The DePaulia 6.5.23

Administration bars students from Israeli-Palestinian panel event, students protest

By Kiersten Riedford News Editor

Administration barred a mix of Palestinian students and others from entering the DePaul panel “Visualizing the Future of Isreali-Palestinian Relations: A Conversation with Dennis Ross and Ghaith al-Omari” at 5 p.m. on Monday, May 15.

Sources told The DePaulia that an administrator and some co-sponsors were in charge of admitting students into the event.

The event was co-sponsored by DePaul’s Center for Jewish Law and Judaic Studies, The Grace School of Applied Diplomacy, the Department of Political Science and Metro Chicago Hillel — a national Jewish organization with student chapters.

Hillel was not involved in a discussion of admitting or barring guests from attending the event, according to Rav Ezra Balser, Rabbi for the Base West Loop for Metro Chicago Hillel. David Wellman, director of DePaul’s The Grace School of Applied Diplomacy, said via email that he and other co-sponsors were not aware some students were excluded from the event but were made aware some students who did not register were not going to be let in.

The students who were not allowed into the event began to protest in The Theatre School at 6:30 p.m. when the event concluded, according to a Palestinian student, who was granted anonymity by The DePaulia.

On Friday, May 12, the Palestinian student was made aware of the panel.

The student, along with a few others, said they registered for the event using a link to an EventBrite page that was included in an event invitation email that was sent to one of the Palestinian student’s colleagues.

One student registered for the event using an alias named Allison Dilaurentis to register for 10 tickets for the whole group. The students said they used an alias because they did not feel comfortable giving the university their real names.

The event was not listed on DeHUB so it could be accessible to the Chicago community, according to Eugene Zdziarski, vice president of Student Affairs.

After registering, the student said they researched the two panelists, Ross – point man for the United States on the peace process in the Middle East in both the George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton administrations – and al-Omari – former executive director of the American Task Force in Palestine who advised the 1999–2001 permanent-status talks negotiating team within the Palestinian Authority.

The Palestinian student said the main reason they and their group members wanted to attend the panel was to see what al-Omari would say and ask questions during the open discussion part of the event.

The next morning, they received an email saying the event location was changing, IDs would need to be checked and registration closed early.

On that Monday,the students were still set to attend.One student in the group showed up to the event earlier than the other nine students in their group. The event was scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.

When the student arrived, the Palestinian student said they told the staffer that their ticket was listed under Dilaurentis.

The Palestinian student said they believe the student who arrived early is white-passing — when someone is a person of color but is perceived as white — and was allowed into the event after having their ID scanned and their name written down. According to the Palestinian student, who was not let into the event, the staffer said the group should make sure to register as individuals next time, but for now it was fine.

A little while later, the rest of the group of students approached the staffer to check in. The Palestinian student said nine students were denied entry.

According to the Palestinian student, they said Zdziarski told the students they could not enter the event because their names were not on the individual tickets. He told them that they could join the Zoom link instead that they were given.

“I said, ‘Okay, I understand, [but] I have a friend who used the same ticket,” the Palestinian student said. “And [they] gave [their] ID, which showed that [the staffer] allowed [them] in, and Veep Gene said word for word: ‘Yeah, we let [them] in, but now I changed my mind, and we're not letting anyone else in.’”

Zdziarski did not comment on saying this or changing his mind.

Zdziarski told The DePaulia via email that standard practice for the majority of university events is to have individual attendees register in advance, and then provide proof of identification – whether that be a DePaul ID or driver’s license – prior to entering.

Once check-in began, the university learned that there was an error in the registration system that gave attendees the option to request multiple tickets, Zdziarski said via email.

Because of this, in consultation with co-sponsors of the event, the university decided only those individuals whose name appeared on the registration list would be admitted to the event, according to Zdziarski. All individuals who were not permitted to enter the event were given a Zoom link via email so they could participate in the event virtually.

“In [this] specific circumstance […] 10 tickets were all registered under the name – Allison Dilaurentis,” Zdziarski said via email. “No individual who attempted to access the event produced identification with this name. Further, there is no stu-

Scan to view more slides about Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) condemning DePaul on Instagram

dent enrolled at DePaul by this name. A Google search returns a fictional character from ‘Pretty Little Liars’ by this name.”

Fr. Guillermo “Memo” Campuzano, vice president of Mission and Ministry at DePaul, who spoke via email to The DePaulia on behalf of the entire division, said some people were not admitted into the event because their individual names were not on the list and some people did not register in advance in general.

Campuzano said he did not hear Zdziarski say he changed his mind on letting some of the registered students into the event because Campuzano was inside of the event space, not the hall where the check-in was.

“I am aware that in some cases he denied access to the event to people because

they were not registered,” Campuzano said.

According to the Palestinian student, the admitted student said the event room was about half full with plenty of seating for those who wanted to attend in person.

Estefania de la Torre, a fourth-year student at DePaul who attempted to attend the event alongside the Palestinian students and protested with them, said she still does not understand what the university was concerned about enough to deny the students entry.

“It felt discriminatory,” de la Torre said. “It wasn’t the students’ fault that one person was allowed to reserve multiple tickets. Telling us that we could get

@SJP | INSTAGRAM

Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) posted a graphic on Instagram on May 15 condemning DePaul for not allowing students into an event discussing Israeli-Palestinian relations.

@SJP | INSTAGRAM

The post called out DePaul for hosting the event on the 75th anniversary of Nakba Day. The event was also hosted the day after Israel Independence Day, which is on May 14.

“It wasn’t the students’ fault that one person was allowed to reserve multiple tickets. Telling us that we could get on Zoom while the doors to the event were right there felt so silly.”

Estefania de la Torre

Fourth-year student at DePaul

Continued from page 3

on Zoom while the doors to the event were right there felt so silly. I feel they did that in anticipation that we would take a stance during the event — but that’s our right as students.”

Grace Siegelman, a Jewish DePaul student and co-president of Students Against Incarceration (SAI) — a group that stands in solidarity with Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) — said the way the university treats marginalized groups on campus does not surprise her anymore after being at DePaul for six years.

“We're peeling back the woodwork of so much of DePaul history,” Siegelman said. “All this stuff is so crazy because it's happening in real time. And then you put it all together and it makes sense that this is not a safe place for queer students, for disabled students, for trans students, for Palestinian students, Black students.”

After being told they could not enter the event, the admitted student went back into the event to listen to the panel while the other students gathered outside and planned to begin protest exactly when the event ended at 6:30 p.m.

The students were protesting not being allowed to enter the event and having al-Omari speak on their behalf even though he misrepresents the Palestinian narrative, according to the Palestinian student.

Another reason students protested the event was because it was on the 75th anniversary of Nakba Day. The previous day, May 14, was the 75th anniversary of Israel Independence Day.

Nakba, translating to “catastrophe” in Arabic, Day took place on May 15, 1948. At least 700,000 Palestinians fled or were forcibly removed from their homes during the creation of Israel.

At 6:30 p.m., a Palestinian student pulled out a megaphone and began chanting “Free, Free Palestine!” The voices of Palestinian students and students standing in solidarity with them echoed through the halls of TTS as they yelled out “Shame on you, DePaul!”

Within seconds, Zdziarski was ushering the students toward the doors of the building, mainly the student using the megaphone, telling them they were breaking university policy by making too much noise, according to the Palestinian student and many other witnesses.

According to the protest guidelines for the DePaul community, “all demonstrations and other similar events on or adjacent to campus must be orderly and peaceful. Such events may not impede passage, may not create excessive noise, or may not interfere with the business operations of the university.”

Zdziarski emphasized that the students gathering outside the event was not a violation of university policy, but the use of a megaphone and loud chants inside the building was a violation of university protesting policy. He said the protest caused attendees to be unable to hear the speakers and it was disrupting classes in the building.

“I recognize that the students were frustrated and angry with me for attempting to move their protest,” Zdziarski said via email. “There are a variety of methods for members of the campus community to exercise their right to peaceful protest, without preventing others from exercising their right to participate in such speakers or events.”

He said via email that he repeatedly attempted to communicate to the group of students that they were violating university policies and because of the continued disruption, he requested that they exit the building.

Siegelman said DePaul needs to take accountability for not letting students into the event and for hosting the event

on Nakba Day. She said the timing of this event was discriminatory.

Though the Palestinian students said the protest was peaceful, Balser said, reflecting on his in-person experience at the event, that the protestors were “aggressive” toward event attendees who were leaving.

“Some of our students and staff were the target of hateful shouting on their way out of the event,” Balser said. “‘How many babies did you kill today?’ ‘I hope you die!’ These were the messages they heard. This was especially sad because they were leaving an event focused on peace and dialogue and understanding.”

Emily Lightman, a Jewish DePaul student and senior, said she did not attend the protest, but she was upset to hear what protesters yelled insults at the attendees.

“People were going to this event to learn and to listen,” Lightman said. “It's making some really dangerous assumptions. Genuinely, it's nauseating.”

Now, after the event and protest, many Palestinian students want change on DePaul’s campus, but the Palestinian student said they know they will not see it.

They said all they want to see is marginalized groups being properly represented at DePaul University.

“As a student, I should not feel unsafe to share my name or to register to an

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict began in the late 19th century. Israel's creation in 1948 led to the displacement of Palestinians. The Camp David Accords in 1979 improved relations between Israel and Egypt, but the issue of Palestinian selfdetermination remained unresolved. Intifadas — a rebellion or uprising — peace agreements like Oslo and the construction of a barrier wall in the West Bank marked subsequent years. The Trump administration's policies, including moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, also complicated the situation. The UAE and Bahrain normalizing relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords further strained Palestinian leadership. The conflict remains unresolved and tensions persist.

event or to go to an event,” the Palestinian student said. “I want to see marginalized groups being properly supported. I want to see them feel safe and welcome on DePaul’s campus. I don't want to look [at DePaul] 10 years from now and see that the same issue continuously happens.”

Lightman said that she too feels that Jewish students don’t always feel safe on campus.

“I'll be perfectly honest, every day I wake up and I'm exploring what Israel means to me what being Jewish means to me,” Lightman said. “It's just a constant internal battle. And to not even be able to feel safe to have [these] conversations out loud is so, so frustrating.”

In the future, events hosted by DePaul on such “heavy, complicated political issues” should be better advertised, especially to the communities it impacts, according to de la Torre.

“[The university] must strive for a representative sample of voices,” de la

Torre said. “Not being considerate to the DePaul Palestinian community in organizing such an event is not right. Not providing a representative sample of voices on the issue is not right.”

Maximillian Scholz, a student at DePaul who attended the event, said DePaul currently has a community that strongly believes a person has to pick a side instead of standing neutral and seeing both sides of the story. He said without these conversations, people who know nothing about the situation are being forced to pick a side without the proper education, which he said is not healthy.

“If we believe in this dichotomy, then that means that all Jewish students must be Zionists and that all Palestinian students must want the eradication of Israel,” Scholz said. “I think that dialogue is extremely important [to get rid of this dichotomy] and however the university can facilitate that is of the utmost importance.”

KIERSTEN RIEDFORD | THE DEPAULIA Eugene Zdziarski, Vice President of Student Affairs, told The DePaulia via email that he did not allow some students into the Israeli-Palestinian panel on Monday, May 15, because they were either not registered in advance or their names were not on individual tickets.

SOURCE | GLOBAL CONFLICT TRACKER, CENTER FOR PREVENTIVE ACTION

“I think dialogue is extremely important [to get rid of this dichotomy] and however the university can facilitate that is of the utmost importance.”

Maximillian Scholz DePaul student

Solidarity at the center for Jews 4 Justice

By Nadia Carolina Hernandez Editor-in-Chief

When junior Ethan Schatz arrived at DePaul, he looked for Jewish spaces immediately on campus.

He said he needed a community where Jewish students could come together in solidarity as anti-Zionists.

After joining DePaul Hillel two years ago and being recently removed from his board position by Metro Hillel Chicago, Schatz said he used the catalyst to start the space he always wanted.

“As soon as I saw the options for Jewish students on campus,” Schatz said. “I had already started dreaming of a club like this.”

Metro Hillel Chicago did not respond to The DePaulia despite multiple requests for comment via phone and email.

Schatz, Owen Howard and Ezra Adamski launched “Jews 4 Justice,” a dedicated Jewish space that will explore activism and solidarity with anti-Zionist beliefs.

“I think there's power in numbers and in solidarity and Jewish students,” Schatz said. “The answer to fighting antisemitism on campus is solidarity, not hiding behind Zionism.”

The Wall Street Journal cited DePaul in an article about rising antisemitism on college campuses in December 2022.

There are three Jewish organizations on campus including Hillel, Chabad and Alpha Epsilon Pi. Students can go to the Jewish Life Space on the third floor of the DePaul Lincoln Park Student Center.

However, Howard said the Jewish Life Space has changed during his time at DePaul.

“I was here four years ago, and it was a very vibrant and very lively place in the Jewish life center, but [now] it is absent with no staff, which leaves us to feel unsafe,” Howard said. “My first year there was somebody staffed there all the time. There was a student worker at the desk. There were like posters for each individual club.”

Jews 4 Justice aims to fill that gap, according to Schatz. Adamski feels there is an intersection between Judaism and social justice organizing.

“If we look at Jews, and politics and organizing work historically, and also contemporarily, so many of them go back to Jewish values and how they have influenced organizing work,” Adamski said.

Adamski felt the Jewish groups on campus did not reflect his values.

“The problem is, as has been pointed out, time and time again, already in this interview, the two main options for Jewish life on campus do not reflect those political values for me,” Adamski said.

Jews 4 Justice focuses its values on

solidarity being “Pro-Jewish, unequivocally anti-Capitalist, anti-Imperialist, unequivocally anti-Israel,” according to the group’s ideological statements.

“[We want to] create a Jewish space for Jewish leisure, spirituality, education, and community not oriented around the support or normalization of Israeli occupation,” Howard said.

They plan to work with groups on campus that support their mission like Students for Justice in Palestine.

“We want to incorporate our spiritual cultural identities into those movements without making it seem like we're only Jewish for this,” Howard said. “[We also want to focus on] fostering in our community relationships with other ethnic cultural minority groups in order to recognize and fight our shared struggle against capitalism and imperialism. So those are the two things we aim to do.”

Chicago Synagogue declared itself as anti-Zionist last year, and there are national groups like Jewish Voices for Peace that overlap political activism and religion.

Schatz said he felt inspired by other groups on campus who were committed to activism in the community.

“There are already so many cool people doing cool stuff on campus that are also fighting white supremacy and normalcy at its largest,” Schatz said.

Out of the 24 religious/spiritual groups on campus, 12 of the groups are Catholic, Christian or Vincentian, according to DeHUB. DePaul Hillel, Chabad, Jewish Life Office and Decalogue Society of Lawyers are Jewish groups on campus.

“We should be able to have a Jewish community built by us, for us, that reflects our values,” Schatz said. “Jewish students deserve options about which group they want to join.”

EDGE program to end, Future Forward expands to help 1,200 students

By Samantha Moilanen Asst. News Editor

Since 2011, DePaul’s Education and Development Grant for Employability (EDGE) program has provided students the opportunity to earn more financial aid while also engaging in career development training.

The program offers a select group of first-year students the opportunity to participate in career and job skill development, while working for an assigned department or office team at DePaul.

“I’ve gotten a lot out of it, but mainly just getting involved in the school which I feel is really important your freshman year,” said film and television student, Victoria Rueda, who was a member of EDGE this year.

Now, 12 years later, EDGE will no longer be offered to first-year students for the next academic year.

Brenda Williams, managing director at DePaul’s Career Center, said that while EDGE is ending this year, the hybrid Future Forward program that began three years ago will be offered to any first-year students who are also eligible for EDGE.

“Any students who would have been eligible for EDGE would now have a slot in Future Forward,” Williams said.

She said that while many people on campus believe EDGE is ending due to budgetary constraints, the university has been planning to switch to Future Forward for the last two years.

“The reason why we made the switch or the change is that we had two first year programs that were doing pretty much the same thing,” Williams said. “It was very much a strategic decision to cut some du-

plication...so that we can give even more students exposure to career readiness and career success in general.”

According to Williams, the decision to continue Future Forward and end EDGE was not an easy one. However, she said they are able to now accept 1,200 students in Future Forward compared to just 250 in EDGE each year.

“Our goal and vision would be that every first year student will be able to do Future Forward, but that takes a lot of resources and money, but we've been building slowly,” Williams said.

While Future Forward is not exactly the same as EDGE, the programs have many similarities that will carry into the next academic year.

Like EDGE, Future Forward will still offer eligible first-year students a $3,000 grant, but it will be applied to students' second-year tuition after they complete the program, instead of the first year, Williams said.

The Future Forward program will also continue EDGE’s goal of preparing first-year students for careers after college. In the program, students will complete online modules and career-readiness activities that will help prepare them for jobs after graduation.

“We're gonna lose some aspects of EDGE, but what we consider the most important aspects, we're still retaining, it's just through a different form,” Williams said.

For Rueda, coming to DePaul from Texas was a huge transition, but EDGE helped her meet new people.

“I didn’t know anyone, and being in EDGE helped me meet a lot of new people and get way more involved in DePaul,” Rueda said.

Like EDGE, Williams said Future Forward will also help students connect and

build relationships with people on campus.

Another aspect that will remain the same is students who appeal for more financial aid will be eligible for Future Forward.

Despite the continuation of Future Forward and the grant opportunity for those seeking more financial aid, some students are sad to see EDGE go. Suzan Arab, a political science major at DePaul and EDGE member this past year, said she appreciates that EDGE is an in-person, hands-on program which she believes is an aspect that Future Forward lacks since it is mostly online.

“EDGE is such a hands-on program where you get to become so close to other students and faculty and learn so much,” Arab said. “Future Forward just feels like

another class, especially with all the online modules.”

Arab said being in EDGE greatly impacted her experience at DePaul her freshman year.

“It has made my freshman year so much easier,” Arab said. “It’s been around for long enough where we could connect with many students that have been a part of it in the past, it also teaches you a lot of different things on campus.”

For Williams, she believes Future Forward will still be able to offer students a similar experience to the one they would get through EDGE, but on a much larger scale.

“We really saw it as a viable program, and we could expand it,” Williams said. “And so to be able to hit 1,200 students versus just 250, you can't beat that.”

GRAPHIC SUBMITTED BY JEWS 4 JUSTICE

RANDALL SPRIGGS | DEPAUL UNIVERSITY

Malak Abuhashish is a student mentor in DePaul’s innovative Future Forward program, which helps incoming first-year students identify and pursue career readiness.

DePaul receives $4.2 million grant to enact Project STRIDE

By Lucia Preziosi Contributing Writer

DePaul University received a $4.2 million grant from the United States Department of Education to establish a stronger presence of diverse counselors in high-need Chicago public as Illinois faces an imbalance in their student-to-counselor ratios.

In an interdisciplinary collaboration, the university’s psychology department, along with the counseling sector of the College of Education, will use this grant to fund and execute project STRIDE (School-Based Trainee Recruitment and Retention through Innovation and Diversity Enrichment).

As current demographics prove that the ratio of students to counselors is significantly unbalanced, proper mental health resources for students is a pressing issue in Illinois.

Professor of counseling, Melissa Ockerman, describes this disparity.

“The American school counseling association recommends one school counselor to every 250 students, and unfortunately Illinois is one to every 600 students, so we are well beyond the number of students that a school counselor should be having,” Ockerman said.

Project STRIDE sets out to prepare graduate students at DePaul who dedicate themselves to working in high need Chicago public schools.

The funding received for project STRIDE will also be used for tuition support and training efforts to prepare diverse counselors for placement in schools.

Psychology professor Antonio Polo worked in collaboration with a team of faculty from DePauls’ counseling program to formulate an initiative combining psychology and school counseling.

Team members consist of Melissa Ockerman, Alexandra Novakovic, Rebecca Michel and Autumn Cabell to help bring project STRIDE to fruition.

DePaul’s continued relationship with CPS presented a clear opportunity to apply for this grant, according to Polo.

“As I looked around at DePaul and thought about possible partners for this initiative, it became clear that the department of counseling and special education was an ideal place to collaborate because of their long standing partnership with Chicago public schools,” Pollo said.

Not only is Project STRIDE setting out to place more counselors in Chicago public schools, but it puts a strong emphasis on training a group of diverse individuals to adhere to the specific backgrounds of Chi-

cago’s students.

“We definitely need more school counselors in Illinois, and we certainly need school counselors to mirror the cultural and linguistic characteristics of the students they are serving,” Ockerman said.

The Chicago public school system ranks as the fourth largest school district in the United States. With such a robust student body, diversity is a strong presence in the school system, with 46% of students classified as Latine and 35% as African American.

Diversity being equally represented in faculty, especially those who specialize in mental health is a priority for education professionals and Project STRIDE.

“As much as we can get counselors, specifically diverse counselors in the school serving our students, the better it will be for everyone involved,” Ockerman said.

Polo puts an emphasis on the severe mental health impacts that stemmed from Covid-19, especially on Latine youth.

A recently conducted study by Polo found that Latine students reported higher depression and anxiety symptoms than any other group of students during the pandemic.

The severe uncertainty and loss dealt with by students throughout the pandemic resulted in a spike in social anxiety along with general anxiety stemming from worry, according to Polo.

“We still don’t know the full impact because we’re still dealing with it…this is another good reason to support the students,”

Polo said.

As much as positivity can be seen through this initiative for students in Chicago public schools, DePaul graduate students are also receiving benefits from Project STRIDE, which Ockerman and professor of counseling Alexandra Novakovic characterized as a “win, win, win” scenario.

Novakovic explains how the funds received from the grant will go to giving graduate students compensation for their counseling internships which place them in CPS.

“Currently our students don’t get any compensation for their internships, so this is really a way to help our students get into schools, and become compensated for it,” Novakovic said. “It's very hard to complete an internship if you’re not getting paid.”

Project STRIDE will also utilize Polo’s “Act and Adapt” intervention initiative which has been in action in CPS since 2016.

Act and Adapt uses evidence-based intervention to help students through a 10 session video program where students can learn coping skills and find further resources for mental health assistance.

“Our goal has been to bring the services to the schools, instead of relying on parents, or services in the community to fill these needs, and we think schools are an ideal place to reach out to students and serve them, and they might not otherwise receive these services,” Polo said.

All the collaborators of Project STRIDE agree that a strong presence of diverse school counselors is crucial for the mental health benefits of CPS students.

“As much we can get counselors, specifically diverse counselors in the school serving our students, the better it will be for everyone involved,” Ockerman said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DEPAUL NEWSLINE (Clockwise from left) DePaul faculty Autumn Cabell, Antonio Polo, Melissa Ockerman, (bottom row) Alexandra Novakovic and Rebecc a Michel collaborated on the proposal.

Idea Realization Lab sparks creativity, inspiration across DePaul community

By Lauren Coates

Between a full load of classwork, parttime – or full-time – jobs and attempts to maintain some semblance of a social life, trying to pick up a hobby as a college student is not easy. Whether it is budgetary constraints, time crunches or just flat-out knowing not where to start, discovering a new passion can be difficult. For students seeking a new hobby or creative space, DePaul now has the Idea Realization Lab (IRL).

Opened in 2019, IRL is a “creative makerspace” that offers the DePaul community a space to explore the creative arts. Some of the equipment offered include screen printing, woodworking, embroidery and 3D printing materials. The IRL’s website describes the facility for “student-driven initiative to promote the pursuit of thinking through making within the DePaul community.”

According to Lab Coordinator and adjunct film professor Ben Kumming, the mission of the IRL is to encourage DePaul students to explore their creative side in a unique, personal way.

“IRL represents a different approach to education in that it wants the students to make things and experiment with physical objects — to try to do things and fail, and learn from failing. I think that's a really healthy way to approach, not just education, but life in general,” said Kumming, who has worked at the facility since its inception in 2019.

According to Kumming, it was the unique approach to learning that originally drew him to working at the IRL.

“It was more about the ideology and the philosophy behind it, I didn’t necessarily have any particular skill in any of the processes we have at the IRL,” Kumming said.

Kumming is not the only staffer at the IRL who was drawn in by the facility’s creative atmosphere.

Amanda Rau, a DePaul sophomore and part-time lab moderator said the energy and philosophy of the makerspace is one of its most attractive qualities. Between the massive floor to ceiling windows that give a beautiful view of the city, the constant buzzing of sewing machines and woodshop gear and a live feed connecting the Loop location with Lincoln Park, the IRL has a unique, undeniably creative atmosphere that many students said adds to its charm.

“It’s super laid back,” Rau said. “We’ve got fun music going, a lounge area and a very collaborative feeling space. We have a wall with community members’ work, and the place is filled with student projects.”

But even with a staff eager to welcome new students and creatives into an atmosphere that encourages risk-taking and positivity, employees of the IRL said there is still a large chunk of the DePaul community un-

aware this resource is at their disposal..

“A few of the other spaces on campus are reserved for people in certain majors— like the cage downtown, or camera equipment and sound equipment, that's mostly for film or animation majors,” said Ada Peters, a DePaul junior and lab moderator. “And I get that, it falls in line with the notion that ‘Oh, this space is probably just for hardcore artistic people.’ But it’s not! Anyone can come in, and the great thing — this is what I tell people — is that the materials are covered by your tuition. You can use any and all of it.”

According to Peters, the impressive roster of machines and materials makes IRL an ideal resource for DePaul students looking to explore and expand their creative hobbies.

“3D printers are definitely one of our most popular offerings,” Peters said. “Same with screen printing. We also have the ability to make stickers or vinyl cut in general, where you can make heat transfers that stick to shirts. We have woodshop stuff, lots of saws. We have laser cutters, general crafty materials, lino cutting to make your own stamps, vacuum forming, soldering and electronics stuff. At the IRL downtown, there’s a tufting gun, you could make your own rug. It’s crazy the volume of things that exist there.”

In addition to all kinds of equipment available for free use, the IRL staff offers free classes to help the DePaul community learn how to use the many machines available in the maker space.

“At the IRL one of the things that we do to encourage learning is run workshops on how to use some of the more complicated or potentially hazardous tools and machines. But we have a lot of resources that students can just walk in and help themselves to or ask our staff for a quick overview of how to use.”

But the classes are not limited to complicated machinery, either. IRL regularly hosts workshops geared toward creative, unorthodox projects.

“There's a specific series called The Fun Friday workshops, where every Friday there’s some interesting little thing you can make,” Peters said. “I ran a pajama pants workshop last February. There have been days where it’s like ‘Today we’re making pickles. We’re gonna learn how to pickle stuff.”

Even if you are not interested in taking a class or picking up a new skill, staffers still encourage the people to drop by the IRL and experience the creative community.

“You’ll meet some interesting people and find one of the coolest spaces on campus. It’s really active and dynamic, full of projects that other students have made. If you’re in need of inspiration, just going to the lab shows what’s within reach,” said Kumming. “None of the things we’ve got in there are made by professionals. It’s really inspiring to see what your peers are capable of because it means that’s also what you’re capable of.”

For anyone in the DePaul community interested in visiting the IRL, it is as easy as showing up to one of their two locations in Lincoln Park or the Loop and swiping your DePaul ID.

Contributing Writer

SARA CABRAL | THE DEPAULIA

(Left) Amanda Rau, DePaul sophomore and part-time lab moderator, and Annie Gidionsen work in the Idea Realization Lab (IRL) at a desk station.

SARA CABRAL | THE DEPAULIA

Emily Kirk drills into a wooden box they are creating in the Lincoln Park IRL makerspace.

“IRL represents a different approach to education in that it wants the students [...] to try to do things and fail, and learn from failing.”

Ben Kumming Lab Coordinator and adjunct film professor

Opinions

PRIDE HOT TAKES

It's the last issue of the quater, and it's June. This double wammy combo has brought out one of my favorite spacefilling wonders, hot takes! As I bid farewell to the opinions section, I remind you all to contribute all of your opinions to The DePaulia at opinion@depauliaonline.com

White queers are, first and foremost, white. I can hide my queerness, but I can’t wipe off the Brown. They need to remember that when they interact with queer people of color and women of color especially.

Being a part of one queer identity does not give you the right to say slurs / hateful things about other parts of the community.

@TAYLORSWIFT | INSTAGRAM

Why I’m not surprised or disappointed by Taylor Swift’s complacency

By Ruchi Nawathe Nation & World Editor

Taylor Swift made her debut at 15 as the sweet, blonde girl next door who sang about her ex boyfriends.

Today, Swift has a reputation in her fandom for befriending fans, loving her cats and being all-around “unproblematic.”

Taylor Swift is one of the largest in the world, and she has undeniable influence with her platform.

That is, until she started allegedly dating Matty Healy, lead singer of The 1975. Healy is known for being racist, going on a podcast and admitting to watching torture porn of Black women and belittling drill rapper Ice Spice, making fun of her looks and hair.

Fans understandably feel betrayed by Swift’s actions, but my question is, is it really all that surprising?

Non-white Swifties have been calling out Swift for her white feminism for years, as well as her inability to call out the many actual white supremacists in her fan base.

Swift is currently in Chicago for her “The Eras” tour, bringing in thousands of fans.

The only times Swift was “political” was in 2018, when she endorsed a democratic House candidate for her home state, Tennessee, and again in 2020, when she showed her support for the Biden-Harris campaign.

Swift has yet to say anything about her alleged boyfriend’s racism, and instead, in the midst of controversy, proclaimed on stage that she is the happiest she has ever been at a concert in Foxborough, Mass. on May 20.

Recently, Swift has been employing queer people and people of color as love interests in her music videos, as well as hiring non-white backup dancers and singers in her tours.

Swift also recently collaborated with Ice Spice, a move that many found incredibly distasteful since she has yet to say anything about Healy’s comments towards the rapper. Ice Spice is the first woman of color Swift has ever collaborated with.

It does not matter who you are, but who you choose to surround yourself with says a lot about you. If you willingly date a homophobe, you are homophobic. If you willingly date a racist, you are racist. By surrounding yourself with bigoted people, you indicate to others that this does not impact your moral code enough to distance yourself from someone.

Don’t get me wrong, Swift is a feminist, but only when it concerns her. She will always call out sexism in the industry, but chooses to remain silent about issues that impact women of color and low-income women.

Last year, Swift was called out for being the largest private jet polluter in the world, taking 170 flights and producing more emissions in one year than most Americans would in five lifetimes. People of color and Indigenous people are the most impacted group by climate change.

Swift was called out by others in the industry for her more than questionable behavior. The Weeknd, a Black pop singer, called her out for allegedly repeatedly petting his hair and white-splaining his own music to him while she was drunk.

She was called out for dressing up in colonial African style for her “Wildest Dreams” music video, which was filmed in East Africa but has mostly white actors. Many stated that Swift was living out her colonial fantasies in the music video.

During the Black Lives Matter protests of summer 2020, Swift tweeted out in support of the movement, but faced backlash for not doing enough with her platform to support the issue. Other than the tweet, Swift has remained silent on the issue, and it is unknown whether she went to any protests or donated any money.

Calling out Swift will not do anything to solve white feminism as a whole, and it will not impact her career in any way, but it is important to be hyper critical of the people we choose to give a platform to, and hold them accountable for their actions.

The queer community needs to stop being disappointed with women who are bisexual that are dating men. That is literally the whole point of being bisexual is the attraction to both sexes.

Being queer can't hide the fact that you have no personality.

Speculating about celebrity's sexuality is weird and gross.

This year's pride has to be more than a celebration. It needs to be political.

DePaul's celebration of Pride is disingenious because of their connections with the church.

I don't think Katy Perry has kissed a girl.

It's really disapointing when you don't like the colors of your own flags.

Your outfit is not "Camp," it's just bad.

Girl in Red is just not that good.

Seniors reflect on their time at The DePaulia

By eR ik ueBeLackeR Former Editor-in-Chief

The DePaulia was instrumental to my growth as a young journalist. It was also a blast. As a journalism student, the most important thing we can get is a platform. The DePaulia gave that to me. I was a green 20-year-old writer when I started writing for the paper. I left with experience covering critical elections, writing feature stories about incredible people and breaking campus news critical to my peers. The fact that I was writing stories that people actually read was

an incredible feeling, and one that I felt immensely grateful for as an amateur journalist.

I was thrust into the editor-in-chief role after just a year at the paper—it was terrifying— but I was carried by a staff of fellow students that were as motivated and talented as I hope to be.

Working with them was a pleasure every week, and I made some of my closest friends as a result. The day I left was heartbreaking. Even as I move into the professional world, I’m not sure I’ll ever get the authentic newsroom experience that The DePaulia offers. I’ll be forever grateful for my time there.

By a mBeR stouteNBouRough Former Multimedia Managing Editor

I began my journey at The DePaulia with a rejection email. Looking back, I’m glad I was rejected the first time because it pushed me to prove that I was worthy of a job as an editor.

I devoted the past two years of my life to The DePaulia. In that tiny, overheated confined office in the basement of the DePaul Center, I discovered both the pinnacle of my stress and the most cherished of memories. Assuming the role of

multimedia managing editor at The DePaulia was undoubtedly a pivotal moment in my career.

At first, our managing team appeared to be a haphazard assembly of individuals with seemingly contrasting personalities and leadership styles. I think we all thought Marla was crazy for choosing us, but she knew something we didn't at the moment. The four of us brought so many opposite strengths that complemented each other, and we

became a cohesive support system to bring together our paper.

I’m so grateful for the other managers because this job was definitely not an easy task. A lot of the time, it was rough. Late nights in the office on Sundays just to run the papers the next morning, and no matter how much time we spent editing all 28 pages, something was always amiss. Nevertheless, we picked ourselves back up each Monday, ready to face another weekend of unexpected findings and exceptional writing.

By PatR ick sLoa N-tuRNeR Former Online Managing Editor

If I took everything I learned in every journalism class I’ve taken at DePaul and added it together, it wouldn’t equate to half of what I’ve learned working at The DePaulia. It’s made my grades worse, lessened my chances of a social life and upset my dog, Parker, for the long hours I’ve spent in the office away from home. But, it’s all been worth it and then some.

It’s been an honor to be a part of the managing editorial staff this past year and is something I will miss. More than anything else, I’m grateful for the support I’ve gotten from peers for the tough, critical stories I’ve written. No matter the risk my reporting has posed to our outlet, the staff has ensured they get published.

Drive fast, take chances, break news.

By LiLy Low Ndes Former Social Media Editor

My roommates recently told me that journalists seem very intense. While I was at The DePaulia, I was frequently rushing around, talking about whatever story I was reporting on, and furiously typing out stories on our living room couch. While I initially had mixed emotions, my roommates’ observation wasn’t wrong. Journalists are intense, especially when they are cutting their stories a little too close to a deadline. In all seriousness,

I’ve seen that intensity at The DePaulia. Sometimes the intensity is related to deadlines,, but mostly I see the intensity in the drive and passion our staff has for reporting stories for the DePaul community.

As social media editor, I read every single story we ran to plan our social media posting strategy. Going through all of the features, investigations, opinions, reviews and news articles was the easiest part of my job.

I loved reading the paper because I knew how much work went into every

single story, photo, art and spread. I saw the work that was put in on Fridays and Sundays in the office, but I knew that even more time was spent going out and talking with members of the community, researching facts and creating a compelling visual for each story.

Being a part of student media can be intense. Journalists can be intense. I can be intense too, but we are intense because we care.

Big things are coming to The DePaulia next year. I am so proud of our staff and I know things will only get better from here.

By k aR a ZuBo Former Copy Editor

I joined the The DePaulia staff as a copyeditor this year not really knowing what to expect. I’m not a journalism major and my biggest connection to newspaper-related work previously was watching “The Post” with Meryl Streep. However, I love to write and I will admit to being weirdly obsessed with grammar, thus this position gave me a healthy outlet to correct it and partially stop correcting my loved ones.

I have had the privilege of reading

about half – the other half to my co-copyeditor and AP style wizard Amber Corkey – of all the stories published in The DePaulia. From this, I have seen writers’ astute approach to informing their audience while simultaneously letting their voice and style shine through. Working on The DePaulia staff has been so beneficial to my own writing and I applaud the courage of those able to publish theirs. Writing in my opinion is such a vulnerable activity even when writing stories on the routine antics of DePaul.

Working with a team of such passion-

By PR estoN ZBRosZcZyk Former Asst. Sports Editor

The DePaulia is so much more than a student-run newspaper. When I arrived on my first Friday at the paper I was nervous and awkward. Not knowing what to do or except.

As I walked in for my last Sunday as a member of The DePaulia, it isn't awkward or nervous, instead comfortable and having a sense of appreciation for the people I've met and the work that has been done.

ate young writers and editors has raised my confidence for my writing and I am in awe of how much material these people are able to produce. The work ethic is insane. In all seriousness, I am grateful for my time at The DePaulia and all the skills I have gained from my time here. To those writers like myself who may be intimidated or nervous about contributing to The DePaulia, I urge you to do so. If you choose to, just please, for me – a humble copyeditor – do not use semicolons or the Oxford comma.

The work is challenging at times, but The DePaulia has prepared me for what the real world is like. I've learned to do things that get me out of my comfort zone, which might not sound good at first but will help in the long run.

Being the assistant sports editor this year was an exciting experience, where I built relationships and got to feel like I was on a real beat covering DePaul sports.

As I finish my last week of college

I can't help but reflect. Coming to DePaul and being a part of The DePau -

lia was something I'm glad I worked toward and became better at. Things can pile up and become overwhelming. Wanting to be a part of everything and not miss out, but it's good to take a step back at times and not get caught up in a million things.

For future sports writers, keep covering all sports. I learned to appreciate the sports that weren't men's basketball and at times found some of the best stories in sports you wouldn't expect.

Focus 15 Years of excellence

By The DePaulia

“If you’re going to do it, do it right. If you’re going to hype it, hype it with facts.”

Staff to break into a newsroom. Still, she remained determined and found work with Lerner Newspapers, covering the city’s far North Side before eventually becoming the editor of a paper in Highland Park.

This line from “All the President’s Men” recently, spoken by Robert Redford, brings to mind The DePaulia’s trailblazing advisor, Marla Krause.

After 15 years of tirelessly showing us how to “do it right” as our fearless leader, Marla is retiring, making this issue of The DePaulia her last.

Marla’s career is a decorated one, and her ensuing retirement is much deserved, but for us, her departure is bittersweet. We are losing a champion of student journalism and an educator who has taught us to “do it right” more than any other professor in DePaul’s journalism department.

Chicago-born, Marla is one of many journalists to make a name for herself, cultivating so much journalistic talent, though she’s also proved a pioneer in the industry.

After graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and earning her master’s at the University of Chicago, Marla experienced gender bias in the industry, as it took her a few years

It was then that she broke into the daily newspaper business, getting a job as a copy editor at the Milwaukee Sentinel. After just four months, she returned home when the Chicago Tribune hired her as a copy editor.

Marla was the first woman journalist in the Tribune’s sports department that employed around 50 men at the time. She was later promoted to Copy Chief, essentially running the editing side of the morning sports section. Over the years, she was lead editor of the afternoon edition’s news section and later oversaw the paper’s bi-monthly special magazine sections.

Being part of major editorial decisions at the Tribune, Marla was present for many discussions regarding influential stories featured in the story over the years like the death of Mayor Harold Washington and the Challenger shuttle explosion.

In total, Marla spent 22 trailblazing years at the Chicago Tribune.

In 2007, DePaul offered Marla a teach-

ing position, and a year later, she took on the role of The DePaulia’s advisor.

Both as a professor and our staff’s leader, Marla is tough but fair. Her own experiences as a Jewish woman journalist in an industry historically dominated by white men has made her tough as nails, a quality she’s passed on to many of us.

More than anything else, Marla is loy al.

She is loyal to all of those who’ve had a byline in our paper. Over a span of 15 years – decorated with countless award-winning stories and The DePaulia issues – time and time again, Marla goes to bat for us.

She fights for her students, and as she heads into retirement, it is that part of her advice that will be missed the most.

While she is small in stature, believe us when we say, you do not want to pick a fight with Marla. Our condolences to anyone who has unfairly criticized one of her students’ work over the past 15 years, but also, you probably deserved Marla’s wrath.

There are mixed feelings throughout the journalism department and the Col lege of Communication towards Mar la. From afar, many see her as one who

Urban

of that, it will always do the same for us.

What she does indeed jump at – and does so more than any other faculty in the department – is the chance to tell the truth. Marla is not afraid of anyone, and if she believes in your reporting, she will have your back no matter who comes to criticize. Whether it be another professor, a dean or the university’s president, Marla spends little time worrying about who will be upset by our truth-telling.

By far, this fearlessness is the most valuable quality she is instilled in all of us.

Marla cannot be replaced. Her shoes are simply too big to fill. Still, as the college readies to select a new leader for our paper heading into its 100th year, we hope administrators and leaders in the journalism department see the critical value of an advisor who is willing to hold DePaul accountable like Marla did.

Marla spent

Marla is from Chicago and recieved her degree from University masters at the University of Chicago.

Urban Farming

excellence

Washington’s death.

Truth does not always feel good, but it is necessary. Whether our next advisor understands the importance of telling hardtruths or not, The DePaulia staff certainly will because that’s what Marla taught us.

To Marla:

Our gratitude for your tireless effort, loyalty and overwhelming support cannot be accurately characterized with words on this page. Thank you for molding us into the hard-nosed, bulldog-like truth tellers that we are. It is because of you that this paper has become a heralded institution that unwaveringly holds DePaul’s leaders accountable.

They might not miss you, but we sure as hell will.

There are not many who have what it takes to toe this line of DePaul professor and The DePaulia advisor like you have. Not many are as tough as you have been these last years. That thought recalls one more line from the film version of Woodward and Bernstein’s story, said to the duo by another journalist in the Post’s newsroom.

“I guess I don’t have the taste for the jugular you guys have.”

No, they sure don’t.

22 years working at the Chicago Tribune as the first woman journalist in the sports department.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and earned her

La DePaulia

Vivir auténticamente:

ARTISTAS DRAG DE COLOR CREAN SU PROPIA FAMILIA AMOROSA

Por Cary robbins Editora de

Una multitud bañó a un grupo de artistas drag con billetes y ovacionados en el césped justo afuera de Comfort Station, era claro que esto era más que una celebración. Era un espacio seguro donde podían ser ellos mismos; ser auténticos.

Los cinco artistas drag compartieron sus historias y abrazåaron su autonomía mientras actuaban en el primer espectá culo “Drag Me To Life” el mes pasado en Logan Square.

Aunque fue una noche llena de di versión, Cindy Néro, la coordinadora de los espectáculos y talleres en línea “Drag Me to Life”, los cuales se enfocan en ayu dar a nuevos artistas drag a iniciar sus car reras en Nueva York y Chicago, se tomó el tiempo para recordar a los miembros de la audiencia las realidades no expresadas que enfrentan los artistas drag.

“El drag no es barato”, dijo Néro. “Es un pasatiempo muy costoso para mí en este momento”.

Los artistas drag, especialmente los más nuevos, a veces pueden ganar solo en tre $30 y $50 por show, lo que les dificulta ganar un salario digno. Algunos también pueden gastar cientos de dólares en ma quillaje, accesorios y trajes, agregó Néro.

Con el apoyo de otras organizaciones comunitarias, como Voice of Purpose, Néro proporcionó a los artistas un kit de inicio que incluye maquillaje, una peluca y la opción de un sujetador o almohadillas para las caderas, para así ayudar a reducir los elevados costos.

Otra dura realidad que experimentan los artistas drag es la necesidad de crear un espacio seguro para personas de color y aquellos con discapacidades, ya que se encuentran en una escena dominada por

artistas blancos y sin discapacidades.

“Viajar es difícil para mí como persona discapacitada porque la única línea de [tren accesible] es la línea rosa”, dijo Pinky & the Brain Damage, uno de los artistas drag. “Todos los bares gays están en North

que las personas no quieran incluirles.

“Siento que mucha gente tiene ideas preconcebidas sobre mí porque me asignaron mujer al nacer, porque soy un drag king y porque soy discapacitado”, dijo Pinky. “La gente tiene todas estas suposi-

que hacían que la masculinidad fuera “divertida y atractiva”.

“Los mexicanos hacen que la masculinidad sea tan hilarante... burlándonos de eso, burlándonos del machismo en México, porque ¿qué más vamos a hacer?”, dijo

CARY ROBBINS | LA DEPAULIA Spirit Apotheosis fue recibido con aplausos durante su interpretación de “Electric Love” de BØRNS en la primera presentación en vivo del evento “Drag Me to Life.”

Noticias, La DePaulia

CARY ROBBINS | LA DEPAULIA

Cindy Néro, coordinadora del primer taller de “Drag Me to Life,” fue cubierta de dinero durante la presentación en vivo en el césped afuera de Comfort Station.

Cosmo Dragón interpretó “Thank You for The Music” de ABBA durante la primera presentación en vivo de “Drag Me to Life”.

“Drag me to Life” fue una oportunidad para que Diamond hablara sobre su pasado religioso, incorporando partes de su identidad actual.

“Puedo ser gordo y actuar. Puedo ser visiblemente trans y actuar. Puedo y actuar”, dijo Diamond.

Spirit Apotheosis, otro artista drag, nunca pensó que encontraría una comunidad cuando comenzó en el drag, pero logró elegir su propia familia a través de los talleres.

“La comunidad y la familia que también obtuve del programa fueron realmente valiosas para mí”, dijo Spirit.

Spirit dijo que estaba agradecido por haber tenido un espacio para que los artistas drag de color compartieran sus experiencias y se sintieran cómodos siendo ellos mismos.

“Se hizo muy evidente que había una necesidad de

Néro espera continuar el programa el próximo año y expandirlo a una sesión de 15 semanas, incorporando nuevas lecciones, como un día de baile drag y enseñanza de costura básica.

Aunque al principio se sentía nerviosa de que el taller no fuera tan exitoso como esperaba, Néro se dio cuenta rápidamente de que estaba llenando un vacío “para explorar el drag en un ambiente seguro y afirmativo”.

“He construido una familia drag y también estoy construyendo una red o comunidad drag, personas que comparten los mismos valores de querer superar todo lo que está sucediendo, lo que estamos atravesando en este momento colectivo”, dijo Néro.

comunidad en la forma en que todos compartimos nuestras historias”, dijo Néro. “Todos nos estábamos afirmando y validando mutuamente nuestras experiencias; algo que siento que no habría obtenido en ningún otro tipo de taller”.

Los intérpretes Spirit Apotheosis y Pinky & the BRAINDAMAGE apoyaron a sus compañeros artistas drag con aplausos junto con el resto de la multitud en la primera presentación en vivo del evento “Drag Me to Life”.

“ Todos nos estábamos afirmando y validando mutuamente nuestras experiencias; algo que siento que no habría obtenido en ningún otro tipo de taller”.

Cindy

Néro Coordinadora de Drag Me To Life

CARY ROBBINS | LA DEPAULIA

El intérprete Flaming Homosexual habló sobre encontrar poder en el arte del drag antes de su actuación en la primera presentación en vivo del evento “Drag Me to Life”.

CARY ROBBINS | LA DEPAULIA

El nombre de usuario de Néro en Instagram es @la.cindynero, si quieres conectarte con ella.

CARY ROBBINS | LA DEPAULIA

Arts & Life

Fruity Party roots queerness in nature

By Claire Tweedie Staff Writer

Scattered between the raised plant beds and gardening tools, students share fruit and swap stories at the Fruity Party. The event on June 1 hosted by DePaul Urban Gardeners (DUG) and the LGBTQIA+ Resource Center kicked off Pride month in the comfort of the fenced garden on the corner of Belden and Bissel. With an array of fresh fruit, the queer centric event helped root community among the garden’s greenery.

“It was heartwarming to have so many people there to celebrate Pride,” said Grace Gallant, senior and co-head of operations of DUG. “It was a celebration of not only everything our ancestors did to get us where we are today but also for ourselves being out here, being queer and being loud and proud. It was beautiful and magical to be in that space with other [LGBTQIA] people.”

This is the second annual Fruity Party and the first year DUG partnered with the LGBTQIA+ Resource Center. Sophomore Branton East, a community engagement assistant at the LGBTQIA+ Resource Center, said working with DUG allowed both organizations to share their resources and spaces. It also gave each of the groups’ members a chance to connect over shared identity with people they may not normally interact with.

“We wanted to connect more people to our center from [DUG] and create a better sense of community within these different walks of life,” East said. “Community looks very different for different people so while I feel comfortable being in the resource center, it's definitely a very different vibe than putting on a cute outfit and going to the garden with that club.”

Gallant organized the event both years. They said the inspiration originally came from the fruit parties they held in high school with friends, where each person would bring fruit, dress up and meet in a picturesque area to hang out.

“When I joined the DUG board last year and I had this place to make space for people and throw parties, I started thinking about the term 'fruity' being used for gay people,” Gallant said. “It kind of inspired me to have the Fruity Party in the garden being used to celebrate Pride.”

Zoharia Drizin, a first year graduate student and president of DUG, said this year’s turnout more than doubled in size compared to last year. She attributes this to the changes in Covid-19 safety protocols, which allow more people to be on campus full time and able to engage with clubs in person.

“People are sick of being stuck inside so they want to be out gardening and working with the soil,” Drizin said. “This year we also have a lot more club infrastructure and resources like tables, chairs and people to make this big of an event even possible. There’s a much more structured board, government model and communication system that makes us a lot more successful.”

Senior Audrey Champelli attended the event after hearing about it from DUG members in her horticulture class. She said the queer ecology-related storytelling during the event interested her the most.

Queer ecology is a new scientific theory that aims to separate environmentalism from heteronormative ways of thinking by using a queer theory perspective.

“[I attended] this event because I'm in environmental science and studies classes felt like a way to get involved and hang out with other people where the only barrier to entry is related to my own interests already,” Champelli said.

East said the ties between queerness and nature lie in the intertwined history of the two and the consequent stereotypes that evolved. Flowers and herbs are often used as symbols related to queerness.

“Looking back at history, queerness was often coded in nature,” East said. “When I think about nature, I think about its concealment and how it can be so disregarded at times just like queerness. There's a lot we can learn from nature in the way it still prevails.”

The Greek poet Sappho is one of the first documented lesbians in history and often used flower metaphors in her poetry to express the beauty and love of women. Oscar Wilde wore green carnations in his lapel to symbolize his queerness, a fashion choice

paralleled by Elliot Page on the 2021 Met Gala carpet with his green rose lapel.

Events like the Lavender Scare from the late 1940s through the 1960s saw the discrimination of LGBTQIA+ employees from their government jobs and positions. Many were fired or forced to resign from their jobs because of their sexuality, a similar moral movement to the more well-known Red Scare. Lavender became a symbol and color for rebellion against homophobia.

“Nature is very gay,” Gallant said. “On a personal level I know that being gay is natural and beautiful. As a community we are constantly changing and growing just like plants and flowers. We wanted to talk about that interconnectivity of us as gay people and the nature that surrounds us.”

The leftover fruit scraps from the event were used as compost for the garden.

Drizin hopes the event brings more awareness to the club and encourages more people to see the space socially rather than

just for gardening.

“The organization is slowly growing with the interest and participation,” Drizin said. “We’re behind this looming brown fence that does create a nice sense of enclosure from the outside world, but it also means people don’t know we’re growing, harvesting and donating produce. We want to learn from this experience but we need people to know we’re here first.”

Gallant said next year they hope to increase the amount of fruit to account for the growing turnout.

“At DUG we want everyone to be loved, supported and accepted,” Gallant said. “Being able to hear a bunch of people talk about gay love, what they're proud of, and the people in their life who have shaped who they are today was so beautiful. Making space is essential for building community and connecting people is simple once you get everyone together.”

UNA CLEARY| THE DEPAULIA

Students mingle around the DePaul Urban Gardener's (DUG) Fruity Party hosted in the group's garden to kick off Pride Month in L incoln Park on Thursday, June 1.

UNA CLEARY| THE DEPAULIA

Students sit in a circle and read queer poetry at the DUG's second annual party, hosted by DePaul's LGBTQ+ Resource Center.

UNA CLEARY| THE DEPAULIA Dayna Pinskey (left) serves herself fruit provided by the club.

Batter & Berries serves up gratitude and good food

By Samuel mroz Staff Writer

Housed in the neighborhood of Lincoln Park, it would be hard to miss the awning of yellow and purple atop the Black-owned breakfast locale, Batter and Berries (B&B).

For many, this is a sight to look forward to, as crowds tend to line out the door, with each customer waiting for their spot to dine in the restaurant.

Awarding this patience, B&B is quick to treat its patrons.

Customers are immediately greeted by an interior paved with bright walls and even flashier merchandise, as the decoration alone could be enough to draw in an audience.

However, people come here to eat and talk, as the space facilitates both facets.

A staff composed of apt bussers, attentive servers and welcoming hosts work to uphold these values.

Amidst this positive chaos, an onlooking manager sets this bar of service from open to close, stepping in wherever he is needed.

Frederick Williams, manager for B&B, has worked at B&B for over 10 years, having learned lessons of profession and life while at the restaurant.

“Gratitude sets the tone,” Williams said.

“Gratitude and perspective have given me confidence, insight and wisdom that things often will and do work out. B&B has established a culture of feeling good, happy and content and it’s something we set out to replicate each day.”

It was nearly 11 years ago that Tanya and Craig Richardson established a new but inviting breakfast joint on Lincoln Ave.

Their shared dream, built by a family with open arms to any cook, server or customer that wanted in the doors, was first founded through the couple’s limited schedules.

Craig, a former sales rep for State Farm, was tabbed with a standard 9–5 work week while his wife Tanya, a physician in practice, led a less orderly agenda.

Rarely finding space between their calendars, the mornings seemed to be the only time the two were free.

Thankfully, they shared a love for food that would soon fill these open hours.

They would go on to scout the city for its breakfast scene, with weekly dates turning into tradition as the couple ramped up their outings.

Finding numerous cultures and styles under an umbrella of customer service, every visit offered something new. In time, they too thought they had something to add.

With a vision built off the principles of supporting local business and community, the couple’s first step in establishing a brand was in finding its name.

Settling on B&B, they needed an artisan to support the creation of their cuisine.

It would be the talents of Chicago native Ken Polk who would ordain their back-of-house with over 25 years of culinary experience.

This knowledge would carry over to the menu, as both Richardson’s and Polk began to create their staple offerings.

Breakfast being their claim to fame, an assortment of sweet and savory, often fusing the two together, became the space’s trademark.

Cheese-crusted hashbrowns, spicy pork sausage and butter infused with maple syrup were samples of what would be

available at the new location.

But, they still needed a standout item.

Finding a totem that would utilize both ends of their business name, brioche was their answer.

A roster of flavors in mixed berry, strawberry, lemon French and caramel French made up their World Famous French Toast Flight, with a little extra panache being left over.

That excess was put to use in making The Super Flight, an offering that would add a fifth style of toast that would change with each week, with customers able to purchase this version for only a few dollars extra.

In all this work, their pursuits seemed cemented, but they still lacked a location to house their efforts.

They first aimed for a spot on the South Side of Chicago but failed to find any luck in accommodation.

With owners less willing to sell towards a cause as erratic as the restaurant business, the couple would take their sights north.

A change in scenery would end up paying off in no time.

Finding their new home along North Lincoln Avenue, the Batter and Berries family would open their doors in 2012.

Carried by a unique menu and welcoming environment, the brand has since seen no sign of slowing down, both in and outside the city limits.

Last month would see them open a second location in Olympia Fields, a south suburb of Chicago.

This move was a decade in the making. The next stop along the brunch train is already in the works, as the couple has made plans to open a location on the West Side of the city.

Craig Richardson, of the B&B duo, commented on the business’s values and how it has carried the brand thus far.

“My three favorite words are please and thank you,” Richardson said.

“Just in saying these words acknowledges that someone is putting effort into helping you do something. Everything I’m going to ask you to do is in the benefit of the restaurant, and that benefit trickles down.”

With a staff that has stuck around since opening, these words have gone a long way.

The B&B family continues to grow with the promotion of new locations. The same standard of loyalty between employees and management is found in those that come to dine.

“I can’t get enough of Batter,” said Jessie Carnegie-Toutant, DePaul freshman and breakfast patron.

“It’d be a shame to not give this place the attention it deserves, especially knowing that it’s some of the best breakfast I could ever get.”

In creating its trickling effect of positivity, from owners to staff to customers, B&B serves the community by providing a space to practice community.

As the business continues to expand its reach, the Richardson’s are set on the mission of Batter and its growing family.

“People are just people,” Richardson said.

“We all have good and bad days, so why not always make an effort to say please and thank you.”

CREDIT TO @ BATTERANDBERRIESON INSTAGRAM Batter & Berries located in Lincoln Park is best known for its breakfast dishes.

CREDIT TO DOM N' THE CITY

The popular restaurant recently opened a new location in Olympia Fields.

The Lincoln Park location has operated for over 11 years and is a neighborhood staple.

CREDIT TO @ BATTERANDBERRIESON INSTAGRAM

Editor Pick: Pride edition

By lilly K eller Arts & Life Editor

Suppose you’ve been following along with my DeJamz or other media recommendations. In that case, you must be on the edge of your seat, biting your nails with anticipation at the thought of what I could possibly suggest for my favorite queer media. Taste this good may be hard to find at DePaul, but fear not, my dear readers, I have arrived to provide you with my favorite LGBTQ+-centric music, book, television show and movie to enjoy this pride month so you will never have to suffer through “Call Me by Your Name” again.

Album: “Big Time” by Angel Olsen

Oh yeah, we’re going country. If you don’t know, I’m obsessed with anything gay and Western, so it should be no surprise that Angel Olsen made the list. Emulating the influences of Skeeter Davis and Hank Williams, “Big Time” roots itself in the tough and tender genre of country music that I’ve come to love. An album radiating with grief, longing and the urge to be loved, “Big Time” is the perfect collection of songs to simultaneously cry and line dance to this Pride month.

Book: “Brokeback Mountain” by Annie Proulx

While clocking in at only 55 pages, “Brokeback Mountain” is one of the most moving, well-written pieces of queer literature I’ve ever read. It doesn’t matter if

'Everyone's Crushed:' embracing absurdity, finding beauty in the paradox of life

By CormiCK CoSTello Staff Writer

Oh my word, the human existence is an irrational one. From the confusing sprawl of one’s individual state of being, to the external events that life throws at them, a common – and quite frankly understandable – reaction is a dispirited “why?” Despite this, man’s perpetual need for rationalization is only a curse in an existence of absurdity, and is not an answer to life’s throes.

Instead, the most beneficial reaction is to truly accept the seeming lack of coherence in the world, and only in that can one attempt to attain happiness. Water From Your Eyes achieves this thought in their new album “Everyone’s Crushed,” combining disjointed melodies and choppy instrumentals with curious lyrics, creating a musical emblem of absurdist philosophy.

Made up of vocalist Rachel Brown and producer Nate Amos, Water From Your Eyes have been making music together since 2016, but until now they have not put out an album with such a clear thematic through line: accepting the paradoxical nature of life.

Despite numerous lines of lyrics that seem to make no sense at all, Brown conveys their mind fantastically, the difficult lyrics working in favor of their absurdist attitude. “One, two, three, four / I count mountains,” Brown sings early on the track “Barley,” communicating a sense of severe

unattainability. The music itself is bewildering, as guitar lines of varying dissonance buzz in and out over a “Bull In the Heather” like an egg shaker. It sounds like the inside of Sisyphus’s head if he had multiple peaks to scale.

Just like the character from the myth, Brown still decides to push the metaphorical boulder, despite the fact that the end goal of a perfectly happy and harmonious life is impossible. Although knowledgeable of this impossibility, they still hold onto to a sliver of hope, finding satisfaction in the continuous journey. Because Brown has submitted to this fate they are frustrated with those that have not done the same, as seen on “True Life.” In it they tell the story of someone who has pessimistically given up on the passage, stating “You won’t even ask the question / heaven / can I make it / recreate it / bend and shape it till it ends again.” In juxtaposition to the song’s subject – whose submission to rational thought has hindered them from happiness – Brown has twisted the world’s definition of irrationality on its head by trying to achieve a goal as impossible as heaven.

Much of Water From Your Eyes’ ability to accept the absurdity of life is in their capacity to succumb to the effects of love. An attempt at an explanation of love, or why one loves something or someone, often results in an astonished silence. Just like the world they live in, Brown’s experiences with love are illogical, and because they understand this they are truly able to

feel it, to a grand extent. Brown solidifies that “everything is love” on “Everything’s Crushed,” exemplifying an enlightened association with the feeling, allowing them to exist in harmony. “And with everything to love / so anything goes,” Brown states as the song divulges into glitchy perplexity.

Brown also shares more intimate moments of love on “Everything’s Crushed”, specifically in “Remember Not My Name,” which focuses on a more interpersonal connection, whether it be with a lover or a friend. Stylistically, the song pairs well with subject matter, as it plays like a love ballad, utilizing a slow dance tempo and the album's most melodic elements. The story’s characters know and love each other very well, and because of this they are unfortunately able to dig wounds into each other of a depth that the average person couldn’t.

you’ve seen the movie or not: you need to read the story. Not a single word is wasted, and each page carries the weight of a novel. There may be no happy endings to find in “Brokeback Mountain,” but I guarantee your life will be fundamentally changed.

TV Show: “What We Do in the Shadows”

If you’re looking for something digestible, funny and unapologetically queer, FX’s “What We Do in the Shadows” is for you. Detailing the routine of a group of gay vampires living in Staten Island, WWDITS manages to be ridiculous, wholesome and moving, all in 20-minute episodes. The definition of a comfort show, you won’t regret your Hulu subscription after watching this certified banger of a show.

Movie: “My Own Private Idaho”

We get it. Keanu Reeves is your favorite actor. First of all, you will never get it so, don’t strain too hard trying to grasp my love for Reeves. Secondly, this movie defined my adolescence. One of the most gorgeously written films, it’s no surprise why “My Own Private Idaho” is considered a landmark film in New Queer Cinema. Coming from the same vein as Ang Lee’s 2005 “Brokeback Mountain,” “My Own Private Idaho” will leave you silently crying in your room at 3 a.m. as Fmovies assaults your phone with popup ads of milfs in your area.

Despite the fact that love is Brown’s form of reconciliation with life, it has also caused them insurmountable pain. There is a maddening cyclicality to the nature of love and life, that causes one to constantly move through its effects. 1. Life is painful, and this makes it difficult to proceed 2. Love can help one to persist 3. Love often, if not always, causes pain. Brown does not discredit the instability of the thing they cherish most, though, instead they note that said instability is exactly what makes the human experience so beautiful. “There are no happy endings / only things that happen,” Brown sings on the album's final track. So, when stuck in a bout of trying to find meaning in life, do what Brown does and go to sleep and wake up and keep on living.

PHOTO FROM IWIKI

Water From Your Eyes' released its most recent album, "Everyone's Crushed" in late May.

'Fire Emblem Engage:' Bipolar bloodshed

By JaSon Fennell Contributing Writer

The primary goal of a modern, Switch-era “Fire Emblem” (FE) game is to find a balance between strategy gameplay, where units clash in turn-based combat on a grid-like battlefield, and socialization, where the player spends time bonding with the members of their ragtag army. “Fire Emblem Engage” treats these two ideas — as well as all its tertiary ideas — with varying levels of seriousness, and the result is a highly polarized experience.

The Positives

The strategy gameplay is the most fun that I have ever had in a “Fire Emblem” game. The return of the Weapon Triangle, a system where different weapons are strong or weak to each other in a rock-paper-scissors configuration, adds a lot of depth to the game even though it seems like a limiting mechanic on the surface. With an abundance of weapons, stat-boosting items and power-enhancing Emblem Rings, I never got bored of a level halfway through.

The graphics, which lend themselves to the more colorful anime artstyle that Art Director Mika Pikazo is known for, are another highlight. In the four years that have passed since their last FE game, developers Intelligent Systems figured out

how to make full use of the Switch’s hardware. The battle animations are all quite dynamic, and the 2D character portraits that were previously a staple of the series are barely missed in “Engage” thanks to the improved 3D character models. In order to show off the environment art, the player now has the option to run around the battlefield after a level is complete. This is a pretty shallow mechanic, but it adds a touch of immersion to a game that is sorely lacking it otherwise.

Support conversations are “Engage’s” way to learn more about the characters. When the player has raised the bond between two characters high enough, they are able to watch a cutscene where those two characters have a conversation, revealing more about their personality and backstory to each other. These support conversations tend to start off trivial, but as the game progresses, they become deeper and more compelling. Some characters get more focus than others, but they are all likable enough and reasonably well-written. However, the way that “Engage” handles its characters is unfortunately one of its flaws.

The Negatives

Although “Engage” has passable characters, it does not offer enough opportunities for the player to get to know them. The Somniel, a floating island which serves as the player’s home base, is an un-

derwhelming hub world. All of the Somniel content is essentially optional, which is a double-edged sword: The voluntarism lets the player choose how to play, but it also gives the developers an excuse to give up on creating an experience that players would actually want to choose. Characters show up in the Somniel, but they will very rarely have anything relevant to say pertaining to the events of the game. This fact, in combination with the conspicuous lack of worldbuilding, removes a lot of the motivation for the player to connect with these characters.

“Engage’s” biggest flaw, though, is its impressively bad story. Not content with simply being boring, the writers seemingly attempted to sabotage the game’s plot at every turn. Characters sometimes have completely different personalities be-

tween cutscenes. Random lore with huge story implications is introduced in the final level of the game as an afterthought. Time travel, always a risky plot device, is used so poorly and inconsistently as to seem almost parodic. In short, there is very little enjoyment to be had from the main storyline, even in a so-bad-it’s-funny sort of way.

The Verdict

Is “Fire Emblem Engage” worth it for $60? If you are a hardcore fan of strategy role-playing games who cares about gameplay over everything, then absolutely. If you need the backdrop of a believable, intriguing fantasy world in order to get invested in the rest of what the game has to offer, then probably not.

MAYA OCLASSEN | THE DEPAULIA

St.Vincent’s

D e JAMZ

“Spinning freSh beatS Since 1581”

Freshman year - “When You Were Young by The Killers”

Sophomore year pandemic :(“Hard Times by Paramore”

I wanted my last article for The DePaulia to represent what's most important to me: the DeJamz. This time, I had to beg Lilly but she finally budged and allowed me to write my final DeJamz for The DePaulia. Since it’s my last, I’m going to pick a song that sums up each year I’ve been at DePaul. It’s been an interesting turn of events these past five years in Chicago and I’m not sure 18-yearold and 23-year-old Amber would be friends or even like each other, but I think my younger self would be proud we didn’t quit.

Let me set the scene: it’s fall of 2018. I enlisted in the Army Reserves on top of joining ROTC and I moved to Chicago for my freshman year. My year consisted of 5 a.m. runs and late night conversations in the common areas of Munroe hall. I was naive but determined and had no idea what my future in Chicago would be like. I used to be really big into 90s rock, and would always blast The Killers in my little dorm room (sorry Emma). “When You Were Young” felt exactly how I romanticized my freshman year life.

I honestly don’t know how she did it, but 19-year-old Amber was living a very full life: ROTC (which took up most of my life), sorority life, a community service job, working out two times a day and getting straight A’s in school (rip my GPA now). We are going to call this preCovid Amber, or maybe just manic. This song was one of my top songs in 2019. I remember walking back late at night to my apartment in fall quarter and blasting this song feeling like this was going to be the hardest time in my life. Poor kid.

Junior year - “Just a girl by No doubt”

Okay Amber, we get it. You have internal rage from how men in the military treated you, and now it's difficult for you to create meaningful relationships with men as a result. Well here’s another song that emulates exactly how I felt after years of my male counterparts demeaning every instruction I put out and making my life a living hell during my time in the military, just for them to hit me up after I left. Not that your comprehension skills are up to par, but if you are reading this, I hope you feel stupid.

Senior year - “Time Moves Slow” by BADBADNOTGOOD

This was the easiest song to choose because this was my top song for 2021 and perfectly exemplifies what I thought was my final year. It was chaotic, hopping between bar jobs, working at the Depaulia, trying to leave the military and catch up after struggling in school. But at the same time, it felt painfully slow, all of the nights I was extremely exhausted hoping to be close to the finish line. It felt like time was moving so quickly and yet took forever at the same time.

Grad School - “Psycho” by Jenny Lewis

This year I think has been the most impactful for my growth. I have never felt more supported and sure in my life of where I need to be and what matters the most to me. I don’t think I ever expected to stay for Grad school, especially because I can’t afford it but after three years of “unprecedented times”, I’m glad I stayed to finish what I started.

a mBer STouTenBorough Managing Multimedia Editor

Strus makes NBA Finals, why it’s important

By Tom Gorski Sports Editor

COMMENTARY

DePaul basketball has not been a significant presence in the national scene or a source of NBA talent in recent decades, but as of recent, the program has seen a resurgence of productivity at the next level with Max Strus and Paul Reed.

Strus has earned himself a starting role with the Miami Heat as he’s played a critical role in the team’s success that earned them a spot in the NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets. The former Blue Demon has become the 12th player in school history to appear in the Finals.

The 6-foot-5 shooting guard has averaged 9.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists along with shooting 33% from beyond the arc in 19 games during Miami’s 2023 playoff run.

WBB adds three players and two coaches for 2023 season

By Preston Zbroszczyk Asst. Sports Editor

DePaul women’s basketball finalized its 2023-24 roster of both players and staff, as its coaching staff added two assistant head coaches and two players in a matter of a week.

Kate Clarke, Grace Carstensen, Katlyn Gilbert, Sumer Lee, Brynn Masikewich, Shakara McCline, Charlece Ohiaeri and Michelle Sidor round out the new incoming players.

Ashton Millender and Bradley Bruno were added to the Blue Demons coaching staff. Both had previously coached and played under head coach Doug Bruno. Millender, a former standout from 2014-

and continue the success of DePaul women’s basketball.”

A notable player that has committed to DePaul is the 5-foot-10 guard Gilbert. A former Missouri and Notre Dame player from Indianapolis, Gilbert has a total of 83 career games played and 39 starts. She has a career average of 7.6 points per game in her collegiate career.

She was a McDonald’s All American in 2018 after averaging 18 ppg at Heritage Christian High School.

Masikewich joins the Blue Demons squad with one season left of eligibility after spending her time at UCLA. From Calagry, Alberta in Canada, she appeared in over 33 games for the Bruins and only one start as she battled injuries in her

tility.

Making up for the scoring from Darrionne Rogers and Aneesah Morrow will be key for Bruno and his squad next season.

Fans have even taken to social media to give thoughts on how the team could get past the players who have left and bring in the new season.

“The only way to remedy that is to reset and get back to running sets that encourage more ball movement and more motion,” said the owner of a popular DePaul sports social media account, who requested anonymity. “Try to get shooters open and play more of a team game.”

From Las Vegas, Nevada, Ohiaeri is a freshman joining the Blue Demons team at 6-foot-1 and helped guide her Centennial High School to three-consecutive state championships.

Clarke, another Michigan University transfer, joins teammate at DePaul Michelle Sidor as they both played in Ann Arbor.

With three seasons left of eligibility, Clarke brings a shooting ability that the team will miss after the departure of Kendall Holmes.

His most efficient playoff performance came in game one of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics on May 17, when he scored 15 points and three rebounds, while shooting 60% from three.

Strus has earned himself a contract extension with Miami after working his way up as an undrafted free agent, but more importantly a reputation that perceives him as a long lasting player in the league.

Making the playoffs not only is a great accomplishment for Strus individually, but it will also bring attention to the DePaul program as a whole. For years, DePaul has been an afterthought around the NBA and college basketball landscape, but as of recently with his success, it could open a pathway for others to follow in his footsteps.

Just because a prospect goes undrafted, it does not mean his story is over and Strus has proven his will, grit and grind to make it at the next level.

DePaul’s men’s basketball program has not had much impact on the NBA recently, as its most known player has been Wilson Chandler, who was drafted 23rd overall in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks.

19 returns to DePaul after serving as a graduate assistant for the 2022-23 season.

“Ashton Millender was a key contributor as a player, leading DePaul to five NCAA Tournaments including a Sweet 16 appearance,” said Bruno. “Ashton did a fantastic job this season as a graduate assistant, after spending three summers as one of our best camp coaches while also playing professionally for three years.”

For Bradley Bruno, he returns after two seasons as an assistant coach at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. While there, he served as a post positional group coach, overseeing recruiting efforts and assisting with all aspects.

“I’m so grateful to be back at my alma mater,” said Bradley Bruno. “DePaul is such a special place with amazing people and resources. I can’t wait to hit the ground running to help develop the student-athletes both on and off the court

sophomore and junior year.

She was a four star recruit coming out of high school in Lincoln Prep. Masikewich brings her 6-foot-3 frame with experience playing in the PAC-12.

“I chose DePaul because of its long-standing legacy and how the program continues to establish itself heading into the future,” Masikewich said. “I am excited to continue learning under the amazing coaching staff and look forward to their help as I continue to expand on my game. I am planning on studying communications and media arts which is a passion of mine outside of basketball.

I’m excited to develop lifelong friendships with my teammates and being part of the city culture and environment that Chicago has to offer.”

After losing seven players to the portal from the 2022-2023 season, DePaul lost guards, forwards and lots of versa-

“Kate Clarke Is an excellent threepoint shooter,” Bruno said. “Like so many of our DePaul Ball three-point shooters, Kate has the versatility to get to the rim and has an excellent intermediate game. Keeping with our transfer portal philosophy, we had a previous relationship with Kate having recruited her out of high school.”

As the Blue Demons look to move on to build something new for the 2023-24 season, DePaul will see a large number of new faces.

Looking to get back to winning ways in Bruno’s upcoming 38th season is the goal for DePaul along with an eventual NCAA Tournament appearance.

“I think the new roster will make a huge change next year,” Jonatha Keeton, DePaul women’s manager, said. “Losing our one two punch is big but we have the talent and hard workers to fulfill those roles. We want to do one thing next year, and that’s win.”

The only other Blue Demon drafted in the NBA Draft has been Paul Reed, who was taken by the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the 2020 NBA Draft, which marks a 13-year draft drought.

Nick Ongenda is set to enter the 2023 NBA Draft and similar to Strus, could find his way into a favorable situation with a contender that can develop him and help reach his potential. Both Strus and Reed found themselves with arguably two of the most stable organizational structures in the league and their development shows.

While Strus’s story may inspire some aspiring players it is still unlikely to dramatically alter the perception of DePaul as a basketball program and consistently attract top recruits. Reviving the program’s presence in the national basketball landscape will require sustained success, consistent development of players and a track record of producing NBA-caliber talent.

@BRYNNMASIKEWICH | TWITTER

Graduate forward Brynn Masikewich is the team’s seventh recruit for the 2023 season. She averaged 1.7 points last season at UCLA

“I chose DePaul because of it’s longstanding legacy and how the program continues to establish itself heading into the future.”

Brynn Masikewich Graduate forward

Onto the league:

Ongenda officially stays in NBA Draft, leaves DePaul after four years

By Tom Gorski Sports Editor

DePaul standout center, Nick Ongenda, will forgo his final season of college eligibility and remain in the 2023 NBA Draft.

The Canadian native took to his Instagram story on Thursday morning posting, “Here to stay, it’s officially time.” This cryptic statement suggested that Ongenda was set on pursuing his professional basketball career in the NBA.

This is the second straight year Ongenda declared for the NBA Draft. He was unable to workout for NBA teams last year due to travel issues from his home in Canada, resulting in him returning this past season.

“I think that I may have been the only one on DePaul twitter that wasn’t convinced he was coming back,” said DePaul junior Tim Anderson. “Nick tested the waters last year when he declared for the draft, but never got to go through the process due to travel issues and never worked out for any teams. To me, that was a sign that he was going to try again. The NBA is where all these players are trying to get to, and despite a small sample size this season he must have felt this was his best opportunity.”

Ongenda has spent the last four seasons with the Blue Demons, appearing in 82 games and starting 37 of them. He averaged 6.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game during his DePaul career.

At DePaul, Ongenda made his presence known on the defensive end, ranking fourth all-time at DePaul with 135 blocks, behind Dallas Comegys (198387), George Mikan (1942-46) and Paul Reed (2017-2020).

Ongenda missed 25 games with a wrist injury and saw eight games prior to the Big East Tournament, but made an instant impact. The 6-foot-11 big man

averaged 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.4 blocks per game after returning from injury this past season.

His best performance of the season came on Feb. 14 against St. John’s where he made his season debut, recording 11 points and six rebounds, a career-high eight blocks and two steals.

The biggest moment for both Ongenda and the team came when he blocked

Seton Hall’s shot as time expired to secure DePaul’s first round victory in the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden on Mar. 8.

Ongenda regularly trains in Florida and spends most of his offseason time there preparing for the NBA Draft and has recently worked out for the Dallas Mavericks and Milwaukee Bucks. Both teams are looking for depth at center and

could be a fit for Ongenda in the second round.

The Blue Demons starting lineup will look completely different compared to a year ago, with head coach Stubblefield being forced to rely on youth. Incoming freshman center Churchill Abbass has an opportunity to take over for Ongenda right away.

“I would be significantly more concerned about DePaul’s upcoming season if they had not brought in Churchill Abass,” said DePaul junior Ethan Baca. “I expect Stubblefield to put him in the starting five to complement the promising guard play. The team now needs another impactful big to have any hope of moving up in the Big East.”

It is unclear whether or not Ongenda is ready for the NBA, but his decision shocked a lot of people due to the fact that he is likely to go undrafted. Similar to other DePaul alumni, he has an opportunity to be the next Blue Demons product to make an impact in the NBA alongside the likes of current Miami Heat forward Max Strus and Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul Reed.

“It is unlikely that he gets drafted, given that there are only two rounds,” Anderson said of Ongenda’s chances of being drafted. “I do see a strong probability that he gets a summer league invite from several teams and has a chance to show what he can do over this summer. From there, a G-League contract is the goal. Like Max [Strus], he’ll have to show that he can make an impact at the next level and for a team that has the right combination of things going right and wrong to open an opportunity for him to jump to the NBA.”

The 2023 NBA Draft will take place on June 22 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York and even with there being a slim chance of him being drafted, Ongenda still could find a role at the next level to showcase his talents.

PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER | THE DEPAULIA

Nick Ongenda dunks during the Blue Demons’ 84-70 loss against Creighton on Saturday, March 4. Ongenda plans on entering his name in the 2023 NBA Draft, leaving DePaul after four seasons.

QUENTIN BLAIS | THE DEPAULIA Ongenda shoots a fadeaway against St. John’s during their 92-83 loss on Feb. 14.