Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.
— Oscar Wilde.
This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.
What is COVID-19 and How is it Affecting the World?
By Natasha Petrenko, Kateryna Maslovska and Myles Franklin-Bey
Loyola University junior Jasmine Puria took a trip to Miami for her spring break at the end of February, not thinking anything of it as the United States had just a small number of COVID-19 cases.
She felt fine when she returned in early March, but by March 11 she had common cold symptoms, just a few days went by and it progressed and she began to worry as she retraced her steps.
“I was very fatigued after doing just simple things and I was showing other symptoms of COVID-19,” she said. “I also had found out that my roommate had indirect contact with someone in Chicago who tested positive.”
Five days later, Puria was tested for the coronavirus, and a few days after that she got some good news — the results were negative.
Puria was one of the lucky ones, getting a test very quickly amid a global pandemic where testing kits aren’t readily available in the U.S.According to the CDC, the number of individuals tested for COVID-19 in the U.S. is 3,024,059 since March 1, 2020. With rates like that requires a lot of time for testing. In a New York Times story, it has been reported that individuals had to show up to a drive-through testing site the night before just to make sure they could get a chance to get tested the next day.
Garima Pudasaini, a physician at John H Stroger Hospital of Cook County, said some test results used to be back in 3-5 days, but currently, Hospital of Cook County has tests whose turnover time is 16 hours, so they get the result in a day or the next day. Newer tests are coming up with faster test results.
“The tests used to be sent to outside labs, but now the hospital has in-house testing so it has become faster,” Pudasaini said.
Testing is starting to become more available in all of the United States, but it can currently still be very difficult to find a place to be tested. However, not everyone needs to be tested for COVID-19.
The CDC recommends for those with mild illnesses to stay home and practice social distancing
If you have symptoms of COVID-19 and would like to be tested, the CDC recommends to call your state or local health department or a medical provider.
Pudasaini said that recovery time for patients with COVID-19 depends on the severity of the disease. Mild disease can last up to seven to 10 days while moderate to severe disease can last longer than 2 weeks, depending on the patient’s condition.
She recommended staying home, eating healthy foods, minimizing unnecessary contacts with people, avoiding contact with persons at households who are at risk of developing severe disease like elderly people, people with obesity, diabetes, lung disease, heart disease and liver disease.
“We advise treating mild disease symptomatically with tylenol for fever and myalgias, drinking lots of fluids, keeping hydrated,” Pudasaini said. “For moderate to severe disease, we admit the patients and keep them under strict isolation and manage according to the severity with oxygen, antiviral or immunomodulators and manage the symptoms. Patients might need ICU care for severe disease.”
https://infograph.venngage.com/pl/yggMTyJeTc
Tips to stay away from COVID-19 and symptoms Venngage/Kateryna Masklovska
Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that are common in both humans and animals, according to the Centers for Disease Control website. There are seven different types of coronaviruses found in humans, four of which are common and mild. However, the other three are much more serious such as MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2, which causes coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
The novel coronavirus leads to COVID-19 which is an infectious disease that was originally thought to have been spread from animals to humans because it is common in animals such as cats, bats, camels, and cattle.
Due to travel, COVID-19 has spread much faster and stronger than anyone would have imagined. According to the Johns Hopkins website, there are over two million confirmed cases and thousands of deaths worldwide.
To put the growth rates in perspective, the WHO reported that there were 228 total confirmed cases on Jan. 20, and on April 29 there were 3,024,059 total confirmed cases. The Google Map below shows all confirmed cases worldwide as of 4/29.
There are now over 1 million confirmed cases in the United States alone. With the total deaths closing in on 58,000 nationally. New York has been hit the hardest of the 50 states with over 165,000 reported cases according to the CDC.
Symptoms of the Coronavirus have been described as very similar to flu symptoms, and include cough, fever, and shortness of breath and in some cases lack of taste and smell. But there are also chances of individuals testing positive for the virus while not showing any symptoms. It is very important to stay at home and limit contact with others as there is currently no way to be certain who is carrying the virus and who is not.
Because of the symptoms of COVID-19 being very similar to flu symptoms and some allergy symptoms, as well as some people even being asymptomatic, COVID-19 was able to spread quickly. Testing was very limited in the United States during the early stages of the pandemic, leaving many wondering whether they had the virus or not. And leaving no way for them to know for sure.
This was Puria’s situation when she returned from Miami. She quickly contacted her parents, who live in Nashville, and her father drove straight to Chicago to make sure she could get home without posing risk to others as she did not know if she was positive for the virus.
“When I got home I went straight into my room to be quarantined,” she said. “My mom is a physician at a hospital associated with Vanderbilt University so she was able to get me an appointment to get tested very quickly. The test itself was very uncomfortable,” explained Puria. “The nurse inserted a long cotton swab first in my throat and then pretty far up one of my nostrils. The nurse also administered a flu test before the COVID-19 test.”
Puria got tested on March 16, at that time it took longer for test results to appear. She had to wait for the test results for about 48 hours.
“I immediately went back into quarantine after I got tested,” she said. “I was in quarantine the day before as well so that I wouldn’t infect anyone in my family.”
When she got her results back, she fortunately, tested negative. Those that test positive are urged to stay home and stay in touch with their medical doctors if they have minor symptoms. However, when symptoms are most severe those with COVID-19 may need hospitalization and ventilator access.
Testing for COVID-19 has been continuously evolving since the beginning of the pandemic. In Puria’s experience, testing results for COVID-19 took two days, which is a long time to wait for testing results for this sort of virus.
Renee Kunkel, a Chicago Clinical RN explained that there is now rapid testing but it may not always be reliable. “The other ones we usually give about 24 hours because they look at chest X-Rays and other stuff too,” she explained.
According to the World Health Organization, the incubation period for COVID-19 is said to be 1-14 days. That means in the past, someone could get tested for COVID-19 and then contract the virus during the waiting period for their results.
This created a lot of problems in terms of public perception of the virus and testing for it. Because it took longer than a day for results to get back, those looking to get tested would either need to stay overnight at hospitals for their results, or go back home and isolate themselves from everyone. The latter option became more prevalent once hospitals began filling up with patients and running out of available ventilators. The graphic below shows the states with the highest amount of people hospitalized as of April 29.
The below datawrapper shows the states with the highest number of people currently hospitilized. It allows you to check for other stats as well such as positive testings in the listed states:
https://www.datawrapper.de/_/t9pgV/
The whole world started wearing medical masks like never before, however there are a lot of myths and misconceptions about this type of protection. The first myth is that wearing a scarf or any sort of fabric over your mouth will protect you from the coronavirus. The truth is germs can spread in the cloth even faster. When you breathe, it creates a perfect environment for the growth of viruses.
The second myth is that those with masks must change their mask every two hours, however people sometimes can wear the same mask for days. And the last myth is that people should wear a mask at all times. WHO says that it is necessary to use the mask only when sick or in contact with a sick person.
“Please take social distancing seriously. Fortunately for me, my results were negative, but if they were positive I would have been fine,” said Puria. “We need to strictly practice social distancing because if young people, 18 to 25 have the disease but don’t know it and end up having contact with multiple people, you could infect so many people and possibly loved ones who are more at risk of having complications if they contract the virus.”
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What to do to avoid catching the coronavirus
According to the WHO, the risk of getting sick can get higher if a person neglects the basic rules of wearing a face mask. We prepared an infographic that shows you four steps of the proper way of using the medical mask.
Remember five essential rules that will help you to stay away from the COVID-19.
- Do not touch your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Consume thermally processed food only.
- Always wash your hands with warm/hot water and soap for at least 20 seconds.
- Avoid crowded places.
- Wear a medical mask when you are sick or in contact with a sick person.
Ways to Prevent Catching and Spreading Coronavirus
The Coronavirus has taken over headlines recently, as almost everything appears to be getting canceled and closed in an attempt to keep everyone inside their houses, and to prevent the virus from spreading further. The virus seems to be extremely contagious and has also been said to be very similar to the flu in terms of the symptoms one may feel. The elderly and those with preexisting lung disease seem to be the most likely to develop the more serious versions of this virus.
Using Venngage this infographic was made in order to show the best ways to prevent catching and spreading the Coronavirus. Data was used from the CDC as well as other websites that are credited at the bottom of the infographic.
Schools have begun closing and going completely online in response to a call for social distancing. It seems the best way to suppress the spreading of this virus would be to stay indoors and away from large crowds of people. It will be interesting to see how difficult that becomes for some people. And with many schools closing, and stocks plummeting, many are wondering how long this pandemic will last.
Chicago Potholes Patched in Each Ward
Using Google My Maps and data from the Chicago data portal, the map below was created to show the ward boundaries in Chicago, as well as the number of potholes that have been patched in each ward. The map shows every pothole patched in the Chicago area between July 2018- March 2nd 2020.
This map doesn’t note any potholes patched outside the above mentioned time period. Clicking on each point will reveal the number of potholes patched on the same block as the mentioned address. Chicago has long been a city full of potholes, but this map shows the progress being made.
Google Trends: Most Popular Chicago Sports Team and Coronavirus Beats all Democratic Candidates
Infectious Politics
The Democratic candidacy race has been heating up in recent weeks as we draw nearer and nearer to the inevitable election night. However, recently the Coronavirus has taken up most media attention, due to its increase in prevalence and incurable nature. When taking a look at Google trends to compare the number of people searching the Democratic candidates with the number of people looking into the Coronavirus it becomes very clear what people have become more concerned over.
The Coronavirus was originally found in China, but has become a global phenomenon in the past month or so. There have been cases reported in China, Korea, Italy, Germany, the United States, France, Japan, and many other countries. In fact, Antarctica is the only continent without a confirmed case of the virus so far.
Using Google trends the amount of searches Coronavirus has gotten was compared with the number of searches for the top four candidates in the Democratic race. The popularity of candidates was based on the number of delegates each candidate has received. In terms of the candidates, Bernie Sanders led the way in terms of searches, but he was a very distant second place when compared to the number of searches for the Coronavirus.
Is Chicago a Cubs City Now??
Chicago has always been considered a heavily sports influenced city and has had its fair share of successful sports teams and dynasties. From the Chicago Bulls in the 90s, to the Blackhawks in the 2010s Chicago has maintained a steady relevance in all Major Sports in America.
If you asked any Chicagoans what team they believed to be the most popular Chicago sports team most (if not all) would state that Chicago is and has always been a “Bears Town” or in other words, the Chicago Bears are the most popular franchise in Chicago. However according to Google Trends that hasn’t been the case for the last 12 months.
When using Google Trends to compare the number of searches that each Chicago team has gotten in the last 12 months it was somewhat surprising to see the Chicago Cubs leading the way as the most searched Chicago sports franchise. The Bears came in at a very close second place. While the Chicago Bulls rounded out the top three at a very distant third place. While this chart doesn’t speak to Chicagoans opinions, it gives a scope for national opinions on Chicago sports teams.
The Bears may be the main sports franchise for residents of Chicago, but the Cubs seem to have more national attention at the moment.
Derrick Rose’s Season Averages
“Whatever your goal is: dedicate yourself to it and it’s going to be a lot of sacrifice, but if you love what you want to do, it shouldn’t be a problem.” ~ Derrick Rose
The above chart shows a comparison of Derrick Rose’s PPG (Points per game) averages from every year in his career. Derrick Rose is a current NBA Point Guard who was drafted #1 overall in 2008 by the Chicago Bulls. He was born and raised in Chicago, and instantly became a fan favorite and was deemed “Chicago’s Son”
Rose didn’t take long to take the NBA by storm. He was named an NBA all-star in his second season with the Chicago Bulls. Then, in just his third season, he was named the NBA’s MVP (Most valuable player) in 2011. He became the youngest NBA player to ever win the award, and currently still holds this accolade.
Rose’s career wasn’t a continuous climb to the top. He faced many injuries after his MVP season, most notably an ACL injury in 2012 that caused him to miss the entire 2012-2013 NBA season. He hasn’t been named an all star since his 2011-2012 season, which was the season after he won the MVP award.
The column chart was made using Google Flourish, and shows Rose’s average PPG for every year of his career. The 2012-2013 season shows a total score of 0.0 due to his ACL injury causing him to miss the entire season. The columns are color coated to match the primary color of the team Rose played for during the season. With the one exception to this rule coming in 2016-2017 where Rose started the season with Cleveland before being traded to Minnesota. The purple color is supposed to represent a color mixture of the two teams.
Derrick Rose played for the Chicago Bulls from 2008-2016. The New York Knicks in the 2016-2017 season. The Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2017 season before being traded and playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves from late 2017 through the 2019 season. And he is currently playing for the Detroit Pistons (2019-2020 season)
2020 Presidential Campaign Fundraising Numbers
Other than Donald Trump in 2016, who declared he would mostly personally fund his 2016 campaign, most presidential candidates use fundraising as their main means of funding their presidential campaign. With this in mind, fundraising can be an indicator of which candidates people are truly behind. I used Datawrapper to take a look and compare the numbers for the candidates of the upcoming 2020 election. Keep in mind these numbers are true for the time period of 2017 until January 2020.
Heres a link to the chart on Datawrapper: https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/9DksD/1/
Quinn: Pensions Threatening MAP Grant Program
Gov. Pat Quinn talks about MAP grants at DePaul University. (Photo/Bob Smith)
Editor’s note: This story was originally posted on Dec. 12, 2012 and is housed at RedLineProject.org
By Bob Smith
Gov. Pat Quinn visited DePaul University’s Loop campus on Wednesday to discuss how pension reform is harming the Monetary Award Program (MAP) college scholarships and access to higher education in Illinois.
“This is so important to our state, not only in the past, but certainly now and in the future,” Quinn said.
“We want everyone to have the opportunity to go to college that has the ability to go to college.”
MAP grants are need-based college scholarships that allow merit students who are in need across the state and do not need to be repaid by the student. Quinn said that due to cutbacks and having to pay more money in the pension amount, almost 18,000 students lost their MAP grant scholarships this year.
“We do not want anyone denied that opportunity because of finances,” Quinn said. “We can’t afford to lose all the talent that exists, all the ability that exists for higher education to help our economy and to help all of us, because there are financial challenges that deny someone the opportunity to go to community college or a four-year university — public and private — in our state.”
Quinn was joined by several Illinois college students, including DePaul Student Government Association Vice President Casey Clemmons.
“Every year over 5,000 DePaul students receive MAP grants, and just like the students who have already spoken here today, all of these DePaul students rely on this funding in order to continue their college careers,” Clemmons said.
“Because the number of Illinois students eligible to receive MAP is currently increasing, existing funding does not allow the state to assist all the eligible students. As a result, without action by the Illinois state leadership, more DePaul students than ever will see their MAP funding disappear this year and more
DePaul students than ever will be forced to give up their education due to finances.”
More than 150,000 students nationally receive MAP grants each year.
Clemmons told the audience that on Tuesday, DePaul’s SGA unanimously c
Ken Thomas, a University of Illinois Board of Trustees student member, MAP recipient and University of Illinois Chicago student, told how he wouldn’t be where he is today if it wasn’t for the MAP grant.
“My mom, when I was in high school, had to work two jobs just to keep food on the table,” Thomas said, “and if we didn’t have [the] MAP program like we do today, I know that I wouldn’t be where I am today; graduating with a degree, hoping to be a productive member of society.”
Having a productive and functioning society and economy is what Quinn says it’s all about.
“Jobs follow brainpower,” he said. “We want to make sure we have smart people in Illinois. Well skilled, well-educated students coming out of college with graduate degrees and diplomas so they can create jobs, create new businesses,” he said. “Our goal in Illinois is to have at least 60 percent of the adults in our state with a college degree or college associate degree or career certificate by the year 2025. In order to achieve we have to make sure we have a good scholarship program.”
Clemmons said that in order for that to happen, state legislatures need to reflect upon the question, “What must be done?” and do what’s required.
Chinatown Gentrification: Advancement or Displacement?
By Quanzi Wan, Marimar Gutierrez and Myles Franklin-Bey
Gentrification is a phenomenon that has been impacting urban cities since the 1970s.
Janet Smith, the co-director of the Nathalie P. Voorhees for Neighborhood and Community Improvement at the University of Illinois in Chicago, said gentrification is directly connected with displacement or the forcing out of these lower-income residents.
“We look at it from the perspective of displacement. Gentrification is usually seen as a sort of upscaling of a neighborhood, higher-end housing, more expensive overall, and usually replacement of lower-cost housing.”
Smith continued, “But, the reason we talk about displacement is [that we] can improve a neighborhood, by putting in higher-end housing, without displacing people, you could just be building in housing and [selling]. But, displacement refers to people who are living in the neighborhood but can’t afford to stay there,”
“So it’s the pushing out of people that becomes most important, but how that happens is through the upscaling… We want improvements, we always do, that’s generally what we always strive for, but if we can do development without displacement then that’s what we should strive for.”
Gentrification is described on Dictionary.com as the buying and renovation of houses and stores in urban neighborhoods by upper- or middle-income families or individuals. This, in turn, raises property values but often displaces low-income families and small businesses.
While this may seem like a great business move that could increase the economic value of a neighborhood, the main problem of this aspect is the forcing out of lower-income residents that reside in these newly gentrified neighborhoods.
Location is one of the factors that contribute to the gentrification of many neighborhoods, and for Chinatown, this is no different. Downtown Chicago can be quickly accessed by train to and from Chinatown. Gentrification has manifested in Chinatown through the expansion of investors,
Here is a 360 photo of a popular area in Chinatown
Smith said: “There is a deliberate investment by Chinese investors both local and from afar.” She explains that the people moving to Chinatown are also representative of new money from China in contrast to older generations of Chinese immigrants.
Some Chinatown owners do not see the harm in the changes happening in the neighborhood.
“Ten years ago it would have been inconceivable that we had a library, huge parking lot, and we even had two Chinatowns in Chicago,” said Pei Zhao, owner of Pop KTV, karaoke bar located in Chinatowna karaoke bar located in Chinatown.
Currently one of Chinatown’s main draw ins for potential move-in residents is the affordability of their housing.
Francisco Castro, a communications student at the University of Illinois, expresses that when he moved from Florida to Chicago his biggest challenge in finding an apartment was finding an affordable one, which is why he contemplated Chinatown as his new home
“Near Winchester street some rents were affordable…about $1,100 to $1,500 a month.” He also mentioned that the neighborhood seemed friendly overall.
Pei Zhao also commented on the demographic diversity increasing in Chinatown. “We are welcome [to] all Chinese immigrants that move to our neighborhood because it will improve economics for Chinatown. We also hope other races open businesses in Chinatown, it will improve the diversity and attract more people.”
However, a looming shadow over the activism for maintaining affordable housing in Chinatown is the construction of an upcoming neighborhood project; Project 78. A project aimed at developing the 78th Chicago neighborhood along the Chicago River and the outskirts of many neighborhoods including Chinatown.
When asked about the potential impact that the 78th project will have on its adjacent neighborhoods such as Chinatown, Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th Ward) spoke to both the opportunities and challenges the 78th project will present.
“It will have a huge impact” Byron stated “It potentially creates new CTA transportation improvements. It obviously provides new amenities, almost direct access to the South Loop. Obviously, the new project will come with opportunities and challenges.
“[We’re hoping] Chinatown can participate, be apart of it, benefit from it from different angles… We potentially can mitigate the effect of having a large project of this nature. The challenge will be to make sure the social fabric of the community doesn’t change as bigger investors come in that have the ability to pay higher prices, pay higher rents, or worse. People will not be able to keep up.”
Janet Smith was also asked for her input of the looming 78th project, and she provided a perspective from a person who lives relatively close to where the neighborhood is being developed.
“It will have a profound effect. People may think it is an empty space so [you won’t] displace anyone. No, but it will attract investors who will capitalize on that [empty space].”
This Juxtapose compares the surrounding area of the Chinatown Public Library in 2010 with 2019
Smith added that investor will likely want to invest in neighborhoods adjacent to the 78 project, however she presumes it unclear to know weather gentrification in these neighborhood would be at its max before the completion of project 78
“We can anticipate that having an effect on Pilsen, going south, going into Chinatown, also going into Bronzeville… It will have an effect, but the question is will the gentrification [of these neighborhoods] have already taken place [by then].”
Smith also spoke to the work that the 25th Ward Alderman is doing to pressure the developers of the 78th to do more affordable housing in their project. And so with their names appearing so frequently, we reached out to those at Project 78 for a comment on this subject. Unfortunately, we never received a reply from their team.
The fight against the gentrification of Chinatown and its adjacent neighborhoods seems to stem from the fight to maintain a balance between a neighborhood having economic gain and still keeping its cultural integrity. Longtime residents of neighborhoods do not want to belittle the culture that they grew up in, or raised families in, while new developers are trying to attract new residents, tourists, and investors in an attempt to make the most money possible.
But there is still a glimmer of hope for low-income residents of these neighborhoods.
Ald. Sigcho-Lopez (25th ward) gave a call to action for those residents who want to make a difference in this battle. For these residents, he gave a very simple solution, “I think it’s important to participate, attend committee meetings, be a part of it. We have different committees in the 25th ward… participate in these committees, joining us, and participating in shaping a community plan so that we can create proposals and good policy. This is a global trend and so it will take a village [to challenge it]”
Smith added that there are other ways of combating gentrification.
“When you’re doing development the city of Chicago requires that if you have 10 units of housing, 1-3 have to be affordable housing… [You can also] encourage homeowners to stay in the neighborhood rather than to sell to investors, by giving a tax break and other incentives to encourage the development of affordable housing.”
10 Winter Events/Destinations in Chicago 2019
With the temperatures beginning to fall in Chicago beach day becomes a little less of a realistic option. Although Chicago is known for its wind and cold winter temperatures, the city still provides many events and attractions during the cold months to keep residents and tourists entertained. I was able to use Google MyMaps in order to construct a map with my personal top 10 I would recommend tourists and residents to visit. The map also includes either a video or a picture explaining each event. I included the interactive map below, as well as a link to open the map in another tab.
It should be noted that these rankings are not necessarily from best attraction to worst attraction. This is more of a comprehensive list than an official ranking. However, I do feel these 10 represent the most intriguing opportunities for events in the Chicago area during the winter months.
1. Millennium Park Ice Skating
Millennium Park is a year-round tourist destination in Chicago, but in the winter the McCormick Tribune rink that is located in the park becomes an ice skating hub. People enjoy ice skating in the rink while taking in the downtown Chicago atmosphere
2. Christkindlmarket Chicago
The winter season is dominated by the holidays, and holiday events. This is an opportunity to get in some holiday shopping while taking in the architecture and atmosphere downtown.
3. Lincoln Park Zoo Lights Festival
Around the time of the holidays, Lincoln Park holds it’s annual zoo lights festival. This free event has multiple themed activities including ice carving, carolers, and a synchronized music and light show.
4. Navy Pier Winter Wonderland
The annual Winter Wonderland event features ice skating, live entertainment, and of course the rides at Navy Pier. Great for a day out with the family.
5. United Center
Go Bulls! Go Blackhawks! Wear your jersey and bring a friend! There are also many live performances in the United Center year-round. You can check your Ticketmaster for any events in this venue.
6. Soldier Field
Go Bears! Another possible sporting event. Seeing the Chicago Bears at soldier field is a totally different experience then it would be to just watch the game on TV.
7. John Hancock Observatory Ice Skating
Another possible ice skating opportunity in the downtown area, but this one comes with a view from 1000 feet above the city. Bring your own skates to avoid pricey skate rentals.
8. Museum of Science and Industry “Christmas Around the World”
The “Christmas Around the World” exhibit features trees from many different cultures. Another annual event that takes place in the winter in Chicago.
9. Magnificent Mile Lights Festival
Will be 4pm November 22 and 11pm November 23rd. Annual parade of lights concluded by a fireworks display.
10. Art Institute of Chicago
The iconic lion statues out front are fitted with wreaths around the holidays. Thursday nights Illinois residents can get in with free admission.
The Pilsen Murals are More Than Just “Art”
When taking a walk or drive down 16th street in the Chicago neighborhood Pilsen the murals immediately catch the eye.
Mural/Memorial Made in Honor of Marlen Ochoa-Lopez
This mural is one of the more beautifully done murals on 16th street, but it has a very ugly story behind it. Marlen Ochoa Lopez befriended a lady on a Facebook group for young pregnant women, however, she was unaware of the woman’s true intentions. On April 23rd, 2019 she went to the house of Clarisa Figueroa, the woman she had befriended and was murdered by Clarisa and her daughter. I left a link to the full story below:
Pilsen Murals blend creativity and activism
The other murals that are visible as you walk down 16th street are also very eye-catching and interesting to look at. The murals are actually painted by community groups and organizations within the neighborhood of Pilsen. These groups also enlist the help of artists from time to time. WTTW did a story on their website about how the murals blend creativity and activism. Here’s the link:
https://interactive.wttw.com/my-neighborhood/pilsen/art-as-activism
I also included a 3D panorama of one of the murals that sit below a viaduct on 16th street. The mural reminded me of simpler times so I had to share it.
Myles' Data Journalism Blog 