Vax proof required by Aug. 20, CPS vaccine mandate and possible booster shots
Plus news from Afghanistan
Hey y’all! Welcome back to another edition of your fave weekly newsletter, brought to you this week by Kate, Eiman, Ally, Aneesah and Grace. Let’s dive in.
DePaul News
A post made via the @depaulu Instagram story, along with an accompanying email, announced that the deadline to upload vaccination records to Campus Connect is this Friday, Aug. 20.
If students are enrolled in in person classes for the fall and have not submitted vaccination records by the Aug. 20 deadline, they will potentially be dropped from in person classes. With regards to the COVID-19 vaccine, all students planning to be on campus in the fall are required to be fully vaccinated by Sept. 3, with a record of the first dose to be submitted by Aug. 20.
Proof of vaccination includes things like official records from your doctor or a hospital, documents from your childhood or receipts from a pharmacy or vaccine clinic. For COVID-19 vaccines, a CDC vaccine card will suffice! But note that any expired or missing immunization is expected to be re-upped for this upcoming school year. Instructions on what you need or how to upload here!
To be entered for the Blue Demon Vaccine Contest, an incentive to get more students vaccinated against COVID-19 before the deadline, vaccination records or proper documentation for an exemption must be submitted by Thursday, Aug. 19. A list of prizes and more information can be found here.
In other on-campus news, the Ray will be closed Monday Aug. 23 to Wednesday Aug. 25 for cleaning and maintenance, and will reopen at 6 a.m. on Thursday Aug. 26.
As always, official updates about DePaul’s COVID-19 policies can be found here, on Newsline.
Chicago Headlines
As COVID-19 cases continue to surge throughout the state, Chicago Public Schools has announced that teachers and staff must be vaccinated by Oct. 15 or stay home. Exemptions will be made for those who qualify for a medical or religious reason not to get vaccinated. Until the deadline, those who are not fully vaccinated or cannot provide any documentation or proof of exemption will be required to get tested once a week, and if their status remains the same after the deadline, they will be rendered ineligible to work. Maia Spoto of Block Club Chicago reports with more details.
The pressing matter of gun violence in Chicago continues to take the lives of many, this time a 7-year old girl, Serenity Broughton. Sitting in the backseat of a car with her 6-year old sister, Aubrey, both girls were shot twice on Sunday afternoon. Serenity was pronounced dead at Loyola University Medical Center, and her sister remains “fighting for her life” according to Chief of Patrol Brian McDermott. McDermott urged anyone with information to submit an anonymous tip on the Chicago Police Department website or contact the detectives of Area 5. Alex V. Hernandez of Block Club Chicago and Madeline Kenney and Cindy Hernandez of the Chicago Sun Times.
42 employees of the Chicago Park District faced disciplinary action as the outcome of a pending investigation regarding claims of sexual abuse by the workers. The workers include two who hold positions of authority — the assistant director of recreation and beaches and pools manager, both of whom have been placed on emergency suspension pending the result of the investigation. Overall, two employees were terminated and six resigned — these eight were placed on the district’s do-not-hire list. Written reprimands were given to 18, suspension for nine, and the remaining seven continue to be temporarily suspended amidst the investigation. Jade Yan of the Chicago Tribune reports.
After a one-year hiatus as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bud Billiken Parade, a tradition of over 90 years and the largest and oldest African American parade in the nation, returned for the end of the summer before schools re-open, with thousands of Black Chicagoans in attendance. Madeline Kenney of the Sun Times has the details.
Have any feedback on how we can improve the newsletter or what you want to see as we go back to school? Let us know your thoughts here.
National Headlines
Pfizer and BioNTech have shared data with the FDA to indicate their plans for a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The booster shot would include antibodies against the initial strain of the virus as well as the Delta and Beta variants. While U.S. health officials have not indicated a need for a booster vaccine just yet, Pfizer executives and the like predict that a booster dose is foreseen. This comes after cases continue to surge across the U.S. with a prediction that the U.S. may be close to reporting over 200,000 new cases a day, and after chains like Walgreens and CVS have begun to offer walk-in booster doses for some immunocompromised individuals. Madeline Holcombe and Jen Christensen of CNN have updates.
A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti over the weekend with the death toll rising to 1,419 as of Monday. Over 7,000 have been reported injured with hundreds still missing. The homes of as many as 1.5 million Haitians have suffered severe damage as a result. The heavy rains accompanying Tropical Depression Grace have made rescue efforts all the more difficult. Maria Abi-Habib and Andre Paultre of the New York Times continue to update the story.
Criminal charges being brought against coaches in the death of 16-year-old student athlete, Imani Bell, on Aug. 13, 2019. The announcement came last Wednesday, right before the second anniversary of Bell’s death, at a news conference in Atlanta. Bell’s cause of death was confirmed as heat stroke related after she collapsed while running drills in nearly 100-degree heat. LaRosa Maria Walker-Asekere and Dwight Broom Palmer, the head and assistant basketball coaches at Elite Scholars Academy in Jonesboro, Ga., were charged with second-degree murder, cruelty to children, involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct. The murder charges represent the first time ever being brought against coaches accused of negligence. Heather Murphy of the New York Times reports.
President Biden addressed the nation on Monday defending his choice to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan. This comes after Afghanistan quickly fell into the hands of the Taliban following the withdrawal of troops. While Biden assured the country that the U.S. will contribute humanitarian aid to help with conditions on the ground, he stood firm with his decision. All flights out of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul had to be paused after swarms of Afghans rushed to the planes. The safety and security of Americans still left in Afghanistan remain unclear, especially Afghan interpreters and other asylum-seekers. Politico’s Nick Niedzwiadek has the story.
New York Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced she will be running for governor in the 2022 race. Hochul already will succeed Andrew Cuomo in a matter of days after the governor agreed to resign following a report disclosing Cuomo’s pattern of sexual harassment in office from the NY attorney general.. While Hochul worked for the Cuomo administration for six years, she claimed she did not have any knowledge of the culture or allegations that arose out of Albany. Hochul is the first Democrat to announce her plans to run with several Republican candidates already having announced their campaigns. State Attorney General Letitia James, who was in charge of the Cuomo investigation, has been rumored a potential Democratic candidate, but has not made any formal announcements. Deanna Paul and James Fanelli of the Wall Street Journal have the story.
Recommendations
Welcome to this week’s recommendations section. I (Aneesah Shealey) am your humble guide in things you should definitely be checking out in Chicago.
Shopping-wise, I highly recommend B Collective. B Collective is a woman-owned plant and lifestyle shop in Lakeview with a kind staff that will help you find the best products that suit you individually. I was lucky enough to leave with a pretty dieffenbachia plant, as well as some palo santo and a picture book for a friend’s baby. The shop is located at 3350 N Paulina Street.
With regard to films and TV, the Disney Plus original Marvel’s What If…? was a highlight of my weekend, as the show explores the potential directions of the Marvel Cinematic Universe after the chaos of Loki. With a voice cast led by Jeffery Wright (Basquiat, Boardwalk Empire, Westworld),Marvel’s What If…? is perfect for MCU diehards and newbies alike, as it refreshes the stories of the heroes and villains that we love.
Music-wise, I’ve been deep on a late 90’s-early-mid-‘00s R&B tip. Here’s a mini-mix to get you through this week. The tracklist is below:
“Read Your Mind” by Avant.
“I Luv Your Girl” by The-Dream
“DJ Play A Love Song’by Jamie Foxx feat. Twista
“Anywhere”by 112 feat. Lil’ Zane
“Bed”by J. Holiday
“Onenight” by Musiq Soulchild
“He Can’t Love You” by Jagged Edge
“Where You Are, Pt. 2 (Is Where I Wanna Be)” by Donell Jones
Aneesah Shealey
Resources
Rental Assistance
The Illinois Housing Development Authority periodically offers rental payment programs which send vouchers directly to landlords to subsidize rent costs. The program is currently closed to new applicants. However, housing stability service providers are offered year-round. Check out the resources here.
The City of Chicago’s Rental Assistance Program provides funding for Chicagoans who are at risk of becoming homeless.
The Brave Space Alliance currently offers multiple housing resources. In order to distribute aid accordingly, they have a housing intake and assessment form that you can find here.
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 viral and antibody testing at multiple locations from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, in addition to mobile testing sites that are updated weekly. The organization also offers the Moderna vaccine for individuals 18 and older. You can check all of their current COVID-19 resources here.
The Illinois Department of Public Health and the city of Chicago offer free COVID-19 testing sites in the city and surrounding counties, which are listed with more information here. IDPH also offers COVID-19 vaccines to all residents 12 years and older. Call 833-621-1284 to schedule an appointment.
The City of Chicago partnered with the Community Organized Relief Effort 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.
Know someone 12 years of age or older who has yet to receive their COVID-19 vaccine? 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 directories and other online resources.
The Center on Halsted offers behavioral health, anti-violence and educational resources for LGBTQ+ 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. The master list includes specific resources as well as protesting tips and donation links.
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.
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, ext. 9081 to schedule an intake appointment (counseling is not religious-centered).
That’s all we have for this week, friends, we’ll catch you next Monday for more!
The 14 East Newsletter Team