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INSIDE Esteban addresses budgetary concerns in Leadership Town Hall Page 3 As enrollment declines, so do class offerings Page 7
Residents of Ion Apartments, formerly 1237 West, were promised a picturesque home straight from Instagram. When they moved in, they were met with a much different reality. By Emma Oxnevad, Ella Lee, Keira Wingate & Breya Jones Opinions Editor, Arts & Life Editor, Asst. Arts & Life Editor, Contributing Writer
C
raig Summers, a DePaul junior, moved into Ion Lincoln Park in 2018 after other housing plans fell through. While living there, one of his roommates went for a late-night snack run one evening, leaving the door to their apartment unlocked. The next morning, Summers woke up and found a man on his couch, bleeding from his forehead. This man was a stranger to everyone in the apartment. Tenants at Ion, formerly known as 1237 West, were promised apartments with stunning floor-to-ceiling windows, quality amenities and a lifestyle that would make any casual Instagram user envious. The building has an obvious appeal: Located just a few blocks from DePaul’s Lincoln Park campus and flaunting a trendy appearance, any luxury-seeking college student would bite. Once the leases were signed, though, the experience for some wasn’t so picture-perfect. Inside, individual units are small and industrial — described by one resident as “prison-like” — and come with a steep price tag. When lease-breaking issues pertaining to the privacy and safety of residents arose, some claimed management
Explore the history and significance of Black History Month
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Volume #104 | Issue #16 | Feb. 24, 2020 | depauliaonline.com
brushed it off, leaving tenants to find a way to feel comfortable in their own homes by themselves.
Dangerous living
When Summers found a stranger in his apartment, he was shocked. But despite the building’s front door security on call all day, he said it’s not all that difficult to get into the building without the proper credentials. “It’s just something where some people would like to wait around the lobby, and the second someone would tap their card to open the door, they would just follow them — even if they didn’t live in the building,” Summers said. There’s no limit to the number of people a resident can check in at one time either, sometimes leading to groups of 20 or 30 people crowding the lobby, waiting for a friend to let them in, he added. Like unwanted guests, dangerous situations often find their way into the building. Despite the strict ban on drug use laid out in Ion’s leases, the building’s pervasive party culture is one of many residents’ top complaints. “I remember in particular there was one room above me — they would party every Thursday night,” said Tyler Onstott, a former resident. “They would party, and they would party un-
See 1237 WEST, pages 4-5
RAPHAEL CANNESANT | THE DEPAULIA
2 | News. The DePaulia. Feb. 24, 2020
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News. The DePaulia. Feb. 24, 2020 | 3
No money, no honey
A $14 million tuition revenue shortage will force DePaul to balance cutting costs with attracting new students
JEFF CARRION | DEPAUL UNIVERSITY
President A. Gabriel Esteban speaks to a crowd of more than 550 faculty and staff during last week’s Leadership Town Hall discussing the DePaul’s financial state, and future.
By Shane Rene Editor-in-Chief
Since the 2019-2020 school year began, President A. Gabriel Esteban’s administration has been clear about the university’s top priority: Improve enrollment. But that won’t be so simple in the face of a $14 million tuition revenue shortfall. This past week, Esteban hosted a Leadership Town Hall for faculty and staff alongside Interim Provost Salma Ghanem and Executive Vice President and CFO Jeff Bethke to break down DePaul’s financial struggles, expectations for next month’s budget proposal and how to execute Esteban’s vision for the future. Esteban recapped his series of ambitious goals. If all goes smoothly, he hopes DePaul will rank among the top 50 urban universities in the United States, as a top-10 Pell-aided university and a top-5 private catholic university by 2030. He said the university is also aiming to bring its endowment to $1 billion by 2030. Between fiscal year 2018 and 2019, DePaul’s endowment grew by 17 percent (roughly $100 million addition) to just shy of $700 million. “We set high goals for our students and we expect them to achieve that,” Esteban said to a room of more than 500 faculty and staff. “Why shouldn’t we expect that for ourselves?” In order to get there, DePaul will need to address its waining enrollment figures to contend with a eight-figure shortage in tuition revenue for the 2020 fiscal year. Esteban said they do not expect cuts for the current fiscal year, and even anticipate an operating surplus thanks to an eight-figure donation and a “commitment to control costs.” Despite welcoming the largest freshman class on record (beating projections by 5 percent), DePaul missed its enrollment projections by a margin that Esteban described as “fairly significant.” Transfer student enrollment fell 10 percent shy of projections, and continuing undergraduates and graduate students both enrolled 3 percent short of projections. That works out to more than 650 fewer students across those three groups. DePaul reported a 2.1 percent decline in total enrollment in 2019, while national enrollment in higher education fell 1.7 percent. While there are many factors driving enrollment rates down, Esteban said the main reason is a simple matter of demographics. “There is nothing we can do unless people start giving birth to 18-year-olds,” he said. There are two headline tactics for improving enrollment: more aggressive out-of-state recruiting and investing in new programs. Esteban said he was surprised to learn that DePaul did not engage in out-of-state recruiting when he arrived on campus in July 2017. Today, DePaul has two recruiters in California, one in Texas and one working across the east coast; California is now the second most
SOURCE: DEPAUL INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH & MARKET ANALYTICS
SOURCE: DEPAUL INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH & MARKET ANALYTICS
common state of origin for DePaul students, and enrollment from Texas has also seen a notable increase. Ghanem said DePaul’s main competition comes from other schools in Illinois, where DePaul has an advantage in its appealing ratio of resources to students, but is at a competitive disadvantage in terms of price — something she said the university will never be able to compete with. Private schools like DePaul do, however, tend to offer more financial aid than public universities. In an effort to coax public university students to go private, DePaul has continued to increase the amount of financial aid they offer each year. Since 2015, institutional aid has steadily increased, growing from $162,000 in 2015 to more than $207,000 in 2019. Investing in new programs will be the more challenging task due to shrinking margins in the budget, Esteban said. So the key will be freeing up cash wherever it can be found. The university will look to make around $11 million in expense cuts, which Esteban said will fall disproportionately on the administration. One big-ticket item on the chopping block is DePaul’s executive offices in 55 E. Jackson Blvd., where the school currently leases 160,000 square feet of space. That lease will end in December 2022, but in
order to move into the DePaul Center just down the block, they will need to use space currently occupied by the City of Chicago. Because the city’s lease won’t end until the end of 2023, Bethke is working with owners of both buildings to determine a precise moving date, according to a university spokesperson. They hope to iron out the precise timing in the coming months. The proposed budget for fiscal year 2021 — which will be reviewed by the Board of Trustees in March — isn’t expected to make faculty happy. Bethke said that while the university usually makes a point of raising salaries each year, the new budget won’t include pay increases for faculty. DePaul’s salary pool takes a percentage of all salaries (usually around 2 percent) and redistributes that figure in the form of raises. Bethke called the decision to freeze salaries “unfortunate” and a “one-time thing,” but while DePaul has been able to offer a salary pool between 2 and 3 percent most years, salaries were frozen for the fiscal year beginning July 2014 as well. During the Q&A portion of the town hall, longtime psychology professor and Director of DePaul’s Center on Community Research Leonard Jason asked Bethke about the risks of having such a conservative budget moving forward. Jason expressed concern about the strain that may put on programs trying to be
more competitive. “I think if you make budget cuts you are having fewer resources that have been available,” Jason said. “If at the same time you want to grow programs and bring in new students, that’s going to put a little bit of a strain on programs.” In the psychology department, which is home to about 4 percent of DePaul’s student body, Jason worries a tighter budget may limit the resources that makes DePaul attractive to psychology students, particularly tenure faculty. “It’s kind of like there’s an intellectual richness that’s available for having people who have a tenured track — in other words, they’re here for a long period of time,” he said. “If you replace people with folks who have a one-year contract they don’t have the capacity to set up the types of research labs to give undergraduates the training that they need and to be competitive with our sister institutions that have those vibrant labs going on.” DePaul has seen a reduction in the number of full-time faculty, particularly over the last three years. In 2009, just over 80 percent of full-time faculty at DePaul was tenured or on a tenure track. In 2019, that number was less than 74 percent. Last June, the university offered buyouts to all tenured faculty at least 62 years old with more than 10 years of service. “The thing that was encouraging to me is that he was talking about a campaign,” Jason said. “A campaign to bring in, you know, lots of money — hundreds of millions of dollars. And that’s exciting. “But I think the thing we want to be careful about as we are trying to bring money in and are trying to get that endowment to a billion dollars, we want to make sure we don’t do anything to put at risk exemplary programs that have been created over the decades.” Ahmed Zayed, who chairs DePaul’s mathematical sciences department and is a member of the faculty council, asked Esteban where he stood on the creation of a faculty union. While Zayed told The DePaulia he’s not in favor of a faculty union himself, he thought it was worth bringing up in the face of the salary freeze, which could prompt a stronger movement for a union. Esteban said he does not have an official policy, but commented that “we’d prefer to work with people face-to-face rather than through an intermediary.” He did not suggest that he would fight the faculty council if they moved in that direction. Zayed said a faculty union has some advantages, but on top of his feeling that unions can be anti-meritocratic, he worries that it may not be the best solution for a private university. “If you form a union, there is a possibility of having a strike,” he said. “How would you feel as a student paying a lot of [money for] tuition, then one day you cannot go to the classroom because of a faculty strike?”
4 | News. The DePaulia. Feb. 24, 2020
Loop crime escalates Officials say avoiding violence starts with staying aware of your surroundings and keep personal items in your pockets By Cailey Gleeson & Nate Burleyson Nation & World Editor & Asst. Sports Editor
Following last Monday’s shooting that killed 24-yearold Edward Charleston and injured two others in the tunnel connecting the Jackson Red and Blue Lines, police charged 23-year-old Torrez Cathery on Friday. Cathery was found in Oak Park. The suspect has 22 prior arrests on his record, according to CPD News Affair officer Howard Ludwig. Cathery is charged with first degree murder and two counts of aggrevated battery with a firearm. He is currently being held without bail at the Department of Corrections Ninth Division with his next hearing scheduled for Feb. 25, according to the Cook County Sheriff ’s Office. Ludwig said Cathery and one of the victims had a prior dispute – an aggravated assault involving a knife on Oct. 14, 2019. “Our offender was the offender in that incident as well,” Ludwig said. “And our victim, we believe, perhaps recognized him from this earlier incident in October.” Cathery and the victims saw each other and that is when the incident broke out,
according to Ludwig. Cathery allegedly pulled out what the CPD believes to have been a 9mm handgun and he fired shots at the group in the tunnel. Ludwig said security cameras in the tunnel showed a group of men seemingly following the offender. “As they start to get close, the offender pulls out a gun and shoots several times the victims from the opposite direction, as well as others in the tunnel at the time,” Ludwig said. “So the scene kind of clears out and then our offense, our offender returns to shoot one of the victims almost execution style.” The shooting was the latest incident in a recent spike of violent occurrences across CTA stations throughout the city – some within steps of DePaul’s Loop campus. On Feb. 4, Michael Malinowski, a street musician, was stabbed at the Jackson Red Line stop by a woman who claimed his music was giving her a headache. Junior Isabella Bird witnessed the Feb. 4 stabbing. She said she saw two individuals struggling, but the situation escalated once she boarded the Howard-bound Red Line. “Lots of screaming and banging occurred at this
point but those of us sitting on the train couldn’t see what was happening,” Bird said. “Screaming for the police started and the power on the trains was cut.” On the way back to the Lincoln Park campus, junior Alana Uriarte said she saw the aftermath of the stabbing. “There were a lot of police running around and they were arresting the lady,” Uriate said. “She was yelling that she had a knife in her pocket and that she stabbed this guy. I left Jackson to take the brown line because I still had to go to class. Walking up the stairs, I saw a good amount of blood.” Just one day after the stabbing occurred, a 30-yearold man was shot in the lower back and had his backpack stolen at the UIC-Halsted Blue Line stop. Ludwig said aside from being aware of your surroundings, personal belongings should be safeguarded. “Keep your personal belongings on your body, don’t leave them out for anybody to grab,” Ludwig said. “If possible, valuables should be stored in a zipped pocket or securely closed bag.” Bird said recent crimes will change how she uses the CTA. “My motto has always been to switch cars when someone
XAVIER ORTEGA | THE DEPAULIA
Two Chicago police officers convene at the Jackson Red Line stop. made me uncomfortable and ride others at night,” Bird said. “Now, I will likely be more selective on when I take the train and keep mace in my backpack.” DePaul’s Public Safety Department declined to comment on the shooting, citing that the university does not typically comment on ongoing CPD police investigations – especially on crimes occurring on city property. Public Safety releases an annual Safety and Security Information Report for members of the community to be informed on crime occurring in and around each campus. From 2016 to 2019, there were no reported instances of murder or manslaughter on or off the Lincoln Park or Loop campus. The Chicago Tribune reported violent crimes across the CTA increased by 32 percent with 590 incidents in 2019 compared to 447 in 2018. The spike in CTA crimes follow CPD’s announcement
1237 WEST continued from front
Price of housing per full/academic year $20,000.00
Price per full/academic year
til 6:30 in the morning. That was very common [at Ion].” Almost 20 calls were made from Ion to Chicago Police regarding intoxication over the past three years, according to documents obtained by The DePaulia via a public records request. Many of the calls were made about underage drinking or drug usage — usually at a dangerous level. One emergency call from Ion detailed a potential alcohol overdose of a 19-year-old male. Another described a 21-year-old female’s heart beating fast after smoking cannabis. She was struggling to breathe. Multiple other calls indicated underage parties involving illicit drugs. Scion Group, who owns the building, maintains that underage drinking and illegal drug use are not permitted on the property, according to Jessica Graves, the group’s regional vice president of operations. “Our housing agreement states we do not permit the use of illegal substances,” Graves said. “Such action is a direct breach of contract to our housing agreement and could be grounds for termination.” Onstott lived in Ion between October 2017 and May 2018 while attending graduate school at Loyola University. When the noise levels finally got to him, he started complaining to security
$15,000.00
$10,000.00
$5,000.00
$0.00
Ion Apartments
McCabe Hall (Standard)
Sanctuary Hall (Standard)
Sheffield Square (Standard)
SOURCES: DEPAUL HOUSING WEBSITE, ION WEBSITE
— and was ignored each time. After several informal complaints, he took matters into his own hands and called Chicago Police; the building’s security chided him for calling the officers and was “wasting their resources.” Seeing no action taken after his many attempts, he filed a formal complaint. In the complaint emailed to thenmanager Patrycja Nyzaka, Onstott laid out the facts. “Security had no proof that it was me who called the police and the one guy said ‘I just assumed it was you since you also called down here,’” the complaint read. “Second, if the issue is
not being taken care of, I have a right to call the proper authorities and should not fear retaliation.” Nyzaka declined requests for comment. The culture in Ion may not seem all too different from a campus dorm or fraternity house. But like those locations, other dangers rose from the more mundane. Multiple reports of criminal sexual assault involving drugs and alcohol were made indicating 1237 W. Fullerton as the location of the crime, according to a public records request. Reports of domestic disturbance and battery were also made, the records show.
of increased patrol measures across all lines to be instituted in March. Officials first attempted to increase security on Red Line trains following a spike in crimes between Thanksgiving and Christmas last year. Current increased patrols have not halted violent incidents. Consequently, CPD announced more than 50 officers will be added trains and platforms around the city, a policy beginning March 5 and lasting until May 27. Interim Superintendent. Charlie Beck and Mayor Lori Lightfoot will unveil a report this coming week to announce further efforts to make the CTA safer. “That announcement will include additional deployment of officers, technology and some other things that I think will reassure the people of Chicago what is the truth, which is that is CTA is a safe form of transportation,” Beck said in a press conference.
Although DePaul was engaged in a marketing agreement with Ion in 2017 to promote it as an affiliated housing option, it was never owned by the university. The building was built by a third-party non profit organization, according to university spokesperson Carol Hughes. “We hope that your coverage can convey that the safety of DePaul students is our highest priority and students are encouraged to contact Public Safety or Student Housing should they ever have any concerns, even when living off campus,” Hughes said in an email. The university does not keep record of calls made to emergency services for campus housing, according to Hughes.
Management mishaps
The issues at Ion don’t stop with security. Several residents complained to The DePaulia that the building’s overall management is far from up to par. Madelyn Funk enjoyed living at Ion — until her roommate’s boyfriend all but moved in. “He would be there without her, which was against building policy,” she said. “She would get in after an early morning shift at Starbucks, and I’d hear him greet her; I’d be like, ‘Wait a minute. So he’s been here — has he been here all night?’” When Funk signed her lease in 2018, the rules were clear: No more than one person could occupy a bedroom space,
News. The DePaulia. Feb. 24, 2020 | 5 and overnight guests could not stay for more than three consecutive days or six nights per month. Any breaches in the agreement would result in a $50 fee per night past those allowed — or worse, Ion could declare the resident in violation of their lease. After attempting — and failing — to address the issue with her roommate, Funk reached out to management. But management didn’t take her complaints seriously. “I pointed out to them, ‘You can see in section whatever of your own lease that it says if a person moves in another person and is violating guest policies, we are at liberty to terminate them immediately,’” Funk said. “I kind of figured out that it was all for show because obviously there was no termination ever happening.” Funk ended up terminating her own lease several months early to escape the situation, and Ion asked that she pay a price of “multiple thousands of dollars” to do it. She paid the price. “That was pretty much, it felt like, my only option at that point if I wanted to feel actually comfortable in my living space,” she said “And their management just kind of shrugged that off.” Elise Fong, a DePaul senior, ran into similar issues with management when problems arose between her and her roommates in 2017. The issues between Fong and her roommates had been brewing since they moved in together, she said. When she left the apartment for winter break, she locked her room as a precaution. She suspects this drew the ire of her roommates, she said, because when she returned after break, all of her items in the living space were placed in a box outside the apartment. A note was attached: “To be taken out to the trash.” That was the breaking point for Fong, who described the experience as “incredibly intense.” When she brought her concerns to management, they refused to help. “[Management] was just very blasé about it, which was really frustrating for me as someone who had already paid my rent for three months out of the quarter,” she said. “I was like, ‘Look, I’ve given you my money and you’re going to fix this.’” Fong transferred rooms at the beginning of the next quarter.
No bang for buck
Although Ion is advertised as a high-end living for young adults, the quality may not be as bourgeois as the price that residents are paying. Stephanie Guthrie, who lived in the apartments between 2013 and 2014, said all Ion’s apartments felt like dorms and were incredibly similar to what the building offers today. “Those useless, baffling windows between those two rooms on either side, where if anyone is up too bad — the walls were paper-thin,” Guthrie said. “You could hear absolutely everything all the time.” Many complaints from sources and the complex’s Yelp page say the walls are thin, the furniture provided is of the lowest quality (residents cannot bring their own), and several rooms get no lighting at all. “I was paying a thousand dollars a month for what I would like to say is a concrete slab with no lighting,” Onstott said. “[The unit] was literally the size — I wish I had the square footage — it was literally as big as a walk-in closet.” Each room comes with an extra large twin size bed frame and mattress, desk and wardrobe. Some rooms came with floor-to-wall windows while
“I was paying a thousand dollars a month for what I would like to say is a concrete slab with no lighting. [The unit] was literally the size — I wish I had the square footage — it was literally as big as a walkin closet.”
Tyler Onstott
Former resident of Ion others have none at all. Ion is a division of Chicago-based student housing organization Scion Group LLC. The group has three other divisions of living communities: Alight, Lark and Redpoint — each located near college campuses like the University of Alabama and Louisiana State University. The apartment complex offers three floorplans to residents, according to their website. A standard lease is 12 months long, and all rates are due per person. 2 bedroom, 2 bath for $1,359 3 bedroom, 2 bath for $1,199 4 bedroom, 2 bath for $979 An additional $99 amenities fee is required for all residents, which includes internet, heat and air conditioning, electricity, water/sewer, furnishings, on-site laundry and community amenities. These prices do not include addon rates for things like in-building parking, a higher floor and a city view. In Chicago, the minimum wage is $13 an hour. Before taxes, if someone works 25 hours a week for two weeks, that would be $650. That is $1,300 a month before taxes. In order to make rent every month, a resident would need to work a minimum of 25 hours a week and to afford Ion’s lowest priced apartment. Graves said the rent prices at Ion are “competitive to the market.” “We feel individuals determine value based off of their experiences and lifestyle within the community they choose to live,” said Graves in an email to The DePaulia. But several scans of real estate prices in the area show that Ion is charging residents a little less than it would cost for them to live in an apartment with 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and more square footage space. “So we thought compared to all the other apartments around — I just thought maybe it’s just because of that, but the more I actually started exploring Chicago, the more I actually realized this is actually kind of bogus,” said current Ion resident Joshua Plaff. Compared to other DePaul affiliated apartments, residents at Ion still are paying more out of pocket per month. In DePaul’s apartments,
students are able to get many of the same amenities as the Ion Lincoln Park residents, but the cost of living in those apartments are paid within their tuition bills, not a monthly rent payment as there is with Ion. “In terms of experience or how they handled living situations, I really feel like I was robbed of my money,” Fong said. “You were signing on to get that experience [like] RA’s that will hold your roommates accountable and when they didn’t, it was really frustrating for me.”
Renovation allocation
There have been renovations made to the complex, but not where residents say most of their complaints lie. A building permit obtained by The DePaulia says that work was done for “residential lobby areas and manager’s offices on ground floor.” The permit also states that alterations were made to the common area study lounges for residents for floors two through six. Graves said the renovations cost $1.5 million.
“We wanted to improve the common area spaces within the building because we found out from residents they wanted more accessible and functional space in order to meet their needs,” she said in an email. While residents can now enjoy an upgraded lobby that includes a Metric Coffee Bar and printing location, residents expressed frustration that the money was not used to fix the common issues residents have voiced complaints about within the apartments. “It is a bunch of garbage that they renovated that and didn’t update the rooms,” Onstott said Despite the renovations, Ion has failed its last three annual inspections due to a “failure to maintain electric elevator equipment provided at premise at safe and sound working conditions,” according to public records found on the City of Chicago’s Building Permit and Inspection Records website. Graves declined to comment on the failures, but said that all of Scion’s properties “comply with city and state regulations including any required inspections.” The reality for many living at Ion is that it’s more like living on Barstool’s Instagram feed than the luxury lifestyle showcased on Ion’s Instagram. “1237 seemed like it was the typical rose-colored glasses situation,” Funk said. ILLUSTRATION BY ALICIA GOLUSZKA
6| News. The DePaulia. Feb. 24, 2020
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News. The DePaulia. Feb. 24, 2020 | 7
Fewer students, fewer classes With enrollment down, the number of courses being offered is dropping across the university
GRAPHIC BY ANNALISA BARANOWSKI | THE DEPAULIA
By Bianca Cseke Online Managing Editor
As enrollment continues to decline at DePaul, students are seeing this effect in the form of fewer classes. The university is offering 797 fewer classes in Spring 2020 compared to Spring 2018, with declines in almost every program, according to the university registrar. The exceptions are the School of Music — which had a new building open on the Lincoln Park campus in 2018 and will offer 749 classes next quarter versus 414 in Spring 2018 — and online classes in some colleges. Otherwise, every program saw a decrease. However, the numbers vary by campus – some programs have fewer classes on one campus but more on another or online. For example, though the College of Science and Health will have 89 fewer classes in Lincoln Park than it did in 2018, it will have two more in the Loop next quarter. In addition, the College of Communication will have 14 more in Lincoln Park but 29 fewer in the Loop. When classes only have a small number of students enrolled, departments typically have to cancel them. Classes are decided on a case-by-case basis by each individual department, said Michael Wright, assistant vice president in the registrar’s office. The registrar’s office copRYAN GILROY | THE DEPAULIA ies over classes from the year before, and these are then President A. Gabriel Esteban delivers the State of the University Address on Oct. 3, 2019. edited by departments. There’s no central scheduling system, and Wright said some courses that students have to take there hasn’t been any directive from to graduate.” upper administration to reduce the For example, if only six or seven stunumber of classes offered in order to dents are enrolled in a required class, the save money. university would suggest they can’t offer However, the university is expectthat class, but without that class, those ing a net tuition revenue shortfall of students can’t graduate, according to $14 million for the current fiscal year, Zayed. DePaul President A. Gabriel Esteban For some students, it’s not just a matsaid during a town hall last Tuesday, ter of specific, required classes not being Feb. 18. offered every quarter, but also having Although Fall 2019’s freshman fewer elective options. class was the largest in DePaul’s hisWhen Riley Cox, a senior communitory and the university exceeded its cation studies student at DePaul, logged graduate student enrollment goal by 5 into Campus Connect earlier this month percent, it missed several of its other to sign up for classes, she said she strugCommunications student, senior goals. gled to find anything that both met her For example, the university has graduation requirements and fit her to take, I’ll graduate [on time],” Cox said. “But it’s a matter 356 fewer undergraduate students and schedule. of how many bullshit classes I have to take.” 182 fewer continuing graduate stuShe’s looking to fill her elective retransfer students sometimes cannot graddents than expected. University president quirements for her major, but said most uateInonaddition, time in part because of required classes not being “We want to continue to invest in of her options are either filled, too far or offered every quarter, or needing prerequisites before they new programs,” Esteban said. “We’re at inconvenient times for her. can take those classes, and then having to wait for them to trying to manage whatever assets we have to keep our costs Because the College of Communication is located on be offered again. in check.” Emma Nassif, who transferred into DePaul’s comedy Some departments are expecting classes to be limited the Loop campus, most of Cox’s program’s classes are a long commute and therefore don’t work with her schedule, filmmaking program, said she will not be graduating on in upcoming quarters, partly because of competition and she said. time partly because of the schedule for when classes are increasing budgetary concerns, said Ahmed Zayed, chair Her adviser’s solution has been to have her complete offered — though she also said she wasn’t that surprised or of the math department. minors to fill her electives, she said, as well as take classes upset by that. “In fact, we’re told that if you offer class with fewer stu“I get it’s hard to find teachers for certain niche prodents, maybe you should offer it every other year,” Zayed she has no interest in or would otherwise need if she had more communication studies classes. grams, ” Nassif said. said. “Sometimes you cannot do that because there are “By adding more minors and taking classes I don’t want
“We want to continue to invest in new programs. We’re trying to manage whatever assets we have to keep our costs in check.”
A. Gabriel Esteban
“By adding more minors and taking classes I don’t want to take, I’ll graduate [on time]. But it’s a mtter of how many bullshit classes I have to take.”
Riley Cox
8 | News. The DePaulia. Feb. 24, 2020
CAMPUS CRIME REPORT:
Feb. 12 - 18, 2020
LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS
LOOP CAMPUS
Clifton Parking Garage 4 5
Richardson Library
University Hall 1
6
2 7
3
Sanctuary Hall 8
10
Student Center
10
Belden-Racine
8
DePaul Center
9 11
2
1
Assault & Theft
16
Drug & Alcohol
FEB. 12 1) A Disorderly Conduct report was filed for an FEB. 16 incident that happened in January. Subject was 7) A Theft report was filed for items taken from shining a light into University Hall. 2) A Suspicious Person report was filed for a person acting suspiciously while peering in the Richardson Library windows.
a charging station in the Richardson Library. 8) A Sexual Harassment report was filed for a person taking videos in the women’s restroom at the Student Center.
FEB. 17 FEB. 13 3) A Disturbance was reported in the Richardson 9) A Theft report was filed for items taken from Library. 4) A Smell of Marijuana was reported at the Clifton Parking Garage.
FEB. 14 5) A Smell
of Marijuana was reported at the Clifton Parking Garage. 6) A Possession of Cannabis report was filed for people smoking in the Clifton Parking Garage.
13
14
9
LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS
Lewis Center
12
outside a locker on the 2nd floor of the Student Center. 10) A Possession of Cannabis report was filed in Belden-Racine Hall. 11) Suspicious Activity was reported regarding a non-DePaul affiliated religious group attempting to recruit students in the Student Center. Criminal Trespass Warnings were issued to several members of the group.
Other
LOOP CAMPUS FEB. 12 12) A Criminal Trespass Warning was given to a person in the DePaul Center lobby.
FEB. 13 13) A Criminal Trespass Warning was issued to a person in the Lewis Center.
FEB. 16 14) A Criminal Damage report was filed for a
broken window in the DePaul Center Barnes and Noble.
FEB. 17 15) A Homicide
/ Aggravated Battery report was filed regarding a shooting in the subway tunnel between Van Buren and Jackson. A Safety Alert was distributed throughout the campus community regarding the incident. 16) A Threat by Phone report was filed for a person threatening a staff member on the phone in the DePaul Center.
Workshop bridges design and empathy By Patsy Newitt Asst. News Editor
A designer’s use of empathy isn’t always a consideration when playing a board game, but it’s a growing priority in the industry and a tool to approach equity and diversity. The connection between empathy and design was addressed at a workshop held in the Daley Center last Monday, hosted by Dr. Lesly-Ann Noel, a professor of practice in design thinking and the associate director of design thinking for social impact at Tulane University in New Orleans. The workshop examined how empathic design could foster collaboration across differences such as gender, culture, age group, ethnicity or race, and help encourage discussion about larger issues. The event was a part of the DePaul School of Design’s Spotlight on Black Designers series, in honor of Black History Month. It was co-hosted with IIT Institute of Design. Design-thinking is a common practice outside of design studios, said Denise Nacu, associate professor and director of the School of Design. It’s used in the creation of artifacts, processes, systems and platforms, and facilitating conversations and community building in academia and industries. “For us, it’s important to highlight different disciplines of design,” Nacu said, “and how design is used by practitioners across the globe... in order to solve pressing societal problems.” For Noel, design can be used as a tool of agency. Prioritizing empathy throughout the process is not only a critical tool in addressing diversity, but also necessary to succeed in the industry. “Empathy is central,” she said. “You
can’t be a good designer in 2020 without being empathetic.” And if you’re not designing in an empathetic way, she said, the products will never be good enough. Noel began the workshop by introducing empathetic theories, digging into the structure of connection. She then asked attendees to consider their positionality, the socio-political context of their identity, and how that might play into their work. She asked to consider a list of 12 elements, touching on age, race, gender/sexuality, marital status and level of education. Attendees then had conversations about these identities in small groups. The empathy-building strategies facilitated in these conversations were used to create a protoype of a game, applying ideas like bias or feminist theory into tangible structures. The result, games targeting issues of diversity and equity. Designers used their own favorite games to incorporate these ideas. Chutes and Ladders, for example, was used to address critical race theory – visualizing racism through the rungs of the ladders. One of the biggest takeaways was connections formed within the small groups. They not only used empathy in the game, but in the collaboration and creation. Many attendees expressed that oftentimes this connection is missing throughout the design process. “People need to talk… The whole activity was centered around games and getting people to have more discussions. In our group we saw how important diversity is and how much we actually don’t talk,” said Terrence Johnson, a community member interested in design. As industries diversify, this understanding is advantageous. “In the future, at the very least, there are
News. The DePaulia. Feb. 24, 2020| 9
PATSY NEWITT | THE DEPAULIA
Lesly-Ann Noel is a professor at Tulane University where she teaches design thinking.
PATSY NEWITT | THE DEPAULIA
The even encouraged participants to practice designing with empathy at the forefront. going to be different groups of people when you’re developing a game,” said sophomore Desiree Valdez, a game programming major. “You have to connect with people if you want to establish a good game.” Approaching these issues head-on can be a little daunting. Noel uses design-thinking to encourage empathy through games and activities, rather than a lecture, and
build connections throughout the process. “Maybe you do have to be empathetic to understand these conditions – [whether] it’s racism or xenophobia – you have to dig a little deeper to understand a person who’s going through these things,” she said. “We found this indirect way of bringing in these issues.”
Cook Co. grassroots candidate addresses concerns By Emily Reilly Contributing Writer
Cook County State’s Attorney candidate, Donna More, hosted a public forum last Tuesday to promote her campaign. As a Georgetown University Law graduate, More began her law career handling appeals at the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office. Later in her career, she moved to the Illinois Gaming Board, eventually earning her place on their General Counsel. In addition to this, she has worked many pro bono cases over the years. More discussed community concerns, opposing candidates and adjustments she vows to bring to the office if elected to the 22 attendees that filled the event at the Claridge House in the Gold Coast. Mel Jones of the Clark and Division Collaborative (CADC) moderated questions concerning the neighborhood’s petty theft, revitalization of civil division programs and the growing fear of criminals being caught and released. “It hits a nerve in my neighborhood,” said forum attendee, Mary-Donna. “We’ve seen an increase in crime, and it’s gotten a lot more violent. In many cases, it seems these criminals are being released time and time again.” More explained how violent offenders are often dealt with too lightly, urging that they must be handled with proper strategies.
“We have over 50 alleged murderers who were out on electronic monitoring,” More said. “That might as well be catchand-release because they can’t be found. You’re catching people committing violent felonies with their ankle bracelets on.” Jones voiced concerns from the CADC over the excessive shoplifting and petty theft that occurs in the Clark and Division area. “People will shoplift, come out with things they won’t use, fence them and reach the drug dealers in our neighborhood. This is our Chicken Little,” Jones said. More responded by explaining the root of this phenomenon is typically a mental health issue and must be handled differently than violent crimes. She painted the picture of a more functional prosecution system. “You could have a mental health professional review each of the districts evaluate the case, instead of taking that person to Cook County Jail, where they will be off their medication,” she said. “In most cases, they’ll commit a worse offense in county jail. Instead, you could take them to a mental health facility, where they can give them the kind of help they need and keep them on their medication. It’s one-third of the cost of being in county jail.” More critiqued the fundamentals of the current office and expressed concerns that it funds civil law firms at twice the county rate and has cut civil division programs that were thriving.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY DONNA MORE
Donna More is running for Cook County State’s Attorney. The three other candidates include Kim Foxx, who currently holds office, Bill Conway and Bob Fioretti. Early voting for the Illinois Primary occurs March 2-16, followed by Election Day on March 17. “I don’t consider myself to be a true politician,” More said. “I don’t want to run for anything else. I just want to fix the criminal justice system. Many politicians aren’t willing to make the commitment to something that won’t get them re-elected.”
“We have over 50 alleged murderers who were out on electronic monitoring. That might as well be catch-and-release because they can’t be found. You’re catching people committing violent felonies with their ankle bracelets on.”
Donna More
Cook County State’s Attorney Candidate
Nation &World
10 | Nation & World. The DePaulia. Feb. 24, 2020
Trump under fire for sanctuary cities crackdown By Abbas Dahodwala Contributing Writer
Experts are questioning the motives and potential effects of the Trump administration’s recent move to send elite tactical agents to sanctuary cities across the United States. The tactical agents’ potential arrivals in sanctuary cities comes shortly before the 2020 census measurement. These tactical groups include the BORTAC unit, a group serving as the SWAT team of the Border Patrol. Given Chicago’s standing as a sanctuary city, Mayor Lori Lightfoot discussed the controversial move in a video message released on Feb. 15. “The Trump administration made its latest play against our cities by, yet again, targeting our immigrant and refugee communities through its usual fearmongering and xenophobia,” she said. “We will not be bullied. Period. Especially by a bully like President Trump.” The forthcoming arrival of the agents leads some to believe the Trump administration is attempting to create fear amongst minorities, potentially using force and intimidation to spread fear they could be deported. “This does seem to be a tactic to try to scare immigrant communities out of fully participating in the life of our communities,” said Fred Tsao, a senior policy counsel at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. “Whether it is political participation or census or other kinds of activities – social, religious or cultural – that we otherwise should be able to participate in safely. “It is certainty an escalation in the display of force that ICE and Homeland Security are trying to put on in immigrant communities, to the point of being incredibly excessive,” Tsao said. Joe Tafoya, an assistant professor at the DePaul College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences said he questioned the timing of the move. “If you have ICE agents in these communities and at the same time we have other federal agents telling Latino communities in sanctuary cities to fill out the census, they are not going to want to respond to them,” Tafoya said. “It is my suspicion that the Trump administration knows that sanctuary cities are democratic strongholds and he is going after them by using immigration as an election year issue. Tafoya believes these tactics are similar to what the Trump administration did during the 2016 election cycle. “By cultivating a cultural war like they did in 2016,” Tafoya said.“By playing up the aspect of fear and illegality in these communities. Also by showing that we are using federal resources to address the problem.” The Trump administration is known to use fear as a tactic to disrupt the lives of immigrants with the threat of deportation as a backbone, according to Craig Mousin, a professor at the DePaul University College of Law. “[Former Chief of Staff] John Kelly was very clear that if we deter people that works,” Mousin said. “So if we scare people, Mitt Romney talked about self-deporting, getting people afraid. It is a less expensive way to deport people if they leave on their own.” The sense of fear is not exclusive to immigrants themselves. The tactics can lead to bystanders forming anti-immigrant sentiment, working in favor of the administration’s goals, according to Mousin. “It is not just fear by immigrants,” Mousin said. “If you see a SWAT vehicle go down the street, your first reaction might be ‘Oh those undocumented are causing that harm to my community.’ That way they break apart people
MAP BY GINA RICARDS | THE DEPAULIA
The sanctuary cities throughout the United States are President Donald Trump’s latest targets for strict immigration policies, as Border Patrol’s BORTAC units will be dispatched to each. who might otherwise support immigrants and citizens. Then it is not just the undocumented, it is all immigrants. If ‘Oh they were not here then it would be good old America again.’ It feeds into the racism.” Chicago based community organizations are also facing uncertainty as they prepare for the arrival. They do not know exactly what the agencies are going to do at the city level. “Beyond a show of force it is unclear what these agents or units have in capacity to carry out routine arrests of individuals who are coming under suspicion for immigration violations,” Tsao said. Laura Mendoza, an immigration officer at the Resurrection Project, discussed the uncertainty regarding what the agents will be able to do in Chicago. “It is scary because we do not know how they are going to act,” she said. “We have seen some of the tactics that regular immigration agents have used. It is a lot of intimidation. We do not know what to expect, but best case scenario they will not actually break down doors, they will not actually use that force and that they will just be there to assist [established ICE personnel].” The past actions of government agents may be able to guide organizations as to what they should be doing to help the residents of Chicago. “Something that immigration has been doing a lot in the city of Chicago has just been pulling people over as they are driving,” she said. “That is where people have the least amount of rights.” “That is the hard part. There really is not a lot that can be done, but what could be done is that preventative work of helping people understand their rights, helping people understand that there are resources – getting people ready.” To prepare for agents coming into sanctuary cities, organizations have been reaching out to communities to provide them with any necessary resources. “About three years ago in 2017, we started the Chicago legal protection fund,” said Mendoza. “What we do is we go out and do education and we refer people for free legal representation. We inform people about their rights and about what actually can happen if you are detained by immigration. We are letting them
GREGORY BULL | AP
In this July 8, 2019, file photo, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer looks on during an operation in Escondido, Calif. know that they do not have to open the door. That they do not have to answer questions about how long they have been here or their country of origin.” Along with what Mendoza does at the Resurrection Project, Tsao said the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights has been providing education and legal help as well. He said the ICIRR also has a hotline families can use that acts as a tool for surveillance. “Families can call to report an incident of immigration enforcement activity,” Tsao said. “If we get the call sooner rather than later, we can maybe deploy a rapid response team to, at the very least, monitor the situation. “After the operation is already completed we can still deploy the team to see what needs the household has, try to identify and refer to resources. That includes emergency care, but also includes attorneys who may be able to assist.” Mousin brought up how crime against undocumented immigrants was on the rise in Kankakee in the early 2000s. Criminals often targeted undocumented immigrants – who could not hold bank accounts – due to the
guarantee of money being in their homes. However, Michael Kinkade, Kankakee’s police commissioner at the time, spoke to communities and said the city would not cooperate with the federal government. This led to a decrease in crime and people became more involved in the communities. This has parallels to the United States today, according to Mousin. “These efforts by congress and by the Trump administration to enforce ICE in the communities fractures our communities,” Mousin said. “It is not that this person is undocumented in isolation. They often have citizen children, citizen spouses, they often are permanent residents. So to say you are going after the undocumented, you are going after our communities.”
Nation & World. The DePaulia. Feb. 24, 2020 | 11
Xi says epidemic ‘grim,’ calls for action on economy By Joe McDonald Associated Press
BEIJING (AP) — Warning that China’s virus epidemic is “still grim and complex,” President Xi Jinping called Sunday for more efforts to stop the outbreak, revive industry and prevent the disease from disrupting spring planting of crops. Xi defended the ruling Communist Party’s response as “timely and effective” in a video conference with officials in charge of anti-disease work, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. Xi sounded a note of caution in the face of hopes abroad that the disease that has killed more than 2,400 people since December might be under control. He said the situation is at a “critical stage” and called on officials to “resolutely curb the spread of the epidemic.” “The current epidemic situation is still grim and complex,” Xinhua cited Xi as saying. “Prevention and control are at the most critical stage.” The ruling party is trying to strike a difficult balance between stopping the virus and reviving China’s vast manufacturing and other industries. Most of the world’s second-largest economy has been shut down since late January in the most sweeping anti-disease measures ever imposed and are only gradually reopening. Forecasters say China might rebound quickly if the outbreak can be controlled by the end of March. But they say this quarter’s economic output will shrink by as much as 1% from the quarter ending in December after Beijing extended the Lunar New Year holiday to keep factories and offices closed and told the public to avoid traveling. Concern is growing that the disease might be spreading in South Korea and other countries, instead of only affecting people who visited China and others who had close contact with them. Xi said the epidemic is a health emergen-
CHINATOPIX | AP
In this Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020, photo, a woman using a trolley bag to collect foods distributed by volunteers outside her home in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province. cy with the “fastest spread” and “most difficult party has given the anti-disease campaign, Xi factories. prevention and control” in China since the called on them to “deploy medical forces” to “We must promptly solve the outstanding Communist Party came to power in 1949, ac- “cut off the source of infection,” especially in problems that affect spring plowing and orgacording to Xinhua. the capital, Beijing. At the same time, he said nize production, circulation and supply of maThe report made no mention of criticism they must help factories and other companies terials to ensure production does not miss the from members of the public that officials de- reopen and make sure low-income workers are farming time,” Xi was cited as saying. layed taking action against the disease and employed. Local officials previously were ordered might be concealing details its impact, but Xi The president said “low-risk areas” in Chi- to make sure food supplies flow to populous was cited as saying “all work arrangements are na should adjust disease-control measures to Chinese cities following panic buying after the timely” and anti-disease measures are effec- “fully restore production” while higher-risk shutdown of access to Wuhan. Villages have tive. areas keep their focus on epidemic prevention. been banned from setting up roadblocks to The meeting included officials of the Forecasters say it will be at least mid- keep away outsiders and possible infection. Cabinet and the group headed by Premier Li March before manufacturing and other indusThe government must “actively organize” Keqiang, China’s No. 2 leader, that was formed tries return to normal after the government production of vegetables, livestock and poulto oversee anti-disease efforts, according to cut off most access to Wuhan, the city at the try and “unblock transportation channels,” the Xinhua. It said officials from Hubei, the cen- center of the outbreak, imposed travel controls president said. tral province where the outbreak began, also nationwide and closed factories, restaurants, participated. shopping malls and other businesses. That Invoking the martial theme the ruling disrupted the flow of supplies to farmers and
Proposed $18 billion opioid settlement falls short By Cailey Gleeson Nation & World Editor
As Purdue Pharma moves through courts following their Sept. 16 bankruptcy declaration, other opioid manufacturers continue work through more than 2,500 lawsuits with various states for their role in the opioid epidemic. Opioid distributors AmerisourceBergen Corp, McKesson Corp and Cardinal Health Inc. offered to pay $18 billion over the course of 18 years – a settlement promptly rejected by 21 states as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, according to a Wall Street Journal report. “I can’t speak to the motivation of state officials, however, I assume that it is due to their desire to collect more money than was offered in the settlement,” said Dr. Richard Blondell, physician and vice chair for addiction medicine at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo. “When the dust settles, I expected that the only real winners will be attorneys and their fees.” States want between $22 and $32 billion from distributors – in a shorter amount of time originally proposed as well. The settlement only covers disputes with distributors, as claims against manufacturers and pharmacies remain unresolved. Despite Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy declaration, Blondell said the company is still “a major player in the pharmaceutical industry.” “They may reach a settlement with
those who are bringing claims against them in courts; however, it is unlikely they will have to pay for the full cost for the part of the opioid epidemic associated with their over-promotion of OxyContin,” Blondell said. “Legally, it is a complicated issue. It is unlikely that prosecutors will want to put Purdue out of business through bankruptcy. You can only get so much juice out of a single orange.” Opioid overdoses caused over 400,000 deaths in the United States between 1999 and 2017. In 2017, opioids were involved in 68 percent of drug overdose deaths alone. Kenneth Leonard, director of the Clinical and Research Institute on Addictions at University the University of Buffalo, said “much of the 2019 data is not available yet.” “In general, prescriptions for opioids have been declining, and the deaths due to prescription pain medications appear to have plateaued,” Leonard said. “However, most of the opioid-related deaths since about 2015 have been due to heroin or fentanyl, usually mixed with heroin.” Dr. Steven Aks, an immersive physician
and head of toxicology at Cook County Health, said fentanyl is a “synthetic opioid” that is a “cheap replacement for a naturallyderived substance like heroin.” “Much of this illicit fentanyl is made in clandestine labs such as those in China, and make its way to the streets in the U.S.,” Aks said. “It’s important to remember that fentanyl is a very safe and effective medication used in the hospital all the time. the illicit fentanyl, or fentanyl analogues are what are found in street drugs.” Leonard said it is difficult to say what direction the epidemic is heading given the “cycle to drug epidemics.” “There is a rapid increase in the use and consequences of a drug,” Leonard of Buffalo physician said. “There is a public mobilization of prevention and intervention forces to address the epidemic. There is a gradual plateauing of drug use, and then a steady decline to a level which is still higher than the level before the epidemic.” Leonard added that Erie County, New York appears to be on the “declining side of the cycle” as a result of initiatives from county commissioners, community
“When the dust settles, I expect that the only real winners will be the attorneys and their fees.”
Dr. Richard Blondell
coalitions, hospitals and addiction treatment centers. “We are far ahead of most other urban areas, and many rural areas do not have the resources to launch this kind of initiative,” Leonard said. “As a result, I would expect continued increases in deaths due to heroin and fentanyl for some time, and perhaps some increases in prescription pain medication deaths is certain areas of the country for at least several more years.” Aks said there was not much change observed for opioid fatalities in Cook County in 2019. “The fatalities in 2019 were about the same as in 2018,” he said. “Again, the deaths are approximately 80 percent due to street drugs and only 20 percent are pharmaceutical products involved.” Blondell said that while litigation is still pending, there have been some policy changes for involved companies. “Federal agencies have begun to impose production quotas on the manufacture of opioids,” Blondell said. “Pharmacies have begun to initiate policies that limit the amount of opioids they will dispense. Health insurance companies have begun to pursue prescribers who are ‘outliers.’” The failed settlement comes as part of increased efforts to reach an agreement ahead of the trial set to begin in New York on March 20. The New York Times reported regardless of what the final amount ends up totalling, it will not be enough to “heal long-term effects of the opioid crisis.”
12 | Opinions. The DePaulia. Feb. 24, 2020
Opinions Fast fashion is so last generation Cheap, mass produced fashion is a wasteful form of consumerism and should be avoided to protect the planet By Camille Koch Contributing Writer
With stores like H&M, Zara and Forever 21, cheap fashion is right at our frugal fingertips. However, factoring in the environmental and the labor costs of these items, these clothes are more than you bargained for. “When I was growing up, you had four seasons of clothes. You go into a store and if it was, say spring. You saw summer fashion, if it was the end of summer you would begin to see fall fashion. So the fashion corresponded with the seasons,” says Christie Klimas, an associate professor for environmental science and studies at DePaul. “Now, you can go again and again in an extremely short period of time and you can purchase new clothes because the cycle is much faster.” Fast fashion are clothes that are trendy and are produced quickly and cheaply. This type of clothing production arose in the mid 2000s in response to a growing demand. Fast fashion brands use methods in the production of their clothes that have major environmental and labor costs that fail to be reflected on the price tag. This has only led to the increase in consumption of fast-fashion. “Clothing has become disposable,” says Klimas. According to A Sustainable life, we are consuming 400 percent more clothes now compared to 20 years ago. But with all of the clothes being made, a good fraction of them might not be even sold. “We produce too much clothing. So some of the clothing never gets sold. We’re making things that we don’t even expect to sell, it’s just a waste of resources,” says Klimas. According to The New York Times, more than 60 percent of fabric fibers are synthetics that come from fossil fuels and don’t decompose in the landfills, where about 85 percent of textile waste
end up. Because these microfibers don’t decompose, they can end up in the ocean or anywhere on land. The fashion industry also produces 20 percent of the global wastewater and 10 percent global carbon emissions, according to the United Nations Environment Program. Another impact of fast fashion that completely outweighs the cheaper prices of clothing is the extremely harsh labor conditions. Most fast fashion brands manufacture their clothing overseas in developing countries like China, India and Bangladesh. There, fast fashion brands can get away with paying workers far less than below western living wage, according to Attitude Organic. In addition to this, workers work in very dangerous conditions. One of the worst disasters in the textile industry happened in 2013 in Bangladesh. The Rana Plaza factory exploded and collapsed, killing more than 1,000 people and injuring 2,500. This wasn’t just a fluke. In Bangladesh alone, more than 500 workers died in factory fires between 2006-2012, The
New
York Times reported.
The workers in these factories also work outra-
geously long hours. In Bangladesh, sewing machine operators work as long as 100 hours or more a week, according to Vox. In addition to this, fast fashion factories are known to employ child workers for less money. These extremely harsh working conditions are the reason why fast fashion brands are able to charge such cheap prices. No fear, frequent shoppers. There are many alternatives to shopping at fast fashion brands. Companies like Pact, Kotn, Patagonia and REI are based on being environmentally and ethically conscious. These brands are
more expensive, but that’s kind of the point. These brands incorporate the environmental cost into them. Having more expensive clothing also allows them to take more time to produce longer-lasting clothing in more environmentally sustainable ways. Higher costs also means that the workers will get paid more. This obviously helps the developing countries that make your clothes. There are other alternatives to fast fashion brands that are both environmentally conscious and inexpensive. One of the best alternatives is going to thrift shops. Thrift stores are great ways to recycle clothing while continuing to keep up with trends. “To avoid fast fashion I purchase the majority of my clothes from thrift stores,” says Grace Berent, a senior and environmental studies major at DePaul. “Primarily, these are local stores, that way I am not only avoiding fast fashion but supporting local business.” Thrift stores are also great places to swap clothes. Swapping clothes allows you to exchange clothes you no longer wear for clothes that better fit your style. “My style is kinda weird so I usually like taking clothes from my friends,” says Medea Gough, a senior at DePaul. If you have no other choice but to buy from these fast hhhhzzzttfashion brands, the best thing you can do is buy less and be weary of low prices. “Make sure you buy less and you’re questioning prices. If you’re buying something for $5, It is unlikely that it includes the full cost of production. We shouldn’t be surprised later to find out that that company was using child labor,” says Klimas. Fast fashion is one of the most unsustainable practices our consumer culture has produced. Buying clothes from brands that are more environmentally friendly and ethical shows that we, as consumers, put value and are concerned about those issues. While higher costs are never fun to pay, they mean that those brands are acting in more sustainable and ethical ways.
GRAPHICS BY GINA RICARDS
Opinions. The DePaulia. Feb. 24, 2020 | 13
Black history is more than a month long celebration By Taylor Johnson Contributing Writer
February is considered a month of love, seeing as we recently just celebrated Valentine’s Day. But what’s not discussed enough about this month is Black History Month – to some, this month may not mean much, but in reality it should. Black History Month is used to celebrate the success and achievements of African Americans. It began as “Negro History Week,” which was created by historian Carter G. Woodson in 1926. He created this because many textbooks and historical views downplayed and ignored the contributions of black people. Out of all months, what made them choose February? February happens to be the birth month of two figures that influenced black history: President Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, both abolitionists. After the death of these two, Woodson wanted to honor their legacy and contributions to African American liberations and civil rights on their birthdays. He later expanded this celebration to not just of these two individuals, but to the history and achievements of African Americans overall. Fast forward years later, and February became Black History Month. Woodson’s goal was to prove to white America that blacks played a crucial role in the creation of the U.S., and therefore should be treated equally as citizens. “Black History Month represents the accomplishments we as a black community share with our ancestors who went through trying times and came out on top,” said DePaul student Christian Gordon. We have come a long way since our ancestors who expereinced slavery, racial
equality, oppression and discrimination, but we still have work to do. African Americans are creators, leaders, scientists, musicians, educators and more. We can’t be confined in a box, like society tries to do. Former First Lady Michelle Obama is more than just Barack Obama’s wife. She is a mother, educator, businesswoman, author, community leader and advocate for black and brown people. We have impacted today’s society in several ways. We’ve created unique sayings and media challenges, like the Renegade Challenge that has become popular all over the world. Not to mention our trendsetting techniques that have benefitted pop culture and millennial culture today. We’ve watched people bite off of black culture and try to “recreate” or take credit for it. For instance, the NBA invited white TikTokers to perform the renegade dance at the 2020 All-Star Game, however, it was created by a 14-year old African American female, Jaliah Harmon. It required the
black community to stand together and make this known all over social media to get the NBA’s attention. This resulted in the NBA finally reachig out and giving Jaliah the recognition she deserved. Black History Month shall always remain relevant, because it’s presence is important to American society. When you cut out the negative stereotypes that have been put on black people, and view us as imperfect individuals and not by color, just as anyone else, we’re taking a step forward to justice. Because of our history, and what we stand and fight for, we’ve gifted the world with leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Barack Obama. Those who’ve paved the way for people like me to be where I am now. “As an advocate for Black students here at DePaul, I believe it’s only right that we highlight our essence and history that’s changed our world and how we view it largely,” said DePaul junior Ryan Johnson. As a black woman, attending a predominantly white institution,
Black History Month makes me think about the importance of education. The ability to further my knowledge and others on topics such as this is important. Knowing how to maneuver in a country like America that initially wasn’t for people like me. As well as that, at one point my people weren’t able to receive an education. It makes me work harder, and remind myself that even as a minority, I belong here. “Black History Month should also be a time that renews the work, dedication and struggle for justice and equality,” said a DePaul religious studies professor Chernoh Sesay. “This historical work and this activism shouldn’t be confined to February of course. February should just help remind us that the struggle for light and truth has been and will be ongoing.” Woodson’s idea of Black History Month and it’s transformation of change is still pertinent today. “The chains of slavery are gone—but we are all not yet free.” - Smithsonian National Museum of African Amrican History & Culture. According to the National Museum of African American History & Culture, there are things all Americans face today that black history can help address. The challenge of learning how to move forward. We haven’t forgotten our past, but we have accepted it, and turned it into a success story. We survived, and use our history as a guide to help us strive towards greatness. In a country like America, we are a melting pot containing different cultures and we should appreciate every single one of them, because they’ve all helped shape America into what it is today.
GRAPHICS BY GINA RICARDS
Brave remarks or bitterness?
By Jonathan DeCarlo Contributing Writer
The Democratic Primary season is now in full swing. As candidates from multiple states go head-to-head to determine which among them will take home the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, tensions between candidates have continued to rise. As such, it can be expected that these tensions would lead to candidates making pointed statements about their rivals to energize their supporters and highlight key issues in their opponent’s policies or demeanor. The comments made in these debates are essentially used as marketing tools for the candidates to keep themselves relevant in the eyes of the people watching these debates. You probably won’t remember what the candidates were talking about in the Nevada Primaries, but you will most likely remember hearing Sen. Elizabeth Warren calling Michael Bloomberg “a billionaire who calls women fat broads and horse-faced lesbians.” I would say these comments are perfectly valid because of the environment that they were said in. What doesn’t fly, at least to me, is when comments like these are said outside of debates because they can do way more harm than good outside of the controlled setting of a debate. This is why I have issues with some comments that Hillary Clinton made regarding Sen. Bernie Sanders a few weeks ago. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter about her self-titled docu-
mentary “Hillary,” which focuses on her campaign during the 2016 election, the former First Lady had some scathing words to say about the Senator from Vermont. “Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done. He was a career politician,” Clinton said. “It’s all just baloney and I feel so bad that people got sucked into it.” While I wouldn’t normally have a problem with Clinton saying these things, I can’t deny that the timing of these comments couldn’t be any worse. Clinton and Sanders had a very heated rivalry throughout the 2016 election cycle, which was evident in their debates in the primaries. They always clashed on their differing viewpoints regarding the key issues affecting the nation, but it always seemed fair because most of it was done on the campaign trail. Both of them really wanted that democratic nomination, and they would do or say anything to get it. When Clinton ultimately became the Democratic candidate for the party, Sanders graciously stepped down. Then Clinton went on to lose to eventual president Donald Trump. I voted for Clinton in the 2016 election. It seemed like the right thing to do given the alternative, but I don’t condone what she is saying about Sanders at all. Riley Spanu, a communication student at DePaul, says she wishes Clinton would do more with her platform than point out Sanders’ flaws. “She has so much to say, but hearing her bash Bernie over and over again is so disheartening,” Spanu said. “It just adds fuel to the fire as a reason for people not
to like her. It made me kind of sad to see she hasn’t learned from her past.” Disparaging comments made in a debate forum are one thing, but making them in an interview when you aren’t even running for office is completely different. We are at a point in the debate cycle where things can change in a second, and everything that is said about the candidates matters. Sanders is currently the frontrunner for the democratic nomination, but these kinds of comments made by Clinton can sway his supporters to maybe look elsewhere. DePaul alumna Alma Aguila has a similar view. “Hillary’s wrong to say what she did,” Aguila said. “Bernie campaigned for her after he lost the nomination and she’s trying to break up the Democratic Party. Bernie’s widely supported and there were people who refused to vote democrat because he wasn’t on the ticket, so to say that no one likes him is wrong and inflammatory.”
ART BY ALICIA GOLUSZKA
The past four years under the Trump presidency have shown us just how divided we have become as a people. Battle lines are drawn in the sand over pretty much every issue under the sun, and we disagree much more than we agree on anything these days. The fact that a former candidate for the presidency has to disparage a current candidate rather than support him as he tries to make some meaningful change in the country is ridiculous. While I don’t necessarily agree with all of Sanders’ ideas on how the government should be run, I think he has a better chance than anyone else right now to make the change that the country so desperately needs. Clinton lost the last election and isn’t even involved with this one, so her comments about the current candidates is something neither the candidates nor us need right now.
Focus
14 | Focus. The DePaulia. Feb. 24 2020
By Rebecca Meluch & Joshua Kaufman Focus Editor & Contributing Writer
2020 Delegate Count (as of 2/24)
31
22
8
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Trump’s four years are coming to a slow end, and the 2020 race for president is here. Throughout the next couple months, America will find out which of the many Democrats running will win enough state delegates to be voted in as the nominee to challenge President Trump this upcoming November. Both Iowa and New Hampshire recently had their primaries. The biggest surprise from Iowa, amidst the counting delay and errors, was that Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg virtually ended with a tie, with Buttigieg getting 13 delegates and Sanders getting 12 at the end. Although Buttigieg clinched Iowa, it was predicted that Bernie Sanders would do well in New Hampshire — and he did. Sanders won New Hampsire’s primary election, marking his first victory while Buttigieg came in at a close second. Amy Klobuchar had a surprisingly strong outcome in New Hampshire, but neither Joe Biden or Elizabeth Warren met the threshold for pledged delegates. As the candidates continue to make their cases and voters weigh in, here’s everything you need to know about the presidential primary process. When it comes to the election process, state governments run primary elections — not the parties. There are typically only two parties considered by most voters: Democrats and Republicans. Third party candidates might run as Libertarian, Green or Independent party candidates, but usually these candidates have a hard time gaining traction. A primary election is just like a general election: voters go to a polling place, take a ballot, vote for their favorite candidate and leave. The votes are counted and candidates get a certain portion of the delegates based on their percentage of the vote. Typically each state gets the same amount of delegates as they have Congressional representatives and Senators. “The real action this year is in the democratic primaries,” said Richard Craig Sautter, a DePaul professor with expertise in elections. “While the popular vote is a good guide of who has the most support in each party, the number of delegates is what really counts. The candidate who earns a majority of delegates will win the nomination at the national convention. If no Democrat has enough delegates to win on the first ballot at the convention, then 'Super-Delegates' or Democrat elected officials, also get to vote in subsequent
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ballots. This primary process will continue until early June by which time all the states and U.S. Territories will have voted.” Some states like Iowa and Nevada hold caucuses instead of primaries. Caucuses are private events run by the parties in precincts across the state — not by the state government. This process takes hours and not minutes in contrast to primaries. Caucuses give parties more flexibility in determining the rules, including who can vote in them. A voter must physically show up at a site in that state (Iowa had 1,700 sites), stay and gather with voters for that same candidate. In Democratic caucuses, there are no ballots casted, and votes are determined by people standing in different groups around one large room. “The caucuses certainly play a very significant role in the election process,” said Mike Schmidt, a sophomore political science
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Focus. The DePaulia. Feb. 24, 2020 | 15
Key:
Recently changed to primaries
m aj or at DePaul. “The early cau- c u s e s often set a tone for the rest of the process. The structure is not well known and not everyone knows the distinctions.” Both primaries and caucuses are predicting tools for neral election and usually an easy place for candidates can nitial momentum. emocrats are fully looking to unseat President Trump. There are two candidates running against Trump — Bill Weld oque De La Fuente. Trump will likely be the Republican nee for the national election. per Tuesday is when most states and territories hold their ry elections. Some of the biggest states, like California and will hold their elections on that day. per Tuesday is when candidates win most of their prospecelegates for their party’s convention. About 40 percent of all tes can still be won for Democrats, while 30 percent is left publicans. This year, Super Tuesday will be on March 3.
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There are eight people still in the Democratic race: Joe Biden, Michael Bloomberg, Pete Buttigieg, Tulsi Gabbard, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, Tom Steyer and Elizabeth Warren. Results from earlier states could easily spread across the other candidates, but there is no all-but-confirmed Democratic nominee quite yet. With 155 delegates in Illinois still up for grabs — the sixth highest total amongst all 50 states — there will definitely be a clearer prediction for who will win the Democratic nominee after the state finishes its primaries. An election with this many candidates can often get overwhelming and quite confusing. DePaul junior and political science major, Alex Stamatis, said she thinks it is important for students to vote. “I think it's important to get involved in this presidential election because our country has been so politically polarized and it is important to get out and vote for someone who will address issues that are important to you,” she said. “I think some students do not make the effort to learn about the election because it can often get so messy. There are a lot of different candidates with different visions, and if you don’t keep up it can definitely get confusing.” Students and voters can use websites like isidewith.com and politico.com to read about different candidates and their positions on important topics such as healthcare, criminal justice, education, the economy and climate change.
Current caucus states
Total delegates needed for nomination:
1,991
GRAPHICS BY GINA RICARDS & ANNALISA BARANOWSKI | THE DEPAULIA
Arts & Life Musings on Music
16 | Arts & Life. The DePaulia. Feb. 24, 2020
COURTESY OF STEPHEN BURNS
Stephen Banks poses with his trumpet. The acclaimed musician will be joining DePaul’s School of Music as an adjunct professor of trumpet performance.
Trumpeter Stephen Burns joins DePaul School of Music, brings fresh ideas By Alayne Trinko Staff Writer
Standing tall in the afternoon sun, the Chicago Fine Arts Building reflected the hustle and bustle of Michigan Ave. in its windows. Inside, on the 9th floor of the performance hall, is the Fulcrum Point New Music Project suite — also known as the office and studio of internationally renown trumpeter, Stephen Burns. Burns will join theDePaul School of Music faculty next fall as an adjunct professor of trumpet. “DePaul is one of the great schools here,” Burns said. “I wanted to explore the intersection of traditional music education with what is the future of classical music, what is the future of jazz, what is the future of what I call new art music, and what is the future of pedagogy and how we integrate mindfulness and meditations into curriculum.” Burns, a Massachusetts native, grew up in a big Irish family. He was exposed to music at an early age, and his mother was an ardent trumpet player. One day, Burns and his family climbed into the attic, and while sifting through knickknacks and old treasures, Burns discovered his mother’s old trumpet. He put his lips to the mouthpiece, and the brassy ‘toot’ of the horn erupted through the instrument. From that moment on, Burns immersed himself within the world of music and made huge leaps — in his career and on his trumpet. He was accepted to The Juilliard School by age 17 and studied under a number of acclaimed conductors, composers and performers. He won the school’s concerto competition at 19, performing the Jolivet Concertino at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. By 1981, he was the first solo trumpeter to
win the Young Concert Artists International Auditions, resulting in debut performances at The Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall and The Hollywood Bowl. He won First Prize at the Maurice André International Competition for Trumpet in France in 1988. Burns has performed in the major concert halls of New York, Boston, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Houston, Vancouver, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Paris and Venice. He has even performed at the White House. Burns said his international experiences will translate into his teaching at DePaul through metaphor and analogy. “If you can paint the picture of standing on the ridge of an Alpine mountain and the Matterhorn is in the distance, what does that sound like?” he said. “And what does that sound like when it comes back? That’s inspiration — and imagination.” His European tours have taken him to Italy, France, Spain, Finland, Germany, Holland, Portugal and Switzerland for guest appearances with orchestras, as well as recitals and performances on radio and television. Committed to new music, Burns has written for trumpet, electronic music, chamber music and symphony orchestra. Further, he created the Fulcrum Point New Music Project. The project combines classical with contemporary music and created an adventurous studio that is committed to connecting “people of all generations and cultures through programs that inspire understanding, health and common values. Fulcrum Point welcomes and celebrates diverse, creative energies that enrich society through the arts,” according to its website. The conductor, trumpet virtuoso and composer swung open the door to his Fulcrum project office, revealing his studio space
HANNAH MITCHELL | THE DEPAULIA
Burns teaches one of his students how to practice meditation. filled with trumpets, mutes and sheet music ducting. The DePaul trumpet students have a covering every surface in a neat and orderly great opportunity to learn from him in private fashion. He demonstrated how to meditate lessons, studio class and ensembles.” and explained the importance of musicians’ For students, the addition of Stephen awareness and mindfulness. Burns said to Burns brings structure to the trumpet studio find a comfortable seated position, feet flat environment. on the floor, hands resting on the knees and “I knew Stephen Burns’ name before I sitting tall and proud. Focus on connecting to started school at DePaul and knew he was a the breath, he said. The breath is “grounding” great educator in the Chicagoland area,” said and reminds Burns to reflect on gratitude. Robert Obrochta, a sophomore in the music “A real artist connects with their vulner- school. “I expect Burns to bring a sense of ability and expresses from there,” Burns said. confidence and order to the trumpet studio.” Burns looks forward to teaching new Stephen Burns is known internationally concepts and theories as well as immersing for his artistry, musicianship and pedagogy. himself in the camaraderie that comes with But what stands out the most about Burns as becoming a part of the trumpet studio at De- a musician and as a person is his unshakeable Paul. He said he is excited to make an atmo- connectedness with the world around and sphere that is “collegial, fun and ambitious.” within him. “Stephen Burns is a huge acquisition “It’s about connecting with inner expresfor the DePaul trumpet studio,” said David sion,” Burns said. “It’s about connecting with Cohen, an adjunct trumpet professor at De- beauty and appreciation for what it means Paul. “He is an incredibly accomplished and to be human. Birds sing. Dogs bark. People seasoned performer with ample experience make music.” in trumpet pedagogy and new music con-
Arts & Life. The DePaulia. Feb. 24, 2020 | 17
Oscar-winning ‘Hair Love’ pulls heartstrings, celebrates Black hair By Chinyere Ibeh Staff Writer
“Hair Love,” a seven-minute animated film written and directed by Chicago native Matthew A. Cherry, is a story of a father doing his daughter’s hair for the first time. The short film has a brilliant way of telling a compassionate story while talking about an issue so important to an entire community. “Hair Love” uses its seven-minute run to tell a heartfelt story about a couple and their daughter while tackling a heavy topic. The film begins with some upbeat music and shows a little African American girl with who has a big afro. She scrolls through a YouTube channel called Hair Love that details how one could do their natural hair. She chooses a video and she tries to follow along, but she fails – miserably. Cue in her father – he comes in and sees how messed up her hair is and attempts to grab a beanie to cover it up. Funnily, the little girl uses a blow dryer to blow away the beanie as if to say “Nope! We are doing my hair!” In the next few moments, the father is seen using a comb and essentially wrestling with his daughter’s hair. We see the father in a wrestling ring with the hair – it has become a monstrous being of its own. With the wrestling scene, “Hair Love” captures the struggle that Black girls deal with when it comes to their natural hair. It’s a metaphor for how Black girls have to go the extra mile to find the right products and the right way to their hair. The father then gives up and puts the beanie on her head; the little girl leaves the room crying. Hair can be a huge part one’s identity, and the film is able to demonstrate why hair is taken so seriously. The father and daughter duo refer back to the YouTube video and they have an understanding moment. They are able to do the girl’s hair perfectly fine and they leave to go visit someone. They wind up going to a hospital to visit the girl’s mom, who happened to be the woman behind the YouTube channel. The mother had lost all of her hair due to her sickness. At this moment, the significance of the YouTube channel becomes apparent. The channel serves as a deeper connection between mother and daughter. A vast majority of the film is silent, the only noise being background music and the mother’s voice in the YouTube video. The film relies on the facial expressions of all parties, including the funny cat. The film puts a funny twist on a serious issue that Black girls and women face on a regular basis. The wrestling match, the funny cat, and the beanie all add a lighthearted
COURTESY OF @HAIRLOVENMOVIE ON INSTAGRAM
“Hair Love,” directed by Matthew A. Cherry, details a father doing his daughter’s hair for the first time. The short film won an Oscar. tone to a topic that can be so heavy. Taking such a lighthearted approach can help people understand the complexity of African American hair. Many may not understand what goes into making African American hair presentable. Presentable in the sense that other people in society may accept it. There have been many instances where African American men and women have been fired from jobs for wearing braids or their natural hair. In some cases, students were kicked out of school or school extracurricular activities for wearing their natural hair. According to a 2017 New York Times article, a young black woman had been
working at Banana Republic was told by a white manager that “her braids were not ‘Banana Republic appropriate,’ that they were too ‘unkempt’ and ‘urban.’” The manager told her that she wouldn’t be scheduled for another shift until she took out the braids. The woman tried explaining herself by stating her braids protected her hair from becoming coarse in the cold weather. He suggested that she should “try some shea butter.” The manager was ultimately fired. According to the same article, a Black high school wrestler was told that his dreadlocks violated competition rules. He had to cut off his dreads in order to compete in the competition or else he would
have to forfeit. NBC News also reported that a sixyear-old boy was turned away from a private Christian academy because his hair extended below his ears. A girl in New Orleans was sent home from a Catholic school for wearing braids. Despite its brevity, “Hair Love” is able to communicate a heavy topic amongst the Black community in a comedic and compassionate way. The short film shows the common struggle of Black girls when it comes to their hair. The side plot with the mother and the YouTube was also handled so beautifully. “Hair Love” sheds light on a heavy topic that deserves more conversation.
18 | Arts & Life. The DePaulia. Feb. 24, 2020
More than a TikTok sensation
COURTESY OF PUBLIC BAND
PUBLIC, pictured above, wrote a song that went viral on TikTok. “It’s kinda like the track is a bigger presence than the band is, which is something we’re trying to work on now.”
Viral song ‘Make You Mine’ is by PUBLIC — and they want you to know that By Charlie Bevins Staff Writer
The Tuesday-night Thalia Hall crowd came together in harmony as Tom Higgenson of Plain White T’s-fame led them through the final bar of “Hey There Delilah.” The roaring enthusiasm replaced the disappointed sigh released by the crowd after hearing that PUBLIC, famous for the song behind the TikTok sensation “Make You Mine,” would be unavailable after coming down with the flu. The Band of Brothers Road Show, a collaborated tour of American Authors and MAGIC GIANT, with PUBLIC, was on its Chicago leg of the tour. Higgenson’s performance was followed by a round of Plinko to decide which of the two bands would perform first, MAGIC GIANT ultimately being the victors. The energy of their indie-folk, altrock electricity was embodied by the frayed hairs of Zambrick Li’s viola bow. American Authors followed, whose arrival was circled by Adam Galante and Andrew Waite since November. The two have been fans since the saw American Authors with the Frey. “What they brought to the music in a live venue was just so cool,” said Waite. The show was an exciting collision of bands from different backgrounds, with Tom Higgenson’s opening being the surprise addition to the performance. Rebranded as Million Miler, he brought on stage Fairview, a local duo who are members of his independent, Chicago-based label, Humans Were Here. Higgenson came to fame in an era far removed from today’s. His “traditional” rise came in a world that preceded social media, a marked difference from the world lived in by the void he filled. PUBLIC’s ascension is a story oft-heard in today’s music landscape. Comprised of Ben Lapps on percussion, John Vaughn on guitar and lead vocals and Matthew Alvarado on bass, synth and vocals, the trio met in their high school jazz band in Cincinnati. Their first EP, “Red,” was released in 2012 and they soon began to open for bands such as
Twenty One Pilots and Walk the Moon. They experienced the grind every new band goes through, taking advantage of every opportunity that presented itself. “We’ve been a band that played every opening slot we could while self-releasing our music,” Vaughn said. “Learning everything we could from the artists we’ve toured.” PUBLIC’s music has a fun, energetic tone, with a wide variety of influences that include pop, rock, funk and disco. Their discography offers a variety of sounds for listeners. “We like to think there’s a little something for everyone in our catalog,” said Vaughn. “And if you see us live, it all melds into a high-energy rock and roll show.” Amongst such tracks as “Sugarcane,” a raucous articulation of feeling in love, or “One That I Want,” a euphonious confession of love, it was “Make You Mine” that soared. Released in 2014, “Make You Mine” was written by Vaughn while in a piano class during college. He’s said before that it’s a song to celebrate the little things in a relationship instead of the grandiose, sexualized elements that are emphasized in other music. The song serves as a reminder that small gestures are crucial to a relationship. “I was in a piano class in college and I was supposed to be working on a scale,” said Vaughn. “I ended up playing the notes in the hook and went home as soon as I could to write the chorus. A little later we took the song into Ben’s parent’s basement and fleshed out the full arrangement. I was in the middle of my first serious relationship, so I had a lot to pull from for the lyrical content.” A few years down the road on the video-sharing app TikTok, people began announcing their love for somebody, either asking them for marriage or simply asking them out, with “Make You Mine” as the background song. And thus, the “Make You Mine Challenge” was born. The viral sensation captured the internet’s eye and the song gained great deal of popularity. The song’s music video received over 12 million views in a span of only four months and was on Spotify’s U.S. Viral 50 chart.
“Make You Mine” receives its most streams from outside the U.S., according to Lapps. “While we always felt that ‘Make You Mine’ was a special song, and there was definitely something magical about the recording, I don’t think any of us anticipated the viral nature of the track,” said Lapps. “We loved playing it live and hoped people would enjoy it there, but all of the TikTok attention starting last year definitely surprised us.” Social media radically changed the music industry. Since early YouTube sensations like Justin Bieber, the internet has served as another platform for artists to be discovered or to take off, and PUBLIC is another example of a group that received that boost. “It’s changed absolutely everything,” Alvarado said of TikTok. “I think even more specifically than just the access to new music, it’s also given life to older songs and undiscovered artists that may have once been cast aside or forgotten and brought new life into those projects. We’re pretty much a prime example of the power of TikTok and what it’s capable of doing.” But while TikTok fueled the massive popularity of “Make You Mine,” it’s also been an obstacle for PUBLIC in and of itself. People often associate the band with the song and not the other way around. There is more to PUBLIC than a song that blew up on TikTok, a song they still take pride in, but not a song that is only part of who they are. “People seem to be so familiar with the track ‘Make You Mine,’ that not a lot of people know and/or yet care that our band created that song,” said Alvarado. “It’s kinda like the track is a bigger presence than the band is, which is something we’re trying to work on now.” “Of course we love the track and the attention it’s getting, but there’s so much more to PUBLIC’s identity than just the breakout track. We’ve got personalities we want to display and upcoming new music that we’re all very excited about. As John likes to put it, these are ‘Champagne Problems’ that the band is more than happy to have.” At their fundamental core, PUBLIC is a
MADDY MAE | THE DEPAULIA
The violinist from Magic Giants performs. band that maintains the original purpose of many bands: A group of people who come together to create music they are passionate about. They bring energy to their shows and that energy is reciprocated by their fans. They’re fueled by a love for making music and a love for playing their instruments. The story of PUBLIC is not yet finished, and “Make You Mine” may only be a chapter. “Now that we have a really solid team in place behind us, we’ve found less time to ourselves and more time flying in for one-off shows, radio visits, or writing sessions – just staying really busy overall,” said Alvarado. “If there were a singular point of focus right now, it would be: How far can we take ‘Make You Mine’ and how do we follow that up? There’s a lot of work that’s been put in, but still a lot more to go.” Their desire is to not to live off one piece of work, but to sustain musical output. Satisfying their fans with only one hit song isn’t enough for PUBLIC. They want to build a strong relationship with their followers and be more than a TikTok sensation. And they’re on their way. In Alvarado’s words, they’ve “got a lot of fuel we’re adding to the PUBLIC fire.”
Arts & Life. The DePaulia. Feb. 24, 2020 | 19
Lineup-palooza Here’s what to expect this year at Lolla By Cailey Gleeson Nation & World Editor
It’s that time of the year again – Lollapalooza lineup speculation season. Convenient gaps in touring schedules, new releases and other festival lineups serve as the basis for the majority of fan predictions. With tickets and the lineup dropping in a month, social media is buzzing with fans’ hopes – some more carefully constructed than others – for who will rock the stage in Grant Park this year. Speculated acts like The 1975 and Kim Petras have already been confirmed while others,like My Chemical Romance and Rage Against The Machine, have been counted out. Lana Del Rey It’s been four years since Lana Del Rey made a Lolla appearance. “Norman Fucking Rockwell” came out just weeks after the fest last year, so she wasn’t able to headline. She stopped in Chicago at the beginning of November for a show at the Aragon Ballroom, but the West Coast is the only focus of her upcoming dates in the U.S. She’s secured a headlining spot for Lolla in Argentina, Brazil and Chile – so it’s pretty safe to say her name will also grace the Chicago edition of the lineup. Billie Eilish Billie Eilish has come a long way from her 2018 set at the Tito’s Stage. Her debut album “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?” came out in 2019 and quickly dominated the charts. She’s collaborated with long-time idol Justin Bieber on a “bad guy” remix. She’s the youngest artist to ever record a track for the James Bond franchise. Her Coachella set last year was packed to the brim, so expect a similar situation in Grant Park this summer. Not only is Eilish speculated to be on the lineup, she may just be one of the headliners – especially given the fact she’s been confirmed as a headliner for the Paris edition of the
festival in July.
Lizzo Lizzo’s last Lolla appearance was in 2018, right before her career really took off as “Truth Hurts” dominated the charts. The only thing that makes a performance less likely than other speculated acts is she’s not set to perform at any other Lolla’s this year. Despite this, the success she’s experienced alone makes her a likely candidate. Plus, like many other potential Lolla headliners, she’s a confirmed headliner at other festivals, namely Bonnaroo and Osheaga over the summer. Who knows – maybe her new friend Harry Styles will make a guest appearance at the set too, since the duo covered “Juice” at her Miami show. Vampire Weekend Ezra Koening promised fresh Vampire Weekend tunes at the group’s last Lolla set in 2018. With the release of “Father of the Bride” in 2019, it’s only fitting that Koening bring the long-awaited release to fans at Lolla again. They’re another potential headlining act this year, but it really will come down to who else is announced. The group is slated to perform at every international version of Lolla, and also has spots on Bonnaroo, Governor’s Ball and Osheaga festival lineups. Plus, Chicago is conveniently missing from their list of tour dates into October. A Day To Remember A Day To Remember’s appearance is equally likely at either Lollapalooza or Riot Fest this year. Their newest album, “You’re Welcome,”was supposed to be released in November but got pushed back. The post-hardcore group is slated to perform at each international version of the festival, but a Riot Fest appearance almost seems more appropriate given their genre. Either way, expect to “disrespect your surroundings” at a set to remember at some point in Chicago this year.
ART BY ALICIA GOLUSZKA
20| Arts & Life. The DePaulia. Feb. 24, 2020
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Arts & Life. The DePaulia. Feb. 24, 2020 | 21
Perfectly fried Parson’s Chicken & Fish offers delectable food at reasonable price
KEIRA WINGATE | THE DEPAULIA
Fish sandwich with slaw, American cheese, hot sauce, aioli and north star pickles served with house-made potato chips.
By Keira Wingate Asst. Arts & Life Editor
The Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago offers a diverse list of restaurants, bars and cafes right off the Fullerton CTA station. The bustling people, DePaul campus and more fill the area with constant energy. Such an area was the perfect location for a new Parson’s Chicken & Fish restaurant. The new location gives an older style diner vibe on the outside with a classic white and red theme. The restaurant’s Christmas lights are still up, which really addto the charm. Inside it takes you into a very modern and industrial style with a hint of green. Although it is named Parson’s Chicken & Fish, the restaurant’s aesthetic doesn’t feel like that is the type of food you’ll get. The two page menu offers all things fried and some not - starting with what they call fresh and moving to fried. There are plenty of options for food and their extensive drinking menu complements the selection. There is a section for beer, canned beer and even beer cocktails, on top of frozen slushies, cocktails and wine. The point is, do not worry about leaving with an empty stomach. There were far too many things to choose from, but I was lucky enough to be able to try a solid nine things off the menu and not one single thing was disappointing - the small chair maybe, but that’s about it. It is a big space and did not feel overcrowded and you couldn’t hear word for word
KEIRA WINGATE | THE DEPAULIA
Hush puppies filled with ham, cream cheese and scallions, served with harissa aioli. what the table next to you was saying. expensive, I will say that for the quality and The restaurant lets you seat yourself, amount of food, it is worth it. Justifying $4 which I personally enjoy has a customer, on toast is easy when they give you six slicbut can see how it could cause disorgani- es to munch on. zation as an employee. Nonetheless, the The sides of mac and cheese, potatoes service was stellar and the waitress broke and texas toast all felt and tasted homedown the menu as well as giving her rec- made. The potatoes in particular tasted ommendations with a splash of humor and like they came straight out of a Thanksgivpinch of sass. ing feast.. The mac was delectably creamy I was able to try the mac and cheese, and gave you that baked crispy topping mashed potatoes and gravy, texas toast, we all need and love. The toast was a surhush puppies, fried chicken sandwich, fried prise. With what just looked like regular fish sandwich, and fried chicken. If read- toast came with a hint of spice and salt. The ing that doesn’t make your mouth water, toast comes seasoned and paired well when it should. Although the menu is somewhat dipped in the gravy covered potatoes.
The main course, which consisted of the two sandwiches and fried chicken, were just as perfectly cooked as the sides. Of course, anything fried here was bound to be delicious. Parson’s has mastered the perfect amount of crisp and juiceness. Both the fish and fried chicken sandwich paired well with the american cheese, hot sauce and a plethora of other toppings. Nothing can beat the perfect balance of a crispy piece of meat on a toasted buttered bun. The two pieces of fried chicken, a thigh and a leg were so juicy that one bite in, my cheek was hit with lava I’d assume. I powered through due to the incredible fried skin. The dark meat was wonderful and you can tell the recipe has been mastered. There was not one thing that didn’t taste great with the fried chicken, but that is not surprising. The Moscow Mule and Cosmo-Not were used to wash down the taste explosion. Though fruity and sweet, they fell short with the alcohol. They were reasonably priced drinks, but I expected a strong alcohol flavor. Parson’s Chicken & Fish chose the right location and is bound to be a hit once it gets warmer, with a fun outdoor area and bar with plenty of room to dance with inviting lights and what looks like wooden bleachers to sit on when you are partied out. Whether it is fried or not, the options give anyone the chance to enjoy these home cooked flavored foods, great people and atmosphere.
22 | Arts & Life. The DePaulia. Feb. 24, 2020
PREVIEW: BIFF
Our chief film critic on what to expect at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival By Michael Brzezinski Editor-in-Chief
Now that the Sundance Film Festival has come and gone with immense grace and excitement towards what 2020 has to bring us cinematically, it is officially time for the International Festival circuit to boot up with the 70th Berlin International Film Festival. The first of many big European fests to debut the newest works from the World’s best and brightest. Last year saw the debut of such hits as Nadav Lapid’s Golden Bear winning “Synonyms,” Angela Schlanelec’s masterful “I Was At Home, But…” (set to play at the Gene Siskel Film Center on Feb. 28th), Agnes Varda’s final documentary feature “Varda by Agnes,” and the stunning decades-inthe-making Aretha Franklin concert doc “Amazing Grace.” This year sees a grand jury at the forefront of the festival headed by Jeremy Irons with fantastic seasoned names like “Manchester by the Sea” filmmaker Kenneth Lonergan, French actress Berenice Bejo (most well known for “The Artists”), Italian actor Luca Marinelli (fresh off acclaim for his performance in last year’s “Martin Eden”), and Brazillian filmmaker behind the buzzy upcoming “Bacurau” Kleber Mendoca Filho. Here’s a sneak peek at some of the biggest and most note-worthy films playing at the festival: “Berlin Alexanderplatz” (Dir. Burhan Qurbani) The most important and well-regarded book of the Weimar Republic about a murderer who is fresh out of prison who tries desperately not to succumb to the harshness of living in Berlin in the wake of Nazism gets a modern day update. The last time this film adapted for the silver screen was with Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s masterful 1980 miniseries. While that may be hard to top, there is no doubt that Qurbani’s update will be just as relevant if not also just as masterful. “First Cow” (Dir. Kelly Reichardt) Kelly Reichardt’s small-scale and sensitive portrait of a blossoming friendship and business on the Oregon trail garnered universal acclaim at the Telluride Film Festival last August. It is poised to be a break out hit when it debuts in the United States on March 6th, which would be amazing for Reichardt who has been working as one of America’s best underground filmmakers. “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” (Dir. Eliza Hittman) One of Sundance’s biggest hits was this timely and very important portrait of two cousins on an impromptu road trip following an unplanned pregnancy. It opens in the United States on March 13th. “The Roads Not Taken” (Dir. Sally Potter) Another specialty release planned for a March bow is Sally Potter’s audacious and emotional tale about a father and daughter bonded by his deteriorating mental state as they both consider their past and potential futures. Potter has been one my favorite under-the-radar filmmakers with her experimental period piece “Orlando” being one of the most underrated films of its time. Hopefully this film strikes a chord and lands her on the map in a more substantial way.
5 Fun Facts about Leap Year By Keira Wingate Asst. Arts & Life Editor
PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDB
“Berlin Alexanderplatz,” directed by Burhan Qurbani.
PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDB
“First Cow,” directed by Kelly Reichardt.
PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDB
“The Road Not Taken,” directed by Sally Potter. “Siberia” (Dir. Abel Ferrara) World renowned and controversial provocateur Abel Ferrara is back with his 6th collaboration with Willem Dafoe. Much of this film is under wraps though it is described on the website as “An exploration into the language of dreams.” Sounds like we’re all in for a delightfully idiosyncratic and twisty film. There’s really nothing more one could ask for out these two working together again.
“Undine” (Dir. Christian Petzold) Famed German auteur Christian Petzold returns to the festival where he debuted his best film yet, “Transit,” in 2018. Now he re-teams with two leads from that film for this modern take on the Undine myth centered around a water nymph who falls in love with a man. But if the man leaves her, she must kill him and return to the sea. It sounds every bit as thrilling as what we’ve come to expect with Petzold.
Leap day is approaching once again, falling on Saturday the 29. As it arrives, it evokes curiosity to the history, folk tales and traditions. There are some interesting aspects of this unique day that spark interesting conversation and fun surprises. Here are a few fun facts about leap year. 1. You may not know that ancient Egyptians actually discovered that the solar year and the calendar year do not match up. Because of this, it takes the Earth longer than a year to travel around the Sun, exactly 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds. The hours that accumulate over the centuries occasionally add an extra day to the calendar. It was the Romans that first designated February 29 as leap day. 2. If you were born on leap day then you are what is known as a “leapling.” According to astrologers, if you were born on leap day, then you were born under the sign of Pisces. Leap day babies are known to be more independent and want to go their own way as well as having a more optimistic spirit. Those are also Pisces traits as well. Some famous people born on leap day are Ja Rule, Dinah Shore and Tony Robbins. 3. A well known folk tale about leap day explains that women can propose to men on this day. This began in the 5th century Ireland, when St. Bridget complained to St. Patrick about the fair sex having to wait for men to propose. The first documentation of a woman proposing to a man on this day dates back to 1288, when Scotland supposedly passed a law allowing it. If a man declines a proposal in a leap year, they must pay a fine. That fine ranges between a kiss to paying for a silk dress or gloves so the woman doesn’t have to show her ringless hand. 4. In Taiwan and Russia, there are some superstitions and traditions carried out in a leap year. In Russia, it is believed that leap year brings more freak weather patterns and a greater risk of death. Also it says that beans and peas planted in a leap year will not grow the proper way. In Taiwan, married daughters traditionally return home during the month of February because it is known to bring bad health to parents otherwise. The daughters are supposed to bring pig trotter noodles to wish them good health and fortune. 5. Some interesting historical events have happened during leap years. George Armstrong Custer, a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War, fought the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876. In 1912, the Titanic sank and in the leap year of 1752, Benjamin Franklin discovered electricity. In 1848, gold was discovered in California.
Arts & Life. The DePaulia. Feb. 24, 2020 | 23
The ‘soul’ cycle of life By Jessica Rish Contributing Writer
The fitness industry is full of fads. One year hot yoga was the only acceptable form of yoga. The next, pilates was all the rage. Following pilates was Crossfit, which, to some, was the only valid way of working out. Most recently, the biggest fitness trend has been cycling, and more specifically, SoulCycle. SoulCycle has taken the world by storm and gained a cult following. With 86 locations in the U.S., two locations in London and three in the Chicago area including Old Town, Southport and the loop, it seems like the whole world is talking about SoulCycle. It’s a fitness class that doesn’t just focus on working out or burning calories, but aims to nourish the soul, much like the name suggests. According to its website, “SoulCycle is way more than a workout, it’s a sanctuary. A safe space to ride through whatever you’re facing, celebrate your accomplishments, and sweat it all out on the bike. Emerge feeling stronger, like the best version of yourself-because moving your body changes your soul.” SoulCycle takes their craft very seriously. From the aesthetic to the rituals conducted in class, SoulCycle stands out. Each morning starts the same at the cycling chain, with a citrus candle burning at the front desk and a friendly receptionist greeting the riders. The riders make their way into the warm room, which is painted black and filled with ambient lighting powered by only a few candles. However, SoulCycle has a strict start time; the doors close one minute before the class starts, leaving everyone in the room ready to focus on their ride and leaving their inhibitions on the other side. SoulCycle describes this practice as, “you surrender to the beat of the music and get lost in the energy of the room. You move, you ride, and you push towards the finish line – together.” DePaul junior Mark Rayski went to his first SoulCycle class in early 2018 out of pure curiosity. “I first heard about it on social media because a bunch of YouTubers I used to watch were always talking about it,” Rayski said. “I thought if they were going all the time, then I should try it because it was popular, so it had to be a good workout or fun.”
Much like Rayski, a recent graduate from North Park University, Zachary Moore, who is an avid gym goer, had piqued interest in SoulCycle after trying multiple different spin classes; however, he wasn’t hooked instantly. Moore went to his first class in 2018 and just started going back to SoulCycle consistently this past fall. “[SoulCycle] has a different flow then I had been used to,” Moore said. “They do a lot of different things that other cycling classes don’t do.” SoulCycle combines cardio and strength training to deliver a calorie burning workout. On average, riders can burn anywhere from 600 to 800 calories during a class. According to Womenshealthmag.com, cycling is one of the best calorie burning exercises, especially in intervals, which is what SoulCycle focuses on and what sets them apart from other spin
classes. Rayski is a big fan of these SoulCycle-specific rituals as they not only guide him through his workout, but give him a moment to take care of himself mentally. “There is a moment where you take a song for yourself and think about what you need, what you want, a moment where you go internal,” Rayski said. “It’s nice because I don’t sit throughout the day and think about how I am doing, so I look forward to that.” Another common ritual at SoulCycle is blowing out the candles that illuminate the room. At the end of each class, the instructor will pick a few riders to blow out the candles after they have had a good ride or are celebrating a special event, like reaching 50 rides or even their birthday. Recently, Rayski blew out a candle on his 21st birthday after wanting to do it for such a long time.
“It was super nice, super motivating and a good feeling,” said Rayski. Moore is one of the many riders who come for not only the intense workout, but the instructors. SoulCycle instructors have to go through rigorous training to not only teach the class, but to motivate the riders to do their best. “The instructors are super motivating,” Moore said. “They are top-notch and know what they are doing and make it fun because they make it feel like you aren’t working even though you are.” Ryan Jones has been a SoulCycle instructor at the Old Town studio since 2017 and sees a lot of people come through the studio. He loves to see riders grow from their first visit to when they become committed to riding. Moore and Rayski go to Jones’ class every Tuesday morning for Taylor Swift Tuesday. “I think people like Soul so much is because it is a physical workout, but also a mental workout,” Jones said. “I want people to know just as much as Soul focuses on physical health, we are also passionate about mental health. It keeps people coming back despite their hesitations.” While SoulCycle looks great on paper, it can be an expensive endeavor, with each class costing $30. Recently, SoulCycle announced a student discount for student riders, which only costs $20. It also costs $3 to rent riding shoes, but Rayski suggests purchasing your own so they fit perfectly and motivate you to go to class. “It’s expensive, but it’s worth it,” Rayski said. “The student discount is super nice because they are incentivizing students to go because they focus on mental health, too, in the classes, and I know students struggle with mental health a lot, I know I relate, so it shows that they care.” Although expensive, both Moore and Rayski agree that SoulCycle is not only an experience like no other but a workout like no other. Regardless of what type of workout, Moore encourages everyone to at least tryout SoulCycle once as it has taught him how to be more healthy in all aspects of life. “I do feel like it’s worth it at the end of the day,” Moore said. “You only have one body; you only have one life; you should put as much care and love into it as you can.” GRAPHIC BY ANNALISA BARANOWSKI
‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ brings witty entertainment By Lauren Coates Contributing Writer
Although there will certainly be higher-grossing films this year, there are few other 2020 releases that have generated as much pre-release discourse as “Sonic the Hedgehog.” I’m speaking, of course, about the internet’s garbage fire that ensued after the film’s first trailer was released online, sparking mass outcry and collective horror due to Sonic’s laughably terrible character design. However, after pushing back the release date a few months and overhauling Sonic’s design into something a little less nightmare-inducing, the second trailer pacified naysayers. Valentine’s Day has finally come and gone, and with it, the release of “Sonic the Hedgehog” a film which, surprisingly, is nowhere near as upsetting or mind-numbing as many thought it would be. Although it’s not perfect, the combination of an entertaining – and at times genuinely witty – script and a committed performance from Jim Carrey make “Sonic the Hedgehog” an experience worth undertaking. Following Ben Schwartz as the titular blue alien, “Sonic the Hedgehog” tells the
story of Sonic teaming up with a small town police chief, Tom (James Marsden) as he attempts to escape the wrath of the Doctor Robotnik (Jim Carrey), a psychotic genius obsessed with capturing Sonic’s speed. The first (and most noticable) aspect of the film is it’s animation – pushing back the release a few months was clearly the right move. Sonic himself is just as bright and spirited as you hope he’d be, and his design channels the spirit of the original game as if it were made 3D and brought to life. Although at times watching him interact with the real world is a little odd (there are a few scenes where Tom is holding Sonic in his arms which looks distinctly wrong in a way I can’t describe) the whole animation is strong. As for Sonic himself, Ben Schwartz gives a solid performance. Although he’s an odd choice for a voice actor considering that in the narrative of the story, Sonic is apparently supposed to be a child. Schwartz has good chemistry with Marsden and they make for a passable lead duo, although their interactions do sometimes seem forced (Sonic flosses more than once, a reference which, by now, is more than a little outdated). Although it is a film aimed at children,
many jokes do fall flat, and the hokey aspect of the entire affair is not helped by the numerous instances in which product placement is integrated with no attempt at subtlety. However, much of this contravity can be forgiven thanks to the work of one man: Jim Carrey. He is cartoonish in the best possible meaning of the word – Carrey’s performance is reminiscent of his over-thetop antics in classic films like “The Mask.” As Robotnik he’s consistently the funniest part of the movie - a true scene stealer. Carrey gives 110 percent in terms of physicality as well – it’s just the right amount of exaggeration for a film about an animated blue hedgehog with superspeed. Although Sonic is the animated character, Carrey brings so much energy to this role that he himself seems like a generated collection of pixels as well. Also enjoyable – but not as attention-grabbing – is Lee Madjoub as Robotnik’s government-issued sidekick - although he’s not in very many scenes, he plays well off of Carrey’s spastic energy with his calm, placating demeanor. The rest of the cast is serviceable but generally unremarkable – Tika Sumpter
plays Tom’s wife Maddie, and although she isn’t bad, her character on the whole feels unnecessary and brings little to the table. The film itself is well-paced and rarely feels bogged down or like it’s wasting time, and the action scenes are sprinkled in just the right places to tick the “superhero” quota and keep things interesting outside of what is basically a road trip movie. While it may not be a perfect movie or even a great one, “Sonic the Hedgehog” is a worthy adaptation of a well-loved video game, and the film has just the right amounts of star power and cleverness to propel it out of the dredges that video game adaptation usually find themselves in.
GRAPHIC BY ANNALISA BARANOWSKI
24 | Arts &Life. The DePaulia. Feb. 24w, 2020
St.Vincent’s D e JAMZ “Spinning fresh beats since 1581” By Keira Wingate Asst. Arts & Life Editor
With my birthday this weekend, I have been blasting certain songs that get me in the mood to hang out with my friends and enjoy my 24th birthday! There are a mix of songs that have been filling me ears this week and all require some form of dance and grooving. From rap, hip-hop and reggaeton, this mix is bound to get your body moving. Here are five of the 100 plus songs that are on my birthday playlist! 1. Konclusions YG & Kehlani YG & Kehlani finally released a song together and it could not be more perfect. YG’s rapping goes along well with the sweet voice of Kehlani. Both of them have completely different styles, but together the flow is there and highlights their strengths. Here is to hoping that they will have more
singles together. 2. Know Your Worth Khalid & Disclosure What is categorized as R&B/Soul actually has a hint of electronic vibes because of Disclosure, of course. Khalid hasn’t done much of this style of music before, but the electronic duo gives him the perfect opportunity to cross over. His voice carries well with the uplifting beat and lyrics of the song. After the release of his album “Free Spirit” in 2019, this song shows a slightly more upbeat song that suits his voice well. 3. Rules Doja Cat Doja Cat blew up after taking Twitter by storm with her song “MOOO!” and since then has become one of the most popular female rappers/singers in the industry. Her debut album “Hot Pink” came out in 2019 with some songs even becoming dancing trends on TikTok. The album has a great variety of soul, rap and hip-hop.
Crossword
“Rules” is probably the best song on the album because of the sassy lyrics and bad b**** energy. 4. Baila Baila Baila Ozuna, Daddy Yankee & J Balvin Daddy Yankee has been putting out hit songs consistently over the past couple of years, even performing in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade this past year. All three singers focus their songs in the reggaeton genre. “Baila Baila Baila” offers what is called Urbano latino and the fast beat and catchy lyrics make it easy to break a sweat on the dance floor. 5. Excited Ant Clemons & Ty Dolla $ign In 2019, Ant Clemons blew up after moving to Los Angeles in 2017. Since then he has released over 15 singles and has songs with Timbaland and Ty Dolla $ign. This single is different than what Dolla $ign typically puts out and is more
of a hip-hop soulful style rather than rap. The song itself has loving lyrics, even saying they get “butterflies.” If Clemons stays on the path he is on, he will 100 percent become as big as artists such as Khalid and The Weeknd.
Sports
Sports. The DePaulia. Feb. 24, 2020 | 25
Leitao’s tenure
ALEXA SANDLER | THE DEPAULIA
DePaul men’s basketball Head Coach Dave Leitao looks down before his team’s 91-71 loss to No. 12 Villanova on Wednesday at Wintrust Arena.
By Lawrence Kreymer Sports Editor
When Oliver Purnell was fired in 2015, DePaul embarked on its third head coaching search since 2005. Athletic Director Jean Lenti Ponsetto and a consulting firm looked at numerous candidates in the spring of 2015, with Bobby Hurley and Bryce Drew being the front-runners in the beginning. But Lenti Ponsetto ended up hiring Dave
Leitao, who was the head coach at DePaul from 2002-05 and guided the Blue Demons to one NCAA Tournament appearance in 2004 — which is still their last appearance in the big dance. After the 2004-05 season, Leitao left DePaul to be the head coach at the University of Virginia until he left the program in 2009. Leitao spent the 2011-12 coaching the Maine Red Claws in the G-League, before he went to Missouri from 2012-14 and then to Tulsa the following year as an assistant coach.
DARRYL WEBB/AP
Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley pumps his fist after his team upset Oregon 77-72 on Thursday in Tempe, Ariz. The Sun Devils are 19-8 this season.
BOBBY HURLEY
- First season: 2015-16 - Overall record: 92-66 - Pac-12 record: 42-44 - NCAA Tournaments: 2
- First season: 2015-16 - Overall record: 62-95 - Big East record: 18-68 - Last place: 3 times - Contract expires April 2020 Lenti Ponsetto, however, chose to bring back Leitao instead of Hurley and Drew — who were both viewed as better options during the time. Since 2015, Leitao has an overall record of 62-95 and a 18-68 record in the Big East. Hurley, on the other hand, went to Arizona State in 2015 after coaching at Buffalo, and has guided the Sun Devils to two consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and now has them in position to earn another bid later this season. Drew, however, was
most recently the head coach at Vanderbilt for three seasons before being let go at the end of the 2018-19 season. The 45-year-old coach took Vanderbilt to one NCAA Tournament appearance in his first season, but then went winless in the SEC in his last year. Leitao’s five-year contract is coming to an end after this season, and DePaul might be back in the market for a new head coach — which would be the fourth hire Lenti Ponsetto would have to make since 2002.
MARK HUMPHREY/AP
Byrce Drew was the head coach at Vanderbilt from 2016-2019, guiding the program to one NCAA Tournament appearance and one winless season in the SEC.
BRYCE DREW
- First season: 2016-17* - Overall record: 40-66 - SEC record: 16-38 - Last place: 1 time * three seasons at Vanderbilt
26 | Sports. The DePaulia. Feb. 24, 2020
Men get first win in over a month, show signs of life By Nate Burleyson Asst. Sports Editor
The DePaul men’s basketball team found nothing but troubles in the Big East this season. In a conference that has been a slugfest every night, it seemed the Blue Demons were about finished after eight straight losses. Yet on Saturday night against Georgetown, the team found some of that life and magic they had been searching for since a win against Butler on Jan. 19, winning a 74-68 contest where they looked like a rejuvenated bunch. DePaul and Head Coach Dave Leitao were sitting at 12-1 before the new year with thoughts of being ranked and the NCAA tournament hopes in line for many fans. Then came the 1-12 stretch in conference play, and after their eighth straight loss on Wednesday’s 86-66 thrashing to Villanova, Leitao said this was “more about life than it was about basketball.” Even the most diehard fans had lost most of their hope, and the experts had all forgotten about the team’s postseason hopes. The win against Georgetown saw a display of what had made the team so great at the midway point, quick, efficient offense, stifling man-defense and alley-oops that got the Wintrust Arena crowd on its feet. At this point in the season, the Blue Demons are playing for seeding in the Big East tournament, where they hope to get higher than 10th in the conference. Regardless, they will need a showing at Madison Square Garden that would be nothing short of an ultimate Cinderella story if they hope to make the NCAA tournament. But there can still be a little bit of fun at the end of the regular season that hasn’t been kind to DePaul. The game started with a locked-in frontcourt of Paul Reed and Jaylen Butz, with point guard Charlie Moore running a quick, energetic offense. The Blue Demons controlled a 12-7 lead after five minutes, which was huge for a team that had gone down big in their past two games. “I just felt like everybody was aggressive,” Moore said. “When you are aggressive things open up, we moved the ball, we got from side to side, passing inside as well and the defense started to open up.” Despite early success, that had not always meant that DePaul would cruise the rest of the way. They lead 38-32 at the half against this same Georgetown team just two weeks ago before losing 76-72. A three-minute scoring drought came and the Hoyas hit a few shots to regain the lead. If precedent from games’ past struck, this would be the point where the Blue Demons would let it slip. Yet Saturday felt just a bit different. DePaul found a consistent rhythm, with the big “it” moment coming with 3:26 left in the first half as Romeo Weems hit a three on the left wing to take a 27-26 lead after falling behind. After a missed jumper on the Hoyas’ end, Weems struck again from the same spot to extend the lead to 4. On the next DePaul possession, Weems snuck away from the defense and hit a three on the right side wing to score his ninth point of the game, putting the Wintrust crowd on its feet. “My teammates they just always tell me to be aggressive and play my game so I feel that they just found me tonight and kept me going, encouraging me to shoot my shot and play my game,” Weems said. That kind of energy had been missing in many of the recent Blue Demons’ home games. After the win, Leitao made note of how proud he was of the team and the crowd. “To have the support in the crowd today, and they were there they were loud and I think they gave us an energy boost,” he said. In order for that energy to be there, the men’s team needed to bring it. “Energy” was somewhat of a buzzword in previous press conferences, with Leitao citing the lack
ALEXA SANDLER | THE DEPAULIA
Asst. Director of Basketball Operations Matt Flemming embraces freshman forward Romeo Weems during his clutch, 18-point performance Saturday night at Winturst Arena. DePaul defeated Georgetown 74-68. thereof as the main reason for the recent skid. Romeo Weems was a great spark plug – the freshman ended with a career-high 19 points while playing swallowing defense on Georgetown’s perimeter. The Hoyas failed to move the ball, with just nine assists on 21 made field goals. Weems hit four of five threes to reach a career-high in shooting. “That’s just part of what I think scratches the surface of how good he will be in so many different areas,” Leitao said. “They played well,” Hoyas Head Coach Patrick Ewing said. “They made their free throws, they went on runs, they played great defensively, they hurt us in the first half with 11 offensive rebounds.” Jaylen Butz, usually a big part of the offensive and defensive glass, picked up two quick fouls that sidelined him for a majority of the first half. Filling the void was 7’2” freshman Nick Ongenda and sixth man Darious Hall, who flew around the court grabbing rebounds. Butz was able to get back on the floor, connecting with Moore for a few alley-oops as he finished with 10 points in 23 minutes. Another player who had one of his best games was Oscar Lopez Jr., who played the backup guard spot but shared the floor with Moore. “Oscar gave us something different today because he was energized,” Leitao said. On the other end of a lively DePaul team was a depleted Georgetown team missing its top scorer in Mac McClung. The Hoyas are fighting for their season, with a 5-9 Big East record that needs a few more wins to get in as a bubble team. They only got offensive production from three players, and forward Omer Yurtseven was battling an ankle issue through the night. DePaul has the opportunity to play spoiler to other Big East teams, with contests against Xavier, Butler, Marquette and Providence on the horizon. The last hope will be in New York City in mid-March, and the Blue Demons will take whatever they can get in the time being.
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Sports. The DePaulia. Feb. 24, 2020 | 27
Sophomore jump
ALEXA SANDLER | THE DEPAULIA
ALEXA SANDLER | THE DEPAULIA
DePaul sophomore guard Sonya Morris drives to the basket against St. John’s on Jan. 12 at McGrath-Phillips Arena. Morris is averaging 16.3 points per game this season.
DePaul sophomore guard Sonya Morris drives to the basket against St. John’s on Jan. 12 at McGrath-Phillips Arena. Held is averaging 14.5 points per game this season.
Starting guards make leap in second season By Nate Burleyson Asst. Sports Editor
When Lexi Held and Sonya Morris first jumped into college basketball from their respective hometowns of Burlington, Kentucky and St. Louis, Missouri, the first hit they took was not metaphorical, it was physical. “We did a rebounding drill, and I just got thrown around,” Held said. For Morris, the grueling back and forth of an open gym was a shock, even when playing in a program known for its up and down energy. “Like you think we run now, open gym is just ten times more,” Morris said. “I think that was when I noticed it. The rebounding drills and the one on one drills and practice, that was just kind of a reality check.” Both Held and Morris fought through that initial adversity and got on the floor during their first seasons, a mark that is not easily attainable at a program like DePaul. Their freshman seasons saw solid production with Morris playing 14.5 minutes and posting 4.9 points a game with 1.6 rebounds. Held averaged 8.3 points on 45 percent shooting while playing 15 minutes a game. This season, Held and Morris are playing double the minutes and scoring over fifteen points a game each. The prior experience in freshman year can be stated as a reason for their large growth. “They both got educated as freshman,” Bruno said. “Because they both put themselves on the floor. That’s important. You play here because you make me play you. You don’t automatically play because you are a freshman you automatically do not play because you are a freshman. You make us put you on the floor. They both made us play them as freshmen, they both had big
“They both got educated as freshman. Because they both put themselves on the floor. That’s important. You play here because you make me play you.” Doug Bruno
DePaul women’s basketball head coach games as freshman and they both had very freshmen-esque games as freshmen. But they were able to log minutes and earn game experience.” Both of them made these jumps in production mentally. Now, both of them have started every game they have played this year. Morris’ change was also physical. The sophomore put in a big amount of work in the weight room, transforming her game through fitness. “Sonya totally transformed her basketball body through conditioning,” Bruno said. “She basically just changed herself and that was by getting in the weight room, proper diet and working on her conditioning, and she did this on her own.” That transformation has shown on the court in both the stat sheet and through observation. Morris is averaging 2.2 steals a game, which is tied for second in the Big East alongside teammate Chante Stonewall and just .2 steals behind conference leader Oumou Toure of Butler. Morris posted career-highs of 30 points and five steals in a win over Villanova on Jan. 24.
Those stats are just a reflection of the enhanced aggression and relentless effort that Morris brings to the court. Two attributes that Bruno saw when recruiting Morris out of Incarnate Word Academy. “I loved her competitiveness, her motor and she was a really really good defensive player,” Bruno said. “She scored, don’t misunderstand, she was a scorer, but her scoring was a little more at the rim. Basically what made me take note and want her was her competitiveness and her motor and her defensive ability.” For Held, some of the same things shined through when assessing her play at Cooper High School in Kentucky. Held has been a prolific scorer at DePaul, posting 28 points in a game against Seton Hall in January of her freshman season. This year, the 5’10” guard has scored multiple games over 20 points, including a game against Xavier earlier this month where she posted 26 points on 11-of-13 free throw shooting. Yet in high school, defense was what shined and scoring was a little more of a question mark. “Lexi started out in her
younger career as a great defender, and people questioned whether or not she could score,” Bruno said. “And then she emerged into a great scorer going into her junior and senior year.” The two sophomores have had great seasons as a part of the program, and are destined to keep it up and graduate as great DePaul players. With all the daily challenges of a fast-paced college basketball schedule, they remember why they fell in love with the sport. Morris grew up playing plenty of sports, including softball and soccer, but there was something to the feel of the game she played with her older sister. “I just always wanted to dribble the ball,” Morris said. Both marked the importance of constant growth when playing at the college level, and working on the everyday grind has been more welcome than a problem. “I think I’ve fallen in love with [basketball] because there are so many different aspects to work on,” Held said. Now the two are turning to the end stretch of a vital season. The Blue Demons are 25-3 and won the outright Big East regular-season championship for the third time in four years. Held and Morris will take the floor in the Big East tournament at Wintrust Arena and then the NCAA tournament. But first, a game against Marquette on Sunday to finish the business of the regular season. “We still can’t get comfortable,” Morris said. With DePaul still on top of the Big East, every team that comes across them is trying their best to knock them off the top. “We know we’re going to get everybody’s best shot as we have all season,” Held said.
Sports
Sports. The DePaulia. Feb. 24, 2020 | 28
Transfer in, transfer out NCAA considering changing transfer rules to allow studentathletes to be eligble immediately.
ALEXA SANDLER | THE DEPAULIA
Junior Charlie Moore transferred to DePaul from Kansas last April.
Key DePaul transfers
By Nate Burleyson Asst. Sports Editor
The discourse in college sports this past academic year was dominated early around paying student-athletes due to bills passed by state legislators around the country. In 2020, words from various conferences like the B1G and ACC have sparked a further discussion over changes to the transfer portal. More specifically, letting players have one free open transfer without needing to fill out a waiver to avoid sitting out a year. Like any NCAA change, the onetime transfer rule has been polarizing among coaches. The idea would give players more autonomy when it comes to switching programs, but opposition is critical of the potential for bigger programs to poach players who develop at smaller mid-major schools. Patrick Ewing of Georgetown basketball equated it to the “wild, wild west.” Michigan football Head Coach Jim Harbaugh shared his support in July through a tweet, saying, “My belief is that a one-time transfer should be allowed for all student-athletes.” The proposition has been fast-tracked by the NCAA as the Transfer Waiver Working Group is considering the idea of a first-time transfer rule that could be passed in April. Currently, all sports besides basketball, football, men’s ice hockey and baseball have this rule in place if the athlete considering transferring fits the following criteria according to the NCAA website: The player receives a transfer release from their previous school, is academically eligible at their previous school, keeps up their academic progress at the new school while leaving under no disciplinary suspension. The new proposition would take away the subjective process that has come under fire for its unpredictability and odd, erratic implementation. DePaul has gone through its share of transfers in the past five years. Jalen Coleman-Lands and Darious Hall have both sat a year as Blue Demons after transferring from Illinois and Arkansas respectively. Charlie Moore, on the other hand, received a hardship waiver to immediately become eligible this year. Big East coaches sounded off on the topic at this past week’s media
RYAN GILROY | THE DEPAULIA
Senior guard Jalen Coleman-Lands came to DePaul from Illinois in 2017.
RICHARD BODEE | THE DEPAULIA
DEPAULIA FILE
Brandon Cyrus left DePaul after the 20172018 season to go to UC Santa Barbara.
CAROLINE STACEY| THE DEPAULIA
Forward Femi Olujobi transferred to DePaul from NC State last season.
Former DePaul forward Levi Cook left the program after the 2016-17 season.
teleconference. Ewing equated it to the wild, wild, west and wasn’t ready to sign on to the madness. “That is all I can say right now, I got to have some more time to think and reflect on it,” he said. “But right now, I would say I don’t like it.” Butler coach LaVall Jordan has had his fair share of impact transfers. Recently, guard Jordan Tucker transferred from
Duke to make an instant impact on the team. “In terms of the rule changes I think as a sport we’re always trying to progress and there’s a ton of rules and the transfer thing is such a component of programs that you are relying on to plug gaps and fill holes,” Jordan said. “When we’ve been really good here at Butler we’ve had impact transfers. So obviously,
PHOTO COURTESY OF DEPAUL ATHLETICS
Former DePaul guard Justin Roberts left the program June 1, 2018 those guys being able to impact sooner rather than later [is important], there’s always that question from an ethical standpoint on what’s best for the game and I think we are trying to figure that out now.” Blue Demons Head Coach Dave Leitao sees the potential in the possible transfer rule that would put men’s and women’s basketball on the same level as other sports’ ability to pull players from wherever. “My feelings are probably not as relevant, but you can go on either side of it and understand that what’s happened now with grad transfers has been able to help some programs and I think more and more as years go by, coaches, whether they want to or not, are specifically investigating the ability to get a transfer and have them help your team immediately,” Leitao said. Leitao also saw the limitations of being able to pull players from teams with ease, as well as the coach’s ability to persuade athletes to jump ship. To Leitao, there is merit in working through the problems and adversity. “This will add to that on a positive note because you have more options, but you also will have to put a little bit of a challenge to the process because coaches are really smart and they will find ways to find guys that are maybe not in the best situation at that moment,” Leitao said. “And as opposed to working through that and getting better and seeing the fruits of your labor will move on to another situation because the grass appears to be greener on the other side when it may actually not be.” Besides players like Hall, ColemanLands and Moore who have added to DePaul through the transfer process, other players during Leitao’s tenure have utilized the transfer portal to find other schools. Jutin Roberts, Brandon Cyrus, Levi Cook, John Diener and a few more have come to the program and left. A total of 18 players have either transferred in or transferred out in the past five years. The question of whether or not players should have that free transfer is still up for debate. Like any NCAA rule, it affects different programs and people in many ways. As the NCAA moves to create this new rule, the landscape of football, basketball and baseball will look a whole lot different.