West Side showcase provides college opportunities for local basketball players
By Allie Burger and Jacob Rogers Chicago basketball guru Daniel Poneman has teamed up with NBA player Evan Turner to provide local high school and junior college basketball players a free opportunity to change their lives. The Evan Turner Prospect Showcase is a day-long event that gives 250 athletes the chance to play in front […]
Cyclists use pedal power to make a difference for the homeless
By Jiayan Jenny Shi and Xufei Geng Mas Contractor, owner of the non-profit Bike4Life bicycle shop in Logan Square, learned long ago the power of helping others. “My grandfather used to always say you need to help one person in the world,” Contractor said. “If you can help one person, then you did your deed.” Two years […]
Logan Square teens preserve their Latino culture
By Alissa Anderegg and Stephanie Rothman Logan Square is a trendy, up-and-coming neighborhood that has seen thriving new businesses and rising rents. But gentrification is pushing out the Latino population that has lived there for decades. According to U.S. Census data, in the last 15 years, Logan Square has seen the most Latino displacement of […]
Nonprofit bike collective gives back by educating cyclers
By Angel Idowu and Jane Bodmer One nonprofit bike shop is not only giving back, but also teaching members of its community to be self-sufficient cyclists. The Recyclery, a nonprofit bike shop in Rogers Park, repairs and donates used bikes to local nonprofits. It also hosts a variety of youth programs and “open shop” hours […]
Chicago experts weigh in on pope’s call to dispose of nuclear weapons
By Katie Karalis In light of the “mother of all bombs” dropped on an ISIS target in Afghanistan last Thursday, academics and nonviolence strategists alike are in agreement with Pope Francis’ call to the international community to adopt forward-looking strategies to promote the goal of peace and stability, questioning not only the existence of […]
Muslims see mug shot of woman forced to remove hijab as ongoing issue
By Ben Trachtenberg In the wake of DuPage police releasing a mug shot of a Rafath Waheed without her head scarf, many in the Muslim community said they felt insulted by the lack of sensitivity to their religious customs and say this is just one example of an ongoing problem. “I think that’s a huge […]
Sawdust carpets cushion Nicaragua’s streets on Good Friday
By Mariah Quintanilla Boaco, Nicaragua – Nicaraguans marched across colorful sawdust carpets alongside their savior in the final carrying of the crosses Friday during the Catholic Holy Week. The bright, fluffy carpets lined the lower main street of Boaco, a municipality in central Nicaragua with the slogan, “The city of two floors.” The “bleeding” crosses, […]
White Sox Fans Have Low Expectations for 2017 Season
By Jennifer Lee As the city of Chicago still seems to be celebrating the Cubs’ World Series title, their cross-town rivals are being over-shadowed yet again. White Sox fans have suffered through some rough seasons after a successful bid for the championship in 2005, and this year doesn’t look like it’s going to be much […]
Northwestern and UIUC undergrads race to finish satellite for orbit
By Lily Williams Imagine NASA in action. A rocket, pushing off a landing base and away into the skies with titanic force, smoke and fire. An image of Earth, floating serene in the dark blanket of space. Tunnels and pipes and computers. Millions of wires zipping every which way. Lights blinking, code flying and scientists monitoring […]
Signs in Chicago’s pedway fail to point the way
By Manasi Kaushik Often reported on, hardly acted upon. That is the status of Chicago’s pedway system. Though the pedway is essential to Chicago as it provides shelter to daily commuters from harsh weather, it’s easy to lose one’s way in this vast underground maze. The Chicago Tribune’s architecture critic, Blair Kamin, blames the pedway’s […]