You people are driving me batty: Humans and the noise that comes with them are stressing out Cambodia’s vulnerable bat population
By Karyn Simpson Medill Reports SIEM REAP, Cambodia — Passersby usually look at the camera first. Propped lens-up on an upside-down, red laundry basket in the middle of the street, the setup understandably draws attention. Inevitably, their eyes follow the camera’s angle upward, tilting their heads back to squint at the leaves – or what […]
Shaped by immigrant parents, Whitney Young senior lacrosse player aims to help her own
By Emma Goodson Medill Reports The clock stopped. Away 10, Home 9 hovered in yellow lights above the north end of Knute Rockne Stadium. But Nicole Chavez wasn’t ready for the game to end. She saw the ball bounce out of the net and swiftly scooped it up, running downfield before hearing the final whistle […]
A Road to Revival: The state of Black baseball in Chicago
By Andre Toran Medill Reports The state of Black baseball is in major decline. From little league to high school to college to the major leagues – the picture surrounding black participation in the sport is bleak. In this segment of Medill Newsmakers, Andre Toran examines the reason for the decline and possible solutions.
Rugby sport growing in Chicago area
Move over Bears, Bulls and Blackhawks! Make room for rugby. From Soldier Field hosting The Rugby Weekend to kids growing up with the game, Chicago is becoming a rugby city. Photo at top: A high-school rugby team huddling prior to walking onto the pitch for its state championship match in Berwyn, Ill. (Andre Toran/MEDILL).
Youth activists in Chicago push for action on both climate change and gun control
By Shannon Longworth Medill Reports Many of the same high school and college students who work to prevent gun violence in Chicago are also active on the issue of climate change. Gun violence is a more easily-identifiable, immediate issue in some communities, while climate change is more long-term and global. But they may not actually […]
For pro softball players, it’s not about the paycheck: it’s the competition, camaraderie and love for the game
By Karleigh Stone Medill Reports Professional softball players make only a fraction of what major league baseball players do. The highest paid National Pro Fastpitch players cap out at around $20,000 per year, a mere four percent of the lowest-paid MLB player’s salary. Though it’s a professional sport, the women playing can’t make a living […]
Wing Tsun seminar brings America’s top master to fighters of all levels
By Stephanie Fox Medill Reports About 20 men and women gathered at the Wing Tsun Illinois studio in Glenview this weekend for a 2-day seminar focused on the precision accuracy and timing of the Southern Chinese-style of Kung Fu. Illinois residents from Chicago to Peoria had the opportunity to train under Master Will Parker, the […]
Success is a two-way street, you never know who will walk by
By Louis Ricard Medill Reports It’s 30 minutes before kickoff and a man walks onto the field, stepping on each little section of grass the rain severely damaged throughout the week. Wearing a hoodie, a pair of large rectangular sunglasses hiding his eyes and a trimmed beard, David Clancy’s face is as tough to read […]
Her childhood disease fueled a young woman’s philanthropic initiative
By Nadia Adams Medill Reports When she was a child, Nadia Howse was in and out of the hospital. She suffered from a rare childhood disease that affects mainly Asians and boys. She was neither, so it didn’t immediately occur to her doctors that it could be Kawasaki Disease. Luckily, because of her mother’s concern […]
Swimming with the trash
By Stephanie Fox Medill Reports Only days after his 51st birthday, Ben Lecomte found himself miles off the coast of Tokyo, swimming next to a small boat filled with scientists, a doctor and a film crew. Everyone on the vessel watched in awe as Lecomte finished his 8 hours in the water that day–a feat […]