The DePaulia 4.3.23

TheDePaulia

DOWN TO THE WIRE

Mayoral candidates bring out big names for final push

By Lilly Keller and Una Cleary Arts & Life Editor and Focus Editor

Over 4,000 people packed University of Illinois Chicago’s Credit Union 1 Arena Thursday night to rally with Sen. Bernie Sanders and other progressives in support of Brandon Johnson.

Johnson received the Vermont senator’s endorsement earlier this month, alongside a number of other key local and national endorsements, closing the gap between former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas in the April 4 runoff.

Other progressives joined Sanders at the rally, such as Martin Luther King III, Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th), President of the American Federation of Teachers Rani Weingarten, Congress members Jonathan Jackson and Delia Ramirez.

“Our job on Tuesday is to make sure that we have the largest voter turnout this city has ever seen,” Sanders said. “We together are going to make sure that Brandon Johnson is the next mayor of the city.”

One of Johnson’s campaign points of focus is to increase young voter turnout, who made up only 3% of the ballots cast in the first round of voting. Although Johnson is backed by 58.2% of likely voters between the ages of 18-34, their

support was not reflected in the initial casting.

According to the latest poll conducted by Victor Research on March 20-22, Vallas remains the front-runner with 46.3% of the votes compared to Johnson with 44.2%. However, Vallas’ lead dipped from six points to two since the previous poll in early March.

Vallas’ recent endorsement by Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin – the U.S. Senate’s majority whip – is one of many endorsements that has strengthened his campaign. Other prominent support for Vallas comes from the Fraternal Order of the Police Department and Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White which contributes to his hard on crime approach and conservative values.

Vallas stated that Johnson does not believe that the 1,100 police vacancies can be filled in a CNN interview according to CBS News Chicago on March 29. He went on to say that his only strategy for addressing the violent crime in Chicago is to promote 200 officers from the patrol into the detectives bureau.

Highlighting the stark contrast between Vallas’ and Johnson’s ideologies and upbringings, Sanders roused voters to show up for the future of the city they wanted to see.

“Which side are you on? Are you on

the side of the working people or are you on the side of the speculators and the billionaire?” Sanders said. “I know which side Brandon Johnson is on.”

Energizing the crowd, Sanders’ passionate speech emphasized the importance of having a mayor who undertakes issues such as disparities between social classes, crime and mental health in a pro

gressive manner.

“We must address that crisis,” Sanders said. “But we must do it in a way that is smart and effective, and that means not only high quality and non-racist law enforcement, it means that we must address the epidemic of mental illness, the

JAKE COX | THE DEPAULIA

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders rallies on behalf of Brandon Johnson at a campaign event at the University of Illinois at Chicago on March 30, five days before the runoff election.

PHOTO | VALLAS FOR MAYOR CAMPAIGN

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (center) and former Secretary of State Jesse White (right) supported Paul Vallas at a campaign event on March 27.

First Look

CAMPUS CRIME REPORT

PARK

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 | Erik Uebelacker eic@depauliaonline.com

PRINT MANAGING | Nadia Carolina Hernandez managing@depauliaonline.com

ONLINE MANAGING | Patrick Sloan-Turner online@depauliaonline.com

MULTIMEDIA MANAGING | Amber Stoutenborough multimedia@depauliaonline.com

NEWS EDITOR | Kiersten Riedford news@depauliaonline.com

ASST. NEWS EDITOR | Samantha Moilanen news@depauliaonline.com

NATION & WORLD EDITOR | Ruchi Nawathe nation@depauliaonline.com

OPINIONS EDITOR | Jake Cox opinion@depauliaonline.com

FOCUS EDITOR | Una Cleary focus@depauliaonline.com

ARTS & LIFE EDITOR | Lilly Keller artslife@depauliaonline.com

ASST. ARTS & LIFE EDITOR | Jonah Weber artslife@depauliaonline.com

SPORTS EDITOR | Tom Gorski sports@depauliaonline.com

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR | Preston Zbroszczyk sports@depauliaonline.com

ART EDITOR | Alicia Goluszka art@depauliaonline.com

ASST. ART EDITOR | Maya Oclassen art@depauliaonline.com

PHOTO EDITOR | Quentin Blais photo@depauliaonline.com

ASST. PHOTO EDITOR | Erin Henze photo@depauliaonline.com

COPY EDITORS | Amber Corkey | Kara Zubo copydesk@depauliaonline.com

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR | Lily Lowndes social@depauliaonline.com

ASST. SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR | Vanessa Lopez social@depauliaonline.com

ADVISOR | Marla Krause mkrause1@depaul.edu

LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS

Drug & Alcohol Assault & Theft Other

Lincoln Park Campus Crimes:

March 22

1) A Threats report was filed for a person in the Student Center.

March 23

2) A Burglary report was filed regarding items taken from Sullivan Athletic Center in late February.

March 24

3) A Criminal Defacement report was filed regarding markings in an Ozanam Hall elevator car.

March 25

4) A Theft report was filed regarding an

item taken from the Student Center.

March 26

5) A Robbery report was filed regarding an incident that took place in an alley on the 700 W block of Belden involving a nonDePaul affiliated person.

March 27

6) A Criminal Damage report was filed regarding damage to the potted plants outside HPC.

March 28

7) A Possesion of Cannabis report was filed in Corcoran Hall.

LOOP CAMPUS

Loop Campus Crimes:

March 28

1) A Theft report was filed for a wallet taken in the DePaul Center.

La DePaulia es el noticiero oficial estudiantil en español de la Universidad DePaul, enfocado en proveer una voz para la comunidad latinx. Nuestras opiniones no necesariamente reflejan las opiniones de la administración, facultad o personal de la universidad.

JEFA DE REDACCIÓN | Jacqueline Cardenas eicladepaulia@depauliaonline.com

GERENTE EDITORIAL | Santiago PosadaJaramillo managingladepaulia@depauliaonline.com

EDITORA DE ARTE Y VIDA | Andrea Juárez Hernández eicladepaulia@depauliaonline.com

EDITORA DE NOTICIAS | Cary Robbins eicladepaulia@depauliaonline.com

EDITOR DE MULTIMEDIA | Frankie Perez multimedialadepaulia@depauliaonline.com

EDITOR DE DEPORTES | Santiago Gonzalez Tijerina eicladepaulia@depauliaonline.com

EDITOR DE NACIÓN Y MUNDO | Diego Vargas Reyes eicladepaulia@depauliaonline.com

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Letter from the Editors:

Latine is not a misspelling

By La DePaulia Staff

Latino, Latina, Hispanic, Latinx, Latina/o, Latin@, Latin, Latine… There are many words used to refer to our community. Amid so much controversy and confusion, as publications that write in Spanish and about the Latino community, La DePaulia and The DePaulia have decided to use the term “Latine” (Lah-tee-nay). We explain why.

Our publications seek to use a term that is as inclusive as possible. Latine achieves this without feeling like a term borrowed from another language.

The 'e' at the end of word has been adopted by LGBTQ+ and feminist spaces in various Latin American countries to embrace non-gender conforming individuals.

Although the term “Latinx” has also been inclusive towards gender non-binary people, it has been rejected by some circles recently.

Going forward, we will use the term Latine in most cases while still respecting those who identify as Latino/a/x and referring to them as such.

We acknowledge this is an important topic and are open to dialogue with readers.

As language continues to evolve, we strive as a publication to be cognizant of the various experiences we report on. As journalists, we recognize the power behind words and choose to create a future that is inclusive.

See page 16 for the Spanish version of this story.

Ve página 16 para leer la versión de esta historia en español.

SOURCE | DEPAUL CRIME PREVENTION OFFICE

LINCOLN

CAMPUS

State abandons plan to house migrants at Kmart on Southwest Side

By Olivia Zimmerman Staff Writer

The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) abandoned plans to house more than 600 migrants in a former Kmart storefront in Chicago’s West Lawn neighborhood. The announcement came earlier this March from Representative Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar. The move comes weeks after the city faced criticism for placing migrants in a former elementary school in the Woodlawn neighborhood.

“I have serious questions and concerns about the safety and humanity of the proposed Kmart facility and its amenities,” Guerrero-Cuellas said in a letter she wrote in February to the Secretary of IDHS, Grace Hou. “I have asked state agencies to pause this project until they can ensure this facility is constructed into adequate housing for young migrant families.”

IDHS did not respond to multiple requests by The DePaulia for this story.

In the letter, Guerrero-Cuellar also asked for more specifics about the proposed plan to repurpose the closed Kmart for the migrants, including a construction timeline, how long migrants would be living there, security in the facility and how funding will be allocated for CPS.

IDHS chose the site because of its location near an immigrant welcoming area, and its proximity to local resources, according to WTTW.

Alderwoman Silvana Tabares’ (23rd Ward) office reiterated that the decision to move migrants into the old Kmart was solely a state decision, not the city’s.

Tabares told the Greater Southwest

Baltazar Enriquez President of the Little Village Community Council

Herald that she questioned the safety and potential lack of planning for both the migrants and local residents.

“I’ve spoken with our local state elected officials and have urged them to engage the local community before this process proceeds any further. We need a plan that ensures the safety of the community and its residents,” Tabares said in a document sent to The DePaulia.

Baltazar Enriquez, the president of the Little Village Community Council and a community advocate who has been helping some migrants to settle down in Chicago questioned the state’s understanding of the neighborhoods in which they choose to house migrants.

“The governor [Pritzker] doesn’t even live here in Chicago, and he wants to make decisions in neighborhoods that he doesn’t even have a clue [about],” said Enriquez.

Enriquez said he is concerned over potential safety hazards in the area.

“Why would you put people [in] a commercial area? There’s high levels of traffic there,” he said. “These [migrants] could get run over. These people could go through getting assaulted.”

Many migrants that have arrived in Chicago over the past seven months are being housed in hotels in the suburbs, including Burr Ridge, Countryside, Elk Grove Village, and Prospect Heights.

Some suburban residents expressed their discontent with the city and state for placing migrants in shelters in their towns with short notice.

In Elk Grove Village, Mayor Craig Johnson released a statement last September, expressing disappointment with state officials.

“I cannot tell you how disappointing it is to see the haphazard way in which this has been handled by county, state and City of Chicago officials," Craig Johnson said in a press release.

In Prospect Heights, over 200 migrants are staying in hotels. With the Chicago mayoral runoff election only days away, the housing of the migrants in the city is a major topic.

Enriquez said that he is concerned because the candidates that are running for mayor have not touched on the issue more elaborately throughout their campaign.

Paul Vallas’ campaign website currently does not list any type of plan for housing migrants. Brandon Johnson’s campaign website pledges to “[l]everage the collective braintrust of community groups, leaders, multiple city agencies to develop a comprehensive city plan for asylum seekers and other new arrivals.”

Johnson’s site also outlines key housing policies that could potentially impact migrants, by providing “rental assistance or other semi-permanent housing for all, provided by the City. Build permanent housing for all unhoused, including asylum seekers, by passing the Bring Chicago Home ordinance and enacting other pieces of the $1 billion Better Chicago Agenda”.

While there has been no official release as to where the migrants will be staying now, WTTW reports that “a source close to the situation said some of them have found places to live independently. The source said others will continue to stay at hotels, mostly in the South and Southwest suburbs.”

See page 16 for the Spanish version of this story.

Ve página 16 para leer la versión de esta historia en español.

“The two candidates that are running for mayor have not spoken about [any] of this [...] Paul Vallas’ [grand]parents were Greek immigrants; help out a brother just like your [grand]parents went through getting settled. Help us settle down.”

Cataleya sits atop her father, Elier as he speaks to a police officer while other migrants wait for a bus to take them to a refugee center outside Union Station in Chicago on Aug. 31, 2022.

ANTHONY VAZQUEZ | CHICAGO SUN-TIMES VIA AP

Ald. Knudsen releases safety plan in buildup to 43rd runoff

By Patrick Sloan-Turner Online Managing Editor

With the aim of retaining his appointed seat as the 43rd Ward’s alderman in Tuesday’s runoff election, Timmy Knudsen revealed his community policing plan on Saturday.

The plan focuses on increasing the number of officers in the ward and increasing police presence through an emphasis of on-the-ground officers. Knudsen believes filling department office roles with civilians will free up more officers to patrol the beat, a strategy outlined in his plan.

“By some estimates, there are hundreds of officers who could be moved to patrol in the districts in coming months,” Knudsen wrote in his plan. “Places like New York and Los Angeles – desk, law, and data jobs are done by civilians, which allows sworn personnel to focus on what they do best: build relationships in the neighborhoods they serve.”

Much of Chicago has seen various trends of increased crimes in recent years, and Knudsen’s ward is no different. Public safety is a central issue to the race, dominating debates and forums throughout the election, as crimes like motor vehicle theft saw a 65% increase in 2022 from five years prior in the 43rd Ward, according to the Chicago Data Portal.

Knudsen’s opponent in the runoff, Brian Comer –who currently serves as beat facilitator for 18th police district – recently made public a proposal to add officers through a program incentivizing tuition reimbursement to DePaul students who join the Chicago Police Department (CPD).

The contested race will likely be decid-

ed Tuesday night in its second round after Knudsen finished on top in the first round with 27% of the vote on Feb. 28, while Comer came in second with 24%.

In the plan, Knudsen also outlined five other points to improve safety in the ward. In addition to adding officers, Knudsen’s plan stresses police ownership over the beat they patrol, prioritizing internal CPD promotion, reinvigorating CPD strategic centers and crime labs, enhancing penalties for illegal possession of firearms and community oversight for improving CPD accountability.

On Comer’s campaign website, he too emphasizes staffing, stating his first priority

will be to “put in a formal request for more cops on [the ward’s] streets.”

The race recently featured some controversy following a police incident on March 10 in Lincoln Park, when Comer recorded and posted a video to Facebook incorrectly stating an officer had been shot. The video has since been removed.

In a debate on March 23, Knudsen criticized Comer’s actions regarding the inci-

dent, calling out his opponent for “spreading fear within our ward."

Registered voters of the 43rd Ward have until 7 p.m. on Tuesday to cast votes in the aldermanic race. Early voting can be done at any city polling locations, while sameday voters must vote at a universal polling place or in their own precinct.

Timmy Knudsen, 43rd Ward Alderman and candidate for the upcoming aldermanic race, attended the Student Government Association (SGA) Q&A session on Oct. 26, 2022.

QUENTIN BLAIS | THE DEPAULIA

“Places like New York and Los Angeles –desk, law, and data jobs are done by civilians, which allows sworn personnel to focus on what they do best: build relationships in the neighborhoods they serve.”

Timmy Knudsen 43rd Ward Alderman

3 years ago

DePaul students gathered in the Lincoln Park quad to protest the university’s affiliation with Chicago police.

25% off

Among the students’ demands included DePaul’s immediate divestment from CPD and termination of its agreement with the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) that offered members a 25% discount in tuition at DePaul.

April 4

43rd Ward residents can vote for their alderman on April 4. The mayoral race will also be decided on April 4.

1 year tuition

Brian Comer proposed a pilot program offering DePaul graduates one year’s tuition reimbursement if they join CPD for four years following their graduation.

2,000 According to Brian Comer, the police department has been working at a 2,000 person deficit.

Aldermanic candidate Comer proposes paying DePaul students’ tuition to join CPD

By Samantha Moilanen Asst. News Editor

Almost three years ago, DePaul students gathered in the Lincoln Park quad to protest the university’s affiliation with Chicago police. Among the students’ demands included DePaul’s immediate divestment from the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and termination of its agreement with the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) that offered members a 25% discount in tuition at DePaul.

Now, ahead of Tuesday’s upcoming aldermanic runoff election for the 43rd Ward, candidates Timmy Knudsen and Brian Comer are both making public safety the forefront of their campaigns.

A primary facet of Comer’s plan to improve public safety in the 43rd Ward involves addressing the staffing deficit in the police department since the pandemic. To do so, he explained his idea for a pilot program when answering an endorsement questionnaire for the Chicago Tribune, offering DePaul graduates one year’s tuition reimbursement if they join CPD for four years after graduation.

However, some students do not believe DePaul is the ideal university to start a pilot program that encourages students to enter the police force.

DePaul political science student and president of the DePaul College Democrats, Joe Valliquette, said the protests in 2020 to terminate DePaul’s connection with the FOP showed how students feel about CPD.

“There was a huge uprising among students regarding what he wants to build upon, which is the FOP connection between DePaul [and] finding different routes into CPD through the college of law and education,” Valliquette said. Comer said developing a partnership between the university and CPD to build this pilot program will help address the negative perception surrounding the police and Chicago’s communities.

“This is a way to expose young people to possibly serving in the police department,” Comer told The DePaulia. “It can make the relationship between community and police department richer and more robust, so that there is more understanding about the communities that they serve.”

According to Comer, the police department has been working at a 2,000 person deficit which he believes greatly impacts safety in the city and on the CTA.

“It all starts with public safety. And it's an acute problem, so we need innovative solutions to address it,” he said.

Megan Alderden, director and associate professor of criminology at DePaul, said this program could encourage more young people to join the police force.

“Especially [in] Chicago [with] the consent decree, and the protests, and that kind of stuff has also created a condition where fewer people are entering policing,” Alderden said. “You would have individuals who are graduating with a four-year degree now much more likely to be interested in potentially joining the police department.”

For Comer, DePaul’s emphasis on the Vincentian mission and service-based work makes it the ideal university to start this pilot program.

However, Valliquette does not think the vast majority of students would be interested in joining the police force.

“I was kind of taken aback by that as

have a police academy.”

Joe Valliquette

President of DePaul Democrats, senior

a solution to public safety,” he said. “If you think that’s a good policy or program for DePaul, you haven’t been to DePaul’s campus and talked to students in years. It’s such a disconnect from the reality of how students feel about CPD, especially considering we're a school that doesn’t have a police academy.”

When asked what he plans to do if DePaul students are not interested in the program, Comer said he would work on revising the program to fit students’ needs.

“I’d rather be part of designing something than not designing something,” he said. “I think it's a great place to actually build a program and, you know, define it.”

After initiating the program at DePaul, Comer plans on expanding it to universities across the city.

When asked how he will fund student’s tuition reimbursement as part of the program, Comer said he will rely on funding from organizations focused on public safety.

“There are so many different organizations, both public and private, that have funds for public safety that we can use our partners at all levels of government,” Comer said.

Alderden said there are benefits to recruiting police officers with a college degree.

“There is stem research that kind of shows that people who get a four-year degree, actually end up doing really well in policing and do better in policing than maybe people who don't have that back-

ground,” she said.

To bridge the gap between Chicago communities and the police department, Alderden said hiring is necessary to employ officers who are focused on serving the city, rather than harming it.

“So we start with hiring people, there is some research that indicates that it's not so much how many people you have, but it's really what you do with those individuals,” she said.

Comer also said he wants more officers stationed in the CTA to increase safety measures and ridership.

Like Alderden, he believes if we get more officers who are community-focused and educated on Chicago’s history of segregation and violence, they will be able to influence reform from within CPD.

“It's just a wonderful opportunity to just get good people in the police department, and to help make the police department better,” Comer said. “You know, we want our police officers to be integrated into communities.”

Valliquette said a better way to tackle the public safety issue is to work with city council to combat crime at the community level through youth outreach programs.

“I’ve never met someone at DePaul that wants to be a police officer,” Valliquette said.

Comer said once the staffing deficit within CPD is resolved, the program will no longer be necessary.

SOURCE | BRIAN COMER, THE DEPAULIA ARCHIVES

“If you think that’s a good policy or program for DePaul, you haven’t been to DePaul’s campus and talked to students in years. It’s such a disconnect from the reality of how students feel about CPD, especially considering we're a school that doesn’t

Brian Comer, a 43rd aldermanic race runoff candidate, receives a signature from a Lincoln Park resident to get him on the ballot for the 43rd Ward aldermanic race.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRIAN COMER'S CAMPAIGN INSTAGRAM

SGA 2023-2024 election timeline

Apply to become a student government representative or get to know your representatives

Candidate information sent out April 26

SGA election portal testing

April 27 (current SGA members only)

Candidate information sessions

April 5 at 5 p.m. via Zoom

April 11 at 4 p.m. via Zoom

April 13 after the SGA meeting (begins at 6 p.m.)

Application window opens April 7 via DeHUB

Meet the Candidates

May 1 at 5pm via Zoom

A dazzling electronic art installation combining ancient poetry and modern anime—part comic book, part motion picture, part meditation on history.

KIERSTEN RIEDFORD | THE DEPAULIA

CTA turned marketplace

How the informal economy survives

By Joey Stephens

Contributing Writer

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is a hub for a sector of the informal economy, a platform for riders to buy and sell goods.

According to the CTA’s Ordinance No. 98-126 Section 1.1, it is prohibited “to sell, offer for sale, sell and deliver, barter or exchange any goods, services or merchandise on property owned, operated or maintained by the CTA.”

The informal economy carries items people need or want. Suppliers seek to meet the demand of riders with grocery items like snacks, water, laundry detergent or other goods that interest riders. Just like in other markets, prices vary by train direction and time of day.

The informal economy or survival economy involves people who don’t have access to the formal or luxury economy. There are barriers and exclusions in place that keep some workers from obtaining a job with regular paychecks and stability.

Equity and Transformation (EAT) is an organization that researches informal work in Chicago, and found that despite multiple hustles, 67% of informal workers do not make enough to pay their bills.

One rider makes her rounds on the CTA Red Line train, Dayjahna, a 19-year-old seller who preferred to only share her first name, approaches riders with her pouch of rollerball perfumes open, ready for potential customers to sample a sniff.

At $10 a pop, she carries 15 bottles at a time, one of each scent. Each bottle has a creative name on a homemade label to capture the essence of the scent.

Dayjahna also carries feminine products for sale but doesn't keep them on display. She said she can make $100 on a good day.

“I can’t afford for strangers to be put off by me, so I think about how I can be someone they trust,” Dayjahna said.

To make a good first impression, she approaches CTA riders with a smile and an inviting tone.

“I’m only 19 and I’m an entrepreneur,” she will say to people passing by.

Dayjahna is with the 29% of informal workers that have previously worked for a company that provided a regular paycheck. However, she still feels under-qualified in applying to new positions, like one she recently applied to at The Hilton.

“Working at The Hilton would be a great fresh start,” she said. “I had a lot of plans in my life and I’m tired of them slipping away from me.”

The barriers she faces are from her education. She said she attended high school at John Marshall High School in Garfield Park.

"We were learning 4th grade stuff in high

school,” she said. “In the 11th grade we were still doing multiplication, division and subtraction and that's not a good thing.”

The low academic standards only accounted for one of her disappointments in her education.

"There was a lack of motivation from teachers,” she said. “They didn’t care about us or where we [will] end up.”

She has yet to achieve her dream of attending higher education.

Dayjahna is saving money to rent an apartment and for a lawyer to help get her children back from Child Protective Services (CPS).

Dayjahna's children are 6 months and 3 years old. They were taken out of her care when she gave birth to her second child, Maliki.

“He has the most beautiful eyes,” Dayjahna said. “Sometimes I see people with eyes like his. I put on a face to be out here, and I’m doing it for [my children], but the reminder that they’re out there tears me apart. Any mother would be devastated and heartbroken going through what I’ve been through so far.”

Deshawn, 26, passes through train cars offering loose cigarettes. He charges a dollar, but can make $2 late in the evening.

He keeps snickers bars in his bag for those looking for a different kind of treat.

When someone buys a cigarette, he asks if they smoke (cannabis) too.

“My prices are lower than dispensaries,” Deshawn said, but the billion-dollar industry isn’t going anywhere. With his cannabis hustle, he said he can make $250 on a good day.

Deshawn has a cannabis related arrest charge on his record, which means he would not even be hired by a dispensary to distribute cannabis legally.

In Chicago, the sale of unstamped cigarettes can result in $2,000 fines and criminal prosecution. Unstamped cigarettes are cigarettes that have not been taxed by Chicago, which are often too expensive to make a profit at $1 each.

Cigarettes sold legally in Indiana are half or less than half the price. Sellers either make a trip on the Metra to Indiana or buy from a Chicago store that stocks unstamped cigarettes. The Tax Foundation estimates that 17% of the cigarettes sold in Illinois were bought in other states, where taxes are lower.

Inside Chicago’s War on Illegal Cigarettes cites that in 2021, the city issued $838,000 worth of fines for illegal tobacco sales.

Deshawn now has a family of his own and wants to be a role-model for his son.

“I’m going to make it out of this,” he said.

He’s saving up to rent out a studio to record his music.

“When you hear my stuff on the radio,” he said. “You’ll know I made it.”

The informal economy came before reg-

ulated or luxury economies and can be quite helpful to consumers who can’t afford to buy goods all at once, Quillian, a seller who requested to only use their first name, said. When there is a fall in the luxury economy, the survival economy picks up and acts as a buffer for individuals that are struggling to make ends meet.

“There’s an inequity when it comes to resources in this city,” Quillian said. “For some, staying afloat means selling goods on the train, but we see how even that could get someone arrested. Pulling people out of this system will never happen by making arrests.”

Especially for those who have been incarcerated, sources like Quillian said the search for work can be impossible. Unfair policing accounts for Black people being arrested 3.73 times more for cannabis than white people, at roughly the same usage rates according to ACLU.

Richard Wallace, born on Chicago’s West Side and founder of EAT, works to uplift voices of those working in the informal economy through research, outreach and activism.

“Our elected officials know the social and economic conditions in Black communities,” Wallace said. ”[But they] produce policies that render violent results for Black people.”

In the survival economy, Dayjahna and Deshawn will not be able to rely on making a guaranteed profit. They will never be sure if they can buy the things they need or make rent.

Dayjahna does not have a consistent living situation and worries about not having access to her materials to make rollerball perfumes.

Deshawn and his son have dealt with homelessness before.

Not only is the survival economy looked down upon from a public view, but there are also laws and ordinances in place prohibiting it.

The 1998 ordinance prohibiting sales on the CTA was “designed to promote the welfare and safety of riders, as well as the protection of CTA property,” said Tammy Chase with The CTA Media Relations Department.

“It is also against the law,” Chase said. “In the event CTA personnel or security guards are made aware of a person violating this law/ordinance, they will request the seller to cease and leave the property. If the offender does not comply, law enforcement will be requested for further assistance."

A Green Line train bound for Ashland/63rd pulls into the Adams & Wabash St. stop. An informal economy, otherwise known as a survival economy, has begun to skyrocket on the CTA.

QUENTIN BLAIS | THE DEPAULIA

Dayjahna, 19, prepares her perfumes at a CTA turnstyle before selling her products.

JOEY STEPHENS | THE DEPAULIA

$71 million private security contract fails to make CTA safer

By Patrick Sloan-Turner Online Managing Editor

As commuters descend the steps to the Jackson Red Line stop on a weekday afternoon, they will likely notice a group of five or six people in yellow vests standing in the middle of the platform. Although riders might observe handcuffs and radios on their belts, these guards are not police officers.

They are private security with the same training and authority as guards employed at many suburban shopping malls.

During the first quarter of 2022, CTA violent crimes like assault, battery and robbery took place at a higher rate than any year in the past two decades, alongside theft too, according to the Chicago Data Portal. In response, the Chicago Police Department (CPD), the CTA and Mayor Lori Lightfoot contracted two private security firms to bring in guards to help curb crime.

The contract, with a price tag of $71 million, allowed for the hiring of 300 officers between the two firms of Inter-Con Security Service and Monterrey Security Consultants. Now, nearly one year later, data shows the city’s strategy has done little to make transit safer. Instead, crimes on CTA trains, stations and platforms have increased by a significant margin.

Assault, battery, robbery and theft went up by an aggregate of 10.4% on CTA compared to the same period a year prior to the guards’ hiring, according to the Chicago Data Portal.

Figures from the same dataset reveal that instances of battery alone increased by 15.6%, validating riders who feel the guards have not made things safer.

“[The city] has talked a lot about putting in more security at stops like Jackson and Chicago and State and several downtown stops,” said Thomas Flynn, a Lakeview East resident and regular CTA rider. “But every time I’m there, I just see a group of [officers] huddled together not really doing their job.”

If increased rider safety was the goal when bringing on these officers, Flynn believes the city missed the mark and said he finds them less than attentive.

“They should be looking at the train, they should be monitoring the staircases and the turnstiles, but they're not doing any of that really,” Flynn said.

Like other major cities, staff shortages plague the CPD. Instead, these unarmed guards are tasked with the safety of Chicago’s transit but have less training and tools than police.

To become a security guard at Inter-Con or Monterrey, applicants must pass a drug screening, a background check and prove they can meet certain physical requirements like standing for an entire shift.

Monterrey is the same company that employs on-campus security at DePaul’s campuses.

Both company’s guards must hold a state-issued guard license, according to the Inter-Con’s job postings. Obtaining one of these licenses requires passing a 20-hour class, offered by several companies online, and costs around $60.

Experts like Leonard Sipes, a retired federal public affairs specialist, believes policing safety on an entity as vast as the CTA requires specific training and tools that unarmed guards do not have in most cases. Sipes, who previously served with the Department of Justice's clearing house for Crime Prevention and Security, said these guards are trained to do something entirely different than police are.

“Ordinarily, private security exists sole-

ly as some sort of warning that if something happens, there is an individual there who will contact law enforcement,” Sipes said. “In most cases, they have no authority, have no training and they have no arrest powers.”

CTA did not respond to multiple requests for comment for this story, but in March 2022, they explained the role of its security guards in a statement announcing the guards deployment.

“Security guards are a visible presence that can be a deterrent to improper behaviors on trains and buses, and in stations,” the statement said.

The same statement went on to say guards will enforce “CTA’s Rules of conduct which prohibits activity such as smoking... among other behaviors.”

Last month, Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) quote-tweeted a video showing one of CTA’s own guards smoking on the Jackson Red Line platform.

While Sipes understands the idea of a uniformed presence deterring criminal activity, he believes these instances can be complicated. He said that cases often involve perpetrators under the influence of substances or dealing with mental health issues, making it a tough situation for security to handle.

“That [guard's] role is usually going to be nothing more than contacting law enforcement and providing a description of the assailant,” Sipes said. “If you want to steal somebody's purse, if you want to do a smash and grab, there's really nothing a private security officer can do.

Previously, the CTA had its own dedicated police force, but it disbanded in 1979, according to CBS Chicago.

One Monterrey officer working security on a CTA platform in the Loop last month told The DePaulia their job indeed usually consists of calling in law enforcement in dangerous situations.

“If someone [is] being loud or aggressive or something we [are] supposed to call the cops,” said the officer, who requested anonymity. “It’s not any type of hard job, it’s just long days of just standing down here.”

Of the 478 CTA crimes reported through January and February 2023, CPD made an arrest just 199 times, according to figures from the city’s data portal. This period shows a 37% increase in CTA crime from a year ago, before the city announced the hiring of the guards.

Flynn said he has seen all kinds of incidents in transit, even witnessing a robbery at the Jackson stop, a stop with one of the highest crime rates in the city, and feels crime is a regular occurrence. Since the increased presence of security on platforms, Flynn said he has not felt any safer.

“It just seems like there's a lot of action going on at these stations,” Flynn said. “[The guard’s] job is to kind of monitor [activity] and you know, monitor if someone's smoking on the platform, if someone's screaming about something, they’ve got to be more attentive to these issues.”

Although riders might rather have increased officers patrolling CTA instead of unarmed guards, that might be out of the question. CPD saw a decrease of more than 3,000 officers since 2019, according to figures obtained by The DePaulia in a Freedom of Information Act request (FOIA).

While Chicago may not have the officers to patrol the CTA right now, Sipes believes the key to future safety is not just actual police presence on CTA trains, stations and platforms, it is instituting non-traditional police practices.

“Hundreds of studies financed by the U.S. Department of Justice that looked at

proactive policing endeavors...indicate that it does reduce crime,” Sipes said. “In fact, nothing else even comes close to it.”

As explained on Sipes’ own website, proactive policing refers to the practice of regular patrols and community engagement, rather than the traditional practice of responding to calls. In the CTA’s case, this means officers whose sole beat would be a CTA station or platform.

Other cities with major transit like CTA have police units dedicated to patrolling transit systems. New York City, Washington D.C. and Boston are all examples of cities with dedicated transit units, all of which reported less violent crimes per rail rider in 2022 than Chicago, ac-

cording to analysis of each city’s crime data.

Because of nationwide police staffing shortages, Sipes said that private security firms like Inter-Con and Monterrey are in high demand. With two years left on the CTA’s three-year contract to deploy these guards, crime will need to drop significantly to justify the $71 million in taxpayers’ dollars spent.

“It hasn't seemed like that investment is really worth it,” Flynn said. “These security guards aren't really able to do much besides...[calling] the police, and it's not really worth that high dollar amount.”

Two private security officers share a conversation at the Jackson Red line stop in March.

PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER | THE DEPAULIA

Since CTA announced the new security contract in March 2022, assaults, battery, robberies and theft have all increased from the year prior.

QUENTIN BLAIS | THE DEPAULIA

MAYOR, continued from front page

epidemic of drug abuse, the epidemic of poverty and the epidemic of guns on the street. And that is something that Brandon Johnson understands.”

The speakers at Johnson’s rally voiced support for his reformist policies concerning mental health and education.

Johnson supporter Emily Melbye expressed her support of Johnson’s approach to mental health, which was stressed throughout the night.

“I think we really need a progressive message to help move our city forwards, not backwards,” Melbye said.

After announcing his ‘Treatment Not Trauma’ ordinance, Johnson’s campaign embraced expanding Chicago’s mental health resources and implementing trained health crisis professionals and EMT’s as first responders to nonviolent 911 calls instead of law enforcement.

For Johnson supporter Jorge Martinez, Sanders is his political hero.

“They are both progressive champions in the city and in the senate,” Martinez said.

As Johnson took the stage, he embraced Sanders creating an image of progressive partnership. Supporters gave a standing ovation in celebration of the two.

Johnson spoke on his original polling at 2.8% and how the data influenced his public perception.

“They said they didn't know my name. Well if you didn't know, now you know,” Johnson said.

With the support from the Chicago’s Teachers Union, Johnson entered the candidacy in October with low recognition. He has reshaped his campaign fol -

lowing high profile endorsements from Rev. Jesse Jackson and U.S. Congressman Jesús ‘Chuy’ García.

A new poll by Northwestern Now showed that Black voters favor Johnson by a margin of 55%, while 28% favor Vallas.

“People will try to judge us based on data points,” Johnson said. “The elimination of this country as we know it today is experiencing the benefit of a group of people who said we are not going to accept anybody.”

Johnson stated that his opponent has failed his responsibilities in previous roles as the CEO of Chicago Public Schools. Energizing the crowd, supporters chanted “Paul Vallas, take a seat.”

“He has destroyed every economy that he has participated in,” Johnson said. “We can turn a corner away from the wicked past.”

Honoring Martin Luther King Jr., Johnson highlighted his work in the civil rights movement and around Chicago. He quoted King, saying “If we can figure it out in Chicago, we can do it anywhere in the world.”

Son of the civil rights icon Martin Luther King III honored his father and reminded the crowd that the April 4 election day is the assassination date of his father.

“My father will be looking down on us on Tuesday,” King said. “Who leads this city will determine what will happen for the next generation.”

The full list of voting sites can be found on the Chicago Board of elections’ website. Polls will open at 6 a.m. on April 4 and close at 7 p.m.

Brandon Johnson, current member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners and 2023 Chicago mayoral runoff candidate, is running his campaign with an emphasis on public education and workers' rights. He has gained an endorsement from Bernie Sanders, who was at the rally on March 30.

JAKE COX | THE DEPAULIA

Attendees listen to Sanders speak during the event at Credit Union 1 Arena.

JAKE COX | THE DEPAULIA

Sanders gave Johnson an endorsement on Thursday night. Chuy García, a former Chicago mayoral candidate, also endorsed Johnson last week.

JAKE COX | THE DEPAULIA

Nation & World

TikTok on the chopping block:

OCLASSEN

Bipartisan potential ban on the social media app is unprecedented

By Ruchi Nawathe Nation & World Editor

TikTok, a popular social media platform for short clips and videos, was introduced to the American public in 2017. Since then, it’s amassed more than 150 million users in the United States alone, a majority of whom are Gen Z users.

On March 7, the Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology (RESTRICT) Act was introduced in the U.S. Senate. The RESTRICT Act aims to punish foreign companies that attempt to interfere with American elections or politics. More specifically, the bill will ban TikTok in the U.S. This would be the first time the U.S. government would ban a social media platform.

Even the use of a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to access TikTok could be criminalized under the RESTRICT Act.

“It is unprecedented for the government to do this, but we also have to keep in mind that the digital space throughout the history of the United States is only a small part,” said Andrew Selepak, master’s program coordinator at the University of Florida. “I mean, blogs [weren’t] even created until the mid-90s.”

TikTok is owned by a Beijing-based company, ByteDance Ltd., and has been banned in other countries – including India – due to concerns about the company mining users’ data.

“When you have a company in China, it’s always going to be in some respects, a subsidiary of the Chinese government,” Selepak said. “So the Chinese government would be able to request access from any company in China.”

Chinese companies are not the only ones that mine data on social media. Meta

Inc., an American company that owns Instagram and Facebook, also mines and sells their users’ data.

“You know, if this was the government of the U.K., that was able to get access to data from you no social media company that was based in the U.K., I don’t think we’d be seeing the same concerns,” said Samantha Close, DePaul communications professor. “There is a geopolitical situation, the U.S. and U.K. are much more aligned than the U.S. and China are certainly.”

There have been speculations that TikTok might be banned due to sinophobia, or discrimination against Chinese people.

“If it was a government in the Middle East, we would probably be seeing the same sorts of restrictions, and you have the same sorts of xenophobic and racist sentiment there,” Close said. “And so I think that there are some legitimate concerns about access to data, but American social media companies really do the exact same thing [mine data].”

Most of the concern is with the Chinese government being able to access users’ data, rather than the company itself.

“We have not seen American companies really standing up to say the FBI or other American law enforcement companies who wanted access to data, whether it be about protesters, you know, cell phone companies, kind of the same protesters or people who are taking part in the Jan. 6 riots,” Close said. “You know, we’ve really seen broad cooperation from American social media companies with American law enforcement, also.”

Meta has been lobbying against TikTok for months, according to The Washington Post.

“Facebook is watching as its target demographic and its main user base is aging. Facebook now is the thing that your

parents do,” Close said. “It’s not what you know, cool, popular teenagers do and they hate that, and so they’re trying anything that they can to get rid of a competitor and to maybe scoop up some of the people who then wouldn’t be able to use TikTok anymore.”

DePaul alum and communications coordinator for Northwestern University Hector Cervantes is concerned with the potential ban impacting young people and content creators.

“If TikTok were to be banned, it’s losing a platform for people that actually actually make money and as living so I think it would hurt them a lot in that particular way,” Cervantes said.

There are also concerns with how this ban can impact free speech, especially the free speech of the mostly younger people who are on the app. Legally, however, there is no impediment to free speech since TikTok is a privately owned company.

“I tend to think that it’s a problem that all of our social media and internet spaces are privately owned, I think there needs to be much more public ownership of what is essentially a public resource,” Close said. “That’s not the way that it stands legally.”

TikTok has also been a platform for many political content creators, especially anti-capitalist creators, to connect with one another.

“I think that this kind of action also, when you take away a communal space, it can radicalize the population even more, because that’s when those who are on the margins realize… ‘we’re really being oppressed here,’” Close said. “And to the extent that you could see taking away Tiktok, it’s a targeted action towards people who are expressing those [anti-capitalist] ideas.”

Cervantes is not too concerned with TikTok or the Chinese government having

access to his data.

“I don’t know what they’ll use my data for. There’s nothing for me to hide. I’m not doing anything bad,” Cervantes said.

Selepak believes that data mining could become a concern for people as they get older.

“You’re going to get older, most likely, as you get older, you’re going to have medical issues, more medical issues, that medical information. So there are things that are digital, we want to keep private. You know, I don’t want my medical information being in the hands of many people, I want it to be in my hands and my doctor’s hands,” Selepak said. “I want my financial information to be in my hands and my bank’s hands. I don’t want other people to get access to it.”

There is plenty of information besides medical and financial records that could impact young people if it is accessed by other people and companies.

“Let’s say you are somebody who hasn’t come out [as LGBTQ] to your parents, you haven’t come out to your family, and you have been going to different websites, you’ve been going, visiting different locations...Somebody else uses your laptop, and they’re like, Why are you suddenly getting all these ads? This seems odd,” Selepak said.

While some believe that banning TikTok is necessary to protect national security, many are upset to lose a social media platform.

“My main app is Snapchat that I use, that’s my main social media app. And if that were to be ever taken away, it’s my platform that I use to promote myself and other things, like articles, like my daily life… it would lose a major chunk of my friends, [and] my platform that I have,” Cervantes said.

MAYA

| THE DEPAULIA

Manhattan grand jury votes to indict Donald Trump, showing he, like all other presidents, is not an imperial king

By Shannon Bow O’Brien The University of Texas at Austin

(THE CONVERSATION) A Manhattan grand jury voted to indict former President Donald Trump on March 30, 2023, for his alleged role in paying porn star Stormy Daniels hush money.

Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina confirmed the indictment.

The New York Times reported that it is not yet clear what exact charges Trump will face, but a formal indictment will likely be issued in the next few days. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is the first prosecutor ever to issue an indictment against a former president. Trump is still the center of several ongoing investigations regarding other alleged criminal activity, including actions he took while in office.

American history is rife with presidents who have used their office to extend executive authority.

Presidents are not kings. George Washington once reflected on this distinction, saying, “I had rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world.”

But American politics and presidency scholars – including me – have long worried about the idea of an imperial presidency – meaning, a president who tries to exert a level of control beyond what the Constitution spells out.

Trump was just another example of a president acting as if he was king by just another name.

Expanding the role of the presidency

While some early presidents, notablyAndrew Jackson andAbraham Lincoln, expanded the executive branch, most were constrained by the dominance of the legislative branch in their day.

The growth of the executive branch in terms of size and power began in earnest during the 20th century.

Franklin Roosevelt attempted to pack the Supreme Court to overcome opposition to his New Deal legislation, a series of public works and spending projects in the 1930s.

Roosevelt wanted to add a justice for every existing judge on the court who did not retire by age 70 – but it was a transparent attempt to alter the court’s composition to favor his agenda, and the Senate shot it down.

Richard Nixon decided to impound money authorized for programs simply because he disagreed with them. Nixon had vetoed the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 but was overridden by Congress. He still withheld money, which

eventually culminated in a 1975 Supreme Court case, in which the court ruled against Nixon.

Other presidents tried to unduly influence more mundane aspects of life.

In August 1906, for example, Theodore Roosevelt issued an executive order forcing the Government Printing Office to begin using the new spellings of 300 words – including “although” and “fixed” – in order to simplify them.

Following broad public criticism of this plan, Congress votedto reject these proposed spelling improvements in 1906.

Trump’s Turn

Trump’s actions and words throughout the presidency also suggest he believed that the office gave him overarching power.

For example, Trump reflected on his power over states to force them to reopen during the COVID-19 crisis, saying in April 2020, “When somebody’s president of the United States, the authority is total.” But governors actually maintained the control over what remained open or closed in their states during the pandemic.

Trump has also treated the independent judiciary as an inferior branch of government, subject to his control.

“If it’s my judges, you know how they’re gonna decide,” Trump said of his potential judicial appointees in 2016.

Chief Justice John Roberts rejected Trump’s view on this issue in 2018, saying, “We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges. … What we have is an extraordinary group of dedicated judges doing their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them.”

There is a rigorous procedure if presidents decide to declassify information. This complex process involves all classified material being reviewed by appropriate government agencies and experts at the National Archives.

But Trump claimed at one point any documents he took home were already declassified.

He later asserted, “There doesn’t have to be a process, as I understand it. … You’re the president of the United States, you can declassify just by saying it’s declassified, even by thinking about it.”

These comments help substantiate Trump’s belief in his absolute authority. There are specific procedures in place to manage declassification that do not involve psychic powers.

One real superpower

If the American presidents have one superpower, it is the power of the pardon. American presidents can pardon people, and the legislative and judiciary branches cannot prevent it.

Past presidents have used pardons largely in the service of justice, but at times to also reward personal friends or connections. But Trump took it even further, using this power seemingly as a way to reward his loyal supporters – and says he will seriously consider pardoning the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol rioters if he is reelected.

Trump also apparently considered granting himself a pardon as a way to avoid any prosecution for his involvement with the Capitol attack.

A self-pardon would also potentially place any president in constitutional murky water.

A 1919 Supreme Court ruling declared that a pardon “carries an imputation of guilt and acceptance of a confession of it.” So, if Trump had pardoned himself for anything, he would have admitted to having committed a crime – for which he could still potentially be impeached or investigated under any applicable state law, which is not covered by a presidential pardon.

After office

Since leaving office, Trump has attempted to claim post-presidential executive privilege, independent of the current administration. But President Joe Biden – who must first give Trump this privilege – never extended it to his predecessor.

Trump’s defense that he was allowed to store classified documents at Mar-a-Lago as

a result of executive privilege has largely been unsuccessful in the courts.

Trump has also used his time as president to avoid any lawsuits that emerged after he left office.

In January 2023, a federal judge shot down Trump’s attempt to dismiss a 2022 defamation lawsuit filed by the writer E. Jean Carroll, who says Trump raped her in the 1990s. Trump denied the rape in 2019.

In court, Trump argued that anything he said as president should be protected and he should be given immunity during that period.

Though a ruling is still pending, Carroll has argued in court that immunity would apply only if Trump were referring to presidential matters, and not personal ones.

American presidents serve a limited amount of time governing before they return to the general population’s ranks.

Those privileged enough to hold the top office in the U.S. are still citizens. They are held to the same laws as everyone else and, the founders believed, should never be held above them.

Throughout history, many presidents have pushed the boundaries of power for their own personal preferences or political gain. However, Americans do have the right to push back and hold these leaders accountable to the country’s laws.

Presidents have never been monarchs. If they ever act in that manner, I believe that the people have to remind them of who they are and whom they serve.

Migrant deaths in Mexico put spotlight on US policy that shifted immigration enforcement south

By Raquel Aldana University of California, Davis

(THE CONVERSATION) The fire-related deaths of at least 39 migrants in a detention facility in Ciudad Juarez, just across the U.S. border with Mexico, will likely be found to have had several contributing factors.

There was the immediate cause of the blaze, the mattresses apparently set alight by desperate men in the center to protest their imminent deportation. And then there is the apparent role of guards, seen on video walking away from the blaze.

In the aftermath of the fire, Felipe González Morales, the United Nations special rapporteur for human rights of migrants, commented on Twitter that the “extensive use of immigration detention leads to tragedies like this one.”

Today Mexico maintains a very large detention system. It comprises several dozen short- and long-term detention centers,

housing more than 300,000 people in 2021.

By comparison, the U.S. immigration detention system is the world’s largest. It maintains 131 facilities comprised of government-owned Service Processing Centers, privately run Contract Detention Facilities, and a variety of other detention facilities, including prisons.

Mexico has laws in place that are supposed to guarantee that migrants in detention only endure brief stays and are afforded due process, such as access to lawyers and interpreters. The law also states that they should have adequate conditions, including access to education and health care.

But in reality, what migrants often face at these detention centers is poor sanitary conditions, overcrowding, lengthy stays and despair over the near certainty of deportation.

In 2006, Mexican President Felipe Calderón joined efforts with President George W. Bush on the Merida Initiative to wage a war on drugs in Mexico, build a “21st

Century U.S.-Mexican border” and shift immigration enforcement into Mexican territory. These efforts, supported by massive U.S. funding, continue today.

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin estimate that from 2018 to 2021, an annual average of 377,000 migrants entered Mexico from the Northern Triangle region. The vast majority were headed to the U.S. to escape violence, drought, natural disasters, corruption and extreme poverty.

Meanwhile, recent years have seen a toughening of border enforcement policies targeting asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border. This started under the Trump administration but has been continued by President Joe Biden despite the Democrat’s campaign promises of a more “humane” immigration system.

Since 2019, Washington has adopted a series of policies that have either forced migrants presenting themselves at the U.S. southern border to apply for asylum while

remaining in Mexico or expelled them back to their countries of origin.

By 2021, the number of immigration detainees in such centers had reached 307,679, nearly double what it had been in 2019.

As a result, many centers, including the one implicated in the fire, have suffered from overcrowding and deterioration conditions. A 2021 report by the immigration research center Global Detention Project extensively documented how the conditions and practices of Mexico’s immigration centers had led to widespread protest by detained migrants. Rioting and protests have become more common, with incidents taking place at facilities in Tijuana and the southern city of Tapachula in recent months.

The tragedy in Ciudad Juárez is unlikely to affect the steady flow of migrants entering Mexico in the hope of making it north of the border. For many, the options to take a different path to safety in the U.S. are simply not there.

SUE OGROCKI | ASSOCIATED PRESS

Former President Donald J. Trump watches the NCAA Wrestling Championships.

It’s classified

Everyone is held to the same rules

Opinions

How to hold a conversation after Covid-19 isolation

By Siona ChiBBer Staff Writer

Does it feel hard to have small talk with someone today? There’s always so much to consider in a single conversation. Where did that person come from? W, what language do they speak?

W, what is their political affiliation?

W, what is politically correct? With the added factor of a growing face of social media and the ever-present and obsolete concept that is the Internet, it can be intimidating to jump into a conversation in 2023.

“The mediums that we use to have conversations are changing.” said Kelsey Nolan, speech-language pathologist said., “From phone calls, to email, social media, -Instagram DMs, Snapchat, FaceTime.” Having conversation in our present day can be intimidating and difficult, but there are ways to navigate through this.”

We can point fingers at the exhausting pandemic as an accuser to this new issue as well.

“The level of distractions we are dealing with is incredible compared to previous eras,” said Christen Embry, iIntercultural cCommunications professor., “While we may automatically think of external distractions, like our smartphones, computers, and other devices, internal distractions are also prevalent.”

Going into my twenties, I have been doing some trial and error figuring out how to eloquently converse with people from a variety of backgrounds and

communities in a way where we can not only understand each other, but we find common ground and form a connection. This is something many people, especially younger generations, seem to strugglebe struggling with. Whether it i’s a family function, an event, or even at school, talking to a stranger feels so out of place these days.

We now live in an environment where labels are a huge contributor to conversations, who we talk to, and if who or whether or not we choose to reach out to people in the first place. Many people oftentimes think findingthat by trying to find like- minded people through multiple shared interests will bring ease to, they won’t have to sweat over a new interactions.

This mindset is self-sabotaging and ostracizing to both parties because there is so much miscommunication and general lack of understanding. If people are willing to put themselves out there and gain new experiences from meeting people who are quite unlike them, it in turn, becomes beneficial as both a learning moment and a great way for networking.

“A tool I have used, which is oftentimes associated primarily with many marginalized groups, is code switching,” Nolan said.. “The idea that a person could be alternating between two or more languages or dialects or varieties of languages when speaking.”,” Nolan said. While this is frequently associated with people in terms of their racial or cultural backgrounds, this is a great way

for people to enhance their speaking skills across a variety of groups.

Code switching is sometimes perceived in a negative light or perhaps even as a way to assimilate or “fit in.” I see it from a more optimistic and useful perspective. If everyone put in just enough effort to connect through language and physical mannerisms, conversations would be invigorating, organic, and more personal.

While it is important to share our opinions and speak our truth, we should consider a few factorsthere are things in today’s world that should be considered before jumping straight into a conversation with anyone on the street. It is important to be mindful of people’s identities, whether that be cultural, religious, gender, sexuality, just to name a few.

Conversations regarding these topics are pretty controversial and even tip-toed around. This does not mean that you should be discouraged from talking to someone regarding these ideas, but to be mindful of where each party is coming from and to converse in a respectful and understanding fashion. Seems simple enough, but this is something many people struggle to understand and relay.

Communication from region to region and platform to platform is constantly changing. The Covid-19 pandemic caused a major shift in communication and conversation held in person versus online and through a screen. The effects of this are still

present today, and people are struggling now more than ever to find normalcy in conversing with anyone in their dayto- day lives.

According to UAB News, prolonged social isolation has resulted in growing suspicion and defensiveness against strangers.” This, in turn, has created a new issue where many are going out of their way to avoid conversations altogether and struggling to form new relationships.

After all, isn’t a central aspect of human nature not human interaction? Forming connections and creating relationships are so crucial for the growth of communities globally.

“How we communicate is constantly evolving and changing,” Embry said.. “Broadly stated, everything has impacted conversations. ,” Embry said“In the end, though, the desire to understand and be understood is still primary.” We should constantly be going out of our way to share our thoughts with people everyday. “

Next time you go to work, sit down in a classroom, or even join a Zoom call, consider speaking to someone you ha’ve never spoken to before. Observe the environment and adjust your speech patterns accordingly. Consider taking time to research and absorb the channels through which others’ speak in. Your conversations, even the small ones, even the first date talks, are going to carry more purpose than you think. Holding a conversation in 2023 doesn’t have to be so difficult.

MAYA OCLASSEN | THE DEPAULIA

“Don’t care”

What do you think about TikTok being banned?

Nicole , Accounting

“It is good and bad. In my opinion, it has ruined people’s attention span due to their short form content model. People aren’t paying attention to things as much.”

Shiv , Data Science

“Kind of upset, but also maybe not? Maybe it’s a good thing. I set a timer on my TikTok a bit ago so I only can use it for one hour a day, and that really made me notice how much time I normally spend on it and how unhealthy that is.”

Isabela, Undeclared

“I think it’s a lame attempt for the government to try to control the media we consume.”

Nathan, Film

“There are bigger fish to fry then banning TikTok. It’s disappointing our government is trying to ban an app, when assault rifles are not banned in our country. Children are dying in our schools! It’s time to protect children, not guns, and most definitely not from an app.”

Madelynn, Elementary Education

“I don’t really like the idea of it being banned. While I do think it does pose issues with being listened to and stuff like that, I feel like all social media does stuff in similar ways to how TikTok does, so they should also be investigated.”

Clare, Undeclared

“I think it’s a blessing in disguise, and a lot of people don’t realize that. I’m not going to pretend like I know all the reasons and political standing on why it is being banned, but I am confident in saying that TikTok has brought more than a negative impact to many. Since the growth of the app, we’ve only seen more comparison of appearances and attractiveness being detrimental to mental health.”

Tori, Journalism

“It is an information platform and I don’t like it being restricted but I see it as a threat to national security. Another app would take its place, I don’t know why people ride for TikTok just cause the government is technologically illiterate.”

Ford, Film

“I think it is absurd how many times this has been proposed, and how little progress has been made toward actually banning it. On top of this, the congressional hearing with Shou Chew just showed how ignorant congress is regarding these kinds of topics.”

Miller, Applied Diplomacy

“I wouldn’t mind since there will be another app that takes over, so we must adapt and change.”

Osvaldo, Marketing

“I think TikTok being removed from the internet would be beneficial to everyone, and especially certain demographics of its users. The app has been found to be particularly dangerous for minors as their content is exposed to predators by the algorithm. Its censorship system does nothing to actually prevent adult content from being shared, and instead blocks out topics of mental health, race and other sensitive yet important topics.”

Briana, Environmental studies

Note: Responses have been editied for brevity and clarity

Column: At what cost should Americans have to pay to receive affordable healthcare?

By a lexandra Murphy Contributing Writer

It comes as no surprise that the U.S. healthcare system has had some major issues and is known for being expensive and dysfunctional. There are many disparities within the system based on who can and cannot afford or acquire healthcare, and as a result, many Americans are not insured at all.

A survey taken by Gallup and West Health found that 44% of American adults struggle to pay for healthcare and 93% feel like what they are paying for in terms of care is not worth the price.

Why should anyone have to worry about going bankrupt if they find out they have a serious illness?

Two months ago, I was diagnosed with celiac disease – an autoimmune disease that has led to some serious complications with my health. As a full-time student, I was told by the hospital that the cost of my bills and procedures would come to a grand total of $15,314. I did not only hear from the hospital, but have received a call each day as of the last two weeks from the collection’s office because the state of Illinois gives you 30 days until the hospital can send medical bills to collections.

Having out-of-state insurance does not help matters when it comes to coverage as the copay alone is $100 each time I have to go to an immediate care.

In 2018, the New York Times reported that one of the other major issues in the U.S is the burden of insane drug prices that target the most sick Americans. For a multiple sclerosis patient, her insurance told her that to pay for Tecfidera – a prescription

medication necessary for treatment – the cost would be $1,000 a month. These high drug prices have left some patients feeling more helpless than the original diagnosis.

So, what happens for those who are uninsured and have to pay outof-pocket for the ridiculous prices of prescription medications and hospital visits?

Studies show that numerous uninsured individuals will instead refuse getting the necessary care due to the costly out-of-pocket visits for fear of landing in some sort of medical debt. A 2017 study done from the National Library of Medicine showed that uninsured adults were less than half as likely to have an in-person hospital visit, 3%, as insured adults,7.6%. With nearly 30 million uninsured Americans, it becomes hard to justify that there is not a larger issue at play with how inaccessible affordable health care really is in the U.S.

We know it is possible for changes to be made to reform the healthcare system, as many other countries already have. Some countries like Denmark have a much more developed healthcare system in comparison to the U.S. This is because their system provides high quality service with equal access and the majority of the cost is financed by general taxes.

Americans should not have to live in fear of whether or not they are going to be able to pay next month’s rent because of the high cost of prescription meds or a hospital visit. The cost of living is higher than it has ever been and this is why now more than ever we need equal, affordable and universal access to health care.

Focus Ramadan

A reflection on community, inclusivity

DePaul United Muslims Moving Ahead (UMMA) offers daily prayers and weekly Iftar’s, evening meals, during Ramadan. Ramadan lasts from March 22 to April 20.

By Fatima H asan

Contributing Writer

For 1.9 billion Muslims worldwide, Ramadan commemorates the annual fasting season from March 23 to April 21, depending on the sighting of the moon. The holy month of Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic Calendar and is observed through fasting, prayers and good deeds. At DePaul, the United Muslims Moving Ahead (UMMA) group kicked off Ramadan with its pre-event Fastathon on Feb 14.

Two hundred people attended the Fastathon event this year. “Dinner is served where everybody gets together after a day-long fast and discusses the importance of community,” UMMA president Talal Gafoor said.

With an estimated 750 Muslim students at DePaul, UMMA offers weekly community Iftars (post sunset meals) and Taraweeh prayers daily according to Muslim Chaplain at DePaul, Abdul Malik Ryan. “There is a grand Iftar that will be organized, tentatively on April 15 this year,” Ryan said. Taraweeh prayers are the Ramadan special additional prayers that people offer at night before going to sleep.

According to Islamic wisdom, fasting is obligatory for every Muslim, young or old, as an act of worship. It is a protection from the calamities of this world and a veil from the punishment of the next. Fasting is complete abstinence from all food and drink including water from dawn to sunset. The people who observe the fast get up at midnight and have a Suhur meal (pre-dawn meal that Muslims eat to start the fast daily), after hours of fasting they break it with Iftar. Exceptions for observ-

ing the fast include sick and traveling Muslims. It is obligatory for every Muslim to fast or they should give a one time meal to a needy person or fast later in the year to compensate.

Abraham Hussain described Ramadan at DePaul as a simple yet eventful time.

“For me, DePaul can be an interesting case study for secularism in universities,” Hussain said. “It is built on Vincentian-Catholic values but yet it operates very inclusively.”

DePaul freshman Mohammad Aman Mohiuddin is celebrating his Ramadan at DePaul for the first time and feels grateful to be part of the secular DePaul community. “I’m waiting to celebrate my first Ramadan here at DePaul, for the Iftar feast,” Mohiddin said.

The centuries-old practice of fasting was first commanded to Muslims by Prophet Muhammad, (PBUH, religious head of Islam) in A.D. 624. Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam and it is a way of getting closer to God and devotion to faith, as per the Islamic city organization.

The other essence of Ramadan is that the holy book of the Quran was also revealed in this month. The duration of hours for fasting varies between 10-22 hours, depending on time zones. Muslims of Iceland observe the longest fast while Muslims of New Zealand have the shortest. This year, Chicago Muslims will be fasting from 5:31 a.m. Suhur time pre-dawn to 7:07 p.m. Iftar time post-sunset.

The freshmen students who are going to celebrate their first Ramadan at DePaul and seniors felt grateful to be part of the secular DePaul community.

The special food of the season are Dates which the fast observers eat to break their

fast. Other delicacies depend on the respective regions.

“We at DePaul keep Mediterranean food such as falafel, shawarma and Khaboos, along with fruits and sweets,” said Ammar Khan, sports coordinator of UMMA.

Besides fasting from food and drink, Muslims are mandated to perform all five prayers without fail, read al Quran, establish Taraweeh prayers in the congregation, give zakat, or charity, to the needy and eschew bad deeds and words. Describing the Ramadan life at DePaul, “UMMA organizes weekly community Iftars and Taraweeh prayers daily.”

For Muslims who can afford to give UMMA organized charity events. “UMMA raised over $6,000 through events like Fastathon from students and others and it is used to sponsor 10 orphans for a year,” Ryan said. “This time, we were able to collect $1,500.”

The other event that the Muslim Life Center of DePaul organizes is the Quran recitation.

Ryan said that all their programs are for the whole DePaul community and welcome everyone.

The Council of the Islamic Organization of greater Chicago (CIOGC), the umbrella of mosques and social service agencies in Chicago and surrounding cities, organized numerous events during Ramadan.

“We usually organize Quranic verse recitation sessions and host four Iftar events during Ramadan month by inviting political leaders, the mayor, and the governor,” said Sana Rasheed, program manager of CIOGC. The Downtown Islamic Center (DIC) situated in front of the Loop campus

is another focal point.

“We organize taraweeh prayers, the Iftar every day, and also the dinner meal depending on the budget,” said Mohammad Nadeem Yusuf, a member of DIC.

The late-night classes for Hadees, Understanding the meaning of Quranic words, are also held. Yusuf said that there are people who sponsor meals for two to three days in DIC.

Executive Director member Imam Organization

ERIN HENZE | THE DEPAULIA

A grand Iftar will tentatively

DePaul UMMA’s

at DePaul: inclusivity and devotion to faith

Director Abdullah Mitchell, Chairman Irshad Khan, Cardinal Cupich and ex-board Imam Abdul Malik celebrate Ramadan at an Iftar event at the Council of the Islamic Organization of Greater Chicago (CIOGC) at the Islamic Foundation North.

ERIN HENZE| THE DEPAULIA

ERIN HENZE | THE DEPAULIA

Chickpea and tomato salad are one of the many dishes offered at the DePaul Iftar evening meal.

FATIMA HASAN | THE DEPAULIA

FATIMA HASAN | THE DEPAULIA UMMA’s first ifar of spring quarter took place March 30.

La DePaulia

El estado abandona plan de albergar a migrantes en antigua Kmart en el suroeste de Chicago

Carta de Los Editores: Latine no es un error ortográfico

Por El Equipo De La DePaulia

Latina, latino, hispanos, latinx, latina/o, latin@, latin, latine… Hay muchas palabras que han sido y seguirán siendo usadas para referirse a nuestra comunidad. Pero, entre tanta controversia y tanta confusión, como una publicación que escribe en español para la comunidad latina, La DePaulia y The DePaulia ha decidido usar el término “latine”. Les explicamos por qué.

La principal razón para esta decisión es buscar usar un término que sea tan incluyente tanto como sea posible. El término “latine” logra esto sin sentirse como un término tomado de otro idioma.

El uso de la vocal ‘e’ al final de la palabra ha sido adoptada por espacios LGBTQ+ y feministas en varios países de Latinoamérica para referirse a personas que no se identifican con términos binarios.

Aunque el término “latinx” también ha sido inclusivo para las personas no binarias de género, ha sido rechazado por algunos círculos últimamente.

En el futuro usaremos el término “latine” como concepto y para referirnos a la comunidad en general, mientras seguiremos respetando el término elegido por aquellos que se identifican como latino/a/x u otros. Finalmente, también usaremos “latina” y “latino” como adjetivos, según el género de la palabra que describen, como en “la comunidad latina”.

Por Olivia Zimmerman y Santiago Posada-Jaramillo Escritora Contribuyente y Gerente Editorial, La DePaulia

El Departamento de Servicios Humanos de Illinois (IDHS) abandonó su plan de utilizar un edificio de una antigua tienda Kmart en el vecindario West Lawn en Chicago para albergar a más de 600 inmigrantes.

El anuncio fue hecho a principios de marzo por la Representante Angélica Guerrero-Cuéllar. La medida se produce semanas después de que la ciudad enfrentó críticas por alojar a migrantes en una antigua escuela primaria en el vecindario de Woodlawn.

“Tengo serias preguntas y preocupaciones sobre la seguridad y la humanidad de la instalación propuesta en Kmart y sus servicios”, dijo GuerreroCuellas en una carta que escribió en febrero a Grace Hou, de la Secretaría del IDHS. “He pedido a las agencias estatales que detengan este proyecto hasta que puedan garantizar que esta instalación se convierta en una vivienda adecuada para las familias jóvenes migrantes”.

En la carta, Guerrero-Cuellar también solicitó más detalles sobre el plan propuesto para reutilizar el Kmart cerrado para los migrantes, incluido un cronograma de su construcción, cuánto tiempo vivirían allí los migrantes, la seguridad en las instalaciones y cómo se asignarán los fondos para las escuelas públicas del área. IDHS eligió el sitio debido a su ubicación cerca de un centro de bienvenida para migrantes y su proximidad a los recursos locales, según un reporte de WTTW.

La Concejal Silvana Tabares del Distrito 23 reiteró que la decisión de trasladar a los migrantes al antiguo Kmart fue una decisión hecha por el estado y no por la ciudad.

Tabares dijo al periódico de Greater

Southwest Herald que tenía “grandes preocupaciones por la seguridad de la comunidad local y las personas que se alojarán en este lugar”.

“He hablado con los funcionarios electos locales de nuestro estado y los he instado a involucrar a la comunidad local antes de que este proceso continúe. Necesitamos un plan que garantice la seguridad de la comunidad y sus residentes”, dijo Tabares.

Baltazar Enríquez, Presidente del Consejo Comunitario de La Villita y defensor de la comunidad que ha estado ayudando a algunos migrantes a establecerse en Chicago, cuestionó el conocimiento del estado sobre de los vecindarios en los que eligen albergar a los migrantes.

“El gobernador [Pritzker] ni siquiera vive aquí en Chicago, y tomar decisiones en vecindarios que no entiende”, dijo Enríquez, preocupado por los posibles peligros de seguridad en el área.

Algunos residentes del los suburbios expresaron su descontento con líderes la ciudad y el estado por ubicar a los migrantes en albergues en sus ciudades con poca anticipación. El septiembre pasado, el alcalde de Elk Grove Village, Craig Johnson, emitió un comunicado, expresando su decepción con los funcionarios estatales.

“No puedo decirles lo decepcionante que es ver la forma desordenada en que los funcionarios del condado, el estado y la ciudad de Chicago han manejado esta situación”, dijo Craig Johnson en un comunicado de prensa.

En Prospect Heights, más de 200 inmigrantes están siendo alojados en hoteles.

Baltazar

“¿Por qué pondrías a la gente [en] un área comercial? Hay altos niveles de tráfico allí. Estos [migrantes] podrían ser atropellados. Estas personas podrían ser agredidas, agregó Enriquez.

Varios migrantes que han llegado a Chicago en los últimos siete meses están alojados en hoteles en los suburbios, incluidos Elk Grove y Prospect Heights.

A pocos días de la segunda vuelta de las elecciones para alcalde de Chicago, el tema de la vivienda de los migrantes en la ciudad es un tema importante.

Enríquez dijo que está preocupado porque los candidatos que se postulan para alcalde no han tocado el tema de manera más elaborada a lo largo de su campaña.

El sitio web de la campaña de Paul Vallas no enumera ningún tipo de plan para alojar a los migrantes actualmente. Por su lado, el sitio web de la campaña de Brandon Johnson se compromete a “tomar ventaja de la confianza colectiva de los grupos comunitarios, los líderes y varias agencias de la ciudad para desarrollar un plan integral de la ciudad para los solicitantes de asilo y otros

Sabemos que este es un tema importante y estamos abiertos a ser parte de una conversación al respecto.

A medida que el lenguaje continúa evolucionando, nos esforzamos como publicación para ser conscientes de las diversas experiencias sobre las que informamos. Como periodistas, reconocemos el poder detrás de cada palabra y elegimos crear un futuro inclusivo.

recién llegados”.

El sitio web de Johnson también describe políticas clave de vivienda que podrían impactar potencialmente a los migrantes al brindar “asistencia para el alquiler u otras formas de vivienda semipermanente para todos, proporcionadas por la ciudad. Construir viviendas permanentes para todas las personas sin hogar, incluidos los solicitantes de asilo, aprobando la ordenanza Bring Chicago Home y promulgando otras piezas de la Agenda Better Chicago de mil millones de dólares”.

Aunque no ha habido un comunicado oficial sobre dónde se alojarán los migrantes que serian alojados en la antigua tienda, WTTW informó que “una fuente cercana a la situación dijo que algunos de ellos han encontrado lugares para vivir de forma independiente. La fuente dijo que otros seguirán hospedándose en hoteles, principalmente en los suburbios del sur y suroeste”.

La agencia de IDHS no respondió a las múltiples solicitudes de un comunicado sobre el tema a La DePaulia hasta el momento de la publicación.

Una niña y su papa están entre los miles de migrantes que han llegado a Chicago desde agosto.

“El gobernados [Pritzker] ni siquiera vive aqui en Chicago, y quiere tomar decisiones en vecindarios que no entiende”

Enriquez Presidente del Consejo Comunitario de La Villita

ANTHONY VAZQUEZ | CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

Periodistas comparten cómo informar al público sobre comunidades étnicas a las que no pertenecen

By Cary Robbins & Jacqueline Cardenas Editora de Noticias y Jefa de Redacción, La DePaulia

Como parte de su misión de remodelar la narrativa de las comunidades afroamericanas en Chicago, la reportera Tonia Hill se unió a la publicación de noticias digital The TRiiBE.

Hill dice que la publicación ofrece “una perspectiva diferente que la gente quizás no había considerado” sobre cómo reportar sobre la comunidad Negra en Chicago.

Los esfuerzos comunitarios del TRiiBE están enfocados en elevar las voces afroamericanas y eso fue lo que la llevó a postularse para el puesto de editora multimedia.

Pero a lo largo de su tiempo en The TRiiBE, Hill tuvo que reportar sobre las experiencias de otras comunidades étnicas diferentes a la suya, generando preocupaciones sobre su capacidad para contar esas historias con precisión.

En febrero de este año, Hill escribió una historia sobre las opiniones de las personas afroamericanas y latinas sobre la capacidad del excandidato a alcalde Jesús ‘Chuy’ García para construir una coalición entre las dos comunidades.

“Estaba nerviosa de hacerlo”, dijo Hill. Ella sabía que García había sido una figura política activa durante 40 años y era “importante para la comunidad latina en Chicago”.

Por eso, Hill tuvo que aprender a conectarse con la cultura latina y la cultura de otras comunidades de color para poder informar correctamente al publico.

En sus inicios como reportera, Hill dijo que dependía en gran medida de otros periodistas latinos para llenar vacíos que pudiera tener como periodista afroamericana al reportar sobre esa comunidad.

“Como periodistas de diferentes comunidades, debemos unirnos para contar historias con más precisión”, dijo Hill. “Realmente somos más

fuertes cuando trabajamos juntos”.

Otra publicación que centra las voces de la comunidad afroamericana es MLK50: Justice Through Journalism, una sala de redacción local sin fines de lucro con sede en Memphis, Tennessee.

Andrea Morales, directora visual de MLK50 y fotoperiodista, dijo que aprendió que a veces una historia debe compartirse a otro periodista para que se pueda garantizar que sea un cubrimiento justo.

“Si estás trabajando como periodista, tienes que reconocer que hay momentos que no eres experta”, dijo.

Aunque Morales dice que tiene la capacidad de cubrir varios grupos de personas de diferentes culturas, ella refiere a los fotoperiodistas a sitios como Diversify Photo, Women Photograph y Authority Collective. Estos sitios ayudan a conectar a gente no binaria, trans, afroamericana y fotógrafos latinos quienes comparten la misión de diversificar la industria.

Para Morales, encontrar el equilibrio entre informar sobre comunidades que no son la suya y “saber cuándo pasar la antorcha a otros periodistas para que cuenten las historias de su propia comunidad” es algo con lo que muchos periodistas todavía tienen dificultades.

La directora ejecutiva de MLK50, Adrienne Johnson Martin, dijo que lo más importante que los periodistas deben recordar al cubrir una comunidad de la que no forman parte es “ir a la comunidad y escuchar”.

Más allá de escuchar a las comunidades, Martin dijo que los periodistas deben entender que “la humanidad es lo que tienes en común”.

Cuando las personas dejen de intentar encontrar diferencias entre sí, sus reportajes se fortalecen, dijo Martin.

“La mayoría de nosotros queremos las mismas cosas”, dijo Martin. “Queremos

Escanea aquí para visitar el sitio web de The TRiiBE

ser escuchados, valorados, amados, tener un buen hogar, estar seguros”. Los periódicos grandes o tradicionales tienen la tendencia de controlar la narrativa, dijo Martin. Sin embargo, en periódicos comunitarios como MLK50 y The TRiiBE, Martin dijo que el objetivo de los periodistas es esforzarse por centrar a las comunidades marginadas.

RBD en Chicago una vez más:

Por Alexa Bañuelos Escritora Contribuyente, La DePaulia

En enero, el grupo de pop mexicano RBD, anunció su primera gira desde su ruptura en 2009 y una vez más, crearon una oportunidad para que sus fanáticos latinos que les han sido fieles de sus inicios, los vean en concierto una vez más.

Mientras los fanáticos hacen lo que pueden para conseguir boletos, son prueba de que la influencia del grupo en la cultura pop latinoamericana se ha sostenido entre varias generaciones latinas a pesar de que el grupo se separó hace 15 años.

RBD se formalizó oficialmente después de obtener reconocimiento durante el inicio de la telenovela mexicana ‘Rebelde’ en el año 2004. Con los seis integrantes originales: Alfonso Herrera, Anahí Puente, Christian Chávez, Dulce María, Maite Perroni, y Christopher von Uckermann. El grupo logró mucho éxito a principios de la década con seis álbumes, siete Latin Grammys y 15 millones de ventas mundialmente.

Los iconos de la cultura pop como RBD y las marcas que duran son las que tocan la fibra sensible de la mayoría de las personas, dijo James Mourey, un profesor de mercadotecnia en DePaul.

“Las celebridades y los artistas que duran décadas lo hacen porque logran permanecer en la mente de la gente en general,” dijo Mourey.

Dentro de este contexto, RBD pertenece a un aspecto cultural dominante de la industria de la música latinoamericana.

Jessica Rivera, una madre latina, ha sido fanática del grupo desde que tenía trece años y dice que el grupo tuvo una presencia significativa desde que inició.

“Siento que nuestra generación creció con sus canciones y nos conectamos con eso, e incluso las generaciones más jóvenes de la misma época pudieron

“Es un trabajo de equipo”, dijo Martin. “Nos necesitamos el uno al otro”.

conectarse”, dijo Rivera.

Rivera nombró a su hija ‘Mía’ en honor a uno de los miembros del grupo musical y a causa de eso las dos están emocionadas por su reunión.

“Siempre decía que si alguna vez tenía una hija, la llamaría Mía, y en realidad a ella también le encanta”, dijo Rivera.

Ella y su hija dicen que el grupo las ha tocado emocionalmente y esos sentimientos han trascendido generaciones.

“Nos sentamos y vemos la telenovela y ella piensa que es genial que su nombre provenga de un personaje tan popular”, dijo Rivera.

Ari Mosqueda, una estudiante latinoamericana de estudios latinos en la Universidad de Swarthmore dice que aunque no se consideran fanática de RBD, reconoce el impacto cultural del grupo.

“No solo era una telenovela, también eran como una banda real que creaba música, y muchos de los que conozco son fanáticos de ellos, así que creo que tuvieron un gran impacto cultural”, dijo Mosqueda.

RBD se presentará en Chicago en septiembre en el Guaranteed Rate Field.

GREGORY BULL | AP

La influencia generacional dentro de la cultura pop latinoamericana del grupo

Tonia Hill, una reportera para The TRiiBE, entrevista a una persona en el Centro Correccional de Stateville.

El grupo mexicano RBD en el Premios MTV Latinoamérica en el 2008.

ANF CHICAGO | THE TRIIBE

WILEY BROWN | MLK50

El equipo editorial y de desarrollo del periódico MLK50.

Arts & Life

'The Image Disappears'

Chicago Art Institutes's latest exhibit explores the dichotomy of Salvador Dalí

By LiLLy K eLLer Arts & Life Editor

Oozing pianos, furry fruit and mink tufts on marble captivate those who enter gallery 289 at the Chicago Art Institute.

Bringing together over 30 paintings, sculptures and drawings, "The Image Disappears," which opened in February, is the Art Institute's first-ever solo exhibition of Salvador Dalí's work. Best known for his surrealist style and zany personality, Dalí’s dreamlike imagery and optical illusions have redefined the genre of surrealism.

Characterized by its fluidity in its user's medium, surrealism aims to balance a lucid depiction of life with one that affirms the power of the subconscious and dreams.

Primarily featuring work from the 1930s following Dalí's rise in the surrealist movement, "The Image Disappears" highlights the Spanish artist's simultaneous desire to be seen and urge to disappear.

"His work is very unique and very unusual,” attendee Lina Harwell said. “There of course were other surrealist painters, but I think Dalí stood alone in his vision and creativity and execution.”

Born in 1904 in Figueres, Spain, Dalí was encouraged by his parents to pursue his artistic talent and quickly embraced themes of human sensation, sex and ideographic symbols within his work. By 1929, Dalí fully adopted surrealist principles, seeking to explore the unconscious mind through art, resulting in dreamlike and unsettling imagery.

Although a relatively small collection, some of Dalí's most famous works like "Soft Construction with Boiled Beans (Premonition of Civil War)" and "Mae West's Face which May be Used as a Surrealist Apartment" are housed in the gallery.

"I really liked 'Apparition of Face and Fruit Dish on a Beach,'" School of the Art Institute of Chicago alumni Mia Wickman said. "It has just got so much going on and just so imaginative and makes you think about everyday life in a different kind of way."

Painted on the heels of Dalí's rise to fame in 1934, "Apparitions of Face and Fruit Dish on a Beach" features the painter's original paranoiac-critical method. This approach allowed users to perceive multiple images within a single configuration, such as a human face, a dog on a beach and a bowl of fruit.

"I've lived in Chicago a long time and just love to come to the museum," Wickman said. "Dalí is in one of my favorite time periods of art, which is the Dada surrealist period, which is one of my top favorite periods overall, so I knew I had to come to the exhibition."

First acquiring a Dalí painting in 1933,

the Art Institute was one of the only cultural organizations to display the budding artist's whimsical yet unsettling imagery. Currently, the Institute holds more than three dozen of Dalí's creations.

For DePaul French professor Clara Orban, "The Image Disappears" goes beyond Dalí's artistic ability as it also captures his goading personality.

"He was also a provocateur, I mean all of the surrealists were, but he sexualized his work and brough the sexual underpinnings of a lot of surrealism and made it part of his work," Orban said.

While the Art Institute's collection is relatively tame, void of the artist's more taboo pieces like "The Great Masturbator" and "The Spectre of Sex Appeal," Dalí's fascination with unconventional themes permeate the exhibit.

However, like many artists from the 20th century, Dalí's legacy is not without controversy.

"He was always kind of on the wrong side of politics in the 20th century," said Mark Pohlad, a DePaul Art History professor. "During the Spanish Civil War, he was on the side of the Francoists rather than on the side of the Republicans and

the Freedom Fighters."

In addition to supporting Franco's authoritarian regime, Dalí was also captivated by Adolf Hitler, dedicating three paintings to the dictator over four decades.

"Even André Breton who was the leader of the surrealists more or less excommunicated him from the group because he was getting too commercial and he also made some kind of flattering remarks about Hitler," Pohlad said.

Following Dalí's exile from the surrealist group in 1939 due to his fascination with Hitler, he settled in New York before moving to California, where his paintings focused on religious and supernatural elements.

"It has taken 75 years for us to acknowledge Dalí's past, but on the other hand we don't dare go down the road of Frank Lloyd Wright and Woody Allen, who is a monster," Pohlad said. "My hope [for the exhibit] is that it acknowledges the misogyny of the surrealist art."

"The Image Disappears" will be available for viewing at the Chicago Art Institute until June 12.

"Dreams of Venus" (1939) by Salvador Dalí symbolizes his exile during the Spanish Civil War.

QUENTIN BLAIS | THE DEPAULIA

QUENTIN BLAIS | THE DEPAULIA

Since the exhibition opened in mid February, museumgoers flocked to the gallery to see the over 30 works by the Spanish artist.

QUENTIN BLAIS | THE DEPAULIA

"Venus de Milo with Drawers" is on display in gallery 289.

Let's talk about 'You'

Penn Badgley, Nura Mowzoon take over DePaul with charisma and powerful discourse

By Vanessa Lopez Social Media Editor

The start of a new quarter did not deter students and fans from lining up hours in advance to see Penn Badgley speak.

On March 28, DePaul's Division of Mission and Ministry welcomed Badgley, the actor – best known for appearing in “You” and formerly in “Gossip Girl” – and Nura Mowzoon, relationship coach and Arizona State University professor.

As part of their “Can We Talk?” discourse series, they paid a visit to the Lincoln Park campus on Tuesday to speak to nearly 600 Blue Demons. The two discussed the value of having difficult conversations and responded to students' inquiries about a variety of topics including racism, cancel culture and relationships.

The event was sold out, but some students were willing to stand in line for hours. The waitlist was set up on a first-come, firstserved basis.

This was a highly anticipated event for students, particularly to junior Ayooluwa Olugbenga, who was fascinated by the celebrity's visit.

“This is such a random celebrity coming to our school,” Olugbenga said. “I thought ‘why not?’ it's an interesting topic with an interesting personality, let's go see what this is about.”

As students filled the student center in excitement, applause and screams erupted as soon as Badgley entered the room.

“We’re never sure how many people are showing up based on my presence, or what sense you have for why you're here,” Badgley told the crowd.

The series' purpose is to “create spaces for meaningful conversations,” though Badgley stated that he did not have ‘authority’ over these discussions, but rather experience. With his television performances, he contributed his experience and knowledge as a part of an industry that portrays unrealistic and/ or toxic relationships.

Mowzoon added a scientific and educational perspective to the discussion. Mowzoon has focused her career on analyzing human relationships, which was motivated by her parents' ties.

“I realized that talking about love, relationships and interpersonal dynamics was the one thing I could do until the sun came

up and not realize how much time had passed,” Mowzoon said. “It sounds corny, but this is why I do what I do.”

After introducing the series and themselves, Badgley and Mowzoon expanded the conversation to include students.

A number of questions, including “What do you think gets in the way of having these meaningful conversations?” and “When have you found yourself most receptive to hearing other perspectives?” were shown across the screen behind them.

Hundreds of students raised their hands to speak, and Badgley and Mowzoon selected students from across the room to give their thoughts on these questions.

Several students shared their personal experiences, perspectives and questions, and some even answered the questions on the screen.

“Oftentimes, what stops these meaningful conversations from taking place, is a lack of will on one or both sides to actually have a conversation,” Olugbenga said.“Sometimes people care more about the clout and less about the connection and conversation that can be had.”

The purpose of the discussion, however, was not to answer all of these questions, but to begin the conversation.

“There is a need for these conversations,” Badgley told The DePaulia.

Sophomore Kelly Regovic said that her main takeaway from the discourse was to be more open-minded.

“I learned that in order to create change, we need to dig deeper into these conversations,” Regovic said.

Although Badgley and Mowzoon claimed they did not have a favorite school yet, they were both impressed with the discussions during the event.

“The one thing I appreciated about this crowd was that it was diverse,” Mowzoon told The DePaulia. “It felt like people were actually engaging in the conversation; it felt like the conversation hit home for many people.”

So far, the duo have brought their conversation to Arizona State University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, San Diego State University and DePaul University.

Badgley and Mowzoon intend to continue their series at additional campuses around the country. Follow @canwetalkseries on Instagram to follow the two on their journey.

AMBER STOUTENBOROUGH | THE DEPAULIA

AMBER STOUTENBOROUGH | THE DEPAULIA Mission and Ministry hosted "Can We Talk?: A Discourse Series" with Badgley and Mowzoon at the Student Center. Roughly 600 people attended the event.

AMBER STOUTENBOROUGH | THE DEPAULIA

Penn Badgley and Nura Mowzoon meet with DePaul students to discuss the influence of media on interpersonal dynamics at an event hosted by Mission and Ministry.

Penn Badgley, known for his role as Joe Goldberg in the Netflix TV Show "You" came to DePaul Univeristy Tuesday, March 28.

Exploring Chicago’s diverse spiritual landscape

By r aena Bents Staff Writer

Analyzing constellations, seated meditation, community prayer service— all these practices and more can be found within Chicago’s rich and diverse spiritual landscape.

A simple search on Eventbrite or Google Maps can lead to a plethora of opportunities to immerse oneself in a unique, spiritual space aimed at self improvement, social connection and societal betterment.

Each space boasts its own novel configuration of beliefs and doctrines and is made up of individuals with their own original stories and personal truths.

Danielle Krey is one of these individuals. Astrologer and authenticity coach, Krey provides online instruction sessions on the basics of astrology, how to use astrological principles to facilitate intrapersonal understanding, and the importance of developing a sense of authenticity.

“I use astrology to cultivate a sense of meaning and purpose in everything [I] do,” Krey said.

Krey advocates for a holistic astrology interpretation, considering even the smallest aspects of an individual's overall natal chart in order to discover every facet of someone’s personhood. One of the tools she uses in this interpretation is called a natal chart.

“When we look at this chart, we can really see that you are not just one part of the chart,” Krey said. “A lot of people have all the constellations … all the zodiac signs involved.”

While Krey’s spirituality takes root foremost within the realm of self actualization, some spiritual practitioners find a greater spiritual meaning in community cultivation.

Emily Fridland, president of DePaul University’s Chabad Jewish Student Club, emphasizes her Jewish faith as one grounded in community and connection.

“A lot of Judaism is so centered on community, to the point where you need 10 people to have a legitimate service for prayer,” Fridland said. “I have found that when I am with my community and I am doing something Jewish, no matter what it is, that is what brings me closer to God.”

Fridland also speaks to the importance of intentionality and finding a sense of grounding in her connection with God.

“We follow a certain set of commandments given to us in the Torah which are called Mitzvahs … things like ‘don’t murder’ but also ‘don’t eat meat with dairy,’” Fridland said. “A lot are really rational things … but there’s also a lot of these very seemingly irrational, intentional acts that Jews try to do every day to bring more meaning and more connection with God.”

A search for grounding and spiritual connection through careful intention is a common spiritual practice for many individuals outside Judaism as well, but with a different ritual manifestation.

Jim Matson is a Buddhist teacher at the Zen Buddhist Temple of Chicago (ZBTC). His teachings are built on a long legacy of meditative practices and the art of understanding your true self.

“All Buddhism has meditation somewhere in its systems, but in Zen [Buddhism], that’s pretty much our focus,” Matson said.

Matson’s line of Buddhist teaching follows a philosophy called Soto Zen.

“We don’t think it’s necessary to give you artificial questions for problems to solve,” Matson said. “In the Soto practice, the term is ‘shikantaza’ ... just to sit. Just to let all the craziness settle.”

While meditation is a popular Buddhist practice, the benefits of this mental clarification ritual are often reaped by spiritual practitioners outside the religion as well.

Unity of Oak Park is a local spiritual community that utilizes the power of meditation as just one tool of many to achieve a higher mindset, dream bigger, and connect with a spiritual truth.

“We try to strip away the theology and the preconceived ideas of what prayer and meditation are,” said Ev Godina, senior minister at Unity of Oak Park. “We try to bring it into a more practical format so that it’s more accessible to everyone.”

Unity does not identify as religious, but rather as a spiritual community. Part of their mission is leading individuals to draw from their own experiences in order to personally resonate with spiritual messages.

“[We take] a metaphysical interpretation, maybe not literally what it says in the Bible, but what is the meaning behind it and how can we apply it to our relationships and our work,” Unity of Oak Park center administrator and community builder Lindsay Ambrose said.

In relation to Unity’s teachings and guidance, Godina references Emily Cady, a founding author of the Unity spiritual movement, and her dissection of the word “educate.”

“Education comes from the Latin root word ‘educar’, which means ‘to draw out,’”

Godina said. “So our intention here is to draw out the inner wisdom where people are at, and usually we can find commonalities in that.”

These notions of inner wisdom and living one’s truth have equally valuable applications within organized, religious spirituality as well.

Judy Zakieh is a member of DePaul University’s United Muslims Moving Ahead and is committed to the belief that one can simultaneously be a faithful practitioner of a religion as well as live authentically.

“The way that you see religion shouldn’t be the way that anybody else sees religion,” Zakieh said. “It should be completely personalized and catered to your life. That’s why I think perspective is very important and realizing that you’re the most important puzzle piece. Religion is there to support you.”

Zakieh faithfully dedicates herself to Islam while simultaneously preaching the importance of being open minded and accepting.

“Stay open minded,” Zakieh said. “I think with every religion, we have this thing where we think that being religious means being close minded, and that’s just not true. Islam is very open and inclusive.”

Despite the variance in their surface-level manifestations, conversations surrounding individual spiritualities exhibit parallels in their core motivations: openness, authenticity, groundedness.

“We take [practices] as a tool to understand our souls and what that really means,” Krey said. “Finding what our purpose here in this life really is.”

RAENA BENTS | THE DEPAULIA Matson in his office at the back of ZBTC. The room is lined with shelves holding books about spiritual enlightenment and cartons of tea.

CREDIT TO ZEN BUDDHIST TEMPLE OF CHICAGOON FACEBOOK

A Buddhist sculpture sits on a desk in the Zen Buddhist Temple of Chicago.

Is 'You' dangerous?

By Jonah WeBer Asst. Arts & Life Editor

The hit Netflix series “You” recently finished up its fourth season with a fifth on the way. DePaul students and viewers shared their thoughts on the potential societal impacts the show may have, such as the pattern of Hollywood casting conventionally attractive actors in controversial roles.

“People who don’t critically think about his actions won’t realize the severity of them,” said Isabel Rivera, a junior communications major.

“You” follows Joe Goldberg, played by Penn Badgley. Badgley has appeared in the show “Gossip Girl” and the film “Easy A.”Joe is first introduced as an employee of an independent bookstore. His inner dialogue is poetic and romantic.Although, throughout the show, Joe finds different victims that he obsesses over, stalks and meticulously integrates himself into their lives. Along the way, he brutally murders people he views as a threat on his journey to find true love.

Love Quinn is a romantic interest in the show, played by Victoria Pedretti. She is introduced in the second season of the show. While the relationship between Love and Joe starts out similar to the relationship from the previous season, it develops and is revealed that Love is also a murderer.

“People also glorified Love Quinn for murdering, saying she was a girlboss and stuff, but you have attractive actors stalking and killing,” Rivera said.

It is a common theme in Hollywood to cast conventionally attractive actors to portray malicious characters, a recent example being Evan Peters, who played Jeffery Dahmer in Netflix’s original series “Dahmer.”

The show is fully narrated by Joe, where he intimately shares his thoughts and plans with the audience. “He’s an unreliable narrator,” Rivera said. An unreliable narrator is a first-person narration that should be taken with a grain of salt. It is often used to mislead the audience, and is exactly what the show does with Joe as the narrator.

Aliz Urquia is a sophomore with a minor in psychology. She brings up Badgley speaking out against the actions his character makes and conventionally attractive actors in controversial roles.

“It's just a normal thing because so many shows have just fantasized about serial killers. So it's not weird anymore. It's like, Oh, yeah. He kills people. That's so wrong,” Urquia said.

Urquia brought up how Badgley has condemned his character on social media.

“I'm not saying it's a reliable story, but on TikTok, Penn Bradley – the guy who plays Joe in the show – he's literally going on and saying, “Guys, this is not okay.” He's literally not even okay with his own personal character. And he is the one that does the show.”

While Badgley has spoken out about his actions on the show and told the audience not to glorify him, fans have persisted. If you type the show's title into Instagram or TikTok, a plethora of fan pages dedicated to Badgley and his character will appear. There has been a desensitization to shows like “You.” A part of that may be due to conventionally attractive actors being casted in these roles.

When asked if she would still watch the show if a less conventionally attractive actor was casted, Urquia said, “probably not.”

Urquia felt differently about the “Dahmer” show.

“I think that one was a bit more of actually telling the story of Jeffrey Dahmer and what he did. And this one is just a fictional

fantasy type of one.” Urquia said.

The “Dahmer” show is a mini series that came out in 2022 on Netflix.

“So it's like the one with Dahmer, I just didn't watch and I was like, I don't care to watch it also because the guy that played Dahmer to me wasn't conventionally attractive. But this one is like, we've known this guy since Gossip Girl,” Urquia said.

According to Variety, when Season 4 of the show debuted, it reached 92.07 million hours of viewership. Without Badgley, it could be assumed that the views would not reach these numbers.

Faustyna Turek, a viewer and fan of the show shared her opinions on the show.

Turek recognized the impacts the show may have, especially with how Badgley portrayed his character.

“He makes us really sympathize with him

for some weird reason. It's almost like I forget that he's an evil person,” Turek said.

Throughout the show, it is insinuated that Joe can be redeemed, yet his pattern of crimes continue throughout the series.

“Throughout the show, I'm actually rooting for him in a weird way up until the last season, but I'd say that it does put a little bit of glamorization on, just like, I mean, there's like this ritualistic thing that occurs where women will, like almost start to like somebody despite their crimes because of the way they look,” Turek said.

The obsession over controversial characters is nothing new. Whether this is healthy or not, is still debated amongst casual media consumers and psychologists.

Lollapalooza lineup amps up student excitement

By CLaire tWeedie Staff Writer

Lollapalooza announced this year’s lineup on March 21, exciting music-lovers and festival goers alike with headliners including Kendrick Lamar, The 1975 and Lana Del Ray. The variety of genres and inclusion of local bands connects the students to their city and to their favorite artists.

“It’s hard not to compare your city to others in what you have, what they don’t and vice versa,” freshman Dane Dal Bianco said. “Having a significant music festival with really big artists coming here is really cool. The entire culture of the city changes for those few days while everyone migrates to this one area.”

This year’s Lollapalooza will be held from Aug. 3-6. The event originated as a touring festival but settled down in Grant Park in 2005, cementing itself as a staple of Chicago identity.

College of Communication professor Daniel Makagon said part of this comes from Lollapalooza’s ability to solidify Chicago as a destination city and stage for live music.

“For a festival like this, one of the biggest music events in the nation, to be set in Chicago versus Los Angeles or New York, it helps put us on the map,” Makagon said. “It also helps put Chicago on a global map because in the case of Lollapalooza, there are multiple Lollapaloozas but they're all in major markets around the world.“

Emily Robinson, president of DePaul Music Business Organization and junior, has heard only good things about this year’s lineup on social media and from friends. She attributes this to the lineup’s diversity seen in the addition of Korean artists like Tomorrow

X Together and DPR Live that help appease concertgoers from any genre.

“I feel like last year there was so much discourse with the lineup because some people loved it while some people were very underwhelmed,” Robinson said. “This year though I’ve seen literally nothing but positive feedback which is extremely hard to do given the amount of different genres they're trying to cover.”

Dal Bianco is most excited to see his favorite artist Kendrick Lamar. He also recognized six of the smaller artists on the list which he said is more than double from previous years.

“In the bigger pool of obscure artists, there are a few bands in the indie realm that I gravitated toward as well as [Kendrick Lamar] which is a big plus,” Dal Bianco said.

Robinson attended two previous Lollapaloozas and said the festival curates a lineup that is geared toward mainstream pop.

“[Lollapalooza] generally steers clear from country, jazz and Latin artists because those festivals already exist within the Chicago music scene that cater to those music groups more specifically,” Robinson said. “Instead, they’re covering their bases when it comes to the more Top 40 hits of more mainstream genres.”

Makagon said any debate about Lollapalooza, including the lineup, brings more interest to what is happening in Chicago. He believes no matter how Chicago residents view Lollapalooza, in favor or against the drastic tourism spike for that weekend and the perceived annoyance it may bring, it is important as an income generator for the city.

Lollapalooza, and similar music festivals in the area, received criticism from Chicago residents for destruction to local parks, its worsening of inequality in the city, and impacts on COVID-19 safety.

“The festival pays a lot of money to get access to the park that allows for repair and maintenance of Grant Park even after the festival is gone so local residents benefit from that,” Makagon said. “It does put a lot more people in that space at one time though. There are probably mixed reactions, but at the end of the day, it's good for Chicago.”

Dal Bianco is from a nearby suburb and said having the festival in the city is a point of pride for residents that helps create a stronger community based on music.

“As far as I understand, Chicago still has the stigma of this murder rate and crime rate that are high, but things like Lollapalooza kind of show a brighter side,” Dal Bianco said. “This is a community that has all gotten together and shares this love of music and is able to bring in artists like Billie Eilish and Kendrick Lamar into our city regardless.”

For Robinson the festival is important because of its impact on the music industry and the art community behind it. She said the job opportunities and experiences it creates bring attention to Chicago as a growing hub for music.

“There's not really a massive music industry here in Chicago so it allows for that ecosystem to grow year after year with the festival gaining in popularity and notoriety nation and world wide,” Robinson said. “It helps people get their foot in the door with this industry especially within the greater arts that benefit from these Lollapalooza crowds.”

YÙ YÙ BLUE | THE DEPAULIA

PHOTO FROM IMDB

Penn Badgley plays serial killer Joe Goldberg in the hit Netflix series "You."

'John Wick Chapter 4' review: There is no such thing as overkill

By LiLLy K eLLer Arts & Life Editor

Four men die before the title credits of the fourth installment in the "John Wick" franchise reach the screen.

Evolving from a narrow tale of revenge, "John Wick Chapter 4" defies the laws of most high-profile action series. Unlike "The Terminator" or "Predator," the "John Wick" franchise is comparable to fine wine, only getting better with age.

Directed by Chad Stahelski and starring Keanu Reeves as the titular assassin, "Chapter 4" returns the series to its roots while also asking how far John Wick is willing to go in the name of vengeance.

Although no longer about the death of his dog or wife, "Chapter 4" defines Wick's motives to keep fighting in the face of his dwindling allies and increasing target on his back.

As with every new installment, "Chapter 4" only expands on the complex and, at times, boundless mythology of the High Table – a global crime syndicate governing the rules and conduct of the underworld's most powerful criminal organizations – as well as new, well-rounded and enticing characters.

From Shamier Anderson's Mr. Nobody, who won't pull the trigger until the bounty on Wick's head is over $25 million, to singer Rina Sawayama's acting debut as Akira, a fierce assassin hungry for revenge, there are no dull moments in the film’s nearly three-hour runtime.

Easily one of the best supporting casts within a Wick movie, every actor delivers a stunning and captivating performance.

In particular, Bill Skarsgård – portraying the film's main antagonist, The Marquis Vincent de Gramont – does a phenomenal job at turning just another face of the High Table into a dictatorial boy king willing to do anything to bring Wick to his knees.

While the film reaches one of its widest scopes, with Wick traveling to Japan, Berlin, Paris and New York, "Chapter 4"

remains grounded in the hit-man’s relationships, highlighting his allies like Winston (Ian McShane) and former friends such as Caine (Donnie Yen).

Without a doubt, Yen's performance as Caine – a deadly yet charismatic blind hitman roped back into the grueling life of service to hunt down Wick against his will – stole the spotlight every time he was on screen.

Having been praised by Jet Li and Jackie Chan as being one of the best fighters in mixed martial arts within Asian cinema, it's no surprise that Yen makes some of the most difficult hand-to-hand combat maneuvers look easy.

Caine and Wick's relationship was another high point in the film. With both previously relinquishing their deadly profession for family alongside their past friendship, the pair presents a stable dy-

namic, shaping the most personal arc for Wick with the exception of the first film.

Despite the movie's 169-minute runtime marking the longest film in the franchise, the story never drags or falters, mostly due to Stahelski's stunt choreography.

From guns, knives, nun-chucks, swords and just about every weapon in existence, Stahelski makes each fight scene feel fluid and realistic.

Furthermore, the film brings car stunts to another level. In perhaps one of "Chapter 4's" most iconic sequences, Wick does a 180-degree drift amid the endless traffic of the historic Arc de Triomphe while still landing headshots from the open door of his stolen 1971 Plymouth Cuda.

If there is one thing the John Wick franchise proves, it's the power in sim -

plicity. Each film, including "Chapter 4," doesn't try to disguise its motives or be something it is not. If you've made it this far into the franchise, then there should be no surprises about what "Chapter 4" has in store for viewers.

From Keanu Reeves stylistically killing over 100 men per film to a banging electronic dance music soundtrack and a dangerous amount of flashing neon lights, the latest and possibly final film delivers on all fronts.

Although some may deem "John Wick Chapter 4" to be overkill in every sense of the word, it's clear that there is no such thing as excessive for a franchise built on the back of a man starting a war in the name of seeking revenge for his murdered dog.

Funnies off Jackson

CJ MCKENZIE | THE DEPAULIA

What’s Fresh

‘Shazam’ sequel lacks magic

By Lauren Coates Staff Writer

Recently, news broke that director James Gunn was poached from the MCU to the DC cinematic universe to take the reins of the DC film slate and reimagining the franchise with a slate of new titles. Since then, it’s hard to invest much interest in the unlucky few films that belong to the now-dead DCEU, but which still have to hit theaters before the overhaul can truly begin.

Among the maligned lineup of DCEU films to release before DC resets yet again is “Shazam! Fury of the Gods”, the sequel to 2019’s “Shazam”. Despite its predecessor’s charm and sweet core, “Shaza! Fury of the Gods” has all of the first film’s flaws and none of its endearing qualities—making for a tonally confused and overcomplicated slog that barely clears the line towards ‘passable’.

Starring Zachary Levi as Shazam, “Fury of the Gods” follows Billy Batson (Asher Angel) a teenager who was gifted a mysterious power from a Wizard (Djimon Hounsou): when he says the word “Shazam”, he transforms into an adult superhero (Levi) with all sorts of powers, including flight and control over lightning. Alongside his foster family (who have also been granted powers) Billy struggles to stop a trio of ancient goddesses— Hespera (Helen Mirren), Kalypso (Lucy Liu) and

injected life and levity into a familiar hero narrative. On some level, “Fury of the Gods” understands this strength, but it overabuses the audience’s affection for seeing a grown man act like a kid—turning Billy into a caricature himself in the process.

It’s frustrating how “Fury of the Gods” loses Billy’s personality for the sake of com-

as a superhero. The first act in particular goes to great pains to set up that Billy is struggling with imposter syndrome, and is unsure of himself not only as a hero, but a leader.

Bizarrely, though, once he transforms into adult Shazam, all of that insecurity, gravity, and worry is simply gone—replaced by a childlike giddiness that (though admit-

empathize with his plight as a hero.

The plot itself is also frustratingly by-thenumbers, yet it is also somehow overwrought. The “twist” involving Anthea’s reveal as one of the sisters and not just a normal high school student is ruined not only by the posters but also the poor pacing—we haven’t known the character long enough to be particularly moved when she reveals her true nature. Admittedly, though, of the three sisters, Anthea is the strongest—particularly, her romantic relationship with Billy’s brother Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer) is one of the film's stronger, sweeter subplots.

Freddy himself is without question the films’ strongest asset–where the film seems uninterested in spending any time with young Billy, we do get to spend substantial time with teenage Freddy, who’s dealing with his own feelings of inadequacy and independence—desperate to get out of his brother’s shadow and prove himself as a lone wolf hero. Though the dialogue may be predictable, Grazer’s performance is charismatic and moving enough to make Freddy virtually the only memorable aspect of the film—not only does he get the lion’s share of the best comedic moments, but also the dramatic ones.

In the end, though, an interesting subplot for Freddy is nowhere near enough to rescue “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” from its uninspired script, lazy direction, and wild

AIDAN HANSEN | THE DEPAULIA

St.Vincent’s

D e JAMZ

“Spinning freSh beatS Since 1581”

By a mBer stoutenBorough Managing Multimedia Editor

As I turned 23 this week, I thought it would be a great opportunity to reflect on the past couple years of my life through music. At first, I attempted to only pick songs from the year 2000, but what I learned after my in-depth search is my taste in music extends far beyond the pop hits of Britney Spears and there are a lot better song choices in the years 1999 and 2001. So if my parents planned better, this DeJamz would be more put together. Nevertheless, I still found a way to connect each song to my birthday, so I believe it still counts.

“Lucky” by Britney Spears

This is one of my favorite songs to come out in the year 2000. I first heard the Kidz Bop version of this song, which I almost feel I should include instead. However, I know Lilly would rather cover a basketball game than put the Kidz Bop CD cover on her back page. Last year, when I was Arts and Life Editor, I went all out with different variations of Animal Crossing covers for DeJamz (We can guess which of us takes this job more seriously.) Anyways I love this song because Britney is so real for

talking about how amazing of a life she has but is still depressed. This should have been the first clue to have her take antidepressants - not 20 years later.

“Bring Me to Life” by Evanescence

“Bring Me to Life” was the No.1 alternative song on March 30, 2003. I know what you're thinking: this is the emo anthem Amber, why is it in the same DeJamz as the girly pop of the century Britney Spears? Just like #FreeOurGirl Spears, Evanescence was very prevalent in my formative years. My mom was the one who showed me Evanescence as a child. We'd listen to the "Fallen" album on repeat on the kitchen CD player. This truly molded my teen angst a couple years early that I don't think ever left 20 years later. But maybe that's a conversation with my therapist and not the entire 20 people who read the DeJamz.

“So Fresh, So Clean” by OutKast

Recently, my lovely coworkers reminded me that I am the oldest woman in the newsroom. Although this isn't that shocking as a grad student finishing their 5th year at DePaul working with a bunch of freshmen (derogatory), I was slightly shocked they assumed I was turning 26 this year instead of 23 — not

Crossword

because I make a lot of millennial jokes, or because I part my hair to the side (anymore), but my love for cheesy OutKast songs was the last straw to truly believe my age is higher than it is. OutKast deserves to be on this list and more importantly, their album Stankonia which came out Oct. 31st, 2000, deserves the recognition for aging me past my prime thanks to my music choices.

“Boy’s a liar Pt. 2” by PinkPantheress, Ice Spice

I've exhausted my playlist of songs from the 2000s, and I'm trying my best not to include NSYNC. So, I'm moving on to horoscope signs. PinkPantheress is an Aries and one of my favorite up-and-coming artists. There isn't a single song of hers that I hate, but "This Boy's a Liar Pt. 2" truly takes the cake. Anything including Ice Spice should be included in an Aries playlist.

“Man’s World” by Marina and The Diamonds

Honestly, I just wanted a reason to include Marina and The Diamonds in this group. Last year, all the Aries in the office wrote a DeJamz to start off the season. But this year, the Aries population in the newsroom has dwindled

ACROSS

1) Wrap of old Rome

5) Kind of knife or sandwich

10) Exiled Iranian ruler

14) Homecoming attender

15) Lily type

16) Volcano outpouring

17) What Italians used to spend

18) Kwanzaa principle

19) "The Dukes of Hazzard" character

20) Three for the "back" pack

23) Invisible emanations

24) Feed livestock

25) Hardly firm, as a waist

28) Tract of wet ground

30) Muddy up, as water

31) Bring happiness to

33) Teary-eyed

36) Three for the "back" pack

40) It gives golfers a little lift

41) Tastelessly showy

42) Poetic foot

43) Curved doorway

44) Wall-to-wall installation

46) Certain Arabian

49) Unsolicited manuscripts, to a publisher

51) Three for the "back" pack

57) Fleshy seed covering

58) Grayish-violet

59) Top-of-the-line

60) Hitchhiker's quest

61) Some cartography dots

62) Patronize a fine restaurant

63) Hurdle for a wannabe driver

64) Running score

65) Constellation unit

down to just me. I need to make up for the lack of fire signs. Marina gives me a lot of Aries energy, but she is actually a Libra (close enough). I first heard this song on my birthday two years ago and finally got to see her in-person for my siblings' birthday last year. It’s safe to say that she deserves to be on my birthday DeJamz.

DOWN

1) Post-natal care powder

2) Collection of miscellaneous pieces

3) Wise advice-giver

4) Obedient

5) Move like a squirrel

6) Country music's Tucker

7) Omit in pronunciation

8) Type of saxophone

9) Slugger's decisive win

10) Arctic transport

11) Vietnam's capital

12) Admits bluntly

13) Word before "got a clue"

21) Movie popcorn unit

22) More difficult to collect

25) Fingerboard feature

26) Like Tonto's masked friend

27) Teacher's helper

28) A good number

29) "Addams Family" member

31) Make an

impression, in a way

32) Albanian currency

33) Sound of a stick breaking

34) Highest stage

35) Overcharging condition?

37) "Take_ down memory lane"

38) _ fly (RBI method)

39) Space cadets

43) It's just above a foot

44) Schmaltzy

45) Viper variety

46) Abstract painting style

47) Ill-fated Antoinette

48) Some corrosives

49) Jolly Roger flag depiction

50) Palindromic tool

52) Opposite of include

53) Spanish abode

54) Nike's "Just" conclusion?

55) Tolstoy's "_ Karenina"

56) Sneering look

PHOTOS COURTESY OF WIKI

DePaul returns home, picks up pair of wins over Providence

By Preston Zbroszczyk Asst. Sports Editor

After six weeks of playing on the road across the country, DePaul softball made its long awaited return to Cacciatore Stadium. Opening day was spoiled on Tuesday, March 28, in a 20-1 loss to Northwestern, but a couple of run-filled games of strong defense and offense together allowed DePaul to finished 2-1.

The Blue Demons took the field for a weekend series against Providence on Friday and early on things seemed to mimic Tuesday’s loss.

Freshman pitcher Bella Nigey took the circle for her 17th appearance with a 4.18 ERA, leading the team with 45 strikeouts; but her stint was cut short. Nigey walked the first batter of the game and as the inning progressed she was up to her third base on balls.

She only made it through one out into the second inning before head coach Tracie Adix-Zins pulled her for transfer Brenna Smith.

The Purdue graduate came in and retired 10-straight batters, holding the Friars to two runs in her three innings of work.

“As a whole the win was exciting,” Smith said. “Every single girl on the team showed up today and I couldn’t have done it without Anna behind the plate. She worked he butt off and my defense was solid, and they showed up on offense.”

It wasn’t until the bottom of the second inning where DePaul took the first lead of the game and broke things open.

Sophomore catcher Anna Wohlers, who leads the team in hits and home runs, had two hits in the game and crossed home plate three times in the win.

DePaul totaled 18 hits in the game and scored 15 runs. It was the team’s biggest offensive performance of the season, with hits and runs in the game.

Junior outfielder Nicole Sullivan capped off the game with a two-run homer. With DePaul leading by more than

eight in the bottom in the fourth after scoring 12 runs, the Friars had no answer.

Recording the final out of the game, senior Grace Frazier threw out a Providence runner at home plate to complete the game in the top of the fifth, as the game ended early due to DePaul’s hefty lead.

“I mean you can’t ask for more,” AdixZins said. “I just think we needed to find our groove and coming into this weekend it was just continue to compete every pitch, every inning, and every out.

The results weren’t the same in the first of Sunday’s doubleheader. After Saturday’s game was postponed due to weather, the Blue Demons and Friars elected to play two.

Nigey took the circle and made it through the first inning before Smith came in for relief. Providence scored two in each of the first two innings taking a 4-0 lead. The Friars would end up putting a run in every inning.

Providence had a season-high as a

team with 18 hits and scored 12 runs in five innings. DePaul only managed one run in the second inning as the offense fell flat, leaving 10 runners on base in the game.

Like the first game, game one of the doubleheader ended early in the fifth inning, as Providence led by more than eight runs and DePaul had no answer to cut into the lead. The Demons fell 12-1 in the first game.

After splitting the first two games of the series, the two teams came in with virtually the same record and played it out in the final game of the series.

DePaul maintained control throughout the game, but both teams exchanged innings of scoring. Sophomore pitcher Katy Pierce had three shutout innings as the Demons led 1-0 to begin the fourth.

Wohlers and senior first baseman Brooke Johnson took command early. Wohlers went 2-4 on the day and was the first to cross home plate.

“It starts with the start of the week and just what happens during practice,” Wohlers said. “Just take everything seriously and bring it here.”

Johnson added her fifth home run of the season in the bottom of the fifth to DePaul a 7-3 lead. The Friars knocked on the door a couple times throughout the rest of the game.

Junior Nicole Sullivan gave the Demons the sixth inning insurance run of the game on a solo homer. Setting up Smith for the potential save opportunity.

Smith held down the Providence offense in the bottom of the seventh, striking out the final two batters of the game getting the 9-5 win.

DePaul improved to 2-2 at Cacciatore Stadium, with an overall record of 11-18 and 3-6 in Big East Play.

“They have to trust themselves and play the game of softball,” Adix-Zins said. “I think that’s one of the messages I’ve been trying to get across to them, is just understand that you guys can do it.”

LUCAS PAREDES | THE DEPAULIA

The Blue Demons celebrate together after securing the team’s first home win of the season, defeating Providence 15-6 on Friday. DePaul won the series 2-1 and improved to 11-18 on the season.

DePaul pitcher Katey Pierce winds up for the delivery during Sunday’s 12-1 loss to Providence.

ERIN HENZE | THE DEPAULIA

hope to bring spark back to DePaul

By Preston Zbroszczyk Asst. Sports Editor

The women’s tournament is ending on Sunday, but DePaul and Bruno’s offseason started a month ago, when the season ended in early March.

Since the emergence of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) in college sports, the transfer portal has given new value across the sport. This allows for athletes to brand themselves to achieve any kind of financial compensation for their name, image and likeness.

After a disappointing and underachieving 2022-23 season for Bruno, he and his staff got right to work filling a handful of roster spots for the 2023- 24 season which is 217 days away.

According to ESPN’s top-100 women’s ranked players, DePaul added fourstar guard Lisa Thompson.

Joliet West the same school that produced Jeremy Fears, a top-30 guard headed to Michigan State, Thompson liked the idea of representing her hometown.

“I really liked that [DePaul] is close to home,” Thompson told Shaw Local. “It’s close enough that if I want a homecooked meal or something, I can come home and get it.”

Following her impressive junior campaign averaging 23 points, three assists and three steals per game, Thompson was invited to tryout for the USA Basketball 18U team.

Listed at 5-foot-7, Thompson game features impressive playmaking skills matched with an ability to seemingly have the ball on a string with her dribble combinations.

The Blue Demons kept the local talent coming and prior to the season ending, added Grace Carstensen. The La Grange, Illinois, native played all four years of her high school ball at Nazareth Academy.

At 6-foot, Carstensen quickly developed into one of Illinois’ best shooters. Her play this past season helped gear Nazareth to a Class 3A state title.

Her verbal commitment became official in early February via Instagram and Twitter. With DePaul’s numerous veteran upperclass guards, both Thompson and Carstensen have a well-experienced group to learn from.

“It feels really good just to see it happen,” Carstensen told Shaw Local. “Especially because lots of the college stuff happened late. I’m really grateful that I had a team that could get me the ball and an amazing coaching staff.”

The local talent keeps pouring in for Bruno. The Lincolnshire native has been the third local talent to be added to the Blue Demons’ roster.

The 6-foot-1 Stevenson High School forward gives DePaul some much-needed length with the departure of senior Keke Rimmer.

Size was something that hurt the Blue Demons throughout the course of last season, but so does a lack of consistent play on both ends of the floor.

Klatt brings interior defense help, but will have to develop some of her game around the rim, and expand her abilities.

Her debut will have to wait a year

since she announced her commitment this past season, and is still only a junior with one season left to play.

Not looking to end her collegiate basketball career just yet, University of Michigan guard Michelle Sidor recently announced her transfer to DePaul, after finishing four years in Ann Arbor.

Sidor played one game for the Wolverines in the 2022-23 season before sustaining an injury that kept her out for the remainder of the season.

From Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, Sidor has shown signs of being able to score and provide the ability to shoot from beyond the arc. Due to the lack of minutes, her name was put into the transfer portal.

Sidor’s best game in a Michigan Wolverines uniform came against Butler University in her sophomore season, where she scored 16 points and connected on four 3-pointers.

After averaging 11.3 minutes per game her freshman season, her playing time has decreased with more talent having arrived. Sidor said in her statement announcing her transfer, that she is excited for the next two years.

The decision to transfer also came after two Michigan staff members found other coaching opportunities elsewhere.

DePaul has yet to lose a player from the current roster to the portal, which could be a testament for what the team has planned for the future to get back atop the Big East.

Being able to see the floor on a more consistent basis could add more depth to the bench for DePaul, who only had Rimmer to rely on through the course of the season.

As of now, Bruno and DePaul have only lost seniors Rimmer and Nazlah Morrow.

DePaul has yet to lose a player from the current roster to the portal, which could be a testament for what this team has planned for the future to get back atop the Big East.

The Demons return the same starting five and yet another highly anticipated season awaits for All-American sophomore Aneesah Morrow.

Bruno emphasized that Morrow’s junior season may be her most important. Being able to put her inside game and outside all together and be versatile in both areas.

Juniors Darrione Rogers and Kendall Holmes return for their seniors season, and Bruno will also bring back forward Jorie Allen, who opted for her Covid eligibility year.

“The year as we know turned out to be four to five games away from being in the NCAA Tournament,” Bruno said.

Optimism is high to begin the 202324 season after the way things ended and played out in 2023.

The roster moves are far from over for Bruno and the DePaul women’s basketball team as they look to get back to the winning ways that it’s known for the main priority. Early losses diminished the team’s momentum piled on with injury, which they were never able to gain traction from.

Lisa Thompson is ranked No. 60 in ESPN’s top-100 recruiting rankings for 2023.

Michelle Sidor (left) and former teammate Maddie Nolan pose together on the floor of Crisler Arena in 2022.

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Women’s Tennis credits strengthened bonds as key to current success

By Zoe Mateja Contributing Writer

The DePaul women’s tennis team came off an 8-game long winning streak, securing its place in the rankings for the first time since 2016. With a current record of 9-8 and a 4-1 record in the Big East, the team has shown impressive improvement to last season’s 9-9 record.

The team attributes the strong start to the bonds formed this season.

Graduate student Maddie Yergler is in her fifth season on DePaul’s tennis team and emphasizes the team is closer than they’ve ever been before.

“We’re really close this year, we all have the same goals,” Yergler said. “School, tennis, and friendship-wise, we all get along really well. I mean, we look forward to going to practice, not just for tennis, but just to hang out.”

Head coach Marisa Arce said that the team’s bonds are the highlight of coaching the team and make the experience all the more rewarding.

“I think it’s just the relationships of the girls on the team,” Arce said. “That allows them to play tennis and win matches. Without that, even if you’re winning matches but you don’t have good relationships, it’s not fulfilling. But you know, once you have that base, they really are lifelong relationships. They really are just building that every year.”

Along with the strong friendships among the teammates, the string of victories is also attributed to rigorousww training, intelligent strategy and sincere dedication.

Graduate student Valentina Martin believes more focus on training and preparation played a pawrt in the team’s early success.

“I say we take it week by week,” Martin

said. “We have base training, and we have Yuliya who does the scouting reports for each team. We try to see if we know any girls from the other teams we’re playing, and Marisa does the practice blend based on how the team we’re playing usually plays. We have a lot of good strategies going.”

Arce also highlighted the importance of preparation for matches and how a strong foundation makes for a stellar performance on the court.

“We have a pretty standard routine,” Arce said. “I think everyone does well with a routine. We really try to stick to something like that. We kinda just need to make sure we’re in a good place mentally and psychically, just being willing to leave

it all out there.

Martin recounts some of their rival teams and the motivation to defeat some of their biggest competition.

“Definitely Savior, Marquette is one of them, we just played them last weekend. Probably St. John’s. I mean St. John’s last year we played them twice, in the regular season. And we lost to them. And then we beat them in the conference semifinals, which was a great match for us since they were on a 13-match-long winning streak, and we had lost to them previously that year, so it was a great win for us.

In preparation for the rest of the season and the upcoming conference matches, both Martin and Yergler express excitement for what is to come.

“I would say we’re in the final stretch of the season, to put it that way, and now is where we see all of our work and the progress we’ve made since the beginning of the season. Our most important goal is at the end of April which is a conference. So every match, we’re making sure we’re ready for that tournament,” Martin states.

“I’m just really excited to see what we can do, we’ve been doing great recently. In the past years, we’ve been so close to beating the big teams, and this year we beat Iowa, which was a big deal. We finally made that final step, and we got ranked for the first time since 2016. So I think we’re putting that all together right now, and we’re really excited to see all the things we can do,” Yergler said.

PRESTON ZBROSZCZYK | THE DEPAULIA DePaul secured its place in the rankings for the first time since 2016 with a record of 9-6 overall and 3-0 record in the Big East conference.

Sports

How DePaul and others are using analytics to gain an edge

By Tom Gorski

When it comes to gaining an edge on an opponent, there are multiple ways to do so. In recent years, collegiate programs turned their attention to technology and the use of analytics.

In sports, analytics refers to the practice of plugging statistics into mathematical models to predict the outcome of a given play or game. Many college coaches use analytics to scout opponents, along with using an algorithm to project the trajectory that a player may or may not take to reach their potential.

“Analytics usually is synonymous with modeling, and modeling is just using mathematical representation of reality,” said Adam Grossman, vice president, business insights and analytics at Excel Sports Management, which is an industry-leading management and marketing agency that represents top-tier talent, blue-chip brands and marquee properties. “So taking something that happens in reality and using numbers to either represent or explicitly describe what’s happening in some form of reality.”

DePaul women’s volleyball has adapted to the use of analytics and focuses primarily on load management, which is when a healthy player is held out of playing in a game for rest or precautionary reasons and the physical development of its athletes.

They use software known as Vert Basics, which optimizes performance, improves player health and strategically develops practice plans to ensure a team is at its best on game-day.

“Vert helps me day-to-day manage not only their jumps, which in volleyball is the most important metric, but also their economy of work,” DePaul head coach Marie Zidek said. “We can see how quickly and aggressive their center mass is moving and in college, we get five sets, so every practice day, they had sensors that basically track how they move and how quickly they’re able to produce force.”

Volleyball analytics are not only used to track player development, but also teams believe it gives an edge over its opponent during real-time matchups, specifically with win probability.

“We now have analytics in real-time on the bench, so the biggest impact that analytics has made at the collegiate level when you think about volleyball specifically, has been in-match adjustments,” Zidek said. “I can see my players’ performance in live time and see

the iPads on our bench that are connected to the petition desk.”

The team also uses Data Volley, a physical program anyone can keep on the bench. The software can scout every skill and analyze every detail of the game and configure the program to suit the team’s needs and abilities.

“You can get not only basic stats that these statistical teams keep, but attacking efficiencies and how many aces and blocks a player has and how many digs of those absolute numbers,” Zidek said. “It kind of looks for how points are built and how uncertain rotations teams are playing you … You can actually see in live time if you place your first serve towards a certain person and play the probability of what a team is going to do in terms of who they choose to set.”

Analytics first became prevalent in baseball, specifically at the major league level. Many know about the “Moneyball” philosophy first employed by the Oakland A’s in 2002, but over time, virtually all sports at the professional and collegiate level have adopted the use of analytics for success.

Katie Krall was a former developmental coach in the Boston Red Sox organization with a background in analytics. Her role involved integrating new technology and data into advanced scouting, in-game strategy and player plans to improve on-field performance. She collaborated with the baseball analytics and sports science departments to construct goals for players as it relates to run creation and prevention based on quantitative metrics.

Krall believes analytics can have a significant impact at the collegiate level for players’ development and growth as athletes, but it is also important to find creative ways to set up an athlete for success.

“I think it’s key that you customize your approach to the athlete so it’s not necessarily walking them through a spreadsheet,” Krall said. “It’s more so understanding what that unique player needs in order to be successful.”

Outside of using analytics for athletes on the court or field, the inception of analytics has created opportunities for those with interest in pursuing the field as a career.

Krall graduated from Northwestern in 2018 and built a career off her knowledge of analytics, eventually leading her to be one of the first former female athletes to work in Major League Baseball.

“I think there are great opportunities for students who want to work in front offices someday and be a part of those initiatives,”

Krall said. “For a lot of college programs, they might not have the budget to have a full time analyst or biomechanist on staff.”

College basketball has adapted to the use of analytics over the years and former Butler head coach and current President of Basketball Operation for the Boston Celtics Brad Stevens was one of the first to adapt it.

“I think probably Brad Stevens,” Grossman said of who comes to mind for analytics at the collegiate level. “I think his main focus was what were the best five man lineups for plus minus statistics and like which lineups created the best offense and defense efficiency. I think basketball, generally, but particularly in college is probably an area we’ve seen from our side [analytic side].”

During his tenure at Butler, Stevens had Drew Cannon on staff, whose official title was the Bulldogs Analytics Manager. It is unclear in details what his use of analytics was since Stevens has been reluctant to release any public knowledge on the specifics of his research to the media.

In 2013, Pete Thamel from Sports Illustrated reported that Cannon would keep practice statistics and track the efficiency of set plays and tendencies of opponents. Cannon would also regularly send Stevens a 10page email breaking down and analyzing the numbers after every Butler win.

Analytics is not just used primarily for performance on-the-field, it has a huge impact off-the-field for athletes as well. Grossman’s platform, Excel Analytics, helped develop its own (NIL) platform that focuses on the value of athletes from an in-real-life perspective.

“The platform is focused on key metrics including what is the amount of conversation around an athlete’s sentiment or people saying positive or negative things about an athlete,” Grossman said. “Then we see if the objective of sponsorship and the audience that an athlete’s trying to reach generate value for companies.”

Grossman believes that colleges will continue to use analytics and the growth and evolution of analytics is progressing. Many in the industry believe analytics is on the rise and the future of success in sports at the collegiate level could primarily focus on the use of analytics.

“I don’t know about every program, but I think it’s definitely on the rise,” Grossman said. “Coaches at all levels are more comfortable using data and know the proliferation of tools that allow for you know, even training and collecting data to be analyzed have become much more proficient not just at the college level, but at the U-sports level and high school level.”

Sports Editor

SCREENSHOT VIA DATA PROJECT.COM

Data Volley is one of the most widely used sports analysis software programs for professional volleyball statistics analysis.

MAYA OCLASSEN | THE DEPAULIA