Click Here for details.
Save Save Save Save
Kendall Polidori, a senior at Columbia College in Chicago, is pictured here during a political journalism conference in 2019 in Greenwich Village in New York City. (Photo provided)
By CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN For Illinois Press Association
CHICAGO – As the ceiling fan whirred, Kendall Polidori lay on her back on her hardwood bedroom floor and let the soothing sounds of Duke Ellington wrap around her like a blanket.
Countless times since the pandemic began, the 21-year-old Columbia College senior found herself in that supine position, self-medicating with the debut from indie-pop upstart Beebadoobee, her favorite album of 2020, Phoebe Bridgers’ “Punisher”, and of course the unmistakable jazz stylings of “Duke”.
“Super-soothing. I’ve been literally putting his stuff on shuffle,” she said. “Just trying to unwind and be in my own presence.”
An old soul, Polidori listens to the albums front to back, from the drop of the needle at the edge until the empty scratchiness after the last track has played, her back aching, but her soul at ease.
“I straight lay on my back, on the hardwood floor, and it’s not comfortable,” she said, laughing. “I just sit and put the ceiling fan on low and watch it as it spins.”
Music vibrates like a tuning fork at Polidori’s core, and its ethereal pull has guided her through the lightning storm of anxiety that thundered into the world in March, and then intensified when Polidori and Mari Devereaux, also 21, became co-editors of the Columbia Chronicle early this fall semester.
On the eve of the first presidential election in which Polidori has voted, let alone covered, she turned to her old friend, music, for a pressure release, as she wrote a column about the perseverance of Chicago musicians during the pandemic.
“Behind the intersecting political discord and a health crisis plaguing the nation, there is one thing that can offer even the slightest glimpse of hope: music. … Music is a microcosm of human decency displayed during difficult circumstances and, politics aside, it is important to sustain communities when the government does not.”
In 2 years with the Chronicle, Polidori has covered a vast array of topics, from the full-throat celebration of Lollapalooza to the most polarizing modern election to another issue fraught with tension: Title IX.
The federal civil rights law provides protections against sex discrimination, but universities’ offices have come under fire for mishandling investigations, or simply conducting them so everything appears above-board.
So as Polidori delved into the topic, her heart raced when she picked up the phone to interview lawyers.
“I thought they were totally going to school me,” she said. “I didn’t want to ask something and sound dumb, or misword something.”
She learned to swallow both her pride and her anxiety, as she adopted a simple-yet-effective trick: honesty. She’ll readily admit to a source when she doesn’t understand the topic, then asks for them to break it down and explain it.
“I’ve found that people are actually more helpful with student journalists,” she said.
People from all walks of life can appreciate the crippling anxiety Polidori broke through.
“Any assignment I have, no matter how many times you’ve done that, because I struggle with anxiety, that’s definitely hard,” she said. “You overthink it, and all the ways you’re going to talk to the person. Once you actually do it, you’re in the flow, and you wonder what you were worried about.”
Travis Truitt, Columbia College’s general manager of student media and a 2009 alumnus, said that anxiety speaks to Polidori’s strength.
“You don’t get anxious or nervous if you don’t care,” Truitt said. “If you’re a musician, to touch on Kendall’s favorite topic, you’re going to feel anxiety – even if you’re a professional performing on the Grammys. She wants to put out the best version of herself and a good story. She wants to seem credible to the sources she’s reaching out to.”
He said channeling anxiety is a life skill Polidori is developing fast. He caught glimpses of her gumption before she set foot on campus. Polidori spent her first three semesters of college at Grand Valley State in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She’s originally from Streamwood, and she wanted a more hands-on experience than she was getting at Grand Valley State. So she looked up Truitt and called him directly.
“That’s not something a lot of students do,” he said. “They don’t start the process of wanting to work for us prematurely.”
Being an empath allows Polidori to emote compassion and sympathy to victims of discrimination and abuse – many of whom, because of the pandemic, have had to sit through hearings – with their assailants in attendance.
“It’s very traumatizing,” she said. “Students may not even be on campus, and they may not be in a safe place to be on a Zoom call and to talk about what’s happened to them.”
Polidori takes the decision on whether to keep a source anonymous very seriously.
“We have a very long conversation,” she said. “You want to have that person’s name with it, and attach that to the story. But if a person feels in danger, or that there are risks, we want to be conscious of that.”
Whether it be pulling back the curtain and admitting to a source she has a blind spot, or making decisions with great consequence, Polidori knows she’ll always be learning.
“I feel very confident in my role as a journalist now, but it’s something I’ve learned in time,” Polidori said, “and I have a long way to go.”
There’s this misconception that anxious people don’t enjoy communicating. The reality is quite the opposite. It’s the just the whole starting-the-conversation thing that’s a barrier.
Once Polidori gets people talking, her heart sings.
“That’s my whole thing is amplifying voices,” she said. “That’s my favorite part of journalism.”
She said managing staff, which includes students with little to no experience or even just a passing fancy in journalism, is a challenge.
“It’s difficult to build rapport with somebody through a Zoom meeting,” she said. “I love communication and checking in on people.”
Polidori also makes it a point to check in on herself.
“I’m home all day, so I might as well work all day. It’s so dangerous,” she said. “I was putting in a crazy amount of hours to begin with, before the pandemic. The news cycle was crazy to begin with. It’s never-ending.”
Safety is first and foremost, Polidori said, whether it comes to making sure staffers are doing all they can to be safe from the coronavirus, or that they’re in a healthy headspace to take on an assignment.
While she’s been in a newsroom only during her college life, it’s tough to fight back the reflex to go and get the story, to knock on an administrator’s office door when they’re unresponsive.
“Having to rely on a phone call is the worst thing in the world,” she said.
Despite the barriers, Truitt marvels at the Chronicle’s accomplishments.
Early in the pandemic, college administrators were trying to hit a moving target as they tracked the virus’ spread and announced mitigation policies.
In the process, similar to their colleagues coast-to-coast, they either missed the elusive targets or put out information that sent ripples of confusion through the student body.
What was the timing, and the extent of the latest closure? Which classes were canceled altogether, and which were going online? Columbia is an arts and media college, so would dance, theater, and music groups ever be able to meet, and when?
“People were asking whether they should resume shooting film for their thesis project,” Truitt said. “Everyone wanted to know, for the cost of tuition, am I going to be getting my money’s worth?”
The cavalry arrived, in the form of the Chronicle.
Polidori, Devereaux, and their team burned up the phone lines to get the straightest answers they could, and then put them into simple, easy-to-digest, constantly updating stories.
“A lot of people around the college started saying the Chronicle was must-read, and Kendall had a lot to do with that,” Truitt said. “They were asking the right people the right questions to get more clarity. The Chronicle has not only not skipped a beat, but we’ve grown better and more vital.”
Polidori (shown left, Columbia College's broadcast studio) and Ignacio Calderon, the Chronicle’s senior video editor, found ways to tell stories visually without putting either staff or sources at risk.
They went to every bathroom near the Chronicle office and tested the sinks by pushing the button to see just how long the water would run – given that the Centers for Disease Control urged people to wash their hands frequently, for at least 20 seconds.
The water ran about 3 or 4 seconds then stopped, prompting the user to push the button – again and again. The duo contacted college and administrators and experts and published an invaluable Public Service Announcement and what turned out to be an agent of change. The college replaced all its sinks with touchless faucets shortly thereafter.
The story also won a fourth-place national award from the Associated Collegiate Press.
One of the hardest parts of journalism is not getting too close to a subject, finding ways to share your personality, all while also being able to detach yourself.
Music was Polidori’s way to tie all of those concepts together.
“I found a way to incorporate that into my work as a journalist,” she said. “I’ve found ways to geek out about music with people while writing about it at the same time.”
Before, those opportunities were more obvious. She’s covered Lollapalooza multiple times.
Whether on assignment or in her free time, she’d attend a few shows each week.
“I miss live music so much,” she said. “That was everything to me. It’s been such a weird past few months without that.”
The pandemic has also provided opportunities to write about music outside the adrenaline and intangible effect of a live concert.
The Chronicle has covered the arts exhaustively – from the Paint the City Project to virtual drag shows. Naturally, it’s devoted plenty of coverage to the music scene, including hyper-local coverage of collaborations that have kept record stores and bands afloat, and the widespread impact of the national Save Our Stages Act that, if it weren’t hung up in Congress as part of the HEROES Act, would provide a $10 billion boost to live music venues affected by the pandemic.
“[Reporting on music] has more depth to it,” she said. “You’re not just reporting on an artist’s album or reviewing a live show. We get to tell more personal stories that we would have without the pandemic.”
Polidori has done plenty of self-exploration this year. Even her taste in music has gone through something of a metamorphosis, as she’s gravitated toward folk, blues and soul.
When told Taylor Swift had pivoted to folk in her latest album, “folklore”, Polidori said she’d maybe listen to it.
Maybe.
“I’ve never really listened to Taylor Swift, and when something is overhyped, I … I like to discover things for myself,” she said.
With literally hundreds of recordings featuring “Sir Duke”, she need not be in a hurry.
View all Illinois public notices 24 hours a day - publicnoticeillinois.com
Member Log-In + Contact Us + Events + PressLines + Job Bank + Advertising Toolbox + Upload Pages
Subscribe to RSS headline updates from: Powered by FeedBurner
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 26, 2026 Media Contact Information: Cartwheel Emily Paisner (888) 500-2067 emily.paisner@cartwheelcare.org
$1 million grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois will help Cartwheel scale access to care in rural and underserved communities through 2028
CHICAGO — August 26, 2026 — Cartwheel Care, a telehealth mental health provider for K-12 schools, today announced plans to expand access to care for up to 100,000 students across Illinois, supported by a $1 million grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL). The additional funding builds on an existing partnership between Cartwheel and BCBSIL, following a year of strong engagement and clinical outcomes. Cartwheel currently serves 40 Illinois school districts, and the grant will help expand services further into rural and underserved communities across the state through 2028. Mental health needs among Illinois students remain high. According to data from Lurie Children’s Hospital, approximately 50% of Illinois youth (ages 2–17) have experienced worsening mental health symptoms in recent years. At the same time, access to care has not kept pace: more than 80 of Illinois’ 102 counties have no practicing child psychiatrist, and the shortage is most acute in rural areas, where families often wait months for an appointment or travel significant distances for care. Cartwheel’s telehealth model is designed to remove the access barriers rural families face, like long waitlists and the need to travel to see a provider. By partnering with schools, Cartwheel provides licensed, Illinois-based clinicians with no waitlist, accepts all major insurance plans including Medicaid, and reaches kids and families where they already are, without requiring them to find or travel to an outside provider. “Every student experiences mental health challenges differently, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to supporting them,” said Dr. Juliana Chen, chief medical officer at Cartwheel. “Our goal is to meet students and families where they are, with practical support that helps them build skills, strengthen relationships, and feel more confident navigating challenges at school and at home. BCBSIL’s support is what allows us to bring that care to more Illinois communities.” “Supporting the health and well-being of Illinois youth is critical to building stronger communities,” said Brian Snell, president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois. “The results we’ve seen through our partnership with Cartwheel demonstrate the impact that timely, accessible mental health services can have for students and families. This investment will help bring those services to even more communities across our state.” To date, four Illinois districts have received Cartwheel’s services through this grant: Steger SD 194 in Cook County and Will County, Troy CCSD 30-C in Will County, Mattoon CUSD 2 in Coles County, and Wolf Branch SD #113 in St. Clair County. In the first year of the program, more than 200 students were referred for care and completed more than 1,000 telehealth sessions. Appointments were scheduled in the same week with no waitlist. Sixty-eight percent of students served were covered by Medicaid or uninsured. Overall, 73% of students showed meaningful improvement in anxiety and depression symptoms on standard clinical screeners (GAD-7/PHQ-9). Additional districts where Cartwheel services are launching this fall include Litchfield CUSD #12, Panhandle CUSD #2, Leyden High School District #212, and Regional Office of Education #40. With the support of this grant, Cartwheel expects to expand into another 30 to 50 school districts, bringing access to care to a total of 100,000 students across Illinois. “Before this partnership, getting a student connected to care could take months,” said Jeffrey Peterson, director of student services & records at Troy CCSD 30-C. “Now our counselors can refer a student, know they’ll be seen within days, and are seeing real improvements as a result.” Through the grant, Cartwheel provides individual and family therapy, parent guidance, psychiatric evaluation and medication management, and specialized care programs for challenges like school avoidance, social media use, and intense emotions and behavior challenges. As reported in Illinois Policy, in 2025 about 25% of Illinois students missed at least 10% of the school year and this was more severe among low-income students, with 35.1% in that group chronically absent. Cartwheel’s school avoidance program delivers evidence-based care designed specifically for students struggling with school avoidance. In partnership with Cartwheel, Peoria Public Schools saw a 62% reduction in absences per student, along with decreases in suspensions and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Illinois school districts that want to learn more about this opportunity for the upcoming school year should visit: www.cartwheel.org/illinois. About Cartwheel Cartwheel is the nation’s largest and most trusted telehealth provider for K-12 schools, students, and families. Cartwheel partners with 350 school districts across 15 states to deliver comprehensive mental health services to students, families, and school staff. Founded in 2022 by educators and clinicians, Cartwheel combines evidence-based clinical care with technology to ensure every child has access to high-quality mental health support. Cartwheel accepts all major insurance plans including Medicaid and provides care at no cost to uninsured families. For more information visit: www.cartwheel.org. About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois is the largest health insurer in Illinois, serving nine million members and operating in all 102 Illinois counties. BCBSIL is a division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Learn more at bcbsil.com and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 24, 2026 Media Contact Information: Mather Institute Cindy Droog, president, Sabo PR (616) 717-8654 cindy@sabo-pr.com
Free online tool by Mather Institute supports local planning, partnership and investments
EVANSTON, Illinois – Chicago has a new tool to help understand where neighborhood conditions support social wellness among older adults – and where thoughtful investment and partnership may expand opportunities. Mather Institute launched a first-of-its-kind free Social Wellness Map, which scores the 77 community areas in Chicago on social wellness – a measure of feeling connected with others and with a community – for adults 55 and better. Previous research shows strong social ties are one of the most important predictors of a happy and long life, and that neighborhoods and communities shape how people interact, support one another and build shared identity. Mather Institute developed the map in partnership with NORC at the University of Chicago. Designed as a planning and advocacy resource, the interactive map can help policymakers, community organizations, funders, planners and service providers explore local patterns, identify assets and consider where new investments may have the greatest benefit for older adults. “Social wellness is a crucial, yet often overlooked, part of healthy aging,” said Cate O’Brien, MPH, Ph.D., chief transformation officer at Mather Institute. “Because every community contains diverse histories, people and experiences, the map is intended to inform – not replace – local knowledge. The most useful next step is conversation. When organizations bring this data together with resident voices, they can better understand what is already working and what could be most beneficial to older adults and their communities.” The map is based on a new survey of more than 4,000 Chicago residents age 55 and better, combined with public data on community conditions, including walkability, economic factors and access to gathering places such as libraries, churches and community centers. Factors such as crime, lack of local businesses and poverty can hinder social wellness, but don’t tell the whole story. Users can view a side-by-side comparison of communities to explore how social wellness relates to health, happiness, income and other factors. Key findings include:
“Community leaders often have deep local knowledge, but need data to support the case for programs, funding and partnerships,” said Jennifer L. Smith, Ph.D., vice president of Mather Institute. “The Social Wellness Map offers another lens for understanding older adults’ experiences and for turning local insight into action.” High social wellness scores were not confined to one part of Chicago or to its wealthiest areas, suggesting that other factors such as neighborhood identity, belonging and longstanding social ties are also important to connection. Chatham emerged as a notable example, with a social wellness score of 8.14 out of 10, illustrating social wellness reflects aspects of community life beyond economic and safety indicators alone. Beverly received the highest community connectability score: 100 out of 100. Beverly is notable for its low crime rates, a strong family culture and several longstanding community gathering places. Jefferson Park stood out for having community conditions that support connection such as accessible transit, retail activity and established cultural gathering places. The map is free to use and does not require user registration. It can be explored at: https://www.matherinstitute.com/social-wellness-map/
About Mather and Mather Institute
Based in Evanston, Illinois, Mather is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1941 that is dedicated to a vision of changing the way society views aging. Mather creates Ways to Age Well℠ through programs, places and residences for today’s older adults. These include developing and operating communities that support older adults in pursuing wellness and fulfillment; sparking creativity and connections for older adults in Chicagoland and beyond; and through Mather Institute, conducting research and incubating innovation to help all live and age well.
# # #
Click Image to Find the IPA Disaster Checklist!