Rachel Metea

Freedom of speech’s inconvenience

Fred got a lot of hate mail. He didn’t agree with his country and he had let them know. Now, people wanted to make him pay. They threatened him. They threw garbage at him. They painted vulgar pictures of his family depicted as devils. When Fred went to church they stood outside the building and … Continue reading »

Despite oppression, Black atheists fight to be heard

Atheists are the most hated minority in America. Former U.S. President George Bush once said, “I don’t know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.” Black atheists tend to experience this discrimination the most. Continue reading »

For religion and football, a new kind of fast

The intersection between hard-hitting American football and reverential fasting can be found during fall Friday nights on Ford Road in Dearborn, Michigan. The majority of football players at Fordson High School did not eat from dawn to dusk. Faith and patriotism, hunger and thirst, stood at football’s equivalent of the half court line for the … Continue reading »

Chicago Evangelicals paint unconventional strokes

Hours before ballerinas danced beneath the spotlight at the Auditorium Theater Feb. 26 to give the final performance of the Joffrey Ballet’s “Winter Fire,” Pastor Bill Hybels’ dominated the stage. Continue reading »

Mt. Soledad cross supporters make final cry for battle

A federal appeals court ruled Jan. 3 that a cross displayed on public property in San Diego, California, is unconstitutional. The Mt. Soledad memorial stood in a separation of church and state battlefield for decades and now only one battle remains. Two Vietnam War veterans filed suit against the city thirteen years ago, saying the cross, … Continue reading »

New contraceptives mandate doesn’t change much for DePaul

The Catholic Church is scrutinizing the Obama administration’s new mandate requiring religious-based institutions to provide contraception for their employees, despite a new compromise announced Friday. The Obama administration’s mandate ignited a religious debate, with many Catholic institutions crying out that the new mandate was a breach of their religious freedom. With the mandate’s new changes, … Continue reading »

Video game industry works to generate money, style

Cookie Monster, meet brutal legend Eddie Riggs. Brutal legend, Cookie Monster. Money’s tight, but for now, the worlds of heavy metal and Sesame Street will not collide because under Double Fine’s Roof, everyone can still be different. Tim Schafer is renowned for his creative video design. His video San Francisco-based company , Double Fine Productions, has a … Continue reading »

Icons come and go, legacies last forever

“The hero ends so much more than it lasts a bore,”John Szwed, a professor of music and jazz studies at Columbia University while giving a lecture, “Miles Davis: The Jazz Musician as Dandy” at DePaul University on Oct. 17. He continued, “And nothing is more boring than a hero left over from an era that … Continue reading »

In world of digital bustle, simplicity fights for rejuvination

The El screeched to a stop, the iPod clicked off and the cellphone switched to silent. The doors opened and Minimalism passed over. Simplistic new forms take shape with the old in “The Language of Less (Then and Now),” the new exhibit at The Museum of Contemporary Art. The MCA translates minimalism from the old … Continue reading »

Chicago sports the ‘stache as most mustache-friendly city

For decades, thousands of men have pledged a belief they promise never to forget: Every time a mustache is shaved, an angel in heaven dies and falls to earth. In Chicago, the outlook is sunny with only a small chance of angel showers. A new two-year study by the American Mustache Institute (AMI) found Chicago to be … Continue reading »

Gang member found guilty in murder of DePaul student

Victor Valencia said he was overwhelmed with tears of happiness, anger and sadness on Friday, Sept. 17 when gang member Narcisco Gatica was found guilty for the murder of his brother, DePaul honors student Francisco “Frankie” Valencia. Gatica, 21, was found guilty of first-degree murder and aggravated battery with a firearm. When Gatica was convicted, Victor Valencia said he was … Continue reading »

Theatre blends past, present, and paint

In the lobby of the Timeline Theatre Company, there is a dark tunnel. Walk through it once, and you travel back in time. Walk through it to leave and discover an unanticipated blend of time. The lobby is transformed into an elaborate mineshaft—a time machine that sets the stage for the performance to come. After … Continue reading »

Remember 9/11: Running Chicago airports on Sept. 11

This article was originally published on The Red Line Project. John Harris was on his way to the airport when he learned a plane had hit one of the World Trade Center towers. Harris did not turn around and he did not call his loved ones. Instead, he headed straight for O’Hare International Airport. At the … Continue reading »

School board hears options to ease overcrowding at Hollis/Brookline High

This article was originally published in the Nashua Telegraph. HOLLIS — Portable classrooms could be the solution to Hollis/Brookline High School’s overcrowding problem, which has jeopardized the school’s accreditation. School officials were charged with addressing the overcrowding in a warning given by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). School officials met Wednesday … Continue reading »