Check out how to celebrate National Poetry Month on page 20.
DePaulia
The
Max Strus is finally finding some success with the Miami Heat, pages 27-28
Volume #106 | Issue #20 | April 11, 2022 | depauliaonline.com
Number of full-time faculty members by race/ethnicity
2 11
American Indian/ Alaskan Native
‘I don’t see me’ Diversity in faculty continues to lack despite being a priority
Multiracial
By Kiersten Riedford Asst. News Editor
48
Unknown
61
Undocumented
62
African American
62
Asian
62
Hispanic
554
White
Angelina Alvarez, sophomore and political science major, has not had a single professor of color while attending DePaul. She said she hasn’t even had a professor of color for classes that cover Latin American or general social justice issues. “When I first started I was expecting that I would see a lot more professors of color mostly because of the classes I was taking,” Alvarez said. “For example, when the classes cover topics such as Indigenous issues, I was hoping to have a professor who’s Indigenous in one way or another, being Indigenous myself. But sadly, I’m yet to see any Indigenous representation in the faculty, or at DePaul in general.” When hiring full-time faculty, DePaul claims to be dedicated to upholding the Vincentian mission which calls for making education accessible, especially for “underserved and underrepresented” communities. Currently, there are 862 full-time faculty members at DePaul. Full-time faculty members are defined as professors, associate professors, assistant professors and instructors, according to DePaul Institutional Research and Market Analytics (IRMA). Adjunct professors are not included as full-time faculty members. Out of the total full-time faculty members, there are two American Indian/Alaskan Native, 11 are multiracial, 62 are Asian, 62 are African American, 62 are Hispanic and 554 are white, according to the IRMA.
Mikyhia Worsham, sophomore and political science major, felt that there is not enough diversity in DePaul’s full-time faculty. “I am frustrated and disheartened by these numbers,” Worsham said. “It’s a slap in the face to me and all of the other BIPOC students and faculty on this campus.” Worsham is not the only student who is discouraged by the statistics. Flavio Diaz, sophomore and international management major, looked saddened when he heard the statistics. “I am shocked, I thought DePaul was doing a good job, but I guess not,” Diaz said. Another concern students had when looking at the DePaul IRMA statistics on full-time faculty diversity was the language used to describe undocumented faculty members. In the table, undocumented full-time faculty members are referred to as “nonresident aliens.” There are currently 61 full-time faculty members labeled this way on the document. “It completely diminishes [the full-time faculty members’] essential role to the university,” said Carolyn Espinoza, freshman and elementary education major. Diaz said he hated the label. “It marginalizes and criminalizes the faculty members,” Diaz said. Alvarez said she is upset the university is using this language in official documents because it is dehumanizing. “It’s a slap in the face to someone who’s worked hard to get to where they are, just to be referred to as a ‘nonresident alien,’” Alvarez said. “From my knowledge, immigration agencies have been told not to use the term ‘illegal alien’ under the Biden administration.
KIERSTEN RIEDFORD | THE DEPAULIA
Tenured-track faculty feel ‘underresourced’ and ‘overwhelmed’
First Black woman confirmed to the Supreme Court
By Patrick Sloan-Turner Faculty Council Beat Reporter
By Jackson Healy Nation & World Editor
ALEX BRANDON | ASSOCIATED PRESS
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson made history on Thursday as the Senate voted to confirm her to the Supreme Court 53 to 47, ensuring that Jackson will become the first Black woman in U.S. history to serve on the nation’s highest court. Christina Rivers, associate political science professor at DePaul, noted the historical impact of Jackson’s ascension to the bench. “It’s very significant,” she said. “So much of constitutional law — particularly civil rights law — were initially structured around kind of a Black-white binary, so I think it’s significant that we now have a woman on the bench who can speak from
See DIVERSITY, page 9
Jackson testifies at her Senate Judiciary hearing. She was confirmed in a 53 to 47 vote.
that perspective, and also the intersection of being Black and female.” Jackson herself noted the significance of her confirmation during a speech at a White House event on Friday. “I am the dream and the hope of the slave,” she said, quoting Maya Angelou’s poem “Still I Rise.” “It has taken 232 years and 115 prior appointments for a Black woman to be selected to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States,” she added. “But we’ve made
See SUPREME COURT, page 11
DePaul’s Faculty Council voted unanimously Wednesday to grant four departments exemption from staffing guidelines for term faculty provided in the faculty handbook. The handbook defines term faculty as full-time, non-tenure-line faculty that do not lead to tenure. It also gives the guideline that term faculty should not make up more than 30 percent of the full-time faculty members in a given unit or department unless granted an exemption like the one the Faculty Council voted on last week. The unanimous vote allowed four departments to be exempt from the 30 percent cap policy. Criminology, Modern Languages, Master of Public Health and the School of Cinematic Arts may continue to exist above the 30 percent
threshold. Without Wednesday’s vote in favor of exemption, the employment status of term faculty currently teaching in these departments may have been called into question. In May 2020, DePaul President A. Gabriel Esteban instituted a hiring freeze for new tenure-track faculty to help ease some of the financial burdens of the Covid-19 pandemic. The temporary freeze was in place through the end of 2020. Now, more than two years later, some DePaul faculty are feeling the effects of this freeze and voicing their need for additional staff. “On weekends, I’m helping adjuncts figure out their grading problems and manage student crises,” said Megan Alderden, an associate professor of criminology, during discussion at Wednesday’s meeting. “It’s very challenging to
See FACULTY, page 8
2 | News. The DePaulia. April 11, 2022
First Look
CAMPUS COVID-19 CASES Feb 25, 2022 - April 8, 2022
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 | Kiersten Riedford news@depauliaonline.com NATION & WORLD EDITOR | Jackson Healy nation@depauliaonline.com OPINIONS EDITOR | Erik Uebelacker opinion@depauliaonline.com FOCUS EDITOR | Josephine Stratman focus@depauliaonline.com ARTS & LIFE EDITOR | Amber Stoutenborough artslife@depauliaonline.com ASST. ARTS & LIFE EDITOR | Lilly Keller artslife@depauliaonline.com
SOURCE: COVID-19 DASHBOARD | DEPAUL UNIVERSITY
Visit the Covid-19 Dashboard for information on how to report positive cases on campus.
SPORTS EDITOR | Darcy Waskiewicz sports@depauliaonline.com ASST. SPORTS EDITOR | Joshua M. Hicks sports@depauliaonline.com ART EDITOR | Alicia Goluszka art@depauliaonline.com PHOTO CHIEF | Emily Soto photo@depauliaonline.com ASST. PHOTO CHIEF | Sofia Leal photo@depauliaonline.com COPY EDITORS | Luke Myers & Corey Schmidt copydesk@depauliaonline.com SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR | Lily Lowndes social@depauliaonline.com ADVISOR | Marla Krause mkrause1@depaul.edu
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
FOLLOW US:
CONTACT US: depauliaonline.com
facebook.com/TheDePaulia
thedepaulia GENERAL PHONE (773) 325-2285
EDITORA DE MULTIMEDIA | Julie Atencia multimedialadepaulia@depauliaonline.com ASISTENTE EDITORA DE MULTIMEDIA | Jocelyn Diaz assistantmedialadepaulia@depauliaonline. com
twitter.com/TheDePaulia
thedepaulia
OFFICE HOURS Thursday: 6-8 p.m. Friday: 10-6 p.m. Sunday: 10-5 p.m.
NEWS TIPS news@depauliaonline.com
ADVERTISING business@depauliaonline.com
News. The DePaulia. April 11, 2022 | 3
‘I always blame myself ’
JOCELYN DIAZ | THE DEPAULIA
Women retell their experience of sexual violence in their community By Jacqueline Cardenas La DePaulia Editor in Chief
Content warning: This story includes mention of domestic and emotional abuse, sexual harassment, sexual assault and rape. If you or someone you know have been abused, resources are available via the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) at www.rainn.org. The National Sexual Assault Hotline is 1-800-656-4673. Disclosure: The names of survivors have been changed by The DePaulia and La DePaulia for their privacy. The names of some alleged perpetrators of sexual misconduct have been changed by The DePaulia and La DePaulia due to their status as students at the time of the incidents. Estrella was a junior in high school when she and her boyfriend of three years got into yet another argument about him inappropriately touching her in public. Whether it was groping her or speaking to her disrespectfully in front of his friends, each argument often resulted in him crying and giving gifts in an attempt to earn her forgiveness. The two had driven to a secluded area late one night to discuss his behavior. Estrella said despite intending to break up with him that night, his promises to change his ways gave her hope and kept her in the relationship with him for another year. They talked for an hour that night. He threw the flowers, a jacket, a sweater and a blanket he gifted Estrella to the backseats of his car. He began kissing Estrella and forced himself onto her. “I always blame myself because I think ‘Why would I let that happen,’” Estrella said. DePaul sophomore Estrella is among the many women who blame themselves for the sexual violence they have endured. Out of every 1,000 sexual assault cases, 310 go unreported to the police, according to RAINN the nation’s largest sexual violence organization. Estrella is one of them. She said it wasn’t until two months after their breakup that she realized her ex-boyfriend had sexually assaulted her. She said her failure to recognize the severity of the situation was partly rooted in the way her Latino parents raised her to support men and take care of them. Estrella said she would vaguely communicate to her mom about the various instances her boyfriend made her feel unco-
fortable, yet her mom would suggest “that’s just how men are.” “My parents were old fashioned in that sense, they made me think that if a man did something to me it was because it was my fault,” Estrella said, leading her to believe the way she was being treated was normal. Estrella said that toxic masculinity, the cultural expectation for men to behave in stereotypically masculine ways such as through exerting dominance or aggression, is prevalent in Latino culture. Out of 5.4 million Hispanic women, 36.1 percent experienced sexual violence, according to a 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey. Nina Wilson, a DePaul women and gender studies professor, works on the education team at Resilience, a non-profit sexual violence resource organization. Wilson said toxic masculinity and misogyny are a response to the historical mistreatment of Black and Brown communities. Wilson said she thinks the two are natural responses to systems of violence such as colonization, imperialism and contemporary variants of capitalism and neoliberalism. “A lot of these processes used gender-based violence to enact harm and Black and Brown people have unfortunately had to assimilate, having to succumb as well as perpetuate harmful gender roles, or die,” Wilson said. The perpetuation of sexual violence is not just exclusive to Latino communities. “It really is a systemic issue, it happens everywhere,” Wilson said. Sexual violence against women of color has deep roots in U.S. history. Enslaved Black women were commonly raped by their white slaveholder, according to Prevent Connect, a national project that helps prevent sexual assault and relationship violence,. After slavery ended, physical and sexual violence remained prominent against Black and Indigenous communities, causing Black women to become some of the first women to break the silence about rape. “Particularly in the community of women of color, where other forms of trauma such as systemic oppression and discrimination already exist, they may experience intense response or worsen symptoms that they already had [to sexual violence],” said Sara Heidbreder, a Sexual and Relationship
Violence Prevention specialist at DePaul. Yasmine is another Latina who experienced sexual violence. During their high school winter break, 15-year-old Yasmine was smoking a marijuana blunt with her friend in his room. The two had met the summer before eighth grade and had established a good friendship, often bonding over similar family problems growing up. After smoking, he offered her a yellow Xanax pill. Although hesitant to take it, Yasmine said it happened quickly and her friend assured her that everything would be fine. Yasmine said he further persuaded her by telling Yasmine that her boyfriend would come over soon. Yasmine’s boyfriend never came that night. Within a few hours, Yasmine and her friend had finished an entire prescription bottle of Xanax. Yasmine said she has no recollection from that night. She later found an image on her phone of her and her friend laying on his bed. In his hand were 13 yellow pills. She woke up the next day and her friend told her they had sex. “I couldn’t even believe it, I was so astonished and disgusted,” Yasmine said. It wasn’t until two years later when Yasmine fell into a depressive episode because she couldn’t bare the silence anymore that she told her parents she was raped. Yasmine remembers her dad asking if anyone had touched her and the way it triggered her emotions. “I wasn’t going to lie, I just started crying and balling my eyes out,” Yasmine said. “Immediately they knew that something had happened. I broke down and told them the whole situation, all the drugs, everything.” Rocio Lozano, the sexual assault program director at Mujeres Latinas en Accion, said stigma still exists in the Latino community when trying to find professional help. “[Latinos] care a lot of what our family thinks of us, culturally we are always trying to please the family and in trying to please the family, or to avoid what they will say then we do not seek services,” Lozano said. Survivors may also refuse to seek professional help because the perpetrator could live within proximity such as on the same block, apartment building or neighborhood Lozano said.
Most children and teens who face sexual violence are committed by someone they know.Out of the sexual abuse cases reported to law enforcement, 93 percent of juvenile victims knew the perpetrator most were either acquaintances or family members, according to RAINN. “The fact that the survivor knows this person is already traumatic and it prevents them from asking for help,” Lozano said. Heidbreder said survivors should be empowered to make their own decisions on who and where to seek help. For Estrella, reaching out to professional help was difficult, she felt distrust in predominantly white institutions. “A majority of white therapists would not understand the cultural differences the same way” Estrella said. Heidbreder said for some, reaching out to family or community members may feel much safer than reaching out to the professionals. Megan Greeson, a psychology and gender-based violence expert at DePaul, said seeking professional help can help survivors cope with some of the repercussions of sexual assault like anxiety, depression, substance abuse, self-harm, disordered eating and more. “The most important thing is to believe them and share empathy,” Greeson said. “Don’t question or judge them or suggest the survivor should have behaved differently.” Estrella said survivors should take it minute by minute. “It’s so hard when you realize what has happened to you,” Estrella said. “You just feel so naked no matter how many layers you put on, you try to scrub it off in the shower, you try to do everything you can to get this feeling off.No matter how hard someone holds you, you kind of just stay with that feeling but it eventually goes away. You feel it every once in a while, but it gets better.” Mujeres Latinas en Accion has three Chicago locations — Pilsen, Brighton Park and North Riverside. Bilingual services are available to anyone regardless of immigration status. For 24-hour help call the Chicago Rape Crisis Hotline 888.293.2080.
4 | News. The DePaulia. April 11, 2022
DePaul to host series for Sexual Assault Awareness month By Samantha Moilanen Staff Writer
DePaul’s Office of Health Promotion and Wellness (HPW) hosted their first panel in a month-long series raising awareness for victims of sexual assault who are often overlooked for Sexual Assault Awareness month on Thursday over Zoom. The first panel featured four speakers discussing how disabled people may experience sexual violence and their different needs when dealing with trauma. As the panels continues this month, specialists will continue to discuss sexual violence in the disabled community, men and the LGBTQ+ community over the next few weeks. The event host, Sara Heidbreder, a sexual and relationship violence prevention specialist at DePaul, said she created the panel to discuss sexual violence in communities that aren’t categorized as cisgender females. “I want people to know there are more [survivors] than we think,” she said. “Generally, people think survivors are mostly female and cisgender, but we wanted to be very intentional about addressing the unique needs or experiences of a community we don’t really talk about often.” The panel was meant to be a safe space for open discussion for those who don’t have access to resources or counseling services. “I wanted to create a safe space for those people who may not get resources usually because it’s a little bit more of a struggle for those people who may have a disability to seek support because people may not understand or are more judgemental,” she said. “It is an unfortunate truth that in the Chicago area, the resources specifically for people with a disability [are limited] since it is such a small community.” The panel for students with disabilities featured four speakers: Joy Messinger, a racial and gender justice philanthropist, Sondra Malling, an ASL bilingual psychotherapist, Susan Nash from DePaul’s Center for
Students with Disabilities and Judith Legorreta-Hernandez, a mental health clinician from DePaul’s counseling services. Addressing a series of questions related to sexual assault awareness for students in the disability community, the speakers discussed topics surrounding ableism, disability justice, marginalization in the disability community and trauma informed treatment for survivors. Messinger, who described herself as a disabled survivor of sexual assault, said disabled people are three times more likely than their abled peers to experience sexual violence. She also points out disabilities can be physical or psychological and impact individuals in many different ways.
“If we think about disability in a broad way, [there are] people with physical impairments, people who belong to sensory minorities, people with emotional disabilities, cognitive challenges, mental health challenges and chronic and severe illness,” she said at the event. “There are many ways that people are disabled by the world so there are many ways that we must work with people who are disabled in order to support their individual challenges or impairments.” During the discussion, Heidbreder highlighted how the disability community may be impacted by sexual violence and how sexual assault surivors from different communities outside the female, cisgender norm are less
likely to be believed or receive justice when surviving sexual assault. “Whether someone is believed or not, whether someone is criminalized or not is going to look different [depending on the specific community],” Messinger said. Complications for survivors of sexual assault in the diasability community include difficulties with the reporting process. “The Title IX process makes it very difficult,” Messinger said. “The reporting process is a hugely neurotypical process that requires you to be able to remember something in a very concise and linear way in order to be able to describe what happened to you, and asks a lot even of neurotypical people who have a high level of emotional intelligence.” The panel addressed how disability culture impacts survivors of sexual assault. Malling pointed out that abled people are often unaware of the challenges people in the disabled community face, therefore their experiences are sometimes overlooked. “The very concept that disability culture exists is something that folks just don’t know and we can’t understand people’s intersectionality if we don’t understand that their disabilities are more than just their physical experience,” Malling said. “It is the fabric of their lives, values and how they express themselves.” Heidbreder created the panel hoping to address issues regarding sexual assault in the disabled community, but understands the topics of discussion cannot provide a clear answer and instead provides a safe space for students to talk about sexual assault and the impact it has in different communities. “I am not aiming to get a clear answer or result, but it is more for opening up the conversations and for us to start thinking about the bigger future, so maybe we can make a bigger change,” Heidbreder said. The following two panels in the three week series will be discussing sexual assault violence in men and the LGBTQ+ community.
CAMPUS CRIME REPORT: March 30, 2022 - April 5, 2022 LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS
LOOP CAMPUS
Ozanam Hall 1
5
5
14 East Jackson 7
DePaul Center Lot E
4
2
3
LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS April 3 1) A Graffiti report was filed for markings on Ozanam Hall. April 4 2) A Graffiti report was filed for markings on the sign in Lot E.
Assault & Theft
Drug & Alcohol
Other
LOOP CAMPUS March 31 3) A Criminal Trespass report was filed in the DePaul Center Dunkin Donuts. April 1 4) A Graffiti report was filed for markings on the DePaul Center. April 2 5) ATheft report was filed regarding an incident that occurred on the sidewalk in from of 14 E Jackson.
News. The DePaulia. April 11, 2022 | 5
Take A Stand
KIERSTEN RIEDFORD | THE DEPAULIA
Senior Tiara Brown writes the word “insensitivity” on a shirt that reads “I won’t stand for ____.” Brown said she has faced a lot of insensitivity in her life and won’t stand for it.
DAB encourages students to call out injustice By Kiersten Riedford Asst. News Editor
T-shirts labeled “I won’t stand for ____” lay out across a long table in the atrium of the Lincoln Park Student Center. Students grab one to take to a circular table covered in markers to fill in the blank on the shirt. Mass incarceration, ableism, frat culture, human trafficking and sexual violence were some of the phrases written on the students’ shirts. The Take a Stand event on April 5 in the DePaul student center drew in students, faculty and even Amazon Prime workers to call out problematic issues they will not stand for. DePaul Activities Board partnered with Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment (PAVE) to host the event on Teal Tuesday, a day where people wear teal ribbons to show support towards sexual assault survivors. Brianna Catalinotto, vice president of marketing for the DePaul Activities Board, said sexual assault and awareness month gave the organization an opportunity to allow students to make their voices heard in regards to sexual violence and other topics. “Even though we all know [sexual assault] happens, I think doing an event where students can share their voice on opinions regarding sexual assault or just regarding anything to do with mass incarceration, like we’ve seen today, where they’re allowed to voice their opinions, is really important,” Catalinotto said. Senior Tiara Brown wrote insensitivity on her shirt. Brown recently experienced the death of her aunt, who graduated from DePaul. She said following her aunt’s death, many of the people she relied on turned away from her when she needed comfort and guidance the most. “These are simple things you can do with one click,” Brown said. “It’s the thought that counts but when you don’t even put the thought into trying to support somebody or being sensitive to somebody’s situation, when people
KIERSTEN RIEDFORD| THE DEPAULIA
At the Take a Stand event on April 5, an attendee writes “mass incarceration” on their shirt with a blue fabric marker. are that selfish, it kind of hurts. And it makes an already difficult time that much harder.” Freshman Jacqueline Flood wrote sexual assault, human trafficking, violence, abuse and gaslighting on her shirt. “I wrote words that are considered to be taboo,” Flood said. “I think they should be openly talked about and openly stated for what they are and spoken against.” Catalinotto said the event, though it was not completely centered around sexual assault, had a lot of the topic incorporated in it through its partnership with PAVE. “A lot of the elements here is regarding [sexual assault] because today is Teal Tuesday,” Catalinotto said. “But also having students share their voices in different ways allows them to really
feel connected to the community at DePaul and realize that their voice can be heard.” Flood said the event was a great opportunity for the DePaul community to come together and talk about topics that are problematic. “I appreciate that it’s out in the open,” Flood said. “People are able to come [to the Student Center] and, whether it be anonymous or not, talk about these topics and be able to find solace in each other.” Brown said having a community at DePaul is important, especially one that can talk about problematic issues. “Right now, everybody’s going through something,” Brown said. “We’re already in this pandemic but you don’t know what people had to deal with through this pandemic that had nothing
to do with Covid. It’s a lot of things that are going on and at this point I think people just need a way to talk about it.” Aside from building community, Brown said the event was impactful because it made students ask themselves what they stand for and don’t stand for. “When you’re going through this college experience you find that you end up changing,” Brown said. “You start seeing things a little bit differently, sometimes you see things for what they are and because you’re older you can make a decision on whether you want to stand for it or not. But the important thing is that you have to decide what you’re going to stand for or what you’re not going to stand for, because if you don’t stand for something you’re going to fall for everything.”
6 | News. The DePaulia. April 11, 2022
News. The DePaulia. April 11, 2022 | 7
CHOOSE YOUR CANDIDATE Candidates announce their campaigns for SGA By Audrey Leib SGA Beat Writer
The DePaul Student Government Association (SGA) started its annual spring elections. Candidate applications are open from April 11-27 and elections are May 2-5. Available positions include executive cabinet, college senators, year senators and com-
munity senators. Eligible candidates must have a GPA of 2.5 and be part or full-time students. College senators must be enrolled in the college they are representing and community senators must be a member of the position’s population. Students need 25 signatures to get on the ballot. Terms last one academic year. SGA is responsible for being the “official voice” for DePaul students.
Student representatives serve as advocates for their peers, according to their website. They work with senior administration and broader community members. Last quarter, SGA hosted Queer Prom, Public Safety Townhall and started initatives for Campus Connect. SGA makes resolutions on issues such as online learning, accessibility
and recognizing cultural heritage months. They work with the DePaul senior administration about implementing them into curriculum and operations. The DePaulia interviewed several candidates on their initiatives for their SGA campaigns.
Junior Kevin Holechko & Sophomore Magoli Garcia
SOFIAL LEAL | THE DEPAULIA
Sophomore Magoli Garcia [left] poses with Kevin Holechko, junior and SGA Vice President. The two are running together for president and vice president for the 2022 to 2023 SGA term.
Junior Kevin Holechko is running for president and is running mates with sophomore Magoli Garcia as vice president. Garcia is a political science major, while Holechko is an education major. Initiatives the duo are running on is expanding the first-generation scholarship they have worked on this year to include open-source textbooks. “We want to be in intro courses that a lot of first-year or second-year students will be taking and try to get their instructors to transition to an open-source textbook,” Holechko said. The duo wants to do more on-campus events, but also encourage off campus for students. They also want to hold monthly meetings with their campus partners, including clubs and organizations. “[Students] can’t always make a meeting Thursday night,” Holechko said.
Food would be provided during these meetings to facilitate more of a community setting. “We would rather have it so they’re telling Magoli and me what [they] actually need and what challenges [they’re] facing,” he added. They are considering that a lot of students do not feel comfortable on the L and want to expand the shuttle system into the daytime aside from just the evening hours. They also want to make Vinny Vans more accessible to off campus students by expanding the program to include more mileage. Holechko and Garcia want to remind others that while SGA is a club, they are taking their roles seriously. “I really just enjoy meeting and hearing a student’s experience and being able to play a role to really help them [thrive],” Holechko said.
Sophomore Adora Alava
Adora Alava is a sophomore economics major with a minor in real estate. She is the incumbent executive vice president (EVP) of Diversity and Equity and has served two terms prior to this election. Her first term as Senator for Community and Government Relationships and second term as EVP for Diversity and Equity. Alava is also involved in student organizations, such as being cultural chair of KALAHI, DePaul’s Filipnx Student Organization, an associate member of DePaul’s Females in Finance and head chair of DePaul’s Dining Committee. If elected, she plans to continue her initiatives that were started in the last term,
including intercultural planning, sexual health care resources available to students on campus, combatting all types of violence and ensuring students engaging in activism and protests are protected. As head of the Dining Committee, Alava is continuing to implement initiatives for “broader and guaranteed Kosher and Halal meal plans.” “I would love to continue advocating and encouraging more representation, diversity and equity as a woman of color in the Student Government Association at DePaul,” Alava said. SOFIA LEAL | THE DEPAULIA
This is Alava’s second term with SGA and first as an Executive VP.
Sophomore Sergio Godinez
SOFIA LEAL | THE DEPAULIA
Sophomore Sergio Godinez is running for EVP of Academic Affairs.
Sergio Godinez is a sophomore double majoring in American Studies and Political Science with a minor in Spanish. Godinez has held one prior term with the Student Government Association as Senator for first-generation college students. He is running for EVP of Academic Affairs, where he plans to make sure student voices are heard, recognized and respected within decisions regarding education in the university. “It’s important to have [student] voices within those decision processes,” Godinez said. If elected, Godinez hopes to accomplish a few initiatives with his new role.
He wants to make sure that he acts as a liaison to the Faculty Council, regularly meets with the provost, supports each college senator in their initiatives, advocates for minority and underrepresented groups and allocates resources to solve more systemic issues regarding education. “There’s a lot of structural changes that need to happen,” Godinez said. This past quarter, SGA was able to create a scholarship for first generation students. It is expected to be given out at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year.
8 | News. The DePaulia. April 11, 2022
Ukrainian students enroll in online courses By Nadia Hernandez News Editor
DePaul is offering online courses for Ukrainian students at no cost. About 100 students are taking 42 online synchronous and asynchronous courses in a variety of majors. In collaboration with Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU), DePaul wanted to help students continue their education amid the Russian invasion. “When presented with the opportunity to help, our staff and faculty immediately provided the logistics and support to make this happen,” Salma Ghanem, DePaul’s provost said to Newsline. “DePaul is living our Catholic, Vincentian mission by helping these students pursue their education while their country is under assault.” GianMario Besana, associate provost for global engagement and online learning, started working with UCU during spring break to enroll students. He worked with the national admissions team and registrar’s office. “They did the magic in the background of making the students in the system making sure that they got the right communication to learn how to
activate their Blue Key credential so that they can get into Campus Connect as well,” Besana said. Besana curated a list of online classes that would end no later than 1 p.m. Central US time so students could attend synchronous classes. Elissa Foster, a professor in health communications, has three Ukrainian students in one class. Although students may not be pursuing a health communication major, their majors are still applicable. “One of my Ukrainian students is in marketing, and she’s been working in marketing within the health field in Ukraine,” Foster said. “She saw this as an option for her to take a class and she jumped on it and it seems to be exactly what she was off doing.” When Foster found out that her class was eligible for Ukrainian students, she was excited. “I jumped on the opportunity because I think like many other people, it’s hard to be aware of what is going on in that country and not feel a sense of wanting to do something to help and the opportunity to teach and support students which is something that I love to do anyway,” Foster said. The final details were being orga-
nized in a three week span towards the end of winter quarter, spring break and beginning of spring quarter. “We got back the list from the partner with the students on Friday of spring break,” Besana said. “So the admission, registration and all this stuff happened over the weekend. I think some of the international admission team and the register worked over the weekend to make sure that this happened.” Despite the short turn around, students have been able to start classes on time with minimal technical difficulty. “We are working through the technical side of it a little bit,” Foster said. Students are connecting in class via zoom. Foster saw students were eager to share their support. “I got the sense that those students were being very careful, supportive and compassionate,” she said. “ I could see in the chat at one point there, they were exchanging phone numbers, so they could be in touch with each other. I thought that was a really lovely gesture of interest on their part.” Besana said the situation remains fluid in regards to expanding the students’ enrollment into the summer and beyond. “We are concentrating on making
sure that things are working and the student has successfully practiced in spring quarter,” he said. “Then we will open and continue the discussion with the partner to see what the needs are possibly for summer that we don’t know yet.” The Vincentian mission notes the importance of, “an interconnected globalized society, a quality educational experience will reflect the complexity of cultural and social issues, the diversity of opinions and ways of thinking and the appreciation of difference.” “I think it all stems from this sense that what’s happening in Europe and in Ukraine is terribly wrong and we really want to help and we really want to support these young people who just want to pursue their education and to move forward into their future,” Foster said. Besana is excited to see how students will engage and learn from each other. “Sharing their experience, their culture, their approach to subjects, bringing in their own traditions, their family history, into the classes and sharing them with our students is an extremely fascinating experience for both sides,” he said.
FACULTY, continued from front page only have a limited amount of resources [available] to you.” Criminology is relatively new at DePaul, as it has only existed with departmental status for a year and began as a program in 2018. There are few options for young departments like Criminology to meet staffing requirements without a significant number of term faculty. “If we don’t have term faculty, we have no faculty, essentially,” Alderden said. “[We’re] overwhelmed by the number of students that we have and under-resourced for what we’re trying to do.” Between 2017 and 2021, the number of students studying criminology at DePaul grew from five to 252, according to data found in DePaul’s Institutional Research and Market Analytics (IRMA). As enrollment numbers change within individual programs each year, departments must assign faculty to reflect the number of students in a given year. For example, in just one year, between 2020 and 2021, DePaul’s College of Computing and Digital Media’s undergraduate enrollment grew by more than 230 students, according to IRMA data. While term faculty employed by DePaul may remedy immediate needs in specific departments, it’s not always meant to be a permanent solution for non-professional programs showing long-term enrollment growth, according to the faculty handbook. The handbook indicates that term faculty should be used to maintain flexibility in allocating resources for faculty positions. It also states that term faculty should not be used to “permanently replace tenure-line position” or “avoid adding new tenure-line when merited.” For several Faculty Council members in attendance at Wednesday’s meeting, continuing to allow for a significant number of term faculty is a band-aid for a much larger issue. Many voiced their concerns about a lack of tenure track hires in recent years. “I’m tired of seeing this number decline for 12 years,” said Tom Mondschean, DePaul professor of economics. Currently, 222 of DePaul’s 862 fulltime faculty members are term faculty,
PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER | THE DEPAULIA
Sonia Soltero, the Faculty Council President speaks to the crowd about term faculty while Faculty Council member Andrea Kayne speaks with professor Jay Baglia behind her. Members were concerned about the lack of tenure track faculty in the past decade. with the rest being tenure-track, according to IRMA. Still, these numbers will soon change as DePaul plans to bring in new tenure-track hires for the next academic year, according to Lucy Rinehart, associate professor of English and associate provost for academic planning and faculty. “Four new tenure-track faculty joined DePaul in 2021-2022, and 38 searches for tenure-track faculty who will join the University in 2022-2023 are underway or already concluded,” Rinehart said to The DePaulia. Rinehart says this is a “slightly higher number than a typical recent year.” A tenured position is coveted for some educators, as tenure comes with higher pay and job security. The average yearly salary of a tenured professor in the U.S. as of December 2021 was $117,232, while the yearly average wage of a non-tenure track assistant professor is $83,984, according to data from Glassdoor. DePaul’s faculty handbook clarifies the increased job security for tenured faculty, explaining that tenured faculty can only be terminated with cause or under an extraordinary circumstance like misconduct or a university financial crisis. Because of the university’s increased financial investment for these positions, the acquisition of a new tenure track employee is not a quick and easy process. “From the approval of a tenure-line
“If we don’t have term faculty, we have no faculty, essentially. [We’re] overwhelmed by the number of students that we have and under-resourced for what we’re trying to do.””
Megan Alderden
Associate Professor of Criminology search to the faculty member’s coming to DePaul is usually about 15 months,” Rinehart said. “June of one year to September of the next.” DePaul employs a significantly higher rate of tenure-track faculty in comparison to the national average for other private universities. Fifty-three percent of full-time faculty at four-year private nonprofit institutions in fall of 2019 were tenure-line, according to information from the Chronicle of Higher Education Almanac provided by Rinehart. At DePaul, that figure was 73.7 percent during the same period. Still, the Faculty Council’s current concerns that term faculty are filling positions meant for tenure-track remain at
the local level within individual departments. DePaul’s criminology department currently has just one tenured faculty and four term faculty members, far surpassing the handbook’s recommended 30 percent threshold for term faculty within a given department. The hope for some departments is that growth will lead to being awarded more tenure-track faculty soon. Until then, many departments that feel the need for more tenure-line will have to make do with the term faculty in place under last week’s exemption vote. “I keep hearing ‘if you show growth, you’ll get more resources,’” Alderden said at Wednesday’s meeting. “But I don’t know how we can show more growth,
News. The DePaulia. April 11, 2022 | 9 DIVERSITY, continued from front page So how is the term ‘nonresident alien’ any different? Why is the term being used on these documents? It implies the same thing. It implies that you’re an immigrant and you don’t belong here.” Alvarez said the language used in the document ties into the problem of diversity, it shows another obstacle people of color and undocumented individuals have to face when trying to climb the social and economic ladder. “The ladders POC have to climb are taller than the ones non-POC have to climb,” Alvarez said. “POC belong at places like DePaul, they deserve to have full-time jobs, and they deserve representation.” When the terminology was mentioned to Cindy Pickett, DePaul associate provost for diversity, equity and inclusion, said she is going to raise the issue to the IRMA team. Looking back to the diversity concern students have, since 2017, there has been a decrease of 54 full-time faculty members university-wide. Of this, African Americans, American Indians/ Alaskan Natives, undocumented, white and unknown groups have all decreased, according to IRMA. Pickett said the decrease in faculty members is a result of the size of the student body. “College enrollments in the United States have been steadily declining over the last 10 years,” Pickett said in a statement to The DePaulia. “In 2012, DePaul’s student enrollment was 24,966 and today it is 21,670. When there are fewer students, there is less revenue generated, and fewer faculty salaries can be supported.” When hiring full-time faculty members, universities rely heavily on outreach programs for candidates which could be costly. With the student body decreasing, therefore decreasing the institution’s revenue, DePaul is not able to do as much outreach as they would like, according to
Pickett. DePaul currently utilizes online platforms such as Interfolio, a faculty information system for higher education institutions, and CareerArc, a social media-based hiring platform that aims to “attract and hire top talent,” according to their website. Worsham said she would like to see the university broaden the platforms it uses and fund recruiting teams to outreach to more qualified people of color instead of leaning funds into charter shuttle buses. “How can the university expect to bring in diversity if the only platforms it utilizes are those accessible and most popular to the white Chicagoan populations?” Worsham said. “I suggest, if diversity and valuable education are truly important to DePaul, that the university send scouts to other schools not just colleges in the area, being more proactive in the search.” Alvarez also said the search should be expanded when looking for candidates. Diaz said he would like to see a fulltime faculty racial and ethnic ratio that is similar to the makeup of the student body. Currently, 65 percent of the full-time faculty ratio is white, according to IRMA. “This is lower than the national average of 74 percent white and lower than DePaul’s peer institutions, 72 percent,” Pickett said. The student body for the 2021 to 2022 academic year, however, is 48.5 percent white, according to IRMA. Though DePaul is statistically doing better than other institutions, students like Alvarez are still critical of the fulltime faculty hiring. “If DePaul truly believes in its mission statement, I think they should follow in Vincent de Paul’s footsteps and help to serve the underserved and underrepresented,” Alvarez said. “Employing more diverse full-time faculty would be a small, yet vital step in the right direction. It would give more opportunities to
POC, many of whom come from very underrepresented communities, especially at institutions such as DePaul.” Worsham said finding candidates of color and candidates that are representative of the student body is important to create comfortability in the classroom for students of color. Previous DePaulia reporting said that the honors program was having social justice classes taught predominately by white professors. “Even when I tried going outside of the African and Black Diaspora and political science departments for classes that centered on Black experiences/figures, I found that my non-black [white] peers took up most of the class seats,” Worsham said. “Non-black professors teaching classes focusing on BIPOC issues, what kind of message does that send to BIPOC students? When I look left and right, I don’t see me. When I look to the front of the classroom, I don’t see me.” Alvarez said she would appreciate more professors of color to feel better represented in a higher education setting. “For someone like me who’s always hoping for representation due to the lack of it in film,TV, and most media, I would really hope to see it represented in academia, especially my own school,” Alvarez said. “I think it’s important for young POC to see that representation and see that it’s possible to get jobs in academia, and work full time somewhere such as DePaul.” Espinoza said she wants more professors of color because it is more likely she will relate to them as a first generation student herself. “I think this would help me ease into the college experience a bit better and for future students incoming,” Espinoza said. Worsham said she is frustrated because students of color are voicing they would like more professors of color, but there has not been much done in response. “The real question is when is DePaul going to listen?” Worsham said. “When will DePaul take initiative to make that
happen?” Worsham said she seems to only see change when white students ask for it. “I guess the wrong people are asking,” Worsham said. “Maybe if some white students got up, if white faculty members started advocating for more bipoc faculty, maybe then it would happen. I’ve seen DePaul budge for so much, why is it they won’t budge for Black students and students of color.” Pickett said in a statement to The DePaulia the university increased its diversity in full-time faculty over the past five years. “When we look at the last five years of faculty hires at DePaul, there is a clear trend toward greater diversity,” Pickett said. “For example, during this period, 13 percent of hires at DePaul have been African-American and 10 percent have been Hispanic/Latinx. All faculty search committee members must take a workshop on how to conduct a proactive search that aims to create broad and diverse applicant pools and equitable search procedures.” In 2021, professor Sydney Dillard sued DePaul for racial and disability discrimination and in 2020, former professor Lisa Calvente said she was denied tenure because of racism, according to previous DePaulia reporting. Looking to the future for DePaul, Alvarez said she is hopeful the diversity in DePaul’s faculty will grow and the terms in the document will become less insensitive. “While I’m not sure if there will be a push for more diversity in full time faculty members, I’m hoping there will be,” Alvarez said. “It is definitely a possibility, there’s a wide range of people with so much diversity going into academia, I’m hoping there will be a push for more diverse full time faculty members in the coming years.”
MAKE YOUR SUMMER COUNT. GET ONE STEP CLOSER TO GRADUATION. REGISTER FOR SCPS ONLINE CLASSES AT GO.DEPAUL.EDU/SCPSSUMMER.
10 | Nation & World. The DePaulia. April 11, 2022
Nation & World
US refugee policy in spotlight as Ukrainians flee war By Nadia Hernandez News Editor
The bipartisan and public support for Ukrainian refugees are reflected in the United States’ goal to accept 100,000 refugees, per President Joe Biden on March 24. Awareness campaigns and fundraising for Ukrainian refugees are all over social media. Celebrities shared their support for Ukraine and DePaul’s Student Government Association (SGA) shared their stance opposing Russia’s invasion. However, the U.S. hasn’t accepted a majority of Ukrainian refugees. “I don’t know if we will see [large amounts of Ukrainian refugees] at all,” said Kathleen Arnold, DePaul director of refugee and forced migration studies. “Ukrainians have not come in yet, it isn’t a fact, it hasn’t happened. Europe has taken the majority [of them].” When the DePaul SGA released a statement condemning the Russian invasion and standing in solidarity with Ukraine refugees, they acknowledged the current barriers impeding ethnic Ukrainians seeking refuge. “We also realize that the intersectional facets can make the effects of war harmful for people of historically marginalized identities in Ukraine: this includes widespread racist rhetoric in global newsrooms and prejudice that Black and Brown immigrants are reporting is preventing them from fleeing through border crossings,” the statement said. Parveen Mundi, SGA’s senator for intercultural awareness, felt she needed to address these specific experiences. “Being able to address both the plight of Ukrainians with empathy and acknowledging the racism in play as these refugees attempted to flee their country are not mutually exclusive,” Mundi said. Jamia Jowers, president of the board of directors for the Chicago Refugee Coalition, said that these experiences are being overlooked. “Western media at large has grossly under-reported the Black and Brown Ukrainians or Africans or other people of color not being permitted or outright blocked from exiting,” Jowers said. “This discrimination has been swift and blatant.” Despite the United States’ anticipation of Ukrainian refugees, U.S. immigration ser-
GREGORY BULL | ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ukrainian refugees wait in a gymnasium Tuesday, April 5, 2022, in Tijuana, Mexico. Hundreds of Ukrainian refugees are arriving daily to this Mexican border city, where they wait two to four days for U.S. officials to admit them on humanitarian parole.
vices are still processing the 75,000 Afghan refugees that arrived in fall 2021. Afghan refugees received Temporary Protective Status (TPS). “Last fall, people were really welcoming,” Arnold said. “We are going to have let in more Afghan refugees than Ukranians.” DePaul International Studies Chair Shailja Sharma said the change in administration has influenced rolling back discriminatory policies, but has not altered the entire system. “On the one hand, [ Biden] is trying to roll back some of the cuts and the obstruction, obstructive kind of laws that Trump put in place,” Sharma said. “On the other hand, he’s not throwing open the gates because we saw that in the case of the Afghan refugees.” Arnold noted that after former President Donald Trump left office, discourse about refugees hasn’t been “outwardly racist.” The deportation numbers have also changed during each administration. “It has been argued before that both [former President George] Bush, Obama and Trump have had arguably higher deportation numbers and that has been reported,” Jowers said. “But I don’t think Biden’s administration is racially biased to any other immigrant group.” A majority of Somali, Haitain, Sudan and South Sudanese immigrants and refugees were unable to come inside the U.S. and were met with force.
“Our Haitian brothers and sisters were met on horseback and whipped and swiftly deported,” Jowers said. “There wasn’t even really a halt to their deportations while we sort of assessed the crisis situation. Outside of the Haitian example that we all witnessed, there are still deportations for African and Caribbean refugees back to their fragile governments, violent areas and war torn homelands.” Sharma said that historical racist notions are still at play for marginalized racial and ethnic refugees. “There’s an element of Islamophobia definitely in play,” Sharma said. “This idea that Muslims are harder to assimilate than Christians or white people. In terms of thinking about Middle Easterners and Africans, there’s also this idea that they are somehow migrants, whereas Ukrainians are refugees.” Afghans and Ukrainians are experiencing the Biden administration’s changes to the refugee system to allow for more refugees receiving TPS and protections. “They certainly brought our foreign policy strategies and humanitarian policies that prompted the swift action for Ukrainians versus the Afghan refugees,” Jowers said. “But it’s been too slow and not to reverse previous administration restrictions on immigration.” Policies such as raising the cap on refugees are coming after crises occurred for African, Middle Eastern and Asian refugees.
“Without deliberate attention, this response is going to continue to be uneven,” Jowers said. “[Biden’s administration] has in general responded quickly and extended humanitarian protections to predominantly white European refugees. There’s not this pressure or this swiftness to do the same for people of color from Africa, the Middle East and Asia and this needs to be rectified immediately.” Arnold said that Ukrainians flying to Tijuana and asking for humanitarian relief are able to receive results before Central Americans who are trying to claim refugee status highlight systemic racism. “Both sets of people are probably equally traumatized from violence and more — but the definition of a refugee as it has been interpreted by the US favors those who have been persecuted by a state versus non-state actors,” Arnold said. “Racism in this case is not overt, but is baked into the processes that discount the forms of violence and trauma that Central Americans have gone through.” Jowers said that not only does refugee policy need to grant protections, but help adjust to life. “We’re pushing away from this Global North and empowering refugees through dignified provision,” she said. “Fundamentally, we want our refugees not only to be welcomed in our community, but to emerge into leaders in their own right.”
Pakistan’s PM vows to fight on after Parliament ousts him By Kathy Gannon Associated Press
ISLAMABAD (AP) — The ouster of Prime Minister Imran Khan in a parliamentary no-confidence vote early Sunday set Pakistan on an uncertain political path, with his supporters taking to the streets in protest and the political opposition preparing to install his replacement. Tens of thousands of Khan supporters marched in cities across Pakistan, waving large party flags and vowing support. The youth, who make up the backbone of Khan’s supporters, dominated the crowds. Khan was brought down after a day of drama and often vitriolic remarks. His supporters accused Washington of orchestrating his ouster and his party walked out of Parliament shortly before the vote. In the end, 174 lawmakers in the 342-seat Parliament voted to depose him, two more than the required simple majority. Khan’s successor is to be elected and sworn in by Parliament on Monday. The leading contender is Shahbaz Sharif, a brother of disgraced former prime minister Nawaz
K.M. CHAUDARY | ASSOCIATED PRESS
A supporter of ousted Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan chants slogans during a rally in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, April 10, 2022. Sharif. has charged Khan’s government with ecoShahbaz Sharif heads the largest party in nomic mismanagement. a diverse alliance of opposition factions that Khan has claimed the U.S. worked bespan the spectrum from the left to radically hind the scenes to bring him down, purreligious. Khan’s nominee for prime minister portedly because of Washington’s displeasure will be his foreign minister Shah Mahmood over his independent foreign policy choices, Qureshi. which often favor China and Russia. He has Khan’s ouster comes amid his cooling occasionally defied America and stridently relations with the powerful military and an criticized America’s post 9/11 war on terror. economy struggling with high inflation and a Khan said America was deeply disturbed by plummeting Pakistani rupee. The opposition his visit to Russia and his meeting with Rus-
sian President Vladimir Putin on Feb. 24, the start of the devastating war in Ukraine. The U.S. State Department has denied his allegations. Elizabeth Threlkeld, a Pakistan expert at the U.S.-based The Stimson Center, said that even as prime minister, Khan often played the role of opposition leader. “His removal would see him to a role he knows well, armed with a narrative of victimhood from unfounded claims of international interference,” she said. “His base will remain loyal, though I expect both his controversial attempt to remain in power and reduced military backing will lose him less committed supporters.” Khan would seem to have few options going forward. General elections are not scheduled before August 2023. Even if the new prime minister favors early elections, this would likely not happen before October. The Pakistan Election Commission, which oversees polls, told the Supreme Court last week it had still to finish re-aligning constituencies in line with the results of a 2017 census before polls could be held.
Nation & World. The DePaulia. April 11, 2022 | 11
SUSAN WALSH | ASSOCIATED PRESS
President Joe Biden hugs Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as they watch the Senate vote on her confirmation from the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, April 7, 2022.
SUPREME COURT, continued from front page it, all of us.” Not only will Jackson become the first Black woman to reach the highest court in the land — her ascension to the bench will also mark the first time a former public defender becomes a Supreme Court justice. Rivers notes that Jackson’s background defending those unable to afford legal assistance will provide a fresh angle from which the Court can analyze cases. “I think it’s definitely going to bring a perspective that has not been present on the Court before, which is someone who has actually represented defendants from a public perspective,” Rivers said. “And so that on the Court is unique, and I think that’s going to be very valuable.” Before Jackson served as a federal public defender, she served as a law clerk for three judges — including Supreme Court justice Stephen Breyer, whom she will replace following the Court’s current term. Gregory Mark, law professor at DePaul, suggests that it is likely she will take on a judicial role similar to Breyer’s, adding that her ideological leanings are not set in stone. “In taking over for Justice Breyer, she’ll be very comfortable on that seat,” he said. “That said, Supreme Court justices sometimes end up defying predictions of where they will end up. One thinks about, for example, Justice [David] Souter — who ended up being more liberal — as well as Earl Warren. Some justices surprise you on the score.” While Jackson’s rise to the Supreme Court is historic for the United States, Steven Greenberger, associate law professor at DePaul, suggests her addition to the bench likely won’t impact the Court’s ideological sway too significantly. “The ideological division is established at this point,” he said. “If she were replacing one of the conservatives, then it would become more potentially significant, but I don’t think that the direction of the Court is going to change based upon her presence.” As Jackson saw support from all 50
JOSE LUIS MAGANA | ASSOCIATED PRESS
People celebrate the confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson during a rally outside of the U.S. Supreme Court on Capitol Hill, in Washington, Friday, April 8, 2022.
Democratic senators plus Republican Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Ak.), and Mitt Romney (Utah), her confirmation was not unexpected. However, that’s not to say that the confirmation process wasn’t rife with bitter divisions across party lines. During Senate confirmation hearings, several Republicans made claims that Jackson had been especially lenient in sentencing on cases regarding child pornography, with Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) claiming Jackson had shown “a pattern of letting child porn offenders off the hook for their appalling crimes.” Several fact checks have since refuted these claims, noting that her record on child sexual abuse cases has largely fallen in line with the judicial mainstream. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) suggested on Tuesday that Jackson would have defended Nazis during the Nuremberg trials following World War II, citing four cases in which Jackson was assigned to defend detainees at Guantanamo Bay as evidence. Jackson responded by noting that “federal public defenders don’t get to pick their clients” as Cotton’s statements received widespread
condemnation from Democrats. On the day of the confirmation vote, four Republican senators — Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Jim Inhofe (Okla.), Jerry Moran (Kansas) and Rand Paul (Ky.) opted not to wear ties, barring them from entering the Senate chamber and forcing them to vote from the Senate cloakroom. The Republican senators who did vote from the Senate floor didn’t stay for long, though — as Jackson was confirmed and Democratic senators applauded the historic moment, several Republican senators stood from their seats and walked out of the chamber in an act of defiance. Greenberger notes that this bitter divide falls in line with the growing partisan split in U.S. politics at large. “I’m not sure that it’s the process of confirmation that’s grown divisive as it is the political landscape of the country that’s become divided,” he said. “The fracture we see today among the body politic is remarkable by historical standards. We’re as divided virtually as much as we were at the time of the Civil War. This is something that I think is, unfortunately, characteristic of the political system as it exists currently.”
Rivers suggests that the ongoing bitter partisanship in Congress, coupled with Jackson’s identity as a Black woman, created the perfect storm for a particularly tense confirmation process. “As the debates get more complex as you have more of these layers of identity that are represented by people who are being nominated, that makes for debates that are largely nonpartisan in ideology but that are very much connected to race and other aspects of identity,” she said. “That part becomes much more problematic, troublesome and disturbing.” Rivers also pushes back against the idea that criticisms of Jackson’s nomination were “colorblind,” instead arguing that Jackson’s race and gender played an integral role in the partisan attacks made against her. “Some might say that these debates are racially neutral, but most of us listening to this now that they’re not. There are racial dimensions to this and there are gendered dimensions to this. That part is different — that part is newer. But this sort of naked partisanship around these appointments has happened before. I do think that this is one of the historical moments where they’re at their most bitter in a long time, and that’s disappointing.” Furthermore, Rivers rejects the notion held by both conservative pundits and politicians opposed to Jackson’s nomination that she was appointed solely because of her identity as a Black woman, noting Jackson’s long history in the U.S. judiciary. “The constant insinuation from some members of the Republican Party in the Senate that she’s less qualified and appointed simply because she’s Black or simply because she’s a woman is so offensive, because that right there insinuates that Black people and women are not qualified to do anything,” she said. “We have an overly qualified woman, in many respects, relative to many of her new colleagues. I can’t say I’m surprised that this rhetoric came out, but it’s so incredibly and consciously wrong that these people are forced to ignore the obvious fact that she’s incredibly qualified for this position.”
12 | Opinions. The DePaulia. April 11, 2022
Opinions
How blockchain is growing and stabilizing By Daniel McNeill Contributing Writer
As Russia continues to push into Ukraine, economic punishments, in the form of sanctions, have become the main focus of most western nations. Over the past few weeks, the United States has continually announced new limitations on Russian banks and its ultra-wealthy. While tensions rise across the world and economies waver, one market is used to the uncertainty — cryptocurrency. I have spent the past two years researching, buying, trading and selling various crypto coins. As I have actively become involved with crypto, I increasingly sought arguments theorizing the future of cryptocurrency. Recently, I ran across an article published in The New York Times by Paul Krugman, titled “Transaction Costs and Tethers: Why I’m a Crypto Skeptic.” Krugman outlined two significant factors that he saw as explicit and intrinsic reasons as to why cryptocurrency will never become more than a device of the black market: how expensive it is to use and how its value is purely speculative. Krugman believes that currencies should innovate, bring change and make something easier or more efficient — he argues that crypto does not do any of this. Taking a proactive perspective to Krugman’s criticisms, I believe that cryptocurrency has the opportunity to change how the financial market around the world is structured. The current financial makeup of the crypto market is massive and the technology encompassing crypto is new but rapidly innovating. The market size of crypto is enormous and has been growing rapidly for the past decade, showing no sign of slowing down. The 2021 Global Financial Stability Report published by the International Monetary Fund made cryptocurrency the main focus of their October update. In the report, they detailed that, in 2021 alone, the market capitalization of cryptocurrency reached $2.5 trillion. This testifies to the emerging significance of cryptocurrency, as money brings power. With a rapidly growing and developing market capitalization, more people are parting with their money in hopes of speculating with crypto. As more people pour money into assets, companies that act as markets for these assets get wealthier. These companies are presented with two options: invest in their business, or take the money and run. Over the past two years, we have seen significant reinvestments into tracking increasing demand and upgrading these interfaces from companies like Coinbase or Bittrex. Reinvestments are an effective way of gauging innovation within a specific market.
The more a company invests in itself and its products, the more likely they are to make moves in improving and sustaining that market. Innovation is necessary for all markets. However, it is especially important for crypto because these digital assets currently suffer from the fatal flaw of having no reasonable use as a currency. Krugman pointed out that crypto lacks a few key components that realistic currencies must have: the ability to tether its value to something stable, a cheap way to handle transactions and a purpose. I believe that crypto’s purpose will come with the other two. More research, more use and more innovation are what will bring crypto up to speed and eventually surpass our modern-day currencies in both practicality and convenience. The Crypto Council for Innovation has been doing exactly that. Backed by significant powers in the crypto industry, the Crypto Council for Innovation has been doing research into ways to make crypto a more valuable asset. Currently, crypto is used as a speculative asset, solely being bought to trade and sell; rarely is crypto used for buying a cup of coffee. The Crypto Council is working to change that, by moving away from government regulation and looking to make crypto more stable. They have been working to implement measures and safeguards that prevent the use of crypto for illicit and illegal behavior.
All around, with significant funding and strong support from some of the most powerful names in crypto, The Crypto Council is the main hub and the best hope for crypto’s innovation. I know that crypto is a very complicated concept with a lot of variation between each coin. I also know creating an entire currency with no connection to any government institution is conjectural; however, crypto has made it this far and has garnered more support than ever expected. I do not know the specifics of the intricate technology that allows cryptocurrency to function in the way it does. I may be entirely wrong — crypto could have run its course and will fall into the trap that Krugman described, spending the rest of its existence as a device of the black market. Although I doubt that, things have a way of working out. Overall, I think crypto is currently very powerful and has changed the world. Like all things, to maintain this momentum, crypto must innovate. For its success, cryptocurrency must keep true to its name and extend beyond the territory of just being an asset. So while the Russian ruble and economy continue to crumble, crypto has the opportunity to learn from the weaknesses and build upon the strengths of these stable, tethered currencies — possibly securing itself a more secure and promising future.
Percentage of the national population that owns cryptocurrency. Source: TripleA Ownership Data
The opinions in this section do not necessarially reflect those of The DePaulia staff.
GRAPHIC BY ERIK UEBELACKER
ART BY ALICIA GOLUSZKA
Opinions. The DePaulia. April 11, 2022 | 13
Surging gas prices should encourage fuel alternatives How a carbon emissions tax and ending oil subsidies could diversify transportation By Erik Uebelacker Opinions Editor
It’s no secret that gas prices are on the rise in the United States. In March of 2022, the national average cost-pergallon of gasoline was $4.331, the highest it’s ever been. You can’t turn on cable news without talking heads debating why this is the case, and whether or not President Joe Biden is to blame. Increased demand due to relaxing Covid-19 restrictions and the conflict between Ukraine and Russia seem to be two popular hypotheses. But what tends to be overlooked is that gas is still comparatively cheap in the United States due to our fuel subsidies and low gas taxes. The price for gasoline in the United States has hovered between an average of about $4 and $4.30 per gallon over the last two months. In countries like Spain, France, Germany and the United Kingdom, the average exceeds $6 per gallon. Ken Rose, senior fellow with the Institute of Public Utilities at Michigan State University and associate teaching professor at DePaul University, explained why that disparity exists. EMILY SOTO | THE DEPAULIA The gas pumps at the Lincoln Park Mobil across from DePaul University’s Lincoln Park campus. Gas prices hit a 14-year high in 2022. “In Europe, in particular, they have high taxes on cars are the leading gasoline,” Rose mobile source of told The DePaulia. pollution, according “They’ve done to the Environmental that for a long Protection Agency. time. So, consumThis is preciseers are paying ly why European more at the pump nations tax gas so because of those heavily, so that citihigh taxes they zens are encouraged pay on the retail to seek alternative side. We just don’t means of transit to tax at the same gasoline-powered rate as the Euroautomobiles. The peans do.” United States has no Additionally, such carbon tax and the United States continues to subsigovernment dize the production heavily subsidizes of oil, so the demand oil production. for alternative transIn 2020, the fossil portation is signififuel industry Senior fellow with the Institute of Public cantly limited here. received $5.9 tril“Gasoline conUtilities at Michigan State University lion in subsidies, sumption is less in according to the those countries that International Monetary Fund. have the higher taxes, so people respond Because of this, gas prices have to the prices,” Rose said. “The federal tax remained comparatively low in the U.S. here I think is 18 cents per gallon, that’s when assessed on an international scale. pretty modest compared to what other DePaul professor of geography and countries have. Most economists say sustainable urban development, Euan that’s the best way to reduce our carbon Hague, says that low gas prices, coupled emissions is to have some kind of carbon with the idea of American individualism, tax, which would probably mean a tax on has made automobiles and gasoline corgasoline.” nerstones of the United States’ culture. In fact, public transit has seen a usage EMILY SOTO | THE DEPAULIA “The United States has long had this boost since gas prices rose in March. In A woman pumps gas at the Lincoln Park Mobil. The U.S. doesn’t have federal carbon taxes. love of the relationship with the car,” countries where gas is routinely pricour transit options in times like this international price hikes. Hague said. “The idea is, sort of, the ier, public transportation is forced to where it gets expensive. With gas prices high and demand private ability to go anywhere you want. be more robust and convenient to meet If we were to implement a carbon for alternative transit already increasing, You’re not constrained by the train times, demand. tax and stop subsidizing the oil industry, now seems like the perfect time to start the schedule, anything like that.” “We’re about to take students to Belthen demand for alternative transportastripping away oil subsidies and lookHague is right. Cheap gas is looked at gium,” Hague said. “There’s trains every tion would grow. These options would ing into a carbon tax. Unfortunately, we as a birthright in the United States rather hour on the hour. It’s quite easy to say, likely improve, too, like in Belgium and seem to be heading the other direction. than a luxury. Its price somehow domi‘Okay, we need to get from here to here. other European countries. “In fact, you see now the discusnates national discussion, from CNN to If we miss the 2 o’clock, we’ll get a cup of “When people are paying more for sion about having a tax holiday,” Rose the water cooler, and oftentimes seems coffee and get the 2:45.’ The provision of gasoline, they use less,” Rose said. “They said. “States are talking about reducing like the sole metric to measure economic the service is so much higher.” drive smaller cars, they use public transtheir tax on gasoline. There’s also talk prosperity or a president’s success. A long-term shift in transportation portation more, they live closer to work. in Washington, D.C. about reducing the But gasoline is also an enormous demand in the United States could vastly People adjust.” federal gas tax. Even though it doesn’t contributor to climate change. Motor veimprove our public transit systems and Our national carbon footprint would make that big of a difference, it’s more of hicles emit carbon monoxide and carbon make our roads more friendly for electric be reduced as gasoline usage drops, and a symbolic political issue.” dioxide when fuel is burned to provide vehicles. Relying on gasoline is unsuswe would be less dependent on other energy. Because of these emissions, tainable for our environment, and limits nations for energy, protecting us against
“When people are paying more for gasoline, they use less. They drive smaller cars, they use public transportation more... People adjust.”
Ken Rose
14 | Focus. The DePaulia. April 11, 2022
Focus
baseball JOSEPHINE STRATMAN | THE DEPAULIA
Sean McNeill, owner of Sports World, 3555 N Clark St., greets customers Saturday.
Fans pose for pictures in front of Wrigley Field on Saturday ahead of the second game of the
Despite gloomy weather, fans show out to celebrate the beginning of baseball season By Jason Grapenthin & Josephine Stratman Contribunting Writer and Focus Editor
On the first weekend of Cubs season, city dwellers and suburbanites braved the weather to watch the Cubs take on the Milwaukee Brewers, bringing business back to Wrigleyville. Fans hotly anticipated the first “normal” season in two years. With no capacity limits and a full lineup stacked for the season, the day evoked memories. One pair of friends, Bob Wilczynski, 53, and Brian Farber, 48, drove three hours from Champaign-Urbana, Ill., to experience their first Opening Day at Wrigley Field. “A ballpark in the middle of a neighborhood. It’s incredible,” Wilczynski said. “You can feel like you are going back in time at a place that still evokes emotion.” Being back at Wrigley Field made him reminisce about his very first experience there. “The first time I ever came here it was very emotional walking up the porthole and seeing the green come into play with my
grandfather,” Wilczynksi said. “To see the thing I watched on television my whole life for the first time was incredible.” While Wilczynski watches every televised game and attends roughly a dozen Cubs games per year, Farber, who didn’t inherit Cubs fandom from his family, attends less and doesn’t catch every game always. However, that’s no slight to his deep-felt connection to Wrigley Field. “Most of my fondest memories are being in the bleachers with 20 or 30 of my friends,” Farber said. “When the team would win and you are singing ‘Go Cubs Go.’ Arms all around each other. Some of my favorite pictures of me and my friends are sitting in this ballpark.” The first weekend of the season saw temperatures in the lower 40s and mostly cloudy conditions, but it didn’t stop fans. On Thursday, the sounds of gleeful anticipation mixed with a chiming ballpark organ ring and smells of fresh air, hot dogs, peanuts and beer permeated throughout the field as the Cubs debuted their 2022 season by defeating the Brewers 5-4. Kathleen Holt, a 66-year-old Army veteran and therapist, drove all the way from Dallas, Texas to come to Opening Day.
Focus. The DePaulia. April 11, 2022 | 15
l is back
KIERSTEN RIEDFORD | THE DEPAULIA
A family visiting Chicago from San Antonio, Texas, poses for a picture before the game on Saturday.
KIERSTEN RIEDFORD | THE DEPAULIA
e season which the Cubs won 9-0 over the Milwaukee Brewers. A die-hard fan, Holt uses the emotions she gets when walking into a Cubs game as an example to help her patients connect their own experiences in visualization therapy which is supposed to act as a meditative anxiety relief. “You have to use your senses,” Holt said. “I always describe getting on the main train and then getting off to get on the subway. Then I see all the people in their Cubs gear and I walk in and smell the hot dogs and relish. I hear the fans cheering.” Many Cubs fans draw vivid connections between Wrigley Field and childhood memories. However, sisters Patty Patrick and Nancy Phillips take it a step further, viewing it as a way of life. They grew up in a family of nine when money was tight. Now both in their 60s, Patrick who lives in Jacksonville, Fla., and Phillips, who lives in Springfield, Ill. have been going to Opening Day games for twenty years together. “The first Cubs game I ever went to I was five years old and I sat in the upper deck with a group from the plumber’s union my grandpa belonged to,” Patrick said. “After that moment I was hooked for life.” “I remember as a child sitting out in the far-right field seats,” Phillips said. “They had cheaper chain-linked fencing at the time and we would run around looking for cups to take and stick in the fence to spell ‘Go Cubs’ as much as we could.” They say the “snuggly” and “friendly” confines of Wrigley Field make it special. They also say the close distance to the field alongside the loyalty of the fanbase through difficult losing seasons make the
park and the people unique to other teams across America. Vendors outside the field were just as happy to see the season start. “I’m always excited when April rolls around,” said Roy Higgs, a peanut seller stationed at Addison and Clark. “This is good, just cold. Other than that, it’s been good.” Higgs said he stocked 100 hundred bags of peanuts for the day. “Save money on the outside,” he yelled to game–goers. “Buy your peanuts here!” Sean McNeill, owner of Sports World, located just across the street from the field, said he’s always happy to welcome fans back. “It’s great to have the fans back out, we’re happy to see them,” he said. Jimmy Hoese, a host at Deuce’s Major League Bar,, 3505 N Clark St, said he’s bracing for a busy season. “This will be first summer working during Cubs season,” Hoese said. “Like even today, we picked up pretty quick, and even if the Cubs aren’t great this year, the fans are insane. It’s awesome.” He said his bosses and Wrigleyville veterans warned him that Cubs season would be extremely busy. “Like Santa Baby, that was one of our busiest times. Then we had a super slow period, and then there was St. Patrick’s Day. St. Patrick’s Day was crazy. So if that was crazy… get ready for every day in the summer.” Michelle Litos, a Lincoln Park resident, was at the ballpark celebrating her birthday with Jackson Litos, her 11-year-old son. “I used to work here. This was my college job,” Litos said. I would have to work
JOSEPHINE STRATMAN | THE DEPAULIA
Vendor Roy Higgs hawks peanuts before a Cubs game. He stocked 100 bags of peanuts in preparation. opening day regardless, you know, [I’d] drive all the way from Champaign-Urbana, when it was always cold. It was always like, you know, hot chocolate weather and coffee weather rather than the beer weather. So this is the same kind of weather that I think of when I’m thinking about working here.” “It was a great job. I worked in the upper deck just in the concession stand. I wrapped hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of hotdogs. And I think we’re gonna get a hot dog while we’re in there.” The Chicago Cubs played three of their scheduled four games against the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend. The Cubs won on opening day 5-4, fea-
turing a 3 hit performance from Ian Happ. The game on Friday was cancelled due to inclement weather and the game was rescheduled to a May 30 doubleheader. The temperature was still low Saturday but things stayed dry as the Cubs won 9-0. Sunday’s game featured some actually good Chicago weather for a change, but the results turned in favor of Milwaukee, who won 5-4 as the game went down to the wire. Next week the White Sox will play their first home series against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday.
16 | La DePaulia. The DePaulia. April 11, 2022
La DePaulia ‘Siempre me culpé a mí misma’
GRÁFICO DE JOCELYN DIAZ| LA DEPAULIA
Mujeres latinas cuentan su experiencia de violencia sexual dentro de la comunidad By Jacqueline Cardenas Escritora, La DePaulia
Advertencia de contenido: esta historia incluye mención de abuso doméstico y emocional, acoso sexual, agresión sexual y violación. Si usted o alguien que conoce ha sido abusado, los recursos están disponibles a través de la Red Nacional de Violación, Abuso e Incesto (RAINN) en www.rainn.org. La línea directa nacional de agresión sexual es 1-800656-4673. Divulgación: Los nombres de los sobrevivientes han sido cambiados por The DePaulia y La DePaulia por su privacidad. The DePaulia y La DePaulia cambiaron los nombres de algunos presuntos perpetradores de conducta sexual inapropiada debido a su condición de estudiantes en el momento de los incidentes. Estrella estaba en el tercer año de secundaria cuando ella y su novio, con quien llevaba tres años, tuvieron otra discusión sobre él tocándola inapropiadamente en público. Ya sea tocándola o hablándole irrespetuosamente frente a sus amigos, cada discusión resultaba en él llorando y dándole regalos, intentando ganar su perdón. Los dos habían manejado a un área aislada tarde una noche para discutir el comportamiento de él. Estrella dijo que a pesar de tener la intención de terminar su relación con él esa noche, sus promesas de cambiar le dieron esperanza y la mantuvieron en la relación por un año más. Hablaron por una hora esa noche. Tiró las flores, la chaqueta, el suéter y la bufanda que le regaló a Estrella a los asientos traseros de su auto. Comenzó a besarla y se puso encima de ella. “Siempre me culpo a mí misma porque pienso ‘¿por qué dejaría que eso sucediera?’”, dijo Estrella. Estrella, estudiante de segundo año en la Universida DePaul, se encuentra entre las muchas mujeres que se culpan a sí mismas por la violencia sexual que han sufrido. De cada 1,000 casos de agresión sexual, 310 no se denuncian a la policía, según RAINN, la organización de violencia sexual más grande de los Estados Unidos. Estrella es una de estas mujeres. Ella dijo que no fue hasta dos meses después de que su relación terminó que se dio cuenta de que su ex novio la había asaltado sexualmente. Ella dijo que no pudo reconocer la gravedad de la situación en parte por la forma en que sus padres latinos la criaron
para apoyar a los hombres y cuidarlos. Estrella dijo que le comunicaba vagamente a su madre los muchos casos en que su novio la hacía sentir incómoda, pero su madre le sugería que “así son los hombres”. “Mis padres eran anticuados en ese sentido, me hacían pensar que si un hombre me hacía algo era por mi culpa”, dijo Estrella, haciéndola creer que la forma en que la estaban tratando era normal. Estrella dijo que la masculinidad tóxica, la expectativa cultural de que los hombres se comporten de formas estereotípicamente masculinas, como ejercer dominio o agresión, prevalece en la cultura latina. De 5.4 millones de mujeres hispanas, el 36.1 por ciento ha sufrido violencia sexual, según la Encuesta nacional de violencia sexual y de pareja íntima de 2010. Nina Wilson es una profesora de estudios de género en la Universidad DePaul y trabajadora en el equipo de educación de Resilience, una organización de recursos de violencia sexual sin fines de lucro. Ella dijo que la masculinidad tóxica y la misoginia son una respuesta al maltrato histórico de las comunidades negras y latinas. Wilson dijo que cree que las dos son respuestas naturales a sistemas de violencia como la colonización, el imperialismo y variantes contemporáneas del capitalismo y el neoliberalismo. “Muchos de estos procesos utilizaron la violencia de género para causar daño y, lamentablemente, las personas negras y latinas tuvieron que asimilarse, sucumbir y perpetuar roles de género dañinos, o morir”, dijo Wilson. La perpetuación de la violencia sexual no es exclusiva de las comunidades latinas. “Realmente es un problema sistémico, sucede en todas partes”, dijo Wilson. La violencia sexual contra las mujeres de color tiene raíces profundas en la historia de los Estados Unidos. Las mujeres negras esclavizadas fueron violadas por su esclavista blanco, según Prevent Connect, un proyecto nacional que ayuda a prevenir la agresión sexual y la violencia en las relaciones. Después de que terminó la esclavitud, la violencia física y sexual siguió siendo prominente contra las comunidades negras e indígenas, provocando que las mujeres negras se convirtieran en algunas de las primeras mujeres en romper el silencio sobre la violación. “Particularmente en la comunidad de mujeres de color, donde ya existen otras formas de trauma, como la opresión sistémica y la discriminación, pueden experimentar una respuesta intensa o empeorar los
síntomas que ya tenían [por la violencia sexual]”, dijo Sara Heidbreder, especialista en sexualidad y en prevención de la violencia en las relaciones en DePaul. Yasmine es otra latina que sobrevivió la violencia sexual. Durante las vacaciones de invierno cuando estaba en la secundaria, Yasmine, de 15 años, estaba fumando marihuana con su amigo en su habitación. Los dos se habían conocido el verano antes del octavo grado y habían establecido una buena amistad, a menudo uniéndose por problemas familiares similares que enfrentaron durante la niñez. Después de fumar, le ofreció una pastilla amarilla de Xanax. Aunque dudaba en tomarlo, Yasmine dijo que sucedió rápidamente y su amigo le aseguró que todo estaría bien. Yasmine dijo que la convenció aún más diciéndole a Yasmine que su novio vendría pronto. El novio de Yasmine nunca vino esa noche. En unas pocas horas, Yasmine y su amigo se terminaron un frasco entero de Xanax. Yasmine dijo que no recuerda nada de esa noche. Más tarde, en su teléfono, encontró una imagen de ella y su amigo acostados en su cama. En su mano había 13 pastillas amarillas que se habían tomado Yasmine despertó al día siguiente y su amigo le dijo que habían tenido sexo. “Ni siquiera podía creerlo, estaba tan asombrada y asqueada”, dijo Yasmine. No fue hasta dos años después cuando Yasmine cayó en un episodio depresivo porque ya no podía mantenerse en silencio, así que le dijo a sus padres que había sido violada. Yasmine recuerda que su padre le preguntó si alguien la había tocado y la forma en que eso provocó sus emociones. “No iba a mentir, simplemente comencé a llorar desesperadamente ”, dijo Yasmine. “Inmediatamente supieron que algo había pasado. Me derrumbé y les conté toda la situación, todas las drogas, todo”. Rocío Lozano, directora del programa de agresión sexual de Mujeres Latinas en Acción, dijo que todavía existe un estigma en la comunidad latina cuando se trata de encontrar ayuda profesional. “[A los latinos] nos importa mucho lo que nuestra familia piensa de nosotros, culturalmente siempre estamos tratando de complacer a la familia, y al tratar de complacer a la familia, o para evitar lo que dirán, entonces no buscamos servicios”, dijo Lozano. Los sobrevivientes también a veces
niegan buscar ayuda profesional porque el perpetrador podría vivir cerca, como en la misma cuadra, edificio de apartamentos o vecindario, dijo Lozano. La violencia sexual que la mayoría de los niños y adolescentes enfrentan es cometida por alguien que conocen. De los casos de abuso sexual denunciados a las fuerzas de orden público, el 93 por ciento de las víctimas juveniles conocíam al perpetrador, según RAINN. “El hecho que sea una persona conocida para sobrevivientes ya es traumático y les previene en pedir ayuda”, dijo Lozano. Heidbreder dijo que los sobrevivientes deberían estar empoderados para tomar sus propias decisiones sobre a quién y dónde buscar ayuda. Para Estrella, buscar ayuda profesional fue difícil, sentía desconfianza en las instituciones predominantemente blancas. “La mayoría de los terapeutas blancos no entenderían las diferencias culturales de la misma manera”, dijo Estrella. Heidbreder dijo que para algunos, comunicarse con la familia o los miembros de la comunidad puede sentirse mucho más seguro que comunicarse con los profesionales. Megan Greeson, experta en psicología y violencia de género en la Universidad DePaul, dijo que buscar ayuda profesional puede ayudar a los sobrevivientes a sobrellevar algunas de las repercusiones de la agresión sexual, como ansiedad, depresión, abuso de sustancias, autolesiones, trastornos alimentarios y más. “Lo más importante es creerles y compartir empatía”, dijo Greeson. “No los cuestione ni los juzgue ni sugiera que el sobreviviente debería haberse comportado de manera diferente’. Estrella dijo que los sobrevivientes deben tomarlo minuto a minuto. “Es tan difícil cuando te das cuenta de lo que te ha pasado”, dijo Estrella. “Te sientes tan desnuda, no importa cuántas capas te pongas, intentas restregarlo en la ducha, intentas hacer todo lo posible para quitarte esa sensación. No importa que tan fuerte alguien te abrace, simplemente te quedas con ese sentimiento, pero eventualmente desaparece. Lo sientes de vez en cuando, pero mejora”. Mujeres Latinas en Acción tiene tres ubicaciones en Chicago: Pilsen, Brighton Park y North Riverside. Los servicios bilingües están disponibles para cualquier persona sin importar su estatus migratorio. Para obtener ayuda las 24 horas, llame a la Línea Directa de Crisis por Violación de Chicago al 888.293.2080.
La DePaulia. The DePaulia. April 11, 2022 | 13
Manifestantes pro-abortistas exigen el derecho al aborto legal en Latinoamérica y los Estados Unidos By María Marta Guzmán Jefa de Redacción, La DePaulia
El sábado, grupos pro-abortistas de la organización Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights se reunieron en Millenium Park para protestar contra la posible decisión de la Corte Suprema de EE. UU. de anular la decisión histórica de 1973, Roe vs. Wade, y el derecho a legalizar el aborto en países latinoamericanos. La canción llamada “Canción Sin Miedo: Puerto Rico” por Barrileras del 8M abrió el mitín junto con una obra de teatro performativa. La letra de la canción “A cada minuto, de cada semana nos roban amigas, nos matan hermanas, destrozan sus cuerpos, los desaparecen” jugó un simbolismo del empoderamiento de la mujer. Patricia Wallin, organizadora y activista de El Salvador con Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights, el tema del derecho al aborto le llega a casa. “Para mí, este es un llamado a la acción, este es un llamado a hacer mi parte porque soy una mujer de El Salvador, donde el aborto es completamente ilegal”, dijo Wallin. “Lo que significa que no importa si estás embarazada debido a una violación, incesto o si necesitas un aborto para salvar tu propia vida, los tribunales no lo permitirán”. La conversación sobre abortos ilegales en la mayoría de los países latinoamericanos prevaleció durante toda la protesta. Una pancarta que decía “Libertad, Justicia y Reparación para #Las17 en El Salvador”, encabezó la marcha. Según la organización Trae a Casa Las 17, la frase “#Las17” se utiliza para referirse a las 17 mujeres salvadoreñas que permanecen en prisión luego de sufrir una emergencia obstétrica, como un aborto espontáneo o una muerte fetal . En Centroamérica, países como Guatemala y Panamá permiten el aborto solo para salvar la vida de la mujer. En Costa Rica se permite el aborto para preservar la salud y en Belice el aborto es legal sólo cuando el embarazo implica riesgo para la vida de la mujer embarazada. Pero en El Salvador,
FOTO CORTESIA DE MARÍA MARTA GUZMÁN| LA DEPAULIA
Una pancarta leyendo “Libertad, Justicia y Reparación para #Las17 en El Salvador”, es sostenido por William Alpizar García.
FOTO CORTESIA DE VANESSA RAMOS | LA DEPAULIA
Un individuo levanta su puño durante la protesta Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights en Millenium Park.
Nicaragua y Honduras los abortos están totalmente prohibidos. Esto es de acuerdo
con la Ley del mapa mundial del aborto del Centro de Derechos Reproductivos.
En estos países latinoamericanos, el color verde y un pañuelo verde están siendo utilizados internacionalmente en el movimiento pro derecho a decidir para simbolizar la exigencia por la legalización del aborto. Desde Argentina hasta Estados Unidos, los manifestantes se visten de verde para mostrar su apoyo. “Ahora nos une el color verde y el símbolo de la bandana verde que las mujeres de Argentina, Chile, México y Colombia han usado para salir a la calle exigiendo sus derechos y ganamos”, dijo Wallin. Para Wallin, su motivación para organizarse, marchar y unirse con otras en las calles proviene de no querer retractarse de la conversación. “Tenemos que demostrarles que no permitiremos que esto suceda”, dijo. William Alpizar García, activista y manifestante de la organización Rise Up 4 Abortion, estuvo en la manifestación para abogar por que cualquier persona que necesite un aborto, por cualquier motivo, pueda acceder fácilmente a él. “Estoy aquí para mostrarle al mundo que nunca nos someteremos a un sistema opresor y a la institución que los sostiene”, dijo Alpizar García. Siguiendo el movimiento de la ola verde, Alpizar García se inspiró en los manifestantes en América del Sur y Central, donde en los últimos años se han flexibilizado. “Ganaron el derecho al aborto a través de su propio coraje, valentía, determinación y resistencia masiva”, agregó Alpizar García. La marcha por el derecho al aborto también generó conciencia sobre la posible decisión de la Corte Suprema de EE. UU. de revocar Roe vs. Wade, el caso que estableció el derecho constitucional al aborto hasta la semana 23 de embarazo . El posible vuelco se produce si la mayoría de los jueces votan a favor de un caso de Mississippi que exige la prohibición del aborto a las 15 semanas de embarazo. “Nos negamos a permitir que la Corte Suprema de los Estados Unidos niegue la humanidad de las mujeres y diezmar sus derechos”, dijo Wallin. “Aborto a pedido y sin disculpas”.
El Salvador declara estado de excepción tras pico en la tasa de homicidios By Santiago Posada - Jaramillo Gerente Editorial, La DePaulia
El presidente de El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, con la aprobación del Congreso, declaró un estado de excepción como respuesta al extremo aumento en la tasa de homicidios en el país centroamericano a finales de Marzo. El estado de excepción es un estado especial usado para permitirle al gobierno dar respuestas más rápidas frente a una crisis, pero a cambio se suspenden muchas garantías constitucionales que protegen a la democracia salvadoreña de medidas autoritarias. El Salvador superó una fuerte guerra civil con los Acuerdos de Paz de Chapultepec en 1992 y gracias a ello se obtuvo un relativo tiempo de paz. Lamentablemente, más que un cese a la violencia fue un cambio de una guerra contra las guerrillas a una guerra contra las maras o pandillas. La proliferación de grupos como la Mara Salvatrucha y la Mara Barrio 18, causaron que el país no pudiera escapar totalmente de la violencia. Como nos contó el salvadoreño Mario Ramos, técnico dental y que vive en Carpentersville, Illinois. “En lo personal, yo sé de familia y amigos que han tenido que cerrar sus negocios porque no han alcanzado a pagar las rentas que ellos [los pandilleros] exigen”,
dijo Ramos. A pesar de que muchos gobiernos anteriores han mostrado resultados a través de arrestos, pocos ciudadanos sienten que esto haya mejorado el problema. Para el pueblo salvadoreño la violencia se ha convertido en un problema recurrente y la clase política históricamente no ha estado a la altura de ponerle un freno. “Las órdenes salen desde adentro de los penales, [las pandillas] controlan las calles y las rentas”, nos dice Ramos. Juan Portillo, ex oficial de la Fuerza Armada de El Salvador y residente de Chicago, comenta lo siguiente: “Estos gobiernos nunca se preocuparon por mejorar el país, sino pues mejorar sus bolsillos. Muchos de ellos tenían inversiones en compañías de seguridad. Entonces yo creo que no era un incentivo para ellos destruir completamente la delincuencia”. Bukele llegó a su puesto con grandes promesas de ser un cambio en la forma como se ha gobernado tradicionalmente en el país y esto ha despertado la esperanza de muchos salvadoreños. “Lo que pasa es que el actual presidente no se ha dejado manipular por ninguna ONG ni mucho menos por el actual presidente de los Estados Unidos. [...] Créame yo no era a favor del presidente Bukele, pero sus actuaciones me han hecho creer en él”, opina Ramos. Pero en el hecho de ver a Bukele como un cambio, hay mucha división.
Patricia Elena Wallin, trabajadora social comunitaria salvadoreña y habitante de Chicago, opina que: “El manejo que el presidente le ha dado a la violencia causada por las pandillas refleja su preferencia por el autoritarismo como forma de gobierno y esto es una amenaza a la democracia”. Bukele se ha mostrado como un presidente dispuesto a tener ‘mano dura’ con las pandillas. Para algunos, esto significa una respuesta apropiada a los problemas que causan éstas, para otros es una muestra más de las tendencias autoritarias del presidente. Sea cual sea la posición o el análisis, la violencia en El Salvador continúa, a pesar de mostrar un decremento con el inicio de la presidencia de Bukele. Wallin plantea que el modo como el gobierno actual está enfrentando el problema es equivocado. “Las pandillas son producto de la pobreza y falta de oportunidades en El Salvador. Es un problema social que requiere medidas de apoyo social y no se debería combatir con más violencia porque como se ha demostrado anteriormente, esto solo lleva a más resentimiento y venganza; solo lleva a más violencia”, dijo Wallin. Otro aspecto también trae divisiones y debates. ¿Por qué, luego de bajar tanto la tasa de asesinatos, esta volvió a incrementarse de repente?
FOTO CORTESIA DE @NAYIBBUKELE | INSTAGRAM
El presidente Nayib Bukele declaró un estado de excepción como respuesta al extremo aumento en la tasa de homicidios en El Salvador.
“Como ellos [las pandillas] hicieron pactos con los anteriores gobiernos, de derecha e izquierda, no me extrañaría que hayan hecho pactos con el gobierno de turno [el de Bukele]”, dijo Portillo “Entonces yo me imagino que el gobierno o no pagó a tiempo, o la parte que a ellos les tocaba quedar no la hicieron. Entonces los grupos delincuenciales dijeron ‘bueno, te vamos a demostrar que tenemos poder’ y, pues, 62 muertes en un día”. Hay muchas teorías y explicaciones, pero en el punto en que no hay divisiones es que la violencia en El Salvador no parece que vaya a detenerse prontamente.
18 | Arts & Life. The DePaulia. April 11, 2022
Arts & Life
A digital avenue into stardom: local Chicago band Ax and the Hatchetmen By Emily Robinson Contributing Writer
Social media allows independent artists, now more than ever, to have a legitimate chance at making it big in the music business, and the local Chicago band Ax and the Hatchetmen are seeing that beautiful blend of timing, talent and luck work in their favor. Ax and the Hatchetmen is a seven piece Chicago-based indie rock band comprised of Axel Ellis (Vocals/Guitar), Kenny Olzewski, (vocals/guitar), Sal Defilippis (vocals/guitar), Hunter Olshefke (vocals/bass), Nick Deputy (drums), Phil Pistone (trumpet) and Quinn Dolan (saxophone). TikTok is the most accessible social media platform that allows aspiring musicians to best gain raw exposure. My senior year of high school I found the group through one of their viral videos while I lived in a completely different state. The video led me to their first EP, “Bear on the Roof,” where I immediately had put multiple songs on repeat. Following them on Instagram and TikTok for the past two years, they’ve grown steadily, amassing 70,000 monthly listeners and over 4.5 million streams on Spotify, boasting over 150,000 TikTok followers and 15.7 thousand Instagram followers. They haven’t even released an
album. Their innovative music gives a wall of sound created by harmonies of the three guitars, the depth of the bass, and the floating melodies of the horn and sax. Lyrics that really tell a story, coupled with the energy of Ellis and Olzewski’s vocals, make them incredible on headphones and invigorating live. The group's genre falls somewhere between indie rock, alternative, beach rock and jazz. Many of the members studied conservatory-style jazz in high school, and implemented those techniques and styles into their music with improv. They have a love-hate relationship with improvising, but for the most part, given their practice, have fun with it. Ax and the Hatchetmen didn’t happen overnight, the group has been playing together since 2019 after winning the Evanston Battle of The Bands, gaining ten free studio hours to record their EP at Gremlin Recording Studios, where they have since recorded all of their singles. When asked if they thought they’d be where they are now if they hadn’t won back then, Olshefke jumped at the question. “I do not for a second think we’d be where we are. It would be a completely different outcome,” Olshefke said. “I think we would have found a different way to record the songs,
but I don't think they would have come out as good. We were with the right people, it just ended up working.” In talking about their presence on TikTok, Ellis stated “TikTok is different than the real world” and that the excitement of virality “doesn’t trickle into real life”. Independent artists like them need to post more frequently to keep their audience engagements up that lead to more streams, that lead to more tickets. Grateful for their following and support, the bottom line is exposure when it comes to their TikTok. They don’t have a method of posting, but try to be positive, have a good time, and share their experiences as a band and pretty much best friends. “It’s unfortunate to have to bust out a phone to record in good moments.” Ellis said of social media’s downside. Constantly updating and engaging on social media seems to be a necessary evil for a majority of artists in this new digital age of music. Young, talented artists are emerging out of Tik Tok and increasingly gaining success through the app. Some of these familiar names include GAYLE with “abcdefu,” Tai Verdes with “A-O-K” and Lil Mosey with “Blueberry Faygo”. With tons of new fans who constantly expect new music, it can be difficult for smaller in-
dependent artists to keep up without the full support of a label. After Ax and the Hatchetmen blew up in 2019, they were approached by a few different record labels, but the group opted to stay as independent as possible. They signed a licensing deal with Frty Fve, a streaming and social media based label and publisher. Independence is the new trend for artists like Ax and the Hatchetmen, where they’re able to maintain as much control of their work as possible. For a group of Ax and the Hatchetmens size, it may be smarter to hold onto their independence in the meantime. Their most recent single, “Existential Crisis, Pt. 1” is set to a seemingly upbeat tune but talks about how entrapped they are in social media, not knowing the path ahead or how to navigate it. Relying on friends, although sometimes problematic, is a consistent answer. They play local shows around Chicago, and are gearing up for a West Coast tour this summer, which hasn’t been formally announced yet. You can keep up with their local show dates and upcoming tour on their website or social media accounts including Instagram, Spotify and TikTok.
VALERIE LOEBICH | THE DEPAULIA
Kenny Wolzewski and Axel Ellis, the lead singers of Ax and the Hatchetmen, perform at Brat Stop in March. Ax and the Hatchmen have collected 150,000 followers on TikTok.
Arts & Life. The DePaulia. April 11, 2022 | 19
ANNA MARIA D'ORTENZIO | PHOTO
Freshman Grace Provan [left], sophomore Anna Maria D'Ortenzio [middle] and sophomore Emma Gordon [right] pose for their portraits for The Brink of Womanhood.
The story of a woman, for women, by a woman By K iersten Rieford Asst. News Editor
Sophomore Anna Maria D’Ortenzio looked at her phone, it was 3 a.m. She threw her head back into her pillow, and pushedputting herthe Pride and Prejudice book off to the side. Staring at the ceiling, she thought about how much easier life would be if she was surrounded by Jane Austen’s world of biscuits and courtships rather than the overwhelming amounts of hand sanitizer and masks she had piling in her home. Suddenly, light bulb. The Brink of Womanhood came alive that night. April 1 until April 3, the musical The Brink of Womanhood played in the Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture through Blue Demon Theatre. The musical is based in Norland, England in 1868. It focuses on the story of Elinor Dizon, a feisty and adventure-driven girl who is looking to attend university instead of following the routine route of marriage. The story also follows Elinor’s younger sister, Lydia Dixon, who is more marriage-focused and poised than Elinor. As the musical tells the story of Elinor and Lydia finding themselves, they become strong, empowered women despite their polar opposite desires. The musical is an original piece written and directed by D’Ortenzio and composed by herself and her co-composer Ayda Akbal, who lives in Australia. D’Ortenzio and Akbal have never met in real life, nor did they ever interact faceto-face or over the phone while this piece was in the works. D’Ortenzio said she met Akbal through a female composers event. Despite the challenges of creating a musical with a time and regional divide, the musical came together throughout the pandemic. D’Ortenzio said she felt like she needed to tell the story of Elinor and Lydia, not just to add another piece to her collection of published plays, but to share a story of female empowerment. D’Ortenzio said when she was looking through works like Bridgerton, Jane Austen and Little Women, she noticed the plots tend to ignore the empowerment of women in feminine roles in society. “We can tell the stories in this time period, while still uplifting women,” D’Ortenzio said. “While I was writing this, I was kind of discovering my own
strength in my femininity. I wanted to write a character like Eleanor Dixon, like Lydia Dixon, to almost empower myself.” Through creating the narrative that is The Brink of Womanhood, D’Ortenzio said the cast is what made her vision truly come to life. D’Ortenzio said sophomore Emma Gordon, who played as Elinor, and freshman Grace Provan, who played Lydia, were exactly the people she wanted to fulfill her carefully crafted characters. Gordon said playing Elinor was a process of discovering who Elinor Dixon is beyond the basic character description. “It's so funny, because when you're working on a new work like this, or really any show, the character is not how the character is in the final product at all,” Gordon said. “My original interpretation of the character was very different from how my Elinor ended up being.” Gordon and D’Ortenzio said the character Elinor ended up being more witty and playful than she was in the beginning. D’Ortenzio said some of the original lines were changed because of how Gordon’s personality affected the character. Gordon even added lines to the show because of small jokes she made throughout rehearsals that fit the character so well. For Provan, she came into the play only a couple of weeks before the show went on. “Discovering [Lydia] was hard because when I first read the script, I was like, ‘Alright, there's Elinor Dixon, the woman that everyone who comes and see the shows is going to want to be Elinor Dixon and you have to play her little sister who can be whiny and irritable and very bland sometimes,’” Provan said. “But then, actually getting to figure her out—Elinor's witty, Lydia is clever. And Lydia has this magic that Elinor doesn't necessarily have where [Lydia] has the ability to just bring calm to the situation. She is the main character in everyone else's story. So I think, being able to discover this character that I initially wrote off as the boring ingenue and being able to find her strength and her power was incredible.” Provan said she immediately created a sisterly bond between her character and Gordon’s. D’Ortenzio said they clicked instantaneously. “Together they made sense in terms
ANNA MARIA D'ORTENZIO | PHOTO
Sophomore Emma Gordon [left] rehearses with freshman Grace Provan [right]. of sisterhood,” D’Ortenzio said. “Not only that, but they brought out what they represented, which is that bond and female relationships and like both of their characters had such great give and take. You can have two excellent amazing actresses who are so incredible, but if they aren’t on the same page, the connection is missing and then as a result the audience members don’t understand what we're giving them so understanding the sisterhood helps push our story thematically.” Throughout the musical, despite the bond of the two sisters and romantic relationships sparking for both sisters, D’Ortenzio said she didn’t want a song where a woman was singing about being in love with a man. “I was reflecting on other musicals, every woman in every show I've been in has had at least one song about a man,” Provan said. “Neither one of us sang about a specific man. Our songs are very much like, this is who I am or this is who I want to be. And that's props to Anna Maria.” Another level of importance in the show was proving a woman can succeed and be happy in life whether she wants a more traditional path through marriage or by going to university and having a profession, D’Ortenzio said. “It was very cool to play two women on the same side of the spectrum in terms of personality and witt but to play women with different desires and for them both to be okay,” Provan said. “With those desires, like Lydia does have the line ‘I'm not giving into marriage, I'm choosing it.’ And I think that's also important to recognize that you can be powerful and
amazing and super talented and smart and still want to have a stereotypical woman's life. Wanting to get married and have kids and just settle down isn't a bad thing.” In the end, unlike Lydia choosing her destiny as a wife, Elinor is faced with various decisions, being either marriage with one of two men or choosing university, but the answer is not made to the audience. “To speak to the ending, one thing that I think's really fun about it is that is Elinor’s discovering,” Gordon said. “She basically spends hours planning out her future her whole life. And then she feels like a lot of the decisions in her life get made for her and she doesn't necessarily have a lot of agency over them, which is the obstacle that she's trying to combat. And then at the end, you see her have all these choices in front of her, all these different paths in front of her that she can take. And so even though it seems unresolved, that really is her breaking through and finding her freedom in this amazing array of choices.” Through this story of female empowerment, D’Ortenzio said she is proud of the message she and her cast and crew are sending to the audience. “I'm grateful for the experience to produce my work in a professional theater,” D’Ortenzio said. “I'm grateful to work with such an amazing cast. And I'm grateful to uplift women's voices and I hope I continue to do that in my journey as a director and as a writer.”
20 | Arts & Life. The DePaulia. April 11, 2022
'Poetry means limitless self-expression' Writers celebrate their work, reflect on language
UPCOMING EVENTS UPTOWN POETRY SLAM: Sunday April 17 - GREEN MILL JAZZ CLUB 4802 N. BROADWAY AVE. CHICAGO, IL 60640 (35pm) An evening of poetry with Taylor Byas and Jason B. Crawford: Monday April 25th - DePaul University - Lincoln Park Student Center (6-8pm) GIVE US YOUR BEST HAIKU! POETRY MONTH CHALLENGE: Submit your poem by April 30 to Lake Forest Library for a chance to win a $20 gift card to Lake Forest Book Store - 360 E Deerpath Rd Lake Forest, IL 60045 Live Poets Night: Wednesday, April 20, Wrightwood-Ashburn 8530 S. Kedzie Avenue Chicago IL 60652, (6-7pm) TallGrass Writers Guild Open Mic: Saturday, April 23 - 4455 N. Lincoln Avenue Chicago IL 60625 (1-3pm) TikTok & Poetry: Thursday, April 28 - 9525 S. Halsted Street Chicago IL 60628, (4-5pm)
By Lilly K eller Asst. Arts & Life Editor
The month of April is celebrated for many occasions. From Easter to winter's final hurrah, the month is notorious for marking the light at the end of the tunnel. It also commences the onset of National Poetry Month, 30 days dedicated to exploring and honoring the unique styles and emotions elicited by poets around the country. Initiated in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets, April was deemed the month that allowed for a significant level of participation amongst both teachers, readers and writers of poetry. Goals for the monthlong celebration include highlighting the revolutionary work and continuous achievements of American poets, inspiring support for poems and poetry and expanding the consideration given to the art through both national and local media, according to Poets. org.Despite its sometimes daunting and inaccessible nature, poetry can be understood and enjoyed by all, no matter their education or interests. Through elaborate choices of words, imagery and metrical composition, poetry offers unique insight into the perception of self and the power of the English language. Kenyon College freshman Sarah Adelson emphasized the significance of poetry compared to other creative mediums such as fiction and essay writing. "Poetry allows you to place together ideas or concepts that you may not be able to replicate with other art forms,” Adelson said. “You can essentially play by your own rules, your own words.” Compared to other writing styles, one unique aspect of poetry is its lack of distinct rules and boundaries. While guidelines exist, such as avoiding cliches and dedicating awareness to form, poetry is a means of crafting
expression through chaos and order. “It's okay if it doesn't make sense to someone else or if the reader has a different way of looking at what you wrote,” Adelson said. “At the end of the day, poetry gives breath to your thoughts." Poetry offers infinite interpretations and understandings as an artistic outlet, allowing all individuals to take what they need from the words before them. For Adelson, poetry has been a crutch and channel for addressing personal challenges. "To me, poetry means limitless self-expression. I personally write poetry at the intersection between science and philosophy, which is incredibly satisfying,” Adelson said. “I find that this unique synthesis between two disciplines births a totally new paradigm on how one can perceive life or their own complexes. As someone who struggles with mental health, poetry has always been my main medium to express my pain or complicated thoughts." DePaul english and creative writing professor Kathleen Rooney believes poetry can offer much more beyond the traditional bounds of education. "Poetry makes us understand how language works on a fundamental level, and how carefully chosen words hold so much power over our emotions,” Rooney said. “I think it is also important to note the equal harm within inadequately chosen words. Even if you are certain, you will never partake in writing poetry, sometimes there are things you want to say that only poetry can express and truly capture."Rooney has published three poetry books, deeming the style of writing her first love. She remains a firm believer that anybody can understand and write poetry. "As my friend and fellow poet Elisa Gabbert said, 'poetry helps if you read it like you want to impress it,' which is to say when you approach a poem, relax; there
is no definite answer, but be intellectually ready to break it down, and perhaps find the meaning that rings true to you," Rooney said. When asked about her favorite poet, Rooney spoke with no hesitation. “Bill Knott, he was my professor at Emerson College. Knott has an unusual blend of impulses in his work, ranging from a huge technical skill when it comes to form, including rhyme and meter, to a deceptively simple knack for free verse that manages to sound conversational yet strange.” David Welch, assistant director of DePaul's Publishing Institute and managing editor of Poetry East, considers ignorance towards the expressive rooted in the way poetry is taught. "I think so many people hold this attitude towards it because they were told that poetry is something they wouldn't like or that it was too difficult to understand,” Welch said. “It's ingrained that one has to torture themselves in order to understand it. It is a self-perpetuating cycle." For those wanting to get involved in the world of poetry, but are unsure of where to begin, Welch suggests focusing on particular interests or topics such as the ocean or politics. "If you can find the thing that makes it easier beyond the form, then the vessel is already easier to approach; by narrowing in on the things that interest us, poetry already becomes more accessible and comprehensible," Welch said.While National Poetry Month may only last 30 days, it's valuable to acknowledge the lessons, advice and resilience in each body of language. In the wise words of "Wild Geese" by Mary Oliver, "whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting — over and over announcing your place in the family of things."
Puerto Rican painter brings new representation By María Marta Guzman La DePaulia Editor and Chief
Bibian Suárez, a visual artist and art professor at DePaul University, investigates and explores the representation of Latinas in Latino food products through her new exhibit “'De:Lata (What Gives Us Away)'” at the National Museum of Puerto Rican Art and Culture. According to Suárez, the name of the exhibition comes from a play on words. She explains how the name comes from the verb delatar(to say or reveal), the noun lata and the phrase dar lata(to bother). The name of the exhibit was inspired by the narratives that Latino food labels use when portraying Latina women. “The work comes from an interest that I have had in recent years to investigate how the Latino culture of the United States is marketed,” Suárez said. "Whether it's from the point of view of Latinos or the point of view of the cultural current." Suárez explains that no image is innocent and they all have a message. Examining the labels, she saw that most Latino companies use female words and names plus an image that represents “said woman.” Label names such as “the costeña,” “the favorite” and “the maid” caught her attention. “I began to ask myself, why the message, why that type of image?” said Suárez. "All those images that companies use, those names are stereotypes of Latinx women that we are no longer." Through her ten artworks in the exhibit, Suarez hopes her images can pro-
mote a more realistic narrative about Latina women that empowers them. That is why she has titled the works “La Fajona,” “La Fiera” and “Pilar Noble.” “There is a new generation of Latinx,” he said. To reinforce a new message of who Latina women are, Suárez invited different women from different walks of life to paint them and show the diversity of the community. “I became interested in creating a group of real, current Latina women that I knew, who are making very important contributions to society,” Suárez said. The group of women who are portrayed in the artworks are from various occupations — a poet, teacher, service worker and many others. “Women from different societies, different social groups and nationalities, and I made each of them a painting,” she said. The title of each painting is dedicated to the characteristics and qualities that each woman represents. Through her gallery, Suarez uses words like “Fiera” meaning fierce to enhance the qualities of Latina women. In addition to making other women visible, Suárez was also able to represent herself with her self-portrait called “La Suárez.” In it, Suárez used the can of a food label to communicate her own message by reading “Gandulera Rubia” – the name inspired by the typical Puerto Rican dish Arroz con Gandules. For Suárez, these works of art are more than design or entertainment, they are a way of communicating visually.
VANESSA RAMOS | THE DEPAULIA
The art exhibition at NMPRAC 'De: Lata (What Gives Us Away)' by Bibiana Suárez.
"Art is an important way that humanity has communicated and has left that art as a document of who they were at a time in history," he said. "Works of art are testimonies of who we are." And with his artwork, Suárez hopes to do the same. Suarez's paintings have been years in the making. She began studying the issue of women's representation on Latino food labels in 2013. The process took nearly ten years. But the long process is nothing new for her. "This is the process and the way I work, it's not unusual for me," Suarez said. "I work a lot but it's my passion." Suárez explains that she started this
project by first researching and drawing her ideas. She has worked on most of the paintings since 2017, taking a total of five years to complete before starting work on the exhibition. “I feel great, that's why I take my time doing my work because I don't like to show works until I feel like I've reached the point of the best of the best,” Suarez said. But the process of her exhibition does not stop there, she is planning to take the exhibition to Puerto Rico — her homeland.
Arts & Life. The DePaulia. April 11, 2022 | 21
DONALD CROCKER | THE DEPAULIA
Rebecca Moy sits in her studio in her South Side home where she cycles through 1-3 paintings a day. Moy draws most of her inspiration from geology and the rocks she collects.
Chicago abstract artist: Rebecca Moy By Donald Crocker Staff Photographer
"It's in her blood. It's what she does. She wakes up. She does her morning routine and then she's working,” Pommersheim said. “And she works sometimes all day. Sometimes she'll work in the morning and take the evening off or vice versa. She's really driven and that's definitely the difference between making a living in your art and just being a hobbyist. She puts in the effort and she puts herself out there and it's really impressive to me.” You can follow her on Instagram @ rebeccamoyart or reach out to her on Facebook. Every artist draws inspiration from different places. Some paint the environment around them. Others look at other forms of art like movies, literature or music. Some look at other people’s paintings. For Chicago abstract artist Rebecca Moy, it’s pretty simple. “It's kind of intuitive. So, I could just be on a walk and something will catch my eye. It will be like that. It's instantaneous,” Moy said. “I could be out to dinner and just look at the shape of a glass or something and I like it. I like that line. It could be something that easy.” Long-time friend Carole Cantrell met Moy about 23 years ago when they both worked for a start-up website. Throughout the years, Cantrell saw Moy’s artistic process up close and personal. "Just walking through the world, she collects a library or a catalog of forms," Cantrell said. "It's kind of like a mixture of improvisational jazz music coming out on the canvas."
Moy started painting when she was just four-years-old. Her parents encouraged her to make art and she never stopped. Moy has since evolved artistically, dabbling in other forms of art as she grew up. Yet, nothing stuck with her the way painting did. "I tried other things too,” Moy said. “In high school, I did sculptures and stuff but nothing hit me like paint. So, I stuck with paint. I didn't like photography. It's just something about canvas and pigments and brushes...It lights me up like a Christmas tree." In 1998, Moy started at Columbia College Chicago where she would eventually graduate with a bachelor’s degree in arts and media management. The way art is sold has drastically changed since she graduated from Columbia in 2003, forcing her to adapt. Regardless, she then built a following on social media. Moy now has nearly 1,500 followers on both Instagram and Facebook. The practice of art has been done for thousands of years and all of sudden, the internet changes how it operates. While some artists may prefer an in-person approach to selling art, this era of social media and online shopping can help artists gain exposure like never before. "I make a ton of money off of Facebook,” Moy said. “And that reaches my whole world that wasn't available to me as a painter at 19-years-old in '99. The audience reach: you can't beat it. You also can't beat meeting face to face and really getting to know someone and their art. And that's why studio visits are key.” Moy works out of the same house she
DONALD CROCKER | THE DEPAULIA
Moy begins a new painting. She sells completed paintings on her Facebook page.
got back in 1998 when she was a college student at Columbia. About 85 percent of her income comes from her selling art out of her own home. "I used to have an off-site studio but it's just too much money and I really work well from home,” Moy said. “I like all my creature comforts. I like a full fridge. I don't want to commute. All these things save me time. These paintings take hundreds of hours, so ev-
ery minute matters to me." After sitting at the same table while attending a wedding neither of them wanted to be at, Kate Pommersheim got to know Moy. They realized how much they had in common and have been friends ever since. Even though Pommersheim has only known Moy for three years, she understands the ambition and drive Moy has for painting.
22 | Arts & Life. The DePaulia. April 11, 2022
'The old Taylor can't come to the phone right now' Taylor Swift will recieve honorary Doctorate from NYU in May By Darcy Waskiewicz Sports Editor
Between 11 Grammys, six Artist of the Year titles and a list full of awards, Taylor Swift has no shortage of accomplishments. Her nine albums and two re-recordings have pushed her to be one of the top artists globally, and she is set to add another accomplishment when she becomes Dr. Swift. In May, the singer and songwriter will be speaking to graduates at New York University’s commencement, where she will also receive an honorary doctorate of fine arts. This semester, NYU first made the connection between themselves and Swift when they included a class that focused on her in their curriculum, taught by a writer from Rolling Stone Magazine. “For such an accredited university to present her with this honor speaks volumes to the hard work and time she has spent pouring into her music,” DePaul senior Madelyn Sheena said. “When you look at a typical doctorate, a student takes years of classes before they are deemed a doctor. Taylor’s writing and producing has been on such an excessive level, that her own time spent working hard equates to becoming Dr. Swift.” In 2016, Swift joked in a 73 Questions interview with Vogue Magazine that she wanted to get an honorary doctorate because her friend Ed Sheeran had one, which he received in 2015 from University Campus Suffolk. Now, Swift will have a doctorate degree to call her own. “I really think that before, she wasn’t taken as seriously despite all her groundbreaking records that she’s created and just like breaking records in general,” DePaul junior Jessica Forristall said. “So, I think it kind of helps her get more seen in the media as serious because for a while, she was really getting seen as a real professional artist.” Since Swift stepped into the spotlight in 2006 with her debut album, “Taylor Swift,” her career has gone in many different directions. She began as a country singer before trending towards pop and going full pop in her album, “1989” and has included folk
influences in her most recent albums, “folklore” and “evermore.” Along with releasing 11 albums, she has become a prolific songwriter for herself and for other artists. “In many ways, she is a modern-day folk singer,” said Jacqueline Kelly McHale, chair of musical studies at DePaul. “She has always sought to bring her experiences in her music and in doing so she has shaped popular music and popular culture. From this perspective, she is very deserving of this award.” For DePaul’s commencement speakers and honorary degree recipients, university staff can nominate who they think is a strong choice to speak at commencement or earn an honorary degree. Each nomination goes to the dean, which is sent to the provost and works its way up to the president’s office, or to the Board of Trustees for honorary degree candidates. The commencement speaker is not always awarded with an honorary degree, and the recipient of an honorary degree does not always speak at commencement. “I think it’s absolutely iconic,” sophomore Mary Peterson said of Swift's newest honor. “It adds a little bit of legitimacy. Some people still count her as the teenager who got stood up by so many boys and wrote breakup songs, so I think the doctorate kind of adds a little bit of, ‘She’s out of that phase, she’s really accomplished,’ so it proves that to more people.” Earlier in her career, Swift was known mainly for her relationships and the music that she created based on those experiences. In recent years, as she has released more albums, the media and others have begun to focus on her work and what she has done for the music industry. She continues to be a figure people can relate to, along with her music, and has used not her platform and status to share her opinions and speak up about issues that she has faced in her career. “Taylor is a really honest person with her songwriting and tells stories that are very, very relatable,” DePaul student Claire Rooney said. “She’s chosen to share those stories with
COURTESY OF @POPSUGAR INSTAGRAM
Taylor Swift poses for her Global Icon award speech at the BRIT awards 2021.
millions of people who can understand them deeply.” Swift has shown no sign of slowing down, releasing four albums in the span of two years, and serving as a figure that people have been able to look up to for a decade and a half.
“Eight-year-old me and 23-year-old me do not have much in common,” Sheena said. “But when I think about it, Taylor seems to be a common denominator, always.”
Adam Rhodes' time at Chicago Reader leaves a mark on the city By Corey Schmidt Copy Editor
Sitting at their orange, lightning bolt print desk, Adam Rhodes turned on their computer to see their dog, Hibachi, on the screen. While this is an ordinary occurrence for them, this week was the last time they would do that as a reporter for the Chicago Reader. After being with the publication since August 2020, they decided to leave to become a training director at Investigative Reporters and Editors. Rhodes’ passion for social justice reporting, and eventual specialization in it, did not come easy. After graduating from the University of Central Florida in 2015, they took the voyage out to New York City to report for Law360, a trade publication focused on legal news. After being in this role, they described their work as simply doing public relations for wealthy legal firms and not really reporting anything new or unique. Afterwards, they left to attend Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism to focus on social justice reporting. “Now it just, it feels like I am … just like doing work that I care about. I could not give a [second thought] about what I wrote about but for now, I'm just so much more personally invested in the stuff I write about,” Rhodes said. “I have so much more personal satisfaction in my work. I feel like I'm contributing
COURTESY OF BYADAMRHODES.COM
Adam Rhodes, former editor of the Chicago Reader, poses with their dog, Hibachi.
something to society, as opposed to just giving private equity attorneys a pat on the back for being terrible people.” Despite starting at the Reader in August 2020, they were quick to jump into action. In fact, Axios named one of their articles, “When Crime Goes Viral,” one of the top stories that changed Chicago in 2021. The story debated whether a law making it illegal to expose others to HIV was outdated, even
hinting at it being racist and homophobic. Eventually, this led to Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker repealing the law. “I kind of just approached the story on a personal level, like I always approach stories personally [thinking], ‘what are my ethics in this, what matters to me [and] ties in with a story,’” Rhodes said. “And you know, I have friends who are living with HIV, I’ve had partners who are living with HIV, so it's
like something that's very near and dear to my heart. So, you know, I have a very strong, or like, I have a very strong belief that people living with HIV deserve to be free of stigma.” Rhodes’ reporting style is unique in that it occasionally includes their own voice or story in the article, despite the topic being heavy in nature. Rhodes was quick to speak on this, saying, “My stories are informed by my lived experiences, and I think including that is just as truthful as the stories of people I report on.” “I think especially as a queer person reporting on queer issues, I oftentimes have a frame of reference for things,” Rhodes continued. “But you know [a long time ago I] experienced discrimination in the workplace because I'm queer … And you know, as like a non-binary person, I've experienced anxiety about health care and what do I do about my health care and the pandemic and stuff like that.” Their work has inspired other Chicago Reader journalists and will leave a mark on the Chicago journalism community. “I was inspired by their passion and drive to spotlight an underreported community,” said Kelly Garcia, a staff writer for the Chicago Reader. “It’ll be a near impossible task to fill the void they leave behind. Six months ago, Adam welcomed me with open arms to the Reader and laid the groundwork for social justice reporting.”
What’s Fresh
Arts & Life. The DePaulia. April 11, 2022 | 23
‘Father Stu’ is surprisingly impactful, emphasizes the power of faith By Nika Schoonover Print Managing Editor
Mark Wahlberg takes on the role of Stuart Long, an amateur boxer turned Catholic priest, in his newest movie “Father Stu,” which comes to theaters on April 13. Wahlberg calls this movie a passion project of his, and said that this role was amazing not just as a storyteller, but as a man of faith. “It allowed me to make a major contribution in spreading the word of God and not so much the church, really about the guy who died to build it,” Wahlberg told Chicago student media. “And that was Stu’s mission, that’s where Stu found his purpose.” Long’s journey shows the power of faith, even if the irony in each step towards Catholicism seems almost laughable. Originally, Long departs for California to become an actor and works in a supermarket in his attempt to “make it.” He then joins the church in an attempt to gain the attention of Carmen (Teresa Ruiz), a girl he meets at the supermarket. His conversion to Catholicism is at first spurred by Carmen’s devotion to the church, but it slowly becomes important to him as well. To Carmen’s surprise, Long breaks up with her to pursue the priesthood and it is there that he finds his true purpose. The movie blends heartfelt moments with comedic relief, seeming almost aware of the absurdity of some of the plot developments. But that also feels intentional. Long’s story is almost unbelievable. Through his belief in God, he gets his family to turn their lives around and reconnects with his father while finding his true purpose in life. He also faces un-
PHOTO BY IMDB
Mark Wahlberg poses for the Father Stu film poster. The movie releases on April 13.
imaginable odds and, just when things seem like they’re going well for him, he develops an irreversible muscle illness that effectively incapacitates him. In a situation in which a lot of people might act differently, Long uses the opportunity as a way to become closer to God. “He handled it with dignity and grace, he actually embraced it to the
point where he felt like this suffering is bringing me closer to God, give me more of it,” Wahberg said. Throughout his journey, every single person doubts him and even laughs in his face when he announces his intention to become a priest. As an audience member, it’s hard not to join in on the laughing. But Long proves his devotion to the
church and his intention to further his relationship with God, soon becoming a successful and well-renowned priest by the end of the movie. Though the story is about Long’s religious journey, it also shows a variety in closeness to God. There’s the relationship Carmen has with God, in which she’s devout and regularly practices going to mass. There’s the relationship Long’s parents have with God, in which they more or less grow their relationship as a result of Long’s passions for the priesthood. Another student on the priesthood track (Cody Fern), reveals later that he never wanted to be a priest, instead it was a track that was forced onto him. Unlike Long, Fern’s character has been raised to pursue the priesthood, but doesn’t feel the same sense of calling to the occupation that Long does. Though a minor storyline compared to Long’s journey, Fern’s character comes to terms with his own passions, even if it’s not the path initially intended. This movie does a good job at showing a range of relationships to religion, spreading the message that there is not a singular type of relationship to God that is correct. Wahlberg added that the movie is about faith, not Catholicism specifically. “If Stu had met somebody else who was touched in some sort of other way, he might have went on to pursue some other vocation and faith,” Wahlberg said. This is a story about faith and, even if you’re not Catholic or religious, there is a message in there about pursuing your passions amid adversity. As a non-religious person, I found enjoying this movie that showcases the journey of a person who had all odds stacked against him.
‘Ambulance’ is Michael Bay’s most accessible movie in years By Josh Philips Contributing Writer
What do you think of when you first hear the name Michael Bay? When most people hear the name of the prolific action director, they’re quick to dismiss him as the “Transformers guy,” an explosion fetishist with a blind appreciation for America. But once you start peeling back the layers of Bay’s films, a career which began with 1995’s “Bad Boys,” he reveals himself to be a much more complicated filmmaker than you initially realize. Bay is a full-blown nihilist, a point of view which operates in conjunction with Bay’s very own obsession with being an American. He is also someone who uses his excess of industry capital to inform his filmmaking style. His wholly original visual flair can be staggering. His frames are as detailed, vibrant and dense as anything you’d see in something like a musical, except instead of Gene Kelly dancing around, it’s an Autobot being hurled over the Great Pyramids. “Ambulance,” Bay’s newest film, is his most accessible in years. All those aforementioned layers that make his films feel so unwelcoming aren’t present in “Ambulance.” The audience begins to sympathize with Abdul-Mateen, not only because of his briefly explained backstory with the military or fact he has a baby, but because he’s the anchor to Gyllenhaal’s walking stick of dynamite. The real heart of this movie is Gonzalez, who we see celebrated for her job as a paramedic and her unwavering concern for people that need help. While from a completely different moral agenda than the brothers, her job makes her just as attracted and inseparable from the violence of “Ambulance.” In fact,
PHOTO BY IMDB
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Jake Gyllenhaal in a scene from Michael Bay's Ambulance
one of the most nauseating scenes in the film involves a procedure performed by her character that’s more shocking than anything that happens in the car chase. As simple as this movie is, it’s told with immaculate precision and yet, remains profusely abrasive. The average shot length in “Ambulance” is only three seconds long, with only a handful of those shots lacking some kind of pan or zoom or motion of some sort. Much like the song the brothers listen to in the movie, “Ambulance” sails. The visual language of the film is as strategically chaotic as the chase happening on screen. Bay uses a lot of drone footage here, making use of the
te ch n ol ogy’s speed more than the places it’s able to navigate to. The visual effects, which are largely practical, give the film’s stakes some kind of weight. Seeing a visibly real cop car get destroyed rather than a CGI one reinforces the amount of damage the Sharp brothers are responsible for while enacting their heist. Seeing “Ambulance” in a theater is an immersive experience.Admittedly, as a pretty big Bay fan, that kind of boorish, in-your-face filmmaking is bound to resonate with me. It can be off-putting to most people, which is why despite the money his movies rake
in, Bay has been the butt of a joke for years now. Seeing this with a crowd, I can attest to the grip “Ambulance” has over you. Certain twists had some people clapping, gross-out moments of gruesome violence had people gasping, deaths of specific characters were very rousing to audience members. The film is able to coast on a sustained level of tension for its full runtime, adding effective surprise and suspense despite the fact the film is never not about this one ambulance. It also opts out of being needlessly nihilistic by making the excess violence happen offscreen, keeping the focus inside the ambulance. That’s not to say it’s not absurdly violent; a lot of people die in this movie. If you’re a fan of Gyllenhaal, you’ll be happy to know he is crazy in this movie. He’s dialed up to a thousand and it works in spades for the high anxiety of the chase. At one point, he dons a ballistic mask and his eyes grow so wide they threaten to pop through it. Bay’s trademark bad taste comedy comes mostly from his character, and it honestly succeeds because of the pitch Gyllenhaal is playing the character at. For the most part, the comedic moments are on the mark. Bay was smart to allocate the film’s jokes to him. Bay’s bad taste is most present here in his decision to reference his other projects by name throughout the movie, while also referencing a previous project Abdul-Mateen was in (although that one’s more of a fun easter egg, which I appreciated). “Ambulance” is one of Bay’s best films yet, with the average moviegoer and the diehard Bay fans (and action movie fans in general) leaving both dizzied and invigorated by the craft on display. Its violence and pacing won’t work for everyone, but once it has its grip on
24 | Arts & Life. The DePaulia. April 11, 2022
St.Vincent’s
D e JAMZ
“Spinning fresh beats since 1581” By Amber Stoutenborough Arts & Life Editor
While I unfortunately did not get the tall gene from my dad, I did get his impeccable music taste. Whether it was the obligated music electives throughout my schooling or just hereditary luck, I know way more 80s new wave rock than I’m willing to admit. Though it’s not Father’s Day or his birthday, this DeJamz is a collective of songs my dad passed onto me that I still love to this day. Lullaby by The Cure I remember connecting my half-broken wired headphones into my CD walkman as a kid and listening to The Cure’s greatest Hits on over and over again. There were so many songs to pick for this specific band but I had to go with Lullaby as it was the first one I added to my library when I finally got Spotify as a teenager. The Cure is a rock band and not technically considered “new wave” but it’s my
DeJamz so I can do what I want. Blue Monday by New Order You will undoubtedly be seeing a trend of English Rock bands on this playlist but New Order is in its own category entirely. They can also be described as electronic dance music — much to the dismay of many elitist music critics. This song is named after the third Monday of January, also known as the saddest day of the year. None of that really matters as long as you can clap at the right time during this song. Enjoy the Silence by Depeche Mode The lush synth bed combined with a haunting melody is one of the reasons ‘Enjoy the Silence’ is Depeche Mode’s most widely known song and for good reason. This was one of my dad’s favorites and I’m sure I heard this song more times than any kidz bop album in the early 2000s. While it’s regaining popularity with the younger crowd there is a
Crossword Spring Fever by Alejandro Arakelian Spring Fever 1
2
3
4
12
5
6
13
15
16
9
10
11
22
23
24
40
41
42
17 19
20
21 25 30
26
27
31 34
36
37
35 38
43 46
47
28 32
33
45
8
14
18
29
7
39 44
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
sense of pride that comes with being able to name the band when it randomly comes on in the bar. Desperate But Not Serious by Adam Ant I can’t decide if the intro of a brass band is the reason I put this song on here or just the memory of my dad strumming his thumbs to the beat while driving me back from band practice. Either way, this upbeat classic deserves a spot on this playlist. Always on My Mind - Pet Shop Boys Technically this should be a tribute to my mom as I am told she was the one that showed my father Pet Shop Boys. I will never discredit that woman (or I’ll never hear the end of it) but this is the song my dad picked as “our song”. Cheesy I know but it was the 80s so I can’t blame them.
ACROSS 1 "For sure", in texts 4 Amer. currency 7 Rotate in and out 12 Disfigure ALEJANDRO ARAKELIAN 13 Antioxidantdrink brand 14 Bee creation 15 Cubs Opening Day opponents 17 Run away together 18 End of term evaluation 20 Biblical garden 21 Crowd noise 22 Awesome, on Twitch 25 Graphic shirt 27 Singer Nina 29 Clear, as a windshield 32 Pokémon with eight possible evolutions 33 Like Mr. Krabs 35 Cool ___ cucumber 36 Suffix with Freud 37 Angelic instrument 39 Word with first or double 43 Star on the runway 45 Make fun of 48 How clocks move in March 49 Sacha Baron Cohen character 50 "We at the hotel, motel, Holiday ___": Pitbull lyric 51 Ante52 Rotates 53 Airport inspectors 54 Mammoth trapper
PHOTOS COURTESY OF WIKI
DOWN 1 Gradient hair dye technique 2 Got on 3 Thin pancake 4 Rideshare titans 5 "No Exit" playwright 6 "Saturday Night Fever" genre 7 Fruits that come in season in the spring 8 Maintain 9 Game with +4s and skips 10 Cred 11 12/31, for short 16 Soup dumpling 19 Remote batteries 22 Perspective, in brief 23 United 24 "Gosh!" 26 Easter activities 28 Peaceful pasture 29 Dual-screened Nintendo console 30 GPS estimation 31 End of a Frech film 34 Go on and on 35 Kitchen garments 38 Size again 40 Get with the times 41 ___ cotta 42 Respected leader 43 "___ Lake" (Tchaikovsky ballet) 44 Type of vaccine used against covid-19 45 "Big Brother" network 46 Chop off 47 "... ___ quit!"
Sports
Sports. The DePaulia. April 11, 2022 | 25
Junior golfer from Ireland brings experience, leadership to DePaul By Preston Zbroszczyk Contributing Writer
Cultural diversity continues to grow at DePaul and it’s leaving its mark on the Blue Demons’ men’s golf team, which is filled with individuals from across the globe. Back in 2018 during the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, head coach Marty Schiene had his eyes on 18-yearold Conor Glennon, who would soon join the DePaul family from thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean. “On that particular day he was incredibly accurate,” Schiene said. “He’s a big fella and he hits it long.” Glennon comes from the village of Glasson in Westmeath, Ireland, just 78 miles east of Dublin, which is where he began his golf journey. Little did he know that by the age of 21, it would give him the chance to pursue a new life and an education, and he landed himself in a prime spot to do just that. However, the transition to the U.S. wasn’t easy — especially in the midst of a pandemic, which made the adjustment to collegiate sports more challenging. With dark black hair and a lightly shadowed beard, Glennon towers as one of the tallest on the team. With his broad stature and Irish brogue, he stands out from the minute he speaks. Glennon’s humble approach and calm demeanor have contributed to the respect he has gained on the team. “Initially the first few months were sort of a struggle,” Glennon said. “Acclimating myself to playing college and just a different environment really than back home, so it took a while to adjust.” Glennon isn’t alone when it comes to international players on the Blue Demons roster. Out of the nine rostered players for the 2021-2022 season, three other teammates have origins in the Philippines, Russia and Ireland. “I like to have some diversity on the team,” Schiene said. “It’s a global game now, so we are lucky.” Making a major transition, like Glennon did, can provide a new perspective for international players. They have to try to find their place, and coming to a large city like Chicago helps out. Outside of competing and practicing, Glennon supports the other athletics at DePaul and takes what the community
Softball
Conor Glennon, DePaul junior and golfer, swings out of a sand bunker. He led the Blue Demons at the 2021 Big East Championship. has to offer regularly. He also enjoys bond and develop a close relationship. tell where the next couple of years of attending Chicago Bulls and Cubs Fifth-year graduate student Nik his life will head. As a finance major, games. Gatmaytan, who is from the Philippines, starting his own business is also a goal. “Oh, I love Chicago, the city is great,” has had an opportunity to learn “We will see how the next couple Glennon said. “I’ve traveled a lot and it’s from Glennon and share each other’s of years go,” Glennon said. “We will definitely one of my favorite cities, you perspectives having come from two reevaluate after the next couple of know, it has a lot to offer with sports and different parts of the world. years and take it from there. The dream entertainment.” Although Glennon is in the middle is to play professional golf, but it is Glennon got a chance to take part in of the pack in terms of experience and competitive.” Chicago’s rendition of St. Patrick’s Day, age on the team, he has been good Having one of the better seasons and it was a surprise to him compared enough in the eyes of Schiene both off since joining the Blue Demons, Glennon to what he has experienced back home. and on the course that he’s been named — along with other teammates — could “I’ve actually only been here for one of the team captains. be in the running to win some individual one St. Patrick’s because of Covid-19,” “He’s one of the vital guys on the tournaments. However, their main focus Glennon said. “Especially because team,” Gatmaytan said. “Conor being a is to keep winning as a team. being Irish, it’s sort of funny because it’s team captain and all, everyone respects With the Big East Tournament celebrated a lot more here than it is in him.” approaching on April 25-27, Glennon Ireland. It’s a strange experience.” Glennon has enjoyed his golf has primarily had his focus on the team Being a student athlete is time- experience so far at DePaul and was and making sure they qualify for the consuming and is hard to navigate at granted an extra year of eligibility to NCAA regionals. times, but the team helps feed off one continue playing due to the pandemic. another. Considering the roster’s size Glennon knows the end goal is to being only at nine, it has been easier to play professional golf, but it is hard to
Updates from the weekend
Versus Seton Hall Friday
• 2-1 W in 13 innings Maranda Gutierrez and Kate Polucha had RBIs
Saturday
PHOTO COURTESY OF DEPAUL ATHLETICS/STEVE WOLTMANN
• 8-7 W - Six Blue Demons had hits; Brooke Johnson
had 2 hits and 4 RBIs
Sunday
• 4-1 W - Baylee Cosgrove had a 3-run home run; Anna Wohlers had a double with an RBI
Women’s tennis Friday vs. Seton Hall
• 6-1 W - swept doubles
competition; Yuliya Kiplaced third zelbasheva, Marija Jovic- • Kiersten Walker won the ic, Eleanor Nobbs, Valenwomen’s 200m and 400m tina Martin and Maddie races Yergler were victorious in • Jade Gates won the womsingles en’s hammer and the javelin finals • Brian Mada won the men’s long jump and the At Illini Twilight triple jump finals • Men and women each
Track and field
26 | Sports. The DePaulia. April 11, 2022
Men’s tennis defeats Butler in dramatic fashion 4-3 By Joshua M. Hicks Asst. Sports Editor
In a five hour match, DePaul men’s tennis team extends their hot streak to three matches, pulling through in dramatic fashion within the final moments of graduate student Tripp Tuff ’s final single match to defeat Butler 4-3. The win puts the men’s team maintains a 4-0 undefeated conference record and gives them a 9-11 record overall. DePaul came out hot to start, dominating in the double matches. Junior Vito Tonejc and graduate Luuk Wassenaar opened the doubles with a 6-3 win. Freshman Jona Gitschel and junior Leon Huck followed suit with a 7-6 and 7-5 victory. Freshman Marino Jacik and Tuff were even against Butler 6-6, but failed to finish the match, thus giving DePaul the sweep in the doubles sweepstakes. As the matches transitioned over to the singles, Butler came back and made the match competitive. But behind the leadership of Tonejc, DePaul stayed in the fight. Tonejc completed the first individual victory, winning the first set 6-4 and the second set 6-1. After Tonejc’s victory, Wassanaar’s 6-3, 6-7 and 6-1 match secured a key point to add to the match total, tying the match at three. The last point came down to the final stretch, etched out behind Tuff ’s 7-6, 5-7 and 6-3 set to seal the deal. “I’m proud of Tuff,” head coach Matt Brothers said. “That super-senior experience shined through and he stayed composed.” Tuff started the match strong, but slipped up in the second set before coming back with vengenace in the final set. After playing double sets and playing until the very end of the match, it showed the importance of fitness, one of the main reasons why Brothers believe Tuff was able to pull off the victory. “I’m sure it was frustrating for him to lose the second set, but fitness comes to play in matches like this,” Brothers said. “Tuff was more fit than his opponent and he outlasted him, putting pressure on him. The guy’s game broke down in the third set and it was enough for us to take advantage and get it done.” Tuff ’s final set was the grand finale of DePaul’s team victory, but it would not have come to that if Wassanaar didn’t secure the third point to tie the match. Was-
DONALD CROCKER | THE DEPAULIA
DePaul men’s tennis junior Vito Tonejc stretches out to hit the ball in the Blue Demons’ 4-3 win over Butler on April 10. sanaar had confidence that Tuff was going to win the final match, and he knew the significance of his win providing the platform for Tuff to rally the team in the end. He elaborated on how his previous experience helps him relate to Tuff ’s situation in the final stretches, preparing him for this moment. “We have been in these situations before,” Wassenaaar said. “As a freshman coming in, you kind of struggle with things but having the experience of playing matches like this, especially in the Big East Final last season where I was the last match, it gives you a lot of confidence. I played my best set in the third set and I was happy I pulled that out.” Tuff admitted that as he was going through these sets, he understood he was the final piece to the puzzle in securing the team win. Knowing he has been through this scenario on multiple occasions within this season and lost them all, he was prepared to have his victory lap when the team needed it the most. “The whole match can come down to a couple points,” Tuff said. “Unfortunately I’ve been in these types of situations and I’ve lost them all this year. You either win or you learn and I did my fair share of
learning earlier this season. It helped prepare me for this moment.” The significance of the win helped boost DePaul’s seeding in the conference, giving them the edge over Butler that can be beneficial for the conference tournament. But Tuff understood that the win was bigger than that from a team perspective. “[The win] is big for our season and seeding for the Big East tournament, but it is also big for our guys,” Tuff said. “We have a young team. This is their first time competitng in the Big East conference and today really showed them that all the conference matches can be just as close year
by year. It was a great learning experience.” The team now prepares for their next match against Notre Dame on Wednesday, April 13 in South Bend, Ind. As a top 30 team in the country, Brothers is relishing the challenge of playing against top tier competition, stating it is a great opportunity for the team. “Notre Dame is always a tough outing,” Brothers said. “It’s just an opportunity for us. The guys will be pumped to play that match. We always go there and give them a run for their money and I know we will do the same on Wednesday.”
DePaul Center 333 South State St. Welcome Back DePaul Students Hand Tossed
Store Hours
Pizza
Mon - Fri 10 am – 5:30 pm
From scratch
Breakfast returning soon
Homemade Pizza, Slices & Whole, Stromboli Rolls, Hearty Pastas, Salads, Soup, Combos w/side & drink, Desserts & more.
Call to Preorder Whole pizzas 14" or 17" 312-663-1070 Dine in - Carry out Delivering with Door Dash and Grub Hub DONALD CROCKER | THE DEPAULIA
Luuk Wassenaar, DePaul men’s tennis graduate student, reaches out to hit the ball.
Student Discount for in store Purchase w/ Valid ID
Sports. The DePaulia. April 11, 2022 | 27 STRUS, continued from back page at this level,” Strus said. Recently, that confidence was put to the test. In a road game a couple of weeks ago, Strus told the coaching staff that he did not want any help guarding a specific player from the opposing team. With the time spent in the summer and during the regular season honing in on different defensive techniques with the help of Miami Heat assistant coach Anthony Carter, Strus was confident he could come up with big defensive stops. “That morning, I went to Max and said ‘do you need help,’ and he said ‘I don’t need no m---rf----n’ help, I’m going to show you,’” Carter said. “And [in] that game, he did not need no help and he got key stops down the stretch.” Afterwards, Strus made sure to let the coaching staff know that he is that dude, and that he can be a versatile player. He proved he is not just a 3-point shooter, but he can also play some defense. “He got those stops and came to the bench and let all of us know,” Carter said. Last summer, the Heat and Strus agreed to a two-year contract after he stood out in the Summer League, averaging 20.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Throughout that summer, Strus worked closely with Carter every day to help him improve his scoring and playmaking abilities. Carter and the rest of the coaching staff would devise a game plan for Strus specifically on that given day — and he would come to the gym and do it and then do it again the following day and so on. “It all start with [head coach Erik] Spoelstra and some of the other assistant coaches, because when we had [Strus] here in the summer this is what you need to work on and then [Spoelstra] gave me a game plan and said this is what Max needs to work on to get minutes during the regular season,” Carter said. Strus is finally starting to reap the rewards of the hours he put in during the summer. He has scored in double figures in four of his last five games and is shooting above 60 percent from the field and from 3-point range in his last four games. “I think a lot of that happened through Summer League this summer,” Strus said. “I think that was a huge part of my development and really something that took me to the next step.” ‘He never quit’ When Strus was considering which school to transfer to in 2017, he was down to three options: DePaul, Butler and Xavier. When DePaul’s coaching staff got the chance to meet with Strus and his family
DOUBLES, continued from back page as a team this season and opened with a 4-2 win over Bradley on Jan. 21. “Two ACL injuries was not an easy thing to go through,” Djokic said. “But here I am getting the Doubles Team of the Week, so that’s nice.” Djokic and Jovicic have an easy-going connection that flows off the court and into their daily life. They have known each other for years, which has helped them spark the team and build their communication into what it is today. The two can read each other’s body language and know what the other is going to do before they execute a shot. They trust each other and the decisions they make, which is key in tight game situations where each move matters. “They’re the type of team that you don’t have to babysit,” head coach Marisa Arce said. “They know what they’re doing, they know how to get it done and they want it for themselves and for the team, so it’s nice from a coaching standpoint that they’re pretty self-sufficient.” A big part of the communication between them is what language they speak
during his recruitment, former Blue Demons assistant coach Rick Carter helped put together a presentation showing what he did well at Lewis and what DePaul runs in its offensive sets. In that meeting, DePaul went through different parts of Strus’ game — especially on the offensive end — and how he can fit into the program. “It was really funny because I thought it was going to be a 30-minute presentation, and we were like an hour and 55 minutes in and [former DePaul head coach] Dave [Leitao] was like, ‘we have to go to dinner,’” Rick Carter said. “But it was a great vibe. We just kept looking at every angle of our program and how he was going to be able to turn it around based on his skill set and how it really fit what we were trying to do.” Strus eventually committed to DePaul and ended up finishing his Blue Demon career with over 1,000 points in only two seasons. But it took just one practice for Rick Carter to notice that DePaul had a special player in its program. Strus showcased his ability to consistently knock down shots, come off pin downs and screens for open 3-pointers and even flashed his athleticism at times. “He never quit,” Rick Carter said. “He has had so many opportunities to give in to bad chances, I don’t mean like he did something wrong, [but] knee injury here, knee injury there, all these things have been stacked up against him, and he has put his head down and rolled with the punches.” It speaks volumes about Strus’ work ethic and desire to make it on the professional level. A lot of people aspire to be professional basketball players, but something that separates the professionals from the ones who never make it is that fire burning within to never give up. And Strus is one example of that out of only 450 active NBA players. DePaul has not won many games over the course of the last two decades, but it did record its first winning season in 12 years in 2018-19, with Strus averaging 20.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Strus is only one of two current DePaul players in the NBA alongside Paul Reed. So, when Strus or Reed do something well, the Blue Demons’ men’s basketball Twitter page will tweet it out to show support to their former stars. “Obviously, a lot of things have changed since I left, but, even though it’s a new regime [and] it’s a new staff, I still feel support all the time, so it has been great,” Strus said. “And I want nothing but the best for DePaul.” ‘Everybody knows their role’ The Miami Heat have become known for taking underlooked players and develop-
PHOTO COURTESY OF AP PHOTOS/LYNNE SLADKY
Miami Heat forward Max Strus battles Atlanta Hawks players for the ball on April 8. ing them into either stars or very reliable role players. For example, Duncan Robinson was undrafted in 2018, but the Heat took a chance on him and he has become an effective 3-point shooter in the last few years. In fact, of the eight players that have played at least 1,500 minutes for the top-seeded Heat, none were selected in the top 10 of the NBA Draft, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe. Strus is one of them. “Everybody knows their role, we don’t care who gets the fame, the shine, none of that,” Carter said. “We don’t have to brag, but the work speaks for itself.” It comes down to player development and the player believing in the coaching staff and vice versa that both sides simply want the best for each other. When a player wants to come to the gym early in the morning to get shots up, there is always at least one coach who is also there. When a player has a bad shooting night and wants to find his rhythm right after the game, there is always a coach who stays and helps that individual.
“They know what they’re doing, they know how to get it done and they want it for themselves and for the team.”
Marisa Arce
DePaul women’s tennis head coach
in, which is always Serbian. For Djokic, who is from Serbia, and Jovicic, who is from Bosnia-Herzegovina, speaking in Serbian is second-nature for them and allows for them to talk in a language they’re both comfortable with. “It’s beautiful, especially when the opponents don’t understand it,” Jovicic said. “We can just talk across the court.” However, the pair gets annoyed when their opponents also understand the language and they are forced to change their game plan. When it comes to doubles competitions, every factor of the game depends on the pair and their ability to commu-
nicate. For Djokic and Jovicic, their years as doubles partners may have been impacted by injuries or a pandemic, but their trust and connection has continued to grow stronger. “It’s hard to control your emotions on the court when you’re playing singles. When you’re playing doubles, now you have two people,” Djokic said. “It’s never going to be perfect, we’re never both going to be like, ‘I’m so ready for this match,’ so we always have to find different ways of how to go around that, how to make both of us feel at the best level that we can each match.”
And when someone walks into practice in a bad mood, someone — either a coach or player — will help to cheer them up. “Once you get here, this is your sanctuary, this is where you are supposed to let everything out, get better, go hard and things like that,” Carter said. Strus has benefited from that type of environment. It is also a big reason why the Heat are the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference heading into this year’s playoffs. The journey has been bumpy for Strus, it has been filled with trials and tribulations over the course of his basketball career, but these are the moments that he has aspired to be a part of. Now, he is finally getting his opportunity in basketball’s greatest stage. “It just makes everything better,” Strus said. “Everything that I have been doing and everything that I continue to do, it just makes me be more grateful for it because of what I have gone through and how I got to where I am.”
Upcoming Schedule
Softball -April 12 vs. Illinois State, 4 p.m. -April 15 vs. St. John’s, 12 p.m. -April 15 vs. St. John’s, 2:30 p.m. -April 16 vs. St. John’s, 1:30 p.m.
Golf
-April 11-12 at Missouri Tiger Invitational
Men’s Tennis -April 13 at Notre Dame, 3 p.m. -April 16 vs. Xavier, 3:30 p.m.
Women’s Tennis -April 16 vs. Xavier, 11:15 a.m.
Track and Field -April 14-16 vs. Mt. SAC Relays -April 16 vs. Long Beach Invitational
Sports
Sports. The DePaulia. April 11, 2022 | 28
‘He never quit’ Max Strus overcomes hurdles, injuries to find success with Miami Heat By Lawrence Kreymer Editor-in-Chief
Uncertainty creeped into Max Strus’ mind three years ago. He did not know if this was the end of the road for his basketball career. He just came into the league as an undrafted rookie out of DePaul University, looking for a chance to make a name for himself in the NBA. But not even two months into his professional career, the path to staying in the league became even harder. It all happened pretty quickly. In late December of 2019, the Chicago Bulls announced that Strus tore his ACL and would be out for 8-12 months. The injury occured while he was playing a G League game for the Windy City Bulls. As an undrafted rookie who was on a two-way contract, there was doubt that Strus would get another chance to play in the league. In his rookie season, he only appeared in two NBA games and spent most of his time with the Windy City Bulls. “When I tore my ACL, I didn’t really know what was going to happen,” Strus said in an interview with The DePaulia. “At that time, I really hadn’t made a name for myself at the professional level and didn’t know if I was going to get another chance.” As someone who didn’t have a chance yet to prove himself in the big leagues, Strus was concerned about the future of his professional basketball career. It’s one thing for a proven, veteran NBA player to come off a torn ACL and still expect a spot in the NBA, but it’s a whole other dimension for someone who just turned professional and did not have many expectations. In the following months of his recov-
ery, one thing kept him from giving up: his belief that he can make it in the NBA. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t [believe],” he said. “It takes a different mindset to be here and stay here.” He put in hours upon hours rehabbing his left knee to get it healthy enough so he can train again, then he spent months getting himself back in shape for the next opportunity to arrive and then the Miami Heat. In the fall of 2020, the Heat signed Strus to a training camp contract, and the Hickory Hills native popped right away. He scored 22 points, including hitting six 3-pointers, in a preseason game against the Toronto Raptors and the Heat immediately converted him to a two-way contract for the 202021 season. “I’ve had the dark days, I’ve had the long days of rehab, not knowing if my basketball career is over, so it just makes me see everything in a bigger picture,” he said. “It makes me enjoy it more.” ‘I don’t need no m---rf----n’ help’ Strus has always been confident ithat he can compete at the highest level. Every player has to believe in themselves first
before another organization de-
cides to select them, but it’s different for Strus. He was not highly recruited out of high school; in fact, he first went to Lewis University — a Division I I
school in Romeoville, Illinois — before transferring to DePaul for his final two years of college. But he always knew that if he just worked hard enough, something good would come to him. Even when 60 names were called in the 2019 NBA Draft and not one team selected the former DePaul guard, he still had that inner belief that his work ethic will have those teams second guessing themselves. “The confidence and the belief in my game of what I can do See STRUS, page 27
Communication is key with tennis doubles pairs By Darcy Waskiewicz Sports Editor
There is nothing more important than communication for doubles teams in tennis. Communication is the gear that keeps a team running smoothly. It can also be the biggest challenge doubles pairs face on the court. For DePaul women’s tennis doubles team Hristina Djokic and Marija Jovicic, communication has flowed smoothly from the beginning, and the pair has had four years to perfect it. Their journey together has not been easy, but those struggles only motivated them to work harder. This season, the pair went 5-3 in doubles competition, and were named the Big East Females Doubles Team of the Week on March 10. “We’ve been progressing our game every day, really,” Djokic said. “We were thinking of how we can do better every day to improve our tactic and finally it worked.” Djokic and Jovicic were first paired together as a doubles team in the 201819 season when Djokic was a freshman
and Jovicic was a sophomore. The chemistry between the pair was instantaneous and they were victorious in their first game together, a 6-4 win over Ohio State on Nov. 2, 2018. However, their time together was short-lived when an ACL injury knocked Djokic out of that game and the rest of the season. Djokic and Jovicic reunited in the 2019-20 season and had an immediate impact for the Blue Demons. The pair won 10 out of 11 games and won seven in a row before finishing with a record of 10-4. “Tina and [I] have this special connection in doubles,” Jovicic said. “We played the first time and it just feels very good on the court from match to match, and it keeps getting better and we keep finding ways on how to improve our doubles, and what to do better, what to stop doing. We’re pretty good at giving feedback to each other.” Djokic missed the entire 2020-21 season with another ACL injury. However, she and Jocivic came back together
PHOTO COURTESTY OF STEVE WOLTMANN/DEPAUL ATHLETICS
See DOUBLES, page 27 DePaul women’s tennis pair Marija Jovicic and Hristina Djokic celebrate together.