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The Student Newspaper of DePaul University

The DePaulia

The Student Newspaper of DePaul University

The DePaulia

The Student Newspaper of DePaul University

The DePaulia

News briefs: 11-17-14

Geography students win big  at conferences

Nine DePaul geography students were honored for excellence last month by several area organizations.

Six of the awards were from the Illinois Geographical Information Systems Association conference, while the other three came from the Association of American Geographers regional conference held in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

The students were recognized for mapping issuses ranging from affordable housing in Chicago to analyzing police observation device cameras.

“These awards demonstrate the commitment to excellence of students and faculty in the Department of Geography,” said Professor Euan Hague, Department of Geography chair. “Federal data shows that GIS and the geospatial technology industry will soon be worth over $200 billion a year, that’s ten times the amount of money generated by the video games industry, and DePaul students are looking forward to exciting careers in this field.”

DePaul trustee passes away

DePaul trustee Connie Curran passed away last week after a long battle with cancer, according to a letter to faculty from Interim President Patricia O’Donaghue. She was 67.

Curran, a board member since 2007, had been recognized as a national leader on health care issues, working at one point closely with former President George H.W. Bush.

In addition to DePaul, Curran served as the chairwoman of the board of directors for DeVry, Inc., and was a board member at Lurie Chicago Children’s Hospital, and the University of Wisconsin foundation.

Curran, a nurse at heart, received her master’s in that field at DePaul.

“In her 67 years, Connie inspired us all by demonstrating her own unlimited potential every day,” O’Donaghue said. “We will miss her dearly and will share information about the services as soon as it is available.”

CTA to crack down on moochers

Students who share their U-Passes with friends be warned; the Chicago Transit Authority is planning a crackdown on fraudulent use of free and reduced fare rides.

According to a CTA press release, an audit revealed that fraud cost the agency an estimated $2.8 million in annualized revenue.

The agency began verification efforts at rail stops last month to ensure that those using free and reduced ride passes were in fact the person on the card.

“Free and reduced-fare rides are intended for seniors, persons with disabilities and others who rightfully qualify for these important programs,” said CTA President Forrest Claypool in a press release. “We take any incident of fraud seriously and are taking steps to protect innocent customers from being taken advantage of, as well as protecting all other fare-paying customers from having to subsidize improper use of these programs.”

University Center cafeteria to undergo construction

The University Center dining facilities will undergo several stages of construction to begin this December.

A three stage project, the first changes will be the relocation of a dining room, expanded seating and a new convienience store. The next two stages will include expanded dining options for students.

“We plan to deliver dining experiences that respond to the many individual tastes of our residents and guest diners,” Marlene Levine, executive director of the  University Center, said in a press release. “We’ve designed a space that is going to be warm and I’ll describe as modern rustic.”

The renovations are expected to be finished by July 2015. The cafeteria will remain open throughout the entirity of the construction.

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