Chappell Roan takes over Grant Park, Trump’s appearance at the NABJ convention and American athletes in the Paris Olympics
Plus, touching grass in Chicago
Welcome back to ‘In the Loop’! It’s your newsletter team – Lauren, Ellie, Emily, Annabelle and Ella – back for yet another edition of In the Loop! We’ve got a good one for you today.
First, we have a review on Chappell Roan’s massive performance last Thursday at Lollapalooza. We also have information on the beginning of the school year at DePaul, a new Green Line stop on the West Side and information on Kamala Harris’s potential running mates. To wrap it up, we have information on the Venezuelan presidential election and outdoor activities to do this summer in Chicago.
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With that, let’s get into it!
How Chappell Roan Became Chicago’s Midwest Princess
By Ellie Shelton
It is the first day of Lollapalooza 2024 and the sun and clouds are in a constant battle to reveal themselves in the overcast sky. Through the gray atmosphere, a sea of one color: pink. Bejeweled cowboy hats, neon pink baby tees and pastel bandannas can be seen around every corner, all of them headed to one of the most anticipated shows at Lollapalooza’s twentieth year at Grant Park: Chappell Roan.
Roan’s road to fame hasn’t been an easy one – day one fans can recall early covers in her childhood home praised by fellow gay pop artist Troye Sivan. At 17, Roan had signed with Atlantic Records; at 23 she was left label-less, heartbroken and without a producer; Now, at 26, Roan has officially reached number one on Spotify Top 50 with her single “Good Luck Babe.”
There is much more to Chappell Roan than her music: she has become a multifaceted icon. Her exuberant drag uniform and queer lyricism brought her a slew of queer fans – and then she went mainstream. Following the release of her most recent single, Roan’s fanbase began to have an unprecedented spike. Suddenly, Roan was met with festival sets amassing thousands of fans – including her recent Lollapalooza set this past weekend.
To say Roan’s set was magical is an understatement. Even in the extreme heat, fans began to line the stage hours before Roan’s 5 p.m. performance. As an avid concertgoer and massive Chappell Roan fan I came prepared for a large crowd; However, nothing could have prepared me for the crowd that grew behind me.
As the time for Roan’s set to begin neared, fans began packing themselves closer to the stage sharing their excitement for the approaching show.
“I like seeing her costume…for every show she does like a different elaborate costume,” said Zanna Ingram, a fan and DePaul student who waited patiently for over three hours for Roan’s Lollapalooza set.
Roan’s drag-inspired aesthetic has become one of the touchstones of her performances. Some of her most notable looks include her Coachella Week 2 butterfly costume and her Governors Ball Statue of Liberty attire.
I, along with those around me, began to theorize about Roan’s costume. Over the heads of hundreds in front of me I saw a wrestling ring being set up and conversations of a wrestling theme began buzzing around me.
Before fans had a moment to think twice, they found themselves watching Roan run out on stage in an electric pink and blue wrestling ensemble accompanied by local Chicago bodybuilders including the strongest woman in North America, Inez Carrasquillo.
Without warning the crowd exploded with sound, loud cheers echoing throughout the crowd making Roan’s band barely audible. As the chorus hit to Roan’s “Femininomenon” fans began to jump and the camera panned out, revealing thousands of onlookers pouring into other stages.
Cheers erupted as fans in the front began to see the crowd that had amassed behind them. A representative from Lollapalooza confirmed that the crowd was the biggest daytime set they had ever seen.
While Roan typically sticks to her breakout album at her festival sets, she has recently begun playing an unreleased song that has become a fan favorite. “The Subway” details a painful breakup that is inescapable. Despite the song being unreleased and rarely performed, fans screamed the lyrics “I’m moving to Saskatchewan” so loudly the ground began to tremble.
Toward the end of the song, fans watched in genuine awe as Roan crooned over the haunting outro, “She’s got, she’s got a way, she got away, she got away.” Tears brimmed the eyes of hundreds of fans surrounding me, reminding everyone of the power that Roan’s incredible vocals can hold.
As the set came to a close with Roan’s breakout hit “Pink Pony Club” fans began to dance harder than they had the whole set. Feet ached and hoarse voices became nonexistent as the crowd was lost in Roan’s stage presence throughout her last song. Dancing through until the very end, Chappell Roan earned herself the title of Chicago’s very own Midwest Princess.
DePaul News
By Ellie Shelton
Prepare for DePaul’s Upcoming Activity Fair
DePaul’s activity fair will take place on the Lincoln Park quad on Sept. 6 and the Loop campus on Sept. 10. The activity fair will showcase the university’s network of clubs and organizations. Club leaders have been encouraged to continue monitoring their email as the month continues to find more updates on registration for the fair and updated times. The university has recently announced a required audit of university organizations before registering for the fair. For more information, check DeHub.
DePaul’s Welcome Week Activities
DePaul’s Welcome Week is scheduled to occur from Aug. 23 to Sept. 10 across both campuses. Join the university for two weeks of fun including a Movie in the Park, Fireworks at Navy Pier and the new student convocation – Blue Demon Welcome. To see the full schedule for Welcome Week, check out DeHub’s Welcome Week calendar.
Student Health Insurance Plans Change
All degree-seeking students at DePaul will be required to take action on student health care this fall. Students are encouraged to check their email for further directions on opting into or out of the student health care plans. Students who choose to opt out of the plan must submit their waiver through the AHP website portal by Sept. 20. Those who do not submit a waiver will be automatically enrolled into UnitedHealthcare’s plan and billed $800.
Chicago Headlines
By Emily Diaz
Former President Donald Trump Leaves National Association of Black Journalists Convention in Chicago With Controversial Remarks and Public Uproar - The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) hosted its annual convention in Chicago Wednesday - Sunday, inviting former president Donald Trump as a guest interviewee on the first day. Though the NABJ faced criticism for inviting Trump, his contentious commentary regarding Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ racial identity faced even more backlash. ABC’s senior congressional correspondent and moderator Rachel Scott opened up dialogue surrounding Trump’s history of racist rhetoric. Trump proceeded to swerve the discussion towards Harris’ racial identity when asked by Scott if she was a diversity, equity and inclusion hire. Though Harris has always been open about being Indian and Black, Trump disagreed. NBC News’ Matt Dixon, Yamiche Alcindor and Michelle Garcia have more.
Man Leaves Three Injured in Stabbing Over Free Food at McDonald’s in Chicago’s Wrightwood Neighborhood - Two 45-year-old women and one 18-year-old man were left injured after a McDonald’s patron slashed them with an ax last Sunday. A 911 call was made around 8:30 in the morning from the restaurant on Western Avenue and 79th Street. The attack was reportedly prompted when a man was refused free food inside the restaurant. Boe Cannon, a regular at the restaurant, gave the customer a dollar for coffee and a cigarette. After taking note of an ax in his pants, he was met with a frenzy of fleeing customers while the attacker fled the scene with his ax and a cookie. Hours later, police returned to the restaurant after calls came in that the suspect was seen across the street at a bus stop. The man was arrested and charges have yet to be announced. ABC7 Chicago Digital Team and Michelle Gallardo have more.
New Damen Train Station Bridges 1.5-Mile Gap in Chicago’s West and South Side Neighborhoods - Mayor Brandon Johnson helped cut the ribbons at a new Green Line stop in Chicago’s Near West Side this morning. The new train stop at Damen sits between the Green Line’s Ashland and California stops, accommodating a 1.5 mile gap between the two stations. What makes this new station particularly celebratory is that it ameliorates the inconvenience of traveling to and from Chicago’s West and South side neighborhoods. Murals, elevators and escalators enhance the new station’s aesthetic appeal and accessibility, making it a critical hub for public transit. The $80 million, 5,000-square-foot station was set to open in 2020 but was delayed due to the COVID pandemic. The station is a long-awaited improvement not only for CTA riders, but for Mayor Johnson too. Johnson is native to and lives in the West Side, making this train station close to his home and heart. ABC7’s Stephanie Wade and Karen Jordan have more.
National Headlines
By Lauren Sheperd
Harris interviews six potential running mates – Vice President Kamala Harris interviewed six possible running mates this weekend to join her on the 2024 presidential ticket. On the list of interviewees were Govs. Andy Beshear of Kentucky, J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Tim Walz of Minnesota, as well as Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Harris is set to formally announce her running mate tomorrow prior to a whirlwind tour of seven battleground states before she lands in Chicago for the convention in a few weeks. Seung Min Kim and Zeke Miller of AP News have more.
Stock shares in New York, London drop causing concerns of a recession – The Dow Jones and Nasdaq both hit steep declines when the markets opened on Wall Street this morning, causing concern about a recession hitting the U.S. Other global stocks – including stocks in the U.K., Japan and South Korea – also fell this morning. There are concerns from investors that the Federal Reserve will not have enough time to support the American economy, which can lead to a ripple effect in the global economy due to the size of the U.S. economy. Jasper Jolly and Graeme Wearden of The Guardian have more.
Tropical Storm Debby slams the Southeast – Following its landfall as a hurricane in northern Florida, Tropical Storm Debby is now making its way up the East Coast causing potentially historic rainfall. The main concern from weather experts is intense flooding. The highest level of flooding is expected over the next few days in northern Florida and southern Georgia, which includes major cities such as Savannah and Tallahassee. Strong winds are also a major concern in those areas, as well as in coastal South Carolina. Meteorologists at the Weather Channel have more.
The U.S. dominates in the 2024 Paris Olympics – Gymnast Simone Biles, swimmer Bobby Finke and sprinter Noah Lyles are just a few Americans to win gold over the last 10 days in Paris. Swimmer Katie Ledecky also won her fourth Olympic gold in the 800-meter freestyle, tying the record for most consecutive golds won in a singular event. The U.S. now stands at 79 total medals in Paris with 21 golds, 30 silvers and 28 bronze medals. The Athletic at The New York Times has more in-depth coverage of all Olympic sports.
14 East Pueblo: Venezuela’s opposition won presidential election, U.S. says
By Annabelle Rivera
Millions of Venezuelans lined up to vote in a tense presidential election on July 28. The candidates were President Nicolás Maduro, who has ruled Venezuela with an iron fist since 2013, and political newcomer Edmundo González, a last-minute addition to the ballot after the original opposition candidate was barred from running. Later that night, the results came in – Maduro had guaranteed himself a third term as president, the government announced.
However, opposition candidate González won the country’s presidential election, according to the United States government. The opposition party and polls obtained by the Washington Post and AP confirm that González garnered 6.89 million votes, while Maduro gained 3.13 million.
“Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo González Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election,” said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement.
“I’m so happy,” said Venezuelan Merling Fernández of the election results. “This is the path toward a new Venezuela.”
After González’s victory was revealed, Maduro accused foreign enemies of hacking the voting system, and experts say he is unlikely to relinquish power without a fight. The 2018 election that gave Maduro his second term was also deemed to be illegitimate by foreign governments. He has been criticized for the lack of improvement in the crippled Venezuelan economy, which has led to a max exodus of its citizens to countries like the United States.
Hey, Check This Out!
With Featured Columnist Ella McCoy
Dear reader, welcome back to the recommendations section of this newsletter! This week, I’m discussing the great outdoors. Though you may start reading this week’s recommendation and do a double take, hear me out. I’m recommending that you ‘touch grass’! This phrase was created and utilized in Gen Z social-media rhetoric in response to opinions that seem to exist only on the internet. While the delivery is blunt, the intended effect of this colloquial adage is to encourage others to get off of their devices and into nature.
Cultural lingo aside, I think the message of this idea rings true for me. I know I spend too much time staring at a screen, mindlessly scrolling. If you’re in the same boat as me, welcome, at least we’re self aware. This summer I’ve made it my mission to spend more time off my screen and in nature instead. There are so many benefits to being outside to both your mental and physical health, and if you’re skeptical, check out this article from the U.S. Forest Service.
Fortunately, the Chicago Park District provides opportunities to get outside and have some fun while doing it! The Chicago Park District offers events for people of all different ages, so there’s really something for everyone. Here are my suggestions, but if you don’t see anything that suits your fancy on my list, check out the Chicago Park District event page.
The musicians of Chicago Philharmonic have come together to make curated playlists for different parks and nature areas around the city. On their website, there are links to the playlists for different areas as well as explanations as to why the songs represent this part of the city. Grab your headphones and head to one of the locations to experience nature through the lens of music. For more information on this program and to find links to the playlists, click here.
A free event for all ages, Movies in the Parks is a program where there is truly something for everyone. In parks all over the city, the Park District is showing a variety of movies throughout the summer. Whether you’re a fan of comedies, or more into action-packed thrillers, there is something for you on their calendar. Get out there and experience cinema in nature!
In the summer, Chicago Shakespeare Theater puts on a program that brings free and accessible theater performances to neighborhoods across Chicago. This year theater artists in collaboration with Chicago Shakespeare Theater are performing Twelfth Night in the parks. To find more information on dates, times and locations, look here.
So, what are you waiting for? Go and touch some grass!
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