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Volume #106 | Issue #14 | Feb. 14, 2022 | depauliaonline.com

The future of art is Black

DePaul artists share work, advocate for greater diversity

By Nadia Hernandez News Editor

By Amber Stoutenborough Arts & Life Editor

Esther Ajayi, a senior at DePaul majoring in animation, runs around the room showing off her sketchbooks full of doodles and Black characters, pulling more art from underneath the bed to expose layers of charcoal sketches and oil paintings tucked away. There are acrylic paintings on canvases, denim jackets with handmade cartoon designs and digital art with the words “Black Lives Matter” displayed proudly on her walls. Ajayi has been creating art since she was a kid with her parents' continuous support for her creativity. While her major is in animation, she also does traditional and digital art as well as clothing designs. “Both of my parents are extremely creative, my dad would doodle with me and encourage me to draw all the time,” Ajayi said. In addition to creating, Ajayi sells her art as well. Before the pandemic started, she contributed to the Black Artists Spotlight and was grateful for the opportunities provided to help display her art. “DePaul was extremely supportive back in 2019,” Ajayi said. “Black Artists Collective hosted a show and I submitted one of my denim jackets for the art show. It was an amazing experience and I got to meet so many Black artists because of it and work and model with them.” DePaul has a rich history of art, and this year has deepened that tradition. From theater to music to digital comics, DePaul students have found different ways to express their creativity and to channel their art into a future of self expression and discovery. At a school with just 39

SGA passes resolution for remote learning accommodations

ALISON SCHULTZ | THE DEPAULIA

Esther Ajayi shown with one of her most popular pieces created to exemplify the Black Lives Matter movement.

percent students of color — the highest number it’s ever been — it is crucial to bring light to a common issue at most predominantly white schools; the issue of inclusion for creative Black students. DePaul enrolled 2,072 African-American students, about 9.2 percent of the student population for the 2021-2022 school year, according to Data USA . Even with that number, DePaul’s race and ethnicity demographic is considered above average, ranking 600 out of 3,790 universities in the United States. DePaul senior Michelle Manson studies viola performance and psychology and hopes to use these skills in the

ALISON SCHULTZ | THE DEPAULIA

Esther Ajayi’s sketchbook that helped create her art into what to it is today.

future to teach and perform. Manson has been a part of DePaul’s School of Music for the past four years, and while she enjoys her experience, being

one of the few Black musicians at the School of Music holds a lot of pressure.

See ARTISTS, page 22

Junior Nancy Godinez was hesitant about speaking before DePaul’s Student Government Association (SGA) at their weekly meeting. But as an immunocompromised student, she felt a duty to herself and other disabled students, and decided to take a stand. “I thought about [attending] the whole day…” she said. “The fact is, I have to advocate for myself.” Godinez and other disabled students spoke to SGA senators and constituents at the general body meeting on Jan. 27 about making remote learning a permanent accommodation for students who are disabled, chronically ill and immunocompromised. “I feel a responsibility to advocate for students because I’ve been very fortunate enough to talk with a lot of prospective students and incoming students,” Godinez said. Shortly after, SGA passed a resolution stating remote learning is a reasonable accessibility accommodation. This comes after the University and the Center of Students for Disabilities (CSD) denied students the option to continue remote learning once in-person classes resumed earlier in the quarter. Disabled students faced financial and academic burdens due to dropping in person classes for their health, The DePaulia previously reported. The official resolution called for the university to add remote modality for any DePaul class, meeting or event. This would allow for marginalized students, work-

See ACCOMMODATIONS, page 6

Electric trucks make show-stopping entrance at Chicago Auto Show By Andy Thompson Contributing Writer

ANDY THOMPSON | THE DEPAULIA

RAM CEO Mike Koval addresses the media Thursday about the brand’s new EV strategy.

Not even a decade ago, the phrase “electric pickup truck” was a foreign concept across the automotive industry. To many automakers, it seemed impossible for a segment of gas-guzzling workhorses to abandon their powerful oil-burning engines and embrace an eerily quiet, environmentally friendly replacement.

Since President Joe Biden pledged in December 2021 that no new gas-powered cars will be sold in the United States as of 2035, many truck brands have had a change of heart. And at the 2022 Chicago Auto Show, which opened to the public Saturday at McCormick Place, prospective buyers have the chance to take a look at the first wave of electric truck offerings. The electric truck making the biggest waves at the show’s Thursday media day was the all-new GMC Hummer EV

(electric vehicle). As the Hummer name is synonymous with powerful military vehicles of the late 20th century, Hummer Tour Manager Dickie Mason says it was only fitting to revive the brand with a 21st-century powertrain. “It has over 1,000 horsepower and over 11,500 pounds-feet of torque, which allows you to take off at an incredible velocity considering the weight of the electric system,” Mason said.

See ELECTRIC, page 14

2 | News. The DePaulia. Feb 14, 2022

First Look

Dec. 31, 2021 - Feb. 18, 2022

CAMPUS COVID-19 CASES

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 | Jackson Healy 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

SOURCE: COVID-19 DASHBOARD | DEPAUL UNIVERSITY

Visit the Covid-19 Dashboard for information on how to report positive cases on campus.

La DePaulia es el noticiero oficial estudiantil en español de la Universidad DePaul, enfocado en proveer una voz para la comunidad latinx. Nuestras opiniones no necesariamente reflejan las opiniones de la administración, facultad o personal de la universidad. JEFA DE REDACCIÓN | María Marta Guzmán eicladepaulia@depauliaonline.com GERENTE EDITORIAL | Erika Pérez managingladepaulia@depauliaonline.com EDITOR DE OPINIONES, ARTE Y VIDA | Santiago Posada - Jaramillo opinionesladepaulia@depauliaonline.com EDITORA DE MULTIMEDIA | Julie Atencia multimedialadepaulia@depauliaonline.com ASISTENTE EDITORA DE MULTIMEDIA | Jocelyn Diaz assistantmedialadepaulia@depauliaonline. com

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News. The DePaulia. Feb. 14, 2022 | 3

Year of the Tiger

LESLIE WILLLIAMSON | THE DEPAULIA

Intermediate Chinese II students performed a dance to “Raise Red Lanterns” led by their professor, Sharon Guan. Red Lanterns are a lucky symbol in Chinese culture.

Lunar New Year symbolizes new beginnings By Maggie Thompson Contributing Writer

The DePaul community rang in the Year of the Tiger this week with a vibrant celebration — the first in-person celebration since the beginning of the pandemic. The event was held in the Student Center in the Lincoln Park Campus on Feb.8 and in the DePaul Center in the Loop Campus on Feb. 9. The event included an opening ceremony and culturally significant activities to celebrate the Year of the Tiger. The festivities were hosted by the DePaul Chinese Studies Program, the DePaul Chinese Studies and Scholars Association (CSSA), and the Chinese Studies Association. Previously, the event was held on Zoom due to the pandemic. The event attracted around 200 students, including some who did not traditionally celebrate the Lunar New Year. Guest speaker Provost Salma Ghanem elaborated on the meaning of the Year of the Tiger during her speech at the opening ceremony. “2022 is the Year of the Water Tiger, which represents change, power and boldness,” she said to attendees, “We hope to harness this energy to adapt to the changes the pandemic has brought and celebrate the new year together.” Students from Intermediate Chinese II, taught by Sharon Guan, performed during the opening ceremony. They danced to “Raise Red Lanterns,” a song about red lanterns, symbolizing good luck. “Gong Xi Fa Cai,” a song translated as “Happy New Year” in English, was performed by DePaul students Zhen Junying and Wu Jiayi. Students were invited to participate in cultural activities after the ceremony, including the opportunity to practice Mandarin calligraphy, create paper crafts and utilize a photobooth to commemorate their time at the event. “It was definitely a challenge to plan,” said CSSA President Junying Zhen. “We expected a lower turn-out this year, but overall, it was a great success.” DePaul students have been celebrating Lunar New Year on campus for over a decade. More than just Chinese studies students have started to participate. Lunar New Year is one of the largest holiday ceremonies on campus. “I grew up in China, and Lunar New Year is part of my culture,” said DePaul freshman Yesha Yu, who attended the celebration in the Loop Campus. “And even though it’s different,

LESLIE WILLLIAMSON | THE DEPAULIA

Yifan (Yura) Liu and Jarvis Ning, members of CSSA, make paper cuttings and practice calligraphy at the Loop Campus. this makes me feel like I’m back in China.” One of the decisions that the hosts have made in recent years is referring to the event as the “Lunar New Year” rather than the “Chinese New Year.” Li Jin, the director of Chinese Studies at DePaul, said that the context behind that decision lies in inclusion. “The Lunar New Year is celebrated by several Asian cultures, including Korea and Vietnam, not just China,” Jin said. “We want the Asian diaspora at DePaul to feel welcomed to celebrate the New Year in their own way.” Participants received a host of traditional gifts honoring the Lunar New Year to take home with them, such as red envelopes containing candies and chocolate coins, Lunar New Year-themed face masks, vegetarian and meat dumplings and a special tiger plushie given to those born in the Year of the Tiger. Jin hopes to be able to hold the celebration in a larger atrium next year and provide more food to the guests.

LESLIE WILLLIAMSON | THE DEPAULIA

Chinese language studies student Cotey Sydow practices Chinese caligraphy at the Lincoln Park campus.

4 | News. The DePaulia. Feb. 14, 2022

Student Affairs holds first ever mental health fair By Maddey Martin

“There is a mental health crisis in this country right now, especially among young people.”

Contributing Writer

DePaul’s Division of Student Affairs held its first ever Mental Health Fair last week. The fair was in person in the Loop and Lincoln Park, as well as on Zoom. The event was organized and run by Courtney James, director of student involvement, in partnership with ImAlive, an organization which provides an online crisis chat and partners with universities across the country to proctor mental health fairs. “We hear students, and we hear their needs. It is one thing we can do, it’s not the only thing,” James said. In 2021, University Counseling Services (UCS) moved almost all of its resources to a third-party app called My Student Support Program (SSP). UCS was unable to take in new and recurring students, and re-directed students to the app, due to a lack of staff at UCS. The changes at UCS invoked outrage from some students who felt like the university was not supporting them. After the staffing shortages at UCS, James started “having a lot more conversations with students about their mental health this year than ever before.” “We all know what’s going on with UCS,” James said.“This isn’t the only solution.This is a part of what students are asking about, and a part of what we need to do.” Many college students grapple with mental health and depressive thoughts. Up to 44 percent of college students have “reported having symptoms of depression and anxiety,” according to the Mayo Clinic. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for college students. Of those who have a mental health disorder, 75 percent have their first episode by 24. 30 percent of students also reported feeling depressed in the last year, and “half of students reported feeling overwhelmingly anxious in the past year,” according to that same Mayo Clinic article. “Students reported lower levels of psycho-

Courtney James

director of student involvement

MADDEY MARTN | THE DEPAULIA

DePaul’s Division of Student Affairs hosted three mental health fairs, one virutally. logical well-being during the pandemic than before,” according to The New York Times. “There is a mental health crisis in this country right now, especially among young people,” James said. The fair had four different interactive stations, which included writing messages of hope to other students, a Share-A-Secret, where students wrote secrets on blank postcards ahead of the fair, and then displayed them at the fair to look at their secrets and others.’ There were two other activities meant to educate students on warning signs of suicide and other mental health issues. The hands-on Graffiti Art invites each student to create their own art expression on a large canvas.

MADDEY MARTN | THE DEPAULIA

A student visits a booth at the fair.

Other departments at DePaul had stations too, like the Office of Health Promotion and Wellness, the Career Center, Campus Recreation, the Division of Mission and Ministry and the Center for Students with Disabilities. “What we asked all the participating offices to do is to think about how they have a role in supporting students’ mental health,” James said. “For example, Mission and Ministry is here to help you connect with the spiritual side of things.” The departments involved in the fair came up with ways to connect with students. “[Departments] critically thought about what their role in supporting students’ mental health is,” James said. Junior Vedika Narang expressed her frustrations with the lack of resources on campus. She said, although the fair was nice, she wanted DePaul to provide resources. “I think the university needs to give more than like, stickers or something,” Narang said. “We need more.’ Senior Devin Koldan expressed concerns about university resources as well. “I feel extremely let down by the university,” Koldan said. “...I feel like the university is trying but failing to understand students.”

News. The DePaulia. Feb. 14, 2022| 5

DePaul students attacked By Nate Burleyson Online Managing Editor

The Loop campus saw two attacks on students Tuesday, the first of which lead to the arrest of the suspect. The first victim, Cami Blechschmidt, 25, was waiting for a Lyft right outside of the Starbucks on Jackson and Wabash around noon when she felt a hand in her pocket, she then turned around and saw 28-year-old William Livingston, who proceeded to punch her three times, knocking her to the ground. “I felt a hand in my pocket. I turned my head and there was a man directly in front of me and he punched me directly in the face,” Blechschmidt told WGN. “We made eye contact and he just had pure hate in his eyes. Just anger, pure anger.” Yet Blechschmidt wasn’t the first of Livingston’s victims Tuesday, nor the last. Livingston had allegedly already punched two women prior to the attack on Blechschmidt, both victims saw the attack on Blechschmidt. He then proceeded to attack another woman, bringing his count to four assaults in a 22 minute span. Chicago Police Department officers apprehended Livingston near State and Wabash around 12:30, where he was identified by all four victims and various witnesses as the attacker. Livingston is charged with four counts of felony aggravated battery in a public place, two counts of attempted robbery, and one count of misdemeanor battery. Yet this isn’t his first brush with the law, in April 2017, a 20-yearold Columbia College student alleged that

KIERSTEN RIEDFORD| THE DEPAULIA

Police apprehended William Livingston, 28, shortly after he assaulted several women in the Loop. Livingston punched her in the face outside of a school building on the 1100 block of South Wabash. In addition to the April assault, he was arrested another time in 2017 for battery, and faced aggravated assault charges in 2015 and 2016. Four hours after the assaults, a DePaul student had just walked out of the 7-Eleven on Jackson and Wabash when a man grabbed her hand, attempted to hug her and put his head on her shoulder. The offender is described as a young male, 5’7”, with brown hair, wearing a black hat and coat. Public Safety is looking for more information on the suspect. These two incidents came a week after Public Safety issued a notice describing a man who has been reported making vulgar and derogatory remarks to female students before spitting on them. Incidents with the spitter occurred on both Lincoln Park and Loop campuses. “The offender is a male white with a stocky

build,” the Public Safety description reads. “He has long dark hair with some grey. He sometimes wears his hair in a bun. The offender has tattoos that cover his arms and hands. He also has facial tattoos and a large multi-colored tattoo on his neck with the letters BEAUTE.” Including Tuesday’s incidents, students, faculty and staff have received six public safety alerts in 2022. On Feb. 3, DePaul Public Safety notified the campus community of a man who, on several occasions, approached women on campus, made vulgar, derogatory remarks and then spat on them. The man targeted women on both Loop and Lincoln Park campuses. On Jan. 14, Public Safety notified DePaulians of a case of aggravated battery and robbery that took place at 9:14 p.m. the night before on the CTA Red Line platform at Jackson and State. Three victims were stabbed and robbed by two unknown male offenders. And on Jan. 9, two related incidents occurred: At 2:45 p.m., a man attempted to rob

CAMPUS CRIME REPORT:

the 7-11 just two blocks from the Loop campus, at 535 S. State St. A few minutes later, a man pulled a handgun at the Wingstop around the corner, 12 E. Harrison St., and took an unknown amount of money from the register. Students, faculty and staff also received an alert on Jan. 3, when a strong-armed robbery was committed on the Red Line near Jackson Boulevard. In total, criminal complaints in CPD District 1, where the Loop campus is located, have risen 158 percent from this time in 2021. Citywide, and in Lincoln Park, this increase is less severe. So far in 2022, CPD District 18, where Lincoln Park is located, has seen 106 more criminal complaints than last year. The city overall has seen a 26 percent increase. Josephine Stratman contributed to this report.

Feb. 02, 2022 - Feb. 08, 2022

LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS

LOOP CAMPUS 8

Seton Hall 2

Arts & Letters 3

University Center 4

Student Center

LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS LINCOLN PARK Feb. 04 1) A Disorderly Conduct report was filed at the Student Center. Feb. 05 2) A Criminal Damage to Property report was filed for markings on Seton Hall. Feb. 08 3) A Disorderly Conduct report was filed regarding a demonstration that took place in Arts & Letters Hall.

Assault & Theft

Drug & Alcohol

Other

LOOP CAMPUS

LOOP markings on the DePaul Center. Feb. 05 Feb. 08 4) An Alcohol Violation was 8) A Battery report was filed reported in University Center. regarding an incident that occurred near Jackson & Wabash. A Safety 5) A Stalking report was filed for Alert was issued regarding the a person who reported being incident, and the offender was followed to the Loop Campus (Not later taken into custody by Chicago pictured). Police. 9) A Battery report was filed Feb. 06 regarding and incident that 6) A Criminal Damage report occurred outside of the 7-Eleven was filed in the Starbucks at 55 E located at 30 E Jackson. The Jackson (Not pictured). incident involved unwanted physical contact by the offender. A Feb. 07 Safety Alert was issued regarding 7) A Graffiti report was filed for the incident (Not pictured).

6 | News. The DePaulia. Feb. 14, 2022

DEPAULIA FILE PHOTO

It’s unclear how much DePaul has to accommodate disabled students as a private institution under Section 504, a law designed to protect students’ rights at universities.

ACCOMMODATIONS, continued from front page workers and guests to “fully participate remotely.” David Hupp, chair of the SGA disabled student ad hoc committee, spearheaded the idea for the resolution after disabled students were denied accommodations in January. Shortly after, seven senators became sponsors for the resolution. “I was really touched that we did manage to get two people to come in and speak at length about how [a lack of remote learning] affected them,” Hupp said. Sergio Godinez, senator for first-generation students, became a sponsor early on in the process and was able to learn more about how disabled students were living day to day. “As a person who is not disabled, a lot of us come in with a very ableist point of view,” he said. “After I had reached out to [Hupp], he had sent me some articles. I was reading these students’ experiences and your perspective opens up a lot more in terms of the issues students are facing on campus.” Nancy Godinez, an immunocompromised, and a disabled constituent spoke about their individual experiences, while Hupp read aloud a piece written anonymously bya disabled student. “[The senators] initially were concerned about how it would affect other students, before they educated themselves and learned that it wouldn’t affect other students materially and realized that this really is about slowly including a marginalized minority group,” Hupp said. SGA members were concerned that the execution of this resolution would impact options for non-disabled students. “There were a lot of logistical concerns regarding how professors would adapt to having a class need to be moved remotely or what is the process of accommodating disabled students on campus,” Sergio Godinez said. Push for remote learning accommodations: Sergio Godinez said he realized the push for remote learning accommodations would aid not just disabled students, but student parents and caregivers too. “It’s also benefiting students who are immunocompromised, or students who have

families that are immunocompromised, because they’re also put at risk having to go to in-person classes,” he said. “So we realized that this resolution went far beyond the initial scope of the student population that we were looking to benefit from.” Currently, DePaul is offering in-person, hybrid and virtual options for classes. Not every in-person class has a virtual complement. This includes classes required to graduate. “I tried really hard this quarter to take a lot of asynchronous classes but because of my major being in the sciences, I have in-person labs and the College of Science and Health is really pushing for in-person classes,” Nancy Godinez said. DePaul reported 55 on-campus Covid-19 cases from Jan. 29 to Feb 11. Godinez said she received emails from the university notifying that she had been exposed four times this quarter alone. “Just getting that email that you’ve been exposed to Covid-19 is a horrible, gut-wrenching feeling, because I know if I get sick, even though I am vaccinated and boosted, it still looks very different,” Nancy Godinez said. “It’s something people wouldn’t necessarily know by looking at me, too. A really big plus to having online classes is you never know what students are going through.” Caryn Chaden, associate provost for student success, and Greg Moorehead, director of CSD, defined an accommodation in a joint statement as, “a change that affects the student who requests/needs it, without significantly affecting the rest of the students in the class.”

Although they said that they “appreciate” SGA’s efforts, Chaden and Moorehead do not think it’s relevant for CSD to recommend which modality is best for different departments. “The modality by which a course is taught is a decision by the program faculty, the chair and the dean,” Chaden and Moorehead said. “It would be inappropriate for The Center for Students with Disabilities to independently determine how programs offer their courses.” DePaul received $14 million from the national Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic (CARES) act in 2020. These funds supported technological advancements within the university to enable remote instruction. Chaden and Moorehead alluded to using these funds to make remote learning accommodations in the future. “With the investment the University has made in new technology for remote synchronous attendance, this is now a possibility,” Chaden and Moorehead said. “We will be happy to work with SGA to explore the possibility of expanding available accommodations for students with recognized need.” The resolution does not propose shifting entire classes to a remote format, but creating remote options within a class. This could include having a permanent Zoom option. However, this is up to each professor’s discretion, rather than being a university-wide requirement. Hupp acknowledged that he believed the DePaul administration was sincere about working with SGA and disabled student com-

munity. “We’re nudging them in the direction of the work, making it uncomfortable for them to not do the work, but ultimately, they have to put in the work of figuring out how to actually do this,” he said. Private universities exemptions under federal law: CSD has a total of nine staff members, yet no position listed for Section 504, a law designed to protect disabled students’ rights at an institution that receives federal funding. Section 504 also prohibits schools from discriminating against disabled students but acknowledges that private universities, like DePaul, “do not have to substantially modify their programs to provide access to students with disabilities.” It is unclear how much DePaul has to accommodate students as a private institution under Section 504. DePaul does not list a Section 504 position on the CSD staff page or compliance page. Northwestern University’s director of equal opportunity and access also acts as their Section 504 coordinator. While they handle misconduct reports or grievances, including disability discrimination internally, DePaul outsources their reports with EthicsPoint for students who believe they have been discriminated against. “The Academic Affairs chain of command does not have the back of disabled students facing discrimination in the form of professors or departments denying them accommodations, including remote learning — and CSD isn’t even part of that chain of command,” Hupp said. Under DePaul’s organizational chart, all of the deans, associate provosts, associate vice president and vice presidents would report to the provost, Salma Ghanem. DePaul will continue to offer individualized accommodations for students, but did not indicate how and when further collaboration with SGA about this resolution will occur. “It’s not easy for students to come forward and especially challenge administration,” Nancy Godinez said. “I’m a huge advocate for going to [resources] because it’s included in our tuition.”

News. The DePaulia. Feb. 14, 2022 | 7

8 | News. The DePaulia. Feb. 14, 2022

At-home Covid-19 tests not being requested By Salvador Salazar Contributing Writer

The Biden administration requires private health insurance providers to cover the cost of up to eight rapid home Covid-19 tests per month. This measure came when cases of the Omicron variant were increasing nationwide in late December and early January. At-home Covid-19 test order came into effect in mid-January. But how has the distribution of these tests varied among zip codes in Chicago? Pharmacies with major differences in free test distribution are not as far apart as you might speculate. Some are only a few blocks away from each other in neighboring zip codes, others even within the same postal codes. “No one has asked me for one, and if they did, their request would be reimbursed by their insurance company after the purchase with proof of receipt, or if their primary physician prescribed it,” Grant, a Walgreens pharmaceutical manager who did not want to use his last name, said. Grant is the manager of a Walgreens pharmacy, located at 5435 S Kedzie Ave. in Gage Park, a mostly Latino community. “Most of my customers are insured and I would still say that only about 3 out of 10 people that come in an hour ask for their free kit. Of course, we do have a good amount of people that are uninsured and must pay out of pocket,” said Jeremy, a pharmacist at Jewel Osco who didn’t want to use his last name.

MADDY MAES | THE DEPAULIA

Students walk out of the Sullivan Athletic Center, where DePaul Lincoln Park on campus Covid-19 testing is taking place.

“I can’t afford to take off work if I test positive.”

Michael Echeverria

Employee at the A. Finkl & Sons Steel Mill Jeremey is the manager of a pharmacy in Jewel Osco located at 5324 S Pulaski Rd., in a majority Latino neighborhood in Gage Park’s neighboring community, West Elsdon. “I can’t take the risk of taking off work if I test positive,” said Miguel Echeverría, an employee of A. Finkl & Sons Steel Mill and resident of Chicago Lawn.

‘Nobody can live on minimum wage’

Echeverría’s household faced a Covid-19 outbreak this past January, as his wife and 12-year-old granddaughter tested positive for the virus. Echeverría refused to receive his free test as he waited in line at a CVS, 6315 S Pulaski. In the more wealthy neighborhoods of Chicago, people’s attitudes towards free tests weren’t much different.

“It’s definitely not rare, but we haven’t gotten any in the past hour. On average we get about 3 people every hour who request for them,” Josie, a pharmacist at the Walgreens at 933 N State St in the Gold Coast, said. Josie also didn’t want to use her last name. “Probably less than one percent of our clients ask for [the tests], but our shop is small and that’s probably not a great indicator,” another pharmacy worker at a Walgreens at 834 West Armitage Ave., who wished to stay anonymous, said. “Our store still hasn’t been approved to distribute the kits for free, but customers can keep their receipts for later reimbursement,” a pharmacist worker at a Lincoln Park Walgreens in 2500 N Clark St., who wanted to stay anonymous, said. Either because people don’t know the tests are free, because people don’t have insurance, the need to financially support a household with only one provider for the family, or just the capacity of the pharmacies, one thing is for sure — these free Covid-19 tests are not distributed enough. For the free Covid-19 help for those without insurance, the Gage Park Latinx Council (GPLXC) has been providing emergency help since March 2020 and is distributing Covid-19 tests for Gage Park residents. For those with insurance, you can request your free test kits in local pharmacies. Later, you can show your receipt to your insurance provider, and later they will reimburse the expense. You can also recover the reimbursement if it was prescribed by a doctor.

Inflation impacts college students

By Vanessa Lopez and Josephine Stratman Contributing Writer and Assistant News Editor

Inflation has been eating away at the spending power of workers’ dollars — leaving them hungry. The pieces of common consumer goods from eggs and clothes to cars and electricity have risen — some at rates not seen in 40 years. On Thursday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has climbed at the fastest pace in four-decades: In January, it rose 7.5 percent compared to a year ago. CPI is a commonly-used measure of inflation and measures the prices of everyday consumer goods like food and electricity. This is the first time most college students are experiencing significant inflation, with rates the highest they’ve been since 1980. DePaul students working minimum wage jobs feel the strain. “I make $15 per hour, living off my paycheck is not a realistic lifestyle; I constantly feel financially restricted,” said Isabella Villalobos, a sophomore at DePaul University studying economics. Many Chicagoans earn less than what some refer to as a “living wage.” Chicago’s minimum wage is currently $15 per hour, and Illinois as a whole mandates a minimum pay

of $12 per hour. Companies with less than 21 employees or who hired tipped workers can get away with paying less — $14 per hour for employers with four to 20 employees and $9 for most tipped employees. Current inflation rates far exceed the comfortable two to three percent limit set by the Federal Reserve as an approtionate inflation target. “The minimum wages in Illinois and Chicago are among the highest in the nation,” said Liliana Fargo, an economics adjunct professor. “But it is important to recognize that local wages, including minimum wages, need to take into account differences in the cost of living across regions for a proper adjustment based on purchasing power and that typically large cities have a higher cost of living conditions.” A single person living in Cook County would need to earn $16.32 per hour, working full-time, to support themself, according to the MIT Living Wage Calculator. This number takes into account over $3,000 in food, nearly the same in medical expenses, over $11,000 in housing and about $5,000 in transportation, all adding up to a required income of $33,953 — and that’s before taxes. If a person needs to support family members or children, that required income quickly skyrockets. “Nobody can live on minimum wage, hence the name,” said Jumana Khalifeh, an adjunct sociology professor. “Life is expensive, rent, transportation and necessities are

JOSEPHINE STRATMAN | THE DEPAULIA

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a commonly-used measure of inflation in the U.S. very expensive. If people want to live a better life, I believe the minimum wage in Chicago should be raised to $20 per hour.” Even if students can scrape by on minimum wage, Villalobos said it doesn’t make life difficult. “Being a college student in Chicago is difficult; from paying for public transportation to necessities such as groceries, my money comes and goes,” Villalobos said. “Because of how expensive everything is in the city, I rarely get to treat myself, and if I do, it is once a month.” Statewide, the minimum wage rose to $12 per hour on Jan. 1, 2022, and will continue to increase until it hits $15 per hour in 2025. Within the same timeframe, pay for tipped workers will gradually increase to $9 per hour. “I’m not claiming that what I do is extraordinary or that I deserve to be paid extremely high, but when you consider how costly Chicago is, inflation rates and the costs of being a college student … it shows that $15 per hour is insufficient to support myself,” Villalobos said.

9 | News. The DePaulia. Feb. 14, 2022

10 | Nation & World. The DePaulia. Feb. 14, 2022

Nation & World

Meddling in the Midterms

How partisan influence in U.S. elections chip away at democracy

By Jackson Healy Nation & World Editor

Gerrymandering: it’s as American as apple pie. As the United States nears the 2022 midterm elections, politicians and analysts alike have once again advanced concerns over gerrymandering efforts across both state and party lines, raising the alarm of partisan attempts to interfere with democratic processes. Since the U.S. Supreme Court first ruled in 1964 that both congressional and state legislative electoral districts states have to contain near-equal populations, district lines have been redrawn every 10 years following the release of the U.S. census to meet this requirement. And since then, state legislators have attempted to use redistricting to benefit their political party. Thus far, the 2020 redistricting cycle has been no different. Across the country, majority parties in state legislatures utilize two gerrymandering tactics: “packing” and “cracking.” Legislators “pack” the opposing party’s likely voters into a few small districts in order to eliminate them from other district elections, and “crack” them by spreading the opposing party’s likely voters across several districts to dilute their influence. By using both of these methods, majority parties attempt to manufacture positive results come Election Day. “Instead of the voters electing their representatives, the representatives are picking their voters in a manner that ensures that the vast majority of the seats up for grabs are predetermined,” said Sheldon Jacobson, a computer science professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Because most state legislative houses have been controlled by Republicans in recent years, the Republican Party has had more opportunities over the past two decades to gerrymander: Texas

ALICIA GOLUSZKA | THE DEPAULIA

and North Carolina in particular have been widely accused of creating unfair district lines in their respective states. However, the Democratic Party is not innocent of gerrymandering, either: Illinois and Maryland, both hold-

IL SENATE REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE

Illinois’ new Congressional map, signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker Nov. 23, 2021. ing Democratic majorities in their state legislatures, have also come under fire for gerrymandering their district maps. In Illinois, Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the state’s new congressional map into law Nov. 23, 2021. Drawn by the state’s Democratic-majority legislature, the map has received an “F” rating from the Princeton Gerrymandering Project, a project dedicated to nonpartisan analysis of district remapping, and has faced significant criticism over alleged gerrymandering. “The voters of Illinois should be frustrated,” Jacobson said, “because they really have very little choice. It’s a predetermined election already. Just look at the district that snakes through

the urban areas downstate, and you realize that this was done with pure intent to capture as many Democrat voters and to dilute the Republicans along the interstate highways going between Peoria, Bloomington and Champaign. They want to grab as many of the left-leaning voters to ensure that they can capture an extra district.” The practice of gerrymandering in the U.S. is by no means new — in 1789, Founding Father and former Virginia Gov. Patrick Henry redrew his state’s electoral districts in an attempt to keep his rival James Madison out of the very first U.S. Congress. However, recent technological advancements have allowed mapmakers to up the ante, creating more precise and sophisticated gerrymanders than ever before in American history. “All of that gerrymandering from Patrick Henry in the 1790s all the way through the 2000s is the minor leagues,” said journalist and author David Daley, “And in 2010, it leaps into its steroids era.” Gerrymandering isn’t the only way state legislatures are influencing elections, though — last year alone, at least 19 states have passed 34 laws restricting access to voting, and over 440 similar bills have been introduced in 49 states, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. In states like Ohio and Texas, Republican-led governments will only allow one ballot drop-off box for every county in their respective states during the coming elections. “You think about a place like Harris County — which contains Houston — and you’re talking about millions of people in that county, and one drop box?” said John McGlennon, government professor at the College of William and Mary and former Democratic congressional candidate. “That’s just totally useless.” And across several states, Republican lawmakers have attempted to increase par-

tisan control over electoral oversight by limiting the powers of secretaries of state, governors and anyone not viewed as loyal to the G.O.P. There’s one major problem with these alleged attempts to protect against widespread electoral fraud, though: there’s no evidence of widespread electoral fraud. Critics have argued that these measures have been imposed with the intent to suppress votes to the benefit of Republican candidates. “These laws are solutions to problems that don’t exist that end up creating very real problems of their own, which tend to resonate to the advantage of the Republican Party,” Daley said. While partisan efforts to influence elections continue, many have been challenged and even struck down. In Ohio, a successful 2018 ballot measure to reform the state’s redistricting process has twice resulted in the state’s Supreme Court to reject disproportionately drawn legislative maps. Michigan passed a similar ballot measure that same year. And on Nov. 4, 2021, the Department of Justice sued the state of Texas, claiming its restrictions on mail-in ballots and voter assistance risked disenfranchising the disabled, elderly and non-English speaking voters. Still, many ongoing efforts to shift the electoral process in favor of states’ respective majority parties remain unchecked. “There are ways in which individual states can take action to limit the manipulation of the electoral process,” McGlennon said. “There are other ways in which it really takes national legislation to address these issues. I think there’s likely to be some nibbling around the edges of efforts to manipulate or suppress votes, but with the current division in Congress, it’s hard to see a very comprehensive national effort succeeding.”

Nation & World. The DePaulia. Feb. 14, 2022 | 11

Ukraine’s leader asks for evidence on new invasion warnings By Jim Heintz & Ellen Knickmeyer Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP) — Ukraine’s president played down intensified warnings of a possible Russian invasion within days, saying he had yet to see convincing evidence, even as the U.S. warned Sunday of more Russian troops pressing closer to Ukraine’s borders and some airlines canceled or diverted flights there. The White House said President Joe Biden would talk later in the day with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Ukrainian leader’s repeated statements urging calm among his people — while Russian forces surround Ukraine on three sides in what Russia insists are military exercises -- grew this weekend to Zelenskyy questioning strident warnings from U.S. officials in recent days that Russia could be planning to invade as soon as midweek. The U.S. picked up intelligence that Russia is looking at Wednesday as a target date, according to a U.S. official familiar with the findings. The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly and did so only on condition of anonymity, would not say how definitive the intelligence was. “We’re not going to give Russia the opportunity to conduct a surprise here, to spring something on Ukraine or the world,” Jake Sullivan, the U.S. national security adviser, told CNN on Sunday, about the U.S. warnings. “We are going to make sure that we are laying out for the world what we see as transparently and plainly as we possibly can,” he said. The U.S. largely has not made public the evidence it says is underlying its most specific warnings on possible Russian planning or timing. The Russians have deployed missile, air, naval and special operations forces, as well as supplies to sustain an invasion. This week, Russia moved six amphibious assault ships into the Black Sea, augmenting its capability to land on the coast. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Sunday that Russia had well over 100,000 troops along Ukraine’s borders,

VADIM GHIRDA | ASSOCIATED PRESS

A Ukrainian civilian engages in basic combat training in eastern Ukraine, Feb. 13 2022.

“We are not going to give Russia the opportunity to conduct a surprise here, to spring something on Ukraine or the world.”

Jake Sullivan

U.S. National Security Adviser “and actually, over the last few days, even more.” Kirby cited “a mosaic of intelligence” the U.S. had gathered, but gave no details. “We have good sources of intelligence and they’re telling us that, you know, that things are sort of building now to some crescendo opportunity for Mr. Putin.” Zelenskyy’s comments this weekend indicated frustration at the warnings from Washington, as he tries to minimize damage to Ukraine’s economy during the crisis. “We understand all the risks, we understand that there are risks,” he said in a live broadcast. “If you, or anyone else, has additional information regarding a 100% Russian invasion starting on the 16th, please forward that information to us.”

In an hour long call Saturday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Biden said an invasion of Ukraine would cause “widespread human suffering” and that the West was committed to diplomacy to end the crisis but “equally prepared for other scenarios,” the White House said. It offered no suggestion that the call diminished the threat of an imminent war in Europe. The Putin-Biden conversation, following a call between Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron earlier in the day, came at a critical moment for what has become the biggest security crisis between Russia and the West since the Cold War. U.S. officials believe they have mere days to prevent an invasion and enormous bloodshed in Ukraine. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will fly to Kyiv on Monday and Moscow on

Tuesday to meet with the presidents in those capitals. While the U.S. and its NATO allies have no plans to send troops to Ukraine to fight Russia, an invasion and resulting punishing sanctions could reverberate far beyond the former Soviet republic, affecting energy supplies, global markets and the power balance in Europe. In a sign that American officials are preparing for a worst-case scenario, the United States announced plans to evacuate most of its staff from the embassy in Kyiv and urged all American citizens to leave Ukraine immediately. Britain joined other European nations in telling its citizens to leave. Biden has bolstered the U.S. military presence in Europe as reassurance to allies on NATO’s eastern flank. The 3,000 additional soldiers ordered to Poland come on top of 1,700 who are on their way there. The U.S. Army also is shifting 1,000 soldiers from Germany to Romania, which like Poland shares a border with Ukraine. Russia is demanding that the West keep former Soviet countries out of NATO. It also wants NATO to refrain from deploying weapons near its border and to roll back alliance forces from Eastern Europe — demands flatly rejected by the West. Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly leader was driven from office by a popular uprising. Moscow responded by annexing the Crimean Peninsula and then backing a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine, where fighting has killed over 14,000 people. A 2015 peace deal brokered by France and Germany helped halt largescale battles, but regular skirmishes have continued, and efforts to reach a political settlement have stalled. “My family has always been prepared, we have all the stuff gathered for like a couple of years now. Honestly, I’m not afraid because the war wouldn’t start like in a week,” 21-year-old Yuliia Zaets said at a pro-government rally on Saturday.

Police arrest protesters who remained at US-Canada bridge

By Rob Gillies & Corey Williams Associated Press

WINDSOR, Ontario (AP) — Police moved in to clear and arrest the remaining protesters near the busiest U.S.-Canadian border crossing on Sunday, trying to end a demonstration against COVID-19 restrictions that has hurt the economy of both nations even as they held back from a crackdown on a larger protest in the capital, Ottawa. The protests have reverberated across the country and beyond, with similar convoys in France, New Zealand and the Netherlands. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security warned that truck convoys may be in the works in the United States. Windsor police said about 12 were peacefully arrested and seven vehicles were towed just after dawn near the Ambassador Bridge that links their city — and numerous Canadian automotive plants — with Detroit. “Today, our national economic crisis at the Ambassador Bridge came to an end,” he added later. “Border crossings will reopen when it is safe to do so and I defer to police and border agencies to make that determination.

NATHAN DENETTE | THE CANADIAN PRESS VIA AP

Police arrest a person after a court injunction gave police the power to remove all protesters from the Ambassador Bridge, linking Detroit and Windsor, Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022. Only a few protesters had remained onstrators have been encamped since late after police on Saturday persuaded dem- January. onstrators to move their pickup trucks and Trudeau has so far rejected calls to use others cars that they used to block a crossing the military, but had said that “all options that sees 25% of all trade between the two are on the table” to end the protests that countries. have slowed industries on both sides of the In Ottawa, the ranks of protesters border. Trudeau has called the protesters a swelled to what police said were 4,000 “fringe” of Canadian society. demonstrators on Saturday. The city has Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson declared a seen similar expansions on past weekends, state of emergency last week for the capand loud music played as people milled ital, where hundreds of trucks remained about downtown where anti-vaccine dem- in front of the Parliament Buildings and

demonstrators have set up portable toilets outside the prime minister’s office where Trudeau’s motorcade usually parks. Even after protesters’ vehicles were removed early Saturday, hundreds more arrived to bolster the crowd and settled into a faceoff with police about two blocks away, waving flags and yelling. On Friday, a judge ordered an end to the blockade of mostly pickup trucks and cars, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford declared a state of emergency allowing for fines of 100,000 Canadian dollars and up to one year in jail for anyone illegally blocking roads, bridges, walkways and other critical infrastructure. “We are protesting the government taking away our rights,” said Windsor resident Eunice Lucas-Logan. “We want the restrictions removed. We have to wait to find out.” While the protesters are decrying vaccine mandates for truckers and other COVID-19 restrictions, many of Canada’s public health measures, such as mask rules and vaccine passports for getting into restaurants and theaters, are already falling away as the omicron surge levels off.

12 | Opinions. The DePaulia. Feb. 14, 2022

Opinions

DePaul’s journalism school falls flat on Vincentian values KIERSTEN RIEDFORD | THE DEPAULIA

The 11th floor of the Richard M. and Maggie C. Daley Building at 14 E Jackson Blvd. The building houses DePaul’s College of Communication.

By Justin Myers Contributing Writer

The inclusive Vincentian core of DePaul’s mission remains clouded by a white, non-LGBTQ+ dominated culture in the journalism department. I first became aware of this during spring quarter of my freshman year when myself and a group of my friends decided to band together to create a campus magazine called DePaul Rogue solely devoted to uplifting the voices of minority, marginalized and multicultural groups on campus. We produced three issues before disbanding during spring quarter 2019. There’s a lot about Rogue that I would do differently if I was to go back and do it all over, but I viewed it as a successful attempt at change. Based on my interactions with our officers and contributors, it was clear that, though imperfect, our publication filled a need for inclusivity within DePaul’s journalism program. The idea initially stemmed from a collection of shared experiences from my gay-identifying self and others who felt that DePaul’s promised acceptance and embrace of diversity was not fulfilled in practice. While this was happening, I was in a freshman communications class where my professor, who was not a member of the LGBTQ+ community, told me

that it was “offensive” for me to use the word homosexual to describe myself. She never said what made it offensive, despite having given my reasoning for my personal comfort with the word. I was new to DePaul when all this happened, and it was already clear to me that the social awareness promised to me by the university was not universally given. I would have to fight for respect and inclusion. While our publication was still running, we were met with stories from people across many racial, ethnic and cultural identities who expressed to us their dismay in how campus publications and the journalism department responded to their identities. In many cases, these students were told that their voices didn’t fit the tone of the campus publication or had their pieces edited in a way that catered to the white Catholic majority on campus, completely erasing some elements of their personal identities. Following the end of this venture, I wrote a piece called “The DePaulian Question of Free Speech for All” about how the campus community targeted and restricted the rights of marginalized groups to freely express themselves and fostered false narratives about their identities. During my time at DePaul, I have seen meaningful progress, such as the success of La DePaulia, the introduc-

ERIK UEBELACKER | THE DEPAULIA

DePaul’s College of Communication plaque outside of the building’s entrance on Jackson Street.

tion of a two-quarter class on social justice reporting and the launch of DePaul chapters for the National Association of Black Journalists and the National Association for Hispanic Journalists. But, it’s not enough. The racial makeup of DePaul’s College of Communication remains predominantly white with very little LGBTQ+ representation. Only one fulltime staff member in the journalism department is a person of color.

The protests during the summer of 2020 prompted the College of Communication to assign a designated “diversity fellow.” The position is a step in the right direction, but its title singles out the otherness of faculty of color in the program and acknowledges that they are an alien and a token in a sea of whiteness. In truth, they are, and that’s the problem. There’s a systemic embrace of non-LGBTQ+ whiteness and a blindness to its dominance in the journalism department. There’s been a push to diversify the journalism scene at DePaul to invite more students of color to contribute to campus media and recruit them to apply for a journalism degree at DePaul. However, the culture of the program still favors whiteness and continues to tokenize minority groups. It will remain as such unless students continue their fight for progress and the College of Communication administration becomes comfortable with confronting its racial bias. Overall, I have greatly enjoyed my time at the journalism program at DePaul, but there is a need for improvement if it truly wants to embody the Vincentian mission.

The opinions in this section do not necessarially reflect those of The DePaulia staff.

13 | Opinions. The DePaulia. Feb. 14, 2022

A Black woman on the Supreme Court; it’s about time By Isabelle Earl Contributing Writer

President Joe Biden ran (and arguably won South Carolina) on the premise of nominating a Black woman to the Supreme Court, should he get the chance. In late January, Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement after 27 years. With this vacancy, Biden has confirmed his promise will come to fruition. Opposition to Biden’s promise has sparked from Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. He called it offensive, considering Black women make up 6 percent of the total U.S. population. “He’s saying to 94 percent of Americans — I don’t give a damn about you,” Cruz said. He continued to spew that this decision is an insult to the Black woman to be nominated, insinuating that she would only be nominated for her race and gender. To have a qualified pool of nominees, there must be a significant number of experienced people in the judicial system. The first law school to admit a Black student was University of North Carolina in 1951. Black people have been licensed attorneys for less than 70 years. Cruz’s assertion that race and gender are the sole qualifications of this nominee bolsters a narrative that made these careers inaccessible to Black women in the first place: that Black women are not capable to hold such a position. Biden’s promise corrects this narrative. His promise is a promise of justice, and not only to American constituents. Cruz must have forgotten that his beloved Ronald Reagan made a similar promise during his presidency when nominating the first woman to the Supreme Court, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. Cruz said back in 2015 during his short-lived presidential campaign that he hoped to

PATRICK SEMANSKY | AP PHOTO

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., center, speaks with reporters to discuss the upcoming Supreme Court vacancy, Feb. 10, 2022, at the White House.

emulate Reagan during his political career. What changed, Ted? Reagan knew back then that it was time for the Supreme Court to represent the people. Today, it is just as true. Susan Burgess, political science professor at DePaul, says Biden’s promise is not unusual. “There are different categories that presidents think of when they construct lists of nominees,” Burgess said. “Representational qualities are one of those.” Wanting the Supreme Court to not be mindful of its own demographics would be to uphold America’s racist history. Refusing to see race is also a refusal to discuss race. Representation matters, especially in high-profile and powerful positions. Ambresha Faulk, a political science student at DePaul, says they are wary of

what a Black woman on the Court would mean. “It concerns me because of the weight that is put on Black women to ‘fix everything’ themselves,” Faulk said. Too often are issues of racism pointed towards Black women and the Black community to solve, and Faulk is concerned that this will be heightened on the Supreme Court. Often felt left out of politics, Faulk agreed that, “it’s time, and it’s necessary.” I grew up watching Ruth Bader Ginsburg unapologetically destroy conservative men with her words. I knew what women who looked like me were capable of. As a student of political science, I read her dissents often, and usually with teary eyes. That could be me. As a white woman, I am privileged to

have this reinforcement. I am reminded of my potential when I look at all the white women who have come before me. There have been two Black men on the Supreme Court, which has undoubtedly been a step in the right direction in constituency representation. But only a Black woman can accurately represent the double burden of racism and sexism that Black women are faced with. Black women deserve a voice. Black women deserve to feel how I felt when seeing RBG on the news. Old, white men have been on the Supreme Court since its founding. They have been making the most important decisions in America all this time — it’s time for a change.

The Pope is wrong about childless couples By Alexandra Acain Contributing Writer

Pope Francis made an eye-opening statement saying that couples who opt to have pets instead of children are selfish. According to the Pope, this decision contributes to decreasing birth rates and “takes away our humanity.” What the Pope seemingly fails to understand is that parenthood is a calling. Chances are, people are not going to have a good, or any response to that calling. Parenting needs to come from a place of readiness, not obligation. The Pope’s primary goal was to encourage people to consider adoption, especially if they have resources or are unable to have a child naturally. The language of selfishness is really difficult for people to hear, and in many ways, might have clouded the larger message of what Pope Francis said. DePaul Catholic Studies professor Jaime Waters said that part of the Pope’s message about adoption could be easily overlooked or missed. “I would say that the larger context of what he said is really important,” Waters said. “The purpose of his speech had to do with adoption, trying to use the figure of Joseph.” The Biblical figure that Waters is highlighting is the adoptive father of Jesus who serves as a strong example and

GREGORIO BORGIA | AP PHOTO

Pope Francis blesses the attendance at the end of his general audience in the Paul VI Hall.

a reminder of the important role that adoption — and parenting — plays in society. But a couple’s decision whether or not to have children does not make them intrinsically more or less selfish than another. Another layer in the onion that should be peeled back on whether or not people should have children is the topic of the “demographic winter” in Europe. This term describes how the birth rate among many European countries is below the rate of replacement.

“It means the population is shrinking, because people aren’t having children. And it’s referred to as the demographic winter,” Depaul Catholic studies professor William Cavanaugh said. In some predominantly Catholic countries such as Spain and Italy, the population is actually shrinking and growing much older. This has potentially serious economic implications, including a shrinking workforce and increased care costs for older citizens. Francis’ advocacy for having children was at least partially

influenced by this trend. Not everyone will have a good, or any response to the calling of parenthood. Countries such as Luxembourg, Iceland and Sweden offer a much more substantial quality of childcare policy as opposed to countries such as France, Belgium, and Germany. The Pope’s commentary has also garnered criticism for a lack of support for single parents. “The financial pressures are greater, the emotional pressures are greater, the inability to have time for yourself is greater,” said DePaul religious studies professor Scott Paeth. “And if you don’t have the social safety net to cope with that as a couple, then if you don’t have it as a single person, it becomes that much more of a burden.” An important takeaway for many is listening to people’s experiences from all backgrounds and belief systems. Ask them about the struggles they are facing, what support they need and how their needs can be addressed. Those important questions, and the even distribution of resources, from improvement of healthcare to quality of education, is a clear compass to determine the appropriate response to couples who choose whether or not choose to have children.

14 | Focus. The DePaulia. Feb. 14, 2022

Focus

Electrified First electric trucks showcased at Chicago Auto Show ELECTRIC, continued from front page

ANDY THOMPSON | PHOTO

The entrance of the showroom at the 2022 Chicago Auto Show.

ANDY THOMPSON | PHOTO

Ford displays the revolutionary F-150 Lightning pickup at their EV-themed booth.

ANDY THOMPSON | PHOTO

The first Hummer electric truck was presented at the 2022 Chicago Auto Show.

ANDY THOMPSON | PHOTO

Chief Engineer for EVs Nicole Kraatz explains the first electric Chevrolet Silverado

Sitting across the hall from the Hummer was the Lamborghini Huracán STO, one of the most powerful and lightweight Italian sports cars on the market today. From a standstill, the gas-powered Lamborghini can accelerate to 60 miles per hour in three seconds. Despite having a curb weight of over 9,000 pounds, Mason says the Hummer would easily beat the Lamborghini if the two were to race from 0 to 60 miles per hour. “Torque is a unit of work crucial in getting a vehicle off the line, especially when it weighs as much as the Hummer,” Mason said. “When you hop behind the wheel of our truck with over 11,500 pounds-feet of it, you feel spaceship levels of acceleration. We’re displaying what we can do with EV technology, and hope our customers will feel the power.” Although Hummer has no current plans to ever build another vehicle as powerful as its initial offering, Mason stressed that the technology itself is here to stay and will be used by sister brands like Cadillac and Chevrolet down the road. “We wanted to come out big and bold with our first offering to show the world what we can do,” Mason said. “Tesla was first to come up with the idea of an electric pickup truck, and they turned it into quite the numbers game. We’re happy to play along.” At Chevrolet’s own booth in the center of the show floor, the 2023 Silverado EV pickup was brought to the Midwest for the first time to play a more practical numbers game. It currently features the longest battery life of any electric truck on the market, with over 400 miles of EPA-approved range. Additionally, the Silverado EV boasts a 5-foot-11-inch rear truck bed, currently the longest of any EV pickup. According to Chevrolet Chief Engineer for Electric Vehicles Nicole Kraatz, however, the real engineering genius is in the construction of the vehicle itself. “The battery platform is built into the structure of the vehicle, so this is not a traditional body-on-frame [engine mounted onto separate frame] vehicle like you’d tend to see with gas models,” Kraatz said. “This architecture lowers the center of gravity for better weight distribution, and makes for a more comfortable and safer ride.” For the first time ever in any full-size pickup truck, the Silverado EV also features 24-inch wheels and tires, which aid with ground clearance and the off-road capabilities the gas-powered Silverado has long been heralded for. “There are still several Chevrolet cues sitting inside the design, but you can definitely tell it’s not a traditional Silverado when you look at it,” Kraatz said. Compared to the Silverado EV, one

The most powerful battery option on the Lightning can by itself power an average home for up to three days nonstop. Ford Lightning Marketing Manager Jasen Turnbull would struggle to identify much of a design difference between gas and electric if they were to take a look at Ford’s all-new F-150 Lightning. But since the gas-powered F-150 was America’s best-selling vehicle in 2021, that’s not the revolution Ford Lightning Marketing Manager Jasen Turnbull is worried about. “Our first goal with the F-150 Lightning was to make sure it could be fully charged overnight on a generic home charging box in under eight hours,” Turn-

Two outlets with 2.4 kilowatts of capability in the bed of the truck.

The military-grade alumin body and high-strength ste support the advanced batte steel underbody shields are a extra protection for the b

Ford showed its 2022 electric version of the F-1

Focus. The DePaulia. Feb. 14, 2022 | 15

bull said. “Range anxiety and charge time are two huge factors for EV buyers. But as we learned more about the technology we’d developed, we realized we couldn’t stop there.” In pushing the boundaries of the Lightning’s technological capabilities, Turnbull says Ford’s engineers have quite literally generated one of the most important vehicles ever put to market. “During our research on home energy management, we realized we had effectively created an eco-friendly backup generator,” Turnbull said. “As a result, the most powerful battery option on the Lightning can by itself power an average home for up to three days nonstop, using 11 different outlets located around the vehicle.” Turnbull noted that in addition to being able to power a house, the 240-volt outlet in the pickup bed can be used for vehicle-to-vehicle charging if another EV driver is stranded without any range left, which has never been possible with any other EV model. “You can honestly power just about anything with the Lightning, whether it’s a job site or a campsite,” Turnbull said. “The F-150 is our most important model, and we haven’t taken its electrification lightly. Now that the charging infrastructure and battery technology is all there, we’re excited to see a change in how we all perceive the pickup truck.”

num alloy teel frame ery and the added to add battery.

ANDY THOMPSON | PHOTO

Nicole Kraatz tells the audience information about the truck and engine of the first electric Chrevolet Silverado truck.

Truck Tid-Bits Tesla’s newest electric truck model Semi has a 500-mile per day range. The Semi’s hydrogen fuel cells on trucks are able to replenish battery charges while on the highway, giving the truck a range of 1,200 miles.

Cargo area with four 120-volt AC Pro Power Onboard electrical outlets and two USB ports.

Daimler Trucks North America created the eCascadia electric truck model. It has a range of up to 250 miles with the ability to charge up to 80%, which gives another 200 miles, in about 90 minutes. The carbo area, known as the Mega Power Frunk, can be open with the remote fob and the COURTESY OF ANDY THOMPSON | PHOTO

150 truck at the 2022 Chicago Auto Show on Thursday, Feb. 10. The F-150 truck has been sold as a gas truck for the past 44 years.

Daily usage routes are supposed to range anywhere from 50 to 300 miles for most electric trucks. HEAVY DUTY TRUCKING | SOURCE

16 | La DePaulia. The DePaulia. Feb. 14, 2022

La DePaulia

OPINIÓN: El presidente Biden no ha cumplido todas sus promesas de reforma migratoria aún

FOTO CORTESIA DE MILWAUKEE TEACHERS’ EDUCATION ASSOCIATION (MTEA) | FLICKR

Durante el primer año de su presidencia, Biden ha recibido criticismos sobre su manejo con la inmigración.

By Alexandra Acain & Erika Pérez Escritora & Gerente Editorial, La DePaulia

El 20 de enero de 2022 se cumple el primer año en el cargo del presidente Biden y su administración. Un enfoque importante del primer año de la presidencia de Biden fue tratar de aprobar la legislación de inmigración en el Congreso. Biden ha declarado que la inmigración fue una prioridad durante su campaña y, por esto, lanzó una fuerte propuesta de política de inmigración al principio de su administración. “Queremos darle algo de crédito donde se debe. Por supuesto, detuvo el muro fronterizo. Revirtió algunos de esos elementos de la prohibición musulmana”, dijo Julio Noboa, un abogado de inmigración. Sin embargo, Biden todavía tiene que hacer más acciones para que su presidencia se sienta como un fuerte contraste con la administración de Donald Trump. Noboa también afirma que Biden no está cumpliendo con las expectativas de muchos grupos comunitarios para defender DACA — el programa que protege a los jóvenes inmigrantes elegibles que llegaron a los Estados Unidos cuando eran niños. El presidente Biden debe saber qué acciones tomarán los republicanos conservadores de derecha para luchar contra lo que DACA defiende. No parece estar luchando tanto como debería, especialmente hacia DACA. Pero no es solamente el presidente Biden

quien aún no ha cumplido sus promesas de campaña en temas de inmigración. Tampoco la vicepresidenta Kamala Harris lo ha estado haciendo. En el verano del 2021, cuando Harris fue a Guatemala para hablar sobre la inmmigracion en la frontera, ella dijo “No vengan a los Estados Unidos. Los Estados Unidos continuará con nuestras leyes y asegurando nuestras fronteras”. Incluso, otra cosa que Biden aún no ha cambiado es la política de permanecer en México, que permita a los migrantes solicitantes de asilo permanecer en México mientras procesan sus casos de asilo. El proceso de asilo puede llevar años en algunas ocasiones, esto sumado al Título 42, que es otra ley que permite a los Estados Unidos rechazar a cualquier persona por la pandemia del Covid-19. Muchos activistas sienten que Biden ha hablado mucho en campaña como todos los políticos, pero aún no han visto a Biden activamente dar pasos más grandes en la reforma migratoria y la apertura de las fronteras. También hay dos tipos de conservadores que son tan críticos como otros liberales con lo que perciben como la falta de atención de Biden a la frontera entre Estados Unidos y México. “Al primero, no le gustan los nuevos inmigrantes y le preocupa que dobleguen

la cultura estadounidense y las diversas diferencias que presentan. Tienen una oposición muy fuerte y se enfocan en mantener a Estados Unidos como quieren que se vea”, dijo el Dr. Joe Tafoya, profesor de ciencias políticas de la Universidad DePaul. “Y luego hay otros conservadores que dependen de la inmigración como mano de obra’’, dijo. Los conservadores a los que se refiere Tafoya son conservadores más ricos que poseen grandes empresas e influyen en las leyes laborales frente a la pandemia. No se permite la entrada al país de personas que podrían aceptar trabajos en el sector de servicios, especialmente ahora que está claro que muchas personas no quieren volver a trabajar debido a la pandemia. Las empresas también quieren reducir o detener la escasez de mano de obra ofreciendo bonificaciones a las personas que se presenten a trabajar el primer día que sean contratadas. El empleo puede ser otro aspecto de por qué hay tantas críticas hacia el manejo de la inmigración por parte de la administración Biden. Biden emitió seis órdenes ejecutivas sobre inmigración, que le dan al Congreso un marco para un proyecto de ley de reforma migratoria integral. Estos son los actos más ambiciosos de un presidente en una generación. Ahora depende de los activistas de ambos lados del espectro político ejercer presión al presidente Biden y a su administración para que sigan cumpliendo sus promesas de una mayor reapertura de las fronteras y de reforma migratoria.

“Entonces, para nosotros como defensores, nuestro trabajo es presionarlos después de que hayan asumido el cargo para garantizar que cumplan su promesa porque se han comprometido a aprobar la legislación de inmigración”, dijo Brandon Lee, Director de Comunicaciones de la Coalición por los Derechos de Inmigrantes y Refugiados en Illinois. Ha habido mucha inactividad en materia de inmigración, y la firma de esas seis órdenes ejecutivas es un buen punto de partida y algo por lo que vale la pena luchar. También hay cosas importantes que los inmigrantes de ambos lados del espectro político deben saber sobre la forma en que el presidente Biden y su administración están manejando la reforma migratoria y las políticas fronterizas. “Y espero que cuando hablamos de inmigración [seamos compasivos con ellos]”, dijo Antonio Gutiérrez, supervisor de Desarrollo Estratégico y Operaciones para Comunidades Organizadas contra las Deportaciones (OCAD). “En especial, cuando escucho a los inmigrantes que apoyan o, de alguna manera, apoyan al Partido Republicano y su agenda antiinmigrantes”. Es importante recordar cómo se siente no ser querido en este país y la necesidad de encontrar seguridad que hizo muchos inmigrantes dejar sus países de origen para venir a este país.

La DePaulia. The DePaulia. Feb. 14, 2022 | 17

Déjame planear tu cita este Día del Amor y la Amistad

FOTO CORTESÍA DE FOTO: @CAFEJUMPINGBEAN| INSTA

Cafe Jumping Bean es una cafeteria local ubicado en la Calle 18 de Pilsen.

By Amber Stoutenborough & María Marta Guzmán Escritora & Jefa de Radacción, La DePaulia

¿Estás aburrido de tus citas diarias en Barnes & Noble y Starbucks? No todas las citas tienen que permanecer dentro del código postal de tu residencia. ¡Haz un viaje a Pilsen! Pilsen es una de las comunidades latinas más orgullosa en la ciudad de Chicago. Pilsen es el hogar del Museo Nacional de Arte Mexicano y varias tiendas locales. Para llegar a Pilsen fácilmente, toma la línea rosa hasta la parada 18. Una vez que bajes, te encontrarás con los coloridos murales de Pilsen, las cafeterías locales y las librerías comunitarias.

Mientras estés allí, tómate un tiempo para apoyar a los negocios latinos locales de Pilsen, como el Café Jumping Bean y Pilsen Community Books. Ubicado en la esquina de Calle 18 con Bishop, Café Jumping Bean es una cafetería local que ha sido un elemento básico para la comunidad desde 1994. La cafetería atrae a habitantes de Chicago de todo tipo, desde trabajadores hasta estudiantes y lugareños. Desde sándwiches hasta pasteles y varias bebidas de café, lo tienen cubierto. Yo le recomiendo el sándwich de

FOTO CORTESÍA DE AMBER STOUTENBOROUGH | THE DEPAULIA

El frente de la tienda Pilsen Community Books ubicada en 1102 W 18th St. hummus y el café con leche. La cafetería está llena de dibujos animados locales que se exhiben alrededor de las paredes. Incluso el estante de revistas tiene periódicos del vecindario y volantes para eventos comunitarios, lo que crea un ambiente de bienvenida para la comunidad. En este momento, todo es para llevar, pero después de comprar tu espresso o pastel podemos caminar y comer en nuestro próximo destino — Pilsen Community Books. The Pilsen Community Books está ubicado en 1102 W 18th St y a solo ocho minutos a pie de Cafe Jumping Bean. La Librería Comunitaria es una adición

reciente al vecindario y está cubierta de pies a cabeza con estanterías imponentes. Desde autores clásicos como Jane Eyre hasta autores más nuevos como escritores afroamericanos y latinos. La tienda en sí, aunque es más nueva, encaja perfectamente en la comunidad, con música de merengue de fondo y carteles con piezas de arte de actualidad de la cultura latina. En el frente de la tienda hay una pila de libros, gratis para que los clientes los tomen, formando un ambiente inclusivo y seguro enfocado más en la comunidad que en la moneda.

Pruebas de Covid-19 en casa no están siendo solicitadas By Salvador Salazar & Erika Pérez Escritor & Gerente Editorial, La DePaulia

La administración de Biden ya exige que los proveedores de seguros de salud privados cubran el costo de hasta ocho pruebas rápidas domiciliarias de Covid-19 por mes. Esta medida surgió cuando los casos de la variante Omicron estaban aumentando a nivel nacional a finales de diciembre y principios de enero. La orden de las pruebas del Covid-19 en casa entró en efecto a mediados de enero. ¿Cómo ha variado la distribución de estas pruebas entre las farmacias de los códigos postales en Chicago? Las farmacias con grandes diferencias en la distribución gratuita no están tan alejadas entre sí como se podría especular. Algunos están a solo unas cuadras de distancia entre sí en códigos postales vecinos, otros asombrosamente dentro de los mismos códigos postales. “Nadie me ha pedido uno, y en el caso de que lo hicieran, su solicitud sería reembolsada por su compañía de seguros después de la compra con prueba de recibo, o si su médico de cabecera lo proscribe”, dijo el viernes Grant, un gerente farmacéutico de Walgreens quien no quiso usar su apellido. Él es el gerente de una farmacia de Walgreens ubicada en 5435 S Kedzie Ave en Gage Park, una comunidad mayormente latina. “La mayoría de mis clientes están asegurados y todavía diría que solo 3 de cada 10 personas que vienen en una hora piden su kit gratis. Por supuesto, tenemos una buena cantidad de

personas que no tienen seguro y deben pagar de su bolsillo”, dijo Jeremy, farmacéutico de Jewel Osco quien no quiso usar su apellido. Jeremy, es el gerente de una farmacia en Jewel Osco ubicada en 5324 S Pulaski Rd. en un vecindario mayoritariamente latino y en la comunidad vecina de Gage Park, West Elsdon. “No puedo darme el lujo de ausentarme del trabajo si doy positivo”, dijo Miguel Echeverría, un empleado de A. Finkl & Sons Steel Mill y residente del vecindario Chicago Lawn. La casa de Echeverría estalló con casos de Covid-19 en el mes de enero, ya que su esposa y su nieta de 12 años dieron positivo. Echeverría se niega a recibir su prueba gratuita mientras hace fila para la de ellos en el CVS ubicado en 6315 S Pulaski. CT SENATE REPUBLICANS | FLICKR En los barrios más lujosos de la ciudad como el centro, las solicitudes de pruebas Cada hogar en los Estados Unidos recibirá cuatro exámenes del Covid-19 según la nueva gratuitas no fueron muy diferentes. orden de la administración Biden. “Definitivamente no es raro, pero Para los recursos gratuitos para no hemos recibido ninguna solicitud de de Lincoln Park Walgreens ubicada en 2500 N Clark Street, que quiso permanecer personas sin seguro, Gage Park Latinx pruebas en la última hora. En promedio, recibimos alrededor de 3 personas en el anonimato, dijo: “Nuestra tienda aún Council, o GPLXC, han estado ayudando cada hora que los solicitan”, dijo Josie, no ha sido aprobada para distribuir los kits en la emergencia de covid desde marzo de farmacéutica de Walgreens ubicada en 933 de forma gratuita, pero los clientes pueden 2020 y actualmente están distribuyendo conservar sus recibos para un reembolso pruebas de covid en el hogar para residentes N State St en Gold Coast. posterior.” de Gage Park. Josie no quiso usar su apellido. Ya sea por la falta de conocimiento de Para aquellos con seguro, solicite sus “Probablemente menos del 1% de que hay pruebas gratuitas disponibles, la kits de prueba gratuitos en sus farmacias nuestros clientes preguntan por ellos, pero falta de seguro, la necesidad de mantener locales. Luego puede mostrar su recibo nuestra tienda es pequeña y probablemente no sea un gran indicador”, dijo el financieramente a un hogar mientras a su proveedor de seguros, que luego le farmacéutico de Walgreens, que desea solo hay un proveedor para la familia, o reembolsará el dinero. También puede permanecer en el anonimato, ubicado en simplemente la capacidad de las farmacias, recogerlo en las farmacias si le fue prescrito una cosa es segura, estas pruebas gratuitas por un médico. 834 West Armitage Ave. Un farmacéutico de una tienda vecina de Covid-19 no se están distribuyendo lo suficiente.

18 | Arts & Life. The DePaulia. Feb. 14, 2022

Arts & Life

Roses are red, but flags can be too

By Audrey Fowler Contributing Writer

The red flag emoji made waves throughout social media in the fall of 2021. People jumped on the trend to hilariously share with the world their biggest deal breakers during social interactions. For example, tweets like “I like pineapple on my pizza” or “text slow but always on social media” were followed with a slew of red flag emojis. Valentine’s Day is upon us and it’s time we revisit these sometimes silly, but often crucial little flags. Whether you’re celebrating the holiday with a partner or dwelling on your perpetually single livelihood, our dating lives could all benefit by knowing what to look out for. Being safe online The current dating environment exists almost exclusively online and on apps. It’s easier and greatly expands our selection. Leah Sefor is known as South Africa’s go-to life and relationships expert. According to her bio she “has worked with individuals, couples and organizationsorganisations in over 10 countries for more than 26 years as a life, relationships and communications specialist.” I talked to her a bit about the dating scene today. In terms of online dating, Sefor says that “being too open and overly willing to give strangers the benefit of the doubt might help you to meet more people… but that behaviorbehaviour might also blind you to unhealthy red flags that could be waving right in front of you.” Some of Sefor’s online dating red flags are:

Online Dating Red Flags

Lots of negatives in their profile (“I don’t want” or “I’m not in to”) Vague profile photos (hiding their face) or no bio Asking for money Breaking agreements Talking about their ex… they are not over them or ready to welcome someone new into their life Bio has sexist, racist, or derogatory language The way they behave doesn’t match up with their profile, presenting inconsistent personas There’s also importance to research before meeting someone in person. DePaul senior Mason Abernethy says “I know that everyone does this and doesn’t want to admit… I search the girl up on Instagram… and try to figure out her interests and whatnot.” This is a way to ensure the person is not catfishing you or showing incongruent behaviors as Sefor notes above. For Abernethy, his curiosity tends to outweigh his skepticism. “Personally, I’ve never had a time where I didn’t meet up with someone because of their red flags… I’ve just been too curious to figure out who they were,” he says. There’s certainly differing levels of caution between men and women in the world we live in. Sefor says, “the golden rule is this: If something doesn’t feel right, trust your gut!” If you’re feeling spontaneous, just make sure you’re meeting in a public setting and keeping yourself safe.

ALICIA GOLUSZKA | THE DEPAULIA

Don’t forget green flags When the red flag trended on social media, many decided to flip the script and post their green flags, or things they look for in a partner. In a twitter poll, there was a mixed reaction with 47.1% saying they look for both,

29.4% look only for red flags, and 23.5% only look for green flags. DePaul junior Linder Bozeman says,” When I’m looking for a relationship, I think I tend to focus more on the green flags at first. As the relationship develops the red flags ultimately show themselves and it forces me to look at them.” Sefor says that we should “seek to find a balanced view.” She says that “looking for the positives or green flags is incredibly important to know if you are compatible and your values

align.” Some of her most vital green flags to watch for are: Giving their full undivided attention in conversations They respect your boundaries They want you to meet their friends and family when the relationship is serious They listen and validate your feelings They’re open to honest conversations with no defensiveness They operate with integrity, keeping agreements, and showing up when and how they say they will Don’t let your relationship blind you Getting into a relationship nowadays is incredibly difficult so we tend to let our guards down when we find our “person.” Sefor says that “the problem in a long term relationship is that when the toxic behaviour starts, you don’t want to believe it, so you find ways to rationalise what’s going on.” In another twitter poll asking if people in a relationship still look for red flags from their partner, 30% said they do not. Sefor has advice for those who are currently off the market: Don’t make excuses for toxic behavior Stop ignoring the discomfort in your body when your partner is doing or saying something that is not OK for you. If they keep ignoring your needs and boundaries, it’s time to leave Gaslighting Psychological or physical abuse Bozeman also adds, “it helps to have a partner that is very understanding and patient.” Again, Sefor’s advice of trusting your gut remains consistent in this situation as well. The outsider’s responsibility Oftentimes, we find ourselves on the outside of a friend, family member or coworker’s relationship. We hold a position of responsibility when it comes to ensuring our loved ones safety and wellbeing. She has some tips to look out for: Controlling behavior (financial, time spent with friends or family, location tracking, etc.) They’re financially entangled with no support from their partner When their physical health is straining (not eating properly, sleeping well, or exercising) Significant shift in self-esteem or confidence Always nervous about upsetting their partner, making excuses Signs of physical abuse (suspicious bruises/broken bones/split lips, hiding injuries with clothing that doesn’t match the weather) Talking about suicide, “not wanting to be here anymore,” or “wishing there was a way out” For those in the relationship, Sefor says, “No one knows you as well as your family and closest friends… when they’re voicing concern about your relationships and changes that they’ve seen in you, don’t get defensive - listen because you may be too far in to see what’s really happening.” If this is happening to someone you love, Sefor advises you to “find a way to separate them from their partner… address your concerns… offer to help them walk away… call the police if it’s serious… take action before it’s too late.”

Arts & Life. The DePaulia. Feb. 14, 2022 | 19

Body neutrality over body positivity

By Lilly K eller Staff Writer

Body neutrality, the act of accepting and acknowledging the physique for its natural disposition and remarkable aspects over society’s impractical demands, has matured into the next chapter of selflove. Nipping at the heels of its preceding movement body positivity, body neutrality illustrates itself as capable of surpassing its predecessor. Throughout the past decade, the term “body positivity” has rooted itself in everyday life and social media. As defined by the lifestyle blog Verywell Mind, body positivity affirms that all individuals deserve to feel confident and proud in their own skin, no matter their weight or appearance. Despite being around since the 1960s, body positivity is a relatively new movement to the general public, especially in an era where harmful notions regarding weight and dieting lurk behind every commercial and magazine stand. While the campaign has been incredibly beneficial to society’s perception of weight and promotion of harmful body standards, this movement cannot be the end-all be-all of self-acceptance. Recently, the body positivity movement has come under fire for allocating too much focus on appearance and the notion that one must love their body at every moment, or else they have failed and even wronged themselves. Many believe it is finally time to let the fixed structure of body positivity fade, ushering in a new era of neutrality in its

absence. Body neutrality, a phrase coined in 2015 by author Anne Poirier in her book, “The Body Joyful,” “prioritizes the body’s function, and what the body can do, rather than its appearance.” One instance of body neutrality’s impact can be seen within the eating disorder recovery process. According to the National Eating Disorder Association, using an appreciative lens and focusing on “looking at yourself as a whole person,” and “appreciating all that your body can do” can have meaningful results. Despite this expression appearing as a watered-down service of the previous movement, it holds the potential for a broader group to feel seen when it comes to their bodies. DePaul sophomore Lily Somers describes body neutrality as a means of reconstructing the way she perceives herself. “I want to focus on all the amazing things that my body does for me, like battling illness and regulating my temperature amid this cold Chicago winter,” Somers said. “Our bodies are amazing, and how they look should be the least important thing about them.” DePaul sophomore Ella Hageman supports this shift and maintains that impartiality should be more than a mere alternative to positivity. “I believe body neutrality should be prioritized over positivity because it’s a big ask for somebody who dislikes their body to change their perspective instantly,” Hageman said. “I think body neutrality’s outlook is as vital as it is attainable.” Like many trends and movements from the past, body positivity’s prima-

ry source of traction was generated from social media — particularly Instagram and Twitter. With over 9 million photos tagged using the hashtag ‘body positivity’ on Instagram, it’s not surprising that the movement’s message of unapologetic confidence touched the minds of a wider audience. “It’s important to treat body neutrality the way we did positivity,” Hageman said. “It’s essential to share and discuss this concept online while keeping in mind that there should be a diverse group of people promoting it.” Yet, not all feel body neutrality will be or accepting as it purports progressive as be. to DePaul sophomore Mikyhia Worsham fears this shift will leave out people of color and individuals with disabilities. “I do believe that body neutrality will welcoming to people of all body more be genders,” Worsham said. “My and types when those said individuals is concern about their differences, will talking start into a corner, ignored, exhushed be they cluded?” She expressed doubts that the body neutrality movement will be inclusive of those who are not already accommodated by society. “Will the body neutrality movement welcome survivors of illness or violence, most cases in which a person may be left disfigured, maimed, or disabled?” Worsham said. “What about those of us that do not have any physical characteristics on our body, but mentally instead? Will those of us with melanin in our skin be allowed in this movement or will we yet again have to make spaces of our own?”

A primary critique against the body positivity movement has been its obsession towards a predominantly white female demographic, ostracizing individuals who do not meet such impractical standards. Regardless of its guarantee of a singular accepting community, major steps concerning recognition of the lived experiences of people of color and people with disabilities still need to be taken. “My many identities and relationship with my body are intersectional; they can not be separated from one another because to do so would be undeserving of the other,” Worsham said. “For example, I cannot separate my identity as a Black person from my identity as a woman; I don’t get to choose which label I wear day to day as my white counterparts; it’s a package deal.” Body neutrality’s message is one of deviation and nonlinearity. Despite the shift towards neutrality, the concept still possesses a way to prove its acknowledgment and acceptance towards an expanding demographic. Body neutrality holds the potential to generate a society focused on individuality over materiality through mindful alterations to exercise, such as moving in ways that make you feel good rather than what society has deemed acceptable and pacifying talk regarding physical features. By providing a unique approach to self-love, body neutrality focuses on what is already there rather than what needs to change, encouraging individuals to simply exist within their own skin.

KIERSTEN RIEDFORD | THE DEPAULIA

Body Neutrality defined as prioritizing the body’s function, and what the body can do, rather than its appearance, is celebrated within the DePaul community and student body.

20 | Arts & Life. The DePaulia. Feb. 14, 2022

Cheap Valentine’s dates for every relationship By Maddey Martin Contributing Writer

Listen, Valentine’s Day can create a lot of pressure. We like to think it’s not, act all cool and aloof about plans with our significant other. But deep down, we want everything to go perfectly. We want the perfect date with the perfect partner. As college students, many Valentine’s Day activities can be cost prohibitive. Most college students probably don’t have the money for a candlelit dinner at Alinea or even the heart-shaped pizza at Lou Malnati’s. So, if you’re looking for an inexpensive way to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your love, look no further. And hey, maybe you can take yourself out on a date, too. Who needs someone to drag along anyway? For the Long-Term Love: If you’re saying the L-word, chances are you’ve already gone out on a lot of dates. You’ve done all the Cosmopolitan and Red-Eye Chicago lists of “Most Romantic Dates.” Check and check. If you’re looking for something inexpensive, but still sweet and intimate for Valentine’s Day, try building a blanket fort together, snuggle up, grab a bag of conversation hearts, queue up Netflix and write each other love letters. It can be fun to indulge your inner child with the blanket fort, and the love letters will last as a memento from your romantic Valentine’s Day in. For the New Couple: Meet up with your crush or new S.O. and go to the first floor of the Student

Center, where the DePaul chapter of Alpha Psi Lambda is selling chocolate covered strawberries. The two of you can (sort of) split three strawberries for only $5, and the proceeds go to the American Heart Association. Afterwards, let the sparks fly between you and head over to the McGowan South Greenhouse to make your own eco-friendly candles. DePaul Urban Gardeners are running this event. It’s free, and the candle can be a keepsake to remind you of your first Valentine’s Day together. For the Situationship: Well, first of all, you should really define the relationship. Who wants to feel anxious on Valentine’s Day? Or any day, for that matter. Situationships are too much emotional work. Don’t let Jake from Hinge lead you on. After you have the dreaded talk, bundle up and stroll around the Lincoln Park Zoo. The zoo is free, and all that walking presents numerous opportunities for hand- holding. If the day is going well, head west on Fullerton to Cafecito to warm up, where wine bottles are $20 on Mondays. If your date isn’t treating you to free drinks, going Dutch only puts you out $10, plus tip. It’s casual enough, but still demonstrates enough forethought. Can’t let Jake from Hinge think you would care too much if he ghosted you. For the (Newly or Eternally) Single: Being single on Valentine’s Day can be hard, especially if you’ve just gotten

MADDEY MARTIN | THE DEPAULIA

Chocolate Strawberries and candy hearts are just a few examples of cheap gifts for your partner.

out of a relationship. Or maybe you’re the kind of person who’s been single for so long, you forget it’s Valentine’s Day. In either case, take advantage of Residence Hall Council’s Valentine’s Day event, “Take Time for Self-Care.” This event aims to “provide a self-care focused Valentine’s Day activity rather than focusing strictly on love and relationships,” according to the event’s DeHub post. The

event will have a craft station and snacks, including pre-packaged conversation hearts, pretzels, and chocolates. There will also be a place to make Valentine’s Day cards, addressed to whoever you like. Don’t bother with Hinge. Be your own Valentine this year.

Coming to terms with the day of Love By Jackie Cardenas Contributing Writer

It’s that time of year again. Flowers, chocolates, teddy bears, jewelry, and heart- shaped everything. Valentine’s Day generates a collective groan for those who despise it, but many have grown to appreciate it by redefining the meaning of the holiday. Corinna Carlotti, a sophomore at DePaul, used to hate Valentine’s Day because of the added pressure to be in a relationship. She said not having a date “felt like a failure” and social media led her to compare her life to others. “People glamorize their relationship on Valentine’s Day, so everything looks picture perfect, and I think sometimes you think, well I don’t have myself together, I don’t have my love life together,” Carlotti said. Carlotti said not having a partner during this holiday made her feel like she was doing something wrong, and it amplified feelings of inadequacy. According to Lifeworks, a human resources center, 7seven out of 10 teenage girls believed that they were not good enough or dido not measure up to others, whether in looks, relationships, or academic performance. “Honestly, at that point it was a lot of self-loathing and self-hatred,” Carlotti said. “It felt like I wasn’t good enough to have somebody on Valentine’s Day, like I wasn’t worthy of having that.,” Carlotti said. Dr. Jamie Campbell, an interpersonal communication adjunct professor at DePaul who specializes on romantic communication theory, said inviting any level of intimacy into one’s life requires people to have self-love, self-respect, and

AMBER STOUTENBOROUGH | THE DEPAULIA

self-knowledge. “If your tank is empty on intimacy and self-love, I think it’s going to fuel the fire of not liking this holiday because it’s all about performing intimacy,” Campbell said. Carlotti said she no longer has low self-esteem issues like before and her father showing her tokens of love like buying her flowers every Valentine’s Day helped her appreciate the holiday. “I think when other people take the holiday to put it into you, you can take it to put into other people,” Carlotti said. Carlotti adoped a new perspective

on Valentine’s Day which focused on friendship love rather than only romantic love. She honors her friendships on Galentine’s Day which celebrates all platonic relationships. Galentine’s Day, which is celebrated on Feb. 13, emerged through the sitcom show “Parks and Recreation.”” and officially takes place on Feb. 13. Alyssa Kilgallen, a sophomore at the University of Iowa sophomore, grew a similar fondnessliking for the holiday by appreciating her other relationships. She values the traditionritual her grandparents have formed by mailingsending her

cards in the mail every Valentine’s Day. “I have more respect now for Valentine’s Day in that aspect because it’s all about love and caring about someone whether that’s your family, your friends, so I guess that helps,” Kilgallen said. She said the English language should have more than one word for love because growing up she always thought Valentine’s Day was about romantic love. “I could love my guy friends one way but then I could love my boyfriend a different way,” Kilgallen said. The ancient Greeks had eight words for love. They are “eros,” romantic love; “philia,” friendship love; “agape,” universal love, such as for nature or God; “storge,” familiar love; “mania,” obsessive love; “ludus,” playful love; “pragma,” enduring love, and “philautia,” self-love, according to Greek City Times. Kilgallen recently watched “The Notebook” with friends and said love in the media is always depicted through a heterosexual lens, leading to insufficient LGBTQ+ representation. “We get this idea of what the happy couple needs to be because we see movies or TVtv shows that are portraying this image of what happiness or love or satisfaction should look like,” Campbell said. Campbell suggested changing the narrative of Valentine’s Day by honoring those who support you, even if they are not romantically involved. “I encourage people who have been on the track of hating Valentine’s Day or trying to dismantle it to maybe instead of abolishing it, reform it and reshape it,” Carlotti said. “Apply it to their own life as they see fit because love should be nurtured in a capitalistic society where you are working all the time,” Carlotti said.

Love Letter from the Editors

Arts & Life. The DePaulia. Feb. 14, 2022 | 21

Pieces of advice on love and relationships from DePaulia’s Editor this Valentines Day.

GRACESON KENNEDY | THE DEPAULIA

Breakups are hard, but learning that you are enough is even harder. Setting aside time for yourself, while it is a cliche, is something that is important. Setting aside time to grow as a person in getting through past trauma, setting aside time to find your passions. Setting aside time to learn who you are after being with someone for a long time is priceless. Though there is the basic self-care way of taking care of yourself, delving into journaling, investing in therapy and focusing on your mental and physical well-being are the things that will push you to being the best version of yourself so when you start dating again you can be the

Kiersten Riedford, Focus Editor

If you’re in a long-term relationship, my advice to you this Valentine’s Day is to not stop dating each other! One of the challenges of a long-term relationship is becoming too comfortable with your significant other to the point that both parties stop pursuing each other. Even when you’re in a long-term relationship, continue to pursue your partner as it was before you two were dating. Continue to go on dates, compliment one another and adventure together. Designate certain days during the week for date nights and try new date ideas, like volunteering, working out, taking cooking or dancing classes together! This will encourage both parties to experiment new things out of one's comfort zone and keep things fresh in the relationship.

María Guzmán, Editor and Chief, La DePaulia

While very common in the casual dating scene, it’s hard to get over ghosting when it happens to you. Even in instances where you both don’t feel the connection, it still hurts to see the opened messages with no response. My best advice for moving on from getting ghosted is to remember casual dating is more focused on the fun and experience of meeting new people. If they didn’t feel that it should continue doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you, it just wasn’t meant to be. It’s also good to remember it happens to everyone and is part of the casual dating environment.

Amber Stoutenborough, Arts and Life Editor

Since the pandemic started and we’ve all been inside a lot more than before, I’ve struggled with an increase in acne that I had never experienced prior to the pandemic. As someone who used to always wear makeup, I’ve found that prioritizing my skin and abstaining from makeup has helped me to find a new level of confidence in my face, whether it’s bare or highlighted with eyeliner and lip gloss.

Nika Schoonover, Managing Editor

The most important thing we should uphold and value in a romantic and platonic relationship is personal boundaries. I find that it has made me and my boyfriend’s relationship stronger by talking about what we are and aren’t comfortable with in social, private and casual settings. It has probably saved us countless arguments to admit that we want to be left alone after a long day instead of talking on the phone. I encourage you to be honest with your significant other or friends about your boundaries and strengthen the bond!

Nadia Hernandez, News Editor

Relationships always have a respect factor and respect starts with yourself. It then carries to others. Have the ultimate respect for yourself and make sure you treat others the way you want to be treated. The more respect you have, the more you will decipher who truly gets or deserves your respect. Joshua Hicks, Assistant Sports Editor

22 | Arts & Life. The DePaulia. Feb. 14, 2022

ALISON SCHULTZ | THE DEPAULIA

Michelle Manson, a senior at DePaul majoring in Viola performance and psychology hopes to use these skills in the future to teach and perform for others and express her love of classical music.

ARTISTS, continued from front page “DePaul is a very white school and it feels like you have to represent all the time, which means I have to be on all the time,” Manson said. “Which is so tiring. It’s exhausting to be on all the time. And if you’re not on, then people stop paying attention to you.” Growing up, Manson had support from her parents as they were also musicians and wanted her to succeed. Throughout her childhood, there were multiple occasions where Manson felt she didn’t get the recognition when other students did. “As a kid, my parents always told me you have to be the best in order to get noticed,” Manson said. “This is still a sentiment that I subconsciously hold.” What Manson isn’t able to receive in the halls of DePaul’s School of Music, she finds within Chicago’s music community. “Black people hire Black people, so it’s very communal,” Manson said. “We all know each other really [well] and hire each other for the same gig. I kind of have a double life. Switching from being a Black musician at DePaul to just a musician like everyone else within the Black musician community.” While Manson finds connections outside of DePaul, other DePaul students have become an important part of helping connect Black students and advance their careers. Lazarus Howell, a DePaul junior majoring in comedic arts, makes a point to be involved in multiple groups to help other students find community. “I’m a comedy consultant and writer for a show called ‘Black Boy Joy’ that a DePaul alum helped connect me with,” Howell said. “I’m also President of Black Artists Today, Pickle Jar Comedy Collective and play in a band.” Howell emphasizes the importance for Black students to try as many things as possible. He also says it’s important to grow the Black community at DePaul. “For comedy arts, there’s only three Black people,” Howell said. “I think sometimes Black people don’t realize the things they can do. Sometimes these majors aren’t accessible to most Black people, in terms of the things that they can do. And that’s why we don’t have as much, but you know, we

can change that just by being and by excelling and showing Black people that this is an option.” DePaul has a Black Cultural Center where students can find groups related to their majors. Within the cultural center, some of the specific programs are the Better Black Business Series, Black Girls Break Bread X DePaul, Sankofa Black Student Formation Program and Black Artist Spotlight. DePaul also has student organizations like Black Student Union and Black Artists of Today and more. Ajayi started creating her own characters in high school to help with her mental health. “Qua is a combination of my two best friends at the time, I doodle him instead of harming myself,” Ajayi said. “He’s a really definite character in my life that I continue implementing in my artwork.” Using art, she was able to find her passion as well as show it to others. This was just the start of Ajayi sharing her creations with the world. “In high school, I used to sell shirts with my character Qua,” Ajayi said. “A lot of people bought it, which made me really happy to know something that is very close to my heart has an impact on somebody else.” In 2020, Ajayi started selling more of her art, which is also displayed on her instagram @saintbunni. One of her most popular pieces was a drawing of a Black woman with the words “Black Lives Matter” displayed on top. “The entire movement exemplified Black voices and created space for so many Black artists,” Ajayi said. “Since then, it feels like the movement has been diminishing, you don’t see them in the news and have to actively search.” Ajayi is worried how the future of the Black Lives Matter movement will become after the pullback in the past year. She said it has been difficult to find other Black artists recently. “It seemed like we were taking the right steps and now since there isn’t as much commotion,” Ajayi said. “Chicago has a great space for Black artists, but for a while, I haven’t seen anything but a surplus of white creators.” Within the DePaul community, Ajayi hopes that it will go back to how it was previously with its Black community and sup-

ALISON SCHULTZ | THE DEPAULIA

Lazarus Howell, a DePaul junior, shown in front of DePaul’s theatre school.

“DePaul is a very white school and it feels like you have to represent all the time. Which is so tiring. It’s exhausting being on all the time.”

Michelle Manson

Senior at DePaul

porting artists of color. “If you’re gonna have such a dominant art program — in Chicago, no less — there should be more diversity and more accessibility for people to see it,” Ajayi said. The future of art is creating spaces of diversity and opening up opportunities to Black and Brown artists. Manson feels the best way for students at DePaul to help is

by supporting local artists and being intentional with other people. “Support Black musicians, support Black artists and Black creators because they don’t get enough clout,” Manson said. “I think a lot of people fail to realize that we are multifaceted people and we are always going to be here.”

Arts & Life. The DePaulia. Feb. 14, 2022 | 23

LGBTQIA+ Movies to watch this Valentines Day By Lucas Madlangbayan Contributing Writer

Watching movies on Valentine’s Day is a popular way to spend the holiday, with sites like TV Guide and ScreenRant curating lists of movies to watch with friends and loved ones. While these lists offer up plenty of movies to sit down and enjoy, there is one problem: A majority of the movies on these recommendation lists focus on heterosexual romance, with only a few exceptions. Queer representation in film has come a long way since the 1930s, when the Motion Picture Production Code regulated and restricted any depiction of relationships that were considered outside of the “norm” of heterosexual relationships: including any depictions of same-sex relationships. Gradual change following social movements and filmmaking movements like the wave of New Queer Cinema in the early ‘90s began to deliver films with LGBTQIA+ characters and relationships. Valentine’s Day is a time of love and to spend time with significant others and loved ones, but many of the movies produced by Hollywood fail to reflect relationships that are anything but heteronormative. For those wanting to see themselves in film or those who want to see more diverse pictures, members of the DePaul community have recommended a wide range of queer movies, from coming-of-age dramas, to satirical rom-coms and feel-good movies. Moonlight (2016) A coming-of-age drama told in three acts, “Moonlight” follows Chiron (Trevante Rhodes, Ashton Sanders, Alex Hibbert) as he grows up in Miami while struggling with his identity and his sexuality. Chiron finds a father figure in Juan, played by Mahershala Ali in a breakthrough role that won him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Michael DeAngelis, chair of DePaul’s Media and Cinema Studies program, has an expertise in queer cinema and has written books on gay fandoms and the phenomenon of “bromances” in film and television. “I think it ultimately is about two men who have some kind of very, very difficult and yet ultimately very erotic relationship that don’t ever consumnate it in the same way, but acknowledge it, in ways that I think

is important to both of them in a beautiful way, in a subtle way,” DeAngelis said. “I don’t know if it’s the perfect date film, but it’s actually I think, a very, very powerful experience about non-heteronormative desire, and also about race on top of it, which makes it even more resonant.” Senior Lily Merryman is part of the Black Cultural Center’s team and agrees that “Moonlight’s” plot is very well done. “I think it’s a good story,” Merryman said. “It’s like showing how you find yourself. It’s a nice coming of age story with Black men.” Teanla House, another member of the Black Cultural Center’s team, also enjoys Moonlight for its story and artistry. “‘Moonlight’ is really good — I just love it,” House said. The cinematography is gorgeous, the colors in it. It’s just amazing.” The Watermelon Woman (1996) Selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2021 for its cultural and historical significance, “The Watermelon Woman” follows Cheryl (Cheryl Dunye), a young Black lesbian who works at a video store while producing a documentary about “the watermelon woman,” an uncredited actress who was made to play the stereotypical “mammy” roles in films of the 1930s and ‘40s. “I really liked it,” said senior Madison Hill, who also works at DePaul’s Black Cultural Center. “Especially because the main character, she’s more masculine, she’s a Black masculine woman, which I really appreciate. It’s like a masc and femme relationship.” In “The Watermelon Woman,” Cheryl begins dating Diana (Guinevere Turner), a white woman. Hill notes the representations of interracial sapphic relationships and sapphic friend groups as interesting parts of the film. “Plus it’s interracial, which is an interesting dynamic, which I think is cool for like the ‘90s,” Hill added. “I think it’s a good Black sapphic movie, plus it shows like Black lesbian friend groups, which I think is cool, and sapphic friendship, which I think is fun.” “But I’m a Cheerleader” (1999) Natasha Lyonne plays Megan, a typical high school cheerleader whose life changes when her parents send her to a conversion therapy camp. While there, she meets Graham (Clea DuVall), and the two begin to fall in love in this satirical teen rom-com.

“‘But I’m a Cheerleader’ is a classic, I love that movie,” Hill said. “It’s from the ‘90s, but I think it’s like a really good take on a lesbian story. Plus, it just makes fun of straight culture and conversion therapy which I feel like could be really a sensitive topic, but it handled it in a very satirical and fun way which I think a lot of people could relate to. It’s just a fun, campy watch.” Saving Face (2004) This comedy-drama film follows Wil (Michelle Krusiec), a young Chinese-American surgeon who keeps her sexuality a secret from family. When it is revealed that her mother is pregnant, Wil’s traditional grandparents kick her out of their home, causing her to move in with Wil — which causes difficulties between Wil and her growing relationship with a woman named Vivian (Lynn Chen). “ I really enjoyed it,” Hill said. “It’s very heartfelt, which I love and appreciate. Plus, it’s good Asian representation, which I don’t see a lot of in terms of like sapphic movies.” GLAAD’s yearly Studio Responsibility Index tracks the quality, quantity and diversity of films with LGBTQ characters. In 2020’s overview, only two of 50 LGBTQ characters from films released by a major studio were Asian/Pacific Islander. However, “Saving Face” and other films like “The Half of It” (2020) and “The Handmaiden” (2016) offer Asian and sapphic representation. Luca (2021) Disney and Pixar’s coming-of-age film “Luca” follows the titular Luca, a young sea monster who explores the human town of Portorosso with his friend Alberto. While not explicitly a story about queer relationships, “Luca” parallels many experiences of members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Luca’s struggles to come to terms with his identity and find his place in a society that initially hates what he is on the inside struck a chord with viewers that see the narrative as queer-coded. “I would recommend it because it’s very sweet and wholesome, and even though it’s not technically a queer film by Disney, I feel like it still is,” said Sara Fenton, a sophomore working at DePaul’s LGBTQIA+ Center. “And even if it’s not queer, I feel like it does show how there can be two guys having a vulnerable relationship with each other. Photos by Imdb

Let me plan your date By Amber Stoutenborough Arts & Life Editor

Whether it’s for Valentine’s Day or just a cute date with a friend, let me plan your date in the city that will be magical enough to keep them impressed for the rest of the year. Since most of the dates have been close to Lincoln Park, I wanted to reach out to the Loop and visit what Chicago is most known for during the cold winter seasons. McCormick Tribune Plaza While normally considered an activity meant for Christmas time, ice skating is open till March 6 at the McCormick Tribune tower and the perfect opportunity to show off your skills to your date or hold them close to you if you need a little extra help gliding across the ice. The rink itself is free but to rent skates they cost $13 weekdays and $15 during weekends. The hours are 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., so go in the later afternoon to

watch the sunset while you flirt your way through the cold. Once you get too cold or grow hungry, head on over across the street to the second part of the date. Chicago Athletic Association Just across the street is one of Chicago’s most prominent hotels and one of my favorite spots to impress people. Start off after your skate date and order some drinks while you take in the Victorian style of the drawing room, filled with comfy couches and walls of stained glass and books. This spot is the perfect chance to cuddle up by the fire and enjoy some one-on-one. After the first drink, head upstairs to the top floor, which features a restaurant called Cindy’s, where you can enjoy a nice dinner and a view of the city skyline and lake. Cindy’s is ready for the perfect romantic date for an inexpensive, fancy occasion and free view of our favorite city.

AMBER STOUTENBOROUGH | THE DEPAULIA

Millennium Park’s ice skating rink is open from November 19th to March 6th for the public.

24 | Arts & Life. The DePaulia. Feb. 14, 2022

St.Vincent’s

D e JAMZ

“Spinning fresh beats since 1581” By Amber Stoutenborough Arts and Life Editor

For Valentine’s Day, I wanted to pull from the classics to create the perfect romantic playlist. Continuing with spotlighting only Black artists for Black history month, this collection is some of my favorite singers from early jazz to ‘60s pop. While there was an abundance to choose from, these are my personal suggestions. Wedding Bell Blues by The 5th Dimension Don’t let the title fool you, this song has had a chokehold on me since I watched “Gilmore Girls” and heard it for the first time. A No. 1 hit for The 5th Dimension, the song sets the story of a woman upset with her man not marrying her after all the time and effort put into

the relationship. Even so, she goes to talk about how much she cares about him and wants to be with him. I personally love this song, even if it’s a borderline breakup song. I Only Have Eyes for You by The Flamingos I truly hope I have a love one day described exactly how the Flamingos sing it. “Maybe millions of people go by but they all disappear from view and I only have eyes for you.” Committed and loyal, this man has been raising expectations since 1959 with this song. Our Love is Here to Stay by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong Honestly, it would be disrespectful to not put a song from Fitzgerald and Armstrong on here. This song specifically reminds me of “When Harry met Sally,” my favorite romance movie during the scene

Crossword

Star-Crossed Lovers by Alejandro Arakelian

of real-life couples and how they met and fell in love. It’s a really cute scene and the sounds of renowned singers, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong in the background just fit the loving theme. Let’s Stay Together by Al Green The bright jazz mixed with Al’s vocals creates the perfect combination for a Valentine’s Day song. I remember my parents playing this song all the time when I was kid, so this song is quite special to me. When I hear this song I think of long term relationships and commitment throughout the years. Just the two of us by Grover Washington jr. (feat. Bill Withers) Known as one of America’s most iconic love songs,”Just The Two Of Us” is popular with every generation; Withers really knew what he was doing with this one. A jazz solo in any song always puts it ACROSS 1 Colony insect 4 Public health agcy. 7 Explorer Vasco da ___ 11 “___, humbug!” 12 Astros, on scoreboards 13 Dibs’s species 14 The tallest mountain 16 Suggest 17 With 15D, Euphoria’s Valentines 18 Scenic view 19 Attends 20 U-Haul vehicle 21 ___ choy 22 Edward’s mother in Twilight 25 “My turn!” 29 1950s presidential nickname 30 Rapper’s improvisation 32 De Armas of “Knives Out” 33 ___ Khalifa (world’s tallest skyscraper) 35 Black Friday event 36 With 28D, The Office’s Valentines 37 Anime-esque emoticon 39 Good name for a dalmatian 41 Cute “bear” 44 Change 46 _ ___ of the tongue 47 What’s left behind 50 With 34D, Shakespeare’s Valentines 51 Spy org. 52 “Frankly”, in a text convo 53 Future atty.’s exam 54 With 45D, Star Wars’ Valentines 55 “Hooray!”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF WIKI

over the top, but famous sax player Grover Washington Jr., and soul singer Bill Withers put together a creation meant to be played for every possible moment remotely considered to be romantic

DOWN 1 Honest prez 2 Canadian rapper with the album “Reckless” 3 The Batman’s nemesis 4 First daughter of the ‘90s 5 Prescription amount 6 Skips, as class 7 Two-faced star sign? 8 Sound-boosting devices 9 Shed, as a snake 10 Taylor-Joy of “The Queen’s Gambit” 13 Prima donna 15 See 17A 19 “Dragon Ball Z” protagonist 20 Bridal wear 21 Baby’s dinner wear 23 SoCal school that’s home to the Aztecs 24 Citation format 26 Democratic rulers 27 Liter or foot, for example 28 See 36A 31 Ring holder 34 See 50A 38 D.C. paper 40 Royal insomnia cause 41 Marx or Malone 42 Spanish bears 43 ___ mater 44 Foot’s curve 45 See 54A 48 Org. with the Bulls and Bucks 49 Bashful 53 Sedative, for short 54 Music for a film, abbreviated

Sports

Sports. The DePaulia. Feb. 14, 2022 | 25

Redemption tour

PHOTO COURTESY OF DEPAUL ATHLETICS/BAILEY BENNIT

DePaul softball graduate student shortstop Maranda Gutierrez standing in a hitting stance against Valparaiso on Feb. 10. Gutierrez had three hits and two RBIs in three at bats.

Softball sweeps in first tournament after disappointing end to 2021 By Darcy Waskiewicz Sports Editor

The DePaul softball team kicked off their season over the weekend at the 2022 DePaul Dome Tournament, where the Blue Demons swept the competition and won all four games. Last year, the Blue Demons finished the regular season with an overall record of 25-11 and a Big East record of 13-1. The team dominated at home, winning all 10 games at Cacciatore Stadium. After the team’s success in the regular season, they were named the Big East Coaching Staff of the Year, led by head coach Tracie Adix-Zins. The Blue Demons, who had won the last three Big East Championships, finished the 2021 regular season as the regular season conference champions, but fell short at the Big East Tournament after losing to Butler and Villanova. DePaul has four graduate students who returned with a vengeance after falling short of a fourth-straight conference title in 2021 — Maranda Gutierrez, Natalie Halvorson, Sylor Hilger and Kate Polucha. Gutierrez, a shortstop, had 27 hits and 18 runs batted in, along with a .949 fielding percentage in the 2021 season. Halvorson, a right handed pitcher, had a 2.87 earned runs average. Second baseman Hilger had 22 hits and six RBIs with a .986 fielding percentage. Outfielder Polucha had 33 hits and 23 RBIs with a .957 fielding percentage. Also returning are dominant hitters Brooke Johnson, Tori Meyer and Nicole Sullivan. Johnson, a junior first baseman, had 31 hits and 24 RBIs last year. Also a junior, outfielder Meyer had 15 hits and 13 RBIs. Sullivan, a sophomore third baseman, had 19 hits and 15 RBIs in her debut season. The Blue Demons added six new

members to the team. Along with four freshmen, two transfers also joined the Blue Demons’ roster — junior outfielder Grace Frazier and graduate student righthanded pitcher Sarah Lehman. Back in action in 2022, DePaul looked to bounce back after their 2021 season finish, and did just that over the weekend, defeating all four teams at the DePaul Dome Tournament. “I was very impressed with just about every aspect of our playing this weekend,” Gutierrez said. “Our pitching, defense and offense competed well. Overall, I loved how we played as a team and had each other’s backs.” The tournament opened against Valparaiso on Friday, where the Blue Demons 8-0 shutout victory in five innings. Guitierrez led the team with three hits and two RBIs in three at bats. The next night, DePaul took on Western Michigan and won 4-3. Polucha had a sacrifice fly that brought in two runs. In a double header on Saturday, the Blue Demons had victories against St. Thomas, who they defeated 8-3 with Sullivan leading the team with two hits that brought in five runs. The team then defeated Murray State 3-2 at night, where Johnson had a hit that brought in two. “I am pumped about the 4-0 weekend, but I feel like what made that possible was the intent to take one game at a time,” Sullivan said. “Our team this weekend did a really good job stealing outs, winning the pitch and doing what we needed to do in the moment to get it done. As the season goes on and the competition gets tougher, I think you will continue to see that mentality throughout the year and I am really excited for that.” The Blue Demons look to continue their success next week at the San Diego Classic to take on Iowa, San Diego, Oregon State and South Dakota State.

Key players

2021 statistics

Four impact graduate students

Hitting

-Maranda Gutierrez, SS -Natalie Halvorson, RHP -Skylor Hilger, 2B -Kate Polucha, OF

Dominant hitters -Brook Johnson, 1B -Nicole Sullivan, 3B -Tori Meyer, OF/DP

Two new transfers -Grace Frazier, OF -Sarah Lehman, RHP

Team: .272 average -Polucha: .306 -Johnson: .298 -Meyer: .268 -Gutierrez: .255

Fielding Team: .968 fielding pct -Johnson: .988 -Polucha: .957 -Meyer: .950 -Gutierrez: .948

Pitching Team: 3.03 ERA -Natalie Halvorson: 2.87 -Julyana Gomez: 3.85

Upcoming tournaments -San Diego Classic, San Diego, Calif., Feb. 18-19 -Knights Classic, Orlando, Fla., Feb. 25-27 -OSU/Tulsa Invitational, Tulsa, Okla., Mar. 4-6 -Montana Classic, Missoula, Mont., Mar. 11-13

26 | Sports. The DePaulia. Feb. 14, 2022

Professional athletes vaccination opinions cause issues in sports By Mackenzie Cowan Contributing Writer

COMMENTARY Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving and professional Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic all have one thing in common: they are professional athletes who refuse to get vaccinated. While it’s each person’s choice to get vaccinated or not, sometimes the cost of not being vaccinated goes far beyond the obvious health risks. Three-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers knows this all too well. Rodgers’ misleading comments about his vaccination status came to light in spectacular fashion during this NFL season when he contracted Covid-19 and was forced into the NFL’s protocols for unvaccinated players, exposing his non-vaccination status for all to see. Rodgers, who had previously been held in high regard by most fans, was widely criticized — not for being unvaccinated, but for leading everyone to believe he had been. In a NFL press conference on Aug. 26, Rodgers said he was “immunized” when asked about his vaccination status. “There’s guys on the team that haven’t been vaccinated,” Rodgers said. “I think it’s a personal decision. I’m not going to judge those guys.” Later in November, after testing positive for Covid-19, Rodgers admitted that he was not vaccinated, acknowledging that his previous comments were misleading. “To anybody who felt misled by those comments, I take full responsibility for those comments,” Rodgers said on the Pat McAfee Show. Because Rodgers didn’t follow Covid-19 protocols, he was fined by the NFL. “Athletes should be punished for lying about their vaccination status since it could affect the health of their teammates and team staff,” DePaul graduate student Sloane Szuber said. While Rodgers finally came clean about his vaccination status and had another MVP-worthy season this year, he suffered a major blow to his reputation because of his deceitfulness. Similar to Rodgers, Kyrie Irving, NBA championship winner with the Cleveland Cavaliers and current guard for the Brooklyn Nets, has remained unvaccinated. Irving’s decision has had ramifications for his title-contending team this year. That’s because Irving is unable to play in Brooklyn because of a New York City mandate that requires everyone to be vaccinated in all public venues. Therefore, he is missing all of his team’s home games, putting the Nets at a disadvantage without the nearly 25 points per game he typically averages. This situation has been compounded by the fact that superstar teammate, Kevin Durant, recently sprained his MCL and is expected to be out for four to six weeks. Given Durant’s injury, basketball fans thought Irving would reevaluate his stance on vaccines to help the shorthanded team. The fans were wrong. “I respect everyone else’s decision, I’m not going to ever try to convince anyone of anything or any of that, I’m just standing rooted in what I believe in,” Irving said in a press conference after a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Jan. Irving may be at peace with his

PHOTO COURTESY OF AP PHOTOS/AARON GASH

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers preparing to throw the football against the San Francisco 49ers on Jan. 22. decision to remain unvaccinated, but it’s not endearing him to fans. Chicago resident and sports fan Julian Romano believes that people in Irving’s position should get vaccinated. “I believe [professional athletes] do have a real responsibility to be vaccinated,” Romano said. “They are amongst their fellow teammates and staff on a daily basis who share the same responsibility. A team is nothing without the fans and organizations that support them, so if all of those people are getting vaccinated and risking their lives to make sure the seasons continue, then I think the players should respect that.” Current No. 1 ranked tennis player Novak Djokovic, a nine-time Australian Open winner, has perhaps suffered the biggest loss of any professional athlete due to his refusal to get vaccinated. He didn’t get the chance to try for a 10th Australian Open title this year, which meant he couldn’t add to his tally of Grand Slam titles, thereby breaking his 20-title tie with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, leaving him alone at the top as the sport’s winningest player. Nadal was able to compete in the Australian Open and won the title instead of Djokovic. Despite being unvaccinated and knowing that Australia bans foreigners from entering the country if they are not fully vaccinated or do not have a medical exemption from receiving the vaccine, Djokovic sought and received a vaccine exemption from Tennis Australia before his arrival at this year’s Australian Open, but not from the Australian authorities. Amid the public outcry from highly vaccinated Australian citizens over the double standard being shown to Djokovic as a professional athlete, Djokovic was detained in the immigration detention center in the Melbourne airport after his arrival and ultimately denied entrance into the country by the Australian Border Force (ABF). Djokovic tried to remain in the country by claiming a medical exemption due to the fact that he had recently had Covid-19. As reported by The Guardian, the

ABF said Djokovic “failed to provide appropriate evidence” for entrance because a positive Covid test in December was not a valid reason to enter without being vaccinated. As a result, Djokovic had to leave the country without playing in the Australian Open and his dreams of a 21st Grand Slam title left with him. Fans were not sympathetic to Djokovic’s plight, saying he should have to adhere to the same rules as they. Longtime tennis player and Naperville

resident Glenn Shine said,“Athletes should not be the exception for Covid just because they are about to play in a big match.” So, while superstar athletes Rodgers, Irving and Djokovic are all currently opposed to getting vaccinated, their decisions are jeopardizing their legacies, as well as their health.

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Sports. The DePaulia. Feb. 14, 2022 | 27

Women’s basketball: Morris leads charge in overtime win over Georgetown 105-104 By Joshua M. Hicks Asst. Sports Editor

Behind Morris’ 19-point second-half explosion, DePaul was able to bounce back from a brutal loss to UConn last week with a 105-104 double overtime win against Georgetown. The team is now 20-7 overall and 12-4 in conference play. The game was a tale of two halves. DePaul began the first half slow offensively and Georgetown exposed the Blue Demons in the paint. Freshman forward Aneesah Morrow started the game off with a low post score to put DePaul on the board. She then followed up on an offensive rebound to tie the game at four. Graduate student guard Deja Church drove down the lane on the next offensive possession and scored to tie the game at six. Morrow then drew the foul, hitting both free throws to cut the deficit to two. Sophomore guard Darrione Rogers helped DePaul regain the lead with a 3-point shot to make the score 11-10. Georgetown maintained the lead, hitting four of their last five field goals prior to the first break of the game. Junior guard Kierra Collier drew the foul and hit both free throws to cut DePaul’s deficit to one. Church scored on the pull up jumpshot to keep the game close at 20-15. Sophomore guard Kendall Holmes hit a 3-point shot at the buzzer to cut their deficit to four. At the end of the first quarter, DePaul was down 22-18. Morrow led the way with six points, while Church had four. Rogers and Holmes had three points each, while Collier had two points. The team shot 35 percent from the field and 40 percent from the three-point line. DePaul continued to fight. Being down double digits in the second quarter, DePaul responded with four quick points. Rogers scored on the dribble pull up jumpshot and Morrow scored in the post from Collier to cut the deficit to six.. At this point, Held stepped up, drawing the foul on a drive to the basket and hitting both free throws to make the score 30-24. Georgetown went on a four minute scoring drought, and DePaul began their comeback. Church hit a step through jump

MEN’S BASKETBALL, continued from back page A 3-point shot by the Friars pulled them within one of the Blue Demons before Brandon Johnson gave DePaul a three-point lead. McCauley added to that lead with a 3-point shot to extend the Blue Demons’ lead to six halfway through the first half off an assist from Johnson. Johnson continued to dominate with a basket of his own before Providence got their first basket in four minutes. Another 3-point jumper by McCauley extends the Blue Demons’ lead to nine. A jumper by Yor Anei ensured that the Blue Demons had a four-point lead to end the first half as DePaul led 28-24. Terry opened the scoring in the second half with a jumper before Providence responded with a layup. However, seconds later, a dunk by Nick Ongenda extended DePaul’s lead to six. Everything was clicking and going in for the Blue Demons in the early parts of the second half. Jumpers by Ongenda and Johnson gave DePaul a 10-point lead before Philmon Gebrewhit added to DePaul’s biggest lead of the game with a 3-point shot to make the score 39-26. Providence began challenging the

shot and drew the foul by driving down the lane and hitting both free throws on the next possession to keep the team close with a single digit deficit. Rogers followed Church’s lead, drawing the foul off the dribble drive, but she split the free throws, cutting the deficit to eight at 37-29. Held hit a big 3 on the next offensive possession, cutting Georgetwon’s lead to six, 38-32. Church drove down the lane and scored off the layup to cut their deficit to five, 40-35. Rogers scored on a running shot to cut the lead to four, but Georgetown hit a buzzer-beating shot, extending their lead to five. At halftime, the team was down 43-37. Church led the way with 10 points. Rogers and Morrow had eight points. Held had six points, while Holmes had three points and Collier had two points. The team shot 38 percent from the field and 33 percent from the 3 point line. Georgetown dominated the glass in the first half, out rebounding DePaul 22-15 with eight of the rebounds coming on the offensive end. Georgetown also scored 13 second chance points and 26 points in the paint. After a rough first half, DePaul turned up the heat with a surprise burst from senior guard Sonya Morris. Originally, Morris was not supposed to play due to an ankle injury, but she made herself available, suiting up in the second half. She took over the half, instantly contributed to the team’s resurgence as soon as she stepped on the floor, and the team did not look back. The offense picked up and the defense intensified in the second half, starting with the Blue Demons going on a quick 4-0 run. Collier started the second half with a layup off the dribble to make the score 43-39. Morrow drew the foul and hit both of her free throws to cut the lead to two. Church hit a big 3-point shot to cut the deficit to two at 48-46. Georgetown went on a 6-0 run and hit four of their last five field goals to extend the lead to double digits. But Morris’ presence allowed DePaul to respond, starting with an assist to Morrow, bringing the lead back to single digits. Collier came alive, pulling a five point swing that cut Georegtown’s lead to one. DePaul finished the quarter strong, hitting five of their last seven field goals while Georgetown went on a two minute scoring drought to be down 61-60.

But Georgetown fired back, starting the fourth quarter with a 7-0 run, extending their lead to eight within the first minute of the game. Morrow began to take over, counteracting Georgetown’s run with back-to-back 3-point shots of her own. Collier followed Morrow’s leadership, stepping up with a jump shot to bring the deficit back down to one. Morris hit timely shots, including a fadeaway jump shot in the paint to help DePaul gain the lead 7069. The game continued to go back and forth, with both teams scoring on back to back possessions behind the efforts of Church and Rogers. Morris steped up again, hitting a big jump shot to tie the game at 83 with 35 seconds left in the game. On the last possession of the quarter, Morrow hit a buzzer-beating hook shot to take the game into overtime, tied at 85. From this point on, behind the leadership of Morris and timely defensive plays, DePaul persevered through two overtimes to seal the victory. Morrow completed her 19th consecutive double-double, finishing the game with 28 points and 18 rebounds. Rogers and Church had 17 points each. The team shot 47 percent from the field and 46 percent from the line. The Blue Demons play Marquette at home next on Wednesday.

Blue Demons, with three straight baskets before a 3-point basket by Jones gave DePaul a nine-point lead. It was a battle of 3-point shots as Providence continued to pull within the Blue Demon’s lead before Jones scored a 3-point basket. However, Providence made a 3-point basket of their own to cut the lead to seven. Jones countered that with another 3-point jumper, but the Friars responded immediately with a dunk. Both teams were sinking 3-point shots on both ends of the court, with a third from Providence in five minutes cutting the lead to three points. The Friars continued to push back against the Blue Demons, but a basket by Johnson gave DePaul a four-point lead and a layup by Ongenda added to that before a dunk by the Friars cut the lead again. Providence tied the game at 58 points with a minute and a half left in the game, while the Blue Demons struggled to land their shots. The Friars then took the lead with two free throws but a jumper by Ongenda tied the game again, forcing the game to a five-minute overtime. Providence scored the first points of the overtime period with two free throws after McCauley took a foul. Another layup

by the Friars gave the team a four-point lead while Ongenda took a foul, forcing him out of the game with five fouls. The Blue Demons struggled to make a shot in overtime, with their first points coming as a free throw from Terry, while Providence continued to dominate and led 66-61 halfway through the overtime period. Jones made a 3-point basket, but Providence responded with a layup. However, Jones made a layup right back to cut the lead to two points. He then scored a free throw to cut the lead to one, but Providence got a jumper right back. McCauley then took a foul, which forced him out of the game and two free throws by Providence extended their lead. Two layups by Terry pulled the Blue Demons within a point of the Friars, but two free throws by Providence extended their lead to three. Terry made a free throw with six seconds left in overtime, but Providence made two with four seconds left and were able to close out the game with the win. The Blue Demons are back in action on Tuesday when Butler comes into town, before taking on Creighton at home two days later for a game that was rescheduled from Dec. 20.

MADDY MAES | THE DEPAULIA

DePaul guard Sonya Morris had 19 second-half points against Georgetown on Feb. 13.

Upcoming Events Men’s Basketball: -Feb. 15 vs. Butler, 8 p.m. -Feb. 17 vs. Creighton, 9 p.m. -Feb. 19 vs. Seton Hall, 7 p.m.

Women’s Basketball: -Feb. 16 vs. Marquette, 7 p.m. -Feb. 20 at Villanova, 1 p.m.

Track and Field -Feb. 19 at Alex Wilson Invitational

Women’s Tennis -Feb. 18 at Butler, 2 p.m. -Feb. 20 at Purdue, 11 a.m.

Men’s Tennis -Feb. 18-19 at the HEB Tournament of Champions

Men’s Golf: -Feb. 20 at Loyola Maryland Intercollegiate

Softball: -Feb. 18 vs. Iowa, 6:30 p.m. -Feb. 18 at San Diego, 9 p.m. -Feb. 19 vs. Oregon State, 11 a.m. -Feb. 19 vs South Dakota State, 1:30 p.m.

Sports

Sports. The DePaulia. Feb. 14, 2022 | 28

Road to recovery

Sophomore guard’s perserverence propels epic comeback By Joshua M. Hicks Asst. Sports Editor

Kendall Holmes was only nine games into her freshman season before an injury forced her away from the game she loved. She tore her achilles, sending her home to have surgery and preventing her from being on campus. The road to recovery was hard, but she was able to persevere, coming back healthy and ready to help the team in the biggest ways. “[Getting to DePaul] has been a roller coaster,” Holmes said. “A lot of highs and a lot of lows, but I’m really happy to be here.” Holmes started playing basketball when she was 5 years old for a small recreation league team coached by her father. She began taking the game more seriously when she was in middle school, playing travel basketball for a couple different teams before ultimately playing for a travel team called The Truth. During her junior year of high school at Benet Academy in Lisle, Ill., DePaul head coach Doug Bruno started recruiting her. By the spring, she committed to DePaul. When Bruno recruited her, Benet Academy, one the most respected programs in the Chicagoland area, according to Bruno, had five or six Division I basketball players on the team. He noticed that with six top-tier talents on the team, Holmes was the one that never came off the floor. Bruno realized at that moment the reasons behind her constant presence on the court, highlighting how special Holmes was. “You start to notice why she doesn’t come off the floor, and you start to pay close attention to the little details and you realize that she is more than just a shooter,” Bruno said. “She can shoot, but she pays attention to details. She has a toughness and intelligence to her that makes her special.” Upon her commitment to DePaul, adversity hit, changing the course for her collegiate athletic career. Due to

Covid-19, her arrival to the school was delayed. With everything shut down, she didn’t know what to expect. She was stuck at home all summer long when she would normally be on campus working out, practicing and getting ready for the season. “Coach Bruno would have us meet on Zoom and I would try to get to know my teammates the best that I could, because we were all in different places,” Holmes said. “I was working out on my own; constantly working on basketball, running on the treadmill, trying to do everything that I could to be in the best shape possible because I didn’t know what to expect when I got here.” The injury to her Achillies added additional adversity to her freshman year. After the surgery, she couldn’t walk, and was bedriddenfor a month and a half. Doing school online from her bed while trying to get better as fast as she could. “It was definitely a long process to heal,” Holmes said. “My teammates and coaches would check in and ask me how I was doing. I was watching their games on TV. I couldn’t be there to support them and cheer them on, even though I really wanted to.” This season, Holmes returned to the court. But the road to recovery was not always pretty. Upon her return, she dealt with many challenges. She was trying to get back to where she was before, while also getting back to the intensity and level of play that DePaul plays at. With the amount of running and all the top competition the team was playing against, it took time for her to reestablish herself. “I wanted to put myself in the best position possible to support my

mortar. She does a great job cementing it all together. She naturally brings the component parts of the team together on and off the floor. The team has more cohesion when she is on the floor.” Last week in DePaul’s last home game against conference rival Providence, Holmes was one of the four Blue Demon players who scored in double figures. She was a pivotal part of the team’s 8867 win and her performance was a testament to the hard work she put in to add to her journey of success on the court. H o l m e s ’ cohesion efforts paid off, creating the

ERIC HENRY | THE DEPAULIA

team and put myself in the role that I need to be in for the team,” Holmes said. Bruno knows that coming back from a major injury requires time for your body to recover and expressed his optimism for Holmes’ comeback. He believes that she is a chemistry-builder and said she has a glue factor that is important to the team’s success. “Some players are bricks and some are the mortar that holds the bricks together,” Bruno said. “You can’t have a great building without bricks and

opportunity to score a season-high 14 points against Providence. “[Holmes] is a great shooter,” senior guard Lexi Held said. “We needed someone to step up and she did. She works really hard in practice and it showed in the game.” For Holmes, having a breakout game on her birthday was a special moment to experience. “To hit a season high after coming back from an injury is pretty special,” Holmes said. “My family was there and they made little signs wishing me happy birthday. It was an honor to have them there and I’m grateful to be able to play in front of them.”

Men’s basketball: DePaul falls late in overtime loss to Providence

76-73 By Darcy Waskiewicz Sports Editor

The DePaul men’s basketball team faced the No. 11 ranked Providence Friars for a tight matchup in front of a sold-out Providence crowd. Entering the game, the Friars were 13-0 at home, and that dominance continued on Saturday as the Blue Demons fell 76-73 in overtime. The Blue Demons entered the game coming off a win over Georgetown on Wednesday, their first back-to-back conference win of the season after defeating Xavier on Feb 5. Forward David Jones made history on Wednesday with

the first triple-double in program history. Nick Ongenda opened the scoring with a dunk, but Providence responded right back before taking the lead. A layup by Jones tied the game at four points, but Providence bounced back with a layup of their own. A breakaway layup by Jalen Terry tied the game again at six. Courvoisier McCauley gave DePaul their first lead since the first basket before a jumper by Terry gave DePaul a four-point lead. Providence pulled within two again before a basket by Yor Anei made the score 12-8.

See MEN’S BASKETBALL, page 27

PHOTO COURTESTY OF AP PHOTOS/STEW MILNE

DePaul guard Courvoisier McCauley had 10 points against Providence on Feb. 12.