The DePaulia 2.19.2024

DePaulia

The

Volume #108 | Issue #14 | Feb. 19, 2024 | depauliaonline.com

DePaul students find a safe space in femme and queer book club ASHLEY PERÉZ | THE DEPAULIA

Co-president Monique Rivera (left) creates Valentine’s Day cards with Bookmarked members during their monthly Art Night on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, in the Student Center.

By Ashley Peréz Contributing Writer

When they met as freshmen, DePaul roommates Monique Rivera and Ani Palm bonded over their shared love of reading, writing and poetry.

The two would often share book recommendations, shop at local bookstores, or catch up over a cup of coffee at a small cafe.

Despite their close connection, however, they felt isolated and found it difficult to meet friends outside of their social bubble.

Palm expressed her desire for a community to her mom. She suggested Palm and Rivera start their own book club in their apartment.

Soon after, they created Bookmark, a group for readers that’s also a safe space for

“girls, gays and theys” in the DePaul community.

“We wanted to make Bookmark a femme and queer space,” Palm said.

The club now meets up to three times a month for book talks, movies and art events.

“Girls often can’t go places without feeling uncomfortable,” Rivera said. “They trust that they can only be safe in a feminine-led group.”

The co-presidents let their members vote on their favorite to be their book of the month on Slack.

Rivera and Palm select books that relate to their members’ interests, including classic literature and popular books recommended from BookTok, a community on TikTok where people recommend books.

Girls often can’t go places without feeling uncomfortable... They trust that they can only be safe in a feminine-led group.”

Monique Rivera

Bookmarked co-president

See BOOKMARKED, Page 14

DePaul’s McGowan Student Government Association’s open North listed as letter to President fourteenth highest Manuel about emitting building sustainability & per square foot in climate at DePaul Chicago PAGE 3 ROSE O’KEEFEE | THE DEPAULIA

Members of the DePaul Urban Garden gather on the rooftop garden in McGowan South on the Lincoln Park Campus Thursday, Feb. 15. McGowan North and South are listed among Chicago’s highest-emitting buildings.

PAGE 7

2 | News. The DePaulia. Jan. 22, 2024.

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.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | Nadia Carolina Hernandez eic@depauliaonline.com

CAMPUS CRIME REPORT

Feb. 7 - Feb. 12, 2024

CRIME DATA REPORTED BY DEPAUL CRIME PREVENTION OFFICE

LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS

LOOP CAMPUS

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ONLINE MANAGING | Samantha Moilanen online@depauliaonline.com

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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 | Nadine DeCero opinion@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 DESIGN EDITOR | Zoë Hanna design@depauliaonline.com PHOTO EDITOR | Kit Wiberg photo@depauliaonline.com ASST. PHOTO EDITOR | Erin Henze photo@depauliaonline.com CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER | Quentin Blais 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

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 | Alyssa Salcedo 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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LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS Assault & Theft

Drug & Alcohol

LOOP CAMPUS

Other

Lincoln Park Campus Crimes: Feb. 07 1) A Disturbance was reported in the Theatre School.

Loop Campus Crimes: Feb. 09 1) Graffiti was discovered on the exterior of the DePaul Center.

Feb. 12 2) Public Safety received a report of a Criminal Sexual Assault that occurred in a residence hall on February 8th.

Feb. 09 2) Theft by Deception report was filed for an incident outside Beatrix.

Feb. 10 3) An unknown person was reported attempting to start a fire in the alley of 201 S. State Street. A Safety Alert was issued.

Feb. 10 4) A Criminal Damage report was filed about the exterior of DePaul Center.

Feb. 12 5) A Retail Theft report which included a Simple Assault was filed at the Dunkin Donuts in DePaul Center. .

News. The DePaulia. Feb 19, 2024 | 3

McGowan North listed as fourteenth highest emitting building per square foot in Chicago

By Rose O’Keeffe Asst. News Editor

DePaul’s McGowan North is the fourteenth highest greenhouse gas emitting building per square foot in Chicago, city data shows.

Five other DePaul buildings – McGowan South, the Lincoln Park Student Center, The DePaul Center, Centennial Hall and the Holtschneider Performance Center – were also listed as high-emitting buildings in the city using 2021 data. McGowan South and the Holtschneider Performance Center are LEED-certified.

LEED certification is the most widely used green building certification internationally, which is why DePaul senior Chris Impellizeri was concerned to hear that even DePaul’s newest buildings were high-emitters.

“We have LEED certified buildings, but then just to see a statistic like that, it’s kind of insane,” he said.

The Chicago metro chapter of The Climate Reality Project, an international climate education and advocacy organization founded by former vice president Al Gore, contacted the university Feb. 2 regarding DePaul’s high-emitting buildings.

Rachel Fredericks of The Climate Reality Project said she emailed DePaul and numerous other Chicago universities in early February to alert them to their high-emitting buildings, and request university sustainability plans.

“We told these folks that we’re writing a report, you’re going to be mentioned in it and we thought you’d want to know,” Fredericks said.

“We expressed an interest in helping any administrations who want help from a volunteer nonprofit to develop climate action plans.”

Chicago has an energy benchmarking ordinance requiring buildings over 50,000 square feet to report their energy usage annually to the city and verify data accuracy every three years.

Fredericks said the Chicago metro chapter noticed a pattern in city data showing many of the highest emitting buildings were owned by colleges and universities.

She said 70% of greenhouse gas emissions in Chicago come from buildings, which is why The Climate Reality Project is heavily invested in widespread building decarbonization.

Fredericks said of the six DePaul buildings tagged as high-emitters, their total emissions are equivalent to 16 times the median emissions of one building on the data set.

However, Fredericks noted that the usage of each building must be taken into account

when assessing why the emissions are so high.

“The fact that DePaul has some high ranking buildings by itself is not a reason to completely freak out and be angry, but it is a reason to do some research on the buildings on this list and determine if their high emissions make sense,” Fredericks said.

Vice President of Facility Operations Rich Wiltse echoed this idea in a statement to The DePaulia, noting that the high emissions do not indicate structural problems with the buildings.

Rather, Wiltse said, “The Chicago benchmarking tool… does not take into account or make any adjustments for building type, the work done in the building, the number of hours the building is operated daily, or other important factors that should be considered when comparing one building to the next.”

Wiltse also noted the city data is from 2021 in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, when many buildings in Chicago were not being used to their fullest capacity, but DePaul was open and employing new air-quality promotion systems that required high energy expenditure.

“Our COVID-19 mitigation and safety procedures included operating HVAC systems with more restrictive air filters, running building systems for a minimum of two additional hours before and after typical occupancy to help clean the air,” he said. “All of these necessary safety protocols translated to significant increases in utility consumption, something other buildings in Chicago didn’t have to do at our scale.”

Wiltse said he and other members of the university administration are crafting a detailed response to The Climate Reality Project outlining the specific usage of the high-emitting buildings and explaining sustainability plans.

“We intend to elaborate on what steps DePaul has already taken and those it intends to take in the future towards meeting the aspirational goal memorialized in 2021 to offset up to 80% of its CO2 emissions by 2040,” he said.

McGowan North and South house DePaul’s College of Science and Health. Each building contains labs, research centers and equipment, which Fredericks said may contribute to the high energy usage.

Fredericks said the data does not tell the whole story, which is why The Climate Reality Project sought to engage university administrators, and especially students, to explore the root of the emissions problem and work toward solutions.

LIZZIE MILLER | THE DEPAULIA

LIZZIE MILLER | THE DEPAULIA

DePaul senior Chris Impellizeri stands inside the DePaul Urban Garden greenhouse in the Lincoln Park campus Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. He expressed concern and frustration at learning about DePaul’s high-emitting buildings.

“It’s going to be people who have inside knowledge about DePaul who can figure it out,” Fredericks said.

Impellizeri, the DePaul senior and treasurer of the DePaul Urban Garden, said he wants to see concrete investments in energy saving and electrifying technology.

“We could be investing more in solar and winds,” he said. “We already have solar power stations outside on the quad, so I see no reason why we can’t extend that to buildings like this.”

Fredericks said, “Schools have a mission to serve the public good,” and buildings that use energy inefficiently cost the institution a lot of money, often from tuition revenue and donor funds.

This is a reason why she said student involvement is key to holding administrations accountable for following through on sustainability plans.

DePaul’s Student Government Association sent an open letter to Manuel Tuesday, Feb. 13, requesting the university draft a climate action plan to address the high-emitting buildings and other sustainability goals following The Climate Reality Project’s email.

Manuel responded to the SGA’s open letter on Saturday, Feb. 17, saying University leadership wants to collaborate with students, faculty and staff to strengthen DePaul’s climate efforts, in line with Pope Francis’s encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si. “I have asked Rich Wiltse, vice president for Facility Operations, to lead this effort and to begin by engaging the expertise of an external professional firm that can help DePaul

identify an optimal and realistic path to a decarbonized future,” Manuel said in an email response to SGA on Saturday.

In 2009, former DePaul president Dennis Holtschneider established a sustainability initiatives task force that produced the Institutional Sustainability Plan of 2012 In 2021, then-president Gabriel Esteban convened the president’s sustainability committee after pressure from students, faculty and staff.

Rubén Alvarez, co-chair of the president’s sustainability committee, told The DePaulia Feb. 15 that a climate action plan is in the works, but developing such a plan takes time and collaboration within the university and with other organizations.

“Right now my work is researching other higher ed institutions that have developed climate action plans so we can learn from their process and experience to get a handle on how we might be able to implement a climate action plan here at DePaul,” Alvarez said.

During this process, President Robert Manuel said in a statement to The DePaulia that he “welcomes the opportunity to engage in conversation with SGA, the president’s Sustainability Committee, students, and other campus partners to discuss climate efforts at DePaul.”

Impellizeri hopes to participate in these conversations as a student and activist.

“If DePaul really wants to be a community conscious, environmentally friendly campus, we want to see them putting their money where their mouth is,” Impellizeri said.

4 | News. The DePaulia. Feb. 19, 2024

‘Bring Chicago Home’ referendum rallies support and sparks concerns amongst developers MAYA OCLASSEN | THE DEPAULIA

By Lucia Preziosi News Editor

Chicago voters will have the chance to vote in the March 19 primary for the “Bring Chicago Home” referendum, first introduced in 2018, which would raise the real estate transfer tax on highend properties worth more than $1 million.

The consistent revenue from this tax raise would be used to create quality affordable housing and other services for Chicago’s 68,400 people experiencing homelessness.

In November, City Council voted 32-17 to place the referendum on the ballot, giving Chicago voters the final say.

Vanessa Alvarez, director of communications of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, one of the organizations supporting Bring Chicago Home, says that this proposition is a viable solution to a longstanding homelessness crisis in Chicago.

“We recognize that there are many needs and many solutions,” Alvarez said. “We view creating a dedicated revenue stream in the city of Chicago as one of those solutions.”

The Bring Chicago Home proposition would restructure the tax that is paid when property owners sell their properties.

If passed, property sales under $1 million would be taxed at 0.6%, a decrease from the existing 0.75%.

Property sales between $1 million and $1.5 million would be taxed at 2%, and high-end properties over $1.5 million would be taxed at 3%.

According to Bring Chicago Home, nearly 95% of properties

would see a tax decrease. If enacted, the proposition would only apply to about 4.2% of properties sold every year.

Alvarez says this tiered system shows how the ordinance would only impact a small group that is in the margins to withstand a tax raise.

“We are asking individuals that can, to pay what they can,” Alvarez said. “The reality is that this is a tax for a very specific group of individuals that have the capacity to pay.”

The Bring Chicago Home ordinance is supported by progressive alderpeople such as Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th), Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33rd) has been one of Mayor Johnson’s campaign promises.

Despite the advancement of the ordinance in the City Council in November, Bring Chicago Home’s position on the March ballot was met with concerns, and even a lawsuit, by real estate and development groups such as the Chicagoland Apartment Association and the Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance.

In early January, the coalition of real estate and development groups filed a lawsuit against the Cook County Circuit Court to block the question from appearing on the ballot in March’s election.

The groups argue that the language used in the referendum is too “vague,” and the ordinance is unconstitutional because they claim it utilizes “log-rolling.”

This tactic has been deemed illegal by the Illinois Supreme Court, as they say popular legislation, such as lowering taxes cannot

be combined with typically unpopular policy, such as raising taxes in order to gain voter support.

The Women Construction Owners and Executive’s Chicago Caucus (WCOE) is one of the groups participating in the lawsuit.

Theresa Kern, the board chair for WCOE, worries that if passed, the ordinance would discourage developers from pursuing construction projects in Chicago, directly impacting the union construction workers that make up the WCOE. “Right now, there is hardly any work going on (downtown) at all,” Kern said. “It’s chasing work from downtown for one thing, and if you chase work from downtown, then you’re going to chase work from the rest of the city.”

Many supporters of Bring Chicago Home understand this fear.

They include Jaclyn Rassner, a social worker and a supporter and volunteer with the group since 2020.

“Change is scary, and if your income is dependent on this industry, I could understand why this is scary,” Rassner said.

The Mayor’s Press Office released a statement Jan. 5 in response to the lawsuit, restating Johnson’s support for Bring Chicago Home and his belief that it would create “even more much-needed resources to address homelessness in our city.”

Alvarez said, if passed, the ordinance would bind the city to use this revenue for homeless services.

“The city cannot use it for other things,” Alvarez said. “This is truly to address homelessness in the

city, it’s creating quality affordable housing so it’s maintained, and providing wrap-around services.”

But Cornel Darden Jr., chairman and founder of the Southland Black Chamber of Commerce, a business organization standing in opposition to Bring Chicago Home, expressed concern that the city has yet to release information about where this revenue would be allocated.

Darden worries that this will cause the city to use the money for unintended purposes.

“We don’t want to have a situation where we think these funds are going to a very honorable cause and to help us tackle our ongoing homelessness problem, and those funds are diverted and used for something else,” Darden said.

Kern and Darden believe that if passed, the ordinance will cause more harm than good, specifically for future property development and those who rent apartments.

Kern says that if landlords are forced to pay a high transfer tax in order to acquire an apartment building, these costs will be passed on to renters.

“It’s pretty clear to see how residents are going to be impacted, landlords can’t pay this transfer tax themselves, and you know where that’s going to show up,” Kern said.

Alvarez identified the lack of “clear and precise” language in the ordinance as well but says that this leaves much-needed room to continue to address the changing needs of those experiencing homelessness.

“The need today might not be the same need five years from

News. The DePaulia. Feb. 19, 2024 | 5

The city cannot use it for other things...This is truly to address homelessness in the city, it’s creating quality affordable housing so it’s maintained, and providing wrap-around services.”

Vanessa Alvarez,

Chicago Coalition for the Homeless

ROSE O’KEEFFE | THE DEPAULIA

Members of DePaul’s student government association share roundtable updates during a meeting in Levan Hall on Feb. 7. Several new senators were confirmed at this meeting.

now,” Alvarez said. “I think that affords Bring Chicago Home the opportunity to be nimble and listen to those who need the support to understand what is truly needed to get them housing and have a place to thrive.”

Close collaboration with those with lived experiences of homelessness would be a priority in crafting and executing the specifics of the Bring Chicago Home ordinance, according to Rassner and Alvarez.

This will ensure that services for those experiencing homelessness are being addressed as well, not just focusing on the goal of creating housing.

Rassner explains that homelessness is often a “symptom” of greater causes, such as domestic violence, mental health challenges or substance abuse issues.

Investing in these wrap-around services would give attention to these symptoms, not just focus on obtaining the physical home, says Rassner.

Those opposing the ordinance believe that more attention should be focused on communicating with real estate and development groups to form a more comprehensive plan, according to Kern from WCOE. “When you talk to builders, developers, real estate companies and apartment owners, they really know a lot more than the city of Chicago knows about the economy, property, the whole ball of wax,” Kern said.

Darden calls the proposed ordinance a “great idea” but believes that the solution to homelessness shown through Bring Chicago Home “causes harm to everyone.”

But Rassner says that Bring Chicago Home will show great improvements to the city in many areas.

She points to the one in seven Chicago Public School students who experience homelessness, resulting in poor performance due to a lack of rest and a secure place to study.

“I think having our streets safer because people have a place to go, having our schools performing better because students are well rested improves the city in ways that feel good, and in ways that will raise the value, so to speak, of a city,” Rassner said.

Rassner says that Bring Chicago Home would help ensure people have the resources they deserve.

“People deserve dignity, they deserve to have the ability to get clean when they feel dirty, people should have a place that is safe for them to go and escape from the world,” Rassner said.

SGA elects new members to senate and cabinet

By Grace Logan SGA Beat Reporter

During its Feb. 7 general body meeting, the Student Government Association (SGA) appointed three new senators and internally elected a new Executive Vice President for Diversity and Equity.

Executive Vice President for Diversity and Equity - Victoria Gomez-Meza: For the last two years, Victoria Gomez-Meza was the senator for first-generation students. During that time, she gained experience working with the Committee for Diversity and Equity. Gomez-Meza applied for vice president of this committee with the encouragement of her peers and advisors in SGA. During her address, Gomez-Meza expressed her commitment to serve and advocate for all DePaul students.

“Getting to college is an immense challenge and once they actually start, students are faced with many obstacles that can get in their way of success,” Gomez-Meza said. “It is important to connect with them and have conversations about how we can make their education more accessible.”

In November 2023, while serving as senator for first-generation students, Gomez-Meza created First Generation Week. Gomez-Meza said she wanted this event to commend first-generation students for getting to where they are today and hopes to make this an annual tradition throughout DePaul’s campuses.

“This future was not set for us, and we go through this process of undergrad with many unknowns,” Gomez-Meza said.

Gomez-Meza plans to create stronger relationships with cultural organizations and continue conversations on cultural awareness, gender inclusivity and the recognition of privilege. She also hopes to build a greater connection between commuter students and campus life.

As Executive Vice President for Diversity and Equity, Gomez-Meza will now be a member of SGA’s cabinet throughout the next term.

Senator for the College of Law - Jake Fondel: Law student Jake Fondel, gained experience working in student government through the Student Bar Association (SBA) at DePaul.

While addressing the general body of SGA, Fondel discussed the need for more substantial health insurance coverage for graduate students. “(This is something) many other schools in Chicago provide,” Fondel said. “The fact that we don’t is putting us and our students at a disadvantage.”

Through hosting more events in the Loop, Fondel said he hopes to create a stronger connection between DePaul’s two campuses and make the distance feel less vast. He would like to have SGA and SBA work more closely to pull together some of these events.

Loop campus security is another concern students have expressed to Fondel. He discussed the

need for increased keycard readers in downtown campus buildings.

Fondel discussed the importance of addressing the needs of graduate students who are in a very different phase of their life, compared to undergraduate students.

“In law school, there’s people with children, husbands, wives and families,” Fondel said. “There’s people who come right out of college. There’s people who only take night classes because they work all day. I want to make sure that the school is working for everyone.”

Senator for Disabled Students - Gerald Zink: Gerald Zink transferred to DePaul to pursue political science after spending two years at Columbia College Chicago.

Zink said he applied for the position of senator because there is a need for disabled students to be represented.

He plans to contact organizations such as the student-led group Accessible Futures and DePaul’s Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) to determine issues facing disabled students. Zink will present them to SGA with the hope of finding solutions.

“In regards to problems disabled students suffer from at DePaul, it’s not cut and dry,” Zink said. “It’s a problem with the atmosphere. Those who are on the spectrum and those with other cognitive disorders are not happy with a culture they see at DePaul, being very isolative and secular.”

Senator for Second-Year Students - Sheridan Hajny: Political science major Sheridan Hajny said she applied for Senator for Second Year Students as a way to get more involved and help her peers.

The primary initiatives of Hajny’s campaign include increasing communication between the school and its students as well as creating channels for students to provide feedback to the university.

During her address, she discussed her hope to help second-year students maximize their time at DePaul through the implementation of career planning and academic exploration programs.

“I am excited to be able to advocate for students, utilizing the network SGA has,” Hajny said.

Chief of Staff Jaslynn Hodges said that one of SGA’s goals this year is to get students more involved and aware of things happening around campus. She looks forward to seeing these senators take on tasks centered around community engagement.

“I believe each of these newly appointed leaders have the dedication necessary to succeed in SGA,” Hodges said. “It is always encouraging to see new members join and especially when they are eager to serve their constituents and the student body.”

6 | La DePaulia. The DePaulia. 19 de Febrero 2024

La DePaulia

Más migrantes venezolanos en Chicago toman clases de inglés con la esperanza encontrar trabajo

CARY ROBBINS | LA DEPAULIA

Los migrantes duermen en tiendas de campaña afuera del distrito de policia 19 el 19 de octubre 2024. Las comisarías de policía han estado albergando a migrantes mientras el gobierno sigue encontrando soluciones permanentes.

Por Delaunay Krauter Escritora Colaboradora, La DePaulia

El sistema de los refugios para migrantes en la ciudad de Chicago está desbordado mientras funcionarios de Texas continúan enviando migrantes.

Con fondos limitados, el alcalde Brandon Johnson ha suspendido la expansión de refugios de la ciudad mientras pide al gobernador J.B. Pritzker que abra un espacio con las 2,000 camas que el estado prometió en noviembre.

Según datos de la ciudad, más de 800 autobuses han llegado a la ciudad desde agosto 2022, trayendo a más de 35,000 nuevos migrantes. Alrededor de 13,000 migrantes están alojados actualmente en los 28 refugios de Chicago, pero la demanda ha puesto presión sobre los funcionarios de la ciudad y el estado para encontrar soluciones.

La ciudad asignó $150 millones para servicios a migrantes y solicitantes de asilo en el 2024, pero gasta $1.5 millones en esos servicios todos los días, dijo Johnson en una conferencia de prensa el 24 de enero, donde explicó la última versión de la misión de la ciudad para apoyar a la creciente población de solicitantes de asilo en Chicago.

“Hay algunas limitaciones a lo que podemos hacer”, dijo Johnson.

Para hacer espacio a los migrantes, Johnson anunció primero un límite de estancia en refugios de 60 días para los migrantes el 17 de noviembre, el cual ha pospuesto desde entonces.

La primera ola de desalojos estaba originalmente programada para entrar en vigor el 16 de enero, pero por el mal clima, la presión de los miembros del concejo municipal y los activistas llevaron a Johnson a suspender la política, ahora por tercera vez.

Más de una docena de concejales redactaron una carta al alcalde en enero, advirtiendo a Johnson que los desalojos harían más difícil la reubicación de los migrantes que se quedarían sin opciones de vivienda o refugio una vez que alcanzaran sus límites de estancia, según un informe de WBEZ.

Johnson defendió la política en la conferencia de prensa del 24 de enero, citando políticas similares promulgadas en grandes ciudades como Denver y Nueva York.

Entre el 16 de enero y el 28 de febrero, 5,700 personas habrían tenido que abandonar los refugios de la ciudad. Ahora tienen 60 días adicionales. Aquellos que enfrentan desalojos entre el 1 de marzo y el 28 de marzo, alrededor de 2,100 personas, han obtenido una extensión de 30 días, dijo Brandie Knazze, comisionada del Departamento de Familia y Apoyo, en la conferencia de prensa del 24 de enero.

Una vez que alcancen su límite de estancia, las personas que aún necesiten vivienda tendrán que volver a solicitar refugio en la zona de aterrizaje de la ciudad, donde llegan los autobuses y los recién llegados tienen su primer contacto con los proveedores de servicios, dijo Knazze en la conferencia de prensa.

“Nuestro plan para refugios temporales de emergencia nunca fue concebido como una solución de vivienda a largo plazo”, dijo Johnson.

Breandán Magee, director senior de programas de la Coalición de Illinois para los Derechos de los Inmigrantes y Refugiados (ICIRR), dijo que su organización está preocupada por la política de estancia en refugios de la ciudad.

Magee dijo en un panel sobre migración forzada organizado en DePaul el 30 de enero que la falta de preparación para los desalojos de refugios podría provocar “una tormenta perfecta de personas que no están preparadas para ser desalojadas del sistema de la ciudad”.

El ICIRR es responsable de dirigir los fondos de la ciudad y el estado a los proveedores de servicios, según Magee, y es uno de los grupos que abogó por el estatus de ciudad santuario de Chicago, que protege a los migrantes de preguntas sobre su estatus migratorio y evita que se les nieguen servicios independientemente de su documentación.

“Mucha gente escuchó ese llamado y vino”, dijo. “Pero cuando llegaron aquí hace apenas un par de meses, encontramos que los refugios estaban desbordados”.

Además de los límites de los refugios, el estado también ha reducido un programa de asistencia de alquiler que ofrecía financiamiento estatal para ayudar a los migrantes a pagar el alquiler.

Inicialmente, los migrantes recibieron seis meses de asistencia de alquiler, pero ahora el programa solo cubre tres.

Sin un trabajo, autorización de empleo, asistencia de alquiler y frecuentemente sin los beneficios públicos como atención médica y asistencia legal, aquellos que están listos para dejar los refugios durante la primera ola de desalojos estarían en serio riesgo, según Magee.

Magee dijo que solo alrededor del 10% de los migrantes que llegan reciben elegibilidad para continuar con la autorización de empleo, lo que les permitiría trabajar legalmente en los EE. UU. Lo mismo ocurre con los migrantes que solicitan asilo, lo que protege a las personas indocumentadas de ser deportadas si pueden demostrar que enfrentarán persecución o daño si son enviadas a casa.

El estado de Illinois le dio a la ciudad $160 millones en noviembre para apoyar el plan de reasentamiento de la ciudad.

Parte de este financiamiento estaba destinado inicialmente a ayudar a la ciudad a construir un campamento base invernal para migrantes en el vecindario de Brighton Park, que habría abierto 2,000 camas adicionales.

Sin embargo, los planes finalmente fracasaron después de que la Agencia de Protección Ambiental de Illinois (IEPA) encontrara que la tierra estaba contaminada y no apta para la construcción.

El último refugio administrado por la ciudad abrió el 18 de noviembre en un complejo de oficinas en la Avenida Elston. La ciudad no ha abierto ningún refugio desde entonces, aunque un refugio financiado por el estado en una farmacia CVS en Little Village abrió el 11 de enero.

Johnson sigue pidiendo a Pritzker que abra las 2,000 camas que el estado prometió construir en noviembre.

“El estado de Illinois está comprometido con la construcción de nuevos refugios”, dijo Johnson. “Hay varios

lugares en los que se pueden construir esos refugios”.

Pritzker, quien está “profundamente preocupado” de que Johnson haya detenido la expansión de refugios, dice que el estado está dispuesto a hacer su parte, pero que la ciudad aún no le ha dicho dónde dirigir los recursos, según un informe del Chicago Tribune.

Con la ciudad a punto de agotar sus fondos, tanto Johnson como Pritzker están buscando el apoyo del gobierno federal.

Magee en el ICIRR dijo que la verdadera crisis es la falta de acción del gobierno federal para proporcionar asistencia.

“Desafortunadamente, eso requeriría un proyecto de ley del Congreso, y la financiación para Ucrania y para Israel, así como las disposiciones de seguridad fronteriza, todo está vinculado en este momento y es un verdadero lío”, dijo Magee. “Dentro de eso están algunas de las disposiciones que irían a algunas de las ciudades santuario, incluida Chicago”.

Mientras tanto, el gobernador de Texas, Greg Abbott, sigue enviando autobuses sin decirles a los pasajeros hacia dónde se dirigen.

Rob Paral, un consultor demográfico y de políticas públicas en Rob Paral & Associates, dijo que visitó el sitio en la frontera de Texas donde están estacionados los autobuses. “¿Cuánta propiedad tienen en sus manos?” Paral preguntó a los invitados en el panel sobre migración forzada organizado en DePaul. “Eso es lo que tienen”, dijo en referencia a una foto de personas subiendo a autobuses en la frontera.

Elizabeth Kennedy, una experta en condiciones del país y científica social que también habló en el panel, dijo que algunas personas subestiman cuán conscientes están los migrantes de los riesgos asociados con su viaje.

“Saben que están arriesgando sus vidas, pero es con la posibilidad de que puedan tener una vida mejor...”, dijo. “Quieren ser alguien, quieren soñar, y tenemos estos derechos”.

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

La DePaulia. The DePaulia. 19 de Febrero 2024 | 7

Una joven actriz latina triunfa en Chicago: Lecciones desde un salón de clases hasta el escenario de Steppenwolf

CORTESIA DE JOEL MOORMAN

Esta foto proporcionada por el Teatro Steppenwolf de Chicago muestra el elenco del estreno mundial de Steppenwolf de “A home what howls (o la casa que era barranco)” incluye, de izquierda a derecha, Eddie Torres, Isabel Quintero, Leslie Sophia Pérez, Charín Álvarez y el miembro del grupo Tim Hopper.

Por Claire Tweedie Editora de Arte y Vida, La DePaulia

Leslie Sophia Pérez recuerda el comienzo de su carrera actoral con cariño. Pero de lo que más se acuerda, es de los mugidos en su primer papel.

Años después de participar en el programa de teatro de su escuela católica, finalmente obtuvo su papel protagónico en cuarto grado: la vaca en una adaptación de “Jack y las habichuelas mágicas”. Recuerda estar en el escenario junto a Jack todas las tardes, creando un personaje a partir de los mugidos que le asignaron y mugiendo con todo su corazón.

“Esa fue la única línea que tuve, solo ‘muu’”, dijo Pérez. “Me aseguré de que cada línea fuera diferente y de que tuviera una historia de fondo, una risa de personaje, todo”.

Pérez se está preparando para su próximo gran papel después de sus días nostálgicos de estrellato en la escuela primaria. Esta vez, sin embargo, es la protagonista en la próxima producción del Teatro Steppenwolf, “A home what howls (o la casa que era barranco)”, que se estrena el 7 de febrero.

Pérez interpreta a Soledad Vargas, una joven mujer méxico-americana que lucha por el derecho de su familia a vivir en su tierra en medio de comunidades desplazadas y política urbana.

“Este espectáculo ha sido una lección de humildad, por decir lo menos, porque hace mucho que no hago teatro”, dijo Pérez.

“Se siente bien estar en este ambiente nuevamente. Soy la más joven del elenco, así que todos con los que trabajo tienen años de experiencia, cada día se siente como una gran clase”.

Pérez se graduó de The Theatre School (TTS) en junio de 2023. Sabía que el programa de actuación de DePaul producía exalumnos conocidos, sus compañeros de clase se lo dijeron, pero nada de eso le importaba.

El único aspecto que realmente le importaba para su futuro era la oportunidad de aprender, no solo como estudiante en el aula, sino como profesional, poniendo sus habilidades en práctica después de graduarse.

“Mis compañeros de clase me decían que

éramos el mejor conservatorio del país, pero eso no necesariamente me importaba”, dijo Pérez. “Quería una escuela que realmente me ayudara a largo plazo y creo que DePaul realmente me ayudó a enfrentar mi mayor desafío, que era yo, que era mi cabeza”.

Un año después de su tiempo en TTS, Pérez consiguió un papel en la producción de Steppenwolf, “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter”. La obra fue la adaptación de estreno mundial de la novela de Erika L. Sánchez y se agotó antes de su actuación inaugural el 26 de febrero del 2020.

Sandra Márquez, quien dirigió la producción original de “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter”, recuerda a Pérez por su instinto artístico tanto en la sala de audiciones como en el escenario.

“Una de las cosas que destacó cuando trabajé con [Pérez] fue que constantemente se siente cómoda compartiendo ideas y pensamientos sobre cómo se puede hacer algo”, dijo Márquez. “No todos los actores pueden ver la especificidad de su propio trabajo, y mucho menos el panorama general, y ella ya puede hacer ambas cosas”.

Dos semanas después del estreno del espectáculo, llegó el Covid-19.

“Se sintió como una gran nube oscura porque cuando el espectáculo se cerró, fue rápido”, dijo Pérez. “Al día siguiente, recogí todo de mi camerino y volví a casa, no a mi apartamento, sino a casa para ponerme en cuarentena con mi familia”.

Pérez ya había tomado un año sabático para ser parte de “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter”, pero en medio de una pandemia global y sin su espectáculo, se sintió desanimada.

“Soy una gran creyente de que todo sucede por una razón”, dijo Pérez. “Cuando [Covid-19] estaba ocurriendo, creo que lo más importante que me di cuenta es que no puedo renunciar a mí misma. Tienes que tener una mente muy fuerte para esta industria y necesitaba sentir esa pérdida para volverme mentalmente más fuerte de lo que era”.

Tres años después, “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter” encontró una nueva vida en el Seattle Rep Theater.

Determinada a no tomar otro año sabático,

CORTESIA DE JOEL MOORMAN

Leslie Sophia Pérez ensaya para el estreno mundial en el Teatro Steppenwolf de “A home what howls (o la casa que era barranco)”. encontró una manera de terminar su carrera trabajó previamente con Pérez durante un en línea mientras actuaba en un espectáculo festival de obras cortas antes de la pandemia y pensó en ella al elenco de la obra de en la costa oeste.

“No quería encontrarme en la misma Steppenwolf.

“Con el tiempo, cambias como persona, encrucijada donde tuviera que elegir entre la escuela y un espectáculo”, dijo cambias como creativo”, dijo Alcalá Baker.

Pérez. “Definitivamente tuve que luchar “Al conocerla ahora, puedo ver cuánto por esta oportunidad en reuniones con la crecimiento ha ocurrido, cuánto ha administración de mi escuela y miembros cambiado su proceso y cómo ha cambiado de la facultad. Tuve que idear los planes para el mío también. Puedo ver que ella está hacerlo funcionar porque nadie lo iba a hacer aprendiendo constantemente pero se conoce por mí. Cuando me dieron luz verde, todo en a sí misma como artista de una manera que le da una perspectiva única al entrar en el lo que podía pensar era ‘gracias a Dios’”.

Desde que comenzó su carrera, Pérez ha texto [de la obra]”.

Las presentaciones de “a home what filmado varios comerciales, reservó su primer episodio de “Chicago P. D.”, ha participado en howls (o la casa que era barranco)” se realizan varias producciones teatrales y trabajó en el hasta el 2 de marzo. Los boletos comienzan piloto de la serie de televisión “Computer en $20 para las presentaciones públicas.

“Recuerdo cualquier actuación que School” con el comediante Tim Robinson.

“Estoy emocionada por la trayectoria de haya dado, cada noche de estreno que haya la carrera de Leslie y lo que termina haciendo, hecho, y simplemente tiene sentido para sea lo que sea”, dijo Márquez. “Muchas veces mí”, dijo Pérez. “Me encanta contar historias. en la cultura estadounidense, el éxito significa Me encanta poder tomar un personaje y un programa de televisión, pero esa es una tener un poco de mí dentro del papel. Me vista tan limitada para un artista. Creo que un encanta poder representar una historia de artista exitoso es aquel que puede encontrar dolor, amor y risas. Poder entretener es un personas con las que puedan crear y disfrutar regalo tan gratificante y creo que por eso sigo haciéndolo”. ese proceso, disfrutar la chispa artística real”.

La directora Laura Alcalá Baker

8| Opinions. The DePaulia. Feb. 19, 2024

Opinions Filler words can be, like, totally sexist MARA LOGAN | THE DEPAULIA

Contributing Writer

In high school, I was the National Honor Society president and spoke in front of the entirety of my school and their families more than once.. I’ve spoken in front of city officials along with their peers and partners. And I spend much of my time at my summer job speaking loudly and confidently through a megaphone to complete strangers.

I’m in my first public speaking class in collegeof my collegiate academic career and I’m about to present give my assignmentfirst speech to the class– a simple introduction speech. Simple enough, YyYou’d think it’d be easy, as introduction speeches don’t require much from someone with so much experience like myself..

Yet, all these instances have one dreaded commonality, and it isn’t my nerves. In fact, I’m less nervous about the very nature of public speaking than I am my way of going about it.

Which includes I find myself spending less time practicing what I want to say and instead drilling into my memory what I don’t want to say.

And it’s always the same thoughts:.

Don’t. Stop. Talking This is built off of my fear of overusing filler words – or in linguistic terms, lexical hedges.

I’ve been berated more than I can count on my use of the word “like.”

Stemming from mockery and criticism from my stepdadstep-dad, my fear of language began. Or, better yet, my fear of using the language I had always known.

Accompanied by a taunting valley girl accent and a constant place of the blame on “watching too much of the KardashiansKardashian’s,” I was interrupted often by my step-dadhim. “Like, like, like,” he’d say back to me. I believe he considered it his way of ‘helping’ me — his attempt to make sure I didn’t sound “dumb.”

I’m a journalism major now, and was a writing enthusiast then. I have always gravitated towards stories and, like most young teens, I love to talk. Sharing knowledge and questioning the world around me went from my entire identity to my biggest fear.

I began to try to quiet down in public while I practiced talking in private. I began listening to myself during conversations with my friends, counting in my head the amount of times I used my fill-

ers. I found myself making only a little progress “So I was like, totally buggin,” (to quote Cher Horowitz in “Clueless”).

This scenario was replayed hundreds of times throughout my academic career; sometimes only questioned on the way I delivered asked my question rather than receiving an answer.

I grew up ignoring my use of filler words this, laughing it off despite always being a little annoyed for getting attacked for it. I never spoke in unfamiliar tongues or performed an act out of the ordinary. And never, ever, had I been told to stop saying “uhm.”

I thought it then, and I think it now — Why is speaking like a Kardashian creating a vision of imbecility? More importantly, why is ‘like’ such a bad thing?

To use filler words isn’t a sign of mindlessness. In fact, Valerie M. Fridland, a linguist and professor, believes these pause variants can be useful.

She claims “Crutch words… are really valuable and they have arisen to serve a need.”

Not only is this an issue created for no reason other than a personal bias of some, but it’s built off the inherent idea that the typically associated “Valley girl” type of speech is unintelligent. Why? Because vocal fry and upspeaking, typically found in only women, makes it wrong.

Robin Lakoff, a Harvard graduate and UCLA Professor says, “Women employ lexical hedges or fillers to avoid appearing too masculine by being forceful and speaking plainly.”

While this may appear to be equally as sexist in nature, women only avoid this language to escape the labels that come with it such as bossy, cocky, and abrasive.

There was a micro trendmicrotrend a while back on TikTok of “emailing like a man,” wherein which women would change their messages from explanation points to periods and phrases from “asking please” to giving strict demands.

While this was light-hearted in nature and poked fun at the way men don’t have to worry about coming off too strong obfuscating points to seem nicer, it led to thinking about the way almost all language is divided between sexes.

And, contrary to popular belief, UCLA completed a study in which they found men used significantly more filler words than women. The main difference inof their results waswere that women favored the word “like,” and men favored “yeah” and even sometimes “uhm.”

So why are we as a society in the 21st

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

century still debating the validity of filler words most often when the stereotype is most often aimed directly at women?

There’s a stigma on not just a word, but an entire generation. The lexical hedge “like” doesn’tisn’t representrepresenting unintelligence, young girls, or lack of preparation. In reality, it stands in for the years women have had to qualify their ideas and theories by making themit sound more relatable and casual.

It stands for the teens who were silenced

2024

By Brielle Kohlbeck

based on the way they spoke despite only mirroring the vernacular of those around them.

This isn’t trivial feminine jargon.

This is sexism.

I’ll unfortunately never be able to stop trying to refrain myself from saying “like,” but I will no longer be embarrassed when I do,; Bbecause it’s, like, not my filler words that define me.

Winter Career Fairs Register Here

Part-Time Job Fair Tuesday, February 20th 3:00pm – 6:00pm Loop Campus - Lower Level Concourse

Register Here

Industry-Wide Career Fair Thursday, February 22nd 3:00pm – 6:00pm Lincoln Park Campus - Student Center 120 A/B

WINTER 2024

Opinions. The DePaulia. Feb. 19, 2024| 9

SGA OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT MANUEL Dear President Manuel, As you may be aware, representatives from the Climate Reality Project, the climate activism organization created by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, reached out to you and the co-chairs of The President’s Sustainability Committee to make you aware that several DePaul University buildings rank among the highest in CO2 emissions in the City of Chicago.

Data from the City of Chicago shows that McGowan North on the Lincoln Park campus ranks #14 on the list of highest emissions in the city. These representatives have respectfully requested that DePaul respond by providing a concrete climate action plan, addressing when and how our institution plans to make necessary changes to reduce emissions at energy intensive buildings on our campuses.

For background, former DePaul University President Rev. Dennis Holtschneider commissioned a group of select students, faculty, and staff to create the University’s first-ever sustainability plan in 2011.

On the back of this effort, former President A. Gabriel Esteban signed an agreement for DePaul to become a Laudato Si university, in alignment with the ideas in the papal encyclical by Pope Francis. Since then, concerns only grow that the University has not met the goals set forth in the 2011 Sustainability Plan.

We recognize that data and conversations around climate change have drastically changed since 2011.

Our 2011 plan succeeded in its goals related to sustainability curriculum offerings but fell short in many areas operationally. There are today, without a doubt, changes that we can make in DePaul’s operations to do our part to lessen the severity of the impacts of climate change. DePaul’s role in the gentrification of Lincoln Park and surrounding neighborhoods cannot

be overstated either. As the University continues to affect the city around us, and even build on our campuses, we believe there is much that our institution can do to help diminish the disastrous impacts of climate change that our generation and the generations that follow ours will experience in the coming decades. We believe the DePaul community is ready to have this conversation and that it will be crucial for the President's Office to show personal commitment on this matter.

To date, DePaul has not published a relevant climate action plan, as many of our peer institutions have, that would sufficiently respond to the request made by the Climate Reality Project. For this reason, we urge you to please commission the creation of a Climate Action Plan, drawing on the work of the President’s Sustainability Committee, our own KIERSTEN RIEDFORD | THE DEPAULIA Student Government Association representatives, SGA President Parveen Mundi, left, and Vice President Avery experts within the University on sustainability (both Schoenhals being sworn into office, on May 11, 2023. faculty and staff), and leadership from relevant departments in collaboration with both you and your Cabinet.

Respectfully signed, Parveen Kaur Mundi Student Body President Avery Schoenhals Student Body Vice President Jaslynn Hodges SGA Chief of Staff

10 | Opinions. The DePaulia. Feb. 19, 2024

To sit or to stand: Why CTA etiquette is so important QUENTIN BLAIS | THE DEPAULIA

A CTA rider waits for a train at the Clark/Lake stop in the Loop on Friday, Feb. 16, 2024. As transit ridership increases post-pandemic, more attention has shifted to safety on trains.

By Nadine DeCero Opinions Editor

“Did your bag pay a fare too?”

“Eating, drinking, and smoking are prohibited on CTA vehicles.”

“Standing passengers, please do not lean against the doors.”

“Keep your personal music player personal.”

These are all things we see and hear as CTA customers during our commutes. We hear them so often that they should be memorized like the back of our hand and enforced so much that we fear the man over the loudspeaker is some omniscient being that’s going to yell at us if we break the rules.

Well, at least that’s how I feel.

Unfortunately, not everyone is a rule follower on public transportation.

In a city with over 2.5 million people and 234.5 million riding the CTA annually, there’s a lot of room for disagreement on what the CTA rules are, and whether or not they should be followed.

More often than not, the rules are followed loosely, or not at all.

Many Chicagoans, including myself, rely on the CTA for transportation, so I’m on the bus or the train every dayeveryday.

When I’m on the CTA, I try to mind my own business, but after living in Chicago for a few years now and having parents who are from the city themselves and thankfully taught me well, I’ve learned that one of my biggest pet peeves is seeing people not follow the rules on the CTA. The one that irks me the most is when people stay seated in handicapped seating when an elderly or pregnant commuter gets onto the bus or train. I believe that to be just bluntly inconsiderate.

However, this topic got me thinking about non-English speaking commuters. I noticed a lot of CTA announcements and signage are rarely translated to other languages.

In that case, I obviously do not blame those who do not speak English. But for those who do and still choose to be the obnoxious commuter– this story is for you.

I think it comes down to common courtesy and general respect for others.

And it’s not just me who notices this, CTA is well aware of these issues.

In 2015, the CTA launched a courtesy campaign, described as, “a friendly reminder that we’re all the “public” of public transportation.”

Yet and still, a campaign is simply not enough to foster much change.

Flash forward to earlier this month, the CTA has made more effort to improve the CTA experience. On Feb. 7, 2024, they came out with a press release saying, “...the Chicago Police Department issued more than 6,300 citations for those smoking on CTA properties in 2023– and more than any year since 2019.”

“CTA supplements CPD’s efforts with its extensive security-camera network and with hundreds of personnel deployed across the system each day, around the clock who are trained and acutely focused on customer comfort and safety,” said CTA spokesperson Maddie Kilgannon.

I don’t want to say I’m some perfect passenger. I have my moments when I crowd the door before passengers get off to get on because I see an open seat on the train and there’s nothing else in the world I’d rather do than stand.

Yes, I’m mad at myself for doing that, too.

But I’m also a DePaul student, so I’m part of another problem.

“A large majority of college students in Chicago take the train to class and sometimes getting on a crowded train with a bunch of other students can be a little bit annoying,” said DePaul sophomore Ella Wheaton. “We make the train cars full.”

However, crowded trains can actually be a good thing.

“We saw during the pandemic, a really big uptick in behaviors on the CTA that before the pandemic would have dictated you don't do these things,” said Chicago Tribune transportation reporter Sarah Freishtat. “And so with fewer people on trains and buses, bad behavior is more noticeable. And there's a little bit less peer pressure to behave because you're kind of roaming around the empty train.”

Unpleasant experiences on the CTA can lead to overall decreased ridership, which the CTA is still struggling with to reach their pre-pandemic levels. Customers might opt for something more personal and consistent, like Uber or Lyft.

But as we know, rideshare services can be expensive, and we’re obviously given Ventra cards for a reason.

All in all, I think it’s a collective effort to make riding public transportation more desirable rather than dreadful.

“I do think certainly, we all kind of fell out of practice of taking public transit for a couple of years back in, 2020 and 2021,” Freishtat said. “Just reminding people to some extent of how to be respectful of one another definitely has a role to play.”

Arts & Life

Arts/Life. The DePaulia. Jan. 22, 2024| 11

Festival of Lights hosts culture, performance and student talent for Lunar New Year SAM MROZ | THE DEPAULIA

DePaul student band Kalahi Kultural performs a cultural chorus at the Festival of Lights in the Lincoln Park Student Center on Feb. 13, 2024. The celebration featured performers from DePaul and the Chicagoland area.

By Sam Mroz Asst. Arts & Life Editor

Music pours out of the Lincoln Park student center, where student performers bring culture and celebration for the Festival of Lights. The two-hour event hosted by the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Cultural Center boasted ample food, exciting entertainment and traditions from across the Asian diaspora.

Hosted Feb. 13, the annual event honored its third reception. For Jane Baron, associate director in DePaul’s Office of Multicultural Student Success, its recognition at DePaul has only grown stronger through the years.

“This space and the strong relationships within empowered APIDA students allow them to showcase their talents, step out of their comfort zone, and share their culture with DePaul’s broader community,” Baron said.

Baron started as the APIDA Cultural Center’s program manager in 2021 and helped kick off the first festival with student performances. Although she would go on to take a larger position coordinating across DePaul’s four cultural centers, her former role was soon filled by a longtime member of the center.

In 2017, Sabrina Salvador began her career at DePaul when there were no designated cultural hubs. A year later, the APIDA Cultural Center and its three counterparts launched on the Lincoln Park Campus.

After moving through undergrad to graduate school at DePaul, Salvador spent less time in the center as her academic and professional tasks pulled her away from the space that she said defined her college experience.

However, when Salvador transitioned into graduate school, she saw an oppor-

SAM MROZ | THE DEPAULIA

Audience members watch as Maya Kaczor performs a rendition of Mitski’s Nobody in the Lincoln Park Student Center on Feb. 13, 2024. The Festival of Lights featured cultural performances as well as karaoke.

tunity to take on the role as program manager for the center — a chance she wasn’t keen on passing up.

“It felt like a calling to give back to a space I had gained so much from,” Salvador said. “I felt really disconnected from a lot of it but when this job opened up, it was a way for me to create and cultivate the environment that I really appreciated.”

As program manager, she is now the first point of contact for DePaul’s APIDA student body and most recently helped facilitate the Festival of Lights celebration.

Salvador said in her two years in the role, the festival favored student engagement and talent above all else, emphasizing local and rising performers.

“It’s less changing what we did in the event itself, and more so adjusting our strategy in regards to sharing it with the DePaul community,” said Salvador. “I

think that’s one of the things that’s helped with this year, as so many student performers, so many of them have friends on campus, so many of them are involved in student organizations and so their members come to support them.”

Some of the performers at the Festival of Lights included Yin He Dance, ACE Modern, Michael Cali, DePaul K-pop Dance Club, Kalahi Kultural and Seven Star Lion Dance Group.

Now two years out from Baron’s inaugural festival, the APIDA presence at DePaul balances exterior student outreach with internal community engagement.

“One of my goals was to increase the visibility of the APIDA population at DePaul to showcase the need for more resources,” Baron said. “Now that the Festival of Lights has become a staple APIDA event, I see that the goals have switched from increasing visibility of the APIDA community to building strong connec-

tions within the community itself.”

Arlene Park, a community engagement assistant in the APIDA Cultural Center, took on major ownership of handling the bulk of the festival’s programming. In her work to scout student performances for the event, Park said her goal was to maintain a thoughtful and fun mood throughout the night that still honored the history behind the celebration.

“Lunar New Year represents a time for family reunions, reflection, and the welcoming of a new year filled with hope, prosperity and good fortune,” said Park.

“It’s a time to honor ancestors, pay respects to elders, and exchange well-wishes for health, happiness and prosperity in the coming year.”

The APIDA Cultural Center hosts larger events like the Festival of Lights every quarter. In spring quarter, they will round out the school year with a night market hosted in connection with Buddha Heritage Month. Updates from the center and information can be found on socials or the center’s DeHub page.

Although students will have to wait until next year to celebrate another Lunar New Year, every event at the APIDA Cultural Center is a chance to acknowledge their cultural history and the Asian diaspora.

“I’ve always cherished my culture and the rich history it offers, which has enabled me to appreciate myself more fully,” Park said. “The Festival of Lights, therefore, becomes not just a celebration of cultural diversity, but also a reaffirmation of identity and a reminder of the beauty in embracing one’s heritage.”

And what’s the outcome of such an embrace?

“My heart feels whole,” Salvador said.

12| Arts/Life. The DePaulia. Jan. 22, 2024

At

ASHLEY PERÉZ | THE DEPAULIA

Valentine’s Day cards made by Bookmark members sit on a table in the Student Center Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024., in the Student Center. The cards were made during one of the club’s monthly art events.

BOOKMARKED, continued from front community.

Although the co-presidents said they’ve page As a co-leader of a club that strives to be inclusive, Rivera said finding books can be a challenge.

“We do our best to research authors who are queer and or people of color,” she said. “We found that many minority authors are not mainstream.”

Rivera and Palm also noticed that most “feminine leaning” books they’ve found are written by white women.

“I have come to terms that women of color are always being pushed away from the spotlight,” Rivera said. “And I am doing my best to find books that can move us all towards the spotlight.”

The club has completed “Before the Coffee Gets Cold” by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, a Japanese author from Osaka, Japan and “Witch of Wild Things” by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, a Mexican American novelist and poet from Florida. The club is currently reading “The Vanishing Half ” by Brit Bennett, an African American novelist from California.

They hope that emphasizing these kinds of books will help maintain a safe, close-knit

been called “sexist” for not allowing straight men to attend, they have resisted pressure from outside voices and kept the “vibe” the same.

Now a year into the book club’s creation, Rivera and Palm are delighted to see it flourish with over 200 members. Relocating from their small apartment to DePaul’s Student Center for larger meeting spaces was necessary for the growing club.

Rivera and Palm knew their growing community needed extra hands so they started an e-board for long-standing club members who are willing to help with group activities, social outreach and expenses.

Estefany Arellano, a junior majoring in environmental studies at DePaul, is a Bookmark board member and is responsible for hosting study sessions at local Lincoln Park cafes.

Arellano was excited to join the club, which she said has become “a place where you are not solely your identity.”

“Outside of the club, I’m a queer Latina,” Arellano said. “But here, I am just me.”

Palm and Rivera take great pride in the community they have built at DePaul, with open arms and open books.

ASHLEY PERÉZ | THE DEPAULIA

Bookmark club members decorate Valentine’s cards in the Student Center on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, in the Student Center. The cards were made during one of the club’s monthly art events.

“It’s super sweet having everyone bring a little snack or drink to share — to sit around and talk about books,” Palm said. “It’s all incredibly wholesome and has really made our time at DePaul better.”

As both founders approach their last years at DePaul, they look forward to handing off the club to their elected board and

hope students at DePaul will continue to find a place within the Bookmark community.

“As an introvert who loves literature and writing, it can be difficult to get out of your niche spaces,” Rivera said. “But if you need that extra push, our club is here for you.”

Arts/Life. The DePaulia. Feb. 19, 2024 | 14

St.Vincent’s

D e JAMZ “Spinning fresh beats since 1581”

By Claire Tweedie Arts & Life Editor

I used to be like you. I used to turn my nose up at things because it was easier to hate them than admit they were good: pumpkin spice lattes, Taylor Swift and country music.

I’ve turned my back on that lifestyle though and embraced my true form as an unapologetic country music lover. The truth is, no matter how much you try to deny it, country music is good. Nay, country music is great.

Instead of waking up and choosing to be a basic hater just for the cultural anonymity it brings you, come to the dark side and enjoy a little bit of Southern hospitality and country charm.

“Big Brown Eyes” by Old 97s Old 97s is a country rock band from my hometown Dallas, Texas and as such, I grew up going to their concerts at local venues and festivals. One of my earliest memories is being at an outdoor festival at 6 years old, dancing in the rain with my younger brother while listening to this song live. We were dancing like idiots to the point that we kept slipping in

the rain puddles and dropping the candy our parents had just bought us to keep us entertained. To me, “Big Brown Eyes” sounds like home. Old 97s was my introduction to the country genre, I hope it can be yours as well.

“Heartbreak Express” by Dolly Parton When people say that God is a woman, I imagine Dolly Parton. Besides being a country music star and national treasure, she’s an entrepreneur, movie star and film producer.

I don’t think I’m making it to heaven but if I do, I know Dolly Parton will be greeting me at those pearly white gates. There’s the common misconception that country music is just a bunch of songs about men objectifying women and loving their guns and trucks.

The important thing to remember though is in the midst of all those questionable songs, Dolly Parton reigns supreme as the queen of country.

“Hurt” by Johnny Cash Oh, you think country music has no relevance to you? Do you think you’re safe with your dad rock, your industrial rock, or whatever other subgenre of rock you listen to? Ha, it must suck to be wrong. The man, the myth, the legend Johnny Cash released a cover of

Crossword

the Nine Inch Nails’ song “Hurt” in 2002 and my dad has kept it in his playlist ever since.

Every once in a while when we’re in the car together, this song will play and he’ll remind me in proper dad-fashion that it’s a cover. It somehow sounds better every time I listen to it.

“Wondering Why” by The Red Clay Strays To mix in some more modern country music than the throwbacks I’ve included thus far, The Red Clay Strays is a perfect mix of classic country with rock ‘n’ roll. I just recently discovered them through my Instagram algorithm and became hooked on their 2022 album “Moment of Truth.” If you’re willing to try some country music with a bit more twang to it, this one’s for you. If you’re not, suck it up. You’ve read this far into the DeJamz, don’t be a coward.

“Southern Nights” by Glen Campbell We’re starting the DeJamz the same way I ended it: acting like an idiot with my brother.

Now that we’re both older, going home to Texas means finding one night with him between our busy work, school and social schedules to catch up. Oftentimes, we’ll spend a few hours

ACROSS

I) Certain term of respect 5) Caliph’s faith 10) Dishonestly acquired booty 14) “The Princess Diaries” star Hathaway 15) Diving gear 16) Succulent plant 17) Picnic item, sometimes 20) Wound from a boxer?

21) Elbow conspiratorially 22) Short, straight punch 23) Homer’s “Heck!”

24) “Caught in the act!”

26) Ophthalmologist’s concern 28) Schooner’s cargo, often 29) Shopping outlet 31) Little laugh 32) “Dog Barking at the Moon” painter Joan 34) “Christ the Redeemer” city 35) That lass 36) Picnic items,

sometimes 41) Sound of pleasure 42) Big Band or Victorian 43) “Listen!” oldstyle 45) Hollywood’s Eastwood 48) Lancelot and others 50) Wing-tip tip 51) Stumbling blocks 54) Busy pro in Apr. 55) Give a pink slip to 56) Possessive pronoun 57) Satisfy, as a debt 59) Enjoy a mystery 61) Picnic items, sometimes 65) Look_ (explore) 66) Syllables sung while skipping 67) City near Lake Tahoe 68) Too inquisitive 69) Sprinkle all about 70) Former Soviet inits.

COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA

getting ice cream then driving down rural roads near our house, blasting music and talking. The past couple of drives, this song will pop up on my brother’s playlist and I just watch him sing along and drum on the steering wheel to the beat. To me, “Southern Nights” sounds like summer break and long drives with a loved one.

DOWN

I) “Gaping” gullet 2) Like some steroids 3) Unlikely protagonist 4) High school sports event 5) Suffix for “Marx” or “capital” 6) Screenwriter’s creation 7) Humdinger 8) Home 9) Rundown and filthy 10) Close friend 11) Wood of Hollywood 12) Vicinity 13) Debilitated 18) Photocopier tray filler, perhaps 19) Be hot under the collar 23) Hoover construction 25) Draconian 27) Tree with edible nuts 30) Firms up, as muscles 33) Ape of Borneo 35) Mentally acute 37) Word with “second” or “laws of ’’

38) First wheels, for many 39) Scones 40) Widens 44) Baseball’s Griffey 45) Pay one’s share 46) Spanglish speaker, often 4 7) Map parts 49) Kolkata dress 52) Creatures with six or more legs, typically 53) Baseball or tennis 58) At some distance 60) Stocking shade 62) Flirtatious 63) Bit of hesitation?

64) Word in the Postal Service creed

Sports Late-game surge not enough for DePaul against conference rival 13 | Sports. The DePaulia. Feb. 19, 2024

By Nathana Klepp Contributing Writer

As DePaul graduate guard Anaya Peoples charged to the rim and scored a critical layup, the once 19-point lead the Marquette Golden Eagles had shrunk to four with 2 minutes and 16 seconds left on the game clock. DePaul women’s basketball had the chance to pull off a miracle comeback win at Wintrust Arena Tuesday night against their historic conference rival. The age-old saying that basketball is a game of runs rang true as momentum swung from side to side throughout the game. Unfortunately for the Blue Demons, time ran out as Marquette iced the game with free throws in the waning moments to win 69-58.

DePaul only led the contest for 49 seconds, playing catch-up from the opening jump ball, but head coach Doug Bruno was proud of his players’ efforts.

“The players did a great job of coming back in the first half chasing 15 (points) and then cutting it to five at halftime,” Bruno said.

“We let them have a 23-point lead in the second half and cut it to four. So, what the players did to continue to fight, to continue to come back was very impressive.”

DePaul played well in the second and fourth periods, where they outscored Marquette by three and eight points, respectively, while shooting above 50%. However, the first and third periods were much sloppier. Turnovers and a stagnant offense plagued DePaul and allowed Marquette’s lead to balloon to 23 near the end of the third period.

“24 turnovers is far too many,” associate head coach Jill M. Pizzotti told Radio DePaul Sports after the game. “It’s imperative that you take care of the basketball, and we certainly lost some opportunities to get some baskets because we turned it over.”

Bruno said his team needs to figure out

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DePaul graduate guard Michelle Sidor drives to the rim in a match against Providence February 7, at Wintrust Arena.

how to play the entire game with the same level of intensity and urgency they play with coming from behind.

“That’s been the riddle, the trick the entire season,” he said.

This attempted comeback would not have been possible without the efforts of guard Katlyn Gilbert and forward Jorie Allen, who both notched double-digit points.

Fresh off being named Big East Player of the Week, Peoples struggled to find her shot but battled on the glass, grabbing a team-best 12 rebounds with four in the final period.

“We get in timeouts and coach says, ‘Just get this one-stop, just get this one bucket,’” Allen said. “And as you rack them up, you gain confidence, as with any player in any game.

So we just had some players step up. We were able to get some buckets and make a run at them. But, like coach said, we really need to have that edge the whole game.”

Marquette boasted a notable size advantage in the frontcourt, with three of their main contributors standing at 6’0 and above.

In their first meeting in Milwaukee Jan. 13,

Marquette outscored DePaul in the paint by 26, accounting for 56% of their points. DePaul lost by 31 with poor performances all around, including Allen, who was held to eight points on 1-10 shooting — a season-low in Big East play.

“We went up to Milwaukee, they dominated us in pretty much every aspect of the game,” Allen said. “So, we had to come in here with extreme toughness and be aggressive, but also we had nothing to lose. There was really no pressure to perform. We just had to come out and do what we do.”

Allen rebounded from DePaul’s last matchup with Marquette with her best performance in conference play, scoring 18 points and shooting 8-10 from the field. DePaul’s guards looked for Allen inside early and often. Much of that is because her coaches and teammates have built up her confidence to carry the offensive load at times.

“I took my time and once you see one go down, the confidence builds and it kept going, kept attacking,” Allen said. “My teammates, they’re always in my corner. They al-

ways tell me to keep going at them. A lot of it was just getting back to practice and coming in and knowing everybody behind me had confidence in me and I was able to get some in today.”

Currently, Allen ranks first on the team in shooting percentage at 47%, second in total rebounds, and first in the plus/minus category, which indicates a player’s impact on the game by measuring the change in score while they are on the court. Although riding a twogame losing streak, DePaul women’s basketball has been playing competitive, gritty Big East basketball lately with impressive wins over Providence and at Hinkle Fieldhouse against Butler.

“It’s what we get done on the defensive end of the floor,” Pizzotti said of these competitive matchups. “You have to be able to make stops, you have to limit them to only one shot per possession.”

DePaul has not been an easy team to score points with. According to DePaul statistics, the women’s team could be on pace to finish below 80 points scored per game for a second consecutive year. Their previous four years all were above 81 points scored. With four games left on the schedule, DePaul will need their offense to step up to create momentum heading into March.

“Offensively, we’ve had some challenges scoring the ball,” Pizzotti said. “We’re trying to make sure our players stay in an aggressive mindset. We have yet to see three or four players shoot a high clip this season. I think that’s still in our near future.”

The Blue Demons fell to 12-15 and 4-10 in Big East play. The Blue Demons travel to New Jersey this weekend to take on the Seton Hall Pirates this Saturday but return to Wintrust Arena, where they will host No. 15 UConn Sunday, Feb. 25.

Is the Ray too crowded?

COMMENTARY

By Santiago Davila Staff Writer

The Ray Meyer Fitness and Recreation Center, also known as “The Ray” is especially packed at the beginning of the year and at the beginning of every quarter. Some use it as a space to focus on their workout. For others, it is a social scene.

In January and February particularly, DePaul students say it is tougher to find space in the gym. There are a variety of factors that could come into play here, including New Year’s resolutions to work out more often.

“The Ray, like most fitness facilities, has higher check-in volumes during peak hours (weekdays 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.) and in the first two months of the year,” said Stephanie Johnson, assistant director of marketing and communications at the Ray Meyer Fitness & Recreation Center.

Some students have decided to deal with the rush.

“I noticed that it was really crowded during all parts of the day, making me have to get creative with a lot of my workouts because most machines aren’t available for use,” DePaul junior Alyssa Miller said.

Other students have changed their routines.

“I’ve honestly given up on trying to lift at The Ray,” said DePaul junior Myles Igunbor. “The sheer amount of people there sometimes doesn’t even let you

do your workout routine. I only have a membership to play basketball at this point.”

It might not be surprising that a recreation center on a college campus is popular, but some are struggling to keep a consistent gym schedule as a result of this widely accessible resource.

“I go at a lot of different times of day throughout the week, and every time I went it was always super busy, even super early in the morning,” Miller said.

For students like Miller, overcrowding at the popular on-campus recreation center is disrupting her schedule. Struggling to maintain a consistent routine for an activity can make it difficult to continue the activity.

Similar to other organizations, the Covid-19 pandemic took a major toll on business at The Ray. From attendance statistics provided by Johnson, in January 2021, the check-in numbers were at 4,111. In January 2022, the number rose to 31,955.

“We do know that The Ray feels busy, and is certainly busier than in recent years,” Johnson said. “But, the usage of The Ray is still recovering from the impact of the Covid-19 years, and we haven’t yet neared facility usage counts from the past.”

As attendance has recovered, Johnson says the gym is working to accommodate accordingly.

“We have been proactive in expand-

JAKE COX | THE DEPAULIA

ing the strength spaces and increasing the availability of strength equipment,” Johnson said. “This includes converting Studio B into an additional workout space, adding strength options on the infields of the track (fourth floor), and expanding the strength footprint on the second floor.”

This year, 55,402 people checked in to use the facility in January. This number is consistent with previous January data provided before 2020. In fact, the numbers suggest attendance is far from its peak.

We put a high value on our students’ experience and thus will continue to monitor usage and refine operations to

improve user experience,” Johnson said.

The Ray’s main goals as provided by Johnson are “to offer high quality programs and services that are inclusive, innovative and comprehensive, to maintain progressive and well managed facilities in a safe and enjoyable environment, to provide experiential learning and foster the development of leadership, social and management skills through employment and participation opportunities, and to promote sustainability through the effective and ethical management of human, financial and physical resources.”

Sports. The DePaulia. Feb. 19, 2024| 15

Sports

Sports. The DePaulia. Feb. 19, 2024| 16

No. 1 ranked UConn hands DePaul a crushing 101-65 defeat at home

By Tom Gorski Contributing Writer

Once more, the UConn Huskies demonstrated its status as the nation’s topranked team with a commanding 36-point win over DePaul Wednesday night. The Blue Demons’ record drops to 3-21 for the season, continuing its streak of 25 consecutive regular-season conference losses.

Wednesday’s loss could be perceived as the most disappointing of the season for the Blue Demons, given the Huskies’ complete control from start to finish. It is worth noting that not a single DePaul player registered a positive plus-minus in the box score, underscoring the team’s overall struggle on the court. Plus/minus is a statistic that indicates a player’s impact on the game by measuring the change in the score while on the court.

“We played against a marvelous college basketball team,” interim head coach Matt Brady said of the team’s performance.

“They (UConn) have nothing but answers at both ends of the court. You have to play at a really high level to be in the game with them.”

The Huskies got off to a strong start, leading 22-7 early in the first half after a 14-2 run where they found little resistance from the Blue Demons’ defense. By halftime, UConn was comfortably ahead, leading 52-29, having scored on 24 of its first 34 possessions.

UConn sophomore forward Alex Karaban played a pivotal role in the victory, recording 21 points, five rebounds and a block while shooting 5-of-8 from beyond the arc in only 29 minutes of action.

“Alex is a great shooter, and we have two of the best shooters in the country with him and Cam (Spencer),” UConn coach Dan Hurley said of Karaban’s performance. “Alex is money when he’s got space.”

DePaul struggled to score, shooting 22-of-54 from the field and hitting only six of its 20 three-point attempts. Despite facing difficulties finding open looks in the second half, they continued shooting from beyond the arc, even when shots weren’t going in. “(UConn) scored way more than us, so we just started rushing things,” senior guard Jalen Terry said of the team’s inconsistent night offensively.

“I think we just need to just slow down

MAX CLEMENT | THE DEPAULIA

Interim head coach Matt Brady addresses the media after DePaul’s match against No. 1 ranked UConn February 14, at Wintrust Arena. DePaul lost 65-101.

and play more defense.”

Sophomore guard Elijah Fisher experienced a tough outing, ending the game with a plus-minus of minus 40 and only making just three of his seven shot attempts, resulting in 10 points. Fisher is averaging 8.6 points per game in Big East play this season, indicating that he has yet to find his rhythm.

Since stepping in as interim coach, Brady has increasingly voiced concerns about Fisher’s defensive efforts, expressing growing worries about his level of commitment on that end of the court.

“He doesn’t yet quite recognize the critical nature of playing hard on defense,” Brady said of Fisher’s defensive efforts recently. “He just doesn’t move fast, his motor isn’t great and that’s not something that can be taught. You have to draw that out of yourself.”

The reigning national champions saw six players from its nine-man rotation scoring double digits, with Karaban and freshman guard Stephon Castle combining for 36 points. The team shot 56% from the field and 46% from deep, marking one of its most well-balanced wins of the season.

“Just that type of depth, those are the teams that succeed in tournament play because you could survive a player or two having an off night,” Hurley said of how

important the team’s depth will be moving forward as tournament play is near.

“That’s why I think we’re built for the tournament.”

In the search for DePaul’s new head coach, rumors have surfaced about Bobby Hurley, who currently serves as the head coach at Arizona State and is the brother of Dan Hurley, as a potential candidate for

the position. When questioned about the possibility of his brother joining DePaul, the Huskies coach refrained from elaborating, acknowledging that these are mere rumors.

However, Hurley shared thoughts on the potential scenario of coaching against his brother in the future, considering how it would unfold if such an opportunity arose, whether at DePaul or elsewhere.

“I think we would always prefer to not be in the same league,” Hurley said.

“I think as we’ve gotten older, we’ve mellowed, so maybe it wouldn’t be that bad.”

As the season nears its end, the team sits with just three wins and a daunting streak of 25 consecutive regular season conference losses. Georgetown holds the record with 29 consecutive Big East losses. Without a reversal of fortunes, the Blue Demons risk finding themselves on the wrong side of history.

Despite the considerable odds and the adversity DePaul has faced this season, Brady has not lost faith and firmly believes there’s still a path for the team to finish the season strong.

“We’re going to win a game, but we’ve got to get better and that starts again with practice,” Brady said. “We need more out of these guys. We need more out of every single guy or we can’t get that win.”

DePaul Center 333 South State St. Hand Tossed NY Style Pizza From scratch

Store Hours Mon - Thurs. 8 am - 5 pm Friday: 8am - 2 pm

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Hot Pasta & Sandwiches Great Breakfast Options Dine in - Carry out Delivering w/ Door Dash - Grub Hub - Uber Serving DePaul and the surrounding area for over 25 years.

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DePaul senior guard Jeremiah Oden dribbles towards the baseline in DePaul’s match against UConn February 14, at Wintrust Arena. Oden shot 1-6 from the field in 22 minutes.