DePaulia
The
Volume #108 | Issue #8 | Nov. 6, 2023 | depauliaonline.com
‘I don’t feel like I’m alone anymore:’
Día de Muertos celebration for Black community brings healing CARY ROBBINS | LA DEPAULIA
Photos of loved ones who passed stand at the back of Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation’s “Front Porch” community center in Chicago on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. The photos will remain for the next two weeks. On Nov. 1, Chicago Survivors and Precious Blood Ministry held a Dìa de Muertos event to honor those who have lost loved ones.
By Cary Robbins La DePaulia News Editor
Sitting by an altar, Latrice Butler picked up the picture of her mother with a smile on her face to show how beautiful Eva Butler, her mother, is. She teared up as she recounted how she felt seeing her mother after serving 30 years in jail. Butler embraced her, finally being able to hold her after not having seen her in seven years because her mother could not visit her in jail. “It meant everything to me, and I do mean everything … that I was able to come home and see her laugh and her waiting for me,” Butler said. “The way she looked at me and held me, the way I held her. The way we told each other we love and miss each other, and I told her I’m never going back to jail. She said, ‘I know.’” Butler lost her mother on June 7, but on Nov. 1, she was able to celebrate the life of her mother and many other loved ones with the community through the Día de Muertos event in the Back of the Yards neighborhood at Front Porch, a community center in the neighborhood. The event was organized by Chicago Survivors and Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation. While Butler had never celebrated Día de Muertos before, this space, Butler said, is healing for the community. “Some things are hard for people to talk about or deal with,” Butler said. The space was surrounded by ofrendas, colorful and vivid altars created to honor a loved one that has passed. They had pictures of those who they loved the most; there were sons, daughters, mothers, fathers and so many others surrounded by marigold flowers, salt to purify the souls and papel de picado. About 20 families participated in the
event and a majority of those on the altar had died from gun violence across the city. Alberto Alaniz started to spread the word about the event through the art classes he teaches at Precious Blood Ministry and Reconciliation, a non-for-profit organization that serves young people and families most impacted by violence, incarceration and structural inequity in Chicago’s Back of the Yards and Englewood neighborhoods. While at first people were hesitant about the event because he said “they weren’t really exposed to the tradition,” he began to talk with his students, and many wanted to participate. “We’re celebrating the life of this loved one that was with us. Tragically, we lost them in different ways, but we remember them,” Alaniz said. “And we live with their memory, their love, and we remember their smiles. We try not to focus on the sadness of it. We try to focus on the joy that they brought to our lives.” Alaniz wanted to show youth that when they pass, they leave behind great pain for everyone who loves them. Many of the youth he works with struggle with poverty and systemic issues, but Alaniz said his mission is to show the youth how worthy they are. “I ask them all the time, just make the right choice because we need you here,” Alaniz said. “Even though we’re struggling, we need you out here.” Ever since losing her fiancé, Jonathan Price, in July of 2021, Anderson has found it hard to go outside and live life, she said. “When people lose certain loved ones or certain family members, they go to a dark place,” Anderson said. “They want to be alone. We don’t want to be bothered. We don’t wanna be around nobody.” This year, she finally started to go out, and the space helped her to feel a sense of healing. She said that the event is a “big huge
step” for the community to redefine death. Anderson brought in a picture of Price when he first started working a security job at Sephora. She laughed as she remembered how Price always had two jobs, and she “had to pay him to sit down.” “I still can hear it now, his laugh, that little funny laugh. I hear it. I see it,” Anderson said. “When I walked up in the room today and I saw his picture, I just immediately started talking about his laugh because he was smiling in the picture.” While she said this event does not take the pain away, she felt surrounded by love. “The past two years he’s been gone, I feel like I was alone, but not today,” Anderson said. “I don’t feel like I’m alone anymore.” Abby Ortiz is the community of survivors manager for Chicago Survivors, who provide services to family members of Chicago homicide victims. She is Mexican American and said that she wanted to bring her tradition of celebrating Día de Muertos to the neighborhood as a way for people to come together and heal. “Even though a lot of the families that we serve are predominantly African American, it was something that I wanted to share with them because it comes from my culture, and it stems from my traditions,” Ortiz said. “I just felt that it was kind of a beautiful way to celebrate the life of their loved ones.” Beyond sharing this tradition with people who do not usually celebrate the holiday, Ortiz also wanted to bring together the Latine and Black community in the healing space. “Latinx members also lose people, but again, with cultural differences, sometimes they’re not as engaged in the services, or they don’t always show up to events,” Ortiz said. “I was trying to reel that interest in for our community.” Ortiz said that she felt “community” that
night, when people talked and shared stories with one another. Next year, she wants to better explain the history of Día de Muertos during the event. She only had less than one month to get everything together this year, but she thinks it could be much more impactful in following years when she is able to explain the history and meaning of the items on the altar. Sister Donna Liette, who is the director of Precious Blood’s Family Forward program, works with about 65 mothers who have lost their children due to gun violence. She said that tonight was a way to grieve and heal but also to come together as a whole community and support one another. “So many of these people never knew each other before tonight,” she said. People sat together to eat, laugh, draw, cry and pray. It may have been the first time people celebrated Día de Muertos, but so many felt supported by the community. “It feels like I got people, like I got family…” Anderson said. “This experience, it feels like love.” The altar will be up for about two weeks at the Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation’s Front Porch, 1130 W. 51st St. Read La DePaulia’s Dia de los Muertos special issue in Spanish on page 14-15
Lea el Día de los Muertos de La DePaulia número especial en español en la página 14-15
INSIDE: BASKETBALL SEASON PREVIEW
2 | News. The DePaulia. Nov. 6, 2023
News The DePaulia is the official student-run newspaper of DePaul University and may not necessarily reflect the views of college administrators, faculty or staff.
CAMPUS CRIME REPORT
Oct. 25 to Oct. 31, 2023 LOOP CAMPUS
LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | Nadia Carolina Hernandez eic@depauliaonline.com ONLINE MANAGING | Samantha Moilanen online@depauliaonline.com PRINT MANAGING | Lilly Keller managing@depauliaonline.com NEWS EDITOR | Lucia Preziosi news@depauliaonline.com
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OPINIONS EDITOR | Carly Witt opinion@depauliaonline.com FOCUS EDITOR | Una Cleary focus@depauliaonline.com ARTS & LIFE EDITOR | Claire Tweedie artslife@depauliaonline.com ASST. ARTS & LIFE EDITOR | Sam Mroz artslife@depauliaonline.com SPORTS EDITOR | Ryan Hinske sports@depauliaonline.com ART EDITOR | Maya Oclassen art@depauliaonline.com DESIGN EDITOR | Jake Cox design@depauliaonline.com MULTIMEDIA EDITOR | Quentin Blais multimedia@depauliaonline.com ASST. MULTIMEDIA EDITOR | Jonah Weber multimedia@depauliaonline.com PHOTO EDITOR | Kit Wiberg photo@depauliaonline.com ASST. PHOTO EDITOR | Erin Henze photo@depauliaonline.com COPY EDITOR | Amber Corkey copydesk@depauliaonline.com SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR | Vanessa Lopez social@depauliaonline.com COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EDITOR | Ruchi Nawathe community@depauliaonline.com ADVISER | Martha Irvine mirvine5@depaul.edu
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LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS Assault & Theft
Drug & Alcohol
LOOP CAMPUS
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SOURCE | DEPAUL CRIME PREVENTION OFFICE
Lincoln Park Campus Crimes:
Oct. 25 1) Public Safety received information regarding a Robbery that occurred on October 10th near the intersection of Clifton & Fullerton. Due to the timing of the report, no safety alert was issued. Oct. 25 2) Simple Battery occurred at the entrance to the Sheffield Garage. An unknown offender damaged the parking gate, and struck the parking attendant. A Safety Alert was issued regarding the incident. Oct. 26 3) A Criminal Trespass Warning was issued to an individual at the 1150 W Fullerton building. The offender had been electronically harassing a student prior to being seen on campus.
Loop Campus Crimes:
Oct. 25 6) A Disorderly Conduct report was filed regarding an individual on the 11th floor of the DePaul Center. Oct. 28 4) A Disturbance was reported in the lobby of Corcoran Hall.
Oct. 28 7) Graffiti was discovered on the exterior of the Reskin Theatre.
Oct. 31 5) A Burglary report was filed regarding a purse stolen from an office in the Schmitt Academic Center.
Oct. 30 8) A Robbery was reported outside the CDM Building. Offenders Zelled themselves money from the victim’s phone before returning the phone. A Safety Alert was issued regarding the incident. Oct. 31 9) A Harassment report was filed regarding an incident that took place near the intersection of Wabash and Van Buren.
FOLLOW US: La DePaulia es el noticiero oficial estudiantil en español de la Universidad DePaul, enfocado en proveer una voz para la comunidad latinx. Nuestras opiniones no necesariamente reflejan las opiniones de la administración, facultad o personal de la universidad. JEFA DE REDACCIÓN | Jacqueline Cardenas eicladepaulia@depauliaonline.com GERENTE EDITORIAL | Rodolfo Zagal managingladepaulia@depauliaonline.com EDITORA DE NOTICIAS | Cary Robbins crobbi10@depaul.edu ASESORA | Laura Rodriguez Presa larodriguez@chicagotribune.com
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News. The DePaulia. Nov. 6, 2023 | 3
New health insurance plan focuses on affordability, access By Samantha Moilanen Online Managing Editor
For DePaul sophomore Victoria Gomez Meza, not having health insurance is a constant worry for herself and her family. “That was something that my parents were really stressed about. … I don’t have insurance, like what am I going to do?” said Gomez Meza, a first-generation college student from out of state. After learning that the university will offer students a health insurance plan for the next academic year Tuesday, Oct. 24, Gomez Meza said she was relieved. Kimberlie Goldsberry, associate vice president for Student Affairs, told The DePaulia the university chose a health insurance plan provided by UnitedHealthcare, part of UnitedHealth Group, a multinational health care and insurance company based in Minnesota. Gomez Meza, who also serves on the Student Government Association (SGA) as the senator for first-generation students, said she believes having a student health insurance plan will help increase retention and draw more international and first-generation students to DePaul. Unlike most four-year higher education institutions in the Chicago area, DePaul has not provided health insurance coverage to students since 2015. “I think it definitely … makes DePaul look better because they offer those things and show that they actually care for the student other than just their education,” Gomez Meza said. Until the 2014-15 school year, the university provided health coverage through Aetna Student Health, an administrator and insurance broker that provides health insurance programs for college and university students at affordable prices. The new plan costs $2,400 annually for three-quarters of coverage, or $800 per quarter, and will extend for all 12 months of the year, according to an update shared by the university Oct. 24. This amount is notably lower than what students paid for coverage through Aetna Student Health during the 2014-15 school year when the student-only rate was $2,981 annually.
Other city universities that receive coverage through UnitedHealthcare have significantly higher rates for premium plans, and prices vary for undergrad and graduate students. Loyola University Chicago’s plan has premium rates starting at $3,684 annually for student-only coverage for the 2023-24 school year. Similarly, the University of Chicago (UChicago) charges $4,917 annually for the student-only plan. Himali Bhandari is a graduate student and member of the Student Health Insurance Task Force formed in spring 2022 to research and provide recommendations to identify an insurance plan. Bhandari said the task force’s main goal was ensuring affordable coverage for all students. “Our whole point was, if students can’t afford it, then there’s no point,” Bhandari said. This fall, an advisory committee for the task force — created in response to repeated student requests for university-sponsored coverage — also helped identify a preferred provider. Goldsberry said when sending out the requests for proposals, the university looked at whether plans covered local hospitals and providers typically frequented by DePaul students. Starting next fall, all degree-seeking students will be automatically enrolled in the health insurance plan with the option to opt out if they have coverage through an individual or parent or guardian’s plan. The
DePaul President addresses budget, safety in town hall By Lucia Preziosi News Editor
President Robert Manuel spoke to DePaul faculty and students Oct. 26 to provide updates on DePaul’s financial situation, Designing DePaul and campus safety.
Budget After the reveal of the projected $56 million budget gap last spring, Manuel gave further updates on DePaul’s financial standing, explaining the next steps to bolster the university’s financial health. “We need money, and the execution of that is a priority,” Manuel said. Before the pandemic, Manuel said DePaul had $105 million cash on hand. But, that amount has now been reduced to $27 million for the fiscal year 2023. This money is used to cover debts, fund necessary renovations and provide $14 million a month in salaries and benefits for faculty. Manuel also pointed to the endowment, explaining the different areas of these funds and the sources from which
they can be drawn. Manuel explained that many believe the endowment can be used to resolve the university’s financial struggles, but he identified the difference between unrestricted and restricted funds from donors. The university’s endowment holds $71 million in permanently restricted funds, meaning the body of these funds cannot be used. However, there are portions of the endowment that are considered unrestricted, but still have provisions. One portion of these unrestricted funds counts for $420 million, which is considered board-designated. In this instance, donors decide where the university can spend the money. “In order to change that money to truly unrestricted, we would have to go to 875 donors and ask them to allow them to use it for a different purpose,” Manuel said. Manuel said the solution to DePaul’s financial problems does not rest in liquidating the endowment and using it for operating expenses.
MAYA OCLASSEN | THE DEPAULIA
$800 quarterly health insurance fee will be added to each student’s tuition bill. The fee will only be removed if alternative coverage documentation is approved. Goldsberry said this rate is fixed for the first 12 months, meaning it could change in subsequent years. While students are excited to have the option to receive university-sponsored coverage, Gomez Meza said she has had frequent discussions with students concerned about how the new plan will affect their tuition bill next year. “I think that makes them very concerned about being able to come back,” Gomez Meza said. She said she often helps students find scholarships to offset the cost of tuition. She believes there should be more university efforts to find financial aid opportunities, given the addition of insurance costs. “The school in general, has to work on advocating for more scholarships … so students can feel confident that they can keep going to school,” Gomez Meza said. Though price helped determine DePaul’s health insurance plan, the university has not disclosed what services will be provided under the new plan, beyond that UnitedHealthcare “will offer a comprehensive and competitive health insurance plan with physical and behavioral health coverage,” according to Goldsberry. Bhandari said, when looking at potential health insurance plans, mental health “What happens then is people start to question [the university’s financial] health,” he said, noting that this could also prevent donors from continuing to give to the university. Manuel emphasized the need to invest in innovation and development to move forward and to continue engagement.
Safety After three weekends of increased severity and dangerous crimes on campus, Manuel outlined many new safety initiatives. These initiatives include an increase in contract DePaul public safety officers, new and brighter lighting in the Sheffield parking garage and ID checkpoints at high visibility points on campus. DePaul is also working on creating a program with rideshare apps to offer a discount and act as an incentive for students to utilize resources like Uber. Manuel acknowledged student concerns surrounding the increased possibility of racial profiling that could arise from certain ID policies. “We saw immediately how they impact populations differently,” Manuel said. Because of this, the university decided to draw back on its ID checks at the John T. Richardson Library in Lincoln Park.
coverage was another of the task force’s top priorities. Anthony LoSasso, a DePaul professor and chair of the department of economics whose research involves health policy and insurance, said the insurance plan must cover essential health benefits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). “They might offer a narrow network, [meaning] you can only go to these providers, but they can’t offer a skinny benefit in the sense of like, ‘We’re not going to cover your mental health, but if you break your arm, you’re fine,’ LoSasso said. “I don’t think they can do that.” Some of the “essential benefits” listed under the ACA include doctors’ services, inpatient and outpatient hospital care, prescription drug coverage, pregnancy, childbirth and mental health services. Dental coverage is not required for adults under the ACA. LoSasso said insurance plans with lower premiums typically have higher deductibles. However, most plans have caps on the amount of out-of-pocket spending depending on the user’s income level. “They’re emphasizing affordability … to DePaul, but also the student and somehow not restricting access to care,” LoSasso said. “So I think they’re going to have to walk a tightrope there.” UChicago’s student health insurance plan with UnitedHealthcare has a $400 deductible for in-network care and an $800 deductible for out-of-network care, in addition to the premium fees. However, the annual maximum fee for in-network costs is $2,000 and $3,000 for out-of-network costs. According to DePaul’s student health insurance initiative timeline, more details about the healthcare plan and options will be released in March 2024. Despite the added cost, Gomez Meza said as a student currently living without health insurance, she is looking forward to the security that comes with having coverage next academic year. “[Now] there’s a plan of like, when an emergency happens, I’m going to be covered,” she said.
Manuel said the next steps include working together in a group with leaders and students to understand the impact of policies to “elevate the peace and comfort.”
Current Events Manuel closed out the town hall by addressing DePaul’s response to the continued war in the Middle East which has sparked discourse across campus. “Personally, I am heartbroken and devastated by the deaths, the killing, the loss of life that I see every night on the television,” Manuel said. Manuel said the next steps in ensuring that the DePaul community feels safe and supported is creating a university-wide task force, which will work collaboratively in creating engagements and programming that “helps us navigate these difficult times.” Manuel compared the proposition of this task force to the one that was created in response to Covid-19. Manuel called upon those who feel “qualified and hopeful” to participate in this process. “We want to make sure that every group here that is represented at this university has the feeling of safety, security and support,” Manuel said.
Opinions We often 4 | Opinions. The DePaulia. Nov. 6, 2023
make the wrong people famous By Nadine DeCero Contributing Writer
If you had the attention of everyone on this planet, what would you say? Maybe you’ve thought about it before as a hypothetical, but some people are lucky enough to have the eyes and ears of millions. But some never seem to be the role models we expect them to be, do they? One person who comes to mind is singer Doja Cat, who was under fire earlier this year for controversial tweets, which are now deleted. In one tweet, Doja wrote that two of her studio albums, “Planet Her” and “Hot Pink,” were “cash-grabs and y’all fell for it.” Another comment thread shows Doja calling one of her loyal fans the b-word and a “crazy person” for stating how they have been with Doja “through thick and thin.” I’ve never been a huge Doja Cat fan, but when I saw these tweets, I took it personally. Not only is Doja slamming her fans, but she is also taking a dig at music fans worldwide who support their favorite artists no matter what. Personally, I’m a Frank Ocean aficionado, and if he ever responded to one of my comments like this, I don’t think I would ever recover. Adam Levine also found himself in the social media crossfire over a year ago when he was accused of cheating on his wife of nine years.
LIZZIE MILLER | THE DEPAULIA
This is when I got the idea to write about how we, as a society, often choose the worst people to idolize. Of course, we don’t know how these formerly “everyday people” will behave once they’re out in the spotlight. I can imagine that it’s a lot of pressure to be seen by millions, and we all make mistakes sometimes. However, in the case of Doja and many others, being human is not an excuse to be a bad person and be ungrateful to the fans she owes her fame and fortune to. Sometimes, celebrities don’t turn out the way we expect. Sometimes, fans choose to idolize people who are awful humans anyway. “There are also those who collect Hitler memorabilia and John Wayne Gacy paintings,” said Rikki Lee Travolta, a publicist based in the Greater Chicago region who has worked with high profile celebrities. “When you think of it in that context, you realize that sadly there are people who admire people simply because they are in the headlines, and not because of their character.”
We’re prone to believe that just because someone is running the headlines or they won a few awards that they are praiseworthy. But many times, it’s a case of misplaced glory. I’ve never been a big follower of pop culture, but I’ve noticed that social media has made it much easier to become a star for no good reason. “So now anybody can become famous via the internet and social media. Yet these people aren’t vetted or deemed to be talented by professionals,” said DePaul professor Edward Barnes, who has experience working on sets for shows such as “Arrested Development” and “CSI: Miami.” While it may be fun to idolize a singer because you like their music or an actress because they star in one of your favorite movies, it can be a dangerous game for younger generations who look up to anyone they see online. Apps like TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat all require users to be 13 years or older, but that doesn’t prevent users from lying
about their age to use the app. According to a review done by The New York Times, “TikTok classified more than a third of its 49 million daily users in the United States as being 14 years old or younger.” Some TikTok stars with a majority of younger followers face major controversy, like 24-year-old Tony Lopez, who was accused in 2020 of sexual misconduct with a minor. It’d be impossible for me to talk about celebrities without talking about cancel culture. Cancel culture’s main purpose is to remove a celebrity’s platform and limit or completely abolish their chances of working in their respective industry again. More often than not, cancel culture proves to be ineffective. Take Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, for example, who joined the list of canceled celebrities last year due to multiple instances of hate speech. The numbers show that cancel culture did not prove to work on West, who still has over 57 million monthly listeners on Spotify. For some, it’s easy to separate the art from the artist. However, when we support a celebrity’s career, we’re supporting them financially and socially. In that case, it’s almost impossible to separate the art from the artist. Whether we realize it or not, the public makes these people famous. It’s whose music you stream, what shows you watch, whose merchandise you buy – so choose wisely. “The internet and social media have, in a way, democratized the content that most people in the world have access to, for better or worse, which has democratized the means to becoming famous,” Barnes said. I’m not saying we need to get rid of public figures altogether. As I write this story in my room with three Frank Ocean posters on my wall, I know how fun it can be to closely follow someone we look up to. But no matter how fun it is, we must hold celebrities accountable for the mistakes they make and be picky about whom we support.
Riding the emotional rollercoaster as a transfer student
ARIANA VARGAS | THE DEPAULIA
Ariana Vargas is riding the train from the southwest suburbs to DePaul on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023.
By Ariana Vargas Contributing Writer
Crying in the breakroom in front of my boss – I remember that day in 2022 so clearly. I received an acceptance email from DePaul while I was at the pharmacy where I work part-time as a technician. I thought the email was fake. It made me rethink everything in life. This acceptance from DePaul was so unreal, but in a good way. But there was a part of me where I was freaking out figuring out how I was going to get to school, how I was going to afford it, which major I was going to pursue. I had to do everything right.
I went to Moraine Valley Community College in the southwest suburbs after high school. It’s a small college many people in my town attend. It was so close by and affordable to get a college degree. I didn’t know what I was doing with myself there. I was working jobs that paid minimum wage and going to school as if I knew my plans for future life. Going from the suburbs to the city was such a significant change. I loved driving to my community college. Going on the train was as fun as driving, once I prepared myself for the walking that came after. But the weather in downtown Chicago is insane. I’ve lived in Illinois for my whole life. I’ve never felt so cold in my life until I
started my classes at DePaul in the winter quarter this year. However, the weather is the least of my concerns. Imposter syndrome, the weight of being a first-generation college student, criticism from family members, and fear of asking questions is the hardest part. For others like Mohammed Alkaabi, a sophomore international student, transferring has been difficult for other reasons. He went from going to Bowdoin, a private liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine, to DePaul in the fall quarter of 2023. Hetransferred because the Ministry of Education inUnited Arab Emirates aids students with education inside and outside of the country. He saw other students transfer to DePaul because they saw it as a higher education institution, so he started making his own plans to transfer. Earning his degree from DePaul, they told him, would allow him to go back home and work there. Transferring also allowed him to keep an external full-ride scholarship. “It’s just jarring coming from a place where I knew everyone to a completely new place,” Alkaabi said. “But life is full of changes and you gotta take it on the chin.” These changes bring new experiences. For Alkaabi, it was getting used to knowing no one. Transfer student Andrea Deleon agrees. She started at DePaul in winter 2022. Because she started her freshman year at University of Illinois Chicago, she missed DePaul’s orientation week and the Involvement Fairs. “It was kind of hard to figure out who to get in contact with to join a club,” she said.
For me, it was that imposter syndrome feeling. It’s the feeling even if you’ve had success and worked hard to get there, that you don’t deserve it. The little voice in my head kept on saying, “You’re from the suburbs. Why did you get chosen to study at DePaul?” I felt like I didn’t belong. But deep down, I know I deserve to be going to a great school to learn journalism. I know I’m supposed to be at this school for a reason. Being the first child in my family to get a college degree is probably the biggest weight I’ve had to carry. I see myself as the guinea pig in the family. I made mistakes and had very little or no help. I had to figure out FAFSA, what credits would transfer to DePaul and if I have enough credits each quarter to graduate. So it was just a lot of pressure. Asking questions in and after class has been the hardest part. Getting rid of my shyness to ask for help hasn’t been easy. But I’m doing it, and each day gets a little better. Branching from talking to students on the DeHub to those in my class. Finding organizations like TRIO, a student service program that helps under-represented people like myself, really helped me feel like I’m supported inside and outside of school. Even though there have been challenges, transferring from one college to another, it’s definitely an experience to remember. I’m grateful for the life lessons I’m learning along the way.
The opinions in this section do not nessecarily reflect those of The Depaulia Staff.
2023-24 BASKETBALL PREVIEW
LOOKING BACK ON 50 SEASONS OF WOMEN’S BASKETBALL See page 4
Welcome to the Hoops Issue
Wintrust Attendance
The State of the Program
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Page 8 SOFY MYERS | THE DEPAULIA
DePaul’s women’s basketball team huddles, Oct. 29, 2023, during an exhibition game against Lewis University, at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Ill.
2 | Basketball Preview. The DePaulia. Nov. 6, 2023
2023-24 BASKETBALL PREVIEW
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 | Nadia Carolina Hernandez eic@depauliaonline.com ONLINE MANAGING | Samantha Moilanen online@depauliaonline.com PRINT MANAGING | Lilly Keller managing@depauliaonline.com NEWS EDITOR | Lucia Preziosi news@depauliaonline.com ASST. NEWS EDITOR | Rose O’Keeffe news@depauliaonline.com OPINIONS EDITOR | Carly Witt opinion@depauliaonline.com FOCUS EDITOR | Una Cleary focus@depauliaonline.com ARTS & LIFE EDITOR | Claire Tweedie artslife@depauliaonline.com ASST. ARTS & LIFE EDITOR | Sam Mroz artslife@depauliaonline.com SPORTS EDITOR | Ryan Hinske sports@depauliaonline.com ART EDITOR | Maya Oclassen art@depauliaonline.com DESIGN EDITOR | Jake Cox design@depauliaonline.com MULTIMEDIA EDITOR | Quentin Blais multimedia@depauliaonline.com ASST. MULTIMEDIA EDITOR | Jonah Weber multimedia@depauliaonline.com PHOTO EDITOR | Kit Wiberg photo@depauliaonline.com ASST. PHOTO EDITOR | Erin Henze photo@depauliaonline.com COPY EDITOR | Amber Corkey copydesk@depauliaonline.com
Letter from the Editor:
DePaul basketball needs momentum By Ryan Hinske Sports Editor
ports bring people together. In 2016, I fell in love with sports when the 372,000-resident city of Cleveland filled with 1.3 million people to celebrate their Cleveland Cavaliers when they won the NBA championship. It was the first time since the 1960s that any of the city’s major teams won a championship and the impact on the city economically, socially and influentially was unmatched. Possibly more than anything, sports are about empowering communities. DePaul has struggled with building a culture of community around its athletics programs. The teams aren’t what they used to be and students don’t seem to care, unlike other schools in a Big East conference that lives and breathes basketball. Name, image and likeness (NIL) may be a new way to bridge the gap, as athletes are now able to market their brand to their fellow students and members of the community, but this has not been overtly successful across the Big East, as bigger
schools like Michigan and Purdue bring in more eyeballs and sponsorship revenue, which attract athletes. The selling point to potential Big East athletes is culture, and DePaul is behind. Director of Athletics and Vice President DeWayne Peevy expressed his views on improving the culture around athletics. He told me in September his main goal is getting high-level athletes to choose DePaul. Peevy’s strategies include connecting with alumni, especially in the Lincoln Park community, improving facilities and increasing attendance at Wintrust Arena. A common denominator for achieving these goals is public support, and Peevy continues to invest in this. He is trying to dispel misconceptions about the role of athletics in DePaul’s success, asserting that the $60 million athletics facility in the works is the investment needed to accelerate profits coming from the department. There is undoubtedly potential: A state-of-the-art basketball arena, DePaul’s historical success in basketball, the university’s number of students enrolled compared to
other Big East schools and Chicago’s reputation as a thriving sports community. In addition, DePaul’s student media provides space to celebrate the program’s wins and holds it to account when things don’t go as planned, as seen in The DePaulia’s basketball issues dating back to the 1970s. After Cleveland won their championship in 2016, all I asked for during the holidays was a new Cavaliers jersey or poster for my bedroom or a trip to the city itself. When you get your fans to support your sports program, good things will happen. The only thing worse than a losing culture is an indifferent one. The DePaulia’s Basketball Issue details new initiatives at Wintrust Arena aimed at attendance boosts, what happened in the offseason with both teams, features for several new players and a comprehensive history of the women’s basketball program as they enter their 50th season. It is up to these teams to prove to DePaul’s stakeholders that the Blue Demons are worth fighting for.
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR | Vanessa Lopez social@depauliaonline.com COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EDITOR | Ruchi Nawathe community@depauliaonline.com ADVISER | Martha Irvine mirvine5@depaul.edu
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DePaulia’s first basketball preview, 1975-76 season
DePaulia’s 1980-81 season basketball preview
DePaulia’s 1989-90 season basketball preview
DePaulia’s 2004-05 season basketball preview THE DEPAULIA | DEPAUL SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
MAYA OCLASSEN | THE DEPAULIA
Basketball Preview. The DePaulia. Nov. 6, 2023 | 3
Roster & 2022-23 season recap
WOMEN BLUE DEMONS
0
2
3
Katlyn Gilbert
Grace Carstensen
Charlece Ohiaeri Brynn Masikewich
12
13
20
22
23
Jade Edwards
Maeve McErlane
Shakara McCline
Anaya Peoples
Michelle Sidor
GR. | GUARD | 5-10
GR. | GUARD | 5-9
33
FR. | GUARD | 5-11
SO. | GUARD | 5-10
5
FR. | GUARD/ FWRD | 6-0
10
GR. | FWRD | 6-3
FR. | GUARD | 5-6
GR. | GUARD | 5-11
11
Haley Walker
R-FR. | GUARD | 5-8
Sumer Lee FR. | GUARD | 5-8
25
GR. | GUARD | 5-9
Kate Clarke
SO. | GUARD | 6-1
HEADSHOTS COURTESY OF DEPAUL ATHLETICS
Jorie Allen
LAST SEASON’S TEAM AVERAGES
GR. | FWRD | 6-1
LAST Conference SEASON’S RANKING (Overall) Overall win percent
18-2 (31-6)
0.838
17-3 (30-7)
0.811
15-5 (22-9)
0.71
13-7 (23-9)
0.719
13-7 (21-11)
0.656
10-10 (19-15) 0.559 8-12 (16-17)
0.485
6-14 (14-17)
0.452
6-14 (11-19)
0.367
4-16 (13-19)
0.406
0-20 (7-23)
0.233
Field Goal Percentage
Opp. Points Per Game
Points Per Game
41.8%
72.3
76.6
THIS SEASON’S SCHEDULE ALL TIMES IN CT DATE
TIME
LOCATION
OPPONENT
November 6, 2023 November 9, 2023 November 12, 2023 November 18, 2023 November 19, 2023 November 20, 2023 November 26, 2023 November 30, 2023 December 5, 2023 December 8, 2023 December 13, 2023 December 17, 2023 December 20, 2023 December 28, 2023 December 31, 2023 January 3, 2024 January 6, 2024 January 13, 2024 January 16, 2024 January 20, 2024 January 25, 2024 January 28, 2024 January 31, 2024 February 4, 2024 February 7, 2024 February 10, 2024 February 13, 2024 February 17, 2024 February 25, 2024
7 p.m. 7 p.m. 3 p.m. 6:30 p.m. TBA TBA 2 p.m. 6 p.m. 11 a.m. 6 p.m. 7 p.m. 2 p.m. 11 a.m. 6 p.m. 4 p.m. 10 a.m. 3 p.m. 8 p.m. 7 p.m. 1 p.m. 7 p.m. 1 p.m. 6 p.m. 1 p.m. 7 p.m. 3 p.m. 7 p.m. 12 p.m. 5 p.m.
Wintrust Wintrust Louisville, Ky. Paradise Island, Bahamas Paradise Island, Bahamas Paradise Island, Bahamas Wintrust Wintrust Wintrust Coral Gables, Fla. Wintrust Wintrust Cincinnati, Ohio Wintrust Wintrust Providence, R.I. Wintrust Milwaukee, Wis. Wintrust Storrs, Conn. Wintrust Wintrust Indianapolis, Ind. Washington, D.C. Wintrust Omaha, Neb. Wintrust South Orange, N.J. Wintrust
Western Michigan Stonehill No. 17 Louisville South Dakota TBA TBA Loyola Chicago Michigan State Green Bay Miami Northwestern Alabama State Xavier Alcorn State Georgetown Providence Creighton Marquette Xavier Connecticut St. John’s Villanova Butler Georgetown Providence Creighton Marquette Seton Hall Connecticut
February 28, 2024 March 3, 2024
7 p.m. 4 p.m.
Wintrust Villanova, Pa.
Butler Villanova
Doug Bruno has coached the women’s Bball team since 1976.
4 | Basketball Preview. The DePaulia. Nov. 6, 2023
More than a team, a tradition 50 seasons in the making
years coaching DePaul women’s basketball before leaving in 1978 to coach the Chicago Hustle, a team in the short-lived Women’s Professional Basketball League (WBL). He then took up the role of associate men’s head coach at Loyola University. During that time, the DePaul women’s basketball team was coached by John Lawler, then Ron Feiereisel and Jim Izard. Bruno returned to coach the women’s
There was no resistance. There was a natural wanting to create opportunities for women.” Doug Bruno DePaul women’s basketball huddles during an exhibition game against Lewis on Oct. 29, 2023, at Wintrust Arena.
WILL ROBSON | THE DEPAULIA
By Elizabeth Gregerson Contributing Writer The headline printed on the very bottom of the Jan. 29, 1925, DePaulia front page reads, “Girls Practice Basketball.” The story is rather short for a newspaper, but it’s there:
It might be hard to imagine a world where the novelty of women playing basketball was groundbreaking enough to make the front page of a newspaper. Printed in ink THE DEPAULIA | DEPAUL UNIVERSITY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS and memorialized in the DePaul Jean Lenti-Ponsetto shoots in a game against Lake Forest in March 1977. Library’s online newspaper data- Lenti-Ponsetto played for DePaul in its early years and served as atheltic base, the story is an anchor for the director for the Blue Demons for 18 years, before retiring in 2020. tradition of women’s basketball at not accept female students when athletic teams under the WAA for DePaul, celebrating its 50th official the “Co-Ed Five” formed at De- no extra pay when the passing of season this year. Paul in 1926. Any college women’s Title IX occurred in 1972. The 1926 DePaulian Yearbook athletic team had to operate as a Title IX is the federal law that shows women in the fourth-floor club, with members paying dues prohibits sex-based Liberal Arts Building meetings and sharing uniforms. Women’s discrimination in took it upon themselves to form basketball at DePaul continued to educational programs their own basketball team. function as a club for nearly an- or activities at insti“Perhaps it was a desire for the other 50 years. tutions that receive gayly-checkered uniforms of the The Women’s Athletic Asso- federal funding. The ‘Blue Demons’ that induced the cociation (WAA) facilitated the early passing of Title IX eds of DePaul to form a basketball years of women’s athletic clubs at meant that federally team,” the yearbook reads. “But, DePaul. An article in the Oct. 11, funded universities judging from the surprisingly good 1974, sports section of The De- and institutions had record they managed to make in Paulia said the WAA “operated on to offer comparable the short time in which they funclimited funds which included dues athletic opportunities tioned as a team, we might say that from members, proceeds from for women as they did nothing less than a genuine love bake sales and other such sources.” for men. for athletics and the ability to play Physical education professors DePaul started implementthe game were behind their deciMillie Shemluck and Jean Nord- ing Title IX policies in 1974 and sion to unite into a ‘Co-Ed Five.’” berg were coaching the women’s women’s athletics officially began Most Catholic universities did operating under DePaul’s athletic DePaulia clippings courtesy of the DePaul Special Collections and Archives.
department. Women’s basketball coach Doug Bruno was there when it happened. Much like DePaul’s early acceptance of female students, he said the transition was met with great support from university administration and staff. “Tina Brown. Dr. Patricia Ewers. Gene Sullivan. The Vincentian Fathers. These people were real in their fight for women to have opportunities here at DePaul. There was no resistance. There was a natural wanting to create opportunities for women,” Bruno said, a DePaul University alum who played under the respected and revered men’s basketball coach Ray Meyer from 1969 to 1973. With Title IX, DePaul started providing athletic scholarships to women for the first time. Bruno, a scholarship recipient himself, knew how impactful the financial assistance would be. When he became head coach of the women’s basketball team in 1976 after Debbie Miller, he immediately handed the scholarships to women already on the team. He said he still remembers them by name. “Some of our first scholarship athletes were Jean
Lenti Ponsetto, Patty Hie, Karen Loiacono, Diane Brynairski, Sue Buhmann, Debbie Brinkman, Carolyn Connors,” Bruno said. Bruno had two successful
DePaul women’s head coach
team at his alma mater in 1988. “My obvious goal is success on the floor and off the floor for the ladies in the program,” Bruno told The DePaulia in the fall of 1988. “But coupled with that success is showing the Chicago sports fans that we are worth watching and putting people in Alumni Hall.” It is safe to say that Bruno achieved his goal. The DePaul women’s basketball program has continued to grow and succeed under Bruno’s guidance, winning multiple conference championships and reaching the NCAA Sweet 16 four times. Candis Blankson played for the DePaul women’s basketball team from 1997 to 2001. Blankson now serves as the director of player relations and is an assistant coach for the team. She looks back on her time as a student-athlete fondly. “With my group of recruits, Coach Bruno was just trying to have good character kids that cared about academics,” Blankson said. “We didn’t have as much success as we have been having traditionally, but it was a fun time. I felt good about being the start and the foundation of something great.” Last year, the women’s basketball team struggled to hold on to all its players, with six players transferring from the program. Current players are keenly aware of the women’s basketball legacy at the university. DePaul guard Anaya Peoples and forward Jorie Allen spoke to reporter John Fanta at the BIG EAST basketball media day Oct. 24 at Madison Square Garden. Both student-athletes reflected on what it means to play in the 50th season of women’s basketball at DePaul. “I think about all the hard work the past generation of women put in for us to be able to play this game,” Peoples said.
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Basketball Preview. The DePaulia. Nov. 6, 2023 | 5
Wintrust woes: Athletics struggles to fill stands By Rose O’Keeffe Asst. News Editor
THE DEPAULIA | DEPAUL SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
Bruno (right) poses with Ray Meyer and Pat Kennedy (left) at the opening of the Ray Meyer eation Center on Lincoln Park Campus, in September 1999. er teammate echoed similar ments. t means a lot to us to uphold adition of excellence at De– to be a part of that history make a little bit of our own e,” Allen said. ePaul women’s basketball did history Oct. 15 in an exhibiame against the University of The game had 55,646 people endance and broke the allattendance record for a womasketball game. While prospective students nitially consider DePaul beof the women’s basketball s history, Blankson said reare drawn to the tight-knit onment DePaul provides. t really is a family atmoe. We support each other,” son said. She mentions the uragement of Athletic Direc-
THE DEPAULIA | DEPAUL SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
Candis Blankson, now director of player relations for the women’s basketball team, shoots at her last game as a Blue Demon in March 2001, at the DePaul athletic complex.
of DePaul, becoming great service ter pausing and apologizing for leaders after they leave here. It’s a getting emotional. His memory living memory, an ongoing living encapsulates how far women’s memory.” basketball has come at DePaul. The tradition Bruno speaks of “The looks on our kids’ facis built from the perseverance of es,” Bruno said. “The first group DePaul students from the past. that went to an NCAA tournaAlmost 100 years after Mary, ment. They were just watching eWayne Peevy as one force Marge, Ruth and Helen met on the TV set and it came up that d that atmosphere in the aththe fourth floor of the Liberal Arts they had earned their way into rograms at DePaul. Building to practice basketball, the NCAA tournament the first evy has been on the job the DePaul women’s basketball time. That was a pretty cool ex2020, a relatively short time team will play their 50th official perience. A pretty cool moment ared to Bruno and Blankson, season in a state-of-the-art arena for sure.” former student-athletes who that can seat over 10,000 fans. dedicated decades of service Eventually, Bruno comes up Paul. with another favorite memory afuno attributes the dedicaof DePaul University “lifers” m to one thing – people. DePaul is a special place,” o said. “The beauty of DePaul the beginning, it’s always about the people.” or Bruno, the student-athhe coaches impact him the When asked to think of a famemory from his career, he ’t initially think of the past. My favorite memories are ing our student athletes ate, go on and make a life for THE DEPAULIA | DEPAUL SPECIAL COLLECTIONS elves after basketball,” Bruno Alumni Hall, now demolished, was the home to women’s basketCarrying on in the tradition ball from 1974 to 2000. The site now hosts the LPC student center.
Cheers echo off empty seats at Wintrust Arena as a cohort of student fans gather to watch DePaul basketball. Though DIBS and the dance team try to make their Blue Demon pride reach the nosebleeds, those seats are often empty. Far off, it seems, are the glory days of DePaul basketball when legendary men’s coach Ray Meyer was at the helm of a program that achieved 21 postseason appearances from 1942-1984. Back then, DePaul basketball played at Alumni Hall on the Lincoln Park campus before moving to Allstate Arena in Rosemont in 1980. DePaul basketball, including several strong women’s teams, played there until 2017 when Wintrust Arena in South Loop opened. Now, both of DePaul’s basketball teams play at Wintrust. KT Raimey, DePaul senior and men’s basketball guard said he enjoys playing at Wintrust, though he thinks more student attendance would enhance the overall atmosphere on game days. “We have to get more people to show up because when we have more people, the games get even more fun,” Raimey said. Attendance at DePaul men’s home games totaled 60,671 in the 2022-23 season. Though Wintrust can seat 10,000, men’s basketball attendance per game averaged 4,045 fans. Women’s games recorded 27,639 in Wintrust attendance for the season. DePaul Athletics planned new ways to draw more student attendance at Wintrust this season, according to Kassidy Brown, senior associate athletic director for marketing and communications. Brown said the marketing department is tapping into students’ affinity for giveaway items to draw a larger crowd at basketball games. “We’re leaning into the smaller quantity but higher-value giveaways,” Brown said. This will include Hawaiian shirts, bucket hats and a PlayStation 5 later in the season at a women’s game. DeWayne Peevy, vice president and director of athletics, is thinking bigger down the road. “I want to give away some big things like scholarships,” Peevy said. “I think there’s room to grow and that’s the fun part.” Oct. 26, DePaul Athletics unveiled a series of enhancements for the 2023-24 season that Brown said will help foster a more exciting overall game day experience. Fans can expect an expanded team merchandise shop, a mobile order option
for concessions, a 15% student discount on concessions and a dedicated DIBS meeting location, among other improvements. Though enticing giveaways and new concessions perks may attract more fans, getting to Wintrust Arena can be an obstacle for students. “A lot of our main sports are off campus, which makes it a lot harder to go and support the athletes,” said Hannah Smith, a DePaul sophomore and women’s tennis player. However, DePaul sponsors free shuttles from the Lincoln Park campus to Wintrust Arena and back for students on game days. “I’m a player and I didn’t even know about the shuttles,” Raimey said. To spread the word, Brown said the Athletics marketing team will place door hangers in each residence hall with information about the logistics of attending games. It will include a QR code that allows students to claim their free tickets and free spots on the shuttle bus. “We’re putting together a video to identify how to get your ticket, the bus location, the process of getting dropped off at Wintrust and the return back,” Brown said. Peevy said DePaul is hoping to partner with rideshare services to make Wintrust accessible for students who are not coming from Lincoln Park. Once students and other fans arrive at the arena, DePaul works with local Chicago authorities to ensure Wintrust and the surrounding area are safe, according to Courtney Day, DePaul Athletics representative. Security professionals monitor the arena and surrounding areas “around the clock,” Day said, in addition to metal detectors upon entry and a clear bag policy. With these new efforts as a starting point, Brown said there is great potential for increased Blue Demon attendance. “I think students care and want to be brought into the sports culture, but it might not be there quite yet,” she said. She also hopes those who already attend games and follow DePaul sports will recruit more to do the same. “It takes some influencers, it also takes some wins,” she said. DePaul’s men’s basketball had a 10-23 losing record last season, while women’s basketball was 16-17. Some studies show that successful teams draw greater attendance. Though it’s considered a rebuilding year for the women, Raimey, the DePaul men’s guard, has high hopes for his team. “We have a lot of depth and a lot of size,” he said. “We have a lot to show you guys this year.”
YÙ YÙ BLUE | THE DEPAULIA DePaul women’s bball team began 2 years after the passing of title IX
6 | Basketball Preview. The DePaulia. Nov. 6, 2023
DONALD CROCKER | THE DEPAULIA
Brynn Masikewich passes the ball to a fellow player at the DePaul-Iowa charity exhibition game on Oct. 15, 2023, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.
DONALD CROCKER | THE DEPAULIA
Sumer Lee guards Iowa's Caitlin Clark at the DePaul-Iowa charity exhibition game on Oct. 15, 2023, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.
Team Canada players bring international experience to DePaul
By Samantha Davis
Contributing Writer DePaul’s women’s basketball team has eight new faces this season, including Brynn Masikewich and Sumer Lee, who both have played internationally in their home country of Canada. The two newcomers have professionallevel experience and have traveled the world with the game, and they are still early into their careers. Originally from Alberta, Canada, Masikewich is a 6-foot-3 graduate forward who transferred to DePaul after four years at UCLA. Lee, 5-foot-8, is a freshman guard from Toronto, Canada.
Masikewich said head coach Doug Bruno was the main reason she chose DePaul. “I wanted to be coached by his smarts, his intelligence,” Masikewich said. “He’s a Hall of Fame coach. I want to expand my game as a basketball player, and I know he can help me get there.” Like Masikewich, Lee said the coaches, along with the team’s open and dynamic playing style, were instrumental in persuading her decision to join DePaul. “I would say what drew me to DePaul is the coaching staff, especially coach Bruno … and their playing style,” Lee said. “DePaul’s playing style is very positionless basketball, so I feel like you could just fit in anywhere. You just have to produce on the court.” Bruno is excited about what Masikewich and Lee can add to the team. “[Lee] was just very competitive … did a great job defensively, is a really special defensive player,” Bruno said about watching Lee play before recruiting her. “She was a glue player. Of all the great players on her team, she was a player coach never took off the floor.” Masikewich has been on Bruno’s radar for a while. “Brynn, we recruited her out of school a long time ago, and then she went to UCLA for four years,” Burno said. “We like Brynn’s size and potential … She can stretch the floor.
So that’s what attracted us to Brynn the first time, and now the second time.” Masikewich dealt with some injuries at UCLA, including an ACL tear. She played her senior season in 2022-23, where the Bruins made it to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament. Both Masikewich and Lee have goals to play in the WNBA or overseas. They are also the first DePaul women’s basketball players from Canada since Carla Stone, who played with the Blue Demons 1991-95 and now teaches in Skokie, Illinois. Masikewich played with Team Canada for three years, including the 2019 World Cup in Thailand, where she played all seven games in the tournament. They finished sixth overall. She was named the BioSteel All-Canadian MVP that year. Masikewich most recently played on Canada’s U23 Women’s National Team in July 2023 in the GLOBL JAM Gold Medal Game. Lee played on the U16 team, where they placed second overall at the 2021 Federation International Basketball Association (FIBA) Americas women’s championship in Guanajuato, Mexico. This tournament performance qualified them for the 2022 U17 FIBA World Cup in Debrecen, Hungary. They finished fourth overall. Lee also made the 2022 BioSteel All-Canadian team. When reflecting on the moment they made the Team Canada roster, Masikewich and Lee laughed with one another about their experiences. They would sit in their dorm or hotel room and wait for a knock on the door. “You walk down this incredibly long hallway, they make it really long,” Masikewich said. “You go and you sit down … They’re like, ‘Brynn, we would love to have you part of the team, you had a great tryout,’ … It’s the biggest sigh of relief.” Masikewich said the tryouts are daunting because of the pressure of competing against other top players in the country. “When you come back, it’s literally like, ‘oh my gosh,’ and you’re calling your parents, ‘I made it, I made it,’” Masikewich said, proudly re-living the movement. “Seeing your jersey with Canada across and your last name on the back, that’s really like, ‘whoa.’ … It chokes you up, because I was like, ‘wow, all my hard work is paying off.’” Lee’s experience getting told she made the roster was different than Masikewich’s. “It’s all in a group text,” Lee said. “So it’s a whole group chat, and they just say, ‘Sumer Lee, please come down.’ … Then you just go down and you walk in, it’s like a bunch of coaches are sitting there. It’s just a sigh of relief. … I’m shaking because I don’t know what to expect honestly, but then I just came back up. … I called my parents and they said, ‘good job Sumer, all your hard work paid off.’” Lee spoke about how playing internationally prepared her to have a strong mentality due to the changing amounts of playing time. How many minutes each player sees the court for one game may not be the same for
the next. “It’s an amazing experience playing for your country, representing your country,” Lee said. “I’ll just say that it taught me how to be mentally tough. … You just got to own up to your role. Make sure you play to your strengths, and just trust yourself on the court.” Masikewich said there is a difference with national play and it’s important to find the team dynamic. She said it’s more than just scoring; it’s knowing where to fit in. “The national team is totally different … because we’re all top players coming from the whole nation coming on one team,” Masikewich said. “So it’s kind of like, ‘okay well, I’m used to averaging 20, you as well, how are we going to all work together and be a team.’” Both Masikewich and Lee agreed it was an experience they will never forget. Canada’s men’s team recently competed in the FIBA World Cup this summer, beating the United States 127-118 in overtime. They walked away with bronze, the first FIBA medal in Team Canada’s history.
“Them winning this, the tournament is huge,” Masikewich said. “It’s exciting, because once you play Team Canada, you’re family. Even if you come and go and stuff like that. Everyone knows everyone.” Bruno addressed the key components Masikewich and Lee will add to the team: defense and height. “I think she [Lee] is going to add that defensive grit, that toughness and she’s also smart,” Bruno said. “She could play more than one guard spot, so I think she also brings some versatility. I think we have a talented team but we’re not big. We’re big at the guard position … but we’re not big in the interior. Brynn Masikewich brings some good interior size that’s much needed.” After two exhibition games over the past few weeks, Bruno and his team prepare for the regular season. “I’m really excited about the year,” Bruno said. “I just think this team has a good chance to surprise some people.”
DePaul Center 333 South State St. Hand Tossed NY Style Pizza From scratch
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Basketball Preview. The DePaulia Nov. 6, 2023 | 7
MEN BLUE DEMONS
Roster & 2022-23 season recap
2
3
Chico Carter Jr. GR. | GUARD | 6-2
4
Jalen Terry
SR. | GUARD | 6-0
12
21
Mac Etienne
Da'Sean Nelson
R-SO. | FWRD | 6-10
55
SR. | FWRD | 6-8
Mo Sall
K.T. Raimey
14-6 (24-13)
0.649
13-7 (21-12)
0.795
13-7 (21-12)
0.636
10-10 (17-17)
0.5
10-10 (17-16)
0.515
7-13 (18-15)
0.545
6-14 (14-18)
0.438
3-17 (10-23)
0.303
2-18 (7-25)
0.219
SO. | GUARD/FWRD | 6-7
Keyondre Young JR. | GUARD | 6-9
25
35
Elijah Fisher
Caleb Murphy
Jeremiah Oden
Dramane Camara
SO. | GUARD | 6-6
Overall win percent
0.73
Jaden Henley
23
LAST Conference SEASON’S RANKING (Overall) 15-5 (27-10)
FR. | CENTER | 6-9
11
22
SO. | GUARD | 6-5
0.806
10
Churchill Abass
SR. | GUARD/ FWRD | 6-3
LAST SEASON’S TEAM AVERAGES
17-3 (29-7)
5
SR. | GUARD | 6-4
SR. | FWRD | 6-9
FR. | GUARD | 6-6
HEADSHOTS COURTESY OF DEPAUL ATHLETICS
Field Goal Percentage
Opp. Points Per Game
Points Per Game
42.7%
77.3
71.2
THIS SEASON’S SCHEDULE ALL TIMES IN CT DATE
TIME
LOCATION
OPPONENT
November 7, 2023 November 11, 2023 November 14, 2023 November 17, 2023 November 19, 2023 November 25, 2023 December 1, 2023 December 6, 2023 December 9, 2023 December 16, 2023 December 23, 2023 December 30, 2023 January 2, 2024 January 6, 2024 January 9, 2024 January 12, 2024 January 17, 2024 January 20, 2024 January 24, 2024 January 27, 2024 January 30, 2024 February 3, 2024 February 6, 2024 February 14, 2024 February 17, 2024 February 21, 2024 February 24, 2024 February 28, 2024 March 2, 2024 March 5, 2024 March 9, 2024 March 13, 2024
8 p.m. 9 a.m. 8 p.m. 10:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m/ 6 p.m. 8 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 8 p.m. 1 p.m. 4:30 p.m. 3 p.m. 3 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 11 a.m. 8 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 8 p.m. 3 p.m. 8 p.m. 6 p.m. 8 p.m. 8:30 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 8 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 8 p.m. 5 p.m. 6 p.m. 11 a.m. 8 p.m. 8:30 p.m. TBD
Wintrust Wintrust Wintrust Glendale, Ariz. Glendale, Ariz. Wintrust Wintrust College Station, Texas Wintrust Wintrust Wintrust Wintrust Away Washington, DC Wintrust Villanova, Pa. Wintrust Indianapolis, Ind. Wintrust Omaha, Neb. Wintrust Wintrust Elmont, N.Y. Wintrust Providence, RI Milwaukee, Wis. Wintrust Cincinnati, Ohio Wintrust Wintrust South Orange, NJ BIG EAST TOURNY
Purdue Fort Wayne Long Beach State South Dakota South Carolina Grand Canyon/San Francisco Northern Illinois Iowa State Texas A&M Louisville Northwestern Villanova Chicago State UConn Georgetown Creighton Villanova Providence Butler Marquette Creighton Seton Hall Xavier St. John’s UConn Providence Marquette Georgetown Xavier Butler St. John’s Seton Hall New York, N.Y. Many former Blue Demons came back to work for athletics. Including Doug Bruno (‘73), Candis Blankson (‘01) and Jean Lenti (‘78)
Basketball Preview. The DePaulia. Nov. 6, 2023 | 8
DONALD CROCKER | THE DEPAULIA
DePaul women’s basketball staff and players yell from the sidelines at an exhibition game against Iowa on Oct. 15, 2023, in Iowa City, Iowa. opposing team is more prone to
EMERGING DEPTH AND
YOUNG TALENT:
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PREVIEW By Ryan Hinske Sports Editor Doug Bruno enters his 38th year at DePaul in uncharted territory. His Blue Demons were eighth in the Big East last season for the first time since the 201112 season, but even then, that team made the second round of the NCAA Tournament. This is the first time in over 20 years Bruno enters a campaign fresh off a losing season. DePaul’s 2022-23 offseason was headlined by the departure
of their superstar: third-team AP All-American Aneesah Morrow. The 6-foot-1 forward averaged 25.7 points per game in just her sophomore year. Though fans will miss her scoring and rebounding ability after her transfer to LSU this summer, the door is open for a new identity, one of faster pace and increased depth. Bruno is historically known for a transition-oriented approach aimed at pushing the pace and getting quick points. By scoring at a high rate, the
make mistakes trying to catch up, which Bruno exposes with his full-court press defense aimed at forcing errors and creating turnovers. “We want to put pressure on our opponent defensively, and I think you put pressure on your opponent by scoring the ball,” Bruno said after DePaul’s first exhibition game against the University of Iowa Oct. 15. To keep that level of energy present, the nature of DePaul’s roster needed a revamp this summer. DePaul ranked 344th out of 350 in all of D1 women’s basketball in bench scoring at only 8.4 points per game last season. One of the main goals for this offseason was to round out the roster with players who could guard more positions and be placed anywhere on the floor.
Only five players are still on the team from last season: redshirt freshman guard Haley Walker, graduate guard Jade Edwards, sophomore guard Maeve McErlane, graduate guard Anaya Peoples, and graduate forward Jorie Allen. The team chemistry needs to be built from the ground up, but Bruno likes the signs. “You’re either a chemistry builder or a chemistry buster,” Bruno said after DePaul’s second exhibition against Lewis Oct. 29. “I don’t see a lot of chemistry busters. … They’ve worked very hard to get better, so it’s a great group to coach.” Peoples, who has taken a leadership role as one of the few returning members of the team, says her new teammates have fueled her. “They believe in me, the coaches believe in me, and I believe in these players and coaches,” Peoples said. “It’s just good to be surrounded by a bunch of girls and coaches that you know truly have your best interest.” DePaul has many new additions to the team that fit the mold and are well-balanced in terms of age. Some new players include graduate transfers Brynn Masikewich, Katlyn Gilbert and Michelle Sidor, sophomore transfer Kate Clarke and four freshmen: Grace Carstensen, Charlece Ohiaeri, Sumer Lee and Shakara McCline. In total, there are seven underclassmen and six upperclassmen, balancing experience
and longevity to the roster. “I’m getting to learn them better and learn the strengths and weaknesses of each of them,” Bruno said. “And a little bit of who’s for real and who’s not, because I haven’t coached them.” Though he has not finalized lineups and fits, Bruno believes they have great opportunities to learn more through their upcoming challenges, culminating in a matchup with a Louisville team that is ranked 17th in the preseason poll. “There’s just a lot still to be figured out, and I don’t know if that’s going to be happening instantly the night of the Western Michigan and Stone Hill games,” he said. “I think those will be two really good tests for us to get started and then we go down to Louisville and play a big time program.” The aggressive rebounding, pressing and trapping from the DePaul defense in the Lewis exhibition was encouraging despite the poor shot-making, including just four made threepointers out of 30 attempts. Peoples and Allen combined for 10 offensive rebounds alone. “It’s the aggressiveness and the intention that you bring to the game,” Allen said. “Putting in that extra effort and having your teammate’s back. Keeping that throughout the season is just making a promise to each other and then putting forth our best effort in all areas of the game.”
New team, new hope for redemption: MEN’S BASKETBALL PREVIEW
By Tom Gorski
Men’s Basketball Beat Writer
DePaul men’s basketball is striving to reclaim its past success since its last NCAA Tournament victory in 2004. However, despite numerous efforts, the team remains at the bottom of the Big East conference, unable to recapture its former glory. The Blue Demons are consistently ranking within the bottom three of the Big East for nearly two decades, with the team’s last finish outside of that range dating back to the 2006-2007 season. Entering his third season, head coach Tony Stubblefield is filled with optimism and excitement as he works with the team he has envisioned since his arrival. This group is distinguished by a blend of camaraderie, enthusiasm, athleticism and versatility. “I think our guys have been working extremely hard over the course of about 28 practices and I like the camaraderie of this team,” Stubblefield said. “This is a group that will get better throughout the course of the year and get familiar with playing with each other. We got guys that can guard multiple positions that I think can really help us.” DePaul finished in second to last place at the conference, only placing ahead of Georgetown, ending the season 10-23 overall and 3-17 in Big East play. The team encountered challenges, including multiple key starters facing injuries and a tough stretch of 12 consecutive losses to finish the regular season.
“It’s a hard experience with a lot of sleepless nights,” Stubblefield said of the impact of last year’s injuries. “But, it’s part of the game and things happen and that’s why you recruit accordingly.” However, the team managed to end the season on a high note by upsetting Seton Hall, 66-65 in the opening round of the Big East Tournament. This triumph came after senior Nick Ongenda made a game-saving block at the final buzzer to secure the win for the Blue Demons. “I knew it was a block,” Ongenda said after the game. “They made great plays, but that’s what I do, I block. I block everything, that’s my specialty.” Following the Blue Demons’ unexpected victory, they matched up against Xavier but were defeated 89-84, resulting in the team’s elimination from the tournament. This offseason, DePaul lost 10 players from last season’s roster due to graduation and the transfer portal, which includes four starters in Ongenda, Javan Johnson, Umoja Gibson and Eral Penn. The biggest surprise this offseason was the team losing fourstar recruit Zion Cruz to the transfer portal in September. Just a year ago, Cruz was viewed as the next great Blue Demon and potential star, but is now enrolled at Pratt Community College in Kansas for the upcoming season. The program faced a significant setback with the departure of arguably its most prominent recruit since Wilson Chandler, but
what was even more astonishing was Stubblefield securing a commitment from Texas Tech transfer Elijah Fisher on Friday, May 19. “I’ve recruited Canada for a long time going back to my days at Oregon, so Elijah was someone that I was already familiar with coming out of high school,” Stubblefield said. “Once he became in the portal, he was a guy that I had a real high level of interest in because of his versatility and ability to play multiple positions and guard multiple positions.” Fisher, a two-way guard out of Ontario, Canada, is viewed as a five-star recruit by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports. He also held 21 offers from leading national programs and was ranked as the No. 15 player in the country by Rivals before opting for the reclassification. “It’s been amazing,” Fisher said of his experience at DePaul thus far. “I feel like we have more of a culture here and really gel with one another. The coaching staff understands me and they know how to push me to get me to be better.” Along with Fisher, the Blue Demons added UCLA redshirt sophomore center Mac Etienne, Minnesota sophomore wing Jaden Henly, Wyoming senior center Jeremiah Oden, Triton junior guard Keyondre Young and South Carolina graduate guard Chico Carter Jr. from the transfer portal this past offseason. The 2023 recruiting class included four-star guard Dramane Camara from NBA Academy Africa and fellow teammate Churchill
WILL LONG | THE DEPAULIA
K.T. Raimey, drives to the hoop during an exhibition game, against North Park, on Nov. 2, 2023, at Wintrust Arena. Abbas. DePaul’s outlook remains unThe team is welcoming back changed as the Blue Demons are five returning players from last once again predicted to remain at year’s roster, which include senior the bottom of the Big East conferguards Jalen Terry, K.T. Raimey, ence, and were ranked 11th in the Caleb Murphy, sophomore guard preseason coaches’ poll. Mo Sall and senior forward “I love the fact that our backs Da’Sean Nelson. are against the wall and everyone Nelson entered his name in the is doubting us,” Fisher said of the transfer portal earlier in the offsea- team’s expectations this season. “I son intending to play elsewhere, feel like this is a big year, not just but ultimately decided to return to for me, but for the team because DePaul. we’re taking big steps forward in “I look at this [team] as a fam- creating a whole new culture.” ily,” Nelson said of his decision The start of the 2023-24 reguto remain at DePaul. “It was just lar season for the Blue Demons’ more of starting over and trying kickoff home game against Purto build a whole new family. It will due Fort Wayne at Wintrust Arena just be something that would have Tuesday, Nov. 7. The game is set to been mentally challenging for me start at 8 p.m. and will be broadand I feel like I belong here. So it casted on FoxSports2. wasn’t a big, obvious choice.”
Focus
Focus. The DePaulia. Nov.6 , 2023 | 13
A Renaissance in the Center for Black Diaspora
ERIN HENZE | THE DEPAULIA
DJ Cymba, a DJ, host and event curator from the South Side of Chicago, plays music for those in attendance at the event.
By Safia Poindexter Contributing Writer
DePaul’s Center for Black Diaspora hosted its own version of “Tiny Desk” -— a series by NPR where different artists do a mini performance in a small space — in the Schmitt Academic Center. Similar to the series, the center located in SAC hosted a small performance in their office and library, surrounded by books, art and decorative lighting. Normally in the NPR series, there is no audience, but the center had a table and couches for attendees to sit at so they could take in the experience. The focus of the event was the topic of “renaissance” and what that means to the Black community. Renaissance, both to the center and Black history as a whole, means a surge in the development of arts. This includes Black literature, music and art, ranging from poetry to novels, jazz to rap trap music and painting to digital art. For sophomore Toritseju Blagogee, the term renaissance means, “a new beginning for a lot of people, especially within the Black community, coming from the ashes and building us a new and beautiful community that we can learn to love and learn to create with.” On a whiteboard outside of the performance, words like “change, revolution and community” came up when visitors were asked what they thought about the Renaissance. Students enjoyed the music they felt that reflected identities, history and current events which highlighted community. “There’s more voice for Black artists to express themselves and to have a platform and I think that is creating its own Renaissance in a way where so much is coming out, and new styles and ways of expression are becoming more popular,” junior Lucy Njambara said. The center’s assistant director, Jennifer Gardner, encouraged visitors to reflect on their definitions as Chicago Natives while rapper Mani Jurdan and DJ Cymba of HUEY performed. The center displays different pieces of Black work from different decades which complemented the sounds of DJ Cymba. “His sound is guaranteed to take us through time and carry us through unforeseeable emotion in a matter of seconds,” Gardner said. DJ Cymba uses his music to introduce listeners to the different genres and ages of Black music, ranging from house music to hip-hop, 80s to modern, while spreading positive energy and uplifting messages internationally. He took attendees through the different decades and emotions of Black music, and displayed the evolution of the different sounds and talents in Black American culture. When listening, attendees were invited to analyze the evolution of Black music and observe the cultural messages through the different sounds. “The DJ was really good, the rapping
Kendryck Cotton (left) and Leeann Gladney (right) listen to DJ Cymba during Thursday night’s open house. was really good, the vibes were really good,” Blagogee said. “We were able to listen to great music together. ... I’ve never been in an atmosphere like that before.” As reflected in DJ Cymba’s mantra — “move your body, love yourself, and raise your vibrations” — the music encouraged visitors to dance along to the rhythm. Rapper Mani Jurdan opened his performance with a libation where he and those who wanted to participate called upon the names of their ancestors and notable Black figures to help bring a stronger energy to the performance. “I’m going to pour water into a plant and I’m going to call my ancestors into this space and I implore you all to do the same,” Jurdan said. “You call whoever you want. Somebody you look up to, somebody in your family who you love dearly, or just somebody you admire. Typically you have an elder do this but because I’m performing, I will do it myself.” Names such as Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr, Marcus Garvey and Elizabeth Taylor were called, followed by the word “Ashe,” as the rapper poured water into a plant as part of the tradition. After the libation, Jurdan performed several songs with topics ranging from self-image and racism to Black excellence and trauma within the Black community. “When I represent, I do this for my people,” Jurdan said. Many of the songs were based on Jurdan’s experiences growing up in Chicago, particularly the South and West Sides which resonated with many of the visitors in the room. Jurdan made connections between past and present Black experiences as songs addressed difficult topics and realities that Black people face. They also encouraged
ERIN HENZE | THE DEPAULIA
ERIN HENZE | THE DEPAULIA
Miya Jefferson writes an answer to the poll question on the whiteboard that reads: “What does a Renaissance mean to you?” listeners to strive for the best and had empowering messages in them that encouraged them to not let the complexities of life hold them back. “Thinking like I’m Pele, soccer ballin’ reachin’ all my goals. ... Can’t be so low supplying wealth, I’ma need to higher me. ... They hate Black women but it starts with their mama,” Jurdan sang. Attendees seemed to have enjoyed the performance and left with their own thoughts and feelings about what Renais-
sance means to them today. “I think now we’re living in an age where, especially with social media, these conversations are becoming more at the forefront,” Njambara said. Within the Center for Black Diaspora itself and the guest performances, there was a timeline of Renaissance to be seen with arts consisting of all the subjects that were relevant at their time, from slavery to systemic racism.
14 | La DePaulia. The DePaulia. 6 de Noviembre 2023
LaDePaulia
Primera celebración de Día de Muertos para la comunidad afroamericana trae sanación, redefine la muerte POR Cary Robbins Editora de Noticias, La DePaulia
Sentada junto a un altar, Latrice Butler tomó la foto de su madre, Eva Butler, con una sonrisa en el rostro para mostrar lo hermosa que era. Se le llenaron los ojos de lágrimas mientras recordaba cómo se sintió al ver a su madre por primera vez después de cumplir 30 años en la cárcel. Butler la abrazó, y finalmente pudo sostenerla después de no haberla visto en siete años porque su madre no podía visitarla en la cárcel. “Significó todo para mí, y cuando digo todo... quiero decir absolutamente todo... el poder volver a casa y verla reír, esperándome”, dijo Butler. “La forma en que me miraba, cómo me abrazaba, la forma en que nos decíamos que nos amamos y nos extrañamos, y le dije que nunca volvería a la cárcel. Ella dijo: ‘Lo sé’”. Butler perdió a su madre el 7 de junio, pero el 1 de noviembre pudo celebrar la vida de su madre y de muchos otros seres queridos con la comunidad a través del evento del Día de Muertos en el vecindario de Back of the Yards en Front Porch, un centro comunitario en el vecindario. El evento fue organizado por Chicago Survivors y Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation. Aunque Butler nunca había celebrado el Día de Muertos antes, el espacio, según ella, dio sanación a la comunidad. “Algunas cosas son difíciles para las personas hablar o lidiar”, dijo Butler. El espacio estaba rodeado de ofrendas, creados para honrar a un ser querido que ha fallecido. Había fotos de quienes más querían; hijos, hijas, madres, padres y muchas otras personas, rodeadas de flores de cempasúchil, sal para purificar las almas y papel de picado. Participaron alrededor de 20 familias en el evento y la mayoría de las personas en el altar habían fallecido a causa de la violencia armada en toda la ciudad. Alberto Alaniz comenzó a difundir la palabra sobre el evento a través de las clases de arte que imparte en el Precious Blood Ministry and Reconciliation, una organización sin fines de lucro que ayuda a jóvenes y familias más afectados por la violencia, el encarcelamiento y la inequidad estructural en los vecindarios Back of the Yards y Englewood. Al principio, la gente cuestionaba acerca del evento porque, según él, “no estaban realmente expuestos a la tradición”, pero comenzó a hablar con sus estudiantes, y muchos quisieron participar. “Estamos celebrando la vida de este ser querido que estuvo con nosotros. Trágicamente, los perdimos de diferentes maneras, pero los recordamos”, dijo Alaniz. “Vivimos con su recuerdo, su amor, y recordamos sus sonrisas. Tratamos de no enfocarnos en la tristeza. Tratamos de enfocarnos en la alegría que trajeron a nuestras vidas”. Alaniz quería mostrar a los jóvenes que cuando fallecen, dejan un gran dolor en todos los que los aman. Muchos de los jóvenes con los que trabaja luchan contra la pobreza y problemas sistémicos, pero Alaniz dijo que su misión es mostrar a los jóvenes cuán valiosos son. “Les pido todo el tiempo [que]
simplemente tomen la decisión correcta porque los necesitamos aquí”, dijo Alaniz. “A pesar de que estamos luchando, los necesitamos aquí”. Desde que perdió a su prometido, Jonathan Price, en julio de 2021, Jasmine Anderson ha encontrado difícil salir y vivir la vida, dijo. “Cuando las personas pierden a ciertos seres queridos o ciertos familiares, entran en un lugar oscuro”, dijo Anderson. “Quieren estar solos. No quieren que los molesten. No quieren estar cerca de nadie”. Este año, Anderson finalmente comenzó a salir, y el evento la ayudó a sentir un sentido de sanación. Dijo que el evento es un “gran paso enorme” para la comunidad para redefinir la muerte. Anderson llevó una foto de Price cuando comenzó a trabajar en un trabajo de seguridad en la tienda Sephora. Se rió al recordar cómo Price siempre tenía dos trabajos, y ella “tenía que pagarle para que se sentara”. “Todavía puedo escucharlo ahora, su risa, esa pequeña risa graciosa. La escucho. La veo”, dijo Anderson. “Cuando entré en la habitación hoy y vi su foto, inmediatamente empecé a hablar de su risa porque estaba sonriendo en la foto”. Aunque dijo que este evento no quita el dolor, se sintió rodeada de amor. “En los últimos dos años, que se ha ido, sentia que estaba sola, pero no hoy”, dijo Anderson. “No siento que esté sola ahora”. Abby Ortiz es la gerente de la comunidad de sobrevivientes de Chicago Survivors, que brinda servicios a familiares de víctimas de homicidio en Chicago. Ella es mexicanoamericana y dijo que quería llevar su tradición de celebrar el Día de Muertos al vecindario como una forma de que las personas se unieran y sanarán. “A pesar de que muchas de las familias a las que servimos son predominantemente afroamericanas, era algo que quería compartir con ellas porque proviene de mi cultura y se deriva de mis tradiciones”, dijo Ortiz. “Sentí que era una forma hermosa de celebrar la vida de sus seres queridos”. Más allá de compartir esta tradición con personas que normalmente no celebran la festividad, Ortiz también quería unir a la comunidad latina y afroamericana en un espacio de sanación. “Los miembros latinos también pierden a seres queridos, pero nuevamente, con diferencias culturales, a veces no están tan involucrados en los servicios [que ofrecemos] ni siempre asisten a eventos”, dijo Ortiz. “Estaba tratando de despertar ese interés en nuestra comunidad”. Ortiz dijo que sintió “comunidad” esa noche, cuando la gente hablaba y compartía historias entre sí. El próximo año, quiere explicar mejor la historia del Día de Muertos durante el evento. Este año solo tuvo menos de un mes para organizar todo, pero cree que podría ser mucho más impactante en los años siguientes cuando pueda explicar la historia y el significado de los elementos en el altar. La hermana Donna Liette, directora del programa Family Forward de Precious Blood, trabaja con unas 65 madres que han perdido a sus hijos debido a la violencia armada. Dijo que esta noche fue una
CARY ROBBINS | LA DEPAULIA
Latrice Butler posa con su madre Eva Butler durante el evento de Día de Muertos que se llevó a cabo en el centro comunitario “Front Porch”el 1 de noviembre. forma de lamentar la muerte y sanar, pero que haya sido la primera vez que las también de unirse como una comunidad personas celebraron el Día de Muertos, entera y apoyarse mutuamente. pero muchas se sintieron apoyadas por la “Muchas de estas personas nunca se comunidad. conocían antes de esta noche”, dijo. “Se siente como si tuviera gente, como Las personas se sentaron juntos para si tuviera una familia...”, dijo Anderson. comer, reír, dibujar, llorar y rezar. Puede “Esta experiencia, se siente como amor.”
La DePaulia. The DePaulia. 6 de Noviembre 2023 | 15
En Chicago recuerdan las vidas de mujeres asesinadas o desaparecidas el Día de Muertos POR ALYSSA N. SALCEDO
Escritora Contribuyente, La DePaulia
La comunidad de La Villita todavía está de luto por la pérdida de decenas de mujeres que han sido víctimas de la violencia armada, abuso doméstico o han desaparecido. Reyna Cristina Ical Seb, una migrante guatemalteca de 20 años, fue una de ellas. Apenas días después de su cumpleaños, el 22 de febrero, Ical Seb fue encontrada muerta en un oscuro callejón en el barrio de La Villita. Fue asesinada mientras regresaba a casa desde el trabajo y hasta el día de hoy, sus padres siguen cuestionando por qué su hija, quien les había prometido ayudarles a construir una casa, fue asesinada, según informes. En el Día de Muertos de este año, se honró la vida de Ical, junto con la de cientos de otras mujeres asesinadas en el área de Chicago, en ofrendas y otros eventos que conmemoran la tradición mexicana que celebra la vida recordando a los que han partido. Este año, la exhibición anual del Día de Muertos del Museo Nacional de Arte Mexicano (NMMA) rinde homenaje a las mujeres que han sido violadas, desaparecidas o asesinadas tanto en Chicago como en todo el mundo, según Cesáreo Moreno, Director de Artes Visuales y Curador Principal del NMMA. Los curadores, Dolores Mercado y Gustavo Herrera, también quisieron honrar a aquellos que murieron como resultado de los terremotos en Siria y Turquía. “Una vez que estás curando, tienes la responsabilidad de concienciar a las personas, de resaltar no solo las vidas hermosas que formaron parte de la comunidad, sino también recordar a las personas que han ocurrido cosas terribles que no se pueden evitar o ignorar”, dijo Moreno. Baltazar Enriquez, presidente del Little Village Community Council (LVCC), ha estado luchando por la justicia y honrando las vidas de las mujeres asesinadas en La
Villita y Pilsen en los últimos años. El LVCC creó un comité llamado Las Valientes que aboga por las mujeres que sufren violencia doméstica. El comité brinda educación sobre cómo denunciar el acoso y el asalto sexual, cursos de educación financiera para lograr la independencia financiera de los abusadores y ayuda a conectar a quienes sufren violencia doméstica con apoyo legal, según Enriquez. Las Valientes también ha realizado protestas y mítines por dos mujeres asesinadas en La Villita este año, Ical, y Rosa Chacón, quien fue encontrada muerta después de estar desaparecida durante cuatro meses. Cuando se reportó la desaparición de Rosa Chacón, Enriquez y Las Valientes actuaron rápidamente, enfatizando a la comunidad que era necesario encontrar a Chacón. Después de casi cuatro meses, el cuerpo de Chacón fue encontrado en la cuadra 2300 de West 24th Place, según informes. Sin embargo, Enriquez y Las Valientes han seguido luchando por justicia para Rosa y su familia. Continúan marchando en su honor. Mara Castillo, miembro de Las Valientes y el LVCC, ha estado trabajando para instar a la policía a resolver estos casos. “Una de las cosas que queremos asegurarnos es que le decimos al gobierno o a las autoridades que estamos aquí. Estamos aquí y seremos la voz de quienes no tienen voz, de esas mujeres que están muertas”, dijo Castillo. Equipada con las máscaras de esquí rosadas características del grupo, como símbolo de las mujeres que tienen miedo de hablar, Castillo y otros miembros de Las Valientes han participado en protestas y mítines por Ical, Chacón y muchas otras a lo largo del año. Durante sus marchas, suenan campanas y mencionan los nombres de las mujeres asesinadas en la comunidad, dijo Castillo.
ALYSSA N. SALCEDO | LA DEPAULIA
Una ofrenda en el Museo Nacional de Arte Mexicano celebrando las vidas de aquellos que han fallecido en el último año.
“Intentamos traer sus nombres de vuelta y recordarlos,”, dijo Castillo. “Estoy aquí para hablar por ellas. No estoy de luto, pero siento su dolor”. Elizabeth Bello, hermana de Chacón, honró y recordó a su hermana celebrando el Día de Muertos el pasado jueves. Se reunió con sus hermanos y su madre en el cementerio y celebró la vida de Chacón compartiendo sus comidas, bebidas y música favoritas, dijo Bello. “Vi la película ‘Coco’ y se me ocurrió hacer una ofrenda para Rosa”, dijo Bello. “Este es el primer año que celebramos de esta manera... Me dio paz saber que ella sabe que no ha sido olvidada y que todavía es amada”. Bello compartió que presenciar la movilización de la comunidad por su hermana y ver ofrendas grandes como las del NMMA la hizo sentirse más conectada con la comunidad. “Acerca a la comunidad, le permite a la comunidad saber que no está sola en esto... significa mucho porque te permite apoyarte mutuamente”, dijo Bello. “Ver que no solo tú, sino toda la comunidad recuerda a tu ser querido y está ahí para apoyar, es importante”. Este es el primer año en la larga historia de
la exhibición en el museo en la que el 60 por ciento de los artistas que contribuyen son mujeres. Esto fue posible gracias a una de las curadoras principales de la exhibición, Mercado, dijo Moreno. “Ella ha curado probablemente más exposiciones centradas en las mujeres que cualquier otra persona que conozco, y lo ha hecho aquí en el museo. Realmente tiene una buena relación continua y conexión con las artistas locales”, dijo Moreno. “Las invita a crear una pieza. Ya sea sombría o enojada. Ya sea una obra de protesta o una obra conmemorativa para no olvidarlas”. Algunas de las ofrendas en la exhibición son creadas por las familias de miembros de la comunidad local que han fallecido. “Creo que definitivamente permite el proceso de duelo. La exhibición del Día de Muertos transforma nuestras galerías en un espacio donde es bienvenido”, dijo Moreno. “... No estás atrapado en el duelo en el momento de perder a alguien, sino que es un evento anual que te permite considerar la muerte, de alguna manera, en un espacio seguro”.
Evento de Día de Muertos en DePaul invita a estudiantes a aprender sobre la tradición y reflexionar sobre una pérdida POR Rodolfo Zagal
Gerente Editorial, La DePaulia
Mientras algunos estudiantes latinos de DePaul tomaron un evento del Día de Muertos como una oportunidad para recordar a sus seres queridos que han muerto, otros se conectaron con organizaciones latinas. El Día de Muertos es una festividad tradicional mexicana que honra a los espíritus de los seres queridos fallecidos. Varias organizaciones latinas en DePaul se unieron el jueves por la noche para crear ofrendas, que son altares para conmemorar las vidas de seres queridos, escuchar música de mariachi y jugar lotería. Marco Antonio Avila, un estudiante de tercer año que asistió al evento, dijo que estaba de luto por la muerte de Giovanni “Gio” Flores, un amigo a quien había conocido desde que eran niños. Flores murió después de ser disparado fuera del Hospital Mount Sinai mientras esperaba en su automóvil a que su madre regresara de una cita médica el 6 de julio, según informes. “Esa fue realmente mi primera gran pérdida”, dijo Avila. Desde ese día, su grupo de amigos que era muy unido “se siente vacío”, dijo. “Ha sido extraño. Él también estaba estudiando negocios en UIC. Éramos del mismo vecindario, de la misma escuela intermedia”, dijo.
RODOLFO ZAGAL | LA DEPAULIA
Isabella Esquivel, Savannah Mireles y Shayla García lloran por sus seres queridos en el evento del Día de Muertos el 2 de noviembre en DePaul.
Avila dijo que luchó mucho después de perder a su amigo Gio Flores. Su muerte lo llevó a celebrar el Día de Muertos por primera vez. Mientras creaba una ofrenda en su honor en el evento, Avila dijo que le permitió “reflexionar” sobre su amistad. Aunque tiene un “temperamento tranquilo”, Avila dijo que Flores era el “mejor chico que puedas imaginar”. Para otros estudiantes, el evento del Día de Muertos fue una oportunidad para celebrar su cultura por primera vez. Samantha Carvajal, una estudiante de último año de ascendencia mexicana, dijo que crear ofrendas es “una experiencia única”.
“Me gusta mucho que nos conecte de nuevo con nuestra cultura”, dijo. Carvajal es miembro de Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA), una organización estudiantil que, según ella, la ha ayudado a encontrar su lugar en DePaul cómo latina. Durante el evento, reclutó a jóvenes latinos y les habló de las oportunidades que recibió al formar parte de la organización. Carvajal dijo que muchos estudiantes latinos no forman parte de familias que trabajan en empleos corporativos. “Definitivamente ha habido un largo período en el que no había hispanos en estos
roles [de negocios], y los que estaban allí no tenían las mismas oportunidades”, dijo Carvajal. “Organizaciones como ALPFA realmente demuestran la fuerza de los futuros líderes latinos”. El espacio también se utilizó para promocionar recursos en la universidad para estudiantes latinos. Fatima Guzmán-López pintaba las caras de los estudiantes como calaveras mientras les informaba sobre la ayuda financiera que pueden recibir de la universidad. Guzmán-López es miembro de TRiO Student Support, una organización orientada a proporcionar becas a estudiantes que son de primera generación, de bajos ingresos o discapacitados. “Me involucré con TRiO porque necesitaba ayuda financiera, era mi primer año y estaba en un plan de pagos”, dijo Guzmán-López. Ella dijo que siente que algunos estudiantes no piden ayuda debido al estigma que conlleva ser etiquetado como estudiante de bajos ingresos. “Es como si no encajaras. Especialmente aquí, porque muchas personas tienen ingresos más altos”, dijo Guzmán-López. Ella dijo que fue un choque cultural para ella descubrir que muchos estudiantes reciben ayuda financiera de sus familiares, mientras ella tiene becas y trabaja en dos empleos, a veces hasta la 1 de la madrugada.
Arts & Life 16 | Arts & Life. The DePaulia. Nov. 6, 2023
‘Buddy Abroad:’ Board game enhances international program
JES KLASS | THE DEPAULIA
From left, Crane Benson, Silver MacAuley, Jules Mortensen and Ope Animashaun play the Buddy Abroad card game Oct. 11 in John T. Richardson Library in the Lincoln Park campus. Jes Klass designed the game through the DePaul Instructional Game and Innovation Lab in collaboration with the study abroad office.
By Eli Smith Contributing Writer
Diana Mahalia, a 19-year-old animation major at DePaul, never went out of the country until she went on a Study Abroad trip to London and Wales last summer. Although she was excited to go, she said navigating an unfamiliar country with a new group of people was intimidating. To prepare for the trip, Mahalia and her class played a test version of Buddy Abroad, a new board game designed by the DePaul Instructional Game and Innovation (DIGI) Lab and the Study Abroad office. Buddy Abroad was released Oct. 11 and is free for DePaul students. The game can also be purchased by other universities or by individual consumers. Mahalia said playing the game helped her feel more connected with her classmates. “I didn’t know anyone at first,” she said. “The only reason I got to know the people in my class was because of this game, and that [was] kind of like my saving grace.” Each player has their own game board equipped with a bag they have to pack with different items students may need on their Study Abroad trip, such as a phone charger or a stain stick. There is also a meter at the top of each player’s board that tracks their wellness. On each turn, players draw event cards outlining different circumstances that impact how they are feeling. The card’s impact can change depending on what items the player packed in their bag. For example, if a card is drawn that says the group gets stuck in traffic on their trip, the players’ wellness will be impacted negatively unless they pack items like snacks or a phone charger. Each player
in the group must have a wellness score above zero by the end of the game to win. Jes Klass, the head of the DIGI Lab, hoped Buddy Abroad would have the kind of positive impact on students that Mahalia experienced. “It’s the most rewarding feeling ever to hear someone say that a game that you made helped them have a better life experience,” Klass said. Although she was the lead designer, Klass said the DIGI team of student workers carried out much of the design. “It’s by students for students,” Klass said. “There are a lot of parts of being a student that aren’t applicable to me anymore – that I can’t understand.” Klass said that learning about their upcoming trip by playing Buddy Abroad engages students in ways that a lecture cannot. Students learn how to pack appropriately and maintain both their physical and mental wellness on the trip. “Buddy Abroad is essentially the poster child for active learning,” Klass said. “The best thing that we can do for our students is find the way to reach them in whatever modality that may be.” For a lot of students, she added, lecture isn’t it. Klass said the DIGI team wanted a positive wellness score to be the game’s main objective because it is often difficult for students to prioritize their well-being in their everyday lives. “Wellness as an all-encompassing factor in one’s life is not talked about enough,” Klass said. “It’s the thing that not only a lot of students struggle with, but a lot of human beings struggle with.” Jules Mortensen, a 20-year-old animation major who worked as the game’s art director, said students can share items in the game to help everyone maintain
LILLY KELLER | THE DEPAULIA
a positive wellness score. The goal is to teach students to support each other while they are traveling. “There’s going to be stuff you’re not going to be prepared for, but maybe someone nearby is prepared and can help you out,” Mortensen said. The DIGI team and Study Abroad office also created a “serious situations” expansion pack for the game. These cards foster discussion between students about how to work through real issues that occurred on trips, such as a student learning that a family member back home is in the hospital.
“[This] gives agency to the people in the game … to choose how they get resolved,” Klass said. Mahalia said the game’s emphasis on maintaining personal wellness as a community helped her take care of herself when dealing with anxiety and depression during her recent trip to the United Kingdom. “I was juggling everything,” Mahalia said. “Being able to know I have friends with me made it easier, and I wouldn’t really have those friends if it weren’t for the game.”