The Alestle, Vol. 76, No. 25

the student voice since 1960

DYLAN HEMBROUGH reporter exposes people to what we have going on.”

Transgender students of SIUE gathered at the Inclusive Excellence, Education and Diversity Hub March 31 to celebrate their identity and discuss issues related to the community.

Tia Kimbrough, a graduate student in the higher education and student affairs program, said they hope to use events like this to increase the visibility of the transgender community on campus.

“The importance is just being seen and knowing there is a community at SIUE that is part of the LGBTQ community,” Kimbrough said. “Walking around campus, you’re not going to be sure who’s part of the community and who’s not, so having these events to really be a community together and have fun …

Kimbrough said they hope to have more direct engagement with the student body, such as tabling in the MUC and cultivating interest in future events.

Kimbrough also said the Hub would be working with the Gender-Sexuality Alliance (GSA) and Queer Faculty and Staff Association (QFSA) to plan events for LGBTQ+ History Month this year.

Stella Smith, president of the GSA and senior studying special education, agreed with Kimbrough on the importance of creating and maintaining a strong sense of community on campus among LGBTQ+ students.

“You can scream it from the rooftops, you can put posters everywhere, but folks aren’t going to come out unless we prove to them that it’s a safe space,” Smith

said. “We can say that it’s a safe space, but until that’s experienced everywhere, no one is going to trust that.”

Mariah Mack, who is studying for their master’s degree in biology, said they were thankful for events such as this one, where people can find friends and form lasting bonds with each other.

“I haven’t really built much of a found family yet, so these events are kind of a way for me to find people who are like-minded in a safe place, other people who are

genderqueer or trans, and start to feel like I belong,” Mack said.

Mack said they feel that graduate students and other students who may not come through the MUC on a daily basis miss out on opportunities to attend social events.

“As a grad student in biology, I’m in Science West all the time,” Mack said. “I never hear about events that go on here, because a lot of it, I feel like, is advertised in the MUC.”

Mack suggested advertising events on the television screens around campus, instead

of centralizing posters and flyers in the MUC. Smith agreed, saying they feel that social media is underutilized for many events. Smith also said they feel it would be easier to foster a strong sense of community with more student involvement.

“It’s nice that the Hub is open, but it’s not exactly a welcoming space to students,” Smith said. “It’s very clinical-feeling, so I feel like having a space that is more student-made … would make it easier to come in and not necessarily have to be the brave individual going in.”

Kimbrough, Smith and Mack agreed that the event had a good turnout and hopefully served to create some of those friendships and bonds that could last a lifetime.

For more information on the Hub, visit its webpage. GSA also has a webpage on GetInvolved.

CAMELA SHARP reporter

Assistant professor in philosophy, Susan Dieleman will be returning to her home country of Canada this summer after being offered a new position.

Susan Dieleman said that though her experience at SIUE was greatly influenced by the pandemic, it’s been good. She will be teaching at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada, beginning July 1.

“I think we’ve done a fairly good job of seeing our way through to the other side of the pandemic and things are starting to feel a little bit more normal now,” Dieleman said. “I think aside from that rather significant blip, I think it’s been good. It’s a brand new kind of position. I think the opportunity is really exciting.”

Dieleman said that though she is moving back to Cana-

da where her family is, her new residence will be farther from them than before — she is excited for the new adventures to come.

“It would always be nice to be a bit closer to family, but I’ve moved around a lot and across continents, so I’m always actually excited for the adventure of trying someplace new, experiencing someplace new, meeting new people, getting to know the place and stuff like that,” Dieleman said. “It would be nice to be closer to family, but I’m used to exploring in far-flung places.”

involved in selling a house and buying a new house and moving across the border and finishing up the semester here, making sure the grades are in on time and planning for the new job there.”

She said that there are a number of people that she’ll keep in contact with.

Susan Dieleman Assistant Professor of Philosophy

Dieleman said that if there is a celebration, it will be nice and small.

“It will probably be low key though,” Dieleman said.

“Because there’s a lot of work

“I’m sure I’ll keep in touch with my colleagues in the philosophy department,” Dieleman said. “I was also involved a bit with a community garden here in Edwardsville, so I hope to keep in touch with some of the folks there. I was here for only five years, and then two-plus of those years were shaped by the pandemic, I didn’t form quite as many close relationships as I might have, so there will be a few people for sure, but I won’t have any strong

ties to the area.”

Christopher Pearson, professor and the chair of the philosophy department at SIUE, has been at SIUE for fifteen years. He said that Dieleman has been a great employee and has made great contributions to the department.

“She’s been great,” Pearson said. “She was a really terrific addition to her department. She’s super productive, she is super conscientious, just making a lot of contributions in a lot of different ways to the department and her expertise is just really quite valuable.”

Pearson described her departure as bittersweet. He said she is a great fit for her new position and the whole department is really happy for her.

“The position that she has taken is extraordinary. It’s perfect for her expertise,” Pearson said.

Pearson described her as an

old soul and said that she doesn’t need any advice.

“She’s just so accomplished and she’s carved out this really great academic niche and been so successful in that niche that she knows what she’s doing,” Pearson said. “She doesn’t need any advice from somebody like me.”

Pearson complimented her work and said that they are going to miss her for a lot of her contributions as a person and as a professor.

“She understands what it is to both produce as an intellectual in an area of expertise and make contributions in that way as well as, share that knowledge and expertise with your students,” Pearson said. “When I said that we were going to miss her, we’re gonna miss her in a lot of ways. Personally, she’s a wonderful person too, but there’s just going to be a real gap. She was just such an asset.”

“ We can say that it’s a safe space, but until that’s experienced everywhere, no one is going to trust that.”

Stella Smith, President of GSA

Student parents give tips, advice for future and considering student parents

CAMELA SHARP reporter

Life as a student in college is stressful enough, but there are often students tackling this effort while also raising children of their own.

Khyla Arnold is an undeclared freshman, a licensed practical nurse, and also a mother of three. She said that the school and the father of her children have helped her greatly.

“We’re separated at the moment,” Arnold said “We coparent well, so it works out. I work one shift, he works another shift, and the school pays for my youngest baby to go to daycare here, so that helps a ton.”

MoBella Russo is an art therapy and counseling major, research assistant and mother of two She said that the support she receives from her husband is a gift and she’s grateful to have support from other sources.

“Even though there’s moments where I’m crying and thinking, ‘How can I ever finish this?’ ‘How can I ever do this?,’” Russo said “And so having a supportive partner who’s like, ‘Hey, I got dinner, you go study.’ That is such a gift that I don’t know honestly how I could do it without someone that’s so supportive, but I know it can be done. When people find those networks of support and it doesn’t have to be a partner. It can be anyone.”

Boluwatife Olao Ojewande, an international student graduate student for social work and mother of one, said that it’s hard being a first time mom without the presence of her family and spouse.

“I’m a first time mom,” Ojewande said. “So all of that and not having my family around, my husband not being around. So it makes it really difficult for me to adjust and to also cope with a lot of schedules being, I missed all of the pregnancy issues and also dealing with school academic activities and every other activity. So it’s been really difficult.”

Arnold said that time management is a tough part of being a student parent.

“I feel like a lot of times I have to decide if I wanna make time to study or make time to have fun with my kids,” Arnold said. “Monday through Friday I’m at school and then Saturdays and Sundays I’m working 12 hour shifts. I could do better in my courses right now if I put more effort towards studying, but a lot of times my kids need me a little bit more.”

Russo said that despite the number of things she has to balance and the time crunches, it’s worth it.

“There’s a never ending list as a parent already of what you have to do to take care of your kids, and then on top of that all the school stuff, but honestly I

feel like it’s worth it,” Russo said. “Like I said, it took me eight years to get my undergrad. And I’m actually proud of that because I feel like it’s what I had to do to get the degree and I’d rather have my children than not.”

Ojewande said that parenting while being a student is hard but everyone has different situations and capabilities of dealing with things.

“Parenting is different strokes for different folks,” Ojewande said. “I’m not going to say do it. I’m not gonna say don’t do it cause we differ when it comes to capacity and when it comes to the strength that we have. You just have to understand what works for you.”

Arnold said that students who are getting ready to be parents should still do achieve their goals and keep going.

“Set your goal and achieve it,” Arnold said. “Doesn’t matter how long it takes … Take your time. Do it at your own pace … And it might feel like you can’t do it, but you have to let your kids be your motivation. You can’t let having kids stop you from doing what you need to do.”

Ojewande said that she’s still coping and pushing through by taking things day by day.

“I’m coping, I’m moving forward,” Ojewande said. “So where I am right now is I’m living my life one day at a time. I’m not gonna say it’s better than when I started off.”

Student Government votes to reject 2023 election results

After candidate Ugo Eleonu alleged that the recent election contained numerous errors, the Student Government voted not to ratify the election results Monday. Eleonu read a list of grievances from other student government members.

According to Eleonu, the student government’s election manual and bylaws indicate that the Senate did not approve the Election Commission as required.

In addition, the election did not conform to the 48hour duration specified in the election manual; instead, it was halted after 38 hours.

Approximately thirty students were unable to vote in the election due to a technical error. According to Eleonu, this issue was made known to the election committee.

As a result of these issues, the student government has rejected ratifying the election results. An emergency meeting to decide a solution will be scheduled, possibly later this week.

03.24.23

A traffic accident was reported on South University Drive near Circle Drive.

03.28.23

A man reportedly entered a Cougar Village apartment without permission. When the officer arrived, there was no intruder present.

03.29.23

SIUE PD assisted Edwardsville Animal Control with capturing and transporting a sick raccoon off campus.

03.31.23

A bike was stolen from the rack outside Woodland Hall. Once the bike was located and returned to its owner, the owner declined to press charges.

04.03.23

A hit-and-run was reported in Parking Lot A.

04.04.23

An apartment in Cougar Village had a faulty fire alarm activation twice.

04.05.23

A hit-and-run was reported in Parking Lot E. A braiding rack was stolen from Prairie Hall.

Stand-up at Jacoby Arts Center brings laughter, music to Alton

NICOLE BOYD opinion editor

Four comedians and the musical duo “Charmed and Dangerous” gathered at the Jacoby Arts Center in Alton, Illinois, last Friday to joke about topics from sex to disability, eliciting laughter from Zoomers, millennials and Gen Xers alike.

Ben Vogt, event organizer from Jerseyville, Illinois, said he seeks out comedians he has seen perform or done sketch comedy with, and if they recommend others, he trusts them because he knows they’re funny.

“As long as it’s not punching down, you can do pretty much anything,” Vogt said. “I tend to like the sillier stuff. I’m less political, or I don’t like longer stories. I like short, funny jokes.”

Vogt said a comedy show was a change of pace from Jacoby’s typical more serious events such as fine art, jazz brunch and dance recitals.

“I think it’s just a little bit of a fun time as opposed to serious artistic drama,” Vogt said.

Cori Stewart, from O’Fallon, Illinois, performed first. She said she does a lot of one-liners and absurdist observational humor mixed with short stories and anecdotes. She said she often covers topics

such as the experience of suburban life, as well as being a woman and the parent of an adult child.

I think every comic wants connection with the people that are watching them or at a show with them,” Stewart said. “I think they want to make people laugh at some silly things about our shared existence.”

During the show, Stewart shared observations about the absurdity of guided meditations and suburb names. She also mused about whether it is empowering or being complicit in one’s own objectification to talk about sex as a female comic, ultimately using ridiculous metaphors to tell stories about her sex life.

Following Stewart was Tommy Moslander, who referenced his time in a wheelchair during his routine, such as when he would aim for peoples’ ankles in grade school.

He also talked about his Make-AWish trip to Disney World – but due to having a heart condition, he was not able to ride rollercoasters.

“They told me I had six to nine months and Make-A-Wish said, ‘We can do it in three,’” Moslander said.

Patrick Brandmeyer also performed, taking many jabs at his appearance as someone who, in his own words, looks like a kidnapper or predator.

The night ended with a performance

An Important Message About Gas Safety

Natural gas delivered to the University from Ameren IP through a underground piping system. It is used to provide fuel for clean efficient heat to all campus buildings and residence halls. It is also used for hot water and food preparation.

Overview of Hazards of Pipeline and Prevention Measures Used

The hazards associated with the pipeline include fires, explosions, leakage, damage to the facility and loss of service. In order to prevent these incidents, the pipeline maintained and inspected according to state and federal regulations. Facilities employees receive ongoing training to ensure the continued safe transport of natural to the campus.

In order to prevent damage to the pipeline due to construction excavations SIUE participates in the one call system known as JULIE. Within 2 days of a call for a planned excavation SIUE will mark the location of underground gas as well as other utility lines.

Recognizing and Responding to Gas Leaks

Pure natural gas is colorless and odorless. Before gas is delivered to the SIUE campus, an odorant called mercaptan is added to give gas its distinctive odor so you can smell a leak immediately. The odorant makes the smell like sulfur or rotten eggs.

If you smell a faint odor in any campus building

by Charmed and Dangerous, a singer/ songwriter duo from Granite City, Illinois. They performed their original song, “Awkward,” which will eventually be released on YouTube.

Stewart said everyone should try do-

notify facilities management at 3711. If the gas odor is strong and or you hear a hissing or leaking sound, you should leave the building immediately. If the odor is strong:

• Do not use telephones cell phones, computers, or elevators

• Do not smoke, use a lighter, match or open flame

• Do not operate vehicles near where the leaking gas could be

• Do not re-enter the building to retrieve personal affects

If you smell a strong gas smell in the air outside, or you see unusual occurrences such as: high pitched whistle or hissing sound, blowing dust, dead vegetation in a normally green area, or ground fires, you may be observing signs of a leak in a natural gas line. Always use caution near an outdoor gas leak and recognize the possible hazards, such as fire, ignition or explosion.

In these conditions:

• Do not use any device or equipment that may generate a spark or flame

• Do not start up or shut down motor vehicles or electrical equipment

• Do not use a telephone or cell phone in or near the area

ing stand-up at least once.

“It is exhilarating, and it is a confidence booster and I think that it’s most definitely a great way to learn more about yourself, and it’s honestly a whole lot of fun, too,” Stewart said.

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Monica Hendrix and Nicholas Cuvar of the band “Charmed and Dangerous“ play an original song at the Jacoby Arts Center. This was the first time the song had been played in public. | Madeline James / Contributing Photographer

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Arab Americans embrace identity during heritage month

DYLAN HEMBROUGH reporter

April is National Arab American Heritage Month and calls for reflection in the U.S. on our history of discrimination and racism.

Isra Chaker is a Syrian American civil rights activist. Chaker spoke at a virtual opening event for Arab American Heritage Month about her experiences with racism in the U.S. directed towards her ethnicity and her religion.

Chaker, who was in fifth grade in Boulder, Colorado, when 9/11 happened, said her world changed for good that day. Beforehand, no one talked about her ethnicity, but afterward, it became her defining feature.

“At recess, nobody spoke to me, at lunch, nobody sat with me,” Chaker said. “I finally went up to my teacher … and she said, ‘I think you need to speak to your parents,’ so she didn’t offer any comfort either, just more confusion.”

Chaker said her family was not served in restaurants and her house was vandalized many times, including being egged and having the word “terrorist” written

across the wall. Despite this, Chaker said felt a sense of responsibility to her identity. As she was proud of her faith and wanted to be a role model, she began to wear hijab, the head covering worn by some Muslim women.

“I knew people misunderstood my faith, my culture, my ethnicity,” Chaker said. “I felt that if I could be that representation … and show them that I’m just the same as they are, it would make a difference.”

Chaker said the racism she experienced after this decision only increased, and she recalled times when other students would try to rip off her hijab or write notes to her telling her to “blow herself up.”

With help from her guidance counselor, Chaker said she organized a diversity panel so she and other students belonging to marginalized groups could speak their minds.

“We were taking a risk, right? The bullying could get worse if they knew how vulnerable we were,” Chaker said. “I’ll never forget the energy shift in that room.”

Steve Tamari, a professor of Middle East and Islamic History, started his job at

SIUE just weeks before 9/11.

“I was not prepared to teach religion,” Tamari said. “After 9/11, everybody needed to learn about Islam, so I remember giving a lot of public talks that first year or so, focused on Islam more than history.”

Tamari said he did not experience the hostility Chaker did, but he said that historically, Arab immigrants in prior decades wished to assimilate into American society rather than take pride in their identity. Tamari said many Arab immigrants were able to pass as white in American society, especially as not all Arabs are Muslim, and not all Muslims are Arab.

“I think there is a trend, especially among Muslim American women, of embracing both their Muslim identity and perhaps their Arab identity, as well as their American identity,” Tamari said. “Like Isra said, after 9/11, she made the conscious choice of starting to wear hijab, and not trying to hide or assimilate, but standing up for who she was and who her family was and where they came from.”

Tamari said a lot of the damage done to the Arab identity in the U.S. has been perpetrated by Hollywood. The late Jack Shaheen, a former professor at SIUE, wrote a couple of books on the topic of Arab vilification in television. To help

counter this, Tamari said he tries to focus on the more human aspects of Arab and Muslim culture.

“In the popular culture, Arabs and Muslims are so often associated with violence and war and death and destruction,” Tamari said. “I don’t focus on politics. There are two ways of looking at it. Learning about Muslim and Arab culture and history and the positive aspects of it, or the funny aspects. There are Arab American comics, there are all kinds of words … like coffee, like sugar, things that we love and that are sweet, and they come to us from the Arab world.”

Tamari said he hopes people will look for the more positive aspects of Arab culture, and that over time the American perception of Arabs may change.

“I would just like people to seek out those aspects of Arab American or Muslim American culture. They’re not about politics or war, but there’s so much richness in the history of these people. People are just like other people.”

Chaker is no longer a college student, now working in advocacy and campaigning, particularly in regard to issues like immigration.

“I know the power of my voice, and I will always continue to use it and move mountains with it,” Chaker said.

First e-awards given to young professors allows research to flourish

amazing scholarship that’s happening at SIUE,” Smucker said.

Awards and patent recognition were given during the last hour of the Provost’s Celebration of Research Reception.

Jerry Weinberg, the Associate Provost for Research and the dean of the graduate school, and Susan Morgan, the associate dean of research and graduate studies, both spoke at the event.

Jill Smucker, the director of graduate education in the graduate school, was a part of the team that helped organize this event. She said it was a great chance for people to be exposed to the scholarships that SIUE has.

“It’s a really wonderful opportunity to kind of take a step back and recognize and realize the bigger picture of some of the

“That sometimes in our day-today work we lose sight of some of the really incredible things that are happening here on campus. It’s a great day to recognize those efforts built from students and faculty.”

Smucker said that the first

“e” award is for faculty who have submitted a grant for the first time.

“The first ‘e’ is for people who are first time submitters on an external grant proposal during the year prior,” Smucker said.

“That’s really an award you can only win once because it’s something that’s given to you when you submit an external grant for the first time.”

Rubi Quinones, assistant professor in the computer science

department, was awarded the first “e” award. She said that her job is like a combination of agriculture and computer science.

“I do research in computer vision, artificial intelligence, and plant phenotyping,” Quinones said. “I research in using plants’ imageries where I try to come up with inferences, conclusions about the plants and hopefully come up with breeding solutions so we can make our plants more resilient and when we’re growing them out in the field.”

Quinones said that whether she gets the grant or not, she’s appreciative that SIUE recognizes faculty members like her and the work that it takes to write a grant.

“Whether I get it or not, the fact that SIUE recognizes us and appreciates our effort with

this award is very fulfilling,”Quinones said.

Bernadette Sobczak, assistant professor of family health and community health nursing, also won a first “e” award. She said that the grant took a lot of work, she was the lead as she worked on it with a team of two of other members who were not able to attend the event.

“We just got this grant back in September,” Sobczak said. “It took a lot of work and I’m only part of the team. We are creating online interactive modules and so basically the preceptor will take these modules and then we will also have yearly conferences so that we can train people out in the field and also so that we can train new clinical faculty at the School of Nursing on how to give feedback to students and we’ve got a lot of stuff with

them.”

Sobczak said that she felt honored receiving her reward.

“The whole thing was ecstatic because it means so much for the students and the faculty and just the work of the School of Nursing,” Sobczak said.

Sobczak said that it’s great to have a grant that represents the hard work you’ve done.

“I didn’t see how much work it took until I had to do it myself. But I had a team behind me,” Sobczak said. See alestlelive. com for a full list of awards given.

full

CAMELA SHARP reporter

Natalie Blaies, Management and Marketing TA, explains her presentation on bias in the workplace to an attendee at the symposium I Udit Nalukala / The Alestle

Bernadette Sobczak (middle), assistant professor of Family Health and Community Health Nursing, poses with Associate Provost Jerry Weinberg (left) and Provost Denise Cobb (right) holding her “e” award. I Udit Nalukala/ The Alestle

I Isra Chaker/ Isra Speaks

Earth Day, which takes place on April 22, aims to raise awareness of humans’ impact on the planet. Spend the day mindfully, taking positive actions for the environment.

Ride your Bike

Not only is cycling beneficial for personal health, but it’s also an eco-friendly mode of transportation.

Buy Reusable Bags

Make a simple yet impactful switch from plastic bags to reusable ones. These versatile bags can be used for packing lunches, shopping for groceries and carrying everyday items.

Recycle

Recycling at SIUE is made easy with bins located throughout campus. Simply make sure your item is clean, empty, and placed in the correct bin.

Visit the Saint Louis Zoo

Not only is the Saint Louis Zoo an excellent opportunity to explore the world of animals and nature, but it’s also one of the rare free zoos in the United States, making it an affordable option for college students.

Spring Clean

Donate the clothes you no longer wear to be mindful of your possessions and help those in need. Local thrift stores accept general clothing

donations, while business clothes can be donated to the Cougar Closet.

Volunteer at The Gardens of SIUE

Experience is not necessary to get involved with the gardens. Volunteering is a great way to lend a helping hand to the community while nurturing your green thumb. Email thegardens@siue.edu to learn more about volunteering opportunities.

Visit the Farmers Market

Starting May 13th, the Land of Goshen Community Market is the perfect way to show support for the community and treat yourself to locally grown produce and handmade goods.

Visit a Nature Preservation

Located near the SIUE campus, Bohm Woods Nature Preserve and the Watershed Nature Area is open every day from sunrise to sunset. Take a break from indoor living and immerse yourself in nature by exploring the trails both on and near campus.

Bring Home a Plant

Limited space and low light in dorm rooms doesn’t mean you can’t have plants. Consider low-maintenance options like Pothos, Spider Plants, and Aloe Vera.

Create an Ecosystem in a Jar

Simply fill an airtight container with pond or lake water and watch as a self-sustaining environment with unique organisms develops.

EMILY STERZINGER editor-in-chief

We’ve finally entered spring, and after a long cold winter, here’s some brighter tunes to cheer you up.

‘Pretty Pictures,’ Cub

This short but sweet song has the soft indie-pop sound that works well for the season.

‘Here Comes the Sun,’ The Beatles Who wouldn’t put this on their springtime playlist? It’s literally called “Here Comes the Sun.” It’s a pleasant song, and an absolute classic.

‘She Plays Bass,’ beebadoobee Gentler in tone than the other songs on this playlist, this song still feels like spring to me.

‘Racing Gloves,’ Plumtree

This song is another indie-pop banger, which Plumtree has plenty of. The intense drums of this will put some pep in your step.

‘Blister in the Sun,’ Violent Femmes

Another weird choice, right? I don’t know why, but something in this feels like spring to me. Not just the word “Sun” in the title, but the energetic vibe of the song too.

‘Strawberry Blond,’ Mitski

Though the lyrics are a bit sad and about yearning, the imagery of them

indicates that this song is probably set in the spring. It’s a short, soft love song with a natural feel to it..

‘Money Won’t Pay,’ bo en, Augustus

Many of us work, but it’s important to enjoy the spring while the warm weather lasts too. Celebrate any free time between work and studying that you might have with this bop.

‘Campus,’ Vampire Weekend

We’re in the home stretch of the semester, but we are ultimately still on campus. So, why not romanticize your time here?

‘Someone New,’ Hozier

Back to happier sounding songs, this track has a soft, bright instrumental contrasted with Hozier’s powerful vocals. Plus, if you’ve been paying attention to our publication, you might know that many of us love Hozier here at The Alestle.

‘Sunflower, Vol. 6,’ Harry Styles

Capping off this playlist, this funk-influenced song has a very light sound to it.

Find the full playlist on alestlelive.com and to listen, check out The Alestle’s Spotify!

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NEXT WEEK: CRYING IS NATURAL AND HEALTHY

OPINION

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“For the good of society… transgenderism must be eradicated from public life entirely – the whole preposterous ideology, at every level.” This sentence was said to the public by Michael Knowles at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday, March 4th, 2023. Yes, 2023.

This large claim is oddly reminiscent of some of the speeches that may have been preached in Germany during the 1930s to the 1940s in reference to Jewish people. However, this man speaking out against humanity happens to be very hypocritical.

Knowles happens to also star in a student film called “The House of Shades” released in 2012. The aforementioned movie is available on YouTube and stars Knowles as a gay charac-

ter; not only that, but Knowles was also photographed wearing a dress and a wig multiple times in 2016. For someone so full of hate, Knowles could at least learn to present himself in a manner that could help his cause. Public appearance is incredibly important in any campaign. The fact that Knowles can apparently not be bothered to grasp this concept should give the trans community hope; if he thinks so simply, there must be more intelligent individuals higher up willing to take a stand against blatant hate. Besides the notion that the face of hatred can easily be revealed to be foolish, the entire concept of “eradicating transgenderism” makes no sense. Sure, the early transitioning of minors who are not fully sure of themselves makes sense to put limitations on (with the human brain’s maturity age peaking at age 25),

but what about some of the other legislation? One of the many bills that were proposed would allow schools to potentially out gender nonconforming students to their parents.

The bill falls under a “parental rights” category; however, the forced outing of children who identify as a gender other than their birth-given gender would likely only make public spaces more dangerous for children. As nearly anyone who experienced middle school can attest to, children are ruthless, especially to those who do not fit into societal expectations. The forced “outings” of children’s nonconformity to these roles would likely result in further mental distress, bullying, and possibly increased suicide rates.

Another one of the proposed legislations is titled “My Child, My Choice.” This applies to the concept of parents signing waiv-

ers in order for their children to be taught about concepts that include, “...lessons specifically related to gender identity, sexual orientation, or transgender studies…” as stated on Congress’ website. Which, while understandable when it comes to sexual reproduction, makes little sense for gender identity.

Gender identity is extremely commonplace. If this act passes, parents would likely have to sign a waiver much earlier than they expect for their child’s English class upon the teaching of pronouns. Without teaching proper pronoun usage, how would a child learn how to write properly? Realistically, if parents did not sign these forms, their child would end up only receiving half of the necessary knowledge as well as half of history as a whole. We cannot afford for children to be forcibly blinded from the entirety of this world’s truth when it comes to others’ existence.

Heritage is not necessarily hate, but it can easily become hateful

GABRIEL BRADY managing editor

April 12 marks the 162 year since the start of the American Civil War, and April 9 marks the 158 anniversary of its end. Obviously, any issue that causes a national split like that will be a sensitive subject for years after. However, as it’s been more than 150 years since the war ended,public opinion should be more direct and clear-cut.

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fought for the right to do so. However, no one in my family is proud of this fact or talks about it. We are ashamed of it because it is shameful. Taking pride in fighting to own other humans as property is sickening.

erate flag and erecting statues of Confederate generals is their heritage, then surely the descendants of Union soldiers should be allowed to tear the flag down, burn it and topple the statues, since that is their heritage.

With Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)’s recent comments about a “national divorce” it is important to remember the facts of the Civil War, which do not care about personal feelings surrounding “heritage.”

I have never understood the pride that some feel for having ancestors in the Confederacy. I have never looked into it, but it’s safe to assume that since I had ancestors in Missouri at the time of the Civil War, then I had ancestors who owned slaves and

Some argue that the Civil War was not fought for the right to own humans, rather, states’ rights, but the question to ask then is: states’ rights to do what, exactly? The government of the first state to secede from the United States, didn’t blindly say, “States’ rights are important! We will secede!” Surely there was a contemporary issue of the time that they were inspired by, or fighting for. That issue was the right to own humans as property.

The strongest argument against pride in the Confederacy and waving Confederate flags as if they were your own, however, is to take the opposite side. If the descendants of Confederates say that hanging the Confed-

A common argument against removing Confederate monuments is the erasure of history. However, these critics ignore the fact that history is not marked by statues. It is marked by history books, stories, memories and museums. Statues are not meant to remember the negative sides of history, they are meant to highlight the positive.

We should take notes from other countries with dark histories. It is illegal in Germany to deny the Holocaust or to display Nazi paraphernalia. After the Nazi party was removed, Germany decided that the horrors they enacted should be avoided at all costs, even in violation of the freedom of speech.

The logic is related to Ger-

man philosopher Karl Popper’s theory of the Paradox of Tolerance. Popper theorized that if a society permits all speech, then hateful views will be permitted as well. These hateful ideas will inevitably scare minority groups from speaking out, harm their freedom of speech and lead to the hateful individuals gaining more support and spreading their message further. So, Popper says that a truly free society cannot accept intolerance. It will restrict the freedom of speech, but will increase the rights and freedom of minority groups.

I don’t think the U.S. will ever truly outlaw hanging the Confederate flag. It is up to the people to tell the hateful that they are wrong. So, for this anniversary of the Civil War, fight with your racist relatives on Facebook. Regardless of who wins the online debate, it’s clear who won the war, and it was not the traitorous losers.

NICOLE BOYD Online/Opinion Editor

GABRIEL BRADY Managing Editor

FRANCESCA BOSTON Lifestyles Editor

“Transgenderism” is human, not something to be eradicated

Softball swings ahead in weekend series after initial loss against Tennessee State, puts SIUE at 15-20 overall in season

Softball pulls ahead in weekend series following initial loss.

After losing the first game in the series to Tennessee State, the Cougars came back to dominate the next two games the following day.

The Cougars lost the first game in the series with a 4-3 score, but followed up with a score of 8-0 and 4-3. Head Coach Ben Sorden said that despite losing the first game, he thought they played well and were able to keep that momentum onto the following day.

“We came out hot yesterday and we just didn’t finish,” Sorden said. “I think they showed in the first game that they meant business and I was very proud of the comeback today.”

The Tigers scored the first point of the game at the top of the first inning by third baseman Anayah Baker-Rowell, leaving the Cougars down 1-0 going into the second. However, both teams scored two points in the second inning, bringing the score in favor of the Tigers at 3-2.

Midway through the second inning, freshman pitcher Rylie Pindel from Las Vegas, Nevada, subbed in for junior pitcher Kelsey Ray from Goreville, Illinois, shutting down Tennessee State’s offense for the remainder of the game.

Pindel, who was playing for the first time after a minor injury, said she felt good about her performance, especially since she only had two days to prepare.

“It was a little stressful. I was nervous,” Pindel said. “I wasn’t feeling prepared, and then right when I got it I was like, ‘No, I’m ready.’”

The Cougars scored one point at the bottom of the third inning, and the final run of the game was at the bottom of the fourth by junior infielder Jenna Herron from Lewistown, Illinois, off of a hit by sophomore infielder Paige Rocha from Platte City, Missouri, who boasted four hits for the day. Sorden said he thinks Rocha has exhibited a strong performance overall.

“Paige Rocha is a special player and she’s just dangerous in the box,” Sorden said. “She can be into all fields, she’s got speed, she’s got power and she’s just doing a fantastic job offensively.”

Sorden said he’s hoping they can keep this drive going forward in the season.

“I hope that we’re gaining some momentum and are starting to believe in ourselves,” Sorden said. “We’re going to try and continue this momentum.”

This game places the Cougars at 15-20 overall and 2-8 in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Cougars will play next at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on April 15 against Southern Indiana in Evansville, Indiana.

DAMIAN MORRIS multimedia editor

Junior infielder Grace Lueke from McLeansboro, Illinois, pulled in two hits with four at bats, two of them with runs batted in, and one run. | Winter Racine / The Alestle

Freshman pitcher Rylie Pindel shut down Tennessee State’s offense after a minor injury. | Winter Racine / The Alestle