PRIME TIME AWKWARD TV shows that shouldn’t be watched with Mom and Dad, page 19
To shampoo or not, that is the question
Is skipping washes healthier for your hair? See page 16
DePaulia
The
Volume #99 | Issue #11 | Jan. 19, 2014 | depauliaonline.com
Fake it ‘til you make it
Lincoln Park residents scrutinize 43rd Ward candidates By Megan Deppen News Editor
MAGGIE GALLAGHER | THE DEPAULIA
Cases of beer stacked in a cooler at Walgreen’s. Some DePaul students use fake IDs to purchase alcohol or go to bars.
DePaul fosters culture of fake IDs By Jess Villagomez Contributing Writer
It’s a Saturday night and the beginning of another weekend for DePaul University sophomore, Alex, a 19-year-old male student who wished to remain anonymous. Like clockwork, the weekend activities unfold as usual. First, a trip to his favorite liquor convenience store to purchase the much needed alcohol to satisfy both himself and his friends. Though the alcohol is pricier than at other stores, Alex doesn’t mind shelling out a couple of extra bucks. They rarely ask for his ID anymore, given that he is a regular there, going at least once a weekend, sometimes twice, has Alex smade him a regular. tocks up on handles of overpriced liquor that he will later put in the freezer back at his apartment. Bottles of vodka and tequila chill until they are later quickly consumed. Once people begin to pile into his apartment it becomes open season. The suction noise of the freezer doors being opened and closed can be heard amongst giggles and loud music. Plastic cups fill up the already crowded apartment between the groups of students. One small piece of plastic is all that it takes. Alex’s state ID has a hologram on it, and from a quick glance looks like any other ID you might obtain at the DMV. A longer look reveals that the photo is slightly stretched; the plastic is flimsy, almost breakable. The signature looks slanted or misplaced.
The state imprintedon the ID is Michigan. The age, 22. According to an email sent out by DePaul Campus Public Safety Nov. 5, 2014, recent cases of underage drinking and an increase in student misconduct has heightened campus and police efforts to catch students with fake IDs. The email said, “As part of its ongoing efforts to prevent underage drinking this fall, CPD, in conjunction with the Secretary of State Police, are conducting bar sweeps in the Lincoln Park area, aggressively pursuing patrons carrying fake IDs and bars around the DePaul campus that serve underage drinkers as well as businesses, such as convenience stores and liquor stores, selling packaged goods.” According to DePaul Public Safety Director Robert Wachowski, the 2014-15 academic year has already had multiple cases of reckless student conduct attributed to alcohol, as well as an increase in students needing to seek medical help attention for alcohol related injuries. “It’s a safety issue,” Wachowski said., “Just in one Thursday alone in at the beginning of the year there were seven students taken to the hospital.” Though the safety of students is a main concern for Public Safety, their jurisdiction is limited to residence halls and the DePaul campus. However, that does not mean DePaul has little power within its own jurisdiction. Sara and Lindsay, both 19-yearold female DePaul students who preferred to remain anonymous, paid the price for
See FAKE, page 6
Lincoln Park residents crowded the small stage at the St. Vincent DePaul Center last Tuesday for the 43rd Ward alderman debate, just weeks before the city election Feb. 24. Representatives from The Ranch Triangle, Sheffield Neighbors and the Lincoln Central Association hosted the debate, where remaining candidates Jerry Quandt, Jen Kramer, Caroline Vickrey and incumbent Michele Smith discussed property taxes, pensions, development projects and the mayoral election. Ald. Smith, a supporter of Rahm Emanuel, gave development projects in Lincoln Park special attention. The Children’s Memorial development site, where locals have contested the lack of transparency with the project and its intrusion to Lincoln Park, is a “transformational opportunity to change our neighborhood,” Smith said.
See DEBATE, page 4
CTA cracks down on U-Pass misuse
DEPAULIA FILE
A CTA U-Pass for college students.
By Rachel Hinton Copy Editor
Officers at the Fullerton ‘L’ stop continued to check U-Passes in an effort to stop fraud that began before the new year. In an email to students, the DePaul U-Pass Team stated their support for the new program and said that misuse of the U-Pass, or use of the card by someone other than the cardholder would result in “confiscation” and “suspension of the students participation” for up to a year. “The U-Pass discount fare program from the CTA is a value for our students, many of whom save hundreds of dollars a year with the card,” Bob McCormick, vice president for Information Services with the DePaul U-Pass Team said.
See UPASS, page 6