Author: Editor

From creating dishes inspired by fine art to preparing a new generation of chefs and restaurateurs – Triton College Culinary Department faculty member Carolina Diaz loves to share her passion for cooking, especially pasta. Her skills and passion helped earn her the title of the 2018 Barilla Pasta U.S. Master of Pasta, as she beat out top chefs from across the country this spring during the World Pasta Masters U.S. competition in Chicago. Next, she’ll take the show on the road as she prepares to compete against chefs from around the world for the international title this October in Milan, Italy. Diaz, with the assistance of fellow Culinary Department faculty member Manny Uribe, wowed judges in the U.S. competition with her winning pasta dish, which translates from Italian to ‘The Tuna Hideout.’ “I was very surprised, I was in shock,” Diaz said. “We were up against some very good chefs.”

Diaz, who is originally from Northlake, attended Triton College as a student with plans to major in psychology. She later changed course and decided to pursue a career in the culinary and hospitality industry. In addition to serving as a faculty member of Triton’s Jerome J. Drosos School of Culinary Arts, she is also the head chef at Terzo Piano Restaurant, located inside of the Art Institute of Chicago. There, the self-described pasta specialist delights guests with Mediterranean cuisine, some of which is inspired by exhibits on display at the museum. “I started making dumplings, from there I transitioned to pasta and it turned into a passion. Once I figured out I could make the dough myself, I fell in love with it. I enjoy making shapes with my fingers, it’s therapeutic,” she said. Diaz and Uribe have already begun strategizing for the competition in Italy. The three-phase contest will include a re-creation of their winning dish, followed by a ‘mystery basket’ dish and finally a traditional pasta with tomato sauce dish.

Triton’s Jerome J. Drosos School of Culinary Arts features associate degree programs in Culinary Arts, Baking and Pastry, Hotel/Motel Management and Restaurant Management. For more information or to enroll, contact Jerome J. Drosos School of Culinary Arts Program Coordinator Denise Smith-Gaborit at (708) 456-0300, Ext. 3624 email denisesmithgaborit@triton.edu or visit www.triton.edu.   

Photo Caption: Triton College Culinary Arts faculty member Carolina Diaz will compete in an international pasta making competition in Milan, Italy this October. Photo courtesy: Barilla Pasta

Morton College announced today its Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Program has received reaffirmation of accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education This is the first time in three cycles the program has received full accreditation following a site visit. “Our Physical Therapist Assistant faculty have worked hard to make the program a success, so this outcome is evidence of the hard work put in by the faculty over the years,” said Program Director Dr. Fran Wedge.

The program prepares PTA students to provide skilled, direct patient care under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist in a variety of health care settings. Currently 52 students are enrolled in the program, which requires a two-year curriculum designed to integrate classroom and hands-on clinical learning. “We couldn’t be prouder of our PTA faculty. Their hard work and dedication to our students has paid off and been rewarded,” said Dr. Stan Fields, President of Morton College. “The turnaround of this program is just one example of what our faculty will do to ensure our students achieve success.” The Morton College PTA is one of the oldest, accredited PTA programs in Illinois, accredited by CAPTE in June 1971. The PTA program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education and is a proud partner of the Illinois Physical Therapy Association.

The City of Chicago is taking additional steps to further prevent violence in neighborhoods experiencing high levels of violence by investing $10.4 million to sustain youth mentoring programs that have had demonstrable success in violence reduction. The investment is being made possible through new legal settlements with Uber, Lyft and Via to settle allegations that the companies committed process violations by performing background checks that were not consistent with Chicago’s standards as set by the City’s rideshare ordinance. The Mayor’s Mentoring Initiative is a core component of the City’s public safety strategy. In partnership with nearly 60 community-based agencies, it lays out a clear path to provide youth in 22 neighborhoods experiencing high levels of violence with the support they need to remain on-track to graduate high school and avoid involvement in the criminal justice system.

The Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR), in partnership with First Northern Credit Union, is recognizing organizations that empower youth and encourage them to realize their full potential. IDHR Director Janice Glenn presented “Dream Builders” awards to six organizations in the Rockford area. Each organization has demonstrated a commitment to investing in local youth through critical programming such as mentoring and career readiness workshops, and service learning opportunities such as volunteering. The organizations that were awarded are: YouthBuild Rockford, Keeping Families and Communities together (KFACT), YMCA of Rock River Valley, Boys and Girls Club of Rockford, Wabongo Leadership Council, and YWCA of Northwestern Illinois (La Voz Latina). YES Club was given special recognition for their work with youth in the Rockford area. “The kids in Illinois are our future,” said IDHR Director Janice Glenn. “Today we celebrate those who encourage youth to achieve their dreams. Each of our honorees has made it a priority to reach a demographic so often overlooked. I can think of no better way to celebrate Illinois’ Bicentennial than by recognizing those who aid in building our future.”

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten and Chicago Teachers Union Vice President Jesse Sharkey issued the following statements after the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund added immigration detention and other private incarceration centers to its list of prohibited investments.

AFT’s Weingarten said: “Private prison operators are now officially on notice. Teachers and the trustees of their pension systems will question whether their retirement savings are invested in morally abhorrent detention centers that are both a stain on our nation and a risky financial bet.

“When we released our asset manager watch list last week to pension trustees, we urged them to scrutinize whether their retirement systems were holding GEO Group, CoreCivic and General Dynamics stock—firms profiting from the separation of children and detention of families seeking asylum in the United States because of oppression in their home countries. Today we are heartened and encouraged by CTPF’s swift and sensible action to uphold its fiduciary duty to our members’ retirement security.

“In New York City, Chicago and elsewhere, the guardians of teachers’ deferred wages are rightly rejecting firms that profit off the Trump administration’s policies of family separation and mass incarceration targeting communities of color, while employing low-wage, unprotected employees. They can no longer abide by an industry that dehumanizes and endangers the immigrants and working people this country was built on. The AFT Trustee Council, which works with trustees who oversee more than $3 trillion in assets, is continuing to review our watch list, and we urge other funds to consider divestment at the earliest opportunity.”

CTU’s Sharkey said: “Our union members serve tens of thousands of immigrant students in our schools, and we’re committed to taking any and all steps to protect their families from disruption or repression. That includes our refusal to support corporations that seek to profit from the national attack on immigrants—the same corporations that continue to profit from the mass incarceration of black people and the harm that continues to visit the families of our black students.

“We’re delighted that our pension fund has taken steps to ensure that we do not commit a single penny to the profits of these companies. We also encourage CTPF to create safeguards to prevent our fund from investing in harmful investment schemes in the future.”

As summer comes to an end and back-to-school season begins, it can be hard to get back into a regular schedule — both for kids and adults.  Here are a few tips that parents can use to ease their kids back into school, while also managing their own stress. 

– Get your kids involved in programs that they can do after school to keep them active.

– Visit cultural attractions like museums to shift their brains into “Scholar” mode.

– Hire an after-school sitter to help care for your kids while you’re at work.  

– Encourage your kids to read at least one book before the school year begins.
 
– Reacquaint your kids with the calendar schedule they’ll use to manage their activities.  

– Use positive phrasing, such as “You can go outside after your homework is done,” rather than “You’re not going outside until this is finished.”  

– Make sure your kids (and you!) have an effective wake-up alarm that works for them.  

– Set an alarm or notification 30 minutes before bedtime.  

– Do something fun to diffuse this stressful time of year for all of you.

– Take a breath!