First day of school for CPS, Welcome Week begins and Hurricane Ida pummels the Gulf Coast
Plus a lineup of back-to-school films for your Autumn Quarter
And just like that, August is coming to a close! Classes at DePaul start next week, so there’s just one more summer newsletter until we’re back to your regularly scheduled program. On behalf of our team — Claire, Kate, Eiman, Ally, Cam and Grace — we want to say thank you for sticking with us this summer while we worked on revising and revamping the newsletter for the fall.
Without further ado, let’s dive in!
DePaul News
We’re just 10 days away from the first day of classes, and for many freshmen, today kicks off the first day of Immersion Week. Here’s what’s happening as students head back to campus.
The university has released no new COVID-19 updates this week as we head into the new school year. Masks are still required in all public buildings, regardless of vaccination status, and all students, faculty and staff are required to be vaccinated or apply for an exemption. All COVID-19 updates from the university can be found on DePaul's COVID-19 website.
Welcome Week begins today, and DePaul is hosting many in-person events as well as a few online information sessions. This week’s main events include:
Movie Mondays (Monday, Aug. 30 , 6:30 p.m., Lincoln Park Student Center, 120 AB)
Fitness on the Quad (Tuesday, Aug. 31, 4:30-7 p.m., Lincoln Park Quad)
Crafts for Your Cribs (Wednesday, Sept. 1, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Lincoln Park Student Center Atrium)
Bumper Cars (Thursday, Sept. 2, 6-10 p.m., Lincoln Park Student Center, 120 AB)
Game Night in the Stu (Friday, Sept. 3, 6-10 p.m., Lincoln Park Student Center)
RHC Welcome Back Bash (Saturday, Sept. 4, 7-9 p.m., Lincoln Park Student Center, 120 AB)
Blue Demon Bingo (Sunday, Sept. 5, 6-9 p.m., Lincoln Park Student Center, 120 AB)
A complete list of events can be found on DePaul’s Welcome Week website.
Last week, DePaul announced on August 26 via Newsline that they will be removing the name of the Rosati Room in John T. Richardson Library, named after Bishop Joseph Rosati, C.M who was an early leader in the Vincentian community. This decision was made after the Archdiocese reported Rosati’s “deplorable participation in the slave trade” according to the Newsline announcement. More information about this decision can be found here.
Chicago Headlines
A video showing a Chicago Police officer grabbing and restraining a Black woman walking her dog in Lincoln Park went viral and is being investigated by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability. The video shows the woman, identified as Nikkita Brown, following the order of the officer to leave the beach while the officer continues to follow her. When Brown stops to take a video, the officer tries to grab the phone, and then physically restrains her by pinning her arms behind her back. Mayor Lightfoot and the Chicago Police took to Twitter to express their awareness of the incident and confirm the pending investigation. The officer, whose identity is yet to become public, has been placed on paid desk duty for at least 30 days amidst the investigation. Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas, Jeremy Gorner, and Gregory Pratt of the Chicago Tribune.
Chicago Public Schools reopened in-person for the first time since March of 2020. For students, teachers, and parents, emotions range from worried to excited. Quinn Myers, Maxwell Evans, Kelly Bauer, and Mauricio Pena of Block Club Chicago.
After denying the request and suggesting alternatives, the Chicago Police Department has honored CPS votes that wish to have one officer removed from schools. Nader Issa of the Chicago Sun Times reports.
National Headlines
Hurricane Ida swept across Louisiana this week leaving all of New Orleans without power. Ida struck Louisiana on the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, ranking as one of the strongest storms to ever hit the state. Ida is now headed over Mississippi posing potential threats to Tennessee and Ohio valleys as well. Jason Hanna, Madeline Holcombe and Steve Almasy of CNN continue to update the story.
The last C-17s have left Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport, signifying the official completion of the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan on Monday. American citizens, third-country nationals and vulnerable Afghans were also included in the evacuation plan. Gen. Frank McKenzie, chief of the U.S. Central Command, included in the announcement that this was the “largest non-combat” evacuation in the U.S. military’s history. However, military evacuations have ended additional efforts to ensure that any more U.S. citizens and Afghans attempting to leave will continue under diplomatic mission. Myah Ward and Alexander Ward of Politico reported the story.
California parole commissioners advised on Friday that Sirhan B. Sirhan, the man who assassinated Robert F. Kennedy, be released on parole. While the recommendations from the two commissioners does not guarantee Mr. Sirhan’s release, the final say will most likely be up to Gov. Gavin Newsom. Sirhan accepts responsibility for his actions with this being his 16th time facing the parole board after serving over 50 years in prison. Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs of the New York Times reported this story.
Recommendations
There’s something to be said about the feeling of the end of August — it’s the end of summer, the start of the school year and the tease into a typically beautiful Chicago autumn. The pandemic has made getting excited for the back-to-school season harder for me, so I needed some motivation and inspiration for Autumn Quarter. Over the next week and a half, you can bet I’ll be watching these classics:
Dead Poets Society (for self-care purposes, once the curtain goes down in the performance of A Midsummer’s Night Dream, my laptop screen closes as well)
To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, because nothing says back-to-school plans like concocting a fake relationship that I can fixate on for at least 10 weeks and finals,
10 Things I Hate About You, because cute, and it’ll help me get over my grief about the lack of house parties this fall,
The Half Of It, because a side hustle is a must-have in college (and some romance),
The Rules of Attraction, because you’re bound to run into a film major who will ask you what your favorite movie is, and this is a quirky but respectable answer,
And Pitch Perfect, which could give you all the hype you need to start your own show on Radio DePaul this year.
(Cam Rodriguez, Managing Editor)
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).
That’s all for now! Enjoy your last week of summer break and we’ll see you back here on Monday!
The Summer Newsletter Team