The Columbia Chronicle

Insulate grand juries from politics

By Editorial Board

March 9, 2015

The deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown at the hands of the police and the grand jury decisions not to indict the officers involved sparked a movement—Black Lives Matter—that has grown as discussion of police brutality continues across the country. Though the police officers responsible for the deaths of Garner and Brown will not have to answer to a judge or jury for their actions—Ferguson, Missouri, police office...

Snow day: Students refuse to ‘Let It Go’

By Editorial Board

February 9, 2015

The college’s decision to keep the campus open Feb. 2 in the wake of the fifth-heaviest snowstorm in Chicago’s recorded history was met with the usual vitriol seen when students are forced to go through a day-to-day routine that is only somewhat inconvenienced by Mother Nature. With more than 19 inches of snowfall recorded at O’Hare International Airport-—and some parts of the city seeing up to 22 inches— many s...

CPD warns South Loop residents of violent assaults

By Metro Editor

February 2, 2015

Police are warning South Loop residents of an unknown male offender or offenders whom they say violently assaulted and robbed four women between Jan. 13–27.In each case, the women were approached from behind, pushed or punched in the face and knocked to the ground, after which their purses and cellphones were forcibly taken, according to a community alert issued by detectives on Jan. 28.Detectives are looking for a suspect betwee...

Data surge, outages prompt partnership, cost college money

February 2, 2015

Amid the college’s long-touted plan to push classroom content from OASIS to Moodle, a huge surge in uploads caused the learning management system to crash Jan. 22, prompting some members of the ca...

Ferguson decision too little too late

By Editorial Board

December 8, 2014

After a grand jury’s Nov. 24 decision not to indict Ferguson Police Department Officer Darren Wilson on charges stemming from the death of unarmed black teen Michael Brown, conversations about police brutality and racial profiling erupted nationwide.Ferguson Mayor James Knowles attempted to appease protesters and other disgruntled citizens at a Nov. 30 press conference by announcing that an independent civilian review board w...

Police lack comprehensive training, use excessive force

By Managing Editor

December 1, 2014

Having been raised by a police officer, I heard of numerous encounters my father faced as a sergeant in the Anaheim Police Department in Orange County, California. I grew up fearing and despising the men and women I saw behind bars while idolizing every police officer I came across.I was taught that officers are often put in situations where they have to defend themselves or the public with little time to think and react. However,...

Demonstrators head north on Lake Shore Drive shouting “we shut sh-- down” as they march unified in disapproval of the decision to not indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson.

Fighting for Ferguson

December 1, 2014

Chants and shouting echoed through the streets of Chicago Nov. 24 after the grand jury findings in the Michael Brown case were read in Ferguson, Missouri. The failure to indict led to protesters march...

CPD body cameras protect public

By Editorial Board

October 6, 2014

The Chicago Police Department is following the lead of other major U.S. cities that have begun pilot programs to place pager-sized body cameras on officers’ uniforms.CPD is in the initial planning stage of the program, which is intended to protect the department against misconduct lawsuits. The department is currently discussing implementation with unions, and CPD officials have also met with the Cook County State Attorney�...

Bernard Mull Jr., a sophomore art + design major, took part in a Sept. 16 demonstration sponsored by the college’s Black Student Union to protest the Aug. 9 shooting of Michael Brown at the hands of the police in Ferguson, Missouri. The protest, which took place outside of the 618 S. Michigan Ave. Building, drew more than 100 people.

Columbia protesters denounce police brutality

September 22, 2014

Dressed in all black, members of the Black Student Union stood in silence Sept. 17 for 10 minutes with their fists in the air and their hands up to protest the death of Michael Brown, an 18-year-old who was shot Aug. 9 by police in Ferguson, Missouri, and to raise awareness of incr...

Elect candidates on policies, not just personalities

By Opinions Editor

March 17, 2014

Politics are just as much about gaining public favor as promoting good policies. But so many politicians have pitched to the public by using the marginalized minority group appeal that it has clouded the water—Americans often vote for politicians based on who they are as representations of some unique characteristic, like the first tattooed congressman or something equally specific.Fox News commentator Bill O’Reilly d...

Justice sought for wrongfully convicted

By Kaley Fowler

October 8, 2012

Although police are expected to maintain civilian safety, there are often unreported cases of police torture, according to Joey Mogul, an attorney for the People’s Law Office. He asserted during an Oct. 3 discussion that defendant testimony in cases of police brutality is usually viewed as false because of the assumed credibility of law enforcement officials.As part of Roosevelt University’s second annual Wrongful Conv...

Protestors hunger strike to draw attention to problems in poor neighborhoods

By Mark Minton

September 10, 2012

From sundown to sundown on Sept. 2–3, 13 people fasted to call attention to injustices suffered by poorer communities in the economic recession.The Affordable Power Campaign and members of other Chicago grassroots organizations participated in a 24-hour hunger strike to draw attention to exorbitant utility rates, police brutality and a long string of murders in Chicago this year.At the end of the fasting period on Sept. 4, the ...