DePaulia 1.9.2023

TheDePaulia

Letter from the editor: 3 years of La DePaulia

By Jacqueline Cardenas La DePaulia Editor-in-Chief

Experiencing La DePaulia’s threeyear anniversary feels nostalgic. I have not been a part of the publication for her entirety, yet I have felt connected to the mission from the beginning.

HOLIDAY HEIST

DePaul parish adds security measures after burglary

By Samantha Moilanen Asst. News Editor

A Christmas time burglary left the St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Lincoln Park with thousands lost in donations from Sunday and Christmas Day mass collections.

On Monday, Dec. 26, an unidentified male broke into the parish office and church sacristy around 8 p.m. The perpetrator was seen leaving the building at 8:16 p.m., according to the church’s lead pastor, Fr. Joseph Williams. Williams said the burglar obtained this information from security footage acquired from DePaul University’s Public Safety officers.

Because the church staff had Monday off for Christmas celebrations, the burglary was not discovered until Tuesday morning when the maintenance crew entered the building. Shortly after, the maintenance team contacted DePaul security and then Chicago police to file an official report of the incident.

“Within an hour of calling DePaul security, they were able to get footage of [the individual] walking out the back and a clear image of his face,” said Jennifer Olson, the

director of operations for St. Vincent de Paul Church.

According to Williams, the burglar accessed the safe where the parish keeps the Christmas collection and took an estimated $10,000 in donations and a small amount of money from the church sacristy used for candle funds.

Fr. Chris Robinson, a religious studies instructor at DePaul University and one of the first people on site after the burglary, said it is still unclear how the perpetrator was able to enter the parish office.

“[A] window into the Center on the south side of the building, facing Webster Avenue, seems to be [the] most likely [point of entrance],” Robinson said.

Robinson said he was on site Tuesday morning working closely with DePaul Public Safety and the Chicago Police Department, since Williams was away at the time.

Although none of the outside doors and windows were damaged, the perpetrator broke through multiple doors inside the parish office to access the safe, according to Williams.

“They broke through two doors to get into the office,” Williams said. “We need to

rethink our security.”

After the recent burglary, the church plans on adding security measures to deter future theft.

“We have this assumption that we are safe, and you realize when something like this happens, people can get in,” Olson said.

According to Williams, the church is going to invest in front lights, cameras among other security measures.

“We’re definitely going to work toward getting cameras in the front of the rectory and really as a deterrent,” Olson said. “I think he must have known there weren’t cameras there. He knew he could get in without being watched and there were no fingerprints so he was definitely wearing gloves.”

To recover lost funds from the burglary, church parishioners decided to start a GoFundMe fundraiser. The goal was set to $10,000, but according to Olson, the church exceeded this goal within 24 hours of starting the GoFundMe Tuesday, Dec. 27.

“Saint Vincent de Paul Parish was prompted to launch a GoFundMe

I was introduced to the Spanish language publication during the winter quarter of my sophomore year while enrolled in the “Writing for The DePaulia” course. After a year of online learning, not only was I itching to take more journalism classes in person, I wanted to seize every opportunity.

I had the privilege to go to college as the daughter of Mexican immigrants, a chance few of my relatives had. It was the golden ticket to work with your mind rather than with your hands in this country, to pursue the ‘American Dream.’

I learned this fantasy-filled-dream and the society it functions under fails many of us. For a lot of people, it did not matter how hard you worked, this dream was for some and not for others.

It is a crooked system we live in, yet a Brown girl like me managed to get through the cracks partly because of my parents’ efforts.

I also came to recognize the power of journalism. Stories can amplify community voices, hold those in power accountable and advocate for a group of people to have equitable resources.

The journalistic skills I acquired became a form of activism for me. At the heart of it, I want to report the truth, inform the public and give voice to the voiceless.

I walked into the classroom prepared and ready to learn as much as I could.

I picked up The DePaulia each week that quarter, eager to read three Spanish stories on pages 16 and 17. I flipped to my favorite pages to see a headline that read “Letter From From The Editor : Two Years of La DePaulia.”

La DePaulia allowed me to do the kind of Latine community reporting I passionately wanted to pursue. It was the perfect fit and I had to be a part of it.

I was not just holding onto a newspaper, I was holding onto a piece of history a Latina wrote.

I reached out to the edtor-inchief at the time, María Marta Guzmán. She was also DePaul’s NAHJ chapter president and had every internship under the sun an aspiring

Saint Vincent de Paul Catholic Church was burglarized on Dec. 26, where an estimated $10,000 in donations was stolen from the parish safe.

“They broke through two doors to get into the office... We need to rethink our security.”

-Fr. Joseph Williams, lead pastor

UNA CLEARY | THE DEPAULIA

SAFE-T Stalled

Cashless bail halted by Illinois Supreme Court, ruling not expected until spring

By Erik Uebelacker Editor-in-Chief

Illinois was slated to become the first state in the country to entirely eliminate cash bail, with the Pretrial Fairness Act set to take effect on Jan. 1. But on Dec. 31, just hours before the law would be implemented, the Illinois Supreme Court put the act on hold.

It will remain halted until Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul's appeal of a Kankakee County judge’s ruling on the matter is heard, which is not expected to happen until April.

The Pretrial Fairness Act eliminates cash bail and replaces it with a new process for pretrial release. It is part of the SAFE-T Act, a package of criminal justice reform initiatives aimed at removing inequities in Illinois’s judicial system.

All other aspects of the SAFE-T Act are in place; only the cashless bail component is being held up in the state’s Supreme Court until its constitutionality is determined. The stakes are high, as deeming it unconstitutional would make eliminating cash bail significantly more challenging in the future, according to policy experts.

“If the Supreme Court affirms the lower court’s decision, cashless bail is going to be dead in Illinois without an amendment [to the state constitution],” said Joe Tabor, director of policy research at the Illinois Policy Institute.

Judge Thomas W. Cunnington is the Kankakee County judge that deemed the bail reform and pretrial release provisions in the SAFE-T Act unconstitutional.

Cunnington’s ruling indicates that these terms in the act violated the separation of powers clause and the Victims’

Director of policy at

Rights Act.

The ruling also states that the SAFE-T Act’s unconstitutionally amends Article 1, Section 9 of the Illinois Constitution since voters were denied their right to vote on the amendment.

“Had the legislature wanted to change the provisions in the Constitution regarding eliminating monetary bail… they should have submitted the question on the ballot to the electorate at a general election,” Cunnington wrote in his ruling.

Supporters of the Pretrial Fairness Act don’t think the constitutionality debate holds much weight.

“The legislature regulates the way the criminal legal system works and the way that judges make decisions all the time,” said Sarah Staudt, director of policy at Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts. “We already have laws that allow judges to use systems very similar to the one in the Pretrial Fairness Act to hold people no bail.”

Sarah Staudt

Appleseed Center for Fair Courts

Confident in its constitutionality, Staudt hopes the halting of cashless bail is nothing more than a delay.

“It’s a frustrating setback, but ultimately, one that we are confident is temporary,” she said. “We feel confident that the Illinois Supreme Court will reverse the lower court’s decision and eventually find the [Pretrial Fairness Act] constitutional.”

Meanwhile, the act’s adversaries like Jeff Fiedler, executive director of the Chicago Republican Party, are relieved that cash bail will remain in place for now.

“We were pleased that cash bail didn’t go away,” Fiedler said. “We’re hopeful that the Supreme Court is going to see it the way that we think it should be. But the court tends to be very political in Illinois.”

Fiedler doesn’t buy the bill’s implications that cash bail is inherently discriminatory. He argues judges are the ones who decide whether or not a person is detained on bail before trial, and that is

a right that they should have in the state.

“We just thought that it was better to give the judges an opportunity to have the wherewithal to be able to keep somebody behind bars,” he said.

Staudt disagrees.

“We know that cash bail is discriminatory because it has a massively disparate impact on Black and Brown folks around the state,” she said. “They're the people who most often suffer from the imposition of cash bail. And that means that we're taking money out of Black and Brown communities, and we're taking people out of Black and Brown communities.”

Skeptics like Fiedler fear that ending cash bail will lead to a sizable rise in crime since pretrial detention would be far more limited under the Pretrial Fairness Act. It’s why some called the initiative a “purge law” back in 2022.

“We just think it’s going to become more of the wild, wild west,” Fiedler said.

Based on existing bail reform data, however, Staudt said these fears are largely unfounded.

“New Jersey essentially hasn’t used cash bail since 2017; they've seen no rise in crime,” she said. “We've massively reduced our jail population here in Chicago since 2014, and in the years that the jail population was falling, we did not see a rise in crime.”

Regardless of the act’s potential impact, Illinoisians will have to wait until spring for a ruling on cashless bail. Oral arguments in the case are scheduled to begin in March, but at the time of writing, no date has been set.

ANTHONY VAZQUEZ | CHICAGO SUN-TIMES VIA AP

“It’s a frustrating setback, but ultimately, one that we are confident is temporary. We feel confident that the Illinois Supreme Court will reverse the lower court’s decision and eventually find the [Pretrial Fairness Act] constitutional.”

Chicago

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker answers questions from the media during a press conference at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Chicago, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022. A variety of new laws take effect Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023 that could have an impact on people's finances and, in some cases, their personal liberties.

SGA focuses on community with annual Queer Prom

By Claire Tweedie SGA Beat Writer

After a long night of work, SGA senator for LGBTQ+ students junior Evan Mueller wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep it off. Instead Mueller found himself in the middle of a packed dance floor, shoulder to shoulder with eager attendees dancing alongside colorful lights and festive decorations.

Encouraged by his roommate, Mueller stumbled his way into DePaul’s Queer Prom. Energized by the setting in front of him, Mueller was now content to party all night long, alongside a community that embraced him with acceptance.

“It truly felt like a prom but it also felt bigger than that,” Mueller said. “What I, and each attendee, felt the most during Queer Prom was its atmosphere of support and pride that united us all in that room. [It] was a celebration of who we are and our perseverance in the face of LGBTQ+ struggles across the world.”

Student Government Association (SGA) publicly announced this year's Queer Prom at their general body meeting on Jan. 5. The event hosted by SGA in partnership with the Office of Student Involvement and the LBGTQIA+ Resource Center will be held on Jan. 20 at the Lincoln Park Student Center in Room 120 AB from 7-10 p.m.

“I haven't been to a queer prom before, but I’m very excited and grateful that SGA is the organization that does it,” SGA chief of staff senior Kellen Brown said. “It gives us an opportunity to really connect with the student body and gives us a chance to put on a big event that we didn’t used to have.”

The goal of the dance is to turn a traditionally heteronormative experience, a high school prom, into a safe space for all individuals to express themselves and connect with each other. SGA vice president junior Magoli Garcia believes continuing to have identity-based events outside of expected times like Pride month is important in recognizing diversity at DePaul.

“As someone who is a part of the community, it's vital to have a space to

celebrate ourselves,” Garcia said. “Being a student and having students from across the nation and world coming here to continue their education, there's a strong importance in being a found community and found family.”

This marks the second year SGA is hosting the prom and the first one without restrictive Covid-19 guidelines. The in-person event was started by former SGA senator for LGBTQ+ students Riley Reed and is being carried on by current SGA senator for LGBTQ+ students junior Evan Mueller. He helped secure the event’s budget through SGA and contributed to its overall planning.

“It's definitely an honor to run an event that will bring the same feelings of community and pride I had last year,” Mueller said. “Knowing I can bring this experience to others and see it ideally continue for years and years, it's just a great feeling to be a part of that.”

SGA president senior Kevin Holechko believes events like the Queer Prom help the student body connect with SGA past the policies and big ideas they promote. He hopes the success of this event encourages the organization’s members to focus on issues that students face everyday, creating smaller, but still meaningful, change.

“[For] the people in SGA’s cabinet, there's only so many of them and they only have so many hours,” Holechko said. “It's really a push to get our senators involved and actively engaged with the DePaul community rather than engaging passively and being more reactionary.”

Mueller hopes to see momentum for similar future events come from this year’s Queer Prom by creating a community dedicated to change and acceptance. He wants to highlight how integral the queer community is to DePaul and continues to advocate for them through SGA.

“I remember going to last year's Queer Prom and I didn't realize how much I, not necessarily needed that experience, but wanted it,” Mueller said. “It's a great celebration of our identity and who we are.”

KIERSTEN RIEDFORD | THE DEPAULIA

Junior Ellie Meier participates in a student dance circle at DePaul's Queer Prom in 2022.

KIERSTEN RIEDFORD | THE DEPAULIA

Students attended the dance in a variety of attire, including suits, ballgowns, tank tops and sweatpants. This year's Queer Prom will be held on Jan. 20 from 7-10 p.m.

KIERSTEN RIEDFORD | THE DEPAULIA Students dance at last year's Queer Prom at DePaul's Student Center in Lincoln Park on Feb. 25, 2022. This year's second annual Queer Prom will be held at the same

Basic Needs Hub will host free winter gear & goods event

By Kiersten Riedford News Editor

The Basic Needs Hub will host a free gear and goods event on Jan. 9 from noon to 4 p.m. in the Lincoln Park Student Center in Room 120AB.

At the event, the hub will be offering students free winter gear such as gloves, hats, snow boots and winter coats since it is getting colder in Chicago and not everyone can afford winter gear. The hub is also offering students preservable food items for free.

There will also be a resource fair at the event which will include several departments across the university that provide basic needs related services to the students, according to Jen Fox, the Associate Director of Strategy, Assessment and Initiatives for Housing.

“While we have over 1,500 items that will be available for free, we have no idea how long inventory will last so we ask for patience and understanding if we run out of a particular item quickly,” Fox said.

Junior Katie Holloway said she plans to attend the event to pick up “basic items like towels, sheets and a winter jacket.”

“If someone can't afford a new jacket or anything along those lines, DePaul is really great at stepping in for those who need help,” Holloway said.

Holloway said the Basic Needs Hub has been a great resource for her in the past. She said she used the basic needs hub for items when times were tough, mostly after her father passed away a year ago.

Holloway also said the event is coming at a perfect time because “it's getting colder in Chicago.”

“I know that deep down everyone falls on short times and that happened to me over the past year and I don't want to be in the same boat as last year,” Holloway said.

Most of the items that were donated to the event were donated by Carol Bernick, CEO of Polished Nickel Capital Management and DePaul alumna. Bernick was not available to comment but Fox and Holloway both mentioned their appreciation of her generosity.

“We have also had items donated from trustees, faculty, staff, parents, and students, mainly through our amazon wishlist,” Fox said.

Fox said that the event was in progress for several months but the hub needed collaboration for it to happen.

“Until we connected with Office of Multicultural Student Success staff and Career Center staff, it seemed impossible,” Fox said. “Collaboration on this event truly shows how the mission of the university is woven throughout different departments.”

Rick Moreci, Director of Housing, Dining & Student Centers, said he is very excited about the event and loves seeing how the DePaul community is able to help students.

Fox said that she is hoping this will become an annual event that the Basic Needs Hub puts on. She said she would like for the event to be done on both the Lincoln Park and Loop campuses in the future.

Holloway mentioned that in the future she would like to see more items that are being given out at the event be given out in the hub on a regular basis.

“[I would like to see more] hygiene products, maybe some basic first need kits or gift cards for food [and] groceries as times are tough for everyone at this point,” Holloway said.

For those interested in attending the event, students can register on DeHUB prior to attending.

For those who are interested in how to help support the Basic Needs Hub, people donate items, either that are already owned or that are able to be purchased through the Basic Needs Hub’s Amazon wishlist. People can also donate monetary donations to the hub on Inspire DePaul’s website.

QUENTIN BLAIS | THE DEPAULIA

Saale Pearson, a worker in the Loop Basic Needs Hub office, stocks a shipment of supplies that will be given away at the event.

“If someone can't afford a new jacket or anything along those lines, DePaul is really great at stepping in for those who need help.”

Katie Holloway DePaul junior

Students Against Incarceration addresses prison injustice at Involvement Fair

By Alexa Banuelos Staff Writer

The DePaul Lincoln Park Student Center was bustling with a lively environment Thursday, Jan. 5.

DePaul holds involvement fairs every academic quarter. As students return from the holiday break, the fair allows students to interact with several of the university’s student organizations.

With over a dozen student organizations at the event, the groups ranged from a fishing club to business fraternities. However, Students Against Incarceration (SAI) was one of the few social justice-oriented organizations focused on making tangible action more accessible to students.

With an easily accessible space to welcome students, Students Against Incarceration members were keen on making their club known at the Involvement Fair.

“Our biggest issue was gaining members, and the Involvement Fair is the best way to gain members,” Depaul junior and SAI co-president, Nana Ampofor, said.

SAI has been an active DePaul student organization working to address injustices within the criminal justice system for seven years now. SAI often works in collaboration with other organizations such as the Women’s Center or the Byrne Center to host events and initiatives that work towards the abolition and divestment of the prison industrial complex. Some of the events include teach-ins, campaigns, book clubs and solidarity letters.

The organization focuses on the prison industrial complex which concentrates on the relationship between the political systems and private corporations that benefit from institutionalized incarceration. The prison industrial complex is a driving factor for the mass incarceration in the United States, whereas private prisons and private corporations profit from exploiting incarcerated individuals through prison labor.

Members of SAI said they recognize the moral implications and strive to address the issue through tangible action.

Co-president and graduate student Grace Siegelman mentioned that SAI incorporates “a good combination of theory and discussion in combination with tangible action” to bring about “things we can be doing every single day to work towards abolition and work towards better life sustaining resources for incarcerated or formerly incarcerated individuals.”

Because SAI is service-oriented, the pandemic halted their service projects and initiatives.

“A lot of our projects are very handson with inmates in facilities, and because of the Covid-19 pandemic, we weren’t allowed to go inside and host our book clubs or holiday parties,” Ampofo said.

Nonetheless, the Involvement Fair presented SAI with the opportunity to inform more students at DePaul about the issue and how they can help work towards bettering them.

Ampofo said they encourage others to take tangible action.

“We’re really looking for our members to be collaborative and in what we are dedicating our projects,” Ampofo said.

Jillian Muncaster, sophomore and vice president of Hygiene Operation Inmates, said she can attest to how working in collaboration with SAI members served as a stepping stone to creating her own orga-

After working in collaboration with members of SAI to set up a drive for women experiencing homelessness, she began to work to collect hygiene products for individuals in juvenile detention.

“That kind of prompted us to create our own student organization,” Muncaster said.

Siegelman said she decided to work with SAI after the Ban the Box Campaign. Ban the Box is an initiative to stop universities from discriminating against college applicants on the basis of previous convictions.

“I felt that every other club I had gotten in touch with was a lot more inaccessible, but SAI really opened the door,” Siegelman said.

Ampofo said she shares a similar outlook.

“I feel like this has given me the most mission and the most purpose at DePaul,” Ampofo said.

Whether it be becoming a pen pal with an inmate or educating yourself on the incarceration rates in America, SAI has offered students a sense of purpose.

“It is important to inform and educate people on incarceration in America and how anyone can have the opportunity to make a big change in a little way,” Ampofo said.

ALEXA BANUELOS | THE DEPAULIA

The SAI booth offered snacks and encouraged new students to ask about the organization at the Involvement Fair. nization.

UCAPS offers therapy groups to students

By Lily Lowndes Social Media Editor

DePaul University Counseling and Psychological Services (UCAPS) is expanding its free group therapy options for students.

Nine counseling groups and workshops are offered this quarter, covering topics including grief, anxiety, depression, eating disorder recovery and processing through poetry.

There are also identity-based groups including the Black Men’s Therapy Group, the Graduate Student Support Group and the Women’s Group.

According to Orson Morrison, the UCAPS associate director for clinical services, the counseling groups were created based on students’ needs from Fall Quarter. UCAPS staff looked at data surrounding the common concerns that students were bringing to the counseling center and found the topics that could best serve students.

“We all felt that offering more topic-specific groups would be a better way to meet the demand for mental health services,” Morrison said.

UCAPS staff looked at their counseling usage data to see which student populations they could reach out to through counseling groups.

“I did notice that we don’t really have a lot of Black men that are coming to UCAPS,” said Morrison, who is facilitating the Black Men’s Therapy Group. “I wanted to maybe offer something specific or unique so that we may actually create more of a welcoming environment to Black male students on campus.”

Students can register for most counseling groups after completing an initial meeting with a counselor. Some groups require a standard UCAPS appointment with a DePaul clinician known as a Brief Screening & Consultation (BSC). Other more specialized groups require a group screening appointment, which is a oneon-one appointment with a specific clinician that is usually the one facilitating the desired group.

Morrison said that each group is facilitated and created by a clinician with an expertise in and passion for the group’s topic. Most group sessions will host up to 10 participants and last between 70 to 90 minutes. There are groups that meet in Lincoln Park, the Loop and online at

different times on most days of the week.

Once a student joins a group, they can expect three different types of experiences.

Open groups can be joined at any time throughout the quarter and students can attend as many sessions as they need. Closed groups start and end with the same group of students throughout the quarter due to the sensitivity of the group topic and to deepen the sense of trust and safety. Skills-based groups provide tools for students to use in their everyday lives.

Morrison said that therapy groups are good places for students to learn and practice skills in a safe environment before implementing said skills in broader life.

Group therapy can also foster a sense of community for students.

“Attending group therapy surrounds you with peer support, or individuals with similar lived experiences, which can provide a greater sense of belonging,” Julia Richards, an occupational therapy graduate student at DePaul, wrote to The DePaulia. “Forming new friendships is also a possible outcome of participating in group therapy, which may allow individuals to identify the impacts of the different relationships in their lives.”

Forming new relationships is especially helpful to students who may have had to move away from their home support systems to attend college. According to DePaul’s 2021 Freshman Admission Summary Book, 37% of incoming freshman students in 2021 came from outside of Illinois.

One DePaul freshman, who wished to remain anonymous, looked into UCAPS’s therapy groups to expand their support system.

“The group counseling thing caught my eye because I am a couple of years in recovery for an eating disorder,” said the student. “I don’t have anything critical, but I just thought it would be kind of a good environment, being away from my direct support system like my parents, to have a place where I am kept accountable with my health and wellbeing.”

Certain groups center around sensitive topics that students may find difficult to talk about. Unless there is a major danger to self or others, whatever is spoken in the therapy group stays in the therapy group.

Extra care is given to ensure that stu-

Winter Quarter Counseling Groups and Workshops

Topics covered: self-compassion, unpacking “wellness” culture, navigating dining hall stressors

Requires a group screening prior to joining

Day & Time: Fridays at 2:30 p.m.

Location: Lincoln Park Student Center Room 350

dents feel comfortable within the group setting.

“At the beginning of each group, there will be a discussion about group norms, what to expect as well as confidentiality,” Morrison said.

Groups expand UCAPS’s services beyond individual counseling and can create more long-term options for students. Some students may choose to participate in a group session every week throughout the quarter.

“I think that groups are a really nice modality to consider because ... UCAPS, in terms of our individual therapy services, are very sort of short term,” Morrison said.

According to Morrison, there is no cap or limit on the number of individual sessions a student can complete, but based on the number of cases UCAPS sees, individual sessions may take a shorter-term model.

“Groups on the other hand, are not subject to have the same sort of shortterm framework ... so it is one way to get that really consistent, weekly support over the course of a longer period of time, which I know is really beneficial to students,” Morrison said.

Therapy groups were brought back to DePaul during fall quarter following the hire of new clinicians over the summer. According to Morrison, the winter quarter groups might be the most expansive group therapy selection that DePaul has ever offered.

“To my knowledge, I don’t believe UCAPS has ever offered this range of

Black Men's Therapy Group

Topics covered: race-related stress, family relationships, healthy masculinity

Day & Time: TBD

Location: TBD

Eating Disorder Recovery Group Women's Group

Topics covered: intimacy, life transitions, self-esteem, body image, anxiety, depression

Requires a group screening prior to joining

Day & Time: Wednesdays at 4 p.m.

Location: Lewis Center Room 1465

Scan here to view more groups and more information on the groups above

group therapy options,” Morrison said. “I know that they’ve done group therapy in the past, but to my knowledge we haven’t ever offered this many types.”

UCAPS’s group offerings may change quarter to quarter based on students’ interests and needs. Morrison says that UCAPS is open to creating more groups around different topics.

If students have suggestions for new groups, they can submit their suggestions in UCAPS’s formal feedback survey at the end of the quarter. The survey will be sent out to all students who have used counseling services at DePaul. If a student is not connected to UCAPS, they can email their suggestion to Morrison (omorriso@ depaul.edu) or Tow Yau (tyau@depaul. edu), the director of UCAPS.

College of Law names first inaugural fellows for Racial Justice Inititatives

By Nadia Carolina Hernandez Print Managing Editor

DePaul College of Law named Manoj Mate as DePaul’s first Racial Justice Initiative (RJI) inaugural director on Dec. 15, 2022.

Mate previously worked as the policy advisor for former mayor of San Antonio Julian Castro. He worked with local organizations to collaborate with the mayor’s office, according to Newsline.

“While government can be a major driver of progress, public-private partnerships involving the community, private sector and nonprofits are critical to the success of transformational change,” Mate said to Newsline.

The RJI launched in fall 2022 and aims to “bring together students, lawyers, researchers, policymakers and activists to

collaborate on community-driven solutions to advance racial justice, specifically in Chicago and Illinois. Working at the nexus of public policy and the legal system, RJI will take an interdisciplinary approach to tackling racial injustice and inequity in policing, housing, economic opportunity, education, health and voting rights,” according to Newsline.

“There is [a] significant need in Chicago for action,” said Julie Lawton, DePaul clinical law professor. “I wanted the initiative to really allow us to do something that would have an effect and not just be further conversation.”

Nathan Fleming will join the RJI as an inaugural fellow and look for student research fellows in the spring.

NEWSLINE | PHOTO

Manoj Mate (left) will serve as the inaugural faculty director and Nathan Fleming (right) will serve as fellow of DePaul Law's Racial Justice Initiative.

Early graduation sparks reflection, contentment

By Claire Tweedie Staff Writer

The flurry of email notifications reminding eligible students of upcoming graduation dates begins clouding mailboxes as deadlines loom ever closer. For junior Caroline Lucas though, the revelation of her fast approaching future is not as daunting as she imagined it to be. She is comforted by her confidence in her degree and the knowledge she’ll be graduating early. Lucas is in full control of her college career and can only dream about what her future will hold.

“If I were in a degree where the path to a career wasn't as up in the air, I wouldn't have felt as comfortable graduating early,” Lucas said. “I felt more comfortable because the path to being a working artist is so different for everyone. I feel like I’m ready to start working in new places and I’m eager to get into that.”

Lucas will graduate early with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater Arts and a double major in communication and media. To achieve this, she relied on transfer credits from high school classes and packed each quarter with at least 20 credit hours.

Senior Johanna Wieden will finish her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation after three and a half years and equates this success to the Advanced Placement (AP) classes she took that gave her early college credit. Graduating early was never her original goal, though.

“I really just took those classes because I happened to land there,” Wieden said. “I wanted more of a challenge than the honors classes at my high school because I had already been taking those types of classes for two years.”

Wieden took a heavier course load to achieve early graduation but ultimately saved herself from further financial stress. The higher level classes she took in high school helped her acquire a helpful scholarship and less time spent at DePaul meant less money spent on tuition and housing.

“For my mom and I’s sanity, I need to get out of DePaul as soon as possible,” Wieden said. “The quarters I did take five classes were really difficult but I kept telling myself it was to graduate early and save money.”

with a bachelor’s in industrial-organizational psychology after only three years. She similarly took five classes each quarter, incorporating two-credit classes into her schedule that were unrelated to her major. To balance the constant stress of academia, Plurad used her dedication to the clubs and organizations she was in as a way to decompress after challenging weeks.

“It was those breaks where I’d be socializing at a club where I’d feel energized to start doing my schoolwork again in between,” Plurad said. “I also joke with friends that I try to find a new couch at DePaul to sleep on so I have those moments to shut off my brain before getting back to whatever I need to do.”

Aside from maxed out credit hours, Wieden believes her biggest challenge was the inability to balance her academics with outside responsibilities such as a job. Her major often required production courses with over 10 hours per week of homework. She would often dedicate 20 hours for each final.

“It felt like I was working a full time job and going to school at the same time, except the job was just my homework for school,” Wieden said. “I have extreme respect for anyone who goes to school full time and works a good 20 hours a week to pay their bills because it is tricky.”

Now that graduation is not just a distant dream, Lucas looks back on her time at DePaul with the realization that she may not be ready for what comes next. Despite being able to graduate with her degree after her junior year, she is choosing to stay at least an extra quarter to make up for the time she lost during Covid-19.

“This year feels like the first time I actually am reaping the benefits of the school and understanding how things work,” Lucas said. “I’m learning how to grow, how to network, and who the people are I want to work with in the future. I feel like I need more time with that, more time to be a college student, since a full year of my life here was taken away.”

Despite having almost completed her degree, Wieden does not feel prepared for a career after graduation. She was not taught many of the emerging animation programs necessary for a job in her desired field and now must fill in the gaps herself. Meanwhile, Plurad feels ready to leave DePaul even if she may not be ready

“As I get closer to spring quarter, I think I am ready to just keep moving forward,” Plurad said. “I like variety and

change and constantly excelling so I’m ready for that. After everything I’ve done here in only three years, I don’t think an extra year would make me any more prepared than I am right now.”

NEWSLINE | PHOTO DePaul University will host its commencement ceremonies at Wintrust Arena. For those unable to attend commencement in person, a livestream will be available.

Senior Ceana Plurad will graduate

NEWSLINE | PHOTO

DePaul will host its commencement ceremonies on May 20 for the College of Law and on June 10 and June 11 for all other colleges and schools.

for the work world. Her main goal was to get her education and now that she has accomplished it, she’s excited to see what comes next.

CHURCH, continued from front page

because Christmas collections are traditionally greater than the usual Sunday collections or offertory,” Robinson said. “In other words, the theft meant the church community lost both Christmas and Sunday. This is a hard hit.”

Now, over a week later, the church has raised over $18,000 in donations, $8,000 more than the original goal.

“We are so totally and completely overwhelmed with the outpouring of support from people,” Olson said. “Many of those donations were anonymous.”

The extra funds raised from the GoFundMe will go toward outreach programs, building maintenance and new security measures Olson said.

To Williams, the donations are much needed after the pandemic caused financial instability due to reduced mass

attendance and therefore, fewer offerings than usual.

“That was a real blessing,” Williams said. “Our parish has been struggling since Covid to get back to normal. We’re not quite back to normal so we’ve been running a deficit, a small one, but nonetheless a deficit from our budget. So, this [money] will help a lot.”

Despite the financial losses from the burglary, parishioners are maintaining a positive outlook on the situation.

“Certainly in this case, the good has outweighed the bad,” Olson said.

According to Olson, none of the church staff recognized the perpetrator from camera footage.

“We didn’t recognize him. Other than his picture and what time he left the building, we have no other explanation on him,” Olson said.

The investigation is still ongoing and police have yet to identify a suspect.

Students lax about COVID precautions in new year

By Asia Thomas Staff Writer

The new year marked both the start of the Winter quarter for DePaul students and the continued spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant, XBB.1.5. Chicago is currently at medium risk for COVID-19, but increasing hospitalizations in the city create higher risk for students and the community.

While COVID-19 restrictions have lessened greatly over the past couple of years, XBB.1.5 is new to the United States and is making its way across the country with higher rates in the Northeast compared to other regions. In this region, XBB.1.5 makes up more than half of cases seen after the holiday season.

Public health experts like Dr. Allison Awady, the Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Health, anticipates a rise in the city’s COVID risk-level in the weeks following Christmas and New Years.

For DePaul students and faculty who began classes fresh off the holiday season, the short turnaround brought students back to dorms, classrooms and other shared spaces immediately after weeks of large holiday gatherings and travel across the country.

The symptoms of XBB.1.5 do not differ greatly from COVID-19, but the fast transmission could potentially result in a higher number of cases in students and faculty.

That said, the variant has yet to make a large impact on DePaul’s population.

Student Joselyn Gonzalez said she had not heard of the variant before, but she still doesn’t have any worries about Covid while returning to classes after the holidays.

“I feel pretty safe coming into class,” she said. “I’m not at all worried about catching it myself.”

As for classroom protocols, many professors this quarter are allowing students to choose what works best for them and their personal health. Gonzalez said professors are treating Covid-19 like other illnesses such as the common cold or the flu.

“I think overall they’ve [professors] just kept the notice of if you’re feeling sick just don’t come to class,” she said.

DePaul’s official COVID-19 policy requires all students, faculty, and staff to be vaccinated and boosted. For classes

and all gatherings, students and faculty are to be aware of their symptoms and stay home if they are sick.

Freshman Lisa Robe said that a lack of exposure to the COVID-19 makes her feel safe on campus and in classes.

“Personally, I’m not worried about Covid right now because I know a lot of people around me don't have it, so I’m not really that concerned,” she said.

Robe said she feels protected because she knows that if her friends or family were to contract the virus or be exposed, they would tell her. She adds that she is still glad her teachers have policies in place.

“On the first day, both of my teachers said that if you’re not comfortable you can wear a mask or leave the classroom,” Robe said. “They also said that if you are sick, just don’t come to class.”

For many classrooms, social distancing and mask requirements are a thing of the past. The remaining protocols surrounding Covid-19 help continue

to reduce risk, but many students have chosen to move forward without heavy concern.

Freshman Reece Tao echoed other students and said he does not see a reason for increased worry over the beginning of a new quarter.

“I don’t think Covid will be too much of an issue coming off of the holidays,” Tao said.

The use of masks in and around campus has decreased since the “mask-friendly” policy was put in place, but Tao does not think that mask usage has changed since the holidays or the XBB.1.5 variant.

Tao does choose to continue to wear one and says that it is his personal preference. Masks are still recommended in DePaul’s guidance for students, although they are no longer required.

“I’d say about 30% of students still wear a mask,” Tao said. “I feel relatively safe around campus,” he said.

KATIE WRIGHT | THE DEPAULIA St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church Rectory office in Lincoln Park is installing security cameras and lights after burglary on Dec. 26.

Although many students have given up on wearing masks, some students remain

Nation & World

Jan. 6 remembrance led by Dems as GOP wrestled with rebels

ROURKE | ASSOCIATED PRESS

By Zeke Miller, Mary Clare Jalonick & Calvin Woodward Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden conferred high honors on those who stood against the Jan. 6 Capitol mob two years ago and the menacing effort in state after state to upend the election, declaring “America is a land of laws, not chaos,” even as disarray rendered Congress dysfunctional for a fourth straight day.

Democrats at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue commemorated the police officers attacked that day and the local election workers and state officials who faced fierce intimidation from supporters of former President Donald Trump as they fought to keep him in office after his defeat.

“Our democracy held,” Biden said Friday in awarding Presidential Citizens Medals to about a dozen recipients from across the country in the White House East Room. “We the people did not flinch.”

Yet democracy’s vulnerability was equally on display at the Capitol as Republicans struggled to break their stalemate over the next House speaker, leaving that chamber in limbo for what should have been the first week under a GOP majority.

A resolution to the immediate crisis finally came after a series of concessions by the GOP leaders to appease its hard-right flank. In a vote sealed early Saturday after midnight. Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California got the majority he needed to become House speaker and get the chamber back to business.

Many hours earlier, lawmakers held a moment of silence to commemorate the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the building that drew mostly Democrats, with brief remarks from Democratic leaders past and incoming — Reps. Nancy Pelosi and Hakeem Jeffries — and none from the GOP.

The event was focused on the Capitol Police officers who protected the building Jan. 6 and families of law enforcement officers who died after the riot. Jeffries said 140 officers were seriously injured and “many more will forever be scarred by the blood-

thirsty violence of the insurrectionist mob. We stand here today with our democracy intact because of those officers.”

At the White House ceremony, Biden described the violence in evocative and at times graphic detail — the officer speared by a flagpole flying the American flag, the beatings, the bloodshed and racist screams from rioters who professed to be pro-law enforcement as they overran police and hunted for lawmakers.

“Sick insurrectionists,” he said. “We must say clearly with a united voice that there is no place ... for voter intimidation or election violence.”

Although the horrors of Jan. 6 came down on members of both parties, it is being remembered in a largely polarized fashion now, like other aspects of political life in a divided country.

Biden, in his afternoon remarks, played up the heroism of the honorees, whether in the face of the violent Capitol mob or the horde of Trump-inspired agitators who threatened election workers or otherwise sought to overturn the results.

But he couldn’t ignore warning signs that it could happen again.

In the midterms, candidates who denied the outcome of 2020’s free and fair election were defeated for many pivotal statewide positions overseeing elections in battleground states, as were a number of election deniers seeking seats in Congress.

Yet many of the lawmakers who brought baseless claims of election fraud or excused the violence on Jan. 6 continue to serve and are newly empowered.

Trump’s 2024 candidacy has been slow off the starting blocks, but his war chest is full and some would-be rivals for the Republican presidential nomination have channeled his false claims about the 2020 race.

As well, several lawmakers who echoed his lies about a stolen election at the time were central in the effort to derail McCarthy’s ascension to speaker — unswayed by Trump’s appeals from afar to support him and end the fight.

The protracted struggle left the House

leaderless, unable to pass bills and powerless to do much more than hold vote after vote for speaker until a majority was reached. Everything from national security briefings to helping their constituents navigate the federal bureaucracy was on pause because the members-elect couldn’t yet take their oath of office.

Some Democrats saw a throughline from Jan. 6.

The chaos of the speaker’s election was “about destruction of an institution in a different way,” said Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, one of the lawmakers who fled the rioters two years ago.

Then, the insurrectionists trapped some lawmakers in the House chamber but never breached it. They held up national business for hours that day.

Now some felt trapped in the same chamber by the repeated, fruitless votes for speaker.

“The stream of continuity here is extremism, elements of Trumpism, norms don’t matter,” says Democratic Rep. Mike Quigley of Illinois. “It’s not about governing, it’s about pontificating and advocating an extremist point of view.”

At least nine people who were at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, died during or after the rioting, including a woman who was shot and killed by police as she tried to break into the House chamber and three other Trump supporters whom authorities said suffered medical emergencies.

Two officers, Howard Liebengood of the Capitol Police and Jeffrey Smith of the Metropolitan Police, were at the Capitol that Jan. 6 and died by suicide in the days following the attack. Biden honored both Friday with posthumous medals.

A third officer, Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, collapsed and died after engaging with the protesters. A medical examiner later determined he died of natural causes.

The Metropolitan Police announced months later that two more of their officers who had responded to the insurrection, Kyle DeFreytag and Gunther Hashida, had also died by suicide.

On

“I wish we didn’t have to be here,” said Ken Sicknick, brother of Brian Sicknick, after the ceremony.

After the unsatisfying midterm election for Trump allies, the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack wrapped up its work with a recommendation to the Justice Department to prosecute the former president. A special counsel and ultimately Attorney General Merrick Garland will now decide whether to indict him.

While the congressional investigations have ended, the criminal cases are still very much continuing, both for the 950 arrested and charged in the violent attack and for Trump and his associates who remain under investigation. The second seditious conspiracy trial begins this week, for members of the far-right Proud Boys.

In a measured but significant step, Congress in December amended the Electoral Count Act to limit the role of the vice president in counting electoral votes, to make it harder for individual lawmakers to mount objections to properly certified election results and to eliminate “fake electors” like those deployed by Trump allies in a bid to overturn his defeat to Biden.

After all that, Biden, who made it a tentpole of his agenda to prove to the world that democracies can deliver for their citizens, said he hoped that this was “the first time we’re really getting through the whole issue relating to Jan. 6. Things are settling out.”

But then came the fight for speaker, rare in the annals of Congress.

“And now, for the first time in 100 years, we can’t move?” Biden said earlier this week. “It’s not a good look. It’s not a good thing.”

“Look,” he went on, “how do you think it looks to the rest of the world?”

Associated Press writer Colleen Long contributed to this report.

Capitol Hill, the mostly Democratic lawmakers held a 140-second moment of silence in honor of those officers as some of their families said their names and a bell was rung in their honor.

MATT

The Rev. Dr. Cassandra Gould, left, gathers with other Christian leaders for a prayer vigil to mark the second year anniversary of the insurrection on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C.

Extreme weather leaves citizens uncertain about the future of California’s climate

By Logan Sriharatsa Contributing Writer

Uprooted trees, dark buildings and streets filled with brown, murky water have become a daily occurrence for Californians. A combination of earthquakes, cyclones and storms over the past few weeks have negatively impacted many, but the forecast shows that this extreme weather is far from over.

After a devastating magnitude 6.4 earthquake in Northern California on Dec. 20, the state then faced a series of snow storms and rainstorms with strong winds over Christmas weekend in Southern California, with some areas even facing whiteout conditions. The weather eased up until New Year’s weekend, when Southern California was hit with another series of harsh storms and Northern California was hit by a 5.4 magnitude earthquake resulting in power outages in the area.

“When you have an earthquake as big as a 6.4, it is a common occurrence that it is followed by a smaller aftershock later, like in this case in California,” University of Chicago seismology professor Sun Young Park said. “There is also a tidal effect when earthquakes happen, both cause and effect between the two. When it comes to extreme weather, earthquakes aren’t closely related to what happens in

the climate. However, there is research showing that we are getting higher frequencies of extreme weather due to climate change.”

Despite heavy snow, rainstorms and high tides, California just last year suffered their worst drought in over 100 years. According to the National Integrated Drought Information System, most of California’s soil is abnormally dry and 80.6% of California falls under the category of a severe drought, which will promote a longer fire season and a decrease in wildlife.

“I was visiting Los Angeles for the first time with my family after Christmas wanting to escape the cold Minnesota winter,” Los Angeles tourist Kieran Aus said. “All I usually hear about [California] is their sunny weather, but when I got there it was gloomy and raining quite a bit. My flight home was actually delayed a while. I was surprised to see California like this after hearing so much about a drought, but a couple days ago it seemed like the opposite of that.”

However, California is expected to continue to see stronger and more persistent storms in the upcoming week.

According to the National Weather Service, from Jan. 4 to Jan. 10, California will be facing a winter storm warning with one to three feet of snowfall and

winds gusting as high as 55 mph. Western Plumas County is expected to be hit the most because of its high elevation. The NWS also issued a high surf advisory and flood watch everywhere else in the state, factored from the excess water already present and expected snowfall.

The Bay Area is also going to be heavily affected by the upcoming winter storm warning due to being hit by record-breaking rainfall, which will make the high surf and flood even worse.

“The wettest 10 day period for Downtown San Francisco since 1871! Downtown San Francisco received 10.33” Dec 26 - Jan 4 (yesterday). All time 10 day record was 14.37” in January 1862,” the

NWS Bay Area Twitter account tweeted on Jan. 5.

Further into the month, California is expected to see consistent rainfall throughout the month of January.

“I’m from the Bay Area and the weather there was simply terrible when I was back for break, not like what it usually is,” DePaul freshman Rhythm Cannon said. “Just gray skies and a lot of rain and water everywhere. I know there were power outages in the area, luckily mine didn’t go out. Honestly, I was excited to get back to Chicago for school because of the weather, I didn’t want to have to deal with those bad storms anymore.”

After presidency, unclear fate for Brazil’s brash Bolsonaro

By Carla Bridi Associated Press

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Jair Bolsonaro told supporters that the future could only bring him three possibilities: arrest, death or a second term as Brazil’s president.

None of those outcomes came to pass. And his Oct. 30 loss to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva set off two months of relative silence for the self-styled standard-bearer of the Brazilian conservative movement.

Bolsonaro’s oft-cited motto is “God, Family, Country,” and as president he handed more power to the armed forces and loosened gun restrictions. Many of Bolsonaro’s far-right supporters remain in his thrall and have camped outside military buildings, pleading futilely for army intervention that would keep the president in power.

But Bolsonaro authorized his chief-ofstaff to preside over the transition process, and moving trucks have started showing up at the presidential palace and residence. Personal items were spotted being removed, especially art given as gifts by supporters – including life-size wooden sculptures of Bolsonaro and a motorcycle.

A seven-term fringe lawmaker before winning his presidential campaign in 2018, Bolsonaro has discussed holding a salaried position in his Liberal Party, a party executive involved in discussions told The Associated Press, asking not to be identified because plans haven’t been announced.

Bolsonaro addressed backers in the capital, Brasilia, once after he lost the vote, saying briefly that the armed forces were under his control. A second time, he stood in silence as backers prayed for him.

Some supporters insist that Bolsonaro would not let them down by giving up the fight but others have started to decamp from important sites.

According to Bolsonaro’s official daily

agenda, he worked just over an hour each day from the election until Dec. 23.

The Liberal Party will be the biggest party in both the Lower House and Senate. It has declared its opposition to Lula’s incoming government and Bolsonaro is expected to lead the effort within the party, the party executive said.

But many of the Liberal Party’s members are neither fully loyal to Bolsonaro nor ideologically aligned with him, and they will have incentives to work with the new administration, said Guilherme Casarões, political analyst and professor at Getulio Vargas Foundation in São Paulo. The Liberal Party is considered centrist and is known for making deals with the sitting government.

“That makes it harder to have the ideological fidelity that Bolsonaro likes to maintain,” said Casarões. “If he doesn’t manage to have total control over the Liberal Party, we are going to see a new split.”

Bolsonaro got 49% of the presidential vote, fuelling the possibility of a presidential run in 2026 and making him a possible aid to candidates in the 2024 municipal elections, said Eduardo Grin, political analyst and professor at the Getulio Vargas Foundation.

However, Grin noted there is a history of strong Brazilian candidates failing to sustain support in subsequent years. And the governors of Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais, Brazil’s two most populous states, could prove more palatable options to conservative voters.

The customary final act for outgoing presidents is handing over the presidential sash to their successor. Bolsonaro’s office didn’t respond to requests for comment on whether he will attend Lula’s inauguration.

The last time a president declined to hand over the sash was in 1985, marking the end of the nation’s two-decade military dictatorship and the return of democracy.

Either way, the inauguration will come as a blow to Bolsonaro’s backers, said ana-

lyst Mario Sérgio Lima, from Medley Advisors.

“As his supporters are used to radicalism, they are expecting catharsis. When they see Lula being sworn in, they will feel betrayed, like he (Bolsonaro) had the power in his hands and did nothing,” said Lima. “For them, it is a sign of weakness.”

Bolsonaro also faces swirling legal threats. The Supreme Court is investigating him on suspicion of illegally spreading lies about topics including COVID-19 vaccines, Supreme Court justices, releasing confidential information from an ongoing investigation and interfering improperly with the Federal Police. The Supreme Court is the only government body that can investigate a sitting president or federal lawmaker.

As of Jan. 1, Bolsonaro will no longer enjoy the legal protection of sitting leaders, and could face fresh charges in lower courts. After Lula was convicted of corruption and money laundering by lower courts

in 2018, he was deemed ineligible to run in that year’s presidential election and spent more than a year in jail. His convictions were later annulled on the grounds that he was tried in a court without proper jurisdiction.

“But Lula had an entire party behind him to bring him up again, and that isn’t the case for Bolsonaro,” said Lima, adding that Bolsonaro would struggle to maintain allies fighting for his cause.

And any eventual conviction could jeopardize a possible 2026 run by Bolsonaro to return to his former job, in addition to all the other challenges he faces.

“The political fate of Bolsonaro and Brazil’s extreme right has more stumbling blocks than it appears,” said Grin. “There will be more difficulties than ease.”

Associated Press writer Diane Jeantet contributed to this report from Rio de Janeiro.

GODOFREDO A. VÁSQUEZ | ASSOCIATED PRESS

ALAN SANTOS | CREATIVE COMMONS

Jair Bolsonaro addresses the media at a press conference on April 16, 2020.

Firefighters battle a residence fire in Rio Dell, Calif., Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022.

Opinions

NEW YEAR, SOBER DEPAUL

Drinking culture focuses on harm reduction

By Una Cleary Focus Editor

A five-minute walking distance from DePaul’s Lincoln Park campus is easy access to several college bars and convenience stores where rows of alcohol line the aisles and the occasional frat or house party. For some students, these places fill their weekend nights as they wake up the next morning with little to remember.

But for many, drinking does not engulf their social lives, as “dry January” is their everyday reality throughout the school year.

“Based on what the Alcohol EDU surveys have shown, about 60% [of students] have decided to abstain and an additional 25% have identified themselves as non-drinkers,” said Kayla Turner, misuse prevention specialist with the Office of Health and Promotion Wellness. .

Alcohol EDU are required alcohol and substance use modules and surveys given to all DePaul freshman and a standard at most colleges. Even though the modules can be lengthy and somewhat repetitive, they do provide important information on safe drinking amounts when dealing with different types of alcohol and settings.

“I think that DePaul students have the education to make the choices they feel comfortable with,” Turner said.

Required alcohol transports to medical facilities on campus have also decreased since last year according to Mary Hansen, manager of university market -

ing and communications at DePaul.

“Since the beginning of the academic year, nine students have been transported from campus to medical facilities for alcohol-related incidents,” Hansen said. “During the same period last year, 22 students were transported.”

For many students living in a city like Chicago, endless amounts of activities are available that can be participated in sober. While partying and drinking are still present, it does not make or break the social circles you will find at this school.

“It depends on where you look, and if you’re going to drink you’re going to find other people that are going to drink with you. But I don't think it's necessarily the biggest part of DePaul’s social crowd,” freshman Zoe Holm said.

“I think it would be a lot harder to not drink at a state school because I think that's what people at state schools do a lot more frequently. Here, you can do a lot of things sober.”

The stigma around drinking to have fun at college still completes many students' perceptions of the college experience.

“Freshman year I talked about how

I hated St Patrick’s Day because I hate being around drunk people and a girl told me I shouldn’t even have bothered coming to college,” a DePaul student that requested anonymity said. “That really annoyed me as my sister was freshly out of rehab at that time and just being around alcohol made me emotional.”

While a school like DePaul may not have a mile-long fraternity/sorority row

with 200-person ragers every weekend, it is imperative to continue to support students and friends that choose not to participate in substance culture.

Alcoholism is a disease that continues to affect the people closest to us and strangers alike.

“Over the last 12-month period, 140,000 people died of alcohol-based issues. That's more than the people that have died from opioids which is closer to about 100,000,” Leonard Jason, Director of the Center for Community Research said. “So, when you think about 140,000 people dying, that's a huge number. That suggests that this is a significant problem for DePaul, for the nation.”

The Office of Health and Promotion Wellness offers training and workshops around substance use, as well as offering group and individual interventions.

“We also provide education around recovery,” Turner said. “When we think about substance use we know that there's a very huge stigma around that. So being able to educate the DePaul community on how to become a better recovery ally even if you yourself are not going through recovery.” More information can be found on the office’s DeHUB page.

While the stigma around college drinking culture is normative around almost every single campus, many students do not act on this perception. Continue to support yourself, friends and family that decide not to binge drink when going out and leave your FOMO in 2022.

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

CJ MCKENZIE I THE DEPAULIA

SOURCE: DEPAUL PUBLIC SAFETY

journalist could wish for. I came to admire her work— not only was she accomplished, we shared a similar passion to uplift the Latine community.

“It’s so refreshing to hear you are that you are interested in helping us continue our mission,” María replied after I expressed my interest through email.

We scheduled to meet at the publication’s office that following week.

After struggling to find the office in the Loop DePaul Center, I was eventually greeted by María. She led me to her personal office where she asked me about my journalistic experience and how I wanted to be involved with the publication.

I explained to her pieces of my life story and despite showcasing my eagerness to kickstart my journalism career, I did not expect to become an editor right away.

“We have positions open, many of us will be gone next year,” she said with a noticeable pinch of worry.

I later found out five out of the six editors on La DePaulia’s team were graduating that year, including herself.

María later said she spent months worried about the publication’s future and worked to bring people together to be a part of La DePaulia staff the following years.

I told her I would like to become an editor eventually, but I wanted to sharpen my reporting skills first. She suggested I come to the office Sunday, their print production day, to learn more about the publication.

I showed up that Sunday and every Sunday after that. Often, I would send her a text message letting her know I was coming in and soon enough, I voluntarily came in to edit stories.

For months, she showed me how La DePaulia’s tight knit team worked from how stories were translated from English to Spanish, editing styles and more.

One night we stayed in the office working later than usual. Out of precaution, we split the cost of an Uber rather than take the CTA back to our homes. We were tired from a long day yet waited near the revolving doors for our ride with an unspoken sense of satisfaction.

She recalled the many times she walked out of the newsroom late and how each time, it was worth it.

“It’s hard work,” she said “but it’s heart work.”

I couldn’t agree with her more.

I quickly realized María wanted to bring others up with her. In a competitive news industry where envy between journalists can spread, María remained genuine. She had knowledge, experience and motivation to help other journalists like me.

By the end of the Winter quarter, María offered me the position as editor-in-chief of La DePaulia for the following years.

Both ecstatically and nervously, I accepted it. This would be the most drastic transition since the publication launched

on January 13, 2020 with various new editors and photographers.

The original team of La DePaulia consisted of founder Hillary Flores and co-founders María Marta Guzmán, Izabella Grimaldo, Jonathan Aguilar, Shane René and adviser Marla Krause.

They helped La DePaulia expand from an online-only to weekly print newspaper. They paved the way for Latine voices to be heard when Spanish publications like The Chicago Tribune’s ‘Hoy’ were dying.

Not only did I feel I had big shoes to fill, I wanted to ensure the publication’s mission stayed alive.

Taking on the position was a step forward in my journalistic career and a stance that Spanish language publications are needed in Chicago.

It was also a moment of deep pride for myself as I continued to embrace my first language.

I thought back to the time my mother was shunned for speaking in Spanish at a grocery store while I translated for her as a little girl.

I was now in charge of a Spanish language publication, the very language she was humiliated for speaking.

The 2021-2022 La DePaulia team came together the following Spring quarter with Managing Editor Santiago Posada-Jaramillo, Arts and Life Editor Andrea Juarez, Multimedia Editor Vanessa Ramos, Assistant Multimedia Frankie Perez, Copy Editor Rodrigo Melgarejo, Sports editor Santiago Gonzalez Tijerina, Podcast Producer Geovani Camarena and contributing writer Cary Robbins.

In the nine months I’ve been EIC, La DePaulia has shifted, with some editors leaving the publication and others joining. I am appreciative of the individuals who helped uphold our mission, regardless of how long they were a part of the team.

Despite some changes, our team has always been made up of a diverse blend of Latine backgrounds. Some editor’s roots reside in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Colombia and Brazil. All of which has bolstered our coverage and brought fresh ideas.

Through managing La DePaulia I also faced personal challenges. I felt I had shadowed Maira for so long that when it was my turn to lead, I struggled to become comfortable in my role.

I was afraid of how others in the newsroom would compare our leadership styles and even our personalities.

It was with time, self-reflection, experience and support from friends that I started to lead with confidence and understand my path did not have to look like anyone else’s.

I could create my own and I am grateful I have.

One of La DePaulia’s notable accomplishments was our collaboration with DePaul’s NAHJ members in November 2022. We wrote an op-ed piece and gave a speech demanding the university invest in the education of Latine journalism students by hiring bilingual reporting professors that specialize in covering our communities.

Our efforts resulted in DePaul hiring their first bilingual reporting professor in the last 10 years.

For the first time, Latines are the ones holding the pen to paper, writing their own history. When our history is remembered, it can teach us, empower us, touch our hearts and remind us that we are not alone.

When we acquire this knowledge, it can never be taken away because it lives in each of us.

As we continue to advocate for Latine representation, our publication must create space for underrepresented groups so they can become empowered by their own histories. This is imperative

as we strive for an equitable reality where all voices and stories can flourish.

Thank you to all the founders and supporters of La DePaulia. Thank you to NAHJ DePaul alumni members including Jesus J. Montero, María Marta Guzmán, Richie Requena, Hillary Flores, Erika Perez and Jonathan Aguilar as well as advisors Robin Hoecker and Sandra Guy who helped set up more groundwork for Latino voices to be heard.

Thank you to The DePaulia staff and adviser Marla Krause who supported our mission.

A special thank you to my parents who sacrificed so much to allow me to reach for the sun, the moon and all the stars if my heart desires.

NADIA CAROLINA HERNANDEZ | LA DEPAULIA

MAYA OCLASSEN I THE DEPAULIA ANNIVERSARY, continued from front

La DePaulia 2022-2023 team. From left to right Santiago Gonzalez Tijerina, Santiago Posada-Jaramillo, Andrea Juárez Hernández, Jacqueline Cardenas, Cary Robbins and Frankie Perez.

Symphonies of

Performing Arts Respect the Past,

By Jonathan RosenBlum & Zach elliott Staff Writers

IIn the digital world, entertainment can be obtained in the blink of an eye. Streaming services overshadow the traditional experiences of attending a symphony orchestra.

According to the New York Times, Carnegie Hall ended the performance season with an average attendance level of 88%, compared with 93% before the pandemic. Albeit, while presenting fewer concerts than before the pandemic.

Despite this downturn, the performing arts still have a place for many.

“I always found something in it that I thought I couldn’t live without, or that I thought I couldn’t find in anything else,” Brendan Tarm, a orchestra cellist said. Playing since age five, Tarm has performed with the Estonian National Symphony and the European Union Youth Orchestra.

Hailing from Estonia, Tarm’s involvement with classical music started at a young age.

“I’ve been going to concerts since I was an infant,” Tarm said. “When I go it’s just like going to see a movie.”

As young audiences flock to music venues and movie theaters, they seldom seek out the more traditional performing arts such as orchestras

and musicals. Per the Times, the average age at the New York Philharmonic in 2020 was 57. Similarly, 62% of the audience being 55 and older (versus just 24% being under 40) suggests a disconnect with younger audiences.

“I think that orchestras, or orchestras as institutions, certainly do think a lot about how to appeal to young people,” Michael Lewanski, an Ensemble Dal Niente conductor and DePaul professor of orchestra said. “And generally don’t do a great job.”

Reasons for the stark age discrepancy within performing arts audiences can range from accessibility to production content.

“Ticket prices are absolutely insane,” said Matt Rodin, a musical theater graduate of The Boston Conservatory who has worked with several productions including “Hamilton” and “Dear Evan Hanson.” “Our generations are not spending their money on theater.”

In this streaming era, younger generations’ consumption of culture has changed.

“It seems like young people are interested in other art forms,” Rodin said. “We’re so inundated with content, from what’s on our TV streaming to what’s on our phones. I think for young people the thought of sitting in a theater for two and a half hours is a little bit intimidating.”

As older audiences have acculturated themselves to a specific experience of culture consumption within theaters and symphony halls, young

people often feel alienated.

“I think people are put off by the formality and this idea that everyone you look at on stage is wearing these really extravagant things and the concert halls are always very decadent and shiny,” Tarm said. Tarm believes the excessive formality of seeing a show intimidates many new audiences.

“People do think it’s a big event and you have to wear your tuxedo and your best shoes and go and pretend that you’re doing something special,” he added.

Due to perceived formality, newer audiences sometimes become completely distracted from the performance itself, focusing rather on their discomfort.

“Those types of thoughts distract from the music,” Tarm said. “If you’re at a concert thinking that the whole time you’re not going to want to come back the next time.”

The slow-pace and abstractness of much of symphonic music can hinder new audiences’ understanding.

“When you listen to pop music, I think it’s more accessible because you get answers to your questions faster,” Tarm said. “You have to wait a long time in order for the satisfaction to come.”

Most important in attracting an audience is the product on-stage. Similar to symphonic productions, the theater has to balance honoring the classics with embracing the modern.

For Tim Hiemstra, the general

manager at the Greenhouse Theater, attracting young audiences means more representation. Hiemstra feels that young, relatable stories are key.

“People want to see themselves up on that stage,” Hiemstra said. “How do you get a 20 year old to come to the theater? Do a story for them.”

Rodin feels the musical “Six,” –the story of Henry VIII’s six wives through a pop concert – is a good example of this.

“It’s pop music,” he said. “It’s way more exciting for young people. It feels like us. That’s because it was made by people our age; millennials and younger.”

Many feel that along with new stories, such as the immensely successful “Dear Evan Hanson’’ production, which won the 2017 Tony for best musical, theater must balance this with retelling established stories. This balance allows for young voices and experiences to be seen on stage, while honoring the long lineage of traditions theater holds.

Chris Anthony, an assistant professor teaching performance at DePaul, agrees with the necessity to reflect the younger generations’ realties.

“It’s important that everyone see themselves reflected in theater,” Anthony said. “To quote Shakespeare, ‘The purpose of playing, first and last, is to hold the mirror up to nature.’”

Anthony’s recent “Henry IV” adaptation, recently directed at The Theater School, extracted key themes

The Greenhouse Theatre rehearses for their production of Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. Productions will begin in early February.

UNA CLEARY | THE DEPAULIA

of

future

Past, With an Eye on the Present

and characters from the longstanding story, and wrote new text to, in her words, write a story, “for the theater school about the struggles of being a storyteller.”

Anthony feels that Shakespeare did not mean for his works to be repeated word-for-word, but adapted over time.

“That’s kind of our job,” she said. “Shakespere took his place in a long line of storytellers.”

Hiemstra also agrees with extracting powerful Shakespearian themes. Even with the language used being “old,” stories like Shakepserean works remain relatable in the present. Embodying themes such as love, power, lust and heartbreak are not exclusive to Shakespearian dramas – they are integral to modern life.

“That’s the reason people still do it. It’s a blend, you need to be able to do both stories people have heard of before and new work,” he said.

Symphonies must also grapple with this balance. Kamila Muhammnad is the director of education and community engagement at the Chicago Sinfonietta, a local symphony that champions diversity and embracement of multicultural voices.

“I think one of the things that Chicago Sinfonietta does very well is balance,” said Mohammad. “Sort of create a good balance between honoring the legacy of those great Western

European composers, including Beethoven and Mozart, along with more contemporary composers.”

To bring in new audiences, that balance is key for Mohammad and the Sinfonietta.

“If we only play Beethoven, there’s no way we’re going to open up this classical music field to new audiences, simply because those audiences aren’t reflected in the repertoire that would be played.”

One tangible measure that the Sinfonietta has used to help bring in new audiences is their “Pay What You Can Program.” Through the program, a select number of tickets are offered for as low as $5, largely removing some of the financial barriers that limit outreach. Mohammad feels that it is essential to remove this financial barrier for new audiences.

Streaming is a notable form of audience outreach such as a live performance of “Hamilton” are available on Disney+, as well as a version of “Come From Away ‘’ on Apple TV+. Some theaters have even begun to maximize profits by putting cameras in desirable seats of the theater and selling access to streams. In this way, a theater can essentially sell a seat multiple times over.

“The arts in general are all trying to figure out what does streaming have to do with us and how we participate in this kind of content-heavy

world,” Rodin said.

As the future marches on, performing arts institutions will continue to adapt to the present. So long as new audiences and stories are kept in mind while continuing to honor long standing traditions, these cultural institutions will remain going forward.

“The responsibility now is on the institutions,” Rodin said. “In asking how do we integrate and navigate so that, number one it’s successful, and number two we are progressing, and

we are moving forward, we are not just sitting and saying that people should come to us, because they aren’t.”

This collective responsibility posed to performing arts institutions weighs heavy as the performing arts mean much more than being content.

“There’s an energy that exists between people in those special moments, that you don’t get sitting at home watching something on TV,” Hiemstra said. “We need people to relate to each other, to be together, enjoying a communal space.”

SIMON PAULY| CHICAGO SINFONIETTA

Conductor Mei-Ann Chen is the music director of the Chicago Sinfonietta and has experience with over 110 orchestras to date.

Sources: Chicago Sinfionietta, Chicago Symphony Orchestra Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre

La DePaulia

Carta de la editora: 3 años de La DePaulia

By Jacqueline cardenas Jefa de Redacción, La DePaulia

Estar presente para el tercer aniversario de La DePaulia se siente nostálgico. No he sido parte de la publicación durante la totalidad de su vida, sin embargo, me he sentido conectada con la misión desde el principio.

Conocí la publicación durante el trimestre de invierno de mi segundo año, mientras estaba inscrita en el curso “Escribiendo para The DePaulia.” Después de un año de tener clases en línea, no solo estaba ansiosa por tomar clases de periodismo en persona, sino que también quería aprovechar cada oportunidad.

Tuve el privilegio de ir a la universidad como hija de inmigrantes mexicanos, una oportunidad que pocos de mis parientes tuvieron.

Era el boleto de oro para trabajar con la cabeza en lugar de con las manos en este país, para perseguir el ‘sueño americano’.

Aprendí rápidamente que este sueño está lleno de fantasía y la sociedad en la que funciona nos falla a muchos.

Para mucha gente, no importa lo duro que trabajen, este sueño es solo para unos, no para todos.

Es una sociedad torcida en la que vivimos, sin embargo, una chica latina como yo logró salir adelante, en parte gracias a los esfuerzos de sus padres.

Llegué a reconocer el poder del periodismo. Las historias pueden hacer resonar las voces de la comunidad, responsabilizar a los que están en el poder y abogar para que un grupo de personas tenga recursos equitativos.

Las habilidades periodísticas que adquirí se convirtieron en una forma de activismo. En el fondo, quiero reportar la verdad, informar al público y dar voz a los que no tienen.

Entré al salón de clases preparada y lista para aprender todo lo que pudiera.

Recogí el periodico “The DePaulia” cada semana ese trimestre, emocionada por leer tres historias en español en las páginas 16 y 17, donde me encontré con un título que decía “Carta de la editora: dos años de La DePaulia”.

La DePaulia me permitió reportar en las comunidades latinas que apasionadamente deseaba. Era la combinación perfecta y yo tenía que ser parte de ella.

No solo me aferraba a un periódico, me aferraba a una parte de la historia que escribió una latina.

Me comuniqué con la Jefa de Redacción en ese momento, María Marta Guzmán. También fue la presidenta de la Asociación Nacional de Periodistas Hispanos (NAHJ) de DePaul y tuvo todas las pasantías bajo el sol que una aspirante a periodista podría desear.

Llegué a admirar su trabajo— no solo por sus logros, sino porque compartimos una pasión similar por empoderar a la comunidad latine.

“Es muy refrescante escuchar que estás interesada en ayudarnos a continuar con nuestra misión”, contestó María después de que expresé mi interés por correo electrónico.

Quedamos de encontrarnos en la oficina de la publicación la semana siguiente.

Después de tener dificultad encontrando la oficina en el Loop DePaul Center, finalmente fui recibida por María.

Me llevó a su oficina personal donde me preguntó sobre mi experiencia periodística y de qué modo quería involucrarme con la publicación.

Le expliqué partes de mi historia de vida y, a pesar de mostrar mi afán por comenzar mi carrera periodística, no esperaba convertirme en editora de inmediato.

“Tenemos posiciones abiertas, muchos

de nosotros nos iremos el próximo año”, dijo con una pizca de preocupación.

Más tarde descubrí que cinco de los seis editores de La DePaulia se graduarían ese año, incluyendo a María.

Ella dijo más tarde que pasó meses preocupada por el futuro de la publicación y trabajó para traer más personas para que fueran parte de La DePaulia en los años siguientes.

Le dije que me gustaría convertirme en editora eventualmente, pero que primero quería perfeccionar mis habilidades como reportera. Me sugirió que fuera a la oficina el domingo, su día de producción impresa, para obtener más información sobre la publicación.

Me presenté ese domingo y todos los domingos después de eso. A menudo, le enviaba un mensaje de texto haciéndole saber que iría y, muy pronto, empecé a ir voluntariamente a editar historias.

Durante meses me mostró lo unido que trabajaba el equipo de La DePaulia, desde cómo se traducían las historias del inglés al español, los estilos de edición y más.

Una noche nos quedamos en la oficina trabajando más tarde de lo habitual. Por precaución, dividimos el costo de un Uber en lugar de tomar el tren a nuestros hogares.

Estábamos cansadas de un largo día, pero esperábamos cerca de las puertas giratorias para que llegara el Uber, con una sensación de satisfacción implícita.

Ella recordó las muchas veces que salió tarde de la sala de redacción, y cómo todas las veces valió la pena.

“Es un trabajo duro”, dijo, “pero es un trabajo del corazón”.

No podría estar más de acuerdo con ella.

Rápidamente me di cuenta de que María quería ayudar a otros avanzar junto con ella.

En una industria de noticias competitiva donde la envidia entre periodistas puede propagarse, pero María se mantuvo

genuina. Tenía conocimiento, experiencia y motivación para ayudar a otros periodistas como yo.

Al final del trimestre de invierno, María me ofreció el puesto de Jefa de Redacción de La DePaulia para los siguientes años.

Tanto extasiada, como nerviosa, acepté su oferta. Esta sería la transición más drástica desde que se lanzó la publicación el 13 de enero de 2020, con varios editores y fotógrafos nuevos.

El equipo original de La DePaulia estaba formado por la fundadora Hillary Flores y los cofundadores María Marta Guzmán, Izabella Grimaldo, Jonathan Aguilar, Shane René y la asesora Marla Krause.

Ayudaron a La DePaulia a pasar de un periódico solo en línea a un periódico impreso semanal. Labraron el camino para que se escucharan voces latinas cuando publicaciones en español como ‘Hoy’ de The Chicago Tribune estaban muriendo.

No solo sentí que tenía grandes zapatos que llenar, sino que quería asegurarme de que la misión de la publicación se mantuviera viva.

Asumir el cargo fue un paso adelante en mi carrera periodística y una declaración de que las publicaciones en español son necesarias en Chicago.

También fue un momento de profundo orgullo para mí mientras continuaba apreciando mi primer idioma.

Recordé el momento en que mi madre fue rechazada por hablar en español en una tienda de comestibles mientras, de niña, yo le traducía.

Ahora estaba a cargo de una publicación en español, el mismo idioma por el que ella había sido humillada por hablar.

El equipo de La DePaulia 2021-2022 se conformó el trimestre de primavera por el Editor Gerente Santiago PosadaJaramillo, la Editora de Arte y Vida Andrea Juárez Hernández, la Editora Multimedia

NADIA CAROLINA HERNANDEZ | LA DEPAULIA

El equipo de La DePaulia 2022-2023. De izquierda a derecha, Santiago Gonzalez Tijerina, Santiago Posada-Jaramillo, Andrea Juárez Hernández, Jacqueline Cardenas, Cary Robbins, y Frankie Perez. Robbins, y Frankie Perez.

Vanessa Ramos, el Asistente Multimedia Frankie Perez, el Editor de Copias Rodrigo Melgarejo, el Editor de Deportes Santiago Gonzalez Tijerina, el Productor de Podcast Geovani Camarena y la escritora colaboradora Cary Robbins.

En los nueve meses que he sido la jefa de redacción, La DePaulia ha cambiado, con algunos editores dejando la publicación y otros uniéndose. Agradezco a las personas que ayudaron a mantener nuestra misión, independientemente del tiempo que formaron parte del equipo.

A pesar de algunos cambios, nuestro equipo siempre ha estado compuesto por una mezcla diversa de latinos. Nuestros editores vienen de diferentes contextos como México, Puerto Rico, Colombia y Brasil. Lo cual ha reforzado nuestra cobertura y ha aportado nuevas ideas.

A través de la gestión de La DePaulia también enfrenté desafíos personales. Sentí que había seguido a María durante tanto tiempo que cuando tuve que liderar, tuve dificultades para sentirme cómoda en mi rol.

Tenía miedo de cómo otros en la sala de redacción compararían nuestros estilos de liderazgo e incluso nuestras personalidades.

Fue con el tiempo, la autorreflexión, la experiencia y el apoyo de amigos que comencé a liderar con confianza, y comprender que mi camino no tenía que parecerse al de nadie más.

Pude crear el mío propio y estoy agradecida de haberlo hecho.

Uno de los logros notables de La DePaulia fue nuestra colaboración con los miembros de la NAHJ de DePaul en noviembre de 2022.

Escribimos un artículo de opinión y dimos un discurso exigiendo que la universidad invierta en la educación de los estudiantes latinos de periodismo mediante la contratación de profesores bilingües de reportaje que se especialicen en cubrir nuestras comunidades.

Nuestros esfuerzos resultaron en el primer profesor bilingüe de reportaje contratado por la universidad de DePaul en la última década.

Por primera vez, la población latina es la que sostiene la pluma y el papel, escribiendo su propia historia.

Cuando se recuerda nuestra historia, nos puede enseñar, empoderar, tocar nuestros corazones, y recordarnos que no estamos solos.

Cuando hemos adquirido este conocimiento, ya no nos lo pueden quitar porque vive en cada uno de nosotros.

A medida que continuamos abogando por la representación latina, nuestra publicación debe crear un espacio para los grupos subrepresentados para que puedan empoderarse con sus propias historias.

Esto es imperativo mientras luchamos por una realidad equitativa donde todas las voces e historias puedan florecer.

Gracias a todos los fundadores y seguidores de La DePaulia. Gracias a los ex alumnos de NAHJ DePaul, incluidos Jesús J. Montero, María Marta Guzmán, Richie Requena, Hillary Flores y Jonathan Aguilar y Erika Perez, así como a los asesores Robin Hoecker y Sandra Guy, quienes ayudaron a establecer las bases para que se escuchen las voces latinas.

Gracias al personal y a la asesora de The DePaulia, Marla Krause, que apoyó nuestra misión.

Un agradecimiento especial a mis padres que sacrificaron tanto para permitirme alcanzar el sol, la luna y todas las estrellas si mi corazón lo desea.

Con mucho orgullo les presento al equipo editorial 2022-2023 de La DePaulia.

Jacqueline Cardenas – Jefa de Redacción

Jacqueline Cardenas es una periodista multimedia bilingüe y coordinadora de eventos para el capítulo estudiantil de la Asociación Nacional de Periodistas

Hispanos (NAHJ) de su universidad. Es una mexicana-estadounidense de primera generación que aspira a diversificar la sala de redacción. Ella esta muy agradecida de trabajar con el equipo y todas las oportunidades que la publicación le ha dado.

Santiago Posada-Jaramillo - Gerente Editorial

Santiago Posada-Jaramillo es un estudiante de posgrado de Colombia en el MFA en diseño de juegos. Le gusta el buen café, la política, la historia, los videojuegos y las mascotas raras. Su objetivo con la escritura y el diseño de juegos es brindar a las personas nuevas perspectivas. Se unió a La DePaulia para continuar escribiendo mientras hacía un trabajo que sentía profundamente importante. Ve el periodismo como uno de los principales pilares de cualquier sociedad democrática y justa.

Andrea Juárez Hernández –Editora de Arte y Vida

Andrea Juárez Hernández es una estudiante de segundo año que estudia animación con una concentración en estudios de cine. Su sueño es exhibir una película suya en un festival de cine. Ella disfruta pasar tiempo con La DePaulia y darle vida a las historias. Cree que es importante alumbrar las voces latinas. Ha crecido como escritora y se ha vuelto más social gracias a La DePaulia. Quiere seguir escribiendo historias que la inspiren y mejoren sus habilidades.

Cary Robbins - Editora de Noticias

Cary Robbins es una estudiante de tercer año de periodismo, de Tennessee. Quiere seguir escribiendo para periódicos locales y disfruta visitar nuevos lugares. Se unió a La DePaulia porque quería trabajar con otros estudiantes de periodismo y aprender con el equipo. Su parte favorita de La DePaulia son los entrevistados que ha conocido. Cree que cada miembro del personal aporta

una nueva perspectiva de reportaje. Está agradecida de trabajar con La DePaulia y de contar historias que recordará toda su vida.

Frankie Perez - Editor Multimedia

Frankie Perez es un estudiante de último año con especialización en diseño gráfico. Es un fotógrafo que vive en Chicago y que se especializa en fotografía musical. Frankie disfruta capturando momentos con sus amigos y familiares. Se unió a La DePaulia porque le encanta acercar a la gente a hechos reales a través de fotos y brindar una perspectiva latina. Le gusta La DePaulia porque es un lugar acogedor donde los miembros están abiertos a nuevas ideas.

Santiago Gonzalez TijerinaEditor de Deportes

Santiago Gonzalez Tijerina es un estudiante de tercer año que estudia criminología y psicología. Quiere convertirse en abogado defensor penal. Es un apasionado de los deportes, en especial del fútbol. Nació en la Ciudad de México, donde pasó la mayor parte de su vida antes de mudarse a Texas con su familia a los 17 años. Se unió a La DePaulia porque le encanta escribir y cree que es importante tener personal latine trabajando en el periódico, cubriendo noticias latinas en español.

Diego Vargas Reyes - Editor de Nación y Mundo

Diego Vargas Reyes es un estudiante de primer año que estudia diseño de juegos. Nació en México y vivió en Brasil. Se unió a La DePaulia porque cree que es una excelente manera de aprender más sobre Chicago. También quiere mejorar su escritura en español y desarrollar habilidades periodísticas. Él cree que ser parte de este equipo es una gran experiencia y que el equipo es más que compañeros de trabajo, son amigos que se apoyan mutuamente.

Santiago Posada-Jaramillo Gerente Editorial

Andrea Juárez Hernández Editora de Arte y Vida

Cary Robbins Editora de Noticias

Jacqueline Cardenas Jefa de Redacción

Frankie Perez Editor Multimedia

Santiago Gonzalez Tijerina Editor de Deportes

Diego Vargas Reyes Editor de Nación y Mundo

NEW YEAR, SAME ME?

Is it possible to achieve your resolution?

By LiLLy K eLLer Arts & Life Editor

For many, the onset of a new year marks something much bigger than 23 years of the third millennium, but rather a clean slate.

Yet, with over 80 percent of individuals regularly failing to meet their goals and 64 percent quitting after the first month, it begs whether these yearly resolutions were built to last.

Dating back to the ancient Babylonians over 4,000 years ago, new year's resolutions began as a way for individuals to make vows with their gods regarding paying back debts or returning borrowed objects.

Furthermore, it was believed that if Babylonians kept their promises to their deities, the gods would aid them the following year.

While the purpose of the new year's resolution may have shifted over the years, the concept of holding oneself accountable for the year remains.

Joseph Ferrari, Vincent de Paul professor of Psychology and deacon, believes that for individuals to achieve their goals, they must shift their focus.

"New year’s resolutions are often always about ourselves, such as losing weight or exercising more," Ferrari said. "As Saint Vincent would try to teach us, we need to focus on other people."

From volunteering in a nearby community to embracing kind gestures like giving up your seat on the train to someone else or returning a dropped item to its owner, acts of compassion can increase happiness and overall social connectedness.

Furthermore, many individuals pos -

sess the wrong mindset when setting resolutions for the new year.

"Be realistic, you're much more likely to achieve a smaller resolution than a lofty one," Ferrari said. "Too often people think it [their resolution] has to be 100 percent completed or else they've failed. It's a bad mentality."

However, failure does not have to equate to disappointment or personal worth.

"People want life to be easy, they want to always be successful and always reach 100 percent of their goal. But we need failure to help us grow," Ferrari said.

For junior Lauren Lantz, resolutions signify a way to create time for oneself and prioritize hobbies, especially during the hecticness of the school year.

"I never really make new year's goals but this year I made some mental health goals and art goals," Lantz said. "I want to do something hands-on and artistic at least once a week. If I stick to this goal, it will be an act of self-care which will help my mental health in the long run."

Often, new year's resolutions are marketed as a way of improving oneself physically through exercise and eating healthier.

Despite not being inherently wrong, these goals can lead to stress or negative thought patterns since many will blame themselves for not possessing enough willpower to achieve them.

"We shouldn't have to wait until a new calendar year to make positive changes in our lives," Lantz said. "When the new year does come around, it's great to reflect on how you can be more kind and loving to yourself and others but setting big expectations for your-

self can lead to harmful emotions if you don't fulfill them."

Junior Lily Kate Somers believes resolutions can promote false illusions of simplicity and ease for individuals making fundamental changes to their lives.

"I think the notion of the new year makes it seem like everything will be an easy switch and that healthy behaviors will follow with ease," Somers said. "I think that's psychologically unrealistic and can lead to feelings of failure and self-hatred."

Furthermore, when extensive alterations are made to an individual's routine, they may feel pressure when it comes to keeping their goal, causing a spike in cortisol levels.

Stress can manifest in various health problems, from high blood pressure to headaches and irritability when not maintained.

"We spend so much time talking about what we want to do better that we forget to acknowledge and appreciate last year’s success.

When our new year starts with comparison and self-hatred, any slip up in our resolution can be very painful to deal with," Somers said.

While it is unlikely that there will ever be a concrete answer to whether or not new year's resolutions are inherently good or bad, it is clear that setting small goals throughout the year can be beneficial.

Even if they are not wholly achievable, victory can still be found in failure.

"Everybody only wants sunny days in their life,but you need rain for things to grow," Ferrari said.

Our staff resolutions

Lilly Keller: Correctly predict Woody Allen’s day of death (March 18 2023).

Alicia Goluszka: To get gas the night-before instead of the morning-of; no- you won’t have time, and you will be late.

Nadia Carolina Hernandez: become an american cryptic legend, find the sasquatch.

Jake Cox: Become an ordained minister.

Erik: Shoot 60% from the field and 40% from three. Grow 2 inches in height.

Maya Oclassen: To try and get more sleep.

Jonah: Go on a solo hunting trip to the Great American Frontier with my musket.

Erin: save enough money to buy my own camera.

Ruchi: give all my barbies a pixie cut.

Kier: Stop giving band kid energy.

Quentin Blais: Solve three riddles and make it across the trolls bridge.

Amber Stoutenborough: Be on time.

Una Cleary: Read 1,000-2,000 obituaries.

Preston Zbroszczyk: Stop being lazy and get out and try new things.

Tom Gorski: More confidence and belief in myself along with discovering a sense of purpose in life.

Amber Corkey: Read 20 books this year.

Lily Lowndes: Be friendlier :)

Patrick Sloan-Turner: Produce my own musical (off-Broadway, of course).

Sam Moilanen: Find a hobby that’s better than Tinder.

Jacob Costello: Journal every day.

AIDAN HANSEN | THE DEPAULIA

By DePauLia Staff

2022 in pictures

Esther Ajayi, a DePaul senior studying Animation wears a t-shirt donning their own art.

ALISON SCHULTZ | THE DEPAULIA

Grace Koehler sports her Tuesday outfit featuring one of her handmade Victorian hats.

AMBER STOUTENBOROUGH| THE DEPAULIA Jhumkas, as seen worn on Ruchi Nawathe, are traditional earrings worn across South Asia and can be seen in Hindu art since 300 B.C.

AMBER STOUTENBOROUGH | THE DEPAULIA Siichele, a professional drag Artist performs at the annual DePaul Drag show.

FRANKIE PEREZ | LA DEPAULIA DePaul Alum and Stranger Things star, Joe Keery, performs at Lollapalooza this summer.

ERIN HENZE | THE DEPAULIA

Onlookers capture the beauty of the Chicagohenge sunset on Dearborn street.

WILL KLEIHEGE | THE DEPAULIA

FRANKIE PEREZ | LA DEPAULIA Sky White, the pianist for Foxy Shazam surfed with a keyboard during Riot Fest.

WINTER QUARTER GUIDANCE

By Jonah weBer Asst. Arts & Life Editor

On Jan 3, most freshmen likely returned from the longest winter break they have ever had.

Coming back to DePaul when the negative wind chill can pierce through your coat and it is pitch black by 4pm can be challenging. But don’t worry freshmen, upperclassmen are sharing their personal advice on how to return to DePaul for the Winter Quarter with a positive, healthy mindset. Through her first few years at DePaul, junior communications student Shelley Friend found personal time can be incredibly beneficial throughout the quarter.

“[I] allow myself to have some form of me-time as a reward after finishing my school tasks,” Friend said. “Giving myself like 10-15 minutes before bed to watch a YouTube video or write in my journal after homework instead of going straight to bed. I feel like this really helps me avoid the stress and monotony of student life.”

According to a 2016 survey called “The Rest Test,”conducted by Claudia Hammond at the BBC, some of the most restful moments can be done alone. Do not neglect your solitude once you have returned to school. Although it’s exciting and fun to be around your peers and friends again, “me time,” as Friend describes it, is still very important.

Zach Rienecker is a junior political science major and he’s found community involvement at DePaul to be great for getting back into the groove of school.

“My advice would be to sign up for a bunch of clubs with your email so you can see when different events are happening on campus,” Rienecker said. “Then you can decide if you’re interested in them or not.”

Rienecker recommends doing this as early in the quarter as possible, so you can have the most available options that might strike

By LiLy LownDeS Social Media Editor

A free concert is coming to DePaul. DePaul Activities Board (DAB) announced singers Spencer Sutherland and NEZZA as the headlining and opening acts for Demon Jam.

First time hearing about Demon Jam? That’s because the free concert is returning for the first time since 2019. In previous years, Demon Jam was held during Welcome Week as a way to ring in the new school year.

This year, the free concert will be held on Thursday, Jan. 12 in the Lincoln Park Student Center room 120 AB. An active DePaul ID is needed for entry.

Now that you know a little bit about Demon Jam, it’s time to get to know the performers. The DePaulia researched Spencer Sutherland and NEZZA to get you the scoop on what you need to know ahead of the concert.

Spencer Sutherland Spencer Sutherland is a singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles, California. His raspy voice and groovy production emulate a retro vibe with a modern twist. From his shaggy hair to his bold patterned clothes, it’s no surprise that according to his Spotify profile, Sutherland wishes he was living in the 70s.

interesting to you.

There are always events happening on campus and joining groups via DeHub can be beneficial. Through these events, you can network with different students, professors and faculty. Creating a community for your-

self at college that offers lots of support will be very helpful down the road.

Another way to find clubs and student organizations is through Instagram. Lots of the clubs have a social media presence and are

easily accessible. Never fear to send a message and ask about joining or attending an event.

Junior communications student Skylah Martínez believes that perseverance is key to a positive mindset for the winter quarter.

“My advice to the freshmen coming into the winter quarter after the long winter break would be to push through the next 10 weeks until spring break,” Martínez said. “I really appreciate how our trimester system gives us a break to look forward to at the end of each 10 week term, which [flies] by pretty quickly, in my opinion.”

According to Martínez, persistence is key.

“The days may feel gloomy during the winter because of the weather, but that gives you a great opportunity to stay in and get your work done,” Martínez said.

Along with persistence, having a goal or something to look forward to is important as well. One of those goals can be spring break.

It’s important to familiarize yourself with DePaul’s quarter system and what days the school is closed and when students are on break. Having these dates in mind can be a great motivation to push through the somewhat gloomy winter and work towards a relaxing spring break.

Taking care of your mental health is always important, but it can be especially hard in the winter. Keep resources in mind like DePaul’s Mental Well-being. It’s easy to access the resources provided on campus and even get in touch with a mental health counselor.

Even if these resources may not be needed for everyone, it’s important to know they’re accessible.

In summary, remember to set personal time aside for yourself as often as you need. Break the cycle of constant academic work. Get involved on campus and find a positive, fulfilling community for yourself and persist through the harsh winter months.

You may recognize Sutherland from his songs “Wonder,” “Tell Me” or “One Look.” He wrote the song “One Look,” along with three other songs, for the movie soundtrack of Netflix’s “Afterlife of the Party.” Not only did he perform the soundtrack, but Sutherland acted alongside Victoria Justice in the movie. He also supported Big Time Rush on the second half of their “Forever Tour” last year.

The DePaulia reached out to Sutherland to ask about his upcoming performance and he promised that Blue Demons were in for a good time.

“The wonderful people of DePaul can expect a night of unhinged fun!” Sutherland wrote to The DePaulia. “We’re coming to party, and I can’t wait to rock out and meet everyone there!”

The singer followed up and said that it would be “unhinged in a good way.”

After performing at DePaul, Sutherland will embark on his upcoming U.S. tour, the “In His Mania Tour” in March, stopping in Chicago on Sat. April 8 at the House of Blues Chicago.

NEZZA

NEZZA is a Colombian-Dominican singer from the Bay Area who has been releasing music since 2018. Following the release of her debut single “Temporary,” NEZZA has been delivering catchy pop and R&B songs in both English and Spanish.

Her recent single “Poison” was her first song to hit the radio, playing on California’s 99.7 NOW station last week.

“Crying so many happy tears this morning,” the singer wrote on Instagram story. “5 year old me would not believe her song is playing on 99.7 radio back home.”

Not only can NEZZA sing and write songs, but she is a professional dancer. According to her eponymous YouTube channel, NEZZA has been dancing since

she was 5. She has performed with artists including Zendaya and danced in music videos for Selena Gomez, Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande.

On her YouTube channel, fans can watch snippets of her everyday life, along with dance and music videos.

According to her Twitter, NEZZA will be celebrating her birthday one day early, on stage at Demon Jam!

A flyer posted on Instagram by @DAB_Depaul advertising Demon Jam on Jan. 12.

MAYA OCLASSEN | THE DEPAULIA

DePaul Mini Disco

By JaK e Cox Opinion Editor

Seeming to appear overnight, Little Disco emerges as a social media app driven by real human connection.

The “rehearsal space” for this venture is DePaul.

Buzz for the app started building around campus in October 2022, by following students from @depauldisco, and posting cryptically.

This was the app's main vehicle to build traction in the DePaul community. The ads left students wondering what Little Disco is. This buzz came to a head with the first “disco” taking place on Dec 12, 2022.

Little Disco follows in the footsteps of apps like BeReal, setting a new trend of real genuine moments being captured by social media.

Little Disco places groups of four students, who have verified their DePaul emails to join the app, in a random video call at a set time during the day, only lasting a few minutes.

“[When asked] I've been saying that the app feels like a mix of a zoom breakout room and Omegle but way safer,” junior Kayla Kohlin said.

As the app grew, its algorithm for deciding the groups of students has become more nuanced.

Now taking users' interests, friends and who they have “high-fived” in the app into account.

“We don't want to make it super just

like stay in your own clique, because I think that you can do perfectly well…”

Little Disco CEO Caroline Ingeborn said. ”But so there is like, we that's why we ask for things like, what are your interests? And so we match you with your friends and your friends of friend”.

Little Disco is the product of a tech start-up, Leap, based in San Francisco.

Originally, the startup aimed at developing apps for senior citizens, a group traditionally overlooked by tech developers.

However, for this project, Leap took a different approach.

“We had one intern that joined us in this, and she was a student at DePaul. I want to say in late October, we were like, what if we're just doing this all wrong?” Ingeborn said. “This should be for students because students are more… willing to test new things.”

When finally releasing the app for testing, the team realized there was something special about DePaul.

“There's something in the curiosity and the creativity of DePaul students that I don't know if we would have found this in any other school,” Ingeborn said. “It's a good fit.”

However, some students don’t fully understand what the app is,” junior public relations and advertising major Lauren Kolasinski said. “I feel like it went under the radar for most people.”

The app's usage has waxed and waned as beta testing has continued.

“We were tracking how many people went to discos… it was like around 20 people-ish,” Ingeborn said. “But that was during the holidays, and then our notification, then our notification stopped working. And so then we then no one even knew when the discos were, so then we had like, no users.”

While it may seem counterintuitive, Kolasinski suggests maybe more exclusivity is the solution to drive app engagement.

“If it was almost like an exclusive club, then it would be a really big thing,” Kolasinski said. As you can tell [from their marketing] they're good at being secretive. If they can be really secretive and exclusive. I think they'd be a big

deal.”

OCLASSEN | THE DEPAULIA

The thought of having to talk to strangers, even fellow DePaul Students, makes some students apprehensive.

“I'm definitely intrigued [by Little Disco], but I get socially anxious sometimes,” Kohlin said.

But for the creators, any interaction with Little Disco is a good thing.

“The early feedback is like gold dust. Even when I have students saying, this sucks… I'm like, Okay, thank you. Tell me why,” Ingeborn said. “It;'s a little bit of a miracle every time you get someone to click on anything that you built… I'm just so grateful that people are curious and opinionated.”

A year in books: our favorite reads from 2022

By na Dia CaroLina hernanDez & LiLLy K eLLer & una CLeary & Jonah weBer

“The

Things They Carried”

by Tim O’Brien - Lilly Keller

I’ll admit, war books are definitely not my forte, however, “The Things They Carried” has proven to be the exception. Comprising a handful of short fictional stories, O’Brien goes beyond the traditional realm of Vietnam retellings, instead choosing to analyze the environment, courage and humanity of those drafted into the war. As highlighted within the title story, “The Things They Carried” is about more than the weight of an M-16 or grenade, but the anguish, love and longing that each soldier bears throughout the war.

“Mysterious

Skin” by Scott Heim

Few books have wrecked me such as Heim’s 1995 debut. I’m serious, this narrative of two boys hurtling towards vastly different yet intersecting trajectories left me crying so hard I almost vomited. Incredibly unsettling yet painfully realistic, “Mysterious Skin” is not for the faint of heart. I cannot recommend looking up a content warning before starting this book. However, if reading is not your forte, this book was adapted to film in 2004 startrng Joseph Gordon Levitt.

“Legendborn” by Tracey Deonn - Nadia Carolina Hernandez

As a young adult lover, this book is exactly what every non-white reader needs. Growing up, I have gotten very tired of reading the same YA main girl protagonist being white. Deonn’s first book offers the experience of a Black girl protagonist in this mystical, magic and mystery series. Deonn challenges norms in YA and in life regarding sexism and racism with a little love triangle and occasional demon battle sprinkled in. I loved this book and cannot wait for Deonn to shake up the YA fantasy world.

“Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Water of the World” by Benjamin Alire Saenz - Nadia Carolina Hernandez

If you haven’t read the first book, what are you waiting for? Once again, Saenz challenges ideas of racism, toxic masculinity and homophobia when two Latino boys from El Paso, Texas fall in love in the first book. But what happens next?

I cannot underestimate how much I cried at the ending in front of my roommates on a random evening. I highly encourage anyone who loves an impossible love story to check out Saenz.

“The Secret History” by Donna TarttUna Cleary

Over my winter break reading journey, this book did not leave my side for a solid two weeks. By the end of the book, you will

be left wondering why you didn't choose to go to a small college in upstate Vermont and major in Classics. Behind the ambiance of the main characters being fluent in Greek, there is a dark, mysterious element to the novel that provides unexpected plot twists. I was flabbergasted several times by the events that occur relating to mental health, alcoholism and violent drug use. More than just a thrilling mystery, it may leave you emotionally wrecked questioning your existence.

Talking to Strangers-Malcom GladwellUna Cleary

For the fiction reader, I urge you to dip your toes into non-fiction for this book. It analyzes the strangers that you stare at on the train, the grocery clerk and your Uber driver. Human topics such as race issues, alcoholism and

sexual assault are explained through current events. It left me questioning my approach to interactions I have with strangers and beyond those people I deem close to me. This is an extremely important read for our times, I urge you to read to challenge your biases of people you know and people you consider strangers.

Appetites - Anthony Bourdain - Jonah Weber

In a lot of ways, I found this to be the perfect cookbook. Bourdain is not only an amazing, well-rounded chef and eater, but also a great storyteller. Throughout the book, there are numerous recipes ranging from mouth-watering dishes like Portuguese squid and octopus soup, to simply remembering to always have pigs in a blanket ready to be made. With each recipe, Bourdain describes either his first experience with the dish or his favorite memory of it. He adds little details to the story that can be hilarious or kind of depressing. For me, this is the quintessential cookbook.

The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien - Jonah Weber

I remember the first time I read The Hobbit it was in sixth grade. I did not like it at all.

I thought it was boring, simple and I could not get into reading fantasy books for the life of me. A few months ago, I found a very cool leatherback version of this book at a thrift store.

I bought it and finished it in like three days. Although it is a super easy read, sort of simple, and really just a setup for the rest of the series, it’s still beautiful. Tolkien knew what the hell he was doing. The imagery and settings are full of details and colors. The characters are so memorable and distinct. Reading this book recently has opened my eyes to the potential of actually enjoying fantasy and science fiction books.

MAYA

MAYA OCLASSEN | THE DEPAULIA

Our favorite releases of 2022

By LiLLy K eLLer & Jonah weBer

While the task of selecting the best media from 2022 may be daunting, we cannot ignore exactly how bountiful this year has been in terms of iconic releases.

From books, to movies, to television and of course music, there is bound to be something for everyone to enjoy amid the endless stream of content distributed this year.

Books:

“The Familia Grande” by Camille Kouchner - Lilly Keller

Beginning with her mother’s death, Kouchner’s memoir tackles the antagonizing reality of speaking out about abuse within one of France’s most wealthy and powerful families.

Through 200 pages, Kouchner, who now practices law, documents the relationship between her political scientist step father, Oliver Duhamel, and her twin brother, but also crafts a narrative much deeper than a step father who abuses power. Both gut-wrenching and powerful, Kouchner leaves no stone unturned in her forthright account of family dysfunction, abuse and realization.

“The Metamorphosis of Robert Pattinson” - Written by Daniel Riley - Photos by Jack Bridgeland - Jonah Weber

Okay, I’ll admit that I did not really read any groundbreaking books in 2022. I did however read a really interesting profile on Robert Pattinson. I can’t ever remember a time that I really cared about Pattinson. Growing up, my emo brother loved the Twilight books and movies, but I thought they were annoying.

It wasn’t until I heard he was cast as Batman that his more recent roles in films caught my attention. Daniel Riley spends an entire day with Pattinson, wandering around London. They start their interview at a public zoo, then go to a pub, and back to an apartment. Hearing Pattinson’s transformation from the shiny vampire and a wizard who dies to the

deeper, intense roles he plays now is fascinating. For any Arts & Life reader, I highly recommend this profile piece.

TV shows:

“Interview with the Vampire” - Lilly Keller

Despite never picking up an Anne Rice book, I was absolutely floored by AMC’s adaptation of the first of Rice’s thirteen-book series. Centering on themes of race and queerness, IWTV does not shy away from traditionally taboo subjects. If you’re looking for something campy, complex and, at times, straight up poignant, this is the show for you. Plus, it’s got sexy vampires. I’m serious, go watch it. You will not regret it.

“House of the Dragon” - Jonah Weber

When I think of television that came out in 2022, I think past all the Marvel and Star Wars media that came out on Disney+ every week. While it did have somewhat of a chokehold on me, House of the Dragon blew me away.

Admittedly, I could never really get into

the Game of Thrones show. I think I may have gotten to season four? I somewhat reluctantly started House of the Dragon, thinking I would feel the same. I was so wrong. After finishing the first episode, I was totally enthralled. The way the dragons look, the cinematography, the writing, and the casting are all insane! Matt Smith is so weird and suspicious. Olivia Cooke and Paddy Considine are my other two favorites.

Movie:

“Everything Everywhere all at Once”Lilly Keller

If you have not seen this movie, I am convinced you’re living under a rock. Few movies have made me cry as hard as this one did. Though it probably didn’t help that I was watching it with my mom. Perhaps what I love most is that amid all the beautiful chaos at its core, “Everything Everywhere all at Once” is a composition of profound love and profound acceptance that will leave you in shambles.

“The Batman” - Jonah Weber

Even more Robert Pattinson? Yes. As a long time Batman fan, I was stoked to hear Matt Reeves was writing and directing a film. No other Batman movie has truly captured the essence of being “The World’s Greatest Detective” quite like this one.

We actually see Bruce Wayne doing detective work. The film’sre is a super creepy Riddler, Paul Dano, is an absolute freak in the best way. Zoe Kravitz? Phenomenal Catwoman. Every scene and every shot of this film is amazing. The lighting, with hues of reds and oranges is astounding. The way characters move across the screen, it’s all incredible. I am personally very excited to see where Reeves and Pattinson take this story.

Album

“Preacher’s Daughter” - Ethel CainLilly Keller

If there is one thing about me, it is that I love a concept album. Over the course of thirteen songs, Cain presents an introspective narrative from the afterlife, recounting the life, death and eventual cannibalization of a girl at the hands of a lover. If you have any religious trauma (it’s not a requirement to enjoy the album but will enhance the experience), or are just looking for gorgeous vocals and songs about Jesus’s neglect, then this album is for you.

“Lowest Form Of Animal” - Kublai Khan TX - Jonah Weber

Of all the music that came out in 2022, this is the one album I could not stop listening to. I think when it comes to hardcore music, it can be hard to stand out from the rest. Kublai Khan TX always does though, especially with this album. The sounds are incredibly raw and heavy. They rattle your bones and make you wanna throw elbows in a pit. There are simple, yet important, samples sprinkled throughout, like on the first track, “Swan Song”. The first song is about recognizing and protecting the sex workers who work on Highway 80 in Iowa. Kublai Khan TX is going to lead the hardcore scene in 2023, and I personally cannot wait for it.

TYLER OCCAMPO| THE DEPAULIA

What’s Fresh

Long-awaited 'Avatar' sequel delivers

By JaCoB CoSteLLo Chief Film and TV Critic

It has been 13 years since “Avatar” hit theaters and dazzled audiences around the world with groundbreaking visuals of the alien planet Pandora. “Avatar” is the highest grossing movie of all time, with a staggering $2.9 billion in ticket sales, leading to four sequels being greenlit.

Director James Cameron has been hard at work for the past 13 years developing these four movies, and now, we finally have the first with “Avatar: The Way of Water.”

“Avatar: The Way of Water” follows Jake Sully, played by Sam Worthington, a former human and member of the Marine Corps as he tries to protect his new Na’vi family.

Sully and his family flee their forest home to protect the rest of the tribe. They seek asylum with a Na’vi tribe who lives on the ocean and have to adapt from their forest dwelling ways to the ways of the water.

One of the main criticisms of “Avatar” was that the story was not very engaging or original.

Many drew comparisons to “Dances With Wolves” and felt the story was just a rehash in a science fiction setting.

Additionally many Indigenous communities felt that the movie glori -

fied colonization. Thankfully, “Avatar: The Way of Water” has greatly improved its story in comparison to the 2009 film.

Sully is no longer the only fish out of water. His wife and children are also placed in an unfamiliar setting with much to learn. The 192-minute runtime gives the Sullys and the audience plenty of time to explore this new and beautiful side of Pandora.

Additionally, the antagonists have been heightened.

Instead of the comically evil capitalist billionaire seeking “unobtainium” in the first movie, this version presents us with a very interesting villain: a clone of Sully’s dead commanding officer in a Na’vi body.

“Avatar” was a movie I saw on a DVD from my local library years after its release.

It was a good movie with impressive visuals, but it did not stick out to me as a cinematic achievement. In September, “Avatar” was re-released in theaters and I got to experience it in the intended format.

It was breathtaking. The movie went from a fun three star adventure to a four and a half star spectacle. Do not miss your chance to get lost in the world of Pandora.

Much like the original, the best

thing about this movie is its visual effects. James Cameron has always been a pioneer in new filmmaking technology and his prowess is on full display in “Avatar: The Way of Water.”

The flora and fauna of Pandora are just as gorgeous and creative as the first film, but the addition of the ocean takes the visual effects to new heights.

The audience I saw the movie with in IMAX 3D audibly gasped and exclaimed when the first underwater shot graced our screen.

If you see the film in its intended format, IMAX 3D, you will likely be enthralled by the beautiful world that Cameron presents.

I saw the movie twice, once in IMAX 3D and once in standard screening. While the movie was very enjoyable in a non-IMAX 3D format, you really lose out on the experience and feelings present in this amazing world with these characters.

“Avatar: The Way of Water” is truly an experience you have to see to believe. In a few months, when it is streaming on Disney+, it will still be a good movie. Viewers will miss the immersive nature of seeing this in IMAX 3D. The creatures will still look cool and the underwater ecosystems will be stunning, but the feeling of being on Pandora with these characters will be absent.

The most anticipated films of 2023

By JaCoB CoSteLLo Chief Film and TV Critic

2022 was a fantastic year for film. People flocked to theaters in hordes for blockbuster sequels like “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Avatar: The Way of Water.” Steven Spielberg sent his love letter to cinema with “The Fablemans,” while Damien Chazelle sent hate mail to Hollywood with “Babylon.” 2022 was one of the most interesting years in movies since 2019 with a balanced mix of sequels and original ideas, but it is a new year now. 2023’s fate in film history is yet to be seen, much like its most anticipated releases coming this year.

If you have been online in the past few months, you have probably seen people talking about the two movies that will both be the smash hits of the summer, Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and Chrisopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.” These are movies I am eagerly anticipating, but everyone and their mother has talked these two to death, so I see no point in hyping them up further. Both look amazing and have the same release date, so I will be setting aside time on July 21 for an interesting double-feature.

“Cocaine Bear” directed by Elizabeth Banks, which releases February 24, is the first movie of the year that I am excited about. The movie is based on the true story of a black bear who consumed a duffle bag full of cocaine. The movie takes a comedy-thriller approach, leaving a small town to fight off this drugged up bear. The premise is ridiculous and will hopefully be a wild ride keeping audiences on the edge of their seats. Additionally, this movie features one of the last performances from Ray Liotta, the “Goodfellas” star who died last May.

“Renfield” is a comedy movie that follows Count Dracula’s titular henchman who wants to quit his job and pursue love. The movie is based on a pitch by “The Walking Dead” creator Robert Kirkman, and stars Nicholas Hoult as Renfield and Nicolas Cage as Dracula. I am absolutely dying to see Cage playing the most famous vampire of them all. Cage is my favorite actor of all time, and just based on the promotional photos, it is apparent that we will be treated to an unchained Cage performance. “Renfield” swoops into theaters April 14.

“Killers of the Flower Moon” is the next movie from director Martin Scorsese. The movie is based on the 2017 non-fiction book of the same name. It stars some of Scorsese’s most frequent coll

aborators, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert DeNiro, as well as Jesse Plemmons. The movie is about an FBI investigation into the mysterious murders of members of a Native American tribe in Oklahoma. Scorsese is one of the kings of movies, especially when it comes to adapting true stories about crime and murder. “Killers of the Flower Moon” arrives in theaters in May 2023 and will also stream on Apple TV.

Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” was one of my favorite movies of 2021. The classic science fiction novel received an extremely faithful adaptation with breathtaking IMAX visuals. “Dune: Part Two” continues where the first film left off.

The cast is relatively the same, with Florence Pugh and Autin Butler joining the cast, among other stars. I was pleasantly surprised at how many people were into 2021’s “Dune,” and I hope just as many, if not more, go to see this chapter so Villeneuve can keep adapting Frank Herbert’s books. “Dune: Part Two” hits theaters November 3rd.

ALLISON FREEMAN | THE DEPAULIA

D e JAMZ

“Spinning

freSh beatS Since 1581”

By LiLLy K eLLer Arts & Life Editor

Although 2022 may be behind us, it would be a travesty to leave behind the year's best releases so quickly. Whether your personal year was good, bad or somewhere in between, I believe we can all agree that, musically, this year was unmatched.

While I may only be able to scratch the surface with this five-song playlist of 2022 certified bangers, I invite you to enjoy my favorites from the past year.

Kill Bill – SZA

"SOS" was my most anticipated album this year, and boy, did it not disappoint. Despite not being able to care more about Quentin Tarantino, "Kill Bill" offers something I could listen to all day: SZA's homicidal fantasies. What can I say? I love female rage. While I don't think I will ever get around to watching any of the "Kill Bill" movies, if the films are anything like

this song, I might have to pirate them illegally.

American Teenager – Ethel Cain

You may ask what I have in common with the 44th President of the United States Barack Obama. Well, we're both fans of Tallahassee native Ethel Cain. However, I have not yet pinpointed what aspect of this anti-war, anti-patriotism pop song Obama could relate to. Good for him, I guess.

Heat Lightning – Mitski

If there is one album that was unjustly slept on this year, it's "Laurel Hell" by Mitski. This dreamlike melody encompasses a softer side of insomnia while simultaneously leaving listeners both haunted and galvanized. Although it's debatable if the title "Heat Lightning" refers to actual lightning or acts as a metaphor, I believe it can work fluidly as both. But maybe I'm biased because I love the imagery of heat lightning on a summer night.

with the Hurricane – Camp Cope

This title track of Camp Cope's most recent album is one of the band's most substantial. Maybe I just love songs with a twinge of country combined with strong vocals, but let me tell you, this song is simply unmatched. Narrating a journey of overcoming self-doubt and introspection, this certified banger secures strength in vulnerability.

gimme all ur luv – Hemlocke Springs Angelic, fun and dreamy are the first words that come to mind when listening to any Hemlocke Springs song. I swear one of the only good things to come out of Tik Tok has been the North Carolina native's music. This song can cure even the worst of your moods or brighten your most tedious errands. Needless to say, I cannot wait to see the future of Hemlocke Springs.

Running

COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA | PHOTOS

Late game comeback falls short against Butler

By Tom Gorski Sports Editor

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - DePaul dropped their third Big East conference game of the season to Butler by a score of 78-70. The Blue Demons unsurprisingly had another slow start to the game and fought back in the second half, but could not find a way to overcome Bulldogs graduate student Eric Hunter Jr’s 23-point night.

“I thought we did some good things during that game,” head coach Tony Stubblefield said. “But anytime you give up 30 free throws, it’s going to be hard to beat a team. We didn’t get stops at critical times and they did. They are a good basketball team that can hurt you in a lot of different areas and they did that to us tonight. I thought our guys had a lot of fight, being down 13 with five minutes to go. We stayed in the game to give ourselves a chance.”

DePaul falls to 7-9 on the season and 1-4 in Big East play. Their only win came against Georgetown, who just set a record losing 25 straight conference games. The record was originally held by DePaul, who at one point lost 24 consecutive conference games.

Butler’s perimeter shooting was more consistent than DePaul’s from start to finish and the box score proved it. The Bulldogs shot 7-of-15 (46.6%) from three, compared to the Blue Demons’ 8-for-27 (25%).

“They are a good defensive team and I thought we got some good looks,” Stubblefield said of the team’s three-point shooting. “You know when Jalen Terry and Javan Johnson go 1-for-11 between those two guys it’s going to be hard to win a game. You’ve got Javan Johnson who is shooting almost over 40% and Jalen was shooting 30-something percent coming into this game. They got some

good looks, and unfortunately we just didn’t knock them in tonight.”

There weren’t many bright spots for DePaul during Wednesday’s loss, but graduate student Umoja Gibson continues his high-level play for the Blue Demons. Gibson finished the game recording a team-high 16-points, three rebounds and eight assists, while connecting with 3-of-7 from beyond the arc.

Gibson has established himself as the leader of the team and continues to lead by example, game-in, game-out. Stubblefield’s addition of Gibson has paid dividends for a team that has been short-handed and faced a fair share of adversity since the start of the season.

“We’re asking a lot out of Mo [Gibson],” said Stubblefield. “He plays extremely hard when he’s in the game and makes plays for guys. Obviously he can shoot the basketball and has the ability to score. We’re asking him to do a lot, without Caleb Murphy right now. We’re asking him to do a little bit more than probably the plan was when he came in, but he’s doing it.”

Senior Philmon Gebrewhit provided an offensive spark off the bench during the team’s comeback that fell just short. He finished the game scoring 9 points, shooting 2-for-3 from three, while also recording a rebound and an assist.

“It definitely helps,” Stubblefield said of Gebrewhit’s offensive spark off the bench. “Phil [Gebrewhit] has the ability to be able to knock down shots, and he came in and knocked down a couple big shots in the second half. Seeing him do that definitely gives me a lot of confidence in him and I hope he can continue to do that.”

DePaul’s defense held strong for a majority of the game and recorded eight blocks and three steals while forcing eight Bulldog turnovers.

The Blue Demons outscored the

Bulldogs in the second half and almost completed the improbable comeback due to their defensive performance in the final 20 minutes of play.

“I thought our guys were solid,” Stubblefield said of DePaul’s defensive performance. “We just didn’t force turnovers, but that’s a testament to Butler. They are a good team. Their guards didn’t turn it over, they didn’t get rattled and they were strong with the basketball. They are a hard team to defend because they can hurt you inside, they can hurt you outside.”

Butler struggled against Stubblefield’s ball screen defense from the start and was one of the main reasons the Blue Demons nearly made a comeback.

“It’s just kind of what we do on offense,” Stubblefield said. “I wouldn’t necessarily say they struggled. We scored on them a couple times and of course Coach [Matta] is smart enough he is going to switch it up on you too. So they did a

good job in adjusting their defense. We were able to get a couple buckets early in the second half and then they made some adjustments defensively that made it a little tougher for us.”

The Blue Demons had three players who didn’t play due to injury yet again, including Nick Ongenda (hand), Mo Sall (wrist) and Caleb Murphy (wrist).

Murphy still hasn’t played this season and remains sidelined with his return to the court yet to be determined.

Ongenda is out indefinitely, and there has been little to no information released about Sall’s injury timetable.

DePaul (7-9, 1-4) will host Villanova (8-7, 2-2) on Tuesday night for the start of their critical three-game homestand with tip off scheduled at Wintrust Arena for 8:00 p.m. CST. The game will be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network.

DEPAUL ATHLETICS | PHOTO

Graduate Senior guard Umoja Gibson dribbles at the top of the key against the Butler Bulldogs Graduate Senior guard Eric Hunter Jr. during Wednesday’s 78-70 loss at the Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Butler graduate guard Eric Hunter Jr. drives past DePaul junior forward Da’Sean Nelson in DePaul’s loss to the Bulldogs in Indianapolis on Wednesday.

@BUTLERMBB | TWITTER

Hockey hopes to ‘silence doubters,’ sets sight on deep postseason run

By Tom Gorski Sports Editor

DePaul men’s hockey is off to its best start since the 2009 season. Sitting with a 17-4 record at the winter break, the team has pulled off big wins against powerful programs such as Indiana, Northern Illinois and Marquette.

“I think we’re definitely going in the right direction,” head coach Dan Wood said of the team’s early success. “The first half of the season we were scoring a bunch of goals in a multitude of different ways and now, as the season kind of progresses and gets harder, it becomes harder and harder to score goals. So we as a team need to start playing a little bit better defense, which is something I think that we’ve started to do.”

DePaul doesn’t list hockey at the varsity sport level; it is instead considered a club at the school. Players and coaches on the team believe if the team keeps winning and continues its success, that a conversation on the subject of becoming a varsity sport could be had later down the line.

“The big thing when you’re making jumps like that, you need to be fully backed by the school,” Wood said. “Now we’re under the club sports division, so we do have a great relationship with the school, which is something that Asher’s worked really hard towards rebuilding. The last time it really happened, DePaul had some serious success.”

The Blue Demons strongly started off the season with winning their first 12 games, averaging an astronomical seven goals per game. Unlike years past, DePaul has integrated an offensive philosophy to out-score their opponents and it’s paid dividends up to this point in the season.

DePaul’s offense has been stout from the start, which is a result of having three players ranked top-20 in Division II of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA).

The team has had a few players take that next step forward in improving their individual games this season. One of the bigger jumps has been senior defenseman Jackson Leptich. He has always been known as a physical player on defense, but this year provided him with more on offense compared to years past.

“I think I’ve had a pretty good year,” Leptich said. “Last year, I wasn’t super happy with how I played, but a full summer of training and keeping that up during the year, I think that stuff really helped me a lot to raise my level of play. I’ve got great linemates too, so that definitely helps and we all have pretty good chemistry and together we’ve been putting up a lot of points, so pretty happy with that.”

Junior goalie Asher Motew is the heart and soul of the team and brings much more to the table than his ability on the ice since he is the team’s president. When he’s not blocking shots on the ice or trying to succeed in the classroom, he’s dealing with operations and administrational tasks, like organizing buses, player dues, licensing for jersey designs and scheduling practices and games throughout the season.

“Asher [Motew] underestimates what he does and people don’t realize that he does everything,” Marketing and Social Media manager Alexander Kupfer-Weinstein said. “I do my own part, but he’s really what’s pushed the program in terms of getting our name out there. We wouldn’t be there without Asher.”

Being the club’s president has its ups and downs, but Motew couldn’t imagine seizing a better opportunity than being able

to gain financial career experience off the ice, while continuing playing the sport he loves.

“It’s interesting and definitely stressful at times, but at the end of the day, I love it,” said Motew on being the club’s president. “I love the game and I’m a finance major, right? So that’s why being a club sport was kind of interesting because I get to kind of use what I am going for.”

The Blue Demons play with a chip on their shoulder and don’t necessarily feel like they get the respect they deserve. They are aware that they need to earn it. The team hasn’t shown promise like this season in years and are used to being an afterthought.

“It’s been 14 years at this point, something like that,” Motew said. “We’re not doubted for no reason. I think we have the guys and we just have to continue to prove it and I think that that’s what also keeps us going. I think if we make regionals for sure, but do well at regionals and even make nationals it will silence doubters and people that don’t really believe in us yet. I mean, any team we’ve played so far we’ve pretty much beaten so I don’t really see that changing in the future.”

The Blue Demons finally faced some adversity for the first time all season after they were swept by Kentucky before winter break.

“We went down there and honestly didn’t play our best hockey,” Motew said. “We didn’t come away with two wins and haven’t really lost many games this year, so it was kind of a reality check in a sense for us.”

DePaul has moved on from the loss and has their eyes set on a successful second-half of the season. When the team plays well, it’s not just because of their talent, but because of the connection they share on and off the ice led by coach Wood.

“My job as a hockey coach here is not just to make great hockey players or win hockey games,” Wood said. “99.99% of the guys that I coach, don’t play hockey professionally, or if they do, they don’t play it for very long, so what I’m trying to do is raise outstanding members of the community.”

The Bluen Demons have their eyes set on regionals, which starts Feb. 24 at Maryville University in Chesterfield, Missouri. The team believes this season’s

group is special and has the adroitness to go far once postseason play begins.

“We have good balance and a lot of us just enjoy each other,” Motew said. We’re just good friends and that’s kind of been leading to a lot of the success but at the same time, I think we also have to - at times - dial it in. That’s why I think weekend’s like what happened in Kentucky

are humbling, in a sense. I think that it all starts with us being just really good friends and we’re like a group of brothers. We’ve all played for a long time.”

DePaul (17-4) will be back in action on Friday, Jan. 13 for a home series matchup against University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh at Johnny’s IceHouse West, with faceoff scheduled for 8:30 p.m. CST.

DONALD CROCKER | THE DEPAULIA

Senior winger Brock Ash celebrates a goal against Northern Illinois on Sept. 24 in DePaul’s 10-3 win over the Huskies.

Hope for better days ahead for Chicago sports

By Preston Zbroszczyk Asst. Sports Editor

If the weather does not have Chicago sports fans feeling down this winter, the recent play of the Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks coupled with the disappointing summer for the Cubs and White Sox certainly will.

How much can us fans really endure? The last couple years have been a torment to get ourselves to sit in front of the TV, or let alone show up in person.

It is not any better here at DePaul, with the types of seasons both the men’s and women’s basketball teams are having. We hoped that we would get some excitement and winswith our professional sports teams, but instead we are instead distraught with more frustration.

Ever since the “infamous double doink,” the Bears have had a combined record of 25-41 with six different starting quarterbacks.

To finish the 2022-2023 season, the Bears finished the season on a 10-game losing streak. They broke the franchise record for most consecutive losses, after their loss to the Bills.

The Chicago Bears’ current value sits at $5.8 billion, the fifth highest in the NFL. The Bears also have the oldest owner, Virginia McCaskey, who just turned 100 on Jan. 5. After the firing of head coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace, Chicago introduced newly hired head coach Matt Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles at the start of the 2022 season, Yes, another Matt and Ryan.

With that, arrived Justin Fields, the highly touted quarterback prospect from

Ohio State University. Fields fell out of the top-10 in the draft and was selected by Nagy and Pace with the 11th pick as the two tried to save their jobs. The hope in Chicago is that he is the franchise guy. Fields has played in 27 games and started 25, thrown 24 touchdowns, racked up 4,112 passing yards, 1,563 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.

It has been a rollercoaster watching Fields and his supporting cast. He is the most sacked quarterback in the league, with 55 sacks in one season and 91 total since being drafted in 2021.

The important thing this season is that Fields broke out and was a highlight reel on the field. With him sitting the season’s finale today against the Vikings with a hip injury, he finished the season with a Bears franchise record of 1,143 rushing yards. The record delivered us fans with an NFL record-breaking 168 yard rushing game against the Dolphins on Nov. 6. Fields came 63 yards away from breaking Lamar Jackson’s rushing record of 1,206 in a season.

Despite Fields success, the needs of the team cannot be ignored. The offensive line, defensive line and weapons for Fields all need to be addressed, but will it take just one offseason to meet the needs. Can fans endure another failed Bears season?

With over $100 million in cap space, by far the most in the league headed into the 2023 off-season, Chicago will also have the first pick in the 2023 draft for the first time since 1947. Meaning Poles and the front office will have the franchise with all possible assets to turn things around.

The Chicago Blackhawks can’t possibly be in a worse situation than the Chi-

cago Bears with the NHL’s worst record of 9-25-4. Ever since general manager and president of hockey operations Stan Bowman stepped aside after the conclusion of sexual assault allegations made by two former players against a former assistant coach, the organization has been in shambles.

With Kane and Toews sticking around to sell tickets, the Blackhawks have had issues from previous coaches to former front office members with decisions that have been made to the roster.

After going all-in for one more run at the Stanley Cup last season, the Blackhawks started 0-8 and finished 28-42-12. A combination of injuries and failure to play with one another on the ice led to a complete collapse.

In route to likely draft first overall, Chicago could be in line to draft the next star, but with the new lottery format Chicago, they might be screwed out of the top pick.

Chicago’s baseball teams are headed in two different directions. After a season of underachieving for the White Sox last season, World Series talk quickly faded. The 81-81 finish led to Tony La Russa stepping away to address his health in the final games of t he season. He was then fired once the season came to an end.

General manager Rick Hahn has been under heat from fans for his failure to spend money in the off-season. After missing out on the Manny Machado and Byrce Harper sweepstakes in recent years, Hahn acquired left fielder Andrew Benentendi and added to the rotation with Mike Clevenger.

In a weak AL Central, the Sox finished the second half of the season 35-35 and chatter of a Jose Abreu departure came true after the veteran first baseman left to chase his ring at the age of 37 with the Astros.

The White Sox replaced La Russa with Kansas City Royals bench coach Pedro Grifol, who came in to manage his first MLB ball club.

This could be the last push before the core gets broken up similar to the Cubs in the 2021 deadline.

After the Cubs’ off-season, the north siders might not know how to feel with recent moves. Fans said their goodbyes to more members from the 2016 World Series team.

Left-fielder Jason Heyward and catcher Willson Contreras both landed elsewhere. Contreras got his long term deal with division foe, the St. Louis Cardinals, and Heyward signed with the Dodgers in LA.

Before fans had time to dwell on the loss of Contreras and Heyward, general manager Jed Hoyer grabbed shortstop Dansby Swanson, who finished the 2022 season with the Braves hitting the best in

his career. The 28-year-old signed a seven-year deal in the midst of his prime and will be partnered with Nico Hoerner in the middle infield.

The Cubs also acquired center-fielder and former NL MVP Cody Bellinger, who, at 27, will look for a fresh start after his struggles over the past two seasons with the Dodgers.

Chicago also added stability to a questionable starting rotation with Jameson Tallion. At 31, Tallion comes from the Yankees and will be competing with a group of pitchers for the ace spot.

Former Cincinnati Red catcher Tucker Barnhart also comes over on a two-year deal looking to split time with Yan Gomes behind the plate.

More recently, Hoyer signed gold glove first baseman Eric Hosmer, as the Cubs are still trying to figure out the position.

With the breakout of Christopher Morel and a season under the belt for Seiya Suzuki, the Cubs could be knocking on the doors of the wildcard spot.

Finally, the Bulls. Nearing the all-star break, the Bulls have a weird start to the season, to say the least.

After finally making the playoffs last season, fans and Bulls front office members were convinced that the Bulls had it all with chemistry growth and the acquisitions of center Andre Drummond and veteran guard Goran Dragic.

Star Zach Lavine reached an agreement with Chicago in the off-season for over $200 million. 40 games into the season, he has not performed consistently.

After giving up 150 points to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Dec. 18, the players disagreed on their lack of fight to play in games and give effort.

It came to a point that talks in the league said Demar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic could be out the door by the deadline.

The Bulls kept reiterating that they wanted to wait until Lonzo Ball returned. Ball has been off the court for a year since being diagnosed with a small meniscus tear in his left knee.

After the Timberwolves game, the Bulls are 8-3, with wins over the Nets, 76ers and the Bucks. Lavine has had a 41-point game and two 30-point games during the stretch.

Now, just two games under .500 and with players exceeding expectations, the Bulls find themselves two games out of the top-8 and could be back to silence the fans and critics.

Not only is it dreading to step outside and find enjoyment with the weather, but so is Chicago watching sports.

Like the seasonal calendar that changes, so can the outcome of Chicago sports, meaning brighter days are ahead.

DUANE BURLESON | AP PHOTO Chicago Bears defensive end Angelo Blackson sits on the bench during the second half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, in Detroit.

Women drop game to Marquette, upping pressure to bolster tourney resume

By Preston Zroszczyk Asst. Sports Editor

Wednesday night’s game at Wintrust Arena against Marquette was a must-win game for DePaul, but they were simply outplayed by their rival through four quarters. The 73-62 loss now adds pressure on the Blue Demons to find a win before things get uglier.

All statistics favored the Blue Demons ahead of the game. They lead the Big East in rebounds per game at 42.7. They are second in both points scored and assist per game at 79.1 and 16.6 respectively. Yet, none of that showed true in the 40 minutes of play against the Golden Eagles.

Another slow start plagued DePaul, who trailed 26-16 after the first quarter. Marquette’s leading scorer, senior Jordan King, gave the Blue Demons trouble as she recorded 18 points by halftime.

With the defense looking lackadaisical, DePaul was at times caught sleeping on open shooters and cuts to the rim, leading to the Golden Eagles shooting 41% from the field and 43% from three.

Finally, things picked up in the third quarter when DePaul outscored Marquette 15-8, while holding the Golden Eagles to 15% shooting. DePaul slowly cut into Marquette’s 14-point halftime lead and brought the game within seven points, but that was the closest the Blue Demons came to taking control.

Ahead of the game, sophomore Aneesah Morrow was selected to the John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 Watch List. A panel of national college basketball experts shortened the list from 50 to 25 based on players’ performance so far this season.

Morrow added to her Wooden Award Watch List by collecting her 12th double-double on the season. She finished with 24 points and 15 rebounds and was the only offensive spark head coach Doug Bruno could rely on.

Besides Morrow’s contribution, the rest of the team shot a measly 14-41. Countless offensive DePaul possessions resulted in rushed shots and contested looks.

While junior Darrione Rogers took a jump from 10 points per game to 19 from her sophomore to junior year, her inconsistency has hurt DePaul as of late.

Despite the Blue Demons struggles, Morrow has tried to keep a positive mindset through the tough losses and ignite some energy into the team.

“We have to stay together,” Morrow said. “We have to have each other’s backs. Playing basketball is a team sport and we can’t do it with just one person as individuals.”

After the game, Bruno said the team is still looking for an identity offensively. He said he wants to continue to find open looks for his players and for them to look for the open shot, whether it takes one pass, or seven to eight passes. Wednesday’s game was the 83rd all-time matchup between the schools, and with the loss, DePaul still leads the series 49-33.

DePaul now finds themselves quickly dropping two Big East games and having to battle the task of playing No. 5 UConn on Sunday Jan. 8 at 12:30 p.m. in Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut.

How long before finding an offensive identity is deemed too late?

Sitting 10-6 in the with 14 games left to play, Bruno’s 2022-2023 team has not looked apart compared to his 36 previous seasons at helm.

“From a pressure perspective, we have to put pressure on ourselves to be in a better place of execution, and we as coaches have to figure that out,” Bruno said. “How best can I figure out how to combine the talents of the group we have and to mesh it together into a good cohesive basketball team, which at this mo-

ment we are not.”

In jeopardy of missing the NCAA Tournament, it has been a whirlwind of a season so far. After last season’s first round exit to Dayton in the tournament, DePaul came into the new season with unknowns to their roster.

Standout Morrow was in line for a new role. After teams had figured out her game from last season, Bruno’s squad would need to trust one another when Morrow was given double teams or shut down from time to time.

Recent woes

The Blue Demons started the season with a preseason matchup against Texas who at the time was the No. 3 team in the country. DePaul gave up 105 points and lost by 43.

Since then, DePaul’s schedule has been a bit reminiscent of that game. The start of the non-conference schedule had the Blue Demons dropping two games of which they were favored. A 86-79 loss to Northern Illinois University and 90-83 OT loss to Cleveland State.

Lack of defensive execution has been the reason for the early losses.

Injuries quickly became a part of DePaul’s slow start. Freshman guards Maeve McErlane and Haley Walker were both sidelined with knee injuries before the season, and just two games in, graduate student Jade Edwards tore both her ACL and meniscus in her left knee.

This has led DePaul to play with a short bench. Bruno has given his freshmen like Zaria Hurston and McErlane, who returned against Creighton on Dec. 31, the availability to find a little bit of a rhythm, but they have not entirely gained his trust to get more minutes.

McErlane has only practiced a handful of times since being cleared to play. Getting used to more and more play on the court could increase her minutes

Since the start of the Big East portion of the schedule, DePaul has had difficulty finding consistent offense other than Morrow. They have dug themselves into holes with slow starts,but seem to find their way back into the game, only to fall short in the final minutes.

DePaul will need to turn the season around quickly to better position themselves for the seeding in the Big East Tournament, but also for potential an NCAA tournament berth.

UConn game postponed

Sunday’s Jan. 8 scheduled game at 12:30 p.m. CST against UConn was postponed by the Big East on Friday. The Huskies did not have enough scholarship players available. Seven players is the required conference minimum to be eligible to play.

UConn athletic director David Benedict made a statement after the game was postponed.

“At UConn, the health and wellbeing of our student-athletes will always be our top priority,” director of athletics David Benedict said in a statement. “Our women’s basketball program has unfortunately been affected by an unprecedented number of injuries this season. While it’s unfortunate that we need to postpone Sunday’s game, it’s the right call to protect the safety of our student-athletes. We will work with the BIG EAST and DePaul on options to reschedule the game.”

The conference will attempt to reschedule the game, all tickets and parking passes will be valid for the rescheduled game.

Going forward, this could cause a distraction for UConn in the conference, but more importantly, DePaul could use an extended period of time to focus on the next opponents and stack wins going forward.

DePaul’s next game is at home in Wintrust Arena on Jan. 11 against Villanova at 7:00 p.m. CST.

Senior forward Anaya Peoples drives to the basket on Marquette Golden Eagle defender as the offense struggles leading to DePaul’s second straight Big East loss 72-63 loss on Wednesday.

EMMA THOMPSON |THE DEPAULIA

“We have to put pressure on ourselves to be in a better place of execution, and we as coaches have to figure that out.”

Doug Bruno

DePaul women’s basketball head coach