The Art of Modern Comedy, DePaul Track and Field Success and A Hold on EU Tariffs
plus, the shut down of a Latino STEM after school program in Logan Square
Welcome back to ‘In the Loop’! It’s your newsletter team Lauren, Morgan, Elliot, Jana, Gia, Annabelle, Noёl, Nupur and Kateleen. We’ve got a good one for you today.
To start, we have a feature on how DePaul comedy arts students are shifting away from traditional comedy to meet the needs of Gen Z. Then, we have information on the newest member of the DePaul Board of Trustees and stalling on Chicago’s “snap curfew” proposal in City Council. Next, we have a discussion about the five year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd and an Israeli strike that killed 54 Palestinians. To wrap up, we have information of the closure of a STEM after school program for elementary students in Logan Square due to a grant cut from President Donald Trump and a recommendation for the new show “Forever” on Netflix.
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With that, let’s get into it!
The Art of Comedy: How Generation Z comedy arts students are sculpting comedy in the digital age
By Morgan Kirsch
A young freshman with a dancing flame of red hair sitting at a school desk furtively glanced around the room before returning his gaze to his assignment, bouncing knees and tense silence speaking to the depth of his anxiety.
His head jerked up as he stared hauntingly into the souls of the audience sitting before him from atop an otherwise empty stage. He sharply looked back down at his assignment in panic, his entire body telling a tale as old as time: he didn’t know the answer to a single question on his exam.
Suddenly, indecision gone from his face, he crumpled the paper before shoving it in his mouth, aggressive chewing sounds drowned out by raucous pores of laughter.
The young comedian is Will Lamaster, now a sophomore comedy arts student at DePaul University. He regularly performs at Mess Fest, the university’s annual student-led series of comedy specials, theater performances, sketches and more.
Chicago is also home to nationally-renowned comedy groups like The Second City, iO Theater and Annoyance Theater, among many others. Traditional comedy born from those theater groups set the foundations for comedic formulas used to this day, like live, narrative-driven jokes leading to a final punchline, along with other long-form comedy and stand-up style routines.
Gen Z comedy interacts with these traditional comedic techniques while forging its own unique style.
“I feel like art is always in response to what came before it,” Lamaster said.
Gen Z is widely considered the first generation of “digital natives,” having been the first to grow up with internet and social media access. The influence of the internet on Gen Z is reflected in their comedic style, pacing, delivery and content.
Lamaster referred to his most “Gen Z” show. “A lot of the sketches that we had written were inherently absurd, inherently multimedia, and very much so steeped in internet humor,” he said.
Lamaster also notes Gen Z’s tendency to lean toward short-form comedy routines. “TikTok is kind of shortening our attention spans,” he said.
Natalia Montano is another DePaul comedy arts major from California. She likes to shape her comedy routines as short bursts of hilarious skits no longer than one or two pages. She emphasized that some Gen Z barely have the patience and attention span to sit through longer productions with intermissions, like plays.
Montano recently produced her own play, “The Tale of Culebra,” fusing telenovela and country western film-style dramatics.
The story follows the torrid love affair between a small town’s cowboy hero and a notorious drug-dealing crime lord, either of whom could be the father of the same woman's child. Chaos ensues.
The play was only forty minutes long
Lamaster pointed to Gen Z comedians’ tactful incorporation of multimedia, technology and internet-trend-based humor into live stand-up routines.
“We are very knowledgeable of technology and thinking outside of the box with its applications,” Lamaster said.
Such was the case in a series of skits Lamaster participated in titled “Let Us Out Right Now,” Lamaster recalled. “Our director almost explicitly said that this is a ‘very Gen Z show.’”
In one skit, a passionately dramatic scene unfolded in front of the audience while an unrelated television show, Family Guy, was projected onto a screen behind the unfolding scene.
The skit strategically used technology and media to address and critique audiences’ shortening attention spans. The random inclusion of Family Guy referenced the internet phenomenon of “dopamine baiting,” catering to short attention spans by pairing unrelated, fast-paced and visually stimulating media with informational content. This technique keeps viewers entertained while passively absorbing information.
Not only do Gen Z comedians incorporate internet-based humor into their routines, they also have shifted toward gearing routines for social media consumption.
Lamaster notes the deep tie between social media and comedy today, creating content through TikTok accounts, YouTube and other platforms. “We intuit that we will reach a wider audience, or a more specific audience, quicker online than we ever will on stage,” he said.
Montano and Lamaster have both noticed the power of the personal experience live, in-person comedy provides, particularly with improv.
When some of those intimate moments are only shared digitally, “most of it [the magic] is lost,” Montano sighed.
“It is very convenient to have standup specials at a click away, but watching a comedian for an hour on Netflix will never be the same as going to a bar and seeing it live,” Lamaster said.
The internet also brought to life comedic niches that otherwise might not have gained visibility.
Montano has built her own niche by creating comedic music videos and songs available on her YouTube channel about her dating history. Pairing laughable lyrics with dynamic actors and video production, Montano brings some of her songs like “I Luv Nerds” and “Rich White Boyfriend" to life.
“A lot of us have just grown to appreciate the niches that we grow up in and find it more interesting to be ourselves and create our art around ourselves than for an algorithm,” Lamaster said.
While growing up with social media and internet access allows Gen Z comedians to incorporate unique comedic elements and visibility to their shows, both Mantano and Lamaster recognize it is a double-edged sword.
Montano believes Gen Z has a tendency to recycle jokes because internet algorithms feed young people very similar content.
“I hear the same jokes over and over and over again,” Montano exclaimed.
Lamaster agreed, calling the situation a “paradox.” He noticed that despite there being an influx of niche content and people posting about their passions, there remains a desire to fit in and talk about what is trending in the moment.
“We want to play both sides,” he said, referring to Gen Z.
Comedy is a living art form, inevitably reflective of the culture of the time period. And as culture changes, so, too, does comedy.
DePaul News
By Elliot Allison
Accomplished lawyer, Stephen D’Amore, welcomed to the Board of Trustees —Stephen D’Amore is a DePaul College of Law alumnus who established the “First Generation in Law Scholars” program in accordance with DePaul’s Vincentian Mission. As a lawyer, D’Amore is chairman of a multinational law firm with more than 1,000 attorneys. Under his leadership, the firm has focused on access to opportunities and pro bono initiatives. His prior experience on a board includes serving on the Board of Trustees for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the governing board of Gilda’s Club Chicago. D’Amore’s board position at DePaul will start July 1. DePaul Newsroom has more.
DePaul’s Jarvis Opera Hall to host festival celebrating Italian composers — DePaul has partnered with the Opera Festival of Chicago and the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University to bring opera talent to forefront this June. The season focuses on stories of love and rejection across multiple venues around the city, including DePaul’s campus on June 14. Aaron Hunt at Newcity Stage has more.
DePaul’s track and field teams secure second place in outdoor event — Both DePaul’s men and women’s track and field teams scored second place in overall standings at the Big East outdoor event this weekend. The teams left the field in Storrs, Connecticut with 30 medals, nine event titles and two runners-up trophies in total, nearly doubling their performance in the indoor events earlier this year. DePaul’s Demetrius Rolle, who took home the title for the 100m event, was also awarded the Big East’s “Most Outstanding Track Performer” award. DePaul University Athletics have more, including all the specific titles and winners.
Chicago Headlines
By Jana Simović
Chicago’s City Council: snap curfews and police misconduct settlements — Chicago’s City Council has stalled making a decision on implementing snap curfews. The decision was postponed as Alderpersons cited concerns related to the police superintendent having the unilateral ability to call for curfew. The curfews are a measure proposed to address recent large takeovers led by young people, also known as “teen takeovers.” Although Mayor Brandon Johnson initially opposed the measure, he opened the door for compromise in April. Teens, however, have cited an issue of having no third spaces to go to in the city, as reported by Tonia Hill for South Side Weekly and the TRiiBE.
At the same meeting, Council members debated the latest multi-million-dollar police misconduct settlements; passing a $5 million settlement for Briana Keys who lost both legs due to frostbite when police officers failed to respond to her calls for help. To read more about the latest City Council meeting, South Side Weekly’s Leigh Giangreco has more here.
History of the Memorial Day Massacre — May 30 will mark 88 years since Chicago’s Memorial Day Massacre; when a group of protestors approached the Republic Steel mill on Chicago’s East Side to demand minimum wage, regulated safety standards and better hours. The protest turned violent when around 300 police officers met unarmed protestors and opened fire — killing ten and injuring more than 100. The protest signifies an important moment in labor history, as strikes were being organized in efforts for workers rights to be recognized across the country through unionizing and collective bargaining. To learn more about this moment in labor history, WTTW’s Meredith Francis has more here.
Funding cuts at UIC and Northwestern — Researchers at Northwestern and UIC medical have been seeing President Donald Trump’s funding cuts play out first hand. In the past few months, Trump has cracked down on federal spending, resulting the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to cancel a total of $1.81 billion (694 grants) just from February 28 to April 8. The cuts in science-related industries are expected to have widespread implications not only for researchers but also the communities that they work in as well. To read more about the researchers’ experiences with the cuts at UIC and Northwestern, WBEZ’s Elvia Malagón has more here.
Farmers markets are here! — Although the weather may not feel like it, Chicago’s farmers market season is in full swing, with the majority of markets set to open by the first week of June. The Chicago Sun-Times has created a great guide to all markets across the city — there’s no better time to set up a new CSA or try out a seasonal recipe!
National Headlines
By Lauren Sheperd
Five years after the murder of George Floyd, the fight for racial justice continues — Yesterday marked the fifth anniversary of the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis which sparked worldwide protests throughout the summer of 2020. Floyd, 46, was killed by Minneapolis police after being accused of using a fake $20 bill in a nearby store. Floyd left behind five children. Five years later, a lot has changed regarding race relations: we went through a global pandemic that disproportionately affected people of color, the first Black woman was put on the Supreme Court and recently, DEI has been under attack. Despite the massive outcry in 2020, it seems as if the United States has taken steps backwards. NAACP President Derrick Johnson told Reuters that the murder of Floyd was a wake up call for many, “but the other side of that story is there is an unfortunate fatigue in this country." Activists also said that progress made during the Biden administration was important but not the progress needed to last during the Trump administration. Kat Stafford, Bianca Flowers and Evan Garcia at Reuters have more.
Trump begins crackdown on Cuban exiles — Cuban-Americans, who strongly supported President Donald Trump in both his 2020 and 2024 presidential campaigns, are worried that they are next in the immigration crackdown from the administration. In March, Trump revoked temporary humanitarian parole for about 300,000 Cubans, many of whom have since been detained ahead of deportation. For decades, Cuban migrants have been able to obtain almost automatic refugee status and have been able to get green cards just a year after entry, unlike other refugee groups. This was thanks to Cold War era policies aimed at removing Fidel Castro. AP’s Joshua Goodman has more.
Trump delays EU tariffs until July — Trump will give the European Union until July 9 to negotiate a trade deal with the U.S. before 50% tariffs take effect against the 27 country union, he said yesterday. The tariffs were originally meant to go into effect June 1, if a deal could not be reached. Trump has expressed repeated frustration with the EU, saying the union has been slow to offer trade concessions. However, the EU is one of the world’s largest economies, and a trade war between them and the U.S. could create an “economically destabilizing trade war.” “The E.U. and the U.S. share the world’s most consequential and close trade relationship,” Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, wrote on X. Since Trump began enacting tariffs worldwide, such as the 145% tariff imposed on Chinese imports, economists have shared concerns about disruptions to the global economic order and a potential global recession. Alan Rappeport and Ana Swanson of The New York Times have more.
Texas gets closer to putting the Ten Commandments in classrooms — A Republican proposal that would require all public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments cleared a major vote on Saturday in the Texas state capitol. If passed, the bill will likely receive harsh criticism and pushback from those who argue that this violates the separation of church and state, which is ingrained into the U.S. Constitution. The Texas House of Representatives gave its preliminary approval, and now the proposal will head to the desk of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has indicated that he will sign it into law. Texas will join Arkansas and Louisiana who have similar laws, though the law in Louisiana is currently on hold after a federal judge found it to be unconstitutional. Jim Vertuno and Nadia Lathan at AP have more.
International Headlines
By Gia Clarke
Thousands of Venezuelan migrants “self-deport” back home — More than 10,000 people have traveled back to Venezuela on their own because of the Trump administration’s stricter policies on undocumented immigrants. This new wave of self-deportation happened because the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that they’re giving $1,000 to any migrant that returns to their home country. While the Trump administration sees this as a success, migrants face many barriers on their journey back because of how grueling the journey is. For example, because they often don’t have travel documents, they have to cross the Darién Gap and get on “rickety” boats. Annie Correal and Federico Rios from the New York Times have more information and photos that document some migrants’ journeys.
Israeli strike kills dozens sheltered in Gaza school — Overnight, an Israeli strike killed approximately 54 Palestinians, most of them in a school building sheltering displaced families. Fahmi Al-Jargawi School, the school that was bombed, was housing hundreds of people from Beit Lahia, an area that is under intense Israeli military assault. At least 35 people in the school were reported killed. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), they were targeting "a Hamas and Islamic Jihad command and control centre" there. There were sleeping women and children hiding in the school at the time of the bombing. Rushdi Abualouf and Raffi Berg from the BBC have more information.
Russia attacks Ukraine for the third night in a row — A day after the biggest aerial attack of the war, Russia attacked Ukraine for the third night in a row. While there was damage that was reported in three of Ukraine’s districts, there were no killings or casualties reported, though one 14-year-old boy was injured. The attack damaged private households, enterprises and a residential building. The aerial attack the day before killed 12 people and drew condemnation from U.S. President Donald Trump. Reuters has more information.
EU says fake discounts on Shein ‘breach law’ — The European Union said they found "a broad range of practices with which consumers are confronted while shopping on Shein and that are in breach of EU law.” These practices included misleading information, deceptive product labels, misleading sustainability claims and hidden contact details. They also found instances of pretending to offer better deals by showing price reductions that weren’t based on the actual prior prices. The bloc has given Shein one month to respond to its findings, otherwise Shein will have to face fines based on its sales in EU countries. Mitchell Labiak from the BBC has more information.
14 East Pueblo: Latino STEM program at elementary school shut down due to Trump cuts
By Annabelle Rivera
An elementary school in Logan Square shut down its after-school science program last week after President Donald Trump’s administration cut their grant with no notice.
The Somos Ingenieros/We Are Engineers program at McAuliffe Elementary School, 1841 N. Springfield Ave, began last year. It was a seven-week immersive program for Latino families funded by a $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation in partnership with Loyola University and the Chicago Children’s Museum.
The cancellation blindsided community members who had fought for years to bring the program to life. The group lost the grant one day before a scheduled field trip to the Children’s Museum.
“The collaboration between our three organizations was years in the making, and it all came to a stop via one email that was a couple paragraphs, and I think there was at least one typo in it,” Kim Koin, one of the program leads and director of art and tinkering studios at the Children’s Museum, told Block Club.
The program’s grant was canceled along with other science projects previously supported by the National Science Foundation. According to a statement from the government-run association, projects “limited to subgroups of people based on protected class or characteristics” don’t align with the Foundation’s priorities.
“We’re bringing all these programs, all these resources to our community, and who’s being impacted a lot is our newcomers,” Silvia Gonzalez, director of Community Learning Centers at Palenque LSNA and one of the writers for the grant application, told Block Club. “This is for the Latinx community, and here is something that you’re taking away, and it’s all about the science, which is so important. It breaks my heart because how do you tell families this is not going to continue anymore?”
Hey, Check This Out!
With Featured Columnist Noël Bentley
Falling in love is ingrained into the minds of the youth through books, music and movies: the memories of driving in the car during the summer, windows down, blasting iconic love songs like “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and “Real Love” by Mary J. Blige, and screaming the lyrics out the windows with my mom and friends or watching “Love Jones” on Sunday nights to ease me into the school week and browsing the romance section in the library during library time.
That's why Netflix’s new show, “Forever” has hit the market by storm. Based on Judy Blume’s best selling book “Forever,” the show follows two teenagers Keshia Clark (played by Lovie Simone) and Justin Edwards (played by Micheal Cooper Jr.) who were childhood best friends that grew apart and meet again as teenagers, connect and fall in love.
Keshia and Justin navigate the horrors of high school that come with rumors, ex-boyfriends and losing trust in people around you. The parental pressures to be perfect, get good grades, excel in their respective sports, show respect, and even navigate living in an all white world, with a Black family and Black expectations are also shown.
It is a raw showcase of first love, and in my opinion it is a fresh reflection of young, Black love without all of the tragedy and racial hardship seen in other Black young romances. It sheds a light on Black neurodiversity, strong parenting and how it can sometimes come from a two parent household and a one parent household. And my favorite, the showcase of grandparental love between Keshia and her grandfather. “Forever,” just lets the teens be teens and fall in love.
On May 14, just six days after the show was released, it was announced that the show had been renewed for a season two. Although the production timeline is unknown, the two lovebirds will be back on our screen and capturing our hearts again soon.
Resources
Need resources regarding cooling centers, rental assistance, abortion access, COVID-19 testing and vaccines or mental health? Check out our complete list here.
International students concerned about their visa status can contact the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Students can check their visa status through the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) or the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
That’s it for today! See you next Monday.
The 14 East Newsletter Team