Spring Quarter 2021, vaccine eligibility and a new mission statement
Plus a rec to rewatch a TV mainstay
Hey y’all! Welcome back to your COVID-19 Updates Newsletter. Your team – Justin, Francesca, Robin and Elly – is back with updates on all things Chicago, DePaul and nationwide + some updates from our Spring Break hiatus. Let’s get into it:
While we were away:
We held our annual 14 East and Friends alumni event! Current staffers, alumni, longtime supporters and friends got together to reflect and celebrate 14 East’s past five years of publishing, connecting, sharing and engaging with Chicago and DePaul. Check out some alumni reflections here:
Interested in donating to our Inspire DePaul campaign that we launched at the event? It’s not too late! Check out our page to donate, learn more about what we do and how any donation can help us grow and expand our work: https://inspire.depaul.edu/project/25491
Additionally, Chicago’s vaccine rollout has kept on movin’ while we took two weeks off, and groups 1A, 1B, 1B+ and 1C are now eligible. Have questions? Our COVID-19 Vaccine Reporting Tip Form is still open in English and Spanish! Additionally, our Vaccine Guide has lots of helpful information and links about Chicago’s vaccination process (in English and Spanish).
And if you’re looking to get involved with 14 East this quarter, don’t forget that our Contributors Meetings are open to anyone via Zoom! Meetings are every Thursday at 6 p.m. – reach out to Editor-in-Chief Francesca Mathewes at franmathewes98@gmail.com for details.
Chicago Headlines
As phase 1C begins today, Kelly Bauer reports a new COVID-19 vaccination site will open for eligible union workers at 2260 S. Grove St., from Block Club Chicago.
Recent allegations of sexual misconduct by a former Immaculate Conception priest have encouraged Chicago’s Cardinal Blase Cupich to update the city’s public list of abusive diocesan ministers, which currently doesn’t include those belonging to religious orders, Chicago Sun-Times The Watchdogs reported Friday.
Bob Chiarito of Block Club Chicago noted residents should be on the look-out for potentially counterfeited COVID-19 vaccination cards, several of which recently sold online from sites like Craigslist for “novelty purposes.”
Need a free alternative for sexual healthcare? AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) recently announced their plan to open an affordable health clinic in Lakeview — at 3311 N. Halsted St. — by the end of the month to provide free HIV/STD testing and preventative services.
DePaul News
DePaul student employees, faculty and staff –– you’re now eligible to receive the vaccine. On March 29, Chicago transitioned to phase 1c of its vaccine distribution plan, which opens vaccine appointments to employees of higher education institutions, those with at-risk health conditions and all other essential workers. A list of places to find vaccine appointments may be found here.
Vaccine appointments are expected to open to all Chicagoans 16 years old and older on May 1. Appointments for those younger than 16 years old are pending approval of a vaccine deemed safe for those age groups.
DePaul has begun offering free COVID-19 testing at the Lincoln Park Student Center from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays and from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Thursdays. Appointments for testing may be made through SHIELD IL’s portal. Please note, appointments may only be made on the portal within the hours listed by DePaul, not the hours listed on the portal, as these are not always accurate. Those who schedule an appointment through the portal outside of the listed timeframe will be turned away, as testing services will not be available. To access appointments, enter the student center through the entrance along Sheffield Avenue, across from The Ray. Test results will be released on the SHIELD IL portal within 12 to 24 hours.
DePaul alumnus Richard Driehaus died on March 9 at age 78. He was the founder, CEO and chairman of Driehaus Capital Management, an investment firm, and an avid supporter of DePaul. In 2012, DePaul’s College of Commerce was renamed the Richard H. Driehaus College of Business in honor of a $30 million donation he gave. Driehaus made Barron’s All-Century Team for his success with growing his company, joining a list of 24 other finance leaders of the 20th century.
Using feedback from 600 members of DePaul’s community gathered over the course of 10 months, the university has rewritten its mission statement, which was last revised 35 years ago. You can read the new mission statement here or watch the video below to learn more.
14 East and DePaul stand in solidarity with APIDA and LGBTQ+ communities, amid the horrific shootings in Georgia and Colorado and the announcement about same-sex unions from the Vatican.
Students may report instances of on-campus discrimination cases to DePaul’s Division of Student Affairs using this form. DePaul’s Office of Multicultural Student Success (OMSS) is also open to students seeking resources and support specific to their community.
National Headlines
The Washington Post reports that the White House is working with private companies to develop “vaccine passports.” These passports would provide proof that an individual was vaccinated against the coronavirus as businesses and cities reopen. The passports are expected to be free and available through applications for smartphones.
President Joe Biden calls a new Georgia elections law “Jim Crow in the 21st Century,” according to CNN. After the election bill was signed into law, Biden called it an atrocity and said the Justice Department is looking into the bill. The new law puts new voter identification requirements in place, limits ballot drop boxes, makes handing out food or drink to voters a crime and gives state officials more power over local elections.
The New York Times reports that lawmakers grilled tech CEOs on the Capitol riot, resulting in few answers. A Democratic lawmaker asked executives Jack Dorsey of Twitter, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook and Sundar Pichai of Google whether the platforms bore responsibility for the posts of their users. Only Dorsey answered yes, but Zuckerberg and Pichai didn’t answer the question directly.
White Republicans are refusing the vaccine more than any other demographic in Texas, according to the Texas Tribune. Sixty-one percent are reluctant or refuse to take it. This number is similar to the 53 percent of people in the United States as a whole who are unsure about or not getting the vaccine. Most of the distrust is of scientists, how new the vaccine is and how quickly it rolled out, even though the fast-tracked status of these vaccines doesn’t impact its safety, according to Mayo Clinic.
Recommendations
There is never a bad time to watch or rewatch the early 2000s hit show The Sopranos. For a long time, The Sopranos was a thing that I’d hear or see referenced in other pieces of pop culture and resigned myself to thinking I’d just never get it. But in 2019, I watched the series for the first time and recently, watched it a second time –– I can confidently say that it’s been the best binge-watching experience I’ve ever had! You can take it slow, binge it all in a few weeks or start and stop at any point, but regardless of your consumption method, the mobster drama is something I recommend to everyone. | Francesca Mathewes
COVID-19 Testing and Vaccine Resources
All of these testing sites and vaccination sites can be accessed for free and without insurance.
Howard Brown offers free, walk-in COVID-19 testing at multiple locations from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday, in addition to mobile testing sites that are updated weekly, which you can access here.
The Illinois Department of Health and the City of Chicago have opened more free COVID-19 testing sites in the city and surrounding counties, which are listed with more information here.
In the spring, the City of Chicago partnered with CORE response to set up free drive-thru and walk-in testing sites in the city, primarily on the South and West sides, with appointments available Monday through Friday. Register here.
The city has also updated its COVID-19 testing program with more mobile sites, which change weekly. More info here.
Eligible for a COVID-19 Vaccine in Chicago? Check out appointments via Zocdoc, the City of Chicago’s Vaccine Finder or pharmacy websites such as Walgreens and CVS to see what is available in or around your zip code.
Mental Health Resources
At Open Counseling, there’s a list of people and nonprofits with counseling services available for free or low cost.
This website compiles mental health resources, including therapist/counselor directories and other online resources.
The Center on Halsted offers behavioral health, anti-violence and educational resources for LGBTQIA+ people.
Howard Brown Health offers anti-racism resources and sliding scale counseling specializing in the LGBTQ+ community.
This document is a resource for Black people experiencing racial trauma. This master list includes specific resources as well as protesting tips and donation links.
This link is a directory of Black therapists in Chicago.
This link is a directory of Black therapists in Chicago who provide services for under $75.
Here’s 7 virtual mental health resources supporting Black people right now, including Chicago-based community organization Sista Afya’s support groups
And the Trans Lifeline’s Peer Support Hotline is a resource operated by transgender and nonbinary staffers for the trans community: 877-565-8860.
The Center for Religion and Psychotherapy in Chicago is a nonprofit that provides affordable, sliding-scale counseling. Call (312) 263-4368 extension 9081 to schedule an intake appointment (counseling is not religious-centered).
That’s all from us this week – we’ll see you back here next Monday!