Video
Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre showcases Music House youth group
The Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre made its Columbia Dance Center debut with its 2026 Spring Concert Series, premiering new works such as “Immense World” by Shannon Alvis and Joe Cerqua. The opening reception began on Thursday, April 30, 2026 and closed on Saturday, May 2, 2026.
Little Joe’s marks nearly 80 years on Taylor Street
Little Joe’s has served drinks on Taylor Street since 1946, outlasting generations of businesses to become the longest-running bar in Chicago’s Little Italy.
Accessible art in action
The Chicago Park District runs a multi-week ceramics course in the Irving Park neighborhood that is designed to be accessible to Deaf, hard of hearing, blind and visually impaired artists.
Columbia international alum faces work-or-leave reality after graduation
Since graduating in May 2025, Columbia alum Qianyi Wang has been balancing multiple jobs while maintaining her temporary work authorization as an international student.
U.S. citizen fears detention amid immigration enforcement in Chicago
As federal immigration enforcement increases across Chicago, some Latino residents, including U.S. citizens, say they fear being detained. One Pilsen resident has largely stayed home, worried he will be targeted simply because he is Latino.
Fernando has rarely left his home in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood since immigration enforcement intensified in the city this fall.
A U.S. citizen, he spends his days working on cars and household projects, avoiding even routine trips for groceries out of fear that he could be detained by federal agents.
The Chronicle is withholding his last name at his request because he fears being targeted.
Fernando crossed the border from Mexico with his brother in 1982. After a brief detention, he was released and later granted asylum in 1986. In the early 1980s, asylum procedures were far less formalized than today.
He became a U.S. citizen in 2008, more than two decades after first arriving.
He has since built a life in Chicago, he said, but now fears it could be taken away.
Latino hardcore artists help revive Chicago’s DIY music scene
Through self-produced shows and grassroots organizing, Latino musicians are rebuilding community spaces rooted in resistance and belonging during a period of heightened fear around immigration enforcement.
After graduation, this Columbia musical theatre alum is carving out a new future
Hunter Prehn Lindstrom is working toward becoming a USDA-certified butcher.