by Sydney Paul, AB 12

The United States has always been a nation of revolutionaries.  The desire for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is a very active concept, which Americans practically take as an extension of themselves.  Every nationally historical event, from the Boston Tea Party to the recent Tea Party, can attest to this aspect of passionate solidarity and call for civic action, especially in times of despair.   The ordeal brought on by the United States' current economic downfall has been this generation's trumpet to arms. 

On September 17, 2011, a series of demonstrations began in New York City in protest of the social and economic disparities that plagued the nation, in addition to the condemnation of corporate greed.  New Yorkers of all ages, working and unemployed joined together in efforts to actively, and peacefully, make their voices heard to those they hold accountable.  Roughly a month later, the group, now known as Occupy Wall Street, has a large presence in Liberty Plaza Park which is getting stronger every day.

The New York movement has inspired many more cities across the country to rise to the occasion.  For the past 21 days, Chicagoans have been protesting in front of the Federal Reserve Building in the financial district of the Loop.  Thousands of demonstrators, who call themselves the "99%", have been marching and chanting every day so far, expressing their discontent and anger toward what they believe is unjust corporate control over the political system.  With more and more people joining in every day, the group has been remarkably gaining strength very quickly.

Many tactics of the demonstrations are based off the Arab Spring movement, like the 2011 Egypt protests for example.  So, Occupy Chicago is using a fairly new tactic of action--a lateral organization form, where everyone has an equal voice.  In this strategy, social networks play an integral part in sharing information and rallying the masses.  The presence of the younger generation in this strategy is very prominent and many students in other cities have jumped on the opportunity to participate.   Student activists at The University of Chicago have also taken notice and have begun to show their support.

Larissa Pittenger, a Uchicago student and activist, believes that this movement is bringing out the best in the people of Chicago.  "There's a lot of creativity and positivity that I think shows that this movement has a great potential for lasting change", said Larissa.  The 4th year in the college first entered the movement by marching with protesters downtown on day 5 of the Chicago occupation.  

Pittenger and other student activists have now organized an informational meeting for those who want to learn more about the movement.  The "Teach-In About the Global OccupyChicago Movement", will take place on Friday, October 14^th, from 3pm to 4:30pm in Harper 130.  Students can expect to learn about the history of the greater Occupy movement, get an overview of what is Occupy Chicago, and discuss the academic aspect of the events with faculty members.  Notably, students will also gain some insight from representatives from Occupy Chicago, who will be attendance.

Over the past decade, our present generation of college students has proven to be a very civically motivated force.  In times of frustration and lost hope, they've educated themselves on current issues, but most importantly stepped up to the plate and have taken action.  Those who joined the Occupy movement are a great example of the enthusiasm that youth have for change and progress.  What an inspiring thought!

"I feel lucky to a part of [the] process" said Larissa.  "If it's something you care about, why not be involved?" 

Chicago celebrates its 174th birthday today. Wishing the City that Works the best!

Celebrate this afternoon at the Chicago History Museum

By Lynda Lopez. News and Public Affairs Intern

In 2010, President Barack Obama signed his long debated health care bill into law, but it still remains an issue of controversy among concerned Americans.

While the United States deals with its own share of health care issues, there is another world of health concerns on the other side of the world and some inquisitive University of Chicago students in a new student group have taken notice.

The Global Affairs Leadership Society (GALS) became a Registered Student Organization (RSO) in the fifth week of the first quarter. The basic premise behind the group is to provide a place where students can discuss issues of conflict within women's rights in the Western and in the developing world. Not only do they seek to talk about these important issues, they also want to take an active role in combatting them.

"So many people spend their time talking about important issues, but spend no time doing anything about it," says Molly Cunningham, a GALS board member and 2nd year in the College, "GALS is 'doing' rather than just talking."

One of the first issues the group has sets its eyes on is the high maternal mortality rate in India. According to save-a-mother.org, over 160 women in India die each day due to problems from pregnancy and complications in childbirth, over 50 times higher than the rate in the United States. Statistics and concerns such as these spurred the members of GALS to become involved with Save A Mother, which is a local organization that is working to reduce the maternal mortality rate in India by educating villagers regarding better ways to maintain good health while in pregnancy. Eventually, these educated villagers become health activists in each of their villages.

Hoping to learn more about this organization, GALS held a special event at the Center for Gender Studies on January 10th. Dr. Shiban Ganju, founder and chief volunteer of Save A Mother, visited the university in order to talk further about the organization's work and to inspire the group to further the organization's cause.

Cunningham says that his visit definitely motivated the group. "After hearing him speak, we felt that we could truly change the world," she says.

Throughout the upcoming quarter, GALS is going to work on strengthening its relationship with Save A Mother and continue furthering the organization's cause.

Besides their work with Save A Mother, GALS has also been thinking of unique ways in which to spread the word about their unique RSO. Since their inception as a RSO, they have carried out a series of social experiments intended to gain insight into the issue of women's rights. One of the first and most interesting social experiments was implemented at the end of last quarter. Each of the members of GALS changed their Facebook status to "people like people who like women's rights."

"Our generation is constantly checking their emails, phones, and Facebook, so we knew we should take advantage of this connectivity," says Cunningham. "This social experiment gave us further insight into the thoughts of men regarding women's rights."

Cunningham says that she received many playful, silly comments on her status that day, which, she says, indicates the unclear role that women's rights tends to have in society. What does it truly mean to have rights as a woman? GALS plans to continue its social media experiment throughout the quarter in order to further explore this question and many more.

Despite all of the different endeavors that GALS is working towards, including a conference on women's rights, all of these activities have an underlying theme: Education.

"Ignorance kills even the best of ideas," says Cunningham. "We are hoping to raise awareness about important issues and even if the students we talk to don't get involved, it is still a better world because we opened their eyes a little more."

UCSC accepts story submissions from contributing writers that take a timely national issue and examine it in the local perspective. To join the pool, or learn more, visit http://tiny.cc/ucsc-civic-journalist.

The Chicago Project HEALTH site is pleased to announce our name change to Health Leads.

Health Leads is still a national organization (and University of Chicago RSO), and we remain committed as ever to alleviating the factors of poor health in our communities. Over 90 UChicago student volunteers work with patients at 4 area health centers across the South Side to help them obtain food, safe housing, employment, child care, and more. Last year over 5,000 families were aided by Health Leads volunteers. It's a great opportunity for anyone who is interested in medicine, public policy, public health, or community involvement. We'd love to have you join our team!

If you're interested in applying, please visit our website at www.healthleadsusa.org to view and complete the Chicago application (Go to "Get Involved-->Volunteer"). The applications are due Thursday, January 13 at 10pm.

We are also hosting 3 information sessions during first and second weeks to give an overview of our program, go over details of the application process, and share volunteer stories of time spent with Project HEALTH.

Info Session Dates:
Thursday, Jan 6 @ 6:00 pm, Harper 145
Monday, Jan 10 @ 7:00pm, Harper 141
Tuesday, Jan 11 @ 6:30pm, Harper 135

Friday, November 19th
WOODLAWN COLLABORATIVE PRESENTS: WELCOME WINTER COMMUNITY OPEN MIC
When: Sign-ups at 8, performances at 8:30
Where: Woodlawn Collaborative 6400 S. Kimbark (inside 1st Presbyterian Church)
What: Come join us in an effort to bring students and community members together for a fun night of art and activism! You got something to say? (or sing, play, mime, perform) Then come to the Woodlawn Collaborative's first open mic night of the year. --Event organizer Divya Sundar
The Woodlawn Collaborative is a shared space for Woodlawn residents and University of Chicago students to collaborate on, and explore the connections between, art projects, education initiatives, and progressive political activism. CONTACT Catherine Greim at ccgreim@gmail.com or (408) 406-1280

Saturday, November 20th, 2010.
Register for the Autumn Day of Service
What: Interested in community service on the South Side?
The Autumn Day of Service is an opportunity for University of Chicago students,
staff and faculty to participate in one-day volunteer projects within the community
and will be held on Saturday, November 20th, 2010.
Where: We will gather at the Reynolds Club
When: at 9:00 am, do service at various sites from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and return to
campus by 2:00 pm. Past projects have included preparing and serving food
in soup kitchens, gardening, cleaning, office work, and more.

To register, please visit http://tiny.cc/ucsc_part_reg and we will confirm your
registration via email. Groups that would like to register will need to register
each group member individually.

Feel free to e-mail Kaitlyn at dayofservice.ucsc@gmail.com regarding any
questions or concerns about the UCSC Days of Service you may have.

To learn more about service opportunities, visit: http://ucsc.uchicago.edu.

Check out this great event opportunity TONIGHT from ORCSA:
Event release from ORCSA:

There's still time to take part in the next Discover Chicago event, Yoga and Ice Cream! The specifics have changed a bit, but the idea remains the same. Join ORCSA as we Discover Chicago! On Tuesday (November 2nd) we will be venturing out of Hyde Park to visit 2 area businesses owned by University of Chicago alumni. First stop will be at 8pm at the Soulistic Studio and Spa, owned by alumna Margaret Castrovillari (MBA '00), where participants will take part in a 1-hour yoga class. From there we will head to iCream, owned by alumni Jason McKinney (MBA '06) and Cora Shaw (MBA '07). There we will watch our very own ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sorbet selections created on-the-spot with the help of liquid nitrogen. Check out icreamcafe.com for more details on their creations. Tickets are now only $5 and include the yoga class and a treat at iCream (transportation not included). To purchase a ticket, please email me at ksiron@uchicago.edu by noon on Tuesday. I will respond with all necessary details. Thanks! Have a great night!

Thursday, Nov. 4

The 2010-11 Schweitzer Fellows Presents: Health Disparities and Solutions: Tackling the Complex Health Issues of Marginalized Communities
Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm
Location: UIC College of Medicine Research Building - Moss Auditorium (1st Floor)
According to the event organizers, the featured speakers are:
"-Dr. Gregory Scott, Sociology Professor, Director of the Social Science Research Center at DePaul University and documentary filmmaker; Dr. Scott's work focuses on harm reduction, clean needle exchanges, crime and delinquency, community studies, and street gangs.
-Linda Wesp, Family Nurse Practitioner and Director of Adolescent Health at the Howard Brown Health Center, one of the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) healthcare organizations. Wesp specializes in providing care to lesbian, gay and bisexual teens, transgendered teens, and individuals with HIV.
"Speakers will share stories of their work, including identified health disparities in specific marginalized populations; programs/approaches to combat disparities; the evaluation of their progress; their successes and failures; and how others might apply to their work in the effort to improve health issues in Chicago and beyond."
**Light Refreshments Will Be Served
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
RSVP encouraged: email rsvp@hmprg.org or call 312.372.4292 ext. 24

Saturday, November 6th
Illinois Student Environmental Coalition Fall Conference
Key note speaker: State Senator Heather Steans
To register visit www.GreenStudents.org
Deadline to register is November 3rd.
Time: 10:00am-4:00pm
Location: 33. East Congress, Columbia College

Monday, November 8th
Summer Links Internship Program Info Session

Time: 6:30pm-7:30pm
Location: Harper Memorial Library Room 130
Summer Links, a program of the University Community Service Center, offers intensive 10-week internships to 30 returning College and graduate students committed to public service, community building, and social change. Interns receive a $4 000 stipend and the option of subsidized on-campus housing, and participate in weekly day-long and evening trainings about Chicago and social justice issues. Returning college, graduate, and professional school students are welcome to apply.
Can't make it? We will also present information sessions on the following dates:
Thursday, December 2nd 6:00-7:00 pm, in the 5710 OMSA Community Lounge, 5710 S. Woodlawn Avenue
Questions? Please contact the Student Intern Ian Williams at summerlinks.ucsc@gmail.com or Program Director Trudi Langendorf at trudi@uchicago.edu or 773.834.2699.

COAL PANEL
When:Tuesday 26th, 7PM, Harper 130
Details from the organizers: Join Green Campus Initiative, Students for a Democratic Society, Students for a Just and Sustainable Future, and the Southside Solidarity Network for presentations and discussion of the University's investment in mountaintop removal coal mining and Chicago's heavily polluting coal power plants. Free Diner from Rajun Cajun!

You Are Here: Screening and Discussion
When: Thursday, October 28th
What: From UCSC: Join Graduate Student Affairs and the University Community Service Center for this film screening and discussion, moderated by Wallace Goode. "You Are Here, Too" was produced by students, and explores the University's civic engagement on the South Side of Chicago - both today and in the past. Free lunch!
Contact: Rosa Yadira Ortiz at ryo@uchicago.edu
Time and Location: 12-1pm in Ida Noyes Hall, East Lounge

CSRPC/Black Star Project: "Beyond the Bricks"; documentary screening & town hall meetings
When: Saturday from 11am - 12:30pm
Location: International House - International House, Assembly Hall 1414 East 59th Street
What: According to the CSRPC: "The Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture at the University of Chicago and The Black Star Project are the Chicago hosts for the national community engagement campaign for the documentary film, "Beyond the Bricks", which focuses on one of America's critical problems in education: the consistently low performance of black males in school. This event includes a screening of the film (30 minutes) and a town hall discussion with panelists Dr. Cathy J. Cohen, Professor of Political Science at U of C; Salim Muwakkil, Senior Editor, In These Times; Bryan Echols, Executive Director, MAGIC, Inc.; Jonathan Lykes, Third year student at U of C and blogger for The Black Youth Project; Cheo Tyehima Taylor, National Media Director, 2025 Campaign for Black Men and Boys; and Trevor Wilkins, Princeton Undergrad and Collegiate Scholars Alumni.
Contact: Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture (CSRPC),773-702-8063"

By Claire Brindley, a student in the College

Chicago is home to a lot of great landmarks--the John Hancock building, Wrigley Field, the Bean (or Cloud Gate, if you prefer). But the Windy City also has a couple of skyscrapers that are a little less family-friendly, the Fisk and Crawford coal-fired power plants.

These edifices may not be a part of the famous skyline, but they are a serious threat to the health of Chicago's residents. Built in the 1920s, they face lenient emissions standards, are the reason that Chicago now has one of the nation's highest asthma rates. In addition to chronic illness, air pollutants from Fisk and Crawford are responsible for 500 emergency room visits and 40 premature deaths each year.

Now is the time to clean up emissions from the old coal plants--not only for environmental reasons, but also for the health of Chicago residents. On Saturday, October 10, people from around the world will gather to support clean power in their communities and political action for sustainability as part of 350.org's Global Work Party.

This will be the most widespread day of political action in history, with 6227 events in 185 countries. Green Campus Initiative Students for a Just and Secure Future will be leading U of Cers downtown to join their fellow Chicagoans in demanding a cleaner, coal-free future. We'll be meeting in front of the Reg (1101 E 57th St) on Sunday, October 10, to bike or take the CTA to the rally. If you need to borrow a bike, check out the UChicago bikeshare program.

Please come out to make the call for a clean city even louder! Get to work, Chicago!