• Once Columbia College Chicago grad student Robert Carnilius noticed that cartoons don't tackle issues LGBTQ teens face in a real way, he decided to take matters into his own hands.
In "McTucky Fried High," he created a fictional world where high schoolers, who are portrayed as humanoid food items, deal with bullying and gender identity, among other things.
"With human characters, we tend to put a lot of ourselves in them and it's hard if you don't the certain mold," he said. "By having the characters be food items, people won't have preconceived notions of who these characters are and they can see themselves in the characters."
• Ald. James Balcer (11th) played the role of hero during the recent blizzard. He called 911 after seeing a snowplow clip a man in Canaryville.
• The world's only button museum is expanding. It's all about the pin-backed buttons, often emblazoned with political slogans, band names or other motifs at the Busy Beaver Button Museum.
according to Busy Beaver owner and Logan Square resident Christen Carter, it’s the story behind each button that makes the museum such a draw.
“We’re not interested in the value, more about how it communicates an idea of the time,” she said. “The button is a larger idea distilled into a small space, like a [news] headline. They tell a rich story.”
• In an ironic twist, the University of Illinois at Chicago's urban planning college was forced to evacuate its current building after structural damage was planned. The culprit? Roadwork on the Jane Byrne Interchange.
Upon initial inspection, 54 offices on five floors were affected by the damage, according to the university. About 100 faculty and staff were initially relocated because of the damage. The building will remain closed through July 1.
• Chatham Academy High School hosted a fashion first Friday: a fashion show featuring designs created by students.
“It was a great experience, it changed everything. I would never have known that I could model something that a close friend just sewed for me,” said Tatianna Seward, a 19-year-old from Englewood.
It's part of a fashion design class that the school’s principal, Lisa Jackson-Williams, says is helpful because it exposes students to real-life training in a field that interests them and could even lead to a job right out of high school.
• Lurie Children's Hospital seeks the public's help in bringing Valentine's love to its patients.
Until the morning of Feb. 14, the Streeterville hospital will accept valentines for patients through its "Handfuls of Love" drive. Lurie's goal is to receive 10,000 e-cards.
"I think everyone understands the nostalgia of Valentine’s Day, seeing [cards] at school," said Amanda Salhoot, Lurie's associate director of communications. "Seeing these kids in the hospital missing that opportunity hits close to home."
• Lastly, remember, when it snows, there's a certain decorum city residents should display. Like trimming that tall snow hat on your car, shovel your walk and picking up after your dog. We compiled a-by-no-means-comprehensive list of blizzard etiquette. Learn it, live it.
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