Category Archives: Section

Reflections on the GEO Strike a Year Later

Posted on 01/27/2011 by Kerry Pimblott

Students and workers are celebrating the first anniversary of the successful strike by the Graduate Employees’ Organization (GEO) and Local 6300 (AFT/IFT/AFL-CIO), the union that represents over 2,500 graduate assistants and teaching assistants at the University of Illinois at Urbana … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Labor/Economics | Leave a comment

IMC Barnraising Space (de)Construction

Posted on 01/27/2011 by Chris RItzo

$15,000 GRANT AWARDED TO RENOVATE THE URBANA-CHAMPAIGN INDEPENDENT MEDIA CENTER February 5, 2011 8:00AM – February 6, 2011 5:00PM February 19, 2011 8:00AM – February 20, 2011 5:00PM The UCIMC and faculty partners in the University of Illinois School of … Continue reading →

Posted in UC-IMC | Leave a comment

Clear Bad Baggage

Posted on 01/27/2011 by Durrell Callier

Clear bad baggage Accept. Forgive without circumvention Quiet all. A sanctity of blackness. Telling. Strong. Stronger. Braver. This poem is a product of the Poetry for the People workshop featuring local poet, Ruth  Nicole Brown. For more information on upcoming … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts | Leave a comment

Everybody Wins

Posted on 01/27/2011 by Kumars Salehi

You know when I see someone in the street or in a class dressed in that greenish camouflage / and sometimes the cap I feel anger and resentment and guilt because it’s not their fault / just like it’s not … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts | Leave a comment

Illinois Civil Unions: A Step forward, But Still Only A Step

Posted on 01/27/2011 by Paul Nolan

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” —Lao-tzu, Chinese philosopher (604 BC–531 BC) On December 1, 2010, the Illinois Senate passed SB 1716 (the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act), just a day after … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Rights, LGBTQA | Leave a comment

Marriage vs. Civil Unions in the State of Illinois

Posted on 01/27/2011 by Phillip Reese

It’s important we distinguish between the civil unions and marriage. Though many religious institutions in the area provide same-sex couples with recognition before God and their friends and neighbors, a civil union is anything but marriage. Despite what anti-gay activists … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Rights, LGBTQA | Leave a comment

Local Youth Talk Gay Marriage

Posted on 01/27/2011 by KristinaWho

On November 30, 2010, the Illinois Senate passed SB 1716, “Illinois Religious Freedom and Protection and Civil Union Act.” This law will grant legal recognition of same-sex couples. Governor Quinn has pledged to sign the bill into law in early … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Rights, LGBTQA, Youth | Leave a comment

A Great Literacy Campaign for African America in the 21st Century

Posted on 01/27/2011 by Amira Davis

SOME BACKGROUND The crisis in public education has been likened toa modern day Civil Rights crisis and a human rights tragedy. At center is the debate over educating ex-slaves. Big business insiders in seats of educational authority, like Arnie Duncan … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Education, Voices of Color | Leave a comment

Long Fight for a Wind Turbine Comes to a Head

Posted on 01/27/2011 by Amy Allen

Changing how electricity is generated is a crucial piece of solving the climate change puzzle. Current methods of electricity generation produce 40% of C02 emissions in the US, and on campus generation accounts for 68% of the UIUC carbon. In … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment | Leave a comment

Volunteers Bring Open WiFi Network to Detroit

Posted on 01/27/2011 by Brian Duggan

On December 8, volunteers Brian Duggan and Chris Ritzo of CuWin (Community Wireless) and the UCIMC Tech working group traveled to Detroit, MI to help build a community mesh wireless network. In four days, Duggan and Ritzo and members of … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology | Leave a comment

Thousands of New Community Radio Stations on the Horizon with the Historic Passage of the Local Community Radio Act

Posted on 01/27/2011 by Danielle Chynoweth

Saturday, December 18, 2010, just days away from the end of Congress when all unresolved bills die, the Local Community Radio act passed the Senate, after a swift victory in the House the day before. This victory, which was the … Continue reading →

Posted in Media | Leave a comment

Water and Environmental Justice in Palestine

Posted on 01/26/2011 by Public i

JERUSALEM, BORDERS, SECURITY, VIOLENCE and the fate of Palestinian refugees: these are the issues most often mentioned when the mainstream media discusses the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Indeed, President Bush has specifically mentioned these issues as he tries to restart talks aimed … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, International | Leave a comment

Jimmy John’s Sandwich Workers to Continue to Press for Improved Working Conditions

Posted on 11/05/2010 by Jimmy Johns Workers Union

MINNEAPOLIS—THE JIMMY JOHN’S WORKERS UNION has filed a 12-page Objection to the October 22 National Labor Review Board (NLRB) election at 10 Minneapolis sandwich shops, outlining a pattern of pervasive and systemic labor rights violations that prevented the possibility of … Continue reading →

Posted in Labor/Economics | Leave a comment

Cinching Our Belts With No Economic Recovery

Posted on 11/05/2010 by Michael Brun

LOUD VOICES FROM the worlds of business and government have called for people to pay a larger share of the costs of their maintenance. These voices call for cutting back on payments to working people in wages, healthcare, retirement pensions, … Continue reading →

Posted in Labor/Economics | Leave a comment

Students Disrupt Board of Trustees Meeting Over Coming Tuition Hike

Posted on 11/05/2010 by Ben Rothschild

ABOUT TWENTY STUDENTS from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Chicago attempted to disrupt a Board of Trustees meeting today over tuition increases and the re-segregation of higher education. A member of the Urbana-Champaign community spoke on the importance … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | Leave a comment

French Protesters Have It Right: No Need to Raise the Retirement Age

Posted on 11/05/2010 by Mark Weisbrot

THE DEMONSTRATIONS THAT have rocked France this past week highlight some of its differences from the United States. The photo below, for example shows the difference between rioting in baseball- playing versus soccer-playing countries. In the US, we would pick … Continue reading →

Posted in International, Labor/Economics | Leave a comment

Students for a United Illinois Hold Counter- Demonstration at Assembly Hall

Posted on 11/05/2010 by Brian Dolinar

ABOUT 100 PEOPLE PROTESTED outside Assembly Hall on October 23, 2010 where for the third year there was a pro-Chief rally organized by those wishing to revive the University of Illinois’ racist mascot. This year, protesters were made to stand … Continue reading →

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La Colectiva, the University YMCA, and Growing Immigrant Population in Champaign County

Posted on 11/05/2010 by Aaron Johnson-Ortiz

THE UNIVERSITY YMCA AND THE UI STUDENT organization La Colectiva are developing new outreach programs that aim to build bridges with the Latino immigrant communities in Champaign County. The two new programs are a mentorship program with Latino high school … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Rights, Latino/a | Leave a comment

Connecting Activists and Activism In Brazil

Posted on 11/05/2010 by Denise Alves dos Santos

In Brazil, there is no activism. In Brazil, there are activist people. THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN one and another is that the first is a noun and as such it is supposed to name what activists do. The second is an … Continue reading →

Posted in International | Leave a comment

An Open Letter to University of Illinois Chief of Police, Barbara O’Connor

Posted on 11/05/2010 by Public i

November 15, 2010—We write with grave concern about your recent use of the “Illini Alert” text-messaging system on Monday, November 8, 2010 to report the assault in Forbes Hall and to search for the suspect in that incident. The use … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | Leave a comment