Student
From a young age, Fredy Abboud ’26 was drawn to the union of science and humanity.
“I’ve always been interested in the complexity of the human body, of the physiology and everything of that sort,” Abboud said. “I look towards the medical profession as one way to dive deeper into that.”
Abboud, a biology major, grew up in Norwood, Pennsylvania, a small borough in Delaware County, graduating from Interboro High School in 2022.
Now pursuing his education in hopes of becoming a doctor, Abboud has transformed his childhood fascination into action. He is one of the founders of the BIPOC Health Promoter Program,
Flap around and find out, Kansas City
managed by St. Joe’s Institute of Clinical Bioethics (ICB).
The Health Promoter Program runs five free health clinics in underserved communities in the Philadelphia area and beyond. The ICB’s first program, the African Health Promoter Program, was launched in 2012. There are now four additional programs: the Hispanic Health Promoter Program, the Asian Health Promoter Program, the Mobile-Rural Health Promoter Program and the BIPOC Health Promoter Program, which began in February 2023 during Abboud’s sophomore year.
At least one Saturday or Sunday a month, alternating among the clinic sites, trained clinician volunteers perform tasks ranging from measuring body mass index, blood pressure/glucose and cholesterol testing to eye care, prenatal testing and
dental care. Additional care includes preventative medicine, wound care and oncology screening.
The BIPOC program partners with Mother of Mercy House, a nonprofit located on Allegheny Avenue in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. Many Black, Indigenous and people of color communities (BIPOC) live in poverty in this neighborhood, which has been an epicenter of drug use in the city. People who use heroin in the neighborhood also take Xylazine, a horse tranquilizer, which can cause open wounds that are prone to infection.
Abboud, who is a co-lead coordinator on the BIPOC Health Promoter Program, still remembers one of the first times he showed up at the Mother of Mercy House. Before arriving, all Abboud could think of was making sure supplies were packed for the roughly 200 people who were expected to show up.
“The day of, we come in, set up for the first hour, and barely 20 people showed up,” Abboud said.
The volunteers still had three hours to go. Abboud and another student volunteer acknowledged that standing around was unproductive, so they decided to walk down the street to see if they could bring people in.
“We walked down and saw agitated people in a terrible, awful state. They need help. It was in an area that has been partly abandoned by social services,” Abboud said. “Many of them are uninsured, and many of them don’t even have IDs.”
Abboud had never encountered such a sight: the skin wounds on those
suffering from substance use disorder, some requiring amputation, others near death and many unable to move. He saw people injecting IVs and taking drugs freely. Some were so intoxicated they were unaware of their surroundings.
Then Abboud and the other volunteer came across a woman who needed emergency help.
“She was unconscious, and she seemed to be thrown into respiratory depression. So, we came in and noticed that she had a bracelet around her hand, which says she had gone AMA, ‘against medical advice,’” Abboud remembered.
“She [had] left the hospital.”
They managed to wake her up and called an ambulance to get her to a hospital safely.
“Then, we walked down 50 feet and then we come across a person who’s wheelchair-bound but has bilateral wounds on his left leg,” Abboud said.
At that point, the students were too far from the Mother of Mercy House to treat the man there, as he could not move from his location. He was unhoused and could not carry his belongings to the station.
“We had to go back to Mother Mercy, then bring the medical doctors, bring the supplies and treat him on the street,” Abboud said.
Abboud and other team members realized that venturing out on the streets was the best way to engage the people who needed wound care the most. As a result, the BIPOC program was adjusted.
The Student Newspaper of Saint Joseph’s University
Caroline Trimble ’26 discusses the importance of the Department of Education.
Philadelphia Eagles fans celebrate on Broad Street following the Eagles 40-22 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2025 Super Bowl, Feb. 9. PHOTO: MIA MESSINA ’25/THE HAWK
Abboud ’26 works inside Mother
Philadelphia pharmacy history preserved by museum curator.
Junior Laura Ziegler breaks single-game points record in St. Joe’s women’s basketball.
KAITLYN TRAN ’25 Special to the Hawk
Lunar New Year event promotes cultural awareness
Supporting identities and ‘uplifting diversity’
BELLA PRIVITERA ’26
The Asian Student Association (ASA) hosted a Lunar New Year celebration at the Frances M. Maguire Art Museum Feb. 1 to mark the first day of the lunar calendar.
In the Chinese lunar calendar, this is the Year of the Snake, which symbolizes renewal and good fortune. The celebration, attended by about 60 people, featured many activities, such as fan-painting and traditional Asian table games. Attendees were also able to buy raffle tickets to win a variety of prizes, including tote bags, stuffed animals, Legos and coloring kits.
For some members of the St. Joe’s community, the Lunar New Year is an integral part of their culture. Lisa Nguyen ’28, a first-year representative for the Vietnamese Student Association (VSA) on the University City campus and ASA Hawk Hill publicist, said organizers hope the event will boost cultural awareness.
Nguyen said one of her main goals was to create a diverse space for people from all walks of life to come together.
“We’re trying to solidify a larger ground to connect both campuses,” Nguyen said.
“Hosting a big event like this is absolutely amazing because I see so many unfamiliar people from UCity that I would never normally see on a regular basis.”
Nguyen’s family’s Lunar New Year celebrations usually consist of karaoke, Vietnamese games and traditional activities, like trading red envelopes as a symbol of prosperity and good luck.
“Regardless of what kind of Asian you are, [or] who you are as a person, anyone’s invited, and it’s to spread awareness of all cultures,” Nguyen said.
Zoe Hwang ’26, president of ASA, had similar sentiments regarding the importance of sharing cultural traditions.
“On a campus like this, it’s important that we emphasize and really be proud of our culture, and one way we do that is through celebrations like this,” said Hwang.
Meilyn Frank ’26, a recent transfer student who attended the event for the first time, said she wanted to attend because she is Asian and was hoping to get acclimated to her new school.
“[This event is] important so that we can all learn about each other’s differences to create a more educated world in society,” Frank said. “It’s also exciting, you get to learn
more about things from different people and different cultures and different foods. And, I think that’s really exciting.”
Bringing people from different cultures together was important to Brian Peters ’27, another first-time attendee.
“Because not everyone here is white, it’s really nice to be able to celebrate other people’s cultures,” Peters said.
Jane Allen, education & community
engagement coordinator for the Maguire Museum, said the museum has also collaborated with ASA for previous Lunar New Year events.
“At the museum, it’s a great place for us to celebrate all these events that really uplift diversity and the variety of experiences and identities here on campus, and support those too,” Allen said.
Students celebrate African and Caribbean culture at Jeopardy!
BRENDAN KEEFRIDER ’25
Special to the Hawk
The African-Caribbean Student Association (ACSA) held a Black History Month Jeopardy! event in the North Lounge of Campion Student Center Feb. 4. The event included food, music and a Jeopardy! game with questions and answers relating to both African and Caribbean cultures and history.
The Jeopardy! game also included a twist where teams sent a member up to compete in a foot race to reach the podium in order to give an answer.
“I think the most exciting part was watching everyone run to the podium,” said
Izzy Imran ’27, ACSA secretary. “Everyone definitely loved that.”
Imran said the purpose of the night was to be a space where people attending could detach from the stresses of college life and have an emotional and social outlet, while still providing awareness for Black history.
Faith Adedokun ’27, ACSA publicist, said she wanted to emphasize the impact that Black people have had on shaping all aspects of history, both in the United States and the world as a whole.
“The work that Black immigrants have done, which is what African-Caribbean Student Association really celebrates, is also important to remember during Black History Month,” Adedokun said.
Author discusses racial and
Black History Month was federally recognized in 1976. However, its roots go back to the early 20th century, when African Americans highlighted their progress after emancipation.
The event was open to all students on campus to learn a bit more about topics relating to Black history.
Luke Consalvo ’25, who is not a member of ACSA, said he came to support his colleagues on the University Student Senate but also wanted to learn more.
“I think it’s important that we can learn from other cultures and just learn about their experiences, and that makes us better people,” Consalvo said.
The ACSA prides itself on providing
a supportive environment for people of different cultures to come together and make connections.
“In terms of the community, it’s so many different people, so many different backgrounds, as well,” said Chelsey Desir ’25, ACSA president. “It’s not just like one specific area. There’s Caribbean and African people, both really big communities, so you’ll meet a lot of people here.”
The ACSA has other events planned throughout the rest of February, such as a Mental Health Stigma Workshop in collaboration with Counseling and Psychological Services, Student Support and Wellness, and the Center for Inclusion and Diversity Feb. 18.
economic inequalities on college campuses
LUKE SANELLI ’26 News Reporter News Editor
Anthony Abraham Jack, Ph.D., led a discussion about his new book, “Class Dismissed: When Colleges Ignore Inequality and Students Pay the Price,” in Cardinal Foley Center Feb. 6. The event was co-sponsored by the Center for Inclusion and Diversity, the Office of the Provost, and the dean’s office of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Jack, a first-generation college student, inaugural faculty director of the Newbury Center and associate professor of higher education leadership at Boston University, discussed how colleges perpetuate inequality through a lack of adequate support for low-income and first-generation college students. “Class Dismissed” examines how these inequities were exacerbated by the covid-19 pandemic and the 2020 protests for racial justice.
“So many of the practices that universities have were created, or at least cemented, when the university looked very different. When it was all male, when it was all white, when it was a much more homogeneous place,” Jack said in an interview with The Hawk. “And so we have to take an affirmative action, affirmative step
now to build community.”
Natalie Walker Brown, director for Inclusion and Diversity Educational Achievement, brought Jack to campus as part of her organizing of the ongoing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) lecture series. Brown said Jack’s discussion highlighted the importance of DEI on campus.
“Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging is essential for the student experience. Our job is to be an advocate and a support system and make sure that students, regardless of background, are not falling through cracks,” Brown said. “We want them to succeed. We want them to excel — all of our students.”
Khameir Powell ’27 said he attended the discussion for one of his courses and he also wanted to understand diversity at St. Joe’s because it is different from his experiences attending public schools.
“This is my first private school and Jesuit [school]. Coming to class, it’s only one or two other Black people, other than myself,” Powell said. “I enjoyed [the talk] because it helped me understand that I’m not by myself.”
Christopher Tobias, clinical assistant professor and director of academic education in the physician assistant department, is a
first-generation college graduate and a mentor with St. Joe’s first-generation mentorship program, which pairs first-generation students with a first-generation graduate from St. Joe’s faculty, staff or administration.
Tobias said his biggest takeaway from Jack’s discussion was about the prevalence of food insecurity on college campuses.
“I think, as faculty, we automatically assume that everything’s fine, and maybe we should be checking in on that, as it’s a pretty important need when we think of Maslow’s
hierarchy [of needs],” Tobias said. Jack said he enjoys hearing about how other universities support lower income and first-generation college students, as supporting them affects the rest of campus in turn.
“I want to push universities to think more critically about how poverty and inequality shape campus life for their most vulnerable students,” Jack said.
Attendees of the Asian Student Association’s Lunar New Year event in the Frances M. Maguire Art Museum on St. Joe’s Hawk Hill campus, Feb. 1. PHOTO: BELLA PRIVITERA ’26/THE HAWK
Anthony Abraham Jack, Ph.D., gives a talk to students in the Cardinal Foley Center, Feb. 6. PHOTO: LUKE SANELLI ’26/THE HAWK
‘The mission is to serve those in need’
“We created two teams,” said Peter Clark, S.J., Ph.D., professor of theology and religious studies and director of bioethics at the ICB. “We have two mobile wound care teams. It’s a medical resident, a medical student and one of our undergrads. We go out onto the streets, and we do wound care on the streets of Allegheny Avenue.”
Clark said the incident reminded him of the parable of the Good Samaritan.
“A man is laying along the side of the road. The priest walks by and moves to the other side of the road. The Levite walks by. It’s the Samaritan, the pagan, who sits down, helps the man, brings them to the inn and takes care of them,” Clark said. “That’s what our kids were doing … People were walking by on the sidewalk, and there’s our kids out there in the middle of the street taking care of these people, cleaning their wounds.”
After hours of work on the streets
of Alleghany, Abboud’s greatest takeaway is the relationships built outside of the program. Seeing his colleagues in the field is rewarding, he said, knowing they are fulfilling their medical mission through the ICB.
Dan DiSandro ’23, who worked with Abboud at St. Joe’s and is now in his second yearofmedicalschoolatTempleUniversity, credits the Health Promoter Program with helping to shape his career aspirations.
“I regard the Health Promoter as something that is core to why I want to becomeaphysician,”DiSandrosaid.“Taking care of people that, unfortunately, have found themselves in vulnerable positions”
Thatsoneoftheaspectsoftheprograms that Clark finds most meaningful.
“Seeing these students who I’ve taught, seeing them put the ethical aspects into training, is one of the most moving things,” Clarksaid.
Abboud said the training he has
received as part of the program will certainly help him in his future career as a doctor.
“The mission is to help serve those in need, and doing the work we’re doing with
A source of support and strength for students
HELENA SIMS ’25
Special to the Hawk
Theresa McFalls, the Kinney Center’s newest executive director, is six months into a role that she has, in many ways, been preparing for since 2011.
McFalls, Ed.D., ’25, joined the Kinney Center in 2011 to help build the new ASPIRE program. Over 13 years later, few people know the Kinney Center as well as she does. That knowledge helps to drive some of her goals, one of which is innovative and efficient problem-solving.
“If there’s something that’s always causing a problem, let’s fix it,” McFalls said. “Let’s give the people who have to deal with those problems every day the autonomy, like, ‘This is your process. How do you want it to be? Make a wish list of what would be your ideal process, and then let’s see how we can make that happen.’”
McFalls’ approach to leadership has earned praise from those who work with her, who say she strikes a balance between setting clear expectations and fostering meaningful relationships.
“Theresa is very open, and she’s very straight to it,” said Robert Haftl, assistant director of college support in the ASPIRE program. “... She really cares, she wants to make sure she gets to know people and gets to understand who they are.”
Initially working with children and teens who had emotional challenges,
McFalls found herself drawn to autism services while she was in graduate school, after working with children on the autism spectrum at a summer camp.
“I wanted to be with the emotional support kids. They put me with the autistic support kids. I just really fell in love with the population at that time,” McFalls said.
What began as a job assignment soon blossomed into a career passion. McFalls graduated from West Chester University with a master’s degree in social work and joined the Kinney Center. She’s been with the Kinney Center ever since, moving from associate director of community outreach in 2011 to director of college professional support in 2019 to interim executive director in 2023.
McFalls’ commitment to the Kinney Center’s mission is evident not only in her relationships with staff but also in her long-term vision for growth.
“Since Theresa stepped into this role, the Kinney Center has been able to grow many strategic partnerships both within and externally to the university,” said Alli MacNamara, assistant director of college autism support. “Theresa leads through modeling, and she models for her staff to consistently provide quality services to our clients and uphold the Kinney Center mission and values.”
One development at the Kinney
Center under McFalls’ leadership is the push to expand training opportunities through e-learning platforms. This digital shift will allow the Kinney Center to extend its reach far beyond St. Joe’s campuses, providing essential resources to other universities and companies in need of guidance on autism support.
While there is much to celebrate in terms of growth and progress, McFalls acknowledges that the field of autism services is constantly evolving.
The biggest opportunity and challenge for the Kinney Center, McFalls said, was “continuing to be innovative, being multidisciplinary, keeping up with the research. The autism field is really changing, and best practices for autism are emerging.”
As autism support becomes more diverse, integrating disciplines like counseling, social work, occupational therapy and speech therapy, the Kinney Center is working to incorporate these new approaches into its programs, even if it might be difficult.
“We want to make sure that our programs keep up with the trends and research,” McFalls said.
For both staff and students at the Kinney Center, McFalls’ leadership has brought a renewed sense of purpose and direction. Her ability to focus on the center’s mission while empowering those around her has
Department of Public Safety reports
Jan. 31
No incidents to report.
Feb. 1
Public Safety notified of a drug abuse violation in Rashford Hall. Public Safety responded and the incident was investigated. Community Standards was notified.
Public Safety notified of a liquor law violation in Villiger Residence Center. Public Safety responded and the incident was investigated. Community Standards was notified.
Public Safety notified of a liquor law violation in LaFarge Residence
Center. Public Safety responded and the incident was investigated. Community Standards was notified.
Feb. 2
Public Safety notified of a weapons violation in McShain Residence Center. Public Safety responded and the incident was investigated. The allegation was determined to be unfounded.
Feb. 3
Public Safety notified of a vandalism incident in Villiger Residence Center. Public Safety responded and the incident was investigated. Community Standards was notified.
Feb. 4
Public Safety notified of a theft outside Hagan Arena. Public Safety and the Philadelphia Police Department responded and identified/detained the non-SJU respondent.
Feb. 5
Public Safety notified of a vandalism incident in Villiger Residence Center. Public Safety responded and a report was taken.
Feb. 6
No incidents to report.
Feb. 7
No incidents to report.
earned widespread admiration.
“Theresa is really leading Kinney into an exciting new chapter,” MacNamara said.
the health programs, I think we’re fulfilling that and just giving us glimpses to what we should be doing in our profession later in our careers,” Abboud said.
Theresa McFalls, Ed.D ’25, executive director at Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THERESA MCFALLS
Fredy Abboud ’26 and Ranny Lopez, executive assistant at Mother of Mercy House, stand outside in hopes to draw people in to seek care. PHOTO: LUKE SANELLI ’26/THE HAWK
Editorial: A gloriously imperfect season
Philadelphia sports fans are used to being underdogs. In fact, they thrive on it. The feeling of being counted out by outside experts only adds fuel to the fire of the Philadelphia faithful, reinforcing the perpetual narrative of a city fundamentally misunderstood by those who aren’t a part of it. So, when betting markets and TV analysts sided with the Kansas City Chiefs for the 2025 Super Bowl, this did little to temper Philly’s relentless passion and vigor for their team.
But the victory over the Chiefs arguably surpassed even the most ardent fans’ pregame expectations. After a thrilling back-and-forth matchup two years ago ended in heartbreak, the
Philadelphia Eagles came back in an absolutely commanding fashion. In a game that seemed out of hand for the Chiefs by the time Kendrick Lamar took the stage, the Eagles dominated by every metric. It was, quite simply, a masterpiece of epic proportions.
Metaphors about the connection between sports and their host cities tend to be overdrawn; still, it is hard to ignore the parallels between this year’s iteration of the Eagles and the citizens of Philadelphia. In a city that prides itself on resilience and grit, the journey this team took — besieged by national pundits after heartbreakers and collapses the last few years — resonates in a deeply personal way for the fans.
This Eagles team was truly an embodiment of their fanbase. Emotional. Passionate. And above all, resilient. Their season was marked by setbacks, comebacks, humiliations and triumphs. It was gloriously imperfect. For a city whose folk hero, Rocky Balboa, is beloved because of the punches he took just as much as the ones he dealt, that is enough.
Career Fair myth-busting
All are welcome
LISA HANSINGER Guest Columnist
Each year, the Career Center welcomes hundreds of employers to campus with the goal of recruiting students to their organizations. This semester’s Career & Internship Fair takes place Feb. 19 from 2-5 p.m. in Hagan Arena, coinciding with Mission Week — the perfect time to welcome ALL to this valuable event! As a veteran of the Career Center, I have encountered several common misconceptions among students throughout the years regarding the event:
1.Students presume the Career Fair is only for business majors: NOT TRUE!
2.Students don’t realize the value of connecting individually with potential employers.
3.Students assume they only “need” to go when they are seeking an internship or a job: NOT TRUE AGAIN!
My goal is to bust these myths to support every student in their quest to gain information about their
professional future:
1.Employers allocate precious financial and recruiting resources specifically to St. Joe’s to meet our outstanding students. Most roles do not require a specific major but instead a set of competencies, which are developed over time and are transferable from role to role. These include communication, teamwork, critical thinking, leadership, etc. Each student at St. Joe’s is developing these qualities through college coursework, club and athletic participation, part-time jobs, etc.
2.Recruiters are people just like you! Many students are uneasy about meeting them in person, but after they attend the Career Fair, they frequently say, “It was so much easier to speak to employers than I expected!” Challenge yourself to come and meet some alumni and employer representatives to learn from them about what your future opportunities could look like.
3.I have never met a student who walks out of the event with an internship or job offer. The event is simply an opportunity to learn
about an organization, what types of positions they offer and see if you have an interest in either. The experience will pay back dividends when you do begin a formal search.
Bottom line: Just like our Jesuit principles, the Career & Internship Fair is a place where ALL STUDENTS will find a sense of belonging and purpose.
Lisa Hansinger is the associate director of counseling and career education at St. Joe’s.
CARTER KARPINSKI ’25
I can only imagine the trauma held by professors from semesters of teaching blank squares with names over Zoom. Now, after a few years of full participation being possible again, it can amount to huge percentages of your grade. This theoretically means doing the assigned reading, the bane of every student’s existence. I saw a study that said 87% of all college undergraduates don’t do the readings. I didn’t actually read the article and made that percentage up, but the point stands. So, how can you participate when you know nothing? It’s easy.
Strategic nodding and eye contact: As long as it looks like you’re always ready to talk, you basically talked. The bar is six feet underground at this point, so just seeming interested and being awake can go a long way.
Piggybacking: The piggyback method is a Socratic seminar-structured class classic. Wait until someone else speaks, say, “Just to piggyback off that…” and vaguely rephrase whatever they said. An alternative
A guide for participating in class when
you have nothing good to say
version of this is just saying you were going to say what everyone already said, but that’s a little elementary. Be sure to compliment your peers on their great points.
Ask a question: Maybe you are confused, or maybe you just made something up. Either way, your hand was raised, and you participated. Careful, though, you might accidentally learn something.
Personal story: Just say some tangentially-related story or event from your own life and hope no one asks any follow-up questions. The unique perspective will be appreciated… maybe.
Avoid technology: Taking notes on paper makes you seem far more interested and involved in class than hiding behind a computer screen. Unfortunately, this means you can’t watch sports highlights, play JavaScript Snake or shop using your parents’ credit cards, which are all fundamental rights protected by the Constitution, but it will help your grade in the long run.
Now, the best idea would be to pay attention in class, do your homework and show up ready to participate, but that’s gross. Just speak confidently, and you’ll be fine. If not, 15% of your grade isn’t that much anyway.
‘And the Grammy goes to…’
Controversy surrounds the Grammy Awards
ANASTASIA KUNICKA ’28
Columnist
Every year, there is excitement, nerves and anger surrounding the Grammy Awards. This year was no different, with an explosion of new artists, more tenured artists coming back into the spotlight and categories being full of songs that all deserved to win.
Social media exploded Feb. 2 as Kendrick Lamar and Beyoncé added more trophies to their collections, while artists like Billie Eilish left empty-handed. While fans fumed over snubs, the real issue isn’t who won — it’s the Grammys’ deeply flawed
system (though many may claim otherwise, including those who point to The Weeknd’s return to the Grammys after previously boycotting the awards in 2021 when he received no nominations).
This backlash directed toward the Grammys’ system isn’t new. The Grammys are subjective, yet fans treat it as an objective measure of an artist’s success. When artists like Lamar and Beyoncé win, it isn’t necessarily because of favoritism or their number of streams — it’s the voters’ tastes and the industry’s politics.
The bigger problem? The Grammys continue to struggle with transparency. Who gets nominated and who wins is still a mystery to the general public, leading to
endless speculation and frustration.
However, while change should be enacted, tearing down winners isn’t going to fix the system. Just because you didn’t listen to “Cowboy Carter” doesn’t mean it wasn’t worthy of album of the year according to the Academy.
Fans should demand an accountable process and focus on celebrating the music industry’s success of the year. After all, artistry and winning isn’t defined by the golden gramophone; it’s the impact, the longevity and the fans who keep listening.
The joy the game brings
Unifying the nation through sport
SAHR KARIMU ’26 Hawk Columnist
In the wake of the 2025 Super Bowl, I can only hope the Eagles’ victory brings a joy to this old city that lingers. I want this joy to come on a national scale, too. For that, I look to the 2026 World Cup. With the “world’s game” coming to Philadelphia in 2026, the United States men’s national soccer team has the opportunity to play on the 250th birthday of our country. A victory here could bring a great joy of
togetherness, even if only for one night.
National unification over this beautiful game is not unprecedented. In the early 2000s, this played out in one of soccer’s most touching stories. Led by star striker Didier Drogba, the Ivorian national team played a must-win game against Sudan for a chance to qualify for the 2006 World Cup.
Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) was in the midst of a civil war that had divided the nation for years. The players knew their victory would not just determine their World Cup qualification, but also the joy of the Ivorian people. They
defeated Sudan 3-1, and, after a tie between two other possible qualifying teams, Ivory Coast qualified for the World Cup for the first time in history. Later that evening, a TV camera was hurried into the dressing room of the Ivorian team. Surrounded by his teammates, Drogba spoke, pleading with the warring factions: “Please lay down your weapons and hold elections.”
Drogba’s message did not instantly incite change, but something astonishing was boiling in the nation. His plea was heavily circulated on television, and, in 2007, a peace deal was signed, ending the
war. Though Drogba’s influence and the team’s success were not the sole cause, their actions contributed to a movement and brought people together. I hope that amidst the current political turmoil in Philadelphia and around the nation, the 2026 World Cup can grab our hearts with a force of togetherness. Perhaps not to the level it did in Ivory Coast, but maybe joy for the nation can reign in this old city, even if just on Independence Day.
Columnist
GRAPHIC: CARA HALLIGAN ’25/THE HAWK
GRAPHIC: CARA HALLIGAN ’25/THE HAWK
GRAPHIC: CARA HALLIGAN 25/THE HAWK
Plans to dismantle the Department of Education threaten education equality
President Donald Trump is preparing to fulfill another of his many campaign promises by making significant changes to the Department of Education. Trump is reportedly finalizing an executive action that will cut the department’s legally unprotected programs and urge Congress to abolish the department altogether. However, when the question of dismantling the department was brought to a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2023, 60 Republicans joined Democrats to protect the agency, making it unclear how successful Trump’s plea to Congress will be.
Despite Trump’s claim that cutting the Department of Education will “end education coming out of Washington, D.C.,” this was simply not the case to begin with. The department does not dictate the curricula taught in schools; it is mostly responsible for allocating funds
to programs such as Title I funding for low-income schools and Federal Student Aid. It remains unclear where the responsibility for managing these funds will fall if Congress decides to abolish the Department of Education.
The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 is one possible framework the Trump administration and Republican legislators could follow after the dismantling of the Department of Education. Although the president has tried to distance himself from the policies, Project 2025 echoes Trump’s belief that the department impedes parental choice in education and that the department’s funds should be given to the states to allocate themselves. Giving individual states control over the usage of funds would jeopardize the jobs of 180,300 teachers and threaten access to resources for low-income schools, according to the Center for American Progress.
Although Congress is currently unlikely to close the department, the discussion surrounding the possibility is concerning. The department ensures that all children
DEI is not a bad
thing
have access to an education with teachers who have adequate resources to do their jobs. Removing federal jurisdiction over Title I funding risks increasing inequality among school districts and would remove protections for marginalized students.
Dismantling the department would be detrimental to education equality and exacerbate the disparities in resources and facilities between low-income and wealthy schools. Thus, Congress must deny the president’s request to do so.
Diversity only strengthens our world
PRESTON THOMAS ’28 Columnist
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is a framework instilled within companies and organizations that promotes the inclusion of all demographics of people, regardless of their race, gender, sexuality, physical ability or other aspect of their identity. DEI aims to assist underrepresented groups in finding success in fields where, historically, there have been barriers to their entry.
The point of these programs is to increase diversity across the workforce in America, so why do people hold this as a bad thing?
DEI is often discussed in the context of race, and a common (incorrect) argument is that DEI initiatives cause “reverse discrimination” that pushes white people out of jobs. In reality, DEI intends to level the playing field and make it easier for marginalized groups to get jobs in fields typically dominated by one race. DEI isn’t taking jobs away from people; it’s opening opportunities to qualified individuals who may have been excluded because the hiring system was built to benefit white people.
DEI has also become a political buzzword, with right-wing groups misconstruing its meaning and effect.
Throughout the 2024 presidential election, many right-wing politicians criticized former Vice President Kamala
Harris for being a “DEI candidate,” despite her genuine qualifications.
President Donald Trump has also spread falsehoods about DEI. He blamed the Jan. 29 plane collision in Washington, D.C., on inclusive hiring standards, even though DEI practices don’t apply to air traffic control hiring.
Despite the many criticisms of DEI, there is so much good that comes out of it. With this process of hiring, the employee talent pool expands, making often-excluded underrepresented candidates just as hireable as the triple legacy Harvard alum. With a more diverse staff, companies are able to appeal to a wider variety of customers. Studies have also shown that as more companies have incorporated DEI hiring processes,
AI’s environmental impact adds up
employee satisfaction has grown.
The apparent rise of racism in our country has resulted in governmentenforced actions to diminish these benefits. Hopefully, we as citizens can begin to get America back on the right track and embrace the diversity our country is supposed to be proud of.
The consequences of students’ generative AI usage
While attending St. Joe’s, or any university, one may encounter people with varying views on artificial intelligence (AI). Some professors are strongly against using AI for any purpose, while some give assignments requiring AI, and then there are students who use ChatGPT to help them with essays and assignments, regardless of their professor’s opinion. Generative AI has become a prevalent topic in higher education due to its academic integrity implications, but there’s another major problem some may overlook: its environmental impact.
A study by Goldman Sachs revealed one search on ChatGPT requires 10 times more electricity than a regular Google search. Generating electricity requires water and energy, often from fossil fuels.
Because of this, each query on ChatGPT emits about 4.32 grams of carbon dioxide, and one conversation — between 20 to 50 queries — uses roughly 500 milliliters (17 ounces) of water, which roughly equates to one water bottle (this water usage comes from the need to cool down data centers).
This may not seem like much, but it adds up. Using these numbers, if a student asks AI about 20 queries (one conversation) per week for two 14-week semesters (one school year), they’ll have emitted over 2.4 kilograms of carbon dioxide and wasted 14 liters (3.7 gallons) of water. If every undergraduate student at St. Joe’s used ChatGPT at this rate, that would mean roughly 67,592 liters (17,856 gallons) of water used and 11,587.2 kilograms of carbon dioxide emitted in a year. This would be the rough equivalent emissions of driving a gas car across the country ten times over (28,968 miles) and enough water to fill about six 12-foot-deep swimming pools.
Of course, not all students are using ChatGPT this often, and some are using it more. These numbers are simply an estimate of the problems the usage of generative AI among college students may
cause. It may be helpful to use ChatGPT to aid with assignments on occasion, but it is important to keep in mind how much energy and water is required to produce its answers so quickly.
CAROLINE TRIMBLE ’26 Hawk Columnist
GRAPHIC: CARA HALLIGAN ’25/THE HAWK
GRAPHIC: CARA HALLIGAN ’25/THE HAWK
ERIN WALTON ’26 Guest Columnist
GRAPHIC: STEPHANIE SAVELA ’25/THE HAWK
GRAPHIC: STEPHANIE SAVELA ’25/THE HAWK
‘Creative’ chemistry
Students conduct research in computational chemistry lab
GRACE O’MEARA ’27 News Reporter
On the second floor of the west side of Griffith Hall at the University City campus is a lab filled with computer workstations. There are no beakers, burettes, Bunsen burners or chemicals — only 20 computers and a crew of about six student researchers.
In the West Center for Computational Chemistry and Drug Design, students and faculty use mathematical computer simulations to solve chemistry problems and understand and study how molecules interact.
“At the end, we get a prediction of how these molecules will move in time,” said Preston Moore, Ph.D., professor and chair of chemistry and director of the West Center. “We use that to look at things like drug interactions or how water evaporates.”
Modeling can be used everyday in a wide variety of applications, from traffic patterns to the stock market to video games, Moore said.
“We want to understand why things happen the way they do,” Moore said. “Then, we get in and try to dissect those simulations to try to understand.”
Moore added that students do not have to understand physics and chemistry to actually interact with computational chemistry.
In 1999, West Pharmaceuticals, a manufacturer in drug delivery and containment solutions based in Upper Darby, donated money to start the center, provide resources and encourage students interested in computational work. Moore said, at the time, this type of research wasn’t very popular. As more computers became available, Moore engaged with more students in the center.
Andrew Fadgen ’26, a biochemistry and math double major, joined the lab in 2022
Plump
in hopes of becoming more familiar with undergraduate research. Since then, Fadgen has worked not only on his own research but also to make the lab accessible to students across all of St. Joe’s campuses.
“That’s the one thing I really like about the computational research that we do, is that it’s the most accessible research at the university,” Fadgen said. “Because it’s so low risk, it really does give anyone the initiative to be creative.”
This was the case for Artiom Butuc ’26, a biochemistry major who joined the lab out of pure curiosity. During his two years at the West Center, Butuc said he has analyzed structures, planned future projects and assisted other students in the lab. Butuc said he made significant strides in his research on building his first RNA structure, a highlight of his time in the lab.
“It was super exciting,” Butuc said. “I was working and also understanding that it’s something that nobody has ever done, other than me.”
Butuc said he worked in the lab constructing models of viroids, which are single-strand RNA molecules that infect plants. Butuc is specifically constructing a Hop Stunt Viroid (HSVd) and Potato Spindle Tuber Viroid (PSTVd), which both include the Sarcin Ricin Domain (SRD) region.
“HSVd and PSTVd have a SRD region, which make them more stable during replication phase, where viroids multiply and infect the plant more,” Butuc said. “That is our current proposed hypothesis, and thus far, it was proven to be true.”
After just one semester in the lab, Butuc, a first-generation college student, said he knew he wanted to stay, drawn by the potential he saw from the start.
“I come from an immigrant family, so I wanted to pursue STEM to get good opportunities,” Butuc said. “I live in the Philadelphia area, so it was very comfortable to get into research here.”
Doctoral students like Nicholas Pizzi, Ph.D. ’26, said the computational aspect of the lab is very unique, especially because it has gaming computers with powerful graphics processing units that are used to do high level computations.
The lab hopes to encourage other students with any interest in these computers to get involved. Fadgen said the West Center does not limit themselves to college students. A large part of their program is outreach to high school students who show interest in computational chemistry.
it up: Lip fillers remain popular
How social media influences beauty trends
KAITLYN TRAN ’25 Special to the Hawk
From cherry lips to Cupid’s bow, lips have never been hotter. This is thanks, in part, to TikTok, where individuals — mostly women — who have undergone lip filler procedures showcase their “before” and “after.”
Since 2015, lip filler has come back into style, partially thanks to Kylie Jenner’s influence. Her openness about getting the procedure opened the eyes of many, increasing buzz on social media for dermatologists.
In 2023, over 1.4 million people in the U.S. chose to get lip filler, a procedure that individuals undergo to augment their lips in the style of their choosing, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. The global market size for lip filler procedures is estimated to grow from around $518 million in 2024 to $738 million by 2034, according to Yahoo Finance.
Lip filler usually involves adding volume to certain parts of the lips to make them appear fuller and more youthful. In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of lip fillers for people over the age of 21.
A broad range of patients seek the treatment. They may be looking to correct lip asymmetries, reduce wrinkles, define lip shape or add natural-looking fullness to their lips.
“They can be very simply used to add a little bit of volume that has been lost with aging,” said Dr. Ivona Percec, M.D., Ph.D., associate director of cosmetic surgery at Penn Medicine. “Or, they can be used in another extreme, where they’re applied to recontour and reconstruct almost the entire
lip complex.”
The procedure typically lasts no more than two hours. First, the trained professional numbs the lips using an anesthetic. A syringe is then used to inject lip filler, usually containing hyaluronic acid, into the parts of the lips the patient wants to be enhanced. Side effects are bruising and swelling for a couple of weeks.
Vanessa Eidenberg, a senior health science major at Drexel University, opted for Restylane Kysse. Restylane Kysse is a gel filler composed of hyaluronic acid to add volume to and create a smoother lip. This type of filler is intended to give a more natural-looking lip result with minimal side effects.
“I personally like bigger lips on myself,” Eidenberg said. “I think it makes my face look more even.”
Eidenberg had the procedure done this past summer by a dermatologist in King of Prussia. That procedure was actually a fix for a botched procedure six months before when a medical professional injected the wrong filler.
On average, patients usually maintain the look by making appointments every four to six months. Sometimes, filler can last up to 18 months. However, it depends on how quickly a person’s metabolism breaks down the hyaluronic acid.
Lip filler isn’t cheap, but it also isn’t the most expensive of cosmetic procedures. In 2023, the average cost of surgeon/physician fees for lip augmentation with injectable materials was around $698.
Social media is definitely a factor in the rise of the procedure, along with peer influence. Eidenberg said she got a Restylane
“The program mentors me to be able to do the work I can do,” Fadgen said. “The program gives mentorship to high school students to give them that first step that hopefully sparks an interest in research.”
Fadgen said being a part of the West Center has prepared him for his future endeavors, as he hopes to go to graduate school for research.
“Every week, I’m so excited to go and work on my research,” Fadgen said. “I’m taking my coursework, and I’m applying it in a way that is going to make something new.”
Kysse after her friends did.
For Phyllis Anastasio, Ph.D., professor of psychology, that’s just how it all works.
“I think that is where the root of the influence of social media, in particular, begins, is that unbelievably strong need to feel like we are accepted or that we belong,” Anastasio said.
Anastasio said all ages are on social media, and all ages are impacted when it comes to the draw of procedures like lip filler.
“Honestly, I see on social media lots and lots of women who are middle-aged and older having that done,” Anastasio said.
Percec said lip fillers follow trends and styles popular on social media, and that the current trend is for both lips to be of equal volume.
“Typically, the natural ideal contour of the lips is a 40-60 ratio, with the upper lip being 40% of the volume of the lower lip,” Percec said. “But right now, we’re looking at idealized appearances where they’re about
50-50, so the upper lip is the same as the lower lip. That’s something that over the last decade or so, it’s been more desired.”
Percec also said she has seen a rise in transgender people “seeking out lip treatment for gender affirmation.”
As with any procedure, there are risks, Percec said.
“There are always concerns when you inject something into your body — bleeding, infection, asymmetry. There are always risks of developing nodules,” Percec said. “Also, you can injure an artery by inadvertently injecting a little product in there, which can cause tissue necrosis.”
Eidenberg said ultimately she was happy with her choice and plans on getting refills in the future.
“Right now, I have two syringes full in my lips,” Eidenberg said. “I plan on getting at least two more.”
The West Center for Computational Chemistry and Drug Design, located on the second floor of the west side of Griffith Hall at the University City campus. PHOTO: BEN VANELLI ’25/THE HAWK
GRAPHIC: CARA HALLIGAN ’25/THE HAWK
‘Reawaken this gallery’
Museum curator reawakens Philadelphia pharmacy history
MONICA SOWINSKI ’26
Sports Reporter
Aftersixyearsofinactivity,themerger between St. Joes and the University of Sciences brought life back to the Marvin Samson Pharmacy Museum for the History of Pharmacy
While the museum had been in existence since 1995, understaffing in 2016 led to a period of inactivity After the merger in 2022, members of St. Joe’s history department, library and the department of pharmacypracticeundertooktheprocessof saving what they believed was an invaluable resource of pharmacy history.
“People from these three departments came together and said, ‘We need to protect this collection. We need to inventory this collection and then also reopen this gallery and reawaken this gallery,’” Emma Gunuey-Marrs, the museum’s assistant curator,said.
Behind two wooden French doors on the first floor of Griffith Hall on the University City campus, the museum is laid out to create a linear narrative. Visitors walk through the history of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and pharmacy compounding, told through objects in
glass display cases.
The museum houses an estimated 10,000 objects, including 3,200 items listed in its inventory, though no items are currently on display due to renovations after a flood over Winter Break, Gunuey-Marrs said.
Part of saving the museum included hiring people like Gunuey-Marrs. With past experience in archival work at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Gunuey-Marrs now manages the Marvin Samson museum’s collections, curates the gallery and leads education programs with students from the pharmacy practice and history departments.
Each day is different for Gunuey-Marrs. Some days she spends working closely with students, answering questions and installing objects in the museum, while other days she catalogues, photographs or prepares records for the website. She also regularly coordinates collaborations and schedules visits.
Collaboration, Gunuey-Marrs said, is key.
“Having this dialogue and interchange between different disciplines is so fruitful with a collection like this, where we can have artists looking at these historical objects one way, scientists looking at them another way, historians looking at it another way,” Gunuey-Marrs said. “It’s these different perspectives that allow this collection to keep being meaningful to us.”
Gunuey-Marrs said she loves seeing people excited by different aspects of the collection.
“My ethos in terms of museum work in curation is, ‘We’re doing this for the community where we’re embedded,’” Gunuey-Marrs said. “I feel my job is to use the collection to engage the SJU community and the West Philadelphia community, and that’s where having collaborators like students, professors and our Artist-in-Residence is so important because it can’t just be me being like, ‘Hey, here’s a
OLIVIA GASPARRO ’27
Features Columnist
The Grammy Awards ceremony, held annually, is a night dedicated to honoring the year’s biggest musical artists. The ceremony was first held in 1959 when the Recording Academy saw the need to acknowledge those who bring joy through the power of music. This year, the 2025 ceremony held a special purpose: raising funds for wildfire relief after the recent Los Angeles fires while honoring the bravery of the first responders. Hosting some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, here are the ins and outs of one of Hollywood’s biggest nights.
Fashion at the Grammys
The Grammys not only draw attention because of the awards but also for the glitz and glamour of exciting fashion moments. The fashion element of the Grammys allows artists to express individuality they may not express through their music or art. From Chappell Roan to Jaden Smith, the red carpet this year was one for the books. The
cool object.’”
Rebecca Andrade ’23, who has been a museum cataloger for the museum since February 2023, said she enjoys working with a set of incantation bowls from Babylonian times, thousands of years ago.
“I was super thrilled about that,” Andrade said. “It’s one of our oldest items that we have. It was amazing because I have never held one in real life.”
As part of her role, Andrade catalogs medicines from the early 1900s into the museum’s database and conducts research. Many older objects from local Philadelphia drugstores, which are part of the museum’s collection, lack manufacturer labels, requiring Andrade to do independent research to catalog the medicine.
Along with Gunuey-Marrs, Andrade helps interns and work-study students catalogue objects into the museum’s database. Students also assist in photographing, cataloging, or researching.
Anastasiya Stolyarchuk ’24, PharmD ’26, has been doing an independent work-study at the museum since September 2024. Stolyarchuk, who started as a volunteer and is now a paid employee, focuses on antibiotics. Coming in once a week, Stolyarchuk catalogs antibiotics by measurements, object ID numbers and descriptions of the item.
By the end of the spring semester, Stolyarchuk is hoping to create a display for the museum.
Stolyarchuck said she loves coming to the museum because of how invested Gunuey-Marrs is in helping with students’ research.
“I go off on my little interesting tangents, like talking about a drug I found, and she’s really engaged in it,” Stolyarchuk said. “I really really like that she is engaged in what you are researching into.”
Gunuey-Marrs is currently collaborating with visual artist Teresa Cervantes, who has been researching for the museum since its reopening in 2022 and is the museum’s current Artist-in-Residence, on a new exhibition, set to open in August. The exhibition, “Indications: Teresa Cervantes,” aims to explore the concept of community and how individuals engage with wellness industries as a means of connection.
“These different perspectives allow this collection to keep being meaningful to us,” Gunuey-Marrs said.
The museum is currently closed for renovations, but will reopen in August with the “Indications: Teresa Cervantes” exhibition. When operating, the museum is open to the public by appointment Thursday and Friday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and open to the St. Joe’s community Monday through Friday 9 a.m to 5 p.m.
The Grammy Awards
“black-tie” event theme was embraced by many, like Miley Cyrus, who wore a classy Saint Laurent dress, and Olivia Rodrigo, who wore a Versace halter neck number. Many guests also showed their support for LA by wearing blue heart pins in support of MusiCares, a charity raising money for those in the music industry affected by the fires.
The voting process
Grammy winners are selected by 13,000 members of the Academy. First, record companies enter the music of their artists, specifically those they saw as worthy of recognition. After the submissions, there is a screening process where experts make sure each entry is eligible and placed into its proper category. The next step, after determining the nominations, is the final voting, where Academy voting members decide the winner of their choice. Finally, ballots are tabulated, and the winners are announced at the televised award ceremony.
This year’s winners Beyoncé entered the night with the most nominations: 11. She took home four, including album of the year for her country album “Cowboy Carter.” With a total of 35 Grammys, she increased her record as the most-awarded artist in Grammy history, which she first claimed in 2023. Another big winner was Kendrick Lamar, who swept all five categories he was nominated for, winning both record of the year (for production) and song of the year (for songwriting) with his rap song “Not Like Us.” Alicia Keys also won big, taking home the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award. This award honors those in the industry who have made a significant impact beyond their music. During her acceptance speech, Keys celebrated diversity in music and called for the continued support of underrepresented voices in the industry. Notably, she stated, “This is not the time to shut down the diversity of voices … The more voices, the morepowerfulthesound.”
GRAPHIC: CARA HALLIGAN ’25/THE HAWK
A gallery installation view showing drawers of free public health products in the Marvin Samson Pharmacy Museum PHOTO COURTESY OF EMMA GUNUEY-MARRS
Emma Gunuey-Marrs, assistant curator of the Marvin Samson Pharmacy Museum at St. Joe’s University City campus. PHOTO: BEN VANELLI ’25/THE HAWK
GRAPHIC: CARA HALLIGAN ’25/THE HAWK
CineHawk: ‘Nickel Boys’
I am not Black. I will never know what it is like to be Black. Many of us today don’t know what it was like to be Black in 1960s Florida. Luckily, this is why we have movies, which help bring us closer to experiences we can never have. RaMell Ross’s Academy Award-nominated film “Nickel Boys” is one of the best movies of 2024, accomplishing this through a series of filmmaking techniques.
“Nickel Boys” is about a Black teenager named Elwood (Ethan Herisse) whose academic future is extremely promising. His future is so promising that it gets him invited to an all-Black college class while he’s still in high school. However, when he accidentally catches a ride in a stolen car, the police send him away to Nickel Reform School (based on the real-life Dozier School for Boys).
Ross employs a first-person perspective for nearly the entirety of the film, switching back and forth between Elwood’s eyes and those of another boy named Turner (Brandon Wilson), who Elwood befriends while at Nickel. This film technique is something you don’t see for more than a scene or two, if at all, in most movies, and it is a daring approach that reaps an endless amount of success in captivating the audience. Through the eyes of these young men, Nickel’s practices of torture, assault and murder of its Black students are more visceral and immersive. The use of a carefully selected 4:3 aspect ratio helps to emphasize the first-person effect
and claustrophobic feeling of the school. Ross also works to remind us that, as these boys attempt to escape this school in a manner that deliberately parallels escape from a slavery-era plantation, the year is 1968. Brief clips of footage from rocket ships and space shuttles are scattered throughout the narrative, emphasizing that while technology has advanced to the point of placing men on the moon from a rocket launched in Cape
CROSSWORD: Dog breeds
1. A steer in a deep hole.
2. One who fetches something.
4. Where an alchemist might spend their time trying to strike it rich.
6. A vessel for holding liquid (this one’s a hybrid breed).
9. Rough, coarse or harsh (of a voice).
Canaveral, Florida, Black men are still being held captive, tortured and killed in the very same state.
With refreshing, original direction and a story that breaks the heart as much as it captivates it, “Nickel Boys” is one of the best films of the last year.
GRAPHIC: STEPHANIE SAVELA ’25/THE HAWK
BEN VANELLI ’25 Photographer
GAVIN KUEBLER ’25
Assistant Features Editor
ILLUSTRATION: LUKE SANELLI ’26/THE HAWK
Controversial gym movement grows in popularity
A glance into the internet’s growing ‘gymcel’ ideology
LUKE SANELLI ’26 News Editor
In the dark corners of the internet, the “gymcel” movement is having its heyday.
Gymcels are an offshoot of the incel (“involuntary celibate”) movement, an extreme misogynist subculture in which men blame women for their own lack of sexual intimacy.
Gymcels, who emphasize cultivating a bulky, muscular body, offer a glimpse into the larger “manosphere,” a primarily online misogynistic community known for its controversial figureheads like Andrew Tate, Joe Rogan and Jordan Peterson. Online gymcels flex their hard-won physiques to show them off, veins popping from their skin.
But gymcel content isn’t purely about fitness. It’s also about enduring tough times, providing for family or finding a woman who dresses only for God.
The manosphere
Annie Dabb, a U.K.-based freelance writer who writes about gymcels, said many men embrace the gymcel movement’s traditional form of masculinity as a way to counter what they see as an overly negative focus on “toxic” masculinity.
“There is this rhetoric, this discourse, of lots of men saying, ‘I’m part of this manosphere because women are so empowered, and women are all of these things, but there’s nothing to celebrate about masculinity. It’s just seen as toxic, and we’re talked down,’” Dabb said.
The reality, Dabbs said, is that “men have been reaping the rewards of this patriarchal society for so long.”
John Giovinco ’25, who goes to the gym every other day, said gymcel content creates an image of masculinity centered on muscle size and a “loner mentality.”
While Giovinco doesn’t agree with the gymcels’ views, he thinks many men feel cheated in society, which makes gymcel content and its problematic messages more appealing.
“They hear a lot of things like, ‘Oh, women want this, women want that,’ or things around those lines,” Giovinvo said. “And they start thinking like, ‘Oh, I’m not good enough.’”
Marble, muscles and masculinity
Richard Gioioso, Ph.D., associate professor of political science and an avid exerciser for 20 years, said male-centric gym content on Instagram celebrates hypermuscular physiques in a way that borders on “voyeurism.”
While Gioioso said he has noticed an increase in this kind of celebration of hypermuscular, “chiseled” male bodies in the past five to 10 years, it’s not necessarily a new phenomenon. Gioioso cited the statue of David by Italian renaissance artist Michelangelo as one example of the celebration of male muscles in history.
“Ancient Greece, ancient Rome, there was so much of a cult, or an admiration of masculinity. And I think that it continues,” Gioioso said.
Dabb said the hypermuscular ideal presented to men online is damaging, as it gives men an ideal they must aspire to rather than the opportunity to explore masculinity for themselves.
“There is a category presented to you online, and you are told that you can fit into it,” Dabb said. “And you are told that if you have this much protein and go to the gym and buy this subscription, sign up to this diet plan, then you can also be that.”
Harry Kearns ’25, another avid gym-goer, said while there is positive gym content online geared toward men, there is also a large section of content oriented toward men meant to sell them a product or a lifestyle, often marketed as a solution to their problems.
“It’s this very toxic mindset that a lot of these people have, where a lot of people don’t necessarily want you to be better,” Kearns said. “They just want you to keep buying whatever they’re selling, whether it’s
a supplement or a program.”
Loneliness and the alt-right pipeline
Manosphere icons like Tate or Peterson are well known for their misogyny and conservative views on gender expression, but that has not hindered their popularity with young men. These views, perhaps by association, have trickled into gymcel content.
Giovinco acknowledged gymcel content is a step along the alt-right pipeline, the process by which people (particularly young men) are radicalized to believe in extremely conservative and potentially dangerous views.
“People fall into that [trap], and they start hearing, ‘Oh, it’s these people’s fault.’ And then they start to see, ‘Oh, you gotta beef yourself up if you want to get girls,’” Giovinco said.
Dabb said male-oriented gym content also holds appeal for men because it reinforces traditional gender roles where men serve as protectors. By bonding over gymcel ideas online, men protect the patriarchal privileges afforded to them in the gym.
“It’s almost reverting back to this idea that you need, in a very heteronormative sense, to win a woman, right? You need to present yourself as the ‘dominant, strong leader of the pack’ mentality,” Dabb said. “You are able to mate with the most women, you’re able to protect your space in that way.”
Kearns said online creators may not mean to perpetuate problematic rhetoric, but people who are “on the fence” may interpret their content in a problematic way.
Kearns said this leads to an echo chamber.
“It becomes a tribal mindset of ‘us versus them,’ and that is just a problem with having stuff like that,” Kearns said. “Especially when you don’t have other relationships outside of it.”
Kearns said he thinks part of the reason
gymcel content is so effective with young men is not only because of their youth but because the covid-19 pandemic took away formative years young people need for social development.
“When you’re younger, you’re a lot easier to be manipulated because you don’t have the wisdom and experience,” Kearns said. “Because of the lack of experience that you get from covid, you’re more likely to get invested into these hive minds, these red pill communities.”
Dabb said when men are lonely or in poor mental health, they’re more likely to believe in anything that might provide relief. But Dabb said gymcel content or masculine ideals are just as destructive.
“When you’re in the depths of poor mental health, or when you’re in the depths of loneliness, you’re going to grip onto whatever it feels like is going to get you out,” Dabb said. “So, you’re not going to necessarily realize that actually part of the problem may be part of the reason why you feel lonely and part of why you don’t feel good, because they are still holding this version of masculinity.”
Giovinco said one way he discerns potentially positive gym content from potentially gymcel content is whether it prioritizes overall physical and mental health over pure aesthetics.
“It’s being seen more as ‘You’re not working on yourself, you’re working so that others can see you,’” Giovinco said. “And I think that’s the kind of mindset that a lot of people have.”
Dabb stressed working out isn’t the problem for young men, but rather holding each other to inflexible standards for masculinity.
“If you work on yourself, that is great, but it shouldn’t feel like that you need to in order to be a man, right?” Dabb said. “There is no correct way to live your gender identity.”
St. Joe’s alum earns recognition in yearly sports anthology
MIA MESSINA ’25 Sports Editor
During his time at St. Joe’s, Brendan Prunty ’06 and the rest of The Hawk Newspaper staff would spend their Wednesday nights in a small room upstairs in Campion Student Center, fueled by pizza as they laid out the weekly paper, sometimes there until 3 a.m.
It was then that Prunty, a sportswriter for The Hawk at the time, first developed his dream of being featured in “The Best American Sports Writing” (now “The Year’s Best Sports Writing”), a dream he would realize a little under 20 years later.
Prunty’s piece, “This gifted clubmaker’s handcrafted driver made him a star. Then it all but derailed him,” was published March 31, 2023, by Golf Magazine. It was later featured in the 2024 edition of “The Year’s Best Sports Writing.”
“When you start out your career, you hope to do something big and impactful and long lasting, but there’s so many talented writers and reporters and outlets that produce so much stuff each year,” Prunty said. “So, to be able to be included, I’m still a little speechless.”
The book is a compilation of 25 or so articles, traditionally long-form features, from throughout the year that are considered the top pieces of sports writing published that year. Prunty’s article was about the last golfer to win a major championship while using a wooden driver.
Although this was Prunty’s first time being featured in the book, it wasn’t the first time he received recognition from the yearly anthology.
While taking a journalism class at St. Joe’s taught by Glen Macnow, former sports talk host on 94 WIP, Prunty was given the assignment of producing an 1800- to 2000-word feature piece.
A New Jersey native, Prunty took an interest in a crumbling stadium in Paterson, New Jersey. After spending a day observing the stadium and its place in the town, Prunty
produced “Hinchliffe Stadium Struggling to Preserve Greatness.” He submitted the piece to “The Best American Sports Writing,” and it received an honorable mention, becoming the only article by a college writer to receive recognition in the 2006 edition.
“Being an arrogant college student, [I] was like, ‘Yes, I deserve to submit this,’ and thought nothing of it, and then saw it in the back of the book a couple months later,” Prunty said. “I didn’t really think this was ever a possibility, and then, once you get a taste of something, you want a little more.”
Prunty said the recognition helped hone his desire not just to be a sportswriter, but also to dedicate himself to long-form features, “because those are where you can really dig deep into folks’ personal stories.”
Out of St. Joe’s, Prunty worked for a little under a decade at the Star-Ledger newspaper in New Jersey, followed by a few years freelancing for Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated and The New York Times.
After buying a house and having a child, Prunty said he was looking for something more stable and full-time than freelancing, and went into public relations. Now serving as the vice president of communications for United Entertainment Group for over three years, Prunty still occasionally wrote a few pieces to “keep the muscles active.”
Still, he didn’t think an achievement like this would happen after making the career shift. Until it did.
When Prunty’s friend Alan Bastable, an executive editor at Golf Magazine, asked if he had any freelance article ideas, Prunty referred to a Google Doc of topics. The story of The Wood Brothers, a golf club-making business, was the one that stuck out. He expected it to be a 1,500-word piece, but after starting the reporting process, Prunty knew it would be bigger and would take on a life of its own.
“I just got more and more ensconced into it and just kept digging and reporting, trying to find other people and voices and sources and just really flesh the story out,”
Prunty said. “It was kind of like the Zach Galifianakis meme where he’s staring and all the numbers are floating around. You can see the story coming together.”
After receiving positive feedback on the piece, Prunty took a shot and submitted it again. No longer an arrogant college student but instead a long-time sportswriter, he was “stunned” to learn his article was selected to appear in the anthology.
But those who know Prunty, especially the people who knew him from his time at St. Joe’s, weren’t as stunned.
Bradford Pearson ’06 worked with Prunty on The Hawk in the early 2000s.
A journalist himself, currently sitting in as the editor-in-chief for Philadelphia Magazine, Pearson sees the same qualities in Prunty today that set him apart nearly two decades ago.
“[Prunty] is a naturally curious person, and he’s a person who pays attention to details, and I think that’s what really sets his stories apart. That’s what sets his stories apart now, as we’re adults, but it set his stories apart when we were 19 and 20 years old, too,” Pearson said. “He understood how to make a story pop, and he understood
what needed to go into every story in a way that was remarkable for our age.”
Alexa Bonadonna ’06 has stayed friends with Prunty and his wife, Amanda. Bonadonna said she has seen Prunty’s qualities take form, not just in his professional work but in his personal life as well, especially as the dad of two girls.
“He’s a very disciplined person, who, if he’s going to commit to something, — whether it’s running, whether it’s writing, whether it’s his job — he’s just going to get it done,” Bonadonna said. “He’s always been very clear in that way. If he sets out a goal, he’s going to accomplish it.”
While accomplishing this goal was something Prunty set out to do almost 20 years ago, he said he’s still shocked this dream came true.
“To have something like that happen, so long after when you expected, it still renders me speechless,” Prunty said. “I’m incredibly grateful to the folks at Golf for giving it a shot, and when I filed a story that was 6,600 words, they didn’t immediately kick me out of the building.”
A hard copy of the 2024 edition of “The Year’s Best Sports Writing,” in which Brendan Prunty’ s ’06 piece is featured. PHOTO: MIA MESSINA ’25/THE HAWK
Laura Ziegler leads Hawks with ‘selfless and relentless’ approach
At the age of 10, Laura Ziegler picked up a basketball and it stuck. By around 13 or 14, she knew she wanted to play at the collegiate level.
Now, she leads the NCAA with 10 defensive rebounds a game, has recorded 17 double-doubles on the season, two triple-doubles, and has been named to the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) Ann Myers Award Midseason Watch List. She also has the women’s basketball program record for most points per game, after putting up 43 against Loyola Chicago Feb. 9. All of this and more while only being a junior.
“I don’t think that much about it when I’m actually in the season,” Ziegler said. “As an athlete, and as a competitor, you just always want to win games. You look at it after if you won, great, if you didn’t win, then I didn’t do well enough. So, I’m glad I’m playing well because it’s helping the team win games.”
Hailing from Herlev, Denmark, Ziegler a forward, joined the team in 2022. She impacted the team immediately by winning the Atlantic 10 (A-10) Rookie of the Year and tying the St. Joe’s Women’s Basketball first-year rebound record (271). During her sophomore campaign, she started in all 31 of her appearances while finishing 11th in the nation in defensive rebounds, averaging 7.8 a game.
However, despite the previous seasons, the only thing on Ziegler’s mind for the 2024-2025 season was winning games, raising an A-10 championship banner and earning a shot to compete in the Big Dance.
“I was really grateful for everything we achieved last season,” Ziegler said. “As a team, the individual accolades I got. I appreciate that a lot, but I also have the mindset that everything that happened last
season doesn’t really count this season. No one was looking at what we did last year and is giving us an NCAA bid. The main focus is just trying to put us in the best position possible for the A-10 tournament.”
With last season in the past, Ziegler and the team keep their focus on the current season with the goals they set during the pre-season.
“In the beginning of the season, we have a meeting with her [head coach Cindy Griffin],” Ziegler said. “When we sit down, we have to fill out the sheet about our academic goals, our individual goals and team goals. And all of us wanted to win an A-10 championship. We wanted to play in the postseason, and we wanted to play in the NCAA tournament.”
According to Griffin, it seems like Ziegler’s play will continue because complacency is not in Ziegler’s vocabulary, nor is it in the vocabulary of the other leaders on the team. Griffin says she does not need to motivate Ziegler and the other team leaders because they push themselves and their teammates.
“They’re just very self-motivated, and they have a high work rate, high work ethic. They set a great example for the other players. They go hard and practice every day. They show up every day,” Griffin said. “Their personalities are such that you would never know if they had a bad day. They approach every day the same, whether they’re coming off a great game or a not-so-great game, or whether they’re feeling sick or feeling great.”
This lack of complacency helps the team grow toward achieving their goals, along with their focus on staying in the present. This mindset of focusing on the now stems directly from Griffin and her coaching staff.
“It’s really just keeping things in perspective,” Griffin said. “We have little goals that we have every day in practice,
and we always preach doing the little things. Doing the little things right will add up to big things when the time comes.”
With this success, the team faces increased attention and pressure to perform. Yet, this outside noise does not play a role in how the team attacks each practice and game.
“We try to approach every day as being where our feet are,” Mackenzie Smith, a senior guard on the team, said. “We can only control what we can control, and that’s how we play. That’s how we play defense, offensively as well, just being where our feet are, not worried about the outside noise.”
With six games left in the regular season, Ziegler, Smith and the rest of the team look to continue to win games and be successful in the postseason. They believe that embodying the core values of their team will allow them to do this.
“What pops into my mind first is selfless and relentless,” Smith said. “We say those words every day. It truly is a part of who we are. Whether it’s selflessly giving up a good shot for a great shot, or relentlessly keeping
people out of the middle of the floor or diving on the floor for loose balls, we try to use those words as descriptive words for what we’re trying to do.”
While they are focused on the current season, next season still looms. The team must address the loss of the graduating seniors, including Smith and senior forward Talya Brugler, who impact the team through their play and leadership. However, the team does not seem phased for their play style, and the legacy of the graduating seniors will remain.
“If I know coach Cindy, I know one of [the focuses] is going to be playing defense,” Ziegler said. “That’s always been one of the things, no matter the team we have. We take a lot of pride in our defense. She always says when we go on road trips, the two things to travel with is defense and rebounds. That’s where we play, whenever we play. That’s something that always stays the same.”
Eagles fans flock to Broad Street to celebrate Super Bowl win
Junior forward Laura Ziegler makes a layup against a Goldey-Beacom defender, Nov. 6, 2024. PHOTO: MADELINE WILLIAMS ’26/THE HAWK
Fans carried flags, props and banners on Broad and Shunk to celebrate, Feb. 9.