KEISHA HAMPTON DRAFTED SPORTS BACK COVER, page 28
April 23, 2012
Vol. # 96, Issue # 20
Mapquest
Stolen train guides symbolize rite of passage
DARLA WEAVER | The DePaulia
By SHANNON SHREIBAK Contributing Writer It’s been a long day of classes in the Loop, you’re utterly exhausted and all you want is to do retreat back to your apartment. You look up to count how many stops remain on the interminable commute, and…all you see is an empty frame. Shards of paper are all that remain of the one sense of direction you had. This is just one of many inconveniences caused by DePaul students’ penchants for swiping “L” maps to sell, adorn their walls, or even give as gifts. This trend began at the beginning of the year but seems to have gained momentum recently, judging from the vacant map frames strewn among “L” cars. One man’s map is another man’s poster. At least that’s the sentiment among DePaul students. Dorm and apartment walls are often decorated with a collection of stolen maps. It seems to be our take on
last generation’s abstract portrait hanging over the fireplace. But what’s the appeal of a map? It seems so mundane; it’s just too easy to snatch. Freshman Joe Lanzerotti equates the trend to a popular childhood game, “DePaul students steal “L” maps for the sport of it. It’s like catching PokéMon in real life almost. It’s fun to try and collect them all.” Elizabeth Gaughan, a freshman English major, was motivated by factors quite the opposite to Joe’s. Worn down from balancing challenging classes and a college social life, Elizabeth laments, “I stole a map out of spite.” From profound statements of frustration to competitive sport, “L” map stealing seems to appeal to a vast array of DePaul students. Complementing the sporting aspects of the thievery is an informal ranking system of each map’s value. According to a survey
of students, the Red and Brown lines are among the least valuable because they are the most common lines ridden by DePaul students. The honor of most coveted map, though, is bestowed upon the Yellow Line (which requires taking the Red Line to Howard and then embarking to Skokie) and the cryptic Green Line (because of the air of mystery that surrounds it and its destination). But the map that completes every “L” Map collector’s compendium is the official CTA “L” map featuring all of the lines. So let’s say you got your hands on an “L” map, however honest or sneaky your method, what now? Many DePaul students display their spoils on dorm or apartment walls. For DePaul student Grace Hanson, the map symbolizes much more than a successful looting. “It’s like a rite of passage that you can hang on your wall,” she says. Other students have given these maps as gifts, as well. For a college
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Kenmore Ave. to temporarily close for traffic By COURTNEY BEDOYA Contributing Writer For the past 42 years Jerry McElvain has lived in his threestory brownstone near the corner of Belden and Kenmore Avenues. He has seen DePaul University transform from a sleepy commuter school to a vibrant urban campus. While he is not opposed to DePaul expanding the campus and improving the neighborhood, he does not like that they are “taking over.” Closing Kenmore between Fullerton and Belden is part of DePaul’s Master Plan for development. The idea to close Kenmore started in 2009 when the 10-year Master Plan was introduced. During the past couple of years, the university has put together a zoning package that included survey research by an outside company. The research included statistics on who parked in the 46 spots that line Kenmore over the course of a couple weeks. They found that half the vehicles parked on that stretch of road were DePaul students, faculty and staff; 10 percent were neighborhood residents; and the remaining 40 percent had no known affiliation to either the university or the neighborhood. McElvain is against closing the street not just because of the parking issue. He argued that Chicago streets were laid out in a grid that
See MAPQUEST, page 5
City releases plan for LGBT health concerns
By GABRIEL TYLER Contributing Writer
The Chicago Health Department released its Community Action Plan to address the specific health needs of the city’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community on March 31. The 22-strategy plan, developed in conjunction with the mayor’s office and community partners, aims to tackle health issues within the LGBT community by focusing on many issues that are nontraditional. Dr. Gary W. Harper, professor in the Department of Psychology at DePaul University and Director of DePaul’s Master
of Public Health Program, said the plan is crucial, timely and relevant because it is rooted in the community. “For any plan to be sustainable, it needs to be rooted in the community,” Harper said. “It’s the idea of ownership versus being dumped upon. If people feel like you’re forcing them to do something, they won’t support it. We need to be empowered. We need to be a part of the solution. We need to be at the table.” The LGBT Community Action Plan serves as a supplement to Healthy Chicago, the city’s public health initiative spearheaded by Mayor Rahm Emanuel in 2011. A recent press release from the Office of the Mayor declares that Chicago’s
government is dedicated to increasing the accessibility of health care and information to all Chicagoans, no matter what their sexual orientation is. “Chicago’s strength is in the diversity of its communities,” Emanuel was quoted as saying in the press release. The plan focuses on many health concerns and strategies which, according to the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), are among the most pressing health issues facing LGBT Chicagoans, including the lack of culturally competent medical care, hate violence against transgender people and HIV. However, the plan introduces a few health issues in the LGBT community that are often overlooked, including the See LGBT, page 9
ELIZABETH SCHUETZ | The DePaulia
DePaul plans to close Kenmore Avenue for safety purposes during May.
See KENMORE, page 9