16 FRIDAY “Contrary to what the FDA and Monsanto say, genetically engineered milk is an entirely different product from natural milk,” says Dr. Samuel Epstein, chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition (and emeritus professor of environmental medicine at UIC). He says research has proven that drinking milk from cows treated with rBGH increases the risk of breast, prostate, and colon cancer and that it can be linked to the decreasing effectiveness of antibiotics in the general population. But that hasn’t stopped the FDA from approving its use; last month the administration announced it would not mandate special labeling and testing of genetically engineered food and crops. That’s the hot topic at this weekend’s Genetic Engineering Action Network conference, which kicks off tonight with a free public forum. The speakers will include Epstein and representatives from the Institute for Social Ecology, the Center for African-American and Ethnic Studies Programs at Adelphi University, the International Network on Bioethics and Disability, and others. It’s from 6:30 to 9 at the Apparel Center at the Merchandise Mart, 350 N. Orleans. Call 312-951-8999 for more.
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17 SATURDAY “I go to church early to get a seat on the front row of the balcony just so I can look over at all those hats,” says 69-year-old Jacquelyn Jenkins in Craig Marberry’s new book, Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats. He interviewed some 50 hat-wearing women for the book–Michael Cunningham took their pictures and Maya Angelou wrote the foreword–and will discuss what they told him today at 11:30 at Barnes & Noble, 1130 N. State (312-280-8155). It’s free.
19 MONDAY Forget what went down in Florida last November–here in Cook County some 49,923 suburban voters messed up their ballots badly enough to disqualify their presidential votes, while state and city election officials have been hit with multiple lawsuits aiming to eliminate the punch-card ballot system. Today a group of experts will testify at a hearing on electoral reform sponsored by students from the Mikva Challenge, a group of over 200 kids from 11 high schools who worked on the last election. Presenters at today’s free Presidents Day hearing include Cook County Clerk David Orr, community activist Richard Barnett, Du Page County Election Commission executive director Bob Sarr, Rene Luna from Access Living, and others. It’s today from 10 to 12:30 in the auditorium of the State of Illinois Building, 100 W. Randolph. Call 312-669-0960 for more information.
The mission of the recent CITY 2000-themed issue of the Journal of Ordinary Thought is to encourage amateur writers “to record and reflect on their everyday lives with…grace, precision, and imagination” equal to the efforts of CITY 2000’s battalion of professional writers. Tonight Virda Jean Towns-Collins, Charles Clements, Pat Guy, and about a dozen other writers will read from their work in front of photos from the exhibit “Chicago in the Year 2000” that speak to some aspect of each story, and CITY 2000 director Richard Cahan will give a gallery talk. It’s from 6 to 7:30 in the Chicago Rooms on the second floor of the Chicago Cultural Center, 77 E. Washington, and it’s free. Call 773-684-2742 for more information.
