May 14, 2018

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Volume #102 | Issue #26 | May 14, 2018 | depauliaonline.com

GRADUATION GOUGING Lack of commencement tickets means high prices for students

By Emma Oxnevad & Jonathan Ballew Contributing Writer & News Editor

The hottest ticket in town isn’t a Hamilton show or a trip to Wrigley Field; it’s a DePaul graduation ticket. Due to a lack of seating at Wintrust Arena, students are selling their free tickets for exorbitant prices well over $100 per ticket, with some prices as high as $250.

It’s usually a time of year filled with celebration and excitement, much of the class of 2018’s final quarter has been riddled instead with stress, disappointment and

anger after it was discovered that students would only be given a select number of guest tickets, depending on their individual college.

Prior to the opening of Wintrust Arena in fall of 2017, DePaul commencement was held at Allstate Arena in Rosemont. With the venue’s maximum capacity of 18,500 seats, tickets were not required for graduation, and graduates were encouraged to bring as many guests as they wished.

Wintrust Arena, while a sizable venue, has a considerably lesser maximum capacity of 10,387 seats, meaning there is far less flexibility concerning the number of guests

See GRADUATION, page 4

Insensitive, racist tweets sent by DePaul’s graduation director resurface

By Benjamin Conboy Managing Editor

Jen Kramer’s past tweets have followed her into her new job at DePaul as the Director of University Events. Her tweets, spanning from 2009 to 2011, contain overtones of racism, transphobia and violent thoughts.

Her tweets, which also landed her in hot water in 2015 when she was running against 43rd Ward Alderman Michelle Smith, were brought to light by The Civil Rights Agenda, a local civil rights group.

“Gone are the days when a highpitched voice and moustache determine

someone’s sex. The worst part, I think it hit on me. Just my luck,” reads one of her tweets.

Jenni Holtz, co-leader of Students for Reproductive Justice and a campus activist, said the fact DePaul hired someone who has displayed “blatant racism and transphobia” is just part of a larger trend of hypocritical actions from the university. They said since the Milo Yiannopoulos event two years ago, DePaul has failed to support students of color and the LGBTQ student body, particularly through the shuttering of the Center for Identity, Inclusion and Social Change.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DEPAUL UNIVERSITY

See KRAMER, page 6 Kramer’s tweets mock Vietnamese pedicurists and transgender people, among others.

2 | News. The DePaulia. May 14, 2018

First Look The DePaulia is the official student-run newspaper of DePaul University and may not necessarily reflect the views of college administrators, faculty or staff.

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OW RN

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MANAGING EDITOR | Benjamin Conboy managing@depauliaonline.com NEWS EDITOR | Jonathan Ballew news@depauliaonline.com

Tune in to episode 23 of The DePaulia’s official podcast “Page 29,” available on Soundcloud and iTunes.

ASST. NEWS EDITOR | Timothy Duke news@depauliaonline.com NATION & WORLD EDITOR | Carina Smith nation@depauliaonline.com OPINIONS EDITOR | Mackenzie Murtaugh opinion@depauliaonline.com FOCUS EDITOR | Zoey Barnes focus@depauliaonline.com ARTS & LIFE EDITOR | Lacey Latch artslife@depauliaonline.com SPORTS EDITOR | Shane René sports@depauliaonline.com ASST. SPORTS EDITOR | Andrew Hattersley sports@depauliaonline.com MULTIMEDIA EDITOR | Cody Corrall multimedia@depauliaonline.com DESIGN EDITOR | Victoria Williamson design@depauliaonline.com DESIGN EDITOR | Ally Zacek design@depauliaonline.com

CORRECTION: In last week’s edition on a page 8 story we inccorectly printed that Luis “Suave” Gonzalez was falsley convicted. Gonzalez has taken responsibility for his role in the crime and served his sentence. Additionally our headline said “Latinx immigrants” when it should have said “Latinx community.”

We deeply regret this error.

Check out our campus crime database, Crime Watch. This map is updated on a weekly basis with data made available to The DePaulia from the City of Chicago data portal and DePaul’s Office of Crime Prevention.

THIS WEEK Monday - 5/14

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Wednesday - 5/16

Graduate Recital: Emily Munn-Wood, cello

Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat

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7 p.m.

10 a.m.

5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Friday - 5/18

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Yoga in the Loop

Bon Appetit: Latin-American Cuisine

African Drum Ensemble

Miraculous Medal Chapel - 1st floor of Lewis Centre

1637 W Montrose Ave, Chicago, IL 60613

Concert Hall

4:30 p.m.

1 p.m.

8 p.m.

Thursday - 5/17

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News. The DePaulia. May 14, 2018 | 3

VICTORIA WILLIAMSON| THE DEPAULIA

Procrastination and the fallacy of time management

By Timothy Duke Asst. News Editor

Just one more episode, well, maybe one more, again and again, until the sun breaks the horizon and the paper which should be finished is left with two paragraphs done and an hour until its due.

The pervasive issue of procrastination seems to affect college students everywhere, but while many consider themselves procrastinators, most lack the struggles of chronic procrastinators whose procrastination seeps into every aspect of their lives.

Senior graphic design student Lando Landgren identifies with the struggles of a procrastinating college student.

“It’s usually just homework, school related things, and cutting my hair or nails,” senior graphic design student Lando Landgren said. “I’m a pretty bad procrastinator if it’s a long term project because I think I have so much time for it, but if it’s more short term then I get in the zone because it’s due so soon. I guess I am more motivated by stress.”

Landgren says he feels less inclined to procrastinate if the activity is something he has an interest in doing. He also says that setting a schedule has helped him in the past with achieving various daily goals.

Landgren says he works better when he works alone too.

“I try to not do homework with other people, but sometimes you get guilted into doing homework with other people ... it doesn’t get done when I am in those environments,” Landgren said.

Psychology and Saint Vincent DePaul professor Joseph Ferrari is an international leader in the field of procrastination studies. In 2010, he published a book, “Still Procrastinating? The no regrets guide to getting it done,” which attempts to change the perspective of what procrastination truly is and how a person might manage it.

Ferrari says that despite many people claim, procrastination is not a time management problem; it is a chronic, maladaptive personality tendency.

“Everyone procrastinates, but not everyone is a procrastinator,” Ferrari said. “To procrastinate is to actively

avoid something, to purposefully delay. determine who is putting in less effort,” Delaying is not procrastination, waiting Ferrari said. “But if there are multiple is not procrastination, postponing is not procrastinators, then it makes it difficult for procrastination – it’s what the public both procrastinators to be social loafers.” thinks, but that’s not what procrastination Ferrari also found that when a is.” student gives an excuse to a teacher for an Ferrari says that while 80 percent extension, 70 percent of students admitted of college students self-identify as that they give fraudulent excuses. procrastinators, most typically only “I have a retake policy in my classes, delay academic activities. True chronic so if someone misses an exam, they have procrastination affects 20 percent of adults an opportunity to remake the exam across multiple nations. again,” Ferrari said. “If you build in a “If there is a free keg of beer, or if makeup day, then if something happens Chance the Rapper is putting a show on you can empathize. But if they miss the for free, they will be there. So they aren’t makeup date, I’ve found that they then procrastinators, take ownership of it they just delay this because it’s been built one thing,” Ferrari into the system.” said. “The chronic Ferrari says there procrastinator does are three main myths this at home, school, people believe about relationships: This is procrastination. The their lifestyle.” first myth is that Ferrari also says a technology has made typical procrastinator procrastinating easier. would rather be Ferrari says that the viewed as someone use of technology has who lacks effort than been a central aspect someone who lacks of humans for a long ability.

Psychology Professor time, so the question “If I finish a task lies in how people and I do not do very use or do not use well on it, you’re going to think less of me technology, not if they do. and I don’t want that, but if I never finish it The second myth, according to Ferrari’s and I always say that I’m still working on it, research, is that people’s lives have become then you can’t judge me,” Ferrari said. busier.

Junior biology student Adrian Vo “There are 24 hours a day and 7 days agrees that procrastinators would rather be a week – that’s 168 hours,” Ferrari said. seen as lacking effort.

“We’ve been given 168 hours for centuries.

“I can definitely see that,” Vo said. “If Our lives are not busier today, they’re you are just lacking effort then it’s still different. To say that our lives are busier possible that you are capable of doing today is an insult to our ancestors, our something great. But if you just do a bad farming ancestors, who had to get up in the job then you’re just someone who did a bad morning to make sure the field was plowed, job.” the roof was fixed, or the cows were milked.

In his experiments with procrastinators, Time management doesn’t work. You can’t Ferrari found that procrastinators are manage time, you manage yourself.” often critical of each other. He says that The third myth is that procrastinators procrastinators in business settings have say they work better under pressure. even suggested that other procrastinators “I published a study in 2001 at DePaul be fired because of their behavior. where I took procrastinators and put them “In school and during group activities under experiments under pressure and in which the teacher has said that the whole found that they actually don’t perform group gets one grade, procrastinators will better under pressure, but that they thought engage in social loafing – deliberately they did,” Ferrari said. trying less because there is no way to Ferrari considers the act of leaving

“Everyone procrastinates, but not everyone is a procrastinator”

Joseph Ferrari

work unfinished until the last minute a self-handicapping practice that protects the procrastinator from feeling bad about their ability.

“Procrastinators will blame a failure on the lack of time, but if they do well then they say they’re awesome because look at how well they did in a short amount of time, that must mean they’re really smart,” Ferrari said.

Procrastinators will often look at a success they have experienced after procrastinating and use that as a model for future behavior, despite the numerous times procrastinating may have lead to a failure.

As a way to combat procrastination, Ferrari thinks educators should move towards rewarding behavior than punishing behavior.

“I ask my students sometimes if their professors will dock points for late work and most of the hands will go up. Then I ask them if they’ve ever had a professor who will give extra points for turning it in early, and I rarely see any hands,” Ferrari said. “What we as professors need to do is not punish you for being late, but reward you for (turning in assignments early).

Even if I got 10 or 15 (papers) early, then as a faculty member I have 15 less (papers) to read at the end. We don’t give the early bird the worm anymore. We want to give that worm to everybody today. I am strong advocate of incentivising turning in work early. It works best for everybody.”

Landgren is skeptical of the success of changing the behaviors of procrastinators by rewarding points for early work.

“I don’t think that will help,” Landgren said. “I think that would only help people who were already motivated to do the work.

I feel like someone who is a procrastinator would say they would just get a normal grade and finish it on time.”

Landgren says he believes procrastination to be an issue an individual needs to solve themselves, rather than looking towards educators to solve it for them.

“I honestly think it comes down to motivation and interest. If you aren’t interested in something, it will be hard to stay motivated to get it done.”

4| News. The DePaulia. May 14, 2018 GRADUATION continued from front allowed to each graduate.

In what seemed like a harmless solution, DePaul then mandated that graduates only be allowed a select number of guest tickets, depending on their college.

The only graduating students exempt from this policy are students from the School of Music, The Theatre School — both of which traditionally have low enrollments — and the College of Law, which holds their graduation at The McCormick Place Grand Ballroom. All graduating seniors of the class of 2018 were informed of the policy in February via email. Students in need of extra tickets were encouraged to either reach out to those with surplus tickets or enter a lottery for the possibility to win

unused tickets.

Jen Kramer is the Director of University Events at DePaul — a brand new department that was at the forefront of planning DePaul’s commencement.

Kramer said that although the decision to have graduation at Wintrust was made in November, the university had to wait until

they knew how many conferred students they would have before moving forward.

“In terms of unlimited tickets, it is a rarity these days,” she said. “DePaul was in the minority to be offering unlimited tickets.”

Kramer said that breaking up graduation by individual colleges in order to provide unlimited tickets, “wasn’t an option.”

“It was a resource conversation,” she said.

Kramer said there was an “inability to reserve the space” at Wintrust Arena for back-to-back weekends.

Currently, the only conflict the weekend after commencement is a WNBA Chicago Sky game, at 5:00 p.m. The WNBA released their 2018 schedule on Feb 8, the same month DePaul announced to students a limit on commencement tickets.

While the ticket system appeared to be a well-intentioned solution to a capacity issue, the student reaction has been over whelmingly negative, with several DePaul seniors posting angry responses condemning the policy in the “Official DePaul Class of 2018” Facebook group.

The most common grievances expressed by students are that the use of tickets limits the amount of guests a graduate is able to invite.

“It definitely puts me at a disadvantage because there have been a lot of people, family and family friends, who have helped put me through school,” said Tiffany Mosley,

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Wintrust Arena is unable to accomadate an unlimited amount of commencement tickets this year.

a 21-year-old management major. During Mosley’s sophomore year at DePaul, both her parents lost their jobs and, as a result, eventually lost their home. Mosley was already working two jobs but wasn’t making enough to cover her costs of attendance and help support her family in California.

In order to help make ends meet, many of Mosley’s family and friends supported her financially, with no expectation of repayment.

“Everyone who gave me money was very generous and didn’t even want me to pay them back; they just wanted to see me walk,” Mosley said. She said that though she is the first woman in her family to earn a college degree, she will have to restrict tickets to only her immediate family, despite having relatives from California, Ohio, Virginia and Washington, D.C. who already purchased plane tickets to Chicago in advance.

The ticket situation has also proven challenging for international students, especially those with a lower approvedticket count. Valerie Shur, a 21-year-old graphic design student who originally is from Russia, says she is faced with the predicament of determining which of her loved ones will be able to fly overseas to see her receive her diploma. “Part of my family are flying from Russia, and I have another important part of my family here as well who also helped me a lot, supported when I moved here with accommodation, admission to DePaul, et cetera,” Shur said.

“I need 8 tickets total to be able to have all of the most important people at the ceremony.”

Due to the high demand for tickets many students have attempted to capitalize on the situation, with some offering to sell their extra tickets for as high as $250 a piece. Those who have made such posts in the Facebook group have been met with both criticism and potential customers, with students desperate for extra tickets agreeing to negotiate a price. “I understand why people are selling tickets. It’s supply and demand,” said Hunter Ansorge, a 22-yearold digital cinema major. “Everyone worked hard, and everyone wants the people they love to cheer them on at graduation.”

DePaul has updated its official university commencement page to read that, because the intent was for graduation tickets to be easily transferable, the university cannot prevent students from buying or selling tickets.

One student wrote a post offering two tickets for the college of business for $100 each in the DePaul Class of 2018 Facebook group. The post said that students could meet the seller or pay via Venmo, Quickpay or PayPal. Another was selling graduation tickets for $250 a piece. But some students reported numbers even higher.

In an attempt to mend the situation, DePaul seniors have posited alternative solutions to the commencement. DePaul

senior Darian Wellington shared a petition in the Class of 2018 Facebook group entitled “Allstate Arena for DePaul Graduation 2018,” with the petition’s official goal reading, in part: “We demand to have the traditional commencement to be held at the larger, more spacious, unlimited, and less strict arena, The Allstate Arena.”

When discussing the purpose behind the petition, Wellington expressed extreme disappointment in DePaul. “A school cannot pride themselves on their students and their dedication to the students without considering their input on such an important day,” said Wellington. Despite all the controversy surrounding the ceremony, only 69 students have signed of the desired 5,000.

Jen Kramer is the Director of University Events — a new position and department at DePaul — and is in charge of planning commencement.

Kramer said that her department has created a “commencement hotline” and email address “very typical to years past.”

She said that hundreds of people have called to ask questions, but that the “numbers aren’t wildly different” than in past years.

“I wouldn’t say by nature that they are complaints,” she said.

Kramer said that the majority of students are excited and that there has been “lots of great buzz” surrounding graduation.

Kramer said that her office has talked with student government, which “spurred the creation of an early ticket pickup.”

“We are certainly all ears,” she said.

Asked about students selling tickets for high dollar figures, Kramer said that “it’s a pretty common thing that happens.”

“DePaul is really disappointed to know that students are (selling tickets),” she said.

“We aren’t able to control that.”

Kramer said that while the university has encouraged students to share with classmates “since day one,” there are currently no consequences for students caught selling their tickets.

Kramer said that her office “will take a real serious look at how things go this year,” when considering making changes to next year’s commencement ceremonies. She said that a “staff of over 60 people throughout all colleges work tirelessly” to make commencement possible.

This year, however, the ticket policy will remain.

“I never imagined figuring out guests for my graduation would be such a headache,” Ansorge said. “This should be a happy, stress-free event, and instead, there’s going to be an arena full of very annoyed people that weekend.”

News. The DePaulia. May 14, 2018 | 5

JAKOB EMERSON | THE DEPAULIA

President Esteban congratulates graduates of the law school as they step forward to earn their diploma. Commencement was at the McCormick Grand Ballroom instead of Wintrust Arena.

Law School Commencement all smiles at McCormick Place

JAKOB EMERSON | THE DEPAULIA

A brand new graduate of the law school spends time celebrating with family outside the ballroom.

JAKOB EMERSON | THE DEPAULIA

Edward Grossman, co-founder of the Chicago Legal Clinic, addresses the law graduates.

JAKOB EMERSON | THE DEPAULIA

Graduates joined in celebration with their family after three years of rigorous academic study.

6| News. The DePaulia. May 14, 2018 KRAMER continued from front All in all, they say, it paints a picture of the university’s irreverence towards their stated commitment of a diverse community.

“Kramer’s employment by DePaul is yet another example of DePaul’s negligence,” Holtz said.

In a statement issued through a university spokesperson, Kramer apologized for the tweets, saying she was “incredibly sorry for the inappropriate and offensive things I wrote on Twitter several years ago.”

“When media asked a few years ago about these posts, I apologized noting I clearly said some things on my Twitter feed that I shouldn’t have,” her statement continued. “This should not overshadow my work with Special Olympics Chicago, the LGBT community (Gay Games, The AIDS foundation, Gay Pride Parade etc.) and the numerous cultural organizations I have worked with during my time at the City of Chicago and Navy Pier.”

Kramer was hired as the Director of University Events in the summer of 2017 after holding jobs at Disney, Pepsi and the mayor’s office.

She is currently at the helm of this year’s graduation ceremonies and also ran President A. Gabriel Esteban’s inauguration in November. Previously, she taught an event planning class as an adjunct public relations professor.

Her profile on DePaul’s website says that she likes musicals and riding her bike. She also likes “being a tourist in her own town.”

She didn’t, however, like the old CabriniGreen area on the Near North Side, home to the city’s notorious housing projects which were demolished in 2011.

“Getting gas in the center of Cabrini Green. What can I say, I’m a girl who likes to live on the edge,” she tweeted in 2010.

She wrote that she found “adventure” in “taking wrong turns in the ‘deep’ south side (sic),” using the hashtag, “#thatshowiroll.”

Vincent Obah, who just graduated from the Law School on Sunday, said that as a South Sider, he took issue with her depictions of his home. “ S h e ’ s essentially saying that it’s so bad (that) you can’t go there is simply not true,” he said.

“It’s condemning all the people who live there without knowing them.”

T o m a s House, a student who works in the Office of Mu lt ic u ltura l Student Success, is graduating this year. He said Kramer’s continued employment is just more of the same.

“I’m not surprised, it’s what I’ve come to expect at DePaul,” House said. “The only thing I can do is laugh anymore, because it’s never going to change.

It hasn’t in my time here, and I don’t think it will. I’m used to mediocrity.”

A group of students sitting underneath the statue of Father John Egan, who dedicated his life to the civil rights movement, were appalled that DePaul has hired someone who made insensitive remarks.

Tyra Grove, who was so offended by the tweets that she had to stop reading halfway through, said the school should

PHOTO COURTESY OF TWITTER

be “embarrassed that they hired someone who would say those things publicly.” Her friend Megan Lucas called Kramer’s tweets “a horrible representation of our university and diverse student body.”

Echoing the Vincentian Question, student Izzie Smoczynski asked herself: “What must be done?”

“She must be fired,” she concluded.

“I’m angry.

I pay money to be here and some of my money is going to pay her salary. I don’t want to be supporting someone who is misogynistic, transphobic and racist,” Smoczynski said.

As of Sunday, Kramer’s Twitter page could no longer be found. It was still public as of Friday.

When asked who hired Kramer and whether or not the university intends to stand by her, a university spokesperson declined to answer, saying they do not comment on personnel matters.

“I take responsibility for being insensitive and humorless and clearly will not make that mistake again,” Kramer said in the statement.

“I’m not surprised, it’s what I’ve come to expect at DePaul.

The only thing I can do is laugh anymore because it’s never going to change.”

Tomas House Student employee of the Office of Multicultural Student Success

PHOTO COURTESY OF TWITTER

PHOTO COURTESY OF TWITTER

News. The DePaulia. May 14, 2018 | 7

Not too cool for school

Juuling offers a smoking alternative to adults and an introduction to nicotine for teenagers

By Marissa De La Cerda Contributing Writer

What began as a product created to he said. “But obviously, it’s against the help adults stop smoking has instead law and overall just not good for them.” created a new generation of smokers.

It isn’t hard for minors to purchase The JUUL, a small, nicotine-heavy them, though. They are being illegally vape that strongly resembles a flash drive purchased through their older friends or and can be charged in a USB port, has family members in person or online. become a popular smoking device to A sophomore at DePaul who wishes teenagers and young adults. Teenagers in to be unnamed, said she received her particular specifically are juuling in their first JUUL when she was 18. “I was able homes behind their parents back; they’re to ask one of my cousins who was 21 to even doing it in classrooms. buy it for me,” she said. She also said she “(JUULing) is quite popular with knows people who sell JUUL’s to minors freshman,” said Dawn Glunz, a teacher throughout the city. at Lincoln Park High School. “They are This seems to be one of the only doing it in class and in the cafeteria.” ways for minors to purchase the devices.

She said teachers find it difficult to Though it may seem like purchasing a discipline students who areen caught JUUL online is simple enough, there is an taking a puff of their JUUL because so age verification process on the product’s many of them are doing it. Because of the official website. The process involves device’sir strong resemblance to a USB the patron supplying their information, drive, it is easy for students to hide them including name, birthday and social and bring them into classrooms without security number, before submitting to a teachers being concerned until they see verification with Veratad Technologies or smell the vapor. that validates their The JUUL, information against which now public records. accounts for 54 “The delivery percent of the guy verified my e-cigarette market cousin’s ID before according to a giving him the box report by Nielsen with the JUUL,” the Holdings, was DePaul student said. created by former “Resell sites like smokers James eBay aren’t as strict.”

Monsees and According to Adam Bowen to JUUL’s website, they help adult smokers “actively monitor switch to a better the internet and alternative.

The process thousands products contain of enforcement nicotine but do actions per month.” not have tobacco They ensure that only which is why it is Student, DePaul University authorized retailers often thought of as sell their products. a safer alternative.

JUUL products are, Adriana Montesdeoca, a Chicago however, being sold on third party sites resident, said she made the switch from regularly with no penalty. cigarettes to JUUL’s for this reason. “They “My friend purchased a JUUL don’t have the harmful tar that cigarettes starter kit on eBay a couple months contain,” she said. “They also don’t have after I started using mine and she didn’t as strong of a smell, are flavored and have a problem,” the student said. eBay more portable.” currently has 3,830 JUUL listings making Though they do contain less tar, purchasing the product as a minor easier Juul’s are still as toxic and addictive as than ever. cigarettes. The e-liquid cartridges, or Yet, college students seem to know “Juul pods” that add the flavor, contain as when to JUUL and when not to. “It’s so much nicotine as one pack of cigarettes. wild to me that high school students are “Pods are sold in packs of four for doing it in class,” Adriana Montesdeoca about $15-$20,” said Joe Protopappas, an said. “Not even in college do we do that, employee at Smoque Vapors. “Since one though I do see the appeal.” pod is essentially one pack of cigarettes, Currently, JUUL products have not that’s $5 a pack which is hard to beat.” been approved by the Food and Drug The device itself costs anywhere between Administration to diagnose or treat $34.99 or $49.99 for the starter kit. a smoking addiction nor is it directly Protopappas said that JUUL’s were reaching that market of smokers as never marketed as a healthier alternative it’s growing success is being linked to to cigarettes which is something that teenagers who have likely never smoked. consumers don’t understand. “They were These teens have taken a product meant made for people who are trying to quit to help adults stop smoking and turned smoking,” he said. “But I am aware that into their own bad habit. According to a JUUL’s have become popular amongst study done by the National Institute of teenagers and college kids who don’t Drug Abuse, 30.7 percent of any e-cig always or have never smoked.” users are likely to start smoking within 6 He said that the shop gets a large months compared to 8.1 percent of nonamount of teenagers who try to purchase smokers.

JUUL’s but like cigarettes and alcohol, “Maybe if it wasn’t so popular with they are legally sold to adults 21 and young people it would’ve had more older only. of a chance with cigarette smokers,” “We’re right next to a high school so Montesdeoca said. “Though not directly we always get kids under 18 coming in marketed to teens, social media memes here and begging us to sell them JUUL’s,” has taken the product as their own.”

“Maybe if it wasn’t so popular with young people it would’ve had a chance with cigarette smokers.”

Adriana Montesdeco

JUUL’s look similar to a flash drive and are commonly customized by thier users.

STEVEN SENNE | AP

7| News. The DePaulia. May 14, 2018

Law school’s admissions may soon accept GRE

By William Sullivan Contributing Writer

The DePaul University College of Law only accepts one standardized test to get in, the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). “It is a rite of passage” said DePaul law student Stephanie Musser.

The LSAT is the traditional test for getting into law school, but some schools are starting to accept an alternative. They now accept the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) or the LSAT. Out of the 204 American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law schools in the United States, 18 accept the GRE. The LSAT “requires the same amount of discipline that school does,” said DePaul law student Stephen Krist. “Just basically starting from scratch and learning something very foreign to you and applying it, the process is very similar but the material may not be” to what students learn in law school.

C o l u m b i a , Georgetown and Harvard law schools are all accepting the GRE for fall 2018 admissions.

Chicago, Chicago-Kent College of Law, John Marshall Law School and Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law all accept the GRE. The University of Chicago also allows students to apply using the GRE or the Graduate Management Admission Test if the student is applying for a dual degree program. A study by Kaplan Test Prep found that 25 percent of law schools are planning on accepting the GRE in the future.

If so many schools in Chicago are doing it, and many around the United States are planning to do it, why isn’t DePaul? Turns out there are obstacles. The ABA requires that any alternative to the LSAT be “valid and reliable,” and it has yet to weigh in on whether the GRE is acceptable.

Educational Testing Service (ETS), which runs GRE, has done its own nationwide study suggesting that the GRE is a valid alternative.

“One thing I would say, looking back on it is that (the LSAT) is not indicative of how you will do in law school,” said DePaul law student Sufjan Qadir. “I don’t know if the GRE is better or worse.”

If the DePaul College of Law wanted to accept the GRE, they would have to do their own validity study, according to Amanda Noascono, the Assistant Dean and Director of Law Admissions.

Otherwise DePaul risks not being in compliance with the ABA. There are advantages to the GRE over the LSAT, one of which is accessibility While there are only five dates to take the LSAT in 2018, the GRE is offered electronically seven days a week, year round. And the GRE is offered more internationally than the LSAT. Taking the LSAT “requires a lot of planning, like the planning that goes through the admission process,” said Qadir. “If you don’t know ahead of time, 6-7 months, then I could see how it would be an inconvenience.”

By accepting the GRE, Harvard “can

25 percent of law schools are planning on accepting the GRE in the future

Kaplan Test Prep

JONATHAN BALLEW | THE DEPAULIA

DePaul law is still a holdout when it comes to accepting the GRE in place of the LSAT exam.

diversify our community in terms of academic background, country of origin, and financial circumstances,” said the dean at the time, Martha Minow, in a statement to the New York Times.

Other schools that have accepted the GRE have made similar points. They say that accepting the GRE makes law school more open to foreign students, and it provides an avenue for students who are considering law school or other graduate school options who can’t afford to take both tests.

Another advantage to taking the GRE test electronically is that immediately upon finishing the test, students can view their unofficial score on all of the sections except the essay portion.

“I like the idea of knowing exactly how you did, because then during the application process you can know, should I start applying or not,” said Musser. “If you know you kind of bombed the test, you will not go through the effort of paying to apply for school.”

CAMPUS CRIME REPORT: May 2 - May 8, 2018 LOOP CAMPUS

University Hall

Sanctuary Hall 5

3

3

McCabe Hall Concert Hall 7

4

Ray Meyer Fitness and Recreation Center

3

2

2

LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS

Assault & Theft

Drug & Alcohol

Other

LOOP CAMPUS

MAY 2 MAY 4 MAY 8 MAY 2 1) A harassment by electronic means report 4) A theft from building report was filed for a 7) A suspicion of marijuana report was filed for 8) A property

was filed for a person receiving unwanted e-mails.

2) A theft report was filed for a person whose bank card was taken from the Ray Meyer Fitness Center.

3)

A graffiti report was filed for markings made at University Hall.

Yamaha keyboard missing from the Concert Hall.

5) A possession of cannabis report was filed for a room in Sanctuary Hall. Chicago Police were called to the scene.

MAY 6 6) A consumption of alcohol by a minor report was filed for a person in Munroe Hall.

a room in McCabe Hall. No drugs were found.

damage report was filed for damage on the fire escape at the Reskin Theatre.

News. The DePaulia. May 14, 2018 | 9

Live different

Nation &World

10 | Nation & World. The DePaulia. May 14, 2018

The U.S. pulls out of Iran Deal

VAHID SALEMI | AP An Iranian protestor clenches his fist behind a burnt representation of the U.S. flag during a gathering after their Friday prayer in Tehran, Iran on May 11, 2018. Thousands of Iranians took to the streets in cities across the country to protest U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to pull out of the nuclear deal with world powers.

By Brian Pearlman Staff Writer

President Donald Trump campaigned on withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, and on Tuesday, May 8 he announced America would no longer be abiding by the terms of the JCPOA – also known as the Iran nuclear deal.

The deal was put in place by the Obama administration and other world powers in 2015 in an effort to strengthen diplomatic ties with Iran, the world’s second most populous Middle Eastern nation and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Experts said the JCPOA was working because it provided more access than ever before for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to subject Iran’s nuclear facilities to monitoring and inspections. In exchange, the signatories of the deal agreed to lift sanctions that had crippled the Iranian economy for years.

“Iran was abiding by the agreement and had stopped working on developing nuclear weapons,” said Cecile Shea, a former U.S. diplomat and senior fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

During the 28 months America was engaged in the deal with Iran, the Viennabased IAEA issued 10 reports, which asserted that Iran was in compliance with the terms of the JCPOA. Among other things, Iran was forced to drastically reduce its enriched uranium stockpile and the number of centrifuges across its two main nuclear facilities at Natanz and Fordo. All of Iran’s uranium had to be low-enriched at 3.67 percent or under – nowhere near the 90 percent that classifies enriched uranium as weaponsgrade.

At his confirmation hearing in late April, current secretary of state and former head of the CIA Mike Pompeo said he has "seen no evidence that (Iran is) not in compliance (with JCPOA) today.”

So why did the Trump administration ditch it?

“The real criticism of the agreement and why many thought it was a ‘bad deal’ – is that it did nothing to stop Iran’s support for Hezbollah, Hamas, the Assad regime or the Houthi’s (rebels) in Yemen, issues that are seen as antithetical to American interests in the region,” said Scott Hibbard, a political science professor at DePaul who specializes in American foreign policy and the Middle East.

He says that regional allies are opposed to any legitimization of the Iranian regime.

Trump has long railed against Iran as the world’s “leading state sponsor of terrorism."Criticisms of the country include its support for Shiite militant groups across the Middle East, from Hamas in Gaza to Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iraq. The U.N. also claims that Iran supplies Houthi rebels in war-ravaged Yemen, where a three-year long war with Saudi Arabia has resulted in widespread famine and “the world’s worst humanitarian crisis,” according to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

And then there’s Israel, a key U.S. ally that has been courted heavily by the Trump administration – including with the opening of the new U.S. Embassy to Israel in the contested holy city of Jerusalem on Monday – which is currently engaged in an escalating series of confrontations with Iran in Syria. Since 2011, Israel has carried out over 100 airstrikes in the region, and on Thursday, Israel targeted nearly all of Iran’s military installations in Syria in response to Iranian rocket attacks aimed on the Israeli-Syrian border.

“Whether or not cooler heads will prevail and keep this covert war from escalating remains to be seen, but the brinkmanship that's unfolding is worrying,” Hibbard said.

Amid all the conflict, Iranian reformist President Hassan Rouhani may be losing influence to conservative hardliners. While diplomacy brought the lifting of sanctions, helping to increase Iran’s trade with the

VAHID SALEMI | AP Iranian demonstrators burn representations of the U.S. flag in Tehran, Iran on May 9, 2018.

Western world and increasing its GDP growth from the -1.8 percent it was before the implementation of the JCPOA in 2015, Iran’s economy still struggles.

“Some disillusionment has set in over the past two years, as Iranians have not been seeing as much economic benefit as many of them had hoped and expected,” said Paul Pillar, a 28-year veteran of the CIA and fellow in the Center for Security Studies at Georgetown University.

Inflation is around 10 percent, unemployment is just above that, and the Iranian rial has weakened to 70,000 against the dollar on the black market, compared to the official rate of 42,000. For the average Iranian, everyday purchases are increasingly expensive; protests over the poor economic conditions erupted last year.

“In practical terms, the sanctions haven’t really been lifted. It’s a fallacy there’s a free flow of capital. Especially in investment and financial sectors, everything has been on hold,” said Kaveh Ehsani, an assistant professor of International Studies at DePaul.

All of this provides an opening for hardline clerics and authoritarian voices in the Islamic Republic to argue for increased

military action in the face of failed diplomacy.

“Some Iranian hardliners have always opposed the agreement, mostly out of a general fear of what an opening up of Iran to the West would do to their political position,” Pillar said. “Trump's move this week strengthens the hardliners, who are happy he did what he did.”

Still, other European signatories to the deal have expressed interest in staying within its terms or working Iran. But the U.S. treasury has warned its allies against doing business with Iran, saying companies have three to six months to wind down any deals in the country.

Ultimately, Ehsani says America’s withdrawal from the JCPOA is part of a broader philosophy that has guided U.S. foreign policy favoring military intervention and support for “undemocratic, authoritarian regimes” over sustained diplomacy.

“It’s a fallacy to think that if you come up with only military solutions instead of supporting genuine democratic popular movements in the region … that the issues the U.S. has very much been a part of, can remain isolated and insular to the region,” he said.

Nation & World. May 14, 2018. The DePaulia | 11

IAAF changes the regulations for female intersex athletes

By Carina Smith Nation and World Editor

The rules regarding participation for athletes with abnormal hormone production changed as of last month, bringing a huge loss to female intersex athletes who produce more testosterone than their peers.

According to the International Association of Athletics Foundation (IAAF), the new regulations would stop female athletes who have hyperandrogenism, a medical condition where people with female genitalia produce a higher amount of male sex hormones, from competing in events from 400 meters to a mile unless they take a hormonal contraceptive like birth control to lower their blood testosterone level.

“Our new regulations are based on a range of published research, expert review and most importantly, evidence collected over 15 years,” said Yannis Nikolaou, the communications manager for IAAF. “... We have pointed to as wide a range of evidence as we are able to and will continue to gather and analyse evidence for other distances as well as jumps and throws.”

However, opponents of the new regulations have said that they are unfair and discriminatory.

Groups such as interACT, a youth

intersex advocacy group, believe that it is both harmful to the intersex community, and creates a barrier that doesn’t properly allow for intersex people to identify as the sex that they wish to.

“The IAAF ruling on testosterone levels is unfair to anyone with a variation in the amount of sex hormones produced,” said Marissa Adams, an intersex woman and a member of interACT. “It reinforces the idea that to be a woman you have to be a very specific way, which now apparently includes testosterone level checks for certain athletes.”

Many fans also voiced opposition to the IAAF’s decision by saying it was harmful to accomplished athletes such as Caster Semenya, an intersex woman who has won two Olympic gold medals for South Africa in the 800 meter race.

The new regulations would affect Semenya, since her hormone levels and desired distance fall within the restricted events.

Chris Mosier, a transgender athlete and advocate for gender and sex issues within the athletic community, said that the new regulations are “specifically selected to end the career of one amazing athlete.”

Before, the IAAF allowed testosterone levels in female athletes to be 10 nanomoles per liter of blood. The new rule, which

GRAPHICS BY VICTORIA WILLIAMSON | THE DEPAULIA

goes into place Nov. 1, will restrict that number to just 5 nanomoles, according to a statement issued on April 26.

According to a recent study released by the IAAF, the difference between female athletes with higher testosterone levels were 2.73 percent for 400 meter dash, 2.78 percent for 400 meter hurdles, and 1.78 percent for 800 meter dash. The study has been criticized for its outcomes by a number of intersex advocates, and Mosier says that an athlete’s hormone levels have nothing to do with the outcomes of their accomplishments.

“Elite performance cannot simply be boiled down to testosterone levels,” he said.

“Training and dedication, access to good coaches, appropriate

nutrition, recovery tools and equipment make significant differences in performance outcomes.”

The IAAF has said that it used a number of studies to make the decision and not the controversial one it quoted in its April press release, saying that they “are unable to share (the studies) publicly due to confidentiality.”

But Nikolaou maintains that “elevated testosterone levels give athletes the biggest performance advantage in the events from 400 meters to one mile.”

The rules come during a time when the IAAF is struggling to make competitions as fair as possible, in an age where many athletes no longer identify as “male” and “female.”

The organization has

previously tried to put prior restrictions on female intersex athletes. In 2015, the Court for Arbitration in Sport struck down the previous regulation to restrict women with higher testosterone counts due to the IAAF not providing substantial evidence that they were at an inherent advantage. The organization had two years to provide data that backed up their claims, in which time produced the study cited in their earlier press release.

While Semenya is the most prominent female intersex athlete, more women in a variety of competitions are believed to also have hyperandrogenism.

This could lead to many female competitors looking for alternative routes, such as taking birth control, to regulate their testosterone levels before the Nov. 1 deadline hits.

Regardless of the study, many fans are still upset, and they continue to believe that the decision is harmful and discriminatory for women with higher testosterone levels within the athletic world.

“I truly believe this new policy is specific to Caster Semenya, and is fueled by racism and unfair expectations of gender expression for female athletes,” Mosier said.

“The message is clear: Female athletes can be strong, but not too strong.”

Unemployment rate falls to lowest in almost two decades

By Evan Sully Staff Writer

Unemployment in the U.S. is sliding down to record-lows, as the unemployment rate in April dipped to 3.9 percent on a seasonally adjusted measurement according to April’s job report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on May 4.

This rate is the lowest it has been since December 2000, when it also stood at 3.9 percent toward the end of the dotcom bubble.

Employers during the month added 164,000 jobs as well, with widespread job gains in sectors such as professional and business services, manufacturing, health care and mining. With these job additions, April marked 91 consecutive months, dating back to October 2010, that the economy added jobs.

Health care added 24,000 jobs in April and 305,000 jobs this calendar year alone. Employment increased in ambulatory health care services by 17,000 jobs while employment in hospitals surged by 8,000 jobs.

In a similar fashion to health care, manufacturing employment also increased by 24,000 with the majority of that increase coming in the form of durable goods. Specifically, machinery added 8,000 jobs and overall manufacturing employment has risen by 245,000 over the last year.

Professional and business services gained 54,000 jobs in April.

Employment didn’t change much in government, financial

activities, construction, wholesale trade, retail trade, transportation or leisure and hospitality.

“A fall in the unemployment rate is, broadly speaking, a positive development,” said Paul Kubik, an economics professor at DePaul.

“The recent decline to 3.9 percent is one additional step in a process that has been underway since the unemployment rate started to fall back in October 2009.”

During the great recession of 2007-2009, the unemployment rate skyrocketed up to 10.0 percent in October 2009 per the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, and it has gradually been falling since then. The unemployment rate in August 2017 was 4.4 percent before dropping down to 4.2 percent in September 2017. Then, in October 2017, the unemployment rate fell again to 4.1 percent and remained static until March before spiking down to its current rate.

One explanation for the unemployment rate is that the size of the labor force shrunk, as 236,000 individuals dropped out of the workforce in April.

“From the overall macro perspective, what you want to have is that the number of new jobs created is at least sufficient to match the number of new people entering the labor market,” said Michael Miller, an economist and DePaul professor. “Over, say, a one-year period, we need about 110 (to) 120,000 jobs per month to match that increase, so we’re doing fine.”

In spite of this exodus from the workforce, the economy saw wages grow.

Average hourly wages rose by four cents in April up to $26.84 for private sector workers, a 2.6 percent increase since April 2017.

While that’s not a significant percentage on paper, there are signs that wage growth in general is on track to continue growing.

“It’ll only come to a halt if the labor market becomes less tight,” Miller said. “So in other words, if the unemployment rate begins to rise, workers, their wages have not kept up productivity gains, so they have in a sense money coming their way. They’ve been working hard and because employers have had other options, other people they can hire, workers haven’t had their wages go up. So this is a chance that those wages are going to go up.”

With the unemployment rate this low and jobs continuing to be added month after month, long-term benefits could potentially come through from a macroeconomic perspective.

“One possible long-term benefit would be the rate being so low and with wages beginning to rise that some of the young men who have fallen out of the labor force between 25 and 55 may begin to re-enter the market, and that could only be good,” Miller said.

While economic growth raises the possibility of the economy heating up too fast, Miller doesn’t that happening any time soon. “(Wages are) not going up that fast, so I don’t think the economy is overheating. I don’t think there’s a problem of firms finding workers yet. There is some

GRAPHICS BY VICTORIA WILLIAMSON | THE DEPAULIA

mismatch between workers and certain skills, but on the whole, we don’t see that quite yet,” Miller said.

Miller says to not to worry about the risk of inflation.

“The research that I have seen makes it clear that wages don’t cause inflation, wages follow inflation. So inflation expectations will not rise just because workers are finally getting their cut of the pie. Inflation would begin to rise … if the economy overheats, in that the price of inputs overall is rising, and there’s money in the system to, in a sense, fuel some kind of increase in prices.”

Ultimately, any risk of inflation depends a great deal on whether the Federal Reserve raises the federal funds rate – the rate at which banks lend reserve balances to other banks and depository institutions on an overnight basis.

Currently, the federal funds

rate is 1.69 percent, and the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), which is the committee of the Fed that meets eight times annually to set monetary policy, voted to raise the federal funds rate at both its December and May meetings. Following FOMC’s May meeting “they sent out the usual press release confirming that the Fed thinks the labor market is strong and approaching the two percent target, so they plan to continue to gradually increase rates,” said Ingunn Lonning, a DePaul economics professor.

Moving forward, April’s dip in unemployment creates a sense of optimism for economic prosperity. “The fact that jobs are up is important. It would be nice to have lots of really high paying jobs, and when people have the skills to get into those, that’ll be the case,” Miller said.

12 | Opinions. The DePaulia. May 14, 2018

Opinions

Not a death sentence

Why we need to change the way we talk to cancer patients

By Liliana Trifilio Contributing Writer

It was a night like any other.

My brother had gone to the hospital after feeling fatigued for several days and thinking nothing of it. An hour later he was screaming “Am I going to die?” through teary eyes to a man in a lab coat.

The doctor diagnosed him with acute lymphocytic leukemia, a cancer of the blood.

Living with a family member with cancer tears you up. When I first discovered my younger brother was diagnosed with Leukemia, my reaction was shock, followed by grief, anger and ongoing anxiety. Knowing someone with a life-threatening illness is difficult on its own, but the conversation surrounding cancer is often harmful rather than helpful.

“For some reason it feels dirty to people – shameful even,” said Doug Hanson, whose mother died of breast cancer at age 55. “I just don’t get it.”

Cancer can become isolating for both those diagnosed and their families when there is no outlet to turn to. For me, I felt like I couldn’t talk to my friends because they acted uneasy when I brought it to their attention.

I felt like I couldn’t talk to my family either, because they were going through the same painful emotions I was going through.

“I think people often tiptoe around the topic or avoid bringing it up, and it can feel very alienating sometimes,” said Katie Thomas, whose mother was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer at age 48. “If someone didn’t want to talk about it, then it didn’t make me feel like they cared about me or what was happening in my life.”

Oftentimes, cancer patients feel like they shouldn’t discuss their experiences because the topic makes those around them uncomfortable.

“I hated telling people I had cancer because they changed their whole demeanor toward me,” said Jackie Pawlowski, who was diagnosed with thyroid cancer when he was 13. “People only looked at me through sad eyes.”

Sometimes it’s even easier for cancer patients to avoid the topic altogether in an effort to be treated normally. My brother, among many others, retreated into himself after being diagnosed. It wasn’t easy for him

to talk about cancer, and it wasn’t easy to ignore his disease when it was all people wanted to talk about.

“I haven’t told too many people about having it. I like being able to go out and not have every person in the room I know also know I have it,” said Jack McCoy, a graduate of Columbia University who has Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

People often say “I’m so sorry you have cancer” as an automatic response, yet that common phrase is often more damaging than supportive.

“I don’t control this,” Pawlowski said. “It wasn’t my choice, please don’t apologize.

A better thing to say would be asking how they’re feeling.”

When someone has cancer they are in a constant state of anxiety from the time they enter the hospital to years after they are cured. Cancer patients often don’t want to think about their illness; it’s already a constant in their daily routine.

“My mom did not want cancer to become the focal point of conversation,” said Sal Fratto, whose mother was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer at age 45. “She wanted people to check up on her of course, but to treat her how they always had.”

In 2018, an estimated 1,735,350 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the United States according to the National Cancer Institute.

With an overwhelming amount of new cases every year it’s likely someone you know will be affected by cancer in your lifetime.

“Reassure them you’ll be with them always even if it’s just to listen,” Pawlowski said. “Be patient because everyone deals with cancer differently.”

Instead of pity and sympathy, many claim that humor is the best medicine. For my brother, activities like watching “The Office” from start to finish served as the distraction he needed.

“I’ve found cancer humor is the best way to deal with it,” McCoy said. “I had a friend who improvised a song about how I was going to die. Other friends in the room weren’t too happy with him, I was giddy.”

It is important to remember that cancer never defines a person; it is something they are living with, but they are not their disease.

“The most important thing

she taught me is that she is not her cancer,” Fratto said. “She had always been the strongest person in my life. I knew that wouldn’t change.”

Ultimately, showing support and love is what cancer patients need during their experience.

“The most amazing thing about cancer is how many people just show their love and support for you,” Pawlowski said. “I was overwhelmed by the love, honestly, but looking back at it I really needed that support.”

We need to change the dialogue around cancer, to better the relationships and experiences of those living through it. Ignoring the issue or using negative language

typically does not help patients feel better. Cancer patients want to be treated like human beings, not their illness, and they need encouragement, confidence and moral support to get through this hardship.

Instead of looking for automatic responses and pity, spark up a positive conversation about the issue or talk to cancer patients about other aspects of their lives, memories, interests and hobbies.

Cancer is deadly, but it is not a death sentence. People like my brother need hope to cope through their experiences, and it is our duty as their friends and family to provide that for them when situations seem hopeless.

GRAPHICS BY ALLY ZACEK | THE DEPAULIA

Opinions. The DePaulia. May 14, 2018 | 13

Open letter to the DePaul Board of Trustees:

Make your investment profile public

By James Langford Contributing Writer

Every day, when walking past the Student Center on DePaul’s Lincoln Park campus, students are questioned by the statue of Monsignor John J. Egan: “What are you doing for justice?” In 2014, the DePaul University administration was petitioned by pro-Palestine students to divest from pro-Israel investments, amidst opposition from pro-Israel lobbyists on campus. Even though the vote was successful in pulling funds from these causes, the board of trustees still maintains the confidentiality of their investment portfolio. Though this is within the university’s legal rights, a university that claims to be morally driven should – on principle – make their morally consequential behavior public to be held accountable for said behavior.

Supposed divestment from past morally questionable investments is not enough to expose the true character of the board of trustees. We the students call for full disclosure of DePaul’s investment portfolio in order to insure that DePaul’s mission statement and public service responsibility are carried out through its actions. DePaul’s mission statement states that “the university encouraged faculty, staff, and students to apply specialized expertise in ways that contribute to the societal, economic, cultural, and ethical quality of life in the metropolitan area and beyond.”

The intrinsic value of this mission statement could be contradicted if the university maintains investments in corporate giants which place more value in profit than people. As students, we trust that with the exposition of DePaul’s investment portfolio, the potential for public scrutiny will incentivize the board of trustees to display good moral character by adhering to the university’s mission statement. As tuition-paying students, who agreed to this mission statement upon enrollment, we deserve a framework to hold our administration accountable for its decisions.

It is impossible to say with certainty where DePaul’s funds are allocated currently, but by looking at the corporate sponsors of DePaul events and the past and current job titles of the Board of Trustees, connections to certain corporations can be made. Namely, in 2014, DePaul elected William “Bill” Kusack, the former managing director at JP Morgan Capital Corp., to its board of trustees. Since 2015, the “Blue

Demon Team” of DePaul faculty have joined the JPMorgan Chase corporate challenge, an annual “3.5-mile (5.6-km) running events open to groups of full-time employees from organizations within the business and public sectors” alongside teams from JPMorgan Chase corporate partners such as Groupon, T-Mobile, Wells Fargo and many more.

It cannot be determined with certainty whether or not the DePaul Board of Trustees actually invests in JPMorgan Chase, but close public ties with the corporation like these make financial association probable.

Most recently, in January of this year, the DePaul Board of Trustees announced that Judith P. Greffin, the retired executive vice president and chief executive officer of the Allstate Corporation would be joining as its 45th member.

While working at Allstate, Ms. Greffin worked with State Street Corporation (of which Allstate CEO Tom Wilson also serves on the board) to finance Allstate’s investments.

The State Street Corporation is the largest shareholder in Lockheed Martin, the world’s largest arms manufacturer, with over $800 million invested in the company. Lockheed Martin missiles, planes, and chemical weapons are routinely used by the U.S. military and the state of Israel on Syrian and Palestinian civilians, acts which I need not describe and can not defend.

There are a multitude of ethical, sustainable corporations on Wall Street that do not support environmentally detrimental behavior, such as JPMorgan Chase, which currently has upwards of $400 million invested in Energy Transfer Partners, L.P., the company that financed the Dakota Access Pipeline. The DePaul Board of Trustees has already acted on student calls to pull investments from direct Pro-Israel corporations, but likely still finances them indirectly. We understand that it is both in the best interests of the students and university to maintain a profitable portfolio, but profit and ethics do not have to be mutually exclusive.

It is possible for the board of trustees to uphold their portfolio of sound investments without using the endowment and student tuition dollars to support morally reprehensible causes by association with their corporate investors. For these reasons, it is imperative that DePaul’s investments are made public.

Don't call Israel an apartheid state

By Michael Adato Contributing Writer

Throughout the week of May 14, antiIsrael protesters are gathering around the country to mark what they call “Apartheid Week.” This event refers to Israel as “an apartheid state” and creates a false moral equivalence between the horrific racism of South African apartheid from 1948-1991 and the free, democratic State of Israel.

DePaul's Students for Justice In Palestine will be holding events on campus from May 14 to 17 to raise awareness.

Apartheid included laws prohibiting populations of different races from living together, laws codifying political censorship and repression, and segregation throughout every aspect of life. For example, The Immorality Act made it illegal for a white South African to have sexual relations with a non-white South African. These are the types of laws that make up the horror of apartheid.

In Israel, there is no equivalent to these heinous laws. Israel is a nation in which Christians, Muslims and Jews have access to all holy sites and government services as equal citizens under the law.

Arab Muslims and Christians serve as civil servants, as politicians in the Israeli

PHOTO COURTESY OF AP NEWSROOM

A World War II reenactment group celebrates Israel Victory Day in Ashdod, Israel on May 9, 2018

Knesset (Israeli parliament), and as judges on the Israeli Supreme Court. Every Israeli citizen has the right to protest, organize and publish whatever they would like.

None of these things were possible for non-white South Africans living under apartheid.

Portraying Israel as equivalent to apartheid South Africa shows a disrespect for those who suffered in South Africa and for the diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds of the Israeli people. Rather than increasing polarization through hyperbole, Palestinians and Israelis should

endeavor to hold honest dialogue about the facts on the ground. Peace can only be achieved through nuanced discussion, and the false comparison to South African apartheid makes peace harder to reach.

Earlier in the year, Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life sponsored a trip to Israel with 17 DePaul students of different backgrounds.

During the trip, students travelled from north to south and east to west, hearing the stories of Israelis and Arabs. Those who went were able to understand the complexities and nuances of life in that place. In addition, I just returned from a joint trip of 10 DePaul students of various backgrounds and faiths to Washington, D.C., during which we heard from diverse speakers including Arabs, Israelis, Muslims and Jews. These sorts of programs, where people can truly speak to one another across lines of division, is what we need on our campus.

I am proud of our DePaul Hillel and our community for our dedication to dialogue and understanding to create peace and prosperity for all. We welcome all to join us in our quest for peace and justice for Israel.

The opinions in this section do not necessarily reflect those of The DePaulia staff.

Focus Save the date 14 | Focus. The DePaulia. May 14, 2018

The countdown to the royal wedding between Meghan Markle and Prince Harry has begun

By Makenzie Born Contributing Writer

Hollywood actress and California native Meghan Markle will wed Prince Harry of Wales, grandson of the Queen and sixth in line for the throne on Saturday, May 19. The two met in 2016 after being introduced by a mutual friend and reportedly dated for about 15 months before Prince Harry popped the question during a quiet night in over roast chicken.

Now, with the wedding just days away and despite heavy scrutiny from the media, there are still quite a few details left up to speculation. Meghan’s dress? The wedding party? The guest list?

“They are keeping things very tight-lipped,” said wedding planner Frank J. Andonoplas, accredited master wedding planner and owner of Frank Event Design in Chicago. “This is not just a wedding- this is an event that is going to affect the British Monarchy, and there is so much protocol involved.”

Meghan and Prince Harry’s wedding will be held at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, rather than at Westminster Abbey where Prince William and Kate Middleton were married in 2011. As Harry is sixth in line to the throne and is quite unlikely to be King, the couple was allowed to opt for a slightly more toned-down venue.

St. George’s Chapel can hold 800 guests compared to Westminster Abbey’s 2,000.

But even with a smaller guest list, a wedding of the scale will be anything but low-key.

“You’ll be dealing with street closures and security beyond belief,” said Andonoplas, who has experience planning weddings for celebrities and high-profile guests that require confidentiality and security measures. “I couldn’t even begin to imagine what their security plan is.”

Meghan may also bring a few of her own American customs to the traditional British affair. We know the couple has commissioned Claire Ptak, American expat and owner of London-based Violet Bakery, to make a lemon elderflower cake with buttercream frosting for the big day, going against the traditional fruit cake that’s been served at royal weddings for generations.

As for the wedding party, it’s unknown if Meghan will stick to American or British wedding customs. While

American bridesmaids tend to be adult friends of the bride, the British often include children in the wedding party. It’s believed that Meghan will commission her close friends for her own wedding party, but perhaps also include Prince Harry’s nephew and niece, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, in the festivities.

The design and designer of Meghan’s dress, which have been widely speculated over in the months and weeks leading up to the wedding, are also still a mystery.

“I’d be shocked if she wore strapless,” said Andonoplas. “She’s too modest- we won’t be seeing any shoulder. I’m guessing short sleeves, maybe a cap sleeve. Something very tasteful.”

Meghan’s style as she has transitioned into the royal spotlight has been widely embraced, with critics and fans alike appreciating her modern spin on a very conservative look. From her trousers to her signature messy bun and pointed-toe pumps, women around the world have been quick to snatch up labels she’s been spotted wearing. Her wedding dress will no doubt inspire a new trend for many brides, just as Kate and Diana did before her.

“After Diana, it was all about the royal ballgown and the bow in the back,” recalls Andonoplas. “And after Kate was married, the long sleeves and lace became really big.

I’ve seen many more sleeves on brides since then.”

Post ceremony, the couple will reportedly have two receptions. This first reception will be at St. George’s Hall, and the second, more private reception will be hosted by Prince Charles at Frogmore House. The second reception will be for closer friends and family only, and it’s rumored that the Spice Girls may be performing.

“The afterparty will be later in the evening, and it’s more for the couple as opposed to all the earlier protocol.

I think they will try and make it their own,” said Andonoplas on the level of input the couple has in planning their wedding day.

Still, because of royal traditions and customs, many of the day’s events are out of Meghan and Harry’s control.

“I can tell you there are things they would have wanted and were told absolutely not,” he added.

For citizens of the UK who are more closely con-

GOING AGAINST TRADITION The royal couple is having a lemon eldercake instead of a fruit cake, and the wedding will be held at the Windsor instead of Westminster Abbey.

nected to the royal family, the upcoming royal wedding stirs up some emotions from the past. Anna Buhles, British citizen who splits her time between the U.S. and the UK, says that as a nation, Britain has closely watched both boys grow since the death of Princess Diana in 1997.

“Watching William and Harry walking behind their mother’s coffin that day will never be forgotten,” said Buhles. “Many people really wondered if those boys would ever find happiness again, particularly Harry who was so young.”

“It’s especially heartwarming to see him marrying someone who seems to make him happy and be his equal in many ways,” she added.

As for the American attention to the upcoming royal event, Buhles believes Americans have always had a level of interest in the royals, partly due to the fairytale aspect of kings, queens, princes and princesses that are foreign to American culture, and partly because the Royal Family puts on such a good show.

“Even so, in the UK it will be times 100 with wallto-wall coverage,” said Buhles. “A royal wedding is huge in the UK and really the only way to avoid it is to hide at home with everything switched off and the curtains drawn.”

Added American interest in the wedding is also due to the fact that Meghan herself is American, and a wellknown actress from her role as Rachel Zane on Suits.

“I followed William and Kate’s wedding,” says student Sarah Epstein. “But I think my friends and I are even more interested in this one just because of Meghan. I hope she adds a little bit of flair and some of her own personality into it. She’s different, and that’s the best part.”

Local fans will be able to catch a glimpse of the couple during their carriage procession through Windsor after the ceremony. But for those of us across the pond thinking about setting an alarm to watch the big day, be ready for an early wake up- the wedding will air here in Chicago at 6am on Saturday morning. But based on what we know so far (and all the rumors), it will be well worth it.

M 6 a.

St. George’s C

Catch a screening at

Focus. The DePaulia. May 14, 2018 | 15

Graphics By Victoria Williamson

MEGHAN’S ENGAGEMENT RING

WHO IS ON THE INVITE LIST?

The Spice Girls

RSVP

Priyanka Chopra

WHO IS NOT ON THE INVITE LIST?

May 19, 2018 .m. (Central time) Chapel in Windsor Castle

t R iver East 21 for $10 at 1 0 a.m.

The Obamas

16 | Arts & Life. The DePaulia. May 14, 2018

Arts & Life

PHOTO COURTESY OF MCKENZIE CHINN

"Olympia" takes a look at what adulthood looks like once you've hit 30 and haven't exactly figured it all out yet. DePaul graduate McKenzie Chinn wrote it and stars in the film.

Grad student explores adulthood in new film

By Garret Neal Staff Writer

Okay all you college students, feel like you’re ready for your “adult” life? What about five, six or seven years from now?

What if you get into your thirties and you feel like you don’t have it all “figured out” yet?

DePaul graduate McKenzie Chinn was thinking about these questions as she wrote her feature length film “Olympia.”

“Olympia” explores year thirty in the life of a woman named Olympia (played by Chinn). As she reaches that age milestone, she is caught in a maelstrom of changes.

Her roommate leaves to a place out of Olympia’s price range, her boyfriend and best friend both get jobs they’ll have to move away for, her mother is in the hospital and, to top it off, Olympia’s career has yet to take off. She must now decide if she too can change or if she will get left behind.

“It felt like a lot of people in my generation spend most of their twenties just doing whatever and kind of figuring it out. But it felt so much to me, regardless of whether it’s true, that turning 30 felt like ‘Oh, I gotta have something to show for it,’” Chinn said.

Chinn said she and her friends felt the pressure to make huge life choices after graduating, but that hasn’t been the case.

One of her major focuses while creating the film was questioning the definition of adulthood and how she thinks it has changed since her parents’ generation.

She said her generation still does typical “adult” things in their twenties, like paying rent and having a job, but some of the big mile markers have changed.

These things include getting married, buying a house and having a “career that you do for like 40 years.” She said that old roadmap did not feel relevant to her, so she made it up as she went along. Chinn’s coproducer and the director of “Olympia,” Gregory Dixon, added he felt like part of the shift has come from the way in which the world and economy has changed.

“My parents had a house and kids by the age of 30, but they didn’t have thousands of dollars of student loans,” Dixon said.

Dixon went to college in upstate New York. After graduating, he worked in the area for about a year before realizing he wasn’t happy with where he was and needed a change of scenery. He started looking for a graduate school in the city, and he narrowed it down to New York and Chicago. DePaul’s film program was just in its infancy at the time, and Dixon said he liked that about the school because it gave him the flexibility to do what he wanted. For one of his classes in 2010, those pursuing their MFAs in directing got paired with the MFA acting students.

Dixon ended up getting paired with Chinn for the project.

“I remember seeing that project we worked on and thinking it was so beautiful and engaging,” Chinn said. “I remember nothing in my brain that I wanted to work with Greg in the future. So he was the first person that came to mind when it looked like I was going to be able to produce this film.”

Like most films, once things got rolling they did not go quite according to plan.

Chinn and Dixon recalled one fall day in 2016 in particular: They had scheduled a downtown Chicago bar to shoot in for the day. Their one out-of-town actor had flown in to shoot for two days. The scene took place at night, so the crew had blacked out the windows to keep out the sun. After a few hours of filming, Chinn said they had some good footage in the can.

Suddenly, the owner of the bar walked in and asked them to unblock the windows because people were calling and asking if they were closed. While Dixon and Chinn originallythought the agreement was that they had the bar for the day, it also happened to be the same day the Chicago Cubs were about to begin what would become a historic playoff run, and the owner of the bar did not want to miss the crowds for the first game.

They ended up having to find another location, and they couldn’t use footage from the original bar.

“One of the greatest things that’s happened to Chicago in the last few years is the Cubs winning the world series,”

PHOTO COURTESY OF MCKENZIE CHINN

Chinn relied on her own personal experiences after graduation for inspiration.

Dixon said. “Turns out, not so great for our production.”

Dixon said they will be finishing the film before the end of May, and then it’s on to the festival circuit.

“I completed my coursework a long

time ago, and then I actually worked for DePaul for six or seven years, and now I finally get to finish my thesis film,” Dixon said.

Arts & Life. The DePaulia. May 14, 2018| 17

GRAPHICS BY ALLY ZACEK | THE DEPAULIA

Late-night eats in Lincoln Park

By Amber Colón & Lacey Latch Editor-in-Chief and Arts & Life Editor

If you’re sick of Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks sandwiches before your morning classes, look no further than Nighthawk AM for all of your gourmet breakfast needs.

The child of California-born Nighthawk: Breakfast Bar, Nighthawk AM is a fast-casual dining spot located at 2273 N. Lincoln Ave. After taking only a few steps through the door you are immersed in a new and entirely breakfast-themed reality. The floors are plastered with old breakfast advertisements, and the counter seating by the windows is covered by a mix of different cereal box covers. Patrons can find coffee lightened up with cereal milk, scoops of cookie dough and baskets of tots and crinkle fries at any time of the day.

The original location of Nighthawk in Venice Beach was established about two years ago as a full all-day breakfast bar by 27-year-old Los Angeles-based restaurateur and CEO Jeremy Fall. There, you can find spiked cereal milk cocktails, boozy French toast and other kinds of breakfast-for-dinner items.

Nighthawk AM manager Colin Foy said that the team has thrown around the idea of opening a bigger restaurant in Chicago to serve alcoholic drinks and a fuller menu, but no official plans are in the works for that just yet.

However, if Nighthawk eventually decided to open a larger location, it would likely be very well-received in a city like Chicago, where brunch and booze go hand-in-hand for much of the population.

“We would like to do the cereal milk cocktails, so whether we do that here or in another location in Chicago is yet to be determined,” Foy said.

Since Lincoln Park is full of 20-something millennials, Nighthawk AM fits into the rest of the neighborhood quite perfectly. Just like the seasons, the menu changes quite frequently, and the restaurant offers different food items depending on the time of year.

Perhaps the most drastic new addition to this season’s menu is the newly implemented “BYOB: Build Your Own Bowl” option. Capitalizing on the fastcasual customization experience that has long been popularized by chains like Chipotle, Nighthawk AM has taken a unique spin on the concept and adapted it to their breakfast all day business model.

Although it’s no longer being offered as the weather has been warming up, the Hot Cuckoo is probably one of the best cups of hot chocolate in Chicago right now. The drink is made with Cocoa Puffs and topped with burnt marshmallows and even more Cocoa Puffs. Sipping on this drink might remind you of a simpler time, complete with bonfires and a finals-free winter break.

The menu also features a coffee option playfully titled Cereal Milk Covfefe,

PHOTO COURTESY OF NIGHTHAWK AM

Nighthawk AM is located near the cross-section of Lincoln, Belden and Orchard St and is open until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. poking fun at the typo mix-up involving President Trump around this time last year.

The options for different cereal are always changing, keeping the menu feeling fresh and new every time you step through the door.

Now off the menu, the Fruity Pebbles cereal milk coffee was the perfect flavor combination between coffee and cereal, and it expertly balanced both components of the drink in order to highlight the unique flavor of the cereal aisle staple. The Fruity Pebbles used to top off the drink as a garnish took the presentation to another level.

We started off by trying two breakfast sandwiches called the Oozapalooza and The Original Gangster.

The Oozapalooza consists of a homemade cheddar and chive biscuit that encompasses a sunny side up egg, cheddar cheese and Nighthawk sauce to top it off.

This biscuit is reminiscent of a the iconic Red Lobster biscuits but stands apart from the rest as a truly made-from-scratch meal with each and every ingredient bursting with flavor. The Nighthawk sauce adds a subtle and completely original tangy flavor that takes everything else up a notch.

Next, The Original Gangster is just what it sounds like: it’s a classic breakfast sandwich served on a potato bun topped with bacon fat mayo. Inside you’ll find a cheesy cheddar omelette and the house made maple-sage sausage that put Nighthawks’ sausage, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich competitors to shame.

Now, you can add a side of tots to your sandwich order for just $2. We recommend ordering the tots with a side of Nashville hot mayo. The sauce is tasty when you first try it, but there's something about the heat

LACEY LATCH | THE DEPAULIA

Nighthawk AM features coffee made with cereal milk playfully called "Covfefe." that sneaks up on you and makes it an even more exciting flavor experience.

If you can make room for dessert, look no further than Nighthawk’s selection of cookie dough. Prepare room in your stomach for an ice cream-sized scoop of everything your heart could desire out of gourmet cookie dough.

The Yabba Dabba Dough, served in a small cup, is Fruity Pebbles cereal milk cookie dough topped with fresh strawberries, blueberries and lime zest.

To make matters even better, almost all of the food is given to you in convenient plastic containers making it easier to take it to-go or to save your food for later.

You won’t ever leave feeling bad about the food you just consumed, though. As cheesy, meaty and well-portioned as the food can be, unbuttoning your pants won’t be a thought that crosses your mind.

“You don’t wanna eat breakfast food and then go home and take a nap,” Foy said.

18 | Arts & Life. The DePaulia. May 14, 2018

Diane Guerrero on the importance of telling your own story

By Amber Colón Editor-in-Chief

Personal narratives are important, especially those that shine a lot on some of the most pressing social issues of our time.

Just as important is making sure that the authors of those stories are the people they most affect.

At 14-years-old, “Orange Is The New Black” actress Diane Guerrero’s Colombian parents were deported back to their home country while she was at school. She came home to find them gone. It would be the first time she had ever told her story when Guerrero wrote an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times about how she grew up dealing with her parents’ status as undocumented immigrants pursuing their citizenship.

After her story was shared thousands of times across the country, Guerrero found herself being invited to different places to speak as an activist for immigration reform. This led to her being inspired to write a book, “In The Country We Love,” about her life as a Latina who is dealing with the things so many of us deal with: immigration, personal relationships and mental health.

On May 4, Guerrero flew into Chicago to spend an afternoon with DePaul students to talk about her book and answer questions about being a Latina in the workforce. The talk was the last event in the “Latinos and Mass Incarceration” series that was hosted by the Department of Latin American and Latino Studies.

“It’s honestly kind of my fantasy to be taught by you,” Guerrero told Maria Hinojosa, who moderated the event. “You guys are really lucky,” she told the students in the audience.

Born in New Jersey, Guerrero grew up in Boston and spent much of her time with her family translating things into Spanish, helping fill out applications and having discussions about her family’s

IMAGE COURTESY OF IMDB

Guerrero is the child of Colombian immigrants who were deported when she was 14-years-old. She stars in "Orange Is The New Black" and "Jane The Virgin." undocumented status. avail,” Guerrero wrote in her op-ed. “That “Throughout my childhood I watched meant my childhood was haunted by the my parents try to become legal but to no fear that they would be deported. If I didn't

see anyone when I walked in the door after school, I panicked.”

But at 14-years-old, Guerrero’s Colombian parents were deported back to their home country while she was at school.

She came home one day to find them gone.

Later, her older brother would also be deported.

Life went on for Guerrero, as it does for many children of immigrants across the country. She was taken in by other Colombian families and went on to graduate from high school, went to college for political science and communications and eventually pursued a career in acting – but her parents weren’t there for any of those major milestones.

She spoke at length about how she was often frustrated with her parents, because she so badly wanted to live a “normal” American childhood. In some ways, Guerrero held many anti-immigrant sentiments because she had internalized so much of what she was going through instead of acknowledging her hurt and fear.

Guerrero said that telling her story became an integral part of who she is, because once she did so she realized she wasn’t alone. Every single day in the U.S., the children of immigrants are separated from their families as a result of immigration policies.

She noted that not a single person at any level of government took any note of her, meaning that a minor U.S. citizen was without any legal guardianship.

“No one checked to see if I had a place to live or food to eat, and at 14, I found myself basically on my own,” she wrote.

Guerrero said that she would visit Colombia over the summer to see her parents and her brother, and they have since improved their relationship.

She said that as tough as it has been to come to terms with her frustrations and tell her story, she does it because “that’s the human story.”

Arctic Monkeys reinvent themselves

By Cailey Gleeson Contributing Writer

Don’t panic, but Arctic Monkeys are back.

After a five-year hiatus following the release of “AM,” the group graced fans with a new album on May 11 that features a surprising change of pace.

The Sheffield-based band — comprised of lead vocalist and guitarist Alex Turner, drummer Matt Helders, guitarist Jamie Cook and bassist Nick O’Malley — have maintained their status as one of the biggest bands in the world, and they have even been credited with “saving rock and roll” since their formation in 2002. Interestingly, however, “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino” is their least rock album to date.

In fact, they’ve almost reinvented their sound entirely.

The tracks on “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino” don’t sound like they came from the same band that released the 2013 indie-rock anthem “Do I Wanna Know?” or the timeless 2007 bop “Fluorescent Adolescent”— but I’m oddly here for it.

“I just wanted to be one of The Strokes, now look at the mess you made me make” begins the opening track — appropriately named “Star Treatment.” Reflecting on their stardom, Turner sets the tone for the entire album with this jazzy tune that sounds like it would fit perfectly in a jazz lounge from the ‘60s. The album is especially piano heavy, as opposed to their older songs, and Turner has said in interviews that it was a conscious choice, instead of just using the guitar sounds that they’re known for.

The lyrics on this album are especially

clever — especially when Turner plays with his accent to rhyme “underpants” with “government” in “One Point Perspective.”

The word play isn’t what makes this tune so special though — the guitar riffs in this piece are truly what steal the show. Next up is “American Sports” which oddly sounds a lot like “One Point Perspective,” so there isn’t much to say about the track.

The chill vibes continue with “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino” and “Science Fiction,” as listeners are taken to the space hotel-casino that the band is referencing. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Turner said that the album name is based off of Tranquility Base — the site of the first lunar landing — but says that the band may or may not be talking about an actual hotel-casino location.

“Golden Trunks” sounds more like an interlude rather than an actual track — as it’s the shortest song on the album — and is a perfect transition between “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino” and “Four Out Of Five.”

Maybe it’s just the title, but “The World’s First Ever Monster Truck Front Flip” is truly the standout track on the album. Turner’s powerful vocals are perfectly complemented by the jazzy keyboard accompaniment — a theme that persists throughout the entire album but is especially noticeable in “She Looks Like Fun” and “Batphone.”

“Ultracheese” is the perfect track to conclude the album, sounding like it would fit perfectly in the closing credits of a classic romance movie.

IMAGE COURTESY SPOTIFY

This marks the first new release for the band since announcing their hiatus in 2014.

While the album has received mixed reviews from fans unsure of the new sound, the change of pace is necessary. Versatility and experimentation are key dimensions of this group, which many forget given their status as a popular garage-rock group. The sound isn’t necessarily the biggest critique of the album, however; many are also unhappy with the length.

Due to the extent of the band’s five-year hiatus, many were expecting their return to

be marked by a triumphant, lengthy record.

Instead, “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino” is unfortunately only 11 tracks long. Given that the album also introduces a reinvented sound, perhaps more tunes would convince those who are unsure about the direction the group is heading in.

One thing’s for sure: Arctic Monkeys have come back with a bang — and they won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

Arts & Life. The DePaulia. May 14, 2018. | 19

The weird and the wearable GRAPHICS BY ALLY ZACEK | THE DEPAULIA

By Brenden Welper Contributing Writer

They’re everywhere. At the bar, at the mall, and, of course, at your local stadium.

They come in all shapes and sizes.

Colors range from silver and black to Honolulu Blue. Men, women and children seem can all be seen wearing them.

Demographics don’t matter.

They’re items that are so unusual, a term had to be invented in order to describe them: shirseys.

A combination of the words “shirt” and “jersey,” shirseys are replica versions of uniforms from popular sports teams plastered onto a t-shirt. Consumers can choose from a wide range of players and can even customize their own.

“I have 13 shirseys,” Ryan Witry said.

“And I just ordered No. 14.”

Witry, 21, is a junior at DePaul University. His shirsey collection includes superstars like Washington Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer, along with more interesting choices like former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel.

“It really started as a joke,” Witry said.

I didn’t understand why the (Cleveland

Cavaliers) decided to make a Timofey Mozgov shirsey. Like, who are they expecting to buy a shirsey for a player who, until then, was most famous for being dunked on by Blake Griffin?”

Mozgov hasn’t played with the Cavaliers since the 201516 season. Since then, the center has bounced around the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets.

Still, the dated piece of fabric remains a part of Witry’s rotation.

“I don’t have a favorite per se, but the Mozgov one is funny, because there’s reason for the (Cavaliers) to have made it, for me to want to buy it and to still wear it,” Witry said.

One of the reasons shirseys appear to be so popular is their prices. Most cost anywhere from $20 to $40 depending on the

retailer. By comparison, an authentic jersey from NBAStore.com fetches a whopping $199 before shipping and handling.

“They have the draw of a jersey but are cheaper and don’t have a whack design,” Tim Stebbins said. “The team logo keeps it simple and having a player on the shirt makes me feel more connected to the action every game.”

Stebbins is also a junior at DePaul. Most of his shirseys consist of DePaul junior players from the Cubs and B l a c k h aw k s .

His favorite is a Brandon Saad shirt that he bought during the Blackhawks’ 2015 Stanley Cup championship run.

“They’re not something I’d pick as a go-to for a night out, but they’re pretty versatile otherwise,” he said.

“They have the draw of a jersey but are cheaper and don’t have a 'whack' design.”

Tim Stebbins

But not all sports fans are convinced.

Some see the fad geared more towards the younger generation. And they’ve cut ties completely.

“I stopped wearing sports jerseys and shirseys when I got into college,” said DePaul graduate student Gavriel Wilkins.

Wilkins, 24, believes there’s a cut-off age as to when it’s time to hang them up.

“I’m going to say 20,” Wilkins said.

“Because once you get to that age, you should pretty much have your identity intact. Although, everybody has their own ritual or given weird things that they may like to wear when rooting for their favorite sports teams. So, I kind of understand it.”

An extra emphasis is placed on the weird component, at least for Witry.

“I like buying and wearing shirseys like those because not everyone will have a Kelly Olynyk shirsey,” Witry said, in reference to the Miami Heat power forward. “There are a lot of LeBron James jerseys, but there’s a select few that buy and wear Mozgov shirseys.”

20| Arts & Life. The DePaulia. May 14, 2018

Loma, Jess Williamson take over Schubas

By Cailey Gleeson Contributing Writer

Loma — with opening act Jess Williamson — truly saved the best for last for their U.S. tour with their gig at Schubas on May 11.

Formed in 2016, Loma is an alternative trio comprised of Emily Cross, Dan Duszynski and Jonathan Meiberg. Their debut self-titled album was released on February 16, and they have now embarked on a 20-date tour that eventually led them to Schubas — one of Chicago’s hidden gem concert venues.

Along for the ride was Jess Williamson, an Austin-based indie musician. Together, the two performers put on a show that will not soon be forgotten.

As indie rock softly played while the crowd waited in anticipation, the venue quickly filled with individuals of all ages — many clasping drinks in their hands and talking amongst themselves.

Celebrating the release of “Cosmic Wink” — her third album released the day of the show — Williamson took the stage with her band to deliver a memorable opening performance. Sounding as ethereal as Lana Del Rey, Williamson’s vocals did not waiver throughout the entirety of her set, and she gave an especially strong performances during the songs “I See The White” and “Dreamstate.”

Comparing the last leg of the tour to the last day of a childhood summer camp, Williamson’s gratefulness was evident as she thanked those around her, giving a special shoutout to Duszynski for helping her record her album. In a comedic exchange between her and the crowd, she misidentified members of Duszynski’s family after seeing how happy two middleaged women were at the mention of his name.

What truly stole the show was the

CAILEY GLEESON | THE DEPAULIA

Jess Williamson opened the show for alternative trio Loma at Schubas Tavern on Friday, May 11. last song of her set, “Mama Proud.” Red lights illuminated the venue to reflect the intensity of the song, matching the power of Williamson’s vocals.

The transition between the two acts was impressive, as Loma took the stage almost immediately following Williamson’s performance.

Clad entirely in a bright yellow outfit with the rest of the band dressed in darker colors, Cross was almost trancelike as she delivered angelic vocals to open the group’s set with “Who Is Speaking?”

Next up, the group performed a heartwrenching performance of “I Don’t Want Children.” Her face was almost obscured entirely by the dark lighting — a theme consistent with the more emotional ballads — as she poured her heart and soul into the vocals.

Cross’s soft stage presence was exemplified through a short anecdote she shared about working at the venue when she was younger, as well as when she put in two multi-colored earbuds to perform “Shadow Relief.”

In what was definitely a first-time experience at any show, Cross pulled a black marker from her drum and pranced to the far-right side of the stage while the band strummed on.There, she began doodling on a pad of paper. What started as a simple arch transformed into what can best be described as an emo rainbow situated upon a half-shaded ground.

The drawing was revisited later on while the band played instrumentals. This time, the picture became a depleted looking home with messy shrubs surrounding the hovel. This artistic display by Cross added a

unique dimension to Loma’s performance that made the entire experience all the more powerful and entertaining.

“Relay Runner” truly was the showstopper — and it honestly should’ve closed the set. The intensity that built in the song could be felt in concertgoers’ chests as the connection between them and the band crescendoed to an all-time high. As the music swelled, Cross’s hair fell out of her delicate bun while jumped around stage, truly feeling the music.

The sheer talent displayed by these acts — along with their eccentrically soft stage presences — easily classify them as two undiscovered artists wholly deserving of becoming mainstream. It won’t be shocking when they sell out arenas one day.

Arts & Life. The DePaulia. May 14, 2018. | 21

Bo Burnham excels in directorial debut

IMAGE COURTESY OF IMDB

Elsie Fisher stars in"Eighth Grade" as a teen trying to make it through her final week of eighth grade before moving on to highschool. Comedian Bo Burnham served as director.

By Garret Neal Staff Writer

While I may not have been there since the beginning, it has certainly been interesting to see the wide arc Bo Burnham’s career has been. He began filming YouTube videos in his bedroom, playing songs that he wrote when he was 16. By 19 he was filming his first stand up special with Comedy Central, “Words Words Words.”

He made two more specials, “what.” in 2012 and “Make Happy” in 2016. He even cultivated a solid Vine following, back when that video platform was around. Now here he is at 27, creating a feature a film that just got picked up by A24 (the same distributor that helped produce “Moonlight” and “Lady Bird,” among others) and will be shown on screens nationwide July 13. He did a bang-up job of it too. So, no pressure or anything guys. Just keep doing you.

“Eighth Grade” has Elsie Fisher take on the character of Kayla, a young girl one week away from graduating middle school.

That’s it.

It would be fruitless to explain any more because from the outside looking in, not much happens. But what Burnham is able to succeed in doing is the act of creating tension from a set of normal circumstances.

Sometimes it’s going to the pool and swimming with classmates. Sometimes it’s sitting in a car with someone Kayla doesn’t know. Sometimes it’s as simple as trying to get through a conversation without screwing up too much.

It brings to life the life and death feeling that can accompany these moments for kids. That feeling comes through in the intense electronic score that blares over the sound of anything else: the slow walk Kayla takes between the bathroom and the pool; the way she gives a huge smile when she tries to burst out of her comfort zone; the way the Photobooth countdown almost echoes her heartbeat before she films her latest YouTube video. It is a feeling that certainly I experienced as a young lad,

but it’s one I (and, I’d think, everyone else) still has. Maybe we don’t experience these things in the same situations Kayla does, but we all nonetheless go through certain moments that shouldn’t be as stressful as they are – yet we can’t shake our feelings of anxiety.

While Fisher is known, among other things, for her role as the outspoken Agnes in the "Despicable Me” movies, all traces of that character will slip away the moment you see Kayla filming her introductory YouTube video.

During these YouTube videos the dialogue feels incredibly extemporaneous, as Fisher stumbles from word to word, repeating herself and throwing in a myriad of “likes,” “ums” and “ahs.” Burnham said in a Q&A after the screening that the scenes were purposely written that way.

The fact that they feel so natural is a credit to the writing, as well as the great technical performance from Fisher.

The final thing that really stuck out is her expressions. In the beginning of the film, Kayla wins the Eighth Grade superlative “Most Quiet,” and there are plenty of lengthy sections in the movie during which she goes without speaking at all. During these moments it is easy to take for granted that you feel like you know exactly what is going on in her head, but make no mistake, that is a tricky thing to do. It it is especially notable since younger actors often get a bad rap on these sort of things; there are no such issues here.

These elements all lead to the film being a well-executed coming of age drama. Yes, there are some comedy elements as well, but those are not the focus. While slowerpaced films often try to compensate for their pacing by inviting viewers to engage in thought with what is happening, this film is different.

As Kayla struggles to get her emotions out through her videos, the film challenges viewers to think about the different ways in which social media can allow people to reach communities that are otherwise

out of reach. As she scrolls through the Instagram posts of some of the more popular kids in her grade, the film raises the issue of the pressures that social media can bring to young kids’ lives. In his feature directorial debut, Mr. Burnham has conducted a technically well done coming

of age story. The performances, music and camera work are great, and the script does a nice job of really hitting on strong themes while giving them the proper amount of respect. For those who enjoy dramas on any level, I highly recommend this one.

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22 | Arts & Life. The DePaulia. May 14, 2018

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Arts & Life. The DePaulia. May 14, 2018 | 23

what’s FRESH and Recently Cancelled

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

The Last Man on Earth

The first and most undeserving victim of Fox's cancellation spree this past week is the quirky and lighthearted cop ensemble "Brooklyn Nine-Nine."

Throughout its five-season run, "Nine-Nine" has garnered a dedicated and vocal fan-following that has deployed to campaign against the show’s cancellation in seasons past. Unfortunately, they were unsuccessful this year, and the show finally got the ax. Until... NBC swept in an made the save.

A much more predictable cancellation than "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," Will Forte's irreverent apocalyptic comedy struggled to find an audience throughout its run but was a consistent critical hit that was most likely the reason it lasted this long.

Almost immediately after news broke of the cancellation, an outcry of anger over the cancellation and support of the show took the internet by storm. After that, NBC announced that they were renewing "Nine-Nine" for a sixth season.

Andy Samberg leads the cast as the goofy but talented detective in the NYPD's fictional 99th Precinct. The cast is remarkably diverse and the show has been applauded for tackling controversial topics in nuanced and gentle ways while maintaining its unique comedic standard.

The ensemble cast in "The Last Man on Earth" has consistently been one of the strongest and most overlooked casts on television. Forte was able to finally fully spread his wings as a comedic actor after two notable supporting spots on "Saturday Night Live" and "30 Rock." Acting alongside him was Kristen Schaal, January Jones and Mel Rodriguez.

Unfortunately, the prospects of "The Last Man on Earth" getting saved by a heroic streaming service or other network are highly unlikely, making the cancellation feel all the more devastating.

To soothe the sting from these burns, Hulu has every episode of "The Last Man on Earth" available to watch right now, so you can laugh and cry at the the same time.

While we wait to see what life at NBC holds for the "Nine-Nine" crew, you can sit back and rewatch all the antics from the precinct over the last five years, streaming now on Hulu.

LACEY LATCH | THE DEPAULIA

LACEY LATCH | THE DEPAULIA

In theaters & upcoming films April 27 "Avengers: Infinity War" The Avengers and their allies fight to defeat the powerful Thanos before he puts an end to the universe.

Stars: Chris Evans, Karen Gillan, Chadwick Boseman, many others

May 11 "Life of the Party" A middle-aged mother returns to college in order to complete her degree after her husband asks for a divorce.

Stars: Melissa McCarthy, Gillian Jacobs

May 4 "Tully" A young nanny, Tully, is enlisted to help a mother of three to help with her newborn.

Stars: Charlize Theron

May 11 "Breaking In" A woman fights to protect her family during a home invasion in her recently deceased father's home.

Stars: Gabrielle Union

May 4 “Overboard” A remake of the 1987 comedy, a wealthy yacht owner becomes the target of revenge from a mistreated employee.

May 18 “Deadpool 2” Wade Wilson must battle ninjas, the Yakuza, and a pack of sexually aggressive canines to regain his spice for life.

24 | Arts & Life. The DePaulia. May 14, 2018

St.Vincent’s

D e JAMZ “Spinning fresh beats since 1581”

1 4 1

2

3

4

Find this and all our DeJamz playlists on depauliaonline.com and on our spotify account

By Mackenzie Murtaugh 1. “Hey QT" - QT 2. “Keri Baby” - A. G. Cook, 3. “Vroom Vroom” - Charli 4. “Vyzee” - SOPHIE Opinions Editor

The record label/art collective/media critique that is PC Music produces disgustingly catchy, bubblegum-experimental pop songs that, after a few listens, will insidiously find themselves in each of your playlists. You will find yourself lying awake in the early hours of the morning with nothing but high-pitched, blatantly artificial and futuristic noise that somehow hits you exactly where you need it. In preparation for finals in the next few weeks, I recommend listening to PC Music as much as you can in order to scare and intrigue yourself into cognizance so you can study all night.

This dance-pop hit presents elements that are so juvenile and typical that you have to begin to speculate its validity from the beginning. It’s almost impossible to think of this track as anything expect a one-off critique on K-Pop and other similar styles.

As performance art played out perfectly in the social media generation, QT is not only an adolescent-sounding femmebot character, her persona manifests into an energy drink that is just as tart and bubbly as the song. It won’t escape your mind after a few listens, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Crossword

Hannah Diamond You can find the quintessential PC Music sound in this A.G. Cook and Hannah Diamond collaboration. Hannah Diamond does declare her superiority over the others in this song, as her love could so easily “be with a girl like me,” as opposed to the others. But the thing about PC Music is that the lyrics, while vital to engrossing the listener in the bubblegum-KPop-experimental-performanceart fantasy, aren't the main allure. It’s the infectious noise, and here “noise” isn’t a bad thing – it’s just the best way to describe something so outsider.

Across 1. Wooden carpentry pin 6. Easy way to draw 11. “Gotcha!”

14. Editorialize verbally 15. Not inner 16. Be light, in a poker game 17. Airplane’s undercarriage 19. April payment 20. “May I get you anything ___?”

21. Desert delight 22. “Buona ___” (Italian greeting) 23. Bother, in a title of the Bard 25. Like a cozy infant 27. “Arabia” man 32. Architect’s detail 33. Chicken-king tie 34. Changes course suddenly 36. One who’s attained nirvana 39. Concealed, informally 41. Drysdale or

XCX As an interesting take on the token sexy “Fast and Furious” style eye candy, Charli XCX commands this vehicle of a track. A Sophie-produced track, this song expertly captures the essence of PC Music – undeniable, eclectic and electric fun. Charli has climbed her way up the PC Music ladder, and with “Vroom Vroom” as one of her first entry tracks, PC Music finds itself in the mainstream. Even if PC Music loses some of its memeworthy charm by entering into the public sphere, this track is undeniably infectious.

Johnson 42. Instruct 43. Capital of South Korea 44. Fiat 46. Things for savers 47. Basilica area 49. Computer cable 51. Uncooked condition 54. Important time in history 55. Sound bounceback 56. Best-seller list entry 59. Beliefs, for short 63. Expert fighter pilot 64. Advantageous situation 66. “Before,” when before 67. Varsity starters 68. Chill-inducing 69. The Erie mule 70. Director Almovodar 71. Sports commentator Musburger

Elements of house music and the neo-electronic hypnotism that is PC Music come to life in this Sophie song. Her nonchalant tone in the repeated line “we can go crazy and then pop” is easily relatable to anyone who has left their homework on the back burner for what seems like this whole quarter. Accepting all of them work you still have to do before the end of the quarter is the first step to doing that work.

Together, we are drifting into the sea of missed discussion board posts and pages of unread articles, going crazy and then popping from the stress.

Down 1. Big name in pineapples 2. Certain birthstone 3. Comes in first 4. Make desirable 5. Hawaiian souvenir 6. Augustan attire 7. Floor coverings 8. Dined wearing pajamas 9. Brings to a stop 10. “To ___ is human ...”

11. Marriott, for one 12. Open-eyed 13. Group of six 18. “There’s ___ here but us ...”

22. Cubic meter 24. Pass on to another 26. Splash, as grease 27. Scottish guys 28. Common lotion ingredient 29. Wild West coach support 30. Turn over, as land 31. Wear away

35. Peeved mood 37. Piece of farmland 38. Just one of those things?

40. Eco-friendly fertilizer 45. Joyfulness 48. Assets, collectively 50. Poker player who takes risks 51. Gathers, as crops 52. Capital of Ghana 53. Positioned, as artillery 57. Ski lift 58. Classy wheels 60. Arid 61. Important street 62. “Don’t expunge that!”

64. Salary limit 65. Cotillion star, informally

Sports

Sports. May 14, 2018. The DePaulia | 25

Men's golf finishes third at Callawassie

By Shane Rene Sports Editor

DePaul’s men’s golf team returned to Callawassie Island for the Big East Championship last weekend in the hopes of avoiding another nightmare collapse on the final day.

Last year, under the command of long-time head coach Betty Kaufmann, the Blue Demons found themselves at the top of the leaderboard with a seven stroke advantage entering the final day.

Eighteen holes later, DePaul had tumbled down the leaderboard into fourth place.

But the circumstances were different this year. Picked to finish fifth going into the week, the Blue Demons sat T-3 after the first day and turned in a second-round-low of 293 to close the gap between themselves and front-runners Georgetown and Marquette.

DePaul’s top individual, Charlie Spencer White, was also just three shots back of an individual title and freshman standout Joey McCarthy was lurking just outside the top 10.

“Going into the final day I was in the final pairing with Georgetown and Marquette so I was only, if I recall, three back from the lead — so obviously it was pretty exciting for myself,” Spencer White said. “I honestly thought if I could have a good round I could, not even get myself a chance to win, but get the team to win.”

“After the second round, we put ourselves in position to maybe win, McCarthy said. “But that didn’t happen, obviously.”

Georgetown and Marquette kept the pedal down, turning in identical 291’s to lock up first and second place, respectively. DePaul finished 13-strokes behind Marquette which left them alone in third place, with a final round 298.

“I was happy with it,” head coach Marty Schiene said. “We were picked to finish fifth so we exceeded expectations — and we actually had an outside chance to contend for the victory only being nine back (of the lead). I was happy with it.”

Charlie Spencer White teed off with the final group out in the third round

PHOTO COURTESY OF DEPAUL ATHLETICS

Freshman Joey McCarthy said he's learned a lot over the course of his freshman year at DePaul. He finish T-8 at Callawassie. with a clear shot at the lead. The junior followed a six-birdie, eight-bogey 74 in the first round with a far-cleaner round of 71 on day two, but that momentum didn’t carry over.

A final round 75 was still good enough to earn Spencer White a careerbest T-6 finish, however. “(Spencer White) started playing well toward the end of the spring and just carried it on right into the conference championship,” Schiene said. “I think he’s made tremendous progress in the last year.”

“I was very happy with the week,” White said. “And I was very happy with how the tournament went for myself because there was a lot of pressure coming down the last few holes.

“I was slightly disappointed with my final round score as it was the highest of the three-day event. I played well but I just didn’t make as many putts as I’d like to. If the putts had dropped, maybe it would be a different story.”

Putting was a struggle for McCarthy, who stumbled out of the gate with

opening rounds of 76 and 75.

“I pretty much just struggled with putting the entire time,” McCarthy said.

“I hit the ball fine — enough to finish much higher. The greens were really fast, which I like, but I kind of read them wrong and struggled overall with putting.”

The greens were running around 13 on the stimpmeter — the device used to measure the speed of putting greens — which, ranks them as being amongst the most notoriously feared greens in world; that puts Callawassie Island on par with the likes of a U.S. Open-ready Oakmont.

But McCarthy was able to tame the slick Callawassie greens on the final day to turn in an even-par 72 to move five spots up the leaderboard for a T-8 finish.

“I just made more birdies,” he said.

“Well, as a freshman I thought it was very good” Schiene said. “He’s very mature for a freshman, he’s very good under pressure, and he’s got a big game that’s only going to get better in the future.”

Under new leadership for the first

time in nearly two decades, the Blue Demons improved on last year’s finish and, perhaps more importantly, proved they could stay competitive for three full days with rounds of 309, 293 and 298.

The team itself was largely different too. Three of DePaul’s five players — White, McCarthy and Kyle Vincze — had never experienced a conference tournament before, which may have been just what they needed.

“I think (the lack of experience) helped us because it was totally fresh for us going into the event, and we didn’t have any bad memories,” White said.

The team struggled early in the year, routinely finding themselves at the bottom of the leaderboard. Overtime, the Blue Demons developed an identity as the underdogs.

And with that status came a unique benefit: The team found a great deal of the pressure was lifted from their shoulders.

“We were down 15 going into the final day instead of up 15,” McCarthy said. “So we didn’t have anything to lose, really.”

BLUE DEMON RUNDOWN TRACK AND FIELD

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

WOMEN'S SOCCER

The DePaul women’s track and field team continued a successful outdoor season with a second-place finish at the Big East Championship, their best finish at the outdoor conference meet. In addition being their highest finish, they also earned the most points they have at the meet.

The men’s team also finished third as the Blue Demons combined for nine conference titles including a sweep of the 4x100-meter relay events.

Brian Mada claimed his third straight Big East title in triple jump, while Kyle Decker and Kyle Hedge also defended their titles.

Jade Gates was named the Big East Outstanding Field Performer for her performance during the meet in the throws; she earned first place finished in the hammer throw and second in the javelin. Gates became DePaul’s first women’s hammer throw winner, with a personal best distance of 53.73 meters.

The Blue Demons now have close to two weeks off before taking part in the NCAA West Preliminary on May 24.

The 2018 Women’s Cancun Challenge announced late last week that DePaul will compete in the Riviera Division of the event set for Nov. 22-24 in Cancun, Mexico.

Joining DePaul are Syracuse, Kansas State and Princeton in a three-game, round-robin bracket. The game day details will be announced later in May. The tournament was rated as a top-five early-season tournament by Sports Illustrated in 2014.

Two DePaul women’s basketball players, Vinisha Sherrod and Deja Cage, also announced they will be heading elsewhere to continue their collegiate careers.

Northern Illinois announced the signing of Sherrod, who appeared in 20 games off the bench while averaging just over four minutes per game for the Blue Demons.

On Sunday, former DePaul guard Deja Cage also announced in a tweet that she would be joining Ole Miss.

Cage appeared in 26 games a year ago, averaging 4.3 points per game during her sophomore campaign with the Blue Demons.

DePaul women’s soccer received an offensive boost this past week with the addition of Kentucky transfer Jessica Lazo.

Lazo made three stars during her freshman season with the Wildcats and will have three years of eligibility with the Blue Demons beginning with the 2018 season.

DePaul head coach Erin Chastain said in a release that Lazo is a great fit within the program and has the ability to play anywhere on the flank. Chastain added they expect her to make immediate on-field contributions.

Prior to her time with Kentucky, Lazo was a member of Albion FC in California and was part of the Surf Cup championship team in 2016. She was also part of an undefeated season at Mater Dei during her freshman season of prep play.

The Blue Demons had a need for an immediate contributor after the graduations of a number of players in the midfield.

26 | Sports. May 14, 2018. The DePaulia

Freshman focus

By Andrew Hattersley Asst. Sports Editor

JONATHAN AGUILAR | THE DEPAULIA

Angela Scalzitti squares up a pitch in the championship game on Saturday.

SOFTBALL, continued from back from Jessica Cothern to open up a 6-2 lead.

Lenti said adding a couple insurance runs was big because it supported freshman Pat Moore, who picked up her third save of the season while playing in relief of starter Missy Zoch, who went the first four innings.

“Everybody loves a cushion, everybody loves breathing room. Especially with the cardiac kid out there on the mound, it just makes it a lot easier,” Lenti said, referring to Moore. “Pat’s going to get her little bumps and bruises, give up her walks and hits there, but it’s going to be hard for somebody to get four runs on her late in the game with three outs to go, so that was big from Megan. That’s why she was MVP this weekend: She was MVP for us last weekend in conference play and she was the MVP this weekend.”

Moore, appearing in her first tournament game, finished with five strikeouts including three in the sixth inning to strand the bases loaded. She said it was exciting to close out the game, and now the Blue Demons are eager to make the return trip to regionals.

“I’m super excited just because we have been working for this all season,” Moore said. “I think it was really awesome for our

team. We’re just ready for regionals.”

For many players last year, the NCAA Regional was a new experience. Heading back this season, Leyva said the focus will now be on building on last year and advancing in the tournament.

“Last year was our first time there in a while, especially for everyone on the team except the seniors. So just getting back there and showing what we can do as a team, especially since we have such strong pitching and everyone in our lineup can get it done when we need it ... I think (we are) just showing everyone that we can do it too.”

Joining Leyva on the All-Tournament team were Zoch, Angela Scalzitti and Kate Polucha.

As DePaul waits to find out Sunday night who they will play, Lenti said the players will have a couple of days off, before some fine tuning in advance of the first round.

“We’ll spend a couple days going back to fundamentals,” Lenti said. “Just go over some things here and there (such as) the basics, and reiterate our philosophies and things like that and prepare for whoever our opponents are going to be.”

This marks the first time since 2011 and 2012 that the Blue Demons have been to consecutive NCAA Tournaments.

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When DePaul took the field for the Big East Tournament against Villanova and Creighton, six of the 10 players on the field were underclassmen, including the catcher-pitcher duo of Missy Zoch and Jessica Cothern. Add in a seventh with Pat Moore closing out the last three innings Sunday afternoon, and you had a team of players who did not miss a beat.

Head coach Eugene Lenti was quick to praise the senior leadership of Megan Leyva, Haydn Christensen, Kennedy Garcia and Kayla Landwehrmier for helping the younger players become key contributors.

“They’ve all done a great job keeping this group together,” Lenti said. “Keeping them facing forward, keeping their oars in the water, keeping them on task in a great way – in a way that makes them better and keeps them working hard.”

Freshman Kate Polucha, who leads the team in hitting with a .375 batting average, also spoke of how the older players helped her take every game in stride and stay relaxed.

“The older girls have really taken me under their wing,” Polucha said. “They’ve told me I get super nervous, they always say ‘it’s just a game, you’re fine, just relax,’ and that’s definitely helped me keep my head on straight throughout this whole season.”

As for what has kept the freshman going all season, Polucha referred back to a message from Lenti when she came to DePaul.

“We’re definitely all together on this, all the younger girls,” Polucha said. “Coach Eugene told us that when we came here we can’t play like freshman, so I guess we all gripped that mentality and tried our best to play as good as we can.”

Leyva, the senior leader in the outfield, also credited the younger players who came up big on Sunday with three of the six runs batted in, while Zoch and Moore combined to limit Creighton and Villanova to just four total runs over the two days.

“With our young players you can definitely see that they’ve come up and stepped up to the plate, and they play like they’ve been with us forever,” Leyva said.

“I think that’s great that we have such a great bond on the team that, as you can see when we play together, we just work together to get to our goal.”

Lenti also praised the job Garcia, who also has a 2.40 ERA of her own, has done in helping Moore and Zoch combine for an ERA below two, especially with assistant coach Lindsay Platt being on maternity leave.

“They could not have done it without Kennedy,” he said. “Kennedy has been their spiritual leader, their friendship leader – their mother in a sense. She's kind of been taking over a little bit of a role that she probably didn't expect to take with Coach Platt being on maternity leave.”

Lenti also praised volunteer assistant coach Ashley Sunshine and graduate assistant Morgan Maize for also helping both younger pitchers lead the rotation throughout the year.

Moore, who struck out five batters in the last three innings, said this experience only makes her more excited for the coming years.

“I think this is a great experience because (...) we are so new to the program,” Moore said. “This shows that we have so much potential and the fact we can accomplish this with a young team, it just makes me excited for the years to come.”

Now many of the freshman will face a new challenge that will help them down the road as well: playing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time.

Scouting Strus

Sports. May 14, 2018. The DePaulia | 27

He declared for the draft without an agent, so what are his odds of going pro? has some potential in that regard, but he has to keep honing those skills."

In terms of defense, it's a mixed bag.

Strus didn't shine in traditional defensive statistics like steals (1.4) or blocks (0.6) per 40 minutes, but the advanced metrics liked his performance on that end of the floor. He led the team with 1.4 defensive win shares while generating a defensive box plus-minus of 2.2.

Holmes cited moving his feet better on defense as another potential area of improvement (he lead his team in fouls with 2.9 fouls per game). O'Donnell is less concerned about Strus defensively and thinks his combination of size, athleticism and intelligence makes him workable on that side of the floor.

"Defensively, no one expects him to be a stopper. He just has to hold his own, similar to Kyle Korver," O'Donnell said. "I think athletically, Strus is a much better athlete than Korver, but I think Korver is just a really smart disciplined team defender, and Strus is going to have to be able to do that."

By Paul Steeno Staff Writer

When DePaul Blue Demons basketball star Max Strus announced at the end of March that he would declare for the 2018 NBA draft, many questioned whether the 6-foot-6-inch, Hickory Hills, Ill. native has what it takes to make the leap to the next level.

To get a feel for the answer, I tapped into my network of smart basketball people of SB Nation editor Ricky O'Donnell, NBC Sports Chicago contributor Scott Phillips, and 670 The Score radio host and Blue Demons color commentator Laurence Holmes..

Strus is a 6-foot-6-inch, 215 pound wing player who transferred over to DePaul two seasons ago from Division II Lewis University (he sat out 2016-2017 in accordance with NCAA transfer policy).

"Strus is a very intriguing wing in that he's 6-foot-6-inches, very athletic, and capable of playing above the rim and beyond the 3-point line," Phillips said.

"That's something you don't typically see from a wing athlete of the 6-foot6-inch variety like Max. To have that athleticism and the shooting ability, it's that rare combination that makes him an intriguing prospect at the next level."

Last season, to incessant chants of "Struuuus" from the Wintrust Arena crowd, he led all Blue Demon scorers with 16.8 points per contest, nailing 40.8 percent of his shots on a team-high 13.5 field goal attempts per game. The focal point of the Blue Demons offense for much of the season, the redshirt junior exploded for 12 games with 20 or more points including season-high totals of 33 points against Northwestern and Xavier.

With his size and strength, he was also a good rebounder for his position averaging 5.6 boards per contest. A grinder, Strus averaged a team-high 35.7 minutes per game and was one of four Blue Demon players to play in all 31 of DePaul's games.

After pressing to begin the season, Strus started to find his shooting stroke, and competitive edge, with 33 points on 19 shots in a two-point loss to Northwestern.

Strengths: On a Blue Demon team that finished 182nd in adjusted offensive efficiency per KenPom.com, Strus needed to be the go-to guy offensively. Scoring the ball is the meat and potatoes of his game, and he uses an NBA-ready physical profile to help generate that scoring.

"A lot of NBA teams are seeking out those 6-foot-5-inch to 6-foot-9-inch wings who can shoot the ball and who can be athletic enough to contribute in other facets of the game," Phillips said.

"With Strus's leaping ability, he'd be able to help rebound and be quick enough to guard some of the point guards who maybe aren't as quick as the elite guys.

He's got some versatility and some things about him that NBA teams covet."

Other strengths mentioned by Phillips, Holmes and O’Donnell: Strus’s ability to move without the ball and create shots off the dribble, as well as a defensive versatility that stems from his

Intangibles:

KONRAD MARKOWSKI | THE DEPAULIA

DePaul guard Max Strus takes a jump shot at Wintrust Arena against Notre Dame.

size and athleticism. from casting up As counter7.8 attempts from intuitive as it seems, 3-point land per Strus's role on the game (the third best current Blue Demon in the Big East). squad has allowed Surprisingly, he him to accentuate nailed a pedestrian some of his strengths, 33.3 percent of these and both O'Donnell attempts. and Phillips believe Phillips says he'd be best served shot selection is an remaining a Blue area in which Strus Demon. needs improvement.

"He's already In an offense that had some buzz," struggled at times, O'Donnell explained.

Strus had to be a "I wouldn't (transfer) chucker and didn't and sit out a year if have much of an DePaul professor and opportunity I was him. DePaul is to 670 The Score host going to be probably showcase the full pretty rough, but I range of his offensive would just ride with that team. He'll be skillset because he was so focused on the clear-cut star. He'll be in position for scoring. If he can flash playmaking skills, big per game numbers." that would add another valuable layer to his offensive arsenal.

Areas of Improvement: "He has to improve as a ball handler and (with his) passing," O'Donnell Billed as a lights-out shooter, said. "You can say that about just about opponents defended him accordingly every young wing. He had 85 assists to using double teams and traps to chase 82 turnovers (last season), so I wouldn't him away from the 3-point line or deter call him a great playmaker or a great him from his path as he curled off down passer. If he really wants to take the next screens. step in his career beyond just being a "I'd be shocked if Max doesn't make shooter, then he needs to be a secondary an NBA roster in the next couple of playmaker, somebody who can run a years,” Laurence Holmes said. pick-and-roll at the end of the shot clock The attention didn't stop him when the defense breaks down. I think he

"I'd be shocked if Max doesn't make an NBA roster in the next couple of years."

Laurence Holmes

All Strus wants to do is win. His 27-point outburst on Jan. 20 loss against Butler showed a will to pull his team through that impressed O’Donnell.

"Teams always value high-character guys, people who they can have at the end of the bench, and they won't cause a scene or be a big distraction," O'Donnell said.

Another strength for Strus in the intangibles department is that he plays with competitive fire. He also always plays like he has something to prove.

This probably stems from the fact that he earned just one Division I scholarship offer – Chicago State – coming out of Stagg High School in Palos Hills, Ill. "He plays with a chip on his shoulder, like he always has something to prove," Holmes said. "NBA teams are going to love that, especially when you consider he made the transition to Division I smoothly and then went on to be the best player on a Big East team. He's definitely a leader, in words and action. He works and works and works on his game to try and get better. On top of being really athletic, he's also really smart and has a good feel for the game. He's not afraid of pressure at all."

Bottom Line: So, do the analysts think there Strus has a future in the NBA? "I think he's good enough to have a chance to play in the NBA someday," O'Donnell said.

"I think he has a shot," Phillips added.

"I think when you look at the NBA now, the way that teams are shuffling players into the mix with two-way contracts and the G League and with injuries and tanking, I think we're seeing such a unique number of players entering the league each year."

Whether it's this summer or the next, Strus has his sights set on the NBA. He'll be pleased to know that there's three really smart people who believe in his chances.

Sports

Sports. May 14, 2018. The DePaulia | 28

DePaul’s softball team celebrates in the pitching circle at The Ballpark in Rosemont, Illinois Saturday after winning a second-straight title.

Champs again

JONATHAN AGUILAR | THE DEPAULIA

Softball takes home second-consecutive Big East Championship title

By Andrew Hattersley Asst. Sports Editor

In a battle between the conference’s top two teams during the regular season, DePaul rallied from a 2-0 first inning deficit to beat Creighton 6-2 and punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season.

After falling behind 2-0, the Blue Demons responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first inning, before taking the lead an inning later.

Senior Megan Leyva, who was named the Tournament’s Most Outstanding player with a home run and three RBIs on Saturday, said she was ready for the swings of momentum and pressure that come with a tournament appearance being on the line.

“At least for me, we’ve been here last year so it was very similar experience,” she said. “But just to get that last out and know that we reached our goal to go to the NCAA Tournament again is just great.”

Head coach Eugene Lenti said he was happy his players were rewarded for their hard work, overcoming a variety of

challenges including injuries and a spring filled with poor weather.

“I’m just really so proud of this team,” Lenti said. “It’s never about me; I’ve been through this more than I ever need to, but (I) love going (...) This team works so hard, they endured so much this year. They stayed together, really they worked so hard.

This is what they deserve.”

The weather was again a storyline with the game being delayed close to two hours midway through the third inning due to lightning. This came after the Blue Demons had just taken a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the second inning on a sacrifice fly by Kate Polucha. The inning opened with Alysia Rodriguez, Haydn Christensen and Skylor Hilger all reaching base and setting the table for the top of the order. Lenti praised the bottom of the order for getting the job done.

“Really the biggest thing was when we got that third run,” Lenti said. “That was because of the bottom of the order, so anytime you get runs because the bottom of the order is doing their job, that makes it easier.”

JONATHAN AGUILAR | THE DEPAULIA

Head Coach Eugene Lenti holds the Big Easr Conference title trophy.

Similar to Friday when DePaul also face. We have one through nine kids who trailed 2-1 early, Lenti said he wasn't can hurt you one way or another, and that’s concerned about getting his offense going what really happened again today.”

“I was never worried about our DePaul extended their lead with a offense, and I was never worried when we two-run home run from Leyva before were down,” Lenti said. “I wasn’t worried adding another run in the sixth inning yesterday, wasn’t worried today because See SOFTBALL, page 26 I just don’t see panic ever in this group’s