Brains and brawn: How the brain controls muscular contractions in athletic performance
By Colleen Zewe Medill Reports Have you ever had an electrical current sent from your brain to your arm to research strength? Surprisingly, it doesn’t hurt – it’s done for the sake of neuromuscular research at the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Neuromuscular Research Lab. The lab uses a magstim rapid […]
Ukrainians in Chicago vote in presidential election where comedian secures landslide victory
By Andrew Sweeney Medill Reports Ukrainians in Chicago cast their ballots on Sunday in the final round of the Ukrainian presidential election pitting incumbent president and oligarch Petro Poroshenko against comedian Voldomomyr Zelenskiy. Zelenskiy triumphed in a landslide win of 72.3 percent and has pledged to continue Ukraine’s movement towards Europe after the 2014 Ukrainian […]
Northwestern’s Erro heats up in April after slow start
By Andre Toran Medill Reports Northwestern second baseman Alex Erro walked around the batting cage into the batter’s box, swiping rubber pellets into the air as he dug his cleats into the turfed surface at Rocky and Berenice Miller park, and prepared to swing. Line drive up the middle. Line drive up the middle. Then […]
Conservation, Culture, Community: The School for Field Studies in Cambodia
By Karyn Simpson Medill Reports SIEM REAP, Cambodia – If you turn left off the main road going west out of Siem Reap, Cambodia, you’ll find yourself on a sandy path not quite wide enough for two tuk-tuks. You’ll bounce along the uneven road as the rush of city traffic abruptly gives way to the […]
Illinois vape shops prepare for statewide increase in smoking age
By Andrew Sweeney Medill Reports A statewide ban on sales of tobacco and e-cigarettes to those under 21 years of age will go into effect in Illinois on July 1st of this year. The City of Chicago enacted a similar ban in 2016, which led to a 36% drop in smoking among 18-to-20-year-olds, according to […]
LGBTQ+ youths in Little Village find their voice on the air
By Thomas Ilalaole Medill Reports There are many stories in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago, but some are only recently being spoken and heard. Through a program at Yollocalli Arts Reach, two LGBTQ+ students are telling their stories — and the stories of their community — on a weekly radio show.
Tuned up: What’s behind Northwestern baseball’s air guitar craze?
By Andre Toran Medill Reports Baseball, more than any major sport in America, is all about its unwritten rules. Its traditionalistic nature doesn’t carry the celebratory flair basketball or football does. There aren’t pre-planned touchdown celebrations. No, ‘And one!’ screams or arms extended in celebration, as the pointer finger and the thumb meet to form […]
Scientists explore using bacteria as building blocks for alternative fuels
Researchers at Northwestern University’s Jewett Lab use E. coli and other strains to innovate new renewable compounds By Valerie Nikolas Medill Reports At Northwestern University’s Jewett Lab in the Center for Synthetic Biology, researchers aim to create sustainable chemicals and materials out of existing organic compounds. Using cell-free metabolic engineering, they isolate the structural components […]
Used as the new black: Environmentally conscious shoppers are choosing thrift stores
By Karleigh Stone Medill Reports Rapidly changing fashion trends can be harmful to the environment, according to a recent analysis by a U.N. consortium. In what’s known as “fast fashion,” retailers constantly flip the floor stock to match popular styles. That has led to production facilities creating more clothing than ever before.
Double amputee discovers new abilities through contemporary dance
By Josephine Chu Medill Reports Through contemporary dance, Kris Lenzo shows the world that disabled people are no different from other dancers. Lenzo lost both legs in a work accident nearly 40 years ago but has stayed active since his injury. He played wheelchair basketball for years before transitioning to contemporary dance at Momenta Dance […]