BY LUCIA PREZIOSI
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | LUCIA PREZIOSI EIC@DEPAULIAONLINE.COM
DIGITAL MANAGING | JAKE COX JCOX@DEPAULIAONLINE.COM
CONTENT MANAGING | LILL JARVENPA LJARVE@DEPAULIAONLINE.COM
By Lucia preziosi Editor-in-Chief
As a first-time presidential voter, I feel as if I’m caught in a whirlwind of an election in which to participate. I’ve voted in local elections, but nothing has compared to the feeling of receiving my New York absentee ballot to vote for the president of the United States.
Past elections have brought about similar feelings of anxiety, with the 2020 election being at the peak of Covid-19 restrictions for New Yorkers. As a 17-year-old, I will never forget the day Joe Biden officially won the presidency.
I can’t say exactly what it meant to me at that time. I was an educated 17-year-old with politically active parents, living in a city where I constantly saw political activism of all forms, but all I felt at the time was a shallow sense of relief, not quite sure of the implications of a Biden presidency.
Not only have I changed drastically in the last four years, but so has the American political system. I am no longer finishing my last year of high school on Zoom in my bedroom. I am now a senior in college, majoring in political science and journalism. To say that I have both a deeper and more personal understanding of this election would be an understatement.
My job as a student journalist and as an aspiring professional is to stay as informed as possible about this election, and then in turn, to write about it.
The thought of a restriction on the press never occurred to me in 2020. Now it’s a recurring thought I ruminate on while imagining another possible Trump presidency and considering my future career in journalism.
Sure, I felt a personal connection when I was in eighth grade and saw the leaked video of Trump bragging about taking advantage of women. Now I observe the disgust many women voters feel when hearing the way he speaks about Vice President Kamala Harris during his rallies.
But something about researching Trump eight years later — and seeing him repeatedly call journalists “among the worst people” he’s ever met — makes me feel a different kind of fear. Along with the constant barrage of accusations of fake news and dishonesty, it’s clear how Trump feels about the media.
Even though my time as a student journalist is not comparable to a lifelong experience in the field, working with the DePaulia has shown me how necessary journalism is to our democracy.
I have had the opportunity to meet
many Chicago-based journalists over the years, and the conclusions I have reached about their character are centered around their hard work, which seeks to improve the community. I don’t think that means they can be the “worst people” you’ve ever met.
But they do struggle with the almost decade-long experience of covering Trump, the politician. I’ve heard reporters say this is the first time a candidate has told actual lies to the press without restraint.
I also couldn’t speak about the character of journalists without mentioning that I was raised by a journalist. My father, who I often brag about as the most gentle, kind man in the world, was my first example of a respectful, hardworking journalist. I have seen those traits reiterated in almost everyone else I talk to in the field.
I have seen those traits reiterated in almost everyone else I talk to in the field.
A recent survey of hundreds of journalists who received safety training from the International Women’s Media Foundation found that 36% of those surveyed have been threatened with physical violence.
These reporters said they have felt especially threatened at Trump campaign rallies, according to NPR.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to shut down networks like CBS due to segments like Vice President Harris’ appearance on “60 Minutes.”
But Harris has faced criticism for not
being accessible to members of the press since entering the race over the summer.
Even if these threats are grounded in reality or not, the very utterance of this from a presidential candidate's mouth evokes a fear in me that I haven’t felt the magnitude of in previous elections.
The targeting of journalists isn’t isolated to American soil.
Even though I may express my fear about what a Trump presidency would mean for the free press, my mind then goes to the significant number of journalists who have been killed as the war in Gaza continues.
As of Oct. 25, 131 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel, and Lebanon. The Committee to Protect Journalists calls it the “deadliest period for journalists” since their organization started in 1992.
Latest reports show an Israeli airstrike killed three sleeping journalists who were covering the war in Lebanon.
There already appears to be a lack of attention placed on the concerning number of journalists being killed in the Middle East, and I fear what a continuation of the spew of anti-media lies would mean for the journalists overseas.
I honor the journalists both in America and the Middle East, who continue to do their important work despite very real threats to their lives.
As the days before Nov. 5 dwindle, I am unsure of how this election will end. But I do know that journalists — students or professionals — will be there covering it no matter the outcome.
By Lindsay Frei B erger Contributing Writer
Sarah Hendry contribued to this report.
As the 2024 election approaches, young voters could have a big impact in choosing the next president. At DePaul and on campuses nationwide, the push to get students registered to vote is continuing.
The fall 2024 Harvard Youth Poll found that young voters — Democrats, Republicans and independents— are focused on issues such as legalizing abortion, capping prescription drug prices and eliminating taxes on tips.
The Harvard poll has been conducted for more than two decades and is the largest poll on civic attitudes and political beliefs among young voters. The fall poll of more than 2,000 voters, ages 18 to 29, was conducted in September in English and Spanish and has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 2.65 percentage points.
In the poll, Vice President Kamala Harris, held a substantial lead among registered young voters. She received support from 64% of respondents, compared with 32% who preferred former President Donald Trump.
DePaul political science professor, Molly Andolina said that young voters matter because they tend to vote disproportionately for Democratic candidates.
“If they turn out in sufficient numbers, they can have a real impact on the outcome,” Andolina said. In previous elections this has been the case, according to Andolina. “There is a chance it could happen again, especially if students vote absentee in one of the swing states such as Wisconsin and Michigan."
Corina Chamblin, a graphic design major and junior at DePaul, is voting by mail for her home state of Georgia, an important swing state in this election. This is her first time voting in a presidential election.
"If you're not registered to vote, you're not doing what you should be doing because this affects our generation," Chamblin said. She said she is motivated to vote, in part, to support reproductive rights, as she fears what Project 2025 would mean for her if enacted.
Trump has denied ties to Project 2025, the conservative plan that calls for further restricting abortion access, among other things. However, many Project 2025 authors have connections to his former administration and are campaign donors.
"The most important thing you can do is educate yourself. I don't think I am the most educated, but I know you must vote how you want the world to go," Chamblin said, who is casting her vote for Harris.
In the 2024 fall Harvard poll, the majority of young voters disapproved of Project 2025. Of those surveyed, 69% of
Democrats, 43% of independents and 23% of Republicans viewed the plan unfavorably.
Nate Benard, a DePaul junior who studies film, has been among those working to register students to vote in the presidential election. He works for Vote DePaul, a campaign under the Office of Student Involvement. His work with Vote DePaul has included working at interactive registration events all over campus with merchandise and games.
“Although you may harbor your own opinions, I think everyone should enthusiastically try to get everyone to vote no matter what they disagree or agree on," Bernard said, adding that he has encountered many students who are passionate about voting, even if some are still too young to vote.
Benard and others on his team also have helped out-of-state students register to vote in their home states via mail-in ballot.
According to the fall 2024 Harvard Youth Poll, 74% of young Democratic voters said they will vote in the Nov. 5 election, compared with 60% of young Republicans who plan to vote.
The poll also found that young Americans believe empathy, reliability and honesty are essential presidential qualities. Harris leads Trump by 43 points on empathy and 36 points on relatability.
Ezra Grier, a Wisconsin native and sophomore at Colorado College, is currently on independent study with a political science professor in Michigan, another closely watched swing state.
Grier has been door knocking with nine other undergraduate students and tabling at Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and Grand Valley State University to encourage people to vote.
"We have been getting good responses on campuses. It feels like many people are registered to vote," Grier said.
Although Grier said he leans more socialist, his theory of change comes from believing there is power in meeting people, including voters, where they feel comfortable, and that change is slow.
"The sociopolitical economic structure that the United States is based on requires the people to be engaged and educated, when the model does not reflect that, the model falls apart,” Greier said.
Still, he worries that some voters are basing their votes on inaccurate information. “When the public isn't
interested, they're not being educated, which means they are susceptible to being fed misinformation,” he said.
By Jake cox Digital Managing Editor
Since August, I’ve been working as a “Voter Engagement Specialist” in the Office of Student Involvement at DePaul. I’ve helped students with all levels of civic education, reaching from coast to coast. They all seek my help for the same reason — to make their voices heard. Almost all the students I've encountered are voting for the first time.
The overwhelming sentiment over these months has been: I wish this process was easier.
I didn’t expect to have to learn the minutiae of each state's voter registration law; However, this has become part of my job. While a federalist (leaving specifics to the states) mode of election jurisdiction is one of the most important safeguards to our free and fair election, as it prevents a rogue executive from unilateral control of elections, it also allows states the ability to put barriers between rightful voters and the ballot box.
A handful of states require a notary public to witness a voter signing an absentee ballot application or the actual absentee ballot. Not only does this present a voter with an undue burden — having to find and schedule time to meet with a notary, but it also presents voters with a de
facto poll tax. Notary services are not free.
Seven states do not allow online voter registration. This further complicates a process that should be attainable to all people. Everyone, regardless of educational attainment, has a constitutional right to vote.
I’ve seen countless students who are so stressed out by the looming threat of accidentally committing voter fraud, or simply registering incorrectly, that they are dissuaded from registering at all. This shouldn’t be the norm, it should be so simple that anyone can do it. Or better yet, it should be automatic.
Illinois, one of the more progressive states in terms of voter registration requirements, allows 16- and 17-year-olds to preregister to vote when getting a driver's license, so they are prepared to cast a ballot at 18. I’m from Illinois and remember registering to vote when I turned 17 and being able to cast my ballot in a primary election — as Illinois law only requires you to be 18 by the general election.
States create restrictive voter registration processes, or voter ID laws, to prevent what is described as “election fraud.”
However, fraud in U.S. elections is close to unheard of —occurrences are between
0.0003% and 0.0025%.
A Washington Post study found there were 31 credible cases of voter fraud between 2004 and 2014 — out of more than one billion ballots cast. The lofty threat of “voter fraud” is plainly not an issue, and the benefits of these draconian restrictions are far outweighed by the suppression they cause to entitled voters.
All this being said, the opportunity to put democracy back into the hands of my peers has been one of the most awesome opportunities I've had at DePaul. I was once told by a previous boss that “de-
mocracy is not a spectator sport,” and it’s always stuck with me. The ability to democratically elect our leaders, from school boards to representatives and the leader of the free world, cannot be squandered.
For national races, it might feel pointless but if everyone had that sentiment nothing would get done. Your vote is your voice; don’t let anyone take it away from you. If you need help casting your ballot — Vote DePaul is here to help you every step of the way.
By LiLi Jarvenpa Content Managing Editor
Voters across Chicago will line up to fill out their ballots on Nov. 5, 2024 in the presidential election. For many, voting is a chance to participate in local and national politics and elect representatives that share their values. Voters must choose how they want to vote and how to combat misinformation during elections.
“I think voting is very important, especially in this upcoming election where huge topics are being discussed,” Zoey Guziec, a senior at DePaul, said. “I would like somebody that has similar values and morals to me in office. And the only way to do that is to vote.”
In the United States, 39 states offer early voting options, including Illinois, which opened early voting 40 days before the election and will remain open until the day before Election Day. In Chicago, two downtown locations began early voting on Thursday, Oct. 4 at the voting Supersite and the Election Board Offices, where any Chicagoan eligible to vote can cast their ballot. In addition, 50 other early voting sites opened around the city on Oct. 21.
Twenty-eight million Americans have already cast their ballots through mail-in voting or early voting, according to data from the University of Florida’s Election Lab.
Benjamin Epstein, a political science professor at DePaul, said Americans’ interest in politics has become more na -
tional.
“Once upon a time, people said all politics is local, and now people are starting to think, ‘well now … it feels like all politics is national,’” Epstein said. “So, there's been a lot more attention on national politics all the time, and that's driven a pretty good turnout.”
Dionysi Siopsis, a senior at DePaul, said he will be voting in person on Election Day. He is originally from Tennessee, but decided to change his voting registration to Illinois.
“I think one of the more important things is (to) vote local and actually care about local elections,” Siopsis said. “A lot of people don't care about it, and they don't read up on it, but that's it's actually gonna immediately affect you more.”
Teri Ross, the executive director of Illinois Legal Aid Online, a company that helps Illinois residents access the civil justice system, including voting rights, through free tools, said the voting process in Illinois is very accessible.
“To be able to actively participate in our government through voting is a really powerful thing, and it's something that many, many countries don't offer,” Ross said. “I think sometimes we take that for granted.”
Illinois residents can do same-day voter registration, automatically register at the DMV, register online and vote early. Illinois also allows felons who have completed their sentence to vote in elections. Chicago offers universal polling
sites for early voters where any voter in Chicago can cast their ballot regardless of where they live.
When Siopsis changed his voting registration to Chicago, he said he simply mailed in his registration and was able to vote in the next election.
Guziec, the DePaul senior, is an Illinois voter registered in the Chicago suburbs, but also had a very easy voting experience.
“There's only one polling place really in Lake Zurich to go to,” Guziec said. “It was kind of like a city hall kind of building … It was real quick, easy in and out.”
Guziec has also noticed an increase of disinformation about Vice President Harris and former President Trump.
Epstein said misinformation and disinformation is becoming increasingly easier to disseminate online and that incorrect information about voting and voter registration is being spread.
With the rise of misinformation about voting on social media, it is important to be aware of the implications of information that is spread online, Epstein said. While misinformation is false information that is spread, disinformation is deliberately misleading information to “influence public opinion,” according to Merriam-Webster.
“(Disinformation) can and sometimes it is designed to actually repress voting, making it harder to vote, and that is just fundamentally problematic,” Epstein said. “The other piece is that it can
lead people to trust voting and trust the democratic process less.”
Ross, from Illinois Legal Aid Online, said she hopes misinformation about voting rights will not negatively affect voter turnout. She said one of the best ways to combat misinformation and disinformation is to verify whether the source of information is reliable or not.
“Sometimes all we do is read a headline or a tagline, and of course, if you actually clicked on it and read the whole story, it is sometimes a very different thing than the headline says,” Ross said. “I think it's important just to take the additional 20 seconds to make sure that the information that you're getting before you forward it … is reliable.”
Epstein said voters should turn to trustworthy resources to learn about voting rights and access. Websites such as TurboVote allow voters to check their registration status and get updates about voting laws.
“Just having one trusted source to go back to makes all the difference,” Epstein said. “Any time a red flag goes off, ‘oh, I'm not sure if this feels totally right or I don't really believe that was true,’ you can have a place to go back and check.”
By Lucia preziosi Editor-in-Chief
Jake Cox contributed to this report.
As Election Day inches closer, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are in a mad dash to secure voters in battleground states.
Like many universities, DePaul has thousands of out-of-state students; 30% of DePaul’s student body is not from Illi -
nois. Many of these students vote absentee, rather than voting in Chicago.
The DePaulia interviewed six women, ranging from freshman to senior to speak about their first time voting for president, absentee.
When asked what issues were most important to them in deciding their vote, there was an unanimous answer: reproductive rights.
The overturning of Roe v. Wade had a significant impact on electoral dynamics. More voters than ever say they will
only vote for a candidate who shares their views on abortion, according to the New York Times.
Young women have become particularly more left-leaning on this issue, with a Gallup analysis showing much higher proportions of 18-to-29-year-olds who hold a liberal perspective. Kamala Harris even appeared on the popular, women-centered podcast ‘Call Her Daddy’ to speak about reproductive rights.
The women interviewed hail from Ohio, Wisconsin, North Carolina and
Michigan. Despite coming to DePaul from across the country, they all remained adamant about their support for reproductive rights, leading to their support for Harris — despite reservations over the vice president’s stance on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Despite repeated attempts, The DePaulia was unable to find a female voter on campus who supported Trump. Read about our commitment to fair reporting on depauliaonline.com/ethics.
Kailey Gielink is a senior at DePaul. Gielink is originally from Ohio and this is her first time voting absentee for a presidential election.
“Reproductive justice is something I'm extremely passionate about,” Gielink said.
Gielink is involved in DePaul’s Planned Parenthood Generation Action chapter and has a history of working with Catholics for Choice, a group that advocates for reproductive rights through Catholic social thinking.
One of Gielink’s greatest moments of pride in her home state was when Ohio voters chose to codify the right to an abortion in its constitution. The decision reignited her hope in democracy, she said.
“I have never been more proud to be an Ohio voter in my life,” Gielink said. “(The vote) in itself just shows the strength of democracy. … A lot of the time, Ohio politics are usually things you don’t want to be proud of … especially in terms of reproductive rights.”
Even though Ohio’s reputation as a swing state has dwindled in recent election cycles, Gielink still sees an active divide between Democrats and Republicans in the state.
Gielink also listed concerns about education, such as book bans and limits on Advanced Placement courses, and an Ohio state-wide election about gerrymandering as her motivations for voting.
Norah Gelhaus, a senior, vividly remembers the night Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg passed away.
Her mother told her at the dinner table on Sept. 18, 2020. She immediately started crying, thinking about the implications of the justice’s death on her right to an abortion.
During her tears, she recounted who surrounded her at the dinner table.
“The other men at the table with me, four other boys, started laughing at me because they didn’t understand the magnitude of what that meant,” Gelhaus said. “At that moment, I really knew that my rights were on the line.”
From that moment on, Gelhaus ruminated about the overturning of Roe v. Wade, until its eventual reversal in 2022.
“It was difficult to see that actually play out, and see Roe v. Wade get overturned,” Gelhaus said.
Trump frequently makes reference to this, saying “I was able to kill Roe v. Wade” in a social media post in May, 2023.
For Gelhaus, her fears about her right to choose stuck with her until her moment to vote via mailin ballot this election season.
Her support for Kamala Harris was clear from the start. She shared the hope she felt when Joe Biden stepped down over the summer. Casting her vote for Harris was an important task to her, she said.
Gelhaus said her repeated experiences of sexism and other forms of “hateful speech, especially towards women” only reinforced her motivations to cast her vote in Wisconsin, despite residing in Chicago.
“Obviously I want to vote in Wisconsin, where I had to grow up and deal with all of that,” Gelhaus said.
Aspen Mittler, a freshman, is from a small town in Michigan, neighboring the Canadian border. She characterized the town as “very conservative.”
“Something really important to me is women’s reproductive rights,” Mittler said. “There’s a lot of propaganda (where I’m from), like ‘don’t get an abortion, you’re killing people.’”
Mittler said the spread of misinformation about abortions in her town further increased the importance she held to reproductive justice in this election.
Michigan has become a swing state in recent elections — former President Donald Trump narrowly won the state in 2016 by fewer than 11,000 votes, and Biden secured the state in 2020.
Mittler said the biggest dif ference she voting in Chicago in her rural greater accessibility sites.
“(In Chicago) tions that were each other,” home I would my township’s that would be where I could son.” Mittler did extra research because it would time voting, professors at helpful in the
skyline on Michigan town by the familiar sense of home.
noticed between Chicago versus voting rural hometown is the accessibility to polling
Chicago) I saw locawere within blocks of Mittler said. “Back would have to drive to township’s office to vote, and be the only location could go vote in per-
expressed that she research this election would be her first and also said her at DePaul have been the process.
Provan stands in the St. Vincent DePaul Parish courtyard on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. As an out-of-state student from Wisconsin, Provan discussed her education's positive impact on her growing up and her motivation to share that with her students.
Grace Provan is a senior from a suburb outside Milwaukee. She says that it is extremely apparent that her home state is a swing state that could play a crucial role in this election.
“It’s like the neighbors are having competitions with each other, who can have the most signs out? ” Provan said. “One neighbor is gonna be like, ‘Trump 2024’ and have all these signs, and then the person immediately next door says ‘how many Harris-Walz signs can we put out?’”
Provan said that she is “very staunchly pro-Palestine,” making it difficult to come to the ultimate decision to cast her vote for Kamala Harris.
“But other issues, I can’t ignore.” Provan said. “Women’s reproductive rights, that’s essential to me. Everyone should have control over their own bodies. Everyone should have access to healthcare. I don’t understand why that’s controversial.”
Provan’s roots in Wisconsin made her wary of casting her vote for a third-party candidate, which many are considering as an opposition to the United States’ continued support of Israel.
But to her, she didn’t have the “privilege” to do so.
“I couldn’t not vote for Kamala, right? Because in a swing state, you don’t really get the privilege to consider a third party candidate,” Provan said.
Provan’s initial hesitations about Harris have not wavered, but she does not see a productive solution in voting for a third-party candidate.
“If I could choose a different candidate who does not support sending more funding to Israel, I would 100% do that. But I can’t in good conscience split the Wisconsin vote between Jill Stein and Kamala Harris,” Provan said.
In a recent New York Times/Siena national poll, Harris continues a significant lead among young women in the upcoming race.
As Trump gains strength among young men, young women stand firm in their support for Kamala, and for reproductive rights, with polls also showing that abortion is now the top issue for young women.
For women in swing states, like those who go to DePaul, abortion also remains at the top of their list when thinking about their importance in voting in battleground elections.
“Wisconsin is obviously a swing state, so my rights are not secure, especially in Wisconsin,” Gelhaus, the DePaul student from Wisconsin, said. “That’s why I think it’s so important to vote in a swing state, because my vote matters, and my rights are really on the line.”
By Lina ge B hardt Multimedia Editor
Voters have begun casting their ballots in the 2024 presidential election, but behind the ballot box, successful elections rely on more than voter turnout. Significant coordination is required from election officials and community leaders to ensure the voting process runs smoothly.
Although there’s always a need for poll workers, finding those who are bilingual is often more challenging. This year, however, Chicago has seen its highest number of early-voting bilingual election judges in history, according to Max Bever, a spokesman for the Chicago Board of Elections. He said that’s partially because recruitment is easier during presidential elections.
“It’s not necessarily the most glamorous job,” Bever said. “It’s certainly not the highest-paying, and you're not compensated extra for your bilingual skills.”
Before Election Day, voters in Chicago who need language assistance can find bilingual poll workers at 32 early voting sites and across the more than 600 precincts, including a location at 1150 W. Fullerton with assistance in Spanish and Polish.
Each precinct is also equipped with touchscreen voting machines and audio ballots in 11 languages besides English. These languages include Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Tagalog, Polish, Gujarati, Urdu, Ukrainian, Arabic and Russian.
Chicago’s Board of Elections also works closely with community service teams that engage with civic organizations to identify the needs of community members.
In every election, the Chicago Board of Elections and civic organizations collaborate to recruit poll workers, including election judges. These judges play a crucial role during early voting and on Election Day by overseeing voting sites and assisting voters — many of whom require language accommodations and turn to bilingual officials for help.
While working as a poll worker is a vital aspect of democracy, it can be very demanding.
“It takes hard work from our team to find people dedicated to their civic duty and to protecting democracy,” Bever said. By attending local voting events and collaborating with grassroots groups, poll workers, including those who are bilingual, ensure voters receive the support they need.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Chicago (AAJC) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to increase civic engagement and voter turnout in the Asian American community. Part of AAJC’s effort includes partnering with Bever and local officials to ensure voters’
rights are being protected during the voting process.
“We want to remove as many barriers as possible for people to exercise their right to vote,” Grace Pai, AAJC’s executive director, said. Each election cycle, AAJC trains and deploys volunteer poll watchers to monitor nearly 200 polling sites across Chicago.
Poll watchers observe the voting process and report any concerns to their organizations and the Board of Elections.
“It’s crucial to have translated ballots, bilingual election judges, and clear signage — and to make sure voters are aware of these language resources,” Pai said.
Pai, along with volunteers from organizations like the Indo-American Center of Chicago (IAC), also meets with election officials to discuss concerns about language assistance at the polls.
Mukund Dewan, a DePaul sophomore majoring in political science and computer science, is a bilingual community organizer with the IAC.
“I think it’s important to ensure language accessibility at our polls because we live in such a diverse city,” Dewan said. “But there are gaps in our community that need to be addressed, like finding judges who speak less common languages or expanding the language availability of translated ballots.”
As someone who speaks both Hindi and English, Dewan has two language options on the ballot to choose from. But not everyone has that option.
While having election officials who reflect the needs of the communities they serve is crucial, community organizers like Dewan say it's equally important for voters to understand their rights — something civic organizations like AAJC and IAC work to promote through education.
“We have people from so many different cultures who might not speak English as their primary language,” Dewan said. “But that should never be a barrier to voting or having a voice in our democracy.”
For a full list of language resources and accommodations, voters are encouraged to visit the Chicago Board of Elections website.
By n upur Bosmiya La DePaulia Managing Editor
As eligible and registered voters fill out their early ballots and gear up to hit the voting booths on election day, international students watch from the sidelines, hoping that their political views will be represented in this election.
In the 2023-2024 academic year, over 800 international students enrolled at DePaul University. They make up about 6% of the total undergraduate freshmen and 40% of total masters students enrolled at the university.
In this election cycle, policies on immigration, economy and reproductive rights will affect people of all citizenship statuses.
Since international students are temporary residents and do not have citizenship status in the United States, they are not considered eligible voters.
Shikha Patel, a second year Master of Fine Arts student entered the country with a green card during the Trump administration.
Before she arrived in the United States, she had heard good things about the medical care, education and how the country was free. However, she felt a lot of culture shock when she arrived.
“It was a lot of surprises, I would say. In regards to politics, I would say it was very different because I expected Chicago to be very liberated,” Patel said.
A few months ago, when Biden and Trump were running, she said that things were “not looking that great,” and even
though Kamala Harris is now the presidential candidate, she still would not vote for the Democratic or the Republican candidate, if she could.
“I have to see where I land in this world,” Patel said. “Because of the way things are going, I don't see myself still being in this country.”
Joe Tafoya, an assistant professor in the political science department, shared that the political climate outside of the university affects the way students perceive the university and the city.
“We are concerned about political rhetoric making its way into the campus community, how that could influence the overall environment in our campus and in campuses across Chicago and across the country, impacting how international students may feel welcomed and supported,” Tafoya said.
Additionally, Tafoya said that a new administration affects the way immigration policies are enforced, impacting international students.
“It is going to specifically affect visa policies, the visas that international students need to get access to to come to the United States to be students,” he said.
When Patel arrived in the United States, she was subject to an extremely thorough immigration process which was not the same for someone she saw coming from Russia or Ukraine, she said.
“We had two police verifications. We had to go through another police verification when we came to the country and we had to do an interview again … just so that
we could prove everything,” she said.
Even though Patel has a green card, she is not able to vote or access Medicare or Medicaid.
She is concerned about how the administration will use her tax money to improve housing conditions and curb homelessness.
“We all pay taxes, but we all don't get the same benefits. So I'm hoping our taxation is used for something, for the benefits of its own citizens,” she said.
Patel is also concerned about reproductive rights along with a second year graduate student in the animation program at DePaul, who was granted anonymity due to fear for her visa status.
“I am someone who suffers from a lot of reproductive health issues, so it matters to me that that's taken care of,” the animation student said.
She is also concerned about the economy, along with 81% of registered voters, according to Pew Research Center.
“I want to be able to live with the salary I have,” she said. “The salary I have also pays my loans. So it is important to me that things are reasonably priced, and it just doesn't keep hijacking.”
Additionally, she wants the people living here to be treated well and politicians to prioritize their citizens.
“The politics here affects people who live here more than it affects me, and the way it affects them is how those people treat us,” she said.
In a similar vein, Tafoya said that changes in economic conditions affect the way
immigrants are perceived by people in the country.
“We know that during tough economic times, the American public does develop anti-immigrant sentiment,” he said. “This anti-immigrant sentiment is largely devoted to anyone who is different, regardless of legal status.”
Tafoya said that international students add diversity to the city and the campus, but they also contribute to the local economies in multiple ways.
“International students bolster local economies through tuition, through housing, through spending, making their voices important in the political process,” he said.
Even if these students cannot contribute directly to the political process by voting, Tafoya suggests that they contribute by asking other people to vote.
“I've heard a number of my friends say ‘If I can't vote, I can ask five people to vote and all of a sudden I can be the person that helps them turn out to vote when they would not normally have thought about voting,’” he said.
The second-year animation student urges the same. She asks people who can vote to go out and cast their ballots.
“Go ahead and vote and show … you
By the editors
Partisan politics aside, you deserve some good music as you make your way to the ballot box. Whether you prefer country, R&B, pop or rap there’s something appealing to everyone. Music can set the tone, and these picks will be sure to get you through what could be an anxiety-inducing Election Day. Here is what our editors have been listening to.
Beyonce’s “Freedom” has been the walk up song for Vice President Kamala Harris throughout her presidential campaign. It’s a high energy anthem from Beyonce’s transformative “Lemonade” album that calls out for freedom, something that’s been a recurring theme in this election. Beyonce recently appeared alongside fellow Destiny’s Child star Kelly Rowland at a Harris/ Walz campaign rally in her hometown of Houston, where the pair declared their endorsements of Vice President Harris. Beyonce said “I’m not here as a celebrity, I’m not here as a politician. I’m here as a mother." While this election has been characterized as a fight for freedom, Beyonce’s lyrics “I break chains all by myself/ Won’t let my freedom rot in hell” perfectly capture the fervor that voters are bringing with them to the polls this year.
The Chicks have always been politically vocal, with outspokenly feminist lead singer Natalie Mains, and their music has reflected those views. However, The Chicks have been under fire in the past for their political stance. In a concert in 2003, Maines made a remark about former President Bush’s handling of the Iraq War. Maines said, “We’re ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas.” Many fans of The Chicks turned their backs on the group, and three years later The Chicks released “Not Ready to Make Nice” in response to the backlash that they received for their comments. Their outspokenness did not end there, as they released the “Gaslighter” album in 2020, which was laced with political commentary. In 2003, former Vice President Al Gore spoke to a college audience, supporting The Chicks and claiming that “They were made to feel un-American … Our democracy has taken a hit.”
Childish Gambino’s “This is America” turned heads in 2018, when it was first released along with a controversial music video. The song is a commentary on gun violence in America, with the lyrics, “Police be trippin’ now/ Yeah, this is America/ Guns in my area.” For most college students, our educational experience has been riddled with fear of gun violence in our classrooms. Most of us started school in a post-Columbine world, and can vividly recall living through Sandy Hook, Parkland and countless other tragedies. The song gained critical acclaim from publications like The Atlantic and The Rolling Stones, who said the song “is a surreal, visceral statement about gun violence in America.”
RuPaul is colloquially known as the “Queen of Drag,” and drag has been disturbingly under attack in both communities and in legislatures across the United States. It’s part of what has been a larger assault on LGBTQ+ and trans rights over the past decade. For many people, their first exposure to drag was through watching RuPaul’s Drag Race; it allows people to see queer identities, stories and joy portrayed in a mainstream way that they may have never seen before. RuPaul himself says that doing drag is very political because it challenges the status quo. “American” is an upbeat and joyful song about proudly being an American. As the song says, “You got the right/ Stand up for yourself, we’ve just begun to fight/ Ain’t no way we’re going back in time.”
“Run the World” has been a feminist anthem since its release in 2018, empowering women with its lyrics. Beyonce sings, “How we’re smart enough to make these millions/ Strong enough to bear these children/ Then get back to business.” This song seems even more pertinent in today’s political climate, with intense discussions of reproductive rights and the need to break the glass ceiling. Beyonce’s music has underwritten Harris’s presidential campaign and energized voters. As we near the end of the campaign trail, we’d like to thank Beyonce!
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By s arah hendry Current Events Beat Writer
The DePaul University political science department is trying to reach out to students ahead of the upcoming election through a series of discussion panels.
In the first of three planned panel events, held on Oct. 10, DePaul professors discussed the implications of the election for the Supreme Court, foreign policy, current polling and voter participation. More than 60 students and faculty members attended, and a similar turnout is expected for the second panel on Oct. 30.
During the panel, political science professors Joe Mello, Wayne Steger and Scott Hibbard spoke, alongside Kristen Pengelly, a professor in DePaul’s College of Communication.
Mello expressed concerns that Trump’s reelection would lead to the loss of an impartial Supreme Court and place American democracy in danger.
“My real fear is if we lose the sanity of a court that calls ‘balls and strikes,’ then we are in a worse situation than we were in 2020 — when at least the court was there to stop Trump from overturning the election,” Mello said.
Mello said he thinks that there is a high probability that both Trump and Harris would create a super majority on the Supreme Court if either were elected.
Hibbard, the political science department chair, repeated Mello’s concerns about the risk of unrestrained executive power in a second Trump term.
“During the first Trump administration … he would issue orders … but the people around him disregarded orders and assumed he would forget that he had given orders — because some of them were illegal,” Hibbard said.“What we’re seeing now is an effort to recruit people that are going to be more supportive of Trump’s agenda.”
He emphasized the “stark” differences between the candidates and said that Harris foreign policy would likely be a continuation of Biden era policy.
Before the discussion began, Molly Andolina, a political science professor and the panel moderator, emphasized the speakers’ motivation.
“Our goal here is not to sell you anything. It’s not to convince you to vote for any particular candidate or the righteousness of one over the other. It is to educate you,” Andolina said.
Karina Ramirez, a political science student, appreciated the informative aspect of the panel.
“I believe that it is important to receive as much information and insight on the upcoming election as possible,” Ramirez said. “This election (is) important as we are witnessing the possibility
Our goal here is not to sell you anything. It’s not to convince you to vote for any particular candidate or the righteousness of one over the other. It is to educate you.”
of our first woman of color president. (There is a) large influence of young voters who believe that a change is necessary and very much possible.”
DePaul student Madison Hanna also appreciated the insights from professors, especially the discussion about prediction markets led by Steger.
“I attended the election panel to gain as much insight as possible on the specifics that make this election unique…. There are so many elements that make this election important and I’m glad to see so many of my peers engaged and ready to vote,” Hanna said.
While campaigns like Vote DePaul encourage voter registration, Andolina said that the political science department is more focused on informing students, rather than encouraging voter registration.
“The (political science) department is less focused on encouraging involvement than on educating students about the issues, critical groups and key races in the 2024 elections,” Andolina said, encouraging new voters to pay attention to contested lower offices, do a little research and “be prepared to vote for every office, not just the leader of the free world.”
According to Andolina, if young voters participate in large enough numbers, they can impact the election outcome.
Ramirez believes every vote matters and that silence in an important election year is not an option.
“I believe that young voters are underestimated,” she said. “We have become very resourceful and critical of where we get our information from. We have become socially aware of the impact our voices have in politics and I think it’s a great thing — we have taken advantage of it.”
The political science department’s next panel on Oct. 30 is at 4:30 p.m. in
Levan Center 505 and will feature a presentation from Chicago Votes, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works to inform young Chicagoans about politics. The final panel will be held on Nov. 7 at the same time and location and will review the results of the election.
Andolina expressed enthusiasm that the department is able to hold events like this.
“What’s great about these panels is that the faculty are sharing their professional insights, not their personal preferences,” Andolina said. “In a world where so much of social media and news media are promoting an agenda, universities can provide objective assessments of both the key issues and the state of the race.”
By Laura vázquez david La DePaulia Contributing Writer
United States Congress members drafted a letter asking the Department of Justice to intervene and send federal poll monitors to oversee the upcoming territorial election in Puerto Rico.
This comes after the New Progressive Party allegedly attempted to register large numbers of elderly voters to vote for PNP candidates.
Nydia Velázquez, Puerto Rican Congresswoman stated in the letter that, after the new electoral code was put in effect, “a considerable number of civil servants with invaluable experience at the CEE [Comisión Estatal de Elecciones, Puerto Rico’s Election Commission] has been replaced by PNP political hacks.”
The Puerto Rico Electoral Code of 2020 loosened the rules for absentee voting, allowing people over 80 years old to vote by mail.
Various media outlets reported on the mass delivery of early voting applications at long-term care facilities for the elderly, even though Article 9.38 of the Electoral Code prohibits the mass delivery of applications.
“All early voting requests must be submitted individually, one per voter. Grouped requests will not be accepted,” the document reads.
One of the complaints filed in the CEE is against Jorge Navarro, a PNP representative, for violating the electoral code by collecting and submitting mass amounts of absentee voting requests for elderly citizens.
By Ju L isa garcia Contributing Writer
Let's be honest, Taylor Swift knows the power she has over her fans, specifically those who are younger. She even has a hold on me, a 21-year-old woman, who has been a Swiftie since her “Speak Now” album came out in 2010.
Last month on Instagram, Taylor Swift posted about her plan to vote for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and running mate Tim Walz in the 2024 election.
Shortly after she uploads a post explaining why she feels so strongly about this upcoming election. She also cleared up the rumors about an AI generated post of Swift endorsing Donald Trump presidential run.
“I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election,” Swift said. “I'm voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them."
Swift was alluding to LGBTQ+ rights, as well as abortion, and women's rights.
The representative was personally going to homes in his district and handing out small cards for the residents to fill out with their information for early voter registration.
The document distributed to residents asked for personal information such as birth date, last four digits of their SSN number, parents name and birthplace, mailing address and driver's license number.
Navarro attempted to submit these forms at the Juntas de Inscripción Permanente (JIP), or Permanent Registration Boards, where citizens register to vote, but was denied entry, according to a post on Navarro’s social media.
“We are filing the complaint. I must say, with much regret, that at this moment, basically all the claims made in Puerto Rican courts challenging provisions of the code have been resolved in favor of the PNP,” said Manuel Natal Albelo, the opposition mayoral candidate for San Juan.
The mayoral candidate also said that he does not oppose the Congress members’ request for the Department of Justice to send federal monitors, but “would prefer that the Department of Justice in Puerto Rico investigate and prosecute cases of corruption in Puerto Rico.”
“Any additional oversight that can be achieved to ensure transparency, fairness, and cleanliness to the election process, I am in favor of it. What the electoral reform did was give the PNP a certain advantage because the PNP were the ones who knew what amendments were going to be made to the law,” said José J. Colón Morera, political science profes-
sor at the University of Puerto Rico Río Piedras Campus.
On Oct. 16, the U.S. Attorney, District of Puerto Rico Stephen Muldrow appointed Assistant United States Attorney Sethe Erbe as the District Election Officer (DEO).
“In that capacity [AUSA Erbe] is responsible for overseeing the district’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington,” according to a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico.
Congresswoman Velázquez responded, in a press release, stating that while the appointment of the DEO is “welcome news”, it does not address the “island’s deep structural elec-
After the announcement, Vote.org said they recorded more than 35,000 registrations, with the number of 18-year-olds registered doubling since 2022.
As more celebrities have endorsed presidential candidates, Chicago resident Diamond Arias said she has been feeling “anxious” about the election.
“I’ve been seeing a variety of celebrities showing their support either performing or making posts. Everyone seems on edge,” Arias said.
Swift is known to be opinionated. If you have not noticed that in past elections, do you even know Taylor Swift? Swift has also spoken about the double standards in the music industry and how women are perceived criticizing the lack of female representation in the music industry.
Swift’s first official endorsement of a U.S.
Senate candidate in Tennessee, where she lived and would pursue a career in country music in Nashville.
As a Swiftie, a huge reason I still support Swift is because she is sure of what she wants to say before she speaks. You don't have to agree with me, but a celebrity being educated on real-world issues reassures me as a fan that they see me as a human.
Similarly, Chappell Roan is making her mark as an up-and-coming artist with a powerful message. She recently captivated audiences with a sold-out performance at Lollapalooza, even being moved to the main stage just weeks before her set.
After a recent interview with The Guardian, in which she declined to endorse Harris, Roan was attacked for her “neutral” stand, and unlike Swift, refused to cater to her fanbase.
toral issues.”
Since the DOJ appointed federal monitors to Portage County, Ohio, the Congresswoman said that “there is no reason the same cannot be done in Puerto Rico. The DOJ has the authority, and there is more than enough evidence to intervene.”
“There are less than twenty days until the election. Puerto Rico needs fair and transparent elections, and I am determined to ensure that all available federal oversight mechanisms are in place. The DOJ must act now,” stated the press release.
The elections will take place on Nov. 5 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
This has led to Roan canceling some tour dates.
I understand the need for celebrities to have privacy, but I believe they lost the want and need for privacy with fame. If celebrities claim to have so many issues with the government, they should do something about it.
Brianna Howard, a senior at DePaul studying public relations and advertising attended the 2024 Democratic National Convention, an experience that left her with some opinions.
Roan canceling a set in New York and Washington because of the backlash and criticism she’s facing. It's a tricky subject. I understand.
“Being at the DNC this year showed me how important it is that we preserve democracy and how close we are to losing it,” Howard said.
Personally I believe if you have done your research, you're entitled to have your own opinion, even if you're a celebrity. Most celebrities want the same thing as I do — get the people out to vote.
Right now, voting is all we have.
This election has me by a chokehold, and it's very intriguing to observe celebrities handling pressure, especially with such a large and diverse audience. Using your platform to help endorse a candidate get out the vote is a good thing.
Before proceeding to endorse your preference , it's important to educate yourself. Having a skilled PR manager alongside you can also help you navigate any backfire that comes to light.