THE
alestle
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
the student voice since 1960
Wednesday, June 29, 2022 Vol. 75 No. 33
insidE: Where to find local cooling centers PAGE 3
Glen Carbon celebrates 130th anniversary PAGE 5
Ways to exercise without leaving home PAGE 8
Pridefest returned to St. Louis for the first time since 2019, and despite the rain, continued to bring in a massive crowd to the parade. | Damian Morris / The Alestle
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BY THE NUMBERS / COVID-19 AT SIUE, SUMMER 2022 New confirmed positive cases (from tests conducted by SIUE and self-reporting):
Tests conducted by SIUE:
June 11 - June 17: 10 students, 13 faculty/staff
June 11 - June 17: 268
June 18 - June 24: 3 students, 11 faculty/staff
June 18 - June 24: 238
14-Day New Positive Cases: 13 students, 24 faculty/staff
14-Day New Tests Conducted: 506
All prior weeks positive tests: (May 14 - June 24): 37 students, 61 faculty/staff
All prior weeks tests conducted: May 14 - June 24: 1,424
Total active positive cases: 7 students 15 faculty/staff
Positive cases identified by SIUE testing: June 11 - June 17: 9 June 18 - June 24: 9
14-day new positive cases: 18
All prior weeks positive cases: May 14 - June 24: 50
MADISON COUNTY DAY BY DAY:
Positivity Rate (as of April 19): 3.561%
200 150 100
Percentage of isolation/quarantine space available on campus (as of June 27): 100%
50
Source: Health, Reporting, and Testing page on SIUE’s
0
JUNE 20 JUNE 21
JUNE 22
JUNE 23 JUNE 24 JUNE 25 JUNE 26 JUNE 27
COVID-19 website, as of June 27.
New Woodland parking lot, Health Service building in upcoming campus construction LIV KRAUS reporter
With many students gone for summer break, SIUE’s campus construction continues to improve the university by adding and renovating buildings and parking lots across the campus. Craig Holan, director of Facilities Management, said there’s lots of upcoming construction at SIUE being planned over the summer. He said the summer months offer great opportunities to get certain projects completed since there’s often less people on campus “We typically try to schedule as much as possible during the summer months. Some of it just has to do when we can get the plan sets done,” Holan said. “If it’s an area specifically where there’d be lots of conflict, we try to schedule those for times where there’s less students on campus.” Holan said when determining which projects to get started on first, they maintain a priority list that is updated every year. He said a large factor that plays into deciding what to work on is funding and the environment around campus. “We have the 21st Century Program, which is the student-funded fee for the facilities to renovate the core campus buildings,” Holan said. “We just completed Founders Hall two years ago and we’re currently working on Rendleman Hall, but it won’t be ready for about another two years, so we’ll start construction on that.” Roberto Canessa, campus architect, said SIUE is working on restoring the six core buildings on campus that were originally built in the 1960s as part of the 21st Century Program. “Although we’ve taken good care of them and they’re in excellent shape, they still need to be upgraded to present-day codes for safety and other issues,” Canessa said. Holan said one of the larger upcoming projects is building the Health Service complex. He said they are currently in the midst of hiring a contractor. “That process is ongoing and that will be located over at the corner of South University and Berkshire Park Drive,” Holan said. “Our intent is to have some-
Wednesday, 06.29.22
NEWS IN BRIEF New leadership for College of Arts and Sciences
Tisha Brooks is the newly-selected interim associate dean for the College of Arts and Sciences. Brooks has been employed at SIUE since 2013 and was promoted to associate professor when she earned tenure in 2019. Brooks was also chair of the Department of English Language and Literature in 2020. While chair, she helped expand programs such as Females of African-Descent Modeling Excellence and Goal-Oriented African-American Men Excel. Brooks was selected by Kevin Leonard, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. She will also lead the College of Arts and Sciences Committee on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion which will begin its work in the Fall of 2022. Brooks will assume the position of interim associate dean on July 1.
06.13.22
Officer responded to an active carbon monoxide detector alarm in the Cougar Lake Apartments. Edwardsville FD was dispatched and gas was shut off to the buildings. Housing engineer was notified.
06.14.22
Officer took a report of a sign being stolen from a bathroom in the Engineering Building. Officer also noted there was a menstrual product bag and a menstrual product thrown in the urinal.
06.16.22
A debit card was found in Rendleman Hall. Officer responded to a welfare check on a student. Officer noted contact was made with subject and subject did not need police assistance.
Woodland Hall, pictured here, has a parking lot currently. However, it’s noticeably far from the building itself. | Clair Sollenberger / The Alestle one on board by October and then they’ll have a start-up period, so construction won’t actually start until later next year.” Canessa said campus construction will begin building the Health Service complex in spring 2023. He said this will be a large state-funded project, costing approximately $105 million. “It’s going to accommodate the nursing program and pharmacy and some other smaller areas,” Canessa said. “It’s perfect because those two departments are the ones that are experiencing the most growth in the university.” Canessa said the Health Service Complex will be located between the Fuller Dome and Parking Lot B. He said he is hopeful that it will look nice and become a core building for the university. “It’s an exciting project because it’s going to be a gateway to the university coming from both the south and the north ends,” Canessa said. Holan said they will also go forward with renovating and expanding the greenhouse by Science West.
“They’re just finishing up the plans now,” Holan said. “That will go out to bid this summer so it’s possible that some construction might start late summer but probably more into the fall.” Holan said a project that will be completed this summer is the new parking lot being built between Woodland and Prairie Halls. Canessa said the new parking lot will be helpful for students because it is closer to the dorms. He said this project will be done by the middle of August at the latest. “It’s going to replace the parking lot presently used by Woodland Hall students across the street because the lot that they’re using now will go to the new building,” Canessa said. “It will work as a set up for the contractors for when they start construction, but once they finish the building they will be finished with the parking lot and it will be available for the new Health Service building.” For more information, visit the Facilities Management website.
Officer responded to a report of a suspicious person in Peck Hall. Officer located subject and a city ordinance for trespassing was issued to them.
06.17.22
Officer received report of damage to an SIUE sign near Stadium Drive and Whiteside Road.
06.22.22
Officer responded to reports of spiders on multiple vehicles in Parking Lot E.
06.25.22
Officer responded to a report of a suspicious odor of natural gas. Edwardsville Fire Department responded and noted there was a small gas leak outside of the apartment, but the building was safe to be occupied. Housing was notified to fix the leak.
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Edwardsville cooling shelters to help beat the heat Edwardsville has opened up cooling shelters around the city to offer people places to reside during the brutal heat waves.
Edwardsville Public Library 112 S. Kansas St. Edwardsville, IL, 62025 (618) 692-7556 Mondays - Thursdays: 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. Fridays: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturdays: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sundays: 1-5 p.m.
Main Street Community Center 1003 N. Main St. Edwardsville, IL, 62025 (618) 656-0300 Mondays - Fridays: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
YMCA Meyer Center
YMCA Niebur Center
7348 Goshen Rd. Edwardsville, IL, 62025 (618) 655-1460
1200 Esic Dr. Edwardsville, IL, 62025 (618) 656-0436
Mondays - Fridays: 5 a.m. - 9 p.m. Saturdays: 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sundays: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Mondays - Fridays: 5 a.m. - 9 p.m. Saturdays: 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sundays: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Content: Liv Kraus / Design: Kirsten O’Loughlin
Engineering students compete with self-built car in Tennessee LIV KRAUS reporter
Students from SIUE’s School of Engineering competed at Baja Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Tennessee Tech in a variety of categories with the car they built themselves, the Cougar Baja. The team placed 3rd in Overall Dynamic Events. Matthew Buchholz, senior engineering student from St. Charles, Missouri, said this was the team’s first year competing in the Baja SAE. Due to COVID-19, the Baja SAE was not held for a few years. “We hadn’t been to a competition other than the singular non-sanctioned event, so it was a bit of a new experience,” Buchholz said. “Personally, I hadn’t done any off-road type activities in my life before joining the club a couple of years ago so I didn’t really know what to expect from a competition like this.” Samuel Churchill, senior engineering student from Ottawa, Illinois, is the president of the Cougar Baja team. He said the Baja SAE Tennessee Tech is a competition made up of around 90 teams from different universities who compete against each other in things like suspension and handling, acceleration, braking, maneuverability and endurance. “The Baja cars are engineered cars from each team and we build them all or we put them together and then we see who has the better design,” Churchill said. “It’s really about design and we did pretty well in this competition.” Buchholz said the team received the rulebook for the competition in August and worked on the Cougar Baja throughout the rest of the year. Churchill said the team started building the Cougar Baja by designing the frame, the core of the car that everything else attaches to. He said they used a 3D modeling software to simulate different forces on each piece of tubing. “We all discuss possible design changes, any major changes we might want to make, go for any new concepts or anything like that and then once we get an idea of the design that we want, we actually design it to make it practical and then build it throughout the year and race it,” Buchholz said.
Photo courtesy of SIUE School of Engineering Twitter
Buchholz said the team working Buchholz said the next part of the on the Cougar Baja was small com- tech inspection was checking the frame pared to some of of the car to make the other teams sure it was the way that competed. it should be accord“I know a lot ing to the rules. He of larger teams have said the last part of different subgroups the inspection was that do different about going through parts on the car all the other compoand to a degree we nents of the car. have that, but it’s a Buchholz said small enough team there’s a few statthat we can all work ic events throughon everything and out this compeknow what’s gotition that the ing on with every team competed in. component of the “You have your car,” Buchholz said. design presentation B u c h h o l z where you present said the compeSamuel Chruchill your overall design tition started on Senior in Engineering and president choices to judges May 12 with a of the Cougar Baja Team on why you chose tech inspection. what you chose to “They check do when designyour engine to make sure that it’s running at the right RPM,” ing the car,” Buchholz said. “You have Buchholz said. “Certain teams have a cost prototype analysis where you higher and lower RPMs and different present how much the car costs, adding up everything that costs different advantages there.”
“
The Baja cars are engineered cars from each team and we build them all or we put them together and then we see who has the better design.”
amounts, and you can be adjusted if they don’t believe that total cost of the car is correct.” Buchholz said the last static event was the sales presentation, where each team had to create an arbitrary company where they theoretically built thousands of their cars and presented their sales strategies to the judges. “On Sunday is the main endurance event where you have a four hour race with all the cars driving at the same time on the same course and you try to get as many laps in the four hours as you can,” Buchholz said. “If you break your car, you gotta fix it and go back out as quickly as you can.” Churchill said the endurance race was where the team realized how good they were performing. He said he feels the team did really well overall and was pleased with the results. “Our goal is to do even better next year and we’re pretty confident that we can,” Churchill said. For more information on the Cougar Baja, visit their Facebook page.
NEXT WEEK: CELEBRATE THE FOURTH WITH FIREWORKS PAGE 4
lifestyles alestlelive.com
contact the editor: lifestyles@alestlelive.com 650-3527 Wednesday, 06.29.22
JewelRide promotes literacy and physical activity with reading challenge NICOLE BOYD opinion editor In the hopes of getting kids excited about reading and physical activity, JewelRide is collaborating with the Edwardsville Public Library to host the Books for Bikes summer reading challenge. Tapiwa Mupereki, co-founder and CEO of JewelRide, a local nonemergency medical transportation business supported by the Small Business Development Center, said as a community business, they have a responsibility to commit to the betterment of their community. He said literacy is important to him because while growing up in a rural village, he was raised by a single mother who did not receive an education. “She couldn’t have any professional jobs or any good opportunities in this society, so she was just doing any jobs that she could do, like washing people’s clothes or cleaning houses. She realized that those people who had been to school or who were reading books had better lives and so she was really, really an inspiration to me,” Mupereki said. “Just embracing the idea of reading books so I [could] embrace the idea that books are really critical.” Mupereki is a pharmacist and his wife is a pediatrician, which he said inspired the idea for JewelRide. He said about 5 million people in the U.S. miss medical appointments due to not having access to transportation, which is a failure by the healthcare system. He said their occupations also inspired the idea for the reading challenge. “[My wife is] very much into promoting literacy programs and also promoting healthy lifestyles and even me as a pharmacist, we also promote that; [we] want people to lead healthy lifestyles,” Mupereki said.
Claudio Schwarz via Unplash
Megan Prueter, head librarian of youth services, said the surface goal of the challenge is for children to read up to 20 books, each book being an entry for a bike. She said children are not required to read books at a certain reading level, because as a librarian, she just wants to see kids read. “Really the goal with having this challenge, it’s just to get kids excited about reading during the summer and providing some incentives for them to want to read, and possibly win a bike,” Prueter said. Prueter said bikes make a good incentive because they provide a sort of freedom to children. “One of those childhood experiences like learning how to ride a bike, riding a bike around our neighborhood … just being able to have that kind of freedom to have your own mode of transportation sounds very exciting to me,” Prueter said.
Jo Ann Di Maggio May, director of the Small Business Development Center, said the SBDC supports JewelRide with things such as marketing, social media, business plan development and HR support. She said as supporters of JewelRide, they’ve been promoting the reading challenge by writing and posting an article about it. “Giving away these bikes is going to ensure that they stay active, and it’s a winwin. He is able to get JewelRide’s name out there and do a lot of good for the youth here in Edwardsville,” Di Maggio May said. Di Maggio May said she is happy to see all of the hard work that Mupereki and his wife have put into the company. “They’re very dedicated to their employees and the community and it just really shows through this partnership with the public library,” Di Maggio May said.
Follow these four tips to avoid overheating this summer EMILY STERZINGER editor-in-chief
Watch out for midday heat: Though afternoons are usually hotter than the middle of the day, the direct sun exposure you get when the sun is overhead can lead to worse sunburns. So if possible, try to stay inside during midday.
Wear lots of sunscreen: Sure, this is important to stay safe in the summer sun, but it’s also important for staying cool. Sunburns can lead to poor body temperature regulation, so sunscreen is useful for more than just preventing redness.
Spicy Food: This may sound counterproductive, but spicy food actually helps you cool down more in the summer. This is because it makes you produce more sweat, which when evaporated, cools you down. Plus, spicy food tastes great, so it’s a win-win.
Stay in cool areas: This is pretty obvious, but it’s important to be inside in air-conditioned areas when possible during high temperatures. If your living situation lacks A/C you can also rely on a larger fan, or head to a nearby cooling center, which you can find in this issue, to stay cool.
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Wildey Theatre hosts music, movies and more this summer EMILY STERZINGER editor-in-chief
If you’re looking for something to do this summer, Wildey Theatre has several events going on throughout the summer for people of all ages.
A Little Princess Wildey $3 Movie Tuesday JUNE 28
The 1995 family drama “A Little Princess” is a riches-to-rags story of a little girl, Sara Crewe, born to an aristocrat. When her father volunters to fight in World War I, she is sent to an all-girls boarding school, misfortune comes to her family after her father is wrongfully pronounced dead.
Leonid and Friends JUNE 29 Viral 11-piece cover band Leonid and Friends will perform hit songs by the rock band Chicago. TAB BENOIT JULY 5 Guitarist and co-owner of the record company Whiskey Bayou Records Tab Benoit will perform a set with simply his guitar, cord, and Category 5 Amplifier. GYPSY 45 year Anniversary of Superjam ‘77 JULY 8 & 9 On the 45 year anniversary of 1977’s Superjam at Busch stadium, Gypsy will perform the set list from their performance then, as well as other music
from their discography.
This will be a tribute performance of more than two hours of Depeche Mode’s greatest hits.
Ana Popovic JULY 14
Dueling Pianos — 90’s Mixtape Show edition AUGUST 12
Five-time Blues Music Awards nominee Ana Popovic will combine blues, jazz, funk and a soulful voice in her performance.
Big Love Fleetwood Mac Tribute JULY 15 & 16
As a throwback to the 90’s, Mike Sondegger and Julie Simpson will host dueling pianos for a fun night of retro music.
Big Love, comprised of various St. Louis musicians, will perform a Fleetwood Mac tribute paying homage to all eras of the band’s discography.
STRANGELOVE - The Depeche Mode Experience AUGUST 5
Comedy Night at the Wildey with “Mr. Showtime” David Scott AUGUST 19
This is a comedy event held by the Guinness World record holder for the longest stand-up comedy show by an individual: Mr. Showtime, also known as David Scott.
Glen Carbon celebrates 130th anniversary of village founding GABE BRADY managing editor
Glen Carbon celebrates 130th anniversary of village founding with homecoming festival. After two years of canceling their homecoming festival due to COVID-19, the village of Glen Carbon, Illinois finally got to bring the event back — and just in time for the village’s 130th anniversary. The festival included carnival rides, plenty of vendors, live music, a parade and even a 5k run on the morning of June 18. Due to the coincidental date, the festival also served as a Father’s day celebration for
Glen Carbon. Romeo Banks, owner of Romeo’s BBQ Cafe in St. Louis, said his business has had a stand at the homecoming festival for many years. “This is my eighth year at the homecoming,” Banks said. “The pandemic held us up, but we’re back in effect now.” Pat Howard said this was her first Glen Carbon Homecoming as a vendor, selling her homemade pork rinds. “I know they hadn’t had the festival in a few years, unfortunately. So this is the first time we’ve been out here,” Howard said. The festival also had a stand from the Glen Carbon Boy Scouts
Troop 1034. Chris Stamp, a scoutmaster with the Boy Scouts, said the festival works as a fundraiser for the troop. “We are selling hot dogs, hamburgers and brats … The boys are going on a trip next summer to the Florida Keys, and they’ll be on a yacht for a week, fishing for their own food and camping on islands,” Stamp said. “It’s kind of an expensive trip, so we’re fundraising to try to get some extra funds. It’s a big, weeklong trip.” Although the Boy Scouts have sold food at the festival before, Stamp said this is the first time they were raising funds for themselves — and on their own. “The Kiwanis asked us to
take over. They didn’t have the time to pull it together,” Stamp said. “Normally, we help them man the stand, but they asked us to go ahead and just do it by ourselves. Usually, the Scouts would just take care of drinks but we’re doing the whole thing this year.” The Boy Scout troop had a very successful time at the festival, according to Stamp. “We got a good amount of business,” Stamp said. ”We actually did a lot better than we projected and ran out of food. We had to run to Sam’s Club. It’s been a good time.” According to Banks, one of the highlights of the festival is the local bands. The first night of the festival welcomed No Diggi-
ty, a St. Louis-based throwback R&B and hip hop cover band. Saturday night brought another band native to St. Louis, The Dirty Muggs. “Friday was good, but the biggest day is the Saturday,” Banks said. “That’s especially true when you’ve got a good band like The Dirty Muggs performing.” Banks said he believes all kinds of barbecued food are a hit with festival crowds, so he always makes sure to bring a variety of options, including wings and sandwhiches. “We’re just trying to give people some fresh barbecue and all sorts of other good barbecued stuff from the Lou,”Banks said.
SIUE’s ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ delivers an immersive performance LIV KRAUS reporter
With great costuming and set design, SIUE’s Theater’s production of “Much Ado About Nothing” creates a unique and timeless adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most well-known plays.
“Much Ado About Nothing,” shows how gossip and deception can bring enemies like Beatrice and Benedick together while also managing to get in the way of young lovers like Hero and Claudio. In the typical fashion of Shakespeare, love is not made easy as the plot contains many twists and turns. This allows room for creativity with the characters and setting, which the
Benedick, played by Joey File (left) finds Beatrice, played by Katie Garrett (right) at the masquerade ball. | Valerie Goldston / The Alestle
director and department chair of theater Chuck Harper delivered. One of the many things that stuck out during the play was the costuming done by Nina Reed, who served as the costume designer for the production, and Emma Hersom, who served as the assistant costumer. The vibrant-colored dresses assigned to each of the female characters in the play helped to differentiate their personalities and bring out their individuality on stage. The red dress on Beatrice helped showcase her boldness while the yellow dress on Hero showed off her optimism. The costumes worked well with the set design done by scenic designer and technical director Roger Speidel and the lighting designed by Theresa Kelly. The combination of set design and costuming on the circular stage made the show feel more immersive, as though taking a look through a time capsule. On the walls and above the stage were signs containing witty puns that referenced the play like “Hold on to your Hero.” This was a fun nod to those familiar with Shakespeare and gave the audience something to look at while waiting for the show to begin or during intermission. The small, circular stage in the Metcalf Theater was decorated with park benches and a large magazine stand. The way the actors utilized these props was comical, making these objects key parts of the play. The show contained an unexpected dance sequence and a brief musical
number at the end, standing out from other adaptations and making the production even more lively. It was a pleasant surprise to see the characters break out into a choreographed dance towards the beginning and it was fun to be able to see how they interacted with one another through their dancing. The singing at the end provided a unique and interesting ending. There were a few moments when certain characters would break the fourth wall by speaking directly to the audience, making it even more entertaining. The cast was a blend of SIUE students and members from the St. Louis theater community. The characters bounced off each other well and brought on an amusing and entertaining performance. The witty dialogue was the most enjoyable part of the play, because it showed each character’s contrasting personality. The whole cast did a phenomenal job of bringing their characters to life, but I was particularly fascinated by the character Beatrice, played by Katie Garrett, senior theater education major from Owensboro, Kentucky. As the character went through a whirlwind of emotions ranging from despise to admiration, I felt immersed in her performance the entire time. Overall, SIUE’s Theater production of “Much Ado About Nothing” was a breath of fresh air and gave a unique spin on a widely-known play. The show ran until June 26 and was a great opportunity to forget about my own worries and laugh at someone else’s problems for a change.
NEXT WEEK: DECLAWING CATS IS WRONG
opinion
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Wednesday, 6.29.22
Cougar
Controversies Sweet Tea or Lemonade?
EMILY STERZINGER Editor-in-Chief
GABRIEL BRADY Managing Editor
FRANCESCA BOSTON Lifestyles Editor
NICOLE BOYD Online Editor
JULIANNA BIRKEY ELIZABETH DONALD JANA HAMADE Copy Editors LIV KRAUS AHMAD LATHAN Reporters KIRSTEN O’LOUGHLIN Graphics Manager
CAMILO ZULUAGA-CAICEDO Advertising Manager UDIT NALUKALA Circulation Manager AMINA SEHIC Office Clerk ANGIE TROUT Office Manager TAMMY MERRETT Program Director
HAVE A COMMENT? Let us know! opinion@alestlelive.com Campus Box 1167 Edwardsville, IL. 62026-1167 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY:
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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.
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BRANDON WELLS Sports Editor
DAMIAN MORRIS Multimedia Editor
Tea
view
Lazy marketing puts profit over health, especially for queer THE ALESTLE STAFF editorial board
Unethical advertising is defined as misrepresenting a product or service in a particular way, with the purpose of manipulating consumers into purchasing said product. This type of advertising can prove difficult to spot to the average customer, considering that today’s campaigns techniques are less ethical than ever before. We take in the content of paid promotions extremely quickly – and since they are everywhere we turn, we do not have time to process the intent and purpose of each one that we come across. It is also clear that companies are very aware of the demographic toward whom they are targeting their products. For example, for years the tobacco and alcohol industries have been called out for gearing their
marketing toward youth, people of color, the LGBTQ+ community and those of lower income. These promotion tactics can include hiring celebrities popular among youth and deliberate packaging such as fun colors and flavors. Alcohol ads often show queer couples, use rainbow packaging and include messages of celebrating uniqueness. People who are younger or who belong to minority groups already deal with a greater chance of mental and physical health disparities, as well as increased societal and peer pressure. This is why companies strategizing them as a target in order to sell more addictive substances only further contribute to their predisposed health complications. Studies show that members of the LGBTQ+ community have higher rates of tobacco and alcohol abuse, and a report from the CDC shows that they
are likely to rely on nicotine around 10 percent more than heterosexuals. They are also more than twice as likely to develop a serious substance use disorder. An estimated 20 to 30 percent of the LGBTQ+ community misues substances, compared to just nine percent of the general population. This is because historically, gay bars and clubs were one of the few accepting spaces that welcomed the community – with alcohol brands beginning to market their drinks specifically toward them in as early as the 1980s. Today, these advertisements have spread to pride parades, being placed strategically and as sponsors of queer TV shows and charities. In 2015, e-cigarette brand ‘blu’ was not afraid to hide that fact either, with their ads describing various freedoms like the freedom to “choose” and “mar-
ry,” with a drag queen promoting the “freedom to inhale.” It is without a doubt that these very deliberate advertising techniques are severely impacting health outcomes of a vulnerable population, with little regard at the hands of the companies who are making billions of dollars regardless of ethics. While it may seem like there is little to be done, organizations at the state level such as departments of health can use their position to spread awareness and educate members of minority groups of the risks and complications that purchasing these products may ensue. Other steps the community can take is fighting for policies that make the purchase of flavored nicotine more difficult, as well as their excess marketing. It shouldn’t be morally acceptable to make your money by preying on people who you know are looking for ways to cope with life’s hardships.
The problem is that this motivation breeds a perpetual state of ignorance on issues rather than coming to an informed opinion on them. Rather than choosing to educate themselves on the subject as a whole, it shows that most people tend to opt for selective exposure — a theory in psychology referring to an individual’s tendency to seek out information that reinforces their pre-existing views and actively avoid information that contradicts them. A recent example showing this selective exposure approach is a documentary published by The Daily Wire called “What Is a Woman?” where American commentator, Matt Walsh, is “attempting to question the logic behind a gender ideology movement.” The documentary could serve as a conversation starter between those on both sides of this debate. Instead, what’s happening is the majority of people choosing to watch the documentary are those whose views already align with Walsh’s and further engrains their position on the subject. Most of
those who have been most publicly critical of the documentary are those who have only watched the trailer and whose views oppose Walsh’s. Although this documentary is marketed as a means to add to the discussion of gender identity and look critically at the debate surrounding it, it’s serving to further the bridge between both sides and polarize their views on the issue. To even begin to solve this division, we have to be willing to have conversations with those who disagree with our views. Even beyond that, we have to be willing to actively listen to their side and come to a full understanding of their views before expressing any disagreement. Active listening is a set of skills that originates in therapy, but has expanded its use in a variety of contexts and is designed to help someone listen to, understand and reflect on what a speaker is saying. According to an article titled, “Active Listening in Peer Interviews: The Influence of Message Paraphrasing on Perceptions of
Listening Skill,” active listening includes a minimum of three elements. First, the listener should nonverbally communicate that they are interested in what the speaker is saying through techniques such as eye contact and nodding to show understanding and engagement with the speaker. Second, the listener should paraphrase what they believe the speaker was saying to either show that they understand correctly or give the speaker a chance or clarify or correct any misunderstandings. Third, the listener should ask questions that encourage the speaker to elaborate on their views. Just taking the time to speak to someone with an opposing viewpoint and show active engagement and an understanding of their stance can go a long way in bridging this gap. As easy as it is to stick to one “side” and confirm these pre-existing views, venturing outside that goes far in the long run in humanizing the opposition rather than viewing them as an enemy.
Active listening is the only way to bridge division DAMIAN MORRIS Multimedia Editor
With continuous discussions on controversial issues such as same-sex marriage and gender identity, heated debates are becoming more and more frequent, furthering the gap between those on either side of them. In a 2019 study titled, “Liberals and conservatives are similarly motivated to avoid exposure to one another’s opinions,” they found that both “liberals and conservatives reported similar aversion toward learning about the views of their ideological opponents.” Furthermore, it’s not that they already understood the other side, but were motivated by a fear of frustration or putting forth effort to listen. Overall, this study found that both “liberals and conservatives reported similar aversion toward learning about the views of their ideological opponents.” Furthermore, it’s not that they already understood the other side, but were motivated by a fear of frustration or putting forth effort to listen.
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NEXT WEEK: FALL ATHLETIC COACHES PREPARE FOR THE UPCOMING SEASON Wednesday, 06.29.22
Staying active is possible inside too BRANDON WELLS sports editor With increasing, temperatures regularly reaching 100 degrees and continuing to rise, staying active isn’t always easy. If the gym isn’t an option, there are plenty of ways to be active in your own home. From the usual at-home workouts you see online all the time to making your own routine, there are many options. While it should be mentioned that not all workouts are the same when it comes to at-home routines, the important thing is accomplishing your goals. To start with, it depends on the goal that is desired. If stamina and conditioning are your goal, cardio is the path to take. From HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), people can gain a lot in terms of fitness, and the great part is that it’s versatile. According to a study by the University of Mexico, the benefits of HIIT can be seen in shorter amounts of time than standard endurance training, and in some cases has shown to be better. The variety also comes from what kind of workouts you can do as exercise. According to an article from Coach magazine, these kinds of workouts can involve using your own bodyweight such as push-ups and using gravity, to any amount of equipment. A good example of a movement you can add to any workout, especially HIIT, is a burpee due to its versatility and the different variations you can do. While HIIT is a good option for cardio, that same article also states that it has benefits for building muscle as well. If HIIT isn’t your cup of tea, there are plenty of other options as well. Something as simple and fun as dancing or Zumba could also be something to try. Zumba, a type of dance workout, has been a growing trend for those interested in more upbeat styles of fitness. It involves energetic dancing classes that can be done at both high and low intensities that serve to help get people of all different fitness levels to have fun exercising. At-home fitness doesn’t need a name or any sort of identity in order for you to stay in shape, either. It can be as simple as movements like jumping jacks, pushups or even an activity you can do with others such as hula hooping. According to an article from Eat This, Not That, there are countless other exercises that you can do to not only boost your physical fitness, but your mental wellbeing as well. Being active at home is far from impossible, and in some ways is as beneficial as the gym for people who need a more time effective way to commit to their health without leaving their home or family.