DePaul Chartwells Worker Tests Positive for COVID-19, May’s Modified Stay-At-Home Order

And an Instagram Story Science Lab

May 01, 2020

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Happy last day of April! With the rainy weather we’ve had recently, it’s time to see if April showers really do bring May flowers. As always, we hope that you’re all staying happy, healthy and safe amid this hectic chapter of history. We’re Meredith, Justin and Mikayla — your Thursday newsletter team — back with more updates, resources and stories.

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What’s the latest at DePaul?

A Chartwells Higher Ed employee who works at the Lincoln Park Student Center tested positive for COVID-19 on April 24, though the employee hasn’t worked since taking the test on April 21, according to the company. The employee is now self-isolating, and so are the other workers who worked with the employee. Chartwells has agreed to pay the employees while they self isolate.

DePaul spokesperson Carol Hughes referred to a statement from Associate Director of Emergency Management Cheryl Hover that said students living on campus were not informed about the case or their possible exposure to it.

“Based on information provided by Chartwells, we do not believe that any DePaul students or employees had close contact with the individual who tested positive,” Hover said.

This comes as the majority of employees working at the Lincoln Park Student Center were laid off — without pay — amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read the full story from Pueblo Editor Richard Requena and Brita Hunegs.

The College of Science and Health is welcoming in Stephanie Dance-Barnes as its new dean. Dance-Barnes will begin her new role on July 1, per an announcement made yesterday by Interim Provost Salma Ghanem. Currently, Dance-Barnes teaches cell and molecular biology and serves as the interim associate provost and dean for the University College of Lifelong Learning at North Carolina’s Winston-Salem State University (WSSU). Her previous work in health sciences includes a redesign of the curriculum for WSSU’s department of biological sciences to include additional concentrations related to the healthcare industry and ten years in leading a basic cancer research lab at the university. She received her doctorate from Wake Forest University’s School of Medicine studying cancer biology and toxicology — the first African American woman to do so.

Show your support for The Theatre School (TTS) amid the pandemic by tuning in this weekend to its radio drama-style Zoom performance of Shakespeare’s Measure by Measure, directed by Damon Kiely. This is just the first of many virtual performances designed by TTS to allow students to showcase their talent amid current social distancing restrictions. In addition to livestreamed performances, they will be posting podcasts and interactive web features of works like Connor Bradshaw’s Boxed In, directed by Stephanie LeBolt, and Madie Doppelt’s The Model Play, directed by Lisa Portes. Tickets for Measure by Measure may be acquired here. Showtimes are as follows: May 1 and 2 at 7:30 p.m. CST and May 3 at 2 p.m. CST.

What’s happening in Chicago?

Today state officials announced that there have been 2,563 new cases of the coronavirus in Illinois and 141 more deaths in the state in the past day.

This brings Illinois’s total number of cases to 52,918 since the start of the outbreak. Today is the second-highest daily death toll and the second-highest daily amount of new known cases in the state.

Tomorrow, Governor J.B. Pritzker’s modified stay-at-home order will go into effect. When the clock strikes midnight, all Illinoisans must wear masks outside if they cannot social distance in public spaces. Apparently, The Art Institute's Lions is ahead of the game and is already wearing a mask. Many parks and golf courses will reopen with strict social distancing starting tomorrow. Retail stores will also be able to open up and take online and delivery orders.

However, it looks like there’s another lawsuit filed against Governor J.B. Pritzker’s extension of the stay-at-home order. On Monday, Xenia’s Republican State Rep. Darren Bailey’s lawsuit was successful and allowed him to ignore the extension order. Now, Machesney Park Republican and Rockford police officer Rep. John Cabello is accusing Pritzker of creating a “police state.” Pritzker called his lawsuit “another attempt at grandstanding.” Now a total of five Republican Delegates are against Pritzker’s extension.

The state said the judge’s ruling to allow a state representative to ignore the governor’s orders is dangerous and called it “flawed as a matter of law.” As of yesterday, the attorney general’s office asked the Illinois Supreme Court to look into Bailey’s lawsuit.

Yesterday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot presented a pledge for landlords to take to consider grace periods for rent without late fees. Although she can’t force landlords to follow these guidelines, Lightfoot proposed the “Chicago Housing Solidarity Pledge” to encourage landlords to work with renters’ needs during this time. Though the pledge appears to be a step in the right direction to aid renters during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has received criticism.

Both elected officials and activists believe Lightfoot’s attempts are not bold enough and her actions need to go a step further. The alderman of the 40th ward, Andre Vasquez, tweeted “Hey y’all. The rent problem in Chicago has been solved. Apparently there’s a pledge.” Today the Lift The Ban Coalition, a group of statewide community organizations fighting for equitable housing and rent control, protested outside of the eviction court using social distancing measures.

In some exciting news, Oprah Winfrey will be speaking at Chicago Public Schools’ first virtual graduation ceremony sometime in mid-June.

Other Chicago News:

A West Side house party exposes the disconnect between young Black residents, Chicago officials and the news, by the Triibe’s Vee L. Harrison.
Mayor reports that laying off government workers would be a last resort, by Chicago Tribune’s Staff
Navy SEALs raided Afghan village in attempt to locate Illinois man taken hostage by militants, by Associated Press’s James Laporta and Eric Tucker
Local balloon company installs more than 200 arrangements in hospitals and homes, by Block Club Chicago’s Mina Bloom

If you don’t want to watch the news, here are the national headlines to know:

Another 3.8 million people filed for unemployment last week, with the outbreak’s total topping 30 million. Consumer spending dropped by 7.5 percent, the greatest drop seen since 1959, but the stock market still ended the month with high gains, from The Wall Street Journal’s live updates
Texas retailers, restaurants and movie theaters can reopen tomorrow because of Governor Greg Abbott’s plan, but most capacities will be limited to 25 percent, reportsThe Texas Tribune’s Stacy Fernández. Some Maine salons are poised to reopen on Friday, while Alabama retail stores are reopening as you read this.
President Trump issued an executive order to keep meat plants open on Tuesday, even though over 3,000 industry workers have tested positive for coronavirus. The question now is how to keep scared workers safe, according to Vox’s Nicole Narea.
Things are looking up on the vaccine front, judging by The New York Times’s daily coronavirus update — Gilead Sciences said it will give away 1.5 million doses of their vaccine called remdesivir, shown to moderately reduce COVID-19 recovery time, if they get FDA approval. Meanwhile, Dr. Fauci said that Warp Speed, a new research program, will accelerate treatment development.
New York’s attorney general wrote to Amazon on Monday saying they may have violated whistleblower protection laws by firing a Staten Island worker after he led a protest. Now, Amazon walkouts are spreading, reports Intelligencer’s Sarah Jones
When Brazil’s COVID-19 deaths passed 5,000 (more than China’s official count), President Jair Bolsonaro said “So what?” The right-wing leader has questioned the virus’s legitimacy, fired his health minister and urged people to continue working, according to BuzzFeed News’s Karla Zabludovsky.
A new report from the International Energy Agency reported that greenhouse gas emissions are expected to drop by nearly 8 percent, which would be the largest decrease ever recorded, from NPR’s Jennifer Ludden and Jeff Brady

On to other news… a Northwestern student shares science through Instagram.

About a month ago, Niloufar Sarvian made an Instagram story tutorial on her science lab just for fun. She scooped up some mud from North Pond and mixed it with shredded paper, egg yolk and shells, soil, a calcium supplement and iron shavings from rusted metal. She sealed the mixture in clear bottles and left them in direct sunlight on her window sill in Lakeview.

“It’s objectively gross, but that’s what’s kind of fun about it, too,” Sarvain said. “You feel like a little kid!”

A third-year Ph.D. student at Northwestern studying earth and planetary sciences, Sarvian is a teaching assistant for a class on microbial ecology that assigned a lab of making winogradsky columns, which demonstrate how microbes can interact and work together in a small environment.

“The point of the winogradsky column is for you to visually see the stratification of the microbes in the system.”

Though she didn’t have to do the lab as the T.A., she wanted to share the project with her friends in quarantine. After a few weeks, her bottles began developing noticeable pockets of changes, and she updated her story to fill her followers in.

“The one with iron in it has turned like a deep red over time and every day it’s gotten darker and darker,” Sarvian said. “So today I’m looking at it and it looks like straight-up Kool-Aid.”

She asked her followers why they thought the bottle with iron in it was becoming red and posted their answers, both intellectual and humorous. When she offered her own explanation of the change — that the iron is being oxidized — she also prompted people to think about how oxygen got into the closed container.

“I also would like to inspire anybody and everybody,” she said. “Like someone who does not do science in any capacity, if they find it interesting, they can make their own and have a little science experiment going.”

Sarvian plans on continuing to post updates on the bottles as they continue to change in quarantine. Once the mixing is done, she notes they’re like “the best pet” because no other work is required.

Images courtesy of Nilou Sarvian.

“It kind of marks the passing of time, too, like I started this at this time and look at how much they’ve grown,” she said. “I hope that I’ve grown in this quarantine, too.”

You can get sciencey by making your own winogradsky column following Nilou’s tutorial here or following her on Twitter. If you’re curious about how students at DePaul are managing remote classes that require physical activities like this one, check out our lineup tomorrow on the 14 East website.

Here’s what media are students consuming

📚Austin is reading The Art of Critical Thinking, by Christopher Hayes and Patrick Magana

📺 Mary is watching Midnight Gospel on Netflix

📺 Gino is watching Waco on Netflix

🎧Ylldes is listening to the new Megan Thee Stallion remix of her song “Savage” featuring Beyonce on repeat (we are, too)

🎧Steven is listening to Rostam’s album Half-Light

🎧 Our staff never forgets to update our quarantine playlist!

Bored?

Radio DePaul’s John Cotter and Amy Do explore the topic of social isolation and the ways in which people are struggling and consuming media amid these strange times in a new podcast. Also check out their podcast episode featuring the experiences of DePaul students during the pandemic.
Join 320 Festival May 1-7 in celebrating Gender Empowerment Week with Instagram and Twitch events like a non-binary drag tutorial and an educational session on queer stigma. Information regarding times and links can be found on their Instagram.
This Japanese monk performs covers of The Beatles, Queen and more in a temple with traditional instruments
The Office’s John Karasinki has been sharing some good news amid the pandemic with his new YouTube channel “SomeGoodNews”
The Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise is not something your college professors would tell you — or is it? Attend class a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away with these Star Wars Zoom backgrounds
DePaul’s University Archives is asking for help from students, faculty and staff in documenting the COVID-19 crisis on campus. Guidelines for students can be found here, and guidelines for faculty and staff can be found here. Participants must complete this form to transfer their documented experience to the archives.

Overwhelmed?

Relax with these soothing bedtime stories from the app Calm
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 312-747-1020 for free teletherapy services at Chicago Department of Public Health Mental Health Centers
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?

Lost your main source of income?

Here’s where to apply for unemployment and here’s how to apply
Here’s a list of places hiring by CBS 2 Chicago

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”
West Town Bakery is offering free meals to restaurant workers
Manny’s Deli in Little Italy is providing free meals to first responders
Chicago Food Resources

Need more information on COVID-19?

Once again, thank you for sticking with us through the thick and thin of this wild ride. Stay tuned for more stories tomorrow and try not to stress about your May rent — we suggest endlessly looping your favorite soothing track or aggressively dancing the nerves away. We think you’re cool, and we still will next week.

Much love,

Meredith, Justin and Mikayla