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Volume #102 | Issue #24 | April 30, 2018 | depauliaonline.com
Family of student who died after being struck by CTA still looking for answers By Amber Colón Editor-in-Chief
PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEX QUIROZ
Ricardo Quiroz studied finance at DePaul and was set to graduate in June. Quiroz had high hopes of helping his family become financially stable.
He was born laughing. Maria Quiroz, mother of DePaul student Ricardo Quiroz, said that her son will be remembered as someone who was always very happy. Quiroz, 24, was struck by a CTA Red Line train on Sunday, April 15 at 8:01 a.m. on the Near North Side. He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in critical condition where he died at 1:25 a.m. the following Tuesday. The train’s conductor was also taken to Northwestern for a psychological evaluation, according to Chicago Fire
Media Affairs. Set to graduate in June, Ricardo got his associate’s from Truman College before transferring to DePaul about two years ago. “He was excited to be at DePaul,” said Kenton Klaus, a professor in the Driehaus College of Business. Klaus had Ricardo in class last spring quarter for a career management course. He said he remembers Quiroz as a student who was “very sincere” and “very enthusiastic about life after college.” “The students I remember make an extra point to see me (...) to be successful in their career search,” Klaus said. Now, over two weeks later, the Quiroz
See RICARDO, page 4
Student Gov. elections were undemocratic By Benjamin Conboy Managing Editor
COMMENTARY It’s surprisingly easy to run for the President of the United States. You’re qualified to run if you are at least 35-years-old and a naturalborn citizen who has lived in the U.S. That, when combined with at least 270 electoral college votes, will deliver to you the highest office in the free world. This year’s field of Student Government Association (SGA) presidential candidates didn’t fare as well. After a backroom meeting between Lynch and Josh Kaufman/ Nick Darlington caused the ticket to inexplicably withdraw, the only ticket remaining was the Jack Evans/Katy Bozich campaign – endorsed by current SGA president Michael Lynch. But days later Evans was disqualified for “slander,” leaving only Bozich, who was ineligible without a running mate. She dropped out the next day. For a couple seconds, it looked like there would be no candidates for 2018 student council president, but then – alas! – Alex Bednar and running mate Ryan Witry announced they were running! Then, suddenly, they weren’t. Based on a technicality, the current SGA denied the legitimacy of their campaign, referring to a constitutional caveat that says a student has to have held a full term as an SGA representative. This leaves a grand total of zero qualified candidates running for president. There’s about 28,000 students at DePaul, but Covarrubias and Lynch deemed only a handful of
See SGA, page 4
CODY CORRALL | THE DEPAULIA
Students march to bring awareness to sexual assault on college campuses in this year’s Take Back the Night demonstration.
JOY IS COMING
Take Back the Night gives platform to survivors of sexual violence By Yazmin Dominguez Online Editor
On Wednesday evening, in room 302 of the Arts and Letters Hall, an intimate moment was taking place. Sitting in a circle gathered around bunches of white flowers, a heart shaped stone with the word “healing” engraved on its face and a glass figurine of a pink swan, fellow graduate students Fabiola Rosiles and Jax Witzig had just finished leading a community support circle. A few classrooms down the hall Ann Russo, Director of the DePaul Women’s Center and Hannah Retzkin, a Sexual and Relationship Violence and Prevention Specialist, did the same. It was all a part of DePaul’s annual Take Back the Night event, where students were able to come together in a safe space to discuss sexual assault and reflect on its aftermath. In their closing remarks after a heavy
session of discussion, Witzig cited a line from poet Kim Addonizio’s “To the Woman Crying Uncontrollably in the Next Stall”: “Listen, I love you. Joy is coming.” As Witzig finished reading, the group of assembled students wiped away tears and attempted to compose themselves. “Something about it almost makes me cry whenever I think about it because I feel like joy feels so far off sometimes when you’re a survivor,” Witzig said. “It feels incomprehensible, like you can’t experience that again, and that’s why I wanted to close out the event with this quote. It is possible to feel joy again and in fact it’s already on its way.” In a way, Addonizio’s last line captured the sentiment of the event: No matter someone’s gender or sexuality, whether straight, gay, trans, gender nonconforming, genderqueer, or anything else, the trauma for survivors – not victims – of sexual violence will subdue with time, and healing will persevere. At DePaul it is the hallmark event of
sexual awareness month, but Take Back the Night is a yearly tradition on college campuses nationwide. Beginning in March of 1976, the Take Back the Night Foundation is a nonprofit organization that aims to bring public awareness to an unfortunate reality that many university students experience during their college years: that of sexual assault and sexual violence. “I always think of sexual assault as this ink stain that spreads and touches all of us no matter what, even if we think we don’t know anyone. And if we’ve never experienced, it still impacts us, so this event is very visible in public,” Retzkin said. “It shows that sexual violence is not tolerated and we want to move forward with creating a society in which that does not happen. We’re all part of the problem, but we’re part of the solution too.” This year at DePaul, organizers of Take Back the Night decided to
See TBTN page 5
2 | News. The DePaulia. April 30, 2018
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News. The DePaulia. April 30, 2018 | 3
‘Join The Club’
The Pill Club promises to deliver on low-cost, free birth control and Plan B By Mackenzie Murtaugh Opinions Editor
In college, making your sexual health a priority is fundamental. Yet many students encounter problems when it comes to keeping up with it; for students at DePaul who use birth control, obtaining a refill presents a major problem if their prescription is from their hometown doctor. Even making a trip to Planned Parenthood for their free birth control can cause scheduling issues for a busy student. Birth control delivery services have made their way into our culture, where anything from toilet paper to McDonald’s can be delivered right to our front steps. The company The Pill Club (TPC) provides this service in 46 states, including Illinois, for free, where it makes monthly deliveries of contraceptives and other vitals like condoms, vitamins and emergency contraceptives with little-to-no cost to the patient. Through their app, TPC is able to provide this service by cutting out the middleman – the pharmacy. By offering various forms of birth control, including the pill, patch and ring, their on-sight pharmacy encourages faster access to prescriptions. Their pharmacy includes a team of educated pharmacists and nurse practitioners who help to ensure the right birth control for the right person. With the pharmacy taken care of on their end, the patient no longer has to dread waiting in a line, or even worse, getting to the pharmacy just after their blinds go up. For college students, access to adequate sexual healthcare can be difficult. DePaul students know this well, since the school doesn’t provide contraceptives or STD testing on campus. Students are instead referred to off-campus facilities, lessening their access to it. In addition, given that U.S. health education programs do not to devote a great deal of time to sexual health, many remain uneducated on the risks of not using contraceptives. Services like TPC can provide more accessibility to these necessary resources, thereby making students safer. The cost of birth control remains the biggest issue for college students. Many can barely afford their rent or groceries, let alone contraceptives, and some students are uninsured. But representatives from TPC say the company aims to alleviate some of the burden, in part by offering free delivery services. “For our insured patients, the great thing about it is (...) our own team will check to see your insurance has it totally covered; all you have is the copay which we potentially cover,” said Sandy Wang, one of the company’s nurse practitioners. “For the patients who aren’t insured, the wonderful thing about it is, because we have our own on-sight pharmacy, we are able to provide birth control at honestly a very low cost that is so competitive.” Wang says that, on average, the pill from the pharmacy can cost around $10-15 per month for insured patients, and that number can skyrocket for those without insurance. But with The Pill Club, insured patients can pay less than $70 a year for their prescription. This can help uninsured students gain peace of mind, providing them with access to low-cost birth control without a doctor’s appointment that might otherwise
drive them into a financial hole. “Accessibility is the biggest benefit and the most important thing when it comes to birth control,” said Jenni Holtz, co-leader of the unofficial student group Students for Reproductive Justice. In today’s political climate, this accessibility sometimes feels like it is dwindling. That’s why the company also advocates for independence in women’s sexual health. According to one of TPC’s founders, when women are able to take control of their sexual health, they gain a freedom of choice that empowers them in their lives. “We want to empower our patients with the freedom to decide,” said Manbir Sodhia, head of Digital Strategy and one of the founding members of TPC. “We are not just offering a service and a functionality. We’re trying to create a movement around birth control and
“We’re trying to create a movement around birth control (...)”
Manbir Sodhia,
The Pill Club
create a support system within the network with a safe space, where people can talk about this and see all the people who are going through the same situations as them.” The debate around contraceptives rages on in the U.S. political arena. In October 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced new rules that allow businesses and nonprofits to claim religious and moral obligations to obtain an exemption from
the Obamacare birth control mandate. This mandate states that employers must cover women’s birth control with no copay. As of April 2018, religious employers “don’t have to cover contraceptive methods and counseling” and employers from re l i g i ou s nonprofit organizations “don’t have to contract, arrange, pay, or refer for contraceptive coverage,” according to the U.S. Healthcare website. The issue is viewed on one side as a war on women that seeks to control of their health; on the other side it’s viewed as a war on religious freedom. Sodhia said TPC doesn’t wish to align t he ms elve s with political leanings because they serve women on both ends of the political spectrum. The goal, she says, is to establish a culture in which the security of women’s health is no longer met with uncertainty. “We are hoping we can leverage a movement through getting more people on board and building a critical mass,” said Sodhia. “The more we grow, the more we will really have a voice at the table.” Despite the recent politics around sexual health, companies like TPC help to ensure that women are still able to access fast, free and low-cost birth control. While American culture sometimes seems to be working against women’s sexual health, the fact that TPC and similar companies have been able to get their foot in the door by providing personalized and attentive care shows that the conversation around women’s sexual health is, increasingly, headed in a more progressive direction.
4| News. The DePaulia. April 30, 2018 RICARDO continued from front family is still waiting to hear from the Chicago Police Department (CPD) or the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) about the cause of their son’s death. If Ricardo was pushed, if he fell, or if something more malicious occurred is still unclear. “The police haven’t told us anything,” Maria said. “The only thing that my husband retrieved in the hospital was his bag. The police told us that they couldn’t contact us because they did not have our information.” But Ricardo had his license, his Social Security card, his student ID and his credit cards on him. “We are very suspicious of what happened,” Maria said. “(The police) haven’t bothered to call us.” Maria said that Univision Chicago called her family on Thursday to ask if they’d like to pursue an investigation to find out what really happened. Not even the CTA has reached out to the Quiroz family. “The least they could do is show us the video footage of what happened, how (Ricardo) ended up on the tracks, how much time he spent there,” she said. “There’s much here that doesn’t make sense.” Maria said that even Ricardo’s hospital records are faulty; two different times of death are listed. “We’re okay now because there is nothing more that we can do,” Maria said. “He is already gone. We only want to know what happened in his last moments.” Eloy Quiroz, Ricardo’s father, said that his family is going to be seeking out a lawyer to find answers. Eloy said that he wants communication between his family and the authorities to be made more clear. “I’m certain that this was an accident because he didn’t have a single enemy,” he
said. “That’s what we know and believe.” An alum of Kelly High School, Ricardo grew up in Chicago in the South Side neighborhood of West Lawn. Ricardo was a member of Midwest Association of Hispanic Accountants (MAHA). In his free time, Ricardo would skateboard with his younger brother, Alex, and their friends. “He wanted to create financial stability for our parents not only in terms of providing for them but assisting them with their finances,” Alex said. “My parents are immigrants (...) we’re first-born U.S. citizens, so he cared a lot about the stability of our family.” While Ricardo was attending Truman, he worked part-time with his father, who works about 60 hours a week at a nearby bread factory. Eloy moved to Chicago from his home state of Puebla, Mexico in 1988. Several years later in 1993, Maria joined him and the couple had their first son, Ricardo. Maria, who is from a state of Mexico called San Antonio del Rosario, got her degree in business administration. Today, she works as an aide for special needs students in Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Maria said that Ricardo would always make it a point to ask his mother about her day, since her job can be very emotionally taxing. “He always hugged me when he got home and he said, ‘Mom, you don’t know how much I love you,’” Maria said. The two would go back and forth, arguing over who loved the other more. “That’s why I don’t understand why he left us so soon,” Maria said. “He had a very forward-moving life. He wanted to travel and he had plans to go to Australia. He was a very loving kid and very responsible.” “I would say he was the glue (of our family),” Alex said. “He’s just a compassionate
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PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEX QUIROZ
Ricardo and his brother Alex pose for a photo in front of the Temple of Kukulkan in Yucatán, Mexico.
and empathetic person.” Maria said that her children were a trio — they did everything together. Alex, in particular, always followed Ricardo’s lead. She said that Nancy, the youngest of the family, always had lots of dolls of her own, but she rarely played with them because she was always playing with Ricardo and Alex. “Me and my brother identify as skateboarders. We love skateboarding,” Alex said. “That’s what we spent the last ten years of our life doing and working towards, is just more time skateboarding together. I’d like for him to be remembered as a kindhearted, funny dude.” Ricardo always had an adventurous and
carefree spirit. He had plans to visit Australia and get to know Europe. “It’s very hard to live with this,” Eloy said. “He had a lot of goals, he was very responsible. He had a bright future.” In January, his father said, he had two jobs where he was working full-time and went to school full-time. Sometimes, he would work weekends doing valet parking. Eloy said his family will feel more at peace once they have more answers. He said that he is seeking justice because he does not want something like this to happen in the future and for it to go without being investigated. “He didn’t deserve this,” Eloy said.
SGA continued from front
were set to close. Hashemian and Hoey are bound to win in an uncontested election, since they are the only candidates who were qualified to run. This whole election has been, for lack of a better word, a shit show. The SGA administration has proven themselves to be unworthy of our students’ trust and the candidates have all proven themselves to be unworthy of our votes (not that we would even be afforded the opportunity to let our voices be heard at the polls anyway). The student body was disallowed from voting for the candidates that they wanted, due to the candidates’ own inabilities, the current SGA administration’s revocation of write-in candidates and their silly rule of prerequisite prior service that could inspire patronage. Even the U.S. Constitution foregoes this requirement. This election was carried out in denial of democratic election norms. If an election for public office played out as horrifically as this one did, it would likely culminate in criminal charges. When this election began, for a brief moment I was encouraged. I thought we had two starkly different candidates, representing two different sects of DePaul ideologies. In the first and unfortunately only debate between the candidates, we saw Kaufman and Evans square off on truly important issues at DePaul, of which we all know there are many. They civilly disagreed and both seemed like they had genuine goals for their presidency. For a brief second, I was hopeful SGA would actually accomplish something meaningful next year. Maybe Hashemian and Hoey will have the courage to reform the broken electorate system that unduly handed them the presidency. Maybe next year the DePaul electorate will have the opportunity to choose our own candidates and not have them be chosen for us. Maybe we will also be blessed with a field of candidates who can submit a form on time. Maybe.
them worthy enough to represent the rest. There’s a reason the framers of the Constitution left out previously holding elected office as a prerequisite for the presidency: Because those most familiar with the powerful become those most influenced by power’s allure. Then, in a move that would certainly be more at home in a Russian presidential election than in a student council election, the Elections Operatbanned write-in candidates to keep out the undesirables – or perhaps to certify that the candidate that wins is one of their own. But Lynch and Covarrubias weren’t finished slashing the democratic norms of elections past. If voting had gone on this week, as it was supposed to, students would have had five full days to vote. Now, the current administration wants a little more time to find a candidate that they approve of, and they have pushed the election back to May 3-5. Three days. When they announced the new application deadline late on Wednesday night, candidates were given less than two days to file their intent to run. Now Nahal Hashemian and Emily Hoey have announced their ticket, presumably with the blessing of the current administration; the former is Lynch’s chief of staff and the latter is a senator for the College of Education. Remember Kaufman? The guy who withdrew from the race after the backroom meeting with Lynch? He threw his hat back in the ring. But Kaufman and Darlington failed to submit proper election materials (which include simple forms) by the new application deadline, so they were out of the race for the second time in as many weeks. Apparently, filling out a form in the allotted two days proved to be too hard for the would-be president. On Friday evening the election was over, a mere week before the new elections
News. The DePaulia. April 30, 2018| 5
CODY CORRALL | THE DEPAULIA
CODY CORRALL | THE DEPAULIA
Students march south down Fullerton towards during the Take Back the Night march on April, 25.
YAZMIN DOMINGUEZ THE DEPAULIA
The Women’s Center created zines with resources and healing practices for attendees to take.
TBTN continued from front take an intersectional approach to the pervasiveness of sexual violence on college campuses. “Often sexual assault is shaped, informed, combined or intersected with racism, homophobia, xenophobia, ableism and other forms of oppression,” Russo said. By taking an intersectional approach to sexual assault, the organizers sought to bring to light many other forms of injustice, all of which can be mentally, emotionally and physically traumatic to an individual. The intersectional theme was fitting, since it also reflected the organizing process behind this year’s Take Back the Night event; for the first time at DePaul, it was not organized by student group Feminist Front, due to most students having graduated, but rather by a number of oncampus departments. Retzkin from the Office of Health, Promotion and Wellness and Russo from the Women’s Center stepped in, working together with the Office of Multicultural Student Success, Fraternity and Sorority life and the Department of
Graduate student Jax Witzig introduce themselves to a group of students before reading a poem.
CODY CORRALL| THE DEPAULIA
Take Back the Night is an annual event taking place on college campuses nationwide.
Residential Education to make the event happen. Student groups Advocating for Sexual Assault Prevention (ASAP) and Students for Reproductive Justice (SRJ) also helped organize the event. “It was a hundred percent collaborative. I'm the one who brought everyone around the table, but everyone around the table has equally contributed to the event,” Retzkin said. “I felt that collaboration makes a lot of sense with this topic. I felt it would be good to include other campus partners around the conversation.” While Retzkin and Russo have been planning Take Back the Night since February, on April 25 the day began with two students from the Women’s Center putting together the 20 anonymously submitted stories from students in which they recounted instances of sexual violence in their lives. The stories were taped next to affirmation art pieces on three white boards, which each contained a word from the phrase, “We Believe You.” The art installation served as the backdrop for the rally that took place in the pit of the Schmitt Academic Center. Promptly at 5 p.m. students and passersby took a seat to listen to survivors’ stories. One of the speakers was Amy Weider, a founding member of Students for Reproductive Justice. She vocalized her grievances with DePaul’s lack of sexual health support. “Awareness only does so much. I’d like to ask DePaul, where is my free STI testing on campus for me after my rape or whenever I need it? Because if you choose not to hand out condoms for your students’ sexual health, you better be prepared to deal with the aftermath.”
“I
think events like these really prove to people that you can come together and really care about each other.” Jax Witzig
Graduate student
Student and Clifton-Fullerton RA Kelly Garcia spoke on behalf of the office of Residential Education. “The bridge between survivors and professional staff members has often been hard to cross. It has often been overburdened with administrative red tape and silence (...),” Garcia said. “The department of residential education is not perfect. Even as student workers we make mistakes, but we will also make waves, creating spaces of community and safety.” After people shared their stories and expressed their support, the rally dispersed. Around 20 students filed out of the SAC onto Kenmore Avenue. with Retzkin leading the group of chanting students carrying handmade signs. The march ended in the Arts and Letters Hall, where Russo and Witzig were waiting for the marchers to begin the second portion of the night: the community support, or healing, circles. “This event proved to me that I am not alone, that there are so many people literally around the world that are rooting for survivors and just wanting us to have these beautiful luscious futures,” said Witzig. “I think events like these really prove to people that you can come together and really care about each other. These events don't happen enough, but at least they prove something. They prove these connections exist.”
6| News. The DePaulia. April 30, 2018
Career Center opens program, provides students with professional clothing By Marrissa De La Cerda Contributing Writer
When Leonel Torres started working at DePaul’s Career Center as a customer service coordinator, he had the idea of creating a program designed to offer students professional clothing for interviews, job or internship fairs, and networking events. “Working through all of these obstacles that come with finding your first job, you find that what you’re wearing isn’t always at the top of your list,” he said.” With graduation coming up in June, students are beginning to search for postcollege internships and jobs. They’re gathering materials such as resumes, cover letters, portfolios, references but they’re not focusing on how to dress for an interview. The real issue is not many students know how to dress for interviews nor can they always purchase the appropriate clothing. Now, two years after Torres’s initial idea, the Career Center is offering a new solution: Career Closet. “When I first started here as a full-time employee, I was looking to donate some professional clothing to DePaul students,” he said. “But I found that there was no program or source on campus to do that at.” TIMOTHY DUKE | THE DEPAULIA Torres then sought out to create a The Career Center opened a new career closet features both women’s and mens professional clothing and accessories donated by students and others. program designed to offer students free professional clothes for their interviews Thomas says she advises students to ask and networking events. He began looking what the dress code is before going in to an around DePaul for funding opportunities interview. “Even if the employer says casual, and someone who might help him get the I suggest dressing your normal casual looks funding for the program. Two years later, he up,” she said. “Pairing a pair of pants with a and Jen Fleming, the College of Education nice blouse and blazer or button-down shirt Career Advisor, were able to find a grant, with a tie if you’re a man would be a great receive donations from various DePaul staff casual yet professional outfit.” members and purchase the necessary items Thomas also says students should needed to pilot Career Closet. consider the age of the interviewer. The new program is located in the “The hiring staff or interview are likely a Schmitt Academic Center in room 151 and generation above students searching for is currently in its pilot phase, working out jobs right now,” she said. “Generation X are minor kinks and testing how students use used to interviewing in suits so they’ll likely it. Career Closet opened on April 16th and be looking for the same in their potential Torres said there were several students who employees (male and female).” found the appropriate clothing they needed Torres agrees that suits are the ideal within the wardrobes and shelves. outfits for men but a good, reasonably The closet priced suit is hard to contains two come by for college wardrobes: one students. containing women’s “Right now, clothing ranging we’re really lacking from professional suits because they’re blouses, dresses hard to find for all to blazers, and the the students.” He’s other contains men’s hoping within the clothing with dress next few months pants, shirts and they get more suits in jackets. There is also the donations for the a storage shelf that next academic year contains a variety as well as a variation of dress shoes and Customer service coordinator of sizes. Donations ties. Students are are accepted at the entitled to four Career Center Monday items an academic year. through Friday. “The point of this is to help students Amenah Jaffrey, a senior at DePaul make a great first impression and if the majoring in Finance, says the Career Closet clothes aren’t up to par, we’re doing them a is a great resource needed amongst students. disservice,” he said. Though she hasn’t used it, she heard about Showing up to an interview dressed it from friends and wished it had been inappropriately is a good way to get off on available earlier on in her academic career. the wrong foot with a potential employer. “If Career Closet was there when I Becky Thomas, an adjunct professor at was a sophomore I would totally use it! I’m the Driehaus College of Business who graduating this spring so I probably won’t TIMOTHY DUKE | THE DEPAULIA The career closet is located in the Schmitt Academic Center in Lincoln Park and opened April 16th. specializes in career development, agrees. use it but think it’s a strong resource.” “That day is about showcasing how She said that freshman and sophomores professional you are, not how stylish and would get the most use of it since they advertised during classes or student more about student needs. Additionally, flashy you are.” She said that an interview have no real knowledge of how to dress organizations host the founder to speak he’s hoping to expand Career Closet to the loop campus but will wait to see how the should be focused on your experience for interviews or networking events. “For about it.” results from the pilot phase come out before Career Closet is currently available and the contribution you can make to that students attending the career fairs, the career seeking additional funding. to all students. Walk-ins are welcomed organization. “Dressing too flashy or too closet is really useful,” she said. Additionally, “It’d be a dream to expand to both during Career Center business hours or an casual could distract from that or worse, she thinks it should be better advertised to campuses and offer everything that student’s appointment can be made with career_@ lead to the employer tying in how you dress students. need, ” he said. depaul.edu. Torres is looking to set up with how you are as an employee.” “I think students will use it if its specific hours for the program once he learns
“The point of this is to help students make a great first impression and if clothes aren’t up to par, we’re doing them a disservice.” Leonel Torres
News. The DePaulia. April 30, 2018| 7
Rep. Mike Quigley talks Russia, fake news with DePaul students a flip phone. “I occasionally will borrow a phone and pay that person for it,” he said, noting that when he travels to intel meetings, he and other members of congress receive burner phones that are checked for hacks at the end of the meeting before being thrown away. With regards to so-called “fake news,” Quigley said the Russians are skilled at seeding disinformation “to attack journalists’ integrity.” He spoke specifically of an incident roughly 10 months ago, where he said he and other members of Congress were told a story by an elected official in Europe that “fit right into the mode of the (Steele) dossier.” Although it ended up being untrue, he said it nonetheless impressed on him the importance of intense vetting before releasing a story to the media. “There’s really good stories that have been waiting for a long time, because they’re not sure,” he said. “I think we need to understand just how historic this is and how important the press has become.” Quigley mentioned his fact-finding trip to Cypress earlier this month, where he looked into money laundering. Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and his business partner Richard Gates were indicted last year for money laundering and other financial crimes; Gates pleaded guilty in February. “Watergate was a burglary, followed by a conspiracy, followed by a coverup … if that was algebra, this is advanced calculus,” he said. Towards the end of the event, Marin asked Quigley a question written by a student in her class: “Your district is one of the most gerrymandered districts in the state. Would you sacrifice your own seat to ensure a fairer drawing of district lines?” “No. I think you put it at risk,” Quigley quickly responded, adding that the General Assembly draws the district maps in Illinois. “Is it fair to say Mike Madigan draws
By Brian Pearlman Staff Writer
“I never imagined that I, in D.C., would tell journalists that their iPhones and their emails aren’t safe … You’re under attack. We’re under attack.” That’s according to Democratic Rep. Mike Quigley, who represents over 700,000 people in the 5th Congressional District – a position he’s held since 2009. The district includes the North side of Chicago as well as suburbs to the north and west of the city such as Norridge, Franklin Park and Oak Brook Terrace. He is also a member of the House Intelligence Committee, where he has made headlines for his highly critical remarks regarding the Trump administration and what he has seen to be a lackluster response from Republicans regarding the Russia probe. He made the comments during a small event for DePaul student media and members of Carol Marin and Don Moseley’s Advanced Reporting class on Tuesday, April 24. Topics of discussion during the moderated event included his concerns about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, why he uses burner phones whenever he can and his thoughts on political gerrymandering in Illinois. “When the Russia investigation got very heated, I told a lot of journalists to not trust any of these things. Don’t call me on an iPhone that you want to protect, don’t put their name in an email … that’s a different world, folks, and you have to be aware of it,” he said, referring to Russia’s government and intelligence apparatuses. Asked by Marin how he handles sensitive conversations with reporters and key officials, without the use of iPhones and emails, Quigley responded that he prefers to speak in person or use “the dumbest technology I can find,” which he said is often
8
BRIAN PEARLMAN | THE DEPAULIA
Congressman Quigley talks about all things journalism with DePaul’s Advanced Reporting students.
your maps?” asked Marin, to chuckles from the room. Quigley refrained from criticizing the longtime Speaker of the House, saying only that Madigan is more focused on the General Assembly and the House of Representatives rather than Congress, so he has consequently left drawing district maps to the senate. Quigley went on to admit that many districts in Illinois are gerrymandered, but he traced the origin of the practice to Republicans about a decade ago, who “were smart to focus on general assemblies across the country … that’s why they won the general assemblies and they drew the maps,” while Democrats were instead focused on winning seats in Congress. “You don’t want to unilaterally disarm,” he said. Finally, Quigley teased several Illinois
connections to look out for as the Russia investigation continues, including former Trump campaign foreign policy advisor and DePaul alum George Papadopoulos going before the House Intelligence Committee – assuming the house flips to the Democrats in January (“Papadopoulos was never before the committee – it’s a sin,” he said). Quigley also mentioned an interest in obtaining information from the estate of deceased Illinois Republican operative Peter Smith, who allegedly illegally obtained emails from Hillary Clinton’s computer server before taking his own life in May 2017 and embattled former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, who has ties to a cab company in Chicago. “It is an incredibly complicated web that has been spun for a really long time,” he said. “There’s a lot of journalistic prizes that’ll be won as we move along.”
CAMPUS CRIME REPORT: April 18 - April 24, 2018 f
LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS
LOOP CAMPUS Seton Hall 1
University Hall
4
Richardson Library
7
3
Corcoran Hall 5
8
3
DePaul Center
Student Center 3 8
9
2 2
6 4
LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS APRIL 18 1) A possession of cannabis report was filed
Assault & Theft
Drug & Alcohol
Richardson Library sign.
for a room in Seton Hall. Chicago Police were called to the scene.
4) A suspicion a marijuana report was filed for ar
APRIL 19 2) A retail theft report was filed for items taken
APRIL 22 5) A suspicion of marijuana report was filed for
from the Student Center.
APRIL 21 3) A graffiti report was filed for markings on the
oom in Seton Hall. No drugs were found.
a room in Corcoran Hall. No drugs were found.
APRIL 24 6) A harassment by electronic means report was filed for a person receiving unwanted emails.
7)
Other
An illegal consumpton of alcohol by a minor report was filed for a person in Unversity Hall. Chicago EMT and Chicago Police were called. 8) A battery report was filed in University Hall for a subject who struck another person with their fist.
LOOP CAMPUS APRIL 24 9) A graffiti
report was filed for markings discovered on the DePaul Center exterior as well as the plaze statue.
8| News. The DePaulia. April 30, 2018
Illinois college-aged residents, graduates flee state by thousands By Timothy Duke Asst. News Editor
By the tens of thousands, college-age residents in Illinois are fleeing rising property taxes, underfunded public schools, and desolate job opportunities; they are opting instead to attend out-of-state universities or seek employment where property taxes do not feast on their livability. Illinois is now the U.S. leader in exporting first-year students to outside colleges. In addition to this exodus of firstyears, graduates of universities in Illinois are having difficulty finding a job that can support the cost of living in Illinois or Chicago. Adjunct journalism professor John McCarron says that a major factor for the student exodus is because public universities in Illinois are not competitively priced with some of the surrounding states, like Iowa. In addition to unaffordable tuition, McCarron cites the state’s underfunded pension liabilities as an underlying cause for why Illinois has become unaffordable for many. “The elephant in the room is the pension situation,” McCarron said. “More and more of the tax money that would go to operating, like building roads or running the prisons, or running the state universities, are being drawn off to our pension obligations.” McCarron says the state constitution forbids limiting pensions already earned, but there could be policies in place to restrict future pension obligations. Emily Flock graduated from DePaul in 2017, when she moved to San Francisco to pursue better job opportunities and to find comfortable weather by getting away from VICTORIA WILLIAMSON | THE DEPAULIA Young Illinois residents have been leaving for surrounding states with cheaper public university tuition and lower property taxes in massive numbers. the frozen tundra that is Chicago. “I’m in mapping and geographic innovative and hard-working, they just need into the Loop and also the Near West Side to the South Loop that it has a certain cache information systems,” Flock said. “From a chance to succeed, and Governor Rauner and Fulton Market,” McCarron said. “I for being a hip, urban place to go to college,” what I’ve seen, most of the positions for the will work hard every day to ensure they can suspect what is behind it is the need to hire McCarron said. “Frankly, if you’ve been to major tech companies I want to work for are thrive after graduation.” Press Secretary for and keep a workforce that is digitally literate Columbus, Ohio or Champaign, Illinois, and can work with this big data which allows those are great universities, but who really outside of Chicago, mostly Silicon Valley, Rauner’s campaign Alex Browning wrote. wants to eat at the Pizza Hut every weekend J.B. Pritzker’s campaign, meanwhile, says for targeted marketing.” where I am now.” McCarron believes that while students when you have a vibrant, cultural, young While her living expenses are high in San that Rauner has failed to ensure affordable Francisco, Flock says that the job options public education. The campaign issued a are leaving in large numbers, the increase persons thing going on in Chicago.” in corporations establishing themselves McCarron says that DePaul could still give her more opportunity to advance in her statement to The DePaulia. “Bruce Rauner has led an all-out assault in Chicago will also bring in a young, stand to be more selective in their academic field. Looking back on her decisions thus far, recruitment. Flock says she may have gone to a different on our colleges and universities, slashing technically-minded workforce. McCarron says DePaul’s locations “There is some consolidation that is funding for these critical institutions, state if she could do college differently. “I wanted to be close to home and my forcing their bonds to junk status, and in highly sought city real estate helps to necessary, and I think DePaul would do parents,” Flock said. “I needed that safety driving students from our state with his keep students in Illinois, even as a private well to do like Loyola and move up the food chain of academic excellence.” attacks on MAP grants. university. net at that “(DePaul) moves so much of its campus I have comprehensive point in my plans to reverse life. But now the exodus of that I’m away, young people I almost regret from the state not leaving by providing sooner.” workers and Finding students with a solution to the tools they the hastening need for success. departure My plans would of Illinois provide quality, students equitable public has been a education central topic DePaul University Alumna, ‘17 and stable in the race for and affordable governor. Gov. higher education Bruce Rauner’s campaign issued a statement to The while expanding job creation DePaulia regarding their stance on keeping and economic opportunity for communities throughout graduates in the state. “Many recent graduates are burdened Illinois. By bringing stability to with student loans, they cannot afford to our state and investing in our wait for greater economic opportunity. But communities, I am confident we businesses in our state are slow to hire new can help our home-grown talent workers because they’re struggling with thrive and attract new talent to high taxes and burdensome regulations. Illinois.” McCarron says the influx That’s why Gov. Rauner is committed to making Illinois more economically of large corporations coming to competitive and ensuring the state has a Chicago is an optimistic turn for lower cost of living by reforming property the state’s future. “I can never remember all taxes and removing government mandates on local communities. Today’s students are theses corporations crowding
“From what I’ve seen, most of the positions for the major tech companies I want to work for are outside of Chicago.”
Emily Flock
News. The DePaulia. April 30, 2018 | 9
10 | Nation & World. The DePaulia. April 30, 2018
Nation &World Cuba's historic change in power
Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel during an April 23, 2018 meeting with the Bolivian president at Revolution Palace in Havana, Cuba.
RAMON ESPINOSA | POOL VIA AP
For the first time since 1961, a Castro is not in control of Cuba By Emily McTavish Contributing Writer
Cuba has new leadership, marking the first time in 60 years the nation is not being led by a member of the Castro family. The new Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, who came through the ranks of the Communist Party, has been largely unknown to the Cuban public and foreign politicians. The 58-year-old politician became the new president after Raúl Castro stepped down on April 19, 2018. In the U.S., however, there is doubt that relations with Cuba will improve, even with a new president. Tomás Bilbao, managing director of Avila Strategies and an expert on relations between the United States and Cuba, said this change in power is more than symbolic and represents a generational change. “Now how different he’ll be than Raúl, we’ll have to wait and see,” Bilbao said. Castro took over as head of the Cuban government from his older brother, Fidel, in 2008, and he will still remain the head of the Cuban Communist Party. Bilbao said the government’s policies and reforms will continue to be influenced by Castro and older members of the party. “I think principally what (Díaz-Canel) will be focusing on is maintaining political control while trying to jumpstart the economy,” Bilbao said. Paul Johnson, founder of Chicago Foods International and co-chair of United States Agriculture Coalition for Cuba, said he is also skeptical of the United States building a better relationship with Cuba and their new president.
“I think what is going to deter this relationship more than this new president is the tone, the rhetoric coming out of Washington D.C. right now,” Johnson said. President Donald Trump’s administration has rolled back many of the previous administration’s initiatives to improve relations with Cuba. Back in November, the president reinstated travel restrictions and released a new list of entities, like bars and hotels, that Americans are barred from doing business with. “It’s the wrong message across the board. It appeals to the nationalist sentiment within Cuba,” Johnson said. Under Castro’s reign, some enterprise businesses were freed from absolute state control. According to the Cuban Ministry of Labor and Social Security, 578,421 people were registered as self-employed as of October 2017. A majority of those self-employed people are working in activities supervised by Labor Ministry authorities. “It is a certain amount of retreat on their part to allow some level of capitalism operate in Cuba, but they think the benefits outweigh the disadvantages,” said Steve Eckhardt, co-coordinator of the Chicago Cuba Coalition and a self-identified socialist. The Cuban economy has long suffered from stagnancy. Analysis by the Brookings Institute released in February shows the average gross domestic product growth rate was 2.4 percent during Raúl Castro’s presidency. “(Cuba is) behind where they should have been in 1980 let alone 2018,” Bilbao said. According to the Brookings Institute, Cuban government
officials have recognized growth is less than half of the minimum annual growth necessary for Cuba to attain a sustainable future. Bilbao said increased foreign investment could assist the Cuban economy, and there is interest abroad in increasing investment on the island. Bilbao said the Cuban government has courted international businesses, but there has been little follow through. “Once again, it’s this fear from the Cuban government that is slowing down the progress of things they say were a priority,” Bilbao said. America has been at at a disadvantage with the decadeslong embargo set in place, Bilbao said, compared to other countries that have an easier time doing business in Cuba. States like Illinois, though, have been able to participate in limited trade under the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000. Under the act, agricultural commodities, medicine and medical supplies can be exported to Cuba. Johnson has been working to improve trade relations with Cuba, especially in agricultural exports,for more than 20 years. Johnson said Illinois has historically been instrumental in opening up relations, and the state has many economic opportunities for Cuba’s future. “If you look at how they want to evolve economically, soybeans and corn have a part of that,” Johnson said. “It aligns with Cuba’s interests because they can’t grow soybeans.” According to the Illinois Soybean Association, $50 million of American soybeans were exported to Cuba in 2017. In a statement, Illinois
ALEXANDRE MENEGHINI | POOL VIA AP Diaz-Canel has the full support of Fidel Castro's brother, Raul Castro.
Soybean Growers President Lynn Rohrscheib said,“We are looking forward to working with the new administration in Cuba to foster better relationships that help both our farmers and the Cuban peo The Chicago Cuba Coalition works to end the embargo and travel restrictions between the United States and Cuba, and the organization leads educational trips to the island. Travel to Cuba from the United States is restricted to 12 authorized categories, like educational trips, religious activities and humanitarian aid trips. According to the National Bureau of Statistics for Cuba (ONEI), travel by Americans to Cuba increased by more than 74 percent between 2015 and 2016. In March, the U.S. Department of Transportation proposed new flight routes to Cuba to reallocate routes that were awarded but given up. Both the United States and Cuba can operate up to 20 flights roundtrip daily. However, the State Department is warning Americans not to travel to Cuba since embassy workers in Havana succumbed to mysterious health
issues that were at first suspected to be the result of a sonic attack; the cause is currently unknown. Last year, the staff at the United States Embassy was cut by more than half, and members of the Cuban embassy staff in Washington were also evicted. Canada has also cut the number of staff at their embassy in Havana. For Johnson, increased travel restrictions and trust in Cuba could have an impact on Illinois exporting crops. “Cuba needs that food, not only to feed the 11 million people of Cuba, which is the same population of illinois, but they have 3 million tourists coming into the country who need to be fed,” Johnson said. Johnson said he remains optimistic about opening trade relations. He added that he has been working with farmers in the United States who are interested in trading their crops for Cuban commodities like winter vegetables or exotic fruit, which can’t be grown in Illinois. If trust is rebuilt between the two countries, “there’s a lot of synergy that could happen,” Johnson said.
Nation & World. April 30, 2018. The DePaulia | 11
Starbucks closing stores for "racial bias training" president and Direct-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund Staff Writer Sherrilyn Ifill. Other names that top the list are CEO of the AntiDon’t make any plans to drop Defamation League Jonathan by Starbucks on May 29 and grab Greenblatt and Heather McGhee, that morning chai latté, because former president of New Yorkthe company will be closing all based think tank and policy center 8,000-plus company-owned Demos. Starbucks has a history of American stores, including its branding itself as a progressive corporate offices, to conduct multinational corporation, with a mandatory racial-bias training prominent example dating back to that day. January 2017 when the company More than 170,000 employees stated it planned to hire 10,000 will take part in the training, and refugees over a five-year period in moving forward the training will all 75 countries of operation. be integrated into Starbucks’ newWhile the general idea behind hire process. racial-biased training might The training comes after an sound good to some, studies April 12 incident where two question the effectiveness of black men, Rashon Nelson and diversity training. Donte Robinson, were forcibly In 2016, Harvard Business removed from a Starbucks Review authors Frank Dobbin location by police in downtown and Alexandra Kalev published Philadelphia after they asked to “Why Diversity Programs Fail,” use the bathroom and then sat where they looked at 30 years down without ordering anything. of data from over 800 U.S. While its not certain if the firms and garnered interviews manager’s decision to call the with hundreds of executives police was racially motivated, and managers. They ultimately the incident received widespread concluded that diversity and backlash amid allegations of racial-bias training only has racial bias. positive effects for a day or two “Calling the police on two before sparking a backlash. black men is obviously a racially Additionally, in 2017 motivated move (…), but it’s not researchers from the University the most damaging or critically of Wisconsin-Madison used a alarming form of racism prevalent technique known as meta-analysis in corporations like Starbucks,” where they synthesized evidence said Keith Baltimore, a student from 494 implicit bias studies and minister in DePaul’s university over 80,000 ministries p ar t i c ip ant s , w h o concluding worked as that techniques a legislative requiring assistant participants and political to accept consultant innate biases on Capitol tended not to H i l l . translate well “Str uctural into behavioral racism is practices. far more A n d dangerous Lori Pierce, than a easily an associate excited store professor of manager African and calling the DePaul student minister Black Diaspora police.” Studies at Starbucks DePaul, also is expected to is skeptical that a structured take a huge financial hit as a result racial bias training system will of closing its doors. MarketWatch, immediately resolve tensions at a financial information website, the coffee chain. calculated that Starbucks is “Employees are the ones expected to lose roughly $12 who have the ability (and million in revenue on May 29 responsibility) to intervene when alone. And some critics are they see or are made to participate citing the money factor as one in practices that promote or of the main reasons Starbucks is exacerbate prejudice, bigotry or initiating racial-bias training.. discrimination,” Pierce said. “This “Clearly Starbucks has isn’t to suggest that corporations grasped the severity and negative don’t have a responsibility, but impact that bad customer service ‘training’ like this (…) is probably and the stigma of racism can a waste of time for the employees. have on profit,” Baltimore said. “I It might be better than nothing, think it’s a good move and strong but five hours in a conference show of humility on their part. room can’t change anything Ultimately (though), it’s just a about the history that created this big corporation trying to save its situation.” business from losing profits. They Despite past studies casting are not trying to reduce racism.” doubt on the effectiveness The details of the training of racial-bias training, some haven’t been released yet, but customers feel that it is the curriculum’s input is being nonetheless a step in the right influenced by a handful of direction for Starbucks. Some people. This includes Equal also also feel that more proactive Justice Initiative founder Bryan measures should be taken in order Stevenson, former U.S. Attorney to improve customer relations. General Eric Holder, and “I think their decision to have
By Evan Sully
“Removing
racism requires real counseling, therapy and moral guidance.”
Keith Baltimore
MICHAEL BRYANT | THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER VIA AP Activist Asa Khalif, left, stands inside a Starbucks, April 15 demanding the firing of the manager who called police resulting the arrest of two black men.
racial bias training will be great,” said Nicolina Mannino, a junior at DePaul. “However, I think they should focus on making sure everyone who comes into their stores feels comfortable and that something like this never happens again, not just at Starbucks, but at other big name corporations as well. It is one thing to talk about incorporating changes towards reducing the influence of bias, but taking action is much more important.” While Starbucks will still be a popular place to grab coffee, the company is definitely seeking to reduce any potential for a hostile store environment. Moving forward, it’s only a matter of time before employees and customers alike get to see if any real changes will come out of the racial bias training – let alone if other corporations will follow Starbucks’ lead. “If other corporations follow the Starbucks example, then racial bias training will quickly become a false barometer for corporate race-relations,” Keith said. “Removing racism requires real counseling, therapy and moral
VICTORIA WILLIAMSON | THE DEPAULIA
guidance. To remove racism, values, self-interest and notions of power and privilege must all be challenged (…) you cannot
force change on anyone who (is) increasingly advantaged by their position.”
MICHAEL BRYANT | THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER VIA AP Starbucks' Midwestern Regional Vice President discusses the company's issues with a Black LIves Matter activist.
12 | Opinions. The DePaulia. April 30, 2018
Opinions
Light-skinned Latinxs can be privileged, too
PHOTO COURTESY OF AP NEWSROOM
Selena Gomez came under fire after using #notjustahashtag to voice support for the March for Our Lives protest whenin 2016, she criticized the Black Lives Matter movement, saying that hashtags don't make results.
By Marissa de la Cerda Contributing Writer
Growing up as a pale-skinned Latina was confusing. I was afforded privileges over my darker-skinned family members as a result of colorism. Not to be confused with racism, colorism is a form of discrimination in which people are treated differently based on social meanings attached to skin color. I, however, did still experience severe oppression and racism in white settings. Yet, I paid more attention to the oppression than the privilege because as a minority, I believed I could not be privileged in the slightest. No one around me ever corrected me on this but instead upheld the notion that Latinxs couldn’t be privileged. Nor could they be racist or colorist. When I started attending college, however, I realized that these beliefs were wrong. Latinx individuals can, in fact, be racist or discriminatory. They can be privileged, too, and it is when we dismiss this truth that we continue to fail other people of color. As I began immersing myself in more of the diverse learning environments offered on campus such as the Office of Multicultural Student Success and various classes on social justice, I became more aware of the injustices I had spread by dismissing my own privilege as a light-skinned Latina and the racism that unfortunately can too often be found in the Latinx community today. I also became conscious of Latinx representations in media that seemed to favor lighter-skinned Latinas, further enforcing colorism. Celebrities like Selena Gomez, Jessica Alba, Demi Lovato and Camila Cabello are just some examples of who make up our representation. Olivia Camacho, a senior at DePaul majoring in Digital Cinema, says these white Latinas only represent a small part of the
Latinx experience. In her view, a majority of them only claim this identity when it financially benefits them. Jessica Alba and Selena Gomez, for example, bounce back and forth from white characters to Latina characters, never wholly claiming their Latina identity as part of who they are. “If they’re going to vouch for Latinx representation, they need to encompass all of what that means,” she says. Aside from claiming their identity, they need to be more inclusive of and represent darker-skinned Latinas. Moreover, they need to extend their advocacy towards black women and Afro-Latinas. Gomez has been previously called out for her dismissal of the Black Lives Matter movement and her silence on issues of racism. At the height of the movement, she argued that hashtags didn’t save lives before saying she wasn’t choosing a side on Twitter. Yet she marched at the March for Our Lives protest and has used the made posts featuring the hashtag “#notjustahashtag” on her Instagram account. Similarly, Camila Cabello and up-and-coming singer Sabrina Claudio have been outed on their usage of the n-word, reinforcing anti-blackness in the Latinx community. Anti-blackness is something I have seen plague the Latinx community since I was younger with the unjust usage of the n-word and the constant dismissal of the racism black people experience. Marisa Castillo, a DePaul alumni with a BA in Latin and Latino Studios, agrees. “More than anything, anti-blackness has slowed our ability to collaborate with other social movements and with other communities of color,” she said. There has also been an undermining of black success among prominent Latinx media personalities. Recently, Gina Rodriguez, a Latina actress and social justice advocate, talked about her excitement for
“Black Panther” but simultaneously talked about the need for Latinx superheroes. Camacho says this reinforces antiblackness and pits two minorities against each other. Yet, a lot of Latinx individuals don’t see how this is harmful. In social justice spaces, online or in person, they continue to use the acronym “POC” and words like “we” interchangeably when discussing issues that pertain to racism. While this is a well-intentioned way of proclaiming solidarity, they too often equate their experiences with the plight of black people in America. “You can’t group all minorities together,” Camacho says. “We have different oppressions and different experiences.” This is something I regularly think about at DePaul. Though I face my own oppression, I can acknowledge my own privilege, too. This has allowed me to place my gaze outwards, seeking justice not only for my community but for other people of color as well. I have even tried to connect this issue with the Vincentian question of “what must be done?” This question has been ingrained in my mind since freshman orientation, but there is no solid answer. That doesn’t discourage me, or others, from looking. “These are really complex issues that I don’t think have one direct answer or solution,” Castillo says. “These are such complex issues, especially when we delve into how celebrities handle social injustice.” While calling out these women on their anti-blackness and lack of acknowledging the privilege their light skin often provides has sparked a conversation about these topics amongst media consumers, an even bigger conversation needs to take place with these women and other light-skinned celebrities who claim to serve as allies for other communities of color.
The opinions in this section do not necessarily reflect those of The DePaulia staff.
Opinions. The DePaulia. April 30, 2018 | 13
The death of a smile
It's time to stop forcing women to bear the weight of constant happiness By Maddie Mathie Contributing Writer
Telling someone to smile when they’re not is like reverse empathy; by doing this you’re not only skipping over every opportunity to find out what’s really on their mind, you’re also asking them to falsely match whatever preconceived idea you have of what they “should” look and feel like. Acknowledging that this phenomenon happens predominantly to women and is largely instigated by strangers also reveals a gross undercurrent of sexism hiding in these seemingly innocuous interactions. Despite this sexism being obvious to most women, it is nonetheless experienced by them every day. When describing her first experience with this, sophomore Chae Wohn said, “I was walking out of the CTA and this man was just sort of lingering by the station and he said, ‘You should smile more, beautiful!’ I just thought, ‘Who are you?’ ‘Have we met?’” She says these encounters like these have changed her behavior towards some strangers. “I tend to smile at people if they look my way anyway, regardless of gender. But honestly, if I see a sleazy-looking guy now, I’ll tend to glare more than smile because I feel like that’s defying what they expect you to do. I don’t want to give that back, I don’t want to fall into that expectation,” said Wohn. Junior Margaux Joelson thinks the
expectation for women to be “on” all the time reaches far further than just a smile. “I think (the expectation) exists but I think it’s existing in new ways. A lot of it has to do with social media. There’s a push for women to come off as being very positive, ultra-feminine and super smiley. It’s a little different than interpersonal interaction, but it’s still how you present yourself.”
like a peer-to-peer level, but to have a patriarchal thing and then (an) age or social expectation on top of that pushes (the expectation) even more.” Despite how prevalent this experience still is for many women, younger generations may feel more hopeful about the expectation changing in the near future. “I think (the pressure) is mainly a generational thing. Women
GRAPHICS BY ALLY ZACEK | THE DEPAULIA
When asked if she’s ever been directly told to smile by a man, Joelson said, “Yes, it’s usually been people on the street or on the train. It’s also usually not when I’m having a conversation or anything. It tends to be someone yelling when I’m minding my own business.” Having personally experienced being told to smile more by older men than by people my own age, I wanted to know if other women felt similarly. In regards to this, Joelson said, “I definitely feel like the older men are, the more nice I have to appear. With men our age, it feels more
were supposed to be very docile, pleasant and emotionally warm, and they used to have to be accepting of guys’ advances. I definitely think that those expectations are changing (...) I think it’s frowned upon now to expect women to be subservient to men,” said Wohn. For people who don’t experience this pressure or who haven’t had a similar encounter, it may be hard to imagine how you would respond if it did happen to you. But clearly the thought of someone doing this looms in the mind of more than a few women. This phenomenon
has also had its share of time in the popculture spotlight. Shows like “Inside Amy Schumer,” “Master of None” and “Broad City” have all featured scenes discussing catcalling and forms of street harassment. The “Broad City” episode actually took on smiling specifically, when a man on the street tells the two main characters they should smile, to which they respond by drawing smiles on their faces with their middle fingers. A Brooklyn-based artist named Tatyana Fazaliz has also created a travelling art series called “Stop Telling Women to Smile” that features large public murals of real women who have been harassed, along with text inspired by the subjects’ stories – there’s even one in Chicago on Wabash Avenue. At the heart of it, when someone tells you to smile they are both disregarding your inner emotional state and telling you it should be altered to either amuse them or just make them more comfortable. After centuries of fighting to not be seen only as docile sources of silent entertainment, don't you think women deserve to not be forced to be exactly that while simply going about their everyday lives? No group of people deserve to bear the weight of cheering up the rest of society at the cost of their own emotional expression, especially when the way they’re asked to do that often verges on harassment.
Where are frats heading? By Hayes Kennedy Contributing Writer
Another scandal involving a Syracuse fraternity and two derogatory videos have brought the culture of Greek life at universities across the country into question. The two videos, released by the Syracuse University newspaper The Daily Orange, show brothers from the Theta Tau fraternity surrounding another member and mocking him through racist, ableist, sexist and anti-Semitic slurs. The second video was released after the university started taking action against Theta Tau and shows fraternity brothers mimicking the sexual assault of a mentally-handicapped person while the rest of the participants watch. Since the video was made public, the university has expelled the fraternity and suspended 18 brothers involved as students protest the hate speech around school grounds. “You hate to see it come out of fraternities on campus that preach this message of brotherhood and philanthropy,” said Steven Kemp, a freshman at Syracuse. Before their expulsion, Theta Tau issued an apology with a claim that the video was intended as satire. Those involved were exaggerating the views of a conservative brother in the fraternity, according to the statement. While the student body of the northern New York college is divided on the severity of the consequences for the other Greek life programs, no one is protesting the contents of the video despite Theta Tau’s apology. “I think if you look at it, it's obviously intended as satire,” said Kemp. “But it doesn’t make what they said any less
offensive, and it doesn’t make what they said any less wrong.” While the apology letter attempted to put the problematic actions of the fraternity in context, the contents were more focused on preserving as much reputation for the organization and its members as it could. Insisting the actions were a parody and not the views held by the fraternity is also a poor excuse for the slew of disgusting remarks. Hearing about fraternities coming under fire for the discovery of such controversies as racist chants or sexist practices is nothing new, but colleges across the country have been handing out more severe consequences as of late. The University of Oklahoma drew national attention in 2015 when they expelled two fraternity members over a chant that suggested the lynching and refusal of fraternity admittance for African-American students. While DePaul has been faced with its share of scandals involving Greek life in recent years (including a few sexual assault cases and an incident involving voluntary waterboarding), nothing as high-profile as the events at Syracuse or Oklahoma has emerged. Blake Timmerman, a sophomore and member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity at DePaul, attributes this to regional differences in fraternities. “In Chicago, even the most pretentious people are aware what’s happening; no one’s ignorant,” he said about fraternity members at DePaul. Greek life at many state schools and bigger private schools like Syracuse are much larger and more rooted in social life than they are at DePaul, where they don’t face as much supervision from their universities – up until a scandal brings them into the
GRAPHICS BY ALLY ZACEK | THE DEPAULIA
spotlight, that is. “If the culture doesn’t align with what the school wants, then they probably won’t be here much longer,” he said. However, as stories about misconduct from fraternities continue to emerge, many doubt the longevity of the Greek life system as a whole. While service and brotherhood have been an immediate association with fraternity and sorority culture, so has excessive partying and a reputation for getting into trouble. The negative aspects of these organizations are now frequently being exposed due to technological transparency. Hyuk Kim was a member and eventual president of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity at Roanoke College from 1977 to 1981, and although he still remains involved and advises his old fraternity, he doubts Greek life has longevity.
“It’s a different world today,” said Hyuk. “A lot of stuff that went on in the 70s was pretty over the top, even for me. There was no social media, there were no cell phones.” With the ability to easily and instantly share nearly anything that can be recorded with a smartphone, the outdated and often derogatory practices and attitudes that are still part of Greek life are out in the open. “I don’t think those fraternities will survive if they stick to what they’re doing now,” said Hyuk. This negative image held by many in and outside of college about Greek life can be changed, but only if these organizations are taking it upon themselves to do so. Fraternities need to start having conversations and take a hard look at what kind of culture they’re promoting before the university steps in and takes matters into their own hands.
Focus Waste-free Living 14 | Focus. The DePaulia. April 30, 2018
Recipes for reducing waste, saving money and helping the environment By Zoey Barnes Focus Editor
After another full rotation around the Sun, Earth Day came and went. Throughout Chicago, people gathered around at parks to plant trees, grow flowers and celebrate the planet we live on. However, as the increase in waste continues to grow exponentially, with an average person generating about 4.5 pounds of waste a day, the lifetime of the Earth’s resources decreases. To celebrate the Earth, here are some recipes to live a reduced waste lifestyle, with ingredients that cost about the same price as the product you would buy at the store. “By buying your own ingredients, you make your own products in bulk. This ensures less waste, plus you get to use better ingredients for your body and environment,” Brigit West, an environmental science major, said. The products in these recipes tend to be more expensive but can be used sparingly so that you only need to buy them once. When you spend more money on things in bulk, it typically costs much less in the long run. By being able to make your own products for both your body and your home, waste can be cut down immensely. Ingredients like coconut oil are used in almost every one of the products for your body. A jar of coconut oil can cost upwards of $15 but lasts for months. It also saves time, because most of these recipes take less than 10 minutes to make. “The process of making all of these recipes take (sic) five to 10 minutes
Body Products Deodorant COCONUT OIL: 5 tablespoons BAKING SODA: 1 tablespoon ARROWROOT POWDER: 6 tablespoons BENTONITE CLAY: 2 tablespoons ESSENTIAL OIL (whatever smell your pits desire): 5-10 Drops
STEP 1: Mix all ingredients together, stir until well mixed. STEP 2: Store in a glass jar.
Lip balm COCONUT OIL: 1 tablespoon BEESWAX: 1 tablespoon OLIVE OIL or RED PALM OIL: 1 tablespoon (Use the olive oil for yellow balm or red palm oil for a red/orange balm)
STEP 1: Heat ingredients in a glass bowl over a hot pot of water until melted STEP 2: Pour into a storage container STEP 3: Let cool
Shaving cream
Toothpaste COCONUT OIL: 2 tablespoons, warm BAKING SODA: 6 tablespoons MINT OIL: 10 drops FINE SEA SALT: ½ teaspoon
each, and they work so well. I made my own deodorant and toothpaste in fall quarter and they have lasted ever since. The products can be expensive but you only need to buy them once,” Victoria Primisch, freshman, said. To cut down waste even more, make sure the containers you use to store the products are glass. This ensures that you can reuse the containers until they break, and the chemicals used to make plastic do not seep into the finished product. Glass bottles can get somewhat pricey, but many food products come in glass containers. With just warm water and some handmade soap, you can easily reuse the glass. If you need a soap dispenser or spray bottle lid, you can order almost any kind of lid off Amazon for less than $10. “I typically make my own home products, because for the most part I already have all the ingredients just laying around, needing to be used. You can easily Google how to make, for example, glass cleaner, with the ingredients you have and you can find a recipe. It’s crazy easy and inexpensive,” Sam Simone, freshman, said. Following are only 10 recipes to easily cut down on waste, but if you want to attempt living a waste-free life, which sounds more difficult than it actually is, you can always turn to Google and popular eco-blogs like Kathryn Kellogg’s Going Zero Waste. Instead of celebrating the Earth one day a year, try to wane off of wasteful, everyday products for the rest of the year.
STEP 1: Mix all ingredients in a bowl until combination is a creamy paste STEP 2: Store in a glass jar To Use: scoop your toothbrush in the jar whenever you need to brush your teeth. Bonus point: use a bamboo or wooden toothbrush instead of a plastic one.
COCONUT OIL: 3 tablespoons SHEA BUTTER: 4 tablespoons SWEET ALMOND OIL: 2 tablespoons ESSENTIAL OIL: 10-12 drops
STEP 1: Combine coconut oil, shea butter, and sweet almond oil into a glass bowl over a hot pot of water. Stir until all ingredients have melted. STEP 2: Stir in the essential oil. STEP 3: Put bowl in fridge until it hardens. STEP 4: Remove from fridge, and whip with a mixer until the consistency is frothy. STEP 5: Store in an airtight container and use
Acne treatment COCONUT OIL: ⅛ cup TEA TREE OIL: 1-5 drops
STEP 1: Melt coconut oil STEP 2: Add tea tree oil STEP 3: Mix STEP 4: Add to lip balm tubes (to easily spread over acne) STEP 5: Store in fridge.
Focus. The DePaulia. April 30, 2018 | 15
HOME Products Glass cleaner WHITE VINEGAR: 1 cup WATER: 1 cup
STEP 1: Combine both ingredients in a 16-ounce glass spray bottle STEP 2: Use on glass and mirrors. Let the spray sit for 30 seconds before wiping away with a cloth
Air freshener WATER: 1 cup BAKING SODA: 1 tablespoon ESSENTIAL OIL (choose your smell): 5-6 drops
STEP 1: Combine ingredients into a spray. STEP 2: Shake it up a bit, and spray in any room that might need some freshening up.
Liquid hand soap WATER: ½ cup LIQUID CASTILE SOAP: ½ cup OLIVE OIL: 1 tablespoon ESSENTIAL OIL (any smell you want): 20 drops
STEP 1: Add water and soap into a glass soap dispenser, gently swirl the bottle until evenly mixed. STEP 2: Add olive oil STEP 3: Add drops of essential oil. Swirl all the ingredients together. TIP: Make sure you are gentle with the ingredients, so that you do not activate the soap. The oil and water will not mix, so you will have to swirl the jar before every use.
All-purpose cleaner WHITE VINEGAR: 1 cup WATER: 1 cup TEA TREE OIL: 3 drops LEMON ESSENTIAL OIL: 3 drops
STEP 1: Mix all ingredients together in a 16-ounce glass bottle. STEP 2: Shake! (You can now use this on any and every surface that needs to be cleaned)
Toilet bowl cleaner LIQUID CASTILE SOAP: ¼ cup BAKING SODA: ½ cup HYDROGEN PEROXIDE: ¼ cup WARM WATER: 1 cup VINEGAR: ¼ cup TEA TREE OIL: 10 drops
STEP 1: Combine all ingredients. STEP 2: Store in a glass jar To Use: Squeeze the completed cleaner into the toliet bowl, let sit for 15 minutes before scrubbing.
Graphics By Victoria Williamson
16 | Arts & Life. The DePaulia. April 30, 2018
Arts & Life
Reduce, reuse, revolution DePaul sets sights on sustainability
MACKENZIE BORN | THE DEPAULIA
DePaul's Fashion Revolution centers around supporting ethical and sustainable clothing choices. This event takes place days before Earth Day each year.
By Mackenzie Born Contributing Writer
Where are those must-have new clothes coming from? Where are they made and who’s making them? It’s a question that many of us don’t ask ourselves – but the Fashion Revolution Fair hosted by DePaul University wants us to start. In an era dominated by fast fashion, DePaul’s Fashion Revolution centers around supporting ethical and sustainable clothing choices. In remembrance of the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh, the deadliest garment industry accident in history, the event focuses on the need for a major shift in our fashion habits – away from fast fashion and towards ethically and socially responsibly-sourced clothing. The Fashion Revolution is also held just a few days before Earth Day, reminding us of the impact our fashion choices have on the environment. Earth Day 2018 was all about reducing plastic waste, and fast fashion trends over the last decade have contributed to enormous amounts of textile waste on land and in the world’s oceans. According to the World Resources Institute, we’re buying 60 percent more clothing than we were in 2000 and keeping it for half as long, sending 85 percent of those clothes to a landfill. Worse still, the invisible plastic microfibers from many of our fast fashion items are causing serious damage to the environment. So how can we change? In an era dominated by the fast fashion industry, what can we do to make sure we are buying ethically made clothing and doing our part to reduce textile pollution while still managing to shop on a budget? We spoke to vendors, volunteers and students at the Fashion Revolution Fair about some simple steps we can all take to get moving in the right direction. Do your research “Educating yourself is the biggest thing you can do,” said Jaslin Marcos, DePaul student and volunteer at Sustainability
Magazine. “It can be a very ominous subject. But there are apps now that will help rate the sustainability of your clothing, a lot of websites have sustainability and supply chain sections, and the fair trade coalition itself has great information.” There are even some local Chicago sustainable brands, like Mata Traders, which support fair trade practices in their clothing production. “One woman stitches the whole dress,” said Jonit Bookheim, director of sales at Mata. “It’s not a factory production line. With our clothing, one seamstress has all the pieces and creates the whole thing.” Mata produces quality, long-lasting clothing and emphasizes the empowerment of their female workers, focusing on fair wages, providing benefits, and allowing the workers to control the rate of production. Thrift stores are your friend Forget the weird-smelling stores filled with even weirder old clothes. Thrift stores have changed, and many of them buy and sell higher-end fashionable items and designer labels at ridiculously low prices. For those that don’t have a significant shopping budget, thrift stores can be the perfect way to circulate new pieces into your wardrobe while avoiding fast fashion chains. “I find that for my price range, thrifting at local thrift stores and even trying to fix the clothes I have already is the best way to go,” said Grant Smith, a junior at DePaul University who recognizes the challenges for students with a limited budget to avoid the cheap fast fashion stores in Chicago. “I encourage my friends to do the same,” he said. For God’s sake, don’t throw your old clothes in the trash Just don’t. There are way too many options available now to get rid of unwanted clothing in a sustainable way so they don’t end up in a landfill. Donate them, sell them, or trade them with friends. DePaul’s Fashion Revolution holds a clothing swap where people can bring old clothes to
MACKENZIE BORN | THE DEPAULIA
The event aims to highlight the environmental impacts of the fashion industry. trade, H&M has their own in-store clothing recycling program, and stores like Buffalo Exchange and Crossroads Trading Co. buy second-hand clothes in return for cash or store credit. If none of those work for you, donate to a homeless shelter, Goodwill or the Salvation Army. Basics, basics, basics Do your research and invest in some high-quality, sustainably made basics. The thing about basics is they never go out of style. And if you are buying for quality, they will last. “I’ve tried to move away from the cheap basics at places like H&M or Forever 21,” said student Hannah Jake. “It’s worth it to spend more and have a few staple items that last. You feel much better in them, too.” For younger adults on a limited budget, it can be hard to throw in that extra cash for sustainably made, higher-end clothing. But Marcos argues we need to start moving in that direction. “If you do save up for that big-ticket
item, it will last you forever. So why not wait?” asked Marcos. “Practice being mindful and practice slowing down your shopping habits.” We have to lead the way It comes down to us as consumers to reverse the fast fashion trend and encourage the production of sustainably and ethically made clothes. Bookheim of Mata Traders hopes to change the idea that buying new, sustainably-made clothing is costly. “People assume it’s really expensive to buy ethically,” said Bookheim. “But that’s not necessarily the case.” Mata Traders holds warehouse sales where everything in the store is 25 dollars, encouraging people to buy sustainably and helping them do it at a reasonable price. “We’re not telling you to stop shopping completely. No one wants to hear that,” said Marcos. “We’re telling you to slow down, be conscious, and say, even though this might make me happy, does this make everyone happy? It’s not a linear process, it’s circular.”
Arts & Life. The DePaulia. April 30, 2018| 17
'RBG' humanizes Supreme Court icon By Carina Smith Nation & World Editor
For most, a high-ranking federal judge isn’t the first choice for a fascinating documentary. But not every judge is Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who has become an online sensation with her feminist-oriented quotes lighting up social media platforms. In the new movie “RBG,” Ginsburg is put in the documentary limelight for the first time. “RBG” is a self-proclaimed intimate retelling of Ginsburg’s life. From discussing her mother to her marriage to different cases she has worked, the filmmakers dove into the equal rights-focused judge’s past. The film, which was first shown at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, was directed by female directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West. Through it, they successfully provide an interesting portrait of this courageous justice. Moving in a mostly chronological order through Ginsburg’s life, the film features her family, friends and acquaintances telling stories about the woman herself, in order to give a more personal look at who the tough-loving Ginsburg really is. Starting off with her time as a young girl who loved to learn in school, family and acquaintances tell intimate stories that show Ginsburg’s inner strength and perseverance. Early in the documentary, an old friend of Ginsburg’s talks about how, early in her marriage, the newly-wedded Ginsburg had just had a child when her husband was diagnosed with cancer. Instead of giving up, the friend relates how Ginsburg would go
By Garret Neal Staff Writer
Taking over the first lower level and eighth floor of the Daley Building on Saturday, April 28 was DePaul’s sixth annual Pop Culture Conference. Previous Conferences focused on topics like “Supernatural,” “Doctor Who” and “Harry Potter,” but this year’s theme was slashers. “Every year we pick a new theme and it is always timed around some sort of pop culture anniversary,” said Paul Booth, the organizer of the event. “So I made a list of all the anniversaries I could find that where going on in 2018 … I had a list of about 40 and my wife looked over my shoulder and said ‘if you don’t choose slashers I’m going to divorce you.’” The organizers started putting out feelers for guest speakers and marketing about a week after last year’s conference, Booth said. However, it was not until October that they shifted things into high gear, advertising at Halloween events. The result was an event with around 200 registered visitors over the course of the day, with the first panel beginning at 9:15 a.m. and the final ones ending at 5:45 p.m.. The day kicked off with the first Keynote speaker, Dr. Wickham Clayton, a lecturer in Film History and Theory at the University for the Creative Arts in Farnham, United Kingdom. Clayton has several published works on film form and aesthetics, and his hour-long presentation focused on the re-marketing and continued commercial relevance of 1980s slasher films. This time block also featured screenings in packed theaters of the 1983
to class, take care of her kid and the house, and help her husband through radiation and his own schoolwork – all while both he and she were still in law school. Ginsburg has been criticized for years about being too harsh and for having what some have called a dry personality. Many of those interviewed recall that her husband Marty was the funny one, while Ginsburg was the logical one. But despite her tough exterior, the love and passion that Ginsburg holds for her family is incredibly evident. While talking about Marty, who died in 2010, Ginsburg would smile a smile that one of the interviewees says could “only be mirrored when thinking about love.” And while she spent time with her granddaughter -- who affectionately called her “Bubbe” – a different, more maternal side of Ginsburg is also shown,, proving that she is more than the stone-face justice who regularly hands down dissenting opinions. While the trailers for “RBG” show the pop-culture stardom that Ginsburg has IMAGE COURTESY OF IMDB taken on in recent years, that’s nowhere Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is the subject of this new documentary. near an accurate representation of the documentary itself. The film instead only Ginsburg or read her biography won’t learn for anyone – regardless of political beliefs. devotes a tiny amount of time at the tail anything new from “RBG.” The stories that “RBG” is inspiring, witty, heart-wrenching end of the movie to Ginsburg’s status as a she and others tell are largely the same as and sweet, and Ginsburg herself is able feminist icon, where she has become an those that have already been heard, which to light up the screen with her laugh and internet obsession. Most of the rest of the leads the documentary to lack a sense regality. “RBG” is sure to be a documentary film is spent looking at the rest of her life of fulfillment.Without the addition of treasured long after Ginsburg’s seat in the that has led her to be the powerful 85-year- new major facts that give another look at Supreme Court has been filled by someone old that she is today. Ginsburg herself, the documentary falls a else, but for now we are able to enjoy the “RBG” does a great job telling the bit flat. Regardless, Ginsburg is still a notable documentary and the woman herself. story of Ginsburg’s life, exploring both her figure, and the story of how she worked her “RBG” hits theaters across the nation personal and professional lives with detail, way from being bullied in law school to on Friday, May 4. humor and an air of tenderness. However, becoming one of the most powerful people anyone who has ever listened to a talk with in the United States is still a wonderful tale
Robert Hiltzik production “Sleepaway not Allister. But I can imagine any other Camp” and the “An Eye for an Eye” from six-year-old might buckle under the director John Schlesinger. pressure.” After Clayton’s speech there were two The 1:00 p.m. keynote speaker was hour-long segments that each featured Rachel Talalay, who made her directorial several panels with film students, film debut with “Nightmare on Elm Street 6: professors and film enthusiasts from the Freddy’s dead: The Final Nightmare.” She Chicagoland area and beyond. The panel also had a hand in making the first four “CadavercastCast Podcast: Who the Al is films in the famed horror series, and she Freddy Krueger?” featured DePaul film has since directed episodes of “Sherlock,” professor Jef Burnham and his six-year-old “Doctor Who” and “Supernatural.. Her son, Al, recording speech was a live episode of aimed at critics, their monster where she movie podcast. argued slasher To honor the films should be slasher genre, understood in the topic of the their historical podcast was c o nt e x t s . Burnham asking She went Al, who his dad through each said wasn’t old “ Ni g h t m a r e” enough to see film, explaining “Nightmare on how each came Elm Street,” what to be and some he thought the of the difficulties film was about. she faced, Professor and Event Organizer whether it was In the panel that followed, an rushed effects, alternate narrative not having a in “Nightmare on Elm Street” was created writer or the pressure from executives to wherein Freddy Krueger is a pizza delivery target a certain audience. For each film, driver which a wicked thirst for revenge. she selected a few contemporaneous few There were a few moments of nerves, but critic reviews and then explained why the Jef Burnham thought the live show went constraints she faced during production well. may have lead to some of the criticism “I thought it went fantastic. I think the films received. She also argued why it was best case scenario. Worst case is she felt some of the criticisms where not (Al) could have just cried and run away,” valid, such as the sixth film not being Burnham said. “But that’s not him, that’s scary enough when in fact the focus of the
“The people who
are here (at the conference) are energetic, excited and having a good time.”
Paul Booth
film was not on being scary, but rather on embracing the humor of the franchise. “She really talked about the difference between artistic filmmaking and a business ... it is a business, but what you control within it and the pride you take in your work can be different,” said Kasbella Menichiello, an attendee of the event. The day ended with a few more rounds of panels, including one on the 1978 John Carpenter film “Halloween,” and a “Handicrafting Horror” workshop where viewers learned how to bead embroider a zombie. At 5:45 the winners of the silent auction were announced, with items such as autographed copies of “The Final Nightmare,” a brain-shaped chocolate mousse cake and a Jason Voorhees replica mask. As in previous years, the proceeds of the silent auction were donated to a charity selected by one of the keynote speakers. This year’s charity was the Full Flood Endowment fund, as selected by Talalay. While the crowds were not as big as last year’s Harry Potter conference, Booth still considered this year a success. “I judge these events by whether the people attending are having a good time and I am seeing smiles and hearing people laugh,” Booth said. “Last year was the Harry Potter event and it was really packed, so I didn’t expect as may to come for the slasher one. But the people who are here are energetic, excited and having a good time.” Next year’s conference was announced to be Disney-themed in honor of the 30th anniversary of “The Little Mermaid” and the 50th anniversary of The Haunted Mansion ride.
18 | Arts & Life. The DePaulia. April 30, 2018
Is Record Store Day good for local shops?
NIKKI ROBERTS | THE DEPAULIA
A customer browses the vinyl collections in Reckless Records in Wicker Park last week as part of the annual Record Store Day festivities.
By Nikki Roberts Copy Editor
The first Record Store Day took place on April 19, 2007. Since its inception, it has occurred annually on the third Saturday of April, drawing both casual and professional collectors to over 1,400 independent record shops across the U.S., as well as to record stores on six continents across the globe. This year, Shuga Records opened its doors to eager record collectors at 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 21, and I was one of the 50 or so people who were lined up early outside the independent Wicker Park record store. Last year, I waited in the same line for about an hour before getting my hands on a first pressing of Sublime’s “Badfish” EP on 45 RPM vinyl. I didn’t have my eyes on any exclusive Record Store Day releases this year, but I was still compelled to come out early and participate in an annual holiday that many vinyl fans anticipate all year. “I believe Record Store Day is great for music. It encourages people to support the local economy and promotes a fun hobby,” said Cesar Morrido, a recreational record collector. For the past 11 years record store staff, customers and artists have celebrated independent music shops with the release of exclusive, limited vinyl records that can only be purchased at independent stores on Record Store Day. Special releases include rare demo tracks, colored vinyl, rare repressings of beloved albums or limited picture disc records. “We see a lot of returning customers on Record Store Day, so they tend to pick up the regular releases that interest them year-round, but (they) make sure to get here early on Record Store Day for the limited releases from their favorite artists,” said Grant McKee, co-owner of Bucket O’ Blood Books and Records in Logan Square. “We do also get a fairly large number of new customers, who purchase both Record Store Day titles as well as titles from our regular inventory.” In Chicago alone there are 32 independent record stores. However, only 23 of these shops have signed the prestigious Record Store Day Pledge. Signing this pledge means independent store owners have agreed to sell the Record Store Day exclusive titles on Record Store
Day only; they agree to not flip the rare records for a higher profit or to hock them online. This presents a dilemma for the remaining nine stores that do not receive official Record Store Day releases. Usually, these stores are smaller than the larger independent chains like The Exchange or Reckless Records, which have two and three locations in the city, respectively. They often lack big advertising budgets and the financial means to order a large stock of exclusive titles. Ray Pate is the owner of RPM Music in North Center, one of the nine Chicago indie stores that have not signed the Record Store Day pledge, and therefore, do not carry Record Store Day titles. However, Pate doesn’t let his lack of exclusive releases sway him from participating in the festivities. “We’ll be open at seven in the morning with coffee and donuts … and a giant sale on everything in the store,” said Pate. In addition to opening early and offering free coffee and treats, which is a sales model many local shops have adopted to bring customers in on Record Store Day, RPM Music also hosts in-store performances from Chicago musicians. Like Pate, many other local store owners decide to celebrate even without access to the official Record Store Day inventory. After years of purchasing exclusive Record Store Day titles for his own store Adam Hirzel, the music director at Wicker Park coffee and record shop Purple Llama, took a break from the chaos surrounding the vinyl holiday. This year, Purple Llama celebrated their one-year anniversary on April 21 instead of slinging exclusive records. “There are so many other stores that (carry Record Store Day releases), especially in Chicago,” said Hirzel. “I’ve always worked at record stores on Record Store Day, but talking to my friends and customers, they feel like they’re already spread thin. I didn’t want to put more on their plate and have them feel like there was another place they felt they had to check out ... It’s a better idea for us to celebrate the event in our own way, but not necessarily flood that market even more with another place you have to check out to get Record Store Day releases.
NIKKI ROBERTS | THE DEPAULIA
Customers hang out and discuss music in Shuga Record on Record Store Day. Some stores such as Purple Llama are perfectly content to lay low on Record Store Day while still participating in their own way. These shops often collaborate with outside vendors, such as local coffee shops, bakeries and radio stations, to host special in-store events for their customers. While store owners such as Pate at RPM Music are eager to hop on the exclusive Record Store Day bandwagon, it isn’t as easy for smaller shops to compete with the bigger independents like Reckless or Rolling Stone Records. “Independent means you get to pick up the phone and say, ‘I want to interview the owner,’ and then I’m on the phone saying, ‘I am the owner.’ You dig in to big business, and you’ll never get to the owner,” said Pate. “Record Store Day is supposed to be for the little guys, not big business. Big business has an advertising budget. I don’t have an advertising budget. I don’t spend a penny on advertising; I don’t have any money to do it. I got a sign in the window and then I use social media. I use Instagram and I use Facebook and sometimes I use Craigslist. But I do all the free ones; that’s the only
advertising I can do.” Another issue critics of Record Store Day voice is the consumerist nature of the holiday. When Record Store Day began in 2007, it was seen as a way to benefit both shops and their customers by providing exclusive titles for music fans, which in turn would generate business for small record stores. Over the years, however, many have targeted Record Store Day about the quality of their annual releases. Some claim that re-releasing a classic album on a new color of vinyl or on a picture disc isn’t contributing to the quality of physical music; it’s simply a way for distributors to make an extra buck off record collectors. Despite these criticisms, however, Chicago’s 32 independent stores mostly seem to love the annual celebration of physical music. “We love Record Store Day!” said McKee. “Each year, we try our absolute best to make it an incredible day for our customers, whether they visit us a couple of times a month or only a few times a year, or whether they’ve never been in before at all. It’s a fun day and a fun celebration.”
Arts & Life. The DePaulia. April 30, 2018. | 19
Errol Morris philosophizes on the reality of truth
PHOTO COURTESY OF BEN GONZALES
Morris spoke about his relationship with the philosopher Thomas Kuhn, with whom he had a violent relationship. He recalls their arguments in his new book, "The Ashtray."
By Benjamin Conboy Managing Editor
Academy award-winning documentary filmmaker Errol Morris stopped by the Music Box Theater to discuss his new book and ponder the absoluteness of truth as a part of the Chicago Humanities Festival on Tuesday, April 24. The subject of his new book, “The Ashtray,” is Morris’ strained relationship with Princeton philosopher Thomas Kuhn, who coined the term “paradigm shift” to describe the way scientific fields abruptly shift focus rather than progress in a linear way. “I think the concept of a paradigm shift is just something to give really stupid people something to think about,” Morris said. The title of the book comes from one particularly heated argument between the two, the result of which was Kuhn throwing an ashtray at Morris’ head – something Morris admits was “kind of cool.” “My arguments between Kuhn and I were mainly over his denial of truth,” Morris said. “Reality, I’ve found, has a way of persisting.” When moderator and film critic Milos Stehlik asked him if the new book was Morris’ attempt at revenge, or a way to get the final word in their feud, Morris acknowledged that retribution probably was his primary motivation for writing the book. “I find revenge invigorating and motivating,” he said. Their disagreements came to a head when Kuhn finally threw Morris out of Princeton. Morris, who always dreamed of being a writer, felt that being a documentary filmmaker was the only option available to him because he was so distraught over being expelled that he couldn’t write. His pursuit of truth was what led him to make “The Thin Blue Line,” a documentary about Randall Adams, a man who was wrongfully convicted of murdering a cop in 1970s Dallas and who subsequently was sentenced to death. Morris found that the real killer was the prosecution’s chief witness, and the revelations in his film eventually led the governor of Texas to stay his execution only two days before he would have been put in the electric chair. He said it started as a series of interviews
PHOTO COURTESY OF BEN GONZALES
Morris' talk was part of the Chicago Humanities Festival, an event that hosts up to 150 events all over the city every year. he was conducting with prisoners on Death Row. “When you start talking to a lot of people on Death Row, you’ll hear all kinds of stories,” he said. But Morris said that when Adams told him he was framed for the murder of a cop, Morris thought he was telling the truth. Morris has also released films based on extensive interviews with two of the most controversial U.S. Secretaries of Defense in history. His 2003 film “The Fog of War” was an intimate look inside the mind of Robert S. McNamara, known for his role in the major escalation of the Vietnam War. McNamara, in a rare moment of candor, admitted that if the U.S. lost the war, we would be “tried as war criminals.” Ten years later, Morris interviewed Bush Administration Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld for “The Unknown Known.” Rumsfeld had a penchant for writing dozens of memos, which were often just cryptically written thoughts, about his everyday life working in the White House. Using Rumsfeld’s own words, he paints the picture of a brutally unrelenting and “selfsatisfied” politician.
PHOTO COURTESY OF BEN GONZALES
Morris spoke candidly to the discussion's moderator, film critic Milos Stehlik. During the nearly 33 hours of interviews, Morris and Rumsfeld wrestled over each other’s differing versions of the truth, notably Rumsfeld’s belief that, “Absence of evidence is evidence of absence.” Morris said that in the age of Trump,
the truth, and our quest for it, is more fragile than ever. “What’s scarier than denying truth is living in a world where the truth doesn’t matter anymore. The search for truth is one of the only things that gives humans dignity. Assuming we have some.”
20| Arts & Life. The DePaulia. April 30, 2018
Varsity’s ‘Parallel Person’ is setting tone for rock pop
ALICIA MACIEL | THE DEPAULIA
The five-piece band Varsity on stage during their show at Empty Bottle on Friday April 20. Their setlist for the performance showcased an organic spin on indie rock pop.
By Alicia Maciel Contributing Writer
Empty Bottle was packed wall-to-wall just past midnight on Friday, April 20, with the crowd swaying along to Varsity’s immaculate set. Self-proclaimed “too cute for the punks, too raw for the bubblegummers”, Varsity consists of members Stef Smith on vocals and synth, Dylan Weschler on guitar and backing vocals, Patrick Stanton on guitar, Paul Stolz grooving on bass, and Jake Stolz hitting the skins. Stef ’s colorful vocals mixed with the complexity of all instruments and delicate harmonies left the attendees wanting more. Returning to the stage with their first encore song covering The Strokes, Varsity’s
setlist showcased an organic spin on indie rock pop. Performing new singles and well-known hits such as “So Sad, So Sad,” Varsity demonstrated their unique appeal to a wide-ranging audience, which has seen the band’s playful storytelling tracks make waves through today’s rock pop scene. “Must Be Nice”, a single from their upcoming album "Parallel Person," received high praise from the sold-out crowd. While all songs can be interpreted differently by every listener, this track’s theme seems to be centered on avoiding confrontation of one’s own feelings which anyone can relate to. After forming in 2013, Varsity’s strides transformed into leaps as they moved from
playing Chicago’s DIY scene to professional venues including Subterranean and Lincoln Hall. Having had performed with the likes of Car Seat Headrest, Twin Peaks and plenty more – Varsity has now headlined a mesmerizing sold-out show in the same community that helped them grow. The band’s attention to consistent visual work attracted fans all over, much of it attributable to artist Clare Byrne. Ranging from cities on the West Coast to Mexico, Varsity has shown they are more than ready to play to fans outside of the Midwest. The garage-pop band’s themes of identity, conformity, love and frustration are on full display in their latest catchy album.
On April 23, Hype Machine released "Parallel Person" before its official release on Friday, April 27 via Babe City Records. “Watching You” is the ideal summertime anthem, perfect to sing along to at the beach and catch live at a festival. Miraculously provided with the opportunity of recording the ten-track album entirely within a ten-day timeframe, nuances of their contemporary sound were developed in sophisticated ways that will allow them to fit on any indie bill to come. While the stacked bill on April 20 had some of the best indie bands in Chicago (including Divino Nino and Beach Bunny), Varsity’s new music is paving way for their rapid growth in the garage-pop scene.
Arts & Life. The DePaulia. April 30, 2018. | 21
'Infinity War' delivers on promise By Garret Neal Staff Writer
This may be the most unnecessary review I’ll ever write (but please, read on). If you need to be told “Avengers: Infinity War” is about an alien from the moon Titan named Thanos who wants to bring balance to the universe by destroying half of it with the Infinity Stones, chances are you weren’t going to see it anyway. We are now ten years and 19 films deep into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), so you are either onboard or you have some catching up to do. And this is an Avengers film, so don’t expect to be able to just jump in like “Spider-Man: Homecoming” or “Black Panther” and understand what is going down. If you haven’t seen the other MCU films at least once (except probably “The Incredible Hulk,” and even the MCU ignores that one), you better bring along a knowledgeable and patient friend who will tolerate your constant questions while they try to enjoy a film they’ve been looking forward to for the better part of the last decade. If that’s the case, it’s probably better that you just not see it at all. Now if you have kept up with the MCU then I doubt the film that brings everyone from Iron Man to Rocket Racoon onto the screen will be the one you decide to skip because of superhero fatigue. In fact, many of those in the “up to date on the MCU” camp probably have tickets to see it if they haven’t seen it already. Disney has been pushing this as what the entire cinematic universe has led to and that is just something you cannot pass up, even if it disappoints (*cough* Batman v. Superman *cough*). It seems to me that the middle ground between this group and the “was never going to see it” crowd is extremely small. But for those of you out there who are in that middle ground, along with the far greater number of you who just want some validation: I’m here for you. Yes, every hero you see crammed onto the poster makes an appearance in the film. Also, yes, Hawkeye and Ant-Man are not in the film. Putting all those heroes into one film comes with all the pluses and minuses you would expect. On the one hand, no one hero or group gets much time on screen. Even in making this the longest of
the MCU films at about 180 minutes, it can feel like no one gets the chance to shine. We know these characters and there isn’t a need for them to make some defining discovery, but some may feel like their favorite Avenger never got the time in the sun they deserved. Additionally, the pacing can struggle as the film starts bouncing between story arcs. While each character has loved ones they want to save from Thanos’s mass genocide, Gamora and Drax have particularly personal connections to him. This can make their stories seem more compelling, and if you find yourself more interested in one group’s tale rather than another’s, the long gaps in between story arc jumps can make the film drag. Contrarily, watching the personalities of the Guardians of the Galaxy clash with the likes of Thor and Tony Stark creates some incredibly humorous moments as they learn how to work together. Similarly, we get moments reminiscent of the Dr. Strange cameo in “Thor: Ragnarok” as Strange hastily tries to explain to Stark how magic works and what the Infinity Stones are. The Russo brothers did a wonderful job overall ensuring that each matchup of characters was one we had not seen in the previous films and the script emphasized those new personalities. In fact, these moments stood out to me more than any of the action sequences. So while some may feel the story drags, it is tough to deny that it’s in many ways a story very much unlike others we have seen in the MCU. This is impossible to get into without gracing spoiler territory, so for the few of you reading this who have not seen the movie I’ll play it safe. Suffice it to say, it is a comic book plot for sure, but it is an intriguing, memorable and coherent one. Accomplishing that with so many characters is an achievement in itself. While it is all too easy to gawk at your favorite heroes on screen together, you’ll note that not even Robert Downey Jr.’s face eclipses the size of Thanos’s wrinkly mug. Indeed, he receives far more attention than any hero, much to the film’s benefit. After spending multiple films with most of these heroes, the film knows it’s not necessary to develop their characters. Instead, we get to see the build up of this alien, Thanos, who
is meant to be the ultimate evil. Thanos had only been seen in brief post-credits sequences or mentioned in the Guardians films, but now we finally see him in action. Thanos is given ample opportunity to flaunt his dominance over the universe’s mightiest heroes, which hastily and effectively builds his threat level. Just as importantly, his motivation is given a clear explanation that helps him become more than just a big bald dude who is really strong. The film does a phenomenal job really crafting him
healthy way to heal the body and mind from the debilitating impact dieting can have. It’s a way to be kind to the body rather than hating it, as well as allowing one’s mind to focus on their lives rather than just on food or when their next meal is going to be. “Intuitive eating is simply eating when I feel hungry and eating what option looks or sounds best,” Jen Aldrich, a proponent for intuitive eating, said. Aldrich has been encompassing this lifestyle since recovering from an eating disorder. While it is definitely a transition from the rigidity of dieting, it allows for a lifestyle where one’s brain isn’t consumed with thoughts of food every second of every day. It allows the body to include all food groups and types, from kale to ice cream – you just eat these foods in a balanced, intuitive way. “Not paying attention to previous or future meals when deciding what to eat in the present is really important for me and probably the hardest part of intuitive eating. It is a better lifestyle than dieting for me in the obvious way that it is just freeing,” Aldrich said. “My experience has been difficult but rewarding.” Who would have thought actually
listening to the body could have such a positive impact? So how does it work? “Mindfulness is such a critical aspect of intuitive eating,” said Jennifer Ball, who since also recovering from an eating disorder is on the path to become a Doctor of Psychology. “(It) not only tells us what we want to eat, but also at what pace our body wants to eat and when to stop. The more we practice mindfulness, the more in tune we get with our bodies, our cravings and our hunger.” Like anything new, it doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time for the body to adjust to this, especially if someone has been previously exposed to dieting. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible or unrewarding. “I want to stress that there is no such thing as perfection in intuitive eating,” Ball said. “But it’s perfect in that I never have to feel pressure or guilt about what I’m eating, which has totally changed my life.” And ultimately, it’s all about balance. It’s about knowing that the body is smart and trusting that the body knows what to do with that extra dessert you ate the other day because of a craving. It allows the body to find it’s setpoint and maintain itself from there. According to Sandra Aamodt, a science
IMAGE COURTESY OF IMDB
In the film, Chris Pratt reprises his role as Star-Lord from "Guardians of the Galaxy."
as a character, creating probably its second most memorable villain (it’s hard to beat Loki in just one movie). “Infinity War” is everything it was promised to be. The film still has the trademark MCU quips, a memorable villain and action scenes that somehow manage to give each character their five minutes of fame. It might not be enough for some, but it’s hard to argue the Russo brothers could have done much better given the immense task that faced them.
Intuitive eating: the new non-diet diet By Emily Rutherford Contributing Writer
In a world consumed with diet culture, weight loss tips, cleanse suggestions and an overload of Photoshopped images, it’s hard to escape the pressure to give in to these trends. To alter one’s body in unhealthy ways, deprive it of food and ignore the cues it’s signaling is the farthest thing from healthy, yet the media packages it in such a way that it is hard to resist. The problem with dieting and cutting out certain food groups is that the deprivation often leads to overindulgence. While it may cause some weight loss, it is not sustainable for long periods of time, which is when the “yo-yo effect” kicks in. That leaves the dieter in an endless loop of weight loss and gain, never settling where the body wants. This sort of dieting can also have lead to other negative effects, such as eating disorders. To challenge this societal pressure, intuitive eating is the new popular weight loss alternative. And, it’s far simpler than rigidily depriving yourself of certain foods, counting calories and obsessively tracking weight trends. Often emphasized by “non-diet” dietitians and used by those recovering from disordered eating, it’s a
writer and neuroscientist, in an article for the New York Times, “The problem (with dieting) isn’t willpower. It’s neuroscience. You can’t — and shouldn’t — fight back.” In explaining why post-diet weight gain is so common, Aamodt writes, “The range, which varies from person to person, is determined by genes and life experience. When dieters’ weight drops below it, they not only burn fewer calories but also produce more hunger-inducing hormones and find eating more rewarding.” Dieting is a very short-term solution to what could become a very long term problem — a world where your brain is overtaken by that disordered voice. It’s something Ball can relate to. “Intuitive eating has freed me from the food police in my head and in the external voices of people around me. I’m able to eat anything and any quantity without guilt because I’m doing it according to what my body wants,” she said. As Haley Goodrich, a non-diet registered dietitian said, “the goal of intuitive eating isn’t to only eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full. The goal is to be able to feel the nuances of hunger and fullness in your body.”
22 | Arts & Life. The DePaulia. April 30, 2018
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Arts & Life. The DePaulia. April 30, 2018 | 23
what’s FRESH on Hulu
Handmaid's Tale
The Looming Tower
Based off of the dystopian novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood, “The Handmaid’s Tale” was the talk of the town following the first season’s premiere on Hulu. Since then, the anticipation for what the show’s second season has in store has only increased.
Another Hulu original based on a book, “The Looming Tower” takes its name and premise from the 2006 non-fiction book by Lawrence Wright that traces the “rising threat of Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda in the late 1990s and how the rivalry between the FBI and CIA during that time may have inadvertently set the path for the tragedy of 9/11.”
Set in a distant future, after the Second American Civil War, women have been forced into servitude and are used specifically for sex and childbearing as “Handmaids.” The queen of the Peak TV era, Elisabeth Moss (“Top of the Lake,” “Mad Men”), stars as Offred, a Handmaid assigned to work under the strict Commander Fred Waterford. The only issue is, Offred can remember the “time before” in which she lived freely with her daughter. Because she can remember her past life, the quest to escape a life of servitude begins. The first season premiered to immense critical acclaim and earned Hulu its first Primetime Emmy Award for their original programming. As such, the second season is already being considered an early 2018 Emmy’s contender. Before you fall too much behind, you can catch up on all 12 episodes that have aired so far on Hulu
LACEY LATCH | THE DEPAULIA
This mini-series stars Jeff Daniels as John O’Neill, the chief of FBI's New York-based Counterterrorism Center. Throughout the widely praised show, the FBI in New York and the CIA in Washington, D.C. battle it out over possession of knowledge and information while simultaneously both trying to prevent an attack on U.S. soil. “The Looming Tower” takes a unique perspective on one of the most infamous events in American history. By being set before 9/11, the show allows the audience to use the over 15 years since the event to create some distance from the topic, making the show all the more intriguing. The mini-series officially wrapped up on April 18, making the 10-episode series a perfect binge-watch as we continue to patiently wait for spring to arrive. LACEY LATCH | THE DEPAULIA
In theaters & upcoming films April 20 "I Feel Pretty" A woman wakes up from a fall believeing she is the most beautiful woman in the world. Except her looks never changed. Stars: Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams
May 11 "Life of the Party" A middle-aged mother returns to college in order to complete her degree after her husband asks for a divorce.w Stars: Melissa McCarthy, Gillian Jacobs
April 27 "Avengers: Infinity War" The Avengers and their allies fight to defeat the powerful Thanos before he puts an end to the universe. Stars: Chris Evans, Karen Gillan, Chadwick Boseman, many others
May 11 "Breaking In" A woman fights to protect her family during a home invasion in her recently deceased father's home. Stars: Gabrielle Union
May 4 “Overboard” A remake of the 1987 comedy, a wealthy yacht owner becomes the target of revenge from a mistreated employee.
May 18 “Deadpool 2” Wade Wilson must battle ninjas, the Yakuza, and a pack of sexually aggressive canines to regain his spice for life.
24 | Arts & Life. The DePaulia. April 30, 2018
St.Vincent’s
DeJAMZ
“Spinning fresh beats since 1581”
1 4 1
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Find this and all our DeJamz playlists on depauliaonline.com and on our spotify account By Lacey Latch Arts & Life Editor
The day has finally come. Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill has been released from prison after being arrested in November 2017 for violating his parole. As someone proudly from the Philly suburbs, Meek Mill’s absence has been felt throughout the city with #FreeMeek posters, stickers and graffiti littered the streets. It’s safe to say our #FreeMeek prayers have been answered. Now, all we can do is wait for his epic comeback album to be announced. In the meantime, here are four of Meek’s best songs to celebrate his homecoming.
1. “Dreams and Nightmares" - Meek Mill The opener for his debut album, “Dreams and Nightmares” is a powerful anthem wherein Mill celebrates achieving his dreams in spite of the many obstacles in his way on his climb up the hip-hop ladder. The Philadelphia Eagles adopted the song as their unofficial theme song for an uphill-battle season that ultimately ended with a Super Bowl championship in February. Without a doubt, the line “Hold up, wait a minute. Y’all thought I was finished?” will be recited throughout the City of Brotherly Love this week.
Crossword
2. “Lord Knows (feat. Tory Lanez)” - Meek Mill Meek Mill takes an assist from Tory Lanez on this intense song that is perfect to listen to when you want to feel like you’re a big deal. It serves as the intro track on his highly anticipated sophomore album. A recurring theme for Mill’s music is him looking back proudly on his success and recognizing his prowess as an artist, and this song is no different. Even better, he does all this while heavily sampling Mozart’s classic “Lacrimosa” from “Requiem Mass in D Minor,” making the beat all the more impressive.
Across 1. Pressly of “My Name Is Earl” 6. Successful, in Variety 11. Puppy’s tail movement 14. City near Salt Lake 15. Less available 16. “___ the ramparts...” 17. Attractive 19. Miner’s profit 20. Cologne water 21. Collection of sayings 22. Do alternative 23. Small racing vehicles 27. Extended a subscription 29. Foreman striker? 30. It’s between black and white 32. Stretch auto 33. “___ in Black” (1997 film) 34. Consumer 36. Ringlets
3. “1942 Flows” - Meek Mill In “1942 Flows” Mill delivers a powerful anthem describing the state of black life in America as well as his rise from the bottom. He adamantly addresses his presence in hiphop and reinforces his intent to go nowhere. Even though it originally came out on his 2017 album “Wins & Losses,” the song hasn’t lost any heart. As such, this is a completely fitting song to listen to as Mill keeps his word and returns to hip-hop after his brief stint behind bars. If you find yourself looking to celebrate Mill’s return to the free world, I suggest you start and end here.
39. Where peat is found 41. Referring to birth 43. Distort, as data 44. Jellied garnish 46. Battery type 48. Suffix with “direct” or “detect” 49. Yodeler’s feedback 51. Like deserts 52. Flanders of cartoons 53. Anglers’ weights 56. Asylum seeker 58. U.S. lang. 59. Computer “brain” 60. John’s “Blues Brothers” co-star 61. Sigma successor 62. The hereafter 68. Hangman request? 69. Cause of many yawns 70. “The King” of music 71. Decimal-system base 72. Horse instructors 73. Apportioned, as
4. “Ima Boss (feat. Rick Ross)” Meek Mill Meek Mill and Rick Ross join forces to create a song entirely dedicated to touting their status in the industry. In “Ima Boss” they both recap some of the greatest things that have happened since their success, and in typical hip-hop fashion, models, poppin’ bottles, cash and alcohol are mentioned repeatedly. Despite having notably different styles, Mill and Ross are able to collaborate and create something entirely unique. Now that Mill is out and free, he has the perfect opportunity to reinstate his status as a boss.
cards Down 1. One way to run 2. In the past 3. “Don’t mind if ___” 4. Jason’s wife, in myth 5. Get bigger 6. Bart, to Maggie, slangily 7. Mighty hardwood 8. Tuck, for one 9. Aromatic herb 10. All-natural 11. Carpentry 12. Eaglet nursery 13. Midas’ undoing 18. Defeated, in a way 23. Viola da ___ 24. Toast spreads 25. Creature near the Antarctic Circle 26. Evil angel 28. Grounded Australians 31. “Bigfoot” relatives 35. Car built for speed 37. River’s border,
sometimes 38. One from Malmo 40. Word with “bay” or “pay” 42. Rio Grande city 45. One of two that makes a king? 47. Slung mud at 50. Live-forever plant 53. ___ ease (relieve one’s mind) 54. Pointlessly silly 55. Islam branch 57. Brother of your father 63. Beretta, for one 64. “Prove” prefix 65. Macrogametes 66. Cool number? 67. NYC winter clock setting
Sports
Sports. April 30, 2018. The DePaulia | 25
Blue Demons take 9-3 win on senior day By Andrew Hattersley Asst. Sports Editor
It was a bittersweet day for all involved as DePaul finished off a sweep of Butler with a 9-3 victory Sunday afternoon before honoring their four seniors Haydn Christensen, Kennedy Garcia, Kayla Landwehrmier and Megan Leyva following the game. DePaul head coach Eugene Lenti said senior day is always filled with mixed emotions because of the time spent helping players grow both on and off the field, but added he’s proud of what they’ve contributed in their time on campus. “They’ve been great additions to the program, they embody what it means to be a student athlete,” Lenti said. “All four have been All-Academic Big East, they have a great cumulative GPA over 3.5 as a group, they’re all going to move on to do great things, sociology major, psychology major, biology major, health sciences major they’re going to have great futures. They came in here as young girls just ready to learn and hungry to learn and they’re leaving here as brave, bold, confident women.” On the day DePaul honored the four seniors, it was sophomore center fielder Angela Scalzitti who delivered a big grand slam to cap an eight-run third inning for DePaul. Lenti said he was pleased to see Scalzitti come through in a big moment, and showing her game evolving. “Well I liked mostly Angela’s grand slam, that’s what I really liked,” Lenti said. “Angela has been a slapper, small-ball player her whole career until this year we started letting her start swinging away, we always knew she was capable of doing that and it was a great moment for all of us.” The grand slam gave DePaul a 9-2 advantage after Butler grabbed the lead on a home run in the second inning by Claire Gilliland. Christensen said she was proud of how the team overcame some early deficits this weekend, especially with the conference tournament approaching. “We really battled back, we were kind of neck and neck in a lot of the games, very close one run, two runs,” Christensen said. “There was always that one inning where we break through and really took
ALEJANDRO TREVINO | DEPAUL ATHLETICS
DePaul honored seniors Haydn Christensen, Kennedy Garcia, Kayla Landwehrmier and Megan Leyva after the game. the lead and kept the lead and that’s really important because we just played St. John’s which was really long innings obviously 11 innings, 10 innings, in this one we were able to put them away in seven which is really important going into Rosemont in a couple weekends.” Sunday’s starter Garcia said she battled some nerves early on, but said this was a big win both personally and for the team in a close conference race with Creighton. “For me personally it’s senior day so I did have the jitters,” Garcia said. “This is a major win especially this year the competition is super tight, every inning, every win counts. I feel like this is also a big win for me too because last year this was one of the teams I struggled with personally so coming out and getting the sweep is amazing.” Garcia, who joined DePaul after two years at Phoenix College, said leaving her teammates behind after two seasons is a similar feeling to the one she had in junior college. “They’re all my sisters,” Garcia said. “It
kind of sucks coming from a JUCO it’s sort of the same experience you get close to girls for one or two years then you got to leave, same with here, I get close with all these girls I love them with all my heart then I got to leave, but we’re making the best of it so we still have so many more games to play.” Christensen echoed Garcia’s appreciation for the school and said she’s excited, but sad for the next chapter of her life that for the first time since she was a child won’t include softball. “It’s definitely bittersweet,” Christensen said. “It’s really exciting to know that I’m going to start this next chapter of my life, but it’s also really sad because I’ve been playing softball since I was four years old and I love the girls on my team and it’s going to be interesting to see what’s coming next.” With the win, the Blue Demons extended its winning streak to five games, while Garcia picked up her sixth win of the year allowing just two earned runs on four hits while striking out five Bulldogs. DePaul’s marathon homestand, that
lasted over a month after their road game at Creighton was cancelled due to weather, comes to a close Wednesday with a home game against crosstown rival Northwestern. Lenti said the team will use that as an opportunity to continue getting sharper in all three phases after making four errors in three games against Butler. “As coaches we are never totally satisfied 100 percent,” Lenti said. “We love the fact we win, that’s what matters the most is the end result. Little bit sharper in our at bats, a little bit sharper everywhere, we’ll take tomorrow off and have a good practice on Tuesday and use Wednesday against Northwestern as a good gage, we’ll probably have all three pitchers throw seven outs or whatever so they can stay kind of sharp and hope that carries us into a good weekend against Providence.” Last season, the Wildcats blanked DePaul 8-0 in a game that got away from them in the sixth inning.
BLUE DEMON RUNDOWN MAX STRUS
MEN'S AND WOMEN'S TENNIS
TRACK & FEILD
On Tuesday the NBA released a list of 236 early entry candidates for the 2018 NBA Draft. Among the names missing from the list was DePaul guard Max Strus, who announced he was declaring for the draft earlier this month but did not hire an agent, allowing him to return to school. At the time Strus declared, he said his plan was to test the waters and receive feedback in order to get a true sense of where he stood in the eyes of the NBA. Players wishing to enter the draft were required to submit a letter to the NBA to be received no later than Sunday, April 22. Those who have applied to the draft have the right to withdraw their name from draft consideration by notifying the NBA no later my Wednesday, May 30. The draft is scheduled to be held June 21 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Strus led DePaul last season with 16.8 points per game and 81 three-pointers while also averaging 5.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.
Sunday had the potential to be a big day with both the men’s and women’s tennis teams advancing to the Big East title match. The women’s team, in search of their fourth Big East crown in the last five years, fell just short losing to St. John’s 4-2 in their final. The Blue Demons advanced to the championship game thanks to a comeback victory when Alina Kuzmenkova rallied over Marquette’s Andrea Amortegui sealed DePaul’s 4-2 victory. The Blue Demons finished the year 10-10 overall. The top seeded DePaul men’s tennis team also advanced to the finals with a 4-3 win over Georgetown. However, the Blue Demons fell to Marquette in the championship, eight days after going two-for-two against their rivals to close out the regular season. DePaul opened by taking two of the three double matches, but the Golden Eagles took control winning four singles matches. With their wins on Sunday, St John's and Marquette clinched automatic berths in the NCAA Tournament.
In their final tuneup before the Big East Outdoor Championships in two weeks, the Blue Demons had standout performances once again from Alexia Brooks, Brian Mada and William Hauser. Brooks once again set a program record in the 100-meter hurdles breaking her previous time of 13.94 seconds with with a time of 13.46 seconds. Mada remained undefeated this season in the triple jump with a winning distance of 15.39 meters. Mada also placed fourth in the long jump with a mark of 7.32 meters. Hauser was among the other field athletes to collect a victory in the javelin with a personal record distance record distance of 7.32 meters. While they didn’t result in victories, DePaul also saw personal best performances from Elizabeth Endy, Lizzie De Joie and Adam Nelson in the 800-meter and 100-meter respectively. The Big East Outdoor Championships will begin May 11 in Geneva, Ohio.
26 | Sports. April 30, 2018. The DePaulia
ERICH SCHLEGEL | USA TODAY
Hall won't see the floor in a DePaul uniform until the 2019-20 season.
HALL, continued from back page
DARRON CUMMINGS | AP
NCAA President Mark Emmert says he is serious about changing college basketball.
NCAA, continued from back page Changes to the one-and-done rule will require cooperation from the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association. Since the adoption of the one and done rule for the 2007 draft, required that all players entering the draft must be one year removed from high school, effectively mandating that U.S. players spend one year playing college basketball before making the leap to the NBA. “Part of the reason there was a one-anddone rule put in place is because there were certain imperfections in that framework,” DePaul head coach Dave Leitao said. “A lot of young people that were not ready that went directly out of high school and never got the opportunity to go to college. I think there was some push back because of that to get to the model that we have now. After this amount of time we recognize that, as Jeanne said, you know, forcing someone to go to college may not be the best answer for right now.” From the point of view of any NCAA affiliated party, changing the one-anddone rule makes sense. But it’s the NBA’s rule and it isn’t designed to shepard elite athletes toward a college degree. According
to former NBA commissioner David Stern, the NBA is a business, and the players are the commodity. “This is a not a social program, this is a business rule for us,” Stern told ESPN in 2012 regarding the one-and-done rule. "The NFL has a rule which requires three years of college. So the focus is often on ours, but it’s really not what we require in college. It’s that we say we would like a year to look at them and I think it’s been interesting to see how the players do against first-class competition in the NCAAs and then teams have the ability to judge and make judgments, because high-ranking draft picks are very, very valuable.” The NBA Player's Association and the NBA won't meet to discuss changes to the one-and-done rule until after the season has conculded, and changes likely won't occure until the 2020 draft, according to reports by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. But the atmosphere is as ripe for change as it ever has been. "I think there is a lot of confidence and a lot of energy surrounding this right now in our industry, because it's all overdue," Lenti Ponsetto said. "And I think a lot of people feel that it's overdue."
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minutes out of him.” When Hall joined Arkansas, he was ranked as the No. 4 player in the state and the No. 50 power forward overall in the 2017 class according to 247Sports.com. This came after three All-State and AllConference selections, as well as, being named the 2017 5A State Tournament MVP. Due to the current NCAA transfer rules, DePaul will have to wait to see Hall in action, since he will sit out the 20182019 season before having three years left to play. Hall said he is eager to use this year to get better as a player, as well as adjust to a new school. “That is going to be the best year for me,” Hall said. “I’m going to be able to get in the gym all year and then I will be able to practice with the team, and I’ll be working on my game and working
around pros and stuff.” Kirk agreed sitting out this year should help Hall develop as a player, and believes he will be able to come in and help the Blue Demons next season. “I think he can come in and help DePaul next year,” Kirk said. “I think he would have started at Arkansas next year, so I don’t think it’s an absolute necessity he had to sit out next year. But I think that year will benefit him big time.” After attending high school at Mills University Studies in Arkansas and then staying home for his first year of college, Hall said he is looking forward to a new opportunity out of state. “I think I’m very mature,” Hall said. “I think it will be great being away from home and being able to see and experience a lot of different things I’ve never seen before.” The men’s basketball signing period runs through May 16.
En Garde
Sports. April 30, 2018. The DePaulia | 27
DePaul's fencing club brings ancient combat to the Ray By William Sullivan Contributing Writer
If you walk into the Ray on a Saturday afternoon, you might see people in weird mesh masks, wearing white uniforms and brandishing swords. They are members of DePaul’s fencing club. According to their club website, they “provide the ability for DePaul students to participate from simple practices, to club tournaments, to competitions located in the Chicago area.” “The DePaul Fencing club has been around for approximately two years,” said senior Ray Dittmer, president of the DePaul Fencing Club. They currently learn and practice in the Ray. Dittmer is an experienced fencer who says he started practicing the sport about a decade ago. Back home, Dittmer is a teacher at a fencing club called Le Grand Cercle in San Francisco. Another experienced member of the Fencing Club is a sophomore biological science major Alexandra Krak, who started fencing when she was a freshman in high school. “I instantly fell in love with it,” she said. Not everyone who is a member of the fencing club is as experienced as Krak and Dittmer. Senior Jack Riley is another one of the club’s members, and he says it’s the swordplay that got him hooked. “I've always been into swordplay, and I noticed the people fencing at the Ray,” Riley said. “The next year the club started and I joined. We all largely started off in the club, but everyone has learned pretty quickly.” And sophomore environmental science major Esmahan Elasmar joined the fencing club last fall after she saw the group’s booth at the 2017 student involvement fair. “I never fenced before then, and I have been learning in the club,” she said. Some people might question whether fencing is a sport at all. It does not have many of the trappings of what people imagine when they think of sports. Hitting the weight room won’t make you a better fencer, neither will running the 40-yard dash in under five seconds or a five-minute mile without breaking a sweat. But there’s a lot more to it than just shuffling around and jabbing your opponent with a pointy stick. “Fencing is a sport set in tradition, honor and respect,” Dittmer said. “Fencing provides a great workout both physically and mentally.” The club currently focuses on only one discipline, though fencing includes three: sabre, foils and épées. DePaul’s fencers have taken to sabre, a style of fencing that allows competitors to use the edge of their blade to score points by striking any part of the body above the waist — including the face mask. In foil, competitors must touch their opponent in the torso or groin with the tip of a thin, flexible sword. Using a thicker and heavier sword, épée fighters must touch their opponent with the tip of their weapon, but the entire body is in play. "Right now we're just sabre,” Riley said. “It's the more interesting weapon, in that it's fastest paced.” “Sabre feels like a highly underutilized weapon in the fencing world and bringing it to DePaul was something I think is rather unique,” Dittmer said. “I noticed that people usually found the slashing motion of the weapon a bit more natural than the stabbing gestures of the foil and épée.”
WILLIAM SULLIVAN | THE DEPAULIA
A fencer in a black suit practices fencing against a fencer in a white suit at an unspecified location in the Ray.
A fencing primer By William Sullivan Contributing Writer
Fencing is an ancient sport. According to the Olympics website, “Fencing was included for the first time at the 1896 Games in Athens." It evolved from “a form of military training.” According to the USA Fencing rules, fencing is a sport played on a long,
"Épée"
narrow, rectangular field. It is about 46 feet long and 6.5 feet wide. There are three kinds of weapons used, called disciplines. Each has its own rules. Scoring is based upon what is called a "touch," when one fencer touches another with the weapon in the right place to score a point. The sabre is allowed to slash. You can use the edge of the blade to score, which makes it different from epee and
"Sabre"
foil. Anything, excluding the hands, above the waist will score you a point. The foil requires you to touch an opponent with the tip of the weapon. The foil has a target area of the torso and the groin. Not the arms, like the sabre. The épée has no limits to where a fencer can score a touch. All parts of the body count. Like the foil though, it requires you to touch with the tip to score.
"Foil"
ALLY ZACEK | THE DEPAULIA
There are a few barriers to becoming a fencer, and one of those is getting access to the equipment. Luckily, DePaul’s fencing club has a few sets of practice gear and electrical gear for its members to use. Riley says the club does request that members purchase their own gloves, however. “DePaul’s fencing club is great in that they provide most of what you need so that you don’t need to spend a ton of money,”
Elasmar said. “They require only a glove which you can get online for around $10.” Even if fencing has high costs of entry, once you get in it is an equal playing field. “Fencing is a sport that well respects women,” Krak said. “All the rules apply to each gender, and the judges are fair.” Members say fencing isn’t just a physical sport – it’s a mental one even more so. “The mental gymnastics a fencer
must perform in order to score a touch has carried over to my life outside fencing,” Dittmer said. “Now I am constantly looking opportunities when the situation calls for it, whatever that might be.” “Fencing has taught me to be patient and observe outside of class,” Krak said. “It’s shown me how to use skills in fencing that I can use in class like critical thinking.”
Sports
Sports. April 30, 2018. The DePaulia | 28
Can they fix it?
Lenti Ponsetto, Leitao express optimism about NCAA recommendations By Shane René Sports Editor
NCAA president Mark Emmert’s Commission on College Basketball released its recommendations to fix widespread corruption in college basketball Wednesday morning, calling for the end of the oneand-done era, regulations regarding the relationship between the NCAA and apparel companies and lifetime bans for major violations. After an FBI probe led to the termination of Hall-of-Fame Louisville head coach Rick Pitino this past September, the conversation about corruption of amateurism in college turned from smoke to fire. Even Emmert, the NCAA’s often criticized president, said he was serious about adopting policies aimed at cleaning up his organization’s basketball programs. “You don’t waste Condoleezza Rice’s time,” he said. At the committee’s press conference in Indianapolis Wednesday morning, commission chairperson, former U.S. Secretary of State and Stanford University Provost Condoleezza Rice, stressed the commission’s commitment to steer college basketball away from professionalism and back to a truer form of amateurism. “We need to put the college back in college basketball,” Rice said. “Our focus has been to strengthen the collegiate model — not to move toward on that brings aspects of professionalism into the game.” These were comforting words for DePaul’s athletic director, Jean Lenti Ponsetto. “I think (the recommendations have) great potential to be transformative for men’s college basketball,” she said. “For me I think the most encouraging part about it was in some of commissioner Rice’s opening statements about the
DARRON CUMMINGS | AP
Former Secretary of State and Stanford University Provost Condoleezza Rice chairs the Commision on College Baksetball. importance of what college athletics is supposed to be about. Let’s provide the pathway for the elite athlete and work with the NBA to do that (...) but I think the real critical piece in all of this is that being a student athlete is about coming to college to receive a college degree and so I think for a lot of people in our industry that was a really important statement: let’s get back to what college athletics is supposed to be
about.” Over her time DePaul, Lenti Ponsetto has developed a reputation for her emphasis on the academics. Many Blue Demons routinely rank at the top of the Big East for academic achievement, but struggles with the men’s basketball program’s success on the court and publicly declaring her program “not the junior NBA” have raised questions about her priorities. When it
comes to handling elite athletes, she says forcing them to stay in school isn’t the way to go. “If there is a freshman who has earned the right and has the talent level to be drafted as an 18 year old, it doesn’t make any sense to force someone to go to college that doesn’t really want to be in college,” Lenti Ponsetto said.
See NCAA, page 26
Former Arkansas small forward commits to DePaul By Andrew Hattersley Asst. Sports Editor
The DePaul basketball program has enlisted help on the wing for the future. Arkansas transfer Darious Hall announced on Twitter Wednesday afternoon that he has committed to DePaul. “I would like to thank God for this position he has allowed me to be in, and my mother who has supported and helped guide me through this process,” Hall said. “Also, I’d like to thank all the coaches who have reached out since learning about my transfer over the last month. It has been a challenging decision (...), with that being said, I’m announcing that I will be committing to the University of DePaul. Go Blue Demons.” Hall visited the program on April 22 and said the city, atmosphere, coaches and food were among the reasons he opted to join the Blue Demons. “I was excited,” Hall said. “I felt like I was moving on in my life to a better chapter and they made me feel like home.” On his visit, Hall spent time with players on the team, as well as head coach Dave Leitao and assistant coach Tim
NELSON CHENAULT | USA TODAY
Darious Hall says DePaul presents him an opportunity to make it the next level. Anderson who sold him on the professional opportunities he would have at DePaul. “I’d be coming into a good opportunity for me to be able to get to the next level,” Hall said. “They really just told me a lot.” In his freshman season with the Razorbacks, Hall started five games but spent most of his time coming off the bench, where he averaged 14.8 minutes per
game on an Arkansas team that reached the NCAA tournament. He averaged 5.1 points per game on 53.1 percent from the field to go along with 3.1 rebounds per game. He showed a shred of a budding 3-point shot, finishing the season 13-32 on 3-point attempts. Hall said getting to the NCAA tournament as a freshman was a memorable
experience and it’s one he plans to replicate at DePaul. “It was great, it was my first year,” Hall said. “I plan on getting back there and it was just a great experience.” Hawgs 247 senior writer Otis Kirk, who covered Hall at Arkansas, said DePaul is getting a solid player who was expected to be a major contributor for the Razorbacks next season. “He’s very athletic. He’s a good basketball player. They got a good one,” Kirk said. “I’m pretty sure he would have started next year. I thought he’d be an established starter next year; he only played a little over 14 minutes per game this year but a lot of people felt he should have played more. He’s very athletic.” Kirk added that while Hall may not stand out, he’s a solid all-around player that was among the Razorbacks more dependable players last season. “Hall was much more consistent,” Kirk said. “You kind of knew what you were getting out of Darious at the minimum, and sometimes he gave you more, but you knew you were going to get some good
See HALL, page 26