The DePaulia 5.20.2024

TheDePaulia

A Chicago police officer stands across from a pro-Palestinian rally Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the

after CPD and the Office of Public Safety clearedDePaul’s pro-Palestinian student encampment earlier that morning.

CPD, Public Safety tear down DePaul protest encampment

By Rose O’Keeffe, Lilly Keller, Claire Tweedie & Lucia Preziosi Asst. News Editor, Editor-in-Chief, Content Managing Editor, News Editor

At 5:30 a.m. Thursday, more than 100 Chicago Police Department officers arrived at DePaul’s Quad, as instructed by the university, to dismantle the encampment on its 17th day. Officer Jon Hein, CPD chief of patrol, reported the arrest of a 21-year-old male and a 25-year-old female for “obstruction of traffic,” without specifying if they were students.

The Office of President Robert Manuel sent an email shortly after CPD arrived explaining that, “despite good faith intentions” during negotiations with the DePaul Divest Coalition, the encampment would be removed.

“Every person currently in the encampment will be given the opportunity to leave peacefully and without being arrested. I urge all there to leave peacefully and return home,”

the email read.

The email stated that DePaul received many “credible threats” to the encampment that also prompted its removal.

“We had no choice but to act, before we lost the ability to provide for the safety of the Jewish members of our community, to protect those in the encampment, to preserve the rights of all other students and to maintain university operations,” the email said.

Upon arrival, CPD officers, who wore helmets and face shields and carried batons, tore down tents as students screamed and scrambled to gather belongings. About 20 chanting encampment members were told by officers to “Vacate DePaul property, or you are subject to arrest!”

They didn’t even give students a chance to collect their belongings. Most of their stuff was thrown in the trash.”

Henna

Media liaison, DePaul Divestment Coalition

Ayesh

encampment

Followed by 10 CPD officers, the remaining encampment members marched from the Quad’s north entrance down Kenmore Avenue to join others.

The lingering pro-Palestinian protestors did so, as CPD officers advanced toward the intersection of Belden and Seminary avenues.

Midwest Corporation employees installed temporary fences at 7:30 a.m. at both north and south entrances of the Quad barring entry, shortly after DePaul employees were seen putting up closure signs.

CLAIRE TWEEDIE | THE DEPAULIA

intersection of Sheffield and Belden avenues, outside DePaul’s Lincoln Park Campus. The rally happened

The DePaulia is the official student-run newspaper of DePaul University and may not necessarily reflect the views of college administrators, faculty or staff.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | Lilly Keller eic@depauliaonline.com

ONLINE MANAGING | Jake Cox online@depauliaonline.com

NEWS EDITOR | Lucia Preziosi news@depauliaonline.com

ASST. NEWS EDITOR | Rose O’Keeffe news@depauliaonline.com

OPINIONS EDITOR | Nadine DeCero opinion@depauliaonline.com

CONTENT MANAGER | Claire Tweedie artslife@depauliaonline.com

ASST. ARTS & LIFE EDITOR | Sam Mroz artslife@depauliaonline.com

SPORTS EDITOR | Ryan Hinske sports@depauliaonline.com

ART EDITOR | Maya Oclassen art@depauliaonline.com

DESIGN EDITOR | Jake Cox design@depauliaonline.com

DESIGN EDITOR | Zoë Hanna design@depauliaonline.com

PHOTO EDITOR | Kit Wiberg photo@depauliaonline.com

ASST. PHOTO EDITOR | Erin Henze photo@depauliaonline.com

CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER | Quentin Blais photo@depauliaonline.com

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR| Ariana Vargas multimedia@depauliaonline.com

COPY EDITOR | Amber Corkey copydesk@depauliaonline.com

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR | Vanessa Lopez social@depauliaonline.com

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EDITOR | Ruchi Nawathe community@depauliaonline.com

ADVISER | Martha Irvine mirvine5@depaul.edu

La DePaulia es el noticiero oficial estudiantil en español de la Universidad DePaul, enfocado en proveer una voz para la comunidad latinx. Nuestras opiniones no necesariamente reflejan las opiniones de la administración, facultad o personal de la universidad.

JEFA DE REDACCIÓN | Alyssa Salcedo eicladepaulia@depauliaonline.com

GERENTE EDITORIAL | Rodolfo Zagal managingladepaulia@depauliaonline.com

EDITORA DE NOTICIAS | Cary Robbins crobbi10@depaul.edu

ASESORA | Laura Rodriguez Presa larodriguez@chicagotribune.com

CAMPUS CRIME REPORT

LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS

May. 08 - May. 14, 2024

LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS

Drug & Alcohol Assault & Theft Other

Lincoln Park Campus Crimes:

May 8

1) A Criminal Damage to Property report was filed for graffiti found in the 1st floor men’s restroom in Student Center.

May 9

2) A Theft report was filed for a scooter taken from the bike rack near Holtschneider Performance Center.

May 9

3) A Battery report was filed for a person who stated while walking through the Quad he was the victim of a simple battery. A CPD report was filed, and a Safety Alert was issued.

May 9

4) A Disturbance report was filed for an individual on top of the Link platform near Levan /O’Connell, attaching a sign to the building.

May 10

5) A Threat report was filed regarding a staff member who received a telephone threat regarding the encampment.

May 10

6) A Threat report was filed regarding a staff member who received a telephone threat regarding the encampment.

May 10

7) A Cannabis Control Act report was filed for Seton Hall.

May 11

8) A Criminal Damage to Property report was filed for graffiti found in the 1st floor women’s restroom in Richardson library.

May 11

9) A Theft report was filed for laundry taken from dryer in Munroe Hall

May 12

10) A Criminal Damage to Property report was filed for graffiti found on the Belden side of O’Connell.

May 12

11) A Criminal Damage to Property report was filed for graffiti markings on the Clifton side exterior wall of McGowan North.

May 12

12) A Reckless Conduct report was filed regarding doors at Kelly Hall being locked. The southeast entrance and west door entrance doors were found chained with a U Lock and the other with a padlock.

LOOP CAMPUS

May 13

13) A Criminal Damage to Vehicle report was filed for damage to a vehicle window that was parked on Fullerton Ave.

May 14

14) A Deceptive Practices report was filed regarding an individual soliciting gift cards for medicine in the Quad.

Loop Campus Crimes:

May 12

1) A Weapons Violation report was filed for a person with a sword walking down the alley near Jackson. CPD was called.

May 13

2) A Simple Battery report was filed for a student who stated an individual threw an unknown liquid at her as she walked on Jackson and Wabash. Student was advised to file CPD report.

May 14

3) A Theft report was filed for a case of pop that was taken from Chipotle delivery service vehicle. CPD was called and offender was gone on arrival.

Reporting With Care During the Protest

By The DePaulia Staff

As DePaul’s encampment continues on the Quad, The DePaulia is committed to tirelessly reporting what is happening as it happens — without fear or favor. While we cannot stay on the Quad 24/7, we try our hardest to document the encampment thoroughly. While we do not always get it right, we are committed to working as hard as possible to provide fair, balanced, and ethical coverage. If we make a mistake while reporting, we own up to it. If a factual error is discovered, a formal correction will be issued.

Even though we are student journalists, we are acutely aware that our reporting has real-world consequences. We are humbled by

our responsibility and are intently aware of the negative implications unethical coverage can have on people’s lives.

In our coverage of the encampment and related topics, we adhere to the Society for Professional Journalists Code of Ethics and our duty to our peers as DePaul students to report ethically and minimize harm.

Unless a photojournalist has gotten consent, The DePaulia editors have decided not to publish photos or videos of people’s faces if they are peacefully protesting at the encampment because of protesters’ concerns about safety. While photographs of people are the most compelling way to show what is happening on campus, safety is most important for our subjects and our staff.

Both in photo captions and reporting, we are willing to run only a first name or no name if there is a compelling reason to do so, such as legitimate fear of retaliation. However, we ask our subjects for names so that our reporters and our editors know who we’re talking to. Regarding reporting, we understand that talking to the media can be intimidating. However, the staff would like to reiterate that our only goal is to report what is happening as it is happening. Our only goal is to serve DePaul’s community with fair, balanced and comprehensive coverage.

We respect everyone’s right to decline a request for an interview and understand that everyone is a human being deserving of respect.

Divest coalition hosts press conference, rally

By Rose O’Keeffe Asst. News Editor

About 300 demonstrators gathered at the east entrance of DePaul’s Student Center in Lincoln Park at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, more than 12 hours after the Chicago Police Department and DePaul Public Safety dismantled the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment.”

The DePaul Divestment Coalition and Students for Justice in Palestine also staged a press conference and subsequent march around the periphery of DePaul’s campus. According to an Instagram post by the DePaul Divestment Coalition, the gathering was meant to “make it very clear that DePaul will not be allowed to breakdown the encampment and maintain any semblance of peace while it is invested in the Gaza genocide.”

Several speakers headlined the press conference, including Ald. Byron Signcho-Lopez (25th) and Rabbi Brant Rosen, both of whom spoke at the encampment’s press conference Saturday, May 11.

Sigcho-Lopez called it an “honor and pleasure” to stand with DePaul students and the DePaul Divest Coalition. He posed the question etched on the statue of Monsignor Egan outside the student center “what are you doing for justice?” as he called shame upon university administrators who ordered the removal of the encampment.

“It is an attack on human dignity and morality,” Sigcho-Lopez said into a line of microphones from local news stations as demonstrators yelled “shame” behind him.

Rabbi Brant Rosen, co-founder of Jewish Voices for Peace, said he was appalled to see the encampment torn down. He called the encampment “the safest place I could be as a Jew.”

“Jewish students … were an integral part of the ‘DePaul Liberation Zone’ community,” Rosen said.

Student body president Parveen Mundi spoke to press about her unique role as often the only student involved in the shared governance structure of the university.

Mundi classified herself as “someone who believes more than anything else that the administration today had an opportunity to do business differently, and instead chose to do something less than great.”

She went on to compare the 17-day encampment to other protests and sit-ins for social change throughout DePaul’s history.

“Institutions of higher education act as authorities on attention … shaping what and whose idea matters, or doesn’t,” Mundi said.

She said DePaul’s move to take down the encampment shows that they do not value shared governance.

Mundi explained that at a joint council meeting on Tuesday, May 14, President Manuel said “he did not have much to discuss” regarding the impasse with negotiators.

“President Manuel did not think leaders of this institution were worth considering when it came to what happens next, or whether or not an intervention would be

considered and whether or not notice would be given to the vulnerable members of our community,” Mundi said.

Following the press conference, demonstrators with signs and Palestinian flags took to the streets for the next several hours.

Chants such as, “We want divestment now, now, now” and “No justice no peace, no racist police” echoed off the John T. Richardson Library and Schmitt Academic Center as demonstrators marched down Sheffield Avenue, turned onto Fullerton Avenue and rounded out the night through on Belden Avenue.

CPD was present throughout the press conference and march but generally did not engage with demonstrators.

“We are here, we have our demands, and we will continue to push until this administration actually gives us a response that isn’t only signed by Manual but actually done in consultation with all the stakeholders that make this university great,” Mundi said.

CLAIRE TWEEDIE | THE DEPAULIA

A pro-Palestinian protester ties a keffiyeh around the neck of the Monsignor Egan statue outside of the DePaul University Student Center on Thursday, May 16, 2024. Etched on the base of the statue is the Vincentian question “What are you doing for justice?”

of the encampment on DePaul’s Lincoln Park Quad.”

Tensions arose between demonstrators and police officers as the various pro-Palestinain posters and art were torn down off the Fullerton-facing fence and discarded by DePaul employees.

Officer Michael Neckerman of the CPD’s Critical Incident Response Team warned demonstrators to get out of the street, saying it was their “last warning” before arrest.

“I’ve been talking to you all day to get out of the street,” Neckerman shouted to demonstrators. “Please, let’s go.”

Encampment media liaison Henna Ayesh told The DePaulia that demonstrators on the Quad were not given warning about the raid.

“They didn’t even give students a chance to collect their belongings. Most of their stuff was thrown in the trash,” Ayesh said.

Ayesh said she wasn’t present when officers arrived because she and some other demonstrators hadn’t anticipated a raid.

“DePaul told us in our negotiations that they were not going to call CPD. So it’s clear that they’re really good at lying,” Ayesh said.

DePaul University spokespeople responded to The DePaulia’s request for comment by referring to Manuel’s most recent statement.

In his initial email, Manuel included a hyperlinked to the university’s leadership notes detailing “images, data and quotes that exemplify the escalation of the impact

The university received over “625 registered complaints from neighbors and community members related to the encampment, 34 reports of antisemitism and four credible threats of violence,” according to the website.

The encampment’s removal follows the university’s May 11 announcement that negotiations with organizers on the Quad reached an impasse.

After the eviction, about 200 former encampment members gathered near the intersection of Seminary and Fullerton by a gas station. They chanted at 15 or more CPD officers who formed a line and blocked protesters and others from the north entrance of the Quad.

Parveen Kaur Mundi, student body president, called university administration “a bunch of spineless cowards.”

“With Vincentian personalism and dialogue, they would’ve had the good grace to let our encampment community members, including children and international students, know before they decided to send in the cops,” she told The DePaulia.

Benjamin Meyer, a lawyer representing the encampment, told The DePaulia he was “really disappointed” that the university called in police.

“There was a path forward to negotiations and DePaul unilaterally withdrew

CPD RAID, continued from front:

CLAIRE TWEEDIE | THE DEPAULIA

A pro-Palestinian protestor wearing a keffiyeh to cover their face stands in front of the rally at DePaul’s Lincoln Park Campus on Thursday, May 16, 2024. Protesters marched down Sheffield Avenue holding banners, signs and flags while chanting phrases like “Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest.”

CLAIRE TWEEDIE | THE DEPAULIA

A DePaul grounds worker cleans up the Quad after the police dismantled the pro-Palestinian student encampment May 16, 2024. All belongings left on the Quad after the encampment was cleared were disposed of, according to a DPU alert that day.

from negotiations on Saturday,” Meyer said. “The students even sent them a calendar invite asking them to come negotiate with him (Manuel) on Monday, and they refused and you see what the result of that is.”

The university maintains that negotiations ended in a “stalemate” and that it was not a unilateral withdrawal, as Meyer described.

CPD held a press conference at the corner of Belden and Seminary at about 7:30 a.m. to address the ongoing situation on the Quad.

Hein, the CPD chief of patrol, addressed the crowd of reporters as a “CAT Loader” scooped up leftover tarps and tents from the encampment in the background.

Hein said DePaul administration and CPD issued multiple dispersal orders for those in the encampment to leave or be arrested.

He said those encamped left the Quad voluntarily.

Hein maintained that there were no violent confrontations between CPD and demonstrators. However, The DePaulia witnessed a CPD officer shoving a demonstrator and removing her hijab.

CPD did not respond to The DePaulia’s request for more information on this event by the time of publication.

Ayesh, the encampment media liaison, confirmed this occurrence.

“One of (the people arrested) was a Muslim student, her hijab was taken off, and she wasn’t even a part of the encampment. She was just trying to get out of the way. Now, she’s currently detained,” Ayesh said.

In a follow-up email from the Office of President Robert Manuel at 11:37 a.m. confirmed that “no one inside the encampment was arrested” and that the two other individuals were arrested by CPD “for obstructing traffic on Belden Avenue.”

The email reiterated that protestors were given the chance to leave voluntarily and said that any items left behind would be discarded.

Manuel said he believes the encampment

started as a positive effort at peaceful protest but contended that it morphed into an “unsafe environment” that disrupted the university and the DePaul neighborhood.

“While peaceful protest and dissension should continue, the encampment could not,” the second email concluded.

Alderman Timmy Knudsen (43nd) said in a statement that his office is “in touch with university leadership and city officials and will keep residents updated” as more information becomes available.

The email from President Manuel said the Quad and all other green spaces on the Lincoln Park Campus will be closed until further notice.

“Anyone who tries to breach the fence around the Quad or any of the green spaces on the Lincoln Park Campus will be trespassed, arrested and suspended. DePaul will continue to investigate every reported complaint of harassment or discrimination that we receive resulting from the encampment or subsequent events,” the email read.

The email estimated the encampment caused close to $180,000 in damage

Ayesh expressed sadness at the encampment’s dismantling but emphasized that the demonstrators’ fight is ongoing.

“The sentiment behind divestment is not going to leave with the tents,” she said. ”Whether they’re here or not, the students are here to stay. And that’s why we’re not going anywhere.”

CLAIRE TWEEDIE | THE DEPAULIA

Two pro-Palestinian demonstrators stand behind a protest banner across the street from DePaul’s Quad while CPD officers finish clearing the encampment on Thursday, May 16, 2024. The Office of the President, Robert Manuel, sent an email to the DePaul community at 5:34 a.m. announcing that the Office of Public Safety and the Chicago Police Department were disassembling the encampment.

JAKE COX | THE DEPAULIA

CPD and DePaul Public Safety director Bob Wachowski stand on the Lincoln Park Quad after the encampment’s removal in the early hours on Thursday, May 16, 2024. A garbage truck and grounds equipment was brought in to begin repairs to the Quad.

CLAIRE TWEEDIE | THE DEPAULIA

A pro-Palestinian demonstrator speaks through a megaphone to protestors across the street from DePaul’s Quad on Thursday, May 16, 2024. CPD and the Office of Public Safety began clearing the encampment around 5:30 a.m. earlier that day.

to the Quad.

Opinions

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

Trauma dumping needs to be identified and canceled in 2024

By Sophie DiBenedetto Contributing Writer

On a beautiful summer night during my freshman year, I remember sitting in the Quad chatting with friends after devouring food from Allende. Amid the sound of laughter and overlapping conversations, I almost didn’t notice that a casual acquaintance walked up to ruin our night. He made his presence known by telling the whole group about the horrible trauma his boyfriend had experienced the night before. None of us knew him or his boyfriend well. And yet, I suddenly knew every detail of the awful thing that had happened and was left to sit with it for the rest of the night, feeling compassion, of course, but also confused and uneasy. It was official — I had been trauma dumped upon. I would go into more detail, but then I would be guilty of trauma dumping myself. Every time I open up any social media, I see the phrase “trauma dump” being tossed around. People are quick to both call people out for trauma dumping and defend themselves against it. I agree that trauma dumping is too common. However, I also think that the phrase is so overused that people have lost the meaning. Trauma dumping should be strayed away from at all costs, and in order to do so, people need

a better understanding of what it is and what it is not.

A recent column in Forbes magazine identified trauma dumping as unloading the details of a traumatic experience onto someone else without regard for the impact. This can leave the listener feeling overwhelmed, uncomfortable and even traumatized themselves. The major qualifier is that this trauma sharing is unprovoked. Even so, trauma dumping is still difficult to define, as it is subjective to those receiving the dumping.

I often find that people use the terms “trauma dumping” and “oversharing” interchangeably when they actually vary distinctly. I understand the appeal of equating oversharing and trauma dumping, as both involve providing more information than the listener is looking for. However, as a chronic oversharer, I need to stand up for my oversharing community. Telling friends, family and strangers about my every thought and life occurrence, although admittedly annoying, is not the same as intensely describing my life trauma. Oversharing can be harmless — trauma dumping is not.

“Oversharing comes from a lapse in being able to read a room. (It’s) not as much about content, but the environment in which it is being shared,” said Kayla

Turner, wellness support specialist in the Office of Health Promotion and Wellness at DePaul.

Nor is trauma dumping the same thing as venting, a comparison that also makes a red alarm blare in my brain. Venting is conversational, and, almost always, the listener understands what is going to be discussed. I find that venting usually takes place with friends, and there is a level of give and take involved. Trauma dumping is more jarring. The audience is unaware of the conversation going to be had, the setting is inappropriate, and the dumper might not even have a relationship with their audience.

“It’s venting when we’re comfortable. It’s oversharing when we’re annoyed. It’s trauma dumping when we’re uncomfortable and afraid,” Turner said. “It corresponds to the emotions that we’re feeling at that moment.”

It’s important to understand the differences between oversharing, venting and trauma dumping, so we can identify when we’re trauma dumping and avoid driving others away.

When a trauma dumper opens up and unpacks their baggage, they are looking to feel supported and heard. However, unless the people they’re dumping on are trained professionals in the field of psychology,

they will not be able to help you cope in an effective way. This leaves the dumper in a place of feeling alone in their trauma and embarrassed for bringing it up at all.

This dynamic also can cause people to distance themselves from the dumper, as the search for belonging turns into social isolation.

I personally avoid trauma dumpers like the plague. I am your friend, not your therapist.

“If I encounter a trauma dumper, I run in the opposite direction,”said Sadie Guffy, a DePaul senior. “Unless we’re best friends, I do not need to know you like that.”

The most simplistic way to start changing the habit of trauma dumping is to foster awareness within yourself and call it out. Ask people if they’re comfortable having a conversation about your trauma before you share. Stop yourself in the middle of the conversation to check in and see if everyone feels OK continuing. Talk to friends after heavy conversations to see if they’re comfortable with how things went.

Trauma dumping relies heavily on the reactions of the people receiving it, and there is no way to establish healthy boundaries without understanding how your audience feels.

MAYA OCLASSEN | THE DEPAULIA

What’s the deal with women’s clothing sizes, am I right?

By Hayla C. Brooks Contributing Writer

A few years ago, I purchased three pairs of pants online. I got them all from the same website, so I thought I could order all of them in the same size. I was wrong. I waited patiently for my purchase to be delivered. Once it arrived, I proceeded to try everything on. To my surprise, each pair of pants fit me differently. The first pair, I couldn’t even get past my knees. The second pair fit like a glove. The third pair was so big that even a belt couldn’t fix it. I was so confused about how three pairs of pants from the same website could all fit differently.

This was not the first time I experienced this problem. In fact, it’s something I’ve had to work around my entire life. To this day, I cannot tell you what size pants I wear. Or, really, the size of anything I wear. The number changes based on where I am shopping and what it is that I am shopping for. I might try a pair of jeans on in one store and be a size 10, and then go next door and try on another pair of jeans and be a size 16. It seems like consistent sizing is not possible in any type of women’s clothing. Personally, I’ve started shopping in the men’s section to avoid this issue. But not everyone is comfortable wearing men’s clothes, and that’s completely fine.

Why are men’s clothing sizes consistent while women’s are not? Has the patriarchy reached all areas of our lives, down to the clothes we wear? Or is it just another way to

Shopping can feel like a luck of the draw, no matter how many times I measure myself.”

Colette Postaer Student, Columbia College Chicago

make women insecure? It would be easier for the entire clothing industry if sizes were uniform.

Columbia student Colette Postaer works in costumes and fashion and believes these sizing inconsistencies are due to capitalism trying to uphold society’s unrealistic beauty standards for women.

“Women’s retail houses the most confusing and exclusive array of sizing that is built to uphold society’s dedication to dieting and currency over women’s bodies,” Postaer said. Capitalism is feeding directly into women’s insecurities about their bodies.

Postaer also said that her biggest frustration with sizing lies in pants: no matter how often she’s measured herself, she still has trouble finding a pair that fits her.

“Shopping can feel like a luck of the draw, no matter how many times I measure myself,” Postaer said, a recent Columbia graduate.

I’m reminded of a time when I was a cheerleader in middle school,

and they had us order one-size-fitsall leggings. I was one of the few girls who couldn’t fit into them. It was because I was an early bloomer and had hit puberty before the other girls on my team.

Some other girls also couldn’t fit into them because they weren’t the “standard size” for girls our age, which is really upsetting to say. Can you imagine the kind of damage that does to a young girl’s psyche? We’re told that these random pairs of leggings are supposed to fit us due to our age, and they don’t. I know it messed with me when they didn’t fit me. It made me hate my body. It made me feel like I wasn’t normal and that I needed to transform my body into a “normal” one. I know I am not the only one who has had an experience like this growing up, and it breaks my heart.

From buying pants online to trying to fit into one-size-fits-all clothing, I have had many experiences with sizing inconsistencies. While I know this is largely an issue

caused by corporations, I wondered how people who make garments work around this issue. I got my answer from Maggie Hofmann, the head of costume technology at DePaul’s Theater School.

Before our conversation, I expected these sizing issues to be less of a problem in costume-making because the outfits are tailored. However, Hofmann informed me that it is “a huge issue” in costume making.

“Some of our work is custom-made, but many contemporary shows feature mostly store-bought pieces that are then altered to better fit the actor’s body, if needed,” Hofmann said. “When the costume designer is purchasing the pieces to be fit, they often need to purchase multiple sizes of the same piece in order to streamline the fitting process. Then the unused pieces are returned after the fitting.”

While there has been a lot of change in the past decade due to body-positive movements, there are still parts of our society that have unreal standards ingrained into them. The clothing industry is probably one of, if not the biggest, enforcers of these standards.

I personally have gotten to the point where the numbers on the tags mean nothing to me. I know the range of sizes that usually fit me — typically, between 12 and 16. The last time I went shopping, I freestyled it and grabbed a range of sizes and just tried them on without trying to force myself into one specific size.

This is more easily said than done.

La DePaulia

Plantando semillas de cambio: Nueva profesora de Estudios Latinoamericanos y Latinos

By Alyssa N. Salcedo

La DePaulia Editor-in-Chief

El departamento de Estudios Latinoamericanos y Latinos de DePaul dio la bienvenida el pasado septiembre a la profesora asistente, Dra. Yoalli Rodríguez-Aguilera, graduada de la Universidad de Texas en Austin. Rodríguez-Aguilera dijo que entrelaza su dedicación hacia la descolonización, el feminismo interseccional y la regeneración ambiental en su investigación y experiencias en el aula.

“Sentí un ambiente acogedor en el departamento de estudios latinoamericanos y su misión vicenciana de justicia social se alineó con mi propia política,” dijo Rodríguez-Aguilera sobre su visita al campus durante el proceso de contratación.

En esta entrevista, Rodríguez-Aguilera habla sobre su activismo ambiental y justicia social que enseña a los estudiantes de DePaul.

¿Qué tipo de temas aborda su trabajo?  Trabajo en temas sobre racismo ambiental en México y comunidades afromexicanas e indígenas en Oaxaca, México. Actualmente estoy escribiendo un libro que habla sobre el racismo en América Latina, específicamente el racismo anti-negro y anti-indígena. Las mujeres afromexicanas e indígenas en las lagunas del Chaco están luchando contra la toxicidad y la contaminación. Y cómo su relación con la tierra y el agua es

un conocimiento ancestral, estoy tratando de documentar cómo están intentando protegerlo como otra forma holística de existir en este mundo.

¿Qué tipo de clases enseña en DePaul?

En mi primer trimestre, enseñé sobre la frontera entre Estados Unidos y México. En el segundo trimestre, enseñé sobre mitos y conquistas en América Latina, como una historia precolonial, y cómo la colonización aún nos impacta en América Latina. Luego hubo una clase de música latinoamericana, que fue muy agradable. Los estudiantes y yo discutimos sobre nacionalismo, racismo, clase y heteropatriarcado en América Latina y su relación con la música como una forma de resistencia. Este trimestre, estoy enseñando una clase llamada “Territorio de Género en América Latina” donde analizamos diferentes luchas ambientales en América Latina. ¿Cómo incluye la interseccionalidad en sus clases y trabajo?

Soy una persona queer. Me identifico como no binaria, así que lo incorporo (por medio de lo) que enseño en mis clases, (que) es que antes de la colonización, había múltiples géneros en América Latina, completamente aceptados e integrados como parte de las experiencias cotidianas en las comunidades indígenas. Tienes a los Muxes, que es una comunidad en Oaxaca que es otro género dentro de la comunidad. Tenemos diferentes ejemplos de cómo el espectro de

género siempre ha sido parte de la historia de América Latina y la historia precolonial, y cómo esta imposición de género fue una imposición colonial.

¿Qué es el ecocidio? ¿Qué papel juega el colonialismo en él?

El ecocidio es la destrucción de nuestro ecosistema. En la costa de Oaxaca, México, los cuerpos de agua están en riesgo de morir debido a la contaminación y toxicidad. Hay mucho uso de pesticidas en la agricultura, pero el hecho también es que la laguna está muriendo debido a que el estado y las empresas transnacionales explotan la naturaleza. No les importa que las comunidades indígenas se preocupen por la contaminación del agua y que es su principal fuente de vida. En este punto, es una violación de los derechos humanos, el derecho a un ambiente saludable y el derecho a un trabajo que sostenga su vida.

Veo aquí en Chicago cómo tenemos agua contaminada con plomo en La Villita. Tenemos este desierto alimenticio. La gentrificación también. Es otra forma de colonialismo.

¿Cómo incorpora estas ideas en sus clases?

En mis clases, siempre estamos hablando sobre el colonialismo y la relación entre nuestros cuerpos y la tierra. ¿Por qué es importante pensar en el medio ambiente? ¿Cuáles son las consecuencias contem-

poráneas del racismo y el colonialismo? Creo que, en general, los temas de mi libro están siempre muy presentes en mi clase para un análisis interseccional. Algo más que quiero dejar claro a los estudiantes es por qué estamos viviendo en las situaciones actuales. ¿Cuáles son algunas formas de resistencia que están haciendo los pueblos indígenas, las comunidades de color, las personas de la clase trabajadora, las personas queer y trans? Para mí, es muy importante centrar estas experiencias en todas mis clases.

¿Qué valores aporta a la Universidad DePaul?

Creo que algunos son el cuidado y la solidaridad. Creo que, como educadores, tenemos la responsabilidad de cuidar a nuestros estudiantes más allá de sus tareas y calificaciones porque todos somos humanos. Pedagógicamente, es tener mucha empatía, solidaridad y cuidado en el aula.

Fuera de DePaul, usted es DJ. ¿Cómo es esa escena musical en Chicago? ¿Tiene alguna recomendación musical?

Hay una gran comunidad de DJ Latinx, así que nos conocemos y nos apoyamos mutuamente. Tocamos juntos y ha sido una gran experiencia. Recomendaría a Combo Chimbita, que es una banda colombiana con sede en Nueva York. Actualmente están haciendo una gira por Estados Unidos. Su música es realmente hermosa y muy poderosa.

Los estudiantes de la clase de la Dra. Yoalli Rodríguez-Aguilera escuchan la conferencia y responden preguntas el 15 de mayo de 2024. Rodríguez-Aguilera es profesora asistente del departamento de Estudios Latinoamericanos y Latinos de la Universidad DePaul.

ARIANA VARGAS | LA DEPAULIA

Passing Down Protest:

Generational anti-war movements on college campuses

By Lucia Preziosi News Editor

Frank Bubla, a former DePaulia editor, was among the 450 student demonstrators who illegally occupied the Schmitt Academic Center in 1970.

Led by the Black Student Union, hundreds from the DePaul student body gathered to protest President Nixon’s invasion of Cambodia, the ongoing Vietnam War and the Kent State Massacre.

“People say, ‘DePaul, no, not DePaul.’ Well, Last night a lot of people were saying, ‘Kent State, no, not Kent State,’” Bubla said in an official transcript of the rally displayed on the front page of the May 8, 1970, issue of The DePaulia.

Following the Kent State shooting, which left four demonstrators dead at the hands of the Ohio National Guard, responses throughout the country further ignited an already tense series of anti-war demonstrations on college campuses.

Students at Kent State, like many students across the country, were protesting against President Nixon’s decision to invade Cambodia. Violence erupted throughout many days of protest, leading former Ohio Governor James Rhodes to request the National Guard.

“I think it’s about time people start realizing that this can happen here and any place else in this damn country. …

This school participates in the same (expletive) system that has produced what happened at Kent,” former DePaulia photographer Hank Denzler said at the rally May 5, 1970.

Various demonstrations against the war in Gaza on college campuses across the country remind many of the significance of student protestors.

Robert Cohen, a professor of social studies and history at New York University, says the core messages of campus protests have common themes.

“This movement and the anti-war movement of the ‘60s are both concerned with the use of U.S. military might,” Cohen said. “I would say that it’s similar in that you’re thinking about global affairs. You’re thinking about U.S. military

might.”

But Cohen also identified key differences that set the pro-Palestinian demonstrations apart from anti-war movements of the past.

A glaring contrast is clear to Cohen: social media.

The accessible and constant newstream of the violence unfolding in the Middle East may mobilize students on campuses differently than previous student-led anti-war movements, Cohen said.

“Especially because of social media, which didn’t exist in the ‘60s,” he said. “It was on TV, but you had to go home. You had to put on the news. It wasn’t always in your pocket.”

Graham Piro, a fellow from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), further emphasized the impact that social media has on the difference between protests on college campuses now compared to decades ago.

FIRE also has granted DePaul a “lifetime censorship award,” with the organization citing what the organization called DePaul’s “commitment to censorship.”

Front page of the DePaulia’s May 8, 1970, issue. The pages display ing the Kent State Massacre.

Front page of the DePaulia’s May 8, 1970, issue. The pages display a transcript from an anti-war rally on campus following the Kent State Massacre.

DEPAUL LIBRARY SPECIAL COLLECTION ARCHIVES

“You’re getting information from all over the place …. We’re seeing videos of these encampments and protests,” Piro said. “So we have a more firsthand account, and you can sort of get into the question of is increased transparency going to affect the way that institutions react?”

This difference is clearly visible in an ad in the March 27, 1969, issue of the DePaulia.

“On April 12, 1969 there will be a 24-hour, nation-wide, peaceful vigil to express American student opposition to the war in Vietnam,” the ad reads, citing an address and phone number for further inquiries rather than a quick social media post.

However, some protesting tactics have stayed the same on college campuses.

To Piro, colleges and universities have consistently been an environment for academic freedom, free speech and protest.

“Colleges and universities are places for open inquiry for debate for discussion for all these values, and protests

are ways of students or faculty members voicing their concerns about specific issues,” Piro said.

On April 30, Columbia University student protestors occupied campus’ Hamilton Hall to continue their protests against Israel’s war on Gaza, a strategy long held by students at Columbia to protest the Vietnam War and apartheid in South Africa.

On Sunday, May 12, demonstrators at the “DePaul Liberation Zone,” DePaul administration said that “locks and chains” were placed on library entrances and windows.

This was eventually listed as one of the justifications for the police raid on the encampment on Thursday morning.

Former DePaulia staff member Bill Bike explains in the publication’s Sept. 29, 1978, issue that demonstrators occupying university buildings has been a tactic that existed at the university for over a decade.

“During the night, the protesting students took over the entire building and barricaded all of SAC’s doors,” Bike’s reporting of the 1970 anti-war rally reads.

For Piro, this often-utilized demonstration tactic can pose an opportunity for university administration or higher authorities to get involved.

He says that occupying buildings or barricading entrances may be considered “civil disobedience,” and certain free speech protections may not apply.

This is why Piro says it is important, especially for student demonstrators, to familiarize themselves with “the history of protest and also familiarizing yourself with your rights and what your university is going to protect.”

To some, university demonstrations aren’t as significant as some may think.

William Gordon, an expert of the Kent State shootings and author of “Four Dead in Ohio,” says that current demonstrations won’t have a lasting impact on foreign affairs.

“I do not believe the protests will change Netanyahu’s prosecution of the war or help bring it to an earlier end,” Gordon said. “College students can sometimes be full of themselves and deluded in thinking they can change the world.”

Protests on college campuses regarding the Israeli-Palestinian debate are also not isolated to our current environment, according to former issues of the DePaulia.

The first recorded coverage of Students for Justice for Palestine (SJP) at DePaul was published in a March 5, 2004, issue of the DePaulia.

“Struggles not foreign to student group,” former staff writer Matt Thromann’s headline reads

For many, it is evident that demonstrations on college and university campuses will continue, as they have for decades.

“We have the opportunity to change, let’s get on it, because if we don’t get on it, they’re going to be getting on us,” said James Hammonds, former BSU president, in a 1970 issue of the DePaulia.

Fred Hampton and Ed Stokes at Black Student Union protest. 1969.

display a transcript from an anti-war rally on campus follow-

March 5, 2004 issue of the DePaulia. This is the first record of Students for Justice in Palestine’s existence on DePaul’s campus.

DEPAUL LIBRARY SPECIAL COLLECTION ARCHIVES

DEPAUL

DEPAUL

Green City Market blooms with spring

By Hayla Brooks and Morgan Kirsch Contributing Writer & Contributing Photographer

What began as a small startup in 1999 hasblossomed into a full-fledged organization, as Green City Market provides fresh, local eats to the citizens of Chicago and all its visitors. After becoming a year-round market in 2008, organizers would added an indoor market in Chicago’s Avondale neighborhood to broaden the market’s reach. The outdoor

farmers markets in Lincoln Park and the West Loop, operate from April 6 to Nov. 30. The goal is to provide sustainably-sourced food, while educating the public about the benefits of supporting local farmers. The Lincoln Park market is at 1817 N. Clark St and thew West Loop market is at Mary Bartelme Park, 115 S. Sangamon St.

Marty Hertzel, a worker at Bennison’s Bakery, bags fresh pastries for a group of children at the Lincoln Park Green City Market on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Bennison’s hand-makes organic croissants, scones, baguettes, and artisanal breads and is one of many businesses at the market to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Market-goers explore the different stands of small, sustainable growers at the Lincoln Park Green City Market on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. The market’s mission is dedicated to making fresh and sustainable food more accessible, educating consumers and supporting local farmers.

DNichols Farm & Orchard employees Steve Freeman, left, and Aiden Nichols chat at their stand in the Lincoln Park Green City Market on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Freeman has enjoyed working at Nichols Farm & Orchard for 20 years and Nichols has been involved with the farm all his life. Both enjoy the atmosphere and community of the market.

MORGAN KIRSCH | THE DEPAULIA

MORGAN KIRSCH | THE DEPAULIA

MORGAN KIRSCH | THE DEPAULIA

Moms join together to celebrate Mother’s Day with loved ones on Chicago’s Riverwalk

By Maddie Chapman Contributing Writer

On Sunday, May 12, family members gathered together to celebrate Mother’s Day on Chicago’s Riverwalk, hosted by Chicago Girls Who Walk. This walking club hosts weekly events that allow participants to explore Chicago in a new way.

“We don’t have family in town, so I was thinking what can I do that feels a little special,” said Theresa Vandermeer, a participant at the May 12 event.

The 1.5 mile walk began at the intersection of West Wacker Drive and West Lake Street and ended at Pioneer Court for the Chicago Vintage Festival, where walkers purchased vintage and handmade goods from vendors.

Girls Who Walk is a walking club with weekly events that allow participants to explore Chicago in a new way. Founder Micalia Marcinkomto started the group to bring the community together, according to the Girls Who Walk Facebook page.

Vandermeer said she had been seeing Girls Who Walk for a couple of months before deciding to participate.

“I thought that it sounded lovely to meet more women and people and do something that doesn’t feel too high pressure,” Vandermeer said.

Girls Who Walk organizers post their walks at the end of each month on their Instagram, TikTok and Facebook pages.

An APIDA Pride: Sabrina Salvador celebrates APIDA heritage and experience across the DePaul Community

By

Settled on a bean bag in DePaul’s Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Center (APIDA), coordinator Sabrina Salvador, known best as Sabs, carries on a conversation with an idle student. Talking about school and the responsibilities found within, she listens with intention.

Salvador graduated from DePaul in 2021 with a bachelors in psychology and carries her experience as a student into the many conversations she holds throughout the day.

A chat wedged between event planning for this year’s APIDA heritage month coupled with her current education as a grad student at DePaul pursuing a M.Ed. in College Counseling and Student Affairs, conversations like these blend work, leisure and life into one common agenda. To support the APIDA presence across the broader DePaul community.

In planning this year’s events, DePaul’s APIDA center honors the background of APIDA individuals through means of culture, communication and history. Reflecting on past and present experiences with the celebration, Salvador noted the perks of her role in helping students connect.

“One of my favorite parts of this role is the moments when I can just sit in this space,” Salvador said. “To watch students interact and use this space to feel like they’re being heard and that their experiences are valid and that they are important on campus, because they are.”

Salvador entered DePaul in 2017 without the comfort of a designated cultural space. By the end of the school year, this vacancy would be filled and DePaul would reserve room 340 in the Levan Center for APIDA and it’s members.

During the center’s first year, APIDA

students accounted for 9.2% of the DePaul student population, according to DePaul’s annual enrollment summary. As of 2022, that number increased to 11% with Salvador taking over as the center’s coordinator in October of that same year.

Addressing these statistics, Salvador highlights the power in pride over metrics, enforcing how APIDA may not be the biggest demographic across DePaul but still maintains a strong presence across campus.

“This is a proud and strong community regardless of the numbers,” said Luis Danao, sophomore and international student.

The 2022 report listed DePaul’s international enrollment at 7.4% of total students.

For students like Danao, whose specific background hails from the Philippines, finding a place to identify with can be a major step in adapting to new surroundings.

“If there’s one thing I can do, it’s being myself,” Danao said. “That idea is a big part of APIDA.”

Arlene Park, a senior and community engagement assistant for the center, was curious to discover more about her Korean background. After visiting Korea in high school, that curiosity only continued to grow.

Exploring the roots of her culture through the center, APIDA became a staple of her time at university.

“As a Korean-American who was born and raised in America, my upbringing was largely within my family’s cultural sphere,” Park said. “I’ve always cherished my culture and the rich history it offers, which has enabled me to appreciate myself more fully.”

The range of identities in APIDA allow students to promote their specific heritage alongside the broader folds they all fit into.

“It’s hard to conceptualize APIDA in one sense,” Salvador said. “There’s so many of us with so many different organizations that exist on campus to build connections and community across the different groups that might fit within APIDA.”

Among these groups include Kalahi DePaul and the Asian Cultural Exchange (ACE), two branches of APIDA designated for engagement through student organization. Although they act outside the bounds of the center, they share an affection for APIDA representation across DePaul.

In hopes of building off the work of these groups, the center hosts multiple events throughout the year. This month’s celebration includes a Kim Chi Teaching Kitchen, a Night Market and an APIDA Graduation Celebration. More detail can be found on the center’s DeHub page.

Entering into its final weeks in celebration, the center remains a key point of Salvador’s interest. She hopes to continue both as a coordinator and even more broadly, as a well meaning mentor for students to approach, the same treatment she found in her freshman year

“The goal is longevity, sustainability and developing programs that aim to foster growth,” Salvador said. “There’s always work that needs to be done and there’s always room to do better. There’s always room to grow.”

On Sunday, May 12, walking club Chicago Girls Who Walk hosted a Mother’s Day riverwalk to celebrate the holiday. The 1.5 mile walk began at the intersection of West Wacker Drive and West Lake Street and ended at Pioneer Court.

Sabrina Salvador, Coordinator of the APIDA Cultural Center, poses in front of a whiteboard on Thursday, May 9, 2024. Graduating from undergrad in the Spring of 2021, Salvador would take over the role in October of 2022 while staying on as a graduate student.

Sam Mroz Arts and Life Editor

SAM MROZ | THE DEPAULIA

MADDIE CHAPMAN | THE DEPAULIA

“Spinning

St.Vincent’s

D e JAMZ

freSh beatS Since 1581”

By Nadine DeCero Opinions Editor

The day has finally come. I am finally fulfilling my physiological need to curate a playlist and share it with the most loyal DeJamz readers. Relishing aside, I am many things, but I am a Gemini woman above all else. In honor of Gemini season starting on May 21, here is a playlist full of songs from Gemini artists. While I would love to make this DeJamz only Kendrick Lamar, who I owe credit to for the title, I’m instead going back in time and kicking it old school.

“Planets of the Universe (Demo)” by Fleetwood Mac Stevie Nicks if you’re reading this, which I know you are, you are sick and twisted. And for that, I love you. You make me proud to be a Gemini woman. In this demo, we hear the same anger in Nicks’ voice that we hear in the live version of Silver Springs from 1997 (if you know, you know), accompanied by a haunting piano track. Personally, I’m scared of this song, but I’m also in love with it. I have no choice but to declare this the official anthem for those who are going through a breakup with a person you

never actually dated.

“On the Way” by Paul McCartney Look, I don’t know what McCartney was on when he was recording this album. I mean, look at his face. That’s not the face of someone who can operate a motor vehicle. But I’m not complaining if it means we got this song out of it. In true Gemini man fashion, McCartney is just singing about promises he can’t keep: “But it would have been a lie if I said that I can please you every moment that I try.” Typical Gemini man. I’ll let it slide because the bass on here is just too groovy.

“Wedding Song” by Bob Dylan

“And if there is eternity, I’ll love you there again.” Play this song at my wedding, funeral, birth of my first child, the day Frank Ocean drops new music – or any other major life event. I don’t understand what Bob Dylan is talking about most of the time because I am a 20-year-old teenage girl and not a man from Minnesota who sings the blues, but when Bob Dylan talks about love, that’s something I can understand. This is also good exposure therapy for me to include this in the playlist because this is totally a

Crossword

song I would like to gatekeep. But to the DeJamz readers, I’ll give anything.

“Place to Be” by Nick Drake

My brother and I were sitting in Pequod’s brainstorming Gemini singers when he brought up Nick Drake. I like to argue, so I made up a lie and said that he wasn’t a Gemini, but a Libra. I had no idea what I was talking about. I just said the first thing that came to mind and prayed my feminine intuition was right — and it wasn’t. So, this song is dedicated to my brother, who is also named Nick, and to whom I owe my music taste. The only problem I have with this song is that it’s too short. How are you going to make an album with 11 songs and it’s only 28 minutes? Play this song on a summer day

ACROSS

1) Lindsay of “Machete”

6) “You’re a Grand Old Flag” composer 11) Gig gear

14) Coffeeshop allure 15) Antipasto bit 16) Birth-named 17) Reason to award a Navy Cross 18) Muscular power 19) Lyricist Gershwin 20) Banned Sinclair Lewis book

22) Karaoke need 23) Milky Way unit

24) Give laughing gas to 26) Cash-back deals

30) Onion in cocktails

31) “_ y Plata” (Montana motto)

32) Sniggler

34) Travels like Huck Finn

37) Do some logrolling

39) Like a wink and a nod

41) Au naturel

42) Ply with drink

44) Inquisitor _ de Torquemada

46) Leg it

47) Lock of hair

49) Take a nosedive

51) Software instruction file

53) Assayer’s sample 54) Pipe bend 55) Banned Grace Metalious book 62) Bro, say 63) Comhusker State city 64) Mete out 65) As well 66) Fired up again

67) Bulgaria’s capital 68) Sloppy digs 69) Blissful spots 70) Grown-up cygnets

when there’s a sunbeam shining through your window and thank the Geminis.

“Summer Wine” by Nancy Sinatra ft. Lee Hazlewood

The Gemini in question here is, of course, Nancy Sinatra. While I could’ve used a Nancy Sinatra song that doesn’t have a feature, this song is just too good not to talk about. I first heard this song in summer 2022, and I’m not exaggerating when I say that it changed the trajectory of my summer and my life. There’s nothing I love more than a song that really tells a story, and “Summer Wine” tells the story of a seductive Nancy Sinatra robbing a man … or drugging him? Both? It’s the duality of the Gemini.

DOWN

1) Wash up

2) Graduate exam, maybe 3) Holly who dethroned Ronda Rousey 4) Microscope slide creature

5) Do a voice-over 6) _Nostra

7) Lena of “Alias” 8) Subtle suggestion 9) Not at all eager

10) Time for resolutions

11) Banned George Orwell book

12) Cause for a raise

13) Hippie sign-off 21) Do a host’s job

25) Totally blah

26) LBJ son-in-law

Charles

27) Clinton’s canal

28) Banned Brendan Behan book

29) Shutter parts

30) Gussy up

33) Prefix with “sphere”

35) Tried partner

36) Mailed off

38) Lady’s man

40) Condor’s gripper

43) President pro_

45) Do one better than

48) Appeared to be

50) Laid-back

51) Takes five

52) “The Waste Land” author

56) Where the Clintons met

57) Like a dime, in a saying

58) Nosebag morsels

59) Sporty Italian car, briefly

60) Slot insert

61) Depot postings, briefly

COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA

Billy Blue Demon’s visionary reflects on history, DIBS nomination Sports

Billy Blue Demon’s visionary reflects on history, DIBS nomination

By Ryan Hinske Sports Editor

Sitting in the office of his Elk Grove home, Joe Wozniak surveys his collection of oil paintings, panning from Chicago Cubs legends Ron Santo and Ryan Sandberg to his dusty yet treasured album full of his black-and-white cartoons, all of which contain his original character, Billy Blue Demon.

“If you do anything for 43 years, you get good at it,” Wozniak said.

His now-hobby was once a defining visual representation of The DePaulia’s weekly newspaper, inspiring a mascot movement that has culminated in the nomination of DePaul’s DIBS to join Benny the Bull and Tommy Hawk in the Mascot Hall of Fame.

Wozniak, 67, attended the now-closed Holy Cross High School in River Grove, Illinois, where his passion for drawing inspired the creation of Chris Crusader, a soon-to-be unofficial school mascot. He shows a clay figure of his creation that was given to him by Brother Harold Ruplinger, the original visionary for the mascot that inspired Wozniak’s creation.

“He was so happy I put (Chris Crusader) on the map,” Wozniak said. “I took his vision, so I gotta give him credit for the idea.”

Graduating in 1974, Wozniak went on to DePaul and immediately presented his idea for a mascot to The DePaulia. He took the prototype for Chris Crusader, made it more angular with horns and a tail, and wrote a “D” on his chest. The newspaper and university immediately embraced it, and Wozniak began drawing a weekly comic strip about whatever was going on at DePaul. No matter the subject, Billy Blue Demon was always somewhere in the strip.

“The beauty of a character is the consistency,” Wozniak said. “It’s like an old friend that’s always there.”

Wozniak believes his comic strip presented something valuable to journalism: humor.

“Stuff that makes you laugh, there’s still a place for,” he said. “I think we need it more than ever. You know, we need some lightheartedness. The world is too intense. Everybody hates everybody’s guts.”

The oldest of seven in a single-parent home, Wozniak moved into a “seedy” apartment for college on Belmont and Kimball that only got hot water on Saturdays. For four years, he would take the Blue Line to the Lewis Center, attend his classes, do his homework, then work nights moving boxes into UPS trucks.

On Fridays, his homework load would be smaller, so he would take the Blue Line back to his apartment and draw his weekly strip before work.

A marketing major, Wozniak graduated in 1978 and worked in advertising for a decade. He married his high school sweetheart, who also attended DePaul, and has been married 43 years. They have three children: one has two mas-

ter’s degrees, another is a doctor and the youngest just graduated from Iowa University’s law school.

“Not bad for a guy that started in a place with no hot water,” Wozniak said.

As Billy became a popular weekly presence in the student newspaper, DePaul made its own Billy Blue Demon logo for its athletic program in 1975. Though DePaul has revamped the Billy logo for

throwback merchandise in recent years, DIBS replaced Billy as the official mascot in 1999.

“It kind of just organically grew,” Wozniak said. “It wasn’t some kind of big marketing plan that someone devised.”

Now, as DIBS has been nominated for the highest honor a mascot can receive, DePaul’s community is reflecting on the friendly face of their athletic program.

“I have known DIBS since he first came on the scene in 1999,” women’s basketball head coach Doug Bruno told The DePaulia. “As a former men’s basketball player and long-time coach of the women’s basketball program, I’ve seen the evolution of the mascot program and what it means to our DePaul community. Since 1999, I’ve witnessed DIBS inspire joy and enthusiasm within our DePaul community and beyond.”

Tim Cole, an associate professor at DePaul’s College of Communication, said DIBS brings a certain joy to students because the mascot provides fun moments they may not experience in day-to-day life.

“When you think about people’s needs … (they want) identity, inclusion and positive interaction,” Cole said. “DIBS can provide that in a safe, very playful, novel way.”

Cole often hears his students express nervousness about talking to other people. So, he says, interactions with a character like DIBS can help reduce their anxiety.

“You know it’s going to be a pleasant conversation. You’re not going to get rejected (and) it’s not going to be awkward,” Cole said. “They’ll have a sense of belonging.”

Wozniak finally reveals his largest and most sentimental oil painting. Sitting around a dinner table in front of a deep red background are Billy Blue Demon, Chris Crusader and Mickey Mouse.

“It shows the evolution,” Wozniak said. “It shows Chris Crusader and Billy, and I just always liked Disney. He was from Chicago, he went bankrupt twice before he discovered the mouse … and there’s something for everybody; there’s a magic quality.”

Though he doesn’t take credit for the final product we see today, Wozniak’s voice broke when discussing DIBS’ nomination.

“If he does (get inducted), I’ll feel proud,” Wozniak said. “In my heart — and I’m just an old dude now — I would feel like I contributed something to DePaul.”

Editor’s Note: Eli Smith also contributed to this story

DIBS poses in the stands during a game against Georgetown at Wintrust Arena on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. DIBS has been the mascot of DePaul University since 1999.

DIBS waves a DePaul flag at the start of a mens basketball game on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. He makes an appearance at every DePaul basketball game to connect with attendees.

QUENTIN BLAIS | THE DEPAULIA

QUENTIN BLAIS | THE DEPAULIA

Insurmountable pressure: Entering the headspace of Bronny James

By Ryan Hinske Sports Editor

Picture this: you’re 19, entering your first summer after your freshman year of college. You wake up in a Chicago hotel and open Instagram. It hasn’t been 24 hours since day one of the 2024 NBA combine at Wintrust Arena, and your performance, along with 75 other basketball players just a few years into adulthood, is being scrutinized at levels few 19-year-old basketball players have ever been scrutinized.

Just minutes after you wake up, you see a quote from possibly the most respected basketball analyst on television, Adrian Wojnarowski. It reads, “Bronny James is gonna have an impact for organizations. Not just on the basketball side, but potentially the business side. … He will pack G League arenas and merchandising. All of those make him an attractive player.”

After pouring all your effort into a draft combine performance where you finished fourth in vertical leap and second in threepoint shooting, you have just been labeled a marketing chip for a minor league basketball

‘Olivia’s

By Ian Fondacabe Contributing Writer

team. You haven’t been labeled a possible NBA star or even a contributor, but rather the face of whatever NBA G League team is looking for a boost in ticket sales. All this because you are the son of LeBron James.

Lebron “Bronny” James Jr. was assigned incredible pressure the moment his parents named him. He carries a name that has gone down in sports history, immediately inciting expectations of greatness. That pressure only grew as the cameras followed him through his youth, something his father never had to go through. Finally, as LeBron showed strong signs of playing into his 40s, he said he would do “whatever it takes” to play with Bronny his last season in the NBA. Now, at 39 years old, he has walked back this claim, possibly in response to the suffocating media presence in Bronny’s basketball journey and the unrealistic expectations it has created for the younger James.

The Athletic reported that “another carrot to entice (LeBron James)” to remain with the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason could be the Lakers’ interest in selecting Bronny in the draft. The Lakers, after falling to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the NBA play-

offs, are expected to offer LeBron a three-year extension as they attempt to remain competitive in the Western Conference. Would they be drafting Bronny because he has a bright future as a franchise player, or would they be drafting him to keep his dad around?

Bronny does have a way out: he can continue his collegiate basketball career. While he did enter the 2024 NBA draft, the University of Southern California freshman also entered the NCAA transfer portal and has until May 29 to decide which route to take. He can select a different university to develop his game towards NBA readiness, potentially ridding himself of the consensus to get to the league as quickly as possible and focus a full year on fine-tuning his game.

If he goes to a different university, Bronny will become the focal point of that team, with the training and development staff focusing specifically on him. If he goes to an NBA team that isn’t truly invested in his future, Bronny’s training would be less catered to him, instead focused on a team-oriented approach.

I’m a full year older than Bronny and can’t imagine the pressure he faces. On one hand, he’s LeBron’s son, and the expectation to play

with his father has followed him for nearly a decade. On the other hand, the expectation for him is to be seen as a name rather than a player. What kind of fulfillment does that accomplish, to sell tickets just because of your name?

If I’m Bronny, I’m seizing control of my own destiny. I know I’m just a few steps away from becoming a solid NBA player, but I also know I won’t receive the training necessary to truly develop if I make the leap now. To become the best basketball player I can be, I’m going to find an organization that is truly invested in me as a player.

For those like Wojnarowski, putting themselves in Bronny’s shoes might be beneficial. As a college student, investing in my future is far more valuable than risking an early plateau. Consider, I am offered two jobs when I graduate: one is lower paying with more room for vertical growth, whereas the other is higher paying with little room for growth. Bronny must decide which route gives him ultimate career fulfillment, and the world anxiously awaits his decision.

Legacy’: Running Star at DePaul

As a young teen, gymnastics was Olivia Borowiak’s sport of choice. Then, while running warm-up miles, she discovered she was fast and decided she wanted to run.

That’s when she joined the cross-country team in middle school.

“And everything came from there,” said Borowiak, now a graduate student and running star who has been attending DePaul since 2019. In that time, she has broken numerous records in the women’s running categories. Her last conference competition was the Big East Track and Field Championships, which concluded Saturday, May 11, at Villanova.

With a bachelor’s degree in writing and rhetoric, she is now working on a master’s in creative writing and publishing with a schedule that, she says, gives her enough time to train.

She jokes and calls herself an “athlete student.”

“Running is going to be the structure of my day, then (I use) any free time I have doing work or my hobbies,” Borowiak said.

In her time at DePaul, she has become the university’s record-holder in the mile run, 3000-meter run and the 5000-meter run in women’s indoor track and field. In 2023, Borowiak and Nina Amicon were among the first DePaul cross-country

Crushes Records

athletes to receive All-Big East Second Team honors at the Big East Cross Country Championship.

“It’s pretty amazing,” Borowiak said.

“I never thought I’d be able to accomplish

this much, and I’m really happy that I did.”

Senior Meghan Dieball was a freshman when she met Borowiak and has enjoyed being her teammate since then.

“She’s a good leader,” Dieball said. “She’s definitely someone we all look up to in training and just in general.”

Geoff Wayton, one of DePaul’s cross-country and track coaches, agreed that Borowiak “leads by example.” Wayton joined DePaul in December 2021 and met Borowiak shortly after

“She’s not a vocal leader,” Wayton said. “But as she’s gotten better, everyone around her has gotten better too, so that’s Olivia’s legacy.”

Throughout her career in running, Borowiak received many additional awards including: 2022-23 All-Region Honors at Midwest Regionals; 2023 AllBig East Second Team; NCAA Woman of the Year nominee in 2023; and 2022-23 Big East All-Academic Team.

So far, her favorite moment of her college career has been qualifying for Nationals in cross-country in 2022.

“It finally felt like I was doing something I was always meant to do,” Borowiak said.

Off the track, her love of reading and writing has inspired her to one day write a full-length novel.

“A novel where I juxtapose high school to college running and the unity of the team,” Boriak said. “And then my other idea is kind of like a tragedy/romance.”

DePaul cross-country and track and field star Olivia Borowiak competes in the Loyola Lakefront Invitational September 29, 2023, in Chicago.

DEPAUL ATHELETICS