This will be the last print issue for the year, follow us at depauliaonline.com for content over the summer
SEE YOU IN
DeFALL
SUMMERTIME SANDy-NESS
School’s (almost) over, spend all your time at the beach Focus, Page 14
Volume #98 | Issue #28 | June 2, 2014 | depauliaonline.com
plans for an arena
Photo courtesy of PELLI CLARK PELLI
PRESSURE
POINTS
From arena protests to divesting, and all the open administration positions in between, it’s been quite a year By DePaulia Staff
provost resigns
Photo courtesy of DEPAUL
melvin leaves
DENNIS GEORGES | THE DEPAULIA
leave of absence announced
Photo courtesy of DEPAUL
sexual assault protests
MATT PARAS | THE DEPAULIA
depaul votes to divest
AMANDA DRISCOLL | THE DEPAULIA
meetings revealed that the reaction is still mostly negative, but the arena is still on track to be completed by 2016. All that remains is for DePaul to name the arena.
When the 2012-13 school year ended, the talk of the new basketball arena was dominating the conversation. Groups were forming, faculty and staff were speaking out, and it seemed like A six-month provost protests of the university’s newest investment In December, DePaul’s new provost Donald would dominate the 2013-14 school year and Pope-Davis resigned after a brief six months on beyond. the job. But anger against the arena was just the “I was shocked,” junior Connor Lillis said to beginning of a tumultuous year at DePaul. After just The DePaulia in January. “I assumed he would six months the provost the university hired after a be in it for the long haul and he was going to year-long search resigned, which was followed by come in and he was going to make major changes more resignations in the administration, a leave throughout the university so that we could of absence was announced by President Rev. operate better.” Dennis Holtschneider, C.M. and the basketball Upon Pope-Davis’ departure, Patricia team’s star player disappeared under mysterious O’Donoghue returned to the interim provost circumstances. The year position after holding the culminated in a sea of position for the year during protests — the first round the search. Our main concern has demanding transparency Faculty Council in sexual assault reporting pushed for a new provost been that a prolonged and the second to urging search to start this fall, and period with an interim the university to divest Holtschneider supported provost would not be from corporations that do that decision. With an consistent with trying to business with Israel. inconsistent person in the It’s been a rocky year. bring some semblance of provost position — who stability and consistency is second in line to the president — Faculty Council The DePaul Arena to DePaul. said they felt it was hard to Plans were announced Bamshad Mobasher get things moving forward. for a new home for A new provost search DePaul basketball May Faculty Council spokesperson will begin this fall with a 16, 2013, but the process committee of five Board of Trustees members, of building the arena finally came to fruition as the 2013-14 school year began. After months of four faculty members, two staff members, one deliberation, the board of the Metropolitan Pier dean, the SGA president and one member and Exposition Authority (McPier) selected Pelli appointed by Holtschneider from his own staff, Clarke Pelli Architects Sept. 23 to construct the according to Faculty Council Secretary Roshanna arena. The firm was also the group that built Sylvester. DePaul’s new Theatre School, and a sleek, low“Our main concern has been that a prolonged rise design for the arena soon followed which period with an interim provost would not be displayed a 10,000-seat structure in the South consistent with trying to bring some semblance Loop. of stability and consistency to DePaul, especially The announcement faced plenty of pushback. given the changes in leadership we have seen A meeting was held Oct. 6 where around 60 recently and also because the uncertainties in students, faculty, and members of the community DePaul’s financial situation,” Faculty Council voiced their displeasure. Furthermore, the spokesperson Bamshad Mobasher said in an Contingent for an Alternatively Funded Arena email in May. (CAFA) did a study that found overwhelming Following his resignation, Pope-David negativity toward the arena’s funding plans. received a sabbatical until Autumn Quarter A wrench was thrown in the original plans 2014 when he was slated to return as a professor after McPier failed to acquire essential parcels in the psychology department. As of right now, of land, leading to an allocation of TIF funds to however, Pope-Davis is not scheduled to teach pay for an additional Marriott Hotel that would any psychology classes. be connected to the arena. DePaul’s contribution of $70 million to the project did not change, Three deans resign but the allocation of the funds was looked at as Out of the 10 deans at DePaul, three a positive step by critics. Some still disagreed, announced they would be leaving their positions though, saying that while moving the TIF funds over the past two quarters. was a good idea, it was still essentially for the Gregory Mark, the dean for DePaul’s College of same project since the Marriott wouldn’t be built Law, announced Jan. 23 that he would step down to without the promise of the arena. See PRESSURE, page 4 Community perception and town hall