Inside
“Chicago gears up for SlutWalks”
Vol. # 94, Issue # 22
Nation & World, page 10
May 16, 2011
Open house closes Daley era
DePaul ranks in top colleges for Hispanics By STEPHANIE WILLIAMS DePaul is the place to be for the Hispanic community in Chicago. This month Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine ranked DePaul University among the top 100 four-year colleges in the nation when it comes to rewarding degrees to Hispanics. “My parents always told me college is the best way to start a career,” said junior journalism and communications student, Dana Morones. “Instead of working
“ Photo courtesy of The Associated Press
Mayor Daley officially leaves office Monday May 16. By PAIGE WAGENKNECHT Mayor Richard Daley held a final open house at City Hall last Monday to meet with constituents before he leaves office
May 16, ending his time as the longest serving mayor in Chicago’s history. Daley started holding open houses when he was first elected in 1989, and continued this practice after each of his
six successful re-elections. This open house was quite different than others as guests came to deliver praise and gratitude rather than seek a favor from Chicago’s most influential
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Giving a voice to “The Unspeakable” By JOANIE FALETTO Arts & Life Editor Women aren’t sexist against women. Hispanics do not discriminate against Hispanics. Gay men have the same understanding about other gay men. Right? Uh, not so much. Even within an underprivileged group, stereotypes about that group exist. Even for an open mind, there may be expectations. The collaborative DePaul groups’ performance, “The Unspeakable: A Gay Future Project,” re-imagined the perceptions of the gay male identity in a way often not considered. The production, presented by the College of Communication with support by DePaul’s Research Council, the College of Education’s Lessons in Courage Initiative, DePaul’s LGBTQA Month, the Center on Halsted and SAGE (Services and Advocacy for Gay and Lesbian Elders) brought to the stage the perceptions surrounding the gay male present and future and uncovered that they are skewed and condemned with myths, even within the gay community.
“The Unspeakable” was a fragmented piece performed by DePaul students Sam Mohar, John Ortega and David A. VanCleave. The production, organized and directed by assistant professor of performance studies in the College of Communication Dustin Goltz, Ph. D., with assistant director and senior Bridget Liddell, acted as a “staged discussion across multiple generations of gay males” that was less of a linear narrative and more of “a movement of ideas, experiences, stories and questions” that was integrated with video clips and voiceovers. “The Unspeakable” was performed on Saturday, April 30 at the Center on Halsted as well as on Friday, May 6 in DePaul’s Loop campus kicking off the University’s fourth annual LGBTQA Month. “The project stems from my previous work on gay male aging and the ways that the concept of future is constructed within and for gay males’ cultures,” said Goltz in an email exchange. “The aging gay male body has been constructed as a site of fear (myths of predation), anxiety (assumed to isolated, depressed and
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Graphic courtesy of “The Unspeakable”
The production, “The Unspeakable,” was presented by the College of Communication.
DePaul is at the forefront of adapting to a future that is increasingly more Latino.
Dr. Elizabeth Ortiz, Vice President for Institutional Diversity & Equity
”
for the boss you can become the boss.” DePaul was ranked no. 53 for rewarding 308 doctoral degrees and No. 73 for awarding 3,324 bachelor’s degrees to Hispanics last year among the top 100 fourcolleges according to the magazine. “Census data shows that Latinos accounted for 99% of the population growth in the State of Illinois and 43% in the Nation. Sixty-three percent of the Latino population growth was due to the birth rate. I believe that the future of education will have to respond to this changing demographic and DePaul is at the forefront of adapting to a future that is increasingly more Latino,” said Dr. Elizabeth Ortiz who serves as the Vice President for Institutional Diversity & Equity at DePaul. However, DePaul’s high rankings “didn’t happen by default,” said Brian Spittle who currently serves as the Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing at DePaul. Spittle also works for the Center for Access and Attainment. Spittle notes that he also works with staff in the federally funded program, TRIO Student Support
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2 The DePaulia. May 16, 2011
Editor-in-Chief Cheryl Waity Managing Editor Blair Moran Online Editor Jeremy Mikula News Editor Elizabeth Schuetz Nation & World Editor Rachel Metea Opinions Editor Samantha Dite Focus Editor Darla Weaver Arts & Life Editor Joanie Faletto Sports Editor Shaymus McLaughlin Assistant Sports Editor Meghan Bower Photo Editor Brianna Kelly
First Look
Upcoming events... Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Pinkalicious 10 a.m. $10 Merle Reskin Theatre 60 E. Balbo Dr.
Lighting a Candle for Trans-Solidarity 9:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Lincoln Park Quad
DePaul SPJ Music Journalism Panel 7 p.m. Maggie C. Daley Building Lower Level
Chicago Mayfest 6 p.m.-10 p.m. $10 3100 N. Ashland Ave.
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
MayDay MayDay Tuesday 7:30 p.m. $6-$15 Merle Reskin Theatre 60 E. Balbo Dr.
Chill & Grill: Hosted by Better Homes and Gardens Noon-5 p.m. Free 1728 N. Stockton Dr.
How to Build a Career Portfolio: Career Center Workshop Noon-1:30 p.m. DPC 9500
Graphics Editor Samantha Schroeder Copy Editors Katie Weiss Julian Zeng Tricia Cathcart
Outside
Business Manager Auriel Banister
Tuesday
Wednesday
Advisor Marla Krause
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Contact Information General Telephone (773) 325.7441 News depaulianews@gmail. com Nation & World depaulianation@gmail. com Opinions depauliaopinion@gmail. com Focus depauliafocus@gmail. com Arts & Life depauliamagazine@ gmail.com Sports depauliasports@gmail. com Advertising depauliabusiness@ gmail.com Editor-in-Chief depauliaeic@gmail.com Managing Editor thedepauliame@gmail. com Online depauliaonline@gmail. com Fax (773) 325.7442 Website www.depauliaonline.com
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News “Students feel the heat”
Photo by Kerri Czopek
Students lounged on the Lincoln Park Quad on Tuesday to enjoy the record-setting temperatures. Tuesday's high reached 91 degrees.
News. May 16, 2011. The DePaulia 3
“Top colleges” continued from cover Services. The program’s main focuses include recruiting students of color, students from low-income homes or students who are the first in their families to go to college. It provides access to both prospective and current DePaul students throughout their undergraduate and post-graduate education with scholarships, funds and support that pushes them “I wish I could say it was just one program that’s responsible for DePaul’s success in this but I think it’s much more than that,” said Spittle. “It is an institutional commitment to diversity that has been a part of DePaul’s culture for a very long time.” Anita Granado-Rosso who serves as the Director of TRIO Student Support Services remarked on the importance of these programs for students when it comes to retention.
“This affiliation with likeminded staff and faculty provides the role models, the access to resources and the motivation and encouragement that students need to continue despite great odds and barriers,” she said. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, DePaul has one of the higher Hispanic enrollment rates among private Chicagoland colleges and universities. The Fall of 2009 the Hispanic population at DePaul was 13.3%. The rates at Loyola University and Northwestern University were 9.5% and 6.4% respectively. With the teamwork effort of staff, faculty and leadership from programs across the University, DePaul might find itself ranking higher for years to come on the national level and even the world.
Golden arches, Pulitzer and NYT bestseller, oh my! DePaul announces upcoming commencement speakers By KIRBY FOOTE DePaul University’s 113th commencement ceremonies will be held on June 11 and 12, and the lineup of speakers and honorary degree recipients is nothing short of impressive. A Pulitzer Prize-winning author, the CEO of McDonald’s Corp., and a world-renowned public health advocate are just some of the distinguished individuals who will be presenting commencement addresses. The speaker for the College of Law will be Anne R. Pramaggiore, the president and COO of ComEd. She joined ComEd’s legal team in 1998, and in 2007, Pramaggiore had a significant impact on striking a $1 billion rate relief for Illinois residents that also saved ComEd from potential bankruptcy. In May 2009, Pramaggiore was promoted to her current position as COO, becoming ComEd’s first female president. The College of Education’s speaker will be Terry Mazany, president and CEO of the Chicago Community Trust. Mazany began working for the Chicago Community Trust, rising to COO and director for the Education Initiative, a five-year, $50 million commitment to improve Chicago schools. She later became the Chicago Community Trust’s fifth CEO in 2004. In November 2010, Mayor Daley appointed Mazany interim CEO for Chicago Public Schools. Speaking for the School of Music and the Theatre School will be John Von Rhein, who has served as the Chicago Tribune’s chief classical music critic since 1977. For more than 34 years Von Rhein has written reviews, weekly columns, feature stories and anything else pertaining to classical music for the Tribune and has made numerous influential contributions to the world of classical music. The speaker for the School of New Learning will be Miriam K. Were, an internationally renowned physician and public health advocate. Were co-founded the UZIMA foundation with her husband, which provides medical services and benefits to women and children in East Africa. In 2008, Were became the first recipient of the Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize for her extensive contributions to public health advocacy. The School for New Learning will also honor Don Mullen, a bestselling author and humanitarian. After witnessing the events of Blood Sunday in 1972, Mullen wrote the book “Eyewitness Bloody Sunday,” which was published
in 1997 and is recognized as one of the key influences for the Bloody Sunday Inquiry. Claude M. Steele will be the speaker for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Steele is currently a psychology professor and Provost at Columbia University and has contributed to groundbreaking research surrounding stereotyping and self-image. He serves as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. “The University environment is one in which students learn about the world, but also gives them the opportunity to reflect on themselves through their experience with others,” says Neil Loomis, a geography and philosophy major and upcoming graduate of LA&S. I am very interested in how Professor Steele will apply his work to our time at DePaul, especially as we prepare to once again open ourselves up to experiences which may confirm negative biases both against ourselves and our social groups.” The speaker for the College of Communication and the College of Computing and Digital Media will be PulitzerPrize winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson. While serving as the Chicago bureau chief of The New York Times in 1994, Wilkerson became the first African-American woman to earn the Pulitzer Prize in journalism for her coverage of the 1993 Midwestern floods and her profile of a young boy responsible for his siblings. Wilkerson is currently a professor of journalism and director of narrative nonfiction at Boston University, has been awarded numerous awards, and recently published her book “The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration.” “I think their choice makes sense considering that the College of Communications is graduating then too,” says Alec Hauser, an upcoming graduate and animation major in the College of CDM. “But if the speech isn’t too long then they could’ve gotten a second speaker from the film industry or something to talk as well, so that half the audience isn’t completely ignored. It’d make the ceremony a bit more relevant to me.” Speaking for the College of Commerce will be the current president and CEO of McDonald’s Corporation Jim Skinner. His career with McDonald’s began back in 1971 when he worked as a restaurant manager trainee, but worked his way through the ranks to corporate management and eventually became responsible for the corporation’s second-largest market. In 2009, Chief Executive magazine named Skinner “CEO of the Year” for his “Plan to Win” market strategy and contributions to the McDonald’s corporation. The College of Commerce will be honoring James L.
Photo courtesy of The Associated Press
McDonald's CEO, Jim Skinner, will speak at the commencement ceremony for the College of Commerce on June 12. Czech, the president of real estate consultancy The James L. Czech Company, LLC. Czech has an extensive background in the business services industry and held many titles at various companies before starting his own business in 2002, including working as an executive with Urban Retail Properties Co., JMB Retail Properties Co., and Federated Stores Realty Inc. Czech currently serves on DePaul’s College of Commerce Advisory Council, and a scholarship in his name is offered to DePaul commerce students. The College of Commerce will also honor John L. Keeley Jr., founder, president, and CEO of Keeley Asset Management Corp., an investment advising firm based in Chicago. Keeley Investment Corp. consists of six registered mutual funds with $5 billion in net assets. The College of Education, the School of Music and the Theatre School (combined), and the School for New Learning ceremonies will be held at the Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Dr., on June 11. The ceremonies for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the College of Communication and the College of Computing and Digital Media (combined), and the College of Commerce will be held June 12 at the Allstate Arena, 6920 N. Mannheim Rd. in Rosemont.
4 The DePaulia. May 16, 2011
Put down the books, pick up the controller Loop Campus Library's collection now includes video games By DANA MORONES College of Commerce students get assigned books to read, College of Communication students get assigned papers to write, but College of Computing and Digital Media students get assigned games to play. And with students having to play video games for homework the Loop library has come to the rescue with the new edition of rentable video games in the Loop Media Room. “Our collection was born through discussion between Jose Zagal of CDM and myself… I began approaching CDM regarding what kinds of materials the department needed and video games came up,” said Web Services Coordinator Ryan Hess. The library now has 30 different titles for Xbox [360], Wii and PS3. After consulting with faculty and students the library has put together a collection with different genres that range from sports and strategy to shoot-em-ups and role playing games (RPG’s). “If a game we have is available across multiple platforms, we collect all of them. There is a link on the library site to suggest purchases for our collection and if the
games are popular, who knows how they will be selected in the future,” said Evan J. Finneke of Access Services. James Galbraith, Associate Director for Collections and Scholarly Resources, who helped fund the collection of graphic novels, lent a hand to set aside funds that the library receives annually from the university to support the curriculum. According to Hess, CDM was hoping to supply more “antique” games but since that would include purchasing and supplying the older consoles, the decision was made to keep the collection modern for now. When sophomore Doug Davenport, a game development and screenwriting major, was asked about the library’s new selection he said, “I’m super psyched. I usually buy all my games and then when I’m done with them I sell them on eBay, now I’ll just rent them.” All students, whether they are designers or just gamers, can enjoy these games. The library is hoping students use these games socially and educationally. Finneke reacted to the library’s new addition by saying, “Video
games have existed for a long time. More importantly, career opportunities in gaming, programming and design continue to grow.” As stated by their website, CDM has evolved significantly over the past two decades and because of that they have become a great advantage for students going into the digital field. University of Michigan, University of Illinois at Urbana and Stanford University already supply games to their students. And although DePaul has their new collection on shelf now they are planning on having a game night next fall to advertise to incoming students. Hess says having free games for students not only will reduce their stress levels for recreational reasons but it will also help them with their careers. When Hess was asked if student’s studies would be affected by these free games he responded saying, “Yes I do, and in a positive way.” Hess, along with many others hope that this new collection will help students get a better view into the digital world of gaming and in turn make them better de-
Photo by Elizabeth Schuetz
Students can now find 30 different video games at the Loop Campus Library. signers. Hess said, “Like any art form, access is key to understanding, so
this fits right within the mission of the library to provide access to various cultural works.”
News. May 16, 2011. The DePaulia 5
Showoffs By SAMUEL GRADY
Opening on May 5 and being held in DePaul Art Museum until May 24, the DePaul Student Art Exhibition is a great place for students to showcase their creations. This will be the last exhibit held in the current museum as DePaul’s Art Museum will be moving to new home opening September 16. The Department of Art, Media, and Design invited all students who have taken a studio art course this year to submit work for the end of the year exhibition. All of the pieces are selected by a guest juror, this year’s juror is Marcelino Stuhmer, Assistant Professor of Visual Art, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. “There are so many beautiful pieces here, DePaul is privileged to be home to so many young talented artists” said Stuhmer. There are many mediums of art presented in the gallery including; analog and digital photography, oil on canvas, drawing on paper, books, prints, film, and more. Some students had more than one piece selected. Sophomore Nina Johnson has four selected pieces including a book, an inkjet print, a painted canvas, and a digital collage. “It is an honor to have my work shown like this” said Johnson. Johnson’s Untitled, an oil painting of an elephant with a sad expression, was a favorite of on lookers with it often growing a small crowd to look at the painting. Johnson’s illustrated book Creature City is one
of two books located in the center of the gallery, accompanied by Lauren Todd’s Lulu, the self created narratives give the gallery a unique look in itself. “My favorite piece was the illustration in Creature City, it looked like something out of a Tim Burton movie,” said Sophomore Devin Ruiz. While walking through the exhibit it is hard not to pay attention to the loud speaker of Christin Marcos and Ellen Doornbos video, The Bed We Broke Together. The video grabs the attention of everyone in the room with its subject matter of the cycle of relationships and the problems individuals have had in their romances. “A lot of the digital photography was provoking politically, I thought some artists were daring in what they presented,” said Senior Amanda Bailey. Lying out in the middle of the floor is Sam Newman’s LRW. At first glance it looks like nothing more than a sign on the ground, but the launch ramp has an urban appeal that had many people walking on and having an interactive take with the art. “DePaul should showcase these artists more and get more people out here because I had no idea there even was an art school, there is a lot of talent in this gallery” said Ruiz. Additional notable mentions that gained much attention from observers were Johnsons Handfuls of Text, Jennifer Kljucaric’s Bed Bug, and Joseph Horton’s Self Portrait.
Student’s work featured in final exhibit before move to new art museum in fall
Open until May 24, the 2011 Student Art Exhibition showcases selected pieces of student work including photography, paintings and collages. The exhibit is currently located in Richardson Library's Art Museum.
Photos by Brianna Kelly
6 The DePaulia. May 16, 2011
Student-run literary magazine revamped By JESSIE MOLLOY
Photo by Brianna Kelly
Despite Lincoln Park residents' opposition, Vi Daley pushed the development in former Lincoln Park Hospital location during her last days in office.
Fresh Market an unwelcome neighbor
By PAIGE WAGENKNECHT dents want. Ultimately, we will Council members approved the controversial Lincoln Park Hospital redevelopment plans on May 4 despite strong opposition from 43rd Ward residents. Outgoing alderman Vi Daley tried to push the plans through council last month, but three long-serving alderman broke a long standing tradition in city hall of giving aldermen complete control over rezoning in their wards, and decided to let the newly elected alderman Michele Smith negotiate with the developing company. Smith’s opposition to the project figured heavily in her election as 43rd Ward alderman during the April runoff. Smith said the proposal “overturns 40 years of zoning” in part of Lincoln Park for no legitimate reason, and “sabotages the overall planning needs of the area.” Sandz Development Co. promised the redevelopment plans, dubbed New Webster Square, will include 152 high-rise condominiums, a medical office building and a grocery store. The grocery, a planned 20,000-square-foot Fresh Market on the southeast corner of Lincoln and Webster, is the one part of the plan that has had the most contention from residents. Residents argue that it will spoil the area by attracting pedestrians and delivery trucks and that Webster is too narrow for a loading dock and would cause a traffic nightmare. They have expressed fear the plans would cause Lincoln Park would lose its historical value and local grocery stories would be forced bankrupt. DePaul students, who live in the 43rd Ward close to the redevelopment site, also have expressed their opposition of the proposal. “Lincoln Park already has enough grocery stores, many within walking distance of each other,” said 43rd Ward resident Tara Miller, a senior. “I think it is irresponsible of city council to vote in favor of this plan even though it goes against what resi-
be the ones to shop at that grocery store, and if we don’t want to do that in our neighborhood then it should not be built.” “I think that the grocery will cause more traffic and it’s not a good idea,” said Nicole Pasminski, a junior. “Plus, there is a Whole Foods [Fresh Market] obnoxiously close to Lincoln and Webster anyways, at Sheffield and North Avenue.” Although Pasminski was against the overall plan, she said that the one good thing would be it potentially opens up a lot of jobs for DePaul students. Attorney and former 43rd Ward alderman Martin Oberman, who represents the nearby homeowners, said last month he would challenge the decision in court if the city rezones the property and allows the development. Smith, who will be sworn on Monday, said she will ask the council to reserve its decision, and she is still “willing to discuss the matter with the developer.” Daley said she wanted the project approved before she leaves office because it highlights a potential blight in the ward. “I don’t want to have an empty hospital sitting around for the next couple of years. I mean, that’s not going to be good. Children’s [Memorial Hospital] is leaving in 2012. That’s a block away. I can’t have that happen. It’s important for me to move this ahead. It’s a good project. Overall, it’s good for our community.” After the vote was deferred last month, Smith and the developer attempted to reach a deal, but the incoming alderman said no agreement was decided so a lawsuit over the eventual zoning is likely unless the developer and opponents of the plans reach a compromise. Ted Novak, attorney for Sandz, said Smith’s compromise included dropping plans for the Fresh Market. He called the grocery vital to the project because it can be built right away while the other components must wait for the market to get better.
Threshold Literary Magazine held the launch party for its thirty-first edition on May 13 at Lincoln Hall, giving students a first opportunity to get their copy of the magazine. The magazine is sponsored by the English Department and comes out once a year to showcase a selection of original writing and visual artwork by DePaul students. Written submissions are divided into four categories: fiction, creative non-fiction, dramatic literature, and poetry. A staff of 22 students and four faculty advisors collected submissions from undergraduates and graduate students throughout winter quarter and selected a total of 25 literary submissions to include in the magazine (five each in fiction, non-fiction, and drama, and ten poems). In addition to the literary sections the 85 page magazine includes a visual arts section which includes 23 entries in the categories of photography, graphics, and original artwork and a supplementary DVD of select video submissions. To raise new interest in the publication this year’s staff has implemented some major expansions and marketing plans. “Threshold has always been a really great publication but not a lot of students, and even some of the English teachers, don’t know about it” said chief grad student editor Andrea Pelose. “So this year we did a lot of marketing. We started a social media campaign and partnered with DePaul’s chapter of Public Relations Student Society of America [PRSSA] to form our new website”
Aside from marketing two other new ideas were implemented to expand student interest. One was the launch party itself. Although this is the magazine’s 31st issue this was the first one to premiere at an off-campus party. The other is the price; it’s free. In past years students have always been charged to get issues of Threshold, this year there is no cost. Another major change in the magazine this year is the introduction of the Threshold Awards for Excellence for each of the literary categories. According to Pelose after the final submissions were selected, the magazine “recruited published authors and playwrites to select the winners.” The winners in each category received a congratulatory certificate, an embossed leather journal, a subscription to a national literary magazine and a check for $100. The final change in this year’s Threshold from the layouts of the past is the cover. “We used student artwork on the cover this year as well, which I don’t think has ever been done before” said Cathleen Nilles, the senior art director, who laid out the entire magazine in two weeks. “It’s been a real roller coaster ride putting everything together” said Pelose, “but we knew it was going to be when we took the positions on. It was a bit overwhelming at times, but it was the good kind of overwhelming.” Students interested in reading this year’s issue of Threshold who could not make it to the launch party can pick up copies in the English department offices in McGaw Hall. A limited number may also soon be available in the campus book stores.
News. May 16, 2011. The DePaulia 7
Tornado
“Daley open house” continued from cover
in Chicago? By CELESTE PIRIANO As horrific images of homes completely demolished and cars turned upside down from tornadoes sweeping across the southeast states are roaming the news, some Chicagoans are left wondering if the windy city is next in line. The last violent tornado that hit the Chicago land area was August 28, 1990, over twenty years ago. With the extreme winter Chicago was faced with, and now the rapid heat wave within the last few days, some predict that this is the season Chicago will be faced with a tornado. As the quote goes, “History may repeat itself.” Mike Caplan, Meteorologist at ABC-7 Chicago, thinks that predicting the number of tornadoes over an urban area for an entire season is unrealistic. Even though Caplan says no one is forecasting a sudden ramp of tornadoes for the Chicagoland area he adds, “It is wise to stay alert to the very real possibility that a tornado could strike in our area.” But with residents of Chicago living in apartment buildings, working in high rise buildings, and DePaul students living in dorms, how can they escape safely from a tornado? Junior, Dana Morones lives in Sanctuary Hall. When she transferred to DePaul in the fall, she was taught what to do if there was a fire or burglary. But never has she been warned about possible tornadoes.
“The RA’s will knock on everyone’s door if something happened in the DePaul community,” Morones said. All dorms consist of either a basement or a floor that allows students to do their own laundry. In Sanctuary Hall, they have a basement that Morones thinks would be the best place to go if a tornado were to sweep through the Lincoln Park campus. There’s apparently a belief around Chicago that since the city is right by the lake and consists of several tall buildings, that the city cannot be hit by a tornado. Aisha Pulido said that just because people may work in tall buildings doesn’t mean they are necessarily protected by tornadoes. Pulido works on the eleventh floor of the Communication building in the Loop campus. Like Morones, no one has ever mentioned anything about what to do if the tornado sirens went off. “The Communication building has a basement, but the time I get down there from the eleventh floor it would be too late,” Pulido joked. Instead of running down the fire
Graphic by Sam Schroeder
exit, Pulido thinks the best place for her to escape a tornado would be to either go into the concrete stairwell or a bathroom. ABC-7 News forecasters have the ability to issue any severe weather fifteen to thirty minutes before it actually hits Chicago, giving residents plenty of time to seek immediate shelter. As severe weather continues across the Midwest, Chicago has a strong possibility of seeing harsh storms this spring. With this it is urgent that resident plan accordingly. Will history repeat itself? With the help of local news stations, Chicagoland residents should know the precautions to take. “We in the weather biz are able to give life-saving information much earlier than ever before,” Mike Caplan added.
chief executive. From 1 p.m. until 4 p.m., guests stood lined up in the lobby of City Hall waiting for their turn to take the elevator up to the fifth floor to get their quick photo-op with the Mayor. While waiting, Chicagoans were entertained by Shannon Rovers, an Irish bagpipe band that has led the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and serenaded Chicago mayors for generations. The Mayor’s office sent over 1,000 invitations to those who worked closely with Daley over the years to be a part of an earlier receiving line from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Amanda Aaron, Junior, was one of the hundreds of patrons who came to see the Mayor. Originally from Michigan, Aaron has called Chicago home since she started school at DePaul and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be included in this historical event. “I had never been to City Hall, and I am not from Chicago originally so I didn’t know to what extent Mayor Daley leaving meant to Chicago.” “It didn’t seem like an option not to go. I viewed it as a historical event, but I didn’t know what to expect. I was definitely nervous going.” Aaron said those around her were mostly excited, eager and full of praise for the
Mayor as many lived a great part of their lives under his administration. She said people were acting as if they were at the Vatican, waiting to see the Pope. “These people were elated to meet him. They were just so grateful for everything this man has done, so I was trying to push them and see exactly what they were thankful for.” A man standing behind Aaron in line held a signed picture of him and Daley, which he planned to give to the mayor. Several people brought memorabilia from Daley’s administration, according to Aaron, and there was an entire room next to his office where people put these items on display. Although she was happy to attend the open house, Aaron wished that she would have had more time to ask Daley some questions, but was quickly moved out of the Mayor’s office after giving a short introduction and handshake. Reporters were not allowed to go up to the Mayor’s office to capture his last photo op, even though the event was labeled an “open house.” The Daley Dynasty officially comes to an end when mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel will be sworn-in on May 16. Emanuel will hold an inauguration event at Grant Park, which will be open to the public, and prominent figures like Vice-President Joe Biden will be in attendance.
Campus crime report: May 4-10 LOOP CAMPUS May 7 •There was a criminal damage to property at Quiznos restaurant. May 10 •A Macbook Pro was taken from a backpack in classroom 103 DePaul Center. •A criminal trespass warning was given to a subject on the 11th floor DePaul Center.
LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS May 4 •Graffiti was found by Public Safety on the Student Center. •Public Safety was called to the church for a disturbance. A criminal trespass warning was given to an offender. •A bike was taken off the rack at Corcoran bike rack.
•Public Safety was called to Belden/Racine Hall in regards to a suspicion of marijuana. No drugs were found. May 5 •A wallet was missing and last seen in the S.A.C. building. May 6 •A student was found intoxicated in Munroe Hall. Student was transported to Illinois Masonic Hospital.
• Graffiti was found on a campus map. May 8 •A student reported that he was being stalked by an offender. •There was an attempted theft at the Richardson Library. An offender tried to take a iPad but was stopped by the victim. Victim has his iPad.
•A criminal trespass to land warning was given to a subject in the 1150 W. Fullerton building.
May 9 •A student’s painting was damaged at the 1150 W. Fullerton building.
•A damage to property was done on a window broken in the Theater School.
•Students had unauthorized access to the roof of Sanctuary Hall.
May 7 •Public Safety was called to 933 W. Belden in regards to underage drinking. Subjects were transported to Illinois Masonic Hospital. •A theft occurred at the 1150 W. Fullerton. A person's credit card was taken.
May 10 •There was damage to property at Munroe Hall. •A bike was stolen from the bike rack at the Ray Meyer Fitness Center.
8 The DePaulia. May 16, 2011
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Lost in Lewis By ANGELIKA LAZARICIU J. Lewis. Connected to Lewis Students rolled their eyes once again when a fire alarm caused the evacuation of the Lewis building this past April for the second time this year. It was a false alarm, however, the scramble to get out of the building as quick as possible always seems to be a struggle. If students have class on the 11th floor, they are forced to walk down 11 flights of narrow stairways with hundreds of other students trying to get out as quick as the other. The setup of the building has proved to be confusing and challenging in situations like these. DePaul’s Lewis Center, located at 25 E. Jackson Blvd., is the main home of the university’s College of Law. The college’s Admission office and Rinn Law Library are housed at Lewis, along with the Loop branch of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ undergrad division, the University Center for Writing-based Learning and the office of Continuing and Professional Education. Beware freshman: if you see the Lewis Center as the location for one of your classrooms, be prepared to print out a detailed map of the building. The 18-story building, which was formerly known as Kimball Hall Building, was built in 1916 and acquired by DePaul in 1955 through a gift of Frank
via confusing walkways and elevators is O’Malley Place, which was built in 1928 and acquired by DePaul in 1972. O’Malley Place is where the newer looking hallways and classrooms can be found. The addition of O’Malley Place might explain the mismatch of floor numbers to the floor numbers in the elevators, why, no matter how many years a student has been attending DePaul, they always seem to get lost in the building, and why it takes so long for the elevators to reach each floor. According to Robin Florzak, Director of the News and Information Bureau for DePaul’s Office of Public Relations and Communications, all of the Lewis Center’s operations comply with city code. “The Lewis Center has been extensively renovated by DePaul,” said Florzak. “The renovations have passed the scrutiny of the City of Chicago’s Building Department. “When members of the university cross over to the DePaul Center on foot, the floor numbers change because they were separate buildings in the past, with different floor configurations, before DePaul connected them. There are signs in both buildings that indicate the change in floor numbers.” Nancy Shaba, senior, says that the whole building tends to feel
old and overcrowded at times. “The elevators are partly why I’m late to class,” said Shaba. “I have been using the Lewis Center for four years now, and the elevators have never allowed me to be early to class.” DePaul senior Alexia Xenos also stated that she learned early to never trust the building’s elevators. “I was late every week my sophomore year for the same class because of the [Lewis Center] elevators,” said Xenos. “Ever since then, whenever I have a class in Lewis now, I always take the stairs if I can.” The slow elevators in the building are usually the issue on a day-to-day basis but in the case of an emergency, the stairs then become the issue. Shaba stated that “the Lewis stairs are a little too narrow to feel comfortable in a state of panic.” Florzak wants the university to know that Facility Operations and Public Safety work in concert to ensure that everyone is safe in the event of an evacuation. “Detailed evacuation information is posted in every lobby,” said Florzak. “DePaul has conducted various education programs to raise awareness about campus procedures and members of the community are encouraged to review the complete plan, which outlines procedures.”
News. May 16, 2011. The DePaulia 9
Awkward layout of Loop Campus' oldest building throws off students
Photo by Brianna Kelly
The layout of DePaul's Lewis Center, located at 25 E. Jackson Blvd., often has students confused, but the university insists that it complies with city code.
10 The DePaulia. May 16, 2011
Nation & World Chicago gears up for SlutWalks
By MICHAEL CORIO It began in Canada with a small group of five friends outraged after a Toronto police officer told law students they would be safer if they didn’t dress like “a slut.” What began as a conversation among friends grew into a multinational movement, with protests scheduled across the world. The protests, known as SlutWalks, began in Toronto on April 3 and have since spread worldwide and are coming soon to the streets of Chicago. “SlutWalk isn’t just about rape and assault—it’s not about judging people on their sexual behavior and on double standards,” said Jamie Keiles, a co-organizer of the Chicago SlutWalk. “Instead, let’s judge them as a person.” Since SlutWalk's inception, it has become “a lot broader of an idea,” Keiles said. “It’s about promoting sex positivity and giving people agency over their identity,” she said. Keiles said she hopes the movement will inform people about victim blaming—“the idea that victims of rape are at fault and somehow their actions contributed to the fact that they were assaulted,” she said. “It’s an accountability for all people to know that’s not true.” Many DePaul students plan to participate in Chicago’s SlutWalk protest on June 4. “It is never the victim’s fault, and the notion that women were ‘asking for it’ is exactly what the victimizers use to explain their actions,” said freshman Andreja Lapsys, who plans on participating in the Chicago SlutWalk. Lapsys, a public relations major said, “Girls dress to attract the attention of guys, but so do they. Why should women be forced to change what they wear?”
Photo courtesy of The Associated Press
From left, Isa Stearns of Somerville, Mass., Nadia Friedler of Cambridge, Mass., Louisa Carpenter-Winch, of Cambridge, Mass., and Emma Munson-Blatt, of Cambridge, Mass, chant during the "SlutWalk" in Boston on Saturday, May 7, 2011, which organizers described as a demonstration against those who blame the victims of sex crimes. DePaul freshman and political science major Angelika Giatras also plans to attend the upcoming Chicago march. Giatras said the Canadian police officer’s statement was “completely ridiculous” and added that, “It reveals the problem of stereotyping in society, and such thinking unfairly places blame on victims for crimes against them.” But not everyone disagreed with the police officer’s “slut” remarks which said, “Women should avoid dressing like sluts
in order not to be victimized,” according to the Associated Press. “Honestly, I kind of agree with that statement, if a girl is dressing promiscuous that obviously means they want some sort of sexual attention,” said Alanna Bagladi, a freshman majoring in digital cinema. “If they’re going out to the bars and not looking for sexual relations they shouldn’t be so suggestive,” she said. Some DePaul students said that how a woman chooses to dress doesn’t necessarily have to do
with sexual attention. “Everyone is entitled to dress and express their own sexuality however they please and should never be shamed for those very personal decisions,” said Melina Lindsey, a junior majoring in secondary education. According to Lindsey, students “can recognize that what people choose to do with their bodies is entirely up to them.” Chicago’s own “SlutWalk” protest is scheduled to take place on June 4th, with the walk
assembling at the Thompson Center Plaza an hour before marching at noon. There will be live music and entertainment followed by a social gathering for drinks and conversation on the patio at Zella, 1938 N. Clybourn starting around 3:30 p.m. after the walk. Giatras encouraged students to participate in the walk, and said, “The only way you can affect change is to take the time and effort to protest and make your voice heard.”
DePaul gives its two cents on royal wedding's economic impact By LAURA FITZGERALD With the glamour and extravagance of the royal wedding over, British taxpayers must think about the wedding's aftermath and how much it is going to cost them in the end. British taxpayers have been left with security costs, estimated to total at least $11 million, according to the Associated Press. However, the increase in tourism and retail sales are said to have helped boost the British economy. “The British expended millions on an event that drew two billion television viewers and hundreds of thousands of people to the streets,” said Patrick Murphy, an associate professor of management in DePaul University's Kellstadt Graduate School of Business. “From a purely business or economic perspective, it's important to understand the true meaning and value of so many eyeballs coming together,” he said. “The idea of tourism doesn't mean the same thing in today's world as it did in 1981, when Diana and Charles
Photo courtesy of The Associated Press
Britain's Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall watch as Britain's Prince William kisses his wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Royal Wedding in London Friday, April, 29, 2011. were married,” Murphy said. “I don't think anyone who understands tourism realistically expected a big spike in tourists headed to Britain and spending money,” he said. Charles and Diana’s wedding, in comparison to William and Kate’s, was much more grandiose, with more
international travelers, a longer procession and a close-to three month honeymoon. The newest royal couple said they were being mindful of the tough economy when planning the wedding, according to the Guardian. Still, the amount of money spent left some people thinking that it may have
been over the top given the current state of the British economy. “The initial fixed cost helped ensure a successful event that impressed the world and effectively mitigated the many potential variable costs of a poorly executed large event,” Murphy said. “The waste in money is a valid claim,” said Sean Ring, a student at DePaul. However, Ring said once the security costs are divied up to taxpayers, the money doesn't amount to too much. Murphy said the overall production of the wedding is something that Brits had been looking forward to and will remember forever. “The royal wedding's real return for the British has less to do with tourism and more to do with the intangible benefits associated with the large scale socialization of a core element of British culture,” Murphy said. “It's very hard for an American to understand it but, from the point of view of many British people, the day of the royal wedding was a great day to be British,” Murphy said.
Nation & World. May 16. The DePaulia 11
This week in world news FEDS ORDER CLEANUP OF CHICAGO RIVER
THOUSANDS PROTEST ACROSS SYRIA
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
BEIRUT
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ordered Illinois officials to adopt stricter water-quality standards for stretches of the Chicago River, saying it must be clean enough for recreational use, including swimming, according to a letter sent to the state and obtained by a newspaper. The Chicago Tribune reported Thursday that the U.S. EPA sent a letter to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency demanding the stricter standards be set for parts of the Chicago River, the Cal-Sag Channel and the Little Calumet BUCHAREST, ROMANIA River. They said cleanup should be completed "as soon as possible." is seen at the window of a dilapidated building in Bucharest's historic district, Thursday, May 5, 2011. Most 2 Aof man If state officials fail to the historic buildings, which escaped demolition in communist times, are in a very poor condition as their rightful adopt stricter standards, owners gave them up for financial compensations from the state rather than having to spend to restore them. Romanian "the EPA will promptly do authorities are moving at a very slow pace with the restoration of this once flourishing area of the Romanian capital. so itself," the letter said. "A decade of investments in walkways, boat ramps and parks have provided people with access to the water and now we need to make sure the water is safe 3 Susan Hedman, the U.S. 2 EPA's regional administra1 tor, said in a statement. 5 4 Last year, the state Pollution Control Board adopted standards that would make the waterways clean enough for boating and people who briefly fall in the water, which falls short of requirements under the Clean Water Act.
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Syrian security forces opened fire on thousands of protesters Friday, killing at least one person with a gunshot to the head as soldiers tried to head off demonstrations by occupying mosques and blocking public squares, activists said. The death in the central city of Homs marks the latest bloodshed in what has become a weekly rhythm during the two-month uprising, with protesters taking to the streets every Friday, only to be met with bullets, tear gas and batons by security forces. Leading human rights activist Mazen Darwish said Friday's victim was shot in the head. A second activist in Homs put the death toll at two. "At first they opened fire in the air but the people continued their way, and then they shot directly into the crowd," the second activist said, asking that his name not be used for fear of reprisals from the government. He said security forces dressed in black and proregime gunmen known as "shabiha" were doing the shooting. Human rights groups say that between 700 and 850 people have been killed since the start of the revolt against President Bashar Assad's repressive regime.
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BENGHAZI, LIBYA
JERUSALEM
A rebel soldier stands guard at a windswept check point on the outskirts of Benghazi, Libya, Wednesday, May 11, 2011. Pressure is mounting on Moammar Gadhafi from within his stronghold in the Libyan capital, with increasing NATO airstrikes and worsening shortages of fuel and goods. An activist said Friday that there has also been a wave of anti-government protests in several Tripoli neighborhoods this week — dissent that in the past has been met with zero tolerance and brutal force.
A Russian-Israeli World War II veteran wears his uniform with decorations as he waits to march in a street parade marking VE Day (Victory in Europe) in Jerusalem, Wednesday, May 11, 2011. Scores of Israeli World War II veterans from the former Soviet Union marched together with their families in Jerusalem Wednesday to celebrate the 66th anniversary of the Allies victory over Nazi Germany in 1945.
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Photos and news courtesy of The Associated Press
12 The DePaulia. May 16, 2011
Opinions
Clinton edited out of Jewish newspaper By STEPHANIE WILLIAMS Graduate Student, Communications I vividly remember my reaction to Osama bin Laden’s death. I gasped and put my hand over my mouth, immediately halting my next chew of a Doritos chip. To describe my mood as tense would be an understatement. This mood was the same one felt as I gazed upon the photo of President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the National Security team as they were glued to a White House Situation Room conference table watching the bin Laden raid go down. In the photo, captured by White House photographer Pete Souza, Clinton is shown with her hand covering her mouth. The look on her face is as if she is shocked, but reports have said she was possibly coughing. Yet, after learning of the removal of Clinton and National Director of Counterterrorism Audrey Tomason out of the image by Brooklyn newspaper Di Tzitung, I was reminded of the power of journalism. What is in question is how the photo changed once the edits took place. It lost its depth and its meaning. “The Hillary Clinton
Photos courtesy of Associated Press
(Left) Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, along with with members of the national security team, receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House in Washington on May 1, 2011. (Right) The photograph was digitally altered to remove Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Counterterrorism Director Audrey Tomason in the Brooklyn weekly Di Tzeitung, Monday May 9, 2011. expression is the one that holds the photograph fully,” said Time’s Photo Director, Kira Pollack. “You look at her first, and then you look at everyone else.” A statement released by the Brooklyn-based paper on May 9 read, “In accord with our religious beliefs, we do not publish photos of women.” The paper’s edits are based both on its Hasidic Jewish
culture and governance by a Rabbinical board that promotes the “modesty of women.” This means they do not print photos of women to prevent any hint of sexual suggestions. However, the Hasidic Judaism values are not in question in this article. Furthermore, I am not harping on the fact that the paper’s editor broke the White House rule
that “the photograph may not be manipulated in anyway.” A statement in which Di Tzitung’s editors convey their “regrets and apologies to the White House and to the State Department” has been issued since the altered photo’s release. Clinton responded to the original photo by saying she really has no clue what she was looking
at during the moment the picture was taken. However, she does note that “those were 38 of the most intense moments.” In a sense, the edited photo almost looks like any conference call. Such details are essential and have been the core of my journalism studies here at DePaul. As writers, we have the power to influence and move people in the same way the photo moved me. Altering a photo can change the reactions of the world. In a “60 Minutes” interview with Steve Kroft, Obama explained the mood that was captured in the photo. “It was the longest 40 minutes of my life, with the possible exception of when Sasha [his daughter] got meningitis,” said Obama. These words definitely explain the looks on their faces. I could only imagine my own reaction to watching the killing of the most wanted man in the past decade. Staying true to the facts is one of the fundamentals of journalism and a huge responsibility. How people react ultimately determines the meaning, regardless of a writer’s or photographer’s intention. So, as consumers and producers of the media, we need to hold fast to that responsibility— even if it is just a picture of a cough.
Tell Trump “he’s fired” “The Office” says Business mogul Donald Trump considers running for president in 2012 By ANDREW FLEURY Graduate Student, Journalism Donald Trump for president? I guess the doomsday prophecies of 2012 must be true. Presidential elections bring out some colorful and questionable characters. For example, the 2008 election brought out Alaska’s most famous resident: no, not the Eskimos, but Sarah Palin. Fast-forward to 2011, and we have billionaire businessman and reality television star Donald Trump announcing his interest in becoming the next leader of the free world. Somewhere, Leona Helmsley is throwing a martini at one of her servants in the afterlife. Earlier in February, Trump made a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (which is a precursor for candidates expressing their interest in running for president). Shortly after Trump’s speech, a poll conducted by Newsweek showed that Trump was within a few points of Obama and that many undecided voters sided with Trump. In March, the Wall Street Journal and NBC also conducted polls that showed Trump was the lead in potential Republican candidates, edging out former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. Trump, seeing his
influence and growing popularity among Republicans, went on to severely criticize Obama’s presidency, as well as his citizenship. Trump’s public tirade of Obama’s legitimacy as a citizen created a media firestorm that ended with Trump looking foolish, as it was proven Obama was indeed a natural-born citizen. Not only did Trump want a birth certificate, but he also wanted transcripts from Occidental College to see whether or not Obama had the sufficient grades to be admitted into Harvard.
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Somewhere, Leona Helmsley is throwing a martini at one of her servants in the afterlife.
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Once his demand was made, he received a heavy load of criticism and backlash from his actions. Critics deemed Trump a racist, and in reply to those criticisms, Trump was quoted in an interview saying, “I have a great relationship with the blacks.” Is this what we want the leader of the free world to be concerned
about? Birth certificates, transcripts and implied racism make the top of his list, while housing, the job market, foreign policy and healthcare are somewhere lower on the list. Yes, let’s rush to the polls and swear him in immediately. Here is a man with so much knowledge and success of the business world, yet he has no experience in the political world. How can we elect a man who not only went bankrupt and ran through several wives, but also hasn’t voted in a New York election in over 20 years? What would he do if he got tired of being president? He’d divorce and reach a settlement that wouldn’t hurt his pockets too much. Trump is a man with money who sees opportunities for him to continue to earn money. The President of the United States isn’t an elegant condominium to own, nor is it a chance to increase viewership on Sundays. It’s a real job that affects millions of people here and around the world. Judging by Trump’s political experience, I’m sure Congress wouldn’t be able to wait for the opportunity to tell Trump, “You’re fired.” Meanwhile, in some restaurant at this very moment, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Sarah Palin are having a nice dinner saying, “And America thought I was bad.”
good-bye to Carell
By NIKA BLAKE Senior, Journalism It feels as if the end of an era has struck NBC; Michael Scott has officially left Scranton, PA. With a heart-wrenching episode of “The Office,” it was difficult just to get through the first 10 minutes. Many have said the role of Michael Scott jumpstarted Carell’s career, and it is a bold move in a new direction for him—and hopefully a positive one. But “The Office” without Carell is like the knights of the roundtable meeting without King Arthur; Michael Scott’s character is what created the “The Office” phenomenon. I find myself at a crossroads when I think about the show because it has been a staple in my weekly line-up for years, each time taking me on an exhilarating 30-minute laughing ride. And though my favorite characters have always been Dwight Schrute, played by Rainn Wilson, and Jim Halpert, played by John Krasinski, I still find myself unsure of how the show will hold up against other NBC heavy hitters without Carell. “The Office’s” strength was how well it resonated with the audience. The show and the cast were able to portray the dynamics of the real office environment without appearing fake. Carell created a character
that was rude, offensive and ignorant, but who was also sensitive and lovable. He took two opposite sides of a spectrum and combined them into one. It will be close to impossible to recreate a character like Michael Scott, so the show needs to find a new way to revamp its image and its storyline. Finding a new character that has absolutely nothing in common with Michael Scott would be the best course. The approach needs to be fresh and unexpected—the audience doesn’t want to see a second Michael Scott. Only something truly brilliant is going to hold “The Office” fan base together and loyal. Farrell, as a favor to Carell and NBC, has signed on to do four episodes—helping the show transition from season seven to season eight. No official word has been made on Farrell becoming a permanent part of “The Office” family, but one can only hope. After asking people what they thought about Carell’s departure, I found I was among the few hopeful ones. Most people thought the show had previously sunk and that there is no way for it to continue being as successful as it was in the past. It almost seemed like a cruel joke, but no one was in on it. We can only wish the cast of “The Office” the best of luck, and may the Dunder Mifflin be with you.
Opinions
Opinions. May 16, 2011. The DePaulia 13
Religious illiteracy overwhelms U.S. By TIM LYDON Graduate Student, English Stephen Prothero, an author of several books on religion, spoke at DePaul last month. His latest book, "God is Not One," is a study on the eight rival religions that dominate the world. His basic contention is that religion matters—with the power to move elections, start wars and affect economic decisions in every country, it is a force unmatched. Domestically, he says it’s important that we understand the role religions plays in our politics; biblical references will become more prevalent, he says, and politicians will use religious analogies and metaphors to explain why certain policies should be enacted. Aside from the obvious benefits of studying languages, cultures and religions outside of our own, Prothero reminded us that we are engaging military in three Muslim countries right now and know very little about them in any respect. In fact, Prothero says Americans know very little about any religion, including our own, despite the fact that we are one of the most religious countries in the world (A poll taken last year showed that 95 percent of Americans say they believe in God). He dropped some knowledge on our collective ignorance: 50 percent of Americans didn’t know the name the first book of the Hebrew Bible (Genesis), 45 percent didn’t know that the Jewish Sabbath begins on Friday night, and less than 40 percent knew that the Dalai Lama is a Buddhist. Prothero provided an informative presentation, and I agreed with most of what he said, but he failed to mention that without an environment of tolerance and respect, our learning will get us nowhere. Completely disregarding our hallowed freedom of religion in this country—not to mention laws against discrimination—thousands demonstrated last year against
Photos courtesy of Associated Press
A photo taken May 6, 2011, shows Rev. Bob Moats of the Christian Bible Fellowship church in Newville, Pa. the opening of a mosque that was being planned in downtown Manhattan. This showed our severe religious illiteracy. We have allowed politically motivated extremists, who operate under the guise of Islam, to capture our imaginations and obfuscate the meaning of true Islam. We need mosques and community centers that are open to the public, where people can walk in, ask questions and learn more about a faith that over one billion people on our planet adhere to. This is exactly what the NYC mosque was going to be. It was going to be more than a space for Muslims to pray—a space they had every right to as Americans—but also an educational center, teaching the basic tenets of Islam in an un-ideological way. But we were cheated out of this; the backlash stoked by the jingoists at Fox News—who made a first amendment issue one of patriotism and ideology—discouraged the opening of the mosque.
We shouldn't be surprised at our collective ignorance, nor the pervasive Islamophobia in this country. Just as Timothy McVeigh took Thomas Jefferson’s words and skewed them for his purpose, the 9/11 terrorists skewed the Koran’s words for their purpose, yet no one proposed that the writings of Thomas Jefferson be banned anywhere near the building that was blown up in Oklahoma City. The people who were against the mosque argued that it was insensitive to build near Ground Zero, but what better place for peace-loving Muslims to reach out and teach people who exactly wasn’t responsible for 9/11? America has a long way to go before she lives up to her ideals. This isn’t just tolerance and respect for Muslims, but for all minority religions that exist in the shadow of Christianity; this includes those who don’t believe in a higher power. To put one belief system above any other is supremely arrogant.
A M E R I CA N Final four contestants battle for the “Idol” title
IDOL
By TIFFANY BONCAN Graduate Student, Journalism & International Politics
Photos courtesy of Associated Press
In this publicity image released by Fox, Lady Gaga, center, poses with the final four contestants, from left, Haley Reinhart, James Durbin, Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery from the singing competition series "American Idol," on May 11, 2011 in Los Angeles.
After almost a decade of Idols, one would think the country’s interest in the search for America’s next singing sensation might have waned a bit. But as of April 2011, American Idol is still the top-rated television program and has been the most watched show for six consecutive seasons. This year’s batch of contestants could be just what “Idol” needs to continue that trend. So what is it about this reality television show that has the public coming back for more each season? It could be watching each journey of these Idol hopefuls through the season, experiencing them learn and grow. It could be the voting process—the fact that everyday people like you and me get to take a small part in creating the next music star. It could be the show’s judging panel— for years, audiences tuned in, waiting with baited breath to see what biting comments might find their way out of former judge Simon Cowell’s mouth. The fresh perspectives of new judges Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler also seem to please audiences. But I think what really makes this program sing is the effect the music has on audiences, as well as our interest in what these bright young things might do with the songs we hold so dear. Covering a classic is something anyone can do, from belting a song in the shower to actually taking hold of a microphone and performing said song on a stage before a packed house. But “American Idol” draws in audiences because it presents the public with young artists who can do it
very, very well. In doing so, we begin to identify with and admire contestants who sing the songs we love, while still finding a way to make that song their own. We tune in hoping to hear our favorite songs performed and are in awe of the fact that an everyday person like ourselves can propel themselves to fame of their own merit, because we—the voting public—want them to. Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe said this group of talent is the strongest he has seen on the show yet. Looking at the top four contestants—early front-runner Lauren Alaina, rocker James Durbin, country crooner Scotty McCreery and the versatile, bluesy Haley Reinhart—I’m inclined to agree. The diversity of style shows the public really is standing behind the singer who performs what they like to hear and that they are continuing to impress America with their talent. If the success of this show really is about the music, then each contestant’s varied song selections and ability to elevate those songs to another level with each performance will definitely keep people watching until the end. If I had to predict a winner, it would be Haley Reinhart. She had me at “Bennie and the Jets.” As Lopez said, Reinhart can do things with her voice no other contestant can. She makes each performance unique, never seeming to copy the popular record, giving me hope for original records in the future. Reinhart is also comfortable on stage and has a presence about her that makes viewers like me think she must have been born a star. When Reinhart becomes the next Idol, I’ll know that continuing to watch America’s quest to find the next superstar was worth it. If not, I hope she pulls a Jennifer Hudson and gets worldwide recognition for her talent anyway. The girl’s got soul. I’d belt her songs in the shower any day.
The opinions in this section do not necessarily reflect those of The DePaulia staff.
14 The DePaulia. May 16, 2011.
PAST in the
PRESENT
The Ward Memorial Baptist Church—4820 S. Prairie Avenue,
A sign outside of the Come & See Mb Church—8333 S. King Drive.
Focus
May 16, 2011. The DePaulia 15
Chicago’s Southside churches’ standing history By BARTOSZ BRZEZINSKI Sitting himself comfortably in a brown leather swivel chair, surrounded by two plastic lion heads scoring bowler hats, inside a poorly lit office that feels all too tight for a man of his posture, Reverend Dr. Christopher Avon Hill, Jr. of the Monumental Baptist Church begins a long story of the African-American Baptists in Chicago. As he speaks, his words are firm and well judged; his deep rich voice puts him on par with the great speakers of the Civil Rights era. After having been a pastor for over 30 years, he surely excels at captivating his audience. “The story of the Monumental Church began over a 100 years ago. When the white folks moved out from here, the black folks moved in,” he recounts, going back to the early 20th century and the very beginnings of the South Side neighborhood once known as the Black Belt of Chicago. Here, African-Americans sought refuge from the cruel Jim Crow laws of the South. Here, in the city known for its multiethnic and cultural heritage, they were looking to start a new life as free Americans. And here, after decades of endured hardship and inhumane discrimination, they hoped to rebuild their shattered identity. But reality proved otherwise. The racism they were trying to escape in the South caught up with them in Chicago. Confined to the southern side of the city, with white mobs and various legal regulations making sure they could not relocate anywhere else, they began the process of establishing a new community. The church proved to be a strong foundation for doing so. Raising his hand, as if he was back at his altar preaching to the crowd of worshippers, Pastor Hill returns to his story. “In the South, most blacks became Baptist. My great grandfather, my slave grandparents were Baptist. Baptism became a citadel for the cause of freedom for blacks, for the progress of blacks, and for the changing. Frederick Douglass was a Baptist minister. Our Civil Rights leaders and men who fought for our rights were Baptist.” And the church has always played an important part for the African-American community. “Before we had great doctors and surgeons and football players, basketball players, the number one person in the community was the black preacher, the black pastor. A whole lot of people went to school off of the nickels and
dimes of people in the black church. Historically, black universities were started out of the church, with nickels and dimes of the slaves.” Despite a visible societal progress today, slavery and discrimination remain fresh in the minds of many African-Americans. “The Church was all we had. That’s where the black man could feel like a man. That’s where black woman could come, and we would bless the Lord together. We had a joy and a sense of self that was more profound than even our white slaveholders’, white captors’, or even the organizations’ that tried to mess us up. We had a sense of pride about who we were. And we were, you know, James Brown’s ‘Say It Loud (I’m Black and I’m Proud).’” Looking into the future, Pastor Hill admits some uncertainties. “The Church evolves. The Church still evolves to meet the needs of the people. But not many people come to have their needs met in the church. But the church is still here. “We’re going through some rough times now. But we will survive.” Though no longer the fastest growing Christian community, the Baptist Church remains the largest denomination among African-Americans in the United States, with over eight million members. “And our service is not like a mass. We are noisy. We believe in making joyful noise unto the Lord, because we’re glad to be there. Our services are services of liberation, to lift burden. To let you know you’re in a better spot,” concludes Pastor Hill, before adding, “We are a Black Baptist Church, and we’re proud of it.” Walking around in certain areas on the South Side of Chicago, one could swear that almost every other building is a church. There are immense cathedrals, like the Church of Christ, the Scientist, on the South Michigan and Wabash, built in the late 19th century. And there are tiny chapels that resemble apartment buildings rather than places of worship, with simple signs giving clue as to their real purpose. On Sundays, the churches are open to the community as well as any passers-by. Various signs invite people in. “Wanted: People Seeking God! No Experience Required! Apply Sunday 11 a.m.,” reads one. But on the weekdays, most of these places look abandoned. With broken windows, rusting locks on the doors, and plaster chipping off in various places, they stand as silent reminders of the city’s incredibly rich, yet, cruel history.
Photos by Bartosz Brzezinski
Morning Star Baptist Church of Chicago—3993 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
Unidentifiable church door on the Southside of Chicago.
16 The DePaulia. May 16, 2011
Arts & Life FEST-ducation
Everything you should know about Chromeo and Wiz Khalifa before FEST By ANGELIKA LAZARICIU Students waited anxiously on May 4th as the opener and headliner for FEST 2011 were revealed. And in a roar of approval and excitement, it was announced that Chromeo will be opening up the concert with Wiz Khalifa as headliner. In honor of the star-studded guests who will be performing at the music festival, the DePaulia wanted to prepare and inform those of you who aren’t really familiar with either of the performers on their most famous songs, what to expect from them on stage, and why we should be happy that two amazing musical acts are coming to campus. Chromeo is an electrofunk duo formed in Canada in 2004. The band is composed of P-Thugg (Patrick Gemayel) and Dave 1 (David Macklovitch), two childhood friends who have released three albums so far, the most current being “Business Casual” from 2010. Their debut album, “She’s in Control,” released in 2004, defined Chromeo and started their music career. Reviews of the album were favorable, comparing their sound to ‘80s groups like Hall and Oates. Their single “Needy Girl” became a worldwide club hit. And in 2005, Chromeo released a mix CD of funky dance tracks entitled “Un Joli Mix Pour Toi (A Pretty Mix For You).” After a three-year break, the group released a second album, “Fancy Footwork,” which was also positively reviewed. The album took them on a twoyear world tour, performing in festivals such as Coachella, Bonnaroo, Rothbury Festival and Lollapalooza. The group is known for their high-energy and crowd interaction at their shows, which have been described by fans as “a great dance party with a band that was meant to be heard live.” FEST is prepared to party with Chromeo and all of their glam lights and bass
Above: The cover art for Chromeo's breakout second album, "Fancy Footwork." Right: Wiz Khalifa performs at the Bamboozle Festival on April 29. glory. Senior Alexia Xenos, who will be attending FEST this year, had never heard of Chromeo before. “I had to look them up once I saw that they were performing this year,” said Xenos. “I’ve never listened to their music before but it sounds pretty cool.” Headlining FEST 2011 is Pittsburgh-born rapper Wiz Khalifa, born Cameron Jibril Thomaz. With chart topping songs like “Say Yeah,” “Roll Up,” and “Black and Yellow,” it’s no wonder Khalifa has a vast tour scheduled for upcoming months and will be performing at many festivals this summer. Khalifa released his debut album, “Show and Prove,” in 2006, and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 2007. However, he left his seven-figure deal and became independent in 2009, releasing his second album, “Deal or No Deal,” in November of 2009. He signed with Atlantic Records in 2010 where he released his debut album
Photo courtesy of The Associated Press
for the label, “Rolling Papers,” in March of 2010. His stage presence has been described as fairly effortless, becoming so loose on stage he’s almost like a cartoon come to life. He is known for hyping up the crowd with his personality, confidence, carefree attitude and entertaining dance moves. FEST 2011 can also look forward to the many underground mixes that the rapper is known for always performing. Junior Billy Mikesell says that he was not familiar with Wiz Khalifa a few months ago, but is
excited that he will be performing at FEST. “I just recently started listening to [Wiz Khalifa’s] music,” said Mikesell. “He’s pretty cool so I’m looking forward to what he’s going to bring on stage.” There is no doubt that this year’s performers will make FEST 2011 one to remember. Tickets go on sale May 16 in the Lincoln Park Student Center Atrium and the Loop Gallery (11th floor). Tickets are $10 each and if you want to purchase rain insurance it is $1 more. There is a limit of 2 tickets per DePaul ID.
Alum lands Laugh Factory in Lakeview By SARAH RENS After a year of rumors, it’s official. Los Angeles’ world-renowned comedy club, the Laugh Factory, will open its first satellite venue right here in Chicago. The Laugh Factory has featured Jim Carrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Phyliss Diller, Kathy Griffin, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler, Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Stewart, and Robin Williams among many other prominent comedians. To make the news even more exciting, the individual responsible for this expansion is a DePaul alum. After graduating from DePaul with a double major in political science and English, Emily Meador decided to pursue her love of comedy. She left her hometown of Chicago and headed to Los Angeles, the city she acknowledges along with New York City as the “comedy capital of the country.” In Los Angeles, Meador began working for The Laugh Factory and currently serves as the club’s vice president of business development.
When Laugh Factory founder Jamie Masada consulted with Meador about opening a new location, she noted “there was no doubt in my mind, it had to be Chicago.” While Chicago is not as prominent a comedy scene as Los Angeles or New York, Meador believes there is a demand for stand up in Chicago that the Laugh Factory can fill. A year has passed, and now, largely due to Meador’s effort, the Laugh Factory will be opening in the historic Lakeshore Theater. Meador explained, “Over 5 million dollars have gone into renovating the theater. […] While the outer facade remains, the theater has been transformed into a club with traditional tables and chairs, a mezzanine level, VIP areas.” In Los Angeles, the Laugh Factory established the Laugh Bowl, a comedy competition in which rival schools, the University of Southern California and the University of California Los Angeles face off to compete for the coveted Laugh Bowl trophy amongst other incredible prizes. When asked about the potential for a Laugh Bowl between Chicago
universities, Meador commented “that it is certainly a priority, as the good natured competition between all of the Chicago schools would make for an excellent event.” Meador also noted other opportunities for DePaul students at the Laugh Factory as well as the Laugh Bowl. While the Laugh Factory does showcase traveling acts, it places a large emphasis on local talent though its weekly Open Mic Nights. Meador emphasized that “the Laugh Factory is there to give a stage to all those who have dreams in comedy.” She encouraged DePaul students to take advantage of the Laugh Factory’s “open door policy” in the years to come. For those DePaul students who find themselves enjoying comedy rather than participating in it, the Laugh Factory will offer student tickets on a weekly basis for ten dollars. As the Laugh Factory will be located just two blocks from the Belmont red line stop, it will certainly serve as a great outlet for DePaul comedy lovers and performers in the years to come.
Arts & Life May 16, 2011 The DePaulia 17
The battle of the sexes hits the web By ALLISON PRESTON Chad Maghielse and wife Shannon have found a way to get even with one another, raking in some outside success in the process. The two recently launched the joint websites myboyfriendiscrazy.com and mygirlfriendiscrazy.com where users can post hilariously horrible stories about their significant other or vent about exes. Visitors to the site are also able to challenge stories and vote for the “craziest” ones, making it a classic battle of the sexes competition with a new 21st century spin by using social media such as Facebook and Twitter. “I bought the domain name mygirlfriendiscrazy.com when we were first dating as a joke, and then Shannon bought the domain name myboyfriendiscrazy.com to get back at me,” explained Chad. Little did they know their harmless prank would become a web sensation. The website continues to gain popularity since their launch at Central Michigan University on April Fool’s Day this year. The two have since been traveling to colleges in Michigan and Florida promoting the website making appearances at local venues to spread the word. “The college tour has been a lot of fun,” said Chad. “We put all our work into the website and
Photo courtesy of Chad Maghielse
Chad, left, and Shannon Maghielse are the founders of two new web sites. hope that it gets more popular, so we travel to colleges and hand out candy, bracelets and sell T-shirts. We also have competitions at local college bars for who has the best stories, letting the audience vote and awarding the winner at the end of the night.” The two still post about one another but assure it’s all in good fun. They encourage couples they meet on the tour to post about each other, but they can’t resist a good breakup story. Both enjoy choosing what
postings will make it on the website and have some personal favorites of their own. One of Shannon’s favorite stories comes from a guy about his girlfriend: “I accidentally elbowed her in the head. She said, 'Ouch, that hurt! Kiss it and make it better,' so I did. She replied 'It still hurts…it needs money and chocolate.'” However, Chad sides with the girls after reading a post from a user about her boyfriend. “He got me the book ‘Oral
Empires strike back By EDUARDO SAYAGO You may not know the band Empires, but that may very well soon change. The Chicago band, which consists of Tom Conrad (rhythm guitar), Ryan J. Luciani (drums), Max Steger (lead guitar), and San Van Vleet (vocals) are vying for the cover of Rolling Stone thanks to a competition, “Do You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star?” held by the magazine, where the fans choose which band will shine on the cover of RS. If successful, they will be the first unsigned band to grace the cover as well as receive a recording contract from Atlantic Records. “Morale is very high [among the band members],” said Tom Conrad during a phone interview with the DePaulia. “We have gained a lot of exposure since we entered the contest.” Last month, the number of contestants went from 16 acts to four, with Empires being one of them. Empires performed in front of a panel, which included musician Patrick Stump and members from Atlantic Records and Rolling Stone. “[There was] lots of energy, lots of intensity, I thought it was awesome,” announced RS senior editor Toure after the performance for the panelists. “We try to be ourselves during the performance,” Conrad said. Hopefully that will allow them to enter into the top two. The winner of the contest will be announced on August 1st. Before the contest that placed them into the spotlight, Empires was rocking out in the Chicagoland area. After forming together, they released their debut album, “Howl”, in 2008. The album racked up 70,000 downloads from the band’s site, weareempires. com. The style on the album is highenergy pop-punk. When the band began recording “Bang” last year, they
decided to change the sound. “‘Howl’ was more of a crafted studio piece,” said Conrad. “When we began working on ‘Bang,’ we wanted it to be more fleshed out, more of a live performance feel.” After three months of recording and writing, “Bang” was ready to be unleashed into the world. The album has a raw, intense sound that sounds familiar yet sounds original. Van Vleet’s vocals are full of depth and passion, almost as if he is living through the actions of the song every time he performs. It’s exciting listening to each track, especially “Damn Things Over,” “Bang,” and “Hello Lover.” Conrad has taken the Rolling Stone competition with a grain of salt. “It’s a crazy contest,” he said. “We haven’t thought much about it.” Empires prefer to continue to practice and perform just as they have been doing for many years now. But they still would like their music to reach new audiences. “Any artist who says they don’t want their work to be seen (or heard), they’re lying,” said Conrad. On May 21, Empires is set to perform at Beat Kitchen in Chicago. While Beat Kitchen is a great place for a concert, this location is a significant part of the band’s history. This was the first venue where they performed in front of a large audience. Many people went to check them out after hearing buzz from friends who had seen them perform in either basements, houses, or during practice. While we may not know yet if Empires will be on the cover of Rolling Stone, we do know that they are welldeserving of their newfound exposure and subsequent success. Tickets for their show at Beat Kitchen are available for $10 at www. beatkitchen.com.
Sex for Dummies’ and a box of chocolates, then said, ‘happy anniversary honey.’” Although every day is a new battle of the sexes to attempt to determine which gender is crazier, the girls have been on a winning streak dishing out embarrassing stories about their boyfriends. Ladies, looks like your boyfriends really may be the crazy ones. In light of the website’s success, Chad has begun creating more websites, ones with the same
concept of reader participation, but with a less spiteful edge. Chad’s latest project was inspired by his students from an inner city school in Houston, titled Inner City 8th Graders telling stories of the students’ experiences. This project will make its online debut soon. To read and share some hilarious stories, visit the web sites and like them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter @MyGFBFisCrazy. Happy posting!
"Unspeakable" continued from cover alone), and something to be avoided (producing feelings of ambivalence toward health and longevity in gay youth). [...] This project presented an opportunity to bring different age groups together, to share experiences and dialogue understandings of age and future through creative writing and small group discussion.” Sometimes funny, sometimes uplifting, sometimes frustratingly complicated and all too often depressing, the project began over a year ago through a creative writing group for the SAGE Program at the Center on Halsted organized by Goltz. The resulting script was a collection of “perspectives, stories, histories and hopes” from a group of gay men with an age range exceeding 50 years. This mix of voices and ideas offered an original take on the gay male experience for a crowd comprised of myriad backgrounds. “I think there was a lot of pride and validation from some of the older members of the audience, as well as some challenged perceptions from some of the younger. However, many folks in the audience who do not identify as gay were also moved and expressed the universal dimensions of the piece,” Goltz said. “I think themes of age, future, loss, and fear do translate for everyone, and while I am committed to the ways this works in and through specifically gay cultures, there is something very rewarding in seeing all the ways audiences can engage and take meanings with them.” The performance was split into eight sections, including segments digging into the complications with the “It Gets Better” campaign, the predatory, sinister stereotype of aging gay men, the value gay culture places on youth and beauty and gay mentorship for fulfilling, honest futures. “The Unspeakable” was void of one resounding
“
The piece is a discussion, to broaden and extend perspectives, but it never attempts to solidify or designate fixed truths. Dustin Goltz, Ph. D. professor of performing arts
”
bottom line as well as concrete answers. Instead of absolute conclusions, the performance presented the audience with new questions. “The piece is a discussion, to broaden and extend perspectives, but it never attempts to solidify or designate fixed truths,” said Goltz. “I would also say that on a symbolic level, there is joy and hope in the core design of the project, by witnessing positive, frank and respectful dialogues. […] There is not one statement, except for that the understanding that there is not one gay future.” As the performance solidified, the conversation of the gay male future is not over, even though “The Unspeakable” is in the past and DePaul's fourth annual LGBTQA Month is coming to a close. The discussion will hopefully continue to thrive in thoughtful reflection and examination through the audience and its peers, and perhaps, again through the stage. “This phase is completed, but the larger project will likely extend. I plan to return to the SAGE program again and develop another project,” Goltz said. “In addition, I am interested in doing follow-up interviews with the participants to hear their thoughts and impressions of how the project affected them, or maybe even, continues to affect them.”
18 The DePaulia May 16, 2011
“Kiss” staged but magic real The world premiere of “Stage Kiss” is better than the movies By EDUARDO SAYAGO Plays about the theatre are complicated to watch. It’s like watching a movie about movies, like Francois Truffant’s “Day for Night” (1973) or watching a TV show about TV, like “The Larry Sanders Show” or “30 Rock.” It’s tough to determine what is real and what is for show. “Stage Kiss,” Sarah Ruhl’s newest play, which made its world premiere last week at Goodman Theatre and is directed by Jessica Thebus, blurs reality and fiction. This romantic comedy has a bit of drama, physical comedy, two auditions for two very lousy plays, four actors juggling multiple roles and personas, plenty of monologues about theatre, sex, movies vs. theatre, happiness, marriage, life, and soul-mates, period costumes, fights, and a couple of show tunes for irony. All you need is a Greek chorus and robots in order for this play to have it all. Somehow all the action and contrasting genres and ideas seem to work for “Stage Kiss.” The character ‘She’ (Jenny Bacon) is returning to the theatre after many years away to raise a family. ‘He’ (Mark L. Montgomery) used to be her former lover. They cross paths for the first time in twenty years when they are cast as the star-crossed lovers in a lousy melodrama that originally flopped in the 1930’s. After an awkward re-introduction shortly before rehearsals, they practice their scenes which include a passionate kiss between the play-within-the-play’s characters. That kiss brings back memories of their relationship, a time before they began to compromise their hopes and dreams. ‘She’ confesses that she can’t wait until she leaves her home with her husband and daughter to go to rehearsals and perform on stage, saying that she feels alive when she is someone else. ‘He’ has a girlfriend, a plain and perky schoolteacher named Laurie (Erica Elam). ‘He’ and ‘She’ have fallen in love again and that causes problems for all involved. “Stage Kiss” allows the audience to see what goes on behind the scenes when the members of the theatre are preparing for a show. One of my favorite scenes is in the second act when ‘She’ and ‘He’ are doing a “fight flight”, in which they practice a fight which turns into a sexual encounter. In the first “fight,” they are counting and clapping in order to make sure they are in tune with each other. In the second “fight” they are in the middle of an argument while practicing shortly before the play begins. The dialogue is entertaining and occasionally takes jabs at the play. “Why do you sound like you’re from a 1930's drama?” asks Harrison (Scott Jaeck), the husband of ‘She’, to ‘He’. I enjoyed the performances from the actors with multiple roles, especially Elam as Millicent, the maid in the melodrama and Laurie, who enjoys making lunch for others and smoking pot in the bathroom when she’s stressed. Another MVP is Jeffrey Carlson, who was a pimp in the second act’s play-within-a-play, a butler and other roles in the first act’s play, and an understudy who is “nervous and also not straight” yet is dry-humping ‘She’ during rehearsal kisses. “It looks like he’s going to eat me,” says ‘She’ when he zooms into her face. I never thought watching two people attempt to kiss like they were in love could be both hilarious and uncomfortable at the same time. Ruhl, who has also written “The Clean House” and “In the Next Room” (or the “Vibrator Play”), the latter earning her a Tony nomination for Best Play, was inspired to write “Stage Kiss” after witnessing plenty of rehearsal kisses. In one scene, ‘He’ and ‘She’ discuss why people are comfortable watching people engage in sex in the movies yet are not comfortable with people kissing on the stage. Long story short, a play is a collective experience where a movie is a singular experience. It’s easier to enjoy (or tolerate) a love scene in a movie because you have the option of watching that movie in the privacy of your own
Rehearsing an intimate kissing scene with an understudy (Jeffrey Carlson) leaves a bad taste in SHE's (Jenny Bacon) mouth.
Photos by Liz Lauren
Top: 'He' (Mark L. Montgomery) and 'She' (Jenny Bacon) perform as Johnny Lowell and Ada Wilcox in One Last Kiss—the play-within-the-play. Above: 'He,' Laurie (Erica Elam), 'She' and Harrison (Scott Jaeck) dance with one another to the tune of “Some Enchanted Evening.” Left: Rehearsing an intimate kissing scene with an understudy (Jeffrey Carlson) leaves a bad taste in 'She's' mouth.
home. You can’t watch a play in your living room or on your iPod. Goodman Theatre is mighty expensive, but there are student rush tickets available for ten dollars. You can
either go to their website, www.goodmantheatre.org, or visit their box-office for same-day tickets. Often times they are the nosebleed seats, but a friend of mine once said that those seats at the very top or on the sides at a play are better than not seeing the play at all. This play is actually cheaper than a movie ticket and I doubt “Something Borrowed” or “Thor” is going to provide a ton of laughs and energy. “Stage Kiss” runs at the Goodman Theatre’s Albert Theatre now through Sunday, June 5.
Arts & Life May 16, 2011 The DePaulia 19
Sophomore DMaC singer releases record By MARY FERRILL Sophmore DMaC member Blake Cardenas recently released his debut album “Born Ready” on March 22. Cardenas came to DePaul from Indiana and has been pursuing music throughout his life, performing around the Indianapolis area and Chicago. “After taking lessons for many years, last year I decided that I wanted to take my music career to the next level by recording my own album,” Cardenas said. Recording songs here in Chicago at Studio Chicago and in Los Angeles with producer Preston Glass, Cardenas was able to record and release eleven tracks. The album as a whole has a Latin-pop vibe that can be attributed to Cardenas roots, providing listeners with an uplifting sound. “The album offers many diverse genres of music,” said Cardenas. “There are a couple of Latin inspired songs on the album that bring out my Latin side, slow jams that reflect a sexy, serious side and songs with a fast beat that are fun to dance to.” Blake has many musical inspirations that influenced his album including Marvin
Photo courtesy of Blake Cardenas
Sophomore DMaC member Blake Cardenas released his debut album March 22. Gaye, John Legend and Ne-Yo. The album has a mixture of many different styles of music placing it in a genre all its own. Songs such as “Hasta Manana” and “The
Wow Factor” have the essence of Latin roots, combined with a pop-like R&B sound. The variation in style of music
demonstrates Blake’s ability, his versatility and willingness to combine different components that make a sound unique to his own personality. Many songs on the album are about relationships and love that were shaped around Blake’s persona. “Before starting the album process, the producer interviewed me and wrote songs that reflected who I am and based on my personal experiences,” Cardenas said. Each song has its own individuality that tells a story, or has a common theme that runs throughout the song. Collectively these songs form an album that encompasses many areas of love and life and the triumphs and struggles that come with. Although Cardenas has not performed in support of his album yet, he hopes to organize some shows in the near future. “I most definitely plan on playing shows in the future. I am actually working on setting up CD release parties here in Chicago and in Indianapolis. I don’t have the details yet, however follow me on Twitter and I will post updates.”
Laura Stevenson & the Cans keep trendy stay heartwarming By DAVE SATTERWHITE
Photo courtesy of Big Hassle
Manchester Orchestra played a sold out show at the Metro on May 4.
Manchester Orchestra brings southern charm to Metro By MACKENZIE MAUS vocals and Chris Freeman Atlanta based indiealternative five-some Manchester Orchestra journeyed to the Windy City Wednesday night, May 4, where they tore up the stage at Chicago’s hip venue, the Metro. No surprise to their fans. Manchester’s entire crowd was eager to hear the group’s album, “Simple Math,” that would to be released just six days later. The show could be described as nothing less than rousing. The all-ages sold out concert brought ongoing chants and screaming fans belting out every lyric singing along with Manchester’s singer/songwriter Andy Hull. Hull, along with Jonathan Corley on bass, Robert McDowell on guitar and
on keyboards, vocals and additional percussion all make up the bluesy Southern rock quintet. Beginning with their haunting opener, “Virgin,” a fresh song off the band’s new record, Hull has an innate ability to immerse into the pain, demise and optimism that depression brings. Shortly there after, moods were lifted where they went straight into their feverish mainstream success single “Shake It Out” where the crowd went absolutely wild and mosh pits became nothing out of the ordinary. There were some uncomfortable and cumbersome moments though. The audience, in a sense, bordered rudeness at times during the band’s more down-tempo songs, which led singer Hull to become a little more than
vexed. Toned-down moments were clearly not meant to be, seeing that one man on the balcony continued to screech this request during every silent moment, “Where Have You Been!” Hull even went so far to stop in the middle of the track to make clear to everyone on the upper deck to “Shut your god damn mouths and then maybe I’ll play the song.” Harsh? Not quite, despite the bitter language, the rest of the crowd went along with it and began clapping rapidly. He also went on to joke with the spectators about the Blackhawks where he received the middle finger from just about everyone in the audience, jokingly. Regardless of the halted songs and distractions, the crowd seemed more
than satisfied with the exceptionally talented musical group as they closed their ninety-minute set with the forthcoming title track, “Simple Math.” Manchester then took the stage for the final time to encore with hit single, “I’ve Got Friends” to then melt into the gloomy, heart-rending “Where Have You Been.” It seems that with the more mainstream success Manchester Orchestra receives, it may be difficult at first for them to truly understand its “new-found popularity.” Nevertheless, the band will continue to brainwash people around the world with their majestic highs and soft lows seeing as the audience held complacent and fulfilled emotions on their faces throughout the entire performance.
She is a few songs into her set, but I don’t care. Despite my love for all her records, I am far more concerned with her voice than with hearing her whole catalogue. Laura Stevenson is that rare indie frontwoman with the two essential characteristics of a great singer/ songwriter. She hits an impressive range of notes while coating her melodies with a trendy, yet charming kind of affectation—a brand of swagger that almost suggests the listener abandon all suspicions of honesty. On record, Stevenson often sings like she’s losing her cool. On stage, she still sounds it, but her body maintains a confident poise that would almost suggest otherwise. The entire band watches her eyes, opening and shutting like tollgates as the songs take more interest in themselves—speeding and slowing, softer and louder. When most of the band abandons Laura, she commands the stage as though it were her own all along. The audience is clearly anticipating the arrival of the more engaging Fake Problems, with only a few couples swaying to these softer tunes. Those who keep their ears open can catch the intentionality of Stevenson’s songwriting. While she is an excellent lead singer and bandleader, the heart of her work stems from an anxious woman and her guitar. This formula works, and she is the proof. When the rest of her band rejoins Laura Stevenson onstage, she is visibly both content with her set and eager for the next round. She thanks her fellow openers, recognizing good company while acknowledging her own relative rookie status in the game, and she closes with a self-proclaimed “saddy.” “I See Dark” is a tune that sums up Stevenson’s aesthetic in a way that few artists get to achieve. There is something precious about her voice, a qualifier that would usually send a discerning listener running. But in this song’s case, that sweetness is coupled with a world-weary cynicism—a melancholy minor shift that’s almost enough to make one question the sincerity of her happier songs. With the aid of her bearded accordionist, Laura leads her band through that somber closer with meditative concentration. As her drummer produces a pair of mallets and her fellow guitarists move in for the crescendo, she remains poised, earnest and ultimately unsatisfied. Stevenson is pleased, but not yet done in Chicago, and the veteran punk rocker seems more than happy with that while leaving the stage.
20 The DePaulia May 16, 2011
Origins students come to DePaul for presentations By EDUARDO SAYAGO Last week, Emmy Award-winning journalist and DePaul alum Tsi Tsi Ki Felix and PR whiz Omar Barragan spoke with students from DePaul and Universidad Pan Americana. The students in attendance were part of Origins, a program from the College of Communication. Over spring break, nine students from DePaul went to Mexico City where they took courses at Pan Americana (DePaul’s sister school) and tons of pictures, some of which will be in exhibit this fall. Photographs from last year’s program are currently hanging in the hallways at the Daley Building in the Loop campus. Last week, ten students from Mexico City did the same thing. Felix, the news anchor for Telemundo Chicago’s 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts, participated in a discussion and luncheon with the students at the DePaul Club in the Loop campus. She was excited about meeting the students, introducing herself to each one individually beforehand. A native of Michoacán, Mexico, Felix immigrated to the United States at age fifteen. “I was working at a factory when I decided to audition at the local radio station,” she said. “I was only fifteen at the time and I was working part-time (as an announcer for commercials) at a radio station.” By senior year of high school, she had moved on to Radio Viva in Phoenix. In 2001, Felix joined Telemundo. Over the course of six years she worked as a field reporter, weather anchor, and was a producer and host of a morning show that drew high ratings. In January 2007, Felix
became the lead anchor for the channel’s 5 p.m. newscast. By November that same year, she won the Emmy for Outstanding Achievement by a News Anchor. Felix was refreshingly candid during the discussion, which was a grand relief, considering how a majority of TV pundits and on-air personalities seem to be nothing more than hot air and full of bull. She believes that news should cover all aspects of the world and does not appreciate the negative press that Mexico receives. She said that Telemundo tries to find stories that do not exclusively deal with violence or other negative connotations. She also spoke about her opinion on the immigration debate in this country, which is something near and dear to her, since she is an immigrant herself. One important piece of advice Felix gave to students was to be persistent, a task that is difficult for anyone in the communications and media fields. “Every two to three weeks, I would wait in the lobby at Telemundo,” Felix told students. “I would wait for someone to see me and offer me a job with the network. I did this for three years. Finally someone who knew me from the lobby waiting offered me an interview and a job as a reporter.” She shared with them another tip: to follow a guideline of personal and professional ethics when working in media. “It is very important to follow ethics and rules that you can live by.” After the luncheon, the students attended a lecture held by Barragan, who is the founder of BAO, a diversity-marketing agency that reaches consumers in both English and Spanish. Barragan, a native
Photo by Eduardo Sayago
Above: Omar Barragan gives a presentation about his marketing agency BAO to Origins students. of Guadalajara, Mexico, originally wanted to become a news anchor or work in front of the camera. “But the market for it is too small,” he said. “There are only about five markets where you could have success and not enough jobs are in each market.” Barragan was working as part of a street team handing out free samples (similar to those folks you see on campus giving away Red Bulls) when he got the idea for BAO. “I saw a deficiency in this market. I noticed that there were (Spanish-speaking) people who did not speak English and we had people who did not speak Spanish trying to get them to take the samples.” BAO has been successful at diminishing that deficiency. His biggest client is the Spanish-language free daily newspaper HOY, which is owned by the Tribune
Company. Recently, Barragan has returned to his aspirations of being in front of the camera. He has appeared in TV commercials for Luna Carpets and has hosted a TV series called “CTA Connections”, which is available on Comcast CN100 as well as online. Barragan and Felix strongly encouraged the students to embrace their bilingualism as well as their cultural backgrounds. Both of them arrived in the United States with not much more than their families and managed to succeed beyond their expectations. Felix was glad that the students had the opportunity to visit DePaul as well as see Chicago from a different prospective that few have the chance to experience.
22 The DePaulia May 16, 2011
Sundance ShortLab workshop brings out big-time directors By RAFAL NOWAK and LUKE POCIASK If you have any slight interest in independent filmmaking, then there’s a good chance you’re familiar with the Sundance Film Festival held in Utah every January. What might have slipped under your radar was the Sundance Institute’s new program that highlights aspects on short filmmaking called ShortsLab. Originally started in Los Angeles in 2010, ShortsLab has expanded it’s short film workshop to Chicago and New York this year to give a small slice of the rest of the country a taste of what this program has to offer. ShortsLab featured four different panels that covered various aspects in the short film making process, each populated by diverse figures in the industry that gave their own insights on how one can make their short film successful in such a saturated market. ShortsLab found their home at Columbia College May 7 and was greeted by a more or less full house when the program started. After a brief introduction of what the program would cover, we were introduced to Jared Hess, director of “Napoleon Dynamite,” and Aaron Schneider, director of “Get Low,” for the first panel covering the story aspect of a short film. ShortsLab could not have picked a better pair to discuss their distinct and extremely contrasting success
stories that spawned from their original short films. Before “Napoleon Dynamite,” Jared Hess created a short film during college that briefly sketched out a day in Napoleon Dynamite’s life (back then his name was Seth) for less than $500 and a weekend to film. This goofy black and white comedy was admittedly put together last minute with very little resources (they used a gas station clerk to be an actor on the spot) but caught the attention of many, launching Jared Hess to the production of the full length “Napoleon Dynamite” the next year. Aaron Schneider, on the other hand, was already in the movie industry as a cinematographer and decided to put his life savings into a short film entitled “Two Soldiers.” “Two Soldiers” is based on a William Faulkner short story that tells the tale of a young man who leaves his brother back on their farm to fight in World War II. The two shared their experiences in what is possible when making a short film and were met with a Q&A with the audiences. The differences in these two success stories should give short filmmakers the idea that if your film is a touching drama or a comedy starring a dingus with a fanny pack, you’ll only make it to their level if you’re original. The next panel touched on the production side of the film making process. The most
Photo by Timothy Hiatt, courtesy of WireImages
Aaron Schneider, left, and Jared Hess at the Sundance Institute's ShortLab workshop. notable speaker was Yancey Strickler, the co-founder of up-and-coming yet already wildly popular community funding website, Kickstarter. Kickstarter is a community-funding platform that allows artists to raise money toward a certain goal for a project that they’re working on. Internet dwellers have the option to pledge a certain amount towards the project. The catch is that the artist will only receive the donations if the funding goal is reached. This all-or-nothing funding program
can deliver some serious payout if your presentation is attention grabbing, and is a serious option for short film makers, as well as any type of artist, that is held back from achieving their dream project due to lack of funds. The rest of the event covered the different distribution and funding methods for one’s short film and local film festivals in Chicago that could help your short film gain some notable attention throughout the industry. Those who attended this event
got a firsthand look at how they can push their film to be the masterpiece that they’ve been hoping for. While the advice that this even gave was invaluable to those who attended Sundance ShortLabs first hand, do not feel left out of the loop if you passed on this program. What it boils down to is one’s intuition and originality while crafting their short film. If you don’t have either of those attributes, then all the advice in the world is pretty much moot.
Arts & Life May 16, 2011 The DePaulia 23
“Tragedy: A Tragedy”: anything but tragic By COLLEEN CONNOLLY Absolutely nothing happened in “Tragedy: A Tragedy.” But that’s the point. Taking place at the Red Tape Theatre, it should be no surprise that the structure of Will Eno’s play is unique, to say the least. The theater, located inside St. Peter’s Episcopal Church on the corner of Belmont and Broadway, specializes in showing “new and experimental” plays. “Tragedy” proved to be no exception to the criteria. There is no change in the setting, no intermission, no scenes, no costume changes, and no action. Rather, the whole thing almost seems to be a very long beginning. After the first twenty minutes, you begin to realize that your anticipation for the high point will not be satisfied. Despite the lack of spectacle, “Tragedy” is not a flop. The message of the play would not be so clear if the structure followed textbook guidelines.The play opens (and closes) with three TV reporters for News WRTT in the field, while the Walter Cronkite-esque anchor coordinates all of the updates from his desk in the newsroom. The seemingly dumbest reporter, John (played by Steve O’Connell), speaks first. “It’s the worst world in the world here tonight,” he says with exaggerated seriousness. In spite of his tone (or perhaps because of his tone), the audience laughs. And that is not the last time they will laugh at the countless comedic one-liners. As hinted in the title, there are redundancies and contradictions galore in “Tragedy: A Tragedy.” Another one that merited chuckles from the audience came from the clean-cut, white-haired anchor, Frank (played brilliantly by Larry Garner). “We are staying on the top of things trying to get to the bottom of things,” he says as he leans forward on his desk and stares dramatically into the would-be camera. For all 75 minutes of the play, the three reporters and Frank attempt to describe and explain the breaking news. Night has
Michael, left, (Mike Tepeli) and Frank (Larry Garner) attempt to keep things calm. fallen (as usual, they point out), and they do not know if the darkness will ever lift. John talks to a witness who has nothing to say and tells the sad story about the pet dog from his childhood who had to be put to sleep after contracting heartworm. Michael (played by Mike Tepeli), the political reporter, informs viewers that there are no updates on the situation. Constance (played by Paige Sawin), the only female, frantically wonders aloud why there is nobody in the dark house behind her and later observes a horse gallop by the house. Frank tries to make sense of it all while trying to get more information from his reporters. As the night goes on and all of them
become engulfed in silence with nothing to report, the darkness becomes a metaphor for the breaking news they discover in themselves. John seems to be having a heart attack and claims to have heartworm (somehow contracted from his dog). In reality, he is stricken with the newfound realization that his life is empty. Just like the news story, there is no substance. Michael begins to impersonate different stereotypes while reporting his news (or lack of news) before slumping against a wall and lamenting the fact that he has no one to love. Constance tries to comfort everyone else but is soon overcome by guilt (she threw a rock at the horse that passed by the house
Photo by James Palmer
earlier). Frank still tries to keep everything together, but he completely loses himself when the reporters stop responding to requests for updates and help. Although the audience will laugh throughout the play, they will leave with a deeper message about the superficiality of their own lives, perhaps the plight of modern society. Michael summarizes the message best when he reads from a letter from the governor that states that he did some soul-searching and found nothing. “Tragedy: A Tragedy” is playing at the Red Tape Theatre on Thursdays through Sundays between May 9 and June 4. Student tickets are $15 (regular tickets are $25).
24 The DePaulia May 16, 2011
The time is now Trending: menswear watches for spring and summer style By DEBRA LIPSON What time is it? Time for you to get a chunky, menswear-inspired watch. The snow has melted, temperatures are rising above 60 degrees and Chicagoans are returning to their beloved outdoor restaurant patios. If it is any indication, spring is finally here with summer fast approaching. Style-savvy students are switching out their bulky layers for warm weather approved wardrobes and this change also affects accessories. As we prepare to show more skin in the coming months, girls are taking tips from the boys with a resurgence of chunky, menswearinspired watches. Whether it is sci-fi neon green Nixon as seen in the pages of Glamour’s June issue or a sophisticated, python banded platinum timepiece debut from Balenciaga in May’s pages of Allure, it is increasingly popular to have the time, and flaunt it. Specifically, menswear-inspired watches are everywhere this spring and summer, with collections featuring larger than life faces from designers Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan and everyone’s favorite outspoken Project Runway judge, Michael Kors. ChicagoStreetStyle.com blogger Amy Creyer has seen the timepiece trend popping up on the trendy wrists of Windy City citizens. “I’ve noticed Chicagoans wearing bigger, menswear style watches,” she says. “Dainty watches seem dated nowadays and stylish women are favoring chunky, metal, menswear-style watches. Michael Kors was one of the main driving forces behind this trend.” Students are also taking timepieces for a spin. University of Oklahoma junior Ana Valentine wears her watch as a fashion accessory with good reason. “I think that a watch is a simple statement piece that
Photo by Amy Creyer
Above: ChicagoStreetStyle. com fashion blogger Amy Creyer shows off a gold menswear watch. Right: Amy Creyer integrates the menswear watch trend into her new, seasonal wardobe. can add an extra touch to any outfit and a classic watch will never go out of style,” she adds. “When I buy a watch, I try to look for something with a more classic look as opposed to trendiness. I found the best of both worlds in the Michael Kors watch collection.” Chunky, menswear watches offer a bold look without being in-yourface. The pieces also remain fashionable over time without looking dated and are appropriate in both professional and social settings. “I really love women’s watches that are
modeled after men’s watches,” says junior Caitlin Boshardy. “I have one and I feel it makes girls appear more feminine. I think they are professional and bold, definitely a summer must-have.” The magic of menswear watches is in the juxtaposition of a more masculine accessory on a smaller, feminine wrist. The look is not only borrowing from the boys, but is also a nod to American sportswear and heirlooms. “Watches are special because they are ever present,” adds Ms. Creyer. “Unlike a pair of shoes
Donald Glover, Chicago-bound By DARLA WEAVER Focus Editor Actor. Writer. Comedian. Rapper… Donald Glover is well on his way to taking the title of “having the most jobs in Hollywood” from James Franco. Glover currently is on NBC’s show “Community,” as Troy Barnes, half of the adorable nerd duo of the study group. Before “Community,” Glover landed a job as a writer for fellow NBC show “30 Rock” after he graduated from New York University. Since then, Glover has been doing stand-up comedy shows around the country, as well as releasing EP’s of his music on the internet, under his rap persona—“Childish Gambino”— which he credits to an online Wu-Tang Clan name generator. Glover has taken his comedy and music act on the road as the IAMDONALD TOUR, which will be coming to Chicago on Wednesday, May 18th. At the IAMDONALD Preview show in San Francisco back in Dec., Glover split his set into half stand-up comedy and half rap show. Expect a Hannah Montana “best of both worlds” effect
in the middle of the show as Glover goes from “Donald” to “Childish Gambino,” but better (obviously). Glover’s press agent, John Goschin, said that the same thing could be expected of the upcoming IAMDONALD shows, except with new music and interactive videos. Although tickets for Glover’s Chicago show are sold out, there might be a chance that Glover himself will release tickets to his upcoming show. During a recent sold out show in Austin, Texas, Glover sent his fans on a scavenger hunt for tickets via Twitter. He also did a contest on Twitter for his sold out Seattle show where he tweeted: “The first person to tweet me a pic of 'GAMBINO' shaved in their head gets four tickets to tonight’s show, backstage passes and a hoodie.” If you have tickets to the sold out show, you are in for one of the best Wednesday nights you will ever have in your lifetime. If you don’t have tickets, keep your eyes glued to your Twitter timelines and keep your fingers crossed. IAMDONALD TOUR May 18, 8:30pm at Park West, 322 W. Armitage SOLD OUT
Photo by Amy Creyer
or a shirt, which change from day to day, a watch moves forward with you in time. Most people wear the same watch every day and become attached to it.” With the pervasiveness of cell phones and laptops, it is rare to check the time on something other than a digital screen. Take a trip back in technology and opt for a menswear-style watch this season. Transform the task of asking for the time into a glamorous gaze at your wrist fit for the everyday sophisticate.
Sports
Sports. May 16, 2011. The DePaulia 25
“Nedow” continued from back cover pion in shot put recently came off an unexpectedly disappointing performance at the Big East Championship on May 6 in Philadelphia, Pa. “I know I did bad at Big East, like I did throw well, I just didn’t have a good throw that I stayed in and counted,” Nedow said. “But I was throwing well, so I’m not worried. That was really my best meet throwing-wise. I just didn’t get a throw in that was good. I faulted one out of the right sector. One I fouled at the back. I don’t know how. I’ve never had that call before.” But as Nedow prepares for the end of the season, training and readying for his NCAA run isn’t the only thing on his mind. The CDM major must also focus on maintaining grades and finishing his finals, regardless of competition. And while Nedow is trying to focus on school, many of his competitors have nothing but NCAAs on their minds. “That’s the advantage people have now because a lot of schools are done,” Nedow said. “So all they can do now is throw and train for regionals, where I’m still, like I remember last year I was going to nationals and I had two take-home finals at nationals. So like the night before I had a final due at 12 and then I competed the next day and I did garbage… And that’s kind of a bad excuse, but it just kind of would be nice if I just had throwing and lifting.” Nedow began competing in shot put as a freshman at Thousand Islands Secondary School in Ontario, but never really took it seriously. Football and basketball were his main focus, while track was just something he did when he “had nothing else to do.” “I actually was a decathlete until two years ago,” Nedow said. “I was jumper and thrower and then I just kind of exceeded at [shot put]. I kind of exceeded at basket-
ball and football, but they didn’t really give scholarships…I got a full ride [for track] down here.” He first attended Tulsa, but was released to two schools, DePaul and Buffalo after his freshman year. Nedow became a Blue Demon largely because of his friend and fellow Canadian Brad Millar, who competed in hammer throw for DePaul before graduating last year. Nedow’s love for competition and sports comes largely from his family. While his mother played volleyball and basketball in college, his father played hockey, a sport his sister picked up and currently plays at Brown University. His 13-year-old brother is currently into the high jump and recently saw Nedow compete at Big East, the first collegiate competition his father was able to attend. But even Nedow was somewhat clueless at first when it came to shot put. “Obviously I know much better now because I’m really into it, but when I first started I had no idea what I was doing,” Nedow said. “I just kind of picked up the ball and threw it far, like it was a baseball or something.”
“
Olympian is kind of like a dream. It's not a career. -Tim Nedow
”
As the years have passed Nedow has developed and improved his shot put and discus throwing technique. “Now it’s starting to come together,” he said. “Now I’m up to 19m, hopefully hit 20m soon. So I’ve gained a lot in these last two years.” The “South Park” fan also com-
Photo by Dennis Georges
Junior Tim Nedow practices between dicscus throws at the DePaul DI Invite. petes in the discus, though shot put has been his most successful event so far this season. “Shot put’s going better, but I do like discus,” Nedow said. “I’m not doing very well at it right now, but I might be. I’m getting a lot better. It’s just like shot put. It’s coming and hopefully it comes in three weeks at regionals ‘cause it’s like, I haven’t had that nice throw yet like I’ve had in shot put.” As far as training goes, Nedow’s main focus is lifting. “I love lifting,” said Nedow, who gained nearly 60 pounds of muscle—and a little fat according to him—just this year. “Like I wish I could just lift…I’m like addicted to lifting.” While in practice with Assistant Coach Brandon Murer, Nedow works on his throwing by changing the weights from 20 pounds
to 16, which is what he uses in competition. “Everything’s starting to click now, so we’re not going to go back to drills when I kind of have it figured out,” Nedow said. Tweaking things in practice isn’t the only thing that might affect his tournament performance, as simply thinking too much before a throw can also have a negative affect on the outcome. “I kind of just warm up. I try not to think because usually when I think it doesn’t go very well,” Nedow said. “That’s kind of what I did at Big East. I was coming in, everyone was expecting me to win. I was ranked No. 1 and I ended up not winning until my last throw, which I should’ve won by a meter or two, but I just sucked. I was thinking too much. Like, ‘Oh I’m going to throw really far’ and it went nowhere. I
barely won.” While Nedow is currently aiming for an improved discuss throw of 58m, a realistic goal that would allow him to compete in nationals, the long-term hope is to play football in Canada or compete in the Olympics in shot put. “Like 2012, I’m pretty close. I threw 19.18m this year,” Nedow said. “There’s a B standard and an A standard. The B standard is 19.80m and you have to hit that twice. So I kind of hit it this year in practice and warm-ups, but I haven’t done it in a meet yet. But hopefully I can do that next year and go to the Olympics… “It depends on how good I do. If I do really well in shot put I’m going to continue it, but the only problem is you can’t really make a living off of being a shot putter. Olympian is kind of like a dream. It’s not a career.”
Club volleyball surprises with 3rd-place finish By SHAYMUS MCLAUGHLIN Sports Editor This is certainly not where people expected the DePaul men’s club volleyball team to be. The team had placed 36th— dead last—in each of the previous three seasons. They had not had a coach since 2006-07. And only about 10 people were showing up to tryouts. This year, they reversed that trend. Dramatically. They placed third in the National Collegiate Club Volleyball Championships in Division I-AA—the best finish ever for DePaul club volleyball. So how did they get there after three straight dismal seasons? According to first-year Head Coach Michael Putziger, the first good sign for the season came during tryouts, when about 30 interested players showed up. That allowed Putziger to pick players the team needed, he said, not just take everyone who came out. After it was all said and done, of the 15 players on the roster, five were freshmen and four were sophomores. That meant growing pains were inevitable. Senior Andrew Mancus described the team’s performance throughout the season as
“streaky.” “There were so many times throughout the season where you saw that glimpse,” Putziger said. “If we could come together and get on a run, we could be a pretty good team. But it never quite came together.” But they showed a certain spark in the team’s third tournament of the year, which DePaul hosted, that caught his attention. “Normally the past couple years when we’ve held tournaments at DePaul, we’ve usually invited Loyola, UIC, IIT, University of Chicago,” he said. “We invite teams that we’ve thought, it’s a bit less of a challenge.” This season however, they brought in much stronger competition including Lewis University, who was ranked top-10 in their division, and Northern Illinois, who was No. 9 in the country. They finished third in the tournament, but their performance— especially against the Huskies— gave them a reason to get excited. “At that moment, I realized, we have something here,” Putziger said of the NIU game. “I don’t like saying destiny, but it was looking like, if we can do that to a quality team like Northern, we could play anybody. This was
Photo courtesy of DePaul Men's Club Volleyball.
DePaul, in red, competes at nationals in Houston. definitely something that could go pretty far.” When March rolled around and the team was headed for nationals in Houston, they had to deal with the three straight losing seasons hanging above their heads. “We were confident in ourselves. We knew we had good players, but we also hadn’t provided good results at nationals,” Mancus said. “Were we ready to accept the challenge, take the next step and prove ourselves on a national level? Or were we going to take a step back and revert to DePaul of last year?” That fear was quickly quashed after the team won every match
on their first day. They took out seventh-ranked Syracuse, won against No. 15 Cal-State Fullerton and then beat Baylor. Putziger, who missed that first day because of work, traveled there the second day only to arrive and see a well-oiled machine. “There were so many times throughout the season where you saw that glimpse. If we could come together and get on a run, we could be a pretty good team,” he said. “But it never quite came together. It was always, they work hard, they’ve got hustle, they can win…and when I got down there the second day, it was unbelievable. They were just steamrolling
guys.” They lost only one set during the three first-round matches, and had three players honored after the tournament: Mancus and Pat Cronshaw were named to the second-team all-tournament team, while Nick Baronti was named to the first-team all tournament team. “I think that finally, we were understanding who was getting what ball and what our offense wanted to look like,” senior Grant Osvalds said. “The first game we played the toughest team in our pool and we just came out firing. I think that they learned pretty quick out that it’s way more fun to win at nationals than it is to lose.” DePaul’s run ended in the semifinals however, a three set loss (25-21, 21-25, 15-6) to University of Rhode Island. New Hampshire then beat Rhode Island for the championship title. But with five of the team’s seven starters returning next year, the coach sees a bright future. A future he wants to be a part of for at least a bit longer. “I’m definitely coming back next year,” Putziger said. “I’m really excited to see what we can build on.”
26 The DePaulia. May 16, 2011
“On-campus arena” continued from back cover games have to be approved by the conference office, there is no minimum seat number.” However, if a school plays its games in two venues as DePaul does, “the commissioner does have the ability to decide where a particular conference game is played, if that is necessary.” The lack of a minimum occupant number benefits DePaul’s chances of creating an on-campus arena since it could be any size the school sees fit. Clearly, the Big East has some impressive team arenas. Big East contenders with similar contracts (professional arena partnerships) as DePaul are Villanova and St. John’s. Villanova plays at The Pavilion Arena (6,500) and the Wells Fargo Center (20,000) in Philadelphia for larger crowds. For men’s basketball non-conference home games, St. John’s plays at the Carnesecca Arena, which houses 6,008. Bigger games are played at Madison Square Garden (just shy of 20,000). In comparison, out of the 17 games played at home (including two games at McGrath arena), DePaul’s average home game attendance for men’s basketball was 7,676 and 130,486 for total attendance. Smaller scale on-campus arenas such as University of Cincinnati’s Fifth Third Arena holds 13,176 at a cool $32 million while Georgetown’s 20,173-capacity Verizon Center was $260 million. Larger arena sites holding a 20,000-plus capacity require an equally huge piece of land. Syracuse’s Carrier Dome holds 33,000 and costs the school $28 million. It is the largest domed stadium of any college campus and the largest domed stadium in the northeastern United States. Even if they wanted to, DePaul likely would not be able to build such a large facility since the school’s location makes the prospect of an on-campus arena difficult. The campus and surrounding area is completely land-locked and resides within residential and retail areas. Neighborhood discussions on the A. Finkl & Sons Co. steel site (2011 N. Southport Ave.) and the Lincoln Park Hospital (550 W. Webster Ave.) have arisen as possible arena locations. With newly elected 43rd Ward Alderman Michele Smith’s plans to renew Lincoln Park Hospital, the Finkl site is the more promising of the two, although the idea is met with great opposition. “Finkl Steel Mill would be a challenge because the city and neighborhoods seem committed to keeping manufacturing use in the manufacturing corridor,” said DePaul Executive Vice President of University Officers Bob Kozoman. “It may be amenable to a stadium but it wouldn’t be
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a done deal.” Kozoman also cited neighborhood group opinions and political power as obstacles to getting the Finkl site. During the final 43rd Ward alderman runoff debate on March 31, candidates were asked about the Finkl site and possible DePaul purchase. “I think we should maintain that planned manufacturing system that’s been there for a long time against development which will cause rampant traffic issues,” said Smith. “We really don’t know what is going to become of that site. It’s really early in the process.” While the location of a possible DePaul arena is up in the air, one aspect is certain: the cost for a new basketball arena is no small sum. University of Louisville’s powerhouse Cardinals pack 20,000 guests into the KFC Yum! Arena, which cost the school $238 million. It is the fifth largest college basketball arena in the nation. In order for DePaul to compete with top Big East arenas on its own campus, the school would need to raise a staggering amount of money for a facility and its required components. DePaul Athletic Director Jean Lenti-Ponsetto estimated a new, full-size arena would cost around $200-$250 million. Kozoman agreed on the numbers. “To build a stadium that size is in the $90-$100 million range,” he said. “Parking could easily be another $50 million on top of that. And then to acquire a site with eight plus acres would probably be in the $30-$50 million range.” Sure, several DePaul students may argue their tuition could cover the cost. However, the current campaign for DePaul is the main focus of university expenses. The “Many Dreams, One Mission” campaign for DePaul is supposed to raise $250 million by 2014. According to the alumni.depaul.edu website, these funds would be used to “increase student financial assistance, invest in areas of academic excellence universitywide, help recruit and retain top faculty and develop programs and campus facilities that serve and improve communities and strengthen DePaul’s Vincentian Catholic values.” The campaign plans on allotting $100 million to new scholarships, $10.5 million for endowed scholarships, $1.3 million for sports facilities (Cacciatore Stadium, outdoor track and the golf practice and training facility) and $3.5 million for athletic support programs. There seems to be little to no hope for an arena until after the campaign is complete and funds are freed up. “I think the real time to evaluate how viable an option it is to look at a facility, partQ: How long have you been playing baseball? A: Ever since t-ball. So it’s been at least 15 years…a very, very long time. Q: What has been your most memorable or important moment on the field? A: Probably just our team chemistry. I think that we just work really well together as a team. And we were just thrown together....That’s just kind of amazing to me how we can just be thrown together all at once and all for the love of the game. Q: What’s the most challenging aspect of running a club sport? A: Balancing our schedules is probably the hardest because we all are so busy. And when it comes to indoor practice there’s not a lot of people that can actually make it to those practices because we all have stuff going on in evenings and classes and stuff.
Photo courtesy of DePaul Club Baseball
Finance major Kyle Capone
Junior Kyle Capone, of Brookfield, Ill. plays centerfield for DePaul Club Baseball. Capone, who played at Lyons Township High School, is batting .167 in six at-bats, with three walks. He has zero errors in four games.
Q: Has anything unusual ever happened on the field during a game? A: I dove headfirst into third base and then the third baseman landed on me because he jumped up for the ball and missed it and he came down on me. It was a headfirst slide so he was kind of on my head and my helmet came off.
DePaulia File Photo
The school has a contract with Allstate Arena that runs until 2016. ner with somebody, own a facility or continue the tenant relationship at All-State is when the campus campaign is over,” Ponsetto said. “Once all the new academic buildings and scholarship funds are raised, I think that would be the time.” Technically speaking, DePaul would have to wait longer than 2014 for a prospective arena to be brought to the table. According to Ponsetto, the team has an existing contract with Allstate Arena that is set to expire in 2016. The longstanding tenant relationship between the university and the facility has been in place since 1981. “We have a great relationship with Allstate,” Ponestto said. “They allow us a lot of practice time there.” Some emphasize how well the Allstate model has worked for the school due to the rich DePaul history behind the arena (the legendary Ray Meyer coached there) and argue the adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” However, students are quick to mention the Rosemont location as a deterrent for attending games. “I don’t go to many games because the distance is inconvenient,” said freshman Nick Barbera. “If it was closer, then I would go.” Others applaud Allstate’s professional atmosphere, but have their drawbacks. “It is cool at AllState, but it is kind of far,” said freshman Billy Flanagan. “Purely due to distance, if we can’t go and support our team then what’s the point of having one?” said freshman Matthew Anderson. “The bus system isn’t great beQ: Do you think you’ll stay involved with baseball after graduation? A: Yes. I will be…Either [coaching] for DePaul or if not then there’s actually a league in my hometown that’s 21 and up, which I kind of really enjoy. Q: Why did you choose DePaul? A: I chose DePaul because it is in the city and I love Chicago. I’m from the suburbs. They have a good business school…It’s close to home. I enjoy being close to my family and stuff. And I think that because there wasn’t a baseball team here I kinda wanted to get one up and running...I knew baseball wasn’t going to be really my future, but it’s definitely something that’s a part of my life because I love it so much. Q: Do you have any favorite places to eat? A: Texas de Brazil the Brazilian steakhouse. It’s one of my favorite restaurants. Charles Tillman holds an event there every year and I’m like a valued member up there so they send me deals and discounts all the time and people can go to that event, which all the Chicago Bears are there. It’s kind of cool. I’ve been there before and I’ve met many Bears. So that’s definitely my favorite restaurant.
Photo by Kerri Czopek
The Sullivan Athletic Center is home to McGrath-Phillips Arena.
cause you can’t leave in the middle of the game.” Whether the university begins plans for an on-campus arena, the speculation and discussion will continue. It is unlikely a new arena could be built, however, unless the university creates another economic initiative solely for on-campus arena development. Space in Lincoln Park is highly limited, making the problem harder to solve. Could a new on-campus arena be in DePaul’s future? Only time will tell. Q: What is your favorite professional or college sport to watch? A: Baseball. The Chicago Cubs. I love to watch Chicago Cubs baseball and the Chicago Bulls. Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? A: Italy. Q: Where’s the coolest place you’ve ever been so far? A: Barcelona, Spain. I’ve been there once. It was a great time. Q: What is your favorite TV show? A: “24” is one of my favorite shows. “Everybody Loves Raymond.” It’s a classic. ESPN. Q: What is your favorite movie? A: I have a few so I’m going to go with “Goodfellas.” Q: What do you plan on doing after you graduate? A: Working at a financial firm…I’ve considered moving to New York. I work at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney right now and I see myself after graduation either working there, but hopefully maybe at their headquarters in New York. I like the financial field a lot.
Compiled by MEGHAN BOWER
Sports. May 16, 2011. The DePaulia 27
“Mound visits” continued from back cover 31-8, and both boast an ERA under 2.25. Sarah Shizas, a senior catcher, is one of the players with the most insight as to what takes place during visits to the mound. “Every time I go out and see Verdun I say, ‘Go hard,’” Shizas said. “As long as she is throwing hard, her pitches will move. So she has to believe in herself and just throw. “When Lindsey [Dean] is on the mound, we are both seniors and we have been through four years now together. Every time we break we both say, ‘You and me now.’” According to Lenti, the seriousness of a visit can be seen by which coach comes out of the dugout. “The catcher is first one to go out there, and then typically the pitching coach and then the head coach,” he said. “That is kind of the hierarchy of how it works.” Verdun explained when things
Photo by Dana Lenckus
Lenti visits Verdun and Shizas in the ciricle during their 10-6 home victory over Illinois State on April 12. get bad enough Lenti will make the visit himself. “With [Coach Lenti], he tells me I need to execute my pitches better,” Verdun said. “He is not as much interested in what is going on, but more like, you need to get
the job done.” Lenti said he and pitching coach Nancy Evans take on different roles for mound visits. “I am tougher on them than Coach Evans, because she is a former pitcher herself,” he said.
“She is more their mentor and psychological go-to, where I am the one who has to kick them in the butt a little bit.” Things are not always completely serious out on the field either. Both Verdun and Shizas stressed the importance of keeping it loose out in the circle. And Lenti realizes this as well. “Sometimes you are going out there to lighten the mood,” Lenti said. “I have been in the World Series, and have gone out to the mound and told them I came out because I just wanted to get on TV.” DePaul’s run in the postseason, which began with the Big East tournament last week, will depend heavily on their ability to communicate with one another on the field and on the mound. Said Lenti, “[Mound visits] can serve any range of emotions for both the coach, team and players.”
“Longboarding” continued from back cover which specializes in any kind of board sport. “It’s mostly young adults showing the interest, guys and girls. Our sales have demonstrated that, too, because we are constantly getting new shipments and restocking our shelves with new brands.” While these boards may be flying off the shelves at retailers, the culture has not yet taken shape on campus. “There’s not a big scene at DePaul for longboarding, but there is a sense of camaraderie amongst the riders,” said John Koeger, a 21-year-old junior who’s been riding for a year and a half. “It’s just nice to talk about a commonality and gain new perspectives with someone I’ve never met before. I would like to see a culture take shape because this hobby is not as common as what it should be.” “I ride alone mostly, but it’s better to ride with at least one other experienced rider,” said Jeremy Chereskin, a 20-year-old longboarder. “A sense of unity creates a bond among the group and nothing else matters at that point, even if you do fall and fracture your arm.” Longboarding is often a way of expression, exercise and stress relief. The culture itself exemplifies freedom: Freedom from work, from home or school. When you’re riding, you’re on a mission to carve that freshly paved asphalt and not think or worry about anything else. “To me, longboarding is a source of empowerment,” Koeger said. “It’s liberating, in a sense that I can rely upon myself and my board to go anywhere I choose.” “When I ride, I feel like a navigator of my environment. I feel at one with the geography of the land as I use it to my advantage to propel me forward,” Chereskin said. “Riding is a relief from the everyday, stand still life. It’s hard to explain the feeling, you just gotta get on the board and experience it for yourself.” “Whether you want to race down a mountain side or cruise along the beach, there is a board to fit your style,” Jess said. “But in the city, longboards are
mainly for cruising around or going from place to place.” Longboards are a good mode of transportation because they are smoother and glide longer than traditional skateboards. And, according to Jess, it’s faster than walking while still being relaxing. “Boarding in one word or less, efficient,” Koeger said. “There are no barriers when boarding; you can easily hop off your board and walk where no bike, car or train can go and still be on time for class.” This new culture may be confused with skateboarding, but rest assured it is not. It’s the difference between BMX and road bikes. And, like road bikes,
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• Lindsey Dean and Plese were also named to the Big East Honor Roll on May 9. If the team should make the NCAA tourament, the regional games will be held on May 20-22 at various campus locations.
• Men’s tennis’ George Chanturia, junior, earned All-Big East honors. • Women’s tennis’ Katarina Milinkovic and Gia McKnight earned All-Big East honors. Senior Selma Salkovic was named the ITA Midwest Regional winner of the Arthur Ashe Award for Leadership and Sportmanship, one of 12 regional winners. The national winner will be announced this week. • DePaul Hockey Club will hold a prospects camp at Oakton Ice Arena on May 21 from 3:05-4:05 p.m. and 7:20-8:20 p.m. and May 22 from 11:40 a.m.-12:40 p.m. Commitment fee is $25.
5/7 – The Blue Demons split a doubleheader against USF, losing the first game 4-2 to snap their 16game winning streak before bouncing back later in the afternoon with a 13-5 six-inning victory. The Bulls scored all four runs in the third inning, thanks to two errors, a walk, and a double from Kourtney Salvarola. Lindsey Dean pitched 4.0 innings and gave up two earned runs on two hits. Bree Brown came in for the final three innings and struck out seven while allowing just one hit. USF’s Sara Nevins threw a complete game, giving up five hits and zero earned runs with seven strikeouts. The bats came alive in the second game, with Dean, KIrtsen Verdun and Samantha Dodd each knocking in two runs. The team had 14 hits in the game and walked six times. Alex Morocco and Sean Plese combined for seven hits in nine at-bats at the top of the lineup. Dean, who came back to start the second game, gave up just one earned run (four unearned) in 2.2 innings. Verdun and Brown combined for a one-hitter the rest of the way.
After a Morocco groundout that advanced baserunners to second and third in the bottom of the second, the Bulls prepared to intentionally walk Plese. The umpire called time and USF players were pulled from the field. The USF coaches then argued with the umpiring crew, and DePaul’s staff also joined in on the back-and-forth, after which USF vacated the dugout. At that point, the umpire declared it a forfeit, giving DePaul the win.
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5/12 – The Blue Demons opened the Big East Championship tournament with a 5-2 win over Rutgers. Lynsey Ciezki went 2-3 with two RBI and Dean pitched all seven innings giving up seven hits and one earned run.
Photo by Jeremy Chereskin
Longboards gained attention in southern California during the mid-1950s.
News and Notes • Softball’s Kirsten Verdun, Allie Braden and Megan Coronado, all freshmen, were named to the All-Big East team, in addition to Alex Morocco, Samantha Dodd and Sean Plese. Verdun was also named Rookie of the Year and named to the All-Big East First Team. Morocco and Coronado were named to the All-Big East Second Team and Braden, Dodd and Plese to the All-Big East Third Team.
Softball 39-13 (19-2)
5/8 – DePaul wrapped up their season with arguably their strangest win of the year—a 1-0 victory over USF that ended in the bottom of the second inning after USF Head Coach Ken Eriksen had his team leave the field. Tensions were high after the previous day’s doubleheader, when four Blue Demons batters were hit by pitches, and a USF player bumped Pitching Coach Nancy Evans.
It’s hard to explain the feeling, you just gotta get on the board and experience it for yourself. -Jeremy Chereskin
longboards are meant to ride, not “thrash.” Even the technical designs are different; longboards are longer and use wider trucks, base and wheels. The boards are also more flexible, allowing for greater speed and control. Koeger not only rides, but he hand makes them too. “My first board was a board I actually made,” Koeger said. “I make 40-inch drop through decks which are best for city cruising…I started out just making a board for myself but then a friend of mine asked if I could make him one. Since then, I’ve been getting more and more requests.” Now is the time to invest in a longboard as the summer months are quickly approaching and gas prices averaging $4.50 a gallon in Chicago. Even if you don’t know a thing about longboards, but are interested, don’t sweat, there are people to help you. Just ask a longboarder.
Week in Review
• DePaul men’s basketball promoted Andy Farrell to the director of basketball operations, while Matt Fleming will replace Farrell as the team’s video coordinator. Farrell replaces Josh Postorino who accepted an assistant coach position at Georgia Tech on April 15. Farrell came to DePaul with Head Coach Oliver Purnell after spending the past three seasons working under him as video coordinator. Fleming was the video coordinator at Virginia Commonwealth the past two seasons. • Men’s basketball will go on a 10-day trip to France from Aug. 11-21, visiting Paris, Toulouse and Nice while playing four games during the tournament.
5/13 – Syracuse ace Jenna Caira shut down the Blue Demons for seven straight innings, allowing just two hits and striking out seven to lead the Orange past the Blue Demons 2-0. Dodd and Brittney Yniguez had the only two hits for DePaul, and as a team the Blue Demons left seven runners on base. The loss ended their run in the Big East tournament. The Blue Demons will prepare for the NCAA tournament which begins with regionals on May 20. Track and field 5/8 – The DePaul women finished in 11th place in the Big East tournament with 30 points, while the men came in 12th with 18 points. Mary Cate Quiett ran a season-best time in the 800m with a time of 2:07.08 and earned Big East All-Conference honors. The women’s 4x400m relay team had a record DePaul time of 3:44.61, finishing in eighth. Alanna Kovacs came in 12th in the discus with a throw of 41.77m. Melissa Fraser came in first in the women’s javelin with a throw of 51.95m. For the men, Tim Nedow came in first in the shot put with a throw of 17.75m and took fourth in discus with a toss of 53.16m. Matthew Graham finished seventh in the 5,000m run with a time of 14:29.77.
Sports
Sports. May 16, 2011. The DePaulia 28
On-campus arena faces uphill battle Location, cost the biggest obstacles for any potential new basketball facility By DEBRA LIPSON, KIM VEALE and RAMLA SALAHUDDIN; Written by DEBRA LIPSON DePaul University’s history is rich with imagery; St. Vincent DePaul, the St. Vincent DePaul church in Lincoln Park, alums such as former Mayor Richard M. Daley and Ray Meyer and the ubiquitous Blue Demon mascot, Dibs. Arguably, there is a key scene missing from the picturesque college: A full-size oncampus basketball arena. Many students, faculty and athletes would likely support an on-campus arena, but it isn’t as easy as picking a plot of land and building. DePaul funds are tied up in other competitive educational expenses, the area around campus is constantly being developed and there is a lack of political support for such a project. A university known for its men’s basketball program, DePaul has sufficed with pared down, 5,000-seat arenas for basketball games in Lincoln Park since the 1950s. Alumni Hall opened in 1956 and held 5,308 people; it was even the site of a 1960 NCAA Midwest Regional game to determine the national champion of
Photo by Reed Henning
The Finkl Steel Mill is one of the most likely locations for an on-campus arena, but do not expect it to happen soon, if at all. men’s Division I college basketball. The arena closed in 2000 and was rebuilt in 2001 as DePaul’s new student center. The Blue Demons made their move to the Sullivan Athletic Center, current home to the women’s basketball program and men’s basketball games during the preseason. Despite the impressive women’s basketball 2010-2011 season and Head Coach Oliver Purnell’s first year adapting to men’s Blue Demon basketball, the program still requires the men’s team to play at Rosemont’s Allstate Arena for larger games, due to both space issues and con-
tractual agreements. But even if that were not the case, would an on-campus basketball arena be a real possibility for DePaul athletics? Several aspects go into building decisions: Big East arena requirements, cost and space, zoning rules, and politics, to name a few. Primarily, teams competing in the Big East must abide by certain rules in terms of their arena such as logos on the floor, length of the scorer’s table, and so on. John Paquette, associate commissioner of the Big East Conference, said, “Although all arenas that host conference
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Mound visit means business By MATTHEW SCHWERHA It takes only one swing to change the course of a softball game. In a sport that is absent of timeouts or halftimes that allow for lengthy discussion about strategy, a mound visit provides a catcher, pitching coach or head coach with an opportunity to communicate with the pitcher before a tenuous or important point in the game. “If it is the catcher going out to talk to the pitcher, it is usually to calm her down and try to get her refocused,” said softball Head Coach Eugene Lenti. “If it is the pitching coach, it is usually to calm down a pitcher or
to break up the momentum of the opposing team or how to approach a hitter in a certain situation.” A coach heading out to the mound does not always mean the pitcher is not performing well. Sometimes it is necessary so the whole team knows what is going to take place next. “Sometimes you have to go out to just strategically get the defense and the pitcher on the same page on how we are going to approach a hitter or a first and third situation,” Lenti said. His experience with heading to the mound is not a reflection of the performance of his pitchers thus far this season. Pitchers Kirsten Verdun and Lindsey Dean are a combined
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Assistant Sports Editor
Photo by Brianna Kelly
Lindsey Dean and Sarah Shizas
Longboarding trend spreads from California to Chicago
Men's club volleyball places third at nationals
By KYLE WIDENSKI You’ve seen them around campus, you’ve seen them downtown and you’ve seen them skated on with barefeet, sneakers or sandals. Longboards have been a part of our culture for the past 60 years and have gradually become a part of our campus within the last three. “Windward has been selling longboards for years now, but within this last year we have seen them fly off the shelves,” said Jess of Windward Boardshop, located at 3317 N. Clark St.,
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Nedow sets sights high By MEGHAN BOWER
Escape on wheels
Photo by Jeremy Chereskin
Finkl Steel Mill, 2011 N. Southport Ave.
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At an intimidating 6’7”, 280 pounds, the nation’s No. 16 shot putter, DePaul’s Tim Nedow, makes quite the impression. But underneath the seemingly tough and callused-hand exterior of the Canadian college sports-lover and video game major is just a laid-back guy. He loves to lift weights, eats anything that will fill him up—especially burritos—and is in the process of growing his very own playoff beard as he prepares for his expected run to nationals. “This is my playoff beard if you were wondering why it’s a little scruffy,” Nedow laughingly said last Wednesday of his bright blonde chin hairs. “I’ve been Photo by Dennis growing a playoff Georges beard. If I don’t go to Tim Nedow nationals it’s getting cut, but for now it’s growing out. I know it’s beastly. It’s intimidating.” Nedow, who holds DePaul records in both shot put, with a 19.18m throw, and discus, with a 55.46m toss, is making a run for his second consecutive appearance at the NCAA tournament beginning May 26. The 2008 Canadian Junior National Cham-
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