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COLUMBIA, S.C. — Former NFL receiver and three-time Super Bowl champion David Patten Jr., who caught Tom Brady’s first postseason touchdown pass to help the Patriots win their first title, has died in a motorcycle accident.

Richland County coroner Naida Rutherford said in a statement Patten was killed in a crash Thursday night outside of Columbia, South Carolina. The South Carolina Highway Patrol said the accident involved two other vehicles.

Patten played 12 seasons in the NFL after signing as an undrafted free agent with the New York Giants in 1997. He spent three seasons in New York and also played for Cleveland, Washington and New Orleans.

But his biggest highlights came as a member of the Patriots, making two iconic catches to help New England capture its first Super Bowl win during the 2001 season. He hauled in an 11-yard TD from Drew Bledsoe during the Patriots’ 24-17 win over Pittsburgh in the AFC championship game. He followed that with a leaping 8-yard TD reception from Brady in the second quarter of the Super Bowl. It was New England’s lone offensive TD in the 20-17 win over the St. Louis Rams.

Patten played with the Patriots from 2001 until 2004 and was a member of their 2003 and 2004 championship teams. He appeared in 147 career NFL games, catching 324 passes for 4,715 yards and 24 touchdowns.

In a statement coach Bill Belichick called Patten “an essential person and player in Patriots history.”

“It breaks my heart to hear of David’s tragic passing at such a young age,” Belichick said. “I am grateful to have coached David. He is an essential person and player in Patriots history, without whom we would not have been Super Bowl champions.”

Team owner Robert Kraft said he was “heartbroken.”

“He was a devout Christian who followed his passion following his football career and founded his own ministry,” Kraft said. “David transitioned from an undersized and understated wide receiver to a powerful and passionate preacher. In New England, he will always be remembered as a three-time Super Bowl champion.”

Condolences also poured in across social media from several of Patten’s former teammates.

“Rest in Power to my former teammate, one of the best men I’ve ever known,” former Patriots offensive lineman Damien Woody wrote.

Richard Seymour, who played alongside Patten for each of their three Super Bowl wins in New England, wrote on Twitter that he was “heartbroken.”

“Great man of God … lost for words,” Seymour said.

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NHL players are officially heading back to the Olympics in 2022.

A joint announcement Friday by the NHL, NHL Players Association and International Ice Hockey Federation cemented what the three parties had been planning for months.

After skipping the 2018 tournament, NHL players will now comprise the majority of the rosters of the 12 teams qualified for the Winter Olympics in Beijing in February. Canada, the United States, Germany and host China form Group A; Russia, the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Denmark form Group B; and Sweden, Finland, Slovakia and Latvia form Group C.

There remain a number of hoops to jump through. It’s expected only vaccinated players will be allowed to participate, and there will be no insurance for COVID-19 infections. The window will be tight, too. Participating players will fly to China on Feb. 6 — the day after the NHL All-Star Game in Las Vegas — and will be needed back in North America for the resumption of the NHL schedule Feb. 23.

But the involved parties are going to make it work. And from a local perspective, the Blackhawks may be one of the highest-represented NHL franchises at the Olympics.

Seven players on the Hawks’ current roster are very likely to make their respective countries’ rosters, and a few others could also be considered. Here’s a look at each of those players’ situations.

Likely Olympians

Patrick Kane — USA

Kane will be 33 by February, but he remains one of the centerpieces of the projected American team. The Buffalo, New York, native tallied five points in six games in the 2010 Olympics when the USA earned a Silver Medal, then four points in six games in the 2014 Olympics as the USA finished fourth.

The 2022 US team will benefit from having two of the best young centers in the world — Auston Matthews and Jack Eichel — as anchors, and it’ll be fun to see what Kane can do alongside one of them.

Alex DeBrincat — USA

There’s a very real possibility DeBrincat, a Michigan native, could be the opposite winger on Kane’s line. Max Pacioretty is the only other American winger with an argument to earn first-line minutes over one of them.

DeBrincat and Kane’s on-ice chemistry and off-ice friendship has blossomed in recent seasons, but being Olympic linemates would top any of their shared experiences so far. With no offense to Pius Suter, their most frequent center last season with the Hawks, flanking someone like Matthews could elevate their games to another level.

Seth Jones — USA

Jones just missed Olympic selection in 2014, when he was a rookie in the NHL. The USA defensive corps have strengthened since then, and some very good players will inevitably miss the cut again this year, but Jones should have an inside track to make the team.

The Texas native will compete against — but probably ultimately play alongside — the likes of Charlie McAvoy, John Carlson, Ryan McDonagh, Jaccob Slavin, Jeff Petry, Ryan Suter, Quinn Hughes, former Blue Jackets partner Zach Werenski and reigning Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox.

Marc-Andre Fleury — Canada

After sitting idle behind Roberto Luongo and Martin Brodeur but technically winning a Gold Medal with Canada in 2010, Fleury was snubbed from the 2014 roster in favor of Luongo, Carey Price and Mike Smith — and he was upset about it at the time.

Eight years later, however, Fleury and Price — even at ages 37 and 34, respectively, by February — are shoo-ins to backstop the 2022 Canadian Olympic team. A roster loaded with many of the best players in the game, from Connor McDavid to Sidney Crosby to Nathan MacKinnon, should make life pretty easy for them.

Dominik Kubalik — Czech Republic

Kubalik actually participated in the 2018 Olympics because he was only playing in Europe at the time. He scored two goals in five games on a Czech team consisting entirely of non-NHL players.

Much has changed since then, both in Olympic hockey and in Kubalik’s career, but one thing won’t: he’ll be an important player for the Czechs again in 2022. He was their leading scorer at the World Championships this summer, although that team didn’t feature stars like David Pastrnak, Jakuk Voracek and Tomas Hertl.

Philipp Kurashev — Switzerland

After breaking out as an NHL rookie last season, Kurashev — who has both Swiss and Russian ancestry — climbed into a top-six role on the Swiss team at the World Championships.

As a result, he’s on track to make his Olympic debut for Switzerland next year. With Roman Josi on defense and Nino Neiderreiter, Kevin Fiala, Timo Meier and Nico Hischier up front, the Swiss team has some big-name talent at the top of the roster but will struggle with depth.

Lukas Reichel — Germany

Reichel has yet to play an NHL game — although that may change between October and February — but will almost certainly represent Germany in Beijing. In the World Championships, the 19-year-old top prospect ranked third on the team with six points in nine games.

The Germans boast a fantastic goaltending duo in Philipp Grubauer and Thomas Greiss, and Leon Draisaitl will be one of the best forwards in the tournament, but they too will struggle with depth.

Possible Olympians

Kevin Lankinen — Finland

Between Juuse Saros, Antti Raanta, Kaapo Kahkonen and Lankinen, the Finns will need to leave one very good goaltender off their Olympic roster.

But Lankinen’s previous success on the international stage, heroically leading Finland to a gold medal in the 2019 World Championships, and domestic popularity through his Finnish book club will make him difficult to exclude.

Jonathan Toews — Canada

Considering how Toews’ availability for the Hawks this season remains a mystery, his availability for the Olympics is practically impossible to forecast.

It’s very plausible the 33-year-old center will cherish a three-week break in February to rest his body and prepare for the stretch run of the NHL season, especially having already won gold in 2010 and 2014. But if he does want to participate, he could crack the Canadian lineup yet again.

Connor Murphy — USA

The USA’s aforementioned loaded defensive corps make Murphy’s road to Beijing difficult, but injuries and opt-outs could feasibly open a spot for a reliable guy like him. Murphy, an Ohio native, held a captain or alternate captain role on USA teams at the 2016, 2017 and 2018 World Championships.

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Linda Mensch, pictured with daughter Jessica Heyman, was killed in a hit and run crash August 26, 2021 outside the Garfield Park Conservatory. | Provide by Lynn Orman Weiss

At least three witnesses said they saw the driver as he briefly got out of his van. Police have the license plate number and the name of the owner. A surveillance camera caught the hit-and run.

After enjoying a “beautiful afternoon” at the Garfield Park Conservatory, Linda Mensch and a longtime friend walked out with a brightly painted pot from the gift shop.

Her friend offered to carry the heavy pot, and Mensch followed a few feet behind as they walked through the crosswalk in front of the West Side conservatory. A black van barreled past and hit Mensch, the driver getting out briefly before speeding away.

Mensch, 70, died at the hospital, her death mourned by musicians and artists and others she helped as a lawyer.

That was a week ago and there has been no arrest, despite considerable evidence provided by witnesses and a police surveillance camera.

At least three witnesses said they saw the driver as he got out, including the friend who gave a description to investigators. Police have the van’s license plate number and the name of the owner. The camera caught the hit-and run.

Police have released images of a black 2007 GMC Savana cargo van, along with a plate number, but no description of the driver.

Mensch’s daughter Jessica Heyman, a public defender in New York City, said the family has received no updates from police. A spokesman for the department would only say the investigation was continuing and no one was in custody.

“It’s a little disappointing,” Heyman said. “I’m assuming that they’ve taken it seriously, but they haven’t really been in touch to keep us updated at all.”

‘An endless zest for life’

Heyman said she will remember her mother as a powerful, kind and generous woman who had “an endless zest for life” and a deep appreciation of the arts and music.

“She just gave great advice,” Heyman said. “She always made everything seem easy. She knew the right person to talk to to make whatever it is you want to have happened happen.”

Mensch grew up in New York and came to Chicago decades ago to begin a long career as an entertainment lawyer.

“She wanted to uplift young people and people in the music industry — she was very passionate about artists’ rights and she loved, loved finding new music,” said Lynn Orman Weiss, Mensch’s longtime colleague and friend.

In the 1990s, Mensch became president of the Chicago Chapter of the Recording Academy and tapped Orman Weiss to serve as vice president. The pair went to about 25 Grammy Awards shows together.

Mensch began hosting a Grammy party in California before the ceremony for Chicago-based nominees.

“She was a life force,” Orman Weiss said. “And just a very humble human being. With everything she did in life and all of the people that she helped, she never wanted accolades.”

Mensch worked closely with a number of acclaimed artists, including Ella Jenkins, Honeyboy Edwards and the group the Ohio Players. A member of that group, James “Diamond” Williams, recently told Wiess that it was Mensch who helped the band secure their contract with Mercury Records back in the early 1970s. Mensch also briefly represented R. Kelly but resigned in 2018.

Provided by Lynn Orman Wiess
Mensch represented children’s music singer Ella Jenkins for nearly 30 years.

‘We had a continuous vision’

Mensch served as a president of Lawyers of the Creative Arts, a group that provides free legal services for artists and entertainers.

“We just had a continuous vision that we could make Chicago and the rest of the world a better place through the arts and through helping one another,” Orman Weiss said.

For over a decade, Mensch served as a board member at “A Safe Haven,” an organization dedicated to preventing homelessness in the city.

“She was busy in her personal life and at the same time not too busy to help other people,” Abe Thompson, a friend and fellow board member said.

Thompson could not remember exactly when he met Mensch — it was too long ago — but said she was like family, someone he was “proud to know and love.”

Provided by Lynn Orman Weiss
Mensch stands in between Orman Wiess and A Safe Haven CEO Neli Vazquez Rowland with Linda at a foundation gala.

Many couldn’t believe Mensch was 70 when she died, her daughter said, because “she was ageless in her energy.”

Heyman said police stopped by the family’s home the night of the crash to notify them of Mensch’s death, and returned the next day to conduct a photo array with her friend who witnessed the accident.

“I was going to try and call over, but as far as I know I don’t even see a card in the house to figure out who to contact,” Heyman said.

“We’ve also gotten a lot of comments from both the Garfield Park Conservatory board and the officers that were at the scene that this is an area that has a lot of hit-and-runs and a lot of unsafe driving,” she said.

“It was the main entrance to the conservatory, like the main door,” Heyman added. “To have no markings there whatsoever to tell cars they are supposed to be slowing down (and) watch out for pedestrians, seems very confusing to me.”

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Do you know someone who makes Chicago a better place to live? We want to hear about them. Submit a nomination for Chicago magazine’s annual Chicagoan of the Year feature, due out in December.

To nominate, please provide:

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I expect Andy Dalton to …

Be better than Nick Foles was in the Bears’ offense last year but not good enough to silence the cry for Justin Fields to start. For all his experience, decision-making and intangibles, Dalton still is at the mercy of the offensive line, which is a huge unknown entering the regular season. If the Bears can run the ball, Dalton will hold onto the job longer than many Bears fans would like him to.

When will Justin Fields play his first snap? …

Against the Rams in Week 1 in a red-zone or goal-line package designed especially for him. Matt Nagy locked himself into Dalton being the starter, but he still wants to play with his new toy. He’ll find a way to incorporate Fields in key situations — like the Saints use Taysom Hill — and hope his luck has improved since he tried to emulate Sean Payton’s alternate-quarterback tack last year only to have Mitch Trubisky suffer an injury.

When will Fields make his first start? Unless the offense is as bad as it was under Mike Glennon in 2017, that could be awhile. A steady Dalton could have strong performances against the Bengals in Week 2, the Lions in Week 4, the Raiders in Week 5 and the Packers in Week 6. If Dalton eventually falters, any game after that is a possibility — with the home game against the Ravens on Nov. 21 after the bye a likely spot.

Do you trust Matt Nagy?

I trust Matt Nagy to keep this team together — there might not be a more player’s-pal coach in the NFL. It remains to be seen if he can design and call an offense that will be effective in the NFL. But if things aren’t working out, I trust him to make the quarterback change sooner rather than later.

The Bears’ roster is still missing …

Proven offensive tackles in their prime. Jason Peters is 39. Larry Borom is a 23-year-old rookie. Germain Ifedi is 27 with a sketchy history. The Bears were right to search for upgrades over Charles Leno and Bobby Massie, but might end up missing both of them if Peters shows his age and Ifedi doesn’t take the next step.

Which injured player will they miss the most?

Alec Ogletree should be an acceptable replacement for Danny Trevathan in the Bears’ defense. And we don’t know how big of a hole rookie left tackle Teven Jenkins leaves. But the Bears don’t have a player with quite the gadget-ability of Tarik Cohen. Even if Damien Williams and Khalil Herbert are productive as a complement to David Montgomery, the offensive dynamic Cohen provides Matt Nagy is tough to replace.

Which defensive player is under the most pressure?

After Robert Quinn? Second-year cornerback Kindle Vildor. Even if Jaylon Johnson fills the Kyle Fuller role in the secondary, if Vildor is a weak link in the defense it will be costly at that position.

I feel better/worse about the Bears than I did Day 1 of camp …

Worse, with an explanation. The Bears have potential to surprise on offense if the offensive line leads to a run game that gives Andy Dalton a chance. But they didn’t show much in the preseason and are counting on everything clicking when the regular-season begins. That’s a big expectation. But then again, you can never underestimate the mediocrity of the NFL.

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Jason Pickleman remembers spending countless hours of his childhood peering into the backyard of his next-door neighbor, an avid art collector known to fill his lavish Hinsdale yard with neon lights.

“My teenage bedroom overlooked a zoo of neon,” says the full-time artist and graphic designer, now based in Chicago. “It was fascinating and illuminating and exotic, and it was everything I wanted art to be. I remember thinking that I wanted to fill my life with colored light.”

For 30 years, he has done just that.

It is that colored light that Pickleman will now have on display at the Neon and Light Museum, an immersive popup experience containing more than 60 professional neon and light-based sculptures by distinguished artists from across the country, all housed within 7,000 square feet of exhibit space in the heart of River North.

“Chicago has some of the most talented neon artists in the country,” Ken Saunders, the Neon and Light Museum’s director and curator, says of the wide range of artists participating in the event, which begins an eight-week run Thursday. “And even though we do have these well-known artists all gathered here, the fact is that the neon is the celebrity because it’s taken on a second life. Now, it represents a positive vibe, when it once was simply a utilitarian, functional tool that people used to sell things.”

Pickleman will have 14 works on display, utilizing 68-inch vertical tubes of neon to create an array of thought-provoking images and messages.

“When I make my own artwork, I like to allow communication to be a little slippery,” says Pickleman, who says he long has been intrigued by the intersection between commercial and fine art. “I like ambiguity to enter my artwork. I have found that, by turning words upside-down, flopping them backwards, rotating them, mirroring them — all of which is easy to do with neon — I’m able to talk about language and communication in a multitude of ways.”

Making the Neon and Light Museum experience even more unusual is that people are encouraged to immerse themselves within the work, with each move essentially creating a new visualization.

“[Neon] represents a positive vibe: when it once was simply a utilitarian, functional tool that people used to sell things,” says Ken Saunders, the director and curator of the Neon and Light Museum.Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

“It’s so cool to see the light art reflect on the faces and the bodies of the people within the artwork,” says Pickleman, whose list of graphic design clients has ranged from The Wit to Millennium Park to Skinny Pop Popcorn. “The great thing about neon is that the artwork doesn’t stop on the wall. It continues into the space.”

“There are a million cool selfie opportunities, too,” says Saunders, adding that many of those who’ve seen the show appreciate the chance to reserve a time slot, especially amid the pandemic.

“Open Campfire” by Jason Pickleman will be fetured at the Museum of Neon and Light pop-up in River North.Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

While the Neon and Light Museum might attract its share of social media influencers looking to immerse themselves in “no-filter needed” art works, the exhibit also aims to attract masses of pandemic-weary art lovers desperate for light in their lives.

“There is a hopeful feeling here,” Pickleman says of the light-filled space. “It gives you a moment of levity in a way. Often, museums are very somber. But the Neon and Light Museum is going to feel alive while still feeling very Zen. I truly believe this is the next evolution of cultural engagement. If we can attract new audiences to a popup art experience such as this, chances are their next visit is going to be the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago or the Art Institute of Chicago.”

Pickleman is especially looking forward to greeting one person to the Neon and Light Museum.

“Yes, he’s coming,” Pickleman says of the news that his next-door neighbor of old plans to visit the exhibit to see some of the work his backyard partly inspired. “It will take everything in me not to cry when I see him walk through those doors.”

Tricia Despres is a freelance writer.

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Just because summer if over doesn’t mean festivals have ended. The fall brings more events. Here’s the latest updates on this year’s changing entertainment landscape.

By

John Silver

Updated

Sep 3, 2021, 12:58pm CDT

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The Bears will begin Week 1 preparations Monday for what looks like the hardest game on their schedule: A prime-time visit to the Rams, who have the NFL’s reigning No. 1 defense and an upgrade at quarterback in Matt Stafford.

As they approach the season, here are seven key questions:

I expect Andy Dalton to …
Exit quickly. Dalton has been a league-average starting quarterback for most of his time in the NFL and turns 34 next month. He would have to play the best football of his career to hold off Justin Fields. While Fields will almost certainly make some rookie mistakes, he’s only going to get better.

When will Justin Fields play his first snap?
The Week 4 home game against the Lions. It’s the perfect time and perfect opponent for the Bears to get him started. The Lions allowed a league-worst 112.4 opponent passer rating last season and have plunged fully into a rebuild. It’s as close to a guaranteed win as the Bears have on their schedule this season. They’ve scored 26.3 points per game against the Lions under Matt Nagy, compared to 21.8 against the rest of the league.

Do you trust Matt Nagy?
No. He has earned the skepticism that has swirled since 2018, when he rode an exceptional defense to the division title. He’s allergic to running the ball, he took back play calling after offensive Bill Lazor seemed to smooth things out at least a little last season and there’s no proof that he’s a quarterback whisperer. Are we really crediting Patrick Mahomes’ success to the one season that Nagy was his offensive coordinator?

The Bears’ roster is still missing …
A second pass rusher to complement Khalil Mack. In Mack’s three seasons with the Bears, Leonard Floyd and Robert Quinn combined for nine sacks in 2,240 snaps. Mack has still been very good, but the way to maximize him is to pair him with an effective partner.

Which injured player will they miss the most?
Rookie offensive tackle Teven Jenkins. It’s a dicey plan to go into a season depending on a draft pick to fill such a vital position like left tackle, but it got even shakier for the Bears when Jenkins needed back surgery. Jenkins could’ve bolstered the Bears at left or right tackle.

Which defensive player is under the most pressure?
Safety Eddie Jackson. Coming off his all-pro season in 2018, people were calling Jackson the next Ed Reed — with good reason. He had six interceptions, 15 pass breakups, a fumble recovery and three touchdowns. Since then, he’s had just two picks and two fumble recoveries. The Bears need more impact from someone on a four-year, $58.4 million contract.

I feel better/worse about the Bears than I did Day 1 of camp…
Slightly worse. Everything about their offseason screams mediocrity, and Nagy has barely budged off his insistence on keeping Fields on the bench. If they turn to him early, that would change the outlook on this season. Otherwise they’ve got an offense aspiring for mere adequacy and a defense trying to fight off decline.

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For Malik Alim, it seemed possible to change the world.

He was optimistic but in a practical way, searching for a social solution through policy changes, said Kevin Cao, who took a class about the intersection of policy and activism led by Alim at the Roosevelt Institute years ago.

“He was able to see a path forward,” Cao said. “He never gave up. He always stayed optimistic in an environment that really did not want him to be.”

Activists in Chicago have mourned the death of Alim, 28, since he was pulled from Mineola Bay along Fox Lake on Aug. 22. He was last seen struggling in Fox Lake after a tube he was on flipped over. It appeared that he died in an accidental drowning, said Jennifer Banek, the Lake County coroner.

This week, a resolution mourning Alim was adopted by the Illinois Senate. He was lauded as a community organizer and storyteller who “cultivated and nurtured community where he went; he encouraged people to envision a better world and to unite together to make it possible.”

Alim worked as a campaign coordinator for the Chicago Community Bond Fund, organizing more than two dozen events leading to the passage of legislation that will end the cash bail system by 2023. Gov. J.B. Pritzker described the bill as a step toward “dismantling the systemic racism that plagues our communities.”

Keisa Reynolds, the transitional executive director of the Chicago Community Bond Fund, said Alim was a thinker who was also a welcoming person and valued a sense of community, Reynolds said.

Malik Alim, a campaign coordinator at for the Coalition to End Money Bond, died in a boating accident Aug. 22.Pat Nabong/Sun-Times file

Alim was pivotal in creating the #BreathingRoom Space that is housed in the Back of the Yards neighborhood as part of the #LetUsBreathe Collective, said Damon Williams, a co-director of the collective.

Alim helped rehab the space — at one point living in the building — while also shaping it into a hub for organizing and cultural events, Williams said. Alim coined the term “well pro,” meaning wellness and protection as an alternative to policing, Williams said. The collective aims to create a world without prisons and police, according to its website.

“Many of us came together in resistance to the oppressive violence of policing, and we came together with the belief that we have to create a new world and a new way of being,” Williams said. “And a new way of taking care of each other, and a new way of actually protecting ourselves from harm and from violence, transforming our behavior toward more healthy relationships.”

Alim also worked at the University of Illinois at Chicago, helping reimagine the space at the Chicago Justice Gallery as its gallery manager and event planner, said Barbara Ransby, the director of the university’s Social Justice Initiative. Alim was keen on visuals and what would be compelling to young people who came in, Ransby said.

He organized a concert with Taina Asili, a New-York based Puerto Rican singer and activist whose music touches on liberation, Ransby said.

“I think the spoken word was very important to him and making words and ideas accessible through art and through sound production,” Ransby said.

About a month ago, Chakena Perry felt like she left Chicago Votes Action Fund in good hands when Alim succeeded her as president of the group’s board of directors.

Perry, who worked at Chicago Votes from 2013 to 2021, described Alim as an amazing storyteller. Alim opposed disenfranchisement at the ballot box.

“He tried to incorporate all the voices that we’re attempting to influence,” Perry said. “We work with incarcerated individuals, previously incarcerated folks, and the artist community. He was big on equity.”

They met in 2014 at a Black Youth Project 100 meeting, and their paths crossed again at Chicago Votes’ DemocracyCorps Fellowship. The group teaches young people about grassroots basic of democracy while trying to develop the next generation of leaders, according to its website.

“The students that we were working with in the classroom, we were teaching them stuff about the legislative process,” Perry said. “That’s one of my favorite memories of Malik because he has a really cool way of we can be serious about things, but we also have a sense of humor.”

Alim had two children with his life partner, Kristiana Rae Colon.

For Cao, 23, the class with Alim has stayed with him, in particular his message of finding a calling. Cao is attending medical school and wants to work on aging equity issues.

“There was a lesson he taught us: You have to envision a better world in order to achieve it,” Cao said. “That just stays with me. He knew that you could always make a better world.”

Elvia Malagon’s reporting on social justice and income inequality is made possible by a grant from The Chicago Community Trust.

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The NHL has approved a plan to let its players participate in the Winter Olympics in Beijing. | Matt Slocum/AP

The league, its players’ union, the International Olympic Committee and the International Ice Hockey Federation struck a deal Friday that will put the best players in the world back on sports’ biggest stage in February after they skipped the 2018 Pyeongchang Games.

NHL players are set to return to the Olympics in Beijing this winter after reaching an agreement with international officials.

The league, its players’ union, the International Olympic Committee and the International Ice Hockey Federation struck a deal Friday that will put the best players in the world back on sports’ biggest stage in February after they skipped the 2018 Pyeongchang Games.

Even after the NHL and players agreed to Olympic participation as part of a long-term extension of the collective bargaining agreement last summer, the coronavirus pandemic and related costs threatened to shelve that possibility. Instead, the sides were able to figure it out, allowing for the league or players to withdraw if virus circumstances change for the worse or there’s an outbreak during the season.

As long as that does not happen, NHL players will compete in the Olympic men’s hockey tournament for the sixth time in seven chances dating to 1998.

U.S. coach Mike Sullivan called returning to the Olympics “such an exciting time for hockey.”

He is not alone in that thinking.

Reigning NHL MVP Connor McDavid played for an under-23 “Team North America” at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and has yet to play for Canada in a tournament of the world’s best men’s hockey players.

“Just to be able to represent Canada at the Olympics and compete for a gold medal would be an absolute dream come true,” McDavid told The Associated Press this week. “It’s kind of been a long time since we’ve been able to play best-on-best internationally. I think for me and I think for a lot of guys that were on that team, it’s been a long time coming. We’re obviously looking forward to going to the Olympics if we’re all lucky enough to make it.”

It could be the first Olympics for McDavid, U.S. star Auston Matthews, 2020 playoff MVP, two-time Stanley Cup champion Victor Hedman and many others. They didn’t get the opportunity three years ago, when national teams were made up mostly of college and European professional players, except for the Olympic Athletes from Russia, who won the gold medal in Pyeongchang.

“The Olympics is one of the biggest dreams of mine and I haven’t been able to participate in one — this might be the last chance I get,” said Hedman, who was left off Sweden’s 2014 Olympic roster. “When you get an opportunity to represent your country on the biggest stage, it is one of those things that you’ll probably never forget, so yeah for me it is obviously something that I’ve been dreaming about my whole life and something I want to do before I hang up my skates.”

As recently as the Stanley Cup final, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly raised doubts about reaching an Olympic agreement. Bettman said on June 28 that it’s becoming a “rather short time frame” to get things squared away, less than eight months before the Beijing opening ceremony.

The NHL will hold All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas on Feb. 4-5 before players fly to China on Feb. 6 for the Olympics that open Feb. 9. It is similar to the 1998 Nagano Games when the All-Star festivities in Vancouver led into the first Olympics with NHL players.

“It levels the playing field,” said Hall of Fame defenseman Chris Pronger, who made his Olympic debut in 1998 and won gold with Canada in 2010. “It allows more countries to compete at a higher level. It showcases the sport.”

NHL players at the Olympics became commonplace in the years after that, with the IOC agreeing to pay travel and insurance costs and owners willing to pause the season for players to take part in the tournament. An entire generation of players grew up knowing of Olympics being a showcase for NHL stars.

“You have a dream of representing your country,” said U.S. defenseman Ryan McDonagh of the Lightning. “The Olympic Games are such a unique experience, and I think they do wonders for the sport of hockey.”

The IOC under President Thomas Bach would not pay assorted costs in 2018, leading the NHL to turn away from the Olympics and league officials expressing their concerns about interrupting the season. But the CBA extension put Olympic participation back on the rails, and USA Hockey and Hockey Canada chose NHL general managers and coaches in anticipation that a deal would be reached.

Players ultimately decided it was worth handling any virus restrictions in Beijing, which could go above and beyond the quarantined bubbles of the 2020 playoffs.

“I don’t think there’ll be anything there that we haven’t seen before,” Canada coach Jon Cooper said. “I do take comfort in the fact that we’ve been through all these different situations.”

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