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Below, we’ve got the community news you need to know today.
⏱️: A 7-minute read
— Matt Moore, newsletter reporter (@MattKenMoore)
TODAY’S TOP STORY
Chicago students work to improve their schools and find their voice along the way
Reporting by Sarah Karp | WBEZ
Switching up the civics lesson: At Juarez High School in Pilsen, youth participating in the school’s “student voice committee” meet regularly to tackle the question: What needs to be improved? Nearly every Chicago public high school has a committee as part of a broader effort in the school district to shift beyond a narrow focus on just learning the ins and outs of government — to helping students experience what it is like to get involved and create change.
Why teach civics this way?: Chicago Public Schools, with its approach to civics education, sets out to interrupt what district officials call the “civic empowerment gap” between wealthy and lower-income school districts and spread quality civics ed across a district where most students come from low-income families.
Students in action: Teens in the student voice committee at Corliss Early College STEM High School in Roseland set out to change what they said was a negative perception of their school. The students met with their principal and the CPS chief executive officer and eventually won a $40,000 marketing grant from the school district. They then created a video tour of the school that went viral, and students wound up on billboards advertising the school. Since then, the committee says the perception of Corliss is changing and the experience has given them faith in their ability to make a change.
“I felt hopeless when I felt nobody could hear me or hear my ideas,” said junior Mentrell Blackman. “So just knowing that I have the power and strength to do that makes me happy.”
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
A Chicago family of five was rescued Wednesday from Greenhorn Mountain in southern Colorado.
Pueblo County sheriff’s office
- Chicago family rescued from Colorado mountain: The family of five – three adults and two children – went to hike Greenhorn Mountain Wednesday, but snow, altitude and the family’s inexperience with mountain climbing slowed them down as they neared the summit by the evening, according to local authorities, who said the rescue effort took about seven hours.
- More charges after bomb threat: A 23-year-old Skokie man accused of making fake bomb threats this year is facing additional charges, including four more felony disorderly conduct charges for additional threats against the Evanston Public Library and an Evanston McDonald’s, police said.
- Blackhawks drop Corey Perry: The team placed the 19-year NHL veteran on unconditional waivers Tuesday — six days after his absence began — for the purposes of terminating his contract after finding what it called “unacceptable conduct.”
- Student back on team after mom sues: After Hinsdale South parent Erin Savage sued the Hinsdale Township High School District and several Hinsdale South employees last week, she learned this morning her son Brendan — a two-time all-conference pick — would be back on the boys basketball team. The lawsuit alleged the school’s coach cut Savage’s son in retaliation for the family filing a complaint against a previous coach.
- Remembering Willie ‘The Touch’ Hayes: Mr. Hayes, who played drums with B.B. King, the Temptations, Muddy Waters and many more legends died Nov. 5. He was 73. “He was always looking for ways to enjoy life through laughter,” his keyboardist pal Johnny Iguana said.
- Overnight parking ban returns: Starting Friday morning, the city’s winter overnight parking ban will go into effect. That means cars parked on bus routes and main roads will be towed regardless of snow.
MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR 👋
Gina Lira, nail artist
Gina Lira, a Chicago nail artist.
Ari Mejia/Vocalo Radio
Reporting by Ari Mejia | Vocalo Radio
Gina Lira, also known as Gigi Jiggles, is a nail artist who aims to create safe spaces for her clients.
From doing her own nails in high school to becoming a sought-after nail technician, Lira’s journey is a narrative of art, identity and community.
Her early experimentation laid the groundwork for her future career, and her love of doing nails continued into adulthood. She would give manicures to her friends and family for fun, inviting friends to sit down and let her do their nails whenever they came over to talk or just hang out.
The turning point came when Lira discovered Beauty Bar, the vintage hair salon-inspired bar in West Town, which invited manicurists to do nails for patrons. Lira joined the team and was eventually inspired to attend nail school.
She began to build her client list and strove to make everyone feel welcome. Lira’s sessions aren’t just a place for nail art — they’re a sanctuary where individuals can be their authentic selves.
“There’s no judgment in our space, and in my space, where you can tell me anything,” she says. “I’ve been there, I’ve done that, I’ve heard it, I’ve seen it.”
BRIGHT ONE ✨
Ellie Cotey, costume manager at the Joffrey Ballet, says it’s a “super, super busy time” leading up to the opening of “The Nutcracker” on Dec. 2
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
A stitch in time: Joffrey Ballet costume crew stands ready to fix any rips in ‘The Nutcracker’
Reporting by Stefano Esposito
In the Joffrey Ballet’s costume shop at 10 E. Randolph, it’s a “super, super busy time,” says Ellie Cotey, the costume manager, adding some finishing touches to the bodice of the sugar plum fairy costume during a recent interview with the Sun-Times.
Joffrey’s annual “Nutcracker” — the company show that sells the most tickets each year (in part because it has the longest run of any of its presentations) — opens this Saturday at the Lyric Opera House.
If it’s a chaotic time, it’s a controlled chaos. Three stitchers were sitting near a large window, working mostly in silence as they applied finishing touches to various costumes. Cotey’s team of six, including herself, has a combined 120 years of experience in the trade.
There are about 260 costumes in total for “The Nutcracker.” Most of them were on hangers on racks, waiting to be packed into road boxes to be loaded into a truck and taken to the Lyric.
Cotey and the rest of the team will all be somewhere backstage — and out of sight — during the run of the show. They’ll each carry a little pouch, containing needles, scissors, thread and safety pins. And like a pit crew, Cotey’s team is ready to sprint into action at a moment’s — maybe a fraction of a moment’s — notice.
“It’s fine if your heart is pounding — as long as your hands aren’t shaking,” said Jerica Hucke, the draper for Joffrey. “You have to be really confident in that moment that the thing you’re doing — that you can get it done in the time you need to do it. … Anything could happen backstage, and you have to always be prepared,” Hucke said.
YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
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Editor: Satchel Price
Newsletter reporter: Matt Moore
Copy editor: Angie Myers
