DePaulia
The
Volume #106 | Issue #8 | Nov. 1, 2021 | depauliaonline.com
Feeding the soul
Students provide hope, mentorship to refugee communities By Maureen Dunne Contributing Writer
Chicago’s influx of Afghan refugees has overwhelmed aspects of the city’s resettlement infrastructure, leaving gaps in support services. DePaul students are working to bridge those gaps by supporting these new members of Chicago’s communities through case management and mentorship. The Afghan Placement and Assistance program, which created an expedited resettlement process for Afghan refugees in the wake of the Taliban regaining control of Afghanistan, has overwhelmed many resettlement agencies with U.S. cases. Areas with strong refugee resettlement services and those with preexisting Afghani populations like Chicago are prioritized for settlement. According to a letter from Refugee One, Chicago can expect more than 500 Afghans to make Chicago their home. During August, the U.S. completed “the largest airlift in U.S. history, evacuating over 120,000 US citizens,” according to a statement from the Biden administration. Emily Parker, a second-year masters student in the refugee and forced migration studies program, is a refugee resettlement caseworker with Catholic Charities of Chicago which is receiving Afghan refugees. Parker works to provide refugees housing and address other immediate needs within the first months of arriving in the U.S. “No one anticipated the Afghanistan situation, it all happened incredibly abruptly,” Parker said. “So, we have kind of just had to roll with the punches and completely transform our resettlement team.” The initial 90-day period is graced with state and federal funds for refugees including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for healthy foods, job placement and funds from the Illinois Department of Human Services. Resettlement agencies provide further case management assistance for up to five years. “It’s most intensive when [refugees] first come, within the first 90 days,” Parker said. “I pretty much hit every base with regard to housing, cultural orientation, public transportation orientation, everything that someone would need to acclimate to life in Chicago.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF SARAH PAJEAU
Volunteers serve the Iftar meal to refugees at the Rohingya Culture Center in the West Ridge neighborhood in Chicago.
Without much advance planning to secure housing, furniture and job opportunities for arrivals, many Afghan evacuees are greeted with temporary solutions. “Because we have such short notice, housing is the hardest thing,” Parker said. “Our community resource developer has a really hard time because we’re leaving our clients in hotels and extended stays for weeks until we can find them an apartment. It’s really hard to find landlords that will accept the terms that aren’t horrible living conditions and not making our clients subject to dirty buildings,” Parker said. Chicago’s other refugee communities are struggling during Covid-19and shifting city policies. The Rohingya community in Chicago is one of the country’s largest with over 1,500 people according to the Rohingya Culture Center. As an ethnic and religious minority in their homeland of Myanmar, Rohingya people are subject to persecution and unable to access education and other services in Myanmar.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SARAH PAJEAU
Volunteers pass out gifts to childern for Eid at the Rohingya Culture Center on the North Side.
DePaul graduate student Sarah Pajeau works as a program manager at the Rohingya Culture Center in West Ridge. She coordinates community events and provides job, educational and community support after the bulk of the resettlement
process. “We’re at a point of limbo,” Pajeau said. “There are people who’ve been here for almost a year now … and they haven’t been able to find work, and [resettlement
See REFUGEES, page 7
A work in progress: Theatre School revisits anti-racist committment By Nadia Hernandez News Editor
The Theatre School (TTS) has made curriculum changes, added anti-racist training and created a diversity committee since publishing their commitment anti-racist statement in June 2020. Prior to the curriculum change, TTS faculty and staff in the wig and makeup department did not have “immediate experience and cultural competency with a range
of hair textures,” according to interim dean Coya Brownrigg. This forced students of color to fill the gap and learn themselves. “That’s something that is not acceptable,” Brownrigg said. TTS then hired a new hair and makeup faculty member who was trained in styling all hair types and textures. “The new wig and makeup majors have done a really great job ... of educating on different hair types and making sure that we know how to communicate effectively
about just certain things that we necessarily wouldn’t have necessarily been equipped with prior to kind of a change in the curriculum,” said fourth-year costume design student Finnegan Chu. Changing curriculum is one of the goals outlined in the original statement. After a year, TTS is looking to revise language in the statement to reflect current language and events. “We’re in the process of re-looking at the statement now as a way of saying, ‘Does
this language still work? Does this language still feel complete? What’s missing from the language?’” said TTS diversity advisor Dexter Zollicoffer. “We think of it as an evolving document — it wasn’t written once,” Zollicoffer added. “We’ll keep updating it as language and as the times change, that is the goal.” TTS was one of the many colleges at DePaul that responded to national racial justice movements in 2020. Brownrigg
See THEATRE, page 8
2 | News. The DePaulia. Nov. 1, 2021
First Look
CAMPUS COVID-19 CASES
Sept. 17, 2021 - Oct. 29, 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. Nov. 1, 2021 | 3
‘That ain’t right!’
MAUREEN DUNNE | THE DEPAULIA
Protesters hold gravestone-shaped signs at the “Haunting City Hall’’ protest on Oct. 27. Constituents were upset over Mayor Lightfoot’s lost campaign promises.
Community orgs, Aldermen ‘haunt’ City Hall in protest By Maureen Dunne Contributing Writer
Ahead of the City Council’s vote on Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s 2022 budget proposal, six black coffins flanked the corner of LaSalle and Randolph Wednesday morning. Community organizers and Democratic Socialist Caucus alderpersons spoke out against the proposal’s usage of federal aid, increased police funding and lack of resources for public health and affordable housing at the Haunting City Hall protest. Hours later, the City Council approved the mayor’s 2022 budget with little debate. Organizers gathered 50 people at the corner before leading a trumpet-led march around City Hall. Protesters briefly stopped traffic on Randolph to unfurl a banner reading “We deserve a real recovery budget,” and featuring slogans like “Stop ShotSpotter,” and “Housing for all.” Speakers included alderpersons Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez of the 33rd ward and Carlos Ramirez-Rosa of the 35th ward and community organizers from the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, Southside Together Organizing for Power, Treatment Not Trauma, the Action Center on Race and the Economy and the Defund CPD Campaign. Andrea Ortiz, organizing director of Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, spoke of her experience growing up on Chicago’s southwest side. “Since I was born in Chicago and raised in Chicago, I have been haunted by over 100 public school closings in my city,” Ortiz said. Aldermen Rodriguez-Sanchez and Ramirez-Rosa, two of five members of the council’s progressive caucus, committed to vote no on the first ordinance up for consideration regarding the
American Rescue Plan funds. “The way in which this budget has been organized has been incredibly confusing for everybody — for aldermen, for the public,” Rodriguez-Sanchez said. “We have money coming from the American Rescue Plan funding, we have a lot of grants and a lot of gymnastics with money that has to be done in order to be able to have loopholes to use rescue money to pay that to pay the bank. And we are not okay with that.” Lightfoot’s proposal to utilize federal funds to reconcile some of Chicago’s debt hinges on skirting federal conditions on the aid utilizing revenue replacement. Her proposal utilizes federal funds to prop up social service spending, thereby freeing up city revenue for debt payment. “[American Rescue Plan funds] should go towards communities that are reeling from this crisis, not to Wall Street’s biggest bank or the cops. We need to ensure that our communities have the services we need. But we can only do that if we stop chasing other investors and take our money,” Saqib Bhatti, co-executive director of Action Center on Race and the Economy, said. Speakers also pointed to inadequate funding for affordable housing and public mental health clinics as major oversights in the budget. Speakers emphasized the need for increased support of single room occupancy units in Chicago to ensure affordable housing for many of the city’s residents who might otherwise be homeless. Police abolitionist organizers called for a reduction in funding for the Chicago Police Department, which saw a $200 million increase in funding to nearly $1.9 billion in the 2022 budget. Much of this increase can be attributed to a newly ratified contract with the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) enacting retroactive raises and automatic
MAUREEN DUNNE | THE DEPAULIA
Protesters unfurl a banner in favor of reallocating city funds to social services. raises each year, as well as a renewed contract with surveillance technology like ShotSpotter, a controversial gunshot detection system. “In regards to the ShotSpotter contract, research continues to come out that ShotSpotter technology does not lessen gun crime in Chicago or anywhere else. No, it does not. So why are we committed to spending another $9 million on this technology?” said Alyx Goodwin, a member of the Defund CPD campaign. Goodwin also touched on the rise in vacancies within the police force after historic waves of retirements and transfers from the department this year. Defund CPD has advocated in the past to cancel the ShotSpotter contract and layoff officers as a means of reallocating funds to other social services. “In the case of laying off police officers if the city knows and can only re-
alistically fill 300 vacancies,” Goodwin said. “Why are we paying for the other 600 out of 900? Instead, we could spend those millions on housing, jobs support, reopening mental health clinics or supporting our public schools. Though many of those present took issue with the 2022 budget, Rodriguez-Sanchez pointed to increased funding for staffing the city’s five remaining public mental health clinics with unionized labor as a victory. “This budget includes some things that we should be proud of. But we know that every single investment in that budget that’s going to our communities is because we fought for them,” Ramirez-Rosa said.
4| News. The DePaulia. Nov, 1, 2021
Housing will allow general student body in dorms starting Monday By Kiersten Riedford Focus Editor
Housing will enter phase three of the visitor policy to allow the general DePaul student body guests into residential buildings starting Nov. 1. The policy still allows one to two vaccinated parents or guardians to be in the dorms and will be updated to allow one to two DePaul students into the residential buildings too, according to the Department of Housing. “Due to the fact that variants still make us vulnerable in this pandemic, we chose a phased approach with the visitor policy in order to keep the DePaul community safe,” said Director of Residential Education Rod Waters. He said permitting 1 to 2 vaccinated parent or guardian visitors or 1 to 2 resident visitors was phase two of the plan. The host and visitor protocols and responsibilities will be outlined on the Visitor Policies webpage Monday when phase three is in action. Freshman Gylani Owens said they were glad for the upcoming update to the visitor policy. Owens said she wanted the policy to update to better accommodate commuter students. “Commuter students that either can’t afford to live on campus or prefer to live off campus deserve to see their friends and visit their dorms,” Owens said. “So long as they’re vaccinated, of course. By not allowing commuter students or off-campus students into the dorms or apartments, it’s only hurting their ability to maintain friendships and socialize
with those who live on campus.” Though this update is helpful to students who are friends with other DePaul students, those who want to have friends outside DePaul and other family members to be allowed in dorms are dissatisfied. Freshman Hailey Bosek said she is looking forward to the update when these visitors will be allowed into the residential buildings. “I have friends that don’t go to DePaul that would love to stay the night or just chill in my dorm,” Bosek said. “Instead we have to find other places [which] isn’t stopping people from hanging out without a mask, it just makes it super inconvenient.” Many of these students who are in the same mentality of Bosek are awaiting the next update, which will be announced in two weeks. Patricia Nicandro, marketing and communications manager for the Department of Housing, Dining and Student Centers, said there will be a new update to the Visitor Policies web page after every two-week evaluation period. Freshman Nickolas Krueger said in the next adjustment to the policy, he would like an unlimited number of guests a resident can bring into the residential building. “[The next update] should be unlimited DePaul [visitors] and one to two outside visitors if they are vaccinated,” Krueger said. “We’ve got friends from home that we would love to have around. So let’s be able to bring them in.” The next visitor policy update for residential housing will be on Nov. 15.
ROBERT ANTOON| THE DEPAULIA
Centennial Hall, like all other on campus housing, will start allowing students inside.
Covid-19 vaccine authorized for elementary-aged children By Zach Elliott Contributing Writer
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use in children ages 5 to 11, a development long-awaited by families looking to inoculate elementary school-aged children on Oct. 29. After a year and a half of Zoom learning, masks and socially distanced lunchrooms, younger children have a chance to be vaccinated. “My friends and I have been texting excitedly and cheering about the kids being protected whenever we see each other,” said Liz Boltz Ranfeld, associate professor of English at Anderson University. Ranfeld and her husband, Ben, have an immunocompromised son,Oscar, who will have a chance to finally return to the classroom once vaccinated after months of virtual learning. “Oscar’s pulmonologist at Riley [Children’s Hospital], who has treated him as a patient since he was three or four , advised against sending him to school until he was vaccinated, because he is at high risk for developing severe complications, including respiratory failure or death, if he contracts Covid,” Ranfeld said. For months, researchers have been jumping through logistical hoops to assess the safety of Covid-19 vaccines on young children. According to The Wall Street Journal, vaccine researchers said federal health regulators insisted that more children be included in trials than originally planned. Additionally, registering children for trials reportedly takes longer because it requires parental consent, and some participants are too hesitant around needles. Despite the issues that arose, researchers persevered until they could reliably prove the safety of child Covid-19 vaccination. Per NPR, Pfizer’s shot proved to be over 90 percent effective in kids ages 5 to
PHOTO COURTESY OF ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pfzier vaccines will be available for kids age 5-11 starting Oct. 29 nationwide. 11.
“We encourage all parents to get their children vaccinated against Covid-19 once vaccines are authorized and recommended for use in this population,” said American Medical Association (AMA) President Gerald E. Harmon. Alongside support from the big bosses of medicine like the AMA with more support possibly incoming — a Center for Disease Control (CDC) advisory panel meets next week — child vaccinations are receiving support from much of the wider medical community. “As long as the Covid vaccinations are properly approved for that age group, yes, I believe they should be available for children ages 5-11,” said Joseph Hackworth, a second-year student at Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine. Child vaccinations are receiving local support, too. In a Tuesday press conference, Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady spoke on vaccine availability.
“I want to reassure you, there will be a vaccine available for your child,” Arwady said. Even with such widespread support, vaccine hesitancy threatens to stall child vaccination rollout just as much as it has stalled in adults and teens. According to the Mayo Clinic’s vaccine tracker, as of Friday, only 66.9 percent of Americans have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, and a poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that only 34 percent of parents say they will vaccinate their 5-11 year old “right away” once it was authorized. This battle with vaccine hesitancy is nothing new in the U.S. Despite widespread support from major medical organizations and a constant flow of information on the efficacy of Covid-19 vaccination, over 64 million Americans remain unvaccinated. “Based on vaccine research and statistics, the vaccines are extremely safe to give,” Hackworth said. “There are millions and millions of doses of the vaccines that
have been given so far, and adverse effects from them are extremely rare comparatively. There is always the chance, but I believe the benefits far outweigh the risks.” All that the medical community can do is try to combat hesitancy at its source by providing facts and reassuring those fearful of the vaccine, Hackworth said. “Whenever the vaccines were first coming out, my mom told me she was hesitant to get the vaccine because her grandma got the flu vaccine and then got the flu,” Hackworth said. “Well, that simply cannot happen, because of how the vaccines are made. I think a lot of the hesitancy comes from misinformation that has been passed down from generation to generation. There is also simply not a lot of public knowledge on vaccines of any kind and how they work.” Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has laid groundwork for children to get vaccinated by establishing four different school-based sites where vaccination appointments can be scheduled, alongside preexisting locations. CPS also plans to provide as much information as possible to families on the safety and efficacy of the vaccines to encourage further inoculation of all eligible students. Per The Chicago Tribune, only 46.7 percent of children in CPS who are 12 and older have been vaccinated — a number CPS hopes to improve. “This is something we have to continue to talk about with our families,” CPS CEO Pedro Martinez said. Parents hope vaccine rollouts to children represent inching progress towards something resembling pre-pandemic normalcy, particularly in the classroom. As the rollouts begin in earnest, their efficacy will depend on parents’ willingness to inoculate their children — hesitant or not. “I am so excited that the vaccine will soon be available to my kids,” Ranfeld said. “We will be signing up for appointments immediately.”
News. The DePaulia. Nov. 1, 2021 | 5
DePaul’s mask mandate includes provisions for violators By Erik Uebelacker Opinions Editor
Nationwide debates continue to rage over the efficacy and necessity of mask-wearing during this stage of the pandemic. In addition to a vaccine mandate, DePaul University is one of over 600 colleges in the country with an active campus mask mandate, posing a new set of challenges for staff members tasked with enforcing it. The DePaul community has been largely respectful of the university’s mask requirement, according to DePaul marketing professor Zafar Iqbal. “I’d say it’s been 100 percent compliance [in my classes],” Iqbal told The DePaulia. Iqbal teaches two in-person classes, one for undergraduate students and one for graduates, this quarter. He explained that he has been lucky enough not to have any issues when it comes to his students obeying the mask mandate so far. “I’ve never had to ask them to follow the mandate,” Iqbal said. “They all know about the mandate, and they come in with their masks in place. I’ve never had to have a conversation with a student saying ‘Hey, put on your mask,’ or ‘Your mask isn’t on properly.’” Should a student violate the mandate, however, Iqbal explained that professors were given instructions from DePaul regarding how to deal with those who refuse to wear a mask on campus. Iqbal said “if a student doesn’t comply,” then professors are instructed to “have a conversation outside of the classroom with them” about the mask policy.
“If they fail to comply at that point, we are asked essentially to call public safety,” Iqbal said. According to Director of Public Safety Robert Wachowski, public safety has been called on numerous occasions to enforce the mask policy in these situations. Wachowski said that this has been far more common on DePaul’s Lincoln Park campus than in the Loop. “On Lincoln Park Campus, public safety has been called several times for mask violations,” Wachowski wrote in a statement to The DePaulia. “In these cases, the officers arrived on scene to either find that the person in question had left, was willing to put on a mask (or wear it correctly), or – in one case – was asked to leave the building for non-compliance.” On the Loop campus, which houses the colleges of business, communication, computing and law, these instances have been more rare. “On the Loop Campus, we’ve received only a few calls for mask violations,” Wachowski’s statement read. “In these cases, the people in question complied by putting on their mask.” Nikki Giatras has an in-person class in the Loop this quarter, and explained that she also observed students there being compliant. “No one I know is refusing [masks],” Giatras told The DePaulia. “Our professor hasn’t had to tell anybody to put their mask on as far as I know. But it’s definitely more relaxed now; in the first few weeks students would always leave the room to drink their water, where now we sometimes sneak the straw under our masks.”
ART BY ALICIA GOLUSZKA
DePaul’s Covid-19 FAQ page indicates that students who do not abide by the mask requirement will be subject to the student conduct process, and may even be referred to the Dean of Students Office. Dean of Students Ellen Fingado would not comment on whether these actions have been taken on any students yet, but did suggest that the Dean of Students Office is prepared to take punitive actions if necessary. “Should the Dean of Students Office (DOS) receive a report alleging mask compliance concerns for a student or group of students, the DOS will work to gather all relevant information and address the issue as deemed appropriate which may include a referral to the Student Conduct Process,” Fingado wrote in an email to The DePaulia.
The DePaul Student Conduct page does not outline what specific actions students may face for violating the mask policy, and it remains unclear if any students have actually been punished for this. Nevertheless, Fingado has been pleased with the DePaul community’s compliance with the campus mask policy thus far. “From my perspective, the campus community has embraced the Take Care DePaul philosophy and understands the mandatory protocols and health & safety practices in place to ensure a healthy and safe learning environment for our community,” Finago said.
DePaul to welcome ten Afghan refugees By Josephine Stratman Asst. News Editor
JOSEPHINE STRATMAN | THE DEPAULIA
DePaul students are collecting supplies for the refugees, like clothing, on campus.
JOSEPHINE STRATMAN | THE DEPAULIA
DePaul Sanctuary is also collecting food such as drinks and canned foods.
As the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, people flocked to seek refuge elsewhere, leaving behind work, school and loved ones. This week, DePaul will welcome 10 Afghan refugees to campus. The refugees will be full students at DePaul — they’ll live in the dorms, eat at the Student Center and attend classes. After the fall of the Afghan government to the Taliban, 148 Afghan students from Asian University for Women (AUW) reportedly evacuated Afghanistan. They flew to a military base in the U.S., and will be relocated to several American universities to finish their studies. According to Katy Arnold, a political science professor and director of refugee and forced migration studies, this group was recently airlifted by the U.S. military from Afghanistan to the U.S. They are currently in Fort McCoy, Wisconsin waiting to receive their official permission to remain in the U.S. DePaul came up with the money for the tuition and will provide English language classes starting in January, said Arnold, the organization’s faculty advisor. The DePaul Sanctuary group, a campus organization, plays a role in providing support for immigrants and refugees to make DePaul a sanctuary campus. Chicago is a sanctuary city, which provides a level of protection for immigrants. Sanctuary zones limit the sharing of student information with federal immigration authorities, restrict federal agent’s access to information about students and provide resources and information for immigrants. DePaul itself has not adopted a “sanctuary
campus” label, although in the past the university has pledged support for refugee and immigrant populations. “These [DePaul] students are just amazing. And without them, we wouldn’t have a room full of clothing and food,” Arnold said. The 10 Afghan students were previously enrolled at AUW, an English-language university located in Chittagong, Bangladesh, and they flew to the U.S. from Kabul. The DePaul community is working hard to prepare for their arrival. Students and staff are collecting food and clothing donations, tabling in the Student Center to raise awareness and are preparing to offer peer support systems. “They’re coming with nothing,” said Arnold. Arnold said a network of activists at DePaul and beyond are working to provide complete resources and get the students safely to DePaul. “These students coming in are going to be in an entirely new community at an entirely new university,” said Maddie Easton, a DePaul political science graduate and department assistant. “And it’s just like having that base level of, ‘You don’t need to worry about this part because we can provide those sorts of resources for you,’ is something that I think will be very helpful in getting them resettled here.” DePaul’s political science department will set up donated supplies like a shop for the refugee students, allowing them to pick and choose what supplies they need. “We’re excited to welcome them into our community,” Easton said. Sanctuary continues to accept donations, and is collecting them at the political science office on DePaul’s Lincoln Park campus.
6| News. The DePaulia. Nov. 1, 2021
CAMPUS CRIME REPORT:
Oct. 13 2021- Oct. 19, 2021
11
LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS
LOOP CAMPUS
12 8
1
Sanctuary Hall School of Music 3 2
9
Sheffield Square
Daley Building 5
DePaul Center 9
6 6
8 10
Ray 4
LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS OCT 23 1) A Graffiti report was filed for markings on the
Assault & Theft
Drug & Alcohol
Other
LOOP CAMPUS OCT 20 5) A Disturbance
was reported at the Daley
Theatre School.
Building.
OCT 23 2) A Liquor
someone defecating in the DePaul Center Plaza.
Law Violation report was filed in Sheffield Square.
OCT 25 3) A Theft of Bicycle report was filed for a bike taken from the rack at School of Music.
OCT 26 4) A Verbal Threats report was filed for people in the Ray Meyer Fitness Center.
OCT 21 6) A Criminal Trespass report was filed regarding OCT 22 7) A Disturbance
was reported in the DePaul Center Plaza. Subject was asked to leave. 8) A Disorderly Conduct report was filed at the DePaul Center.
OCT 23 9) A Liquor
Law Violation was reported in University Center.
OCT 25 10) A Graffiti
Lewis Center.
report was filed for markings on
News. The DePaulia. Nov. 1, 2021 | 7
A volunteer directs new citizens to a voting booth. Organizations like RefugeeOne are helping refugees find resources in Chicago.
REFUGEES, continued from front page programs] only help for three months.” The pandemic complicated resettlement efforts. During Chicago’s first shutdown, refugee’s jobs secured as part of resettlement were lost in the blink of an eye. Resettlement organizations provided virtual services, but those without the appropriate technology or English fluency found them hard to access. “Three months even outside of the pandemic isn’t enough,” Pajeau said. “But especially during the pandemic, there’s just no way to figure it all out in three months. The Rohingya Culture Center has remained open throughout the pandemic, providing walk-in support for those in the community — whether it be applying for unemployment or stimulus benefits. Leaders have organized Covid-19 vaccination and flu shot clinics, voter registration drives and tutoring for children. The Center works hand-in-hand with other resettlement agencies in the city. Aside from domestic concerns, many refugees fear for their families abroad. “So many people have family back home and are waiting for family to be resettled,” Pajeau said. “Everybody here has somebody abroad, so we’re just hopeful that more people will come.” RefugeeOne, the largest refugee resettlement agency in Illinois, has worked to resettle over 18,000 arrivals since 1982 with the help of DePaul’s student volunteer coordinators. Elvina Ibricic, a senior in the Driehaus College of Business, has been volunteering with refugee kids since her freshman year. She now co-coordinates a team of students to tutor and mentor refugee children at RefugeeOne. “It might be helping a kid learn their ABCs, or it might be teaching them trig,” Ibricic said. “We just like hanging out with them — kind of like a friend in a way.” Covid-19 restrictions posed problems for the program, as many kids opted out or struggled to focus on virtual tutoring and mentorship. Ibricic shifted to creating videos for her mentees on everything from geography to filming herself cooking simple recipes for the kids to replicate at home. Today, the program has resumed visiting Refugee-
One in person at a limited volunteer capacity. For her, giving back is at the heart of her work with the Office of Mission and Ministry. Ibricic’s family is from Bosnia and Herzegovina and settled in Iowa before she came to DePaul. “It was very personal for me because my family came to the states as refugees,” she said. “So I wanted to be able to help families and kids who are kind of like me and my family.” All DePaul students have a unique opportunity to assist refugees making their home in Chicago, whether it be in resettlement, ongoing support or mentorship. “A lot of our Afghan arrivals are college students that had their education interrupted, and they’re trying to get back [to it]. Referring them out to DePaul students who have been through the college application and admissions process [would] help out with that,” Parker said. United Nations Refugee Agency data indicates that three percent of refugees access higher education. DePaul students can help reach the U.N.’s goal of 15 percent refugee student attainment of higher education through mentorship and advocacy. “I would tell students to advocate for … refugee students so they can have access to DePaul, in a similar way that those of us who were born here and had parents who could teach us about what the ACT was and what applications were and how to apply for college,” Parker said. Chicago’s web of social service providers and Illinois state funding has fostered a diverse and culturally rich haven for many fleeing oppression. From Devon Avenue’s robust array of small businesses, religious organizations and restaurants to the affordable housing flanking it, West Ridge has long been the center of Chicago’s immigrant and refugee communities. “Chicago is a good city because it has a long history of welcoming people from various communities. It’s a sanctuary city,” said Rajit Mazumder, DePaul University associate professor of refugee and forced migration studies. Catholic Charities of Chicago, the DePaul Office of Mission and Ministry, RefugeeOne and the Rohingya Culture Center are seeking volunteers to assist Chicago’s vibrant refugee community.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SARAH PAJEAU
8 | News. The DePaulia. Nov. 1, 2021 THEATRE, continued from front page said that very few schools did not release a statement. Beyond the lack of accommodation in hair and makeup, some students of color feel that systemic racism affects academic policies, casting and show selection in TTS. “White supremacy is rooted in the training, and these unrealistic expectations on the students in these predominantly European acting methods,” said third-year performance student Esho Rasho. “It also manifests in the plays that are chosen, but I think that I think that’s an easy spot for our school for change,” Rasho added. TTS has made efforts to involve students in important decisions, such as show selection. “They really want students from a bunch of diverse backgrounds to help with choosing the shows for the upcoming years,” Chu said. According to Brownrigg, students are directly involved in the show selection process. “We want to make sure that people have a voice in the decision making of our season selection committee,” she said. “[The season selection committee] decides what shows we’re going to put on and that expects every student at the school like what their experience is going to be working on, that is pretty much 50-50 students and faculty and staff.” However, students do not feel that they have much power to make these decisions and do expect more long-term changes. “[TTS has] done a really thorough job of making sure to reach out to students and get them involved in the show selection process,” Chu said. “The issue lies within these students [who are] voicing their opinions and things are still not being done. So it just feels more performative ... ultimately, someone else is still making the decision.” Zollicoffer said that it’s important to have conversations regarding the shows
MADDEY MAES | THE DEPAULIA
A student walks past The Theatre School building on 2350 N Racine Ave, Chicago, IL. and “who benefits from this particular play and whose point of view is being told and who served.” In the past year, students have strived for long-term change in TTS, including fostering unity. TTS has three departments: Theatre Studies, Performing Arts and Theatre Technology. “There’s like other micro-movements throughout the school, but the school as a whole, I don’t think there’s unity,” Rasho said. “I just don’t think there’s enough unity to truly come into that statement, as school overall.” TTS undergraduate and graduate enrollment increased by 10.2 percent between the 2020 and 2021 school years. Chu said immediate action was taken after publishing the statement, yet they have not seen “continued action taken now that we are back in person.” During the 2020-2021 school year, TTS canceled classes several times to talk about racism in the community. “We did something that’s very un-
common at The Theatre School,” Zolli coffer said. “We had about three times throughout one quarter where we canceled classes for the entire school, and really sort of mandated that everyone in the school have faculty and staff sort of engage in these sorts of conversations.” Brownrigg emphasized that this helps white students learn how they play a role in structural racism. “I have had white students say, ‘Well, what does this have to do with me?’ she said. “But white people are part of systemic racism in this country.” The school’s anti-racism statement mentioned “setting up a facilitated forum wherein we commit to bearing witness to past harms for members of our community who would like to participate” and “creating a webpage on The Theatre School website to share progress and foster transparency.” “[Student concerns] always gets voiced in either some kind of schoolwide town hall or gets voiced in departmental
meetings, but otherwise, there’s not really a space for any students of color to voice their grievances at all,” Chu said. Rasho said he feels comfortable talking with individual faculty and staff members, but that TTS needs to create a space for students to voice concerns. TTS is searching for a new dean, and Chu said how students should be involved in the selection process. “I think just for students to even just meet the people in person to begin with before, you know, someone gets placed as the leader of our school,” they said. “If someone is coming in with the intention of making actual change ... what that means to them and how that relates to the students who are talking to them.” Chu said they have noticed that TTS has taken action and “gone out of their way to attempt to make change.” In order to create long-term meaningful change, Brownrigg said “that [it] just takes time.”
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geico.com/alum/duaa | 1-800-368-2734 | Local Office Some discounts, coverages, payment plans, and features are not available in all states, in all GEICO companies, or in all situations. GEICO contracts with various membership entities and other organizations, but these entities do not underwrite the offered insurance products. Discount amount varies in some states. One group discount applicable per policy. Coverage is individual. In New York a premium reduction may be available. GEICO may not be involved in a formal relationship with each organization; however, you still may qualify for a special discount based on your membership, employment or affiliation with those organizations. GEICO is a registered service mark of Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, DC 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. GEICO Gecko® image © 1999–2021. © 2021 GEICO 21_ 729866103
9 | News. The DePaulia. Nov. 1, 2021
10 | Nation & World. The DePaulia. Nov. 1, 2021
Nation & World
STEVE HELBER | ASSOCIATED PRESS
STEVE HELBER | ASSOCIATED PRESS
Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Glenn Youngkin, speaks to supporters at a rally in Fredericksburg, Va. on Oct. 30, 2021.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate, former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, speaks to supporters at a rally in Richmond, Va. on Oct. 31, 2021.
Gubernatorial elections shows close divide in party politics By Nika Schoonover Print Managing Editor
At a pivotal moment in the political calendar, Virginia’s governor race is the first major election in the post-Trump era. Alongside New Jersey, Virginia is one of two states that holds its statewide elections in the year following the presidential election and will serve as an indicator to how the parties will fare in the 2022 midterm elections. The Virginia race has garnered national attention as former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin have been neck-and-neck in the weeks leading up to Election Day. According to a final poll by Roanoke College, McAuliffe and Youngkin are currently at a statistical tie, with McAuliffe holding a one-point lead (47 percent to 46 percent). Polling places on Election Day will be open on Nov. 2 from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. and
anyone in line at 7 p.m. will still be eligible to vote. New early voting laws in the state have brought a record number of early voters to the polls. Unlike the gubernatorial race in 2017, new voting laws in the state allow for no-excuse absentee and early voting. The GOP hasn’t won a statewide election in Virginia since 2009 as a result of the diversifying population growth in the northern suburbs. Home to Arlington, the northern suburbs are the most populous region of the state, according to an analysis from the Washington Post. Republicans have a reason to be hopeful, though, since the state has consistently voted against the president’s party since 1977. The one exception was in 2013, when McAuliffe won the governorship a year after former President Barack Obama’s reelection. The race may also indicate the hold national politics has on a statewide election. Youngkin has been careful in his
stance on former President Donald Trump throughout his campaign. Despite making “election integrity” an integral part of his campaign and declining to acknowledge President Joe Biden as the legitimate winner of the election, the Republican candidate has refrained from embracing Trump’s more extreme policies. In addition, despite an acknowledgement from the Youngkin campaign that they want Trump to help with his campaign for governor, the former president is holding a tele-rally on Nov. 1 without Youngkin’s official presence. In the 2020 election, Trump lost the state by 10 points. Nine months after his departure from office, anti-Trump sentiment is not as strong in the state as it used to be. Though McAuliffe has used Youngkin’s complicated relationship with Trump to deter Trump’s opponents from voting for his Republican competitor, like in this campaign ad that calls Youn-
gkin “Trump’s candidate,” 57 percent of voters say that Trump’s endorsement of Youngkin makes no difference in their voting preferences. Nine percent say that it makes them more likely to vote and 37 percent say it makes them less likely. Biden’s performance as president for the past nine months might inversely not have a positive effect on whether Democrats will win in Virginia. According to a Gallup poll, Biden’s approval rating is at 42 percent — a record low for a president at this point in his term with the exception of Donald Trump. It remains to be seen whether Democrats will extend their hold in Virginia or if Republicans will shift control in the state. Either way, this race will be an essential indicator of how next year’s midterms will unfold.
What to know about Virginia’s new voting laws How are the votes counted? In order to count the votes closer to Election Day, Virginia made some amendments to its voting laws to produce quicker results and, in part, fend off claims of voter fraud amid an increase of concerns about election integrity since the 2020 election. Mail-in ballots that are postmarked by Nov. 2 will be counted until noon on Nov. 5. In addition, in contrast with the 2017 gubernatorial race, Virginia is accepting no-excuse absentee ballots. How will results be available earlier? Unlike previous years in which in-person and mail-in ballots were counted altogether, these ballots will be reported separately in order to make the process work more smoothly and to ensure better transparency in the reporting process.
Nation & World. The DePaulia. Nov. 1, 2021 | 11
GOP Trump critic Rep. Adam Kinzinger won’t seek reelection By Lisa Mascaro and Sara Burnett Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, a critic of Donald Trump’s who is on the panel investigating the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol attack by the former president’s supporters, announced Friday that he will not seek reelection next year. The military veteran, who has represented his northern Illinois congressional district since 2013, was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump on a charge of inciting the insurrection at the Capitol. Kinzinger joins GOP Rep. Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio as one of the 10 who have decided to bow out of Congress. The Illinois Republican announced his decision in a video, saying the “time is now” to move on. “My disappointment in the leaders that don’t lead is huge,” he said. Kinzinger, 43, hinted at other political plans, saying: “I cannot focus on both a reelection to Congress and a broader fight nationwide. I want to make it clear — this isn’t the end of my political future, but the beginning.” He also noted that he got married recently and that he and his wife are expecting a baby boy in January. The announcement came hours after Democrats in Illinois approved new congressional district maps that put Kinzinger in the same district as GOP Rep. Darin LaHood, a strong supporter of Trump’s who said Friday he plans to seek reelection. The former president’s influence remains strong on GOP voters, and Kinzinger’s criticisms of Trump would have been difficult to overcome in a primary for a district
zation, Country First, to support candidates who oppose Trump and see him as a threat to democracy. He said in the video released Friday that “I know I’m not alone — there are many Americans desperately searching for a better way.” “They want solutions, not more problems. They want action, not extremism. They want light, not darkness. And the sooner we do it, the better it will be for the land that we love,” he said. “Now is the time to put country first.” Former Illinois Republican Party Chair Pat Brady, a Trump critic, called Kinzinger’s departure from Congress a “huge loss” for the party and voters in Illinois. He said Kinzinger is “the kind of Republican we need more of.” He also decried a redistricting process that is creating more partisan districts across the country, making primary elections the main battleground for a seat in Congress and resulting in the politicians sent to Washington holding more extreme positions and having less incentive to work with the opposing party. Among the other moderate members of Congress who could be squeezed out CHIP SOMODEVILLA | ASSOCIATED PRESS of a seat during redistricting ahead of the Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., speaks before the House select committee hearing on the Jan. 2022 elections include Democratic Rep. 6 attack on July 27, 2021 Lucy McBath of Georgia, Republican Rep. drawn to be heavily Republican. tee investigating the attack. John Katko of New York, Democratic Rep. Trump crowed in response: “2 down, He said that the country is “poisoned” Stephanie Murphy of Florida, Republi8 to go!” and that “we must unplug from the mis- can Rep. David Valadao of California and Kinzinger has been increasingly crit- truths we’ve been fed.” Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids of Kanical of his own party since Jan. 6, when Republicans are well positioned to sas. a mob of Trump supporters stormed the pick up the House majority in next year’s “There’s just not enough people in Capitol in a bid to stop Joe Biden from be- midterm elections, but the departure of the middle anymore,” Brady said. “It’s not coming president. Kinzinger, at the invita- Kinzinger and other more traditional con- working, and it’s contributing to the rantion of Democrats, defied his leadership to servatives casts a shadow over the party cor we need to stop.” join Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyo- now led by Trump. ming as a member of the House commitKinzinger formed a political organi-
Kashmir students face terror law for cheering Pakistan win By Associated Press
SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Police in Indian-controlled Kashmir are investigating students and staff at two medical colleges under a harsh anti-terror law for celebrating India’s loss to archrival Pakistan in a T20 World Cup cricket game, officials said Tuesday. Police said some students and staff at the government-run colleges cheered and shouted pro-Pakistan slogans during the match Sunday night, calling it “anti-national” activity. Pakistan crushed India by 10 wickets for its first-ever victory against its archrival in a T20 World Cup game in Dubai. Minutes after Pakistan won the match, hundreds of people in Kashmir danced in the streets, lit firecrackers and chanted “Long live Pakistan” while seeking the end of India’s rule over the disputed region. The celebrations came as India’s powerful home minister, Amit Shah, was visiting the region for the first time since New Delhi in 2019 stripped Kashmir of its semi-autonomy, scrapped its statehood and removed inherited protections on land and jobs, further fueling tensions in the region. Love of cricket, a legacy of Britain’s long colonial role of South Asia, is one of the few things that unites Pakistan and India despite their long history of animosity that has fueled three wars since the subcontinent’s partition in 1947, including two over control of Kashmir, which is divided between the two nuclear-armed rivals. The fracas over Sunday’s match shows how easily passions can be inflamed in predominantly Muslim Kashmir, where anti-India sentiment runs
MUKHTAR KHAN | ASSOCIATED PRESS
A paramilitary vehicle passes the front gate of Government Medical College in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. deep. Rebels have been fighting for Kashmir’s independence or its merger with Pakistan since 1989. A police spokesman said authorities on Monday registered preliminary investigations at two police stations in the city of Srinagar under the anti-terror law, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Police said the suspects were yet to be identified and officers were using videos of the celebrations on social me-
dia in an attempt to name them. The anti-terror law was amended in 2019 to allow the government to designate individuals as terrorists. Police can detain people for six months without producing any evidence, and the accused can subsequently be imprisoned for up to seven years. Rights activists have called the law draconian. Over a dozen Kashmiri students were attacked in India’s northern Punjab state for celebrating Pakistan’s victory,
news reports said. India describes the armed rebellion in the portion of Kashmir it controls as a Pakistan proxy war and state-sponsored terrorism. Most Muslim Kashmiris consider it a legitimate freedom struggle. The region is one of the most heavily militarized in the world. Tens of thousands of civilians, rebels and government forces have been killed in the conflict.
12 | Opinions. The DePaulia. Nov. 1 2021
Opinions
Challenges of authority and leadership Why DePaul should diversify IT support in the era of Covid-19 By Dick Farkas Professor of Political Science
DePaul has grown rapidly and, in the process, has embraced a great deal of turnover, especially in the realm of its technology and tech-related instructional services. With each change comes new platforms and software alongside the challenges to use them effectively by the many members of our faculty. But as every political scientist and every management professor knows, what accompanies all of this is the natural impulse to make rules that presume homogeneity in a changing environment. If one examines the big picture, DePaul has always been at arms-length with a solution to these challenges: the Vincentian ethic. The commitment to recognizing difference, uniqueness and context. As a faculty member of 45 years at DePaul, it is with pride that we accept this as one of the critical missions and a requisite commitment. We are regularly offered opportunities to re-embrace DePaul’s Vincentian mission. It is a reasonable expectation that this focus should be shared by all of those with authority in the University. I have been teaching in person for the last four quarters because I believe it is the best way to provide our students with the complete academic experience and the way to maximize each student’s potential for growth and discovery. It is not necessary that you agree with me. I often find myself struggling with the rapid and accelerating introduction of new technologies at the University. It seems that every new crew of IT people bring
ART BY ALICIA GOLUSZKA
new and useful new ways of managing our tasks. But I find it dizzying. As an “old dog,” new tricks come only with substantial effort. I am sure other faculty members share my experience. The University’s tendency is to regularly add a new “form” for me to complete online. This is deeply frustrating when enough care is not invested in the creation of the form. I struggle to guess what this form or that question is requiring of me. Beyond that, it is not always possible to explain on
ART BY ALICIA GOLUSZKA
the form what my problem is. I miss the day when I could use the telephone – yes, the telephone – and talk to a live person who may have the answers. Permit me to share my odyssey over the past ten days. In the next three months, I have a number of off-campus public lectures for a host of different groups: A Fulbright / US State Department project in Ukraine, a pair of lectures for the Newberry Library, another pair of lectures for the DuPage Valley Social Science Teachers Institute Day and a series for an international trip. Much of this activity stems from our effort to commit to public service by sharing ideas with the broader community. Those efforts may also serve to raise the visibility and standing of our University in the eyes of the local and/or global communities. For many of us, sharing and spreading ideas is the central thrust of what we do. In my mind, it is often difficult to differentiate what I teach in the classroom and what I teach in other venues. The lectures are often very similar. The point is that differentiating one of my faculty responsibilities from the others is, for me, a blurred line. COVID has rationalized the removal of a great deal of our face-toface interaction with faculty peers and University staff. I concede that I am one of those who often need that sort of help and collaboration. It would perhaps be super useful for all of us, but particularly those with authority in the University,
to re-examine what and how we are defining and doing our jobs. In any management role, the challenge is to balance the pressures of budget, staffing and purpose. In that sense, this is a routine challenge for any leadership and claims that these are rare circumstances need careful scrutiny. Authority in any organization must remain cognizant that one’s authority is far easier to exercise when an effort is made to establish and retain legitimacy– Political Science 101. The issue here is easy to identify and hard to ameliorate. DePaul President A. Gabriel Esteban sent a message to our community just a few days ago in which he tried to address the resolutions generated in the recent Council of the Whole. What stood out to me was the wisdom captured early in his message. “Flexibility is a hallmark of shared governance,” Esteban said. “At its best, it is a collaborative process tailored to bring a broad range of viewpoints and input to the question at hand, not a rigid bureaucracy that hews to form over substance.” I want to endorse that idea. William Saffire reminds us that “the right to do something does not mean that doing it is right.” Collectively, we need to dedicate ourselves in these rapidly changing times to ensure that we don’t become so consumed by our rules that the “tail ends up wagging the dog.”
The opinions in this section do not necessarially reflect those of The DePaulia staff.
13 | Opinions. The DePaulia. Nov. 1 2021
Open up the water fountains By Nate Burleyson Online Managing Editor
Drinking fountain, water fountain, bubbler — whatever you want to call it, it’s something that should be back on campus by now. Though the precautions from Facility Operations are understandable, a step towards making campus normal again should be opening up the water fountains. Regardless, the choice of whether or not to use water fountains should be put in the hands of the drinker. Although people should lean towards using refillable bottles, there just aren’t enough water bottle fillers available on campus yet. In May of 2020, the Center for Disease Control advised schools that “drinking fountains should be cleaned and sanitized, but encourage staff and students to bring their own water to minimize use and touching of water fountains.” In their Guidance for Institutions of Higher Education, the CDC does not provide any updates but mentions less strict overall rules for schools where most are vaccinated. DePaul has a 99.4 percent vaccination rate on campus among students, 99.68 percent among faculty and 96.9 percent among staff. These numbers show that almost all the time you would be using a water fountain after a person who is vaccinated. As “a growing body of evidence suggests that people who are fully vaccinated are less likely to have asymptomatic infection or transmit the virus that causes COVID-19 to
others,” according to the CDC, there is far less to worry about with water fountains. Following guidance from the CDC, Facility Operations “deactivated water fountains in early 2020,” Vice President of Student Affairs Gene Zdziarski told The DePaulia in an email. “Water fountains will be reactivated as soon as CDC guidance allows for such. In the meantime, faculty, staff and students are encouraged to bring reusable water bottles to utilize the many refill stations on campus.” The CDC has not released anything suggesting more than just disinfecting drinking fountains and cleaning out the water lines. Reusable water bottles are always a good suggestion though. It still is an inconvenience due to water bottle fillers not being on every floor, specifically in the CDM building. For floors where there are no water bottle fillers, a drinking fountain should be open for use. Arguments for closing drinking fountains made sense in the panic that was spring of 2020 when the water fountains were turned off at DePaul. But it didn’t take long for the CDC and a lot of public spaces to open water fountains back up. “When the pandemic began in March 2020, we had no idea how [Covid-19] spread,” said Craig Klugman, a professor in the Department of Health Sciences at DePaul. “At that time we were wiping down every surface, wiping down our groceries; I even remember a little device that would
ART BY ALICIA GOLUSZKA
turn a door handle for you. As we have learned about the virus, we have learned that surface transmission is very rare.” Surface transmission of the virus is rare, so one worry that can come about is the phenomenon of people putting their mouths over the water fountain, although that’s something I find to be overblown. Physical distancing also is not very important in a setting with nearly all fully-vaccinated people. Staying hydrated is important for a healthy immune system, and the Harvard School of Public Health recommends 11 to 16 cups (2.5 to 3.5 liters) of fluid per day for the average person. A number that is certainly easier to reach with open water fountains. It’s time to step away from this annoying restriction.
By Isabelle Earl Contributing Writer
Winter quarter class registration has opened, and I know the struggle of switching back and forth between the Campus Connect browser and Rate My Professor all too well. We all want a happy medium — not too lecture-heavy, gives good feedback, quick grader, engaging discussions and so forth. The pressure of academics in student life is excruciating. The pressure to bring forth excellence with leadership in a classroom is arguably just as intense and demanding. Professors can mold their students’ way of thinking. Similarly, students can shape a professor’s reputation with approving or condemning reviews and evaluations. With that being said, good reviews are telling. Kathleen Rooney, a professor of creative writing and English, has a rating of five stars. Rooney credits a few things to her favorable status: surprising material, preparation and atmosphere. Elevated engagement is a common criterion in her reviews and keeping the material interesting plays a large role in this. Additionally, Rooney recognizes the expense of college and the importance of students’ time. She is highly prepared for her classes and fills her hour and a half with a well-thought-out lesson. She establishes a creative classroom. Adding to this, she mentioned that for all 20 class meetings, she wears a new outfit. An interesting concept Rooney implements in her classrooms is contract grading. This is a process where students
ART BY ALICIA GOLUSZKA
Examining DePaul’s most beloved professors and what makes them so popular sign a “Contract for an A.” According to Rooney, “Contract grading does not try to impose objective standards on an intrinsically subjective art, writing, but rather says simply if you try hard and do the work, you cannot help but learn and therefore can receive an A.” Contract grading takes away a lot of academic pressure and creates an environment where the goal is to learn rather than to pass. James Mourey, a marketing professor, also has obtained a five-star rating on Rate My Professor. Mourey says passion is what distinguishes his classrooms from others. Similar to Rooney, Mourey is committed to keeping the students entertained with class material. “Students still learn loads of information in my class — more than most classes, actually — but I present the material in a way that is more fun and more engaging.” Mourey is a first-generation college
student. His parents made education a priority in his life. Consequently, education changed his life — and he’s passing that down in each of his lessons. “That’s what I think about every time I go into the classroom: Whose life am I changing through my work?” he said. In the classroom, Mourey also has a policy that creates a low-pressure environment: He never takes attendance. Students show up because they want to be there. This policy also distinguishes the importance of learning rather than passing. Mike Avella, another five-star professor, also sees teaching as a way to make a difference. Avella’s passion for teaching hospitality topics stems from his own experience in the restaurant industry. “This is my way of giving back and trying to make a difference — I’m always trying to make a difference to my staff, I’m always trying to make a difference to my customers and I’m always trying
to make a difference to my students,” he said. Through his own business endeavors, Avella is able to establish a classroom that has visible relevance for students’ lives post-graduation. “Everything said in class is pertinent to real-life experiences,” he said. Being a student for much of his life, he attests, “Everyday there’s an opportunity to learn, both in life and in business.” Having a boring classroom is not a place for that opportunity. Applicability and fun within a classroom keeps engagement — and ratings — high. Rooney, Mourey and Avella have unique profiles, but they all share “caring” as one of their top qualities on the site. Interesting lectures are great, but a professor that encourages success and cares about educational progress is what distinguishes the good professors from the finest professors.
14 | Focus. The DePaulia. Nov. 1, 2021
Focus
FROM DEAT
STUDENTS SHARE DÍ CELEBRATIO By Kiersten Riedford Focus Editor
MADDY MAES | THE DEPAULIA
Tags with names of students’ passed family members sit on the ofrenda in the Lincoln Park Student Center for students to celebrate their loved ones.
MADDY MAES | THE DEPAULIA
Junior Julianna De Leon [left] and Ayanna Guillen [right] put together flower arrangements for the ofrenda inside of the Lincoln Park Student Center.
The night after celebrating Halloween with her family and friends, freshman Alena Hernandez spent the day cleaning up the house. In the evening, her extended family arrived and made hojarascas, Mexican sugar cookies, together. “I had a lot of fun helping my younger cousins mold the dough. We all listened to music and shared stories of our shared loved ones taking the time to just appreciate the time we have together,” Hernandez said. Hernandez is one of many students at DePaul who celebrate Día de los Muertos, a two-day holiday over Nov. 1 and 2 that reunites the living and the dead. “That was the last Día de los Muertos [we] got to spend with my abuela, but I think that’s part of what makes it so special when I reflect on it,” Hernandez said. “I remember sitting there listening to her tell stories all throughout the night and thinking to myself ‘I need to stop and enjoy life one day at a time, appreciate the little things some more.’ I stuck to that thought ever since then, and her passing only reinforced that for me.” Freshman Ilce Medina said she celebrates Día de los Muertos annually because it has always been a big tradition for her family and has been important to her mother. “I feel like celebrating [the dead] allows me to remember them and keep their memory alive; that way, they are always remembered, regardless how many years it has been since they have passed away,” Medina said. “The reason I celebrate this holiday is to honor their lives and remember them. I do this every day, but Día de los Muertos is a special occasion where I celebrate them with everyone around me. I have this perception of why to celebrate because it was how my mother would celebrate those who have passed, so I
wanted to continue this tradition. My family has never stopped celebrating a family member. No matter who they are, we want to keep their memory alive and thank God for the time they spent here with us.” Hernandez agreed. She said there is more meaning to the holiday than just acknowledging loved ones who have passed. National Geographic said people celebrate for Día de los Muertos because the dead would be insulted by mourning or sadness, so the holiday celebrates the lives of the deceased with different foods, drinks, parties and activities the dead enjoyed during their lives. “I celebrate Día de los Muertos to keep the memory of past loved ones alive,” Hernandez said. “I believe that just because one’s body is gone, doesn’t mean their soul disappeared with it. I believe it is important to commemorate the lives of those who are no longer with us.” Though there are many students at DePaul who celebrate Día de los Muertos, it can be difficult to celebrate when students are separated from their families back home, especially with the pressure to celebrate the holiday perfectly for passed loved ones. “There is no ‘correct’ way to celebrate Día de los Muertos—in fact, my family doesn’t celebrate it the traditional way,” Medina said. “We create an altar and place it above our chimney and fill it with photos of our loved ones who have passed and items that were significant to them. I created my own little altar in my dorm. I printed out photos and placed them on the wall with poster putty. I also added a calavera [a skull] that I painted with Tepeyac [a Latinx student organization dedicated to faith, service and culture].” The time in school allows students to come together to celebrate. There are ofrendas — ceremonial altars built to honor dead loved ones — open to all students in both the DePaul Center at the Loop campus and
DID YOU KNOW?
DÍA DE MUERTOS, ON NOVEMBER 2, COMBINES THE LATIN AMERICAN INDIGENOUS TRADITIONS AND SYMBOLS TO HONOR THE DEAD FUSED WITH NON-OFFICIAL CATHOLIC PRACTICES AND NOTIONS OF AN AFTERLIFE. THE SAME HAPPENED ON NOV. 1 TO HONOR CHILDREN WHO HAD DIED. ALICIA GOLSZKA | ART
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Focus. The DePaulia. Nov. 1, 2021 | 15
Hernandez said she agreed the ofrenda can be important to the celebration, but it is not necessary to have an extravagant ofrenda in order to celebrate Día de los Muertos. “In all honesty, the holiday can be very flashy sometimes, but I don’t believe all of the different physical objects are needed to celebrate,” Hernandez said. “All you need is a lot of love and someone you’d like to commemorate to send that love to. It can be as simple as having a picture, listening to a song or sharing a story. “For me, Día de los Muertos is all about the little things,” Hernandez said. “Soaking in the joy of life and taking extra time to remember those we have lost. Listening to music they enjoyed, buying flowers that remind me of them, telling a story about them if it comes up, things like that. I will also be calling my family so we can pray the rosary like we do every year.” Zamudio said she will also be celebrating at DePaul, even though it is not the same celebration she participates in at home with her family. “I have been wanting to continue celebrating Día de los Muertos while being in college,
ATH TO LIFE
ÍA DE LOS MUERTOS ON STORIES the Student Center at the Lincoln Park campus. There are different activities students can do at the ofrendas such as writing family members’ names on tags to place on the ofrenda and painting skulls. Zamudio said setting up an ofrenda is the second step to beginning to celebrate Día de los Muertos; the first is accepting the holiday is emotional but meant to
celebrate the lives of those who have passed. “I would say the first step would be to recognize the celebration is not a sad thing,” Zamudio said. “The celebration is a chance to show your loved ones you are caring for them from the living world and anticipate their arrival. Once you have that understanding of the celebration, I would suggest setting up an ofrenda. Your first ofrenda does not have to be big or extravagant. It can be as simple as a photo with some flowers.”
but I’m not able to do some of the traditions I would be doing at home with my family,” Zamudio said. “Luckily I have had the opportunity to have some traditions here with me at DePaul. They have an ofrenda in the student center where I was able to write the name of my loved ones who have passed and they also had a Día de los Muertos Spanish mass.” While there are opportunities for students at DePaul to celebrate Día de los Muertos despite being away from home, there is still a desire for the school to provide time off until the holiday has come to an end. “DePaul accompanies my needs in celebrating by providing various activities to help celebrate while away from home,” Zamudio said. “I don’t think the school gives any accommodations for time off school to celebrate, but I feel it would be nice if that had that option for students to return back home, if they have the opportunity to, so that they may celebrate with their families.” Hernandez said she agreed with needing time off during the holiday. “DePaul is accompanying my needs by providing outlets in which I can connect with other students who are in the same place as I am, but I unfortunately do not have school off the first or second [of November,” Hernandez said. “I understand the reasoning behind continuing to have school those days, but I have a feeling that personally it will be a struggle to go through my routine next week while still carrying the emotional weight that comes with the holiday.”
MADDY MAES | THE DEPAULIA
Junior Julianna De Leon writes the names of different students’ family members on tags to put on the ofrenda in the Lincoln Park Student Center.
16 | La DePaulia. The DePaulia. Nov. 1, 2021
La DePaulia
Exposición del Museo Nacional de Arte Mexicano rinde homenaje a los latinos que han muerto del Covid-19
FOTO ERIKA PÉREZ | LA DEPAULIA
La ofrenda de Alejandro Garcia Nelo incluye fotos de seres queridos que fallecieron durante la pandemia.
By Dayana Garcia Contributing Writer, La DePaulia
El Día de los Muertos es una celebración que se remonta a la época azteca. Los aztecas usaban calaveras para honrar a los muertos y en Chicago la comunidad latina continúan las celebraciones de las vidas de sus seres queridos. La exposición A Time to Grieve and Remember, en el Museo Nacional de Arte Mexicano en Pilsen, rinde homenaje y recuerda a más de 210 personas de México y Estados Unidos que han muerto del Covid-19 en los últimos dos años. Al honrar a un ser querido que falleció, familiares del difunto crearán altares en sus hogares con ofrendas para regalar a sus seres queridos. Estos altares a menudo están decorados con fotos a la luz de las velas de los difuntos y artículos que dejaron atrás. También ofrendas como tamales, chiles, tequila y pan de muerto son agregados. Leti Gamboa, de Summit Illinois, honró a su tío Albert Martínez de Blue Island, Illinois en la exposición. Martínez tenía 62 años cuando falleció el 26 de diciembre de 2020. Gamboa dijo que ha estado participando en la exposición de Museos Día de Los Muertos desde 2016 cuando su madre falleció. Debido a restricciones del Covid-19 la familia de Gamboa no pudo estar en el hospital cuando su tío falleció. “Su muerte fue mucho más desgarradora que la muerte de mi madre. Al menos por ella tuvimos la oportunidad de llorar junto a la familia, estar ahí el uno para el otro”, dijo Gamboa. “La forma en que falleció [Martínez] fue tan sola. Sentí que este memorial era para mostrar que nuestra familia no era la única familia afectada por esto”. Dentro de la exposición, cada sala de la galería representa una región diferente de México. Cada habitación del museo muestra las comidas y artículos típicos que se incluyen
FOTO CORTESIA DE LETI GAMBOA
Albert Martínez (segunda fila, quinto a la derecha) en la exposición. en las ofrendas del Día de los Muertos. Yucatán, por ejemplo, incorpora el mar, pescado, frutas y verduras. Oaxaca incluye pan. Además, la exposición incluye un altar para Adam Toledo, un niño de 13 años de La Villita que murió a tiros por un policía de Chicago. El altar de Toledo incluye una camiseta de los Chicago Bulls, un balón de fútbol, papa y muchas otras pertenencias fritas de Cheetos personales. “Siento que el Museo de Arte Mexicano
ha hecho un servicio al honrar a nuestros seres queridos y nosotros como comunidad lo apreciamos. No solo debemos recordarlos, sino también celebrar sus vidas”, dijo Gamboa. Cesáreo Moreno, curador jefe y director de artes visuales del Museo Nacional de Arte Mexicano, dice que esta exposición es importante para la comunidad latina porque el Día de los Muertos siempre ha sido una celebración importante dentro de la comunidad latina. Él dijo que esta tradición se remonta a
cuando Estados Unidos comenzó a celebrar la festividad en los años 70 ‘s en estados como California y Texas. Para Moreno el Día de los Muertos permite a la comunidad lidiar una experiencia de pérdida muy humana. “En un país donde la muerte y la vejez están mal vistas y vistas de manera negativa, creo que el Día de los Muertos realmente nos permite la capacidad de entenderlo de una manera realista, aceptar lo inevitable, y realmente curarnos de la pérdida y el dolor manteniendo vivo el recuerdo de nuestros seres queridos en nuestra familia ”, dijo Moreno. Yvette DeLeon Colson honró a su hermana Maxine DeLeon de Defiance, Ohio, en la exposición. DeLeon tenía 55 años y estuvo enferma durante cuatro días antes de fallecer, lo que dejó a Colson y su familia en estado de shock. Colson y su familia habían estado en Chicago dos semanas antes de su fallecimiento. El 20 de noviembre marcará un año de su fallecimiento. “Cuando mi primo vió la información del altar, me apresuré a encontrar la imagen perfecta de mi hermana”, dijo Colson. Moreno menciona que la exposición es un símbolo de duelo colectivo porque la exposición muestra cómo una comunidad se enfrenta a la pérdida. Cada año, la exposición presenta artistas de los Estados Unidos, México y de Chicago. Debido a la pandemia, la gente no pudo reunirse para organizar funerales y velatorios durante los últimos dos años. Moreno dijo que es importante unirse y recordar a los que se fueron. “Ella [DeLeon] fue criada para celebrar la vida, amar a Dios, a la familia y al país. Siempre apreciaré el tiempo que pasé con Maxine DeLeon”, dijo Colson.
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Residente de Pilsen construye un altar del Día de los Muertos para honrar las vidas de sus vecinos By Elana Garay Staff Writer, La DePaulia
Isabel Hernandez, una residente de Pilsen, reunió fotos de sus vecinos que han fallecido para conmemorar sus vidas en una ofrenda en su jardín para el Día de los Muertos. El Día de los Muertos, una celebración mexicana tradicional del 1 de noviembre al 2, recuerda la vida de los seres queridos que han fallecido. Las celebraciones provienen de la creencia de que los espíritus de los seres queridos regresan por un día. Para aquellos que celebran la fiesta, algunos solo encienden una vela y traen una foto, mientras que otros se quedan en el cementerio toda la noche trayendo sus artículos favoritos. Hernandez celebra el Día de los Muertos construyendo ofrendas — un altar casero con una colección de objetos colocados en una exhibición ritual para recordar las vidas de los seres queridos que han fallecido. Ella construyó una ofrenda el año pasado y continuó este año. La primera ofrenda en su jardín midío 11 pies de altura debido a la madera contrachapada que usó. Para ella, era pequeño, por lo que planeaba cambiar este año. “Entonces, pensé, guau, les gusta. Tengo que hacerlo de otra manera. Tendré que construir una pirámide con siete niveles,” dijo Hernandez. Hernández preparó lo que se necesitaba para completar la ofrenda este año después de recibir comentarios positivos de personas que vieron la ofrenda en el vecindario o en línea a través de fotos. “Cuando lo hice el año pasado, se veía tan bonito y mucha gente vino y me dio las gracias,” dijo. Las amables palabras de su comunidad alegraron su día y la inspiraron a continuar. La gente le decía,“muchas gracias por arreglar su jardín, me llena el día de felicidad,” dijo. Hernandez comenzó a trabajar en la ofrenda desde principios de septiembre. La ofrenda este año incluye siete niveles hechos de materiales de madera
La ofrenda de Isabel Hernandez en Pilsen para el Día de los Muertos. contrachapada, plástico, tela, cinta, 81 velas de batería y 178 cajas de leche. Además de la ofrenda, Hernandez también decoró el jardín completamente con decoraciones de Halloween y del Día de los Muertos. Originalmente, Hernandez instaló un altar del Día de los Muertos en las casas de sus seres queridos fallecidos. Esto la inspiró a construir una ofrenda fuera de su casa. “Lo he hecho dentro de mi casa durante varios años. Entonces, siempre he pensado: puedo hacerlo afuera. Tengo el jardín y se vería bien afuera,” dijo. Su idea se hizo realidad. Sabía que construir la ofrenda en su jardín sería un reto pero lo hizo. “Fue un desafío verme a mí mismo si podía construir una pirámide con siete niveles,” dijo Hernández. Ella misma construyó la ofrenda siguiendo las ideas que le vienen a la mente. Ella dijo que la responsabilidad recae en ella si alguien se
lesiona accidentalmente y no quiere que eso suceda. “No voy a dejar a alguien que se sube y se caiga,” dijo Hernandez. En la parte superior de la ofrenda Hernandez tiene a su familia, luego en otros niveles de la ofrenda tiene fotos que sus vecinos le enviaron. Ella organiza familias de personas que le dieron fotos y también incluye fotos de perros y gatos. “Puse las fotos para que la gente pueda recordar y honrar a los residentes de Pilsen que han fallecido. Supe que iba a ser algo grande,” dijo. Otra inspiración para su ofrenda fue cuando Hernandez visitó la Ciudad de México durante las celebraciones del Día de los Muertos. Ella describió la experiencia como hermosa. “Estuve en la Ciudad de México hace dos años para el Día de los Muertos. Se veía tan hermoso,” dijo Hernandez. “No tenían pirámides, pero tenían grandes ofrendas en el
FOTO CORTESÍA DE JONATHAN AGUILAR | LA DEPAULIA
zócalo y se veía muy bonito. Entonces, pensé: puedo hacer algo similar.” Hernández es del lado norte de México, donde es costumbre ir al cementerio para celebrar el Día de los Muertos y encender velas en las tumbas de sus seres queridos. Para ella el Día de los Muertos no es triste, sino una celebración de la vida. “Celebramos su vida. Es por eso que publicamos sus fotos y las cosas que aman como la comida y las bebidas. Los recordamos,” dijo. Hernandez cree que cualquier persona puede construir una ofrenda. Este también será el último año que Hernández construye una ofrenda para el Día de los Muertos en su jardín debido a los costos y materiales necesarios. “Todos podemos hacerlo. No tienes que ser un artista. Es de tener paciencia,” dijo Hernandez.
OPINIÓN: El nuevo comercial de Doritos México para el Día de los Muertos transmite el mensaje que nunca es tarde para ser quien eres By Bryan Matthew López Editor de Opiniones, La DePaulia
El Día de los Muertos es un tiempo de celebración en México. La tradición honra y recuerda a nuestros seres queridos que fallecieron. A veces, los que más amamos nos guardan secretos y viven una vida falsa. Algunas personas no sienten el apoyo o la seguridad de sus seres queridos para expresar sus verdaderos sentimientos. Doritos México lanzó un comercial el 22 de octubre de 2021 solo una semana antes de que comiencen las celebraciones del Día de los Muertos. El comercial muestra los hermosos colores del Día de los Muertos cuando una familia visita un panteón. La abuela de la familia visita a su hermano Alberto que ha fallecido. La familia puede comunicarse con Alberto en la otra vida, quien ha regresado para esta celebración. En una nube de humo, aparece un hombre junto a Alberto. La familia parece confundida hasta que Alberto presenta al hombre como su pareja. Tras una larga pausa y algunas miradas ansiosas, la abuela dice “Que milagro, yo pensé que este iba estar solo para siempre”. Muchos se sorprendieron al ver un comercial como este enfrentar a un tema tan importante y tabú en la comunidad latina. Oscar Vázquez Vázquez de la Ciudad de México estuvo sorprendido al ver el comercial
FOTO CORTESÍA DORITOS MEXICO
Doritos Mexico publicó un comercial para el Día de los Muertos. por primera vez. “Mi reacción inicial fue tal cual verlo de nuevo, porque dije ‘¿vi lo que acabo de ver?’ y ya viéndolo de nuevo, pensé que fue una idea muy tierna”, dijo Vázquez Vázquez. Lo que también fue sorprendente fue el tiempo en que se estrenó el video. El video tiene un impacto aún mayor porque fue estrenado fuera del mes del orgullo. Muchas
marcas solo lanzan productos con el arcoíris durante el mes de junio y luego no hablan sobre el tema LGBT por el resto del año. “Por fin una marca que no solo utiliza el tema LGBT en el mes del orgullo, aún más porque lo relacionan a la tradición más importante que tenemos nosotros como mexicanos, dándole un poco más de conciencia a la gente que lo está viendo”, dijo
Vázquez Vázquez. Luis Aldair Novelo Chacón de Mérida, Yucatán se quedó muy impresionado después de ver el comercial y cree que el mensaje del video es importante. “[Es importante] eliminar el tabú que existe sobre las preferencias sexuales de las personas porque así se normaliza algo que está visto como raro”, dijo Novelo Chacón. “Que me parece una buena idea el hacer un comercial con un mensaje distinto a lo común”. Es muy triste que muchos no sean aceptados en su familia por ser gay pero videos como este pueden ayudarlos a cambiar de mente y abrirles el corazón. Adolfo Tolentino Almaraz de Guadalajara, Jalisco dice que el comercial lo conmovió y que el mensaje es importante porque ya es algo que vemos en nuestro día a día. “Me conmovió porque habla de inclusión, respeto, amor, valores…”, dijo Tolentino Almaraz. “Realmente está lleno de mensajes a pesar de ser un video corto”. Todos tenemos derecho a ser quienes somos y el mensaje de este comercial de Doritos México es que nunca es tarde para ser quien eres. También es importante dar a nuestros seres queridos la oportunidad de conocer a la persona que realmente somos, para darles esa oportunidad de amarnos. “¡Que tengan valor y busquen apoyo para que esto no sea un secreto que se tengan que llevar a la tumba! y sobre todo, ponerse uno en primera plana para vivir” dijo Tolentino
Arts & Life
18 | Arts & Life. The DePaulia. Nov. 1, 2021
MADDY MAES, THE DEPAULIA
Jim Duignan (middle) hopes his work can lead others to be the social change needed by existing in the present and thinking towards the future.
A seamless and uninterrupted action: Jim Duigyan and the Stockyard Institute By Daniel Kennedy Contributing Writer
Jim Duignan is always in a conversation with himself. As an artist and an educator for nearly 30 years, Duignan’s mission has been one of filling gaps. What began as informal meetings with middle school dropouts in the Back of the Yards neighborhood transformed into a lifelong practice focused on a process of radical pedagogy. Duignan dubbed his practice Stockyard Institute, a deconstruction of educational and civic conventions. Now twenty-five years later Stockyard Institute remains as when it began, an opportunity for learners to take control over their education and a vessel for Duignan to fulfill his own, socially conscious artistic vision and with a new retrospective exhibit on Stockyard Institute at the DePaul Art Museum, Duignan is taking the opportunity to look toward the future as much as he is commemorating the past. Ask anyone who’s known Duignan for long enough and they’ll tell you his work is his entire life. “I’m sure this started when he was like… seven,” said Rachel Harper, co-curator of the new exhibit. “I think he came onto the earth with this kind of orientation.” Looking at Duignan’s story, his sense of purpose is hard to deny. Born and raised in Chicago, Duignan spent his early years feeling that school wasn’t built to address his needs. A bright and creative child who was constantly sketching and building in his free time, Duignan felt let down by his elementary school’s weak arts program and uniformed education. “Those elementary school experiences were horrible, school didn’t provide a kind of platform for me to interpret my experiences well,” Duignan said. Before high school, much of his creative energy needed to be through more unconventional means. He found one of his first true learning experiences in Boy Scouts, or what he affectionately refers to as his “nature school.” Duignan’s scoutmaster fostered his love for nature, and he was drawn to the raw materials of the forests, which he would use in endless building projects. Most importantly, Scouts was a place where Duignan and his peers could collaborate. As a young boy, Duignan found power in these types of spaces, where he and his friends could think, play and develop themselves outside of stifling schoolyards. Duignan developed a fondness for the playgrounds, parks and alleys where he and his friends gathered to simply be themselves,
and build their own knowledge. These places held limitless potential for him, and they acted as the blueprint for what Stockyard Institute would become. Duignan wouldn’t be able to properly exercise his artistic abilities in a school setting until his time at Taft High School, where his spirits were lifted by a bolstered arts program and a brand new art building. His outsider view on education would continue into his adult education. As he studied art at UIC, he became aware of radical leaders in pedagogy, the theory of teaching. Jane Addams of Hull House and Brazilian educator Paulo Freire were a few of the many scholars whose work appealed to Duignan. By 1995, when he was approached to develop an arts curriculum for a new middle school located in Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood, Duignan already had a very clear idea of the pitfalls present in conventional schooling. With his upbringing, as well as a thorough arts education, Duignan sought unique ways to approach the issues of schooling in a more socially conscious and empathetic way. The summer before the school was set to open, Duignan had the opportunity to meet with a group of local dropouts. He insisted on removing the children from the school space, instead locating their group in a nearby abandoned school. Initially, Duignan refused to teach the children, choosing to focus on his own work and allowing them free reign to discuss or engage with each other in any way they saw fit. Over time, this tentative grouping established a trust with one another. The turning point in their conversation came when one child admitted he feared being shot in the back on the way to school. This sparked a conversation among the kids, all of whom could relate to the fear on some level, and out of these conversations came the concept of the gang-proof suit. Over the next few months the idea of the gang-proof suit, a fictional suit of armor which would protect children from gang violence, was sculpted by these students, born out of conversations about real fears and problems facing the kids. In Duignan’s eyes the group had evolved into a design collective. “I wanted to think about teaching art differently,” Duignan said. “Like why can’t we do projects just based on young people’s questions?” It was this idea, that young people should have a voice in the creation of their own education, that would become an important pillar of Stockyard Institute’s philosophy. This initial project would grow into a lifelong practice. Duignan’s focus became let-
MADDY MAES, THE DEPAULIA
After 25 years of practice, Duignan and Stockyard Institute are being honored with an exhibit at the DePaul Art Muesum ting learners find what traditional education couldn’t address and helping them confront it their own way. For Duignan, the school systems missed out on a critical human component of education, and rather than serving the individuality of each student, they sought to flatten it. After his experiment with the gang-proof suit, Duignan chose to continue on his path of transformative education, officially founding Stockyard Institute, which takes its name from the slaughterhouses once located in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. To Duignan, the fluid nature of Stockyard Institute is what makes it so unique. He discovers a learner’s needs, then gathers the resources, the support and the guidance to complete whatever project they can, “I orchestrate things, I put people who need things with people who have an excess” Duignan says. In this way, the process of the Stockyard Institute is very malleable, and often takes many shapes, but Duignan will always stick to his method of giving people the agency to explore their own needs. If you ask him, he won’t trump up his own role in the practice. “It’s not called Jim Duignan’s next art project,” he says. Duignan understands his role within Stockyard as that of an orchestrator, not a teacher or someone in charge, simply a person who gives others space. This lack of hierarchy is part of what makes Stockyard so innovative. Now, after 25 years of practice, Duignan and Stockyard Institute are being honored with an exhibit at the DePaul Art Museum. The exhibit is a unique experience. The pieces are often less meaningful by themselves and more representative of a significant time or idea in Duignan’s practice, less an artistic feat in isolation, instead a series of totems commemorat-
ing the great artistic and pedagogical feat that is Stockyard Institute. Duignan insists that the exhibit is not meant to ruminate on the past, but to look forward to the future of the practice as it moves into the next 25 years. This is best seen in the radio station sitting at the center of the exhibit. Duignan and friends broadcast live every Thursday, communicating ideas live and in the moment, not commemorating a past artistic accomplishment but existing in the present and thinking towards the future, the exhibit stands as another example of a space Stockyard Institute has created to explore ideas and address needs. When Duignan looks back on his work, it’s all been about people and community, trying to help confront struggle in innovative ways. Growing up in Chicago he saw the challenges that faced those living in the city, and constantly fought to fix them. “Jim’s practice is all about relationships and about being slow and really taking the time to listen, to get to know both people and places,” said Ionit Behar, assistant curator at the DePaul Art Museum. Duignan hopes that by teaching and collaborating, both at DePaul and within his practice, he’s leading more people to be leaders of social change. He’s busy most of the time, always moving towards the next thing, approaching new people, looking for the next opportunity to create a new experience. Constantly dissecting the ways his community can change. For him a stagnant piece of art isn’t enough. It’s the constant motion of his work in Stockyard Institute that makes it so effective. Duignan describes his life as a “seamless uninterrupted action” — his work and his life are intertwined, one and the same, making him, and Stockyard, unlike any artist, person, or practice you will ever encounter.
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Best of the best: Highlights from October concerts By Caroline Zeeman Contributing Writer
Chicago’s live music scene is alive and well this October with musicians taking advantage of the ability to perform for fans once again; for many, their Chicago stops are some of their first shows back following the nearly two-year hiatus due to Covid-19. For many fans and music lovers, shows in October were their first concerts since March of 2020 or earlier. With tours back in full swing, there is a palpable energy across local Chicago venues who now have steady rosters and excited fans coming through their doors on a nightly basis. Here are some of the highlights from this past month. Del Water Gap Holden S. Joffe is more commonly known as the frontman of the project and music persona Del Water Gap. The name stemmed from Joffe’s time in a band based in Morristown, New Jersey, and his continuing travels near the Delaware Water Gap. Known to some through his friendship and collaborations with Maggie Rogers at NYU, Joffe’s own musicality and undeniable talent are not to be overshadowed. His debut self-titled album “Del Water Gap” received heavy praise. The project is frank and descriptive in lyricism, often putting the unspeakable into words, while also featuring danceable hits. Del Water Gap’s headlining tour made its first stop in Chicago at Schubas Tavern on Oct. 9, and the sold-out show did not disappoint. Opening in biking sunglasses and a multi-colored windbreaker, Joffe jumped on stage full of adrenaline with “Sorry I Am.” He continued on with crowd favorites “Better Than I Know Myself ” and “Hurting Kind,” making full use of the small Schubas stage. Joffe skillfully navigated his set with a mixture of upbeat dance-worthy songs and mellow, intimate acoustic moments. A testament to a true performer, when a microphone fell off the stand mid-song, Joffe continued to play guitar and dance while singing into a mic hanging by a string. Candidly conversing with the audience prior to the encore, Joffe disclosed his thoughts on giving up music completely in the past, kindly welcoming everyone in the room to what he claimed to truly be “the first ever Del Water Gap show.” The bond between Chicago and Del Water Gap was solidified that night, and is sure to remain a favorite city on returning tours as his discography grows and Joffe takes the stage at larger Chicago venues. Black Pumas Grammy-nominated, Austin-based psychedelic soul band Black Pumas followed up their Lollapalooza set earlier this year with a sold-out show at Thalia Hall on Oct. 17, the first of their three-night run in Chicago. The sold-out show had fans filling both the floor and the second row benches prior to the band’s entrance. The group did not disappoint in the slightest; Eric Burton serenaded the Chicago crowd with his soulful powerhouse of a voice and the backing of the Black Pumas supported him to create a charged energy. All eyes were glued to Burton as he moved across the stage with power and conviction, continuing to change up and draw out songs that left this crowd with a one-of-a-kind show. Burton had the mobility to continuously engage with the front row, often standing and sitting on a speaker placed directly between the front of the stage and the barricade. This environment was highlighted in crowd favorite “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City.” The song gave room for an ongoing breakdown with a call and response,
CAROLINE ZEEMAN , THE DEPAULIA
Black Pumas, Grammy nominated, band following their Lollapalooza performance back in August. ending with front row fans singing into the mic themselves. Midway through the set, one could see Burton make his way from the stage down to the pit, dancing alongside masked audience members before making his way back to center stage. Other stand-out songs were “OCT 33” and Grammy-nominated record of the year “Colors.” The inescapable song was pushed to a new level with an emphasised funk push in the baseline and guitar riffs by the incredibly talented Adrian Quesada. While the Black Pumas are young in their career, the group pulled off a performance to remember. Peter McPoland and Kate Stephenson Illinois native Kate Stephenson joined Peter McPoland on his sold-out debut tour, stopping at Schubas on Oct. 22. Greeted by a packed crowd who had been camping out for hours prior to doors opening at 6:30 p.m., Stephenson captivated the audience with nothing but her voice and a guitar. The 20-year-old singer-songwriter candidly conversed with the audience between songs as she tuned her guitar, going on to explain the meaning behind each original song. “College Dropout” was introduced with a speech about Stephenson’s recent choice to leave film school which was approved by cheers from the audience, leading her to cheekily respond “hey guys, between us, my parents are here tonight ... so maybe we can cheer a little louder for that?” Another standout song was Stephenson’s recent single “Exless,” a love letter to those who have never had a relationship and want their own breakup song. The acoustic version of the song left all eyes intently watching and listening to her airy tone; the only phones in sight being used to document the performance. Stephenson commanded the crowd with humility and grace, closing the night with a sing-along call and response that left fans greeting her after the show with praise and thanks. Soon after, McPoland took the stage with explosive energy that had the crowd jumping in mere seconds. The natural-born performer promised the crowd the best show of their lives and it was clear he did everything in his power to deliver on that promise. McPoland was nearly bouncing off the walls, occasionally standing on speakers and ledges, seen later
in the night moshing on the dance floor to a cover of The Beatles’ “Twist and Shout” to close out the night. Towards the middle of the set, McPoland brought Stephenson back out for a duet of McPoland’s first-ever song, “Lady Bird.’’ The two shared a single microphone for an intimate performance of the song, and fans fell silent to hear the two harmonize. The duet closed with the two showcasing an intricate handshake that led to McPoland bringing the energy back to the night with more upbeat songs. Standout closer songs included “Eloise,” crowd favorite “Shit Show,” delivering on his promise to give his all for the best show of his life. Chicago has been McPoland’s top streaming city from his debut single, making his night at Schubas something special, and he was not shy to acknowledge it; he thanked fans for sticking around and waiting for him to perform in the Windy City. The long-awaited show came through with energy — the floor of Schubas Tavern shook while everyone from the front to back was jumping up and down, even after McPoland left the stage. Isaac Dunbar and Ryan Woods Closing off his headline tour, Isaac Dunbar graced the Schubas stage on Oct. 23. Prior to his performance at the tavern on Belmont, singer-songwriter and producer Ryan Woods opened the night. The 21-year-old has been one to watch for the past two years, slowly putting out catchy confessionals featuring folksy guitar tracks and ‘80s synths. His sound features hints of Bruno Mars and John Mayer, with a unique bedroom-pop spin and airy vocals. Woods humbly made his way to the stage starting off with a punchy indie rock single “The Friend Space.” Woods captured the audience with his continuous dancing around the stage and contagious laughter. While he had a short opening set, standout songs from Wood’s Chicago debut were “Bad Texter” and “King of the Basement,” with an intriguing interlude of “Sorry / happysad” to close his time. Woods will be back at Schubas in February of 2022 for his first headlining tour, which is sure to be an unmissable performance. Later in the night, Isaac Dunbar made his way to the stage, immediately dancing
CAROLINE ZEEMAN , THE DEPAULIA
Kate Stephenson sings “College Dropout” at Schubas Tavern on Oct. 22 and greeting fans with a smile. The Massachusetts singer-songwriter signed to RCA in 2019 as alternative-indie pop began to rise in the charts. Dunbar’s music aligns with the abundance of Gen Z artists making their way into the forefront of pop culture, clearly with no shortage of inspiration or musical influences. Aesthetic comparisons have been drawn between Dunbar and electro pop artist Troye Siban, as well as the self-aware lyricism of Billie Eilish. Dunbar got the crowd moving with “Fan Behavior,” “Ferrari” and “Pink Party” while showcasing the somber side of his discography with “suicide.” Relatable to his fans, similar in age and surrounded by Gen Z culture, Dunbar paused the show in the middle of his set to showcase his recorder skills learned in middle school by playing “hot crossed buns.” Dunbar’s energy took up the entire stage with his continuous dancing and floating across the stage. Young in age but clearly seasoned in performing, Dunbar will be one to watch.
20 | Arts & Life. The DePaulia. Nov. 1, 2021
National Museum of Mexican Art pays tribute to Latino Covid-19 deaths Dayana Garcia Staff Writer
The Day of the Dead is a celebration that dates back to Aztec times. The Aztecs used skulls to honor the dead and in here Chicago the Latino community continues to celebrate the lives of their loved ones. The exhibition “A Time to Grieve and Remember”, at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen, pays tribute and remembers more than 210 people from Mexico and the United States who have died from Covid-19 in the last two years. When honoring a loved one who has passed away, family members of the deceased will create altars in their homes with offerings to give to their loved ones. These altars are often decorated with candlelit photos of the deceased and items left behind. Also offerings such as tamales, chiles, tequila and pan de muerto are added. Leti Gamboa of Summit Illinois honored her uncle Albert Martinez of Blue Island, Illinois at the expo. Martínez was 62 years old when he passed away on Dec. 26, 2020. Gamboa said he has been participating in the Museo Día de Los Muertos exhibition since 2016 when his mother passed away. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, Gamboa’s family could not be in the hospital when his uncle passed away. “His death was much more heartbreaking than my mother’s death. At least for her we had the opportunity to cry with the fam-
ily, to be there for each other,” Gamboa said. “The way [Martínez] died was so lonely. I felt that this memorial was to show that our family was not the only family affected by this. “ Within the exhibition, each gallery room represents a different region of Mexico. Each room of the museum displays the typical foods and items included in Day of the Dead offerings. Yucatán, for example, incorporates the sea, fish, fruits and vegetables. Oaxaca includes bread. In addition, the exhibition includes an altar for Adam Toledo, a 13-year-old boy from Little Village who was shot and killed by a Chicago police officer. Toledo’s altar includes a Chicago Bulls jersey, soccer ball, Cheetos potato chips, and many other personal belongings. “I feel that the Museum of Mexican Art has done a service by honoring our loved ones and we as a community appreciate it. We must not only remember them, but also celebrate their lives, ”said Gamboa. Cesáreo Moreno, chief curator and visual arts director at the National Museum of Mexican Art, says this exhibition is important to the Latino community because Day of the Dead has always been an important celebration within the Latino community. He said this tradition dates back to when the United States began celebrating the holiday in the 1970s in states like California and Texas. For Moreno, the Day of the Dead allows the community to deal with a very human
ERIKA PEREZ | LA DEPAULIA
Alejandro Garcia Nelo’s photos include loved ones who died during the pandemic.
experience of loss. “In a country where death and old age are frowned upon and viewed negatively, I believe that the Day of the Dead really allows us the ability to realistically understand it, accept the inevitable, and truly heal from loss and loss. pain keeping alive the memory of our loved ones in our family, ”Moreno said. Yvette DeLeon Colson honored her sister Maxine DeLeon of Defiance, Ohio at the expo. DeLeon was 55 years old and ill for four days before passing away, leaving Colson and her family in shock. Colson and his family had been in Chicago for two weeks before his passing. November 20 will mark one year of his passing.
“When my cousin saw the information on the altar, I was quick to find the perfect picture of my sister,” Colson said. Moreno mentions that the exhibition is a symbol of collective grief because the exhibition shows how a community faces loss. Each year, the exhibition features artists from the United States, Mexico and Chicago. Due to the pandemic, people were unable to gather to organize funerals and wakes for the past two years. Moreno said it is important to unite and remember those who left. “She [DeLeon] was raised to celebrate life, love God, family and country,” Colson said. “I will always cherish the time I spent with Maxine DeLeon.”
Denim democracy
Arts & Life. The DePaulia. Nov. 1, 2021 | 21
From bell bottoms to skinny jeans, anything goes Leslie Williamson Contributing Writer
DePaul Fashion Society President Hannah Lau didn’t have to prepare for a conversation on fashion’s departure from skinny jeans — she showed up already wearing a pair of wide-legged jeans she thrifted off the trendy resale app DePop. “I will most definitely be wearing straight leg pants,” she joked in a text before meeting for an interview. Like the majority of young people right now, she’s completely abandoned skinny jeans in favor of a more relaxed fit. A quick glance across DePaul’s campus reflects the fact that Gen Z has decided tight-fitting denim is officially uncool. While just a few years ago skinny jeans seemed to be the only thing people were wearing, something has drawn students to try on pairs of straight-leg, flare and even cargo pants. “I really started liking them again because of how comfy they were,” Lau, a senior at DePaul, said about wider jeans. “Straight legs are like a cheat way of almost wearing sweatpants but not.” She’s not alone — the most resounding answer for why people have flocked to looser jeans is simply comfort. DePaul freshman Kaity Holmes said she’s switched styles to be more comfortable as well. Her go-to now is the “mom” jean, an ‘80s throwback style that’s high waisted with a relaxed fit but tapered at the bottom. “It wasn’t even about the trend,” she said. “...They’re just so comfortable!” Freedom from skin-tight pants means people are more comfortable wearing jeans, but it could also make it more comfortable to shop for them. Having more than just one style be “cool” means people are more likely to find pants that fit their body type that they feel great in. In the height of the skinny jeans trend, the popular style was as confining as the pants themselves. “It was a different society back then,” Lau said. “Being ‘thicker’ wasn’t cool ... the confidence level of someone was determined by how skinny you were.” Not every body type fits best in one style, and when skinny jeans were the only fashionable pants to wear, not everyone fared well. “Either you felt too big in them or you felt too small in them,” Lau said. Lau said that now, there’s more acceptance to wear whatever suits you best or makes you feel confident instead of trying to fit — literally and figuratively — into a trend. More options for fit also opens the door for more creativity when it comes to styling. DePaul freshman Cookie Isenberg is another wide jeans enthusiast. While she also agrees that they’re far more comfortable than wearing skinny jeans (“it makes me feel claustrophobic!”), Isenberg is drawn to wide-leg pants for their fun silhouettes and the way they pair with other items in her outfit. Isenberg thinks having more fabric to work with pairs better with boots or sneakers, is more fun to accessorize with a belt and is way easier to tuck a T-shirt into than skinny jeans. “If you wear, like, a tighter top and like looser jeans I think it looks cool,” she added. “It doesn’t matter like low waisted or high waisted, I just think they’re so much more flattering than skinny jeans.” While the little-shirt-big-pants trend has taken off as Isenberg said, Holmes
LESLIE WILLIAMSON | THE DEPAULIA
The DePaul Fashion Society President Hannah Lau wears a pair of thrifted wide leg jeans.
LESLIE WILLIAMSON | THE DEPAULIA
Cookie Isenberg wears relaxed flare jeans paired with blazer and boots
LESLIE WILLIAMSON | THE DEPAULIA
Katy Holmes wears her favorite style of denim ripped mom jeans. added that she sometimes does the opposite, going back to skinny jeans when she wants to wear a looser top. Students seem to agree that even though they’re not their go-to pants anymore, skinny jeans still have their time and place. “I feel like skinny jeans are more formal or like a going out, night look,” said DePaul freshman Regina Cuadra Martinez. “So I definitely use wider jeans more casually.” More than just following the latest style, what’s trending seems to be simply wearing what you want. “It’s nice that there can be like, straight jeans, mom jeans, some skinny if I’m feeling, you know, nostalgic,” Holmes said with a laugh. “It’s nice that there’s options now.” “It’s just like music, people like whatever they listen to,” Lau said about all the different “genres” of jeans, and fashion in general. “In Gen Z culture or Y2K culture ... they just like wearing what they like to wear and that’s it.”
22 | Arts & Life. The DePaulia. Nov. 1, 2021
‘Dune’ brings cerebral fantasy sci-fi to the screen By Brandon Yechout Staff Writer
“Dune” has surely cemented director Denis Villeneuve as one of the most important directors working in Hollywood today. Long considered to be unfilmable, Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel of the same name has been held in reverence for many decades as one of the all-time greats of science fiction. And yet, though I’m a lover of science fiction, I cannot count myself among its legions of fans. Having never read the book, I’m fortunately left with no choice other than to evaluate Villeneuve’s “Dune” as its own film and nothing more. Set in the mystical year of 10191, we follow a young man named Paul Atreides. As the film begins, the emperor of an all-powerful imperium encompassing the known universe bestows upon House Atreides control of the desert planet Arrakis: the only planet where an impossibly valuable substance known as “spice” can be found. Now positioned at the heart of a trade upon which all of humanity depends, Paul and his family of House Atreides must contend with the innumerable challenges that face them: the rebellious Fremen warriors native to Arrakis who dominate the desert, the goliath sandworms which roam the planet and the villainous rival House Harkonnen, governed by the bloated and brutal Baron Harkonnen. Distilling the plot of “Dune” into the above paragraph was a challenge — distilling the whole of Frank Herbert’s opus into a film has long been regarded as a sisyphean affair (see previous attempts by Alejandro Jodorowsky and David Lynch). And yet, with the utmost thoughtfulness indicative of his lifelong adoration for the source material, it would seem to me that Villeneuve has managed it — though not all of it, of course. As many have pointed out, much had to be pruned from Herbert’s novel in order to bring his vision to life on the screen. Watching the film, it’s rather apparent where certain characters and elements of the world mostly unexplored in the film would have probably played a larger part in the novel. And this is only the first installment in what hopefully becomes a series of “Dune” films; Villeneuve has expressed interest in further installments, and a sequel was greenlit just the other day. Oddly enough, there is something about this general vagueness that I found sincerely captivating. For instance, I like how we never see the emperor — giving the impression of an ethereal yet absolute governing body. I like how little explanation we’re given for certain things, such as the various technologies we see the characters interact with in the film. And I like how the explanations which we are allowed are often just detailed enough to serve their purpose — never squandering the world’s intrigue by crossing into the verbose and technical. In fact, the film very much taps
into something in this vein which I really love but have rarely seen explored compellingly: that being science fiction which is so outlandish that it crosses over not only into the realm of fantasy, but also into the ambiguous and abstract. The most prominent example of this — perhaps counter to what I’ve just said — would probably be “Star Wars.” But “Star Wars” doesn’t really embody what I have in mind; it doesn’t go far enough. It still feels too familiar — too safe. Whereas Villeneuve’s “Dune” will have you awed not only by its stunning visual displays and earth-shattering sound, but by the sheer alienation which it conveys through its portrayal of societies and peoples foreign beyond comprehension. The sets and costumes are remarkable; possibly among the most striking which I can recall from any film. Hans Zimmer has outdone himself with this score — one which I’d call perfect for this film and no other. The cinematography is breathtaking. The film is simply a marvel to behold, and it undoubtedly demands to be seen in theaters. So where does it falter? Well, it pains me to say it, but the script is where the film fails. The dialogue is painfully lackluster; delicate at times and downright bad at others. I’d wager that the most eloquent lines spoken were probably lifted directly from the text, and that the film’s more juvenile motifs, such as the embarrassingly hokey “desert power” line, were probably courtesy of the screenwriters. I could look to other examples, such as Gurney (Josh Brolin) screaming in Paul’s face about how “inhuman” and “brutal” the Harkonnens are whilst chewing the scenery with greater voracity than a sandworm. Or Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa) describing how the Fremen “fight like demons” in a manner I can only call unconvincing. Or my favorite: Rebecca Ferguson’s character of Jessica Atreides turns to Paul after they escape a sandworm attack. They sit on the rocks mere meters away from its wrath, both gazing into the beast’s maw. The worm plunges back into the dunes, leaving them to their respite. And what does Jessica have to say to her son, having just stared down the barrel of a desert god? “That was intense.” Yeah, it was. It was intense. Until you went and sullied the moment by pointing out how intense it was. It should be the audience’s job to say that. You’d turn to your friend in the theater and go “that was intense.” The character in the film’s not meant to do that. Maybe in a Marvel movie. But in this? The character ought to be utterly inert after an encounter like that, and certainly in no mind to turn to her son and say something so idiotic. I should clarify that this is in equal parts a problem with the writing and a problem with the acting. I struggle to recall specific examples which would appear just as laughable in written form as they do in the film, and that’s
PHOTO FROM IMDB
Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) and Jessica Atreides (Rebecca Ferguson) overlooking the desert in “Dune”.
because the actors’ delivery of these lines often exacerbates what is already questionable material. I don’t know that the actors are to blame for this; on account of the film’s consistent awkwardness, I suspect that they may have been directed to act in this way. And yet miraculously, while lackluster writing is more often than not a death sentence in my view, “Dune” emerges comparatively unscathed by it: a testament to Villeneuve’s formidable filmmaking prowess. Having pre-
viously directed “Blade Runner 2049,” which remains my favorite sci-fi film of the 2010s, Villeneuve is now preparing to make his mark on the 2020s with his definitive adaptation of the “Dune” saga. All things considered, the film is an easy recommendation from me. I know I’ll be there opening day for “Dune: Part Two.”
what’s FRESH
Megan The Stallion’s Hottie Sauce
Arts & Life. The DePaulia. Nov. 1, 2021 | 23
Adele’s second resurgence has everyone in their feelings — again
PHOTO FROM IMDB
GRACESON KENNEDY | THE DEPAULIA
Cover from Adele’s new song, “Easy on Me,” released on Oct. 15, 2021
By Nadia Hernandaz News Editor
Houston rapper Megan Thee Stallion released her new “Hottie Sauce” on Oct. 19 at Popeye’s. This is the first celebrity collaboration between Popeye’s and Megan Thee Stallion. Megan Pete, released her debut album “Good News” in 2020 and a freestyle album “Something for Thee Hotties” on Friday, my favorite Houston hot girl has proven to be a force to be reckoned with. As a new but dedicated fan, I knew I had to get my hands on the infamous sauce when she announced via social media she would have her own sauce. Not only will she be collaborating with Popeye’s for a limited time, but she also announced she would be opening five new Popeyes locations. This move will be a big move for Pete as this is also a first for a celebrity to open locations with the franchise they collaborated with. Other music artists, like Saweetie and BTS, have had their own meals at McDonald’s. Unlike our favorite hot girl, they have had whole meals and the artists never opened up their own franchises. The sauce itself was the perfect representation of Thee Stallion herself and
all of her personality. Although Hot Girl Meg is known to be a baddie, she has her sweet side. As an air sign, I would expect nothing less than a mix of sweet and spicy. At first, the sauce is sweet, somewhat reminiscent of other Popeyes sauces, but after a few seconds a gentle heat comes through. I love subtle spice coming through especially paired with delicious chicken. I expected the sauce to be more of a punch of intense heat, but that would serve justice to the queen herself. In interviews, Pete is always herself and not playing up a character. She’s always cracking jokes and being unapologetically herself. She is a baddie and a sweetheart at the same time. Her sauce reflects just that. It would be a misrepresentation to have this sauce just be 100 percent hot, because Megan pushes the boundaries about what society perceives as a ‘baddie.’ Hot Girl Meg proves that baddies are sweet and spicy at the same time. I’m sure other fans agree that the Hottie sauce is for all hotties out there. This is just the start for Megan. With three Grammy awards and five new restaurants, Hot Girl Meg will continue to surprise her fans while being a true baddie.
By Chinyere Ibeh Staff Writer
We’ve been without the British songstress’s heartfelt ballads for over five years, and she’s been dearly missed. The last time Adele released any music was in 2016 when she released “Water Under the Bridge.” She’s since been radio silent until she released “Easy on Me” on Oct. 15. “Easy on Me” starts with a river analogy, a clever play on words. She’s hopeful for something, but can’t reach it as she’s drowning in silence. Whoever it is she’s speaking with, she feels they aren’t letting her in. The chorus comes in with Adele asking for some leniency. In reference to whatever dilemma she was in, she claims that she was still so young and she could now properly experience the world around her. The other half of the chorus has Adele realizing that she didn’t have enough time to choose a certain path in life. Is she referring to her relationship? Or the new phase of her career? It’s more likely to be about a relationship as she admits that she and another person were stuck in their ways. She speaks about changing who she is to put other people first, but she eventually gave up on that. The corresponding music video is black and white and features Adele driving. She eventually passes a family outside of a trailer celebrating something. It appears that a couple
had gotten married and that couple ended up driving past Adele. The music video and the song have a similar vibe to Adele’s “Hello,” which served as her comeback hit in 2015. The music video for “Hello” begins with Adele speaking on the phone, just like she does in “Easy on Me.” Also, both videos are in black and white. Both songs deal with the subject of looking back in time. “Easy on Me” looks back on a trying relationship, while “Hello” deals with two people potentially coming back together after a hurtful relationship. Even though the two songs and their music videos have similar themes, they have different approaches. “Hello” has Adele trying so hard to get in contact with someone she’s had a relationship with. “Easy on Me” has her stepping away from a relationship rather than going back to it. The 2021 single serves as an introspective look at how a situation went awry. Adele looks back into the past and assesses what went wrong. She’s not exactly looking for forgiveness like she did in “Hello,” rather she wants people to understand why she acted the way she did. As “Hello” did in 2015, this new single shows the loyalty of the singer’s fanbase. “Easy on Me” also serves as a reminder of Adele’s star power, which she knows how to hold onto no matter how much time passes by.
In theatres and upcoming movies Last Night in Soho Oct. 29 An Aspiring fashion designer is mysteriously able to enter the 1960’s where she encounters a dazzling wannabe singer. Stars: Anya Taylor-Joy, Thomasin McKenzie, Matt Smith Dune Oct 22 American epic science fiction about a gifted young man born into great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure safety of his people. Stars: Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac
Encanto Nov 24 The Madrigals are an extraordinary family who live hidden in the mountains of Columbia in a charmed place called the Encanto. Stars: Lin Manuel Miranda, Stephenie Beatriz, Diane guerrero Uncharted Feb 18 Upcoming American action adventure Stars: Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, Sophia Taylor Ali The Matrix Resurrections Dec 22 Plagued by strange memories, Neo’s life takes ab unexpected turn when he finds himself back inside the matrix Stars: Keenu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Priyanka Chopra, Yahya Abdul Mateen II
24 | Arts & Life. The DePaulia. Nov. 1, 2021
St.Vincent’s
D e JAMZ
PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKI
“Spinning fresh beats since 1581” By Amber Stoutenborough Arts & Life Editor
It is finally Scorpio season. The eighth astrological sign of the Zodiac chart, for those born between Oct. 25 to Nov. 21, is ruled by Pluto, the planet of destruction and transformation. Often mistaken as a fire sign because of their passion and power, Scorpios are one of the more hard-headed water signs compared to Cancers and Pisces. Like their animal namesake, Scorpios are known for their sting and wait-to-attack approach to relationships. Scorpios are also considered one of the more hated Zodiac signs because of the vengeful characteristics and attitude that is hard to get along with. With this in mind, Scorpios can make great friends for their fiery connection and unwavering commitment to you. Compliments to all the Scorpios out there who sent recommendations boosting
up their self-esteem, but a true representation has to show more than the Megan Thee Stallion attitude. This DeJamz is a tribute to the Scorpios. “Broken Clocks” — SZA The Scorpio Queen herself and also one of my favorite songs from her album “CTRL.” SZA replicates a lot of positive Scorpio energy with the importance of focusing on yourself and not insignificant people (another great artist to listen to for breakups) “I moved on for the better you moved on to whoever,” reflecting what it’s like to get dumped by a goal-focused Scorpio. “sex money feelings die” — Lykke Li Multiple Scorpios recommended this song for the list and I’m not sure if they meant this as a compliment to themselves or genuinely believe this song characterizes their sun placement. Either way, this song with its hypnotic voice and eclectic medley combine for
Crossword
the perfect pre-party hype yourself up in the mirror vibe(an everyday experience for most Scorpios). “Heart of Glass” (Live) — Miley Cyrus If you consider this as a classic like me and consider the fact that Miley Cyrus’ moon sign is a Scorpio, there’s reason enough to put this song on the list. I feel this cover in specific shows off her Scorpio side with it being a gorgeous tribute to Blondie. Miley really shows off her vocal talent in this song with her melodic belting even live. “Cocky Af” — Megan Thee Stallion It’s like singing affirmations in the morning with Megan Thee Stallion and nothing screams scorpio more than “Cocky Af.” Megan is an honorary Scorpio in my mind as every song from her reflects the ideal of a bad b*tch and is necessary for every scorpio to include Megan in their daily playlist.
“Sandra’s Rose” — Drake You can’t have a Drake song on here without it being from the album “Scorpion.” Another Scorpio artist and one that is a top-tier example of why you shouldn’t play around with this Zodiac sign. “Sandra’s Rose” is my favorite song from his Scorpion album with the melodic sample combined with Drake’s rap about his struggle with fame.
ACROSS
DOWN
1. Horror film staple 5. Weakens 9. Can 12. Greedy 13. Vivacity 14. Australian runner 15. Table game 17. Zilch 18. Chart 19. Liszt’s “La Campanella,” e.g. 21. Beater 24. Sweat source 26. Part of cooker 27. Make, as money 29. Stat 33. Evolution subject 34. Use elbow grease on 36. Self center 37. Words 39. Prying 40. Stir-fry pan 41. Coral ridge 43. Dirty 45. Platters 48. The “p” of m.p.h. 49. Green 50. Spanish girls 56. Put on TV 57. The America’s Cup trophy, e.g. 58. Kind of water 59. Use 60. Colorful salamander 61. Laugh-a-minute
1. Go on and on 2. Fertility clinic stock 3. Fix, in a way 4. Dutch exports 5. Trickle out 6. Start and end of the Three Musketeers’ motto 7. Barney, to Fred 8. Contemptuous look 9. Course listing 10. Surrounded by 11. Christmastime 16. Movie shots 20. Twinings product 21. Second baseman 22. Bill Clinton’s birthplace 23. Surefooted goat 24. 86 is a high one 25. Obligation 28. Teen spots? 30. Wrapped (up) 31. Awestruck 32. Slow 35. Golf ’s ___ Cup 38. Attempt 42. Ruhr Valley city 44. March marchers 45. Duffer’s obstacle 46. Commuter line 47. Not straight 48. Left at sea 51. Ram’s mate 52. Without precedent 53. Besides 54. Bustle
Sports
Sports. The DePaulia. Nov. 1, 2021 | 25
Standings 1.
21 points
2.
18 points
3.
4. 5.
17 points 13 points 13 points
MICKY BRAEGER | THE DEPAULIA
DePaul men’s soccer forward Jake Fuderer trying to knock the ball away from a St. John’s player in the team’s 2-0 loss on Oct. 30.
Men’s soccer stumbles early in 2-0 loss to St. John’s By Darcy Waskiewicz Sports Editor
In their final home game of the season, DePaul men’s soccer fell to St. John’s University 2-0 on Saturday afternoon. While the seniors were honored before the match, the Blue Demons could not recover from two early goals by the high-ranked team. The Blue Demons were coming off two grueling overtime games entering the match, with the most recent against Butler University that ended tied 0-0 after double overtime. The game was all St. John’s in the first 10 minutes. The action was all in front of the Blue Demons’ goal, and it was the Red Storm who got on the board first three minutes into the game. The shot went past DePaul goalkeeper Gandhi Cruz and into the low right corner of the goal. That offensive onslaught by St. John’s continued following their goal, and they had two more chances that nearly soared into the DePaul goal each time. The St. John’s added to their lead 15 minutes into the game off a shot that soared into the top right corner of the goal. Sophomore forward Marek Gonda had the first real offensive opportunity of the game for the Blue Demons, but it soared wide of the goal. Soon after the opportunity, a St. John’s player collided with senior midfielder Jake Fuderer and both went down. Following the play, the teams jostled together, and the scuffle ended with a yellow card to sophomore midfielder Jacob Huth.
Both teams played aggressively throughout the first half, and by the end of the half, DePaul had four fouls while St. John’s racked up seven. Several players from each side were taken down onto the turf, but all the free kicks did not amount to much. Gonda was the first Blue Demon to challenge St. John’s goalkeeper in the second half as well, but the shot was scooped up and DePaul continued to trail by two. St. John’s continued to put pressure on the Blue Demons and Cruz, but the redshirt freshman stood tall in goal in the second half. Senior midfielder Matthew Brickman almost put the Blue Demons on the board late in the half, but it soared wide of the goal for DePaul’s third shot of the game. “St. John’s pressure was very intense and high up the field,” Brickman said of some of the challenges in the game. “They were always on our back, and we struggle with that, and I think their size — they’re a lot bigger than us, and that definitely didn’t help.” The Blue Demons had a free kick opportunity and a corner kick late in the game, but St. John’s defense stood strong and was able to clear both chances away from their goal. “That’s the most ridiculous press I’ve ever played against, they’re sending six, seven guys up high to press the ball, so you really don’t have any space, so that’s why you really got to be on it,” senior forward Patrick Watkins said. “All of them are flying, all of them athletic, big, strong, so that was definitely the hardest part, just that defensive pressure they apply high up the field.” Later in the half, midfielder Julian
Saldana was taken down by a St. John’s player, who received a yellow card for the play. The Blue Demons took the free kick but it flew straight into the hands of the leaping St. John’s goalkeeper. Despite the two early goals, the Blue Demons mounted a solid defensive effort against the strong offensive team, who stands third in the Big East as of Saturday. “If you let two in, sometimes it snowballs, it can turn into four or five, so I was proud of our guys for getting through that and just sticking to who we were,” head coach Mark Plotkin said. “We challenged them just to compete more in the second half because we felt like we were getting out-competed, and I thought the guys did a much better job.” With a conference record of 3-4-2, the Blue Demons travel to Xavier University on Wednesday for their final game of the season. DePaul sits at eighth in the standings, but many teams are all within a few points of each other in the middle of the conference. Villanova University, Creighton University, Butler and Marquette University are all tied and right above the Blue Demons with 13 points. Eight other Big East teams will also be playing one another on Wednesday and the results could have major consequences for the Blue Demons. With the top six teams making the playoffs, a win from any team could shake up the standings.
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26 | Sports. The DePaulia. Nov. 1, 2021
PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVE WOLTMANN/DEPAUL ATHLETICS
Vito Tonejc focuses on swinging through the ball with agression. The junior was named to the All-Big East team and was honored as the 2021 Big East Player of the Year.
Vito Tonejc demonstrates leadership in recent success with men’s tennis By Joshua M. Hicks Asst. Sports Editor
Vito Tonejc was four-years-old when he was introduced to tennis thanks to his dad — who is a tennis coach. As he got older, he was playing at a tournament in Croatia and the previous women’s tennis coach was recruiting some women when he saw Vito play. He
knew his older brother was at DePaul and he insisted head coach Matt Brothers check him out. Brothers then flew to Croatia to watch him play. The men’s tennis team has had some success with numerous players going deep in the International Tennis Association Midwest Regionals on Oct. 21-24. Even though Tonejc lost, as one of the main leaders of the team, the junior has taken the definition of success to
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new heights, an avenue that has been embedded in his life since he was a child. Since his DePaul arrival, he has excelled in his growth as a player. He became a part of the 2021 All-Big East team, as well as the 2021 Big East Player of the Year. Tonejc discussed his work ethic and the keys that contributed to his recent success. “Work ethic for me is showing up everyday and doing the best I can even on my bad days because I have them,” Tonejc said. “Even if you feel bad that day and you don’t feel like playing you should give 100 percent for your teammates. If you are dragging the practice down then all the other guys might see and their level might fall.” As great as Tonejc is, he would not be in this position of success without the difficult trials he experienced. After his freshman year, Tonejc was sick for three months and he didn’t play. He admitted that he didn’t want to watch tennis for the first two months due to not playing. Once he got back into it, the pandemic hit, not allowing him to play for another 2-3 months. Yet, through all the chaos, Tonejc managed to overcome those challenges by focusing on improvement. “In the summer of 2020, I just took it day-by-day focusing on my goals,” Tonejc said. “That helped me a lot.” In correlation with his work ethic, Tonejc is coachable and always willing to learn, according to head coach Matt Brothers. “Coaching Vito is an anomaly in a great way,” Brothers said. “He’s very professional in his preparation. He is serious. Because he is so coachable, he can make changes very quickly and improvements to his game extremely fast. He just digests it and he is a fun guy to coach everyday. He is just a joy to be around. I just try to enjoy every moment with him. He’s a great guy.” Brothers also praised Tonejc for his willingness to learn, especially when he’s
been put in positions competing with the best of the best. “He’s always seen as the best player on every team we’ve played,” Brothers said. “This year, I tried to get him into the higher level events so he can really challenge himself against the best competition in the country. I think he has realized through those competitions some of the things we’ve been trying to get him to see for a year and so now. Some changes that need to be made to his game that against some opponents he can get away with and other/better opponents he can’t. It’s not about wins and losses but about how we can improve everyday.” Graduate student Tripp Tuff has been at DePaul for six years now. As one of Tonejc’s teammates, they have experienced a new change in the culture this season compared to the established culture over the past few years. Prior to this season, the team had a core of four or five players. This season there are five new players due to the transfer portal. Tripp complimented Tonejc’s efforts to being a leader in establishing a new culture and elaborated on learning what it meant to be a professional in preparation no matter the situation. “I learned from Vito how to take every day as it comes and be present,” Tuff said. “I think what Vito does a good job at it, being extremely prepared for practice and also being super relaxed. He understands that practice is part of a process and that we are working toward a bigger goal and there is no pressure at every single moment.” Tonejc’s love for the game shows in his commitment to be the best he can be on the court. “You always have to be on top of your game,” Tonejc said. “The energy reflects on the court.”
Sports. The DePaulia. Nov. 1, 2021 | 27
Women’s soccer misses postseason with 2-1 loss to Marquette By Darcy Waskiewicz Sports Editor
KIERSTEN RIEDFORD | THE DEPAULIA
DePaul midfielder Emma Costow dribbling the ball against Creighton on Oct. 21.
A season full of ups and downs came to an end for DePaul women’s soccer on Thursday as they fell to Marquette University 2-1 and missed their opportunity to make the postseason. The Blue Demons got on the board first in just 11 minutes from freshman forward Katie Godden for her first career goal. However, Marquette was able to bounce back and scored two goals later on in the first half. The Blue Demons, in their first season under head coach Michele O’Brien, finished with an overall record of 7-11 and conference record of 4-6. The team opened the season at their home of Wish Field against the University of Iowa but fell to the Hawkeyes 2-1. The Blue Demons won their first game of the season in a 1-0 victory over Oakland University on Aug. 26 before the team dominated the University of Illinois Chicago 3-0 three days later for their first win at home.
Standings
VOLLEYBALL, continued from back page The team finished with 55 kills on 53 assists. Head coach Marie Zidek believed the key to their win was through their role players. “We had some of our starters that were really struggling to find their game and so we had a couple of role players off the bench come in and step up and make some big plays,” Zidek said. “At the end of the day it was a team win, but those role players came in and really did their jobs and that allowed us to continue to build momentum.” Brown and Nelson finished the game with 21 kills combined. Zidek praised them for their efforts in realing the team to victory. “Brown and Bailey had career nights,” Zidek said. “They really did.” Providence played a more aggressive style, picking up defensive balls. Nelson emphasized that the style of play threw them off a little bit, becoming a challenge for them throughout a game. “I think their style of play took us off guard a little bit,” Nelson said. “They have really good servers as well so our service team had some ups and downs but by the end of the game everything was on point and we were doing exactly what we needed to do.” Brown agrees with Nelson’s sentiment, but also thinks it was more than just Providence’s style of play that caused problems. It was their unforced errors that contributed to the struggles as well. “At the beginning of the first set, I think some of our unforced errors were issues that we dealt with, but we just dialed in and kind of focused on the controllables and got through it and played well after that,” Brown said. With this game being the second goaround against Providence in conference play, Coach Zidek admitted that these games are going to be tougher with opponents having the ability to change game plans and scouting to better prepare for them. As the team is preparing for conference play soon, Zidek discussed the adjustments the team needs to make in order to be better prepared for the late season. “We got to use the block more to score,” Zidek said. “Teams have us scouted a little bit better. They know our setter’s tendencies, so as a hitter in that situation, it is like being a receiver in the football game having to catch a ball in a tight window. Windows get tighter as the season goes on. People are not going to leave you open all year. That is how it is in volleyball too. We have to use the block more to our advantage instead of
After dropping their next four games, the Blue Demons took on Eastern Illinois University at home on Oct. 18 and were victorious 3-0 in front of a packed crowd full of fans and DePaul soccer alumni. The team lost their next couple games before winning three in a row against Villanova University, Seton Hall University and the University of Connecticut. The Blue Demons lost their next couple games before returning to Wish Field for their final two home games of the season. The Blue Demons defeated Creighton University 2-0 on Oct. 21 but fell to Providence University 1-0 after 110 minutes in the rain and cold a few days later. Forward Morgan Turner finished the season at DePaul with 9 goals, including three in the team’s 3-2 win over Villanova on Oct. 3. In her five years at DePaul, she had 31 goals, which puts her at fourth in DePaul women’s soccer history. The Blue Demons now look to next season and the potential of their roster with players like Godden, sophomore midfielder Beth Smyth, sophomore defender Grace Phillpotts, junior forward Kristin Boos, junior midfielder Ebba Costow and more.
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Outside hitter Jill Pressly passing the ball while her teammates stand guard on Oct. 30. swinging away from it.” The Blue Demons returned to Phillips-McGrath Arena on Saturday night to take on No. 24 Creighton University but fell 3-0 to the team who is tied for first in the Big East standings with Marquette University. Set one was tight, with DePaul and Creighton going back and forth with points. While the Blue Demons never trailed by more than three points, Creighton maintained their lead with strong offense that the Blue Demons could not counter. The set finished with DePaul falling 25-21. Creighton came out flying in set two and scored the first three points before the blue Demons were able to get on the board Bith a kill by right-side hitter Emma Price. The Blue Jays were able to pull ahead early in the set and the Blue Demons were never able to catch up. Multiple coach’s challenges from either bench shifted the momentum as Creighton continued to put pressure on the Blue Demons. While DePaul’s defense looked scrappy at times, they responded to Creighton’s hits, but mistakes by the offense kept the Blue Demons from catching up. As a result, Creighton was able to take a strong lead and the Blue Demons dropped the set 25-16. “We’re always good on the harder hitters and just absorbing the hard attacks,” libero Rachel Krasowski said. “I was really proud of my defense and the defense of my teammates as well, just got to focus up and sharpen up on some other things as well.” The third set was much the same, with
Creighton flying from the first point. While DePaul seemed to hang in with them at the beginning, the Blue Jays were able to pull ahead fast after hitting errors by the Blue Demons set them back. The offense struggled throughout the three sets for the Blue Demons. The team hit the ball out of play or were not able to get a hit around a Creighton blocker, which put more pressure on DePaul’s defense. “I think our hitting and our offense had more errors than we anticipated, so coming in Monday, we’re going to work on those, work on our shots,” Pressly said. “But, we understand that if there’s a big block in front of us, we got to work around it and so I think we have that going into the next game next weekend.” The Blue Demons had 25 attack errors in the three sets and could not come up with big blocks to stop Creighton’s offense. “They’re a high-ranked team and so coming into this, we kind of had nothing to lose,” Pressly said. “I think we took a lot out of it. We’re going to come in on Monday foot on the pedal, ready for the next game, ready to take on the Big East Championship hopefully, that’s our goal, that’s our mindset right now, so we’re just going to cruise through these next few weeks and hopefully come out on top.” The Blue Demons now have a record of 13-11 overall and 6-6 in conference play. The team travels to Queens, New York on Friday to take on a powerful St. John’s University team, who the Blue Demons narrowly defeated 3-2 on Oct. 16.
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Sports. The DePaulia. Nov. 1, 2021 | 28
DePaul cross-country makes strides at Big East Championship By Darcy Waskiewicz Sports Editor
CARMEL, IN. -- The course was muddy and the sky was gray as DePaul men’s and women’s cross-country took on the entire Big East conference in Carmel, Indiana on Friday at the Big East Cross-Country Championships. The men finished in fifth place in their 8K race, their highest finish in Big East competition since they joined the conference in 2005, while the women finished in eighth in their 6K race. The race took place at Northview Church, with Butler University as the host and defending champions from the men’s side. At Northview, a path is cut into the grass to guide the runners, and it is covered with hills to provide an additional challenge. Carmel was hit with rain the night before, which left the course muddy and the ground soft as runners tried to keep their balance while navigating the course full of hills. For the men, who ran the course first, senior Dominic Bruce was the first Blue Demon to cross the finish line in 33rd place overall with a time of 25:54.7 after battling the muddy conditions. “Not ideal conditions, but I think that the best thing was that we were all in the same bad conditions together,” Bruce said. “That made it a lot more fun.” Senior Shane Knanishu ended his race right after Bruce in 35th place with a time of 26:04.5 and appreciated having his fellow Blue Demon runners by his side as well. “The conditions didn’t make it easy when you’re stuck out there alone, so being all around teammates is always helpful,” he said. Bruce, Knanishu and their teammates all finished within 20 places from one another to get their fifth-place team finish. “It was a tough course, so we weren’t able to chase times, and there were some people that wanted to be all-conference, which is top-25, and they fell just out-
PHOTO COURTESTY OF ANDY THOMPSON
DePaul cross-country junior Olivia Borowiak racing to her 20th place finish in the women’s 6K race at the Big East Championship. side of that,” head coach Dave Dopek said about the men’s team. “But they’ve been training together, they’ve been living together, they’ve been having meetings together and they are, I think, quite pleased with the elevation of the program to dead center of the conference.” For the women, junior Olivia Borowiak ended her race with a 20th place finish and a time of 21:42.5. With her top-20 finish, she received all-conference honors at the awards ceremony following the race. Following Borowiak was junior Nina Amicon, who finished second for the Blue Demons and 43rd overall with a time of 23:00.4. Junior Alexa Havon followed less than a second later with a time of 23:11.9 for 48th place. “There were quite a few times I
thought my shoe was going to come off, it was so wet, but I think the girls put up a really good fight today,” Havon said. “I don’t think anyone gave up, we all tried our hardest, and that’s really what’s the most important about conference [competition], is the team coming together and fighting, so that’s really good.” The women had to run after the men, so the course was beaten up and in worse conditions, making it challenging for them to run their 6K. “It is very muddy in certain areas, people were running very gingerly in those areas and normally they would be pushing the pace, particularly going downhill,” Dopek said. “But to see people fighting, their eyes up, they know what teams we needed to be chasing and they
were chasing them, and everybody finished. Nobody looked like they were going to fall out or have a bad race. Butler dominated both the men’s and women’s races. The men entered the race gunning for back-to-back titles and were successful, with four runners placing in the top 10. The women’s team for Butler put up a good race as well and finished in second but were unable to top the defending champions from Georgetown University, who also claimed a back-to-back title. Following their Big East competition, the Blue Demons will look to the NCAA Midwest Regionals, which will take place on Nov. 12 at the Ashton Cross Country Course in Iowa City, Iowa.
Volleyball splits weekend games against Providence and Creighton By Joshua M. Hicks & Darcy Waskiewicz Asst. Sports Editor & Sports Editor
MADDY MAES | THE DEPAULIA
DePaul middle hitter Donna Brown going up to hit the ball against Creighton on Oct. 30.
After losing two straight games in conference play against the University of Connecticut and Marquette University, the DePaul volleyball team bounced back with a 3-1 victory against Big East opponent Providence College on Friday night, continuing their recent home court success. This is the second time DePaul has beat Providence this season after winning 3-0 on Oct. 10. The Blue Demons struck first in the opening set with two kills by sophomore outside hitter Jill Pressly and junior pin hitter Bailey Nelson, and numerous service errors gave the Blue Demons a small lead. However, Providence came back with vengeance, keeping the set close with a 1818 tie prior to the first timeout of the game. The set stayed relatively close, but Friars went on a 7-3 run to take the first set 25-21. The second set was a completely different story. Providence picked up where they left off, striking first giving the Friars a 2-1 start. Behind the leadership of Pressly and se-
nior middle blocker Donna Brown, the Blue Demons took over, going on a 8-3 run before Providence called it’s first timeout. The timeout did not slow the Blue Demons down, only sparking the team to go on a 15-5 run to close out the second set 25-10. From this moment on, the team didn’t look back. The third set was relatively close in the beginning. DePaul struck the opening of the third set first thanks to a kill by Nelson. But Providence came back behind the leadership of Maryanne Boyle, tying the game at 14 a piece before the first timeout of the set. Behind Nelson leading the charge, she contributed to an 11-6 run to give the Blue Demons a 25-19 win to claim the third set, posing them to potentially finish the job in the fourth set. The fourth set was the icing on the cake. The Blue Demons picked up right where they left off with a kill by junior middle blocker Sasha Bolla giving the team a quick 1-0 lead. The team continued to put their gas on the pedal, going up 13-5 and 19-11 between the two timeouts called by Providence. The team ultimately won the fourth set 25-17.
See VOLLEYBALL, page 27