SGA election results, DePaul’s FEST headliners and 14 East is still hiring!
and a show rec straight out of Philadephia
Welcome back to ‘In the Loop’! It’s your newsletter team — Claire, Kate, Hailey, Eiman, Billie, Maureen, Elly, Emily, Grace, Cam and Richie — here with all the campus updates, city news, resources and recommendations to start your week.
Today we have a recap of the Student Government Association election results, the update on this year’s FEST headliners, news on a new national program to increase internet access, and one of the best media recommendations yet (but we may be biased, our editor-in-chief is from Philadelphia).
Check out 14 East’s Business Issue! This issue is a collection of pieces that cover local and small businesses, including their vigor and tenacity throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, their character and culture, and how they make up the great city of Chicago.
14 East and Pueblo are still hiring for the 2022-23 academic year! Check the position descriptions and application (which doesn’t require a resume or cover letter!) HERE. Email 14 East Editor-In-Chief Grace Del Vecchio at graceEdelvecchio@gmail.com with any questions. Our new deadline to apply is this Friday at midnight!
No episode of B-Side today but be sure to check in next week! If you missed our last episode, “Who Wants General Iron?”, check it out here:
Now let’s dive right into it! 📰
SGA Election Results
By Hailey Bosek
DePaul Student Government Association had its spring elections last week, with the 2022-2023 election results being posted on the SGA’s Instagram on May 6. The ballots opened up on May 2 and were closed on May 5. Students could vote in person at the Lincoln Park Campus at the voting table or online by using your student campus connect credentials.
Former Vice President Kevin Holecheko was elected President this year. This will be his third year at DePaul. He ran with his Vice President Magoli Garcia, with the campaign slogan, “Here We Can.” Their instagram page @km.depaul lays out the team's top initiatives.
Initiative #1- Adoption of Open Source Textbooks
The pair will try to make textbooks cheaper by working with faculty to start adopting open-source textbooks. These are textbooks that have an open copyright label, and thus free for the public — and therefore are seen as a more accessible option to costly traditional books.
Initiative #2 Bringing SGA out of the classroom and into the student lives
“Magoli and I are committed to being more involved in the student lives and being more accessible to our entire student body,” the team’s Instagram post reads.
Initiative #3- Connecting with our Key Campus Partners
In turn with being more accessible to students, they also hope to connect with Campus Leaders through a proposed monthly luncheons. They explained in the Instagram post that it is “Not only a great opportunity for us to build community, but it's a great way for students who are interested in SGA to learn about what we do and more importantly for us to learn about them.”
Initiative #4 - Expanding Shuttle Services
Finally, the two want to ensure that the shuttle bus, which is still a program on trial, remains accessible and running for students at DePaul. In correspondence with the facility operations and the president's office, they want to try and expand shuttle services for students on campus.
The next SGA General Body is meeting this Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Levan Center in Room 505.
You can view the full election results here.
DePaul News
By Billie Rollason
DePaul Welcomes Its 13th President — Tomorrow
Tomorrow, May 10 at 10 a.m. the Board of Trustees invites students, faculty and friends of the university to join their livestream introducing DePaul's 13th President.
DePaul also invites the university’s community to an afternoon reception to meet the new President. The event will be held in Cortelyou Commons in two sessions; one at 2 p.m., the other at 4 p.m. Registration is required for this event, and you may only attend one of the two receptions.
2Chainz and bbno$ Headline 2022 Fest
DePaul's annual FEST spring concert performers were announced last Thursday. The May 27 event will include performances from 2 Chainz and bbno$. Tickets are on sale via DeHUB for $10.
For details on what to bring to FEST, and what to leave at home — check out DePaul's Division of Student Affairs announcement.
City in Action: Student Outing to Crystal Lake
This Friday, DePaul students are invited to join a "City in Action" outing co-hosted by the School of Public Service and Chaddick. The event includes exploring municipal policies and strategies in the City of Crystal Lake, IL. The event runs from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Crystal Lake. Pre-registration is required.
Find more information about suggested transportation, and further event information in the official flyer.
Lastly, here is your weekend sports update (May 6 to 8):
The men’s tennis team lost against Kentucky 4-0 on Friday.
The softball team won against Providence 5-1 on Friday at 1pm
The softball team lost against Providence 4-8 on Friday at 3:30pm
The softball team won against Providence 5-4 on Sunday
And some Track and Field highlights this weekend:
Nina Amicon placed 1st in the Women’s 1500m track event with a 4:33.70
Olivia Borowiak placed 5th in the Women’s 1500m track event with a 4:23.82 (a DePaul record breaking win!)
Joe Knanishu placed 3rd in the Men’s 1500m track even with a 4:00.54
Click here to find DePaul’s full track and field event placements from this weekend at the Billy Hayes Invitational and the Wisconsin Classic.
Chicago Headlines
By Maureen Dunne
Cook County Public Defenders Office Now Representing Undocumented People in Immigration Court — In the two months since the Cook County Public Defender’s Office has started representing non-citizens in immigration court, case outcomes have improved and people have been reunited with their families, said a spokesperson from the office. Prior to Governor Pritzker’s signing of the Defenders for All Act last summer, non-citizens in Cook County were not guaranteed an appointed attorney in deportation proceedings. Madison Sevedra of Block Club Chicago reports.
University of Chicago Analysis Points to Disparities in Internet Access Across City — Though 80% of all Chicago households have internet access, rates vary by neighborhood — with some seeing one third of households without it. The Loop, Near North, Near West and Near South Sides have the most reliable internet access, with about 97% of households with connectivity, though Burnside and West Englewood report rates of 58% and 62%, respectively. With knowledge of the inequities in access, researchers plan to dive deeper into neighborhood discrepancies in internet speed and reliability. Sophie Sherry of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Mayor Lightfoot Pledges $500,000 to Support Abortion Access in Chicago — Mayor Lightfoot announced today at a press conference her pledge to utilize $500,000 of Chicago Department of Public Health funds to assists those in need of abortion care — from getting to appointments, securing lodging and paying for follow-up treatments. Stefano Esposito of the Chicago Sun Times reports.
Better Government Association and Chicago Tribune Reporters Win Pulitzer Prize for Investigation Into Chicago’s Fire Codes — Cecilia Reyes of the Chicago Tribune and Madison Hopkins of the Better Government Association brought home a Pulitzer Prize for local reporting on their 2-year investigation into Chicago’s fire codes. Their work, published in April 2021, revealed that 61 people had perished in fires in buildings about which city officials had been warned numerous times. Robert Channick of the Chicago Tribune reports.
National Headlines
By Elly Boes
Supreme Court Opinion on Abortion Rights Sparks Demonstrations — Following the leaked draft of an initial U.S. Supreme Court opinion on Roe v. Wade — authored by Justice Samuel Alito — demonstrations on abortion rights broke out across the country, NPR reported last week. In Washington D.C., abortion activists and supporters protested outside the Supreme Court and, over the weekend, at the homes of Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Chief Justice John Roberts. According to NBC’s Rebecca Shabad, a candlelight vigil organized by Shutdown D.C. will be held outside Alito’s home tonight.
U.S. Sees Infant Formula Shortages — This week, several national outlets covered the rising shortages of baby formula seen across the country after manufacturer Abbott Nutrition voluntarily recalled several products in February. Later that month, the Food and Drug Administration announced their ongoing investigation with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found bacterial infections in infants that led to illness and death as a result of contaminated powdered and specialty formula from a facility in Michigan. Yesterday, Eduardo Medina of The New York Times reported that large stores like Walgreens and CVS, among others, are limiting the amount of formula consumers can buy in order to “preserve inventory.”
Wildfires Spread in the West — For several weeks, two wildfires have ravaged New Mexico, destroying homes and prompting mandatory evacuations for several counties. Today, the Associated Press reported additional residents may be required to leave areas surrounding Las Vegas, New Mexico as strong winds and hazardous conditions continue to threaten the West with fires in New Mexico, Arizona and Texas.
Biden Announces Program for Affordable Internet Services — In a White House briefing today, President Joe Biden announced the administration has “secured commitments from 20 internet providers” to provide lower cost internet services under the Affordable Connectivity Program. As part of the infrastructure bill signed into law last November, the program aims to reduce broadband internet service costs to no more than $30 per month for eligible households, according to CBS News. To learn more about eligibility or begin an application, you can visit ACP’s official website here.
Kentucky Derby Winner Beats Odds — On Saturday, Rich Strike and his jockey Sonny Leon won the 148th Kentucky Derby in what many called “a stunning upset” by “one of biggest underdogs” in racing history. The team celebrated their victory with a flourish of rose petals. Jason Frakes of the Louisville Courier Journal has the story.
Hey, Check This Out!
With Featured Columnist Emily Soto
If you’re looking for your next laugh, look no further than Abbott Elementary. The show which airs on ABC and streams on Hulu, features Quinta Brunson as Janine Teagues — a young and eager second grade teacher at an underfunded Philadelphia public school. In the sitcom, she and her fellow teachers, including stars like Tyler James Williams, Lisa Ann Walter, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Chris Perfetti, navigate the challenging hallways of the public school system while staying dedicated to their students’ success.
Meanwhile, their out-of-touch and under qualified principal is too busy watching the latest TikTok trend and making the teachers’ jobs even more difficult.
This show not only matches the comedy style of The Office but also tackles some of the real issues teachers face at work. It displays the teachers as the real human beings they are. Ones that balance the unruly kids to the high achievers, budget cuts to special projects, and work life with social life. When times get tough, Janine thinks back to her days as a schoolgirl as motivation to push through and fight for the needs of her students.
And though it may not always seem like it, at Abbott Elementary the teachers are all there to support each other whenever they need a little help.
So tune in to watch all the moments that will make you laugh, smile and feel everything from encouraged to frustrated. The first season is just 13 episodes so you’ll be able to finish pretty quick like I did. But if you do, you’ll be stuck waiting until fall for season two!
Resources
Need resources regarding warming centers, rental assistance, COVID-19 testing and vaccines or mental health? Check out our complete list here.
That’s all for today. Now get outside and enjoy this warm spell before it gets cold again! We’ll see you back here next Monday. Peace!
The 14 East Newsletter Team