Fall 2010 Oct. Issue Uptown Exchange

8
Theater get new upgrades page 7 by Ulysses Santillan Staff Writer PLANNED GYM UPGRADES ARE ON SCHEDULE Several phases of con- struction are in motion A room with gloomy and uncomfort- able lighting, crumbling walls and dirty floors with cracks doesn’t sound like the most appealing place to be in. Nor does a massive empty space, with automatic bleachers still half-way out, and the smell of a place that hasn’t been upgraded since the invention of the Air Condition. The old, run-down gym, situated on the west side of the main campus building, is one of the things placed on a list of upgrades needed at Truman College. The district office of the City Col- leges of Chicago (CCC), lead by chancellor Cheryl Hyman, supports upgrades of the physical facilities of all of the campuses, and the gym has been put on a list of upgrades and construction taking place at Truman for the next couple of years. “Truman is un- dergoing a 3 to 5 year phase of construc- tion,” Truman Col- lege President Lynn Walker said. These phases are set up to meet certain goals, and the gym is a part of those goals. The phases are in motion. The first phase is almost complete with the construc- tion of the Student Services Center and the parking garage, which leads to the second phase which will include a locker room reno- vation for the gym. The third phase will in- clude equipment upgrades in the weight room, installation of a new gym floor, as well as the addition of air conditioning to the gym. While upgrades to the gym may sound like good news, the majority of stu- dents have never even heard of it, as it has been closed for most students for years. The gym was mainly used for games and practice by the basketball and soccer teams, according to President Walker. John Ngugi, coach of the men’s soc- cer team, is delighted about the new upgrades. Even though they don’t play indoor games anymore, thus further reducing the use of the gym, the team is using the out of date weight equipment. An upgrade will be helpful and make the team feel more welcome, according to Mr. Ngugi. The students who know about the gym are looking forward to the upgrades. It would be awesome to have a gym that would be accessible for anyone, states Truman stu- dent and Latino’s United For Education (LUFE) club president Eduardo Ramirez. He never stepped foot in the gym before, but once its done he hopes to have access to a free gym. He also views the upgrades of the gym as a positive way to advertise Truman, and thinks the gym could be a great place to hold future club events. Photographs by Fatima Mohammed The Truman pool will be full of water and students again one day. TRIO GRANT RENEWED TRIO staff come and go with funds by James R. Kanter Arts & Entertainment Editor A request for another TRiO grant, made by Truman College TRiO pro- gram director Roberto Valadez, has been approved by the U.S Department of Ed- ucation, authorizing funding of the program at Truman through the end of the 2014 aca- demic year. Thou- sands of colleges across the country compete every five years for a limited number of Fed- eral TRiO grants, ear- marked for programs designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disad- vantaged backgrounds. When Truman was approved for a renewal of its TRiO grant, the decision was based on a new proposed aca- demic plan for its members as well as the per- formance of its members since the programs inception in 2005, according to Mr. Valadez. The 2005 academic plan proposed that at least 15 percent of its members would attain an associates degree or transfer to a four year College, 70 percent would maintain a good academic standing with a GPA of 2.0 or higher, and 75 percent would continue their enrollment from one fall semester into the next. All of these goals have been reached or exceeded. Failure to meet the expected goals doesn’t necessarily result in a rejected propos- al for the next years. “We wouldn’t have lost automatically,” Mr. Valadez said, “but odds are we would have been de-funded.” With a smile, he proudly added, “Our retention has continually been an average of 80 percent,” which is a full five points above the initial pro- posal. Along with the renewal of the pro- gram came news that concerned TRiO staff and students alike, staff members were be- ing let go and would be forced to reapply for their jobs. The district has a policy in place that views each year of a five year grant as a continuation of the program, however any renewal of said program is seen as an entirely new project requiring an all new staff, ac- cording to Leonard Etlinger, the Director of Grants and Contracts at the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) district office. “It wasn‘t intended to inconvenience them,” he said, referring to the fired staff members. “Its kind of a technicality. Nobody was after them.” Ultimately, the District does have the right to decide who will be a staff member of a TRiO program, however Mr. Etlinger main- tains that nothing like that is being enforced. Unless a change is made to the cur- rent policy, TRiO staff members will again be let go and forced to reapply for their positions if Truman is approved for another grant in 2015, according to Mr. Etlinger. “OUR RETENTION HAS CONTINUALLY BEEN AN AVERAGE OF 80 PERCENT…” -ROBERTO V ALADEZ, T RUMAN COLLEGE TRIO PROGRAM DIRECTOR LUFE Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month Page 3 Experience a New Taste page 5 Locker room renovation is part of the second phase. OCTOBER 2010 EDITION A Truman Student Publication Serving the Uptown Community ONE FREE COPY PER PERSON The Uptown Exchange

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Fall 2010 Oct. Issue of Truman's Uptown Exchange student newspaper.

Transcript of Fall 2010 Oct. Issue Uptown Exchange

Page 1: Fall 2010 Oct. Issue Uptown Exchange

Theaterget new upgrades page 7

by Ulysses Santillan Staff Writer

PLANNED GYM UPGRADES ARE ON SCHEDULE Several phases of con-struction are in motion

A room with gloomy and uncomfort-able lighting, crumbling walls and dirty floors with cracks doesn’t sound

like the most appealing place to be in. Nor does a massive empty space, with automatic bleachers still half-way out, and the smell of a place that hasn’t been upgraded since the invention of the Air Condition. The old, run-down gym, situated on the west side of the main campus building, is one of the things placed on a list of upgrades needed at Truman College. The district office of the City Col-leges of Chicago (CCC), lead by chancellor Cheryl Hyman, supports upgrades of the physical facilities of all of the campuses, and the gym has been put on a list of upgrades and construction taking place at Truman for the next couple of years.

“Truman is un-dergoing a 3 to 5 year phase of construc-tion,” Truman Col-lege President Lynn Walker said. These phases are set up to meet certain goals, and the gym is a part of those goals.

The phases are in motion. The first phase is almost complete with the construc-tion of the Student Services Center and the

parking garage, which leads to the second phase which will include a locker room reno-vation for the gym. The third phase will in-clude equipment upgrades in the weight room, installation of a new gym floor, as well as the addition of air conditioning to the gym. While upgrades to the gym may sound like good news, the majority of stu-dents have never even heard of it, as it has been closed for most students for years. The gym was mainly used for games and practice by the basketball and soccer teams, according to President Walker. John Ngugi, coach of the men’s soc-cer team, is delighted about the new upgrades. Even though they don’t play indoor games anymore, thus further reducing the use of the

gym, the team is using the out of date weight equipment. An upgrade will be helpful and make the team feel more welcome, according to Mr. Ngugi. The students who know about the gym are looking forward to the upgrades. It would be awesome to have a gym that would be accessible for anyone, states Truman stu-dent and Latino’s United For Education (LUFE) club president Eduardo Ramirez. He never stepped foot in the gym before, but once its done he hopes to have access to a free gym. He also views the upgrades of the gym as a positive way to advertise Truman, and thinks the gym could be a great place to hold future club events. ■

Photographs by Fatima Mohammed

The Truman pool will be full of water and students again one day.

TRIO GRANT RENEWED TRIO staff come and go with funds

by James R. Kanter Arts & Entertainment Editor

A request for another TRiO grant, made by Truman College TRiO pro-gram director Roberto Valadez, has

been approved by the U.S Department of Ed-ucation, authorizing funding of the program at Truman through the end of the 2014 aca-

demic year. T h o u -sands of c o l l e g e s across the c o u n t r y c o m p e t e every five years for a limited n u m b e r of Fed-eral TRiO grants, ear-

marked for programs designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disad-vantaged backgrounds. When Truman was approved for a renewal of its TRiO grant, the decision was based on a new proposed aca-demic plan for its members as well as the per-formance of its members since the programs inception in 2005, according to Mr. Valadez. The 2005 academic plan proposed that at least 15 percent of its members would attain an associates degree or transfer to a four year College, 70 percent would maintain a good academic standing with a GPA of 2.0 or higher, and 75 percent would continue their enrollment from one fall semester into the next. All of these goals have been reached or exceeded. Failure to meet the expected goals doesn’t necessarily result in a rejected propos-al for the next years. “We wouldn’t have lost automatically,” Mr. Valadez said, “but odds are we would have been de-funded.” With a

smile, he proudly added, “Our retention has continually been an average of 80 percent,” which is a full five points above the initial pro-posal. Along with the renewal of the pro-gram came news that concerned TRiO staff and students alike, staff members were be-ing let go and would be forced to reapply for their jobs. The district has a policy in place that views each year of a five year grant as

a continuation of the program, however any renewal of said program is seen as an entirely new project requiring an all new staff, ac-cording to Leonard Etlinger, the Director of Grants and Contracts at the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) district office. “It wasn‘t intended to inconvenience them,” he said, referring to the fired staff members. “Its kind of a technicality. Nobody was after them.”

Ultimately, the District does have the right to decide who will be a staff member of a TRiO program, however Mr. Etlinger main-tains that nothing like that is being enforced. Unless a change is made to the cur-rent policy, TRiO staff members will again be let go and forced to reapply for their positions if Truman is approved for another grant in 2015, according to Mr. Etlinger. ■

“Our retentiOn has cOntinually been an average Of 80 percent…” -RobeRto Valadez, tRuman College tRio pRogRam diReCtoR

LUFE Celebrates Hispanic Heritage

MonthPage 3

Experience a New Taste

page 5

Locker room renovation is part of the second phase.

OCTOBER 2010 EDITION

A Truman Student Publication Serving the Uptown CommunityONE FREE COPY PER PERSON

The Uptown Exchange

Page 2: Fall 2010 Oct. Issue Uptown Exchange

trc-Uptown [email protected]

Want to write letters to the editor? Submit guest editorials? Let us know how we are doing?

PAGE 2 - UPTOWN EXCHANGE -OCTOBER / 2010 SECTION - NEWS

Editor-In-ChiefDavid Palm

Arts & Entertainment Editor

James Kanter

Web ProducerAndrew Dahl

Editoral AssistantsOluwafikayo AdeosunOlatokunbo Balogun

Alexander Olisa

Production & Design Manager

Justin Jones

Chief Photographer & Graphics Editor

Fatima Mohammed

PhotographerEmilo Sanchez

Artist/Cartoonist Moroof Kosoko

Faculty AdviserBenjamin Ortiz

Business Manager Crystal Brown

Professional AffiliationsCollege Media Advisers

Illinois Community College

Journalism AssociationStudent Press Law

Center

UPTOWN EXCHANGE

STAFF

ADMINISTRATION MEETS STUDENTS AT SGA MEET AND GREET

Future meetings a possiblity

Staff Writerby Olatoyosi Grace Akinrotimi

A Student Government Association (SGA) meet and greet event on September 14 was turned into a presentation by the Truman Ad-

ministration, followed by a question and an-swer session for students. The meet and greet consisted of a presentation by the administration, followed by a Q&A session. Afterwards, SGA served food while some members of the administra-tion stayed behind to talk to students. The original plans for the meet did not include a presentation, but an open room for members of the SGA, the administration, and the student body to meet up and get to know each other, according to SGA treasurer Benjamin Heimer. Although the event did not turn out as initially planned, the meet and greet

seemed to be a success. We had dif-ferent ideas about what the meet and greet was about, but we’re glad they could make it, stated Heimer.

Truman Interim President Lynn Walker was one of the attendees at the meet and greet. “It is important for students to know those running the college,” she said. “We are saying the same thing as students; we would like to know you.” Seem-ingly happy with the re-sult of the meeting, she wanted to organize future meetings with the students. Walker also noted that as a result of future meetings, more students would be encouraged to become involved with Truman

College, and she assured that such meetings would be organized for evening students as well. SGA President Erik Avila said that such meetings are intended to let students know their deans and faculty advisors and vice versa. Avila also said that through the meets,

the students would have a voice to the administration. Student also seemed to enjoy the meet and greet. An Ethiopian student who wished to remain anonymous said she was glad that such a meeting was put in place for students like her, to voice whatever concerns they had. Another student, Rebecca Wil-liams, suggested that maybe the profes-sors could make announcement of such meetings in class so more people would know about it. Although the consensus seems to be

regular meetings would be a positive thing, no date has been set for a new one. “There are tentative plans of having another one,” said Heimer, but nothing has been decided yet. ■

“We are saying the same thing as stu-dents’ We Would like to knoW you ” -Truman College InTerIm PresIdenT lynn Walker

LAKE LOT PARKING HAS BECOME METERED Truman SGA makes parking cheaper

Editor-in-Chiefby David Palm

T he free parking at the lake lot is now just a memory, but there are monthly parking passes in place to make up for it, thanks to Truman

Student Government Association officers Erik Avila and Jason Memmen. In the beginning of the summer, the City Colleges of Chicago’s (CCC) lake lot parking contract with the Chicago Park Dis-trict (CCC) was no more. According to Tru-man College’s Public Relations representative Clifton Daniel, efforts had been made to re-new the contract, but nothing had happened. Days after the contract ran out, the CPD placed parking meters in the lot, without warning the public. Not only were students and staff

fined if they failed to pay their tickets in an area that had been free to park in for a long time, they had to pay $1 dollar an hour, said SGA Public Rela-tions repre-s e n t a t i v e Jason Mem-men. “ I was told by a lot of stu-dents that they might not come back to Tru-man next semester,” he said. He worried that being forced to park there for a few hours every day would lead to quickly escalating parking cost for students who were attending a Community College for the low

tuition costs. “They couldn’t afford it,” he said. An average of just 2 hours parked per day on weekdays mean $10 dollars a week

during a 16 week long semester. That’s $160 dollars for parking. Memmen talked to SGA President Erik Avila, and after trying to figure out who they needed to talk to at the CCC, they contacted CPD’s Chief Financial Officer Steve Hughes. Hughes responded positively and asked for a contact at the CCC to work out the details with, and monthly parking passes were soon thereafter sold at Tru-man College. The passes have varied a bit in price, but average around $30 per month, mak-

ing parking a little bit cheaper. They will be offered until the new parking garage is com-pleted. ■

“i Was told by a lot of students that they might not come back to truman next semester,” -Jason memmen, sga PublIC relaTIons reP-resenTaTIve

Page 3: Fall 2010 Oct. Issue Uptown Exchange

UPTOWN EXCHANGE - OCTOBER / 2010 - PAGE 3A&E - SECTION

HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATED AT TRUMAN COLLEGE

Many parts make

up the whole

Web Producerby Andrew Dahl

Brazilian samba dancers, El Salvadorian pu-pusas and a film about the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo all have one thing in common.

They are individual elements of Hispanic culture which were shared at Truman in celebration of the Hispanic Heritage Month from Sep. 15 to Oct. 15. Truman hosted a number of events in rec-ognition of the month, starting on Sep. 15 with a celebration of Mexico’s bicentennial independence day, where churros, nachos and jugos de limón and jamaica were available snacks to accompany a brief history presentation. A shared language, religion, history, mu-sic, art and cuisine are among the many things that make up Latino culture, says Latinos United For Education sponsor (LUFE) and Social Science Instruc-tor Madeline Troche-Rodri-guez. But at the same time, she says, each country has a unique adaptation of each one. LUFE, a student club dedicated to educating people about Latin Ameri-can culture and raising scholarship funds for stu-dents who may not qualify for financial aid, held the opening ceremony. Students in LUFE come from a number of different Latin American backgrounds, ranging from Colombia to Puerto Rico to Peru to El Salvador, says Troche-Rodriguez. And by her estimates, there may well be students from all 21 Latin American countries enrolled here. LUFE also offered a movie screen-ing on Oct. 6 of “Frida,” a film about the life of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. LUFE’s feature event, the Oct. 11 open mic, was open to all students. “I want students to display their own version of independence through

the arts,” said LUFE President Eduardo Ramirez. The open mic ran from 4 to 6 p.m. in the student cafeteria, and featured poetry, music, dancing and anything else students wanted to present, as long as it didn’t get too profane. Keenan Sheldon took the top prize and won a brand new 8 gb iPod Touch. Captain Nemo’s subs and refreshments were served.

To wrap up Hispanic Heritage Month on Oct. 14, Lufe, together with SALUD, an outside Latino HIV/AIDS organization, combined efforts to inform students of HIV and AIDS prevention methods as part of National Latino AIDS Awareness Day. In the front lobby between 1 and 3 p.m., club delegates spoke about HIV and AIDS in the Latino community. HIV/AIDS testing was free for students all day. Also planned, though never brought to fruition due to imposing CCC board policies were Brazilian samba dancers and a screening of films by Mexican director Guillermo del Toro. Originally created as Hispanic Heritage Week, the month

was started in 1968 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, and expanded to the month we have today in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan. Chosen for the number of significant dates in Latin American his-tory, including the independence days for Mexico, Chile, Guatema-la, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras, the month always falls between Sept. 15 and Oct. 15. Also of important signifi-cance is October 12, the day Christopher Columbus first landed in the West Indies, claiming the New World for Spain and giving rise to Hispanic culture. The significance of the month is not limited to celebrat-ing the different aspects of culture that each country brings to the whole. Hispanic students face issues such as attending school, immi-gration and employment, and, says Troche-Rodriguez, being Latino in a world that may see them as just that. In learning about cultural differences as well as current issues, students will hopefully gain a better understanding of what it means to be a Latino in America today.

“i Want students to display their oWn version of independence through the arts ” -luFe PresIdneT

Mixing nacho cheesee for the opening cermony Photographs by Andrew Dahl

Freddy Lopez recites poem Devil Dog LUFE members posed for a quick picture during the opening cermony.

Page 4: Fall 2010 Oct. Issue Uptown Exchange

PAGE 4 - UPTOWN EXCHANGE - OCTOBER / 2010

Page 5: Fall 2010 Oct. Issue Uptown Exchange

PAGE 5 - UPTOWN EXCHANGE - OCTOBER / 2010 SECTION - A&E

ETHIOPIAN DELIGHTS

Arts and Entertainment Editorby James Kanter

Spice Up your Uptown Dining

Lets be honest, for the students who aren’t ‘morning people’ managing a complete and healthy breakfast isn’t always a practi-cal option. Some of us may seek mid day sustenance after class as our first meal of the day. With a host of ethnically diverse cu-

linary options to choose from within walking distance, Truman’s students can take their pick from a wide range of brunch and lunch eateries daily without having to return to any particular establishment for weeks. Just north of Truman, at the intersection of Broadway St. and Lawrence Ave. sit’s Demera, a large and brightly colored Ethiopian restau-rant that opens conveniently at noon to offer its Monday – Friday lunch special; or at least its supposed to. Arriving a few minutes before 12 p.m. on a Friday afternoon, I waited outside along with a young couple for the ‘open’ sign in the win-dow to illuminate, and the front door to open. Unfortunately it was 10 minutes after 12:00 when a flustered young lady swung halfway out of the entrance exclaiming that it would be another ten minutes before they could open the door. “Not the best first impression” I thought to myself as the front door slammed after her. So I waited, and I waited, then I waited some more; before I knew it twenty minutes had gone by before I was allowed admittance. The same flustered young lady from earlier, who was doubling as the host and waitress, hurried me to my table by a wide window where she dropped a menu and filled my water glass. Her attitude was anything but welcoming, as I was made to feel like my presence was in some way an inconvenience to her. The scent of East African edibles was all around me, and I de-cided to remain unbothered by my hosts poor manners, providing the cuisine tasted as exquisite as it smelled. I placed my order for the weekday lunch special ($7.95), a Messob platter consisting of four dishes of my choosing from lavish list, then waited as I surveyed my surroundings. Aesthetically, Demera is absolutely delightful. The owners have done a spectacular job at creating an atmosphere that conveys a subtle authenticity, and they do this without hiding behind a gimmick, a practice so many ethnic eateries are guilty of. The restaurant boasts a large and spotless dining room opposite a full bar. Westward facing windows pro-vide the dining room with a natural light that gently lasts all through the afternoon hours. The curry-red napkins lend themselves nicely to the feel of being far away from an American Metropolis, a feeling that remained for the duration of my meal. After about fifteen minutes the food had arrived at my table, and upon inhaling the intoxicating aromas I was instantly transported to an East African diner far away from the sights and sounds of Uptown Chicago. My dishes were served in the traditional Ethiopian style known as ’wat’ which is basically a thick stew. The ’wat’ (or Wot) is served on top of a large sourdough flatbread called ’injara’. In a traditional Ethiopian meal, there are no utensils to aid consumption; instead, small pieces of the injara are torn off then used to scoop up bites of entrees and side dishes. Ethiopian cuisine is quite popular among vegetarians in West-ern countries, as it usually offers a variety of meatless options. Dem-era is no exception. My order consisted of the following : 1. Kik Alicha (split yellow peas prepared with onion, garlic, ginger and turmeric) 2. Gomen (chopped collard greens sautéed with onions, garlic and ginger then lightly mixed with sliced jalapenos) 3. Tickle Gomen ( cabbage and carrot cooked with onion, garlic and ginger then lightly mixed with sliced jalapenos) and 4. Ye-dnichena Carrot Alicha (potatoes and carrots cooked with onions, garlic, ginger and turmeric), and all of that for less than eight dollars. To my relief, the food was absolutely amazing and tasted every bit as wonderful as it smelled! As a longtime vegetarian myself, I was truly enthralled with the perfection of these dishes. The greens and the carrots were soft, the po-tatoes were hardy and creamy, the split yellow peas were light and spicy, all of which were accented just slightly with a lovely kiss of ginger, garlic and other spices. Not even halfway through my meal, I was wholeheartedly

convinced of Demera’s claim to use only “the freshest, high quality, and authentic ingredients.” Not to worry carnivores, in addition to the extensive vegetarian dishes, Demera offers several beef, chicken and lamb entrees. Also on the menu are six seafood entrees, seven salad options, and a desert menu complete with Ethiopian style tiramisu. Its such a shame that the service at Demera was only mediocre, bordering on rude. I wouldn’t be surprised if it were cause enough to deter a few first time patrons from return visits. In any case, the food speaks for itself, and it speaks quite loudly. I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying a vegetarian meal at several Ethiopian restaurants around the country, and I can say with much confidence, that as far as the food goes Demera ranks among the highest in quality. So if ever you find yourself famished after a long class, and your looking for something exotic in the area, Demera has the culinary offerings to satisfy any appetite at a price that will ensure you won’t end up hawking your books to pay your rent, so long as you don’t mind service that perhaps might not be the friendliest. Personally, forgoing a few simple niceties is well worth the trouble if it means I’ll be dining on the master-fully prepared dishes of Demera, as this unassuming Ethiopian eatery has become, at least for now, my new favorite Uptown vegetarian destination.

Demera Dining Room

Photographs by Emilio Sanchez

Veggies served “Wat” style over a bed of Injara

Page 6: Fall 2010 Oct. Issue Uptown Exchange

UPTOWN EXCHANGE - OCTOBER / 2010 - PAGE 6A&E - SECTION

by Marsha LeonardStaff Writer

NEWS DIGS FOR BLACK ENSEMBLE THEATER

Commitment remains in uptown

After years of planning and fund-raising, Chicago’s Black Ensemble Theater (BET) is ready to make its

move to a new location at 4450 N. Clark St., just north of Montrose Ave. Governor Quinn, Mayor Daley and 46th Ward Alderman Helen Shiller were on hand to celebrate the groundbreaking ceremony on Sept. 10. The new 50,000 square-foot, $16 million theater building will replace an old candy factory on Clark Street and give BET a permanent home and greater visibility. For the last 23 years, they have been rent-ing a small, 177 seat theater space from the Uptown Center Hull House at 4520 N. Beacon, just a few blocks from Truman’s doors. With the vision and tenacity of its founder and executive director, Jackie Taylor, construction will finally become a brick and mortar reality. Taylor has been the driving force behind the success and development of the multifaceted Black Ensemble Theater since 1976. Two performance spaces will al-low BET to increase its audience capacity and expand its offerings. Classrooms, re-hearsal space and a dance studio will give

the troupe room to continue the many edu-cational programs initiated over the years. These include outreach to Chicago’s Public Schools, teen groups, special needs adults and a summer career training program in backstage technology. BET is also home to the Black Playwrights Initiative which helps develop and mentor writing talent and script development. The Black Ensemble Theater speaks to Chicago audiences with a unique voice by writing, producing and perform-ing original musical biographies depicting the lives and talents of iconic black art-ists such as Etta James, Nina Simone, and The Nicholas Brothers. Its soulful fairytale twist, “The Black Cinderella,” has become a popular biennial favorite. The decision to remain in Uptown was a conscious one, according to Taylor. “Uptown reflects a diverse audience in all areas. As our mission is to eradicate racism we have to be in an area that will help us achieve our mission. Uptown is our home as we have been in this community for 23 years.” Construction updates of the new Black Ensemble Theater are available on the “Uptown Update” website. ■

Black Ensemble Theater’s current home Photograph by Fatima Mohammed

Model of the new building Photograph Courtesy of Black Ensemble Theater

by Moroof Kosoko Artist

Page 7: Fall 2010 Oct. Issue Uptown Exchange

PAGE 7 - UPTOWN EXCHANGE - / 2010 SECTION - OPINION

by David WalkerStaff

HOW TO DEAL WITH REMEDIAL CLASSESStudents Can Help

The people running the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) have a few things to figure out when it comes to remedial classes. An initial idea to re-

move remedial classes completely has basically been scrapped, leaving the leaders of the CCC to come up with a better solution. Mayor Daley was quoted in the August 11th Chicago Sun-Times article “Close ‘open-door’ admis-sions at Chicago City Colleges” as follows: “When young people enroll in a college, what background do they have? What reading levels do they have? If they have to put ‘em all in remediation, they’re really not in a college system. That’s what they have to figure out.” Remedial classes cost the CCC $30 million of a 457 million dollar budget. Ironically, CCC’s budget is almost that of Chicago Public School’s (CPS) budget shortfall, and where most of the CCC student popula-tion hails from. As the Civic Committee of The Com-mercial Club of Chicago’s June report correctly named “Still Left Behind: Student Learning in Chicago Schools”

attests: “69% of CPS graduates entering CCC were not pre-pared for college level reading, 79% were not prepared for college level writing, and 95% were not prepared for college level math.” With this in mind, when does the city plan on teach-ing our youth basic skills? In a city that gives immense tax breaks to corporations like Boeing and McDonald’s just to do business here, privatizes publicly financed commons, and raises taxes to the highest in the nation while slashing social programs, when do we ask what our public officials priorities

are? Cut remedial classes? Try improving the CPS. As students, faculty and staff looked to ad-ministrators for answers, they received them in the form of the Chicago Tribune. Chan-cellor Hyman’s somewhat re-cent visit to the Tribune edito-rial board can

be found in the August 24th Chicago Tribune article named “Changing course.” While summarized, Chancellor Hyman concluded: “Providing all that remedial help is expensive for City Colleges.” What the chancellor neglects to mention was mostly unknown to students until a policy briefing from the Ameri-can Association of Community Colleges, reported by the

Community College Times’ (CCT). Their september 8th article “Funding Doesn’t Match Colleges’ Roles.” proclaimed: “While community colleges serve 43 percent of undergraduate students, they receive only 27 percent of funding for public degree-grant-ing institutions.” In essence, leadership cries broke amidst aging school supplies and equipment, but state and federal funding is far from an equitable allocation for community colleges. Since Mayor Daley announced he will not seek re-elec-tion, the administration seems to be backing off slashing reme-diation policy. I had the opportunity for a telephone interview with Chief Policy Advisor Jaime Guzman and Veronica Clemons, our district’s Communication Director concerning remediation. Unfortunately, Mr. Guzman was not able to peruse the previously mentioned CCT article illustrating the discrepancy in funding community colleges receive compared to other higher institu-tions, but did acknowledged “there’s a lot of research needed.” When I asked him what students can do, he felt students both exploring and advocating for a more balanced disbursement of funding was critical. Regarding remediation, Mr. Guzman re-mained adamant that there was “no formal proposal” and CCC had “no wholesale remediation removal” planned. Mr. Guzman also assured me that administration aim is to reinvent institutions “better for students seeking a diploma, certificate, and adult edu-cation.” But who is to say how long that will last? The city is still discussing water privatization, as if this is Bolivia! Let’s be honest, Truman’s a great institution. The diversity, the well-trained staff; we’re not doing that bad. However, if the Chancellor wants to make CCC “world class” as she says, “not bad” will not suffice. Students must demand that expansion, not cutbacks, is the only way to make Truman a world class institution.

“Providing all that remedial helP is ex-Pensive for City Col-leges.” -City Colleges of ChiCago ChanCellor Cheryl hyman

Send your feedback

to:

trc-Uptown Exchange@

ccc.eduby Moroof Kosoko Artist

Page 8: Fall 2010 Oct. Issue Uptown Exchange

OCTOBER & NOVEMBER HIGH-

«October 22-30»

«October 26»

«November 9»

«October 30»

«October 28»

Countinuing Education Student Art Exhibition @ Truman Front Lobby, 8a.m. - 9p.m.

Student Government Association Meeting In Room 1561, 2p.m. - 3p.m.

Panel Discussion on Politics and Race1:00 PM-3:00 PMIn the Front Lobby

Bob Dylan and His BandOctober 30, 2010 at 7:30PM The Riviera Theater4746 N. Racine Avenue, Chicago, IL 60640

Transfer Expo @ Truman’s Front Lobby and Room 1905

Truman College

«November 12»513-Word Essay Reading6:30 PM-9:00 PMIn the Novar Hall room 3426

«November 13»Chicago Department of Public Health Flu Clinic7:30 AM-4:30 PM

Small Business Resource Expo8:00 AM-4:00 PMIn the Lecture Hall B room 3440

Music

«November 19»

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM DATE: OCTOBER 25, 2010 DOORS OPEN: 6:30 PM LOCATION: ARAGON ENTERTAINMENT CENTER 1106 W LAWRENCE AVE CHICAGO, IL 60640 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

BAILE DEL RECUERDO DATE: NOVEMBER 6, 2010 DOORS OPEN: 7:00 PM LOCATION: ARAGON ENTERTAINMENT CENTER 1106 W LAWRENCE AVE CHICAGO, IL 60640 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

BASSNECTAR DATE: OCTOBER 30, 2010 DOORS OPEN: 9:00 PM LOCATION: ARAGON ENTERTAINMENT CENTER 1106 W LAWRENCE AVE CHICAGO, IL 60640 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA