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alton — east st. louis — edwardsville
vol. LXIX no. XXX
Pedestrians hit in two separate incidents KENDRA MARTIN Alestle Managing Editor
Students join hands during an event titled “Deeper Than Color: A Privilege Exercise,” hosted by the Student Nurse Achievement Program for Black Heritage Month, Feb. 27, in the Goshen Lounge. | Ciara Bazile / Alestle
Students compare privilege in exercise
TRENT STUART Alestle Reporter
As a way to educate on how privilege plays a part in society, the Student Nurse Achievement Program hosted an activity for students to see how their privileges or disadvantages compared to others based on their race, gender, class, and other criteria. Although it was held during Black Heritage Month, senior nursing major and SNAP President Danielle Lee, of St. Louis, said the activity was not just about white privilege. She said being a certain race is not the only way an individual can have advantages or disadvantages in society. “It was so essential for our organization to put on the activi-
ty kind of in a widespread area for people who haven’t been exposed to what privilege is and that it exists outside of race,” Lee said. The event took place Feb. 27 in the Goshen Lounge and drew in around 40-50 participants. The participants were told to stand in two lines and were given 30 prompts. For each prompt, they took a step forward if it applied to them and a step back if it did not. In the end, it revealed that the people with more privilege stood toward the front, and the rest stood scattered behind them. According to associate historical studies professor Steve Tamari, who facilitated the event, the results showed white males had taken the most steps forward, and people of color ended up in
the back. When the questions were finished, the participants engaged in a discussion about the results and how they play into the structural ways of society. Tamari said it was great to see people who are privileged were able to recognize the results and talk about it with the group. “It allowed us to have a discussion based on actual participation and exercise where people with privilege, because of their skin color or their class, can see that they have certain advantages,” Tamari said. Tamari said the discussion was more about why society as a whole does not consider everyone on the same playing field, and what people can do to make it so some people are not auto-
matically disadvantaged based on something such as skin color. “The discussion after was essential to having everyone who participated take something away from it instead of just, maybe, the sensitivity that comes along with awareness,” Lee said. According to Lee, since Tamari is a white male leader on campus, his presence made the event more welcoming for people with privilege to participate in the activity. “I loved to see that we had that diversity present because it made the activity worthwhile. The individuals who participated, who could’ve felt ostracized, had a lot to say during the discussion that was really positive, and they really took a lot away from it,” Lee said.
Since March 2, two separate crosswalk accidents have occurred involving pedestrians hit by cars. Both pedestrians were crossing the marked crosswalk when struck by vehicles, but neither sustained any life-threatening injuries. One incident took place near the Vadalabene Center and the other on South University Drive at Hairpin Drive. One individual was examined by the Emergency Medical Center and the other, who complained of hip and leg pain, was transported to Anderson Hospital. Police issued state citations to both drivers of the vehicles for failure to yield to pedestrian at crosswalk. University Police Department sent an email to the SIUE community Monday, March 13, highlighting safety precautions that pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers can take to avoid further incidents. For more information, contact the SIUE Police Department at 650‑3324 or police@siue.edu. Contact KENDRA MARTIN Call 650-3527 Tweet @kmartin_alestle Email kmartin@alestlelive.com
Wasps take residence in buildings, force classes to switch rooms KEEGAN GAUWITZ Alestle Reporter The wasps on campus have been a nuisance for students and faculty at SIUE for several years now. As seasonal on-campus residents, there are several wasp nests around campus, usually finding higher ground near campus buildings. “They’ve been a problem for years. They’ll build nests outside by the roof, then when it gets cold out, they sneak their way in through the roof,” senior Lovejoy Library desk clerk Kent Keener said. The third stories of Peck Hall and Lovejoy Library appear to be their favorite spots, in recent years. History professor Victoria Harrison has become quite familiar with the pests, as nests were found in her classroom — PH 3313 — last semester. Because the fall semester was warmer, the wasps weren’t much of a problem. However, now that the temperature outside has dropped, the wasps prefer Peck’s warm environment. “You could see they were up in the lights. You could see them
moving around, and there were cracks where they would work their way out,” Harrison said. Harrison mentioned she carries an EpiPen, because although her students may not be allergic, the wasps certainly make them uneasy. “Nobody digs them. They’re just disruptive to the classes,” Harrison said. The first solution pest control provided to Harrison for dealing with the pests was a spray, used to kill the wasps in hopes that they would die out or leave their nest in her classroom. “That’s not really a great solution … Because I go to spray it, and now it’s all over the desks, and all over the floors,” Harrison said. After this failed attempt to rid Peck Hall of the wasps, Harrison said pest control found one large nest in the ceiling of her classroom and other nests on the roof. From her understanding, this pervasive problem is largely due to the fact the drop-ceilings on the third floor of Peck Hall are all opened. This design in the ceilings allow the wasps to freely roam from room 3313 to room 3316 directly next door, where
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Harrison also teaches. According to Harrison, pest control worked on the room over break, spraying the ceilings. They informed Harrison that it would take a few days for the spray to take effect. Following the spray treatment, pest control sent workers out to collect samples from the ceiling of the classroom. “I was joking with [pest control], you know, they probably ate the spray and just got stronger,” Harrison said. “I know it’s been difficult for those [pest control] and it’s certainly been disrup tive for us this semester.” After the infestation in her original classroom in Peck, Harrison’s class has been moved around to rooms in the basement of Peck Hall, Alumni Hall and Founders
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Hall before the wasps were finally exterminated from PH 3313 by pest control, the week
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before spring break. Harrison has been receiving a lot of emails from students over break, asking where they would be meeting Monday for class, and was happy they settled back into their original classroom for good. Although the wasps have been taken care of in PH 3313, they are still prevalent in other buildings around campus. There are warning signs posted on the third floor of Lovejoy Library, and faculty advises that students remain weary of the pests during cold weather.
Contact KEEGAN GAUWITZ Call 650-3527 Tweet @kgauwitzalestle Email kgauwitz@alestlelive.com
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