A surprise Zoom birthday, a toilet paper scam
and sunny Saturday social distancing
Hello everyone!
Happy May! We’re Patsy, Grace and Cam — your Monday newsletter team — back with some updates, resources and stories. We also have contributor Jessica Rish with us this week to tell you all about quarantine birthday celebrations.
We hope you had the chance to enjoy that beautiful sunny, mid-70s weather this weekend (while maintaining social distance and participating in mask fashion, of course). Patsy and Cam both coincidentally bought bikes this weekend and biked a collective total of roughly 30 miles. Grace went for a walk.
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What’s the latest at DePaul?
Ah, the novelty of toilet paper. Since COVID-19 reached the U.S., the toilet paper shortage has caused some to take drastic measures — even responding to advertisements for it on Facebook. But according to CBS 2 reports on Friday, customers who thought they found a deal were actually victims of a scam which a DePaul student is allegedly behind.
“Obviously it’s wrong, but that’s hilarious people are buying TP off Facebook,” DePaul senior Colby Marchio (who was not involved with the alleged scam) told The DePaulia. “It’s sad how far people have to go to get a decent wipe nowadays.”
According to The DePaulia, Batavia, Illinois, police could not confirm or deny if charges were being pressed but they did say an investigation is ongoing.
In other news, philosophy professor Jason Hill has sued DePaul, claiming that DePaul launched a “campaign of intimidation and demonization” against him after the publication of his article in The Federalist, The DePaulia reported. In the article, Hill states that, “Israel has the moral right to annex all of the West Bank.” Additionally, he states that Israel has a “plethora” of moral reasons for annexing the West Bank — one of them being “Jewish exceptionalism.”
The lawsuit follows backlash Hill received from students and faculty, including a student-led request for censure, because they felt the article was calling for “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinian West Bank. It’s unclear if he was formally censured, though Hill’s lawsuit claims he was.
The suit also claimed that the alleged censure and the actions of the university students and faculty had “specific intent to damage Dr. Hill’s standing in the university.” The suit specifically names Scott Paeth, Faculty Council president, and Interim Provost Salma Ghanem.
In more positive news, it’s time to celebrate Louise Week! From May 4 to 8, DePaul students can follow along with activities on Facebook using the hashtag, #LouiseWeek and can also sign up to receive a daily Louise Week reflection email. St. Louise de Marillac was the co-founder (alongside St. Vincent de Paul) of the Daughters of Charity, a Catholic religious community of women. Her legacy is one of love during times of crisis and helping those in need. DePaul’s Division of Mission and Ministry offers ways in which students can learn from Marillac and provide mutual support for one another during separation.
Photo courtesy of the Division of Mission and Ministry
Want to learn more about the Daughters of Charity? Meet several living in Chicago.
What’s happening in Chicago?
On Saturday (remember when it was sunny and in the mid-70s), Mayor Lori Lightfoot warned Chicagoans that the city would fine people if they host parties during the coronavirus pandemic – she specified in her press conference today that it will range from $500 for individuals to $5,000 for promoters. Governor J.B. Pritzker also urged Illinoisians to adhere to the state’s stay-at-home order despite the sunshine in his Sunday press conference.
Around 200 protesters with the Open Illinois group gathered around the Thompson Center on Friday to call for the end of Illinois’s stay-at-home order, carrying signs and making speeches. A sign with a slogan of hate once used in Nazi death camps was criticized by Pritzker and the Auschwitz Museum and Memorial.
About 40 healthcare workers in protective gear showed up to counter-protest. One healthcare worker told Block Club Chicago, “I think they’ve never seen death or held someone’s hand while they died and it’s sad.”
Illinois saw its biggest testing day ever yesterday, with nearly 20,000 people tested between Saturday and Sunday. Today saw an increase of 2,341 confirmed cases, bringing Illinois’s number of confirmed cases to 63,840 with 2,662 deaths. Sunday marked 1,000 deaths in Chicago from COVID-19, Lightfoot said in a press conference today.
A U.S. district judge upheld Pritzker’s stay-at-home order as constitutional on Sunday after a complaint was filed Thursday by an evangelical church near Rockford. The church, which still held service on Sunday without police intervention despite the ruling, was seeking a temporary restraining order and injunction to resume worship services with its 80 congregants.
The Chicago Archdiocese announced Friday it is planning to resume mass with a 10-person limit, calling on a late provision (within Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance) to Pritzker’s extended order for “the free exercise of religion.”
Other Chicago News:
Restaurants ask customers to skip GrubHub and order directly from them to make up for lost revenue, by Block Club Chicago’s Joe Ward
UChicago experts say masks do not make up for social distancing, from Block Club Chicago’s Maxwell Evans
Hyde Park landlords are still moving to evict during shutdown, from Block Club Chicago’s Maxwell Evans
Arrests in Chicago have dropped by 75 percent since Pritzker issued his stay-at-home order – some officers say they are struggling to balance public health and public safety, from WBEZ’s Patrick Smith
Chicago’s largest food bank is expected to serve up to 1,000 households over the next five weeks with its expansion to the South and West sides, from WBEZ’s Natalie Moore
McCormick field hospital being phased out, from Block Club Chicago’s Kelly Bauer
If you don’t want to watch the news, here are the national headlines to know:
Based on modeling from the CDC, the White House is bracing for a possible rise in cases and deaths of COVID-19 — 3,000 deaths and 200,000 new cases every day by June, from The Hill’s Brett Samuels
The FDA has approved a coronavirus antibody test from Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche that reportedly has 100 percent accuracy, from Bloomberg’s Tim Loh and Catherine Bosley
Racial profiling is present in New York City’s enforcement of social distancing, from The Guardian’s Poppy Noor
J.Crew filed for bankruptcy today, signaling a potential wave of department stores that might follow suit, like JCPenney, Neiman Marcus and Sears, from CNN Business’s Nathanial Meyersohn and Chris Isidore
Google and Apple both have said today that they will not allow the use of location tracking in contact tracing apps, from Reuters’ Stephen Nellis. (Read more about what contact tracing apps could look like from The Verge’s Russell Brandom.)
The Senate is back in session today and parties are facing conflicts on legislative priorities, from NBC News’s Lauren Egan
In related political news, the pandemic is making it harder for reporters to cover Congress; The Washington Post’s Zach Cohen has more on the strategies journalists are forced to take to adapt
On to other news… a surprise Zoom birthday party
Turning 21 is a big deal for anyone. With the ceremonial retirement of the fake ID and the first legal drink; however, turning 21 in 2020 looks a bit different.
DePaul junior Elizabeth Wayne celebrated her 21st birthday from her parents’ house in Cleveland, Ohio, and missed out on some of the traditions that come along with reaching this iconic milestone.
"I've been looking forward to turning 21 for years," Wayne said. "I'm also one of the last of my friends to turn 21, so I was looking forward to being able to go to bars with zero stress with them."
Wayne didn't have many expectations going into her birthday, as she's not a big birthday person and the reality of the world washed away her wants for the big day, which were simple: spend the day with her friends in Chicago, lying in the park and then going out that night.
However, just because Wayne couldn't have the 21st birthday celebration she dreamed of didn't mean she couldn't celebrate. Wayne's best friend, Elise Scullin, who is also quarantined in Cleveland, teamed up with Wayne's friends to create a Zoom call celebration.
“I felt bad that she couldn't celebrate her birthday in the way I know she wanted to, and I knew how much it would cheer her up to see all of the people she loved in the same place," Scullin said.
However, Scullin had to make sure it was a surprise to ensure that it would be an unforgettable moment.
"I told Elizabeth my FaceTime was broken and that I needed to Zoom to show her something and when she wouldn't answer my text [so] I called her and said it was an emergency. I probably scared her, but I'm just impatient," Scullin said. "I don't think it measures up to what could have been, but I think, given the situation, it was a nice substitute."
Wayne was showered with love in an unexpected makeshift way, with three different Zoom calls with different close friend groups that were all a surprise and caught Wayne off guard in the best way possible.
"It made me feel so loved to see that everyone put in this time and effort to make sure I had a nice birthday," Wayne said. "I think all too often we forget that we are loved and cared for, so to be reminded of that especially during these times was really special. It was a really great set of memories that I'll remember for a long time."
However, once social distancing recommendations are over Wayne's belated birthday plans are simple, she said, "I will be getting drunk with all my best friends!"
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Wayne
Bored in the house and you’re in the house bored? Well same.
Hey hey, Grace here. Back with more quarantine shenanigans. This week, while I would love to take full credit for the beautifully curated list of movies below (made up by suggestions from over a dozen individuals), crowdsourcing credit actually belongs to my cousin — with whom I have quarantined for six very (very) long weeks. Everyone say, “Hi, Grace’s cousin,” (hi, Grace’s cousin). She says hi back.
While watching educational films might be good for one’s development it may not always be the move. Sometimes you really just need some light unrealistic entertainment to unwind. So to aid you in that endeavor we bring to you a list of romantic films to watch while you’re bored in the house and you’re in the house bored. Enjoy.
Eat Pray Love:
At a crossroads after a divorce, Elizabeth Gilbert (Julia Roberts) takes a year-long sabbatical from her job and steps uncharacteristically out of her comfort zone. In her wondrous and exotic travels, she experiences the simple pleasure of nourishment by eating in Italy, the power of prayer in India and the inner peace and balance of love in Bali. Based on a true story, Eat Pray Love proves that there really is more than one way to let yourself go and see the world.
The Theory of Everything:
Little was expected from Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne), a bright but shiftless student of cosmology given just two years to live following the diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) — or Lou Gehrig's disease — at 21 years of age. However, through his relationship with fellow Cambridge student Jane Wilde (Felicity Jones), Hawking became a husband and father to their three children and was renowned for his scientific theories. Through the portrayal of Hawking and Wilde’s marriage and academic renown, the film captures the essence of true love amidst inevitable pain.
Mystic Pizza:
Mystic Pizza charts the lives and loves of three waitresses in a little town called Mystic. For sexy Daisy Araujo (Julia Roberts), her sensible sister Kat (Annabeth Gish) and their wisecracking friend Jojo (Lili Taylor), the summer after high school is a summer they'll never forget. Slinging pizza at a local restaurant, the three girls share their hopes, dreams and plans for escaping their small town.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire:
Set in France in 1770, Portrait of a Lady on Fire depicts Marianne (Noémie Merlant), a painter, who is commissioned to do the wedding portrait of Héloïse (Adèle Haenel), a young woman who has just left a convent. Héloïse is a reluctant bride to be and Marianne must paint her without her knowing. She observes her by day and paints her secretly as her lust and love for her grow.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind:
After a painful breakup, Clementine (Kate Winslet) undergoes a procedure to erase memories of her former boyfriend Joel (Jim Carrey) from her mind. When Joel discovers that Clementine is going to extremes to forget their relationship, he undergoes the same procedure and slowly begins to forget the woman that he once loved. Directed by former music video director Michel Gondry, the visually arresting film explores the intricacy of relationships and the pain of loss.
Bored?
Take an online class about the 1815 Battle of Waterloo with former British Army household cavalry officer Alex Owens on Wednesday at 1:30pm CST
Enroll in the MoMA’s free online courses like “Fashion as Design” or “Modern Art and Ideas”
Watch Benedict Cumberbatch in the National Theatre’s free online version of Frankenstein
Set up every stuffed animal in your home and have a fashion show for them
Watch Supersonic, the 2016 documentary about the band Oasis, and email patsynewitt@gmail.com detailing your thoughts on whether Oasis deserves to be considered a meme just because of Wonderwall. She will respond.
Overwhelmed?
Contact Illinois’ Call4Calm mental health resources. Residents can text TALK for English or HABLAR for Spanish to 552-020 and the state will put them in touch with a counselor
Call 833-626-4244 for the NAMI Chicago Helpline or 833-TURN-123 for the Bright Star Community Outreach to speak to a mental health counselor
If it’s late at night: text HELLO to 741741. Crisis Text Line is a 24-hour hotline that serves anyone, in any type of crisis
Want to help?
Here’s Chicago organizer Kelly Hayes’ mutual aid form to sign up to help
Sign up to do senior wellness checks for My Block My Hood My City
Lost your main source of income?
Here’s where to apply for unemployment and here’s how to apply
Need financial assistance?
Need food or supplies?
Text 312-775-2391 or email LakeviewMutualAid@gmail.com for food, prescription pick-ups, caregiving, medical supplies and more – ”prioritizing folks who are sick, disabled, low-income, elderly, undocumented and Black, Indeginous and/or People of Color”
Thank you for sticking with us yet again. We hope you’re taking care of yourselves and staying hydrated. Say hi to your neighbors. Call a friend you haven’t talked to in a while. Listen to Miley Cyrus’s The Climb. Cry if you feel inclined.
Much love,
Patsy, Grace and Cam