The Alestle Vol. 76, No. 33

Clerical workers kicked out of MUC for protest

BRUCE DARNELL managing editor

On June 28, AFSCME Local 2887 union clerical workers were told to leave the Morris University Center in anticipation of them protesting.

The protest was organized in response to the union’s negotiation meeting being canceled Friday. The group gathered at 11:30 a.m., right before the start of a new student orientation exhibit fair.

They were told they were not allowed to protest in the MUC and were given a highlighted copy of a university policy governing how demonstrations are to be carried out on campus.

The policy allows spontaneous protests, as long as they follow university rules.

The policy reads: “Expressive Activities may only be conducted in locations that do not interfere with the educational mission of the university or other University business, as determined by the university.”

The paper was delivered by Interim Vice Chancellor Bill Retzlaff, who advised that he had spoken to the university’s legal team and that the group could not be in the MUC.

According to members of the union, they were only gathering inside the MUC and had not begun their protest before being approached by Retzlaff.

Neither Retzlaff nor representatives from his office responded to our three requests for an interview.

Kedra Tolson, executive director of Marketing and Communications, responded via email regarding the situation:

“New Student Orientation is an event or activity that represents the educational mission of the university. We are committed to ensuring that New Student Orientation occurs as scheduled, with no interruptions, interference or disruption by an unscheduled event.”

Students and adults attending new student orientation were told there would be a group protesting. Student orientation leaders were also warned and implored not to speak to The Alestle.

The clerical workers continued their protest outside, handing out flyers and speaking to future students and their families touring campus.

Among the protesters was Amy Bodenstab, vice president of AFSCME Local 2887, who said union members feel disrespected by university administration in their negotiations.

“In December 2019, [former chancellor] Pembrook stood in a

meeting and told me in front of a room of people, which included Board of Trustees members, that they knew our pay wasn’t accurate… That was three and a half years ago, and they still don’t have anything financial to present to us,” she said.

The clerical workers’ contract expired almost exactly a year ago, and they have been in negotiations since, during which there has been little progress. And during that time, clerical workers’ responsibilities have not gotten easier.

“Our workloads are ridiculous,” Bodenstab said. “The things we are often asked to do are multiple pay grades above us — sometimes, they’re not even in our classification group — and, yet, we’re required to do them to keep our jobs, but we’re not paid for doing them.”

Bodenstab noted that the clerical staff is predominantly women — about 92 percent female.

“We have been [mostly female] for 20 years,” Bodenstab said. “Our longevity has been a penny a year of service — a penny! There’s nobody else on campus that has gotten that kind of disgusting longevity [pay].”

Julie LaTempt-Brazier, AFSCME Local 2887 president, was at the protest. She said many students and faculty support the union’s attempts in getting a new contract.

“They say, ‘Give me a sign,’ or, ‘You guys are awesome,’” LaTempt-Brazier said. “They love the office support that they work with because they’re the ones that make things happen… They turn the wheel in the office.”

LaTempt-Brazier also said that the union is extremely upset with the meeting cancellation.

“They feel that they have been treated like they don’t matter,” LaTempt-Brazier said. “They feel like a commodity — something that can be used up and thrown away.”

Because of this, morale is at an all-time low on campus, according to LaTempt-Brazier.

“It’s a continual thing that keeps happening,” LaTempt-Brazier said. “We’re not given anything.”

SIUE athletes Owusu-Asiedu and Orf picked in 2023 MLB Draft

AUDREY O’RENIC sports editor

Two SIUE Cougars were picked in the Major League Baseball draft Monday and Tuesday in Seattle

Owusu-Asiedu picked for Philadelphia Phillies Outfielder Avery Owu-

su-Asiedu from Waukesha, Wisconsin, was the 283rd pick of the Major League Baseball Draft and was drafted in the ninth round by the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday.

As a junior, in spring 2023

Owusu-Asiedu hit an average of .293 for the Cougars, accumulating 205 at-bats over the 53 out of 54 games he played and start-

ed in. In 2022, he hit an average of .260 in 49 games, scoring 37 runs and driving in 33.

Owusu-Asiedu was selected as part of the All-Ohio Valley Conference Second Team, and tied for sixth in the OVC league with 15 home runs. He tied for the team lead with 48 RBIs, which ranked tenth in the OVC.

Alongside his player

achievements, Owusu-Asiedu has also earned Academic All-District honors as selected by College Sports Communicators for the 2022-2023 season. He is pursuing a degree in business-finance in the School of Business and has a 4.0 GPA.

Assistant Professor of Sociology Ezra Temko and his son Lev demonstrate at a recent union protest on campus. Lev’s sign says, “My dad’s working conditions are students’ learning conditions! Please give my Dad a Cola,” which stands for “cost of living adjustment.”

| Chloe Wolfe / The Alestle

SIUE faculty association ratifies new contract

BRUCE DARNELL managing editor

After a year-long battle with the university, the SIUE faculty union was finally able to ratify a new contract. A tentative agreement was reached on June 13 and the contract was ratified on June 25.

The contract was agreed upon by 92 percent of the union’s membership, and will remain in effect for the next three years.

The approved contract covers a variety of issues, including tenure, office hours and pay. While not every issue was resolved, a majority of the union still supported the new contract, even if some of the union members didn’t receive all they wanted.

This ratification also marks the last major action of Ed Navarre as president of the SIUE Faculty Association. Succeeding Navarre as president is Megan

Robb, program director for art therapy at SIUE.

Many unions on campus are still without a contract after a year of negotiation, such as the clerical workers (AFSCME Local 2887) and building service workers (AFSCME Local 2232). The clerical workers were recently kicked out of the MUC in anticipation of a protest.

Navarre said the faculty association would remain in solidarity with the other unions as they attempt to get their contracts ratified, which could continue into the fall semester.

The building service workers have sought out federal mediation for their contract negotiations, and are waiting for Chancellor Minor to show for their negotiations.

Some unions ratified contracts months ago, such as the food service workers, who got a new contract at the beginning of the Spring semester.

07.05.23

An officer responded to a call of a verbal argument occurring between a Cougar Village resident and a person that was smoking outdoors.

07.06.23

A car was reportedly stolen from an Alton residence and driven into a sign outside the SIUE Dental School. The vehicle was empty when police arrived.

07.09.23

An officer took a report of a person being inside of Peck Hall who was not allowed, and was arrested for Criminal Trespass to State Supported Property.

Confidence in higher education dips again, Gallup poll finds

KIM KOZLOWSKI

The Detroit News (TNS)

Confidence in higher education has fallen again, according to a poll released Tuesday by Gallup.

Thirty-six percent of Americans polled last month said they had “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in higher education, a decline from when Gallup asked the question in 2015 (57 percent) and 2018 (48 percent).

The survey is part of a broader Gallup poll that shows dwindling confidence in 16 other institutions, including the military, police and the U.S. Supreme Court, according to Zach Hrynowski, a senior education researcher at Gallup. Questions about higher education are only periodically asked as part of the poll.

There isn’t a clear reason why confidence is declining, said Hrynowski. He suspected it might be partly due to Americans’ decreasing confidence in cornerstone institutions.

“As well as some of the challenges that higher education is facing in the public discourse,” he said, noting issues such as college costs, student debt and free speech on campus.

The poll showed the decline in confidence in higher education is highest among Republicans, which fell from 56 percent in 2015, when the question was first asked, to 19 percent in 2023, a drop of 37 percentage points. The second-highest confidence drop is among those without a college degree, which fell from 54 percent in 2015 to 29 percent in 2023, a 25 percentage point drop.

Hrynowski said there have also been “smaller levels of erosion of confidence in what you

might think of as the bedrock of higher education advocates.”

He pointed to Democrats’ confidence in higher education, which has declined from 68 percent in 2015 to 59 percent in 2023.

“[For] members of the public who have a college degree, [their confidence] has declined by 10 points, so now less than half of bachelor degree-holding Americans say they have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in higher education,” Hrynowski said.

Oakland University President Ora Pescovitz said it was incumbent, in light of the poll, on her and other higher educa-

tion advocates to educate the public about the true value of a higher education.

College costs vary, depending on the institution, she said. The investment in a higher education delivers payoffs to the individual and the community, she said. A person with a fouryear degree, for instance, earns $1 million more in their lifetime than those without a degree, Pescovitz said. Communities with more people with higher education are more prosperous, she added.

“Getting an education is one of the best investments people can make,” Pescovitz said. “When you think about the tre-

mendous return on that investment, in particular individuals who are first generation college students, those who come from underrepresented groups and those who have the opportunity for upward social mobility, there is no better investment than higher education.”

Pescovitz noted that Michigan business leaders and lawmakers have stood by higher education as a tool for helping make the state, community and individuals more prosperous. She said the most recently passed state budget for 2023-24 includes a 5 percent increase for community colleges and 6.4 percent increase for universities.

Pescovitz said Michigan business leaders and lawmakers have recognized higher education as a tool for helping make the state, community and individuals more prosperous.

The budget also includes $250 million for the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, which beginning in the fall will provide students at two-year public institutions up to $2,750 annually for up to three years. Students at four-year public institutions can qualify for up to $5,500 per year for up to five years and students at private, nonprofit fouryear institutions can qualify for up to $4,000 annually for up to five years.

“There is a huge amount of bipartisan support and recognition that investing in higher education is a good value,” said Pescovitz. “The state Legislature invested heavily in higher education recognizing that not only is it good for an individual but it will be good for our state and our state’s economy. There is a recognition that education is directly correlated to success.”

Others have a different perspective.

James Hohman, director of fiscal policy for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, said a declining reputation in the public may threaten the support the institutions get from public funding.

“Something ought to get legislators to re-examine their higher education spending policies,” said Hohman. “What each university gets from taxpayers is based on nothing but politics and with little regard to getting good outcomes for students or the state. Maybe a souring reputation in the public will encourage policymakers to find a fairer way to fund the schools.”

SIUE music professor Kim Archer at a faculty protest in April. | Chloe Wolfe / The Alestle

People of varying identities in the United States are increasing less confident in higher education, polls indicate.

| Winter Racine / The Alestle

Cougars in the Wild: Alumna worked in TV before returning to SIUE as mass comm broadcast engineer

CHLOE WOLFE opinion editor

After finding her “niche” at SIUE, Theresa Pauli, a broadcast engineer in the Mass Communications department, worked in broadcast news for 30 years before re-entering the education world and helping others find their calling in mass communications.

When Pauli first came to SIUE as a student, said she did not know what she wanted to study. Then one day, a friend from high school invited her to come volunteer at the campus radio station, WSIE, FM The Sound.

“I majored in a little bit of everything for a minute, like psychology and political science. I just kind of kept bouncing around,” Pauli said. “Then I ran into an old friend from high school and she said, ‘Hey, I’m working at the radio station, you should come over.’ So I did, and that’s kind of what got me into it.”

It was through working at the radio station that Pauli found friends and a love for mass communications.

“I thought I fit in here,” Pauli said. “I didn’t have that moment when a teacher said something amazing, instead I had that moment when I was like, ‘Wow, these are my people.’ I found somewhat of a home. I thought maybe this is a field I want to get into.”

When Pauli was still going through school, she began volunteering at local news station KPLR TV as a runner, or as she described it, a ‘gopher.’ Pauli said that her job was to run tapes or do whatever else they needed, like running the teleprompter.

While she was still volunteering at the news station, Pauli got a call from the news director saying someone had walked out and they needed a fill-in. She was hired as a production assistant and began shadowing people.

At this time, Pauli said she followed the few women who worked at the station at the time. From one of these women,

she learned to edit video footage, which she was eventually hired to do part-time and then later full-time.

“I started hanging around another woman because there were not many women, especially on the technical side,” Pauli said.

“There were a couple anchors and reporters and one woman video editor, but there were no women photographers and no women engineers until one was hired eventually.”

After working as a freelance video editor for a few years, Pauli said one of the video journalists was unable to film anymore, so she was told she was going to have to start doing fieldwork.

“I remember the first shoot I ever got was a fire in a factory in St. Louis,” Pauli said. “I got the camera out and the tripod out, then I was literally running around the camera like, ‘Oh, my God, where’s the power switch?’

It was actually a very sunny day but it looked like it was overcast, because I didn’t have the iris set. It wasn’t very glamorous.”

During her time at the TV stations in St. Louis, Pauli said she covered several different stories like sports events, a Pope visit, floods and missing kids.

According to Pauli, her biggest story was the Ferguson unrest.

At the time the unrest began, Pauli was working the morning shifts from 11 p.m. to 8:30 a.m., and around 5 a.m., the reporter she was working with informed her they would have to go over to Ferguson in front of the police department to get film for stories later in the day.

Then, the reporter Pauli was working with decided they needed to stay out in the field until 10 a.m. because there was going to be a press conference. Pauli said she was confused as to why the press conference

was being held on a Sunday.

“We didn’t understand the enormity of the story at this point. We hadn’t watched any news because we were probably in bed when it was all unfolding,” Pauli said. “This was unusual, you knew it was a big story. So we set up.”

As they were waiting for the press conference to begin, Pauli said she noticed a large crowd slowly making its way to where they were waiting.

“I was still there until about noon or one. There were, I think, 1,000 people in the street, and then that’s when the protest started for months,” Pauli said. For the remainder of the unrest, Pauli said that she covered many different memorials.

“I remember shooting in March. I was almost in tears; it was moving and unbelievable to

be there,” Pauli said. “I was right in the middle of that - recording history. It’s funny because you don’t know when you’re out there that what’s happening is history.”

Pauli worked in the industry for 30 years before she decided it was time for a change because she wanted to spend more time with her family.

“I went and resigned to the news director. I didn’t tell anybody, and I felt sick to my stomach,” Pauli said. “I was so scared to leave because it was my life, but my kids were my life too.”

After resigning from the TV industry, Pauli applied for the broadcast engineer position in the Department of Mass Communications at SIUE.

When she first started working for the university in December 2019, Pauli said she was scared she had made a mistake because, in the news industry, she never had idle time. Now she was not doing anything because the students were already gone. When the spring semester began, though she said she finally started to find her place before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the school to shut down.

“When I first came here I

thought, ‘Oh my god, I made a mistake,’” Pauli said. “But now that we’ve been back, I think I’ve kind of found a groove. I love all the people and meeting the students.”

While working, Pauli said she spends her time maintaining equipment used by the Department of Mass Communications and helping students make connections within the TV industry.

“It took leaving there and then working here to realize how many people I know [in the TV industry],” Pauli said. “I’ve got all these people that respected my work ethic all those years, and trust me and are willing to give students a chance.”

Pauli also helps out in Intro to Audio & Video Production, where she helps students with the equipment used in the class such as video cameras and recording devices.

“I love teaching students how to use equipment, do interviews and be on camera because I lived and breathed it for 30 years,” Pauli said. “Even though I was never on camera, I coached people on how to do it. It’s fun when I meet students, and I’m like ‘Wow ‘you’ve got presence.’”

Northern lights to illuminate Midwestern sky across 17 states

People in at least 17 states may have a chance this week to glimpse the northern lights, which are typically seen in Earth’s northernmost regions.

The Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks forecasts high auroral activity on Thursday in Midwestern states like Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana.

The aurora will be visible “low on the horizon” across Chicago, with the city light pollution making it harder to spot.

The colorful spectacle occurs when particles from the sun

collide with gas molecules in Earth’s atmosphere. Thursday’s high auroral forecast is because of a solar storm, when there’s more particle activity, according to the Geophysical Institute.

When particles collide with nitrogen and oxygen in the atmosphere, they gain energy that is released in the form of light. And depending on the intensity of the energy, the type of gas molecule and the altitude, colors range from vibrant green to intense purple.

The dancing lights occur around the northern and southern poles because particles from the sun travel along Earth’s magnetic field lines. In the northern hemisphere, the lights are

known as aurora borealis. In the southern hemisphere, it’s the aurora australis.

Between now and 2025, the lights will be visible to more of the northern hemisphere, the institute says, because of the sun’s 11-year cycle variation, which refers to how sunspots change over time. We’re nearing the peak year of 2025, when chances of seeing the aurora at lower latitudes are the highest.

Michelle Nichols, director of public observing at Chicago’s Adler Planetarium, said this particular cycle has been more intense than what had been predicted.

“It’s outperforming the predictions, which is great,

that’s great for us,” she said. “That means we might get a chance to see things a little more often than the last several solar maxima.”

Nichols said the best place is an area with dark skies, which won’t be possible with city lights. In Illinois, there’s the Green River State Wildlife Area about two hours west of Chicago.

But for the best views, Nichols suggests traveling to northern Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, northern Michigan or the Upper Peninsula. Even after traveling, there’s no guarantee the lights will match the forecast.

“They’re very, very, very hard to predict,” she said. “They may turn out stronger or weaker

than what was predicted.”

Aurora strength is measured in Kp, ranging from zero to nine, with nine being a strong geomagnetic storm. Thursday night is forecast for Kp level 6.

According to the Geophysical Institute, the best time to watch for the aurora is between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m., but Nichols said this also isn’t guaranteed.

Despite all the uncertainty with Thursday’s light show, Nichols said it makes her happy that more people have been interested in the night skies, whether that’s the northern lights or upcoming eclipses.

“I really just am glad people are interested in looking up at the sky,” Nichols said.

Theresa Pauli, a broadcast engineer at SIUE, worked in St. Louis’ broadcast news industry for 30 years before returning to SIUE. | Photo courtesy of Theresa Pauli

VIVIAN LA Chicago Tribune (TNS)

“ It’s funny because you don’t know when you’re out there that what’s happening is history.”

Theresa Pauli, Broadcast Engineer at SIUE

Some of the best summer food comes in the form of barbecue and we at The Alestle took it upon ourselves to try a variety of restaurants in the Metro East and report back with our ratings. From ribs to sandwiches, cheap to expensive, there is a spot for out there for you and we hope this guide this useful on those warm summer nights.

Sugarfire offers amazing ribs, if you have money to spend

DYLAN HEMBROUGH editor-in-chief

Sugarfire Smokehouse, a barbecue spot with multiple locations in the Metro East, truly delivers a full rack of ribs that leaves you full and satisfied.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t super busy inside. The building is a spacious one, decorated to the brim with all manner of posters and signs. The actual process of ordering your food resembles Subway in that they prepare it for you right before your eyes. A full rack of ribs comes with two sides, and everything all together costs around $50. Side options include fries, baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad and macaroni and

cheese, among others.

While the meal lightened up my bank account, it did the opposite to my body. Sugarfire’s barbecue ribs are not a snack piece by any means. I was glad I hadn’t snacked much earlier in the day, or else I would not have been able to eat all the delicious food in front of me. The ribs themselves were spot-on in terms of taste and texture, and there were five sauce options at each table for customers to pick from. I chose the sweet barbecue sauce.

The restaurant has an inviting atmosphere and some of the best ribs in the St. Louis area. Just be ready to drop a decent chunk of change on them.

Fire-N-Smoke offers unique menu, exceptional service

AUDREY O’RENIC sports editor

Using fresh and local ingredients, Fire-N-Smoke Wood Fired Kitchen in Troy offers a unique and tasty menu that puts a spin on traditional barbecue.

Upon arrival, I was greeted by the staff who warmly welcomed me into the cabin styled restaurant. It took me a while to decide what I wanted, as they offered a diverse menu of salads, wings, platters, burgers, sandwiches and street tacos. I eventually settled on the Pig N Hen sandwich, which contained pulled pork, fried egg and bacon on two perfectly toasted buns. For $12, the meal also came with my choice of a side — for which I chose the green beans. Although I just ordered

water, they also offer bottled craft beers and Fitz’s soda.

The meal came out quickly, and I was pleasantly surprised when the staff member gave me a free cookie. The sandwich itself was a pretty decent size, especially for lunch. The pulled pork was smoked with post oak wood and cooked to perfection. Although the meal came with barbecue sauce, I felt like the fried egg brought the perfect amount of moisture to the dryness of the pork. The side of green beans was delicious, I just wish they were a little more seasoned.

I haven’t yet given a perfect rating for MEE, however Fire-N-Smoke deserves it. Furthermore, a portion of sales is donated to Churches on the Streets and The Snyder Center in Alton.

Doc’s Smokehouse makes some good ribs, decent sides

I’ve been to Doc’s Smokehouse quite a few times, and each time it’s left me full and satisfied.

This time at Doc’s Smokehouse, I ordered the ribs, and they did not disappoint.

To start, the interior of the restaurant was a bit plain, but the food itself more than made up for that.

For the main plate, I enjoyed four

pieces of ribs. They had a great, chewy texture, and a great umami flavor. I used the roll that came with the meal to make a mini sandwich out of the meat, which tasted good as well.

The fries could have used a little more seasoning, but that wasn’t anything some sweet and smoky barbecue sauce couldn’t fix. Speaking of that sauce, it was delicious, and I put it on both my fries and my ribs. The bun that it came with was sweet.

At $13.25 for the meal, the price was pretty reasonable to me, and I enjoyed what I got for it.

I Dylan Hembrough / The Alestle

I Audrey O’Renic / The Alestle

I Heading by Thea Weltzin

EMILY STERZINGER former editor-in-chief

I Emily Sterzinger / The Alestle

Mann Meats’ speed faster than any typical ‘fast’ food joint

THEA WELTZIN illustrator

Mann Meats is the epitome of fast food; with a total of five tables in their building, you have no choice but to eat fast.

Upon arriving at the quaint restaurant in Florissant, I was immediately worried that I wouldn’t be able to sit inside. Equipped with a small waiting area, the inside of Mann Meats is painted to resemble the outside of a school bus and they largely advertised their carry-out services — which would be assisted by their food truck that is made from a repurposed school bus.

Despite their small building, the atmosphere inside was very welcoming. Staff and customers alike seemed happy

Edley’s has good food,

to see new faces come into their establishment, despite running low on nearly all ingredients. The majority of their menu was sold out, leading me to choose one of the few items that was still available: the Mann Candy Sandwich. The sandwich itself was extremely fresh and well-cooked. Although fatty, the meat itself was well seasoned. It was strictly freshly made bread and saucy meat. I was a bit taken aback by the small portion size, but I was quickly corrected upon taking a bite. The sandwich was filling, but I would highly recommend finishing off your meal with something sweet to even out the savory overload. With the low price of $12, I would say that Mann Meats is worth the buck if you’re in the area, but if you’re not a huge fan of barbecue, I would recommend saving up to go to your

loud atmosphere, live music

FRANCESCA BOSTON lifestyles editor

Edley’s, a local barbecue chain with one of the locations in Glen Carbon, offers the perfect place to hang out with friends on a warm summer with delicious food and open air seating.

I ordered a turkey platter at the window, which came with two slices of smoked turkey doused in two types of barbecue sauce, cornbread, and two sides, for which I chose green beans and loaded potato salad. The price was $12 and I tipped cash, so the total came to roughly $15.

My food was brought out quickly, before the rest of my group even sat down at the table.

The turkey was the star of the show, smoked perfectly, juicy and doused in the

perfect amount of sauce. The white sauce cut through the heat of the more typical barbecue sauce and both complemented the savoriness of the meat.

The sides were wonderful as well, the green beans flavorful and the potato side creamy and filling. When I gave my friends the cornbread and they said it was moist and the crispy side offered a nice texture to it.

The atmosphere at Edley’s, while a tad loud from the live music that was playing, was welcoming. There is an outdoor seating area as well as a good amount of seating indoors, with a bar area separating the two.

Edley’s is a great place to spend an evening with friends. The prices are decent, the food is delicious and filling and the atmosphere is fun.

Bandana’s Bar-B-Q beats bad, boring alternatives

CHLOE WOLFE opinion editor

I do not crave barbecue unless I’m at a cookout, but that takes hours to make. Bandana’s Bar-B-Q was much faster and almost as good.

Bandana’s Bar-B-Q is a regional chain with restaurants in Missouri, Indiana and Illinois – mainly Illinois. Making a total of 21 locations.

I was pretty busy the day I went, so I decided to do take-out. I called 30 minutes before I would arrive at the restaurant and ordered a pork sandwich, a side of fries and – most importantly– a Dr Pepper. They told me that my order would only take 15 minutes, so by the time I arrived my food was slightly cold. That’s completely my fault so I didn’t dock any points for that.

When I went to pay for my order, the person who rang me up was extremely nice. My meal was only $15.58, which I found to be a reasonable price for the food that I got.

The sandwich itself was really good, even if it was a little bit cold. It was just smokey enough that it made the sandwich tangy but not too overpowering. The sandwich doesn’t come with barbecue sauce on it but they did give me their sweet smoky barbecue sauce to dip it in.

The steak fries were a little soggy, ranch made them better, and the Dr Pepper was flat but the sandwich was really good. I liked it when it was cold, so I assume it’s even better when hot.

I definitely would go back and do a sit down meal. Hopefully my food will be hotter.

I Thea Weltzin / The Alestle

I Francesca Boston / The Alestle

I Chloe Wolfe / The Alestle

SEE NEXT WEEK’S ONLINEEXCLUSIVE ISSUE: STOP INFANTILIZING DISABLED PEOPLE

Supreme Court out of touch with American public

was written 236 years ago, and a lot has changed since then.

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

With a conservative majority of 6-3, the United States Supreme Court has wasted no time curtailing minority rights in a country that had worked so hard to make progress in the first place.

Perhaps most infamously in the past couple of years was the 2023 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, in which the Supreme Court determined, “The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion.”

The syllabus released by the Supreme Court regarding the Dobbs decision makes a number of claims regarding the rights of citizens that are not specifically mentioned in the Constitution. Abortion, of course, is never mentioned in the Constitution.

The Constitution was originally meant to be a “living and breathing document.”

Case in point, the right to internet access or the use of drones is never mentioned either. It is important to remember that the original Constitution

The Dobbs syllabus also says, “The authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.” While wrapped in nice semantics, there is no authority conferred to the people.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, 13 states had “trigger laws” that would automatically ban abortion in the event that Roe v. Wade was overturned.

Much of what Roe v. Wade and another abortion-related case, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, rested upon was the Fourteenth Amendment’s due process clause.

The due process clause says, “No person shall be ‘deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law.’” In the Dobbs syllabus, the Supreme Court makes the unsubstantiated claim that this clause has “long been controversial.”

Now, the Guttmacher Institute classifies 34 states as having at least some restrictions on abortion, if not outlawing

it almost completely. Using population numbers from 2021, this puts approximately 60.5 percent, or over 200 million people, in states where abortion has been restricted.

Justice Clarence Thomas has made mention of looking into other due process cases, such as the right to same-sex marriage.

Recently, the Supreme Court decided in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis that a Christian Colorado web designer did not have to create a website for a same-sex couple.

What is even more alarming about this case – besides the Court’s endorsement of discrimination based on sexual orientation – is that there are growing allegations that the case was a sham.

The client, referred to as “Stewart,” said he was unaware he was involved in this case and never made the 2017 request for a wedding website, according to NPR.

In addition, Lorie Smith, who runs 303 Creative LLC, was not offering website design services at the time the suit was filed.

Perhaps most striking of all is that “Stewart” has “been happily married to a woman for the last 15 years.”

The Supreme Court of the United States has been hijacked by blatant conservative agendas that threaten the rights of millions of people across the country.

For those who disagree with the Court’s rulings, silence only helps them. Write letters, post on social media, start petitions and speak out against the reversal of progress we’ve worked so hard to achieve.

For those who agree with the Court’s rulings, take a look in the mirror and imagine a life where your very identity is criminalized by the government.

Imagine not being able to marry the person you love, go shopping or receive medical care. Imagine not being allowed to receive an education just because of the color of your skin or who you are attracted to.

Difference is what makes humanity interesting — diversity should be celebrated, not squashed in the name of an unseen deity’s morals.

Going into debt for a college degree should not be normalized

The United States is notorious for its debt problems. Debt impacts every aspect of American lives, from house loans to credit card debt. It continues with our education system, and it affects students the most.

Have we taken a look back and asked ourselves, why is this the way it has to be? It is a normal occurrence for students to take out a $30,000 loan to get a bachelor’s degree. Why do I have to fight with the Free Application for Student Aid every year to get financial aid?

There must be a better way to fund your education.

The answer, as always, is politics.

Before the 1960s tuition was significantly lower than it is today. Politicians like Ronald Reagan took away state funding for public institutions and forced them to charge higher tuition, which led to massive student debt for future students.

As Biden’s student loan forgiveness, a plan to forgive up to 441 billion dollars in federal student debt falls through once again, it may seem there is no way out. We are sitting with held breath as we pray that we can have something go for us. But, it seems the politicians who are supposed to be fighting for our

country in order for us to live normally are failing left and right.

As the cost of living skyrockets, many people’s wages are staying the same. As tuition increases, loans and financial aid are harder to get. Many people cannot pay tuition in payments because the amount is way too much. Students work multiple jobs to stay afloat. Students crash and burn because they cannot focus on school because they are so worried about finances. Worried about getting charged for extra things they may not need, including health insurance. This is counterproductive to what college is supposed to be for young adults. Having to fight tooth and

nail to go to school should not be normal.

Getting higher education should be something to celebrate, but we are too busy emailing financial advisors and applying for loans we know we won’t get. The only way to fix this is to redo it. Round up the colleges and loan agencies and make a plan. Hold the people in charge of higher education accountable for their greed. Get angry at the circumstances that put us here.

If you want to take individual action, get in contact with your representatives and tell them how you feel.

Making college accessible to all is a goal everyone should have.

DAMIAN MORRIS Multimedia Editor

FRANCESCA BOSTON Lifestyles Editor

WINTER RACINE Online Editor

July is Disability Pride Month, a month to acknowledge and celebrate the accomplishments of disabled people while also acknowledging the barriers and struggles that still exist within society. Disability Pride Month was first acknowledged in 2015, marking the 25year anniversary of the Americans with Disability Act.

Trigger Warning: Several of the books feature themes such as suicide, PTSD and ableism.

Fiction

“Six

of Crows,”

Leigh Bardugo

Probably the most popular book on this list, Six of Crows is part of the universe of the Shadow and Bone television show. The book has multiple instances of disability; the main male lead, Kaz, has a physical disability, which results in his use of a cane throughout the series. He also has undergone serious trauma, resulting in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and while the book never uses the term, it is clear that is what the author intended. The book creates an elaborate fantasy world that expands beyond the character’s disabilities, while still exploring the complexities of leadership with disabilities.

“Get a Life, Chloe Brown,”

Talia Hibbert

“Get a Life, Chloe Brown” is a fun, fluffy romance book, which is part of the Brown sister trilogy. The main character has a chronic illness which is mostly invisible to those around her. Her love interest is quickly adored by readers as he is supportive and believes her every time her illness flares up. The book has accurate chronic illness representation with some steamy romance wrapped up in an easy afternoon read that will make your insides fuzzy.

“Turtles all the Way Down,”

John Green

An older coming-of-age book about a young girl who struggles with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and the impact it has on her everyday life. Written by well-known author John Green, who has OCD himself, the portrayal of the illness is accurate and represented with respect, compassion and agency.

“A Time to Dance,”

Padma Venkatraman

A young adult-focused book, “A Time to Dance” focuses on the story of a classical dance prodigy in India who becomes a below-knee amputee after an accident. While the book describes her struggles to adjust to her limb difference, it

also touches on societal pressures, parental expectations and normal teenage adventures. Disability representation is more than focusing on a person’s disability— it is focusing on their whole story, which is what this book does.

“It’s Kind of a Funny Story,” Ned Vizzini

A fiction account of Ned Vizzini’s young adult life, “It’s Kind of a Funny Story” is a darkly humorous look inside the mind of a young man suffering from severe depression. The book also touches on issues such as eating disorders and suicidal thoughts. Vizzini lost his life to suicide in 2013, but his book continues his story.

“True Biz,” Sara Nović

There is no clear consensus among the Deaf community on the use of the term ‘disability’ to describe themselves, but it is classified as a disability by the World Health Organization.

“True Biz,” written by a deaf author, is about the lives of Deaf students who just want to be teenagers, without having their parents and the government tell them what to do with their bodies. Books written by authors who are part of the community they are representing are often the best way

to see an accurate portrayal of disability in the media.

“Please Read This Leaflet Carefully,” Karen Havelin

This novel slowly tracks backwards, starting in 2016 and going back to 1995, following the life of the protagonist. The lead character struggles with chronic pain, and the novel allows you to see her life as greater than just her disability, following her life story in reverse chronology and seeing her grow stronger as you read her younger and younger.

“Social Queue,” Kay Kerr

This is a romantic comedy that follows the life of a young autistic woman who learns she wasn’t unlovable; she was just unaware. Written by Kay Kerr, who was diagnosed with autism later in life, the book touches on the real-life experiences of autism and romances in her own life.

Non-fiction

“Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space,” Amanda Leduc

An academic look at the impact of fairy tales on our culture and the impact of ableism without those foundational myth, Leduc examines the connections between archetypes

in fairy tales and the impacts on disabled representation in modern media.

“Spectrums: Autistic Transgender People in Their Own Words,”

Edited by Maxfield Sparrow

The book is a collection of stories of autistic transgender people from around the world. The personal essays reveal the pain and joy of living in a binary, neurotypical world as neurodivergence and gender diversity combine.

“Exile & Pride,” Eli Clare

This book is essentially a history of queer and disability politics that touches heavily on intersectionality within the human experience. Clare writes about his experience as a genderqueer activist with cerebral palsy and touches on subjects ranging from environmental destruction to disabled sexuality.

“The Collected Schizophrenias,”

Esmé Weijun Wang

Written by an author who has schizophrenia, “The Collected Schizophrenias” is a book balancing research with personal narrative, to combat and dispel misconceptions about schizophrenia.

FRANCESCA BOSTON lifestyles editor

UDIT SAI ANAND photographer

Shronda Butts, guard in 2015-16, credits her family, team and coaching staff — who played a major part in her journey — as she is named among the “best of the best” in the league for OVC’s 75th Anniversary.

Butts said she appreciates her teammates for helping her during her time here at SIUE.

“[I have] had great people in my corner that helped me strive,” Butts said. “I didn’t see it until my coach sent me a text saying that [the OVC] have recognized me on the team. It is an amazing feeling to be recognized with a whole bunch of great players.”

During her time at SIUE, Butts was named Player of the Year and a member of All-OVC First Team in 2015-16. She also became the 22nd player to score 1000+ points.

Butts scored 1,115 points with 281 rebounds, 228 assists and 100 steals by 2016, which concluded her career at SIUE upon her graduation.

The Ohio Valley Conference is marking 75 years during the 2023-24 academic year, which also marks 50 years of Title IX. In 1977, the OVC included the women’s basketball championship along with tennis and track, which was initially overseen by the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) before the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) took over in 1982, which showcased the importance of women’s sports.

“As I looked through the article, I was just honored to see myself next to Heather Butler of UT Martin,” Butts said. “She was a big name when I

initially joined the league. I really respected her. It made me really proud.”

Butts said she has played basketball since she was three years old and as she continued to play, she fell in love with it. It was in middle school when she got a lot better, and in high school she started to receive a lot of offers.

Butts said she had hoped to go to a school that offered more diversity, and she found SIUE more diverse than other schools she attended.

“When I got to SIUE, it was just a lot more diverse; there were a lot more women who looked like me and just more relatable to me, and we hit it off

great,” Butts said. “A lot of people showed me the campus and we just connected from there.”

According to Butts, when she was eligible to play, after her transfer from Bradley University, SIUE women’s basketball players were good.

“My teammates taught me a lot, just about the game in gen-

eral,” Butts said. “We had a good year, that had a lot to do with just bonding and respecting one another while we were playing.”

Butts said that knowing how to communicate on the court with her teammates was part of what made the team successful.

“Everybody played a role. I think that is important because no matter how much success I had, my teammates always helped me get there,” Butts said. “We had a lot of team chemistry, [and] we were very excited to play amongst each other. To this day, we have a great relationship with the majority of my teammates.”

Butts said basketball affected her in lots of ways, but for the most part, it was being disciplined and standing for something.

Currently, she owns a business named “Brow & Lash Beauty Bar” in Des Moines, Iowa and is set to get married in August 2023.

“It taught me holding myself accountable when I do hit adversely and when I do hit things differently,” Butts said. “Today, as I own my business, I still use the same model of working hard and being disciplined when it comes to life in general.”

As she is looking forward to starting her own family soon, she plans to be the coach and be the same mentor that others were to her.

“My passion is to always educate and to always help kids,” Butts said. “I do want to start coaching, running some camps or do one-on-one or something along those lines. [I’m still] dealing with basketball because I still have the love for it. Hopefully, God leads me into that path; if not a year from now, then maybe five years later.”

Phillies, Blue Jays draft two SIUE baseball players

Toronto Blue Jays draft Orf Outfielder Brennan Orf from Wildwood, Missouri, was the 394th pick of the Major League Baseball Draft and was drafted in the 13th round by the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday.

As a junior, in 2023

Orf hit an average of .351 for the ¨year as third lead hitter in the All-Ohio Valley Conference over the 53 out of 54 games he played and started in.

In 2022, he hit an average of .357

in 44 games.

Orf was selected as part of the AllOhio Valley Conference First Team and tied for third in the OVC league with 19 home runs.

He tied for the team lead with 48 RBIs, which ranked 10th in the OVC.

ORF

Additionally, Orf established a new school record for walks in a single season, walking 54 times, which ranked 19th in the National Collegiate Athletics Association.

Orf hit an average of .325 over three seasons, which ranked

fifth in SIUE’s Division I history. He also secured 33 career home runs, which tied for third all-time in school history.

Following the Philadelphia Phillies’

pick of Avery Owusu-Asiedu in the ninth round, Orf’s draft marks the first time in 24 years that SIUE has had more than a single draft pick.

Following the Philadelphia Phillies’ pick of Avery Owusu-Asiedu in the ninth round, Orf’s draft marks the first time in 24 years that SIUE has had more than a single draft pick

| Christian K. Lee / The Alestle