The Columbia Chronicle, May 7, 2018

Read graduating Chronicle employee goodbyes PAGE 33

PAGE 24 May 7, 2018

Volume 53, Issue 30

2017–2018

Year in review AS THE ACADEMIC year comes to a close, The Chronicle steps back and reflects on some of the events and stories that have affected the campus and the world around it. From students rallying for gun reform to alumni winning Emmys, it was an exciting year to be a part of the Columbia community.

SEE PAGE 3

» PHOTO ILLUSTRATION KEVIN TIONGSON/CHRONICLE

ColumbiaChronicle.com

Students critical of counseling services following assault

editor’s note

Who says we have to say goodbye?

MANAGEMENT

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

MANAGING EDITORS

DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR CREATIVE DIRECTOR AD & BUSINESS MANAGER

CAMPUS REPORTERS

» ZOË EITEL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

2 THE CHRONICLE MAY 7, 2018

CAMPUS Tessa Brubaker Olivia Deloian Molly Walsh

ARTS & CULTURE

ARTS & CULTURE REPORTERS

METRO REPORTERS

Mayan Darbyshire Miranda Manier

METRO

to lead with or a better support system, who only occasionally get annoyed at my

OPINIONS EDITOR fangirl texts.

Yes, being on The Chronicle is great,

and I have loved my time here, but it COPY CHIEF wouldn’t have been half as incredible

COPY EDITORS without all you women who, with your different positions and ambitions, have elevated the publication to a place I didn’t even know it could reach.

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS I tell everyone during their first week at the paper that they didn’t just get a job,

ADVERTISING DESIGNER they got a family, and no college family is complete without its college dad. For us, it’s Chris Richert. There’s nothing I would truly SENIOR PHOTO EDITORS could say in this column that explain everything Chris does for those

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS who work at the paper or would do him justice. So I’m going to leave it at this: Chris, I owe you everything.

I wrote in my last column in spring MULTIMEDIA EDITOR MULTIMEDIA REPORTERS 2017 that I have an interest in endings and how they are meant to wrap things up—whether it’s a book, movie, show or whatever else—so neatly. But real life

MEDIA SALES REPS endings aren’t like that. Things don’t end with a perfectly crafted quote that

MARKETING ASSISTANT evokes nostalgic feelings from when everything was new. There is no real last Sure, things page of a chapter in your life. end, but that doesn’t mean WEBMASTER they’re over.

ONLINE CONTENT PRODUCER I know that in a year, or five years or a decade, I’ll be able to pick up my phone, open any of the many Chronicle OFFICE ASSISTANT group chats that exist, and explain the “Chronmare” I just had, or send a meme that reminded me of “that

GENERAL MANAGER time when” or just let my sisters

FACULTY ADVISER know I miss them, and it’ll be like ASSISTANT FACULTY ADVISER no time has passed at all. Because while there will be that day very soon when I walk out of those doors as an employee of The Chronicle for the last time, it won’t be a real goodbye. It will be an “until next time.” zeitel@columbiachronicle.com

I

’ve never had a problem with goodbyes. Moving trucks and farewell waves were such a constant while growing up that picking up and leaving has become second nature to me.

It’s been rare in my life to find a place I didn’t care about leaving behind, but here I am. I’m Zoë Eitel, this is my 96th issue of The Columbia Chronicle and I don’t want to go.

Just looking at that number—counting and recounting to reassure myself that, yes, it really was that many—and thinking about the last three years makes me forget that anything came before this.

For someone who never had a consistent home, The Chronicle is exactly what I was looking for without knowing it. From my first day when I walked into the office with pink and blue hair and little-to-no experience, through the ups and downs—and the way downs—to walking out of the front doors on my last day as an award-winning editor-in-chief in less than a week, The Chronicle has been my life, my home and my family.

Although that family has shifted over the semesters, it has never changed, only grown. I didn’t grow up with sisters, but I have so many now.

First to Megan Bennett, Arabella Breck and Lauren Kostiuk, you all— despite graduating before me and leaving me behind, which was honestly rude— inspired me and continue to inspire me every day to be more like you: intelligent, tenacious, hard-working women who know what it takes to be in this business and how to never let closed doors get in your way.

And to the “Ladies Who Lead,” you are strong, powerful women who work harder and more tirelessly than anyone I’ve seen before to make The Chronicle as amazing as it is: Micha Thurston, Ariana Portalatin, Lauren Carlton, Jackie Murray, Brooke Pawling Stennett, Mackenzie Crosson, Kendrah Villiesse and, of course, the only student who has been at The Chronicle for as many issues as me and whom I so badly wanted to hate when we first met because we had the same first name, Zoë Haworth. I couldn’t have asked for a better group

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

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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.

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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.

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Year in review of significant Columbia, Chicago events » ColumbiaChronicle.com/Multimedia

Year in Review » TESSA BRUBAKER CAMPUS REPORTER

MANY EVENTS OCCURRED this year that were celebrated or created conflict within the Columbia community. For Chicago, this was a year of protests, from the March For Our Lives to the student walkouts.

Columbia’s community mourned the loss of former President Warrick Carter July 15, 2017, who died at the age of 75.

Carter joined the college as president in 2000 and retired in 2013. Administrators, faculty and Carter’s family members came together Oct. 16, 2017, for a memorial service to celebrate his life.

The college and its partner institutions sold the University Center July 20, 2017, in the largest student housing purchase in Chicago’s history. The building, 525 S. State St., was purchased for $201 million

by Chicago-based real estate agency Blue Vista and Paris-based investment company Axa Investment Managers. Proceeds from the sale will support construction of Columbia’s new student center.

In an effort to consolidate the college’s campus, the administration closed all three open printing labs on the first day of fall term, directing students to use library facilities instead. Student lab employees were unexpectedly left without jobs for the

semester. After students complained, the college reopened the lab at 1104 S. Wabash Ave. in February.

President Donald Trump threatened in September to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a decision that would affect nearly 800,000 undocumented immigrants who entered the country under the age of 16 and 42,376 Illinois residents.

Despite some favorable court rulings, the status of DACA recipients, aka Dreamers, remains in limbo.

A Columbia alumna made history as the first black woman to win an Emmy Award for Writing in a Comedy Series Sept. 17, 2017. Lena Waithe, a 2006 alumna from the former Television Department, and Aziz Ansari were honored for outstanding comedy writing on a television series for co-writing the episode “Thanksgiving” of “Master of None.”

The new student center broke ground Nov. 13, 2017, with a ceremony attended by

Mayor Rahm Emanuel, President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim, Student Government Association members and others in the Columbia community. Emanuel told the gathering the new building will be a haven for artistic projects and collaborations. The student center is planned for completion in fall 2019.

As the fall semester wrapped up, the parttime faculty union held a two-day walk-out and strike to protest “bad faith bargaining” and unfair labor practices. Adjuncts and students walked out of classes Nov. 29–30 and picketed outside 600 S. Michigan Ave. P-Fac also held another rally April 27 to draw support before a bargaining session with the administration. The contract negotiations are ongoing.

The college’s continuous enrollment declines began to slow during the Spring 2018 Semester. A 9.1 percent drop was reported in comparison to spring 2017, less then the 11.4 percent decline reported from SP16 to SP17.

The country was stunned by the Feb. 14 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17.

Student activism sparked a nationwide gun control movement, including in Chicago where approximately 85,000 people converged in Union Park March 24 as part of March For Our Lives.

In an April 6 email statement, Kim announced that Senior Vice President and Provost Stan Wearden would step down from his position in June 2019. Kim stated that a nationwide provost search will begin this year.

University Center residents returned from spring break to fake rats and trash and missing belongings after renovations to the communal and interior areas of the residence hall. Renovations began Jan. 2 and will continue through the summer.

Charlie Curtis-Beard and the Weird Kids won first place at Columbia’s annual Biggest Mouth event April 19.

They will open for headliner Ella Mai at Manifest May 11. tbrubaker@columbiachronicle.com

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SGA Representative to the Board of Trustees and junior cinema and television arts major Cameron Hubert said he was proudest of SGA’s work to expand awareness of the collaboration between Columbia Cares and Shop Columbia. SGA hosted a fundraising event for Columbia Cares and Hubert said he enjoyed putting the event

Student Government Association introduced and hosted a variety of campus events this year to accomplish the organization’s three goals for the year: connect, inform and achieve.

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tem, Woolfork said. More than 100 students participated in this year’s election, which is a larger voter turnout than in previous SGA elections.

The online voting initiative allowed SGA to increase its outreach to students and faculty, according to SGA Faculty Adviser and Coordinator of Student Life David Keys.

» FILE PHOTO

AS THE 2017–2018 academic yearcame to a close, Student Government Association officers discussed the organization’s three goals for the year—connecting, informing and achieving—and talked about their accomplishments.

SGA President and senior business and entrepreneurship major Malik Woolfork said the organization wanted to assure students’ voices were being heard by the college administration and students were aware of other organizations on campus.

“We wanted to focus on creating spaces for students to speak with the administration about changes happening on campus,” Woolfork said.

SGA worked to expand communication between the student body and college administration, according to Woolfork.

SGA hosted an open forum with President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim titled “Let’s Chat” in previous years. Fall semester, SGA wanted students to get to know the rest of the administration, so Kim’s cabinet members addressed student questions and concerns regarding changes in the college.

Woolfork said SGA also introduced collegewide town hall meetings with department chairs and school deans. Despite the lack of attendance by students at the townhall meetings, 14 out of 16 department chairs participated in the meetings, according to Woolfork.

“Town halls have happened in the past, but [they] only happened within the Theatre and Dance

departments,” Woolfork said.

“We wanted to branch out to the full campus so we worked hard with the [department] chairs to get those running.”

To boost participation and communication between students and SGA, the organization also incorporated online voting for its elections this semester using the Oasis registration sys-

SEE SGA, PAGE 13

SGA reflects on academic year goals

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2018 Honorary Degree Recipients recognized for success, helping community

Mary Mitchell

Paul Broucek

» COURTESY MARY MITCHELL

» COURTESY PAUL BROUCEK

6 THE CHRONICLE MAY 7, 2018

Jennifer Farrington

» COURTESY JENNIFER FARRINGTON

said. “The arts as they exist alone are not fully realized unless the community is engaged, unless the art has a purpose to share a story or to engage an audience and get them thinking.”

Dawoud Bey, professor in the Photography Department, said his honorary doctorate shows the college’s recognition of its own faculty’s community.

“I was happy to see the college honoring and acknowledging people within its communities who have gone on to achieve

exceptional levels of success both on my side as a professor, and also [alumni],” Bey said. “To [now] celebrate its own community as much as we have in the past celebrated others.”

This recognition comes shortly after Bey was named a MacArthur Fellow, as reported Oct. 11, 2017, by The Chronicle.

Bey said he was surprised to receive the honorary degree, adding that he will speak about how mentoring and encouraging his students to get involved in com-

munity work is a huge priority for him as a professor.

“We are citizens as much as we are artists, and we have an obligation to find a way to bring our own particular forms of professional practice together with a larger social community and a larger social conversation,” Bey said.

Paul Broucek, 1974 undeclared alumnus and president of music at Warner Brothers Pictures, said he is excited to once again speak at commencement after he previously spoke about his notable

alumni achievement in 2010.

Broucek said his ultimate goal during his speech is to inform students about how to achieve success as he has found it himself.

“I’m a big believer in giving back,” Broucek said. “I know that [if ] I’m sharing something, if I just give one idea that they can use, [an] experience that they haven’t had themselves, they’re more prepared when they come across it themselves.”

odeloian@columbiachronicle.com

THREE COLUMBIA ALUMNI and one professor, all noted for their successes within their fields, will receive the college’s 2018 honorary degrees.

Mary Mitchell, 1991 journalism alumna and columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times, said she is thrilled to be receiving an honorary doctorate.

“It [is] absolutely thrilling to be recognized by your alma mater,” Mitchell said. “Columbia was a big part of my life, and it felt like my life had gone full circle.”

Upon entering journalism after graduation, Mitchell said she knew her main focus would be advocacy. She said column writing is her platform for bringing about change.

“I came into the business in 1991, and my main focus was trying to be a voice for people who didn’t have one, so most of my work has been advocacy work for the community,” Mitchell said.

“To be the conscience of the community that’s been plagued by drugs and gangs.”

Jennifer Farrington, 1993 undeclared alumna and president and CEO of Chicago Children’s Museum, said the honorary degree was unexpected.

“It’s a huge honor, it’s humbling and something that took me completely by surprise,” Farrington said. “I have a lot of respect for Dr. Kim, so not only to receive this award at this point in my life is a huge honor but also to have the opportunity to be recognized during his administration is exciting.”

Farrington said she owes her career to Columbia, as she found her internship in 1991 at the museum through the college. Her career has also allowed her to give children a space to play and learn, she said.

“Columbia and Chicago Children’s Museum are compatible in the ideals of community, collaboration, inclusivity,” Farrington

Dawoud Bey

» COURTESY MACARTHUR FOUNDATION

» OLIVIA DELOIAN CAMPUS REPORTER

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a i b m u l Co Chronicle 8 1 0 2 L L A F R O F G N I R I IS H Y A D O T Y L APP

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www.ColumbiaChronicle.com MAY 7, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 7

» TESSA BRUBAKER CAMPUS REPORTER

Kwang-Wu Kim has experienced what he sees as a year of triumphs and challenges. In his final interview with The Chronicle for the 2017–2018 academic year, Kim discussed the new student center, increased campus security measures and his goals for next year.

PRESIDENT AND CEO

THE CHRONICLE: What are highlights for you and the college over the past year?

KWANG-WU KIM: One of the things I’m excited about, even though it has been challenging getting started, is the new student center. It’s been challenging because the construction’s been delayed because of problems underground.

So, that’s been a little frustrating.

It’s underway, and I’m hoping that’s

going to be transformative for the experience of our students.

Is there anything you wish you could change from the past two semesters?

One of the things we learned is sometimes when we make decisions we think are good, if we had more conversations in advance, we would have made better decisions.

The perfect example this year was the decision made over the summer to shut down some labs without taking into consideration how that was going to affect students’ experience.

We ended up having to go back and revise and reopen. It was probably a good learning experience, but now that we’ve gone through that once, I’d rather do it the right way first.

Some of the challenges the college has faced over this year include part-time faculty relations, campus security and

8 THE CHRONICLE MAY 7, 2018

rising tuition. With those in mind, how is the college preparing for next year?

We’re making some new investments in campus safety, some new blue light cameras. We’re talking about exploring the possibility of some limited security escort services in the evenings. Security is a big focus for me because obviously we have to take care of our students.

With P-Fac, we’re in negotiations now and we’re hoping we can get to a point where we can agree on a new contract so that everyone can feel comfortable and taken care of.

The cost of college is the combination of the actual tuition and then a level of scholarship the college can provide to a student. We have to do a better job of figuring out a way to provide more scholarship assistance to our students.

What are some of your other goa ls for the upcoming fall semester?

I need to spend as much time as possible out and about bragging about this college and our students and really helping people understand

President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim said he will continue to add improvements, such as new security measures, to the campus next semester.

the quality that’s actually here. I’m going to be leading a search for a new provost, and that’s a big piece because the provost is the chief academic officer in charge of the core of the institution. That’s an exciting challenge, but it’s a big one.

Is there anything you would like to say to the college?

We have had some challenging times at Columbia, in part because we’ve had declining enrollments but also because we’re really

trying to fundamentally make this a stronger institution. People at Columbia have been experiencing a feeling of some disruption. I hope people understand the purpose of that is to try to get us to this next level where we all feel like we’re at an even better version of Columbia. I just want people to know how, in spite of the things we’ve dealt with, I’m encouraged on a daily basis. I don’t lose my enthusiasm for Columbia.

tbrubaker@columbiachronicle.com

Kim: ‘I don’t lose my enthusiasm for Columbia’

» KEVIN TIONGSON/CHRONICLE

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» SAMANTHA CONRAD/CHRONICLE

GRADUATION IS A time for students to be recognized for academic, creative and collegiate achievements by receiving their degrees. Some students will also celebrate the occasion by decorating their graduation caps to

show families and peers the significance of this achievement.

Trayvion Campbell, a senior theatre major, said he is incredibly humbled to graduate, and his decoration will represent what his achievements mean to him.

Campbell said he plans to place a star with his name on his cap as an homage to the Hollywood Walk of Fame to show where he hopes his education will take him.

“That’s where I see myself years from now,” Campbell said. “To have my name recognized and to be an inspiration to black boys and girls, to other people who want to be in this field.

Putting a star on my cap is something that I want to work for. It’s something that I strive to be—the best that I can be in my my own field.”

Madelyn Smith, a 2017 photography alumna who is participating in the 2018 commencement said she plans to go to a craft store to get inspiration for her creation.

“I want it to say, ‘Thanks, Mom and Dad and coffee,’” Smith said.

“Those three things [are what] got me through college, and I know it will make my parents happy.”

Smith said she would like to see her cap decoration make people laugh and show a piece of her college experience.

There will also be a Graduation Cap Decoration event May 9—10

from noon to 4 p.m. at 623 S. Wabash Ave. Workroom Coordinator Jamie Weaver said there is no advance sign-up for the event, and all seniors are welcome to make their last Columbia creation with the complimentary workroom supplies.

“It’s exciting for a lot of people because I’ve heard people say that when they graduated

from high school, their schools wouldn’t let them decorate their caps,” Weaver said.

“They’re excited because it’s an art school. This is what they do.”

Weaver also added that this is the last creation graduating students can make at Columbia.

Campbell said he hopes his cap decoration will serve to show his peers that he is following his dreams.

“I hope they would identify [with] it in an upliftingway, and they will cheer me on like, ‘Hey you can do it, you almost did. You made it this far; you’re not that far,’” Campbell said.

“Hopefully, my peers are decorating their caps as something that moves them.”

odeloian@columbiachronicle.com

How will you decorate your graduation cap?

MAY 7, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 11

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SGA initiated town hall meetings with department chairs to increase communication between students and their programs.

The organization also hosted a forum with President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim as well as the cabinet so students could ask questions and express their concerns.

together because it helped students not only learn about the school but themselves.

Hubert added that he was particularly excited to launch the “Fill Me In” event, which allowed students to fill out a simple survey about their experience at the college thus far.

The survey included a threeemoji rating system indicating how satisfied a student was with the college, and it also gave students the opportunity to write comments and concerns.

Woolfork said the greatest challenge this year was increasing student participation and attempting to ensure every student grievance was shared with the college administration.

Woolfork noted that fall semester’s “Let’s Chat” event between students and administrators allowed students to discuss a number of problems, but there was insufficient time to address them all.

“If a student’s question wasn’t answered, they were then followed up with [the] administra-

tion,” Woolfork said. “That was one of the moments where we [realized] we had a lot more work to do than we thought we did.”

Frita Beauchamp, vice president of finance for SGA and junior cinema and television arts major, praised the incoming Executive Board. SGA recently elected and swore in its Executive Board for the 2018–2019 academic year, as reported April 23

by The Chronicle.

“The people that will continue our [Executive Board] are very hard working,” Beauchamp said.

“It is only going to go up from here. They are not going to let it fall, it is just going to get better each and every year.”

Keys commented on the group’s dynamics.

“There is a camaraderie and a family that has been built among them,” Keys said.

“There is a grander concern that they have and they push for it with humility and passion that I haven’t seen in other teams I have advised.

This is a special group.” mwalsh@columbiachronicle.com

SGA, FROM PAGE 4

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Review: ‘Truth or Dare’ is a pathetic waste of time. » ColumbiaChronicle.com

Assault survivor shares her ‘Tale’

discretion advised” warning and the tollfree number to the Sexual Assault Hotline in bold white lettering appears onscreen.

“The Tale,” a film memoir written and directed by Jennifer Fox, recounts how Fox, a respected documentary filmmaker, comes to realize the romantic relationship she had with a 40-year-old coach as a 13-year-old athlete was actually sexual assault and rape.

Starring Laura Dern as Jennifer Fox, rapper Common as Fox’s boyfriend Martin and Jason Ritter as coach Bill, the film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival January 2018 and will be released on HBO May 26.

Columbia, in conjunction with Heartland Alliance and One Love Foundation, hosted a screening of “The Tale,” followed by a discussion with Fox, Common, and HBO President Len Amato at Film Row Cinema, 1104 S. Wabash Ave., May 2. The Chronicle sat down with Fox and Common to talk about their roles in the film, Sundance Film Festival and sexual violence.

THE CHRONICLE: Why is it important to spread the message from “The Tale” to college students?

FOX: This is a subject that we don’t know

Common, what was it like supporting Dern in her role as Jennifer Fox? COMMON: I was excited in being a supporting character and a man who was supportive. Martin is a good man, and while his partner is going through a lot, he is doing his best to be there for her. It was important, as a man, to be able to play my position and step back. This is a story that deals with a woman coming into her own and figuring things out. I am happy it wasn’t about all of the guys coming to save the lady.

What does it mean to be an artist and an activist?

FOX: Art is about trying to find language that expresses reality in a new way. When art works, it gives you insight into life in a way you’ve never seen it before. My effort with “The Tale” was to get inside something that the world glosses over because it is too painful, which is abuse and trauma.

COMMON: My mother is a teacher at Chicago Public Schools, [and] she would come home and would tell me about students who were sexually abused. When I saw this film, I saw child sexual abuse in another perspective. The visual effect and the grooming made me see it from another perspective and [showed] me that I have to be more responsible toward stopping this issue and this cycle. That is the power of art.

How do you make a traumatic movie without traumatizing your actors?

FOX: There are a lot of steps and one of the good things about coming from documentary is all our work is about working with people. The first thing is casting. Isabelle [Nélisse] was the only person I met who I felt could play the role [of young Jennifer Fox] naturally. We had a hard time casting [Nélisse], [but] when we found her, she had such a grounded reaction. She was fine with the script and she wanted to make a film; she wanted to help people. [Nélisse] is never near [Ritter] in reality. There’s a body double, but even what you see is shot on a vertical bed. Although [Nélisse] knows the script, she never came in contact with active play or anything that was sexual.

Is creativity the ultimate way of healing through all of this?

COMMON: So many people need mental support. They need real therapists who can come in and listen and support them mentally and emotionally. Art is healing and it gives you an outlet, but we also need other tools and resources, and therapy is one of the things.

Was it hard to find someone to play the role of an assailant?

FOX: Jason’s role was the uncastable role in this film. That was shocking and tragic because I thought it was such an important

role to shed light on. We were trying to cast a man that isn’t the stereotype who sexually abuses kids. In the media, we want to say it is that odd-looking man. People who sexually abuse are embedded in the community, they are well-loved, successful, they are often seemingly nice people.

We really wanted to go against type and [Ritter] fulfilled that.

What did it feel like to have those repressed memories resurface while writing the script?

FOX: They weren’t suppressed, this is an internal feeling. None of what you see on film was suppressed. I never forgot what happened to me. The language you hear in the film is exactly what I remember. Whole paragraphs were burned in my mind, but I didn’t coat it as negative. I felt loved, I felt this is me as a 13-year-old, I was willing to pay the price for the admission into this world of adulthood, not know what that price is, and that is the problem of adolescence. I was someone who felt invisible, didn’t feel loved, the boys were not looking at me at all during that time. What I got out of it was a way to see myself differently, what might have been not dealt with was the pain. The mind is incredible and it can cut off and deal with it now and save the rest for a later date if you can ever get there. kvilliesse@columbiachronicle.com

THE AUDITORIUM LIGHTS dim as a “viewer

How does it feel to have this film be shown at Sundance to HBO? FOX: When you make a film like this, you don’t know how the world will react. The film could have not gone anywhere, and we had such an amazing reaction at Sundance.

Also, partly due to the Me Too and Time’s Up movements, [people] are ready for a complicated and nuanced story.

» ZACHARY KELTNER/CHRONICLE

» KENDRAH VILLIESSE ONLINE CONTENT PRODUCER

how to talk about. Many women know someone who has been abused, many boys have been abused and don’t know how to talk. This cycle of sexual violence and hurt is something we all struggle with. Not just our generation and your generation, but our parents’ generation and our grandparents’ generation. Time, time is up and it is time that we can change history and say we are ready to face these difficult topics and make a difference.

MAY 7, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 15

arts & culture

» ARIANA PORTALATIN MANAGING EDITOR

Protests break out in Puerto Rico as frustration grows

W

16 THE CHRONICLE MAY 7, 2018

reportedly led the police to fall back and use tear gas and rubber bullets against residents, leading to 13 arrests and 15 police officer injuries.

“Freedom of expression cannot come at the expense of people’s safety and well being,” Gov. Ricardo Rosselló said during a May 1 news conference. “This kind of violence damages the good name of Puerto Rico.”

While violence should be avoided as much as possible, with few options left and escalating anger, what else can be expected? The hurricane wiped out electricity throughout the island, but it is the U.S. government who has left Puerto Ricans in the dark.

Puerto Rico’s decade-old recession led Congress to pass a law in 2016 allowing the U.S. territory to seek protection from its creditors but established the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico with immense power over the island’s finances. The board has demanded cuts to the island’s government pensions, public health programs and schools.

Although Rosselló said he shared residents’ frustrations with the board, the government has agreed to implement most of the measures.

The decisions are meant to lessen the effects of the ongoing debt crisis.

However, decreased resources still put citizens at a major disadvantage and the long-term effects are extremely questionable.

Residents are speaking out against the lack of government support, but who is listening? aportalatin@columbiachronicle.com

hile many celebrate the arrival of summer and take advantage of the warmer weather, Puerto Ricans worry about their survival as they prepare for another hurricane season nearly a year after Hurricane Maria ripped apart the island in September 2017.

Thousands gathered in the capital of San Juan May 1 to protest the island’s struggles following the hurricane and devastating $72 billion debt crisis.

Puerto Rico still has not recovered from Hurricane Maria and there is no end in sight, especially with the looming possibility of another storm striking the island and crippling the slight progress that’s been made.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates Hurricane Maria caused $90 billion in damage and is the third costliest hurricane in U.S. history, behind 2005’s Katrina and 2017’s Harvey, which hit the Southern U.S. coast just before Maria.

In the seven months following the hurricane, more than 96 percent of residents had their power restored. However, more than 40,000 residents are still without electricity and several major power outages have continued in addition to an absence of clean water and medicine.

Puerto Rico’s Department of Education announced plans to close 280 of about 1,100 public schools on the island this summer after 179 schools closed last year.

The University of Puerto Rico also more than doubled its tuition from $56 per credit to $115.

According to a May 1 New York Times article, protesters feared policy decisions such as these would decimate what remained of the island’s middle class and force even more residents to leave.

With all this affecting the island, the protests and anger from Puerto Ricans need little explanation.

Protesters marched through the island’s financial district with black flags and bandanas over their faces chanting “They won’t stop us!” and were eventually met by police in riot gear. A scuffle

arts & culture

Live different MAY 7, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 17

arts & culture

THROUGH A NONDESCRIPT set of doors, down a drab side street lies “Gun Ballet,” an explosive art exhibition nestled neatly inside the Video Game Art Gallery.

The gallery, located at 2418 W. Bloomingdale Ave., was founded in 2013 as a place to educate patrons about the cultural and artistic significance of video games. This new exhibition, which runs March 2–June 24, focuses on understanding the aesthetics of violence in video games. However, instead of looking at why violence occurs in the medium, Jonathan Kinkley, executive director of VGA, said he was more interested in how it is portrayed.

“For years, I’ve been interested in this idea of games and violence because there’s such an overabundance of violent games,” Kinkley said. “Eight of last year’s top selling 10 games included violent content.

Many of them are first-person shooters, many involve shooting as a central dynamic. So, I always associated violence and games as just endemic to the history.”

The gallery’s centerpiece, Kinkley said, is the game “Stranglehold,” developed by Midway Studios and film director John Woo. It features a playable version of the game, which is a sequel to the popular 1992 Hong Kong action film “Hard Boiled,” and a storyboard used in the game’s development, showing how the game’s creators mapped out the action.

“We thought it would be incredible to lead the show with this piece,” Kinkley said, “showing the film and the storyboard that bridged those two worlds: film and games.”

The galley also features works by artists such as Krista Wortendyke, a Chicago artist who looks at how images are used to create people’s perceptions of things they cannot truly experience.

“Gun Ballet,” an exhibit that demonstrates the aestheticism of violence in games, will be on display March 2–June 24 at VGA Gallery, 2418 W. Bloomingdale Ave.

“[Violence] is ubiquitous in all media, and the reasoning for that is that as humans we’re drawn to that, we’re rewarded,” Kinkley said. “When experiencing tension and conflict, we get a little boost in our minds chemically.”

As a lifelong fan of both video games and the arts, Kinkley said this exhibition and the VGA were a great way to fuse those interests. “ We thought games had matured and diversified enough to the point

and games such as “DOOM” and “Mortal Kombat.”

“Lots of people are looking for answers and some people point to the game industry as contributing to the problem: Do games cause violence? There have been studies and research and consensus seems to be inconclusive. Probably not.” Kinkley said. “It’s an important question to ask.”

Christopher Ferguson, a professor of psychology at Stetson University, said the public’s concerns about violent video games causing violence are largely misplaced and they can, in fact, do the opposite.

“People react in different ways,” Ferguson said. “It depends on whether or not you like violent video games or not, how you are going to respond to it. Sort of like heavy metal music. If you like it, it actually can calm you down and it actually can make you feel less stressed.”

where they can live in the gallery context and be taken seriously as an artistic medium, and that’s why the VGA gallery was born,” Kinkley said.

The exhibition gained a newfound significance after the recent Parkland, Florida, shooting, after which President Donald Trump proclaimed the idea that video games cause violence, a discussion dating back to 1992 with Visit ColumbiaChronicle.com roots in previous mass shootings for additional reporting

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MANIFEST MAIN STREET (ON WABASH BETWEEN 9TH AND 11TH) 6:00 P.M. Are you Ready for Manifest? Because this Time we're Change-ing things up with Manifest's first female headliner: Ella Mai! BET called her the "Soulstress of the Future" and now she'll be taking the Manifest MainStage for FREE at 6pm. The London-born and Los Angeles-based powerhouse speaks her mind and is sure to Own It on stage. You don't want to miss it!

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New festival celebrates Thai New Year, promotes visibility

mmanier@columbiachronicle.com

community [in Chicago], so [this festival will] add Thai culture to the larger Asian [Uptown] community,” Tran said. “It’s a teaching opportunity to the larger Chicago area, [and it can] only pract ice t hat [strengthen] this Asian enclave.” developed from Boonyanan and Suriyawan washing the feet of would like to not only conthe elderly to show tinue the Thai New Year Water respect, according Festival in the future but also to Boonyanan. The to use the Thai Census network festival will feato reach other cities with large ture Thai restauThai populations. rants from across They also are planning an Chicago, crafts Asian Food Festival in the next and merchandise couple years, an offshoot of last from Thai vendors, year’s Thai Food Festival. live music and “There are so many Asian traditional Thai communities [in Chicago], dances, Muay Thai but they’re segregated,” kickboxing, food Tran said. “The vision of demonstrations the Asian Food Festival [will and friendly cookbe] to offer Chicago a taste ing competitions. of cuisines around Asia.

According to Chicago’s first Thai New Year Water Festival will be held in Up- People look at Asian people town at 4753 N. Broadway May 19–20.

Hac Tran, comas a monolith, but [we’re] very munications manager for Uptown for people in Chicago to learn diverse. To present that to the United and a consultant for the about Uptown’s Asian community. larger stage of Chicago is [an] event, the Thai New Year Water “There isn’t much of a central- opportunity to represent the Festival offers a rare opportunity ized representation of the Thai diversity of Asia.”

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Boonyanan moved to Chicago just before Bhumibol Aduljadej, who reigned as king of Thailand EVERY APRIL, THAILAND celebrates for 70 years, died in October 2016. a three-day water fight for the He was surprised at the lack of nation’s new year, Songkran. This community mourning in Chicago year, Chicago will celebrate its and began his own candle vigil in own Songkran with the Thai New Daley Plaza only two weeks after Year Water Festival in Uptown. moving to the city.

Dew Suriyawan, co-founder of The vigil drew about 500 people, the festival, which will be held he said. Since then, he has been at 4753 N. Broadway May 19–20, determined to help cultivate a organized the Thai Food Festival Thai community with the Thai last July after recognizing a need New Year Water Festival as a key to unite Chicago’s Thai commu- marketing tool. nity, he said.

“The Thai community in Following the Thai Food Chicago needs something to get Festival’s success last sum- people together,” he said. “[We mer, Suriyawan contacted Jim want] to promote our culture. We Boonyanan, founder of Thai want people to realize that there Census, a social media network are Thai in the country.” that connects Thai people in The Thai New Year Water U.S. cities, to research an annual Festival will highlight Songkran celebration of the Thai New Year traditions, such as Buddhist in Chicago. prayers and water gun fights, a » MIRANDA MANIER ARTS & CULTURE REPORTER

» COURTESY PLENG NARISARA

Fun MAY 7, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 21

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22 THE CHRONICLE MAY 7, 2018

Jason Reitman finds honesty in comedy » MIRANDA MANIER ARTS & CULTURE REPORTER

Motherhood is a theme in “Juno” and “Tully.” How did you approch that differently in the films?

It’s point of view, and what you find funny. I guess I find certain things funny that other people don’t. From the outset of my career, I wanted to make money, heroizing the head lobbyist of big tobacco, [“Thank You for Smoking”]; a pregnant teenage girl, [“Juno”]; a guy who fires people for a living, [“Up in the Air”]; and then a woman who’s trying to end someone’s marriage [“Young Adult”].

These are my heroes. I always find that humor is a way to get to the truth a lot faster. Dramas dance around it, [but] comedy allows you to be honest right from the get-go.

Real and honest depictions of pregnancy are so rare in film.

Why did you make a point of including the ugliness that is often avoided?

How do you go about mak- There’s something about parenting something as serious as ing that’s just taboo. We talk about the subject matter in “Tully” everything these days. We’re so a comedy? open about what’s wrong with us,

terrified. Feeling like you’re ruining your kid’s life. People don’t share that.

I thought it was particularly brave for Diablo to write a script that gave us the details, and I can’t pretend to know that stuff. I relied on her and Charlize’s expertise because I don’t know that stuff. I’m a dude. [To an extent,] I was a passenger in the car for this.

» COURTESY JENNIFER CARUSO

DIRECTOR JASON REITMAN has been around the block a couple times.

A four-time Academy Award nominee for his work on “Juno” and “Up in the Air,” Reitman has explored the stories of misfits and characters down on their luck. His most recent film, “Tully,” starring Charlize Theron, opened in theaters May 4. “Tully” is a brutally honest look at the struggles of a mother following the birth of her third child. It is well-paced and engaging, drawing viewers into the throes of a flatlined marriage and a family that fights to function every day.

The Chronicle spoke with Reitman about “Tully” and how it fits into his portfolio of work.

JASON REITMAN: I’ve always thought that teen pregnancy [in “Juno”] was a location to discuss the larger idea of, “What is the moment where we grow up?” Here we have a movie about a 16– yearold girl who’s grown up too fast, a 30-year-old guy who’s not even growing up, and that theme is continued through all three films.

“Young Adult” is about growing up too slowly, and this one is about that moment when you have a child and you are forced to close a chapter on part of your life so your child can then occupy that space.

We always feel like we’re too young for something, or we’re too old for something, or we missed the boat to something.[Writer] Diablo [Cody] and I are re-examining that theme at different crucial moments in life.

our dating lives and what medication we’re taking. We share everything now, yet parenting is still taboo.

We do not talk about how tough, scary and alone being a parent can feel. We do it in a slapstick way in movies, where you have a dad pick up a baby and a baby pees on him, but you don’t have the real stuff, and the real stuff is being alone in the middle of the night and feeling

mmanier@columbiachronicle.com

arts & culture

Jason Reitman, director and four-time Academy Award nominee for “Juno” and “Up in the Air,” spoke with The Chronicle about his most recent film, “Tully.”

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feature

STUDENTS CRITICAL OF COUNSELING

» MACKENZIE CROSSON/CHRONICLE

SERVICES FOLLOWING CAMPUS ASSAULTS T

Story by: Molly Walsh Design By: Zack Jackson

24 THE CHRONICLE MAY 7, 2018

wo students who reported sexual assault to the college’s Title IX and Counseling Service Offices in 2016 say, years later, they are still feeling the effects of those complaints and the school’s failure to satisfactorily help them.

Business and entrepreneurship alumna Madeline Whittemore said she was sexually assaulted in December 2015 in her Plymouth Court dorm room. On Feb. 1, 2016, she reported the incident to the college’s Title IX Office, and in June 2016, the office found her complaint credible. The man who she alleged attacked her was suspended for the 2016– 2017 academic year.

In January 2017, Whittemore and Columbia were sued in federal court for defamation by the man whom the school had suspended. The lawsuit was dismissed in October, amended and dismissed again in January 2018. In April, the plaintiff dropped his claims against Whittemore but is appealing Columbia’s dismissal from the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Whittemore, who dropped out of Columbia in spring 2017 and now lives in Maine, said the experience has been devastating and frustrating.

Whittemore said Columbia’s handling of the situation contributes to the anxiety, depression and other mental health issues she experiences.

Before the incident, Whittemore said she was attending individual therapy sessions for treatment of anxiety and depression. After the incident, she said she did not feel safe asking anyone from the college for help because she feared her medical records could be released and used in the federal lawsuit against her.

Eric Rosenberg, an Ohio-based attorney who is representing the plaintiff in the lawsuit against Columbia and Whittemore said he has zero tolerance for sexual assault and has empathy for all parties involved in such cases.

He said he will tell his clients to seek off-campus services counseling because college counselors can be biased.

“They rarely receive an open ear from people in their counseling on college campuses,” Rosenberg said. “I’m aware of at least two people who have committed suicide after being accused of sexual assault, so I advise the accused students to seek counseling from an individual outside of campus environment.”

Counseling services at the college offer 12 free individual, couple and group therapy sessions for currently enrolled students. Therapists are also available for

feature workshops and presentations on various ule a 15-minalways made an effort to specifically get mental health issues, according to the ute phone a student help as soon as possible and I college’s website. consultawould more or less, based on the incident, “If the counseling services could go tion. Based try to get a counselor that would be a good more in depth, then maybe I would have upon the match for that particular student.” stayed [at Columbia] or maybe this whole consultaMiller said she received academthing wouldn’t have been as traumatic,” tion, stuof counseling center students nation- ic leniency after the Title IX Office Whittemore said. dents will her professors; although, wide were referred out to community emailed Director of Equity Issues and Title IX be offered she thought the email was going to Coordinator Rabia Khan Harvey said a variety of providers for continued treatment be from the Dean of Students. Millstudents can be assured confidentiality services, ranging er shared a copy of the April 29, 2016, at any point while in their reporting and from another intake email with The » INFORMATION COURTESY ASSOCIATION FOR UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGE COUNSELING CENTER DIRECTORS counseling relationship. call to an outside referChronicle.

Khan Harvey said communication ral, according to the website. sociate Professor in the Communication “[Because] Title IX sent it ... it kind of between the counseling center and the The Chronicle’s request for elaboration Department Shanita Akintonde on April told every professor I had what had hapTitle IX Office is constant, and each in- from Counseling Services was not grant- 5, 2016, about the incident. pened to me indirectly,” Miller said. cident is treated individually. She added ed at time of press.

Akintonde persuaded Miller not to The email stated she “had a personal that there have been numerous changes Miller said she, too, attended multiple drop out of Columbia and to find coun- issue that she has been trying to address.” in the Title IX Office since October 2016. individual therapy sessions following the seling off campus, Miller said.

“When I saw it, I was like, ‘All my pro“We were able to dedicate two full-time alleged assault.

Akintonde declined to comment. fessors know I was raped,’” she said. staff members just to manage the Title She said she felt the care she received On the evening of April 5, 2016, Miller Anderson said emails to professors reIX cases,” Khan Harvey said. “As far as was superficial. said five resident assistants approached garding academic leniency at that time following our policies her in her dorm room, questioned her should have been sent from the Dean of and our procedures, and informed her that then-Dean of Students’ Office. that has maintained Students Sharon Wilson-Taylor, curMiller said, after that meeting, she [a] consistent practice. rent-vice president of Student Affairs, stopped trying to find resources and [When] we get a rewas requesting to meet with her the support from Columbia. After being hosport, we have notice following day. pitalized in August 2017 for two weeks, and then we have a Miller said Wilson-Taylor did not as- Miller said she was diagnosed with biduty to respond.” sist her in finding resources to help her at polar disorder and anxiety. While hosProgramming and the meeting , but her office recommend- pitalized, she opened up about surviving training to handle cased free counseling in Schaumberg, Illi- sexual assault and received resources to es involving sexual asnois, which is almost an hour and a half help her cope. sault have increased, » INFORMATION COURTESY AMERICAN COLLEGE HEALTH ASSOCIATION train ride away from Miller’s on-campus “My college experience has been taintshe noted. housing. ed,” Miller said. “I am so far removed “Our policy hasn’t changed much, but “From the beginning, [the therapist] Vice President of Strategic Commu- from this school now from how they we review it annually to make sure that didn’t want me to talk about my experi- nications and External Relations Mark treated me. I hear other stories, and it it is updated with federal and state law ence. [The] only goal with me being there Rosati responded to The Chronicle’s re- furthers the resentment that I have toregulations,” Khan Harvey said. was to get me out to somewhere else,” quest for comment from Wilson-Taylor ward everybody who handled this.”

Whittemore said she felt she received Miller said. in a May 1 email statement saying, “It is Anderson said she wants students to little empathy or sympathy from the Title Miller said the give Title IX and IX Office. therapist cared counseling serThe office did not help her find a ther- more about her vices feedback apist or any resources available off cam- academics than her health when they feel as pus to help her after being assaulted, and said she should not drop if their needs Whittemore said. out of school or talk about the are not met.

She said she also felt a suspension was incident because it would dis“We can an inadequate form of punishment. tract her from upcoming final exonly change “I wanted to feel like I had justice. I ams and other class projects. or do something wanted to feel safe on campus,” Whit“I was not there, but it does not if we know about it,” Anderson temore said. “I didn’t feel safe with this sound like something one of our » INFORMATION COURTESY ASSOCIATION FOR UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGE COUNSELING CENTER DIRECTORS guy being at the school at all. I wanted my therapists would say,” Anderson said in power back.” response during the interview. our policy that every member of our com- said. “That is the way we can do better at Another student said it took weeks to After attending three sessions, Miller munity must refrain from any form of our jobs but we have to know about it.” see a therapist after her attack—a com- stopped attending Columbia’s counsel- sexual violence, harassment, or discrimMiller said she wished she had a plaint Associate Dean of Student Health ing services, she said. ination. Allegations of such conduct are better experience with Columbia’s and Support Beverly Anderson called “At the time, I didn’t have money to go taken very seriously by the institution counseling services and hopes it im“hard to believe.” see [an outside] counselor and I didn’t and investigated by the appropriate col- proves for future students coming Senior advertising major Trisha Mill- want to tell my parents about what had lege officials.” to campus. er alleged she was raped while staying in happened, so I didn’t know how to go He added that the college could not “I don’t want to say that I’ve given the college’s former 777 S. State St. dorm about this entire process finding help,” comment on any specific student allega- up trying to talk to the school. I’m during spring break 2016 and said she Miller said. “I thought Columbia would tions due to student privacy laws. graduating. I know it’s going to be an found the care she received unhelpful. be a free counseling center that could “That is disheartening to hear, if in fact ongoing problem,” she said. “There’s The college has five staff therapists help me [without an outside referral].” that was her experience,” Anderson said. so much frustration and resentavailable on campus. In order to make an Miller decided to talk to her then “In- “That has not been a typical response, ment that they weren’t there when I appointment, a student must first sched- troduction to Advertising” professor, As- and as the Title IX coordinator, I have needed them most.”

9 percent

52.7 percent

of students surveyed reported feeling that things were hopeless

32 percent

mwalsh@columbiachronicle.com

of counseling centers on college campuses have a waitlist at some point during the year

MAY 7, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 25

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FEATURED PHOTO

» ZACHARY KELTNER/CHRONICLE

(From left) Chicago Roller Talent group members Katie Baird, Elizabeth Perez and Karli Craig helped plan and create the “May the 4th be with u” event to give Chicagoans a chance to rollerskate in a fun, themed environment. The event was held in the “STAGG” room at the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel, 12 S. Michigan Ave. on May 4.

MAY 7, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 27

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us OUT

GRADUATION IS A bittersweet time. Friends and coworkers have turned into family, and the college experience has provided a sense of belonging. The Chronicle has a reputation of becoming the staff’s home away from home and providing an extended family to those who walk through its doors. At the end of this school year, The Chronicle is saying goodbye to the graduates of fall 2017, spring 2018 and soon-to-be graduates of fall 2018.

Fall 2017 graduates include former Ad & Business Manager Noah Kelly and former Marketing Consultant Mariana Rodriguez.

Spring 2018 graduates include Editor-in-Chief Zoë Eitel, Creative Director Zoë Haworth, Managing Editor Eric Bradach, Opinions Editor Tyra Bosnic, Senior Photo Editor Mackenzie Crosson, Arts & Culture Reporter Mayan Darbyshire, Copy Editor McKayla Braid and former Photo Editor Erin Brown.

Upcoming graduates of fall 2018 include Digital Managing Editor Brooke Pawling Stennett, Senior Photo Editor Kevin Tiongson, Metro Reporter Savannah Eadens, former Campus Editor Connor Carynski, former Arts & Culture Editor Jonathon Sadowski, former Metro Editor Jackie Murray and former Photo Editor Monica Westlake.

The Chronicle would like to congratulate its entire graduating staff. Whether you spent one semester or four years with us, thank you for the countless hours of hard work you have put into this newspaper. You are part of The Chronicle family forever.

» ERIN DICKSON/CHRONICLE

CHECK

(From left) McKayla Braid, Kevin Tiongson, Noah Kelly, Monica Westlake, Mackenzie Crosson, Connor Carynski, Zoë Eitel, Jackie Murray, Zoë Haworth, Brooke Pawling Stennett, Mayan Darbyshire, Tyra Bosnic, Eric Bradach.

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Songs to bop to all summer long » TYRA BOSNIC

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OPINIONS EDITOR “Time of the Season” “Shangri-La” “Blister in the Sun” “End of the Summer” “No Waves”

The Zombies The Kinks Violent Femmes

SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR

“Seashore”

The Regrettes

“PPP”

Beach House

“Daft Pretty Boys”

Bad Suns

Joyce Manor

“Satellite”

Dave Matthews Band

FIDLAR

“All Night”

Big Boi

» BROOKE PAWLING STENNETT

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Anne Marie

“Paldogangsan”

“Miracle”

CHVRCHES

“Your Side of The Bed”

AJR

“Bloom”

“Say Amen (Saturday Night)” Panic! at The Disco

“Wild Heart”

“I Did Something Bad”

“For You”

Taylor Swift

“Paradise Waiting” “I Wanna Go”

Vacationer Summer Heart

“Slow Motion”

PHOX

“Pleaser”

Wallows

“Little Brother”

Ella Vos

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DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR

“2002”

28 THE CHRONICLE MAY 7, 2018

» MACKENZIE CROSSON

CAMPUS REPORTER

» ZOË HAWORTH

“ Burn The House Down”

Find this playlist and others by searching: Spotify:User:TheColumbiaChronicle

ARTS & CULTURE REPORTER BTS Loote Troye Sivan Bleachers LÉON

“Ocean Man” “Something You Get Through” “God Only Knows” “OKRA” “Kevin’s Heart”

Ween Willie Nelson The Beach Boys Tyler, The Creator J. Cole

arts & culture

ColumibaCollege_ad_v1 3/29/17 3:38 PM Page 1

congratulations to all you columbia college graduates

now go get a job, make some art, or do something

beautiful 1112 S.Wabash • Chicago • elevencitydiner.com MAY 7, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 29

top

arts & culture

our staff’s top 5 picks:

Column: Shoulder pads are not always a bad idea » KENDRAH VILLIESSE ONLINE CONTENT PRODUCER

D

kvilliesse@columbiachronicle.com

ust off your shoulder pads and your puffy-sleeved shirts because the ‘80s are back for the summer.

Shoulder pads, tulle and bike shorts are all expected to be the summer’s hottest fashion trends, according to an April 27 Elite Daily article.

Although these trends were seen on the runways of Yves Saint Laurent, Tom Ford and Moschino during the Spring/Summer ‘18 shows in February, the weather is finally warm enough to embrace these trends in Chicago.

For those who wore these styles in the ‘80s, these looks may seem like nothing new or like a trip down memory lane.

But because I was born in 1997, I could not be more excited to embrace this era of bold fashion statements.

Shoulder pads and tulle shorts may not seem like the most attractive combination, but if worn correctly, the combination will look high-fashion and cute. Wear a suit jacket with padded shoulders and pair it with a mini skirt like Bella Hadid, or wear bicycle shorts with a bralette and an oversized zip-up hoodie like Kim Kardashian.

It is not just about wearing ‘80s fashion, it is also about incorporating garments from that era and combining them with personal style to make the look modern.

This can be an opportunity to channel your inner Madonna and wear bold statement garments and structured suits or to pull out that miniskirt that is crammed in the back of the closet. Either way, “You got it, dude!”

30 THE CHRONICLE MAY 7, 2018

THINGS I’LL HAVE TIME FOR AFTER GRADUATION

BOOK SERIES ENDINGS

BTS MUSIC VIDEOS

» ZOË HAWORTH CREATIVE DIRECTOR

» ZOË EITEL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

» BROOKE PAWLING STENNETT DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR

Reading for fun:

“There are much worse games to play,” “The Hunger Games”:

“Fire”:

I love to read, but when I’m assigned 20 pages of psychology course reading, the last thing on my mind is cracking open a new book. The lack of required reading in my life is going to create uninterrupted time to enjoy books again.

Cleaning my apartment: I always plan to clean my apartment when I get home from school or have some weekend downtime. Yet that downtime never shows up or I choose sleep over Swiffering. After graduation, I’ll be using my new free time for some much needed spring cleaning.

Enjoying Sunday brunch: The ultimate Sunday brunch buzzkill is when I realize it’s 2 p.m., I’m in desperate need of groceries and I still have six hours of homework to complete. Now that my college career is coming to a close, I look forward to enjoying brunch without homework looming over my head.

Making real meals: During my four years at college, I’ve tried to improve my culinary skills with limited success. But let’s be real: Between the exhaustion of class, work and homework, there isn’t enough time or will power to to cook a proper meal.

Sleeping: Ah, sleep. We had a brief rendezvous during break, but we’ve been distant ever since. The easy answer to this lack of sleep is to organize my life and stop procrastinating, but that time has gone. Graduating means I might stop staying up until 2 a.m., switching between homework and Netflix to get more than five hours of sleep.

Katniss’ game is making mental list of all the nice things she sees people do. This line reminds the reader of what they already know: Katniss has been through a lot of pain and she might never be OK, but she’s taking control of her life.

“Sam reached for the switch and turned out the light,” “Gone”: After months in the FAYZ—an area of California magically sealed off from the world with just kids 15 and under in it— the few survivors make it out. The Aftermath makes clear these kids won’t be the same after fighting for their lives against supernatural enemies, famine and other FAYZ residents, but they can still live.

“I don’t know, but I think it’s going to be good,” “Vampire Academy”: Now that Rose isn’t psychically beholden to her best friend, she isn’t sure what it means for her and how her future will turn out, but she knows with her partner and her best friend by her side, it’ll be good.

“For once, I didn’t look back,” “Percy Jackson & the Olympians”: Percy and the demigods aren’t done fighting their parents’ battles, but for now, they are. The great prophecy has come and gone, and though there is another one, like Percy says, it “could be a problem for another generation of demigods.”

“All was well,” “Harry Potter”: The 19 years later “Harry Potter” series epilogue was the only way to end the influential saga. Despite everything they went through, Harry and his friends’ lives went on and “all was well.”

This music video has everything: burning cars, underground parties, crowd surfing and high quality fashion. And the stellar choreography will leave you wishing you could move your feet that fast.

“Spring Day”: This is a stunning video full of hidden messages and literature references, which has caused fans to interpret it in various ways. And that’s what makes this so joyous: Everyone can find a personal meaning and share their stories.

“Run”: BTS likes to release well-directed, high-quality and confusing videos. “Run” is interwoven in an ongoing story arch based on their album of the same title, “Hwa Yong Yeon Hwa,” which roughly translates to “the most beautiful/happiest moment in life.”

The video’s plot makes no sense because it’s three years later and BTS still is dropping videos within the HYYH universe.

“Blood, Sweat and Tears”: This list wouldn’t be complete without the most iconic BTS music video of all time. Sure, “DNA” broke the record for the most viewed K-Pop music video by a group, but “BS&T” is without a doubt a cinematic masterpiece and influenced even more theories.

“War of Hormone”: RM in a pinstripe suit, Suga in a berét and V in a leather jacket. What else can I say? This is one of those guilty pleasure videos that you watch at 3 a.m. and wonder how you got this deep when Jungkook in a Freddy Kreuger-inspired sweater can be described as “adorable.”

arts & culture

SCALE

MUSIC

VIDEO

VIRAL

RANDOM

KANYE WEST’S ‘LIFT YOURSELF’

‘AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR’

JOHNATHAN JACKSON VS. KEVIN HART

U-HAUL

» BROOKE PAWLING STENNETT DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR

» ZOË EITEL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

» MAYAN DARBYSHIRE ARTS & CULTURE REPORTER

» SAVANNAH EADENS METRO REPORTER

Kanye West’s latest work is possibly the most experimental song he has made, and that’s saying something. The first minute and a half of West’s new single, “Lift Yourself,” includes awesome harmonies and the rhythmic beats that usually make his work stand out from other rappers.

But at nearly the end of the song, West comes out of far right field with the lyrics “poopy-di scoop” and “scoopty-whoop.” I truly miss the old Kanye.

This will be the most spoiler-free review that I can manage. “Infinity War” hit theaters April 27 and I spent days avoiding any mention of the film, going as far to block its title on Twitter. When I finally saw it, I wasn’t so much disappointed as I was upset. The film was an amazing culmination of nearly 20 movies, but I left the theater in silent pain. While I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to watch it again, it still gets an A- from me.

Everyone is collectively shaking their heads and burning their bro codes at Mr. Johnathan Jackson, the pro bowler who was found guilty last week of extorting close friend and superstar Kevin Hart in August. Not since Brutus has there been such a foul betrayal of trust. Jackson secretly filmed Hart’s night of cheating and threatened to post it unless he received an undisclosed sum of money.

Gutter balls for you, Mr. Jackson.

It’s that time of year when leases are ending, and though moving is a pain for everyone involved, U-Haul can help immensely. No, this is not an advertisement for the company, but U-Hauls are seriously fun, cheap and convenient, even if you’re a student. All you need is a valid driver’s license to drive this beauty for a couple hours and feel like an adult. The only reason this isn’t 5 stars is because of the difficulty of parking in alleys.

MUSIC

VIDEO

VIRAL

RANDOM

FLORENCE + THE MACHINE’S ‘HUNGER’

JENNA DEWAN ON ‘THE ELLEN SHOW’

VALKYRIE’S ‘INFINITY WAR’ ABSENCE

PINEAPPLES

» TESSA BRUBAKER CAMPUS REPORTER

» ARIANA PORTALATIN MANAGING EDITOR

» MIRANDA MANIER ARTS & CULTURE REPORTER

» BLAISE MESA METRO REPORTER

She’s back! Florence + The Machine released its new song, “Hunger,” May 3 and it’s exactly what fans have been waiting a long time for—since 2016 to be exact.Florence Welch, the singer behind the name, is extremely talented and this song shows off her impressive song writing skills. The song is insanely catchy and beautiful. I’ll be blasting it throughout the whole summer. This is a great glimpse into what will be an incredible album coming out this summer.

During her May 2 talk show, host Ellen Degeneres accidentally called guest Jenna Dewan by her former married name, despite Dewan’s April split from actor Channing Tatum. While the split was the elephant in the room and Degeneres later apologized for the mishap, it would have been nice if the topic was avoided altogether seeing as Dewan was invited on the show to promote NBC’s “World of Dance” with Jennifer Lopez, Derek Hough and Ne-Yo, not to discuss the split.

Don’t worry—no spoilers here. Tessa Thompson’s Marvel Cinematic Universe character Valkyrie was mysteriously absent from the recent “Infinity War,” leaving fans and stans wondering where and how she disappeared from the ship on which we last saw her with the rest of Asgard. When people started asking her about the absence, she suggested she was either off at the bar, which would be in character, or cradling a goat somewhere.

She really likes goats. I really like her.

With the weather heating up and summer around the corner, it is time to bust out the fruits and enjoy the sun. However, you might want to leave the pineapple behind in favor of other fruits. Pineapple is not the worst fruit ever, but there are so many superior options, such as bananas, apples, oranges or strawberries. Pick any fruit as long as it is not pineapple. The sweet and sour taste combined with the stickiness you experience after eating is not worth the hassle of cutting it up.

MAY 7, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 31

opinions

Counseling services should help students, not hurt them

H

ow can students feel safe at Columbia if therapy dogs in the library seem more helpful than counseling services?

As reported on Page 24, two students who alleged they were sexually assaulted on campus tried to get help from the Title IX and Counseling Services Offices, but inadequate care by the college only made their situations worse.

It is deeply troubling that two students who had already faced harrowing personal trauma could be further hurt by the institution meant to protect them, but it is even more unsettling that their accounts are part of a problem students have been uneasy about for years.

The college advertises 12 free counseling sessions each academic year, but just because these sessions may not come with a monetary cost does not mean they

cannot take an emotional toll when services are neither adequate nor accessible.

According to the counseling center’s website, most students should expect to hear from a therapist 24 hours after an initial 15-minute phone consultation, but one student claimed she waited weeks before having a session at the center. For many who have sought therapy services at the college, that is not hard to believe.

Long wait times have plagued counseling services for years, even as far back as 2013, as The Chronicle reported in that year’s March 3 issue. A reported 50 students were waitlisted during the previous fall semester.

Approximately one in five college students is diagnosed with a mental illness, according to an October 2016 study in Cambridge University’s Journal of Psychological Medicine. The psychiatric wellness of college students

We’ve got your back.

Do you have ours?

A

nother school year comes to a close, sending 30 more issues of The Columbia Chronicle into the archives.

But what has The Chronicle done this year? Actually, quite a lot.

In September 2017, The Chronicle reported on the closing of three open computer labs and the shock of many of the labs’ employees when they abruptly lost their jobs without warning from the college.

In October 2017, the paper highlighted an accusation of racial discrimination against the college by a former professor.

In January 2018, we reported on how the Student Veterans Society lost recognition as a student organization and its space was merged with the Student Diversity and Inclusion Office.

In April 2018, The Chronicle campus desk detailed the upheaval and

property damage University Center dormitory residents experienced during room renovations, which led to a student-initiated Change.org petition, demanding compensation for losses.

Without our diligent fact-finding and insistence on accuracy, students would be reliant on the rumor mill or official communications for campus news.

But like many student publications across the country, The Chronicle is too often seen as an expendable resource because it’s a student activity.

Kicking off on April 25, the Save Student Newsrooms movement, started by the University of Florida’s Independent Florida Alligator, has emphasized the important work student-run newspapers have done in a time of financial crises.

Dozens of college newspapers had to cut down or even discontinue their print

continues to be a pressing issue nationwide, and it is a problem that equally affects Columbia’s student body.

With a large number of students expected to experience mental health problems and the dangerous repercussions that can come with inadequate treatment, how can the college ensure students’ needs are met with only five full-time counselors?

Columbia students in need of counseling services are cornered into a situation in which they receive little to no support.

They potentially have the option of waiting longer than is acceptable to see a counselor who may tell them not to even talk about their trauma, as a student claimed on Page 24, or could put themselves into further debt by seeking, or being told to seek, outside counseling that can cost hundreds of dollars per session. In either scenario, their mental health needs are not addressed and could be made worse by the stress such a difficult situation can cause.

The bare minimum of student needs cannot be met by the college. But it is an even greater affront that Columbia continues to brand itself as an accepting environment

EDITORIAL when putting such little effort into counseling services can push students with mental illness further into silence or wreak even more havoc on their mental wellness by causing an unnecessary amount of stress.

The least Columbia can do is be honest about what services it can offer. Rather than continuing to promote a false image of the college as accepting and accommodating, the college should not fool students into believing their needs can be met. If the college wants to provide adequate counseling services to students, then there should be a push to evaluate the school based on the quality of such resources.

If the counseling center continues to recommend students seek outside resources for services because therapists cannot meet demand, which already defeats the purpose of even having on-campus resources, then the college should actually work with city health organizations to bring down the burdensome cost of therapy sessions.

Academic responsibilities already put enough strain on many students’ mental health; the college should not add on to that stress.

editions for lack of funding. Others, including The Chronicle, annually confront the prospect of sharply reduced staffing, even though we serve the school by readying students in multiple disciplines.

In fact, The Chronicle provides learning opportunities and hands-on experience for students in the schools of Fine and Performing Arts, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Media Arts.

Because we are so immersed in the school’s inner workings, we’re frequently surprised by the number of classmates or professors who don’t know about The Chronicle or its coverage. How many of your friends still believe common misconceptions on campus such as how the new student center is funded? It’s not tuition; it’s building sales and donations.

This has been a year of change for Chronicle content as we stepped up our video production and social media output and launched a series of weekly podcasts and radio shows. We endeavor to stay timely and meet you wherever you are, which means we will make sure you’re both entertained and informed.

EDITORIAL Because our staff of 40 reporters, designers, photographers, editors and media sales reps works so hard and is so committed to excellence, we’re surprised when the college fails to adequately acknowledge the publication while touting all the college has to offer to high school applicants. We are happy to have some of our awards noted in the college’s recent “2017 Year in Review” booklet but frankly, the paragraph was a little late.

At The Chronicle, we know we are not the only student resource that deserves wider recognition of what we can provide to incoming Columbia students. The English and Creative Writing Department’s literary magazine Hair Trigger as well as the college radio station WCRX are interdisciplinary projects that have been pushed to the sidelines of what the college decides to celebrate and highlight.

This is the last issue of The Chronicle for the 2017–2018 academic year, but in the future, we hope to see the campus media outlets be appreciated for what they contribute to the campus community.

Maybe then it would be harder to view us as disposable.

Editorial Board Members Zoë Eitel Editor-in-Chief Brooke Pawling Stennett Digital Managing Editor Tyra Bosnic Opinions Editor Molly Walsh Campus Reporter Blaise Mesa Metro Reporter Savannah Eadens Metro Reporter

32 THE CHRONICLE MAY 7, 2018

Kendrah Villiesse Online Content Producer Jay Berghuis Copy Editor Mayan Darbyshire Arts & Culture Reporter Zack Jackson Graphic Designer Hawk Thottupuram Multimedia Reporter Erin Dickson Staff Photographer

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

Life is about second chances » TYRA BOSNIC OPINIONS EDITOR

A

year ago, I never thought I would be working at The Columbia Chronicle—again.

In fall 2016, I worked as an Arts & Culture reporter before life got in the way and I had to give my two-week notice. I remember feeling guilty about having to leave behind the two people I started out with on that desk, Jonathon Sadowski and Brooke Pawling Stennett.

Now, I’m about to venture into a new world.

In the short time I worked with them, I realized how much we had in common, and I felt as if I was throwing away an opportunity to make the college my home, but other circumstances left me with no option except to leave.

But when you’re supposed to be somewhere, funny things happen to make it possible. On Aug. 21, 2017, I was meeting a friend on campus to watch the solar eclipse, but nothing was going right that day. Somehow, I ended up getting off the train an hour earlier than I was supposed to and my phone died unexpectedly.

I took refuge on the second floor of 33 E. Congress Parkway to escape the heat and charge my phone, fuming over how bad my day had been.

Never miss an update.

The Columbia Chronicle

@CCChronicle

Subscribe to our newsletter at ColumbiaChronicle.com

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.

tbosnic@columbiachronicle.com

GRADUATION COMMENTARY

The eclipse was nearing when General Manager Chris Richert saw me and said, “Tell me you didn’t just hear us talking about you.”

He told me he was just about to contact me to ask me if I would come back to The Chronicle as the Opinions editor. But in a twist of fate, there I was in front of him.

I didn’t have much time to think about my answer. In fact, I don’t think I ever officially said “yes” to the position. Instead, I followed Chris into that newsroom I thought I had left permanently months before, at a loss at what I was supposed to say.

As I walked into the office, Jonathon, Brooke, Connor Carynski and Jackie Murray’s familiar faces greeted me, just as shocked to see me in the office as I was.

Seeing their faces, it seemed like everything that day—the odd inconveniences, the momentous eclipse—was part of a bigger plan. I never had to tell Chris “yes” because it felt as if the universe had made the decision for me, and all I had to do was appreciate it.

The last year has been stressful, exhausting, amazing and unforgettable.

Now, I’m about to venture into a new world.

For the entirety of my last year at Columbia, the future has become incredibly frightening and unfamiliar.

But when I was overwhelmed by what was ahead, I was always able to turn to The Chronicle for comfort. It’s almost impossible to name everyone who helped me get over my fears of the future.

To Stephanie Goldberg, one of our advisers, thank you for seeing something in me and encouraging me to apply for the position. If it weren’t for you, I may have never found my way back to this newsroom.

To Len Strazewski, our other adviser, thank you for reminding me to take a break when stress got the better of me.

To Zoë Eitel, you have been more than just the editor-in-chief. You always made time to answer my questions, endearingly poke fun at me and made me feel like I was home again.

To Brooke and Jonathon, I wouldn’t have made it to where I am without your help—and humor. We may be in different newsrooms, states and stages of our lives in the coming years, but I will always be there for you.

To Chris Richert, thank you for never giving me the option to say “no” to coming back.

And to whatever cosmic force dropped me into this newsroom that fateful day, thank you for the second chance. The future is daunting and mysterious right now, but I’d like to think you have another plan in store for me already.

MAY 7, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 33

opinions

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34 THE CHRONICLE MAY 7, 2018

opinions

C

hanging careers is never easy, especially when it’s a 180-degree turn.

For those of you who don’t know me, I’ve had quite a few different jobs: line cook, server, barback, cashier and various construction jobs. But the outlier on the list is my experience as a professional Muay Thai boxer.

I went to college for a couple of years after graduating high school in the southwest suburbs of Chicago and tried the financially

‘Damn The Torpedoes,’ I guess » KEVIN TIONGSON SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR

I

may be leaving the Chronicle, but The Chronicle will never leave me.

I don’t often think about the present or the recent past, but I have found myself doing that more and more. Like my fellow “goodbye column” writers, I am in a scary transition. There is no instruction manual or AP Stylebook to look up how we should

The Chronicle received several Letters to the Editor.

The group now has a new designated space in the 33 E. Congress Parkway Building, next door to The Chronicle, and is working hard to again be recognized as an official student organization.

That story meant a lot to me. Afterward, I talked to several student veterans who were thrilled they had a new designated space just for them. After more than a year and a half of reporting, I finally made an impact, and I walk past it every day when I come to work.

That’s when I realized what The Chronicle does. It molds its employees into professionals. It made the career transition far easier than if I had not joined the publication or enrolled at a different college.

It’s thanks to the reporting I did here that I got a full-time job as a government and politics reporter, which starts a week after graduation.

After two years at The Chronicle, I feel confident, prepared and ready to enter this new chapter in my life.

feel or what we should be doing. But in the words of my hero Tom Petty, “That’s the way it goes, it’ll all work out.” And I genuinely do believe that. We will be fine, guys—right?

When I transferred to Columbia in fall 2016, I sent an email to General Manager Chris Richert about possibly working at The Chronicle as a photographer even though there were no open spots. I met with him a few times in the first weeks, he looked at my work and told me that I could be on the freelancer list. Nothing really came of it, but that was my in. Later in the semester, I got an email from the then-Editor-In-Chief Megan Bennett about an open position in the spring of 2017. Fast forward to the next semester, I was in, and I’m thankful for Chris putting up with me waiting by the front door to talk to him the semester before.

My experience at the Chronicle was life-changing. I worked in the field I was

studying and got the experience of truly working as a team, but most importantly, I met a lot of great people that I will never forget. I’ve met some of my best friends at The Chronicle.

The Chronicle was the place for me to grow, make mistakes and learn from most of them—there’s still some I’m working on.

This place was my education. Sure, I’ve taken all the required journalism and photo classes, but nothing prepares you for the real world like the real world. The value of this place is undeniable. So many of those who have walked through the French front doors on the second floor of 33 E. Congress Parkway have done incredible things. It’s hard for me to believe that the skilled people I’ve worked side-by-side with over my year and a half at this place aren’t going to do the same and get a shout-out in some future “goodbye column.”

My time at The Chronicle will always be an integral part of my life. It may not have been as long as my fellow column writers, but it’s still a significant time for me. Being a photojournalist in the city of Chicago is a rare experience. You see the same people all the time and it’s a small but tight knit community where everyone looks out for each other.

Lastly, I do want to give thanks to my co-conspirator and accomplice Mackenzie Crosson. Thanks for being crazy enough to even consider spending 24 hours in a diner with me. I still remember your reaction when that same catchy phrase came out of me. It’s undeniably my life’s best work so far, and it wouldn’t have been possible without you. Thanks for pushing me further than what I thought my capabilities were, for not letting me give up and for being one of the best friends I will ever have. We may be at each other’s throats sometimes, but I couldn’t have asked for a better collaborator and friend.

Endings and goodbyes are always hard for me and that’s why every mention of the “goodbye column” in this piece was in quotation marks. True goodbyes are few and far between but a “peace out” is more my speed.

There is no instruction manual or AP Stylebook to look up how we should feel or what we should be doing.

ebradach@columbiachronicle.com

» ERIC BRADACH MANAGING EDITOR

Enter The Chronicle.

This newspaper was the determining factor in choosing Columbia, and I’ve spent most of my two years at the college in the southeast corner of the second floor of 33 E. Congress Parkway.

My tenure at The Chronicle began as a Metro reporter in fall 2016. I had two published stories before I even walked into my first class at Columbia, which could be a strong achievement on its own.

But the accomplishments that truly make me proud are whenever my stories create visible change.

During J-term 2018, I learned the college’s Student Veterans Society lost its recognition as a student organization and its designated space in the 600 S. Michigan Ave. Building. As a result, the organization was absorbed into the Student Diversity and Inclusion Office in the 618 S. Michigan Ave. Building during summer 2017.

I gathered the facts, interviewed numerous student veterans and college administrators and, after the story was published,

That’s when I realized what The Chronicle does. It molds its employees into professionals.

ktiongson@columbiachronicle.com

The Chronicle produces professionals

smart route by going to a local community college. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough, and due to financial problems, I put my education on hold.

Fortunately, I found another passion during that time: Muay Thai. I began training in the sport the summer after high school and started competing in amateur fights about a year and a half later. After I stopped college, I started to take it seriously as a career path.

That profession took me to compete across the country and, eventually, to the other side of the world.

I moved to Thailand in early 2012 and did nothing but train and compete in Muay Thai boxing. Every action and moment during that time in one way or another was designed to further my career. My diet, sleeping schedule and time with friends all revolved around the sport.

But after 20 amateur and 53 professional fights, three years living abroad and visiting a dozen countries, I still felt ashamed about never finishing my education. My hunger for competition is still there, but I knew it was time to finish what I started.

I returned home and enrolled in a journalism class at the local community college and immediately knew this was the career for me. So when I researched Chicago-area journalism schools to finish my degree, I knew it had to offer more than just a strong academic program.

MAY 7, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 35

opinions

Seasons and people are meant to come and go » BROOKE PAWLING STENNETT DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR

A

few weeks ago, as I sat on the porch of my apartment, I contemplated the people I had lost during my short three years at Columbia. It wasn’t as though they had

She gently told me that people are like seasons.

She gently told me that people are like seasons. Certain people come in and out of our lives, and it’s OK to mourn them and the people we were when we had them. We mourn every time our lives move into a new season because we’ve become different people.

As my graduation date looms, I am in mourning: For the me who was brave enough to move to Chicago with no family or friends, for a major I didn’t

YOUR CAMPUS. YOUR VISION. .

YOUR FESTIVAL

36 THE CHRONICLE MAY 7, 2018

even know I could be good at, and for the friends who have helped me along the way that I loved until the bitter end.

While I will mourn these seasonal changes for a time to come, I must thank those who have remained or became a steady constant as I weathered through those shifts in time.

Zoë Haworth and Lauren Carlton, your friendship is something I want to hold onto always, in every capacity, in every state of being. Chris Richert, I hope to be as selfless, kind and loving as you are every day. You have become

a dear mentor, manager and friend that I will remember as long as I live.

To the advisers, Len Strazewski, Stephanie Goldberg, thank you for the donuts, the jokes and the lessons that will be hard to forget. Zoë Eitel, thank you for your couch those years ago and your friendship along the way. To the rest of management, I am honored to have been on the same team as you in this moment of our lives.

To Jonathon Sadowski and Tyra Bosnic, we started together in The Chronicle two years ago and I will always be a resource of guidance or comfort whenever you need it. Jackie Murray and Kendrah Villiesse, you’re both incredible women who have found their passion and lived it fully, and for that inspiration, I thank you.

To my grandma for passing on your tender heart, I cherish it everyday. To my grandpa, who taught me to always finish a project with the utmost care, I will treasure you both until my light goes out.

To my sister, you are worth more than you think you are. Don’t ever distance yourself from the light that draws people to you.

And lastly, to my parents, who have weathered the storm that is me. You have given me more love, support and sacrifices than are deserved. I can only hope to emulate the strength, stubbornness and selflessness you possess as I brace myself for the future I am so terrified of.

It’s true: I am terrified. I do not want to mourn for the rest of my life. I do not want to lose the me that is right here, in this moment, facing a new beginning head-on. But if there is anything that can comfort me, it is that the people in my life today taught me to love myself even after the season ends. bpawlingsstennett@columbiachronicle.com

GRADUATION COMMENTARY

perished but rather had disappeared from my life in some way or another: petty drama, life became too busy or we outgrew each other. But I still mourned.

Earlier that night on the train platform, a woman who was probably in her late 20s complimented my shoes. I usually shy away from talking to strangers, but there was something about her that was soothing, almost sisterly. We kept talking as we boarded the train, and as the stops went by, I opened up to her and told her about the people I had lost and the grief that came with it.

opinions

W

hen you are as unmotivated as I am, anything that happens feels like God’s blessing.

I joined The Chronicle team as a second-semester senior. At that point, almost three years into college, I had betrayed my school’s narrative and paid for it. I did not network. I did not take opportunities.

I did not write at my own behest. Instead, I slept, and because of that, I became somnolent. My body was a bag that I held at arm’s length. Thinking was tough, and

We create stories, but ours are still being told » MACKENZIE CROSSON SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR

B

eing from Michigan, I visited Chicago often during summer vacations growing up. I was amazed by the massive flow of people crowding the sidewalks, breathtaking lakefront and the idea that endless opportunity weaved between buildings and stretched into the sky. During my junior year of high school, I visited this

character, get better body sliders. So to be in this office, where I can find friendship and feel normal is what it must feel like to be on steady ground.

I am so proud of my colleagues. I see the work they do and their hussle that’s hard as marble. I see a talent that is sure to infect the world, and I see a kindness, palpable as the sting from the static in the god-forsaken carpet. But it’s not just my pride for them that makes this place worth the travel, the plate spinning and all the Red Bull chugging; it’s that the Chronicle has made me, for once in my life, feel proud of myself.

So as I leave this meme-spattered moment in my life, I can’t help but be thankful. To Chris Richert, Stephanie Goldberg, Len Strazewski, Zoë Eitel, Blaise Mesa and everyone else in the office, I say farewell. Thank you for being my jacket.

city I had grown to adore during Memorial Day weekend with my older brother.

Walking through the fresh summer streets, I thought out loud: “What if I went to college here?” He replied, “Why don’t you?”

Five years later, my vision of Chicago is entirely different. The crowds of people

an immensely special place in my heart.

After four years in Chicago, it only took me two semesters to find a home behind The Chronicle’s front doors.

The first time I applied in summer 2016, I got rejected. I had admired The Chronicle since my first visit to Columbia,

Despite our bickering and excessive eye rolls, you’ve kept me grounded when life felt all but inspiring.

Chris Richert, I have never met a more selfless, inspiring and thoughtful human being. Thank you for your endless supply of love and support, your calming words when the future felt scary and for allowing this place to hold so much meaning for everyone who passes through its doors.

Heartbreak, I’ve learned, comes in many forms. It comes with the exhausting practice of trusting that the universe has a larger plan for me, even when the future is flooded with uncertainty; with the thought of leaving the city that has shaped me into the person I now am; and with the idea that, in the near future, my daily experiences with the dear friends I’ve made will only be alive as memories.

Life as I know it is ending May 12, and this is exciting, hopeful and terrifying at the same time. Though I don’t know how long I’ll remain in Chicago or what city I might find myself in, I take comfort in that there are so many stories left to tell, including my own. The Chronicle has been a place I’ve loved to hate, sometimes hated to love, and certainly hate to leave, but one thing is for sure: There is a heart string that will keep me tied to the second floor of 33 E. Congress Parkway.

Though I don’t know how long I’ll remain in Chicago or what city I might find myself in next, I take comfort in the fact that there are so many stories in this world left to tell, including my own. still inspire a great energy within me, Lake Michigan has become my source of blissful solitude and the scope of opportunity still beats my small Midwestern town—but now, I’ve built a home that 16-year-old me had only dreamed of.

“You’ll find a home here” is always something you hear from employees at The Chronicle, whether you’re visiting during open house or sitting in your first training session. At first, it might sound cheesy, but the people who told me this were right—and now they hold

and the fact that I was possibly not a good fit for my renowned campus newsroom was a devastating thought. Maybe I just wasn’t ready or maybe it wasn’t the right time, but I like to believe the universe was saving my experience for this special year.

Kevin Tiongson, you have become my partner-in-crime and greatest collaborator. Thank you for being dedicated—and crazy—enough to spend 24 consecutive hours in a diner with me to create a story that I will forever recognize as a pivotal point in my growth and development.

mdarbyshire@columbiachronicle.com

» MAYAN DARBYSHIRE ARTS & CULTURE REPORTER

for the rest of the service. Being lazy, I take comfort in the idea of faith, and of God’s plan, but I know better. Every day spent in this office has been special, slightly harrowing, but also calming. I feel comfortable here, and that comfort is a special gift.

To be honest, I haven’t left my home in just a T-shirt in four years. I’m that strange dude, still rocking hoodies in the summer heat; I’m the one with forehead sweat and canned lines like “I’m fine” when asked if I’m hot. I’m always hot, but the truly painful image of my own body, to me, is worse than heat stroke. It’s worse than death, and I know that. I’ve contemplated that alternative.

If I even walk down the street in just a hoodie nowadays, it spins in my head like a top, over and over, this ticker tape telling me to go home, give up: “It’s not your day, Mr. Darbyshire. Try again.” Make a new

It’s not just my pride for them that makes this place worth the travel and all the plate spinning; It’s the fact that for once in my entire life, I can feel proud of myself.

mcrosson@columbiachronicle.com

I need a jacket

the pressure of my ambitions, my mother’s and my grandmother’s became lodged into my sternum.

When General Manager Chris Richert first interviewed me, he said, “Man, I can’t believe we just found you.” I smiled because I knew why it had taken until then to find me, and I was shocked to recieve a second interview.

My follow-up interview was conducted on the toilet. I was coming off a fever that left me bedridden for a week. I would hallucinate for hours and sweat through my clothes. When the time came to call Chris and members of the Management Team, my bowels had failed me. I remember opening the bathroom door to the rest of my apartment and leaning out as best I could, to try and counteract the echos. I still don’t know if they could tell.

Being at The Chronicle for only a semester is a sad piece of circumstance. I regret not coming here earlier, but I also reject that feeling. Much as my world didn’t exist before April 21, 1997, the world of possibilities didn’t either.

I’m not a man of faith. I was baptized Catholic, but looking back, the only thing truly holy about that day was the itching sensation when I forgot to bring a second pair of underwear and had to do without

MAY 7, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 37

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The doors of suite 224 » ZOË HAWORTH CREATIVE DIRECTOR

W

hen I graduated high school, I was excited about what the future held. I was about to attend Columbia to study graphic design and had high hopes for the experience.

Now four years later, here I am, graduating college and at a crossroads. I’m eager to

know if I would have stayed at Columbia if it weren't for the family this office provided. After three years and six different staffs, so many people have made my time here the adventure that it was.

The graphics team has changed every semester, but I have always been in awe of the talent and dedication that walks through that door. Colin, Alex, Sarah, Mitch, Gabe, James, Patrick, Amelia, Sammy, Jocelyn and Zack, not all of you will read this, but I am so thankful for being able to call you coworkers. I

I don't know if I would have stayed at Columbia if it weren't for the family this office provided.

The day I accepted the position as graphic designer, I wrote in my journal that “my life changed forever.” Granted, I was being a melodramatic 19-year-old who couldn’t believe I was giving up my Friday nights, but it was true. My life changed forever. I am a completely different person than the one who first walked through the glass doors of suite 224.

The Chronicle has provided me with countless opportunities and introduced me to some of my best friends—friends I otherwise would not have met. I don’t

wouldn’t be the designer I am today without the lessons you imparted.

Then there’s the reporters, media sales reps, copy editors, multimedia reporters and photographers. This publication would have never happened without their dedication. It isn’t possible to thank them enough for everything they do. It’s a lot of time and effort that seems unnoticed at times, but when the paper hits the stands every Monday, I hope they realize the impact their work has had.

This year was special because I got

to be a part of the Management Team, and what a team it is. Their talent and passion for our job never ceases to amaze me. I can count on them, no matter the problem because I know we’ll figure it out together. It should also be understood that The Chronicle wouldn’t be what it is without General Manager Chris Richert’s undying support. Our team wouldn’t be half as strong without his and the advisers’ guidance.

At the end of my time here at Columbia, I’ve come to the realization that it isn’t really about the education. You can’t just go to class and expect to learn all you need to get a job or feel emotionally fulfilled. Going out, meeting people and finding extra projects to work on is where you are going to get that experience and sense of accomplishment.

The Chronicle has provided me that and so much more. It’s why I’m ready to leave. It’s prepared me for what’s out there in the real world. But it’s also why I am so scared. How do I say goodbye to the people who have helped make me who I am today? We’ve spent so much time together it doesn’t seem possible to walk out those doors. At the end of the day, though, I know The Chronicle is and always will be a family for me, and for that, I am forever grateful.

zhaworth@columbiachronicle.com

GRADUATION COMMENTARY

start the next chapter of my life because I feel ready for what’s ahead, yet I am unable to ignore the fear in the pit of my stomach as I realize this is all coming to an end.

I loved my freshman year here. I met some of my best friends and made great memories. But with only school and work at Urban Outfitters to fill my schedule, there was a piece missing. While the classes I took were interesting, I felt that I needed to be a part of more.

That piece came to my life sophomore year at The Columbia Chronicle.

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Chicago makes changes to the 311 system » Page 46 Jose S. Landaverde, activist and priest at Our Lady of Guadalupe church in Little Village lead the march past the Thompson Center.

and persist” to make an impact for immigrant workers’ rights.

Although Ortiz is Puerto Rican and a legal citizen, she said she and all immigrant communities have to struggle with racial profiling and wage discrimination.

While Pritzker says there is fear in the Latino immigrant community, others says that fear is diminishing.

“A lot of [immigrants] are getting more conscious, learning about their rights,” Ortiz said. “A lot of them are not scared anymore.”

One in seven Illinois residents and more than 20 percent of all business owners in the Chicago metropolitan area are immigrants, according to the American Immigration Council. Along with the state’s Trust Act, Mayor Rahm Emanuel has initiated Chicago’s Welcoming City Ordinance and a Municipal ID card, called CityKey, to assist immigrants in the last year.

Martin Unzueta, director of the Chicago Community and Workers Rights who joined the May Day rally, said the work within his J.B. Pritzker, who told The Chronicle he of immigrants.” organization has changed since the beginattended in solidarity as a “longtime advoHowever, Rauner has signed legislation ning of the Trump administration. In the cate for immigrant rights and standing up against the president’s policies. Rauner last year, Unzueta said he has been holding for our labor unions.” signed the Trust Act into law Aug. 28, 2017, workshops to help inform the immigrant Pritzker’s campaign has criticized which prohibits state law enforcement to community about their rights.

President Donald Trump’s immigration stop, arrest, search, detain or continue to “My feeling is that Illinois, in particular policies, including a Muslim-majority, detain a person based solely on their immi- Chicago, is more protective about immicountry-specific travel ban, attempts to end gration status, as reported Sept. 11, 2017, by grants and undocumented immigrants the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals The Chronicle. than other cities in the United States,” program, deportation increases and proposBut Pritzker said the Trust Act needs to Unzueta said, referring to the Trust Act and als to sharply reduce the number of people be more strictly enforced and expanded.

Chicago’s Welcoming City ordinance. allowed to immigrate to the U.S. “There is a great deal of fear in the Latino While the programs could improve, Pritzker has also criticized Gov. Bruce community. Many families [are] in hiding the community is worried about recent Rauner for being complacent with the or fearful of their family members being reports that Chicago’s gang database Trump administration. deported,” Pritzker said. “We have to make has wrongly included undocumented “[Rauner] wants to take away the rights of sure that in Illinois we stand up for them, immigrants, putting them at risk of working people to organize,” Pritzker said push back on the federal government and deportation, Unzueta said. of current Illinois labor policy. “[Rauner] stand up for immigrant rights.”

“We are going to continue fighting stands against labor unions and stands with Rayza Ortiz, a volunteer with Mujeres because every day [the administration] Donald Trump by virtue of his silence in the Latinas en Acción, said the organization has a new idea about how to punish the face of Trump’s desire to take away rights came to the May Day protest to “resist, insist community,” Unzueta said.

» SAVANNAH EADENS METRO REPORTER

LABOR UNIONS AND immigration rights’ activists once again took to Chicago’s streets on International Worker’s Day to voice their struggles, demonstrate their strengths and demand change in immigrants and labor policies.

The May 1 rally began with a march organized by the HANA Center and Chicago Jobs with Justice. Several hundred people marched in solidarity from Haymarket Monument, 175 N. Desplaines St., to the Immigrant and Customs Enforcement office at Congress Parkway and Clark Street. Last year, the “Rally for Immigration Justice” attracted an estimated 20,000 people who marched throughout downtown May 1, 2017.

Among the marchers was Illinois Democratic gubernatorial candidate

seadens@columbiachronicle.com

Immigrant workers protest on May Day, insist policy change

» PHOTOS KEVIN TIONGSON/CHRONICLE

Multiple groups and organizations participated in the May Day Rally May 1 and mached from 175 N. Desplaines St,. to the Immigrant and Customs Enforcement office at Congress Parkway and Clark Street.

Organizing Director of HANA Center, Nayoung Ha, lead a prayer in English and Korean for a crowd of protesters on LaSalle Street and Congress Parkway.

MAY 7, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 41

and Taylor Gabriel, in Bears off-season plays may Robinson addition to tight end Burton, can a powerful passing game bring them out of hibernation allandbuild offense, especially Robinson Players such as wide receivers

» BLAISE MESA METRO REPORTER

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42 THE CHRONICLE MAY 7, 2018

who is coming off an injury, Perez said. If Robinson can be as productive as he was before his injury, he may be one of the top receivers in the league, he added.

Despite Chicago’s productive moves made to fix the offense, Perez said there are still holes in its defense. Edge rushers Leonard Floyd and Aaron Lynch are talented but have injury problems, Perez said, and the team may not have suitable replacements.

While Perez and Schwamb acknowledged the Bears are anything but perfect, the team addressed a good number of their problems that plagued the Bears last season.

“You can’t fill all your holes the Bears had with just one draft, Schwamb said. “This is going to take a little more time, but this team has improved. They’ve improved their depth with the late round draft picks, and they

with head coach John Fox and offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains at the end of the 2017 season, which Val Nevzadi, 24, a lifelong Bears fan from the South Loop, called a breath of fresh air.

» FILE PHOTO

THE CHICAGO BEARS closed the 2018 draft on a high note and are looking to put it all together for a successful season.

Last season, the Bears finished last in the NFC North with only five wins. The team struggled with glaring needs in both offense and defense—displaying weak pass catching and ineffective pass rushing. Although quarterback Mitch Trubisky set the Bears’ rookie passing record, the team’s passing attack ranked last in the league in yards gained and tied for last in passing touchdowns, according to ESPN. The Bears looked to fix some of their problems during the offseason through the draft and free agency. The team signed coveted free agents such as wide receiver

Allen Robinson and tight end Trey Burton. Meanwhile, the team picked up top prospects in this year’s NFL Draft such as linebacker Roquan Smith and center James Daniels.

“The Bears had the best offseason by far out of every team in the NFL,” said Doug Schwamb, sports reporter for Sports Mockery—a sports news website—and Bears fan since 2006.

Most of the Bears major offseason acquisitions involved offensive players, which Schwamb said can help Trubisky play better in his second year as he benefits from their talents.

“In order to ensure Mitchell Trubisky is successful, [Bears general manager Ryan Pace] had to be aggressive and add offensive weapons,” said Bryan Perez, managing editor for Bears Wire—a website that covers the Bears.

got three starter-caliber [players] in the first round.”

Along with moves to bolster the roster, the Bears made changes to their coaching staff.

After a disappointing tenure in Chicago, the team parted ways

SEE BEARS, PAGE 47

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The Bears signed free agents Allen Robinson and Trey Burton in the off-season to revamp their passing game, which ranked last in yards gained last season.

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MAY 7, 2018 THE CHRONICLE 43

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Record female candidacies could make 2018

» ZACHARY KELTNER/CHRONICLE

‘Year of the Woman’

THE 2018 MIDTERM elections have been dubbed as the “Year of the Woman,” ref lecting the surge of women running for public offices nationwide. Nearly 60 percent more women declared their intention to run for the U.S. House and Senate this year compared to the 2016 election.

To interpret this political shift, the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics hosted a May 2 panel with experts titled “Pink Wave: Surge of Female Candidates in 2018,” moderated

by Amy Walter, national editor of the Cook Political Report.

Panelists included Kelly Ayotte, a former U.S. senator, R-New Hampshire; Jennifer Lawless, director of the Women & Politics Institute at American University’s

School of Public Affairs; and Lauren Underwood, who is the Democratic candidate for Illinois 14th congressional district.

Although women do not necessarily vote differently than their male counterparts within their own political parties, women put a higher value in congressional “school spirit” or collegiality than men, Lawless said.

“It turns out that whether you have a ‘D’ or an ‘R’ in front of your name is way more predictive of how you are going to legislate than the presence of Y chromosome in your DNA,” Lawless said.

Women are more likely to participate in the congressional softball game or secret Santa exchange, for example, she added.

“It doesn’t mean those relationships will translate into bipartisan cooperation on bills, but maybe Congress would be even

44 THE CHRONICLE MAY 7, 2018

more dysfunctional if we didn’t have women to keep things running in a civil way,” Lawless said.

Women currently make up only about a fifth of Congress, despite constituting half of the nation’s population. Six states have a woman serving as governor this year and 22 states have never had a female chief executive.

Just three of the 18 Illinois representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives are women. One of the two current Illinois state senators is Tammy Duckworth, who is one of only two women to have ever been elected to the U.S. Senate from Illinois.

Female candidates are judged in ways that men are not. While running for U.S. Senate, Ayotte said she was criticized for being a mother with young children.

“Do you ever hear a discussion over what kind of tie our male

Lauren Underwood, a congressional candidate for Illinois’ 14th district spoke with women May 2 following the University of Chicago’s “Pink Wave: Surge of Female Candidates in 2018” event.

candidates are wearing?” she asked. “But we often judge a woman’s looks or what she’s wearing.”

Hadiya Afzal, an 18-year-old candidate running for a DuPage

County Board position, asked the experts how to maintain strength as a female candidate without feeling “imposter syndrome” in the role.

SEE WOMEN, PAGE 47

» SAVANNAH EADENS METRO REPORTER

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CHICAGO’S 311 SERVICE request system will soon be revamped to provide residents with more options to report complaints and communicate with the city.

Chicagoans will be able to take pictures of problems, tweet or use 311’s mobile app to report needs for service they find around the city. After making a complaint, residents will be able to track its progress within the system and provide feedback on the process, according to an April 25 video posted on the Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s YouTube page.

Danielle DeMerer, CIO and commissioner of the Chicago Department of Innovation and Technology did not respond to request for comment on the project’s release as of press time.

“We are excited about the new system,” DeMerer said in the video announcement. “It’s going to be a system built with Chicagoans for Chicagoans. We are going to create a more efficient and effective » PHOTO ILLUSTRATION MACKENZIE CROSSON/CHRONICLE

» BLAISE MESA METRO REPORTER

system that’s transparent.”

The new system could be successful because it takes advantage of cell phone technology and a picture of a problem is more useful than a simple description, said Dick Simpson, a political science professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and former 44th Ward alderman.

This system also provides greater accountability because

Chicago is revamping its 311 system to provide for visual ways to report complaints. Residents will be able to rate their satisfaction level with the timeliness and quality of the repairs.

it tracks service satisfaction, Simpson said.

“When citizens complain about a problem, there wouldn’t be any way of knowing whether [it] was taken care of in a timely manner, except departmental reports,” he said. Simpson also noted that departmental reports can be and have been falsified before.

Dana Aviles, a senior theatre major who has filed multiple complaints with 311, is in favor of the 311 updates because she said the improvements could have helped her in past situations.

Aviles and her mother have called 311 after garbage in her neighborhood was not picked up and a light was out in her alleyway earlier this year. Despite following up with 311 multiple times, the city services took about three months to fix the light and two weeks for the garbage to be taken, she said.

These situations could have led to bigger problems, and it is upsetting the city did not provide a faster solution, Aviles said.

While Aviles said she thinks the new system will provide faster

services, Simpson noted that even though it may use technological advancements, it still relies on city departments to make the repairs, which may be ineffective.

“There are thousands of potholes that need be fixed in the city,” he said. “Whether you call in an address or send them a photograph, the issue is the pothole has to be repaired.”

Evelyn Washington, chairwoman for the Senior Advisory Board for the City of Chicago, does not have a Twitter account and said not everyone may be able to use the new features. She said the city should provide classes to teach residents how to use the new services, similar to teaching computer classes.

The new system might go operational without the need to hire new employees, but the re-training of employees is the real issue, Simpson said.

“It’s potentially a good system but only if all the other parts are working,” Simpson said. “The more methods you have the better.”

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Chicago calls for 311 system update

metro Afzal said there are currently no people of color on the DuPage County Board, despite the district’s large immigrant and refugee populations.

“Women are more likely to bring light to issues that affect women and families,” Afzal said after the event. “At the local level,

but when I looked in the mirror, I didn’t initially see a U.S. senator,” Ayotte said.

But when women are recruited to run for office, they are receptive, just as likely as men to raise campaign money and also to win their races, Lawless said.

There is no perfect time to run for an office, but Walter noted that the Trump administration’s

(From left) Amy Walter moderated a discussion with panelists Kelly Ayotte, Jennifer Lawless and Lauren Underwood at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics to speak about the “Pink Wave” —a historic rise of women running for offices.

policies convinced Underwood to run despite not having a political background. Underwood saw the effects of those policies firsthand, while working as a nurse in disaster relief during Flint, Michigan’s water crisis, she said.

“When the Trump team made it clear that they did not want to remain in Flint [or] continue progress we had made on the ACA, I knew I couldn’t stay in government and help them take away coverage,” Underwood said.

While it seems like the trend of more women in politics is on the upswing, Lawless said she worries the “Year of the Woman” puts too much pressure on women to fix the political system.

“If we think we expect women to come to Washington and clean up a mess and pass legislation and heighten productivity—in a political institution whose rules and norms make it difficult for people to do that—we might be holding women to a standard that our institution could never allow them to meet,” Lawless said. seadens@columbiachronicle.com

To revamp its coaching staff the team signed former Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive coordinator Matt Nagy to replace Fox and former University of Oregon’s head coach Mark Helfrich to replace Loggains.

“I haven’t felt this way in a while,” Nevzadi said. “[The Bears] have [had] some rough years, but now [they] are on the right path.”

Even with the transactions made, Perez said the Bears still face a barrage of talent in the NFC North, including quarterbacks such as the Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Rodgers, the Detroit Lions’ Matthew Stafford and the Minnesota Vikings’ Kirk Cousins.

However, Perez does not put a playoff run out of the realm of possibility.

“If [the Bears] finish 9-7, there is no reason to think they can’t get to 10-6,” he said. “In the NFC North, where everybody is beating up on the other teams, 10-6 could be enough to win the division or possibly be in the wildcard.”

these resources count. [Women of color have] family backgrounds [that] are different, and that reflects in the integrity they bring to [public policy changes].”

Women often feel underqualified to pursue elected office, Ayotte said, and need to be encouraged to run.

“My male colleagues look in the mirror and saw a U.S. senator,

» ZACHARY KELTNER/CHRONICLE

WOMEN, FROM PAGE 44

bmesa@columbiachronicle.com

BEARS, FROM PAGE 42

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