First generation student enrollment goals, Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations
and the perfect recipe for a staple college meal
Welcome back to ‘In the Loop’! It’s your newsletter team — Kate, Monique, Richie, Cary, Mariah, Isabella, Lauren, Bridget and Abena — here with all the information to keep you ‘in the loop’ this week.
Today, we’re sharing university president Robert Manuel's goal to increase the number of first generation students at DePaul, the return of on campus HIV/STI testing, a recap of today’s top headlines and a quick and easy college meal that’ll give you leftovers for the rest of the week.
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That’s all from me. Let’s get to the news!
First Generation Resources and President Manuel’s Plans for Outreach
By Monique Mulima and Richie Requena
14 East Editor-in-Chief Monique Mulima and Pueblo Managing Editor Richie Requena sat down with DePaul President Robert Manuel 42 days into his job to ask him about his goals for the university and his concerns as the university shifts back to pre-pandemic normalities.
Manuel said, “The structures that were put in place in the beginning in COVID are still there, they're less on the website every day in communications because there are vaccines that are out there, there are ways to treat and now there's more common knowledge about how to stay home when you when you have the stuff.”
Beyond pandemic safety, Manuel had a number of top priorities for the beginning of his tenure, one of which was increasing the number of first generation students at DePaul. First generation students are defined as students whose parents do not have a Bachelor’s degree.
“Part of what drew me here was the commitment to first gen, to a diverse population, and to making sure that everybody is welcome, everybody has opportunity here,” he said.
In a summary created by the Dean of Undergraduate Admission, Carleen Klaas wrote that a “record 49% of freshmen are students of color, 34% are first-generation students, 32% are Pell-eligible and 23% are from the city of Chicago.”
Although approximately one-third of freshmen are first generation, there have been difficulties with retention rate. The freshman class in 2020 had a two point drop in retention rate from previous years, going from 85% to 83%. Past years show that the two year retention rate drop is usually an additional 7% as well.
Manuel sees the expansion of steps to increase diversity and ties to the community that DePaul has already taken as being crucial in expanding first generation enrollment.
“[That’s] a unique role for DePaul to play because our population is extremely diverse in all aspects. And our ability to engage that, not just be next to each other, but be with each other is critical,” he said.
First generation college students are not a new priority for Manuel. While president at the University of Indianapolis he increased the number of first generation students to 43% of the freshmen class. Prior to that, the percentage of first generation students was 41.5% and declining.
While Manuel is just beginning his efforts to bring in and support more first generation students at DePaul, there are still many resources already available. The Office of Multicultural Student Success (OMSS) runs a program called Generation Success which offers events, programming and opportunities for mentorship for first generation students at DePaul.
For parents of first generation students, OMSS also has resources and a quarterly newsletter which can be accessed by emailing firstgen@depaul.edu. The Division of Student Affairs offers assistance to first generation students through the TRiO Student Support Services program, which can assist students with academics, career planning and financial aid.
Read the full interview with President Robert Manuel this Friday at fourteeneastmag.com.
DePaul News
By Cary Robbins
DePaul events celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
DePaul is hosting Hispanic Heritage Month festivities over the course of the next few weeks. On Thursday, September 22 there will be two events: an event at the Latinx Cultural Center (O’Connell Hall, 1036 W. Belden Ave.) at 3 p.m. and an event at 6 p.m. outside of the Welcome Center (2400 N. Sheffield Ave.). Here is the full list of events for Hispanic Heritage Month.
HIV/STI testing on campus
DePaul will hold HIV/STI testing once a month this quarter at the Office of Health Promotion and Wellness (Lincoln Park Student Center Suite 302). The next testing will take place on Thursday, September 22 from 12-5 p.m. Here is more information about the testing site.
Study abroad events this week
Throughout the week, the study abroad office will be hosting events discussing study abroad opportunities for any interested students. There will be a study abroad fair on Tuesday, September 20th from 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Park Student Center 120AB. There will also be meetings for first-year students and students of color on Wednesday, September 21 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Here is a link to all the events.
Last day to drop a course with full refund
Tuesday, September 20 at 11:59 p.m. is the last day for students to be able to drop a course and be completely refunded according to the academic calendar.
Lastly, here is your weekend sports update (Sept. 17-18)
The women’s volleyball team beat Loyola Chicago 3-1 on Saturday.
The men’s tennis team won 5 matches in the River Forest Invitational’s final day of competition at the River Forest Tennis Club on Saturday.
The men’s soccer team had a 1-1 draw with Butler on Saturday.
Chicago Headlines
By Mariah Hernandez
Pritzker issues Emergency Disaster Proclamation aiding Texas migrants — Texas Governor Greg Abbott continues to send migrants to Chicago with no notice. In response, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has issued an emergency disaster proclamation. The proclamation will increase aid for migrants arriving in Chicago. The Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) will help provide things such as shelter, medical needs, food and transportation. Other state agencies in Chicago will also assist with resources. You can read more about Pritzker’s plan on Fox 32 Chicago.
Chicagoans celebrated Mexican Independence Day last weekend — Chances are if you were in Chicago this weekend you witnessed the abundance of Mexican flags as you passed cars on the street. Mexican Independence day is celebrated on September 16 but has become a weekend-long celebration. Streets downtown were packed with cars and people, blocking some downtown traffic. There were concerns raised over gridlocking as well as overwhelming police presence. You can watch a video of the celebration and read more about the night from Sabrina Franza from CBS Chicago.
Indiana abortion ban could lead to more travel to Illinois — On September 15, an Indiana law went into effect banning abortions with exceptions to rape and incest or if the pregnancy poses a health risk to the pregnant person. Still, these exceptions come with time constraints. Since Illinois borders Indiana, healthcare professionals have been encouraging patients to travel out of state. The option to travel out of state for an abortion is also being challenged in Indiana. You can read more on the decision and how it affects Chicago from NBC Chicago.
The Illinois Pretrial Fairness Act is not a “Purge Law” — The Pretrial Fairness Act has garnered attention on social media apps such as Tik-Tok where people are nicknaming it the “Purge Law.” The intention of the law is to stop cash bail and is part of the SAFE-T Act signed last year. This is leading people to believe that the city will become a free-for-all for crime because the law implies that those convicted of crimes like murder will be set “on the loose.” The Block Club Chicago article explains that it is still up to a judge to decide to keep someone detained if they feel they are a threat to the community or considered a “flight risk.” You can read more about debunking the Purge Law from reporters Noah Asimow and Pascal Sabino at Block Club Chicago.
National Headlines
By Isabella Ali
Queen’s funeral takes place — This morning at 11am local time (7am CST), Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral began. Leaders from all over the world, including President Biden, were invited to pay their respects. The procession took place at Westminster Abbey, a site in which British royals have traditionally been married and buried at. The Queen will be buried at Windsor Castle next to her husband, Prince Philip. Find more coverage of the funeral from The Guardian.
Hurricane Fiona leaves Puerto Rico without power — Hurricane Fiona made landfall on Sunday in Puerto Rico, with winds of 85 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. The hurricane is causing catastrophic flooding as it moves toward the Dominican Republic. The storm knocked out power to the entire territory, affecting more than 1.5 million people. On Sunday morning, President Biden approved emergency response and disaster relief efforts. By Monday afternoon, over 1,000 people had been rescued by emergency crews. For more updates, visit CNN.
Taliban releases U.S. contractor as Biden approves ‘prisoner swap’ — The White House announced that a Taliban drug lord imprisoned in the U.S. had been exchanged for Mark Frerichs, an American contractor, held captive in Afghanistan for more than two years. The prisoner swap marks a rare breakthrough in U.S.-Taliban relations. Frerichs was working in Afghanistan on civil engineering projects at the time of his kidnapping in January 2020. He was last seen in an online video, pleading to be released. The White House confirmed his release and Frerichs seems to be in stable condition. Eric Tucker and Rahim Faiez from the Associated Press have the story.
Texas, Florida Governors Send Migrants Across the US — Amid a border surge, governors Ron DeSantis of Florida and Greg Abbott of Texas recently transported migrants from the southern border to democratic-controlled areas. While DeSantis sent two planes carrying over 50 migrants to Martha's Vineyard on Wednesday, Abbott dispatched two buses of migrants to President Kamala Harris' residence in Washington on Thursday. The moves made by the governors prompted local and state emergency responses, and criticisms by other politicians. President Biden stated that the moves are “simply wrong.” For more on the story, visit Politico.
President Biden: “The pandemic is over” — On Sunday, President Biden stated that the “pandemic is over” in an interview with 60 Minutes. He stated: “We still have a problem with COVID. We're still doing a lot of work on it. But the pandemic is over.” Statistics show that, on average, the virus kills about 400 Americans each day. The current Covid-19 public health emergency, which has been in effect since January 2020, was extended by US authorities in August. Although COVID-19 restrictions have loosened, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have not proclaimed the pandemic to be over. Bernd Debusmann Jr. from BBC has more on the story.
Hey, Check This Out!
With Featured Columnist Lauren Sheperd
Happy Monday everyone! This week, I’ve got some more food recs for you all, only this time, it’s something you can make at home. Having been in my first apartment for only a few weeks, I know how intimidating it can be to have to cook for yourself, and how hard it can be to not just eat out for every meal. In an attempt to save money, I called my dad. He told me I needed to find a few quick, easy and relatively cheap recipes that could become my go-to’s. I’m here to share my favorite with you.
I discovered this fettuccine alfredo recipe a few weeks ago, and have cooked it at least three times since. It’s a simple recipe that only uses a few ingredients: garlic, heavy cream, parmesan, butter, salt, pepper and whatever kind of pasta you want to use. For exact ingredient measures and cooking instructions, follow this link to Modern Honey’s website. I stumbled across this recipe one day when I committed myself to spending less money on food. I was craving pasta with white sauce, and this was the simplest one I could find on the internet. The best part was that I only needed to buy a few ingredients, most of which I already had. I texted my friends to let them know I’d be cooking dinner that night, and headed to the store for my ingredients. I decided on the way that I would add chicken to get some protein, as well.
The recipe was a huge hit among the friend group, and I’ve made it for us several times since. My favorite part is the simplicity of the sauce. I find some sauces to be almost overwhelming at times when you aren’t in the mood. This sauce isn’t like that. To me, it tastes like the classic butter noodles, just with a bit of added flavor.
The next time you’re thinking about going out to eat, try this recipe instead. It’s cheap, easy and delicious. See you next week!
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