This week on South Loop TV: Students speak at Columbia College’s DEI Town Hall. Uplift, Columbia’s annual women’s history event. And, Cadre Music, a space for creatives to network.
TRANSCRIPT:
0:12: Welcome to South Loop TV In Your Ear.
0:15: Columbia College Chicago’s student run podcast bringing you the latest stories from our campus and beyond.
0:21: I’m Shawn Tumbokon-Flowers.
0:23: It’s Friday, March 14th, and here’s what we’re covering today.
0:29: Students were invited to use their voices in a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Town Hall this Thursday, an annual Women’s History Month event at Columbia set to uplift and empower, and Cadre music, a space for musicians, filmmakers, and other creatives to network.
0:48: Let’s get into it.
0:52: But first, the U.S. Department of Education is cutting nearly 50% of its workforce, with 1,300 jobs eliminated and another 600 employees leaving voluntarily.
1:05: The move has sparked outrage among teachers unions and advocacy groups who argue the cuts will disrupt federal education programs including funding for high poverty school districts and students with disabilities.
1:20: Meanwhile, supporters of school choice programs welcome the changes, arguing that smaller government will lead to better resource allocation, more as this story develops.
1:32: Columbia College is continuing conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion or DEI as students, faculty and staff gathered for a campus town hall to discuss the college’s DEI efforts.
1:45: Greer takes us there.
1:47: We’re not gonna change who we are.
1:49: We may have to change how we pivot and relate a little bit to the federal government, but we’re not gonna change who we are and embracing that is one of our greatest strengths.
1:55: Columbia College invited their community to a campus town hall on diversity, equity and inclusion.
2:01: The open forum was held on Thursday, March 13th from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on the 5th floor of the student center at 754 South Wabash Avenue.
2:10: We will continue to have plenty of opportunities for you to engage.
2:14: The town hall served as an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to engage directly with Columbia leadership about the college’s.
2:23: DEI efforts discussions focused on Columbia’s approach to fostering diversity and inclusion while addressing concerns stemming from recent federal directives.
2:32: I’m here at Columbia Student Center where the college is encouraging open dialogue about its DEI initiatives.
2:38: The town hall is designed to give students and staff a platform to share their experiences, ask questions and offer feedback on how the school can move forward.
2:47: The forum came as
many colleges nationwide are reviewing the diversity, equity and inclusion policies in light of changing federal guidelines.
2:55: Anticipated change discussed during the forum would be the renaming of structures and processes. 3:01: Panelists presented a list of potential new names for the DEI course requirements.
3:06: And I think this school is doing a great job with what we have right now. I think that we always can grow.
3:14: I do find it a little challenging to trust a government that don’t really define what diversity, equity and inclusion is, even in the court of law, like defining it.
3:32: So I don’t really pay attention to that.
3:34: I think Colombia has been on the right trajectory the whole time. 3:38: Yes, we got work to do.
3:40: I’m not taking up for the work that we have to do, but I think the way we are going about it. 3:45: It’s about to ramp up because we’re doing it the right way.
3:48: This is a conversation that should be had with the students and just not being able to be a part of that conversation fully.
3:57: It hurts a little bit because it’s just it’s showing, like, how little, you know, you actually care about, like said office that, you know, you’re protecting or what you’re supposed to be protecting.
4:06: We’re sitting in our little tables.
4:07: We’re going to have that conversation at that table and it’s maybe just going to stay at that table.
4:11: Like a lot of people like the panel or like the bigger higher ups, they weren’t at all those little tables hearing those conversations and they’re the ones who are kind of able to really make a change or make a difference.
4:20: So I know, like, more on my table than they sat over with, like, the big wigs, like the bigger up people here when they, they could bring what we just said, like that conversation, but honestly kind of would just stay in our little bubble, so it wasn’t as collaborative, which it kind of needs to be more of that.
4:36: For South Loop TV, I’m Greer Stewart.
4:40: A Columbia student organization focused on helping young artists collaborate and network and create is making a comeback.
4:48: Cadre is once again bringing together students in music, film and game design to develop new projects and support each other’s work.
4:57: Composition, combination and collaboration.
5:00: This is all that happens with Cadre, a student organization at Columbia College Chicago which restarted last spring.
5:07: So Cadre is designed to provide composers here at Columbia, student composers, with more opportunities to get work, whether that’s with filmmakers or animators or video game designers, anybody that needs music for something that that they create, we’re looking to put them in touch with, with our composers so that we can create some more collaboration at Columbia.
5:32: Yeah, normal, normal.
5:35: Cadre is a student organization which helps students in music connect with other creatives such as filmmakers and video game designers.
5:43: Through this they create projects and peer review each other’s works.
5:47: I think like any club, it’s the connections, but this, this club specifically is very educational and I really appreciate it for that.
5:55: So I, I really take a lot of learning about different musical concepts, learn from students that are older than me who have done more orchestration classes and stuff like that, that can help, like, break down things like tunings, like how to develop a melody.
6:16: This week’s meetings involved creating a song, sharing favorite artists and planning for next week’s meeting before spring break.
6:22: So generally everybody’s pretty welcoming.
6:25: We, we tend to keep the meetings pretty lighthearted and informal.
6:27: We don’t want people to feel like they’re going to a class or anything.
6:30: So a lot of the times we have snacks and people just kind of come and go as they need to.
6:35: They can kind of work on stuff if they need to or they can participate in the meeting as long as they feel like it’s a space that they can kind of be their best creative self.
6:43: That’s kind of what we’re going for.
6:45: Cadre meets every Monday and Wednesday from 5 o’clock to 5:30 p.m. in the 1312 South Michigan Avenue building for South Loop TV, this is Uriel Reyes.
6:55: During recent meetings, students shared music, discussed their creative inspirations and planned future collaborations.
7:03: Cadre hopes to expand its membership and bring even more creatives together in the coming months.
7:10: The group meets Mondays and Wednesdays from 5 to 5:30 p.m. at 1312 South Michigan Avenue, room 102.
7:23: So go check it out.
7:25: As midterms approach, so does stress.
7:29: Luckily this Wednesday, students had the chance to take a break at the Student Wellbeing Wellness Fair.
7:36: By drawing on the eight dimensions of wellness, the event provided tools and strategies for balancing mental, emotional, physical and social well-being, including vendors like Planned Parenthood, therapy organizations and fitness centers.
7:54: Students could also receive free HIV and STI testing.
7:59: If you missed the event but still want resources, visit the Center for Student Wellbeing.
8:07: Student loans are none of the Department of Education’s business, according to President Trump in a statement earlier this month.
8:14: Let’s break that down this week on Decoded.
8:20: Trump does not have a clear plan on what will happen to student loans if the Department of Education is dismantled, but he has said he hopes for the Small Business Administration to take hold of the student loan process.
8:36: What will happen to existing student loans under Trump is still unclear and causing concern for both borrowers and advocates.
8:47: What we do know is starting in April, individuals 91 days late on loan payments will be reported to the credit bureau.
8:55: Due to Tuesday’s workforce reduction, if the agency closes, Congress would have to pass a law putting a different agency in charge, affecting the dispersal of Pell Grants for low income students.
9:08: The Trump administration also issued an executive order last week that threatens to severely undermine the public service loan forgiveness program and pause the ability to make changes to existing payment plans.
9:23: Plans affected by the pause in changes to payment plans include income-based repayment, income contingent repayment, pay as you earn and revised pay as you earn.
9:35: Whether this order is put into effect, only time will tell.
9:40: Student diversity and inclusion hosts an annual Women’s History Month celebration, Uplift, featuring a full week of programming dedicated to honoring the historic strides that women have made. 9:53: Adriah Hedrick tells us more about the opening luncheon that happened this Monday.
9:59: Women’s History Month is in full swing here at the Uplift Opening Luncheon on the 5th floor of the Student Center.
10:04: This event marks the first of many women empowering events taking place over the course of this week, all in celebration of Women’s History Month.
10:12: Rebecca Urzua Cannella, an international student from Mexico City, was the host of the event. 10:17: To her, the luncheon had a deeper meaning than just gathering women together.
10:21: I honestly just want people to see, like, you know what it means to be a woman what we do nowadays and like just to enjoy it because it’s really important to enjoy what we do.
10:33: The purpose of the luncheon was to recognize women, how far they’ve come and the art they create.
10:37: Abigail Holla had a painting and some of her crochet work on display.
10:41: I’m excited to showcase my work because I think crochet should be considered more of a fine arts medium, like fiber arts should be taken more seriously as a fine arts.
10:52: Holla was not alone in showcasing her work.
10:54: The walls of the 5th floor loft had dozens of paintings, drawings and photo art with themes of womanhood, female power, and vulnerability.
11:02: I think it’s a difficult time to be a woman, given things that are going on within politics, and so I think it’s good to shine a light on women.
11:13: Later on in the luncheon, attendees got to see a scene from Columbia’s spring play “You On The Moors Now,” along with poetry and music performances from student artists like Alicia Macca, who performed a set of both cover and original songs at the event.
11:27: I tend to write songs that are very vulnerable, lyrics that lots of people don’t like talking about and just.
11:35: I’m trying to focus on uplifting I guess women to feel OK to feel those things.
11:42: Over mocktails and tostadas, attendees had the opportunity to share their experiences through art and conversation, supporting each other along the way.
11:51: From photo art to poetry to vocal performances, women-created artistry was on full display here at the Uplift opening luncheon.
11:59: I’m Adriah Hedrick for South Loop TV.
12:02: If you’re celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day this weekend, you won’t want to miss the annual Chicago River Dying event.
12:10: The river will turn bright green starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, a tradition that kicks off a weekend of festivities, including the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade.
12:21: The best viewing spots, Upper Wacker Drive or any of the bridges spanning the Chicago River, but keep in mind, the Riverwalk will be closed.
12:33: That’s it for this week’s news.
12:36: Make sure to subscribe and stay connected for more updates on Columbia College news events and student life.
12:43: I’m Shawn Tumbokon-Flowers.
12:46: See you next time on South Loop TV In Your Ear.
12:53: If you like this show, check out our main broadcast, South Loop TV at the Columbia College Chicago School of Communication and Culture Channel on YouTube.
13:02: This show is produced by Shawn Tumbokon-Flowers with music by Eric Matyas from Soundimage.org.
Copy edited by Matt Brady
