Around Campus

Mike Schmidt / Chronicle Mentor Sharon Gladney (right) and Selina Fabian (left), freshman mentee and new Columbia student, get acquainted at the Minority Mentorship Program’s mixer, in Room 311 of the 623 S. Wabash Ave. building.

SGA short 9 members
New student government can’t start with empty seats

On Monday, Sept. 23, Columbia’s fledgling Student Government Association held its first official meeting of the fall semester in its new home on the lower level of the 1104 S. Wabash Ave. building. But it did so with nine representatives short of a full senate panel.

Over the course of nearly an hour and a half, SGA officers discussed an action plan to fill its nine empty seats. In order for the SGA senate to begin formally reacting to and voting on student issues around campus, these seats must be occupied. Read more...

Enrollment rises 4 percent; College nears 10,000 mark
Columbia’s growth attributed to both new freshman and graduates

Columbia’s enrollment has reached an all-time high this semester, according to information released last week by the Office of Planning and Institutional Research.

This information indicates that enrollment has jumped 4 percent to reach 9,803 full- and part-time students presently attending the college. Read more...

Minority mentorship has successful start
First meeting for many participants of new program

The Minority Mentorship Program met Tuesday, Oct. 1 in Room 311 of the 623 S. Wabash Ave. building for its first official gathering. Over chicken wings and potato chips, the freshmen, whom the program calls “mentees,” and older mentors, who included both students and faculty, sat together and chatted in what was, for many, their first face-to-face conversation with one another. About 40 participants attended the informal gathering organized by the mentoring program’s coordinator Mary Butler. Read more...

SPJ honors Les Brownlee, pioneer black journalist
Columbia professor given Lifetime Achievement Award by Chicago Headline Club

More than 300 local journalists joined the Chiacgo Headline Club Friday Oct. 4 in honoring Journalism Department faculty member Les Brownlee for his achievement in Chicago media. The event also kicked off the first annual Les Brownlee Series.

The Chicago Headline Club, a chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, granted Lifetime Achievement Awards for the first time to honor excellence in local journalism. Read more...

‘33-Five’ open house to highlight arts program
OCAP attempts to lure students with food, tickets and prizes

Columbia students, staff and faculty are invited to the first ever “33-Five”—a floorwide open house on the fifth floor of the 33 E. Congress Parkway building—on Thursday, Oct. 10.

As a way to connect the departments with people working at “33-Five,” students are encouraged to apply for full- and part-time job opportunities. Read more...

Anti-war groups protest war in Iraq
Opposition grows as conflict over disarmament escalates

The Chicago Peace Response Coalition held a “Week of Action to stop the war in Iraq” last week, putting forth efforts to make dissenting voices of war heard in Chicago. On Tuesday, Oct. 1, the coalition held a protest at the Dirksen Federal Building, 219 S. Dearborn Ave. Protesters spoke out against the possible war in Iraq and the policies of the Bush administration. Read more...

Radio career fair lands at Columbia, seeking workers
RBC teams up with college for first campus event

Columbia and the Radio Broadcasters of Chicagoland hosted the Seventh Annual Radio Career Day at the Conaway Center, 1104 S. Wabash Ave. on Tuesday, Oct.1. The career day has been held at different campuses each year, and this was the first time Columbia hosted the event. Read more...

New computer center launches workshops for college community
Variety of advanced topics to be covered in three-month series

Beginning Oct. 8, the Center for Instructional Technology will host workshops three times a week, free of charge, to Columbia students, staff and faculty. The primary focus of the lectures will be helping Columbia’s faculty become more familiar with the latest computer programs, giving them the opportunity to incorporate their knowledge into the classroom. But student participation is also strongly encouraged. Read more...

Drug detecting coasters at your service

EVANSTON, Ill.—To help prevent student assault, several major universities have ordered coasters that test for Rohypnol, a commonly used date rape drug. Read more...

Accessing art online, museums step into 21st century
Museum artifacts are just a click away

BERKELEY, Calif.—Organizers of a University of California-Berkeley-based online art database have started a two-year experiment that will make visiting California art museums just a mouse-click away. Read more...

Illinois bans snakehead fish pets

NORMAL, Ill.—Most people would not think a simple fish could wipe out the entire population of a pond or a lake. Read more...

Rising college costs still a bargain, experts tell Congress

WASHINGTON– Ever wonder why the rising cost of attending college outweighs inflation, even after tax credits, scholarships and other forms of aid? Read more...

The Editor's Desk

I wish I were old. I don’t care exactly how old, but post-retirement for sure. Old enough that a monolithic organization like the American Association of Retired Persons would threaten lawmakers daily with political extinction if those same lawmakers didn’t look out for my best interests. Read more...