Search begins for Stubblefield’s replacement, Chicago shooting kills two teenage boys, and LGBTQ+ community response to pope’s new blessing
Plus, a new must-see film
Welcome back to ‘In the Loop’! We’ve got a good one for you today. It’s your newsletter team — Alexandra, Gia, Anna, Kiki, Sam, Nathalie, Elizabeth, Chinyere and Hailey — back with another exciting Monday night edition!
Tonight, 14 E Staff Writer Gia Clarke dives into the LGBTQ+ general community response on Pope Francis allowing priests to bless same-sex couples in a new doctrine, Fiducia supplicans that was announced in December of 2023. Also, DePaul has begun the search for a new head men’s basketball coach after Tony Stubblefield was just dismissed from his position last week. In other Chicago news, two teenage boys were shot and killed on Friday while leaving school. Robert Boston and Monterio Williams were among a group of students walking out of Innovations High School when shots were fired at the group near Washington Street and Wabash Avenue, according to police.
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With that, let's get into tonight’s news!
LGBTQ+ Community Response to Pope Francis’s Blessing
By Gia Clarke
While Pope Francis permitted priests to bless same-sex couples in the Vatican’s new doctrine, Fiducia supplicans (“Supplicating Trust''), some LGBTQ+ people still feel oppressed and ostracized by the Catholic Church.
In an Associated Press article written by reporters Nicole Winfield and David Crary, the Vatican’s doctrine states while the pope gave permission to bless same-sex couples, the church is still “maintaining its strict ban on gay marriage.” This exclusive language presented in Fiducia supplicans has led some people in the LGBTQ+ community to feel as if this blessing was a way to pander to them.
Act Out is an LGBTQ+ activist organization at DePaul University. The president of the organization, Riley Sosa, spoke on behalf of Act Out’s executive board. He called the pope’s statement a weak symbolic move meant for PR purposes, and it was not meant to make LGBT people feel like they belong within the Catholic community.
Since the Catholic church is still against same-sex marriage, religious officials who do not accept homosexuality do not have to change the way they operate their churches.
While there are some Catholic priests that are willing to adopt the pope’s approval, there are others that are continuing to denounce homosexuality.
Rev. Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Church was more than happy to accept the pope’s approval.
“Some of the same people who say we shouldn’t be doing this get their pets blessed — their statues, medals and objects — but are upset with the blessings of human beings. It’s just saddening,” Pfleger told the Chicago Sun-Times.
While Pfleger is accepting the new change with open arms, other Catholic religious authorities do not share the same openness.
In the Diocese of Joliet’s official statement, Bishop Ronald Hicks said, “The Declaration does not change the Church’s meaning about the Sacrament of Marriage,” he said, “The document reminds us that in the Catholic Church marriage is an “exclusive, stable and indissoluble union between a man and a woman.”
This divisiveness between many Catholic officials is partly due to the fact that the Vatican’s statement was fairly neutral. According to Winfield and Crary in the Associated Press, the statement was not entirely in support of same-sex couples because there would still be a ban on marrying them.
Furthermore, due to the Catholic church’s lack of vocal support towards the LGBTQ+ community, some queer people have been outspoken about their dissatisfaction and distance from the Catholic church overall.
“The Catholic church’s history of animosity toward the LGBT community and the widespread sexual abuse of children by members of the Catholic church’s leadership makes us unwilling to praise or support the Catholic church to begin with,” Sosa says on behalf of the Act Out Executive Board.
DePaul sophomore Grace Slagle grew up Catholic and she currently identifies as bisexual. Since then, Slagle has not been affiliated with the Catholic church and says she agrees with Sosa’s statement.
“It’s [the doctrine] not as big a step as some people may think, because same-sex marriages are still a no-go in the Catholic church. So yes, this is a change, but I don’t know if it’s totally out of love.”
While both of Slagle’s parents still practice Catholicism, she does not go to mass anymore because the teachings can often “ring hollow” and she does not believe the Catholic Church will ever change its ways when it comes to LGBTQ+ people.
“There is no acceptance of all humanity for a religion that claims to love all people,” Slagle said.
DePaul News
By Anna Retzlaff
Search for men’s basketball coach underway after Stubblefield dismissed
DePaul is beginning a national search for a new head men’s basketball coach after Tony Stubblefield was dismissed from his position. Stubblefield was let go during his third season, having been hired in 2021. According to The DePaulia, they are open to candidates from the NBA, current college coaches or assistants. Though, the future coach’s relation to Chicago will play a factor. Read more information here.
BlueStar redesign to make student support more accessible
BlueStar, DePaul’s online system to promote academic success, is being updated to include new features. This will include a newly added Help Center, a central place for frequently searched articles and eventually a university-wide chat function. Read more here.
DePaul professor’s research on Megalodon shark hits over 400 media outlets
Professor Kenshu Shimada and two alumni co-authored a study that revealed the gigantic, prehistoric Megladon shark was more slender than research originally showed. This news has reached places like CNN, Forbes and even Stephen Colbert’s “Late Night” show. The discovery is a “breakthrough study,” DePaul Newsline said. Read the full story here.
Chicago Headlines
By Kiki Dyball
Chicago shooting kills teenage boys leaving school – Two teenage boys were shot and killed Friday afternoon while leaving school. Robert Boston, 16 and Monterio Williams, 17 were among a group of students walking out of Innovations High School around 12:25 pm on Friday when they were shot near Washington Street and Wabash Avenue, Chicago police said. The masked suspects got out of two cars and fired shots at the group, police said. Boston and Williams died at the hospital. Block Club Chicago’s Mack Liederman has more.
Elderly woman killed in house fire in Garfield Ridge – A elderly woman was found dead after a fire that started on Sunday morning in Chicago’s Garfield Ridge neighborhood. Firefighters responded to a blaze on the 5400 block of South Mulligan Avenue and discovered an unresponsive woman, fire officials said. Crews distinguished the fire after about 15 minutes, and the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause and origin are under investigation, according to officials. Chicago Tribune's Kate Armanini has more on the story.
Chicago sees its first 5 p.m. sunset of the season – Sunday marks a big milestone in the trek towards spring in Chicago. Even though overcast skies made it hard to notice, it is the first time in nearly three months that the city has seen a sunset after 5 p.m. Chicago will see sunsets at 5:40 p.m. and more than 11 hours of daylight each day by the end of February. Katie Armanini of the Chicago Tribune has more.
Large Evanston fire destroys business – Nearly a dozen fire departments battled a massive building fire in Evanston Sunday night. Crews arrived at the scene around 8:30 p.m. at 1402 Greenleaf Street, according to the Evanston Fire Department. Several businesses were left destroyed inside the commercial building and fire officials said the structure is a total loss. Four businesses were burned including two pottery shops, a yoga studio and a production office for Stuart-Rodgers Photography. Fire officials said the fire spread quickly and it took about three and a half hours to get ahead of it. Chicago Sun Times Mary Norkol has more on the story.
National Headlines
By Sam Freeman
The Trump campaign tries to gain the support of Black voters, as many lose faith in Biden – Trump aims to win over the Black electorate. Minor changes in voting patterns could cause a shift in the presidential race. Frustration from a variety of issues could push Black voters to lose support for President Joe Biden. While 86% of Black adults said they supported Biden in July 2021, only 50% approve him in 2023, according to a December AP-NORC poll. However, only 25% say they have a positive view of Trump. The Trump campaign is taking this opportunity to try to win over Black voters. At the same time, Trump continues to use negative rhetoric on race, recently mocking Republican candidate Nikki Haley’s birth name and referring to her as the daughter of immigrants from India and “Nimbra.” Democratic pollster Cornell Belcher isn’t too worried about the shift because Barack Obama experienced a similar challenge with young voters and constituents of color during his 2012 reelection campaign. Matt Brown of the Associated Press has more information.
The San Francisco 49ers will play against the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2024 Super Bowl – The Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers each won their games on Sunday and will compete against each other in the Super Bowl. This is the fourth year the Chiefs will be playing in the Super Bowl, giving them the opportunity to win consecutive championships for the first time since the New England Patriots roughly two decades ago. The 49ers haven’t had a Super Bowl win since 1995, although they have won the championship five times. The Chiefs stopped them at their last attempt in 2020. The 2024 Super Bowl will be held on February 11 at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise at 6:30 p.m. ET. Emma Bowman of NPR has more information.
Pelosi wants the FBI to investigate Pro-Palestine protesters – Representative Nancy Pelosi, the former speaker of the House, calls on the FBI to investigate protestors advocating for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Without evidence, Pelosi suggests that some protesters are tied to Russia and President Vladimir Putin. In an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Pelosi said, “Make no mistake, this is directly connected to what he would like to see. Same thing with Ukraine. It’s about Putin’s message. I think some of these protesters are spontaneous and organic and sincere. Some, I think, are connected to Russia.” Her spokesperson said that Pelosi would still focus on “stopping the suffering in Gaza” and advocate the release of all hostages. Many countries, including Russia, support a cease-fire, and the International Court of Justice called on Israel to prevent a genocide in Gaza. Kayla Guo of The New York Times has the story.
Three US troops were killed and 34 wounded in drone attack – A drone strike linked to Iran killed three U.S. troops and wounded at least 34 others. The attack occurred at a support base called Tower 22 in northeast Jordan near the Syrian border. Around 350 U.S. Army and Air Force personnel are located at the base. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility, calling it revenge for America’s military presence in that area and the Palestinian death toll in Gaza. According to Gaza’s health ministry, over 25,000 people in Gaza have been killed since the Hamas attack on October 7. The number of wounded Americans at Tower 22 may “fluctuate,” says the U.S. Central Command. Juliana Kim from NPR has more information.
14 East Pueblo: Chicago Sueños Music Festival is Back
By: Nathalie Espinoza
Chicago’s Sueños Music Festival is back for the 3rd time this May 25th-26th. In the last two years, Sueños took Chicago by storm, bringing together thousands of Latinos and Latin-music-loving attendees to Grant Park.
This year, headliners Peso Pluma, Rauw Alejandro and Maluma will perform along with female sensations Young Miko, Bad Gyal and Elena Rose who will also take on the iconic Grant Park stage.
Sueños is not only a celebration of Latin music, but they also take pride in creating a sense of community for the Latinos in not only Chicago and the Midwest, but the entire country. Every year, they bring out an array of food and drink vendors native to Chicago, and local artists and musicians that contribute to the fun festival activities.
Passes went on sale last Thursday and about 95% of passes are gone, hinting at another successful year. Recently, Latin artists have dominated global music charts, and this has led to significant representation and recognition of their contributions to both music and culture.
Sueños is the byproduct of this success by showing appreciation to these artists and their fans as they contribute to a more inclusive and vibrant community of Latinos everywhere.
Hey, Check This Out!
With Featured Columnist Elizabeth Gregerson
2023 was the year for blockbuster movies. Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer had sound effects that literally shook theater seats, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Film encouraged audiences to dance in the aisles and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie saw moviegoers dressing up in their brightest pinks.
There was one movie, however, that quietly flew a bit more under the radar compared to last year’s box office standouts, but impressed critics just the same.
Past Lives is a film written and directed by Celine Song. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in early 2023 and had its official nationwide release in June 2023. Past Lives has received a multitude of accolades since its premiere, including nominations from the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes and the BAFTAS.
The film stars Greta Lee as Nora Moon, Teo Yoo as Hae Sung and John Magaro as Arthur (Nora’s husband) but centers most predominantly on the relationship between Nora and Hae Sung. The two characters grew up together in Seoul, forming a bond on their daily walks home from school together. We meet them as 12 year old classmates and friends.
Viewers soon learn that Nora’s family is planning a move to Canada. Their mothers arrange a date between Nora and Hae Sung before Nora moves and leaves her life in Seoul behind.
12 years after the move, Nora and Hae Sung reconnect through Facebook and start a playful, but deep online friendship. With both of them committed to their own lives, Nora in New York and Hae Sung now in China, the relationship ultimately ends.
Fast forward another 12 years of not speaking, we learn that Hae Sung has reached out to Nora with hopes to meet up on his upcoming visit to New York. Nora reassures her husband Arthur that the visit is strictly platonic and confidently sets out to spend time with Hae Sung for the first time in 24 years.
As the rest of the film unfolds, moviegoers see the beautiful push and pull of human connection which perhaps will make them question moments in their own past lives that led them down a certain path.
Past Lives is available to rent on most streaming platforms, including Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video. The film can still even be seen in some movie theaters. As it is sure to pick up a few wins during award season, Past Lives is a film that cannot be missed.
Resources
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That’s it for today! See you next Monday.
The 14 East Newsletter Team