14 East’s annual fundraiser, Election Day in Chicago and Sen. Durbin visits DePaul
where to vote tomorrow
Welcome back to ‘In the Loop’! It’s your newsletter team — Kate, Chinyere, Cary, Isabella, Lauren, Bridget, Grace and Sela — here on the eve of Chicago’s Municipal election.
Today’s newsletter is packed with voting information in lieu of tomorrow’s election for mayor, members of City Council and, for the first time in city history, members of the police district. We’ve got the latest on DePaul sports and headlines impacting the nation. Plus, our featured columnist shares her love for Jeni’s icecream in her weekly recommendation.
14 East launched our annual fundraiser earlier this morning! For the next month, our goal is to raise $3,500 to help enhance our reporting and resources for the next year. Keep reading to learn more about what a donation means to ‘In the Loop’/Special Project Editor Kate Linderman.
With that, let’s get into the news!
Support student journalism, support 14 East
By Kate Linderman
In nearly three years, 14 East has delivered 135 informational, resourceful newsletters to inboxes across the country. There were more questions than answers at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and this newsletter started hoping to provide some answers in a period of unknown.
To keep this community-oriented work going, 14 East and ‘In the Loop’ rely on the generous support of our donors to help offset some of the costs that go into running an online magazine and enhance our reporting. Today starts our month-long fundraiser to raise some of these funds. If you’ve appreciated 14 East by reading our work, and are in a position to donate, we’d really appreciate it.
Donate here!
We’ve covered communities all across the city and the university, amplifying issues and featuring incredibly amazing people. In the last year, our staff has covered the impacts of Roe v. Wade, reported in the field to bring a comprehensive “Sapphic Guide to Dating”, covered stories of the 2022 Midterm election and just some of the incredible bites many DePaul students enjoy.
In addition, we’ve expanded our multimedia reporting in the last year, making the need for more equipment necessary for our approximately 40-person staff. Our podcast, the B-Side, features current and former 14 East reporters to bring some of our favorite stories to a new medium. Additionally, we’ve even brought audio reporting to the field covering a Chicago Public Schools student walkout.
From short documentaries to risograph printing our issue cover, I could go on and on about how 14 East has provided endless opportunities for student journalists to report on many mediums and learn skills that have helped alumni kick-off successful reporting careers.
From ‘In the Loop’ to you, thank you for your support to this incredible magazine.
DePaul News
By Chinyere Ibeh
Senator Dick Durbin visits DePaul, speaks with student media
On Thursday, Majority Whip Dick Durbin spoke with Carol Marin, co-director of DePaul’s Center of Journalism Integrity and Excellence, and students from its Advanced Reporting course. The conversation featured both an off-the-record and on-the-record portion, the latter featured questions from student media. Recently, Vladmir Putin suspended Russia’s participation in the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty during the Ukraine war and 14 East’s Business Manager Lily Lowndes asked how the threat of nuclear warfare impacted the United States’ decision-making. Senator Durbin said that nuclear weapons are standing off and they aren’t currently involved with the war in Ukraine. Though, if they are used, Article Five of the NATO agreement will apply: “An attack against one or more [NATO countries] in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all.” Durbin also spoke about the ban on assault weapons, specifically if it could happen on a national level. He notes that we would need a change in public sentiment and that it will take a generational change for it to happen.
Two College of Communication faculty members piece together a mosaic image of the pandemic
Jay Baglia, an associate professor in the College of Communication, began taking photos of masks discarded on the ground during his commute to work and walks around the city. He eventually accumulated hundreds of these photos and he notes that the various backgrounds offered “the pandemic intersected with individual life.” Baglia spoke to Robin Hoecker, a College of Communication assistant professor and photojournalist, about his project. Hoecker’s work centers around how images are used to process trauma as well as periods of upheaval and systemic change. Hoecker eventually used a photo mosaic app and turned each photo into an interactive image that recreates a portrait of St. Vincent de Paul. Read Craig Keller’s full story for DePaul Magazine as well as the interactive image.
New Senior Vice President for the Division of Advancement and External Relations appointed
President Robert L. Manuel appointed Katie Fraumann as senior vice president for the Division of Advancement and External Relations, starting April 3. Fraumann has more than 20 years of experience building large-scale international capital campaigns for academic and athletic programs in higher education institutions. She comes from the University of Michigan, where she raised $35 million in new annual gifts for men’s basketball. She also raised more than $500 million for the “Victors for Michigan Campaign.” Fraumann’s love for service led her to co-found WOMAN, Woman of Michicagn Athletics Network. She launched the initiative to serve as a model of equity and inclusion. At DePaul, she will lead all fundraising and alumni relations efforts. Read the entire press release for all of the details of Fraumann’s hiring and her past credentials.
Lastly, here’s the latest in DePaul sports:
On Sunday, the Women’s Tennis won their fifth straight match, a 5-1 victory over Creighton. On Saturday, they won 6-1 over the University of Nebaraska Omaha
Softballs ended last weekend with a 7-0 win over Northern Kentucky in the Coach B Classic, but had a rough start with a 8-0 loss to SIU Edwardsville, and a 1-2 loss to Southern Illinois
Men’s basketball fell short against Marquette with a 90-84 loss
Women’s Track & Field placed second overall in the 2023 BIG EAST Indoor Championship while the men finished third
On Friday, men’s tennis earned 4-3 comeback against Army, following an earlier 2-4 defeat by Cleveland State University
Chicago Headlines
By Cary Robbins
Where to vote for tomorrow’s election— Tomorrow, February 28, is the 2023 Chicago municipal election, and the public will be able to vote for the city’s mayor, police district council members and city council members. The Chicago Board of Elections has created a digital database where people are able to verify their polling spots. People can enter their address and name in the database, and it will find their current polling place. Read more about where to vote tomorrow and how to register to vote with this guide by the NBC5 Chicago staff.
Block Club Chicago’s guide for mayor, police district council and City Council elections — Block Club Chicago has put together a voting guide for tomorrow’s elections. Reporters wrote about where all nine candidates running for Chicago mayor stand on certain issues, a list of all candidates running for Chicago City Council and a voting guide from the Police District Councils. There is a section of the voting guide where people are able to find their ward, compare candidates to see who is running in their neighborhood and their stances on issues. Read here for more articles about specific wards, candidates and how to vote.
Learn more about the police district council’s job and the candidates — Tomorrow, Chicago will elect 66 people to serve across the city as the police district council. The city has 22 police districts, and three police councilors will serve for four-year terms in each of the police districts. According to the Triibe, “they’ll be tasked with building connections between police and communities, developing community policing initiatives, getting community input on CPD policies and ensuring the citywide Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability (CCPSA) hears the community’s concerns.” The Triibe interviewed, researched and sent questionnaires to district council candidates. They compiled all of their research in an article. Read this to understand the importance of the police district council and where each candidate stands on issues.
Initiative Chicago 4 All providing resources for migrants living in Wadsworth School in Woodlawn — Hundreds of migrants moved into the Lawndale neighborhood in the closed Wadsworth School. There have been tensions between migrants and residents in Woodlawn, due to a lack of resources from the city government for the neighborhood in general. Some residents are frustrated, but others are supportive of initiatives to provide resources to migrants coming into the community. On Saturday, Feb. 25, volunteers and faith groups came together under the Chicago 4 All initiative to bring materials, emotional and spiritual support to migrants living in Wadsworth School. People are able to donate to Chicago 4 All. They are accepting cash donations as well as care packages. You can email info@chicago4all.org to learn more about donations. To learn more about Chicago 4 All and the resources they are giving, read this article in Block Club Chicago, written by Noah Glasgow and Maxwell Evans.
National Headlines
By Isabella Ali
Supreme Court hearing about Biden's student debt forgiveness plan — On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will begin hearing oral arguments in two cases that challenge the legality of President Biden’s student debt forgiveness plan. The program would cancel up to $20,000 in debt for as many as 40 million borrowers — a move the Biden administration says will address some of the “financial harms” caused by the pandemic. Since the plan’s announcement, multiple groups have sued and the Supreme Court has agreed to consider two of those cases. In one of the cases, six states argue the plan will cause them financial harm and that Biden doesn’t have the authority to cancel student debt entirely. In the second case, two individuals say that they, alongside the public, were denied “procedural rights.” Annie Nova of CNBC has the news.
12 states sue the FDA— Last week, twelve states announced they had sued the Food and Drug Administration, citing that its guidelines on mifepristone are too strict. Mifepristone, also called the “abortion pill,” accounts for more than half of the abortions in the US. Under current FDA regulations, doctors and pharmacies must be certified to issue mifepristone. Patients and providers also have to sign agreements that state the drug will be used to end a pregnancy. The 12 states’ lawsuit comes out of a Texas lawsuit looking to ban access to that drug nationwide. Dan Berman and Devan Cole from CNN have more.
US envoy to discuss climate change with Brazilian officials — Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry has arrived in Brazil to meet with VPs and ministers for climate talks. The discussion will focus on combating the climate crisis, reversing deforestation, and advancing the clean energy transition, among other issues. Secretary Kerry is expected to travel to Brasilia, Brazil, from February 26-28, Panama City, Panama from March 1-3, and Houston, Texas from March 6-7. For more about his visit, check out this statement issued by the U.S. Department of State. For more information on what is being done to stop deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest, check out this backgrounder by Council on Foreign Affairs analyst Diana Roy.
China’s stance on Ukraine — On February 24, the Chinese Foreign Ministry broke its long silence on Ukraine and proposed a 12-point peace plan for a “political settlement of the Ukraine crisis.” The proposal calls for peace talks, a stop to hostilities, mutual respect for one another’s sovereignty and the facilitation of grain exports, among other things. China's suggested peace plan has been questioned by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg due to China's failure to denounce the Russian invasion. He also discussed concerns that China may be considering providing “lethal” aid to Russia. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he wants to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss Beijing's proposal. George Wright and Jaroslav Lukiv from BBC have the news.
U.S. Energy Department’s new report on the origins of COVID — The U.S. Department of Energy has concluded with “low confidence” that the Covid-19 pandemic was “likely” caused by a lab leak in Wuhan, China. However, members of the U.S. intelligence community still remain divided about the virus’ origins, some saying it came from animal-human transmission instead. Marisa Dellatto from Forbes has more on this story.
Hey, Check This Out!
With Featured Columnist Lauren Sheperd
Hello everyone and welcome back! With the weather getting warmer (at least for now), I’ve been craving ice cream. My favorite ice cream spot near DePaul is Jeni’s Ice Cream on Armitage, just a few blocks from the Brown and Purple Line station.
There are nine Jeni’s locations in Chicago neighborhoods like Lincoln Park, Andersonville, West Loop and more. My usual Jeni’s store is open daily from noon to 10 p.m., but some locations are open later if you’re ever in need of a late-night sweet treat. Jeni’s is known for its somewhat fancy flavors that go beyond just the classic chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. Flavors include Brambleberry Crisp, Coffee with Cream & Sugar, and even Everything Bagel. Depending on if I’m in a chocolate mood or a fruity mood, my favorite flavors are Milkiest Chocolate and Lemon & Blueberries Parfait. Jeni’s also has great gluten-free and dairy-free options.
Jeni’s Ice Cream was started by Jeni Britton over 20 years ago. According to their website, their ice creams have “a uniquely smooth texture and buttercream body, with bright flavor and clean finish.” They take inspiration for their flavors from pop culture, history and other interests. Jeni’s even has a flavor called Biscuits with the Boss coming out on Thursday inspired by the show “Ted Lasso.”
When your first summer craving for ice cream comes, head over to a Jeni’s location and get yourself a scoop!
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