THE
alestle
Auntie Anne’s to return, dining hours expanding PAGE 2
‘Rent’ teaches actors and audience about AIDS epidemic
Tennis gains OVC championship spot, first time since 2017
PAGE 4
PAGE 8
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
the student voice since 1960
Thursday, April 21, 2022 Vol. 75 No. 27
ACCESS requests more funding to improve campus accessibility LIV KRAUS reporter
ACCESS is requesting higher funds to purchase items that will aid students with mental and physical disabilities. Dominic Dorsey, director of ACCESS, said that an increase in funds would help to make SIUE more accessible for all students. “What a lot of people don’t really understand is, while we do get a budget from the university to be able to take care of salaries and things to that nature, The Americans with Disabilities Act is an unfunded mandate,” Dorsey said. Dorsey said, as well as salaries and other services, all funding for ACCESS comes from the university. “Considering that ACCESS operates very much underneath a banner of accessibility versus compliance, a lot of the things that we would like to do, a lot of the things that we try and provide for students isn’t mandated by law. We know that if we do this, it will make life easier. It will level the playing field for students,” Dorsey said. Jim Boyle, assistant director for inclusive compliance, said that if ACCESS had more funds available to them, it would allow for campus to be more accessible to
all students. gency technicians to come in and rescue “Our whole goal is to make campus them or evacuate them,” Dorsey said. as accessible and as friendly as possible. Dorsey said that these chairs cost We believe in the concept of universal around $1,500. He said that more funding design where you wouldn’t need accom- would allow ACCESS to purchase more modations because the campus of these chairs so that one day, there can would already be be an emergency accessible to evevacuation chair erybody,” Boyle on each floor of said. every building. Dorsey said “We wouldn’t one of the main in any other situathings ACCESS tion ask for people is interested in is to be left behind purchasing emerwhen there is a gency evacuation mechanism or a chairs for stuway for everyone dents with physto evacuate safely. ical disabilities We think about who struggle to how much it costs make it out safely to save a life. I by themselves. think $1,500 is a “The evacupretty cheap ask,” ation chairs will Dorsey said. Jim Boyle allow students, Dorsey said Assistant Director for Inclusive Compliance instead of having ACCESS is also to wait in an area trying to get for rescue in the more funding for event of a fire or any type of emergency a note-taking software called Glean. He where we’d be evacuating the building, to said this program is to allow students with use those chairs to safely get them down disabilities the opportunity to take their the stairs as opposed to waiting for emer- own notes.
“
We believe in the concept of universal design where you wouldn’t need accommodations because the campus would already be accessible to everybody.”
“Glean allows students to record the lecture, see it visually, color code certain sections, stop recording when the lecturer stops speaking, but then you can go in and add your own notes. It drastically improved the knowledge, the retention, not just in terms of the information that’s received in the classroom, but overall in the institution for wide varieties of colleges and universities who adopted it,” Dorsey said. Boyle said Glean helps students to be independent and learn note-taking skills. “It helps them catch anything they’ve missed. The version we’re trying to get will provide a transcript, which will help with universal design. Ideally, this is something that would be available to everybody, but it’s too expensive,” Boyle said. Dorsey said that by using universal design, SIUE has the potential to be much more welcoming. “I truly believe if we prioritize accessibility, not just compliance but if we really look at universal design, we can truly make SIUE one of the most, not just accessible, but welcoming campuses in the region, if not the country,” Dorsey said. Boyle said any students who notice issues with accessibility on campus can report them using the DART tool online.
Edwardsville officials hope to mend history of inequity reflected in 2021 income study BRANDON WELLS sports editor
Community members and members of local government progress towards affordable housing after last year’s income study revealed the level of inequity in the city, impacting housing affordability. The study showed a clear wealth gap in the city, with the median income between white and Black families in the area having a difference of over $32,000. No data was provided for Hispanic families for the city, but Madison County trends show similar differences.
CITY PLANNER HIRES FIRM TO ANALYZE HOUSING IN EDWARDSVILLE
With this information in mind, the presenter of the study Emily Calderon, the Edwardsville City Planner, said that the city has hired a consulting firm to help gather data for a new housing study. This initiative was voted on and approved last March, as reported by the Intelligencer. “I think it is obvious we need to dig a little deeper and find out a little bit more about housing within Edwardsville, both quantitatively and qualitatively, and that’s why we hired a consultant to help us do that work,” Calderon said. While the progress has been somewhat slow, Calderon said that she is still working with the firm to schedule a Steering Committee meeting for the City of Edwardsville before they start gathering data via listening to community input. “We’re gonna be listening to various groups — maybe it’s a group of renters, maybe it’s a group of property managers, realtors… to talk about their experience with housing in Edwardsville,” Calderon said.
follow the alestle
John Harvey, with the Edwardsville also affected by this trend, but weren’t as Community Housing Alliance, said he felt represented by the study due to not fothe study presented a large amount of data cusing on the age of the demographics that was already there about the racial dis- it drew the median income from. While median incomes parities in the comwere measured munity as well as by race, young income disparities. people, regard“I believe that There’s no representation less of race tend it showed enough to struggle with need that maybe at a city level that can housing a great some of the peodeal. According to ple in city governmake the decisions for an article from Inment who might the people that live in sider, housing has not have quite seen become unaffordthe importance of the city.” able for almost all studying housing Yolanda Crochrell young people. needs went along City of Edwardsvulle Human Relations Committee “People, for with [the study],” example, that go Harvey said. to SIUE and want Harvey said to settle in Edwardsville — well, good luck the results did not shock him, however. “I think it’s pretty obvious if you talk affording a home — and that’s just a fact,” to people who are wage earners that don’t Harvey said. With wealth and equity in mind, Harhave a lot of savings who maybe make $10 to $15 an hour, you’ll find that they expe- vey said he wants to see the goals the city rience all the barriers that even that pre- has promised accomplished. “My interest is in Edwardsville living liminary study showed,” Harvey said. Harvey said the wealth gap also wasn’t up to its stated goals. If Edwardsville has surprising, but still worries him for the fu- stated that it has a goal of being an inture due to the gentrifying nature of the clusive community where people from all walks of life can live and work, then the city potentially becoming a norm. “A lot of the new development is de- housing market doesn’t reflect that value, signed to attract people of wealth. That’s that’s not possible,” Harvey said. With such a large wealth gap shown, what I think the high end developers like to see, they want Edwardsville to be that that gap was also clearly divided in terms kind of place where people with wealth of racial disparities as well. Throughout are happy to live and spend their money,” the years he’s lived in the city, Harvey said he has always seen this lack of equity and Harvey said. hopes the study can reveal that further. HIGH HOUSING COSTS HIT PEOPLE OF “That prejudice against anybody who might need subsidized housing is so strong COLOR, YOUNG PEOPLE HARDEST Young people, especially college-aged — because of race — and the thing that I students who are trying to buy houses are want to be able to do when the study re-
“
@alestlelive
@TheAlestle
@Online Editor Alestle
@thealestle
sults come out is to be able to talk frankly about Edwardsville’s history of residential racial segregation,” Harvey said. Harvey said realtors in Edwardsville have historically steered Black people to the edge of town and away from predominantly white areas. This kind of segregation goes back years, and was highlighted by a story in a news spread from the Intelligencer in 1964. This kind of segregation has been a trend in numerous cities, and even has some roots in global warming. In an article from the New York Times, racial trends in Richmond, Virginia were shown to show racial segregation, with Black residents living in neighborhoods that had little work done to prevent heat buildup and white people living in areas that were cooler from heat trapping. Yolanda Crochrell, a member of the Human Relations Committee for the City of Edwardsville, said she sees this kind of racial disparity reflected in city administration, a view supported by a study done by the Race Relations & Equality Committee in 2020, which she believes hasn’t helped the city in terms of housing. “We talk about inclusion and equity, but there’s no one on [the city hall] board that looks like me, so where is the diversity? Other than another woman being added, [but] she still doesn’t look like me. There’s no representation at a city level that can make the decisions for the people that live in the city,” Crochrell said. The issue of the racial wealth gap is a deeply ingrained issue in the U.S., as highlighted in an article by the Harvard Gazette, and is an issue that Edwardsville see HOUSING on page 3
See you on the Internet!
alestlelive.com
PAGE 2
Thursday, 04.21.22
BY THE NUMBERS / COVID-19 AT SIUE, SPRING 2022 New confirmed positive cases (from tests conducted by SIUE and self-reporting):
Tests conducted by SIUE:
April 12 - April 19: 12 students, 4 faculty/staff
April 12 - April 19: 1,333
April 5 - April 11: 4 students, 2 faculty/staff
April 5 - April 11: 1,279
14-Day New Positive Cases: 16 students, 6 faculty/staff
14-Day New Tests Conducted: 2,612
All prior weeks positive tests: (Jan. 4 - April 19): 1,054 students, 254 faculty/staff
All prior weeks tests conducted: Jan. 4 - April 19: 32,901
15 students 4 faculty/staff
Positive cases identified by SIUE testing:
MADISON COUNTY DAY BY DAY:
April 12 - April 19: 15 April 5 - April 11: 5
25 20 15
All prior weeks positive cases: Jan. 4 - April 19: 1,854
04.15.22
(as of April 19): 100%
Source: Health, Reporting, and Testing page on SIUE’s
5
COVID-19 website, as of April 19. APR 12
APR 13
APR 14
APR 15
APR 16
APR 17
APR 18
Officer took a report of harassment through electronic communication. A student said she was receiving messages from her ex-boyfriend.
20
14-day new positive cases:
Percentage of isolation/quarantine space available on campus
10
04.13.22
Officer responded to a report of a verbal argument between subjects on the basketball court of the Student Fitness Center.
Positivity Rate (as of April 19): 0.77%
30
0
Total active positive cases:
Officer responded to a report of a student who thought someone was following her. Subject was wanting directions.
04.16.22
Officer responded to a report of a male subject possibly looking in vehicles in Parking Lot 4A. Subject was gone when the officer arrived.
APR 19
Auntie Anne’s to reopen, extended dining hours in the fall LIV KRAUS reporter
This fall, Dining Services plans to reopen certain dining options and extend their hours of operation Jeffrey Waple, vice chancellor of Student Affairs, said Dining Services plans to reopen Auntie Anne’s and Freshens, while extending the hours of most dining locations on campus. “The plan is that we will be expanding hours at almost all our locations including Starbucks, Union Station and Center Court to capture what we’ve seen this semester with our return to on-ground classes and more people on campus,” Waple said. Waple said most dining options on campus that are open Monday through Thursday will soon be open until 7:30 p.m. He said Starbucks will be open everyday of the week, but on weekends it will be closed by 6:30 p.m. Waple said they are working to extend the days that the Starbucks in the library is open. Starbucks is currently open Monday through Wednesday. He said the goal is to add an additonal day. Morgan Jackson, junior in computer science from Byron, Illinois, said he had talked to a lot of people, even those who had not attended SIUE while Auntie Anne’s was open. He said that many people were saying that they wanted it to open and that the important thing was to make sure that the administration knew that Auntie Anne’s was what people really missed. “I decided to start a petition. I started sharing it on my own personal social media, at first. Then, it spread like wildfire. Last semester, it was at around 450 signatures.” Jackson said he would like to see places like Auntie Anne’s
open back up in the upcoming fall. He said that Auntie Anne’s was around when he first started attending SIUE before the pandemic. “I would get it at least once a week. It was a go-to snack of mine. It was the perfect place if you didn’t want a full meal,” Jackson said. Jackson said he started the Instagram account shortly after to help promote it. He said that it did not take long for his account to start gaining a lot of attention. “After it started picking up attraction last semester, I attended a student government meeting and spoke about it. They told me at the time that they had 180 employees and had 500
pre-COVID. That was a big reason for why dining had been so downsized,” Jackson said. Jackson said it was nice to be made aware of the reasons why dining options were limited and what the plans for the future were. “While Auntie Anne’s was the main focus, I also largely wanted to just look into why dining was so downscaled at all. Auntie Anne’s just hits at the wider issue of dining having been cut back so much with the hours, the location that’s led to a lot of frustration overall,” Jackson said. Jackson said he can’t wait for more dining options to open back up. Waple said there are differ-
ent things that go into consideration when deciding the changes to dining for the fall. He said they have done food surveys and talked to the Student Government when trying to figure out the best dining options to focus on for students this fall. “We look at trends, we look at how students are eating, what times they’re eating and when classes are happening. All those play into setting the hours and the timeframe and setting what locations are open and
what time,” Waple said. Waple said that once they see how things are going in the fall, Dining Services will be able to look at reopening other locations such as Kaldi’s and the MUC truck.
Thursday, 04.21.22
alestlelive.com
Tunnel of Oppression’ now ‘Rooms of Reality,’ addresses student concerns NICOLE BOYD online editor
Rooms of Reality, formerly known as the Tunnel of Oppression, took submissions from students who experienced ableism, racism, homophobia and sexism and compiled them onto boards for viewing, although some expressed concerns of retraumatization. In a statement, “Black at SIUE”, an Instagram account run by students that is not a student organization or office at SIUE, said while they don’t see an issue with individuals sharing their stories, an installation where students walk through to experience oppression doesn’t eem appropriate. “What population does the Tunnel of Oppression serve to educate? (Typically students that belong to a privileged identity). We do not think it is appropriate to exploit oppressed groups in order to educate on those experiences,” the statement said. Black at SIUE also said there are other ways to make all students feel heard, including supporting organizations such as The Hub, SafeZone, ACCESS and the Cougar Cupboard. “If you want to make a lasting impact, students need to focus their attention on these departments. See how you can get involved to help the SIUE community. This will have a much bigger and
lasting impact than a performative event Text Line, which provides free 24/7 suplike the Tunnel of Oppression,” the state- port, and instructions on how to use it. ment said. “There’s also the phone number for Liz Delaney, associate director for Counseling Services and then [the Call the Kimmel Student Involvement Cen- For Help hotline] for survivors of sexual ter for student organizations and Student and domestic violence,” Goren said. “But Government, said upon hearing student we had those prepared even before when concerns, Student Diit was originally versity Officer Julia called the Tunnel Goren and Student of Oppression as Body President Hailwell, so those conI’m really disappointed cerns were actually ee O’Dell postponed the event by a week already addressed that there was a to address them. They before theywere miscommunication” also hoped to further raised.” explain the event’s Each room Troy Caldwell-Day purpose, and changed also had content Junior Theater Performance Major the name from “Tunwarnings at the nel of Oppression” to ent ra nce, a nd “Rooms of Reality.” there were two designated safe spaces for “The Tunnel of Oppression has participants to decompress if needed. some negative connotations because once Delaney also said The Hub reached you got into that space in the old pro- out to learn more about the event gram, you weren’t able to leave if you got so they could be better prepared to overwhelmed,” Delaney said. “However, support students. Julia has done a lot of intentional work “They also wanted to just raise awarewith campus partners to make it so that ness of the concerns that they had also [there’s] spaces where students can enter heard, and so they were really great camand exit at their own comfortability.” pus partners and wanting to reach out to Goren, a senior sociology major from us and just made sure that we were aware Highridge, Missouri, said she hoped the and helped to support us in any way that event would be engaging and eye-open- we needed,” Delaney said. ing. She said the concerns about retrauDelaney said the goal of the event matization were addressed by providing is to provide opportunities for students resource guides at the exit with the Crisis to reflect about a personal privilege that
Presentation on ‘Changing Face of Autism’ brings author and Yale psychologist to SIUE GABRIEL BRADY managing editor
comes a problem for some adults.” Volkmar said these underdiagnoses sometimes reveal interesting arA Yale professor and author of the eas of research in the field. An example section on autism in the fourth Diagnostic of this came from the work of Susan and Statistical Manual of Mental Disor- White, a professor of psychology at the ders — a handbook for psychologists and University of Alabama and a former psychiatrists for diagnosing mental disor- student of Volkmar’s. “She said ‘Okay, I’m going to give ders — spoke about how understanding of my students two different grading instruautism has changed over time last week. The psychology department wel- ments for autism.’ One was a little more comed Dr. Fred Volkmar, a professor of categorical, and one was a little more dichild psychiatry, pediatrics and psychol- mensional,” Volkmar said. “She found ogy at Yale. Volkmar spoke on how the that about 1 percent of her class qualified world of child psychology and psychia- for an autism diagnosis on these instrutry have changed over time in relation to ments but never had a label. She interviewed these students, and contheir understandings of autism firmed it. They did. But they spectrum disorders. had not needed a label, because The presentation was introthey were doing just fine, thank duced by professor of psycholyou very much.” ogy Jeremy Jewell, who listed Volkmar said individuals Volkmar’s many achievements in with autism spectrum disorders his field, including work on the are seven times more likely to DSM-IV. be involved in crimes, which is “He is the primary author in large part due to members of of the DSM-IV’s Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disor- Photo courtesy law enforcement being unaware of how to interact with someders section, the whole section, of Yale one with a more severe case of which is quite an accomplish- Univerisity autism spectrum disorder. A ment,” Jewell said. Volkmar said a large issue with how book, titled “Handbook of Autism Specpsychologists, psychiatrists and society trum Disorder and the Law” which Volkas a whole approach autism lies in the mar edited, focuses heavily on this. “The preface is written by a fedway that autism is diagnosed. Volkmar also said the current systems of diag- eral appeals court judge, Judge Jonosing autism spectrum disorder often seph Greenway, who I know very well,” Volkmar said. “There’s a whole host of neglects specific demographics. “Issues come out especially around things [that can contribute to someone gender, and culture, and also race and with an autism spectrum disorder beethnicity. Underdiagnosis in certain pop- coming involved in crime], mocking, ulations, as a whole, is a crazy business, victimization, bullying.” Austin Connor, a senior in psycholobut the gender issue specifically is very complicated,” Volkmar said. “This be- gy, was in attendance, and he said he was
interested in patients with comorbidities, or multiple mental disorders, and their altercations with the law. “What he was describing … was reminiscent of issues that could arise with conduct disorder, although it is still obviously different,” Connor said. I was wondering if there was a connection there but it still seems to be pretty independent from each other.” Although the DSM-IV was released in the late 1990s, the DSM-V was released in 2013. A big change in the DSM-V was to change autism spectrum disorder into autism spectrum disorders. The new definition combines disorders like Asperger’s syndrome and childhood disintegrative disorder into part of autism spectrum disorders as a whole, and are no longer separate diagnoses. Volkmar said the DSM-V included some important updates to the definition and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders. “There are some things about the new definition that are very good. I would like to point out that even though it says autism spectrum disorders, that’s important,” Volkmar said. “It needs to be more plural … The problem is, some parts of the definition don’t quite reflect that, and that’s the bad news. ” Although Connor was required to attend the presentation because of a course, he said he would most likely have attended regardless. “It was mandatory, but I probably would have come anyway,” Connor said. “I have family with autism, so I’m pretty interested. I don’t think I’ll specialize in it, but I’ve obviously got some personal interest in it, and this presentation definitely increased that interest.”
PAGE 3
they experience. “I think that’s also if they get to hear it through the narratives of stories that are shared from their peers, which creates a better connection, and so I think the goal overall is to just bring a better understanding of how everyone has very different lived experiences that are impacted by their identities,” Delaney said. w“I thought that it was effective at just communicating the experiences of people who are considered to be the ‘other.’ And when I found out that it was coming back here after being on a few years’ hiatus, I had to jump on their facility of trying to help in any way that I could,” Caldwell-Day said. Caldwell-Day said by looking up the Tunnel of Oppression on YouTube, one of the first results is a video from SIUC, which is more intense and aggressive, and not an accurate depiction of what he has experienced. “I’m really disappointed that there was a miscommunication. I feel like this is a good opportunity to call people in instead of calling people out, like, ‘Hey, you may be biased and you don’t even know it,’ like you may have said some of these things, not realizing that they’re offensive,” Caldwell-Day said. “I know I’ve definitely been on the receiving end of some of those things, and they’re your friends and they say these things.”
HOUSING | cover faces too. Crochrell said she believes that development for all of the people in Edwardsville is not possible when one side of the culture of the city is driving development without as much representation.
ADVOCATES SAY FOCUS SHOULD BE PLACED ON CURRENT RESIDENTS
With all of this in mind, Harvey said he believes that the city needs to focus on the people currently in the city, not building to attract more people. “The people that we need to assist are already here [and] they’re struggling. They may be doubled up [and] working with family or friends or they may be a paycheck away from disaster or they may work in Edwardsville [or] they may have grown up in Edwardsville [and] can no longer afford to live here,” Harvey said. Harvey said the issue of helping to solve the problems lies in people not wanting to see them. “I think people hold on to ideas of the meritocracy that if people cannot afford housing, they’ve done something wrong,” Harvey said. Due to the nature of service in Edwardsville, Harvey said he also believes that people need to realize that the service workers of the city are what allow them to enjoy the services they spend so much money on. “I think that the problems are gonna be ‘not in my backyard,’ which partly comes from people believing that the people we’re talking about are gonna get something for nothing and that they’re undeserving,” Harvey said. Harvey said he also believes that people don’t want to look at issues such as the racial wealth gap and take them seriously due to the mentality of people not understanding a lack of wealth. “I don’t think you should ever underestimate the role of race in America’s idea of who’s worthwhile and who’s in and who’s out and who’s normal,” Harvey said.
NEXT WEEK: DRAG TRIVIA AT METCALF
PAGE 4
lifestyles alestlelive.com
contact the editor: lifestyles@alestlelive.com 650-3527 Thursday, 04.21.22
Student Association hosts first Fast-a-thon for Ramadan FRANCESCA BOSTON reporter The Muslim Student Association is hosting a Fast-a-thon Dinner, where both Muslim and non-Muslim students are invited to break fast together. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk, consuming no food or water during daylight hours, and break their fast with Iftar, a meal at the end of the day. Junior Rahmat Salau, an accounting major from Lagos, Nigeria, said the Fast-athon is an event that takes place on college campuses across the country. She said the idea behind the event is to help educate people about Ramadan and spread awareness about fasting. “We encourage people in the community to try fasting with us for one day and then break their fast with us at the Iftar dinner at the end of the day. The idea is to educate people on why Muslims fast and [more on] our culture,” Salau said. Salau said the event will include
booths where people can learn more about Islamic culture. She said one of the main attractions is the henna booth. Henna is a type of temporary tattoo, as Muslims are not allowed to make permanent changes to their bodies, according to Salau. “Across different cultures and different members of different countries, [henna is] something that all Muslims find in common, we do henna before any celebration,” Salau said. Sophomore Rawan Hamed, an undeclared major from St. Louis, said that while Muslims fast from food and water, many also fast from music, negativity, or any pleasure that is not needed to survive. “Maybe other people don’t have access to [those things]. In my opinion, [Ramadan] humbles me, and it makes me more grateful for the simple pleasures in life,” Hamed said. Salau said the event will start before the meal is served, so the organization can host a Jeopardy-like quiz with Islamic trivia questions. She said there will be a speak-
er who will talk on the importance of Ramadan and how to take the lessons learned during Ramadan into the rest of the year, before praying prior to breaking fast. “When it’s time to break our fast after sunset, we break our fast by drinking water and [eating] dates, just for a short period,” Salau said. “Then we pray before having our big meal, so that’s why our flyer says dinner starts at [8 p.m.] because that’s when we have an actual dinner.” Junior Fareedah Balogun, a nursing major from Lagos, Nigeria, said that while many parts of Ramadan are the same around the world, the food is different among cultures, as well as how families gather to break their fast differs from place to place. Balogun said that she typically will eat a larger meal before sunrise, while Salau said she often eats more in the evening. “It’s been a while since I celebrated Ramadan in my family but if I was with my family I would say my favorite part is definitely just waking up in the morning and just having that breakfast with everyone,”
Balogun said. Salau said she hopes the event showcases that Ramadan is not just a time of fasting, but a time to learn, a time to take a look at one’s life and where one may have fallen short. “I just want to see everybody come together and have a good time and highlight the importance of Ramadan is not just to deprive ourselves, it is to curb ourselves from other vices,” Salau said. “It’s kind of a way where you’re supposed to be a good Muslim all the time, but during Ramadan, that’s when you really focus on bettering [yourself] for the whole year.” Hamed said she looks forward to the holiday every year and finds it to be a very humbling period for her. “You benefit from fasting because it humbles you, and it makes you more gracious [for everything],” Hamed said. The Fast-a-thon will be from 6:308:30 p.m. on April 22 in the Student Fitness Center. The event is free and an RSVP can be made on GetInvolved.
then in the blink of an eye, everything can change.” Senior Savannah Millspaugh, a psychology major from Springfield, Illinois, is the stage manager for “Rent.” She said the show is not the average musical, as it contains very few blackouts and nearly no spoken dialogue. She said this brings an intensity to the show, which she loves even if it can be technically difficult to accomplish. “The message that it conveys, especially for the entire cast, the grief of seeing [a] partner going through something like that,” Millspaugh said. Ludwig said that the role of Angel helps sum up the show for him. The character is able to live fearlessly and be who she is meant to be, which really inspires Ludwig as he connects with the character of Angel on several levels. “It means a role that is all about love and kindness and being fearless even when you know you have a time limit. A true expression [of] awareness of gender or sexuality, being able to be fearless,” Ludwig said. Millspaugh said the show is diverse, not only in race but in many other ways
as well. She said the cast and crew includes freshmen to seniors, as well as a faculty member in the ensemble, and many of the cast and crew identify as LGBTQ+. “We have diversity in so many different ways. One of our cast members called it ‘a little queer family,’” Millspaugh said. Taylor Cross, a program coordinator for IMPACT Academy, is part of the female ensemble for the show and the only faculty
member in the show. She said she is honored to be a part of the show and that to her the show invokes conflicting emotions. “When I think of ‘Rent,’ I think of community, happiness [and] sadness,” Cross said. “Rent” will open at 7:30 p.m. on April 20 in Dunham Hall Theater and will run until April 24. For more information, visit the SIUE Theater Department website.
Campus production of ‘Rent’ is ‘heartbreakingly raw’ FRANCESCA BOSTON reporter The final show of the academic year will put a spotlight on the HIV/AIDS pandemic, as SIUE Theater and Dance performs the Broadway hit “Rent.” Director Marc Schapman, an assistant voice professor, said he wanted to honor those who died in the AIDS epidemic and for the cast to have an understanding of the real-life impact of AIDS. Before each rehearsal, actors would give a short presentation about someone who either is living with AIDS today or has passed away. The show, written by the late Jonathon Larson, tackles heavy topics such as poverty, HIV/AIDS, drug abuse and relationship conflicts. Junior Max Ludwig, a computer science and Spanish major from Ballwin, Missouri, who plays Angel, a drag queen, said the show is both heartbreaking and joyful. “It’s very raw. It’s a rollercoaster. It’s not sugar-coated at all,” Ludwig said. “It’s a testament to how happy and mindful of color in life everything can be, and
Mimi, played by Ty’Ria Rounds, kisses Roger, played by Joe File, trying to seduce him, but Roger ends up throwing her out. | Francesca Boston / The Alestle
Tom Collins, played by Jack Gulley, carries Angel, played by Max Ludwig, near the end of the show before Angel passes away from HIV/AIDS. | Francesca Boston / The Alestle
alestlelive.com
Thursday, 04.21.22
PAGE 5
Rotaract Club Finishes Semester with Easter Egg Hunt AHMAD LATHAN reporter SIUE’s Rotaract Club Easter egg hunt event helps to finish off the semester as their first large event all school year. The Rotaract Club is an outlet for community service opportunities for students on campus. They connected with the American Research Society to give back with their Easter Egg Hunt, which was held on April 16. Rotaract Club president, Alison Howard, was unable to attend, but other officers stepped up to oversee the event. Katherine Ealey, vice president for the Rotaract Club, said the event helped put funds towards the American Cancer Research Society. “It is a great way to get community service, it is a good community, and you always have people to hang out and have fun with,” Ealey said. Ealey said that there is a lot of work to do with setting these types of events up. “We set up a lot of what we do through connections,” Ealey said. “We had to reserve the town park pavilion and go through the motions with a lot of paperwork.” Izzy O’Day, a junior at Edwardsville High School, said she plans on doing events like these in the future. “When I am older, I can run volunteer opportunities like this and help out by get-
ting hands on deck experience with events,” O’Day said. Cole Simpson, a junior at Edwardsville High School, said he connected with SIUE’s Rotaract Club through his high school’s Interact Club. “It is mainly through volunteer experiences, and I would just connect through that,” Simpson said. Jenna Lercher, who has held the secretary position since November, said that the Rotaract Club plans on doing something like this again next school year. “This is our first Easter event, and we are going to do it next year and we are going to do bigger ones around other holidays,” Lercher said. Lercher said there has been an influx of new members since she joined in October and now they have 15 active members Jessica Lambert, public relations officer, said they have multiple activities for the event, and they have done work with the American Cancer Research Society before.
“We are doing activities like face painting, egg and spoon race, Easter egg hunts, coloring pages and taking pictures,” Lambert said. “This isn’t the only event that we have done for the American Cancer Research Society.” Rotaract Club has multiple sponsors, like SIUE Delta Chi and the Edwardsville YMCA. “One of our prizes today from the event is membership to the YMCA for six months,” Lambert said. “We’re also sponsored by Goshen Rotary, which is the adult version of Rotaract.”
| Graphic by Kirsten O’Loughlin
REVIEW: Wagyu burgers don’t disappoint at Sneaky’s Burger Truck EMILY STERZINGER lifestyles editor You may hear Wagyu and think of impossibly expensive beef, but Sneaky’s Burger Truck provides an affordable taste of fullblood American Wagyu in one of the best burgers in town. With this being a fairly new food truck, I was curious to see what it was like. I found the truck behind Recess Brewing, and enjoyed the general look of the truck, as well as the lights strung up out front. I went with a simple order: a plain hamburger and tater tots. The tots were pretty good, but clearly not the main focus. I ordered the burger to be as basic as possible to really get to the flavor of the meat, which was the star of the show. At first, I was a little disappointed with one element of the presentation. The patty was a bit small and weirdly shaped. However, that little patty packed quite the punch. The flavor absolutely redeemed the small, lopsided look of the patty, with a delicious, savory meaty taste that managed to avoid being too salty. I truly got the hype behind the rare type of
meat for which Wagyu is famous (no pun intended, the burger was actually cooked medium.) I didn’t really notice the small size of the patty once I was already eating, so I suppose it was enough to get the job done. The bun was great too: a buttered and toasted potato bread bun that provided a certain sweetness to balance the savory flavor of the patty. It was light and soft, but still crispy enough to give it a good balance of texture. Now we have to get to the real question: What’s the price? For just the burger it was $8.49, a pretty reasonable price considering the gourmet quality of the meat. Sure, it’s more expensive than fast food, but as a special occasion burger it was certainly worth the cost. With the tater tots, my total came out to around $11.50 before the tip. In conclusion, if it wasn’t already obvious, this truck is definitely worth stopping by the next time it pops up. It was a simple experience, but the burger was something like I’d never tried before. For more information on Sneaky’s Burger Truck, their menu, schedule, and contact can be found on their website.
| Graphic by Kirsten O’Loughlin, photo by Emily Sterzinger
opinion
NEXT WEEK: NOT EVERY BOOK NEEDS TO HAVE ROMANTIC ELEMENTS
Share your thoughts: opinion@alestlelive.com 650-3527
alestlelive.com
PAGE 6
Thursday, 04.21.22
Cougar
Controversies ALEX AULTMAN Editor-in-Chief
Which account do you like better?
GABRIEL BRADY Managing Editor
EMILY STERZINGER Lifestyles Editor
BRANDON WELLS Sports Editor
JULIANNA BIRKEY ELIZABETH DONALD JANA HAMADE Copy Editors FRANCESCA BOSTON SANGIMA RAI LIV KRAUS AHMAD LATHAN Reporters KIRSTEN O’LOUGHLIN Graphics Manager TAMMY MERRETT Program Director
JIHUN HAN CLAIR SOLLENBERGER Photographers CAMILO ZULUAGA-CAICEDO Advertising Manager UDIT NALUKALA Circulation Manager GWENDALYN ECKERTY AMINA SEHIC Office Clerks ANGIE TROUT Office Manager
HAVE A COMMENT? Let us know! opinion@alestlelive.com Campus Box 1167 Edwardsville, IL. 62026-1167 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY:
The editors, staff and publishers of The Alestle believe in the free exchange of ideas, concerns and opinions and will publish as many letters as possible. Letters may be submitted at The Alestle office: Morris University Center, Room 0311 e-mail: opinion@alestlelive.com All hard copy letters should be typed and double-spaced. Letters should be no longer than 500 words. Include phone number, signature, class rank and major. We reserve the right to edit letter for grammar and content. Care will be taken to ensure that the letter’s message is not lost or altered. Letters to the editor will not be printed anonymously except under extreme circumstances. We reserve the right to reject letters.
The name Alestle is an acronym derived from the names of the three campus locations of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville: Alton, East St. Louis and Edwardsville. The Alestle is published on Thursdays in print and on Tuesdays online during the fall and spring semesters. A print edition is available every other Wednesday during summer semesters. For more information, call 618-650-3528. For advertising, email advertising@alestlelive.com.
SIUE Geese
60%
40%
Questions go up at 10 a.m. every Monday on Twitter: @TheAlestle
view
DAMIAN MORRIS Opinion Editor
NICOLE BOYD Online Editor
SIUE Bulletin
Colleges shouldn’t be run like businesses
THE ALESTLE STAFF editorial board
It is impossible to survive under capitalism without participating in it in some way, but running universities like businesses harms students, faculty and staff alike. Between 1980 and 2019, the cost of attendance has increased by 169 percent while the earnings of those exiting college has only increased by 19 percent according to a Georgetown University study. Working while attending college has become a necessity rather than a choice. This decreases students’ time available to focus on their studies and the stress from balancing work and school can impact their grades. It also diminishes the time students have to spend on their social life, which can deprive them of forming the life-long friendships for which college is known.
Tuition and fees aren’t the only thing students have to worry about paying. According to a Forbes article, one third of college students have experienced food insecurity in the last 30 days. More colleges have started housing food pantries on campus, like SIUE’s Cougar Cupboard, but they only go so far. The effects of this rising cost of attendance are felt long after students graduate due to student loan debt. According to a Forbes article, 57 percent of students in Illinois graduate with loan debt. Due to interest and other predatory elements of loans, people often pay significantly more than they originally borrowed. This also limits their financial capabilities after college. Furher, college athletics programs are being funded much more generously than other departments that could use more attention. College football coach-
es are the highest paid public employees in 40 states according to a USA Today article. Many of these coaches make seven figures to maintain award-winning teams. There are far more important things at these universities that could be funded if their coaches received a reasonable salary. Running colleges as businesses also results in the exploitation of faculty and staff. We have had instructors who have to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. SIUE is currently experiencing a shortage of advisers due to low wages. At SIU Carbondale in 2018, administrators tried to recruit alumni with advanced degrees to become “zero-time adjuncts,” which means they would be teaching undergraduate and graduate classes for free. The time and labor of our educators and mentors are not valued when universities adopt business practices and try to cut corners to lower
their bottom line. However, not all of this is the fault of universities. States have made significant cuts to higher education funding in the last decade, according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. Due to less state funding, public universities have had to rely more on tuition and fees, which puts the financial burden on the students. Federal and state governments should provide more funding to education to prevent these issues. Universities also need to make an effort to obtain and use their funding in an ethical way. All faculty and staff at universities should make a living wage at minimum. Students shouldn’t be in ridiculous amounts of debt or have to choose between school supplies and their next meal. The cost of our education should not be increasing at such high rates without the quality of education increasing alongside it.
creating the laws, why is another branch responsible for determining their true meaning? When looking more thoroughly at the Supreme Court, the issues multiply. In the journalistic world, it is almost always frowned upon to cover a story where the writer has a personal connection. If the reporter has a family member who organized the event they’re covering, or if they are an active member of an organization, they are typically not allowed to cover it. This rule is in place so journalists don’t have clouded judgment when covering a story, or don’t lean one way or another when writing. There is no rule in place for this in the Supreme Court, but there is a push for rules like this and an ethics code for the court from the organization Fix the Court. A prime example of the Supreme Court having a conflict of interest is on display right now. Behind all the news about the newest addition to the Supreme
Court, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, there are a few stories about Justice Clarence Thomas’s wife, Ginni Thomas. Ginni Thomas was present on Jan. 6, 2021 when rioters stormed the capitol building. Although Ginni Thomas had allegedly left the protest before it became violent, her mere presence there makes any ruling the Supreme Court makes regarding Jan. 6 immediately appear more biased. But, looking back at the bigger piece of Supreme Court news, Jackson being appointed has led to a slew of headlines referring to her as a “win for progressives.” Although I consider myself a progressive, I will say the fact that the political leanings of a justice of the court matters so much to the public is an outrage, even in this case. Although the Supreme Court is meant to have the non-biased, non-partisan final say in all laws passed in the U.S., that is blatantly untrue and frankly impossible.
There are entire articles written about the political leanings and stances of the justices of the court — and every time there’s a vacancy on the court, the main point of discussion is almost always about what political stance the incoming judge will have. One of the reasons for this political polarization of the court, according to Fix The Court, is the life-long terms they serve. Presidents are tasked with nominating new members of the court, and the legislative are in charge of confirming those nominations. Now more than ever, presidents are trying to find judges that are both very young (to ensure a longer term) and incredibly ideological (to ensure justices on the court act as the appointers want). There is an important purpose to the Supreme Court. After all, in actual legal cases, there needs to be someone with a final say. But with how the court has been functioning and continues to function, it needs to change.
The Supreme Court is due for major reform GABRIEL BRADY managing editor
In almost every American civics class, students are told there are three branches of government: the executive, the legislative and the judicial. However, in my own studies, I have come to find that the third branch is almost completely unnecessary and should ideally be reinvented. The basic ways these branches work, according to said civics classes, is the legislative branch creates laws, the executive branch enforces laws and the judicial branch evaluates them. These are simplified versions of what they do, but even using these simplified concepts, there are obvious flaws. The creation of laws is necessary to create a society and, in turn, a state. In order for these laws to function properly at any level, you need to enforce them. This is the job of the legislative branch and the executive branch, respectively. If the legislative branch is
alestlelive.com
Thursday, 04.21.22
PAGE 7
ALESTLE CLASSIFIEDS MORE GIVE YOU
Place your classified ad at a convenient time for you using our easy and secure online interface:
alestlelive.com/classifieds DEADLINES By noon Monday for Thursday issue or any time for Online. HAVING TROUBLE? Call (618) 650-3528 or email classifieds@alestlelive.com ALESTLE OFFICE HOURS MUC 0311 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday
ea v a h U O DoY
?
Submit your ideas & news tips:
alestlelive.com
follow the alestle See you on the Internet!
@alestlelive
@TheAlestle
@Online Editor Alestle
@thealestle
sports
contact the editor: sports@alestlelive.com 650-3527
NEXT WEEK: SIUE’S TIM HALL APPOINTED TO NCAA SOFTBALL COMMITTEE
alestlelive.com
Page 8
Thursday, 04.21.22
Shutout match ensures women’s tennis will move on to OVC championship FRANCESCA BOSTON reporter SIUE Tennis will be playing in the Ohio Valley Conference championship for the first time since 2017 after winning their match against Tennessee State. SIUE earned a point before the matches even began, as Tennessee State did not have enough players for the number 6 single spot. The double point was quickly earned, giving SIUE a 2-0 lead going into singles play. All the players won their matches, with sophomore Jordan Schifano from Cedarburg, Wisconsin, and redshirt junior Maria Thibault, from Peachtree Corners, Georgia, scoring 6-0 in their respective matches. SIUE earned 7 points total, giving the team the win with a final score of 7-0. Head Coach Adam Albertsen said that after losing to Belmont 3-4 in a close match the day before, the team came in with the new mindset of a “new season.” “We have two home matches left and then hopefully the postseason Ohio Valley Conference tournament,” Albertsen said. “Our mindset was — today
started a new season. This was in our mind — round one and it went well.” Albertsen said he is excited about the team coming back from the loss against Belmont with the win and hopes they keep working hard. “Really excited about the team bouncing back today, grabbing a win, and looking forward to [moving] forward,” Albertsen said. The team will play against Eastern Illinois University on Senior Day at 1 p.m. on April 22, at SIUE. The Cougars won their last match against EIU in 2021 at 7-0. EIU is a team that the Cougars have faced multiple times, maintining a 8-6 streak in favor EIU for wins to losses, but the 2021 season was the highest they have ever scored. Their second highest scoring game against EIU happened in the 2016-2017 season when they won by five points with a 6-1 ending score. The Cougars have maintained an average score of 3.5 points. The team will then be playing in the OVC Championship Quarterfinals in Evansville on April 29.
SIUE STANDINGS Softball
OVERALL OVC
SIUE Murray State UT Martin Belmont Tennessee Tech Southeast Missouri Austin Peay Eastern Illinois Morehead State Tennessee State
14-26 30-11 25-12 22-11 26-14 21-17 21-20 21-23 5-27 12-31
Baseball
OVERALL OVC
SIUE Belmont Austin Peay Southeast Missouri Tennessee Tech UT Martin Morehead State Eastern Illinois Murray State
15-18 23-13 14-22 24-10 20-13 8-24 16-19 25-9 18-17
Women’s Tennis OVERALL OVC
Murray State Belmont Austin Peay SIUE UT Martin Eastern Illinois Southeast Missouri Tennessee State
10-9 12-7 9-5 15-4 3-15 3-17 13-6 0-13
All stats are from the OVC
Redshirt junior Vanessa Reinicke of Berlin, Germany, readies her stance to return a volley. | Francesca Boston / The Alestle
UPCOMING Baseball at SIUE vs. Austin Peay 5 p.m., April 22
OVC WOMEN’S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP RECORDS QUARTER FINALS Opponent
Years
Avg.
Highs
Austin Peay
1991 - 2022
3-4
7-7
Armstrong State University
1992 - 1993
3-6
4-7
Bellarmine University
1995 - 2008
5-2
9-7
Delta State University
2001 - 2001
0-9
0-9
Drury University
2005 - 2008
1-8
2-9
Christoper Newport University
2006 - 2006
0-9
0-9
Coe College
2007 - 2008
4-6
4-6
Chicago State University
2007 - 2022
5-2
7-5
Cleveland State University
2008 - 2008
1-6
1-6
Bradley University
2009 - 2022
3-4
6-7
Drake
2012 - 2019
2-4
5-7
Belmont
2013 - 2022
4-3
6-5
California State University at Fullerton
2015 - 2015
2-5
2-5
Butler University
2015 - 2021
5-2
7-4
Alabama A&M
2020 - 2020
4-0
4-0
Women’s Tennis at SIUE vs. Eastern Illinois 1 p.m., April 22 Softball at SIUE UT Martin 4 p.m., April 23 Women’s Soccer at SIUE vs. Saint Louis 5 p.m., April 23 Men’s Soccer at SIUE vs. Illinois Springfield 1 p.m., April 23