A new year is almost upon us and while everyone is looking forward to the New Year, it’s important to remember what happened this year.
Chronicle staff and writers reported on everything from campuswide news to global catastrophes. There was a lot of violence displayed around the world, but at the same time the kindness of strangers and the power of community was never far behind. Here are some of the top stories from 2015.
Hammond making his mark on NCC office 
Written by Haylie Berkland
…While some felt that Hammond had big shoes to fill coming in after former President Hal Wilde, Kimberly Sluis, vice president for student affairs and dean of students, believes that Hammond has done a successful job at filling these shoes in the best way he can.
“Figuring out both how to do the high-level stuff, and be accessible to students, I think, is a tremendous accomplishment for any new president,” Sluis explains.
Though many might not know it, Hammond hosts several different groups of North Central students at his house every week, where they eat and then discuss anything that might be on their minds with the president, while he, in turn, inquires about things that are going on around campus that he might have missed.
As another way to further help this connection with students, as well as the school at large, this technology-loving president has also turned to Twitter, where he can often be seen tweeting about the current events of the day, news on campus, and, of course, his beloved hockey.
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North Central dean leaving school after 30 years
Written by Haylie Berkland
For the past 30 years, Dr. R. Devadoss Pandian has been a part of the North Central College family. In 2015, however, Pandian returned to his home country of India to finish the “fourth quarter” of his career before retirement.
“I am playing my third quarter (now),” Pandian says. “That means I have one more quarter left to play.”
In his first 10 years at North Central, Pandian was a professor of mathematics, and for the last 20, he served as the dean of faculty and vice president of academic affairs.
During his time at North Central, Pandian has become the longest serving dean at the college.
To read more, click here….
Al Carius celebrates 50 years of coaching
Written by Anthony La Parry
Entering his 50th season as the men’s cross-country coach at North Central College, it seems that Al Carius has a formula for success.
“The coaching staff and I try to look for every little thing that can be positive or supportive within our culture to help people to do what they choose to do,” Carius said. “We try to create the environment and support system to help (the athletes) focus on going out and doing the best they can.”
Despite this formula for success, winning is not the most important thing to Carius.
“Unquestionably, the relationships that I’ve made are the most important thing to me,” he said. “It’s not about developing Olympians; if it’s about building Olympians then I’m a total failure as a coach, and if winning national championships is what it’s all about then I don’t even want to coach.”
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‘Money Pit’ to gain structure over winter
Written by Bob Tomaszewski
The pit is nearly done. The dirt shines into the heavens. The trucks roll in and out, taking with them the remains of Student Village and professors’ former office spaces. In the place of Student Village and offices are long dirt-filled commons.
Mike Hudson, the assistant vice president for business operation, has been employed on campus for 21 years. He works on the construction renovation projects, as well as with maintenance and cleaning staffs on campus.
Hudson compares his excitement for this project to that of the fine arts center, which he says “has been a great thing for students.”
Hudson, who is involved with the budget, commented that “we are good condition right now to meet the budget that was set.”
Perhaps the building won’t be such a “Money Pit,” as readers have named it, because the science center is only a portion of the $150 million Brilliant Future Campaign.
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Students lead ‘March for Solidarity’ for Mizzou
Written by Bob Tomaszewski
Some North Central community members made it clear where they stood on inequality, on Nov. 13. Many people including students, faculty, and staff from a variety of backgrounds came together to stand in solidarity with students at Mizzou.
Students at Mizzou were protesting injustice on their campus and were able to get their college’s president to step down over the failure to address several incidents of racism on their campus.
The NCC march looked like an energized funeral procession, a long train of students in black. Vice president of North Central’s Black Student Association, Davonte Sanders, coordinated members of the organization to come together and to help make posters for the event.
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One week later: reacting and recovering from Paris attacks
Written by Hannah Bevis
On Friday Nov. 20, 2015, exactly a week after the attacks took place in Paris, the North Central College campus stopped for reflection. On Friday at 4:45 p.m., all were invited to attend a Candlelight Vigil for Peace held by the Office of Ministry and Service on the lawn of Old Main to remember and honor all victims of violence and war around the world.
It had been seven days since the news first broke that terrorists had staged several attacks in and around Paris. At least 129 people lost their lives during the bombings and attacks, and in the moment, people around the world watched in horror with a sense of helplessness…
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