The DePaulia Graduation Issue 6/7/2021

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The

Class of 2021| depauliaonline.com

Class of 2021 Graduation Issue

INSIDE

The last four years, in summary Page 3

Students seek a second cap and gown post-grad Page 5

How well do you know DePaul? Take The DePaulia’s quiz to find out.

Page 23

COVER AND BACK ART BY ALICIA GOLUSZKA

2 | 2021 Graduation Issue. The DePaulia.

Letter from the Editor: When ‘Double Demon’ means missing double graduations 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 | Lacey Latch eic@depauliaonline.com MANAGING EDITOR | Ella Lee managing@depauliaonline.com ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR | Emma Oxnevad online@depauliaonline.com NEWS EDITOR | Rebecca Meluch news@depauliaonline.com ASST. NEWS EDITOR | Sonal Soni news@depauliaonline.com POLITICS EDITOR | Nika Schoonover politics@depauliaonline.com NATION & WORLD EDITOR | Marcus Robertson nation@depauliaonline.com OPINIONS EDITOR | Nadia Hernandez opinion@depauliaonline.com FOCUS EDITOR | Chinyere Ibeh focus@depauliaonline.com ARTS & LIFE EDITOR | Nate Burleyson artslife@depauliaonline.com SPORTS EDITOR | Lawrence Kreymer sports@depauliaonline.com

By Lacey Latch Editor-in-Chief

When I was told that the city was my campus at my first orientation at DePaul, I took it to heart. And like so many people, I loved the city so much I stayed for as long as I could.

Over the next five years I lived in three different neighborhoods in four different apartments, worked on-campus jobs on both campuses and took more accidental naps on the CTA than I can remember.

Like other Double Demons, my entire college career has taken place at the “little school under the L tracks.”

The one thing that I’m leaving DePaul and Chicago without? A proper graduation for either of my degrees. Instead, me and my fellow Double Demons have two years of YouTube links to celebrate our achievements.

Coming from someone who planned how I was going to decorate my college grad cap at the same time I was decorating my high school one, I’ve been thinking about commencement for quite a while.

And of course, I’m sad to miss out on the chance to celebrate the moment all those sleepless nights and seemingly endless D2L submissions finally paid off.

When it was announced that last year’s commencement was cancelled just a few months into the pandemic, I was disappointed of course, but my position in the combined degree program meant that I’d have another graduation the next June if all

went according to plan. Now as I sit here in the “next year” that seemed so far away back then, my second commencement has been cancelled just the same.

Instead of celebrating all the hard work that earned that special piece of paper with my family and friends, I left Chicago unceremoniously and headed for Arizona because my lease was up and there really wasn’t any reason for me to stay any longer.

Driving on the Dan Ryan Expressway just moments into a 24 hour drive, I couldn’t help but think about my time in the city — where I came as an extremely anxious 18-year-old who didn’t know a soul and left with a newfound confidence and lifelong friends behind me.

While I would have liked a proper commencement, the pandemic year highlighted for me what is truly important. In a year when so many people are dealing with heartbreak and unimaginable grief, I have something to celebrate and be grateful for.

I have something my family and I can point to as proof that the year we lost to the pandemic wasn’t a complete waste.

Truth be told, I’m proud to have finished my graduate career at DePaul in this uniquely challenging year. From having never taken an online class before to that being the only option, I was forced to adapt in more ways than one. Nothing could have prepared me for when The DePaulia suddenly switched to online-only — something I was completely unfamiliar with after publishing a print paper for the

previous four years. In a time of extreme uncertainty, we as a team came together to make sure that the DePaul community had vital information about the pandemic, especially in the first few weeks where so much was unknown.

Leaving with those experiences under my belt I know I’ve learned more practical skills from adapting to the pandemic year than can be packed into a 10-week course.

And while I won’t have a big commencement to mark the occasion, I know deep down that I’m leaving DePaul and Chicago a different, better and more well-rounded person than I was when I arrived. And isn’t that the point of going away to college — to find yourself, your people and your vision for your own future?

Don’t get me wrong — I will be watching my name and face slide across the screen during the virtual commencement.

But I’ll also know that the celebration and the highly sought after piece of paper is more or less arbitrary. Instead, the knowledge, skills and confidence that I have will be my real souvenirs from this time of my life.

In that spirit, I encourage other Double Demons to reflect on what they’ve gained from being here, especially this last year.

Earning a degree is no small feat but to do so during a pandemic, civil unrest and a contentious election? Now that’s something worth celebrating.

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR | Ernesto Hernandez sports@depauliaonline.com ART DIRECTOR | Alicia Goluszka art@depauliaonline.com PHOTO CHIEF | Eric Henry photo@depauliaonline.com SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR | Jessica Rish social@depauliaonline.com COPY EDITORS | Luke Myers, Corey Schmidt copydesk@depauliaonline.com ADVISOR | Marla Krause mkrause1@depaul.edu

La DePaulia es el noticiero oficial estudiantil en español de la Universidad DePaul, enfocado en proveer una voz para la comunidad latinx.

Nuestras opiniones no necesariamente reflejan las opiniones de la administración, facultad o personal de la universidad.

JEFA DE REDACCIÓN | María Guzmán eicladepaulia@depauliaonline.com GERENTE EDITORIAL | Erika Pérez managingladepaulia@depauliaonline.com EDITOR DE OPINIONES | Bryan Matthew López opinionesladepaulia@depauliaonline.com

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2021 Graduation Issue. The DePaulia. |3

Your last 4 years Time goes by fast in college. So fast, in fact, you might not remember all the major events ­— from campus to countrywide — that took place during your time at DePaul. Let’s take a trip down memory lane.

DESIGN BY AUDREY CHAMPELLI, COMPILATION OF EVENTS BY ELLA LEE

4 | 2021 Graduation Issue. The DePaulia.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2021.

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THE CLASS OF 2021 is like no other. You came to DePaul to learn,

discover, explore and grow. You inspired us and exceeded our expectations at every turn—and taught us so much about perseverance, resilience, courage and strength. You made us so very proud. We know you’ll continue to pursue your passions and follow your dreams. And we can’t wait to see what you do next.

Best wishes, Academic Affairs

2021 Graduation Issue. The DePaulia. |5

Some graduates will never be in a classroom again. Others made sure they will.

By Rebecca Meluch News Editor

Remember that scene in Twilight when Bella meets Edward’s family for the first time? He gives her a house tour and she sees the wall of graduation caps? I want that to be me –– minus the whole repeating high school over and over again and never aging part.

If I had it my way, I would be a student for the rest of my life. My college experience was fun — well, the most fun that DePaul, a nontraditional campus, could offer. But it’s the learning, the classrooms and the lectures that I love most about college.

The Covid-19 pandemic took a large part of that away from a lot of students. Professors did the most they could do to teach us and make our experience still worth it, but this last year just wasn’t what it could be, for me and for so many others.

I knew I was going to go to graduate school after I finished undergrad, but the pandemic further encouraged it.

I don’t want this to be the last time I

wear a cap and gown. I don’t want to stop learning. There’s just so much more I want to gain from the classroom and so many professors I want to learn from.

Next year I’ll be trading my Blue Demon campus wear for Syracuse Orange.

I’ll hopefully be walking across a graduation stage in front of thousands of others, wearing a master’s hood instead of a DePaul stool.

Gisselle Cervantes, an international studies student, will also be graduating this year — and it’s not her last time either. She will be attending the University of Southern California to receive her master’s in music industry. “ F o r m e ,

grad school seemed like the best way to build upon the knowledge I have gained at DePaul and use it to get a career in the music industry,” Cervantes said.

“Not only do I feel like this grad program at USC will help prepare me in terms of skill, but also help me expand my network since USC is located in Los Angeles, which houses a lot of industry professionals.”

Similarly to Cervantes, Savannah Preuss, a health science major, will also be leaving Chicago after graduation and getting her master’s degree in food science with a focus in enology (wine making) from Cornell University.

“I knew further schooling was in my plans even in high school,” Preuss said.

“Because my future career is so niche, I thought more schooling would be more helpful for perfecting my craft.”

Preuss and I will be moving east to New York and Cervantes is moving west, but the learning at DePaul will always be remembered and appreciated.

“I have met so many incredible people at DePaul who will live in my heart forever, but it is definitely going to be hard to move away from the phenomenal people here who have formed me,” Cervantes said.

“Even if I had drama or a tough time in school, I wouldn’t change any part of my DePaul experience,” Preuss said. “I think it made me grow into the person I am today.

Though you learn a lot academically in college, college for

me was learning more about myself –– how to live with roommates, how to take care of myself.”

My time at DePaul showed me that it’s okay to be interested in a lot of topics and fields. While the journalism program and professors introduced me to a wide range of experiences, reporting on DePaul and living in Chicago showed me that no university or city is ever done growing and learning itself.

“DePaul, as all institutions of higher education, is a school that is historically built for white men and there is still room for growth,” Cervantes said.

“In order to do that, DePaul needs to be centering voices of students of color….

I am excited to attend a university that is not directly connected to the Chicago Police Department.”

I’ve never been to Syracuse, I have no idea what the city is like, but if I made it through four years of living in Chicago among three million other people, I think I can handle slightly under 300,000 –– the extra snow though will be a challenge.

Although the experience is ending for many Blue Demons this year, some of us loved our time in the classrooms, so much that we want to see more.

Whether we’re making music or wine, in California or New York –– we will be taking the skills that we learned from DePaul to grow as students and people. These past four years have prepared us to be lifelong learners –– and DePaul will always be somewhat attached to our names and our careers.

But don’t expect us to wear blue on Thursdays anymore.

Debt, loans plague graduating college students

By Nadia Hernandez Opinions Editor

As the school year comes to a close, college students continue to stress over student loans and debt.

During his campaign, President Joe Biden discussed cancelling some student debt. He proposed cancelling $10,000 of each individual’s loans. However, Biden has yet to follow through on that commitment.

In order to afford higher education, students like Dilpreet Kaur, campaign coordinator of DePaul Public Interest Research Group, are overworking themselves.

“In first-generation students, including myself, you’ll see the students working full time or two to three jobs at once on top of a full-time school schedule just to maintain expenses,” she said.

At DePaul, the price tag for a full year is $59,000, including housing, tuition and other expenses. For Illinois private university expenses, the average student will spend $53,949 per academic year, according to EducationData.

Nationally, the class of 2019 graduated with an average of $29,000 in both private and federal debt according to Student Loan Hero.

Loans and debt are in the forefront of many students’ minds before and during their academic careers. Students like

Kaur are trying to pay off loans during the year while students like sophomore Kelli Tosic were thinking about them before applying.

“The fear of student debt once I began attending university forced me to sacrifice my mental health throughout high school,” Tosic said. “I signed up for as many advanced placement classes as I could, took standardized tests multiple times and applied for countless scholarships in order to make college as affordable for me as possible.”

As a college education becomes more of a requirement for jobs, it is simultaneously becoming less accessible due to the financial investment and burden.

Cindy Rocha, SGA’s newly elected vice president of student affairs, said that entry-level jobs are now requiring a bachelor’s or master’s degree.

“Now, [college degrees are] much less of an option than it is a requirement for most jobs, even many entry-based jobs,” Rocha said. “Looking at STEM careers, a lot of entry-level things are at minimum, a bachelor’s degree, and most of them require a master’s degree.”

Students of various minority communities are more likely to drop out due to overwhelming financial debt.

“A big thing that we’re also seeing is dropout levels, especially when you look at people of color, LGBTQ students, first-generation students,” Rocha said. “A lot of times it has to do with finances.”

First-generation students are more susceptible to not understanding the complexities of financial aid.

“The interest that you might have on your loan, depending on what loan you get, can change the value astronomically, and that’s the thing too is that it can target specifically first-generation students who might not know, they might not really understand the difference between subsidized and unsubsidized loans,” Rocha said.

Between work and classes, affording higher education can take a mental and physical toll on students.

“Student debt can set you back before you even get to take a step forward,” Kaur said. “Working to pay off your debt can lead to overworking or taking on a career that is beside your path just so you can clear up the debt. It just leads to an unhappy and stressful life.”

However, many Gen Xers and baby boomers claim that younger generations should be expected to pay off their debts like they did. Rocha said she believes that this is unreasonable because of the stark economic differences between the 1960s and now.

“Back in the ‘60s, college was an option,” she said. “You could get a perfectly decent job without college, but you could also get a more specific career that requires it. More people need to get a college education [now] in order to survive and sustain a decent lifestyle.”

Many against cancelling student debt claim that students will need to work harder to pay off loans. Although the students are still working as hard as earlier generations, economic standards are harsher.

“You should want things in life to get easier for the younger generations, you shouldn’t want the future generations to suffer like you did,” Rocha said. “Because you remember what that was like, you remember all of the worry, all of the pain, all of the suffering — why would you want to wish that on other people?”

“Regardless of how hard many work, they are still forced to take out hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans to simply receive an education,” Tosic added. “Going to school should be a basic human right that is accessible to all, and no one should need to forfeit their own mental well-being in order to make their education semi-affordable.”

As higher education continues to be a job requirement and loans becoming less accessible, students are asking for the higher educational system to change to become more accommodating.

“We are taught from a young age to plan to go to college or that the only way to be successful is to pursue higher education, so it does not make sense to drag us down with debt when doing so,” Kaur said.

6 | 2021 Graduation Issue. The DePaulia.

May you continue your journey of discovery and practice to bring inspiring service to the world.

Please add your memories to our board!

The voice of reason

2021 Graduation Issue. The DePaulia. |7

In conversation with Dr. Craig Klugman, the professor and Covid-19 task force member whose name we should all know by now

By Rebecca Meluch News Editor

“Uh, is this a sports question?” He might not know a lot about sports and chose Michael Jordan over LeBron James, but Dr. Craig Klugman is quite informed on pandemic and disaster response, public health, bioethics and medical anthropology.

Klugman has been a health sciences professor at DePaul since 2013 and has been an expert resource while serving on DePaul’s Covid-19 task force.

He has a master’s degree in medical anthropology from Case Western Reserve University and has continuously studied emerging infectious diseases since. He also earned his doctorate in medical humanities from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.

Klugman told The DePaulia that much of his immediate experience came from his time at University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. There, he took the lead in putting together the university’s pandemic response plan.

He was asked by the state of Texas to be part of its crisis standards of care planning in 2009 –– an effort by the National Academy of Medicine to get every state and large city to engage in crisis planning.

When he moved to Illinois, the state had started its own crisis series of care projects –– which covered pandemics, earthquakes, natural disasters and terrorist incidents. He served in that project for five years; the last meeting was planned to take place in April 2020, but it was cancelled by the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

What is your position here on DePaul’s Task Force, what was your role and how did you delegate with other members?

When DePaul created the Covid-19 task force last spring, DePaul Health –– a group of faculty whose research and teachings are on areas of health –– requested the university have a representative from the group be on the greater DePaul task force.

DePaul Health asked Klugman to serve as a representative because of his past experience in working on pandemic planning and response.

Shortly after, he began attending 8 a.m. meetings five days a week.

“And it was really these meetings, and it was just up to me to speak out,” Klugman said. “Like people were saying, ‘Craig, what do you think’ and it was just me going, ‘So I probably know a little bit about this. Let me tell you something.’ So it was really just kind of pushing my way into the conversations.”

Later last spring, the response task force that Klugman was on shifted its focus to reopening. There, a community health subcommittee emerged that Klugman also served on.

“We would meet several times a week, sometimes several times a day, just to sort of talk about the latest issue and the latest need and what was coming to us,” Klugman said. “We still meet every week, we’re still dealing with things. We have to deal with the newest thing which is we’re just reopening as a city. So it’s really that group that has been the leadership. I can’t take individual credit at all for this, because we’ve pushed together.”

When asked if he expected to be interviewed by media outlets, especially The

DePaulia, which has interviewed him for countless stories, Klugman laughed.

“I actually have a long history of working with the media,” he said. “I’m one of the two co-faculty coordinators of the DePaul op-ed project, which teaches faculty how to write for a public audience. And so I have been interviewed by the media for the last 20 years. This is not new. It is more frequent, more often than I’m used to. But it’s certainly not a new role for me.”

What has been the biggest learning experience this past year?

“One is that we can do a pretty good job with online learning... I think there will be some permanent changes in our society as a result of that,” Klugman said.

“And the second one was… that I learned was that, you know, being on this task force, I suddenly was one of the very few faculty members, maybe three of us, who was now working all administrators, and how do you get change? How do you get people to listen to you and take you seriously and make big decisions based on what you were saying, and so learning that process of working with the administration in a large organization to move them to action. That was definitely a new learning experience for me.”

What do you miss the most about teaching or being on DePaul’s campus before the pandemic happened?

“I miss the energy of engaging with students,” Klugman said.

He also misses something others might not so much: impromptu hallway conversations.

“You just run into somebody and you start having a conversation and that conversation could lead to a new research project, or it could lead to a policy or it could lead to a change in your class,” he said.

“Everything I think online has to be planned, it has to be formal. And that impromptu curbside conversation or running into each other in the hallway –– I miss that very much.”

Personally, not as a professor or a researcher, what was the hardest obstacle you had to overcome in the course of the pandemic?

“I live alone,” Klugman said. “And so I think it’s that I have been in a room by myself for 15 months, 16 months now. My family lives 1200 miles away, so there was no option of seeing them. So I think it’s just the extreme isolation. I do have a cat and a dog, and they have been very good company. But it’s the lack of having contact with any people. That’s been hard.”

His dog is named Bonzai and she is a 12-year-old mutt. His cat is named Tolstoy and is six years old.

Where do you want to go when all travel restrictions are lifted?

“I’m a big traveler. I’ve visited over 40 countries,” Klugman said. “I have this dream of going to Bali.”

He also said that he wants to go to Australia, a place he’s never been to. Last week he delivered a presentation to a conference that was being held virtually in Australia and was talking at 2 a.m.

What kind of hobbies did you pick up during the pandemic?

“I’m a knitter. I usually do scarves but scarves became baby blankets because they were bigger projects that I could do.”

He has also been involved with improv for quite a while and took online improv

COURTESY OF NEWSLINE

Dr. Craig Klugman, professor and Covid-19 task force member, poses for a photo. classes and has explored new aspects of Netflix and HBO Max. “Oh and yoga, I developed a daily yoga habit.”

White Sox or Cubs?

“Cubs, I’m a North Sider.”

What is your Zodiac sign?

“I’m a Scorpio.”

Amazing.

What is your favorite spot on DePaul’s campus?

“I actually really love the quad. It’s peaceful. There’s a little piece of nature in the middle of the city. I love watching the trees as they change seasons.”

Favorite CTA line?

“I live off the Red Line so I have to go with that.”

Other fun facts about you?

“I lived in –– a big chunk of my life –– in Texas. But I grew up in New Jersey actually.”

Klugman has lived in eight or nine states, but the most peculiar one so far has been Nevada.

“Oh my god. It’s a really unique place,” he said. “I lived in Reno. I was at the University of Nevada, Reno. It’s a small town.

There’s nothing for hundreds of miles. But it’s the desert.”

“I’m a warm weather person, like summer. Summer is my thing. Yeah, warm and dry.”

“I don’t understand y’all,” Klugman said of cold weather people. “You know, my favorite winter activity is staying inside.”

8 | 2021 Graduation Issue. The DePaulia.

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The DePaulia’s Blue Demon Bucket List

By Amber Stoutenborough Staff Writer

Participate in one of DePaul’s countless clubs and activities

As the class of 2021 finishes their last quarter at DePaul, before they move on to future endeavors, these traditions are an undeniable rite of passage for all Blue Demons. This bucket list is compiled of must-do DePaul traditions that have existed well before this year’s graduating class and will continue to live on after. When asked what they believe each Blue Demon should do before they graduate DePaul, this year’s seniors relayed their favorite memories of the past four years.

From doing community service with DCSA or playing basketball at the Ray to say you actually went to the gym, free with tuition, certain experiences are just within the boundaries of the Fullerton stop. During finals week it may be inevitable, so make sure to pull at least one all-nighter at the Richardson Library.

After all that studying, don’t forget to go to DePaul FEST – because it’s not just for freshmen – and attend both the men’s and women’s basketball games to show your school spirit.

Visit all the museums you can for free with your student ID

Participate in Chicago’s holidays and traditions

Don’t waste the opportunity to go to Chicago’s must-sees for free while you’re still a DePaul student. The Art Institute is free with a DePaul student ID and museums like the Contemporary Art Museum, Shedd Aquarium and Field Museum have student discounts. Other museums around the city that give students discounts include the Mexican Art Museum in Pilsen, Dusable Museum of African American History and the Chicago History Museum. And, of course, our very own DePaul Art Museum is free for students as well.

Outside of DePaul, Chicago traditions can create some terrific memories. Have a Chicago Handshake (shot of Merlot and Old Style) while attending Taste Chicago. Take part in the Annual Polar Plunge every March, and while you’re at it, make sure to walk outside in the middle of a polar vortex, even if it’s just for 10 seconds.

Chicago undoubtedly goes big for St. Patrick’s Day and it wouldn’t be St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago without the green river, an attraction you’ll just have to see in person.

Finally, Chicago would be nothing without its music scene and you’ll regret leaving the city before taking it all in. Check out local music venues, larger concert halls and be sure to go to Lollapalooza, at least once.

Try all of Chicago’s iconic food While deep-dish pizza and the Chicago hot dog are city classics, DePaul has its own recommendations for food you need to try while you are still considered a Chicagoan. In your last days as a DePaul student, you’ve got to visit late night burritos at Allende, breakfast cinnamon rolls at Ann Sathers, Branko’s Sandwich Shop and Devil Dawgs. As for on-campus eats, try Brownstones coffee and the Bean at the Ray Meyer Fitness and Recreation Center for smoothies and chicken quesadillas. To satisfy your seafood cravings, try the Student Center’s “Stushi” in the ETC.

Go to a Cubs Game You live in Chicago. If you haven’t been to a Cubs game in your four (ish?) years in the city, you’re doing something wrong. Get out to Wrigleyville, take in the fanfare, eat a Chicago hot dog and enjoy a sunny day doing the most Chicago thing you could possibly do. You should probably take the train, though, because finding parking in the city is already a nightmare without a sports event going on.

Visit the lakefront and parks around Chicago

Hang out at Millennium Park

In the two months of the year the weather is reliably nice in Chicago, the city flourishes with ways to spend your time. Head down Lake Shore Drive with your one friend that actually has a car in the city, stay up late to watch the sunrise by the lakeshore and skip class to lay out in a hammock on the quad — since we still have class in June. Have a picnic in Grant or Oz Park and make sure to jump in the lake at least once, just to say you did it.

We’ve already mentioned hanging out at parks in Chicago, but Millennium Park must be emphasized. Take a walk in the grass, check out The Bean, have a picnic surrounded by the city skyline. Even better, as Covid gets better, you might be able to catch a concert again. Also, don’t just stick to Millennium Park. Check out Grant Park and Maggie Daley before departing DePaul and moving on to the next stage of your life!

Go to the staple DePaul bars

Chicago Thrifting

The bars around DePaul have their own traditions that must continue with each class. They might not be everyone’s favorite bars, but they are no doubt DePaul staples. Going to Kelly’s on Wednesday nights, trying Kincades wings, singing karaoke at McGees (preferably not another Abba song), pregaming at 1237 and ending the night with a picture in John Egan’s arms by the Student Center is a requirement for ending your Blue Demon career.

DePaul students know how to dress and, a lot of the time, if you ask a wandering Blue Demon where they got their outfit they’ll probably say a thrift store.

Common thrift stores in the city include Village Discount, Goodwill, Salvation Army, Out of the Closet, Belmont Army Vintage and Crossroads. The different thrift stores have different discounts and items but they are all worth the visit in order to find more affordable clothes on a college student’s budget.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JAYLYN JIMENEZ

“People will try to make you feel weird about caring about graduation and that it’s not a big deal to take pictures and walk the stage, but it’s an awesome way to commemorate your time at DePaul,” Jaylyn Jimenez, graduating senior majoring in communications and media, said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JULIAN BORYSZEWSKI

Boryszewski sits in John Egan’s hands, noting it would be one of his bucket list items. Also on his list? The bagels at Chicago Bagel Authority.

10 | 2021 Graduation Issue. The DePaulia.

TO OUR OUTSTANDING CLASS OF 2021 GRADUATES: CONGRATULATIONS! WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU. From the faculty and staff of the College of Communication

2021 Graduation Issue. The DePaulia. |11

THE TOP 5 GRADUATION SCENES IN MOVIES IMDB

By Maddey Martin Contributing Writer Graduating college may seem like a daunting time — you’re about to go out into the “real word” and, God willing, actually use your degree. To distract you from impending adulthood, here’s a list of the top five best graduation scenes seen in movies.

5) Twilight: Eclipse (2010) It is 11 years after “Twilight: Eclipse” came out and I am still not sure why Anna Kendrick’s Jessica was Valedictorian. But she did give an okay speech about not rushing into adulthood. I wish Bella would have taken that advice before she ran off and married Edward.

Best Quote: “When we were five, they asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up,” Jessica, Anna Kendrick’s character, said in the movie. “Our answers were things like astronaut, president, or in my case, princess. When we were ten, they asked again and we answered – rock star, cowboy, or in my case, gold medalist. But now that we’ve grown up, they want a serious answer. Well, how ’bout this: who the h*ll knows!”

4) The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003) Hilary Duff played a middle schooler at her graduation, even though she was 16 when this movie came out. Also, middle school graduation? Is that a thing?

In any case, nostalgia brings our first Disney Channel movie on to the list.

She gets bullied for being an “outfit repeater” (not very cool to bully someone for being sustainable, Kate Sanders). Overall, though, a cute little scene filled with excitement knowing that Lizzie is about to go to Rome. And, of course, some typical Disney Channel physical comedy when the set falls on the graduates.

Best Quote: “Thanks, Dad, but I’m just trying to get through graduation. Greatness can wait until this nightmare is over,” Hillary Duff ’s iconic character Lizzy McGuire said to her father right before graduation.

3) Booksmart (2019) Best friends Molly and Amy are valedictorian and salutatorian, but Molly

has to get Amy out of jail after a wild night of partying. They barely make it to their high school graduation, just as a friend is going up to fill in for Molly.

In general, this movie is great.

It pulls at your heartstrings, it makes you laugh, it makes you embarrassed on behalf of the characters on screen. This graduation scene feels like a nice way to start wrapping up the movie.

But it doesn’t rank higher because it doesn’t yet have the same cultural impact as rankings one and two. It’s a good graduation scene. We get to see Molly and Amy reunited after their massive fight the night before. Molly gets to make out with her crush in front of the whole school. It’s fun.

There are just better graduation scenes.

Best Quote: “You’re all pretty great.

Don’t let college f*ck it up,” said Molly, played by Beanie Feldstein, in her graduation speech.

2) High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008) The only reason this is ranked two instead of one is because Troy Bolton is the Valedictorian. Not only is he the basketball and theatre star, and he’s so talented at those two activities that he gets recruited into both UC Berkeley and Julliard, respectively, he’s also insanely smart? Wasn’t that supposed to be Gabriella or Taylor this whole time?

In any case, I still have nostalgia for this scene. It feels like a fitting and proper ending to the series. Troy gives a short and sweet speech about how the teachers at East High “encouraged us to break the status quo.” That’s a fun callback to the first movie, but also not necessarily true.

The two teachers the audience spends the most time with, his dad, basketball Coach Bolton, and Ms. Darbus, the drama teacher, both actively discouraged students from branching out into other extracurriculars.

Still, I love this scene. It puts a smile on my face. It reminds me of simpler times. Plus, we get a reprise of “We’re All in this Together.”

Best Quote: “It’s a place where one person, if it’s the right person, changes us all…

Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat,” Troy Bolton, Zac Efron’s character, exclaims at the end of the movie.

IMDB

1) Legally Blonde (2001) Is this another nostalgia pick?

Partly. Is this a very cheesy scene? Of course. It’s very indicative of the time this movie was made. I mean, “Perfect Day” by Hoku plays in the background. It could not get more early 2000’s rom-com if it tried.

But I still think it wraps up the movie in a nice pink bow. We are told that Elle Woods is the elected speaker for the Harvard Law graduating class, which makes more sense to me than saying she’s the Valedictorian.

The audience is shown early on in the movie that Elle struggled at first.

It’s a heartwarming scene to end on. We learn that Elle is going to be proposed to, her enemy at the start of the movie is now her best friend, and her awful ex,

Warner, graduated “without honors, without a girlfriend, and without a job offer.”

The scene wraps up all the loose ends for the characters and leaves the audience with a solid sense of finality (sequels aside).

Best Quote: It is with passion, courage of conviction, and strong sense of self that we take our next steps into the world,” Reese Witherspoon’s Elle Woods says in her graduation speech.

Class of 2021 graduates, congratulations! Take Elle Woods’ advice to heart and enter adulthood not with fear, but with passion, courage, and the strong sense of self developed and fostered at DePaul. Once a Blue Demon, always a Blue Demon!

12 | 2021 Graduation Issue. The DePaulia.

2021 Graduation Issue. The DePaulia. |13

ART BY ALICIA GOLUSZKA

Zoom readjusts how students perceive fashion during the pandemic

By Chinyere Ibeh Focus Editor

The world flipped on its head when everything went virtual in March 2020. One of the many aspects of life that changed would be how people dressed and presented themselves.

Since everyone is confined to a computer screen, the effort put into looking one’s best has taken a new approach.

“I would say there’s either people like me who really don’t care anymore and are like, ‘I’m just going to be as crazy as I want to with my fashion.’ And then there are other people who are still really into comfort fashion because it is zoom,” said Alexandra Duerst, an interviewer at Radio DePaul. “And so I think that we’re gonna see, once we’re all out, a lot more fashion that’s geared towards, like, comfort and loungewear.”

Even though it’s been only a little over a year, the evolution of fashion has not

slowed down. Trends from the 1970s and 80s have made a comeback and Y2K fashion has made its comeback as well.

Hannah Lau, the president of the DePaul Fashion Society, said that fashion has changed at a faster pace, especially since we’ve been inside for a long time — and we’ve been recycling fashion at a faster pace.

“Fashion really impacts time and time impacts fashion,” Lau said. “There’s still people wearing skinny jeans, and there’s still people, like, not jumping into the hype of flared leggings or vests, you know, so I think that there’s a way where, you know, we’re all consuming it. But at the same time, other people aren’t.”

Not only are people changing their fashion according to going virtual, but people have changed their fashion for virtual job interviews. With Leslie Torres, the senior event coordinator for Her Campus DePaul, she typically dresses from the top up.

In one instance, she had done her

makeup and wore a crop top blouse. The funny thing is, her interviewer didn’t know she was wearing a crop top blouse — it looked like a regular shirt over Zoom. Torres even admitted that she wouldn’t usually wear that type of shirt to a regular, in-person interview.

Both Lau and Duerst ring in similar sentiments. Lau explains that she usually dresses from the waist up during virtual interviews rather than a full head-to-toe outfit.

“I really just [dress waist up],” Lau said.

“Because I think that like, I think I can actually have more confidence through, like, Zoom and, like, being in sweats or shorts because I never really feel like I’m out of my element. I’m home, like I feel comfy.”

Duerst said that going virtual has allowed her the comfort to experiment with fashion. Being able to see herself Zoom has allowed her to see her fashion in action, and if she doesn’t like an outfit, she can easily change.

Fashion has been heavily influenced

by the pandemic, especially the latest fashion trends. One of the fashion trends people have gotten into is loungewear, which makes sense as people have been stuck at home for the last year-and-a-half and people want to be comfortable at home.

People have taken this year-long quarantine to embark on healthy habits, especially working out. This is why activewear has become another fashion trend people have gotten into. People have been getting their bodies right and they would like to look cute doing it.

Perhaps the most popular and infamous form of fashion to come from this pandemic would be what USA Today would call Zoom Tops. As Torres described before, people tend to dress from the waist up when attending Zoom meetings.

Fashion tends to evolve and is a reflection of society at that specific moment. In the future, today’s fashion will represent the time of the pandemic, and the unique culture it fostered.

14 | 2021 Graduation Issue. The DePaulia.

Congratulations Class of 2021

from the faculty and staff of the School of Music

We wish you a happy and successful future!

THE 2021 G R ADUATING CL ASS LIST Georgiana Adams, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance+ | Constantine Alexander, Master of Music, Jazz Studies | Meghan Andreachi, Bachelor of Music, Music Education^ | Lucy Baker, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance> | Mallory Baker, Bachelor of Arts, Music> | Hannah Barnes, Master of Music, Composition* | Frank Bisconti, Bachelor of Arts, Music and Mathematical Sciences+ | Joseph Bricker, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Craig Buckner, Master of Music, Jazz Studies* | William Carroll, Master of Music, Jazz Studies* | Kianti Champion, Bachelor of Music, Music Education> | Bernini I-Cute Chan, Certificate in Performance, Music Performance | Wai Hou Thaddeus Chung, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance^ | Yi Mei Ciou, Certificate in Performance, Music Performance | Brendan Connell, Bachelor of Science, Sound Recording Technology | Kyle Cortes, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Marieke De Koker, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance^ | Nicholas DeLaurentis, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance+ | Emily DePalma, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Laura Duggan, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Omar Elmusa, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Thomas Farnsworth, Bachelor of Music, Music Education | Jade Ferrell, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Andrew French, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance+ | Stephen Giunta, Bachelor of Science, Sound Recording Technology | Stephanie Gubin, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance | Nicholas Guetterman, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance^ | Mary Halm, Master of Music, Jazz Studies* | Momoko Hasselbring, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance^ | Nathan Hatter, Bachelor of Music, Jazz Studies and Music Education^ | Jintao He, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Jacob Hellevik, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Sachina Hobo, Bachelor of Arts, Music+ | Erin Hogan, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance^ | Wan-Chun Hu, Certificate in Performance, Music Performance | Seok Hee Jang, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Torstein Johansen, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Malik Johnson, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance | Wesley Jones, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Sungjoo Kang, Certificate in Performance, Music Performance | Nicole Kelly, Bachelor of Music, Composition# | Brennan Kennedy, Bachelor of Music, Music Education | Erin Keppner, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Min Ha Kim, Certificate in Performance, Music Performance | Gilwoo Kim, Master of Music, Music Performance | Gabriel Krauter, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance+ | Hojung Lee, Master of Music, Music Performance | Eric Leise, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Chuang Li, Master of Music, Music Performance | Liya Ma, Certificate in Performance, Music Performance | Jack Macklin, Bachelor of Music, Jazz Studies | Connor Mannebach, Bachelor of Music, Jazz Studies+ | Erin Marc-Aurele, Bachelor of Music, Performing Arts Management> | Allison Marcella, Bachelor of Arts, Music and American Studies^ | Jordan Martin, Bachelor of Science, Sound Recording Technology and Japanese Studies | Adam Mead, Bachelor of Music, Music Education> | Nelson Jose Mendoza Hernandez, Certificate in Performance, Music Performance | Nicholas Mihalich, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance> | Miyu Morita, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance and Sound Recording Technology+ | Hannah-Grace Mowery, Bachelor of Music, Performing Arts Management | Paul Murray, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Lauryn Nelson, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance+ | Derek Novak, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Tzau-Yan Ou Yang, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance+ | Tyler Pacheco, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Samantha Peng, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Samuel Peters, Master of Music, Jazz Studies* | Jenna Pizer, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance^ # | Paul Roach, Bachelor of Music, Jazz Studies> # | Joel Rosen, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance^ | Jacob Rothermel, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Erik Rumsa, Bachelor of Science, Sound Recording Technology> | Declan Ryan, Bachelor of Music, Composition^ # | Nicholas Saldana, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Corina Santos, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Crystal Schneckenburger, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Thomas Schwartz, Master of Music, Jazz Studies* | Hee Woo Seo, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Jack Smith, Bachelor of Music, Jazz Studies> | Clark Sommers, Master of Music, Jazz Studies* | Bethany Sorman, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance^ # | Hannah Spear, Master of Music, Music Performance | Annika Sundberg, Certificate in Performance, Music Performance | Timothy Sutton, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance> | Brent Taghap, Certificate in Performance, Music Performance | Peter Tearse, Bachelor of Music, Jazz Studies and Music Education^ # | Michael Thompson, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Kevin Thurman, Bachelor of Science, Sound Recording Technology | Cristian Torres, Bachelor of Music, Music Education+ | Breanna Vazquez, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance+ | Michael Velasquez, Master of Music, Music Education* | Kyleen Villines, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance+ | Allison Webb, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Yu Chao Weng, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Aaron Wolf, Bachelor of Music, Jazz Studies and Performing Arts Management^ | Vincent Wong, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance^ | Claire Wright, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Lina Mar Yamin Noronha, Certificate in Performance, Music Performance | Wanees Zarour, Master of Music, Jazz Studies* | Paul Zmick, Master of Music, Music Performance* * With Distinction |

#

Honors Program | + Cum Laude |

>

Magna Cum Laude | ^ Summa Cum Laude

2021 Graduation Issue. The DePaulia. |15

St.Vincent’s

D e JAMZ “Spinning fresh beats since 1581”

By Emma Oxnevad Online Managing Editor

When I took over writing DeJamz my junior year, I severely underestimated how difficult it would be to come up with both a new theme each week and maintain variety within my song selection. Despite my best efforts, I admit that I failed at the latter; as Arts & Life Editor Nate Burleyson pointed out just last week, I have included a Phoebe Bridgers song in the playlist for the last seven-odd new lists.

For this week, however, the theme is simple, if not totally obvious: graduation! As I prepare to say goodbye to my time at DePaul, and more importantly The DePaulia, I’ve been feeling very sentimental, listening to songs about growth and moving on and all that sappy stuff.

For my final DeJamz, here are some of my favorite songs about saying goodbye and starting anew. And for those of you who have stuck with me and read my lists each week (although I’m doubtful that any of you exist), thank you.

“All I Want”- Joni Mitchell

This is something of a cliche graduation song, but that doesn’t make it any less beautiful. The instrumentation, lyrics and melody of this song are something to behold. It perfectly captures the turbulence of being young and unsure of yourself, while also allowing some romanization of such feelings. I may not know what my next step is, but I hope it is as good as this song makes uncertainty sound.

song on DeJamz? As mentioned, I’m not always the best at picking a super diverse collection of songs, but it’s my list, damn it. While I have long since stopped caring about high school (as you all should), the sincerity behind this song gets me every time. When I think of myself at the beginning of college compared to the end, I feel similar to Swift narrating her freshman year in high school, and I think 18-year-old me just really needs a hug. If you’re feeling nostalgic or just in the mood for a great country ballad, this is the song for you.

“Doctor My Eyes”- Jackson Browne While previous songs on this list have made uncertainty sound beautiful and fancy-free, it’s not all that fun!

This is still an uptempo, pleasant track, but the lyrics capture the confusion that comes with not knowing what’s next.

This song has been one of my favorites since early high school and I’m going to continue to play it to death.

As I live and breathe! A Taylor Swift

I’m not above admitting that I’m a little sad about graduating. While I

When I was a senior in high school, I played all of “Blue” by Joni Mitchell to death and it remains my favorite album to this day. The opening track off the album, “All I Want,” is ostensibly about an uncertain romance, but still captures the feelings of post-graduate unpredictability. Mitchell’s voice — which I know is not for everyone — sounds gorgeous on this track, freely moving over the steady guitar melody.

“Closer to Fine”- Indigo Girls

“Fifteen” (Taylor’s version) Taylor Swift

PHOTOS FROM WIKI

know it’s the right time to go, I can’t help but be nostalgic for my time at DePaul — specifically my pre-Covid experience.

I didn’t know what to expect when I started at DePaul, but I never could have imagined the fun I would have and the amazing people I would meet. This song is all about remembering the best times of your life, and I know DePaul was one of mine.

“Golden Days”- Whitney

Column: Here’s looking at you, DePaul

By Emma Oxnevad Online Managing Editor

COMMENTARY My first day at DePaul, I sat at my desk underneath my lofted bed in my dorm, staring at the wall. My family had just left after a long day of moving in and both of my roommates were out having fun elsewhere. For the first time in my life, I was on my own.

Unsure of my next move, I texted the group chat made up of my high school friends “my family just left, what do I do now?”

A mix of exhaustion from the move and crippling anxiety kept me in that chair for much of the afternoon, but I eventually got sick of myself and decided to head out for a walk, taking in what would be my home for the next

four years.

As I circled around DePaul’s compact Lincoln Park campus, I began to wonder which locations would end up mattering the most to me, who I would meet and how I would change. I had no idea where the next four years would take me, but I remember hoping that I would either see only improvements or no changes at all.

At the end of my college career, I can’t help but find that sentiment ridiculous. Throughout my time at DePaul, I have experienced falling outs with old friends, heartbreak, loss and — like all of us — the unexpected end of a traditional education due to Covid-19.

My life now is almost entirely different from when I started at DePaul, from where I live to the issues that keep me up at night. It’s hard to notice change whilst living through it, but in hindsight, it’s staggering.

I couldn’t have predicted the hardships — both personal and global — that occurred over the past four years.

But I also couldn’t have predicted the joy I’ve experienced.

While at DePaul, I met my best friend, developed skills for my chosen field and found a community within the walls of The DePaulia newsroom. I embarrassed myself every now and then, but I can’t say I have very many regrets, aside from lamenting the loss of the last year and a half to the pandemic.

I never know when it’s time to leave; I’m often the last one at the party longer after it dies because I don’t want to miss out or shortchange my experience. But I know my time at DePaul is up and I now have to transition into the proverbial real world, without the safety blanket of college.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared.

At the time of publication, I don’t have a

post-graduate job lined up or really any idea where my life will be in one year.

But if the last four years have taught me anything, it’s that change is not only inevitable, but often necessary.

I am of course going to miss the freedom of college — the kind of freedom that happens when you don’t have to find a job — but I also know that longing for the past prevents one from living their future. It’s time to go, and I’m doing so with my head held high, cautiously optimistic for the future.

I’m not sure what post-graduate life will hold for me, but I do know I am never again going to be the girl in the dorm, staring at the wall because she doesn’t know her next move. Instead, I’ll head outside and see what is out there for me.

16 | 2021 Graduation Issue. The DePaulia.

BECOME A DOUBLE DEMON! IN THE COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES (LAS), we are here for you with meaningful and exciting graduate programs in a wide range of fields: COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES Arabic Chinese Critical Ethnic Studies English Literature and Publishing French German History Interdisciplinary Self-Designed Program International Studies Italian Japanese Public Health Refugee and Forced Migration Studies Social Work

Sociology Spanish Sustainable Urban Development Women’s and Gender Studies Writing and Publishing Writing, Rhetoric and Discourse Grace School of Applied Diplomacy Applied Diplomacy School of Public Service International Public Service Nonprofit Management Public Administration Public Policy Public Service Management

Applications are being accepted now for fall 2021.

All LAS master’s degrees qualify for the Double Demon Scholarship!

Visit go.depaul.edu/las for more information.

2021 Graduation Issue. The DePaulia. |17

The Grace School of

APPLIED DIPLOMACY Here, we are changing the face of diplomacy.

At DePaul, diplomacy is different. We know that diplomats come from all walks of life and do their work in diverse spaces. From the foreign service to community organizing, the world of business to the business of state, diplomats build bridges to address the complex, pressing issues of our time. Become a Double Demon Diplomat and help change the face of diplomacy.

To learn more about our graduate program and to check out Applied Diplomacy in TEDx DePaul 2021, go to go.depaul.edu/applieddiplomacy.

18 | 2021 Graduation Issue. The DePaulia.

2021 Graduation Issue. The DePaulia. |19

Tell me you go to DePaul without telling me you go to DePaul

By Sonal Soni Asst. News Editor

Earlier this year DePaul students, alumni and community members shared some of their favorite college memories.

From local eats to the best classrooms on campus, the DePaul community reflected on what it means to be a Blue Demon.

While campus life has shifted since the start of the pandemic, the DePaul experience has largely persisted. The school provided virtual opportunities including

Vincentian Service Day and Vinny fest, allowing students to get involved remotely. Going to college online has been a challenge for many, but DePaul students persisted through the difficulties imposed by the pandemic. Whether going to school in person, online or a combination of the two, DePaul students relate to the many shared experiences because it takes a Blue Demon to know a Blue Demon.

TWEETS FROM @DEPAULALUMNI

20 | 2021 Graduation Issue. The DePaulia.

YOU DID IT! CONGRATULATIONS, 2021 DEPAUL BUSINESS GRADUATES. WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU. From the faculty and staff of the Driehaus College of Business and Kellstadt Graduate School of Business.

2021 Graduation Issue. The DePaulia. |21

Soccer seniors reminisce on final season

By Ernesto Hernandez Asst. Sports Editor

The final whistle was blown for the DePaul men’s and women’s soccer teams on April 2 and April 4, respectively — both against Creighton. The final whistle is also set to be blown soon and bring to a close the career of those players graduating at the end of the quarter. Seniors Brayden Callipari and Adrian Walker are two student-athletes who find themselves in that position.

Covid-19 disrupted and eventually cancelled college athletics in 2020. While they returned in 2021, the new season brought plenty of changes. In the case of soccer, it led to the creation of geographical divisions with the Blue Demons being part of the Midwest division of the Big East conference.

“It was definitely tough but I think everyone made the proper accommodations,” Callipari said. “I think mostly everyone was just happy that we got to play so regardless of how difficult it was to get to training on certain days, at six in the morning or the hour-long bus drives, that’s not enjoyable for anyone, but we were all just happy at getting an opportunity to have a season.

Strange, but definitely enjoyable still.”

Callipari became a mainstay for DePaul when he joined the team after playing his freshman year at Wisconsin. In his first season with the Blue Demons, he started 13 of the team’s 15 matches.

Despite this year’s changes, it still allowed Callipari to finish out his senior season and, in a way, go out on his own terms.

“In a sense, yes,” Callipari said. “It was definitely bizarre this last season but we still made it happen. We got to do what we wanted to do in the end. There was obviously obstacles to overcome but at least getting the opportunity to play during my actual senior season was a privilege. I think all the seniors are happy to be leaving in a better place than when he first arrived.”

Getting to play out the final season, even a shortened one, was important for the seniors — particularly for Walker.

The defender missed the entirety of the Blue Demons’ 2019 season after she suffered an ACL injury. She played eight matches this past season and was a key member of the DePaul defense.

“It was very, very important to me,” said Walker. “I remember Erin [Chastain] was talking to the three of us — me, Bina Saipi and Avery Hay — we were all fifthyear redshirts who had gotten hurt at some point in our career so we were sort of all in the same boat debating whether or not to come back.”

“Everything was so up in the air but I think I pretty much always knew I wanted to come back because my final season was cut short and knowing that I had worked so hard to be able to get back to a playing level and having that last year not happen, I wanted a season ending that I had at least a little bit of control over.”

Walker was able to do just that, albeit within the limitations of Covid-19 protocols. Still, her determination to return earned her DePaul’s Comeback Athlete of the Year Award.

“Being able to win it with Angela Scalzitti, who is a senior on the softball team, I remember both of us in and out the training room, we would see each other all the time,” Walker said. “We would laugh and roll our eyes like ‘here we go again, another one of those days.’ That definitely makes it special. Obviously, nobody ever wants to get injured and that’s not something that anybody strives for but to be

ERIC HENRY | THE DEPAULIA

DePaul senior defender Adrian Walker battles a Marquette player for the ball on March 7 at Wish Field.

XAVIER ORTEGA | THE DEPAULIA

DePaul senior defender Brayden Callipari dribbles past a Loyola defender on Sept. 24, 2018 at Wish Field. The Blue Demons lost the game 1-0. recognized for the work that you put in off the field, to be able to return, that felt pretty cool.”

In addition to winning this year’s Comeback Athlete of the Year Award, Walker was named to the Big East All-Academic Team in 2016-17, 2017-18 and 201819. She was also selected for the 2018 AllBig East Second team.

Both Callipari and Walker are leaving with fond memories of their time with the soccer program. Walker looks back at her

freshman season, which she calls her best year in the program, and remembers being scared as a new player. However, she was quickly put at ease thanks to the welcoming seniors on the team. Thinking back from then to now, she sees it as things coming full circle.

As for Callipari, one of his fondest memories includes a game in which he didn’t play. It was the March 13 home game against Creighton, which DePaul won 2-1.

“Being able to watch the rest of the guys

put in a performance like that was pretty spectacular,” Callipari said. “It allowed me to see all the progress that we’ve made as a program over the past three years that I’ve been here. Even though I wasn’t directly involved it was still pretty amazing just to see all the things we’ve been working on finally come together and get a huge win against Creighton at home.”

With their undergraduate careers coming to a close, both had an opportunity to play an extra season because of the NCAA’s extra year of eligibility due to Covid-19.

However, both declined as they have other things coming up on the horizon.

Walker will continue her academic career at DePaul as a graduate student, majoring in nursing. She’s set to get back in the swing of things on June 13. Callipari, on the other hand, was a finance major and has a job lined up after graduation at Fifth Third Bank.

To incoming freshmen, whether on the soccer team or not, Walker shared a few words of wisdom for them.

“Enjoy the journey of it all,” Walker said. “I think there are moments that things get very hard and you question whether or not you really want to be doing what you’re doing but at the end of the day, looking back on it, I’m proud of the work I put in, I’m proud of my teammates for the work they put in. When you’re in those hard moments, remember that there’s a bigger picture and this is just a small moment of your life where you get to do something extraordinary that not everyone gets to do.”

22 | 2021 Graduation Issue. The DePaulia.

CONGRATULATIONS!!

SCPS Graduates of the Class of 2021,

In an unprecedented year, you have demonstrated outstanding resilience and have successfully emerged as the newest members of our alumni family.

Congratulations and well done!

The Faculty and Staff of the School of Continuing and Professional Studies.

The

2021 Graduation Issue. The DePaulia. | 23

n o m e D e u Bl

Z I U Q

How well do you know DePaul University ?

By Emma Oxnevad Online Managing Editor

So, you just graduated from college. I’m sure the first thing you want to do is take another test!

While going to DePaul doesn’t make for the most traditional college experience, there are still enough “fun facts” you can whip out at social gatherings (people do that, right?). Put your degree — and your tuition dollars — to good use and see how well you know your university.

1.) What is President Esteban’s estimated total compensation for the 2018-2019 fiscal year? a) $1,765,984 b) $2,000,000 c) $1,094,427 d) 2,200,000

6.) Clifton-Fullerton Hall was recently renamed Ozanam Hall.

What was Clifton-Fullerton’s famous nickname? a) The streets b) Clifton Retirement Community c) Hotel Clifton d) Where fun goes to die

2.) Who of the following has NOT headlined FEST? a) Jesse McCartney and Logic b) Lil Yachty and 3OH!3 c) The Neighbourhood d) Beach Bunny

7.) Which “High School Musical” actor is a DePaul alum? a) Lucas Grabeel b) Monique Coleman c) Not Zac Efron, obviously d) Bart Johnson a.k.a. Coach Bolton

3.) True or False: DePaul lowered tuition on the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic a) True b) False

8.) Which of the following dorms has the wildest reputation? a) U-Hall b) Belden-Racine c) Corcoran d) Munroe

4.) How many members does the DePaul subreddit have? a) 3.6k b) 15k c) 450 d) There’s a DePaul subreddit?

5.) Which relative/spouse of a politician did NOT go to DePaul? a) Chasten Buttigieg b) Richard M. Daley c) Charlotte Pence d) Ella Emhoff

9.) What is DePaul’s reported graduation rate? a) 73% b) 48% c) 87% d) 28% 10.)True or false: DePaul used students for their “Here, We Do” marketing campaign and not 30-year-old models posing as students a) True b) False

Score 0-3: Are you sure you didn’t graduate from Loyola?

Score 4-7: You’re probably a normal student!

Score 8-10: We found our school spirit!

You struck out, big time (that’s a sports reference, I’m aware that it may go over the head of the more artistically inclined students). You seem to know very little about DePaul, which is a bit of a bummer considering that you just got a degree from there! I can’t say I blame you though; when the city is your campus, it’s hard to keep track of so much trivia.

Congratulations, you landed somewhere in the middle! You likely keep up with campus affairs but aren’t clued into some of the more bizarre facts about the university. I’m going to guess that you are a typical DePaul student, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that!

Congratulations! You know DePaul really well, which honestly is not an easy feat. There have been complaints over the years about a lack of school spirit, but you just may be the key to improving the morale on campus! It’s too bad you’re graduating…

ANSWER KEY: 1.) c - $1,094,427; 2.) d - Beach Bunny; 3.) b - False; 4.) a - 3.6k ; 5.) d - Ella Emhoff; 6.) c -Hotel Clifton; 7.) b - Monique Coleman; 8.) c - Corcoran; 9.) a- 73%; 10.) b - False