Chicago Sun-Times

Discover CEO David Nelms on how JDRF is working to find a cure for diabetes

Tue, 01 Oct 2013 12:56:32 -0500

Imagine having a healthy 4-year-old son one day and being told he has a serious, life-threatening disease the next. In 1990, our son Bradlee was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, and went from learning his ABCs to learning about insulin levels. From that day forward, normal took on a whole new meaning for our family. We learned that we would have to inject insulin, prick our son’s tiny fingers multiple times daily to test his blood glucose levels and diligently watch his food intake and exercise to keep him alive and healthy. This is the life of someone with T1D. …

Playwright Richard A. Roberts aims to aid the homeless with his new play, ‘The BenchMark’

Thu, 26 Sep 2013 11:25:14 -0500

It’s been said that life imitates art. Perhaps it’s the other way around — or just that both are true. My late father was a periodically homeless alcoholic whose addiction cost him his home and family. Growing up with him informed my decision to accept the position of CEO of the former Chicago Christian Industrial League back in 1988. I was amazed at the stories that accompanied the people who walked through the door of what was then the largest homeless service provider in Illinois. We were assisting upward of 1000 people a day in all of our programs, leading …

Dr. Rudy Lombard works to educate men about prostate cancer

Mon, 23 Sep 2013 11:38:08 -0500

Talking about prostate cancer makes people look down at their feet and want to change the subject. I know because I talk about it every day.

Jaslene Gonzalez on being a mentor both at home and in the modeling world

Thu, 19 Sep 2013 15:19:51 -0500

Recently I’ve been asked what I think of the new season of “America’s Next Top Model.” In my opinion, this season’s theme is “understanding your competition.” This cycle, the girls are competing with guys for the first time. So far, the men have been in for some challenging — and very funny — modeling challenges, like dressing up as women and sporting fake press-on nails. But I’m guessing you already know whose team I’m on: the girls. And up until her elimination in early September, I was especially rooting for Kanani Andaluz, because earlier this summer, she taught me something …

Goodman Theatre Resident Director Chuck Smith reflects on Chicago’s evolving theater audiences

Tue, 17 Sep 2013 10:16:00 -0500

It seems fitting for me to direct “Pullman Porter Blues” on the 50th anniversary of the historic March on Washington. Taking place on the cusp of porter unionization in the 1930s, Cheryl L. West’s new play is both a Chicago story and a pivotal moment in history for the black community — that union and its leader, A. Phillip Randolph, laid the groundwork for the March that would happen more than two decades later. For me, this is a moment of reflection and of celebration: In the 20 years since my career with the Goodman began, Chicago has become a …

Diabetes expert Dr. Louis Philipson stresses importance of accurate diagnosis

Mon, 16 Sep 2013 11:08:50 -0500

I will never forget the phone call I made in 2006 to the parents of Lilly Jaffe, then a 6-year-old girl from Chicago who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes back when she was just 1 month old. She and her family had endured years of insulin injections and constant worries about blood sugar levels. But that day, I was able to tell Lilly’s parents that she could control her diabetes by simply taking a pill. It was a miraculous moment. Our team had discovered that Lilly did not have Type 1 diabetes. Instead, she had monogenic diabetes, a rare …

Philanthropist Diane Donald on how Ronald McDonald House keeps families connected to their hospitalized children

Mon, 09 Sep 2013 10:20:40 -0500

About a year ago, my husband, PGA Tour golfer Luke Donald, and I walked into the Ronald McDonald House near the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago for the first time. Like many others, while I had heard of the charity, I had no idea what happened inside. What we walked into that day was a home in the heart of Streeterville. There were families sitting down to lunch, kids doing crafts and people enjoying the sunshine on the rooftop. We learned that Ronald McDonald House provides “a home away from home” for families of hospitalized children; …

The joy of helping Chicago children express themselves

Fri, 06 Sep 2013 12:36:01 -0500

I’m proud to be the artistic director at Barrel of Monkeys, an ensemble of actor-educators who teach creative writing residencies in Chicago Public Schools. After six weeks of writing, we adapt the students’ stories into an hourlong variety show that’s presented at their school. When we enter classrooms for creative writing workshops, besides teaching writing skills, our goal is to instill a sense of self-worth and self-esteem in the students. By encouraging them to write about anything they want to, we aim to build a safe and joyful environment in which our authors feel confident to share what is on …

FOX 32’s Mike Flannery examines the causes behind — and possible solutions to — Chicago’s violence problem

Thu, 05 Sep 2013 15:22:33 -0500

Chicago’s tide of homicide — after a frightening surge in 2012 — has now receded to about where it was in 2011. But that’s still 2 1/2 times higher than the national murder rate. Violence here continues to chase away jobs and residents. And the University of Chicago Crime Lab estimated that it costs all of us about $2.4 billion a year. It’s one of the crises that has Chicago at the “Tipping Point.” That’s the title of a special broadcast at 9:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 11, on FOX 32 News. I’ll take a close look at the city’s new …

Artist Amanda Ross Ho on the impetus behind her new installation at the MCA

Mon, 16 Sep 2013 10:48:20 -0500

This month, I had the pleasure of unveiling my first large-scale, outdoor, public work, “The Character and Shape of Illuminated Things” on the Museum of Contemporary Art plaza. This was an honor for multiple reasons, as it represented both a milestone in my career as well as a warm homecoming to my hometown. The piece is based on a set of found photographs originally shot by photographer David Brooks and featured in his 1980 book, “How to Control and Use Photographic Lighting.” In order to demonstrate the effects of variable studio light on a photograph, Brooks set up a basic …

HGTV star and author Kelly Edwards on having the courage to follow your passion

Tue, 01 Oct 2013 13:06:27 -0500

I like to say I’m a bit of a hybrid. I am a little bit fearless, a little bit humble. I’m a little bit Wicker Park and a little bit River North. I’m a little bit interior designer and a little bit television personality. My new book, “The Design Cookbook,” is a little bit design and a little bit cookbook. I like it that way; this works for me. Why settle for just one thing? Throughout my life, I’ve found that the most difficult task has been narrowing down the things that I love most and then having the tenacity …

Celebrity trainer Jim Karas explores the cause behind — and potential cure for — food addiction

Mon, 26 Aug 2013 10:04:00 -0500

Addiction. We’ve all been touched by it personally, professionally or via the media. Last month, we learned the talented young “Glee” star Cory Monteith died from an overdose that stemmed from his drug addiction, following in the footsteps of Whitney before him. We watched Tiger struggle and maybe recover. Anthony Weiner — really dude? Again? And Charlie and Lindsay, who may or may not want to recover — for both of them, the jury is still out. We’re familiar with the usual litany of booze, drugs, gambling, sex and even shopping. (Why do you think infomercials and QVC exist?) But …

Todd Ricketts: Bikes can help solve some of the world’s problems

Thu, 22 Aug 2013 11:17:22 -0500

When I was growing up in Nebraska, we didn’t have a lot. This meant that the only bike I ever owned was a hand-me-down from Woolworth’s. The crank on the bike was broken, and would lock up when I pedaled down the street. One night, I left my bike in the driveway (everyone did back then), and it was stolen. I was ecstatic! Now my parents would have to get me a new bike. Sadly, whoever stole my bike also realized the crank was broken, and threw it in a ditch down the street from our house. Today, I don’t …

Sarah Wood on how she’s fighting for Chicago’s kids

Mon, 09 Sep 2013 06:52:30 -0500

I was raised in Waukegan in a very diverse environment. I listened to old-school hip-hop, attended my fair share of quinceaneras and was exposed to different cultures, foods and traditions. Waukegan shaped me. It raised a daughter who wants to teach tolerance, respond to need and fight for others. At the age of 21, I met a boy from Texas who swept me off my feet. I could tell instantly that he shared all of my passions — two of them being Chicago and its kids. In 2011, Kerry and I decided that we were going to dedicate our lives …

Jory Des Jardins on finding her voice — and creating a community

Sun, 21 Jul 2013 21:59:05 -0500

It was early 1994. I had graduated from the University of Illinois and was headed to New York City with my short resume, the address of a friend’s aunt’s apartment where I would stay for a few days, and $60. My dad was a lifelong Chicagoan and found it annoying that I wanted to be anywhere but here for my career. When he dropped me off at the airport, he half-joked, “If you run out of money, don’t ask me for any. Just come home.” I laughed nervously. I knew that if I couldn’t establish a media career in NYC, …

Deb Rickert shares the bittersweet experience of being a military parent

Thu, 18 Jul 2013 18:56:58 -0500

‘You made them strong, we’ll make them Army Strong.” This is an Army recruiting commercial that always gets my attention, as it reflects both a proud yet uncertain parent and a determined young soldier. I have two sons on active duty, so the mix of emotions on the faces of both parent and child hits very close to home for me. On Sept. 11, 2001, our family was about to become a military family, though I didn’t know it then. My eldest son, Dan, a senior in high school, was profoundly impacted by that day. The once wisecracking teenager solemnly …