A teen’s fall and death during the last ice age
By Tiffany Chen Medill Reports Yucatan Peninsula. Even the tropical jungle of the Yucatan Peninsula reveal traces of the last ice age. The remains of them mammoth animals of the Late Pleistocene are safe and sound, not buried but submerged in the water-filled chambers in underground caves. Cave divers discovered the skeletons of ice age animals […]
Feral cats hunting down lizards in the Yucatan
By Tiffany Chen Medill Reports Quintana Roo, Mexico – The lush forests, cobalt blue waters and and rich biodiversity leaves the tourists in awe in the Yucatan Peninsula. Yet, over the past 20 years, locals and tourists at the coastal town of Akumal noticed a drop in the population of lizards. And stray cats are […]
As oceans acidify, it’s life or death for some marine animals
By Tiffany Chen Medill Reports Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the world’s oceans have been absorbing carbon dioxide caused by human activity. Oceans act like a sponge to buffer the heating effects caused by excessive CO2 levels. Without it, the earth would be dangerously hot. But there’s a catch. Ocean acidification is described […]
Women and minorities face discrimination, challenges in STEM fields
By Tiffany Chen Medill Reports The fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) have long been dominated by men. Women in these fields often face harassment, discrimination and inequality. “There are built-in biases in the system of academia that are harmful to women in particular,” said Shauna Price, a postdoctoral fellow at the Field […]
Exotic pet owners may not know what they’re getting themselves into
By Tiffany Chen Medill Reports In the Oscar-nominated movie “I, Tonya,” Allison Janney, who plays Tonya Harding’s mother in the film, has a pet parrot that perches on her shoulder. Sometimes Hollywood movies that feature exotic animals like these can start a trend in people wanting to have one of their own. And new owners […]
For scuba instructor, diving is more than recreation: it’s public safety
By Tiffany Chen Medill Reports Even on the coldest days of winter, scuba diving instructor Nick Kouris is teaching, and some of his students go on to save lives. At the Berry Diver Center in Northfield, Kouris trains officers from fire and police departments to become public safety divers. “Scuba diving is one of the […]
Young business owners aim to reshape Chinatown
By Tiffany Chen Medill Reports Young entrepreneurs are introducing new hotels and big chains like Starbucks in Chicago’s Chinatown. And they’re taking over family businesses. These new ventures are remodeling storefronts and embracing phone apps to draw a new crowd to the neighborhood. “It’s all part of an image you want to create for the […]
At 76, Chinese dance instructor lives her passion and passes it on
By Dena Khalafallah and Tiffany Chen Medill Reports At 11 years old, Jin Qui Yue discovered her passion for dance and has followed it throughout her life. At 76 years old, she continues to teach dance to students of all ages in Chicago. “I’m 76 years old already, and I still haven’t stepped down from […]
