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Articles by Alexandra Yetter
Chicago artists, scientists join forces to craft conversation on climate change
By Alexandra Yetter, Senior Staff Reporter September 11, 2020 Jeremey Bolen’s “Albedo” pays tribute to the 41 unclaimed bodies of the more than 700 people who died during the 1995 heatwave in Chicago. The sculptural memorial serves as a reminder of the dangers of global warming. K’Von Jackson Seven artists and seven scientists walk into the Indiana Dunes National Park.
Marcella David on her first year at Columbia, the Black Lives Matter movement and the fall semester
By Alexandra Yetter, Senior Reporter September 3, 2020 In Senior Vice President and Provost Marcella David’s first year at Columbia, she made a point of immersing herself in the campus culture. “Anytime there’s a reason for me to pop down and see somebody’s scholarship … or go to a presentation about a new chair hire or something of that nature, … that’s just fun,” David said.
Everything to know about voting by mail in the general election
By Alexandra Yetter, Senior Staff Reporter|August 31, 2020 Gianella Goan Election officials across the country are gearing up for record numbers of vote-by-mail ballots for the November general election as many voters look for ways to stay safe during the coronavirus pandemic. Butwhat is mail-in voting? And is it really a secure way to vote? The Chronicle answers these questions and more in its guide to voting by mail. What is mail-in voting?
Looking for a way to get involved in the November election? Be an election judge
By Alexandra Yetter, Senior Reporter August 31, 2020 High school juniors and seniors, and college students, are encouraged to apply to be election judges for the November general election, as some judges will not return because their age puts them at risk for the coronavirus. File photo When Jeromel Dela Rosa Lara and his mother became U.S. citizens in 2017, Lara was already looking forward to voting and assisting in the U.S. democratic process.
Pandemic unlikely to hurt Columbia’s Higher Learning Commission accreditation, administrators say
By Alexandra Yetter, Senior Staff Reporter August 28, 2020 Associate Provost for Accreditation and Assessment Neil Pagano is not concerned that pandemic-induced online courses will impact the college’s Higher Learning Commission accreditation, which is done every 10 years. File photo. Even though a majority of courses at Columbia will be heldonline or hybrid, the college’s accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission is unlikely to be threatened.
4 need-to-know updates on where Columbia stands ahead of the 2020-2021 school year
By Alexandra Yetter, Senior Staff Reporter August 21, 2020 Chief of Staff Laurent Pernot (top left corner) updates faculty senators about developments to Columbia’s Reopening Plan during the first Faculty Senate meeting of the 2020–2021 academic year. Alexandra Yetter In the first Faculty Senate meeting of the academic year, administrators updated senators on ongoing plans to reopen amid a pandemic.
This online gallery promotes activism through student-made illustrations
By Alexandra Yetter, Senior Staff Reporter|August 12, 2020 Jennifer Chavez A blood-splattered bald eagle. The back of a Black man, fist raised, wearing orange. Shadowed bodies view Fourth of July fireworks from behind a wired fence. These are some of the powerful images featured in a new online gallery titled “Illustration as Activism,” curated by students in Columbia’s Illustration Student Group and created by Columbia students and alumni.
Everything you need to know about the Electoral College in 2020
By Alexandra Yetter, Senior Reporter August 6, 2020 Shane Tolentino With less than 100 days until the November general election, the Electoral College is once again creeping into the political conversation, even though it’s something many Americans likely know little about. How does the Electoral College work? Prior to the general election in a presidential year, each state’s political parties nominate a group of “electors” who pledge to vote for a party’s candidate.
EPA Proposes Registering Weedkiller Alternative to Glyphosate
Product Liability & Toxics Law News Soft red winter wheat grows in Kirkland, Ill., on July 17, 2020. Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg July 31, 2020, 6:31 PM Need for additional herbicides is growing, EPA says Unclear if glyphosate alternative tiafenacil is carcinogenic The EPA has proposed registering tiafenacil as an alternative to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Bayer AG’s Roundup, as some weeds have become increasingly resistant to the widely used herbicide.
Administrators address faculty worries on campus reopening
By Alexandra Yetter, Senior Reporter July 31, 2020 Columbia’s Faculty Senate Executive Committee dodge a Zoombomber and welcome college administrators during a discussion on campus reopening. (Camilla Forte) With the start of Columbia’s Fall 2020 semester a little more than a month away, faculty are still worried about a slew of uncertainties, like whether instructors can be retaliated against for contracting the coronavirus or what social distancing will look like on campus.
Georgia, Texas Landfills May Lack Air Permits: EPA Watchdog (1)
Twelve landfills in Georgia and Texas may be operating under state agencies without permits required under the Clean Air Act, the EPA’s internal watchdog said Thursday. Without state oversight, landfills “could operate for years without required emissions controls,” allowing pollution to soar over federal regulatory levels, according to the report by the Office of Inspector General for the Environmental Protection Agency.
Pentagon Must Examine Climate Risks for Contractors, GAO Says
The Department of Defense isn’t adequately accounting for the effects of climate change on contractors’ infrastructure and supply chains, according to a report issued Monday by the Government Accountability Office. The Defense Department and its military departments are “potentially jeopardizing their missions” by not accounting for climate risks, such as floods damaging facilities or cutting off access to services like information technology, the yearlong GAO audit found.
Senators Call for Increased Action on Ocean Plastic Pollution
Senators on Tuesday emphasized bipartisan, global support for addressing the world’s ocean plastic pollution, even though the U.S. isn’t part of an international treaty devoted to the issue. “There’s a lot we do agree upon and getting plastics out of the ocean should be something we can come together on,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-N.C.), chairman of the Appropriations State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee, during a hearing.
Kanye West in the White House is likely a ‘long shot,’ experts say
By Alexandra Yetter, Senior Staff Reporter July 15, 2020 Shane Tolentino One day Kanye West is announcing his run for president in a tweet, the next a political adviser is reporting he has changed his mind and the next day West appears to be filing official paperwork and attempting to be on the Florida ballot. No wonder more than half of respondents in a Tuesday, July 14 survey by Redfield & Wilton Strategies don’t think he’s serious about running for office.
Trump Administration Lowered Cost of Climate Change, GAO Finds
The Trump administration’s estimate of the social cost of climate change is seven times lower than the amount used during the Obama administration, according to a Tuesday report by the Government Accountability Office. The social cost of climate change is the value of the effects of an incremental increase in carbon dioxide emissions, usually measured in dollars per metric ton.
Diesel Engines Latest to Get EPA Rules Respite Due to Virus (1)
The EPA is giving diesel engine makers a break from meeting certain Clean Air Act requirements because of challenges from the coronavirus pandemic. Public health and legal concerns may have hindered manufacturers’ ability to adhere to certification and compliance activities for engines, vehicles, and other equipment, according to a Monday letter from the agency.
The youth vote faces ‘enormous’ challenges in 2020. Columbia is helping to save it.
By Alexandra Yetter, Senior Staff Reporter July 10, 2020 This year, Columbia will be participating in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge and competing against other colleges for the highest voter turnout and registration rate in the upcoming 2020 presidential election. File photo.
Chicago Sustainability Czar Focusing on Climate, Justice Issues
Chicago’s new sustainability chief grew up on the city’s Southwest Side, once known for the many steel mills that polluted the air. The experience helps Angela Tovar focus her work on environmental justice. “There’s a tremendous opportunity to impact the daily lives and vibrancy of our community residents.
Chicago Sustainability Czar Focus on Climate, Justice Issues
Chicago’s new sustainability chief grew up on the city’s Southwest Side, once known for the many steel mills that polluted the air. The experience helps Angela Tovar focus her work on environmental justice. “There’s a tremendous opportunity to impact the daily lives and vibrancy of our community residents.
Watchdog Will Evaluate How EPA Reopening Offices Amid Pandemic Original
The EPA’s Office of the Inspector General will examine how the agency plans to safeguard employees during the pandemic as some of them start to return to the workplace. The independent watchdog said in a memo Wednesday that it was initiating the evaluation as part of its review of how the pandemic is affecting the Environmental Protection Agency’s operations.
Senators Mull ‘Whopping Failure’ of Recycling Amid Pandemic (2)
Senators on Wednesday highlighted holes in recycling infrastructure exposed by the coronavirus pandemic, questioning how Congress can stop a plastic pollution crisis from emerging alongside a public health crisis. Many municipalities paused recycling pickup programs as part of stay-at-home orders during the pandemic, causing recyclables to either end up in landfills or pile up outside.
Atlantic Coast Pipeline Faces Hurdles Despite SCOTUS Win (3)
The Trump administration and the Atlantic Coast pipeline scored a resounding win against environmentalists at the Supreme Court on Monday, but developers still have to clear several permitting hurdles before work can begin. The justices ruled 7-2 that a lower court overstepped when it canceled a critical permit allowing the East Coast natural gas project to cross the iconic Appalachian Trail.
Atlantic Coast Pipeline Faces Hurdles Despite SCOTUS Win (3)
The Trump administration and the Atlantic Coast pipeline scored a resounding win against environmentalists at the Supreme Court on Monday, but developers still have to clear several permitting hurdles before work can begin. The justices ruled 7-2 that a lower court overstepped when it canceled a critical permit allowing the East Coast natural gas project to cross the iconic Appalachian Trail.
Louisiana Becomes Latest State Blocking Natural Gas Bans (1)
No local governments in Louisiana will be permitted to ban natural gas utility services under a bill Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) signed Thursday. The legislation (S.B. 492), which takes eeffect Aug. 1, comes as several states friendly to gas and oil industries approved similar measures earlier this year, including Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Arizona. No municipalities in the state have proposed bans on natural gas so far.
EPA Revives Great Lakes Advisory Board After Three-Year Gap (1) Original
Environment & Energy Report A person takes a photograph of Lake Michigan at sunrise in Wisconsin. Photographer: Thomas Werner/Bloomberg June 3, 2020, 7:09 PM; Updated: June 3, 2020, 11:47 PM 14 people to advise on Great Lakes environment issues Advisory board last met in July 2017 The EPA is reestablishing an advisory board for the Great Lakes nearly three years since it last met, adding 14 new members to weigh in on issues including the lakes’ invasive species and water pollution.
Energy Company to Pay $2.5 Million for Potomac River Pollution
A Texas-based energy company has agreed to pay $2.5 million to end an investigation by Washington, D.C. into claims that it polluted the Potomac River over a three-year span. GenOn Holdings Inc., formerly known as NRG Potomac River LLC, will pay $2.4 million in civil penalties to the District of Columbia, under a settlement announced Thursday by D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine (D).
Federal Judge Considers States’ Bid to Block Trump Water Rule
A California federal judge is weighing whether to block the Trump administration’s controversial water rule, as requested by more than a dozen states suing over the regulation. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California spent three hours Thursday hearing arguments on whether to halt the Navigable Waters Protection Rule from taking effect on June 22, as planned.
Federal Judge Considers States’ Bid to Block Trump Water Rule
Environment & Energy Report A frog in a pond in Prince William County, Va. Photographer: Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images By Alexandra Yetter and Ellen M. Gilmer June 19, 2020, 12:20 AM Joint EPA-Army Corps rule set to go into effect June 22 Trump lawyer says water rule had in-depth review process A California federal judge is weighing whether to block the Trump administration’s controversial water rule, as requested by more than a dozen states suing over the regulation.
Theatre Department’s ‘elephant in the room’ sparks discussion on safe spaces and cancel culture
By Alexandra Yetter and Mari Devereaux|May 18, 2020 Shane Tolentino After presenting their play in the “Playwriting: Advanced” class on Zoom, Estefania Unzueta was stunned when the instructor began to compare one of the Latinx characters in the play to the film term “magical negro.” Unzueta, a senior advertising and writing for performance double major, texted another student in the class, saying, “Did he really say that?” Unzueta is the only person of color in the class and said the other...
EPA Data Quality System Has Fallen to Wayside, Watchdog Reports
The EPA may be masking risks to health and the environment because its Quality System has become outdated and inaccurate, the agency’s internal watchdog reported on Monday. Since 2015, $1.3 million has been spent on a tracking system for the Quality System, which provides requirements for managing the quality of all environmental data at the EPA, according to a report by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG).
Editor’s Note: So long, guys
By Alexandra Yetter, Editor-in-Chief|May 17, 2020 Shane Tolentino I always watch movies about journalists when I feel defeated. “All the President’s Men,” “The Post,” “Spotlight” and Aaron Sorkin’s controversial TV show “The Newsroom.” So, there I was, watching “The Newsroom” two days after news broke that Columbia would be putting classes online and closing the campus, feeling defeated because I couldn’t be in the newsroom and our staff was spread across the country for the foreseeable future.
Waste Company Gets Permit to Move to Chicago Latino Neighborhood
General Iron Industries Inc., a metal-shredding company, has received approval from Illinois to move its operation from an affluent, White neighborhood in Chicago to a majority Latino, low-income neighborhood on the city’s South Side. The permit, issued Thursday, is for a move that was hotly contested as an environmental justice issue by local residents and officials, who say the plant will be an additional source of air pollution in a part of the city already suffering from dirty air.
Senators Question U.S. Wildfire Readiness in Wake of Coronavirus Original
Senators pressed federal fire officials to ramp up preparations for a potentially catastrophic wildfire season, amid challenges of protecting firefighters and the public from coronavirus exposure. “This is going to be a tough year if our predictions are right,” Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said at a hearing Tuesday.
Editor’s Note: This is our first draft of history. Let it have a good ending
By Alexandra Yetter, Editor-in-Chief May 11, 2020 Alexandra Yetter Editor-in-Chief (312) 369-8834 A common discussion in our newsroom for at least the past two years has been the value and role of the weekly print edition as we produce a steady stream of digital content throughout the week. It’s a debate many news outlets worldwide are having as advertising revenue declines for newspapers.
Most Columbia students to receive grants, but CARES Act won’t entirely offset college losses
Courtesy Columbia College Chicago Most Columbia students will receive a $250 check and can additionally apply for a larger grant as part of the more than $3 million allocated for students under the CARES Act, but federal guidelines leave undocumented, DACA and international students ineligible. Most Columbia students will receive some form of federal financial aid as part of the CARES Act, through a one-time $250 check and potentially a larger emergency grant, the college announced today.
Columbia ‘anxious,’ while optimistic for Fall 2020 enrollment despite predictions of national decline
By Alexandra Yetter, Editor-in-Chief April 21, 2020 File Photo Vice President of Enrollment Management Michael Joseph said the admissions team has been “aggressively” signaling to prospective students that classes will be in-person in the fall because even entertaining the idea of online courses could negatively impact enrollment.
Three coronavirus updates you need to know about Columbia
By Alexandra Yetter, Editor-in-Chief April 14, 2020 Courtesy Columbia College Chicago Columbia will receive $6 million in federal aid per Congress’ stimulus deal; employees will work from home through the end of May; and instructors will use a special attendance report. There is a lot going on as Columbia—and the rest of the world—reckons with a global health pandemic and the college enters its second week of online classes.
Sanders drops out of presidential race; Biden the presumed Democratic nominee
By Alexandra Yetter, Editor-in-Chief April 8, 2020 File Photo Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, shakes hands with supporters in Chicago during his Saturday, March 7 rally in Grant Park. Sen. Bernie Sanders has ended his bid for the presidency, paving the way for former Vice President Joe Biden to earn the Democratic nomination. “The path toward victory is virtually impossible,” Sanders told supporters in a live stream.
BREAKING: 2020 graduates will have to wait a year for live commencement
By Alexandra Yetter, Editor-in-Chief April 3, 2020 After graduating seniors were in an uproar over the cancellation of May’s commencement ceremony—including marshaling a petition signed by thousands against the move—President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim announced that the college is now exploring a ceremony—in 2021. “The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted our community and the world in ways that we could have never imagined,” Kim said in a Friday, April 3 collegewide email.
Breaking: Two individuals on campus test positive for coronavirus, at least one visited computer lab
By Alexandra Yetter, Editor-in-Chief March 28, 2020 Two individuals who were on campus the last week in-person classes were in session have reported testing positive for the coronavirus. Although the collegewide email did not state if the individuals were students, faculty or staff members, according to the Saturday, March 28 email announcement, they were on campus March 11 and March 13, respectively.
Editor’s Note: The Chronicle will not stop reporting, no matter the ups and downs
By Alexandra Yetter, Editor-in-Chief March 26, 2020 Zachary Clingenpeel Chronicle staffers read President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim’s email announcing classes will be transitioned online, Thursday, March 12. Wisconsin. Maryland. Hawaii. These are just a few of the places Chronicle staffers will be working from in the coming weeks as the college reckons with our country’s national emergency, one of the biggest obstacles it has ever faced.
Students in uproar after graduation ceremony canceled: ‘Canceling commencement is letting this pandemic defeat us’
By Alexandra Yetter, Editor-in-Chief|March 24, 2020 Courtesy Columbia College Chicago Columbia College Chicago’s 2015 commencement ceremony. President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim announcing the cancellation of the May commencement ceremony was the last straw for Victor Froiman. “First, classes went online, then we had to move out of campus,” said Froiman, a senior cinema art and science major from Brazil.
Climate Suit Threatened Against Big Oil Terminals in Connecticut
The Conservation Law Foundation on Wednesday said it plans to sue Shell Petroleum Inc., Gulf Oil LP, and Magellan Midstream Partners LP for not maintaining fuel terminals in New Haven, Conn., against risks from climate change. The threat of new suits is the foundation’s latest effort to force oil companies to deal with risks from climate change on their physical operations. The group has similar cases pending against an Exxon Mobil Corp.
‘I don’t feel like I have a home anymore’: Students scramble after dorms closed
By Alexandra Yetter, Editor-in-Chief|March 21, 2020 Justin Anderson Two Dwight residents use a bin to move their belongings out of the dorm building, which will close due to the coronavirus pandemic. Chris Reardon refuses to go home. Reardon, a freshman game development major, is from California, which was put on lockdown Thursday by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
BREAKING: Campus buildings, dorms to close; Columbia community member diagnosed with coronavirus
By Alexandra Yetter, Editor-in-Chief March 18, 2020 Justin Anderson Students pack up their belongings to leave the Dwight dorm building, Saturday, March 14. Columbia will shutter its campus doors and residence halls in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. According to a Wednesday, March 18 email to students, faculty, staff and parents from President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim, all campus buildings and campus housing will close Sunday, March 22 at 5 p.m. until further notice.
Joe Biden wins Illinois primary; some Illinoisans go to polls despite coronavirus fears
By Alexandra Yetter, Editor-in-Chief|March 17, 2020 Mengshin Lin Voters moved to the Auto Warehouse polling place in Brighton Park due to polling locations closing because of coronavirus concerns. Joe Biden’s momentum across the nation continued Tuesday night, with the former vice president picking up the majority of Illinois’ and Florida’s delegates in their Democratic primaries.
Plastic Pollution Spawned by Pandemic Already Hitting the Oceans
A new kind of plastic has been showing up in the oceans in recent months—personal protective equipment—joining the discarded plastic straws, bags and other detritus polluting the waters. The appearance of gloves, masks and other gear in oceans comes as the coronavirus pandemic forces hard trade-offs between health and the environment. Some use of plastic in PPE is necessary, especially for medical personnel. But widespread adoption by the general public is adding to the load of marine plastics.
Plastic Pollution Spawned by Pandemic Already Hitting the Oceans
A new kind of plastic has been showing up in the oceans in recent months—personal protective equipment—joining the discarded plastic straws, bags and other detritus polluting the waters. The appearance of gloves, masks and other gear in oceans comes as the coronavirus pandemic forces hard trade-offs between health and the environment. Some use of plastic in PPE is necessary, especially for medical personnel. But widespread adoption by the general public is adding to the load of marine plastics.
BREAKING: Individual at Columbia was in contact with someone diagnosed with coronavirus
By Alexandra Yetter, Editor-in-Chief March 10, 2020 Justin Anderson Posters emphasizing the importance of washing one’s hands to combat the coronavirus have been put up in various locations across campus. An individual at Columbia has reported being potentially exposed to the coronavirus off-campus after being “in an area with a person who was later diagnosed’ with the virus, also known as COVID-19, last week, according to a Tuesday, March 10 collegewide email also addressed to parents.
From campus to the city: College students can make or break food waste epidemic
By Alexandra Yetter, Editor-in-Chief March 9, 2020 Justin Anderson (From left) POLITICO reporter Liz Crampton moderates a panel with Rick Bayless, chef and founder of Frontera Grill; Rodger Cooley, executive director of the Chicago Food Policy Action Council; and Erin Fitzgerald, CEO of the Farmers & Ranchers Alliance. Isabella Bryant has been eating out a few times per week—more than she cares to admit—because she is constantly on the go.
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