‘Trans health care should not be a political issue’ Trans students and organizers rally against health care ban at UIC campus
By April Klein
A chorus of chants calling for solidarity and accountability rang out in the streets of the Illinois Medical District on a particularly brisk afternoon Thursday.
Around 100 transgender students and their allies came together at the University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC)’s West Campus Feb. 6 to protest President Donald Trump’s recent executive order banning gender-affirming care for people under the age of 19.
The event was organized by the Chicago chapter of the Democratic
Socialists of America (DSA) as a response to UI Health’s planned adherence to Trump’s order.
“This has all come together in the last like four or five days,” Sean Duffy, the co-chair of the Chicago DSA, said.
“We first saw reports from stewards at Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 73 Local on Saturday or Sunday, then we got confirmation from students, and we had a meeting on Sunday night. We announced (the rally) by Tuesday morning.”
The protest comes on the heels of a lawsuit filed this Wednesday by an Illinois mother whose transgender son
was on track to receive a gender-affirming chest operation only for the appointment to be cancelled by UI Health a day after Trump signed the order.
The suit, alongside six others all made in conjunction with organizations like PFLAG and the ACLU, claims that federal funds cannot be blocked after having already been allocated to certain medical procedures.
Byron Sigcho-Lopez, Alderman of Chicago’s 25th ward and a member of the DSA, appeared at the rally to demonstrate his support for the cause.
“It is great to be here with so much
solidarity with our trans community, with all communities across the country that are suffering from the dictator in chief and in times of tyranny,” Sigcho-Lopez said. “It is a shame that we see institutions enact this before it has any legal recourse … We are no longer accepting platitudes. We should no longer accept crimes. Our rights are nonnegotiable.”
While Trump has issued over 40 executive orders since taking office a little over two weeks ago, many of them have yet to take effect as they have to pass through Congress before
UIC RALLY, continued on page 3
Asst. Arts & Life Editor
APRIL KLEIN | THE DEPAULIA
UIC junior Jane Webb speaks out against President Trump’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors at a rally on Feb. 6, 2025. Webb came out as a trans woman publicly at the event in order to stand in solidarity with a myriad of other trans speakers at the event.
The DePaulia is the official student-run newspaper of DePaul University and may not necessarily reflect the views of college administrators, faculty or staff. La
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LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS
Drug & Alcohol Assault & Theft Other
Lincoln Park Campus Crimes: Jan. 30
1) A Disturbance report was filed for an incident on Public Property east of the Art Museum.
Jan. 30
2) A Criminal Trespass report was filed in the Richardson Library.
Jan. 30
3) An Unauthorized Access report was filed in the Richardson Library and the Theatre School.
Feb. 1
4) A Criminal Damage to Vehicle report was filed in the Clifton Parking Garage.
Feb. 1
5) A Criminal Damage to Vehicle report was filed in the 990 Parking Lot.
Feb. 1
6) A Criminal Damage to Property report was filed for unauthorized markings found on the walkway near McCabe Hall.
Feb. 3
7) An Illegal Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor report was filed in Ozanam Hall.
LOOP CAMPUS
Loop Campus Crimes: Jan. 29
1) A Motor Vehicle Theft report was filed for a motorized scooter stolen from the bike rack in front of the Jackson St entrance of Lewis Center.
Feb. 2
2) A Graffiti report was filed for markings found on the CDM building.
Feb. 3
3) A Graffiti report was filed for markings found on the Daley Building.
Feb. 3
4) A Disturbance report was filed for conduct occurring in the DePaul Center and DePaul Center Plaza.
they’re officially implemented.
UIC junior Jane Webb, draped in a trans flag, spoke out against the hospital’s adherence to Trump’s ban despite any real requirement to do so.
“Every child deserves access to the lifesaving health care that they need. They deserve peace and they deserve happiness,” Webb said. “I’m here with all of you today to demand that UI Health not keep these kids in the dark, that UI helps not submit to the fascist ideology of a billionaire who would have every trans child grow up in a world where they can never be authentic to who they are.”
Webb’s speech was also the first time she’d ever announced herself as a trans woman publicly.
“It was scary. But this is such an incredibly supportive community,” Webb said. “I turned out to the protest on January 25 and got organized with the DSA. As soon as I joined the group, the first thing that was being talked about was this, and just seeing everyone organizing so rapidly and passionately meant a lot to me.”
A slew of other transgender UIC students gave speeches at the event. Xzavier Jones, a member of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at UIC, attempted to appeal to a bipartisan perspective on trans rights.
“Trans healthcare should not be a
political issue. This is an issue of human rights,” Jones said.
UI Health issued a statement to ABC 7 in which they said they would continue to provide trans students with care “in accordance with the laws,” but has yet to offer a concrete statement of reassurance to their clients and affiliated providers.
Sophia Nova, a member of the DSA and lead speaker at the event, stated that they would continue protesting until UI makes it clear that they would hold strong against any ruling Trump would have on trans healthcare.
When asked, DePaul University of-
ficials said that for the time being, no action had been taken in accordance with the order.
“DePaul is not a direct health care provider, but we continue to evaluate what impact the executive order may have,” Mary Hansen, a senior manager of strategic communications, said. “Our commitment to the health and well-being of all our students remains unchanged.”
Cameron Velazquez, a trans man and junior at DePaul, is counting on DePaul’s health insurance to maintain his hormone replacement therapy as he recently lost his own.
“It sucks how they even have the option now to not support us trans individuals,” Velazquez said. “I’m for sure scared about the next four years. I’ve had to tell myself to act manlier, change my name and try to hide who I am in fear of hate. I would love to get closer to the trans community, that’s not something I currently have going on.”
To finish his speech, Sigcho-Lopez called upon his fellow elected officials to stand up and support the cause.
“I expect the Governor of Illinois to call (UI) healthcare and tell them today that he also stands up with the trans community,” Sigcho-Lopez said. “The trans community is our community, and a wound on anybody is a wound on all of us.”
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Around 100 attendees gathered on UIC’s West Campus in solidarity with transgender students who would be affected by the ban on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. The Chicago chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America organized the rally quickly after UIC announced they would cooperate with the ban on Sunday night.
DePaul RAs left uncertain by ‘confusing’ ICE guidance from Housing
By Jake Cox & Lucia Preziosi Digital Managing Editor & Editor-in-Chief
A shaky rollout of guidance for DePaul residence advisers has led to uncertainty for the student workers. They worry that they will be the first point of contact with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers attempting to enter “limited access, nonpublic areas” on the university’s campus.
One RA that works in a first-year hall, who asked to not be identified out of fear of losing their job, says it has been “chaotic” for Housing workers when trying to understand what their role is if ICE confronts them. That RA and others claim that DePaul says their response to ICE and law enforcement should be the same — and that is “problematic.”
DePaul employs 57 students as resident advisers across DePaul’s 12 dorm and apartment-style residence halls on the Lincoln Park Campus.
Chicago is under a perpetual threat of “immigration raids,”as ICE has detained more than 100 people in Chicago since President Donald Trump took office. The president has made it clear that the city is a target due to its welcoming city ordinance. DePaul has reaffirmed its support to all students regardless of immigration status.
Shortly before Trump took office, DePaul restated its guidelines for Public Safety officers in an email to the campus communi-
ty. The email linked to a page that affirmed, “DePaul’s Public Safety Office does not ask anyone about their immigration status and does not create or maintain any records relating to the immigration status of members of the DePaul community.”
The guidelines, laid out by the university’s general counsel, add that Public Safety would not assist with an arrest unless ICE has a valid criminal judicial warrant, which is different from an ICE civil immigration warrant. A judicial warrant is signed by a judge and allows officers to enter limited spaces and make arrests without permission.
There are 46 students living on DePaul’s Lincoln Park Campus who are identified as having an “out-of-country” geographic origin, according to DePaul Institutional Research & Market Analytics. These students could be international, undocumented or “DACAmented.” DePaul Housing staff do not ask for immigration status when students are applying for on-campus housing or explicitly ask in application for attendance.
Contradicting orders
The university’s guidance to DePaul’s community is to contact Public Safety and the university’s general council — the institution’s legal team — if confronted by ICE.
However, RAs say they have been given a “confusing” set of instructions from their supervisors in the Office of Housing and Residence Life (HRL). They claim the instructions contradict the directive above and leave these student workers unsure about their responsibility.
The first message, obtained by The DePaulia, was sent by Quana Atkins to West area RAs with guidance on Jan. 22.
The email indicated plans for the weekly RA meeting where resident directors briefed student employees on “their role” and “potential interactions” if ICE were to come to dorm buildings, according to emails sent to RAs obtained by The DePaulia.
“You will also call Public Safety and call the administrator on duty,” an RA in a freshman residence hall said, recounting instructions in an interview. The DePaulia granted anonymity because the RA feared being reprimanded by Housing. “Once Public Safety arrives, they will take lead. They might dismiss you; if not listen to Public Safety, the AOD or ICE.”
RAs said the first email made them unsure about the appropriate procedures if they were faced with ICE when serving as an adviser on call.
This led Brett Plough, associate director of housing & residence life, to send a follow-up email on Jan. 28.
Opening with an apology for sending
mixed messages to student employees, the second email clarified that RAs should interact with ICE the way they would with “any other law enforcement.”
The message was not circulated to all members of Housing’s student staff.
Another student employee who coordinates meetings with RAs and higher-ups said they were not briefed on these guidelines.
Because of their position, they are often told about the release of policies.
They said they heard about the release of guidelines from word-of-mouth and other peers who work as RAs.
“I think it’s encouraging student workers to be compliant,” the employee said.
Kristin Claes Mathews, senior director of strategic communications and university communications, confirmed that DePaul Public Safety has not seen any ICE agents around campus, nor have they received any reports of ICE being on campus.
“Please know that we will, within the confines of the law, use every capacity we have to help those in need during this time,” DePaul President Robert Manuel said at a university event on Feb. 3, as reported in DePaul Newsline.
Katy Arnold, DePaul political science professor and immigration expert, explained the danger in sending the message to student employees that ICE and the Chicago Police Department have the same responsibilities.
AP PHOTO/DAVID ZALUBOWSKI
Law officials enter an apartment complex during a raid Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, in east Denver.
Arnold said this is harmful to the larger conversation regarding immigration enforcement and is false.
Arnold said differentiating what ICE and CPD have the right to do can prevent confusing scenarios.
“The university should know that an (ICE) arrest is not a normal arrest,” Arnold said. “There’s not been normal procedures, checks and balances or oversights that normal police have.”
ICE, and local law enforcement agencies such as CPD, have different authorities under immigration and criminal law. Conflating the two could leave student workers open to legal action.
All employees, including student workers, are responsible for safeguarding education records in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Additionally, they must adhere to the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, which outlines ICE’s enforcement authority.
These legal requirements can “conflict” when university workers are confronted with federal law enforcement, according to LeRoy Rooker, a senior fellow at the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers and an expert on FERPA law.
“You can share directory information so you could say, ‘Here’s a list of all our students,” Rooker said. “But nationality, national origin, that sort of thing is not a directory information item. So that means either consent or subpoenaing the information (would be required).”
So if a student worker did share protected information with ICE, without a judicial warrant, the individual could face disciplinary action or the university could face civil penalties.
An impossible situation
The freshman residence hall RA said other Housing workers are also feeling in the dark.
“I’ve heard, like some of my coworkers … say it’s kind of a crazy expectation to have for the RA role, which I agree,” the RA said.
The other Housing employee said students working in campus residence halls have expressed feeling “disgusted” by the university’s recommendations.
The RA said that, despite the way the university has tasked them with responding, they still would not cooperate and let ICE into a residence hall.
This may be a shared initiative.
“A lot of them have just decided, ‘No, we’re not doing this,’ which is good, because that means people are aware of what’s going on,” the Housing employee said.
The Trump administration rescinded a Biden-era policy which barred ICE from making arrests in deemed “sensitive locations,” such as schools, places of worship and health care facilities — DePaul property may have been protected under this bygone policy.
The emails sent to RAs did not include the specific authority ICE has on private property, which would include dorm buildings.
If ICE agents did come to resident halls,
they must present a valid judicial warrant, signed by a judicial officer within the last two weeks.
Arnold, the political science professor, thinks that this is why it is “absurd” to assume student employees are armed with the proper knowledge if ICE were to arrive. While this information is accessible on the university’s general counsel site, it was not outlined specifically to Housing employees.
The RA said they disagree with the current system of immigration enforcement — but feel “legally” bound to adhere to ICE’s direction.
“I would feel guilty,” the RA said. “(But) you’re compelled to do something even if you don’t agree with it.”
If they don’t comply with a directive from Public Safety or a law enforcement officer, they could face penalties from supervisors or university officials, through DePaul’s “reasonable directives” policy listed in the student handbook.
This holds students liable to “not disregard a reasonable directive, either verbal or written, from a University official or office acting in their official capacity.” If a student disobeyed Public Safety or other DePaul official’s order to let in officers, the student could be held responsible in a student conduct hearing, as outlined in the student handbook.
The current guidelines encourage RAs to call their higher-ups in the situation that ICE comes to campus.
“If a law enforcement officer were to arrive on campus, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, resident advisors
should call Public Safety and their staff supervisor,” Rick Moreci, associate vice president of student affairs, said in a statement to The DePaulia.
DePaul has continued to equate ICE’s authority to that of local law enforcement, like CPD, through their various guidelines sent out to RAs
At the same time, DePaul’s Center for Latino Research and College of Law is hosting a “know your rights” event in collaboration with the DePaul Migration Collaborative in order to educate the community on advocacy and immigrant rights.
The Housing student employee said DePaul’s guidance to RAs and other responses to immigration concerns go against the Vincentian values of the institution.
“I think the stance that the university is taking is almost like no stance,” the employee said. “It goes against (DePaul’s) concerns and values, especially considering that this is like a religious campus, and the role of Catholicism and the sanctuary movement.”
About granting anonymity to sources:
The DePaulia grants anonymity to sources only when the information is vital to the public interest, unavailable by other means and the source faces a credible risk of retaliation for speaking to the media.
While anonymous to the public, all sources are known to The DePaulia’s management, which verifies their identity and access to any information they describe in interviews.
Opinions
‘T4T’
– Building intimate relationships and strong communities
By April Klein Asst. Arts & Life Editor
I’ve been medically transitioning into a woman for eight months. In the grand scheme of a person’s life, that is not very long; by most standards, I would be considered a “babytrans,” a person who is still early in their transition.
Despite my lack of experience, I am always eager to learn more about how other transsexuals understand themselves and their identity as people. I am always shocked about how little information there is.
What academic writing exists is often horribly outdated or fetishistic (see Ray Blanchard or Janice Raymond). The very few prominent trans women whose record did survive (see Venus Xtravaganza or Marsha P. Johnson) have little written on their personal lives. They exist as reminders that we’ve been around, but their lives are regaled to us by the cisgender people that knew them before they passed, commonly from either the AIDS crisis or murder.
Even after I initially came out to myself and a few close friends, I still felt lost. How was I supposed to learn how to be a woman? I had already spent 20 years staring in the mirror thinking too hard about myself. That era was over.
I wanted to connect with other trans people. I wanted to talk to people who knew the struggles of dysphoria, people who knew the feeling of something being perpetually ‘off’ from childhood, people who just… got it.
So I turned to Grindr.
Was this stupid? Yes. I got way too much chaser dick in my messages. But I was desperate and didn’t know where else to turn. Wouldn’t you take any possible chance to meet your peers after years of no one understanding who you really are?
After figuring out how to use filters, I found my people, all waiting in neat little boxes that lined my screen. After clicking on a profile of a trans guy who I found cute, I scrolled down his page and to look at his tags – this is where I first heard of the term T4T.
‘T4T,’ or ‘trans for trans,’ originated on Craigslist personal ads in the early 2000s. A simple way to find one another when transsexuality was more taboo has become a show of solidarity in the trans community both in terms of relationship styles and mutual aid.
Juniper-Wren Harris, a trans woman studying at Berklee College of Music, has been in a long-distance relationship with another trans woman for the past year and a half. She had little exposure to any kind of queer culture outside of the internet before coming out.
“I was homeschooled in Florida, so there was not a lot of education for me on that subject,” Harris said. “I met a friend online who was a trans woman, and I was like ‘what the hell is that?’”
Over the course of the next couple of years, Harris came out to herself through friendships and relationships she fostered online with
other queer people. While she doesn’t rule out dating a cis person, Harris admits that dating someone who is trans, or at the very least queer, is just easier.
“Being T4T isn't as much about the specifics of your gender identity as it is about understanding the experience of coming to terms with who you are in regards to your gender and sharing that with someone else,” Harris said. “It's an experience that can't really be replicated outside of it.”
I’ve certainly found this to be true. As slightly embarrassing as it may be to admit, I’ve found some of my closest trans friends and partners through online spaces like Grindr or Discord. Those online relationships become physical quickly in a place like Chicago, where there are a minimum of thirty thousand of us. The seemingly cursory identifier of being trans, regardless of how we may identify on specific gender lines, belies many shared experiences that often link us to one another on a deeper level.
Vincent Zabierowski, a trans man studying at Columbia College of Chicago, and Izzy, who identifies as gender-fluid and studies at DePaul, have been together for over three years. Their mutual disregard of their birth-assigned genders caused them both to become more comfortable with their identities over time.
“I was a trans guy but I only started taking (testosterone) during our relationship,” Zabierowski said. “The relationship kind of started a little closed off and sad, and then the longer we dated and the more I transitioned, the happier and more open and louder I got.”
Izzy started the relationship with a more normative gender identity, yet was able to express their queerness alongside their partner in a different way.
“I started off as just she/her, cis. Then slowly I got exposed to more stuff in college,” Izzy said. “I was like ‘gender is so fluid, I just want to give it a shot.’ I felt more comfortable just not being cis. The gender fluid identity was less restricting.”
Zabierowski and Izzy’s relationship has thrived off of who they are as people rather than how well they fit into their chosen genders.
“Both of us are never really pressured to fall into gender roles,” Zabierowksi said. “When I talk to my friends who are cis and they tell me about the situations they get themselves into in terms of romance, they’re like ‘oh, this is natural. I need to do this. I need to do that to perform.’ And I'm like… no. Communication is key. That’s all that matters.”
T4T represents more than just a preference – it’s also become a way for trans people to stand together against tyranny. Last week when this article was set up, we made plans to get photographs for the piece from a T4T Valentine’s Market hosted by Trans Chicago on
Sat. Feb 8.
Within the week, federal funds for Trans Chicago were cut, and dozens of its members were laid off. While the organization plans to fulfill all existing commitments to events and appointments for medical/legal aid, their future is on shaky ground. The event depicted at the head of this article may be one of the last Trans Chicago ever hosts.
Tichike Tumalan, the former Health Educator at Trans Chicago, intends to keep the center running via volunteer work, though it’s currently uncertain what will happen to their current space at the Puerto Rico Cultural Center as they no longer have funding.
“As Black and Brown Trans and Queer folk we are actively being erased by the administration. We understand that these are not just our jobs, but our ability to just exist,” Tumalan said. “We need everybody to be hands on deck to loudly advocate for their Trans siblings, and check in with one another, creating these connections are important!”
This isn’t an isolated incident. Billionaire political pundit Elon Musk has made quick work of erasing our history through his inanely named Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Under his order, the CDC has halted any medical research into LGBTQ+ topics and scrubbed any existing research from their databases.
Convicted sex criminal and president Donald Trump recently signed a variety of executive orders that, if passed, would criminalize gender-affirming care for those under 19, prohibit any trans person from having their correct gender marker on their ID and prosecute any trans woman that plays womens’ sports.
On the first day of his presidency, Trump stated that the US government would recognize someone’s sex at birth as the sole identifier of their gender, regardless of how they present themselves.
The new administration’s position is clear: trans people should not exist. It is a deliberate attempt to erase us through burning our records and denying us life-saving medical care. If we as trans people are to survive the next four years (or longer) under Trump’s administration, we must band together and be proactive in our efforts to protect one another.
Yet, we must also be careful of the ways in which we care for one another. Amy Marvin, a Louise M. Olmstead Fellow in Ethics at Lafayette College, details some of the pitfalls that can arise in T4T spaces when communities are formed haphazardly.
“People will see the problem of trans oppression or isolation, and be like ‘T4T is the answer, right?’ When I think that it actually opens up a lot of questions, it’s the start to thinking about it,” Marvin said.
Marvin uses “The People’s Joker,” which she cites as the most popular film about T4T relationships in the mainstream, as an example of when T4T relationships can fail. Based on director Vera Drew’s real experiences of transition, the main character, a trans woman, finds her identity in a relationship with a trans man, but ultimately realizes the toxic expectations of being trans “correctly” being put upon both of them are too much to bear. The relationship falls apart.
“There's a way you can get a little bit too wrapped up in the ideals of T4T and what it should be when you need to acknowledge that it's not really giving you what you need,” Marvin said. “I'm a real big fan of the trans critic, who I think often gets pushed out in a way that's unfair and also bad for communities.”
Despite some misgivings, Marvin stresses the importance of organizing especially at a time when the trans community is under great stress.
“It feels very much right now like the non-Trans world wants to eliminate and get rid of us,” Marvin said. “Being able to, despite the tensions, persist and help people when they need help is going to be the important thing. A critical T4T which doesn’t give up at the same time.”
Zabierowski stresses that same kind of attitude.
“Many people have tried to get rid of trans people, many people have tried to get rid of gay people, but we've always been here. We've always existed,” Zabierowski said. “Try as the government might, I don’t need their permission to exist. We fought to be who we are, and I have no confusion about that.”
PHOTO PROVIDED BY ELS FOLGER
Tichike Tumalan and his partner Jai Perez prepare for a kiss at Club Qpid on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. The two have been together for three years, with Tumalan being the first transgender person Perez had ever met.
Pick romance literature over romantic lovers this V-Day
By Brielle Kohlbeck
Literature over lovers, stories over sweethearts or, if we want to throw it back to 2013, books over baes. Whatever alliteration you choose, I think there’s a great value in picking words over worries (sorry, I can’t stop) this Valentine’s Day.
Eric Selinger, an English PhD holder and professor at DePaul, has an immense passion for romance in literature, similar to me. Despite our book bond, Selinger did admit he disagreed with my stance on picking literature over romantic human connection — which, as I’m saying it like that, does in fact sound a little crazy.
“They're just too different to say that one is better than another,” Selinger said. “That said, if I had to choose between living the rest of my life without reading a book and living the rest of my life without my wife, I'd drop reading in a heartbeat. Might lose my job if I did that, since I'm an English professor, but I'm still picking my wife.”
Okay, I’ll admit it, I’m single! Selinger made me realize that I am heavily biased, but that’s why you’re reading an opinion article.
Therefore, if you have a partner, soulmate or whatever other pet name you chose to call them, this may not apply to you. This goes out to the people who, while reading this, are probably
stressing over whether or not their situationship will send the infamous “you up?” text on Friday, let alone ask them to be their valentine.
I’m targeting the people who, like (the old) me, are juggling entirely delusional relationships with current crushes yet simultaneously hoping their old fling will realize they can’t live without them.
I promise, I am healing from my past delusion. And I mean that! One of the ways I’m doing so is by incessantly consuming literature, whether that be in a novel, short story or poem.
When February rolls around it’s hard to not feel the love in the air when you hear people making their romantic plans, see restaurants featuring heart-shaped pizzas and see articles on the old Valentine's Day episodes from your favorite show.
You shouldn’t be trying to ignore the festivities, or label yourself a Valentine’s Day hater, when a good book may be all you need.
Much of Selinger’s research focuses on love, desire and literary pleasure; he knows his romance. And why people enjoy it.
“One reason would be that they enjoy it if they're already connected to love as a topic—if, for example, they've internalized the idea (from songs, from movies, from family life) that love and romance are important and meaningful things,” Selinger said. “They might like it because
As much as I’d like to say I prefer books due to their inherent ability to transport me somewhere else, I simply like being in control. I never have to worry if I’m reading into things too fast, I can always understand what’s going on and — heaven forbid — if I need it to end, I can shut a book a lot quicker than I can plan a breakup. The pros will always outweigh the cons, something the lists I made for my exes could never relate to.
After trading out my typical thrillers and classics for my favorite love poems and romance books this month, I haven’t had a single desire to go on a date. As millennial as this may make me sound, the men in books are better. And I’m not the only one who thinks so.
Ashley Edmunds, an employee at The Last Chapter Book Shop, has been passionate about reading since she was in sixth grade. Now, at 23 years old, she can say without a doubt that she is a romance enthusiast. Edmunds just loves knowing that “no matter what, it’s gonna work out and it’s gonna be fine” as she reads.
“Just getting to pretend I’m someone else, or somewhere else, for a couple hours a day is wonderful; I love it,” Edmunds said. “It’s a good escape and then I’m back in the real world where men just aren’t the same, they’re not as good.”
How could you not love something that allows you to run away from the daunting “wyll”
Even if you’re not necessarily choosing it over your partner, picking up a romance novel this holiday is still open for the couples. Similar to Edmunds, Madelaine Ramirez finds reading as her escape yet shopped in The Last Chapter looking for her next read with her partner by her side.
“(Reading) is like my getaway, for sure,” Ramirez said.
I choose books because I don’t have to worry about rushing to finish or having to ask my novel, “what are we?”
I can say with similar confidence that I’d more enjoyably wander a bookstore for hours before I ever willingly spend that time on Hinge subjected to potential suitors holding fish.
I will acknowledge one con: a book obsession can get pricey. But, it’s not often that they are more expensive than a DePaul one-night stand. If you’re spending upwards of $50 on something, let it be a gorgeous hardcover with sprayed edges — not on a one-time little white pill.
A customer browses the shelves at The Last Chapter Book Shop on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. The Roscoe Village store specializes in romance novels of all sub-genres.
GIACOMO CAIN | THE DEPAULIA
Opinions Editor
of who it lets them be, vicariously.”
Snapchat messages and haunting DMs. Reading books, not Tinder profiles, is truly the best form of escapism — that’s something many readers agree on.
By Brigid O’Brien Contributing Writer
Before my time in Cork, I’ll confess I used to roll my eyes at the people who’d gush incessantly over their time studying abroad. I’d shake my head and laugh at those who were “convinced” those three weeks in Chile or Japan or wherever were revolutionary, transformative, metamorphic. When you’ve studied abroad, the conversations you’ll have once you’re back home become a running joke of sorts. You’ll force friends, family, perhaps baristas to endure countless stories about your nights clubbing in Ibiza or Barcelona.
But I’m becoming one of them. Perhaps self-awareness will make it more digestible. Or perhaps I’m destined to be that one friend who sprinkles some variation of “While I was in Europe…” into almost every conversation.
Although I’ll admit the four months I spent in Cork –– the true capital of Ireland –– were dreamy indeed. I met wonderful people and saw incredible places, but this is not that tale.
Rose-colored glasses be damned, mine are tinted emerald (isle).
Dating in Ireland may seem like the perfect opportunity to discover the untapped excess of Paul Mescals and Cillian Murphys wandering around (Pierce Brosnan if you’re someone’s mother), waiting to sweep you off your feet. And while I wasn’t exactly looking for romance, I have to admit … I was curious.
I told myself my time in Ireland would be about discovering culture and connecting with my heritage (ie. spending every night at a pub), but isn’t there some sort of unspoken rule that studying abroad includes at least one whirlwind European love affair? (Moped optional.)
In the end, curiosity won. I (re)downloaded Hinge.
In a phenomenon I’m not sure anyone can explain, about eighty percent of these eligible Irish bachelors had the same exact haircut: some variation of the Tommy from “Peaky Blinders” style with a fade. It was as if every single barber on the island had only been taught one style.
Despite the Irish Haircut exhaustion, I started
Personal essay:
Dates are just as bad across the continential divide
texting with one guy I’ll call Paul. (No, not the Mescal. I wish.)
We met up for the first time at a crowded pub down the street, and mid-conversation, a woman materialized out of nowhere, grabbed Paul by the shoulders, and shouted, “Liam Payne is dead!” When she heard my accent, she turned to Paul, serious as ever, and demanded he propose to me immediately, to whisk me away from the hellscapes of America.
He just smiled and nodded.
I don’t know why I was surprised when he ghosted me the next day.
Hinge was now off the list, but hey! Meet-cutes could still be on the table, right?
It didn’t take much other than the allure of an accent for men to approach our group of friends at the bars. “Are you American?” they’d ask, then most likely inquire about politics or school illiteracy. Quite romantic.
And for reasons beyond me, if things went well with these Irish men and inquiries of international relations blossomed into flirty banter, naturally, we’d exchange numbers with these guys. We’d barely stepped out of the bar when the texts rolled in. Any and all charm would dissolve the moment they asked to crash at ours.
And not even in a suave way; it was as if they’d been grounded by their mothers and needed a place to find refuge. If you’re gonna beg for housing, at least make it glib. We hadn’t even made it home yet when the 2 a.m. “Accommodations?” texts began to flood in. “Your place?” they’d ask.
Now it’s 3 a.m. “No more taxis! Please?”
Once it became clear that my Irish dating life was a lost cause, I made peace with the fact that my European love story — and my shot at a spouse visa — was never going to happen. Singledom it was.
Then four months came and went.
On our last night, my friends and I hopped our way from pub to pub, reminiscing about the nights we’d spent sardined between sweaty bodies dancing to Fatboy Slim. Our final stop was Cork’s “college bar” equivalent, An Bróg. It was crowded, as always, so we shimmied outside. No more than five feet away from me was Paul.
poised
against the bar’s brick wall, pint in hand, blabbering wildly (and drunkenly) to a girl who looked like she did not want to be there. He crackled himself up over his own joke, and as his friends (lads) cheered him on, she and I locked eyes. Her polite smile but alarmingly wide eyes told me everything I needed to know: “Help me.”
By the time we left that night, I saw her
skipping down the street with her friends, giggling madly. Paul, it seemed, was still in the infancy of international relations.
He texted me out of the blue the other week: “Space for one more?” Maybe I’m glad to be back after all.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY BRIGID O’BRIEN
Brigid O’Brien takes a selfie during her time in Ireland.
La DePaulia
La Alteña, una carnicería en el sur de Chicago, celebra 40 años
Por Ariana Vargas Escritora Contribuyente
Caminando desde la calle 88th St., hasta la Escanaba Ave., en el sur de Chicago, La Alteña, una carnicería y tienda de productos mexicanos, se encuentra en medio de la cuadra, en el primer piso de un edificio de vivienda.
Hace más de 40 años, Francisco Espinoza abrió una tienda de abarrotes mexicana en la que vende carne y otros productos. Sin experiencia como propietario de un negocio, sabía que tenía que aprender mucho para tener un negocio exitoso.
“Para salir adelante” era la mentalidad y el objetivo de Espinoza a lo largo de su vida.
La tienda de 1,848 pies cuadrados era originalmente propiedad de una familia polaca que administraba una tienda de lácteos y carne. Debido a la historia de la tienda, Espinoza quiso continuar con el legado.
Espinoza llegó a los Estados Unidos desde Guanajuato, México, a los 16 años. Inspirado por el éxito de sus amigos en California, decidió hacer lo mismo.
Al principio, sus padres lo animaron a quedarse en la escuela y seguir una carrera en México. Sin embargo, su madre finalmente le dio su bendición a medida que su deseo de mudarse a los Estados Unidos crecía.
“Desde niño, yo pensaba que yo iba a ser algo”, dijo Espinoza.
Trabajó en varias fábricas en la década de 1970 después de llegar a los Estados Unidos. Inicialmente, Espinoza planeaba abrir un taller de mecánica, pero luego su
cuñado sugirió que abrieran una tienda de abarrotes juntos. Así que aprovechó la oportunidad y “se dedicó al 100 por ciento” para lograrlo.
El padre compró el edificio donde ya se encontraba la tienda anterior. Él y su esposa criaron a sus hijos en el segundo piso, sobre la tienda, durante unos 13 años.
Eventualmente, decidieron que él asumiría la mayor parte del trabajo en la tienda, mientras que su esposa se encargaba de sus cuatro hijos en casa.
Muchas veces, dijo, tuvo que sacrificar momentos especiales con su familia para manejar su negocio en su lugar.
A medida que Espinoza continuaba con su negocio de abarrotes, les preguntaba a las personas en la comunidad qué productos les gustaban para entender sus necesidades. Al hacerlo, se convirtió en una figura conocida en la zona.
Durante su tiempo viviendo en el vecindario, Espinoza dijo que el área estaba hecha un “desastre”.
Notaba mucha violencia de pandillas y con frecuencia escuchaba disparos, lo que le hizo considerar cerrar la tienda. Sin embargo, decidió quedarse por los clientes de su comunidad y las personas que luchaban por acceder a alimentos y otros productos mexicanos.
Dijo que nunca consideró mover La Alteña a otro vecindario a pesar de los problemas en la zona.
“¿Por qué mover lo que está funcionando?” dijo Espinoza.
Trabajadores de La Altena (de izquierda a derecha): Anthony Antequera, Genovevo Sánchez, Francisco Espinoza, Alonzo Ochoa, Jaime Canchola, Santiago Espinosa y Omar Valdivia posan juntos para una fotografía el 16 de mayo de 2024.
Partes del lado sur y oeste de Chicago son conocidos desiertos alimentarios, áreas que tienen un acceso limitado a alimentos saludables o son demasiado caros.
Dado que La Alteña está en el lado sur de Chicago, es particularmente importante para este vecindario, dijeron muchos clientes. La comunidad alberga a muchas familias negras y latinas que quizás no tienen acceso a cadenas de tiendas de abarrotes cercanas con frutas, verduras y otros productos esenciales latinos a precios accesibles.
Omar Valdivia, un empleado de La Alteña, llama a Espinoza “Don Pancho”. Dijo que Don Pancho lo hace sentir como parte de la familia y trata bien a los trabajadores.
Antes de que Valdivia llegara a los Estados Unidos, dijo que su hermano mayor había estado trabajando en La Alteña durante un tiempo. Su hermano le dijo que, si venía a Chicago, le garantizarían un trabajo allí. Valdivia empezó a trabajar a medio tiempo a los 15 años, esperando quedarse solo un año, y ahora lleva 24 años trabajando en la tienda.
Dijo que disfruta conocer a los clientes regulares de La Alteña y se mantiene al tanto de sus vidas.
Por ejemplo, cada martes sabe que una cierta cliente anciana llamará para hacer su pedido.
Antonio Ramírez, quien es un cliente frecuente, ha estado yendo a La Alteña con su hijo Ricardo Ramírez desde que el era niño.
Mientras vivía en el lado sur de Chicago durante algunos años, un amigo le recomendó a Antonio Ramírez que fuera a comprar su carne allí, y así fue como encontró a La Alteña.
Recuerda que Don Pancho le ofrecía lo que podía, incluso abriendo la tienda temprano para dejarlo escoger carnitas antes de que llegaran los demás clientes. Sus clientes dicen que Espinoza a veces les prestaba dinero, les cambiaba cheques a aquellos que no podían ir a casas de cambio y hasta les ofrecía una línea de crédito.
Con una tienda de abarrotes a una cuadra que ofrecía mucho más que solo productos alimenticios, la familia Ramírez no pensó en ir a otro lugar. Ramírez y su hijo siguen yendo a La Alteña incluso después de mudarse a Calumet City. “Sí tiene buena carne, pero al mismo tiempo, él hizo su raya por su personalidad. Por eso mucha gente siempre va para atrás”, dijo Ricardo.
Espinoza quiere que su tienda continúe operando en el vecindario incluso después de que él ya no esté.
Dijo que está feliz con la vida que ha construido en los Estados Unidos, con él mismo, su familia y su negocio.
Francisco Espinoza, también conocido como “Don Pancho”, posa frente a su tienda, La Alteña, el 16 de mayo de 2024. La Alteña está en el primer piso de la casa 8827 S. Escanaba Ave. en Chicago.
Un menú de los productos cárnicos y precios en La Alteña, el 17 de mayo de 2024. La tienda es famosa por sus productos cárnicos, ya que algunos de sus clientes dicen que son los mejores.
ARIANA VARGAS | LA DEPAULIA
ARIANA VARGAS | LA DEPAULIA
ARIANA VARGAS | LA DEPAULIA
Hola, mi nombre es Preciosa Ríos. Soy una estudiante de maestría en bellas artes en la Universidad DePaul y estudio animación. A principios de septiembre de 2024, regresaba a los Estados Unidos desde Canadá después de un viaje de fin de semana. Fue en la frontera canadiense donde experimenté un ejemplo tan evidente de perfilación racial debido a mi nombre en español. Esta es mi historia.
Hello, my name is Preciosa Rios. I’m a MFA student at DePaul studying animation. In early September 2024, I was coming back to the United States from Canada after a weekend trip. At the Canadian Border, I experience a blatant example of racial profiling due to my Spanish last name. Here is my story:
Author’s Note: “Border” es una historia poética y significativa para mí en muchos sentidos. Cambió la narrativa tradicional del racismo, mostró la persecución sin fundamento, la discriminación racial y, por último, cambió la idea de que las personas de minorías no pueden enfrentarse entre sí. Compartí esta historia principalmente para revelar la realidad de que estamos siendo perseguidos, no por nuestro estatus ilegal, sino porque no somos “blancos” y nunca seremos “lo suficientemente blancos”. Y digo esto como ciudadana estadounidense de piel blanca que ha vivido esta realidad desde pequeña. Aquellos a quienes se les ha hecho creer que son “diferentes” a nuestros hermanos y hermanas debido a su estatus de ciudadanía, riqueza o posiciones de autoridad, quiero decirles que pueden mostrar su inocencia, documentos, carrera y riqueza, pero a ellos no les importarán esas cosas cuando llegue el momento. Y serán agrupados con nosotros, su gente, una y otra vez. Ahora, más que nunca, debemos conocer nuestros derechos para defendernos a nosotros mismos y a los demás. Debemos estar unidos. Y debemos demostrar que nuestro patrimonio, nuestra cultura y nuestra historia no deben estar conectados al miedo. Sigamos hablando, sigamos escuchando y, lo más importante, no nos quedemos callados.
Hearts & Life
‘King of Everything’: Adrian Lyles at Beat Kitchen
By Annie Koziel Asst. Copy Editor
Singer Adrian Lyles never expected to get where he is the way that he did. But right now, he says he couldn’t be happier.
“It’s been amazing,” Lyles said. “Oh my gosh, I’ve been having so much fun. We’re just traveling and playing music. What could be better?”Lyles took to the stage at a packed Beat Kitchen Friday, Jan. 31 as part of his tour supporting pop trio almost monday. After the release of his third single, “King of Everything,” and a starring role as “Jet” in “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” Lyles’ performance was happy, energetic and met with enthusiasm.Even though many concertgoers didn’t know Lyles beforehand, they left as newfound fans.
“He was so good,” concertgoer Abi Miller said. “Walking into here, I didn’t even know who was opening. I was really impressed.”Olivia Antonelli attended the concert with her boyfriend and parents — she was introduced to almost monday by her parents and became a fan when she saw them open for AJR in 2024. Antonelli, too, is a new fan of Lyles.
“Amazing,” Antonelli said of Lyles’
performance. “I looked him up when I found out he was the opener. … I’m definitely gonna listen to him when I go home.”Lyles said his experience touring with almost monday has been “wild.”
“They are some of the sweetest guys ever,” Lyles said. “We’re so happy to be out here with them, … not even just them, but their crowds and their fans are incredible.”Lyles started music at a young age when his parents put him in piano lessons.“They let me quit every extracurricular I didn’t want to be a part of, except for piano,” Lyles said.Then Lyles was introduced by a friend’s sister to the band Twenty One Pilots.
“That changed my entire life,” he said. “I was at my peak, like, edgy, I-want-tobe-different, 11-year-old moment. … I was like, wait a second, I know enough piano where I can play those songs.”After that, Lyles’ parents let him start singing lessons, and “it just kind of took off from there,” he said. For years, Lyles and his parents would call anywhere with a stage to get him gigs and chances to perform live.
“For a long time (it was) me and my
parents in Texas, calling places,” Lyles said. “That’s been what we’ve been doing for forever, with the dream of doing this and doing what all the incredible artists around me are doing.”When Lyles landed a role on Disney’s “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” he and his parents uprooted and moved to Los Angeles.
“‘High School Musical’ popped up during Covid because of the self tape audition,” Lyles said. “My mom was like, this could be a cool avenue to try. Lo and behold, here we are. Moms are always right, I guess.”Lyles, now 20 years old, said his parents’ support has been one of the most important factors in his life and his career. Once he got to “High School Musical,” he met a cast of “some of the most talented human beings that I’ve been around,” he said.“Everybody on this cast is incredible,” Lyles said. “I joined the cast and (was) like, oh my god, Olivia Rodrigo, who’s doing exactly what I want to do!’ I had no idea what to expect, … but all I could see was the fact that they were all doing the music, which was my end goal. … It just helped me do exactly what I wanted to do.”
Lyles never expected acting to be his “big break.”“The fact that that’s the avenue that we went down to get here is crazy to me,” he said. “I’m so happy to be here. It’s such a beautiful show with such a beautiful fan base and crew of people working on it. There’s nothing to not love.”Following in the footsteps of his costars, Lyles released his debut single, “Formalize Me,” in September 2024, followed by “Somewhere to Go” in November and “King of Everything” Jan. 24, which coincided with the first day of tour.
According to Lyles, “King of Everything” is about a need to “continuously better yourself” and “taking that to an unhealthy level.”“‘What’s so beautiful is the fact that it came out on the first day before where I’m doing what this song was saying that I wanted to do,” Lyles said. “It all feels very poetry-in-motion.” With a debut album on the horizon, Lyles will tour with almost monday through Feb. 22.
“I don’t think any of us were expecting these shows to be as receptive to us as they were,” Lyles said. “It’s so beautiful.”
Adrian Lyles interacts with fans while performing at Beat Kitchen on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. Lyles is touring with pop trio almost monday through Feb. 22.
ANNIE KOZIEL | THE DEPAULIA
Happy Valentine’s Day from DePaul
By Anna Barth
Contributing Writer
This Valentine’s Day, we all want someone to come home to.
The highs and lows of being a college student call for a companion, one whose love is unwavering, simple and free from the complications that come with human relationships.
As a kid, I had hamsters. I was keen on the sliver of independence it gave me. My family dogs loved me, of course, but there was something special about having a pet whose love was reserved solely for me. It was uncomplicated. Their affection did not require much, and in return, they gave me an unspoken comfort that, in my younger years, was the truest form of connection.
Last year, my first year living off campus, I longed for that feeling again. In an effort to ease the tumultuous college years, I purchased my first pet of adulthood, which to no one’s surprise was another hamster. I brought him home in typical college student fashion — on the #22 Clark bus. The rest is history.
My hamster Po has unironically become my obsession, and I’d go so far to say he’s one of my best friends. We spend every free moment together, so without sounding narcissistic, I would
like to think he loves me just as much as I love him.
Though I love boasting about my bond with Po, I am far from alone in this connection. This Valentine’s Day, I went in search of other DePaul students who have pets. It turns out they too share the same joy and kinship, no matter the animal.
DePaul junior Jocelyn Gray, a sculpture student, has proudly designated the title of valentine to her two rats, Socks and Boots, this year.
“I love them as if they are my children and I am their mother,” Gray said. “I feel as if I gave birth to them.”
Sophomore Taylor Budzynski rescued their dog Luna just a few weeks ago and is excited to spend their first Valentine’s Day together. They adopted her from Felines and Canines after she was saved from a high-kill shelter in Alabama.
“She is my true love. She’s my lover girl,” Budzynski said. “There’s a special bond I share with her knowing that I’ve rescued her from a bad situation.”
Senior Kaya Egan has double the love this Valentine’s day, as she gets to spend it with her two cats, Clementine and Sylvester. They are attached to her
hip, eagerly following her every move.
“They really like to be in the shower while I’m in there,” Egan laughs. “They just wanna be involved.”
Audrey Terhune, a junior studying at The Theater School, adopted her ferret, Twoey, two years ago from the Greater Chicago Ferret Association.
Terhune frequently brings Twoey to campus, where the ferret has become a campus favorite and is celebrated as an unofficial mascot.
“It’s theatre school, people are always crying,” Terhune said. “Twoey likes to go around and lick the tears off people’s faces. She has a lot of fans.”
Each day, Alix MacDonald, a DePaul senior, holds a unique companion in his hands: a hedgehog named Books. MacDonald adopted his companion to ease the loneliness of being a college student far from home.
“I call him Books because he’s my little bookie,” MacDonald said, explaining that “bookie” is his playful rendition of the word “pookie,” a nickname he designates to everyone he loves. Books often travels with him when he goes home to Michigan.
Valentine’s Day is about celebrating all kinds of love, and luckily the love of our pets is something we can always count on. This year, let’s not forget to appreciate the special bond we share with them.
Jocelyn Gray laughs in her room as her rats, Socks and Boots, run across her arms on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025 . Gray says her favorite thing about her rats is when they sit on her shoulder
ANNA BARTH | THE DEPAULIA
Alix MacDonald holds his shy hedgehog, Books, in his hands in Chicago on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. To help him feel more comfortable, MacDonald keeps Books close, tucked into a t-shirt to recognize his scent.
ANNA BARTH | THE DEPAULIA
ANNA BARTH| THE DEPAULIA
Taylor Budzynski and their dog, Luna, boop noses in their Chicago apartment on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. They describe Luna as giving amazing cuddles.
Kaya Egan holds her cats, Sylvester and Clementine, in her living room on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. She has coined the nickname “little guys” for her cats.
Audrey Terhune holds Twoey the ferret at The Theatre School on
Twoey comes to
with Terhune at least once a month.
ANNA BARTH| THE DEPAULIA
“Spinning
St.Vincent’s
D e JAMZ
freSh beatS Since 1581”
Music is a love language. It may have been one I have used too many times with too many people to the point where many of my favorite songs are tainted by some pretty traumatic and embarrassing memories. I’ve shelled out one too many personalized playlists and put too many subpar men onto some of the most amazing music ever. I sleep peacefully knowing those who have wronged me probably haven’t listened to a good song since my departure. So, in the spirit of love, or maybe anti-love, I have decided to compile some songs to represent each of those who have done me dirty. With love this Valentine’s season, xoxo, Lucia. I’m not sure what Nadine has in store for you, but it probably will be a little more lovey-dovey, so don’t stress if that’s the vibe you’re going for.
“Everything is embarrassing”- Sky Fierra
Everything is indeed embarrassing. I don’t think a day passes where I don’t feel some sort of deep-rooted embarrassment about the most minuiscule interaction. If I’m lucky enough to make it through the day, something from the past will come and remind me while I’m falling asleep at night.
I have even started running a tally in my mind for how many times a day I feel embarrassed. Fierra’s tune reminds the girlies that everything is so painfully embarrassing. But, with enough listens and a distraction or two, you can dance instead of being embarrassed about the interaction you had with a man from Hinge last week! - Lucia
“Angel”- Little Simz
This song painfully transports me back to a very specific time in my life when I was newly single as an “adult” in Chicago. I made a slew of painfully terrible decisions and I often had to listen to Little Simz to calm me down on the Brown Line trip home from wherever I had gotten myself into. You can find more of my ramblings about this amazing song in the first DeJamz I wrote for the DePaulia as a tiny little News Editor. Unfortunately enough, I think my love life has come full circle since then. - Lucia Chickenscratch! - Kaicrewsade
“Her favorite artist Noname.” Damn right, Kaicrewsade! I hope whatever man listens to this song thinks of me and all the Noname songs I have put them on to. That’s all I have to say. I’m not particularly happy this Valentine’s Day. I’m good. - Lucia
“Wonderful Tonight” -Eric Clapton
Crossword
Rarely do I listen to a song and the narrative plays out in my head as if I were watching a movie like it does when I listen to “Wonderful Tonight.” In fact, I find myself directing the music video in my head everytime I listen to it; not because Clapton is excessively descriptive, but the words alone speak volumes to how much love Clapton feels for his partner. Little is left to do but add some rhythm guitar and you got yourself a love song. - Nadine “Try and Love Again” - The Eagles
On the Brown Line, between MerchandisLook, I can’t sit here and lie to you, DeJamz reader. I haven’t always been the self-proclaimed “lover girl” I now call myself. I’ve had my fair share of crushes that didn’t amount to anything, failed situationships, and a couple other experiences that changed the trajectory of my life – nothing serious, just don’t ever bring them up to me. Ever. But how would I
ACROSS
1. Honors instagram handle.
5. Annual conference held by the Honors Program that focuses on scholarship, research and celebrating academic achievement of Honor students: Honors _______ Conference.
9. Course code for honors classes.
10. Every Thursday Honors students meet in the Arts and Letters Hall to hear from the Program Director and eat this sweet breakfast food.
11. One of the common study abroad places that all students can go on, this place features the Eiffel Tower.
13. A language spoken through hands that can be learned at an intermediate level to fulfill the Honors language requirement.
14. An Honors science course requirement for
students in an education major that focuses on the study of living organisms.
16. Students who are coming from a different university to DePaul and match all the requirements can partake in the ______ Honors Program.
18. Honors students must learn through an experience outside of the classroom for this hands-on learning domain.
20. Dorm where the Honors Living Learning Community is located.
ever know what else was out there if I never tried to love again after those minor heartbreaks? If The Eagles are telling you to do it, you must do it because, “right or wrong, what’s done is done.” - Nadine
“Thirteen” - Big Star
I rediscovered this song when I was going through my old playlists and came across “Thirteen” in my 2018 playlist. I was 15 years old at the time and didn’t have a clue what love was, and I still really can’t put it into words, but I am lucky enough to say I know what love looks and feels like, and it sounds a lot like this song. There’s an youthfulness and innocence in this Big Star track that modern artists cannot, or choose not to, put in their music. If it wasn’t obvious already, I think the best love songs come from the 1970s. No Snapchat, no Tinder, just a feeling… and maybe some psychedelics.
DOWN
2. Name of the Honors quarterly newsletter that is ‘written by Honors students, for Honors students’.
3. One of the Honors Program fine arts elective options that involve clay modeling and carving to create 3D works of art.
4. Honors class student class cap size.
6. Abbreviation for the Honors program student administration, which Honors Students can run for office.
7. Honors student final project that encompasses what they have learned over the course of their academic career at DePaul: Senior _____.
8. Last name of the director of the Honors Program.
12. Honors ________ Mentor, an honors student mentor that helps incoming freshmen
adjust to life in Chicago through the Honors Chicago Discover/Explore Quarter classes.
15. The honors program is a ________ arts curriculum program. 17. What quarter does the annual Honors Research Conference take place during?
19. Seminar in ______ justice, an Honors course curriculum that focuses on systems of power, oppression and privilege.
NADINE DECERO | THE DEPAULIA
By Nadine DeCero and Lucia Preziosi Social Media Editor & Editor in Cheif
Lucia Preziosi and Nadine DeCero stand in The DePaulia office on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025. Preziosi and DeCero wrote the DeJamz for this week’s issue.
CROSSWORD
BY ASTRID MYERS, DEPAUL DIGI LAB X DEPAUL HONORS PROGRAM
DePaul community shocked after Luka DoncicAnthony Davis swap
By Ethan Baca Contributing Writer
There have been many monumental trades in recent NBA history. The Los Angeles Lakers sent out a trio of promising young players and first-round draft picks for Anthony Davis in June 2019 and won the following NBA championship with him.
Less than a month later, the crosstown LA Clippers signed Kawhi Leonard and acquired Paul George by trading away future MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and significant draft capital. James Harden became a Brooklyn Net in January 2021 — teaming up with All-Stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. None were as unpredictable as Saturday night’s blockbuster deal.
Luka Doncic, the 25-year-old face of the Dallas Mavericks, headed to the Lakers with forwards Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris in exchange for Davis, third-year guard Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick. ESPN senior NBA insider Shams Charania, who first broke the news on X, also disclosed that the Utah Jazz received Los Angeles guard Jalen Hood-Schifino and a second-round pick from both teams.
DePaul sports fans, like many others, could not believe it.
“My first reaction was that it was fake,” Ron Eltanal, a DePaul film professor, said. Eltanal verified the news by going to Charania’s X account.
“I would hate to be a Mavs fan right now,” he added.
Doncic’s production and achievements at his age speak for themselves. He holds career averages of 28.6 points on 47.0% shooting and 34.8% on 3-pointers, 8.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.2 steals. The Slovenian guard-forward secured the 2018 EuroLeague MVP and championship, the 2018-19 NBA Rookie of the Year award, five consecutive All-NBA First Team berths and his first NBA scoring title last season.
Doncic has suffered recent injuries — sitting out since Christmas with a left calf strain. But he was eligible to sign a long-term extension with the Mavericks as soon as this summer. Before last weekend, Dallas moving him in any situation seemed extraordinarily unlikely. Now, Doncic has joined forces with longtime superstar LeBron James.
DePaul sophomore Zakai Bishop came across the trade details on Instagram and had to check whether Charania had been hacked. He said he was “definitely shocked.”
Senior Omar Hammoudeh had a similar experience after receiving the news
from his cousins via text.
“(The trade) looks good, maybe, for just this season, but it makes no sense overall,” Hammoudeh said. “They should build around (Doncic), not trade him.”
The trade has transcended the sports world. Graduate student Natasha Tseng, whose basketball fandom has dwindled since high school, saw the deal on a friend’s Instagram story. One TikTok video compared the swap to a prime One Direction trading Harry Styles for Kevin Jonas, while another suggested Sephora trading their makeup products for clipon nails.
“It just seems like a bad decision,” Tseng said.
Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison cited defense and his team’s culture as reasons for making the switch in a pregame press conference last Sunday. Doncic led Dallas to the 2024 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Boston Celtics in five games. To his credit, Davis is also an accomplished player — but, as many see it, not on the same timeline as Doncic. The 31-year-old has averaged 24.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.3 steals over his 13-season career, picking up nine All-Star selections and earning a spot on the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. He secured two gold medals on the U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team and won the 2014 FIBA World Cup with new Dallas teammate Kyrie Irving.
“He probably could help (the Mavericks) with a deep playoff run, but I don’t see them winning a championship,” Bishop, the DePaul sophomore, said.
Both teams made further moves before Thursday afternoon’s trade deadline. Dallas exchanged guard Quentin Grimes for Philadelphia 76ers forward Caleb Martin on Tuesday. The following night, Los Angeles obtained center Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets to replace Davis. Doncic watched James record 42 points, 17 rebounds and eight assists Thursday night as the No. 5 Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors 120-112 for their fourth straight win.
Meanwhile, No. 8 Dallas fell by 43 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers Sunday afternoon in its first post-trade game, lost 118-116 to the 76ers on Tuesday and took down the defending champion Boston Celtics by seven points Thursday night.
NBA correspondent Marc Stein reported that Davis will make his Mavericks debut against the Houston Rockets tomorrow at 2 p.m. CST, and Doncic will suit up for the Lakers against the Utah Jazz on Monday at 9:30 p.m. CST.
“(Doncic) should have been with the Mavericks his entire career,” Bishop said.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic sits on the bench before an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif.
KEVORK DJANSEZIAN| THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Peyton’s Power Hour: Stalking and harassing does not equal love
By Peyton Hopp Asst. Sports Editor
When someone follows you around, monitors your every move or invades your privacy, that’s not love — it’s control. With Valentine’s Day coming up, I want to focus on the bad parts of “love,” especially in women’s sports. On Jan. 13, news broke that 55-yearold Michael Lewis was allegedly stalking 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark. He was charged with a level five felony because he sent threats and sexually violent texts via social media, according to court documents.In December of 2024, 40-yearold Robert Cole Parmalee pleaded guilty to stalking UConn women’s basketball senior Paige Bueckers. Katie Barnes of ESPN said Parmalee “is barred from arenas, hotels and practice facilities where the UConn women’s basketball team is present. The state’s attorney also added that the WNBA has barred him from all arenas and practice facilities.”
While some cases like these are brought to light and the perpetrator is usually questioned, sometimes cases come out far too late — or not at all. For example, Rebecca Cheptegei, a Ugandan runner who participated in the 2024 Paris Olympics, was burned alive by her ex-boyfriend last September. Cheptegei made many reports to the police about her ex-boyfriend. One time when she called the police, Cheptegei’s father Joseph said that the
officer “was tired of all the complaints at this homestead, and he didn’t want to hear any more of their domestic argument.”
Another example of higher authorities not taking a situation like this seriously is when Larry Nassar — previously the doctor for the United States women’s national gymnastics team — was first reported in 2015 for allegedly sexually harassing gymnasts. He continued working for more than a year before he pleaded guilty in 2017.
In 2022, Olympic gymnasts like Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney sued the FBI for $1 billion because they did not stop Nassar from working. More than 150 women came forward about Nassar abusing them. Spanish footballer Jenni Hermoso was allegedly forcibly kissed by Spain’s former football chief Luis Rubiales. His trial — where he is accused of sexual assault and coercion — began on Feb. 6 in Madrid, where her teammates Irene Paredes, Laia Codina and Alexia Putellas have appeared in court. Clark and Bueckers didn’t know their harassers personally, but Cheptegei, Biles, Raisman, Maroney and Hermoso did. You truly never know what can happen to you; you can have the utmost faith in someone, but they can end up becoming your worst enemy. This topic is important to me because women’s sports
are becoming more and more popular these days, especially with the rise of the WNBA. That’s great, but there are downsides, whether we like it or not.
While this is a sports-focused article, these experiences aren’t limited to sports. Forbes reported that in 2024, 82% of women in the U.S. had experienced harassment or assault in their lives. Women these days are always cautious when they go out, go on dates and even in day-to-day life. Almost every woman I know carries some sort of self-defense weapon: things like pepper spray, alarm keychains, knives and so much more. Many women don’t share that things like this are
happening and/or have happened to them because they’re scared people won’t believe them. Many people are quick to believe that when a woman comes out with something as serious as this, it’s fake. Our own president has had allegations of sexual misconduct and he claims they’re fake, even when 18 separate women have come out to testify. The above examples show that many women deal with this, even celebrities. It’s a sad and scary world out there, but bringing awareness to stories like these is so important. Perhaps it will lead to women feeling more comfortable sharing their experiences.
Volleyball plus track equals a winning DePaul relationship
By Ethan Baca Contributing Writer
She sets him up for success, while he goes the distance for her. Literally.
Senior Ashley Cudiamat, a DePaul volleyball setter, and graduate student Damian Rodriguez, who runs medium- and long-distance events for Blue Demon track, have been partners for almost two and a half years. Their bond resulted from their proximity as athletes and has stayed strong ever since. Rodriguez became friends with DePaul volleyball players as a freshman before Cudiamat joined the following year.
“She was just around her team, and we’d go hang out with them,” Rodriguez said. “And that’s how we met initially. But we didn’t really start talking until winter quarter.” Joe Knanishu, a current DePaul runner who’s known Rodriguez since middle school, saw him and Cudiamat getting closer, even before their relationship began.
“You could just see the connection between the two of them,” Knanishu said.
Fast-forward a few months to the 2022 autumn quarter — and they were dating. Rodriguez attends most of Cudiamat’s games, while Cudiamat drives down to Gately Indoor Park in Chicago’s Pullman neighborhood to watch
Rodriguez run.
“Our schedules are pretty similar,” Cudiamat said. “We practice at the same time, so we see each other whenever we can.”
Student-athlete life brings constant trade-offs between athletic, academic and social responsibilities. Rodriguez said he cannot miss practices to support Cudiamat at her road games, since other Big East venues are too far from Chicago.
“The class load’s pretty heavy, along with practices and competitions, especially being away,” Rodriguez said. “But I think, yeah, we just try and find the time where our schedules match up.”
Cudiamat’s role on the court involves providing accurate setups for teammate kills. She averaged 5.46 assists per set over four years, reaching the 1,000- and 2,000-assist milestones in her career.
Cudiamat also prevented opponent points with 289 digs in her senior season, eclipsing two digs per set for the first time.
“I like to tell people the achievements my girlfriend’s achieved,” Rodriguez said. “It’s nice to be able to brag about her.”
Rodriguez set a school record in the
mile run (4:03.24) last year. He has won two 800-meter events, a mile event, a 6.44-kilometer event and registered 16 other top-five finishes since February 2021. “I would say the same,” Cudiamat said. “He’s always being posted on Instagram, breaking records. He’s up on the wall of the Ray and outside the (Sullivan Athletic Center).” Cudiamat said she has learned a lot about track from Rodriguez, including race times, but admittedly “will never run with him.” The opposite does not apply, since Cudiamat’s West Coast family plays volleyball.
“Whenever we’re out in California, we’ll play beach volleyball just for fun,” Rodriguez said.
The two also watch DePaul basketball games at Wintrust Arena, on television or online, depending on scheduling. They remain close with other DePaul teams — a skill which brought them together in the first place.Knanishu said being an athlete requires good communication with teammates, coaches and peers — which translates to relationships. Rodriguez and Cudiamat both say they have learned a lot about each other while experiencing growth and maturity.
“I think Ashley challenged him a lot from a personal level,” Knanishu said.
Cudiamat, a health sciences major, wants to enroll in a physician assistant program after graduation. Rodriguez takes pride in watching her academic achievements and pursuits due to the medical field’s competitiveness.
“I think we figured out how to support each other,” Cudiamat said. “When we’re going through something, either at practice or in life, we know what the other person needs and how to respond to them.”
Damian Rodriguez (left) and Ashley Cudiamat (right) at the 2024 Billys Awards Show at Old Crow Smokehouse on May 28, 2024. Rodriguez was nominated for DePaul’s 2023-24 Male Athlete of the Year.
