The Columbia Chronicle, April 9, 2018

Woodlawn community gardens face uncertain future PAGE 33

PAGE 20 April 9, 2018

ColumbiaChronicle.com

The buck stops at the ticket counter

Home Sweet Home

» CAMPUS TEAM

SEE RENOVATIONS, PAGE 10

As the University Center’s renovations continue, students were surprised when they returned to their home away from home and found broken property, missing valuables and other disturbances to their housing unit.

» ERIN DICKSON/CHRONICLE

» COURTESY BROOKE LOPEMAN

UC students return to fake rats, trash, broken belongings

» COURTESY PATRICK SPRAGUE

Wearden to step down as provost in June 2019

» FILE PHOTO

WHAT DO FAKE rats, pistachios shells and grime all have in common? Besides sounding like props from the strangest haunted house ever, all three were found inside University Center housing after recent renovations to the communal and interior areas of the residence hall.

Students returned to find their apartments and suites in a seriously different state than when they vacated their rooms for a few days to make room for the renovators.

Renovations to interior apartments by Schoenfelder Renovations, Inc. started with the 18th floor on Jan. 2, according to a Dec. 8, 2017, email to residents from University Center Housing.

Unit renovations include new paint, flooring, furniture and stainless steel appliances. Bathrooms are being remodeled on an as-needed basis, according to the Dec. 8 email.

According to the same email from the University Center Team, students were asked to remove all items from their bedroom walls, floors and closets. People living in suite-style units were told they had the option to leave belongings in their closets, and those living in apartment-style units were asked to remove items from kitchen walls and countertops.

Residents were also asked to take valuables with them while units were under construction and to vacate the units during work hours, according to Brooke Lopeman, executive director of the University Center. The residents were notified via email numerous times

» ARIANA PORTALATIN MANAGING EDITOR SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT and Provost Stan Wearden will be stepping down from his position in June 2019, according to an April 6 collegewide email from President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim. Wearden was appointed provost by Kim on Feb. 26, 2014, and began his role in June 2014 following a nationwide search and an interim provost for three years, as reported Feb. 28, 2014, by The Chronicle.

Kim stated in the April 6 email that he will start another nationwide search for a new provost. He said he will be releasing more details soon.

According to Kim’s April 6 email, Wearden will continue to advance the college’s Strategic Plan effort during his remaining time at the college, including preparing the college for next year’s accreditation site visit.

Kim concluded by acknowledging Wearden’s accomplishments at the college.

“Let me end this brief message by emphasizing my and the college’s debt of gratitude to Stan for all that he has done—and will continue to do—to help the college advance,” Kim stated in the email. “This coming year will bring opportunities to celebrate Stan and his many accomplishments at Columbia.”

In an April 6 statement sent to The Chronicle by Vice President of Strategic Communications and External Relations Mark Rosati, Wearden said his service at the college has been a privilege.

“I have tried to serve with integrity, energy, enthusiasm and professional courage,” Wearden said. “I hope I will be leaving this wonderful college a little better than I found it.”

Visit ColumbiaChronicle.com for story developments to come.

aportalatin@columbiachronicle.com

Volume 53, Issue 26

editor’s note

Columbia has responsibility for UC complaints

MANAGEMENT

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

MANAGING EDITORS

Y

ou know, when I started my job at The Chronicle, I never thought I’d have to say this: Fake rats should not be left in student apartments after renovations.

It’s unclear whether the toy rat was left by the renovators, a resident adviser or someone else who got into the apartment while the rooms were vacant—but the rat was just the tip of the iceberg.

As reported on the Front Page, renovations to the University Center have been going on for months now, and some students who had to leave their apartment for three–four days returned to trash, missing or broken belongings, and an all-around disaster zone.

Along with students who spoke to The Chronicle about their experiences, many others took to social media to share their horror stories. A broken iMac desktop, missing Gucci cologne, eaten snacks, missing weed—which albeit wasn’t supposed to be there anyway—furniture glued to the floor, a pillow under the bathroom sink and, of course, the fake rat are some of my favorite complaints.

This would be a hilarious prank if it wasn’t so disrespectful to and unnerving for those students.

Students were told in emails that they needed to remove valuable items from the apartments and clear the floors and walls of any belongings. But the emails said nothing about students having to remove their food from their apartments lest it be eaten by renovators. And the emails definitely did not warn that any clothes left behind would be thrown haphazardly around the living quarters.

What the emails to students did promise was that the rooms would be left in clean and livable conditions. “Once work is complete, all areas affected will be cleaned. A UC staff member will do a final inspection to ensure quality and cleanliness are up to the high standards we expect,” the emails stated.

Obviously, that didn’t happen, unless those high standards include one resident’s pistachio shells being strewn on the floor of another resident’s home.

While Columbia no longer owns the UC after its sale in summer 2017, it still has a responsibility to make sure 2 THE CHRONICLE APRIL 9, 2018

DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR CREATIVE DIRECTOR AD & BUSINESS MANAGER

CAMPUS REPORTERS

CAMPUS Tessa Brubaker Olivia Deloian Molly Walsh

ARTS & CULTURE

ARTS & CULTURE REPORTERS

METRO REPORTERS

Mayan Darbyshire Miranda Manier

METRO students feel safe where they’re living in the housing it provides. Just because ownership has shifted and the renova by the colOPINIONS EDITOR tions weren’t commissioned lege doesn’t mean Columbia gets to wash

its hands of the situation and basically problem.

COPY CHIEF tell students, “Sorry, not our

COPY EDITORS Talk to this person.”

This is not the type of environment any college should provide for its students. From the social media posts and

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS the interviews with some residents, it’s clear that students feel uncomfortable

ADVERTISING DESIGNER and unsafe in their homes now.

It’s even worse that the college didn’t comment on those students’ feelings and instead the renoSENIOR PHOTO EDITORS directed any questions about vations to the UC’s exective director and STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS added that students should alert campus security any time they feel unsafe.

These students want to know what Columbia is going to do about this probMULTIMEDIA EDITOR

MULTIMEDIA REPORTERS lem in one of its residence halls.

And they don’t care who technically owns the building. They care that Columbia organized this housing for them and has

MEDIA SALES REPS subsequently left them hanging.

The Chronicle did speak with the UC’s the ratio MARKETING ASSISTANT executive director, who said of complaints made by students to the number of units renovated was low, so WEBMASTER the renovations should be considered

ONLINE CONTENT PRODUCER a success. But that ratio doesn’t mean anything if students who experienced these issues didn’t know what to do

OFFICE ASSISTANT about them.

I wouldn’t consider anything about this situation a success. No matter beautiGENERAL MANAGER how many rooms turned out

FACULTY ADVISER fully after the renovations, students ASSISTANT FACULTY ADVISER should never have to worry that they or their belongings are in danger in college-approved housing. And more needs to be done to help these students whose belongings are missing or broken. zeitel@columbiachronicle.com

» ZOË EITEL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Zoë Eitel Eric Bradach Ariana Portalatin Brooke Pawling Stennett Zoë Haworth Micha Thurston

Savannah Eadens Blaise Mesa

OPINIONS Tyra Bosnic

COPY Lauren Carlton Jay Berghuis McKayla Braid

GRAPHICS Samantha Conrad Zack Jackson Jocelyn Moreno Hannah Li Anderson

PHOTOGRAPHY Mackenzie Crosson Kevin Tiongson Erin Dickson Zachary Keltner

MULTIMEDIA Brock Stillmunks Sawyer Gaunt Hawk Thottupuram

Main line: (312) 369-8999 Advertising: (312) 369-8984 Campus: (312) 369-8965 Metro: (312) 369-8982 Arts & Culture: (312) 369-8980 Opinions: (312) 369-8970 Copy: (312) 369-8976 Photo: (312) 369-8972 Permission/Reproductions: (312) 369-8955 General Manager: (312) 369-8955 Faculty Adviser: (312) 369-8910

The Chronicle is a student-produced publication of Columbia College Chicago and does not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the views of college administrators, faculty or students.

All text, photos and graphics are the property of The Chronicle and may not be reproduced or published without written permission.

Editorials are the opinions of the Editorial Board of The Chronicle.

Columns are the opinions of the author(s).

Views expressed in this publication are those of the writer and are not the opinions of The Chronicle, Columbia’s Journalism Department or Columbia College Chicago.

Letters to the editor must include full name, year, major and phone number. All letters are edited for grammar and may be cut due to a limit of space.

The Chronicle holds the right to limit any one person’s submissions to three per semester.

ADVERTISING Kami Rieck Grace Senior Sara Wolczynska Kelsey Kennedy

WEB Eric Eldridge Kendrah Villiesse

OPERATIONS Nicole Restrepo

SENIOR STAFF Chris Richert Len Strazewski Stephanie Goldberg Letters can be emailed to Chronicle@colum.edu or mailed to: The Columbia Chronicle 600 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL. 60605

campus

Renegades glam up for SAA fundraiser gala. » ColumbiaChronicle.com/Multimedia

Student Programming Board

‘Owns It’

FROM HOSTING EVENTS to booking talent, the Student Programming Board works hard to make sure students never have a boring day on campus.

SPB spoke with The Chronicle about the challenges of having a leadership role on

campus, the importance of participation and the meaning of “owning it” in keeping with the theme of this year’s Manifest.

Sophomore business and entrepreneurship major Madeline Brittingham acts as SPB’s vice president.

Senior business and entrepreneurship major Carolyn Matyus is the director of finance and sponsorship.

THE CHRONICLE: What does it mean to you to be a part of an executive board on a college campus?

» PHOTOS ZACHARY KELTNER/ CHRONICLE

CAROLYN MATYUS: It’s really honoring. When I was a freshman, I looked up to the people on the E-board, and I saw them as role models and where I wanted to be. They all had internships and were having all of these jobs and stuff. [That helped] me hone what I wanted to do and provided me this role model that I was able to look at. It is nice to know that there are people who look up to us and want to know how to plan these events so they can continue on in our footsteps.

What is your favorite part about being involved with SPB’s finances?

I get to pick all the food. It’s so exciting. I’m very particular with what I like and have very specific ideas of what kind of food goes with different events. Decorating in general, I feel like the aesthetic part of my job is my favorite part.The theme plays such an important role and you have to tailor everything you do around that.

What SPB accomplishment are youmost proud of?

BRITTINGHAM: I’m so proud of the diversity of events that we have had this year. In the past, we have kind of stuck to Big Mouth, an art gallery or a movie night. Nothing super original. This year we hosted Columbia’s first-ever drag show, and we were just about 100 people over capacity for the venue. We had people standing outside to get in. It was such a success, and we raised over $600 for Columbia Cares. That is something that we want to carry on to next year.

What should students be excited about for Manifest this year?

We just started talking about our pop-up lounge today. This is something SPB does every year. Last year, we used the sculpture garden area right next to the mainstage, and we made our own sunflower patch because our headliner was Sunflower Beam. This year we are going to be taking the pop-up lounge to 9th and Wabash. We are going to make that into an insane and fun space. We were talking through some ideas today, and we are thinking interactive art and the kind of place that you are going to walk in and just want to take a million selfies.

Senior business and entrepreneurship major Ashley Vunderink acts as SPB’s director of communications.

Senior business and entrepreneurship major Elana Schmidt is the president of SPB.

What are some of the challenges SPB faces?

The theme for Manifest this year is “Own It,” so how do you own it?

ASHLEY VUNDERINK: Unfortunately, SPB isn’t very diverse. We only have a couple males on the board. The rest is female, and we are primarily Caucasian.

Trying to think of the whole student body is probably the number one complication for SPB in general. With my role, it would be graphic design requests. I’m a perfectionist, and I have a mental image in my head, and it can be hard to translate that because I’m not a graphic designer.

ELANA SCHMIDT: [One] thing I do with SPB is make general board meetings, and there has never really been a theme to these presentations, but I decided to do “dogs.”

I put a different dog every week on each presentation and I own it. I walk in happy and proud of these dogs that [I show]. If you ever come to a meeting, I’m always like “The dog of the week is BAM! Corgis,” or something along those lines. It’s not necessarily creating a sculpture or photography, but it is something I personally put my stamp [on] and I can say “Yeah, I did that.”

As director of communications, what specifically do you want to communicate to students?

Just because it is an on-campus event, does not mean it is going to be lame. That is a struggle for every [student] organization.

No one wants to go to on-campus events.

We have free food. We get catering, like Olive Garden for example. We get expensive places, and you can even come just for free food. [Students] are paying for it with the student activity fee, so come out, have fun and meet people.

What are your hopes for SPB’s future?

It’s like watching a baby grow up and go to college. I am taking on the mom role. I’ve been in this organization for three years, and now I’m not going to be a part of it. I hope they get more people involved because it is such a fun organization. We are all really fun people. It’s a great way to meet friends. All of my friends are from SPB. I just want [it] to keep thriving.

As director of productions, senior business and entrepreneurship major Jim Monteforte books talent for events.

How will being a part of SPB benefit your career?

JIM MONTEFORTE: I graduate in the fall, so I have another semester left, but I want to book bands. So this is a good opportunity for me to step in through internships and other jobs and make connections since I’m working with bands. If you’re interested in putting on events, you should join SPB because it is a good opportunity to do that.

mwalsh@columbiachronicle.com

» MOLLY WALSH CAMPUS REPORTER

APRIL 9, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 3

campus

» MOLLY WALSH CAMPUS REPORTER JUDGING A BOOK by its cover will have an entirely different meaning when “Human Library” comes to campus April 18.

The event, which runs from 12 p.m.—3 p.m. at the Library, 624 S. Michigan Ave., will have various people volunteering as “books” to share their life stories in an effort to diminish stereotypes and stigmas via conversation, according to Marlena Johnson, director of Human Library Chicago.

“Sometimes, we can assume we know a lot about a certain topic or identity,” Johnson said. “Those assumptions may not always be true. I encourage people to be a reader of the Human Library and continuously learn from the stories and experiences of others in the community.”

Human Library, developed in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2000, is an international organization encouraging open conversations to defeat stereotypes.

Johnson, who first read about the organization in a Chicago Public Library blog, started the Chicago branch in 2014 when she recognized diverse stories often fell on deaf ears.

Kim Hale, head of Community Engagement at the Library, will be participating as a “human book” to share her experiences of being bullied and having body-image issues.

Although society today is more accepting of larger people, Hale said there is shame attached to body size, and she was nervous to participate in the event.

» JOCELYN MORENO/CHRONICLE

“I have never been open about certain things, so this is an opportunity for me to share my story in a way that I hope can be helpful for others and myself as well,” Hale said.

Johnson said it is important for students to participate in the Human Library because their minds are still open to new experiences, and the event highlights people in their community.

“College students are at a critical time forming their opinions about society,” Johnson said. “The Human Library can expand upon that and help shape that by exposing college students to personal experiences that other people have had in their community.”

Sophomore design major Joey Grisby will also be a “book” at the event and hopes to raise awareness of synesthesia, a condition she has experienced since she was young.

Synthesia occurs when stimulation of one sense leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory pathway.

People are often unaware of synthesia, and do not believe it exists they are exposed to it, according to Grisby.

Grisby said synesthesia causes sound to have colors and textures, making it difficult for others to interpret or understand the struggles she faces.

“It was a big problem for me, especially in high school,” Grisby said. “I’m prone to sensory overload, and the school wasn’t understanding. Sometimes I would step out of class if things were getting too loud.”

Grisby said she wants to use the Human Library to share her experiences with people and discuss how her condition plays a role in who she is and helps her create her art.

“I hope they find people who have had similar experiences to them and create connections,” Grisby said. “They can work together to spread more awareness, educate and I hope people come willing to learn so that they can help put some of these stigmas behind us all.”

mwalsh@columbiachronicle.com

What is better than a good book?

The Music Center at Columbia College Chicago 1014 S. Michigan Avenue

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4 THE CHRONICLE APRIL 9, 2018

Wednesday April 11 Wednesday Noon Guitar Concert Series at the Conaway Center Classical Guitarist Cutberto Cibrián Tapia at the Sherwood

12:00 pm 7:00 pm

campus

Sam Weller (Associate Professor,

SAM WELLER

English/Creative Writing Department) discusses and signs copies of  the new edition of LISTEN TO THE ECHOES: THE RAY

FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY SIGNATURE SHOWCASE

BRADBURY INTERVIEWS by Hat and Beard Press (2017).

Photo: Philip Dembinski Monday, April 9, 2018 6:30pm - 8:30pm Library , 3rd Floor North 624 S. Michigan Ave Chicago, IL 60605 library.colum.edu

APRIL 9, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 5

campus

STUDENTS WILL HAVE to pay a 16 percent higher fee for their Ventra U-Pass for the upcoming 2018–2019 school year.

In a March 27 email to students, Student Financial Services announced that the $132 fee will increase to $154 per semester.

The estimated cost for the 2019– 2020 school year is $158 per semester, a 3 percent increase.

The fee is automatically charged to any full-time student’s tuition bill at the start of each semester.

Cynthia Grunden, assistant vice president of SFS, said the decision to increase the U-Pass prices was made by the city’s transit board.

“The Chicago Transit Authority board voted to increase the cost,” Grunden said. “That means that we increase that cost too.

We facilitate the program for students, but it’s not our charge.”

Students will have to pay $154 per semester for their Ventra U-Passes for 2018– 2019, a 16 percent increase from the current price. Costs will also rise 3 percent the following year to $158.

This comes shortly after the CTA announced the fare price increase for the first time in nine years, as reported Dec. 4, 2017, by The Chronicle.

The monthly Ventra pass’s fare for non-students increased from $100 to $105 and then went into effect in January, according to The Chronicle.

Grunden said the CTA told SFS to expect a 3 percent yearly increase following the 2019– 2020 school year.

“We did want students to know that there’s going to be increases in the future,” Grunden said. “I would prefer [CTA] do it this way and gradually build on increases.

It’s easier for people to understand and handle.”

John Greenfield, editor of Streetsblog Chicago and transportation reporter for the Chicago Reader, said it would be in the college’s best interest to subsidize the fare increase to protect students from price hikes, which were made because of state transit budget cuts that took place in summer 2017. Greenfield added that despite the increase in price, the U-Pass is a good deal for college students.

“A CTA monthly pass costs $105 per month, or $1,260 for the year,” Greenfield said, “so even if the U-Pass is hiked up to $158 for the entire [semester], that would still be a great deal for the unlimited rides.”

Junior fashion studies major Dana Lehmann said she was unhappy to hear about the U-Pass cost increase.

“I thought it was a little ridiculous, to be honest, because it’s already pretty pricey, and they’ve been raising tuition every year,” Lehmann said.

Lehmann said she takes the bus and train every day to travel from Bridgeport to Columbia, about a 30-minute commute. The U-Pass price should be lower to ease the burden on students who contribute to the city, she said, suggesting a price between $50–$100.

Despite some of the students dissatisfaction with the price spike for the U-pass, Grunden said she believes the pass is still a great way for students to get around the city.

“From my perspective, the U-Pass is a good service for students,” Grunden said.

“Even though the cost is going up a few dollars, it’s still a tremendous value compared to what you would pay per ride, or a discounted monthly fair.”

The Learning Studio 33 E. Congress, #100

Columbia College Chicago's Academic Center for Tutoring

312-369-8130

The Learning Studio is NOW HIRING undergraduate and graduate peer tutors for the fall semester.

If you have strong subject-area knowledge and like to serve as a mentor to others, we have openings in the following areas: Writing

Math

Music Theory

Audio Theory

Accounting & Finance Software Applications (Adobe & Microsoft) To apply for these jobs, login to Handshake - Columbia's online career management system.

6 THE CHRONICLE APRIL 9, 2018

odeloian@columbiachronicle.com

» OLIVIA DELOIAN CAMPUS REPORTER

» PHOTO ILLUSTRATION SAMANTHA CONRAD/CHRONICLE

Student Ventra U-Pass prices increase

campus

April 09 NATIONAL STUDENT EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR ANNOUNCEMENT @ 10:00 AM Will you be this year’s Student Employee of the Year? You’ll find out on the 9th!

Keep tabs on the Career Center’s Facebook Page (ColumCareer) to see live coverage of the announcement DEPARTMENT PHOTO CONTEST BEGINS Work with your department to submit a photo to our Instagram challenge. Feature yourself and other student employees in your department and post it to Instagram using the hashtag #ColumAppreciates by April 12th. The most creative submission will receive a department pizza party.

April 10 HEADSHOTS IN THE CAREER CENTER @ 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Bring your own mobile phone or camera to take a headshot. We’ll provide the perfect lighting and backdrop!

April 11 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP @ 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM How to Turn Your Internship into a Job (+ and your campus job!)

Register for the event on Handshake CHICKEN N’ WAFFLES @ 11:30 AM TILL SUPPLIES LAST 618 S Michigan Ave., 4th Floor In partnership with the office of Student Diversity and Inclusion enjoy some waffle favorites on us!

April 12 HEADSHOTS IN THE CAREER CENTER @ 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Bring your mobile phone with a camera to take a headshot. We’ll provide the perfect lighting and background!

April 13 DEPARTMENT PHOTO CONTEST WINNER ANNOUNCED @ 2:00 PM Check out the Career Center Instagram to see if your department is the winner!

Career Center

APRIL 9, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 7

campus

(FSSI)

Thursday, April 19 Silent Auction | 4:30–7 p.m.

Performances | 5–8 p.m.

618 S. Michigan Ave. | Stage Two All proceeds benefit Scholarship Columbia!

Come Play With Us

• Enjoy Performances and a Silent Auction featuring creative works and unique experiences by our faculty, staff, and alums • Mix and Mingle with colleagues over catered food and beverages Interested in contributing packaged foods or beverages for the event?

Contact Kim klivingstone@colum.edu for more information

Register For The Event (Why?)

Registering through EVENTBRITE.COM will allow us to have your Silent Auction bidding labels ready for you when you check in at the event.

SEARCH: COLUMBIA’S RAISING THE ROOF!

Join Our Community VISIT US ON FACEBOOK SEARCH: FACULTY AND STAFF SCHOLARSHIP INITIATIVE AT COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO Stay up to date on details leading up to the event!

Call For Volunteers

FSSI needs volunteers for the event so if you’d like to participate or need more information, please contact Pattie pmackenzie@colum.edu or Kim klivingstone@colum.edu

SPONSORED BY

8 THE CHRONICLE APRIL 9, 2018

» TESSA BRUBAKER CAMPUS REPORTER COLUMBIA

STUDENTS

RECENTLY

» ZACHARY KELTNER/CHRONICLE

collaborated to revamp “Abduction: The Musical,” a play written by a Columbia student in 2015,

with new songs, new characters and a revised plot.

TJ Pieffer, a senior cinema and television arts major, wrote the show three years ago about Pippa, a woman who tries to convince a small Indiana town that alien

invaders are abducting residents.

The show premiered at Stage 773 in May 2017, Pieffer said. He spent the last year reworking the musical and changing about 90 percent of the show.

“We’re focusing on the material, songs and dialogue. [We’re] focusing more on developing it for further productions rather than the spectacle of it right now,”

TJ Pieffer, senior cinema and television arts major, decided to workshop “Abduction: The Musical” as a senior project. He said he hopes to continue revising the story and showcasing it in Pittsburgh and New York.

Pieffer said. “It’s about the music and the material this time.”

A staged concert reading of “Abduction: The Musical” will be held April 18–19 at the Conaway Center, 1104 S. Wabash Ave. A $5 suggested donation will benefit a Chicago nonprofit called Girls 4 Science that helps and encourages young girls ages 10 to 18 to enter STEM fields.

Because rehearsals are only two weeks long, the show will not be staged on a full set and will focus on the songs and storyline instead, Pieffer said.

Cindy Allen, a 2017 cinema and television arts alumna, said she and Pieffer chose to benefit Girls 4 Science because the main character loves science and wants to be an astronaut. They hope to bring a representative from the organization to attend one of the shows, she added.

“It’s important to us to empower women,” Allen said. “Things are changing a little bit now, but women haven’t always been given the representation they deserve on screen and on stage.”

Pieffer said he is most excited for audiences to see the talented cast and hear the new songs that were added.

“The songs that we’ve kept have been marinating for a year so they’re really good, and then the new songs are completely fresh, so that’s an exciting twist as well,” Pieffer said.

2012 music and composition alumnus Brad Kemp has worked with Pieffer since the end of last year for many hours to create the show’s new songs. Kemp said he enjoyed working with Pieffer, whose humorous personality is evident throughout the show.

In addition to his work on the show, Pieffer said he plans to do another concert in his hometown, Pittsburgh, and would like to enter the play in musical theater festivals in New York City.

“It’s a great story. It’s a fun flavor of musical that you don’t see a lot. It’s not very serious, it’s kind of big and goofy,” Pieffer said. “It’ll be cool to see a work in progress as well.”

tbrubaker@columbiachronicle.com

Student revises musical with new songs

campus

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before the beginning of renovations, which were estimated to take three–four business days from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. to complete. Residents were also told all affected areas would be cleaned, and a UC staff member would do a final inspection to ensure cleanliness standards were met.

Sophomore theatre major Patrick Sprague was the first of his suitemates to return to his unit after spring break.

Sprague said he returned to the dormitory and found his roommate’s desktop computer and television cracked and on the floor under a pile of clothes and books.

“The room was ridiculous,” Sprague said. “The bathroom was also destroyed. There was dirt and grime all over. Boot marks, drywall and dust was all over. It looks like they had gone out and just dumped [a full garbage can] around the room.”

Lopeman said renovations typically generate complaints, especially when they are extensive.

“What can minimize those [complaints] is making sure residents have their items packed up, are utilizing the resources we have available, so their valuables are not sitting on top of the desk,” Lopeman said.

After returning from spring break, sophomore cinema and television arts major Thomas Starr also found his room in a different state than he left it.

“There was a couch that didn’t belong in my room. There was dirt on the floor, and my bathroom was a mess. There was towels in the sink. My suitemate’s fridge was in my room. I was missing a speaker,” Starr said. “A figurine my roommate had given to me for my birthday was broken on the ground in the bathroom.”

Jillian Kettman, a sophomore photography major, said she returned to her apartment after spring break to find her bag of pistachios half empty, and the empty shells in the unit next door. She added that her Amazon Firestick, cord, small TV and remote were all missing.

“It was not just a coincidence that the remote and wire went missing,” Kettman said. “All of it was missing.”

She added that she found piles of her belongings in her room and her Cubs jersey had disappeared.

Kettman said she was told to email University Center management, explaining everything that was missing from her unit.

When she did not receive an email back, she went to the UC Management Office where they sent her email directly to Schoenfelder Renovations, Inc. Kettman added that it has been three weeks, and she still has not received a response.

“They should not have them still in our building. There [are] still people doing renovations rightnow, so it just doesn’t make sense, if they have had tendencies of stealing things, why are they still letting them into our building?”

Kettman said.

Freshman multimedia journalism major Naomi Edwards said the week of her unit’s renovations was the most stressful of the school

Sophomore theatre major Patrick Sprague said there was trash and grime left in his bathroom, but the majority of the mess was in his bedroom. His plant had been tipped over with dirt left on his desk.

year due to the added pressure of vacating her room during the required times and the mess she encountered afterwards.

Edwards also said upon returning to her room at night, she found broken items and spilled paint that

SEE RENOVATIONS, PAGE 13

RENOVATIONS, FROM FRONT

» COURTESY PATRICK SPRAGUE

campus

was not cleaned up from the renovations in her unit.

“I came back, my router doesn’t work, there was paint all over it, and the work was very sloppy,” Edwards said. “I’m like, ‘You took three days to do this?’”

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APRIL 9, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 11

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Edwards also recalled finding a plastic toy rat, presumably left by one of the workers, as she and her roommates are unaware of where else it could have come from.

“I guess they thought it was really funny to leave it on my table,” Edwards said. “I don’t like rats; I almost had a heart attack.

Who did this?”

The Chronicle requested to speak with Director of Resident Life Mary Oakes, but former Public Relations Manager Cara Birch said UC management was switched to Peak Campus after the building was sold in summer 2017 and redirected inquiries to Lopeman.

College Spokeswoman Anjali Julka said students who have any safety concerns involving the UC should contact Director of Security Andy Yocum.

According to an April 5 email statement sent to The Chronicle from Lopeman, students should contact the management office with any concerns.

Mackenzie Colvill, a sophomore photography major, said after the renovations to her own living space were complete, she found belongings she had placed on her bed and desk thrown all over the room.

In Colvill’s living space, she found her DVD player damaged with the the front casing broken off, she said.

“It would be nice to at least be given something back to fix broken items or just for the purpose of having my stuff tampered with,” Colvill said. “It doesn’t feel very good.”

Lopeman said Schoenfelder is under contract not to engage with media.

“We understand it’s not a perfect process.

We’re trying our best to have everything available if we can for residents so the inconvenience is minimized as much as possible,” Lopeman said.

Lopeman added that there are cameras throughout the hallways, and during the renovation process, cameras are added to the units. University Center staff members are not present in the units during the renovations, but they are able to review the recordings after construction.

“They videotape through the entire process,” Lopeman said. “They’re videotaping continually, and they know who’s in the units, so that’s one thing that, as residents do bring complaints or concerns to us, we have video evidence of anything and what it looked like beforehand.”

Lopeman said although they have received complaints, the process generated minimal complaints relative to the number of rooms being renovated.

“Of the 1,730, we are experiencing a pretty moderately low level of complaints, and we’re very happy and thankful that the residents are overall excited about the renovations and understanding of what’s going on,” Lopeman said.

Renovations are ahead of schedule, according to Lopeman, and are expected to be complete by mid-May with brief pauses during final weeks so students are not inconvenienced or distracted from their studies.

chronicle@colum.edu

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Renovations to the University Center started Jan. 2 and are estimated to be complete by mid-May. The renovations included new paint, flooring and other additions, but students are complaining about the mess that has been left, presumably by the renovators.

APRIL 9, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 13

campus

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14 THE CHRONICLE APRIL 9, 2018

Career Center

Cosplayers and celebs visit Chicago for C2E2 » ColumbiaChronicle.com/Multimedia » PHOTOS MACKENZIE CROSSON /CHRONICLE

arts culture

Nontraditional nightlife options give bars the axe Bad Axe Throwing, 165 N. Loomis St., hosted an unconventional corporate party for Cardno ChemRisk, an engineering consultant company, on March 29.

TWENTY YEARS AGO, a typical night out for college-age drinkers might have included hopping from bar to bar, ordering cheap beer and recycling conversations until the night expired.

Today, a night out might include anything from throwing axes to playing giant Jenga.

Chicago added to its nontraditional nightlife scene in March with Punch Bowl Social, 310 N. Green St., which opened a Chicago location that offers activities that range from bowling to virtual reality.

Bad Axe Throwing, an axe-throwing facility, also opened a second location in Lakeview after debuting in the West Loop in September 2016, as reported Sept. 8, 2016, by The Chronicle.

There were 12,000 fewer bars in the U.S. in 2016 than in 1998, according to a 2016 Washington Post article, which said young people have been turning away from the traditional bar experience.

“What makes [Bad Axe Throwing] appealing is that it’s easy to learn,” said Melanie St-Amour, the company’s Marketing and Development coordinator.

“It’s a skill they don’t need to have any experience [with]. It’s something anybody can come out and learn.”

Though its Chicago locations do not serve alcohol or allow guests to bring their own, St-Amour explained that people

might choose Bad Axe over a traditional option because it is a group activity that offers an adrenaline rush.

“As soon as you get a feel for it and you throw one or two times, you get this internal motivation,” she said. “As soon as you hear that thud of the axe hitting onto the target board, there’s this adrenaline rush of wanting to do it again.”

Punch Bowl Social also invites people to get together and do something other than chat, said Patrick Williams, the company’s national beverage director.

“One of the coolest things about our concept is it’s dynamic, and there’s many different experiences wrapped up in one venue,” Williams said. “For a college student, maybe even underage, there’s tons of cool stuff to do.”

These activities include bowling, karaoke, arcade games, tabletop games such as ping-pong as well as free board games like Scrabble. Punch Bowl Social does serve alcohol, but until 10 p.m it is open to all ages, so even those under 21 can partake of its options and enjoy a night out with friends.

Punch Bowl Social also incorporates a retro element, with non-alcoholic drinks that include malts and egg creams—a blend of club soda, chocolate syrup and milk—and vintage board games like Parcheesi.

People crave those diverse options, Williams said.

“If you go out to a dive bar [or] a college bar, all you do is go from bar to bar. It’s really drink-focused,” Williams said. “Guests like

Punch Bowl because it doesn’t matter what night they come, they can have a different experience every time.”

Scott Carstens, a sophomore cinema and television arts major, said he enjoys the creative environment places like Bad Axe and Punch Bowl Social offer, and would be excited about patronizing either of them.

“A lot of people here are looking for a new thing to do,” Carstens said. “Even when you get to the age of 23, 24, you’re like, ‘Yeah, we can go to the bars, but they’re just the bars.’ You need a little more spice and variety, so the people who are creating these types of [venues] are ahead of the curve.”

mmanier@columbiachronicle.com

» MIRANDA MANIER ARTS & CULTURE REPORTER

Bad Axe Throwing is available for private party and event bookings for a variety of occasions.

APRIL 9, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 15

arts & culture

» ARIANA PORTALATIN MANAGING EDITOR

Celebrity relationships are not our own

C

16 THE CHRONICLE APRIL 9, 2018

being scrutinized for “fake news,” it’s crucial to avoid claims that cannot be confirmed, even with celebrity news.

Elle Magazine reported on the rumors in an April 4 article titled “Why Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan’s Marriage Failed, According to Every Reputable Tabloids’ Sources.” The article included information from unnamed sources in People, Us Weekly and TMZ, among others—sources that can hardly be called reputable.

A poll presented in the article asking whether tabloids should dig for reasons behind failed celebrity marriages showed 15 percent voted in favor of the statement, saying, “The people want to know, and these stars choose to make their marriages part of their brand.” Eighty-five percent voted “No,” saying “Celebrities are entitled to privacy too.”

Those who voted “Yes” are mistaken.

Tatum and Dewan Tatum were celebrities who happened to be married; their marriage is not what made them famous.

A second poll in the article asked readers whether the article’s information made them feel sadder about the separation. One of the responses was, “No. I was already sad, but this gives me a bit of closure. I get why it ended now.”

Fans should not assume these rumors are true, especially when the couple has explicitly stated so. The couple also asked for privacy in their joint statement, so it’s important for everyone to have empathy before playing into gossip. Let’s not forget celebrities are human too and deserve privacy just as anyone else.

aportalatin@columbiachronicle.com

elebrity couple Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan Tatum announced their split after nine years together in an April 2 joint Twitter post, shocking fans and triggering a flurry of rumors surrounding their relationship.

The news was surprising, leaving people to wonder if love is truly dead and which couple will be next. In the post, the couple stated sharing their personal lives is not something they enjoy but acknowledged it is a consequence of their stardom.

“We’re living in an incredible moment in time, but it’s also a time where truth can easily get distorted into ‘alternative facts.’ So we want to share the truth so you know that if you didn’t read it here then it’s most certainly fiction,” the statement read. “There are no secrets nor salacious events at the root of our decision—just two best friends realizing it’s time to take some space and help each other live the most joyous, fulfilled lives as possible.”

Despite this, many still speculated on what caused the split, directly feeding into alternative facts the couple warned against. Yes, speculation can be expected with public figures. However, it’s important to remember that celebrities are people just like us who deserve privacy, especially in their personal relationships.

Some of the rumors included excessive drinking and extramarital flirting by Tatum, a break-up months before the announcement and alleged conflicts with work-life balance.

Tatum’s representative confirmed to E! April 5 that the rumors are false. Dewan Tatum also denied the rumors in an April 4 statement to Daily Mail.

“The media is fabricating stories and none of these accusations are remotely true. Channing and Jenna released an honest and loving statement, which is the only truth,” the representative said.

Apart from it being disrespectful for the public to speculate, it is also irresponsible for news publications and media outlets to repeat claims that can be defamatory and have no factual basis. In these tense political times, in which media is constantly

arts & culture

APRIL 9, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 17

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18 THE CHRONICLE APRIL 9, 2018

arts & culture

Just dance:

Monthlong celebration keeps body moving, grooving

Dance, said the most exciting part of Chicago Dance Month is the opportunity to experience the richness the dance community has to offer.

“The fact that Chicago can say we have a strong enough community to be able to occupy an entire month’s worth of activities says a lot,” McStraw said. “We have one of the strongest dance communities in the country. There is a collaborative spirit across all of the organizations here.”

Tania Castroverde Moskalenko, CEO of the Auditorium Theater of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Parkway, said many mid-sized dance companies face challenges. She added that the Chicago Dance Festival has been supportive in helping the companies stay relevant.

“As a community [and] as a city, we need to remain conscious of what challenges those companies face so we can be supportive and ensure they have the resources they need to remain relevant and able to do their work,” she said. kvilliesse@columbiachronicle.com

» PHOTOS COURTESY SEE CHICAGO DANCE

Events will include open studios, pop-up performances and discounted tickets on select shows. The festival will end with a scavenger hunt April 30. The monthlong celebration will feature an estimated 91 organizations in partnership with See Chicago Dance, Hartley added.

“The Chicago dance community is incredibly robust,” she said.

“If you are in Chicago and want to experience culture or explore a new form, it is almost certain that someone here in the city is doing work that is comMore than 70 events throughout the city are being held in April to celebrate Chicago Dance Month, ing from all different hosted by See Chicago Dance. on all of that points of view.” » KENDRAH VILLIESSE are hosted by See Chicago Dance, activity that is One of the ONLINE CONTENT PRODUCER a nonprofit that provides services occurring and organizations to dance organizations and enthu- encouraging participating FROM BALLET TO jazz, hip-hop to siasts. Most events are suitable patrons and is Giordano’s modern, the dance options in for all ages except for late-night people that are Dance Chicago, Chicago are endless. To celebrate events, according to Heather curious to go which is also this diversity, April is Chicago Hartley, executive director of See and see dance.” celebrating its Dance Month, which will include a Chicago Dance.

This year will 55th anniversary series of events offering a glimpse “Chicago Dance Month is just be See Chicago as a dance company. at Chicago’s diverse and exciting a way to highlight and promote Dance’s sixth Chicago Michael McStraw, execdance scene. all of the tremendous dance work Dance Month since the organiza- utive director of Giordano Dance More than 70 citywide events that is going on in the city,” Hartley tion’s 2005 formation, according Chicago and president of the will be held through April 30 and said. “We are shining a spotlight to Hartley.

Board of Directors at See Chicago

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APRIL 9, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 19

FEATURE

No crying i

How abuse falls through the cracks a

cause most people knew who she was talking about,” Fisher said. “She didn’t name a name. She didn’t out anyone. She didn’t point a finger. If she was pointing a finger, it was back at herself and our community to say, ‘Why don’t we do anything about these situations that we all know about? Why aren’t we protecting our emerging artists?’”

In response, Fisher and Meyers formed NotInOurHouse, a group that advocates for mediation, communication and greater responsibility on the part of theaters.

Then they began meeting with members of the theater community.

In its statement of principle, NotInOurHouse says “the theater community has long whispered about, laughed about and written about harassment in its ranks with tales of the casting couch and out of control stars. It is past time we stopped encouraging or ignoring abusive behavior and publicly recognize the existence of sexual discrimination and harassment, and gender-based violence within our community. It is time to take positive steps to end it.”

The group drafted the Chicago Theatre Standards to fill in the behavioral cracks of Chicago’s non-equity theater landscape and promote a safe culture for its inhabitants.

There are more than 200 theaters in Chicago, but only 27 have signed agreements with Actors Equity, a union that represents more than 50,000 actors nationwide, and received the powers of protection it provides, according to the Actors Equity theater participant directory.

20 THE CHRONICLE APRIL 9, 2018

Members of Equity are guaranteed minimum wages, maximum work hours and protection from discrimination and unequal pay. Equity contracts also insure private dressing rooms for performers and workers compensation.

For most indie theaters, there are no rules, Fisher said. Small grassroots theaters often fail to even qualify as workplaces in the eyes of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which exempts employees of small companies from the protection of federal civil rights laws.

The workers also fail to be considered employees if paid on a stipend or by lump sum, noted Fisher, who brought the issue to her contemporaries in a 2015 meeting.

“When I said that to the group that night, they were aghast,” Fisher said.

“They were not happy to hear that, and there were people there who have been in this profession and in this community for decades, and they didn’t understand.”

It’s an unfortunate reality for many chicago theaters, said Dorothy Milne, artistic director of Lifeline Theater.

“Most theaters begin with a bunch of friends forming a company, which means there is no budget at all, so nobody is getting paid,” Milne said. “It’s a big new work theater scene, and new work is often developed non-equity because of the expense of developing it in the equity model.”

This is where the CTS came in.

Along with preventing and reporting sexual harassment, the CTS guidelines detail an entire code of behavior and con-

STORY BY : MAYAN DARBYSHIRE

H

olly wood is on its heels. With movements such as Me Too and Time’s Up on screens, at award shows and in newspapers, the industry has reached a turning point in its commitment to erase harassment and sex discrimination in all forms.

While it may seem like the Me Too movement was the beginning of a new era of harassment recognition in the entertainment industry, actors in Chicago’s burgeoning theater scene have been confronting the issue and responding to scandals since 2015, as advocacy group NotInOurHouse and the new Chicago Theatre Standards have taken aim at remedying vicious cycles of abuse and silence.

On June 8, 2016, the Chicago Reader published a 29-page exposé uncovering a 20-year legacy of silence about harassment, violence and discrimination at Profiles Theatre, allegedly perpetrated by Darrell Cox, the theater’s co-artistic director, who denied the charges.

The article detailed accounts of physical, emotional and sexual abuse, and battery from more than 30 former Profiles members. Less than a week later, the storefront theater closed.

Rumors had been circulating about Profiles Theatre for years, according to Laura Fisher, NotInOurHouse’s co-founder and CTS coordinator.

Fisher said fellow co-founder Lori Meyers wrote a Facebook post in 2015 expressing her frustration about the complaints she had received about the ensemble.

“Within hours, there were hundreds of responses be-

FEATURE

in the house:

and the masons who want to fix them

DESIGN BY : ZACK JACKSON

flict resolution. The document establishes communication pathways between actors and stage managers; outlines goals for health and safety practices; and promotes professionalism in stage choreography, nudity, violence, movement and physical theater to minimize physical harm, according to the document.

While the code of conduct has been adopted primarily by small theaters, theaters of all sizes and schools may adopt it, the documents states; however, Fisher said young performers can benefit from it the most.

“If there is one thing I hear more than anything else, whether it’s a young person or a person who used to be a young person who’s had any kind of issue, they’ll say, ‘I thought this was just how it went,’ or they’ll say, ‘I didn’t know who to talk to, so I kept it to myself,’” Fisher said.

The ideas and procedures in the document came from industry professionals, taking systems already in place in some theaters and sharing them broadly, according to Kate Piatt-Eckert, executive director at Steep Theatre Company, who had a hand in CTS from the beginning and was a member of the CTS Pilot Program.

“Everyone working on the document was coming from a place of experience in theater making,” Piatt-Eckert said, “So people are drawing on things that either did not go as planned in the past, or things that went well that we can learn from.”

CTS adopters include The Neo-Futurists, which used the document to strengthen its reporting procedures for

complaints and concerns, according to Kendall Karg, the theater’s managing director. “[It] really helps when someone is having a problem, and they can find who to talk to to help them solve that problem,” Karg said, “That makes people feel like ‘I know what my expectations are and how I’m going to treat everyone in this building when I’m here. I also know that if I don’t get that in return, I know exactly, who to go to to help me fix that situation.’”

Karg said there’s been a groundswell of support for the standards.

“If you look at how the code of conduct is implemented, it’s been a lot about community buy-in,” Karg said. “It’s not like Actors Equity Association where it’s a union [with] penalties or a review board or anything like that.”

According to Karg, the CTS grows naturally with the community. As adoptees make it a point to get acquainted with the standards, the rest of the community will follow suit.

Fisher said NotInOurHouse and CTS have gained a suprising level of recognition. She has spoken in Washington, D.C., Dallas, Orlando and at the Annual Shakespeare Theatre Association’s conference in the last year regarding CTS. “What started as an incredibly grassroots exploration of whether there was something we could actually do has turned into a national collection of theaters who are aligned in wanting to make things better in our theater spaces,” Fisher said.

T

he 33-pages of the Chicago Theatre Standards stands as a self-regulatory code of conduct for local theaters, large and small, compiled from feedback from long-standing theaters and members of the community. The agreement lays out:

- A Concern Resolution Path (CRP) that provides documented pathways for people to address issues within the company - A Non-Equity Deputy (NED) who acts as a confidential, peer-level liaison to field issues and communicate between members - Proper etiquette for auditioning, signing agreements and hiring understudies that encourages proper disclosure - Basic health and safety standards - How to handle audience participation and employee oversight of the house - Dressing room policy - Choreography and building consent among participants - Clear definitions for sexual harassment and how it is to be reported - Outlines for diversity and inclusion

APRIL 9, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 21

arts & culture

22 THE CHRONICLE APRIL 9, 2018

mmanier@columbiachronicle.com

that halal doesn’t always have to be about food: it can be about many things that all fall under this NAV Y PIER WILL host a celebra- umbrella of halal.” tion of ethical consumption and Samana Siddiqui, content manMuslim culture this month. ager of Sound Vision, a ChicagoThe inaugural I Heart Halal based nonprofit that works to festival will be held April 13–15 build greater understanding of and showcase various aspects of the Muslim community, became what it means to follow Muslim excited about the festival when traditions. “Halal” typically refers she heard about it on Facebook. to certain foods that are accept- It could help familiarize people able for Muslims to eat according with Islamic practices and lifeto the Quran, which excludes meat style choices, she said. that has been inhumanely raised I Heart Halal will include Taste and slaughtered. of Halal, which will highlight local According to Salman Chaudry, restaurants that serve halal food co-director of I Heart Halal, the and famous Muslim chefs who will festival’s goal is to expand the perform cooking demonstrations. conversation around halal.

Festival attendees can also par“A halal lifestyle is one that’s ticipate in a food competition, in based on being good or nutritious, which their meals will be judged by wholesome, healthy and based on a panel of chefs. including former your values,” Chaudry said. “So Masterchef contestant Amanda [we wanted] this event to show Saab, according to Chaudry.

» MIRANDA MANIER ARTS & CULTURE REPORTER

the umbrella of halal because they’re cruelty free, they’re ethical, there’s no animal products in them.”

Siddiqui said she hopes the event will educate people about halal and bring it to the national consciousness, adding that there is a lot of misunderstanding about Muslims and their beliefs.

“A lifestyle expo like this will help people ... demystify Islamic practices,” she said.

According to Chaudry, cosmetics which are made without observance of halal is about animal testing. being consistent in the prac“Even in beauty there are cer- tice of one’s values. tain products that [people who “You want to make sure you observe halal] will want to use shop your values,” he said. “We because it’s in line with [their] [should be] more aware of what values,” Chaudry said. “Beauty we buy. If you start becoming is an important part of halal more aware of these items lifestyle because you’re looking and [you’re] making sure that at how the cosmetic products are they resonate with your values, created. [For example], vegan cos- then it helps you make better metics automatically fall under purchasing decisions.” » JOCELYN MORENO/CHRONICLE

Halal festival ‘hearts’ value-driven lifestyle

Ehba Zaidi, a nursing assistant from Lafayette, Indiana, was excited by the culinary options at the festival because halal food choices are generally limited.

The festival is not restricted to food, however, as fashion will also be a focus, Chaudry said. There will be two fashion shows during the festival with examples of modest fashion, or clothing that may not be revealing or form-fitting, but is still fashionable.

“Modest fashion is not just accessible to Muslims. Dressing modestly is something that some people want,” Chaudry said. “They want to have more [items] that aren’t as revealing, and that’s why this fashion show [will help] the designers showcase their looks to not only a Muslim audience but also a non-Muslim audience.

We’re showing this halal lifestyle is appealing to anyone.”

I Heart Halal has partnered with various Muslim influencers, including beauty vlogger Nura Afia, CoverGirl’s first brand ambassador to wear a hijab. Afia will host a masterclass that uses only halal

arts & culture

CALL FOR WORK

STUDENT WORK FOR MANIFEST EXHIBITION The Columbia College Chicago Library invites students from all disciplines to submit samples of artwork for exhibition during Manifest.

All visual formats will be considered.

This is exhibition is for any non-graduating student.

APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED UNTIL MONDAY, APRIL 23RD, 2018 AT 5 P.M. Please visit colum.edu/manifest to apply.

Select Library Exhibition Program, and for program title, enter Manifest 2018

APRIL 9, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 23

arts & culture

E

chosmith is back. The indie-pop pioneers from Chino, California, have hit the road after postponing the tour for their latest EP, Inside a Dream.

The sibling trio, formerly a quartet, made a cosmic splash in 2015 with the popular “Cool Kids” and has returned with more music than you could shake a synth at.

The Chronicle spoke with Sydney Sierota, the band’s lead vocalist, about Echosmith’s return to touring and the importance of spreading positivity.

THE CHRONICLE: How was it to finally kick off the tour in San Francisco after it was postponed?

SYDNEY SIEROTA: It felt great. I’m so excited to finally be back on the road and performing for people again because it’s been a while for us. The crowd was so excited and singing along to every song; it was even better than I could have hoped for. I’m so excited for the rest of the tour now that we started with such a great show and with such passionate people. I don’t know if I want to take another break that long because I feel so at home on stage.

Having grown up together and tapping into your experience as siblings, is the music creation process unique?

There are so many things that have happened to me that also happened to my brothers because we were literally growing up together. Obviously, there are different emotions that happen and other things that we go through that not each of us can relate to, but there are so many experiences that we share and have gone through together.

It’s helpful for songwriting to have multiple perspectives on the same situation. So I get to talk about my perspective but also Noah’s and Graham’s. It gives us a lot of content and material to jump off of. We’re also able to be super honest and feel the freedom to be open with each other, even if it’s a hard experience that we’ve gone through.

and that message needs to be heard because there are so many movies and songs out right now that are giving the message of, ‘Oh, I’m mad at you, so I’m done with you forever.’ That’s not what our band stands for.

Your latest song “Over My Head” was released less than a month ago. How was it created?

“Over My Head” is a personal song for me and for the whole band. I’m a huge communicator, and I love connecting with people and making sure that we all understand each other.

I don’t like having drama, so I like to talk through everything so we can move on. But

this song is talking about the frustration that you have when you try to make things work and you try to get someone to understand you and it isn’t working. That happens sometimes.

My favorite part of the song is the bridge because it’s the saving grace, telling them, ‘I still love you and I want to make this work, and I actually do want to understand you even though it is so beyond frustrating now,’

How do you think your band’s positive vibes fit into the more hedonistic modern soundscape?

All of us get caught up in the mindset of ‘What’s going to make me happy? What’s going to make me feel good? If you don’t make me feel amazing, then I’m done with you, and you’re out of my life,’ and there is an extent to that. But it’s important to have the positivity because everyone deep down wants [a] relationship, friendship and positive things in their lives.

It’s easy to get caught up in the negative, even if the positive is what we want. Nobody wants to be depressed, nobody wants to feel negative, but it happens. It’s easy to keep yourself in that situation because you’re used to it. With music, it’s important that we bring as much positivity and love as we can because there’s obviously not enough of it. If we’re going to have a voice and a message, it may as well be a good one. mdarbyshire@columbiachronicle.com

» MAYAN DARBYSHIRE ARTS & CULTURE REPORTER

Echosmith sythesizes some fresh positivity

» COURTESY ECHOSMITH

audiofile

NOW PLAYING Children of the Korn

Songs to corrupt the youth

Listen to all the tracks at http://open.spotify.com/user/thecolumbiachronicle

» OLIVIA DELOIAN

» LAUREN CARLTON

CAMPUS REPORTER “Killing In The Name” Rage Against the Machine

“I’m Different”

“Have a cigar”

“HeadBand”

“Ava Adore”

Pink Floyd The Smashing Pumpkins

“Sir Psycho Sexy”

Red Hot Chili Peppers

“Do the Evolution”

Pearl Jam

» JAY BERGHUIS

“Teen Idle” “Message Man”

2 Chainz B.O.B. Feat. 2 Chainz

“Hotel Room Service” “BedRock” “Only”

Pitbull Young Money

Nicki Minaj Feat. various artists

“Uprising”

Muse

Elle King

“Derailed”

Joyce Manor

“Youth Decay”

Sleater-Kinney

Marina and the Diamonds

“PUNKS”

FIDLAR

twenty one pilots

“Get Got”

Death Grips

24 THE CHRONICLE APRIL 9, 2018

Electric Light Orchestra

“Beautiful Day”

U2

“Norwegian Wood”

The Beatles

“Chumbawamba”

Tubthumping

“Walking On Sunshine”

Katrina & the Waves

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My Chemical Romance

Panic! at the Disco

“Mr. Blue Sky”

» SAMANTHA CONRAD

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“Ex’s & Oh’s” “Crazy = Genius”

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“Plan B” “Kim” “Peacock” “C U Next Tuesday” “Drop The World”

Migos Eminem Katy Perry Ke$ha Lil Wayne Feat. Eminem

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APRIL 9, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 25

orange chocolate chip

MU F F I NS

» MACKENZIE CROSSON

SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR » MAYAN DARBYSHIRE ARTS & CULTURE REPORTER If end-of-semester stress has got you down, take a little work break to bake a tasty treat. This orange-chocolate duo is a palate-pleasing combination for a hearty snack that will satisfy any sweet tooth.

Perfect for breakfast on-the-go or a dessert after dinner, these baked goods are quick and easy to prepare even with your busy life.

ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips 2 eggs 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup milk 1 tablespoon orange peel, finely shredded 1/2 cup orange juice 1/4 cup vegetable oil

» SAMANTHA CONRAD AND MACKENZIE CROSSON/CHRONICLE

directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a muffin tin with paper baking cups, set aside.

2. In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in chocolate chips. Make a well in the center of flour mixture, set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, combine eggs, sugar, milk, orange peel, orange juice and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened—batter should be lumpy.

4. Divide batter evenly in muffin tin. Bake for 18–20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. Cool muffins on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups, serve warm.

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APRIL 9, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 27

top

arts & culture

our staff’s top 5 picks:

Column: Tread carefully » MOLLY WALSH CAMPUS REPORTER

W

mwalsh@columbiachronicle.com

henever I am asked about my greatest weakness in job interviews, I always respond, “I care too much.”

I realize it sounds incredibly egotistical, but it’s honestly exhausting.

Experiencing General Anxiety Disorder is uncomfortable because it feels like you are trapped in the intersection of a Venn diagram between caring and not caring. Every action leads to a spiral of self-interrogation with questions like: “Does that person think I don’t care?” or “Does that person think I care too much?” Eventually, I decide I care too much about caring too much.

Therapy has taught me that society needs to put more focus on caring differently. Don’t focus on the quantity of caring rather than the quality. Being a caring person is a great attribute, but it can be dangerous if it stresses you out. As cliché as it sounds, taking care of yourself is just as important as caring for other people and about tasks and events. You need to put forth the same effort in self-care that you do in other aspects of your life, especially school, work and relationships. Self-care has become a buzzword in listicles, social media posts and blogs, but it is a forgotten necessity.

The best self-care, at least to me, is practicing mindfulness in order to obtain balance in everyday life.

When I find myself lost in that Venn diagram, it is helpful to take a step back, observe my surroundings and figure out how to balance caring for something else and myself.

28 THE CHRONICLE APRIL 9, 2018

SCARIEST HORROR MOVIES

PLACES TO CRY ON CAMPUS

GROSSEST THINGS ABOUT THE EL

» TESSA BRUBAKER CAMPUS REPORTER

» MOLLY WALSH CAMPUS REPORTER

» OLIVIA DELOIAN CAMPUS REPORTER

“The Conjuring” (2013):

The Library:

Sitting in pee:

Terrorized by a dark presence on their Rhode Island farm, a family asks for help from a couple who investigates paranormal activity. Not only is the story based on true events, but I saw it in a theater about 20 minutes away from the house it happened in. I didn’t sleep for a while.

The Library, 624 S. Michigan Ave., is the best place to cry on campus because of all the bookshelves you can hide between. If you need some real privacy, you can sign up for a study room. Also, the librarians are super kind, so they will happily help find a book to cheer you up.

“The Blair Witch Project” (1999):

C33 Gallery:

I sadly had my first sitting-in-pee-on-theRed Line experience recently. Because I’m incredibly germophobic, it was a truly traumatic and horrific event. Luckily, my friends were there to calm me down as my face turned white in realization.

However, I suppose sitting in urine on the CTA is a rite of passage. I am a true Chicagoan now, I guess.

Three college filmmakers venture into a Maryland forest to film a documentary based on the local Blair Witch legend, and everything goes horribly wrong. It’s the first horror movie I ever watched, and the film’s found footage technique is terrifying because of its stark reality, which invites you to imagine the worst.

An art gallery on campus is the perfect place to shed a few tears because you can disguise the “I don’t know what I’m doing with my life” tears as “I just really like this painting” tears.

“The Silence of the Lambs” (1991): Jodie Foster is fantastic as an FBI agent who must catch a local serial killer. She resorts to the aid of an incarcerated, manipulating cannibal, which kept me on the edge of my seat.

“Halloween” (1976): Director John Carpenter’s film is cheesy in the best way possible. Laurie Strode, played by a young Jamie Lee Curtis, must escape killer Michael Myers after he breaks out of a mental hospital. If you’re looking for a wild ride, this one is perfect.

“The Exorcist” (1973): A young girl is possessed, and her mom brings two priests to try and rid her of evil spirits. This film surprised everyone worldwide and changed the way horror movies are made and seen. Even with the movie’s outdated visual effects, it still manages to absolutely terrify me.

Stairwell of 623 S. Wabash Ave. Building: While you’re in class, feel free to step outside, sit in the stairwell of the 623 Building and sob your eyes out. Everyone else will be in class, so they won’t see or hear you.

And even if they do, don’t worry about it.

I’m sure they’ve cried there before too.

Second floor of 33 E. Congress Parkway Building:

The smell of pee: Ah yes, the smell of urine as a result from all of the wet seats I have encountered.

Even when walking past a subway station on any street, you will encounter the gnarly aroma. While entering an actual unsanitary bathroom, you’ll hear someone say, “Smells like the CTA.” The dark stains: Is it a very old coffee stain or a very old pee stain? Regardless, you don’t know what you’re going to sit on until you feel if your seat is wet or crunchy. You just have to hope for the best.

Tucked within the orange walls of the second floor of 33 E. Congress is a little cubby near a hidden classroom, which is rarely occupied. For those prone to a flair for the dramatic, there is a window to sit near and stare outside. It’s particularly convenient because there is an uncomfortable bench to add to the sad setting.

The rats:

State Street Panera bathroom:

The increase in U-Pass costs:

Nothing is more comforting than bread and a private stall. After you have a nice cry in this obscure bathroom, you can give yourself a pep talk in the mirror and buy a bagel to remind yourself tomorrow is another day.

As we all received emails from the school, the student U-Pass fee is increasing from $132 to $153 for the 2018–2019 school year and again to $158 the following year. Higher fees for items we use regularly for school are extra nasty for college students.

While I personally haven’t seen a rat on the train or the train platform, I’ve heard many horror stories about encountering these furry and disease-ridden creatures.

Just another reason that the el is one of the grossest places you can be in this beautiful city.

arts & culture

SCALE

MUSIC

VIDEO

VIRAL

RANDOM

CARDI B’S ‘JESUS CHRIST ‘INVASION OF PRIVACY’ SUPERSTAR’ REMAKE

BTS’ ‘EUPHORIA: THEME OF LOVE YOURSELF: WONDER’

MID-APRIL WEATHER

» SAVANNAH EADENS METRO REPORTER

» OLIVIA DELOIAN CAMPUS REPORTER

» BROOKE PAWLING STENNETT DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR

» ARIANA PORTALATIN MANAGING EDITOR

Cardi B proves she’s more than a one-hit wonder with her April 6 album Invasion of Privacy. The album includes incredible contributions from Chance the Rapper, SZA, Kehlani and Migos. My favorite track was “I like it” because it combined her Afro-Caribbean roots with hustle rap to form a total bop. Cardi refers to herself as the “Binderella” who made it when no one else thought she could—an inspiring and down-to-earth message.

While the 1971 version of “Jesus Christ Superstar” will always be my favorite, the remake, which premiered on NBC April 1, was beautiful. John Legend played Jesus, and his talented vocals absolutely stole the show. Sara Bareilles, who played Mary Magdalene, sang a breathtaking version of “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” with the same grace as Yvonne Elliman in ‘70.

Overall, I was very pleased. Who wouldn’t love to see John Legend as Jesus?

I’m sure everyone is tired of hearing me talk about BTS, but now that we’re nearing what in K-Pop is referred to as a “comeback,” I can’t be quiet. The group released an 8 minute video April 5 titled “Euphoria: Theme of LOVE YOURSELF: Wonder,” a continuation of a four-yearlong story arch that has spanned several music videos. While this is only a teaser to a comeback, the vocals and visuals will take your breath away.

It’s mid-April and the weather still can’t get the hint that it is spring. Instead of more sun and flowers, Chicago’s got nothing but wind and a mix of rain and snow.

Nothing excites me more than thinking of 80-degree weather, a bright sun and an unfrozen Lake Michigan to swim in, but it seems I’ll be waiting a while for this to become a reality. Until then, I’ll have to continue carrying my handy umbrella and winter gloves.

MUSIC

VIDEO

VIRAL

RANDOM

BHAD BHABIE’S ‘GUCCI FLIP FLOPS’ FEATURING LIL YACHTY

‘A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS’ SEASON 2

‘DILLY DILLY’ CHANT BANNED AT 2018 MASTERS TOURNAMENT

YODELING BOY AT WALMART

» MAYAN DARBYSHIRE ARTS & CULTURE REPORTER

» MIRANDA MANIER ARTS & CULTURE REPORTER

» BLAISE MESA METRO REPORTER

» MOLLY WALSH CAMPUS REPORTER

Bhad Bhabie’s March 26 single “Gucci Flip Flops,” featuring Lil Yachty, isn’t even the best song that references Gucci flip-flops in the hook. Bhad Bhabie is also known as the “Catch Me Outside” girl who became famous after her segment on “Dr. Phil.” This track is so drenched in tired trap clichés that you could deep-fry it and sell it at the state fair. A trite flex piece from a girl with more hair than muscle mass isn’t what music wants or needs. Lil Yachty deserves better.

The second season of “A Series of Unfortunate Events” was released March 30 on Netflix. I was worried this season might not hold up to the quality of the first, but I was more than impressed. The show continues to introduce new characters and explore storylines that the books glossed over. It also finds a balance between remaining true to the books’ tone and adding new, exciting flavor to it. The forced dialogue, desaturated aesthetics and dry humor is like nothing else on TV.

To my surprise, I woke up on the morning of April 4 to see that Dilly Dilly was trending on Twitter once again. This time, the Bud Light slogan is making waves because The Masters has banned the saying this year. Anyone who shouts “Dilly Dilly” will immediately be escorted out.

This does make sense as it is a “classy” golf tournament, after all. Luckily, Bud Light handled it well, sending out a “royal decree” in an April 3 tweet respecting The Masters’ wishes.

I’ve heard music from live symphonies, gospel choirs, rock bands and operas, but none of them truly compare to the vocal gifts of Yodeling Walmart Boy. His professional composure as he sings Hank Williams Sr.’s “Lovesick Blues” is inspiring. It takes master-skill levels to execute such a clear sound that can be heard from the dairy aisle to the home and garden section. Hopefully, Yodeling Walmart Boy will release an album soon and Walmart can play it while I shop.

APRIL 9, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 29

opinions

Name, age, divisiveness: Census raises troubling questions

T

he U.S. Census Bureau released a draft of the 2020 census March 27 that included questions regarding LGBTQ respondents, which were promptly removed the same day, followed by a statement explaining that their inclusion in the draft was a mistake.

No prior census has included questions on gender identity or sexuality, but the correction was a reminder of a yearslong fight to shed light on the LGBTQ community through the survey. Advocacy groups have pushed for representation of LGBTQ people in the census because the national survey could be a means of not only tracking the size of the community, but also identifying needs that can be met by adequate, informed federal funding.

The administration has rejected representing LGBTQ people in the census, but

there is one topic that is sure to be included in the 2020 survey: citizenship. For the first time since 1950, the census will include a question regarding respondents’ citizenship status, according to a March 26 announcement by the Department of Commerce, which oversees the census.

Many are already bracing for a lower response rate to the census due to fears that answering the question honestly will lead to deportations.

Although it is against the law to share an individual’s answers on the census with immigration or law enforcement agencies, those fears are warranted.

Considering the administration’s hostile attitude toward undocumented immigrants and its unpredictable actions, such as the Department of Justice setting quotas for the first time on the number of

Congress silences sex workers with anti-sex trafficking bill

COMMENTARY » TYRA BOSNIC OPINIONS EDITOR

C

ongress has passed a bill that can potentially hurt those it is meant to protect, and it comes with a slew of other consequences.

The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill March 21 meant to curb online sex

trafficking by bankrupting transactional venues. The bill, which includes the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act and the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act, reverses Sec. 230 of the Communications Decency Act to increase liability for content posted by third parties. Under the bill, survivors of sex trafficking have the ability to sue websites that knowingly allow online trafficking on their platforms.

The internet has already seen the effects of this bill. After the Senate’s vote, Craigslist shut down its personal ads section—in which users were able to find, among other things, “casual encounters”—March 23, announcing, “We can’t take such risk without jeopardizing all our other services, so we are regretfully taking Craigslist personals offline.”

Although survivors of sex trafficking have deserved justice for far too long, legislation created to help

cases immigration judges hear in order to speed up processing deportations or President Donald Trump deciding “DACA is dead,” concerns over the administration’s motive behind adding the citizenship question to the census are not unfounded.

The makeup of the U.S. population, including the percentage of undocumented immigrants, needs to be known.

This information would be valuable to better serve those communities, but the data cannot be trusted in the hands of the current administration.

U.S. census data should be an objective reflection of the nation’s population, but data can easily be weaponized by powerful political figures to subjugate groups of people already threatened by a xenophobic administration.

This isn’t a problem that will go away once the Trump administration is out. Unless there is an effort to protect the census from becoming a partisan tool, the fate of millions of Americans’ survey responses will depend on who is elected into office, for better or worse.

EDITORIAL But actions being taken against the latest developments in the census can be an opportunity to make substantial long-term changes in who has the power over the survey.

From Connecticut to California, multiple states have filed lawsuits against the Trump administration to block the inclusion of the citizenship question on the census. At least 12 states have joined the effort on the basis the question will violate the Constitution, which requires all residents regardless of citizenship to be counted, by intimidating potential survey respondents from filling out the census.

This pushback should not simply be resolved with a decision to add one question or not; this is the time to use legal action to ensure current and future administrations do not have such sway over the census.

The census needs a legal mandate to not only represent diverse groups but to also guarantee any changes to the survey come from a place of progress—not intimidation or erasure.

them should not come at the expense of further endangering an already marginalized group: sex workers.

Under the bill, which conflates sex trafficking content with the “promotion or facilitation of prostitution,” consensual sex workers will lose the online avenues that make performing their work safer. Sex workers are able to screen potential clients, easily alert each other when a client is dangerous and have access to other avenues for income like “camming,” which is amateur video work that doesn’t require physical contact with someone who can harm them.

Studies have found that online venues offer sex workers greater safety. A November 2017 paper by researchers at Baylor University and West Virginia University found Craigslist’s personal ads section—one of the first online resources to succumb to the bill—had a positive effect on sex workers’ safety by reducing the female homicide rate by 17 percent.

The few studies that have been done on violence against sex workers show they face sizable risks. A May 2014 study in the American Journal of Public Health—one of the most recent on the topic— found

45-75 percent of sex workers experienced physical violence, sexual violence or a combination of both in the workplace globally. Sex work is still considered one of the most dangerous occupations due to staggering rates of rape and murder, and any legislative action that takes away a method to make the job safer for sex workers is a severe injustice.

Sex workers already avoid reporting violence against them for fear of facing arrest for prostitution, and with this bill further criminalizing sex work, survivors in the industry are cowed into silence even more.

This bill is a grave reminder that supporting sex workers must be part of our political activism. Sex workers have been cast as society’s untouchables and have endured insurmountable abuse by violent clients as well as by ignorant legislation that further criminalizes them, making it even harder to escape the vicious cycle of trauma many face.

Congress needs to protect sex trafficking survivors with smart legislation. Otherwise, we will continue to be presented with dangerous policies that masquerade as remedies.

Editorial Board Members Brooke Pawling Stennett Digital Managing Editor Tyra Bosnic Opinions Editor Blaise Mesa Metro Reporter Jay Berghuis Copy Editor Kendrah Villiesse Online Content Producer

30 THE CHRONICLE APRIL 9, 2018

Mayan Darbyshire Arts & Culture Reporter Hawk Thottupuram Multimedia Reporter Zachary Keltner Staff Photographer Kami Rieck Media Sales Rep Eric Eldridge Webmaster

Did you catch a mistake, think we could have covered a story better or have strong beliefs about an issue that faces all of us here at Columbia?

Why not write a letter to the editor? At the bottom of Page 2, you’ll find a set of guidelines on how to do this. Let us hear from you. —The Columbia Chronicle Editorial Board

opinions

Creators, do not allow Sinclair to brainwash you » JAY BERGHUIS COPY EDITOR

I

n what we were all hoping was an April Fool’s Day joke, a March 31 video posted by Deadspin, a popular sports blog, went viral, showing dozens of news anchors reciting an identical anti-media message to millions of viewers. For Americans who rely on local news for information and understanding, this was no laughing matter. The video is a result of Sinclair Broadcast Group requiring its stations to disseminate propaganda to retain funding and employment.

Sinclair is the largest owner of television stations in the United States. It owns or operates a whopping 173 stations from coast to coast, according to its website.

The corporation has a reach of millions, and before the video went viral, it is doubtful that any of those viewers were aware of the extent of Sinclair’s control over the news shown on their stations.

Watching this video of dozens of anchors reciting an identical and

jberghuis@columbiachronicle.com

COMMENTARY

clearly biased message in unison is nothing short of horrifying—especially to someone who works at a newspaper committed to high ethical standards and unbiased coverage where facts, sources and quotes are checked tirelessly.

In our society, the dollar speaks.

Nothing scares a person like the fear of losing their livelihood or the ability to do what they need to survive. This is exactly what Sinclair threatens: Reporters and stations know they must compromise their core values as journalists—a commitment to facts and accuracy—in order to keep their jobs. This is a clear and present ethical dilemma, and one that needs to be resisted wholeheartedly

by Columbia students, not simply as up-and-coming media creators but as consumers striving to be responsible and educated in our media consumption.

Seattle Times Reporter Mike Rosenberg calculated the percentage of jobs posted on JournalismJobs.com, the largest online hub for jobs in journalism, and found that 64 percent of current postings were at stations owned by Sinclair.

Also, Sinclair is awaiting approval to acquire the Tribune Media group, which would greatly increase its already massive sphere of influence. This means, unless something changes, it is likely that plenty of Columbia students and young content creators will be working for Sinclair in the coming years. We have a responsibility not to submit to its subversion of news outlets into propaganda mills.

We must demand this state of affairs does not continue, both by seeking transparency and advocating against corporations like Sinclair that find massive loopholes in monopoly and duopoly laws.

If we are not aware of who or what funds the media we consume, we cannot truly know the covert bias being fed to us that we then internalize. If we do not actively say this kind of media monopoly is wrong, then we choose bias and, to use a Trump-ism, “fake news” over truth and education.

We’ve got you covered

@CCChronicle The Columbia Chronicle

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» SCREENGRAB COURTESY DEADSPIN

APRIL 9, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 31

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Proposed immigration vetting policies could have international students turn over social medias » Page 37

» PHOTO COURTESY WOODLAWN COMMUNITY GARDENS MANAGING COMMITTEE

Community garden debate sprouts in Woodlawn METRO REPORTER

in Woodlawn face an uncertain future, triggering uneasiness in the surrounding community.

Residents and gardeners were notified March 17 that the 65th and Woodlawn community garden, 6500 S. Woodlawn Ave., and the Kumunda community garden, 6435 S. Kimbark Ave., were to be closed by the local First Presbyterian Church, the landowner of the gardens, according to a March 26 Woodlawn Gardens’ press release.

The gardens provide an area for residents to grow fresh produce along with plots that contribute produce for the church’s food pantry. In response, residents and people representing the gardens created a Change. org petition to keep the gardens open. The petition has received more than 1,800 signatures as of press time.

It would be “devastating” for the community if the gardens were unable to reopen, said Elizabeth Gardner, a 13-year

She is able to grow enough produce at the garden for her and her son year-round, and her freezer is full of leftover produce from the last growing season, she added.

Other crops such as corn, cucumbers, beans, okra and peppers can be found sprouting in the gardens, along with medicinal herbs, according to Mass.

If the gardens were to remain closed, some residents fear Woodlawn would become a food desert with only an Aldi, Walgreens, McDonald’s and a few liquor stores for locals, Mass said. But Aldi is farther away on the southwest corner of the neighborhood and may not be easily accessible to all residents, she added.

“The entrance of a community garden doesn’t necessarily eliminate a food desert, and its exit doesn’t necessarily create a food desert,” said Mari Gallagher, principal of Mari Gallagher Research and Consulting Group, a firm specializing in localized data, strategic information and measurable solutions that popularized the term “food desert,” according to its website.

Along with supplying a space for residents to grow fresh produce, gardens provide additional benefits for the surrounding community, Gallagher said.

These gardens have been used to host weddings, and others have used it to connect with nature and spend time with family, Mass said.

Brian Wildeman, 49, a teacher at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, lives across the street from one of the gardens. Four months a year, he can be found at the garden every day growing and tending to his crops.

If the gardens do not reopen, Wildeman said he would move to a house that borders an empty lot with enough green space to create his own community garden. “[When] the rest of the world is hectic, we can go in there and have that space to relax get back with nature and be with our families,” Mass told The Chronicle.

“I came there for the food, then I found my space here.”

The Woodlawn community gardens produce 1.5 tons of food annually for the First Presbyterian Church’s food pantry.

» MACKENZIE CROSSON/CHRONICLE

» KEVIN TIONGSON/CHRONICLE

TWO COMMUNITY GARDENS

Woodlawn resident and co-founder of the Woodlawn Community Summit who spoke at an April 3 community garden meeting.

“We have relied on [those] garden[s] for many years,” she told The Chronicle.

The church has sent mixed signals about whether the gardens will stay closed or reopen, Gardner said, but residents who planted food in the fall are currently unable to garden on the church’s land.

The First Presbyterian Church did not respond to requests for comment as of press time.

Anyone who gardens on the land pays a $45 fee, Gardner said, which helps pay for tools and keeps the garden self-sustaining.

The gardens also produce at least 1.5 tons of food annually for the First Presbyterian Church’s food pantry, according to Margaret Mass, master gardener and member of the managing committee for the Woodlawn community gardens.

Mass, who lived in Woodlawn from 2004—2016, said she still uses the garden to grow tomatoes, kale, beans and spinach.

bmesa@columbiachronicle.com

» BLAISE MESA

Members of this South Side community are working to reopen the Woodlawn Community Gardens located at the corner of 65th Street and Woodlawn Avenue.

APRIL 9, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 33

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For more information, visit ThomasNickell.com 34 THE CHRONICLE APRIL 9, 2018

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» SAVANNAH EADENS METRO REPORTER ILLINOIS’ 2018 PRIMARY results are in and experts came together in an April 5 panel to analyze contributing factors to candidate selection.

Hosted by the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform at 69 W. Washington St., panelists discussed the nuanced role of race in politics, the impact of early voting and the state’s early primary date.

Sarah Brune, director of the ICPR and moderator of the event, noted Jesus “Chuy” Garcia’s success in the 7th Congressional District Democratic primary as the sole Latino-majority seat. Brune questioned whether Garcia’s progressive coalition from his unsuccessful 2015 mayoral bid was a force behind other local incumbents losing their positions.

Jaime Dominguez, an assistant professor of Political Science at

Northwestern University, said Garcia and other minorities need to continue to expand and diversify their mission.

Dominguez said there is a crack in the “machine politics” in Illinois, and an opportunity to have an inclusive political environment for nontraditional voters to come.

Before the primary, many thought former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris Kennedy would win the African-American demographic, Brune said.

But J.B. Pritzker, who won the Democratic ticket for governor in the November general election, received 60 percent of the AfricanAmerican vote in Chicago, said Scott Kennedy, who runs the Illinois Election Data website.

Shortly before the election, Pritzker’s campaign was on the defensive after private phone calls with Rod Blagojevich, a former Illinois governor now serving 14

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Jim Allen, communication director for the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, noticed an up-tick in early and mail-in voting in the 2018 primaries.

years in prison for a conviction of wire fraud, attempted extortion and solicitation of bribes. In the conversation recorded by the FBI and released by the Chicago Tribune Feb. 6, Pritzker advised Blagojevich to fill then Presidentelect Barack Obama’s former senate seat with Secretary of State Jesse White to take care of the “African-American thing.”

Along with Pritzker, the panel noted the African-American support for State Sen. Kwame Raoul

who won the attorney general race.

“The takeaway from this election is that it is worth it for candidates to spend time in those communities because the [African-American] community tends to coalesce around a particular candidate,” Scott Kennedy said. “In this case, it probably provided [Raoul and Pritzker] with the advantage they needed to win.”

Shari Runner, president and CEO of the Chicago Urban League, said the election proved politics

are not black and white.

“The monolithic voting bloc of the African-American voter does not exist,” Runner said. “[The voters are] dispersed. It would be wise to recognize that each one of the gubernatorial candidates made sure they had a black running mate.”

Illinois voters are not concerned about race, Runner said. They care about a candidate’s ideals and campaign issues.

“The African-American voting bloc in Chicago is huge, but it doesn’t vote all the time,” Runner said. “We need to get people educated, energized and out to make sure they know who the candidates are there and what is in their best interests [as a voter].”

Carolyn Cosentino, a member of the League of Women Voters, was disappointed in the questions about the African-American vote throughout the panel.

“I was glad [Runner] pointed out that there is no AfricanAmerican bloc, they are just people,” Cosentino said. “It’s 2018. Come on, folks.”

SEE PRIMARY, PAGE 38

Experts analyze primary election results

» KEVIN TIONGSON/CHRONICLE

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APRIL 9, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 35

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INTERNATIONAL VISITORS WHO

are seeking to reside in the U.S. but not immediately immigrate may soon have to turn over huge amounts of personal information, including social media handles, old phone numbers and emails, as part of the application process.

The changes in the process involve turning over five years of social media handles, email addresses and information about international travel; whether the applicant has been removed or deported from any country; and whether any family members have been involved in terrorist activities, according to a State Department notice published March 30 in the Federal Register.

It is unclear why these policies have been proposed, and it could

lead to privacy and free speech consequences, said Rebecca Glenberg, senior staff attorney of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois.

The proposal is undergoing a 60-day public comment period that will expire May 29. The Federal Register notice states the information is being sought for “identity resolution and vetting purposes based on statutory visa eligibility standards.”

“It looks like a massive collection of personal data without any clear plans for how [the] data will be used or guidelines determining how that information affects anyone’s visa status,” Glenberg said.

“It certainly adds to the perception that the U.S. is not welcoming to people from other countries.”

There are some exemptions from the increased vetting, such as diplomatic and official visa

Amber Tsai, junior business and entrepreneurship and photography double major and vice president of the International Student Organization is originally from Taiwan but has lived in Cambodia as well as South Korea before heading over to the U.S. Tsai agreed with Bluesse’s comments and said the South Korean application process asked fewer questions and felt more welcoming, as compared to the U.S. application process, which was stricter and more formal.

Handing over five years of social media and email information to the U.S. government seems “insane,” Tsai said.

She said she does not have anything

OLD EMAIL ADDRESSES

OLD PHONE NUMBERS

to hide, but her posts on social media are for the people she friends and follows, and not for random people working for the government.

“I’m going to leave the U.S. when I’m done studying. I’m not going to live here,” Bluesse said. “I don’t pay taxes, I don’t vote, so why are they making it so hard for people to study here?” bmesa@columbiachronicle.com

» BLAISE MESA METRO REPORTER

applicants. But incoming international students would be subject to the background checks, according to the Federal Register notice.

“You go through a lot when applying for any visa through the U.S.,” said Dominik Bluesse, a junior American Sign LanguageEnglish interpretation major and international student from Germany. “I don’t know if I could provide five years’ worth of email and social media [handles if I was asked to].”

Bluesse needed three months to properly fill out his non-immigrant application and a threehour drive to the embassy in Berlin, he said.

“If they [would have] demanded five years of [social media handles], plus the fee, the extra paperwork and driving to Berlin, I probably would have looked for easier [visa] options, like Canada,” Bluesse said.

Bluesse called the expanded vetting process “the tip of the iceberg” for some people and said it may discourage international students from coming to the U.S.

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» SAMANTHA CONRAD/CHRONICLE

State department to probe visa seekers’ social media

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seadens@columbiachronicle.com

Jim Allen, a spokesman for the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, said there was an early voting trend in this year’s primary. In the 2014 primary, there were only 8,200 mail-in votes in Chicago, but that number skyrocketed to nearly 40,000 in 2018.

Matt Dietrich, a public information officer for the Illinois State Board of Elections said pushing the primaries to a later date would help with technical issues in the voting process.

Dietrich also said 75 percent of early votes were Democratic while only 25 percent were Republican this year.

Allen said election officials were not surprised by the large Democratic voter turnout.

“There were high-profile contests on the ballot. When that happens, voters are more compelled to participate,” he said. “The ballot drives turnout. No amount of begging, pleading, or social shaming is going to drive up turnout. “

FEATURED PHOTO

FEATURED PHOTO

The annual three-day event “Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo,” commonly referred to as C2E2, invited cosplayers, celebrities and comic book creators to McCormick Place, 2301 S. King Drive, April 6–8 to mingle with Chicagoans among booths featuring popular sci-fi and fantasy works.

$5 OFF A D M IS SI ON wi th t h is A D

38 THE CHRONICLE APRIL 9, 2018

» COURTESY ABIGAIL HECKEL

PRIMARY, FROM PAGE 35

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APRIL 9, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 39

VOLUNTEER THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF A STUDENT POWERED FESTIVAL IS YOU, THE STUDENT! APPLY TO JOIN “THE CREW” AS A GREETER OR RUNNER AND TAKE OVER THE STREETS OF MANIFEST ON FRIDAY, MAY 11TH!

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