Six designers were selected and given the theme of the 1920’s to work with. From wearable biodegradable balloon garments to decadent jewels, each designer intercepted the theme through collections of varying amounts. 

“We’ve actually never worked fully with designers before,” said Wittes, President and CEO of WNP. “We’ve worked usually with stylists, because our thing is to give people that don’t usually have an opportunity, that opportunity to be seen in the spotlight.”

One of the ways they are supporting their designers is through a partnership with the Apparel Industry Board, Inc. 

“They thought it’d be a really great idea to offer our designers a space, just because we are using some that are students or just graduated students right out of college, and so they don’t necessarily have a great workspace yet,” said Wittes. Since the beginning, WNP has been dedicated to creating opportunities and opening doors for others who may not otherwise receive them. 

 “We love, kind of pouring into them and making sure that they know that you have a place in the city. Don’t leave when you graduate,” said Janae Holloway, PR coordinator for WNP. Designers were also given the freedom to select which tracks were going to be played for their sets. “Just to let them be artistically free to pick what best represents their designs to the public,” said Laticia Hernandez, sales manager of WNP. 

To fully curate the 1920’s prohibition mood, Hernandez reached out to Indie Media Studios for a group of dancers, the Divas, to perform a flapper number at the beginning of the show, and a burlesque piece to usher in the after party. 

“I’m Latina myself, so I love dancing, and I thought that would be a unique thing to add to the show, just something that’s like, wow!” said Hernandez.

In addition to dancers, guests enjoyed live music performed by Faith Hitch, who played piano and sang during the VIP reception, and appetizers like spanakopita and cream cheese wontons. Guests were all dressed in their best attire, all competing for the Bee’s Knees Pin which would be given to the best dressed. 

As guests began to trickle in, the stage was unveiled from behind floor to ceiling curtains. Guests slowly peeled away from the bar where 1920’s appropriate drinks were being served, like old-fashioneds. The front row received a gift bag including a custom WNP scarf. 

Drinks were provided through a partnership with Cosentino’s, including the debut of a sangria not yet in the market. Providing the foundations for this partnership as well as backstage management was Done By Design. 

“We focus on fashion shows. My business partner is Ray Martinez. He’s the fashion director. He handles the backstage, and I’ll handle the front stage,” said Carlos Medina, co-owner and director of media and marketing, who has worked with WNP before. 

“We actually both launched our companies right around the same time, and we just have kind of been collaborating and helping each other out. It’s kind of grown and blossomed into a beautiful friendship,” said Martinez. Tonight they are behind the livestream of the runway and the media crew. Another technological feature was the ability to shop looks off the runway through QR codes on every table. 

The show began with a video of two lovers reuniting at Union Station, before Wittes introduced the journey her and her brand have been on. She took the stage and thanked the designers and her family. Then an electric beat welcomed the Divas, who performed an electric flapper number.

Each designer had a video that detailed their creative process when approaching the theme that played before their collection of at least 10 looks debuted, and at the end of each collection, the designer walked out to a roaring audience with their models. Halfway through the show Faith Hatch took stage and performed a 1920’s rendition of “I Put a Spell on You.”

“We didn’t want to show things that everyone’s seen before at Chicago Fashion Week. We already have a lot of people doubting it, I would say, in the general sense, because it’s been dormant for so long. We just wanted to come out swinging and give everyone the best opportunity to see what they can bring to the table,” said Wittes. 

“My family migrated from Mexico in the ‘70s to an apartment in Pilsen and then to a small house in this area of the 12th Ward of McKinley Park,” Ramirez said. She noted that McKinley Park was primarily Polish in the 1850s, before many Mexican families moved in. By the 1990s the population was 80% Hispanic. “We’ve seen that shift,” she said. 

Homes were built in the 12th Ward area during that time to accommodate the new residents who came seeking jobs nearby. “McKinley Park is the geographical center of the city,” Ramirez said. 

She addressed the resilience of the community, highlighting La Palapa owner Alejandro “Alex” Guerra, who started the restaurant as a small shack selling tamales on a small piece of land that he later expanded. “I think about that sort of resilience of people who come here and have this vision and work so hard to make it happen,” Ramirez said. 

Harrison Hartzell, 19, of McKinley Park, said the culture of McKinley Park is “one of connection” since Chicago, in general, is such a diverse city. She noted the variety of events the neighborhood holds for residents like her. “It gives people the opportunity to socialize and enjoy the company of nearby Chicagoans while enjoying the stunning scenery of the park,” Hartzell said. 

Hartzell appreciated the opportunity the fundraiser provided to get involved in local politics and meet the people who represent their community. “It gives people hope that not only do their community voices matter, but that people ‘in charge’ are actively listening and making changes in our community,” Hartzell said. 

Guadalupe Mendez, 19, of McKinley Park, noted that many Asians also live in McKinley Park, and that community feels marginalized. She said she’s heard from several neighbors on her block that they don’t get along with some of the Asian community. “They have a bad image of them,” Mendez said. 

Mendez appreciated that Fiesta Feminina allowed people to speak to the ‘higher-ups’ about these issues and how they can “help our needs as a community.”

Ramirez said events like this fundraiser are important because they allow people to get involved with their neighborhood and speak firsthand to people who can make changes, like her. “Future events we’re thinking about having is a 35th Street festival, since 35th Street is unique and important to our community,” Ramirez said. “We’re starting a vecino (neighbor) program because everybody has these great ideas. We have created a space for people to take ownership of their ideas and support them through our office.”

Local businesses the Happy Hour Shop and Dorothy teamed up to host a Vintage Glassware Celebration at Dorothy from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Oct. 3, 2024. 

The event was hosted at Dorothy, a lesbian cocktail lounge. The Happy Hour Shop, a storefront that sells cocktail supplies, curated a pop-up shop where patrons could not only purchase barware but also enjoy and sip cocktails from them. 

Dorothy co-owner Whitney LaMora and the Happy Hour Shop owners Jess and John Feller came up with the idea to host a business celebration together after meeting for the first time when the Happy Hour first opened. 

“I stopped in the shop and had a really lovely interaction with them,” LaMora said. “We agreed our businesses aligned and wanted to find some sort of collaboration in the future.”

All three were part of the West Town Chamber of Commerce, which provides stipends to West Town business event collaborations.

“We thought it’d be a fun way to partner, tell people in the neighborhood about our shop and about Dorothy and the cocktails that they serve,” John Feller said. “The chamber kind of started it all.”

The stipend helped offset some of the expenses. “We used some of our funds toward the Happy Hour Shop sourcing glassware, toward a photographer and a social/community spend at the bar,” LaMora said.

Attendees chatted while enjoying cocktails at the bar and on the comfort of the couches. 

Shannon Glover and SB, a guest who did not want to give their full name, went to the pop-up shop to look at the glassware and ask the Fellers questions. “I think it’s important that folks continue to promote the fact that queer folks aren’t a monolith, so we’re interested in multiple things,” SB said. “I think Dorothy does a great job of having the intersection of queer things and also things like… book clubs or vintage glassware.”

Jess Feller said that the West Town community is “super, super tight-knit” and that it’s important to work with other local businesses. She said partnering with other local businesses makes each one “shine.” 

“The fabric of Chicago is so rich and we can’t do this by ourselves,” she said.

Two bands, the Crosstown Classics and Coverlicious, performed at the Performing Arts Pavilion throughout the afternoon. Several local breweries offered beverages for $5, and the public library raffled off a new Kindle for those that applied for a library card. The event also included pony rides, a petting zoo, bounce houses and pumpkin decorating.

Each year, the village partners with Empty Bowls to run a fundraiser in support of the New Lenox Township Food Pantry. Empty Bowls is an international project that works to increase awareness of world hunger, unite community members and raise money to support those with food insecurity. 

For this fundraiser, those who donated $20 received a handmade ceramic bowl made by students and staff from the New Lenox school district and unlimited soup samples donated by local restaurants, including cream of chicken and rice, three different versions of chili, minestrone, lobster bisque, broccoli cheddar, beef and barley, pasta fagioli and lemon rice. 

The event was organized by the New Lenox Friends of the Parks. Mark Ott, a commissioner for the New Lenox Park District, has volunteered to serve soup for the last three years. “My favorite part is seeing the community happy and full,” he says. “It’s really wonderful to watch everyone come together and donate towards this cause.”

This year over 200 bowls were sold despite the blazing sun and high temperatures. Jen Ruhl, sixth grade teacher and the project’s coordinator, hopes to write a $3,000 check to the New Lenox Township Food Pantry with the proceeds. She said in recent years the “energy has only heightened.”

“Everyone is so enthusiastic and committed to the cause,” she said.

Fred and Liz Manzi have attended the event before. “We have loved to see it grow,” said Liz Manzi. “It’s become a family staple during the last couple of years and we hope to see it continue for many more.”

Next year, Ruhl would love to place an even bigger emphasis on student participation from the local New Lenox grade schools. “Overall, the event was a success,” she said, “but I also can’t wait to see where the future takes us.”

“We’ve hired a lot of people and want to have great service, and what has happened is 60% of our customers that come there have a difficult time finding parking,” Moy-Gregg said.  

The restaurant owners brought their concerns to a Naperville City Council meeting on Oct. 1, hoping the council would pass an ordinance establishing a valet parking transfer zone for the restaurant. 

Finding parking in the downtown area has become especially hard because of construction taking place this year which is scheduled to continue until at least early 2025. This has impacted other downtown businesses, too. 

AltaVida is proposing a potential solution: offering customers valet parking for $10. Moy-Gregg says many of the customers she has asked are interested in that option. 

Without valet parking, the owners of AltaVida say they are losing big opportunities to grow their business. “All of a sudden we have six events and activities wanting to take our space and rent the space out and they’re asking for valet parking,” said Moy-Gregg. These big events can help boost businesses, but they may also discourage potential customers who would come to the restaurant if there’s no spare parking spots.

Not everyone is supportive of valet parking. Naperville resident Marilyn Schweitzer shared her concerns about the impact on people who can’t afford the additional cost. “It will make drop-off and pick up harder for non-valet customers,” she said. “Not everyone wants, needs or can afford valet parking. Families with small children and low-mobility patriots deserve more accommodation, not less.” 

Other residents expressed safety concerns about rideshare drivers dropping people off in dangerous areas — like the middle of a street — if the valet area would replace the usual drop off location. 

After discussion, the Council voted seven to two to deny the ordinance for allowing valet parking. 

Guests were encouraged to dress up and dance to Kesha’s “Blow” and other popular Halloween songs. They could color design on water bottles, or compete in limbo and a mummy contest. There was also a photo booth where they could get their photo against a halloween background. 

The Arlington Heights Memorial Library has been celebrating Inclusion Awareness Month since 2018, and has partnered with NWSRA in the past to make community events accessible. “They can reach out to us in advance for anybody who’s signing up, so we know if there are any accommodation requests that we need to accommodate for this type of event,” said Katie Myers, Senior and Accessible Services supervisor at the library.

This event was inspired by community feedback. “We knew that there was an interest in the library hosting programs for adults with disabilities,” Myers said. “We really relied on [NWSRA’s] expertise and guidance to tell us what types of things we should consider having at a dance.”

The 2024 Monster Mash drew an enthusiastic crowd. 

“I like being here with my friends and my girlfriend,” said Nate Hollenbeck, who was dressed as a skeleton. 

“It’s very enjoyable and I’m having a good time,” said Ashley Costiga, who was dressed as a cowgirl.

“I get to spend time with my friends,” added Kelsey Nolan, another skeleton.

Myers hopes events like these help the disability community see the library as a place to go for fun activities as well as connections and understanding. 

“I hope that participants come out, have a good time and want to see the library as a partner for participating in other activities in the future,” Myers said. 

The Uptown Farmers Market is held every Wednesday from May to November from 2:30 pm to 7 p.m. on Sunnyside Avenue between Magnolia Avenue and Beacon Street. On Oct. 2, 32 of the 41 annual vendors were at the market. 

River Valley Ranch, a mushroom farm in Burlington, Wisconsin, has been a vendor since the beginning. They sell fresh mushrooms and mushroom-related items including pickled mushrooms, pasta sauces, salsas, tamales, burgers, butter and cheeses.

“Quite honestly the farmers market is what we really rely on as an income source,” said Angel, who uses the last name “Of Peace,” lives in Pilsen and works at farmers’ markets for River Valley Ranch. “If you love mushrooms, come hang out here.”

A stand down the block was buzzing with customers and a few bees. John Bailey Honey is based in Kankakee, Illinois, where Preston Bailey’s father has been keeping bees for over 50 years. In addition to honey, they sell beeswax candles, garlic, berries, beets, jams and jellies. 

The Uptown Farmers Market is especially important to the Baileys because Preston Bailey has lived in the neighborhood for the past seven years and feels a connection to the community. “We are from an hour south of Chicago so that is the most important thing — servicing local honey to Chicago,” he said. 

Stopping by her favorite vendor, Andrew’s Heirlooms, Uptown resident Annie Taylor purchased some purple and green heirloom tomatoes. She lives only a block away from the market and uses the opportunity to get outside even when she doesn’t need to buy anything. She also appreciates buying from local farmers instead of going to grocery stores to buy produce. “The market definitely brings the community together,” she said. “There are so many apartments and homes right here, so it is accessible to so many people.”

The dinner was the finale of a series of “Neighbors in Nature” free community events. The organization’s mission is to fight against environmental racism in Chicago’s Southwest Side — McKinley Park specifically — but expands into the greater Chicago area. Environmental racism is a type of inequality where people in communities of color and low-income areas face a higher risk of exposure to pollution and related health problems.

Throughout the summer, Neighbors for Environmental Justice co-curators Maya Jones and Mayra Spont-Lemus hosted many events, including food distributions, park clean-ups and community conversations about the environment and health. “For us, an important part of our work is community engagement in fun and creative ways,” Jones said. Some of the events included story sharing in the park, farm tours, bird walks and learning about air quality monitoring. 

The dinner featured a variety of Mexican dishes such as gorditas, tortas and tamales served under lights and ribbons strung among the trees and bushes in the play garden. Jones and Spont-Lemus shared reflections on the summer’s events, including a workshop offered in collaboration with Free Street Theater that invited participants to imagine just environments. The evening ended with music and dancing. 

Attendees line up at tables as volunteers serve them dinner. Photo by Shawn Katz

“I felt really connected with people I never even met and I loved how welcoming the entire environment felt,” said Melaan Reynolds, a resident of McKinley Park who attended the event. “I loved talking to people while enjoying delicious food that everyone loves.” 

Neighbors for Environmental Justice encourages people of all ages to participate in events and engage with the programs. “From the outside, people think that you need to be a policy-head or know XYZ things or need to have XYZ experience to join the program,” Jones said. “We want people to know that this work is for everyone and everyone is invited into the movement.” 

For more information, visit n4ej.org.  

As a Puerto Rican immigrant who barely knew any English, he faced a lot of racism and abuse while attending parochial schools from the likes of his nuns and peers. Eventually the painful experience led him to question and explore his faith. “Where’s this almighty God? You’re teaching me here about Jesus, and on one hand, you’re beating me.” His real venture into spirituality began in 1992, when his father passed away. He was a half-hour late to being with his father when he died. 

“I looked at him and I started to realize, huh, there are so many things he didn’t even tell me,” Rosado recalls.

So he rented a room above a health food store, and on one odd Sunday, he hosted a workshop he called Things My Father Never Told Me.

“I wanted to hear from other men. I said, ‘Well if five men show up, I’m happy.’ 85 showed up.” 

The men shared a common emotional concern. They had all wished their fathers had told them “I love you” more often, Rosado said. This was his first time teaching interconnectedness and spirituality, and it would not be his last.  

After hosting his first retreat, Rosado began to work as an electrician — where he formed a friendship with the late Andy Warhol — and ran several successful businesses including a yoga center that brought creatives from around different spaces together, dedicated to creating a safe space for women, or New York’s first CD-only store. He says each one of these ventures was a course in the curriculum of life that were preparing him for his ultimate plan, a meditation retreat center like none other.  But there was no time as influential as Rosado’s time as a guardian of the Chalice Well in Glastonbury, England, a place for spiritual gathering where Rosado crafted his original idea. 

It was under rather coincidental circumstances that he ever ended up as guardian. He says that he had two tickets to Cancun, “with a couple of margaritas”, when his friend invited him to the Well. The day before he left his trip, he heard that they were putting out job applications for a guardian, and out of the 500 applicants Rosado was chosen. 

“Imagine that! A boy weekending from New York, going to one of the most holy sites, and I took care of that place,” Rosado laughs. There he was tasked with taking care of the grounds and leading workshops, and on one of those retreats is where he met Nina Patrick.

Patrick was mentored by Barbra Marx Hubbard, a global visionary who knew Rosado’s then wife at the time, who encouraged Nina to go on a retreat led by Rosado. After returning home, Rosado contacted her, impressed by her leadership during the retreat, and asked if she had wanted to help lead one of his upcoming retreats. Unfortunately, before the retreat in February, 2014, Rosado suffered a stroke.

“He’s a very determined person and within six months of that stroke, we were leading the retreat together, and he was climbing the mountains,” Patrick chuckles. One of Rosado’s final tasks as guardian was to craft plans for a new retreat house, one that would never be built, but rather became the vision that has fueled Rosado for so long,

After their retreat, Rosado and Patrick got to work and founded the Miracles of the World Foundation, or Milagro World Center, a registered non-profit organization dedicated to connecting individuals towards the movement to positive change. A movement that has been identified as a want within individuals to be and do good, a somewhat nebulous term that truly manifests differently in everyone. 

Wild Raspberry Resale Boutique and Warehouse in Grayslake is one of Rosado’s recent endeavors, and through volunteer opportunities, workshops and retreats, it creates an entry point for the everyday individual to begin exploring spirituality. When entering the boutique you are instantly greeted by meticulously crafted displays of luxury vintage goods. The entire warehouse is hallmarked with taste, including the staff. 

Ashton Dodt, who’s fresh out of high school, is Wild Raspberry’s assistant manager, and credits the organization for his own personal growth. Before connecting with Wild Raspberry, he says, he was feeling insecure and lost.

“I just didn’t feel like my own person,” he recalls.

Dodt remembers his first day at Wild Raspberry. After he finished a stressful shift, Rosado gave him a note with some encouraging advice. Dodt was looking for a job, but instead found a community to grow with. His story is not unlike many others who wandered in looking for beautiful clothing, and left wanting to explore spirituality, and Wild Raspberry provides the means. Whether it be through workshops held on their stage, or retreats out of store, Patrick says, “we want Wild Raspberry to be… an entry point into community and into this movement for positive change.” 

Ultimately, Rosado wants to enact that vision from the Chalice Well, a retreat center where he can teach and inspire others. Equipped with the specialized expertise from his previous ventures, he feels confident in the future. Wild Raspberry and the Milagro World Fund have worked for years dedicating time and money towards positive change and don’t plan on stopping. “Our vision is for it to be a lasting force for good,” says Patrick. 

The percentage of college students at risk of eating disorders has risen to 28% — epidemic levels, a 13% increase from 2013, a 3% uptick during the pandemic alone. It almost seems surprising, until you really stop to consider what college is like.

When I was a freshman, I lived in the University Center on a meal plan. I had grown up a picky eater and now, relying on the cafeteria for all my meals brought back all my uneasiness. There were always a couple “safe”’ options. There was pizza every night if you got there in time. There were burgers, and sometimes I would get the chicken nuggets. I’d try my best to make space for a vegetable, but I don’t like spinach, squash or Brussels sprouts. Every day at lunch there was a deli counter, and every day I’d get the same exact thing, to the point where the sweet woman who worked at the counter started remembering my order.

I never cooked while I lived at the UC; my room only had a microwave and my toaster, which got confiscated halfway through the year because it was barely over the 1000-watt limit. The highest-tech meal I ever made in my dorm was microwave mac n’ cheese, mixed with microwave broccoli. On weekends they didn’t serve breakfast, but I was never up early enough to make the breakfast times from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. anyway, so I never ate breakfast there. Sometimes, I would just never eat breakfast at all. 

Arguably, these are unhealthy eating habits. Skipping meals and excluding categories of food from your diet are both considered as disordered eating by Dr. Evelyn Attia with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Physically, these practices can lead to headaches, less energy, hair loss and dry skin along with other things. Mentally, it can be incredibly damaging — depression, anxiety, irritability, mood swings, lack of concentration and isolation are just some of the side effects. But to every college student, it seems more or less… normal. 

Nobody’s college experience will ever be exactly the same, and the same can be said for our eating habits. However, there seems to be common trends — which we should consider taking more seriously. 

“I feel like I don’t have the time to eat, and when I do, I can’t be bothered to cook,” one student says. “I can’t spend time learning or have the motivation to.” They didn’t learn at home and don’t have time to now, a sentiment shared by 36% of young adults. And it’s not easy to learn, even if they did have the time. When I moved to my apartment, I was lucky to have pots and pans passed down from my grandparents. Other students don’t have this, and even at Goodwill, basic cooking equipment can run you a fair amount, regardless if you want new stuff. My non-stick cooking pan started chipping up last year, but I’m still using it to make quesadillas daily. 

Another student confides that she finds it hard to take accountability for her eating habits. Many kids — myself included — used to get called down by their parents for dinner. I haven’t lived with them for three years now, and my dinner times fluctuate day to day. No one tells me to “clear my plate.” 

The stories continue — everyone’s got one. In attempts to battle college stressors, some of my friends turn to controlling their food intake. College is a massive workload compared to most lower education. When your scholarships rest upon your grades, it can be impossible not to feel overwhelmed. In the face of everything out of your control, it’s reassuring to be able to rule over one thing, at least. Then there’s the day to day; the days where you have so many classes you can’t eat, right next to the days you have no classes at all. The difference between a 9 a.m. class and a 3 p.m. class can change my lunch time by hours. And if your classes overlap with the UC cafeteria hours and you can’t make dinner, there’s no recourse for you other than a 7/11 sandwich. 

Then, there’s what’s on everyone’s minds — money. “Often I wouldn’t eat to save money. I lost weight from it,” says another student. This may be the most damning one. Forty-two percent of independent undergraduate students — not claimed on a guardian’s taxes — are in or near poverty, according to the Pew Research Center. You’re more likely to be food insecure if you’re below the poverty line. And when you don’t eat, the body gets used to it, making healthy eating harder. Combined with other factors, like the lack of accountability, returning to healthy eating habits can be incredibly straining. “I had to make sure I ate multiple times a day to force my body back to what it should be,” says the student, on his recovery. He had to force himself. 

Yet, it’s just seen as college behavior. Teens never wake up on time for breakfast. Students love ramen, right? And they’re all spending too much anyway — no wonder they can’t afford anything better.

There are a couple steps the college may be able to take to nip this in the bud. Something as simple as a required beginner level cooking class can allow students to get the basics down. Since Columbia doesn’t have cooking spaces, these classes can just review best practices: how to wash and handle produce, safe cooking times for meat. Another thing that is overlooked is the time between classes. While usually there’s a 40-minute lunch break between 11:50 and 12:30, if you have a 6:20 class straight into a 6:30 class, you’re out of luck. Columbia could push 6:30 classes back to 7:00, allowing for another guaranteed 40-minute dinner break. This could work in conjunction with expanded cafeteria hours at the UC to allow more students access to meals. 

Even with these solutions implemented, it won’t get to the root of the issue. College will always be a breeding ground for eating disorders unless there’s a massive overhaul on why college is so stressful — and why college students are so broke. 

But, when we leave college, how will these behaviors follow us for the rest of our lives? When I move out after my last year, will I have the money to get groceries? How many things do I know how to cook, anyway? Will I even have the time or urge to eat?