University offers buyouts, voluntary separations ahead of reorganization
ENGELBERT ’25 Editor-in-Chief
St. Joe’s is offering voluntary tenure buyout and voluntary separation programs to full-time employees ahead of “more significant changes” for the university in the near future, according to a March 24 email to faculty and staff from University President Cheryl McConnell, Ph.D.
These changes will involve “comprehensively reimagin[ing] our structures, operations and programs,” McConnell said in the email.
The TBO and VSP are available to all full-time employees — including tenured faculty, tenure-track faculty, non-tenure-track faculty and staff — who will have been employed by the university for at least three years by the end of the semester, according to a follow-up email to faculty and staff that same day by Allyson Mullin, vice president of Human Resources.
Programs like this give employees “the most agency in their choice possible,” McConnell said in a March 28 interview with The Hawk, adding that the university does not have a target number of employees who will apply for the programs.
“There is no target, there is no desired number,” McConnell said. “We organize around what is happening, and it will feed into a very thoughtful reorganization for the university.”
The plans for reorganization come in the wake of two acquisitions in three years, McConnell said. St. Joe’s merged with the University of the Sciences in June 2022 and the Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences in January 2024.
These acquisitions contributed to the university’s deficit, McConnell told The Hawk.
“We acquired two financially struggling institutions, and we brought them over as is,” McConnell said. She did not share the size of the deficit and did not confirm if the acquisitions are the two most major contributors to the deficit.
“[We bolted those institutions] on to existing structures within the university,” McConnell said. “That’s not ideal for the future, but it was really important for us to stabilize the student experience and allow time for systems integration.”
With systems and student experience integrations essentially complete, McConnell said it’s time to move forward with a “one-university mindset,” which aims
to integrate areas with similar functions across the university’s three campuses.
McConnell said some reorganization has already occurred, such as combining Marketing and Communications with Enrollment Management.
“Those are the kind of reorganizations that we need to do university-wide, instead of having separate units throughout the university doing the same function,” McConnell said.
University officials do not currently know what those reorganizations may look like, McConnell said, but it “doesn’t necessarily mean academic reorganizations.”
“If that happens as part of this, it would be led by the academic unit in consultation with the deans and the chairs,” McConnell said.
“This isn’t hidden language for program eliminations or anything related to that.”
Eric Pelletier, DPT, clinical associate professor and president of Faculty Senate, said while buyouts can be stressful for employees, he sees them as a “first step” to help the university overall before it moves on to the next step of restructuring.
“It’s unfortunately necessary. It’s an uncomfortable thing for faculty, but we’re in an environment in higher education where there’s a lot of unknowns,” Pelletier said.
“What I do think is a good thing, is St. Joe’s is positioned well right now.”
The current TBO and VSP programs are much more widely offered than in previous years. In 2020, a VSP was offered to staff who had been employed by the university for at least 10 consecutive years and to tenured or tenure-track faculty who had been employed by the university for at least 15 consecutive years. In 2024, a VSP program was offered to all tenured faculty.
This year, all full-time faculty and staff who have been employed by the university for at least three years are eligible, including employees from USciences or PA College. Other employees are not eligible, including adjunct faculty, part-time staff and employees in grant- or externally-funded positions, according to Mullin’s March 24 email.
Julie Wollman, Ph.D., professor of practice in higher education and associate dean for executive-format programs at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, said such a broad offering is “unusual,” but so is undergoing two mergers.
Tenure buyouts are generally offered either when a university faces low
Leaked meeting recording ‘violates
a sense of trust’
HANNAH PAJTIS ’26 Features Editor
A video recording of a private Zoom meeting between University President Cheryl McConnell, Ph.D., and members of the university that was leaked to a reporter at the Philadelphia Inquirer has raised questions of privacy and trust within the campus community.
A quote from the recording was featured in an article published March 24 at 6:57 p.m. in the Philadelphia Inquirer about the university’s recent offer of voluntary tenure buyouts and voluntary separation programs. McConnell is quoted as telling the meeting’s attendees that she was working with board members to address a “deficit situation.”
McConnell confirmed in a follow-up with the Inquirer reporter that the university had a “small deficit” as a consequence of its mergers, the article also reported.
enrollment (overall or in specific programs), or when a university feels it has more employees than it needs to meet the needs of students, Wollman said.
“It sounds like there’s a real desire to save a lot of money and to reduce the number of employees,” Wollman said of St. Joe’s programs.
Wollman added that buyouts do not necessarily indicate a financial struggle and can be a “very smart strategic move” for many universities.
Universities are also factoring the uncertain future of higher education into their plans, especially in terms of enrollment, Wollman said.
“We know that the number of traditional high school students is declining significantly in our region, and so enrollment is not going to grow unless St. Joe’s looks to others,” Wollman said.
Nationwide, higher education is approaching the demographic or enrollment cliff, which is an anticipated drop in the number of 18-year-olds attending college out of high school due to a decrease in birth rates since 2008, according to a report in the Department of Education’s Education Resources Information Center.
A December 2024 report from the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education found that the “total number of high school graduates is expected to peak in 2025 and then decline steadily through 2041,” corresponding with lower enrollment numbers for colleges and universities.
Pelletier said the TBO and VSP programs may be a preemptive response to the demographic cliff.
“We have to plan for the future and do it before it’s too late,” Pelletier said. “This is being done to be proactive, is the way I feel the administration is handling it. I think that’s a good thing.”
The upcoming changes to St. Joe’s are reflective of the constantly shifting landscape of higher education, McConnell said.
“Our St. Joe’s experience is so important. It’s care of the individual. It’s care of the students,” McConnell said. “The thought that the way we are organized now is the only way we can deliver that [St. Joe’s experience] is something that is not respectful of the history of higher education and the history of Jesuit higher education … We are constantly evolving and meeting the moment, whatever the moment is.”
McConnell was referring to St. Joe’s mergers with the University of the Sciences in 2022 and the Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences in 2024.
Earlier on March 24, at 1:01 p.m., McConnell had sent an official announcement via email to faculty and staff, announcing that St. Joe’s would be offering voluntary tenure buyout and voluntary separation programs as a result of restructuring, which she wrote is “typical following acquisitions.”
In the email to faculty and staff, McConnell wrote that the university “must comprehensively reimagine [its] structures, operations and programs with a one-University and forward-thinking mindset.”
The email does not mention a deficit.
Eric Pelletier, DPT, clinical associate professor and president of Faculty Senate, said after the Inquirer article was published, he sent a message to faculty emphasizing the importance of upholding trust.
“It’s never about, ‘We don’t want people to hear information,’” Pelletier said. “That’s never the case. And I don’t ever get that impression from anyone I’ve worked with at this institution.”
One problem with the leaked video clip, Pelletier said, is that it lacks context.
Ronald Dufresne, Ph.D., professor of management and president of Faculty Senate from 2017 to 2019, similarly said context is key to these conversations.
“I’ve led so many of these faculty conversations that if you listen to one minute of a conversation, you’d miss the point that what we’re really talking about is making, perhaps, a decision to make the student experience better,” Dufresne said. “But that one minute might not capture that.”
Dufresne said it was frustrating to see private information shared to a media outlet because it comprises trust.
“It just violates a sense of trust, psychological safety,” Dufresne said. “We need to be able to have some open, frank conversations for shared governance to work so that we can serve our students.”
Pelletier said, to his knowledge, there are no specific St. Joe’s policies about recording meetings. However, Pennsylvania’s wiretapping law, or “two-party consent” law, makes it illegal for private conversations to be recorded without the explicit consent of all parties.
The Student Newspaper of Saint Joseph’s University
Isaac Schwartz ’25 explores the different ways people think.
GRAPHIC: STEPHANIE SAVELA ’25/THE HAWK
ALLY
St. Joe’s leaders reflect on experiences as women
COMPILED BY: SOPHIA GALANTE ’26 AND GRACE O’MEARA ’27 / THE HAWK | GRAPHIC: STEPHANIE SAVELA ’25/THE HAWK
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CARLY ROBINSON ’26, PHARMD ’28; JO PARKER, PH.D.; JORDAN GOUGE ’25; SHERIDAN LEAK ’25; LANYAH SABB-TOOMBS ’27; CHRISTINE FLANAGAN, M.F.A.; ESHIKA ATTRI ’26 AND ANN GREEN, PH.D.
“LEAKED MEETING” FROM PG. 1
Pelletier said regular faculty senate business meetings are recorded so faculty can listen if they missed the meeting, but this changes when McConnell or JeanMcGivney-Burelle, Ph.D, university provost and senior vice president of academic affairs, are in attendance. In those cases, meetingsarenotrecorded.
McConnell did not consent to the March 24 Zoom recording.
“I speak to the community on a regular basis, and I try to do it on a confidential level,” McConnell said in a March 28 interview with The Hawk.
Zoom meetings, Pelletier and Dufresne said, can present a unique struggle as it’s significantly more difficult to tell if somebody is recording.
“The best safeguard would be in-person
meetings,” Pelletier said. “It’s difficult to do that since we’re on three locations right now.”
Pelletier said to increase trust, he plans to continue having discussions about why trust is highly important in matters of internal communications.
Dufresne also said reminders of expectations about recording may be necessary.
“This current administration, president
on down, they’re giving us the difficult information we need to hear about where things are,” Pelletier said. “And it’s positive, but we have no idea what policy decisions are going to be made tomorrow. That’s out of our control. So, a lot of this is trying to be as proactive as we can.”
CAPS partnership supports students’ mental and spiritual wellbeing
VINCENT KORNACKI ’25 Managing Editor
Since the fall 2024 semester, St. Joe’s Counseling and Psychological Services has partnered with Campus Ministry to host drop-in counseling hours for students, with a focus on religious and spiritual counseling.
Thomas Nailor, M.A. ’22, a psychotherapist with CAPS and the representative for CAPS in this partnership, hosts the drop-in hours in the Wolfington Center for Ministry, Faith and Service every Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. During this time, any student can meet with Nailor without having an appointment.
Nailor said for CAPS, this partnership was a new way to reach students.
“Our motivation for this collaboration was, and is, meeting students where they are at,” Nailor wrote in an email to the Hawk. “We know that for many students, Campus Ministry, whether physically at Wolfington or more generally … is a space they feel seen, cared for, and safe. We want to make sure that, when appropriate, there’s an opportunity to connect with different kinds of support, such as CAPS, in those spaces.”
Roughly a dozen students have used the drop-in hours at Wolfington since the beginning of the 2024-2025 academic year, matching the drop-in rates in LaFarge Residence Hall, Nailor said.
Tinamarie Stolz, M.A. ’24, assistant director of Campus Ministry and the representative for Campus Ministry in the partnership, said working with CAPS was a way for Campus Ministry to support students’ mental health beyond what campus ministers can provide.
“Your spirituality is very connected to your mental health. Campus ministers are not mental health professionals, but those two things are really, really connected,” Stolz said. “Wouldn’t it be great to have a place that could really help you with your spirituality, which could really help with your mental health, while also respecting the boundary of ‘We [campus ministers] are not mental
health professionals?’”
According to McLean Hospital, studies have shown religion can decrease rates of depression, reduce risk of suicide by up to 68% and reduce the effects of eating disorders.
While the program is not exclusively for religious students, it places an “emphasis on supporting individuals with religious and spiritual concerns and those affiliated with Campus Ministry and other religious/ spiritual groups and organizations specifically,” according to the CAPS website.
Alongside the drop-in hours, Nailor also helps coordinate mental health training for both faculty and students in Campus Ministry, alongside attending Campus Ministry events when needed.
“We find that, even if I may not serve as a student’s ongoing therapist, that starting with someone they know or that a staff member they’re connected with can personally recommend, can be a big help towards students connecting with services,” Nailor said.
Stolz said she viewed the collaboration as forming one team with two different roles.
“You can bring your spirituality, religious questions to CAPS, and you can bring your mental health to Campus Ministry, but both care for the whole person, both work together to create a holistic approach to wellness,” Stolz said.
Scott Sokoloski, Ph.D., director of CAPS, said this partnership is part of a larger attempt to destigmatize mental health care on campus, which has also included adding drop-in hours in the Center for Inclusion and Diversity.
“One of my goals as director is to reduce the stigma associated with mental health for the campus community, and to do so, we have to be out of our offices and in spaces where students may feel more comfortable or supported,” Sokoloski wrote in an email to the Hawk. “This is the same reason that we have drop-in hours in the Center for Inclusion and Diversity and work closely with them on various programs.”
Currently, there are plans to continue the partnership into the next academic year and there are hopes to expand it to other faiths in the future, Nailor said.
“CAPS staff hope to connect more in the coming year with other religious and spiritual communities on campus, whether that’s myself or another member of the CAPS staff,” Nailor said.
Stolz emphasized that while religion can help people with their mental well-being, it is not always the complete answer.
“Being close to God, I think, is really helpful to managing mental health, but never in the sense of praying your mental health away,” Stolz said. “That’s not possible. That’s pressure. It’s also theologically inaccurate. We don’t believe in a god that’s a genie and wishes some people cured of things and some people not. You can have God and a therapist too.”
This article is part of the Philly Mental Health Initiative, a collaboration initiated by The Temple News student newspaper between Philadelphia-area student publications covering mental health on our campuses.
Members of the St. Joe’s community seeking support are encouraged to contact the following resources:
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), 610-660-1090 Campus Ministry, 610-660-1030
The Office of Student Outreach & Support, 610-660-1149
The Jesuit community, 610-660-1400 Employee Assistance Program, 866-799-2728
Department of Public Safety reports (March 22-28)
March 22
Public Safety notified of a larceny/theft at Sweeney Field. Public Safety responded, a report was taken, and the incident is being investigated.
March 23
Public Safety notified of an all other offenses incident at Ashwood Apartments. Public Safety responded, a report was taken, and the incident is being investigated.
Public Safety notified of a vandalism incident at Villiger Residence Center. Public Safety responded, a report was taken, and the incident is being investigated.
March 24
No incidents to report.
March 25 No incidents to report.
March 26 No incidents to report.
March 27
No incidents to report.
March 28
Public Safety notified of a larceny/theft incident at Villiger Residence Center. Public Safety responded, a report was taken, and the incident is being investigated.
Tinamarie Stolz, M.A. ’24, assistant director of Campus Ministry, opens the door to the drop-in space in the Wolfington Center for Ministry, Faith and Service, March 31. PHOTO: ZACH PODOLNICK ’26/THE HAWK
Editorial: Voluntary tenure buyouts likely to impact quality of education
On March 24, St. Joe’s President Cheryl McConnell, Ph.D., announced to faculty and staff that St. Joe’s will,once again be offering voluntary tenure buyouts and a voluntary separation program. This is the third time in five years the university has offered such options to its staff.
The university’s decision to offer these options to faculty and staff is likely to impact the student experience at St. Joe’s in a variety of ways. Tenured professors maintain their status by demonstrating excellence in teaching, research and service, and often possess valuable professional experience that benefits their students. If the voluntary tenure
buyouts are accepted by many professors, students will lose the opportunity to study under experienced educators, who have institutional knowledge and vast experience. Additionally, the loss of experienced faculty would reduce the availability of courses offered and increase class sizes. This, of course, will impact the overall quality of education and limit students’ exposure to a diversity of experienced educators.
Importantly, the voluntary tenure buyouts and voluntary separation program will also impact the faculty and staff who remain at the university. Having fewer colleagues in their department would result in larger class
sizes, leaving remaining professors to navigate increased workloads and administrative responsibilities. With the recency of President McConnell’s announcement, many questions surrounding the effects it will have on each of the university’s campuses remain unanswered, but one thing is certain: The loss of tenured professors, no matter the number, is likely to affect the quality of education at St. Joe’s. We acknowledge the university’s emphasis on the student experience and implore university leadership to keep that objective at the heart of whatever the solutions are to our increasingly fragile higher education environment.
Empirical rules, idealistic tools
Using love to digest thinking patterns
ISAAC SCHWARTZ ’25 Guest Columnist
Once the human brain became capable of linguistically communicating vis-à-vis language, long-term thinking and conceptual consistency evolved. Humans can both think of a grand idea and measure their experiences against it to determine whether those ideas are possible or not. Hence, the birth of idealistic and empirical thinking.
You’re most likely not a fan of reading abstract philosophical texts in your free time. I can’t say that I am either.
However, there is immense value gained by peering into these two major critical thinking patterns. Leaders in business, government or academia often think in one of two ways. Categorizing thinking as either empirical or idealistic is helpful in determining how people think, or at least how they determine whom they trust. Empirical thinking relies on the
experiences of human observation of information to figure out how things work or why things are the way they are. Following the Renaissance, empiricism birthed modern scientific processes. Idealistic thinking may influence hypotheses or beliefs in occurrences of the world around us and has persisted in its intellectual prevalence.
One specific concept may do the trick to reveal how idealistic and empirical thinking differ: falling in love! For thousands of years, marriages were predominantly arranged, heeding practical, financial benefits to patriarchs of the bride-to-be. English marriage culture in the 18th and 19th centuries led to the age of romanticism — when women gained agency in their choice of spouse. These ideas of love are still perpetuated in modern culture.
In my experience, love is a blend of abstract romance in daily, practical events. For example, I have immense joy going to the bank with my partner as she makes a deposit — a purely practical event. Why? I know this is the person with whom I want to indefinitely experience (idealistic
thinking) day-to-day interactions with (empirical thinking)!
In life, I often wonder, “How do they think that!” Determining if someone’s thinking is empirical or idealistic (or both) can help us understand each other better. So, if your boss at your internship has been anything but laissez-faire, they may be thinking too idealistically and not considering what your day-to-day looks like.
Messi’s impact on Major League Soccer
MLS has poorly handled the star’s arrival
In the American sports landscape, soccer has been junior to titans like baseball or basketball. Despite its stature as the younger sibling in U.S. sports, it has seen a boom in growth in recent years. 2024 data indicates that there was a significant increase in new fans for the sport, with a 400% jump in first-time fans from 2023 to 2024.
Lionel Messi’s arrival to Major League Soccer has been a factor in this recent growth. Messi stands as arguably the sport’s greatest-ever player, with both individual and club accolades proving such. Messi’s arrival at Florida-based club Inter Miami CF has attracted many fans to U.S. soccer, bringing a surge in television viewership for MLS, as well as an 18% increase in the league’s revenue. Despite the tremendously positive economic
effects for the league, I am concerned that the way clubs are handling his presence may be having a detrimental effect on MLS.
There is now a growing sentiment that many fans are only tuning in to Inter Miami games to watch Messi play. Undoubtedly, his talent and star power are undeniable. MLS knows this and has been turning his stardust into profit. The average price of a game in the 2023-2024 season was $164, a 124% price increase from the 2022-2023 season’s $73 per seat cost.
This sentiment was most clearly seen when the Houston Dynamo FC, a Houston-based club, issued an apology to its fans for Messi not being present in a match. Fans were incensed because they had paid abnormally high ticket prices but did not see Messi. The club sought to appease its supporters by promising free tickets to a future home game due to the star’s absence. This sort of bargaining should not exist.
Messi’s status in American soccer
is that of a god, and fans have had to pay the price for that. He has brought viewership and increased interest, but for the MLS to properly capitalize, they must stop deifying the Argentine star and allowing the rest of the league to seem an afterthought.
SAHR KARIMU ’26 Hawk Columnist
GRAPHIC: CARA HALLIGAN ’25/THE HAWK
GRAPHIC: CARA HALLIGAN ’25/THE HAWK
Erasing neurodivergence is not the answer
Autism and ADHD diagnoses are not public health crises
CAROLINE TRIMBLE ’26
Hawk Columnist
On Feb. 13, President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing the “Make America Healthy Again Commission.” The commission’s goal is to increase American life expectancy to meet the world’s average by “drastically lowering chronic disease rates and ending childhood chronic disease.” Although the commission has several noble goals, including lowering cancer and asthma rates, the reasons for targeting certain conditions with increased diagnosis rates reinforce harmful stereotypes and further harm those diagnosed with the conditions.
One condition with a growing number of diagnoses is autism spectrum disorder. The executive order notes one in 36 children in the United States are currently diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, a “staggering increase” from the one to four out of 10,000 children diagnosed in the 1980s. The executive order also highlights an increase in the number of children medicated for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), with the number of prescriptions to manage ADHD symptoms rising from 3.2 million in 2019-2020 to 3.4 million today.
There are several problems with how these conditions are addressed and how the data on increased diagnoses and prescriptions are presented. The rise in diagnoses has little to do with health; The diagnostic binaries of
both autism and ADHD have dramatically expanded over the past several decades, thus explaining the drastic change in the number of diagnoses. There were not fewer autistic individuals in the 1980s. There were only more Americans undiagnosed and left to struggle to conform to a society not designed for them.
In framing the increased diagnoses of autism and ADHD as contributing to a public health crisis, Trump and the “Make America Healthy Again Commission” reinforce harmful misconceptions about neurodivergence. These conditions are not issues to be solved but instead must be better understood. Expanding access to health care resources, ensuring legal rights to accommodations and celebrating neurodiversity are better
alternatives to policies that contribute to harmful narratives about neurodivergence. If the commission seeks to truly improve the health of the nation, there must be a shift in how neurodivergence is discussed.
What’s going on with our northern neighbor?
How relationships with Canada have changed under Trump
JAKE RICHFIELD ’27 Opinions Editor
The Trump administration has had a profound effect on our northern neighbor: Canada. For starters, President Donald Trump’s actions in the first months of his second administration have completely changed Canada’s political landscape. Despite being down in the polls by double-digits only one month ago, the Liberals, under recently-appointed Prime Minister Mark Carney, now lead the Conservatives, in large part thanks to Trump and his trade policies.
Thus, the unpopularity of a decade of Liberal governance has been overcome in weeks by Canada’s dislike for one man: Donald Trump.
The president has also affected our economic relationship with Canada. On March 4, Trump’s 25% tariff on almost all
Canadian goods went into effect, prompting Canada to respond with its own retaliatory tariffs. While many of these tariffs have been amended or paused, threats of further tariffs (such as retaliatory tariffs scheduled for April 2), and an emerging trade war with Canada have created a hostile and uncertain trade relationship with our second-largest trading partner.
Tourism between the United States and Canada has also been affected, with air travel dropping an estimated 70% between the two countries. When compared to this time last year, nearly half a million fewer Canadians have crossed the land border into America. This reduction in tourism has likely been motivated by both these rising tensions and by high-profile cases of Canadians, like Jasmine Mooney, being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities. Communities on either side of the border will now have to grapple with the economic effects of this loss of tourism on
their communities. Canada is a longstanding important ally Trump, this relationship has been put in jeopardy, and, if the situation continues on
From job cuts to EVs: How Musk’s actions have sparked protests across America
TAYLOR STECH ’25 Columnist
Since Tesla CEO Elon Musk was appointed to be in charge of the newly-formed Department of Government Efficiency in President Donald Trump’s administration, the U.S. has seen growing protests surrounding Musk’s cuts to several government agencies and his alliance with Trump.
On Tesla’s website, the company highlights its commitment to a sustainable future and shifting away from fossil fuels. Musk also claims to be “super pro climate” and believes in the risks associated with global climate change. However, Musk and the Trump administration have cut jobs from important environmental agencies, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the
Environmental Protection Agency and the National Park Service.
Musk’s work as part of the Trump administration is a contradiction of his self-proclaimed commitment to environmental protection. His actions have sparked various reactions from Tesla owners. Peaceful protests, organized by the TeslaTakedown movement, have advocated for owners to sell Teslas and join the protest against Musk’s DOGE cuts. Democrats are more interested in buying electric vehicles than Republicans, so peaceful protests motivated by political affiliation allow opponents to express their beliefs. More violently, Tesla stores and showrooms have been set on fire, shot at and vandalized.
Musk has said that these protests are targeting an innocent company. Tesla’s stock recently dropped 6%; however, Trump’s 25% tariff on imported foreign cars might help boost Tesla sales, as
they are made in the U.S. The March 29 TeslaTakedown demonstrations, which saw protesters in multiple cities across the country, signify that some voters are outraged by Musk’s actions. These
protests underscore that the intersection of business and politics related to environmental concerns is and should remain an important issue to Americans.
GRAPHIC: CARA HALLIGAN ’25/THE HAWK
GRAPHIC: CARA HALLIGAN ’25/THE HAWK
From Sicily to South Philly
A night at America’s oldest Italian restaurant
SOPHIA
Ralph’s Italian Restaurant, located at 760 S. Ninth St. in the heart of Philadelphia’s Italian Market, was dimly lit but bright with laughter when my boyfriend, Manny Nkrumah ’26 and I visited for dinner one Sunday evening in early March. The mosaic-tiled floor and closely-sat tables reminded me of Italian restaurants in old movies.
When we arrived for our reservation, which you have to make most nights if you want a chance at a table, a host told us to go to the back and up the stairs to the second dining room and ask for Anthony. We bustled our way through the lower dining room to a small archway that led to windy, dark wooden stairs.
Upstairs was a beautiful, old-school bar engulfed in the same warm lighting. A server, who I presumed was Anthony, showed us to our table. I sat down and stared in awe at the walls, which had different paintings of Italian landmarks. I pulled out my phone to show my boyfriend a picture of a painting I had taken when visiting Rome that appeared identical to the one on the wall. We marveled at the accuracy.
Our “placemats” were pieces of beige paper with the story of Ralph’s typed in fine black print. Francesco and Catherine Dispigno and their son, Ralph, immigrated from Sicily to America through Ellis Island in 1893 and put everything they had into restaurants. Today, the fourth and fifth generations of the family run this location, and it is officially the oldest family-operated Italian restaurant in the U.S.
David Rubenstein, a South Philadelphia native who now lives in Rhode Island, worked at Ralph’s as a busboy in the 1970s. Rubenstein
Why not a rage room?
For years, rage rooms have flooded my social media feeds with clips of smashed bottles, shattered vases and shards of glass exploding toward my screen.
I’m not an aggressive person in my daily life. The most violent act I have ever committed was the involuntary manslaughter of a stink bug that wedged itself beside my car seat, only to meet its fate when I slammed the door.
But recently, my course load began to pile up, drowning me in assignments, papers and presentations. I felt overwhelmed, stuck in a repetitive cycle of waking up, going to class, doing homework, eating, sleeping and repeating. I needed something different — something to shake me out of the tedium and restore my peace. Why not a rage room?
All That Rage in West Chester, a 30-minute drive from the Manayunk neighborhood of Philadelphia, was my rage room of choice. The first thing I noticed when I clicked on their website was the tagline: “It’s Cheaper Than Therapy.”
All That Rage is just one location in the Bates Motel Escape Rooms family of attractions in West Chester. But a variety of rage rooms can be found across the country,
was only 14 when he started bussing tables but remembers it as an experience that taught him a lot.
Rubenstein said the homey feeling visitors get from Ralph’s is part of what makes it particularly special.
“What they have is a sincere form of hospitality,” Rubenstein said. “So, when you go there, you really feel like you’re stepping into the family’s home.”
Our waitress, Haley Ryan, said the people who work at Ralph’s are like family.
“It’s just a positive environment,” Ryan said. “We’re all super close. Everyone here is basically friends of friends, family, but it’s very authentic. And, of course, the food doesn’t knock it either.”
I was ready to put that to the test. Munching on fresh, sesame-seeded bread, I realized I needed to order a dish with a good dipping sauce. Yes, it was that good. I finally decided on the gnocchi in a blush sauce with shrimp. Manny ordered the penne alla vodka with chicken. To start, we agreed we must try their famous meatballs and a Caesar salad. A glass of red wine was a must as well.
Ryan came back moments later with a glass that looked just like one my Italian great-aunt used at family dinner parties — smaller than the average wine glass with details engraved on the sides. The glass was filled almost to the brim with red wine, and as it hit my tastebuds, I was greeted with a luscious bitter taste immediately relieved by a dark flavor that I can only describe as the color burgundy.
Minutes later, I faced two giant meatballs on a plate smothered in red sauce with a large scoop of ricotta cheese placed next to them. As I placed the bite into my mouth, the moistness struck me first. The salty and savory notes of the different meats came next, and as I looked
continuing a trend that started with the first known rage room in Japan in 2008, according to a 2024 article from WHYY.
Booking the appointment was simple, with four options to choose from. First, there’s “BYOS” (Break Your Own S#!t) for $14.99 per person, allowing you to bring a five-gallon bucket of your own items to smash. Next is “Smash That $hit” for $24.99 per person, which includes one crate of breakables. Then, there’s “Double Impact” at $44.99 per person, which includes two crates of breakables. Lastly, there’s Annihilation for $44.99 per person that includes three crates of breakables. I chose the “Smash That $hit” option. For an additional fee, you could also purchase larger breakables at the time of your session.
On the day of my rage room experience, I was already overwhelmed. It felt like the universe was intentionally testing me — losing my phone at the mall, dealing with computer issues on a deadline day. Although things eventually worked out, stress still coursed through my veins. I desperately needed an outlet.
As my friend Lily Santi ’24 and I entered All That Rage, our nerves set in. Neither of us had ever done anything like this before, but there was no turning back. We met David Perlmutter, who has managed All That Rage for three years and saw its popularity grow. All That Rage now welcomes an average of 40 customers daily, Perlmutter said.
People visit for a variety of reasons, Perlmutter said, including cheating partners, workplace frustrations and personal struggles.
“We’ve had a couple of Uber drivers,” Perlmutter said. “Teachers and therapists love it. Anyone working in an office who has to be professional but whose boss is a dickhead. It’s just a nice way to let out some of that bottled-up stress.”
The one thing they have in common: They all come seeking a safe, controlled
inside the piece on my fork, I saw bits of fresh parsley poking out. It was outstanding. That consistent quality is what keeps Ralph’s in business, Rubenstein said.
“Every time you go there, it’s exactly the same,” Rubenstein said. “That meant a lot to me, that when you’re living your life, being consistent is probably the most important thing that you can do because it goes hand-in-hand with integrity. It’s integrity of service, integrity of product, integrity of reputation.”
I tried another bite, this time with ricotta, which melted in my mouth almost immediately.
Next was my gnocchi. The blush sauce complemented the rich pasta perfectly. I took a hunk of sesame bread and dipped it into the sauce, a combination suggested by Rubenstein.
Sarcone’s Bakery, located directly next door to Ralph’s, supplies the restaurant’s bread. Rubenstein said Sarcone’s bread and Ralph’s sauce always made the perfect combination.
“One of my favorite culinary delights was to take a small cup, fill it with that sauce or that gravy and just take the Sarcone bread,” Rubenstein said. “And it’s the most simple flavors, but it brought back so many memories.”
Jim and Lydia Batura were directly next to us, a couple visiting from Long Island for a late Valentine’s Day getaway. Ralph’s was first on their list.
“It was very nondescript from the outside, but you walk in, and it’s just a very homey atmosphere,” Lydia Batura said as her husband nodded in agreement.
The Baturas had cleaned their plates, both ordering chicken dishes. For them, Ralph’s was a must-visit destination; for regulars, a second home; and for first-timers like Manny and me, a true experience through and through.
“It’s the oldest for a reason,” Lydia Batura said.
I had to agree.
environment to unleash pent-up emotions.
“We have a group of teachers that come every three to four weeks just to let off some steam,” Perlmutter said.
Before working at All That Rage, Perlmutter was a children’s therapist.
“It’s good for trauma as well,” Perlmutter said. “It’s a good way to express that feeling [anger] without feeling crazy.”
Dominick Raffaele, an employee, guided us to the rage rooms and helped us suit up in safety gear. Here’s my formal apology to Raffaele for taking two suits and 10 minutes just to fix the zippers I kept jamming. During the delay, I asked if people usually left looking less stressed. He assured me they did, often commenting on how much fun it was and expressing a desire to return.
“They feel more relief than when they came in,” Raffaele said.
A delightful surprise came when we were asked what music we wanted.
Lily, wide-eyed, blurted out “Olivia Rodrigo” before I could even process the question. Luckily, I’m a fan too.
Equipped with aluminum bats, we stepped into the room. Before me sat a bucket of breakables: glass bottles, vases
and a stereo, all waiting to be destroyed. Lily gave me a nod, signaling for me to go first. As I lifted a Tito’s bottle, my mind went blank. The pressure and internal noise that had been weighing on me disappeared. Then, as I swung, those suppressed emotions erupted with the shattering glass.
Even after my first swing, I felt physically lighter, as if I had just completed a marathon or melted like an ice sculpture under the sun.
Michael McCloskey, Ph.D., professor and director of Clinical Science Training in clinical psychology at Temple University, said rage rooms can reduce stress through social bonding and exercise.
“You’re doing a pleasant, enjoyable experience with friends, and we know that that’s a good way for stress reduction,” McCloskey said. “Another stress reduction technique is exercise, exerting energy. They get a chance to get some of that physical tension out.”
I have to agree with McCloskey. My rage room high lasted all night. On the drive home, even the infamous Philly traffic didn’t faze me. When a car nearly sideswiped me on I-76, I simply smiled and thought, “No big deal.”
GALANTE ’26 News Reporter
JULIA KINGSBURY ’25 Special to The Hawk
Meatballs ordered by Sophia Galante ’26 at Ralph’s Italian Restaurant in South Philly
PHOTO COURTESY OF SOPHIA GALANTE ’26/THE HAWK
Julia Kingsbury ’25 and Lily Santi ’24 in a rage room at All That Rage in West Chester. PHOTO COURTESY OF JULIA KINGSBURY ’25
GRAPHIC: MIA MESSINA ’25/THE HAWK
Students present art history research at annual symposium
KILEY O’BRIEN ’25 Assistant Features Editor
Students gathered to present their research at the fourth annual Philadelphia-area Undergraduate Art History Research Symposium, hosted at the Frances M. Maguire Art Museum on March 29.
Martha Easton, Ph.D, associate professor of art history and program director of museum studies, led in the organiztion of the event. She hosted the first research symposium at St. Joe’s in 2022 with the goal of bringing students together to share their findings.
Easton said she noticed the Graduate Student Symposium on the History of Art had been running for years at the Barnes Foundation, and she wanted to create a similar opportunity for undergraduate art history students.
“I was hoping to create a venue for students to share their research in a professional, but very supportive venue, as well as have the opportunity to meet and make connections with students from other programs,” Easton said.
Eva Hernández ’25 presented her research, “Symbols of War and Death: Picasso’s Vanitas Still Lifes” at the symposium. Hernández said she had an interest in researching how death is represented through art.
“I hope people know that artists throughout time also contemplate death, and they do it through art,” Hernández said. “Because they’re public to us, we can, ourselves, contemplate death through them and that it’s not necessarily a bad thing.”
Undergraduates from the University of Pennsylvania, Bryn Mawr College, Drexel, Temple, West Chester, La Salle and Villanova universities also came together to present their work over the past year.
Lav Percy Jones, a senior at Temple University, presented “Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, A New Vision on Prostitution.” In their work, Jones tackled a different perspective on prostitution that proposes Toulouse-Lautrec, a French artist in the late 1800s, does not sexualize women in his work.
In their presentation, Jones commented on a Toulouse-Lautrec painting titled “Woman before a Mirror,” challenging the idea that this artwork is meant to objectify women, a common notion among viewers.
“In this moment of dressing transition, most likely a very busy day, [the model] is taking a moment to reflect upon herself and her form, but whatever she finds and whoever she feels about her reflection is not committed to us,” Jones said. “Her emotions and feelings are perhaps entirely private for her.”
Shannon Tonetta ’26 presented her work, “Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s Effect on the Portrayal of Peasants in Art,” and said the faculty at St. Joe’s have encouraged her to take the leap to pursue and present her research.
“I think that it’s really beautiful that the faculty make an effort for their students outside of the classroom to come and support their other endeavors,” said Tonetta.
Tonetta added that the Maguire Art Museum provides a space for students to present their research and that it’s essential
for students to have this platform.
“Having the museum is such a great resource, and it’s an amazing thing that we have our hands on,” Tonetta said.
“Showcasing that, trying to get students interested, and showing it off is important, and bringing funding to the arts and humanities right now is important.”
Easton said she aimed to bring students and faculty together to celebrate the achievements of the art history department in this fourth-annual event.
“My goals were to highlight the great work being done in undergraduate art history classes in the Philadelphia area and to provide a supportive atmosphere
for students to meet each other and share their work,” Easton said. “I think we accomplished both goals this year.”
It’s important for St. Joe’s to support and promote events regarding art history, Hernández said, to recognize students who are pursuing this path and to show students outside the community the power of art history.
“Art itself is the best record of human expression, how we see the world and different moments in history,” Hernández said. “We can understand them through what humans have created.”
Disabled Students Union promotes accessibility, advocacy and allyship
disabled students.
When Megan Eastman ’25 came to the Hawk Hill campus for the first time as a first-year, the hilly campus and lack of ways to circumvent stair-laden buildings raised the question: How can St. Joe’s better support students like herself who have disabilities?
“When I started here at St. Joe’s, it was hard to find a community,” Eastman said. “There weren’t a lot of other people who fully understood.”
The Disabled Students Union is a new student organization on the Hawk Hill campus offering support and community for students with and without disabilities. Co-founded by Eastman and Lilly Cancellieri ’27, the fledgling organization hopes to offer a safe space for all students, teach the importance of advocacy and spread awareness of the issues facing
“I think definitely a main [goal of DSU] is creating a sense of community, helping people realize they’re not alone,” Eastman said.
Cancellieri and Eastman met through Phi Sigma Phi, a national, gender-inclusive, honor fraternity, in which Cancellieri became Eastman’s “little brother,” or mentee. They talked together and wondered why there was not already a space where students with disabilities could come together. Uniting their different perspectives rooted in their respective disabilities, they cofounded DSU in March.
Eastman has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a connective tissue disorder that affects the skin, joints and blood vessel walls. EDS can manifest in a variety of ways. For Eastman, this means she does not have use of her left hand, is tube-fed, and walks with a limp. Growing up, Eastman wished she could have met other
people with mobility impairments to gain a “sense of understanding and fellowship with other people.”
Cancellieri has Usher syndrome, an inherited disability that affects hearing and vision, which for Cancellieri has resulted in hearing loss requiring cochlear implants and retinitis pigmentosa, an eye disease that causes progressive blindness. Cancellieri said both are classified as invisible disabilities, or disabilities that are not easily recognizable.
“Disability can come in all shapes and sizes,” Cancellieri said. “It doesn’t have to look, quote, unquote, ‘like a disability.’ But even when it does, you can’t look at someone and just judge a disability based on what you see or don’t see.”
Eastman and Cancellieri came together with different experiences regarding visible and invisible disabilities, and this helped them decide on the organization’s goals, Cancellieri said.
“I want to, first and foremost, bring confidence to everyone at St. Joe’s who has a disability, help them learn how to advocate for themselves, whether they’re in a confident place right now or whether they need help to find it,” Cancellieri said. “Disability is tough because it’s not your fault. There’s nothing you can really do about it. It’s all about adapting, and I want to make it clear that those with disabilities are not alone, that they have this whole support system behind them.”
Eastman said one reason, among many, that the DSU is important for St. Joe’s is it will promote accessibility in higher education and increase awareness about the barriers students with disabilities can face in college settings.
“I think it’s important to let everyone know that students with disabilities can go to college,” Eastman said. “They can be successful, if given the right support, if
things are made accessible.”
The organizaton also places a strong emphasis on allyship and how students can advocate for each other, regardless of whether they have a disability.
“It’s important because it brings about awareness about disabilities,” said Patricia Gregg ’15, MBA ’20, director of Student Disability Services and DSU’s advisor. “You don’t have to be a student with a disability to join the club. They’re looking for people to advocate for them, to be an ally, to connect with other people.”
Cancellieri and Eastman said they want to create a space where those virtues of advocacy and allyship can flourish. The co-founders have a slew of plans, which include discussion panels and a new board that would include both disabled students and allies.
“The second goal [of the DSU] was to bring together a support team of those allies without disabilities that want to help and to show that there are people out there who want to help, whether they have a disability or not, but also showing those people how they can help,” Cancellieri said.
Preparation and allyship are important parts of the Disabled Students Union. Cancellieri said that for students with disabilities, learning how to advocate for themselves in a post-college world is paramount.
“If you don’t feel safe enough to use your voice and advocate for yourself, you’re not going to do it,” Cancellieri said. “We start here, and on campus is a safe place for you to practice that advocacy, especially in your classes. We want to have that safe space for us as a club, but also expand it to all of your classes, and then off campus, in your jobs, and ultimately, in your real life.”
Shannon Tonetta ’26 presents her research on artist Pieter Bruegel’s portrayal of peasants in art at the fourth annual Philadelphia-area Undergraduate Art History Research Symposium.
PHOTO: ZACH PODOLNICK ’26/THE HAWK
Disabled Student Union co-founders Lilly Cancellieri ’27 and Megan Eastman ’25 speak at the club’s first meeting, March 28. PHOTO: MADELINE WILLIAMS ’26/THE HAWK
ZACH PODOLNICK ’26 Sports Reporter
On The Beat: ‘Equus Asinus’
PARKER HAYDEN ’25 Hawk Staff
Men I Trust’s 2025 album, “Equus Asinus,” is a reinvention of their sound from previous outputs like “Untourable Album” and “Oncle Jazz.” This time, the band shifts their retro, funk-inspired music into a more folk-inspired sound. With previous singles like “Girl” making a return in a new and more nuanced fashion, Men I Trust comes off as a more mature and well-rounded band. Unfortunately, this comes at a cost for the band, as “Equus Asinus” is one of their most unnecessary albums.
I say this because, in an attempt to stretch out a double album release, Men I Trust has seemingly put together a “filler” album. On paper, switching to folk is a great idea, especially since the genre has been blossoming in popularity over the past few years. However, I believe the band didn’t have enough ideas to warrant a full album release. Take the song “Frost Bite,” for example, which starts serene for the first minute but is repetitive by the end of the song.
That’s not to say everything is less than satisfactory on the album. For example, the aforementioned song “Girl” has improved, now titled “Girl (2025).” The production this time around has drastically improved, and the duet
between lead singer Emma Proulx and guitarist Jessy Caron gives a tender performance. The song “Moon 2” is also a highlight, as it combines the spacey rock style of the band’s past with their current folk focus.
Overall, “Equus Asinus” is an album that feels more like an idea than
a fully fledged concept. For every song that feels fresh, it is bogged down by a lot of songs that feel unfinished or simply unnecessary. While this is the first of two albums to come out by Men I Trust this year, I feel as if this album didn’t need to exist in the context it does now. I hope by the end of the spring, when “Equus Caballus” releases, the band will deliver a more alluring piece.
GRAPHIC: STEPHANIE SAVELA ’25/THE HAWK
For my first review, I will be discussing one of my favorite horror movies from last year: “Smile 2,” the sequel to 2022’s “Smile.” This movie, written and directed by Parker Finn, had many people feeling astoundingly terrified. The first movie starred Sosie Bacon (Kevin Bacon’s daughter), Kyle Gallner and Jessie Usher, while this new installment stars Naomi Scott, Rosemarie DeWitt and Ray Nicholson, son of Jack Nicholson from “The Shining.”
This sequel had much to live up to, given the end of the last movie. In the ending of the first “Smile” movie, Rose Cotter (Bacon), haunted by the “smile” demonic entity, committed suicide in front of her ex-boyfriend, Joel (Gallner). When the demon curse reaches Skye Riley (Scott) in “Smile 2,” things heat up in the best way possible for those who love all of the thrills that come with horror. From smiling dancers to creepy fans at meet-and-greets, this profound sequel feels especially daunting.
Originally, many thought the sequel did not need to happen, but it was welcomed with open arms after the first trailer aired. “Smile 2” follows pop star Skye Riley, who is as big as Taylor Swift in the “Smile” universe. Riley is followed around by the “smile” demon, which makes people who are haunted by it see hallucinations of creepy smiles until it possesses the host, making them take their lives in front of another person, which then passes the curse onto them.
“Smile 2” is a magnificent hit for those who want to get into more horror. The film offers a lot of great jump scares to get people feeling incredibly uncomfortable
and unsettled the entire time when seeing all of the frightening grins on screen. Scott’s harrowing performance is Oscar worthy, and even though this movie did not get nominated at the Oscars, as most horror movies do not, one can certainly say that her performance proves that performances in movies like this can deliver powerful messages surrounding difficult topics like trauma. With the potential for a third movie, I am curious to see if they end up addressing the trauma lens of the series and how to heal from it. With that regard, I am
Crossword: Spring has sprung
sure that it will be able to satisfy fans, with people thinking that “Smile 3” will be even better than “Smile 2,” with higher stakes and even more haunting jump scares. Until then, this sequel stands as a great introduction for anyone looking to get into horror films.
Members of the St. Joe’s community seeking support are encouraged to contact the following resources:
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), 610-660-1090
Campus Ministry, 610-660-1030
The Office of Student Outreach &
GRAPHIC: STEPHANIE SAVELA ’25/THE HAWK
LUKE KROPIEWNICKI ’25
Women’s lacrosse players ‘flip the switch’ on season’s rocky start
TESS MARGIS ’26
Features Reporter
After starting the season 1-6, St. Joe’s women’s lacrosse pieced together a four-game win streak to start Atlantic 10 Conference play before falling to University of Massachusetts 14-11 March 26.
A double overtime 9-8 win over Davidson College, followed by dominating victories over George Washington, George Mason and La Salle, proved the Hawks have the talent and potential to make a run for the A-10 title.
Senior Maddie Yoder, midfielder and A-10 Co-Offensive Player of the Week for the week of March 24, scored a career-high eight goals in the team’s 23-3 win over La Salle March 22. The 20-point win margin set the record for the highest win margin for the Hawks against a Division I opponent.
Yoder’s performance also tied the second most goals in a single game in program history. She said her success comes from the hard work her teammates put in at practice.
“My success comes from a lot of my teammates and them putting in the work next to me, whether they’re passing me the ball or getting through, creating space, or they’re dodging really hard getting a double team, and I’m the one that’s open,” Yoder said. “Everybody has been working really hard, and that leads to our success.”
In the second game of the win streak, head coach Alex Kahoe won her 100th game in the position with a 15-7 win over George Washington March 12. Kahoe said the struggles the team faced when playing top competitive teams earlier in the season built the character of the team.
“I think that when you handle adversity together, it helps you understand who you are as a team,” Kahoe said.
Their most recent loss, their only in conference play so far, put the Hawks fifth in the A-10 standings. While their conference record (4-1) is tied with Davidson and St.
Bonaventure, their overall record (5-7) places them below the two teams. But Kahoe said there were still great moments in the loss against UMass, as well as moments the team can reflect on.
“Our team is hungry and able to look at that game and know that we haven’t reached our best yet,” Kahoe said.
Senior midfielder Bella Miceli said a key to improving throughout the season was communication and trust.
“Really working with each other, talking
to each other, and just trusting our skills, our coaches and trusting what we’re telling each other to do — those are the main things that we really harp on in order to be successful,” Miceli said.
Miceli said the team as a whole has helped her with her success, but as a midfielder, the defense and fifth-year goalie Jorden Concordia have especially helped her achieve success when playing on the defensive side of the game.
“I always had them by my side, and
Men’s lacrosse replaced production
The men’s lacrosse 2024 season was among the most successful in program history. The team won their third conference championship — their first as a member of
the Atlantic 10 Conference — and took on six-seeded University of Virginia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before falling 17-11.
This year felt more like a culmination rather than a continuation from past seasons for one key reason. The team
graduated its top four goal scorers from the 2024 season, including program all-time goals leader (149) Matt Bohmer ’23, M.S. ’24, and Premier Lacrosse League thirdround pick Levi Anderson ’22, M.B.A. ’24. Entering the 2025 season, head coach Taylor Wray had a tall task to complete: replace the 157 goals that the graduating class scored last season.
Things looked bleak to start the season. An upset loss to Sacred Heart by one goal at home and a close twogoal loss to #7 Duke kicked off the season. However, since starting 0-2, the Hawks hit their stride. They won seven straight games, including a Philadelphia schools sweep, winning games over Drexel, Villanova and Penn by a combined 11 goals. St. Joe’s closed out non-conference play ranked No. 15 in the nation by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association.
The question “Who will replace all those goal scorers?” was emphatically answered. True first-year attack Ben Dutton has not stopped scoring since
they’re going to help me throughout the game and back me up through anything that I do,” Miceli said
Yoder said the team took what they learned from their early season losses and were driven to work hard. They wanted to “flip the switch” on their season.
“We show up to practice, work really, really hard, push each other and do anything that we can to prove ourselves because we know that we’re capable of winning the A-10,” Yoder said.
stepping on Sweeney Field for the first time. He scored in each of the first nine games this season and even went on a five-game hat-trick streak. Dutton scored a first-year program record of six goals in one game, leading the Hawks to a 16-8 win against Providence College March 22.
Fifth-year attack Richie LaCalandra joins Dutton as the only other player with 30+ points this season. LaCalandra has 19 goals and 17 assists through ten games and scored four in his last game against the University of Massachusetts. LaCalandra has mostly operated behind the net at X and consistently shows off his agility around the crease to score and pass effectively.
The defensive core has remained largely unchanged since last season. Headlined by USA Lacrosse Preseason All-American and Tewaaraton Watch List senior defender Levi Verch and Inside Lacrosse 2025 Breakout Candidate junior goalie Tommy Gross, the Hawks defense has allowed single-digit goals five times this season.
The combination of an experienced defense and a new-look offense has propelled St. Joe’s to success in the early part of this season. The Hawks won the first two A-10 regular-season championships and are looking for a three-peat this season. Richmond offers steep competition, currently ranked No. 10 by the USILA and led by fifth-year Tewaaraton Watch List goalie Zach Vigue. The Hawks are coming off three straight wins against Richmond, and the Spiders have to come to Hawk Hill April 25 to end the regular season.
Women’s lacrosse started their season 1-6 before going on a four-game winning streak to start
play PHOTO COURTSEY OF SJU ATHELTICS
JAMES KEMP ’27
Special to The Hawk
Giving ballroom dancing a twirl
Returning to dance in a new way
MIA MESSINA ’25 Sports Editor
I have two main goals in life: cover the Olympics as a reporter and win the Mirrorball Trophy on “Dancing with the Stars.”
As someone who danced for 13 years across many styles of ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, lyrical and more, I’ve always been half-convinced I could go far on the show.
This past November, “Dancing with the Stars” celebrated the end of its 33rd season and 500th episode, with the finale garnering its highest ratings in four years. More than six million people tuned in to ABC or Disney+ to see who took home
the mirrorball.
After spending my fall and winter nights watching the show with my roommates and feeling a deep desire to dance again after six years, I decided to head to the ballroom.
Society Hill Dance Academy on Passyunk Avenue in Philadelphia has options for a drop-in social ease class every Monday and Wednesday. For $20, you can participate in a beginner group ballroom class with the style of ballroom varying per class. They offer classes in salsa, swing, rumba, foxtrot, merengue, tango, waltz and more.
Anastasia Korbal ’22, a former member of the SJU Dance Team and an instructor for Dancing Classrooms, a 10-week program that brings ballroom dancing to fifth-grade classes across Philadelphia, said for college students specifically, taking ballroom classes allows people to “learn more about yourself as an adult.”
“Ballroom is a social dance, and that’s the same thing that is really implemented when we’re teaching the kids,” Korbal said. “It’s about learning something new, getting outside of your comfort zone, but also connecting with other people, especially in college or as you’re leaving college, too, entering post grad life.”
With my post-grad life less than two months away, I convinced one of my roommates, Katie McCole ’25, to join me for a Monday night rumba class.
We arrived at the studio about 15 minutes early and waited on a bench, watching a couple finish a lesson for their first dance at their wedding, our nerves
increasing with every second.
Finally, it was time for the class to begin. We lined up with about 12 other pairs as the instructor, Masha Zelen, made us tap our foot to the slow beat and the quick beat of the music, just feeling the rhythm.
That was all it took for me to feel at ease.
From there, we learned a basic box step, repeating the pattern of slow-quickquick, slow-quick-quick multiple times until we got the hang of it. Then, it was time to partner up.
The room was split into two lines of leaders and followers. I told Katie, who didn’t have much dance experience, that I would be the leader as we got into our respective lines and turned to face each other. Only we mixed up the two, and Katie was tasked with the responsibility of leading. It was no big deal until it became time to switch partners, a surprise neither of us were prepared for.
While Katie stayed in place, I shifted to the left to greet my new partner, working my way down the line, dancing with people like Oz Burgos, a participant in the class who has been taking lessons since December.
Burgos said the classes have helped him feel more confident on a dance floor.
“One, it’s great for just getting over that fear of embarrassment,” Burgos said. “And two, it’s great to meet people as well.”
While I had one partner ask if I had done ballroom classes before, calling me “a natural,” there were a number of challenges that came with the experience, too. The biggest was assuming the role of follower. In every style of dance I have done previously, I have only had to focus on myself and
being in sync with the people around me. In ballroom dance, I had to surrender my movements and timing to the partner leading me.
Another attendee, Sabina Strashun, began taking classes with her fiancé to prepare for their first dance at their wedding. A former competitive dancer at the University of Western Ontario, Strashun said adjusting to following a leader was her biggest problem as well.
“I want to lead because I just get it fast, and I just want to do it,” Stashun said. “It is an adjustment to be a follower.”
We learned a new step, an under-the-arm turn, and practiced it a few more times before the class ended.
But we were just getting started. Once we got home, we turned on a Spotify “rumba mix” and danced around the living room, eager to show our roommates what we learned. The next day, we even put on a few YouTube tutorials for other styles like the cha cha, salsa and swing, recruiting some of our other roommates, Christina DiMaggio ’25 and Kascianna Corona ’25, to join us.
While my love for dance was something that got away from me during college, my ballroom dance experience makes me think it might be something I find my way back to post-grad. I need to keep practicing for the day when the iconic voiceover says the words, “Now dancing the rumba with her partner Val Chmerkovskiy, it’s Mia Messina.”
Mia Messina ’25 danced for 13 years across different styles but never tried ballroom dancing.
Kascianna Corona ’25, Christina DiMaggio ’25 and Mia Messina ’25 practice the jive in their living room while watching a YouTube tutorial.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MIA MESSINA ’25/THE HAWK
GRAPHIC: MIA MESSINA ’25/THE HAWK
GRAPHIC: STEPHANIE SAVELA ’25/THE HAWK
Track alum felt
‘duty’
to return as graduate assistant
career, I thought that was so important and such a great opportunity for people to have,” Tarello said.
Before his senior year started, middle-distance runner Gavin Campbell ’24 signed a contract for an actuarial science job after he graduated. But as his time at St. Joe’s dwindled and graduation day approached, Campbell felt it wasn’t time to step away.
He felt he still could contribute to the track team he’d spent the last four years with. He thought about it, but it ultimately didn’t feel like much of a decision. So, he shifted gears and returned to Hawk Hill as a full-time graduate assistant for St. Joe’s track and field.
“I have plenty of time to go work, but right now, it felt like my duty to come back and to help these guys and girls be the best they can be, and I haven’t regretted it for a day,” said Campbell, who was an actuarial science major. “I’ve had a ton of fun, too. [It’s] been a great experience. I think it’s made me a better person. I’d like to think that I’ve helped others as well, and just knowing that I’ve done that has solidified my decision.”
For associate head coach Chris Tarello, who specializes in coaching middle-distance, having Campbell return to the team in a new role, especially as the program brought in a large first-year class, was “by design.”
“Having the opportunity to have Gavin work with us for a year and continue on the tradition that he established early on in his
Campbell was the first leg of the 4x800-meter relay that won gold at the Atlantic 10 Outdoor Championship last spring.
Despite losing Campbell and Owen Moelter ’24, the anchor of that relay team, the men’s 4x800 won gold at this year’s A-10 Indoor Championship, with a time of 7 minutes, 33.81 seconds. And Campbell witnessed it from the other side.
“It’s pretty interesting that Gavin was on those teams from the beginning, and now he’s coaching with us,” Tarello said. “Having upperclassmen who established that tradition, I think it’s become very important for us to just continue it from year to year.”
With a “commitment to carrying on a tradition that’s been established,” Tarello said members of the relay have taken on the roles left to them, with advice from Campbell.
During his earlier years, Campbell said he did everything by the book and focused on being serious. Now, knowing how temporary those four years are, Campbell has a different perspective.
“Coming back now, and maybe it’s just being older, maybe it’s not having the pressure on me to perform in that same way, but I try to preach a lot of ‘Do one thing at a time. Enjoy the process; enjoy where you are,’” Campbell said.
The current process is one of fulfillment
for Campbell. In his position, he can celebrate when runners have “the day of their life,” as well as talk others through their rough meets.
“It’s nice to see these guys who I’ve ran with for four years still have success and have even more,” Campbell said. “And then these young guys who come in, watching them follow in the footsteps that we laid when we had our freshman class come in. It’s just great to see that the group is still functioning at the highest level that Tarello has demanded of us since he’s been here.”
Along with the big moments at meets, Campbell helps out with workouts, pacing races, the mental side of things and being part of behind-the-scenes conversations.
“To be a voice in those discussions and have an opinion in those conversations has been nice; to bring a perspective of someone who was just in the program to these guys who have run programs so well for so long, to provide any kind of current advice I can,”
Campbell said
Jayden Greene, a fifth-year middle-distance runner, came in with Campbell in the fall of 2020. Greene was one of two runners from that year who came back for a fifth year.
Greene, a member of this season’s gold-medal relay, said having Campbell around for the experience and advice he can offer has helped him.
“Having Gav here as a coach, but also someone to run with and train with, really does help,” Greene said. “I can’t really go to
the young guys if they’re not as experienced, and Gav has a lot of experience, so it’s always nice to have him around whenever I need help or advice.”
With a large group of lower-level students, many shared experiences and accolades between the upper-level students, and a legacy left by Campbell and his teammates, Campbell said the focus is to press on the way the Hawks have been.
Middle-distance groups from the past three seasons hold three of the four 4x800-meter program records: the men’s indoor and outdoor records and the women’s indoor record. Campbell was a part of both of those men’s relays. The women’s indoor record was set during the Eastern College Athletic Conference Indoor Championships March 9.
But the next step, Campbell said, is to bring the Hawks’ success to a national level.
“We’ve started to assert ourselves in the conference,” he said. “For what the IC4A and ECAC still is, we’ve continued to be a presence in it every year, and I think that next step is kind of pushing toward that top of the NCAA level, starting to get our name on a wider scale. We’re working in that direction.”
An earlier version of this article was first published by the Philadelphia Inquirer March 27 as part of the Inquirer’s college correspondent program.
Gavin Campbell ’24 talks with associate head coach Christopher Tarello at a men’s track and field practice. PHOTOS COURTESY OF SJU ATHLETICS
MIA MESSINA ’25 Sports Editor
Gavin Campbell ’24 returned to the St. Joe’s track team as a gradutate assistant coach.