DePaulia
The
Volume #106 | Issue #14 | Feb. 14, 2022 | depauliaonline.com
The future of art is Black
DePaul artists share work, advocate for greater diversity
By Nadia Hernandez News Editor
By Amber Stoutenborough Arts & Life Editor
Esther Ajayi, a senior at DePaul majoring in animation, runs around the room showing off her sketchbooks full of doodles and Black characters, pulling more art from underneath the bed to expose layers of charcoal sketches and oil paintings tucked away. There are acrylic paintings on canvases, denim jackets with handmade cartoon designs and digital art with the words “Black Lives Matter” displayed proudly on her walls. Ajayi has been creating art since she was a kid with her parents' continuous support for her creativity. While her major is in animation, she also does traditional and digital art as well as clothing designs. “Both of my parents are extremely creative, my dad would doodle with me and encourage me to draw all the time,” Ajayi said. In addition to creating, Ajayi sells her art as well. Before the pandemic started, she contributed to the Black Artists Spotlight and was grateful for the opportunities provided to help display her art. “DePaul was extremely supportive back in 2019,” Ajayi said. “Black Artists Collective hosted a show and I submitted one of my denim jackets for the art show. It was an amazing experience and I got to meet so many Black artists because of it and work and model with them.” DePaul has a rich history of art, and this year has deepened that tradition. From theater to music to digital comics, DePaul students have found different ways to express their creativity and to channel their art into a future of self expression and discovery. At a school with just 39
SGA passes resolution for remote learning accommodations
ALISON SCHULTZ | THE DEPAULIA
Esther Ajayi shown with one of her most popular pieces created to exemplify the Black Lives Matter movement.
percent students of color — the highest number it’s ever been — it is crucial to bring light to a common issue at most predominantly white schools; the issue of inclusion for creative Black students. DePaul enrolled 2,072 African-American students, about 9.2 percent of the student population for the 2021-2022 school year, according to Data USA . Even with that number, DePaul’s race and ethnicity demographic is considered above average, ranking 600 out of 3,790 universities in the United States. DePaul senior Michelle Manson studies viola performance and psychology and hopes to use these skills in the
ALISON SCHULTZ | THE DEPAULIA
Esther Ajayi’s sketchbook that helped create her art into what to it is today.
future to teach and perform. Manson has been a part of DePaul’s School of Music for the past four years, and while she enjoys her experience, being
one of the few Black musicians at the School of Music holds a lot of pressure.
See ARTISTS, page 22
Junior Nancy Godinez was hesitant about speaking before DePaul’s Student Government Association (SGA) at their weekly meeting. But as an immunocompromised student, she felt a duty to herself and other disabled students, and decided to take a stand. “I thought about [attending] the whole day…” she said. “The fact is, I have to advocate for myself.” Godinez and other disabled students spoke to SGA senators and constituents at the general body meeting on Jan. 27 about making remote learning a permanent accommodation for students who are disabled, chronically ill and immunocompromised. “I feel a responsibility to advocate for students because I’ve been very fortunate enough to talk with a lot of prospective students and incoming students,” Godinez said. Shortly after, SGA passed a resolution stating remote learning is a reasonable accessibility accommodation. This comes after the University and the Center of Students for Disabilities (CSD) denied students the option to continue remote learning once in-person classes resumed earlier in the quarter. Disabled students faced financial and academic burdens due to dropping in person classes for their health, The DePaulia previously reported. The official resolution called for the university to add remote modality for any DePaul class, meeting or event. This would allow for marginalized students, work-
See ACCOMMODATIONS, page 6
Electric trucks make show-stopping entrance at Chicago Auto Show By Andy Thompson Contributing Writer
ANDY THOMPSON | THE DEPAULIA
RAM CEO Mike Koval addresses the media Thursday about the brand’s new EV strategy.
Not even a decade ago, the phrase “electric pickup truck” was a foreign concept across the automotive industry. To many automakers, it seemed impossible for a segment of gas-guzzling workhorses to abandon their powerful oil-burning engines and embrace an eerily quiet, environmentally friendly replacement.
Since President Joe Biden pledged in December 2021 that no new gas-powered cars will be sold in the United States as of 2035, many truck brands have had a change of heart. And at the 2022 Chicago Auto Show, which opened to the public Saturday at McCormick Place, prospective buyers have the chance to take a look at the first wave of electric truck offerings. The electric truck making the biggest waves at the show’s Thursday media day was the all-new GMC Hummer EV
(electric vehicle). As the Hummer name is synonymous with powerful military vehicles of the late 20th century, Hummer Tour Manager Dickie Mason says it was only fitting to revive the brand with a 21st-century powertrain. “It has over 1,000 horsepower and over 11,500 pounds-feet of torque, which allows you to take off at an incredible velocity considering the weight of the electric system,” Mason said.
See ELECTRIC, page 14