Course carts have opened, a CTU walk-in and the continuing story of fighting extreme concert ticket prices
plus, Suki Waterhouse’s new album
Welcome back to ‘In the Loop’! It’s your newsletter team – Lauren, Varun, Jana, Elliot, Noёl, Ella, Gia, Annabelle and Claire. We’ve got a good one for you today.
To start, we have a personal essay from Creative Director Varun Khushalani. Next, we have a preview for election stories that will be published this Friday on 14 East’s website. We then have information on an on-campus career fair, the reshaping of Chicago’s mental health response team and deadly Hurricane Helene that has destroyed much of the east coast. To wrap up, we have a profile on community organizer Carmen Barragan and a new album recommendation.
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With that, let’s get into it!
The Photo Not Taken
By Varun Khushalan
I’m really bad at file storage. Over three years of photography have clogged my hard drives and desktop with a filing system that is more aspirational than functional. I’ve learned to maneuver around it (barely) but every couple months, out of either boredom or anger, I set myself on a mission to overhaul the entire thing, to build a new infrastructure from the ground up. Every time I set myself out on this challenge, I always get a little closer to finishing, but a trusty few straggling files stick out like gaping holes in a canvas. Though this process is aggravating, I’ll always love doing it.
A complete overhaul means I have to review every (film) photograph I’ve ever taken – every digital photo would take years off my life. I get to see every dumb mistake, every stroke of misguided anguish. I can see how I’ve cleaned up my technique, stopped trying for the “asshole” shots you see tourists, or assholes, going for in the middle of sidewalks on unbelievably busy days (I’ve done it, you’ve done it, we’ve all done it.) It’s shown me changes in taste and subject. I get to see my ever-swaying preference for color or black and white.
Most importantly, though, I get to see how I’ve changed. These signs aren’t that obvious to me, all my photographs are of unimportant things, images rather than memories I want to remember. I don’t want to photograph important things because when my face is buried in a camera, I miss the actual moment I’m trying to capture. Instead of experiencing life, I’ve immortalized a moment I wasn’t even there to witness.
One time I asked my parents to send me some photos of me as a kid (which I can only assume sent them on their own futile quest to comb through the miles of unnamed, unlabeled photo albums stored in boxes somewhere in our home.) After a few days, my dad texted me with a couple of photos before saying he couldn’t find that many, especially after I turned 12 or 13. Life was just too busy then, and he always forgot to bring the camera when something important happened. I told him not to worry. There are worse things in life than not being able to take a photo.
A few weeks ago, I added four more rolls of film from this summer to the ever-growing collection, and once again my naming system failed. I was glad though, because there was a photo I couldn’t get out of my mind, and I wanted to confirm why. I looked through every album and folder, just like I always do, but this time, I tried to see if I’d ever taken a photo like this before. I already knew the answer, of course; I’d written about it a few months ago for an assignment in ART 225: Beginning Photography, an essay prompt given to photographers recollecting their “photos not taken.” It’s been condensed since then.
—
I was seeing someone a while ago. It fell apart a while ago. That’s life. There are a lot of things about her I’ve forgotten, things I could have sworn I would never forget, but things that have nevertheless faded a while ago. We’re two completely different people now, separated by time and geography — a new path that puts an inseparable distance between where we are and who we used to be. However long it’s been, that separation has performed its painful job and I go about my life unburdened by memories best kept forgotten. It almost worked.
A week before she left, we were walking around on a sunny day in the spring, talking freely. It’s almost embarrassing how well I remember that day. We sat down on a hill at Oz Park, I vaguely remember a little league game going on and some dogs running around. It was a Thursday. After that weekend, she would be out of my life completely. After sitting down, we didn’t talk for a few minutes, both of us engaged in an inner turmoil neither wanted to share with the other. To do something, I fell back into the cool grass, the warmth of the world hitting me for one of the first times after a brutally cold winter. After a few moments, I opened my eyes and looked up to find she was there, resting silently on top of me. She was wearing sunglasses. Her thin hair danced in the gentle breeze while far away, birds danced in the calm blue sky. I didn’t have a camera with me that day.
Thank god I didn’t.
Upcoming Election Stories
By Jana Simovic and Elliot Allison
Later this week, 14 East will release a print and digital zine that covers all important information regarding the upcoming General Election in Chicago and Illinois on November 5.
Wondering where/how to register to vote? Who is on the ballot? Want more to know about Judge candidates and what they do? Not sure what local referenda’s mean for your community?...
The magazine will aim to answer all of these questions and more. Make sure to keep an eye out around campus to grab a free print copy or access the digital version on Friday!
Additionally in a unanimous decision, the Chicago Public Schools school board implemented a new plan regarding the operation of district schools in the city on September 18. The plan introduces a set of goals to be implemented by 2029, focusing primarily on increasing support for minority students, redefining student success and increasing the number of students attending neighborhood zoned schools.
No new policy has been adopted however, just a set of metrics to monitor before the 2027 policy changes. The lack of new policy comes as a relief to charter schools, who feared a new decrease in funding to increase the attendance of zoned schools. More information can be read in the full story releasing on Friday. Make sure to pay attention to upcoming school board decisions, as the board will be up for election for the first time this November 5.
DePaul News
By Noёl Bentley
Media, Communication, Design, Arts and Entertainment Fair — DePaul University Career Center will host a career fair targeting students within the creative industry on Wednesday. The fair will be held on the Loop Campus and will run between 3-6 p.m. on the lower concourse. In addition to meeting employers, there will be panels and workshops held. These panels and workshops will showcase employers from The Illinois Film Office, AIGA, Alumni from the College of Communication, TCG Collective and Lynn Hazan & Associates. If students are interested in attending register here.
College of Communication Mixer — The College of Communication will host a mixer on October 2 from 4-6 p.m. It will be held on the Loop Campus, in the DePaul Center on the 11th-floor terrace. This will be a great opportunity for students within the College of Communications to mix and mingle with students, faculty and staff within the College. Students can register for the mixer here.
Course Carts for the Winter Quarter are now open — OneDepaul has notified students that course carts are open for the Winter Quarter. Students can go into their Campus Connect and select classes that they wish to take in the winter and add them to a course cart. Registration starts on October 10 with scheduling appointments ranging over the following days. Double-check to make sure there are no holds on your account, as that would isolate you from registering and classes fill up quickly.
Chicago Headlines
By Ella McCoy
City of Chicago Reshapes Their Mental Health Emergency Response Team — Chicago’s mental health emergency response team will omit police and fire departments in an effort to improve and expand the city’s mental health services. Launched in 2021, the CARE, or Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement, provided teams of mental health professionals and specially trained police and paramedics to assist in mental health related 911 calls. Now, this team will operate solely under the Chicago Department of Public Health, according to the Wednesday announcement. The reshaped CARE teams will include behavioral health professionals as well as medical emergency technicians. “By directing 9-1-1 mental health calls to public health teams, we are ending the criminalization of these issues and helping to ensure people who are unhoused or experiencing a mental health challenge get the treatment and support they need,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a press release. Molly DeVore from Block Club Chicago has more.
Battle Brews Over Unhoused Tent Camp — Some Northwest side residents have complained and called on the city to address the unhoused encampment at Gompers Park. Mayor Brandon Johnson responded by saying that there is not enough money to address the encampment since the city has spent $70 million in federal money since 2020 on homelessness. Ald. Samantha Nugent (39th) has asked City Hall for help in finding the inhabitants of the Gompers Park encampment alternate shelter. Nugent faces pressure from a group of residents who formed the Restore Gompers Park Coalition, originally founded by Gail Beitz. “We pushed her, and we pressed her,” Beitz says. “They need to enforce the rules and regulations in the park.” Brett Chase, Elvia Malagón and Lauren FitzPatrick from Chicago Sun-Times have more information.
Oasis is coming to Soldier Field in 2025 — Oasis, a Britpop band, has expanded their heavily anticipated reunion North America tour to include a Chicago date. Oasis will perform at Soldier Field on August 28, 2025. An expansion that includes Toronto, Ontario; East Rutherford, New Jersey; Los Angeles, California; and Mexico City, Mexico was announced in a Facebook post on Monday morning. Fans reported high ticket prices – as much as $600 – and issues with Ticketmaster. NBC Chicago Staff has more information.
A Shooting and Crash Leaves a Man Injured and a Local Non-Profit Damaged — Police continue their search for suspects that may be involved in an overnight shooting and crash that occurred on the Near West Side early Monday morning. The crash caused intense damage to local non-profit, The Resurrection Project’s Immigrant Justice Office on the 1800 block of S. Ashland Ave. in Pilsen. The altercation began just before 1:45 a.m. on Monday and occurred between people in two SUVs near N. Ashland Ave. and W. Madison St. Authorities stated that shots were fired in the 200 block of S. Ashland Ave., several blocks from where the initial altercation began, and that the vehicles continued southbound until they reached the intersection of S. Ashland Ave. and 18th St., where the cars crashed. Courtney Spinelli from Chicago’s WGN-9 has more.
Chicago Teachers Union Stage Walk-ins to Demand More Funding for CPS — As a part of the nationwide movement for more funding for public schools, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) held “walk-ins” in more than 150 schools across the city today. The demonstrations are a result of the ending of the $200 billion dollar federal COVID relief funding, which will cause issues within school district budgets across Illinois. These CTU demonstrations are a part of a national movement with The Alliance to Reclaim our Schools — a coalition of parents, youth, community members and labor groups who seek to fight for and protect public education. Chief Executive Officer of Chicago Public Schools Pedro Martinez has not responded to these calls for action. Marissa Perlman from CBS News Chicago has more.
National Headlines
By Gia Clarke
Hurricane Helene leaves at least 128 people dead — Hurricane Helene – a category four hurricane – hit Florida and has since spread all the way to Virginia, leaving 128 people dead and 2 million people without power so far. Unfortunately, the death toll will likely keep rising as hundreds of people are reported missing. There are also not enough resources to reach everyone as more people become displaced. Hurricane Helene has dumped “staggering” rainfall (around 12-16 inches) in the places it has hit, and more rain is expected Monday. After the rain falls, the communities affected can finally focus on rebuilding. Holly Yan and Steve Almasy from CNN have more information.
Oasis attempts to regulate Ticketmaster prices as they announce North American tour — After fans complained about how hard it was to get tickets in Ireland and the UK, Oasis publicly released a statement against Ticketmaster and how they would do things differently for the North American leg of the tour. Oasis attempts to block scalpers and resellers on Ticketmaster by not participating in dynamic pricing. Dynamic pricing is when a ticket seller adjusts the cost of a ticket in real time based on live demand. NBC’s Daysia Tolentino has more information.
FBI to pay $22M to settle sexual discrimination claims at training academy —Following a class-action lawsuit alleging female recruits were routinely singled out and faced sexual harassment, the 34 women who came forward are now being given a $22 million payout. The lawsuit was filed in 2019 and it took five years for the women who came forward to get compensated. The claims ranged from unwanted touching and advances to coercion. Female recruits were also being told to take contraception to “control their moods.” Moving forward, the FBI announced a series of reforms. The Associated Press’s Jim Mustian has more information.
14 East Pueblo: Latino communities are working to make their neighborhoods a little more green
By Annabelle Rivera
Community organizer Carmen Barragan knows the importance of a community area.
“I would take my kids to parks in other neighborhoods and see that they are in better conditions, and it seems like people there didn’t have to fight for those parks to be maintained, but here we do,” said Barragan.
Barragan says she fell into a depression after moving to Brighton Park from Mexico due to not knowing her community. Only when she began volunteering locally did she realize how important being a part of a community was to her mental health.
Data from a DePaul University study shows that while 98% of Chicagoans live within close proximity to a park, majority Latino neighborhoods have an average of 41% less access to green spaces. Barragan is fighting to change that.
Her experience as an organizer has led to multi-year campaigns to renovate Kelly Park, a once-dilapidated space that serves as Brighton Park’s only actual park. Now, her efforts have boosted the area into a safe and comfortable environment for the whole community. For now, she plans on continuing her work to improve other green spaces in her neighborhood.
“We need to be more equitable,” she said. “We all deserve the same opportunities as those in the south and north.”
Hey, Check This Out!
With Special Guest Claire Rooney
Suki Waterhouse released a new album this September, and I literally haven’t stopped listening to it. Memoir of a Sparklemuffin is a 53-minute indie sleaze/romanticism/rainy day collection of ballads and bops. The namesake of the album – a sparklemuffin spider – is a tiny Australian spider with bright colors and a fuzzy body, perfect for representing the record’s alternative sound.
My favorite is the tenth track, “Big Love.” It has a rock sound with devastating lyrics about Waterhouse trying to find that “big, big love.” I love this song because it sounds absolutely awesome while still having really heartfelt lyrics that are introspective and intelligent. It’s the perfect soundtrack for riding the CTA in the rain and pretending you’re in an early 2000s rom-com.
Another favorite of mine is the lighter “My Fun,” which expertly blends vintage producing with a recorder (yes, like the one you had to play in second grade). You can hear how much fun this was to write and record through the sound of her voice and the general unseriousness of it all.
Waterhouse took me on a journey throughout this album and told a story about heartbreak that I couldn’t stop listening to. Every song on Sparklemuffin feels evocative of a night out with friends wearing tall black boots and a coat that doesn’t really keep you warm, but you’ve had one too many vodka cranberries to care. As a “brat summer” enjoyer, I’m really excited to transition into a “sparklemuffin” fall.
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