to investigate one of the guests who may be scamming people, the seance goes wrong when there is a murderer on the loose. As a result, Hercule Poirot decides to come out of retirement after all to investigate

the murders until someone confesses. To all my readers, this review might contain spoilers.

As someone who loved Kenneth Branagh in “Murder on the Orient Express” a few years ago, he proves that he still has that charisma and determination as Hercule Poirot, which proves why he was perfectly cast as him.

Scan QR Code to read more:

bound team, moving at the same rate.

Online players can also see each other on the world map as they explore different levels.

The music of SMBW offers fresh, upbeat and melodious tunes as the Mario Bros. travel on their adventures in the Flower Kingdom. The basic tune of the classic Mario Bros. continues to exist, but it has been remixed with new instruments, fresh beats and rhythmic sensations. There are a few musical throwbacks to past Mario games included in some of the shorter levels.

Regardless of players growing up with the original Mario Bros. titles of the last century or the “New” Mario Bros. titles of the current century, SMBW offers something to enjoy for everybody. While the online infrastructure might offer limited interaction with online players, it is definitely a worthy consideration to experience.

The entire game has a psychedelic blend of nostalgia and novelty to all players of the game. Some of the nostalgic elements include the various themes of each world, such as ground, underground, water, cloud, ice and desert, while offering new forms of gameplay within each level. It is almost like taking the original and classic levels off of the Super Nintendo console’s Mario games and remixing and modernizing them to fit the current era. SMBW is definitely worth experiencing for anybody who owns a Nintendo Switch.

Thursday November 2, 2023

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campus arts & life: GCG’s Vision: Transforming

Abandoned Tennis Courts into a Blooming Community Garden

Written by: Ananth Prabhu, Sports and Health Editor Photos taken by Author

Green Conservation Group (GCG) Club is an NEIU club that highlights the nature around NEIU, with one future project involving converting two abandoned tennis courts into a community garden. Stephanie Urenda, Vice President of GCG Club and undergraduate in Environmental Studies, spoke to the Independent on Sept. 13, 2023 about the club.

NEIU students may have already grown familiar with the Green Fee, which costs $3 per semester for all students. GCG Club has been actively involved in its role of the Green Fee for several years now.

GCG Club provides two student representatives to the Green Fee Committee (GFC) every year out of a total of nine members that serve on the committee.

The nine members of the GFC are composed of students, staff and faculty. The two GCG Club members on the GFC play a key role in allocating funds for campus environmental initiatives.

Being on the GFC is a year-long commitment that allows students to have a say in how the funds get spent for environmental projects and initiatives.

The GFC votes on proposals and decides which sustainability and environmental improvements get put into action. The campus, surrounding community and the environment are all considerations that the GFC uses to decide which improvements to initiate.

Beyond serving on the GFC, a few of the projects that GCG Club members actively get involved in would be a Nature Ambassador Program, trimming and burning invasive plant species, cutting invasive trees and converting the old abandoned tennis courts into a community garden.

The location of the Tennis Courts is behind the Physical Education Complex and adjacent to North St. Louis Avenue.

The NEIU campus has a total of five tennis courts, and while three of them are actively being used to play tennis by community members, the two in the back are currently being converted into community gardens.

According to Urenda, the largest focus of the garden is removing weeds, getting supplies, building more raised garden beds and ultimately holding an inaugural event upon completion. The desire for the completed project is expected to have picnic tables, benches, garden beds, thriving vegetation and blossoming fruit and vegetable plants. Long-term goals include hosting events, picnics and study sessions for students to enjoy the space.

When asked about the club’s most significant achievement, Urenda responded, “I think when [the garden] is done, it’ll be a big thing. It’s going to be another area for people to go to, and then it’s going to provide food.” Urenda would like the food that is grown in the garden to be donated to NEIU’s Student Pantry. Also, the benefits of the garden will be not only for students but for anybody in the community who may be experiencing food insecurity. Urenda proudly admitted how

they want the garden to be a lasting legacy of GCG Club for years to come.

The organization of the club’s officer positions include president and vice president with a need for secretary, treasurer and social media manager.

Urenda says, “So mainly, I’m just there to support the president, [and] the roles that we have right now are pretty equal.”

Urenda also admitted, “I went into the role [of Vice President] because there weren’t many people there in the first place, and we just kind of needed someone in the meantime, [and] I like the idea of being involved with this club.” In order to stay on top of the club’s agenda of activities and events, GCG is trying to organize events and try to get more people to be part of the club. Urenda emphasized how there is no need to be knowledgeable or be an expert on environmental issues to be a part of this club.

The community garden is going to take a while to complete. “Realistically, it’s probably going to take more than the end of the year because we wanted to do that last year,” says Urenda, “We did put in a proposal last year for the [GFC], and so they should be giving us money to get a shed, picnic tables, tools, and then more [raised] garden beds.”

The GCG Club currently gets funds

from the semesterly club allotment, fundraisers and green fee proposals.

“We’re trying to bring an outside source to come in and help with the maintenance of it, especially during the summer because no one’s really here in the summer,” says Urenda, “But it seems more long-term at this point.” Non-students and community members are encouraged to help with the garden. Student organizations can sponsor a garden bed and can paint and decorate wooden beds with their messages, logos, and designs to make them appealing.

Another activity that club members took part in is Cook County’s Forest Preserve’s Nature Ambassador Program, which allows students to learn about conservation tactics, volunteer, network and seek job opportunities and internships.

Urenda encourages environmental science majors to join the forest preserve’s ambassador program that is running alongside the club’s activities. LaBagh Woods on Foster Avenue is the closest Cook County Forest Preserve to NEIU’s campus, which hosts the Nature Ambassador Program. GCG Club members will be participating in various nature activities there such as cutting, trimming and burning invasive flora. Forest preserves near Avondale’s El Centro and

Bronzeville’s CCICS campuses are also under consideration. GCG Club hosted an hour-long training for becoming a Nature Ambassador on Sept. 26, 2023, with an additional training session as new members join the club. Some invasive flora that were identified as part of the training, are common buckthorn and Japanese honeysuckle. The idea behind the training is to learn, memorize a few simple concepts, gain experience and utilize the knowledge outdoors.

The sentiment is to make prospective club members more comfortable and be free from judgment. Making environmental and conservation efforts accessible and inclusive is important to Urenda. “I’ve done jobs and internships in the environmental field and you don’t really see a lot of people of color, [and] you don’t really see a lot of women.”

Urenda says the joy of taking part in outdoor environmental activities is “just presenting it as: you can make a change; it doesn’t matter how big or small, it’s a positive impact… [and] …I get enjoyment from being able to do that.”

GCG Club currently meets one day per week from 3-4 p.m. on Tuesdays, and the location may be in BBH 202 or the abandoned tennis courts, depending on the week’s planned activities.

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Thursday November 2, 2023

campus arts & life: Jessie Fuentes Speaks at

Pedroso Center Inaugural Homecoming Written by: Zachariah Simmons, Contributing Writer Photos taken by: Jasmine Rodriguez, Illustrated by: Lesly Alonso

On Oct. 17, 2023, the Pedroso Center (B-159) held its inaugural Homecoming event where it hosted keynote speaker Jessie Fuentes. She is the recently elected 26th Ward Aldersperson and an NEIU alum (B.A. ‘13 Justice Studies and M.A. ‘18 Community and Teacher Leaders). She was born and raised in the largely Puerto Rican neighborhood Humboldt Park before attending Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos Puerto Rican High School and then NEIU. At NEIU, Fuentes became a prominent figure in the community and worked immensely to further the quality of representation and accessibility for the Latina/o community on campus. As a member of the Union of Puerto Rican Students and Editor-In-Chief of NEIU’s Puerto Rican and Latina/o university student publication Que Ondee Sola (QOS), she helped to create the Pedroso Center.

Interim President Dr. Katrina Bell-Jordan set the tone for the event, saying that we must “shift perspectives in a way that connects dispossession, slavery, and ongoing colonialism to our university and our community.” she reaffirms that “acknowledgement of this ongoing legacy is not enough. We must continue to work toward racial justice, equity, liberation, and community here at NEIU.” This was the throughline of the event: acknowledgment, organization and connection around the oppressive systems that have built this country, and a fervent push to strengthen the communities that have been most dearly impacted must be at the forefront of our minds and in the heart of NEIU’s values.

Solidifying this message with their brilliant poetry, QOS Managing Editor Jasmine Rodriguez’s “Another Name, the Same Mask” and QOS Copy Editor Clay Cofre’s “Men’s Help Presents: How to Be the Monopoly Man” invoked the pain and destruction that continues to arise from gentrification. They lay plain the injustices being faced by their community and condemning this pattern of gentrification and cultural erasure of native people that is so embedded in the fabric of Chicago and the U.S. Once their beautiful words echoed finally through our ears and Director of the Pedroso Center Dr. DeWitt Scott finished his introduction, we heard from Jessie Fuentes.

As she told the riveted crowd, she was not only a graduate of NEIU but of Proyecto Pa’Lante, an institution on campus that seeks to provide adequate and holistic guidance to students from diverse backgrounds, especially those of Latina/o descent.

Thinking back on her decision to come to NEIU, she remarked that at her high school’s college fair, “the only Latino that was there recruiting was the advisor from Proyecto Pa’Lante. And that’s the only table [she] wanted to walk to…[because] having that program and that person that can provide that initial sense of safety is what makes the difference.”

Safety, accessibility and a continued connection to the communities that are underserved across Chicago – the same communities that NEIU has historically served and supported – was at the forefront of the discussion. This in tandem with an unwavering activistic spirit is the way forward for NEIU, according

to Fuentes, and is reinforced by the vigor of the crowd.

Fuentes took the crowd through her trajectory as a student, leader and now Alderperson. She was a first generation college student from a difficult upbringing, aided by the programs NEIU offered; though they were, by her own indictment, less than perfect but far greater than elsewhere. She jokingly quipped that “DePaul ain’t in the hood telling young people of color, ‘This institution belongs to this community, you belong here’... that cultural competence made a world of difference.”

Organizations and programs like the Pedroso Center are for students like her. “Products of colonialism, young people who were living in poverty, young people who were living in communities that were rapidly being gentrified, but did not have the language nor the tools or the structure to articulate their lived experiences, and more importantly, to fight.”

As Fuentes explained, Angelina Pedroso – whom the Center is named after – was “unapologetic about what it meant to be a Latina, what it meant to tell a story of colonialism and combat that very narrative, what it would mean to be self-determined and what it required…for us to dismantle systems of oppression, to call it out, to be honest of its impact, and then to challenge institutions to do better.”

Fuentes connected these struggles here in the Chicago/NEIU community with the Israel-Palestine conflict. “There is not one media outlet right now that is going to be honest with you about what’s happening; that occupation is alive and well; that forced eviction is alive and well; that the largest airborne prison in the globe is under attack,” Fuentes said. “In that narrative, your voices matter. And we need to continue to build spaces and infrastructure that allow for that organizing to organically happen without being condemned.”

Fuentes said learning about media bias had a profound effect on her: “That’s exactly how I learned what struggle meant at Northeastern Illinois University, to organize and to be unapologetic about having the tough conversations, despite what the popular narrative was saying about us. And I also learned quickly how to radically love people in the struggle.”

Further, she said, “In an institution like Northeastern Illinois University, there’s endless opportunity to not

just lead, but to be a part of system changes, to be a part of transformative justice work, to lift up narratives that folks don’t hear often…If we are going to live in this world, truly live; we need to live fighting, fighting for what’s right, fighting to ensure that the next generation can exist in the world that better serves them.”

Fuentes also addressed the educators and administrators of the world, “I want you to know that every single time a young person is not engaged or doesn’t choose to always be respectful, because they’re young, and they do young things, that it’s not about you, but everything that they’re trying to survive. And they’re not the ones that need to make a shift, you are. You need to adapt, and transform your approach.”

She also had a moment to speak about her role as an Alderperson, specifically around the issue of migrants being bussed to Chicago that may be causing a bit of strife between Chicago’s Black and Latino/a communities. She said, “In this moment, now more than ever, Black and Brown coalition is needed. And not coalition on a cause. Because we will get through this migrant crisis… [we must] create a coalition over our own longevity.”

Fuentes explained that the work does not stop at acknowledgement. Her dialogue expressed that everyone, including students, faculty, board members and administrators, must all strive to continue the work of those who have come before. Because, as she said, “the struggle to open the cultural center taught us that our struggle is a struggle in perpetuity.”

Fuentes’ former professor Dr. Durene Wheeler expressed gratitude for Fuentes and her return, saying, “Thank you for being your authentic self, every time you show up wherever you show up.”

As Fuentes puts it: “I’m proof of concept, that when we invest in our young people, when we wrap around them and when we believe in them, they will become agents of change, not just in our communities but across the world.”

According to their portion of the NEIU website, “The Angelina Pedroso Center for Diversity and Intercultural Affairs develops and provides programming and initiatives in a welcoming environment designed to educate, empower, and retain students from socially and culturally diverse backgrounds.” Stop by and show your love and support!

Thursday November 2, 2023

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campus arts & life: Seventh Annual Nuevas Voces

Playwriting Contest Written by: Ryland Roberts, Contributing Writer Photo provided by Stage Center Theater Facebook page.

The Independent attended the opening night of Nuevas Voces in September 2023 and featured this year’s winners. Jim Blair, former NEIU professor and alum, created Nuevas Voces to shine a light on student creations and a way to show peers’ creativity in the performing arts. Blair also founded the College of Arts and Sciences Education Program (CASEP). He visited Nuevas Voces to congratulate the 10-minute play winners.

First Place: “Two People” by Victor Braeseke, awarded $250. Second Place: “It’s My Move” by Samuel Jin Seo, awarded $200. Third Place: “The Interns” by Luke Steadman, awarded $150. The honorable mentions were “The Palestine/Israeli Conflict” by Michael Gross, “The Hated Ones” by Anmol Galati, and “Tripping on Xanax at a Mumford and Sons Concert” by David Lipschutz, who were each awarded $75.

The first play of the evening was “The Interns” by Luke Steadman, featuring six interns, each named numerically with different personalities. Among them were the

pervert, the one with anger issues, the stuck-up one, the Gretchen Weiners-type, the owner’s slacking son, and the one willing to go to great lengths to secure a permanent position. The set was simple, yet they used all the props. During one scene, a pill bottle filled with Smarties to simulate pills fell on the floor, creating a large sugary cloud that enveloped the audience.

The following play “It’s My Move” by Jin Seo centered on the main character who is down on his luck and struggling to find a job. The mess from “The Interns” still covered the stage and the attention was drawn to the somewhat crushed-up smarties that had covered the stage. Despite the initial distraction, the audience’s attention gradually returned to the actors as the story unfolded. In this play, we had characters known as the stressed, the funny, and the girl who had her life together. The actors’ actions included cleaning up the stage, adding to the memorable scene.

The final play took a more serene approach, emphasizing that,

regardless of social class, we are all human and can coexist. “Two People” by Victor Braeseke was set on Wall Street in New York City. The leftovers from the past scenes added to the chaos that is New York’s streets. There was one homeless character who was kind to everyone and a woman who was recently fired from her Wall Street job, more stressed than ever. This winning piece encouraged reflection from the audience, especially among NEIU’s population, which hails

predominantly from Chicago where it’s common to see panhandlers and homeless folks. The takeaway question was how we treat those less fortunate when we have no personal connection to them. Do we ignore them or extend a helping hand?

These three plays all shared a common theme; how humans treat one another and what can be done to improve other people’s lives.

This theme harks back to medieval theater, where entertainment had a deeper meaning.

campus arts & life: The Ups and Downs of NEIU’s

Homecoming Dance: A Night of Fun, Noise and Memories Written by: Ananth Prabhu, Sports and Health Editor Photos taken by Author

On Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, NEIU’s Black Caucus Club Student Organization hosted the seventh Annual Homecoming dance at the Carruthers Center in Bronzeville. The theme of the event was “Renaissance Tour,” and two party buses were used for transportation. Admission was free for all NEIU students, and non-students could attend for a fee.

At 6 p.m., the journey to the Bronzeville campus began and took 90 minutes from the main campus, a slow ride along Lake Shore Drive.

Despite this, the party attendees kept each other company with conversation and laughter. However, the music may have been too loud to have any realistic amount of chitchat. Also, the responsible individuals who controlled the music were unwilling to play songs that were not of the rap genre. It felt less inclusive of those individuals who enjoy other genres of music.

Upon arrival at CCICS, the festive celebration began in the lobby with backdrops for group photos, party balloons and a distribution of hand fans. All of the attendees headed to the basement of the building for food, drinks and engaging conversations. For a change of pace, the music was not as loud and allowed attendees to socialize with each other.

The food catered to various dietary preferences with the availability of vegetarian and vegan options.

For the remainder of the night, everybody headed to the dance room with more rap music and dance.

Some attendees complained about the absence of a broader selection of music genres. However, it was fun to watch some people execute some wicked dance moves and engage in breakdancing.

At 10 p.m., attendees boarded the two party buses to return to the main campus. Some attendees considered

taking an Uber to avoid the loud music on the bus. This time, the return journey to the main campus took about two hours due to construction on I-94. For those who had never been on a party bus before, it was an unforgettable experience.

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Thursday November 2, 2023

campus arts & life: Snacks, Screenings and More:

Northeastern’s Programming Board Crafts Memorable Campus Experiences Written by: Ananth Prabhu, Sports and Health Editor Photos taken by author

In the heart of NEIU, Northeastern Programming Board (NPB) has been working diligently to engage and entertain the campus community between classes. Their mission is to organize events that not only entertain but also bring the student body and the local community together.

Some recent events they have produced include an outdoor screening of “Elemental”, an ‘I Love Monday’ series and the Friday the 13th All-Nighter event, along with outside events, such as Six Flags’ Fright Fest, in Gurnee, Illinois and the The Right to Grieve in Community - A Stateville Community Ofrenda hosted in the National Museum of Mexican Art, in Pilsen.

Alfredo Aguilar III, NPB Pres-

ident and Event Coordinator, has emphasized NPB’s commitment to prioritizing students’ voices. As a student-run organization, NPB creates events for the NEIU community. Aguilar, a returning member from the previous academic year, built a team of event producers for student-run events on campus.

“We actually gave the students that decision,” Aguilar said in an interview with the Independent.

A poll was conducted on their Instagram page about potential films to watch. The candidates for the screening included “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” a scary movie and “Elemental.” “Elemental” won the poll for the only outdoor screening

of the semester. “So realistically, we probably had over 100 people, which was my goal, but having 90 students sign in is incredible,” said Aguilar, regarding the strong community turnout at the event.

The process for setting up an event on campus revolves around communicating, doing outreach and surveying a variety of vendors and contractors to get the job done. “We reached out to Record-A-Hit for the [outdoor] projector,” stated Aguilar, “we also have Swank, that’s where we get the rights for the movie.”

While interacting with the vendors and contractors, NPB receives price quotes and processes payments, and then the film screening for the event can commence. NPB shares information about their upcoming events on Instagram and NEIU’s emailed targeted announcements. In regards to improving future events from what may have been lacking during past events, Aguilar said, “student engagement is important here at NEIU and getting the feedback from them is important.”

Aguilar’s responsibilities as an event coordinator include creating promotional material, routinely checking NPB’s Instagram for feedback, creating and distributing fliers

around campus and collaborating with various student organizations and campus departments. Aguilar also manages financial responsibilities, such as budgeting for items like sodas, chips, candy, popcorn and tacos. Sometimes the food gets donated for events, as was the case in the Aug. 31, 2023 film screening of “Elemental”, where tacos were donated by an outside vendor, providing an additional veggie option for students. During the event, students informed Aguilar about the demand for more snacks and refreshments, which were distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Additionally, students were understanding, and they patiently waited 15 to 20 minutes before requesting additional servings.

NPB currently consists of a team of student event producers. For events, Aguilar receives support and advice from a combination of Student Leadership Development (SLD) and volunteers. Students who are interested in volunteering, coordinating events or would like to express their gratitude can reach out to NPB via email at progbrd@neiu. edu or through their social media account, @neiunpb.

campus arts & life: “WHO YOU WITH? BC!” Written by: Joanna Fanfan, Contributing Writer Photos taken by Author

The Black Caucus Club is a student led organization that was founded in 1971. Its goal has always been to collaborate and engage with other organizations and faculty to provide a safe space for those who are underrepresented. In addition, the Black Caucus Club provides community outreach opportunities to students while focusing on creating equity in economics, health, and education.

At its annual Welcome Black Event in August, Black Caucus (BC) collaborated with different departments to inform our Black scholars that they are noticed, represented, and cared for.

When asked how this event impacts students, Monique Bolden, President of Black Caucus said “We are the people of our people and we want to make sure that students are involved on campus and we want to show both students and faculty that we care about the Northeastern Illinois University community, our peers, and our education.”

Bolden continued, “All of these departments are very essential to our growth as students and it’s hard to get connected when there’s so many things that are already on our plates.

We want to show Black-identified students and other students that these resources exist and that their hardship of completing their degrees goes unnoticed.

TRIO support services’ Donald Waddell had this to say: “[it’s] always a good thing to be here since this is the most diverse school in the midwest. I’ve been here for 18 years and the university is a toss salad of greatness in the making.”

Representatives from other departments were there as well, such as the McNair Scholars’ Program director, Deborah Klos Dehring, who talked about the event being “great exposure for students.” Student Trustee Edwin Medina said that they “want to be able to provide students with resources to achieve.”

The event provided students with Students interested in joining food, helpful information for success, Black Caucus can reach out via email and upcoming events for students to to black-caucus@neiu.edu and Instaengage with other peers. gram via @neiublackcaucus.

Monique Bolden Black Caucus Club President

Edwin Medina with Thalia Piseaux Ochoa a representative of Student Affairs

Thursday November 2, 2023

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campus arts & life: Passion for Theater: Two Students

Share Their Audition Journey During Fall Production’s Casting Call Written by: Ananth Prabhu, Sports and Health Editor

On Aug. 29 and 30, Stage Center Theatre made an official casting call for students interested in auditioning for November’s production of “In the Belly of the Whale.” Students were able to audition in-person or submit a self-tape, and the directors arranged callbacks for students who fit specific roles of the play. The first round of auditions and self-tapes were more general in nature, while the call-backs offered a more specific role to the upcoming production, “In The Belly of the Whale.” The initial audition suggested that auditionees prepare a one-minute recitation of text from scriptures, holy books, parables, apologues, fables, allegorical prose, poetry or faith-based literary material, and the text should allow inspiration to be drawn in favor of “In the Belly of the Whale.”

The enthusiasm and dedication of auditionees were shining bright during the evenings of the audition as two undergraduate students in Communication, Media and Theatre, Nico Olszaski, 23, and Xavier Becerra, 25, came prepared for their upcoming theatrical roles. The performing arts are not foreign to Olszaski and Becerra. They both began their theatrical journeys at Chi Arts High School, and they have both auditioned at Stage Center Theatre in the past.

“Well, number one, [acting is] not about fame or glory, it’s about telling a story,” said Olszaski. Motivation

and perseverance are two notable characteristics that are necessary to succeed in the performing arts. In order to pursue the dream of acting under the spotlight, Olszaski said, “If I need help, I got a great director, a great cast and friends to help me.” “[Performing] just seemed like the one thing that I was passionate about,” said Becerra, “I have one life to live, [and] I found my passion thankfully early on, and this is what I want to do.” Becerra is a full-time student and works over 40 hours per week while reading and learning his lines. Becerra insisted that finding time for rehearsal may be the most challenging part of the performing arts. In addition, Becerra is not necessarily aiming for any particular role in “In the Belly of the Whale,” but he said, “If [the director] feel[s] as though I fit a certain criteria, I’ll go for it.”

Beccera was an understudy and supporting cast in previous productions such as “The Grand Hotel,” “Water by the Spoonful” and “Holler River.” Olszaski has auditioned for “May of Gardens,” “The Realistic Jonses” and the Annual Nuevas Voces. Both striving actors performed in the seventh Annual Nuevas Voces on Sept. 28, 29 and 30 of 2023.

For the current production, Becerra chose to use one of the director’s recommended monologues for his audition. Becerra enjoys the intimacy

of a smaller crowd in storefront theaters because during each night, “it’s the same show, but it’s a different production,” said Becerra, “With live theater, you’re not always going to get the same performance [from one night to the next].”

Olszaski describes what a storefront theater is, “it’s basically like a mom and pop shop, but in a theater sense.”

As an example, Steppenwolf and Goodman are all professional theaters, while Black Ensemble and Jackalope are storefront theaters in Chicago.

The performing arts require tremendous amounts of teamwork, which includes not only the actors but also the coordination of

Photo Credits: Fathima Deenaz

lights, sound and costume and set design to translate the vision of the screenwriters. Along the same lines, Olszaski stated, “Making a story is not a one-person show.” Having a team to conduct an entire live show is imperative, and Olszaski encourages more students to “just try new things [and] do something [you’ve] never done before.”

“In the Belly of the Whale (a.k.a.

The Jonah Play)” by Georgette Kelly will premiere at NEIU’s Stage Center Theatre on Thursday, Nov. 10. There will be seven opportunities to watch this play up to Nov. 18. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.tix.com/ ticket-sales/u-pass/6605.

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Thursday November 2, 2023

campus arts & life: “She Said” at Music Box Theatre Written by: Leslie Lozada, Editor-in-Chief All photos taken by: Dan Maurer

“I feel like it dictated a certain direction my life took. That I just felt that it was this huge error in judgment that sort of marked me, and all my decisions. And I felt such shame that I let him do that. It was like he took my voice that day. Just when I was about to start finding it.” - Laura Madden as played by Jennifer Ehle She Said, 2022 “She Said” was based on the book written by Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, two New York Times investigative journalists who helped to expose Harvey Weinstein’s multiple harassment and assaults in 2017. There was a one-night-only film showing at Music Box Theatre on Sep. 28, 2023, which included a Q&A with Twohey.

Twohey and Kantor, over several months between 2016-2017, compiled information on Weinstein regarding the accusations of harassing and assaulting women in high-profile positions as well as former staff members within the Weinstein Company. One of those women, actress Ashley Judd appears in the film as herself, as she is the catalyst for the exposé to have variability sources.

“Not to assist other people as they’re doing, but for you to be the one working with phones, knocking the doors, writing the stories. It doesn’t mean you are going to be good at it on the first day.”

This film showing was a fundraising event from the Chicago Highlights Club Foundation to help fund the organization’s Les Brownlee

Memorial Scholarships for current undergraduate journalism students at a Chicago-area college, and journalism grants that would go to Chicagoland area non-profit journalism organizations to help them hire and fund internships within their organizations. Carol Marin, who has worked in Chicago as a broadcast journalist and retired a few years ago, was the moderator for the Q&A with Twohey.

As announced by the presenter prior to the screening, while “She Said” shares similarities with acclaimed movies such as “All the President’s Men” and “Spotlight”.

Unlike other journalism-based films, this film presented the reporters in their personal lives with their husbands and children, and the different situations that result from it.

Moments that were not mentioned in the book “She Said” were adapted from.

During the Q&A portion, Twohey provided more insight into the investigative reporting with Kantor, as well as a behind-the-scenes look into the making of the film and the book. “The huge difference that everyday people can make when they are willing to stand up and seek the truth”, highlighting the role of getting additional voices from people like Laura Madden, who was one of the last sources to be added to the exposé as she was being prepped for breast cancer surgery.

Twohey an Evanston native, mentioned how surreal the adaptation was, as it was not only an adaptation of the investigation itself, but also that of the New York Times newsroom and other aspects of hers and Kantor’s lives that were not present in

the book, “That felt like a really brave responsibility and we wanted to make sure that this movie did justice, not just to the story of our investigation, but to the story of our profession that we all value so much.”

The Q&A concluded with Twohey reflecting on how she worked her way up to her current journalism career, which involved working at a magazine in Washington, an English-language newspaper in Moscow, as well as for the Milwaukee Journal and the Chicago Tribune.“Not to assist other people as they’re doing, but for you to be the one working with phones, knocking the doors, writing the stories. It doesn’t mean you are going to be

From left to right: Carol Marin is the moderator in the Q&A with Megan Twohey.

Photo taken by Jasmine Rodriguez

campus arts & life:

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Scan this QR Code to read online:

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A Grad from 92’: What Have They Been Up To?

good at it on the first day.”

Several friends she made during her time were determined to stay in larger cities, like Chicago or Washington D.C. due to the diminishing opportunities in local journalism.

She doesn’t regret taking those jobs, having eventually working at the New York Times in her forties, as those jobs helped her with the training she needed to advance in journalism, “The work that you do is gonna resonate and be seen and recognized by the people who count as you work your way up.”

“She Said” can be seen on Amazon Prime, and wherever it can be rented/bought from.

Frankie Ruiz: The Rise and Demise of a Salsa Maestro

Thursday November 2, 2023

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campus arts & life: Olly Greer’s “Tranifestations” Written by: Ryland Roberts, Staff Writer Photos taken by Author

“Every time we morph, shift, glitch, puddle, and make a mess of this binary bleakness, we come home. Home to our vessel—our skin sack— as we honor our nearest ancestor, the person we were yesterday. As we peel back layers of wallpaper from our beating hearts… this is our act of making and remaking,

of shedding, of molting, of resisting.

Many trans people mourn and celebrate each change, each choice, each moment of defining. Light a candle, make a wish, burn it down. Shake your bones in joy & grief.” Olly Greer, a NEIU alumnus, wrote for their art exhibition named “Tranifestations” currently in the NEIU

Fine Arts gallery.

Olly’s sculptures captivate that nostalgia factor which is seen with some of the sculptures of vintage items, such as the old children’s chairs or the melted birthday candles. Transfestations seems to be a branch of another exhibition called “Transbirthday(s)” that was

featured at High Cross Art Gallery in Urbana, Illinois.

As the Independent had talked to gallery guests, what was heard was stories of transgender perseverance. The stories detailed the difficulty of being yourself in a small town that will filter you out if you don’t fit their mold.

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Thursday November 2, 2023

Recently at a lecture hosted by Justice Studies and Social Work on October 5th in Alumni Hall, Dr. Juan Dalmau, Secretary General of the Puerto Rican Independence Party presented “The Struggle for Puerto Rico’s Independence: Past, Present, and Future.” Xavier Morales-Greene, editor in chief of Que Ondee Sola, was acknowledged and asked to speak on behalf of the many recent accomplishments and partnerships within the Puerto Rican community that Que Ondee Sola has achieved.

Photos taken by Dennis Sagel

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sports & health: NEIU’s Stand Against Opioid Abuse:

A Look into the Narcan Training Event Written By: Ananth Prabhu, Sports and Health Editor Illustration By: Clifton Harty

On Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023, NEIU hosted an event to address the opioid epidemic and equip the university community with the tools to potentially save lives. In a partnership between Peer Services and NEIU’s Student Health Services, the event featured a Narcan training session and an in-depth discussion on opioid harm reduction. The goal was to provide essential knowledge and resources to combat the opioid crisis.

“What it comes down to is ‘knowledge is power, the more information you have, the more of an impact you can make,’” said Luana Lienhart, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and staff therapist at Peer Services, “I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t want to know how to save someone’s life if they happen to find someone who [has] overdosed.”

Fentanyl is a synthetic narcotic drug, and it is far more potent than other narcotic analgesics. According to Lienhart, a teenager in Evanston in 2022 purchased what they believed to be THC vape from a TikTok content creator. The vape was laced with fentanyl, and the teenager overdosed in the bathroom.

“The more that people are aware of the dangers, the more that folks can at least make an informed decision,” Lienhart said. “Even if they know that they’re taking a risk, at least they’ve assessed those risks and can make that choice for themselves.”

Naloxone is an FDA-approved drug for opiate overdose, and one of its

trademarked names is Narcan. When any substance is laced with fentanyl, the person will die unless immediately treated with two or more doses of Naloxone. The danger of fentanyl stems from the fact that it dramatically depresses the respiratory system. If a drug or substance was not obtained via a licensed dispensary, pharmacy or physician, there is the risk of it being potentially laced with fentanyl or other contaminants.

Naloxone does not require prescriptions in Illinois and is covered by most health insurance companies. It can be administered in several routes such as an intranasal spray or an intramuscular, subcutaneous or intravenous injection. The intranasal spray would be the most accessible and easy for most people to administer the emergency dose. Doses of Narcan are available in the health vending machine in the Student Union, adjacent to accessible ramps.

“Wherever there are human beings, there will be people who use opiates,” said Lienhart. “So I will go anywhere, anytime, however long it takes no matter how large or small the size [of the audience] is, I want as many folks as possible to be empowered to know with this information.”

The most common signs of overdose are blue body parts like lips and fingers, shallow or inhibited breath, limp body, slow or lack of pulse, snoring or gurgling noises and/or unresponsiveness to painful stimulation. The sternal rub is the most

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common test for responsiveness by rubbing knuckles up and down the breastbone with significant pressure.

The test is meant to be painful but will not cause harm. Police officers commonly perform this test when an opioid emergency is suspected.

If a suspected opioid overdose occurs, call 9-1-1 immediately. Administer the first dose of Naloxone, wait two minutes (attempt rescue breaths during this time if CPR-trained), then administer the second dose of Naloxone. If the person wakes up, stand back as they may become angry or violent. If unresponsiveness is due to other reasons, naloxone will not harm them. Good Samaritan Laws in Illinois protect individuals if something goes wrong while helping an opioid overdose victim.

“Talking about things reduces the negative stigma, and if we can normalize seeking help,” said Lienhart, “We can normalize even other ways of coping with life’s stressors, so that you don’t need to reach for that drug or for that substance to manage [life’s circumstances].” Lienhart’s sentiment extends to not only negative stigmas about substance abuse treatment but also other health-related capacities, such as mental health and contraceptive use.

“I’m so grateful for everything that the university is doing to bring this aware-

ness,” said Lienhart, “I wish more organizations, especially universities, were as open to having these difficult conversations because they are difficult, but they are necessary.”

By learning how to administer Narcan, attendees gained insights into potentially life-saving interventions.

In addition to the practical training, participants were educated on the risks associated with counterfeit opioids, a pervasive issue in today’s society. For instance, the magnified images between authentic oxycodone and fake oxycodone looked extremely similar to the untrained eye, but the actual size of the tablets would be very challenging to differentiate.

Lienhart gives Narcan training seminars to public libraries, places of worship and police departments. Lienhart can be contacted for more harm reduction seminars in the Chicagoland area at llienhart@peerservices.org.

Call for Artists: The Independent is looking to feature artists who are apart of NEIU’s Community! If you’re interested in being featured or you’d like to nominate someone else to be featured, send an email to pindpnews@neiu.edu