DePaul’s Fall Quarter plans, a plant explosion in Lincoln Park
and some quarantine fashion tips
Hi everyone!
We hope you stayed dry during the heavy rain yesterday! What’s a better addition to COVID-19 concerns than intense rainfall? The good news is it’s supposed to be sunny later this week before it rains again this weekend!
For all newcomers, we’re your Monday crew, associate editors Patsy, Grace and Cam alongside contributors Paige Haeffele and Charlie Carey, back with our 18th (!!!) newsletter bringing you news of DePaul’s Fall Quarter plan, some churches holding services yesterday and comfy quarantine styles.
We hope you’re hanging in there. Enjoy!
We do this because we think it's an important public service. But if you would like to support this work on Venmo @fourteeneastmag, or tell your friends to sign up for this newsletter — it'd be greatly appreciated.
What’s the latest at DePaul?
On Friday, May 15 the university announced its plan to reopen for the Fall Quarter. The anticipated opening comes with regulations that limit in-person learning and reduce the number of students living in DePaul’s residence halls.
In order to decrease the amount of in-person classes, DePaul has expanded the DePaul Online Teaching Series (DOTS) program to accommodate over 200 faculty for the summer session. This helps professors learn online learning best practices. Students will have a wide variety of both synchronous and asynchronous courses available, which the university says will allow students to have more flexibility in their schedules.
In other DePaul news, last week Interim Provost Salma Ghanem announced that Cynthia Pickett will be the university’s first associate provost for diversity, equity and inclusion in the Office of Academic Affairs. Pickett comes to DePaul from the University of California, Davis where she is the associate vice-provost for faculty equity and inclusion, as well as an associate professor of psychology. Her appointment begins on July 1.
Last week, DePaul’s Student Government Association (SGA) announced the newly elected officials for the 2020-21 school year. While some officers were reelected — including SGA President Gisselle Cervantes — some seats were filled by newly elected officials.
If you didn’t get a chance to read up on the candidates, you can check out the elected officials’ platforms here.
Finally, in an email sent to the DePaul community earlier today through DePaul Central, President Esteban addressed DePaul’s allotment of money from the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act fund. While DePaul has “not received CARES Act funds from the Department of Education” yet, it was allotted $7.1 million, and will be accepting applications from students soon. The fund is designed to provide financial assistance to FAFSA and Title IV-aid eligible students to address “expenses related to campus operations due to COVID-19.” Read the full email here.
Students who are eligible for the program (full eligibility requirements and frequently asked questions are here) should receive an application within the next few weeks, according to the email. The deadline to apply for aid is June 15.
What’s happening in Chicago?
Yesterday, officials reported 51 COVID-19 related deaths – the lowest death toll in a 24-hour period in the state for nearly two weeks. As of today there are 59 new deaths and 2,294 more confirmed cases in Illinois. The state now has had 4,234 deaths and 96,485 cases.
As of Friday, businesses who violate the stay-at-home order to open will be charged with a misdemeanor, meaning they would be fined $75 to $2,500. In his press conference today, Governor J.B. Pritzker said the state can revoke the business’s liquor license or close the business. He said Friday that every part of the state is currently on track to enter Phase 3 of his reopening plan at the end of May, meaning manufacturing, offices, retail and salons will be able to reopen.
On Friday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city is making plans for how places of worship can safely reopen, asking volunteers from the faith community to work together to establish guidelines that can be used across multiple faiths. Yesterday, an Albany Park church held in-person services despite Lightfoot’s promises to cite any church allowing gatherings of more than 10 people. The city blocked parking around the location anticipating the congregation's defiance. A Belmont Cragin church also held services with at least 100 members of the congregation.
In non-COVID-19 related news, this morning an explosion occurred at the General Iron scrap plant in Lincoln Park. No one was injured but Alderman Brian Hopkins (2nd) said the explosion led to a “sudden increase” in pollution readings. The company spokesperson raised the idea of “sabotage” in a statement, however General Iron hasn’t provided any evidence of this. Some residents told Block Club it felt like an “earthquake” and a General Iron employee said it felt like they were getting “bombed.”
This comes after the city ok’d demolition work at the old Crawford coal plant Thursday in Little Village weeks after a botched explosion covered the neighborhood in dust.
Other Chicago News:
Chicago is facing mounting pressure to release remote learning data, by Chalkbeat Chicago’s Mila Koumpilova
City libraries will reopen within weeks, though there’s not a set opening date yet, by Block Club Chicago’s Kelly Bauer
Grubhub delivery driver runs over restaurant worker after a social-distancing related dispute in hit-and-run caught on video, by Block Club Chicago’s Justin Laurence
Fire crews rescue people who are homeless from flooded Lower Wacker Drive, by Block Club Chicago’s Kelly Bauer
Chicago gets a ‘D’ for social distancing, by Chicago Tribune’s Hal Dardick
Coronavirus at Illinois long-term care facilities – more than 13,000 confirmed cases and 1,975 deaths, by the Chicago Tribune Staff
If you don’t want to watch the news, here are the national headlines to know:
States across the country are beginning to reopen, causing a rift between Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and the yearning to get out of isolation. Here’s a state-by-state map of who’s open, who isn’t, and to what degree, from the staff of the Washington Post
One big event on Saturday drew big names: Lebron James, Timothee Chalamet, Dua Lipa, and former President Obama… but it wasn’t an awards show. High school graduates nationwide tuned in to “Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020” to have their accomplishments recognized and celebrated, from NPR’s Emma Bowman. (You can watch the hour-long event here via YouTube.)
After last week’s reopening of Shanghai Disneyland, Florida has given Disney the okay to begin reopening — and it’s starting with Disney Springs, a mixed entertainment and shopping area on the property. But the company and customers alike have some strong caveats about safety, from The Hollywood Reporter’s Ryan Parker
The Space Force (remember them?) launched a rocket yesterday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on a classified mission, according to Ars Technica’s Eric Berger. We might not know why it was launched, but it made for some great pictures
Researchers at Oxford University are, like many other labs across the world, attempting to create a vaccine — and they should “know by July” if it’s a viable product to prevent against COVID-19. The UK government announced yesterday that if proven successful, Britons would be the first to receive the immunization: about 30 million doses by September, from CNBC’s Chloe Taylor
And in the United States, Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine trial, which was the first to be tested on humans, is proving to be “promising,” according to an announcement today from the company, by the New York Times’s Denise Grady
In other news, comfy is trending.
When imagining spring and summer fashion, one typically thinks of crop tops, tank tops, shorts and sunglasses. Not this season. Amid the COVID-19 crisis and stay-at-home orders to prevent the spread of the virus, there hasn’t been any opportunity for spring and summer fashion whatsoever. So, I set out to answer the question, what are people wearing through quarantine?
When asked about her quarantine style, Chicago native Sarah Purpura said “because my work is closed right now I really haven’t been wearing anything but pajamas. Oh and no bra.”
Sarah Purpura takes a quarantine selfie. Photo courtesy of Sarah Purpura.
I’m sure many who typically wear bras can relate. We aren’t going anywhere, so why be uncomfortable for no reason? To me, yoga pants feel like dressing up at this point.
Brands like Urban Outfitters and Nasty Gal are still producing new clothing for purchase, using models’ self-submitted quarantine photos. With all of their retail stores temporarily closed, these stores had to adapt to the times. I’ve gotten many emails promoting online shopping and sales throughout quarantine.
It’s hard to find motivation to dress up when no one is going to see your effort. However, if you’ve been feeling uninspired fashion-wise due to everything happening, you could try dressing up for yourself and doing a photoshoot as many celebrities and non-famous people alike have done. Pop star Ariana Grande has posted home photoshoots on Instagram that have been well received.
Dressing up can represent normalcy and routine to many people, so although COVID-19 has changed so much, don’t let it stop your inner style. If you want to dress up for a day, go for it. Now is the perfect time to put together outfits you ordinarily wouldn’t, because, hey, there is no risk involved! No one has to see it if it doesn’t turn out well. Though some would consider this a fashion slump, we don’t have to allow it to be.
Recent graduate Andy Nook has been wearing nothing but pajamas. Photo courtesy of Andy Nook
Need some new movie recs? Look no further!
📺 Marty is watching The Limey
📺 Damita is watching Parasite
📺 Cat is watching Fast Color
📺 Halle is watching Big Time Adolescence
📺 Sarah is watching The Florida Project
Bored?
Play Crazy Taxi
Climb a tree
Watch all nine seasons of Naruto on Netflix
Watch this 11-minute compilation of people passing out on roller coasters
And then afterwards go on these virtual Disney rides
Tomorrow at 7 p.m., Aloe Blacc, Grouplove, Matt Berninger of The National, Milk Carton Kids and many more are scheduled to perform during the "Safe and Sound" virtual concert benefiting Safe Place for Youth
Who was the best Spiderman? Tobey Macguire is the wrong answer but if you disagree/agree email patsynewitt@gmail.com. She will answer.
After you send the Spiderman thoughts, then send your detailed thoughts on Charli XCX’s new album how i’m feeling now and how it stacks up to her previous album Charli to patsynewitt@gmail.com
Overwhelmed?
Watch Willem Verbeeck’s relaxing and entertaining YouTube montages like this one in an arctic town
Contact Illinois’s 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.
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?
Here’s Chicago organizer Kelly Hayes’ mutual aid form to sign up to help
Sign up to do senior wellness checks for My Block My Hood My City
Lost your main source of income?
Here’s where to apply for unemployment and here’s how to apply
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”
Again, hang in there. Do your homework. Make yourself a snack. Maybe clean your room. Look out the window. Take a break. Make some tea. Read a book.
Xoxo,
Patsy, Cam and Grace
We do this because we think it's an important public service. But if you would like to support this work on Venmo @fourteeneastmag, or tell your friends to sign up for this newsletter — it'd be greatly appreciated.