14 East launches short documentaries, on-campus emergency responses and the first public park in Roseland in 50 years
plus Day of the Dead festivities
Welcome back to ‘In the Loop’! It’s your newsletter team — Kate, Emily S. Abena, Kiernan, Citlali, Chinyere, Lauren, Emily F., Monique, Bridget and Richie.
Today, we’re announcing our newest project — short documentaries! You’ll also find information about the two emergency situations on DePaul’s Lincoln Park Campus last week, mental health referendums up for a vote in three of Chicago’s wards and recommendations
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That’s all from me today, let’s get into the newsletter!
The Chicago Minute: It’s Spooky (Footwork) Season
By Emily Soto with Abena Bediako and Kiernan Sullivan
Here at 14 East, we are always motivated and encouraged to take on new endeavors in order to find new and exciting ways to share the stories of people who make Chicago the distinctive place it is. For me, that has always been through our ability to make stories come alive with intriguing photos, imaginative illustrations and thoughtful voices. What I hope to do now is expand that ability through vibrant documentaries that showcase Chicago’s many different communities.
14 East has continuously been a place that has supported my goal. Without them, I would not be able to say we have built the environment and the team that has the skill to bring this to life.
With that said, I am so proud to announce the launch of The Chicago Minute. This short documentary series at 14 East aims to bring you the most unique features of people, groups and things around our city. We hope they are not only fun and interesting to watch but also guide you to something you may not have known about before.
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For our first episode, we present The Chicago Minute: It’s Spooky (Footwork) Season. The dance style which originated in the South and West Sides of the city stems from ‘90s hip-hop and juke dancing. The increased tempo of 160 beats per minute made this dance form different. But if the technical jargon doesn’t really make sense, all people need to know is — it’s fast.
At the Harold Cultural Center in Bronzeville, a small group of Creation Chicago dancers often gathers for practice sessions. They laugh, joke around and have fun with each other before getting to business and rehearsing more choreography.
Some may have seen this group in action at popular events like Bulls games or Lollapalooza, but for those who haven’t, they may recognize the crew as a few of the dancers from the iconic Michael Myers Returns with Friends footworking video. In the short sequence, viewers watch Michael, along with characters like Chucky, Pennywise and Freddy Krueger synchronize their moves to create a spooky dance that takes viewers back to the days of watching scary films.
We now talk with them to gain perspective of their world and what the video meant for footworking.
Produced by Abena Bediako and Emily Soto
Edited by Kiernan Sullivan
Filmed by Emily Soto and Kiernan Sullivan
DePaul News
By Citlali Perez
Voting rights: bridging research and action
On November 10, at 12 p.m., DePaul is hosting a conversation on voting rights following the election open to all DePaul community members. The keynote speaker is Ami Gandhi, senior counsel at Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights. DePaul faculty Noah Praetz, Christina Rivers and Mark Weber will present their research on the subject. RSVP here.
Bluekey multi-factor authentication
On Thursday, October 27, DePaul implemented an expansion of the Bluekey multi-factor authentication for students. Students will now have to authenticate their identification through Bluekey MFA when logging into Microsoft 365 apps with their DePaul accounts. The purpose of this expansion is to create a more secure technology environment according to DePaul Newsline. Click here for more information.
Lincoln Park Campus emergency responses
On Thursday, October 27 services from DePaul and the City of Chicago responded to two separate situations in McCabe Hall and Ozanam Hall which required residents to vacate temporarily. Vice President for Student Affairs Eugene L. Zdziarski sent out an email responding to an emergency that took place that afternoon including resources for students to reach out for support. 14 East has a list of mental health resources at the end of this newsletter.
Cindy Pikett to step down as associate provost
On October 25, DePaul’s Associate for Diversity and Inclusion Cindy Pikett announced that she accepted another position at California State Polytechnic University and will be stepping down effective Friday, December 9. According to DePaul Newsline, “In just two years, Pickett facilitated implicit bias training for hundreds of faculty and search committee members, and the diversity of the university's faculty hires has risen, with the latest cohort being 51 percent faculty of color.” A call for nominations for interim associate provost for diversity, equity and inclusion will soon be put out.
Lastly, here is your weekend sports update (Oct. 29-30):
DePaul men’s soccer lost 3-0 against Creighton on Saturday
DePaul women’s volleyball lost 3-2 against Butler on Sunday
Chicago Headlines
By Chinyere Ibeh
The Hideout will close until at least the end of the year — Owners confirmed the news in a statement sent out on Monday. The Bucktown music venue was accused of being a toxic workplace by a former employee. Local rapper Mykele Deville wrote on social media about his experience as program director at The Hideout. The allegations in that social media post led to events and shows being canceled at the Bucktown music venue. Quinn Myers reports on the story for Block Club Chicago.
Residents of three wards will vote on mental health referendums — On November 8, residents of the 6th, 20th and 33rd wards will vote on a nonbinding ballot initiative that asks if they want to reopen city-run mental health clinics. The initiative will also include a new dispatch system that will send mental health professionals and EMTs instead of police officers to mental health emergency calls. The referendum is part of a sustained effort by the Collaborative for Community Wellness to press the mayor and City Council to include funding for a citywide mental health crisis system in 2023. Max Blaisdell has the full story for The Chicago Reader.
City Colleges of Chicago faculty and professional staff agree to new union contract — The workers represented by the Cook County Colleges Teachers Union had been in negotiations with administrators for more than a year. Negotiations revolved around pay, class sizes and other educational supports. The workers had planned a strike for Wednesday, but they called it off after the new agreement. The nearly 1,500 union members at the seven City College campuses are expected to vote on the tentative agreement in the next few weeks. Chicago Sun-Times Nader Issa has the story.
Heights Park is the new public park in Roseland, the first in 50 years — The POP! Heights Park is the first public park for the Roseland community in 50 years. The space was a vacant lot on South Halsted owned by the Sheldon Heights Church of Christ. With funds from a Chicago Recovery Plan, community partners worked together to create the park. It’s one of 12 newly funded public spaces through the Public Outdoor Plaza program. Amenities include a stage and a roller skating ribbon. Angel Idowu reports on the full story for WTTW.
National Headlines
By Lauren Sheperd
Cases against Harvard and UNC bring affirmative action under attack — The conservative-leaning Supreme Court heard cases against the admissions processes at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. Both of these universities follow practices similar to private and public universities across the country – to take race into account when making admissions decisions. According to Justice Elena Kagan, these practices are “pipelines to leadership in our society” for minority students, and if affirmative action is deemed unconstitutional, minority enrollment rates in higher education will drop. However, those bringing Harvard and UNC to court claim the Constitution forbids the use of race in college admissions, and claim the practice is prejudiced toward White and Asian-American students. Mark Sherman and Jessica Gresko of the Associated Press have more.
Ex-police officer to stand trial for the shooting death of an unarmed Black man —A Michigan judge ruled today that former police officer Christopher Schurr will be tried for second-degree murder for the death of Patrick Lyoya, an unarmed Black man shot in Grand Rapids, Michigan in April. District court Judge Nicholas S. Ayoub said that there was “little doubt” that Lyoya’s death was caused by the gunshot wound inflicted by Schurr during the traffic stop. Schurr was fired by the Grand Rapids Police Department in June after a video of Lyoya’s death was released to the public sparking protests in the city where about 18% of residents are Black. If found guilty, Schurr could face life in prison. Christine Chung of the New York Times has more details.
Brazil’s new president could be big for climate — Leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won narrowly in Brazil’s presidential election against right-wing incumbent Jair Bolsonaro yesterday. Usually referred to as “Lula,” the new president made promises to reduce poverty and boost economic growth in Brazil. He also made promises to fight climate change by reducing deforestation in the Amazon Forest. Jenni Reid of CNBC details Lula’s plans for the country.
Charges filed against suspect in Pelosi attack — David DePape, who allegedly broke into Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco home in an attempt to kidnap Pelosi has been charged with assault and attempted kidnapping. DePape allegedly entered Pelosi’s home looking for the Speaker, but found her husband, Paul Pelosi, and struck him with a hammer. This comes after a surge in threats against politicians and candidates of both parties as the midterm election draws closer. Glenn Thrush, Kellen Browning and Luke Vander Ploeg of the New York Times have more details.
Hey, Check This Out!
With Pueblo’s Featured Columnist Emily Figueroa
The Day of the Dead kicks off November with a celebration for loved ones who have passed on. November 1 allows the spirits of children to reconnect with their families, and November 2 lets the spirits of adults join their families as well. Mexican families honor this holiday by creating ofrendas (altars) in their homes and covering it with the favorite items of those who’ve passed away. Marigold flowers, sugar skulls, photos of family members, and candles also make up the altar. These actions demonstrate affection and respect for the deceased family members and allow their memory to live on.
You can celebrate this holiday by stopping at Dulcelandia located at 3855 W Fullerton Ave. This Mexican candy store has the perfect sugar skulls to add to your ofrenda. Another addition to your setup can be pan de muerto, which is bread of the dead. At 3724 W Fullerton Ave, Pan Artesanal Bakery creates their bread with faces made of sugar that symbolize the deceased.
To help you create something long lasting, Painting with a Twist is hosting two events for Day of the Dead. At 2900 N Lincoln Ave, their studio offers painting classes for groups and individuals. The first class is on November 1 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. and the group will paint “Marigold & Rosa” on a take-home canvas. The second class is on November 2 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. and “Day of the Dead Girl” will be the piece to recreate.
The Time Out Market on 916 W Fulton Market finishes off the festivities on November 1. The night starts with a live guitar performance from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and is followed by Loteria from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.
These events are a great chance to make this holiday personal and to come home with a new memory of your family.
Resources
Need resources regarding cooling centers, rental assistance, abortion access, COVID-19 testing and vaccines or mental health? Check out our complete list here.
That’s it for today! See you next Monday.
The 14 East Newsletter Team