CARES Act, Phase 3, Remote Interning and Setting Sail for the Wilderness
Ahoy mateys,
Welcome back aboard the DePaul COVID-19 Updates ship, captained by your Thursday team — Associate Editor Meredith Melland and Event Planners Justin Myers and Mikayla Rose Price — and skippered by contributors Diane Bustamante and Jessica Rish. We’re glad to have you sailing with us. If you’re not sure why this is leading with a ship metaphor, we arrrrrrn’t either. Hey, at least this isn’t a cruise!
In 14 East’s 21st newsletter (*pops champagne*), we will cover a very cool DePaul event that we definitely aren’t biased toward, the CARES Act, the phasing in of Phase 3 in Illinois and how students are persevering through remote internships.
We do this because we think it's an important public service. But if you would like to support this work on Venmo @fourteeneastmag, or tell your friends to sign up for this newsletter — it'd be greatly appreciated.
What’s the latest at DePaul?
First up in DePaul news is…us! Tomorrow at 7 p.m. CST livestreamed from our Facebook will be our third annual 14 East Live event. It’s a night of storytelling featuring several talented creators — all centered around the theme of “wilderness.” Check out the Chicago Reader’s coverage of this upcoming event.
The applications for CARES Act funding are here but be aware. Many DePaul students found this question to be confusing:
Take care to read and reread it, and check “no” if you’re hoping to receive this aid. By checking “yes,” you allow DePaul to distribute your portion to other students in need.
Responding to questions posed by The DePaulia about the tricky question on the form, DePaul spokesperson Carol Hughes said, “There is no benefit to the university to withhold funds from students.” Beyond that, she did not provide any further comment about the question above.
The CARES Act was passed by Congress to provide economic help to several groups in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, including college students. Students must have completed the FAFSA and planned to take in-person classes this quarter to be eligible. DePaul students who are eligible and whose applications get accepted will receive $500 each in financial assistance. This monetary support is handed out on a first-come, first-serve basis (though the deadline is June 15), so be sure to get your application in as soon as possible — and read very carefully. The entire application takes less than a minute to finish.
Earlier this quarter, 14 East reported on DePaul’s Chartwells workers who were laid off because of COVID-19. The DePaul Community Accountability Alliance has since come together in support of those affected workers to advocate for their continued pay and support from the university amid the layoff. This week, they’re hosting an action week, which includes a schedule of community actions to advocate for the better treatment of Chartwells workers. They began yesterday with a video highlighting Chartwells workers and are working today to reach out to DePaul alumni to get their support. They end the action week tomorrow with plans to call in to DePaul representatives and to conduct a social media tagging frenzy to raise awareness and gain support.
In other end-of-the-year news, DePaul is hosting identity-specific virtual graduation ceremonies for campus cultural groups. A full list of those ceremonies and their times can be found here.
And finally, did you know that DePaul’s first remote learning degree was awarded in 1958 to Edward Fiori, Jr.? He was the third person in the country to receive a degree from learning remotely, and his experience wasn’t far from that of today’s students 42 years later — albeit with far fewer internet issues. Brittan Nannenga cracks open the university archives to dive into Fiori’s special case.
What’s happening in Chicago?
Tomorrow, Phase 3 will officially start in Illinois. Governor J.B. Pritzker announced that the state is eligible to reopen in accordance to Restore Illinois guidelines. Restaurants will be allowed to reopen their outdoor seating, but only if they have a roof and sit parties with six people or fewer. People will still be required to wear masks in public, but can now gather in groups of 10 or less. Gyms and health facilities will be able to have one-on-one training, or a group class of 10 people maximum. Retail, service counters and offices will be allowed to open, but with no more than half of their usual capacity. Pritzker still encourages remote work if at all possible for some businesses.
Chicago will also be moving on to Phrase 3 after all — just not the same exact way as the rest of Illinois. Originally, Mayor Lori Lightfoot was hesitant to put a date on when the city would join the state in reopening. Today, she announced Phase 3 will begin on June 3, just five days after the rest of Illinois. The biggest difference is that the city’s beaches, the lakefront, gyms, religious services and summer programs will still remain closed. Lightfoot has not set a date for when these will reopen yet, and said, “We’ll have to wait to see how these initial first steps go.” Libraries and certain park facilities will open on June 8.
Chicago’s Department of Public Health commissioner, Dr. Allison Arwady, said that the city has a 16.3 percent positivity rate of COVID-19. This means that 16.3 percent of people who have been tested are positive with COVID-19. Before reopening, the city wanted to reach a 15 percent positivity rate. While the city hasn’t yet, Arwady said it should by Wednesday. Chicago’s percentage is substantially higher than in other big cities — New York is at 6 percent and Los Angeles is at 8.
As of today, there are 1,527 new known cases of COVID-19 and 104 additional deaths, bringing the state total to 115,833 cases since the start of the outbreak. Illinois now has 5,186 deaths due to coronavirus complications.
Other Chicago News:
My Block, My Hood, My City needs volunteers this weekend to help give seniors personal protective equipment, by Block Club Chicago’s Jamie Nesbitt Golden
Two South Side organizations will use Chicago’s Violence Prevention grant this summer, by Block Club Chicago’s Jamie Nesbitt Golden
Today through the weekend, stream (for free!) a film fest made by West Side teens that includes films from around the world, by Block Club Chicago’s Pascal Sabino
Coronavirus is not helping diversify the weed industry, by Chicago Tribune’s Ally Marotti
Chicago-area workers are pushing to unionize, by Chicago Tribune’s Ally Marotti
In related national, and local news
On Monday, George Floyd, a 46-year-old unarmed Black man, died after saying he couldn’t breathe while being pinned down by a police officer in Minneapolis. Chicago joined other cities across the United States and protested in solidarity on Tuesday.
Chance the Rapper and Reverend Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Church helped organize and lead the protest outside of Chicago’s Public Safety Headquarters. “It’s specifically standing in solidarity with the people in Minneapolis that are grieving,” Chance the Rapper told CBS Chicago. Floyd’s brother, Philonise, has created a memorial fund for his family.
This comes as Black and Brown communities are being devastated by the coronavirus. They’re two to three times more likely to contract the coronavirus compared to white people.
If you don’t want to watch the news, here are the national headlines to know:
After ten weeks, 26 percent of U.S. workers have applied for unemployment. Last week, 2.1 million filed jobless claims, according to CNN Business’s Anneken Tappe.
Another month’s rent will soon be due at the end of May, making millions of out-of-work renters nervous. The New York Times’s Sarah Mervosh reports that while some government assistance has helped, evictions will soon be allowed in half of states.
The U.S. total of COVID-19 deaths this week surpassed 100,000 people — a staggering toll on the nation. The Wall Street Journal’s Daniel Michaels wrote that the U.S. and many other countries are likely undercounting by leaving off deaths of people with coronavirus-like symptoms who were not tested.
People gathered in Minneapolis on Tuesday and Wednesday nights to protest the death of George Lloyd, a Black man who died after being pinned to the ground by a police officer and said he couldn’t breathe. Though the protests have mostly been peaceful, tensions between protesters (some in masks), police in riot gear and the National Guard have escalated into violence, looting and fires. One man was shot to death, reports the MPR News Staff.
After Twitter labeled one of President Trump’s tweets with a fact check this week, today he signed an executive order to limit Section 230, the rule that protects tech giants from being held liable for the content posted on their platforms, reports The Washington Post’s Tony Romm.
In Zimbabwe and Malawi, hundreds of people have fled coronavirus quarantine centers, sparking manhunts and fears that outbreaks might increase and overwhelm Africa's limited health services, from AP’s Gregory Gondwe and Farai Mutsaka.
The European Union announced an $823 billion stimulus package that will attempt to help countries overcome a pandemic recession, reports Fortune and Bloomberg.
The Indian Health Service confirmed to ProPublica on Wednesday that it purchased 1 million respirator masks from a former Trump White House official that do not meet FDA healthcare standards. Navajo hospitals desperate for PPE are now in a worse spot, according to Yeganeh Torbati and Derek Willis.
It’s hot and sunny and you desperately want to barbecue, but should you? NPR’s Allison Aubrey, Lauren Wamsley and Carmel Worth assessed the risk of 14 summer activities.
In other news, a DePaul student completes a multimedia internship virtually
Internships are among the jobs affected as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many are being canceled, shortened, or converted online, throwing off students’ plans.
Ali Koch, a DePaul junior studying women’s and gender studies, feels lucky that her spring internship offer was not rescinded but adjusted to be remote. She is working as a multimedia production marketing intern for Girls in The Game, an organization dedicated to helping girls find their voice and strength through sports, health and leadership programs.
Koch, like other student interns, logs on to her computer for a day of virtual work.
“Being an intern at home has been stressful at times and sometimes no work at all,” Koch said. “I usually get an email explaining a video project that I have to complete, and I get sent multiple video files. I usually spend about two to four hours creating and editing footage.”
Photo courtesy of Koch.
Effective management and support through communication, responsiveness, collaboration and mentoring remain critical components of the internship experience.
“My supervisor has been very helpful and lenient with due dates. Usually, we communicate over email and sometimes Zoom. They have been sending me large video files with WeTransfer.”
When asked about the difficulties of interning online, Koch said, “Not being able to see the reactions of my supervisors, I’m always wondering if they like my work or not.” Another challenge is that as a production intern, she is not able to take new footage, but rather uses past work to complete projects.
Interning remotely can feel like a lesser experience because of the inability to be fully hands-on.
“I feel like I am being put to work, but they have not yet finalized the two projects I have been working on for them,” Koch said. “I feel like once it is published, then I will feel like I’ve contributed to the organization.”
Nonetheless, internships do remain valuable in resumes and networking.
The good news is that several organizations are adapting to remote work. Check out DePaul’s Job Board for upcoming summer and fall opportunities!
Here’s where DePaul students are ordering takeout from
Food delivery has always been a go-to for the days when you can’t just be bothered to cook for yourself. Now it is even more important to help local Chicago restaurants stay afloat during this time. Here are some of the places that DePaul students like.
A note before you order: Many restaurant owners request that you order directly from them, instead of through a delivery service like UberEats. That way the restaurant gets more of the profit.
1401 W Diversey Pkwy, Chicago, IL 60614
Phone: (773) 880-9119
Senior Emily Lindsey’s go-to place to order from is Cameron’s Ice Cream & Grill. It is a perfect place to get a nice dessert after dinner, but aside from having a large variety of sweet treats, they also specialize in diner food. “I’m partial to their strawberry shortcake and apple dumpling sundae. The portions are huge, and you can tell everything is made with love!”
4882 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640
Phone: (773) 248-6613
Junior Nunzio Peconio’s favorite place to order food from is Pick Me Up Cafe. Pick Me Up Cafe is a place that has something for everyone and is vegan friendly. Peconio recommends the buffalo chicken wrap with fries and a side of pesto mayo. “I’ve gotten the exact same order since I started going there.” Peconio also applauds the service, “The workers are extraordinarily nice, so I feel like it’s necessary to support them.”
1781 N Clybourn Ave, Chicago, IL 60614
Phone: (312) 397-9009
Junior Libby Brenizer orders from Jaimito’s Burritos, often ordering steak tacos with onions and cilantro at least once a week. “The employees are such hard workers and super friendly. They always get my order right, even with special requests. I believe they deserve all the business they can get,” Brenizer said.
2147 S China Pl, Chicago, IL 60616
Phone: (312) 808-1628
Lee Wing Wah is located in Chinatown and is a staple for Senior Edgar Lomeli. He usually gets the orange chicken and combo fried rice. “It’s always reliable and perfectly cooked every time,” Lomeli said.
1613 W Lawrence Ave, Chicago, IL 60640
Phone: (773) 516-4760
CoCo Vietnamese is a quaint spot that turns out Vietnamese favorites, including banh mi, pho and rice bowls. CoCo has become a favorite for Junior Maddie Blanz even though she has never been able to go to the actual restaurant. It is what she has been ordering the most as of late. “I get the pho tai, and it’s good because they are always timely, and the food is fresh.”
2056 N Lincoln Park W, Chicago, IL 60614
RJ Grunts is a Chicago classic and junior Becca Bersch’s favorite restaurant to dine-in at and to order delivery. Bersch has been lucky that RJ Grunts delivers so she can keep on ordering her classic dish from there, chicken strips and french fries, but sometimes opt for the French onion soup. “I really like it because it’s good food, and I want to support small businesses, especially during corona,” said Bersch.
3456 N Sheffield Ave, Chicago, IL 60657
Located in the heart of Wrigleyville, this is junior Andrea Torres’s favorite to-go place. Cozy Noodles n’ Rice is an affordable Thai restaurant that has something for everyone with a diverse menu and affordable price point. Torres recommended the crab rangoons, and the pad see ew with beef and said, “The crab rangoons are huge and delicious, and the dishes are big, too, usually enough to last you for one to two meals.”
What does the wilderness sound like?
This week, our playlist comes with a twist. In honor of our “Wilderness” virtual live storytelling event tomorrow, the staff has contributed songs that remind them of the wilderness. It includes Maggie Rogers, Perfume Genius, Fleet Foxes and more.
Bored?
If you’re walking around your neighborhood, iNaturalist can connect you to others by recording your observations, sharing it with fellow naturalists, and discussing your findings.
“How to Boil Water” series goes back to the basics of cooking with step-by-step instructions and recipes.
The Newberry Research Library in Chicago could use your help transcribing several collections, like the manuscripts of multi-generational immigrant families in the Midwest, or help the Boston Public Library transcribe anti-slavery correspondence from the 19th century.
Feel like it’s time for a hair touch up? Check out these tips to help you manage in the meantime from stylist Brad Mondo for both men and women.
If you have a yard or a planter, start gardening! Here is a guide for a vegetable garden.
Overwhelmed?
Try a virtual class that combines yoga with the natural healing properties of cannabis.
Ten Percent Happier provides practical ways of coping with stress, fear, and anxiety with guided meditation, podcasts, and talks.
The Calm app can help you sleep, relax, and much more.
Check out this list from the Chicago Tribune on virtual workouts – mostly free.
Contact the National Alliance on Mental Illness Chicago’s Hotline for support
(312)563-0445
Want to help?
Here’s Chicago organizer Kelly Hayes’ mutual aid form to sign up to help
Volunteer with Chicago’s Food Bank
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”
And now, we’ll sail into the weekend. Though these Week 9 seas may be rocky, we’ll make it through together. Hang tight, sing some shanties, nourish your mind and body, and don’t forget to steal glances at the horizon every now and again.
Thank you for reading, and please join us tomorrow for 14 East Live if you want to experience some naturalistic narratives much more compelling than our ship metaphors. Big shout out to the 14 East journalism class for not only supplementing our COVID-19 coverage, but for making 14 East Live come alive online!
Fare thee well,
Meredith, Justin, Mikayla, Diane and Jessica