Graphic by Sarah Schudt By Christina Weszelits, JRN 111 Student Erik Severson was a kind, funny, athletic young man who only wanted to help people and always viewed the world in a positive light. “He would come off as very shy, but once you got to know him, he was extremely funny, and his smile could light up a room,” said his mother, Theresa Severson of Aurora. “He also championed…
By Christina Weszelits, JRN 111 Student From the moment she wakes up to the moment she goes to bed, professor Debra Brandt is constantly on the run. But she never shows her students she is in a rush, always taking the time to help math make sense for them. “It is always go, go, go,” Brandt says. “I do not even get a chance to just take a breath and…
Graphic by Sarah Schudt By Christina Weszelitz, JRN 111 Student Unrest in the United States is leading to mistrust in the election system, which in turn causes a fundamental problem for our entire system of government, according to political science professor Kevin Navratil. Although there has always been mistrust in the election and legal system, Navratil said, it has gotten worse in recent years, and “having trust in the outcome…
Photo by Getty Images By Christina Weszelits, JRN 111 Student During the Trump presidency, the term “fake news” gained widespread popularity. Trust in major news institutions was thrown out the window and many people didn’t know what to believe. According to Democracy Commitment coordinator and political science professor Kevin Navratil, “fake news” is “news that’s designed to intentionally mislead viewers or consumers.” But what role does it play in important…
