The Alestle Vol. 76, No. 34

THE

SIUE Athletics director welcomes three new faculty, promotes two

Clerical workers protest negotiation treatment at Board of Trustees meeting in Springfield

BRUCE DARNELL managing editor

After a year of not having a contract, AFSCME Local 2887 organized a protest against their treatment during contract negotiations.

The clerical staff gathered in an SIU medical school auditorium, where the meeting was taking place. Among those present were SIUE’s Chancellor Minor and Lauren Harris, student government trustee, as well as SIU Carbondale’s Chancellor Austin Lane.

In the meeting, performance bonuses were given to some Board of Trustees members, with some reaching as high as the six-figure range.

Also during the meeting, compliments were given to Minor for his performance over the last year in bringing the university back up from the difficult position it’s been in for the past few years.

Dan Mahony, president of the SIU system, listed some of Minor’s accomplishments over the past year.

“You came aboard under very difficult circumstances,” Mahony said. “You’ve been able to reduce that budget [$18 million deficit] by 60 percent in your first year. This was an accomplishment especially in the face of financial constraints throughout education.”

Mahony also mentioned the recent contract negotiations between SIUE and the Faculty Association and their recent

ratification, during which he made note of the clerical workers in the audience.

Lastly, Mahony complimented Minor on increasing diversity of staff, faculty and students on campus, as well as for hosting the successful One Day, One SIUE event last spring.

Minor then began his presentation, which went over some of the finer details involving enrollment and demographics within the past year.

After the presentations, the floor was open to guest speakers, the first of whom was Amy Bodenstab, vice president of AFSCME Local 2887.

“SIUE received over $50 million in COVID funding. $4.5 million of that was poured into our budget deficit,” Bodenstab said. “Despite our repeated requests that our workers on campus during lockdown receive something for risking their lives, we got nothing.”

Bodenstab then went on to list some of the grievances the clerical workers had with the university, such as less sick time and bereavement time than others on campus.

Other issues included not receiving industry standard pay nor receiving proper increases, as well as not having a decision maker — as in someone in a position of power, such as Minor — from the university at negotiations.

Bodenstab then also critiqued the performance bonuses being given to Board members.

“There is always money for

see PROTEST on page 2

Darnell

Dome HVAC

failing, director issues emergency statement

On July 14, Benjamin Lowder, director of the Center for Spirituality and Sustainability, issued an “emergency alert” and created a GoFundMe in an effort to raise funds for a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, or HVAC, for the Fuller Dome.

Lowder said in the GoFundMe that the Dome’s HVAC system would not make it through another season.

In a previous Alestle article about an exhibit featuring artifacts from Buckminster Fuller’s life, board member Tom Kinsella

said the Center was planning on initiating a “greening campaign” in order to make the building a carbon-neutral structure. Lowder said in the GoFundMe that this could be a stepping stone towards that goal.

“We look at this building not so much as a museum piece to honor Buckminster Fuller, but more as a living organism, and we try to treat it the way we think he would’ve treated it,” Lowder said.

Since July 14, the GoFundMe has raised nearly $11,000 of its $27,000 goal.

Members of AFSCME Local 2887 gather in protest in Springfield, Illinois, regarding their treatment during union negotiations.

| Bruce Darnell / The Alestle

Chancellor James Minor and Interim Vice Chancellor Bill Retzlaff speak with AFSCME Local 2887 Vice President Amy Bodenstab after the Board of Trustees meeting in Springfield and accompanying AFSCME protest.

| Bruce

/ The Alestle Fuller

SIUE staff protest in Board of Trustees meeting

aid, Huebschen realized this bill was not for him, but rather they were fees for SIU Carbondale.

for members of the board.

bonuses, stipends, etc. for people who already have a substantial salary,” Bodenstab said. “But those of us living paycheck to paycheck and working three jobs to put food on the table get nothing. I’d like to say something positive about the Board of Trustees, about President Mahony, about SIUE, but we’ve got nothing.”

The next speaker after Bodenstab was Alan Huebschen, a graduate research assistant at SIU’s School of Medicine, who similarly talked about financial issues.

“On Tuesday, I got my bill for this upcoming semester, and there were fees that were not covered by my tuition waiver,” Huebschen said. “These fees totalled $1,560. My take-home pay every month as a graduate researcher is $1,659, so I wasn’t sure how I was going to be able to pay rent.”

After contacting financial

“However, that still makes me feel for the Carbondale graduate assistant,” Huebschen said. “I don’t know how they pay rent on the months they have to pay these fees.”

Huebschen then went on to explain the amount of hours graduate researchers are paid for working — around 20 hours a week — with how much they actually usually end up working, which is around 30 to 60 hours a week.

“When I first started here, I was filling out my timesheets honestly,” Huebschen said. “I was then called into someone’s office, and they told me that I need to only fill out four hours per day, no matter how much I was working.”

Huebschen’s request for the board was a $1,000 increase in pay for graduate researchers, stating that it would have a greater impact on quality of life than giving bonuses upwards of $150,000

“I should also mention more specifics from my personal situation,” Huebschen said. “I am on SNAP — also known as food stamps — to survive. I am also on state insurance, because I cannot afford the insurance offered by SIU.”

Following the speakers, Mahony said they are working on a plan to address the concerns of the audience. He also said the issues primarily come from institution-wide problems, such as enrollment and state appropriations declining.

Lane said SIU Carbondale was able to get contracts negotiated with groups on campus, with the added caveat that, compared to Minor, he’s had more time as Chancellor to get contracts worked out.

Minor made a comment about keeping a commitment towards the university’s faculty, staff and students. He also added that he wants to do it in a responsible way that doesn’t over obligate the university.

Musk’s Twitter rebrand: Changing to X set to kill billions of dollars in value

AISHA COUNTS

JESSE

LEVINE

Bloomberg News (TNS)

It’s rare for corporate brands to become so intertwined with everyday conversation that they become verbs. It’s rarer still for the owner of such a brand to announce plans to intentionally destroy it.

On Sunday, in the middle of a quiet summer weekend, Elon Musk decreed that Twitter’s product name would be changed to “X,” and that he is getting rid of the bird logo and all the associated words, including “tweet.” Musk’s move wiped out anywhere between $4 billion and $20 billion in value, according to analysts and brand agencies.

“It took 15-plus years to earn that much equity worldwide, so losing Twitter as a brand name is a significant financial hit,” said Steve Susi, director of brand communication at Siegel & Gale.

Musk, whose company has already declined significantly in value since he purchased it for $44 billion in October, announced the change on Saturday night. By Monday morning a new black “X” logo, designed by a fan over the weekend, began to appear across the site. New Chief Executive Officer Linda Yaccarino outlined the company’s vision for X to become a site for audio, video, messaging, payments and banking.

Analysts and brand agencies call the product’s renaming a mistake. Twitter is one of the most recognizable social media brands, said Todd Irwin, founder of brand agency Fazer. Bird decals adorn small businesses and websites worldwide, alongside Instagram and Facebook logos.

Twitter’s popularity has also made verbs like “tweet” and “retweet” part of modern culture, used regularly to explain how celebrities, politicians and others communicated with the public, said Joshua White, assistant professor of finance at Vanderbilt University.

X will require the company to rebuild that cultural pull and linguistic consensus from scratch. But that may be part of the motivation, so users stop comparing Twitter post-takeover to what it was before. “It’s an exceptionally rare thing — in life or in business — that you get a second chance to make another big impression,” Yaccarino tweeted.

On Monday, the company began removing the word “Twitter” from the sign at its headquarters. The brand change was so spontaneous that the city of San Francisco asked the crane to stop removing letters, leaving just “er.” “Twitter, or X, never proactively gave notice or inquired about sign removal/updates to the City, so it’s on pause until the Planning Department gives guidance to the Department of Building Inspections,” a spokesperson for Mayor London Breed said in a statement.

Other tech companies have renamed themselves in recent years. Google turned into Alphabet Inc. to allow different businesses within the company to grow without being tied to search. Facebook changed into Meta Platforms Inc. in order to emphasize the company’s commitment to the metaverse. But the product names remained; we still google things by going to Google.

That’s worth a lot. Twitter’s brand value is estimated at about $4 billion, according to brand valuation consulting firm Brand

The next Board of Trustees meeting is September 21, at SIUE’s East St. Louis Campus.

HELP

Call

07.11.23

An officer responded to a report of a suspicious odor of cannabis coming from a student’s car. The student admitted to smoking before arrival.

07.18.23

An officer responded to an individual who is not allowed on campus being inside Peck Hall. The building and surrounding area was searched, but the subject wasn’t found.

07.25.23

An officer responded to a report of a mattress being set on fire due to a traffic accident, though the fire was put out before the officer arrived.

Plaque just first step in addressing racist massacre

Finance. The firm values the Facebook brand at $59 billion and Instagram at $47.4 billion. Vanderbilt University estimates Twitter’s brand value at $15 billion to $20 billion, which is comparable to Snapchat.

As the perception of Twitter’s brand has changed, advertisers have fled. Advertisers were concerned about Musk’s courting of controversy and embrace of tweeters who broke content rules. Advertising revenue at Twitter is down more than 50 percent since October, Musk has said.

“Twitter’s corporate brand is already heavily intertwined with Musk’s personal brand, with or without the name X, and much of Twitter’s established brand equity has already been lost among users and advertisers,” said Jasmine Enberg, an analyst with Insider Intelligence.

It’s “completely irrational from a business and brand point of view,” said Allen Adamson, co-founder of the marketing and brand consulting group Metaforce. He called it an “ego decision” on the part of Musk. “To me, it’s going to go down in history as one of the fastest unwinding of a business and brand ever.”

There’s also the risk to Musk’s future goals. Building banking and payments into the app will require customer trust — something that’s difficult to get with a brand-new product name. “I just think that customers outside of Musk’s sort of core fan base would really struggle to use Twitter to exchange their money,” Vanderbilt’s White said.

One thing working in Musk’s favor: “The Elon brand,” said Irwin. “His personal brand might be more powerful than the Twitter brand.”

With assistance from Karen Breslau

Homes were burned, businesses were destroyed, and dozens of innocent Black Americans lost their lives during the East St. Louis Massacre of 1917, yet this piece of local history is rarely taught about or discussed in the St. Louis Metro Area.

Anthony Cheeseboro, associate professor in the departments of history and Black studies at SIUE, said that there were multiple factors that led up the East St. Louis Massacre of 1917.

“During World War I, the number of Black immigrants into the area really increased. There was a lot of demand for labor, and a lot of African Americans were coming up from the South and businesses were recruiting them,” Cheeseboro said.

According to Cheeseboro labor issues continued to worsen the divide between Black newcomers and white people already in the area, and this friction came to a head in the spring and summer of 1917.

“There was a strike at the aluminum factory over in Alorton, the union members were all white and the company hired Blacks as scabs. There had been a small confrontation over it in the spring. In the summer, however, it jumped off,” Cheeseboro said.

Cheeseboro said the culmination of this friction resulted in the violent massacre that killed dozens of Black Americans and destroyed homes and businesses in the Black community.

“There was a massive confrontation of whites in the area against the Black newcomers, and to this day we don’t have a solid number of how many people died,” Cheeseboro said. “A lot of people were killed, people were set on fire, people were hanged, people were shot.”

Yet with the East St. Louis Massacre of 1917 being the most significant historical event in the history of East St. Louis, so little of the massacre is remembered and understood today when people think about the city of East St. Louis.

“You have a city whose infrastructure has been destroyed and over the last 100 years there hasn’t been a serious effort to rebuild it. The East St. Louis Massacre is significant because that was really ground zero for urban decay in the Metro East,” Cheeseboro said.

Remembering this local historical event could help alleviate some of the judgment the city of East St. Louis faces today.

“It is important for people to understand what happened. It is very easy for people to look at East St. Louis and to think that it is a horrible place,” Cheeseboro said.

The SIUE East Saint Louis Center has recently placed a plaque on the local campus in memory of the East St. Louis Massacre of 1917.

“Plaques are plaques — they’re a nice start and it makes a difference. How people remember the past is important and so it’s important to understand that bad things happened. We need to understand that in order to do better,” Cheeseboro said.

Whereas the plaque is a start to understanding the historical event, more needs to be done to help improve the city of East St. Louis.

“SIUE is just one of many factors. Public school systems need to do well, the state needs to do well and economic planning and development needs to take these things into serious consideration,” Cheeseboro said.“Quite often what we end up is a program to do temporary things, but we don’t really see fundamental structural change, and ultimately that’s what needs to happen.”

MADISON SAMPLE reporter

WSIE finalist for third year in a row as STL favorite

CHLOE WOLFE opinion editor

Each year, St. Louis Magazine holds a vote for St. Louis’s favorites, from sports to radio stations. For the past three years, campus radio station WSIE has placed as a finalist. For the first time, General Manager Jason Church placed as a finalist for Radio Personality and Radio Show.

Church first heard of the station at a young age. He said he was searching through different stations for something to play while he did his homework and stumbled upon the station which, at the time, only played jazz. Church said he fell in love with it.

“While my other buddies were listening to Nirvana and Pearl Jam, I was sitting there listening to John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk,” Church said. “I thought to myself, ‘This is really cool, I want to work there. Maybe I could make it there someday.’”

In 2018, after working in the radio industry in St. Louis for 20 years, Church applied to become the general manager of WSIE and beat out about 27 other candidates according to Church.

As Church was starting, WSIE lost all of their state funding, meaning they had to secure their own money for production with little to no budget for advertising.

According to Church, this makes being a finalist for the last three years even more special.

“We don’t really have the luxury of a promotions budget like most radio stations do,” Church said. “Being able to come into a publication like this and be named as one of the top three stations is not only great for encouraging people to check us out, but also just for letting people know that we exist.”

Another change that happened during Church’s tenure is a switch in what kind of music the station plays. While in the past only jazz was played, the station now plays blues, old school R&B and what Church called ‘Yacht rock’ which is characterized by artists such as The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan.

Jenna Williams, a senior mass communications student who volunteers at the station, said that Church spends a lot of time making sure that the station runs well.

“I know how much hard work goes into keeping WSIE up and running, it’s not easy,” Williams said. “We’re in the process of trying to get a new tower and a new transmitter, and that’s a lot of hard work. It’s also a lot of going out and trying to find funding for it. And I mean,

[Church] is doing like five to 10 people’s jobs by himself. It’s a lot of stress, but he is so patient with every student that comes in. He is so thoughtful and so giving to everybody that crosses his path.”

WSIE is staffed by student volunteers who learn the ropes of a radio station from Church.

Izzy Simmonds, a recent graduate of SIUE, volunteered at the station and learned the skills she needed for her current job.

“I learned a lot of people skills and I got familiar with the radio industry in general,” Simmonds said. “Whenever you work on air somewhere, you have to be really comfortable with the fact that a big audience is going to listen to you. That definitely kind of helped me break out of my shell a lot.”

Williams said that Church taught her the more technical side of the industry. She said that she learned how to work the soundboard, how to schedule music, how to underwrite for when she spoke on air and how to do advertisements.

Both Simmonds and Williams have jobs at Hubbard Radio station KSHE and cited the skills they learned through WSIE as the reason they moved up the ranks so quickly.

Simmonds explained that during her last year in university, she was looking for an internship at a newspaper but was struggling to find one. She asked Church to help her look for an internship at a radio station instead, and he helped her get an internship

at KSHE.

After her graduation, the station hired her as a permanent part-time graphic designer and marketing researcher. Recently she was moved to full-time. Williams, on the other hand, works on-air. Originally, she began at KSHE as a promotions assistant because of the nearly impossible task of getting an internship where she would be on-air. So Williams did her job and within a couple of months was called up to fill in on-air.

“I was able to walk in and do my promotions assistant job flawlessly,” Williams said. “I think that’s what led me to be asked on the show for the first time.”

Williams also cited knowledge of the basics of a soundboard as a reason that she got to be on-air.

“Board hopping was a huge skill. It’s one of the first things you ever learn when you go to WSIE,” Williams said.

“When I started to learn how to use the board over there to be able to run the show if need be, I wouldn’t have been able to pick it up so quickly. Everyone was very impressed with how quickly I was able to learn a whole new board, a whole new operating system so fast. If Jason hadn’t explained that to me, I would not have that knowledge, which is something that I need to know to be on

the air.”

Even though they now have jobs outside of WSIE, Williams and Simmonds both expressed their joy at finding out that both Church and WSIE were finalists.

Simmonds said that she was glad that a station that completely runs on donations and volunteers finished as a finalist because that means that people listen and appreciate it.

Williams said that she thinks it is crazy that WSIE is able to keep up with the bigger stations in St. Louis. She also said that she is proud of the work that Church did to be recognized.

“I just felt so proud to be a part of something like this and to know somebody [Church] that works really hard to achieve this,” Williams said. “He should have gotten it sooner, but I’m thankful that he did get recognized because out of everybody I know that works in radio, he is one of the people that deserves it the most.”

Church expressed hope that their continued finalist achievements will renew SIUE’s interest in the radio, not only for the learning factor but the step up it will give them in the industry.

“WSIE gives students a bit of a leg up on other students that don’t have that experience already and have to be trained how to do that stuff,” Church said. “Most of the media companies out there are more than likely going to go with somebody that already has that experience under their belt and it gives them a better chance.”

Williams said that the station was not just a learning experience but it helped her find her place.

“I don’t know where I would be and I don’t know what I would be doing without [WSIE],” Williams said. “It was such a perfect fit for anything I could ever dream of doing. I mean, I found my best friend Izzy. It gives you opportunities to get to know people different from you, and I mean, get opened up to it, you learn how to work in the media.”

Church also said the radio has given him the opportunity to watch the student volunteers go out into the industry and thrive.

“As a mentor, it feels great because you’re able to impart this experience and knowledge that I’ve accumulated over 20 plus years in St. Louis radio, and then give it to these students and watch them go out there and put it to work. And it’s just a really, really cool feeling,” Church said.

To learn more about the A-List, or if you want to volunteer at or listen to WSIE, visit their website.

Embracing history, Biden protects sites tied to Emmett Till’s murder

NIELS LESNIEWSKI

CQ-Roll Call (TNS)

President Joe Biden on Tuesday established a new national monument honoring Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley.

“At a time where there are those who seek to ban books, bury history, we’re making it clear, crystal, crystal clear,” the president said. “We should know about our country. We should know everything: the good, the bad, the truth, who we are as a nation.”

The murder of Till, who was killed by white men while visiting relatives in the Mississippi Delta in August 1955, became a key moment in the Civil Rights Movement, especially after an all-white jury acquitted the men. (They eventually admitted their guilt after they were no longer in legal jeopardy.)

The monument will be located at

three sites, including the Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ in Till’s hometown of Chicago. That was venue for the widely-attended open-casket funeral for Till following the lynching, over objections of authorities in Mississippi.

“The reason the world saw what Mrs. Till-Mobley saw was because another hero in this story, the Black press,” Biden said. “Jet magazine, the Chicago Defender and other newspapers and radio announcers who told the story were unflinching.”

The other two sites, both in Mississippi, include the location where Till’s body was discovered and the courthouse in Sumner, Miss., where the trial took place.

The White House has sought to contrast the president’s treatment of key moments in the history of the Civil Rights Movement with those of Republicans, including officials in Florida where GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis is running for president.

“Today there are those in our nation

who would prefer to erase or even rewrite the ugly parts of our past, those who attempt to teach that enslaved people benefitted from slavery,” Vice President Kamala Harris said, speaking ahead of the president at Tuesday’s event. “Those who insult us in an attempt to gaslight us, who try to divide our nation with unnecessary debates, let us not be seduced into believing that somehow we will be better if we forget.”

“It comes at an important moment let’s not forget what we have seen these past several months — as we’ve witnessed extreme officials in Florida and across the country lie about American history,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday. “The most recent example: shamefully — shamefully promoting a lie that enslaved people actually benefited from slavery.”

DeSantis on Friday said he was not involved in crafting Florida’s educational standards regarding the teaching of his-

tory but seemed to double down on the idea that some slaves may have benefitted from their enslavement.

“I think that they’re probably going to show some of the folks that eventually parlayed, you know, being a blacksmith into, into doing things later in life,” DeSantis told reporters. The comments drew rebukes from Republicans and Democrats alike.

Before Biden signed the proclamation creating the national monument, a White House official had said there would be roughly 60 guests for Tuesday’s event, which coincided with what would have been Till’s 82nd birthday. The gust list included family members and civil rights leaders, as well as lawmakers and senior Biden administration officials.

Tuesday’s designation was Biden’s fourth using the Antiquities Act to mark historical or significant landmarks. Others were in Colorado, Nevada and Texas.

Changes coming to art installations around campus

TY HICKS reporter FRANCESCA BOSTON lifestyles editor

The Department of Art and Design has introduced a new vision for the campus sculptures, with a dozen sculptures rotating locations annually and introducing new art by campus artists.

Larry LaFond, interim chair of the Department of Art and Design, said the program is a new introduction and he hopes it will bring good changes to campus.

“We have just put into place a new

quite some time now, and we have a new vision in mind.”

Sculptures such as “From the Ground Up” created by Gale Schlagel and “Transformation” created by Maddox Beverly will become features to campus, and are in the process of being moved to their final destination near the Early Childhood Center.

LaFond said there is a lot of good coming from these changes, along with more opportunities for students to express themselves creatively on campus.

“The new program that’s in place has artists sign a one-year contract for their art, of which they will be on display for the campus,” LaFond said. “In some cases, with the artist’s permission, it may last longer. It could even become

pus, the plan is to have 12 of them rotating out yearly, according to

“We would like to imagine them as 12 rotating locations,” LaFond said. “Our decision for these spots won’t affect the remaining 23 locations. This number will fluctuate, going up and down, depending on circumstances with the artist, or conditions of the sculptures from weather,” LaFond said.

LaFond said depending on what the artist envisions, these 12 spots will vary in what kind of support the sculptures will be placed on.

“We plan to have concrete paths, mulch and grass. Many artists like to envision their art to a particular location, so having that option is important. If a particular artist has a spot in mind, then it can be included in the proposal to help make it happen,” LaFond said.

LaFond said many of the pieces on campus are meant to be explored individually, and will have different meanings for different people.

“Most art is visual parables. Most of them aren’t meant to be explained. They are meant to be experienced through us, as different individuals. We are committed to keeping this going, whichever way we need too,” LaFond said.

Historic Leclaire brought to life for children of Madison County

DYLAN HEMBROUGH editor-in-chief

Last week, many area kids participated in a four-day excursion around the county to see some of its historic – and often overlooked – sites.

The campers first traveled to the Lock and Dam Museum in Alton and the Mother Jones Monument in Mount Olive. Bob Daiber, a former Madison County Superintendent of Schools and chaperone of the history camp, explained that the kids learned about how brutal working conditions were for people in the past. This set the stage for their tour of Historic Leclaire.

Leclaire is a region within the City of Edwardsville that was founded in 1890 as an independent village. N. O. Nelson, a Norwegian-born philanthropist, founded Leclaire as one of the many “utopian” settlements of its time.

Edwardsville High School English teacher Cara Lane, along with a recent EHS graduate named Taylar Schonlau, found a unique way of teaching the campers about Historic Leclaire: a children’s book entitled “Welcome to Leclaire!”

“I appreciate the work of those who came before me to put together information about N. O. Nelson and the Village of Leclaire,” Lane said in her book. “I have reaped the benefits of that hard work, and it is

my hope that anyone who comes into contact with this work will form an appreciation for this historic neighborhood and all the people, not just N. O. Nelson, who made his vision a reality.”

Lane said in her book –which is as of yet unpublished –that Nelson stood out from other wealthy businessmen of the time because of how he took care of his workers.

“The Village of Leclaire may have only been 18 miles from St. Louis, but it seemed like a different world,” Lane said. “[Nelson’s] workers appeared to be safe and satisfied with their work in his factories. Employees made enough money to support their families, and there were opportunities to advance in the company as well as to make more money through profit-sharing.”

Though Lane could not chaperone this year’s camp on account of being in Chicago at a teachers’ convention, the messages in her book cropped up again and again as the campers toured Leclaire.

According to Lane’s book, when Nelson died in 1922 several of his workers voluntarily pooled their wages to have a monument built in his honor. This effort culminated in the “Turkey Boy” statue on the grounds of the Edwardsville Children’s Museum, meant to symbolize Nelson’s love of nature and dedication to education.

In her place, Lane asked Natalie Landreth, an SIUE stu-

dent who student-taught under Lane, to take her place as a camp leader this year.

“In April or May, [Lane] said, ‘Would you want to get involved with this history camp? I usually help out, but I’m going to be out of town during it,’” Landreth said. “I’m really glad I did, because it’s been a great experience.”

Carol Manning, secretary of the Madison County Historical Society and former employee of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois, said she was excited for this year’s camp because of the success of last year’s inaugural camp.

“Last year, we were shocked that these kids were so engaged and so curious,” Manning said. “The first day, one of the ladies had a program set up, and these kids were asking questions about her topic. They knew everything, they were so interested and engaged the whole time, and these kids have been also.”

Manning said the Historical Society conducts a range of events to get local people interested and involved with their area’s history.

“What we do is history in Madison County, not just Edwardsville. We have an archival library, and we have a building dating back to 1837. It’s currently being renovated, so it’s not a museum yet per se, but it will be.”

One of the more interesting

things featured by the Historical Society, according to Manning, was a vintage baseball game held last year.

“It was in another park here in Edwardsville, and there are vintage baseball teams around here,” Manning said. “There’s one from Belleville, called the Belleville Stags, and the St. Louis Browns, and then they wear old-fashioned outfits, and they use old-fashioned rules too.”

Manning said she felt that

this year’s camp was a success and looks forward to next year.

“There is value in being curious about the world around you, so it is important to have places dedicated to supporting a person’s ability to investigate, learn and grow,” Lane said in her book. “I thank our public libraries, research collection facilities and historic societies for providing such spaces. This book is dedicated to the people who work and volunteer there.”

(Left) From the Ground Up by Gale Schlagel is an interactive exhibit, while (Right) Transformation by Maddox Beverly is a personal journey for a transgender man.

I Winter Racine /The Alestle

History campers play with a completely hand-made wooden train set at the Nickel Plate Station in Edwardsville’s Historic Leclaire neigh borhood.

One thing is for sure... ‘Barbie’ makes you think

REVIEW: Subversive blockbuster

‘Barbie’ proves big budget movies are art

BRUCE DARNELL managing editor CHLOE WOLFE opinion editor

So much of this movie is deeply layered. From messages of patriarchy to corporatism to the human experience, there’s a piece of everything for everyone here.

Greta Gerwig, the movie’s director, is known for creating moves of this caliber. I knew that the director of “Ladybird” wouldn’t disappoint when given the reins to a big project like this.

It must be said that this isn’t a movie that was made for children. Of course, children will be a big part of the audience — though it is rated PG-13 — and can still see and enjoy it, but they’re not the intended audience.

The pastel set and cheery attitude are red herrings, as when you crack just below the surface, what’s revealed is a world that is as bleak and unequal as our own.

Barbieland is perfect. There’s nothing here that gets in the way of happiness for all its inhabitants. Or is there?

Many may leave the theater thinking that Barbieland is indeed perfect, believing that it’s meant to imagine the perfect world, where there isn’t any hunger, war and certainly no cellulite.

However, Barbieland is actually a critique on our society, which is done through its associations with patriarchy. This society is not an ideal one, rather it is a reflection of our own.

Barbieland is matriarchal. The Kens are simply an afterthought — we don’t even see where the Kens live in Barbieland. The only reason Kens exist is to vie for the attention of the Barbies.

This only changes when Barbie, played by Margot Robbie, and Ken, played by Ryan Gosling, travel into the real world and experience the exact opposite of what Barbieland is like.

Here, Barbie is catcalled, groped and objectified, whereas Ken is complimented and given better treatment simply by his status of being a man. Ken, who never received this attention before, becomes intoxicated with this new system of patriarchy.

Ken brings patriarchy back to Barbieland — renamed Kendom — and it quickly spreads among the other Kens. Now, the Kens are in charge, and the Barbies only exist to bring them “brewskis” while wearing skimpy outfits.

By the end, things return to normal, which means that the Barbies are back in charge. However, the Kens remain disenfranchised, with the only exception being a concession the Barbies gave, which allows for a Ken circuit judge.

This mirrors the real world feminist movement, where concessions have slowly been made within the system.

There are obvious parallels being made to the real world. Barbieland is an unequal society where one group is subservient to the other — an inverse comparison to our society.

The movie’s main message is not that women are superior, but that no gender is. An ideal society is not one that subjects any other, rather it is one that is equal on all fronts.

Ken represents maturity under patriarchy. He is fairly naive and innocent before he enters into the real world, symbolic of the youth becoming adults.

While on a walk in Los Angeles, he walks into a skyscraper’s lobby and sees a big screen playing quick cut images of famous and powerful macho men

throughout history: Rocky, Ronald Reagan, George Washington, Bill Clinton and others.

Through this experience, and later through learning more about patriarchy, he comes to believe that Kens are actually superior than the Barbies, and takes the ideas back into Barbieland and flips the entire power structure.

Now, all the Kens ride imaginary horses and explain “The Godfather” to all the Barbies, an ideal society for any macho man.

However, despite the new way of life, Ken still wants nothing more than to be with Barbie, which, in a way, represents the damage that patriarchy can do to how men perceive relationships with women.

Ken feels incomplete so long as he’s not with Barbie. This eventually culminates in a big rejection in front of all of Barbieland’s residents, which sends Ken crying into Barbie’s house away from the sight of others — boys don’t cry, after all.

When Barbie sits and talks with Ken, we learn, after yet another rejection by Barbie, that he only views himself as an extension of her. “It’s Barbie and Ken,” he says. Ken doesn’t stand on his own without Barbie.

To this, Barbie replies that it doesn’t have to be that way, that maybe, “It’s Barbie and it’s Ken.” He doesn’t need to be an extension of her to find meaning.

Here, Ken finally realizes the point. He learns that he is enough just by himself, and that vying for the love of someone that won’t reciprocate it only serves to damage and further separate the friendship that they share together.

While clearly representative of men’s perceptions on relationships with women in our society, it should be noted that Ken’s journey did not begin under patriarchy — it began under Barbieland’s matriarchy.

This reinforces the point that a society where one gender is dominant over the other is not one to be sought after, rather one to be supplemented for a society where we all perceive each other as equals.

We get a glimpse of this ideal society near the end of the movie, when the Kens begin to accept that the Barbies are not things to be fawned over and “gotten with,” rather they are meant to live with them and enjoy the time they spend together as equals.

In all, “Barbie” certainly subverted the expectations of what a “toy movie” has to be. In it, we can find messages that could be talked about for pages upon pages, and is a beautiful examination of the ills of our society as it stands.

It was yet another homerun from director Greta Gerwig, which was to be expected given her past works. Whatever her next project is going to be is sure to be a great one, and I have no doubts that she will soon become one of the canon directors of the 21st century.

A powerful commentary on gender disparity and what it means to grow up, Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” reminds women to embrace their inner child and realize that the patriarchy can’t tell us who we should be.

When I first went into the theater, I didn’t expect to cry as much as I did. I am familiar with Gerwig’s other works – I cried during those – but there was something different about “Barbie.” She managed to perfectly capture what it is like as a girl playing with Barbies before we are forced to grow up due to unrealistic body standards and sleazy men hitting on us before we are even old enough for high school.

The main characters, Margot Robbie’s Barbie and Ryan Gosling’s Ken, are also reminiscent of children.

They speak how children would speak, they understand dating how a child would and they don’t realize that their world treats others differently.

It’s not until Barbie begins to get depressive thoughts and cellulite that she begins to “grow up.”

In order to fix herself essentially, Barbie is sent to the real world to figure out what’s going on with the person playing with her. Ken tags along and they begin their journey completely ignorant as to how different Barbieland and the real world are.

Barbie’s first interaction in the real world is getting slapped on the butt and catcalled by male construction workers. She’s upset by this as she’s never experienced it in Barbieland. While it’s surprising for Barbie, it’s common for many women just trying to do any normal thing in a public setting.

In their search for her human owner, Barbie sends Ken away so she can think on her own. After she figures out where she needs to go next in her journey, she opens her eyes and looks at the world around her.

She sees all the ugly things about the real world and begins crying, something she has never experienced before. She then looks to her right and sees an old lady sitting near her. Barbie tells the woman she’s beautiful and the lady responds with, “I know it.”

Although this scene was originally supposed to be taken out, it is undoubtedly one of the most powerful of the movie. From a young age, we are told aging is ugly – even Barbie fears it – but this scene is a reminder that we all age and it’s not ugly --it’s just a part of life.

Barbie and Ken continue on their journey to find Barbie’s human owner at

a middle school Barbie saw in a vision. Sasha, who used to play with Barbie, then tells Barbie that she dislikes who she is as a symbol. Although Barbie was originally meant to show that girls could be anything they wanted, which is what Barbie thought she represented, Sasha explained that Barbie has become a symbol of a perfect body and almost nothing else.

Barbie was created to show that we could be an astronaut or the president at a time when women couldn’t even own credit cards. But she was soon warped into a sinister tool to tell girls what they should look like when they grow up.

Later in the movie, Barbie returns to Barbieland dragging Sasha and her mother Gloria, played by America Ferrera, along with her. They return to a patriarchy set up by Ken. The Ken’s have taken over everything the Barbies have ever done and brainwashed them into becoming servants.

When Barbie realizes everything she once knew is gone, she throws a fit similar to a toddler’s. She takes off a layer of clothes and lays down on the ground. This is the point when she realizes she’s “no longer a kid.”

Barbie remains almost catatonic with the pressure of the patriarchy on her until Gloria gives a speech about what it’s like to be a woman. You can’t just be a mother, you can’t just have a career, you have to look a certain way and if you don’t you are weird but if you look too good you get ostracized, etc.– all things we have heard throughout our lives with the simple goal of just fitting in.

Gloria helps break all the Barbies out of their trance and they take down the patriarchy. When Ken learns of this, he hides in Barbie’s room and starts crying. Barbie helps calm him and apologizes to him for the way she treated him.

This part is odd because Barbie never treated him horribly. Yes, she was probably a bad girlfriend, but she never expressed interest in wanting to date him in the first place. In the whole interaction, Barbie is trying to be nice while saying they need to be separated, and Ken isn’t really listening and keeps taking everything she says as romantic.

This interaction has happened to almost every woman at least once. We try to be nice and a guy takes it as flirting, even if it is the farthest from it.

The part that made me cry the hardest was when Barbie decided to become a real human. She has a talk with Ruth Handler, the creator of Barbie, about what it means to be human as real-life home footage plays in the background.

I did not know it at the time, but the footage was submitted by people who worked on the movie and was of people who died. I cried watching the footage in the theater, but knowing the story behind it is even more moving.

Then we got whiplashed with a joke about going to the gynecologist and Ice Spice and the movie was done.

I could tell five minutes into the movie that it would become one of my favorites — and I was right.

This movie is definitely one to go see with the women in your life. Not only was it funny, but it uses something that was a staple of our childhood to talk about the issues we face now that we are older.

Seeing women of all ages, colors and backgrounds come together and relate over something as silly as a Barbie movie is powerful.

REVIEW: ‘Barbie’ exemplifies Gerwig’s perfect grasp on what it is to be a woman

THEA WELTZIN Illustrator

With the rise in social media usage, more people have the opportunity to share their voice and spread information quickly to a large audience, which has given rise to misinformation as well.

view

that it was false.”

This was further illustrated by Ian Anson, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, who has dedicated a large amount of his research to what he calls “political overconfidence.”

found they were receptive to this.

LEDFORD Podcast Producer

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In fact, a study conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, found that false information spreads quicker than true information across Twitter.

So, with Google at our fingertips, giving us the ability to verify facts and information at quick rates, why does it matter?

Our brains are predisposed to believe information based on psychological biases.

According to an article published last year by Richard Sima with The Washington Post about why our brains believe lies, “misinformation is more likely to be believed, remembered and later recalled — even after we learn

In one of his recent studies, he tested American respondents on a series of questions about common political falsehoods.

In a study of 1,209 people, 70 percent of respondents were overconfident in their knowledge of American politics.

In this same study, Anson made an effort to teach them to avoid these falsehoods in the future. However, what he found was that the overconfident respondents had failed to change their attitudes towards these falsehoods after his warnings.

Due to this, he followed up with a “reality check” experiment by telling them how their score compared to their peers, where he

He suggested that in a largescale effort to combat this problem, “social media companies and opinion leaders could seek ways to promote discourse that emphasizes humility and self-correction” and encourage users to reconsider the “assertiveness” of their posts.

According to Pew Research in a 2020 study, 23 percent of people get their news from social media often, 30 percent sometimes and 18 percent rarely, meaning that 71 percent of people consume at least some of their news from social media, further highlighting why the concern of “fake news” has become so widespread.

Even YouTube began adding “fact-checking information panels” in 2020 in response to COVID-19 misinformation under videos where the topic was being discussed, which has since been expanded to include other topics prone to

misinformation such as abortion and climate change.

In an ideal world, social media platforms would be able to filter out all of this misinformation and only allow true and factual information to seep through, but the reality is that efforts such as “context” boxes and cautions are some of the only ways they can combat the problem on a large scale while still keeping their platforms accessible to everyone.

This is why it is so important for us as individuals to verify information on our own, avoid spreading misinformation ourselves and become aware of how our own biases can predispose us to believing incorrect information.

It is just as vital that we don’t just correct others on their misinformation – which we are all so eager to do – but check ourselves and be willing to be corrected when we are wrong, which, curiously, we are much less eager to do.

Unions are the only safeguard against workers’ exploitation

After years of union-busting practices, workers have finally begun to understand the importance of unionizing as we see new unions being formed and strikes across the country.

Almost as long as wage labor has existed, there have been push backs against exploiting the workforce that turns all the gears.

In the United States, largescale unionization took place in the early 1900s, with figures such as Mother Jones leading the charge in educating the workforce in rural regions.

more information, call 618-650-3528

Immediately, there was violent push back. Union leaders, such as Frank Little, were lynched in their homes, and gun fights often occurred between union members and hired guards for the factories.

In fact, the first time the United States bombed its own citizens was during the Battle of Blair Mountain, which was near the end of the aptly named “Coal Wars.”

However, the unions largely won out, receiving concessions that we can’t imagine living without today. Things such as a minimum wage, an eight hour work day and an end to child labor practices are just a few struggles won.

In the mid-20th century, unions reached their peak in public support. From there, unions began a slow decline, primarily caused by a large swing towards right-wing politics in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, with presidents such as Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan putting more emphasis on individual success rather than collective action.

Unions in the 2000s were certainly reaching their weakest

in terms of public support. The media often raised questions about the necessity of unions, and new big-name companies, such as Amazon, heavily increased anti-union education in their worker training programs.

During the Great Recession in 2007, people began realizing once again that corporate interests simply do not align with the interests of the common worker, and unions slowly began seeing an uptick in activity.

The Writers Guild of America went on a major strike during the recession, with their last strike before being in 1988, almost 20 years prior. Then, the 2011 movement Occupy Wall Street once again put labor issues in the limelight.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen yet another uptick in labor organization.

Starbucks and Amazon began unionizing across the coun-

try, and in the last few months we have seen a joint strike between the WGA and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), as well as a potential Teamsters strike, whereupon 300,000 truck drivers would stop transporting goods.

Locally, SIUE’s unions have also begun utilizing the power of collective bargaining, which has so far culminated in new contracts for the faculty, food workers and counselors.

While many groups on campus still remain without a contract, the bargaining process is still ongoing, and the unions have been garnering support among students and staff alike. So long as unions exist and are supported by workers, both for their own union and others, powerful organizations can be kept in check from exploiting their workforce.

DAMIAN MORRIS Multimedia Editor

MADISON SAMPLE TYSON HICKS Reporters UDIT NALUKALA Photographer

FRANCESCA BOSTON Lifestyles Editor

WINTER RACINE Online Editor

letter to the editor: AFSCME calls for same consideration as other unions

JULIE LATEMPT-BRAZIER

President of local 2887 AFSCME

Dear Editor:

This notice is regarding the persistent disrespectful treatment by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville toward AFSCME Local 2887. For decades SIUE has insisted we, AFSCME Local 2887, are not worthy of the same respect that others on campus receive. We ask your assistance for the following reasons:

Summary of Our Matters of Concern: We perform a high level of substantial work within this university. We master the following skills: extensive multi-tasking due to shortage of support staff, trouble-

REVIEW:

THEA WELTZIN managing editor

Oppenheimer is not only a biographical movie about the man who built the atomic bomb, but an emotional commentary on how advances in technology can extend past the human comprehension of what technology can do.

With the supporting narrative of Prometheus, the Greek mythological character who gifted fire to man and was later punished by Zeus for giving something so powerful to the human race, the Greek myth assists in depicting the moral message, “Just because something can be made, doesn’t mean it should.”

Alongside the frequent commentary the myth of Prometheus provides, “Oppenheimer” is filled to the brim with scenes depicting accurate portrayals of various mental ailments such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and insomnia. Loud whirring noises and bright

shooting of issues that arise within our departments, financial budget analysis and accounting duties, maintaining competency in 4-12 different computer software programs and managing multiple student workers within the departments, all while operating independently. We are delegates for fiscal officers and are personally responsible for audits conducted on those accounts.

YET: SIUE HR Representatives have only held seven negotiation meetings in the 15 months they have been aware that we demanded to negotiate over our contract.

When we are at the negotiations table,

no decision makers are ever present from SIUE, yet they show up for other negotiation tables.

We have been without a contract for a year and still SIUE has failed to present a financial proposal in negotiations.

Our benefits are less than half of what others on campus receive.

There is a continued refusal to address the widespread reassignment of others’ work and responsibilities onto our members, without providing additional compensation or addressing job burnout.

There continues to be a refusal to address the need for appropriate compensation. Our members make about

half the industry standard for the work being performed.

AFSCME Local 2887 has always been predominantly female, currently 92 percent female. Even with SIUE’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policy, members’ requests continue to be ignored and disrespected by the administration, drawing the conviction of said policy into question.

We urge you to forward your phone calls and e-mails to Dr. James T. Minor, Chancellor of SIUE, (618)-650-2477, and/or chancellor@siue.edu

Sincerely,

— Members of AFSCME Local 2887 Edwardsville

‘Oppenheimer:’ A delightful mix of gritty themes, quippy humor, future-crushing end ings

lights overwhelm the audience just as Oppenheimer himself is overwhelmed with his responsibility to create a weapon of mass destruction.

Focusing on the creation and political aftermath of the bomb, the movie is split interchangeably into two parts: “Fission”, which is the story told in full color of how Oppenheimer went to create the Atomic bomb; and “Fusion”, which is the black and white telling of the consequences of Oppenheimer’s bomb in court as well as within people’s lives, particularly Lewis Strauss’, who is depicted as running Oppenheimer’s reputation into the ground.

“Fission” and “Fusion” are told side by side with one another. The merging of past and present narratives makes the film a bit messy to follow, especially with the technicalities of the topic of politics as well as quantum mechanics being discussed throughout both. Reading a few articles about what happened in history as well as the basics of how atoms are

split before seeing this movie would definitely help an audience member comprehend what is going on.

Not only would it assist in understanding technicalities within these complicated topics, but it would also allow the audience to have background knowledge considering the terms fission and fusion. Taking into consideration when each term is used, each word provides a commentary on how each stage of the bomb affects the world it affects.

Fission splits the nucleus of an atom into two less dense nuclei. This causes immense power to be released, capable of leveling cities. However, this (in the sense of it being only one city and not the entire world) shows the enclosed impact that the creation of the bomb has. Before it was detonated, the bomb only had impacts on those contributing to and overseeing its creation. After it was detonated, it affected much more, hence the change in tone to “Fusion”.

Fusion is the process of combining

two lighter nuclei in order to create one nucleus, which creates a far more powerful detonation. In this sense, “Fusion” represents the future that the atomic bomb created. Everyone now knows it exists, everyone is afraid of it, and every government wants to harness it in order to destroy another country’s people.

Fission and fusion are not the only symbolism. The ripple effect is often referenced throughout the movie, as in every decisive scene, water is present. Through conversations in court to the death of his estranged lover, Oppenheimer is constantly reminded of the future he created for the rest of human existence and the loss that follows.

With the future being uncertain for humanity, Oppenheimer lives to the dark and gritty reputation it precedes. If you like dark movies that spur long conversations about human impact and society, this is for you. If you’re willing to brief yourself on World War II history beforehand, that is.

AUDREY O’RENIC sports editor

SIUE Director of Athletics

Andrew Gavin has announced the addition of three new faculty members and the promotion of two for the coming 2023-2024 year.

New deputy director of Athletics McIver has 27 years experience

Dan McIver is the new deputy director of Athletics most recently served as the deputy athletics director at Northern Kentucky University, where he was directly responsible for the 150 percent increase in ticket sales revenue over the span of five years.

At SIUE, McIver will oversee the Cougars’ marketing, communications, event management, facilities, financial affairs and most of the department’s internal operations.

McIver brings 27 years of Division I experience to the Cougars, after earning his bachelor’s degree from Wisconsin-Green Bay and master’s from Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

He will begin his tenure at SIUE in July.

sports

Asst. athletics director

Beaton Simpson to focus on diversity and inclusion

New Assistant Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Success Ashley Beaton Simpson previously worked at University of Wisconsin-Parkside starting in 2020, first as an athletics academic advisor.

She was then promoted to assistant administrator for student-athlete success focusing on diversity and inclusion.

At SIUE, Beaton Simpson will work with academic staff and serve as primary advisor for SIUE’s student-athlete advisory committee with the department’s student-athlete support.

Additionally, she will work to build resources in various areas, including leadership development, life skills, career services and diversity, equity and inclusion.

With a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois Springfield, Beaton Simpson brings both administrative and leadership experience.

She currently serves on the National Collegiate Athletics Association Division II Strategic Alliance Matching Grant Selection Committee and is a member of Women Leaders in College Sports.

Assoc. athletics dir. Crist to focus on events, facilities

operations

Eric Crist previously served as Director of Parking and Event Operations at the University of New Mexico.

As associate athletic director for events and facilities, Crist will oversee, direct and supervise all aspects of the management and operations of home athletic contests and athletics facilities.

After earning his bachelor’s degree in sports management and master’s degree in sports administration from Eastern Illinois University, Crist took a job as a graduate assistant for operations and event management for athletics at EIU from 2017-2019.

Following his time at EIU, Crist spent the next two years as the athletic director at Schlarman Academy in Danville, Illinois, as one of the youngest high school athletic directors in the country.

In his career, Crist has been contracted to work NCAA Division I conference basketball tournaments for the Big Ten, Mid-American Conference, Ohio Valley Conference and Big Sky.

He has also been contracted to work at the OVC Indoor Track and Field Championships and OVC Women’s Soccer Championships.

Smith-Keck to work with, develop donors, corporate partners

For the past three years, Laura Smith-Keck has been instrumental in the planning, management and execution of SIUE Athletics’ special events as the assistant director of external affairs.

Using knowledge gained with a bachelor’s degree in mass media and a master’s degree in communications from Illinois State University, Smith-Keck will assist revenue generation and maintain relationships with donors and corporate partners in her newly promoted position as director of external relations.

She also will be directly responsible for events such as the SIUE Red and Black Benefit, the SIUE Athletics Hall of Fame, annual Golf Scramble, SIUE Day, Friends of Cougar Basketball events and other fundraising campaigns.

Young moves up to director of marketing and promotions

Luke Young previously worked as part of the SIUE volleyball coaching staff for eight seasons before transitioning to part of the Cougars marketing team in Spring 2022.

He has moved up to director of marketing and promotions.

With a bachelor’s of arts in visual communications from Graceland University, and a master’s of fine arts from Northern Illinois University, Young will use his skills to oversee athletics marketing, graphic design, social media management and event and facility management.

He also leads the Cougars branding and community outreach efforts by working closely with individual programs to develop marketing plans such as giveaways.

McIVER YOUNG SMITH-KECK BEATON SIMPSON CRIST