Less than three weeks ago I rode out Hurricane Irma in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, the oldest city in...

  State Senator and NEIU alumni William Delgado will return to campus to deliver a keynote address and speak with students on Sept. 20, 2012. In an event sponsored by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Senator Delgado will deliver his address and engage in a question-and-answer session in the Recital Hall from 1 to 3 P.M. Senator Delgado represents Illinois State Senate District 2, including the communities of Belmont Cragin, Logan Square, Hermosa and parts of Austin, Dunning, Humboldt Park, Montclare and Portage Park. Before he walked the halls of the Illinois Capitol Building, though, he walked the halls of NEIU. Senator Delgado graduated with a B.A. in Criminal Justice in 1982. “I think he’s very dynamic, I think he’s very personable, and I think he’s very real -he’s always had an open door policy with students,” said Toni Scott of the English department, who was instrumental in getting the Senator to revisit his alma mater. “I want him to talk about his struggles and what it was like for him growing up,” Scott said of her hopes for the address. “Most importantly, I want students to have access to him.” Senator Delgado was appointed to the Senate in 2006 after serving in the House of Representatives since 1999. The Democratic Senator has worked for progressive causes during his time in office, citing healthcare and education as being among his priorities. Every year, Senator Delgado sponsors the All Kids and Family Health Fair, an event that is open to the public and includes screenings and immunizations. Senator Delgado’s visit will allow students the chance to learn more about the role state government plays in their lives before they go to the polls this November. For Amir Bastanipour, junior justice studies and sociology major, the economy is first on his list of concerns. “What are they doing to help keep people in their jobs and homes?” he asked. Beyond that, Bastanipour expresses concern for a number of marginalized communities. He cites “food deserts in high poverty areas,” and marriage equality as being among issues he cares about. To reach other students, Senator Delgado will have to combat the stereotype of the elected official as opportunistic political animal. When Katie Galmiche, junior English/secondary education major was asked if she had any questions about education she would like to hear addressed, she responded, “I’m sick of hearing about what politicians and special interest groups have to say about education, because they’re not educators.” If the opportunity to interact with a lawmaker in this crucial election year is not enough of a draw, perhaps the food will be - there will be a reception after the event with food from Nellie’s Restaurant, one of Senator Delgado’s favorites. The Senator’s visit was borne of a lobbying trip AFSCME took to Springfield, the state capital. “He was one of the few to open his door to us and say, ‘come on in, ask me questions,’” said Scott. “I think that’s really indicative of who he is and how he leads.” Scott described Senator Delgado as “very excited to come.” She compared the Senator’s attitude toward students, and his own success, to the speech given by First Lady Michelle Obama at the Democratic National Convention. “You don’t close the door behind you.  You leave it open for someone else to come through. And that’s exactly what he’s done all along.” Look for flyers around campus to register for the event....

  “Man, who was wrongfully convicted of murdering his daughter was freed thanks to the evidence done by my students. I was there, when he walked back to the arms of his wife and family and I saw the power of investigative reporting – not just to expose injustice, but also to restore a family.” – David Protess, the President of the Chicago Innocence Project talks with “Independent” about the power of investigating reporting and the importance of journalism nowadays. Independent: Before becoming the President of the Chicago Innocence Project, you ran the Medill Innocence Project, thanks to which five innocent prisoners on death row in Illinois were freed. Could you tell us more about that project and what inspired you to do that? David Protess: I started out doing investigative reporting about wrongful convictions with Chicago Lawyer Magazine, and after five years working for that magazine, while I was also teaching at Medill Journalism School, I thought about involving my students in that kind of work. I got them involved in a high-profile murder case of David Dowaliby in 1991. Man, who was wrongfully convicted of murdering his daughter was freed thanks to the evidence done by students. I was there when he walked back to the arms of his wife and family and I saw the power of investigative reporting – not just to expose injustice, to write a wrong, but also to restore a family. After that case we made this work part of the investigative reporting class I was teaching, so I involved students in several cases, and other people were freed – for example Anthony Porter in 1999. He came out 50 hours away from execution. After the case of Anthony Porter I was able to raise money to establish the Medill Innocence Project in 1999. Now I can’t imagine doing anything else. I love to cooperate with young people on issues that matter and it allows us, together, to free innocent people and change the law. I: You made this part of the investigative reporting class, how did you prepared students for that kind of work? DP: They began by reading every legal document of the case, the interviewed the people knowledgeable of the crime, lawyers, community residents, family of the prisoners, prisoners, witnesses. Sometimes witnesses were changing the story, sometimes there were alternative suspects, sometimes the police was trying to make them confess untrue. So it was very long, methodical process, sometimes it takes years. I: You mentioned one of the innocent prisoners - Anthony Porter. How the process of discovering the true looked like? Did you know from the beginning that Anthony Porter was innocent? DP: No, we didn’t know anything in the beginning. In fact our lawyers were convinced he was guilty. He said he was innocent and we wanted to hear the story. We interviewed him in the Cook County Jail. He told us, who, as he believed, was responsible for that crime. He actually knew, and no one ever investigated that. So we began looking into what Anthony Porter had said and we found the relatives of the actual killer, who said – “Yes, my uncle committed the crime”, “Yes, my husband committed the crime” and we found the actual killer. My students took the documents they read about the case, went to the park and reconstructed the crime. Some people stood where the witnesses stood, some people stood where the Porter was supposedly stood, other people stood where the victims stood and it turned out that the victims couldn’t see Anthony Porter or anyone else. The students then confronted the witnesses with the evidence and it came out, that it was police, what had forced witnesses to implicate Anthony Porter before. So Anthony Porter left the prison 50 hours before execution and you know - he lifted me up… (Laugh) I: Do moments like these recharge your batteries after very difficult investigations? DP: That is a good way of putting it. Because most of the work that we do is challenging, difficult, frustrating. People often times don’t want to talk to us, they are afraid of the truth. But when you push through all of that and you see, that the man, who was scheduled to die, goes free, it recharges the batteries and gets you set to do the next case. But to do this work you have to love the process, you have to enjoy talking to people, to persuade them to open up and tell you the truth. Because when you only wait to have this moment to breathe, well – 12 times sounds like a lot, but it’s actually 12 days in the period of several years, that will not sustain. What is sustaining is belief in investigative reporting to change public minds, in changing public policy. Those are the things that keep the batteries constantly recharged and continue to make that work. I: Such prisoners have problems after leaving the prison… DP: They have multiple problems - with finding jobs, getting training, problems financially, problems with their families which are often broken up, they get divorced, the family members move, the community changes, their friends are gone, they have psychological problems because all of the rage they experienced, they have no place to go, post dramatic stress syndrome, the problems are just enormous. I: In an article on Huffington Post, you claim that innocent prisoners do not receive enough compensation from the United States. What would be appropriate compensation in your opinion? DP: I cannot put it in amount. But what the State of Illinois is giving them now is a ridiculously low - average of ten thousand dollars a year. And 27 states, as I pointed out, don’t give anything. I think that is horribly unjust. What’s the right amount? In my opinion, at least the one for them to live, to find the job. The state owes them at least the money they can restore their lives. I think on Federal Law it would be between 25 and 50 thousand dollars a year. But I don’t think it’s going to happen. I:Have you ever broken down, when you really wanted to be done with investigative reporting once and for all? DP: Yes, a lot of times. Sometimes I was very frustrated about the cases that were going for so many years - it’s one of the reasons that not many people do this work. You are burned out, you drink, you smoke...But you have to realize, that it’s not a solution to a problem. I: Did the American justice let you down after the execution of Troy Davis in 2011? DP: My position on that is that he never really had the chance. I: That was the headline of one of your articles. DP: Yes, Anthony Porter was convicted of an interracial crime: white kills black. The victim was police officer, if the victim had been black, and wasn’t police officer and that happened in Illinois, he might not even be convicted. So the system is racist, classist it is regional system of justice, basically in South. Troy Davis didn’t receive the chance. I: Many journalism students are inspired by your work. What advice would you like to give them? DP: Follow your dreams. Don’t let the people tell you that you can’t accomplish whatever you want in the profession of journalism. You are told again and again by your parents, professors, classmates, that you can’t make journalism nowadays.I just don’t believe that. Young people are capable of accomplishing almost anything by following their dreams. I had people in my class who didn’t believe they can accomplish anything and they freed innocent people. If my 21-year old students could do that, anyone can do. Don’t listen to people, who tell you that you only grain of sand on a large beach, that you can’t make a difference in the world, you can. Journalism is professions, where you can educate the public, write wrongs and correct injustice, you can make a difference in the world.   Joanna H. Socha, is an exchange student at Northeastern Illinois University where she majors in media and communication. “David Protess - President of the Chicago Innocence Project, a new nonprofit investigative reporting group that exposes wrongful convictions and other problems of the criminal justice system. He previously served for twelve years as director of the Medill Innocence Project at Northwestern University, where his students developed evidence that freed twelve innocent prisoners, five of whom had been on death row in Illinois.”- Huffington Post    ...

                                                                                          As the Editor in Chief of the paper, and founder of Seeds Literary Journal of NEIU, I understand what it takes to perform in leadership roles here at NEIU. That's why, for women's history month we decided that the best way to pay homage to the women leaders here at the university, was to create a spread that showcase the phenomenal, female student leaders of the NEIU community. When searching for women to honor, we ran across 18 women that are Presidents of the respective organizations. Through pregnancies, poverty, and various forms of adversity – these women has persevered. Not only are they mothers, wives, workers and scholars – these women are in positions of power. They are using what they've got, to make NEIU a better place for each and every student – one organization at a time. Follow them, as they tell you a bit about themselves, and what they do in their everyday lives. ~*~*~*~ Stephanie Gomez is a young Latina feminist raised in Chicago. She founded Latinas in Power (L.I.P.), a sisterhood that promotes academic success and a firm cultural identity for Latinas in college. Currently studying Sociology, she plans on graduating May 2012 and beginning a Master's Program in Latino and Latin American Studies in the fall. She is a Robert E. McNair Scholar and a nominee in "Who's Who Among Colleges and Universities". In addition to researching and organizing, she finds peace in writing and sharing her poetry. She is a true believer that there is power in our narratives and that healing takes place when we share our deepest fears with our comadres. VIVA LA MUJER! "Surround yourself with good people, people who appreciate your light. Don't let anyone dim your light!" – Stephanie Gomez **** *********************************** Hello, my name is Danait Araia and I am President of the Student Government Association. I am a senior here at NEIU and expect to graduate this Spring with a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science. My interest in government stems from my family's participation in Eritrea. My immediate family and I came to America as political refugees and although we are displaced we continue to fight against oppression in Eritrea. I have been heavily involved in many international and African non-profit organizations with this mission in mind for most of my life. Since joining the NEIU community I have participated in Model Illinois Government twice and SGA for two years. I started in SGA as a Representative in the Council of Clubs in fall 2010. Last year I decided to run for SGA leadership and campaigned for the Vice President position. This semester I was promoted to President and it has really been a great opportunity to refine my leadership skills and experiences before I graduate. I believe my participation in SGA will prepare me for the future and I strongly suggest students look into joining or participating before they leave NEIU.   *************************************** I'm Courtney Jennings-Hope, a 23 year old student who hails from Gurnee IL. I am a Junior, and a Political Science major with a minor in Philosophy. I am active in several clubs, which include my Presidency in the Politics club, membership in Model United Nations and Model Illinois Government; I'm also in the SGA as the IBHE-SAC Rep and was recently voted Secretary of the IBHE-SAC. Off campus I work at a local library and I am a tutor for adults working to read and write at an adult level, as well as, with at-risk teens who have ambitions to attend college. "No one can make you feel inferior without your permission. Don't be afraid to take initiative. Go for it!" – Courtney Jennings-Hope *************************************** I am Andrea M. Yetzer, Co-Chair of the NEIU Sociology Club. I am a Senior, and a double major in Psychology and Sociology. As a graduating senior, I spend most of my time on campus in the library, running the Sociology Club, and engaging in Psychological research, while simultaneously attempting to socialize with some of the amazing people I have met at NEIU along the way. Off campus I work full-time as a Behavior Detection Officer at O'Hare. I keep busy organizing group gatherings with friends and coworkers, along with training for and participating in obstacle racing. "Always challenge yourself, never assume you can't do something. Always go for it!" – Andrea Yetzer *************************************** Justice Studies major and President of the Amnesty International club at NEIU, Sharon J. Rehana is a first-generation Chicagoan who brings with her an Assyrian cultural upbringing, strong family roots and a passion for discovering more about the world she lives in. She is currently working on her second B.A., and looks forward to integrating her background as a journalist and teacher with overseas experience, towards promoting peace and compassion throughout the world. Sharon hopes that by drawing awareness through Amnesty International on campus, humanity can reach its highest peak.   "Stand up to what you believe in, use criticisms that come your way as a source of strength." - Sharon Rehana *************************************** "Hey everybody! I'm Nergal, the current acting President of the Feminist Collective. Much of my time on campus is divided between the club, classes, and my job as an FYE Peer Mentor. Occasionally, I can be found dragging my feet in an futile attempt to delay going to class. In my free time, I'm glued to my PS3, League of Legends, and general Pro-Choice ranting set to the tunes of my mother's favorite Assyrian artists. "Don't take any $#!+ ever! No one is going to speak for you. Don't be afraid to get emotional." – Nergal Malham *************************************** Marlene Julye is an OIF/OEF veteran, the president of NEIU's Student Veterans Club and a Senior in the NEIU Social Work bachelor's program. From 2004-2009 she served in the United States Navy as a MH-60s helicopter mechanic before returning to school. Along with being a full time student she regularly volunteers with Girl Scouts of America and interns with Albany Park Community Center in their veterans outreach program. This year, she was appointed to the National Leadership Committee for Student Veterans of America to serve as an advisor to student veterans as well as their organizations. After graduating in May 2012 Marlene will be pursuing her masters in Social Work and plans to work with veterans and their families. "If you think you're at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on! Just keep going!" – Marlene Julye *************************************** Lakeesha J. Harris is a graduate student of Political Science at NEIU seeking her Master's degree in comparative politics and international relations. In 2011 she graduated cum laude from NEIU with her B.A. in Women's Studies. She is also the 2011 Student Laureate of NEIU and a McNair Scholar. Currently, Lakeesha is the Editor In Chief of.:Seeds:. Literary Arts Journal of NEIU and the newly elected Student Trustee. As a Senior Staff Writer for the NEIU Independent she is dedicated to providing timely advice the NEIU community. Lakeesha is also a fierce advocate for education reform and women's and LGBTQ rights. She has been featured on WBEZ's Chicago Matters series, Chicago Tribune, and her essays and poems have appeared in several magazines and anthologies including Ebony (2010) and the upcoming anthology "Sex Crimes Against Black Girls." "See every opportunity as a learning experience; even the small ones, use your instincts and let them be your guide." – Lakeesha Harris *************************************** I am Nicole Maldonado. As a senior majoring in sociology, I have carved out a niche for myself in my three semesters at NEIU. I am Co-Chair of Sociology Club; where we promote critical thinking through academic discourse. I also tutor students in Sociology in the Learning Support Center. Off campus I volunteer for the Sex Workers Outreach Project and the All-Stars Network. I am anti-capitalist, vegan, feminist and dedicated to fighting inequality in all forms.   *************************************** Cathleen Schandelmeier-Bartels graduated from Northeastern Illinois University with her Bachelor's Degree in 1989. She is now a graduate student in the College of Education where she is working on her Master of Arts in Teaching degree with an expected graduation date of May 2012. As a leader, Cathleen has served as President for the NEIU Illinois Education Association (2009-2010), worked as a Senior Staff Writer for the NEIU Independent (2008-2011), and as Station Manager for WZRD Chicago, 88.3 FM - NEIU's freeform radio station where she is now a "wizard" (disc jockey).   *************************************** My name is LaMaria C. Howard; I am President of the Black Heritage Gospel Choir. My major is Interdisciplinary Studies, and I am a Senior with an expected graduation date of May 5th 2012. On campus, I am active with the choir and show support to various organizations. On & off campus, I am a mother of an energetic 2 year old daughter, Ariel. I work part time as an HR Recruiter and I volunteer at youth based non-profit organization. I believe that education is key! "Find a focus and make it your main goal!" – LaMaria Howard *************************************** Starr De Los Santos is a Puerto Rican and Dominican lesbian who grew up in Washington Heights, New York. She is currently a Senior at Northeastern Illinois University. She is majoring in Justice Studies with a double minor in Sociology and Philosophy and plans on graduating this upcoming May. She has previously worked as a peer mentor for the Dean of Students Office and since then has been very involved on campus. She has participated in many different clubs and organizations and has served on numerous committees on and off campus. She has worked in many different leadership positions and has also trained other individuals on leadership development. She is now the President of Northeastern Programming Board and has done an amazing job along with her colleagues in making NPB more visible on campus. NPB is in charge of planning different fun and educational events throughout the school year for NEIU students and the community to participate in. Starr plans to stay at Northeastern and obtain her Masters in Political Science; afterwards she would like to attend law school. She is striving to enter the political world in hopes to promote equality and justice throughout the nation.  ...