DePaul president announces plan to enhance athletics facilities, Welcome Week, and Chicago losing the war on rats
Plus, an update on the migrant crisis
Welcome back to ‘In the Loop’! Also, happy first week of classes, DePaul! We’ve got a good one for you today. It’s your newsletter team — Alexandra, Alyssa, Lauren, Sam, Elizabeth and Emily — here with an exciting edition to start off your Monday night.
To start off the new school year, a feature story on a Welcome Week event, Game Night in the Stu hosted by DePaul Esports. At this event, new and returning students were able to get to know one another and bond over some friendly competition. Also, DePaul President Robert L. Manuel announced at the academic convocation last Thursday, a plan to enhance campus athletics facilities. In addition, beloved “Margaritaville” singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett died at age 76 from Merkel cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer.
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Game Night in the Stu: Students Bond Over Friendly Competition
By: Alyssa N. Salcedo
Welcome Week at DePaul University gives its students, both incoming and returning, a chance to connect and celebrate the start of a new year. This year, DePaul’s Esports team hosted a Welcome Week event, Game Night in the Stu, that allowed students to bond over classic video games and friendly competition. Students got the opportunity to play classic games like Mortal Kombat II, Super Smash Bros and Pac Man while getting to know their peers.
The DePaul Esports team took over the student center on Lincoln Park's campus and turned it into a place where anyone who loves video games could come and play. According to Maya Yarnall, an event coordinator and member of the Esports team, the game night event was created to give all students a chance to connect in a fun and welcoming environment. They also wanted to use this as an opportunity to introduce students to DePaul’s gaming community and the Esports team. The Esports team runs a gaming center where students have the opportunity to both compete and play casually. They host tryouts for their competitive teams, and the game night event shares that opportunity with those who are interested.
“Usually we won’t all compete, but we have some of our groups that will be set for competition… It really depends on our interests and we’re usually lined up with our interests and what we do,” Yarnall said.
The game night event helped to recruit students for the Esports team, and to let people know that this community exists on campus. Their goal is to build a community together that’s comfortable and fun for everyone. This event helped to encourage bonding among students through competition and teamwork. Yarnall explained that there is a large community of gamers at DePaul who highly value sportsmanship, they celebrate wins and help each other to improve their game play.
When asked about her experience as an event coordinator, Yarnall stated, “I first got involved in the general DePaul community through Esports, so I appreciate the fact that I’m able to give back… It’s so nice seeing new students and returning students coming together to play games.”
Throughout the entire event, students walked around to different games and sat down to play with their peers. They introduced themselves to each other, shared their majors and career goals, and were able to connect to potentially play games together again.
Freshman student, Hyo Amano, shared his experience with the event, “it’s a great place to socialize, I met some people that I have similar interests with.”
When asked about what brought him to the event, Amano shared that he enjoys gaming and spends his free time developing a simulation role-playing game with his friends. Amano explained that his goal is to develop this game and eventually sell it, which is why he hopes to connect with the gaming community at DePaul. This event was a great opportunity for him to make friends as well as network with those hoping to take similar career paths.
The game night hosted by the DePaul Esports team proved to be an excellent opportunity for students to connect both personally and professionally. This event was a great way for students to come together, compete and bond over mutual interests.
DePaul News
By Alexandra Murphy
DePaul President Robert L. Manuel Announces Plan to Enhance Campus Athletics Facilities
DePaul President Robert L. Manuel announced last Thursday, August 31, his plan to transform the university’s athletics facilities, including the construction of a state-of-the-art basketball facility and the modernization of the Sullivan Athletic Center and McGrath-Phillips Arena. The athletics projects have already kick-started campaigns and the renovation of the Sullivan Athletic Center and McGrath-Phillips Arena is set to begin in the winter quarter with the first phase being completed by the Summer of 2024. The total of the projects will amount to approximately $60 million and will be funded mainly through donor gifts. Manuel also announced a second project for Interdisciplinary education where the university will go forward and create three disciplinary institutes focused on poverty, environmental sustainability, and artificial intelligence. Read more here.
DePaul Welcome Week 2023
DePaul University’s Welcome Week is back in full swing, with a two-week kickoff to the year with events offered for new and returning students alike. The plethora of events, hosted by different on-campus organizations, are being held on both DePaul’s Lincoln Park and Loop campus. The different Welcome Week festivities will be held from August 26-September 8, so go check it out while the events are still going on! Find out more about the DePaul Welcome Week event schedule here.
DePaul Offers New Mobile Blue Demon Card
DePaul University’s Blue Demon Card has been made available as a mobile credential. This mobile credential can be added directly onto your phone for easy access at any card readers located on DePaul’s Lincoln Park and Loop campus. Also, you can use the Transact eAccounts app to manage the Demon Express card, iPrint and meal plan accounts. Learn more about how to access your Blue Demon Card here.
Chicago Headlines
By Lauren Sheperd
Rat tax hits local government – Chicago’s war on rats has a shocking enemy: other local government agencies. Known as the rattiest city in America, the City of Chicago has fined local agencies $750,000 for rat-related violations in the last four and a half years. The majority of these fines went to the Chicago Housing Authority and the Cook County Land Bank Authority. Other violators included the Chicago Board of Education and the City Colleges of Chicago. Some violations of Chicago’s rat laws include rodent infestations and overflowing dumpsters. Block Club Chicago’s Casey Toner and the Illinois Answers Project have more.
Migrants housed at O’Hare face unsanitary conditions – Migrants sent from Texas and other states are being sheltered at Chicago O’Hare International Airport in conditions that are “overcrowded, unsanitary and unpleasant.” The airport is meant to be a temporary stop for migrants, though the length of stays is rising, as well as the amount of people staying there. Some of the issues migrants are facing include poor quality food, a lack of access to healthcare and inadequate bedding. According to Vianney Marzullo, a lead volunteer with the Police Station Response Team advocacy group, housing migrants in O’Hare for more than three days is a public health issue. Michael Loria of the Chicago Sun-Times has more.
Labor organization efforts surge – Illinois labor leaders are optimistic following a surge in unionization and organization efforts. According to the Illinois Economic Policy Institute and the Center for Middle Class Revival at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 72 new labor unions were created in Illinois in 2022, representing 9,600 new unionized workers. This follows decades of declining unionization and membership rates. This is a national trend, as the public approval rating of unions in the U.S. is the highest it’s been in six decades. WTTW’s Peter Hancock has more.
ARC Music Festival takes over Union Park – ARC Music Festival returned to Chicago for the third year this weekend. The three-day festival featured more than 70 international dance artists and paid tribute to Chicago’s house music roots, according to TimeOut Chicago. Performers from Chicago and all over the world – such as Hiroko Yamamura, John Summit and Black Coffee – had crowds dancing despite the Labor Day Weekend heat. Chicago Reader’s Leor Galil has more on the festival.
National Headlines
By Sam Freeman
Maui sent an evacuation alert but very few got it – When fires overtook Lahaina, emergency managers for Maui County sent out an evacuation alert that would sound on any cell phone within dangerous distance to the fire. The message read, “Evacuate your family and pets now, do not delay.” However, most people in need of the alert never received it. More than 100 people died in the Lahaina fires, leaving many to question why they had not been warned sooner. In Lahaina, the first billow of smoke was visible at 3 p.m., but an emergency alert wasn’t received until 4:16 p.m. Many technological factors – including the age of the phone and whether or not the phone is within the targeted zone – can restrict a wireless alert from getting through. Professionals are looking into ways to make the emergency alert system more resilient, such as burying cables. Mike Baker, Sergio Olmos and Eileen Sullivan from the New York Times have the story.
Jimmy Buffett died of a rare skin cancer, according to his website – The “Margaritaville” singer, Jimmy Buffett, died on Friday after fighting a rare skin condition called Merkel cell carcinoma. According to the Federal National Cancer institute and the Mayo Clinic, Merkel cell carcinoma is extremely rare and aggressive; it tends to spread quickly and to other areas of the body. It’s most often caused by increased sun exposure, a weakened immune system and a history of other cancers. Buffet embodied the promise of sand, summer and blue salt water in both his own lifestyle and his multibillion dollar business. Last year, he posted: “It’s important to have as much fun as possible while we’re here. It balances out the times when the minefield of life explodes.” The Associated Press has more information.
Burning Man attendees stranded due to a storm – A storm in Nevada leaves thousands of people stranded at the Burning Man music and arts festival. On Friday, almost an inch of precipitation flooded the area, causing event organizers to close the festival and advise campers to conserve their food and water. However, according to NPR, the wet weather hasn’t lessened spirits. One attendee said: “We're pooling all our food as far as resources. And I would say honestly, walking around the city, spirits are pretty high.” But some are less than thrilled, as they face property damages from the rain. Today, clear skies are expected to dry up the muck and rain, allowing people to finally leave the festival. Emma Bowman and Chloe Veltman from NPR have the story.
The story behind the front page of UNC’s Daily Tar Heel – Last Monday, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill went into lockdown as an active shooter roamed campus. According to editor-and-chief of the paper, Emmy Martin, the lockdown had the newspaper staff rethinking the Wednesday paper. When Martin was scrolling through texts and social media posts of exchanges between family and friends during the lockdown, she came up with the idea: a graphic composed entirely of short messages that convey the terror and fear that students and faculty endured that day. So far this year, there have been over 86 school shootings (K-12 and college campuses), resulting in 27 deaths and 57 injuries, according to the gun control and advocacy group called Everytown for Gun Safety. Martin told NPR, "I don't think any preparation will truly prepare you for the real situation. It's very different. It's more scary than I could have imagined." Vanessa Romo from NPR has more information.
Hey, Check This Out!
With Featured Columnist Elizabeth Gregerson
Shut off your screens but keep your headphones on - this week is all about new music.
Friday, August 25 saw the release of new singles from two well known artists, Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez. Cyrus and Gomez have had similar career trajectories, they both got their start in showbiz as Disney Channel tween stars. Cyrus has solidified herself as a powerhouse voice for her generation, both musically and politically. Gomez has branched out into more acting roles and business ventures like her highly successful makeup brand, Rare Beauty. In their thirties now and well past their Disney Channel days, both new singles reveal a mature sense of self awareness and acceptance.
Gomez’ song, “Single Soon,” is a breathy bop that walks the listener through her contemplation over how to break up with a boyfriend, and more importantly what to wear while she does it. Gomez exerts her freedom in the chorus when she sings, “I'ma date who I wanna, Stay out late if I wanna, I'ma do what I wanna do.” Empowering and carefree, “Single Soon” is sure to be a new staple on pop playlists.
Cyrus’ single takes a much more reflective and melancholy tone. A quiet and moving ballad, “Used To Be Young” showcases Cyrus’ lyrical and vocal prowess as she looks back on her younger self with compassion and understanding. Releasing herself from the judgments placed on her during her wild days of the past, Cyrus wisely and poetically reminds listeners of how her age impacted her choices during that time. A beautiful example of a woman letting go of the shame placed upon her by others, “Use To Be Young” will hit at the hearts of anyone who has grown up and moved past their mistakes.
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