North Central College in the News

North Central College faculty and staff share expertise across variety of media outlets

Kelly Murphy

Aug 31, 2023

The month of August was a busy one for North Central College’s subject matter experts (SMEs). The busy pace of a new academic year did not prohibit the College from fielding media inquiries at a rapid rate. From politics to social issues and new partnerships, North Central’s appearances in the media this month landed far and wide. Here’s the recap for August:

New VP Hanni provides tips for mastering the college search on NCTV17

The college search process can be exciting and overwhelming as it can impact a student’s academic journey and personal growth in the short and long term. It’s important to approach the decision-making process informed and with tools that help students focus on finding a school where they can thrive and achieve their goals.

Dr. Agnieszka “Aggie” Hanni, vice president for enrollment management and marketing, was interviewed by Kaylin Risvold ’19, president and CEO of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce, for Naperville Community Television’s (NCTV17) 630 Naperville Business Forward segment. Hanni provided some insider tips to help students better navigate their post-high school choice and help answer the questions “What college should I go to?”

“Choosing the best college is a process of exploration and self-discovery,” said Hanni. “Students should consider their unique objectives, interests, and needs, to help them narrow their selection and help them find the right college that aligns with their current and future goals.”

Watch the full segment on NCTV17.

Ceremonial groundbreaking of North Central’s new parking pavilion garners media attention

North Central College hosted a groundbreaking ceremony at the end of July, to the sounds of excavating in the wide open space across from the Residence Hall /Recreation Center, soon to be the location of a four-story on-campus parking pavilion. More than 75 people attended the special event, where students, faculty, staff, and trustees gathered together alongside elected officials.

The College’s plans to increase on-campus parking capacity through the construction of a new parking pavilion have been bolstered by a $10 million capital grant from the State of Illinois. The funding was allocated to the College through the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) as part of Governor J.B. Pritzker’s $45 billion Rebuild Illinois Capital Plan that was signed into law in 2019. The bipartisan plan aims to create jobs and improve communities through historic investments in infrastructure and education.

The ceremonial groundbreaking event earned coverage by local and regional media outlets:

To learn more about the parking pavilion project, visit the College’s website.

Towns discusses how to find scholarships as a first-generation college student in U.S. News & World Report

For many first-generation students, cost is the biggest obstacle to a four-year degree. The cost of college can discourage students from attempting to become the first in their family to obtain a four-year degree. However, there are many scholarships, programs and advisory resources available for first-generation students looking to fund their higher education.

Many scholarships available to first-generation students can be found online. Experts say a simple browser search for available scholarships is a great place to start, but warn that sifting through thousands of results can be overwhelming. Therefore, experts say creating a network of financial advisors and mentors is vital for finding extra funds and support, as well as getting help filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA).

Kevin Towns, senior director of financial aid at North Central College, was quoted in U.S. News & World Report, where he discussed building those mentor relationships and how the earlier those are formed, the easier it is to find the help that first-generation students need while in college.

“For example, a scholarship flew across my desk looking for students who were first-generation students limited in their resources,” said Towns. “And because I knew students, I was able to connect one to the application so they could get access to that.”

Read the full story in U.S. News & World Report.  

Caliendo and Chod dissect latest indictments of former President Trump across Chicago broadcast networks

The month of August proved to be busy on the political stage, as former President Donald Trump has now been indicted in a fourth case. The latest charges stem from Georgia over his efforts to overturn his 2020 general election defeat in the state. The probe by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis began shortly after the release of a recording of a Jan. 2, 2021, phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in which the then-president suggested that Raffensperger could “find 11,780 votes” –just enough to overtake Joe Biden.

Another indictment on the former president took place earlier in the month of August, where special counsel Jack Smith had been leading two federal probes related to Trump, both of which have resulted in charges against the former president. Federal prosecutors have accused Trump of taking highly sensitive national security documents when he left the White House in January 2021. He stashed those documents haphazardly throughout his Mar-a-Lago resort and obstructed the government’s repeated attempts to retrieve them.

On at least two occasions, Trump showed classified documents to individuals who were not authorized to view them, prosecutors say. During one of those episodes—which was audio-recorded—Trump allegedly displayed a top-secret military plan of attack while telling visitors, “As president I could have declassified it” but “now I can’t,” adding that the document he was showing them was “still a secret.”

To break down all the news and moving elements of these two indictment cases was Dr. Stephen Maynard Caliendo, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Dr. Suzanne Chod, professor of political science, whom interviewed across Chicago broadcast networks.

View all the media placements where Caliendo shared his expertise at the following links:

North Central College Fine & Performing Arts season featured in Naperville Sun

Tickets are on sale for North Central College’s performing arts season, which features a mixture of returning favorites and new performers, a variety of genres and talented college musicians, vocalists and actors. The 2023-24 season runs from October to April.

Jennifer Berosek, associate director of fine and performing arts at North Central College, interviewed with the Naperville Sun, where she shared some fan favorites will be returning to campus venues this year, while the College also brings new performances to the stage.

“We are very excited for the season ahead,” said Berosek. “This season offers a little something for everyone, including a wide variety of musical genres, theater productions, comedy shows and family performances.”

Read the full story in the Naperville Sun.

Caliendo breaks down first Republican Debate on FOX 32 Chicago & CBS 2 Chicago

Republicans kicked the 2024 election into its next gear with their first presidential debate late August. But even as the party hosted its most important event yet, its frontrunner, former President Trump, was notably absent.

Eight candidates that were on stage: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis; entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy; former Vice President Mike Pence; former South Carolina governor and US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley; former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie; South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott; former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.

Caliendo interviewed on FOX 32 Chicago and CBS 2 Chicago, where he previewed the anticipated takeaways from the GOP debate.

See the media coverage at the following links:

Macek weighs in on strikes, unions and the rise of workers walking out on Audacy Radio podcast

In 2022, workers who went on strike increased by 50 percent. Today, all around the country, workplaces of different fields are walking out, striking and unionizing on a scale we haven’t seen for decades.

Dr. Steve Macek, chair and professor of communications at North Central College, was interviewed on the Audacy Radio podcast, where he weighed in on why workers strike and if there is a pattern to be seen of these events throughout history.

Listen to the full podcast episode on Audacy Radio. 

North Central College’s partnership with Inside Out Club featured in Naperville media

North Central College’s School of Graduate and Professional Studies has launched an expanded partnership with Inside Out Club DuPage, based in Naperville. The partnership extends the resources of the College’s Cultures of Character Initiatives into the elementary and middle school programs offered by Inside Out Club DuPage. The nonprofit organization aims to help children as young as age three develop and practice skills such as empathy, acceptance, perseverance and kindness.

This new partnership adds to the network of organizations, professional associations and school districts that serve pre-K through 12th grade students. By linking with these groups, North Central extends its reach to bring attention to the value of embedding character virtues in the foundational ethos of a school or group culture. North Central faculty have already consulted on the organization’s kindergarten through fifth grade curriculum; including, mapping lessons back to Illinois Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and Common Core standards, as well as providing assessment guidance on gauging the impact and effectiveness of Inside Out Club programs.

Click the following links to view the Naperville media coverage:

Caliendo addresses trial of former Madigan Chief of Staff Tim Mapes

Jury selection began in early August in the trial of former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan's ex-chief of staff, Tim Mapes. A pool of 50 perspective jurors were brought in for this trial, but it's a slow process, with the judge questioning every one of them individually.

Mapes, 68, is charged with perjury and obstruction of justice for his alleged attempt to block the federal criminal investigation of Madigan. Mapes was part of Madigan's tight inner circle. He served as Madigan's chief of staff for many years until he was fired in 2018 in a sexual harassment investigation. He also served as executive director of the Democratic Party of Illinois.

Caliendo was interviewed by ABC 7 Chicago’s political reporter Craig Wall, where he addressed the trial.

"You have to prove it was false, and that the person knew it was false at the time they said it. And so, saying, 'I don't recollect' or 'I'm not sure,' those are all ways that you can get around telling the absolute truth," said Caliendo.

Click the following links to read the full story: