The DePaulia 5.1.23

TheDePaulia SGA fails to uphold transparency requirements

By Jake Cox Opinions Editor

As DePaul continues to face its $56.5 million budget gap, calls for radical transparency echo throughout all corners of the university’s administration. The lack of transparency in DePaul’s discussions regarding the financial state of the university has led to a deeper look into all areas of the university. Reporting last week revealed one branch of the joint council, Student Government Association (SGA), has not upheld its constitutionally mandated transparency requirements — unnoticed by the student body.

The transparency requirements laid out in the organization’s constitution include the publishing of the budget on SGA’s website, DeHub and social media, in addition to being shared with campus media following its ratification in September after the General Body approved it. The constitution also requires the publishing of meeting minutes and an annual transparency report by the end of spring quarter.

However, after a request from The DePaulia, the budget for the 2022-23 school year was uploaded to SGA’s website on Thursday, April 27. SGA President Kevin Holecko acknowledged this was the first time in years anyone has shown interest in the organization’s finances.

“This is the first time that The DePaulia has reached out requesting comment regarding the budget,” Holechko said. “[This is] the first time anyone has taken an interest in our budget beyond student government … I’m happy to provide that.”

However, at the time of publishing, no meeting minutes or annual transparency report were available through SGA’s website prior to fall 2020.

Courtney James, SGA’s staff sponsor and director of the Office of Student

Involvement (OSI), said the lack of an updated budget was unintentional.

“The non-compliance of posting budgets for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school year was a clerical error that came about due to an opening in the advising team,” said James in a statement to The DePaulia. “With the shift in all levels of staffing that the university will see moving forward, SGA will need to continue to evaluate elements of their constitution and how they serve the student body while OSI has potentially less personnel resources to offer the organization for clerical support.”

In an internal document obtained by

‘It needs to be taken seriously:’

The DePaulia, Holechko submitted an amendment to the SGA Constitutional Revisions Board (CRB) on Jan. 24 that proposed the removal of seven clauses from SGA’s constitution. Included in this proposal was the removal of the aforementioned transparency requirements in addition to removing clauses regarding the approval of the organization’s budget.

Its budget transparency requirement also details the presentation of the SGA budget to the senate for approval. This has also not been done in the current school year.

“I don’t remember there being a

discussion about it,” said Chloe Crosby, Senator for Disabled Students, a member of the Constitutional Revisions Board.

Since the extent of the budget gap became public on April 10, much criticism from stakeholders in DePaul’s community has surrounded transparency from the Strategic Resource Allocation Committee (SRAC). In particular, faculty believe the group could have shared more regarding their work on the budget over the past few months, knowing SRAC’s efforts were well underway by Jan. 11.

Clothesline

Project continues work on sexual assault awareness

By Lilly Keller Arts & Life Editor

More than 30 colorful T-shirts hung in the Lincoln Park Student Center Friday night, beckoning many who entered to look closer. However, the display revealed its somber message to students who neared it.

One student wrote, “It’s not consent if you made me afraid,” on a black t-shirt.

Another wrote, “I was a child; she was even younger. How could you do that?” on a yellow t-shirt.

Sara Heidbreder, a former sexual relationship and violence prevention specialist at the Office of Health Promotion and Wellness (HPW), initiated DePaul’s Clothesline Project last year. Now in its second year, the exhibit continues to recognize April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, allowing participants to take control of their narrative while creating an atmosphere of strength and empowerment.

As a collaboration between HPW and DePaul’s Women’s Center, the nationwide project serves to increase awareness of the

long-term effects of interpersonal violence and provide resources for survivors to fight the stigma surrounding sexual, physical and emotional abuse.

“For sexual assault awareness month, we really wanted to bring this to our community to really show people the hugely negative impact and how it relates to our greater societal standards,” said Olivia Stephens, a DePaul senior and member of HPW.

Originating in 1990 in Massachusetts, the Clothesline Project began as a way for women’s groups to educate the public on the staggering statistics of gender-based violence. Rachel Carey-Harper, a visual artist from Cape Cod, Mass., created the concept of using T-shirts and a clothesline for survivors to surrender their pain and walk away. In the over three decades since the project’s establishment, around 50,000 to 60,000 shirts have been hung up globally, according to the Clothesline Project’s website.

“It’s an art exhibition as well, it’s student art and what students have to say about their own experiences on these t-shirts,” Stephens said. “I think that is so powerful

for giving voice to our experiences and giving voice to our collective body as a DePaul community.”

Eight different colored shirts make up the exhibition, with each color representing a specific crime. Pink shirts signify rape or sexual assault, while blue and green symbolize childhood sexual abuse. Purple indicates violence due to sexual orientation, gray for human trafficking and black represents individuals disabled due to abuse or targeted because of their disability. White commemorates those who have died due to violence, and yellow

for survivors of physical abuse. Survivors compose anonymous messages on shirts colored to match their experience.

Ann Russo, DePaul professor and director of the Women’s Center, expressed the event’s significance for survivors and onlookers.

“Visibility is so important as the issue of sexual violence is not on the radar of most people, while the experience is pervasive,” Russo said. “The exhibit brings out people’s voices, experiences, responses, grief as well as anger, and calls for justice.

See CLOTHESLINE, page 8

Around 30 shirts hung in the Student Center for DePaul’s Clothesline Project on April 28. Students wrote about their own experiences with sexual assault on the shirts provided.

AMBER STOUTENBOROUGH | THE DEPAULIA

Activists, Chicagoans speak out against enforcement of youth curfew laws

By Samantha Moilanen Asst. News Editor

When Myles Francis, the project director for the Chicago Center for Youth Violence Prevention, entered a movie theater last April with his younger brother, he was immediately faced with a sign that read, “anyone under 18 will not be admitted without adult supervision after 6 p.m.”

“It was just this moment of being reminded that that sign…reads to me like that's for a particular crowd of young people,” Francis said.

Since 1992, the city of Chicago has been imposing curfews on its youth. However, it was only after the fatal shooting of 16-year-old Seandell Holiday last May that Mayor Lori Lightfoot took action to alter the city’s curfew laws. The changes included an earlier citywide curfew of 10 p.m., and the enforcement of a 6 p.m. curfew for unaccompanied minors entering Millennium Park Thursdays through Sundays.

Now, almost a year later, the curfew is back, along with expected bag checks at Chicago’s beaches, according to police.

"Additional security measures such as bag checks at beach entry points and the curfew for minors at Millennium Park will also be in place,” police said in a statement released Monday, April 17. “CPD is also working closely with youth and outreach workers for when these gatherings occur.”

The announcement came shortly after hundreds gathered downtown on Saturday, April 15 when videos circulated social media showing people jumping on cars, running in and out of the street and fighting. Another video from the same evening documents the attack of a young couple, who were beaten and robbed

across from the Macy’s building on Wabash, CBS News reports.

Francis said that the actions of a few Chicago teens is not representative of all the city’s youth.

“It only takes a handful of those kids to be, you know, actually doing harm for that entire collective of kids to be seen as a problem,” Francis said. “And I think it's really problematic for us as the city of Chicago to see our young people as a problem and to treat them like a problem."

Edwin Yohnka, communications director for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Illinois, said based on the city’s history of how law enforcement agencies handle youth violence, he is not surprised by the mayor’s decision to enforce the curfew once again.

“There's something about this, that's completely predictable,” Yohnka said. “When these curfews are enforced, we know what that looks like … it's a bunch of Black kids who get arrested or get stopped for curfew.”

A 17-year-old Chicago resident who goes by Santi responded to comments she believes misrepresent the Black and brown experience on Twitter, regarding the downtown violence.

“You have no experience living as a young person of color in the city,” Santi tweeted. “Our Black and brown peers are harassed and profiled by CPD, not to mention the so-called curfew of Millennium Park the former mayor introduced. These things aren’t as accessible as you make it seem.”

According to research conducted by the Marshall Project, juvenile curfew laws first gained popularity during the Clinton administration in efforts to combat the rise in crime in metropolitan areas. By 2009, 84% of cities had enacted curfew laws. Still, while municipal leaders

continue to enact curfews in the name of juvenile crime, data from the U.S. Department of Justice shows juvenile crime is at an all-time low.

While some cities like Austin, Texas have chosen to discard teen curfew laws, Yohnka said Chicago has a history of resorting to curfews and other security measures as a way to keep young Black and brown residents out of downtown spaces.

“One cannot separate the race of most of those young people and understand that there is a sense of believing that their behavior, their actions, their mere presence downtown, should be criminalized,” Yohnka said. “People [still] try to use such an event as an effort to suggest policing strategies that failed for generations.”

Yohnka said police and city leadership continue to reuse old ideas that only target people of color and have never worked in the past.

“It is not surprising that because of the inability to do other planning that they would reach for failed strategies,” Yohnka said.

For Francis, despite years of addressing youth violence in the city, Chicago still lacks spaces where young people are welcome, and as a result, Saturday’s violence came as no surprise. Whether it be going to the movies or visiting a mall downtown, Francis said city leadership continues to make downtown areas inaccessible to young people, and therefore, shouldn’t be surprised when violence occurs as a result of repression.

“It definitely struck me as those needs are still there, [and] if anything, they've increased,” Francis said. “And just the lack of spaces where young people are welcome, let alone spaces that are like, specifically intentionally for them to like, come and hang out … is problematic.”

Following the weekend events, both mayor-elect Brandon Johnson and Lightfoot issued statements addressing public safety.

Johnson’s statement did not excuse the violent behavior that occurred this past weekend. However, he urged the city not to demonize Chicago’s youth.

"In no way do I condone the destructive activity we saw in the Loop and lakefront this weekend,” Johnson’s statement posted on his social media read. “It is unacceptable and has no place in our city. However, it is not constructive to demonize youth who have otherwise been starved of opportunities in their own communities.”

Shortly after winning the mayoral election, Johnson said he plans to increase the amount of summer jobs for young people as the first facet of his plan to curb crime, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

For Yohnka, the city needs a way to make sure downtown gatherings are conducted safely.

“Young people have a right to be downtown,” Yohnka said. “Young people gather in large crowds. It's what young people do. And on one night, on the weekend, they're going to gather in downtown Chicago, there ought to be some sort of strategy for that. Maybe just once we try something that might actually work.”

Francis said when the city forces young people out of public spaces, instances like Saturday’s violence are predictable and often avoidable with the right solutions.

“This is what happens,” Francis said. “And I don't think that limiting the already limited spaces where young people feel like they can gather and congregate is the answer.”

SAMANTHA MOILANEN | THE DEPAULIA

Visitors walk by "The Bean" on April 26 in Millennium Park. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has reinforced the parks curfew for mi nors after large youth gatherings resulted in recent violence.

'Maybe just once we try something that might actually work'

A sit down interview with SGA presidential candidates

By Nadia Carolina Hernandez Editor-in-Chief

In an attempt to learn more about the future of the Student Government Association, The DePaulia sat down with both presidential candidates to ask about their initiatives and their plans to engage with the student body.

The SGA president will serve as a voting member on Strategic Resource

What do you want out of your relationship with President Manuel and other administrators?

Allocation Committee (SRAC), who plans the university’s budget every year, while vice president and Chief of Staff sit in on these budget meetings.

SGA serves as the liaison between students and DePaul administration.

The DePaulia believed it was important to ask about issues such as transparency, student voter turnout, relationships with administration and students’ concerns.

How are you going to implement your initiatives in everyday student issues? (public safety, budget cuts and new administration)

Godinez: I would say at least from this past year, what I've appreciated about President Rob is his willingness to meet with student orgs. He's already met with a bunch of the cultural orgs he meets with SGA regularly. What I hope to envision for SGA if [Crosby] and I become president, vice president is kind of like mimicking that interaction with students. Hopefully they'd be a lot more informal, like no suits and ties. It'd be like us, it's a bunch of student orgs [having] a discussion where students can talk about the issues they're passionate about. SGA can be that organization that can support students who are already doing the work on campus.

Parveen Mundi and Avery Schoenhals

Mundi: Avery and I's work in Cabinet already has been trying to get more students engaged. I think a very nice approach has always been just putting students first. I think what will help engage students is feeling heard first and feeling as though SGA puts students' interests first before we prioritize our relationship with the administration. We really wanted to push a message of like collaboration rather than seeing like a positioning SGA to be like adversarial with the administration because I think just like putting more students like in seats where they can share their thoughts and feel heard is the first step [in] making SGA more approachable as an organization.

SGA has experienced low voter turnout in recent elections. What does this kind of turnout say to the candidates in terms of how SGA is interacting with the student body?

Schoenhals: One thing that has caused the turnout to be lower in the last couple of years is that we haven't had very many contested elections. I think contested elections force the candidates to actually have to reach out to students and start those conversations before they're even elected. It causes students who are running to have to actually campaign, to not just coast through the election season. So seeing the way that people have campaigned so far this election season I think it's a really great first step and bridging that gap. I think that I'm hoping that we'll see a higher voter turnout with a lot of these seats being contested this year.

Godinez: The disengagement is a powerful message in and of itself. We just said like most students don't even know what SGA stands for. Most students don't even know what SGA does. The disengagement is kind of like a mandate by the students saying that they in a sense, they either don't trust SGA or they don't feel like we're doing what we were created to do. At least for this election, like Jessica Bergman, Election Board Chair, had a lot of really great ideas about how to increase voter turnout. [Crosby] and I are hoping with all the issues surrounding the budget and public safety energizes students to vote, but also to maybe join SGA.

Schoenhals: First I would say, yes, our relationships with administrators are important, but they aren't a priority. The priority is actually making sure that the 22,000 students that we represent, have their voices heard through us. So while it's important to us that we can be friendly with administrators and we can have productive conversations, what comes first is making sure that we're actually getting the message through about what students are wanting to hear and not watering it down to keep administrators happy.

Mundi: There's a certain level of respect and the desire to listen and cooperate that is necessary for any conversation with the administration. I've actually found that they get more value out of conversations where I'm willing to disagree with them and say students would not want this.

Crosby: I would say one where we're looking after students' concerns first and foremost, one where we can be productive, of course, but where students really feel like we're being a voice for them.

Godinez: I would also add that I think creating productive relationships and maintaining relationships with administrators. So like making sure that we're following up with the information that we're bringing to them because I think that's where a lot of good ideas die is like someone forgets to follow up. So just making sure we're keeping tabs on the initiatives that we're focused on and like they clearly said If students want to know information about something like we're asking the right people, and we're also getting that information back to the people who asked us to ask.

What does transparency, such as posting meeting minutes and their budget in a timely manner, in SGA

mean to the candidates and what are you going to do to build it?

Godinez: I think one of the reasons like why it's been an issue [because] no one's taken a real critical look until maybe this year into the staff roles within SGA. I also think a lot of it goes into the president advisor deciding the structure of SGA, ensuring that like when we build the structure of SGA we're also building into account the need for transparency.

Crosby: I think just making sure they get posted is like one of the first steps towards that. I don't know if there's anything else besides making sure they get posted, making sure the students know what's going on. I think if we have a newsletter that will be helpful. If we do a Q&A that would be helpful, just ensuring that that happens.

Schoenhals: I definitely recognize the lack of information that's published on our website and things versus what it says should be in the constitution. We're kind of in the process of redefining what some of your roles and Cabinet look like to make sure that those things are actually getting done. That's something that we can confidently say we will make sure happens next year. I think reshaping and making sure that that role is actually doing the job that students elected to do. It's going to be a major step in making sure that transparency element in terms of the budget comes into play next year.

Mundi: I think what would be more effective is [seeing] our expenses as an organization [is] probably more helpful, knowing what events are we allocating funding towards what organizations does this go to, what committees are spending their funding, which ones aren't just kind of like what's going on there, I think would be a more helpful piece for transparency than just seeing like numbers and a sort of like a spreadsheet.

Editor's Note:

For the sake of print, these responses were shortened. The full versions will be online at depauliaonline.com.

SGA posted their 2022-2023 budget on their DeHub after these interviews were conducted

Sergio Godinez and Chloe Crosby

PHOTOS BY KIERSTEN RIEDFORD | THE DEPAULIA

(Background photo) Junior Anna Reidel and senior Anjali Sharma walk toward Belden Ave.

SGA plans assembly to address student safety

By Claire Tweedie SGA Beat Writer

Student Government Association

(SGA) is taking action on public safety after the attacks on April 13, when according to police, a registered sex offender assaulted two students on the Lincoln Park campus. The offender was arrested and charged with two felony counts of unlawful restraint, one felony count of battery with use of deadly weapon, and one misdemeanor count of theft.

SGA will host an assembly on Thursday May 4 with students, staff and faculty to address recent concerns regarding safety on-campus. Details of the event, along with SGA’s proposed changes to safety and its collaboration with administration, were shared in a press release on April 27.

“This is the kind of situation no student at this university should ever have to deal with, especially being in the middle of our campus in broad daylight with hundreds of people around,” said Kellen Brown, SGA chief of staff and senior. “This is something that really warranted immediate action and something we can never let happen again.”

The survivors will share their experiences of the attacks at the assembly. A discussion will then be held to encourage open dialogue between students and SGA.

Attendees will also be able to share ideas about how to improve campus safety. SGA hopes to receive student feedback on the proposed safety solutions and hear new perspectives on the issue.

“More students need to share their thoughts and feelings about this, but they won't be able to without being properly briefed,” said Parveen Mundi, SGA executive vice president of student affairs and sophomore. “We’re working on some very big proposals in reimagining safety for students on this campus, so involving students is a big part of making that change happen.”

SGA held a town hall on March 12 to address public safety at the Loop campus, but no campus safety policies have been

changed since then. Students mentioned concerns regarding the possible danger of individuals not affiliated with DePaul accessing buildings. In response, Public Safety Director Robert Wachowski said students should communicate with public safety officers if they feel unsafe on campus.

Since the town hall, there have been six public safety alerts with three at the Loop campus and three at the Lincoln Park campus.

“We hope this time the issues have finally come together so that administration is well aware of the problem,” Brown said. “Now, they are completely onboard and willing to seriously consider the proposals we’re making in terms of additional safety infrastructure.”

Brown said these issues have been discussed with administration for years with little progress. He believes this time will be different.

“These are conversations I’ve seen since I joined SGA years ago,” Brown said. “Almost every meeting up until this year was always the same thing, just hearing administration say they would maybe consider it. I think as unfortunate as it is, what happened on [April 13] was the catalyst of what we’ve been asking for.”

SGA said in its press release that the attacks were the result of an “institutional failure” and called upon administration to increase the university’s security

infrastructure. The proposed solutions mentioned include updating policies that restrict Public Safety officers’ ability to approach people on-campus and making DePaul a closed campus. SGA’s closed campus initiative would require buildings to only be accessible through swipe access, similar to residential buildings on-campus, or have turnstiles at each entrance.

Other initiatives being pushed by SGA are more detailed and timely Public Safety alerts and updated training for Public Safety officers. On the day of the April 13 attacks, Public Safety sent out an alert at 6:06 p.m. more than two hours after the attacks occurred around 4 p.m.

“Everyone deserves the right to feel safe, especially in a place they're supposed to learn and grow,” Magoli Garcia, SGA vice president and junior said. “That’s really what's pushing SGA right now to continue this fight.”

Garcia said SGA took immediate action after hearing first hand accounts about the attacks from the survivors. According to students, the Public Safety alert allegedly did not accurately address the severity of the incidents and were also sent multiple hours after the attacks occurred.

“The difference between reading the public safety emails and sitting down and listening to the survivors’ stories really put a fire under us,” Garcia said. “Consid -

ering this was preventable, now we fully understand the failures of our policies and current safety infrastructures.”

The press release and upcoming assembly are part of a weeks-long effort between SGA and administration to address the issue. SGA cabinet members met with Facility Operations, including Public Safety, on April 21. A second meeting with DePaul President Robert Manuel and the two survivors of the attack was held on April 23.

“What made our conversations with administration so effective and productive was our anger,” Mundi said. “[Manuel] really saw how far we were willing to go on this issue. I don't think these policy changes are going to persist or be implemented without students seeing how they are personally affected by this and feeling that anger too.”

SGA is preparing a short term proposal for safety policies that can be implemented as soon as possible and a long term proposal for the administration and president’s office. It is unclear what short term changes can be expected.

“These kinds of institutional changes don't happen overnight,” Garcia said. “Especially considering we will be having a transition of power in SGA over the next quarter and also next year with each election. For us right now, while we’re in these positions, we want to ensure the next generation of SGA continues to hold themselves to those long term goals.”

Mundi said students can support the proposed safety initiatives by attending the assembly to share ideas and learn more about the recent attacks. She said seeing student reactions will help show administration that SGA’s proposals are representative of the student body and encourage quicker action.

“We need input from anyone that has felt unsafe on this campus,” Mundi said. “People need to hear these stories to build the cohesiveness and unity we need for this going forward. If students are angry or frustrated coming out of this assembly, it would show that students feel this is as urgent as SGA does.”

KIERSTEN RIEDFORD | THE DEPAULIA

Junior Magoli Garcia, Student Government Association (SGA) vice president, spoke during an SGA meeting on Feb. 23 addressing pu blic safety in light of the recent on campus attacks.

KIERSTEN RIEDFORD | THE DEPAULIA

SGA will host an assembly on May 4 for students, staff and faculty to discuss on-campus safety.

SGA, continued from front page

Holechko also said he petitioned for its removal out of practicality.

“Back in winter quarter when we do our constitutional revisions, I recommended that we just simply remove that clause to make it mandatory,” Holechko said. “Why is it like a policy on our books, if we don't enforce it, and why is it like a policy at all? If there wasn't even like, unnecessary like, need for it because like, students can still request the budget.”

Holechko, who serves as a member of SRAC, submitted his proposal to remove transparency requirements to the CRB two weeks after a representative of the group detailed a $11.4 million shortfall, via Faculty Council meeting notes.

This academic year, SGA received a budget of $14,867.16. Their last reported budget was $16,548 in the 2017-18 school year, via The DePaulia.

The organization's budget is broken down into 10 categories, with most funding allocated to “awards, gifts, & promotional items, supplies, catering expenses and entertainment.”

As of April 18, SGA has used $10,085.99 of its budget. In one category, catering expenses, SGA has already exceeded its budget of $3,000, by $82.91. The next biggest category is $1,828.45 in the “awards, gifts, & promotional item” category.

These funds are paid to Chartwells, the company that provides dining services for DePaul and catering throughout the university, including SGA events.

While SGA did comply with The DePaulia’s request for its operating budget, most of the information does not give a description of what the funds were spent on.

In his accompanying statement given to the CRB, Holechko wrote, “Over the course of two years, nearly all of the things outlined have not been done or students have not come forward demanding new levels of transparency.”

Holechko also said in an interview with The DePaulia, that many of the transparency requirements were added to create reasons to push out members of SGA.

"At least in my early years in the student government, I could see from those who had written those recommendations and changes to the constitution, the people who were in those roles at the time, who would have those new responsibilities,” Holechko said. “I knew they didn't have great working relationships. And so for me, it was like, well, this isn't about accountability, transparency, or any of that, it's about getting at this person and trying to essentially get rid of them.”

He also said he realizes that transparency has taken a backseat in SGA and hopes the next administration will give information as requested, without question.

Crosby, a member of the CRB, said Holechko’s proposed amendments did not make it past the closed discussion.

“I believe he [Holechko] did,” Crosby said. ”But then we vetoed those … if we veto one of the requests, then they don't make it to the general body.”

Holechko also said that the CRB ultimately did not hold the same opinion and voted it down.

The candidates for SGA president and vice president also addressed their positions on increased transparency.

Running mates Parveen Mundi, EVP for Student Affairs, and Avery Schoenhals, EVP for Facility Operations, believe that just post-

ing the records may not be the most effective way to get information to students.

“I mean, I think we're definitely open to that [posting budgets and meeting minutes],” Mundi said. “I think what would even be helpful is maybe after like the general body meeting for the week posting like a recap of … the big issues … maybe like the big comments that members of the general body we're making, our general consensus on things might be more helpful than like a record of who said, yeah, the order that people were speaking in.”

Sergio Godinez, EVP for Academic Affairs, and Crosby — Mundi and Schoenhals opponents — believe posting the minutes

DIRECT FROM BROADWAY TO CHICAGO

would be a step in the right direction.

“Our slogan is ‘leading with transparency,’ and we are passionate about that,” Crosby said. “I think just making sure they get posted is like one of the first steps towards that. And I don't know if there's anything else besides making sure they get posted and making sure the students know what's going on. I think if we have a newsletter that will be helpful.”

Read a former SGA member's perspective on the 'hypocrisy' of SGA's transparency on page 15.

JAKE COX | THE DEPAULIA

JAKE COX | THE DEPAULIA

Sister Helen Prejean is back sharing the ‘Gospel of Encounter’

By Rose O'Keeffe Staff Writer

Among the personal archives of Sister Helen Prejean housed in DePaul’s John T. Richardson Library is an essay from the late Robert Lee Willie reading, “I will die in prison without question, so those of you who have knowledge and ability to exist outside these confines need ponder what is to be done out there.”

Prejean has dedicated her life to that Vincentian question. She told The DePaulia that the art of storytelling must be done as an essential part of reinforcing the human dignity of prisoners in America.

“What this panel is doing tonight is allowing people to voice their own stories, people often invisible,” she said.

On Thursday, April 27, Prejean spoke on a panel with leaders from the Illinois Prison Project, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, The Visiting Room Project and Youth Empowerment Performance Project for a conversation about untold stories and ending invisibility.

“There's a saying in Latin America that what the eye doesn't see the heart can't feel,” Prejean said.

This is why many people remain indifferent to the dire need for prison and death penalty reform, she says.

While living and working with the poor at New Orleans St. Thomas Housing Project, Prejean began corresponding and ministering to Patrick Sonnier, an inmate on Louisiana’s death row. After witnessing his execution in 1984, Prejean was moved to write her first book “Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States,” which was made into the Academy Award-winning film of the same name.

“I was one of the few people who got to witness an execution,” Prejean said. “It's a semi-secret ritual, but 1,500 people in this country have been gassed, shot, lethally injected and electrocuted, and nobody's seen it since we put the death penalty back in 1976.”

Prejean’s experience ministering to inmates on death row and viewing their executions prompted her to write her first book, “Dead Man Walking,” which she handed out and signed for attendees at Thursday’s event.

Prejean said she has a moral obligation to amplify the narratives of inmates whose voices are silenced. Not only do stories have the power to shape public opinion, she said, but they make the most vulnerable feel like humans again.

Panelist Sophie Cull of The Visiting Room Project shared the story of a man named Lawrence who was sentenced to life in prison without parole at age 15.

Encounters with inmates in Angola prison prompted Cull to start The Visiting Room Project, which has compiled the largest collection of firsthand stories of people serving life sentences.

“The prosecutors seeking death against him wore neckties to his trial that had the Grim Reaper and a noose on them,” Cull said. “He was sentenced by a

Despite the frustrating circumstances that led to Lawrence’s conviction and sentencing, Cull fondly recalls having informal conversations with him and getting to know his values, feelings and memories.

“I really wish people had a chance to see what it was like to just sit in a visiting room with him at Angola and spend an hour sharing and listening and seeing the way his face lit up when he talked about his grandmother and the memories of her that were still so visceral,” Cull said.

“When we have a chance to see everyday life in other people, we recognize it in ourselves,” Cull said to the crowd. “That is an empathic encounter that has the power to restore us to each other in a way that only sharing life can.”

The panel agreed that personal narratives help distinguish people from their actions.

“If you get a chance to meet me, you will find that I'm more than my worst decision, and while I can be responsible for an act, I am not that act,” said panelist Renaldo Hudson, director of education at the Illinois Prison Project.

Hudson served 37 years in the Illinois corrections system, 13 of which he spent on death row until Prejean spoke up for his release.

“Through storytelling, we begin to understand that humans are humans, no matter if they make a mistake or not,” said Eleanor Olin, adjunct professor at DePaul’s School of Music who attended the event. “We've all made mistakes, but we understand that the mistake doesn't define the person.”

Hudson said forgiveness did not seem possible until he resolved to forgive himself.

“I'm the person responsible for the

DePaul to apologize for racist Vincentian past

By The DePaulia Staff

today in room 120AB of the Lincoln Park Student Center.

The event, titled “Confronting Our History: Vincentian Slaveholding, an

death of [a] man, and I live with that shame,” he said. “But I'm equally responsible for deciding that I'm so much better than that and I can live the rest of my life as an advocate.”

Hudson and Prejean have had traumatic experiences in and out of the corrections system, yet as panelists sitting next to each other on the third floor of DePaul’s Student Center, they freely laughed and bantered, bonding over their faith in God and the goodness of humanity.

“I have a testimony that despite my worst decision, I'm here, because I chose to believe in God’s grace,” Hudson said.

Thursday’s event was well attended by DePaul students and faculty, many of whom were eager to speak to the panelists during a Q&A session.

However, some attendants were content to listen to the stories and learn from the panelists’ wisdom.

“I find myself in a bubble,” DePaul senior Ivonne Sanchez said. “I don't know anybody who's incarcerated, and I don't know people who know someone incarcerated. I feel very distant, but there's more that I can do by learning about people's stories.”

Prejean said that she, too, was in a bubble until she began corresponding with inmates and understanding that even guilty people have innate dignity. She said that being pro-life means having a consistent life ethic for a guilty and innocent life.

“People need to hear someone who's guilty saying ‘I'm sorry. Give me a chance to show you the best of us. We can be so much better,’” Hudson said. “That is the testament of the Gospel.”

Moderator Jesse Chang, associate professor in the College of Law, asked the panelists what gives them hope to continue sharing stories and leading the charge

Apology and Commitment to Atone,” will include a statement of apology and is the first of two to be held regarding this issue, according to Newsline.

In a Jan. 30 “Notes from Rob” posted to Newsline, Manuel confronted some of DePaul’s own racist past, which includes discouragement and prevention of admission for African American and Black students in the 1930s. The same note mentions other pieces of DePaul’s problematic past, like support of min -

for restorative justice.

“What keeps me going is a man who sits in a cell and has been on death row [for] 30 years,” Prejean said.

She referred to Manuel Ortiz in Louisiana and Richard Glossip in Oklahoma who she believes are innocent and suffering needlessly at the hands of a broken justice system.

“Richard Glossip has been [on] death row in Oklahoma [for] 26 years,” Prejean said. “The appeals court turned him down twice, and just yesterday, the clemency board turned him down. He’s in the whitewater rapids heading toward the execution chamber in Oklahoma.”

She questioned how inmates and advocates like herself do not succumb to the challenges and injustices they face daily. The tenacity of Glossip and Ortiz push her to keep fighting.

“It is about the Gospel of encounter,” Prejean said. “I've met some brave people, and I better be brave. I better be out there. I can't not do it.”

Hudson said he loves Prejean and is grateful for how she uses her voice to help the voiceless. He cherishes his freedom and now finds motivation in helping others understand that they are not defined by their mistakes.

“I'm hopeful because I was sitting in a death row cell guilty,” he said. “I walked out and I didn't compromise my integrity. I surrendered my heart instead.”

Much of Prejean’s motivation surrounds the legacy of St. Vincent de Paul because there is still much work to be done for justice.

“His question, which is our question of ‘what needs to be done, and what can I do?’ has fed my advocacy,” Prejean said. “It is why I'm here and why I give talks around the country, especially aimed at young people because you're our hope.”

strel shows with performers sporting blackface.

Today’s apology follows two years of work from a task force formed to address Vincentian’s relationship with slavery.

An article titled, “The Long Shadow of White Supremacy at DePaul” by Cam Rodriguez was published in 14 East on April 13, shining further light on DePaul’s racist past.

GEORGIANNA TORRES | DEPAUL UNIVERSITY

Sister Helen Prejean poses with panel attendees on April 27. Prejean discussed her activism involving ending the death penalty during the session. jury who understood very little about the life of a young Black child growing up in the South.”

President Robert Manuel will lead a ceremony to address past Vincentian enslavement of Black people at 5 p.m.

CLOTHESLINE, continued from front page

It can be very affirming for those who have experienced violence or been impacted, and it can be a good wakeup call for those who haven't thought about it."

Often collaborating on projects concerning sexual, interpersonal and domestic violence, the Women's Center strives to create a supportive environment for students, faculty and staff, while offering various services, ranging from mental health to relationship abuse.

Additional resources accompanied the exhibit. Greenlight Family Service, a social service group located in Uptown specializing in helping survivors of campus sexual assault, set up an information booth with resources and services for attendees. The group offers up to 20 free sessions for students who experienced sexual assault while in college or graduate school, according to its website.

However, despite the exhibit's yearly success, individuals like Russo believe that the university should be doing more to acknowledge the issue of sexual assault on college campuses.

"For it [sexual assault on college campuses] to be taken seriously, it needs to be taken seriously,” Russo said. “It needs to be addressed, publicized, talked about, understood and more. Without this, the invisibility continues, and people think that it's not happening or that it's not that big of a deal."

Women between 18-24 face an elevated risk of sexual violence, and 13% of all college students experience rape or sexual assault, according to the Rape Abuse and Incest National Network.

"I think what ends up happening is the student organizations on campus end up being the people who bear the brunt of the burden when dealing with assault on campus," said graduate student Keish Lozano. "It often feels like students are doing their best to support students after the incident and act as a stopgap measure because the institution doesn't."

Still, the Clothesline Project sparked a conversation that cannot be downplayed, Lozano said.

"At its core, the Clothesline Project is a project that fundamentally focuses on awareness, and that's super important, but what I always hope when people see any project that is in this vein is that they move from awareness to attacking the issue," Lozano said.

Members of DePaul's community experiencing sexual and relationship violence can visit the Women's Center or the Office of Health Promotion and Wellness for resources and counseling.

AMBER STOUTENBOROUGH | THE DEPAULIA

Students gathered in the Student Center for the Clothesline Project on Friday, April 28.

AMBER STOUTENBOROUGH | THE DEPAULIA

The Clothesline Project focuses on bringing awareness to stigmas surrounding sexual assault.

“Without this, the invisibility continues, and people think that it's not happening or that it's not that big of a deal.”

Ann Russo DePaul professor and director of the Women's Center

KALAHI Kareer Night empowers Asian-identifying businesses, students

By Kiersten Riedford News Editor

KALAHI, DePaul’s Filipino student organization, hosted KALAHI Kareer Night on Friday, April 28 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Lincoln Park Student Center.

Vendors piled into the back of the room, their items touching nearly every wall in the back half of Room 120AB. At the front was a business panel, informing students about what they should know before stepping into their professional journey.

The event, according to Vincent Alunan, vice president of KALAHI, served as an inclusive space on-campus where students had the opportunity to make connections with Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) individuals and businesses through industry discussion panels and interactions at an active vendor market.

Vendors were both local businesses and DePaul student businesses.

Emily Hurtarte, president of KALAHI and senior said since 2019 — when the organization was founded — many of the panels had to be done online due to the pandemic. This event was the first time the organization hosted an in-person business panel.

Alunan said the biggest challenge was making sure to plan for the right number of attendees.

“As KALAHI Kareer Night was the first time the organization was hosting this business panel along with a vendor market in person, a challenge was not having historical data regarding student turnout for the event,” Alunan said. “We had to always be active in marketing the event within the month of April. It paid off as we were able to have a great turnout that day.”

According to Hurtarte, KALAHI always looks to connect with “anyone and everyone,” and said the event was held to dive into their theme of community and culture.

“Our founders envisioned a space that can not only share our culture but connect our culture to other cultures,” Hurtarte said. “I hope moving forward the next [executive] board will want to continue to serve, educate, learn and grow with all identities and communities and continue to pursue an inclusive environment.”

Annabelle Mique, KALAHI’s social chair and junior, said the event empowered people in the APIDA community by giving them a group they can go to when they are looking for ways to express their identity.

“We’re all searching for identity,” Mique said. “Sometimes the challenge with holding events like this, where we are purposely showcasing APIDA identity and showcasing those voices, people feel intimidated because they don’t feel welcome here.”

Mique said this event was an opportunity to teach people about APIDA culture. One of the vendors, Noelle Fajardosaid, said she wants to show people Filipino culture by selling “Filipino tastes” at her small business, Masiramon Chicago, which sells Filipino treats.

Fajardo said it is important to show off Filipino flavors like Ube — a sweet purple yam — because oftentimes, Filipino flavors are used as trends for many large businesses or influencers.

“Right now, Ube is a trend, but it is not a trend,” Fajardo said. “It is our culture. We grew up on it. It's not something that is just going to come and go. This is something that is and will forever be in our culture and forever be something that we will use.”

Fajardo said events like KALAHI Kareer Night are great opportunities for people to learn more about different cultures and to try new things that may seem scary.

Mique said she is looking forward to future KALAHI Kareer Nights because of how the event welcomed people into a large APIDA space and closed the intimidation gap.

“We're all trying to find out our careers, we're trying to find out who we

are as people,” Mique said. “I feel like there are universal themes and universal experiences that we can all relate to. When you come in here, my hope is that you can see where we're similar, not where we’re different.”

KALAHI meets biweekly on Mondays. Meetings are open to anyone. Students who are interested in joining can email kalahidepaul@gmail.com for more information.

ERIN HENZE | THE DEPAULIA Emily Hurtarte (pictured above) moderated two of the three panels at the KALAHI Kareer Night.

ERIN HENZE | THE DEPAULIA

A variety of items were on sale at the event, from mochi donuts to homemade jewelry. Many of the vendors were there to promote APIDA culture and teach others about its importance.

Students are currently able to use their U-Passes to access the CTA, but DePaul student U-Passes are not able to be used during seasonal breaks. Part-time students are also not able to use U-Passes.

Students push for consistent U-Pass access for all

By Olivia Zimmerman Staff Writer

At $105 a quarter, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) U-Pass can save students a significant amount of money. A daily CTA pass is $5, so assuming a student rides the CTA just two days per week, they pay $110 a quarter in CTA fare.

The U-Pass is offered by CTA, providing full-time, in-person students the opportunity to purchase a pass that provides unlimited bus and train rides on CTA transportation for a term. The program is available at DePaul, as well as other area schools including Loyola, Northwestern, and UIC.

However, the ability to purchase a U-Pass is contingent on the amount of credits a student takes in a given academic quarter or semester. Per CTA U-Pass requirements, students who partake in the U-Pass program must be full-time students. For DePaul undergraduates, that means taking a minimum of 12 credits each quarter.

DePaul, as well as other participating area institutions, has very little input into requirements and costs for the programs, according to Vice President for Information Services Bob McCormick.

“The U-Pass rules are mostly set by CTA, so DePaul just has to contractually abide by them,” wrote McCormick in an email to The DePaulia. “Except for summer [quarter], DePaul isn’t able to offer

U-Pass to part-time students.”

Chicago’s U-Pass system is either on par or more economical for students compared to other major cities, according to The DePaulia’s analysis.

While the cost varies a bit from school to school depending on fees and length of term (DePaul is on quarters instead of semesters), the cost tends to be mostly consistent. UIC, for example, costs $163 per semester, while Loyola costs $155 per semester.

In New York City, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) offers no discounts for university students. A single ride on most MTA transportation is $2.75, meaning that university students most likely pay over $120 for a quarter length term.

Los Angeles, however, offers a university U-Pass for its Metro system. The price of a Metro U-Pass varies from school to school, but the universities are billed per boarding at 75 cents.

At DePaul, the fee is calculated differently.

“The U-Pass fee is calculated using the CTA's daily rate of $1.25 per day plus DePaul administrative fee of 5.3 percent,” McCormick said. “This may vary year to year, depending on the number of available CTA service days.”

Both the Student Government Association (SGA) as well as Information Services have made appeals to change the policy.

“DePaul has tried to negotiate terms

with CTA several times over the last few years, but CTA have never budged on any of the terms of the contract, probably because it is offered to many other schools,” McCormick said.

At DePaul, students must fit three criteria in order to qualify for the U-Pass. According to Information Services, students must be in a degree-seeking or certificate program, be full-time students, and have at least one class on-campus.

“Currently, we are in the process of helping graduate students and part-time students to obtain a U-Pass,” said SGA Senator for Commuter Students Zoe Bragado. “If re-elected, I am hoping to work with other members to try to alleviate the cost for students if we are unable to get them a U-Pass, whether that is through a stipend for transportation, free-day passes, etc.”

During her sophomore year, Bragado took the CTA every day.

“If I did not have a U-Pass, it would cost me $2.50 every time I rode the train,” Bragado wrote in an email. “If I took the train to school and home two days a week, that would be $10, and [weeks] I would commute four days, it would’ve been $20 a week.”

While U-Pass offers discounted fares for the CTA, the Metra system, which services many Chicago area suburbs, offers no discounts for university students.

Metro rates vary across lines and

stations of origin: a one-way, weekday ticket ranges from $4-$9.50, or $8-$19 a day. Metra is now offering a “Super Saver” option, where a $100 flat rate pays for unlimited rides across all zones for the month. However, that can still be almost $300 per academic quarter for students.

Past attempts for a university discount with Metra have failed.

“DePaul hasn’t tried to negotiate with [Metra] directly,” McCormick said. “I am aware of approaches by student populations from many schools, including DePaul, over the last few years, but they were ultimately unsuccessful.”

The CTA is looking to change its policy to include part-time students, a first since the program launched in 1998.

“In the beginning of 2019 CTA launched two pilot programs to add part-time students at UIC and City Colleges of Chicago to the U-Pass program through the end of this year’s semester,” according to an email from CTA media relations. “So far, the agency has seen success within these two programs, and will consider the possibility of expanding the program to part-time students at other participating schools in the future. No details yet on a possible timeline.” DePaul students could see part-time students being added into the program in the future. However, the DePaul Student Government and students continue to push for increased access for U-Pass.

Tuckered out: Carlson severs ties with Fox News

By Ruchi Nawathe Nation & World Editor

TV personality and conservative political commentator Tucker Carlson gained his massive following by spouting racist and xenophobic content on his Fox News show, “Tucker Carlson Tonight.” On Monday, April 24, Carlson severed ties with Fox News, following a $787.5 million settlement with voting company Dominion Voting Systems for defamation.

“There is no particular reason that I can think of why [Carlson] would want to leave a platform that big,” said DePaul law professor Gregory Mark.

It is widely believed, but not confirmed, that Carlson was fired from the news outlet.

“They’ve [Fox News] fired people in the past, like Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly,” said DePaul political science associate professor Joseph Mello. “Tucker Carlson, it seems, is just the latest kind of person to run into legal trouble and get fired by Fox [News].”

A large number of votes for the 2020 presidential election, which Carlson claimed had falsified results, were processed through Dominion Voting Systems.

While libel — or written defamation — is illegal, it is very hard to prove libel in court, according to Mark.

“Our laws are designed to foster maximum debate there, so there are very few restrictions and libel laws,” Mark said. “It’s very difficult to prove that you’ve libeled a public figure.”

According to Mello, media outlets often get away with stating falsehoods on their platforms since it is difficult to prove that it is malicious and intentional.

“The problem in this case is they actually have text messages of Tucker Carlson admitting that the things that he’s saying on air aren’t true, so that actually does give evidence to suggest actual malice, which is probably why they paid $775 million to Dominion [Voting Systems],” Mello said. “Because they were afraid that if they went to court, they would lose even more money.”

Carlson’s show was labeled as an opinion entertainment segment, and while the distinction between opinion and news may be evident to some, others do not know or do not notice the difference.

“I don’t think the average viewer gets the distinction,” Mello said. “I think they

think that Tucker Carlson is providing news. That’s why they’re watching Fox News. And I don’t think they see it as entertainment.”

Entertainment content is not as objective as news content and is often rooted in opinion instead of fact.

“It’s entirely based on the content of what you say,” Mark said. “You can defame somebody just as easily in an entertainment show as you can on a news show.”

DePaul freshman and political science major Suzan Arab believes Carlson’s words could impact voters.

“People don’t want to go out and vote because they’re like, ‘Oh, it’s just gonna turn into a blue vote,’” Arab said.

Arab believes that Carlson’s content reached such a large audience since it was digestible for the average viewer.

“Because the way that he’s structured, his content is very easy to consume,” Arab said. “So I feel like because of that, that’s why misinformation has become so widespread.”

In the future, Fox News might have

a financial incentive to further monitor their show hosts.

“Fox News is probably actually going to write a check for about half of that, and about half of that is going to come from their insurance agent or whatever,” Mello said. “And that insurance agent is not going to be happy about writing that check, and they’re going to ask for some certain protections moving forward, or their insurance premiums are going to go up.”

Carlson is known for his extreme right wing political commentary. Most notably, Carlson has spoken about replacement theory, the Nazi idea that Black and brown people will replace the white population.

“If Tucker [Carlson] had a unique talent, it was his ability to launder these racist ideas,” Mello said.

According to Mello, Carlson’s rhetoric still falls under the First Amendments and does not fall under the category of hate speech, which is not protected under free speech.

“The thing about the First Amendment is it only applies to the govern-

ment,” Mello said. “So private individuals have the right to say whatever they want, including to be a Nazi. That’s not illegal.”

Arab knows many adults who watched “Tucker Carlson Tonight.” According to Arab, many people will still consume Carlson’s content despite the libel.

“I know a lot of people, especially my friend’s parents, have slowly just left Fox or news in general, because it’s almost like when you lose trust in someone you love,” Arab said.

According to Mark, there are a couple trajectories that Carlson could take with his career moving forward.

“He could do Matt Drudge who used to be a stalwart right winger and he then turns and ends up on the liberal left. I kind of doubt that’s going to happen,” Mark said. “The other thing is he could double down on what made him successful in whatever new format he’s got.”

On Wednesday, April 26, Carlson posted a video on Twitter telling his fans that there are few places where the real truth is told and ended by saying, “See you soon.”

Political commentator Tucker Carlson speaks with attendees at the 2018 Student Action Summit. Carlson recently severed ties with Fox News.

GAGE SKIDMORE | CREATIVE COMMONS

Anti-drag legislation targets LGBTQ+ community

By Lauren Coates

Contributing Writer

Over the past six months, more than a dozen states across the country have introduced anti-drag legislation. Whether it is referred to as “adult entertainment” or “cabaret,” the art form of drag is under attack from some of the most powerful local legislators in the nation.

Though many of the anti-drag bills making their way through state congresses are framed as measures taken to protect children from seeing explicit content, drag artists have raised concerns that the bill is an attack on queer identity and expression.

Ali-Reza Mirsajadi, an assistant professor of theater studies at DePaul’s Theatre School, teaches numerous courses on gender and trans-expansive theater performance. This fall, Mirsajadi will teach a course on drag practice and theory.

“It’s really to let students be able to use heightened gender as a means to explore their personal voice, their artistic voice,” Mirsajadi said. “But also to give a safe space for students to explore what gender performance looks like in their own everyday lives, as an extension of drag.”

For Cordero Zuckerman, a globetrotting drag performer and RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni better known to fans as Denali, his drag career stemmed from his background in figure skating and desire to find a queer community of his own.

“I was really craving a queer community,” Zuckerman said. “I was craving more gay friends. On the cruise ships [where I skated], there’s a lot of LGBTQ+ employees and entertainers on board. We would all gather on Sundays, and we would watch RuPaul’s Drag Race, and I was instantly obsessed.”

The DePaul community also has a host of drag artists among its student body, including Skater Gaytor, a sophomore who has participated in a number of university-hosted drag nights. To Skater Gaytor, drag is not just an art form but a crucial means of self-expression and a tool for developing identity.

“What I got attracted to in the art form was the sense of self-expression and the sense of fun,” Skater Gaytor said. “What drew me to it was just seeing people post about Drag Race online. When season nine aired, when I was in the eighth grade, I started watching it and I was like, ‘wow, it seems so fun. Everyone just seems so free to be themselves in how they’re acting.’”

However, for as long as drag has been a powerful tool in uniting communities and helping develop identity, its performers have been persecuted and the practice has been shunned.

According to Mirsajadi, the variance in language in bills trying to ban drag — is rooted in the historic inability of power structures to pigeonhole or define drag.

“At the heart of it, drag can’t really be properly defined because at least since the advent of the Christian empire and imperialism and white supremacy, drag was demonized as a kind of ‘other,’ as a style of presentation performance that was offensive and opposite to religious values rooted in heteronormative gender norms,” Mirsajadi said.

Mirsajadi believes that the threat to conventional gender norms and heterosexual nuclear families is at the heart of the consistent attacks on drag from bodies of power. However, while drag has always been an art form under attack, the involvement of children in legislation against drag is a new development.

“Children are among the most vulnerable parts of our society, and there’s a

way to reach the heartstrings of parents by talking about the threat to children,” Mirsajadi said. “Politicians know this is a really potent tool for their ideas, trying to get them communicated, and trying to get people behind them. It’s one of the reasons why I’m so confused about everything with gun legislation.”

Both Denali and Skater Gaytor acknowledge that there are drag performances unsuitable for young audiences. Drag, after all, in its modern mainstream form, draws heavily from the underground club scenes of the late ‘70s and ‘80s.

“I don’t think that drag catered to an older, cruder audience is suitable for children,” Denali said. “I agree on that front … because I think that drag should honor its roots, and it should honor where it comes from in that rebellious aspect. So I’m not saying we need to completely change drag so that children can consume it. There’s DragCon, there’s drag queen story hour. There are things like that because drag is a versatile vessel.”

Until American culture can accept and understand the multifaceted, creatively limitless, free-spirited art form that is drag, Skater Gaytor emphasized that the best thing fans of drag can do in the face of this frightening legislature is support their local drag artists.

“Support queer people,” Skater Gaytor said. “Chicago drag artists that you should be following that are trying to make change are Whorechata, Georgia Rising, Testostermoan, Mr. Transformer, Lúc Ami and myself. We’re all trying to create a change with our drag. It’s also really important to support some pillars in our scene like Irregular Girl, Lucy Stoole, Tenderoni — all trans or drag artists are just gender, nonconforming queer people for trying to create a change in our community.”

@DENALIFOXX | INSTAGRAM

Drag artist and DePaul sophomore Zach Szeszol performs under the name “Skater Gaytor.”

Professional figure skater and choreographer Denali Foxx has competed on season 13 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”

Opinions

CONCERT ETIQUETTE Festival

By Casey snow Contributing Writer

I have been known, in the past, to elbow the extremely tall person in front of me if I’m pushed against the barricade at a concert. I’m not proud of it, but I’m 4’8, and I paid just the same as everyone else, so I deserve the chance to experience the show the way I want. Or so I thought. With concert season quickly approaching, including DePaul’s ‘FEST’, it’s important to brush up on our concert etiquette.

Let’s start by noting that there is no one way to behave at a concert. The standards often change depending on the genre, artist, venue, crowd, and even the song. Truly, not understanding these variations is how a concert experience can easily become unpleasant, for both artist and audience. Recent DePaul Battle of the Bands winner, Zeno Camera, weighed in on his experiences.

“I was at The House of Blues recently, me and my friend were fortunate to find a place closer to the stage … but there was one couple that I think security had to kick them out because they were pushing people to get to the front,” he said.

Aggressively pushing other fans is obviously one of the more irritating behaviors of concert goers.

“It gives the impression that listening to music is this individualistic experience, when it's a community experience,” Camera said. “Listening to music is an experience that we are all sharing, together.”

In an attempt to recover some of

the decorum that was put on a hiatus during the pandemic, we should be placing kindness at the core of concert-going habits. This can take the form of allowing the shorter person, who will not obstruct your view of the stage, to stand in front of you at a show. The gesture is small, but can completely change the experience for both of you. Additionally, giving people the amount of space they need to breathe and move around a bit can not only enhance the experience but also encourage safety at an event.

Following the Astroworld Tragedy, audiences and venues have both been more aware of the consequences of unsafe concert practices and how to avoid anything similar happening again.

There are, of course, concerts where pushing and shoving is encouraged and expected. DePaul junior Ella Hardie notes some of her experiences in a completely different environment.

“I go to a lot of house shows, a lot of punk shows where there's a lot of moshing, and I cannot fend for myself,” Hardie said. “As a short person, I tend to cling to a wall and just observe.”

She said that these shows are still extremely fun, because of the culture of kindness that surrounds them.

“They can get really hot and a little scary,” Hardie said. “Lots of shows have water at the front, which is nice.”

A small gesture like passing out water to a crowd can go a long way. In a smaller crowd with sweaty walls and pushing patrons, how can you care for those around you?

Hardie’s biggest advice on how to make a house show the best experience

'that' person

possible is this: “Don’t intentionally shove people, wear deodorant, that's so major, and drink water if you're getting tossed around.”

As silly as it might sound, taking care of yourself is an essential component of concert-kindness culture. Putting long hair up is often a mutually beneficial choice. It’s out of the way for the other audience members, and allows you a bit more mobility. If an event is outdoor, personal care like sunscreen and sanitizer can make your experience a lot more enjoyable.

Perhaps the most important “rules” involve the way people interact with the artist. Though it’s always fun to sing along to your favorite songs, making sure your own voice isn’t overpowering the artist is a sign of respect not only for the performer but also to your fellow audience members. In addition, don’t throw anything that could cause harm on the stage, like a water bottle or a shoe. Not only is it rude, but it is also dangerous. Finally, make sure to take your time and enjoy the show in real time. We all like to take a picture of our favorite singer or a video of our favorite song, but being present at a live show is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

As you enter the concert/festival season, remember to drink lots of water, give each other space, and most of all, be kind. Share the experience with all the people who are there for the same reason as you, and soak up the feeling of a joyful, communal experience.

FRANKIE PEREZ | THE DEPAULIA

Concert-goers dance at Lollapalooza 2022 in Grant Park. Frequent festival-goers have complained that poor concert etiquette ruins the experience for all attendees, and has lead to injuries.

season is upon us; don't be

Op-Ed: Hypocrisy At Its Worst— SGA’s “transparency”

By wesley JaniCki DePaul Alumnus and former SGA Executive Vice President of Operations

Budget transparency, and transparency more largely, loom large over the DePaul community. With calls for transparency regarding DePaul’s operational budget ringing out from students, faculty and staff alike, I want to dig deeper into one group, the DePaul Student Government Association (SGA), and see if its own transparency matches the ideals it calls for.

I started with one simple question: If SGA is so adamant in its call for transparency from the administration, how good is its own transparency?

The answer? Abysmal. And, unfortunately, it seems that this level of transparency has become the norm.

In its own constitution, SGA requires numerous levels of transparency: publishing its own operational budget, documents such as meeting minutes and committee reports, and the capstone of them all, organization-level transparency reports.

On each of these fronts, SGA has failed to deliver even the bare minimum of its required obligations.

When it comes to SGA’s current budget, information surrounding it can be found nowhere on SGA’s website, despite the fact that the SGA treasurer is required to post monthly budget updates. Unable to locate it, I went this past week directly to the SGA treasurer, Caroline Snyder, and requested a copy of the most recent SGA budget. Snyder directly told me that she did not think she was “at liberty to give it out.” Wait, what?

If this budget is already required to be posted on the SGA website monthly, then nothing should prevent her from supplying me or anyone else with the budget upon request. One would expect that current criticism of the university’s lack of budget transparency would make SGA extra careful to avoid being seen as similarly opaque with its own budget, but that has not been the case.

This year, for the first time, SGA has not even made detailed budget information available to its own members, neither approval of the budget at the beginning of the year nor formal reports since then. What is more, a proposal last quarter by

Holechko — fortunately rejected by the SGA Constitutional Revisions Board — advocated completely gutting almost all remaining transparency requirements in the SGA Constitution, including requiring the SGA General Body to approve the budget, publishing the budget on SGA’s website and publishing committee reports. Is this anything more than an attempt to abandon, not just informally, but formally, the transparency mechanisms SGA has established? Holechko offensively suggests that SGA has not met these requirements in years, when in reality SGA met many of them as recently as last year, when Holechko was vice president. Does Holechko argue against transparency in bad faith, or does he simply have astonishingly poor memory of the GB meetings he himself ran only last year?

When it comes to the publication of its meeting minutes and committee reports, SGA has long dropped any pretense of compliance. The most recent meeting minutes published on the SGA website are from spring quarter 2021, and the most recent committee report is from late 2020. If a student wants to know what exactly SGA has been doing, they need to have access to SGA’s member-only Google Drive, because SGA’s public website certainly does not provide any more recent information.

Perhaps the student body could overlook these failings if SGA regularly published any sort of transparency reports, but last year Holechko successfully advocated that SGA revise its constitution to reduce the frequency of transparency reports from quarterly to annually, and even then, SGA has failed to actually externally publish any transparency reports since fall quarter 2020, two and a half years ago.

Further, while SGA at least produced and presented a transparency report to its own members during winter quarter 2022, SGA has not even bothered to produce this kind of report for its own internal consumption this academic year. This is nothing less than shamelessly drawing the curtains and restricting information to only SGA’s senior leadership.

While it is important to examine and

reveal SGA’s transparency failures, it is more important to reject any excuses for these failings. Certainly, some may ask: What is the point of publishing this material, if few, if any students seem to access it? The answer is in the exception: The information is rarely needed, but when it is needed, the need is urgent. What does it say about an organization, whether SGA or DePaul’s administration, to ignore its responsibility to be transparent? For SGA, what does it say about the level of respect (or in this case, disrespect) that the organization has for the students it ostensibly represents?

meeting minutes, or produce an annual transparency report, but what it does take is dedication to service of others, not the attitude of self-service that has increasingly plagued SGA the past few years. It requires SGA to be able to accurately see itself from the perspective of students, to be able to understand how these students feel knowing that their representatives could not be bothered to publish even the handful of documents they are required to publish each year.

Without this essential trust and connection between SGA and students, what hope do SGA representatives have of convincing the DePaul administration to pursue policies that benefit students? Little hope, especially when this lack of transparency is coupled with the abysmally low turnout rates at SGA’s elections. It reflects miserably upon an organization which ostensibly prides itself on its community-based approach, yet has such fundamental transparency issues.

I pose these questions rhetorically, but it is worth answering them. Shamelessly flouting transparency requirements only further cements SGA’s well-earned current reputation of laziness and general apathy, of being as useful as a fax machine in 2023, of being unable to take any action without arcane and inscrutable processes, and of being altogether lackluster even at its heights. As to the respect SGA holds for students, how much lower can it go?

SGA seems to care about students when elections roll around, with promises of transparency and grand initiatives predictably plastered across each candidates’ campaign platforms. Yet, the outcomes of the past several elections have only served to maintain SGA’s status quo and to eventually make what little SGA accomplishes even more hidden from the public.

Above all, SGA’s stunning lack of transparency poses a fundamental question: how much does SGA actually care about students? It does not require superhuman effort to publish the budget or

It is well past time that SGA owns up to its own hypocrisy. How can SGA continue to call for transparency from the administration when it too is part of the problem? In Holechko’s own words, “people need to start explaining to students … that’s the responsibility of the leadership team to be transparent.” Holechko is right in one regard: It is precisely the job of leadership, including the entire membership of SGA, to be transparent.

Will this SGA election inaugurate student leaders who continue SGA’s growing legacy of hypocrisy, or will new leadership give SGA a renewed commitment to transparency?

Wesley Janicki (‘22) was the SGA Executive Vice President of Operations from 2020 to 2021. Wesley wrote an Op-ed for The DePaulia regarding the budget crisis in the April 17 issue.

Editors Note: Since the writing of this story, SGA has added their budget for school year 2022-23 to its DeHub website at the request of The DePaulia.

Proposal submitted by SGA President Kevin Holechko on January 24 to the Constitutional Revisions Board outlining the removal of seven clauses of the constitution.

"It is well past time SGA owns up to its own hipocrisy."

Wesley Janicki

DePaul Alumnus and former EVP of Operations

Blossoming connections Focus Jackson Park’s Sakura cherry blossom trees bridge

By Una Cleary Focus Editor

Pink and white hues color the skies of Chicago’s Jackson Park in late April, as over 190 budding Sakura cherry blossom trees sprawl over green grass in the Hyde Park neighborhood, symbolizing the long-awaited end of winter and the beginning of warm weather.

In the Midwest, long winters mean a delay in blossoming: The current status of blossoms is past stage 6, meaning that many blossoms either will not open or are already fully open because of the erratic spring fluctuation in weather and temperature, according to the Chicago Park District.

“The fact that it’s still kind of cold is okay because that’s spring in the Midwest,” Lincoln Square resident Abby said. “These trees are like the robins of spring.”

Between 2013 and 2016, the nonprofit group, Project 120 and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Chicago (JCCC) planted 190 trees in Jackson Park to mark the 120th anniversary of the Chicago World’s Fair and the 50th anniversary of JCCC’s founding in 1966. Chicago’s connection with Japan dates back to 1893; Japan was one of the first foreign supporters of the World’s Columbian Exposition construction of the Japanese Pavilion contributing around $600,000.

In the U.S., Washington D.C. often takes recognition for its collection of cherry blossom trees arrayed throughout the city.

“It’s kind of a nice touch of Washington D.C. here in Chicago,” Bucktown resident Karen said. “It bothers me that so few people know about it.”

In Japanese culture, Sakura trees are a sign of beginning and a sign of joy and hope, marking the beginning of the school year for students.

Growing up in the west side of Japan, DePaul Japanese program director Nobuko Chikamatsu remembers taking school photos in front of cherry blossom trees and eating Sakura mochi.

“It’s the beginning of life, beginning of the season, beginning of the harvest,” Chikamatsu said. “I think it’s one of the customs that has not changed much, and that’s one of the reasons it’s so popular.”

In Japan, because of the diverse landscape, the bloom can happen throughout the country from as early as March until early May. The Hanami, or observation of the cherry blossoming, dates back to the 8th century. It became a fundamental tradition in the Imperial Court of Kyoto, only viewed by the royals. Through the Edo period beginning in 1603, the rise of military dictatorship and samurais spread Hanami to all of the people of Japan.

“By the time of the 17th Century, it was everyone,” Chikamatsu said. “It’s everywhere, everyone can enjoy it.”

During World War II, Sakura trees became a popular image of nationalism as propaganda. Japanese soldiers were regularly compared to cherry blossoms symbolizing “their short and glorious lives.” Woodblock prints and

have

paintings

The Museum of Science and Industry sits across a pond from The Garden of the Phoenix in Jackson Park.

QUENTIN BLAIS | THE DEPAULIA

Cherry tree in Jackson Park begins to blossom on Tuesday, April 25. Unusual April weather conditions have disrupted the seasonal blossom pattern for the trees.

ERIN HENZE | THE DEPAULIA

bridge the city to Japan’s cultural roots

History of the Sakura cherry blossom trees

been an important preservation of the history of cherry blossoms as art became popular in the early 19th century.

The blooming marked the rice-planting season.

“Japan is an agricultural society, so you have to pay attention to the weather, paying attention to the nature, the change of the season,” Chikamatsu said. “It is important to survive.”

Worshiping the natural world is especially important in the Shinto religion. Buddhist and Shinto temples often have cherry trees and host viewings connecting their spirituality to the mountains, trees and environment around them.

“Worshiping nature is closely related to enjoying nature,” Chikamatsu said. “I think people may feel that the cherry blossoms are where god exists.”

The business of cherry blossoms adds to the globalization of the tree throughout the world. Starbucks Frappuccinos, McDonald’s cherry blossom pies and La Croix cherry blossom flavored waters can be found at the grocery store.

“The entire country switches into the mode of cherry blossoms,” Chikamatsu said.

The Jackson Park cherry blossoms are still available for viewing. Peak blooming lasts anywhere from 6 to 14 days.

Visitors enter The Garden of the Phoenix in Jackson Park. They are disappointed in the lack of awareness among Chicagoans of the cherry blossoms.

ERIN HENZE | THE DEPAULIA

La DePaulia

El negocio de sus sueños:

Una joven fusiona dulces sabores en su negocio en Humboldt Park

Con más de 300 pequeñas empresas latinas en auge en el vecindario de Humboldt Park, una joven empresaria creó el primer puesto de té Boba que combina dulces tradicionales asiáticos con sabores latinos.

“Siempre fue el plan abrir un negocio divertido y único que representara mi personalidad”, dijo Cynthia Peralta, dueña de CIN-TEAS BOBA, un puesto donde vende té de boba.

Peralta, quien creció en Berwyn, se inspiró en sus padres para abrir su negocio en 4545 W. Division St. dentro del Buyers Flea Market.

Ella recuerda con cariño cuando ayudaba a sus padres a vender funnel cakes durante la temporada de festivales, un momento que guarda muy cerca de su corazón y que sigue siendo su inspiración principal.

Desde detrás de la barra, se puede observar el negocio de su familia y ver la pancarta amarilla brillante que dice “Gaby’s Funnel Cakes”. La pancarta es un homenaje a su difunta abuela, quien falleció debido a complicaciones relacionadas con el Covid-19.

Peralta decidió cambiar la forma en que se presenta el boba tea, un té de burbujas, a las personas mayores, especialmente en la comunidad latina. Así que introdujo sabores familiares que incorporan dulces mexicanos tradicionales como tamarindo, horchata y mangonada, un dulce de mango.

“Es muy lindo ver a los jóvenes tratando de enseñarles a sus padres mayores sobre la boba”, dijo Peralta. “Pero puede ser confuso para las familias inmigrantes entender el concepto”.

El camino a Boba

Boba no fue la idea original para el puesto de Peralta en el concurrido mercado. Inicialmente, ella quería una tienda de plantas.

“Pero lo que más quería era abrir algo único en el barrio”, dijo ella.

También quería permanecer cerca del puesto de su familia en el mercado, así que decidió arriesgarse a establecer un negocio pequeño. Ver a las familias reunirse todos los fines de semana en el mercado de las pulgas, como otros le llaman, le dió la motivación para dar el siguiente paso en el emprendimiento.

Peralta se unió a la lista de espera de un año durante la pandemia. El mercado le exigió que presentara una solicitud y esperará a que hubiera un lugar abierto dentro del mercado.

Durante ese tiempo, ella trabajaba en festivales de Chicago al aire libre para ganar dinero para el alquiler semanal del puesto. Gracias a esos ahorros, más sus propios ahorros de emergencia, estuvo preparada para crear su propio negocio.

Sobresalir

Con una mascota peculiar impresa en los vasos, Peralta se destaca frente a otros vendedores de comida en el mercado.

“Si un emprendedor puede encontrar una forma significativa de diferenciar lo que ofrece, siempre hay espacio para el crecimiento,” dijo Maija Renko, profesora, y miembro del Departamento de Gestión y Emprendimiento de DePaul.

“La mascota es tan linda,” dijo Daylene González, una cliente de solo trece años que a menudo compra té. Daylene, estuvo acompañada por sus padres, quienes probaron el té de boba por primera vez. “Lo que más me gusta de su puesto son las calcomanías que recibes”, dijo.

Peralta agrega calcomanías de Hello Kitty y Pokémon en los vasos de sus clientes para llamar su atención; los niños siempre están ansiosos por visitar su puesto.

De pequeña empresa a corporación

Alrededor de 300 clientes visitan el puesto, los cuales le han inspirado a abrir un segundo puesto fuera del mercado de las

pulgas el próximo año, dijo Peralta.

Renko dijo que la lealtad de los clientes para apoyar a las pequeñas empresas crece cada día y el potencial de crecimiento de una pequeña empresa ciertamente es real.

El negocio de Peralta todavía es jóven, solo estando en funcionamiento durante cinco meses. Pero su ambición de crecer es inspiradora.

A medida que Peralta ve un aumento en los ingresos, sus sueños de expandirse se hacen realidad.

Con un clima más cálido en camino, Peralta planea volver a sus raíces y asistir a festivales con sus tres empleados de tiempo completo a cargo del puesto del mercado.

Una bebida preparada por los empleados de CIN-TEAS BOBA.

ELENA PERALTA | LA DEPAULIA

La dueña de CIN-TEAS BOBA, Cynthia Peralta lista para vender sus bebidas detras de la barra en su nuevo restaurante ubicado en Humboldt Park dentro del Buyers Flea Market.

Por Ashley Perez y Jacqueline Cardenas Escritora Contribuyente y Jefa de Redacción, La DePaulia

ELENA PERALTA | LA DEPAULIA

objetivo es no abandonar al estudiante’: Donde Latines en DePaul puedan encontrar becas

Por Cary Robbins y Santiago Gonzalez Tijerina Editora de Noticias y Editor de Deportes, La DePaulia

Mientras Noah Padilla llenaba sus solicitudes de becas al final de su último año escolar en DePaul, se sintió confundido. Él cuenta con esos fondos para poder financiar sus estudios universitarios, pero varias de las becas en la lista de la página web de la universidad tenían fechas incorrectas o no estaban vigentes.

“Cuando intenté buscar en línea las listas de becas, todos sus plazos eran [desde] hace como tres años”, dijo Padilla.

Más allá de no tener una fecha límite, Padilla también notó que los listados no explican cuándo reabrirán las aplicaciones. Los representantes estudiantiles de la universidad dicen estar conscientes de la falta de información y buscan facilitar el acceso a centros de ayuda para las becas.

Hay muchas maneras de buscar oportunidades de becas en DePaul. Algunas están publicadas en la página de la Oficina de Éxito Estudiantil Multicultural (OMSS) y otras están presentadas dentro de las otras escuelas de la universidad, tal como la escuela de comunicaciones.

El departamento de la OMSS es el administrador de la mayoría de las oportunidades de becas para estudiantes. En actualidad, hay 14 programas que atienden a más de 140 estudiantes.

La Beca Mariposa Monarca fue creada por estudiantes para permitir que los estudiantes indocumentados también reciban apoyo financiero mientras obtienen su educación, pero en los últimos años, ha habido donantes externos que han ayudado a garantizar que estos estudiantes tengan el mismo acceso a la educación.

Muchas de las becas brindan ayuda financiera a los estudiantes durante solo un periodo de tiempo.

Darryl Arrington, vicepresidente asistente de asuntos estudiantiles y

administrador de OMSS, dijo que está tratando de extender la cobertura de las becas para apoyar a los estudiantes durante todo su tiempo en la universidad.

“Nuestro objetivo es no abandonar al estudiante”, dijo Arrington. “Para que de repente tengan que verse en otra situación en la que no confían en cómo van a poder terminar y salir de aquí”.

Hay personal dentro de OMSS que hablan español y está dispuesto a ayudar a los estudiantes y a sus padres a completar las solicitudes, agregó Arrington.

Más allá de ayudar con las oportunidades de becas de la OMSS, Arrington dijo que su puerta siempre está abierta.

“Si puedo pagar una factura por ti, para que no tengas que preocuparte por eso… O puedo proporcionarte una tarjeta de comida, para que no tengas que preocuparte por cómo vas a comer. O si puedo asegurarme de conectarte con algunos servicios para que no tengas que preocuparte por tu vivienda”, Arrington dijo que estaría dispuesto a hacerlo.

A la hora de aplicar para becas como la Beca Mariposa Monarca, la OMSS asegura utilizar servidores protegidos para que la identidad de los estudiantes se mantenga confidencial.

“Tenemos que proteger la identidad de estos estudiantes y asegurarnos de que no los estemos preparando para ningún tipo de situación que pueda ser problemática en el futuro”, dijo Arrington.

Padilla finalmente pudo encontrar ayuda para completar sus solicitudes de becas cuando lo llevaron al Latinx Cultural Center, en la sala 306 de O’Conner Hall.

Era la primera vez que escuchaba sobre este centro, pero inmediatamente después de ingresar, fue recibido con un sentido de comunidad.

Padilla sintió que había encontrado un

espacio seguro en la universidad al entrar y ver paredes anaranjadas y coloridas con los boletines de eventos en el campus.

Solo deseaba haberlo sabido antes.

“Es un lugar donde puedes entrar y encontrar perspectivas similares en caso de que quieras un poco de hogar, o en caso de que solo quieras hablar un poco de español o hablar sobre algunas situaciones diferentes por las que podrías estar pasando”, dijo Padilla.

Él dijo que muchos estudiantes no conocen los centros culturales, sobre todo después de la pandemia, y desea que esto cambie.

Mariela Aranda, la coordinadora del Latinx Cultural Center publica oportunidades de becas para estudiantes en los tableros de anuncios en el centro.

Cuando se le preguntó si la escuela planea

publicar oportunidades de becas, la directora de participación estudiantil, Courtney James, dijo que aún no lo ha hecho, pero quiere saber si a los estudiantes les gustaría ver más publicaciones en el campus.

“Tendría curiosidad por saber de los estudiantes, si [la promoción de becas es] algo que querían ver, como lo hace nuestra cuenta de participación de DPU”, dijo James. En el sitio web de la OMSS hay una lista de las becas que los estudiantes pueden solicitar. La universidad también tiene becas internas, nacionales y destacadas, donde los estudiantes pueden encontrar apoyo financiero adicional durante su tiempo en la universidad.

Todas las becas se pueden encontrar en su sitio web de becas. Para obtener recursos adicionales, los estudiantes pueden visitar la Oficina de OMSS, ubicada en el Centro de Estudiantes de Lincoln Park en la suite 105.

La evolución de creencias religiosas muestra la diversidad de la comunidad latina

son Católicos.

La Semana Santa es una conmemoración de la crucifixión y resurrección de Jesucristo y, aunque es celebrado por muchos creyentes latinos en Chicago y por todo el mundo, las creencias de algunos de ellos sobre su significado han evolucionado en los últimos años.

La celebración este año fue entre el segundo y el ocho de abril, y en muchos países, como México y Colombia, la gente tiene la semana libre.

Aunque la religión forma gran parte de la vida de muchas personas latinas, otras han encontrado maneras de conectarse con su lado espiritual y han creado espacios comunitarios.

En los Estados Unidos, es un poco diferente. No se tiene la semana libre y cada parroquia hace algo distinto, dijo Andrea Oliveros, una estudiante colombiana en su cuarto año en DePaul.

Aunque muchos jóvenes latinos, como Oliveros, dicen que la religión ha sido un aspecto cultural importante en sus vidas, para otros las dinámicas religiosas han cambiado en los Estados Unidos. Una gran cantidad hispana celebra Semana Santa, ya que, de acuerdo con Univision, 7 de 10 hispanos religiosos

De acuerdo con una encuesta hecha por el Pew Research Center, el porcentaje de Latines que no se identifican con una religión ha subido del 10% en el 2010 al 30% en el 2022.

Estas tendencias se reflejan específicamente entre jóvenes latines, donde entre las edades de 18 y 29 años, el 49% no se consideran religiosos.

Sin embargo el profesor de estudios religiosos de latinoamérica, Christopher Tirres, indica que está tendencias solo se están presentando en países de primer mundo como los Estados Unidos.

De acuerdo con el Pew Research Center, las poblaciones de individuos donde no se identifican con una religión están concentradas en Europa, América del Norte, China, y Japón.

“Si miramos a los dos tercios del mundo, en realidad vemos un enorme nacimiento de religiones y religiosidad”, expresó Tirres.

Mientras el profesor Tirres indica que no hay un solo determinante detrás de los cambios en la perspectiva hacia la religión establecida, reconoce que los cambios estructurales en las comunidades han desempeñado un papel importante.

“La religión organizada ya no es el

centro de la actividad comunitaria. Antes estructuraba todo lo que hacíamos, pero ahora es una opción entre muchas dentro de nuestra cultura”, explicó Tirres.

El profesor Tirres agregó que es la distinción entre religión y religiosidad, ya que las tendencias indican una separación de la religión institucionalizada y no necesariamente de prácticas o ideas espirituales.

“Cada vez más personas eligen no estar conectadas con las instituciones religiosas, pero todavía se consideran espirituales”, indicó el profesor Tirres.

El profesor Michael Budde, de estudios católicos, explica que no es necesariamente que los jóvenes estén más secularizados, sino que no están involucrados con la religión institucionalizada.

“Muchos jóvenes están involucrados en otras formas de asociación que parecen más relevantes para sus preocupaciones: grupos de movimientos sociales, organizaciones no gubernamentales, grupos de defensa y grupos de afinidad en entornos en línea y presenciales”, indicó Budde.

El profesor Budde indica que uno de los factores que puede estar generando el aumento de asociaciones independientes

de la religión institucionalizada es el escepticismo.

Pero a pesar del escepticismo y el aumento de latinos sin afiliación religiosa, sigue habiendo una comunidad de latines en la DePaul que se identifican con una fe.

“Soy muy activa en espacios religiosos”, indicó Oliveros, miembro de la organización estudiantil, Tepeyac, que se dedica a crear un espacio que unifica a latines por medio de la fe, la cultura, y el servicio comunitario.

Aunque un tema central de la organización es su fe, el grupo invita a todos los estudiantes latines de la DePaul, independientemente de sus creencias.

Aunque el grupo tiene su sede en el Ministerio del Campus Católico (CCM), muchas personas que no son religiosas en absoluto participan en los nuestros eventos, indicó Oliveros. Es “porque nos gusta enfatizar la cultura latina”, agregó.

El profesor Tirres y Oliveros dicen que es importante crear espacios que inviten a latines con pensamientos diversos a convivir en medio de estos cambios de las dinámicas religiosas.

“La religión no afecta la latinidad de alguien”, expresó Oliveras.

Por Alexa Bañuelos Escritora Contribuyente, La DePaulia

CARY ROBBINS | LA DEPAULIA

‘Nuestro

Los estudiantes Latinos de DePaul frecuentemente van al Latinx Cultural Center para buscar recursos como becas.

La iglesias católicas crean un espacio de fe a pesar de las dinamicas religiosas entre los latines estan cambiando.

Arts & Life

DePaul hosts first drag teach-in event showcasing Chicago's drag culture

By A mBer StoutenBorough Managing Multimedia Editor

When Ezra Constante first moved from Kentucky to Chicago to attend DePaul, he did not expect in four years to be a drag king.

But on April 27, in a small room in the back of DePaul’s Richardson library, Constante’s drag name, Testostermoan hosted DePaul’s first ever Drag Teach-in as his senior thesis, a year after his first drag performance.

Testostermoan’s event was presented by The DePaul University Library, and the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. This highly student anticipated event includes performances by local drag entertainers, Whorechata, Lúc Ami, Yuiza Beach, Georgia Rising and Testostermoan himself.

Room 103 was transformed to match an enchanted forest theme, decorated with twinkle lights, little disco mushrooms and flower garnishes. Testostermoan and his coworker Nana Ampofo created pins of each of the drag artist’s faces. 20 guests were given gift bags with fake eyelashes, a rhinestoning kit and a colorful makeup palette.

The Drag teach-in was divided into four sections. It began with an introduction to the history of drag, presented by DePaul alum and drag artist Whorechata. Whorechata shared his own academic research on drag's political past and recommendations of books and documentaries to further educate yourself.

The next section was a Q&A session with the five performers. They discussed their own style, why they joined drag, and what they hope to see in the future of drag. After the Q&A, students got to walk

around and talk to the performers oneon-one and see some of the decorations and costumes the drag artists displayed.

The night ended with a performance by each drag artist, which was met with cheers and celebration.

The event was open to all, providing an opportunity for people to experience drag outside of a nightclub setting and reach a larger audience including those under 21.

“It was also really important to me to be able to have people see drag, because I have a lot of friends who want to do drag, but they're under 21 or like they're just kind of scared to do it,” Testostermoan said. “So, I feel like a lot of it is just being exposed to it and seeing people who inspire you.”

Costumes worn by the performing drag artists were displayed on tables around the room. Some were completely stitched by hand, while others were second-hand and bedazzled for a fresh look or borrowed in exchange for another within the community.

From alien sci-fi to high feminine culture, each table display was an example of the style and contrast between each artist. They showed the preferences of fur over felt and wigs over hats, all of them had more glitter than a preschool art project.

The location of the library was intentionally chosen for Testostermoan's presentation. Both Testostermoan and Whorechata worked at the Richardson Library under the supervision of Heather Hummons, the head of access services for the library.

When Testostermoan presented the idea of educating students on drag culture, Hummons supported the idea right

away to fight against the national legislative efforts to end teaching drag.

“I feel like the library needed to be where we had the drag teach-in,” Hummons said. “We want people who want to come here, and then if we can provide information and resources at the same time to help, why not. We're very big on trying to figure out a way not just to have our community involved, but also to have the public when we can.”

The Richardson Library provides resources for LGBTQ+ students and for those interested in learning more about Chicago's queer community.

The library is hoping to continue a supportive community through events and programs that celebrate diversity and promote inclusivity.

“One of the things that was great that we were able to see tonight is so many people who have never experienced drag

before come tonight and not feeling embarrassed for not knowing anything,” Hummons said. “Not everyone is as open about their sexuality or experiences as these amazing drag artists we saw tonight, but hopefully from this they have the opportunity to be true to their identity.”

While a handful of students and community members came to the event to support their favorite drag artists, other students walked in new to it all and were excited to experience the opportunity to learn without judgment.

For DePaul freshman Lucy Simmons, this event was the first time she has seen a drag performance in-person.

“I feel like especially in this generation, everyone just assumes you have the same experiences as everyone else,” Simmons said. “I grew up in a small town and didn't know anything about drag besides

Ezra Constante also known by his drag name, Testostermoan, performs at the end of his senior thesis event. The drag teach-in on April 28 was in the Richardson Library.

AMBER STOUTENBOROUGH | THE DEPAULIA Whorechata begins the night going over Drag history useful for beginners.

AMBER STOUTENBOROUGH | THE DEPAULIA

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ that my roommate watches. I’m really happy the school decided to host something like this where we get to ask questions and really learn because I’m not old enough to go see drag at clubs.”

For Lúc Ami and Yuiza Beach, two of the drag performers, having students come up and share their appreciation of their work was the biggest impact this event had on them.

“I love the behind the scenes aspect of this event and I think that's a really helpful aspect of appreciating drag is to see what people are inspired by and the work that goes into it,” Lúc Ami said. “It's really great to get together with everyone here and I can share our experiences as performers in this scene and seeing people here that probably have never seen a drag show before.”

Community is known as an important part of drag culture and each of the drag artists touched on how drag has helped them in their own lives to become who they are today.

“I think it's important that there's events where, if you were in a position of power to be able to showcase a wide range of drag because the community is bigger than just drag queens, and I think Ezra did an amazing job with showing how different but connected we all are,” Yuiza Beach said.

The drag teach-in was also planned in connection with DePaul’s drag show, celebrated annually in the Student Center. Testostermoan first performed at the DePaul drag show last year where he met other performers and started his own career as a drag king. This year, DePaul’s drag will be held on May 26 at 7 p.m. in the Student Center.

“I saw Lúc Ami perform for the first time, and I was just enchanted by him,” Testostermoan said. “This is everything I want to see in the world, and so it's really special to me that he's in the

show.”

Looking back into his past before drag completely changed his life, Testostermoan hopes this event is inspiration to bring together the LGBTQ+ community at DePaul and find a safe space to be true to yourself.

“I’m so happy to see how well this event worked out,” Testostermoan said. “I was so sad before I started dragging. It was one of my lowest points because I was going through some transitions and didn't really have any friends at that time. I needed something and now I have all these friends who came out for me tonight to celebrate this big opportunity for me.”

DIY glitter headbands, silk scarves and colorful makeup owned by the performing drag artists is displayed on tables.

AMBER STOUTENBOROUGH | THE DEPAULIA

AMBER STOUTENBOROUGH | THE DEPAULIA

Luc Ami talks to students about their collection of costumes, sharing their favorite pieces and the performances they wore them to.

Fullerton food truck fuels community

By ClAire tweedie Staff Writer

On the corner of Fullerton and Kenmore avenue, the El Azteca food truck opens its window to five hungry customers, ready to serve delicious street tacos, tortas and burritos.

The truck cemented itself as a community staple two years ago by reliably parking near the Fullerton train station and offering quick service to those passing by.

The original El Azteca restaurant opened 12 years ago in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood and their other food truck is near Millennium Park.

Now, they are planning on expanding their food trucks with one parked at Loyola University. Owner Oscar Sanchez said he appreciates the college atmosphere.

“Every student is really respectful,” owner Oscar Sanchez said. “As a business, it's nice because we already know the orders of students and they know us.”

The El Azteca restaurant experienced an electrical fire in 2019 and closed during remodeling.

The truck, nicknamed “El Coronao,” which translates to “The Crown,” was parked outside to help fund the estimated $500,000 building repairs. The restaurant reopened in September 2020.

“It's really nice when someone comes to eat at the restaurant and they’re so happy we finally reopened,” Julissa Sanchez, the owner’s daughter, said. “It's nice to tell the story of what happened to us. We didn’t lose our customers.”

Warren Solochek, an adjunct professor at the Driehaus College of Business, said the city’s food truck culture thrives

on entrepreneurs finding their way into the restaurant industry.

He said operating a food truck in the city can be difficult though because of lobbying from restaurateurs who do not want to compete for business and the consequent regulations from this.

Oscar Sanchez said there is enough demand for Mexican food that he is not worried about business amid competi -

tion.

“Food trucks are essential for the restaurant industry,” Solochek said. “The city doesn’t do a great of supporting them though so the key is you want to be in a high traffic area. You have to be where people are.”

Julissa Sanchez said being a family business makes managing their various locations easier.

The Sanchez’s kept prices low and the business open during Covid-19 because family members were willing to take small pay cuts.

“Remodeling during [Covid-19] wasn’t that bad because I still had family,” Julissa Sanchez said. “We’ve always been together. Even when we were a little more crowded without the space of the restaurant, it was still manageable.”

Oscar Sanchez moved the food truck to its current spot last year after passing DePaul on his way to the restaurant.

He saw foot traffic from students and no other food trucks in the area so he asked the city’s permission to park there.

“The food truck has the ability to travel, which builds demand for the brick-and mortar location,” Solochek said. “You put your best foot forward, and it's almost a form of advertising. The brick-and-mortar restaurant helps pro-

vide revenue to support a second, mini kitchen.”

The food truck relies on regular customers that Oscar Sanchez said have helped make them feel part of the DePaul community.

Prices and menu items differ between the restaurant and food trucks.

A two taco dinner at the restaurant is $10.99. A three taco dinner at the food truck is $12.99.

“It’s kind of far, but we see students come to the restaurant too,” Oscar Sanchez said. “It has even increased business there a little bit.”

The business lost about 75% of its profits during the pandemic but has seen an increase in the past two years, according to Oscar Sanchez.

Oscar Sanchez said they are expanding the food trucks due to cheaper costs and fewer employees required to maintain them.

He hopes to have the licensing for the third food truck by summer.

“We got the opportunity to stay [at DePaul] and I feel it's a nice place to be,” Oscar Sanchez said. “It’s really peaceful. The school is somewhere I thought would be a really good place to start again and it has been.”

LUCAS PAREDES THE DEPAULIA

A customer orders food from El Azteca on Friday, April 28. The truck has become a staple on campus since its arrival last year.

LUCAS PAREDES | THE DEPAULIA

Accompanying their two food trucks is El Azteca Restaurante located in Belmont Cragin.

The Recyclery takes a new path toward sustainability

By JonAh weBer Asst. Arts & Life Editor

Just a block north of the Howard Red Line in Rogers Park sits a bike shop with hard working volunteers and staff members. It is not just any bike shop: it doubles as a bike and bike parts recycle compound. The Recyclery Collective aims to teach folks how to fix bikes and obtain them in sustainable ways.

The Recyclery is a nonprofit run by a mix of staff members and volunteers. The staff members build and repair bikes that are sold to create revenue for the collective, classes and administrative tasks. The volunteers work on bikes that are given away and donated and support the shop during operating hours.

An average road bike in 2023 can cost anywhere from $350 to $700 and are often sold by a large company. Cost of repairs can vary. All bikes that are sold at the Recyclery are worked on by their lead mechanic.

The shop also has a variety of public programs. A fairly new program was started by Kingston Smart-Nalli. It is called “FTWN-B,” which stands for “Femmes, Trans, Women and Non-binary.”

“The mission behind it is to recognize the fact that the biking world is very cis male dominated,” Smart-Nalli said. “FTWN-B” works to create a more inclusive, welcoming and educational space for folks who don’t identify as cis white males.”

Smart-Nalli described the biking community and bike repair world as male dominated, specially geared towards cis-gendered

straight men.

“Like entering into bike repair, and like cycling in general is hard because there's a lot of gatekeeping. I faced it when I was first trying to get into bikes until my partner was like, ‘I'll teach you,’” Smart-Nalli said.

Education regarding cycle repair is a major aspect of the Recylery’s mission.

“My partner taught me what they knew, and then I did more research from there,” Smart-Nalli said. “But not everyone has that. You know? So, I got to get acquainted with the Recyclery, and I got to start this program

'Into the Woods': An enchanting evening at the theater

By erin henze

Asst. Photo Editor

Wednesday evening’s performance of “Into the Woods" was a magical affair for all involved. Set inside the ornate James M. Nederlander Theatre, the show was a captivating combination of powerhouse vocals, sensational acting, extraordinary music and an unrivaled story.

The famed musical follows a childless baker and his wife on their quest to break a curse that a witch has placed on their family. Throughout the show, the baker and his wife encounter characters from several different Brothers Grimm fairy tales, including “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Jack and the Beanstalk,” “Rapunzel” and “Cinderella.”

The show has many strengths, but perhaps one of its greatest is the score. With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, the sounds heard by the audience take on a life of their own. This particular production features an on-stage orchestra, allowing theater-goers to become even more enveloped in the story and its music.

There was no shortage of starpower on the stage, and each scene was equally as enjoyable no matter which characters it featured. Whether it was the fierce Little Red Riding Hood (Katy Geraghty), the vain but hilarious duo of Cinderella’s Prince and Rapunzel’s Prince (Gavin Creel and Jason Forbach), the gullible Jack (Cole Thompson) and his exasperated mother (Aymee Garcia), or the lovable antics of Milky White and her puppeteer (Kennedy Kanagawa), each scene was just as memorable as the last.

With such a wide variety of intersect-

ing plotlines and songs like “Your Fault,” “I Know Things Now” and “Agony,” the audience was constantly entertained in different ways, from humor to grief to anger.

A special shoutout is in order for understudy Ellie Fishman, who was thrust into the role of Cinderella mid-show after Diane Phelan fell ill. Fishman did not miss a beat, literally running onto the stage in Cinderella’s ball gown to sing a rousing rendition of “A Very Nice Prince” without any time to prepare. Her curtain call at the conclusion of the show featured deafening cheers and a deservedly loud round of applause.

Both Sebastian Arcelus and Ximone Rose excelled in their roles as the baker and baker’s wife, respectively. The pair was able to capture the playfulness of their loving relationship while also making plain their desperation to break the witch’s curse.

The real show stopping performance came from Montego Glover as the witch. Glover managed to be funny, evil and caring all at once, while also delivering some truly spectacular vocals. The witch’s final stand, complete with a flawless execution of “Last Midnight,” was a spine-tingling, goosebumps-inducing recital that solidified Glover’s performance as unforgettable.

“Into the Woods” is a dazzling display of song, music and storytelling that solves the mystery of what happens after happily ever after. Make sure to catch a showing before the tour leaves Chicago on May 7.

In the performance that I attended, Stephanie J. Block was out with a vocal strain so the role of ‘Baker’s Wife’ was played by Ximone Rose.

where I can teach people in my community like, what I know, and just like, create a community of like, future bike mechanics.”

Currently, the Recyclery is working on a youth donation program with an elementary school in the area to match bikes with first graders. This program is led by Tzippora Rhodes, the freecyclery coordinator and youth instructor. Rhodes first got involved with bike-centered nonprofits after hers got stolen when she first moved to Chicago.

Rhodes spoke about their involvement with the collective while repairing a donated

bike.

“For me, there's always like a human side to it like how resourcefulness impacts people in people's lives and that you're going to be less reliant on giant industrial complexes and things like that and more like a sort of a community scale of getting your needs met.” Rhodes said.

The Recyclery offers bikes for sale that are sustainably put together and ethically sold.

Sophomore political science major Aurelia Flynn shared her experience with biking in Chicago, specifically with Divvy bikes.

A Divvy bike rental costs $1 to unlock the bike and $0.42 a minute.

“When it’s nice out, shoot I’m trying to be outside, and sometimes I feel like walking, especially because I live on Fullerton, can be a little too strenuous,” Flynn said. “If I’m trying to get by the lake, a bike is the quickest way to do that.”

As it warms up, accessibility to the lake is much more important to DePaul students. Flynn said biking is an affordable way to travel to and from the beach.

“Divvy bikes are one of the most affordable ways to get around, especially when it’s warm out,” Flynn said. “I’m not always trying to take the train, and sometimes it can drag to take the train, so bikes are a way faster, efficient, and economic way to get around.”

Flynn plans on investing in a bike for the summer and plans on checking out the Recyclery.

JONAH WEBER | THE DEPAULIA

The Recyclery in Rogers Park accepts old bikes and restores them for future use.

COURTESY OF BROADWAY IN CHICAGO

Katy Geraghty stars as Little Red Riding Hood in Broadway in Chicago's "Into the Woods."

By ClAire tweedie Staff Writer

With soul-sucking tropes and wonderfully biting humor, “Renfield” lurks in the shadows of the so-bad-it’s-good subgenre of movies.

There is no denying that the film is as awful as it is hilarious, but its gleeful absurdity lets the audience giggle as much as they groan.

Luring you in with a cheesy voiceover and the saddest looking Nicholas Holt since “Skin’s” second season, “Renfield” takes a stab at being a successful oddball comedy.

The film follows Renfield, the personal assistant to Dracula, as he attempts to take control of his life for the better. When he finds himself caught up in a crime family’s drama, Renfield teams up with stubborn traffic cop Rebecca Quincy, played by Awkwafina, to rid New Orleans of evil, supernatural or not.

The path to freedom gets a little bloodier though as the duo fights corruption, codependency and, worst of all, a cocaine-fueled Ben Schwartz.

“Renfield” will not be everyone’s vein of humor.

The dialogue is terrible, the editing is frantic, and the plot is absolutely batty.

Yet, it works. The film’s saving grace is that nothing about it can be taken seriously, allowing the audience to revel in its stupidity.

For the easy one and a half hour runtime, you are free to cackle at horrible jokes and gasp at gory fight scenes, worrying only that the movie is fun and not if it’s “good.”

Using the pairing of Dracula and his familiar, there is a campy — or perhaps ‘vampy’ — attempt at a metaphor for abusive relationships that is somehow not completely terrible.

Support groups, self-help books and affirmations shouted like battle cries al -

most add depth to an otherwise wobbly plot. While the humorous aspects of this do its job to keep you entertained, anything worthwhile past that in regards to meaningful themes is shrouded in uncertainty.

The dialogue does not just hit you over the head with its lack of subtlety. Rather, the severity of it fully stakes you through the heart. Every plot point is explicitly stated in a horribly written one liner delivered with a laughable graveness. You can barely keep a straight face when any of the star-studded cast opens their mouth, but it helps add more goofiness to an already bad movie. If you wanted a great script, maybe you should have set your expectations differently when you watched the trailer.

There is a hilarious intensity in every performance that perfectly contrasts the absurdity of the narrative. Nicolas Cage’s oddity makes for the perfect Dracula, Awkwafina is giving every cop show a run for their money, and Ben Schwartz continues to prove his ghoulishly comedic talent. In theory, the seriousness of this star-studded cast seems to be fighting for this year’s Academy Awards, but in practice, it comes off as the highest budget daytime soap opera ever. The cast takes “Renfield” from a bizarre B-movie to a horror comedy worth seeing.

The best part of the movie are the action sequences, which rival “John Wick” in bloodshed and captivating violence. If you have ever wanted to see Nicholas Holt rip a guy’s arms off and impale

someone else with them, this is the movie for you. If that was not something on your bucket-list, heed the R-rated warning. The fighting is just as wacky as every other aspect of this movie but it succeeds in keeping the energy up amid eye rolling dialogue.

“Renfield” puts a lighthearted spin on a horror classic, letting you laugh with and at the vampy themes. What it lacks in nuance or cinematic flair it makes up for in jaw-dropping action sequences and easy laughs that turn a ridiculous movie into a bloody good time. “Renfield” is not a perfect movie, but it never tries to be. Instead, it allows its own stupidity to be the driving force behind a messy plot with a satisfying watch.

'Renfield': Horrible, yet hauntingly fun Funnies off Jackson

PHOTO FROM IMDB

Nicolas Cage (left) and Nicholas Hoult lead in Chris McKay's comedy "Renfield." The film is the latest adaptation of the novel "Dracula."

'Evil Dead Rise': A bloody good time

By ethA n m AttheuS Staff Writer

Independent cinema changed in 1981 when the release of Sam Raimi’s “The Evil Dead” signaled a collision of high and lowbrow sensibilities. Its popularity with mainstream audiences had no precedent.

Here was a film that did not pretend to be above its B-movie influences and, instead, embraced them. Fast forward to the present day and, despite a slew of sequels and a spinoff series, its influence is abating.

Many current horror films try to separate themselves from their vulgar predecessors and position themselves as high art. The latest installment in The Evil Dead series, “Evil Dead Rise,” returns to its splatterpunk origins. It is truly a pulpy, blood-soaked delight to watch.

As director Lee Cronin’s sophomore effort, “Evil Dead Rise” follows Beth (Lily Sullivan) who, during a stormy night in Los Angeles, finds out she is pregnant. Seeking advice, she goes to her sister Ellie’s (Alyssa Sutherland) apartment only to get trapped there after an unexpected earthquake occurs. To make matters worse, Ellie’s three children — Danny (Morgan Davies), Bridget (Gabrielle Echols) and Kassie (Nell Fisher) — discover ancient vinyls and a book wrapped in human flesh entombed beneath the apartment’s garage. Supernatural and horrific shenanigans ensue.

This premise alone is equal parts ridiculous and dead serious. The film, just

like horror movies of years past, is concerned with heavy themes such as the nuclear family’s collapse and the burden of motherhood, but what distinguishes it is the means by which it explores these issues. “Evil Dead Rise” is a film that proudly wears its ludicrous influences on its sleeve. Just like “Evil Dead II,” it threads the needle between comedy and horror, often being so over the top in its gore that certain scenes play with a morbid humor that could be indistinguishable from terror for some viewers.

However, just because “Evil Dead Rise” draws from the past in no way means that

it is indebted to its predecessor.

For all the aesthetic achievements of the original Evil Dead, it is undoubtedly a film that harbors dated attitudes. Its depiction of women has faced pushback in recent years and deservedly so. “Evil Dead Rise” deconstructs this by situating the narrative around a female perspective and delving into the aforementioned theme of motherhood.

Questions like “what constitutes motherhood in modernity?” have always been a part of horror films, but they have always been on the periphery. Movies like "Rosemary's Baby" are the exception and

never the rule. In this sense, “Evil Dead Rises” is a work that synthesizes aesthetics that are considered old-fashioned with ideas that are underexplored.

All these larger thematic concerns are backed up by stellar performances. Sutherland embodies Bruce Campbell’s manic energy as she descends from loving, albeit slightly absent, mother to a deranged spirit determined to murder her own family. She is also reminiscent of Nic Cage’s performances in that she is more concerned with creating a singular, unique performance as opposed to one that is natural (whatever that might mean).

Sullivan is the perfect foil. She plays everything with an ultra serious demenor. When she wields a massive chainsaw while drenched in blood, there is nothing self aware about it. Sutherland and Sullivan together create an ideal tonal balance.

It is this type of clinical execution that really places “Evil Dead Rise” a step above other, more recent horror films. It is pulpy, but it is well executed pulp. It has no illusions of grandeur and the people behind it clearly have an affinity for other B-movies. Furthermore, just because the presentation is flashy does not mean that the themes the film is peddling in have no value. Cronin has updated “The Evil Dead” for current times while simultaneously remaining faithful to the original.

If there is any film that seeks to bridge the cultural divide between high and low art, it is this one.

PHOTO FROM IMDB

Alyssa Sutherland stara as Ellie in Lee Cronin's most recent installation of "The Evil Dead."

St.Vincent’s

D e JAMZ

“Spinning freSh beatS Since 1581”

these bands make their way to Chicago.

“Stab Me” - Bent Life

a great combo, and I won’t be told otherwise by some straight-edgers.

“True Fear” - Kublai Khan TX

I’ve been a fan of the hardcore music genre since I was about nine years old. Personally, I gravitate towards music that demonstrates incredibly strong emotions, and hardcore music does just that. The genre is very important today battling issues surrounding substance abuse, oppression, mental health and hating the government. With that, I give you five of my go-to hardcore songs.

“FUCK A PROUD BOY” - Kind Eyes and UnityTX

It is important to recognize that the punk and hardcore scene was founded on fighting fascists, and in 2021, two wonderful bands came together to record this excellent record. The song is so vulgar. The sounds are tough and raw. It gets you going and makes you feel mean yet cathartic at the same time. I personally cannot wait to be in a pit throwing elbows to this song whenever either of

Every once in a while a band or artist comes along and releases insanely amazing and impressive music, but then after two or three years they just fade away into oblivion. I’ve personally found this song is fantastic for cooking. About halfway through the song, there’s a total change in pace and the vocalist yells along to the drum beat, and it matches perfectly with chopping vegetables.

“Return to Passion” - Knocked Loose

It wouldn’t be a hardcore list in 2023 without mentioning Knocked Loose. I love this band for a lot of reasons, one of them being that vocalists sounds kinda like an angry Elmo. Knocked Loose played at Coachella this year and frightened the audience. This song specifically is wonderful because it’s exactly one minute and 13 seconds long. Sometimes in the morning when I need a little pick me up I’ll throw this song on while I drink my coffee. Caffeine and hardcore are

Crossword

It makes me happy when musicians, especially hardcore bands, call out major socialtopics and issues. This song tackles injustice in American and police corruption. Even though this band is from Texas, they still pushed this song out to scare away the conservative hardcore fans. This song is easily one of my top five hype songs.

“On Sight” - Outta Pocket

Mar. 9, 2023 was not a very good day for me. I tripped and hurt my knee and spilled hot coffee on my lap while driving to class. I sat through my class uncomfortable and self-conscious. The cold feeling of damp cloth right on my lap mixed with trying to retain information from a lecture was a deplorable combination. I hated my situation. I grew frustrated, class finally ended, and I returned to my car to find a parking ticket.

I got in my car and headed back up Lakeshore. My Spotify generated hardcore play-

ACROSS

1) Diner seating area

6) Freudian topics

10) Wet blanket?

14) Lapis lazuli color

15) Church area

16) Brightly colored parrot

17) Ice cream shop stock

18) Fertile Crescent nation

19) Wilson of "Wedding Crashers"

20) Very rarely

23) Born, in bios

24) With 48-Across, Altoids alternative

25) Lab assistant of film

26) Wrestler's surface

27) Lemony taste

29) Mythical flier

32) Assailed

41) Sign for a fortune-teller

42) Airline seat selection

43) Classic Jaguar model

44) Colorful equine

45) Econ. yardstick

46) As follows

48) See 24-Across

49) Was in session

52) 1978

Commodores hit

57) Loaf end

58) Leprechaun land

59) Hoops twopointer

60) Russian range

61) Capital on the

Tiber

62) Strong thread

63) Dummy

64) Fit of pique

65) McGregor, Connery et al, by birth

list threw this song on, and I was hooked by the sample at the start. As the song picked up, I picked up speed. The beat and lyrics all flowed so heavily and well together. Headbanging along got all my frustration out. It reminded me why I love this genre so much and the community. hXc for life dude.

DOWN

1) A breadwinner brings it home

2) Bluish 45-Down

3) Scale unit

4) Walnut, but not peanut

5) Pause

6) Computer of the '40s

7) Attire

8) Track shape

9) Glittery, as a

gown

10) Replay effect, briefly

11) "Sure thing!"

12) Lunch box treat since 1912

13) Pitcher Early in Cooperstown

21) Tiny criticism

22) Omelet need

26) Medieval war club

27) No longer available

28) Revival shout

measured in auto inspections

35) Dalai _

36) Plumbing problem

38) Fan club members

39) Booed decisions in sports

44) Feel regret for

45) One state of matter

47) Chat-starting word

48) Basic principle

49) Final authority

50) Of legal age

51) Pounds the keys

52) Sound of heavy impact

53) Medal awardee

54) Links choice

55) Classic Chevalier song

56) Not of the cloth

3

5) Poor, as excuses go

36) Like some consequences

37) Zwieback, e.g.

40) Olden times

30) Like the Sabin vaccine

31) Hand over

32) River of Hades

33) Furry "Star Wars" critter

34) Its depth is

PHOTOS COURTESY OF WIKI

JonAh weBer

Asst. Arts & Life Editor

Softball’s subpar

season. What went wrong?

By Preston Zbroszczyk Asst. Sports Editor

COMMENTARY

Approaching the final home stretch of the season, DePaul softball has not lived up to expectations. The Big East Preseason Coaches’ Poll projected the team to finish with the top seed, but with the team’s current 12-32 record, DePaul has already watched those odds vanish.

“We don’t make any adjustments,” Head coach Tracie Adix-Zins said of the team’s offensive struggles during the April 14th 9-1 loss to Seton Hall. “Until we make offensive adjustments and figure out how to put the ball in play, it’s not going to change.”

A strong 4-0 start at the DePaul Dome Tournament to open the season was overshadowed by a 21-game stretch where the team went 5-16.

In her fourth season as head coach, Tracie Adix-Zins had her team in the right spot last season leading the team into the 2022 Big East Tournament as a No. 4 seed beating UConn in the opening round before exiting.

But that all changed this season as DePaul was quick to find out that its offense would have to do twice the work to make up for the pitching staff’s struggles.

Women’s club volleyball wins DI-AAA National Championship

By Steven Francis Contributing Writer

DePaul’s women’s club volleyball team won the Division IAAA National Championship tournament in Kansas City on April 15 by defeating Harvard two sets to none. This is the first championship for the club since 1945.

“I cannot put how I felt into words,” said senior setter and team captain Kendall Richardson. “There were only three of us coming back after Covid, so I did not really know what our team was going to look like, but everyone was in the same mindset to win and do it for each other.”

Going into the season, DePaul was tasked with forming their own identity as a team. Once the season started, it was clear that they were a force to be reckoned with, winning two of its regular season tournaments leading up to the National Championship tournament.

“I think from a volleyball sense, people began to realize who we are and what we can do,” Richardson said of the team’s identity. “It’s no longer ‘oh, what school is that?’ and now people are beginning to say this game is going to be tough, and I think this is the type of thing that pushes a program forward.”

DePaul stumbled out of the gate in pool play, dropping its first match against Harvard in three sets after taking them to extra points in the first set and taking the second.

“We thought that was a turning of the leaf for us.” said junior and tournament MVP Chrisavgi Kotsifas. “We started to take every set one at a time after that.”

DePaul then won the next two against Miami in two sets and Kentucky in three, advancing into the gold bracket of the tournament.

By using its high-impact hitters, Kotsifas and sophomore Madeline Truka, as well as their quick offense, DePaul was able to outpace the taller opposition.

Richardson was intent on setting each ball not looking to perpetuate the rally, but to set up all of her hitters for the kill.

“When our serve receive was on and we were getting good passes, we were able to run a really quick and efficient offense,” Richardson said. “That’s what we really needed to beat these teams, because they were bigger than us and had huge blocks we had to work around.”

DePaul went into the second day of the three-day tournament with momentum, taking care of Binghamton University handedly through two sets. The Blue Demons then came back for the second game, beating Yale in more dominant fashion.

“I have never seen us play like that together,” said junior Elanor Meier. “Volleyball is a team sport, but it’s also so individualistic because everyone has to do their job to be successful as

a whole, and the next two days we were all doing our job.”

Winning both games on the second day earned them a spot in the gold bracket, meaning championship implications were in the balance of every game going forward.

DePaul took on Miami University of Ohio in the opening round of the gold bracket. The RedHawks put up a fight, taking the first game 25-20. DePaul then battled back, winning 25-21 thanks to a 14-point serving run from sophomore Julia Vukic.

DePaul kept its momentum going into the third set, outlasting Miami 1511. Truka ended the match with a dominant 10 kills, catapulting the Demons into the championship match.

The Blue Demons were tasked with playing the championship match just minutes after they had just secured a spot in the game. Their opponent, Harvard, was the only team they had lost to in the entire tournament.

Just minutes prior, Harvard had also just played a full game and chose to not warm up before the championship match, a sign Richardson saw as complacency.

“Our mentality was just to finish it,” Richardson said. “We have come this far and are off of eight-straight wins so we just wanted to get the job done.”

DePaul turned the tide on its previous opponent, dominating Harvard in the first set 25-14. The Blue Demons earned a hard-fought second set victory 25-23 en route to earning DePaul’s first women’s club volleyball championship in school history.

“I think this championship is going to drive the girls to keep it going next year,” Richardson said. “I think this will also inspire other clubs that know we came from nothing and brought home a national championship.”

A poorest 6.30 combined earned run average (ERA) for the pitching staff has arguably been the result of the season collapse. They have given up 338 and 198 earned runs, both at the bottom of the Big East.

Without a sustainable starting rotation, no team can be successful. DePaul has been inconsistent in scoring runs, and defensively played themselves out of games.

DePaul remains in the middle of the pack in batting with a team average of .259 along with 232 hits and 27 home runs which speaks for the inconsistency the team has had throughout the season.

DePaul’s lackluster defense and earned run average (ERA) is the reason for the team’s downfall.

Adix-Zins lost her entire pitching staff, including ace Sarah Lehman who transferred to San Diego State. This year’s staff has a combined ERA of 6.30 and has allowed 198 earned runs, which is last in the conference..

Adix-Zins has attempted to replace Lehman’s production with Abbey Pochie, Bella Nigey, Brenna Smith and Katy Pierce who have been up and down this season.

Shuffling the lineups has been a thing for Adix-Zins from time to time, but said that they have stopped making the simple mistakes and attacked areas during practice to get better. DePaul has (54) errors and the second least amount of outs recorded (668) in the Big East.

DePaul’s performance this season won’t be enough for the Big East Tournament with only four teams making the tournament. The team’s mid-season nine-game losing streak was too much to overcome.

“As a whole, being significantly worse than the opposition in all three major categories of hitting, fielding and pitching is never a good sign.” DePaul sophomore Ethan Baca said.

DePaul could lose senior outfielders Tori Meyers, Grace Frazier and first baseman Brooke Johnson, who have been with the program for the last four years. All three players will have a fifth year of eligibility.

A lackluster pitching staff and inconsistent offense resulted in DePaul’s collapse of a season that never lived up to the projected top seed in the conference.

@DEPAULWVBC | INSTAGRAM

The DePaul women’s club volleyball poses on April 15 after winning its first Division IAAA National Championship tournament since 1945.

“I think this will inspire other clubs to that know we came from nothing and brought home a national championship.”

Kendall Richardson

Club Volleyball Team Captain

Men’s Basketball: Struggling team finds modest attendance boost

By Tom Gorski Sports Editor

As the clock hit zero, the Blue Crew’s chants cried out near the Xavier bench as DePaul, against all odds, upset the No. 8 team in the country at home in front of 2,924 fans on Wednesday, Jan. 18. 10 days later, Wintrust Arena, according to athletics, sold out for the first time in program history against Marquette with 7,514 in attendance.

“It felt pretty darn great to be able to announce a sell out, especially on National Blue Demon Day and against one of our biggest and long-time conference rivals,” said Marty Murphy, senior associate athletics director for ticket operations, sales and strategy. “We’ve come close to selling out before, but to literally have no more seats available for sale and have our student section tickets fully claimed as well, we couldn’t wait for game day to see the large crowd pour into Wintrust.”

Not only was the athletic department thrilled to announce the news, but DePaul head coach Tony Stubblefield and the team were grateful to experience a packed Wintrust Arena.

“Our guys were very excited,” Stubblefield said. “Playing in front of a sold out arena, it shows the potential of what they can really be again. Our marketing and administration has done a great job of promoting it, getting students out, getting people in the community and city of Chicago behind this. I couldn’t be more thankful for them and all of their hard work and their effort.”

The more than 7,500 fans in attendance was made up of a significant number of Marquette fans, since it is only 94 miles away from the Wintrust Area, and a large number of alumni from Chicago.

No fans were available for an interview, but senior associate athletics director for marketing and communications Kassidy Brown revealed that they reached out to organizations with complimentary tickets, which could have resulted in non-DePaul fans at certain games throughout the season.

“We learned this last year where we were making specific individual outreach to groups, inviting them to Wintrust with complimentary tickets,” said Brown. “We learned it was a lot of the first time that those folks were coming to DePaul for a basketball game and found success with them coming back.”

DePaul’s 2021-22 home attendance figures were low compared to nearly every other school in the conference. The official

attendance numbers at Wintrust Arena from this past season revealed that attendance increased by 4% in 2022-23 from the season before.

“We saw increases across the board in attendance for men’s and women’s basketball,” Murphy said of the team’s increased attendance. “Our total season attendance increased over last year as well as our scanned-in turnstile rates. We saw nice improvements in our per-game averages for both men’s and women’s basketball in tickets out and revenue generated.”

The men’s basketball team took a step back this past season finishing the season 10-23 compared to finishing 14-16 the season prior. The team’s lack of success did not stop the fans from coming out to support the team, even during a 12-game losing streak to end the regular season.

During its losing streak, DePaul still saw at least 2,220 fans in three of its final four home games, outside of its Valentine’s Day night game against St. John’s, which only had 1,039 fans in attendance, the second lowest of the regular season.

Since Brown’s arrival at DePaul, she discovered a new way to bring the fans to Wintrust Arena, which includes having engaging halftime shows that heavily involve DePaul students.

“Some of the greatest and biggest national names such as Red Panda cost a good amount of money,” Brown said of the entertainment from this past season. “We like to sprinkle those premier halftime shows for the premier games and then find other ways to still provide entertainment for our fans.”

Looking towards the future, Brown wants to give more opportunities for youth halftime scrimmages and allow them to be more involved and experience exposure that they might not necessarily see elsewhere.

“Having scrimmages for youth truthfully

always plays well,” Brown said of the plans for next season. “I like pulling the roster for the U10 boys team and getting their nicknames and putting on their playlist for them and having Gene Honda announce play-by-play for that. It gives a really good experience for not just the kids, but fans truly love it too.”

This season’s attendance numbers were at its peak in January 2023, when five of its six games saw at least 2,000 fans in attendance compared to the season prior, which included only two games reaching that number.

“A few factors jump out at me in regards to those January games where we saw the crowds start to build and the atmospheres get more intense,” Murphy said. “First, it was the height of college hoops season and basketball begins to come to mind after football season closes up. The students returned on campus after a six-week break, and we were welcoming our Big East conference opponents with name recognition and featured marquee matchups against ranked opponents.”

Murphy gives credit to DePaul upsetting No. 8 Xavier for the spike in attendance numbers, along with acknowledging that games typically see more fans during the holiday season.

“We usually see a nice uptick during and

after the holiday season, but an exciting win over top-10 Xavier certainly turned a few heads and allowed us to put the Marquette game into a Sell Out situation and the UConn game crowd to build up as well,” Murphy said. “We also had a very robust neighborhood ticket campaign that allowed a taste test of DePaul Basketball to local families in hopes that they might attend once and come back to Wintrust Arena for more.”

Murphy wouldn’t get into too many details about the plans for next season, but mentioned that fans should expect to see a push towards flexibility and mobile ticket plans along with other experiential and more all-inclusive ticketing spaces.

DePaul saw significant improvement on a per game basis this season as this year’s home attendance was 2,235, while last year’s was 1,906. As DePaul continues to see an increase in attendance, the next step in the right direction will be to start winning games.

“The team is going to be very athletic and compete night in and night out,” Stubblefield said of what the fans can expect next season. “I can tell you this: I think they will definitely get their money’s worth, and we’re looking forward to having them [fans] here.”

Fans cheer on the men’s basketball team in DePaul’s opener against Loyola Maryland on Nov. 7, 2022. Wintrust Arena sold out for the first time on Jan. 28 against Marquette, per DePaul athletics.

AMBER STOUTENBOROUGH | THE DEPAULIA

PRESTON ZBROSZCZYK | THE DEPAULIA