DePaul’s COVID-19 dashboard, surging youth cases in Chicago + Illinois and Lightfoot’s plan to sue gang members
Plus some new music recommendations to soundtrack your week
Welcome back, Blue Demons! As we enter the first full week back at DePaul, we’re bringing you updates from campus, a feature story on the university’s new COVID-19 reporting system and your weekly dose of news from across the city.
But before we dive into it — if you’re interested in learning more about our magazine, want to meet some of our staff or are curious about joining our team, come visit us at the Loop Student Organization Showcase this week! We’ll have a table on the concourse of the DePaul Center on Thursday, September 16 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Can’t make it in person? No worries! We’ll also be hosting a booth at the Virtual Involvement Fair on Friday, September 17 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
That’s all for now. It’s your newsletter team — Claire, Kate, Eiman, Aneesah, Grace and Cam — so let’s get into it!
DePaul’s shift to a data dashboard means less transparency
Cam Rodriguez, Managing Editor
If you’re a returning student or faculty member, or are just used to receiving DePaul’s emails, your inbox during this back-to-school season might seem unusually quiet. A staple for the past year and a half, the emails alerting the DePaul community about COVID-19 cases on campus sent out first by Public Safety, then by DePaul Community Health, are notably absent this year due to shifting policies from the Chicago Department of Public Health about case reporting, according to university spokesperson Russell Dorn.
So what do we have in terms of COVID-19 case updates? A dashboard, one that faded in the background last year underneath notifications regarding the locations of new cases, but is now the sole source of information about COVID-19 cases on campus.
If you’re like me, you might be nervous about returning back to school (or seeing your loved ones head back to class) while COVID-19 cases are just as bad if not worse than this time last year. I’ve been tuned into the dashboard since I found out it was the only way I’d find out about new cases unless I was infected or in close contact with someone who is. Here’s what I’ve learned:
Dashboard breakdown
The dashboard itself is a pretty simple getup, with cases aggregated by week and by type – student, faculty/staff, and other. Weeks start on Saturdays and end on Fridays, so data is labeled accordingly – “week ending in Sept. 10,” “week ending in Sept. 17,” et cetera. That means that the data for a calendar week won’t be fully congruous, and will be spread across two columns.
Most notably, the dashboard doesn’t have any sort of notification system, nor does it indicate when it was last updated, so keeping track of daily values is tricky. I’ve maintained a daily spreadsheet and Twitter thread that keeps tabs on when the dashboard updates, since once a case is reported using the dashboard, it gets lumped together with the rest of the data already reported.
COVID-19 cases so far
As of publication, DePaul has announced 26 cases since I started keeping track (and since the day before classes started) on 9/7. These cases are a combination of student and faculty/staff cases — though the vast majority are students — and so far, the brunt of the cases have occurred during the week that spans Saturday, September 4 (move-in weekend) to this past Friday, September 10 (the first Friday of the school year).
14 East plans on continuing daily, weekly and special coverage of how COVID-19 unfolds on campus, both through our main site as well as social media and this very newsletter. We’ll keep you posted about policy changes, new cases and more, and if you have any specific questions, concerns or tips, feel free to reach out at any time.
DePaul News
Per DePaul’s academic calendar, the last day to add classes this quarter is tomorrow, Tuesday, September 14, while the last day to drop classes is Tuesday, September 21. Those changes can be made in Campus Connect.
If you missed last week’s involvement fair in Lincoln Park, there are more opportunities to meet organizations on campus! The Fraternity and Sorority Life Fair will be hosted in the Lincoln Park Quad on September 15 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The Student Organization Showcase will be hosted on the 11th floor of the DePaul Center on September 16 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The Virtual Involvement Fair will be on September 17 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The zoom link to the Virtual Involvement Fair, as well as more information about this week’s involvement fairs, can be found on DeHub.
The Political Science department will be hosting a panel reflecting on the legacy of 9/11 over the past 20 years. The virtual event will be on September 16 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Register via eventbrite in advance to receive a zoom link.
DePaul students, faculty and staff are eligible for free saliva-based COVID-19 testing on both campuses. Testing is offered every weekday between the two campuses by appointment only. Test results are available within 12 to 24 hours.
Loop Campus:
Mondays 9 a.m. to noon; Thursdays 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Location: DePaul Center (1 E. Jackson Blvd.), Concourse Area
Lincoln Park Campus:
Tuesdays 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.; Wednesdays 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.; Fridays 9 a.m. to noon
Location: McGrath-Phillips Arena inside Sullivan Athletic Center (2323 N. Sheffield Ave.), Lobby
Lastly, if you’re needing a refresher on DePaul’s many COVID-19 policies, check out 14 East’s most recent article for a compiled list on masks, vaccines and social distancing on campus.
Chicago Headlines
As the new school year is underway and classes are mostly in person, the city and state as a whole are seeing a significant rise in COVID-19 cases. Those under 20 years of age have been disproportionately affected, with near record high hospitalizations and cases, Joe Mahr and Karen Ann Cullotta of the Chicago Tribune report.
In an effort to combat gun violence, Mayor Lightfoot plans to sue gang members with the help of the city’s top lawyer. Critics, however, call her efforts “rushed,” noting that her information will come from a gang database that has been highly criticized for containing bad information. Justin Laurence of Block Club Chicago has the details.
Today the Cook County officials released a new racial equity plan. To better represent the county’s largest ethnic group in hiring and promotion, the new plan includes a Latinx agenda. In addition, all county services will be made accessible in many different languages and all employees under the president will need to undergo a mandatory racial equity and cultural competency training by the following year, reports Maudlyne Ihejirika of the Sun-Times.
In an effort to curb plastic pollution, the City Council’s Health and Environmental Protection Committee is hammering down on a single-use plasticware ban for restaurants. However, owners can choose whether or not to comply. Fran Spielman of the Sun-Times has the details.
The Pitchfork Music Festival took place in Chicago over the weekend with headliners such as Erykah Badu and St. Vincent. Doug George, Nikki O’Neill and Talia Soglin of the Tribune recap.
Recommendations
Music-wise, this week I definitely recommend checking out Ari Lennox’s new single “Pressure,” an upbeat R&B track that showcases her incredible range and talent. Additionally, Aaliyah’s third album, Aaliyah, became available on streaming services for the first time this week. The album is a masterful time capsule of early 2000s R&B and demonstrates that Aaliyah’s legacy as the princess of that genre is a well deserved one. My favorite cuts from the album include “More Than a Woman,” “We Need a Resolution” and “I Care 4 U.” This album is perfect for background music for doing homework, as it’s melodic while remaining uptempo. | Aneesah Shealey
Resources
Rental Assistance
The Illinois Housing Development Authority periodically offers rental payment programs which send vouchers directly to landlords to subsidize rent costs. The program is currently closed to new applicants. However, housing stability service providers are offered year-round. Check out the resources here.
The city of Chicago’s Rental Assistance Program provides funding for Chicagoans who are at risk of becoming homeless.
The Brave Space Alliance currently offers multiple housing resources. In order to distribute aid accordingly, they have a housing intake and assessment form that you can find here.
COVID-19 Testing and Vaccine Resources
All of these testing sites and vaccination sites can be accessed for free and without insurance.
Howard Brown offers free, walk-in COVID-19 viral and antibody testing at multiple locations from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, in addition to mobile testing sites that are updated weekly. The organization also offers the Moderna vaccine for individuals 18 and older. You can check all of their current COVID-19 resources here.
The Illinois Department of Public Health and the city of Chicago offer free COVID-19 testing sites in the city and surrounding counties, which are listed with more information here. IDPH also offers COVID-19 vaccines to all residents 12 years and older. Call 833-621-1284 to schedule an appointment.
The city of Chicago partnered with the Community Organized Relief Effort to set up free drive-thru and walk-in testing sites in the city, primarily on the South and West sides, with appointments available Monday through Friday. Register here.
The city has also updated its COVID-19 testing program with more mobile sites, which change weekly. More info here.
Know someone 12 years of age or older who has yet to receive their COVID-19 vaccine? Check out appointments via Zocdoc, the city of Chicago’s Vaccine Finder or pharmacy websites such as Walgreens and CVS to see what is available in or around your ZIP code.
Mental Health Resources
At Open Counseling, there’s a list of people and nonprofits with counseling services available for free or low cost.
This website compiles mental health resources, including therapist directories and other online resources.
The Center on Halsted offers behavioral health, anti-violence and educational resources for LGBTQ+ people.
Howard Brown Health offers anti-racism resources and sliding scale counseling specializing in the LGBTQ+ community.
This document is a resource for Black people experiencing racial trauma. The master list includes specific resources as well as protesting tips and donation links.
This link is a directory of Black therapists in Chicago who provide services for under $75.
Here’s 7 virtual mental health resources supporting Black people right now, including Chicago-based community organization Sista Afya’s support groups.
The Trans Lifeline’s peer support hotline is a resource operated by transgender and nonbinary staffers for the trans community: 877-565-8860.
The Center for Religion and Psychotherapy in Chicago is a nonprofit that provides affordable, sliding-scale counseling. Call 312-263-4368, ext. 9081 to schedule an intake appointment (counseling is not religious-centered).
Andddddd that’s it for today! We hope you had a great first week back and are feeling ready to take on this quarter. We’ll see you next Monday!
The 14 East Newsletter Team