Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts

Former student awaits trial

Monday, September 13, 2010 1:59 PM Chronicle
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Brett Starkopf
Editor-in-Chief

A former CLC student, who was arrested and charged with first degree murder in connection with the beating death of his then girlfriend’s mother, remains detained at the Lake County Jail as he awaits trial.

Daniel Baker, 21, was arrested April 5 and is accused of bludgeoning Marina Aksman, 50, with a baseball bat. Baker and Kristina Aksman, 20, also a former CLC student and the woman’s daughter, were found in Montana after leaving the state the previous week.   

Baker appeared in front of Judge Fred Foreman on Aug 20, wearing a red shirt, greased back hair, and a full beard. He was escorted by two sheriffs for a status hearing. Assistant States Attorney Patricia Fix said the red shirt was because he was in an altercation and he needed to be restrained.

The altercation occurred in the jail when he reportedly attacked two guards and needed to be Tasered in order to be restrained. He will face additional charges.

Baker could potentially face the death penalty. His attorneys, Mike Nerheim and Ed Genson, asked Judge Foreman for a continuance to review Baker’s medical and school records to prevent the sentence.

“We are in the process of getting his medical records and treatment history,” Nerheim told the Chicago Tribune on August 25. “Hopefully (the records) will convince them that seeking the death penalty would not be appropriate in this case.”

Genson said he will be able to prove Baker “was not legally responsible for his actions” at the time of Aksman’s killing. Baker is thought to be mentally ill.

On April 1, Baker allegedly drove his car into the Aksman’s home and beat Marina to death with a baseball bat. According to the Chicago Tribune, Marina Baker was trying to end the relationship between Baker and her daughter. Baker allegedly took $1,000 to $2,000 in cash from Marina’s purse and drove off in her 2009 Nissan Rogue. He and Kristina were caught five days later. Kristina is said not to have any involvement in her mother’s murder.

Baker is due back in court Sept 28.

Blago declares victory, Convicted of one charge

1:58 PM Chronicle
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Kevin Miller
 Staff Writer

On the afternoon of Aug. 17 at the Dirksen Federal Building in downtown Chicago, former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich was convicted by federal prosecutors of one of 24 corruption charges he is faced with for lying to federal officials.

Shortly after the trial, Blagojevich proclaimed that the one charge he was convicted of was “a nebulous charge from five years ago.”

“I did not lie to the FBI.” Blagojevich said shortly after being convicted. Initial reactions were swift and protracted.

“This guy [U.S. Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald] is a master at indicting people for noncriminal activity,” said Blagojevich attorney Sam Adams Sr. “This guy is nuts.”   

The retrial is expected to cost in excess of $25 million dollars.

“With all due respect to justice and all, how much more money are we going to waste on this?” Ron, a Chicago Tribune reader, said. “The prosecution screwed up their case and they lost. Would the world be a safer place if Blago(sic) was found guilty on all counts? This is all about saving political face, and it has now become a waste of taxpayer money.”

The reaction on CLC campus was also decidedly manifest
“My initial reaction was, ‘Well, at least he didn’t completely get away with being corrupt,’” CLC professor Lynn Harper said via Facebook.

However, not all agreed with such an indictment of the former governor’s character.

“I think they should have been found not guilty on all counts. The government should be ashamed,” Chicago Tribune reader Deloris said on ChicagoTribune.com.

Tamara, another Chicago Tribune reader, substantiates this opinion.

“Give it up, Patrick,” Tamara said. “You lost. At least one person on the jury recognized this as a witch hunt. Move on.”

The retrial, which has yet to be scheduled, would almost certainly cripple Blagojevich’s already ailing finances, which are currently in the red from the one and a half years spent on this trial.
Robert Blagojevich, Rod Blagojevich’s brother, will not be retried by prosecutors. He was charged with four of the 24 charges Rod was charged with. He was acquitted of all four counts.

Rod Blagojevich will be retried by prosecutors, though it’s unclear who will be representing him. Rod Blagojevich has hinted at a future return to politics and has not ruled out any options for additional revenue streams. By Illinois law, former governor Blagojevich is barred from participating in politics due to his impeachment in early 2009 by the Illinois General Assembly.

Illinois has a history of governors being impeached or convicted of corruption.

In 2006, former Governor George Ryan was convicted of corruption charges stemming from a trucking license scandal that reached its culmination during his governorship. During Ryan’s trial, it was revealed that trucking licenses given to unqualified recipients in return for money could be traced to several automobile fatalities across the country.

Ryan, who is currently serving time in a federal penitentiary in Indiana, is seeking clemency from President Obama due to his failing health. Ryan is 76-years-old.

Rod Blagojevich is not the only Democrat in the country is having issues with corruption. In Washington D.C., Democrats have corruption problems of their own.

New York representative Charles Rangel, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and former House Ways and Means chairman, is facing charges of corruption. Rangel is accused by a House ethics committee of receiving bribes to lower the tax rate for business partners. The House Ways and Means committee is a powerful Congressional tax writing committee. Rangel is also accused of failing to report income and certain offshore properties to the IRS, thus evading property and other taxes. Rangel was forced to step down from his chairmanship of the committee.

California representative Maxine Waters is accused of misappropriating funds. During the financial crisis of 2008, when Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) was being created, Waters allegedly used her position of power to arrange a meeting between TARP officials and a minority owned bank that her husband was on the board of and had investiture in. Shortly after that meeting, Waters’ husband’s bank received a vital cash injection from TARP officials. The allegation against Waters, who was not present at the meeting, is that had she not arranged the meeting between TARP officials and the bank, that the likelihood that the bank would have received TARP funding, and to the extent that the bank received the funds, would’ve been minimal.

Neither Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson nor House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were present at the meeting..

Both Rangel and Waters are seeking reelection, and have vowed to fight the charges against them. President Obama said that Rangel should resign from Congress “with dignity.”

CLC student to stand trial in murder

Thursday, May 6, 2010 11:48 AM Chronicle
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Nathan Caldwell
Editor-in-Chief

On April 1, CLC student Kristina Aksman, 20, witnessed her mother’s murder.

          Her boyfriend Daniel Baker, 21, another CLC student, allegedly beat Kristina’s mother, Marina Aksman, 50, to death with a baseball bat, the Daily Herald reported. He has been charged with first-degree murder.

            CLC’s Public Relations office confirmed that Aksman and Baker were enrolled at the college this semester. Music professor Michael Flack, who reportedly had Baker in class, declined to comment.

            Purportedly, Baker’s motive was that Marina Aksman attempted to break up Baker and her daughter.

“You are never going to see her again,” she said in a voicemail to Baker. “I think you are bipolar.”

            The attempted break up reportedly enraged Baker. He left a voicemail in response as he drove to the Aksman’s Vernon Hills home.

“You’ve messed up everything and there's going to be big trouble and I mean big trouble,” Baker said. “You don't mess with Daniel Baker.”

When Baker reached the home he drove straight toward the front door – the concrete stoop was all that prevented him from crashing into the house. Exiting the wrecked car with an aluminum baseball bat in hand, Baker broke through a glass door in the rear of the house.

            Once inside, he is reported to have first swung for Marina Aksman’s legs, followed by several blows to the head.

            “She said her mother’s ‘head broke apart like an avocado, it was shocking to watch.’” Deputy State's Attorney Jeff Pavletic told police and Associate Judge Raymond Collins, summarizing Kristina’s statement on the events.

            An autopsy revealed both Marina Aksman's eye sockets were broken, as was her skull – her teeth had been pushed back into her brain, Pavletic said.

            Baker then told Aksman to pack her clothes, took $1,000 to $2,000 of Marina Aksman’s cash and drove off in her silver 2009 Nissan Rogue.

            The two were missing for five days.

            Ashley Telling, Aksman’s high school friend created the Facebook group, “Help Find Kristina Aksman!” when she heard news that her friend was missing.

            “I heard about what happened through a text from my brother, who also knows Kristina,” Telling said in an e-mail interview. “I replied to his text, ‘Are you on crack?’”

“I just broke down and started crying because I could not imagine why God made such a nice family go through all this. I created the group because I could not stop thinking about this entire thing and I thought I had to do something to help.

“She was the sweetest girl I have ever met. Yeah she had problems, but she was always nice to everyone and even in the worst case situations she had a smile on her face and a positive attitude.”

            On April 5, a sheriff’s deputy in northern Montana spotted a vehicle going 14 mph over the speed limit on Highway 2, police said. 

The vehicle proved to be Marina Aksman’s missing car. After a brief chase, the vehicle was stopped, and Baker was caught.

Pavletic said a pair of his pants and shoes were found in the car with what investigators believe are bloodstains.

Once apprehended, Baker allegedly asked investigators, “How many times did you get me (hitting her)?” Investigators estimated five times.

According to the prosecutor, Baker said, “That's me. I don't stop until the threat is eliminated.”

Baker was denied bond.    
      
Chicago defense attorney Edward Genson told the associate judge he believes he will be able to prove Baker "is not legally responsible for his actions" at the time of Aksman's killing.

Genson declined to comment when asked if he was considering an insanity defense.

In Illinois, the only way a person can be found not responsible for his actions is to have a judge or jury decide he was insane. Even if Marina Aksman’s suspicion that Baker is bipolar is correct, it will be a difficult process in court.

            “Individuals who want to plead not guilty by reason of insanity are admitting that the crime was done, but that they were insane the time of the crime,” CLC psychology professor Dr. Martha Lally said. “They are admitting they did it, but it was because of the insanity.

            “The insanity plea is rarely used. Of those cases it is used, it’s rare that is ever found.”

            When the insanity defense is used less than 12 percent of cases find for the defendant, Lally said.

Individuals with bipolar are no more prone to fits of rage or committing crime than anyone else, CLC psychology professor Dr. Kenneth Kikuchi said.

“Rage is just a human emotion,” Kikuchi said. “We all have it. It’s no different for someone who has a disorder like bipolar to rageful, like anyone else would be.”

            Baker is due in court May 5.

Career events offer employment opportunities

11:35 AM Chronicle
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Alvin Sandique
Staff Writer

One word you can associate with the American Dream is opportunity.

Opportunity is also a word that three women at CLC’s job center used to describe Lake County’s Career Fair, which is the biggest in the county.

“It’s all about providing employment opportunities,” Fresia Woznick, executive assistant of Career and Placement Services, said. “That’s the ultimate goal.”

The career fair also brings in a mixed bag of businesses in search of new prospects to bring to their respective organizations.

“It’s a little bit of everything,” Woznick said.

Any business in need of employees can sign up to participate in the fair.  Before the recession, the fair had some 100 companies looking for new workers.

That number has been cut in half, and the number of unemployed people attending the fair has increased over the last couple years.

Some companies that are fixtures in the fair and have a familiar face in this event include Six Flags, Baxter and Clearbroke.

The fair offers a wide variety of industries such as manufacturing, health care, food service and retail.

“Potential workers have opportunities to have face to face talks with a variety of employers,” Woznick said.

Another interesting aspect of this fair is the proximity factor. Workers can go to different companies looking to score new lines of work.

“I think career fairs are an excellent vehicle for job seekers to meet many potential employers in one setting,” Sue Erickson-Runyard, Student Employment Specialist said.

And employers are always looking for workers who can fill their proverbial glass slippers.

“Career fairs bring networking opportunities that are paramount for working with an organization which you are fit for,” Sue Whittaker of Career and Placement Services said.

“The unemployed are provided to meet with company reps that are there and eager to answer and address any question or issue,” she added. “Job fairs allow opportunity for both parties to confirm or even eliminate possibilities for employment. It is all about looking for a good fit.”

Even though the economy is making a tortoise-like recovery, Americans who are struggling to find work remain optimistic.

Lake County is a microcosm of the country’s tough-minded resolve to get back to prosperous times of days past.

CLC’s largest upcoming JobMarketPlace career fair of 2010 will be 1 to 5p.m. in building 7 (the P.E. building), and several workshops for preparing for a career fair will be offered on May 3.  For more information, visit http://www.lakecountyjobcenter.com/ or call the CLC Career and Placement Services at (847) 543-2059.

CLC students network to get work

Saturday, April 17, 2010 3:12 PM Chronicle
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Vik Bhardwaj
Managing Editor


      Keith Behnke is a skilled carpenter with over 20 years of experience. He is also unemployed. 

      Keith saw a decrease in new construction jobs when the housing bubble burst about three years ago. The severity and tone of the crisis rang louder when the usually unaffected, high-end, North Shore remodeling projects Keith had been a part of started to cut back.

      “It was a wakeup call for everybody,” Behnke said. 

      Keith was recently at the Career and Placement Services Center (CPS), E101, at CLC using a computer to look for employment.  

      Keith said he knows some 800 out of work carpenters. The carpentry field is related to construction, and construction depends on a good economy.  As construction goes, so does carpentry. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics reported Lake County construction employment was down 20.7 percent February 2009 to February 2010. The latest data from the March jobs report showed construction stayed constant at 15,000 jobs. This contrasts the 72,000 jobs the industry shed each month for the past year. 

      Fortunately, construction picks up late spring to the end of summer.

      “Usually by mid-summer you’re booked,” Behnke said. 

      However, the talented pool of unemployed carpenters is so unusually deep, competition will be keen, Behnke said. Foremen are trying to assemble their crews for the work they will get in the summer. Behnke’s previous employer called him in for a meeting with news of work lined up for mid-summer. 

      Unfortunately, the summer is a couple months away.
    “I’ve got a family to feed,” Behnke said. “It’s aggravating. It’s a different thing to get used to.”
      So Behnke is going back to school. He attended trade school right out of high school and is taking classes there currently. Behnke has skills in plumbing and electrical, but the licensing takes five years. Currently he is looking for a two-year degree in Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) from CLC.

      “I’m weighing out the career change,” Behnke said. “That’s why I was here today, to see some of my other options to go along with the experiences I already have.”

      CPS Specialist Sue Whitaker said CLC’s HVAC courses are a part of a bridge program that is designed to give students hands-on experience to help them climb up the pay ladder. She had a client five years ago who took three courses at CLC in HVAC and made $10 an hour to start. Now, he makes $26.75.

      Behnke also came to CPS because he needed help with his resume. Behnke said one wasn’t necessary before in the “dinosaur” field of carpentry. Other signs of evolution in the field are the style and location of interviews. It used to be that a foreman would take one good look at a worker and decide if he or she were the right fit, Benke said. He added he was drilled in a recent interview with questions from two different people.   

      CPS helps students, alumni and community members with resumes, career counseling, mock interviews and Internet-based job listing services. It hosts mini job fairs throughout the year. It offers students credit-based cooperative education and service learning, volunteerism, and student employment-work study. The CPS has five career counselors, three with master’s degrees and two with PhD’s.

      Whitaker said CPS differs from self-service resources such as monster.com and careerbuilder.com because of the connection she has with employers. She said she is frequently in contact with HR representatives at companies who are seeking employees and can offer a candidate a job then and there. 

      Regarding resumes Whitaker said, HR representatives sometimes have a scanner to sort through all of the candidates.  She said the scanner picks up on industry buzz words. If the company does not use a scanner, Whitaker said CPS helps to tailor the resumes to stand out by including people skills. 

      The number one way of getting jobs is through networking, according to Whitaker. At the end of the day, “humans make the final decision,” she said. 

      Whitaker deals with many clients. She tries to make her time with them worthwhile.

      “I treat every person like they are gold,” Whitaker said. “I want them to walk out of here with their heads high, hopeful, and with a second-wind to get out into the workforce.”

      Office hours of CPS are Monday through Thursday 8am to 6:30pm and Fridays 8am-4:30pm. Resume assistance is offered by appointment Mondays and Wednesdays from 9am-1pm. Contact Sue Whitaker at 847-543-2058 to set up an appointment. 

      The CPS shares building E101 with the Illinois Department of Employment Security, the Regional Office of Education and the Lake County Education to Careers Partnership.

BSU to celebrate 40 years of rich history, strong legacy

3:10 PM Chronicle
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Meghan Gray
Staff Writer
 
      Black Student Union, BSU, is an organization whose mission is to “empower minorities as a whole and work together to improve diversity.”  

      As the oldest student association at CLC, that is exactly what they have accomplished in their 40 years on campus.

      The theme for this year is “Rich History, Strong Legacy.” 

      “Rich history is what has been passed down since the inception of the club,”   Adviser Beverly Phelps said. “A strong legacy is what each student leaves behind once they leave the CLC community.”  

      Phelps has been involved with the organization since 2005 and became adviser in 2006.  She shares duties with Co-Adviser Jorge Tennin.  

      What is the most rewarding aspect of being partnered with the Black Student Union?

      “Mentoring students to further their education, to be in leadership roles, and really helping them succeed,” Phelps said.

      The anniversary is not only momentous to BSU, it is historic for the entire CLC community.

      The club sponsors various events on campus such as bake sales, Cheesy Thursdays, Black History Month, and Taste of Soul.  They also volunteer their time at local nursing homes, participate in the annual “Make a Difference Day” and organize parties throughout the community.

      The pinnacle event of this commemorative occasion is the Heritage Ball, which will be held May 8 at 7 p.m. at the Milan. Tickets for the ball are $25 and are on sale until April 10 at the CLC box office. The group will sell souvenir ad booklets. Former students and faculty members sponsor the historic celebration. Active Latino Alliance members can come for $10, guests $25. 

      BSU can be epitomized through four key words: empowerment, leadership, educate, and mentor.  This lexis is what members strive to live up to on a regular basis. 

      President Brooke Baldwin describes the organization as a family.  She has been a member since 2007 and was elected President in 2008.  Baldwin also serves as a Senator for the Student Government Association and is the Political Action Chairperson for the CLC chapter of the NAACP.   

      “We empower ourselves mentally and spiritually,” Baldwin said.

      According to Phelps, “The greatest challenge facing students is their maturity level because some of them aren’t ready to grow up.”

      BSU combats this issue by providing leadership opportunities and experiences for personal growth.    

      “You may look at somebody and judge him or her on the outside. Really getting to know them and giving them an opportunity to shine, helps them to grow,” Phelps said.

      These individuals are holding true to their objective, enabling those around them to adopt a diversified outlook. 

      “As minorities, we know how hard it is to be heard. This is an organization that makes people listen and believe in us,” Baldwin said.

      Being a light to the community and involving more students is where BSU sees itself shifting towards the future.  

      Through their service and leadership, the Black Student Union is a force to be reckoned with on the CLC campus and elsewhere. 
 

CLC psyched about new psychology club

3:01 PM Chronicle
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Erik Hayner
Staff Writer


      CLC welcomed the Psychology club to its list of extracurricular groups. The club was officially established three weeks ago, the influence from CLC student Joe Huffman.

      In order to start a club, a student must suggest the college begins the club. Faculty may not start clubs on their own. Much of CLC’s psychology staff values the opportunity given to them by Huffman’s drive. There are six full-time psychology faculty members assisting the new group, as well as two professors acting as faculty advisers: Drs. Ken Kickuchi and Martha Lally.            

      Lally explained that joining (the club) to the twenty students isn’t difficult. 

      “The only requirement to be a part of Psychology Club is to have an interest in psychology and its related topics,” Lally said. 

      However, she also mentioned that psychology club adds an academically focused group to the roster of clubs. In that vein, students are granted an opportunity to discuss issues and to help those who might be interested in pursuing psychology as a career.

      Some of the topics students have delved into are, mirror neurons, dream analysis, research methodology and psychology in general. Members discuss once a week on Thursdays from 2:30 to 3:30 in room A246. 

      They have also begun planning events for next year. There will be debates, field trips, guest speakers and fundraisers. One fundraiser is planned for the current semester in an effort to get the word out and gather new members. There is no definite date for the fundraiser as of yet.

      To become a member of Psychology Club all a student needs to do is go to CLC’s official web site, log into their “My CLC” account and click on the community’s link at the top of the page.

      Under “Communities Available” there is a psychology community that was developed in January which contains a “Psych Club” link.

       From there, the student may login, join, and feel free to go to club meetings. Also found under that site are the names of the officers of Psychology Club, the dates they will meet, and a calendar of events.             

       Psychology Club provides an important degree of diversity to those clubs offered at CLC. There are now options for students that a more scientific or interest.

      Diversity in extracurricular groups relies largely on students taking a stand with their own interests. As an aid to career specialization, or simply as a flirtation with something you find yourself more drawn to, it seems psychology club might be the beginning of a trend at CLC.

      For students like Huffman who want to start a club, all that is necessary is a petition with 24 names of people that want to join and the name of a faculty member who is interested in advising the club.

CLC's strategic plan awaits approval

2:59 PM Chronicle
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Ashley Meyer
Staff Writer

      Based on input received from the college community, a select group of representatives have been rewriting and revising a three-page statement, known to the College of Lake County as the Strategic Plan, since last summer. 

      According to Tonitta White, CLC’s quality assessment manager, “(The purpose of the plan) is to help guide us on the areas we should be focusing on as a college, especially economically. Businesses and institutions are strapped.” 

      The document includes a mission statement and a vision statement with goals and objectives for the college. Beyond the mission, vision, and values statements are six general goals which will provide and enforce detailed objectives for students and staff to follow in the school environment.

      The Strategic Plan is designed to help the college continually improve. 

      About a year ago, the college performed an “environmental scan,” which looked at external and internal factors that might impact the institution. 

      External factors include the local and statewide economies, influence from other schools, demographics, and what’s going on in the community. Internal factors include the growth and nature of the school. All of the information was gathered and completed by October. 

      Throughout the process, between 20 and 25 people contributed to the Strategic Plan. Representatives included staff, faculty and students. 

      “The student involvement in this process has been amazing to me,” White said. “They aren’t getting paid, yet they’re very committed.”

      The plan is in its final stages. It is in draft form, recently updated on March 25, and is awaiting approval.

      White expects that the Strategic Plan will be approved at the board of trustees meeting on May 25. 

      The next and final step is to implement each of the actions and pursuits listed in the plan. 

      Students can access the Strategic Plan by going to CLC’s Web site and clicking on “Accredidation” (AQIP) on the left side of the home page. From there a link directs to the most recent draft of the plan.


Congress passes historic student loan bill

Friday, March 26, 2010 9:39 PM Chronicle
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Dave Balson
Opinion Editor

      President Obama signed into law the most extensive overhaul of student aid in 40 years on Thursday, March 25. The program is expected to save the government $61 billion over 10 years. The savings will be used to boost Pell Grants, lower interest rates and approve more loans, according to the Associated Press.

      The legislation removes banks from the federal student loan program. Since 1965, banks used federal subsidies to make student loans, making the profits while the government assumed most of the risk. Now all loans will come directly from the U.S. Department of Education. 

      Of the $61 billion savings, $36 billion will provide more students will be awarded larger Pell Grants. Starting 2014, monthly payment caps on low-income graduates will be reduced from 15 percent to 10 percent of their incomes and any remaining debt will be forgiven after 20 years, costing the government $1.5 billion, according to the Washington Post.

      The bill will also be used to fund education programs, providing $2 billion to community colleges for job training. 

      A CNN/Opinion Research poll released March 25 shows 64 percent of respondents supported the education overhaul, while 34 percent opposed it.

      The program was part of, and overshadowed by, the health care reconciliation bill. The bill passed the Senate 56-43, then passed the House 220-207 before being sent to the president. No Republicans voted for the bill.

Auto Tech makes was for hybrid cars

9:37 PM Chronicle
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Ashley Meyer

Staff Writer


      There’s nothing like the smell of new car. Although CLC’s automotive technology program isn’t experiencing the refreshing scent, they have recently purchased a used 2005 Toyota Prius. After careful budgeting, the little blue Prius was bought about one month ago. In the past, the college has also saved money for other major purchases like the highly-desired paint spray booth.

      The auto program is developing course work that will include the hybrid car in automotive studies. Department Chair Dr. Lance David intends to create a class dedicated solely to studying hybrid cars. This class will be available in the fall 2012, but students have already begun to incorporate the hybrid in the classroom to understand the differences between hybrid and gas-fueled cars. 

      “Parts of this car will be utilized in almost every class,” David said. 

      The opportunity offers two very important things for students. The hybrid addresses the fact that with a smaller gas engine, the efficiency of the car is greatly improved. After braking, energy is recovered and used to slow the car. These details were prominent ideas in David’s decision to integrate new technology into the classroom. 

      The Prius will be used to demonstrate the advantage of improving fuel mileage. Compared to the gas-guzzling 4-door which uses a 12 volt battery, hybrids have unleashed a world of economically-friendly options, functioning on a 200 volt battery. This decreases the waste of the world’s fossil fuels like gasoline.

Polarized Congress passes health care

9:35 PM Chronicle
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Sarah Bigler
Staff Writer


      “This is a big f---ing deal.”

      That’s what Vice President Joe Biden said to President Barack Obama before the signing of the health care bill.

      He wasn’t wrong. On March 23, Obama signed into law the largest social initiative since Medicare was passed 45 years ago. He signed the bill with 22 pens in front of 200 Democratic lawmakers and White House staffers with a smile on his face.

      “This is what change looks like,” Obama said of the bill passing. “That our generation is able to succeed in passing this reform is a testament to the persistence and the character of the American people.”

      This day was long in coming. Obama, along with many members of Congress in recent elections, campaigned on the promise of health care reform. His speech before signing the bill was repeatedly interrupted with shouts of excitement from the audience. 

      Among the witnesses present were Vicki Kennedy, widow of the late Senator Ted Kennedy, and their niece Caroline and son Patrick, who is a member of the House of Representatives. CNN reported that after the bill was signed, the surviving Kennedys walked to Ted’s gravesite and held a small victory party. Ted Kennedy was a tireless proponent of health care reform, and Patrick left a note on his grave. “Dad,” he wrote. “The unfinished work is done.”

      Signing the bill into law was the result of many months spent debating, arguing and rewriting. The health care reform bill was the first major issue taken up by the president since his inauguration, and he finally saw his vision come to fruition.

      The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as it's officially named, was passed in the House by a margin of 219 to 212. It was sent to the House of Representatives for approval after being passed by the Senate on Christmas Eve. 

      The Act will cover 30 to 32 million people who don’t currently have health insurance, including children. It requires most Americans to have health insurance of some kind, and allows 16 million of those people to join Medicare programs.

      The process was marred by instances of inappropriate behavior. Protestors filled the streets outside the Capitol Building, chanting and holding up signs both for and against the bill. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was harassed walking into the building, and John Lewis, a civil rights leader in the 1960s and current congressman was called a nasty racial epithet.

      Perhaps the worst example of name calling wasn’t from citizen protestors, but from inside the House chamber. Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-Texas) shouted “baby killer” at Rep. Bart Stupak as he stepped down the Congressional aisle.  Stupak is a pro-life Democrat from Michigan’s first district who negotiated the tricky subject of abortion relating to the health care bill. 

      Under the provisions accomplished by Stupak, Obama will sign a guarantee that no federal funds will be used to provide abortions. Insurance companies can still choose whether or not to cover abortions in their plans, but federal money will not go toward the procedure. This was a point of contention amongst pro-lifers, but Obama’s agreement doesn’t change anything in the bill or current law, only reinforces it.

      Behind all the partisan bickering and fighting, there is a new law of the land. There are some immediate changes to the health care industry, and also some changes that won’t go into effect for a couple years.

      Among the changes immediately implemented, insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage on the basis of a child’s pre-existing conditions. A patient’s coverage will not be dropped due to these conditions, and the Act ends the practice known as rescission. Rescission is when an insurer ends a patient’s coverage even when they’ve kept their policy current.

      The other immediate change is the insurance companies can no longer put a lifetime limit on benefits. Perhaps the most important change for college age kids is that insurers must now cover children of insured parents through age 26, whether or not they’re current students.

      In 2014, more changes will take over. Adults will not be dropped for pre-existing conditions. Most individuals and families will be required to have health insurance. Those who meet certain need requirements will be added to Medicare or will be qualified for subsidies to help pay for their insurance.

      In today’s money, the requirements for free care would be an individual making $14,400 or less, or a family making $29,327. Individuals and families making more than those limits but less than certain amounts will get help paying their insurance through subsidies.

      Also in 2014, wealthy families and individuals who don’t have insurance will be fined $625. Low income people and groups will be exempt from this law. Employers with more than 50 employees will be required to provide insurance, or face a $2,000 fine per employee. By 2020, the prescription drug “doughnut hole” in Medicare will be closed.

      Perhaps the least talked about amendments in the bill are the ones covering restaurants and tanning beds. Chain restaurants that have more than 20 locations, such as McDonald’s and Burger King, are now subject to a law that requires calorie information on the menu. When this goes into effect and the exact regulations will be decided by the Food and Drug Administration. Some cities, such as New York and Los Angeles, already have this law.

      Health care reform also imposes a 10 percent tax increase on the use of indoor tanning beds. Proponents of the measure cite those who use tanning beds have a significantly increased risk of cancer. According to CNN, lawmakers considered taxing all cosmetic procedures, but settled on only taxing tanning beds.

       There are still some revisions to be voted on in the Senate, which are expected to pass quickly- at least in Congressional terms. 

      MSNBC reported there has been violence this week. Rocks and bricks have been thrown through windows of the offices of Democratic leaders across the country. 

      There are still protests happening around the country, and within the walls of Congress, there are still debates and arguments. Change never comes easy in this country, and without doubt, there will be debate for years to come.

      White House Press Secretary, Robert Gibbs, posted on Twitter shortly after the event.

      “Powerful moment when the President described the people he was signing this for and for the millions back in control of their health care,” he said.

      “And yes, Mr. Vice-President, you’re right.”

National Alcohol Screening Day arrives April 8th

9:20 PM Chronicle
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Meghan Gray
Staff Writer 

      With Spring Break just around the corner, many college students have only one thing in mind, spending an entire week doing whatever they want. While some plan to stay local, others are jet-setting to warmer climates with nothing more than a bikini, swim trunks, and flip-flops.  
  
      The primary goal is to let loose with friends, soak in the sun, and try new things.

      While this sounds like an incredible vacation from second semester blues, often times adding alcohol to the mix becomes a recipe for disaster.

      Binge drinking has damaging effects both physically and socially, and is the leading cause of death and arrest for undergraduate students nationwide according to the Boston College School of Social Work. 

      The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports 31 percent of college students meet criteria for a diagnosis of alcohol abuse. 

      According to a 2009 study by Cabrini College alcohol abuse is not the same as alcoholism.  Rather, it is a pattern of drinking that involves one or more of the following: failure to carry out major responsibilities, drinking in physically dangerous situations, legal issues related to using alcohol and continued drinking despite ongoing problems in relationships with others.

      The Health Center will conduct free, anonymous alcohol screenings as part of National Alcohol Screening Day on April 8.  The event is open to the community and will be held on the Grayslake campus 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in room C002.

      The event will include a presentation on alcohol problems, completion of a screening form and one-on-one, private consultation with a health professional.  

      Local treatment referrals and support resources will be made available for those who need further evaluation. Appointments are not necessary. 

      National Alcohol Screening Day is a program of the nonprofit Screening for Mental Health, funded by the “National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism” and the “Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.”  The screening program is designed to raise awareness of the dangers of alcohol consumption and offer help for those struggling with the problem.  

      This Spring Break, don’t settle for becoming a statistic. Make the decision to think before you drink.  

Prevention, intervention key to campus safety

9:12 PM Chronicle
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Dave Balson
Opinion Editor


      Prevention and intervention are keys to keeping CLC’s campuses safe and open to all students, the CLC Police Department says. The CLC Police Department reported that the college’s campuses have had eight incidents of violent crime.

      The statistics, which the department is required by law to produce, show the frequency of certain crimes committed on campus 2006 through 2008. Throughout those years, the statistics show no murders, one sexual assault, two aggravated assaults (both in ’06), and five cases of battery.

      “Our statistics are not fudged,” CLC Police Sergeant Theodore Waters said. “These are honest statistics and not all schools can say that.” 

      In his 19 years at CLC, Sergeant Waters said he hasn’t seen violent crime rates trend in either direction. Fights make up the majority of violent crime the department deals with. But college campuses across the country now confront the challenge of trying to prevent the next major school shooting.

      “CLC has always been a very safe place,” Waters said. “But we have to be prepared and have those plans in place to keep it safe, because violence is trying to make its way in.”

        “You try to intervene and prevent,” CLC Chief of Police Kevin Lowry said. “On a national level, that’s what the FBI and Secret Service do for our country. They try to intervene, prevent, before that bomber does what he’s trying to do. On our level, we’re trying to do the same thing. Campus wide, a department of 20 can’t do that all by ourselves, so what we try to do is train individuals to help with that.”

      The individuals Chief Lowry is helping to train make up the school’s Crisis Prevention and Intervention Team. Most of the staff on the team are heads of departments who have direct contact with students.

      “We have the key players in place who might get information about students in crisis,” said Julie DeGraw, dean of the Counseling, Advising and Transfer Center at CLC. DeGraw is also the team’s chairwoman.

      College campuses across the country are implementing similar prevention teams. The teams are largely a response to the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, when student Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people before turning the gun on himself. 

      “What they found from Virginia Tech was that Cho had had encounters with campus police, counseling, health center and numerous faculty members,” said Lowry, also a member of the team. “All that information from the faculty was held within their divisions.”

      “As a result of that,” DeGraw said, “there was a lot written about how we should create avenues for (information sharing) to happen, especially in extreme situations where we’re worried about the safety and health of the student or the campus.”

      The team’s main functions are to train and educate staff and faculty on how best to identify and work with students who may be in crisis. Then, they meet and share information to identify students who have the potential for violence.

      If a student seems to be in crisis, his or her name is brought up to the group. 

      “If others say, ‘yes, that name is familiar to me,’ then we share the info as it’s appropriate.” DeGraw said. “If people say no, that’s the end of it.”

      “Anything that is said in that group is confidential,” she added, “it can’t be taken out of that group. I don’t want people to think that if they come in to talk to me or the police that we’re going to share that information outside of our office. It’s really only when we think it may be harmful to other places on campus.”

      The team is also responsible for helping plan the campus-wide emergency response.
      “I’ve been really impressed since I’ve been here,” DeGraw said. “We know what we’re doing. Everybody has a plan and has walked through that plan.

      “We don’t want to just be responding, we want to be preventing things before they happen.”

      Waters and DeGraw both stressed the importance of keeping the college open to the community.

      “Community colleges have people who are fresh out of prison for violent crimes,” Waters said. “But they are here to get an education, to become a productive member of society. This is where you want them to be.

      “They’re coming here to learn how to not be violent and live a better life, and that’s a good thing. CLC is lucky, and CLC is a good place. People are here to improve their lives, and they don’t want to mess that up.”

      In fact, countless studies have shown that prisoners who get an education are far less likely to go back to prison. A 2009 report released by the U.S. Department of Education, “Partnerships Between Community Colleges and Prisons,” found that community colleges make their community safer by turning potential re-offenders into productive citizens.

      “You want colleges to be open and public and available to all people,” DeGraw said. “We’re all about access and trying to be a resource to the community. Do we want to be about locking our doors and making everybody swipe a card to get in? I don’t think we do.

      “There’s a strong connection between education and being able to move forward. So why wouldn’t we want that to be available to everyone?”

      Sergeant Waters also said the general attitudes and expectations of people on campus play a very large role in keeping the campus safe.

      “We, the students, staff, everybody, create a culture that is not accepting of the precursor elements of violence,” Waters said. “Valuing diversity and making sure that everyone feels included and is included, treating people with respect, that’s what we do. I think that’s why CLC is a safer place.”

Center powers to new location, name

9:09 PM Chronicle
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Vik Bhardwaj
Managing Editor

The Student Empowerment Center, formerly known as the Student Development Center, was recently relocated from the second floor B-wing room B210 downstairs to the more spacious B120 and held its open house on from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday. Students could socialize and lounge on one of the two sofas in the room while eating food from a variety of local ethnic and American restaurants.

The SEC is composed of the Women’s Center, THRIVE, Multicultural Student Center, and Student Retention, with Veteran’s Services coming soon. It frequently works to connect students with the Learning Resource Center, the library, financial aid and the near-by counseling office.

Aside from referrals, the center offers a multitude of ways students can “recharge,” Coordinator of the Multicultural Student Center Jorge Tennin said.

The point of the Student Empowerment Center is to get around the fact that CLC is a commuter college by helping make it a place where students can connect, Tennin added.

The change in name was to avoid confusion with CLC’s other Student Development Center, a part of Career and Placement Services.

“The (new) name is fitting,” Tennin said, although he added the name did take some getting used to. Like hearing a new song on the radio, it eventually grew on him, Tennin said.

“I saw that the meaning related and that it was something we could live up to,” Tennin said.

The purpose of the Multicultural Student Center is to have an ethnic, diverse connection and representation on campus, Tennin said.

Multicultural Student Center consists of eight clubs—Asian Student Alliance, Black Student Union, Latino Alliance, International Club, Hillel, Muslim Student Association, Pride Alliance, and South Asian Student Association.

Student Retention offers academic coaching and information on need-based grants and scholarships like Title-9 grants.

Title-9 Grant Manager and Adviser to Latino Student Alliance Rudolfo Ruiz-Velasco said the retention efforts go beyond the center. He said the student may be more or less inclined to stay in school by the total student experience, with interactions at all levels, from the janitors to the teachers.

Regarding the recent cuts across the board to colleges and four-year institutions, Tennin said the MSC is as important as ever. There are 190 students and 17 academic advisers involved in the clubs.

Four year institutions could forgo its diversity clubs on account of the vicinal connections its students have living with each other, whereas CLC couldn’t afford to since its students don’t live with each other, said Tennin.

Student, officer of Muslim Student Association and member of South Asian Student Association Osman Mohammed said the clubs are an effective way for students to develop cultural awareness.

“By having clubs at the college, students can have a place where they can fit in,” Mohammed said.

Ruiz-Velasco said the club puts students in the company of productivity. Many officers in the club are examples of achievement. They go on to four-year institutions and provide a “domino effect,” he said.

The Women’s Center was founded by Director Theresa Aguinaldo and provides financial assistance and confidentiality to women who need it. Clients are qualified and approved by the Women’s Center.

The Women’s Center, the American Association for Women in Community College, as well as CLC, all recently co-sponsored a slew of informative lectures, as well as a performance of the “Vagina Monologues” to commemorate March as Women’s History Month.

THRIVE is under the Women’s Center and provides students with free academic guidance and coaches, development workshops, study groups, peer mentors, conferences and social events to help keep students on track.

THRIVE clerk and student Liz Clark said there are two types of Women’s Center clients, traditional and non-traditional. The former may be the typical 18 to 22 year old college student. The latter make up the older students who may have jobs or families.

Clark’s first stint at college didn’t work out because she felt disconnected. She attended Penn State University. Some 15 years later, she thrives at CLC because of its closer-knit community.

Clark, a single mother, first came to the Women’s Center as a client in search of child care assistance for her 4-year-old son. She obtained it, and while looking for jobs the following summer, heard about an opening to work for the center and took it.

She can now return the favor by offering assistance to others.

“It’s the best feeling in the world,” Clark said.

She is majoring in psychology and is vice president of Student Government Association. She plans to go on to the University Center then to NIU to get her master’s.

New Student Orientation and First Year Experience used to be in B120, but moved down to the student activities office, C101. Coordinator of First Year Experience Mark Lowry said the move was more convenient in that it brought him closer to the familiar faces who started in NSO/FYE.

Lowry said his previous office won’t be sorely missed since it was in the corner and away from most student traffic, but will take the walk up to B120 to visit from time to time.

The Student Empowerment Center is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday through the spring semester. Brochures for all the components of the SEC can be found in C101 and B120. A bulletin board is located outside B120 with information regarding scholarships, a calendar of events, and other offerings.

A look into the cause of school shootings: Part 1

Thursday, March 18, 2010 12:21 PM Chronicle
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Vik Bhardwaj
Managing Editor


      The recent shootings at Northern Illinois University, Virginia Tech University and University of Alabama in Huntsville are cause to reflect on the safety of school campuses.


      Identifying the cause of these shootings has been an issue of national debate.


      A recent study by Christopher J. Ferguson at Texas A&M International University’s Behavioral, Applied Sciences and Criminal Justice Department looked into the causal relationship of violent video games and found significant “divides between existing video game research and acts of serious aggression and violence.”


      Ferguson said much of the research on violence and video games is mixed.


      For instance, Ferguson said neither the NIU shooter Steve Kazmierczak nor the VT shooter Seung-Hui Cho were violent video gamers, but the Columbine shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold played a lot of the violent PC game Doom.


      The nature of correlated research is to associate two variables. In this case, violence and video games are the variables. The problem is that other important variables, such as genetics, personality, and gender are omitted from most studies. 


      CLC Psychology Professor Dr. Martha Lally said the correlation of research on violence and video games is hard to weigh with any certainty.


      Ferguson’s claim was that rather than video games, the media’s spotlight on the violence is the bigger issue because it is inaccurately greater than reality. Ferguson pointed to this as the idea of moral panic. 


      CLC Sociology Professor David Asma said moral panic occurs “when a large number of people become disproportionately fearful about an otherwise isolated event.”


      Ferguson said once fear is instilled, researchers are more likely to pass along biased studies with uneven support. Thus, societal beliefs are formed. Ferguson said the media uses this tactic to increase ratings and politicians use it for political gain.


      Asma said moral panic leads to “mean world syndrome.” This idea says that constant exposure to violent media will portray the world as a very scary place.


      In a recent CLC poll, 50 students were asked whether violent crimes were on the rise. 70 percent said it was. 


      Asma said there exists a belief that violence is on the rise, when actually the inverse is true.


      Lally and Asma said school shootings are rare. Both said primary schools are the safest places for young people.


        “Students are much safer in their schools than in their homes and their communities,” Lally said.


      Lally said bullying contributes to school violence as a whole.


        She said a lot of research has gone into making schools safer in an attempt to nip violence in the bud.


      Implementations have been made to “bully-proof” schools and a recent U.S. Department of Justice study found that from 2002 to 2008 bullying and aggression among children had decreased, Lally said.


        “We are seeing a lot of our anti-bullying programs pay off,” Lally said.
      She said an integral part of making schools safer is the cooperation from school 
counselors and teachers to target “at-risk kids.”


      This means having faculty pick up on such cues as students who suggest violence in their speech, literature or behavior.


      Asma said bullying affects certain people differently.


  “We’re all victims of bullying at one point or another,” Amsa said. “The question is what impact does that have on the individual.”


      Lally said, higher education also needs to pick up on these cues.


      Students at large four-year institutions can get lost in a sea of anonymity. Schools can keep track of students through residency hall check-ins and mentoring programs, Lally said. 


      In part two, an investigation of campus safety at CLC. Look for it in the next issue. 

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