DePaul Safety Summit, AI, and $33 million in federal funds approved for migrants
Plus, a new podcast episode for The B-Side
Welcome back to ‘In the Loop’! We’ve got a good one for you today. It’s your newsletter team — Alexandra, Matthew, Audrey, Aidan, Emily, Elizabeth and Hailey — here with another newsletter to start off your Monday night.
Starting off, a feature story on AI and the impact it has had on education. Also, DePaul hosted a Safety Summit last Thursday for students, faculty and staff to raise concerns about safety on campus. In other recent Chicago news, $33 million in federal funding was approved for asylum seekers. Also, if you haven’t yet, check out our podcast The B-Side! This podcast will be produced by Senior Associate Editor, Audrey Leib, with the first episode coming out tonight!
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With that, let's get to the news!
The B-Side: A Burger and a Flower Walk into a Bar…
By: Abena Bediako, with Audrey Leib and Morgan Kirsch
A burger and a flower walk into a bar… and became the burger flower. The iconic imagery coined by Brenda “Kozmo” Lopez is painted across Chicago, most notably the Pilsen area. The vivid colors and bright smiles of the burger flower are a love letter to Kozmo’s parents, the flower for her mother and the burger for her father. Find out more about Brenda “Kozmo” Lopez in this edition of the B-Side.
Abena Bediako is a staff writer at 14 East and a journalism graduate student at DePaul University. She was inspired to write A Burger and a Flower Walk Into a Bar by Amy Merrick’s culture and arts writing class.
Story by Abena Bediako
Narration by Morgan Kirsch
Produced by Audrey Leib
AI and its Effect on Education
By Matthew Warakomski
When generative AI like ChatGPT emerged, many schools jumped on a crusade to stop students from using it. However, many experts and advocates for AI are calling this time a time of exploration and progress as opposed to a doomsday.
Lawrence Brimbaum, an AI specialist and Northwestern professor, is one of these advocates.
“The capabilities didn’t astound anyone, especially people in the field, until the last year or two,” Brimbaum said. “That’s when things got interesting in the sense that all of a sudden, the systems have this kind of intelligent capabilities in answering questions, writing essays, or writing computer programs.”
In March of 2023, Stanford University released a report on the AI+Education Summit, where numerous benefits of using AI in schools were discussed. One such advantage is the benefits to students.
Amira Learning AI scientist, Ran Liu, says in the Stanford report that AI’s feedback for students can boost self-confidence by acting as a judgment-free source shy students can turn to for assistance.
Brimbaum echoes this idea with the concept of the AI tutor.
“If we could drive down the cost of tutoring and we can say, no, there can be an automated AI tutor for every kid in the world and understand where that kid is at and what they need to learn and understand how to motivate them and understand how to help them understand something,” Brimbaum said.” Think of how much better an education every kid in the world would get.”
Stanford also discusses how AI can improve student learning. While there are fears that AI eliminates the need for proficiency in subjects, Dora Demisky, an Assistant Professor in Education Data Science at the university, thinks using AI will force students to engage more with the material.
This would come from students needing to actively direct the AI through curation, editing and feedback. Sal Khan, the creator of Khan Academy and attendee at the AI+Education Summit, says AI allows learners to become architects willing to become more creative and ambitious.
Marie Donovan, a DePaul education professor and teaching instructor who uses ChatGPT, also agrees.
According to the Stanford report, AI can also improve teacher performance by simulating classroom situations and providing constructive criticism. As AI becomes more human, it can provide feedback for educators to learn from.
“Teachers of all ages and grade levels use ChatGPT to find inspiration and organization for lesson plans, reports, and curriculum development,” Donovan said. “Middle-school and high-school teachers also use AI tools with their students, teaching them how to use them and the pitfalls of overly relying upon them for research or their writing.”
However, AI is not infallible and can deliver incorrect information or even purpose-made lies.
According to Brimbaum, AI does not understand the idea of true or false. They try to predict the next word in the sentence and sound convincing to the human interacting with them.
“They are gigantic statistical models of language that are very good at predicting the next word, and that has nothing to do with whether the sentence they are saying is accurate or not,” Brimbaum said. “That’s why they sound good. They sound right to our ears because they match the statistical properties of the language and, in some cases, the world base in which we live. It’s just that they may or may not have that relationship with the truth.”
Because of this, the U.S. Office of Educational Technology warns of AI amplifying students' unwanted biases, which it will add to its responses. There are also concerns about students using AI to plagiarize another’s work.
While concerns are valid, there are methods to ensure AI is kept in check.
“There are going to be two things around that," Brimbaum said. “One, of course, is that people use it responsibly, just like how people use social media properly. That’s not an intelligent tool, but it has certain capabilities. We hope people don’t intentionally spread lies, or if they forward something that seems dicey or slanderous, they check on it beforehand.”
Donovan agrees with regulation, believing that the law for AI should go as high as the federal government.
“There should be a regulatory agency or a standards-setting body of some sort, much like the FTC, that has teeth and can prosecute any 'bad actor' tool publisher or user who exploits the AI tools for ill gain,” Donovan said.
AI is an emerging technology, and as Brimbaum said, we are experiencing change, which, to many, is nerve-wracking. With movies such as The Matrix, Terminator and Deus Ex portraying AI as something to fear, it is an understandable feeling. But there is much to explore, both good and bad.
If you are interested in more facts about AI, here is the US Office of Educational Technology’s page on education and AI.
DePaul News
By Audrey Leib
DePaul Safety Summit
Last Thursday, more than 150 students, faculty and staff attended the Campus Safety Summit to raise concerns about and better understand safety on campus. Along with the DePaul students, faculty and staff was Public Safety and DePaul University President Robert L. Manuel. Speakers included Chicago Police Commanders Michael Barz and Joe Bird and Chicago Transit Authority Vice President for Security Kevin Ryan.
“This is our commitment to a long-term conversation about how we maintain, design and keep public safety at the forefront of our thinking,” Manuel said.
The university released a report at Academic Convocation, detailing the plan to “create a working group that consistently focuses on how we can design our work to provide the safest environment we can for our community.”
Student, faculty and staff comments will be available on the Designing DePaul website.
esterday, a strong arm robbery was reported at 1255 W. Belden Ave. Last week, on September 9, three robberies and one battery was reported on the sidewalk by the Fullerton Station, the corner of Belden and Sheffield and the corner of Fullerton and Kenmore. Find out more about the Safety Summit here and more about crime on campus here.
DePaul women’s tennis star gives back
Graduate student and DePaul women’s tennis player Yuliya Kizelbasheva donated stem cells to a terminally ill patient she was a 100% bone marrow match with. Kizelbasheva took part in the Be The Match program, which takes saliva samples to put into the world’s largest bone marrow donation registry. If someone is matched, they have the option to donate their bone marrow for stem cells. “My grandmother lost a battle against breast cancer and there were no donations that could save her life,” wrote Kizelbasheva. “I do not know who I helped because when you do such serious donations, the patient and the donor remain anonymous for a certain period of time. However, I feel blessed that I was able to do something that could help that person to overcome such a terrible disease.” Find out more about Kizelbasheva’s experience with Be The Match here.
Vice President and Director of Athletics DeWayne Peevy to stay until 2027
The DePaul University Board of Trustees approved a contract extension for Vice President and Director of Athletics DeWayne Peevy until June 30, 2027. Peevy began working for DePaul University in August of 2020. “I am humbled by how much we have accomplished together in just a short amount of time and energized when I think about DePaul’s future. Our work here is not even close to complete,” Peevy said. Find out more here about Peevy’s contract.
Chicago Headlines
By Aidan Piñon
Former NFL Player missing following the death of his mother – Authorities are searching for former Indianapolis Colts player Sergio Brown, 35, after his mother Myrtle Brown, 73, was found dead near a creek behind her Chicago-area home. Family members notified the Maywood Police Department on Saturday that they could not locate or make contact with Sergio and Myrtle. After filing a missing person report and conducting multiple searches, police say that they found Myrtle Brown unresponsive near a creek to the rear of her residence. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled her death a homicide on Saturday afternoon, saying she died from multiple injuries related to assault. Detectives ask that anyone with information about Sergio Brown’s location to contact Maywood Police Investigations at 708-368-4131 or the Maywood Police Department anonymous tip line at 708-450-1787. The Chicago Tribune has more.
Mayor Brandon Johnson explores opening first city-owned grocery store in Chicago – Mayor Brandon Johnson announced last week that he is partnering with the Economic Security Project, a non-profit group, to build a municipally-owned grocery store, which his administration says will “promote food equity and accessibility for all Chicagoans,”according to a press release. Ongoing grocery store closures on the south and west sides of Chicago have been cited as key reasons for Mayor Johnson’s plan, says city officials. “All Chicagoans deserve to live near convenient, affordable, healthy grocery options,” Johnson said in a statement. “We know access to grocery stores is already a challenge for many residents, especially on the South and West sides. A better, stronger, safer future is one where our youth and our communities have access to the tools and resources they need to thrive.” If successfully implemented, Chicago would be the first major city in the United States to have a municipally owned grocery store to address food inequity. Read the Mayor’s press release for more.
Chicago approves $33 million in federal funds for migrant shelters, services – City council voted on Thursday in a 45-4 vote to accept federal money to help newly arrived migrants in Chicago. Federal grants from the Department of Homeland Security and the Illinois Department of Human Services will provide $33 million to cover the cost of food and shelter spaces for previous and future expenses of newly arrived asylum seekers, according to the Daily Line. Since last August, more than 13,500 people, most from Central and South America, have arrived inChicago. Currently, there are nearly 2,000 migrants being housed in police stations and at O’Hare Airport, and 6,800 in 18 shelters across Chicago. The total cost of Chicago’s migrant crisis by the end of 2023 is estimated to hit $255 million. Block Club Chicago’s Madison Savedra has more.
Halloween begins early at Six Flags Great America with the start of Fright Fest – Although Halloween is more than a month away, Six Flags Great America’s annual Halloween-themed event, Fright Fest, had its opening day this Saturday. This year’s Fright Fest features six different haunted houses, nine “scare zones” set up throughout the park, and an old ride cemetery. For the younger children, Six Flags will also offer a Boo Fest during daytime hours which includes a parade and dance party. Fright Fest will run through October 29 with select dates. WGN9 Chicago News has more.
National Headlines
By Sam Freeman
Under new Kansas law, gender identities will not be changed on birth certificates – Kansas will no longer be changing the sex on the birth certificates of transgender people to reflect their gender identities, according to the state health department on Friday. The Legislature overrode Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto in April, and the law took effect on July 1. The legislation states that gender cannot be changed on public documents because the gender assigned at birth is important statistical information. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment said those who already have their birth certificates changed are allowed to keep them. However, copies of the document must reflect the gender assigned at birth. Anna Betts from the New York Times has the story.
Trial of three Washington officers charged with murder and manslaughter of a Black man is set to begin – The jury selection will begin on Monday for the three officers charged for the death of a 33-year-old Black man. A few months before George Floyd’s death, Manuel Ellis was tackled, punched and shocked with a taser in March of 2020. The three officers involved in the death are Christopher Burbank, Matthew Collins and Timothy Rankine. Burbank and Collins have been charged with second-degree murder, and Rankine with first-degree manslaughter. Opening statements are expected to start on October 2, and the trial is expected to run for four days each week until December. Martha Bellisle from the Associated Press has more information.
$250K reward offered for assailant who killed Los Angeles County’s sheriff deputy – Authorities offered $250K for the public’s help in finding the individual who shot and killed Los Angeles County’s sheriff deputy, who was in a patrol car at an intersection. Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer died at the hospital after being found unconscious in his car Saturday evening, according to Sheriff Robert Luna. Luna said he thinks the shooting was a “targeted attack.” However, the motive and whether or not it was a targeted attack remains unknown. California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the shooting “horrific, unconscionable, and shocking.” The Associated Press has more information.
Thousands of people march in New York, demanding Biden to end fossil fuels – Protestors have gathered in New York to call on Biden to stop federal approval of fossil fuel projects, phase out oil and gas drilling and declare climate change a national emergency. They also want the U.S. to transition to a reliance on renewable energy. Many are upset that Biden hasn’t kept his campaign promise to halt drilling on federal lands. Biden approved the Willow project, which is a major oil development in Alaska and the Mountain Valley Pipeline that will carry natural gas to West Virginia. "I think the reality now is that Biden hasn't been the climate president that he had promised," said Alice Hu, senior climate campaigner at New York Communities for Change. Rachel Waldholz from NPR has the story.
14 East Pueblo: Spotlight on Sentrock
By Emily Figueroa
Painted across the subject of his art is a mask, but the muralist Sentrock gained freedom from his mysterious character taking over walls in Pilsen, West Town and more. Joseph Perez, known as Sentrock, is an artist from West Phoenix using his craft to motivate younger Latino generations.
He was a self-taught street artist who began his career early in local art galleries. Sentrock’s first murals started with birds to symbolize the freedom his incarcerated father was seeking. His work later grew into the image Chicago knows as Saint, a young Latino boy with a red bird mask.
Saint is comparable to humanity, according to Sentrock’s website. The character promotes hope and the escape to freedom by being placed in a different reality.
The artist has outgrown the space for murals and put on an exhibit at the Elmhurst Art Museum, produced collaborations and has opened a personal studio.
Commissioned by the Chicago Bulls, the White Sox, Chicago Fire, Apple, Converse and more, his work gave him his pair of wings to soar through the industry.
Sentrock will continue his passion in his studio located in Pilsen to further his voice and empower those like him searching for an artistic outlet.
Hey, Check This Out!
With Featured Columnist Elizabeth Gregerson
Are you in the mood for something sweet, but not too sweet? How about something just sweet enough? You’ll find what you're looking for in Alison Roman’s latest release cleverly titled, “Sweet Enough: A Dessert Cookbook.” And yes, it is still a cookbook even if most of the recipes are desserts.
Alison Roman is a cook, writer and well known internet foodie figure. Her two previous cookbooks, “Dining In” and “Nothing Fancy,” offer recipes for any meal of the day, while “Sweet Enough” is fully devoted to baking and creating delectable desserts.
On her website Roman says she recommends “Sweet Enough” for, “the once-a-year bakers, the twice a week cake makers, for those who can only manage to open a carton of heavy cream and pour it onto some fresh fruit.” So if you fall anywhere on that spectrum, this book is for you.
If you don’t think you need a cookbook full of 86 dessert recipes, you do. Especially considering the desserts range from cookies and cakes to breakfast bakes and frozen treats. What other cookbook offers a pancake recipe 100 pages after a cheesecake recipe? Even the section strictly dedicated to pies covers recipes from the obvious sweet fruit concoctions to a surprisingly savory mushroom pot pie.
Roman offers suggestions and tips throughout the cookbook, allowing readers to customize each recipe to their specific needs and tastes. One such suggestion can be found in Roman’s “Perfect Salted Shortbread” recipe.. If you were hoping to find a chocolate chip recipe in “Sweet Enough,” you’ll be disappointed. Instead, Roman suggests using her “Perfect Salted Shortbread” as the base for your own cookie experimentation. If throwing caution to the wind unnerves you, Roman has shared her “Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbread” recipe on her website.
“Sweet Enough: A Desserts Cookbook” is available in hardcover and spiral bound formats, as well as on Kindle, and will surely be a kitchen staple with home bakers for years to come.
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