Chicago’s Fourth, DePaul’s Phase 4, Grads’ “New Normal” Remote Work
And your educational resources for the week
Hello everyone,
It’s Cam, Grace, Meredith, Robin and Mikayla here. Welcome back to our newsletter and welcome into a brand new week. Can you believe we are halfway through the year? We started this newsletter as a way to inform our readers about COVID-19 updates in the community. Since March, we have expanded to cover other issues that impact our community the most — and this week we report on Chicago’s weekend, DePaul’s new approaches to work in Phase 4 and more.
What’s happening in Chicago?
The past few weekends have had their share of celebrations — Pride, Father’s Day and now the Fourth of July — as well as tragedy.
Since Friday, nearly 80 people were shot and 12 of them were under the age of 18. Seven-year-old Natalia Wallace was fatally shot while visiting her grandmother’s Fourth of July party. Natalia was on the sidewalk when several people got out of a car and shots were fired. Today, 33-year-old Reginald Merrill was charged with first-degree murder and aggravated battery.
Later Saturday night, a 14-year-old boy was fatally shot in the back. Varnado Jones was part of a crowd and playing with other boys when four men approached the group and began shooting. “I say ‘our children’ because I want all of us to feel this loss. It feels personal to me. Thoughts and prayers are simply not enough at this point. Sorrow itself is not enough. What it says is we need to do better as a city,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said today during her press briefing in response to this weekend’s killings. Lightfoot also said there must be more funding put towards trauma support and jobs as one step towards reducing violence.
Since Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd on May 25, marches and rallies across the country have been protesting police brutality and calling for the defunding and abolition of police departments. In Minneapolis where Floyd was murdered, the city said they will disband the police. Chicago remains
“We’re not going to be able to police our way out of it, but in the short term, we’re likely to spend more overtime to put even more officers in this small area of Chicago — West Side, South Side,” the Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said to police recruits today. Until today, the recruit’s training was paused in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s very violent. It’s senseless. It’s uncalled for. And I think that it’s time for us to bring back the solidarity of the community and some unity and some love,” Rev. James Stevenson, who is the pastor of Austin’s Sweet Relief Baptist Church, said at a press conference in Little Village. “People got to put the guns down.”
Although the city’s official fireworks were canceled due to the coronavirus, people took it upon themselves to perform illegal firework displays in their backyards.
If you have lived in Chicago, you know this is nothing new. This year, however, 911 calls due to fireworks quadrupled. These calls started to come in months before the Fourth of July: A spokesperson from the Office of Emergency Management and Communications told Block Club Chicago that 18,854 firework complaints were made since the beginning of the year. In 2019, that number was only 4,338. Firework-related complaint calls were also up by 736 percent.
Today is the fifth day in a row that the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency issued an air quality alert for Chicago. According to Kim Biggs, an Illinois EPA spokesperson, the particulate matter from this weekend’s fireworks are partially to blame. People are advised to stay inside if possible, especially if they have a respiratory or pulmonary disease.
Although wind and rain will help clear Chicago’s air, the dust won’t settle in Little Village. Today, Hilco Redevelopment Partners are ready to continue their demolition of the old Crawford Coal Plant. Earlier this year, Hilco was sued by the state for violating state pollution laws when the company knocked down one of the plant’s smokestacks. Many activists and community members have asked for the demolition to be postponed until the pandemic is over (or to not happen at all). Even before demolition, the Crawford Coal Plant itself has caused Little Village’s community to be exposed to toxic air and live close to other environmental health hazards. Hilco’s plan is to start with demolishing the coal hoppers and then the building in August.
Today, Mayor Lightfoot’s travel order was enacted. Lightfoot is ordering anyone who is traveling to Chicago from California, Florida and other COVID-19 hot spot states to self-quarantine for 14 days. The order does not apply to people driving through the state or in Chicago for a connecting flight. It also excuses some essential workers who work but do not live in the city. People could face anywhere from $100 to $500 fines per day for violating the order. The travel order lacks teeth — mostly being reinforced with signs around the airport and highways.
As of today, there are 614 new known coronavirus cases, bringing the state total to 147,865 since the start of the outbreak. An additional six deaths were reported, bringing the state death toll to 7,026.
Other Headlines In Chicago
Chicago Cubs are starting off the 2020 baseball season at Wrigley Field against the Milwaukee Brewers on July 24, by Chicago Tribune’s Mark Gonzales.
A new drive-in movie theater is opening at Soldier Field on Wednesday (tickets are $55 per car!), by Block Club Chicago’s Mina Bloom.
Hyde Park gets more “shared streets” — streets closed to traffic to create space for socially distant exercise, by Block Club Chicago’s Maxwell Evans.
Antonio McDowell shares his story of being wrongly convicted of murder after receiving an early release from a 103-year sentence, by Chicago Tribune’s Christy Gutowski.
What’s happening at DePaul?
Last week, DePaul released new approaches to work for employees as Chicago adjusted to Phase 4 of reopening. Though the university had previously told all employees to work from home through July 17, teleworking going forward will be determined on a “unit-by-unit basis” as DePaul tries to maintain a lowered density of people on campus.
“Therefore, a significant portion of DePaul employees will continue to work remotely throughout the Fall while some employees who have student and customer-facing duties or whose work demands an on-site presence will begin the careful process of returning to campus for work,” the announcement reads.
Employees may be asked to return after July 17 or into the term. Some of the adaptations DePaul plans on implementing includes modified work schedules, rotating shifts, redesigning processes to operate with flexible work schedules and giving preference to Zoom meetings over in-person meetings. Extended guidelines for the logistics of working on campus are still being finalized.
Deans and unit heads are developing division-specific plans for working within colleges.
For months, we have been asking, “What will classes look like in the fall?” The answer, according to a recent DePaul announcement, is a little bit of everything.
DePaul is offering multiple remote course modalities in addition to normal in-person classes in Autumn Quarter. You can find information on the modality of each course in Campus Connect under “Manage Classes,” explained in more detail in this tutorial.
The following are online modalities being offered:
Online: Async
An asynchronous online class has all material posted to D2L and is designed to be flexible around student technology and scheduling, so it does not require any specific meeting times.
Online: Sync
Synchronous online classes might be familiar to students who had Zoom seminars in Spring Quarter; the instructor and all students meet (virtually) at specific times using a tool like Zoom.
Online: Hybrid
A hybrid online course meets synchronously using Zoom some of the time and at other times completes work asynchronously.
Online: Sync-Classroom Link
This is a synchronous online class that is connected to an in-person class occurring at the same time. Online students will tune in via Zoom and participate with the instructor and campus students.
Online: Async (Sync Option)
This option will be designed as a fully asynchronous online course but will be paired with the same course, only synchronous, that is happening in-person or over Zoom. Asynchronous students can attend the synchronous sessions or watch their recorded videos.
DePaul has not provided guidelines on how often each modality is being offered or if all programs are using all options.
In addition to the new course modalities, DePaul has a new chair of the Board of Trustees: Lori Holland. Holland, who received her bachelor’s degree in finance from DePaul, has been on the board since 2011, previously serving as vice chair. Before that, she worked at multinational investment group Neuberger Berman, and her financial experience met her alma mater when she served as a non-trustee member of the board’s Investment Committee from 2009 to 2011.
She replaced Jim Ryan, the chair since 2017, on July 1.
“My experience at DePaul has been very rewarding,” said Holland in the Newsline release. “I feel blessed to be surrounded by individuals who come together for a common purpose and who are so passionate about the Vincentian mission. I look forward to working in concert with DePaul's leadership team to help guide the university toward fulfilling its strategic vision."
If you don’t want to read the news, here’s the headlines to know.
Remember the PPP fund for struggling businesses? A report released today revealed that while 51.1 million jobs were supported, the $521.4 billion in taxpayer money that went to grants and loans didn’t just go to small businesses. Among the recipients include large investment firms, like Advent Capital Management LLC; law firms, including Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP, which has represented President Trump; and media organizations like Newsmax Media Inc., that is operated by a prominent donor to Trump’s campaign. More from Reuters’s Michelle Price, David Lawder and Lawrence Delevingne here.
COVID-19 has undoubtedly affected the most marginalized in our society. The New York Times took an in-depth look at federal data to highlight just how stark racial disparities are in the United States when it comes to the coronavirus.
A decision earlier today by the Supreme Court is being hailed as highly controversial by some and a landmark win by others. The Dakota Access Pipeline, which has long been protested by environmental activists and residents like the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, must be emptied (for now) so an Army Corps of Engineers environmental review can be undergone, from NPR’s Laurel Wamsley.
And another Supreme Court ruling from today upheld states’ abilities to remove or fine delegates to the Electoral College that refuse to cast a vote for the candidate they pledged support to, from NPR’s Nina Totenberg. The ruling is geared to removing so-called “faithless electors” and make the Electoral College’s decisions more consistent with states’ voters.
In other news, how can new grads adapt to “new normal” of remote work?
Robin Mosley is an Associate Editor at 14 East, but when she’s not editing stories, she’s a full-time career coach and freelance writer. Here’s some of her advice to recent grads!
The world of work has changed as we know it. Since the pandemic, remote work has become commonplace for companies across the United States for non-essential workers. In a Gallup poll from early April, about 57 percent of employees reported that their flex and remote work options increased. The same poll said 59 percent of employees would like to continue to do their work remotely, signaling a change in how we work. So, what does this all mean for the future and how can new graduates become a part of this agile work movement?
Both employers and employees who made the transition to remote work found that it has its benefits. For employers, there is an increase in a diverse talent pool for employment opportunities and lower costs in building space and utilities. With this being an incentive, some companies like Twitter and Square (with CEO Jack Dorsey) have made the move to permanent remote work options during and after the pandemic with the goal of increased productivity and happiness. And for employees, this means that the benefits of remote work are immediate with an increase in work/life balance and efficiency.
Of course, the rise in remote work doesn’t mean the end of in-office employment, since 72 percent of employees would like to work from an office two days a week. But “the new normal” isn’t going away and it is directly altering the way work is understood in office spaces. Global Workplace Analytics, a research and consulting firm, estimated by the end of 2021 about 30 percent of the workforce will work from home several days a week; meaning more companies, managers and employees are realizing that remote work doesn’t mean the absence of positive work results.
But how can new grads jump on the remote work train? Well, if you’re thinking about starting your work experience remotely or simply making the transition, here are three tips that can make it easier to find remote work.
1. Search Remote
Using the term “work from home” may not yield the search results you’re looking for because many reputable companies use the term “remote” instead. Make sure that you research the company on LinkedIn and Google and keep a look out for scam opportunities that ask for personal information or have an email that doesn’t align with the company’s name—jobs like these are too good to be true. Using free trusted sources like Remote.co and WeWorkRemotely or paid sources like FlexJobs and Virtual Vocations where the jobs are screened can reduce the time sifting through job ads and potential scam postings.
2. Optimize Your Resume
This can mean many things in the career coaching world. But for the remote employment seeker, this means you are going to want to use the key terms from the job description in your resume along with results of your work to show HR your employability. For example, a successful bullet point in customer services work (that many of us have) would look like this: “Resolved 100+ written tickets per week via phone and email by troubleshooting and improving customer accounts, online experiences, and access reducing response time by 90 seconds.” Here, you are providing how you did the task, numbers to show your expertise and results. Keep in mind that you will also need to highlight any remote technology you’ve used to show that you know the tools necessary to function on an online team. Almost everyone at this point has used Zoom and Slack. Add these skills to your resume!
3. Talk about Remote Work in Your Cover Letter
People tend to overlook writing cover letters. For remote positions, cover letters are a valued asset because it can help be used to explain your desire to transition into remote work culture. Employers also use cover letters to understand how well you can write and communicate effectively, especially when there is no one to run to when you’re at home. Write a cover letter that shows the employer why they’re special, why you’re interested in remote work and what you can provide them as a future employee.
There are so many changes happening in the workforce because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote work is arguably one of the better outcomes, so if remote work is something you want to do, now is a good time more than ever to make the transition.
Your Educational Resource of the Week
Each week we will be using this section to highlight a different educational resource on race. It may come in the form of literature, film, art or anything that Black scholars and activists are centering at this time.
This week’s educational resource is Who Do You Serve, Who Do You Protect? Police Violence and Resistance in the United States, by Joe Macaré, Maya Schenwar and Alana Yu-Lan Price.
This resource compiles a collection of reports and essays which provide stories of police violence against Black, Brown and Indigenous people across the country. The book not only gives an argument for not calling the police but questions their usefulness overall.
The book forces its readers to question the reality of policing in the United States and poses the question, who do the police really serve and protect?
You can find this book online or in person at a branch of the Chicago Public Library or at Semicolon Bookstore and Gallery, an independent Black-owned bookstore in Chicago or get the e-book for free from Haymarket Books.
Mental Health Resources
This document is a resource for Black people experiencing racial trauma. This master list includes specific resources as well as protesting tips and donation links.
Here’s 7 virtual mental health resources supporting Black people right now, including Chicago-based community organization Sista Afya’s support groups
Text SHARE to 741741 for free 24/7 crisis counseling by Crisis Text Line
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
And the Trans Lifeline’s Peer Support Hotline is a resource operated by transgender and nonbinary staffers for the trans community: 877-565-8860.
Where to Access Food in Chicago
This spreadsheet highlights businesses and locations providing food. There are also links to donate to these organizations.
Check out the Greater Chicago Food Depository for food banks or donate.
Here’s a list of places to access food in Chicago today.
Free Resources for Non-Black Allies
The NPR podcast “Code Switch” tackles a diverse array of topics centered around racial identities and racism in America.
Vanity Fair released a list of anti-racism movies that are streaming for free.
The Oregon-based Basic Rights Education Fund has released an anti-racism toolkit geared towards LGBTQ+ organizations.
Reading guide of texts about race. All PDFs are free.
Here’s a guide to protest safely during the pandemic
Here’s the ACLU’s Right to Protest guide for Illinois
Can’t protest but want to help? Use this social media toolkit by the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR)
If you think someone you know has been arrested – call the Chicago Community bail fund at 773-309-1198 to locate them (you need to know their birthdate and full legal name)
Where you can donate
Brave Space Alliance: https://www.bravespacealliance.org/donate
Supports trans and gender non-conforming people of color
Marsha P. Johnson Institute: https://marshap.org/about-mpji/
Supports Black trans individuals
The Okra Project: https://www.theokraproject.com/
Supports the mental health of Black trans individuals
Autistic People of Color Fund: https://autismandrace.com/autistic-people-of-color-fund/
Supports autistic people of color
Circles and Ciphers: http://www.circlesandciphers.org
An art-based restorative justice organization
Provides resources to underserved communities
Chicago Torture Justice Center: http://chicagotorturejustice.org
Supports survivors of police torture
A community-based organization representing Chicago’s South Side and South suburbs
E.a.t.: https://www.eatchicago.org
Supports the Black workforce
Liberation Library: https://www.liberationlib.com
Provides books to imprisoned youth
Market box: https://experimentalstation.org/m
Provides fresh produce to low income households
Another week down, folks! We hope you are enjoying some popsicles, ice cream or chilled beverages of your choice in this heat. Thanks again for tuning in, and we’ll see you soon!
Stay cool,
Cam, Grace, Meredith, Robin and Mikayla
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