Barrington High student working to bring peer juries to suburban schools

After working with a peer jury for three years, Milana Carse hopes to bring the restorative justice method to schools across the suburbs.

A peer jury is an alternative correction strategy for first-time, nonviolent juvenile offenders, said the 16-year-old junior at Barrington High School.

A council of peers asks the offending juveniles questions about what they have done and if they understand the implications of their actions, Carse said.

Punishment can involve community service and researching what being convicted of the crime would have meant if they weren’t minors. Teen offenders also could be asked to present their cases after a month for the offense to be expunged from their record, she added.

Carse has been a member of the Hoffman Estates Police Department’s peer jury for three years. She has dealt with cases of drug possession, school fights and other misdemeanors.

The Hoffman Estates peer jury handles cases for several towns in the area year round.

“I’ve been trying to expand the program, making it a little bit more like a traditional courtroom setting,” she said.

Other types of peer juries follow different formats, sometimes with a judge and mock trials.

Barrington High School doesn’t have its own peer jury. Carse has developed a program which she is trying to get implemented there.

“I’ve learned a lot about how the justice system we have in America is often flawed, how much room there is for improvement,” Carse said. “I’ve seen the way the teenagers that come through the peer jury system reflect on their actions. By coming into peer jury the person is admitting guilt. It is solely focused on your actions, why you did them, and not doing them again. Kids have often turned their lives around after coming through it.”

Carse hopes to study criminal justice in college.

Luncheon for deputy governor

The Chinese Mutual Aid Association and several community organizations will honor Deputy Gov. Grace B. Hou, the first Asian woman Illinois deputy governor of Health & Human Services, at a luncheon Monday.

Before being appointed deputy governor in October, Hou served as secretary of the Illinois Department of Human Services. She helped keep people safe during COVID-19, ensured families had food and access to public health insurance, and supported the city of Chicago’s efforts to resettle asylum-seekers.

Hou was the architect of Illinois’ Immigrant Integration New Americans Executive Order, a landmark initiative that established an office committed to helping immigrants. She previously served as executive director of the Chinese Mutual Aid Association.

As the child of immigrants from Taiwan, Hou has been an advocate for immigrant rights throughout her career.

The luncheon will be held from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at New Furama Restaurant, 2828 S. Wentworth Ave., Second Floor, Chicago.

A Filipino Christmas

The Archdiocese of Chicago is celebrating its 38th annual Simbáng Gabi novena through Saturday, Dec. 23.

Sponsored by the archdiocese’s Asian Catholic Initiative office, Simbáng Gabi is one of the oldest and most revered Filipino Christmas traditions.

This year, Chicago-area Filipino Catholics have organized Simbáng Gabi Masses at nearly 60 archdiocesan churches with the theme “Growing in love for the Eucharist.”

“Simbang Gabi is a beautiful and festive Filipino practice in anticipation of the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ,” said the Rev. Phi Nguyen, coordinator of the archdiocese’s Asian Catholic Initiative ministry. “These Masses are celebrated with abundant enthusiasm by all participating, as they express their hope, gratitude, and joy to God, expressing the message of the Universal Church through Filipino customs, with joyous music, the carrying of parols, and, often following the Mass, the sharing of fellowship and traditional Filipino food.”

Simbáng Gabi is a nine-day novena to the Blessed Mother traditionally celebrated in a series of dawn Masses by Filipino Catholics worldwide. The Masses include liturgies, music, native delicacies and the treasured Filipino Christmas star-shaped symbol of the parol lantern that represents the star of Bethlehem.

The tradition is traced back to the arrival of Spanish missionaries in the Philippines.

For a full schedule of Masses, visit aci.archchicago.org/events/simbang-gabi.

Combating antisemitism

The Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center is hosting a virtual program on the history of antisemitism and how to combat it Tuesday.

Mark Weitzman, COO of The World Jewish Restitution Organization and senior U.S. delegate to the International Holocaust Remembrance Authority, will explore the roots of antisemitism to its current manifestations.

“Here & Now: Antisemitism Today” will start at noon. The program is free to the public. Reservations are required at ihm.ec/hereandnow.

This is the second program in the museum’s new initiative, Understanding & Confronting Anti-Jewish Hate, which aims to provide the community with the tools and resources to push back against hatred and bigotry.

The programs, some in-person and some hybrid or virtual, will take place over the next eight months. For more information about the initiative and updates on future programs visit ilholocaustmuseum.org/programs-events/understanding-confronting-anti-jewish-hate-community-series/.

Gaza solidarity billboards

The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC) recently unveiled two billboards in the Chicago area expressing solidarity with the people of Gaza and calling for awareness and unity.

The 10-week-old Israel-Hamas war has flattened large parts of northern Gaza, killed thousands of civilians and driven most of the population to the southern part of the besieged territory. Many Gazans are taking refuge in crowded shelters and tent camps in the south. Roughly 1.9 million Palestinians — nearly 85% of Gaza’s population — have fled their homes, The Associated Press reports.

The billboards are located at Interstate 294 southbound at I-88, and eastbound I-290 near I-294. Their design incorporates imagery and messages highlighting the resilience of the people of Gaza and the urgent need for humanitarian assistance.

“By placing these billboards in high-traffic areas, we hope to spark conversations, foster empathy, encourage people to learn more about the issues affecting the region, and call for a cease-fire,” a CIOGC news release said.

The council is calling on Americans to take a stand in solidarity with the people of Gaza, urging them to reach out to elected officials to express concern about the humanitarian situation in the region, and advocate for immediate diplomatic action to bring about a lasting cease-fire.

• Share stories and news from the suburban mosaic at mkrishnamurthy@dailyherald.com.