As the sun sets over the beach at Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary, a small crowd emerges from the wooded entrance and floods to the hooked pier that juts along the sand. They move independently of one another, glued to binoculars and viewfinders. They are searching for a piping plover in the sand.
Piping plovers — a rare find in these parts — are a threatened species of shorebird that migrate around the Great Lakes region from spring until autumn. The small, tan birds run and hide in the dunes of Montrose Beach, making them difficult to spot with the naked eye. In the winter, they migrate to southern states on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
Part of the allure of the birds is due to the media craze that surrounds them. Each year, articles are published that give updates on the growing family tree of piping plovers at Montrose Point.
“It’s like a soap opera,” said Erick Masias, an organizer with Chicago BIPOC Birders.
The reports of two plovers pairing up, or an untimely death, fuel the public’s relationship to the birds.
“Some have passed away when they initially started nesting … I think one of them got eaten by a raccoon,” Masias said. “There’s a lot of turmoil that comes with plovers.”
While there are no documented cases in recent years of raccoon attacks, plover nests are targets of larger species. They disappeared from Chicago-area beaches in the 1950s, but made a reappearance in
Illinois in 2015 when they were seen nesting. In 2019, the first piping plovers were fledged at Montrose Beach.
Chris Hareland is a birder who traveled from Evanston hoping to see the piping plovers. Having first started birding last year, he is among the small group of birders who have searched Montrose Point for a pair of plovers in recent weeks.
“I’ve heard for a while how en dangered they were,” Hare land said. “They are nesting in such a populated area like Chicago, not in some remote place you have to trek all the way out to. It’s very ac cessible.”
Birding has become a popular activity in recent years as a younger crowd has joined the ranks, flocking to outdoor preserves in an attempt to identify local species. It exploded in popularity during the Covid-19 pandemic, when people were looking for ways to get out of the house while still re-
PipingreturnPlovers to Montrose Point
BY QUENTIN BLAIS
maining away from others. It can also be done at home, out the window.
In Chicago, birders have taken extra measures to protect the vulnerable piping plovers from one of the busiest beaches in Chicago. In 2019, Chicago Bird Alliance, the Chicago Ornithological Society and the Illinois Ornithological Society banded together to create Chicago Piping Plovers, a volunteer organization dedicated to protecting the nests and breeding grounds of the species.
Tamima Itani is the coordinator for Chicago Piping Plovers. She works as a volunteer at Montrose Point as a plover monitor. Her work as a monitor helps to establish a foothold for the species to prosper in the area.
In the Great Lakes region, there are currently only 81 known breeding pairs of piping plovers.
“It is very important for us to preserve
this species that nests on the beach,” Itani said.
Itani says that protecting the few plovers at Montrose Beach benefits other small birds. The beach area is monitored daily, and nests are protected from predators that endanger them.
“A lot of short birds take advantage of it by stopping their resting refueling before they continue on to the Atlantic,” Itani said.
The first pair of plovers to nest in Chicago since the 1950s, Monty and Rose, catapulted the species to recognition in 2019. They hatched 10 plovers in their lives. Monty died in 2022 from illness, while Rose disappeared and is presumed dead.
Last year, the offspring of Monty and Rose, Imani and Sea Rocket, became a pair, and they hatched Nagamo, introducing a new plover to the Chicago beach.
This year, there have been two plovers spotted on the beach, Pippin and Imani.
Masias says that the public often hears about the success stories that weave the web of the piping plover soap opera.
“There are chicks, and more characters that get introduced to the story,” Masias said. “It’s like watching reality TV. … We have an eligible bachelor every year.”
Pippin the piping plover sits on the beach at Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary on Wednesday, April 16, 2024. Pippin and Imani have both been spotted on the beach so far this year.
Chris Hareland watches Pippin from Montrose Pier on Wednesday, April 16, 2025. Birders cycle through Montrose Point daily hoping to spot a piping plover on the sand.
QUENTIN BLAIS | THE DEPAULIA
QUENTIN BLAIS | THE DEPAULIA
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 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 | ALONDRA CASTAÑEDA eicladepaulia@depauliaonline.com
GERENTE EDITORIAL | NUPUR BOSMIYA
REDES SOCIALES | LAURA VÁZQUEZ DAVID EDITORA DE NOTICIAS | SOFIA JOSEPH
ASESORA | Laura Rodriguez Presa larodriguez@chicagotribune.com
CAMPUS CRIME REPORT
LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS
April 23 - April 29, 2025
LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS
Drug & Alcohol Assault & Theft Other
Lincoln Park Campus Crimes:
April 25
1) A Criminal Trespass report was issued in the Richardson Library.
April 27
2) A Theft report was filed for items taken from the Centennial Hall laundry room.
April 29
3) A Criminal Trespass report was filed outside of the Welcome Center near Rush Physical Therapy.
LOOP CAMPUS
LOOP CAMPUS
Loop Campus Crimes: April 23
1) A Theft report was filed for a wallet taken from inside Maharaj Grill in the DePaul Center.
The plastic we drink: How can Chicago help curb Lake Michigan microplastic pollution?
By Jared Lam Contributing Writer
Every year, 11.6 million pounds of plastic trash makes its way into Lake Michigan, Chicago’s largest source of drinking water. Even as the city tries to tackle this issue, it means that microplastics — the tiniest pieces — pass through the cities’ filtration systems and into our faucets.Researchers have found that ingesting plastics can have detrimental effects on our cognitive abilities, fertility and overall cardiovascular health. And there’s no end in sight, with the projected exponential growth of plastic production tripling by 2050.
“Markets always respond to what the people want,” said Gail Prins, the co-director of the Chicago Center for Health and Environment at the University of Illinois Chicago. “Without the public voice, they just push us scientists aside. We need the public’s backing.” Prins was one of the Chicago-based scientists and environmental activists who met April 25 at a city hall joint committee meeting to advocate for the ban of single-use plastics.
Another was Dr. Robert Sargis, an environmental scientist at the University of Illinois Chicago. He is part of a lab that has studied the impact of environmental toxicants in the development of obesity, diabetes, fatty liver disease and neurocognitive disorders since 2007.“If these chemicals are associated with these disorders are prevalent in society. Our obligation as health care providers is to reduce exposures as best we can,” Sargis said.
Sargis’ research has found that the chemicals that leach from plastic, such as phthalates
and what’s known as “per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances” (PFAS), are associated with metabolic and endocrine disorders causing severe morbidity and mortality.
Researchers have found that these toxic substances can cause alterations in our reproductive systems including lowered testosterone and sperm counts, as well as infertility. Exposure is also linked to an increased risk of cancer, autism and ADHD symptoms.And the problem is only getting worse.
A study published in February 2025 by scientists at the University of New Mexico’s
Health Sciences Center found that between 2016 and 2024, concentrations of micro- and nanoplastics — which are even smaller pieces — increased in all organs of people they studied.
“There’s this bioaccumulation of these particles. The longer we’re exposed to them, the more and more we’re going to have in our bodies,” Prins, the UIC scientist, said. This is because chemicals like PFAS, known as a “forever chemical,” stay in your body for years. It takes four years for other chemical concentrations to be cut in half in humans, Prins said.
As of now the average person consumes 250 grams of plastic each year. According to the Plastic Pollution Coalition, this is equivalent to eating a credit card every week. With dangerous chemicals from plastics in our bodies and our constant and growing consumption of them — what can the public do about this?
“This is a huge problem that we need to address at a systemic level,” said Gabby Plotkin, senior policy manager at Illinois Environmental Council. Right now, she added, municipal filters can’t remove microplastics.
“The only way to do that would be on an individual level like buying a filter that particularly addresses microplastics,” Plotkin said. “That’s why we’re pushing for policy changes.”
As Sargis points out, a failure to enact systemic change also worsens health inequality. With cardiovascular diseases being dispropriate in low income communities and communities of color, he said individual change would only benefit the most affluent.“Individual action doesn’t address the broader risks to the population,” Sargis said. “All that does is contribute to anxiety and allow people who already have the knowledge and the means to protect themselves a little better. “But it still leaves the more vulnerable, vulnerable.”
Plotkin, Prins and Sargis said the City Hall was receptive to them and their colleagues’ advocating for a single-use plastic ban in Chicago. As Chicagoans await for action from the city, they all urged us to do what we can to limit our own plastic intake as well as spreading word on the dangers of microplastics.
Lake Michigan waves crash on Fullerton Beach at sunrise on October 12, 2024. Each year 11.6 million pounds of plastic is poured into the lake, which serves as the main drinking water supply for the city.
SADIE SPRINGER | THE DEPAULIA
Up in smoke: Cigarette use prevails on campus
By Eva Strazek Contributing Writer
It’s impossible to stroll through DePaul’s Lincoln Park campus and not catch the scent of a fruit-flavored GeekBar, Posh or other vaping device. But what’s up with the lingering scent of good old-fashioned cigarettes?
“When I got to DePaul, I was culture shocked,” Gracie Everett Crone, a DePaul senior, said. “Cigarettes are so normalized. Any time you go by the SAC and outside of The Theatre School, there’s a lot more cigarette smoking than I ever would have anticipated seeing.” According to the Food and Drug Administration’s 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey, members of Generation Z smoke cigarettes less than previous generations. But even as the vaping craze sweeps through high schools and college campuses, cigarette use prevails.
“At parties, I really only see cigarettes,” Brady Barrow, a DePaul junior, said. “I think smoking is more social than vaping. Some part of me wonders if that’s maybe like a 2020 Covid comeback in some way — a way we’ve come up with to interact with each other, (after) the pandemic.”
The FDA survey, which did not include college students, found that electronic cigarette use actually dropped among middle and high school students, from 7.7% in 2023 to 5.9% in 2023-24.
But another study found that those who vape are also at a significant risk of turning to combustible tobacco. In 2020, the Missouri State Medical Association reported that “adults who vape are 3.6 times more likely to use combustible cigarettes later in life.” Arriyana Franklin, a DePaul junior, prefers to use vapes but agrees that cigarette smoking on campus is noticeable. She wonders if it’s a way to control nicotine intake.
“Vapes are easily accessible,” Franklin said. “If someone’s trying to quit vaping, the best alternative will be something that’s … controlled.”
She believes the convenience of vaping en courages heavier use.“Because cigarettes run out,” she said, “a smoker might think, ‘I’m gonna run out (of) this pack, and I’m gonna know that I’m … overdoing it.’ “But with vapes,” she contin ued. “You hit them all day long. It’s way harder to hide that you’re smoking.”Franklin believes that the romanticization of older media, including classic movies from the ’70s through the ’90s, is contributing to more people smoking traditional cigarettes.
“People in ‘Grease’ were cool with their ciga rettes. I think that’s a small, tiny part of it — but I also think that some people just prefer the flavor of cigarettes,” she said. Crone believes the trends align with a false conception of maturity. She herself has never been interested in trying nicotine.
“Vaping and Juuls were so popular in our early years — maybe (cigarette smoking) has something to do with feeling like people have matured out of that,” Crone said. Barrow shares a similar sentiment. She indulges in nicotine scarcely, but worries for her peers at The Theatre School. “My friends in my major sit out on the bench and smoke, and then new freshmen will come down and someone will offer them a cigarette,” Barrow said. “Then that cycle continues, year after year.”One thing is clear: no matter the form, statistics show that Gen Z is far from eradicating nicotine usage.
Medical research proves that nicotine and tobacco have detrimental effects on our brains and bodies. The Cook County Department of Public Health states that smoking kills more Americans each year than alcohol, car accidents, murders, suicides, drugs, and fires combined.
“Our generation wants to research their competence to make their own decisions and their ability to be independent people,” Crone said. “They’re making an adult choice — even if the choice is pretty reckless.”
Emil Soss smokes a cigarette with his peers at DePaul University on Tuesday, October 8, 2024. Cigarettes proved to be a favorite method of smoking among Theatre School students.
GIA CLARKE | THE DEPAULIA
Opinions
By Gavin Anderson Contributing Writer
At the beginning of the streaming boom in the 2010s, early streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu were often compared to cable television as the cheaper and “more convenient” option.
At the time, this was true.
When they first launched, an ad-free subscription for both Netflix and Hulu each cost a mere $7.99 per month. Comparing that to the average price of a cable package, over $50 at the time, the choice seemed obvious. The ability to stream whatever you want, wherever you want, whenever you want, all without ads at a lower price than cable seemed almost too good to be true.
Today, it turns out that may have been the case. Today a monthly subscription for Netflix will run you $17.99 for the same ad-free experience. They offer the same $7.99 subscription, at the cost of an absolute bombardment of ads. Hulu suffered a similar fate, costing an exuberant $18.99 a month for ad-free viewing.
Adding up the costs of the top five subscription services in the United States (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Max and Hulu), the price comes out to a whopping $86.95. Compared to the average price of a cable package today — around $70 per month — the lines between cable and streaming have been blurred and the choice seems less obvious.
I believe these price raises are unfor-
tunate to see and make it difficult and expensive to see new and popular shows. This made me wonder, how do fellow poor college students feel about these drastic spikes in pricing in the streaming industry?
I spoke with DePaul film student Everett Durand about the topic.
“I’m very unhappy about the raising of prices for streaming services. As a student, it's hard having to pay for all these streaming services, and now they’re raising the prices,” Durand said. “I just feel like they’re charging more for less.”
What happened to the goal of affordability and convenience that was promised at the genesis of the streaming revolution? As it turns out, as prices of subscriptions go up astronomically, so do the budgets of the shows we see on these services.
According to Netflix CEO Greg Peters in a 2025 earnings call, which announced Netflix’s latest price hike, Netflix is trying to give subscribers more value.
According to Business Insider, “(Netflix looks) to continually provide more value to our members, seeking to wisely invest to increase the variety and quality of our entertainment offering.”
Part of me can see where Peters is coming from. When they started, streaming services didn’t often provide the groundbreaking original content we see today with shows such as “Stranger Things,” “The Bear” or “Squid Game.” Netflix didn’t begin offering original content until the critical darling “House
of Cards” began airing.
The budgets of these shows aren’t cheap either. The most recent season of “Stranger Things” cost an immense $270 million to produce. Comparatively, the first season of “House of Cards” cost approximately $58 million to produce.
At the time of its release in 2013, “House of Cards” was the most expensive streaming original television show, and one of the most expensive television shows in general. Nowadays, most shows on Netflix and other streaming platforms cost more than double that, with the most shows we see now costing well over $100 million per season.
Additionally, the quantity of these expensive shows has gone up drastically. In 2024 alone, there were 589 brand-new original TV shows and movies released on Netflix.
I think this is just too much. With so many shows and movies coming out per year, it is nearly impossible to see everything, and incredibly difficult to deduce what’s worth watching. I spend more time scrolling through my near-infinite options than actually watching shows.
So the budgets and quantity of shows has gone up drastically since streaming’s humble beginnings and as such, so have the prices of subscriptions. To me, the high quantity of content feels like a scummy business practice.
The decision to raise these prices is definitely a controversial one and one that seems very anti-consumer. Many people, including myself, may be wondering what other catalysts were respon-
sible for these drastic changes in prices.
Tim J. Smith, an instructor in DePaul’s department of marketing and author of multiple textbooks on pricing, says the main cause of these price changes were the Covid-19 lockdowns.
“When Covid came, (studios) could no longer make the same kind of revenue from box office sales,” Smith said. “They began in the 20s to raise prices. Sometimes directly, sometimes indirectly.”
As a response to the pandemic and the resulting lockdowns, movie theaters across the world were forced to close their doors, delaying the releases of many films. As a result, many film production studios resorted to at-home mediums of content releases. This created a somewhat new business model for the film and television industry, causing silver screen-caliber content to be on streaming services, at the cost of the consumer.
As a film major, being able to see all the new shows and films that come out on these services is important for my future profession and social life. Being locked out of seeing these new releases behind exorbitant paywalls leaves me feeling left out, a feeling I wouldn't have if the subscriptions were more affordable.
I guess I’ll just continue to sign up for free trials on burner emails.
GISELLE CALDERON | THE DEPAULIA
A space capsule full of women, but still no progress
By Olivia Hanif Contributing Writer
Unless you live under a rock, you probably saw a bunch of celebrities get launched into space last week. On April 14, Jeff Bezos’s space company, Blue Origin, successfully completed its 11th human space flight as part of the New Shepard program. This time, the passengers included some very notable faces such as pop star Katy Perry, broadcaster Gayle King and Bezos’ fiancee, Laura Sánchez. Other passengers included civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, former NASA aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe and executive producer Kerianne Flynn.
This mission got a lot of media attention because it was the first all-female crew since 1963. Some people are calling it a big win for women due to representation in space.
Professor Stephanie Dance-Barnes, dean of DePaul’s College of Science and Health, highlighted the inspiration this mission could give.
“Visibility like this can spark imagination and open the door for young women to see themselves in roles they may not have considered before,” DanceBarnes said. “That alone can have a lasting impact.”
She also raised an important point that has crossed the minds of many Americans: representation doesn’t mean much without meaningful change to back it up.
“If these efforts aim to inspire or highlight women’s contributions to science and space, they can absolutely be seen as milestones. But it’s also important that we look at the broader picture,” Dance-Barnes said. “For progress to be meaningful, it has to come with efforts to create lasting change — like improving access, increasing representation, and supporting leadership opportunities for women in these fields.”
To me, sending women — billionaires, in fact — into space isn’t inherently feminist. Absolutely, representation matters, but using space travel as the vessel feels out of touch when so many more substantial feminist issues are being ignored back on Earth. It turns feminism into a publicity stunt rather than pushing for meaningful change.
DePaul junior Jude Hollenbeck pointed to issues that the public should be a lot more focused on.
“The first thought that came to mind was abortion rights and healthcare, but we also need to protect diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and Title IX and any legislation that prohibits discrimination based on sex/gender,” Hollenbeck said.
These issues should be garnering as
much attention (if not more) than mostly unqualified women going to space — especially when all these concerns Hollenbeck states are at the forefront of American politics right now.
For one, President Donald Trump has been signing multiple executive orders aimed at restricting abortion access over the last month. For example, he has been enforcing the Hyde Amendment, which blocks federal funding for abortions.
As a result, Utah, Hawaii, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, California and Montana clinics have all lost their Title X funding, totaling around $65 million. By doing this, access to a safe abortion has become extremely harder for women and other marginalized groups.
Along with cutting federal abortion funds, President Trump has been dismantling DEI initiatives across all federal agencies, including NASA. During April, NASA began quietly removing mentions of historical women from their website and physical displays in its facilities.
This has included scrubbing language that highlights goals for women astronauts, as well as taking down images and artwork promoting women in STEM. So while Katy Perry is singing “What a Wonderful World,” women scientists — who actually helped shape space exploration — are actively being removed from history.
When I see these wealthy women parading around space and calling it "trailblazing for women," it honestly feels like a slap in the face to what the average woman is facing here on Earth this very second.
Billionaires are choosing to throw money at space tourism instead of investing in transformative grassroot or ganizations. Take the Chicago Women's Health Center, a nonprofit that provides health services and education for majorly women and trans identities, for exam ple. Each year, they provide care to over 6,000 people. The money used for this mission could have gone to help more facilities like them and others across the country.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s amazing that young girls can see themselves in these high-profile roles — especially in Aisha Bowe, who went to space for reasons other than flaunting her wealth. It’s not just about visibility, it’s also needing to see someone who genuinely reflects what some are passionate about.
But this mission reads more like a photo op of feminism than real, sustain able feminist work. If Jeff Bezos actually cared about women’s progress, he’d start
by addressing the toxic work culture at Blue Origin — where reports of sexual harassment have been brushed under the rug.
We don’t need flashy, empty “firsts” for women just because we can make them happen — we need systems that
keep women and marginalized people at the bottom torn down. That’s how we get one small step for women and one giant leap for humankind.
MAY 2 – JULY 26, 2025
GISELLE CALDERON | THE DEPAULIA
La DePaulia
Grupo estudiantil de DePaul lucha por lanzar una oficina de apoyo para estudiante indocumentados
Por Sofía Joseph y Alondra Castañeda Editora de Noticias y Jefa de Redacción
SOFÍA
JOSEPH | LA DEPAULIA
Obras de arte hechas por estudiantes cuelgan cerca de las ventanas del Centro Cultural Latinx el 23 de abril de 2025. A los miembros del Movimiento Estudiantes de Solidaridad y Apoyo (MESA) les gustaría ver un nuevo centro formado para ayudar a los estudiantes indocumentados en DePaul.
A medida que crece la preocupación por deportaciones entre las comunidades inmigrantes a través del país, una organización estudiantil latina afirma que este es un momento crucial para aumentar los recursos para los estudiantes indocumentados en la institución de DePaul en el área de Chicago.
Miembros del Movimiento Estudiantes de Solidaridad y Apoyo (MESA) han estado impulsando la creación de una oficina para estudiantes indocumentados desde que el grupo se fundó en la universidad en febrero de 2022, pero su idea aún no se ha concretado.
La oficina propuesta brindaría recursos y apoyo a esta población, que enfrenta desafíos únicos debido a su estatus migratorio, dijo Rosalinda Cano, asesora principal de MESA.
“No basta con decir que te aceptaremos en nuestra institución y tomaremos tu dinero”, dijo Emily Vallejo, una de las fundadoras de MESA.
Vallejo considera que DePaul podría ofrecer servicios legales gratuitos y ferias de empleo como una manera de apoyar y proteger a los estudiantes sin estatus legal.
“También debería ser un espacio seguro para los estudiantes indocumentados en un país que está reprimiendo a quienes viven aquí sin documentos”, agregó Vallejo.
Según Jose Perales, vicepresidente interino de Diversidad y Equidad Institucional en DePaul, la División de Asuntos Estudiantiles estaba manejando la solicitud para un espacio físico para la oficina de estudiantes indocumentados. Sin embargo, actualmente no está claro qué departamento en la institución, si alguno, está a cargo de la solicitud por el grupo de estudiantes.
En un boceto de la reestructuración de los Centros Culturales y de Recursos (CRCs) de DePaul para el próximo año en O’Connel Hall en el campus de Lincoln Park, no se in-
cluyó una oficina para estudiantes indocumentados.
En una declaración para La DePaulia, Dania Matos, vicepresidenta de Diversidad, Equidad y Pertenencia, dijo que planifica reunirse con MESA en las próximas semanas. Añadió que espera colaborar con ellos y otros estudiantes de DePaul “para conocer su trabajo y sus aspiraciones”.
“Si bien nos encontramos en un momento diferente como país y como universidad en comparación con hace un año, mantenemos firme nuestra misión. Seguiremos trabajando para lograr una coordinación más sólida en toda la universidad y brindar servicios de apoyo más robustos para todos nuestros estudiantes”, dijo Matos.
Cano dijo que el grupo presentó su proyecto y la solicitud por un espacio físico para la oficina a principios de octubre pasado durante una sesión sobre los planes de expansión de O’Connell Hall, donde se ubican los centros culturales en el campus de Lincoln Park de DePaul.
“Sentí que me quedé con más preguntas que respuestas sobre qué iba a pasar con nuestro espacio en el campus”, dijo Cano, quien asistió a la sesión en el Centro Cultural Latinx. “Desde mi perspectiva, los planes no reflejaban la visión estudiantil cuando hablamos sobre expandir los centros culturales”.
Cano también señaló que los estudiantes indocumentados frecuentemente acuden al Centro Cultural Latinx para recibir apoyo.
“Eso crea una narrativa falsa de que automáticamente los estudiantes indocumentados son latines. Queríamos asegurarnos de que los estudiantes indocumentados tuvieran un espacio con recursos disponibles donde también se sintieran seguros”, explicó Cano.
Cano dijo tener la esperanza de que la administración de DePaul cumpla con su compromiso de brindar apoyo a través de los
centros culturales.
“Con frecuencia recibimos apoyo verbal, pero no vemos que esas palabras se traduzcan en acciones duraderas”, comentó Cano.
Tras recibir comentarios de los estudiantes en las sesiones sobre la reestructuración de los centros culturales, los planos de expansión de O’Connell ahora están siendo reevaluados para incorporar dichas opiniones, según Courtney James, directora de Participación Estudiantil.
“Escuchamos con claridad que necesitábamos volver y trabajar en algunos puntos”, dijo James.
mos proteger a todos”.
Un estudiante de cine de tercer año en DePaul, quien también solicitó permanecer en el anonimato por su estatus legal, dijo que le gustaría tener una oficina para estudiantes indocumentados.
“Sería genial tener a alguien con quien hablar”, dijo. “No tengo mucha información sobre a dónde puedo ir, con quién puedo hablar o qué lugares son seguros. Sería muy bueno tener una oficina a la cual acudir para orientarme”.
El estudiante de cine explicó que su es-
El plano de expansión del tercer piso de O’Connell Hall y el Centro Levan en la Universidad DePaul. Copias del plano, que actualmente están siendo modificadas, fueron distribuidas por Courtney James y un arquitecto acompañante durante sesiones abiertas de escucha en los Centros Culturales y de Recursos del 1 al 3 de octubre de 2024.
Sin embargo, la visión de MESA de una oficina específica para estudiantes indocumentados genera reservas en algunos líderes de la universidad.
“Necesitamos apoyo de personal incluso antes de necesitar un espacio físico. Ofrecer un espacio sin personal adecuado no brinda el apoyo necesario”, explicó James.
James también expresó preocupación por los posibles riesgos que podría implicar almacenar información de estudiantes y registrar el uso del espacio. Un tema que también preocupa a MESA.
Existe un protocolo en la institución que protegerá a los estudiantes en la oficina.
Según las preguntas frecuentes relacionadas con la presencia de agentes de ICE en DePaul, las áreas no públicas de la universidad, como residencias estudiantiles y oficinas de profesores, no son accesibles para oficiales de ICE. Además, no se requiere que estudiantes o empleados respondan si un oficial de ICE pregunta si alguien trabaja o estudia en DePaul.
Los centros culturales, donde se ubicaría la oficina, son considerados áreas de acceso limitado y no públicas, según Russell Dorn, gerente de relaciones con medios de DePaul Newsroom.
Un miembro de MESA, que pidió permanecer anónimo debido a su estatus legal, afirmó que el grupo no ha recibido nueva información sobre los planes de la universidad para establecer la oficina.
“En la situación actual, tenemos que cuidarnos entre nosotros. Y desafortunadamente, abogar y participar en el activismo ahora mismo es muy difícil”, dijo el estudiante de MESA. “Como organización, solo quere-
tatus migratorio ha dificultado su acceso a ayuda financiera y empleo. Los defensores estudiantiles en MESA también han abogado por asistencia financiera y laboral para estudiantes indocumentados como parte de su propuesta para la oficina.
“Nuestro mayor obstáculo es que no recibimos ayuda financiera federal… No podemos solicitarla, así que eso nos afecta mucho”, dijo el estudiante.
Generalmente, busca becas externas cada trimestre para poder cubrir su matrícula.
MESA también espera aumentar los fondos de la beca Mariposa Monarca para ofrecer más oportunidades de apoyo económico a estudiantes indocumentados en la institución.
La Beca Mariposa Monarca fue creada para apoyar a estudiantes que regresan a DePaul y no son elegibles para FAFSA, según el sitio web de la División de Asuntos Estudiantiles.
“Debo trabajar el doble, quizá el triple, que otros estudiantes solo para estar donde estoy, especialmente para conseguir trabajo”, comentó el estudiante de cine. “Ha habido muchos trabajos que me encantaría hacer… pero no puedo debido a mi estatus. Es una lástima. No soy diferente de nadie más. Solo me faltan unos papeles”.
Notes:
Durante el año académico 2023-24, algunos miembros de MESA se reunieron con José Perales, vicepresidente interino de Diversidad y Equidad Institucional en DePaul, para discutir formas de apoyar a estudiantes indocumentados en el campus, como tener a un profesional a tiempo completo disponible para ayudarlos.
Frida en París: el Instituto de Arte explora los lazos de Kahlo con el surrealismo y Mary Reynolds
Por Isabella Russomanno Escritores Contribuyentes
Feb. 16, 1939 — “Te apuesto mi vida a que odiaré este lugar y a su gente mientras viva”, escribió una exhausta Frida Kahlo desde su cama de hospital en París. “Hay algo tan falso e irreal en ellos que me vuelven loca. Solo espero mejorar pronto y largarme de aquí”.
Así comenzaban los primeros y turbulentos días de la icónica artista mexicana en la Ciudad de la Luz, donde contrajo una infección renal casi al llegar. Sin embargo, el resto de su breve estancia en París daría paso a amistades duraderas que marcarían el inicio de su proyección internacional.
El Instituto de Arte de Chicago documenta esta visita decisiva en su exposición “Un mes de Frida Kahlo en París: una amistad con Mary Reynolds,” disponible hasta el 13 de julio.
Se trata de la primera vez que el museo presenta obras de Kahlo, y la entrada a la exhibición es gratuita con una identificación válida de DePaul. Dividida en cuatro secciones, la exposición incluye varios autorretratos —entre ellos “Autorretrato con mono” (1938)—, dos cartas manuscritas y una naturaleza muerta que se presenta junto a encuadernaciones artísticas creadas por Mary Reynolds, la artista estadounidense que ofreció su hogar a Kahlo mientras se re-
cuperaba. Obras de la colección personal de Reynolds, incluido un cuadro del artista surrealista Salvador Dalí, ofrecen una mirada íntima a la experiencia de Kahlo como huésped en la casa de su anfitriona.
Tamar Kharatishvili, co-curadora de la exposición e investigadora del museo, escribió en un comunicado que el Instituto “es posiblemente el único museo que puede contar la historia del encuentro entre Kahlo y Reynolds” debido a que conserva la Colección Mary Reynolds.
En ese entonces, tanto Kahlo como Reynolds eran más conocidas por sus relaciones con artistas prominentes: Kahlo como esposa del muralista Diego Rivera, y Reynolds como pareja del surrealista Marcel Duchamp.
“Nos interesaba explorar estos paralelismos entre ambas mujeres, centrar sus prácticas artísticas y reflexionar críticamente sobre dónde y cómo tuvo lugar el surrealismo”, escribió Kharatishvili.
Kahlo fue invitada a París por André Breton, cofundador del movimiento surrealista, para exponer su obra. Pero siempre fue escéptica ante la etiqueta de “surrealista”. En una de las cartas que forman parte de la muestra, se burló de quienes pasaban horas “sentados en los ‘cafés’ calentando sus traseros preciosos … envenenando el aire con teorías y te-
orías que nunca se concretan”.
“La diferencia clave es que Frida sentía una conexión directa entre su arte y su realidad”, explicó Delia Cosentino, profesora del programa de Historia del Arte y Arquitectura de DePaul especializada en arte mexicano. “A diferencia de los surrealistas europeos, que le parecían más ajenos a la vida cotidiana”.
En una escala en Chicago, tres azafatas de vuelo serbias visitaron la exposición en su primer día en Estados Unidos.
Jelena Šovljanski, una de ellas, contó que admira a Kahlo desde la escuela elemental y que ganó una beca gracias a un vestido inspirado en su vida. Al preguntarle qué aspecto de Kahlo le gustaría incorporar a su propia vida, respondió: “ser mentalmente muy fuerte”.
Varias piezas destacadas, como “Autorretrato con el cabello cortado” (1940), “El venado herido” (1946) y “Árbol de la esperanza, mantente firme” (1946) reflejan la introspección de Kahlo sobre sus lesiones, sus relaciones tumultuosas y su orgullo por sus raíces mexicanas.
En “Árbol de la esperanza, mantente firme”, Kahlo se representa dos veces: acostada en una camilla, con heridas visibles en la espalda tras una cirugía, y sentada, erguida y vestida con un tradicional atuendo Tehuana, mirando al espectador con firmeza.
Mariana Vargas, estudiante internacional en la Universidad de Loyola en Chicago y originaria de Colombia, dijo que esta obra expresa cómo Kahlo abrazaba su identidad mexicana.
“El orgullo de ser latina que transmitía Frida es uno de los mensajes más poderosos que deja”, dijo Vargas. “Y es algo con lo que también me identifico”. Para Cosentino, el furor popular por la imagen de Kahlo a veces opaca su papel como agente clave en la construcción de la identidad moderna de México tras la revolución.
No obstante, destacó que una de las mayores aportaciones de esta exposición es cómo revela la “red transatlántica” de artistas y pensadores en la que Kahlo y Rivera estaban inmersos.
“Y si esta muestra representa el primer acercamiento de alguien a la obra de Frida Kahlo, eso ya es algo fantástico”, concluyó Cosentino.
El Instituto también ofrecerá charlas gratuitas con la entrada general al museo. Las próximas incluyen “Por amor al arte — Mary Reynolds y Marcel Duchamp” el 10 de mayo, y “Frida Kahlo — La ciudad, el cuerpo y los dioses” el 21 de junio.
Los visitantes del museo observan “Autorretrato con cabello corto” (1940) en el Instituto de Arte el jueves 17 de abril de 2025. Kahlo pintó este autorretrato después de divorciarse brevemente de Diego Rivera.
NUPUR BOSMIYA | THE DEPAULIA
Arts & Life
Terror Vision: Seeing film rentals in a new light
By Brielle Kohlbeck Opinions Editor
Listen up physical media fans: this isn’t your mother’s Blockbuster. Southport’s newest pop-up, Terror Vision Records & Video, is a fully functioning DVD and VHS rental that opened April 11. Offering a $15 flat rate per month, subscribers can rent unlimited movies from the store’s selection (with the exception of pulling more than three at a time).
Co-owner Ryan Graveface runs about ten other companies including Graveface Records and Terror Vision, a soundtrack company, started around a decade ago. Years ago he “randomly” got the idea to start a video rental store. He contacted local filmmaker Joe Swanberg and the pop-up came to fruition once they found the Southport location available for rent.
Graveface owns about ten businesses in total and says he’s very spontaneous with his ideas. He wasn’t at all worried about opening a media rental shop in this digital landscape. In fact, he never considered it.
“Worry would imply that I thought about it. I put no thought into it, I just did it,” Graveface said.
Focusing primarily on horror, the shop has all the classics like the “Halloween” and “Chucky” series but also caters to a deeper fanbase. Graveface says he has about 74,000 titles alone, which doesn’t include Swanberg’s collection, and plans to swap out titles monthly to showcase more of them. In his extensive variety of media there’s many films that would be classified niche, from “Chopping Mall” to “Frankenhooker” — both are currently featured on the shop’s walls.
In addition to their films and shows,
records and
they sell a range of other merchandise including totes, shirts and even taxidermy squirrels sticking up their middle fingers.
They’re located directly next to the Music Box Theatre, which is similarly known for playing indie and “underground” films at 35mm. This brings in a lot of walk-in traffic after showings.
Ezequiel Alvarez, a Chicago resident and Music Box regular, is a fan of their inventory. He says he’s always been drawn to “weirdo” and outsider art, which he tends to find most in the horror genre.
“I subscribe to several streaming
sites, which I like, but I find their libraries of films to be somewhat limited,” Alvarez said. “After browsing through Terror Vision’s collection I knew it would be a cool place to find some weird obscure movies.”
Alvarez recently began a subscription with Terror Vision and not only loves their inventory, but also the opportunity to support the type of independent business he remembers growing up with.
Being neighbors to the Music Box allows for the businesses to overlap events and leverage their similar audience. On Thursday, May 1, the shop
hosted author Adam Cesare to sign copies of his horror trilogy “Clown in a Cornfield,” first released in 2020. That same night the Music Box showed an early screening of the movie based on his book, releasing to the public May 9.
Kayleigh Jensen, a high school teacher in the suburbs, comes to the city frequently and was in line for the screening when she found the shop. She hosts a podcast, Glitter & Gore, with her friend Kami that focuses on all things horror.
Jensen thought the shop was incredible and says she would recommend it to anyone who likes horror. She’s hoping the pop-up can extend their lease and stick around past September.
“I would love (if they stayed),” Jensen said. “I feel like horror is such a huge genre that is underrepresented at the same time.”
Besides their emphasis on obscure video and all things horror, records are a big part of the shop, hence their name. There’s even a pretty good chance you’ll find your favorite horror movie’s soundtrack in their bins. A “Scream” and “Rocky Horror” record have already found their way home with me. Whether you’re a quirky film major or simply a horror enthusiast, pay a visit to Terror Vision. You can come for the rentals, but you’ll want to stay for the angry stuffed squirrels.
BRIELLE KOHLBECK | THE DEPAULIA A shopper walks into Terror Vision Records and Video, a media rental pop-up shop, on Thursday, May 1, 2025. Next to Music Box Theatre, Terror Vision is located at 3729 N Southport Ave.
BRIELLE KOHLBECK | THE DEPAULIA Dalton Thompson, a customer, looks through records at Terror Vision on Thursday, May 1, 2025. The Southport pop-up sells DVDs,
merchandise.
From Loss to Landmarks: One woman’s journey through the heart of Chicago
By Grace Logan Arts & Life Editor
Adjacent to the Chicago Tribune Tower sits the Equitable Building with its tall windows and sturdy aluminum-covered spandrel beams. At first glance, these two buildings are complete contradictions: the ornate Tribune Tower acts as a testament to the revival of medieval Gothic architecture, while the Equitable’s more austere minimalism was inspired by mid-century modern design.
Directly across the river, near the sidewalk’s edge of 111 W. Wacker Drive, Jill Carlson directs the group of tourists with her to look toward the two buildings. She shines that signature smile and periodically glances at her notecards as information flows naturally from her lips.
Carlson has been working as a docent for the Chicago Architecture Center for about 12 years. Her life has always been, and her heart will be, with Chicago.
Carlson met her husband, Bruce, at a party just outside the city, and the two married in 1965. They bought a house in the south suburbs and raised their three children there — Cathe, Michael and Matthew.
Carlson and her family would come into the city on special occasions — for the Christmas window displays, lunch at the Walnut Room, live theater productions. She had always hoped to get a chance to live closer to the life, loudness and never-ending activity of the city.
But she said it wasn’t really suited for her family at the time.
“My husband worked in the city and wasn’t really interested in (living here),” Carlson said. “The suburbs are where we had grown up and that’s where we went back.”
Her kids grew older, moved away and started lives of their own. Carlson and Bruce stayed in their house in the south suburbs for as long as they could, but Bruce had begun to develop a valve issue — his aortic valve.
In 2012, at age 71, he was scheduled for open-heart surgery. Carlson and Cathe sat in the surgical waiting room. After a few hours, a nurse came out and spoke to them.
“It’s just going to be a little long … just a little longer,” they were told.
Carlson and her daughter waited. They
waited and they waited and they waited. Finally, Bruce’s doctor emerged.
“We knew the minute the doctor came out of the surgery that things had not gone well,” Cathe Carlson said. “The doctor said, ‘I didn’t know his heart was this damaged.’”
He survived, but it wasn’t the same, they said. The year that followed, Bruce bounced from an acute care facility back to their house in the suburbs and then to a nursing home. Over time, he went blind, had to be tube fed and was eventually placed back on a ventilator.
Carlson was there to visit him once a day if not twice, every day she could.
“My dad was young by today’s standards when he died,” Cathe said. “That’s the one thing that stays with me. … He shouldn’t have died. He just should not have died. It was a year of him dying, a little bit every day.”
At the time, Carlson was studying to be a docent. After visiting her husband throughout the week, she would travel into the city to study for training. She’d sometimes barely catch the last train out of the city.
“It gave me something good that was happening in my life,” Carlson said. “At least, I can talk about (Bruce) now. … I couldn’t, for a long time.”
After Bruce passed in 2013, Carlson downsized and found a one-bedroom apartment near Oak Street Beach. If she leans right while looking out the window — and there are no leaves on the trees — she can see Lake Michigan.
She loves small street theaters, Millennium Park during the summer and her almost daily walk through Lincoln Park Zoo.
During her time-off, which is often few and far between, Carlson travels with friend and fellow docent Nancy Schwab. They have been to Paris, Budapest, Prague and many other cities both in and outside of the coun-
try.
“She’s up for anything,” Schwab said. “Anytime we can go somewhere together, we have a really good time. … She keeps herself busy — you don’t even know!”
With a chuckle, Cathe shares a similar sentiment and said that her mom runs her ragged every time she visits Chicago from her home in Arizona. She is on the move all the time.
“When we’re walking downtown, the family joke is that we have to hear about every single building in the city of Chicago — even if we’ve heard it five times before,” Cathe said. “It always starts with, ‘You see that building over there … ?’”
She added, “If you go on one of her tours, you will see how much love she has for the city and how proud she is of being a docent.”
After walking past Millennium Park, the Palmer House and the Gene Siskel The-
ater, Carlson leads the tourists down North State Street and emerges back onto West Wacker. She stops, yet again, in front of the Tribune Tower and the Equitable Building.
She tells her group to look across the river, at the great city of Chicago and all the unimaginable variety of buildings, restaurants, events — and people. When all the ornamentation is stripped away, they are all almost identical in structure, heart and soul. This work — these past 12 years sharing this place with others — is second only to her daughter, sons, grandkids and Bruce.
“I love it as much now as when I started,” Carlson said. “(Every place on the tour) tells a story and I’m a part of telling that story of Chicago.”
GRACE LOGAN | THE DEPAULIA
Jill Carlson smiles as she tells the people on her tour about postmodern buildings in Chicago on Thursday, April 10, 2025. Carlson has been a docent for twelve years in the city.
GRACE LOGAN | THE DEPAULIA Jill Carlson looks toward Michigan Avenue during her tour on Thursday, April 10, 2025. Carlson is certified to direct ten different tours at the Chicago Architecture Center.
CineYouth film festival hosts student films across Chicagoland
By April Klein Asst. Arts & Life Editor
Just down the street from DePaul’s Lincoln Park campus on Fullerton Avenue, a crowd of young cinephiles and filmmakers swarm in the lobby of the Facets Theater. The space, which operates both as a waiting room and a video rental store, holds a bevy of young artists eager to show off their work.
From April 25-27, the Facets Theater was host to the CineYouth Film Festival. Organized by the Chicago International Film Festival annually since 2005, the festival screens work from artists and filmmakers 22 or younger.
The series kicked off Friday night with a block of films under the “In The Loop: Chicago Voices” banner, highlighting films made by those living in the city.
DePaul senior and film student Tess Detwiler’s short film “The Five Steps of Irish Catholic Grieving” was included in the block. Written by and starring DePaul junior Colin Wilbur, the story follows a young man who deals with family fallout at his father’s funeral.
“It was really important to me to make sure that we weren't overworking people,” Detwiler said. “I'd been on a lot of sets that were very run-and-gun, which is great, that’s the nature of student film, but I wanted to make sure everyone had a good time on set. I hope that it comes through in the finished product, that everyone felt respected and appreciated.”
The film, shot for around four thousand dollars, has a crew consisting pri-
marily of other DePaul film students. CineYouth offers a chance for Detwiler and her peers to network.
“The other festival I went to in person didn’t have a lot of student filmmakers. So I definitely felt a little shy,” Detwiler said. “Since CineYouth is specifically all 22 years and younger, all of us are kind of at our start, and I think a little more eager to communicate with one another and share ideas.”
Other DePaul-affiliated films included DePaul senior Lily McCauley’s short film “Patron Saint Buffalo Bill” in the “Genre Breakers: Experimental” category. The film recontextualizes the “Silence of the Lambs” character Buffalo Bill, a murderer whose gender identity remains in flux, as a celebration of trans rebellion against the mainstream.
The thousands of films submitted to CineYouth each year, all spanning a variety of genres, are reviewed by a team of interns. Carmen Chavez, a junior film student at DePaul, oversaw the experimental category.
“I had to watch over 100 short films in the span of two months starting back in January. Each film needed to be watched twice, reviewed and ranked,” Chavez said. “We spent hours deliberating these programs to really lock in our choices.”
Chavez, in her position as a viewer, learned from the experience both as a programmer and as a filmmaker herself.
“Having the eyes of your peers be jurors feels more grounded to me, and gives a new perspective on what a film program can be,” Chavez said.
DePaul adjunct faculty Liliane Calfee is the director of the DePaul + Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) Youth Programs, a partnership between DePaul’s School of Cinematic Arts and the CHA to sponsor films from underprivileged youth in the Chicago area.
“As the director of DePaul film programs that match student mentors with Chicago public housing residents, I was motivated to join (CineYouth’s) education advisory board to expand opportunities not just to our participants but marginalized youth across the city,” Cal-
fee said.
Participants in the CHA program step into the role of jurors as well, judging the documentary category of the festival.
“(CineYouth) gives them the unique opportunity to watch films through a different lens and learn more about the role of film festivals in the industry,” Calfee said. “It’s one of my favorite events we host because the conversations about the films are so rich and it truly inspires them to keep creating, too.”
APRIL KLEIN | THE DEPAULIA
The 2025 CineYouth Film Festival sign hangs over the entrance on Friday, April 25, 2025. The festival was held from April 25-27 and focused on the work of filmmakers 22 and younger across a variety of different genres.
APRIL KLEIN | THE DEPAULIA Posters for films, including in the “In The Loop: Chicago Voices,” for the CineYouth Film Festival hang on Friday, April 25, 2025. DePaul senior Tess Detwiler’s short film “The Five Steps of Irish Catholic Grieving” was screened as a part of the night’s offerings.
Frida in Paris: Art Institute exhibition traces Kahlo’s surrealist connections
By Isabella Russomanno Contributing Writer
Feb. 16, 1939: “I bet you my life I will hate this place and its people as long as I live,” an exhausted Frida Kahlo writes to her partner from her hospital bed in Paris. “There is something so false and unreal about them that they drive me nuts. I am just hoping to get well soon and scram from here.”
It was a bumpy first few days in the city of lights for the groundbreaking Mexican artist, who quickly contracted a kidney infection. But the rest of Kahlo’s trip ended up creating lasting friendships that shaped the start of her international career.
The Art Institute of Chicago documents this quick but pivotal trip in “Frida Kahlo's Month in Paris: A Friendship with Mary Reynolds,” on display through July 13.
This is the first time the museum is displaying Kahlo’s art and the exhibition is free to attend with a valid DePaul ID.
Split into four parts, the exhibition features several of Kahlo’s self-portraits, including “Self-Portrait with Monkey” (1938),; two handwritten letters; and a still life painting in tandem with the book bindings of Mary Reynolds. She’s the artist who invited Kahlo to stay with her to recover from the kidney infection.
Pieces in Reynolds’ personal collec-
tion, including a painting by fellow surrealist Salvador Dalí, gives a glimpse into what it was like to be a guest, as Kahlo was, in the American artist’s home.
Tamar Kharatishvili, co-curator of the exhibit and a research fellow at the museum, wrote in a statement toresponse to questions from The DePaulia that The Art Institute “is arguably the only museum that could tell the story of Kahlo’s and Reynolds’s meeting” because it houses the Mary Reynolds Collection.
At the time of Kahlo’s trip, both women were better known for being the partners of prominent male artists: Kahlo as muralist Diego Rivera’s wife, and Reynolds as surrealist Marcel Duchamp’s partner.
“We were interested in exploring these parallels between the two women, centering their artistic practices, and thinking critically about where and how surrealism took place,” Kharatishvili wrote.
Kahlo was invited to Paris by André Breton, cofounder of the surrealist movement, to exhibit her work, but she had reservations about being called a ‘surrealist.’ She was caught off guard by those who’d “sit for hours on the ‘cafés’ warming their precious behinds … poisoning the air with theories and theories that never come true,” as she wrote in one of the letters on display.
“I do think that she recognized that there was a very close connection between what she was doing and the world she lived
in, as opposed to the surrealists who she felt were more disconnected from everyday life,” said Delia Cosentino, a professor in DePaul’s History of Art & Architecture program who specializes in Mexican art.
On a layover in Chicago, three flight attendants from Serbia said they were visiting the exhibition on their first day ever in the United States.
Jelena Šovljanski, one of the flight attendants, said she has been a fan of Kahlo’s since elementary school and won a scholarship for a dress she made that was inspired by Kahlo’s life.
When asked what aspect of Kahlo’s life she would want to bring into her own life, Šovljanski said being “mentally really strong.”
Several pieces on display — “Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair” (1940), “The Wounded Deer” (1946), and “Tree of Hope, Remain Strong” (1946) — are products of Kahlo’s intimate exploration of her injuries and tumultuous relationships, along with her embrace of her Mexican identity.
In “Tree of Hope, Remain Strong,” Kahlo paints herself lying down on a gurney with incisions on her back, referencing a recent surgery, next to another version of herself sitting up, wearing a traditional Tehuana dress and looking at the observer head-on.
Mariana Vargas, an international student at Loyola University Chicago from
Colombia, said this piece illustrates Kahlo’s embrace of being Mexican.
Kahlo’s pride in being Latina, Vargas said, is “one of the most powerful messages that she gives,” Vargas said. “I think that’s something that I can relate (to) as well.”
Cosentino, the DePaul professor, said the commercialization of Kahlo’s image in pop culture unfortunately often “overshadows the ways in which she was an important agent in identity formation in modern Mexico” post-revolution.
Ultimately, Cosentino said one of the exhibition’s most valuable contributions is how it reveals the “transatlantic network” of artists and thinkers that Kahlo and Rivera were a part of.
Cosentino said it’s also a good introduction to Kahlo’s work: “If that’s the beginning for somebody, that’s fantastic.”
The Art Institute hosts lectures, free with museum admission, for various exhibits. Upcoming lectures for this exhibition include “For the Love of Art — Mary Reynolds and Marcel Duchamp” on May 10 and “Frida Kahlo — The City, the Body, and the Gods” on June 21.
NUPUR BOSMIYA | THE DEPAULIA Museumgoers observe “Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair” (1940) at the Art Institute on Thursday, April 17, 2025. Kahlo painted this self-portrait after briefly divorcing Diego Rivera.
“Spinning
St.Vincent’s
D e JAMZ
freSh beatS Since 1581”
By Grace Logan Arts & Life Editor
My mom and I have always shared a love for numbers — number games, number patterns, number puzzles. We’re fanatic Sudoku players. We’re quick to point out patterns on the clock: 11:11, 4:44, 5:55, 7:77. We love when change rounds out to “.00” — the list goes on and on. Must’ve been dumb luck that had me born on May 5, 2005: five-five-five! And since May 5, 2005, every birthday that is a multiple of five has been fun for my mom and me: five, 10, 15 and, now, 20. I’m going to be 20!
This is the first birthday I’m spending away from my mom. The timing just didn’t work out right for her to visit. It’s hard to be away from her. I miss you, crazy lady!
In honor of my mom, dad and the family I’ve found along the way, here’s some songs that I’ll be shuffling on May 5. Not old enough to drink, but definitely toasting y’all today. Lot’s of love!
“Cover Me” by Bruce Springsteen Startin’ off strong with Bruce. BRUUUUCE! If you know, you know. My
love for Bruce can completely, fully, 100% be attributed to my dad. He’s almost all we’d listen to in the car together — well, Bruce and “Solsbury Hill” by Peter Gabriel. Bruce just gets it: growing up in Kansas, working dead-end jobs, pulling yourself up by your bootstraps. Blue collar work becomes digestible while listening to the album “Born in the U.S.A.” More seriously, you are the smartest man I know, Dad. Bruce is small in comparison to all the qualities we share that I love. Thank you for working so hard to get me to where I am today. I’m not going to disappoint!
“The Obvious Child” by Paul Simon Hey mom! This song had to be yours — no doubt, no doubt, no doubt. Every day I miss you a little extra, I listen to Paul Simon. I vividly remember listening to this song while driving the backroads of Shawnee with you. I wish I was spending Monday with you, but I’ll be back soon. Can’t wait to see you again. Missing the chicken and broccoli at Chen’s Kitchen.
“Sticker” by NCT 127 K-pop! Eek! I’ve been influenced. I’ve
Crossword
been corrupted. I’ve been…I don’t know. I can’t hate anymore. Ms. Peyton Hopp, we’ve shared too many good memories for me to maintain my k-pop aversion. I feel like I’ve known you my whole life; hand on the bible. You’ve quickly become one of my best friends and I couldn’t imagine my life without you. “Sticker” is the first k-pop song I really enjoyed, especially with that “f---ass flute.” Can’t wait for all the future memories we will share. You’re my rock, girl!
“Judge Judy” by Tyler, The Creator Hey Jaden! My roommate, my bestie, my soul-sister; I love you so much! The Tyler, The Creator concert was incredible — all concerts we’ve been to together have been incredible. I wouldn’t want to share those memories with anyone else. “Judge Judy” will be my top song on spotify this year — bet your bottom dollar! That’s all thanks to you Jaden Applenhans.
ACROSS
1) “X” may mark it
5) Food quality
10) Haifa fl. oz.
14) Three Bears patriarch
15) Ninth rock from the sun, once
16) Like word-ofmouth
17) Significant periods of history
18) Spritely tunes
19) Long skirt
20) Easygoing attribute
23) Female family nickname
24) Silly goose
25) 15-Across, once
28) Like a shepherd’s staff
30) Indian dress
31) Immature egg
33) Barnyard bellow
36) Longtime beau
40) Some submerged leaves
41) Train lines?
42) Chanel of fashion
43) Far from bored
44) Adolph Coors, famously
46) Not on the level
49) Infant’s abdominal woe
51) Nonmoving picture
57) The Hawkeye State
58) Major blood line
59) Mark’s replacement
60) “That’s an order!” 61) Piece for nine
62) Bone-dry
63) “What_ can I say?”
64) San Antonio hoopsters
65) Fancy wheels
You’re one of the best things to happen to me in Chicago. You never fail to make me laugh.
“Orange Colored Sky” by Nat King Cole
Quentin Blais! You said you were tired of the birthday Dejamz, and now you’re featured. Ha ha! In all seriousness, I don’t think I’ve expressed how much our friendship means to me. You are someone I can talk to without fear of judgement and that means the world to me. You are one of the most talented photographers I know and I can’t wait to see where you end up. I’m hoping and praying you end up in Chicago so we can finally go to dollar beer night together – just give it another year! “Orange Colored Sky” is one of my favorite songs on Fallout Radio. Can’t wait to return to the Ray with ya! Lots of love to my Marengo king!
DOWN
1) On_ (with an eye toward selling)
2) “Legal” prefix
3) Gemstone for many Libras
4) Island off Australia
5) Fracture immobilizer
6) Choice invitees
7) Like dime novels and some orange JUlCe
8) “Beetle Bailey” dog
9) One of the “Friends”
10) Small songbird
11) You can’t join Mensa without one
12) Anglo-__
13) The Elder or Younger of Roman history
21) Expected in 22) Word with “strength” or “city”
25) Quiet “Check this out!”
26) Fit for night owls
27) Length x width, for a rectangle
28) Accepts as true
29) Lego las of Middle Earth, e.g.
31) Final notice?
32) Remote control abbr.
33) Siamese-speak
34) More than never
35) Nose wrinkler
37) Trait of a Southerner’s speech
38) Big, fat mouth
39) Common dessert
43) Empathize
44) Swells out of proportion
45) Convoy member
46) “All kidding _ ... “
47) Bar fixture
48) Fuzzy fruits
49) Hom-shaped thing
50) Freshwater carnivorous mammal
52) Some kitchen utensils
53) Target for Carmelo
54) Psychic’s read, supposedly
55) Bluenose
56) Mortar troughs
COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA
Sports
Bears streak continues; they go all in on offense in NFL draft
By Ethan Medel Contributing Writer
From many fans’ perspective, the Bears’ perfect offseason has continued through the 2025 NFL draft.
Justin Villarreal, a DePaul senior and member of Radio Depaul Sports, loves the Bears’ top pick — Michigan tight end Colston Loveland.
“I think that was the best possible pick the Bears could have made,” Villareal said.
The Bears drafted Loveland with the 10th overall pick in the draft. He recorded 582 yards with 56 catches and five touchdowns in the 2024 season. The Idaho native led the Wolverines in every receiving category.
According to CBS Sports scouting report on Loveland, his size and speed makes him a potentially viable receiver at the NFL level. They also praise his character and good awareness against zone coverages from defenses. They also note his slim build.
However, the report lists some skills Loveland could improve, such as blocking and inconsistencies in his route-running.
Fred Mitchell, former writer for the Chicago Tribune and Bears beat writer from 1988-1995, believes that Loveland’s strengths outshine the weaknesses.
“(Blocking) is obviously a very important part, and it’s something perhaps could be coached up if it needs polishing,” said Mitchell, an adjunct instructor who teaches sports journalism at DePaul. “The qualities that he’s been touted on — speed, hands and agility — those are things that you cannot necessarily teach.”
Mitchell explained how Loveland’s experience at Michigan, a team known for their heavy running game, could prepare him to develop as a blocker at the NFL level.
Despite Loveland’s prior experience, his improvement is now in the hands of the Bears’ new head coach, Ben Johnson.
Johnson was appointed after a 15-2 season with the Detroit Lions as their offensive coordinator.
"This is, I think, the next great offensive minded head coach in the NFL,” Villarreal said.
Johnson is also known for using two tight ends in his plays, a strategy consistent with the Loveland pick. Mitchell said the Bears’ top pick in this draft has Johnson’s “fingerprints all over (it).”
“On paper, it seems pretty obvious that the Bears are trying to establish an offensive strategy,” Mitchell said.
Cole Kmet, the Bears’ current tight end,
is already a proven receiving tight end in the NFL. In 2023, Kmet had 719 yards and six touchdowns which put him among the top ten receiving tight ends.
Despite Kmet’s down year in 2024, it will likely not cause Loveland to take his place but rather will play alongside Kmet in Johnson’s playbook. According to Brendan Sugrue of the Bears Wire, Loveland said Kmet texted him to say he was “excited to get to work,” inviting Loveland to the team with open arms.
In the second round, the Bears chose Missouri receiver Luther Burden, offensive lineman Ozzy Trapilo from Boston College and defensive tackle Shemar Turner from Texas A&M.
Burden was all-team SEC in 2024 61 receptions, 676 yards and six touchdowns. His scouting report praises his speed and playmaking ability after the catch. He struggles on catches in traffic and is inconsistent with his route running.
Trapilo is 6 feet, eight inches tall and weighed in at 316 pounds. According to his scouting report, Traplio has accurate hands and a good base but lacks quickness and is underwhelming at second-level blocking.
Turner recorded 36 tackles and two sacks. His strengths, according to his scouting report, are his aggression and quickness. However, he is also penalty prone and lacks mass.
In 2024, the Bears were bottom five in offensive points scored and last in offensive yards gained. While the offense had promising moments, the overall 2024 season was disappointing.
Mitchell said the recent NFL rule changes favor the offensive side of the ball.
“It is clear the NFL prefers to see the high scoring games,” he said. “You have a feeling the Bears have to score 24 or 28 points at least a game to have a decent chance to win.”
The average points scored by a playoff team in 2024 was about 26 points per game.
In 2025, the NFL passed a rule that allows both teams to have offensive possession in overtime, allowing for more offense.
Fans may recall the 2024 divisional game between the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs, when Texans rusher Will Anderson was called for a controversial roughing the passer against Patrick Mahomes. This play couldn’t be reviewed, but it highlights the pressure put on NFL defenses to combat high-powered offenses legally under NFL rules.
James Stowell III, DePaul senior and
news director of Radio DePaul Sports, is ecstatic to see how the Bears’ new offense performs. “With a guy like Ben Johnson around, I’m excited to see what the future holds for the offense,” Stowell said.
Stowell is also interested in the progression of Caleb Williams, Bears’ quarterback. Stowell noted that Williams had poor coaching his rookie season and hopes Johnson can aid the young quarterback.
Stowell said the ceiling on the Bears’
2025 season is an appearance in the playoffs.
“Wild card berth I think is a possibility, but I wouldn’t guarantee it,” Stowell said. “Caleb, like a lot of our quarterbacks, (has) to adjust to a new coach in their second season.”
AP PHOTO/MATT MARTON
Tight end Colston Loveland, the Chicago Bears’ first round draft pick, 10th overall, speaks during an NFL football press conference, Friday, April 25,2 025, in Lake Forest, Ill.
DePaul club baseball makes history with first playoff berth in recent years
By Laura S. Vázquez David La DePaulia Social Media Editor
DePaul University’s club baseball team is heading into uncharted territory: its first playoff appearance since the club was revived just a few years ago.
The team, which competes in the Division III bracket of the National Club Baseball Association (NCBA), traveled to Wisconsin this Friday to face off against No. 1 seed Winona State in hopes of clinching a spot at regionals — and eventually, the NCBA World Series in Pennsylvania.
“At the beginning of the year, we didn’t expect this,” said Luke Sullivan, club baseball team president.
Oliver King, the club’s vice president, agreed. “At the beginning of the year, the goal was just to keep improving. But things clicked, and now here we are.”
The club team ended the regular season with a 8-7 record, making them the #4 seeded team in the District IV playoff bracket.
The club’s journey hasn’t been easy. Sullivan, a supply chain management major, recalls that when he first joined, the program barely existed.
“My freshman year, they were trying to start it up, but it didn’t really manifest,” Sullivan said. “We had maybe three practices that whole year.”
The following year, around 10 players showed up and decided to make it work. That small but dedicated group laid the foundation for what is now a 17-player roster competing at a national level.
A lifelong baseball player with past college offers, King said he “was really disappointed coming to college not playing baseball.”
“When I found them at the club fair, it was the best thing ever. I became best friends with most of the guys on the team, and we’ve been progressively getting better,” King said.
The team is composed of DePaul students of all standings and different baseball knowledge and skills.
Alejandro Campos, freshman and starting pitcher, recalled that after playing competitive baseball, DePaul’s team and environment was “just perfect. Everyone loves the game and plays hard, but it’s also not that serious… you’re not going to get scolded by a coach. It’s a great feeling to play my favorite sport with a bunch of people who also want to do the same.”
One of the biggest challenges the team faces is finding places to play. DePaul doesn’t have a dedicated baseball facility nor an NCAA team, and most large fields in Chicago are owned by the Chicago Park District and prioritized for high school use.
While the team uses Cacciatore Stadium to practice, it’s a softball field so the team cannot play there.
“Realistically, we’ll never be able to play games there because of the dorms nearby and space issues,” Sullivan said.
Instead, the team travels to Loyola Academy in Glenview, about a 30-minute drive, for home games. They also play against nearby schools like Loyola, NIU, Bradley, Augustana and Drake University, all within their NCBA division.
With no official coach, the club is entirely student-led. Sullivan and King take on de facto managerial roles and Sullivan takes over coaching duties such as lineups.The rest of the team “basically coach ourselves,” King said.
“Everyone contributes. At practice, someone will say, ‘Hey, let’s work on this,’ and we just go with it,” King said.
Budget constraints also shape the team’s operations. DePaul allocates about $5,000 annually to the club, which must cover field rentals, umpires, equipment and travel. Each player also pays approximately $150 in dues.
“We’re trying to do fundraising now,” Sullivan said. “We want to open a team store so people can buy gear, and we’ll get a small commission.”
Despite limited resources, the team has built a tight-knit culture that welcomes all skill levels. Tryouts are held at the start of each academic year, and previous baseball experience isn’t required.
“Some of our guys didn’t even play in high school,” Sullivan said. “But if you show up and put in the work, you’re welcome.”
“It would be great to have a big group to try out in the fall, it doesn’t matter if you are a boy or a girl,” said King, who pitches for the team. “I came up in a really stressful baseball environment and I was stressed the whole time. I came here and I’m having the time of my life playing baseball.”
Their growing online presence helps rally support. The team’s Instagram account (@officialdepaulbaseball) keeps fans updated, and a GameChanger account streams games live so families from out of state can tune in.
This weekend’s playoff games fall during midterms, meaning the team will be missing some key players. Still, morale is high.
“If our pitchers perform well, we’ve got a shot,” King said. “This is already a win for us — now it’s just about having fun and seeing how far we can go.”
The Blue Demons lost to the Warriors 10-0 and left the playoffs during the first round.
Looking ahead, Campos believes a championship run could be within reach for next year.
“We made it to the playoffs this year,” he said. “I think next year we’ll be competitors for maybe a championship.”
GRAHAM GARDBER | PROVIDED
Alejandro Campos warms up in the bullpen before DePaul’s matchup against Winona State for the first round of the NCBA Division 3 playoffs in Wisconsin on Friday, May 2, 2025. Campos is a freshman at DePaul.
GRAHAM GARDBER | PROVIDED
From left, Matt Galligan, Miles Salvi and Riley Oleson smile before their game against Winona State on Friday, May 2, 2025. This is DePaul’s first playoff apperience in the past five years.
