Volume #110 Issue #19
TheDePaulia
DePaul's student-run newspaper since 1923
June 1, 2026
Longtime journalism professor Chris Bury to retire from teaching
By Khadija Mujahid Asst. News Editor
After 14 years of teaching at DePaul, senior journalist in residence Chris Bury is retiring at the end of this academic year.
“I’ve been doing this job for 14 years and really have enjoyed it, especially my interactions with students,” Bury said. “But my wife has been retired for a couple of years now, and we want to do some more traveling, especially international traveling, and this is really the time in our lives when we have to do it.”
Bury started out as a political science student at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. During student protests against the Vietnam War, Bury recorded the demonstrations and sent them to Chicago’s WLS radio station, who paid him for the recordings.
“That was the moment where I thought, ‘Wow, I could get paid for this,’” Bury said.
Throughout his degree, Bury continued working at student radio stations in Carbondale. After graduating, he worked at a radio station in Wis-
consin and eventually got his master’s degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, also in political science.
Bury proceeded to work at various news outlets, including Al Jazeera and WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee. He is best known for his work as a correspondent and anchor with ABC News Nightline, a late-night TV news program. Throughout his career, Bury covered Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign, the war in Afghanistan, cartels in Mexico, the Gulf Wars, uprisings in Haiti and more.
Bury’s colleague at ABC News Andy Fies said Bury’s writing was a rare combination of insightful and fast.
“He remains one of the best writers ABC ever employed,” Fies said. “He was a terrific reporter to begin with. His questions were always insightful and incisive, and his writing was the same, insightful, incisive, even poetic at times.”
Shortly before Bury’s contract at ABC News ended, former dean of DePaul’s College of Communication Jacqueline Taylor reached out to him and asked if he was interested in teaching, and Bury accepted the job.
Thepriceof apictureperfect graduation
ByKAhliaWilliams
Contributing Writer
As caps soar through the air, graduation season has become much more than earning a degree. It has evolved into a full-scale social media production.
From professional photo shoots to expensive custom outfits, the modern commencement experience is fueled by TikTok and Instagram trends.
Some graduates feel pressure to take an aesthetic and commercialized approach to graduation by documenting and sharing their milestone moments. Charlize Younglove, a DePaul senior studying communications and media, has experienced this trend.
“There is a combination of emotional and financial stress around my impending graduation and the need to make it ‘Instagram worthy,’” she said.
“I wasn’t sure, but I talked to some people at DePaul, and they convinced me that it was a good move, and so I took the job,” Bury said. “I didn’t really think that I would stay for 14 years, but I really liked teaching. So I just decided I would stay since I was enjoying it.”
Bury’s students knew him as a strict journalist dedicated to his students.
“A deadline’s a deadline, but he’s just so kind, and the way he speaks to you, it’s never condescending. He just knows what he’s talking about,” said Francesca Corona, a senior journalism student.
Caitlin Walsh, a first-year graduate journalism student, took Bury’s investigative journalism class in her first quarter at DePaul. She said even after the quarter ended, he worked with her team to make sure their story was published.
“He was still my teacher even after the class ended,” Walsh said.
Former students and colleagues of Bury’s also said he called out injustice without being biased.
Kristen Hazelton, a Chicago graduation photographer, said her inquiries have tripled since last year’s graduation season.
“It has exploded,” Hazelton said. “I have had more graduation clients than ever before.”
Hazelton said many graduates are opting for more candid photos that still focus on style.
“There’s a trend this year for the ‘untraditional’ graduation shoot,’” she said. “You’re looking at more film-based, underexposed and indoor photos.”
Despite trends often feeling fastpaced or short-lived, an underlying motivation behind modern graduation culture is the desire to cherish or commemorate the experience.
While photographers are seeing these shifts firsthand, graduating seniors are also feeling the effects of social media-driven graduation culture. According to a 2024 Empower survey, nearly 70% of Gen Z said social media motivates their spending due to FOMO.
During spring quarter, Younglove has opted to stay off social media to focus on finishing her education. But in the end, she still expects to spend a good chunk of money on the milestone.
See GRAD PHOTOS, page 12
KIERSTEN HUNG / THE DEPAULIA
DePaul journalism professor Chris Bury accepts gifts from colleagues during his last journalism department meeting at DePaul’s Loop Campus on Friday, May 29, 2026. Bury has taught at DePaul for 14 years.
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 | LILI JARVENPA LJARVE@DEPAULIAONLINE.COM
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NEWS EDITOR SADIE SPRINGER SSPRIN@DEPAULIAONLINE.COM
ASST. NEWS EDITOR | KHADIJA MUJAHID KMUJAH@DEPAULIAONLINE.COM
OPINIONS EDITOR | ANNA BARTH ABARTH@DEPAULIAONLINE.COM
ARTS & LIFE EDITOR ANNIE KOZIEL AKOZIE@DEPAULIAONLINE.COM
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SPORTS EDITOR | PEYTON HOPP PHOPP@DEPAULIAONLINE.COM
ASST. SPORTS EDITOR | PETER JURICH PJUIRIC@DEPAULIAONLINE.COM
ILLUSTRATION EDITOR | PRECIOSA RIOS PRIOS@DEPAULIAONLINE.COM
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ASST. COPY EDITOR | ISABELLA RUSSOMANNO IRUSSO@DEPAULIAONLINE.COM
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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.
EDITORA EN JEFE | SOFIA JOSEPH
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EDITORA DE CONTENIDO | IZZY SIEMASZKO ISIEMA@DEPAULIAONLINE.COM
EDITORA DE NOTICIAS | TORI TREVIÑO
TTREVI@DEPAULIAONLINE.COM
EDITOR DE REDES SOCIALES CRIS SALAS
CSALAS@DEPAULIAONLINE.COM
MENTOR DE LA DEPAULIA | ARTURO FERNÁNDEZ
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CAMPUS CRIME REPORT
May 20 - May 26, 2026
LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS
Drug & Alcohol Assault & Theft Other
Lincoln Park Campus Crimes:
May 20
A Domestic Dispute report was filed for an incident in Sheffield Square.
May 20
A Theft report was filed for a phone taken from Kelly Hall.
May 21
An Intimidation report was filed regarding unwanted
emails received from an individual from September 2025 to present.
May 21
A Harassment report was filed regarding an incident in front of the Richardson Library.
May 22
A Threat report was filed for an incident in Sheffield Square.
LOOP CAMPUS
Loop Campus Crimes:
May 23
A Graffiti report was filed for markings found on a board in front of the Merle Reskin Theatre. The offender was taken into custody by the Chicago Police.
“If something was wrong, he’d say so,” said Barbara Pinto, who was Bury’s former colleague at ABC News. “He was not one to make his personal views known. He was very fair-minded.”
Brendan Pedersen, a former student of Bury’s who is currently a senior reporter for Punch Bowl News in Washington, D.C., said Bury had a “unique moral clarity.”
“When someone in politics does something heinous, I’ve often seen him as one of the first journalists who call it out on his Twitter,” Pedersen said.
Among his favorite classes to teach were investigative and political reporting. Bury took his classes to cover the Iowa caucuses in the 2020 and 2024 elections.
“I’ve really enjoyed teaching students how to come up with records, how to find court cases, how to find different kinds of government documents, and build a story that relies on in-depth reporting in enterprise,” Bury said.
Walsh said Bury taught her the purpose of investigative journalism was to help those who are “voiceless and marginalized.”
“It’s not just to keep power in account, but it’s really to serve people who have been harmed by bureaucratic systems,” Walsh said.
He said he wants to travel internationally with his wife during his retirement.
“A lot of places I’ve been, I want to go back to,” Bury said. “But I want to go back as someone who is just an ordinary tourist, not under deadline to produce a story.”
Though retiring from teaching, Bury
Loop business owners question the impact of DePaul budget cuts
By Emma Howe
Contributing Writer
After 31 years in the DePaul Center downtown, Sbarro pizza has permanently closed its doors to the public. Just across the hall, a Uni Uni Boba business owner worries it’s a sign that cutbacks at the Loop campus are having a negative impact on customer traffic.
At the end of 2025, DePaul announced cuts to services at the Loop Library, laid off 114 staff members and later announced the June 30 closure of the DePaul Art Museum in Lincoln Park. As the university navigates a path forward for the DePaul community, at least one business owner in the DePaul Center says she has noticed a drop in customers.
“It’s definitely changed a lot,” said Evelyn Dumfeh, owner of the Uni Uni Boba location in the DePaul Center.
Questions about a possible connection between the recent changes and Sbarro’s closure began to emerge after the restaurant said farewell to the university. However, Sbarro has not responded to requests for comment, and the exact reason for the decision remains unknown.
Beyond cuts to DePaul services in the Loop, Dumfeh says the shift in traffic patterns also could be linked to DePaul’s recent decline in international student enrollment, since many are enrolled in programs located in the Loop campus. The drop in international student enrollment is a major reason DePaul has had to tighten its own budget.
Trump administration policies also have
led to a drop in federal aid for some students.
The boba shop location has operated in the DePaul Center since 2015, originally as Vivi Bubble Tea. Over a year ago, Dumfeh, a full-time real estate agent, bought and later franchised it to Uni Uni Boba with the goal of creating a hub for DePaul students. However, she said the business has struggled to meet expectations as changes at the university have affected customer traffic.
Since taking over the store, Dumfeh says she has seen a significant decline in performance compared to the projections she was shown when purchasing the business. “It’s impacted our finances,” Dumfeh added.
She says efforts of collaborating within DePaul also have been unsuccessful because several student organizations have been forced to cancel orders due to lack of funding.
Dumfeh says she’s been connecting with other schools like University of Illinois Chicago and Jones College Prep High School, as well as other businesses in the area to address the obstacles her store is facing.
“If I just counted on DePaul, we’d be in trouble,” she said.
In addition to networking with nearby schools, Dumfeh plans to collaborate with the Chicago Loop Alliance — a member-based organization that represents the community — to bring more attention to the university district as a whole. Unlike Uni Uni Boba, some other nearby businesses say the cutbacks at DePaul haven’t had a significant influence on customer traffic, at least so far.
That includes Jim Shafer, manager of Batrix
said he wants to continue practicing journalism using Substack or YouTube, or pursuing work in consulting. Bury said he hopes students remember the essence of journalism throughout their careers.
“I hope they remember the most im-
portant words in journalism are ‘go there.’ Journalism is not all that complicated. You have to talk to people and get the best version of the truth,” Bury said. “And the best part of our journalism is you never stop learning, which is what I love.”
start to show more,” Bernal said.
Having taken over the business only a year ago, Shafer said he can’t speak much on how Beatrix’s business overall has changed over time. He says because the market is adjacent to DePaul, with an entrance on Jackson Boulevard, they receive a mixture of clientele — not just students.
However, Shafer does anticipate some type of impact from the changes at DePaul.
“Eventually, it will probably affect us,” he said.
Like Shafer, Jimmy John’s assistant manager Edwin Bernal says there haven’t been any noticeable changes in business since the budget cuts.
Bernal thinks it will take some time to see the full impact, since the cutbacks occurred fairly recently.
“Once the students feel the effects, it will
He has already noticed more student cards declining when trying to make purchases at Jimmy John’s — or students needing to pay through multiple methods.
After Sbarro’s closure, Dumfeh said her own emphasis on promotion grew from the unease she felt.
“That’s scary for me as a business owner,” Dumfeh said.“Now they’re gone, who’s next?” Dumfeh says she has also noticed a trend in businesses along State Street closing, compared with other places in the Loop. She says it will take a group effort to strategize and intervene to save businesses. Dumfeh said that should include more support from DePaul for businesses in the DePaul Center.
“Seeing some of the ways that they can maybe better support their tenants, I think it’s like a mutual benefit as well,” she said.
LUCY BREWSTER / THE DEPAULIA
A sign hangs on the door of the former location of Sbarro on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. The Sbarro in the DePaul Center has closed after 31 years of business.
Market.
KIERSTEN HUNG / THE DEPAULIA
DePaul journalism professor Chris Bury stands with colleagues at DePaul’s Loop campus on Friday, May 29, 2026. Bury is best known for his time as an anchor on ABC Nightline.
Chicago’s journey to combat homelessness
By Xcylur Horn Contributing Writer
At the beginning of this year, Mayor Brandon Johnson and his administration issued their five-year blueprint on homelessness.
The plan details how the Chicago government intends to provide housing and social services to those who are unhoused, aiming to make significant changes by 2031. Although there are already programs and services providing housing assistance, advocates say there is more work to be done to keep growing.
“There’s always gaps in services,” said Sandra Guillory, the interim chief executive officer at Depaul USA, an international nonprofit that provides services to people and students without stable housing.
She said mixed gender couples and people with pets would not be “wellserved” by the current shelter and housing systems.
Most congregate shelters don’t allow pets and separate genders, preventing couples and families from staying together.
Terri Rivera, the director of philanthropy at nonprofit BEDs Plus also mentioned the difficulty of providing services to people who can’t consistently make it to the shelter by the time doors lock for the night.
Last year, the mayor’s office invested $40 million to modernize shelters by making them more accessible and creating more noncongregate settings. But Guillory said organizations still need money to provide services to people who use those shelters.
“Government contracts are great,” Guillory said. “They offer stability. But
you do have to fit into the very narrow box of what they want services to look like and who should be served.”
The Trump administration’s proposed cuts to federal funding to address homelessness also threaten shelters’ ability to serve the unhoused community.
Things are very uncertain right now with the federal landscape, said Rivera, highlighting the importance of a diversified funding base.
In 2024, a coalition of Chicagoans who experienced homelessness introduced, with Johnson’s support, a draft referendum called Bring Chicago Home. It would have allocated $100 million to the homeless effort every year by raising real estate transfer taxes on high-end properties. Chicago voters ultimately rejected it, with some voters feeling the referendum didn’t provide a defined plan for solutions.
The mayor has said he might reintroduce the referendum to voters, but there was no mention as to when. Until then, Guillory said using other revenue sources is essential for creating new solutions.
“We wouldn’t be where we are without the support of nongovernmental sources. They are the ones who are able to help us create innovative programs,” Guillory said.
While still working to improve existing congregate facilities, where people stay together in the same space, the Chicago blueprint prioritizes repurposing buildings and starting construction on new ones for noncongregate shelters. The idea is to offer privacy and a more stable, home-like environment at city shelters that gives residents more agency.
Rivera said this model helps create an atmosphere of trust between case managers and their clients.
“They’re in a safe space. And once they have shelter, they can start thinking about how they are going to access those other things that they need,” she said.
Some agencies and municipalities are redeveloping former motels, hotels and even convents for transitional and supportive housing. The Lexington Inn and Suites in Elgin and the Aloha Motel in the Southwest Side are both in the beginning stages of being fully repurposed as non-congregate homeless shelters.
More than just providing transitional housing, both are set to have trauma-informed case managers assist in training for jobs, accessing healthcare and finding permanent and affordable residences.
This assistance often leads to people being off the streets for good, Rivera said.
“Almost 70% of the people that were in the shelter gained or maintained income,” she said of clients at her agency according to agency data collected for the 2025 fiscal year.
A former motel in the Lincoln Square neighborhood, now called the Haven on Lincoln, opened earlier this month and will begin accepting residents soon. Besides improving the standard of care by providing behavioral health services, those who designed the facility tried to create an innovative and welcoming design.
Rivera hopes BEDs Plus also can use trauma-informed design in their renovations of the Aloha, including “calming colors, minimal design, offering everything on site to literally try to eliminate every
barrier.”
Amanda Occean, a recent graduate from the University of Mount Saint Vincent in New York City’s Bronx, realized a few months before graduation that she wouldn’t have anywhere to go once she moved out of the dorms. She felt she couldn’t return home to Boston because of the relationship with her family and wouldn’t be safe at a congregate shelter. So she applied for housing through Depaul USA’s Dax program.
The program provides transitional housing for students who are homeless or don’t have stable or reliable places to live.
Before starting Dax, “it didn’t dawn on our radar that was a thing,” Guillory said, referring to homeless students at DePaul and elsewhere.
“So we heard about students who were sleeping in gyms, sleeping in basements, sleeping on the subway, and we knew we had to address it somehow,” she said.
“I’m very hopeful for my future,” said Occean. “Dax has literally taken a whole bunch of load off my shoulders, so I can really focus on how to get my future together financially and being stable.”
In February, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s attempts to cut federal housing aid. Rivera said organizations like hers also will continue to use donations and philanthropy to help fill the financial gaps.
“The need is greater than what we’re even offering. So we want to grow and want to help more,” Rivera said. “If we can just sustain what we’re doing, that would be a win.”
ADDISYN RUSSELL / THE DEPAULIA
The Haven, a new transitional housing facility, sits on North Lincoln Avenue on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. The Haven’s opening comes after Mayor Brandon Johnson issued a plan to provide housing for Chicagoans.
ADDISYN RUSSELL / THE DEPAULIA
The Haven sits on North Lincoln Avenue on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. The Haven was repurposed from an old motel.
DePaul alumni reflect on recent Pulitzer Prize win for Midway Blitz coverage
By Isabella Russomanno Asst. Copy Editor
Senior immigration reporter
Laura Rodríguez Presa was at a family party on the night of Sunday, Sept. 28, when she started receiving messages about a family detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Millennium Park. A video of the family, including a child holding a doll and crying, quickly circulated social media.
“I felt really empowered to find the family,” Rodríguez Presa said. She posted a picture online, and a teacher recognized one of the children in the image as her student. After asking, the teacher sent Rodrìguez Presa the mother’s phone number.
Rodríguez Presa said getting in contact with the family, as well as two other families also held at the ICE facility inside O’Hare International Airport that day, was the result of “years of gaining the community’s trust.”
Rodríguez Presa is one of several DePaul alumni who reported for the Chicago Tribune during Operation Midway Blitz last fall, and the paper was recently honored with a Pulitzer Prize for local reporting for its coverage of the operation.
According to the Pulitzer Prize Board, the Tribune was chosen for “its powerful coverage of the Trump administration’s militarized immigration sweep of the city that described in vivid, muscular prose how the siege-like incursion of ICE agents unified Chicagoans in resistance.” The influx of federal agents reached DePaul when a border patrol agent was briefly seen questioning a worker on the corner of Fullerton and Clifton Avenues in October.
The prizes given by the Pulitzer organization are named after the Hungarian-born newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer, who is often credited with contributing to the birth of American mass media in the late 19th century. This is the
Chicago Tribune’s 29th Pulitzer Prize.
Tribune reporters interviewed for this story said newsgathering during this period involved striking a balance between protecting vulnerable sources and reporting what was happening on the ground in a timely — but accurate — manner.
In January 2025, reports of federal agents at Hamline Elementary in Back of the Yards drew attention online, with some outlets reporting that those agents were from ICE, which turned out to be false.
Claire Malon, a Tribune content editor and data reporter who worked for 14 East Magazine at DePaul, recalled how long the paper waited for full verification in moments like these.
“There were so many stories that, either because of a reporter’s discretion or an editor’s, their journalistic judgment, were like, ‘We’re going to hold on this because we don’t have all the facts,’” Malon said. “And later it came to light that if we had run something, it would have been inaccurate or it would have been wrong.”
Malon said the Tribune was not necessarily always the first outlet to report a story but kept accuracy as its main goal. She said readers reached out to the Tribune thanking them for maintaining credibility in their stories and not fearmongering.
As a content editor, Malon observed that stories coming from the suburbs were some of the most frequently read during the operation, referencing a controversial nativity scene in Evanston that had a zip-tied baby Jesus.
Richard Requena, now a court reporter for The Times of Northwest Indiana, wrote about the nativity scene while he was covering Evanston and Skokie for the Pioneer Press, a division of the Tribune company. Requena lives in
Albany Park, which was frequently targeted during the operation.
“This stuff didn’t go away when you stopped clocking in and clocking out, and I feel really empowered from what I learned at DePaul, to use my experience and my perspective,” Requena said, referencing the discrepancy between the federal government’s claims about who they were detaining and the reality on the ground.
Jeremy Gorner, the Tribune’s statehouse reporter, echoed this sentiment, and said he played a “supporting role” in the coverage by documenting Gov. JB Pritzker’s response to the federal government’s actions and rhetoric.
Gorner’s first paid journalism job was at the now-shuttered City News Bureau of Chicago, a news agency that began in 1890. He said their motto, “If your mother says she loves you, check it out,” guided the Tribune’s team throughout the operation.
“If people who are in positions of power tell you something, you got to check it out,” he said. “I think, really, it was as simple as that.”
Gorner said he is the same age as when his father, longtime Tribune journalist Peter Gorner, won his first Pulitzer with the paper. He called the win “a total team effort.”
“I’m proud of the people I work with every day,” Gorner said. Ultimately, Rodríguez Presa said she hopes the win inspires journalists to cover immigration in a way that acknowledges the law but also the humanity of those affected by government policies.
“I just really hope it makes other journalists, budding journalists, student journalists, newsroom leaders, understand the importance of covering this work in a different manner — in a more humanized manner,” Rodríguez Presa said.
Some of the Chicago Tribune’s winning stories
‘They were already living in one of Chicago’s worst apartment buildings. Then came the ICE raid.’
‘Federal agents shoot Chicago woman they accuse of ‘boxing in’ vehicle in Brighton Park’
‘Rioters? Agitators? Immigration agents’ claims against US citizens mostly fall apart in court.’
‘64 days in Chicago: The story of Operation Midway Blitz’
FILE / KIERSTEN RIEDFORD
Laura Rodrîguez Presa speaks at the NAHJ reception in September 2022. Rodrîguez Presa was one of several DePaul alumni on the staff of the Chicago Tribune honored with a Pulitzer Prize for local reporting.
Soon-to-be DePaulia grads share future plans
LiLi Jarvenpa - Editor-in-Chief
I will be working as an assignment editor at NBC Chicago and finally picking up some hobbies. Get ready for me to knit everyone a sweater!
Jeremy Battle - Director of Photography & Multimedia
I’ll be riding off into the sunset with the most massive sword you’ve ever seen. And probably a camera.
Sofia Joseph - La DePaulia Editor-in-Chief
Hopefully find a job or get chosen by the Cat Distribution System. We’ll see.
Annie Koziel - Arts & Life Editor
I’ll be catching up with my loved ones as I stare into the void (read: job hunt).
Lindsay Freiberger -Asst. Arts & Life Editor
I’ll be the grad assistant for the (wo)men, the myths, the legends: Carol Marin, Don Moseley and Lisa Parker.
Anna Barth - Opinions Editor
I will be spending the summer sprawled out on the couch watching Love Island before pursuing my
Tori Treviño - La DePaulia News Editor
Interviewing Hudson Williams on a red carpet (manifesting).
Laine Wyatt - Community Engagement & Marketing Coordinator
I’ll be a multiskilled journalist at WZZM13 Grand Rapids. This Michigan lady is headed back to her stomping grounds.
Opinions
Letter From the Editor: Over and out
By LiLi Jarvenpa Editor-in-Chief
I love “Gilmore Girls.” Something about its wit, its overly fast pace in a town that should be crawling and its relationships between characters has always drawn me in. In so many ways, my life looks nothing like Lorelai and Rory’s. I don’t live in a small northeastern town. I didn’t go to private school. I don’t have loaded grandparents, nor can I make effortlessly niche references at the perfect moment.
But in many ways my life has run parallel to the Gilmore girls. I am an only child and very close with my mom. I have a very real coffee addiction. I love reading, and I am a journalist. Fortunately, that
was the part of Rory’s life that I manifested (team Jess forever though).
I watched Rory navigate high school and college, eventually graduating, and I knew one day I would do the same. So here I am, about to graduate with a master’s degree in journalism.
Now that we are at the end of the school year, I am proud to say The DePaulia was the highlight of my college and grad school career. It has been an absolute honor to lead this paper and work with the incredible journalists that make The DePaulia what it is.
I am so grateful for everything that has come along with being a student journalist and an editor. This office has seen me at my highest highs, win -
ning awards with my peers, and my lowest lows, crashing out over a print issue. I would not be the person or journalist that I am today without the challenges of editing over 30 stories per week or the thrills of breaking a news story before a major outlet.
I look back on this year proud of everything we accomplished, from our first Black History Month issue and successful cannabis edition to the awards we’ve won from the Associated College Press, the Chicago Headline Club and the Illinois College Press Association.
Journalism wouldn’t be my passion if it weren’t for the incredible instructors and colleagues I’ve had the chance to learn from. Martha Irvine was
the first person who made me feel like I could have a career in journalism. Her support and encouragement has stayed with me and shaped how I approach every story. Lisa Parker introduced me to the bright lights of broadcast and made me excited about another side of the industry.
I would be miserable without my closest colleagues, Brielle Kohlbeck, Jeremy Battle, Sabrina Castle, Sofia Joseph and Jake Cox, who have all made long weekends in the office the best way to end my week.
In a couple weeks I will get to walk in commencement with sore feet, a cap that is far too big for my head and a hood that I don’t know how to wear. But I will do so with
The opinions in this section do not necessarily reflect those of The DePaulia staff
the knowledge that I am leaving this paper in very capable hands.
Rory Gilmore went on to report on the campaign trail with Barack Obama (and that is where I’m choosing to believe the series ended). Unfortunately, I’m graduating about 18 years too late, but I am excited for the possibilities that open up for me. Journalism is a rapidly changing industry, but I am hopeful for the future of journalism after seeing how intelligent, bright and determined my peers are. I will never stop being curious and wanting to learn about everything from pottery blind dating to student visas. Luckily, I am in an industry that allows me to never stop doing that. And I love it.
PROVIDED BY LILI JARVENPA
LiLi Jarvenpa holds up plaques during the Lisagor Awards at the Union League Club of Chicago on Friday, May 8, 2026. Jarvenpa is preparing to graduate after a year as the DePaulia’s Editor-in-Chief.
La DePaulia
Carta de la Editora: Encontrando tu comunidad
No tenía idea de lo que me esperaba el 1 de noviembre de 2025. Ese fue el día en que mi colega Izzy Siemaszko y yo asistimos a una misa en el centro de procesamiento del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE) en Broadview. Estábamos siguiendo a estudiantes de DePaul que formaban parte de la Unión de Estudiantes Católicos para una historia de La DePaulia. Habíamos decidido ir apenas el día anterior. Todos en la redacción tienen agendas ocupadas y yo no estaba segura de que alguien estuviera disponible para asistir. Pero cuando hice el llamado final preguntando si alguien estaba interesado, Izzy levantó la mano y se ofreció como voluntaria.
Estoy muy agradecida de que lo haya hecho. Con los reportes de periodistas y otros civiles sobre agentes federales lanzando
gas lacrimógeno o disparando balas de goma, estaba preocupada por nuestra seguridad. Hay fuerza en los números, y de ninguna manera me habría sentido cómoda cubriendo el evento sola. Empacamos equipo de seguridad, como gafas protectoras y cascos, y trabajamos con nuestros mentores de The DePaulia y La DePaulia para elaborar un plan en caso de que tuviéramos que retirarnos.
Por suerte, no tuvimos que poner en marcha nuestro plan de seguridad. El evento fue muy pacífico; los participantes cantaron, se tomaron de las manos y rezaron juntos. Los líderes religiosos intentaron distribuir la comunión a las personas detenidas en las instalaciones, pero se les negó el acceso, lo que provocó un momento muy emotivo entre los asistentes. Yo tomé fotografías e Izzy entrevistó a varias personas para la historia. Cuando todo terminó, nos sentamos juntas y trabajamos lo más rápido posible
para revisar las fotos y escribir el artículo.
Yo — como muchos habitantes de Chicago, estoy segura — dudaba en asistir no solo a este evento, sino a cualquier reunión cerca del centro de ICE en Broadview debido a todas las historias de violencia. Pero esos estudiantes de DePaul fueron valientes y asistieron porque la causa era importante para ellos. Creo que habría fallado como periodista y editora de La DePaulia si al menos no hubiera intentado documentar su participación.
Publicamos la historia un día después. Fue una experiencia que no creo olvidar jamás. Estaba cansada, pero la sensación de satisfacción fue más grande que cualquier otra cosa que sentía. Todo lo que hacemos en La DePaulia es por la comunidad. ¿Quiénes seríamos sin DePaul, Chicago o las comunidades vecinas?
Mientras crecía, nunca tuve una idea clara de lo que quería
hacer como carrera profesional. Solo sabía que quería servir a mi comunidad de alguna manera. Comencé a tomar clases de periodismo en DePaul y todo cambió para mí. Finalmente había encontrado una profesión que también me devolvió el amor. No solo pude servir y conectarme más con las comunidades latinas de DePaul y de Chicago, sino que también encontré una comunidad entre mis compañeros en la redacción de DePaulia. Cada persona que dedicó tiempo de su vida para contarme su historia, editar mi trabajo o darme un consejo cambió la mía.
El 8 de mayo, Izzy y yo ganamos nuestro primer Premio Peter Lisagor por mejor cobertura comunitaria en la categoría estudiantil gracias a aquella historia sobre los estudiantes de DePaul que visitaron el centro de ICE en Broadview. El reconocimiento fue un honor y ayudó a reafirmar algo que ya sabía: sus historias y este trabajo importan.
Voy a extrañar esta redacción, pero ya guardo esta experiencia muy cerca de mi corazón. Ahora que mi etapa como editora en jefe de la sección bilingüe de nuestra publicación llega a su fin, todo lo que quiero decir es gracias.
Gracias a Izzy, nuestra próxima editora en jefe. Gracias a los editores y al personal de La DePaulia de este año: Laura Vázquez David, Cris Salas, Tori Treviño y Analucia López. Gracias a mi compañera editora en jefe, LiLi Jarvenpa, y al resto del personal de The DePaulia. Gracias a nuestro mentor Arturo Fernández y a nuestra asesora académica Martha Irvine. Gracias a nuestros colaboradores. Gracias a los amigos y familiares que soportaron mis horarios de trabajo impredecibles. Y, por supuesto, gracias a nuestra comunidad de lectores y a todas las personas dispuestas a compartir una parte de sus vidas con nosotros. Ustedes son quienes nos hacen ser lo que somos.
Sofia Joseph (izquierda) e Isabella Siemaszko posan sosteniendo una placa del Premio Peter Lisagor en la sala de redacción de DePaulia, en el centro de Chicago, el viernes 22 de mayo de 2026. Joseph y Siemaszko recibieron el reconocimiento a la mejor cobertura comunitaria en la categoría estudiantil por su reportaje sobre estudiantes de DePaul que asistieron a una misa en el centro de procesamiento de ICE en Broadview.
TORI TREVIÑO / LA DEPAULIA
Por Tori Malek Escritora Colaboradora
Por Sofia Joseph Editora en jefe de La DePaulia
¡Soy El Futuro! ofrece a los estudiantes latines más que apoyo económico
Por Tori Malek
Escritora Colaboradora
Durante más de 20 años, la beca ¡Soy El Futuro! de la Fundación del Caucus Legislativo Latino de Illinois ha servido como un catalizador para involucrar a los estudiantes en oportunidades a lo largo de sus trayectorias académicas y profesionales. Cada año, los beneficiarios de la beca asisten a una cumbre de liderazgo y son reconocidos durante la gala anual de la fundación.
Las solicitudes para la beca y el programa de liderazgo de 2026 ya están abiertas y ofrecen a estudiantes latinos la oportunidad de recibir $5,000 para sus estudios, además de acceso a oportunidades dentro de la red de la fundación.
Los beneficiarios también desarrollan un fuerte sentido de comunidad a través de la organización.
“Estar rodeada de tantas personas importantes, influyentes y reconocidas, y saber que nosotros éramos quienes estaban siendo homenajeados, fue una sensación que no puedo explicar”, dijo Liliana Calenda, estudiante de primer año en DePaul y beneficiaria de la beca en 2025. “Fue un momento lleno de orgullo, especialmente porque nues-
Elizabeth Villarreal (izquierda) posa para una fotografía junto a la exrepresentante estatal de Illinois Linda Chapa LaVia (derecha) durante una cena de la Fundación del Caucus Legislativo Latino de Illinois en McCormick Place en 2005. El evento reconoció a los becarios de ese año.
tra cultura estaba siendo representada”.
Calenda, quien cursa una doble especialización en psicología y sociología, espera convertirse en trabajadora social para retribuir a co-
munidades desatendidas mediante recursos de apoyo social y salud mental.
Poco después de comenzar la universidad, participó en la cumbre de liderazgo de dos días para nuevos
beneficiarios. Dijo que la oportunidad de conocer y establecer contactos con otros estudiantes, miembros de la fundación y legisladores fue reveladora.
“Fue realmente increíble ver tan-
ta representación de estudiantes latinos a mi alrededor y también poder hablar con ellos sobre sus experiencias”, dijo Calenda.
Juan Carlos Arenas, gerente del programa ¡Soy El Futuro!, explicó que la beca permite a la Fundación del Caucus Legislativo Latino de Illinois cumplir con su misión de formar a la próxima generación de líderes mientras promueve las necesidades de la comunidad latine, alentando a los estudiantes a retribuir y conectarse con otras personas.
“Desde el principio sabemos que son estudiantes muy merecedores”, dijo Arenas. “Sabemos que harán grandes cosas por la comunidad”.
La beca ¡Soy El Futuro! anteriormente se conocía como la Beca Michael W. Gonzalez, nombrada en honor a uno de los miembros fundadores de la organización. A lo largo de los años, Gonzalez expresó sentirse orgulloso e inspirado por la cantidad de becas disponibles para estudiantes latiens que les ayudaban a cubrir los gastos universitarios, según una publicación de la fundación en Facebook.
FOTO POR LUCINA PEREZ, CORTESÍA DE ELIZABETH VILLARREAL.
Arts & Life
“I’m personally spending a couple hundred dollars on graduation-related items, like dresses and shoes,” she said. “At least $300 on clothing alone.”
That’s not uncommon since paying a professional for graduation photos can cost hundreds of dollars. On top of that, fashion choices have become an increasingly important aspect of commencement celebrations for graduates and their guests.
For graduation shoots, Hazelton said statement footwear has become more popular, particularly designer shoes.
“The Louboutin shoots are all over Pinterest right now,” she said. “I have personally had three clients, two this year, who wore Louboutins to their shoots.”
Hazelton said the trend also reflects how photoshoots are becoming a sign of DIY luxury.
“Grad photoshoots are becoming a must-have luxury symbol, but at the same time, more accessible,” she said. “Because even if they don’t hire a photographer, everyone has a friend willing to take some snaps.”
Future graduates are also watching how commencement culture is taking
shape on social media and considering whether they will take part in the trend down the road.
Nora Orozco, a DePaul freshman studying film and television, said she views trends as inspiration for her special moment rather than pressure.
“I understand wanting to spend money on yourself because you put in so much work to earn it,” Orozco said, but added that she would pick and choose the trends to follow.
As DePaul’s graduation quickly approaches, Younglove said she views the investment as the culmination of her academic journey.
“My family has also sacrificed so much for my schooling, and I feel it’s only right for me to put an adequate amount of thought into such an impactful moment,” she said.
Hazelton had advice about ways graduates can curate their experience to feel personal and unique.
“Make a Pinterest board, find the outfits that look good and start thinking about locations that look pretty and feel true to you,” she said. “When you’ve got the time to plan, you might want to start thinking outside the box.”
Hanna Anderson poses for her graduation photo at Studio Lex on the North Side on Saturday, May 29, 2026. Anderson is a comedy arts major.
KIERSTEN HUNG / THE DEPAULIA GRAD PHOTOS Continued
Hanna Anderson prepares for her graduation photo at Studio Lex in Lakewood on Saturday, May 30, 2026. Photographers charge as much as hundreds of dollars for grad photos.
KIERSTEN HUNG / THE DEPAULIA
A glimpse into Chicago’s underground music scene
By Opal Green Contributing Writer
In houses and apartments across Chicago, the hosts of underground music venues take “doing it yourself” literally. People gather in cramped spaces, where the electricity of raw sound reverberates against walls and moving bodies, creating a harmony of shared excitement. Despite the potential for spilled beers and warped floors, the organizers are eager to connect listeners and musicians of different genres together.
“Being able to give a platform to people who deserve a space and watching them grow is really exciting,” said Grant Lendvay, a musician and event organizer for a local venue called The Society near Lincoln Park. “It’s all shared space, and it’s all common interest.”
DIY venues make live music an interactive experience, as the organizers transform their basements and living rooms into spaces for artistic expression. These shows prove that with a little innovation and local talent, the DIY scene can thrive without the commercial industry.
DIY venues have roots in the 1970s hip-hop and 1980s hardcore punk movements. Shows were held
across the country in unconventional places to showcase independent artists, often highlighting alternative music that pushed the mainstream barriers of popularity and conformity.
Today, interested concertgoers can find shows through social media. They’re often advertised with flyers that embrace the traditional DIY theme, featuring handwritten
lineups of musicians pasted over drawings and collaged photographs. The promotions feature common sayings, such as “ask a punk” for the location and “pay what you can.”
Dan Wright, the bassist of the local rock band Péng, admires that artists in the DIY scene are often creative with the resources they have on hand. At a recent show, he watched as a musician substituted a
guitar amplifier with an old rewired television set.
“That was just the coolest thing to see,” Wright said, describing how the TV also provided a backing track and videos that went along with the song. “So it’s very authentic. But it’s f---ing weird, and I love it for that.”
Lendvay agrees that experiencing music from a seemingly average house makes it even more impactful.
“I love seeing people do peculiar things,” Lendvay said. “It makes heads turn, like my neighbors who like what we’re doing. They hear the music blaring out of our home, and they’re like, ‘Wow, that’s definitely different.’”
That said, not everybody is a fan of these shows. Several spaces have faced issues and sometimes get closed down due to noise complaints, building code violations and general conflicts among hosts and guests.
Colin Richey, a DePaul junior, founded the local venue Sunflower House in his duplex after attending DIY shows in his sophomore year. Richey said despite minor conflicts, he wanted to keep the space alive by complying with the city’s noise curfew and legal codes, while still hosting energetic events.
“I think morally in their eyes we’re still illegal, but there’s nothing I could find that would get us popped,” Richey said.
Richey is motivated by the ability to expose people to new sounds and blend the lines between genres. For him, the enjoyment of the experience can make up for the difficulties of running a venue.
See full story online
GIACOMO CAIN / THE DEPAULIA
Tanner Dane performs in front of an audience at the AIDS Garden Chicago on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. Dane was joined by Hollyy Band, and the concert was advertised on social media.
St.Vincent’s
D e JAMZ
“Spinning freSh beatS Since 1581”
By Graduating Editors
“SEND ME ON MY WAY” BY RUSTED ROOT
It is my unshakeable opinion that this is the ultimate song of the summer. It’s such a fun listen, and it reminds me of being a kid while also sending me “on my way” into the future. And there’s no beating these wisest of words: “Oombayseeyou, oombaytellyou to run.” - Annie Koziel
“MRS.ROBINSON” BY SIMON & GARFUNKEL
I haven’t seen “The Graduate” in awhile but I find the movie quite fitting right now. Not the affair part, of course, but a soon to be graduate living back in my childhood home in Pasadena, avoiding the inevitable question: What do you want to do with your life? So, as I try to figure it out, this song will ring in my head. - Lindsay Freiberger
“GOODSPEED” BY FRANK OCEAN
Please don’t ask me how I feel about graduating because I will break down in tears. I have a Frank Ocean tattoo, and one of
my best friends that I met here has this song tattooed. I also read a lyric from this song at my high school graduation: “You look down on where you came from sometimes, but you’ll have this place to call home always.” SO TRUE. I love it here. - Tori Treviño
“CAREFUL” BY PARAMORE
Paramore has been my favorite band for a really long time, so it’s only right that they’d make an appearance in my final DeJamz! In my sixteen years of schooling, I’ve learned to never be too careful. Going into the real world, I’m putting my loudest foot forward and getting everything I know I deserve. Every good thing I’ve gained in these past four years has come from being a radical advocate for myself. This song always reminds me that my confidence isn’t so irrational. - Jeremy Battle
“NAUSEA’” BY JEFF ROSENSTOCK Honestly, I might scream “I GOT SO
TIRED OF DISCUSSING MY FUTURE” while getting my diploma. This song is a complete confession of Jeff Rosenstock’s anxiety surrounding what’s next, which has turned into an anthem for anyone overwhelmed by the future. Some say that Rosenstock’s music is just awkward screaming, but whenever I start feeling scared about finishing my undergraduate degree, I put this song on and let myself feel everything. - Riley Moulton
“TOUT LÀ-HAUT’” BY ZAZ
This song got me through so much of undergrad and grad school. According to Spotify, I listened to it 212 times. Between listening to it on repeat while writing 10 page papers and during my commute to class, this song has been with me through all of it. In English, the opening lyrics say, “If we went all the way up there/If we were to conquer the height/You would see that the world is beautiful.” This is the energy I want to take with me post grad. - LiLi Jarvenpa
“HOW’S IT GOING TO BE” BY THIRD EYE BLIND
It is crazy to think how much I have changed from freshman year to now. This song makes me think of the people I used to know, and the person they may still think I am. Though college was not all unicorns and rainbows, it gave me the chance to grow in ways I never expected. I am forever grateful for the trials and errors of my undergraduate education and the person it has shaped me into. It’s a bittersweet feeling.
- Anna Barth
LISTEN TO THE JAMZ ON SPOTIFY
Sports
‘She just shows up for people’:
Hannah Smith’s impact on DePaul women’s tennis goes beyond the court
Taylor Peterson
Contributing Writer
For Hannah Smith, tennis was never just about winning matches.
The graduating senior in sports business said many of her best memories from DePaul have little to do with results on the court. Instead, it’s the people, the early mornings, the long travel days and the routines that came with being part of a team for four years she’ll remember most.
“It’s hard to wake up at 5 a.m. to go to practice,” Smith said. “But I know all my best friends will be there.”
Smith’s relationship with tennis started early. Growing up in Silchester, England, Smith said sports were always a part of her life because of her family’s athletic background. Her mother played tennis, and Smith quickly connected with the sport herself.
“We would go watch my mom play tennis, and a racquet got put into my hands,” Smith said.
ferring to Smith’s nickname of
Although tennis is traditionally framed as an individual
She always puts everyone else first.
Clara Nilson freshman tennis player
Arce said building that culture has been an intentional process within the program, and Smith
“She’s a natural role model,” Arce said. “She sees what needs to
Arce recalled a moment during Smith’s junior season when she repeatedly completed conditioning drills alongside a struggling teammate, despite already passing the
While Smith still plans to keep tennis in her life after her upcom-
ing graduation, she said she hopes to step away from competition temporarily after nearly two decades of nonstop play. “Competitive tennis has been my life for 18 years,” Smith said. “I just want to try something different for a little bit.” She will be staying in Chicago postgraduation to pursue an internship.
Still, she said the lessons that she learned through DePaul tennis will stay with her long after college.
“I’ve learned to be grateful for every moment and to always be there for the people around you,” Smith said.
As the team prepares for next season without its lone senior, her teammates said Smith’s influence will continue through the culture she helped build over the last four years.
“It doesn’t even feel real that she’s graduating,” Arce said. “She
HOLDEN HALL / THE DEPAULIA
Hannah Smith waves to fans after a match on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at XS tennis village. Smith is from Silchester, England, and is graduating this spring.
