2012 - Oakton Community College

Outlook
Oakton Community College Vol. 10, 2012
Outlook
Oakton Community College Vol. 10, 2012
Oakton Community College
1600 East Golf Road, Des Plaines, IL 60016
Ray Hartstein Campus
7701 North Lincoln Avenue, Skokie, IL 60077
Copyright 2012
Published by the Office of College Advancement
847.635.1806.
Carlee Drummer, Executive Editor
cdrummer@oakton.edu
Janet Spector Bishop, Editor
jsbishop@oakton.edu
Nancy Nash Sidlin, Graphic Designer
nnash@oakton.edu
Margaret B. Lee, President
Board ofTrustees
Jody Wadhwa, Chairman
Joan W. DiLeonardi, Vice Chairman
William Stafford, Secretary
George G. Alexopoulos
Patricia N. Harada
Eric Staley
Ann E. Tennes
Theresa Bashiri-Remetio, Student Trustee
Steve Jobs, arguably one of the most remarkable visionaries of the 21st
century, once commented at an Apple shareholders’ meeting, “We believe
that people with passion can change the world for the better.” This issue
of Outlook showcases members of the Oakton community who have
harnessed their passion to engage in fostering a more just and humane society—from raising awareness about homelessness to helping the
economically disadvantaged with their income tax returns to creating an
environmentally responsible campus. These stories reflect the College’s
model of teaching and learning that not only stokes passion, but also
produces so many exemplary and conscientious leaders who indeed
“can change the world for the better.”
—The Editors
Founded in 1969, Oakton Community College
(District 535) includes Maine, Evanston, New Trier,
Niles, and Northfield Townships and serves the
residents of Des Plaines, Evanston, Glencoe,
Glenview, Golf, Kenilworth, Lincolnwood, Morton
Grove, Niles, Northbrook, Northfield, Park Ridge,
Skokie, Wilmette, and Winnetka.
Visit us at www.oakton.edu
Above left: To commemorate the tenth anniversary of
9/11, students, employees, and community
members tied thousands of yellow ribbons to a U.S.
flag also made of ribbon by the Performing Arts Center
scene shop.
Cover: Instructor James Lucas (from left) and
Forensics I students Polina Titarenko and Adiel
Ortega-Jaimes examine a fingerprint with the
TracER™ light.
Opposite page: Oakton’s production of the satirical
musical comedy Urinetown made a splash last December. Hope Cladwell (Christie Burgess) and
Josephine Strong (Toni Pieczonka) face a world
in which private toilets are banned and citizens are
forced to pay for one of life’s basic necessities.
2 Good Will Ambassadors
Student ambassadors hit the road to
spread the word about Oakton—and
offer a friendly face to incoming
students as they navigate the brave
new world of college.
4 Radio Daze
JP Allen is at the top of the radio broadcast industry. Years of hard work, and
Oakton’s Internship Program, put him on
the road to Philadelphia’s Wired 96.5 —
and running 10 miles in a prom dress.
5 It Takes a Shanty Village
More than 50 students braved the cold
last November to help Oakton’s Habitat
for Humanity Chapter raise awareness
about homelessness, spending the night
in a temporary shanty village at the
Skokie campus.
6 Women of Their Time
Jane Austen and Rosa Luxemburg were
two women from very different worlds.
And each was strongly influenced by the
time in which she lived—as books by
Oakton faculty members illustrate.
8 Crossing the Finish Line
Connecting What Matters, Oakton’s
2013-2017 strategic plan, focuses on
student success and dovetails with
national and state priorities for college
completion.
9 Representation for Taxation
For five years, Oakton’s Accounting
Department has partnered with the
nonprofit Ladder Up to help low-income
clients with their tax returns. But
accounting students receive a return
of their own, as well.
10 Another Look
In 2008 Outlook asked, “Are We Green
Yet?” Five years later, the College’s
eco-credibility is still solid. From a new
LEED-certified building to “fish houses,”
being green has become a habit.
12 The Real CSI
Oakton’s Forensics I students probably
won’t be appearing on CBS’s hit show
CSI any time soon, but they’ll have the
skills to fight crime in the real world.
Goo
2
od
Will
Ambassadors
THIS WAS A BRAVE NEW WORLD:
an unfamiliar campus, tough classes,
dozens of details to keep straight. And
the Evanston Township High School
graduate needed help. She knew that
Oakton’s ASSIST program, which provides accommodations and services for
students with disabilities, could make all
the difference in her academic success,
but she was too embarrassed to tell her
friends or follow through.
Enter Tarika Williams, one of Oakton’s
six student ambassadors. “We talked for a
while, and then I accompanied her to the
ASSIST office myself,” she recalls. “That
made the experience less scary. All she
needed was to take the next step. Now she’s
getting support and doing really well.”
It’s all in a day’s work for Williams
and her fellow ambassadors. Launched in
2006, the Student Ambassador Program
gives current students the opportunity to
share their positive Oakton experiences
with prospective students—and to serve
as a resource for new students making the
leap to college. “We already had student
employees helping out with orientations
and campus tours,” explains Michele
Brown, director of student recruitment
and outreach. “It made sense to formalize
the function and form a core group of
truly enthusiastic and committed students
who could reach out to their peers.”
Oakton’s student ambassadors are
paid, but landing the job isn’t easy.
Candidates must complete an extensive
application, obtain a letter of recommendation, and undergo an interview—all
while maintaining an acceptable GPA.
While not required, being involved with
other College activities is a plus. Once on
board, new ambassadors participate in
intensive summer-time training at both the
Des Plaines and Skokie campuses. And
when the fall semester kicks off, the team
is ready to go—answering questions at
high school visits and college fairs, speaking at student programs, conducting campus tours, and staffing the Office of Student
Recruitment and Outreach. Ambassadors
work about six hours a week, and an
ambassador is always available Monday
through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“By far the most common questions
we field are about the nuts and bolts of
admission and registration,” says Jake
Schmidt, who is completing his general
education requirements at Oakton before
transferring to study ecological restoration. “Applicants often aren’t sure how to
navigate the admissions process, and new
students may not know how to register
for classes, or what forms to fill out. I
recently took a call from someone who
had registered for the wrong semester!
But that’s why we’re here: to walk
students through the process and keep
them on track.”
“It makes a difference to have someone your own age ready to help—someone other than faculty or staff,” adds
Ambassador Laura Diaz, who is studying
elementary education. “When students
are new, they don’t have many friends.
And because we sometimes meet them
before they even enroll and often see
them at orientation, we’re familiar faces.”
Out on the road, the ambassador’s job
is to tell Oakton’s story—peer-to-peer.
Whether staffing a table at a college fair
or giving a presentation to prospective
students, they offer the perspective of
someone who has actually “been there—
done that.” As Ambassador Michael
Underwood puts it, “We want them to
know how cool this place is!”
For Michele Brown and Danielle
Cargo, coordinator of the Student
Ambassador Program, there’s no question
that the program is making a difference
in their recruitment and retention efforts.
“Choosing a college and making that
transition from high school can be
overwhelming,” Cargo notes. “If students
have someone their age to turn to as they
take those first steps into independent
adulthood, there’s a much better chance
that they’ll choose Oakton—and stay
the course.”
But the job gives as much as it gets.
“I was really shy and pretty reserved
before I became an ambassador,” admits
Aneeqa Azhar. “But all that has changed.
I’ve gained an enormous amount of
confidence and I’m more comfortable
speaking to groups.”
“There’s a lot to know about the
College,” adds Ambassador Jennie Koval,
who is studying early childhood education. “Because I’ve had to learn so much
to do this job well, I’ve increased my
own knowledge—and am really on top of
what’s going on around here!”
Ultimately, though, the ambassadors
agree: the program’s greatest gift is
providing them with a chance to “pay it
forward.” “Oakton has so much to offer,”
says Schmidt. “Being a student ambassador is a way to give back—to help others
the way that the College helped us when
we were new ourselves.”
Opposite page, clockwise from left: Jennie Koval,
Laura Diaz, Jake Schmidt, Aneeqa Azhar,
Tarika Williams, and Mike Underwood.
3
o
Rad o
i
o
o
o
a
D ze
JP ALLEN STOOD POISED at the starting line for Philadelphia’s Broad Street
Run. He was ready. True, the prom dress
he wore attracted a few looks—but it was
all part of the job.
Allen may not have anticipated that his
new position as morning show producer
for Wired 96.5, Philly’s “hits and hip hop”
radio station, would involve running 10
miles in drag, but he couldn’t be happier.
He fell in love with radio at a tender age,
but it took drive, determination, and
Oakton’s Internship Program to put him
on the path to WRDW-FM’s Chio, Shila,
and Tingle in the Morning.
A Chicago native, Allen knew he
wanted to “do something with entertainment.” After considering a career in television, radio won out. "It’s a looser
environment,” Allen explains. “You interact with listeners more than you can on
TV.” In 2007, fresh out of Southern
Illinois University Carbondale with a
bachelor’s degree in communications, he
set out to conquer the air waves.
Although he had worked with a small
station in southern Illinois, Allen knew
that the real action was in Chicago, so he
moved back to the city ...and wound up
waiting on tables. Then fate took a hand:
he made his way onto the game show
Wheel of Fortune and walked away with
$6,000—enough of a cushion to take on
an unpaid internship.
Allen quickly landed a spot with alternative rock station Q101-FM. But interns
had to earn college credit, and he wasn’t a
student. That’s when he turned to Oakton.
Through the College’s Internship Program,
4
Allen was able to enroll in independent
study, earning the credits he needed.
“JP’s situation is fairly common,” says
Shannon McKenzie, internship specialist.
“Many organizations have similar
requirements. But it often isn’t practical
for interns to return to their alma maters
—they need a college that’s close to
home, flexible, and willing to help them
customize a program of study. At Oakton,
we can do that.”
Each year, about 35 students come
through Oakton’s Internship Program.
Sometimes they line up their own internships—as JP did—and sometimes
McKenzie helps them find a match.
Students sign a learning agreement that
outlines internship goals, and collaborate
with a faculty advisor.
McKenzie paired Allen with Bob
Burton, instructor of communications and
retired chair of Television and Production
Services. “Chicago is the third largest
radio market in the country,” explains
Burton. “Competition is fierce, and jobs
are scarce. You have to take the initiative
and pitch creative ideas. That’s what set
JP apart: at Q101 he began suggesting
improvements and writing on-air copy.
The station took notice.”
By 2010, Allen was getting paid for
his work with Q101. He moved steadily
up the ladder and Oakton kept pace,
enabling him to re-register in independent
study for several semesters. Allen wrote a
series of papers on the experience, and
his station supervisors submitted a final
review of his work. “We’re fortunate,”
says Burton. “Almost all of our broadcasting interns get rave reviews, and JP
was no exception.”
Finally, Allen landed his own weekend
music show—just before the station
shifted to an all-news format in 2011.
It’s a testament to his talent that Allen
survived the turnover, but bigger changes
were in store: one of his Q101 colleagues
wound up at WRDW, and tipped Allen
off when the morning show producer slot
opened up.
Allen jumped at the chance, landed
the job, and packed his bags for the City
of Brotherly Love in March 2012. Now,
every day brings something new. He may
be brainstorming story ideas, capturing
audio at a local bar–or running in an
ankle-length gown to promote WRDW’s
prom dress collection drive for lowincome teenage girls. “I do it all–and I
have Oakton to thank, because the College
helped me get the hands-on experience
I really needed.”
Every minute is a joy. “It’s very rare
that you get to do something you’re this
passionate about,” Allen says. “I love
being in the middle of the action. You
never know what kind of audio you’ll
pick up. Or what kind of connection
you’ve made with the people who listen.”
It Takes a Shanty Village
JUMI LEE HAD NEVER been so cold.
She huddled in a sleeping bag, shivering
as the sharp November wind whistled
around her flimsy shanty. What would
she do, Lee thought, if this were how she
spent every night? But Lee is more fortunate than the 1.5 million Americans who
face homelessness. She and her fellow
students, most members of Oakton’s
Habitat for Humanity chapter, only had
to brave the elements for one night.
Habitat, long championed by former
President Jimmy Carter, brings volunteers
and partner families together to construct
affordable homes around the world.
Oakton’s Habitat chapter helps out with
construction—but as Thanksgiving
approached last year, the group also
wanted to raise awareness about the plight
of the homeless. On November 10-11,
Habitat students created a temporary
“shanty village” at the Skokie campus,
inviting other College clubs to build their
own cardboard shelters and spend the night
as well. More than 50 participants pitched
in, and 20 shanties sprang up on the west
side of campus along Lincoln Avenue.
By late afternoon on November 10,
construction was well underway. “Duct
tape played a major role,” Lee admits,
“although it was pretty hard to make it
stick in the cold.” A donation can sat
outside each structure, and visitors were
encouraged to “vote with their dollars”
for their favorite shanty. Participants and
visitors also could grab a bite at a “soup
and sandwich” kitchen sponsored by
Oakton’s food service vendor, Sodexo,
which donated $3 of every purchase to
the Habitat chapter.
Coordinating the Shanty Village
Project—which also included an appearance by Karen Skalitzky, author of A
Recipe for Hope: Stories of Transformation
by People Struggling with Homelessness
—took almost a year, but the pay-off was
considerable. The group netted $1,200,
and the event garnered significant press
coverage, including a story on WBBM-
TV. Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen
even stopped by to take up residence in
his own shanty for an hour or two.
It’s an experience Habitat chapter
member Robert Zoline will never forget.
“I think it was the coldest night of my
life—but it drove home just how difficult
it is to have no place of your own. How
do you brush your teeth? Where do you
wash up? Where do you keep the few
things you have?”
“Without a doubt the Shanty Village
Project encouraged our students to become
more involved,” says club advisor Marvin
Bornschlegl, coordinator of Oakton’s
Human Services and Substance Abuse
Counseling Program. Keeping up the
momentum, 11 students went on a winter
build to Holland, Michigan, in January.
This particular trip was special: former
Oakton President Thomas TenHoeve,
Ph.D., who lives in the area, hosted the
group for dinner in his home. And the
chapter’s numbers continued to swell:
during Oakton’s spring break in March,
more than 20 students traveled to
Starkville, Mississippi, to participate in a
second build.
“For our first year, I think the event
was a tremendous success,” says Habitat
Chapter President Alfred Hegyes. “And
I do have to credit the weather. If it had
been warm, it wouldn’t have been the
same experience.” Adds Bornschlegl,
“Thanksgiving is traditionally a season
of plenty, but it’s also a time when lack
of food, warmth, and shelter is perhaps
more keenly felt. We hoped that the
contrast would not be lost on participants
or supporters.”
5
Women of
Their Time
Two women. Two very different worlds. One created great works that chimed perfectly
with 18th-century England’s upper class. The other produced powerful work in opposition to changes sweeping 19th- and early 20th-century Europe. But Jane Austen and
Rosa Luxemburg were both women of their time, indelibly influenced by the prevailing
zeitgeist. Two Oakton faculty members, Mona Scheuermann and Peter Hudis, shed new
light on these fascinating figures in books that explore their sources of inspiration.
6
Reading Jane Austen
JANE AUSTEN’S Emma follows the
fortunes of a heroine with questionable
judgment. Wealthy, beautiful Emma’s
efforts to match an illegitimate young
woman above her social class end in
disaster. Worse, Emma dissuades Harriet
from an eminently suitable match with a
local farmer. After all, such a marriage
would—and should—end their friendship.
Emma’s sin is her misguided attempt
to set aside convention. Harriet must
marry within her class, and she and
Emma must drift apart. This, in the words
of the novel, “is not to be regretted.”
Austen’s contemporary readers would
have agreed, says English Professor Mona
Scheuermann, whose book Reading Jane
Austen (Palgrave MacMillan, 2009) was
released this year in paperback. Not
surprisingly, Scheuermann is a lifelong
fan of the great English writer, whose six
completed novels are beloved by millions.
Although her plots revolve around marriage, Austen herself never wed and spent
her entire life (1775-1817) within a closeknit family of siblings, nieces, and nephews.
No stranger to books by women,
Scheuermann notes, “My first book
included radical women writers of the
18th century, and my second—Her Bread
to Earn: Women, Money, and Society from
Defoe to Austen—argued that women of
that time weren’t as marginalized as is
sometimes assumed. In period novels,
they are frequently depicted accruing
and investing money.”
Several years ago, Scheuermann was
working on a book about the religious
writer and philanthropist Hannah More,
an Austen contemporary. “More was
extremely conservative. She celebrated
mainstream values and was quite successful: at one point, she actually was commissioned to write a book that would
persuade the poor not to revolt!”
With More on her mind, Scheuermann
happened to re-read Austen’s Mansfield
Park. But this time, she saw something
new: the novel perfectly expressed the
conservative morals More championed.
“Austen is sometimes seen as a protofeminist, blazing a trail, but I disagree,”
says Scheuermann. “Far from challenging
convention, she wrote directly out of
conventional values. In fact, it’s such a
tight fit that she doesn’t even need to call
attention to it. There is simply no conflict
between Austen’s novels and societal
norms of her time. There was no need to
explain these norms—everyone understood them.”
Reading Jane Austen explores this
theme, noting that Austen “never questioned what she saw as God-given values.
Her assumptions were her society’s
assumptions.”
Austen once described her fictional
world as the “little bit (two inches wide)
of ivory on which I work,” but here
Scheuermann quarrels with the author
herself. In fact, she believes Austen
perfectly reproduces an entire society—
and its conventions—in the pages of her
novels. “She is writing about a culture
where the values are so obvious that they
seem to be all the world there is.”
The Letters of Rosa Luxemburg
ROSA LUXEMBURG (1871-1919) is
not beloved by millions. It’s safe to say
that this Polish-born activist—pro-socialist, anti-capitalist, and fervid supporter
of democracy—is relatively unknown.
At best, the name may conjure up vague
images of a humorless, militant extremist.
But that’s far from the truth, says
Peter Hudis, professor of humanities
and philosophy, whose Letters of Rosa
Luxemburg (co-edited by Georg Adler
and Annelies Laschiza) contains the most
comprehensive collection of her letters
ever translated into English.
Luxemburg was an independent
woman in a man’s world, a Jew at a time
of rabid anti-semitism, and a Pole who
lived much of her life in Germany. Yet
she earned a Ph.D. and rose to the top
of Germany’s Social Democratic Labor
Party, one of the largest political organizations in history. Through her writing,
organizing, speaking, and teaching,
Luxemburg advocated tirelessly for a
democratic society, socialism, and labor
rights. Imprisoned during World War I,
she ultimately was murdered by paramili-
tary soldiers—her body dumped into a
Berlin canal.
“Luxemburg was a sharp critic of
capitalism long before it was prevalent,”
Hudis explains. “She foresaw that defining
labor purely as a commodity—disconnected from the person who provides it—
would alienate workers. Capitalism
monetizes many interactions, weakening
the bonds of social responsibility.”
Luxemburg insisted that socialism and
democracy were inseparable. “In this
country, we associate capitalism with
democracy,” says Hudis, “but she
believed that workers in a capitalist
society do not operate in a genuine
democracy and that everyone should be
empowered to make their own decisions,
in economic as well as political matters.”
About 15 years ago, Hudis stumbled
over a box of Luxemburg’s papers, virtually untouched for half a century. His
work on the subject resulted in a number
of conference invitations, and one night
six years ago in South Africa, Hudis
shared dinner with several Luxemburg
experts. Talk turned to the difficulty of
accessing her works: a prolific writer in
four languages, Luxemburg’s books,
papers, articles, and letters were widely
scattered. The group agreed: her writing
should be collected and published in
English. One of Hudis’s colleagues
turned to him and said, “Do you think
you could take this on, Peter?”
That started his life’s work. The
Letters of Rosa Luxemburg (Verso, 2011)
is the “teaser” for a 14-volume series to
be edited by Hudis and produced by an
international team. Containing 600 letters, the collection is unique; previously,
less than 10 percent of Luxemburg’s
letters had been published.
“Scholars often overlook Luxemburg’s
personal life,” says Hudis. “But her work
needs to be understood in the context of
that life—her friends, lovers, and dayto-day activities. These letters set the
stage for a close examination of this
remarkable woman who championed
the right of the common man to control
his destiny.”
7
Finish Line
IN FEBRUARY 2009, President Barack
Obama addressed Congress. “I ask every
American to commit to at least one year
or more of higher education or career
training,” he said. “This can be community
college or a four-year school; vocational
training or an apprenticeship. But. .. every
American will need to get more than a
high school diploma.” His goal? To raise
the nation's college graduation rate from
40 to 60 percent in just 10 years.
That message rolled out across the
country, state, and community college
community—right into Oakton’s 20132017 strategic plan, Connecting What
Matters. While strongly emphasizing
student success, the plan also dovetails
with the national agenda and the State of
Illinois’ “Focus on the Finish” initiative.
College’s unique programs—such as
ROADMath, an initiative that helps
unprepared students accelerate their study
of pre-college math and shift quickly into
college-level courses.
Simon’s “Complete College Tour”
resulted in Illinois Community Colleges:
Focus on the Finish. The State’s goal is to
“increase the proportion of working-age
adults in Illinois with meaningful career
certificates and college degrees to 60
percent by 2025, up from 41 percent
today.” Key steps outlined in the report
include making certain that high school
students are college-ready, building
programs around the needs of modern
college students, creating clear transfer
pathways, publishing college success
rates, and tying success to state funding.
“Focus on the Finish”
Connecting What Matters
“Community colleges are an unrecognized resource,” notes Illinois Lt. Governor
Sheila Simon (pictured above left with
Oakton President Margaret B. Lee), adding
that such colleges will play a critical role
in meeting the President’s goal because
they are “affordable, geographically convenient, and accessible to non-traditional
students.” For a first-hand look, she
visited all 48 Illinois community colleges
in June 2011.
During Simon’s visit to Oakton, a
panel of students, administrators, faculty
members, and Trustees joined President
Lee to share their stories and outline the
In the midst of these policy developments, Oakton began work on a new fiveyear strategic plan. Change Matters, the
College’s 2007-2012 plan, was wrapping
up. It was time to look ahead.
Charting a course for a shared vision
requires stakeholder input, and last
September, Oakton kicked off the process
with a College-wide conversation.
Organized around such themes as academic
excellence, student success, diversity and
inclusion, and connecting with the community, nearly 200 faculty, staff, students,
Educational Foundation Board members,
and Trustees met to brainstorm about the
8
College’s vision for 2013-2017.
Throughout the year, employee meetings, Board updates, and a poll of more
than 300 community leaders ensured that
Connecting What Matters reflects key
priorities. The final plan—adopted by
Oakton’s Board of Trustees in April 2012
—expands on national and state completion and transfer targets, and includes
three overarching goals:
Student Success. Preparing students
for lives of work and learning lies at the
heart of Oakton’s mission. To that end,
the College will “focus on the finish.” By
2017, the number of Oakton degrees and
certificates awarded will increase by at
least 15 percent—an additional 950
credentials. Student success in development and college-level gateway courses
also will improve by 15 percent.
Academic Excellence. The College
will deepen its tradition of academic
excellence, offering courses that reflect
current and emerging content—and
supporting multiple teaching methods. By
2014, all credit classes will provide Webbased information, resources, and support.
And, at least 40 classes will offer on-site
and online sessions by 2017. Oakton also
will expand student opportunities for
workplace experience.
Connected Communities. Oakton
will continue to combat exclusion and
bias, ensuring that the College community
reflects and values diversity of culture,
race, class, gender expression, sexual
orientation, religion, ability, and age.
The College will offer more anti-bias
programs to strengthen the cultural competence of employees, actively encourage
employee participation in campus events,
and strengthen partnerships with business, civic, and community organizations.
In February 2012, the White House
announced a new $8 billion Community
College to Career Fund to help community
colleges and businesses forge new partnerships. The goal is to train two million
workers for good-paying jobs in highgrowth and high-demand industries.
Connecting What Matters positions
Oakton for the key role community
colleges will play in building the nation’s
workforce—and Illinois’ future.
Representation
for
Tax
at
ion
“ON THE JOB, I spend my days
reviewing tax files that are pretty
thick—and I never see the clients,” says
Anne Carole Witort, a staff accountant
with James G. Dades and Co., Ltd. “My
Ladder Up clients had thinner files, but
I met them face-to-face—and saw how
much of a difference any refund would
make.”
Who knew that filling out tax forms
could feel so good?
Witort, who returned to college to
earn an accounting certificate, is one of
55 Oakton accounting students who
volunteered last spring with Ladder Up, a
Chicago-based nonprofit that helps clients
climb above the poverty line by providing
no-cost assistance with tax returns and
college financial aid forms.
Since 2008, all of the College’s spring
semester tax accounting students have
been required to partner with Ladder Up.
Every volunteer starts with several hours
of intensive training on Intuit ProSeries
tax preparation software, and must pass
an IRS certification test. Students then
sign up for three-hour shifts at one of
Ladder Up’s 19 Tax Assistance Preparation
(TAP) sites around the city and suburbs
—from Chicago’s City Hall to middle
schools, high schools, YMCAs, and local
colleges. There, they help low-income
clients prepare and file their tax returns.
That kind of assistance can truly
change lives, something Ladder Up
founder Bob Burke knows firsthand. In
the mid-1990s, Burke, then an Arthur
Andersen associate, coached a basketball
team for underprivileged youth on
Chicago’s West Side. “He would hear the
kids talk about going home to unheated
houses,”
says Ladder
Up Director
Christine Cheng,
“and, as an accountant,
he was well aware of credits
and deductions that could cover
the heating bill.”
But Burke’s young athletes came from
families with little knowledge of the tax
code and no resources to hire a financial
consultant. He knew he could help, and
Ladder Up opened its doors in 1995.
Seventeen years later, the agency has
served 106,000 tax clients—more than
8,000 during the 2012 tax season alone.
The average annual income of a Ladder
Up client is about $15,500; approximately
half are single. “They’re really struggling
to put food on the table and make ends
meet,” Cheng explains. “Many of them
don’t know how to capitalize on tax credits
and other opportunities. That’s where our
volunteers come in.”
Oakton is one of several institutions
of higher education that provide support.
“We couldn’t manage without these
accounting students,” says Cheng.
“Ladder Up has a paid staff of eight and
more than 1,400 volunteers, so we rely
heavily on their expertise and assistance.”
Witort was profoundly moved by her
Ladder Up experience. “I helped clients
who were disabled and unable to work,
single mothers, retirees, and people who
had lost their jobs. Any money they could
save or refund they qualified for would
Oakton accounting student Michele Jaye Solomon
volunteers at Wright College, providing no-cost tax
assistance through the Ladder Up organization.
stretch their dollars a little bit further. It
felt good to know that just by walking
them through that 1040, I could make a
concrete, positive impact.”
“It’s a win-win relationship,” says
Accounting Department Chair Jay Cohen,
who volunteers with Ladder Up himself
as a “checker,” a more experienced tax
volunteer who finalizes client returns.
“We can help so many folks who come to
the TAP site secure deductions and
refunds they didn’t even know existed—
and our students get some real-world,
practical accounting experience.”
9
Look
Another
Are We Green Yet?
IN 2008, Outlook turned the spotlight on
one of Oakton’s key strategic planning
goals. “Are We Green Yet?” (Vol. 6, No. 1)
reported on efforts to create an environmentally responsible campus. There was
plenty to say. Guided by an employee
Green Committee and the student
Ecology Club, Oakton had planted hundreds of trees, created an arboretum and
butterfly garden at the Des Plaines campus, and incorporated a range of sustainable features into the Skokie campus’
newly-opened Art, Science, and Technology
Pavilion. Five years later, the list of “green
accomplishments” continues to grow.
The Green Light
Oakton has long been a leader in the
“eco-movement,” but Change Matters, the
strategic plan for 2008-2012, formalized
the commitment with a “green light.” The
result was an explosion of environmental
initiatives at both campuses.
“Are We Green Yet?” noted that the
College had received a “modest grant to
study the possible benefits of solar power
at Oakton.” That funding bore fruit: solar
panels on the Des Plaines campus roof
now heat about 35 percent of the building’s
hot water—reducing electricity by 85,000
kilowatts and saving $8,000 annually.
Most fluorescent bulbs have been replaced
with CFLs, and motion detectors and
timers ensure that lights go off in empty
rooms. In 2011, the Illinois Department
of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
gave the College a $75,000 rebate for
replacing the drives and motors of HVAC
equipment at both campuses with more
energy-efficient parts.
To stay “clean and green,” Oakton
uses non-toxic cleaning products, as well
10
as green-certified toilet paper and paper
towels. But paper towel use has declined
with the installation of nine air hand dryers
at both campuses. A shift to online billing
eliminated 25,000 paper statements mailed
each academic year, and classrooms, labs,
student lounges, and cafeterias all boast
recycling containers.
But recycling efforts go far beyond
paper and plastic. When the Athletic
Department replaced its gym bleachers
in 2011, every part found a good home:
10,000 pounds of steel went to a scrap
metal company in Chicago, and a
Georgia-based company salvaged 1,600
wooden boards for playground equipment.
First and foremost an educational
institution, Oakton’s opportunities for
eco-learning abound. A “Food Matters”
service initiative (Outlook Vol. 9, No. 1)
highlights the connection between organic
food and a healthy planet by weaving the
concept through a range of classes. And
each year, the College celebrates Earth
Day with a panoply of activities.
Past Earth Day events have included
natural restoration projects on Oakton’s
wooded 174-acre Des Plaines campus and
speakers such as Derrick Jensen, author of
the environmental manifesto Endgame. In
2012, special exhibits highlighted window
farming in small urban spaces, “utility
quilts” made of discarded plastic bags that
can provide emergency housing, and the
environmental cost of bottled water.
Things are humming outside the buildings, as well. Public safety employees
patrol the grounds on Segways, cutting
down on CO2 emissions, and community
gardens at both campuses yield seasonal
harvests. Completed in 2010, the gardens
—open to all students, employees, and
district residents—are examples of small
sustainable agriculture and a place for
learning and community. Garden produce
goes home with volunteers or is donated
to food pantries and community centers.
Oakton continues to enhance its
“greenscape,” using organic fertilizers
whenever possible. An “Adopt-a-Tree”
program augments the arboretum
established in 2008, and in 2010, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency and
Chicago Wilderness presented the
College with a Conservation and Native
Landscaping Award for restoring 50 acres
of woodland and reconstructing seven
acres of grassland.
Easy Being Green
Not one to rest on its laurels, Oakton
has plenty of plans for “what comes next.”
Building Together, the five-year
Facilities Master Plan, includes a
“commitment to a green college.” As
funds allow, the College hopes to
incorporate such elements as permeable
pavement, reflective or vegetative roofs,
Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED) buildings, daylight and
rain water harvesting, water efficiencies,
and on-site composting.
The new Science and Health Careers
Center, scheduled to open in 2014, is a
case in point (see inside back cover).
Designed to achieve LEED Gold
Certification from the U.S. Green
Building Council, the building will maximize solar heat gain and mitigate winter
winds. A system that uses exhaust air to
preheat and cool supply air will reduce
heating and cooling loads, and occupancy
sensors will regulate lighting. Daylight
harvesting will bring natural light to 75
From left: Strawberries flourish in a window farm
created by students for Earth Day; Oakton
Groundskeeper Ken Schaefer relocates a snapping
turtle found in Parking Lot A to safer ground.
percent of the classrooms and the building
façade will be self-shading.
The College continues to “green up”
its existing facilities as well. Currently,
the Des Plaines campus cooling towers
use potable water to supply the building’s
air conditioning. In November, Oakton
will install more energy-efficient towers
that use rain water harvested from the roof
for this job. Depending on rainfall, the
College should see a 40 percent savings in
its annual water bill—about $15,200.
In addition, Lake Oakton residents—
turtles, frogs, snakes, and fish—will
benefit next fall from a number of
Ecology Club initiatives. Animals looking
for a break from the water don’t have
many options; campus visitors often find
a turtle or two sunning in the parking lot.
To provide a safer alternative, the Club
will bind old Elm and Ash tree trunks
together to create floating platforms.
Smaller fish will find places to hide at the
bottom of the Lake in “fish houses,” wood
or plastic pallets held in place by chains.
Finally, cocoa mats will cover the Lake
bank to prevent erosion—giving native
plants the time to grow and hold the soil
in place permanently.
“I’m a big believer in incrementalization,” says Green Committee co-chair and
Director of Facilities Leah Swanquist.
“There may not be any ‘quick fixes’ for
the environmental challenges we face
globally—but we can all act locally.
Through small steps, everyone can make
a difference.”
11
CSI MAY BE FILMED in California,
but the hit TV show could learn a thing
or two about crime detection from visiting Oakton’s Forensics I class at the
Skokie campus. After all, the College
holds the distinction of being the only
one in the nation that is home to the
TracER™, a $28,000 portable four-watt
laser light used in criminal technology
to detect unseen fingerprints, bone
fragments, skin, bodily secretions, and
narcotics in criminal investigations.
The TracER™ is just one of hundreds
of pieces of high-tech equipment available to students who take the course.
A recent addition to the curriculum,
Forensics I provides students with handson experience in crime investigation,
diagramming, fingerprinting, photography,
evidence-gathering techniques, and the
analysis of physical evidence in the field
and laboratory setting.
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“We’re very proud of this course,”
says George Scharm, chair of Oakton’s
Law Enforcement Department and a
former evidence technician. “Students
love it because they are using real
equipment often found at crime scenes.
We designed the class as a way for
students to begin their journey toward
becoming forensic technicians. Our goal
is eventually to offer a degree or certificate in forensic science. Very few courses
in the area solely address this field. In
fact, some police departments don’t even
have the equipment we have here at
Skokie.”
James Lucas, an Oakton alumnus who
has worked with local police departments
on covert video investigations, teaches
Forensics I. To give students as much
exposure to the field as possible, the
College limits enrollment to 14 participants each semester.
“This course demonstrates how to
examine a crime scene properly—following established procedures and protocol,”
Lucas explains. “Our case studies come
not only from real world scenarios but
also from local police departments
and detective agencies. Students have
evaluated evidence involving abduction,
homicide, burglaries, and identity theft.
One thing students have to keep in
mind is that this is real life. On TV, test
results come back in minutes, but these
reports actually take hours, weeks, or
months to complete.”
While students probably won’t be
appearing on CSI any time soon, chances
are that this course could put them on the
path to a starring role for a police department in the near future. The Bureau of
Labor Statistics reports that employment
for forensic science technicians is
expected to increase by 12 percent
between 2012 and 2018, much faster
than the average for all occupations.
“More and more police departments
want officers out of the lab and back on
the street,” says Scharm. “That’s why the
field is growing so quickly.”
Adds Lucas, “This class can really
open doors, and I find that once students
take this course, they almost always get
bitten by the forensic bug.”
Building Together
Some 300 students, staff, faculty, administrators, trustees, and
distinguished guests joined Oakton on April 4, 2012, to break ground
for the College’s new Science and Health Careers Center at the
Des Plaines campus. The 93,000-square-foot facility, scheduled to
open in 2014, is the centerpiece of a $68.5 million five-year Facilities
Master Plan. Featuring sophisticated labs with abundant preparation
and storage space; flexible, light-filled classrooms; sustainable “green”
elements; and enhanced technology, the Center will meet contemporary and emerging science and health career standards, and will house
the College’s anatomy and physiology, biology, chemistry, earth science, medical laboratory technology, nursing, physics, and physical
therapy assistant programs.