College of DuPage's Student Newspaper

The Courier

College of DuPage's Student Newspaper

The Courier

Content by Reanna Comiso
COD Feminist Alliance makes a comeback

COD Feminist Alliance makes a comeback

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor December 12, 2018

When looking for a place to direct his love for student involvement and activism, College of DuPage student Jacob Kent asked students what they thought the campus was lacking. Without a second guess, students...

A bittersweet farewell to the Courier

A bittersweet farewell to the Courier

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor December 12, 2018

I  dreaded writing this all semester long. I knew it was coming. As each week passed, and we started working on the next issues, I tried to pay no attention to it. I didn’t want to think about leaving...

Antidepressant shaming is worsening the mental health epidemic

Antidepressant shaming is worsening the mental health epidemic

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor December 5, 2018

I have been on antidepressants since I was 18. Some people told me I was too young to take them. Others told me I should not depend on a pill. I was told if I just exercised, ate healthy and thought positively,...

The irony of required volunteering

The irony of required volunteering

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor November 21, 2018

Volunteering has become the gold star to place on your resume and college applications. It shows you are a well-rounded, caring individual, sure to make you stick out to college admission counselors and...

Give back this holiday season, donate to the Fuel Pantry

Give back this holiday season, donate to the Fuel Pantry

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor November 21, 2018

With the holidays approaching faster than ever, it is easy to forget the true meaning of the holidays - the gift of giving. Giving back to the community does not have to be a chore. Instead, you can donate...

I Am Evidence exposes the broken system behind rape kit testing

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor November 13, 2018

Hundreds of thousands of rape kits are sitting untested and unopened in police stations across the country. As sexual assault survivors wait to find peace, a recent documentary shows the fractured system...

Abstinence-only sex ed is hurting the youth in more ways than you think

Abstinence-only sex ed is hurting the youth in more ways than you think

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor November 7, 2018

Abstinence-only sex education doesn’t work. As much as your middle school health teacher tried to convince you premarital sex was the end-all, be-all, modern standards reveal it is just not true. Research...

Voting is your right. Don’t let anyone take it from you.

Voting is your right. Don’t let anyone take it from you.

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor October 30, 2018

The United States has an unfortunate history of voter suppression. It did not die with the passing of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 like Americans hoped. In 2018, voter suppression looks like malfunctioning...

Actor from the House of Torment haunted attraction.

Can you survive the House of Torment?

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor October 23, 2018

Haunted houses have never been my thing. They terrified me as a kid, bored me as I grew older and never gave me the thrill I was seeking from the Halloween season. I much prefer baking Halloween treats,...

Candace Hilligoss as Mary Henry in Carnival of Souls (1962).

Looking to get into the Halloween spirit? Stick with the classics

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor October 23, 2018

With the turn of the season comes a want for all things horrifying. Thanks to the various streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, a plethora of horror movies are right at our fingertips, just in time...

Q&A with President Ann Rondeau on her Departure from COD

Q&A with President Ann Rondeau on her Departure from COD

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor October 16, 2018

Reanna Comiso: Are you confident that the administration will be able to pick up where you left off on major projects, such as Pathways?    Dr. Ann Rondeau: Absolutely.  Yes. Guided Pathways is...

Native Voices explores culture, tradition and diversity

Native Voices explores culture, tradition and diversity

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor October 16, 2018

The Native American Studies Committee at the College of DuPage will host an early celebration for National Native American Heritage month. The four-day symposium will highlight the modern presence of Native...

Indulge with help from the Food Truck Rally

Indulge with help from the Food Truck Rally

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor October 16, 2018

It’s the perfect contrast between physical fitness to excessive junk food. The College of DuPage’s  annual Food Truck Rally and Sunset 5k is a unique event for long-distance runners, “foodies”...

The Courier Collective: a review of the Wheat Cafe

The Courier Collective: a review of the Wheat Cafe

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor October 10, 2018

A quick, modern and cheap dining option on campus? Count the Courier staff in. Many College of DuPage students are unaware of the amazing facilities on campus, one of them being a gourmet restaurant...

Casual college drinker or borderline alcoholic? How the college experience influences alcohol abuse

Casual college drinker or borderline alcoholic? How the college experience influences alcohol abuse

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor October 2, 2018

It is a Saturday night in Champaign, Ill. Students at the University of Illinois have come up with a brilliant idea. Slurring their words and struggling to keep their balance, they circle a lone tree stump....

A bittersweet victory for women everywhere, but is it enough?

A bittersweet victory for women everywhere, but is it enough?

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor October 2, 2018

Bill Cosby will spend the next three to ten years in prison after being found guilty in the drugging and sexual assault of Andrea Constand at his home 14 years ago. But in the end, no amount of jail time...

Cultural awareness is a necessity: experience Hispanic culture at COD

Cultural awareness is a necessity: experience Hispanic culture at COD

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor September 25, 2018

In 1970, the Hispanic population in America was only at around 5 percent. Now, about a 20 percent of the total U.S. population comes from Hispanic heritage, according to the PEW Research Center. As the...

Hurricane Florence slams east coast, death toll rises

Hurricane Florence slams east coast, death toll rises

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor September 25, 2018

Though Hurricane Florence weakened in strength before it made landfall on the east coast, at least 42 people died as a result of the storm, according to a CBS report. Thirty-one deaths occurred in North...

Riot Fest returns to Chicago despite all odds

Riot Fest returns to Chicago despite all odds

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor September 18, 2018

What started out as a small, localized festival has turned into one of Chicago’s most beloved. Thousands of music lovers from across the country make the commute to Douglas Park each year for Riot Fest,...

Students speak out on athletic probation: what comes next?

Students speak out on athletic probation: what comes next?

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor September 12, 2018

Student-athletes spend all year working towards the same end goal. Each one wishes to reach their potential, win championship games and represent their team to the best of his or her ability. That goal...

Revisiting “Antisocialites” a year later

Revisiting “Antisocialites” a year later

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor September 12, 2018

Canadian indie pop band Alvvays released their highly-anticipated follow-up record one year ago on Sept. 8th, 2017. Since the release, it has been one of my favorite albums of the past year. It only seems...

Free music fridays return for the fall semester

Free music fridays return for the fall semester

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor September 12, 2018

Music Fridays @ Noon are back for another year to provide music and entertainment for College of DuPage students and community members. Music Fridays are hosted by the COD Music Department, taking...

Is “Hereditary” truly the scariest movie of 2018?

Is “Hereditary” truly the scariest movie of 2018?

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor September 5, 2018

Since “Hereditary” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2018, critics hailed it as the “scariest movie of 2018.” Sundance crowned it as the “scariest movie ever,” with others...

College of DuPage athletic teams put on probation by the NJCAA

College of DuPage athletic teams put on probation by the NJCAA

Reanna Comiso, Tessa Morton, and Alison Pfaff August 31, 2018

College of DuPage athletic teams for the 2018-2019 school year have been put on athletic probation by the National Junior College Athletic Association. As a result, COD teams are able to play their regular...

A 4 day school week is selfish, not sensible

A 4 day school week is selfish, not sensible

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor August 30, 2018

It is no secret that many public schools in America are severely underfunded. Now, more and more schools going to extreme measures to save a quick buck, putting the success of the students on the backburner. Around...

New wedding planning certificate available to all students

New wedding planning certificate available to all students

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor August 30, 2018

In the Fall 2018 semester, College of Dupage students can learn about the art, history and preparations for planning a wedding with the new Wedding Planning Management Certificate program. The certificate...

My experience at a kitchen nightmare

My experience at a kitchen nightmare

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor July 4, 2018

A few weeks ago, I was able to live out a personal dream of mine when I received the chance to dine at a restaurant in New Orleans called Oceana Grill. While many would question the importance of a typical...

Summer entertainment at the lakeside pavilion

Summer entertainment at the lakeside pavilion

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor June 30, 2018

This summer, DuPage County residents do not need to go far in search of summer entertainment. Throughout July and August, the McAninch Arts Center (MAC)  at the College of DuPage will host an array of...

Riot Fest releases first wave of lineup

Riot Fest releases first wave of lineup

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor June 15, 2018

Every year, waiting for the Riot Fest lineup leaves me dying with anticipation. After what felt like forever, the first wave of bands and artists were finally released on May 30. After months of waiting,...

Sandra Bullock stars in Oceans 8, in theaters June 8.

Blockbuster season: upcoming movies to expect on the big screen

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor June 8, 2018

This summer, some of the most talked about movies and sequels will be hitting the big screen. As long as new movies are coming out, there will be something to do every weekend of summer. Get ready to indulge...

Get out and enjoy the music: your guide to Chicago music festivals

Get out and enjoy the music: your guide to Chicago music festivals

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor June 8, 2018

Summer arrives, and out come the music fans. Pretty soon, the Chicagoland area will be flocked by avid music-goers of all shapes, sizes and genres. Lollapalooza Chicago hosts some of the biggest...

Entering a new reality: a gaming experience like no other

Entering a new reality: a gaming experience like no other

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor May 15, 2018

When they were still students at the College of Dupage (COD), Sam Wohlrab and Tucker Wolf never thought two people could work so well together. It was not until they teamed up as alumni to create an immersive...

Pre-finals week rest and relaxation

Pre-finals week rest and relaxation

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor May 8, 2018

Finals week: the average college student’s nightmare. The semester comes to a long-awaited end, and students are greeted with tests, papers and assignments that are representative of their final...

COD students bring positivity to campus

COD students bring positivity to campus

Reanna Comiso, F May 8, 2018

Like many, Carly Huegelmann, an English professor at the College of Dupage (COD), noticed the depressing nature of modern-day news channels. From school shootings to inner-city violence, Huegelmann was...

Books for lasting change: student to host book drive for Illinois inmates

Books for lasting change: student to host book drive for Illinois inmates

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor May 1, 2018

The recidivism rate for prison inmates is incredibly high, with almost 75 percent returning to incarceration after release. It has been shown, though, that something as simple as providing books to inmates...

Gillian Flynn

Sharp Objects: bestselling novel to hit television screens

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor April 24, 2018
Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects will be hitting television screens this summer.
Grave of the Fireflies: Isao Takhata’s masterpiece 30 years later

Grave of the Fireflies: Isao Takhata’s masterpiece 30 years later

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor April 24, 2018

Japan, 1945. The country is facing devastating poverty, death and destruction at the end of the worst war to plague the world. Two children are left orphaned during the fire-bombing of Kobe, Japan,...

The award of a lifetime: Christopher Schneberger wins outstanding adjunct faculty award

The award of a lifetime: Christopher Schneberger wins outstanding adjunct faculty award

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor April 17, 2018

Christopher Schneberger is a successful photographer who has work displayed all over the country and beyond. From Los Angeles to Hong Kong to Chicago, his art speaks magnitudes to audiences near and far....

Gaming in the Multiverse: COD CON returns to campus

Gaming in the Multiverse: COD CON returns to campus

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor April 11, 2018

A dungeon, a masquerade and  more games than one could ever imagine: these are just a few of the things one can expect to see at CODCON XXIII, the College of Dupage’s (COD) very own gaming convention....

Ann Rondeau reflects upon Women’s History Month

Ann Rondeau reflects upon Women’s History Month

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor March 21, 2018

There is no shortage of outstanding women at the College of DuPage (COD), each one worth celebrating. In 1987, after roughly seven years of lobbying, Congress named March as National Women’s Month....

Pitchfork Music Festival announces full lineup

Pitchfork Music Festival announces full lineup

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor March 21, 2018

Living near Chicago, we are lucky enough to be close to some of the best music festivals in the world. Lollapalooza, Riot Fest and Pitchfork are just some of the few festivals Illinoisans have to look...

An international impact: Muslim Student Association to host Fast-A-Thon to raise money for Syria

An international impact: Muslim Student Association to host Fast-A-Thon to raise money for Syria

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor March 13, 2018

For over six years, war has torn apart the country of Syria, growing exceptionally worse with each passing day. Citizens of Syria are left with two options: they can either stay in Syria and live in a...

Sustainability Film and Discussion Series to cover environmental predicaments

Sustainability Film and Discussion Series to cover environmental predicaments

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor March 6, 2018

Americans love to throw things away. In fact, America is among the top in food waste production in the world. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, an estimated 133 billion pounds of...

Photo by Hannah Davis

Adapting Pillars tells the story of human and nature relationships

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor March 6, 2018

Until last semester, College of DuPage art student Karolina Szumilas had never before worked with sculptures. Fast forward a few months, and she has her own solo exhibit. “Adapting Pillars” takes...

Photo by Hannah Davis

Engineering and Technology Club students build Rube Goldberg Machine

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor March 6, 2018

Imagine a cardboard structure with a kitten stuffed animal on top, a few plastic pipes and a lime green balloon. Now imagine that same contraption being used to pour a bowl of cereal. Rube Goldberg,...

Cast of

College theater students put on Shakespearean classic “Much Ado About Nothing”

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor February 27, 2018

Amelia Barrett, professor of theater and director of the production, knew right away that she wanted to the piece to be centered around the here-and-now rather than middle-aged Italy. It is not the simple...

Paolo Mazza, Events Coordinator at the Office of Student Life

Get a grip on self care with the help of Wellness Week

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor February 27, 2018

In college, many students can attest the popular notion: one has to choose between schoolwork, sleep or social life; you can’t have all three. Now more than ever, students must take care of themselves...

Meet your Features Editor!

Meet your Features Editor!

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor February 21, 2018

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only bring one Ikea item with you, what would you bring? I would probably bring a MATRAND, a memory foam mattress. What’s your most played song? "Clementine"...

Art and architecture: two new exhibits open on campus

Art and architecture: two new exhibits open on campus

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor February 20, 2018

There is often a divide between people and their communities. With many having increasingly busy and hectic lives, it becomes hard to make connections between how community can impact individuality. Two...

The past, present, and future: Glenn Hansen reflects as he heads toward retirement

The past, present, and future: Glenn Hansen reflects as he heads toward retirement

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor February 20, 2018

During his life, Glenn Hansen, photography professor at the College of DuPage (COD), has devoted time to capturing the everyday. As he prepares to leave the college and head into retirement, a recent gallery...

The Noise of Culture: Taking a look into COD’s Humanities Fest

The Noise of Culture: Taking a look into COD’s Humanities Fest

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor February 13, 2018

Photo by Hannah Davis When it comes to discussing the humanities, one of the most common responses includes confusion: What are the humanities? What can be done with the humanities? Why should I care...

Celebrating culture through dance: Salsa/Merengue/Bachata dance returns to COD

Celebrating culture through dance: Salsa/Merengue/Bachata dance returns to COD

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor February 13, 2018

Photos provided by the College of DuPage The College of DuPage (COD), has students from all over the world, with many different traditions and practices students can learn from. Last semester, there...

Faculty showcase talent in Music Fridays @ Noon

Faculty showcase talent in Music Fridays @ Noon

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor February 6, 2018

Photos taken by Hannah Davis With the hectic schedules that come with entering adulthood, it never hurts to take time to unwind at the end of the week. With the help of the College of Dupage music department,...

BTE kicks off the year with “Time Stands Still

BTE kicks off the year with “Time Stands Still”

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor February 6, 2018

Photos provided by the MAC Life is full of tragedy that can occur at any moment. Despite the harsh reality that is the human experience, tragedy does not have to be something that tears a person down,...

Animation students share work in new gallery

Animation students share work in new gallery

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor January 30, 2018

Photos by Hannah Davis and Alison Pfaff COD is home to several art galleries throughout campus where current students are given the chance to showcase their own work. To start off the new semester,...

Making the most of the spring semester

Making the most of the spring semester

Reanna Comiso, Features Editor January 30, 2018

Photo of counselor Dennis Emano by Hannah Davis With the new semester already roaring at full speed it is best to start preparing early. If you are anything like most students, though, you waited until...

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