Th e N e ws l e t t e r fo r S t u d e n ts R i g h ts a n d J u st i c e

WZRD Radio is Back and Better Than Ever

RECAP OF WZRD SINCE JUNE 29TH, 2012

W
M

By Ro B e RT A . h A N s e N

ZRD 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

By p e T e R A l I e N G e R

WZRD Alumnus update:

y name is Terry OConnor, I was a fantastic community radio station called WDRT wizard for most of my time in an exceptional little town called at NEIU. Just thought Viroqua, located in the Driftless ReTerry OConnor Id give an update on my gion of Southwest Wisconsin. Im activities since leaving the best damn 2010, Anthropology currently the Community Coordinafreeform station on the planet! tor at WDRT, with my work revolv2007-2010 After I graduated in 2010, I became ing around membership developCo-Program an Americorps VISTA volunteer on Director 2009-2010 ment, volunteer coordination and the Lac du Flambeau Indian Resercommunity outreach. The station is vation in Northern Wisconsin. That volunteer-oriented and listener-supexperience led to a full-time job with the Tribe ported, and is managed by a non-hierarchical as a Grants Writer. I was able to stay involved in four-person staff collective. We have a commitcommunity radio as a volunteer at WXPR-Rhine- ment to open-source radio, with the idea that lander, helping out as a regular substitute-DJ. community radio stations nationwide should In 2012, I began looking for work in com- work cooperatively, openly sharing knowledge munity radio. I kept my eyes open, and found a and resources.
Co N T I N u e D o N pAG e 4

fter 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 runningfrom 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 stationand that didnt 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
Co N T I N u e D o N pAG e 4

The Wizard Volume 2, Issue 1 May 2013

WZRDs Promotions Team

New Music at WZRD

By h A M I s h B oyC e 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 stations 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

By e l I sA B e TA N I T u ZRD 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 Aydins release Cenk Guray bir (Traditional Turkish Music) and Erkin Korays 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 70s on the Analog Africa No.3-African Scream Contest album from Togo and Benin. Togos neighbor country, Ghana gives us the Ghana Soundz: Afrobeat and Fusion in the 70s 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
WZRDs 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 Jacos 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.

THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE, WZRDS SHOWCASE FOR LOCAL AND TOURING BANDS
hursday Night Live, one of the United States 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 Werent There. Among many others, Naked Ray Gun and Ministry both are notable bands that have had the chance to grace TNL during the 80s. 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. J O N AT H A N E XT R ACT, STAT I O N M A N AG E R 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@wzrdchicago.org. Tune in this Thursday and hear the live sounds of this weeks band!

WZRD Bulletin Board, located in hall opposite Independent Newspaper ofce, in basement of Student Union BuildingCheck for Ticket Giveaways, and updated Thursday Night Live performances

soMe oF The BANDs FeATuReD oN WZRDs ThuRsDAy NIGhT lIVe shoW sINCe JANuARy 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

WZRD Timeline While in exile: June 8, 2012

2

June 28, 2012

June 29, 2012. Black Friday.

The Wizard Volume 2, Issue 1 May 2013

How you do Harm When You Buy a Bottle of Water

By R AC h e l Fo RG A s h hile 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 EPA. While people believe that bottled water is safer, more convenient, and tastes better, consumers fail to recognize the environmental degradation that goes hand-in-hand with its production. According to the Pacific Institute, it takes 3 liters of water to produce one liter of bottled water. Additionally, 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 end up in landfills (The Huffington Post). When bottles are not recycled, they end up in the oceans, not only harming our environment, but the marine ecosystem as well. Up to date, over 90 universities in the nation have banned 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 an attempt to discourage the use of plastic water bottles on campus. A great start to be sure; this is only one small step towards decreasing or eliminating the use of plastic bottles at NEIU. The dearth of recycling bins on campus does not assist in the matter. Although recycling bins can be found sporadically around the cafeteria, a place to properly dispose of plastic bottles 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 ecologically conscious student body to bring about change. As I sit in class and look around, I see almost half my classmates with bottles of soda and water, which will end up in garbage cans, and eventually in a landfill. When you look back at the history of the revolutionary 60s and 70s, it was on college campuses that change began to take place. It was student organizations and student protests that raised awareness of the problems of the time and brought about change. The further we distance ourselves from current issues and pretend as if someone else will take care of it, the less likely any sort of change will occur. It is time that we take it upon ourselves to voice our opinions, raise awareness, and demand change. 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 a 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

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. Really: My Delivery of my HRD Project to WZRD

By Au D l e B DJ I R I i my name is Audree Lebdjiri. Im an alumna of NEIU, a 2012 graduate of the Department of Educations Masters 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 facilitators 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 masters 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 mid1980s. 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. Thats when I became a fan of the WZRD, and Ive 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 Developments 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

Aud Lebdjiri handing over her Project to Station Manager Jonathan Extract and Co-Program Director Ellie Nitu

July 1, 2012. sunday. Day 2

July 19

July 17

July 24

August 21
3

The Wizard Volume 2, Issue 1 May 2013

WZRDs Inspired BeginningsPart II

By A . N u tt, a WZ R D s u p p o rt e r 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 WZRDs 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 anothers signals. MERCs planning was successful, and in 1986 WZRD grew to 100 watts, increasing its range and influence in the community substantially.

espite 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 oneapplying for a license with the FCC. In order to be granted an FCC license to erect an actual antenna and broadcast publiclynot just on campusthe 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 Chicagos airwaves. Most of the clubs members were fans of Scorpios 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.

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 Becks 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 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. Im always looking to stay in-touch with wizards past and present, I can be reached at toconnor@wdrt.org Note: Terry OConnor 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

* * *
WZRD was a unique radio station from its inception, and it has remained a unique and special node in Chicagos media landscape. The stations 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 stationswhich 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 stations 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 WZRDs 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.

WZRD Recap
Continued from page 1 for any testimony! Nevertheless, the review processes, as flawed as they were, were carried out, and recommendations submitted to Vice President Frank Rosss 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

* * *
The clubs 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 hadnt already been claimed by another station. A meeting was called to agree upon the call letters for the new station. As had become the clubs 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

* * *
Although the Wizards won their battle to regain broadcasting authority over the WZRD airwaves,

Sept. 3
4

September 4

September 5

September 9

September 20

The Wizard Volume 2, Issue 1 May 2013

CAN IMPUNITY ITSELF BE A VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS?

O p ini o n , By Da l e L e h man an 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 Governments 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. ( Blacks 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. 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.

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

13 Students File Complaints Against Director For Student Rights And Responsibilities Sharron Evans
Allege harms and violations of student rights

* * *
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 clubs 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 Directors 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

* * *
Conjointly, Impunity refers to the failure to bring perpetrators of human rights violations to

uring 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

Sept. 21

Sept. 24

Sept. 26

Sept. 28, 2012

Oct. 2

Oct. 24

The Wizard Volume 2, Issue 1 May 2013

WZRD Timeline While in Exile

hroughout 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 commiserationand 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 ActiviOrganization denied participation in Fall Into Fun Student organization Fair WZRD members start ling FOIAs to gather information from NEIU

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 condence for Kelly Donovan as Program Director.

ties staff take over WZRD Radio Station Facility over Student Organization members objections, put non-members of WZRD on air.

sept. 28, 2012. Wizards submit six le

folders of documents to Charter Rules and Regulations Committee Chair Armando Corrales.

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.

september 5, 2012. Wizard Collective

members attend Fall Into Fun, pass out iers, get petition signatures.

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 afliates who agree to participate in awed review processes

sept. 9, 2012. Sunday. WZRD members

begin Wizards In Exile broadcasts at WNUR Sunday nights 6-8 pm.

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.

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

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

oct. 24, 2012. Wizard Committee and

Faculty Advisor Tracy Luedke meet with

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

Wizards in Exile broadcasting at WNUR, Northwestern Universitys student-run radio station

November, 2012
6

Dec. 1, 2012

Jan. 3, 2013.

Jan. 5, 2013

Jan. 6, 2013

The Wizard Volume 2, Issue 1 May 2013

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!

prescription
Want to fill in the blanks that corporate news normalizes? Tired of the cognitive dissidence that the government promotes? Looking for an antidote to the malaise that leaves one feeling powerless? Try some of these sources for effect. Caution side effect maybe heightened awareness and increased skepticism about authority. www.commondreams.org www.counterpunch.org www.thiscantbehappening.net www.globalresearch.ca www.truth-out.org www.blackagendareport.com www.truthdig.org www.projectcensored.org

from doctor wizard

Wizards visiting in vinyl room at WHPK, University of Chicago

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 sGA 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

THE WIZARD
Writers:
Jonathan Extract, Elisabeta Nitu, Robert Hansen, Ari Fishman, Hamish Boyce, Dale Lehman, Rachel Forgash, Terry OConnor, Audree Lebdjiri, Peter Ali Enger

layout:
Rachel K. Dooley

Jan. 3, 2013. WZRD/WFDC meeting

with Matt Specht/Veronica Rodriguez to discuss process for return to station. Get

editors:
Peter Ali Enger, Kelly Donovan

Jan. 8, 2013
The Wizard Volume 2, Issue 1 May 2013 7

Policy Governance G1.5 Fraud Prevention and Detection

Responsible Officer: Vice President Finance and Administration
Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) is committed to the highest standards of ethical behavior. Acts of fraudulent behavior are costly and erode the publics trust and confidence in the integrity of the University. The University shall have in place a process to monitor internal controls for safeguarding its assets from fraud and abuse, including criminal activity, and to properly steward the Universitys assets over which it is entrusted. To provide the University and its employees guidance for monitoring and safeguarding University assets and a process to prevent and detect fraud and abuse behavior. WHO IS AFFECTED BY THIS POLICY? The University Community to establish and follow controls as applicable for their division or unit. Vice Presidents are responsible for ensuring that systems of internal control are established and maintained in their areas that provide reasonable assurance that improprieties are prevented. University Internal Audit is available to assist management in recognizing improper conduct and reviewing and assessing internal controls. The following internal controls procedures are required to reduce the risk of fraudulent activity occurring within the University: 1. Separation of duties 2. Physical safeguard over assets 3. Proper documentation 4. Proper authorization 5. Adequate supervision 6. Independent validation of transaction accuracy discussed with anyone other than those persons who have a legitimate need to know. Allegations or matters of conduct deemed outside the scope of the policy, such as personnel-related issues or scientific misconduct, may be referred by University Counsel to the respective area of management for review and appropriate action. When an investigation reveals suspected criminal activity or an investigation is initiated due to an allegation of criminal activity, the University Police will take the lead. University Counsel will also inform and consult with the State Office of the Executive Inspector General or the State Attorney General, as needed. University employees will support the Universitys fiduciary responsibilities and will cooperate with University Counsel, University Internal Audit, University Ethics Officer, University Police, and other law enforcement agencies in the detection, investigation, and reporting of fraudulent or criminal acts, including prosecution of offenders. During the course of the investigation University Counsel may seek the assistance of the Illinois Attorney General or Office of the Executive Inspector General.

FRAUD DEFINITION
A willful or deliberate act or omission with the intention of obtaining an unauthorized benefit, service, property, or something of value by deception, misrepresentation, or other unethical or unlawful means. Examples of fraudulent or dishonest conduct include, but are not limited to, forgery or unauthorized alteration of University documents, including checks, bank drafts or any other financial document; misappropriation or theft of funds, securities, supplies, or other assets; impropriety in handling or reporting of money or financial transactions; accepting or seeking anything of material value from contractors, vendors, or persons providing services/materials to the University; destruction, removal, or inappropriate use of University records, furniture, fixtures, and equipment; and/or any similar or related inappropriate conduct.

2. FRAUD DETECTION
It is the responsibility of each member of the University community to report to the proper authority any suspected incidents of fraud or fraudulent and/or criminal activity. The Universitys reporting authorities are University Counsel, University Internal Audit, University Ethics Officer, and University Police Department. In addition, the State of Illinois Office of the Executive Inspector General also serves as a reporting authority. Individuals are not to attempt to personally conduct investigations or interviews.

4. ACTION
Anyone found to have engaged in fraud or fraudulent conduct is subject to disciplinary action by the University up to and including dismissal or expulsion and civil or criminal prosecution. Employees who knowingly make false allegations are subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal. The University will make every effort to recover losses that result from fraudulent or criminal acts. Office of Finance and Administration (773) 442-5100 MWilcockson@neiu.edu University Counsel (773) 442-5219 M-Reardonhenry@neiu.edu

3. INVESTIGATION
University Counsel, in conjunction with University Police and University Internal Audit, as necessary, will oversee all investigations into allegations of falsification, misappropriation, and other fiscal irregularities. To avoid damaging the reputations of innocent persons and to protect the University from potential civil liability, the results of any investigation will not be disclosed or

1. FRAUD PREVENTION
All levels of University management are required to become familiar with the types of improprieties that might occur in his or her area and to be alert for any indication that such a defalcation, misappropriation, or other fiscal irregularity has occurred. All levels of management are required

Definition: Due process

An established course for judicial proceeding s or other governmental activities designed to safeguard the legal rights of the individual . AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONAR Y

co n tact u s : i n f o @ w z r d c h i c ag o . o r g w z r d @ c h a n g e . o r g
8 The Wizard Volume 2, Issue 1 May 2013