DePaulia
The
June 2020
Class of 2020
Graduation Issue
2 | Class of 2020. The DePaulia. June 2020.
Letter from the Editor: We didn’t forget about you By Shane René Editor-in-Chief The DePaulia is the official student-run newspaper of DePaul University and may not necessarily reflect the views of college administrators, faculty or staff.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | Shane René eic@depauliaonline.com
SPORTS EDITOR | Lawrence Kreymer sports@depauliaonline.com
MANAGING EDITOR | Lacey Latch managing@depauliaonline.com
ASST. SPORTS EDITOR | Nate Burleyson sports@depauliaonline.com
ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR | Bianca Cseke online@depauliaonline.com NEWS EDITOR | Ella Lee news@depauliaonline.com ASST. NEWS EDITOR | Patsy Newitt news@depauliaonline.com NATION & WORLD EDITOR | Cailey Gleeson nation@depauliaonline.com OPINIONS EDITOR | Emma Oxnevad opinion@depauliaonline.com FOCUS EDITOR | Alayne Trinko focus@depauliaonline.com
ART DIRECTOR | Alicia Goluszka art@depauliaonline.com DESIGN EDITOR | Annalisa Baranowski design@depauliaonline.com PHOTO CHIEF | Xavier Ortega photo@depauliaonline.com MULTIMEDIA EDITOR | Hannah Mitchell multimedia@depauliaonline.com SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR | Emma Oxnevad social@depauliaonline.com
COPY EDITORS | Luke Myers, Ryan ARTS & LIFE EDITOR | Keira Wingate Gilroy artslife@depauliaonline.com copydesk@depauliaonline.com ASST. ARTS & LIFE EDITOR | Rebecca ADVISOR | Marla Krause Meluch mkrause1@depaul.edu artslife@depauliaonline.com
CONTACT US depauliaonline.com GENERAL PHONE (773) 325-2285 OFFICE HOURS Monday: 5-7 p.m. Friday: 10-6 p.m. Sunday: 10-5 p.m.
NEWS TIPS news@depauliaonline.com ADVERTISING business@depauliaonline.com
Well, that was weird. I didn’t graduate this spring, so I won’t pretend to know what the experience of finishing college in the middle of a global pandemic feels like. But I’ve talked with both high school and college graduates and, well, it sounds like quite the bummer. Even if you didn’t endure a substantial heartbreak — job opportunity fell through, study abroad plans cancelled, you or a family member got sick — being this isolated during a major milestone has to suck. It feels like friends, family and all the other things we love have never felt so valuable and so inaccessible at the same time. At The DePaulia, we feel for you. Some of us are living through our own versions of the same thing. So, we thought we would leave the 2020 class with a parting gift from your humble campus newspaper. When everyone fled campus in early March, we stopped printing the newspaper you may remember seeing around campus on Monday mornings, shifting our focus online to keep our community up to date on all things COVID-19. But before we could end the year, we needed one more. One more issue to hold onto. Something you, the graduating class of 2020, could leave on the coffee table for curious friends and family. Something small that, one day, might remind you that you made it — and you made it during an unprecedented, at times paralyzing, moment in history. In this final installment from the 2019-2020 DePaulia staff, we’ve narrowed our focus down to you: the graduating class of 2020 and this moment in time we
will never forget. The last six months have been a lot to take in. The world came face to face with a viral pandemic which has taken hundreds of thousands of lives, and in the U.S., hit the nation with a kind of force and scale we haven’t seen since the Spanish Flu in the early 20th century. We didn’t know what we were facing back then. Today, despite miracles in the advancement of medical science, it feels like we are still chasing solutions to something we thought we understood. In this special issue, you will hear from DePaulia Arts & Life Editor Keira Wingate, as she writes about graduating into a world in which the future seems to be less stable by the day (page 17). From our news desk, La DePaulia’s María Guerrero will give you a peek into the lives of first generation college graduates navigating a family milestone in an era of great uncertainty (page 7). News editors Patsy Newitt and Ella Lee explore the impending “shecession” and how an unprecedented shutdown of the U.S. and global economy will fall hardest on women (page 11). And then Opinions and Social Media editor Emma Oxnevad will break down what new graduates might be facing in a job market thrown into flux by COVID-19 (page 9). We would stop the hard news there, but there’s one more thing we couldn’t ignore. The death of George Floyd in the custody of Minneapolis police sparked protests across the country, turning major cities like Chicago into what felt like war zones — tear gas and pepper spray soaked crowds of peaceful activists, police cruisers were set ablaze, business large and small were looted and destroyed. As the outrage — and the violence — hit the nation in the final week of the academic
calendar, it’s clear that the death of George Floyd and the nation’s response will define the 20192020 school year for many of our graduates. On pages 4-5, you can find our graduation-focused coverage from 14 East Magazine’s Grace Del Vecchio and a photo spread from DePaulia/La DePaulia photographer Jonathan Aguilar, who took on great risk to bear witness at some of the most violent parts of the protest. With the rest of this issue, we aim to lighten the mood. Scattered throughout, you will see best wishes from faculty and administrators and, of course, more writing from our many talented student journalists. Assistant Sports Editor Nate Burlyson profiles two graduating women’s basketball stars in Chante Stonewall and Kelly Campbell, who served as a potent duo on and off the court at DePaul (page 25). And then I make my case for why you — forever a member of The DePaul community — should keep tabs on the men’s basketball program (page 25). On page 17, you can read Contributing Writer Carly Travis and her takeaways from spending her last four years at a hyper-urban commuter school. Page 19 features art submissions from graduating senior Miranda Novelle. You can indulge your curiosities in a brief data page breaking down all things class of 2020 on page 23. And finally, don’t miss page 27, where you can take a moment to put your tuition dollars to the test with our Blue Demon Quiz. How well do you know your own school? With that, we wish you all — the newly graduated class of 2020 — the best of luck on whatever’s next. Be well, Shane René
Class of 2020. The DePaulia. June 2020. | 3
Memories are made of these By Keira Wingate & Rebecca Meluch Arts & Life Editor and Asst. Arts & Life Editor
Through every up and down college has thrown our way, some of the best memories have been created during the most stressful times. Every all nighter, Saturday night, exam, presentation and “sick day” has brought a memory to go along with it. The mental scrapbook of the past few years is full. With so many years spent at college, the array of memories is vast. Some of the most memorable of all take place right on campus. Luckily, DePaul has two campuses for double the chance to make something stick. The spaces at either campus have provided places for studying, eating, drinking and of course, vibing. Jacqueline Brennan is graduating this June with a degree in journalism. She’s found two places that have become her favorite study destinations. “I loved studying on the quad when I lived in Lincoln Park,” Brennan said. “But the Barnes and Noble building downtown is my favorite because I love sitting on the roof and looking out at the beautiful skyline. I’m a sucker for the perfect skyline.” While studying for exams, presentations and projects may not be the most fun part of the college experience, DePaul professors made a lasting impact on students. Many helped students decide their major, paved their way for a career choice, or just taught them life’s basic lessons in and out of the classroom. Jack Mulhern, a graduating senior and political science major, is among those with a professor in mind. “Wayne Steger’s political classes generally, but specifically his political inquiry class really taught me how to cut through misinformation and illogical arguments to get at the truth,” Mulhern said. Some students found a friend and mentor in college who helped them become the professional person they are today. Kevin O’Brien, a senior finance major, has been given great opportunities and adventurous memories with the help of one of his professors. “Andy Clark. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for him,” O’Brien said. “Through Andy’s classes, I have been able to take classes that work with the Chicago Cubs. I have been able to travel across Chicago and visit over 20 different companies.” O’Brien was also able to go to London for a study abroad program that was led by Clark. While there he went to the Premier League Offices, the site of the Olympics and a few fun sports matches like national soccer and rugby. DePaul’s study abroad programs are just some of the yearly things offered to students. One fun event that brings
AMY DO | THE DEPAULIA
A train speeds by on the ‘L’ tracks outside Kelly’s Pub in Lincoln Park. Kelly’s has become a DePaul rite of passage. a big crowd is FEST, the end of the year spring concert. Each year, a headliner takes to the stage to put on a show for students. Some of the biggest headliners have been T-Pain, 3OH!3, Lil Yachty and A$AP Ferg. Brennan attended FEST in 2017 and was able to see one of her absolute favorite artists, Jesse McCartney. “From a young age I wanted to see Jesse in concert, but I was never able to,” she said. “I wasn’t planning on going but knowing he might be there I had to go. So I made sure to attend the unveiling of artists event and I remember realizing immediately that they were describing Jesse. I was so excited that I promised myself I would be front row so I could see him. Luckily I was front row and I was able to get his attention several times during the show.” DePaul has a few on campus spots that have always drawn in a big crowd of students: Kelly’s and McGee’s. Both have weekly specials that draw in the young crowd – and the fact that they’re located on campus adds to the appeal. “So many silly nights at Kelly’s and McGee’s,” Mulhern said. Although he made lasting memories there, some of his favorites were the ones he made at his apartment.
Best Wishes to the Class of 2020...
re e rs, I am a c r u o y e c n a n ch o r ad v u la d de Paul n a t s n e ie c d u in t V s . t r S u te yo d v ice Tak e t his ” . As yo u c omple aps t h e mo s t imp ort an t a ll e w e n o d e rh it mus t be , d o o t a le n ts g r o u d o y reminde d o f p o t d a h e g r u p o S n t is no t e ve r yo u g o. e r e h e c aus e b w , ll it e e le f t f or us . “ I w ic t it c a o r d p h yo u a n d nd be su re t o a , s ie it n u aduat io n! r guidance w it m g m r o u c o r y u n o o y s d ro u n grat ulat io n n o C . t s and ch ar it y a e b . Es te b an r A u l o ie e r v b r a e s G e t d n e v - Pre side t h o se we se r
“Our sophomore year, we threw a welcome week kegger and donated the proceeds (about $650) to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.” DePaul has a reputation of saying “the city is our campus,” and as much as we mock it, it’s true. Going to school in a big city gives students the opportunity to explore and find spaces to make memories at. For Brennan, this meant witnessing one of Chicago’s greatest historic events in Wrigleyville. “[I] also enjoyed attending a Cubs game for a class and being able to witness their historic World Series victory out front at Wrigley Field,” she said. Along with the winning of the World Series in 2016, Brennan was also able to attend the Cubs victory parade. With a campus in Lincoln Park and the Loop, DePaul students had a lot of ground to cover and explore not only in between campuses, but beyond them. Because of this, the memories are endless. So, as the college journey comes to an end for seniors, the time spent here will forever leave a page in the scrapbook of what was without a doubt the best, worst, funniest and craziest years of our lives.
Yo u c an do t his… be c ause… yo u ju st did t his!! C o ngra t ulat io ns! - Dan He ck (MA APS 2015), SCP S
M ay y our vo ic e s b e e n o u gh s t ro ng t o mak ge n t le e n o u gh e c h a n g e , cre at i ve e n o t o s o o t h e , a n C o ngra u Felicitaciones Graduados 2020. Sí Se Puede!!! t u l a t i o gh t o b r i n g j d oy ns C l as - Carolina Sternberg, Latin American/ s o f 20 . - M ich 20! e l le L o Latino Studies Department Chair p p ro f e s e s or o f z-R io s, as s o Vo ice a c i a te Th e Th n e d at re S Sp e e c h Fo llo w yo u r p at ch o o l h s guide d by Lig , h t , in f o r me d by L o ve , in Abide by t h e jo u r ne y. Yo u r ac c om p u rsuit o f Tr u t h . plishme n t w il l b de s t in at io n w il e gre at, and yo u l b e b e yo n d k n o r w n h or izo ns . W e are s o ve r y pr - Bayo Oji k u t u, a o ud . djunc t Eng lish/L ibe ra l St udie s pr o fe s s o r
4 | Class of 2020. The DePaulia. June 2020.
Caps, gowns and chaos A Chicago Police vehicle burns amid crowds of people protesting the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody on Saturday May 30, 2020.
JONATHAN AGUILAR | THE DEPAULIA
Graduating in a time of social unrest By Grace Del Vecchio Contributing Writer
For DePaul’s class of 2020, graduation is right around the corner. But an event that is usually marked with celebration is occurring during a time of heightened social, cultural and economic unrest. From police brutality to COVID-19 and the collapsing economy, 2020 graduates will have to learn to navigate the turmoil that lies ahead. While not every graduating member of 2020 began their college career in the fall of 2016, for those that did, their arrival on campus took place just months after many notable cases of police brutality, including the murder of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge and Philando Castille in Falcon Heights, Minn. 2017 saw the occurrences of continued cases of police brutality, including that of Johnnie Jermaine Rush who was beaten by police under an accusation of jaywalking in Ashville, N.C. and an 11-year-old girl in Grand Rapids, Mich. In the fall of 2018, protesters took to the streets to demand justice for Laquan McDonald, the 17-year-old whose murder made national headlines after he was shot 16 times by Jason Van Dyke in Chicago in 2014. The protests came as the case unraveled in the courts. On October 5, 2018, Van Dyke was found guilty of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery but was not found guilty of official misconduct. In 2019, the trend of widespread police brutality continued. According to the Washington Post, 1,004 people were shot and killed in 2019, including the death of Ryan Twyman in Los Angeles who was shot 34 times by Los Angeles police officers. To bring their final collegiate months to
“The unexpected is the new normal.”
David Palmer
Graduating senior, Driehaus College of Business a close, the deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and more. David Palmer is a member of DePaul’s Class of 2020. Along with his senior year being brought to a sudden end in March due to COVID-19, he’s struggling to reflect on the additional impacts of police brutality on his entire life. “I’m not surprised, it’s been here for years, I feel like it’s just how it’s gonna be,” Palmer said. “The system is already messed up.” Palmer, who is graduating with a degree in sports management, has plans to attend law school at DePaul but he’s apprehensive about entering a new environment with new people “It’s impacting me because a lot of people don’t know how to speak up about the problem,” he said. Although Palmer does have a job lined up as an administrative assistant at Kirkland and Ellis, a law firm in downtown Chicago, economic uncertainty is another major roadblock for the graduates. “The unexpected is the new normal,” he said. On top of everything, students are graduating into the worst economy the U.S. has seen in a decade. With COVID-19 disastrously impacting the economy, increasing layoff and decreasing job opportunities, students are receiving their degree, not knowing where to turn. Jazmin Olvera is graduated from De-
Paul in the winter quarter with a degree in communications. She had made plans to return to her hometown of Dallas and apply for jobs. However, due to economic uncertainty, Dallas has implemented a hiring freeze. Alejandro Hernandez is graduating from DePaul with a degree in communications and media. After all the internships he applied to were canceled, Hernandez, a budding music journalist, is taking this time to get into freelance journalism. He said he’s found solace in accepting the things he cannot control. “I found peace within myself, I got into meditation,” Hernandez said. “I realized, I’ve been worried about things I can’t control, I went on a spiritual journey, I feel like I’m discovering myself.” Winifred Curran is a professor and chair of the Department of Geography at DePaul University. She specializes in urban geography with a focus on labor, gender, gentrification, environment and policing. She reflected on the significance of protest. “When I was in college, we protested because we could, now they [college students] are protesting because they have to,” Curran said. “We’re dealing with questions we thought we answered generations ago, we have no choice but to look at them now. Can I get to work today? Is transit running? Am I allowed to go down the street? Is it safe to try to go to work? Such profound
elemental things that we need to think about.” Curran also said that there has never been a time where understanding our country’s history is more important or more glaring. She added that if we are ever going to be able to create change, we must understand the history of the systems in place. “We have built inequality into our cities and our country, everything about this has been a core building block of our country, police brutality is as old as our country,” she said. She also noted that this system of policing was founded on slave patrols, a practice where runaway slaves were hunted down. “That link to the racism of enforcing an order that is not equal or just is fundamental,” she said. While many students are feeling the impact of the combined force of police brutality, the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent economic decline, all three students and Curran were quick to mention that the Black community has felt this force the longest and the hardest. “I just feel like yes, it’s really important, the economy and COVID-19, but at the basic level, human rights are very very important,” Olvera said. “Even though I’m being impacted by the economy, there are people being impacted just because of the color of their skin on a daily basis.” Going forward, Curran encourages white students to educate themselves on the systematic injustices that have played a part in both historical and current events. “None of this is secret, this is something people of color have known, it’s a history they’re living every day,” Curran said.“Read something, listen, make yourself aware, that is your responsibility.”
Class of 2020. The DePaulia. June 2020. | 5
Protesters and police clash during mass protests across the city following the police-involved death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
George Floyd’s death ignites nation Text by Lacey Latch / Photos by Jonathan Aguilar As George Floyd pled for his life on May 26, three Minneapolis police officers pinned him to the ground, reportedly investigating the use of a forged check. All the while, the knee of officer Derek Chauvin pressed on Floyd’s neck
slowly killing him as bystanders begged Chauvin to stop. A nearly 10-minute video of the incident went viral almost immediately with cries for justice following soon after and never ceasing. In the days and weeks since
Floyd’s death, cities in all 50 states, including Chicago, held protests against police brutality and systemic racism, with people showing up in unprecedented numbers across the country.
From top right, clockwise: Two protesters climb atop the entrance to the Jackson “L” stop on Dearborn St; Smoke billows out of the Loop May 30, 2020; A protester stands with a police baton; Military police join forces with the Chicago Police Department to monitor the protests.
6 | Class of 2020. The DePaulia. June 2020.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2020. THE CLASS OF 2020 is a special group that will be forever remembered for its tenacity and perseverance. During your time here at DePaul, you’ve experienced success, overcome obstacles, challenged yourself and pushed those around you to be the best versions of themselves. We’ll remember how bravely you responded to change and finished strong—and how you showed resilience in the face of adversity. We are so proud of the work you’ve done, the goals you’ve achieved and the good you’ll continue to do. Best wishes, DePaul University Faculty and Staff
Class of 2020. The DePaulia. June 2020. | 7
JONATHAN AGUILAR | THE DEPAULIA
Ana Laura Saavedra poses for a photograph in Little Village. Saaverda just received her doctorate as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner from Johns Hopkins University.
First generation college students to plan ceremony from home By María Guerrero Managing Editor, La DePaulia
First-generation university students will be celebrating their commencement ceremony from home, despite a challenging and unplanned final academic quarter. Mercedes Chavez, 28, a first-generation student studying Latin American and Latino Studies at DePaul University, said that although she was first devastated upon hearing of the cancellation of all in-person commencement ceremonies, graduation is still crucial for her as it symbolizes the completion of a long academic journey. “It has been a long journey for me to earn my degree,” said Chavez. “Graduation means that I finally completed a step in life that I never thought was possible. This is actually the fifth school I have attended because I constantly switched my major or just believed that I was not smart enough to stay in school.” The switch to remote learning has not been easy for Chavez, who said it’s been difficult for her to adjust to online platforms like Zoom and Voice Thread. “The online quarter does not feel real,” Chavez said. “I meet with one class biweekly and still have a ton of reading, however the experience is not there.” Chavez said despite ceremony cancellations and a difficult final academic quarter, she will be still celebrating her academic accomplishments along with her loved ones who have been with her every step of the way. “All the doubts and obstacles I overcame to get here took so much time and energy that I deserve to celebrate,” Chavez said. “My loved ones saw how much I struggled to stay in school and they were rooting for me to finish.” Tiayanna Bogan, 22, a first-generation
student majoring in business administration and African and Black diaspora, said graduation not only marks a significant moment for her in her life but also to those around her. “The importance of this day still is a tremendous opportunity and accomplishment,” said Bogan. “Being first to graduate, I’ve been the example to get my family, friends and peers to seek their education.” Whether it’s in-person or online, Bogan said graduating from a higher education institution like DePaul allows her to defeat academic stereotypes. “This is creating a gateway and vision that I am not a stereotype and I’m a product of my community which is a blessing,” she said. “This holds more value to say we are worth more, capable of more and available to more than the blind eye can see.” Like Chavez, Bogan said it has also been difficult for her to complete her final quarter at DePaul remotely. “Online courses have become more stressful and tedious than in person classes,” Bogan said. “However, I’m making the best of it. I’ve set up a goal to graduate with my 3.8 and leave my sorority, Sigma Gamma Rho and any other organization I’ve been associated with on a good note as a thank you gift.” Chavez, who has a job lined up in the field of community service and marketing after college, said she feels prepared to graduate and enter the next chapter of her life amid pandemic. “I’m excited about graduation, I’m literally counting the days,” Chavez said. “Many have worries but I’ve been prepared for this moment. The real world awaits and I have a job lined up after graduation to carry out my passion of community service and marketing.” Graduating and stepping into a new
Best Wishes to the Class of 2020...
JONATHAN AGUILAR | THE DEPAULIA
Balloons float in front of a house celebrating the Class of 2020 in Villa Park, Ill. chapter during a pandemic has helped Chavez to examine and ponder her next steps in life. “This quarantine has been a time to regroup and evaluate my next steps and in doing that I’ve come with plans to not cause fear to enlighten faith and hope back in my city, community and myself,” she said. For honors marketing student Scarlett Magana-Sigh, being the first to graduate from college in her family shows her what she is capable of achieving. “As the first one to do this in my family, it feels like I’m breaking a generational curse,” Magana-Sigh said. Magana-Sigh said that although her university completion took her longer to complete due to financial and transferring reasons and the in-person ceremony cancellation due to COVID-19, she will still be celebrating her graduation at home along with her family.
“I know my family is really proud of this accomplishment. My mom especially, I know she’s proud of my drive and ambition,” Magana-Sigh said. “Graduation to me feels like a long time coming, but I wouldn’t have changed any of it. I know I was meant to experience it the way I did.” Despite Magana-Singh’s new chapter of life being nothing how she expected, she said she will still be continuing to use her skills in marketing and become prepared for rising opportunities. “My advice for rising seniors entering their senior year amid this pandemic is to stay open minded,” Magana-Singh said. This pandemic has changed how things look for myself, and a lot of other people. The best thing we can do is try to adapt, and still grow within this, keeping the bigger picture in mind.”
¡Los vamos a extrañar mucho!proyectos!
Estimados estudiantes: ¡Sig an adel an te ! ¡Enhorabuena! ¡FELICITACIONES! De todos tus profesores ¡Much a sue rte c s o s de de español. o n t o do s ¡Es t amo s orgullo ¡Bien he ch o! - Rocío Ferreira, Director of Graduate sus proye c t o s! us te de s! Programs in Modern Languages
8 | Class of 2020. The DePaulia. June 2020.
TO OUR BRILLIANT AND RESILIENT CLASS OF 2020 BUSINESS GRADUATES, CONGRATULATIONS! WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU. From the faculty and staff of the Driehaus College of Business and Kellstadt Graduate School of Business.
Class of 2020. The DePaulia. June 2020. | 9
Graduates prepare for uncertain job market By Emma Oxnevad Opinions and Social Media Editor
Senior year of college is an undoubtedly emotional time filled with highs and lows, all leading to a similar road: graduating from school and trying to figure out your next move. For many students, the next move is attempting to find a job, hoping that their degree will land them something aligned with their professional interests and a decent paycheck. For the Class of 2020, however, entering the job market is just one of the many aspects of day-to-day life that COVID-19 has turned on its head. With the pandemic causing mass layoffs and furloughs and the economy approaching a sharp downturn, the already-stressful prospect of entering the job market now has an added pressure. “It’s been a little stressful just because, I mean, there’s not real money in the few places that are hiring,” said Connor Altier, a sociology major who graduated in the Winter Quarter. “There’s just not enough jobs with them to go around, because so many people have to find jobs now.” The pandemic has left over 1 million Illinois residents out of work, with the state’s overall employment rate dropping under 50 percent — a lower percentage than was found during the Great Recession of 2008. “When this event has passed it will go down as the worst economic collapse in the U.S. since the Great Depression of the 1930s,” said Michael Miller, an associate professor of economics at DePaul. “The rise in unemployment and the fall in payroll jobs and GDP will dwarf every recession since the ‘30s.” The unstable economy presents an uncertain future for the graduating class, with some students considering pursuing a graduate degree to help bolster career aspirations. “It is common that students who have such dismal markets for jobs will stay in school a little longer so they can come into a better market with more credentials,” Miller said. Ivana Mladenovic, a psychology major at DePaul, was pursuing two post-graduate options: applying to graduate school or applying for data analyst positions in the city. After the pandemic worsened, however, one option became far more viable than the other. “Now, honestly, I’m more going towards furthering my education route into grad school because the job market right now is pretty bad,” Mladenovic said. “It’s
NAM Y. HUH | AP
A man looks at signs of a closed store due to COVID-19 in Niles, Illinois on May 21, 2020. really, really hard for just-out-of-college graduates to get jobs at the moment.” Mladenovic said that, if she chooses to attend graduate school, she is interested in pursuing a degree in counseling psycholog, in order to work as a social worker or therapist. For those who are not attempting to pursue a graduate degree, they now face the challenge of entering a job market amid a global pandemic and a receding economy. Andrew Kamath, a marketing major with a concentration in sales leadership at DePaul, had previous internship experience with a start-up that he was hoping to join after graduation. His dream job involved merging his degree concentrations in a leadership position. “I love marketing, but I think I primarily want to work in the sales leadership aspect of my degree,” he said. “Ideally, I’d like to become an executive as part of some leadership team at a company with a vision I really care about.” However, the pandemic hit the company hard, leading to mass layoffs. “Unfortunately, the company is involved with the restaurant industry, so it laid off like half of their workforce,” Kamath said. “They’re a startup, so they have to be very risk-averse, so that kind of was shot down.” Kamath remarked that he is primarily concerned with long-term ramifications of
“I am concerned about career growth. I’m concerned about finding a job that I really am passionate about. You know, I feel like I’m going to have to compromise and take something that I’m not very interested in.”
Andrew Kamath
Graduating senior, Driehaus College of Business this job market and ultimately enjoying the work he does. “I am concerned about career growth,” he said. “I’m concerned about finding a job that I really am passionate about. You know, I feel like I’m going to have to compromise and take something that I’m not very interested in.” When asked about pursuing a graduate degree, Kamath remarked that the possibility of pursuing a degree digitally was a major detractor. “Grad school was never really in the plans initially, and I like to be in the classroom when I’m learning,” Kamath said. “So [online learning] is not something that, you know, entices me to go back.”
Despite the fears surrounding entering the job market amid a global pandemic, students have remarked they have been given access to helpful job-searching resources while at DePaul. “I think that there’s a lot of resources on campus, like the Career Center and other things like that, that definitely help students, you know, further their career and get jobs out of college,” Mladenovic said. While entering the job market may appear to be a daunting task, hope has not run out for the Class of 2020. “I think if I get a job at a company that has good vision and it felt secure in this pandemic, I’d be optimistic,” Kamath said.
Best Wishes to the Class of 2020... You did it! You persevered, you met every challenge and your dream of completing this milestone is here. I was so pleased and honored to share t ra that journey with you. Now it’s time to imagine your future and dream a s o v a l i pe r n o i e in new dream. Be proud, because we are bursting with pride for you. z o a t l a u r t o a C o n g r a s te r o d o t t i n u o v i - Patrizia Ancerra, ABD, Assistant Director, m tr l au re a, lup o pe r i v o s ns o n yo u r l Academic Advising: SCPS Class of 2020 io b o c c a a C o ngrat u l at s f or e h s i w e t t i ! / hD and be s t s! g o r p C o ngrat ulat io ns C av o r , or P e d A las s o f 2020!! Yo u n e M , e BA t ur h ave sh o w n us a ll yo u are re silie n t, in i n a, r a F t h at yo u r f u t a te llige n t, cre at ive , o ngi M and c omp as sio n ate ian and sh are yo u r inc a l a n i t r I e , r t . Go o re dible t a le n ts w it - Ca o fe s s r h P o u r c e o m t m u a n it y and t h e wor ld! Wishing yo As s o ci Di re c t or u c o n t inue d suc ce s s! gram - Doro t hy Koz lo ws o r P k i, In te r im De an, C SH
10 | Class of 2020. The DePaulia. June 2020.
The Faculty and Staff of the College of Science and Health Congratulate our Class of 2020!!
Class of 2020. The DePaulia. June 2020. | 11
Impending recession to hit women hardest By Patsy Newitt & Ella Lee Asst. News Editor and News Editor
It’s all-but-certain that the end of the COVID-19 pandemic will bring the beginning of an economic recession. But experts say that this one is different: women will be disproportionately affected. Women made up 55 percent of the 20.5 million jobs lost in April, according to the Bureau of Labor statistics — the unemployment rate for women was at 15 percent compared to 13 percent for men. Non-white women were particularly affected. Unemployment rates of Black women in April was at 16.4 percent and 20.2 percent for Hispanic women. This is inconsistent with the Great Recession of 2008, where men were more affected with a 2.5 percent lead on unemployment in 2009. But the difference doesn’t have to do with men working more than women. Brian Phelan, an associate professor of economics at DePaul, said that women’s labor force participation is not much below men’s — a difference of about 10 to 20 percent participation of prime working-age workers. The biggest difference lies in who works where. “If you want to look at the Great Recession, the biggest area that was hit was the housing industry and the construction sector and the construction, just is, as you know, largely dominated by men in terms of overall employment,” said Phelan said. “...There’s still quite a bit of occupational segregation; men and women do work in generally very different jobs.” Phelan said he thinks this recession will fundamentally change the way labor force is allocated across sectors. “What’s different a little bit about this recession, I think, is that it’s not just that businesses will change the way that they make things; it’s also that consumer preferences are really going to change in terms of what individuals want to spend their money on, the types of services that they’re going to demand,” he said. Before COVID-19 shutdowns, women held more payroll jobs than men — they held 50.04 percent of jobs in December, according to a report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, these gains aren’t necessarily indicative of women faring better economically. DePaul Women and Gender Studies professor Heather Montes-Ireland noted that this growth and market participation has come largely through undervalued and underpaid service sector jobs like childcare and nursing — jobs that are lower wage, part-time and without benefits. These jobs are necessary and important, Montes-Ireland said, but women are seen as a cheap labor pool. A study by Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program showed that in 2019, women accounted for 54 percent of low-wage workers but 48 percent of the workforce. “It’s sort of this catch-22 where in the U.S. today there is a system where women are responsible for a huge majority of unpaid labor in our society… [as well as] wage labor,” she said. She added that there’s often a mentality
HOW THE COVID-19 E F F RECESSION ECTIVE WAYS O F S T U DMORE YING IMPACTS B E F O RTHAN E E X AMEN MS WOMEN WOMEN LOST MORE JOBS More women unemployed than men
Women made up 55 percent of the 20.5 million jobs lost in April 2020. Fifteen percent of women are unemployed compared to 13 percent for men.
WOMEN OF COLOR AFFECTED THE MOST Non-white women hit hardest.
The unemployment rates of Black women in April was at 16.4 percent and 20.2 percent for Hispanic women.
WOMEN MORE LIKELY TO HOLD LOW WAGE JOBS Review by yourself as needed.
A 2019 study showed that women accounted for 54 percent of low-wage workers but 48 percent of the workforce.
WOMEN LESS LIKELY TO HAVE A SALARY JOB More women work hourly
In December, 50.04 percent of payroll jobs were held by women, despite more men in the workforce.
WOMEN ON THE FRONTLINES OF THE PANDEMIC More likely to work in healthcare
Women make up 76 percent of health care jobs and 85 percent of nursing jobs. HANNAH MITCHELL | THE DEPAULIA
that women have a partner at home so employers feel justified in only hiring women part-time or without benefits. The COVID-19 pandemic has offered an interesting juxtaposition, though, as women are also more highly employed in the health care sector. “It’s kind of a weird careered mix right now; so on one level, you know, there’s in-
Best Wishes to the Class of 2020... rld Co ngratulat ions, Class of 2020! Th e wo ne eds yo u. Go ou t and do gre at thing s! - Phil Tim be rlake , As so ciate Profes sor, Th e Th eatre Scho ol
credible demand for certain types of health services — people who are sick with coronavirus — but at the same time, if you look at the job, reports have actually seen quite a bit of a decrease in employment in the health care sector because people are not getting elective surgeries. People are avoiding health care,” Phelan said. Still, many frontline workers are wom-
en. According to a 2019 report by the U.S. Census Bureau, women make up 76 percent of health care jobs and 85 percent of nursing, where they are on the front lines of patient interaction. “There’s a big push for us to sort of celebrate the frontline workers within this pandemic and so many of those workers are concentrated within things like nursing which are largely feminized fields in the profession,” Montes-Ireland said. Montes-Ireland said solutions should be driven by changing and rewriting the policy to benefit women of color. Social welfare laws that exist now don’t benefit the most vulnerable, largely immigrant women and working class women of color. “Our system of social welfare today is so, so deeply racist and deeply oppressive,” she said. “We need to look again at the social welfare system we have which has also been pretty much obliterated.” Changing this policy will be necessary to bounce back. “We have to understand what it will take to support the American working poverty class or we will not have a recovery like the kind of recovery we had from the Great Recession — that [recovery] was due to the very working women of color who are working two or three jobs right now for minimum wage… we owe our recovery to that very population.” At DePaul, Montes-Ireland notes that most adjunct faculty are women and are also the most disposable. Still, Phelan said low wage workers will still be much more affected than any college educated worker, regardless of gender. “I mean, maybe college students or people are sort of filling in to get a little extra money until they start their career, picking up a couple extra hours, but these are largely real low wage jobs, too where we’re seeing the job loss,” he said. It’s unclear whether women losing more jobs than men will affect the hiring rates of men versus women. Still, Phelan said it’s likely “I think it does disproportionately affect women, not just in terms of those that are already in the labor force, but also the hiring process, to the extent that women are going into sort of the more traditional, female dominated occupations, because those are going to be the ones that that aren’t necessarily hiring,” Phelan said. “So whereas something like manufacturing hasn’t been affected as much or construction hasn’t been affected as much, it might be easier to get positions in those jobs than feeling about young professional jobs and things like consulting firms or some sort of banks.” But experts suggest women might still come out on top. Historically, they have been able to adjust to times of labor hardships more quickly than men. “There’s a lot of evidence that women have been really adaptable in the labor force,” he said. “They haven’t been discouraged as a group, they haven’t been afraid to move into new jobs and to seek retraining when necessary, and so it certainly speaks to their adaptability as a group.”
G o o d luc k c o n t i nu & re ad s ome b o i ng t h e p ok s & h a u ve f u n r s u i t de ve lopm o f yo u r i n te l l e c t e n t on y ua l o u r o w n te r - K at hle m s! en Eng lish & Ro o ne y, Pro fe s sor Cre at i ve Wr i t i ng o f
12 | Class of 2020. The DePaulia. June 2020.
Off to reach new heights...
C ongr at u l at i o n s ! to our 2020 graduates we are so proud of you we can’t wait to see you soar! from the faculty and staff of the college of communication
Class of 2020. The DePaulia. June 2020. | 13
TO OUR CREATIVE, INNOVATIVE, AND inspiring GRADUATES:
C ongr at u l at i o n s! WE KNOW YOU ARE WELL-PREPARED TO SUCCEED IN A CHANGING WORLD.
from the FACULTY AND STAFF AT THE COLLEGE OF COMPUTING AND DIGITAL MEDIA
14 | Class of 2020. The DePaulia. June 2020.
A time to remember Reflect on some of the most notable events at DePaul and beyond when the city was your campus By Alayne Trinko Focus Editor
spark on-campus conversations that become significant and memorable moments of the college experience. “DePaul’s class of 2020 has done pretty well responding to adversity,” said DePaul senior Daja Walker-Parker. “The year 2020 so far has been an emotional rollercoaster from the difficulties with COVID-19 to the injustices of our black communities...I could not have overcome any adversities as a DePaul student without the constant support of our staff.” When DePaul senior Colby Marchio tried to articulate his lasting thoughts on the past four years, he said he was struggling to find the right words.
“I just think it’s such a touchy thing,” Marchio said. “I could offend or sound like I don’t care, which is not the case at all.” “I appreciate how passionate students at DePaul are,” he continued. “Gotta respect passion and caring for something that is important to them or society. You have to love to see people come together for a good cause.” Four years of history on the DePaul campus, in the city of Chicago and in the United States really can’t be condensed without missing some great highs and lows, but here are some of the most noteworthy events that the Class of 2020 experienced in their four years at DePaul.
April 2019: N Paris is
Oct. 2018: W Jamal Khas con
May 2016: Milo Yiannopoulos visits campus, sparks student protests against hate speech
July 2018: Presi nates Brett Kav
Jan. 2018: “Ga by Illinois Gene L
July 2017: DePaul student sues ex-professor for sexual coercion
n
wi Cubs o g a ic 6: Ch s 1 0 2 . Nov rld Serie o the W
Oct. 2017: #MeToo Movement breaks silence around sexual assault and harassment
Oct. 2016: Construction of DePaul’s Wintrust Arena completed
Nov. 2016: Donald Trump wins presidential election
A
big part of being a college graduate is reflecting upon the four-plus years of education required to obtain the degree. Filled with personal, interpersonal, national and international ups and downs, the DePaul experience is not only shaped by campus happenings, but it is also a product of the lessons learned in the greater scheme of things. The sequence of events is not what makes a DePaul graduate who they are, but they do play an important role in academic growth and personal development. From the 2016 election to the Cubs winning the World Series to the outbreak of the coronavirus, these events
No v m
res fi d l wi llion st n lia mi coa a r st n 46 east u : A tha lia's 9 01 ore stra 2 ne n m u Ju bur of A res ac
September 2019: The NCAA charges DePaul with recruiting violations. Places program on three-year probation
Class of 2020. The DePaulia. June 2020. | 15
s on m e t e D in las son u l a B 0: ball w of se 2 0 t t . h 2 aske ; res elled c r n b Ma en’s easo canc m of s ptly e ru gam ab
Notre-Dame Cathedral in s damaged in fire
April 2020: Jason Hill sues DePaul for ‘campaign of intimidation and demonization’
Washington Post columnist shoggi killed inside Saudi nsulate in Istanbul
June 2020: DePaul graduates the Class of 2020
ident Donald Trump nomivanaugh for Supreme Court
ay panic” defense outlawed eral Assembly in support of LGBTQ rights
v. 2 m 017 id : D ni gh ePa t p ul an ho ca st ke s fi br rst ea a kf nn as ua t l
A lot can happen in a period of four years. Granted, there is more to the past four years than what’s simply stated above. There were moments that DePaul can be proud of, and there were moments that challenged the integrity of the university. These moments never went unnoticed by the student body. They contributed to academic discourse on campus. They influenced students’ worldviews and they armed students with knowledge to enter the real world. DePaul Vice President of student affairs Eugene Zdziarski said, “We are in unprecedented times...And I know that there’s disappointment, and we cannot honor and celebrate [the class of 2020] in the traditions of higher education and DePaul University with an in-person ceremony... But I want them to know that their contributions to the university and their accomplishments are not any less valuable. I’m really proud of this group, and I know they’re going to go out and make us all really proud.”
16 | Class of 2020. The DePaulia. June 2020.
Class of 2020. The DePaulia. June 2020. | 17
Graduating when the future is truly unknown By Keira Wingate Arts & Life Editor
Column: The moment has come, finally. After years of hard work, determination and discovery, college graduation has finally appeared and the future awaits. The world was supposed to be a great unknown that was full of promise and hope, but recent events have made the unknown far more fearful than any soon to be graduate thought it would be. Sitting in history class at 10:52 in the morning, I received an email from my dream graduate school in New York City. I got in. I cried as if I had stubbed my big toe on the corner of my bed. But no, the tears streamed down my face as my future shined bright in my eyes with a smile on my face. I was no longer in history class. I was in my studio apartment in New York, cooking a box of mac and cheese on my tiny stove while doing homework or at least pretending to. I had made it. Joyful tears quickly turned sad as the coronavirus began to ruin plans. The coronavirus has hit the world hard, with 1.8 million confirmed cases in the United States thus far as of June 3 and over 6.2 million worldwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It seems as though the world has been shut down. Restaurants, bars, coffee shops, nightlife, public spaces – all closed. Amidst this, graduating seniors are facing losses that years of hard work had built up to. Plans for what comes next in life have shattered for many, with no repairs in sight. The excitement of being done with college has almost been eliminated because the future has started to escape us. Kendal Charnota, 22, is graduating this Spring with a degree in public relations and advertising and event planning from DePaul University. Currently, she has a full-time internship, but doesn’t know if a job offer is coming. “At this point, I don’t know how the coronavirus will affect my ability to get a job right out of school, but it adds a significant level of stress on the plate of those rounding out their senior year,” Charnota said. One by one, events began to cancel. Many students held on to hope that their last bit of college could still be grand. Last spring break vacation, boosting your GPA one last time, spending time with friends and walking across that stage in front of loved ones.
That list turned into bullet points and has made its way to a blank page of uncertainty. One major event on the list was a graduation ceremony. As COVID-19 continued to spread at rapid rates, large gatherings began to close and the long awaited email about commencement began hitting the inboxes of excited seniors. DePaul sent out an email on March 27, stating that traditional in-person ceremonies were cancelled and virtual ceremonies would instead be taking place. This caused an uproar among seniors at DePaul and a petition was created to have graduation postponed instead of being done virtually. “I am no longer excited to graduate for any reason other than having less on my plate,” Charnota said. “An entire list of lasts has been taken away from the class of 2020 because of COVID-19.” Although many of the seniors were devastated, myself included, DePaul believes it was the best decision. “These are unprecedented times so there is no perfect way to handle this situation,” Charnota said. “But it felt that there was a lack of sensitivity from DePaul. As a student body, we have no outlet for our frustration. We want our concerns heard, we want our opinion taken into account.” Carol Hughes, the university spokesperson for DePaul said it was not a quick decision. “… We didn’t feel comfortable indicating we were postponing to August if the situation hadn’t subsided because then it could be another set of disappointment,” Hughes said. “As soon as we know how this situation is settled, we’ll be able to finalize other ideas and plans. Noah Festenstein, 22, is also graduating this Spring with a degree in broadcast journalism with a focus in radio from DePaul. Festenstein has been in college for five years and is hurt that he won’t get the chance to walk across the stage. “I feel like the entire narrative of graduating college is that of walking across the stage,” he said. “It’s something you envision and you set your mind towards and it’s a goal like you know, that feeling of walking across the stage is a feeling that you’ll never ever have in your life. And that’s something that I’m gonna miss out on.” Although Festenstein won’t get that moment, he understands why DePaul chose to do a virtual graduation and thinks that is what a university’s mindset should be set towards.
I felt heartbroken. Being a first-generation college student and the first woman in my immediate family to get a degree, it was an event I have been looking forward to for the past six years. After a tearful day, the reasons for the cancellation seemed valid and not wanting to get students’ hopes up with scheduling one in the coming months will further help shield seniors from any more disappointment. Stay-at-home orders were extended in many states into early June, with no clue about what will happen after that. With each passing day, I become more fearful that my plans for after graduation will be next on the chopping block. “Before, it seemed that this would last a few weeks,” Charnota said. “Now there’s a good chance it will be at least another month or two before any type of normalcy is restored.” One thing is for certain: graduating seniors still did it. What happens after may feel blurred, but the past years of hard work will not go unnoticed.
Trains over longboards: soaking in a not-so-typical life at DePaul By Carly Travis Contributing Writer
Column: We’ve heard it a million times before: time is a weird construct right now. But looking back, my first day of college feels like eons ago given that the past three months have felt like three years. At the same time, luckily and unluckily for me, I remember my first, second, third and final year of college vividly, as if they were only yesterday. On my first day of college, I woke up in my little box of a dorm room in University Hall to the sounds of my mini refrigerator making what sounded like the noise of an animal crying. Light poured through the poorly shaded windows and a garbage truck was collecting right below my head that lay on my kind-of-comfortable, extra-long twin bed. Little did I know I would soon learn to adapt to this soundtrack. The bed, not so much. Anyway, the sun was shining on this perfect, September day and I decided to go for a run to the lake. When I came back to the dorms, sweaty and invigorated after having just ran through the city— er, campus for the first time, I realized I lost my student ID. It was a great start to college. First year wasn’t all that bad though. I quickly learned my way around Chicago, took classes that felt at once exciting and useless, and met new people, some of whom I still keep in touch with to this day. Of course, there are a handful of people I met first year with whom I don’t keep in touch with anymore, but the thing about going to a school like DePaul is that no one is really a stranger. Going to DePaul is a not-so-typical college experience and as a result, DePaul students and alums are bonded by this shared not-so-typical experience. We take the CTA rather than longboard to class, some of us live at home and
ALEXA SANDLER | THE DEPAULIA
A Brown Line train, which connects DePaul’s two campuses.
commute for up to three hours a day and we work part or full-time jobs, all while going to school. Ask anyone to describe a typical college experience and that’s probably the last visual that comes to mind. Rather, people think of rowdy football games, color-coordinated Greek life and partying morning, noon and night. DePaul may not have a football team, but we do have sororities and fraternities, of which I participated in for a brief period of time. If you know me, it comes as a huge surprise that I was ever in a sorority. But aggrieved as I was with the fact that I hadn’t found my “people” yet, I rushed winter quarter of my first year. Ultimately, it wasn’t for me. While I was elated by the fact that it seemed I had rushed into the antithesis of sororities (everyone related to me in that they were not the typical sorority type), I had to move back home after living in my once uncomfortable dorm. For two years, sophomore and junior year, I was a commuter student. My social life dwindled as a result and school felt like a job. Friends of mine have shared this sentiment. Whether you commute from the Northern suburbs or Wrigleyville, going to school in the city doesn’t so much feel like school as it does another thing to check off your to-do list.
I commuted on the Metra among doctors and lawyers and business executives who all looked just the same (I really hope you read that in the tune of “Little Boxes,” the “Weeds” theme song) and had internships simultaneously. A lot of DePaul students share this experience of working and schooling at once, and while it’s not the norm, it certainly gave me an edge as I grew up so much during that time. That said, this past year has challenged that tenfold. For my final year of college, I moved out into an apartment on my own and started getting involved with organizations on campus again. Going to school still felt like a job, but the cohesion I was missing before was restored. And yet just as I was starting to like college again, we were hit with the biggest blow of our lifetimes. It’s been a less than perfect four years for me and for all of us. Fall of 2016 started off with the Cubs winning the World Series and people regaining hope for the first time since 1908. Then Nov. 8 rolled around and, well, you know the rest. But I challenge you to not lose hope. Going to DePaul, I have this sense of security from the fact that the people I am surrounded by are understanding and accepting of each other’s differences, and more importantly, people’s challenges. I’ve had the pleasure of hearing from people in my classes that come from all walks of life. They are transfer students, first generation students, LGBTQ students, students of color and students with kids of their own. In class, my peers shared their stories to a room of open-minded individuals, and I realized that everyone has stuff, like deep stuff. Stuff that my pretentious bubble of a suburb would judge. As DePaul students, we share this unique experience of going to an untraditional school and therefore have a point of view that’s unlike others. We’re smart, creative and compassionate individuals, and because of that, I have hope that we’ll emerge from this better than okay.
18 | Class of 2020. The DePaulia. June 2020.
The Art House
Class of 2020. The DePaulia. June 2020. | 19
“Memories from Quarentine� By: Miranda Novelle, 2020 DePaul Graduate
This series comes from a senior capstone project submitted by graduating senior Miranda Novelle. She describes this work as a series of drawings that explore different hope-filled memories during her final quarter spent under quarentine.
20 | Class of 2020. The DePaulia. June 2020.
Congratulations Class of 2020
from the faculty and staff of the School of Music
We wish you a happy and successful future! THE 2020 G R ADUATING CL ASS LIST William Barnard, Master of Music, Jazz Studies* | Dylan Barnett, Bachelor of Music, Jazz Studies> | Kelly Bartek, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Justin Berchtold, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance | David Beytas, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Abby Black, Certificate in Performance, Music Performance | Pantelis Bolarakis, Bachelor of Arts, Music > | Alicia Boock, Master of Music, Music Education | Zane Boothby, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Ana Boulas, Bachelor of Music, Music Education and Music Performance | Justin Brown-Gnarra, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Jesse Bruer, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance and Performing Arts Management | Maria Carolina Campos, Master of Music, Music Performance | Justina Chu, Certificate in Performance, Music Performance | Julia Clarke, Bachelor of Music, Music Education> | Katherine Cosenza, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Andrew Curry, Bachelor of Music, Music Education > | Dominic Dagostino, Certificate in Performance, Music Performance | Emily DePalma, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Alejandro Dergal, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Connor Druhan, Bachelor of Music, Jazz Studies and English^ # | Christie Duffer, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Anna Duran Cid del Prado, Master of Music, Music Education* | Andrew Egizio, Bachelor of Music, Jazz Studies^ | Devin Fanslow, Master of Music, Jazz Studies | Celina Farmer, Master of Music, Music Performance | Eliza Fisher, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance | Lauren Florek, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance + | Michael Fuentes, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance | Mark Hale, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance and Performing Arts Management> | Taylor Hampton, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Shelagh Haney, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Patrick Hartson, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Neil Hemphill, Master of Music, Jazz Studies* | Alison Hibschle, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Rebecca Hiigel, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance and Music Education> | Jordan Hiley, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance | Eric Huels, Bachelor of Music, Composition > | Daniel Irani, Bachelor of Science, Sound Recording Technology | Liam Jackson, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Radka Kasparcova, Bachelor of Music, Jazz Studies> | Charles Kay, Master of Music, Jazz Studies* | Andrea Kennard, Certificate in Performance, Music Performance | William Kidera, Master of Music, Jazz Studies* | Diana Kim, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance> | Jungmin Kim, Master of Music, Music Performance | Sandy Kinsley, Master of Music, Music Education* | Harrison Klein, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Jennifer Klimek, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance and Psychology+ | Valerie Kolb, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance and Computer Game Development^ | Isabella Kruger-Seiler, Bachelor of Music, Performing Arts Management> | Alexander Kruzel, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Jong Lee, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance | Fang-Yu Lin, Certificate in Performance, Music Performance | Yuan Ju Liu, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Matthew Loeb, Master of Music, Music Education* | Francisco Edmundo Lopez Malespin, Jr., Certificate in Performance, Music Performance | Yuxin Lu, Master of Music, Music Performance | Katelyn Mason, Bachelor of Music, Music Education | Hailey Menkhus, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance and Mathematical Sciences > # | Julian Merluzzi, Bachelor of Music, Jazz Studies | Julia Miller, Bachelor of Music, Performing Arts Management> | Morgan Mitchell, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Alexander Murphy, Bachelor of Music, Jazz Studies | Alessandra Odazaki Aly Rodriguez, Certificate in Performance, Music Performance | Daniel O’Hearn, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Georgia Pappas, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance | Stephanie Popik, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Kathryn Raney, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Trent Ransom, Master of Music, Music Performance* | John Rogler, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Amon Sahelijo, Bachelor of Music, Performing Arts Management and Music Performance | Erika Sassmann, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Spencer Schillerstrom, Master of Music, Jazz Studies* | Michael Schober, Bachelor of Music, Jazz Studies> | Aditya Sharma, Master of Music, Composition* | Rachel Singh, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance^ | Isabella Stollenmaier, Master of Music, Music Performance | Mia Tamburrino, Master of Music, Music Performance | George Tantchev, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance > | Michael Velasquez, Master of Music, Music Education* | Serena Voltz, Master of Music, Music Performance* | David Wagner, Bachelor of Music, Music Education+ | Grace Walker, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Martin Wells, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Margaret Wenzel, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance and Public Relations and Advertising^ | Brendan Whalen, Bachelor of Music, Jazz Studies> | Kevin Wheatle, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Lindsay Wiley, Certificate in Performance, Music Performance | Molly Wilson, Master of Music, Music Performance* | Kalila Zackrison, Bachelor of Music, Music Performance + * With Distinction |
#
Honors Program | + Cum Laude |
>
Magna Cum Laude | ^ Summa Cum Laude
music.depaul.edu
Class of 2020. The DePaulia. June 2020. | 21
22 | Class of 2020. The DePaulia. June 2020.
THE FACULTY AND STAFF OF THE SCHOOL OF CONTINUING AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIES CONGRATULATE THEIR 2020 GRADUATES!
WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU
C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S!
Class of 2020. The DePaulia. June 2020. | 23
INFOGRAPHIC BY HANNAH MITCHELL | THE DEPAULIA
Thro u g p o we h yo u r t im While the future may look bleak at times, believe that unde r to be c om e at DePau rs l, e when one door closes, you will find a window of oppor- i n t h t and t h e pe r pe t ua yo u h ave ll w ac e tunity elsewhere. Keep your mind open to new expe- c o n v t ask o f d or ld, b u t a e ar ne rs w qui re d t h e oi h in re riences. Start saving in your 401k/403b immediately us to ce d t h at w ng go o d – a ls o ac t i o no t o n l y ve l y e and d a be t or k i n o t (even $10 a paycheck). And wear sunscreen. e i g n r g i t w n g ag e t o ge t t omo m ay t he r y e ll. I a r ro w. he Lib o m P u - Erin Archer, Treasurer le a s e e ra l A will d s e rts b e t ay i n l i ve r o rt a n t p a t m i o l w n u ch a n ays w i t. - G uil d of a u f o o r d t i p r t e a h b l p e n y a r a r o m c o u o Vas . De an t io n, cial d . Yo u a o n s c e u q e d n g u o e u a e l f h z de V LAS ome t o d yo u r f or m a t ime s w i t h s. c e i e l as c s t i a n h u y t g e e r n h o i n o, s g p r i p u n n o e fi l l f u s a o i A jo o h h n y c t , o me n t i ve i n make r ibu t i l e t o e v s t i e i w d n h t r o c i i a a duc at t ay s afe ! i nd t h ce s and unf a e m r u n i o y p From one DePaul graduate to another, Ke e e ll, s jus t i le n ts, n w i a , t e s , B s e ! i l l s S t i i i n, SCP congratulations and best wishes! i ne q u a l k n o w le dg e , s k o n g rat u l at i o n e t S g i w C t r ! r u e o a n -H Use y t te r o e b a d l - Eugene Sampson, LAS Professor wor
Best Wishes to the Class of 2020...
24 | Class of 2020. The DePaulia. June 2020.
Class of 2020. The DePaulia. June 2020. | 25
Senior spotlight
Chante Stonewall and Kelly Campbell finish four years of defining excellence By Nate Burleyson Asst. Sports Editor
In college athletics, one of the biggest challenges is having some of the most important players on the team depart after the end of the season. Seniors are often expected to carry the load on the court and off the court as the most experienced members of the team. Both Kelly Campbell and Chante Stonewall of the women’s basketball team exemplified this in their four years at DePaul. Prior to the abrupt end of the season due to COVID-19, Stonewall and Campbell had helped the Blue Demons clinch their third Big East Tournament title in four years, and were poised to make their fourth straight trip to the NCAA tournament. Winning is just one way that the seniors affected the program; they made an impact in the record books and through leadership. “It’s just two seniors that have done so much and they’ve done it the right way,” head coach Doug Bruno told the DePaulia in February. “They’re both excellent students, they both are service leaders, so it’s just a joy to watch good people have and create good results.” Kelly Campbell was a two-time finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award, given to the nation’s best point guard. She finished seventh all time in rebounds at DePaul and fourth in assists, and this past season she led the NCAA in assist to turnover ratio. Campbell and Stonewall were the only two seniors on the team this past season, where the Blue Demons finished 28-5 and 15th ranked in the country by the AP. Overall, the two were 108-29 with their DePaul teams in four years, continuing the success of the program. Stonewall brought a level of
JONATHAN AGUILAR | THE DEPAULIA
Kelly Campbell (20) passes the ball down court to fellow senior Chante Stonewall (22) during a conference game at Wintrust Arena. They both plan on playing professionally overseas.
scoring consistency that helped DePaul’s offense reach second best in the country. She scored in double figures in 32 of 33 games this season, averaging 17.4 points per game. Off the court, both players honored DePaul’s commitment to community service. They participated in team sponsored events and other outside of basketball service opportunities. “These are two people that are very driven human beings,” Bruno said. After DePaul, both Campbell and Stone-
wall have more basketball dreams to pursue before more school. “I want to play professionally, at whatever level God leads me to,” Stonewall told the DePaulia in February. “When that settles down, I’ll eventually go back to school, get my masters in sports management, maybe coach somewhere, maybe [DePaul].” The path is similar for Campbell. “I want to play basketball overseas so I can travel, and then eventually come back and go to grad school. I’d like to be a sports nutritionist at the
college or professional level,” she said. It is only fitting that the two players received the Most Valuable Player award at the team’s annual awards banquet, which had to be held over Zoom this year. Outside of team awards, Stonewall was an honorable mention on the AP, U.S. Basketball Writers Association and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-American teams. She also was first team All-Big East and the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. Campbell tied the program record for triple-doubles with two this season, and had two other games where she was one point or assist shy. Regardless, games were never about stats for the senior duo, who put their mark on one of the most successful programs in Division I women’s basketball. Sadly, their senior season ended with unfinished business for the pair. “I was very upset that we were not able to play in the NCAA tournament this season,” Campbell told the DePaulia in April. “Obviously in the big picture, I see why it had to be cancelled, but that does not make it any easier on us. As a team, we had very high aspirations this year and due to the cancellation were not able to finish out a handful of them. It was a tough and abrupt ending, but I am glad we got to end on a win with the Big East Tournament championship.” It’s not very often that a pair of players grow from their first year to their final year in such a grand way, and their work at DePaul on and off the court will forever be imprinted in their legacy. “To be able to stay driven and still smell the flowers along the way, it’s kind of a joy to watch that aspect of their lives,” Bruno said.
Like it or not, DePaul lives and dies by men’s basketball By Shane René Editor-in-Chief
Column: DePaul University is both a large school and a weird one. It’s distinctly urban, with two campuses tucked into neighborhoods most college students can’t afford. In fact, many of its 23,000 students don’t live nearby, commuting in from the suburbs or neighborhoods on the North, West and South sides of Chicago. The “community” is fractured in that way. DePaul also hangs onto an identity as a Catholic school. More precisely, DePaul is Vincentian — not Jesuit like many Catholic colleges. If you spent more than a year taking classes at DePaul, the words “mission-guided” and “Vincentian” probably trigger a gag reflex. But the one thing that defines DePaul University above all else is the Blue Demons’ men’s basketball team. Hot take? Let me explain. If you meet a college basketball fan and you are, for whatever reason, curious to know how old they are, ask them about DePaul basketball. If they are familiar with the program — its former fame; its fall from relevance — they are probably over the age of 40. If you’re much younger than that, and weren’t on campus in 2003 when a youthful (ish) Dave Leitao took the Blue Demons on a brief trip to the NCAA tournament, the idea that DePaul has a reputation as a basketball school might be lost on you. It’s lost on most of the DePaul community today. Even if you aren’t a sports fan, the older you are, the more likely you are to know what DePaul is and where it is. This, still, is a
ALEXA SANDLER | THE DEPAULIA
Dave Leitao exits the court at Wintrust Arena after another conference loss.
function of the rise and fall of men’s basketball at DePaul. Back in the day, every DePaul game was broadcast live on WGN in Chicago and the surrounding area. This was also the pre-Jordan era — the Bulls weren’t worth watching; if Chicago was hungry for basketball, DePaul was the main draw. These were the days of Ray Meyer, still one of the most visible names on campus (the Ray Meyer Fitness Center is the most prominent reminder of his legacy). During his tenure between 1942 and 1984, DePaul University bloomed into a national brand. In his first season, Meyer took DePaul to the Final Four in the program’s first ever NCAA Tournament appearance. The following 40 years saw 20 trips to a postseason tournament and 12 trips to the NCAA Tournament, where they advanced past the second round eight times (including a second visit to the Final Four in 1979). In the decade following his exit, Meyer’s son, Joey, kept his father’s legacy alive, marching the Blue Demons back to the Sweet Sixteen twice in his first five seasons — all of which ended in the Big Dance. Joey Meyer left the program in 1997 after a five-year NCAA Tournament drought, winning just three regular season games during
his final season. The following five years under Pat Kennedy saw spurts of life with an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2000, but it wasn’t enough to appease a fan base spoiled by two decades of consistent relevance in the most elite circles of college basketball. Athletics Director Jean Lenti Ponsetto assumed her role in July 2002, just as Kennedy was walking out the door. In his place, then-exiting Athletics Director Bill Bradshaw plucked a budding young head coach off the bench at the University of Connecticut — Dave Leitao. That experiment saw some success — two trips to the NIT, a regular season title, and a ticket to the Big Dance in 2004 — but was short lived. Leitao left for greener pastures in the ACC with the University of Virginia, and the onus to move the program forward fell, for the first time, on the shoulders of Lenti Ponestto. Lenti Ponsetto was, and still is, the golden child of all things DePaul Athletics. A two sport athlete (basketball and softball) while a student at DePaul, Lenti Ponsetto made her entire career in Lincoln Park. From student-athlete (a phrase she loves to use) to a top administrator making just shy of $500,000 each year. The story of men’s basketball at DePaul between 2004 and now was crafted by Lenti Ponsetto. Her first move was a good one: Bring the Blue Demons to the Big East. If you want to be a basketball school, there is no better place to be than the Big East. Her second move, hiring Jerry Wainwright as head coach, was a spectacular swing-and-miss. As was the second hire, alleged re-building guru Oliver Purnell. Fast forward to the end of the 2014-15 season and the DePaul Blue Demons have
earned a total of just one winning season, and just one postseason appearance in the NIT (second round exit). At an 0-2 count, inching further and further away from the glory days of men’s basketball in Lincoln Park, Lenti Ponsetto brought a familiar face back to the struggling program. After spinning out of the ACC, and finding his way to the bench at Tulsa as an assistant coach, Dave Leitao took a seven-figure raise and the head coaching job at DePaul for the second time. His task, according to Lenti Ponsetto, was to “win and win now.” He didn’t. And here we are, generations removed from DePaul’s former glory, and it’s pretty clear why. Forty years of reliance on one coach, and then his son, left the program atrophied — unable to fight for itself. Today we put family above product, in a way that hurts the family at large: the greater DePaul community. Because like it or not, college sports are a billboard for universities. It’s among the most effective ways to reach across the country to find new students and generate more interest. Interest turns into application, applications turn into higher-quality students and tuition dollars. Higher quality students and a bigger brand means more alumni engagement and donations. Alumni engagement and donations mean a more resource rich education for all students — not just athletes. The story of DePaul is tied to the success and efforts of the men’s basketball program. It’s our flagship program, the banner we wave in the air. For a campus community that is so fractured by geography, it’s the one thing we can all rally around together.
26 | Class of 2020. The DePaulia. June 2020.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2020. IN THE COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES (LAS), we are here for you with meaningful and exciting graduate programs in a wide range of fields: COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES Arabic Chinese Critical Ethnic Studies English Literature and Publishing French German History Interdisciplinary Self-Designed Program International Studies Italian Japanese Public Health Social Work
Sociology Spanish Sustainable Urban Development Women’s and Gender Studies Writing and Publishing Writing, Rhetoric and Discourse Grace School of Applied Diplomacy Applied Diplomacy School of Public Service International Public Service Nonprofit Management Public Administration Public Policy Public Service Management
Applications are being accepted now for fall 2020. All LAS master’s degrees qualify for the Double Demon Scholarship! Visit go.depaul.edu/las for more information.
Class of 2020. The DePaulia. June 2020. | 27
n o m e D e u l B e Th
Z I U Q
How well do you know DePaul University ? By Emma Oxnevad
Opinions Editor and Social Media
So, you just graduated from college. I’m sure the first thing you want to do is take another test! While going to DePaul doesn’t make for the most traditional college experience, there are still enough “fun facts” you can whip out at social gatherings (people do that, right?). Put your degree—and your tuition dollars—to good use and see how well you know your university. 1.) Who of the following is NOT a DePaul alum? a) Charlotte Pence b) Gillian Anderson c) Jeff Tweedy d) Richard M. Daley
6.) True or false: Jason Hill left the university after making controversial remarks regarding Palestine in 2019. a) True b) False
2.) Who is the Schmitt Academic Center (SAC) named after? a) Dennis Schmitt, American explorer b) Arthur Schmitt, American engineer and philanthropist c) John Schmitt, American economist d) Walden Schmitt, American biologist 3.) Who of the following has NOT been protested by DePaul students? a) Charles Murray b) Milo Yiannopoulos c) Ward Churchill d) Kaitlin Bennett 4.) Which of the following were one of the changes made to on-campus dining options in 2018? a) Replacing “The Ranch” with “Cluck” b) Replacing all Pepsi products with Coca-Cola products c) Shortening dining hours d) Introducing an entirely gluten-free dining station 5.) What was the lineup for FEST 2017? a) 3OH!3 and Lil Yachty b) Jesse McCartney and Logic c) Twin Peaks and The Neighbourhood d) All of the campus acapella groups
7.) The McDonalds at the Fullerton/Lincoln/Halsted intersection was a landmark of the Lincoln Park campus. After it closed in 2019, which chain took its place? a) Five Guys b) Papa John’s c) Chipotle d) Panda Express 8.) When was the last time DePaul Men’s Basketball appeared in the NCAA Tournament? a) 2004 b) 1978 c) 1999 d) 2017 9.) Which campus bar permanently closed in 2019? a) Kelly’s Pub b) State c) McGee’s d) The Red Lion 10.) True or false: St. Vincent de Paul was kidnapped and enslaved for two years. a) True b) False
Score 0-3: Are you sure you didn’t graduate from Loyola?
Score 4-7: You’re probably a normal student!
Score 8-10: We found our school spirit!
You struck out, big time (that’s a sports reference, I’m aware that it may go over the head of the more artistically inclined students). You seem to know very little about DePaul, which is a bit of a bummer considering that you just got a degree from there! I can’t say I blame you though; when the city is your campus, it’s hard to keep track of so much trivia.
Congratulations, you landed somewhere in the middle! You likely keep up with campus affairs but aren’t clued into some of the more bizarre facts about the university. I’m going to guess that you are a typical DePaul student, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that!
Congratulations! You know DePaul really well, which honestly is not an easy feat. There have been complaints over the years about a lack of school spirit, but you just may be the key to improving the morale on-campus! It’s too bad you’re graduating...
ANSWER KEY: 1.) c - Jeff Tweedy; 2.) b - Arthur Schmitt; 3.) d - Kaitlin Bennett; 4.) a - “The Ranch” became “Cluck” ; 5.) b - Jesse McCartney & Logic; 6.) b - False (still currently suing the university); 7.) c - Chipotle; 8.) a - 2004; 9.) b- State; 10.) a - True (he chillin’ now tho)
COVER ART BY ALICIA GOLUSZKA | THE DEPAULIA