DePaulia
The
Volume #106 | Issue #7 | Oct. 25, 2021 | depauliaonline.com
Dorm elevator out for week, limiting disabled students’ movement By Nadia Hernandez & Josie Stratman News & Asst. News Editors
The elevator in a “fully accessible” dorm on campus was out of service for a full week, leaving disabled students “trapped” in their dorms with limited access. The elevator in Centennial Hall was reportedly out of service from Oct. 7 to Oct. 14, making it difficult for students to
attend classes, grab meals or socialize. The high rise elevator takes students from the third floor lobby of the building in Centennial up to the living areas on the fourth, fifth and sixth floors, and the repairs took about a week to complete. Centennial Hall is equipped with
a single elevator, and is one of several disability-friendly residential halls on campus. DePaul housing describes the dorm as, “wheelchair accessible.” “They had concentrated students who needed elevator access and then trapped them,” said Gwenyth True, president of Accessible Futures at DePaul. When the elevator malfunctioned two weeks ago, Housing and Facility Operations quickly began to assess and address repairs,
Rise in crime
according to Rick Moreci, director of housing, dining and student centers. The repairs were more complicated and took longer than expected, Moreci said, and residents were notified of the service outage over email and public postings on the floors. “In my over two decades of working in housing at DePaul, I almost never see any
See DORM, page 5
Environmental activist facing jail time for criminal contempt By Erik Uebelacker Opinions Editor
NATE BURLEYSON | THE DEPAULIA Alderman Michelle Smith and 18th District Commander Jon Hein standing inront of the crowd in Old Town on Friday night. Smith and Hein lead residents through a few streets in the 43rd Ward to talk about recent crime events and neighborhood crime prevention.
‘Walk and Talk’ addresses safety concerns By Nadia Hernandez & Josie Stratman News & Asst. News Editors
Last Friday, community members gathered to walk with area police commanders and Alderman Michele Smith (43rd Ward). The ‘Walk and Talk’ came after several high-profile shootings and crimes in the 43rd Ward, which includes much of Lincoln Park and Old Town: Last week, a cop was shot through the at North and Sheffield, and last month, a DePaul student was stabbed in the butt outside of McGee’s and a student robbed at knifepoint on campus during the involvement fair. Alderman Smith, hosted the event with new 18th district Commander Jon Hein to address concerns amid rising crime in the area. The 18th district covers the Near North area of Chicago, which stretches from the Chicago River to the south to Fullerton Ave. at the north. The anti-crime walk intended to engage community members and discuss “how to keep this precious jewel safe,” according to
State Senator Sara Feigenholtz, 6th District. Neighbors took a walking tour of their community, pointing out areas they were worried about. “The city is experiencing something the city has never experienced before,” Feigenholtz said. Jeffery Peters, a resident of Old Town, showed the group his back gate, which he said was broken down by robbers. The perpetrators broke into his house, poured tequila on his dog’s eyes, and stole and destroyed his belongings — including the wedding ring of his recently deceased mother. “It just makes me feel violated,” Peters said. Despite on-offs like the case Peters’, thefts are actually down this year, according to CPD data. Violent crimes are on the rise this year, with murders in Area 3 up 90 percent this year compared to 2019, and motor vehicle theft up 38 percent since
2019. Alderman Smith hosted another “Walk and Talk” in Oz Park in June, after a young boy was fatally shot on the 2000 block of N. Burling St, near Lincoln Park High School. To address rising crime numbers, Hein said the 18th district community needs to support police by staying in contact with each other. To put a stop to the crime, the alderman is spearheading a private camera initiative. Last week, the alderman sent out an email announcing an “OEMC Camera Program.” Smith is introducing a program to fundraise and install more of the $25,000 cameras. “Several residents have approached our office to ask whether the city will accept donations to help buy additional police cameras,” she wrote in the email. Recent crime in the area has put DePaul students, many new to campus, on edge. DePaul public safety officers are present on campus, along with the ubiquitous
See CRIME, page 7
Despite already serving over 800 days of house arrest, former human rights lawyer Steven Donziger may still be sent to prison as early as this week. Donziger was sentenced to six months in federal prison for the misdemeanor charge of criminal contempt of court on Oct. 1 by New York Federal Judge Loretta Preska. His legal team filed an appeal for the conviction, but in spite of this, Preska ordered that Donziger report directly to prison. In response, his legal team filed an expedited appeal over Preska’s order. If this fails, Donziger will have to report to prison immediately while an appellate court reviews his conviction. “If I have to serve my sentence immediately, that would be an even more terrible injustice than what’s already happened in that I will have served my entire sentence before the appellate court can rule,” Donziger told The DePaulia. Donziger famously won a landmark environmental case in 2011 against the Chevron oil corporation for their role in poisoning an area of Ecuadorian indigenous land the size of Rhode Island. Chevron was ordered by an Ecuadorian court to pay $9.5 billion in damages to the area’s inhabitants. Instead, the corporation pulled its assets from Ecuador and has spent the last decade attacking Donziger in court. Chevron was aided by two New York Federal Judges (Preska and Lewis Kaplan) with financial ties to the company, and have already drained Donziger’s bank account to cover their attorney fees, placed a lien on his Manhattan apartment and held him under unprecedented home confinement for over two years. Now, Donziger is on the verge of being incarcerated while never being afforded a jury, and while his conviction is still under review. Donziger explained these extraordinary circumstances surrounding his possible sentence, should he be ordered to report to prison in the coming days. “If the appellate court exonerates me as we hope and expect, I will have [already] served my sentence for a crime I did not commit,” Donziger said of being
See DONZIGER, page 11
2 | News. The DePaulia. Oct. 25, 2021
First Look
CAMPUS COVID-19 CASES
Sept. 3, 2021 - Oct. 22, 2021
The DePaulia is the official student-run newspaper of DePaul University and may not necessarily reflect the views of college administrators, faculty or staff. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | Lawrence Kreymer eic@depauliaonline.com PRINT MANAGING | Nika Schoonover managing@depauliaonline.com ONLINE MANAGING | Nate Burleyson online@depauliaonline.com NEWS EDITOR | Nadia Hernandez news@depauliaonline.com ASST. NEWS EDITOR | Josephine Stratman news@depauliaonline.com NATION & WORLD EDITOR | Sonal Soni nation@depauliaonline.com OPINIONS EDITOR | Erik Uebelacker opinion@depauliaonline.com FOCUS EDITOR | Kiersten Riedford focus@depauliaonline.com ARTS & LIFE EDITOR | Amber Stoutenborough artslife@depauliaonline.com SPORTS EDITOR | Darcy Waskiewicz sports@depauliaonline.com
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News. The DePaulia. Oct. 25, 2021 | 3
DePaul opens first public speech and pathology clinic By Erika Perez La DePaulia Managing Editor
The new DePaul Speech and Language clinic located in Lincoln Park that opened Sept. 23 is embodying the Vincentian mission by providing services to the DePaul community and beyond. The clinic will not only be providing services but it also houses classrooms and handson learning areas for the occupational therapy graduate program set to launch in the fall of 2022. The School of Nursing, as well as the Department of Psychology, will also collaborate on research and learning within the clinic. Part of increasing diversity and access to the speech and language clinic will be providing services to bilingual families. DePaul will also offer a bilingual English-Spanish certificate program. Currently, the clinic is accepting screenings and evaluations. Therapy sessions will begin in January 2022. The clinic will have treatment for the following aspects of communication — fluency, voice disorders, articulations of speech and sound disabilities, swallowing and people who need alternative ways to communicate. Jayne E. Jaskolski, speech language pathology program director, was hired two and a half years ago to come and build the speech and language pathology program and she is proud of the work the department has achieved. In efforts to provide equitable access to speech and language services, the clinic will be providing services to all individuals for free. A donation is never required, but if you choose to donate it will continue to support the clinic’s services. “It’s through the mission of St. Vincent DePaul we are able to create services for the community,” Jaskolski said. “We are able to go and make sure that everyone has access to get these services regardless if they have the ability to pay.” Jaskolski says speech and language services are expensive and may or may not be covered by someone’s insurance. “This is a social justice piece, where we want to make sure that all people have the ability to communicate,” Jaskolski said. According to the 2010 Census, 27.6 percent of the U.S population identified as a minority and 16.3 percent of that identified as Hispanic. But in the field of speech language pathology only 8.5 percent of pathologists identified as a minority. Of that, only 6.1 percent identify as Hispanic. “The speech and language program at DePaul is focusing on recruiting diverse students for them to serve the communities they come from,” Jaskolski said. According to Jaskolski, people are coming from far and wide across the state. People from Crystal Lake and far south to Olympia Field. “People are contacting the clinic because they are impressed with their mission and bilingual services,” Jaskolski said. The clinic has also received referrals from Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and the University of Chicago Medicine department. DePaul students are also contacting the clinic for speech and language services. Theater and music students are coming for therapy to make sure they are using their voice correctly. Jaskolski sees a great future for students in the speech and language pathology program. “All of our students are already living within our mission, which is important to us,” Jaskolski said. “My goal is that when our students graduate from here and someone sees our alum, they are going to say, ‘that is a vincentian speech language pathologist.’”
Treasyri Williams Wood, director of DePaul speech and language clinic, says the community response has been incredible. “We receive daily calls, emails and visitors who express how excited they are that they finally can receive services that are tailored to their needs,” Williams Wood said. Williams Wood said bilingual services are important in Chicago because of its diverse population. “Our aim is to increase the cultural humility of our graduate students through living our mission of inclusivity and equity as it relates to service,” she said. “That is the work to be done.” Williams Wood said she is passionate about her vocation and because she gets to share her experiences with future pathologists.“I am confident that their curiosity, compassion and tenacity will propel them to go out and change our profession for the better,” Williams Wood said. Jenifer Marin, graduate student in speech and language pathology, said that as a Colombian American, Marin has experienced the importance of bilingual services first hand. “My parents who don’t speak English had a lot of trouble going to doctor visits and I would have to go advocate for them,” Marin said. “So having bilingual services where a doctor can meet your needs is really helpful.” In preparation to provide services to bilingual patients, students in her cohort are taking the required courses for the bilingual program. Students are working with Elia Olivares, who is the director of culturally and linguistically diverse program in speech and language pathology and clinical supervisor of the bilingual program. “One class that I’m currently taking is diversity and cultural awareness,” Marin said. “I’m learning about being aware of diverse cultures and how to appropriately approach patients.” As part of preparing to start working in the clinic along with faculty, Marin says she had the opportunity to perform her first screening as a student. A speech and language screening consists of a 30 minute assessment of a child’s understanding of speech, language and reading and writing abilities. This then makes it possible to identify any problems in order to receive adequate speech and language intervention. Marin says she has experience working with children. Previously, she was a therapist for children with autism. “It’s really nice because I get to see their progress,” Marin said. “I worked in the area of early intervention so if children had speech delays I was able to figure out which therapy would be best.” Since Marin is part of the first cohort of the speech and language pathology graduate program, adjustments are made along the way to set the standard for future classes. So far, she says it’s been motivating to work alongside professors in the program. “It’s been an honor. They are teaching us everything we need to know to be successful speech and language pathologists,” Marin said. “They are really open to feedback. It feels like we are all working together for the same goal.” For Marin, it’s a privilege to speak and communicate with patients in Spanish. Helping someone that might feel alone means a lot to Marin. “This clinic is offering a great opportunity to the bilingual community,” Marin said. “It’s an honor to do what I love but serve a greater purpose as a bilingual speaker in speech and language services.”
JULIANA ATENCIA| LA DEPAULIA
The DePaul University Speech and Language Therapy Clinic located in Lincoln Park.
JULIANA ATENCIA | LA DEPAULIA
The group therapy room for children at the speech and language therapy clinic.
JULIANA ATENCIA | LA DEPAULIA
The viewing room where parents may observe their kids during therapy.
“Our aim is to increase the cultural humility of our graduate students through living our mission of inclusivity and equity as it relates to service. That is the work to be done”
Treasyri Williams Wood
director of DePaul speech and language clinic
4| News. The DePaulia. Oct. 25, 2021
Discount shoppers forced to adapt with new economic trends By Corey Schmidt Copy Editor
The dollar store chain Dollar Tree announced adjustments to their pricing structure alongside Southeastern Wisconsin and Metro Chicago Goodwill’s announcement of big changes to their product offerings. “For decades, our customers have enjoyed the ‘thrill-of-the-hunt’ for value at one dollar — and we remain committed to that core proposition — but many are telling us that they also want a broader product assortment when they come to shop,” Dollar Tree President and CEO Michael Witynski said. The store plans on offering items at the $1, $3 and $5 price points at new Dollar Tree Plus locations in an effort to provide a wider variety of products for customers. By the end of 2021, Dollar Tree plans on having 500 Dollar Tree Plus stores. “We believe testing additional price points above $1 for Dollar Tree products will enable us over time to expand our assortments, introduce new products and meet more of our customers’ everyday needs,” Witynski said. However, their efforts are not ending there. The dollar store plans to open 1,500 more of these stores in 2022 and then expect to have a total of at least 5,000 Dollar Tree Plus stores by 2024. “We are a ‘test-and-learn’ organization which is what we are doing with this new initiative,” Witynski said. “Our merchants have proven that they are among the best in the industry in working with suppliers to create extreme value, and we will continue to deliver the ‘thrill-of-the-hunt’ to our customers.” Nurse and discount shopper Hannah Lanser shops at both Dollar Tree and Goodwill on a weekly basis. While she understands the change Dollar Tree has implemented, she isn’t happy about it.
“Unfortunately, this isn’t really the purpose of the Dollar Tree since it’s not going to be a dollar for everything,” Lanser said. “Kind of disappointing, [yet] understandable since everything else is going up in price all around us — like the McDonald’s dollar menu is not really a thing anymore, so I guess they have to stay competitive with the other industries.” Meanwhile, Goodwill will stop accepting furniture and larger exercise equipment on Nov. 1 and will discontinue the sale of those products on Dec. 1. The DePaulia spoke to a Goodwill manager, who asked to remain anonymous as store employees aren’t supposed to speak to the press, about the policy. While Goodwill did not directly tell the manager why these changes were implemented, they have a few ideas. “We’re getting lots of furniture but only selling a couple pieces a day,” the manager said. “To throw away most of this furniture costs us hundreds [of dollars] and the sales of the furniture does not cover these costs at all.” The work of the donation attendant position at Goodwill Stores is often busy moving furniture and other large merchandise on the floor. But, this manager still thinks there is enough work to go around. “I do not think this will interfere with any workflow during the day but we will lose customers due to the fact we won’t have such cheap furniture — we’re known for furniture people can afford,” they said. “However, we’re already too busy. This won’t affect our employees; in fact, I think it will lessen their load.” A new couch can cost well over $100, sometimes even over $1,000. Allowing low-income shoppers who need more affordable options to feel the repercussions of this new policy. The manager did say they are personally upset Goodwill is discontinuing furniture sales. They also said that furniture was often
a big item for regulars who made money off reselling products they found at the store. Devoted shoppers like Lanser have seen items disappear from Goodwill’s shelves over time, and worry about what might be to come. “I hear they are going to be [discontinuing certain items] now,” Lanser said. “I have noticed they don’t have personal items like bras and underpants anymore and they used to, at least new pairs … I feel like it’s not going to be the same, they’re not going to have the same items I normally shop for.” Despite this change and potential future changes to come, Lanser does not see herself ever walking away from Goodwill, since her love for the store is too strong. “I just love the thrill of going in there and not knowing exactly what you’re looking for but searching through everything to find a good deal,” Lanser said. “Searching through the racks, searching through the selves — honestly, [it’s] just exciting.”
“We’re getting lots of furniture ...To throw away most of this furniture costs us hundreds [of dollars] and the sales of the furniture does not cover these costs at all.”
Anonymous
Goodwill employee
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News. The DePaulia. Oct. 25, 2021 | 5
Secret of the Ooze Sludge rises from the depths of Seton Hall By Nadia Hernandez News Editor
PHOTO COURTESY OF VANESSA RAMOS
The mysterious sludge had a stench, according to Seton Hall residents.
A mysterious sludge arose from the second floor bathrooms of Seton Hall on Monday. Bathrooms were then closed for about 8-10 hours, forcing students to use other floors’ bathrooms as they waited in the meantime. Seton Hall has one communal bathroom per floor. Student residents discovered the sludge around 11:30 a.m. Monday morning, according to freshman Seton Hall resident Kae Parsons. “I was actually one of the first people to see the sludge, and our floor has a GroupMe, so that’s how we all found out,” said Vanessa Ramos, another Seton Hall resident.“We did not receive any emails about the bathroom, but people that were in the dorms just told us that they were closed off.” Students used other floors’ bathrooms while awaiting repairs until about 8 p.m., according to Parsons. “The bathrooms were closed around an hour later until somewhere around 8 p.m.,” Parsons said. “It took a while because they said there were some pretty major issues and
[they] literally had to take the toilets off, but we were never actually informed as to what happened.” Although the bathroom was closed for less than a day, Ramos said it was still an inconvenience. The sludge had a stench, according to students. “It is already annoying to have communal bathrooms, so the idea of having to go use another floor was worse,” she said. Seton residents did not receive any update from DePaul Housing about the situation. “We also tried to get in contact with them, but they were kinda hard to reach,” Ramos said. Residents were surprised that people came to repair the bathroom because nobody could get in contact with the housing department. “The [facilities assistant] on duty did not answer any phone calls, and we were surprised when people who were working on the bathrooms showed up because we couldn’t get a hold of anybody,” Parsons said. “We were not sent an email about the closing of the bathrooms or [given] any updates about it at all.” Housing did not respond in time for comment. The second floor bathroom was fixed the same day.
MADDEY MAES| THE DEPAULIA
Chicago Police Department prop up a police line boundary. Although thefts have decreased, violent crimes are on the rise.
CRIME continued from front page blue boxes stationed around campus. Public safety also sends students emergency notifications. “DPU alerts are helpful, albeit a bit anxiety inducing,” said freshman Lauren Hunt. Natalie Lara, a sophomore at the Lincoln Park campus, said she takes extra care when walking home at night and is sometimes nervous taking the train. However, she said a safer campus and community doesn’t necessarily mean more policing. “I wish there was a larger security presence on campus, however I do realize that not everyone is comfortable with a heavy law informant presence with reason,” Lara said. “I think there should be a better balance.”
“The city of Chicago is experiencing something that many of us have never experienced before”
Sara Feigenholtz
State Senator 6th District
NATE BURLEYSON | THE DEPAULIA
Local officials such as 18th District Commander, Alderman and State Senators joined 43rd ward residents to discuss concerns.
6| News. The DePaulia. Oct. 25, 2021
CAMPUS CRIME REPORT:
Oct. 13 2021- Oct. 19, 2021
11
LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS
LOOP CAMPUS
12
7
Whole Foods
John T. Richardson Library 8
5
8
Sanctuary Hall
1
The Quad
6
Corcoran Hall 2
11
DePaul CDM
Munroe Hall
14
McCabe Hall
3
9
4
10
DePaul Center
6
11
12
13
LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS
Assault & Theft
Drug & Alcohol
LOOP CAMPUS
Other
OCT 13 OCT 17 1) A Criminal Trespass report was filed regarding 5) A Criminal Trespass Warning was given to a
OCT 16 10) A Criminal
a person in the Quad.
person in the Richardson Library.
OCT 14 2) An Illegal Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor
OCT 18 6) A Battery report was filed for a person in the
OCT 17 11) A Graffiti report was filed for markings on the
report was filed for a person in Corcoran Hall. Person was transported to Illinois Masonic by Chicago EMS.
OCT 15 3) An Illegal Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor
report was filed for a person in Munroe Hall. Person was transported to Illinois Masonic by Chicago EMS.
4)
A Smell of Marijuana report was filed for a room in McCabe. No drugs found.
Damage report was filed for a plaque removed from DePaul Center.
DePaul Center Barnes & Noble.
Whole Foods at Fullerton and Sheffield.
OCT 18 12) An Armed Robbery was reported at the 7-11
7) A Battery report was filed for a person outside
in University Center. A Safety Alert was issued to the campus community regarding the incident. 13) A Graffiti report was filed for markings on a window at the DePaul Center.
1151 W. Fullerton.
8) A Criminal Damage report was filed for vehicles spray painted outside Sanctuary Hall.
OCT 14 9) A Theft Center.
was reported outside of University
OCT 19 14) A Theft of Bicycle report was filed for a bike taken from the rack at CDM.
News. The DePaulia. Oct. 25, 2021 | 7
ART BY ALICIA GOLUSZKA
CENTENNIAL continued from front page issue that takes this long to fix,” Moreci said. “...Usually elevator issues are fixed in hours, not days.” During the week the elevator was out of service, True said it caused issues for students with disabilities, whom she said came to her with concerns. “The first day or two, as it dragged on, students came to me, saying it was a disaster,” True said. True said the broken elevator prevented disabled students from going to class, picking up prescriptions and going about daily life. Students were able to leave the building via the stairs, despite safety concerns regarding their disability. “Several students used the stairs, but it wasn’t safe to do so,” True said. There was minimal communication about alternatives, and no repairs timeline provided. “The protocol for assisting any student who may have a mobility issue or concern when an elevator or elevators are down is to work with that student to provide the level of assistance that makes the most sense,” Moreci said. Kate, a second-year film student who would only be identified by her first name, is a resident of Centennial Hall. Kate said using the stairs during the week the elevator was broken was physically difficult. “It put a lot of strain on my physical disabilities,” Kate said. “I can’t do a lot of steps.” Kate said she was prevented from going about
extra activities and only left her dorm for essentials. “The only time I went out was for my classes and I came back, and I went to the dining hall,” she said. One student met with DePaul Housing to voice their concerns — but said they felt disrespected and belittled by the experience. “I think housing was trying to make me go away,” the student said. “There was one point where I was asked why I was getting emotional ... I was so frustrated that I cried.” Moreci said that only one student contacted Housing about the elevator. “We very quickly offered to move the student to another build-
ing where the elevators were operational or to a first floor temporarily,” Moreci said. “No other students contacted our office that I am aware of.” The broken elevator was emblematic of a “putting out fires” approach from DePaul regarding disabled students, said both True and David Hupp, SGA senator for disabled students. “[Housing] is passive and reactive, they need to be proactive,” said David Hupp, SGA senator for disabled students. “Proactive accessibility needs to be proactively considered during the planning process of anything. And the only way to do that is by directly involving the disabled people directly in the decision making process.”
Welcome to Centennial Hall
True said that she would have liked to see more updates about the elevator’s condition and more viable alternative exits. Although the building has emergency exit procedures for disabled students, according to True, Housing didn’t present alternatives for every day and mishaps like the broken elevator. “I’m not talking if there’s a fire,” True said. “I’m talking about [everyday life].” To help this process, Moreci said students need to be registered with the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD). “In a perfect world, students with disabilities or any challenges requiring levels of assistance, whether they be permanent or temporary, would register their needs with CSD and then Housing would more easily be able to work with those students because we would know which students might need additional assistance,” Moreci said. Moreci said the broken elevator has prompted Housing to reexamine notification processes. “We are already working on ways ia our notification process to better capture students who need assistance when an issue like the Centennial elevator comes up,” he said. “Disabled students deserve some transparency and to be able to see their needs are being met and there should be a way to hold them accountable,” True said. “If you’re going to advertise it as accessible, it needs to be accessible all of the time. We need viable other options.”
8 | News. The DePaulia. Oct. 25, 2021
Chartwell’s workers ratify new contract By Josephine Stratman Asst. News Editor
On Tuesday, DePaul dining workers voted to ratify a new contract with the Compass Group, the university’s food service provider. The terms of the new agreement will include a $19.88 minimum hourly wage and a permanent extension of health insurance benefits to all workers, according to a press release. The sub-contracted Chartwells workers have been fighting for these new terms for two years. “I used to make only $15 per hour, and soon I’ll make $19.88,” Rita Gonzalez, an employee in the utility department said in a news release. “I had to go to food pantries just to put food on the table for my family. Nobody who works for Chartwells should ever have to go through that.” According to a Compass
group representative, UNITE HERE Local 1 and Chartwells have been in negotiations for a new contract since January 2020. Negotiations ramped up more than three weeks ago when workers voted to authorize a strike and remained terse when Compass group representatives proposed raises on a sliding scale earlier this month. Last week, negotiations continued for two full days until union representatives and Compass reached a tentative agreement. “I feel so good,” shop steward Isabel Avila told the DePaulia at the time. “It feels really emotional. I didn’t do it for me. I did it for everybody.” The terms of the new agreement will take into effect Jan. 1, 2022. Students have stood in solidarity with Chartwells workers at DePaul throughout negotiations by wearing pins, and stu-
dent group DePaul Community Accountability Alliance have organized with and in support of the workers. “We couldn’t have done this without the students,” said Le’Denise Henderson, a lead barista. “Thank you to all of the students who stood with us through this entire struggle.”
“We couldn’t have done this without the students. Thank you to all of the students who stood with us through this entire struggle
Le’Denise Henderson
Lead Barsita
UNITE HERE LOCAL 1 | TWITTER
UNITE HERE Local 1 and Chartwells new contract goes into effect Jan. 1, 2022.
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9 | News. The DePaulia. Oct. 25, 2021
10 | Nation & World. The DePaulia. Oct. 25, 2021
Nation & World
EVAN VUCCI | ASSOCIATED PRESS
President Joe Biden participates in a CNN town hall at the Baltimore Center Stage Pearlstone Theater, Oct. 21, 2021 in Baltimore, with moderator Anderson Cooper
Free community college expected to be cut from Biden spending bill By Collin Binkley Associated Press
President Joe Biden’s long-sought goal of free community college appears to be a victim of cost-cutting in his social spending plan, dealing a major blow to his vision for a historic expansion of educational opportunity to all Americans. Biden acknowledged as much in a televised town hall on Thursday night, citing the political realities created by Democratic holdout Sen. Joe Manchin and “one other person.” Still, he pledged that the fight was not over. “I promise you — I guarantee you — we’re going to get free community college in the next several years and across the board.” For Biden, it represents yet another setback to a plan he has been pushing for years. He backed a proposal for free community college in 2015 under the Obama administration, made it a key issue in his 2020 presidential campaign and has remained a staunch champion of the idea along with his wife, Jill, who teaches English at a community college. During the CNN town hall, Biden pointed to other provisions in the legislation, including increased Pell Grants for low-income students, as a way to make up some of the difference. Supporters are lobbying to preserve the free community college. They say it would help more Americans earn degrees while also stabilizing the nation’s community colleges, which saw enrollments plummet during the pandemic. Peter Granville, a senior policy associate at the left-leaning Century Foundation, said the plan would have given a financial boost to students who need it most. “An investment in community college is an investment in student-parents, in workers who are looking for a second chance and in the foundations of
our workforce,” he said. “Too much of the burden rests on families, and college costs keep rising.” Rise, a student-run nonprofit that supports free college, was urging supporters to call lawmakers on Friday in hopes of keeping the proposal alive. The group argues that millions of students were relying on the plan to improve their futures. Biden included the proposal in his social spending package along with a separate proposal for two years of free preschool. Taken together, it promised to expand free public education by four years and expand education opportunities from childhood through college. But free community college has drawn sharp opposition from Republicans and even some Democrats who prefer benefits that are limited to low-income students. Those who have opposed it include Manchin, D-W. Va., a key holdout of Biden’s spending plan. The proposal from House Democrats included a five-year, $45 billion plan to give Americans two years of free community college. It required states to opt in and eventually cover 20% of the cost. It was already a scaled-back version of Biden’s initial proposal, which called for $109 billion to fund the program for 10 years. Biden pitched it as an economic driver that would help more Americans get workforce training or transfer their credits to a four-year university. The plan was seen as a lifeline for some community colleges that have faced state funding cuts and smaller student enrollments. The number of students at two-year public colleges was down 10% this spring compared to last year, while four-year universities saw a decrease of less than 1%. Advocates say the pandemic has taken a heavier toll on students at commu-
nity colleges. Many juggle jobs, parenting and other responsibilities that took priority during the pandemic, and many were put on furlough or lost their jobs, putting tuition out of reach. The proposal was also intended to help address racial inequities in education. Black and Hispanic students graduate from college at lower rates than white students, but those who do graduate are more likely to have attended a community college. Granville, of the Century Foundation, said Biden’s plan would have sent students a clear message that there are affordable college options. “The financial aid system has particularly left behind Black and brown communities and low-income communities, leading to many students from those communities turning to lower quality programs at for-profit schools,” he said. Removing the free tuition proposal misses an opportunity to make college more affordable and to prevent states from slashing higher education funding in the future, said Kate Tromble, vice president of the nonprofit Institute for College Access and Success. A key provision in the proposal would have required states to maintain their funding for colleges. In times of economic downturn, states often cut higher education funding, leading schools to increase costs to families. “Without that stable funding, you’re looking at potential volatility in tuition prices,” she said. If the proposal isn’t salvaged, advocates are pressing for funding increases to other higher education plans in the bill. The package already calls for a $500 increase to the maximum Pell Grant award, but advocates say it should now be expanded further. About 20 states already offer some version of free college, and dozens of
smaller programs are offered by cities, counties and nonprofits. At the state level, it crosses political lines, with programs offered in New York and California along with Tennessee and Oklahoma. But in Congress, Republicans have firmly opposed it. Some say it’s unfair to offer free tuition to wealthier students at the expense of taxpayers who choose not to attend college. And some Democrats, such as Manchin, want benefits limited to those under certain incomes. Removing Biden’s community college plan would also deliver a blow to Democrats in Congress who made college affordability a focal point of the 2020 presidential primary. Candidates including Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren campaigned on promises to forgive huge swaths of student debt and to make tuition free at public colleges and universities. With input from his wife, Biden proposed a more modest plan: $750 billion to make community and technical colleges tuition-free, among other higher education initiatives. He also promised to double Pell grants’ top value for additional expenses such as housing, books and food. The day after Sanders ended his campaign in April 2020, Biden promised to wipe out student debt for most low and middle-income borrowers. But as president, he has scaled back those ambitions and now questions whether he has the legal authority to forgive student debt at that scale. Instead, he has focused on making community college affordable. Now, with that at risk of evaporating, it shows the stark differences between sweeping campaign promises and the realities of Congress.
Nation & World. The DePaulia. Oct. 25, 2021 | 11
Disruptions to schooling fall hardest on vulnerable students By Annie Ma Associated Press
Even as schools have returned in full swing across the country, complications wrought by the pandemic persist, often falling hardest on those least able to weather them: families without transportation, people with limited income or other financial hardship, people who don’t speak English, children with special needs. Coronavirus outbreaks in school and individual quarantine orders when students get exposed to the virus make it a gamble on whether they can attend classes in person on any given day. Many families don’t know where to turn for information, or sometimes can’t be reached. And sometimes, because of driver shortages, it’s as simple as the school bus not showing up. Keiona Morris, who lives without a car in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, outside Pittsburgh, has had no choice but to keep her boys at home on days when the bus didn’t arrive. Her two sons have missed about two weeks’ worth of classes because of such disruptions, she said. Taking her older son to school on the civic bus system those days would mean not making it home in time to get her youngest to elementary school, she said. “I feel like they’re leaving my kid behind,” Morris said. “Sometimes, he feels like he’s not important enough to get picked up.” For some families, it’s a matter of not having the private resources to deal with breakdowns in the public education system. For others, language barriers or other communication issues leave them uninformed about things like programs that let students return to school despite virus exposures, as long as they test negative for infection. And while some students can keep up with school remotely during quarantines, others receive little to no instruction, or they lack internet or devices to connect. As districts seek solutions, they have to consider that disproportionate burden, said Bree Dusseault, principal at the Center on Reinventing Public Education at the University of Washington. “If you’re going to be using a test as a tool to shorten quarantine, then all students have equal and free and easy access to that test,” she said. The first day the shortages affected her son’s route, Morris did not see an early morning email notification that her son’s bus would
DONZIGER continued from front page sent to jail with a pending appeal. “It is really unheard of for this to happen in the American system.” So much is unprecedented in Donziger’s legal battles with Chevron. He is being prosecuted by the private corporate law firm Seward & Kissel for his contempt of court, a practice that Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) called “highly unusual” and “concerning” in a July letter. Seward & Kissel, which had represented Chevron as recently as 2018, was appointed to prosecute Donziger after the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York declined to do so. “This is obviously political retaliation for my successful advocacy on behalf of the people of Ecuador and holding Chevron accountable for pollution,” Donziger said of his prosecution. Donziger is already the first person under U.S. law charged with a class “B” misdemeanor to be placed on house
RICHARD DREW | ASSOCIATED PRESS
Students board a school bus on New York’s Upper West side, pandemic disruptions remain inevitable as students return in-person. be canceled, and the two of them waited at the stop for a ride that never came. Staying at home has taken a toll on her kids, who are both more engaged when learning in person. On the days their bus was canceled and they had no access to the day’s lesson, the makeup work built up, putting them behind in class, she said. For her older son, she said, the transition to middle school and missing social aspects of being with peers have been especially hard. The effects of unpredictable stretches at home can mirror those of chronic absenteeism and lead to long-term harm to learning, said Robert Balfanz, a research professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education. “The irregularity of your attendance is as important as the total amount you miss,” Balfanz said. “It lingers with you because you miss key moments of learning that everything else builds upon, and that can even lead to later frustrations.” Some families have had more guidance than others in navigating unexpected, unstructured periods of learning at home. In Seattle, Sarah Niebuhr Rubin’s son was sent home for two weeks when he was identified as a possible virus exposure. Because the exposure counted as an excused absence,
Rubin said her son received no live instruction and no consistent services for his reading disability, except for two sessions with specialists who went out of their way to meet with him.
arrest prior to trial. He is also the first lawyer in New York history convicted of contempt to be held for more than 90 days in home confinement. His sixmonth prison sentence is the maximum for his charge, one for which no U.S. lawyer has ever spent a day in prison. “There’s never been a lawyer ever forced to go to jail for the criminal offense I’ve been convicted of,” Donziger said. “Again, I assert my innocence. But even if you were to assume I was guilty, people just don’t go to jail for this crime.” Despite the remarkable conditions surrounding Donziger’s prosecution, his story has largely evaded mainstream news coverage. It is important to note that Chevron invests heavily in media marketing campaigns, advertising with news organizations from The New York Times to CNN. “It’s very disappointing to see the lack of coverage in the major media,” Donziger said. “This is an extraordinary story on a lot of levels that calls into question the very nature of our democracy. The idea that we now live in a country where
human rights lawyers get locked up like this raises really scary questions about our society and what kind of world we want to live in.” Donziger may lack support from the mainstream press, but a number of influential organizations and people have spoken out against the injustice he’s faced from the U.S. legal system. In September, the human rights body of the United Nations requested that Donziger be released immediately and paid compensation for his “deprivation of liberty.” Twenty-nine Nobel laureates signed a letter in 2020 condemning Donziger’s house arrest, calling it “judicial harassment” by Chevron. Additionally, American students from 52 law schools, including Harvard, Yale, Stanford and NYU are actively boycotting Seward & Kissel’s recruiting process because of their role in Donziger’s prosecution. While Donziger’s support continues to grow, there is still a good possibility that he will have to report to prison while his conviction is still under ap-
Without those services, she said, he struggles to complete work without constant supervision, which she could not provide while working from home. “There really was nothing,” Rubin said. When her son returned to the classroom, she said it felt like the school year was “starting all over again.” To minimize days out of school, some districts have implemented a “test to stay” option, where children can remain in school despite exposures to infected people as long as they continue to test negative for COVID-19. In Georgia’s Marietta City Schools, students who are being tested go to a central location, where they are given a rapid antigen test in the parking lot. A negative test means they can go to school that day, while those who test positive are directed to quarantine. Roughly 30% to 40% of eligible students participate, Superintendent Grant Rivera said, and the district has begun to identify some barriers to access for families. Some cited transportation hurdles or time constraints, such as work schedules.
About a quarter of families said they weren’t aware of the program, Rivera said. Parents are notified of the testing program when they learn their child is a close contact, and the district follows up with an email. “When we make this initial phone call, there’s kind of like input overload and shock of, ‘What am I going to do about my kid and childcare and work?’” Rivera said. “We’re following up with an email, but in a district with a high ESL immigrant population, the email may not be understood by everybody in the family, or they may not be getting it.” Rivera said he hoped to expand messaging through community partners, as well as through other methods like texting. The possibility of further disruptions keeps some parents on edge. For a while, firefighters in McKeesport were volunteering to drive children to and from school. Recently, Morris’ children’s bus has been on time. But she worries she and her son will be left waiting again. “I have that worry in the back of my mind that it’s going to happen again,” Morris said. “And if it does, I’m just going to be ready to pull my kids out of school and homeschool them, even though it’ll be more tough for me.”
peal. As devastating as this would be for him and his family, Donziger highlighted the importance of this case to the Ecuadorian plaintiffs who are owed their reparations. “I think it’s important to make the point that these attacks against me are really attacks on the Ecuadorian people who beat Chevron in court,” Donziger said. “That’s what this is. And Chevron doesn’t want indigenous peoples collecting multi-billion-dollar environmental pollution judgments, and they decided that the easiest way to evade paying the judgment, and send a broader message to lawyers to not take them on, is to attack me personally.” For now, Donziger awaits his extended appeal to see if he will have to report to prison immediately. In the best case, he will remain on house arrest until the appellate court reviews the constitutionality of his conviction. “The case as a whole is unconstitutional. You can’t have private corporate prosecutions in America,” Donziger said.
12 | Opinions. The DePaulia. Oct. 25, 2021
Opinions
MADDY MAES | THE DEPAULIA A student sits at Saint Vincent’s Circle in DePaul’s Lincoln Park campus. Students have returned to campus after a full year of online classes due to Covid-19.
The Ghost of Education’s Past After over a year of online classes, many DePaul students are seeing campus for the first time By Elizabeth Hernandez Contributing Writer
I put the fresh in freshman, but not in a cool, stylish way. It’s more like a late-to-class-because-I-couldn’tfind-the-elevator kind of way. I am in my sixth year of college, yet I feel brand new. The Covid-19 pandemic paused the world as we once knew it. March 2020 is a significant notch in the timeline of humanity, most people can tell you exactly where they were when they realized Covid-19 would cause a shutdown. Like millions of students worldwide, I was at school. The academic year that followed transformed how we learned. We went from sitting next to classmates and sharing notes, to virtual adjacent boxes and sharing screens. Our bedrooms became our libraries. We were once able to ask for help instantly, face-to-face, but that switched to virtual office hours and email exchanges. The memories of pre-pandemic school haunted my head and lurked
“I’m trying to get all my classes in-person because I feel like I can do better in person than online... [As an] international student, interaction is important.” Shaheer Roshan
DePaul University Sophomore around as I would join with computer audio instead. College, I want to remember you for what you were, not what you are – and there lies the problem. This is the ghost of education’s past – past, present and future. It’s what I remember school to be like before compared to what it was during the shutdown and now, as a second-year graduate student, when I struggle with adjusting to an entirely new program.
My first year of school at DePaul was primarily spent in my apartment. I looked forward to lengthy Zoom classes because they gave an opportunity to speak and be heard. I set up meetings with my professors and advisors because I craved communicating, but what I really wanted to do was set up a class-only zoom just to walk to my fellow students outside of a five-minute breakout room. Now, classes are back on campus
and so are the students who lived behind their screens for over a year. A generation of learners forced inside are now catching up on not only assignments, but a year’s worth of experiences. Sure, moving across the country in a pandemic was not exactly the plan, but that is the situation I found myself in. I’m not alone. Shaheer Roshan, a rising sophomore and marketing student, moved from Pakistan to Chicago to attend DePaul University during Winter Quarter 2021. In order to meet his visa requirements, he had to take one in-person class each quarter. “Mostly my online classes – I’ll be honest I used to sleep in some of those because it was early in the morning, but I still managed to get good grades,” Roshan said. “Being in person and seeing everyone around is really joyful because when I was on campus last winter, there was no one – literally just like the people from my classes. It [was] depressing.” Roshan is enjoying the livelyier campus atmosphere compared to the last academic year. “I’m trying to get all my classes in-person because I feel like I can do better in person than online,” Roshan said. “[As an] international student, interaction is important.” Remote instruction made school more complicated for students like DePaul freshman Isadora Halsband, whose senior year of high school was hybrid depending on Covid-19 rates in Michigan. “I’m a pretty extroverted person and I like to talk to people and meet new people,” Halsband said. “I can’t really learn over a screen very well.” She said she was so used to finishing school, driving home and getting away from her work. The pandemic blurred the line between workspace and leisurely space for students learning from home. Halsband now lives on DePaul’s Lincoln Park campus. “This is a very liberating feeling to be able to walk around and meet people,” Halsband said. “I think it was kind of a strange transition. Already high school is a big transition to college. I came from a little suburb… So, to come to Chicago and all of a sudden be on campus and seeing all these people in person is a big change.” I’ve been at DePaul over a year and I’m learning so much in the classroom and in the city itself. Learning in person is more fulfilling than pressing a button to raise my hand. I still have a lot to learn and a lot to explore my last two quarters here. I’ll never forget walking into the UIC campus building on Jackson and asking a custodian if it was DePaul. Surprised, he pointed across the street and continued to mop. I wonder if he could tell I was a sixthyear freshman. I wonder if he was a ghost of my education’s past.
The opinions in this section do not necessarily reflect those of The DePaulia staff.
Opinions. The DePaulia. Oct. 25, 2021 | 13
Facebook whistleblower exposes uncomfortable truths By Micky Braeger Contributing Writer
Earlier this month, a former Facebook employee named Frances Haugen revealed privileged information about the social media giant on CBS’s “60 Minutes”. On the show, Haugen brought to light multiple internal documents showing what she claimed was malpractice by the company. The documents showed that Facebook’s management team had been aware for years of many of the negative consequences of the algorithms they use to give content recommendations and, most importantly to the company, to feed sponsored content to their users. Some of the documents in the report also show that Facebook executives had access to internal research showing that one of their subsidiaries, Instagram, had produced negative mental health outcomes in teenage girls who became image-obsessed as a result of frequent use of the app. The documents also reiterated that Facebook’s problems are not just limited to the United States, showing that the company was aware that its platforms were primary communication centers for ethnic violence and hate speech against Muslims in Sri Lanka and Myanmar, countries where Facebook invests very little in content moderation, even though almost everyone who is connected to the internet uses Facebook as their main communication platform in both nations. These are only a few examples, and they are certainly indicative of a problem in the way we interact with social media in our day-to-day lives, and many people feel Facebook has a negative effect on our society as a whole. “I totally believe Facebook has had a negative impact on society. Just look at the last presidential election and all of the uncertainty surrounding it because of misinformation and disinformation
SOLEN FEYISSA | WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Facebook app servers (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger) all went down for hours on Oct. 4.
on social media,” said Brian Wright, a senior in DePaul’s College of Communication. When all was said and done, Haugen copied over 10,000 of these documents from Facebook’s internal research and communications. This is certainly an impressive operation for one person to do covertly at one of the largest corporations in the world, but what did we really learn that the public hasn’t been telling Facebook for years now? In her interview with “60 Minutes,” Haugen stated, “The thing I saw at Facebook over and over again was there were conflicts of interest between what was good for the public and what was good for Facebook. And Facebook, over and over again, chose to optimize for its own interests, like making more money.” The question that must be raised is one of power and corporate responsibility. How much power does Facebook really have over our daily lives? Is that power real or manifested? And what broader responsibilities does Facebook, a publicly traded corporation, have to
the general public besides making money for their shareholders? Many people would like to believe that Facebook is some kind of social public utility the government can regulate as a response to this whistleblower complaint, or they would like to see the government regulate them similarly to the big tobacco lobby after their own whistleblower expose on “60 Minutes” in the 1990s. Unfortunately, this may not be as apt of a comparison as many of us would like, because the nature of a company like Facebook is far different than that of big tobacco or a public utility, and the company’s international activity and user base make it very difficult to regulate. “The reality here is that these are now multinational corporations and that makes them very difficult for the U.S. government to regulate on its own. Also, these services have become an integral part of many people’s personal and professional lives, so a regulatory change would be very difficult to achieve,” Samantha Close, DePaul professor of communication studies, told The DePaulia.
So where does that leave us? We understand that there is a problem with Facebook and other related media companies with vitriolic political speech and hate speech, and we also understand that the algorithms which filter content on these platforms serve to promote such content because it is divisive and creates a whole lot of “Meaningful Social Impressions” in the comments (A.k.a ranting political fights). Though we must also consider the benefits of these services and algorithms as well, such as a small family business being able to sell and scale its products across the country, or people being led to social group pages that align with their interests, perhaps making them feel less alienated in the world and giving them a sense of community. The bottom line is, Facebook and its associated apps and algorithms are not going anywhere anytime soon, and because of the international scope of the company and the public good that it provides despite many observable negative outcomes, we cannot rely on Congress to enforce any meaningful change upon the company and the industry as a whole. That change must come from inside, but that will only happen with pressure applied from us, the general public, and not just pressure on Facebook, but on their biggest advertisers as well. If whistleblower Frances Haugen is correct that Facebook will always prioritize its profits over the public good, then it is incumbent upon all of us as everyday citizens to push for incremental changes by taking actions such as buying less from their marketplace, getting our news and information from alternative news feeds (Apple News, Flipboard, etc), and by having our “Meaningful Social Interactions” on Facebook/Instagram pages that promote positive content (Tanks Good News, UpWorthy, etc). At the end of the day, it is only our actions that will be able to show Facebook that they can only make profits if they align those profits for the public good.
Letter to Editor: In defense of religion requirements By K ierstin Cole, Muhammad Farrag & Saran K arunan As representatives of Ecumenical and Interfaith organizations at DePaul, we were concerned with the recent opinion piece on the religious inquiry requirement published by The DePaulia and felt the need to respond. It is important to establish a common foundation of understanding by defining the concept of interfaith as it pertains to education and community building at DePaul University. Interfaith at DePaul revolves around the Four Ways of Interfaith Dialogue. These include: (1) the dialogue of life — in which people of different faiths and spiritual traditions strive to live in an open and neighborly spirit, (2) the dialogue of action — in which people of faith collaborate with others in building a just society, (3) the dialogue of religious experience — in which people steeped in their spiritual traditions share their ways of searching for God (which includes prayer and worship) and (4) the dialogue of theological exchange — in which people have theological discussions and share about their faith. Just by being a student at DePaul University, one is already engaged in interfaith work and dialogue since they are in community with those of different faiths. By taking a class of a religious tradition that is not your own, you are already
partaking in interfaith; philosophy and religion classes that engage in discourse about God and religion are inherently part of interfaith since they involve theological discussion and exchange. Furthermore, the aim of religious inquiry classes is not to convert or impose a given belief system, it is to expose students to a broader spectrum of beliefs about the world, including beliefs that may not totally align with a student’s own belief system. Such exposure is vital to producing engaged global citizens capable of engaging in discourse across spectrums of belief, identity, and political ideology — a skill many adults today lack. There is absolutely an argument to be made regarding the options available to fulfill this requirement, and that conversation will be an important step to fulfilling DePaul’s new mission statement (spring 2021) that specifically calls all of us to, “compassionately uphold[s] the dignity of all members of its diverse, multi-faith and inclusive community.” Removing the religious inquiry requirement would not only work against the school’s mission, but it would decrease inclusivity at DePaul and reinforce the echo chamber of belief systems that characterizes contemporary society. In addressing the previous opinion piece, objecting to the lack of diversity in religion class offerings because there is not enough encouragement of reli-
gious tolerance while simultaneously asking that religious requirements be lifted because people shouldn’t have to learn about religion is a contradictory claim. We also agree that it is easy to learn broad strokes about religion, but as stated in the previous opinion piece, religion is incredibly individualistic. Interfaith is not really a course you can teach. The only way to truly understand different religious traditions, and be a part of interfaith, is to meet people of other faiths and learn from them. Likewise, tolerance cannot be taught, it’s learned through experience and interfaith dialogue. Interfaith work and education oftentimes involves challenging and uncomfortable moments and situations. We welcome discussion on this issue, as long as it’s informed by factual information and an understanding of the resources and faith communities DePaul has to offer. There are several other interfaith opportunities on campus for those who want more involvement and exposure to religion and interfaith, such as events put on by the Interfaith Scholars, the Ecumenical Scholars and the Religious Diversity and Pastoral Care team. The Interfaith Scholars host a quarterly 4D event (formerly known as QIRC) where students of different religious traditions and backgrounds have an open-mic style event to share their art and work from their religious upbringing. Supplemental interfaith events and
ROBERT ANTOON | THE DEPAULIA Saint Vincent de Paul Catholic Church
resources on-campus are available to those who are willing to seek it out and get involved. Both the Ecumenical and Interfaith Scholar teams are always available for conversation and to provide support to those who are seeking a community. It is our hope that DePaul will continue to foster Vincentian tradition and interfaith values.
14 | Focus. The DePaulia. Oct. 25, 2021
Focus
FIGHT OR FRIGHT Controlled fear allows students to experience adrenaline rush By Nikki Ramos Contributing Writer
Why do people like to be scared? It’s the tingle on the back of someone’s neck, the tensing of muscles, the held-in shriek all while peeking at the screen through the slits between their fingers—it’s the feeling of being afraid, and, for some reason, people love it. Halloween is the perfect time to plunge into controlled fear. For many, the whole month is dedicated to seeking out activities that will put them in a terrified trance, from Ouija boards to haunted houses and
horror movies. Even when fear has a firm grasp on life already, whether it be in a global pandemic or the impending doom of climate crises, there remains a deep desire in humanity to be scared. “Some psychologists call this a form of ‘benign masochism,’” psycholog y professor Linda Camras said. “It’s an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to master [or] regulate their emotional responses. It’s like a form of practice play.” Benign masochism is a term first coined by Paul Rozin, a psycholog y professor at the University of Pennsylvania, to explain humans
MADDY MAES | THE DEPAULIA
Senior Brooks Harris stares with wide eyes as hands are placed around his face.
DID YOU KNOW? According to Chapman University, in January 79.6 percent of Americans said they were scared of corrupt government officials. 58 percent said they were scared of a loved one contracting COVID-19 and 54.8 percent said they were scared of economic collapse. KIERSTEN RIEDFORD | GRAPHIC
CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY | SOURCE
perceive no real threat during sensations of fear, instead they actually enjoy these negative feelings. When someone “plays” with fear while fully reassured that no harm will come to them, it is easier to identify the ways they may react if a similar situation, with “real” threat, were to occur. DePaul alumnus Jacob Reno said he seeks out scar y movies, haunted houses and rollercoasters any time he can. He said he even wants to tr y skydiving at least once in his lifetime. Reno said he loves to do things that bring him fear because he finds pleasure and a sense of adrenaline rush in tr ying these activities. “It’s the sense of controlled chaos,” Reno said. “My body is able to experience these feelings in a controlled, safe way, granting me a fuller life experience. It’s not exactly tr ying to instill myself with fear, it’s that I get to live to tell the tale.” Many enjoy the feeling of elation that occurs directly following a controlled fear setting, partly due to pride in having successfully “sur vived” a fearful experience, and also due to chemicals released in the brain during and after these fearful events. Psychologist Christopher Dwyer said during fearful experiences, people experience a rush of adrenaline and a release of endorphins and dopamine, which can result in a “pleasure-filled, opi oi d - l i ke” euphoria. Hence, the overall positive associ-
ation many people attribute to feeling fear. Junior Fabricio Navarro said feeling fear ser ves as a distraction from the rest of life. He said he agrees with Rozin’s explanation of benign masochism and the concept of fear in controlled environments is an outlet of practice play, but he said his admiration of fear is rooted in finding a more thrilling way to live life. “Life is so incredibly monotonous,” Navarro said. “Fear is one of the emotions that’s hardest to control and hardest to
Focus. The DePaulia. Oct. 25, 2021 | 15
master. Maybe [fear is] the only thing that reminds us of being wild animals.” Though many people agree with Navarro, there is a sense to life where there is already too much fear. This is applicable to ever yone’s life as of late, especially with most people experiencing a global pandemic for the first time ever, as well as sur viving in an age where climate change is more relevant as the days go on. Fear exists ever ywhere, especially
now. People have been terrified to be near their loved ones, to live in areas where the land is sinking, to live in a countr y where corrupt leaders endanger families and also fear leaving because immigrating, especially illegally, can harm them even more. Realistically, currently and over the past two years, people have feared a lot in their daily life, no matter how continuous and repetitive their life may seem or seemed in the past. Alternatively, to avoid feeling the effects of modern day fears, most instilled by COVID-19, people can give into controlled fears like going to haunted houses and watching horror and thriller movies. And while giving into these fearful experiences may seem counterintuitive, encountering controlled fears can help people see the false threats of clowns, jumping out of a plane and fake axe murderers rather than the eerie realistic threats of dying from a virus, their house being flooded or seeing their loved ones get deported because of an illegal immigrant status.
MADDY MAES | THE DEPAULIA
Junior Kevai Lewis stares with wide eyes, reacting to the question of what she is most scared of.
SHAKING IN YOUR BOOTS YET? Take a look at the biggest fears of DePaul students.
Liz Bazzoli | Sophomore
I hate driving. My worst nightmare is definitely either being hit by a car or hitting someone else with my car.
Luke Herman | Freshman
My biggest fear at the moment is the Chicago winters because they can be obnoxiously cold and bitter.
Vanessa Ramos | Freshman I am afraid of free falling to my death. I have gone rock climbing without a harness and it scares me to death and makes me panic.
KIERSTEN RIEDFORD | GRAPHIC
MADDY MAES | THE DEPAULIA
ALICIA GOLUSZKA | ART
Junior Kevai Lewis hides her face with her hands, showing one eye.
16 | La DePaulia. The DePaulia. Oct. 25, 2021
La DePaulia
Nueva clínica de terapia del habla y el lenguaje de la Universidad DePaul servirá a la comunidad diversa de Chicago By Erika Pérez
Gerente Editorial, La DePaulia
La nueva clínica de terapia del habla y el lenguaje de la Universidad DePaul abrió sus puertas el 23 de septiembre en Lincoln Park. Incorpora la misión vicenciana para proveer servicios a la comunidad de DePaul y otros. La clínica no solo brindará servicios, sino que también albergará aulas y áreas de aprendizaje práctico para el programa de posgrado de terapia ocupacional que se lanzará en otoño de 2022. La Escuela de Enfermería, así como el Departamento de Psicología, también colaborarán en la investigación y el aprendizaje dentro de la clínica. Parte del aumento de la diversidad y acceso, la clínica proporcionará servicios del habla y lenguaje a las familias bilingües. DePaul también ofrecerá un programa de certificación bilingüe inglés-español. Actualmente, la clínica está aceptando exámenes y evaluaciones. Las sesiones de terapia comenzarán en enero de 2022. La clínica tendrá tratamiento para los siguientes aspectos de la comunicación : fluidez, trastornos de la voz, articulaciones del habla y discapacidades del sonido, deglución y personas que necesitan formas alternativas para comunicarse. Jayne E. Jaskolski, directora del programa de patología del habla y el lenguaje, fue contratada hace dos años y medio para construir el programa de patología del habla y el lenguaje y que está orgullosa del trabajo que ha alcanzado el departamento. En un esfuerzo por brindar un acceso equitativo a los servicios de habla y lenguaje, la clínica brindará servicios a todas las personas de forma gratuita. Nunca se requiere una donación, pero si elige donar, continuará respaldando los servicios de la clínica. “Es a través de la misión de St. Vincent DePaul que podemos crear servicios para la comunidad”, dijo Jaskolski. “Podemos ir y asegurarnos de que todos tengan acceso a estos servicios, independientemente de si tienen la capacidad de pagar”. Jaskolski dice que los servicios de habla y lenguaje son costosos y pueden o no estar cubiertos por el seguro de alguien. “Esta es una pieza de justicia social, en la que queremos asegurarnos de que todas las personas tengan la capacidad de comunicarse”, dijo Jaskolski. Según el censo de 2010, el 27.6 por ciento de la población estadounidense se identificó como una minoría y el 16.3 por ciento de la que se identificó como hispana. Pero en el campo de la patología del habla y el lenguaje, sólo el 8.5 por ciento de los patólogos se identificaron como una minoría. De eso, solo el 6.1 por ciento se identifica como hispano. “El programa del habla y lenguaje en DePaul se enfoca en reclutar estudiantes diversos para que sirvan a las comunidades de donde provienen”, dijo Jaskolski. Según Jaskolski, la gente viene de todas partes del estado. Gente de Crystal Lake y del sur como Olympia Field. “La gente se está comunicando con la clínica porque está impresionada con su misión y sus servicios bilingües”, dijo Jaskolski.
JULIANA ATENCIA | LA DEPAULIA
La sala de terapia grupal para los niños en la clínica de terapia del habla y el lenguaje en la Universidad DePaul. La clínica también ha recibido referencias de Shirley Ryan AbilityLab y del departamento de medicina de la Universidad de Chicago. Los estudiantes de DePaul también se están comunicando con la clínica para obtener servicios de habla y lenguaje. Los estudiantes de teatro y música vienen a terapia para asegurarse de que están usando su voz correctamente. Jaskolski ve un gran futuro para los estudiantes en el programa de patología del habla y el lenguaje. “Todos nuestros estudiantes ya están viviendo dentro de nuestra misión, que es importante para nosotros”, dijo Jaskolski. “Mi objetivo es que cuando nuestros estudiantes se gradúen de aquí y alguien vea a nuestro alumno, dirán, ‘ese es un patólogo vincentian del habla y lenguaje’ ”. Treasyri Williams Wood, directora de la clínica de patología del habla y el lenguaje, dice que la respuesta de la comunidad ha sido increíble. “Recibimos llamadas diarias, correos electrónicos y visitantes que expresan lo emocionados que están de que finalmente puedan recibir servicios que se adaptan a sus necesidades”, dijo Williams Wood. Williams Wood dijo que los servicios bilingües son importantes en Chicago debido a su población diversa. “Nuestro objetivo es aumentar la humildad cultural de nuestros estudiantes graduados al vivir nuestra misión de inclusión y equidad en lo que se refiere al servicio”, Williams Wood dijo. “Ese es el trabajo por hacer.” Williams Wood dijo que le apasiona su vocación porque puede compartir sus
experiencias con futuros patólogos. “Estoy seguro de que su curiosidad, compasión y tenacidad los impulsará a salir y cambiar nuestra profesión para mejor”, dijo Williams Wood. Jenifer Marin, estudiante de posgrado en patología del habla y el lenguaje, dijo que, como colombiana-estadounidense, ha experimentado la importancia de los servicios bilingües de primera mano. “Mis padres, que no hablan inglés, tuvieron muchos problemas para ir al médico y yo tendría que abogar por ellos”, dijo Marin. “Por eso, contar con servicios bilingües en los que un médico pueda satisfacer sus necesidades es realmente útil”. En preparación para brindar servicios a pacientes bilingües, los estudiantes de su cohorte están tomando los cursos requeridos para el programa bilingüe. Los estudiantes están trabajando con Elia Olivares, quien es la directora cultural y lingüísticamente diverso en patología del habla y el lenguaje y la supervisora clínica del programa bilingüe. “Una clase que estoy tomando actualmente es la diversidad y la conciencia cultural”, dijo Marin. “Estoy aprendiendo a ser consciente de las diversas culturas y cómo abordar adecuadamente a los pacientes.” Cómo preparación para comenzar a trabajar en la clínica junto con los profesores, Marin dice que tuvo la oportunidad de realizar su primera evaluación como estudiante. Una evaluación del habla y el lenguaje consiste en una evaluación de 30 minutos de la comprensión del habla de un niño,
el lenguaje y las habilidades de lectura y escritura. Esto permite identificar cualquier problema para recibir una intervención adecuada del habla y el lenguaje. Marin dice que tiene experiencia trabajando con niños. Anteriormente, fue terapeuta de niños con autismo. “Es bueno porque puedo ver su progreso”, dijo Marin. “Trabajé en el área de intervención temprana, por lo que si los niños tenían retrasos en el habla, podría averiguar qué terapia sería la mejor”. Dado que Marin es parte de la primera cohorte del programa de posgrado en patología del habla y el lenguaje, se realizan ajustes a lo largo del camino para establecer el estándar para las clases futuras. Hasta ahora, dice que ha sido motivador trabajar junto a los profesores en el programa. “Ha sido un honor. Nos están enseñando todo lo que necesitamos saber para ser patólogos del habla y del lenguaje exitosos”, dijo Marin. “Están realmente abiertos a recibir comentarios. Se siente como si todos estuviéramos trabajando juntos por el mismo objetivo”. Para Marin, es un privilegio hablar y comunicarse con los pacientes en español. Ayudar a alguien que podría sentirse solo significa mucho para Marin. “Esta clínica ofrece una gran oportunidad a la comunidad bilingüe”, dijo Marin. “Es un honor hacer lo que amo, pero cumplir un propósito mayor como oradora bilingüe en los servicios de habla y lenguaje.”
La DePaulia. The DePaulia. Oct, 25 2021 | 17
OPINIÓN: Marist High School tiene que resolver el problema de microagresiones dentro de su colegio By Jocelyn Diaz Asistente de Editor Multimedia, La DePaulia
Un incidente que involucró a estudiantes de la escuela católica privada Marist High School se hizo público el 10 de octubre de 2021. Elizabeth Pacheco, una estudiante de la escuela, publicó un video en Instagram que mostraba a varios estudiantes arrodillados cuando se escuchaba la canción “Payaso de Rodeo” – un canto mexicano acompañado con un baile. Como ex-alumna de la escuela Marist y como mexicana, a mi no me sorprendieron las acciones de los estudiantes. Pero me decepcionó ver que hubo otros incidentes relacionados con el racismo en un lugar que debería ser un espacio seguro para los estudiantes. Durante mi tiempo en Marist, recibí microagresiones por hablar español con fluidez. En mi primer año de secundaria, un estudiante sentado detrás de mí y una maestra me llamaron insulto racial como “chica del gueto” por hablar español. En el video que apareció en las redes sociales, es claro ver la despreocupación de los acompañantes de la facultad. Las microagresiones, como las que se muestran en el video, se convierten en factores cruciales en la forma en que las comunidades minoritarias son vistas en escuelas predominantemente blancas, como en Marist. Aunque actos como los que se muestran en el video parecen ser indirectamente inofensivos, crea un ambiente sutilmente hostil donde, en este caso, los estudiantes
JOCELYN DIAZ | LA DEPAULIA
Jocelyn Diaz, ex alumna de la secundaria Marist, durante un partido de fútbol Americano en el 2017, latinos se sienten no deseados. El pie de foto de la publicación de Pacheco en Instagram dice: “Nos envías correos electrónicos pidiendo fotos de nuestras familias durante el Mes de la Herencia Hispana... Si amas tanto nuestra comida, moda étnica y energía... ¿por qué estás resentido con nosotros[?]”. Esta no es la primera vez que una comunidad minoritaria en Marist ha sido atacada racialmente. En 2016, se filtró un texto grupal con más de 20 estudiantes donde dos estudiantes estaban usando un lenguaje
despectivo cuando hablaban de estudiantes de color. Según Niche, una plataforma de servicios de datos que conecta a las familias con las escuelas de todo el país, los estudiantes de Marist son 81% blancos, 9.1% afroamericanos, 6.9% latinos y 1.9% multirraciales. En el pasado, Marist ha intentado crear un cambio para celebrar la diversidad cultural mediante la implementación de clubes como EVOLVE, dirigido por el consejero escolar Erik Christensen y el paraprofesional Robert
Topps. Estos clubes parecen servir como soluciones temporales a un problema que parece estar institucionalizado. Para abordar la cultura de inclusión en Marist, Latoya Hayes, ex profesora de español en Marist, se convirtió en Directora de Diversidad, Equidad e Inclusión en julio de 2021. En su mayor parte, los intentos pasados han tenido resultados similares, con los estudiantes volviendo a comportamientos que hacen que los grupos minoritarios dentro de la escuela se sientan excluidos. Con figuras prominentes como George López y Jessica Marie García comentando y compartiendo el video, los estudiantes en las redes sociales encuentran consuelo en la alianza. En un comunicado de prensa publicado por Marist en Instagram el 12 de octubre de 2021, oficiales de la escuela dijeron: “Nos tomamos muy en serio las denuncias realizadas por nuestros estudiantes, algunas de las cuales han sido denunciadas en las redes sociales y en los medios de comunicación”. El comunicado emitido por Marist parece tener el mismo tono y falta de un resultado prometedor. Ese mismo día, los actuales estudiantes latinos de Marist organizaron una protesta en contra del ambiente racista y micro agresivo en el colegio Me sentí inmensamente orgulloso de ver a algunos profesores unirse y ofrecer su apoyo; esto servirá como garantía de que algunos profesores ven las microagresiones y se solidarizan con los estudiantes.
El fin de una lucha
Trabajadores de la Universidad DePaul Chartwells ratifican nuevo contrato By Josephine Stratman & María Marta Guzmán Editor Asistente de Noticias, The DePaulia & Jefa de Redacción, La DePaulia
El martes, los trabajadores del servicio trabajadores votaron para autorizar una de alimentos de la Universidad DePaul huelga. Ellos se mantuvieron callados votaron a favor de ratificar un nuevo cuando los representantes del grupo contrato con Compass Group, el proveedor Compass propusieron aumentos en una de servicios de alimentos de la universidad. escala móvil a principios de este mes. Los términos del nuevo acuerdo La semana pasada, las negociaciones incluirán un salario mínimo de $19.88 continuaron durante dos días completos por hora y una extensión permanente de hasta que los representantes sindicales y los beneficios del seguro de salud a todos Compass llegaron a un acuerdo tentativo. los trabajadores, según un comunicado de “Me siento tan bien”, dijo Isabel Ávila, prensa. unas de las representantes de la unión. “Me Los trabajadores siento emocional. subcontratados de Yo no lo hice por Chartwells llevan dos mí. Lo hice por años luchando por estos todos”. nuevos términos. Los términos “Antes ganaba del nuevo sólo $15 por hora, y acuerdo entrarán pronto ganaré $19.88”, en vigor el 1 de dijo Rita González, -Isabel Ávila enero de 2022. una empleada del L o s departamento de servicios públicos en un estudiantes se han solidarizado con los comunicado de prensa. “Tuve que ir a las trabajadores de Chartwells en DePaul despensas de alimentos solo para poner durante las negociaciones usando alfileres. comida en la mesa para mi familia. Nadie También, el grupo de estudiantes DePaul que trabaje para Chartwells debería tener Community Accountability Alliance que pasar por eso”. se ha organizado con y en apoyo de los Según un representante del grupo trabajadores. Compass, UNITE HERE Local 1 y “No podríamos haber hecho esto sin Chartwells han estado en negociaciones los estudiantes”, dijo Le’Denise Henderson, para un nuevo contrato desde enero de barista principal. “Gracias a todos los 2020. estudiantes que nos apoyaron durante toda Las negociaciones se intensificaron esta lucha”. hace más de tres semanas cuando los
“Yo no lo hice por mí. Lo hice por todos”.
FOTO CORTESÍA DE UNITE HERE LOCAL 1 | FACEBOOK
Las trabajadoras de la Universidad DePaul Charwells.
Arts & Life
18 | Arts & Life. The DePaulia. Oct. 25, 2021
The small coffee shops that make up Chicago By Amber Stoutenborough Arts & Life Editor
As the fall season turns chilly, small businesses compete with giant corporations for customers as the classic seasonal drinks cater to Chicagoans’ tastes. With 164 Starbucks and 226 Dunkin’ in Chicago, smaller coffee shops struggle to keep up with the competition. Pedestrian Coffee, located right off the Belmont L stop, is a new small business coffee shop owned by Tim Taylor. The name Pedestrian, as well as their motto “extraordinary coffee for ordinary people,” is a play on simplifying good coffee to make it appeal to the common person, a life motto for Taylor. “I take pride in being a small business in the world, it makes an attempt to give back in a positive way to the community,” Taylor said. “We’re just trying to meet people where they’re at because they’re asking for it and we put our own twist, elevate it a little bit and make it more of a culinary experience rather than just something cranked out.” This is not Taylor’s first business, but he launched Pedestrian in the middle of the pandemic. He said while it was a struggle in the beginning, especially being sandwiched between a Dunkin’ and Starbucks, the appeal for a personalized experience with coffee is something most people come here specifically for. “I’m hiring people that I think I could trust to represent me and my company in a manner that is about generosity and engaging people and so that’s who I hire; people who have concern for what’s going
on in people’s lives and part of our training includes being sensitive to the people who walk in and we want to greet them but we don’t want to just read everybody the same,” Taylor said. Pedestrian isn’t the only small coffee shop with strong connections to its community, Drink Happy Thoughts, located in Uptown, operates with the same attitude of appealing to personal connection. With the dog treats by the door, the remembering of names after two visits or the personal recommendations and considerations, Drink Happy Thoughts pushes the importance of intentional community. Hannah Swartz has been a barista for five years and started working at Drink Happy Thoughts during January of last year. Swartz highlights that their favorite thing about working for a small business is the relationships built within the community and the personal care the company gives to their employees. “With coffee you quickly get regulars, you get people that make this a part of their routine and get to know what they do and their time of day that they come in here,” Swartz said. “I enjoy it more, being in a small service setting and more creativity and this is a family-owned, really tight team, certainly the smallest group I’ve worked with, it’s really nice. There’s a lot of communication and support like ships and stuff, it’s not like a more corporate situation.” Coffee connects all kinds of Chicagoans, but for most college students, small coffee shops add to a level of interest for a place to study. DePaul senior Savana Schubert says
MADDY MAES | THE DEPAULIA
Front of the Pedestrian Coffee Shop off the Belmont Stop that while she goes to many small coffee shops, Dollop Coffee has the perfect atmosphere to finish up her Sunday essays. Some of her other personal favorites are Two Hearted Queen, Heroes Coffee and Heritage Coffee. “I love Dollop Coffee, they have a few locations in the city and have such good coffee. It’s my favorite place to study,” Schubert said. Swartz believes the support small coffee shops create is important for the neighborhoods of chicago and they find comfort in the mutual respect in connection each small business has for each other. “I think the coffee community here is really supportive and connected and I think it’s important to highlight that over supporting a business like Starbucks or McDonald’s,” Swartz said. “The city needs more of a reminder that there’s a lot of people working really hard to make a welcoming community.”
ALISON SHULTZ | THE DEPAULIA
Drink Happy Thoughts Coffee Shop
Halloween is back and Chicago is ready to celebrate - safely By Elizabeth Hernandez Contrributing Writer Last October, rising Covid-19 cases kept people indoors. Now, according to the Chicago Data Portal, over 59 percent of Chicago residents are fully vaccinated as of Oct. 21, giving community members peace of mind. “Last year, we did not go trick-ortreating,” Alexandra Harris, of Lincoln Park and mother of three, said via email. “We just had a small ‘Halloween party’ with another family who we see very regularly — our ‘bubble family.’” This year, Harris plans on going trickor-treating with her children on North Fremont Street and is considering wearing masks outdoors to take precaution. “I have not talked about this extensively with my kids, but I think I want them to wear masks,” Harris said. “Even though it is an outside activity, there are always a lot of people out and about and I think masks would be the safest option.” To help keep people safe at Halloween festivities, the city of Chicago released the Halloweek safety guidelines. On Oct. 12, Mayor Lori. Lightfoot and city departments announced the
return of Halloweek in a press release. “We are so proud of how far our city has come in regards to COVID-19, and we are excited to celebrate Halloween safely once again in 2021… and we aim to keep our numbers low as we head deeper into Fall,” Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Allison Arwady said in the press release. Halloweek precautions recommend wearing masks regardless of vaccination status whenever social distance cannot be maintained in an outdoor event. Masks should be required for indoor events and are recommended for outdoor events where vaccination status of attendees is unknown, according to the guidelines. The city’s guidelines also recommend trick-or-treaters eat their candy after washing or sanitizing their hands along with trick-or-treating in small groups to avoid over-congregating. Those passing out candy should sanitize or wash their hands frequently and keep a safe distance from trick-or-treaters. Beyond collecting candy on Halloween night, there are dozens of local events leading up to the holiday. Fall Fest at the Lincoln Park Zoo is taking place through Oct. 31. Walk through the pumpkin patch and enjoy various food and beverage options.
ALICIA GOLUSZKA
Ballet Folklorico de Chicago is hosting their Dia de Muerto event at Eckhart Part at 6 p.m. on Oct. 29. The Arts in the Dark Halloween Parade is on the eve of Halloween at 6 p.m. in the Loop on State Street. Some hesitation remains when it comes to celebrating the Halloween season. “I don’t have any plans,” said DePaul junior Talia Kendall. “I feel like if you’re outside, it’s probably fine to go out without a mask, but definitely [for] inside parties, wear a mask, [but] you can’t social distance too much inside. It’s a little bit contradictory.”
Kendall said she would feel conflicted if she heard there was a large Halloween gathering among her student peers. “On one hand, I love to do stuff like that. On the other hand, [it’s our] first year being back on campus from Covid, I wouldn’t know what to do,” Kendall said. The Halloweek guidelines are in place to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 and ensure safe celebrations. Find more information on the city’s guidelines at chicagohalloweek.org.
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DePaul Comfort Halloween Movies ALICIA GOLUSZKA
Angela Sampers Contributing Writer
Halloween is creeping up and the annual binge of comfort Halloween movies begins. DePaul students find comfort and nostalgia in watching their favorite scary or horror-free movies they enjoyed as a child and still enjoy today. In the search for a Halloween-related movie on the shelf of DVDs or various streaming platforms, there’s something for everyone from fantasies and mysteries to horror and childhood classics. For Hannah Begley, a DePaul junior, she finds comfort in the Tim Burton movie The Nightmare Before Christmas, allowing her to revert to her childhood while still bringing her comfort to this day. “My sister and I would watch it together every year as kids, now we plan to watch virtually since we’re apart,” said Begley. Begley says it’s her favorite because it has the perfect combination of Christmas and Halloween compiled with an adorable soundtrack and a heartwarming story that creates a sense of comfort for her and her sister. In contrast to the heartwarming story of The Nightmare Before Christmas, Anna Russell, a DePaul senior has a nostalgic love for the comedy horror, Monster House. “Monster House definitely encouraged my love for scary movies as a child,” said Russell. “It’s quite dark but there’s a ton of humor in it that I enjoyed as a kid and still enjoy when I watch it now.” From her very first viewing of the supernatural animation in theaters at only around five years old, Russell says it brings a lot of nostalgic memories for her because it reminds her of being little and not having anything to worry about. “I don’t normally watch it every year, but when it’s free on a streaming service it’s an immediate play,” said Russell. “I actually watched it the other night with a friend.” Maryann Ress, a DePaul sophomore has loved the eccentric stop-motion fantasy, Coraline, since she first saw it in theaters when she was seven years old and continues to watch it every year. “The animation and the memory of being little and going to the theater is what brings me comfort and nostalgia,” said Ress. “It reminds me of a time when I was little and wanted to be like Coraline.”
When Russell feels stressed out or is having a bad day, she says a movie like Monster House will make her feel less stressed or pressured. According to an article from Psychology Today, experimental evidence indicates that nostalgia is experienced as an overwhelmingly positive emotion. To avoid fully embracing the frightening expectations of spooky season, comforting Halloween movies can provide relief and potentially allow you to re-enter your childhood as an adult without judgment. Russell supports the idea that most college students cling to comfort movies because it brings them a sense of nostalgia as if they were a kid again with no responsibilities. Every Halloween, these movies remind Begley of the childhood excitement of Halloween and how it brings us back to those childhood memories around the fall season. “To relax, [college students] rely on things that bring nostalgia and remind them of a time when they weren’t super stressed,” said Ress. To these DePaul students, there’s comfort and nostalgia in going back into their childhood and reminding them of a much simpler time of being a kid with a pillowcase full of candy and turning on Disney Channel’s “Monstober” or ABC Family’s – now Freeform’s “31 Days of Halloween” after a long night of trick or treating. For those who might be hesitant to attend a populated Halloween party due to COVID, enjoying your favorite Halloween movie with close friends, family or by yourself in the comfort of your home may be an alternative option. “Talking about Monster House and nostalgia is making me want to dress up and go trick or treating,” said Russell. Based on conversations and surveys conducted, a variety of Halloween movies bring DePaul students comfort during spooky season. Including fan favorites such as Halloweentown, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Hocus Pocus, Harry Potter, Beetlejuice and Coraline. Honorable mentions include the classic It’s a Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, Scary Godmother and Adams Family Values.
AMBER STOUTENBOROUGH
20 | Arts & Life. The DePaulia. Oct. 25, 2021
Chicago Fashion Week celebrates mental health By Lily Lowndes Social Media Editor
A month after models stomped the New York Fashion Week runway, Chicago held its own collection of shows organized by FashionBar, a fashion business consulting firm that provides a platform to local, national and global designers and brands. According to FashionBar, the mission of Chicago Fashion Week is to “transform Chicago into the fashion capital of the Midwest by advancing emerging and established talent.” From October 10-17, designers unveiled a total of 27 collections across nine shows focused around different identities and styles, including the Bridal Show, Next Gen Show, Eco-Friendly & Sustainable Show, Trans Media Show, Ready-2-Wear Show, Swimwear Show, Urban & Streetwear Show, Modest Show and Eveningwear Show. Chicago Fashion Week is a bi-annual event for designers from all walks of life to showcase their collections to a wider audience and to celebrate the city’s unique flavor. “Chicago is trying to establish itself as a fashion destination,” said Kevin Ross, a partner of Chicago Fashion Week. When compared to Los Angeles or New York City, Chicago may not stick out as a fashion town. Los Angeles is known for its plethora of modeling agencies and New York City for its iconic fashion brands. Nestled between the United State’s two fashion capitals, Chicago is breaking out and forging its own identity within the fashion world. Chicago Fashion Week is an opportunity for the city to lean into its uniqueness and highlight diverse talent, FashionBar
LILY LOWNDES | THE DEPAULIA
Models posing for Chicago’s Fashion Week show themed “Health is Wealth” on October 10th through 17th CEO Tony Long said. “Diversity, inclusion, culture — that’s what makes Chicago great,” Long said. Long took those values an put them at the core of the shows at Chicago Fashion Week, centering each asrunway show around an identity or style, rather than a specific designer or collection. At the Modest Show, designers displayed their collections featuring hijabs,
burkas and other traditional Muslim garments. At the Trans Media Show, transgender and gender-nonconforming models took center stage. At the Ready-2-Wear show, designers presented collections inspired by modern tastes. The overall theme of Chicago Fashion Week was “Health is Wealth,” placing emphasis on wellbeing and self care. In addition to the runway shows, FashionBar
presented “The Marketplace,” a group of 15 vendors selling garments, accessories and wellness products. “Wellness is the foundation of everything you do in life,” Long said. Chicago Fashion Week powered by FashionBar will return this spring, to proveChicago’s potential as yet another fashion capital filled with new designers, collections and styles.
LILY LOWNDES | THE DEPAULIA
Model walking down the runway at Chicago Fashion Week.
Group of models posing at Chicago Fashion Week.
LILY LOWNDES | THE DEPAULIA
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Fans say Chicago band Divino Niño defies labels and embodies the heart of the indie music scene By Jana Kunz
Contrributing Writer
Bilingual Chicago band Divino Niño’s albums are full of lighthearted, groovy love songs that will make you feel like you’re in a digital camera montage of summer shenanigans—even amid the second half of the quarter and the onset of chillier Chicago weather. Which is pretty impressive. In Quiero, the second track on the album Foam, the drama of Camilo Medina’s rolled r’s and captivating intonation in the Spanish verses is complemented by the chorus, sung in English and accompanied by backup vocals: “I don’t ever wanna change your mind I wanna be with you the way that you are” All of the sounds: smooth and funky electric guitar, acoustic strumming, punchy rhythms and shimmery, soaring synth, combine to make something that is not quite traditional Latin American rock, not quite your normal indie pop, but something new and unexplored. The beginnings of Divino Niño can be traced back all the way to the childhoods of Javier Forero and Camilo Medina, who sing and play bass and guitar for the band. They spent their early years together in Bogotá, Colombia, and then reconnected in Miami by chance after both of them moved. Sharing a passion for music, they played together for their mega-church in Florida, but the limiting culture of the church held them back. Eventually they decided to expand their musical horizons, left the church, and set out for Chicago together to go to college and explore a new music scene, according to WBEZ. Even though they left their old home behind, their roots still come through in their mix of Spanish and English lyrics and their smooth, summery sound. “I would love to give people a little vacation,” Medina said to WBEZ. The band just came out with a new single, Drive, in 2021, and are currently on tour with Crumb through November. Adrian Lara, 26, is a handyman and guitar repairist working in Chicago. He plays music, and got to know the band through going to shows, helping them load out their equipment, and running into them, since he lives in Hermosa and they live in Humboldt Park. He said that part of what makes Divino Niño unique is the long history between the band members, because playing music with someone that you know well is a different experience. “There’s more of a shorthand, you don’t really need to tell them, hey at this part do this thing, you just kind of give them a look, and they know what you’re talking about” Lara said. He is a econd generation Mexican immigrant—his mom is from Totoltepec Puebla and his dad is from Olinala Guerrero. The band helps him to feel connected to his heritage. “I deeply appreciate that they sing in Spanish. It’s really cool to see that people are trying to stick to their roots and make music that is pretty different from a lot of stuff even here in Chicago,” he said. Lara describes himself as someone who is really into music, and he knows a lot of other similar people in Chicago just through going to shows. He said that the band is very involved with the general community of indie music. “The indie scene here is awesome so everyone just kind of knows each other.
They’re definitely involved a lot. They help out so many people, which is awesome. And very needed,” he said. Foam, the band’s most recent album, came out in 2019. Lara said that as they have come out with more music, they have grown into their own unique sound. “In their first album, Pool Jealousy, the Latin American roots are very, very present. That album is a bit more akin to what most people would just call indie rock with Latin American influences,” he said. In the next albums, he could see more direction. “Come Foam, it’s so apparent—this is them, this is their music, and it’s super original and amazing,” he said. “There are so many different interesting layers of just instrument beds that are in their music that mesh perfectly.” Gayun Cannon is a sophomore at DePaul majoring in music business. She took a stab at what genres she thinks capture Divino Niño’s music. “It has to be some kind of Latino pop, but also some type of dream pop and psychedelic pop vibe to it. Just because there’s so much reverb in their music, and it’s just so airy,” she said. Cannon has been playing music since she was four, and in the past year started writing and putting out her own songs. She saw Divino Niño play for the first time when they opened for Crumb at Thalia Hall in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, and fell in love with their music and style. Since then, she got a job at Thalia Hall, and on Oct. 8, she got to see them there again at a show with all Chicago artists. “The lead singer - his dancing is what caught me first. He exuded so much confidence on stage, like he gives me Freddie Mercury energy,” she said. “But then his voice was just beautiful and caught me off guard, it was just so unique. Some of the things he was saying were in Spanish so I didn’t really understand, but it was just the way he was singing it.” Bianca Brown, on the other hand, connected to the Spanish lyrics of their songs because of her Mexican roots. She is a sophomore education major at DePaul, and she speaks Spanish at home because her mother immigrated from Mexico. She also listens to many Latin American bands like Bad Bunny and Juanes. After listening to Divino Niño for the first time, she agreed with Cannon and Lara about the band’s energy, and said that their music felt a bit different than what she’s used to— more youthful. “I like them, because it seems like they’re made more for people who are our age, a little bit more than some of the other music I listen to,” she said. Beverly Bryan, in a Pitchfork review of Foam, said something similar. “‘Ooh la la’ backing vocals notwithstanding, Foam is a progressive-minded record. If its references are nostalgic, its spirit isn’t … Foam demonstrates that it’s possible to draw from everywhere, without sounding quite like anything else,” she said. The band provides something new and inspires a new generation of musicians, like Cannon, who has been influenced by their creativity and smooth execution. “I want people to feel everything when they listen to my music - because I feel everything when I listen to their music,” she said. though, for how vastly he overshoots his acting choices. Karia undoubtedly could’ve helped curved Whishaw’s more
drastic tendencies, while still delivering the same anxiety-ridden film and eliciting a winning performance from Whishaw. Though Whishaw’s turn in “Surge” is an impressive study in a single actor’s ability to carry a film, its fraught filmmaking combined with an already borderline ex-
Divino Nino courtesy of Wikipedia
orbitant leading performance results in a viewing experience that dips too far into the uncomfortable to be worth the price of admission.
PHOTO FROM WIKIPEDIA
22 | Arts & Life. The DePaulia. Oct. 25 2021
what’s FRESH
‘Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ announces major update
SURGE review: Ben Whishaw stars in frenzied slice-of-life thriller
PHOTO FROM IMDB
By Lauren Coates Staff Writer MARYANN RESS, THE DEPAULIA
Maryann Ress’ character by the art muesum in Animal Crossing New Horizions game
By Maryann Ress Contributing Writer
Animal Crossing: New Horizons made its way to our Nintendo Switch screens during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. For some, it brought solace when there was nothing to do but worry about the future. For others, it brought back a sense of childhood nostalgia. The game was filled with memories of when we used to take our Nintendo DS on long car rides or play the Wii with our friends. After almost a year and a half since the game’s initial release, it was a shock to some when Nintendo announced the game’s new major update on Oct.15. Many people have abandoned their island homes due to the lack of new features since the game’s initial popularity faded away, according to Polygon. The new and free update is planned for Nov. 5 of this year and will bring back some old favorite characters from past Animal Crossing games including Brewster, a pigeon, Kapp’n, a turtle, and Katrina, a panther. According to Nintendo, Brewster will open a café on the second floor of the museum. Players can even invite their friends with Animal Crossing islands over to Brewster’s café. With Kapp’n, players can go on boat rides with the sea shanty and travel to other islands where players can discover “mysterious flora that’s never been seen before, or islands with different seasons and times of day”. Gyroids, which were first seen in Animal Crossing: New Leaf, will also be added to the game. Harv’s island, which players could visit through the airport, will also have a major redesign in the update. Harriet, a poodle, will partner with Harvey, a dog, to bring more shops to his island. Katrina’s shop on the island will tell fortunes.
The ability to cook new recipes will also be added to the game and players will be able to grow and harvest vegetables. Players can also expect “group stretching at the plaza and bigger home storage, to the Resident Representative being able to establish ordinances like reducing the rate at which weeds grow or making all the residents get up early in the morning,” according to the announcement. In addition to the free update, Nintendo announced Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise, which will also be released on Nov. 5 of this year. Players can buy the expansion for $24.99 and will be able to “help create vacation homes for clients on resort islands” under the guide of Lottie, an anthropomorphic otter, as you become a member of the Paradise Planning team. The extension was created to allow players to further express their creativity. Animal Crossing is known for its relaxing effect on players, due to its escapism aspect and the freedom for players to express their creativity. Its music has also had a relaxing effect on players and many users have created compilations of the game soundtrack into study and sleep playlists on YouTube. In the announcement of the update, Nick Chavez, the senior vice president of sales, marketing, and communications at Nintendo of America, acknowledged the game’s relaxing effect. “With all this new content, we can’t wait for players to rediscover the vibrant world of Animal Crossing: New Horizons and enjoy new opportunities for relaxation and self-expression,” Chavez said.
Though nobody can truly say they enjoy being stressed out or made uncomfortable, it’s undeniable that when it comes to the movies, sometimes the most anxiety-inducing films make for the most memorable viewing experience. Flicks like “Uncut Gems” and “Shiva Baby” found success by inducing stress in their audiences, and though director/co-writer Aneil Karia’s slice-of-life thriller “Surge” tries to do the same thing, not even a thoroughly committed (if overwrought) performance from Ben Whishaw can save the film from being a messy, uninspired, and thoroughly uncomfortable viewing experience. Starring Ben Whishaw, Surge follows mild-mannered Joseph (Whishaw) who works his monotonous, unfulfilling job as an airport security officer. Living in virtual isolation with no real friends and only his aging parents for company, Joseph’s mundane life takes a sharp, sudden turn when a series of seemingly insignificant events snowball into Joseph going on a wild, twenty-four hour tear through London where he sleeps with his coworker (on whom he’s harbored a secret crush), robs several banks and crashes a wedding. While the premise could lend itself to function as a display of Karia’s nose for direction and pacing — as he also serves as one of the film’s co-writers — Surge is almost entirely a star vehicle for Ben Whishaw to show off his acting chops — at times often to both the film and Whishaw’s detriment. Karia keeps Joseph not only the POV character for the entirety of the film, but also the only character with virtually any agency — from the opening seconds to the final few frames, we’re side by side with Joseph and nobody else, meaning that the burden then falls on Whishaw’s shoulders to deliver a performance that not only keeps the film interesting, but carries both the narrative and emotional beats. Does Whishaw deliver? Certainly — though, perhaps too much so. There’s no question that he’s an actor of immense talent with roles in everything from children’s fantasy-comedy Paddington to sweeping romantic dramas like Cloud Atlas and eccentric, offbeat turns in The Personal History
of David Copperfield. Whishaw’s more than proven himself as a versatile, charismatic performer. But when it comes to Surge, the question isn’t so much whether or not he can deliver the performance, as opposed to whether he needed to deliver as much of a performance as he did. Whishaw’s acting is so entirely all-encompassing it at times becomes overwhelming to experience as a viewer. As Joseph, he’s a livewire coiled air-tight — constantly shaking, vibrating or jittering, to the extent that at one point he actually bites clean through a glass while drinking, which then prompts him to spend the next chunk of the film making all sorts of unsettling faces as he attempts to pry shards of bloodied glass from his lip. He’s not a particularly outspoken protagonist, but he rants and raves to himself and paces anxiously — unable to simply sit still. On the one hand, such a hectic performance is perfectly in-line with how the character’s written as well as Karia’s direction — the film is shot in large chunks using shakycam that follows Joseph around the city, often as if running to catch up with him. As such, one can’t entirely fault Whishaw for adapting a similarly frenzied performance — especially with virtually the entirety of the film living or dying by his acting choices alone, it’s understandable why he would want to swing for the fences in his physicality as Joseph, as it fits both the character and the tone the film is attempting. At the same time, I still wish Whishaw had toned his performance back, more acting doesn’t always mean better acting. Even though he’s an experienced actor, his performance as Joseph can at times feel unnecessarily frenetic, bordering showboat-y. The blame can’t entirely fall on Whishaw, though, for how vastly he overshoots his acting choices. Karia undoubtedly could’ve helped curved Whishaw’s more drastic tendencies, while still delivering the same anxiety-ridden film and eliciting a winning performance from Whishaw.Though Whishaw’s turn in “Surge” is an impressive study in a single actor’s ability to carry a film, its fraught filmmaking combined with an already borderline exorbitant leading performance results in a viewing experience that dips too far into the uncomfortable to be worth the price of admission.
From Seoul to Chicago
Arts & Life. The DePaulia. Oct. 25, 2021 | 23
How K-Pop has made its home at DePaul By Lucas Madlangbayan Contributing Writer
Above the hustle and bustle of the DePaul Student Center on a Thursday evening, a conference room transforms into a dance class. Cleared of chairs and tables, the carpeted floor of room 314AB becomes a dance floor as students prepare to dance in unison, from intense hip-hop to upbeat electropop. The songs on the playlist: Monster by EXO, Panorama by IZ*ONE and Rookie by Red Velvet — all Korean pop groups. From sold out concerts to McDonalds collabs, Korean pop — better known as K-Pop — has become an international phenomenon, garnering fans from around the world. K-Pop’s catchy music and complex choreography has inspired fans from all over the world to pick up dancing for themselves. In Chicago, random dance play events and dance groups see fans coming together to bond over their love of K-Pop. “When you combine dancing with K-Pop players like BTS who have been known to help people with mental health issues, and bring it into a fun loving environment, your recipe for helping a lot of people is a success,” Elliot Stine, the founder of WKPOP said. WKPOP is a Chicago-based dance program for women and girls, which focuses on empowering women. K-Pop has even found its way to DePaul in the form of the DePaul K-Pop Dance Club, shortened to DKDC. “[DKDC is] a space for anyone who’s interested in K-Pop dancing, even people who don’t have experience with K-Pop, to come in and learn dances and to build community with each other,” Madison Hill, the founder of DKDC, said. Since its creation in 2019, DKDC has been a no-judgement space to enjoy dancing with other DePaul students. For Hill, being a part of DKDC has also helped improve their physical and mental health. “My body image and self image has gotten a lot better since I started the club and started dancing more often, and it’s helped to be around other people,” Hill said. “It was definitely harder during the pandemic, when we were all kind of in different places around the country, but it’s always been a space where I can just be myself and become more confident. We’ve made it a space where no one’s judging each other. It doesn’t matter what
Let me plan your date By Amber Stoutenborough Arts and Life Editor
LUCAS MADLANGBAYAN | THE DEPAULIA
DePaul K-Pop Dance Club members practicing Monster by EXO in the Student Center level you’re coming from, it just matters that you have the motivation and the passion of learning.” In the wide space of the Student Center’s conference room, a song by the boy band EXO plays over the speakers as the members dance along to the intense music, improving with each repeat. One move, where the entire group sways in unison while the dancer in the middle is supported by two others, proves to be the most difficult challenge of the night — but instead of being discouraged, they continue to practice. “Dance in general is a pretty good all around physical activity to get healthy,” said Angela Tam, the founding Artistic Director of the Yin He Dance Company. The Yin He Dance Company offers K-Pop classes alongside others such as ballet and Chinese classical dance. “During the pandemic, a lot of people were at home, they barely interacted with other people, especially in person. So going to dance class every week gives you an excuse to really get out there.” K-Pop is more than just a music trend— for those at DKDC, it has fostered a community where students can grow together. “From when the group started, I’ve had freshmen from 2019, and now they’re juniors, and I’ve seen their own personal style of dancing grow a lot,” Hill said. “So it’s really cool and fulfilling to see people that were in that first original group start to grow. And with the new people coming in, I can already see the growth of them, even though it’s only been a few weeks.”
“So that’s what’s really important for me, it’s definitely the community,” Hill added. “People are becoming close friends, we’re hanging out a lot more often, and even the newer members are starting to get more comfortable with the older members, and I think that’s what makes me happiest.” While some have described K-Pop fans as “obsessive,” DKDC shows that K-Pop fans are passionate for the music that brings them together. “I think a lot of people have a bad rap about Kpop,” Hill said. “I think they see a certain vision of it, like on TV or social media, whatever that people are very, like crazed, but I don’t think that’s true. As someone who’s loved K-pop for four years and who grew up listening to it in my early teenage years, it’s something that people put so much passion and time and energy into. I feel like the dance group is an extension of that love and we’re better able to share our love for music and dancing. I think as long as you’re able to put it into something constructive, I think that love and energy is not a waste at all.” Just as their practice time finishes, the members of DKDC finally perfect the last part of their dance, moving in unison. The conference-turned-practice room erupts into excited chatter as the dancers, exhausted but beaming, take a well-deserved water break. “The nice thing about Halloween being a costume-centered holiday is that it will be so easy for people to incorporate face masks into their costumes,” she said. “So I’m excited to see how people stay
AMBER STOUTENBOROUGH | THE DEPAULIA
Assorted donuts from Firecakes
Firecakes Donuts + Zoo fall festival It’s the third date, which means it’s socially acceptable to take photos together, so get your cute seasonal fits ready and head to the Lincoln Park Fall Festival for a cheesy pumpkin patch photoshoot. Plan for an early Saturday morning date to beat the family crowds as you walk around one of the last good weekends without a jacket. This date is within walking distance from the Lincoln Park campus and is available for all DePaul students. Not to mention, there are fall-themed beers and cocktails available at some of the restaurants near the zoo. Firecakes Donuts On your perfect fall date stop by Firecakes on Clark for some of the best donuts in Chicago. Open every day from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., this is a popular stop for local Chicagoans. This little donut shop is not dine-in yet, but the inside is filled with cute bakery-style trinkets and a full glass display of colorful donuts, making it impossible to pick just one. Munch on their seasonal donuts like pumpkin creme brulee and apple cider and set the tone for your walk to the zoo. Lincoln Park Zoo Fall Festival
LUCAS MADLANGBAYAN | THE DEPAULIA
Members of DePaul K-Pop Dance Club practicing their moves to Panorama by IZ*ONE in the DePaul Student Center thursday nights
The Lincoln Park Fall Festival is a yearly tradition in Chicago, fit for families and college students alike filled with seasonal activities that are made for everyone’s craving of autumn fun. The Zoos fall festival is free for everyone and available every saturday and sunday from Oct. 8 to Oct. 31 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Most of the activities are free, like watching the professional pumpkin carvers create their designs, but some cost $6 per ticket to go through the pumpkin walk or make your own caramel apple and smores. After you walk off the donuts, stop by Patches’ pop-up, a fall-themed outdoor restaurant, and grab a couple burgers and beers before you go pick your pumpkin from their pumpkin patch.
24 | Arts & Life. The DePaulia. Oct. 25, 2021
D e JAMZ “Spinning fresh beats since 1581” By Amber Stoutenborough Arts & Life Editor
As the new Arts & Life Editor, it’s fitting that my first ever edition was centered around my favorite holiday. Halloween music doesn’t have to be exclusive to the “Ghostbusters” theme song, the creation of music that fits a season is . This Halloween playlist has a variety of genres to cure your summer blues and get ready for the best time of the year. Somebody’s Watching Me - Rockwell Unless you’ve had your head in the sand, this ‘80s classic has been making a virtual comeback that’s hard to miss. TikTok snatched this song from the archives and brought it up to the second highest streamed viral hit. I include this as a spooky song considering the idea of stalking is a pretty big fear factor (at least in my life).
I Put A Spell On You - Nina Simone This song is a constant on my Halloween and fall themed playlists. Only Simone can make a song about witch possession sound sexy, no matter how many years its been. While there are more remixes of this song than girls who dressed up as Harley Quinn in 2016 I still think Nina’s version creates the best spooky feel with the exception of the “Hocus Pocus” version, but I feel that doesn’t need an explanation. Spooky, Scary Skeletons - Andrew Gold I had to include an actual Halloween themed song instead of just my interpretations of spooky songs so I added this to the Jamz. This classic spooky song reminds me of last year’s Halloween when this song gained a lot of popularity with Tik Tok remixevs. It felt like a whole generation was reminiscing over the fact of missing out on a year of fun.
Crossword
PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKI
My Girlfriend Is A Witch - October Country Everyone needs a little dose of 1960s alternatives. This song predicted the future with the increase of the hot goth girlfriend trope and honestly I’m not upset. I love the pop-punk style of this band and this song is just the perfect representation. Calling all the Monsters - China Anne McClain No shame, top 10 Disney spooky songs ever. In my opinion, the golden age for Disney Channel TV Shows ended with “A.N.T. Farm” which matched perfectly with the ending of most Gen Z’s childhood and transition to middle school. Nothing is more iconic ACROSS 1. Seedy fruit 5. Crustacean with nippers 9. Wound secretion 12. Fence materials? 13. Enormous 14. Quiz 15. Moved in waves 17. Island chain 18. Substantially 19. Unmoving 21. “Looney Tunes” duck 24. Deep sleep 26. Be in arrears 27. Timeline divisions 29. Captures 33. Place for a TV 34. Lift 36. Auction unit 37. Chances 39. Word on a gift tag 40. Years ___ 41. A fan of 43. Fable writer 45. Singer Manilow 48. Nada 49. Start for a Spanish count 50. Organizes for action 56. Nancy, in Nancy 57. Paranoiac’s worry 58. Give a darn 59. Econ. statistic 60. Cuts 61. Design detail
than China Anne McClain in early 2010 fashion dancing to oversaturated dubstep with a mix of Kidz Bop for our Halloween playlist. Oblivion - Grimes I personally love this song, the synth-pop style Grimes uses reminds me of the perfect ‘80s horror movie scene where we finally find out the killer was actually the best friend the whole time. This song invokes many women’s greatest fear, stalking, as she sings about her worry of being followed. If you include the fact she’s a recent divorcee to a multi-billionaire, her whole life could be a ‘80s thriller.
DOWN 1. Bird ___ 2. Saturn model 3. Pantheon member 4. Cram 5. Burn a bit 6. Groove 7. Well-kept secret, for some 8. Obscure 9. Far from ruddy 10. Conniver 11. “Laugh-In” segment 16. Cake part 20. Run in 21. Dummy 22. Thunderstruck 23. Ward (off) 24. Where “Aida” premiered 25. ___ buco 28. Great quantity 30. “What a shame” 31. Kind of dancer 32. Check 35. Send 38. Address for an officer 42. Mayfly larva 44. Long stories 45. Keg stopper 46. Shortly 47. Cavort 48. Clearasil targets 51. Hearty cheer 52. Salaam 53. Sound of a lightning bolt 54. “... ___ he drove out of sight” 55. Instant
Sports
Polar opposites
DePaul women ranked near the top, men at bottom By Lawrence Kreymer Editor-in-Chief
The start of a new college basketball season is around the corner. With two weeks to go until the 2021-22 season begins, coaches and players gathered at Madison Square Garden last Tuesday for the annual Big East Media Day — the unofficial curtain raiser for the new season. DePaul had representatives from both the men’s and women’s basketball teams in New York, with men’s head coach Tony Stubblefield participating in his first Media Day. “This is a new day for DePaul basketball and we are here to change this program around,” Stubblefield, who was hired in April to replace Dave Leitao, said at Media Day. “Guys are going to come, play hard, lay it on the line night in and night out and play hard for 40 minutes.” During every Big East Media Day, the coaches release their annual preseason poll — picking where they think each team will finish in the standings. For the DePaul men’s basketball team, it has been an annual occurrence with the coaches selecting them to finish in last place — and that was no different this year. The Big East coaches chose DePaul to finish last for the sixth consecutive season, while Villanova was slated to finish atop the conference come the end of the season. For Stubblefield, who was previously the assistant coach at Oregon for 10 seasons, it will be about trying to prove the preseason poll wrong in his first season at the helm. He will have to do it with seven new players joining the program and with only four returning players. “We are going to get this job done,” Stubblefield said regarding turning the program around. “When I came to DePaul, I knew what the challenges were, but I’m very excited about the opportunity. The guys have been working very, very hard and you are going to be proud of this program that we are going to put on the floor.” Among the seven new players for the Blue Demons is graduate forward Brandon Johnson, who started in 24 games for Minnesota last season. He is expected to play a big role for DePaul this season inside the paint, grabbing rebounds and blocking shots. “It’s a blessing to be home; just being able to play around family and loved ones, and have them actually be 20 or 30 minutes from my games instead of six hours, is definitely a blessing to be back home,” Johnson, who is from Chicago, said on Tuesday. While Stubblefield is going to have to integrate a lot of new players into the mix, he will be able to rely on returning senior guard Javon Freeman-Liberty, who averaged
14.4 points per game last season. With guard Charlie Moore no longer at DePaul, Freeman-Liberty will most likely have the ball in his hands more and will be able to generate more offense for the team. “I just feel like this year, for me, is being the senior leader on the team, just being that guy who you can come and talk to, also put people in the right place — just be that guy,” he said. For the DePaul women’s basketball team and head coach Doug Bruno, however, the expectations are different for them from the other 10 coaches in the conference. While UConn was picked to finish in first place for the second consecutive season, the Blue Demons came in a spot lower. The Blue Demons are hoping for a much better 2021-22 campaign after ending the previous season losing four of their last five games to miss out on the NCAA Tournament for the first time in nearly two decades. DePaul finished the year with a 14-10 overall record and 11-5 in the Big East. “I think I wore our team out [last season],” Bruno said. “I’m trying to take responsibility for that. I’m just proud of them being Covid-disicplined. We were worn out at the end of the year and I think I did that to them by coaching them as if there wasn’t Covid. So I got to take responsibility for that.” “Technically, we didn’t defend, we didn’t rebound, we didn’t share [the ball]. So, if you don’t defend, you don’t rebound and you don’t share, you are not going to win games. We were still a game or two away from earning our 19th straight NCAA Tournament [berth].” Bruno has all five of his starters returning the season, with both Lexi Held and Sonya Morris entering their senior years and Dee Bekelja and Deja Church using their extra year of eligibility to return for one more season. DePaul has also added four new players, two freshmen and two transfers. “We are known as a high-scoring team, but that can only take you so far,” Bekelja said. “We have to really defend and rebound this season. I think if we do that, combined with the amount of offensive talent we have, I think we will be in good shape.” It’s not too long until both the men’s and women’s basketball teams will be able to play their first competitive games of the new season. Bruno’s team kicks off its season on Nov. 9 against Texas Southern at Wintrust Arena, while the men’s team starts a day later against Coppin State at home. Before then, however, the Big East is expected to finalize its Covid-19 protocols for the new season, according to commissioner Val Ackerman. The protocols will need to be approved by the conference’s presidents.
Sports. The DePaulia. Oct. 25, 2021 | 25
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26 | Sports. The DePaulia. Oct. 25, 2021
Potential Bears move could shake up Chicago By Darcy Waskiewicz Sports Editor
Chicago has been the home of the Chicago Bears for 100 years, and Soldier Field has been their residence for half of that century. However, with the National Football League team working to purchase the Arlington Heights International Racecourse land, they may not be the Chicago Bears for much longer. In June of 2021, the Chicago Bears put in a bid for the Arlington International Racecourse, sparking rumors of a potential move by the team out to Arlington Heights, Ill. The property is currently owned and being sold by Churchill Downs Incorporated. “At first it was kind of shocking because my biggest thing was like, ‘what are they going to be called now, the Arlington Bears?’” Taylor Sudduth, who has lived in Chicago for four years, said. “And what also shocked me, I think, was reading Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s response and how she said that they were no longer going to be the Chicago Bears if they move.” When the news that the Bears put in a bid on the property in Arlington Heights spread, Mayor Lightfoot shared a statement on the situation on Twitter. “The Bears are locked into a lease at Soldier Field until 2033. In addition, this announcement from the Bears comes in the midst of negotiations for improvements at Soldier Field,” Mayor Lightfoot said in the statement on June 17. “This is clearly a negotiating tactic that the Bears have used before. As a season ticket holder and longtime Bears fan, I am committed to keeping the ‘Chicago’ name in our football team.” On Sept. 29, the Bears signed a purchase agreement for the land with the Village of
DARCY WASKIEWICZ | THE DEPAULIA
Soldier Field has been home of the Chicago Bears since 1971, but with a potential move to Arlington Heights, that may change. Arlington Heights and Churchill Down Inc., the team announced in a press release statement. With that Purchase and Sale Agreement, the team has inched closer to a future in Arlington Heights and away from their long-time home in the city. The Bears have not always played at Soldier Field. The team was established in 1920 in Decatur, Ill., but relocated to
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Chicago a year later. In the city, the Bears shared a home base with the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field for nearly 50 years before moving further south to settle in Soldier Field in 1971 when the team was forced to find a bigger stadium that held more people. Soldier Field received additions in 1978 to make it more efficient as a long-time home for the Bears. However, the stadium was renovated and re-constructed in 2002 with a project that kept the outside shell of the field but re-built and modernized the interior. The Bears have now called Soldier Field their home for 50 years, but it’s not theirs. The team uses the stadium through a lease with the Chicago Park District and has been doing so since they first moved in. And there are many things that Soldier Field does not offer the team compared to other stadiums in the NFL. Soldier Field is small, with a capacity of only 61,500 people, which is the smallest in the NFL, per Stadiums of Pro Football. If the Bears move to Arlington Heights and build a brand-new stadium that they own, then they can build the stadium the way they want and make revenue off of the stadium. However, a move like this would certainly influence the access that fans have to the Bears. Located in the Near South Side, one of the benefits of Soldier Field is the access that many fans who live in Chicago have to it. While driving and parking can always be challenging in the city, fans can drive in and park in the lots near Soldier Field. Additionally, for those who do not drive, the CTA Roosevelt station is located about thirty minutes from the field, with the red, green and orange lines running through it. The Metra also has two stops located near the stadium, located at Museum Campus, 11th Street and another at 18th Street. That level of access will change for fans in Chicago if the Bears move out to Arlington Heights. For drivers, Arlington Park is about an hour away, while public transportation can take around an hour and half or more depending on where the
fan is coming from. However, that is what fans from suburbs like Arlington Heights currently do in order to see the Bears games at Soldier Field. There may be loss of those from the city who do not want to make the trip out to Arlington Heights, but it gives those who live in the suburbs the chance to attend the games they never had easy access to before. What one location loses easy access to, another gains. “I do think for those people that are season ticket holders, that’s where it’s going to shift but then they’ll just get new season ticket holders that live in the suburbs that didn’t ever want to drive in the city,” Brandon Washington, a Bears fan of 30 years, said. “So, I feel like it’s still going to be fine, and people will be upset for that first year but it’ll just keep moving.” While the fans may move on from the relocation eventually, the local businesses around Soldier Field may take longer to recover if the Bears leave. Fans flood the area for games, looking for places to eat, stay and socialize, and help the local businesses as a result. Barbara Hunt, a season ticket holder for 36 years, understands the Bears’ motive for potential moving but wonders how the loss of the Bears in Chicago would impact the city. “I think the Bears are in a tough position because the Park District owns the facility and so much of the revenue goes strictly to the Park District,” Hunt said while on her way to attend the Bears game on Oct. 17. “In terms of impact, I think it would be a terrible thing for the city of Chicago. I think of all the restaurants, the vendors, the locales that are around the stadium and the thousands of Bears fans that spend time there before and after games, so I think that would be terrible.” While the move is only a possibility at the moment, the Bears are taking steps towards making it a reality. And if they do, it may change the way that the fans and the city interact with the team.
Sports. The DePaulia. Oct. 25, 2021 | 27
Goalkeepers stand tall in men’s soccer scoreless tie with Butler By Darcy Waskiewicz Sports Editor
It was a battle of the goalkeepers as DePaul men’s soccer took on Butler University for their penultimate game of the season at Wish Field. After 110 minutes, nothing got past either one of them, with the game ending in a 0-0 tie. The Blue Demons entered the game coming off a big 3-2 win over Villanova University in overtime on Oct. 20 and were looking to get another win as they make a push for the Big East playoffs. Butler was also coming off a game that needed double overtime, with the Bulldogs coming away with a 2-1 victory over Marquette on the same day. One the paper, Butler looked like the better team. The Bulldogs peppered DePaul’s net all game long, attempting 20 shots and forcing goalkeeper Gandhi Cruz to make eight saves. The Blue Demons’ offense, on the other hand, had 10 shots. The game was well-balanced from the beginning, with both defenses standing strong in the opening minutes. However, Butler challenged the Blue Demons and Cruz more and racked up five shots before DePaul had one. The first real action that Butler’s goalkeeper Gabriel Gjerji saw from the Blue Demons was off a corner kick from senior forward Jake Fuderer. The Blue Demons registered their first two shots of the game and had some big chances on the play, but the Bulldogs were able to clear it away from their goal. The first half concluded in a flurry of action, with yellow cards given to midfielder Jacob Seeto, forward David Grip-
WOMEN’S SOCCER, continued from back page six shots of the game. The Friars had a chance to get on the board when a shot deflected off Eriksson towards the DePaul goal but defender Megan Malecha swiftly cleared the ball out of play. “It was very cold today, so that makes it difficult, but also the game moves so much quicker because the ball is slick and the field’s slick, so you just have to be extra careful and checked in to all moments,” Eriksson said on playing in the weather conditions. “It’s more fun though. I mean, you fly around, you get down and dirty, so that’s the fun part of it.” Meanwhile, the Friars’ goalkeeper Emma Bodmer was left untested and standing in the rain for most of the first half as the Blue Demons did not register their first shot until 40 minutes in. The action remained near the DePaul goal in the second half, with Eriksson continuing to make big saves to keep Providence off the board while the Blue Demons struggled to register another shot. Providence looked like the more aggressive team at times and had the majority of possession, while DePaul could rarely get close enough to the Friars’ goal to create real scoring opportunities. The Blue Demon did not manage a second shot until the second half, when forward Kristin Boos sent the ball towards the bottom right corner of the net but it was scooped up by Bodmer. DePaul had another opportunity later in the half when a shot from midfielder Brooke Weitzel slipped free of Bodmer’s grasp, but the Providence goalkeeper regained control of the ball before forward Morgan Turner could make a play. “The conditions definitely made it tough for both of us,” Turner said. “I think the ball was bouncing a lot and it was hard for either of us to really control the game, but I think that we just had to play really
MADDY MAES | THE DEPAULIA
Men’s soccer forward Jacob Seet and midfield Youseff Ramadan argue a yellow card. man and forward Santiago Rodriguez. The second half began with three DePaul corner kicks in a row that kept deflecting out of play, but the Blue Demons were never able to land one in the back of the Bulldog’s net. Butler had a few corner kicks of their own that the Blue Demons defended before DePaul had a corner kick that nearly led to the first goal of the game but instead bounced off the post. While there were no goals being scored, the action was not lacking from either side. The shots were constant, and both goalkeepers worked hard to stave off the first goal of the game. “It was definitely tough just because
you have to work a little bit more, especially as a goalkeeper,” Cruz said. “I think it gets the nerves going a little bit and it’s just a fun experience just because of the fact that we’re actually getting action.” Both teams were physical in the first half and that pattern only escalated in the second. Following the three DePaul yellow cards that were administered at the end of the first half, Butler received one of its own before forward Jack Richards received the Blue Demons’ fourth yellow card of the game. “It’s just chippy back and forth, especially these Big East games,” Richards said. “You sometimes got to leave some
physical.” 90 minutes was not enough, however, and as the wind picked up and the rain continued to fall, the Blue Demons went to overtime for the first time this season. The Friars controlled the start of overtime, and earned themselves an early corner kick. However, Eriksson was able to direct the ball away from the goal, and a strong kick by Turner cleared the ball out of their box. The Blue Demons had their first chance of the overtime period when midfielder Emma Costow was taken down by a Providence player, who was issued a yellow card in response. Defender Grace Phillpotts took the free kick, but it soared right into Bodmer’s outstretched hands. In what seemed to be the trend of the weekend, another overtime period was needed as the score remained at zero. The DePaul men’s soccer team also went into double overtime without a score at Wish Field on Saturday and tied with Butler University 0-0. However, that was not the case on Sunday. The ball moved up and down the field in the beginning minutes until DePaul earned a free kick right outside the Friars’ box. Turner took the kick but bounced it off the wall of Providence defenders. With her frustration rising, Turner went to make a play seconds later and took down a Providence player, which she received a yellow card for. Following the Providence free kick, a throw-in by the Friars allowed them to take the ball down the field and shoot past Eriksson into the low right corner of the goal to end the game. “It’s a skill set to play well in overtime and that’s something we haven’t developed, clearly,” Eriksson said. “I’m sad for our seniors. You want to win every game, but especially Senior Day, so that was disappointing.” The top six teams in the Big East con-
ference advance to the Big East Championship. With one game left to play, the Blue Demons are currently tied with Marquette University for seventh place with 12 points and trail St. John’s University and the University of Connecticut by a point. The Blue Demons take on Marquette in Milwaukee on Thursday to wrap up their
of the calls up to the ref and some of them went our way and some of them didn’t, so [we] just got to keep going forward.” Midfielder Michael Anderson later received the Blue Demons’ fifth yellow card with six minutes left in the half after taking down a Butler player. Just as in each team’s previous game, overtime was needed yet again. The Blue Demons controlled the 10-minute period and had many close opportunities, with a notable chance early from midfielder Patrick Watkins that clanged off the Butler crossbar. One overtime was not enough, though, and the game required a second overtime. Butler was more dominant in those 10 minutes, but Cruz stood tall and kept the Bulldogs from scoring a last-minute goal to win the game. “I thought we played well enough to win and kind of came across unlucky hitting two posts and a crossbar and I thought we created some great chances and especially in the second half and in the overtime our guys played fantastic,” head coach Mark Plotkin said. “I couldn’t be [happier] of it. Wish we could have gotten one over the line, but it was just kind of one of those days.” DePaul now has a record of 7-6-2 and 3-3-2 in conference play. The team remains in sixth place in the Big East standings with 11 points. The Blue Demons return to Wish Field again next Saturday to take on St. John’s University for their last home game before traveling to Xavier University on Nov. 3 to close out the regular season. regular season with a game that can decide their postseason fate. “We’ve got to turn up, we’ve got to leave our best game on the field Thursday night,” head coach Michele O’Brien said. “I mean, we have to win the game and it’s a must win and they know that, and we’ve got to treat it like a playoff game.”
MADDY MAES | THE DEPAULIA
Women’s soccer midfielder Brooke Weitzel clearing the ball against Providence.
Sports
Sports. The DePaulia. Oct. 25, 2021 | 28
New protocols await DePaul fans at Wintrust Arena By Darcy Waskiewicz Sports Editor
ALICIA GOLUSZKA | THE DEPAULIA
Big East conference rumored to expand By Ryan Taylor Staff Writer
The Big East conference is looking at the possibility of expanding to a 12-team athletic conference, according to an interview in The Athletic with Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman. The decision is seemingly influenced by the Big East’s expiring 12-year media deal with Fox, which will end in 2025. Increasing the competitiveness of the conference could increase the odds of a larger media deal. Ackerman and the Big East began this process two years ago after they allowed the University of Connecticut (UConn) back into the conference after a seven-year stay in the American Athletic Conference. Now, as the Big East is stuck with an odd number of teams and a chance at a larger media deal down the line, it only makes sense to expand the conference with one more team. The Big East is filled with mostly mid-major, private, religion-based schools. And, apparently having the color blue as one of your school’s primary colors is important (except for St. John’s). “What keeps us in a prime position in respect to our media rights?” Ackerman said in her interview with The Athletic. “It’s about quality basketball programming. What school would help us with our basketball aspirations, men’s and women’s? What school lines up with our existing values? What school would help us with respect to our primary revenue stream, and national TV revenue?” In a nutshell, Gonzaga is the easiest an-
swer. Evidenced by their most recent AP No. 1 ranking in the men’s basketball preseason poll, they fit right into the Big East’s basketball-centric conference and their desire for national attention over the Power Five conferences. However, as Dana O’Neil of The Athletic pointed out, they’re on the wrong side of the country and don’t fit the geographical component. Ackerman noted that geography plays a large role in deciding who they would invite to the conference. This notation is reminiscent of Gonzaga missing out on joining the Big East back Other media outlets have suggested schools like Wichita State, VCU, Dayton or Memphis. The conference is seeking a basketball-heavy school that can geographically meet the standards of being close to its current competition. Wichita State and Memphis come from the AAC, VCU from the highly competitive ACC and Dayton from the Athletic 10. All fit the criteria of becoming members of the Big East based on their priority on basketball and having the right location. The Big East will have to decide whether or not they bend the norm to allow more public schools (VCU, Memphis, Wichita State) to the current sector of public schools (Butler, Connecticut) in the Big East. The factors are truly unknown outside of Ackerman’s committee, but there is likely to be an emphasis on a school that can bring in the most attention to the conference, making the deal remunerative. The Big East’s current media deal with FOX came during a conference armaged-
don when several major conferences split into new ones back in 2012 -- including the Big East. Six teams left the Big East between 2012-14, leaving an entirely new conference. The seven teams that left the conference -- DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall and Villanova -were dubbed the “Catholic 7” by the media, but agreed to purchase the naming rights of “The Big East Conference” after leaving. The teams formed their own basketball-centric conference without any FBS football teams to serve as a brand new conference, simultaneously inking a 12-year media deal with Fox too. The conference hopes to gain a more lucrative deal now having 12 members of the conference instead of 10. The DePaul men’s basketball team hasn’t had a winning record in the conference since the 2006-07 season. They’re currently going through a rebuild with the all-new coaching staff and half of the roster going into their first season at DePaul. As for women’s basketball, their history as a program is quite the opposite of the men’s. But, they’re currently battling demons (no pun intended) with UConn, who hasn’t missed the NCAA tournament since 1989 and has 11 national titles to their name. “Championship Experience” is athletic director DeWayne Peevy’s third bullet point on his five-year strategic plan for rebuilding DePaul. A big-name addition to the conference can only help DePaul get closer to that goal with tougher opponents to play twice per year.
After a year away, fans will be back in Wintrust Arena when DePaul men’s and women’s basketball teams take the court for the first time this season. As fans fill Wintrust Arena for DePaul games again, DePaul Athletics announced there will be new changes to the arena and new protocols that all fans are expected to follow. Every person of the age two years and up must wear a face covering unless eating or drinking, and the concourses will have stations with hand sanitizers. However, DePaul Athletics and Wintrust are not requiring vaccinations, and instead they are just encouraged. To help with crowds, fans will be able to enter Wintrust two hours before the start of games instead of an hour and a half. However, guests will not be able to use cash at the box office and concession stands once inside the arena. DePaul students will have their own door at the main entrance to enter Wintrust Arena, and they must enter through that door only or their tickets won’t work. Once inside Wintrust, there will no longer be printed programs with the roster and game information. Instead, QR codes will be provided at entry and can be found all over the arena that fans can scan for the information. DePaul is now offering discounts on up to four tickets for full-time employees and recent graduates. Employees will get a 20 percent discount, while graduates from the class of 2017-2021 may be eligible to receive a 50 percent discount off full ticket prices in 100-level sections. For certain games, the Marriott Marquis Chicago will host the Blue Demon Pregame Celebration that fans and alumni can attend. Both the men and women teams open their season with back-to-back exhibition games on Nov. 4. The women begin their regular season on Nov. 9 at home against Texas Southern University and the men follow the next day against Coppin State University.
Women’s soccer falls 1-0 to Providence in double overtime By Darcy Waskiewicz Sports Editor
The rain poured down on Wish Field as DePaul women’s soccer took on Providence College on Sunday in their last regular season game on their home turf. The seniors were honored before the game, but it was Providence who was victorious 105 minutes later as the Blue Demons fell to the Friars 1-0. The Blue Demons were coming off a 2-0 win over Creighton University on Oct. 21, but their offense struggled to reach that same energy against Providence. The team finished with only four
shots and two shots on goal that were saved. Meanwhile, Providence’s offense controlled most of the game and constantly challenged DePaul’s defense and goalkeeper Mollie Eriksson, who made eight saves. The Friars reached 19 shots and nine shots on goal by the end of the game and had eight corner kicks. However, it was the big-time saves by Eriksson and the defense that kept the game tied at 0-0 for 105 minutes. Eriksson was forced to get to work early by Providence, who took the first
See WOMEN’S SOCCER, page 27
MADDY MAES | THE DEPAULIA
DePaul women’s soccer defender Grace Phillpotts falling to make a play on Oct. 24.