TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2023
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2022
WWW.NEIUINDEPENDENT.ORG
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Student-run newspaper since 1962 Volume 43 Issue 1
Faculty, Staff & Students Protest Town Hall Meeting Demanding Accountability From NEIU Administration Written and photos taken by Scott Andrews, Writer
A group of about 30 students and faculty members marched from the village square in the Student Union building to the auditorium on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 as the University executive cabinet, including President Gloria J. Gibson, hosted a town hall meeting to address and discuss proposed budget cuts and departmental restructuring in response to the $11 million projected deficit in the University’s current fiscal year. Many students and faculty voiced opinions that the university administrators and consultants are out of touch with the University as a whole, and have been unwilling to listen to solutions repeatedly proposed since 2018. Manish Kumar, Vice President for Finance and Administration, confirmed the $11 million budget deficit is caused by a variety of factors, including mistakes from prior administrations, the COVID-19 pandemic challenges, State of Illinois appropriations, and declining enrollments in every academic department overall. As several students and faculty members felt passionate about the University, there were multiple outbursts and interrup-
tions to the presentation as Kumar talked. An anonymous member of the NEIU community shouted, “What about a $130,000 salary for a ghost worker from Michigan.” That comment was in response to the article where NEIU Vice President Buster-Williams Hired Someone As Her Interim Associate Vice President Who Allegedly Works Two Full-Time Jobs in Michigan. Another member shouted, “Whereis the enrollment plan? Why is it a secret? Why won’t you tell us how you plan to increase enrollment? It will be years out until you do that.” Immediately after, a member shouts, “are you presiding to fail? Read the room.” In response, Dr. Gibson calmly said twice, “just let us continue, please.” After a few minutes, a member yells, “Let’s just ask questions. We have already seen the slides.” Three people then began to yell and argue with president Gibson about the presentation continuing so they could voice their opinions. Dr. Gibson handed the presentation to Kumar, who quickly reviewed the University ’s posi-
tion on the budget and enrollment crisis. Ultimately, Dr. Gibson decided after Kumar’s presentation to let people voice their concerns and opinions, and make suggestions to address the budget deficit and restructuring plan. Several suggestions were made by students and faculty. One student named Karla asked how Dr. Gibson could possibly make these decisions for the University since her contract was not renewed by the Board of Trustees. Another person commented that it is not appropriate for a “lame-duck” president to make decisions and that she would have no accountability for the impact in the long term. Continues on page 2.
Faculty and Student Protestors at the Town Hall Meeting
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Staff: Editor-in-Chief Monty Stites
Managing Editor Savannah Owens
Production Editor Savannah Owens
Section Editors Monty Stites Leslie Lozada Erwin Lopez Rada Ananth Prabhu Dan Maurer
Production Team Xareni Uriostegui Pedro Castillo Ishaque Syed Gabriel Glochowsky Hannah Grajciar Jesus Robles
Writers Scott Andrews Angie Ybarra Ananth Parabhu Luz Analitis
Copy Editors Jasmine Rodriguez Kayla Nuszen Tejal Nanawase
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 EIC for any questions or if you have a letter to the editor: independent-eic@neiu.edu Contact Production Manager for any questions or interest in visual design: pindpnews@neiu.edu
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2023 Continued from front page As the crowd of students and faculty continued to express their opinions, all executive cabinet members sat with stoic expressions on their faces, listening but at times refusing to respond to some questions. It is unclear how much money is spent on consulting services as an attempt by the administration to address the budget deficit and enrollment crisis. Toya Barnes-Teamer, the consultant hired by the University, made an interesting observation via Zoom. Barnes-Teamer said, “you cannot wait for a new president to come in to address these issues. If you look at the enrollment in the past ten years, enrollment has been declining.” A faculty member stated in response, “I would also like to point out that you did indeed confirm my suspicion you have never seen a reorganization like this with a president not with us much longer. I would like to ask that we have a meeting, a full regrouping at the dean’s level with someone who knows how the University works.” Stacey L. Goguen, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Philosophy said, “Downsizing is a terrible idea for this University. Every single faculty and staff member is overworked. We do more than a full-time job. If we downsize… This will not help student retention. It will make it worse…How the hell will downsizing help this problem? I think Dr. Gibson has an ethical obligation to resign immediately!” Tracy J. Luedke, Professor of Anthropology, said, “We have really lost sight of who and what we are as a university. Right. The primary thing Northeastern does is to award bachelor’s degrees…When we reduce academic programs to the number of
majors in that program, we lose insight into our primary mission, which is to introduce students to the breadth and diversity of academic fields. That is what gives them insight and content about their major…The most disturbing part of the downsizing plan..is that you will kill us, we will cease to be a university.” Gregory W. Anderson, Ph.D. Department Chair, Professor of Physics and Environmental Science stated, “I am willing to do some belt-tightening but am also a numbers guy. I have been through early proposals. With all due respect, the savings projected are overestimated, and what is completely missing from the projects are the costs.” Many faculty members are worried about the non-financial costs of downsizing and reorganization and how it will affect student enrollment and retention. They claim it will do more damage than good.
about $650,000. But, there is an $11 million deficit. That is a savings of only about 6.18% and very well could cause the dissolving of NEIU in the long term as a worst-case scenario.
According to the Town Hall agenda document released by the University, cost savings from reorganization are projected to save
Faculty and Student Protestors at the Town Hall Meeting
Christopher Childers, Executive Director of Marketing and Communication (left), President Gloria J. Gibson (right)
President Gloria J. Gibson
Faculty and Student Protestors at the Village Square
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2023
These incidents occured on NEIU campus property between the dates of 01/01/2023 and 01/31/2023.
CONNECTION WITH ROBBERIES.
01/01/23 - THE NEST
LIBRARY STAFF REPORTED BURNS ON THE CARPET IN THE LIBRARY BASEMENT. UPON INVESTIGATION, A BURNED CELLPHONE WAS LOCATED IN A TRASH CAN.
POLICE RESPONDED TO COMPLAINTS REGARDING LOUD MUSIC, DRINKING AND SMOKING IN A RESIDENCE AT THE NEST. CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT ASSISTED WITH CROWD CONTROL AND SAFETY. ONE WEAPON WAS RECOVERED. 01/01/23 - THE NEST POLICE ASSISTED STUDENT AFFAIRS IN SERVING TWO EVICTION NOTICES TO NEST RESIDENTS RELATED TO ABOVE INCIDENT 01/01/23 - NEIU POLICE PROVIDED CAMERA FOOTAGE OF CAMPUS ACCESS ROAD TO FBI RELATING TO TWO OFF CAMPUS BANK ROBBERIES. SUSPECTS MAY HAVE USED ACCESS ROAD IN
01/04/23 - LIBRARY
01/08/23 - OFF-CAMPUS POLICE SQUAD CAR HIT BY OFFENDING VEHICLE OFF CAMPUS WHILE THE OFFICER ASSISTED IN APPREHENDING TWO ARMED CARJACKING SUSPECTS. SUSPECTS WANTED BY NEIGHBORING SUBURBAN POLICE DEPARTMENT. 01/10/23 - THE NEST NEST RESIDENT FILE A NON ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT REPORT AGAINST TWO ROOMMATES. CHARGES INCLUDE HOSTING A VISITOR WITH A WEAPON, HOSTING UNAUTHORIZED GUESTS FOR EXTENDED PERIODS,
THEFT, ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION, AND DRUG USE. 01/13/23 - EL CENTRO DURING A ROUTINE EVENING PATROL, OFFICER NOTICED A DOOR PROPPED OPEN. A SEARCH OF THE BUILDING WAS CONDUCTED AND NO OCCUPANTS WERE FOUND. 01/20/23 - ST. LOUIS AVENUE OFFICER PULLED OVER A VEHICLE GOING THE WRONG WAY DOWN A ONE WAY STREET. THE DRIVER FLED AFTER BEING ASKED FOR A DRIVER’S LICENSE. OFFICER DID NOT PURSUE DRIVER. 01/20/23 - THE NEST OFFICERS RESPONDED TO A COMPLAINT OF AN UNAUTHORIZED GUEST IN THE NEST. THE GUEST WAS LOCATED WITH ALCOHOL, WAS ASKED TO LEAVE AND COMPLIED.
01/21/23 - CITY STREET OFFICERS INVESTIGATED A PARKED VEHICLE WITH AN OCCUPANT. SUBJECT HAS AN ACTIVE WARRANT NOT SERVICEABLE IN COOK COUNTY FOR FAILING TO APPEAR IN COURT. 01/24/23 - AUDITORIUM DURING THE TOWN HALL, AN EMPLOYEE ALLEGEDLY VERBALLY ASSAULTED ANOTHER EMPLOYEE IN THE AUDITORIUM. 01/25/23 - PARKING DEPARTMENT OFFICE GROUNDS WORKER BACKED HIS TRACTOR INTO AN EXTERIOR OFFICE DOOR WHILE CONDUCTING SNOW REMOVAL, DAMAGING THE DOOR AND REQUIRING BOARDING OF THE DOOR. NO INJURIES REPORTED. 01/31/23 - WTTW TV STUDIOS FACULTY REPORTS UN-
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KOWN SUBJECT UNPLUGGED HIS ELECTRIC CAR FROM CHARGING STATION AND LEFT A NASTY NOTE BEHIND TELLING HIM TO MOVE CAR. THIS IS THE 2ND INCIDENT OF THIS KIND ON SAME VEHICLE. *** 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.
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2023
President Gibson Allegedly Says Members of Faculty Senate “Individually Responsible” for No Confidence Vote By: Erwin Lopez Rada, News Editor
Dan Maurer contributed to this report.
Gibson allegedly communicated this to the Faculty in front of members of two committees at different times before the Holiday break.
NEIU’s institutional crisis evolved quickly. A failure of the school to meet enrollment and retention goals for Fall 2022 triggered a no confidence vote on Nov. 15, 2022 against President Gibson’s performance by the Faculty Assembly – 89% of the assembly vote indicated that they have no confidence. But a lot more seems to have happened in this timeframe behind closed doors and the well mannered emails. Dr. Gibson allegedly said she holds members of the Faculty Senate “individually responsible” for the outcome of the confidence vote in the Senate on her during a Steering meeting on Oct. 19, 2022, according to people with knowledge of the events at the meetings. President Gibson also allegedly said Dr. Nancy Wrinkle was responsible for failing to speak out against flyers contrary to the President’s administration that had been placed under the doors of faculty offices as the confidence vote on Gibson was ongoing. This allegedly happened during an Executive Council Meeting held on Nov. 16, 2022. During a Senate Faculty Meeting on Nov. 22, Dr. Wrinkle acknowledged what the president had allegedly said about the flyers and the confidence vote, saying that, “The speech of a group of faculty to the rest of the faculty and personalize it against the chair of
the Senate. This was her only response [to the confidence vote and NEIU’s crisis].” The president of UPI, the union that represents faculty, librarians, and advisors, Dr. Nancy Matthews, said to The Independent that Dr. Gibson does not have the trust of faculty because “The leadership of the university has not been effective in the last several years. And of course, we know that COVID-19 pandemic created a lot of unprecedented challenges. But even looking beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve seen the leadership, especially the President and the Vice President levels, make decisions that seem to be taking us on a path that is destroying the university.” Dr. Wrinkle is in the yearlong process of becoming a full tenured professor, the last step in her career and a promotion that hinges on President Gibson’s decision. Dr. Kenneth Voglesonger, Director of the Student Center for Science Engagement, and one of the attendants to the Senate Steering Committee quit the Faculty Senate before the holiday break to become acting Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and had not answered our request for comment. Professor Timothy Duggan from the Educational Inquiry and Curriculum Studies Department, another attendant to that meeting, said, “no comments.”
Dr. Matthews said, regarding Dr. Wrinkle performance, that, “I think Nancy Wrinkle has been extremely responsible and professional, in all of the ways that she has handled this process, how she’s handled her leadership of the Faculty Senate.” Dr. Wrinkle said regarding NEIU’s institutional crisis that, “There are concerns about what the transition plan will be. And, you know, fallout from the Board of Trustees announcement has been that we’re all looking to the Board of Trustees for some sort of plan or some sort of reassurance and nothing is coming.” Neither NEIU’s administration nor President Gibson answered our requests for comment on. Gibson is finishing her tenure at NEIU in June 2023.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2023
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News
NEIU Vice President Buster-Williams Hired Someone Who Allegedly Works Two Full-Time Jobs in Michigan as Her Associate
Public Comments Shine Light on Challenges, President Commits to Shared Governance Inclusion
The 130k per year position went to a Buster-Williams’ friend that considers the VP part of her “support system”
By: Dan Maurer, Opinions Editor
By: Erwin Lopez Rada, News Editor
Diane Fuselier-Thompson wrote in the acknowledgments to her dissertation to obtain a Ph.D. degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign that “my support system runs deep and wide including long-time friends and colleagues, who have provided encouragement and support along the way.” Among the friends she names is someone who not only extended her support to Dr. Fuselier-Thompson’s academic success but who also recently bumped her up with an extra gig. Kimberley Buster-Williams, NEIU’s Vice President for Enrollment Management, only interviewed one person for the Interim Associate Vice President of Student Success and Retention position on April 15, 2022, this person was Diane Fuselier-Thompson. Dr. Fuselier-Thompson got the job right after the interview and started her tenure 17 days later on May 2, 2022. These facts were disclosed in an answer to a FOIA request made by members of the faculty. This rapid hiring made sense considering that fixing enrollment and retention is a task with an aging due date for NEIU’s administration. While it is true that hiring a friend is legal in Illinois and NEIU’s policy only affects direct family relationships, the issue is that Dr. Diane Fuselier-Thompson lives in
Southfield, Michigan, according to the voter registration database, and already has a full-time job as a Social Work instructor at Wayne State University in Detroit. According to Fuselier-Thompson’s LinkedIn and Facebook pages, she also works at Michigan Medicine, part of the University of Michigan system,although it is not clear if her facility is either at Flint or Ann Arbor Michigan Medicine’s Centers. Fuselier-Thompson is listed as an NEIU employee in the school’s directory and has not yet applied for Remote Work according to the same FOIA request made by faculty. The hiring process and initial start date of Fuselier-Thompson at NEIU happened while the school was struggling to meet its enrollment goals and she had to juggle between three alleged jobs, one of them located two states over from her listed place of residence. Vice President of Finance and Administration Manish Kumar, said to the NEIU community in August 2022 that if enrollment failed, “some difficult conversations are going to happen.” By that moment, Fuselier-Thompson should have received at least 3 months’ worth of salary from NEIU. All Vice Presidencies supposedly made cuts of around 6% in November 2022 because of the administration’s failure to meet enrollment goals but Buster-Williams’ did not
include the $130.000 salary of the Interim Associate Vice President in her austerity measures. Christopher Childers, NEIU’s Executive Director of Marketing and Communications said via email: “The university does not comment on human resource issues.” Abby Murray, NEIU’s Executive Director of Human Resources, did not respond to our requests for comment. As of Jan. 15, Fusilier-Thompson still was in NEIU’s phone directory but she was removed from it before the Jan. 17 Senate Faculty meeting where Dr. Matthews brought up the Fusilier-Thompson situation. Buster-Williams said in that Faculty Senate meeting that she hired 6 interim positions to cover for the schools’ staff turnover when she started her tenure in order to finish registration for Fall 2022 and keep her office running but did not give details on Fuselier-Thompson’s employment. The Vice President could assure that her staff was on Campus working up to September 2022 and then added, “Let me just say for all the terms that no one was given permission to have any outside employment.”
With the Budget Town Hall of Jan. 24, 2023 fresh in everyone’s minds, there were multiple members of NEIU’s community ready to speak their minds at public comments during the Faculty Senate meeting on Jan. 31, 2023. Two professors, Lauren Meranda and Ashley Elrod, both spoke to longstanding grievances between the faculty and successive administrations, with Meranda saying “They have used the language of professionalism, the mask of respectability, to gaslight us,” and Elrod added, “There was every opportunity along the way to collaborate with the university community.” Elrod made a point of quoting comments from President Gloria J. Gibson at the Budget Town Hall on Jan. 24, 2023 where Gibson said she welcomed the help of the university community: “Thank you for your offers to help. We need help… I heard you, we heard you.” That quote was verified by the Independent. President Gibson later reaffirmed her commitment in her own address to the Senate, saying, “I do want to hear what ideas you have for helping us out of our budget crisis, and I am willing to schedule a meeting for ideas, or through shared governance.”
“Please consider us… as you are making these power plays.” Students gave public comments, as well. Multiple students cited challenges working with staff and faculty.
One student, a 2022 graduate, cited, “a lack of support and respect.” Referring to the budget and enrollment crisis, she implored faculty and administration, “Please consider us [students], the number one stakeholders at Northeastern, as you are making these power plays, because it does not affect the bottom line as much as it affects our futures.” Krystal Donegan, an online student in the College of Business and Technology (CBT), claimed her emails and phone calls went unanswered at CBT, and that even when she did make the two hour drive to campus, she was “given the runaround” and had to seek assistance from chairs in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS). She said that it was only her mentors in CAS that kept her from leaving NEIU. Jane Xu, a faculty senator of CBT, promised to address her issues after the meeting and was later seen speaking with Donegan after the Senate adjourned. Students also voiced concerns about representation among the faculty. “It’s important for us to have representation in our school,” one student said, “Not only representation that looks like us, but a representation of people that care about us.” Donegan brought up the issue of representation within CBT specifically, calling the lack of it, “disgusting and undeniable.” Many expressed their impressions of the Town Hall in public comments as well. Elrod quoted a colleague
who said it was an “unprecedented expression of community anger.” Meranda said, “There is nothing unreasonable about voicing concerns passionately, and about asking for accountability.” Edwin Medina, the President of the Student Government Association (SGA), compared the Budget Town Hall to the insurrection at the US Capitol, saying, “Last time I had such intense feelings was on January 6, 2021. When I witnessed the unfolding of events in the nation’s capital.” He went on to say, “[Events at the Town Hall] made me sick to my stomach to watch students being used as weapons to further someone’s own agenda.” Nancy Wrinkle, the Chair of the Faculty Senate, said she had heard from many people who had differing views of the events at the Town Hall. “What people told me afterwards that was common to both of these perspectives,” she said, “was that the experience of the town hall meeting was traumatizing for many people in the room.” Wrinkle went on to say that many of the entities within the shared governance framework at NEIU were already reaching out to work more closely with administration and the Faculty Senate. She also said that she would be attending a meeting of the SGA on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023 at 3 p.m. in Alumni Hall, and urged senate members to join her there to hear the differing student perspectives.
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2023
Faculty Ask the Board of Trustees to Pressure President Gibson to Resign By: Scott Andrews, Writer
Several faculty members voiced their concerns of mismanagement, incompetence and lack of transparency, regarding the looming deficit to the Board of Trustees. Dr. Olivia Perlow, the Department Chair Sociology, and Dr. Ashley L. Elrod, Assistant Professor of History, voiced their concerns and asked the Board of Trustees to consider pressuring President Gloria J. Gibson to resign immediately and appoint Dr. Wamucii Njogu as interim president. At NEIU’s Town Hall Presentation on January, 24, 2023, Manish Kumar, Vice President of Finance and Administration confirmed that the university has a projected $11 million in deficit for the current fiscal year. The fiscal problem goes down to 10 years of mismanagement, declining enrollments of 50% less than pre-COVID-19 levels and reduced state appropriations. The university is considering a reorganization and restructuring plan to save $680,000. That is a saving of only 6.18% from the projected deficit. Dr. Perlow said, “We would love peace, but as the old adage says, no justice no peace. It is hard to achieve while we are watching our University go up in flames. We would love for our admin to be introspective and take accountability, but that is not happening…To the upper admin, I would suggest you focus on saving our university and increasing enrollment.” Dr. Stacey Goguen, Associate Professor of Philosophy, said, “Thus, I ask you, the trustees of the university, to take action
now. Let us remember, if her reorganization plan fails, she will not be here when it does. Instead, you will be left with the fallout from her bad decisions.” Dr. Goguen confirmed a group of 160 faculty members have sent a letter to the Board of Trustees and Governor J.B. Pritzker demanded Dr. Njogu to be nominated as interim president of NEIU. Dr. Njogu already held that position in 2018 for two months, and Dr. Elrod stated Dr. Njogu is more in touch with the university’s students, processes and faculty. Dr. Tim Scherman, Chair of the English Department, like most faculty, understands exactly the passion his colleagues have for this university over his tenure of 30 years at NEIU. Scherman stated, “Emotions ran over on Tuesday, and those were mainly these: the love and respect of those of us who have dedicated our careers to the institution and its students, and our overwhelming frustration at the people who have taken it over and run up unsurmountable deficits without the basis for that love and respect, which is work, here, with this particular hard-working population of students that deserves both our attention and our action. Instead of action, we have seen inaction, poor decision-making, and a fear or pride that refuses to admit what has led us to this precipice.”
Photo Credits: Scott Andrews
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2023
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The Single-Ply Canary and a Lame Waddling By: Dan Maurer, Opinions Editor
When I first came to Northeastern Illinois University, I did not know quite what to expect. I had previously attended the College of DuPage, a suburban community college. This was my first time learning at a university. My first class was at Lech Walesa Hall. I could tell right away that it was an older building. NEIU was founded over 150 years ago, so that was to be expected. There was one thing that did concern me though: Single-ply toilet paper. Maybe I am spoiled, but the hygienic peace of mind that comes with two layers of paper is something I would expect to be a given from any institution with a multi-million dollar budget. Even Walmart has industrial size rolls of two-ply in all their restrooms. NEIU’s sporadic use of single-ply was a bit of a red flag for me. This is now my second semester here, and I now realize that this is a canary in a coal mine. Northeastern Illinois University is in crisis. Our university is suffering from a dire financial and enrollment crisis. We are running an $11 million budget deficit, according to Manish Kumar, the Vice President for Finance and Administration; and undergraduate enrollment has fallen by 29% since 2018. The number of credit hours are down even more over the same time span, down roughly 44.4% according to slides from the University Town Hall on Jan. 24, 2023. Of course, a downturn was expected during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, all of our peer universities in the Chicagoland area have seen their enrollment ticking upwards, while ours is still falling. Even before 2018, enrollment was falling. President Gloria J. Gibson had been appointed as university president in 2018 with a mandate to fix this problem. Clearly, in the last five years, she has failed to do so. Not only has she failed to reverse our enrollment crisis, she has managed to alienate the faculty. Her term as president
has been rife with accusations of a lack of transparency and little engagement in the shared governance framework in place with the Board of Trustees and Faculty Senate here at NEIU. Late last year, the Faculty Senate delivered votes of no-confidence in both President Gibson, and the Board of Trustees. This was not even the first time faculty members had indicated that they had no faith in Gibson. She had previously lost a vote of no-confidence as provost at the University of Northern Iowa in 2012. All of this is happening with ongoing union negotiations with the University Professionals of Illinois, the union representing faculty and staff at NEIU, have been less than pleasant. There have also been staffing scandals as well, including NEIU operating without a marketing director for over a year, prior to the appointment of Christopher Childers to the post, at a time when marketing is critical for attracting new students. There was also the scandal involving the Interim Associate Vice President of Student Success and Retention, Diane Fuselier-Thompson, working remotely from out of state. Since then, the Board of Trustees has voted not to renew Gibson’s contract as president when it expires June 30, 2023. Gibson is still president, however, and she still has full authority to enact change at the university, changes that she will not be around to have any accountability for. She still has authority to make decisions about faculty promotions. Her interim provost, who will most likely not last much longer than the end of Gibson’s term, is mandating reorganizations of the colleges and a reduction in department chairs and staff cuts, none of which are proven to cut even more than $1 million off the deficit. This is a pivotal moment for our university. We are trying to attract new students while cutting staff, putting more
pressure and work on what staff we retain. The Faculty Senate has passed a resolution calling for transitional leadership, and have asked the Board of Trustees to appoint an interim president. Faculty and students interrupted the budget town hall on Jan. 24, 2023 protesting faculty cuts and calling on President Gibson to resign, shouting out that she had “already been fired,” and that she was a lame duck. They asked why she was still making decisions and policy that she would not be president to be accountable for? And I have to wonder about that as well. Just as the US president is a lame duck after a new one has been elected until Inauguration Day, Gibson is also a lame duck. But US presidents are only in office for two months before the new one comes in. Gibson will still be here for another six months, and so will her cabinet: A waddling of lame ducks. NEIU has had an interim president before, and I think it is time we did once again. President Gibson has proven, year after year, that she cannot turn our flagging enrollment trend around, she cannot work with and accept criticism or feedback from faculty and she cannot effectively staff her own departments. And now, she has been given notice that she will not continue in her job. Her contract will not be renewed. Still, she has full authority to enact changes at NEIU as she makes her way to the door, including burning the institution down on her way out, as she seems to be doing. For the good of the university, of the institution she claims to love and serve faithfully, she should resign, and allow those who actually hold a stake in NEIU’s future to make decisions about our university.
opinion
OPINION
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2023
Should President Biden Resign Over the Classified Documents Scandal? By Scott Andrews, Writer
If President Trump is to be prosecuted for his crimes, I believe President Biden should consider resignation for the strength of our democracy to survive. President Trump’s alleged crimes against our nation are a far greater danger to our national security. He tried at every angle of the investigation to obstruct justice, whether it be hiding behind his lawyers and the courts, not notifying the National Archives and Records Administration promptly or at all, and the sheer volume of classified documents taken to his private residence Mar-a-Largo, a large estate compared to President Biden’s home in Delaware and office in Washington D.C. Our society is based on law and order. We have laws in place to protect our national security, our country’s most sensitive secrets, and ourselves. When someone violates a law, due to negligence or stupidity, there must be consequences. Ignorance of breaking the law is no excuse. While there is a difference and contrast between what President Biden is accused of and that of former President Trump, the fundamental laws and procedures to protect classified documents from interception by hostile actors, foreign and domestic, are paramount. President Biden is a seasoned politician. He rose up the ranks in the United States Senate. President Barack Obama chose him as his vice president. A majority of Americans agreed he could make a great president. However, his tenure has been riddled with scandals such as the unfolding southern border crisis, the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the lagging war in Ukraine, and the chaotic withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. No president is immune to controversy, especially in today’s political polarization within our great nation. I do not believe President Biden
acted intentionally to potentially expose our nation’s classified and closely guarded secrets. His staff immediately notified the Department of Justice and National Archives and Records Administration once the classified documents were discovered. He is not trying to hide his mistake and has claimed responsibility publically. President Biden may be ignorant, or his staff careless. However, he is the sitting president and Commander in Chief with full acting authority. As the saying goes, “The buck stops here.” Suppose we, as a society, are to survive and continue to be a country where laws are respected; those that violate a law or procedure need to be held accountable. That includes both President Biden, President Trump and any former or future presidents, since their actions can endanger our national security.
Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2023
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opinion
A Beautiful Morning at The Nest: A Resident’s First Impression By: Scott Andrews, Writer
As the sun rose on a beautiful Sunday morning, I realized how fortunate I am to be at NEIU, and living at The Nest on-campus residence community. My morning began at 3:45 a.m. I enjoyed a banana, had a cup of Joe with Splenda, and worked out at The Nest fitness center. Then I took a shower, ate breakfast, and decided to write this piece as I reflected on the last couple of days. The Nest, from my initial observations, is luxurious living compared to the dorms at other public and private universities. The laundry facilities are clean, and so is my apartment pod, for the most part. As students living independently, we must respect each other and keep our home, The Nest, clean! There were horror stories, last semester, that some students were not doing their jobs, and Dr. Terry Mena, Vice President and Dean of Students for Student Affairs, told me in a nice way that some students lack the skills to keep The Nest clean and tidy. That is why additional cleaning staff were hired, and signs were placed to remind students to be more insightful of cleanliness. My apartment was clean when I walked in for the first time, unlike what a handful of other students reported in August 2022 and confirmed by Dr. Mena when I interviewed him in November. Although temperamental at times, the new 5G internet routers seem to work adequately, at least in my apartment, with my devices. Each apartment comes furnished with a desk, table, dresser, beds, and a large communal Smart TV. The lobby has a pool table, ping pong table, several TVs with premium cable channels, and multiple video game systems for students to enjoy during their leisure time. According to emails from the activity director, there are semi-weekly activities for students to enjoy exclusive to those living at The Nest. I am astonished at the size of the bathtub and the view of the Chicago skyline from my apartment. I love cooking my own
food to my liking and having modern cooking appliances such as a stove, microwave, large refrigerator, and dishwasher. However, our dishwasher can be temperamental. It takes several tries and is tricky to lock. It came in this condition when my roommates and I moved in. If it keeps acting up, I will submit a repair request through the Resident Portal. I already like being on my own and living with three other guys, who I consider my friends, not only roommates. Yesterday I walked three blocks west to Jewel-Osco to do grocery shopping. For students that are more budget conscious, an Aldi grocery store is half a mile away south on Pulaski, and Tony’s Market is east on Lincoln Avenue. The Albany Park neighborhood is friendly and bustling with activity. There is a nice Subway and Starbucks about two blocks east from campus down Foster Avenue. I hope to continue making new friends with nearly every nationality represented by the residents at The Nest. I hope we can all do well in our studies and surprise the world with our talents, and the skills and lessons taught here. I look forward to a few years from now when my fellow students and I will walk down that aisle, wearing blue and gold, as we receive our well-deserved diplomas, shaking the hand of the president of Northeastern Illinois University.
Photo Credits: Scott Andrews
opinion
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2023
And the Results Are in! Midterm Election Results 2022 By: Angela Ybarra, Writer
Here we are, ushering in the New Year 2023, and until recently we were, and in some cases still are, waiting on the results of the midterm elections that took place on Nov. 8, 2022. The face of the nation was projected to be hit by a “Red Wave,” but Republicans narrowly took the House while the Democrats outperformed in many states. These midterm elections made one thing crystal clear; the citizens of America expect those in power to do what is in their best interest, and if they can not do that then they will be voted out of office. People are standing up and speaking out, the expectation is that their state’s representatives advocate for what the people of their state believe in and want. A light is being shone on the wrongdoings, shortcomings, and back alley deals, and it’s all being called out. If anything, these midterm elections united the majority of American citizens and called for a return to civility toward one another. Gone are the days when the saying “boys will be boys” will provide an excuse for poor behavior, or so it seems. I caution you, the reader, to not allow complacency to overtake you, as it will allow the United States to fall further down a rabbit hole, and returning could be impossible. The results of the midterms brought to the attention of many the need to exercise their right to vote, as well as educate themselves on the mechanics of just how our government is run. Not since the ’70s has voter turnout between those aged 18 to 29 years old been so high, out of Florida, a firmly established Red state comes the first GenZ elected official, who is a Democrat, 25 years of age,
and whose main platform is stricter gun control. While the Republicans saw Sarah Huckabee Sanders, former White House Press Secretary under President Trump’s administration win the governorship of Arkansas. In fact, this election opened the door for many firsts, the first black Governor of Maryland, the first woman who is part of the LGTBQIA+ community to be governor of Massachusetts and as of the writing of this story, we see the Republicans struggle to elect the Speaker of the House which, has not happened since 1932. Fifteen votes later and many concessions Kevin McCarthy finally assumed the role of Speaker of the House. NEIU, please note that the Department of Political Science held a virtual roundtable on the US midterm elections back in November 2022. Associate Professor of Political Science, Dr. William Adler, and Professor of Political Science, Dr. Ellen Cannon provided critical insights into the midterm elections. I urge the NEIU community to stay ever vigilant in the pursuit of knowledge with regards to the governing of our country so that we might be able to aspire to greatness but not without taking into account all of our citizens, regardless of race, sexual preference, age, ability, and diversity is truly respected. Inclusivity should be the norm
and not a pleasant surprise. As we reflect on what has transpired in our nation, and we come to terms with the overall state of our country, there exists a rare opportunity for the average citizen to experience politics by actively participating in the voting process, a s
well
as educating themselves on the processes of our government, allowing for one that truly represents the democracy we aspire to maintain. Photo Credits: amberzen on Pixabay
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2023
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opinion
Are Community Colleges That Offer Four-Year Degrees Worth it? By: Ananth Prabhu, Sports Editor
Community college is often considered a budget-friendly place to transfer general education credentials to university or a nifty applied associate’s degree in the trades. However, this mentality has changed over recent years. Once students finish their associate’s degrees and establish comfort and reliability with that community college location, they may wish to continue their matriculation and thus pursue a higher degree at the same place. As of now, it is entirely possible to earn a bachelor’s degree or even a master’s degree without ever actually setting foot in a university. Both William Rainey Harper College in Palatine, Illinois and College of Lake County in Grayslake, Illinois have a University Center for students to take university courses directly from the corresponding community college campus. Each community college is affiliated with local and statewide university systems to allow greater accessibility to university-level coursework. The partner universities for College of Lake County include NEIU, Concordia University Chicago, Northern Illinois University, DePaul University, Southern Illinois University – Carbondale and Edwardsville – Dominican University, the University of Illinois – Springfield and at Urbana-Champaign – National Louis University, North Park University and Webster University. The partner universities for Harper College include DePaul University, Northern Illinois University, Roosevelt University and Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. The beauty of this University Center system is that the bachelor’s and master’s degrees are from the corresponding university, but the location is at the student’s familiar community college location. For those high school graduates who did not receive guaranteed scholarships and grants to attend a university as freshmen, community colleges offer all the resources and lower cost of attendance that they may be seeking. According to Harper College Registration and Records, one 3-credit hour course would
cost $400.50. According to NEIU’s Registration and Records, one 3-credit hour course would cost $1,350.87. It costs more than three times as much for a single 3-credit hour course at a state university! That is outrageous when considering general education course requirements, such as introduction to college writing, psychology, sociology, lab sciences, algebra, and other 100 and 200- level courses that freshmen and sophomore students typically take. When high school graduates attend university straight away, they really will not have anything to show for their hard work after two years, but at a community college, they would have an associate’s degree. There are employers who specifically look for potential employees with college-level critical thinking skills without the need for a four-year degree. Thus, attending a two-year college, then a fouryear university, and finally a graduate school allows students to seek jobs with pay raises and job promotions along the way. To reiterate, 60 credits would be earned at the community college, another 60 credits at the university and finally between 30 to 50 credits at the graduate school, and each institution of higher education would only take two years for full-time status students to complete. I have not even gotten into the details of housing at universities yet. By continuing at a community college, it is entirely possible for students to continue living at their parents’ homes after high school and save an incredible amount of money. Saving money often feels thrilling and gives enjoyment to me because I can spend those savings in more meaningful ways. Renting a home in Illinois can easily cost between $600 to $2,000 based on size and location. That is $7,200 to $24,000 per year plus the cost of the one-month security deposit, which you may or may not get back at the end of the lease. The dorms at NEIU, called The Nest, may be more cost-efficient, however, you may be displeased with the service you get. According to The Nest’s primary financial
stakeholder, americancampus.com, a single semester costs $774 per person. According to the floor plans, all units have a shared living room, shared bathroom and shared kitchen, but there seems to be two tiers of bedrooms where residents would share a bedroom versus getting an unshared bedroom. According to a recent and former NEIU Independent editor, and Nest resident, Mariana Silva Lindner, the Nest had relentless and blaring fire drill alarms every so often, sewage backup in showers and toilets, bathroom floodings, cockroach infestations, insect infestations, filth from former tenants, mildew, unkempt furniture, broken mirrors, under-maintained partial light-filtering window treatments and a one-week turnaround time for action to customer service maintenance requests. I suppose the money that is saved by not renting an actual apartment is the compromise for all of The Nest’s issues. I think it may be best to attend a community college, do a daily commute and avoid the unsuspecting nightmare of dorm life. When it comes to saving money, working with a familiar campus and having the convenience of living at home, it looks like a worthwhile pursuit to earn a bachelor’s degree from a community college campus. As long as the students’ desired majors and career paths are available via community college’s University Centers, it should definitely be a beneficial consideration for all students to pursue. Sometimes, a dorm life and apartment life are an extra hassle to deal with if there is a way to avoid it. To top it off, community colleges tend to have more course offerings for each general education course throughout the daytime, afternoon, evening and online. Furthermore, there are usually more summer classes offered at community colleges as well, and as such, many university students transfer to a community college over the summer to wrap up additional general education course requirements. Thus, the flexibility, accessibility, cost and convenience factors are
some of the best reasons to start and finish academia at a community college. My verdict is that earning a four-year degree at a community college is totally worth it for students to consider. If universities desire increasing their enrollment and retention rates, then it may be in their best interests to promote a corresponding partnered University Center at a community college.
Photo Credits: Pixabay: Peggy_Marco
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2023
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opinion
14
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2023
What’s New, Scooby-Doo? What’d “Velma” Do With You?? By: Luz Analitis, Writer Illustration by: Hannah Grajciar
…We’ve got to solve that mystery. The mystery is, why did the new TV show, “Velma,” change and rewrite its characters so poorly? The new adult animated TV show “Velma” has definitely got my mind working overtime trying to formulate opinions on the choices they made for the show. In this article, I’ll be specifically talking about my thoughts on the changes made to the main characters of the show. “Velma” has been quite a hot topic ever since it was announced, especially because of the changes it has made to the Mystery Inc. gang. I’d like to start by addressing the obvious changes that have caused quite a stir online. “Velma” notably altered the races, ethnicities and sexualities of most of the crew: Velma is Indian and seemingly bisexual, Daphne is Asian and also seemingly bisexual, Norville (Shaggy) is of mixed race with an African-American mom and a white dad, but Fred is still white and heterosexual. I do not have an inherent distaste for these changes. I think diversity and greater representation are so important in the media. It is something that we are starting to see a bit more of, and I do not think it will or should stop anytime soon. I do think it is much better when shows and movies come up with original characters that positively represent diverse, main protagonists, but I guess I can see how easy and useful it is to portray diversity in already established and loved characters. In this case, it was of course done with the classic Scooby-Doo gang, and on a surface level, I really do not mind it. The changes that I do mind, however, are the strange personality choices that they made for each character, which I will discuss for each one. The only character that I also believe needs more discussion about the portrayal of their ethnicity is Velma, as I think it was done in quite a damaging way. With all this said now, let’s just dive right into it. We will begin with the title character, Velma. Originally, and in most adaptations of Velma, she represents the brains of the oper-
ation for the Mystery Inc. team. She is super intelligent, inquisitive, witty, a bit sarcastic and a little clumsy for always losing her glasses, but is an all-around kind and loveable character. The show “Velma” somehow took all those great qualities of her character, and made her extremely unlikeable. In this adaptation, she maintains the intelligence that she is known for, but all other likable attributes are lost on her. In this show, she comes off as a complete know-itall with a better-than-thou attitude. At the same time, however, she’s super insecure and seems to take out that insecurity on everyone else in the show. Honestly, at times, she comes off as a sort of toxic mean girl, which is nothing like the Velma we know and love. Again, I can appreciate that they chose to have the main protagonist of the show represent South Asian and Indian people. They had a huge opportunity to portray her as empowering for her culture, but unfortunately, the writers for her character did not do that. She uses a lot of self-deprecating humor and oftentimes straight-up bashes on her own culture. At the same time, characters that interact with her also perpetuate stereotypes in such a harmful way. These stereotypes seemed very central to her character, and I found them to be extremely distasteful. Maybe they did this to try to humorously point out the awfulness of the prejudices and bullying that South Asian and Indian people are faced with to make a point on how ridiculous they are, but it doesn’t come off that way at all. It’s just plain offensive without any value to it. Honestly, one way I can put it is that it feels icky to watch. Since I am not of South Asian or Indian origin, I found it of great importance to hear the opinions of those who are a part of this ethnicity and culture. I’ve watched multiple videos of mostly Indian women discussing their thoughts on Velma’s character and representation. For reference; @shiv.alry, @angelixx4, @spudblendr, and @movieswithriddhi on TikTok, as well as “Velma, In The Eyes Of A South Asian” on YouTube, all give great perspective, analysis, and discussion about
this issue. In general, they agree that Velma is a horrible portrayal and representation of their people. Instead of being an empowering role model, Velma represents all of the awful stereotypes that are hurtful to them. A lot of the “jokes” about Velma in the show were particularly about physical stereotypes, and when I say a lot, I mean A LOT. With there already being so little positive representation of South Asian and Indian characters in TV and movies, it is extremely disappointing to see this opportunity for one being absolutely squandered. I highly recommend checking out some of the content creators I mentioned or seeking out others who are also South Asian or Indian, as they give true perspective and go into much further detail than I can. Now…let’s talk about the other main characters. Daphne is usually portrayed as the conventionally pretty fashionista of the team. She always seems to find herself in danger but is proven to be a fighter and pro at hand-tohand combat in many of her portrayals. I admit I like how in “Velma” the writers kind of twist her “damsel in distress” narrative around, and make it so that she actually loves danger. She is a thrill seeker who isn’t afraid to take risks, and she’s still the fighter we love her for. Similarly to Velma, she also is portrayed as a mean girl in the show. She is a bully at times and uses fighting as a way to “prove she’s not weak” rather than for catching bad guys and empowerment. Overall, she, unfortunately, follows a similar fate in that the writing for her character makes her unlikable, which is such a shame. My opinion remains that Sarah Michelle Gellar is still the best portrayal of Daphne Blake, and I wish they had injected more of that character into this one for the show. Shaggy goes by the name Norville in Velma, which is his proper first name. In previous adaptations, Shaggy is the goof of the gang. He is
also funny, a bit of a scaredy-cat, and somehow always seems to be the one who captures the villain. Arguably, he is the most comedic and well-loved character of the Mystery Inc. team (at least in my eyes). Yet somehow, “Velma” managed to take his character and make him the complete opposite of what I’ve just described him as. In the show, he is completely infatuated and in love with Velma, who has pretty much friendzoned him. But his obsession with Velma seems to be all there is to his character. They turned my guy Shaggy into a SIMP! In my opinion, he’s barely even funny in the show. They made an adult adaptation of Shaggy, and didn’t even make him a stoner! He is even vehemently anti-drug in the show. I guess this is their way to poke fun at the pop-culture lore that he actually is a stoner, but I only see it as a missed opportunity and really just not humorous. Such a shame and disappointment.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2023
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arts & life
Jinkies! It’s an Honest Review of the New Show “Velma”! By: Luz Analitis, Writer
Finally, there is Fred Jones. He is typically portrayed as the level-headed leader and organizer of the group, and he loves to plan and set up traps. Over time his character has evolved to show a bossier and un-self-aware side to him. Despite this, he always maintains an endearing and genuine quality to him. The show “Velma” however decided to make him an awful human being. In this show, he is a raging misogynist, racist, sexist and narcissistic person. One small example of this is that he often ignores Velma in the show or does not even remember who she is because she is “ugly”, and purposely seems to refer to her by different and wrong ethnicities. Fred and his family are also super rich, and he is a total snob who is completely helpless and weak. A running gag in the show is that he doesn’t even know how to cut his own food and must have someone else do it for him. He is seriously portrayed as an all-around terrible person in this show, which I think is a disheartening change to the classic Fred Jones character. There is a lot I could get into with other implications of his character on the show, but I think that requires an in-depth conversation that’s not suitable in this article… To end with, it is important for me to note one more character change that is in the show “Velma”... SCOOBY-DOO ISN’T EVEN IN IT! My hope is maybe they will show how he joins the team toward the end of the series, but I have a feeling that this is doubtful. I will not even be finishing the series, so I guess I will just have to wait to hear about whether he ever appears or not. Overall, it is clear that I do not like the writing for each of the characters on “Velma,” as they are a far cry from the iconic and lovable cast of their predecessors. So to answer the question of “What’s New Scooby-Doo?”, the answer is…a lot is new, and “new” is not a good thing in this case.
The reputation for the new adult animated TV show “Velma” has far preceded itself. Before the show even aired, a dark cloud of criticism and controversy loomed around its premier. As someone who frequents TikTok, it was difficult to avoid people voicing their preconceived notions of this show on the app. After hearing a few thoughts though, I really wanted to watch the show for myself with an open mind in order to form my own opinions on it. With this said, I have watched the first four episodes so that either you do no’t have to, or at least you can know what you are getting yourself into if you do. “Velma” is a loose interpretation of the classic “Scooby-Doo” show and its loveable characters. I say loose because “Velma” vastly changes key characteristics of both the cast and general feel of the original show. If you want to know more about these changes and are curious about my thoughts on them, please check out my opinion piece on this topic that is also featured in this issue of the Independent. I have too many thoughts regarding those changes to be able to squeeze them into this one article. To very briefly summarize, this show is targeted toward adults and follows the titular gang in their high school years on a comedic, murder-mystery plot. In theory, that sounds like an intriguing premise. When I first learned that the 2002 live action “Scooby-Doo” film was originally intended by screenwriter, James Gunn, to have more adult humor and dark tones, I have since been hoping and dreaming to have that adaptation realized. “Velma” on the other hand took those hopes and dreams, crushed them and then swiftly threw them in the trash. Before I get into why those hopes and dreams are now in the trash, I do want to sprinkle some positivity into this review. Again, on paper, I appreciate the premise of the show. I love a good murder-mystery story that includes some raunchy adult humor. And like a lot of people, I have been a “Scooby-Doo”
fan since I was a kid, so why not revamp it in a way to now enjoy as an adult?! There was room for a lot of opportunity here, and I respect the guts it takes as a creator and writer to try to make something of your own, especially when it comes to reboots/remakes. Although in my opinion they rarely work out, I can say I at least give them an “A” for effort. I also have to admit that within the first two episodes, the show got a few chuckles out of me. I certainly did not let out any frequent or hearty laughter, but a few visual gags and jokes did make me laugh in the way when you expel a puff of air from your nostrils. With that out of the way, let’s get into some of the issues I have with the show. Besides the changes as mentioned before, my biggest problem with the show was its comedic writing. “Velma”’s main approach at humor is geared toward hyper-wokeness and cancel-culture attitudes. It’s jampacked with jokes about toxic-masculinity, white privilege, stereotyping, sexuality, feminism, meta-humor, etc. Which yes, there’s humor to be found in those issues, and sometimes comedy is a good way to address some of these serious societal problems. Unfortunately this show does it in a way that is so in-your-face that it loses all comedic merit. It feels like at the end of each joke, the writer is saying, ‘This is a funny joke. We are so woke. Please laugh at it!’, and that they are begging the viewer to see how coolly self aware they are. However, for this reason , the jokes have a completely adverse effect. Maybe if it was done in clever and subtle ways, the jokes would land better but they just fell totally flat to me. For example, episodes three and four are so full of these cringey jokes that they did not get a single chuckle out of me. Not even a quick nasal exhale. This is all really a shame because the actual murder-mystery plot is kind of interesting. It involves Velma and the gang
trying to catch a serial killer going around murdering students from Coolsville High. Alongside this, Velma is trying to solve the disappearance of her mom, while Daphne tries to find out more about her birth parents (she is adopted in the show). Again, I really enjoy mystery shows and movies, so these plotlines had the potential to be pretty intriguing to me. Unfortunately, I find that the plot is totally overshadowed by the poor writing of the show, as well as the questionable changes they made to the beloved “Scooby-Doo” characters. To kind of back up everything I have said so far, I’d like to note that “Velma” as of January 25, 2023 has a 6% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 1.3 / 10 rating on IMDb. If I had to give it a personal rating, I’d give it a generous 1.5 / 5 star rating. Two new episodes are released every Thursday on HBO Max, and the series has ten episodes total. However after watching the first four , I will not be continuing or finishing this series, and it’s no mystery as to why.
arts & life
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2023
Completely Original: Weird: The Al Yankovic Review By Leslie Lozada, Campus Life Editor
Weird Al will change the world! You think you know Weird Al Yankovic, the man who made several song parodies from well known songs, and the occasional polka song. Did you know that Weird Al was in a relationship with Madonna, had one of his original songs parodied by Michael Jackson, and almost ended up in Live Aid with Queen? Thing is, that didn’t happen. “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” is a musical biopic parody that is just as absurd as the man who is the focus of the film. For those that don’t know, Yankovic is an acclaimed parody writer, singer, actor and accordion player who has been working since the late 1970s. He is still relevant to this day, with several albums, films and tv shows under his belt. I’m sorry to disturb you, ma’am, but I’m afraid we found your son at a polka party. He was playing an accordion. Throughout the film, it’s clear that while there are several things that have happened in Yankovic’s life that are covered in the film, there is a lot of exaggeration for comedic effect. The film starts in Yankovic’s childhood, with his father having a hatred of accordions and polka music to the point that even going to a teenage polka party sets the man off. His childhood frames the early scenes and an emotional character arc for Yankovic, with his father’s words of “working at the factory” mentally torturing him as Yankovic becomes more famous. Do not be mistaken: there are
grains of truth in the film, such as the phenomenon called the “Yankovic bump”, that involved several artists getting more fame and sales due to Yankovic’s parody songs. But the film tailors Yankvioc’s life to depict several dramatic musical biopic tropes: such as having a troubled relationship with a parent, most often the father, getting a mentor during the start of their career, having a partner that causes tension within the band, and so on. Daniel Radcliff portrays Yankovic for the majority of the film. In line with the roles he has taken since the conclusion of the Harry Potter series, he brings his all into his role: as it veers into emotional territory with scenes involving his father, as played by Toby Huss, comedic humor with several celebrities he encounters, such as an interview with Oprah as played by Abbott Elementary’s Quinta Brunson, showing off his platinum records, and even showing off his fighting skills later on in the film. There are several celeb cameos throughout the film, including Jack Black as Wolfman Jack. Yankovic himself plays a role that is reminiscent of Mike Myers’ completely fictional role in Bohemian Rhapsody, which portrayed the rise of Queen, a british band. If you wanna have a great time, check out the film on Roku. Knowing some things about Yankovic would enhance the weirdness of it all, but if you don’t, it’s probably much better.
Illustrated by Savannah Owens
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2023
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arts & life
Grief, Eating Disorders, and A Controlling Toxic Mother: “I’m Glad My Mom died” Review By: Leslie Lozada, Campus Life Editor
“I’m realizing for the first time how exhausting it is to constantly curate my natural tendencies, responses, thoughts and actions into whatever version Mom would like most.” - Jennette McCurdy, “I’m Glad My Mom Died” For those that don’t know who Jennette McCurdy is, she was an actress until 2017. Her most famous role was Sam Puckett, the second lead in the Nickelodeon show “iCarly”, which premiered in the mid-2000s and lasted six seasons with over 100 episodes. Often seen as an bombastic character who can physically take people on in a fight with a sock full of butter and constantly eating all sorts of greasy foods, the character received a spin-off, titled “Sam & Cat”, with “Victorious” star Ariana Grande, which was canceled after one season, with 35 episodes. The memoir is structured around McCurdy’s mother’s presence in her life. Given the title of the book, the first half, titled “Before” details McCurdy’s perspective of growing up with her mother; as her mother pushed McCurdy in several child actress roles, as well as into a dangerous eating disorder that would affect McCurdy for over a decade. It also details McCurdy’s life after winning the role of Puckett, and having the chance to break away from her mother more. The second half titled “After”, deals with the death of McCurdy’s mother, which happened near the end of McCurdy’s portrayal of Puckett. With guilt being at the forefront, McCurdy dealt with several revelations about her mother’s past, as well as McCurdy’s present. “Mom not only knows everything about how and what I eat, but she encourages and supports my habits. What’s going on? What does this even mean?” The center of this book is about the complicated relationship McCurdy had with her mother. There were several chapters that showed the love that McCurdy had for
her mother, while also showing how her mother had no sense of boundaries with her daughter. Going into McCurdy’s mind while developing OCD and other disorders as well as other self harming behaviors as seen later in the book, it’s clear that the var-
McCurdy suffered at the hands of her mother. While I will not give too much away, several passages were difficult to read because of the abuses she suffered from her mother and “The Creator”, an unnamed figure throughout her time
ious amounts of emotional, physical, financial and sexual abuse took its toll on her. Along with that, there are insights into the world of child acting, and how difficult and competitive it can be to not only to book a role, but also the culture surrounding being a young child star. “We have to want to change, not for someone else, but for ourselves” - Laura, one of Jennette McCurdy’s therapists from “I’m Glad My Mom Died” I will admit, it was hard reading this book, due to the various abuses
working on “ICarly” and “Sam & Cat”, as well as from a couple of relationships that veered towards sexual assault. This is a book where it gets your attention right away, but also hits you so hard with everything McCurdy wrote down about her life. This memoir might make fans of “ICarly” look at Sam Puckett differently, but at least with the understanding as to why McCurdy turned down reprising the role for an Paramount+ revival show. You can find “I’m Glad My Mom Died” wherever books are sold.
Photo Credits: Leslie Lozada
Artist of the week
18
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2022
NEIU Artist of The Week Submitions Needed
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Photo Credits: Jesus Robles
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2023
19
Sports
Rec Center Services and Activities By: Ananth Prabhu, Sports Editor
The Campus Recreation Center at NEIU’s P.E. Complex has five new and classic fitness classes taking place during the Spring 2023 Semester. All of the fitness classes are open to students and community members 18 years and up on a walk-in basis. There is no registration or sign-up required; all you need to do is show up. Furthermore, there is no pressure to show up to each and every fitness session. In other words, you may show up during whichever meeting days and times are convenient for you. The beauty of all activities at the recreation center is that it has been developed for all skill levels, which include novice, intermediate and advanced recreation enthusiasts. There is currently one dance class offered weekly which is Zumba. Zumba is a choreographic dance with Columbian vibes and fast motion. Functional Strength and Mobility Training is a class that allows participants to gain greater dexterity over their bodily movements, balance and coordination. The added benefit of this dexterous activity is to prevent injury risks during laborious activities. The striking class allows participants to practice and train on punching pads on an opponent in various targeted directions. The spin class allows participants to ride stationary bicycles as a group with various resistance put on the wheels to mimic uphill, flat, and downhill riding. The beginner yoga class allows patrons to learn Vinyasa Style and Meditation. The premise of the yoga class is to focus on paced movements and focused breathing. The Rock Climbing and Bouldering activities offer all students and community members the wonderful opportunity of seeking adventure in a warm gymnasium during the winter months. This adventurous experience is a way for you to jump out of your comfort zone and practice the skills of excitement-seeking outdoorsmen. If you desire to take advantage of your campus recreation fee to make it worth your time and money, rock climbing may just be the most efficient way to complete the task. According to the staff member in charge of rock climbing, Thursday hours
are subject to change due to academic classes using the space in the P.E. Complex, and academics will always take priority over extracurricular activities. However, Tuesday and Wednesday hours for rock climbing have been doubly verified. If fitness activities are not your forté, then feel free to explore the sports activities that are held on a weekly basis. Basketball games, volleyball games and dodgeball games are held weekly for you to engage with teams and showcase your school spirit. These sports are available for all community members and students. However, Boxing Club is only available to students because it is a student organization. The full schedule of fitness activities and sports activities is below, and the activities are offered every week this semester. With a combination of fitness class activities and sports games, there is a bustling variety of pastimes to play. There are going to be live sports to play and spectate during the semester. Every Monday night starting Feb. 6 at 6:15 p.m., there will be 5 v 5 officiated games, and the first ten players to show up can play in court 3 of the main gymnasium. Tuesday nights have volleyball, and Thursday nights have dodgeball. Spectators are welcome to watch from the sidelines. There is a Joy & Wellness Kickball Tournament that you must register for with a registration deadline of Feb. 16. The kickball tournament will take place on Friday, April 21 from 12 to 5 p.m. There will be 10 players per team and 10 teams to play. Intramural Sports will be starting in February, and the sports offerings will be basketball, volleyball, dodgeball and soccer. Details of Intramural Sports will be posted @ neiu_intramurals on Instagram.
Recreation Center activities for Spring 2023 semester, Created by Anath Prabhu
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2023