Happy Monday!
It’s the start of Week Two, and we’re rockin’ and rollin’ over here at 14 East. It’s strange to adjust to a new schedule, but we’ve been hard at work to make sure that everything’s running smoothly, both in our academic lives and journalistic ones.
The Monday team is made up of Associate Editors Patsy Newitt, Grace Del Vecchio and Cam Rodriguez, and tonight, we’re touching on a bunch of issues: masks, tigers (No, we’re not talking about Tiger King), biking, and bird-watching, oh my!
If you’re new here, welcome! This is issue number six of our twice-weekly newsletter created to provide updates on all things COVID-19 at DePaul and Chicago by 14 East, the university’s online magazine. This week, we’re also celebrating the launch of Pueblo, 14 East’s bilingual section that will provide a mix of news and creative pieces to the DePaul community in both Spanish and English. It’s launching on Friday.
We do this because we think it's an important public service. But if you would like to support this work on Venmo @fourteeneastmag, or tell your friends to sign up for this newsletter — it'd be greatly appreciated.
What’s the latest at DePaul?
Students are ready to protest this week at DePaul — virtually, of course. After reports surfaced that DePaul’s dining staff — employed by Chartwells — was laid off, DePaul students and organizers from UNITE HERE Local 1 called the offices of President A. Gabriel Esteban and Interim Provost Salma Ghanem to request that the university allow the subcontracted workers to continue receiving their wages and healthcare.
Also last week, The DePaulia reported on how incoming members of DePaul’s class of 2024 are feeling about the lack of campus visits leading into their freshman year.
In other DePaul news, on April 6, the university announced that Summer classes including session I, session II and 10-week classes will be held remotely — with a few exceptions — regardless of whether the governor’s stay-at-home order is lifted by the start of summer session classes.
If you are looking to take Summer classes, registration is now open.
In other virtual news, on April 4, the Harold E. Eisenberg Foundation announced DePaul’s team as the winner of its Chicago real estate competition which was, of course, held on Zoom. The winning team was awarded a scholarship and “bragging rights” (because who wouldn’t want those?).
What’s happening in Chicago?
Since we last spoke, Governor J.B. Pritzker tilted more pro-mask and, alongside Chicago health commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady, recommended residents wear masks when they leave the house in his address on Friday outside of the McCormick Center (which has been converted to a makeshift hospital with an expected 3,000 beds).
Don’t know how to make a mask? You can sew them yourself. And if you don’t know how to sew, you can craft a makeshift bandanna mask.
Last week, Pritzker said that Illinois is currently testing around 5,000 people a day, with a goal of 10,000. Supplies are hard to come by, but Pritzker aims to amp up testing through partnerships with private companies and Abbott Labs, with whom Illinois was the first state to receive quick (around 5-minute) COVID-19 tests.
On Saturday, Illinois passed 10,000 confirmed cases. The state is now at 12,262 cases and 307 deaths.
Today, Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, noted a distinct racial disparity in COVID-19 cases with Black residents representing around 70 percent of the deaths in Chicago despite making up 30 percent of the population, according to a WBEZ investigation. Lightfoot said this is largely due to already-existing health care inequities, job access and community disinvestment that are exacerbated by the virus.
On Sunday, Pritzker said that the reopening of Westlake Hospital in Melrose Park and MetroSouth Medical Center in Blue Island to offer acute COVID-19 treatment were efforts to better serve communities of color. The Roseland Community Hospital also recently became the first hospital on the South Side to offer drive-thru COVID-19 testing.
More than 200 Cook County Jail detainees and employees have tested positive for the coronavirus. Two incarcerated persons at the Stateville Correctional Center have died.
Other Chicago News:
McDonald’s came across, purchased, and plans to donate 1 million N95 masks to Illinois healthcare workers, by the Chicago Tribune’s Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz
Pritzker fires again at the federal government after President Trump’s son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner referred to the federal stockpile of medical supplies as “our stockpile”
The Illinois Department of Health has released numbers of confirmed cases by zip code
Here’s an inside look at the McCormick Place as a new field hospital, by the Chicago Tribune’s Stacy St. Clair, Jamie Munks, Gregory Pratt and Dan Petrella
Public meetings (that haven’t been canceled) are now digital, left with technical difficulties and a loose adherence to laws about notifying the public, by City Bureau’s Bettina Chang
A West Town resident celebrated her quarantine birthday with a Puerto Rican parade, by Block Club Chicago’s Hannah Alani
Here’s a column about how Chicago officials are racing to obtain medical equipment, by the Chicago Sun-Times’ Mark Brown
If you don’t want to watch the news, here are the national headlines to know:
The CDC is now recommending that all Americans wear face masks in public to curb the spread of coronavirus, and released a guide to creating no-sew makeshift masks, by Gabby Landsverk at Business Insider.
President Trump is continuing to push for Americans to use hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug, to treat coronavirus, even after an Arizona man died from ingesting a similar compound following that advice. In response to his advocacy for a drug with unproven efficacy, Ohio State Rep. Tavia Galonski (D-35) tweeted Sunday that she’s pressing for the Hague to investigate crimes against humanity by the administration.
Wisconsin’s Tuesday primary was “effectively rescheduled” after Gov. Tony Evers declared an executive order in the eleventh hour, reports NPR’s Brett Neely. The Wisconsin Republican Party plans on challenging the move in court, citing “unconstitutional overreach.” However, this afternoon, Wisconsin’s Supreme Court overruled Governor Evers’s executive order. The Wisconsin primary is now back on.
A tiger at the Bronx Zoo has tested positive for coronavirus, the first case of this kind, reports CNN’s Alaa Elassar.
The Pentagon warned the Trump administration about a shortage of hospital space, ventilators and masks — in 2017, according to The Nation’s Ken Klippenstein.
“We will meet again,” said Queen Elizabeth II on Sunday night in a rare, broadcasted speech to the United Kingdom, reports Frank Langfitt at NPR.
USS Comfort, the medical ship docked in New York City, is only treating 22 patients despite its capacity of 1,000, according to CNN — this comes as Gov. Andrew Cuomo announces a possible “plateau” of coronavirus cases in New York City.
On to some better news: Biking isn’t just a good way to socially distance and get around, but to explore the world from a different perspective.
With so many people working remotely, car traffic in Chicago and other cities decreased almost overnight, opening up the roads to pedestrians and bikers. In the first few weeks of COVID-19 hitting Chicago, Divvy saw its ridership nearly double from this time last year to now, especially as riders hit the streets not just because of the warmer weather, but the concerns around public transportation.
Jacob Ocker, a DePaul film student, usually bikes to commute from home to class. But with remote learning in full swing, Ocker is finding himself biking longer routes to explore the city and blow off some steam. He recently biked to the Morton Arboretum, a 1,700-acre arboretum and nature preserve, from Chicago — a 20 mile one-way ride.
“I enjoy the longer rides because I get to see more of Chicago,” he said. “I like biking because it’s just a great experience riding — I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s a combination of speed and physical activity that makes it a good time.”
It’s more than just getting around, though. “Biking is my favorite way to explore a place,” Ocker explained. “I feel like it puts me in close contact with the world around me.”
Worried about where to start with biking? Ocker has some tips.
“When it comes to biking in the city, if it’s your first time, know your route ahead of time and stick to bike lanes as much as possible,” he said. “When it comes to longer rides, feel free to pace yourself and take breaks if you’re getting tired — bring some snacks or else you’ll begin to feel exhausted.”
Morton Arboretum recently closed its grounds to public visits due to social distancing concerns, and the Lakefront Path and the 606 did as well. But there are plenty of other bike routes and preserves that are still open to the public, like county forest preserves and parks in Cook, DuPage, and Will counties. Always check a forest preserve’s website prior to visiting, however, to note any restrictions or recommendations.
Remember to practice social distancing if you choose to bike. Cook County Forest Preserve officials are recommending to keep six feet of distance between other trail users, as well as to avoid particularly crowded nature areas in order to curb the spread of COVID-19.
If you’re looking for good, low-stress routes in Chicago, check out the Chicago Reader’s Mellow Chicago Bike Map, or these ten routes from Curbed Chicago. Ocker recommends the North Branch or North Shore trails, which are “usually less populated” and prime routes to spot some deer.
Morton Arboretum. Cam Rodriguez, 14 East
It’s National Poetry Month!
Last week, Patricia Haney, a WRD and English creative writing student, peer tutor and head writing fellow at DePaul’s University Center for Writing-Based Learning (UCWbL), announced via her Instagram story her plan to start an email campaign in honor of National Poetry Month.
For anyone who signs up to receive her emails, Haney sends out a different set of poems on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday of every week of April. So far, she has sent the following poems to her email recipients:
“Choi Jeong Min” and “The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes On" by Franny Choi
“Movement Song” and “Hanging Fire" by Audre Lorde
Want great poems sent to your inbox every week? Email Patricia at haney.patricia18@gmail.com.
What other poems are people reading?
📝Emmanuel is reading “If You Forget Me” by Pablo Neruda
📝Annie is reading “Affirmation” by Eve L. Ewing
📝Erin is reading “WIld Geese” and “The Swan” by Mary Oliver
Feeling overwhelmed or bored?
Watch the cathartic, beautiful and charming Daily Dose of Internet on a several-hours long loop
Get really into bird watching. Download this free bird identification app and this PDF detailing 300 Windy City birds. (Fun fact: Chicago is on the Mississippi Flyway, making it a hotspot for migrant birds)
Dance along with fitness sensation Richard Simmons (who has been M.I.A. for 6 years). Old videos are being released on YouTube
Finally learn how to play Dungeons and Dragons and play remotely
Or play Club Penguin and, if you’re feeling competitive, League of Legends
Call 312-747-1020 for free teletherapy services at Chicago Department of Public Health Mental Health Centers
Call 833-626-4244 for the NAMI Chicago Helpline or 833-TURN-123 for the Bright Star Community Outreach to speak to a mental health counselor
If it’s late at night: text HELLO to 741741. Crisis Text Line is a 24-hour hotline that serves anyone, in any type of crisis
Want to help?
Donate to or buy a gift card from this list of Chicago restaurants
Here’s Chicago organizer Kelly Hayes’ mutual aid form to sign up to help
Sign up to do senior wellness checks for My Block My Hood My City
Lost your main source of income?
Here’s where to apply for unemployment and here’s how to apply
Need financial assistance?
Need food or supplies?
Here are Chicago Public Schools locations for food distribution
Here’s how to apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (Which was extended with the federal stimulus bill and you can now apply online!)
Need more information on COVID-19?
Here’s a spreadsheet of COVID-19 resources for undocumented individuals, by UndocuScholars
Until next Monday, wear that mask, wash those hands and be on the lookout for our launch of 14 East’s bilingual section, Pueblo, coming this Friday.
With all the love and appreciation.
Patsy, Grace and Cam
We do this because we think it's an important public service. But if you would like to support this work on Venmo @fourteeneastmag, or tell your friends to sign up for this newsletter — it'd be greatly appreciated.