DePaul Men’s Basketball coaching staff grows, solo traveling, and severe weather in route
Plus, a new music rec
Welcome back to ‘In the Loop’! We’ve got a good one for you today. It’s your newsletter team — Alexandra, Lauren, Asia, Audrey, Sam, Annabelle and Emily — back with another Monday night newsletter to start off your week!
First, 14 East Senior Associate Editor Lauren Sheperd details her experiences traveling alone while studying abroad in Cork, Ireland. Also, DePaul Men’s Basketball coaching staff gained new members last Tuesday, with new Head Coach Chris Holtmann announcing he will keep assistant coach Paris Parham and add John McCausland and Tyler Hicks to the staff for the 2024-05 season. In other Chicago news, severe weather is set to move in Tuesday afternoon with storms expected to continue until Wednesday evening.
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Tonight’s newsletter is sponsored by DePaul’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies.
With that, let’s get into the news!
Op Ed: The Highs and Lows of Traveling Alone
By Lauren Sheperd
For the past few months, I have been studying abroad through DePaul in Cork, Ireland at University College Cork. Since arriving, I have picked up on some Irish slang – I am truly having the most grand time – met people from across the world, and traveled across Ireland, the United Kingdom and Europe.
When I learned that UCC had a two week long Easter break in the middle of the semester, I knew I had to take the opportunity to travel. After sifting through budget flights on Ryanair and finding hostels that got me the best bank for my buck, I decided on four cities in the two week period: Edinburgh, London, Stockholm and Amsterdam.
The first stop of my two week Easter break trip was Edinburgh, Scotland. Originally, I had asked a few people to join me on my two night adventure, but for a variety of reasons, I ended up booking the trip alone. When I decided to study abroad, Edinburgh was on the top of my list of destinations. From the picturesque streets to the history that surrounds the city, I knew I had to go. So, I did.
When it came to solo traveling, I had two main concerns: safety and boredom. After a bit of research, I learned that Edinburgh was ranked number three on Time Out’s list for best European cities for solo, female travelers due to its storybook nature and culture. In 2022, Time Out crowned Edinburgh as the best city in the world to visit – just shyly beating Chicago – because of the city’s walkability, charm and the kindness of its citizens. Based on this information, I put aside my nerves about traveling alone and decided to book the flight and the hostel.
Before leaving for my trip, I did what any logical, Gen Z traveler would do: use TikTok as my own personal search engine for things to do. I focused on what was important for me on the trip, which included seeing the sights, going to museums and drinking good coffee.
I have found throughout my study abroad experience that when looking for advice on what to do in a new city, TikTok typically has less touristy, cheaper recommendations than websites like Tripadvisor. This is why I tend to stay away from Google unless I need to book something.
I arrived at Edinburgh airport from Dublin just shy of midnight. Typically, I would take public transit to my accommodation, as it is typically the cheapest and more reliable option in Europe. However, my nerves got the best of me and I chose a cab instead. I went straight to bed as soon as I made it to the hostel.
The next day, I woke up bright and early (9:30 a.m., somewhat early for me) and got started. In true U.K. fashion, it was cold and raining. Luckily, Ireland prepared me well and I had my €6 umbrella handy. Before my imminent meltdown, I managed to get to the top of Calton Hill – which has one of the best views of the city – the National Museum of Scotland – where I was able to learn about some Scottish history – and a pub for lunch with a grand fish and chips deal.
After lunch, however, the weather had gotten worse, causing me to text my parents that solo traveling “wasn’t for me” and that I probably should have planned better. Fortunately, all I needed was dry socks and a power nap and I texted them again stating that I had been dramatic. It’s important to note that there was no response until after both texts had been sent, so I was essentially having this conversation with myself.
At night, I decided to go even further outside of my comfort zone and join a pub crawl organized by the hostel. There were many solo travelers like me, and I ended up meeting some very interesting people with fascinating stories.
After completing the rest of my trip – which I did with various groups of friends and family members – and returning to Cork, I have concluded that solo traveling is in fact for me, but also something that anyone should take the opportunity to do if given the chance.
Even though I only spent about 40 hours in Edinburgh before taking the train down the island to London, I learned more about myself and how to be content traveling alone. First, it is important to give yourself grace. It can be difficult to go easy on yourself when you need to take a break rather than exploring another part of the city.
Research beforehand is also key, as it can get stressful trying to plan a day in a new city as you go along. Even if there’s no set itinerary or you end up not following it, it’s still good to know what you do and do not want to see.
Finally, while it’s important to explore alone, part of the fun of the experience can be meeting people from across the world. This was the most intimidating part for me, and I almost didn’t do it, but putting myself out there and making new connections made my trip.
DePaul News
By Asia Thomas
DePaul seeks accreditation for masters program
DePaul is now seeking accreditation for the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program in the College of Science and Health. The accreditation would be granted by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA). The council will visit DePaul at a public meeting set for Wednesday, May 1. DePaul faculty, administrators, students and the general public are invited to the meeting to give comments on the program. The DePaul Newsline has more.
DePaul Men’s Basketball coaching staff grows
DePaul Men’s Basketball coaching staff gained new members this past Tuesday. Head Coach Chris Holtmann announced that he will keep assistant coach Paris Parham and add John McCausland and Tyler Hicks to the staff for the upcoming 2024-25 season. McCausland serves as the new Director of Basketball Operations and Hicks will be the Director of Men’s Basketball Recruiting. These changes come after Chris Holtmann was named head coach on March 18. DePaul Athletics has more updates in men’s basketball.
Game Design program gets national recognition
The game design programs of DePaul’s Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media received national recognition this year. Both the undergraduate and graduate programs fell within The Princeton Review’s top 50 nationwide. The graduate program climbed to No.23 while the undergraduate program ranked at No. 34. The Animation Career Review has also named DePaul as the No. 1 game design school in the Midwest and the No. 11 school in the nation. The DePaul Newsline has more.
DePaul’s International Spanish Poetry Festival returns
DePaul’s “Poesía en Abril'' (''Poetry in April”) returns for its 16th year starting April 18. It will be hosted at DePaul’s Lincoln Park campus and end on April 21. The festival is a full weekend of live Spanish poetry and musical performances from Latine artists. Poets from Puerto Rico, Mexico, Cuba, Spain, Peru, Venezuela, Bolivia and Chicago are set to speak. The festival will also announce the winner of the Juana Goergen Poetry Award, an award named after the founder of Poesía en Abril. The DePaul Newsline has more on the history and schedule of the festival.
Chicago Headlines
By Audrey Leib
Pro-Palestinian protest blocks O’Hare traffic - Westbound Interstate 90 was blocked early this morning as Pro Palestinian protesters sat in the road. The demonstrators protested the American response to the war in Gaza. The protest cut off traffic to O’Hare airport, with cars bumper to bumper and some passengers exiting their vehicles to walk to the airport. Traffic returned to normal at around 9:20 a.m. Illinois State Police and Chicago Police Department responded to the scene. Read more about it from Chicago Sun-Times’ Mary Norkol here.
Back of the Yards shooting kills 1, leaves 10 injured - A shooting occuring around 9:20 p.m. near West 52nd Street has left a 9-year-old child dead and 10 others injured. The victims were at a family gathering when shots were fired. The 9-year-old, identified as Ariana Molina, was described as “her parent’s princess” on a GoFundMe account for her funeral expenses. She had recently dyed her hair red to match her favorite Disney Princess, Ariel. A 1-year-old and 7-year-old were also injured. The Chicago Police Department believes the shooting was gang related. According to data by the Chicago Sun-Times, 120 children younger than 16 have been murdered in Chicago since 2018. In more than half of these cases, no arrests were made. Read more here from Chicago Sun-Times’ Kaitlin Washburn and Matthew Hendrickson.
Feds to give Chicago $19 million to assist migrant crisis - U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin announced on Friday that The City of Chicago and the state of Illinois are set to divide $19 million in funding to help cities and states address the migrant crisis. The funds are from a $300 million grant set to be distributed for services to migrants, including temporary shelters and other eligible costs for migrants awaiting rulings on their immigration status. There are 55 grant recipients splitting $275 million. The other $25 million will be distributed later this year. Sen. Durbin said the funds will ease Chicago’s struggles and that he will be pushing for more. Chicago Tribune’s Laura Rodriguez Presa has more here.
Severe weather in route for Tuesday and Wednesday - The first 80 degree day of the season was yesterday, but weather conditions are taking a turn for less than happy skies. There is a low chance of rain showers for Monday night and Tuesday morning, but higher chances for thunderstorms moving into Tuesday afternoon. Around 5 p.m. Tuesday, storms will develop to the west and move through around 8 p.m. The storms are expected to continue until Wednesday evening. There will be a slight chance for severe weather, including hail, heavy rain, wind gusts and possibly tornados. NBC 5’s Storm Team has more information here.
Beloved Oberweis Dairy has filed for bankruptcy - Oberweis, a North Aurora dairy institution, is seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Oberweis owes more than $4 million to its 20 largest unsecured creditors. The dairy is family owned, with dozens of ice cream stores and products on grocery store shelves across the Midwest. It was incorporated in 1930 but began in 1915 by Peter Oberweis, who began to sell extra milk to his neighbors. Peter’s grandson Jim bought the business in 1986 and expanded it regionally, before he decided to take a career switch to Republican politics. Oberweis became synonymous with the Republican party when Jim Oberweis attempted multiple times for political offices in Illinois as a Republican. Read more here from Chicago Tribune’s Robert Channick.
National Headlines
By Sam Freeman
FBI opens a criminal investigation into the collapse of the Baltimore bridge – The FBI launched a criminal investigation into the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, focusing on whether all federal laws were followed, according to an AP source. On Monday, the FBI conducted court-authorized law enforcement on the cargo ship Dali. The ship left Balitmore’s port and was headed to Sri Lanka when it hit one of the bridge’s supports, causing the bridge to collapse and killing six crew members. Investigators were focusing on the ship’s electrical power system, which experienced issues moments before the crash, according to National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy. Mayor Brandon Scott announced on Monday a partnership with two law firms to “launch legal action to hold the wrongdoers responsible.” Eric Tucker and Sarah Brumfield from the Associated Press have the story.
Florida constituents will decide on abortion rights this fall – The Florida Supreme Court released two decisions earlier this month that could change abortion access. The first is instigating a 6-week abortion ban to take effect on May 1. Justices also ruled that Amendment 4, which would protect abortions up to 24 weeks, will appear on the ballot in November. The amendment would include: "No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient's health, as determined by the patient's healthcare provider." At least 60% of voters must approve the amendment for it to be passed in Florida. If it passes, Amendment 4 will overturn the current 15-week and 6-week abortion ban. Danielle Prieur of NPR has more information.
Severe storms headed towards Plains and Midwest – Thunderstorms, heavy winds and hail are expected to hit the Plains beginning on Monday before moving to the Midwest, according to the National Weather Service. The biggest threat of these storms, according to meteorologist Marc Chenard at the Weather Prediction Center, is hail, which could be as large as a baseball. Higher risk areas include northern Texas, western Oklahoma and parts of Nebraska and Kansas. On Tuesday, the storms are expected to move to central states, including Northeast Texas into Iowa and Illinois. The storms will also cause hot, dry and windy weather, putting some states like Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas at a high wildfire risk. More than 1.7 million people were regarded as at “critical” risk of wildfire on Monday. Amanda Holpuch of The New York Times has more information.
Trump appears for his first criminal trial on Monday with lawyers Todd Blanche and Susan Necheles at his side – Veteran lawyers Todd Blanche and Susan Necheles represent Donald Trump, as he appears for his first criminal court case in New York. People familiar with Blanche and Necheles describe them as reputable lawyers who have the experience and expertise to effectively defend Trump in court. Blanche left New York’s oldest law firm to represent Trump in New York and his two federal criminal cases in Florida and D.C. Blanche worked alongside Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who is the top prosecutor in the state case. Blanche previously represented Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chairman, and Boris Epshteyn. Both attorneys, Blanche and Necheles, have had little experience as defense attorneys. Perry Stein of The Washington Post has the story.
14 East Pueblo: Museum of Contemporary Art to host Día Del Niño celebration
By Annabelle Rivera
The Museum of Contemporary Art will host a free Día Del Niño event on April 27.
The museum is going to bring food, vendors and art to Maria Saucedo Scholastic Academy in Little Village to celebrate the Mexican holiday. This is the museum’s first bilingual event outside of their downtown location.
“Families are invited to partake in a day of art and fun while learning about migrant experiences and the many communities that call Chicago home,” said the museum.
Día Del Niño is celebrated on April 30 in Mexico. First established in 1925, the day focuses on the uplifting and honoring of children. The museum’s event will have music, bouncy houses and art workshops geared towards young children.
The event takes place at Saucedo Elementary School, 2850 W. 24th Blvd, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 27. Admission is free.
Hey, Check This Out!
With Columnist Emily Diaz
If you’re looking for someone new to listen to, consider English-French psychedelic jazz duo Fievel is Glauque. Crafting some of the most idiosyncratic tunes, Fievel is Glauque navigates their way between New York and Brussels, citing everyone from The Cocteau Twins, Bjork and Whitney Houston as their muse.
From upbeat and manic to seductive and smooth, God’s Trashmen Sent to Right the Mess is the album to start with. It’s their first album and still sounds fresh (released in 2021), taking the listener down a rollercoaster of emotions from dancing in the rain to sashaying into a speakeasy, drink in hand.
Meshing sensual saxophones with a peculiar combination of soft keyboards and energetic snares, Fievel is Glauque embodies what I call a “classy oddity”, similar to the likes of the French film Amelie. Once you move onto their newest albums, I’m Scanning Things I Can’t See/Dark Dancing and Flaming Swords, you’ll feel like a French girl with a sleek bob jiving to Kenny G inside a kaleidoscopic elevator.
Start your mind-bending musical ride with the song “Mr. Nice”, turn on a lava lamp, apply some smudged red lipstick, a boa scarf and you’re good to go.
Resources
Need resources regarding warming 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