Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Lisa Kurian Philip @lkpwrites.bsky.social · 11h

But the plaintiffs, 2 named grad students and Northwestern Graduate Workers for Palestine, said they will continue their lawsuit.

chicago.suntimes.com/education/20...

Judge declines to block Northwestern from disciplining students over antisemitism training

Lawyers for students suing the university say the online module discriminated against them based on national origin. Northwestern argues it’s meant to foster civility on campus.

chicago.suntimes.com

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Lisa Kurian Philip @lkpwrites.bsky.social · 11h

A federal judge on Monday declined to block Northwestern from disciplining students who refused to complete an online anti-bias training the graduate student plaintiffs say characterizes criticism of Israel as antisemitic, Casey He reports.

#chicago #highered

chicago.suntimes.com/education/20...

Judge declines to block Northwestern from disciplining students over antisemitism training

Lawyers for students suing the university say the online module discriminated against them based on national origin. Northwestern argues it’s meant to foster civility on campus.

chicago.suntimes.com

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Lisa Kurian Philip @lkpwrites.bsky.social · 1d

Agreed! Thanks for reading.

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Lisa Kurian Philip @lkpwrites.bsky.social · 1d

Faculty leaders call the decision "voluntary capitulation" to the #Trump administration: “UIC’s mission is to increase access at the highest levels of excellence and this, to me, sends a message that essentially says, 'We don’t actually care about access.'"

Read more: www.wbez.org/education/20...

University of Illinois Chicago drops race, gender as factors in financial aid and faculty hiring

Some faculty see the changes as “voluntary capitulation” to the Trump administration. UIC leaders say they align with “current legal standards” and new University of Illinois System policy.

www.wbez.org

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Lisa Kurian Philip @lkpwrites.bsky.social · 1d

In an email shared with @wbez.org, University of Illinois Chicago leaders said race, gender and other factors will no longer be considered in financial aid and faculty tenure decisions.

@opencampus.org #chicago #highered #college

www.wbez.org/education/20...

University of Illinois Chicago drops race, gender as factors in financial aid and faculty hiring

Some faculty see the changes as “voluntary capitulation” to the Trump administration. UIC leaders say they align with “current legal standards” and new University of Illinois System policy.

www.wbez.org

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Reposted by Lisa Kurian Philip

Lynda Lopez @lyndab08.bsky.social · 4d

The DHS Twitter has been tagging and calling out a local journalist writing on immigration in Chicago. Local journalists covering what’s happening need continual support especially as they write these important stories.

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Lisa Kurian Philip @lkpwrites.bsky.social · 4d

Going on @wbez.org's Say More with Princeton President Christopher Eisgruber at 10am CT today to talk about his book "Terms of Respect: How Colleges Get Free Speech Right." Please call in with questions and comments!!!

#chicago #highered #campus #freespeech

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Lisa Kurian Philip @lkpwrites.bsky.social · 5d

"Don't bite the hook": Northwestern History Professor Leslie Harris tells a gathering of faculty, students and staff that universities including her own need to stand together against the Trump administration's 'fascist, authoritarian takeover' #highered #chicago

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Reposted by Lisa Kurian Philip

Lynda Lopez @lyndab08.bsky.social · 9d

The deployment of tear gas throughout the Chicago area is a growing health concern. ICE is deploying tear gas in residential neighborhoods, near children, playgrounds, stores, etc. What are the health implications on our communities?

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Reposted by Lisa Kurian Philip

Amy Qin @amyqin.bsky.social · 11d

NEW investigation from @lkpwrites.bsky.social:

IL colleges are contracting w/ for-profit businesses called online program managers which are paid as much as 50% tuition revenue for each student they enroll.
www.wbez.org/education/20...

Students for profit? University of Illinois campuses pay company per online student

Consumer protection advocates say the practice incentivizes the company to enroll as many students as possible, regardless of whether they'll benefit. University leaders says their standards aren't co...

www.wbez.org

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Lisa Kurian Philip @lkpwrites.bsky.social · 11d

“If you're going to pay [recruiters] per student, that person then has the incentive to do whatever they can to get you to enroll...They will tell you whatever they need to tell you. They will promise you whatever needs to be promised.”
@stephmhall.bsky.social

www.wbez.org/education/20...

Students for profit? University of Illinois campuses pay company per online student

Consumer protection advocates say the practice incentivizes the company to enroll as many students as possible, regardless of whether they'll benefit. University leaders says their standards aren't co...

www.wbez.org

Lisa Kurian Philip @lkpwrites.bsky.social · 11d

“If you're going to pay [recruiters] per student, that person then has the incentive to do whatever they can to get you to enroll...They will tell you whatever they need to tell you. They will promise you whatever needs to be promised.” -@@stephmhall.bsky.social

www.wbez.org/education/20...

Students for profit? University of Illinois campuses pay company per online student

Consumer protection advocates say the practice incentivizes the company to enroll as many students as possible, regardless of whether they'll benefit. University leaders says their standards aren't co...

www.wbez.org

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Reposted by Lisa Kurian Philip

WBEZ @wbez.org · 12d

University of Illinois campuses pays a for-profit company to recruit students for online programs — a practice that would be illegal if done by the universities themselves, a WBEZ investigation found.

Students for profit? University of Illinois campuses pay company per online student

Consumer protection advocates say the practice incentivizes the company to enroll as many students as possible, regardless of whether they'll benefit. The university says their standards aren't compromised.

trib.al

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Reposted by Lisa Kurian Philip

Melissa Sanchez @melissa-sanchez.bsky.social · 11d

“I don’t want to be here anymore… What am I supposed to do?”

Trump wants them to self deport. They want to self deport. But many Venezuelans cannot leave … like this woman who told me she now plans to try to turn herself into ICE to get out of USA.

www.propublica.org/article/trum...

“I Don’t Want to Be Here Anymore”: They Tried to Self-Deport, Then Got Stranded in Trump’s America

Venezuelan immigrants signed up for a Trump-promoted app called CBP Home, which promised a safe and easy way to leave the country, and prepared to leave on their given departure dates. Those dates hav...

www.propublica.org

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Lisa Kurian Philip @lkpwrites.bsky.social · 12d

Current speaker asks students to link arms, a position he says demonstrates their solidarity in the face of oppression

Lisa Kurian Philip @lkpwrites.bsky.social · 12d

At the University of Illinois Chicago where dozens are protesting ICE's presence in their city. Multiple students say #ICE detained two women unaffiliated with UIC near the campus Student Services Building yesterday (Weds)

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Reposted by Lisa Kurian Philip

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 13d

#WarRavagedPortland

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Reposted by Lisa Kurian Philip

Lex McMenamin (they/them) @leximcmenamin.com · 14d

23-year-old journalist Plestia Alaqad, like many Gazans, lost her home in the first days after October 7. unable to reenter her homeland, stuck watching the horror continue, she’s publishing her diaries from reporting on the ground.

full interview @teenvogue.com www.teenvogue.com/story/plesti...

Pic of Plestia Alaqad overlaid with text from interview: Plestia Alaqad: I can't believe that it's almost — [she pauses] no, it's not almost, it's actually two years. Okay, I can't believe that it's been two years of this ongoing genocide. When I was reporting in Gaza for 45 days, these 45 days felt like 45 years. And now it's 200 days feeling like 200 years for the people who are actually still on the ground facing bombing, displacement and starvation, which is being used as a method by Israel. Israel is literally ethnically cleansing people in Gaza, and we're watching a genocide unfold live on TV.

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Lisa Kurian Philip @lkpwrites.bsky.social · 14d

For 2 years, Palestinian-American students in #Chicago have had to go to class while witnessing extreme violence against their community in #Gaza: “You feel the guilt of, ‘How am I letting my people go through that?’”

@wbez.org @opencampus.org

bit.ly/3VTFGCU

This Palestinian college student and Chicagoan is feeling exhausted but empowered

A student activist at DePaul University says college helped her find her voice — and fully embrace her Palestinian identity.

www.wbez.org

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Reposted by Lisa Kurian Philip

Scared Bootecki (but really Jared Rutecki) 🎃 @jaredrutecki.bsky.social · 20d

A new initiative announced by City Colleges of Chicago and the Greater Chicago Food Depository aims to better address food insecurity among students attending community colleges in the city.

Partnership Aims to Better Address Food Insecurity Among City Colleges Students

This fall, free take-home meals at Malcolm X College, Kennedy-King College and Olive-Harvey College will be available for students and their family members.

news.wttw.com

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Lisa Kurian Philip @lkpwrites.bsky.social · 21d

In a few moments tune into @wbez.org 91.5 FM to hear Palestinian college student and #Chicagoan Henna Ayesh's story. The past two years have left her tired to the bone - but empowered.

#college #Palestine #activism

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Reposted by Lisa Kurian Philip

Loevy & Loevy @loevy.com · 23d

Several of us went to Broadview tonight to scope out the situation for ourselves. What we witnessed was a completely peaceful—even uneventful—protest/gathering, until the exact moment ICE unleashed a totally unprovoked and unwarranted tear-gas attack.

A black and white photo of 5 armed ICE agents atop the Broadview Detention Facility, looking down at the crowd, with an American flag waving to the left.

A dozen armed ICE agents silhouetted against the drifting tear gas, with a news van behind them.

A color photo of an ICE agent, seen from behind, standing in colorfully lit clouds of tear gas, aiming his weapon.

A black and white photo of silhouetted ICE agents stalking through the clouds of tear gas. A stop sign is in the foreground.

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Reposted by Lisa Kurian Philip

Saeed Jones @theferocity.bsky.social · 28d

I feel like news publications should put more energy into asking autistic people how they feel about all this because…

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Reposted by Lisa Kurian Philip

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 28d

This is an absolutely terrific piece from @texastribune.org and reinforces my belief that the best coverage of right-wing cancelations occur at the local level, after years of the national media focusing on threats from the left.
www.texastribune.org/2025/09/19/t...

How a secret recording of a gender identity lecture upended Texas A&M

Officials have struggled to detail the exact reasons for the A&M professor’s termination, citing a technical issue with her course description. Faculty say the move was politically motivated.

www.texastribune.org

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Reposted by Lisa Kurian Philip

The TRiiBE @thetriibe.com · Sep 18

Playing a major role in this festival is Ald. Stephanie Coleman , who founded the Englewood Music Festival in 2021 with hopes to bring music and positive community energy to her Chicago ward.

thetriibe.com/2025/09/sout...

South Side love was on full display at 5th annual Englewood Music Festival • The TRiiBE

The free festival brought the community together with art and performances by gospel powerhouse Le’Andria Johnson and rap legend Boosie Badazz.

thetriibe.com

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