The Graduation Issue
Class of 2025 graduates discuss plans after college, our staff members discuss their time as student journalists, women's tennis wraps up their season, and more!
Good morning, and welcome to DIBS Digest! While we can’t cover all 16 pages of The DePaulia in an email, these are the stories every Blue Demon needs to start their week.
Thank you for tuning in to another week of DIBS Digest. We bring you a special issue this week: The Graduation Issue. This is the last issue of the school year, and many members of our staff with be flipping the tassel in a couple weeks.
From DePaulia all staff members both leaving and returning, we truly appreciate the support from our readers. Until next time! Keep an eye on our website to for any summer publications, to read the full stories featured in this newsletter and more!
Despite ‘roller-coaster’ emotions, some DePaul seniors say city life prepared them for what's next
Whether it’s dodging rush-hour foot traffic on Loop sidewalks, schlepping groceries home in the snow or figuring out how to get home on the Red Line during a Cubs game, students say the city pushed them into adult life quickly. Many feel like those experiences and more gave them a level of independence that students on traditional campuses might not experience until after graduation.
“Chicago is our classroom.” It’s more than a marketing phrase plastered on DePaul’s homepage — it's a reality for students who have spent the last four years weaving their way through life in the big city. As graduation nears, many DePaul seniors say that their experience going to school in the heart of Chicago has made the leap into postgrad life feel less intimidating.
“Honestly, I don’t think my life’s going to change that much,” said Lauren Stribley, a senior marketing major with a concentration in sports business. “Instead of going to class, I’m just going to work. I feel like going to a city school — we kind of already live postgrad.”
Read more from Casey Tharrington’s story here →
A real-life reporter
Kit Kittredge was my favorite American Girl doll.
I loved everything about Kit. She had moxie, drive and a strong sense of integrity. But what I admired most about this fictional Great Depression-era doll wasn’t her kindness, sense of style or resilience to the onset of poverty in her community.
Nay, what I admired most was that Kit wanted to be a reporter.
Like Kit, I’ve always been fascinated with the news and enamored with the idea of telling important stories.
Being a reporter is a beautiful calling, and arguably one of the most important professions in a functioning democracy. Reporters must be tough, tactful, quick on their feet and most importantly, creative.
Like Kit Kittredge realized, reporters keep society accountable, notice trends and tell unsung stories.
Though I struggle with determining my purpose and often feel unmotivated and sometimes even feel untalented, I cannot deny the feeling I get when I write a story: a feeling of sublime creativity. A feeling of duty. A feeling of love. I never want to lose that.
Read more from Rose O’Keeffe’s story here →
‘Hungry to Improve’: DePaul Women’s Tennis Builds Momentum for 2026
For spring, it’s a hot day. Chicago’s weather has never been consistent — it’s temperamental, turbulent and at times, destructive. But, in spite of rain, sleet, snow or sun, the DePaul women’s tennis team continues to practice. And practice. And practice.
The 2025 season was one of ups and downs, DePaul athletics communications assistant Collin Feaster said. The women’s tennis ended their season with a 10-11 record. DePaul’s season closed at the 2025 Big East Tennis Championship with a quarterfinal 4-3 defeat against Villanova.
“It’s never easy to lose, but it was a great learning experience,” Feaster said. “The coaches put it into perspective well when they reminded the players that, ‘There’s only one team that wins it all.’ … That’s one out of hundreds if not thousands of teams.”
Check out Grace Logan’s story here →
Ike Holter discusses his time at DePaul, artistic collaboration and becoming a Chicago playwright
If you’ve been around the Chicago theater scene, you’ve likely heard the name Ike Holter — typically followed by heaps of praise.
Holter, a DePaul graduate and celebrated playwright, rose to popularity in 2012, when his play “Hit the Wall” was produced at Steppenwolf Theatre and subsequently achieved national success. He gained more notoriety with plays produced across the country, including “B-Side Studio,” “Exit Strategy,” “The Light Fantastic” and “The Wolf at the End of the Block.”
But before Holter was a critically acclaimed playwright, he was a student at DePaul’s The Theatre School. He came in 2003, and chose the school because of its reputable theater conservatory and adjacency to landmark Chicago theaters. Once there, he discovered a flourishing artistic ecosystem.
“There were so many opportunities for collaboration,” Holter said. “If you walked into the lobby, everyone was there because people around the city would book the space for rehearsals. I would go see their shows; they would come see mine.”
Check out Eva Strazek’s story here →
Lucia’s farewell DeJamz
As graduation looms, I am forced to face the feelings of leaving the student newspaper which has become my second home over the last three years. I’ve had the privilege to learn and grow in this newsroom while making great friends. As the staff editors know, I have also conquered some challenges here. I’d like to dedicate my final DeJamz to the ups and downs I have faced in the basement of the DePaul Center — from breakups to getting my dream internship — and oversharing through it all. Thanks always for listening, readers and editors alike, whether you wanted to or not.
Check out Lucia Preziosi’s DeJamz here →
Thank you for reading DIBS Digest!
Nadine DeCero is the editor of The DePaulia’s newsletter.
LiLi Jarvenpa, Peyton Hopp, Nadine DeCero and Brielle Kohlbeck contributed briefs to this report.
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