DePaulia
The
Volume #108 | Issue #10 | Jan. 22, 2024 | depauliaonline.com
Nikki Haley supporters pose for a selfie before a rally begins in Adel, Iowa, on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024. The youth vote is one of Haley’s biggest benefits, with many hoping it may be the factor that could lead her to victory in the presidential election.
IOWA CAUCUS 2024 page 8
LEER EN ESPAÑOL, page 11 Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley addresses supporters at her rally in Adel, Iowa, on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024. Caucusers wait for ballots to be tallied at a high school in Mount Vernon, Iowa, on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. Residents were separated into two groups at the caucus, which represented the two precincts that divide the small college town.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to supporters at a rally in Davenport, Iowa, on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. DeSantis, who also won a large chunk of the youth vote, polled second among Iowans with 21% of the state’s Republican vote.
PHOTOS: QUENTIN BLAIS | THE DEPAULIA
A caucus participant holds up a ballot for tabulation during the Republican Caucus in Mount Vernon, Iowa, on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024.
A Trump flag waves in the front yard of a supporter’s house in Mount Vernon, Iowa, on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. The former president won the Iowa Republican Caucus.
2 | News. The DePaulia. Jan. 22, 2024.
News The DePaulia is the official student-run newspaper of DePaul University and may not necessarily reflect the views of college administrators, faculty or staff.
CAMPUS CRIME REPORT LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS
CRIME DATA REPORTED BY DEPAUL CRIME PREVENTION OFFICE
LOOP CAMPUS
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | Nadia Carolina Hernandez eic@depauliaonline.com
Jan. 10 - Jan. 16, 2024
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ONLINE MANAGING | Samantha Moilanen online@depauliaonline.com
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PRINT MANAGING | Lilly Keller managing@depauliaonline.com NEWS EDITOR | Lucia Preziosi news@depauliaonline.com
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ASST. NEWS EDITOR | Rose O’Keeffe news@depauliaonline.com OPINIONS EDITOR | Nadine DeCero opinion@depauliaonline.com FOCUS EDITOR | Una Cleary focus@depauliaonline.com ARTS & LIFE EDITOR | Claire Tweedie artslife@depauliaonline.com ASST. ARTS & LIFE EDITOR | Sam Mroz artslife@depauliaonline.com SPORTS EDITOR | Ryan Hinske sports@depauliaonline.com ART EDITOR | Maya Oclassen art@depauliaonline.com DESIGN EDITOR | Jake Cox design@depauliaonline.com DESIGN EDITOR | Zoe Hanna design@depauliaonline.com PHOTO EDITOR | Kit Wiberg photo@depauliaonline.com ASST. PHOTO EDITOR | Erin Henze photo@depauliaonline.com CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER | Quentin Blais photo@depauliaonline.com COPY EDITOR | Amber Corkey copydesk@depauliaonline.com SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR | Vanessa Lopez social@depauliaonline.com COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EDITOR | Ruchi Nawathe community@depauliaonline.com ADVISER | Martha Irvine mirvine5@depaul.edu
La DePaulia es el noticiero oficial estudiantil en español de la Universidad DePaul, enfocado en proveer una voz para la comunidad latinx. Nuestras opiniones no necesariamente reflejan las opiniones de la administración, facultad o personal de la universidad. JEFA DE REDACCIÓN | Alyssa Salcedo eicladepaulia@depauliaonline.com EDITORA DE NOTICIAS | Rodolfo Zagal managingladepaulia@depauliaonline.com GERENTE EDITORIAL | Cary Robbins crobbi10@depaul.edu ASESORA | Laura Rodriguez Presa larodriguez@chicagotribune.com
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LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS Assault & Theft
Drug & Alcohol
Other
Lincoln Park Campus Crimes:
Jan. 11 1)A Theft report was filed regarding a bicycle wheel stolen from the bike rack at Courtside Apartments. 2) A Stalking report was filed regarding an incident that occurred on Sheffield Ave. 3) A Deceptive Practices report was filed regarding a person attempting to coerce students into giving him money. 4) A Theft report was filed regarding a bicycle stolen from the rack outside the Ray Meyer Fitness Center. Jan. 12 5) A Liquor Control Act was reported in University Hall. Subject was transported to Illinois Masonic Hospital for treatment. 6) A Theft report was filed regarding a bicycle taken from the bike rack in front of the Schmitt Academic Center. 7) Graffiti was discovered in a stairwell in Levan /
O’Connell. 8) A Liquor Control Act was reported in Seton Hall. Subject was transported to Illinois Masonic Hospital for treatment. Jan. 14 9) A Criminal Damage report was filed in Corcoran Hall.
LOOP CAMPUS Loop Campus Crimes:
No crimes reported during these dates.
News. The DePaulia. Jan. 22, 2024| 3
Below-zero temperatures raise concern for Chicago’s unhoused
AP PHOTO/CHARLES REX ARBOGAST
An elderly man warms his hands by the fire he created across the street from a homeless encampment under a major interstate freeway Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024, in Chicago. Millions of Americans have faced below-zero temperatures as storms have brought blasts of Arctic air, snow and ice this winter. By Lucia Preziosi News Editor
Chicago endured a cold spell last week, bringing snow and below-freezing temperatures dipping into the negatives with extreme windchill. With these conditions, community organizers and residents raise concerns about the City’s estimated 68,400 people experiencing homelessness and the resources that exist to combat these dangerous conditions to ensure their health and safety. When temperatures drop below 32 degrees, the city makes warming centers available in across six community service locations throughout Chicago, which are open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. With wind chills as low as minus 30 degrees last week, an additional warming center was opened at Harold Washington Library, open 24 hours for both Chicago residents facing homelessness and newly arrived migrants. Desirie McKay, director of field education at DePaul and a social worker with experience in social services throughout the Chicagoland area, said many regulations for warming centers and shelters accommodate for the extreme weather. McKay said that hours for shelters and warming centers are often limited, and close in the evening. “When it’s below zero, they don’t have those regulations in place … to allow folks to stay and not be out in the cold,” McKay said. Shelters are also a resource used by Chicago’s houseless population during extreme weather. Tiffany Connolly, program coordinator of the Ruff Institute of Global Homelessness, an organization driving a global movement to end street homelessness, believes that shelters are essential to providing resources, such as a bed and a hot meal for the homeless. Connolly identifies the approximate 100 overnight shelters across the City and Chicago Continuum of Care, an organization that coordinates housing and services funding for homeless families and individuals as ways that Chicago’s houseless community can receive support. “The City encourages that requests for shelter be made by calling 311,” Connolly said.
You’re seeing an influx of people who are unhoused staying on the trains and organizations going to the CTA to provide services directly at some of the stops.”
Jennifer Kouba
DePaul professor of Peace, Justice and Conflict Studies However, these resources are not always available when it comes to limited hours or space. Jennifer Kouba, a DePaul professor of peace, justice and conflict studies says that many unhoused people have to find other places to stay warm. Kouba identified trains, public libraries and emergency rooms as places where those facing homelessness find shelter during dangerously cold temperatures. Community outreach groups frequent places like trains to try to offer resources and aid, such as the Night Ministry. “You’re seeing an influx of people who are unhoused staying on the trains and organizations going to the CTA to provide services directly at some of the stops,” Kouba said. Mayor Brandon Johnson also pushed back his administration’s newly instated 60day stay limit for migrants given the frigid temperatures. The new deadline that migrants must leave the shelters they have been staying in for 60 days is Feb. 1. Besides warming centers and certain limits being lifted from shelters, the City also urges people to check on their loved ones and neighbors amidst these conditions. Chicagoans can also use the 311 number to request a well-being check on a neighbor and for information on warming areas.
“We’re also called on when we’re out and about and see homeless folks to share the resources we know for them,” McKay said. However, during McKay’s time in the social services field and in direct homeless outreach, she said that those experiencing homelessness are sometimes apprehensive about utilizing these resources. “A lot of these individuals have been involved in systems that have betrayed them from their lens,” McKay said. “You will have folks that will refuse to go to shelters, you’ll have folks even in these freezing temperatures that will say ‘no thank you’ because they’ve been burned by a system.” The City’s inconsistent allocation of these resources throughout the year can also impact the trust that houseless individuals have for these services, according to McKay. “We must consider that people are homeless all year around and not just in the winter,” McKay said. “I would assume that some homeless people feel that ‘you care about us now because it’s cold…but do you really care about us any other time of the year?” Various policies have been enacted under Mayor Brandon Johnson, such as an executive order Oct. 3 establishing the City’s first Chief Homeless Officer, put in place to address the complexity of homelessness and create policy and coordination across City departments. The City Council has also approved a referendum on the Bring Chicago Home ordinance, which will be decided on by Chicago voters on March 19. Bring Chicago Home suggests implementing a one-time tax on properties over $1 million when they are sold to create consistent revenue to provide permanent affordable housing for people experiencing homelessness. “The Bring Chicago Home initiative is definitely a way for students to get involved to create a pipeline of funding for affordable housing and homeless services,” Kouba said. “It’s great to see the current administration and some elected officials really advocating to move that forward.” Recognizing the intersectionality of issues that comes with experiencing homelessness is also important in the conversation, according to McKay, such as validat-
ing the mental health impacts. “Housing is a fundamental right, it is a basic need,” McKay said. “If you take a basic need away from someone, that’s trauma within itself.” Connolly also points to the intersections homelessness has with public health, housing affordability and unemployment, “Increased coordination among systems, resources and data across these sectors,” is another way the City can ensure they’re allocating the proper resources. McKay says that many of those experiencing homelessness face substance abuse or mental health issues, along with significant traumas that arise from navigating the barriers of being houseless and trying to find permanent housing. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 60% of those facing chronic homelessness struggle with mental health issues. “There’s a lot of trust that’s been broken, and really rebuilding that trust with that community, caring for them consistently throughout the seasons and really working to eliminate those barriers that exist for homeless people),” McKay said. DePaul students can also offer their time and resources in many ways to offer aid to those experiencing homelessness in Chicago, such as volunteering at local food pantries or soup kitchens, according to Connolly. This work begins with changing the rhetoric and attitude towards those experiencing homelessness, and ensuring that students uplift their voices, according to Connolly. “We encourage students to be an ally and when opportunities arise, help platform people with lived experiences of homelessness so their knowledge is centered in the work to address homelessness,” Connolly said. Kouba also calls upon a change in rhetoric among elected officials and Chicago residents when discussing the unhoused community. “These are people, these are human beings,” Kouba said. “Having leaders understand that unhoused residents are also their constituents, and also encouraging housed residents that we all live here and have a right to housing, and that’s truly the baseline to be able to thrive.”
4 | News. The DePaulia. Jan. 22, 2024
AP PHOTO/GREGORIO BORGIA
Pope Francis arrives in the Paul VI hall on the occasion of the weekly general audience, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024.
Pope Francis grants blessings to same-sex couples, embracing a pastoral approach to ‘controversial’ issues By Rose O’Keefee Asst. News Editor
Catholic clergy can now bless samesex couples after Pope Francis’ Dec. 18 reversal of a 2021 Vatican policy that banned the practice. The Catholic Church still contends that marriage is exclusively between a man and a woman and will not grant the sacrament to gay couples. In other words, DePaul Catholic studies professor William Cavanaugh said the Vatican now permits a blessing of the gay couple, not a blessing or approval of gay marriage. “It’s typical of Pope Francis because, without overturning long standing doctrines, he’s tried to emphasize that God meets us wherever we are,” Cavanaugh said. Blessings are not sacraments and can be performed by any baptized Christian, according to Fr. Christopher Robinson, a Vincentian priest and DePaul religious studies instructor. “A blessing, in short, is a hope of peace, well-being, and an acknowledgement of holiness or goodness upon the person receiving the blessing,” Robinson said. In addition to gay couples, Robinson explained the Pope is extending the availability of clerical blessings to all “irregular unions.” This means that divorced and remarried Catholics who did not receive an annulment for their previous marriages can still have their union blessed in the church. “What Pope Francis was doing was welcoming back lots of people who felt disconnected from Catholicism,” Robinson said. Robinson said the Catholic Church, at its core, is a humanist organization meant to celebrate the beauty and sacredness of human life. “I think Francis being of the Jesuit tradition understands that humanism means
“It’s typical of Pope Francis because, without overturning long standing doctrines, he’s tried to emphasize that God meets us wherever we are.” William Cavanaugh
DePaul Catholic Studies professor things like sexuality are very gray issues, not black and white,” Robinson said. Some Catholics do not believe allowing blessings goes far enough to accept homosexuals fully. On the other hand, some traditionalist Catholics remain opposed to any recognition of same-sex relations. Robinson pointed out that in some countries with large Catholic populations, such as Uganda and Nigeria, homosexuality remains illegal. “Culture doesn’t always keep up with faith either,” Robinson said. DePaul sophomore Michael Stage, a member of DePaul’s Catholic Campus Ministry, is among those who believe allowing blessings is a step in the right direction. “We think of the Catholic Church as being something that’s very old and set in its ways, but this is a good reminder that things can change and change for the better,” Stage said. As a young Catholic, Stage wants to contribute to the change he said must occur to make the Church a more inclusive space. Though the Catholic Church remains opposed to granting the sacrament of marriage to people in “irregular unions,” Robinson said it is not his place to judge. “There’s no sin detector that goes off at
the church door,” Robinson said. Instead, he said focusing on our shared humanity and promoting social justice are far more productive. “I think God cares a lot more about that right now than the other issues,” Robinson said. Since his pontificate began in 2013, Pope Francis has sought to create a more inclusive church. He has called for the inclusion of transgender individuals in church practices and clarified in 2023 that transgender Catholics can be baptized and serve as godparents. Francis is also an avid supporter of environmental justice, publishing a 2015 encyclical “Laudato Si” on the importance of care for the Earth. Recently, Francis ruffled some feathers by criticizing climate change deniers. Still, Francis remains opposed to gay marriage, surrogacy and abortion in line with Catholic teaching. However, Cavanaugh said Francis aims to maintain a pastoral approach to social justice instead of a rigid enforcement of church doctrine, contrary to the papacy of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI. “Pope Benedict was always worried about clarity,” Cavanaugh said. “He was afraid people would misunderstand
things and that there was too much relativism in the world and the church needed to be clear about what it stands for. Pope Francis is less concerned about clarity and more interested in charity.” Cavanaugh said Francis approaches controversial issues by first ensuring everyone feels loved. Traditionalist Catholics have clashed with Pope Francis throughout his pontificate over both theological and political ideology, according to America Magazine, The Jesuit Review, a Catholic news organization. Robinson said when people feel threatened, they cling to antiquated ideologies. “Most of the people who are pushing back against Pope Francis are either the white affluent traditionalists, or they’re people from impoverished countries whose populations don’t have access to education or health care, and therefore can’t push a political agenda, because they’re just trying to survive,” Robinson said. When engaging non-traditionalist Catholics who want a more justice-oriented worship experience Robinson said, “There is no monolithic Catholic Church,” meaning that the church can match the diversity the newest generation of Catholics craves. “The only purpose of mass is to send people into the world who have been fed by word ideas by social teaching, and then spend the rest of the week doing good for the human family,” Robinson said. As for Stage, the DePaul sophomore, he feels hopeful about the trajectory of a church led by Pope Francis but knows that more change is needed to satisfy the need for an increasingly inclusive church. “This isn’t the end of this conversation,” Stage said. “I think the biggest win will be when same sex couples can enjoy the sacrament of marriage.”
News. The DePaulia. Jan. 22, 2024 | 5
Trump takes Iowa with commanding win; DeSantis a distant second Lucia Preziosi News Editor
Former President Donald Trump secured a predicted victory at the Republican Iowa caucus Monday night, kicking off the 2024 election season. These results bring the Trump ticket closer to a probable Biden rematch eight days before the New Hampshire primaries. Despite the record cold temperatures, Iowa Republicans came out on Monday to support the former president in the election bid. Trump won in a landslide with 50.9% of the vote and earned 16 delegates after the AP called the race after about 30 minutes after polling began behind closed doors. This is Trump’s third Iowa caucus and his second victory there after losing the vote to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in 2016. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis finished second with 21% of the caucus votes, followed by former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley with 19%.. After placing fourth, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy endorsed Trump and ended his presidential bid Monday evening. DeSantis’ second-place victory gives his plateauing campaign a reignition be-
AP PHOTO/MATT ROURKE
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump gestures after speaking at a campaign event in Portsmouth, N.H., Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024 fore New Hampshire’s primary on January 23, with polls showing the governor lagging behind Trump and Haley. The Iowa caucus differs from traditional primaries, where voters cast their votes at poll sites on a designated day while having access to absentee ballots and early voting to select a party candidate. The caucus began at 7:00 p.m. Central time, with Iowa voters visiting one of the 1,600 precincts around the state, such as libraries or schools, to cast their vote for the next GOP presidential nominee. Once the caucuses began, partici-
pants could hear from candidates’ representatives and supporters. Voters then cast their votes through a secret ballot, and delegates were appointed accordingly. This system is unique to the Republican party in Iowa, with Democrats opting against the in-person caucus system, instead relying on mail-in presidential preference ballots, whose results will not be announced until Super Tuesday, when several states hold primary elections on March 5. Because victory in the Iowa caucuses does not ensure a nomination for
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the winning candidate, the runners-up remain important players. With New Hampshire having the first primary for the 2024 election season next week, polls are showing potential different results than Iowa, as DeSantis lags behind Trump and Haley. “Even if you vote and then pass away, it’s worth it,” Trump said to supporters in a final word of encouragement at a rally on Sunday afternoon. Illinois will hold its primaries March 19, a date that will include local Chicago elections.
6 | Opinions. The DePaulia. Jan. 22, 2024
Opinions
MAYA OCLASSEN | THE DEPAULIA
Dry January isn’t impossible, even if you’re a college student By Nadine DeCero Opinions Editor
Every year, we tell ourselves that the new year will be different from the year before. The new year brings the idea of a fresh start, a difinitive date as to when we will start making the changes we said we were going to make months ago but kept postponing it until the calendar flips to January 1. This is especially the case for those who participate, or attempt to, in Dry January, a month-long streak of sobriety lasting the duration of January. After the holidays, which for some can mean a lot of drinking, people are wanting to wake up on a Saturday morning without a hangover. The first few months of the year tend to be unbearable. After New Year’s, there’s not much to look forward to except spring break. Adding onto the insufferable, many college students are susceptible to seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or “seasonal depression”, causing those effected to lose motivation for daily activities and increased anxiety. It also doesn’t help that Chicago has been experiencing what could be the coldest days its had in five years, keeping schools closed and people inside. The demands of college and overall just being a student can increase stress levels and compromise your ability to cope. This is when students may turn to drinking as a way to relieve the symptoms of SAD, or just plain boredom. With that, Dry January can be especially difficult for college students because they may not see a reason to stop drinking, even if it’s only for a little bit. “I think all that you can do is com-
municate the associate risks [of drinking], and the reward of not,” said Eiron Cudaback, professor of health sciences and neuroscience at DePaul. “ … put it into the context of things that they can appreciate. For instance … relationship between drinking and personal relationships and STDs, eating behaviors, metabolism, exercise, etc. Things that grab their attention.” Dry January aside, sobriety in general can be challenging for college students to commit to. In media especially, college is portrayed to as one long party and glamorizes drinking and partying every weekend. This leads students to believe that it’s a necessity to go out, even if it’s not what they genuinely want to do. According to the National Library of Medicine, peer pressure consistently contributes to excessive drinking among college students. However, peer pressure doesn’t always come in the form in incessant offers to drink like many people think when they hear the term; seeing other people drink in general can be enough to persuade someone to do the same. “Being sober in college is difficult because we feel like that’s when we’re supposed to drink,” said Gillian Tietz, founder and host of the Sober Powered podcast. “It may feel like alcohol is required to help you connect with the group and have fun … alcohol helps us tolerate activities and people we don’t actually like.” So, now we can see why college students may find a hard time living a sober lifestyle, but how do we fix that? According to Gillian Tietz, there are three things you can do to practice
a sober night out: have a plan for how to turn down a drink, understand that no one really cares about your drinking more than you do, and find an alternative drink, like an non-alcholic beer or mocktail. If none of those seem to work for you, then look towards the heart of the matter-- your brain. Vendant Pradeep is the CEO of Reframe, a neuroscience-based alcohol reduction app. Reframe has helped more than 2 million people reduce their drinking or abstain from alcohol altogether. “Neuroscience offers insights into how habits are formed and how they can be changed,” Pradeep said. “We incorporate daily neuroscience lessons to educate users on the workings of their brain and the nature of habits, while also boosting intrinsic motivation. Users also engage with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) exercises designed to challenge and change unhelpful cognitive distortions and behaviors related to alcohol use.” Let me say this: I’m not writing this to say that if you drink, there’s something wrong with you or your brain. I’m not saying you have to stop drinking right now, or that if you tried Dry January and failed then I don’t like you or something-- because I had my own New Year’s resolutions that I already failed. But, I do know how good it feels to give up something, even if it’s only temporary. For example. whenever finals come around, or I find that I’m getting too distracted by social media, I delete it. Alcohol and social media are from two different playing fields, and normally
The opinions in this section do not nessecarily reflect those of The DePaulia staff
people in your circle aren’t pressuring you to use social media. However, once I delete an app, I realize that I don’t really need it and that the sense of connection I thought it was providing me with was nonexistent. When we think we need something or we become dependent on a certain thing, we give it power and take power away from ourselves. Even if it’s not alcohol, I urge you to take something from your life that you’re giving too much time and attention to and just see how you do without it. Of course, if you are drinking, drink responsibly. If you or someone you know is struggling with an alcohol-related issue, please reach out to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health services hotline at 1-800-662-4357.
Opinions. The DePaulia. Jan. 22, 2024 | 7
8| Focus. The DePaulia. Jan. 22, 2024
Focus
IOWA CAUCU
Republican candidates’ immigration policies and By Erin Gessert and Ashley Pérez Contributing Writers
As Republican candidates campaigned ahead of last Monday’s Iowa caucus, many focused on tougher immigration policies in an attempt to win over conservative voters. Former President Donald Trump has long made his views on stricter policies known, including completing a wall along the U.S-Mexico border. But other candidates, namely Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, also called for securing the border and for stricter policies that could halt state and city governments from assisting noncitizens, most of whom are part of the Latine community. DeSantis said, unlike Trump, he would keep his word on campaign promises. “That wall will get built. It’s not just a campaign slogan, it’s something that we actually have to follow through on,” DeSantis said to a group of supporters in Davenport, Iowa Jan. 13. If elected, DeSantis also said he plans to implement strict anti-immigration policies, including banning sanctuary cities and enacting E-Verify nationwide. E-Verify is a web-based system that requires employers to verify the validity of an employee’s work
documents. While Haley campaigns as the daughter of immigrants and a candidate that can appeal to “minorities,” her proposed policies on immigration mirror those of DeSantis. She too plans a strict implementation of E-Verify and defunding sanctuary cities. If enacted, the candidates’ policies would have a significant impact on the Latine community and immigration as a whole including migrants and asylum seekers, said Megan Goldberg, a professor of political science at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa. “If we have stricter immigration policies and more ramifications if you are caught doing so, what that probably means is those people and those working in Iowa are just going to be living in a very different state of fear over being caught,” Goldberg said. The fear of unemployment or legal ramifications can lead people to sacrifice important services, such as withdrawing their children from school, Goldberg said. Haley, like DeSantis, referenced her past efforts to crack down on immigration in South Carolina when s h e w a s
governor. “ W e passed the toughest illegal immigration law in the country. President Obama sued us over it
“I worry about the exploitation that a lot of people who are coming in here and doing the best they can are facing, because corporations are taking advantage....” George Burdick
Republican Caucuser
and we won. We will take what we did in House Representative Ralph Norman welcomes Ni South Carolina and we’ll go national with emphasized border security in a short speech give it,” Haley said during her Jan. 14 speech at rations are taking advantage …,” Burthe Country Lane Lodge. During her time as governor, Haley dick said. Benson Fang, a student from Corsigned a bill requiring police officers to nell College studying political science, check any person’s immigration status if was in Iowa caucusing for candidate suspected of entering the country illegally. Vivek Ramaswamy. He expressed She said that if elected, she would impleconcern over the strict immigration ment the Remain in Mexico policy which policies adopted by several presidenprevents migrants, including asylum seektial candidates, saying it could lead ers, from entering the U.S. forcing them to dangerous working conditions for to remain in Mexico to await immigration migrants. Raproceedings, “so that no one even steps foot on U.S. soil, and instead of catch and re- m a s w a m y latlease, we will go to catch and deport.” “This doesn’t even look like the United States of America anymore. Eight million illegal immigrants have come to that border,” Haley said. e r While some voters agree with d r o p p e d DeSantis and Haley, others out of the race, don’t. endorsing Trump George Burfor the White House. A caucuser “I have heard stories of, for on Monday example, migrant labor being the caucus abused in the meatpacking industry and with Governor (Kim) Reynolds even attempting to pass a child labor law to get children to be d i c k , allowed to work there,” Fang said. Fang disagrees with Reynold’s pola student at icies, saying that the only way to solve Washburn University that is through a bipartisan immigrain Topeka, Kansas, studying tion reform “that satisfies both the political science, traveled to Iowa to obboard of security concerns of one side, serve the caucus and candidates in action as well as the amnesty and even ecobefore voting in his home state. nomic concerns of the other side. It’s Burdick, a Democrat who wanted to in the economy’s best interest to create hear more from Haley, liked her plan to ima fair and systemic way to accept new plement E-Verify nationwide but feels that immigrants in this country. ” it may not be the most practical solution. “I worry about the exploitation … of people who are coming in here and doing the best they can are facing, because corpo-
QUENTIN BLAIS | THE DEPAULIA
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks to his supporters at the rally in Davenport, Iowa, on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. DeSantis emphasized the importance of policy reform in education during his campaign speech.
A voter wait on Monday, ballots whic
Focus. The DePaulia. Jan. 22, 2024| 9
US 2024
d the potential effects on the Latine community YOUNG REPUBLICANS’ EFFECT By Ashley Pérez Contributing Writer
QUENTIN BLAIS | THE DEPAULIA
ikki Haley supporters to her event in Adel, Iowa, on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024. Norman en before introducing others to the stage.
QUENTIN BLAIS | THE DEPAULIA
rs wait for ballots to be tallied at Mount Vernon High School in Mount Vernon, Iowa, y, Jan. 15, 2024. Mount Vernon residents were separated into two separate groups at s which reflected the two precincts that divide the small town.
QUENTIN BLAIS | THE DEPAULIA
ts to submit his ballot during the Iowa Republican Caucus in Mount Vernon, Iowa, Jan. 15, 2024. Unlike the Democratic Caucus in Iowa, votes are made through secret ch are then publicly tallied.
Young Republican voters who gathered at the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 15 listed immigration as a top concern among other issues — abortion, climate change and education. Despite former President Donald Trump’s win in Monday’s Republican caucus, entrance and exit polls found that most younger caucus-goers supported Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. “I want someone who’s actively listening, who’s willing to have a conversation … someone who isn’t money-driven,” Savannah Sheffler said, a junior studying political science and kinesiology at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa. Sheffler, a registered Republican, said Generation Z voters seek a candidate who listens to their concerns. “I definitely think that … money and greed have a very negative impact and I feel like that’s what we’ve had for a while.” Megan Goldberg, a political science professor from Cornell College, attributes the interest of young voters to Haley’s promise to compromise — giving power to individual states rather than government bodies. DeSantis’ conservative policies garnered 30% of the votes from caucus-goers ages 17 to 29, beating out Haley’s more moderate agenda. “[Haley] is more moderate than a lot of the other candidates,” Goldberg said. “She’s differentiated herself more on a lot of issues … especially those like abortion, which is one of the most important issues to voters between the ages of 18 and 35. She has proposed conservative policies, but much less conservative.” Although DeSantis’ Stardust rally in Davenport, Iowa, saw many families with young children, college-age voters were absent from his audience. Immigration and education were the main topics of discussion due to the policies implemented in his home state
of Florida including his bill that criminalized the employment and transportation of undocumented immigrants that was signed into law in May of 2022. However, one young Democrat did come to Haley’s rally in Ames, Iowa on Jan. 14. George Burdick, a junior political science student at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, was one of the many young students who attended Haley’s rally at Jethro’s BBQ in Ames. Burdick, a Kansas resident, traveled over four hours to attend the rally and listen to candidates from the opposing political party. “Climate change and education: those are … my two larger concerns with her,” Burdick said. “I worry about the direction the Republican Party is going with education in general, especially higher education.” Burdick favored Haley’s policies on foreign and global affairs, especially her plans to provide weapons for Ukraine, saying Biden has not gone far enough. “I think she [Haley] would shore up a lot of support and be the tougher America that I think we might need right now,” Burdick said. But climate policy could be the deal breaker. “If she is going to keep her climate stuff, I am going to stick with Biden.” Polls have shown that Gen Z voters are not excited by a Biden-Trump rematch. Sheffler believes that Haley being a woman might help differentiate her from the pack. “I definitely think the big drive is that she is a female,” Sheffler said. “We’re kind of tired of having old men run our country.”
10 | La DePaulia. The DePaulia. 22 de Enero 2024
La DePaulia
QUENTIN BLAIS | LA DEPAULIA
El candidato Ron DeSantis se dirige a un grupo de simpatizantes en Davenport, Iowa, el sábado 13 de enero. Durante su discurso, mencionó sus políticas de inmigración.
Caucus de Iowa 2024: Candidatos republicanos prometen asegurar la frontera e implementar políticas contra indocumentados Por Erin Gessert y Ashley Pérez Escritoras Contribuyentes, La DePaulia
Mientras los candidatos republicanos hacían campaña antes del caucus de Iowa del pasado lunes, muchos de ellos se enfocaron en políticas de inmigración más estrictas en un intento de ganarse a los votantes. Donald Trump ha expresado durante mucho tiempo sus opiniones sobre políticas más estrictas, incluyendo la construcción de un muro a lo largo de la frontera entre Estados Unidos y México. Pero otros candidatos, incluyendo el gobernador de Florida Ron DeSantis y Nikki Haley, la ex embajadora de la ONU, también llamaron a asegurar la frontera y a políticas más estrictas que podrían evitar que los gobiernos estatales y municipales ayuden a los no ciudadanos, la mayoría de los cuales forman parte de la comunidad latina. DeSantis dijo que, a diferencia del ex presidente Donald Trump, cumpliría su palabra en sus promesas de campaña. “Ese muro se construirá. No es solo un eslogan de campaña, es algo que realmente debemos llevar a cabo”, dijo DeSantis la noche del 13 de enero, cuando habló a un grupo de seguidores en Davenport, Iowa. Si es elegido, DeSantis también dijo que planea implementar políticas antiinmigración estrictas, incluyendo la prohibición de ciudades santuario y la implementación de E-Verify a nivel nacional. E-Verify es un sistema en línea que requiere que los empleadores verifiquen la validez de los documentos laborales de un empleado. Mientras Haley hace campaña como hija de inmigrantes y una candidata que puede atraer a “minorías”, sus políticas propuestas sobre inmigración se parecen a las de DeSantis. Ella también planea una implementación estricta de E-Verify y la desfinanciación de ciudades santuario. Las políticas de los candidatos tendrían un efecto negativo significativo en la
comunidad latina y en la inmigración en general, según Megan Goldberg, profesora de ciencias políticas en Cornell College en Mount Vernon, Iowa. “Si tenemos políticas de inmigración más estrictas y más consecuencias si te descubren haciéndolo, lo que probablemente signifique es que esas personas y los que trabajan en Iowa simplemente vivirán en un estado de miedo muy diferente por ser descubiertos”, dijo Goldberg. Ese miedo puede llevar a las personas a sacrificar servicios importantes, como retirar a sus hijos de la escuela, dijo Goldberg. Haley, al igual que DeSantis, hizo referencia a sus esfuerzos pasados para frenar la inmigración en Carolina del Sur cuando era gobernadora. “Pasamos la ley de inmigración ilegal más estricta del país. El presidente Obama nos demandó por eso y ganamos. Tomaremos lo que hicimos en Carolina del Sur y lo llevaremos a nivel nacional”, dijo Haley durante un discurso en el Country Lane Lodge la noche del 14 de enero. Durante su tiempo como gobernadora, Haley firmó un proyecto de ley que requería que los policías verificaran el estatus migratorio de cualquier persona sospechosa de ingresar ilegalmente al país. Dijo que, si es elegida, implementaría la política de “Permanecer en México”, “para que nadie ponga un pie en suelo estadounidense, y en lugar de detener y liberar, iremos a detener y deportar”. “Esto ni siquiera parece Estados Unidos. Ocho millones de inmigrantes ilegales han llegado a esa frontera”, dijo Haley. Mientras algunos votantes están de acuerdo con DeSantis y Haley, otros no lo están. George Burdick, estudiante de Ciencias Políticas en la Washburn University en Topeka, Kansas, viajó a Iowa para observar el caucus y a los candidatos en acción antes
QUENTIN BLAIS | LA DEPAULIA
La candidata Nikki Haley se dirige a un grupo de simpatizantes en Adel, Iowa, el domingo 14 de enero. de votar en su estado natal. peligrosas para los migrantes. Ramaswamy Burdick, un demócrata que quería luego abandonó la carrera, respaldando a escuchar más de Haley, le gustó el plan Trump para la Casa Blanca. de Haley de implementar E-Verify a nivel “He escuchado historias de, por nacional, pero siente que puede no ser la ejemplo, abuso de mano de obra migrante solución más práctica. en la industria cárnica y con la gobernadora “Me preocupa la explotación que (Kim) Reynolds incluso intentando enfrentan muchas personas que vienen aprobar una ley de trabajo infantil para aquí y hacen lo mejor que pueden, porque permitir que los niños trabajen allí”, dijo las corporaciones se están aprovechando Fang. de ellos”, dijo Burdick. Fang no está de acuerdo con las Benson Fang, estudiante de Cornell políticas, diciendo que la única manera College estudiando Ciencias Políticas, de resolverlo es a través de una reforma estaba en Iowa haciendo campaña por el migratoria bipartidista “que satisfaga tanto candidato Vivek Ramaswamy. Expresó las preocupaciones de seguridad fronteriza preocupación por las estrictas políticas de un lado como las preocupaciones de de inmigración adoptadas por varios amnistía e incluso económicas del otro candidatos presidenciales, diciendo que lado”. podría llevar a condiciones laborales
La DePaulia. The DePaulia. 6 de Enero 2024 | 11
“Nos estamos quedando sin alimentos”: Centro de alimentos en La Villita lucha por equilibrar las necesidades de los vecinos y los nuevos migrantes Por Cary Robbins
Gerente Editorial, La DePaulia
El Mercado Fresco, Pan de Vida, una despensa de alimentos en La Villita, ha desempeñado un papel crucial en proporcionar alimentos a sus vecinos desde 2010. Sin embargo, ahora se están quedando sin alimentos después de experimentar un aumento en la demanda de comida con la llegada de nuevos migrantes a la zona. La despensa atiende a 250 personas cuatro días a la semana con alimentos y otros suministros.. En los últimos meses, han duplicado la cantidad de personas que atienden por día. New Life Centers, bajo el cual opera Pan de Vida, está ayudando a alojar a migrantes que viven en refugios y proporcionando alimentos a las familias a través de un nuevo programa llamado New Vecinos. Cuando los clientes entran en la despensa de alimentos, son recibidos con el sonido de música y una vista colorida de frutas frescas, verduras y flores. Parece cualquier otro mercado en la ciudad. “Este es el único tipo de despensa de alimentos que hay que tiene dignidad, que hace sentir a la gente, como, ‘Estoy feliz de estar aquí y tengo el derecho de estar aquí para obtener alimentos gratis,’” dijo Diana Franco, la coordinadora de la despensa de alimentos. Franco dijo que la despensa es muy necesaria en la comunidad. En julio, el propósito de Pan de Vida tomó un nuevo nivel, cuando se volvió vital para servir a los nuevos migrantes que han llegado a la ciudad, en su mayoría de Venezuela y otros países latinoamericanos. Esto lo hacen mientras siguen intentando satisfacer las necesidades de los residentes del vecindario. Aunque han logrado mantenerse a flote durante los últimos meses, los líderes de la despensa dijeron que están luchando por seguir alimentando a las familias de bajos ingresos y a los nuevos migrantes que buscan desesperadamente alimentos frescos. “Nos estamos quedando sin alimentos,” dijo Franco. “A veces no tenemos suficiente comida para nuestros propios miembros de la comunidad porque se nos ha agotado.” Franco dijo que han tenido semanas en las que la comida donada por otras tiendas de comestibles les han ayudado a reponer donando comida. Sin embargo, hay semanas en las que se quedan sin comida muy rápidamente. Pan de Vida ahora atiende a 100 personas más diariamente que su promedio anterior de 150. Un total de 250 personas por día. El número se reserva porque hay un límite de cantidad de alimentos que muchas personas que viven en refugios pueden llevar consigo. Mientras que los residentes toman alrededor de 10 bolsas, los migrantes suelen llevar solo tres bolsas de alimentos. La mayoría de migrantes llenan sus bolsas con alimentos enlatados y productos no perecederos debido al espacio limitado en los refugios administrados por la ciudad. Muchas veces, los niños migrantes entran a la tienda en busca de bocadillos y, cuando ven las frutas frescas en los estantes, las comen de inmediato, dijo Franco. “La necesidad es enorme en este momento,” dijo Franco. A principios de este año, Pan de Vida ya había visto un aumento en los clientes porque las asignaciones del Programa de Asistencia Nutricional Suplementaria (SNAP), proporcionadas durante la pandemia de COVID-19, terminaron en marzo, dijo Franco. Aunque Franco dijo que pudieron manejar ese aumento, durante el verano vieron un nuevo aumento en la clientela en julio con el inicio de New Vecinos. “La Villita es un área construida por inmigrantes, aún dirigida por inmigrantes.
CARY ROBBINS | LA DEPAULIA
Sandra Helena Alves Da Silva, una trabajadora de Pan de Vida, pone manzanas en una caja en el 1 de noviembre en La Villita.
También somos basados en la fe, así que estamos llamados a amar a las personas,” dijo Joana Dyckman, líder comunitaria de New Vecinos. Mientras la gente recorre la despensa, pueden tomar manzanas frescas, carnes, huevos y verduras de los estantes surtidos alrededor de la tienda. En la parte delantera, las personas toman flores frescas que Trader Joe’s dona ocasionalmente, y en la parte trasera de la tienda, las personas pueden tomar artículos de tocador. “Nuestro enfoque principal, es tratar de ayudar con la inseguridad alimentaria, pero esto abre puertas a más cosas, a más puertas que estas personas necesitan ayuda,” dijo Franco. Franco dijo que le gustaría que hubiera más fondos de la ciudad para apoyar el trabajo que están haciendo los Centros New Life. También dijo que le preocupa que el nuevo refugio que se abrió recientemente en un antiguo CVS, ubicado en 2634 S. Pulaski Rd., cerca de Pan de Vida, traerá aún más personas a la despensa. La DePaulia habló con el concejal Michael Rodriguez (22º), cuyo distrito incluye la despensa de alimentos. Rodríguez es uno de los líderes del consejo municipal encargado de asignar recursos a las familias migrantes en la ciudad. “No tengo el poder de tomar dólares privados o dólares de filantropía y ponerlos en lugares,” dijo Rodríguez. “Ciertamente puedo sugerir y destacar cosas buenas que están sucediendo, y Pan de Vida es definitivamente una de ellas.” Aunque apoya la expansión del acceso a las despensas de alimentos en los vecindarios, Rodríguez dijo que aún no hay un plan para hacerlo. Mientras los líderes de Pan de Vida siguen esperando más fondos de la ciudad y donantes, Franco dijo que espera que los residentes sean pacientes mientras ayudan a apoyar a los nuevos migrantes que se integran al vecindario. “La Villita es un espacio donde los migrantes pueden venir, son bienvenidos y se sentirán bienvenidos,” dijo Franco. “Es un espacio donde no tendrás miedo de que otras personas vengan y te lleven lejos de aquí. Quiero decir, no es su cultura, pero podemos [de alguna manera] entender por lo que están pasando.” A pesar de su preocupación por proporcionar alimentos a quienes lo necesitan, muchos celebran el papel que New
CARY ROBBINS | LA DEPAULIA
Flores, donadas por Trader Joe’s, se encuentran en el frente de Pan de Vida en La Villita el 1 de noviembre. Mucha gente vino y agarró flores frescas para llevar a casa.
CARY ROBBINS | LA DEPAULIA
Una línea comienza a formarse fuera de Pan de Vida, una despensa de alimentos en Little Village, el 1 de noviembre.
Life Centers ha tenido en ayudar a sus nuevos vecinos a establecerse en el lugar. La ciudad contrató a New Life Centers para ayudar a reasentar a familias migrantes que viven en refugios a través de New Vecinos. Desde que comenzó en mayo, la organización ha podido ayudar a 2,180 familias y 8,950 individuos desde enero de 2024. New Vecinos se asocia con el Chicago Furniture Bank para comprar muebles y amueblar apartamentos que los nuevos migrantes alquilan a través del programa de asistencia de alquiler de la ciudad y el estado. Con $500, New Vecinos encuentra muebles nuevos y usados para ayudar a las familias a comenzar una nueva vida. “La ciudad y el estado están haciendo
lo todo posible con pocos recursos y con esta enorme crisis humana masiva que ocurrió,” dijo Dyckman. “Somos una de las pocas ciudades que permiten que la gente entre, así que creo que la gente necesita, o las audiencias necesitan saber que la ciudad y el estado están haciendo mucho.” En New Life Centers, los migrantes también pueden ir al centro en 2657 S Lawndale Ave. para mantenerse calientes, comer y recibir acceso a diferentes recursos. El centro también proporciona pañales, fórmula para bebés, juguetes, útiles escolares y chaquetas. New Vecinos sólo debía durar un mes, pero ahora se ha extendido hasta junio de 2024, dijo Dyckman.
12| Arts/Life. The DePaulia. Jan. 22, 2024
Arts & Life
MAYA OCLASSEN | THE DEPAULIA
The state of the domestic box office in 2023 & beyond By Zachary Klein Contributing Writer
The Christmas season tends to be the busiest time of the year for movie theaters. With the cold weather preventing outdoor activities and the holidays allowing many people breaks from work & school, theaters provide easy entertainment for the entire family – as long as the films are able to entice audiences. Despite a holiday week with a 14% increase over 2022’s record over the same week, audiences generally shied away from the movie theater in 2023. The year rounded out with a total of $9 billion at the domestic box office, still a 20% decrease from the blockbuster year that was 2019. A myriad of high-profile bombs contributed to the lower total. “Renfield” and “The Last Voyage of the Demeter” sucked away a combined $80 million in losses for Universal, “Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny” whipped up a $100 million loss for Disney, and “The Flash” zapped $200 million from Warner Brothers’ checkbook. J.D. Connor, associate professor of Cinematic Arts at University of Southern California and author of “Hollywood Math and Aftermath,” commented on the current trends of the theatrical market. “[The domestic box office] is still significantly off from 2019, and it’s off even worse if you consider inflation,” Conner said.“We’re talking a third off from the pre-Covid era, even if it doesn’t look that bad.” A dependence on “tentpole” releases (large budget films that are designed by the studio to function as box office successes) from major studios has led to a market much more reliant on specialty releases, with “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” and the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon becoming two of the biggest success stories of the year. “The exhibitors [theater owners] are going to need a lot of weird one off successes, maybe it’s one weekend, maybe it’s two, in order to fill out [next year’s] release calendar,” Conner said. DePaul associate professor and producer of films such as “American Psycho” and “Mar-
maduke,” Tim Peternel, stated that many of the small to midsize films that would fill out a theatrical calendar in between larger tentpole releases have now been relegated to streaming. “As an investor, if you get into a theatrical release, you then have to stand behind the production and the advertising costs,” Peternel said. “For a little indie film, you spend maybe $20 million on advertising, and that doesn’t get you much. If the film doesn’t work at the theatrical level, there’s an additional financial hole you have to dig yourself out of.” Without those smaller films, theater owners become more reliant on blockbusters to bring in customers. When the blockbusters begin to flop, it means less attendance and ticket sales, less revenue from concession stands, less regular customers and the unfortunate death of a movie theater. Alek Sacinski, a DePaul student and avid moviegoer, commented on what’s kept himself and cinephiles like him away from the tentpole franchises that dominated the previous decade. “I think at the moment it’s like the five stages of grief,” Sacinski said.“They’re just trying to figure out some way of keeping it alive before they accept that no one really wants to watch it anymore, right?” While franchises still carry a lot of power in terms of marketing, with 6 of the top 10 films on the domestic box office for the year being either sequels or remakes, it’s clear audiences are less willing to accept sub-par material. “The idea of Barbie being the biggest thing of last year is great,” Sacinski said. “Everybody who watches it can get something out of it. I feel that’s something that people are going to appreciate more now.” Connor agrees – to some extent. “The theatrical releases, when you’ve got the infrastructure in place, only help the streaming performance,” Connor said. “For about a year we had people greenlighting movies they thought sucked because they thought it would attract streaming audiences. All that does is make everybody think that the movies are bad. It turns out that people just want you to make better movies.”
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Arts/Life. The DePaulia. Jan. 22, 2024| 13
A man to remember and a movement to honor: MLK JR’ marches on through Chicago artistry
A symbol to King’s legacy, the living memorial is just one of many examples of MLK’s legacy in Chicago’s art scene.
By Sam Mroz Asst. Arts & Life Editor
In the 14 year campaign that was the civil rights movement, activism would become a national agenda. This social fight for equality flooded across courtrooms and street corners to the front door of every American standing with or against their common man. And as thousands challenged centuries old norms of injustice, icons of free speech and human rights would rise to the occasion. A figure who built his life off the bedrock of equity and an advocacy for all humankind, Martin Luther King Jr. not only rose, but walked as he led hundreds through the annals of Marquette Park in the southwest side of Chicago. Known as the Chicago Fair Housing Marches, this protest was one of many led by King in the summer of 1966. In honor of the march’s 50th anniversary, the Inner City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) commissioned a living memorial to King and his fellow activists in the very same park, debuting the artwork on August 5, 2016. Produced by Chicago artists Sonja Henderson and John Pittman Weber, the artwork acts as both a symbol to King’s legacy and a tribute to his work. It is also a window into a prospective future. “There is this continuity, this heritage, this connection with the earliest beginnings of community public art, which is now a worldwide phenomenon here in Chicago,” Weber said. “What's portrayed in the mural is not just historical, but also meant to be a vision of what can be.” One example of contemporary Chicago artistry, King’s likeness is scattered across exhibits and murals city wide, most notably taking up space in Chicago's south side districts. These include a bust and mural of King at the Martin Luther King Jr. Park and Entertainment Center in the Auburn Gresham community area, an out-
SAM MROZ |THE DEPAULIA
Designed by artists Sonja Henderson and John Pittman Weber, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Living Memorial stands in Marquette (Jacques) Park on the southwest side of Chicago. side mural in Barrett Park in the Heart tions. of Chicago, a westside neighborhood “John and I sculpted side by side, of the city, and a sculptural fountain arm by arm, shoulder to shoulder for at in Renaissance Park, only three blocks least a year and a half,” Henderson said. away from the entertainment center “Both of us came with a wealth of our along South Racine Ave. personal experiences and knowledge For a more hands-on approach to about this, and I think it made it very experiencing King’s work, The DuSable magical.” Black History Museum and Education In this collaboration, Henderson Center in Washington (George) Park and Weber have maintained their has used virtual reality (VR) as a gatefriendship alongside the organization’s way to one of America’s most historic which bonded them in the first place. moments. Members of the Chicago Public Art Taking patrons to the nation’s capGroup, Weber having co-founded the ital, “The March” is a VR exhibit that organization with humanitarian Wilrecreates the 1963 March on Washingliam Walker, Henderson would make ton for Jobs and Freedom. Witnessing another mark in the growing ledger of firsthand as King delivers his famous Civil rights iconography. “I Have a Dream” speech, viewers can Premiering her newest monument not only listen but watch on as the civil on July 25. 2023, she would honor the rights icon speaks to a crowd of over lives of Emmitt Till and Mamie Till Mo250,000 demonstrators. bley, a son and mother whose tragedy Examples of the man are carried played a pivotal role in the civil rights from one artistic medium to the other movement. and with these creative projects follows Examples of a deadly past that warn the opportunity for creative connecof the dangers behind discrimination
SAM MROZ |THE DEPAULIA
and racial prejudice, the world of today has found new ways to instill terror. Yet artists continue to express their craft and question how else they can respond through their work. “It's not that anything is finally settled,” Weber said. “Life goes on and the struggle continues, but there's lots more. More opportunities, more walls, more problematic scenes to overcome. So I certainly hope that some of the younger artists might be inspired to go out, dig in a little deeper, and perhaps to even evolve their own media.” With more stories to tell than ever before, young artists choose to build their voices from one work to the next and in this evolution, reach new ways to understand the world around them. Hays Brooks, DePaul sophomore and creative writing major, looks to his own work for this very same purpose. “I think art has an incredible ability to connect us in the present to struggles of life in the past,” Brooks said. “Art helps us understand a world that we would have no ability to conceptualize otherwise.” Challenging the cause behind generational violence was and remains a pillar of King’s fight for justice. In his image people find hope for change and a reason to fight for it. A friend for all to look upon, the legacy of King is a layered experience. One that continues to find a purpose and new ways to be understood the closer it is looked upon. “Doing public art and being an artist that creates work for the people is a real devotion,” Henderson said. “You have to find these little things that you just fall in love with. Details that you would never see at a glance, but if you spend time with it, you will find something new every time you go by.”
14 | Arts/Life. The DePaulia. Jan. 22, 2024
St.Vincent’s
D e JAMZ “Spinning fresh beats since 1581” By Vanessa Lopez Social Media Editor
The music of Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, better known by his stage name 21 Savage, has the uncanny knack of making me feel like a badass. When I want to pretend to be a cocky, wealthy man, I turn to him for inspiration. Here are a few of my favorite songs from his third album, “American Dream,” and how they make me feel. I’m dedicating this DeJamz to all the sassy men out there who have certainly listened to the album’s recent release before I could put this out. “should’ve wore a bonnet” by 21 Savage and Brent Faiyaz Let’s get this DeJamz started with a bang; this is Savages and Brent Faiyaz’s first song together, and I am in love. Faiyaz brought smoothness and vulnerability to the album, which is unusual for Savage’s
normal songs but perfectly fitting. Savage discusses his vulnerability and comfort within a relationship throughout the song, it’s giving babygirl 21 Savage. “sneaky” by 21 Savage “sneaky” will make you feel like you’re an unfaithful partner or are in the most passionate situationship ever, but in a good way. This song is effortless and has a catchy beat. Savage is known for using straightforward lyrics in a nonchalant way, but in this one he’s discussing hidden romantic meetups and luxurious spending habits, making me feel like the sassy man I could never truly be. “n.h.i.e.” by 21 Savage and Doja Cat With no doubt, this is one of my favorite songs on the album. This song talks through not living up to societal standards and or playing by the rules. If you’re look-
CROSSWORD
ing to feel different, if I may say mysterious, play this song. “n.h.i.e” brings together Savage and Doja Cat for their first collaboration together, and I want more. I thought this song was very much in line with Savages’ usual style, and Doja did the song justice. “just like me” by 21 Savage, Burna Boy and Metro Boomin The fusion of afrobeat and rap in “just like me” is simply incredible. Burna Boys’ vocals draw listeners in from the start of the song. This is one of the album’s more lyrically reflective songs, reflecting the feelings that arise in relationships when they end or face difficulties—again, from the perspective of a man. “redrum” by 21 Savage “redrum” makes me feel like I’m living my secret life of violence, as if I’m a mafia
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leader. Throughout the song, he flexes his street credibility and his dangerous lifestyle, which I will never relate to, but I do through Savage. I feel like I resonate with this song because Savage talks about standing on business, and I am regularly standing on business.
Sports
Sports. The DePaulia. Jan. 22, 2024| 15
Moneyball: DePaul student makes $10,000 half-court shot By Santiago Dávila Contributing Writer
DePaul men’s basketball may have walked away with a tough loss to Creighton Jan. 9, but loyal DePaul basketball fan Connor Koy had much to celebrate after draining a half-court shot worth $10,000 during halftime. Koy, a sophomore Strobel honors accounting major, was one of five students randomly selected to participate in the promotion through the DePaul Blue Demons app. “One of my friends shot the first shot,” Koy said. When his friend missed short, Koy said it informed his own shot. “I knew what to do.” Koy’s shot was so well executed, it almost seemed rehearsed: the run-up, the composure to keep his feet behind the line and the array of celebrations that followed. “I told a couple friends before, that if I get up there, I’m gonna make it, and if I get up there this is what I’m going to do, this is how I’m going to celebrate,” Koy said. “I just wanted to stay on the court for as long as I could.” Koy’s shot and animated celebrations that followed did not go unnoticed by those in attendance. “I don’t think anyone could believe it when it went in,” said DePaul sophomore Ryan Thomas, who was at the game. “I even saw Creighton fans get on their feet
and cheer for him. His celebration after was great too. Him doing the Johnny ‘Money’ Manziel celebration just made sense.” Since making the shot, Koy has been asked many times what he will do with the prize money. A sports fan, Koy is thinking about using some to attend a couple of big sporting events — and saving the rest. “I really like watching soccer. I like college basketball and football,” Koy said. “Those are my three favorite sports. The Packers are my favorite football team. … If they go to the conference championship or the Super Bowl, it would be hard not to go.” Koy says he goes to as many DePaul basketball games as he can with his friends. “It’s a way to spend a night that’s fun,” he said. “We’re Wintrust faithful.” Some students think DePaul directly gives away the $10,000, but that is not the case. “The $10,000 comes through an insurance policy acquired by the university that then pays out should the individual make a half-court shot,” said Mark Black of DePaul Athletics. He added that the contest requires students to check in on the app, so they can be randomly selected, and contestants can’t be former high school or college basketball players.
COURTESY OF DEPAUL ATHLETICS
Connor Koy, DePaul sophomore, sinks a halfcourt shot at the DePaul men’s basketball game against Creighton on Jan. 12, 2024, at Wintrust Arena.
The promotional $10,000 half-court shot is something DePaul Athletics does
annually at basketball games to attract fans.
Sports
Sports. The DePaulia. Jan. 22, 2024| 15
Smashing success:
Students finding community in growing club sport By Ryan Hinske Sports Editor
It’s 3:10 p.m. on the third floor of the Ray Meyer Fitness Center and a handful of DePaul students congregate around a pile of lean, egg-shaped rackets for the commencement of DePaul Badminton Club’s Thursday practice. “They’re always fashionably late,” club president and DePaul junior Yadira Eck said. “They start flocking in after a little bit.” Just 15 minutes later, a dozen students divided among three badminton courts trade shots as another dozen club members lined the back wall, waiting for a game to finish so they could jump in. “Every quarter we see the club growing,” Pizza Bharali, the club’s founder and coach said. Bharali, a former doubles national champion in her home country of India, founded the club at the beginning of the 2022-23 school year and has seen it steadily grow since its inception. From my experience joining members for a quick match, the seemingly docile sport of badminton is instead deeply nuanced, with players in constant movement. The small court demands close attention to detail and precise execution, and players employ a number of shot types to place the shuttlecock (also called the shuttle or birdie, a small, coneshaped projectile) out of their opponent’s reach. “It can be pretty aggressive on your body,” said vice president and DePaul junior Dina Faroha, but she believes game strategy is the most important part of badminton. “You don’t have to be the most athletic person, but if you’re a smart player, you can still win. You have to learn who you’re playing against and what their weaknesses are.” When she came to DePaul, Bharali was looking for a way to continue playing, so when a club or team wasn’t available, she started the club. Early on, she noticed that many other students were looking for the same opportunity. “They were searching for places to play badminton,” Bharali said. “We went for scrimmages because we were still trying to figure out the tournaments. Then we figured out about the tournament last year and went.” Not only did they compete in the Midwest Collegiate Tournament in October, which took place in Naperville, but they also finished third overall for Division II. Their influence and success span back to a visit from President Robert Manuel last February when he joined the team for practice only six months into their existence, commenting on the club’s Instagram page that it was “a lot of fun and a real lesson in humility.” Following Bharali’s graduation in December, Eck has taken over as president in
QUENTIN BLAIS| THE DEPAULIA
Badminton club president Yadira Eck executes a forehand shot in a match during the club’s practice at the Ray Meyer Fitness Center, Thursday, Jan. 18.
the new year, with Bharali joining practices as the coach. Eck has been playing badminton as her primary sport since her freshman year of high school, only learning tennis and table tennis after she had learned badminton. Just a year later, she qualified for the state tournament in doubles as a sophomore, representing Alan B. Shepard High School in Palos Heights, a southwest suburb of Chicago. She says roughly 70-80% of the club’s members also share badminton as their primary sport. “Most everyone here has played in high school or at academies,” Eck said. “We have some national players here who were trained by professionals.” Despite the experience most members have with the sport, Eck has seen the number of beginners growing over the past two years, and the club has embraced all levels of experience. “It’s the fastest racket sport,” Eck said, demonstrating how the greatest players can propel the shuttle up to 200 mph, “but it’s a sport for all levels. It’s one of those sports where it isn’t very hard to grasp the rules and it comes naturally. Anyone can fall in love with it just like I have.” Eck and DePaul Club Badminton are using Inspire DePaul — the university’s platform for crowdfunding through charitable donations from faculty, students and alumni — to raise money for their rapidly expanding group. The club has big plans, including a trip to Philadelphia March 30-31 to play in the Eastern Collegiate Playoffs, which they qualified for after their third-place finish in October. “[Crowdfunding] helps give our members indescribable experiences with tournaments, scrimmages, meeting new people and continuing to play the sport they love on different levels,” Eck said. “Despite where they came from, where they currently live, their major, gender, orientation, everyone is here to play for the love of the sport.” The passion for badminton radiates through the courts as dozens of players get lost in the game, forgetting their long day of classes and studying for just a moment. The sense of community is stronger than ever, and the team dreams of their own March Madness: a chance to represent DePaul in the Eastern Collegiate Playoffs. The club has a $2,500 goal for their Inspire DePaul page. Information about the club’s purpose, goals is avaliable online at inspire.depaul.edu.
QUENTIN BLAIS| THE DEPAULIA
Badminton club president Yadira Eck executes a forehand shot in a match during the club’s practice at the Ray Meyer Fitness Center, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024.
QUENTIN BLAIS| THE DEPAULIA
Club founder and coach Pizza Bharali warms up for the badminton club’s practice at the Ray Meyer Fitness Center, Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024.