Macarons bake up donations for cancer research
by Stephanie Golden A Lincoln Park French bakery is turning a customer’s sweet tooth into donations for cancer research this month. Sugar Fixe Macaron is donating 15 percent of the proceeds for cancer research from their sale of their purple and green macarons. You may know the treats as macaroons. “We really wanted to be […]
At clubs like Stone Park’s Playpen, sex work no fun and games
By Rebekah Frumkin and Jenny Lee To an observer, it looks like a slow night at The Playpen in Stone Park: A few customers linger around the bar while two more play a leisurely game of pool. But for 26-year-old Naperville native Natalie Escobar, it’s a night to make money. “It’s good to have customers […]
A laugh ignites tensions between labor union and state representative
by Stephanie Golden Video by Xiao Lyu An Illinois state representative is denying claims of laughing off a sexual harassment incident reported to him as protesters accuse him of inappropriate conduct. More than 30 people gathered at Daley Plaza, across from CBS Chicago’s downtown headquarters, Tuesday to protest the local network’s refusal to air an […]
Evanston coach keeps his eyes on the real prize
Q&A: Wildkits basketball coach Mike Ellis By Julia Cardi Twice in the past decade, Mike Ellis coached teams at Richwoods High School in Peoria to within three points of winning state championships. Now he’s four games away from the title with the Evanston Wildkits. But he’s not asking his players to bring home the trophy for his sake. […]
Icy debate over alternative therapies for athletes
By Erin Barney Justina Di Stasio put on a surgical mask, cotton gloves, thick socks and rubber shoes. A tank top and shorts left her arms and legs exposed to -120 degree temperatures, and after only 30 seconds, she lost feeling in her muscles. She went completely numb in the remaining two minutes of her […]
Comedy spotlights the battle of the sexes
By Elizabeth Bacharach Three women donning animal ears dance to music as the character Waldo from “Where’s Waldo?” slinks between them, attempting to keep rhythm as he approaches each woman from behind. Once in position, Waldo extends his hands to grope his target and is deterred by each startled actress who jumps away. This scene […]
Sports History 101: How Roosevelt University transformed a parking lot into an athletic program
Q&A with Athletic Director Mike Cassidy By Abbas Haleem Seven years ago, Mike Cassidy walked the perimeter of a parking lot on the southeast corner of Congress and Wabash, wondering how an athletics center could fit there. Roosevelt University had just hired him to bring varsity athletics back after a 20-year hiatus. His charge: to […]
From rugby to NFL: New Zealander’s unconventional journey to Bears
Q & A with Paul Lasike, Chicago Bears hopeful at running back By Aishwarya Kumar Lakshminarayanapuram Set aside the fact that Paul Lasike, currently a practice squad running back for the Bears, did not start playing football until his sophomore year at Brigham Young University. He never watched a football game until the age of 20. Lasike […]
Overprescribed and underfunded: Illinois’ surge in overdose deaths
By Jack Adams, Talia Beechick and Madison Hopkins Chris Nielsen’s future looked bright. A senior in high school, he played catcher on his school’s baseball team in a Chicago suburb and was offered a full scholarship to play the sport at Michigan State University. But at age 17, after his first knee surgery, he was […]
Wildcats foul up against Michigan in home finale
By Michelle R. Martinelli The Northwestern women’s basketball team didn’t need to do anything crazy to beat Michigan. It didn’t need a buzzer-beater or a miraculous run in the last two minutes. It just needed to hit its free throws scattered throughout the game. Instead, the Wildcats made 9-of-15 at the line, and those six […]