Final Newsletter of the 2024-25 School Year, Commencement Speakers Announced and the National Guard Deployment in Los Angeles
plus, a recommendation to support student journalists
Welcome back to ‘In the Loop’! It’s your newsletter team Lauren, Claire, Noah, Isabella, Ellie and Noel. We’ve got a good one for you today.
To start, we have a closing letter from me, Lauren. It has truly been such an honor to run this newsletter this year, and I have been amazed by the incredible work we have put out each week and the support and feedback we get in return. I will forever miss my time at 14 East, and cannot wait to see where the magazine goes from here. Then, we have information on 2025 commencement speakers and protests against ICE raids in Pilsen. Next, we have information on the Tony Awards and the aid boat sailing to Gaza that was captured by Israeli forces. Finally, we have a recommendation for our very own “In the Loop” newsletter and student journalism as a whole.
This newsletter edition — #216, which is oddly my hometown area code — is dedicated to student journalists everywhere. Our work is real and important. After eight years as a student journalist myself, I can say that our professionalism and hard work mirrors any “real” newsroom.
If you want to show support for 14 East and ‘In the Loop,’ we invite you to donate directly to our newsroom. Whether it’s a one-time contribution or a monthly gift, every cent helps us build a newsroom that serves you, our readers, and we get 100% of your donation.
With that, let’s get into it!
Signing Off
By Lauren Sheperd
At 14 East, we start every staff meeting with an ice breaker. Questions range across topics from pop culture to food and drinks to just simple check ins after particularly difficult news weeks. At our final meeting for the school year last week, and my final meeting ever after three years, the question was seemingly simple: what was your favorite 14 East memory from this year? I wasn’t given much time to think, I usually go second. After being given more time to think and reflect on my time on 14 East this year and the past three years, this is what I have come up with:
I joined 14 East as a staff writer three years ago in what feels like a completely different world for journalism and just in general than what we exist in now. After taking a year long break from reporting my freshman year, there’s no question that I was eager. I came to meetings with pitches lined up each week, multiple stories going at once and wrote for this newsletter on a weekly basis. I was excited to get bylines. I was excited to continue with my passion after a much needed break. And I was excited to learn and grow my community.
The year went on, and I picked up more stories. I learned from the staff and did pretty much anything the special projects editor at the time would ask of me. I knew from the beginning 14 East was special, and was excited to make it my own. That spring, I got to go to the Paul Vallas election night party alongside Varun Khushalani. This night still stands out to me as the first time I truly got immersed into the complexities of Chicago politics as well as the first (and hopefully last) time I ever got food poisoning.
This year, I covered another election — one that was much more difficult to cover. As special projects editor, I was lucky enough to be put in charge of running election coverage for the 2024 election, and despite it being one of the most stressful periods of my life, it was one of the most rewarding. I set ambitious goals both for myself and for the staff, and we all went above and beyond all of them. I am proud of how robust our coverage before, during and after the election was. But more than anything, I am thankful for the community 14 East brought me during an incredibly difficult time as the election results rolled in and as we witnessed the repercussions of the election over the past months. Without journalism and the ability to write, but more importantly without the staff — particularly our Editor-in-Chief Sam Freeman and our advisor Amy Merrick — I do not know how I would have been able to cope.
The election taught me a lot about the importance of community and the importance of reporting. And while national coverage is vital, it’s local coverage that makes the difference to readers and the people we serve. People want to know how the decisions of those in power will affect their day to day lives, and through 14 East, I have been given the opportunity to provide this much needed, often ignored, coverage to readers. Whether the person in power is the president of the United States, the mayor of Chicago or the president of DePaul University, accountability and transparency is vital to the survival of our society and our democracy as we know it. This is what I am committed to as a reporter, and this is what I hope to bring to every job I have in the future.
As we continue into the Trump era, we face almost certain burnout and pressure, both as reporters and citizens, to continue to fight against policies that hurt us, our neighbors and our friends. As journalists, now is the time to use our voice, not to back away from it. It’s intimidating, and as other reporters are, I worry every day about the First Amendment and just how protected it will be in the coming years. However, this fear cannot stop us from writing, reporting and holding people accountable.
For readers of this newsletter, I want to start by saying thank you. Thank you for reading each week not just this year while I’ve been in charge, but for every year. While I love seeing the writing and news we produce being read, what’s more important to me is that all of you are staying informed. That being said, local and student news need you more than we ever have. Keep reading, keep supporting, and if you can, keep donating. There are local news organizations all over Chicago who do amazing work, and alongside 14 East, can use your support whether it’s through clicks, subscriptions or follows. I urge you now, more than ever, to provide this support to the best of your abilities.
With that being said, I cannot wait to see how 14 East and In the Loop continue to grow after I’m gone. Look for the next edition of In the Loop sometime this summer, led by an amazing reporter and my friend Elliot Allison. I know he will do great things.
Cheers,
Lauren Sheperd, former 14 East special projects editor
DePaul News
By Lauren Sheperd and Noel Reyes
2025 Commencement speakers announced — Six commencement ceremonies will take place next weekend at Wintrust Arena, and some commencement speakers have been announced. At the ceremony for the Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media, actress and activist Marlee Matlin will speak. Dianne Reeves, a jazz vocalist and five-time Grammy winner will speak and receive an honorary degree at the College of Science and Health and School of Music ceremony. Gerald A. Beeson, the chief operating officer of Citadel LLC and DePaul alumna, will speak and receive an honorary degree at the Driehaus College of Business ceremony. Michael Hennessy, the manager of the Coleman Foundation, will speak and receive an honorary degree at the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business ceremony. Shirley Malcom, senior advisor and director of SEA Change at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, will speak and receive an honorary degree at the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and the School of Continuing and Professional Studies ceremony. The speaker for the ceremony for the College of Communications and The Theater School has yet to be announced. Julia Cremin at DePaul Newsline has more.
Summer classes begin next week, here’s what to know — The first five week session of summer classes begins next Monday, June 16 and will last until July 18. The second session of summer classes will begin July 21 and last until August 22. Full session, ten week classes will begin June 16 and last until August 22. Click here for more information on summer classes.
DePaul and cultivating the next generation of healthcare workers — DePaul is currently preparing Blue Demons to be the next generation of healthcare workers. The university offers 13 majors and minors related to health sciences, has established numerous partnerships with Chicago institutions — such as the Center for Community Health Equity with Rush University Medical Center — and strives to connect students with hands-on experiences to advance their learning and careers. Sociology Professor Fernando De Maio has used his position as vice president of health equity research and data use at the American Medical Association’s (AMA) Center for Health Equity to conduct research on the root causes of health inequities, including racism. During this time, he has opened opportunities for DePaul students through the Master of Public Health program, which requires students to complete a practicum, and the LAS Undergraduate Research Assistant Program, which provides students with a stipend to work on faculty-led research projects. Since 2020, De Maio has hosted six students who have contributed to a variety of projects at the AMA. For more on the program, check out Rachel Wojnicki’s article on DePaul Newsline.
Chicago Headlines
By Claire Rooney
Chicagoans protest Trump and ICE raids in Pilsen — The Pilsen neighborhood erupted in protests this weekend following the surprise detention of at least 10 immigrants at a routine immigration hearing according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Protestors claimed that Chicago Police Department officers were seen at the hearing and possibly assisting ICE officials during the detentions. This would violate the city’s sanctuary city ordinance, but the police deny assisting the officers and violating the ordinance. Kyra Senese at the Sun-Times has more.
Chicago wins at the Tony Awards — The Tony Award for “Best Play” went to “Purpose,” a production that originated at The Steppenwolf Theatre and ran first in Chicago in 2024. The featured actress Kara Young also took home an award for her role in the play, which details a fictional Chicago family whose legacy is Black politics in the city for decades. Read more about the play and the production’s awards from Dan Lambert’s article on WTTW's website.
The Chicago Sky hosted the first WNBA game at United Center against The Indiana Fever — The United Center saw hundreds of women’s sports fans pack into seats to watch Angel Reese and Caitlyn Clark, from the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever respectively, face off again over the weekend. Though the Sky lost, the event was still celebrated as a win for women’s sports, as usually WNBA games are held at the much smaller venue of Wintrust Arena. As women’s basketball gets more attention from sports fans, those who have been loyal watchers from the beginning hope to see changes in the league in terms of pay gaps and sponsorship opportunities as well. Andrew Seligman from AP has more.
National Headlines
By Noah Tomko-Jones
Newsom plans to sue Trump administration over National Guard deployment — Following a third night of protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Los Angeles, local and state officials have become increasingly at odds with the federal government’s crackdown. President Donald Trump ordered 2,000 National Guard soldiers to the city, against the wishes of Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. After ICE arrested 44 people on Friday night for allegedly violating immigration laws, Angelenos began gathering in protest at a detention center in downtown LA. Soon, the 101 Freeway was shut down “due to demonstrators throwing objects onto the SB [San Bernardino] lanes of the 101 Freeway and damaging multiple police vehicles,” according to the Los Angeles Police Department, and declared the gathering an “unlawful assembly.” Read more about the ongoing protests from Sarah Shamim at Al Jazeera and from CNN’s breaking news updates.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorses Zohran Mamdani in NYC mayoral race — The progressive representative, who represents parts of the Bronx and Queens, revealed that she will rank fellow Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani first on her June 24 ranked-choice primary ballot. “Assemblymember Mamdani has demonstrated a real ability on the ground to put together a coalition of working-class New Yorkers that is strongest to lead the pack,” Ocasio-Cortez told the New York Times during an interview Thursday. This is the most high-profile endorsement yet received by Mamdani, and it comes as he begins to challenge former N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s top spot in the polls. Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani share common ground on many issues affecting working class New Yorkers, including free and fast bus service, a freeze on the rent, and a push to tax the wealthy. Emily Ngo has more in Politico.
Reunions, history-making wins and more: 2025 Tony Awards highlights — The 2025 Tony Awards brought spectacle and wonder in many forms, the way only Broadway can. Robot love story musical “Maybe Happy Ending” took home a surprise Best New Musical, while “Oh, Mary!” star Cole Escola became the first non-binary person to win a Tony. Some critics took issue with the use of projected backgrounds in lieu of sets for many of the performances, but by far the biggest moment of the night was when the original Broadway cast of “Hamilton,” led by the writer of the play and former lead, Lin-Manuel Miranda, reunited for a tenth-anniversary medley of the show's biggest hits. See the full list of winners from Rachel Sherman at the New York Times, as well as the Times’ run-down of the ceremony’s best and worst moments.
International Headlines
By Isabella Ali
Iran says it will publish secret Israeli nuclear files — Iran's intelligence minister said the country has obtained thousands of secret Israeli documents and plans to release them soon. The files allegedly detail Israel’s nuclear program, foreign ties and defense systems, according to state media. Iranian state media called the materials a “treasure trove” and said they were transferred under heavy secrecy to secure locations. The Israeli government has not commented. The claim comes as the International Atomic Energy Agency accuses Iran of undeclared nuclear activity and U.S. negotiations with Tehran remain stalled. The release could escalate tensions and further destabilize nuclear talks and regional diplomacy. Amir Daftari from Newsweek has more information.
U.S. and China resume trade talks in London — The U.S. and China opened a new round of trade talks in London as both sides attempt to ease tensions that have disrupted global supply chains and slowed economic growth. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met at Lancaster House with other senior officials to address disputes over tariffs, rare earth exports and technology restrictions. The talks follow last month’s temporary truce reached in Geneva, which reduced tariffs but left key issues unresolved. The U.S. has accused China of delaying rare earth exports, while China says Washington is blocking tech access and restricting student visas. The talks come days after a call between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, which Trump described as “very good.” Both sides face a 90-day deadline to reach a broader deal. BBC’s Nick Edser and Adam Hancock have the news.
Russia expands military and economic ties in Africa–Russia announced plans to deepen its economic and military ties across Africa, even as the Wagner Group pulls out of Mali. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that Moscow is committed to expanding investment and defense partnerships on the continent, part of a broader strategy to fill the power vacuum left by retreating Western forces. The shift comes as Russia’s Africa Corps, a state-backed paramilitary force made up largely of ex-Wagner fighters, prepares to take over in Mali. Western officials have expressed concern over Russia’s growing influence in countries like Mali, the Central African Republic and Equatorial Guinea. The Africa Corps, created after Wagner’s leadership was killed in a 2023 plane crash, is expected to focus more on training, security and equipment than direct combat. Al Jazeera has more.
Israel seizes Gaza-bound aid boat, detains activists–Israeli forces seized a Gaza-bound aid boat carrying climate activist Greta Thunberg and other activists on Monday and escorted it to the port of Ashdod. The activists were detained and expected to be deported. The boat, organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, aimed to protest Israel’s blockade of Gaza and deliver food and medicine. The group called the operation a kidnapping and said Israel had no legal authority to board the ship, which was stopped in international waters. Israel dismissed the voyage as a public relations stunt and said the aid amounted to less than one truckload. Footage showed Israeli forces distributing water and sandwiches to the detained passengers. Rights groups condemned the seizure as a breach of international law. Tia Goldenberg from AP has thenews.
Hey, Check This Out!
With Featured Columnist Ellie Shelton
Hundreds of late nights editing, writing and fact-checking later, I have finally reached my very last newsletter with 14 East. Working with this team has been one of my favorite parts of my DePaul experience, so jumping on this last newsletter despite my overflowing graduation schedule akin to my peers was a necessity.
The rec has always been my favorite thing to write for – I’ve always much preferred writing about music, movies, concerts and everything else that makes me, me. So, walking in, I knew this rec would be a piece of cake.
However, when brainstorming this week’s newsletter, writing about Sabrina’s new song or my favorite recipe I tried last week seemingly wasn’t scratching that “final-piece-I’ll-ever-write-itch.” I deliberated on my couch for days to the point of convincing myself I just couldn’t do the last newsletter justice.
That is, until I had a ridiculous text chain (pictured below) with our Special Projects Editor (AKA the one who makes this lovely newsletter go smoothly), Lauren Sheperd.
So here I am, recommending to all you lovely people this wonderful newsletter (and a few more things) before I leave it for good.
As I said earlier, my short-lived stint at 14 East has been one of the greatest parts of my educational career — not only for the incredible people I have met, but for the incredibly beautiful student journalism I have gotten the pleasure of reading.
Student journalism is often overlooked as a stepping-stone to a “real journalism” job. Many leave college and within years, they forget the name of their student papers or magazines.
I myself have fallen victim to this trap, often telling people “I am only a student journalist.”
Maybe it was because I wasn’t confident enough in my writing, but something was always nagging at me, telling me I had to add that “student” bit to avoid some awkward confrontation about how I haven’t worked hard enough to be a “real” journalist.
What I never realized before my time at 14 East was how closely my time as a student journalist would parallel that to a “traditional” journalist. Dare I say, it was harder for most than a typical career in journalism might entail.
From a man on the inside, I can say, student journalism runs nearly identical to a typical newsroom. Each Thursday, twenty or so overtired, caffeine-ridden students gathered in our student newsroom to pitch ideas, talk logistics and discuss our lineup for the week.
I watched my peers work countless hours to craft heart-felt stories that connected to our readers without any expectation for compensation or a “thank you for writing this.”
Our editor-in-chief, Sam, rebuilt our website over countless hours and gracefully dealt with the many issues that come with creating a new website all while running our staff, editing and writing pieces. Staff writers churned out stories weekly while our multimedia team scrambled to assemble our social posts before publishing.
Suffice to say, in student journalism, we WORK. There is not a protest uncovered, an important student government meeting unattended or a newsletter missed.
Many of us hold jobs and still attend school but continue to churn out stories so that students will have content that can connect to them in a way traditional media may not be able to. We write about school, we write about our lives, we write about the country so that our peers can have the privilege of free news.
I am not here to tell you to stop reading your typical AP or The New York Times (those are important too!), rather I urge you to add a little bit of student media to your day-to-day reading. What you will find is the backbone of our democracy today, urging us closer to a more educated and bright future.
Today, I leave my last newsletter wearing my “student journalist” title as a badge of honor – because it is. We’ve all remained steadfast in our studies and our commitment to our craft to have this title and deserve to wear it with pride.
I have the deep pleasure of saying that the student journalists I have surrounded myself with over these past four years are some of the kindest, most smart souls on this Earth. Without you even knowing it, they make our world go round; because without student journalists, there would be no journalism.
Before I hop off my soapbox, I’d like to leave you all with one final piece of wisdom our wonderful faculty advisor, Amy Merrick bestowed upon me a few months back.
“Student journalists ARE real journalists.”
Signed,
Your favorite student journalist: Ellie Shelton
Resources
Need resources regarding cooling centers, rental assistance, abortion access, COVID-19 testing and vaccines or mental health? Check out our complete list here.
International students concerned about their visa status can contact the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Students can check their visa status through the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) or the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
That’s it for this year! See you sometime this summer.
The 14 East Newsletter Team