The Columbia Chronicle • 14th December 2022

Column: From intimidation to pride, I look back with immense gratitude and awe for this staff

I remember sitting in my high school newspaper class flipping through the Chronicle’s website as a senior getting ready for my Columbia experience as a journalism major.

“Fat Tuesday: glazed with heritage,” was the first article I came across and was instantly intrigued by the Chronicle’s coverage not only on campus, but on the culture and people in Chicago.

From then on, I knew working for the Chronicle would be a goal of mine, though I had no idea how I would acquire a position on its staff.

The Columbia Chronicle • 2nd December 2022

Bleached eyebrows and baby tees: Columbia students circle back to fashion trends of the past

Whether rocking a flared jean silhouette from the ’70s or flaunting a puffer coat from the early 2000s, Columbia students have taken to a range of styles and trends worn in past eras of fashion.

Lauren Peters, an assistant professor in the Fashion Department, said this phenomenon is due to the “20 year trend cycle,” as trends from the past present themselves as familiar, yet fresh.

“It really is just the nature of trend cycles,” Peters said. “There’s a lot of talk now about micro-trends, espec

The Columbia Chronicle • 12th October 2022

Cannabis industry panelists share misconceptions and insights on the profession

Arianne Richards, a certified professional interpener — also known as a cannabis sommelier — has wondered if her children have ever been asked what she does for a living.

“In our home, I don’t hide my use; I don’t hide that I grow,” Richards said. “Because at the end of the day, this is an industry that [my children] can go into one day, and it’s a billion dollar industry. And why am I going to shield them from something that, one, first is medicine, and that’s how I teach it to them, like this

The Columbia Chronicle • 22nd September 2022

Columbia makes honor roll as one of America’s Best Colleges for Student Voting

Columbia has made its way onto a nationally recognized list of best colleges in the country for student voting; this recognition of voter turnout is due to the work of Columbia Votes, a campus initiative to increase student voter participation.

Columbia Votes received its latest acknowledgement for its work in August from Washington Monthly, which included Columbia on its list of America’s Best Colleges for Student Voting. The magazine called the increase in student voting nationwide between 20

The Columbia Chronicle • 9th September 2022

‘Nobody comes to this college because they just want to fit in’: Columbia kicks off new year at Convocation

Bubbles, laughter and upbeat music filled the air at Columbia’s annual New Student Convocation ceremony that brought together students for a new school year and showcased the many student organizations available for new students to get involved in.

Alongside the student performers, student leaders and faculty who took the stage at the welcoming ceremony on the south side of Grant Park, President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim gave the new students advice as they took their first steps at Columbia.

“Nobo

The Columbia Chronicle • 5th August 2022

Editorial: Columbia’s lackluster active shooting resources leave students in harm’s way

Columbia prides itself on allowing the surrounding city to be its campus. With no seclusion from the rest of Chicago, the streets that make up our campus reflect the characteristics of life in one of the largest cities in the country.

While this can be something to celebrate, it also brings more challenges to the campus regarding the safety of students, faculty and staff.

The Chronicle editorial board discussed its impressions of Columbia’s preparedness after news of recent shootings in Chicag

The Columbia Chronicle • 4th August 2022

From Squishmallows to fundraising: Support for Highland Park community continues in creative ways

Northbrook native and frequent Highland Park visitor Kimberly Steres noticed children at the local counseling center were handed fidget toys and Squishmallows for comfort after the tragic July 4 shooting that killed seven people and wounded dozens of others.

Steres, who runs Kidtoure Designs, a personalized clothing business, saw their need for more support and donated four bags of the popular, soft plush toys Squishmallows and a bag of fidget toys to the children seeking counseling. She said h

The Columbia Chronicle • 14th July 2022

Long lines and exotic treats return to Grant Park for Taste of Chicago

The sweet smell of freshly-made churros and grilled hot dogs filled the air as live music blasted around Buckingham Fountain and Chicago foodies braved long lines for the return of Taste of Chicago in Grant Park.

“We’ve all been through a lot in the last two and a half years, so to be able to be back at what I’m good at feels really nice,” said Rebecca VanderKloot, owner of Doom Street Eats, which specializes in catering Chicago events and festivals.

Favored for their maple bacon donut grilled

The Columbia Chronicle • 1st July 2022

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to take a walk through Prince: The Immersive Experience

Walking into one of the interactive spaces at Prince: The Immersive Experience, guests are invited into a replica of Prince’s Purple Rain album cover with a black motorcycle sitting in front of a dimly lit building. Smoke fills the room where guests can sit atop the iconic motorcycle and rev the engine as if they were the award-winning artist, Prince.

“I hope [Prince: The Immersive Experience] celebrates who he was. That to me is the biggest thing, is celebrating Prince and all facets of who he

The Columbia Chronicle • 11th May 2022

For Women, By Women gives voice to ‘muted, overlooked’ female Columbia artists

During the opening remarks of the For Women, By Women art gallery, co-curator and senior photography major Corinne Pompéy held back tears as the gallery’s mission to uplift Columbia women artists had come to fruition.

“[The gallery] is just everything that I’ve ever pictured that it could possibly be,” Pompéy said. “Just that [we] were able to bring so many people together and to support one another and create such a safe space is exactly our goal, and to see it here is heartwarming.”

The open

The Columbia Chronicle • 4th May 2022

An Unspoken Affair: ‘Betrayal’ uses ASL to tell the story of a love affair

In the opening scene of the theatre production “Betrayal,” Emma and Jerry, the main characters, begin a conversation in American Sign Language.

Emma, who is Deaf, shares her concerns with Jerry about the affair they have been having. The actor playing her, Kayla Casiano — a first-year acting major — is also Deaf.

“My character Emma, [is] very smart and brilliant, [she is] very private … and poised about the affair,” Casiano said. “Also her character happens to be Deaf, just like me.”

“Betraya

The Columbia Chronicle • 28th April 2022

Sit back, relax and laugh: Columbia Laughs hosts Columbia’s first comedy festival

The sounds of an electric keyboard and the voice of senior comedy major Ron Hexagon reverberated throughout the third floor of the Student Center, as he performed original songs such as “Bananas” and “Constellation: Friendship.”

“I love music, and I love comedy, and usually they’re separate,” Hexagon said. “It’s really interesting and funny to me that I do music that is silly, entertaining [and] goofy.”

Hexagon, along with 11 other student performers in Columbia’s first annual Columbia Laughs

The Columbia Chronicle • 15th April 2022

Immersive Frida Kahlo celebrates the artist’s fight for female empowerment

As the tall, white curtains of the Immersive Frida Kahlo exhibit open, visitors hear the sounds of classically-composed music which draws them into a walk-through digital experience of paintings and self-portraits by Frida Kahlo.

“The show is very intense, but in a way that isn’t overwhelming,” said Jack Braithwaite, a junior photography major and shift lead, who supervises daily operations at the LightHouse ArtSpace Chicago. “I think the most impactful thing is just seeing how she represented

The Columbia Chronicle • 26th March 2022

Behind the curtain: Three women who shaped Columbia’s history

Deep in the roots of Columbia’s history, it was three women — Mary A. Blood, Ida Morey Riley and later Jane Alexandroff — whose leadership and work as founders and pioneers in their field shaped the college into what it is today.

Columbia started as the Columbia School of Oratory in 1890, founded by Blood and Riley, who were both instructors and graduates of Emerson College. The two women had a vision to teach public speaking, among other subjects, using principles they learned from their educa

The Columbia Chronicle • 24th March 2022

Border crossings and missile alerts: Volunteers create website with resources for Ukrainians fleeing the country

During a school day in rural Scotland, Benjamin McEwan said he was following the story on the crisis in Ukraine, and while at lunch he asked himself: “Is there anything I can do?”

After having a conversation with his friend James Kitching, he found a link in a Reddit thread Kitching created, which brought him to a Discord server for a tech initiative, TechForUkraine, and he shared it with his followers.

“After school, I went to check the server, and there were 200 people on it, so that was pre

The Columbia Chronicle • 22nd March 2022

Q&A: Dawn Turner shares the heartache, passion behind her latest book ‘Three Girls from Bronzeville’

In Dawn Turner’s latest book, “Three Girls from Bronzeville,” the reader is taken through the personal journey of Turner’s experience growing up with her sister Kim and friend Debra, and their shared experiences of facing “race, fate and sisterhood.”

Turner begins this story by describing her early childhood days playing in the summer sun in Bronzeville with Kim and Debra, then walks the reader through how life took the trio down three different routes. Turner also shares her experience growing

The Columbia Chronicle • 16th March 2022

Review: Lakeview’s 2D Restaurant provides an entertaining, illusionary eating experience

Walking down North Halsted Street, the 2D Restaurant screams its existence as it pops out from its darker-toned, brick-covered neighboring buildings. With a bright, white facade and hand-drawn “2D Restaurant” logo, the restaurant sits ready to show off its environmental artistry.

The 2D restaurant, 3155 N. Halsted St., opened Feb. 22 in Lakeview and welcomes customers to experience its hand-drawn and comic-like decor while ordering an item from its growing food and drink menu. While waiting for

The Columbia Chronicle • 7th March 2022

Laughing for a good cause: Comedy students pair with Visible Faces to help the homeless

A lineup of 12 comedic acts stood behind the curtain of Columbia’s Getz Theatre waiting for the spotlight to shine on them during a special event organized to help the homeless.

The stand-up comedy special, held Feb. 25 in partnership with the homeless care project Visible Faces, was promoted as the first mainstage stand-up event at the Getz Theatre Center, 72 E. 11th St.

While the show was free to attend, attendees were encouraged to bring donations for Visible Faces to hand out to the homele

Columbia Chronicle File Photo Feb. 25 2022

The Columbia Chronicle • 25th February 2022

Columbia mask requirement to continue for ‘foreseeable future’

Masks will continue to be a requirement in classrooms and inside campus buildings for the foreseeable future.

The announcement that Columbia will continue to enforce mask-wearing on campus was sent via collegewide email and also discussed during the Feb. 11 Faculty Senate meeting, after Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced the state’s mask mandate will be lifted Feb. 28.

An email from the Incident Assessment Task Force sent to students, faculty and staff on Feb. 10 said the decision was made

The Columbia Chronicle • 22nd February 2022

Student Athletics Association groups co-host clothing swap, providing sustainable and free clothing options for students

Piles of graphic tees, sweaters and an assortment of bottoms covered the tops of plastic picnic tables organized throughout the fifth floor auditorium in the Student Center. Students from all majors crowded around the tables looking at their options as they traded their own clothes for something fresh, all for free.

“We know that everybody at Columbia loves clothing and is really fashion-oriented,” said Sage Brahmstedt, president of the Renegades Outdoor Collective and a junior cinema and telev

The Columbia Chronicle • 9th February 2022

Signs you might be the rebound in a relationship

During a relationship that lasted through the summer of 2020, Spencer Washington, a creative writing graduate student, started seeing the red flags of their relationship with someone who had only been single for a few months.

“I knew I was a rebound when they kept bringing up their ex, and then when I tried to be affectionate with them, they would pull away,” Washington said. “I felt that if they liked me enough, they would want to be affectionate and talk about serious things, like, ‘Are we to

The Columbia Chronicle • 8th February 2022

‘I just feel left out’: Asexual-identifying students balance identity and misconceptions

When first-year film and television major Charlie Warren came out as asexual, they were in the car with their mom. “So you’re gay?” Warren’s mom responded.

“I had to explain to her I was still interested in guys, but I didn’t want to have sex with or wasn’t attracted to them,” Warren said. “She still didn’t really understand it.”

The term asexuality describes someone who has never had sexual attraction for others. Asexuality is closely related to aromanticism, which refers to someone who does

The Columbia Chronicle • 31st January 2022

Columbia student makes $300,000 selling NFTs using only an iPhone

The first NFT Elise Swopes, a senior arts management and graphic design major, took was from a helicopter flying over New York City. Using only her iPhone to shoot and edit the NFT, she made it look as if a waterfall was actively falling from the edge of the city. She sold this piece in February 2020 for 11 ETH, or the equivalent of $17,000 at the time.

NFTs, or nonfungible tokens, are digital representations of ownership or rights to original pieces of content or art. Swopes, still using only