The DePaulia 4.22.2024

TheDePaulia

There are 'forever chemicals' in your blood

By Rose O’Keeffe Asst. News Editor

Most people in the United States have PFAS chemicals in their blood, according to the Centers for Disease Control. That includes Chicagoans who get their water from Lake Michigan.

To address this issue nationwide, the Biden administration and the Environmental Protection Agency announced on April 9 ground-breaking action to reduce six types of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFAS) in drinking water within five years.

There are thousands of different PFAS chemicals, but the EPA’s new regulation targets six of the most common. Among those, Dr. Gail Prins, a UIC Medical School professor, says two are the most pervasive and dangerous.

“There are two big culprits, PFOA and PFOS,” she said. “They’re linked to things like Teflon, ScotchGuard, firefighting foam and Gore-Tex products.”

When these products are manufactured and discarded, the chemicals within them seep into lakes, rivers and other water sources.

As of last week, the EPA has set strict limits on PFOS and PFOA at four parts per trillion in drinking water.

Other common PFAS-adjacent chemicals are now limited to 10 parts per trillion. For context, one part per trillion is equivalent to one drop of water in 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

PFAS are often called “forever chemicals” because they are man-made chemical bonds that don't break down and instead accumulate in the environment and in human and animal bodies.

A 2020 article in the National Library of Medicine found that PFAS, among other toxins, were detected in Chicago tap water, not just lake water, before filtration.

“The PFAS chemicals are in Lake Michigan and come into our water stream,” Prins said.

The Chicago study classified PFAS contamination in Chicago tap water as “low exposure,” meaning that levels of toxins were not anywhere near those found in states like Michigan and North Carolina, where people are advised not to drink tap water.

The study emphasized the “high quality” of Lake Michigan as a drinking water source and

“The efficacy of the drinking-water treatment and monitoring.”

Nevertheless, Prins said it is never a bad idea to take extra precautions by using at-home filters.

The Illinois EPA PFAS sampling network confirmed 149 sites with PFAS detected out of 1,428 sites tested in calendar year 2020-2021. Glencoe, Wilmette, Winnetka, and Evanston were among the sites where PFAS levels were detected at or exceeding current Illinois EPA standards.

The CDC links PFAS ingestion to certain cancers, immune dysfunction that makes vaccines less effective, reproductive challenges, Type 2 diabetes and slowed neural development, among other illnesses.

“Some effects are present at really low doses, which makes these limitations in water meaningful,” Margaret Bell, a DePaul professor of biological sciences, said.

Robert Michaels, managing attorney at

Some effects are present at really low doses, which makes these limitations in water meaningful.”

Margaret Bell

DePaul professor of biological sciences

the Environmental Law and Policy Center, says these standards will be translated into enforceable law under the Safe Drinking Water Act following a three-year monitoring period.

The EPA says all public water systems have three years to complete initial monitoring for PFAS chemicals. During this period, water testing organizations must inform the public of PFAS levels measured in their drinking water.

Wherever PFAS levels exceed the new

EPA standards, more extensive filtration systems will be implemented to reduce PFAS concentration within five years.

“The general idea is that these are legally enforceable drinking water standards, and after this period of initial monitoring, cities across the country are going to have to implement solutions to reduce PFAS and drinking water within five years,” Michaels said.

See PFAS, continued on page 5

City of Chicago sues fossil fuel industry for role in climate change

Research technician Carissa Dressel isolates cells in a laboratory experiment in DePaul’s McGowan North Building on Friday, April 19, 2024. Professor Margaret Bell supervises students who are researching the effects of forever chemicals like PCBs and PFAS in the brain.

ROSE O'KEEFFE | THE DEPAULIA

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 | Lilly Keller eic@depauliaonline.com

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ASST. NEWS EDITOR | Rose O’Keeffe news@depauliaonline.com

OPINIONS EDITOR | Nadine DeCero opinion@depauliaonline.com

ARTS & LIFE EDITOR | Sam Mroz artslife@depauliaonline.com

ASST. ARTS & LIFE EDITOR | Grace Logan artslife@depauliaonline.com

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ART EDITOR | Maya Oclassen art@depauliaonline.com

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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EDITOR | Ruchi Nawathe community@depauliaonline.com

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.

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CAMPUS CRIME REPORT

LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS

LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS

Drug & Alcohol Assault & Theft Other

Lincoln Park Campus Crimes:

Apr. 10

1) A Disorderly Conduct report was filed regarding an incident in Arts and Letters.

Apr. 10

2) A Criminal Trespass and Attempted Theft were reported near Corcoran Hall and Holtschneider Performance Center.

Apr. 10

3) A Criminal Damage report was filed regarding stickers placed on vending machines throughout campus.

Apr. 11

4) A Possession of Cannabis report was filed in Munroe Hall.

Apr. 13

5) A Simple Battery was reported on public property on Fullerton near the Richardson Library. The offender grabbed the victim by the back of the neck. A Safety Alert was issued regarding the incident.

Apr. 13

6) A Criminal Damage report was filed regarding fliers glued to garbage cans on campus.

Apr. 15

7) A Theft report was filed for a wallet taken from an office at the Welcome Center.

Apr.

LOOP CAMPUS

Apr. 16

8) A Simple Battery was reported on public property on Fullerton. The offender spat on the victim. A Safety Alert was issued regarding the incident.

Loop Campus Crimes:

Apr. 16

1) A Graffiti report was filed for markings found on loading dock of CDM.

Chicago sues fossil fuel industry over climate change

By Xadarri Nevels and Lucia Preziosi Contributing Writer and News Editor

As Chicago prepares for a summer that may bring the hottest temperatures recorded in the city’s history, it joins a growing list of cities and states seeking financial compensation from the fossil fuel industry to hold them accountable for greenhouse gas emissions that scientists say are warming the planet.

In February, the city filed a lawsuit against six oil companies and the American Petroleum Institute, aiming to hold them accountable for their role in climate change and its effects on the local environment.

The complaint, filed in Cook County Circuit Court, details the case against BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Phillips 66 and Shell, accusing them of a long-standing campaign to mislead the public and discredit climate science.

Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry explained in a statement that

The consequences of this crisis are severe, as are the costs of surviving them .”

Brandon Johnson Mayor of Chicago

“Evidence shows that these Defendants intentionally misled Chicago residents about the climate change-related dangers associated with their oil and gas products.”

[PDF of complaint for web]

Mayor Brandon Johnson alleges that while these corporations have profited, Chicago and its residents have suffered the financial and health-related burdens of climate change and have contributed to extreme weather events that have disproportionately affected low-income communities.

Some of these health-related burdens include higher rates of coronary heart disease, COPD, and respiratory issues such as asthma, as seen through the Chicago Department of Public Health’s health impact assessment.

Johnson highlights the “unprecedented poor air quality” and basement floods plaguing the city. “The consequences of this crisis are severe, as are the costs of surviving them,” he said in a statement.

The highest rates of pollution are seen in neighborhoods like Little Village, Austin and Englewood.

The lawsuit also cites more frequent and intense storms, flooding, droughts, damage to infrastructure and extreme heat as some of the challenges the city faces.

“The state of Illinois is undergoing a significant transformation, becoming warmer and wetter with each passing season,” Trent Ford, an Illinois State Climatologist, said. This trend is particularly evident in Chicago’s winters.

Chicago experienced its warmest winter in 92 years, with February temperatures the highest they’ve ever been, reaching 75 degrees.

Ford explained that throughout Earth’s history, carbon monoxide and methane concentrations have been a major driver of global temperatures.

Ford said that as these concentrations increase, so do global average temperatures because greenhouse gasses trap sunlight and heat. The United Nations agrees that burning fossil fuels, such as oil, coal and natural gas, for energy is the primary source of these emissions.

Rhode Island sued 21 fossil fuel companies in the same year and was the first state to file a lawsuit against the industry. In 2018, New York City sued five major oil companies, accusing them of contributing to global warming.

San Francisco and Oakland have also taken legal action against fossil fuel companies, focusing on their contribution to sea-level

rise that may threaten coastal communities.

Theodore Boutrous, representing Chevron, criticized the litigation as misguided and insisted on a coordinated international policy response rather than courtroom battles over lawful energy production.

Despite these objections, Chicago is pressing forward with its claim, supported by Chicago Alderman Matt Martin (47th Ward), explaining the city’s endurance through extreme weather conditions and infrastructure damage.

“The city intends to shift the costs back where they belong: on the companies whose deceptive conduct brought us the climate crisis,” Martin said in a statement released by Mayor Johnson’s office in February.

Critics of the lawsuits, such as American Petroleum Institute general counsel and Senior Vice President Ryan Meyers, argue that they distract from the urgent need for innovative energy solutions and public policies that can address climate change.

For many advocates and affected communities, these legal challenges represent a step toward holding corporations account-

able for their alleged environmental impact, according to Ford

“It is imperative that we move towards reducing and ultimately eliminating greenhouse gas emissions, aiming at net-zero. This is not just a local issue but a global one,” Ford said..

Efforts to combat climate change must also address economic and social disparities, Ford said.

In response to the escalating challenge of climate change, personnel and organizations across Chicago are spearheading initiatives to curb emissions.

Blacks in Green, an organization on Chicago’s Southside, is set to launch a $10 million EPA Thriving Communities program funded by Jeff Bezos’ Earth Fund.

“Climate change is not a new issue, but it has brought to light the disproportionate suffering of underserved neighborhoods in Chicago,” Ford said.”Communities mostly on the west and south side have historically faced environmental injustices, and the escalating climate crisis only magnifies these challenges.”

MARA LOGAN | THE DEPAULIA

Chicago's response to migrant influx stirs longstanding frustrations among Black residents

By Matt Brown Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) —

The closure of Wadsworth Elementary School in 2013 was a blow to residents of the majority-Black neighborhood it served, symbolizing a city indifferent to their interests.

So when the city reopened Wadsworth last year to shelter hundreds of migrants without seeking community input, it added insult to injury. Across Chicago, Black residents are frustrated that long-standing needs are not being met while the city's newly arrived are cared for with a sense of urgency, and with their tax dollars.

"Our voices are not valued nor heard," says Genesis Young, a lifelong Chicagoan who lives near Wadsworth.

Chicago is one of several big American cities grappling with a surge of migrants. The Republican governor of Texas has been sending them by the busload to highlight his grievances with the Biden administration's immigration policy.

To manage the influx, Chicago has already spent more than $300 million of city, state and federal funds to provide housing, health care, education and more to over 38,000 mostly South American migrants who have arrived in the city since 2022, desperate for help. The speed with which these funds were marshaled has stirred widespread resentment among Black Chicagoans. But community leaders are trying to ease racial tensions and channel the public's frustrations into agitating for the greater good.

The outcry over migrants in Chicago and other large Democrat-led cities is having wider implications in an election year: The Biden administration is now advocating a more restrictive approach to immigration in its negotiations with Republicans in Congress.

Since the Wadsworth building reopened as a shelter, Young has felt "extreme anxiety" because of the noise, loitering and around-

the-clock police presence that came with it. More than anything, she and other neighbors say it is a reminder of problems that have been left unsolved for years, including high rates of crime, unemployment and homelessness.

"I definitely don't want to seem insensitive to them and them wanting a better life. However, if you can all of a sudden come up with all these millions of dollars to address their housing, why didn't you address the homeless issue here," said Charlotte Jackson, the owner of a bakery and restaurant in the South Loop neighborhood.

"For so long we accepted that this is how things had to be in our communities," said Chris Jackson, who co-founded the bakery with his wife. "This migrant crisis has made many people go: 'Wait a minute, no it doesn't.'"

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson declined to comment for this story.

The city received more than $200 million from the state and federal government to help care for migrants after Johnson appealed to Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and President Joe Biden. The president will be in Chicago in August to make his reelection pitch at the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

Some Black Chicagoans are protesting the placement of shelters in their neighborhoods, but others aim to turn the adversity into an opportunity.

"Chicago is a microcosm to the rest of the nation," said the Rev. Janette C. Wilson, national executive director of the civil rights group PUSH for Excellence. Black communities have faced discrimination and underinvestment for decades and are justifiably frustrated, Wilson said. The attention the migrants are receiving is deserved, she added, but it's also a chance for cities to reflect on their responsibility to all underserved communities.

"There is a moral imperative to take care of everybody," Wilson said.

After nearly two years of acrimony, the city has begun to curb some accommodations for migrants – which has caused its own backlash. The city last month started evicting migrants who overstayed a 60-day limit at shelters, prompting condemnation from immigrant rights groups and from residents worried about public safety.

Marlita Ingram, a school guidance counselor who lives in the South Shore neighborhood, said she is concerned about the resources being shared "equitably" between migrants and longtime residents. But she also believes "it doesn't have to be a competition" and sympathizes with the nearly 6,000 migrant children now enrolled in Chicago's public schools.

As the potential for racial strife rises, some activists are pointing to history as a cautionary tale.

Hundreds of thousands of Black southerners moved to Chicago in the early 20th

century in search of greater freedoms and economic opportunities. White Chicagoans at the time accused them of receiving disproportionate resources from the city, and in 1919 tensions boiled over.

In a surge of racist attacks in cities across the U.S. that came to be known as "Red Summer," white residents burned large swaths of Chicago's Black neighborhoods and killed 38 Black people, including by lynching.

"Those white folks were, like, 'Hell no, they're coming here, they're taking our jobs,''' said Richard Wallace, founder of Equity and Transformation, a majority-Black community group that co-hosted in a forum in March to improve dialogue between Black and Latino residents.

He hears echoes of that past bigotry — intentional or not — when Black Chicagoans complain about the help being given to migrants. "How did we become like the white folks who were resisting our people coming to the city of the Chicago?" he said.

Labor and immigrant rights organizers have worked for years to tamp down divisions between working class communities. But the migrant crisis has created tensions between the city's large Mexican American community and recently arrived migrants, many of whom hail from Venezuela.

"If left unchecked, we all panic, we're all scared, we're going to retreat to our corners," said Leone Jose Bicchieri, executive director of Working Family Solidarity, a majority-Hispanic labor rights group. "The truth is that this city wouldn't work without Black and Latino people."

Black Americans' views on immigration and diversity are expansive. The Civil Rights Movement was instrumental in pushing the U.S. to adopt a more inclusive immigration policy.

About half of Black Americans say the United States' diverse population makes the country strong, including 30% who say it makes the U.S. "much stronger," according to a March poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Many leaders in Black neighborhoods in and around Chicago are trying to strike a balance between acknowledging the tensions without exacerbating them.

"Our church is divided on the migrant crisis," said the Rev. Chauncey Brown, pastor of Second Baptist Church in Maywood, Illinois, a majority-Black suburb of Chicago where some migrants are living in shelters.

There has been a noticeable uptick of non-English speakers in the pews, many of whom have said they are migrants in need of food and other services, Brown said. Some church members cautioned him against speaking out in support of migrants or allotting more church resources to them. But he said the Bible's teachings are clear on this issue.

"When a stranger enters your land, you are to care for them as if they are one of your own," he said.

ERIN HOOLEY | AP PHOTO

The Rev. Dr. Chauncey Brown speaks during an interview at Second Baptist Church, Sunday, April 14, 2024, in Chicago.

ERIN HOOLEY | AP PHOTO

Richard Wallace, founder and director of Equity and Transformation, poses for a portrait at the Westside Justice Center, Friday, March 29, 2024, in Chicago

FOREVER CHEMICALS , continued from front:

Where to go from here

The EPA says implementing this new regulation will cost about $1.5 billion yearly but will save thousands of lives and prevent many illnesses.

Bell, the DePaul professor, said this regulation is an important start but not the end of the fight against PFAS contamination.

Having the ability to do things more cleanly shows that regulation can help drive innovation.”

Robert

Michaels Managing Attorney

“It will also be important to address (PFAS’) presence in a range commercial goods that we come into physical contact with every day, including surface protectors on upholstery, water resistant clothing, food packaging and a range of other products — even waterproof mascara or floss,” Bell said.

Prins said that once these standards take effect, companies that use PFAS will

likely have to reduce their reliance on the chemicals to comply with federal regulations.

Still, she insisted that America’s regulation system is flawed.

“We have it backwards in the United States,” she said. “We allow chemical companies and people to just manufacture substances without doing any work on their toxicity. And then when other people like us find that they’re toxic, … you have to go through years and hoops.”

She said federal regulations are too often reactive instead of proactive.

Making new regulations like this stick could get more difficult if former President Donald Trump is re-elected president in November, Michaels said, noting that another Trump administration will likely sue to overturn these regulations in favor of big corporations.

Michaels said that soon after the Biden administration announces any new regulations or acts, “A coalition of red state attorney general’s and right wing nonprofits run into court and try to stop them, saying that they’re not justified and that they’re unlawful.”

But it is ill-advised to get ahead of the good news that has just occurred.

Michaels hopes that these new standards will improve living conditions for Americans and lead to greater scientific discovery.

“Having the ability to do things more cleanly shows that regulation can help drive innovation,” he said. “And that’s the cycle that you want to be in.”

Opinions

You should know less about Taylor Swift and more about your friends

By Ian Fondacabe Contributing Writer

My friend doesn’t like Austin Butler. As an actor, she likes him fine, but as a person she’s a touch more critical; a few years ago, he and his longtime girlfriend, Vanessa Hudgens, broke up. Months after they had split, the two were at the same event and crossed paths on the red carpet. My friend extrapolated that their relationship had clearly ended poorly because Austin waved at Vanessa during the event – and she did not reciprocate. Butler had clearly breached the boundaries of post-breakup rules, my friend inferred. She told me that space is necessary after a long breakup in order to separate any intense feelings, and by waving, Butler had broken a layer of trust between the two.

This argument made very little sense to me, but then I went on TikTok and found that this rhetoric was actually very common. See the accusation that Rachel Zegler hates love based on her claim that the original “Snow White and The Seven Dwarves” may have been slightly misogynistic. See the videos analyzing Amber Heard’s court appearances, inferring based purely on body language that she was lying the entire time. See the recent obsession over Kate Middleton’s status, with some videos going so far as to claim that she had been replaced by a clone or killed by the Royal Family. (It turns out she had cancer. Whoops!) These videos have millions of likes and hundreds of millions of views.

The obsession with celebrities’ every move feels dangerous. The instinct to make sweeping moral judgments over the smallest actions of people constantly filmed seems un-

fair and unhealthy. The constant analysis of a few important people feels like a shift in favor of a sensationalized narrative about members of high society rather than investing in the real people in front of us.

The root of celebrity obsession is nothing new, of course, according to Roberta Garner, professor emerita of sociology at DePaul.

“The ‘celebrity’ has been around for a long time, about 200 years or so, kind of beginning after the French and American Revolutions,” Garner said. “As more people in Western Europe and North America became literate, they moved out of their little peasant worlds. They started to read newspapers. A lot of celebrity in the early years was carried by newspapers and traditional media reporting.”

The idea of the celebrity only grew over the next few centuries, as widespread reporting through newsreels and TV news brought information even to the illiterate. Social media bolstered that to a further degree.

“It’s the same thing, but amplified by the ubiquity of the internet,” Garner said. “Back in the day, 30,000 people attended the funeral of Sarah Bernhardt. Now it’s less visible in the physical space, but millions of people watch streamers every day.”

With the internet granting everyone a voice on social media, a new form of celebrity culture has arisen: the fan account. Unlike fan clubs for boy bands in the 1950s and '60s, fan accounts have become the modern, individual way to recognize and honor a celebrity in one’s daily life.

When I put out a request to interview people who had owned a fan account of some kind, to my surprise, there were a lot of re-

sponses. There seemed to be a few common trends among the people interviewed.

Most of these were middle school projects: bored 'tweenagers' becoming obsessed with a certain celebrity because they enjoyed their music or films or art or what have you.

“I started the account in the seventh grade,” said Rijalda Husic, a student at the University of Iowa. “I was immersed in so much fandom at the time that it felt natural to start my own.”

Most of these accounts were created out of a desire to belong.

“I made my account because everyone else had a little fan account,” said Husic. “It was fun to log on one day and see, ‘Oh, Lana Del Rey was spotted outside of a restaurant smoking a cigarette in a Budweiser shirt.’ It was silly, but it pushed me closer to people because of our shared interest in her.”

Jessica Dortch, a film student at DePaul, had the same motives when starting a fan account for Dan and Phil, a variety channel on YouTube.

“I was in middle school and my family moved around a lot during that time, so I felt disconnected from a lot of my classmates.” Dortch said. “It was nice for me at that time to watch two friends have a lot of fun seemingly doing whatever.”

Some previous owners feel no obligation to return to the account

“I don’t have the time to run a fan account. I have a lot more things to care about now than I did when I was 13,” said Paula Arevalo, a psychology student at DePaul.

Husic was more enthusiastic about the idea. “I would one-hundred percent restart a

fan account. I love Lana Del Rey, she was an essential part of my development years, and her art means so much to me as a person.”

It’s clear that what draws people to celebrities isn’t just personality but an aesthetic narrative. People who rise through the ranks of popular culture do so by constructing a thematic through line through their music or fashion or art. If a person becomes too engrossed in a celebrity’s life, it can lead to a distortion of their perception of reality.

Rita Horváth, a psychologist and PhD student at the University of Gibraltar, warns that this kind of fan culture can lead to isolation.

“Some individuals become excessively immersed in the lives of their favorite celebrities to the extent that they neglect aspects of their own lives, such as work or school commitments,” Horváth said. “This phenomenon has been associated with lower levels of mental well-being.”

As social media becomes ingrained in the lives of younger people, it is essential that we teach people the difference between the world around them and the world in their phone: one is authentic, one is heavily constructed.

“In response to concerns regarding society's relationship with celebrities, proactive actions are essential to foster a balanced engagement with celebrity culture,” Horváth said. “This entails promoting media literacy and critical thinking skills to enable individuals to discern between reality and constructed narratives.”

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

MAYA OCLASSEN | THE DEPAULIA

La DePaulia

El 40º Aniversario del Festival de Cine Latino de Chicago Trasciende Países e Idiomas

By Nupur Bosmiya La DePaulia News Editor

Trajes elegantes, vestidos  y peinados al estilo de Frida Kahlo colorearon el Teatro Davis en North Lincoln Ave la semana pasada, mientras comenzaba el 40º Festival de Cine Latino de Chicago (CLFF). La proyección de apertura de la película 'The Wingwalker' fue seguida por una gala de apertura en el Centro Cultural Germano Americano DANK Haus en North Western Ave.

El festival celebra a cineastas latinos e hispanos de más de 20 países de todo el mundo, incluidos, entre otros, México, Haití, Uruguay, Paraguay, Nicaragua y España. De las 725 presentaciones que recibió el centro, solo se seleccionaron 50 largometrajes y 35 cortometrajes para ser proyectados en el festival de este año.

"El año pasado, cuando inauguré el festival de cine, prometí que el 40º sería aún mejor. Y ahora que inauguramos el 40º, puedo asegurarles que el 41º será aún mejor", dijo Pepe Vargas, director ejecutivo del Centro Cultural Internacional Latino (ILCC) y del CLFF, durante sus palabras de apertura.

La emoción y la alegría eran palpables mientras una multitud celebraba la diversidad de los latinos en todo el mundo.

"Celebramos la diferencia que existe entre nosotros... queríamos compartir la cultura de todos nuestros países", dijo Vargas.

Como viajero ferviente, Vargas ha visitado muchos países y sus experien -

cias lo han llevado a ser selectivo en sus elecciones para el CLFF. Él ve el cine como un "arma transformadora" que puede cambiar la percepción que las personas tienen sobre los latinos y hacer que los perciban como son en lugar de atribuirles un estereotipo.

Pepe Vargas y Mateo Mulcahy sonríen para la cámara en la gala de apertura del 40º Festival de Cine Latino de Chicago el 11 de abril de 2024. Vargas personalmente seleccionó todas las películas proyectadas en el festival. (Nupur Bosmiya)

Insta a la audiencia a usar el festival como una herramienta para dar una vuelta al mundo y descubrir estos lugares.

"No necesitan un pasaporte. Todo lo que necesitan es pasar por el Teatro Landmark, simplemente vayan y vean tantas [películas] porque estas historias son únicas, no pueden encontrarlas en ningún otro lugar", dijo Vargas.

Lo que comenzó como una pequeña proyección de 14 películas para alrededor de 500 personas en sus primeros años, ahora se ha expandido en una red de más de 2,500 cineastas, más de 5,000 artistas y alrededor de 35,000 miembros de la audiencia, dijo Vargas.

Maximino "Max" Arciniega Jr., co-escritor, co-productor ejecutivo y actor de 'The Wingwalker', fue uno de esos miembros de la audiencia en festivales pasados. Este festival lo inspiró a seguir una carrera en la industria cinematográfica.

Max Arciniega pronuncia sus pal-

abras de apertura antes de la proyección de la película "The Wingwalker," el 11 de abril de 2024. Arciniega es el actor, co-productor ejecutivo y co-guionista de la película de apertura. (Nupur Bosmiya)

"Este es uno de los momentos más importantes de mi vida. Me senté en esta audiencia cuando era un niño aquí en Chicago [en] diferentes teatros; Davis, Logan Square, el Landmark Century Center, y solía sentarme allí y ver películas independientes todo el tiempo", dijo Arciniega en su discurso previo a la proyección.

La comunidad en Chicago siempre lo ha apoyado, incluso cuando fue a Los Ángeles para dedicarse a la actuación, dijo Arciniega.

Los cineastas destacados en este festival tienen todos una fuerte conexión con el evento. Su emoción se amplificó por cuenta de su 40ª edición.

"Hay muchos cineastas puertorriqueños que han pasado por los años y siempre han hablado sobre este festival. Así que es muy importante para mí no solo estar aquí, sino poder estar aquí [en] el 40º aniversario, dijo Ray Figueroa, un cineasta puertorriqueño que dirigió la película 'Érase una vez en el Caribe'.

Matthew 'Mateo' Mulcahy, director ejecutivo adjunto del ILCC y del CLFF, dijo que era importante tener cineastas de diferentes países latinoamericanos y de la península ibérica, incluidos Haití y Belice. Señala que el festival de cine trata de concentrarse en películas LGBTQ+,

afro-latinas e indígenas, especialmente si son realizadas por cineastas femeninas.

"Realmente nos esforzamos por representar a las comunidades más marginadas y menos representadas. Así que, por supuesto, tenemos películas de Puerto Rico y México, pero intentamos concentrarnos en los otros países porque no reciben tanta atención", dijo Mulcahy.

De esa misma manera se seleccionan también los cortometrajes.

"Estoy realmente interesada en traer cortometrajes experimentales y nuevos medios al cine latino", dijo Andrea Florens, la programadora de cortometrajes del festival.

Florens dice que la audiencia tiene una percepción negativa de las películas que provienen de América Latina y que estas percepciones no son una representación precisa del panorama cinematográfico.

"Es una idea muy restrictiva del cine. Y ha habido mucho cine innovador que ha ocurrido en América Latina, y no mucha gente está al tanto de ello", dijo.

Los cortometrajes junto con los 50 largometrajes se proyectarán en el 40º Festival de Cine Latino de Chicago del 11 al 22 de abril de 2024.

El ILCC cerrará el programa de este año con la proyección de la película 'Milonga' de la directora Laura González en el Teatro Davis seguido de una gala de clausura en el Centro Cultural Germano Americano DANK Haus.

NUPUR BOSMIYA | THE DEPAULIA Los asistentes conversan en la proyección de apertura del 40º Festival de Cine Latino de Chicago en el Teatro Davis el 11 de abril de 2024. Personas de toda Chicago se reunieron para celebrar el 40º aniversario del festival que destaca a cineastas y artistas latines.

Arts & Life

Lollapalooza: buzz or bust?

By Anna Barth Contributing Writer

The lineup for Lollapalooza, an annual Chicago music festival, caused a stir on social media after its announcement on March 19. Some DePaul students are criticizing the festival's slippery slope towards popularized music, while others are ready to fork over $409 for a four-day general admission pass. The lineup was released last month after much anticipation, as the event will be celebrating its 20th anniversary.

“I do wish that (Lollapalooza) would choose a little bit more selectively, with more substance, but I also understand that that’s just not their model at this point,” sophomore Evelyn Clark said. “I think when any festival gets big, it's just gonna be whatever makes them money.”

Clark has been to other festivals, like Forecastle, a three-day festival in Kentucky highlighting electronic and alternative music. They are excited about some of the Lollapalooza headliners and are most interested in seeing Ethel Cain and Chappell Roan, rising indie artists.

The festival runs Aug. 1-4 in Grant Park, its permanent location since 2006. Each year, it brings tens of thousands of attendees and more than 100 music artists to Chicago, making it a cultural staple in the Windy City.

Historically, Lollapalooza is a melting pot of genres, and this year is no different. From heavy metal to quiet bedroom pop, there’s a little something for everyone.

Newly featured artists, such as The Last Dinner Party and their billboard hit song “Nothing Matters,” are one of the

many products of the popularized indie alternative genre. Other artists in the lineup, including Chappell Roan, Tate McRae and Sexyy Red, also had Billboard hits this year, many thanks to the virality of TikTok sounds.

This year's headliners include Tyler the Creator, Sza, Blink-182, the Killers, Hozier, Future X Metro Boomin, Stray Kids, Melanie Martinez and Skrillex. Other big names include singer Reneé Rapp, alternative rock band Deftones and pop icon Ke$ha.

“I think Lollapalooza at this point … just wants a bunch of young people to come to Chicago,” Clark said.

Freshman Zoe Lotarski wishes Lollapalooza would take lineup notes from other iconic festivals, including Bonnaroo — an annual music festival in Tennessee.

“I think (the lineup) is pretty good, but it’s been better in the past,” Lotarski said. “There’s this band I really like called King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard… I know they’ve done Bonnaroo.”

Freshman Ryan Mulligan called the lineup "mid – that's about it."

"It would be cool if they could get Autumn in the mix, or somebody like Autumn, that kind of music," Mulligan said.

Thursday’s performances seemed to gain the most excitement among students.

“I like it, but the only good day is Thursday with Hozier, Lizzy McAlpine and Chappell Roan,” said junior Yash Varma, who is only buying a ticket for that day.

“Who doesn’t like Tyler the Creator?” Lotarski said.

She agreed that Thursday looked like

the best day to go. However, many students thought that the lineup wasn’t worth the cost of a four-day pass.

Clark, the DePaul sophomore and music festival fan, isn’t planning on going. Along with many other students, they aren’t excited enough about the artists this year to drop the money. With constant chatter surrounding the festival, music lovers are at a divide whether or not Lollapalooza deserves a spot on their summer agenda.

“No, (it’s not worth the money) because you can’t see all of the concerts you want… because they are all happening on different stages at the same time,” Clark said. “(But), logically, considering it’s a bunch of concerts, it’s worth it.”

MAYA OCLASSEN | THE DEPAULIA

Scan the QR code anf fill out the foRm

By Zachary Klein Staff Writer

Alex Perez stopped into the reopening Pretty Cool Ice Cream Shop to get a vanilla bean ice cream bar coated in chocolate to try and beat the recent spring heat in Lincoln Park. In the shop, Perez was greeted with a warm smile from workers and the sweet smell of ice cream. Pretty Cool Ice Cream is located near the corner of Lincoln and Belden avenues and reopened for the spring and summer seasons.

When customers arrive at the shop, they are greeted by welcoming employees and a beautiful mural of ice cream on the left inside wall. The walls are decorated with warm tones, making customers feel at home as they look through the glass to pick a treat to enjoy on the tree-lined street outside.

This is the shop’s second location, with the first location opening in 2018 in Logan Square. The ice cream is also sold in some restaurants and pints are sold in some boutique grocery stores.

Award-winning pastry chef Dana Cree started the brand and it specializes in ice cream bars that you would get straight out of an ice cream truck. Cree is from Seattle but came to Chicago to work at the Michelin-star restaurant Blackbird. Cree is also the author of the book “Hello, My Name is Ice Cream: The Art and Science of the Scoop: A Cookbook,” which has more than one

hundred ice cream recipes and stories about flavors and teaches the science of ice cream.

“It’s the book I wanted to find when I started asking questions about why ice cream works or how to make ice cream,” Cree said. “You can make your first scope out of it by just following a recipe, or you can study the science and use the math to invent your own flavors.”

Ice cream bars are not the only thing available at the shop. You can stop by and get an ice cream sandwich, ice pops and vegan pops-all of which are dipped and decorated with colorful sprinkles.

“Providing a non-dairy flavor was always top priority because what we want is to have something for everyone,” Cree said. “We’re a completely gluten-free company and then we make a lot of non-dairy flavors and we have two styles of non-dairy, we have an ice pop and then we have the creamy plant pops.”

Junior Alex Perez, who declared the ice cream is “really good,” is excited for the shop to reopen.

“It’s just a really nice place to visit and get some ice cream with some friends when it’s hot outside,” Perez said. “Plus, it being such a short walk from campus is really nice too.”

Since reopening, worker Chrisel Louise said there has been a steady flow of business, especially on the weekends, which she anticipated.

“You do see a lot of families, a lot of

students too,” Louise said. “A lot of people going on dates and stuff, so I think there is a good range of people coming in.”

The shop added some new flavors and items to their menu this season. They now have a new caramel toffee brownie ice cream sandwich, cookies and cream popsicle and more flavors coming later in the season.

“I think the number one thing is a lot of us are DePaul students, a lot of the kids who work here so we can get you with that discount,” Louise said.

The Lincoln Park location also has a walk-up window for those who are in a rush but want a quick and cold treat to cool down on a hot and humid Chicago summer day. The store closes again in January. You can stop by the Lincoln Park store Wednesday-Sunday from 12-9 p.m. and the Logan Square location Monday-Sunday from 12-9 p.m.

“Ice cream doesn’t appeal to a single demographic,” Cree said. “Everybody eats ice cream.”

GRACE LOGAN | THE DEPAULIA DePaul sophomore Greta Atilano helps a young Pretty Cool Ice Cream customer pick out an ice cream flavor on Friday, April 19, 2024. "It's the perfect job for a college student,” Atilano said. “I started working here my freshman year.

GRACE LOGAN | THE DEPAULIA DePaul freshman Rory Lorenz works on homework while waiting for the after-dinner crowd of customers at Pretty Cool Ice Cream on Thursday, April 18, 2024. "It's a community-based place since this is tucked away, not on the main street,” Lorenz said. “People have told me where they live and how close they live. They love coming here."

‘The People’s Joker’ review: Putting clown makeup on gender identity and calling it a parody

By Claire Tweedie Arts & Life Editor

“The People’s Joker” is so incredibly bizarre that it almost overshadows its own brilliance. Using Batman villains as metaphors for queer identity, the unsuspecting comingof-age film utilizes the parody genre to mask its true intent. The only issue is getting past the first 30 minutes for “The People’s Joker” to reveal the personality and intrigue that turn a silly satire into a truly unique experience.

The film follows writer and director Vera Drew as Joker the Harlequin, an aspiring clown hoping to find their place and identity in Gotham City’s comedy scene. While struggling with her gender understanding, Joker breaks laws and fights capitalist censorship among the rest of Gotham’s “villainous” rejects.

The film explicitly states it is an unauthorized parody with an opening title card, but it is hard to brand it as only that. Instead, it is a critical look at comedy, capitalism and gender roles haphazardly covered by easily recognizable clown makeup that make the movie both a gimmick and a hard-hitting story. The parodies translate easily, crafting a world that's so easy to understand as both a play on reality and a warped comic book narrative. Arkham Asylum is a conversion therapy practice,

Smylex is a pharmaceutical drug and Batman is one of the real villains in Drew’s narrative. There is so much happening all the time in “The People’s Joker.” Meaning the voiceover, confessional scenes, colorful costuming and dry script can be overwhelming at the best of times and downright suffocating at its worst. Weirdly enough, it works. The characters and plot revel in their lame humor and dry fourth wall breaks, creating an extreme juvenility that becomes incredibly interesting as the movie progresses. The entire movie is filmed with camera angles and shots reminiscent of an early 2000s YouTube sketch comedy video, with crappy green screen animation to match. Using the questionable live-action footage and mixing it with variations of stylized animation scenes creates a visually stimulating experience to match the chaos of the character choices.

The extremity in its filmmaking makes the rare moments of quiet character reflection wonderfully powerful. There is one scene in particular during the third act of the movie between Joker and her mom that feels like being hit in the face with cold water. It's a moment of raw honesty between two people who, up until this point, have only scratched the surface of their tense relationship. This is not an awkward passion project or a low-budget experimental movie only held together by

dodgy editing and copious amounts of stage makeup — it's a film innovating its medium and messaging through unhinged creativity.

What you are left with when the credits roll (other than a bewildered look on your face and a million questions about how this passed copyright laws) is a beautiful look at identity told from the Joker’s unassuming point of view. Drew reclaims comedy as a true platform for change, not just a form of media peddled by the already ultra-successful comedian we’re used to seeing. “The People’s Joker” pushes creative expression to the

edge of parody and satire, looking into the void of contemplative comedy and taking a hit of Smylex when the void stares back. It is a wonderfully complex story; you just have to dig through a few layers of comic book allegories and trippy editing to find it.

“The People’s Joker” will screen at the Music Box Theatre April 26-27 with Drew in attendance for a post-film Q&A.

YU YU BLUE | THE DEPAULIA

By Lilly Keller Editor-in-Chief

Last Monday, April 15, marked the 112th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. While I’m sure many of you, my dear readers, were not privy to this commemoration, I certainly was. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with the Titanic. From its doomed narrative to James Cameron’s 1997 masterpiece and every piece of media about the ocean liner in between, rest assured, I’ve consumed it all. In honor of 112 years without that big, beautiful, completely sinkable ship, I’ve decided to dedicate this DeJamz to the Titanic by curating a playlist composed of songs inspired by or related to the disaster. Now, buckle your life vests and bundle up because we’re embarking on uncharted waters.

“The Sinking of the Titanic: 10. Last Hymn” by Gavin Bryars

There are not enough words in the English language to summarize my love for minimalist composer Gavin Bryars’s 1995 album “Bryars: The Sinking of the Titanic.” Comprised of 11 tracks, this album is inspired by the band’s famous act of bravery. It carries listeners through their journey until the ship’s last moments, contemplating how their music might have echoed beneath the waves after they ceased playing. The album, along with its final hymn, evokes a particularly haunting atmosphere. I would cut off a pinky toe to see this album performed live, and I am still contemplating paying $4000 to fly to Paris and back the day before graduation to make that dream a reality.

“When That Great Ship Went Down” by Woody Guthrie

I’m dropping some more Lilly Keller lore on you. Back when I attended elementary school in one of Vermont’s last

one-room schoolhouses, we would sing this song every year at our concerts. I honestly believe so much of my character and quirks can be attributed to being six years old and singing onstage about the sinking of the Titanic while my teacher strummed away on her guitar. Truly life-defining stuff, people!

“God Moves On The Water” by Blind Willie Johnson

One of the most lyrically haunting Titanic-inspired songs, Blind Willie Johnson’s lamenting track encapsulates the dread and drowning that defined the ship’s end. Fun fact: I actually found this song while listening to the 1998 album “Titanic Songs,” which features 18 songs recorded between 1912 and 1948 that deal with you-know-what. If you’re looking for an even more obscure selection of Titanic songs, I can’t recommend the album enough.

“Nearer My God to Thee by “The Titanic Orchestra”

While my friends were enjoying their freshman year in person, I was rotting in my childhood bedroom, listening to this song on repeat while I completed my Zoom classes. Unfortunately, this would kick-start my ongoing trend of receiving horrific Spotify-wrapped summaries. Do you know how many times I listened to this 2:41 minute-long track? Don’t try to guess. It was over 500 times. While I obviously enjoyed this song, I must set the record straight and reprimand Cameron for having this song play while the ship sank. According to historians and titanicologists, it was likely a simple, upbeat waltz, something I can explain, but I nevertheless find tragic.

COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA

DePaul Women’s tennis coach highlights the importance of team culture COLUMN

By Eleanor Nobbs

Contributing Writer

Editor’s Note: The writer of this story is a member of the tennis team. The DePaulia acknowledged this may be perceived as a potential conflict of interest. Yherefore this story is duly marked as a column.

DePaul women’s tennis head coach Marisa Arce has always gone the extra mile to inspire her team.

While she wants her players to succeed on the court, she also does her best to prepare them for life outside of tennis.

One way that she does this is through her pursuit of a team culture. Arce makes sure to check in with her players regularly at “coffee with the coach” meetings, ensures that everyone meets her hunger and humility standards, and sets an example with her daily work ethic and support.

Arce starts her day at 5 a.m., and she can often be seen working out or checking emails while the team lifts.

She also introduces her players to positive mindset books, such as “The Energy Bus and The Carpenter” by Jon Gordon, and the team reads a chapter from “Becoming a Great Team Player” by Allistair McCaw before every practice.

Arce draws upon her own college experience for inspiration.

She played Division 1 college tennis for the University of Illinois from 2007 to 2012, where she garnered an 84-64 win-loss record in singles and an 87-60 doubles record.

Arce graduated ranked second all-time in Illinois women’s tennis doubles wins and sixth in singles wins. She also won the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award in 2012.

However, great success on the tennis court was not the only thing Arce took away from her time there. It was at Illinois that she first realized her dream of becoming a college tennis coach.

“I first wanted to become a college tennis coach because my coaches had such an impact on me that I wanted to have that impact on other people,” Arce said. “It just made such a difference in my life, and I couldn’t imagine my life without college tennis.”

Arce has been the head coach of the DePaul women’s tennis program since the fall of 2019, and she has already influenced her students.

Greta Carbone, a senior from Italy, has only positive things to say about Arce, whose nickname is Mish.

“Mish makes sure that everybody feels loved,” said Carbone. “She is a very good role model, and we all look up to her, both on and off the court.”

While tennis is generally an individual sport, college tennis matches are played as part of a team.

“I love the team aspect of it and the relationships that you build within the team,” Arce said. “To me it’s not as much about the

To me it’s not as much about the tennis as about what you gain as a person and as a unit .”

Marisa Arce DePaul Women’s Tennis Head Coach

tennis as about what you gain as a person and as a unit.”

Arce points to good recruiting as another important factor.

“Building a strong team culture starts with recruiting,” she said. “It is important that during the recruiting process, I’m clear about what it is that we’re all about at DePaul. By doing my due diligence, I make sure that

any potential recruits have the character traits that fit our team culture, and I think that’s how we get the right people that want to do what we do every single day.”

Carbone agrees that recruiting plays a big role.

“I think that this team has a very good team culture because of the values that Mish holds in her recruiting process,” said Carbone. “She recruits people that value the same things, respect the team, and have a passion for our goals. Our team is so diverse, with many international players. Everyone, including Mish, tries to make sure that we are like a family, since we are so far away from our own.”

Jill Hollembeak, Executive Associate Athletics Director for Sports Administration and Senior Woman Administrator at DePaul, highlights the high standards Arce and her team hold.

“DePaul Women’s Tennis has a tradition of excellence on and off the court that is underscored by Coach Arce’s positive energy, superb leadership and holistic commitment to developing her team as students, athletes and people,” said Hollembeak. “Her passion for teaching and coaching tennis, as well as the life-skills learned through sport is exemplified in her players.”

Arce values the importance of having fun and building good relationships with your teammates. Some of her favorite memories at DePaul have been spending time with the team outside the court.

For example, to celebrate last year’s senior day in April 2023, Arce and the team went for dinner at Belgrade Café, a Serbian restaurant in Chicago. The evening was spent reminiscing about the memories and accomplishments of the three seniors, and Arce gave a short speech to thank each of them personally.

“Tennis-wise, I would say beating St. John’s in the semi-finals of Big East two years ago and beating Iowa last year are some of my best memories,” Arce said. “But I feel like whether we won or lost those matches I would feel the same way right now. My favorite thing is the time that we spend together as a whole group.”

Although being a student-athlete can be challenging, Arce’s inspirational leadership has made the DePaul women’s tennis program the place to be.

“The team are all in and it makes it a fun and invigorating atmosphere,” Arce said. “When people want to work hard and be their best self on and off the court, it makes the hard work feel worth it.”

For Carbone, the fun team culture that Arce has built at DePaul has been life-changing.

“She has really helped to improve my mindset and positive thinking, and she has changed the way I approach every day,” Carbone said. “Mish changes the world one person at a time, and the lessons she teaches us are much more than tennis lessons.”

JAYDI VASQUEZ | THE DEPAULIA

DePaul head coach Marisa Arce (center) speaks to her team after a loss to Xavier April 13, 2024, at XS Tennis Village in Chicago. DePaul lost the match 0-4 but entered the Big East Tournament as the No. 2 seed, with Xavier sitting at No. 1 in the conference.

Caitlin Clark and WNBA may teach NBA counterparts the benefits of a shorter season

By Ryan Hinske Sports Editor

COMMENTARY:

The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) has been presented with possibly the most league-altering season in history as Caitlin Clark is slated to begin her career with the Indiana Fever this May, and it may help resolve one of the NBA’s biggest issues.

The morning after the April 8 NCAA women’s national championship, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced the league was seeking to double their current $60 million in media rights for the upcoming seasons. The next day, the WNBA released its TV schedule, and Clark’s new team, the Indiana Fever, will have 36 of their 40 games broadcast on

national TV.

The Fever, however, had been quiet. Unlike the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs with first pick Victor Wembanyama and the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks with first pick Connor Bedard in the last year, the Fever have not disclosed any information surrounding ticket sales before the selection of Clark, nor have they mentioned Clark explicitly when referring to next season.

The Fever, a small-market team that sits near the bottom of the league in attendance, has the opportunity to become one of the titans of the WNBA. Though it cannot be fully quantified yet because of the lack of ticket sales information available, it should not be understated how much exposure the franchise and the league as a whole will

get this summer.

As stated earlier, WNBA teams play 40 games, meaning there are 20 opportunities to fill arenas for each team every year. The NBA slates 82 games per season, meaning an NBA team has more home games (41) than a WNBA team has total games (40). The NBA has remained set in this schedule, citing that ticket sales and TV engagement remain high with this loaded schedule.

The 2022-23 NBA regular season was the least watched in 30 years, with 1.59 million viewers per game. Though social media metrics continue to rise with the high-quantity format, frustration in the fan base has been mounting surrounding “load management,” or the resting of players to prevent injuries. Load management has become more popular as advancements in sports medicine and player training have uncovered the benefits of resting players so they are better optimized in the playoffs.

The problem is that fans don’t know whether their favorite superstars will play on any given night, so viewership and game attendance has taken a hit.

After the NBA introduced new rules last offseason that require players to tally a least 65 games to qualify for regular season awards, injuries among superstars have increased for those players. It seems like the NBA just can’t get the 82-game format to work to their benefit besides its social media metrics.

The NBA finally has a case study they can focus on: the upcoming WNBA season. Because viewership and attendance are expected to be at an all-time high, the WNBA may present a media scenario comparable to that of their brother league. If attendance, viewership, and social media engagement are comparably high for the league this season, the NBA will be forced to consider the benefits of a shorter season.

If fans just can’t get enough of the Caitlin Clark WNBA, their league may have to consider the opposite: increasing the number of games. The sweet spot remains to be seen, but with another league possessing enough following to test this format, a solution seems more imminent than previously foreseen.

Blue Demons ink two more transfers, roster taking shape

By Ryan Hinske Sports Editor

After a month of playing the transfer portal, DePaul men’s basketball secured eight total transfers, including two last week: Conor Enright, a guard from Drake University and JJ Traynor, a forward from the University of Louisville.

Originally from Mundelein, Ill., Enright began his collegiate career west of the Mississippi River at Drake and started in all 33 games for the Missouri Valley Conference champion Bulldogs last season.

“Conor is a terrific addition to our DePaul program,” head coach Chris Holtmann said in a statement. “He is tough, excellent defensively and a consummate point guard who can also play off the ball because of his shooting … Conor will immediately help us on the floor with his play and leadership these next

two years.”

On December 9, 2023, at Wintrust Arena, Traynor contracted a shoulder injury during pregame warmups before Louisville’s matchup against DePaul that sidelined him for the rest of the season. During the previous season, Traynor was a vital part of Louisville’s team, earning a starting role after commencing the season off the bench and scoring 11.4 points per game in his final seven games.

“JJ is an excellent addition to our program,” Holtmann said. “He is long and versatile both offensively and defensively, and I really believe his best basketball is ahead of him … We are really excited about JJ.”

Holtmann and his staff have gone from two players to 10 in three weeks, with eight transfers and two high school commits slated to lace up as Blue Demons this fall. Three scholarship spots remain as DePaul looks for their final depth players in the coming weeks.

RYAN HINKSE | THE DEPAULIA DePaul head coach Chris Holtmann addresses the media on Monday, March 18, 2024, at Wintrust Arena, shortly after accepting the job.