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College of DuPage's Student Newspaper

The Courier

College of DuPage's Student Newspaper

The Courier

Mariyam Syed

Mariyam Syed, Managing Editor

Content by Mariyam Syed
Pedro Gramaxo in the prairie with students of Sculpture class. Photo by Janine Orihuela Solis

Artist Pedro Gramaxo Installs Wooden Sculpture in COD Prairie

Mariyam Syed, Staff Writer May 15, 2023

An expanse of dry tallgrass sways in the prairie, interrupted by a dark, wooden structure. This art piece was temporarily installed for public viewing during the last week of April by artist and photographer,...

Autismerica's 12th anniversary party in December 2022. Bobby Henry, Michael Duggan, Sheryl Ebersold, and PD Gamez stand at center. Photo provided by Autismerica

The College Experience of Students with Autism

Mariyam Syed, Staff Writer May 15, 2023

Editor's Note: This story had been updated to correct information about the accommodations provided at COD and the process students may use to attain accommodations. Beginning college can be particularly...

Students at the screening event for "Remember Our Names" (Photo by Stacie Haen-Darden)

Youth in Detention Empowered by Theater Group

Mariyam Syed, Staff Writer May 8, 2023

“Remember our names,” three voices demand in unison, before naming themselves. “Anthony, Bobby, Jamell.” Their lives are portrayed in “Remember Our Names,” the docudrama series based on...

Photos from Naperville Environment and Sustainability Taskforce YouTube channel

Teen Activists Urge Eco-Friendly Changes in Naperville and Aurora Schools

Mariyam Syed, Staff Writer May 1, 2023

In many communities, teenagers lead the struggle for environmental changes. This holds true for five high schoolers from Naperville and Aurora who took to the podium to address the Indian Prairie School...

Deceased pine warbler (Photo by David Ouellette)

Saving The Lives of Local Birds

Mariyam Syed, Staff Writer April 24, 2023

Taking a scenic walk in the paths behind the MAC building, students may be distressed to find injured birds lying on the ground. With its wings splayed or its head bent sideways, these delicate airborne...

Graphic by Mariyam Syed

Burdens and Bounties in the “Beautiful Country”: Book Review

Mariyam Syed, Staff Writer April 17, 2023

Beautiful Country, which translates to Mei Guo in Chinese, is the name given to America for its expectations of freedom, safety and bounty for many immigrants. This is the promise that enticed the parents...

Learning Spanish with Connection and Culture

Learning Spanish with Connection and Culture

Mariyam Syed, Staff Writer April 10, 2023

Navigating the subway, interviewing for a job and moving into a new home are all challenging but necessary parts of life. Imagine trying to do these tasks in a country abroad where you do not speak the...

Board of Trustee Meeting Highlights Faculty Concerns

Board of Trustee Meeting Highlights Faculty Concerns

Mariyam Syed, Staff Writer March 20, 2023

Dressed in red to represent the Friends for Education 502 committee, various professors and faculty members took to the public comments podium to voice their grievances at the March 16 College of DuPage...

SAFE-T Act in Illinois Supreme Court

SAFE-T Act in Illinois Supreme Court

Mariyam Syed, Staff Writer March 13, 2023

Law enforcement and legislative officials throughout Illinois will have their attention on the Illinois Supreme Court this week as more insight into the state's key piece of justice reform, the SAFE-T...

Artists of the Exhibit: Grace Cliff, Tess McBride, Alex Morgan, Angelo Mendez, Evan Benson (left to right)

“This Is A Censored Exhibition”: Art Gallery About Ohio Train Derailment

Mariyam Syed, Staff Writer March 6, 2023

News footage of a fiery train wreck and paragraphs about chemical pollution covered the walls of the Wings Gallery at College of DuPage this week. A group of five artists collaborated on this exhibition...

MPTV Students "Break-In" to the Industry with Short Film

MPTV Students “Break-In” to the Industry with Short Film

Mariyam Syed, Staff Writer February 27, 2023

Amateur filmmakers and students of MPTV 2140 are producing a short film called “Break-In” this spring. It is a sci-fi feature about a man who fears an intruder is going to break into his home and the...

Free Hugs on the Front Lines

Free Hugs on the Front Lines

Mariyam Syed, Staff Writer February 20, 2023

California-based activist Ken Nwadike Jr., “The Free Hugs Guy,” uses activism to overcome trauma and bridge divides between the Black community and police officers at the front lines of protests. He...

Earthquake Relief (2)

[Photo] 28,000 People Dead

Saidmuhammad Asoev, Staff Writer February 13, 2023

Is AI Art Innovation or Imitation?

Is AI Art Innovation or Imitation?

Mariyam Syed and Antonio Llanos February 13, 2023

Artificial intelligence apps are now widely accessible to people. Whether it’s essays about literature or pages of coding, AI output is complex and is used in many professional fields. Haroon Atcha,...

Work-Arounds for College Textbook Expenses

Work-Arounds for College Textbook Expenses

Mariyam Syed, Staff Writer January 30, 2023
A can of Red Bull, self-care kits, and coupons for food - these were all free items that showed up with my package when I ordered a textbook. It was surprisingly like a swag box and really fits the needs of the college student clientele.
Graphic by Mariyam Syed

Advice from STEM Major Alumni

Mariyam Syed, Staff Writer December 5, 2022

At the STEM Club event on Dec. 1, a panel of COD alumni shared their valuable insight on what it’s really like working in STEM jobs and how their experiences in COD’s STEM clubs helped propel them...

Engineering Students Touched the Stars at NASA Competition

Engineering Students Touched the Stars at NASA Competition

Mariyam Syed, Staff Writer December 5, 2022

In the NASA Kennedy Space Center, 10 students from COD’s Engineering and Technology Club tested out a lunar rover that can mine into the moon’s surface. They built it themselves from scratch and won...

Students Lead Social Change in Africa

Students Lead Social Change in Africa

Mariyam Syed, Staff Writer November 21, 2022

Balancing the duties of being a college student and the leader of a social movement has been a challenge for African activists. Over the course of two virtual meetings, South African and Zimbabwean students...

“Gift of Giving” Volunteer Season Starts at COD

“Gift of Giving” Volunteer Season Starts at COD

Mariyam Syed, Staff Writer November 14, 2022
Continuing through the month, COD Cares has partnered with 16 social service and donation agencies from across DuPage County for the 2022 Gift of Giving program. To participate, students need to form volunteer teams with classmates, friends and family members. Then they view the donation gift wishlists of their chosen agency. These items can be put in designated locations called Drop Gnomes around campus or delivered directly to the agencies by Dec. 9. 
Our Clothes - From Closets to Landfills

Our Clothes – From Closets to Landfills

Mariyam Syed, Staff Writer November 7, 2022

On display is a delicate white dress patterned with blocks of red text, “No Thank You” written over and over. A similar dress has colorful organza flowers down one side. This dress is made of plastic...

Policies on the Midterm Ballot

Policies on the Midterm Ballot

Mariyam Syed, Staff Writer October 31, 2022

Lynn LaPlante, DuPage County Board District 4 member, reminds voters to pay attention to pending legislation, because it can have a county-wide effect. This is also related to the work the County Board...

Eric Willoughby talks to Saba Haider, a candidate for DuPage County Board.
(Photo by Mariyam Syed)

Youth at the Front Lines of The Elections

Mariyam Syed, Staff Writer October 31, 2022

As the finale of the midterm election draws closer, DuPage County youths have been just as involved as the candidates. They are working hard to educate voters, participate civically, and make sure their...

Candidate and citizens at DuPage Voter Expo.

DuPage Leads the Nation with New Voting Systems

Mariyam Syed, Staff Writer October 24, 2022

The November 2022 election in DuPage County will be more accessible and efficient than ever before, thanks to two new major changes to how people cast their ballots. Candidates and community members at...

Provost Plans for Students' Academic Success

Provost Plans for Students’ Academic Success

Mariyam Syed, Staff Writer October 17, 2022

A member of the provost’s Completion Committee, Dr. Mark Curtis-Chavez, presented the provost’s data report on COD student’s academic completion rates, during the Oct. 13 meeting on-campus. 53% of...

Unify America fosters constructive dialogue between people to solve our country’s political divide. 
Graphic provided by Unify America.

Talking Politics with Unity, Not Uniformity

Mariyam Syed, Staff Writer October 10, 2022

Imagine being in a room for one hour with a stranger, and the only thing you can discuss are your most controversial political views. This is the premise of the Unify America Challenge. Participants sign...

Susan Kirt led students of the Architectural Design class on a tour, where she explained the history and preservation of the prairie. This was one of her ongoing workshops, as the fall 2022 Artist-in-Residence.

Preserving the Prairie with Pictures

Mariyam Syed, Staff Writer October 3, 2022

Forty-eight years ago, College of DuPage became the first community college to have prairies as study spaces. It was through the efforts of Russell Kirt, who worked to restore the local Illinois prairie...

The crowd of police, family, and faculty gathered for class BA 23-01's graduation ceremony on Friday, Sept. 23.

Stories from the Newest Graduates of the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy

Mariyam Syed, Staff Writer September 26, 2022

Outside COD’s Belushi Theater, the crowd was thick with police officers from departments across the Chicagoland area, as well as proud family members and faculty. In the center stood the 61 graduating...

Photo by Mariyam Syed Students listen to Speaker Maggie Mendenhall Casey discuss the Supreme Court on Constitution Day.

Students Judged the Supreme Court on Constitution Day

Mariyam Syed, Staff Writer September 19, 2022

College of DuPage students asked many thought-provoking questions during the annual Constitution Day event, which concentrated on the Supreme Court this year. A recurring theme in these questions was the...

Attorneys Mia McPherson and Brett Cummins lending their expertise at the clinic. Photo provided by the Public Interest Law Initiative.

DuPage Citizens Get a Second Chance at the Expungement Clinic

Mariyam Syed, Staff Writer September 12, 2022
For six long hours on a Saturday this summer, dozens of local lawyers, COD paralegal students, and other volunteers worked to help people expunge, or erase, their records at the DuPage County Expungement Clinic.
Economic Forum event information.

The Economic Forum with Charles Evans

Mariyam Syed, Staff Writer September 5, 2022

College students concerned with the threat of recession, loss of employment and rising expenses caused by inflation will have a chance to hear an expert view on the economy this week at COD. Researching...

A mock crime scene in the forensics lab, where Professor Miller’s Forensic CSI class studied crime scene sketches.

Forensic CSI and the Importance of Realistic Perceptions

Mariyam Syed, Staff Writer September 5, 2022

True crime is a mainstream topic in modern America. Technology advances are solving decades-old cold cases and new investigation organizations are forming. This encourages normal people to follow true...

International Hall at COD. Wide shot of flags hanging from wall, student story portraits, and chairs.

Explore the COD Campus on Your First Day!

Mariyam Syed, Staff Writer August 1, 2022

This coming fall semester, new students may be surprised by how large the campus is. With 14 buildings, outdoor athletic fields and large prairie spaces, it can be overwhelming. Don’t feel lost though!...

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