SGA’s push for remote learning, third B-Side episode and a downstate mask ruling
Plus who to watch in this week’s Olympic figure skating events
Hey there, everyone! It’s your newsletter team — Claire, Elly, Jess, Maureen, Mariah, Eiman, Emily, Grace, Cam and Kate — here to help you start your week off right.
Today we have a feature story on Student Government Association’s latest resolution, on-campus recreation updates and yet another compelling recommendation from our resident columnist, Emily Soto.
In addition to all that, the newest episode of The B-Side drops today! Be sure to give it a listen when you get a chance. Eagle-eyed readers will spy that this week’s episode is free, like past episodes, when we said it would be paid. We’re launching the paid tier of ‘In The Loop’ soon, though, and we’d love your continued support when it drops. Until then, enjoy the freebie this week, on us!
This week, 14 East is also publishing a mini-issue for Valentine’s Day. The issue will feature several ways to get your Valentine’s Day on across the city, including a list of places to take your valentine, a playlist to dance to while you’re getting ready for a date and the ways that small businesses are prepping for next week’s holiday.
We’re sure you want to get right to it, so without further ado, here’s the news!
The Third Episode of ‘The B-Side’
By Malik Pitchford with Aneesah Shealey and Claire Malon
Our third episode of The B-Side features a cultural commentary from former Associate Editor Malik Pitchford. In this piece, titled, “Beware of the White Gaze,” Pitchford discusses the critical impact of the white gaze, a concept popularized by acclaimed author Toni Morrison.
Using the examples of Toni Morrison and rappers Noname and Kendrick Lamar, Pitchford examines the lack of power and sovereignty Black creators have over their art, music and cultural productions due to ethnocentrism and white supremacy.
Story by Malik Pitchford
Recorded by Aneesah Shealey
Produced by Claire Malon
Miss last week’s episode, “Paying Out of Pocket”? Check it out here:
SGA Calls for Remote Learning Accommodations to Support Immunocompromised Students
By Elly Boes and Jessica Nalupta
On February 3, DePaul’s Student Government Association unanimously passed the “Resolution Concerning Remote Learning As a Reasonable Accessibility Accommodation,” referred by the Disabled Students Ad Hoc Committee.
The resolution “calls upon DePaul University to work together with Disabled students and other vulnerable students to find “mutually agreeable ways to reasonably accommodate the needs that these students have for the ability to return to remote learning immediately.”
David Hupp, chair of the Disabled Students Ad Hoc Committee, proposed the idea on January 27 after hearing from members of Accessible Futures DePaul that the Center for Students with Disabilities does not allow for changes to course modality, per university policy.
“The decision to have online course modalities is decided by individual academic colleges and departments,” he said. “Under the university bureaucracy, CSD does not have the power to force individual professors, individual academic departments to do anything. All they can do is ask nicely.”
Under federal law, private universities who receive federal funding, like DePaul, are considered “public accommodation” spaces and must provide equal access to all, including those with disabilities. While these accommodations allow for more equitable engagement, according to Hupp, the design of entire institutions typically address accessibility concerns retroactively, after people disclose they need accommodations.
While SGA’s resolution advocates for remote learning, Hupp said it’s not calling for all courses to transition online, but for increased availability of hybrid options for students who need them. This could include students with children, commuter students and those with disabilities according to Sergio Godinez, SGA Senator for First Generation Students
“We need a way for someone who’s immunocompromised to be able to meet the learning objectives of the course, without having to be there in person,” Hupp said.
As of now, 70% of classes are in person, 30% are online and approximately 100 in-person courses are a “flex modality” or hybrid with both online and in person access, according to a university spokesperson.
The resolution also noted that SGA calls upon DePaul “to publish a concrete long-term plan” so that any course could be made available to those who need remote access.
According to Parveen Mundi, Senator for Intercultural Awareness, “After the resolution was presented by a sponsor, the general body heard comments from marginalized students who would be impacted by the passage of the legislation. These heartfelt and passionate testimonies completely affirmed the necessity and urgency of this resolution.”
Mundi, who co-sponsored the resolution along with two executive vice presidents and four senators, added that, “our resolution simply asks that the University actually listens to the accommodations marginalized students are asking for and provides them accordingly.”
According to CSD Director Greg Moorehead and Associate Provost for Student Success and Accreditation Caryn Chaden, an accommodation cannot “significantly affect the rest of the students in the class” or “alter the nature of the course,” which is why remote access is currently determined by faculty, chairs and college deans.
“With the investment the University has made in new technology for remote synchronous attendance, this is now a possibility,” said Moorehead and Chaden in an email to 14 East. “We will be happy to work with SGA to explore the possibility of expanding available accommodations for students with recognized needs.”
DePaul previously provided remote learning access during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic — making this a reasonable accommodation, the resolution stated. The first two weeks of winter quarter this year, from January 3 to January 15, were also held mostly online in an effort to protect the DePaul community from the virus’ surge during the holidays, though high case counts as people returned to dorms and offices proved otherwise.
DePaul News
By Maureen Dunne
The Ray pauses pick-up basketball through Febuary 13
Campus recreation has announced a pause on pick-up basketball in the Ray after it found the least compliance with appropriate mask wearing among players. Rims will be lifted on the courts, but other scheduled activities and other areas of the Ray will be open for normal use. Nate Burleyson of the DePaulia reports.
DePaul to host Black History Month Events this week
Thursday, February 10, join the Black Student Experience and Health Promotion and Wellness for Black Mental Health Matters: Decolonizing Black Mental Health from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Monday, February 14 is Celebrating Black Love in the Black Culture Center, in Room 300 of O’Connell Hall from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. More information can be found on DeHub.
DePaul Alum defeats Amy Schneider on Jeopardy!
Chicago librarian and DePaul alum Rhone Talsma beat Jeopardy!’s record-holding champion Amy Schneider in an episode which aired January 26. Talsma graduated from DePaul in 2015 with a degree in Womens’ and Gender Studies. Lawrence Kreymer of the DePaulia reports.
Lastly, here is your weekend sports update (Feb. 5-6 )
The men’s basketball team beat Xavier 69-65 on Saturday.
The women’s basketball team beat Providence 88-67 on Sunday.
Chicago Headlines
By Mariah Hernandez
Chicago Public Schools Uphold State Mask Requirement in Spite of Sangamon County Judge Ruling — Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s authority is being held into question after attorney Thomas DeVore claimed that Pritzker has abused his power with COVID-19 protocols. DeVore requested that Pritzkers orders be suspended and Judge Raylene Grischow agreed. The ruling has halted the mask requirement in almost 170 school districts, though Chicago Public Schools will still continue to use masks and vaccinations in their schools, with the backing of the Chicago Teachers Union. More on the judge's ruling from Susie An and Dave McKinney for WBEZ.
Nine Protestors Arrested After the Release of Former Cop Jason Van Dyke — Ex- Police officer Jason Van Dyke’s prison sentence came to an end on February 3 after serving three years for the 2014 shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. Van Dyke was let out on good behavior and did not have to serve his full 81 month sentence. The protestors refer to themselves as the “Laquan Nine” and insist that federal civil rights charges be made against Van Dyke. The protestors were released on Thursday night and will face a judge on Tuesday. More on the Van Dyke case by Madeline Kenney and Tom Schuba for the Chicago Sun Times.
After Effects of Winter Storm Landon in Chicago— Over 10 inches of snow were reported from Winter Storm Landon, which hit Chicago from Tuesday to Thursday. Chicago Public Schools were kept open both Wednesday and Thursday despite heavy snow, while airports experienced various delays and cancellations. 657 flights were canceled at O’Hare and 83 at Midway. Despite the snow, many universities remained open, with some teachers offering an online alternative. Read more from Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas, Olivia Olander and Stephanie Casanova in the Chicago Tribune.
President of the Chicago Teachers Union Jesse Sharkey Not Running for Re-election in May — Jesse Sharkey was officially elected as president for the Chicago Teachers Union in 2018 and has decided to step down. After his term ends, Sharkey will be returning back to his position as a teacher. His fourth and final term will end in June of 2022. More on Sharkey's decision by Andy Koval and Shannon Halligan from WGN.
National Headlines
By Eiman Navaid
U.S and Germany Find Tension in Shared Unity Over Russia – At an Oval Office meeting on Monday, Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz remained united over their stance on the current political climate with Russia, but had different views regarding the future of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. While Biden explicitly stated that the project would not move forward if Russia invaded Ukraine, Scholz refused to discuss his stance on the matter. Kevin Liptak of CNN has the details.
Hundreds Attend Funeral for Boy Who Died After Being Trapped in a Well – After being trapped in a well for four days, 5 year-old Rayan Oram was rescued, but died shortly after. BBC News reports that hundreds attended his funeral near the village of Chefchaouen in Morocco.
Supreme Court Reinstates Alabama Voting Map – In a 5-4 vote on Monday, the Supreme Court reinstated a voting map for congressional elections in Alabama. This was done after a lower court said that the map had violated the Voting Rights Act by interfering with Black voters to elect the candidates they had chosen. From Adam Liptak of the New York Times.
Coronavirus Updates in the U.S – As cases from the omicron variant’s spike significantly drop, the U.S returns to seeing the COVID data that was present during the time of the delta variant, prompting states to loosen restrictions. The states of New Jersey and Delaware have announced their plans to get rid of their school mask mandates by the next month. Brittany Shammas, Lateshia Beachum, Rachel Pannett, and Annabelle Timsit of the Washington Post report.
Hey, Check This Out!
With Featured Columnist Emily Soto
Happy February, everyone! It’s going to be an exciting month between the Superbowl, Valentine’s Day and of course, my favorite, the Olympics! My favorite sport to watch is figure skating so I want to share which skaters I think are going to deliver the best performances of the games.
Women
Kaori Sakamoto is the current Japanese ladies champion and one of my favorite skaters of all time. What I love about her is that she skates with so much speed and power but still looks smooth and effortless the entire time. Her jumps may not be as hard as some of the other skaters but she far exceeds her competitors in artistry and technique. This year’s free skate is a powerful medley with lyrics about being a woman called “No More Fight Left in Me.” If she performs like she did at Japanese Nationals, I believe we are in for a memorable performance that is worth watching on repeat.
Ice Dance
There are two teams that you need to keep your eye on in this year’s ice dance competition. First, the French team of Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron. This team is known for their power and speed that makes them look as though they are floating over the ice. This, along with their traditional approach to ice dance technique makes for a strong team that almost always delivers a perfect performance. Watch their performance at the 2018 Olympics here.
The second team to watch for are the Americans: Madison Chock and Evan Bates. They are the current national champions and also my favorite team out there. This is because they always bring unique themes to their programs that are so much fun to watch. So if you want to watch them tell the story of an astronaut meeting an extraterrestrial over the music of Daft Punk, this will be a performance you have to see. They’ve already competed in the team event at Beijing, so you can watch that here.
Watch them skate on Sunday, February 13 at 7:15 p.m. CT on NBC and Peacock
Men
When it comes to the men, the rivalry of Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu and American Nathan Chen is one for the history books. Hanyu is the two time Olympic champion while Chen is the reigning world champion — three years running. They both possess the skill it takes to perform multiple quad jumps in one program, all while entertaining the crowd and maintaining near perfect skating technique. With two athletes so evenly matched, the competition is sure to be exciting.
Catch the action on Wednesday, February 9 at 7:30 p.m. CT on NBC and Peacock.
Resources
Need resources regarding warming centers, rental assistance, COVID-19 testing and vaccines or mental health? Check out our complete list here.
That’s it from us this week. Stay warm, stay safe and we’ll see ya’ next week!
The 14 East Newsletter Team