Meet SGA’s senator for LGBTQ+ students, our latest 'B-Side' episode and Class of 2022 graduation reminders
And fun post-finals spots to visit around the city!
And just like that, Winter Quarter is coming to a close! We’d like to wish our fellow Blue Demons the best of luck on their finals and a strong finish to the term. It’s the newsletter team — Claire, Richie, Hailey, Mariah, Elly, Emily, Grace, Cam and Kate — here with all the city news and campus updates you need to start your week.
Today we have a feature story on DePaul’s Student Government Association senator for LGBTQ+ students, the low-down on this year’s commencement ceremonies, news on the end of the CPS mask mandate and another recommendation for spots to visit around the city during spring break. In addition to all that, the newest episode of The B-Side drops today! It’s a good one, so be sure to give it a listen when you get a chance.
Oh, and in case you missed it, last week 14 East published our COVID issue to commemorate the two-year anniversary of the pandemic. The issue is a collection of stories that reflect on the many ways the pandemic has changed our lives over the last two years — and how it’s still affecting us today. You can read all of the pieces published in our COVID issue, here.
Before we get into it, we want to take a second to thank you all for your continued support. You’ve kept this newsletter going over the past two years and we can’t thank you enough. If you want to increase your 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.
That’s all from me, so let’s dive right into it!
The Fifth Episode of The B-Side
By Julián Martinez with Richie Requena
This week’s episode of The B-Side is a story from Pueblo co-founder and former Creative Editor Julián Martinez. “How Do You Say ‘Country Pop’ in Spanish” is a narrative essay on Martinez’s family and their assimilation into a new country through musical compromise.
Martinez shares his childhood influences on country music and what they mean to him now. He writes, “Country music scenes are notoriously, historically white. Country music, a withstanding stereotype of whiteness, is so deeply indebted to, among others, Mexican culture.”
Story by Julián Martinez
Recorded by Richie Requena
Produced by Richie Requena
A Queer Voice on Campus
By Hailey Bosek
It isn’t easy to feel like the odd one out — the sharp whispers in a high school hallway or the lingering fear of harassment can make you feel isolated in the same community that raised you.
This is what many queer people, like Riley Reed, face in their hometowns.
“There was never true acceptance, like it was weird to be queer. It was not okay,” said Reed, a DePaul senior and the Student Government Association’s senator for LBGTQ+ students. “Hearing all the stories and even having very negative experiences myself made me want to just pursue [movement work] in college and… into the future.”
Reed saw the community around her, the problems existing today, and felt inspired to pursue movement work.
“In terms of LGBT rights, that's where I really was more involved – with voting and the youth activism scene,” she said.
Reed has worked with several movement groups, and started her own nonprofit called Pride in Running. She continues to work as an advocate here at DePaul. Reed was a frequent participant in campus movement groups, but it wasn't until her senior year when she found out about a LGTBQ+ senator position that she decided to run for SGA.
“When I heard about [this position], I was like, that's fantastic, we definitely need that,” said Reed. “I just decided, this is something that I want to do to create a change.”
The position has allowed Reed to make strides towards the changes that she wants to see made at DePaul.
“We're also working on gender neutral bathrooms as well, and trying to just make sure there's a lot more visibility in terms of gender equity on campus,” said Reed.
The work, while rewarding, is not easy. The work that Reed has accomplished as a senator for LGBTQ+ students at DePaul and comments she’s made on behalf of SGA have been met with backlash from right-wing news outlets.
However, backlash is something that Reed has handled before.
“I've heard the lovely comments. It doesn't faze me,” Reed said sarcastically. “This is not worth my time. I think at this point in time we need to think about what's actually worth our mental energy, and a conservative college news source is not worth my mental energy.”
SGA Vice President Kevin Holechko says Reed is someone who can initiate change.
“Riley brings a wealth of knowledge to SGA. She brings in her experiences, opinions, and expertise in areas that other members may not be familiar with,” Holechko said. “She has made the student government so much stronger with her presence.”
Holechko said Reed’s commitment to student government makes her impacts shine.
“Her positive attitude and willingness to help others makes her stand out among her peers as one of SGA’s best senators,” Holechko said.
Reed wants to continue advocacy work down the road and keep using her platform to make changes where she can. For now, she is focusing on the launch of her new zine, Messy Misfits Club, and graduating in June.
Reed is no longer that person stuck in a small town. She has turned her feelings of hometown isolation into a catalyst for change and continues to fight for a world where queerness is never an isolating factor, but a welcoming one.
DePaul News
By Mariah Hernandez
Graduation Reminders Sent Out for Class of 2022
An announcement for the 2022 Graduation was sent out March 11. The ceremony will be held in person and an online option is available as well. The reminder covers deadlines, future COVID-19 safety updates and how to reserve ceremony tickets. You can read the update here.
DePaul International Accepting Donations to Aid Displaced Ukrainians
DePaul International is a London based organization with the ability to get donations to people in need. The organization is currently in Ukraine helping displaced and homeless individuals. Instructions on how to donate can be found here.
DePaul’s Annual Joseph Bernardin Jerusalem Lecture
The 26th Joseph Bernardin Jerusalem Lecture will be held March 22 at 1 p.m. virtually. The lectures theme is “The Curious Case of Queen Helena of Adiabene in Jewish and Christian History”. The guest speaker this year will be Professor Sarit Kattan Gribetz from Fordham University. RSVP for the event can be found here.
Women’s Basketball team has made it into First Four of NCAA tournament
The DePaul women's basketball team is scheduled to play against Dayton on March 16 in the First Four. If DePaul wins against Dayton they will make it into the NCAA bracket. This will be the first time the team has been part of the tournament since 2019. After a tough season, the team remains as strong and determined as ever. You can find an article from The DePaulia on the event here.
Lastly, here is your weekend sports update (March 12 to 13):
The softball team lost to Seattle 3-1 on Saturday.
The men’s tennis team lost to University of Nevada, Las Vegas 4-3 on Saturday.
The women’s softball team won against Seattle 7-4 on Sunday.
The men’s tennis team won against Seattle 6-1 on Sunday.
Chicago Headlines
By Elly Boes
An End to the CPS Mask Mandate — Today marks the Chicago Public School’s official transition to mask-optional policies, according to Chalkbeat Chicago’s Mauricio Pena and Mila Koumpilova. Amid parent debates, some students and staff are returning to classes this week without their masks. Chicago Teachers Union responded by filing an unfair labor practice complaint against CPS while student group Chicago Public Schools’ Radical Youth Alliance advocated for continued masking over Twitter.
City Employees Remain Unvaccinated Despite Vaccine Mandate Deadline — Sunday marked the deadline for Chicago Police Department officers to be vaccinated with at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Approximately 24% of CPD members have still not received any shots following the city’s employee vaccine mandate implemented last October. Now, Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office says those without vaccination records may be put on no-pay status, disciplined or potentially fired in the coming weeks. WTTW has the latest.
Officials Reschedule Community Safety Town Halls — Last Thursday, the city announced virtual town halls on violence prevention, originally planned for this week, would be rescheduled to include both online and in-person participation. Residents who wish to join the town halls will be able to ask questions, provide feedback or discuss safety strategies with the Chicago Police Department and the city’s Community Safety Coordination Center. Pending a new timeline and locations, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and CPD Superintendent David Brown are set to make appearances, according to Block Club Chicago’s Kelly Bauer.
Chicago Revels in St. Patrick’s Day Return — Over the weekend, Chicago’s famed St. Patrick’s Day festivities resumed after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. NBC 5 covered the South Side’s Irish Parade, the Chicago Tribune detailed Northwest Side celebrations and ABC 7 published a time-lapse of the dyed Chicago River in case you missed out.
National Headlines
By Lily Lowndes
March Madness Is Here — The college basketball season is coming to an end as the top 68 men and women’s teams in the country gear up for the NCAA tournament. The bracket begins today and lasts until the championship match on April 4. USA Today Sports has the breakdown on the March Madness bracket, including regional favorites and top picks to win it all.
Remembering Brent Renaud — Brent Renaud, an award-winning journalist and documentarian, was killed Sunday while covering the war in Ukraine. While overseas, he was working on a series about the global refugee crisis, a subject he was passionate about. Renaud was known for “Last Chance High,” a documentary series about a Chicago school. Alex Traub honored Renaud in a piece for the New York Times.
Two-Year Anniversary of the Pandemic — March 11 marked the two-year anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring COVID-19 a global pandemic. The pandemic isn’t over yet. Cautious steps must be taken before reaching a new normal. Gillian Flaccus, Christopher Weber and Terry Tang of the Associated Press have updates about where we are now.
Hey, Check This Out!
With Featured Columnist Emily Soto
Hi everyone and welcome to your final recommendations of the Winter Quarter! With spring finally upon us, it’s only fitting that I continue with last week’s recommendations and give you another suggestion on how to spend spring break in Chicago.
This first idea might be for those of you who moved to Chicago during the pandemic but have already visited some of the other main attractions along the lake.
Visit the Adler Planetarium. After being closed due to COVID-19 for almost two years, they finally reopened this month for everyone to visit. So now is your chance to see the stars! The planetarium is great because they have shows, exhibits and activities that are great for all ages. A ticket to the museum is $19 to see all the exhibits, but if you’re feeling a little more adventurous, $35 will also grant you access to two sky shows.
But before you do that, the weather in Chicago is looking like it will finally be warming up over the upcoming week so spending the morning outside is a must do. One thing I love to do is plan a picnic but finding the right place to sit can be the tricky part.
In my opinion, the views from the South Shore don’t get enough credit. So, with both Jackson Park and the South Shore Cultural Center along the lakefront, you’ll be sure to find a beautiful place to walk around and then relax for a picnic.
That’s all for this quarter, thanks to everyone who’s been following along! It’s time for me to go back to working on some final projects but I’ll be back to continue your spring recs next quarter.
Resources
Need resources regarding warming centers, rental assistance, COVID-19 testing and vaccines or mental health? Check out our complete list here.
That brings us to the end of this newsletter. With spring break next week, our team will be taking a much deserved break from newsletter publishing. But we’ll be back Monday, March 28 with all the news and updates you need to start the quarter. Until then, stay safe and have a lovely week!
The 14 East Newsletter Team