[Iabs-talk] {Spam?} Fwd: The Wizard (Newspaper)

[Robert A. Hansen]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	The Wizard (Newspaper)
Date: 	Sat, 18 May 2013 11:05:41 -0500
From: 	Robert A. Hansen <roberthansen1970 at gmail.com>
To: 	Robert Hansem <roberthansen33 at yahoo.com>, Bill Hefdaney 
<harbo.heaney at gmail.com>, Ray Schmuck ball <raymondwiencek at aol.com>, 
Flora & Dan <fdmaclean at aol.com>, Martin HQ <ammartin at gpcom.net>



The Wizard — Volume 2, Issue 1 1
WZRD Radio is Back
and Better Than Ever
By Robert A. Hansen WZRD is back and stronger
than ever before. On January
6, 2013, the Wizards returned
to the airwaves of Chicago to
provide the true alternative
voice Chicagoans are familiar with.
We, the Wizards of NEIU, immediately sprung
into action to restore our freeform programming
Chicago is familiar with. Thursday Night Live is
back and with a new enthusiasm.
A renewed interest in WZRD by Northeastern
Illinois University students is evident. Since the
reactivation of the WZRD Student Radio Club,
we have had one hundred new sign-ups and have
been processing 30 new Applications. Our schedule
is filling up fast. The airwaves are filled with
the Wizardly skills rather than a robot dj. WZRD
88.3 FM is once again filled with a positive Wizard
personality that will continue for many years
to come. n
WZRD Alumnus Update:
My name is Terry O’Connor, I was a
wizard for most of my time
at NEIU. Just thought
I’d give an update on my
activities since leaving the best damn
freeform station on the planet!
After I graduated in 2010, I became
an Americorps VISTA volunteer on
the Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation
in Northern Wisconsin. That
experience led to a full-time job with the Tribe
as a Grants Writer. I was able to stay involved in
community radio as a volunteer at WXPR-Rhinelander,
helping out as a regular substitute-DJ.
In 2012, I began looking for work in community
radio. I kept my eyes open, and found a
fantastic community radio station called WDRT
in an exceptional little town called
Viroqua, located in the Driftless Region
of Southwest Wisconsin. I’m
currently the Community Coordinator
at WDRT, with my work revolving
around membership development,
volunteer coordination and
community outreach. The station is
volunteer-oriented and listener-supported,
and is managed by a non-hierarchical
four-person staff collective. We have a commitment
to open-source radio, with the idea that
community radio stations nationwide should
work cooperatively, openly sharing knowledge
and resources.
Th e Newsletter f o r Students R ight s a n d Jus t i c e
Terry O’Connor
2010, Anthropology
2007-2010
Co-Program
Director 2009-2010
RECAP OF WZRD
SINCE JUNE 29TH, 2012
After six long months of being
“wizards in exile”, the student and
alumni members of the WZRD
Student Media Organization were
allowed back into the radio station facilities on
January 5th of this year. Feverish activity was
immediately commenced to get all the systems
of the station up and running—from updating
our automated playlist to taking inventory,
setting up a recruitment and training regimen,
checking paperwork, and just plain cleaning up.
We estimate that in the first month, in January of
this year, wizard volunteers put in over 300 hours
of work at the station—and that didn’t include
doing our shows, which was our motivation, and
reward. We were back!
What we understand about our status
Since being back in the station, here on the
Northeastern Illinois campus, with full and even
expanded authorities over the running of the radio
station (more on that later), the student members
of the WZRD Student Organization has been
waiting for word from the Vice President of Student
Affairs, Dr. Frank Ross concerning our status.
It has been almost six months now, and we
are still waiting.
Our understanding from last Fall was that there
would be a process of “investigation” of the allegations
made by Director of Student Activities Sharron
Evans last June 29th when she announced her
decision to shut down our club, declared WZRD
“inactive”, banned us from the station facilities,
and threatened our student members with charges
of “trespassing” and declarations of a “persona
non grata” status if we defied her decision.
Some of the allegations that were made in her
now infamous June 29th “Memo” included: responsibility
for “removed” Quarterly Issues files, necessary
for the FCC License renewal process (this
constitutes theft of State property, which was never
reported to the authorities for investigation), “misuse”
of funds fundraised (also never reported to
proper authorities), discovery of $200 with claims
that it was evidence of the misuse (WZRD was
never asked whose money it was, nor was it ever
turned over to Lost and Found, or Public Safety for
investigation of sources), racial, ethnic and gender
discrimination (never reported to Title 9 officer on
campus, as NEIU Policies require), “complaints” of
verbal attacks which were never properly handled
through the Student Code of Conduct processes,
and repeated damage to equipment in the station,
also never identified or listed.
The “investigation” for all of these allegations
was turned over to students in the Council
of Clubs! It boggles our minds that allegations
of conduct this serious would be investigated by
students with NO powers or authority to call witnesses,
carry out searches, or even properly call
for any testimony!
Nevertheless, the “review” processes, as flawed
continued on page 4
continued on page 4
2 The Wizard — Volume 2, Issue 1
The WZRD Timeline of Hiatus: June 8, 2012 June 28, 2012 June 29, 2012.
Black Friday. WZRD’s Promotions Team
By Hamish Boyce
I’ve been part of WZRD since fall of 2011,
but just before the lockout last Spring of 2012
I started to get more involved and work in the
station’s Promotions Department. This part of
the station duty is to get a good solid relationship
with venues, artists and events to promote
their shows and in turn promote the station. I
have quite a few friends who do promotions for
events, be it others or their own, and the idea
of getting to know how to do that for a college
radio station was very appealing to me so I
jumped on it immediately. What I do is I reach
out to the promotion team at these events or
places and see if they are interested in using the
station in whatever way they see fit (announcing
shows, conducting interviews, reaching to new
audiences). In exchange we would normally ask
for the opportunity for our listeners to call in and
win a pair of passes to said gigs. At the moment
we have rebuilt our relationships with the
Beat Kitchen, the Subterranean, Logan Square
Auditorium, and the Empty Bottle. WZRD also
is developing a relationship with React Presents,
who book and promote shows at the Congress
Theatre, the House of Blues, the Mid and the
Bottom Lounge. We have quite a few shows up
for May at the moment so by all means feel free
to check the list out at the station or just tune in
for a chance to win. You can also check out free
tickets that are available on our WZRD Bulletin
Board, located in the basement of the Student
Union Building right across the hall from the
Independent newspaper offices. n
THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE,
WZRD’S SHOWCASE
FOR LOCAL AND
TOURING BANDS
Thursday Night Live, one of the United
State’s longest running live band radio
shows is back! TNL has been bringing local
and underground bands to the airwaves of
Chicago every Thursday night at 10pm for close to
thirty years. TNL has had the pleasure of giving the
opportunity of air time to up and coming bands like
the Smashing Pumpkins, as well as fostering the
Chicago punk scene, earning WZRD a spotlight in
the Chicago Punk Documentary: You Weren’t There.
Among many others, Naked Ray Gun and Ministry
both are notable bands that have had the chance to
grace TNL during the 80’s. WZRD continues to be
the one of the only bastions of consistent live radio
entertainment in Chicago. In the month of May
WZRD featured a wide variety of musical acts of
different genres including White Mystery (Garage)
and The Hannah Frank Band (Folk) both featured on
the 9th, and Et Tu Brute (Punk) on the 16th. WZRD
is excited to continue to offer this Chicago historical
staple for all the music lovers of Chicago. We
hope to be bringing bands live in person to NEIU
in a rescheduled 3 bands 3 genre event, which was
cancelled recently due to a recent rainstorm.
—Jonathan Extract,
Station Manager
If you are in a band or know someone who is in a
band and would like to be on the show e-mail our
TNL coordinator at thursdaynightlive at wzrdchicago.
org. Tune in this Thursday and hear the live
sounds of this week’s band!
Some of the ba nds featur ed on WZRD’s Thursda y Night Live show since
Januar y of this year:
Devin Nolan
The Mizzerables
La Cosa
Mooner
The Luck of Eden Hall
Michelle Cross
The Bumpus Hounds
Mark Taylor
Shelley Miller and the BCC
Time and the New Romans
Universal Product
Meat Wave
Flux Bikes
Warrior Tribes
Guzzlemug
White Mystery
The Hannah Frank Band
New Music at WZRD
By Elisabeta Nitu
WZRD is excited to announce some
of the new music that has been added
to the library! We have a variety of
genres that have been added and the
genre I find to be very interesting is international.
The music comes from multiple countries
across the globe. Originally from Japan, but now
performing in Chicago, the Gintenkai group
released their second album which is filled with
the heartbeat sounds of Taiko drums. Moving West
on the map from Japan we reach Tibet where we
have a Tibetan Bowls album by the artist Acama. If
we go further west we reach Turkey and find two
albums, Ali Fuat Aydin’s release “Cenk Guray bir”
(Traditional Turkish Music) and Erkin Koray’s
“Mechul”. Erkin Koray was one of the first people
to play rock and roll music in Turkey. From Turkey
we go south into Africa where we will hear raw
and psychedelic Afro sounds from the 70’s on the
Analog Africa No.3-African Scream Contest album
from Togo and Benin. Togo’s neighbor country,
Ghana gives us the “Ghana Soundz: Afrobeat and
Fusion in the 70’s” album.
 From Africa we move into Europe where are met
with a Traditional Italian Music album by Italia4.
Next we go to Germany where Pantha du Prince
and The Bell Laboratory enchant us with their
new electronic album called “Elements of Light”.
Pantha du Prince sets the bar for electronic music
with a “symphony for electronics, percussion and
bell carillon, a three-tone instrument comprising
50 bronze bells” throughout the album.
 From Europe we cross the Atlantic Ocean and
reach the Americas. A local punk band right here
in the city of Chicago that recently performed on
our Thursday Night Live Show is The Bumpus
Hounds with their new self-titled album “The
Bumpus Hounds”. On a different note, we have
added two albums that you can only hear on the
Wizard. They are “Track Talk” which is Train Recordings
and “Realistic Mechanical Sound Effects”
is the other album. Moving on to our neighbor to
the south, Mexico, we find “Love, Peace, & Poetry:
Mexican Psychedelic Music”. And lastly in an even
warmer climate than Mexico, we end up in Hawaii
with “Homegrown”, featuring homegrown Hawaiian
music. Take some time and explore music from
all around the globe. Aloha and mahalo! n
A Couple of Record Reviews by Ari Fishman, Co-Music Director
Jaco Pastorius – Jaco Pastorius
WZRD’s record collection has a number of great
Jazz albums, and the self-titled album from bass
guitar legend Jaco Pastorius is a wonderful addition
that really stands out. It is an incredible display of
harmony and technical prowess that will surely
require a full listen from start to end. Jaco Pastorius
is one of the finest bass albums ever recorded and
a lot is attributed to Jaco’s unique finger pluck
style playing. On top of being composed by Jaco
Pastorius, the album also featured a stellar line-up
of Jazz musicians such as Herbie Hancock, Wayne
Shorter, David Sanborn, Lenny White, Don Alias,
and Michael Brecker.
Ty Segall – Melted
Noisy psychedelic rock is what Ty Segall is
known for, and Melted delivers just that. Ty
Segall, a talented musician from California, was
bouncing around in a number of bands before
deciding to release a solo album. Melted is his
fourth studio album and it is an interesting listen
into the mind of an experimental composer.
 From crazy, distorted bass lines and periods of
white noise and feedback, Ty Segall manages to
captivate your ears on every track. Melted is a
highly recommended listen.
The Wizard — Volume 2, Issue 1 3
How you do Harm
When You Buy a
Bottle of Water
By Rachel Forgash
While people in developing
countries like Bangladesh struggle
daily to find a clean water source,
consumption of bottled water in
the United States was the most rapidly growing
choice of beverage in 2004, according to the
US Environmental Protection Agency. While
people are led to believe that bottled water is
safer, more convenient, and tastes better by
the leaders of the industry, consumers fail to
recognize (or purposefully stay ignorant about)
the environmental degradation that goes handin-
hand with its production.
According to the Pacific Institute, it takes a
whopping three liters of water in the production
of every one liter of bottled water. Additionally,
they purport, the bottled water industry
uses a massive 17 billion barrels of oil
annually. Along with the environmental degradation
that goes into the production of bottled
water, once purchased, only 23% of the
plastic bottles make it into the recycling bin;
the rest ending up in landfills (The Huffington
Post). When the bottles are not recycled,
they end up in the oceans, not only harming
our human environment, but the marine ecosystem
as well.
Up to this date, over 90 universities in the nation
have banned the sales of plastic water bottles
on campus, including Harvard, Brown, and
soon to follow Vermont University (Savedge).
Instead these campuses are installing “hydration
stations” or distilled water bottle filling
fountains, such as the ones recently brought
to our campus by the Green Fee Committee.
These new water filling stations are undoubtedly
an attempt to discourage the use of plastic
water bottles on campus. A great start to be
sure, but this is only one small step towards the
process of decreasing or eliminating the use
of plastic bottles at NEIU. Lack of recycling
bins on campus most definitely does not assist
in the matter. Although recycling bins can be
found sporadically around the cafeteria, a place
to properly dispose of plastic bottles, containers,
and aluminum cans is nowhere to found in
Lech Walesa, BBH, or in the Fine Arts building.
Nonetheless, the banning of plastic bottles on
campus would dismiss the need for an increase
in recycling bins.
It will take awareness, education, and an
ecological consciousness of the student body to
bring about change. As I sit in class and look
around, I see almost half my classmates at all
times with bottles of soda and water, which will
unquestionably end up in the garbage cans, and
eventually in a landfill. As the ecological philosopher
Aldo Leopold argues in his essay “The
Land Ethic”, as members of the biotic (living)
community, it is our duty to preserve the land
on which we live. The purchase and disposal of
plastic bottles depletes our water, degrades our
land, and harms the marine ecosystem. Next
time you go to the vending machine or cafeteria
to buy an Ice Mountain or bottle of Pepsi, consider
the words of Mr. Leopold; “A thing is right
when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability,
and beauty of a biotic community. It is wrong
when it tends otherwise.” n
July 1, 2012. Sunday. Day 2 July 19 July 17 July 24 August 21
“Mission Accomplished.”
Really: My Delivery of my HRD
Project to WZRD
By Aud Lebdjiri
Hi my name is Audree Lebdjiri. I’m an
alumna of NEIU, a 2012 graduate of the
Department of Education’s Master’s
Degree program in Human Resource
Development.
Thanks to WZRD I was able to finish my degree.
In the final year of my program I completed a
needs analysis of the Student-run WZRD Radio
Station at Northeastern Illinois University that
included a 20-page report. This project included
methodology, recommendations and a learning
plan that was developed by me over the Fall and
Winter of 2011 to 2012. The second part of the
project included a design manual that consisted
of training materials for a complete WZRD new
DJ training orientation. Such materials included,
but were not limited to: a learning design
plan, a facilitator’s guide, a Power Point slide
presentation, a role-play skit, a 4-day training
orientation checklist, quizzes and an online Survey
Monkey evaluation of training. Last but not
least, it also included an entire re-writing and illustrating
of the WZRD DJ Handbook.
It was a project that required me to utilize all of
my skill-sets learned in my master’s program and
it was a great way for me to get a real-world experience
to put all of that theory into practice. I was
also excited about the possibility that the Station
would put these materials to use.
It was truly a labor of love on my part for a station
that I had been listening to since the mid-
1980s. Back then the punk movement was in its
ascendancy, and WZRD and WNUR were the
only places (other than clubs like C.O.D , Exit, and
NEO) where you could hear great punk and new
wave music. That’s when I became a fan of the
WZRD, and I’ve been listening ever since.
In the Spring of 2012, I made several attempts
to deliver my finished project to WZRD personnel,
but was not successful. I finally contacted
someone at NEIU and this contact assured me
that she personally would deliver it to the Station.
Shortly thereafter, NEIU declared a lockout at
the Station. One of my WZRD contacts frantically
called me at my day job to tell me that the student
DJs had been silenced and restricted from access
to the Station. A few months later, I found out
that the Station never received my project, and
that it was one of the many documents that were
being examined by NEIU as part of its “investigation”
process.
As a result of the lockout, the project I had
slaved over for two semesters was now in limbo.
I was unable to include my project as part of my
work portfolio. I missed not one, but two deadlines
to take the American Society of Training
and Development’s Certified Learning Professional
Exam. The WZRD project would have
been included in my application for the exam.
The other projects I had completed for my academic
program were unacceptable because they
were not “true deliverables.” In addition, I could
not include the work for WZRD I did on my resume
because of the lockout and “investigation”,
and thus, my efforts at making an effective career
transition were severely hampered.
Once I had heard that WZRD was back in operation,
I was contacted by members at the Station
about my project, and after a few phone calls
and back-and-forth e-mails, I was able to retrieve
my finished work from NEIU and hand it over to
the WZRD.
It had been nearly a year after its completion
when I finally handed over my Project to the Wizards.
It felt like it was a healing moment, as if everything
was now in its proper place.
Audree Lebdjiri, Wizard-In-Training, and
newly appointed member of Community Relations
Department at WZRD n
4 The Wizard — Volume 2, Issue 1
Being a part of WZRD opened my eyes to the
vital role of community-oriented, volunteerdriven
media, and I learned a great deal of skills
while I was there. Aside from navigating the most
impressive music library on the planet, I was also
able to gain a lot of experience in volunteer coordination
and organizational planning, which
have been invaluable in my post-college pursuits.
And, like all Program Directors the last few years,
I gained some valuable conflict-management experience
dealing with ‘the administration.’
I’m always looking to stay in-touch with
wizards past and present, I can be reached at
toconnor at wdrt.org
Note: Terry O’Connor played an instrumental
part in the re-formation of the WZRD Radio
Station this past year. During his tenure as Program
Director at the station, he researched and
authored a proposal for how WZRD could be
structured. VP Matt Specht used his proposal as a
model for what has come to be a newly constituted,
re-imagined and re-formed WZRD studentled
Student Organization and media club. n
as they were, were carried out, and recommendations
submitted to Vice President Frank Ross’s office.
Or so we assume.
What we understand about our status has only
been communicated in casual, more or less private
conversations with Vice President of Student
Involvement Matt Specht. No public pronouncement
has been made by any body on the campus
of NEIU, and students involved with WZRD are
still running into persons who are confused about
it. Of course, we are in the station, and managing
it in the most professional and efficient manner
it has been in a long time, and for that we are of
course grateful and satisfied. But it is unsettling
that no explanation, nor apology, has been forthcoming
for the needless harms we suffered, and
no official decision has been handed down, as we
were informed would happen last summer, fall,
and winter.
We understand: that no validity, nor evidence,
was found for any of the allegations made by Media
Advisor Tasha Neumeister and Director of
Student Activities Sharron Evans in their justifications
for the decision to declare WZRD “inactive”
and shutting out the student members from
their club facilities, the radio station. We understand:
we have been restored to full rights as a student
organization, and that no changes to our Bylaws
were required. We understand: that we have
expanded roles for participation in that WZRD
and NEIU alumni are allowed to participate in the
broadcasting, training, and mentoring duties at
the radio station. n
WZRD’s Inspired Beginnings—Part II
By A. Nutt, a WZRD support er
Despite its small scale and scope,
members of the NEIU radio club, who
were operating WRNE, continued
to have ambitions to run a bonafide
station which could broadcast beyond
the university campus and out into the larger
world. Their next step was a big one—applying
for a license with the FCC. In order to be granted
an FCC license to erect an actual antenna and
broadcast publicly—not just on campus—the
members of WRNE would need to submit to an
arduous application process.
In order to grant a license to broadcast, the FCC
required that numerous technical specifications
be met. However, beyond the strictly technical
aspects to delivering a radio signal in compliance
with FCC regulations, WRNE would also have to
submit for approval to the FCC its intended model
for programming at their proposed station.
Many club meetings were held to discuss the
type of radio programming that WRNE members
wanted to project into the larger Chicago community.
Much discussion and soul-searching
ensued, and eventually a consensus emerged.
WRNE members wanted to serve the university
community, as well as the surrounding Chicago
neighborhoods, with information and entertainment
which was not well represented elsewhere
on Chicago’s airwaves.
Most of the club’s members were fans of Scorpio’s
artful DJ work on WOPA, and some had also
heard other freeform radio shows in different parts
of the country. Many club members were active in
grassroots organizations for social change which
had fomented during the 1960s. A spirit of optimism
was prevalent, and their overreaching goal
became an intent to synthesize the trends and concepts
they had been exposed to, in order to build
a system of radio programming which would have
the characteristics of a true art form.
* * *
The club’s FCC application was finally submitted
in early 1974. At this point, WRNE ceased its
carrier current station operations, and an anxious
period of several months followed, waiting for
a reply from the federal agency. When it finally
arrived in the mail, with the FCC granting their
approval for a new 10-watt FM station, there was
tremendous jubilation. As soon as the club could
finish the wiring for its new transmitter and antenna,
it could begin broadcasting in the airwaves.
One agenda item remained before going on
the air. The FCC had identified another licensed
American radio station which was already using
the call letters WRNE. Therefore, the newly licensed
station would need to choose a new set
of call letters, a four letter ‘call’ beginning with
‘W’, which hadn’t already been claimed by another
station.
A meeting was called to agree upon the call letters
for the new station. As had become the club’s
custom, the discussion was long and lively. Numerous
four-letter calls were rolled around on
the tongues of club members. Finally, someone
proposed ‘WZRD’. A hush came over the meeting.
‘WZRD’ just sounded right. Those letters in
that particular order had a certain ‘oomph’; a certain
‘je ne sais quois’. WZRD was born.
* * *
WZRD carried on as a ten watt station for
twelve years. During that time its listeners could
be counted in the thousands, throughout the
neighborhoods immediately surrounding the
NEIU campus. In its early years, WZRD broadcast
programs prepared by Liberation News Service
from Ithica, New York. Later the station
would begin a relationship with Pacifica Radio,
airing Pacifica programs at first on tape, and later
via satellite connection. WZRD maintains a subscription
to Pacifica programming to this day.
In the early 1980s, pressure mounted to petition
the FCC once more, this time to elevate
WZRD’s standing to a 100 watt station. Another
application process was mounted, and this time
the proceedings were more complicated. All the
available FM frequencies had already been assigned
by the FCC in the Chicago area, so that
stations which might boost their signal strength
would almost certainly be encroaching on neighboring
FM stations’ signals.
Since WZRD was in similar circumstances to
many other relatively low power FM stations in
Chicago at the time, a decision was made to cooperate
with other stations. The Metropolitan
Educational Radio Consortium was formed. The
function of the MERC was to provide a space of
negotiation between a total of 14 ten watt stations
in Chicago, so that each of them could make application
to grow to 100 watts without interfering
with one another’s signals.
MERC’s planning was successful, and in 1986
WZRD grew to 100 watts, increasing its range
and influence in the community substantially.
* * *
WZRD was a unique radio station from its inception,
and it has remained a unique and special
node in Chicago’s media landscape. The station’s
founders ideals of “radio as an art form” have
been embraced repeatedly by generations radio
club members, and won the hearts of hundreds of
thousands of listeners throughout Chicago and its
northern tier of suburbs.
WZRD has remained true to ideas and ideals
put forward by the pioneers of freeform radio.
The station has avoided ‘block’ programming—
the norm for most stations—which dictates that
certain genres of music, and certain informational
programs will be delivered in regularly scheduled
time slots. Instead, to counterbalance that predictability
found in virtually every other media
outlet, WZRD DJs are encouraged to use all their
facilities of intellect and imagination to provide
station listeners with exciting segways and scintillating
juxtapositions between types of music
and sources of information. In addition, WZRD
DJs have carried on a tradition of anonymity as
on-air DJs, a concept which has proven effective
at quelling the impulse of egotism, as well as
building group unity towards a common mission
of serving up excellent and inspiring programs.
In common practice, WZRD DJs (known as
‘Wizards’) are recruited from the student body
at NEIU. The station’s by-laws set out its directive
that student members operate the station.
However, this has not precluded the participation
of non-student community members, who,
respecting and upholding the stations rules and
traditions, have made essential contributions to
WZRD over the years. Indeed, it was WZRD’s
founders’ intention to create a true community
radio station, which, although emanating from
NEIU, functions as an important cultural touchstone
for its entire community of listeners.
* * *
Although the Wizards won their battle to regain
broadcasting authority over the WZRD airwaves,
there are still ongoing issues that the student-DJs
would like to see addressed by the Administration
of Northeastern Illinois University. You can read
about some of those issues in this paper, and in upcoming
issues. Visit our website at www.wzrdchicago.
org, and visit our bulletin board in the basement
Student Lounge under Beck’s Bookstore and
across the hall from the Independent newspaper.
Or just stop by the station and say HI! n
Alumnus Update
Continued from page 1
WZRD Recap
Continued from page 1
Sept. 3 S eptember 4 S eptember 5 S eptember 9 S eptember 20
The Wizard — Volume 2, Issue 1 5
Sept. 21 S ept. 24 S ept. 26 S ept. 28, 2012 O ct. 2 O ct. 24
CAN “IMPUNITY” ITSELF BE A
VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS?
Opinion, By Dale Lehman Can students at Northeastern
Illinois University be denied basic
human rights with impunity? One
might have assumed such question
farfetched, that an institutional
commitment to human rights would be a bedrock
at NEIU--but, as the past eleven months have
revealed, it is not that at all.
I raise the question in relation to the former
Director of the Student Activities Office and the
impunity she has received following her circumvention
of university policy when she accused
and then penalized a group of students independent
of any due process (hearing, defined procedures,
appeal) and rule of law (existing university
policy).
On June 29, 2012 the Director accused “all
current membership” of the student-run radio
station, WZRD, of crimes such that it scandalized
their good names and reputations, publicly
humiliated them, caused emotional distress and
scarred their university experience. The Director,
who then proceeded to rob them of the benefit of
their student activity fees by locking them out of
the radio station and threatening them with arrest
should they return, told them to come back in
six months to find out where they stood.
The Student Government’s Charter Rules and
Regulations Committee was tasked to investigate
the accusations, an action totally outside of its
scope of responsibilities and in direct violation
of university policy. There was, the accused students
discovered, no right to appeal--and radio
club members, those that remained, took up their
own defense with the certainty that they were innocent
of the accusations but with little expectation
that they would recover either the radio station
or their reputations from under the weight of
the totality of the accusations.
Due process is “the conduct of legal proceedings
according to established rules and principles
for the protection and enforcement of private
rights, including notices and the right to a fair
hearing.” ( Black’s Law Dictionary)
The concept is enshrined in both the 5th
amendment to the U.S. Constitution and in the
NEIU Governing Policies and the SGA Constitution;
it is our founding citizens’ conditions for
approval of the Constitution of the United States
that basic Human Rights be recognized and respected
by the government they were consenting
to approve.
Due process is what is denied a human being
when they are assassinated by a death squad for
their union activity in Columbia or when the President
of the United States orders a drone strike on
them because their behavior pattern seems to be
that of a ‘terrorist’. And while the Director of the
Student Activities Office limited herself to “character
assassination” it was no less a denial of due
process. The right to a formal hearing, the right
to appeal, and the rule of law (process) are embedded
in the governing policies of the University
such that one might expect that the University
would be capable of recognizing the absence
of due process and move to correct transgressions
of such a right when it occurs. They have not.
* * *
Conjointly, Impunity “refers to the failure to
bring perpetrators of human rights violations to
justice and, as such, itself constitutes a denial of
the victims’ right to justice and redress. Impunity
is especially common in states [universities]
that lack a tradition of the rule of law, suffer from
corruption or that have entrenched systems of
patronage, ….” (Wikipedia), while the United Nations
amended Set of Principles for the Protection
and Promotion of Human Rights Through Action
to Combat Impunity, submitted to the United Nations
Commission on Human Rights on 8 February
2005, defines impunity as:
“the impossibility, de jure or de facto, of bringing
the perpetrators of violations to account –
whether in criminal, civil, administrative or disciplinary
proceedings – since they are not subject
to any inquiry that might lead to their being accused,
arrested, tried and, if found guilty, sentenced
to appropriate penalties, and to making
reparations to their victims.”
Eleven months later the accusations made by
the Director of the Office of Student Activities,
against all “ WZRD Current Student Membership”,
have withered without validation. Yet publicly
they have not been retracted. Had the club
collapsed, as it almost did, following what felt like
an administrative mugging, the Director would
have had her way, for she stated in her memorandum
of June 29th, 2013 that she wanted to make
some changes:
“The challenge is finding a format that moves
the station away for the issues that exist today and
have existed over time”.... “The goal is to develop
a more productive structure that further enhances
the quality of student life at NEIU, advances
the University strategic goal of student success
through increased student engagement, and eliminates
instances of liability placed upon the University
President and the University as a whole.”
* * *
Through our own investigation we discovered
that the Director had acted without hard evidence
and solely on the word of her subordinate
whom it now appears was attempting to cover up
her own record-keeping failures, such that they
are likely to be the basis for an Federal Communications
Commission fine of the university. We
also discovered that student activity funds budgeted
for the radio station were removed from
the club’s account by the university for its own
purposes prior to the club being deactivated--and
after, when the budget was frozen, by someone
in the Student Activities Office, aka the Office of
Student Leadership Development. In addition,
we discovered that the Director dealt with students
in a manner absent of the most rudimentary
understanding of the potential psychological and
emotional harm her accusations would expose
the accused students to, and demonstrated a deficit
of ethical judgment and understanding of human
rights as to call into question the Director’s
capacity to work with students without causing
harm.
On January 8, 2013, the Acting Vice President
for Student Involvement,
Matt Specht, stated that “ In the course of
the review of the WZRD Radio Station student
organization conducted by the Charter Rules
and Regulations Committee (CCR) [Student Senate],
no evidence was presented that supported
the allegations that current WZRD club members
13 Students File
Complaints Against
Director For
Student Rights And
Responsibilities
Sharron Evans
Allege “harms” and
violations of student rights
During the recent NEIU Board of
Trustees Meeting on April 11, 2013, Peter
Ali Enger turned in thirteen complaints
to Vice President of Student Affairs
Dr. Frank Ross. The complaints were lodged
against Director of SRR Sharron Evans and Media
Coordinator Tasha Neumeister for actions they
took in the “deactivation” of the WZRD Student
Organization last year. The student complaints
allege harms they suffered due to the allegations of
“mismanagement of critical documents”,“misuse”
of funds, “money laundering”, “discrimination”
due to “race/ethnicity in addition to gender” and
bias in the recruitment and training processes at
WZRD.
Some of the claims of “harms” identified by the
student complaints recently filed allege “loss of
sleep”, “depression”, “anxiety”, “emotional distress”,
“financial losses” and “academic losses”
due to the allegations and rumors that the students
suffered last Fall semester at NEIU. As of
this writing, there have been no formal investigation,
hearing, or findings of either validity to the
claims, nor any announcement by University personnel
of a finding of no wrongdoings by members
of WZRD. There has also not been any public
statement regarding the status of either the radio
station or the WZRD Student Organization, as a
result of the Station and Student Organization
“review” processes created last summer stated
there would be. n
engaged in racial discrimination. This was clearly
addressed in point #4 of the recommendations
from the CRR: “We found no proof of racial or
ethnicity racism” (one of the Directors accusations),
as if Student Government was a legitimate
forum to investigate such matters; a realization
that occurred to some of them as well.
The University has remained mute when queried
about what happened on June 29, 2012. It
repeatedly fails to respond to requests for an
explanation. Yet the Director, now promoted to
head the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities,
refuses to apologize or acknowledge that
her decision-making process was in error. She is
now shepherding changes to the Student Code of
Conduct that propose to give her office some expanded
powers to accuse and prosecute “Student
Organizations” for wrongdoing and violations of
the Student Code of Conduct.
“Learn in the city, Lead in the world” is the
motto for NEIU.
If we unpack the meaning we find an opened
ended path of values. One path forks toward Human
Rights while the other its’ opposite. Will
there be an inquiry or will impunity be what is
taught in the city and offered as the role model
for the world? n
6 The Wizard — Volume 2, Issue 1
November, 2012 Dec. 1, 2012 Jan. 3, 2013. Jan. 5, 2013 Jan. 6, 2013 TimeLine
Throughout the Lockout of WZRD in Fall of 2012, student-members
of WZRD Student Organization and supporters met regularly for
an average of 1-2 times per week, for strategy, mutual support, and
commiseration—and to share information we were gathering from
numerous sources in our struggle to regain our reputation, our status,
and for
Justice. Following is a Timeline of activities we were involved in, as a
reminder
to ourselves and to anyone who might be interested. Success in Political
Struggle demands unity, perseverance, and hard work.
June 8, 2012. Friday. Student Activities
staff take over WZRD Radio Station
Facility over Student Organization members’
objections, put non-members of
WZRD on air.
June 28, 2012. Thursday. WZRD member
Peter Ali Enger escorted from WZRD
premises by Public Safety, at behest of Station
Manager acting on orders of Media
Advisor Tasha Neumeister.
June 29, 2012. Black Friday. WZRD
members called to meeting with then-Director
of Student Activities Sharron Evans.
Members informed of WZRD being declared
“inactive”, and members locked out
of WZRD under threat of arrest and declaration
of “persona non grata” status.
July 1, 2012. Sunday. Day 2. First
meeting of WZRD Collective, to be known
as WFDC (WZRD Freeform Defense Collective)
July 17, 2012 The Independent publishes
one-sided, defamatory article in paper
July 19, 2012. Vice President of Student
Affairs Frank Ross and Matt Specht meet
with WFDC for two hours
July 24, 2012. Wizards attend Council
of Clubs meeting requesting a dialogue
and answers.
August 21, 2012. SGA senate meeting-
-Wizards handed three page “review” processes
from Vice President of SGA Ashor
Jajou
Sept. 3 – WFDC publishes The Wizard
Newsletter; distributed to students and
faculty on NEIU campus
September 4, 2012. WZRD Student
Organization denied participation in Fall
Into Fun Charter Review
WZRD members start filing FOIAs to
gather information from NEIU
September 5, 2012. Wizard Collective
members attend Fall Into Fun, pass out fliers,
get petition signatures.
Sept. 9, 2012. Sunday. WZRD members
begin “Wizards In Exile” broadcasts at
WNUR Sunday nights 6-8 pm.
September 20, 2012. WZRD Collective
members attend NEIU Board of Trustees
meeting, submit documents outlining
our case for due process and investigation.
Sept. 21, 2012. Article about WZRD
published by Student Press Law Center.
WZRD members attend AAUP meeting.
And meet John Wilson, discover Illinois
University Student Press Act, and get
contact info for lawyer
Sept. 24, 2012. Chicago Reader publishes
article, “WZRD Lockout Grinds On”.
Sept. 26, 2012. WFDC meeting NEIU
Library 4th Floor. Gerardo Morales removed
as WZRD Manager, Jonathan Extract
elected Manager of WZRD Collective,
vote of confidence for Kelly Donovan as
Program Director.
Sept. 28, 2012. Wizards submit six file
folders of documents to Charter Rules and
Regulations Committee Chair Armando
Corrales.
Oct. 2, 2012. Wizards interviewed on
WXAV, Xavier College student-run radio
station. New City publishes article on the
WZRD lockout.
WZRD Advisors Mark McKernin
and Tracy Luedke attend interview with
CRR Committee
Alejandro Aguilar attends interview
with CRR Committee] [These are
only WZRD affiliates who agree to particiThe
Wizard — Volume 2, Issue 1 7
Jan. 8, 2013
pate in flawed “review” processes
Oct. 24, 2012. Wizard Committee and
Faculty Advisor Tracy Luedke meet with
CRR Committee and Matt Specht and Veronica
Rodriguez.
November, 2012:
WZRD Collective brings case to
SGA Judiciary challenging SGA legitimacy
and authority to declare WZRD Student
Organization “inactive”
[Judiciary decision read in NEIU
Cafeteria, and Veronica Rodriguez reads
letter containing stipulations and requirements
for WZRD being restored to “active”
Student Organization status]
[independent reports that “WZRD
Back In Business” and will return to station
on Dec. 1st]
[Wizard Collective members begin
meeting with Matt Specht to discuss conditions
for return to radio station]
[Wizard Collective member Letter
To The Editor published in Independent
refusing “requirements” of University for
return to WZRD radio station]
[WZRD Faculty Advisors meet with
Matt Specht, Vice President Frank Ross
regarding status of WZRD Student Organization
and radio station]
[Appeal to SG A Judiciary Hearing regarding
WZRD]
Dec. 1, 2012. Wizards DO NOT return
to station.
[WZRD/WFDC meet with Matt
Specht and Faculty Advisor Prof. Tracy Luedke
in continuing negotiations. University
backs down from “requirements” for restoration
to active status of WZRD club publicized
in letter and in The Independent.
Vice President of Student Involvement is
won over, agrees to advocate for retention
of Freeform Format and involvement of
key Alumni in participation of broadcast at
station]
[WZRD Collective members hold
series of negotiations with Matt Specht
throughout month of December]
Jan. 3, 2013. WZRD/WFDC meeting
with Matt Specht/Veronica Rodriguez to
discuss process for return to station. Get
keys. Add names to Permanent Access
List, including selected Alumni.
Jan. 5, 2013. WIZARDS RETURN TO
STATION TO BEGIN CLEANUP AND
BROADCASTING FREEFORM RADIO!!
Jan. 6, 2013. Wizards and supporters
celebrate. Lawyer agrees to become General
Counsel for WZRD Collective in ongoing
relationship.
Jan. 8, 2013. Chicago Reader announces
WZRD student members are back on the
air!
8 The Wizard — Volume 2, Issue 1
-- 
Robert A. Hansen Peer Mentor Council Of Clubs Representative Co-Program
Director WZRD 88.3 FM www.wzrdchicago.org Northeastern Illinois
University roberthansen1970 at gmail.com Phone (872)226-5226