Springtime in Chicago ushers in the usual flora and fauna, colonies of feral cats, and the U of C's annual four-day, nationwide Scavenger Hunt--the world's biggest, according to my sources.
This year, our web editor Mischa Fierer launched the Maroon's shiny new Scav blog. Check it out for around the clock updates by editors, writers, and scavvies.
Stay tuned for the inside campus scoop, on the grounds reporting, and Sunday's judging results.
http://blogs.chicagomaroon.com/scav/
Friday, May 9, 2008
2008 Scav Hunt Blog
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
UChicago gets bad rap
According to the New York Times, a Chicago graduate is responsible for Uma Thurman's stalking woes.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Higher Education Act Expires
From Politico:
As of today, there is apparently no Higher Education Act. On Tuesday, the Senate passed by unanimous consent a one month “extension of higher education programs.” But the House hasn’t taken action on the extension, which means that the original expiration date – April 30, 2008 – has come and gone.
HEA is a huge barrel of rules and authorizations of appropriations that form the basis of federal higher education policy. A House Democratic aide said that the short-term extension will be passed next week and that the Congressional Budget Office has said that "no programs will be affected." But as of today, it’s gone.
What’s that mean exactly? One lobbyist noted to the Crypt that the rule that prevents students with drug convictions from getting loans is now gone – but so too, apparently, are the loans themselves. So tough luck, stoners.
We’ll update this post when we learn more.
Here’s the extension that the Senate passed on Tuesday…
SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF HIGHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS.
(a) Extension of Programs- Section 2(a) of the Higher Education Extension Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-81; 20 U.S.C. 1001 note) is amended by striking `April 30, 2008' and inserting `May 31, 2008'.
(b) Rule of Construction- Nothing in this section, or in the Higher Education Extension Act of 2005 as amended by this Act, shall be construed to limit or otherwise alter the authorizations of appropriations for, or the durations of, programs contained in the amendments made by the Higher Education Reconciliation Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-171) or by the College Cost Reduction and Access Act (Public Law 110-84) to the provisions of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and the Taxpayer-Teacher Protection Act of 2004.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Covering a Tragedy (video)
I spent Friday morning with the staff of the Northern Star, NIU's student newspaper, as they covered the aftermath of the shootings from the previous day.
I also had a video camera.
(Check out more videos at Fresh Cut.)
Saturday, February 16, 2008
NIU Vigil
Student Government announced today that there would be a vigil in support of Northern Illinois Monday. Here's the info:
| Name: | Vigil in Support of Northern Illinois |
| Tagline: | Show Support for our Fellow Students |
| Host: | Student Government |
| Type: |
| Date: | Monday, February 18, 2008 |
| Time: | 12:00pm - 1:00pm |
| Location: | Main Quads: Flagpole |
| City/Town: | Chicago, IL |
| Phone: | 541.760.9342 |
| Email: |
Friday, February 15, 2008
Covering a Tragedy
It's 7:00 a.m. The generators are up and running, hair and make-up artists are hard at work, and fat, unshaven cameramen are talking about basketball over boiling cups of coffee. Their discussion is interrupted when a younger looking guy asks for the bathroom. His hair is perfect, he's styling a chic $1000 outfit, and he could have done without the semi-obvious face lift. But the cameramen cut him some slack: He's from CNN.
This was the scene as I arrived on the campus of Northern Illinois University this morning, situated 60 miles or so west of Chicago in Dekalb, IL. The shootings that ravaged the campus a day earlier opened the door to a media frenzy a town this size should never have to see. And I stood out like a sore thumb amidst all of it.
Or so I thought, until I decided to ditch the stodgy press area and visit the offices of the Northern Star, the campus newspaper whose constantly updated website has served as a lifeline to concerned NIU parents, students, and outside journalists. Indeed, situated about a mile away from the lights and camera crews, the Northern Star offices proved instantly to be ground zero for anything and everything NIU. And I was the only person there.
It wasn't long before I met Justin Smith, an NIU senior and the Northern Star's online editor, as he unlocked the door to the newspaper office. He'd already sipped half of his frappuccino and was toting about five of this morning's national newspapers, all of them headlining the events of the previous day. He leads me to his computer, we chat for a bit, and he checks his Blackberry every 30 seconds for updates. Like many of his fellow staff members, he hasn't slept all night.
But for a guy who's just been through a national tragedy and spent the past six hours doing interviews for every major news outlet in the world, he looks like he couldn't be happier. After all, it's Friday, and he's been nothing but smiles as he updates the Northern Star's website.
Jim Killam, the newspaper's faculty adviser and NIU journalism professor, is the second staffer to arrive at the office, and he has some news for Smith. First, the Associated Press has offered to pay the paper for using its photos. Second, the coroner has released the names of the dead. And third, "Did I ask 'How are you?' yet?" Yet again, smiles on both their faces as Killam holds the Northern Star's morning issue, hot off the press, draped with the headline: "TRAGEDY".
(to be continued, later today)....
Resources
An e-mail sent to University students and staff this morning from VP/Dean of Students Kimberly Goff-Crews:
February 15, 2008
Today we are mourning the tragic loss of lives in the shootings at
A number of resources are available to students, staff and faculty to help us process our feelings of grief, sadness and fear. We are working with deans of students and residence hall staff to reach out to students who may need extra support during this time. Students who need assistance are encouraged to contact the Student Counseling and Resource Service,
More information about the University’s safety resources and efforts is available at http://www.uchicago.edu/safety/.
Sincerely,
Kimberly M. Goff-Crews
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