TheDePaulia
Doug Bruno steps down from coaching, but his love for basketball — and DePaul — endures
By Peyton Hopp Asst. Sports Editor
Doug Bruno started out as a hockey player at the former Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary South on the South Side of Chicago. He enjoyed the fast pace of hockey, but he fell in love with a game he was not so good at: basketball. His sophomore year of high school, he tried out for the team but didn’t make it.
This led Bruno to what he called the “first goal of his life.”
“I will make the team next year,” Bruno said, recalling his high school years.
Bruno wasn’t going to let his dream of playing basketball slip through his fingers, so he kept on practicing. He
eventually made the team his junior year and became a starter his senior year.
“Working at your sport — working at the craft of basketball — is playing basketball,” Bruno said.
Since then, Bruno has been surrounded by the game.
Bruno announced on March 28 that he would be stepping down as the DePaul women’s basketball head coach after 39 years at the helm of the program.
But his love for basketball isn’t stopping — he will take on a new position as the special assistant to the vice president/director of athletics for women’s basketball, effective May 1.
Bruno’s tenure at DePaul began during his high school summers, when he worked at a basketball camp orga-
nized by coaching legend Ray Meyer. Bruno said he didn’t have enough money to attend Meyer’s camp, so he became an employee. Bruno said Meyer saw him get “progressively better” at basketball and told Meyer he wanted to play in college, but he wasn’t sure where to go.
Meyer suggested none other than DePaul and gave Bruno a scholarship.
Little did Bruno know that that would be the start of what would become his renowned career at DePaul.
“I got lucky to come here and play for coach Meyer,” Bruno said. “I just had no idea what a great place this was.”
It has been more than five decades since Bruno, now 74, made his decision to become a Blue Demon.
Coaching the same team for nearly
four decades is something few coaches do. Those who have coached as long include Geno Auriemma of the University of Connecticut (1985-present), Mike Krzyzewski of Duke (1980-2022) and Pat Summitt of Tennessee (1974-2012).
“There haven’t been a lot of people in the history of women’s basketball that have given as much to the game as he has,” Auriemma said on March 28 during the NCAA Tournament Spokane Regional press conference. “He’s dedicated his life pretty much to women’s basketball, and all of it in Chicago where he grew up, so he’s an institution.”
Bruno’s first college coaching gig was for the DePaul women’s basketball team in 1976. He then left in 1978 to See DOUG BRUNO, page 16
Doug Bruno laughs during an interview in the Sullivan Athletic Center on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Bruno served for 39 years as the head coach of the DePaul women’s basketball team.
QUENTIN BLAIS | THE DEPAULIA
The DePaulia is the official student-run newspaper of DePaul University and may not necessarily reflect the views of college administrators, faculty or staff.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | LUCIA PREZIOSI LPREZI@DEPAULIAONLINE.COM
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ASST. NEWS EDITOR | SADIE SPRINGER SSPRIN@DEPAULIAONLINE.COM
OPINIONS EDITOR | BRIELLE KOHLBECK BKOHLB@DEPAULIAONLINE.COM
ARTS & LIFE EDITOR | GRACE LOGAN GLOGAN@DEPAULIAONLINE.COM
ASST. ARTS & LIFE EDITOR | APRIL KLEIN AKLEIN@DEPAULIAONLINE.COM
SPORTS EDITOR RYAN HINSKE RHINSK@DEPAULIAONLINE.COM
ASST. SPORTS EDITOR | PEYTON HOPP PHOPP@DEPAULIAONLINE.COM
ILLUSTRATION EDITOR YU YU BLUE YBLUE@DEPAULIAONLINE.COM
ASST. ILLUSTRATION EDITOR | PRECIOSA RIOS PRIOS@DEPAULIAONLINE.COM
DESIGN EDITOR | GENESIS COFFEY GCOFFE @DEPAULIAONLINE.COM
PHOTO EDITOR | QUENTIN BLAIS QBLAIS@DEPAULIAONLINE.COM
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ASST. COPY EDITOR | ANNIE KOZIEL AKOZIE@DEPAULIAONLINE.COM
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR | NADINE DECERO NDECER@DEPAULIAONLINE.COM
FACULTY ADVISER | MARTHA IRVINE MIRVINE5@DEPAUL.EDU
JEFA DE REDACCIÓN | ALONDRA CASTAÑEDA eicladepaulia@depauliaonline.com
GERENTE EDITORIAL | NUPUR BOSMIYA REDES SOCIALES | LAURA VÁZQUEZ DAVID
EDITORA DE NOTICIAS | SOFIA JOSEPH
ASESORA | Laura Rodriguez Presa larodriguez@chicagotribune.com
CAMPUS CRIME REPORT
LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS
March 26 - April 1, 2025
LINCOLN PARK CAMPUS
Drug & Alcohol Assault & Theft Other
Lincoln Park Campus Crimes: Sept. 11
1) A Criminal Damage to Vehicle report was filed in Lot L.
Sept. 11
2) A Theft report was filed for items taken from a common area in Corcoran Hall.
LOOP CAMPUS
LOOP CAMPUS
Loop Campus Crimes: Sept. 12
1) A Disturbance report was filed for an incident in the Barnes & Noble in the DePaul Center.
Sept. 12
2) A Battery report was filed for an incident in the DePaul Center.
Two Jewish students sue DePaul, alleging negligence after attack on campus
By LiLi Jarvenpa and Sadie Springer News Editor & Asst. News Editor
Two Jewish DePaul students are filing a lawsuit against the university for failing to protect them from being attacked on campus last fall in what Chicago Police Department has classified as a hate crime.
On Nov. 24, Micahel Kaminsky and Max Long were attacked outside DePaul’s Student Center on the Lincoln Park Campus by two men wearing black face masks according to Chicago Police. The complaint, filed in Cook county circuit court, claims they were beaten with the men’s fist and a water bottle or soda can.
Long suffered a concussion and Kaminsky’s wrist was fractured from the attack.
“Jewish students should feel safe on their own campus,” Kaminsky said in a press conference on April 2. “When universities infringe upon these rights, accountability must be demanded.”
The lawsuit alleges that DePaul took part creating a hostile environment for Jewish and Israeli students and that this attack could have been prevented.
Kaminsky and Long are seeking a judgement of at least $50,000 and a jury trial.
A DePaul spokesperson said in a statement that they condemned the attack against the students in November 2024 and “the safety and security of our students is of paramount importance.”
The attack happened a few months after students started an encampment
on the university Quad in response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Long was a soldier in Israel and served in the Israel Defense Forces, and he led campus discussions about the conflict in the Middle East. Kaminsky helped found the DePaul chapter of Students Supporting Israel and decided to join in Long’s efforts to discuss the conflict.
“Jewish students on college campuses are not looking to censor the speech of their classmates, they are living in constant fear for their safety on campus,” Jaclyn Clark, one of the attorneys representing Long and Kaminsky, said.
The statement from DePaul said the university will continue to work with CPD to investigate the November incident and hold the attackers accountable. The university is also offering resources to those who have been affected.
“Our Student Affairs and Public Safety offices have been available to provide support for the students who were attacked, as well as others in our community who were affected by this attack,” the statement said.
The DePaul spokesperson said that in recent years the school has invested in programs, infrastructure and security in an effort to increase safety on campus.
“We are committed to keeping DePaul a safe and welcoming space for every member of our diverse university community,” the statement said.
Students walk into DePaul’s Student Center on Lincoln Park Campus on Thursday, April 3, 2025. Two Jewish students, who were attacked there in November, are suing DePaul.
LILI JARVENPA | THE DEPAULIA
Chicago Plan Commission approves $7 billion United Center expansion
By Khadija Mujahid Contributing Writer
For years, the United Center has been surrounded by a vast stretch of asphalt. Now the Reinsdorf and Wirtz families, who respectively own the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks, hope to turn it into a mixed-use district with green spaces, residential units and more. The Chicago Plan Commission approved the $7 billion expansion plan in January.
The Reinsdorf and Wirtz families have planned the expansion for several years. The expansion, which has been named the “1901 Project” for the United Center’s address on West Madison Street, includes plans to transform the space surrounding the arena into new community areas. The project is expected to be completed in 10 years, with the first phase beginning this spring.
Asante Tresean, a worker at the United Center, expressed concerns about the expansion.
“It’s probably going to be a little more expensive,” said Tresean, who works in concessions. “I hope it doesn’t make it hard for the workers to get around, or the residents.”
The parking lots that surround the United Center are central to the 1901 Project, with usage rates of less than 60%. New renovations would include a parking garage with green spaces on the roof, as well as playgrounds. The project also includes plans for restaurants, a hotel and a music hall of 6,000 seats.
The 1901 Project will also create 9,500 housing units, 20% of which are expected to be affordable. Millennium Park is being used as a reference; following its construction in 2004, surrounding residential units showed 57% growth as well
as an increase in value for housing units overlooking the park.
Architecture companies Field Operations, site design group and RIOS have been consulted for the 1901 Project.
The plan aims to revitalize the neighborhood by bringing economic opportunity. The project is expected to create 63,000 construction jobs as well as 13,000 permanent jobs.
Oliver Daily, a student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, thinks the 1901 Project could revitalize the area.
“Turning it into a green space sounds amazing,” Daily said. “I would hope that it would bring (residents) outside more.”
Whether or not the city will provide financial support is uncertain. Although the $7 billion cost will be fully covered by the Reinsdorf and Wirtz families, they are relying upon the city of Chicago to fund a Pink Line station near the United Center.
The Green Line’s recently built Damen stop is within walking distance — less than half a mile away from the United Center.
However, the closest Pink Line station is several blocks away. A new Pink Line station would likely come with a large price tag — the Green Line’s Damen stop cost roughly $80 million.
Andrew Benjamin, a Bulls fan, said that the city should focus its efforts on other services for inner-city residents.
“I think they should put up community centers for children, outreaches, health care centers,” Benjamin said. “The inner city’s (where) we needed that.”
Benjamin also said providing such support could bring the crime rate down.
“(People are) worrying about the city not caring about them,” he said. “(If) the city started doing something to help them, maybe their opinions are changing.”
The parking lot of the United Center sits damp after a spring rain on Thursday, April 3, 2025. The Chicago Plan Commission approved the $7 billion expansion plan of the United Center in January.
ZOEY DUCHENE | THE DEPAULIA
The outside of the United Center on Thursday, April 3, 2025, on a gloomy day in Chicago. The expansion project is expected to be completed in 10 years, with the first phase beginning this spring.
ZOEY DUCHENE | THE DEPAULIA
Empty desks and disengagement: Rethinking attendance in a post-pandemic world
By Anna Barth and Anna Retzlaff Contributing Writers
The ripple effects of pandemic-era policies — relaxed attendance, online learning alternatives and lower achievement expectations — have redefined student relationships with school. For many, attending classes is no longer seen as a necessity.“I think the reality that you can go to school without being in class sort of hit some people really hard, it’s like, ‘Well, why don’t I just not go to class,’” Tyler Grisafi, a DePaul sophomore, said. “I think that people learned that they can get away with doing the bare minimum.”
While attendance data is difficult to track at the university level, statistics about K-12 attendance confirm an increase in absenteeism that, some say, may even be impacting attitudes about spending time in the workplace once people graduate.In the four years since Covid-19 afflicted the nation, U.S. schools have still struggled to recover, facing many challenges such as behavioral problems, learning deficits and — most notably — issues with attendance. Chronic absenteeism, defined by the Department of Education as missing more than 10% of the school year, has entrenched itself in students nationwide.
According to the Department of Education, the rate of chronic absenteeism in K-12 schools reached 31% in the 20212022 school year, double the pre-pandemic rate. The number only slightly reduced to 28% in the 2022-2023 school year. The numbers are even more stark in Chicago, as 40% of students in public school districts were considered chronically absent in the 2022-2023 academic year. Although students missing more school is a trend for all demographics, the change is particularly severe for Black and Hispanic com-
munities, especially in low-income areas, where pre-pandemic rates have doubled — from 16% to 32%.
While absenteeism is a nationwide issue, its root causes and implications vary across communities.
Pre-existing disparities, such as economic instability and disrupted family structures have only deepened the shift in marginalized communities. Reports from the World Health Organization and the CDC also reveal an uptick in depression and anxiety and other mental health concerns, post-pandemic, as well as a tendency to stay home for minor illnesses and mental health days.That may stem, in part, from Generation Z’s efforts to destigmatize mental health conversations and promote self care.
DePaul senior Mathew Sharifi believes prioritizing mental health is more important than ever, especially in a world where conflict is constantly present.
“We get exposed to that on a consistent basis through social media and the news, which can take a toll,” Sharifi said.
“I think yes, of course, prioritize mental health. We should always focus on the people — people first above all else.”
The shift is particularly evident in higher education. At DePaul, attendance policies are now subject to each individual professor’s discrepancy. Though, the College of Communication has come up with a college-wide system for reporting and verifying extended absences. Beyond absenteeism, students say they also disengage, even when in class. They may be physically present, but lost to their devices — shopping online during lectures, scrolling or doing homework for other classes. The belief that materials are al-
ways available online and can be learned independently has become a common sentiment among students who learned asynchronously during the pandemic.
“I remember when we were doing online Zoom classes, I would just get on the class on my laptop and then go take a nap and do absolutely nothing,” Daniel Gonzalez, a DePaul sophomore, said. “I kinda would just not be there.” That attitude persisted when he returned to in-person classes. “You just kind of get the idea that school is optional,” he said.These shifts pose a larger discussion: is this all temporary? Or is it a permanent shift of how the younger generation interacts with school and the workplace?
“I rarely skipped school prior to Covid,” Val Kruczek, who graduated from DePaul in 2023, said. But asynchronous lectures and recorded Zoom sessions changed that. “I knew if I missed something, like, I missed it, whereas if you had an asynchronous class and you didn’t want to deal with it, you could watch it later,” Kruczek said.
That style of learning “definitely changed the dynamic of how we exist,” she added.Kruczek, a risk consultant at Baker Tilly accounting firm, works remotely most of the week and said full-time office attendance is rare. She believes a hybrid work schedule is ideal, providing the opportunity to build camaraderie with her co-workers. But she likes having the freedom to choose when she goes in.
“I don’t feel like I’m on a hamster wheel all the time,” she said.Kruczek said she would feel more burnt out with an in-person only schedule.“Getting up at 6 a.m., commuting 40 minutes to the Loop, going into the office, putting makeup on.
… The social tax of it all can be draining,” she said.While the rise of student absences has posed challenges for traditional schooling, it raises larger questions about how the education system and workforce should adapt.
The issue runs deeper than attendance, snowballing into behavioral problems, learning loss and disrupted social dynamics. Many states are still struggling to rebound from low standardized test scores, creating a relentless game of catch-up. This perpetual cycle has only furthered the inequalities between poor and wealthy districts, where standardized testing is built to favor those with greater financial resources.
Gonzalez, the DePaul sophomore, believes students need to rethink their attitudes about school — but that there’s a happy medium to be found.
“I feel like a line totally needs to be drawn,” Gonzalez said. “Somewhere between ‘you need to be in school every class period, you need to focus every class period’, and also where we are at right now, where school is almost taken as seriously as a hobby.”
As more companies adopt hybrid models, others in the working world are adding more days in the office.
Beyond the benefits of flexibility, some, like Sharifi, see remote work as an opportunity — allowing individuals with disabilities or limited access to transportation to succeed professionally. “I think that it just opens up the door for businesses,” he said. “By offering remote positions, it diversifies the workforce more, which I think is important.”
Students walk to class on Thursday, April 3, 2025, outside of the Schmitt Academic Center. Chronic absenteeism, defined by the Department of Education as missing more than 10% of the school year, has entrenched itself in students nationwide.
LILI JARVENPA | THE DEPAULIA
Are you really ‘mature for your age’?: Age gap relationships in your 20s
By Lucia Preziosi Editor-in-Chief
Leonardo DiCaprio has an infamous history of dating barely-of-age young women. It always spurs up some sort of tabloid frenzy, or more modernly, trending TikToks about who thinks what.
Age 50 and 19 are a somewhat extreme example of what I have seen as an increasing trend in my friends’ and my lives.
It’s a blurring of ethical lines and a battle of reassurance: “Well, I’m 19 … He’s 25 … I’m mature for my age … I’m legal.”
Reassurance doesn’t last forever, especially when patterns emerge that reveal something a little more sinister. Looking back on this reassurance, I regret my rose-colored glasses in ignoring what is a bigger issue that young women face.
It’s hard to even label it: Is it an age gap relationship if we’re only so-and-so years apart … both in our 20s?
When I was traumatically broken up with out of the blue on Thanksgiving, I had never felt anything like it. I felt small, young. Suddenly I was being told what to do, and what was going to happen, by an older man.
And one of the first questions I asked him was: “Is it because I’m 21 and you’re 26?”
Journalist Jill Filipovic puts it beautifully in one of her Substack posts:
“Men who serially date significantly
younger women are not looking for equal partners. These men are indeed looking for someone who will admire them, who they can mold, and who will make them feel sophisticated and important.”
Jacqueline Bleadon, a former DePaul student, has also experienced a cycle of older men pursuing her. Bleadon’s first romantic experiences were with older men, which led to a tumultuous relationship with a 27-year-old when she was 19.
“I just feel like the dumb 20-year-old who had this idea in my head about this guy that just was never gonna be true,” Bleadon said.
For many months, I was molded to fit the expectations of someone older than me. I was told to stop drinking cheap vodka that came out of plastic bottles. I was told to use Apple Music instead of Spotify. I changed what music I listened to, what I ate, what I read and what I watched. I was convinced taking Kratom was cool and making beats was a full-time career. Funnily enough, none of these habits lasted longer than our relationship.
Ironically, I was the one cooking dinner. Buying groceries. Paying my own bills. Answering the question of “which one is a Zionist again?” or clarifying that Italy was indeed a country, not a city.
But I sure did admire him. I was his biggest cheerleader and supporter.
Filipovic continues:
“Women in their early 20s who date (older) men aren’t children … but they
are often taken in by the idea that there is something especially mature and unique about them that makes an older man choose them; in reality, the special and unique thing is that the older man needs an ego boost, not a partner.”
Why else would men 26-30 be sending likes to 19-year-olds on dating apps like Hinge?
Dalaney Stratford, a senior at DePaul, said that her initial attraction to older men who pursued her was that they were “mature, successful and had their life together,” until she realized that their older age didn’t actually signify more maturity, especially because of the younger women they go after.
I felt, for lack of a better word, cool, going around and telling my peers about how I was dating a 26-year-old or seeing a 30-year-old. I felt mature, “older for my age,” and a validation from what seems like a constant stream of older men pursuing me and other women my age.
Bleadon and I have spent hours around my kitchen table talking about this topic. We retell our same stories over and over again in hopes of gaining some sort of clarity or explanation for this pattern.
We bring a similar sentiment to the table. We are independent and hardworking younger women who have been convinced that an older partner will be suitable for us.
“It just kept me going in this pattern of looking for older people because I felt that they were more mature, and the
people my age couldn’t handle me and my independence,” Bleadon said.
But the truth is that I was not there to be a partner, but as Filipovic puts it, an ego boost.
Insecurity runs rampantly among men. Oftentimes, I see this insecurity being taken out on younger women. I have accomplished many things that I can say I’m proud of. I have excelled in my undergraduate journalism career and have many interests beyond school.
But what I am always asked is:
“How was school today?” It makes me seem like a second-grader, rather than a grown adult with agency and success who doesn’t need the guidance of an older figure. My achievements are consistently downplayed by older men who seem to be lacking in their own lives. Not to mention the disregard for my work at the DePaulia because of its association with “school.”
Stratford has experienced being pursued by older men since she was a teenager. She said that she often feels talked down to by these men.
“You’re always going to be the younger, stupider one and I hate that,” she said.
Why do I put myself in the position to have political arguments and be degraded by 30-year-olds who work at hardware stores? Why did I allow myself to be consumed by an unemployed, 26-year-old mommy’s boy? All while trying to navigate the tumultuous years of college and my early 20s–without my partner being able to understand at all.
GISELLE CALDERON
‘What I eat in a day’ health influencers made my chronic illness worse
By Aleksa Kirkus Contributing Writer
Editors’ note: Mentions of eating disorders, descriptions of chronic illness
Climbing the stairs of the Ray Meyer Fitness Center, I was met with a table set with markers and sticky notes. Next to the table was a sign: “To honor Eating Disorder Awareness Week, we encourage you to take a moment to write a positive affirmation for yourself or others.”
Kneeling, I wrote, “Fuel your body with what feels good for you,” underlining the last two words.
I am still trying to take my own advice after spending nearly a decade favoring health social media influencer videos over medical professionals’ advice.
I think of “What I eat in a day” videos as an umbrella genre. Content creators take audience members through a day of eating, some dedicating their entire channel to the topic. The genre has many offshoots: what I eat in a day to — lose weight, gain muscle, heal my gut or recover from an eating disorder.
When I was a teen developing an undiagnosed chronic illness, I took drastic measures to change my diet in hopes of healing my body.
My diet: an encyclopedia of health influencer meal prep videos and recipes.
The result: a trip to the hospital.
Some of the “health” foods and recipes encouraged by influencers turned out to be the foods that were making my digestive health worse. I was curious to see whether anyone else fell into the trap of food influencer videos.
It’s their attraction to me that creates a nauseating, addicting validation that feels impossible to escape. Bleadon recalls older men giving her compliments and the extreme sense of validation it instilled in her.
“There’s a reason it becomes a pattern,” Bleadon said. “There is a big difference between a guy who’s still mentally in his early adolescence, and a girl who has been with people a decade older than her … she’s seen some stuff.”
Stratford said that this long pattern of engaging with men older than her has “conditioned” the way she thinks about relationships, along with believing that older guys are simply her “type.”
“Which isn’t right. I think that’s gross,” Stratford said.
I know my ramblings may make me seem bitter about getting my heart broken. But beyond this, what I keep seeing in my own relationships and with the horror stories from my friends, is a perfect display of the crushing patriarchy we live under as young women.
We are expected to be the caretakers, the cooks, the cleaners while also being
Amber Hooker, a third-year public relations and advertising major, worries that “What I eat in a day” (WIEIAD) influencers could encourage viewers to start restrictive diets.
“I think a lot of people would rather have an influencer tell them what they want to hear … even if it is unhealthy,” Hooker said. “They see it worked for somebody else.”
Hooker and I agree that WIEIAD videos are often made and targeted to particular demographics. While there are health influencers of all backgrounds, a quick search on TikTok floods my screen with slim, middle-aged, white women.
Virginia Derrick, a senior anthropology major, said it was her chronic illness that prevented her from giving into social media advice. Derrick’s anxiety makes watching others eat nauseating to her. The videos are also a reminder of her struggle
small enough to not appear better than our older counterparts. We are expected to understand the struggles of an older man while still upholding our young and innocent image.
And when the time comes, the original thing which attracted this man to us — our young age — is used against us to claim we were never mature, or good enough.
“Damned if you do, damned if you don’t,” Simone De Beauvoir famously said.
Even though Bleadon and I will probably continue to make mistakes in attempts to be “in a relationship that’s appropriate and won’t cause you insane baggage,” it’s okay. We are 21. We are learning. We still have the time to make mistakes.
“I’m gonna be petty, I’m gonna say dumb things, and I’m gonna make dumb mistakes,” Bleadon said. “Because I am 21, I’m not the 30-year-old in this relationship. I’m allowed to make mistakes.”
to consistently eat the “right” amount of food.
“Watching other people have the time and the mental energy to do something so simple as to plan their meals, is annoying to me,” Derrick said. “I wish I could do that.”
We agree that the problem with health influencers is not only that they perpetuate a one-size-fits-all health regimen, but also that the videos are markers of social class. Fruits, vegetables and protein are expensive, and perishable, especially for those living in food deserts.
Now you may be thinking, “Wow, you are incredibly harsh on WIEIAD videos.” I will admit, there are some I enjoy.
When scrolling on YouTube shorts, I find myself watching Karissa Eats, an influencer known for her thematic videos in this genre. As someone who loves to cook and learn about other cultures, her
mini mukbangs filmed around the world intrigue me. Watching her, I often wish I could eat all of those foods in one day and feel fine.
In a video from her travels in Thailand, she eats scorpion and likens it to jerky. She has a powerful food destigmatizing effect. But this can be problematic too. Am I more willing to try a cultural food if an American tells me it is safe?
Food influencers gain merit by eating foods from cultures that are not their own. This can be great in terms of cultural appreciation, but, as Derrick sees it, the benefit of cultural capital is greater.
“No, Aleksa, influencers do not just gain cultural capital –– they gain actual capital,” Derrick said.
I think audiences forget that content creators are paid. Trying unique foods means more views and money. Saying “What I eat in a day to stay skinny for the summer” draws attention and implies that a single diet plan will work for everyone.
Hooker, the PR and advertising major, said having body dysmorphia means she’s had to rethink her relationship with food and social media influencers.
“Always listen to your body,” Hooker said. “When you are unhappy and severely stressed trying to make a goal happen … you are not going to meet that goal.”
When I wrote my affirmation and stuck it to the gym wall, I realized how far I had come from the grasp of health influencers. I still love looking to social media for recipes. But after working with a dietitian, I know that what I eat in a day can be different from what you eat in a day. And we can both be healthy.
PRECIOSA RIOS
La DePaulia
Exposición de arte presenta la cultura e historia negra a través de coleccionistas de arte femeninas
Por Emily Díaz Editora de Arte y Vida
Cuando las personas imaginan a los coleccionistas de arte, quizá imaginan hogares exquisitamente decorados con las piezas más finas, raras y costosas de la historia. Sin embargo, para un grupo de coleccionistas de arte negra en Chicago, el hobby trasciende el precio de una pieza.
A finales de febrero, el Southside Community Art Center, ubicado en el vecindario de Bronzeville en Chicago, presentó las historias de 15 coleccionistas de arte negras a través de 45 piezas de arte de sus colecciones personales. La exposición resaltó el “trabajo de la memoria” intergeneracional y la preservación cultural de las coleccionistas de arte negras en toda la ciudad. El proyecto fue denominado Beyond Frames.
“No se trata tanto de una visión técnica de la obra, sino de esta conexión emocional y cómo la cultura habla a las personas a través del arte”, dijo Rachel Duke, co-curadora de la exposición.
Cada coleccionista eligió tres piezas de arte que sentían que representaban mejor su identidad y su experiencia como coleccionista negra. Desde artefactos nigerianos con cuentas que pueden ser trazados a 2500 a.C. hasta obras del Movimiento de los Black Panthers y del Movimiento de Arte Negro de los 70, las coleccionistas eligieron una variedad de
piezas que abordan diferentes aspectos de la historia negra.
Duke y su co-curadora Bethany Hill entrevistaron a cada coleccionista, aprendiendo sobre cómo fue su proceso de coleccionar y sus intereses estéticos se alinean con su identidad como mujeres negras en Chicago. A menudo, ambas mujeres se encontraban en conversaciones íntimas dentro de los hogares de las coleccionistas, dijo Duke.
También comentó que Beyond Frames fue diseñada para llevar una sensación hogareña a un ambiente de museo, con sillones, una chimenea y un piano decorando el espacio. Duke y Hill diseñaron intencionadamente una exposición exclusivamente femenina para ofrecer una visión única sobre el proceso de coleccionismo de arte de las mujeres negras, dijo Duke.
Según Duke, las coleccionistas de arte negras a menudo no ven el coleccionismo de arte como una inversión económica en las piezas más raras, sino más bien como una vía para archivar recuerdos.
“Ellas estaban contando su infancia, sus primeros encuentros con el arte, lo que las hizo querer coleccionar”, dijo Duke. “Esas son perspectivas que no siempre obtenemos en otras exposiciones”.
Christina Steed colecciona arte por
razones similares. Una de las piezas que exhibió, The Don, es una pintura del artista de Detroit Quadra Curry. A pesar de su tamaño, costó menos de $1,000. Sin embargo, la identidad del artista como un hombre negro, queer y la representación de lo que ella llamó una mujer “inteligente, pero muy consciente” en la pintura, le resonaron profundamente.
Algunas de las otras piezas que exhibió incluyen Fly Into Egypt, una pintura al óleo sobre lienzo de Shirley Woodson de los años 70, y un retrato en técnica mixta de ella misma.
El esposo de Steed le regaló la pieza como un gesto romántico, titulado “My Heart”. Presenta una fotografía de Steed relajándose en un entorno tropical mirando hacia el mar, rodeada por lirios naranjas.
“No tengo maquillaje, estoy completamente vulnerable y me acababa de despertar”, dijo Steed sobre la foto. “Pensé, ‘no, me veo bien en las otras fotos’, pero esta es la foto que él (su esposo) eligió, y realmente me habla”.
Steed dijo que su colección de arte resuena con ella más allá de las experiencias personales. Una de sus partes favoritas del coleccionismo de arte es ver las piezas de otros coleccionistas e interpretarlas como ella las ve, mientras aprende sobre diferentes perspectivas, añadió.
Aunque no crea arte ella misma, Steed dijo que la apreciación que tiene por el arte refleja la pasión que tiene por apoyar la creatividad negra y su preservación cultural.
“El arte es la forma más pura de ex-
presión hasta que nos censuran”, dijo Steed. “Es la manera en que los artistas van a trabajar en tiempos de sufrimiento, en tiempos de opresión, en tiempos en los que necesitamos avanzar la conciencia. Las personas que lo aprecian, aunque no sean artistas, ahí es donde entramos nosotros a apoyar”.
Otras obras en la galería representaron a las coleccionistas en diferentes etapas de su vida. Incluyen fotos familiares en blanco y negro y piezas de artistas negros con los que son amigas.
Una pieza, Market Queen, de un artista de África Occidental, muestra a una mujer vendiendo carteras y telas en la calle. Sonia Spencer, la coleccionista de la pieza, dijo que su conexión con ella es profunda.
“Me recordó a mí misma y a cómo las mujeres negras siempre están tratando de hacer que las cosas sucedan”, dijo ella.. “¿Ves cómo ella cargó [su carreta]? Está trabajando duro, pero no está triste”.
Shelby Evans-Thomas, quien asistió a la exhibición,expresó un sentimiento similar.
“Tengo tres palabras. Exquisita, exótica y elegante. Mis tres E’s”, dijo Evans-Thomas sobre la exposición. “Es bueno ver a las mujeres negras siendo puestas al frente, en el centro de atención. Siento empoderamiento”.
Aunque la comunidad de coleccionistas de arte negras y femeninas de Chicago pueda parecer de nicho, su influencia y contribuciones a la preservación de la historia negra siguen siendo fuertes, dijo Steed.
“Este grupo de mujeres que valoran el arte y quieren hablar sobre el arte y que son apasionadas por ello es una presentación que no vemos todo el tiempo”, dijo. “Estamos reafirmándonos unas a otras en apoyo del arte negro, la historia de apoyar el arte negro, la historia negra y el poder que las mujeres negras pueden tener cuando estamos juntas, reunidas y organizadas”.
Christina Steed es una de las 15 mujeres negras que exhibieron su colección de arte en el Southside Community Art Center el 15 de febrero. Sus colecciones se exhibieron en la exposición “Beyond Frames”. Una de las obras de Steed es un retrato de ella misma en técnica mixta que le regaló su esposo.
Un miembro de la comunidad observa una pintura presentada en la exposición “Beyond Frames” del Centro de Arte Comunitario Southside el 15 de febrero. La pintura, al igual que todas las demás obras, pertenece a una coleccionista de arte afroamericana.
AUBREONNA CHAMBERLAIN | LA DEPAULIA
AUBREONNA CHAMBERLAIN | LA DEPAULIA
‘Estos niños también
tienen sueños’: Educadores de Chicago reúnen recursos para orientar a estudiantes ante el miedo de deportaciones
Por Sofía Joseph, Agustín Álamo, Jenna Muehleck, Lydia Nugent y Zoe Alpert
Escritores Contribuyentes
La comunidad inmigrante en Chicago enfrenta miedo e incertidumbre a medida que la administración del presidente Trump intensifica las deportaciones masivas en todo el país.
A finales de enero, el Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de los EE. UU. (ICE) anunció el lanzamiento de la “Operación Salvaguardia”, una iniciativa para detener y deportar a inmigrantes indocumentados en áreas urbanas.
El Superintendente de la Policía de Chicago, Larry Snelling, dijo que ICE había deportado a más de 100 personas en el área de Chicago hasta el 28 de enero, y los arrestos selectivos por parte de ICE continúan en toda la ciudad.
Los efectos de las redadas de ICE se han extendido a áreas cerca de las escuelas en Chicago, donde los estudiantes, padres y maestros están cada vez más preocupados.
El miércoles 26 de febrero, un hombre de 37 años fue detenido por oficiales de inmigración fuera de una escuela en Gage Park. La red de Escuelas Acero informó a los padres que el arresto ocurrió cerca de la intersección de la Calle 51 y la Avenida South Saint Louis durante la entrega escolar, según los informes.
Los oficiales de ICE confirmaron más tarde que Francisco Andrade-Berrera, un ciudadano mexicano, había sido arrestado.
Según un comunicado de ICE, Andrade es un “miembro conocido de una pandilla callejera violenta con condenas criminales por tráfico de drogas, merodeo de pandillas y daños a la propiedad”.
Anteriormente fue deportado de EE. UU. en 2005 y 2013.
El arresto causó preocupación y miedo entre los padres y sus hijos, dijeron algunos educadores de Chicago.
Mariana Romero-Martínez, una maestra de preescolar en la Escuela Primaria Hanson Park durante más de 22 años, dijo que sus estudiantes son demasiado pequeños para entender estas circunstancias.
“Les hace daño a nuestros estudiantes porque algunos tienen miedo de asistir a la escuela”, dijo Martínez.
“Siempre que escuchamos sobre una
redada cercana, nuestra asistencia baja inmediatamente. Cuando un estudiante no está presente, afecta nuestro presupuesto escolar”.
La Escuela Primaria Hanson Park ha tomado la iniciativa de realizar sesiones informativas para que los padres aprendan más sobre sus derechos, dijo Martínez.
Martínez también explicó que, aunque enseñar a sus estudiantes le resulta natural, su principal prioridad es crear un sentido de seguridad en su aula.
Los maestros han logrado tranquilizar a los padres preocupados informándoles sobre el protocolo de la administración escolar de negar la entrada a los agentes migratorios a menos que presenten una orden judicial federal oficial.
Este protocolo, dijo Martínez, fue comunicado a los maestros por su sindicato y otros funcionarios administrativos.
Manuel Hernández, consejero en la Escuela Secundaria de Preparatoria ASPIRA, dijo que se enfoca en proporcionar recursos a sus estudiantes y darles un lugar donde se sientan protegidos.
“Hemos estado realizando talleres y teniendo reuniones con padres y estudiantes. Queremos ser reales con ellos”, dijo Hernández.
La Escuela Secundaria de Preparatoria ASPIRA está compuesta predominantemente por estudiantes y personal Latine.
Hernández dijo que trata de ser lo más comprensivo posible cuando los estudiantes están ausentes. Al educar a sus estudiantes y ser flexible, siente que está fomentando un ambiente de aprendizaje seguro que los alienta a persistir frente a la inquietud.
“Estos niños también tienen sueños. Quieren ir a la universidad y hacer algo por sus familias que vinieron (a este país) con solo unos pocos dólares y un sueño”, dijo Hernández.
Desde 2022, Chicago ha recibido a más de 51,000 migrantes, en su mayoría venezolanos, desde la frontera sur. La crisis repentina levantó preocupaciones sobre el estatus de santuario de la ciudad, incluso en el vecindario de Back of the Yards, que es predominantemente Latine.
Manifestantes se congregan en el Parque La Villita para una breve manifestación durante el Día del Amor y la Resistencia en el barrio de La Villita de Chicago el 8 de febrero de 2025. Representantes de diversas organizaciones hablaron en la manifestación antes de marchar por la calle 26.
El mes pasado, los funcionarios de las Escuelas Públicas de Chicago (CPS) causaron conmoción al afirmar erróneamente que agentes de ICE intentaron ingresar a la Escuela Primaria Hamline, cuando en realidad eran agentes del Servicio Secreto de EE. UU. los que acudieron a investigar una amenaza en línea contra Trump, según la agencia.
“La gente no se siente segura y es muy comprensible”, dijo Hernández. “Vamos a hacer todo lo posible para asegurarnos de que los estudiantes se sientan seguros en nuestra escuela”.
Allison Tirres, profesora de derecho en la Universidad DePaul, dijo que ICE necesita una orden judicial para ingresar a cualquier edificio.
Las escuelas no están obligadas a permitir la entrada de ICE ni a dejar que interroguen a los estudiantes si no tienen dicha orden.
“Creo que ICE está confiando en que
“Si no lo hacemos nosotros, ¿quién lo va a hacer”?
Manuel Hernández
Consejero en la Escuela Secundaria de Preparatoria ASPIRA
la gente no sepa eso o se sienta presionada por las fuerzas del orden y abra las puertas cuando no tienen que hacerlo o no están obligados a hacerlo”, dijo Tirres.
Tirres también expresó su preocupación por la posible presencia de ICE en áreas escolares.
“Creo que debería haber preocupación”, dijo Tirres. “No me queda claro
si veremos un aumento porque creo que es parte de una campaña de (causar) miedo... No predeciría que el cumplimiento en las escuelas aumente mucho, pero es difícil saberlo”.
El mes pasado, funcionarios electos y los residentes se reunieron para promover la resiliencia frente a las amenazas continuas en un Día de Amor y Resistencia en La Villita hace tres semanas.
Hernández, quien pasó la mayor parte de su vida en el vecindario, estuvo presente en la protesta.
“Ver que había negocios dispuestos a hablar, dispuestos a defender lo que es correcto... habla mucho porque crea un sentido más grande de comunidad”, dijo Hernández. “Sí, hay miedo. Sin embargo, con el miedo viene la preparación y la fuerza”.
En una conferencia de prensa antes de la protesta, el representante de Illinois, Jesús “Chuy” García, dijo que volvió a introducir en el Congreso la Ley de Protección de Ubicaciones Sensibles.
La legislación impediría que ICE realizara arrestos en lugares vulnerables de las comunidades inmigrantes, como escuelas, iglesias y lugares de culto.
Las iglesias también se han convertido en un punto focal tras las deportaciones masivas. En el último mes, la Iglesia Metodista Lincoln United ha trasladado sus servicios en español a línea, priorizando la seguridad de sus feligreses sobre la reunión en persona.
En una iglesia de Little Village, el número de asistentes al servicio dominical disminuyó de 100 a 30 después de que se conocieran las noticias sobre las redadas de ICE.
A medida que continúan las redadas, la incertidumbre persiste. Aún así, los educadores dijeron que están comprometidos a brindar apoyo a sus estudiantes de una u otra manera.
“Si no lo hacemos nosotros, ¿quién lo va a hacer”? dijo Hernández.
Nota del editor: Esta historia ha sido actualizada para aclarar la información el 7 de marzo de 2025.
SOFÍA JOSEPH | LA DEPAULIA
Arts & Life
‘Our friendship, our love for life and our desire to do stuff that’s different’: BOOTS party three-year anniversary
By Lucia Preziosi Editor-in-Chief
The line down North Clark Street in Wrigleyville only kept getting longer as the hours inched into the early morning. Latex, glitter, sunglasses and knee-high boots were the outfit of the night. Partygoers and Chicago club kids were shoulder-to-shoulder in the Metro, celebrating the sold-out threeyear anniversary celebration of the BOOTS party on Friday, March 28.
Club duo Abhijeet and Kirk combined live music performances of their original EP “Boots Bitch” with DJ sets and drag. The dimly-lit venue glowed purple, pink and blue with euphoria and whimsy through the Metro’s multiple levels.
But it wasn’t always this way.
What started as a project between duo DJ Kirk Dickens and event organizer, performer and drag queen Abhijeet Rane saw its beginnings in dim sum restaurants, rooftops, comedy clubs and art galleries in Chicago’s underground party scene.
“We came up with the idea of BOOTS to take over nonconventional spaces and turn them into a club for one night,” Kirk said. “Then the next day we were gone … we progressed doing that for over a year and started to think about, ‘how do we scale up?’ Our audience was growing with us.”
From pop-up clubs to an established cult following in Chicago, the duo has used their expertise in DJing, performing and event planning to continue to grow BOOTS around the city.
Abhijeet and Kirk originally met working in the Boystown club Scarlet in 2020. Kirk was beginning to rise up in the Chicago music scene after DJing house parties and small clubs on Lincoln Avenue during his undergraduate years at DePaul. Abhijeet, a former SAIC student, was introduced to drag and nightlife in the city, which led to a strong desire to produce her own events.
“I wanted to learn how it happened. I started working with different collectives
and groups to figure out how to produce an event,” Abhijeet said. “I’m not just a performer. I’m not just a host. I’m also the person that puts things together.”
Kirk and Abhijeet work together to cultivate a vibe reminiscent of the early days of club kid culture, using what Kirk calls a “nostalgia” to combine their expertise to throw a party which encapsulates the diversity, joy and love in Chicago, and keeps people returning time and time again.
The most recent celebration featured “local heavy hitters” like Chicago DJ Prosperity Room, with performers from other cities such as rapper Rye Rye from Baltimore.
Even though BOOTS has taken to the mainstream in the past years, the duo still maintains the values it was originally founded on.
“It’s based on our friendship, our love for
life and our desire to do stuff that’s different,” Abhijeet said.
Chicago is a significant hub for house music — the city was deemed the birthplace of the genre in the late 1970s.
House was originally invented by Black and queer DJs in Chicago, with house’s close relative of techno being invented in Detroit. Abhijeet also emphasized Chicago’s “rich history” in club kid and drag culture.
“There’s a reason why people move from other places to Chicago and fall in love with the city,” Abhijeet said. “Everyone here respects that history and wants to be a part of its growth and change. I think that’s what makes it so special.”
BOOTS has garnered a loyal following, with many returning to see the party’s latest installment. Kirk says he often talks to attendees who express that it’s their second or
third time at BOOTS.
One returnee was UIC graduate student Marina Gianos.
In black knee-high boots and a black, lace-up latex top, Gianos was joined by her group of friends. The crew said they all dressed like spin-offs of Spice Girls, with each girl wearing a uniquely eye-catching outfit which glowed even under the fluorescent street lights of the outdoor smoking area.
“BOOTS is a great experience to dance with your queer friends,” Gianos said. “I love it, the DJs are great and you can watch the queens go off.”
Once Kirk and Abhijeet took to the booth, they performed hits from their EP such as “Gay Guys Drink Vodka Sodas, But Girls Do Poppers,” which combine Kirk’s DJing with Abhijeet’s vocals and performance to create a bop which had the large crowd singing along, and as Gianos put it, “shaking a--”
Even in the lines for the bathroom, ATM and bar — which snaked up and down the Metro, people made sure to always be dancing, laughing, taking selfies and complimenting strangers or old friends they bumped into.
There was a sense of shock when I told the friendly partiers it was my first time at BOOTS. But the crowd remained welcoming, happy and euphoric, even to newcomers. Whimsy was not lost at the Metro on Friday night, and posed as a reminder to Chicagoans of the rich, diverse and boundary-breaking nightlife scene that exists in the city thanks to artists like DJ Kirk and Abhijeet.
“Anytime you do something, you’re uplifting the community as a whole,” Abhijeet said.
JEREMY BATTLE | THE DEPAULIA
Hundreds of party goers dance at the BOOTs party hosted by the Metro on Friday, March 28, 2025. Kirk and Abhijeet have been throwing the BOOTs party for three years.
JEREMY BATTLE | THE DEPAULIA Chicago DJ, Prosperity Room, performs at the Metro on Friday, March 28, 2025. Prosperity Room was one of the many performers at the BOOTs three year anniversary party.
Real Or Faux? Choose, For Faux-Sake!
By Lina Gebhardt Multimedia Editor
“I’d rather go naked than wear fur,” critics and campaign ads once argued. For decades, fur has been more than a fabric — it’s been a statement, status symbol and the center of controversy. Once a marker of prestige, the furs that have kept people warm for centuries have evolved into one of the hairiest materials to wear.
A decade ago, roughly 140 million animals were killed in a year for their fur. While that number has dropped, millions are still exploited and farmed for fur. Kering, who manages luxury brands like Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, and Balenciaga, announced they were going fur-free in 2021, with many high-end retailers like Saks following suit.
Yet the fabric is making another comeback. Between new legislation, resurgent fashion trends and sustainability concerns, the fur debate is back. Nearly twenty U.S. cities have restricted fur sales, and in 2023, California implemented a statewide ban on new fur products. Earlier this year, Denver voters considered a similar measure.
Locally, Chicago’s city council recently saw a proposal to ban the product. After raising hairs, the proposal was struck down in a 26-19 vote, with long-time retailers claiming the change would be an economic blow to the city’s remaining fur shops.
As policy disrupts the fur industry, fashion trends push the product back into the mainstream. New York Fashion
Week saw a flood of furs in all different textures and colors this season. Despite lingering controversy, it seems the future of fashion is once again furry. While anti-fur ads and tofu cream pie attacks have died down, many still choose faux for ethical reasons.
Off the runway, social media impacts fashion trends. “It’s where we go to see what people are wearing, what brands they’re into, and how to style it,” Rachel Jimenez Panca, founder of Rachel J Styling and adjunct professor at Columbia College Chicago, said.
Trends like TikTok’s mob-wife aesthetic champion loud prints, statement jewelry and fur. Other online fashion trends reflect the rise of “loud luxury" — a style that features unapologetically bold fashion picks.
Panca says those rocking fur often reach for mink, fox, raccoon and sable. If properly maintained, furs can last forever, with some shoppers looking to buy second-hand pieces over new.
“You can spot vintage fur right away,” Panca said. “In the silhouette, the way the shoulders drape, there's just certain things. When you see a vintage piece, you kind of know.”
Genuine new furs can run someone thousands, but thrifting a vintage piece can slash those costs. Vintage resellers who frequent second-hand stores, however, can create a problem for those in need.
“I used to have a different attitude about shopping secondhand,” Panca, whose students introduced her to thrifting, said. “Now it’s just like a treasure hunt. The same goes for fur.”
changed so much. Everything feels like fast fashion. You wear it once, wash it and it falls apart,” Rybski said.
China, the world's largest textile producer, sees over 20 million tons of clothes reach their landfills each year. Part of the problem is attributed to fast-fashion brands like Shein and Temu which offer shoppers trendy looks for dirt-cheap.
Migliore and Rybski, however, stress the importance of quality over quantity. “I think it's just so much fun when you can get a secondhand piece and style it to fit in with the new trends going on,” Migliore said.
When sourcing for Overdressedlocal, quality materials and reputable brand names are two things the girls look for. They also say they avoid “cheap” fabrics, prioritizing materials like cotton and silk.
While many refuse to wear used clothing, buying secondhand is the most sustainable option for furs. Most faux options are made from petroleum-based synthetics that are non biodegradable. Lab-grown fur is emerging as a potential solution to the debate, but for now, secondhand furs are gaining attention.
Rylee Migliore and Emily Rybski founded their vintage sourcing company, Overdressedlocal, last fall. Their friendship began at Western Michigan University, where the sorority sisters spent their free time thrifting. “It started our senior year. We were thrifting like crazy, our clothes started taking over our college apartment,” Migliore said. “We thought it would be fun to style and thrift for other people.”
Migliore and Rybski have made secondhand fashion, including fur, a focal point of their collection. The two now spend nearly forty hours a week sourcing and selling vintage clothing in their pop-up storefront. Later this year, the pair will open a permanent location near Bridgeport.
Migliore and Rybski tag and price their items, and do all of their own inventory, marketing and branding. Their collection includes hundreds of items — shoes, handbags, accessories, clothes and outerwear, making an appeal to shoppers concerned with sustainability. The girls also try to incorporate elements of their personal style into their shop. Chunky rings, bold animal prints, fringe and patterned denim are all elements the pair look for while sourcing unique pieces.
“The quality in the last decade has
Still, secondhand shopping comes with its own dilemmas. Vintage resellers on platforms like Depop have drawn criticism for making affordable fashion less accessible. Unlike other resellers, Migliore and Rybski say they’re less interested in making a profit and more focused on connecting with other creatives in the industry, and helping shoppers like Panca change their mindset about thrifting — a stigma the pair encounter often. “I had a family member say to us once, ‘So you sell other people’s garbage?’” Rybski said.
While the rise of thrifting might indicate an economic downturn, the popularity among Gen-Z shoppers continues. Now, Migliore and Rybski say they use social media to promote their store and to help them find inspo for their next haul.
Online trends like the mob-wife aesthetic have brought shoppers to Overdressedlocal who are looking specifically for vintage furs. “Shopping secondhand fur is really important (to us) and that’s what we emphasize in our store,” Migliore said. “We’re not buying new fur, it’s all secondhand.”
While thrifting is better for the environment, to the untrained eye it could be hard to identify new furs from old. That’s why animal rights activists generally argue that choosing to wear any kind of fur sends the message that all furs are acceptable.
With social media playing a role in shifting fashion attitudes in younger generations, some have distanced themselves from the fur debate. “I personally prefer real fur, it’s so fun — I love fur!” Migliore said. “Economically, it’s cheaper to buy secondhand. You feel bad for the animals, but you feel better about not buying new fur.”
As activists argue that vintage fur keeps the industry’s image alive, the decades-old fur debate lives on, with policy changes bringing new life into the discussion. For now, the choice to wear fur is still in the hands of shoppers, who ultimately decide what the “faux” fashion stands for.
LINA GEBHARDT | THE DEPAULIA
Coach bags, cheetah print, feathers and chunky jewelry lay on display on Thursday, March 6, 2025, during a private shopping experience hosted by Overdressedlocal. The client requested clothes to wear to Coachella.
Michael Shannon and Brett Nevue embrace the oddness of existence in ‘Eric LaRue’
By April Klein
Asst. Arts & Life Editor
Around midday on March 16, two men in their 50s sat at the far end of a featureless gray table on the third floor of the Gene Siskel Film Center. The man on the left, Oscar-nominated actor Michael Shannon, was showing a photo of an invoice for Nirvana’s first record on his phone to the man on the right, screenwriter and professor Brett Neveu.
At first glance, Shannon, sporting painted nails of assorted colors and half of a shaved head, sat next to Neveu, a scholarly-looking man in a brown suit jacket, are a bit of an odd couple. Yet their shared worldview and history is what brought them together for their latest collaboration, “Eric LaRue.”
“Life is not strictly dramatic, even in very difficult situations,” Shannon said. “I think back on moments in my life that were traumatic or difficult to deal with, but they’re always enshrouded or surrounded with ‘humor,’ just the oddness and eccentricity of existence.”
The film, led by The Theatre School alumna Judy Greer and “Succession” star Alexander Skarsgard, follows two parents who must deal with an emotional and social fallout after their son commits a school shooting and goes to prison. Tonally, the work straddles the line between comedy and drama.
“It’s just the way I hear the world,” Neveu said. “I feel that all the time as an American. The absurdity of life and coping and the news and relationships — I ask myself how I express that through my characters, and it just comes out that way.”
“Eric LaRue” first debuted as a play at the Red Orchid Theatre in Chicago in 2002. The work formulated over multiple
years, beginning with Neveu’s first published play “Drawing War.” The play drew from a real experience Neveu had growing up in Newton, Iowa, when a friend of his accidentally shot himself in junior high.
Shannon directed the film based on a script from professor Brett Neveu. taught at DePaul’s School of Accountancy for 25 years, Shannon started acting straight out of high school, never attend -
“There was discussion (in the community) around whether or not he did it himself, or his brother had done it while playing, or if he’d done it on purpose, or if it was an accident. I was like, ‘Well, this is a child we’re talking about here, and this is the conversation about the death of a child,’” Neveu said at a Q&A after a screening of the film on March 16. “The play was good, but I didn’t really feel like I hit the target. So I wrote (“Eric LaRue”) on a search for that target again.”
Shannon, a founding ensemble member of Red Orchid who continues to direct and act at the theatre, noticed Neveu’s work while directing his adaptation of Henry Ibsen’s “Enemy of the People.”
“I read (“Eric LaRue”) and it just struck me down,” Shannon said. “I’d seen it multiple times at Red Orchid, and when I read Neveu’s screenplay I knew I wanted to take care of it.”
Nation Sage Henrikson, who plays the titular Eric LaRue, spoke at the Q&A about the challenges in giving empathy to a character who committed a horrible act of violence.
“Eric is someone who’s never had any sort of sense of control of himself or any sort of guidance,” Henrikson said. “His dad is a bit of a boob. Despite being in prison, this is probably the first time he’s had anyone listen to him and teach him that you can control your surroundings by controlling yourself.”
The two artists come from incredibly different backgrounds, yet both have come in contact with DePaul. While Shannon’s father, Donald Shannon,
ing college.
By contrast, Neveu was brought up first through the university track, eventually obtaining a masters degree from Spalding University. He briefly taught at The Theatre School in 2006 and currently serves as an assistant professor in Northwestern University’s School of Communication.
The two had differing perspectives on the efficacy of art school.
“I’m a professor, but that is because I love teaching,” Neveu said. “I got a liberal arts degree at the University of Iowa with an emphasis in acting. I moved (to Chicago) and started doing shows in the same way Mike did: in basements, coffee shops, back of bars, little, tiny theater spaces for four or five people. I’m happy to be (at Northwestern), but I wouldn’t say ‘Oh, this is the way to go.’ I’m very interested in coming up through work.”
Shannon felt grateful for his quick ascendancy to an acting career.
“I don’t want to denigrate the university experience. My dad really wanted me to go to DePaul because he was a tenured professor, I would have gotten a free ride, but I was already doing shows down in the city. In order to go to school, I’d would’ve had to stop,” Shannon said. “One of my best friends is Dexter Bullard, who has been running a legendary MFA program there for a long time. It’s just kind of dumb luck that I skipped that part of it. It’s all in the stars, I don’t know.”
Summer Session 2025 registration at DePaul begins Monday, April 14! With two fiveweek sessions and one 10-week session, DePaul allows you take classes that best fit your summer schedule.
Join us in the Lincoln Park Student Center from 9:00am – 5:00pm for summer giveaways and raffles.
Students who register early in Summer Session 2025 classes will be entered in a raffle to win some great prizes including tickets to Lollapalooza, tickets to a Cubs game, and a Yeti cooler.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY MAGNOLIA PICTURES
Director Michael Shannon stands with DePaul alumna Judy Greer on the set of “Eric LaRue.”
‘An Evening with Paul Schrader’ event at Gene Siskel Film Center canceled in wake of sexual assault allegations
By April Klein
Asst. Arts & Life Editor
Editor’s Note: This story mentions sexual assault.
Early on Friday morning, a story debuted from The Independent which described a civil court case against writer and director Paul Schrader, detailing years of sexual abuse against a former assistant of his.
As a result, the Gene Siskel Film Center has canceled “An Evening with Paul Schrader,” a celebration of Schrader’s career in the arts scheduled to be held this evening, April 4.
“In light of last night’s media reports regarding director Paul Schrader, we have canceled Saturday’s event,” Lori Hile, Associate Director of Marketing at the Siskel, said in a statement to the
DePaulia. “Refunds will be available for ticket holders. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.”
The cancellation comes at the tail end of the center’s “Directed by Paul Schrader” series, which highlighted his filmography as a director. Using the WayBack Machine to access the now deleted page on the Siskel’s website, it began on March 29 with a screening of 1978’s “Blue Collar” and concluded on April 3 with 2017’s “First Reformed.”
Niko Hackett, a film student at DePaul and avid fan of Schrader, was disappointed by the cancellation but understood the reasons why.
“Schrader’s movies are what got me into movies in the first place,” Hackett said. “I think the cancellation of the event is absolutely understandable. The news of Schrader’s allegations took all of us by surprise, so I can only imagine the nightmare it must be on the end of Siskel’s faculty.”
Schrader was set to receive the “Renaissance Award” at a ceremony following the panel, an honor given out by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago annually since 2002. Previous recipients include Mark Ruffalo, Nicole Kidman and Matt Damon, among other members of the entertainment industry.
Allegations against the “Taxi Driver” scribe include an instance during the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, in which the defendant (known only as Jane Doe) was physically forced by Schrader to kiss him in his hotel room.
Jane Doe was able to escape the room, but was allegedly lured back to the room
three days later as Schrader claimed he was dying and needed help packing bags. When she returned, Schrader exposed his penis to her while in a bathrobe and stated that he wanted her to feel his sweat-soaked bedsheets.
Phillip Kessler, Schrader’s personal attorney, made a statement to The Independent in which he described the claims as “desperate, frivolous, and opportunistic.”
“The underlying intentions of the plaintiff here contain many very material inaccuracies, and are obviously designed to paint Mr. Schrader in a very false light, in an effort to intimidate and coerce him into settling,” Kessler said. “To be very clear, Mr. Schrader never had sex in any form with the plaintiff, nor did he ever attempt such a thing. We will vigorously defend this.”
Hackett believes, in the wake of allegations against entertainment icons like P. Diddy and others in the industry, that there should be a safer work environment for under-the-line workers.
“I personally feel like there needs to be a role on set, cut in the same cloth of intimacy coordinators, designed to check in with the safety/well-being of the cast and crew,” Hackett said. “I feel like this would prioritize the comfort and well-being of everyone involved, while also keeping in check instances of misconduct.”
APRIL KLEIN | THE DEPAULIA
The Gene Siskel Film Center sits on State St. on Saturday, April 5, 2025. Writer and director Paul Schrader was accused of sexual assault.
St.Vincent’s
D e JAMZ
“Spinning freSh beatS Since 1581”
By Lucia Preziosi & Jake Cox Editor-in-Chief, Digital Managing Editor
Jake and I, one half of the DePaulia management team, are on a combined 60 mg of Prozac. If our texts were ever leaked, you wouldn’t even want to look because of the daily crash outs that occur between the two of us. We freak out about not getting jobs, studying, grocery shopping, boys — you name it. But, we’ve decided as we enter our new quarter, specifically my last quarter as a college student (brb crying, sobbing, hyperventilating), that it’s time to stop messing around. Let’s get our life on track, Jake! Or at least try our best … because why else are we supporting big pharma for our antidepressants?
Why do you feel so down?
Declan McKenna (Jake) I wrapped up my winter quarter with the unfortunate bout of strep throat. What does one do when confined to a sickbed, hopped up on Sudafed? Well, naturally, I was forced to confront every anxious thought that had been buried under the weight of my usual distractions. No longer buffered by the constant buzz of external stimulation, it all came flooding in. I’ve often been asked if I keep myself so busy
to avoid my feelings, and, well… It seems there’s some truth to that. But my respite in the darkness of my lowly studio on Belmont was a playlist from all the way back of high school. Hearing this song again didn’t necessarily make me feel better — but the nostalgia helped me shed the funk, and hit Spring back on track.
Henny n Runtz - HiTech (Lucia)
It is my last quarter of college. My playlists are a mess. You will find Detroit techno song Henny n Runtz immediately followed by the most heartbreaking Big Thief songs. But if it’s one thing I’m telling myself: That’s okay! I’m encouraging a quarter of not being too hard on myself, and allowing for a perfect combination of extreme techno juxtaposed with my sad girl music. I no longer have to explain, I’m just going to listen. Unfortunately a post of this song on my Instagram story led to a barrage of messages by men appalled that I knew this song. That isn’t really reading “life on track,” but I put my hands up.
Marvelous - Wallows (Jake)
If anything, I’m a creature of habit, and part of my daily routine is playing the Spotify “This is Wallows” playlist while I’m in the shower. I’m not entirely sure how this
Crossword
became the anthem of getting ready for class but here we are. Maybe it’s a way of manifesting, finally seeing the band perform at Lollapalooza — I digress. The upbeat and chaotic track sets me on the right path to take on the day, even if I “wish things could be simple as they used to be”.
Supercut - Lorde (Jake)
Lest I forget: spring quarter is the final stepping stone toward summer break! A month from now, we’ll be basking in sunny days — some of them, of course, spent in the basement of the DePaul Center putting together this lovely newspaper — as we enter the final stretch of classes. Few artists capture the rush of early-20s chaos and joy like Lorde does on Melodrama. So here’s to the memories we make this quarter (assuming we keep it together, try our best, get back on track, etc.). May they all be a supercut.
Dabke Juke- Nanoos, AKU, Constantine (Lucia)
I’m a big proponent of working hard and playing hard, as many at the DePau-
ACROSS
1. Honors instagram handle.
5. Annual conference held by the Honors Program that focuses on scholarship, research and celebrating academic achievement of Honor students: Honors _______ Conference.
9. Course code for honors classes.
10. Every Thursday Honors students meet in the Arts and Letters Hall to hear from the Program Director and eat this sweet breakfast food.
11. One of the common study abroad places that all students can go on, this place features the Eiffel Tower.
13. A language spoken through hands that can be learned at an intermediate level to fulfill the Honors language requirement.
14. An Honors science course requirement for students in an education major that focuses on the study of living organisms.
16. Students who are coming from a different university to DePaul and match all the requirements can partake in the ______ Honors Program.
18. Honors students must learn through an experience outside of the classroom for this hands-on learning domain.
20. Dorm where the Honors Living Learning Community is located.
lia are probably aware of judging by my condition on early mornings in the office. I can blame that partly on Chicago-Detroit DJ Nanoos. Getting your life on track doesn’t have to mean silly self care procedures or cliche monthly goals. It can also mean doing things with your friends that make you happy, and whether it’s a night with Nanoos at Podlasie Club, or just a listen in your headphones, this mix is sure to remind you of that.
Bravado- Lorde (Lucia)
If there’s one thing that will be in a Jake and Lucia DeJamz it’s two Lorde songs. From Lorde’s earliest released works, Bravado reminds me of a simpler time of road trips to Canada with my family while listening to music on my blue iPod nano. As I approach this (terrifying) milestone in my life, I will attempt to remember the little girl who got me here and who continues to push me to be the best version of myself. Self love is imperative to getting your life on track, and is a constant battle for the Prozac posey.
DOWN
2. Name of the Honors quarterly newsletter that is ‘written by Honors students, for Honors students’.
3. One of the Honors Program fine arts elective options that involve clay modeling and carving to create 3D works of art.
4. Honors class student class cap size.
6. Abbreviation for the Honors program student administration, which Honors Students can run for office.
7. Honors student final project that encompasses what they have learned over the course of their academic career at DePaul: Senior _____.
8. Last name of the director of the Honors Program.
12. Honors ________
Mentor, an honors student mentor that helps incoming freshmen adjust to life in Chicago through the Honors Chicago Discover/Explore Quarter classes.
15. The honors program is a ________ arts curriculum program.
17. What quarter does the annual Honors Research Conference take place during?
19. Seminar in ______ justice, an Honors course curriculum that focuses on systems of power, oppression and privilege.
Crown-less Blue Demons spring into offseason action
By Ryan Hinske Sports Editor
By the time DePaul men’s basketball reached the first round of the brandnew College Basketball Crown tournament in Las Vegas on Tuesday, they were down to eight players.
After a slow start by both teams, DePaul and Cincinnati went pound for pound, tallying six lead changes in the first half. Starting 1-11 from deep, DePaul fell behind double digits at halftime as Cincinnati’s top 25 defense began to wear down DePaul’s thin lineup.
After ultimately losing 61-83, DePaul head coach Chris Holtmann said he was pleased with his team’s chance to play more basketball in April, building on positive momentum to end the season.
“I feel really good,” Holtmann said. “To be able to, more than anything else, compete like we did in the Big East Tournament, to play the way we did at the end of the year … I feel really, really good.”
DePaul ended the regular season on a two-game winning streak, followed by a Big East Tournament run that included a first-round victory against Georgetown and a double overtime loss to two-seeded Creighton.
Sophomore Layden Blocker, junior NJ Benson and junior CJ Gunn announced their return to campus for the 2025-26 season before the team headed to Vegas amid a hectic transfer portal window that opened on March 24 and will close April 22.
Sophomore guard Jacob Meyer and junior guard Conor Enright entered the portal before the tournament. Anoth-
er guard, sophomore David Thomas, played against Cincinnati but entered the portal after DePaul’s loss. He will head to the University of Richmond, while Enright committed to Indiana University.
Some say a disadvantage of postseason play is that the transfer portal is open while teams who have earned postseason slots are still playing. There is mounting effort for a rule change that would see the portal open after the conclusion of the NCAA Tournament championship, which this season is tonight.
Holtmann said the timing of the transfer portal “probably needs to change” but that he will “leave that for other people.”
Other postseason tournaments concluded recently, including the Crown yesterday and the National Invitation Tournament on Thursday, while the portal remained open.
Holtmann said his top priority when the portal opened March 24 was to retain his core of Blocker, Benson and Gunn, three of DePaul’s four leading scorers this season. Benson said his choice to stay at DePaul was an easy one.
“It’s about being home, being like a family,” Benson said. “Everybody has accepted me. The fans have, the coaches have. … They just make it feel like home, and I feel wanted. And for me, that’s bigger than money.”
In this college basketball landscape, securing transfers began long before the season concluded.
“In terms of what we’ve done with the portal, yeah, we’ve been hard at work,” Holtmann said. “We’ve had visits. We expect decisions here in the
coming days … but our focus was twopart. Obviously a focus was the portal, and then getting our guys ready to play here.”
The day after their Crown loss, DePaul landed their first transfer, Tulane junior forward Kaleb Banks. Banks and Gunn played together as freshmen at Indiana during the 2022-23 season.
As more potential transfers make their way to campus for visits and negotiation, Benson said he would do
“whatever coach needs me to do” to help the recruiting effort in the transfer portal.
Senior guard Isaiah Rivera added that, despite having played his final collegiate basketball game, he would pitch in too.
“Anybody could ask me, and I’ll tell them the truth and how good of an experience it is to play under coach Holtmann,” Rivera said.
JAYDI VASQUEZ | THE DEPAULIA
CJ Gunn jumps for a shot during the first half of DePaul’s game against the Cincinnati Bearcats on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. DePaul is one of four Big East teams participating in the Crown tournament.
JAYDI VASQUEZ | THE DEPAULIA Cincinnati’s Day Day Thomas plans his next move while dribbling on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Cincinnati had six players score in double figures.
coach for other Chicago teams for the next decade — including DePaul’s Red Line rival Loyola.
He returned back to his alma mater in 1988 — and stayed.
“I’m very proud of the person he’s become. He truly loves (basketball),” Bruno’s wife, Patty Bruno, said. “When our kids were little, he would open up our grammar school gym at 6 o’clock in the morning and invite all the neighborhood kids to come play over there. He’s just given his whole life to the sport.”
Bruno started his own basketball camp for female athletes in 1980. In those 45 years, the camp has registered over 84,000 girls from ages 7-18.
The Brunos have six sons and 12 grandkids. One of his sons, Bradley Bruno, followed in Bruno’s footsteps — attending DePaul for college, then becoming a video coordinator in 2015 for DePaul Athletics. In May of 2023 he became one of the women’s basketball assistant coaches.
The pair were only able to coach one season together. At the beginning of the 2024-25 basketball season, it was announced that Doug Bruno experienced an undisclosed medical incident.
Bruno later confirmed that he had a stroke. While his beckoning voice was gone from the sideline during games this season, he could be seen in his box seat up in the rafters of Wintrust Arena, watching every moment of each game.
“It’s not like I sat on the sidelines, saying ‘I wish I could be back there. I can’t believe this has happened.’ I just sat there and enjoyed the moment,” Bruno said.
It was announced on April 3 that Jill Pizzotti, Bruno’s longtime assistant coach, will be stepping into the new head coach position next season. She first joined the DePaul women’s basketball staff in 2011 and she has been the associate head coach since 2014; she stepped in as interim head coach this past season. The last time she was the head coach of a team was in 2005 for Saint Louis University.
“I understand the game enough to understand there are a million ways to win a basketball game,” Bruno said. “So, however the coach that’s coaching a team decides to go about winning a basketball game, there is no right or wrong way.”
Over nearly five decades on the sidelines, Doug Bruno built one of the most successful and enduring careers in women’s college basketball. He finishes his DePaul coaching career with a 786-405 (.660) record. He also earned 25 NCAA tournament appearances and has 19 conference titles. He is a five-time conference Coach of the Year
“However the coach that’s coaching a team decides to go about winning a basketball game, there is no right or wrong way.”
Doug Bruno Women’s coach
and was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022.
Bruno is one of the three people in DePaul history — athlete or player — who has won a gold medal in the Olympics or Paralympics. He has won two (2012 and 2016) as an assistant head coach for the U.S. Women’s national basketball team.
Bruno has had 15 players who were drafted into the WNBA — one of the most notable ones is Allie Quigley, who helped the Chicago Sky win a championship in 2021. She has been named WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year twice (2014 and 2015) and she was inducted into the DePaul Athletics Hall of Fame in January.
Another notable player is graduate student Jorie Allen, who played for DePaul for five years; she finished her last season with the Blue Demons on March 7. During the last home game of the season on March 2, which was
also senior day, Allen said Bruno was “the reason (she) came to DePaul.” He was there to congratulate her on her success as a Blue Demon.
“He loves working with female athletes. He loves coaching,” Allen said. “He’s always been trying to grow the game in any way he can. It’s a really difficult profession and it’s a plethora of hours, but he always found time to do extra. That’s his legacy — never-ending effort to build the game.”
With Bruno’s upcoming new job as the special assistant to the vice president/director of athletics for women’s basketball, he hopes to “be helpful in any which way he can be.”
“Doug’s greatest contribution has been his relentless commitment to developing both the character and the careers of the women who have passed
through our program,” DePaul’s director of athletics DeWayne Peevy shared to Instagram. “His influence will continue to resonate for years to come, and we are deeply grateful that he will remain a part of the DePaul family in his new role.”
As Bruno reflected on his time as the head coach of DePaul women’s basketball, he said the best moment of his time as coach was being “blessed” with a great community at DePaul.
“Every day, getting in the gym with those players was the best part of the job,” Bruno said. “I had great assistant coaches, great bosses, great staff .… DePaul University is a great university for a lot of reasons, but I mean … it’s got great people from the top down.”
DOUG
COURTESY OF THE DEPAUL SPECIAL COLLECTIONS AND ARCHIVES
Doug Bruno, left, stands with his women’s basketball team for the 1995-1996 season. Their record for the season was 21-10.
QUENTIN BLAIS | THE DEPAULIA
Doug Bruno and Jorie Allen hug each other at the beginning of the game on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at Wintrust Arena. Allen, a graduate student, was commemorated and played her last season as a Blue Demon.