Students Against Incarceration, DePaul budget updates and the Mayor-elect’s plan to address crime and violence
Plus, boygenius releases an album
Welcome back to ‘In the Loop’! It’s your newsletter team — Kate, Lauren, Citlali, Cary, Isabella, Mariah, Monique, Bridget and Emily — here with your evening lineup of news.
Today, we’re featuring an event hosted by Students Against Incarceration hosted on DePaul’s campus over the weekend. DePaul’s president Robert Manuel released more information on DePaul’s budget deficit, learn more on Mayor-elect Johnson’s plan to address crime and violence in Chicago and find out more on President Biden’s meeting with the “Tennessee Three.” Plus, Mariah Hernandez recommends an album that will “absolutely devastate you in the best way possible.”
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Let’s get into the news!
Students Against Incarceration Event Brings Together Groups Working to Change the Prison System
By Lauren Sheperd
Students Against Incarceration (SAI) held their first Community Fest event this past Saturday to raise awareness of the impacts of the prison system on individuals.
Held in the John T. Richardson Library on DePaul’s Lincoln Park campus Saturday afternoon, the event featured speakers and tables with different DePaul organizations.
“Students Against Incarceration is mobilizing students at DePaul to learn more about how prisons operate in the United States and how we can work together to abolish prisons,” SAI Co-President Nana Ampofo said. As a criminology major, she wanted to start her own projects and initiatives surrounding prison reform using art and education.
Ampofo said she was looking to provide a place where students could learn about the work other groups, like SAI, do around campus and in the community.
“You saw that a lot of clubs and departments at DePaul are doing work on incarceration and things that align with remission, but there hasn’t really been one place where these organizations meet,” Ampofo said.
Marcos Gray attended the fest to talk to students about his experience in the prison system and to sell his book “Lost Innocence: The Life of a Juvenile Lifer.” At 16, Gray was sentenced to 29 years at Stateville Correctional Center. He was released 11 months ago and has since become an advocate for individuals who are formerly incarcerated.
Gray got involved with DePaul while incarcerated through DePaul’s Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program. Inside-Out was launched at DePaul in 2012 and allows inmates at Stateville Correctional Center and Cook County Jail to take classes while incarcerated to work toward completing a degree. These courses are offered on-site at the jails.
Gray discussed the mental health challenges faced by people recently released from prison, and how he wishes there were more programs in place once they got out. “No one intends for recidivism to be the thing that they're subjected to, it just happens because there are so many barriers preventing them from succeeding,” Gray said.
When Gray was released from prison, he said the toughest barrier he met was trying to find a job. He said it did not matter that he was an accomplished student or a published author. He felt that he was viewed as a “monster” throughout his job search, Gray said.
“They're allowing what happened when I was a kid to be the thing that they judge me by as being a 46-year-old man,” Gray said.
SAI meets every Monday from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in room JTR103 on the first floor of the library.
DePaul News
By Citlali Perez
Budget timeline and results status
On April 20, President Rob Manuel put out a statement to clarify the budget process. The statement includes a timeline of the fiscal year 2024 budget planning process and a budget results status as of April 19. After eligible staff were offered the Voluntary Separation Incentive Program on April 4 and term faculty were notified of their reappointment status for the next academic year on April 10, the university estimates, “between 60 and 72 people will retire or voluntarily leave the university under this program. This would reduce the budget by roughly $7 million dollars.” He also mentions that, “six term faculty will not be reappointed for the 2023-24 academic year.” On May 8th, the university will deliver a high-level budget proposal to the board of trustees after continued conversations with units. The full statement can be found here.
Cannabis health and informational panel
The Driehaus College of Business is hosting a panel on the risk and benefits of cannabis use for human health Tuesday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the DePaul Center room 8005. The panel will have experts and professionals in the fields of medicine, cannabis research, public health, and policy. You can also join on Zoom. Find the zoom link and more information here.
LGBTQ+ Faculty and Staff Network host mixer
On May 2, DePaul’s LGBTQ+ Faculty and Staff Network will host a mixer in the Theatre School lobby from 4 to 6 p.m. The event is for LGBTQ+ faculty and staff members as well as allies. Light refreshments will be provided. You can register here and learn more about the event through DePaul Newsline.
Grab-n-go Slurpee run
If you are around the Lincoln Park Campus on Tuesday, save yourself a 7-11 run and stop by the student center for a free Slurpee! The DePaul Activities Board will be there from 1 - 4 p.m. Find the details here.
Bark in the Park
Bring your furry friend(s) to the DePaul Softball game against UConn this weekend. The game will take place at Cacciatore Stadium at 12 p.m. DePaul Blue Demons have outlined a safety plan for those bringing their pets.
Lastly, here is your weekend sports update (April 21-23):
DePaul’s women’s softball lost 9 to 1 against Villanova on Sunday, closing out the three-game series
DePaul’s women’s softball lost 6 to 1 against Villanova on Saturday
DePaul’s women’s softball lost 8 to 0 against Villanova on Friday
Chicago Headlines
By Cary Robbins
Hyde Park community wins fight to make Promontory Point a Chicago landmark — Promontory Point, which has “the last stretch of limestone shoreline barriers in the city,” according to Block Club Chicago, is now an official Chicago landmark. Community members of Hyde Park have been trying to get the area recognized as a city landmark to protect the plants, trees and fountain. For over 20 years, advocates in the neighborhood have asked city and federal government officials to protect Promontory Point’s limestone because it is a “special place for open-water swimming, anonymous artistic carvings and other community activity,” according to Block Club Chicago. To learn more about the fight and its importance for the community, read this article written by Maxwell Evans for Block Club Chicago.
Dion’s Chicago Dream launches a fundraiser to provide families with fresh produce all year — A South Side nonprofit, Dion’s Chicago Dream, launched a Feed the Dream fundraiser, wanting to raise $1 million for families in need. The fundraiser has been started by the founder of the nonprofit, Dion Dawson, whose goal is “to collect enough money to provide 1,000 families with fresh, high-quality produce every week for a year.” The deadline for the fundraiser ends May 31, and the fundraising participants who raise the most money as an individual or team will win prizes. Learn more about how to donate and what prizes you can win from this article written in Block Club Chicago by Maia McDonald.
Hear from a community leader about Mayor-elect Johnson’s plan to address crime and violence — During the mayoral runoff, Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson took two different approaches when asked about how they would address crime and violence when elected mayor. While Valls “called for hiring at least 500 more police officers,” Johnson said that he wanted to “invest in people and address the root causes of violence, such as employment, housing and mental healthcare,” according to an article by The TRiiBE. Tonia Hill from The TRiiBE sat down with Artinese Myrickone of the lead organizers of LIVE FREE Illinois, to talk about Johnson’s approach to violence in the city. Read more about that interview here.
Little Village Discount Mall vendors continue to fight for space — Vendors were given the chance, with the help of the city, to move into a former CVS in Little Village; however, they agreed that the space was not big enough for everyone. The vendors are instead asking to be moved to the former Kmart building in the neighborhood because of its large space and parking lot. It was previously supposed to be used to be a shelter for migrants. It was questioned by local officials if it was best suited to house people. Read more about the vendors’ fight in this article written by Madison Savedra for Block Club Chicago.
National Headlines
By Isabella Ali
U.S. Embassy evacuated from Sudan — U.S. special operations forces evacuated over 70 people from the U.S. Embassy in Sudan due to ongoing political unrest and violence in the country. The situation in Sudan has been tense following a military coup that ousted the country's civilian government in October 2021. The U.S. State Department has issued a statement urging all Americans to leave Sudan and avoid travel to the country. The embassy will remain closed until further notice. The political turmoil in Sudan has caused concern among US officials, who fear that it may lead to a humanitarian crisis. Matthew Lee, Tara Copp and Aamer Madhani of the Associated Press have more.
President Biden met with the “Tennessee Three” — President Joe Biden welcomed three Tennessee lawmakers to the White House. Democratic representatives Gloria Johnson, Justin Jones, and Justin Pearson — collectively known as the "Tennessee Three" — gained national attention after being expelled from the state's House of Representatives by Tennessee Republicans for protesting gun control laws on the House floor. Rep. Pearson and Rep. Jones were both reappointed later. During the meeting, President Biden and the three lawmakers discussed ways to advance gun reform in the face of Republican opposition. The meeting also highlighted how the three have come to symbolize the push for gun reform. “You're standing up for our kids, you're standing up for our communities," Biden said. Joey Garrison from USA Today has the news.
Biden expands humanitarian parole programs for immigrants — President Biden has expanded humanitarian parole programs for immigrants, offering refugee status to those escaping war and political turmoil.. The measures allow asylum to those fleeing Ukraine, Haiti, and Latin America and give asylum-seekers a chance to quickly obtain U.S. work permits. As of mid-April, 300,000 Ukrainians had arrived in the United States, which is more than all people admitted through the official U.S. refugee program in the last five years. The Biden administration has also expanded the number of people eligible for temporary protected status, benefiting about 670,000 people from 16 countries. However, critics argue that the administration is operating outside of the president’s authority. Miriam Jordan from the New York Times has the news.
NAACP sues Mississippi over policing laws — The NAACP is suing Mississippi's state leaders over two new laws that the organization claims create a "separate and unequal" structure involving the police and courts in the city of Jackson. The legislation, passed by majority-white and Republican-controlled House and Senate, establishes state control of policing and the judicial system in much of Jackson, where 83% of the 150,000 residents are Black. The NAACP claims that the new laws violate the principle of self-government by taking control of the police and some courts out of the hands of residents. Governor Tate Reeves argues that the laws are necessary to help reduce crime in Jackson, which has a higher murder rate, and to assist the city's police force. The NAACP warns that the legislation will lead to "separate and unequal policing" and treat Black people as "second-class citizens." Emily Wagster Pettus from the Associated Press has the news.
Hey, Check This Out!
With Mariah Hernandez
Hello folks, I am here to recommend to you an album that will absolutely devastate you in the best way possible.
Less than a month ago, the all-queer supergroup boygenius released “the record”, the band's debut indie-rock album. Twelve tracks long, the album is less than an hour of brutal honesty and heartbreaking lyrics paired with the sounds of guitar, drums and the occasional banjo.
Singer-songwriting legends Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker came together in 2018 to form the group and haven’t released anything as a group since their debut EP “boygenius” a little under five years ago, and fans like myself have been patiently waiting since then.
While Bridgers is by far the most well-known member of the group, in boygenius, each singer is treated as an equal. At times, the three singers' voices will come together to harmonize in a Dixie Chicks-esque way but “the record” still makes sure to highlight each member's individual sound. Dacus maintains her gentle yet strong voice throughout the album, Bridgers’ screaming in the end of the single “$20” and Baker's sweet-like-honey Tennessee twang is featured on tracks like “Satanist.”
Something each artist has in common is their ability to write lyrics that are so raw, emotional and personal. Touching on topics such as drug addiction, sexuality and mental health. There is nothing the band is afraid to discuss, vulnerability is a necessity.
My favorite track on the album by far is “Cool About it,” a song that I can only describe as feeling like your heart is being ripped out of your chest.
The album ends on a more hopeful note with the track “Letter To An Old Poet.” The song self-references one of the band's most popular tracks “Me and My Dog” with its final verse. The original lyric being “I wanna be emaciated, I wanna hear one song without thinking of you,” and the lyric in “Letter To An Old Poet” being “I wanna be happy, I’m ready to walk into my room without looking for you.”
Showing growth not only in their abilities as singer-songwriters but as evolving people who still make mistakes, but are trying to learn from them and heal.
Resources
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That’s it for today! See you next Monday.
The 14 East Newsletter Team