Columbia College students use art to fuel activism, voting
By Sophie Zhang While voters across the nation cast Super Tuesday ballots, Columbia College Chicago students merged their artistic talent with political activism through a free poster giveaway depicting candidates in the 2016 presidential election. The Art + Activism student group provided potential young voters with detailed voting information and tries to persuade people to register to […]
Loyola students tie blankets to protect homeless people against cold weather
By Sophie Zhang More than 30 students joined Habitat for Humanity’s Loyola University branch Feb. 24 to make fleece blankets for homeless people struggling to make it through yet another Chicago winter. “One day I actually saw somebody using one of our blankets near Grant Park, and I felt like we were really doing something […]
Illinois students rally for MAP grants (video)
By Sophie Zhang S tudents from about 15 universities and colleges gathered in front of the Thompson Center downtown Tuesday to demand Gov. Bruce Rauner fund a widely used grants program that serves low-income students in Illinois. Because of lack of funding, the state currently doesn’t have a budget for the Monetary Award Program (MAP) for 2016. The […]
Community efforts encourage Chicago’s Chinese to vote
By Sophie Zhang Debbie Liu spends a lot of time talking to people in Chinatown, trying to get traditionally reluctant residents to register to vote. “Asians have a traditionally lower than average voting habit,” said Liu, community development coordinator at the Coalition for A Better Chinese American Community, which has been mobilizing Chinese voters since […]
Chinatown reflects on its 100-year history through public art
By Sophie Zhang Red and yellow pigment splashes above glittering glass mosaic on two Chinatown murals, connects dozens of photos featuring residents to the body of a huge dragon sculpture. Under the Metra railroad bridge on Archer Avenue, these murals commemorate the 100th year of Chinatown. To integrate the ancient and the modern, artists applied […]
Cyclists group urges more women to hit the road
By Sophie Zhang Among 800,000 daily bike commuters in Chicago, only 30 percent are women, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. To encourage more women to enjoy the health benefits of biking in a world-class city, Women Bike Chicago hosts workshops and events for female cyclists.