The Columbia Chronicle, April 30, 2018

Do letter grades miss the mark in education?

PAGE 16

PAGE 11 April 30, 2018

Volume 53, Issue 29

ColumbiaChronicle.com

‘Physician Magician’ combines magic and medicine

Part-time faculty contract

Deal or no deal?

SEE PAGE 3

» ZACHARY KELTNER/CHRONICLE

editor’s note

#SaveStudentNewsrooms

The Chronicle needs saving too

MANAGEMENT

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

MANAGING EDITORS

I

t’s been almost exactly three years since The Chronicle published a Front Page staff editorial proclaiming, “We’ve got you covered—for now.”

The Editorial Board laid out what the college would be losing if it followed through with cutting the newspaper’s staff budget—which would have cut 25 percent of the student workers—instead of providing funds for Chicago’s minimum wage raise. It detailed how The Chronicle meets five of the six Strategic Plan goals and that it should be seen as a recruitment strategy and something to be proud of. How many colleges can boast their student newspapers have as many awards as we do?

Luckily, either the paper’s bold move worked or the college naturally saw the error in its ways because The Chronicle’s budget was adjusted and the 10 positions were not cut. If they had been, I probably wouldn’t be writing this today because I was hired the next semester.

Though the editorial helped short term, The Chronicle’s fight for funding, recognition and respect has not waned. The other managers and I are constantly defending the publication and its importance to people who don’t want to hear it. We are surrounded by people who don’t know anything about the newspaper but still have opinions on it. Chronicle staff are forced to recruit students from across the college to join us because, besides a couple faculty allies, no one else does it.

You would think the college would be willing to emphasize the merits of this award-winning newspaper that allows students to get real world experience right here at Columbia, but sadly, that’s not the case. The staff and I have been constantly disappointed at the minimal level of recognition and support for our hard work and well-earned accolades collegewide.

Student newspapers nationwide have banded together this month to share their troubles with likeminded students and the rest of the country with Save Student Newsrooms. The Chronicle is proud to join its fellow publications in exposing what our battle for survival has been like.

We have been fighting for what seems like years to stay an independent, student-run paper and to be a fully professional news organization. But we receive little to no support from people who demand we change and adopt new 2 THE CHRONICLE APRIL 30, 2018

DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR CREATIVE DIRECTOR AD & BUSINESS MANAGER

CAMPUS REPORTERS

CAMPUS Tessa Brubaker Olivia Deloian Molly Walsh

ARTS & CULTURE

ARTS & CULTURE REPORTERS

procedures without first understanding The Chronicle’s process or sharing any

METRO REPORTERS ideas or help on how to actually do what they want.

I’ve written many times before about how important The Chronicle is to its OPINIONS EDITOR employees and how much it brings to Columbia’s community. Earlier this

month, I wrote an Editor’s Note explaining COPY CHIEF that to increase enrollment and student

COPY EDITORS interest in the college, Columbia needs to emphasize opportunities for students while they are still in college and fund those programs. This continues to be true.

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Just today, we announced to our staff that the fight to continue being a print

ADVERTISING DESIGNER publication is ongoing. Although we saved those 10 positions years ago, we now have a bigger fight ahead of us. It has been a

SENIOR PHOTO EDITORS thought in the back of The Chronicle’s Management Team’s minds for long STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS before I was editor-in-chief that other newspapers are being forced to eliminate their print editions and it could happen to us. As The Chronicle’s budget is being

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

MULTIMEDIA REPORTERS reviewed for the next academic year, we are getting to the point at which one mistake, one disagreement, or one sternly written Editor’s Note could be the final

MEDIA SALES REPS nail in the coffin to the print edition. But that isn’t stopping us.

MARKETING ASSISTANT So before our budget is slashed and our print edition is discontinued, I’d like to follow the example of the spring 2015 WEBMASTER Editorial Board and invite anyone—staff,

ONLINE CONTENT PRODUCER faculty, student or administrator—to visit the office this week. Come in and witness what we do. Talk to the employees about OFFICE ASSISTANT what The Chronicle does for them. See what we provide for the college.

And if you’re one of our supporters you to GENERAL MANAGER already, we thank you and ask

FACULTY ADVISER write a Letter to the Editor about why

ASSISTANT FACULTY ADVISER you think the newspaper is important. That way, we hope the college and department will see what The Chronicle means to its community and use us as a recruitment tool rather than a cost-cutting measure. zeitel@columbiachronicle.com

» ZOË EITEL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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

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Columbia students and teachers hold “All In” rally » ColumbiaChronicle.com/Multimedia

» MACKENZIE CROSSON/CHRONICLE

» ZACHARY KELTNER/CHRONICLE

» ZACHARY KELTNER/CHRONICLE

campus

P-Fac rallies before bargaining session faculties and part-timers pittances for pay. It’s a scandal what Columbia has become in this recent period.” » ZACHARY KELTNER/CHRONICLE Diana Vallera, P-Fac president and adjunct professor in the help negotiations, but the union Photography Department, said unless the has declined. administration bargains in good faith, the “Columbia remains committed to group will continue the rallies against them. a contract with the part-time fac“The administration has to step up and ulty union that is mutually acceptrealize if they don’t start to bargain in good able and in the best interests of our faith, if they don’t change the path they’re students. Since last fall, we have on, we’re going to make sure we’re back out made more than a dozen proposals here until they do change the path,” Vallera to the union at the bargaining table, » MACKENZIE CROSSON/CHRONICLE said. “This is just the beginning.” including a salary increase. The Nesbitt said he wants the bargaining The rally was also joined by gigantic union has yet to respond to most of them.” sessions to be respectful and fair. inflatables of a cat, rat and a pig to showcase Rosati attributed fewer faculty teaching “We also want them to bargain in serioushow Columbia is becoming an anti-labor, courses to enrollment declines, which he ness, in good faith and not play games with anti-union and anti-people institution, said Columbia is working hard to address. us,” Nesbitt said. “We are human beings, Nesbitt said.

He added that the most recent 2 percent we are people, we work, we pay enorIn an April 27 email statement sent to tuition increase aligns with inflation. mous prices to be at this institution so The Chronicle, Vice President of Strategic Dane Wheaton, a senior interactive arts we insist that they bargain with us in Communications and External Relations and media major, said he attended the rally seriousness and in good faith.”

Mark Rosati said new proposals were made to support P-Fac and protest changes to his Vallera said she appreciates the peoduring the bargaining session regarding department and its resources. ple who came out to support the rally, compensation and faculty. “[The administration] just needs to engage such as CTU. The offers demonstrate good faith in conversation,” Wheaton said. “They dis“Everyone who was at the strike who bargaining, but work remains to resolve miss all these demands and think they can said they were in support are coming remaining disagreements, Rosati said, add- get away with changing whatever they want, back. We’re going to keep growing if ing that the college has asked for a federal doing whatever they want and they’re simply this administration doesn’t get off this mediator to join bargaining sessions to not listening. That’s all we’re asking.” path,” Vallera said. tbrubaker@columbiachronicle.com

THE PART-TIME FACULTY union held a rally April 27, joined by students and faculty, to protest contract bargaining issues including adjuncts losing classes, rising tuition and curriculum changes.

The rally was held just before a bargaining session with the college’s administration outside the 600 S. Michigan Ave. Building from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. A press conference with students, faculty and members from the Chicago Teachers Union, such as Vice President Jesse Sharkey, was held before they all marched into the building to bargain.

In an April 20 email sent to the college, P-Fac announced it will present its demands to the college about curriculum changes and faculty qualifications.

Prexy Nesbitt, adjunct professor in the Humanities, History and Social Sciences Department, said the reason P-Fac is protesting is that the college prioritizes money and buying buildings over students and education.

“The administration has to cease raising tuition like crazy,” Nesbitt said. “It has to cease arbitrarily getting rid of the most senior and experienced faculty under fallacious pretenses that are just ridiculous.

It has to cease paying administrators outrageous salaries while it gives the adjunct

» ZACHARY KELTNER/CHRONICLE

» TESSA BRUBAKER CAMPUS REPORTER

APRIL 30, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 3

campus

» OLIVIA DELOIAN CAMPUS REPORTER COLUMBIA COLLEGE CLASS Facebook groups used by students to voice opinions, advertise work and seek assistance recently vanished from the social media platform without explanation, leading many to wonder what caused their removal.

The Facebook group for Columbia College Chicago Class of 2022, with nearly 1,700 members, was the only group that was not terminated.

Robert Morvay, a junior theatre major, said he has organized new groups to take the place of the four that were removed: classes of 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Morvay, who is also the social media manager for The Black Sheep, said he did so to unite the Columbia community while also being able to share his own comedic content.

» ZACK JACKSON/CHRONICLE

He and other Black Sheep writers initially thought they had been banned from the groups only to learn the groups have been removed, he said.

“I have absolutely no idea [why they were removed] and that was a big curiosity for me,” Morvay said. “No one knows the reason why.”

College spokeswoman Anjali Julka confirmed in an April 17 email statement to The Chronicle that the class Facebook pages were not taken down by the college, which has no affiliation with the groups.

Julka added that the Admissions Office runs a separate Columbia College Chicago Class of 2022 page, which has just under 1,000 members.

Morvay said the Facebook groups were a way for students to get their content seen and provided a sense of community in a college with a sprawling city campus.

“[With] one of these groups, I found my roommates that I currently live with, and it’s just a good place of early socialization, especially [for] freshman coming in or even people coming in as transfers as I did,” Morvay said.

He said there have not been many new students joining the reconstituted groups because it has been hard to notify students of the groups’ existence.

Colin Hanner, national campus editor for The Black Sheep in Chicago, said the removal of the class Facebook groups is not only unique to Columbia.

Hanner said class groups at University of Wisconsin-UV Madison, University of Delaware, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Syracuse University and Western Michigan’s disappeared all within 24 hours of Columbia’s.

A spokesperson from UNC at

Chapel Hill declined to comment because the college was not affiliated with the class groups that were shut down.

“Communities online are important so people in real local communities are able to connect with each other over the internet. That helps create a community, so without those, you lose a sense of [it],” Hanner said. “You see a breakdown of students interacting with each other when you lose those groups.”

Facebook did not respond to request for comment on the removal of the groups as of press time.

Morvay echoed Hanner’s statement and said a centralized online place is needed at an institution like Columbia, with its city location.

“Without a place for students to vent, to talk about their classes, living experiences, ways of getting around and to ask questions to one another it severely diminishes the community aspect of Columbia that really needs to be stronger,” Morvay said. odeloian@columbiachronicle.com

Where did the class Facebook groups go?

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

M u s i c

D e p a r t m e n t

Monday April 30 Guitar Ensemble in Concert Gospel Choir and Gospel Repertory Ensemble at Stage TWO, 618 S Michigan Ave Hip Hop Ensemble in Concert

7:00 pm

Tuesday May 1 Songwriting 2 Recital Gospel Ensemble: Showcase in Concert

12:00 pm 7:00 pm

Wednesday May 2 Jazz Pop Choir in Concert at the Conaway Center RPE Ensembles in Concert New Music Ensemble in Concert at the Sherwood

12:00 pm 7:00 pm 7:00 pm

Thursday May 3 Jazz Combofest Student Piano & String Recitals #6 & #7 at the Sherwood

4:00 pm 7:00 pm

Friday May 4 Daniel Thao & Daniel Hayashi Senior Recital at the Sherwood Leah Griffith Senior Recital

7:00 pm 7:00 pm

Saturday May 5 Advanced Vocal Studio Performances

4 THE CHRONICLE APRIL 30, 2018

E v e n t s 12:00 pm 7:00 pm

11:00 am & 1:30 pm

campus

Because all you need is love from a therapy dog.

Woof.

APRIL 30, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 5

campus

THE COLLEGE’S TECH Center will permanently close June 1, and the Bookstore will undergo renovations this summer to expand its technical support and retail services for students.

The Bookstore, 624 S. Michigan Ave., will operate as Columbia students’ main source for technological support, according to an April 17 collegewide email from Senior Vice President of Business Affairs and CFO Jerry Tarrer.

“Upon completion of renovations in fall 2018, services similar to those available at the Tech Center, such as computer products and repairs to computers under warranty, will be offered to students at the Bookstore,” the email said. “This change will enhance the student experience

by giving students and parents the opportunity to shop for books, school supplies, gear, and now, computers and accessories, in one location.”

After three years of declining revenue attributed to the college’s lower enrollment, Apple decided to end the collaboration with the college’s Tech Center, according to Tarrer.

“We still want to provide some level of technical service to the students,” Tarrer told The Chronicle April 27. “[They] will continue to get the discount, but they won’t get it through the tech store that will be in the Bookstore.”

He added that plans for renovations to the interior of the Bookstore, pricing for tech assistance at the new tech desk, and the hours of the tech desk in the newly renovated Bookstore are still being planned.

6 THE CHRONICLE APRIL 30, 2018

repairing computers and just general help. I’m not sure how much the bookstore is going to be able to carry that sort of flame.”

Tarrer said the college is in the process of looking for other jobs on campus for the soon-to-be unemployed students.

Bookstore Manager Ann Marie Pausha said Tech Center employees will have to apply for a job at the store’s new technology desk if they would like to transfer there,

and each employee will be certified by Apple to assist students.

Pausha said the Bookstore will be open throughout the summer. She added that she is excited to see the changes because the Bookstore has not been renovated in eight years.

“I’m excited about this whole thing,” Pausha said. “It’s a positive piece for the school and students and for everybody involved.”

mwalsh@columbiachronicle.com

» MOLLY WALSH CAMPUS REPORTER

Tarrer said the renovations are not going to cost the college any money because Follett, the owner of the Bookstore, decided to invest in the space and agreed to merge with the tech center after the college proposed a collaboration earlier in the semester.

Tech Center Manager and Service Technician Luna Luxe said she is disappointed because she will be unemployed as of June 1, along with three student workers who will be unemployed on May 15 due to the closing. “[There] has been ... a decline with enrollment, so most of our store’s revenue was dependent on the orientation season when students would come in with their parents and buy a new computer,” Luxe said.

Between 2016 and 2017, there was a 48 percent decrease in merchandise sales, Luxe said. “[The Tech Center] has been here for 10 years. Ever since I started full-time, we’ve done a lot of service for the students,” Luxe said. “We’ve had over a thousand instances of removing viruses,

» KEVIN TIONGSON/CHRONICLE

Tech Center to close for Bookstore renovations

The Tech Center closes its doors June 1 after Apple ended the partnership with the college but all technical support and retail services will be available for students at the Bookstore after renovations this summer.

campus

APRIL 30, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 7

campus

8 THE CHRONICLE APRIL 30, 2018

campus

2017 MUSIC ALUMNA Kelsie Johnson,

aka Juiix, and 2017 business and entrepreneurship alumnus Drew Fridge will have their original song featured on Fox’s hit show “Empire,” and both have been signed to the network as songwriters.

The episode will premiere May 2 at 7 p.m., featuring their song either with an actor’s performance or playing in a portion of the episode, Johnson said.

Johnson and Fridge said they had been submitting songs to Fox for about three months before their music was selected by the network the second week of February.

“It was a very good feeling to finally get one chosen, so it was pretty shocking but exciting at

the same time,” Johnson said.

Johnson, who is also a singer and music producer, said she and Fridge were in a band named Chameleon while at Columbia and performed at several events including Manifest, Big Mouth and Biggest Mouth during their senior year.

She also was a part of the “Music Industry Immersion” J-term course that was also a songwriting camp and attended an international camp in Germany, Pop Academy.

Those camps were instrumental for Johnson in establishing networks and aiding her in the path to post-graduation achievement, she said.

“It was ironic that literally right after I graduate I actually get to write for TV,” Johnson said. “It was a great experience

so that camp really prepared me for this moment here.”

Fridge, who is a musician, producer and songwriter, said he was in charge of producing and mixing the instrumentals while Johnson played a strong role in the songwriting.

Regarding their accomplishment, Fridge said it is exciting to have the upcoming episode premiere with their song and great to once again collaborate with Johnson as a witness to her progression and growth.

Medhan Abraha, Johnson’s artist manager and music publisher, is a 2017 music alumna.

Abraha said there will be a watch party at 1104 S. Wabash Ave. for the episode’s release.

“It’s a very open event that we want as many people [as possible] to be able to come and expe-

2017 Music alumna Kelsie Johnson believes her experience in the “Music Industry Immersion” J-Term course and Pop Academy songwriting camps have aided in her “Empire” success soon after her graduation.

rience,” Abraha said.

Abraha said the artists will also be speaking with fellow Empire watchers on how to get into the music and television industry, as Johnson and Fridge already have.

“We’re blessed to have the experience in the first place because we just got out of school,” Johnson said. “People see that and want to see what we’re about and work with us more in the future.”

odeloian@columbiachronicle.com

» OLIVIA DELOIAN CAMPUS REPORTER

» COURTESY KELSIE JOHNSON

Columbia alumni build ‘Empire’ with songwriting success

Congratulations to Our Graduating Library Student Assistants!

Audio Arts and Acoustics Sofia Ana Bravo Cordova Isaiah Quino

Cinema and Television Arts

Wan Li Ashley Taylor Cinema Art and Science *Anson Wong (FA '18) Cinema Art and Science/ Writing for Performance

English and Fiction Writing Maria Schrater Fiction Writing

Music

Erin Stepp Music Composition for the Screen

Theatre *Daphne Bichler (FA '18) Acting

Architectural drawing of 624 S. Michigan Lobby Elevators Source:Columbia College Chicago, College Archives and Special Collections

APRIL 30, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 9

campus

GRAD PARTY CLASS

OF

2018

FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2018 9:00 P.M. - Midnight REPLAY ARCADE BAR 2833 N Sheffield Ave (DIVERSEY BROWN LINE)

ARE YOU GRADUATING? WELL, COLUMBIA IS PUTTING ON A PARTY JUST FOR YOU. COME TO REPLAY ARCADE BAR FOR GAMES, MUSIC, AND A FREE DRINK. GRADUATES MAY BRING ONE GUEST. BRING YOUR STUDENT AND STATE ID'S. GAME OVER TO YOUR COLUMBIA YEARS, AND GAME ON TO YOUR FUTURE!

10 THE CHRONICLE APRIL 30, 2018

Review: ‘Blockers’ forgoes emotional nuance, revels in butt-chugging » ColumbiaChronicle.com

‘Is this your card?’

‘Physician Magician’ heals, mystifies

» MIRANDA MANIER ARTS & CULTURE REPORTER “THERE’S SOMETHING I have to tell you.”

The last trick of the night, called Ricardo’s Thread, was indeed the final thread in Rosenkranz’s narrative. He told the story of how Eugene Burger, the mentor and friend he had credited throughout the show for his relationship with magic, was diagnosed—by Rosenkranz—with terminal cancer and passed away in June 2017.

As Rosenkranz unspooled his eponymous thread, slicing it into pieces by lowering it over a candlestick and then seemingly mending it back together, he explained that though our lives are messy and complicated, and though it might take some effort to see and believe, there is a beauty—a magic, even—in each one. » PHOTOS COURTESY KATHLEEN MORAN

I said this to the turned back of Dr. Ricardo Rosenkranz, the self-titled “Physician Magician” on the evening of April 26. Even though I was seated behind him, returning a deck of cards to its box after selecting my favorite, I could tell he was surprised.

“And what would that be?”

“I’m a journalist reviewing your show.”

The audience burst into laughter, and I grinned, shaking the box of cards in my hand with a small, sheepish shrug.

“Well, I think after this trick, you’re going to write a great review.”

It was my turn to laugh; however, the Physician Magician did not disappoint.

Not only did he correctly guess my card, but he also included the trick in a thoughtful narrative he was weaving about life, love and ethics.

For instance, this card trick, unlike most others, was about empathy, according to

Rosenkranz. He had me describe a scene after selecting my card and used details that I included, like the colors of a passing boat, to deduce details about my card. The lettering on the boat’s side was white, not black, allegedly giving him a hint about the color of my card.

This was how most of Rosenkranz’s tricks went during “The Rosenkranz Mysteries,” running at The Royal George Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted St., through May 6. One trick that he admittedly flubbed, in which he encouraged an audience member to blindly solve a Rubik’s Cube in under five seconds, was a lesson in chaos and order.

Another trick that involved three audience members silently counting to random numbers that ended up being the combination to a locked safe that had sat on stage the whole show, inside of which was a piece of paper with the three numbers written on it, was about getting in tune with another person’s natural rhythm.

While these themes could have come off as preachy in less capable hands, with Rosenkranz as the mouthpiece, they felt like a well-executed TED Talk. As a licensed medical practitioner and a professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, he was able to tie magic

and medicine together in a way that felt effortless, not forced.

Some moments of the show were awkward, such as when audience members could tell a sleight of hand was being pulled, even if they weren’t sure what it was. For instance, the Rubik’s Cube trick had Rosenkranz fumbling with a layered cube, with a trick shell that was fit over the unsolved squares.

For the most part, though, things went off without a hitch. One dazzling moment was when a woman opened a box of alphabet blocks to display gibberish one moment, then opened it to reveal the blocks spelling out her dream vacation destination— Greece—that she had just announced out loud moments earlier.

mmanier@columbiachronicle.com

arts culture

“The Rosenkranz Mysteries” is a delightful two-hour magic extravangaza. Running through May 6 at The Royal George Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted St., the show leads audience members through a world of medicine and magic by Dr. Ricardo Rosenkranz.

ARPIL 30, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 11

arts & culture

» ARIANA PORTALATIN MANAGING EDITOR

Bill Cosby verdict a victory for sexual assault survivors

A

12 THE CHRONICLE APRIL 30, 2018

for more victories. Heidi Thomas, who also accused Cosby of assault, told the courtroom, “I want to see a serial rapist convicted,” a statement bold enough to elicit gasps from spectators.

While Cosby’s guilty verdict drew praise from survivors everywhere, higher education institutions have also responded to the verdict.

According to an April 26 CNN article, multiple universities decided to revoke honorary degrees previously awarded to Cosby to take a stance against sexual misconduct.

Hours after the verdict, Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, announced it would revoke Cosby’s 2007 honorary degree. The University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, also revoked its 1990 honorary degree and Temple University in Philadelphia, of which Cosby was a Board of Trustees member for 32 years before stepping down in 2014, said the verdict would prompt reconsideration of its own honorary degree.

The universities’ decisions are necessary when many women are also assaulted on college campuses. These institutions are right for revoking the degree, but they must also make sure their commitment to not tolerate sexual violence and harassment is upheld when their own students are affected.

The Me Too movement combined with the Bill Cosby verdict supports women everywhere and assures our voices are and will continue to be heard.

aportalatin@columbiachronicle.com

Pennsylvania jury found Bill Cosby guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004, a landmark decision in the wake of the Me Too movement showing that survivors of sexual assault will be believed.

After 14 hours of deliberation, the jury made the announcement to a silent Cosby and an emotional group of women who testified. The 80-year-old comedian now faces a statutory maximum of 30 years in prison, up to $750,000 in fines and will be sentenced within 90 days following a pre-sentence investigation.

The verdict is a major accomplishment considering the first trial in June 2016 resulted in a mistrial and the majority of survivors were accused of fabricating stories for fame and fortune. But, as Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said after the verdict, Cosby— once proclaimed as “America’s Dad”— “was an actor for a long time.”

“What was revealed through this investigation was a man who had spent decades preying on women that he drugged and sexually assaulted, and a man who evaded this moment right here far too long,” Steele said. “He used his celebrity, he used his wealth, he used his network of supporters to help him conceal his crimes.”

Legal observers have called the Cosby retrial a major test of the effects of the Me Too movement, which came about during the first and second trial, according to an April 26 NPR article.

Attorney Gloria Allred, who represented many of the women accusing Cosby of misconduct, said the verdict sets the stage for women to be believed.

“We are so happy that finally we can say, women are believed. And not only on #MeToo but in a court of law where they are under oath, where they testified truthfully, where they are attacked,” Allred said.

“After all is said and done, women were finally believed.”

The bravery of women in the trial and in the Me Too movement to share their stories amid backlash has paved the way

arts & culture

cago’s First Free Pie and Coffee Festival will debut at the Chop Shop, 2033 W. North Ave., THE COMFORTING AROMA of fresh- May 6. With pie, pie-inspired ly baked pies and brewed coffee goodies and freshly brewed coffee will soon fill up the Chop Shop, a the festival and refreshments are Wicker Park restaurant and food entirely free and open to all ages emporium. Awake and Bake: Chi- to enjoy. » KENDRAH VILLIESSE ONLINE CONTENT PRODUCER

Sorry, Columbia Chronicle...

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Broadway, in November 2015 after closing in the late 1980s. Linda Lerner created a fudge brownie recipe at a Lincoln Park Garage Sale in 1980 and has been selling her treats online for local pick up.

Linda Lerner said she only uses locally sourced ingredients for her brownies, including chocolate from Blommer Chocolate Company. Linda and Abby Lerner will spread their brownie magic to the festival, Abby Lerner said.

“We are not coffee or pie, but brownies go great with coffee and we like getting in front of these millennial crowds of people who are really into the food scene,” Abby Lerner said.

Shebar said the best part about Chicago food festivals is experiencing the city’s hidden gems and treasures.

“We get to showcase great local things throughout Chicago and do it in a way that isn’t being done,” he said.

“We have done a bunch of these throughout the city to encourage people to check out things they haven’t tried before.”

DELILAH’S

You and a guest are invited to an exclusive advance screening

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. ONE PASS PER PERSON. SCREENING PASSES VALID STRICTLY FOR COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO STUDENTS, STAFF, AND FACULTY ONLY AND ARE DISTRIBUTED AT THE DISCRETION OF THE PROMOTIONAL PARTNER. THOSE THAT HAVE RECEIVED A SCREENING PASS OR PROMOTIONAL PRIZE WITHIN THE LAST 90 DAYS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE.

Dairy, a vegan beverage company, according to Shebar.

XO Marshmallow, 6977 N. Sheridan Road, a gourmet marshmallow confectioner, will be one of the few vendors doing a variation on a traditional pie, according to co-owner Kat Connor.

Connor said when Shebar first approached her about the festival, she was hesitant because XO Marshmallows did not fall under either the pie or coffee category. Although her store has not finalized a menu for the festival yet, Connor said her team will be working down to the wire to incorporate marshmallows into a pie or pie-inspired treat.

Shebar noted he invited vendors from traditional and non-traditional pie companies to offer variety for attendees.

“It is not your typical pie, but it has the feeling of pie, which is fascinating as well,” Shebar said.

“What really is pie? And the answer is: It’s interpretive.”

Linda Lerner and her daughter Abby Lerner decided to re-open Linda’s Magic Brownies, 3109 N.

kvilliesse@columbiachronicle.com

» SAMANTHA CONRAD/CHRONICLE

Stop and smell the pie

The festival is expecting between 500 and 600 guests.

Although it is free, guests must have tickets to attend the event. Tickets are available on the Awake and Bake Festival Eventbrite page, according to Alex Shebar, festival founder and organizer.

Shebar said he was inspired by different roasters and unique coffee shops popping up across the city.

When planning the event, Shebar said he could not think of a better complement to coffee than pie.

“Coffee and pie seemed like a winning response, and every time I have mentioned coffee and pie to people, their eyes light up,” Shebar said. “That is the response I want from the amazing festival.”

The festival plans to host 11 vendors as of press time. Vendors include Abacus Coffee, Colectivo Coffee, The Fix Pies, Imani’s Original Bean Pies and Elmhurst

/sorry2botheryou | #SorryToBotherYou APRIL 30, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 13

arts & culture

requires all its farmers and vendors to be certified by a third party who ensures their products are AS TEMPERATURES RISE and the grown or manufactured using school year fades away, Chicago sustainable agricultural practices. will start to see the return of the “We believe sustainability is seasonal phenomenon that fills important,” said Taylor Choy, its streets during the summer: marketing coordinator at Green farmers markets.

City Market. “We [ask] that our Chicago is home to many farm- farmers treat the land sustainably ers markets, from the 14 weekly so we can [continue to offer] great Chicago City Markets run by the produce and products.”

Department of Cultural Affairs Farmers markets are a sustainand Special Events to individual able form of food sourcing with independent neighborhood mar- minimal environmental impact, kets such as the monthly Logan experts say.

Square Farmers Market and For instance, the carbon footGreen City Market. print left by a farmer Green City Market, which driving less than started in an alley next to The 100 miles to sell Chicago Theater in 1998 and their wares now occupies three locations in would be less Lincoln Park, Wrigleyville and than that of a the West Loop, emphasizes locally company shipand ethically sourced options. It ping its produce » MIRANDA MANIER ARTS & CULTURE REPORTER

14 THE CHRONICLE APRIL 30, 2018

many. However, some Chicago markets have been creating programs to make sustainable, locally sourced products accessible to low-income customers.

In 2008, the Logan Square Farmers Market became the first in Illinois to accept payment from LINK cards, which are used for food stamp expenditures. In following years, other farmers markets have followed suit. For instance, Green City Market has funded a program that matches up to $15 of each Link cardholder’s purchases at the market, according to Choy.

Chicago’s City Markets have also taken steps to address food supply issues. Yescenia Mota, coordinator of the City Markets, received a grant from the USDA several years ago to subsidize participating farmers at some markets. This has helped the farmers make a profit while

» SAMANTHA CONRAD/CHRONICLE

a coupon program has been implemented to double the money of Link cardholders at City Markets.

“We’re making food affordable.

For us, it wasn’t about making money,” Mota said. “We wanted to cover the cost of the farmers. Yes, it’s their livelihood, but we wanted to give people the opportunity to afford food.”

According to Wobbekind, farmers markets also encourage and help foster a sense of community in neighborhoods across Chicago.

The Logan Square Farmers Market has a community tent that highlights neighborhood businesses, organizations or schools. It also goes out of its way to include Logan Square businesses as vendors at the market, she said. “[This way], you can come to this market and get a sampling of what [it] offers,” Wobbekind said. “It becomes a selling point of the neighborhood. It helps the neighborhood grow, and has also grown with the neighborhood.” mmanier@columbiachronicle.com

Farmers markets are back in season

halfway across the world, according to Jessica Wobbekind, executive director of the Logan Square Farmers Market.

Both the Green City Market and the Logan Square Farmers Market have a radius in which participating vendors and farmers must be located—150 and 250 miles, respectively—to keep their markets as local as possible.

“We find it’s important to support local farms,” Wobbekind said.

“You actually can see who’s growing your food, you know where it’s coming from, you know if it’s organic, you can talk to the people who are growing it, you can learn more.”

While the price tag to purchase produce and other goods from farmers markets can be an obstacle for

arts & culture

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feature

O

n the day of a final exam, Thomas Guskey asked an intelligent 14-year-old girl in his Erie, Pennsylvania, science class whether she had studied for it.

“No,” she replied.

“Why?” Guskey responded.

“She looked at me really quizzically and said, ‘Mr. Guskey, I worked it out.

I only need a 51 percent to get my A. I don’t need to do better than 51 percent,’” said Guskey, who is now an educational psychology professor at the University of Kentucky specializing in grading and assessment. “This 14-year-old had worked it out to the tenth decimal place what she needed to do to get her A.” Guskey was shocked. He had his 8th grade class take final exams to better prepare them for high school-level coursework, and he couldn’t understand why one of his brightest students would not want to strive for excellence, he said.

Such incidents suggest that teachers are trapped in a grading system built on accumulated points to calculate a percentage average.

With an emphasis on achieving a high GPA rather than acquiring knowledge, the traditional American grading system encourages students to prioritize grades over learning outcomes, according to education psychology and policy experts.

Those experts suggest the system presents inaccurate assessments, inflates grades and fails to reflect stu-

ing themselves, O’Connor said. Often, students will assess their own grades before a final exam to determine what they need to pass the class or get their target grade and do no more than that. These strategies do not prepare students for the working world, which favors competency and proficiency, O’Connor noted.

Even the highest achievers appear to be motivated by grades regardless of whether the grade translates to proficiency or even mastery of a subject, according to a June 2014 study by CBE Life Science Education, a life science education group.

dents’ learning outcome proficiency.

And once students have caught on, they learn how to “game” the system by focusing on points rather than knowledge.

“It develops students as grade grabbers, not as learners, because everything they do gets scores, and every score becomes part of the grade,” said Ken O’Connor, an independent education consultant who advises school districts on grading and reporting systems.

This approach causes students to do the bare minimum and avoid challeng-

Alternatives to conventional grading are being tested in elementary and secondary education and have begun to filter into higher education institutions. At least 10 colleges or universities have adopted variations of passfail systems or provided students with alternative assessment models.

Brown University, for example, allows students to choose between two grading systems: a conventional grading system but only grades A, B and C are used with no minus or plus signs,

16 THE CHRONICLE APRIL 30, 2018

or a “satisfactory/no credit” system, that allows students to request written evaluations, according to the university’s website.

Traditional letter grades, based on points and percentages that are averaged by the end of a semester or term, are not an effective method of assessing the actual retention of a students’ knowledge, O’Connor said, adding that points-based grading undermines the ultimate goal of education: to develop a student’s knowledge to help them accomplish to whatever endeavor they choose.

At higher education institutions in which a final grade is heavily dependent on a final exam, students realize that they can neglect much of their work throughout a semester but still pass their courses as long as they receive a high enough score on their final exam.

“As a friend of mine once said, ‘Any game you set up, students will learn how to play it,’” said Susan Brookhart, an independent educational consultant and senior research associate in the School of Education at Duquesne University.

“If you set up a game where students can get into a situation like that, you are setting them up to do bad things.

It may work in the short run, but it certainly doesn’t work in the long run.”

This practice, if successful, will encourage students to continue to cram information the night before a final exam, O’Connor noted, and could po-

tentially follow them when they enter into the workforce.

Despite the point system’s drawbacks, Guskey and O’Connor agree change is unlikely because so many school systems rely on it. But a student’s grades could also be inconsistent or inflated, especially when behavior is calculated in the assessment, O’Connor said.

“The lovely young person who smiles sweetly and does everything they’re asked for often gets inflated

Accum points or k

Do letter gra mark in as

Story By: Er Design By: Jo grades,” O’Connor said. “The problem with that is those inflated grades may get a student into college. But, almost inevitably, they will then fail in college because they were promoted beyond their level of capability.”

It can also create a reverse effect for students with high academic potential by deflating their grades because they do not behave properly, O’Connor said.

“People who were brilliant who could have done great things for themselves and society end up dropping out because they got grades that understated their achievement,” O’Connor said.

According to the CBE Life Science Education study, grades can be inconsistent both within an individual instructor’s grading and in comparison with grades calculated by co l l e a g u e s.

feature

ades miss the ssessment?

Eric Bradach ocelyn Moreno Ethnic, racial and gender biases can also influence grading. The study cited a survey in which 142 teachers were asked to grade the same English paper, and the grades ranged from 50 percent to 98 percent.

There is also no precise method to calibrate grades so modest, incremental differences are greatly meaningful, O’Connor noted.

“Nobody in a meaningful way can tell the difference between a 72 percent and a 74 percent,” O’Connor said, “or, more importantly, between a 89 percent and a 90 percent, which is often the difference between an A and a B. They appear to be precise, but they’re not.”

Some higher education institutions have adopted pass/ fail systems for first-year freshmen,

another challenge for teachers and institutions: class sizes.

“If you have 200 people, you need help [providing] that feedback,” Brookhart said. “Teachers [who are] not giving feedback are not falling down on the job. Some of them who are not giving feedback don’t realize how important it is.”

Standards-based grading is an alternative system that is gaining ground, O’Connor said, and he would like to see it applied more often in higher education institutions.

A standards-based grading system separates achievement and behavior and bases grades on learning goals, competency and proficiency instead of points and percentages to calculate a letter grade. This system helps eliminate the problem of inconsistent grades, according to O’Connor.

In this model, grades are based on demonstration of proficiency toward learning goals. Students attempt standards-aligned activities, such as projects, quizzes and essays, and instructors assess a student’s output and identify the appropriate proficiency level demonstrated.

Typical scales in standards-based grading have four levels of proficiency to reflect students’ increasing skill.

1s indicate that students have little

“Students would go apply to an institution, and the institution would say, ‘Alright, I’m going to sit down with you and see what you can do.’ There’s potential for the institution to exaggerate the competency of the student applicant and give them credit for competency,” Pagano said. “It becomes messy, and the default position is to go back to what we’re all used to, which is letter grades.”

Letter grades also have efficiency standards built around them to calculate a GPA for a reason, Pagano said.

Much of the features and awards for letter grades, such as dean’s lists, help

understanding of a subject, 2s are for when students show partial proficiency, 3s are when target goals are met, and 4s are used when a student excels beyond goals.

However, some educators and education administrators value the traditional grading system’s efficiency and argue that the standards-based system doesn’t solve the problems of inconsistent grades and brings problems of its own.

The final letter grade a student receives at the end of a term should reflect their overall learning outcome, said Neil Pagano, Columbia’s associate provost for Accreditation and Assessment. But there will always be grade fluctuations in the same assignments between teachers no matter the system used, he added.

“We’re human, and it’s very difficult to calibrate everyone’s standards 100 percent,” Pagano said.

There is a potential for abuse by higher education institutions with a grading system based on competency and proficiency rather than points and percentages, Pagano said. It can also be difficult for an institution to demonstrate that its process to assess student competency is reliable and its graduates have achieved it, he added.

students apply to post-undergraduate school programs, which are based on GPA. If a student achieves a bachelor’s degree without a GPA or letter grades, it could become a challenge to apply to graduate school, he noted.

Having that mark of high achievement, such as a high GPA, is significant to Maneet Mander, a 22-year-old interactive arts and media major. Mander wants to apply to graduate school, and having a high GPA will help her when she applies and motivates her to do coursework, she said. “[What] motivates me to keep [my grades] high is the opportunities after,” Mander said. “Not that opportunities are limited to your GPA, but certain doors are open to you because it’s not just, ‘Oh, you got good grades,’ it’s, ‘Oh, you’re dedicated. You put in a lot of time and effort and you care enough to keep your grades high.’”

But O’Connor and Guskey insist that the problems that accompany alternatives to traditional grading systems are not insurmountable.

“If teachers are working with a limited number of levels, they’re found more consistent with their judgments than with percentages,” O’Connor said. “Ultimately, they’re more accurate and fairer for students.” ebradach@columbiachronicle.com

mulating knowledge:

including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Wellesley College. This allows students to adjust to college and live away from home for the first time without the burden of grading, O’Connor said.

But Brookhart cautioned a pass/fail system may also cause students to only do the bare minimum and avoid intellectually challenging themselves.

Brookhart encourages more one-on-one feedback from teachers to students, even for assignments that won’t be graded. However, providing students feedback creates

APRIL 30, 2017 THE CHRONICLE 17

arts & culture

F

rom his life to his laurels, Hugh Lee always keeps it honest. The 22-yearold Chicago rapper uses his witty flows to voice a fresh message. Lee will perform May 2 at Elbo Room in Lakeview and will be dropping his sophomore EP Class Act May 4.

The Chronicle spoke with Hugh Lee about his musical path and the state of hip-hop in Chicago and around the world.

and that’s the kind of stuff I saw day-to-day, THE CHRONICLE: You once said, “You it wasn’t necessarily the artist I wanted to start off just making the guns, drugs be. Especially when you have [rappers like] kinda music but after a while you say Chance coming up, showing there was an ‘What am I gonna be? What type of art- entirely different lane you could take without ist am I gonna be?’” What does that step the consequences that come with being in look like to you? the drill scene because with that you had to HUGH LEE: I want to be honest. There deal with people shutting down shows, people are a lot of people who are like me, and shooting up shows, things like that.

I didn’t realize that starting off. I wanted It was a process of figuring out which lane to be like the mainstream because when I I wanted to make mine, and now that I’ve started, Chief Keef was the biggest thing, found that, I’m somewhere in the middle, and although that’s the stuff I grew up around, like most people are. You don’t want to be

18 THE CHRONICLE APRIL 30, 2018

in those situations, but especially growing up in the city, a lot of times you find yourself in those situations.

How can hip-hop help young people?

This is a pivotal time in hip-hop because more so than before, everyone’s eyes are on hip-hop.

We have the platform and the potential to make a change, and it could be either good or bad; it’s whatever we make it, and I try to keep it positive. With the TV’s Foster Child [EP], I realized that there were a lot of people like me that grew up watching TV.

I learned everything from the streets that I needed to survive, but I learned everything about school and the corporate world and things of that nature from the TV. There’s no emotional literacy in the streets, and so I learned all that from the TV because I didn’t have any mentors.

I talk about it often, but everybody knows I grew up in Austin and grew up in a drug house. Everyone there did some type of drug, with the exception of my parents, who worked 24/7, so I didn’t really see them. I was around drug addicts, and they’re obviously not going to take care of me. So I sat in front of the TV all day.

Where does Chicago stand in the hiphop scene?

Chicago is like every other city where we have a huge pool of talent. The only difference between us and everywhere else is that it’s so competitive here because there isn’t a lot of opportunity. So when there’s a window of opportunity, everyone’s pushing for it so they can be the one person that’s going through it. Now when that happens, it gives us that crabs in a bucket feel, as opposed to places like New York and LA and Atlanta, where they all stick together and boost up the scene. mdarbyshire@columbiachronicle.com

» MAYAN DARBYSHIRE ARTS & CULTURE REPORTER

» COURTESY HUGH LEE

audiofile

Hugh Lee is a ‘Class Act’

Banana Bread recipe

arts & culture

ingredients 3 ripe bananas, mashed 1 cup white sugar 1 egg 1/4 cup melted butter 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt

directions

» MOLLY WALSH CAMPUS REPORTER

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.

Whenever my family had bananas sitting around for too long, my mom would whip up this recipe for a classic and delicious treat.

A loaf of banana bread makes for a quick graband-go breakfast that lasts all week. It is also a great gift for a friend who could use something to satisfy their stress-induced sweet tooth while they’re figuring out their plans for the summer.

2. Combine bananas, sugar, egg and butter in a bowl.

4. Stir flour mixture into banana mixture until batter is combined.

Stir salt into batter.

5. Pour batter into pan.

6. Bake for about an hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.

» SAMANTHA CONRAD AND ERIN DICKSON/CHRONICLE

mwalsh@columbiachronicle.com

3. In a separate bowl, mix flour and baking soda.

DAWG-GONE-GOOD-FOOD NEW LOCATION COMING TO BELMONT EARLY FALL 2018

FRIES follow us for updates & upcoming specials

APRIL 30, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 19

top

arts & culture

our staff’s top 5 picks:

ANNOYING ‘SURVIVOR’ AWARDS TAYLOR SWIFT HAS WON CONTESTANTS

Column:

Bears complete most important draft

» JAY BERGHUIS COPY EDITOR

» LAUREN CARLTON COPY CHIEF

» MCKAYLA BRAID COPY EDITOR

Any man called exclusively by his last name or a nickname (Every Season):

2007 CMA Horizon Award:

It’s a hands-on experience:

This was one of Taylor’s first awards, and her genuine display of gratitude during her acceptance speech made me tear up.

What makes it memorable is her humorous comment: “This is the highlight of my senior year.”

As a digital photographer, you sometimes feel that you are creating in a void you can only access through a screen. This is why I love the darkroom: Everything is physical and hands-on, from developing film to printing photos, and you even do some chemistry in the process.

2016 Grammys, Album of the Year:

It forces you to consider carefully:

Taylor first won this Grammy in 2010, and winning it again in 2016 made her the first woman to win this award twice.

Her acceptance speech was about not letting anyone take credit for your success because “when you get where you’re going, you’ll know it was you and the people that love you that put you there.”

With film, you can’t see the photo until it is developed, and it makes you become selective about what you want to capture.

Most rolls of film come with 25–30 exposures, so you have to budget yourself and carefully choose what to shoot.

Because of this, you put more care into creating your photo.

Except for Cochran, I have hated every player in this category: Skupin, Penner, Varner, Savage, Hantz, Ozzy, Culpepper and more. All display a repulsive sense of entitlement, which host Jeff Probst compulsively feeds.

» BLAISE MESA METRO REPORTER

T

bmesa@columbiachronicle.com

he Bears have made hundreds of draft choices bringing NFL hopefuls to Chicago, but the 2018 draft class is the most significant in team history.

The once-proud team now teeters on the brink of obscurity, mustering only 37 wins since 2012 and finishing last in the division four times.

On a hopeful note, potential franchise quarterback Mitch Trubisky provides an opportunity to rise over the Lions and Packers, both of whom missed the playoffs last season. A good draft class will propel the Bears back into relevancy, which they have oly fleetingly enjoyed since their 1985 Super Bowl Champion season. A poor draft class will make them a laughing stock.

In recent years, the Bears have been compared to the Cleveland Browns, a team that finished last season 0-16.

Questionable draft strategies and a lack of results on the field propelled these analogies, but now the Bears are being compared to the 2017 Los Angeles Rams, who went from second to last to first in their division a year ago.

The Bears have also missed on some picks in recent drafts, such as Bears wide receiver Kevin White who has only 193 career receiving yards. Poor draft picks are the mark of a poor team, and if the Bears miss on any more, their rebuild will lose steam and teams such as the Vikings, Packers and Lions will tighten their grip on the NFC North title.

20 THE CHRONICLE APRIL 30, 2018

PERKS OF DARKROOM PHOTOGRAPHY

Joe Mena (Season 35): Discount Tony Vlachos. I wasn’t a fan of the original, but at least he was innovative enough to tolerate. Joe had the same exhausting macho New York bravado without the cunning or intelligence.

Dan Foley (Season 30): Dan is not just annoying, he’s a genuinely vile human being. He was the season’s prototypical troglodyte, spitting sexism. I spent every episode questioning if he had a single brain cell and my final conclusion was a resounding, “No, he doesn’t.”

But, hey, I guess watching a woman face emotional abuse on national TV at Dan’s hands brought in the big bucks for CBS. Chris Noble (Season 36): Chris is exactly the kind of player I hate. He believed he was a game god while having the social awareness of a moth CBS tweeted not one, not two, but five clips of his rapping “skills,” which seriously made me consider swearing off the show for good.

Academy of Country Music, Milestone Award 2015: This award was given for Taylor’s achievements. She is the first artist to win this award for two consecutive years, and the only artist in history to have three albums sell more than 1 million copies in their first weeks. But the best part about this one is that her mother got to present her the award.

Billboard Woman of the Year 2014: Taylor broke records again, receiving this award in 2011 and 2014, which made her the only artist to receive it more than once. Does anyone notice a pattern?

Kyle Jason (Season 32):

Billboard Music 2016, The Taylor Swift Award:

We get it, Jason’s a bounty hunter. He didn’t have to mention it every four seconds. Plus, I definitely don’t believe he’s a real bounty hunter considering he has the stealth skills of a toddler.

This is my favorite because, well, it’s her own award. This is only the second time in Billboard’s history it presented an award in an artist’s name.

It’s dark in there: The titular darkness means it is the perfect place to close your eyes and forget about the horrible things happening outside. You can plug in your headphones and focus on creating fabulous photos. Beware when you exit the darkroom because your eyes have to adjust to the light and you will be temporarily blinded.

Black and white photography is unique: Sure, you can put a black and white filter on your Instagram photo, but it still won’t match the depth and vibrancy of a darkroom print. The magic is in the chemistry, so you are not only creating but learning science.

It gets you up and moving: Processing a few rolls of film and making prints can take hours to complete.

Throughout this process, you will be on your feet. It’s nice to get up and move around instead of squinting at your computer screen.

arts & culture

SCALE

MUSIC

VIDEO

VIRAL

RANDOM

LORD HURON’S ‘VIDE NOIR’

NETFLIX’S ‘DUDE’

THE ROCK’S NEW BABY

HEADACHES

» KEVIN TIONGSON SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR

» GRACE SENIOR MEDIA SALES REP

» JAY BERGHUIS COPY EDITOR

» JOCELYN MORENO GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Vide Noir, Lord Huron’s follow up to 2015’s Strange Trails, was released April 20 and I have mixed feelings. The band definitely explored more musical avenues.

The song “Ancient Names (Part 2)” brings out a more aggressive, garage rock-y, sludgy, compressed sound. It is different from the band’s previous releases but absolutely welcome. With bass upfront and drums more present, it has a new, heavier sound.

I never would’ve thought that Lucy Hale peaked in her role as Aria in “Pretty Little Liars,” but “Dude” proved me wrong. In terms of coming-of-age, teen rebellion movies, this one is on the same level as Selena Gomez’s 2012 fail movie “Spring Breakers.” While I’m not against cheesy movies that blow real life out of proportion, I am against almost-30-year-olds acting as teens and doing it badly. Prepare to be disappointed.

We all love the Rock and everything he does. Dwayne Johnson could do pretty much anything and millions would swoon, myself included. So, naturally, the birth of his newest baby, Tiana Gia, was met with cooing, support and an outpouring of love. Not only was his original post announcing her arrival adorable and heart-melting, but the internet quickly nicknamed the baby “the pebble,” and it brought even hearts of stone back to life.

Up to last week, I was lucky to say I rarely get headaches, but that sadly ended.

Recently, I’ve had one every single day for at least 80 percent of the day. There’s only so much medicine and peppermint oil can do before it stops working. Feeling like your head is constantly going to explode also lowers your tolerance level and overall mood. Finals are around the corner, and I need to be on top of my game. But these headaches are just making it harder.

MUSIC

VIDEO

VIRAL

RANDOM

KIMBRA’S ‘PRIMAL HEART’

‘BURN THE STAGE’ EPISODE 6

KANYE WEST’S TWEETS

‘IGNTD PODCAST’

» ZACHARY KELTNER STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

» BROOKE PAWLING STENNETT DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR

» MCKAYLA BRAID COPY EDITOR

» SAMANTHA CONRAD GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Kimbra’s Primal Heart dropped April 20. I cannot express enough how overhyped the album became leading up to its release. When I first listened to Primal Heart, I initially felt like it was lacking innovation. The collection of songs was monotonous, with little variety and lacking unique feeling to pull them out of the boring mold they were cast in. Overall, Kimbra just missed the mark with her newly found sound and created an average, forgettable album.

I have been pleasantly surprised by YouTube Red’s docuseries on K-Pop group BTS. The April 25 episode, “Moonchild,” showcased RM opening up about his struggle to navigate how much he can show his true self to his fans. It was an important perspective to hear as a fan of the group but also as someone who is a fan of RM’s amazing ability to write personal and contemporary lyrics. The episode allowed us to see some fun, relaxed moments of the boys, which is always a delight.

Kanye recently tweeted his support for Candace Owens, who called Black Lives Matter protesters “a bunch of whiny toddlers, pretending to be oppressed for attention.” He also tweeted in support of President Donald Trump with several posts and a photo of his signed “Make America Great Again” hat. Everyone can exercise their freedom of speech, but West might be driving his fans away with this stream of incoherent tweets and text screencaps and photos.

I recently started loving podcasts. They’re perfect to pop on while you’re getting ready in the morning or during long commutes. My favorite podcast right now is “IGNTD Podcast,” hosted by Yogi and Wellness Enthusiast Sophie Jaffe and her husband and addiction counselor Adi Jaffe. The podcast focuses on relationships of all kinds: friendships, romantic relationships, self-love, etc. Highly recommend listening for a challenging and honest look at life.

APRIL 30, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 21

opinions

The public should give a ‘DAMN.’ about black artists

F

rom Ella Mae “Big Mama” Thornton’s “Hound Dog” to Kendrick Lamar’s “HUMBLE.,” black musicians have created much of what we know as American music and culture.

For decades, their contributions to music have largely been erased. Take, for example, the millions of people who think of Elvis Presley’s 1956 version of “Hound Dog” as iconic but have no idea of Thornton’s original or the shades of meaning she injected into the song.

But Lamar received the recognition he deserves and will go down in history for his acclaimed 2017 album DAMN. and winning the Pulitzer prize for music April 16, making him the first rapper to win the award. Apart from being a carefully composed album filled with intricate lyrics and themes, DAMN. tackled pressing issues such as racism and the dismissal of rap music as an important cultural movement.

In fact, the Pulitzer committee’s recognition of DAMN. becomes even more satisfying considering how Lamar refers to criticisms directed at him and rap music by using a Fox News excerpt in which commentator Geraldo Rivera says, “This is why I say that hip-hop has done more damage to young AfricanAmericans than racism in recent years.”

The same week, another artist made her mark in music history. On April 14, Beyoncé became the first black woman to headline the Coachella, and she used the stage to celebrate black culture.

The performance incorporated step dancing and marching bands, paying homage to historically black colleges and universities. Beyoncé also sang the 1905 classic song “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” which played an important role in the civil rights movement and is considered the “black national anthem.”

Starbucks isn’t the problem, America is

F

itting the stereotypes put on many of its customers, Starbucks is the performative ally that says it’s against racism as it gentrifies neighborhoods.

After two black men were arrested in a Philadelphia Starbucks April 12 for not ordering anything from the store while waiting for a friend, the coffee chain was the target of demonstrations, protesting discriminatory treatment that was obvious even to loyal patrons. The scrutiny intensified after a black man in Los Angeles claimed Starbucks employees refused him entry to a bathroom, selectively enforcing a policy that was not applied to white patrons.

Starbucks responded by announcing it would close 8,000 stores for the afternoon of May 29 for employees to receive racial bias training.

Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson said in a public statement the training “is just one step in a journey that requires dedication from every level of our company and partnerships in our local communities.” But can we trust a multi-billion dollar company to adequately address racism in its stores, and is it even productive to scrutinize a single business in a racist society?

The public’s reaction to Starbucks’ announcement has been divided.

Some have seen it as a positive step and a sign the company is accepting accountability for the incident in Philadelphia, while others see the move as either unnecessary or inadequate.

Closing stores for racial bias education for a single afternoon, especially when the company has not provided specific information

Knowing the Coachella audience would be predominantly white, Beyoncé considered her performance a crucial opportunity to educate and to celebrate black culture, according to an April 16 Instagram post by her mother, Tina Knowles-Lawson.

Some criticized Beyoncé for performing at Coachella, noting the festival’s owner, Philip Anschutz, has reportedly supported anti-LGBTQ and pro-gun organizations and that headlining the festival indirectly supported reactionary causes.

But Beyoncé’s performance defied those beliefs. Like her political February 2016 Super Bowl halftime show celebrating Black Lives Matter and the Black Panther Party, Beyoncé made use of her platform to support marginalized people before a larger audience.

Beyoncé and Lamar’s achievements are especially worthy of celebration when one considers the backdrop of political tension and hostility toward people of color that characterizes the current political climate.

Despite increasing threats to black Americans’ rights, which are enabled further by the federal government’s rhetoric, it is seemingly impossible for institutions

EDITORIAL to neglect how these two artists have contributed to music and culture in the U.S. The publicity given to both Lamar’s Pulitzer win and Beyoncé’s Coachella performance suggests these artists still had to prove themselves to a white majority in order to be recognized for their accomplishments.

DAMN. should not have to be recognized by the Pulitzer committee just for the public to realize the album has had a major cultural impact, and Beyoncé should not have had to devote her performance to educating white audiences about southern black culture to be seen as vital to American history.

Although these events have brought overdue recognition to black artists and may help break the boundaries that have kept diverse narratives from being included in art and music, these milestones should be a catalyst for the public to appreciate work by people of color without having to be validated by exclusive institutions or trendy music festivals.

A Pulitzer prize or a headlining performance doesn’t make an artist great, and we should recognize greatness before an establishment tells us to.

on how it plans to train employees, will not undo years of intense racist conditioning and demonization that has painted people of color as violent and dangerous.

Although a large company like Starbucks can influence the public’s stance on a pressing issue such as racial bias, the coffee chain’s actions still read as a public relations stunt to repair the company’s image after the arrests.

Despite possible missteps by the company, Starbucks should not be the target of outrage. The incident in Philadelphia was not a symbol of racism in the coffee chain, but one of many examples highlighting the deep-seated racism that the U.S. has yet to adequately address.

In the same way companies like Starbucks have treated activism as a trend, discussing social issues has fallen into the same trap. It is easier for Americans to condemn Starbucks employees for racially discriminating against customers than it is to admit every member of our society has a part in the systemic oppression of black communities.

EDITORIAL With social media, it is easier than ever to see how racism exists nationwide when videos of incidents, including at the Philadelphia Starbucks, are readily available. When members of the public see evidence of racism, they must remember they’re viewing a single symptom of a widespread, centuries-long societal ill rather than an individual controversy affecting one person, place or business.

They need to focus on the problem, starting with recognizing their own privilege.

If Starbucks wants to prove it is doing more than simply pandering, there are numerous organizations that provide resources to black communities to which the coffee chain can donate and several ways to improve inclusion, diversity and understanding of diverse identities as a mainstay in its corporate culture by making such training a regular occurrence in Starbucks stores.

Companies must be held accountable for perpetuating racial bias and should work diligently to right their wrongs, and the rest of society should do the same as well.

Editorial Board Members Brooke Pawling Stennett Digital Managing Editor Tyra Bosnic Opinions Editor Blaise Mesa Metro Reporter Mayan Darbyshire Arts & Culture Reporter Zack Jackson Graphic Designer

22 THE CHRONICLE APRIL 30, 2018

Hawk Thottupuram Multimedia Reporter Erin Dickson Staff Photographer Kami Rieck Media Sales Rep Kendrah Villiesse Online Content Producer

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Enough is enough: Frat life needs to change » TESSA BRUBAKER CAMPUS REPORTER

A

» ZACK JACKSON/CHRONI CLE

video of Syracuse University’s Theta Tau fraternity members went public April 19, showing them using homophobic, racist and anti-Semitic slurs. In another video released April 21 by the university’s newspaper, The Daily Orange, members were filmed enacting a skit mocking a disabled person being sexually assaulted.

The fraternity chapter was expelled the same day the second video was released and Syracuse University plans to review its policy on fraternities and sororities, according to an April 23 CNN article. The students involved were removed from classes, and the university will start proceedings to either suspend or expel the students.

Syracuse University is taking the right steps to combat these issues, but this is

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COMMENTARY: If media outlets spent less time on high school and middle school sports and more time on professional female athletes, women in sports would have a larger fanbase, says Blaise Mesa.

COMMENTARY: If media outlets spent less time on high school and middle school sports and more time on professional female athletes, women in sports would have a larger fanbase, says Blaise Mesa.

tbrubaker@columbiachronicle.com

COMMENTARY

a nationwide problem. Fraternities are antiquated and encourage dangerous behavior. In November 2017 alone, at least seven large universities suspended fraternities because of a string of alcohol-related deaths and hospitalizations, according to U.S. News and World Report.

Excessive alcohol use isn’t the only risk that comes with these organizations. According to a September 2014 article by The Guardian, men in fraternities are three times more likely to commit sexual assault. When fraternities aren’t enabling toxic behavior by men, they can put women in danger, considering the same study stated women in sororities are 74 percent more likely to be sexually assaulted.

A 2005 study in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence stated that fraternity men may be more likely to perpetrate acts of sexual aggression in an environment that promotes stereotypical notions of masculinity. Why have colleges continued to allow such a misogynistic and dangerous culture on their campuses?

While some fraternities and sororities can bring together minority groups, hold charity events or create networking opportunities, the cost to hold onto this old way of thinking isn’t worth it.

Fraternities are built on old values, and it’s time that we change it for the better.

People can create other clubs in which they can support issues that matter to them, and not one that hazes members.

According to the New Jersey Institute of Technology, more than 800 U.S. and Canada campuses offer fraternities and sororities. Columbia is not one of them and is typically labeled as abnormal because of it.

Columbia has managed to create a strong community for students without fraternities and sororities. Students have found ways to connect and network with each other based on their shared interests and passions. Fraternities and sororities are unnecessary.

The amount of times these organizations have shown they promote bigotry proves we need to make a change. It’s time for colleges and universities to say enough is enough, and follow in the footsteps of colleges that refuse to offer it. Ending fraternities and sororities is not going to immediately erase racism, sexism and assaults on college campuses, but it’s time we work to dismantle an entire system that has perpetuated this kind of prejudice and abuse for too long.

APRIL 30, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 23

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State Representative proposes grant to fund psychologists in Illinois schools » Page 29 » PHOTO ERIN DICKSON/CHRONICLE

Experts say Russia attack on US democracy targeted weaknesses

» SAVANNAH EADENS METRO REPORTER

The Chicago Council on Global Affairs held a forum to discuss “securing democracy” at One Prudential Plaza, 130 E. Randolph St., on April 25. The panelists were co-directors of The Alliance for Securing Democracy and Senior Fellows for The German Marshall Fund of the United States Jamie Fly and Laura Rosenberger. The panel was led by the Director of Government and Diplomatic Programs at The Chicago Council on Global Affairs Matt Abbott.

failure to listen to our allies in Europe who have experienced the same interference.”

“This has been part of an effort undertaken

by Russia to undermine democracies across the transatlantic space,” Rosenberger said.

“It’s not just about elections. We see real attacks on the pillars of democracy.”

The Alliance for Securing Democracy is currently using a social media dashboard called Hamilton 68 to monitor more than 600 Russian accounts that create propaganda and false information online, according to Fly, who is a former counselor for Foreign and National Security Affairs to U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio.

In an attempt to weaken others to gain relative power, Putin has identified and exploited U.S. vulnerabilities, such as free speech, open access information and technology systems, Rosenberger said. The challenge arises to combat these issues without losing freedoms, she added.

“These strengths are what make our democracy so thriving, but at the same time, we need to make sure that it’s not used against us,” Rosenberger said.

Race, immigration and the criminal justice system are domestic debates being manipulated from thousands of miles away, Rosenberger added. Russia is using U.S. vul-

seadens@columbiachronicle.com

she added that internal threats such as voter suppression and the National Rifle Association’s campaign funding also need AFTER INVESTIGATIONS FOUND that Russian more attention. intelligence interfered in the 2016 pres“It’s a vicious cycle where our internal idential election in various capacities, issues are creating vulnerabilities for forexperts say the attack on U.S. democracy eign entities to manipulate,” Eshelman said. targeted domestic vulnerabilities.

Rosenberger said there are multiple steps In an April 25 panel hosted by The to combat Russian interference: learn from Chicago Council on Global Affairs, 130 E. other democracies on how to better defend Randolph St., called “Securing Democracy,” and deter activity, close off vulnerabilities Jamie Fly and Laura Rosenberger from in the U.S. by healing social division and the Alliance for Securing Democracy and reducing partisanship, and take steps to the German Marshall Fund of the United better secure voting and election infrastrucStates, explained that this is not the first ture while strengthening the news media time Russian President Vladimir Putin has environment. attempted to undermine democracy.

“The best way to respond to these chalIt’s a vicious cycle where our internal issues are creating Using social media platforms, Fly and lenges is to shine a light on them and raise Rosenberger said U.S. citizens received dis- vulnerabilities for foreign entities to manipulate. awareness,” Fly said. “When you information in an effort to undermine faith have informed citizenry, it is much APRYL ESHELMAN and confidence in one of the country’s most more likely that they may not actually fundamental right: the ability to choose Hamilton 68 is named after the Federalist nerabilities to their advantage by pitting respond to certain messages that are their own leaders.

Papers No. 68, in which Alexander Hamilton Americans against each other and instilling pushed or influences that are made [by Rosenberger, a former foreign policy wrote about protecting America’s electoral distrust in government, Fly said. foreign entities]. The government canadviser for Hillary Clinton, said Russia process from foreign meddling. Contrary to Apryl Eshelman, a fundraiser for a local not solve this alone, at the end of the previously used cyber attacks to influence popular belief, Fly said Hamilton 68 tracks nonprofit that focuses on international day, it is incumbent upon the American Brexit in the U.K., as well as the recent accounts that not only push messages to issues, said the bipartisan attempt of the citizens to be smarter consumers of France and German elections. Fly called the obstruct elections, but ones that also inter- Alliance for Securing Democracy to address news and information and more active U.S. interference by Russians “a bipartisan fere with domestic debates. external threats is a good start. However, participants in their democracy.” » SAVANNAH EADENS METRO REPORTER

APRIL 30, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 25

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on low-income communities » BLAISE MESA METRO REPORTER THE LINK BETWEEN climate change and its disproportionate impact on low-income communities may not often be seen, but it does exist, said Jacqueline Patterson, director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Environmental and Climate Justice Program.

At an April 25 panel at 1160 E. 58th St., Patterson discussed how low-income communities do not contribute to climate change as much as high-income communities but are at greater risk of its consequences. Those communities also do not always have a voice or power to address it.

“Environment is about everything,” Patterson said. “These are inalienable rights. We can’t deal with environment in isolation.”

Patterson recounted stories about power plants creating cancer clusters and residents not being warned about contaminated drinking water.

“Folks don’t know it’s not [normal for] half the kids in a classroom to have asthma, and half the people in their church [to] have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,” Patterson said. “They don’t even realize that is not what happens in the world.”

East Chicago, Indiana, as well as other parts of the state have contaminated soil at 1,000 times the EPA-allowed amount of arsenic and lead in the soil and 30 times the allowable amount of lead in kids’ bloodstreams, according to Patterson.

There are multiple obstacles to address before solving these problems, Patterson said, such as relocating communities, which

26 THE CHRONICLE APRIL 30, 2018

Mark Templeton, clinical professor at the University of Chicago Law School and director of the Abrams Environmental Law Clinic, moderated a discussion with Jacqueline Patterson on the disproportionate impact low-income communities face as a result of climate change at 1160 E. 58th St.

can separate families, or potentially harmful facilities and may not be a viable option.

Another option is investing in solar panels, which is more affordable for low-income households than most people may believe, Patterson said.

The average cost to install solar panels in Illinois ranges between $11,424 and $13,944, according to Energy Sage—a solar enegery cost comparing website. However, the larger the system, the more money it save the home owner in energy bills.

Without groups such as the NAACP the support of these issues would continue to worsen, said Shree Mehrotra, junior environmental science major at the University of Illinois at Chicago and project leader for the PSI speaker series.

“You can’t achieve equity with any sphere without working together because the environment is impacted by race, gender or economics,” Mehrotra said. “It all ties together.”

Rebecca Barker, a second-year law student in the Abrams Environmental Law Clinic at the University of Chicago Law School who has had coursework in environmental justice issues, said these issues would be better addressed if more people were aware of the problems at hand.

“If you have groups that are visible and audible showing up at the table representing people who don’t have their voices heard, you get more people [represented fairly],” Barker said. bmesa@columbiachronicle.com

Climate change has bigger impact

» MACKENZIE CROSSON/CHRONICLE

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» SAVANNAH EADENS METRO REPORTER DURING HER SENIOR year of high school, Amina Henderson-Redwan was leading a peace circle at Gage Park High School on Chicago’s Southwest Side when she felt an anxiety attack coming on.

As she tried to walk away, she said she got into a conflict with a school security guard and was arrested and detained for about five hours before being taken to a juvenile detention center.

Three years later, HendersonRedawn is lobbying with the Voice of Youth in Chicago Education for legislation that will provide grants to fund mental health professionals in Illinois public schools. House Bill 4208 by state Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Westchester, in December 2017, aims to do that.

“This bill is important because what I needed at that moment in time was a counselor. Someone who I could actually talk to, not be put in handcuffs while having an anxiety attack and feeling as though I couldn’t breathe,” Henderson-Redawn said. “I’m passionate about this bill because too many youth feel like their mental health is being ignored.”

Welch, a proponent of mental health services in schools, said the

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bill will create the Safe Schools Healthy Learning Environment grant for statewide schools to apply for and allocate funding where needed, whether it is school psychologists, social workers or after-school activities.

The bill passed the Illinois House, 64–25, April 27, and will now head to the Senate, according to state legislature records.

Katherine Cowan, director of communication for the

National Association of School Psychologists, said mental health professionals in schools play a critical role in children’s well-being. Too often, students with trauma are mistakenly assumed to need special education rather than mental health services. Licensed psychologists in schools can help identify these cases, Cowan added.

“Students, especially black and brown students, walk around with PTSD like it’s a backpack every day, and it goes unnoticed,” Henderson-Redawn said.

“Passing this bill could change so much with the school system in every district because students need their voices heard and need to be treated correctly for their mental and behavioral health.”

Welch said he still supports using school resource officers, but more funding should be allocated toward hiring mental health professionals to better address certain issues.

Henderson-Redawn also said school resource officers are often great for school districts,

but officers are not trained on preventative measures or how to handle mental health crises. This could cause unnecessary arrests when school administration relies too heavily on officers rather than taking their own actions.

Voices of Youth in Chicago Education is drafting legislation that would train officers on mental health-related issues, she added.

None of the legislators in the committee who voted against the bill responded to requests for comment as of press time.

Welch said states have been forced to adopt increasingly combative policies “States have sovereign rights and the current administration in Washington—from a political and philosophical [stance]—differs from a lot of what we believe in Illinois,” Welch said. “We are a blue state. We believe in supporting our most vulnerable population; the poor and middle class should take priority over millionaires and billionaires.” seadens@columbiachronicle.com

Legislation could fill need for mental health assistance in Illinois schools

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Tobacco ordinance to crack down on e-cigarette use » BLAISE MESA METRO REPORTER CHICAGO TOBACCO STORES will soon have to post additional health information signage after City Council agreed the measure was necessary to increase awareness of products’ health risks.

City Council unanimously passed an ordinance April 18, to require all stores selling tobacco products to post signs on their doors warning of the dangers of tobacco products. The ordinance would also prohibit sampling of tobacco products, according to City Clerk records.

Chicago has successfully taken steps to reduce teen smoking by 7.6 percent since 2011; however, teens are still more likely to use e-cigarettes rather than traditional cigarettes, according to an April 18 city press release.

E-cigarettes, which were introduced to the commercial market more than a decade ago, have evolved, and new products are regularly being released said Lesli Vaughan, program coordinator at the Respiratory Health Association. These developments make tracking the potential health side effects difficult, she added.

Vaughan applauded the city’s efforts to spread health information and eliminate sampling products, which may attract younger demographics because teens are cost conscious, she said.

The signs posted on tobacco shops’ doors will be designed by the Chicago Department of Public Health and provide factual information about tobacco products along with the phone number of a tobacco quit line, according to the press release.

Although the new law’s purpose is to reduce tobacco use, Mike Kennedy, an employee at Sight N Sound, a tobacco shop at 1137 W. Taylor St., does not expect business to be affected.

Citing other advertising campaigns that warn of the effects of tobacco products, Kennedy said a new law to post the information on the shop doors may not dissuade customers from purchasing tobacco products. However, Kennedy acknowledged the need for more stringent health guidelines for products that could cause users harm.

While laws have educated the public on the dangers of cigarette consumption, Vaughan said young adults may not be fully aware of the risks that accompany e-cigarettes.

“The problem with e-cigarettes is they are not [well] regulated, so there is no way to know what chemicals are in them,” Vaughan said. “E-cigarette companies can make claims about tobacco products, but there is no way to know if what they claim is or is not in them is correct.”

A February 2013 study published by the British Medical Journal found that nicotine levels in e-cigarettes and the levels they are advertised at do not always match, and the dosage people receive will vary depending on the manufacturer.

Edward Braunstein, a junior entrepreneurship major at the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio, has smoked an e-cigarette daily since he was 16 years old.

Braunstein knows the potential risks involved in e-cigarettes but enjoys the taste and smokes a JUUL—a type of e-cigarette. He noticed after smoking a JUUL, he does not cough up mucus and smell the same as he does when he smokes a regular cigarette.

Some people may use e-cigarettes as a way to quit smoking, but Vaughan said people who begin smoking e-cigarettes are more likely to turn to traditional cigarettes rather than the other way around.

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