North Central News
North Central College continues to make media waves across Chicagoland in 2022
Feb 28, 2022
With the new year underway, North Central College is once again ‘off to the races’ and maintaining a robust media presence throughout Chicago and across the region. From stories on breaking international news to new academic programs and the celebration of Black History Month, the College and its subject matter experts continue to be at the forefront of media coverage.
Muck analyzes history-making war between Russia and Ukraine on TV networks across Chicago
The most significant European war in almost 80 years has begun.
Russian troops poured over the Ukraine border, and Russian planes and missile launchers attacked Ukrainian cities and airports. The attacks spanned much of the country, far beyond the border provinces where there has been sporadic fighting between the nations for years.
Ukraine’s government called it “a full-scale attack from multiple directions.”
Blasts could be heard in Kyiv, the capital, as well as more than a dozen other cities. At an airport outside Kyiv, rocket attacks targeted parked Ukrainian fighter jets. In the southern port city of Odessa, Russian troops arrived from the sea. In Lutsk — in the northwest corner of Ukraine, closer to Poland than Russia — explosions were also reported.
Back in Chicago, William Muck, professor and chair of political science, was in high demand from media outlets to help break down the war prior to invasion, as developments took place, and ultimately the impact this war might have on Americans.
Click the links below to check out the media coverage:
- FOX 32 Chicago (2-14-22 at 4:15 p.m.)
- FOX 32 Chicago (2-21-22 at 6:30 a.m.)
- FOX 32 Chicago (2-21-22 at 12:05 p.m.)
- FOX 32 Chicago (2-21-22 at 4:20 p.m.)
- NBC 5 Chicago (2-21-22 at 10 p.m.)
- NBC 5 Chicago (2-22-22 at 12:41 a.m.)
- NBC 5 Chicago (2-22-22 at 4:34 a.m.)
- FOX 32 Chicago (2-22-22 at 5:41 p.m.)
- FOX 32 Chicago (2-23-22 at 4:15 p.m.)
- WGN-TV (2-23-22 at 5:35 p.m.)
- FOX 32 Chicago (2-23-22 at 9:25 p.m.)
- WGN-TV (2-23-22 at 9:35 p.m.)
- WGN-AM Radio (2-24-22 at 12 a.m.)
- FOX 32 Chicago (2-24-22 at 1:15 a.m.)
- WGN-AM Radio (2-24-22 at 2 a.m.)
- FOX 32 Chicago (2-24-22 at 4:30 a.m.)
- FOX 32 Chicago (2-24-22 at 5:31 a.m.)
- FOX 32 Chicago (2-24-22 at 9:20 a.m.)
- FOX 32 Chicago (2-24-22 at 4:15 p.m.)
- ABC 7 Chicago (2-25-22 at 6:12 a.m.)
- FOX 32 Chicago (2-25-22 at 5:40 p.m.)
North Central celebrates Black History Month through variety of events featured in local news
Throughout Black History Month, North Central College’s Office of Multicultural Affairs are hosting a series of on-campus events that are open to members of the public. These events captured the attention of the media and helped boost attendance for these events.
Check out the media coverage below:
Muck weighs in on ISIS leader being killed during U.S. Special Forces raid in Syria on FOX 32 Chicago
The leader of the violent Islamic State group was killed during an overnight raid on February 3 in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province. The raid targeted Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, who took over as head of the militant group on Oct. 31, 2019, just days after leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died during a U.S. raid in the same area. The operation came as the Islamic State has been trying for a resurgence, with a series of attacks in the region, including an assault late last month to seize a prison in northeast Syria holding at least 3,000 Islamic State detainees, its boldest operation in years.
William Muck interviewed with FOX 32 Chicago where he discussed the impact the Islamic State has over regions in the Middle East.
“The Islamic State has undergone a pretty dramatic transformation over the last decade,” said Muck. “In 2014, 2015 at the height of their power they controlled large areas of Iraq and Syria and since then it’s been downhill. In 2019, they were driven out of that territory; so they have basically been underground. Over the last couple of months, we’ve been seeing them trying to make a resurgence in Syria—there’s some talk about whether they want to be in Afghanistan—but they’re really a much more weakened organization. Now, they still are a threat to the region, but not nearly the threat that they would have been about a decade ago.”
Click here to watch the full interview on FOX 32 Chicago.
Carballo shares importance of engaging first-gen students’ families in Inside Higher Education
Julie Carballo, assistant dean for first-gen, transfer and veteran initiatives, penned an op-ed in Inside Higher Ed. The column, published February 8, 2022, focused on how being a first-generation student is an asset, and families of these students can be partners in supporting success.
Here is an excerpt from her op-ed:
The road to a college degree is not one that is traveled alone—and the first years of that journey take place long before a student steps on campus. It is critically important to success in college that higher ed institutions provide both students and their families a welcoming and supportive community. This is especially true for first-generation college students, who are working hard to become the first in their families to earn a degree without the benefit of advice based on their parents’ own college-going experiences.
Not knowing how things work in college can put the families of first-generation students at a disadvantage. They want to provide that important support for their student on their college journey, but they may not know how to do so specifically or strategically.
As institutions work to support and celebrate our first-gen students, we must be mindful about including families so that they feel like a part of their student’s new community and know that they are a valued partner to help support the student on the shared journey to success.
Click here to read the full op-ed on Inside Higher Ed.
Bloom discusses climate change in connection to 1967 blizzard and likelihood of it happening again in Daily Herald
Fifty-five years ago, local temperatures reached a record 65 degrees. Two days later, a far more memorable record was set: An unexpected blizzard dropped 23 inches of snow in 29 hours -- the area's largest single-storm snowfall. The blizzard of Jan. 26-27, 1967, stalled tens of thousands of vehicles and shuttered schools, businesses and airports. The storm caught locals by surprise -- something that would not happen today thanks to radar, satellites and computer modeling that did not exist decades ago.
Paul Bloom, associate professor of physics, was interviewed by the Daily Herald, where he shared that while it’s difficult to tie an event like the ’67 blizzard to climate change, there’s evidence all around us that extreme weather events are becoming more probable.
“One consequence of global warming over time is more moisture in the atmosphere. That can result in extreme rain and snow events, making another blizzard like the one in 1967 possible,” said Bloom.
Click here to read the full article in the Daily Herald.
The College’s doctor of physical therapy program featured in Inside Higher Education, Daily Herald and Naperville Patch
North Central College has introduced a doctor of physical therapy (DPT) program and expects to enroll its first cohort of students in January of 2023. As part of the College’s School of Education and Health Sciences, the DPT program will build upon the foundational knowledge of students’ undergraduate degrees and prepare them for thriving and fulfilling careers in the physical therapy profession. The program is currently in development and the College will apply in June 2022 for Candidate for Accreditation status from the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)1.
The 28-month DPT program was featured in Inside Higher Ed, the Daily Herald and the Naperville Patch.
“Expanding North Central College’s program offerings in the health sciences continues to be a significant focus as we strive to meet the growing demand in these exciting fields,” said North Central College President Troy D. Hammond. “Our location in the heart of Naperville makes North Central an ideal location for students to pursue their degree in the health sciences and capitalize on the College’s proximity to several of the best healthcare service providers and facilities in the Midwest.”
Click here to read the full article in Inside Higher Ed.
Click here to read the full article in the Daily Herald.
Click here to read the full article in the Naperville Patch.
1 North Central College is planning to submit an Application for Candidacy—the formal application required in the pre-accreditation stage—for its DPT program from CAPTE on June 1, 2022. Submission of this document does not assure that the program will be granted Candidate for Accreditation status. Achievement of this status is required prior to implementation of the professional phase of the program; therefore, no students may be enrolled in professional courses until Candidate for Accreditation status has been achieved. Further, though achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status signifies satisfactory progress toward accreditation, it does not assure that the program will be granted accreditation.
Groll weighs in on court case examining ethical obligations of health care workers in New York Times
Scott Quiner, who was unvaccinated and hospitalized with Covid-19, had been on a ventilator for weeks when doctors told his wife they would be taking him off the machine. What followed was a legal case that raised questions over who has the right to make wrenching life-or-death decisions when patients cannot speak for themselves. It also underscored the tensions between people who refuse the coronavirus vaccine and the hospitals that have been filled with patients sick with the virus, a majority of them unvaccinated.
Mary Groll, professor of health sciences and chairperson of the Department of Medical Services at North Central College, was quoted in the New York Times, where she addressed the decision to take away life-sustaining machines.
“The decision to take away life-sustaining machines is more straightforward when doctors have determined that a patient meets the criteria for brain death,” said Groll. “But if a patient’s brain function is intact and a meaningful life remains possible, the decisions about medical care fall more clearly on a patient or that patient’s proxy.”
Click here to read the full article in the New York Times.
North Central College’s virtual MLK Day events featured in Naperville media
North Central College has a long history of celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—a history highlighted by Dr. King’s visit to campus and speech at the College’s Pfeiffer Hall in 1960. This year, the College hosted a number of virtual MLK Vision Day events under the theme “Keep Moving Forward.”
The College’s MLK Day virtual events were featured in both Naperville Community Television (NCTV17) and in the Naperville Patch.
The message of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. may have come before its time, but it still rings true in 2022 for the Rev. Dr. Geneace Williams. Williams, the diversity, equity and inclusion manager for the City of Naperville, gave remarks Monday, Jan. 17 as the keynote speaker at the College’s virtual luncheon paying tribute to MLK.
“This is a day and time we dare to hope,” Williams said. “We dare to hope many will be inspired to continue the work that in some ways predated Dr. King.”
Click here to read the full article on NCTV17.
Click here to read the full article on the Naperville Patch.
Muck discusses voting rights bill on Senate floor with WGN-TV
Voting legislation that Democrats and civil rights leaders say is vital for protecting democracy appeared to be met with defeat as the Senate churned into debate Tuesday, Jan. 18, a devastating setback enabled by President Joe Biden’s own party as two holdout senators refused to support rule changes to overcome a Republican filibuster.
The Democratic senators, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, faced strong criticism from Black leaders and civil rights organizations for failing to take on what critics call the “Jim Crow filibuster.”
The debate carries echoes of an earlier era when the Senate filibuster was deployed in lengthy speeches by opponents of civil rights legislation. It comes as Democrats and other voting advocates nationwide warn that Republican-led states are passing laws making it more difficult for Black Americans and others to vote by consolidating polling locations, requiring certain types of identification, and ordering other changes.
William Muck was interviewed on WGN-TV, where he discussed the Voting Rights Bill.
“The Democrats need to do everything they can to show they’re putting up a good fight and they might move away from a silent filibuster to say to Republicans, if you want to stop this, you’re going to actually have to talk,” said Muck. “But the rules are against them. So, at the end of the day, it’s going to be a really uphill battle. But Democrats have put so much effort and Biden has put so much effort into this, that I think they have to try every possibility before they realize that this is likely not going to work.”
Click here to watch the full interview on WGN-TV.
Caliendo weighs in on Supreme Court’s ruling on Biden administration overstepping authority with vaccine mandate on FOX 32 Chicago
The Supreme Court issued two key rulings Thursday, Jan. 13 about vaccine mandates. In a six to three ruling, the Supreme Court said the Biden administration overstepped its authority by trying to impose a new Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rule that employees at businesses with at least 100 workers be vaccinated or get tested weekly and wear masks daily.
Stephen Maynard Caliendo, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, interviewed with FOX 32 Chicago, where he discussed the concerns of the Supreme Court and the implications of the Biden administrations mandate.
"Essentially what the conservative justices ruled in this case is that this was an overreach by the Biden administration. That doesn't mean workers won't be required to have vaccines or tests, individual employers could do that, it's just that they will not be forced by the federal government to do so," said Stephen Caliendo, North Central College Political Science Professor.
Click here to watch the full interview on FOX 32 Chicago.
Chod discusses the political landscape after the Capitol insurrection on WGN-TV
The U.S. marked the one-year anniversary of the deadly Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris delivered remarks, with Biden calling out former President Trump for attempting to undo American democracy. A slate of events were held on Capitol Hill to commemorate the day, including a prayer vigil with members of the House and Senate.
Suzanne Chod, professor of political science, interviewed with WGN-TV where she addressed the political landscape since the Capitol insurrection.
“This is something that those of us who study American politics—political scientists in particular—who study democracies and how democracies erode, and fray are very concerned,” said Chod. “Conspiracy theories are nothing new; they do take hold in democracies even. But what I think is most concerning is the Republican party is using these conspiracy theories to say that those are the true facts.”