Chicago Students Learn the Art of Mariachi
By Katie Watkins At some Chicago public schools, students are learning the art of mariachi music. Officially founded in 2013, the Chicago Mariachi Project offers in-school and after school mariachi classes at several elementary, middle and high schools in the city. Students from across the Chicago area can also audition to be a part of […]
Japan banking on tourism as economic driver
By Mindy Tan Tourism has emerged as a driving force in Japan’s economy and the government is banking on it to boost the world’s third largest economy. In 2016, an estimated 24 million foreigners visited Japan, an increase of 21.8 percent over the 2015’s 19.7 million visitors, according to data from the Japan National Tourism […]
Is UConn good for women’s college basketball?
By Allie Burger The history of the DePaul’s women’s basketball program can be summed up in a walk down a wide hallway on the second floor of McGrath-Phillips Arena. The corridor, linking the offices of longtime coach Doug Bruno to his assistants, is a testament to the success of one of America’s premiere college programs. […]
Twitter reacts to Northwestern’s historic NCAA Tournament berth
By Mark Singer The 78-year drought is finally over. Northwestern made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history Sunday, and Twitter users were fairly excited about it. As if nearly eight decades of waiting wasn’t enough, the Wildcats had to sit idly as the CBS selection show crew went through the East, […]
A Green Chicago River kicks off St. Patrick’s Day celebrations
By Yifang (Evonne) Liu Green beer, leprechauns, four-leaf clovers, and a green Chicago River, here comes another St. Patrick’s Day celebration! On Saturday morning, at 9 a.m., members of the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Union poured an environmentally friendly green vegetable dye into the river to celebrate the traditional Irish St. Patrick’s Day.
Bringing seeds to life at Plant Chicago
By Emilie Syberg At Plant Chicago’s recent Saturday farmer’s market, local organic recycling plant Nature’s Little Recyclers hosted a seed swap. Market attendees, who came to enjoy a craft beer from Whiner Brewery and pick up some vegetables for the week ahead, lingered over seed packets ranging from squash to marigolds. Ed Hubbard, the founder […]
Binge drinking rises, with heavy toll in Illinois
By Rachel Newman University of Illinois alum Erin McPartlin, 26, wasn’t surprised when she learned that a student had died during the university’s annual “Unofficial St. Patrick’s Day.” Held on the first Friday of March, the holiday revolves around day-long binge drinking, and many students don’t know their limits, McPartlin said. “Freshman year and on, […]
February job gains point to strengthening economy
By Karen Lentz The unemployment rate edged down to 4.7 percent in February, as 235,000 jobs were added during the month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. The rate is a slight drop from 4.8 percent in January, indicating continued movement toward recovery from the 2007-2009 recession. The biggest job gains occurred in […]
Cuban entrepreneurs shatter glass ceilings
By Katanga Johnson HAVANA, Cuba — Neatly laid out across a wooden table, the crepe-papered outline of a multi-colored mosaic serves as the legend for what Irena Martínez and Adriana de la Nuez have nearly completed designing: a stained-glass window depicting a bird–the Cuban trogon. Across the latitude of its 11-inch frame, the tropical island’s […]
U.S. tax, healthcare changes won’t distract Monroe Capital
By Jingnan Huo Chicago-based business development company Monroe Capital Corp. (NASDAQ: MRCC) is expected to maintain strong growth in 2017, analysts say. Policy changes in healthcare and tax breaks and intensifying competition in the business development arena will not have a heavy impact on the company’s business, nor will it affect the company’s conservative investment […]