Letter to the Editor | Public underappreciates mental health specialists during pandemic
By Caitlyn Schneeman
April 4, 2020
During this unprecedented time, most of us are nervously studying and working from home to limit social contact, and many states have issued orders that mandate all non-essential workers to stay home. We have all seen the appreciation posts circulating social media that thank the doctors, nurses, grocery...
Letter to the Editor | America prioritizes profits above public health
By Ethan Kuruc
March 25, 2020
With lockdowns becoming widespread, corporate mouthpieces such as the Wall Street Journal are now recommending that society reverse course and sacrifice the lives of workers and their families to protect profit. American capital is at a critical moment in history. Corporate debt is at an all-time h...
Letter to the Editor | United States must cooperate with others on coronavirus
By Ethan Kuruc, Staff Writer
March 17, 2020
On Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic and the University of Illinois released a Massmail, sending students scrambling to figure out emergency accommodations and say farewell to people they will not see for months. Friday, the United States decla...
Letter to the Editor | Campus needs more mental health resources
By Ashley Alexander
March 8, 2020
The United States is facing a mental health crisis that is only expanding with the lack of access to services. For example, Julie Wurth’s article, posted Dec. 5, noted in the 2018-2019 academic year the number of walk-in crisis intervention appointments at the UI Counseling Center reached 471 patients....
Letter to the Editor | State Farm Center needs upgrades
By Margaret Shannon
March 1, 2020
I came from out of town a month ago to celebrate my Alma Mater’s men’s basketball team’s successes this year. As I excitedly arrived at the venue, I was met with security telling me my 9 x 9 ½ x 2 inch purse was too big to enter. I had make a choice: Lose half the game and more than $40 in Uber...
Letter to the Editor | UI Counseling Center did its duty to Zhang, Christensen
By Megan Turner
February 26, 2020
What happened to Yingying Zhang is a tragedy of epic proportions. I feel for her family and lament the loss her loved ones have experienced. As a former lawyer, a future member of the Social Work profession and someone who has received services at the University Counseling Center, I also feel for...
Letter to the Editor | Politicians need to be better role models
By David E. Smith
January 26, 2020
What was Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton thinking when she purchased recreational marijuana in Chicago on the first day of its legal sales in Illinois? Does she not understand that as a public official she is setting a reckless and foolish example, especially for children and teens? Ill...
Letter to the Editor | Financial tips for undergraduates
By Charles Adeniyi
January 22, 2020
Financial stability is one of the most important aspects of college students’ well-being. As I began graduate studies this year, I started to think about the unique financial aspects of being an undergraduate student and how they affect entry into adulthood. Students are typically introduced to independence...
Letter to the Editor | ISG reaffirms misguided view on anti-Semitism
By Laurence Bolotin
January 22, 2020
AJC Chicago is deeply troubled by the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Student Body President's decision to reaffirm a misguided view on anti-Semitism in a campus-wide email blast on Dec. 18. The letter does harm to the community by suggesting that all anti-Zionism should be protected from the...
Letter to the Editor | Work toward resilience by understanding trauma
By Samyra Leonard
January 7, 2020
In Champaign and Urbana, many residents have experienced some form of community violence that has impacted them. There are efforts in the C-U neighborhoods that aim to address violence and trauma, like the Community Violence Response Team and C-U Neighborhood Champions. However, all residents and organizations...
Letter to the Editor | Soft interview room is step forward
By Natalie Moreno
November 10, 2019
This is in response to the article published on Tuesday regarding the “soft” interview room. All I can say is, what a relief! It is finally time that sensitivity is expressed to survivors of trauma. There is no reason a survivor should be brought to a room where perpetrators go. If a survivor...
Letter to the Editor | Don’t shoot the messenger: Chancellor Jones is just doing his job
By Ron Chabot
November 3, 2019
A few weeks ago, Chancellor Robert Jones was quickly criticized for taking responsibility for a student presentation that went bad. What? When a program conducted by Students for Justice in Palestine went off the rails and deteriorated into little more than an anti-Semitic rant, Chancellor Jones simply...
