April 11, 2018

INSIDE PHILADELPHIA’S

OPIOID EPIDEMIC PART TWO

INSIDE PHILADELPHIA'S

OPIOID EPIDEMIC

21

April 11, 2018 PG. 2

Recovery of a St. Joe's student

Sarah Fuller returns to campus with support from roommate LUKE MALANGA ’20 Photo Editor In the beginning of the spring 2016 semester, Sarah Fuller ’19 and her roommate Cailyn Charlesworth ’19 sat on their beds draped with bright blue spreads in Villiger Hall. The walls were covered in photos of their friends and family. The first-year students had recently moved back in for their second semester.

As they did their homework in their room, Fuller confided in her roommate with whom she had become close friends. What she said came as a shock to Charlesworth.

Fuller explained she was going through withdrawal. Quickly, it became clear that what Charlesworth had thought was just an alcohol problem was much worse. Fuller was struggling with heroin use.

“I didn’t know exactly what was going on in her life until that moment that she told me everything,” Charlesworth said.

Later, as Fuller lay in her bed in pain, she explained to her roommate what it meant to go through withdrawal. Charlesworth did what she could to alleviate Fuller’s symptoms that day, buying ice packs to try to ease her aches. Charlesworth knew it was up to Fuller to make a call for help. Fuller did. She was carried away from campus in an ambulance.

A year later, now in recovery, she welcomes students in the Office of Student Outreach and Support as part of the Wellness, Alcohol & Drug Education (WADE) program.

Just a few months ago, she was battling to get her life back.

“School was everything to me, and I lost it,” Sarah Fuller ’19 recalled as she sat in the office tucked away in the corridors of Campion Student Center.

As she sat on the couch in the office, Fuller recalled making her decision to attend St. Joe’s. It was exactly what she wanted in a school – the beautiful campus, the small size, the sense of community.

In the fall of 2015, she moved in excited to start college. However, during her first year, she found herself struggling with alcohol use.

“I felt like everything was falling apart,” Fuller said. “I was late to class, and my papers weren’t on time. It wasn’t like me.”

During that first year, when Fuller was struggling with alcohol use, Charlesworth began to go to meetings with Fuller and educate herself about her roommate’s experiences.

“I learned a lot that way, and once I understood it better, I was actually able to support her in her recovery,” Charlesworth said.

“I just felt as a human and living with her that I should help her out and be the best friend and support system that I could.”

Fuller soon found herself facing a greater struggle than alcohol. She began to use heroin and quickly fell into what she describe as “a dark void with no time.” Looking back, it was hard for Fuller to recognize herself during those days.

“I went downhill extremely fast,” Fuller recalled. “I lost everything in my life. I lost school. And it was scary.”

Fuller said she longed for the life she once had. She longed to be back in college. And that longing became her greatest motivation.

“It gets to a point where you have nothing left but the drug or the substance,” Fuller said. “It was kind of like your addiction staring you in the face, and it’s hard to deny that this happened because you started to get high or to drink.”

Only when Fuller hit her “point of desperation” was she able to take the steps to get

Sarah Fuller ’19 (middle) with members of The Flock (Photo courtesy of Katie Bean).

help. And according to Fuller, that’s the case for many. But, if it were not for the constant messages from her family and Charlesworth urging her to seek help, Fuller said she might not be back on campus.

“My roommate was my biggest support here on campus,” Fuller said. “She couldn't make me get clean, but she could be there for me and that’s the best thing that she did.”

Unsure if Fuller would be returning to campus, Charlesworth remained in constant contact with Fuller and her mom during Fuller’s recovery.

“The last time I spoke to her before she went away to recovery, she told me the doctor said 'if you keep this up, you’re going to die,’” Charlesworth said.

Fuller didn’t want to keep it up. She wanted to be back in school.

“I wasn’t willing to chance losing school again, so I went to meetings, and I talked to people, and I had support around me, and that’s really how I stayed clean is with the support,” Fuller said.

Fuller comes across as caring, positive and smart. That’s how the people who know her describe her. St. Joe’s gave Fuller, who held an academic scholarship, the chance to start over despite a failing GPA while going through treatment.

Fuller’s return to St. Joe’s in the fall of 2016 wasn't without continued struggle. Af-

ter a semester away from campus, Fuller felt isolated when she got back on campus, eating in the dining hall alone and not getting involved in any clubs.

“When I came back I felt like everyone was looking at me, everyone knew who I was, everyone knew what I did, nobody wanted to talk to me,” Fuller recalled. “I already labeled myself because of how I thought other people viewed me, and that affected me a lot. When someone looked at me, I felt the stigma.”

Charlesworth continued to educate herself about substance use disorder so she could be more informed about her roommates experiences.

“I thought the best thing to do is to be her friend,” Charlesworth said. “I think the fact that I never judged her and always was open to hearing about her struggles and educating myself, that’s why she felt so comfortable coming to me. I never thought of her less. I never thought of her different. I was just her friend.”

To Fuller, this unconditional acceptance is the most important step anyone can take to help those struggling. Fuller felt this support from her roommate and from Katie Bean, assistant director of Student Outreach and Support and WADE. “When you’re struggling with something and you’re hiding it from the people you care about, it’s a lot to carry around, and you don’t

A message of hope on a white board in The Flock meeting space in Simpson Hall (Photo by Luke Malanga ’20).

want to be going through it,” Fuller said. “You want to tell people, but you don’t know how.

When I opened up to both Katie and Cailyn and their reaction was supportive, I felt free.”

Fuller’s roommate said at times it was hard living with someone struggling with substance use disorder, but added, “My actual perception of her never changed because I knew who she actually was – she is a really great person.”

Since her return, Fuller has gotten a job working alongside Bean.

“Katie is one of my biggest supports,” Fuller said. “She’s not in recovery, but she knows about it and different techniques. It’s [the office] a place for me on campus where I feel comfortable.”

Sitting in the library, on a recent Monday night, Fuller smiled, talking about how happy she is to be back on campus. While colleges are often dubbed as “recovery hostile,” she said she’s hoping to be able to provide support for others, just as her roomate provided support for her.

Sharing her story is hard, Fuller said, because she knows it might change people's perceptions of her. But she said she hopes her story will inspire others to seek help and change the stereotypes surrounding those who are struggling.

“If no one hears the story, they’re not going to know it’s here,” Fuller said.

It may be rare coming across someone speaking about heroin use, but according to Fuller, “It’s everywhere.” She said the lack of conversation is what creates a feeling of helplessness for those who are suffering from substance use disorder.

Fuller recalled sitting outside on campus after returning to campus. Another student noticed her key tag reading, “It’s clean time.”

After explaining she was in recovery, the student revealed to Fuller that he was currently detoxing from heroin.

“Another St. Joe’s student who had no idea there was anyone on campus he could go to, and I connected him to that,” Fuller said.

“So how many other people on campus – it doesn’t have to be heroin, it can be alcohol, it can be anything – are struggling and they’re not reaching out?”

INSIDE PHILADELPHIA'S

OPIOID EPIDEMIC

21

April 11, 2018 PG. 3

Finding solutions for all

How race plays a role in the drug crisis EMILY GRAHAM ’20 Assistant Lifestyle Editor VILMA FERMIN ’20 Hawk Staff With any drug crisis in America, race has always been a contributing factor in the way Americans respond to the issue, and the opioid epidemic is no different.

Americans are not only paying attention to the opioid crisis, but are trying to handle it with compassion. This is largely related to the fact that white people are most affected by the epidemic, according to Christopher Kelly, Ph.D., assistant professor of sociology.

“Unlike previous drug crises or scares, the response to this has not been calls for increased police activity, use of imprisonment for drug users and sellers, but instead overwhelming a call for a compassionate approach to people who have become addicted to opiates and opioids, an increased call for treatment options,” Kelly said. “That is perceived to be largely driven by who is associated with the drug addiction, which is white people.”

In 2016, an estimated 79 percent of deaths due to opioid overdose were white, with 10 percent black and 8 percent Hispanic, according to a study by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

The large percent of whites affected is connected to the government’s decision to declare the opioid epidemic a public health emergency in 2017. This status opened up funds and resources for substance use treatment.

Katie Bean, assistant director of Student Outreach and Support and head of Wellness, Alcohol and Drug Education, said this is a positive response to the epidemic and a drastic move away from how drug crises were treated in the past.

“Now that the white people rates of overdose deaths from heroin or prescription pills, opioids and all that skyrocketed, it’s a different discussion,” Bean said. “It’s an epidemic. It’s a public health crisis. We need compassionate care to treat this disease, where that was never a conversation in the past.”

The racial conflict present in the opi-

oid epidemic is not new, according to Kelly. It can be traced back to multiple points in America’s history, including the crack epidemic in the 1980s. The response to the emergence of crack cocaine was the War on Drugs, which called for increased police activity and incarceration.

“That drug war disproportionately affected African Americans,” Kelly said.

“Even though crack cocaine was associated with African Americans, that was a misperception. White people used crack as well, but black Americans were overwhelmingly more likely to face punishment for it.”

Before the crack epidemic, there was another American drug war was in the 1930s, when Harry Anslinger, then-commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, called for a prohibition of marijuana, which Anslinger believed made African Americans and Mexicans aggressive and dangerous.

“The common thread between the marijuana prohibition and the emergence of crack and the enforcement against those drugs is that it’s not about those drugs,” Kelly said. “It’s about the people who are associated with using those drugs, and they are people of color, minorities, marginalized groups, where the powerful can enforce its majority against its powerless minority.”

Compared to past drug outbreaks, such as the crack epidemic, the language used to discuss the issue also has become more sympathetic, Bean said.

“The most obvious language to me is what the headline is now and what the headline was,” Bean said. “The war on drugs versus the opioid epidemic, a public health crisis. They’re very different when you talk about a health crisis and a war.”

Tia Pratt, Ph.D., visiting instructor of sociology, also said that race has influenced the attention the epidemic has received.

“The language used is that of a public health crisis, whereas the crack epidemic was the language of crime and criminality, especially since the public face of the crack epidemic was black and brown folks, but by no means were they the only people using crack,” Pratt said. “The public face of the opioid epidemic is white, and by no means are white folks the only ones in the opioid crisis.”

(Statistics courtesy of Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation)

While race has always been an issue in drug outbreaks, Pratt said it has taken on a different tone now. However, it is important to acknowledge that white people are not the only ones suffering.

Bean said when discussing the opioid epidemic, we need to acknowledge that the response has changed, but it is still challenging for people of color to access the same treatment that whites have received.

“Go to different forums, talk to people in politics and say ‘what are you doing to help the epidemic?’ People of color are widely left out,” Bean said. “The communities we left out and criminalized, we’re leaving them out the solutions.”

Pratt said while the opioid epidemic has been rightfully treated as a public health is-

sue rather than a criminal justice issue, there is still a need for conversation about the racial implications of the language used to discuss drug problems in America.

White people do make up the majority of those affected, but it is crucial to remember that people of color are a part of this crisis, as well.

“White folks aren’t the only ones that get addicted to opioids,” Pratt said. “It's just that’s what we see, which we is why have to be mindful of such things when we see media representations. Be mindful of what is an actual representation of what’s happening in our society, and that’s for all things, not just the opioid epidemic.”

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News

April 11, 2018

Department of Public Safety reports (March 30 - April 5) ALCOHOL RELATED INCIDENTS

April 2

April 5

Public Safety was notified of a fire alarm inside the Morris Quad Townhouses. Public Safety Officers responded. Preliminary investigation revealed the alarm was activated by a student cooking. Facilities Management notified.

Public Safety was notified by Residence Life regarding found drug paraphernalia inside a student’s room in the Ashwood Apartments. Public Safety officers confiscated the items. Community Standards notified.

April 3 Public Safety was notified by Residence Life regarding found drug paraphernalia inside a student’s room in Rashford Hall. Public Safety officers confiscated the items. Community Standards notified.

1

On campus

0

Off campus

DRUG RELATED INCIDENTS

3

On campus

0

Off campus

Call Public Safety:

610-660-1111

ELECTION 2018 PA Senate candidates address ongoing opioid crisis on an issue that's singlehandedly shredding the social fabric of our communities.”

According to Cristiana, he is committed to preventing the flow of fentanyl into Pennsylvania, and is willing to both stand up to pharmaceutical companies, and create bipartisan legislation that will help end the opioid crisis.

Christiana has supported more than a dozen bipartisan bills to combat the opioid crisis.

ALEX KARPINKSI ’20 Assistant News Editor According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), opioid-related emergency-department visits in Pennsylvania increased 81 percent from July 2016 to September 2017, the third highest rates among 16 states studied by CDC. With the 2018 U.S. Senate elections fast approaching in November, candidates have been outlining their plans to handle an opioid crisis that Gov. Tom Wolf declared a Statewide Disaster Emergency in January.

The midterm elections in 2018 will be particularly important, as it is more important than ever to implement opioid related legislation in the state of Pennsylvania. The three major senate candidates have all worked comprehensively with the opioid crisis, and will look to create solutions to Pennsylvania's rampant opioid problem.

Lou Barletta (PA-11) Barletta, a Republican Senate candidate, is particularly concerned with the impact of the opioid crisis on employment in the United States. According to a press release, the economic impact of the opioid crisis can not be understated, with an estimated $25.6 billion impact on the workplace, in the form of lost earnings and employment​.

Barletta recently introduced a workforce development bill which highlights

District 15

District 11 Graphic by Kaitlyn Patterson ’20.

his strong stance of improving employment related problems surrounding the opioid crisis.

“Those suffering from addiction have significant barriers to jobs,” Barletta said following the introduction of the bill.

“Gainful employment is inseparable from treatment. A job helps to bring back meaning to life and structure to the aimlessness of addiction. The Treating Barriers to Prosperity Act will give the tools necessary to attack this epidemic head on and help find solutions for the Americans struggling with addiction and their families.”

Jim Christiana (PA-15) Christiana, a Republican Senate candidate, has a long history of voting for legislation that does not favor the large pharmaceutical companies that in many ways have fueled the opioid crisis.

Pennsylvania state representative Mark Mustio recently endorsed Christiana, saying he is the best candidate to combat the opioid crisis.

“Of the two leading candidates for the U.S. Senate, Jim Christiana is the only lawmaker who has not allowed his votes to be guided by protecting opioid distributors,” Mustio said in a press release. “Jim’s record represents clean hands and good judgment

Bob Casey (Incumbent) Bob Casey is the incumbent Democratic Senate candidate who is looking to be re-elected in November. He has supported and authorized a number of bills to combat the opioid crisis. Most recently, Casey led legislation to invest $45 billion address the opioid crisis.

“In my recent travels across Pennsylvania, to communities both large and small, one of the most common concerns in fighting the opioid crisis is the need for more support for local resources,” Casey said in a press release. “This legislation incorporates bipartisan, commonsense principles to make sure we’re providing assistance where it is most needed.”

The bill will provide stable funding to a number of states, and promote the research and long term funding to fight the opioid crisis.

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News

April 11, 2018

5

Mayor Kenney’s school initiative

Gompers presents priorities of community school program LUKE MALANGA ’20 Photo Editor Phillip DeLuca, principal of Samuel Gompers Elementary School, stood in the school's newly renovated library, speaking to a crowd of principles, educators and government officials, including Mayor Jim Kenney, on April 9.

Not long ago, the school was slated to close, according to DeLuca.

“I remember when they said, ‘DeLuca, what are you going to do next year when your school is closing?’” DeLuca said. “‘Well, first of all,’ I said, ‘It’s not closing.’

And I said, ‘I plan on being here’.”

Since being named a community school by the Mayor’s Office, Gompers has now received much needed resources.

After an initial period of surveying the needs of the students, parents, teachers and community, the school has highlighted its priorities. Now, according to Rennie Parker, community school coordinator at Gompers, they’re ready to make

those priorities become a reality.

The community schools program is part of an initiative started by Kenney to help revitalize Philadelphia public schools and identify the community’s most pressing needs. It’s seen major success at the schools that it’s been rolled out in so far according to the coordinators.

St. Joe’s has had a longstanding connection with Gompers which sits on the base of Hawk Hill at the corner of Wynnefield Ave. and North 52nd Street.

Aimee Terosky, associate professor of educational leadership, said the community school designation magnifies the university’s ties with Gompers.

Terosky works as a liaison between St. Joe’s and the elementary school, holding a position on the advisory board for Gompers as well as being a community school member.

“It [the community school recognition] will definitely secure our partnership with St. Joe’s,” Parker said. “It will bridge the gap between St. Joe’s and Gompers having more priorities in regards to our physical activities, our after school programs as well as our mental

Rennie Parker, community school coordinator for Gompers, presents in the library.

Phillip DeLuca, left, and Rennie Parker, right, lead Mayor Kenney, middle, on a tour (Photos by Luke Malanga ’20).

health and mindfulness. We’re all fighting for our students, fighting for our children and St. Joe’s has been a tremendous support.”

Terosky highlighted a few of the most recent collaborations: The University Student Senate is helping to create a student council at Gompers, and the Kinney Center has been running autism support professional development workshops for teachers.

“There’s something going on here between St. Joe’s and Gompers every day,” Terosky said.

Terosky is especially excited about a new project that St. Joe’s communications students proposed.

“We have a [communications] class coming here to take pictures of St. Joe’s students and Gompers students forming hearts with their fingers to put on that fence on the playground between the two schools. What makes me most excited about that project is that the St. Joe’s students came up with it on their own.”

Parker emphasized that Gompers is trying to tighten the relationship with St. Joe’s.

“It’s been a great unofficial partnership, so we’re looking to have it officially a partnership this summer,” Parker said. “We’re

looking to close the gap and make St. Joe’s our official partner.”

Being a community school will allow Gompers, and the other 12 schools with the designation, to improve classroom education as well as cater to the needs of the school and surrounding community as a whole, according to DeLuca.

“Educating a child is more than just curriculum, more than just instruction,” DeLuca said. “We could be doing everything right, but if we don’t reach that child because we haven’t met their needs in the ways that community schools are allowing us to do, we’ll never teach the whole child.”

Kenney believes educating the youth of Philadelphia is the most efficient way of decreasing the nearly 26 percent poverty rate in the city.

“It’s all about education, so this is the most important room in the city right now and rooms like this throughout our school district,” Kenney said as he sat in the Gompers library. “There’s nothing more important that we do than this.”

Pi Kappa Phi denied charter

Epsilon Tau chapter removed from St. Joe's ALEX MARK ’20 Assistant News Editor St. Joe’s chapter of Pi Kappa Phi was denied charter status last week.

The fraternity previously left St. Joe’s in 2011 due to low membership, but returned to campus in 2017. In March this year the chapter had 66 members and 28 pledges.

The original decision to grant the chapter charter status, which would have given them full-fledged status as a fraternity, had been delayed in early March without the announcement of a new date.

In an emailed response to questions from The Hawk, Cary Anderson, Ed.D. vice president of Student Life, said his office does not discuss the details of a community standards outcome.

“We will not comment on the decision regarding Pi Kappa Phi's charter status,” Anderson wrote in the email.“In general, when a Greek Organization seeks University recognition, there is a written document outlining Saint Joseph’s University chapter recognition requirements. If the requirements are not met, then recogni-

tion is not granted.”

When asked for more information and access to the document, Anderson said the document is not public.

“The document outlining SJU chapter requirements is a document between the chapter seeking recognition and the department,” Anderson wrote in a follow-up email.

Both Stacey Sottung, M.Ed., associate director of Student Leadership and Activities, and two brothers of the St. Joe’s chapter of Pi Kappa Phi also declined to comment on the university’s decision.

Pi Kappa Phi as a national organization has 160 full chapters and 17 associate chapters active in 43 states, according to the official website.

The website states that in order to start a new chapter at any college or university, there must be a group of 25 interested members with a collective cumulative GPA of 2.8 and an individual cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher. Greek life must already have an established presence on campus, and the institution must have a paid Greek life administrator.

Jack Stewart ’21, a member of Drexel University’s chapter of Pi Kappa Phi, ex-

Pi Kappa Phi pins line a table in Campion Student Center in spring 2017 (Photo by Luke Malanga ’20).

plained that the fraternity is the only one with its own national philanthropy organization, the Ability Experience, which helps to support people with physical disabilities.

“It’s something I wanted to be part of, something that’s bigger than myself,” Stewart said. “[It’s] something that will definitely stay with you for life, and something that will get you connections, obvi-

ously, through the rest of your life.”

St. Joe’s chapter of Pi Kappa Phi, while awaiting a university decision, received recognition as the top new chapter for its fundraising efforts last year.

Brianna Genello ’19 contributed to this story.

6

News

April 11, 2018

A fresh Canvas

New system to replace Blackboard this summer LORENZO KENAN ’20 Special to The Hawk Students and faculty piloting Canvas, the university’s newly adopted learning management system, this semester are responding enthusiastically to the new system.

“I actually like it a lot more than Blackboard,” said Calley Maloney ’18, who uses Canvas in two of her classes. “It makes it a lot easier to follow. It’s just pretty much better and well organized.”

After 20 years, the university will end its contract with Blackboard on June 30. A ticker on the Office of Information Technology’s website is counting down the days, hours, minutes and seconds until Canvas fully launches on May 5.

Academic Technology and Distributed Learning (ATDL) is under the wire to fully implement the new system by the start of the first summer courses, according to Karen Pinto, digital media technologist in ATDL and team leader for the university’s Canvas adoption.

Pinto said while everyone is working hard, the team still faces some obstacles.

“I would say some of the biggest challenges we’re facing is the aggressive timeline,” Pinto said. “The contract was signed at the end of July and our project became part of our responsibility in August. So, they basically gave us less than a year to run a pilot and learn the new system.”

To help get the campus community trained to use the new system, the university appointed at least one ambassador for each department, plus 84 early adopters, whose jobs are to serve as the “liaison between their academic department and the Canvas implementation team. They share their Canvas experiences, and generally

CHARLEY REKSTIS ’20 News Editor

St. Joe’s has been transitioning into student use of Canvas since January of 2018 (Photo by Matt Barrett ’21).

promote the adoption of Canvas with faculty peers in their department,” explained Francis DiSanti, Chief Information Officer, in an email to faculty, students and staff last December.

Robert Daniel, Ph.D., assistant professor of modern and classical languages, tested Canvas around seven years ago and loved it, but is pressed for time to understand and test its many features before Blackboard goes away.

“It’s taking time and I haven’t figured out all the tools yet, so it’s going reasonably well, but I wish I had more time,” Daniel said.

Paul Patterson, Ph.D., associate professor of English, is the Canvas ambassa-

dor for the English department.

“My role as an ambassador was to take the early training offered by the university for the ambassadors and then use Canvas in my courses this semester to serve two roles,” Patterson said. “One, start using it so students can get a sense of it and so faculty can see what it looks like. And also, as we transition into it as a university, I can help other people who start to use it and be there as a support for them.”

The early adopters are teaching 200 courses in Canvas this spring. Rachael Sullivan, Ph.D., assistant professor of communication studies, an early adopter, was already a fan of the Canvas system.

“I wanted something that works like the

Internet works, and Blackboard isn’t that,” Sullivan said. “I became an early adopter because I’ve heard so many great things about the service and loved the interface.”

For many early adopters, Canvas outshines the old Blackboard system.

“It’s much better organized,” Maloney said. “It’s also keeping track of your grades better. It’s much more organized and easier to see where you are in the course.”

The biggest challenge for early adopters and their students is having to navigate between the old and new systems. Despite the 200 courses taught in Canvas as part of the pilot, most courses are still active on Blackboard.

“I decided I was not going to double my workload and so basically when someone goes to my Blackboard site for the courses I'm teaching this semester, it says click here to go to Canvas,” Daniel said.

For students like Maloney, with some courses in Canvas and some in Blackboard, keeping up with assignments and grades can be more difficult.

“I would rather have just all five on the same,” Maloney said. “I’m guessing it will be different after they implement it next year but it’s annoying because I have to go onto Blackboard and then sign in again to get into Canvas. It’s a little more of a hassle.”

Over all, though, Maloney said she sees the switch to Canvas as a step in the right direction.

“It’s just more convenient for the teacher and the student,” Maloney said.

“So, I think it’s a good step they are going in to change it.”

Distributing Dignity

Women's Leadership Initiative brings necessities to women in need TIFFANY LEVINE ’18 Special to The Hawk Joanie Balderstone’s mother once gave her a piece of advice that Balderstone used to name a nonprofit she started. “‘Just because these women are in need, doesn’t mean they do not deserve the dignity of a new bra,’” Balderstone said her mother, Joan Balderstone, told her.

Balderstone later used these words as inspiration for her nonprofit organization Distributing Dignity, which provides bras, sanitary pads and tampons to women in need of these items.

Balderstone came up with the idea for Distributing Dignity after donating gently used business clothing to an organization in Camden, New Jersey.

“When we made the donation, one of the women there pulled us aside and thanked us for the donation of clothing but said she didn’t have a decent bra to wear underneath,” Balderstone said. “When we started talking to her more, what we found out was not only did they not have new bras to wear there but they also were going without pads and tampons.”

In 2010, Balderstone hosted a party and asked people to bring a new bra or an

unopened package of pads and tampons as a donation. She went back to the Camden, New Jersey organization with these items.

Three years later, Balderstone and her co-founder Rebecca McIntire started Distributing Dignity.

“We are actually offering a dignity to women because these items are so important to how they feel about themselves and their health,” Balderstone said.

St. Joe’s is one of several local colleges and universities, including Drexel University, the University of Pennsylvania, Shippensburg University and West Chester University, that help collect items for the organization.

Lauren Preski ’20, treasurer of St. Joe’s Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI), worked to bring the Distributing Dignity drive to St. Joe’s.

“People donate all the time,” Preski explained. “They donate food, they donate all the other things people normally donate, but no one really thinks about women as a minority and the things that they need.”

The drive at St. Joe’s, now in its second year, is held during the month of March, which is National Women’s History Month.

Last year, WLI collected four packs of underwear, four packs of cleansing cloths, 30 bras, 1,903 pads and 1,624 tampons.

Preski said they are still counting up the

totals for this year’s drive.

Preski and Lucy Higgins ’20, marketing director for WLI, said they saw the drive as a way of opening up a new conversation with St. Joe’s students about this particular need.

“I would never think twice about not having a tampon when I’m on my period,” Higgins said.

Preski added many people don’t think of products like pads and tampons as necessities.

“Talking about the need for essentials such as pads, tampons, and proper undergarments is really something that organization can bring to St. Joe’s campus that other people aren’t going to have a conversation about, that people aren’t really gonna go the extra mile to help.” Preski said.

Cameron Cardona ’19, social media assistant of WLI, is also involved in helping out with the drive.

“We aren’t mindful of how expensive that privilege is,” Cardona said. “I never have to worry about accessing items and products that are going to keep me hygienic and clean and keep my health.

I don’t have to worry about going out in public and being ridiculed or shamed for not having those products.”

Lisa Hansinger, a career counselor at the Career Development Center, donated

to the drive this year for the first time.

“I really like the title of the drive, the distributing dignity, because it seems like if you were a person who needed these products and you found yourself in a homeless situation, it’s an uncomfortable request to make so it makes sense that this is an item that should be available,” Hansinger said.

A Distributing Dignity collection box in Campion Student Center (Photo by Matt Barrett ’21).

Opinions

April 11, 2018

7

Do the right thing

Understanding the St. Joe’s alcohol policies Editor in Chief Ana Faguy ’19 Managing Editor Nick Mandarano ’18 Copy Chief Rose Weldon ’19 Faculty Adviser Shenid Bhayroo Contributing Adviser Jenny Spinner Copy Editor Hayley Burns ’20 Copy Editor Kaila Mundell-Hill ’20 News Editor Charley Rekstis ’20 Assistant News Editor Alex Karpinski ’20 Assistant News Editor Alex Mark ’20 Editorial Page Editor Annie Clark ’19 Assistant Opinions Editor Dominique Joe ’19 Lifestyle Editor Amber Denham ’18 Assistant Lifestyle Editor Emily Graham ’20 Sports Editor Alex Hargrave ’20 Assistant Sports Editor Nick Karpinski ’21 Photo Editor Luke Malanga ’20 Assistant Photo Editor Matt Barrett ’21 Creative Director Kaitlyn Patterson ’20 Social Media Manager Kelly Smith ’19 Assistant Social Media Manager Erin Castellano ’20 Business Manager Jarrett Hurms ’18 Advertising Manager Richard Bell ’18 Distribution Manager Addie Guyer ’19

Opioid Issue Luke Malanga ’20 Photo Editor Cover Photo Caption: Sarah Fuller ’19 in the Francis A. Drexel Library. Fuller has been in recovery since returning to campus in the fall of 2016.

Olivia Heisterkamp ’19 Special to The Hawk Opioid Graphic

Under Pennsylvania’s Good Samaritan law, a person who seeks medical attention for a friend suffering from alcohol poisoning is provided immunity from underage drinking charges related to their own consumption.

The St. Joe’s student handbook outlines an official policy to this effect, referred to as the “help seeker” policy. Many other colleges and universities have similar policies, sometimes referred to as “medical amnesty”. Under the help seeker policy, students who obtain medical assistance for another student in need “will not be charged with a policy violation under the University Community Standards system,” according to the student handbook.

Policies like these are meant to encourage students to seek emergency medical help for friends or classmates suffering from alcohol poisoning or other alcohol-related health effects without fear of disciplinary action. In its sections on alcohol and drug policies, the handbook goes on to say that the University will treat an instance where a student seeks help for a dangerously intoxicated classmate as “a health and safety matter,” rather than as a violation of community standards.

However, there are circumstances in which this immunity from disciplinary action does not extend to student organizations, including official campus sororities and fraternities. If the University is made aware of a student at a party hosted by a recognized student organization who was taken to the hospital for alcohol poisoning, the entire organization could face disciplinary action. The University’s alco-

hol policy, among a number of standards, prohibits alcohol consumption by students under 21.

It is understandable for the University to sanction a student organization that has provided alcohol to an underage student, especially if that student needed medical attention for overconsumption of alcohol.

However, this policy may deter students from seeking medical help for someone suffering from alcohol poisoning, out of fear that their entire organization will be held accountable for hosting an event where alcohol was provided.

The problem in this apparent catch-22 seems to be students placing the longevity of student organizations over the health and safety of a classmate in a medical emergency. The immediate concern of a bystander considering whether or not to call 911 for an intoxicated classmate should be the safety of that person, not the potential ramifications for a student organization.

It’s hard to imagine holding a phone, hesitating to call 911 for someone in any other medical emergency; why should a classmate with alcohol poisoning be any different? The consequences of not getting medical help for an intoxicated classmate could be life-threatening. Compared to the safety of a classmate or friend, the importance of keeping a student organization on campus is miniscule.

Of course, we also must consider the effects of official University policy on student decision making. The help seeker policy exists for a reason, as does Pennsylvania’s Good Samaritan law and the medical

amnesty policy of many other colleges and universities. The University’s approach to disciplining student organizations who have hosted events where alcohol was provided discourages students from seeking help for others who may be intoxicated to the point of a medical emergency, and thereby weakens the purpose of the help seeker policy.

The Jesuit value of “with and for others” is implicit in a University policy that does not punish students who look out for one another. In crafting official rules and regulations that codify our mission as a Jesuit university, it seems imperative that we place this idea at the forefront of our policies, especially those which impact student safety.

There is an apparent conflict between the help seeker policy and the University’s alcohol policy as it pertains to student organizations, for which there are no easy solutions. However, it must be possible for the University to discourage underage drinking while also recognizing that such things happen on college campuses, and it is best to amend official policy in place so that it encourages students to do so safely.

—The Hawk Staff

The Hawk welcomes Letters to the Editor, typically no more than 300 words. They can be emailed to hawk. editorial@gmail.com.

ADMITTED STUDENTS DAY EDITION HAWK HOSTS WORK HARD For all that Admitted Student Day was this past weekend, the Hawk Hosts handled the change of program with precision. They found a way while working within the newly formatted Admitted Students Day, to still provide a fun and informative time on campus for admitted students.

PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS ON CAMPUS It is always nice to see new faces on campus, especially when some of those faces are potential Hawks. Admitted Students’ Day brought a lot of new faces to Hawk Hill, some that we might be seeing again in the fall. Looking around this weekend, it has been wonderful to see future college freshmen excited about our school and our campus. Having all these possible Hawks milling around with their families injected a kind of renewed excitement on campus. These prospective students really made us look back on our own college decision fondly.

GOOD CAMPION FOOD While Campion was crowded for this past weekend’s Admitted Students’ Day, it was definitely for a reason. The food in Campion, as many of us know, is usually at its best during major events like these.

The school wants to put out a good image, so the dining hall pulls out all of the stops for the day, and those of us on campus over the weekend reaped the benefits. We especially thank the hardworking Campion staff, for dealing with the craziness with a smile and grace.

ACADEMIC SESSIONS CUT OUT OF ADMITTED STUDENTS DAY The Admitted Students Day (ASD) of old is now gone. The new format in its place has compromised parts of what made ASD useful.

Organized academic sessions were reformatted as a kind of educational fair with professors posted at tables. These professors were made to repeat information about their departments for constantly alternating crowds of admitted students and families. To say it was hectic is an understatement.

BIZARRE CAREER DEVELOPMENT ICEBREAKER With its new format, ASD supplemented actually useful programming with an awkward and uncomfortable foray into orientation-like icebreakers. Admitted students were most likely not expecting a program on proper posture and proper introductions from the Career Development Center. It shouldn’t be hundreds of prospective students standing around being told to shake each others’ hands with a convincing and firm grip.

FLASH IN THE PAN TOURS FOR ADMITTED STUDENTS The introduction to Hawk Hill for prospective students was incredibly expedited during Admitted Students Day this year. Hawk Hosts were told to do quicker tours, glossing over hallmark spots on campus like our beloved Barbelin Hall and Post Learning Commons in favor of freshman residence halls. In prioritizing residence halls over everything else, admitted students weren't able to get the full scope of what life on Hawk Hill was about.

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Opinions

April 11, 2018

The new professional athletes?

The mainstreaming of eSports and videogames JOSEPH PANICHELLI ’20 Columnist The 2017 International eSports Tournament consisted of 18 teams from around the world, each with five players.

Each member of the winning team went home with a shared $24,687,919.00.

If that is not enough to convince you that playing video games can be and is an actual profession let me introduce you to the world of online video game streaming.

Twitch is an app that allows elite video game players to stream in front of a collection of subscribers. It has become a craze among both casual gamers and dedicated players alike.

Tyler Blevins, who hundreds of thousands of gamers know as Ninja, has been collecting up to $350,000 a month based solely on Twitch subscriptions.

Blevins plays a game called Fortnite, created by EPIC games. The game can be played on a multitude of platforms including Xbox, Playstation, and PC. Fortnite Battle Royale, a last-man-standing shootout game, is the single most popular game in terms of monthly revenue and player population.

The game has an estimated 45 million users.

The 26-year-old professional gamer,

who receives millions of views per YouTube post, has the most followed Twitch channel with over 200,000 subscribers.

On top of the Twitch subscriptions, his income revolves around advertisements for his stream and viewer donations. Yes, people will actually donate real money to him while he plays a video game.

Ninja, of course, is an exception.

There is a small window for a single

play a game. There is an market for players with unparalleled level of talent. People love the best, thus they want to watch the best.

It creates an opportunity to watch someone play a game that you play at the absolute highest level, and can also help you pick up some tricks or tips along the way.

There is also a personable aspect.

Streamers can build relationships with their followers, as well as add their own

It is not impossible to think that in 10 to 20 years, eSports and the world of gaming will surpass professional sports. person to stand out amongst the millions of gamers. Despite this, a generational shift has created tangible possibilities for people to make money playing video games. The eSports business is growing in preposterous magnitude, and the revenue potential seems to be endless. Kids used to grow up throwing a football or riding a bicycle; now they play video games.

Petitions for the addition of eSports in the 2024 Olympics have already surfaced.

Ninja just recently held a live stream in which he played Fortnite with Drake, Travis Scott, and Pittsburgh Steeler Juju Smith Schuster.

It might seem strange to understand why someone would want to watch another

commentary to the game. Speaking generally, the majority of people who watch streams and play video games intensely tend to be introverts. Streamers like Ninja create a fun and positive place for gamers to coincide within the game.

It is not impossible to think that in 10 to 20 years, eSports and the world of gaming will surpass professional sports.

As the world rapidly continues to become online-oriented, the focal point of popular sports will switch to online gaming. Not to mention that things like head injuries and long-term effects of rough sports are already threatening the idea of “is it really worth it?”

You can’t do it all

Prioritizing mental health in college ANNIE CLARK ’19 Columnist When I first came to St. Joe’s, I was overwhelmed by the number of opportunities I had access to: 90 clubs and organizations; more than a dozen athletic teams; university-sponsored programming every day of the week.

There was no way I could ever do it all.

A limited number of hours and the biological need for sleep prevent us from doing everything we want or need to do within the span of a day. But that doesn’t stop us from trying.

College is unfortunately a place where overworking yourself is something to brag about; where exhaustion isn’t a concern, but a marker of productivity. The ever-climbing cost of a college education requires some students to pick up a parttime job. Juggling employment, a demanding academic schedule, several extracurriculars (which may or may not include leadership positions), and a social life isn’t considered exceptional, but typical.

Assuming that a student taking the average St. Joe’s course load of five classes and spends the recommended six hours per week preparing for each class, that’s a total of 30 hours weekly spent solely on studying and completing assignments.

Factoring in the roughly 12 hours spent in classrooms each week and an additional 10 hours on extracurricular commitments (many students probably devote far more time than this), as well as 15 hours

at a part-time job, it’s understandable why many of us feel overwhelmed.

Of course it is important to master time management skills as we develop personally and professionally. A college environment is one of many places where we learn to manage all of the diverse areas of

What has helped me most in my journey as a St. Joe’s student is a simple but powerful mindset; my well-being comes first.

If getting enough sleep, having enough time to dedicate to a side project that I love or spending much-needed time with my favorite people means getting a C or even a D

College is unfortunately a place where overworking yourself is something to brag about; where exhaustion isn’t a concern, but a marker of productivity. our lives at once, maybe devoting more of our mental energy to one area as personal circumstances demand.

While mastering this “balancing act” may be unavoidable, overscheduling ourselves at the expense of our mental health is not.

The academic culture at St. Joe’s does not make it easy for students to feel like they are doing “enough.” We take five classes each semester, while students at many other colleges are only required to take four. We are encouraged to get involved with as many activities as we are interested in, which ultimately backfires as we discover that we can’t possibly give enough of our passionate energy to everything that may deserve it.

Adjusting to the very involved community here at St. Joe’s was the biggest challenge for me coming in as a transfer student.

I felt like everyone else had already found their “niche;” their corner of this incredibly passionate and active community.

on a midterm, then so be it.

Nothing is more important than one’s well-being; not a GPA, not a résumé, not even a dream internship. It may not seem like it now as we spend every day in this tight-knit bubble of a campus, but we will likely have more opportunities than we know what to do with over the course of our lives. Those opportunities are not and and will never be dependent on your midterm grade in Philosophy 154.

The best advice anyone ever gave me regarding college was this: “skip the bullshit.”

Very little of what we worry about during these four years actually matters. Narrowing my focus has helped my mental well-being more than I know.

So if you’re feeling overwhelmed, close out that Word document, turn off your phone, and do something you’ve been saying no to because you’re “too busy.” You are never too busy for your mental health.

I'm not dumb, you're just ignorant ETHAN FLANAGAN ’18 Columnist One of the most frequent backhanded compliments I receive is “Oh! I never realized you were smart” which is usually paired with the equally disheartening, “Wow, you speak so well, I had no idea”.

For a while in my life, when people said things like this to me, I would take it as a compliment. I truly and sincerely believe that people who say things like that to me do mean them in positive ways, and have no idea how deep they are cutting me, or how what they’re saying is steeped in misogyny and homophobia.

Eventually I started to realize that when people - usually strangers or new acquaintances from a class or a club - were saying things like this to me, it didn’t sit right with me after the conversation had ended. Finally, after it happened again, I asked someone what exactly they meant by it. After the ensuing conversation, I finally understood. Apparently, people assume I’m dumb because of two majors factors: the way I speak and the things I am interested in.

After doing some reflection on what that meant, I realized that the way people interpret me and interact with me is often skewed, as people are often extremely quick to jump to assumptions.

I am fully aware that some of my interests may not be considered “highbrow.” I definitely have a favorite “Real Housewives” city (it’s New York, if you were wondering) and I regularly keep up with the Kardashians.

My favorite movie is a romantic comedy, and I am an ardent Twitter and Instagram user.

I’m passionate about fashion and you will find me glued to my TV on Thursday nights to watch “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” While these things might not be perceived as the crème de la crème, they are important to me.

It can be surmised that the majority of my pop culture interests are geared towards women and gay men. The assumption that I am dumb because I enjoy these “basic” or “girly” things is both wildly offensive and also not true. I can enjoy watching “The Bachelor” while simultaneously writing a paper for my senior capstone on “how radical feminist lesbian activist movements split away from both gay and women’s liberation groups.” Those two aspects of myself are not in opposition.

Rather, they are both essential to the making of who I am as a person.

My voice is what people often focus on when making snap judgements about me. I am aware that I overuse the word “like” and that I do, quite often, slip into a vocal fry that would make me sound at home in Calabasas with Kim and her sisters. However, to judge someone (women and effeminate men especially) solely by the way that they express themselves is ignorant at best. Trafficking in stereotypes is never conducive to an equal society, and certainly does not have a place at any university where people go to develop better understanding of themselves and their intellectual capacity.

I am more than the pop culture I indulge in and the way I speak. And while some might try to make me out to be the “dumb blonde” trope, the misguided notions about what women and gay men can or can’t do or enjoy that dominate our culture certainly don’t constrain me.

Opinions

April 11, 2018

9

The rise of Blackness and cultural diversity 20Gayteen The effect of monolithic blackness DOMINIQUE JOE ’19 Assistant Opinions Editor Over spring break, my mother, sister and I all went down to Panama for the week.

We did our touristy things, traversing Casco Viejo for two days before going to a resort and sitting out in the sun for the next few days. This was our second trip down to Panama, and it felt completely different from the first.

This second trip was the first time I didn’t feel like my blackness was nullifying my Panamanian cultural identity. I definitely couldn’t say the same about my first trip.

The first time we went, the trip had a much more important and personal significance. It was the first time my sister and I ever got to the see the place our paternal grandmother called home.

Because my paternal grandmother died before I was born, I had always had a very disjointed understanding of Panama.

It was a place of mystery and intrigue for me, personified by a woman that I never knew. I don’t really remember my father’s aunt, and my grandmother’s sister, my Auntie Tia, never really talked about Panama when my sister, my cousins and I were growing up. My father left the country when he was 3 years old, so he was never a real wealth of knowledge. My great grandmother isn’t particularly forthcoming; she left Panama when my dad was in high school to live with his family and never really looked back.

I grew up not feeling attached to my

GILLIVER’S TRAVELS

ALEX GILL ’18 Columnist Philadelphians begrudgingly celebrated last week as Villanova won the NCAA tournament for the second time in three years.

Students from the almost Philly school took the train into the city on April 5 to celebrate their victory parade, a pilgrimage most from their school had not taken since their last victory parade. We asked Nova students how they were planning on celebrating during their day in the city.

“Well, we definitely have to get some cheesesteaks,” said one group of freshmen, proudly donning the Vineyard Vines uniform that their university requires for off-campus outings. “Pat’s and Geno’s are the best in the city. We can’t wait to try them both!” Looking

Panamanian roots. For a long time, I felt I was only Panamanian in name. It was always a fun anecdote for ice breakers and get to know you games.

My Panamanian roots felt like a vague addition to my very African American experience of life. I think I always felt that way because of how the idea of monolithic blackness permeates black culture.

Because of the way in which the black community was stripped of its original African cultures and languages, we are homogenized as one thing.

Taking the cards as they were dealt,

just define myself as solely a black American than claim my father’s culture and my grandmother’s country. It was easier for everyone to play into the monolithic and stereotypical idea of American blackness than to subvert it by claiming that black people and their language, experiences and cultures aren’t in a vacuum.

When I went to Panama for the first time, I had the ability to confront my own aversion to labelling myself as something other than solely this canonical idea of “black.” I was able to see black people moving around the streets of Panama City just

The idea of monolithic blackness plagued me for so long that when I was finally free of it, it felt like coming home. black people since have created such a dynamic and beautiful black American culture. To no fault of their own, the black community in doing this had their cultural representation manipulated by the white dominated society. Think of the narratives that exist about black people, think of the ones about Asian people, Latinx people, Native people.

The monolithic idea of blackness plays into stereotypes about us. So anything that goes against that stereotypical viewpoint of black people, ones that black people buy into as well from time to time, is looked at as odd.

My Panamanian heritage felt very loose. Even though all of the Panamanians I’d ever met up until the point I stepped foot in Panama were black, it was easier to

living their lives in a place where black people are considered just as Panamanian as everybody else. That is when it dawned on me that I could and should live in my Panamanian heritage. I should claim it because it is mine to claim.

I felt more self-assured of my cultural diversity in blackness. The idea of monolithic blackness plagued me for so long that when I was finally free of it, it felt like coming home.

We should really be throwing away this idea of blackness being one thing or another by starting to contextualize blackness as part of our image of the greater Spanish-speaking world. In doing so, we can start to challenge the stereotypically narrow viewpoint that we seem to try to fit black people into.

Another Philly championship... maybe?

Nova’s most recent NCAA victory to other students for affirmation, he asked, “We say ‘whiz wit,’ I think, right?”

Older students planned on celebrating with some libations.

“After the parade, my friends and I are going to one of the best bars in Philadelphia.

Howl at the Moon is my favorite!” said one

the streets, asking for directions to Market Street and complaining about the odors that give the city its character.

“All in all, I guess it's all we can expect from those folks. I don’t see how they can claim that they are a Philly school,” said one West Philadelphia resident. “And would

'All in all, I guess it's all we can expect from those folks. I don’t see how they can claim that they are a Philly school.' senior. “And I heard they have horse and carriage rides down by Independence Hall too. That could be fun!” Other students were planning on visiting the Rocky Steps and the Liberty Bell.

Philly residents, however, were less than enthused by the hordes of outsiders flooding

they even celebrate like this is if Temple or Drexel won? I somehow doubt it.”

But some congratulations are in order.

Good job, Nova. But next year, maybe a real Philly school will win. From a campus that actually is located (at least half) in Philadelphia, I offer a begrudging congratulations.

A winning year for queer people of color CHERISSA ALLEN ’18 Columnist 20Gayteen is a movement created by queer youth around the world. It is how many people feel this year is going.This year is showing a queer positive light; and there has been quite a rise in queer content this year.

First was the release of the brilliant and beautiful movie Love, Simon, a positive and carefree movie which queer teens can enjoy.

Love, Simon does not show Simon feeling horrible for how he feels, a much needed deviation from the queer content I am used to.

In the past two weeks two queer musicians put out fantastic work: Hayley Kiyoko and Keiynan Lonsdale. You may know these two from “Lemonade Mouth” and “The Flash,” respectively.

Hayley Kiyoko, aka “Lesbian Jesus,” first dropped queer inclusive music with her single “Girls Like Girls” from her “This Side of Paradise” EP. It was the first time in a while that I heard a huge pop song about girls loving girls.

I was originally exposed to the likes of singer-songwriters Tracy Chapman and Melissa Etheridge, wo gay/queer icons who first released music in the 80s.

From the outpour of support that came with “Girls Like Girls,” most of which came from queer girls and women on social media, Kiyoko dropped another EP, “Citrine.” This EP gave us great songs like “Gravel to Tempo,” “Ease My Mind” and “One Bad Night.”

When I listened to this album, I felt happiness. I felt happiness that I, a queer person of color, could someday feel the love that is emitted in “Ease My Mind,” and feel powerful as Kiyoko eventually feels in “Gravel To Tempo.” Kiyoko’s full length album, “Expectations,” makes the listener feel so many emotions in its estimated 51 minutes. The album also features a song with Lonsdale, a fellow queer artist.

Lonsdale, who plays Kid Flash/Wally West on the CW’s Arrowverse, dropped a song called Kiss the Boy. The singer, whose pronouns are they/them/theirs, voice is beautifully expressionist on this song about falling in love and loving who you love: “If you wanna kiss the boy, then you gotta kiss the boy right now.”

As a queer person of color I am just happy and ecstatic with the growth in queer content, especially from other queer people of color.

There are other instances of beautiful representation of queer people, such as Detective Rosa Diaz from “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” a Latina character who came out as bisexual. On that show, the writers were not afraid of specifically stating that the character was bisexual and actually using the term, which many programs seem to shy away from.

20Gayteen is going to continue with the rise of such content. This year has helped me understand that I need to write something exponentially queer greater. Someone out there, especially young queers, are going to enjoy and love my content. My queerness would never be overshadowed by the world’s heteronormalcy. I have embraced my queerness already, but now I flaunt it wholeheartedly.

Lifestyle

April 11, 2018

10

More than just a hat

Student runs handmade hat business for social justice CASSANDRA MURATORE ’18 Hawk Staff Greta Shanley ’18 hasn’t been in touch with her third grade teacher for years. But the unconventional lessons of that teacher, Mary Johnson, inspired the St. Joe’s senior to start her own business.

Shanley, a managing human capital major, is the founder of the hat-making business G.G. Knits.

“Mrs. Johnson was a really great knitter and decided to bring it into the classroom,” Shanley said. “I even still use the knitting needles she gave me.”

In third grade, Shanley would knit during indoor recess and after school with a group of students. Johnson even came to Shanley’s house to help her finish knitting her first custom-made bright green and orange hat as a Christmas present for her younger brother.

After she left Johnson’s class, Shanley didn’t pick up knitting again until she started college. She originally made headbands she would donate to local organizations such as Back On My Feet Philadelphia.

When Back On My Feet asked if she could make hats, she took on the challenge with confidence. She began knitting hats non-stop not just to donate but to give to friends and family as well.

Shanley informally started G. G. Knits in the spring of 2017, when she started selling handmade hats to her friends around campus.

“It started really organically,” Shanley said. “I would only sell them by word-ofmouth. I wanted to do it for fun and not be

overwhelmed. I just loved to talk to people.”

Now, G.G. Knits has an Instagram page with over 200 followers, an email address and a waitlist of about 30 people. A custom-made hat from G.G. Knits costs $20.

Shanley said she has made about 200 hats.

Even though the business is expanding quickly, Shanley said she still puts a lot of love into her hats.

“To me, the hats mean more than just a hat on your head,” she said “When I make a hat for someone, I think about them, their impact on my life, the memories we’ve had together and my intentions for them. My love really is knit into the hat.”

Gabriela Perdomo ’20, a friend of Shanley’s, knew once Shanley started her business she needed to order a hat for herself.

Perdomo said she is proud to show to the world Shanley’s undeniable talent.

“There is a hat that fits any style and her ability to tailor them to each person is one of the many ways she shows her love for her clients,” Perdomo said. “Every time I walk around campus and see others with a G.G. Knits original, I know they are carrying something special.”

When Shanley studied abroad in Spain in the fall of 2017, she became interested in where her materials were coming from and started learning more about the yarn industry.

Not all yarns are ethically or sustainably made, so she began researching fair trade yarns and visiting the studios of the makers themselves.

As a student with a new business, Shanley finds it financially difficult to use only fair trade yarn, but she tries to do so as often as she can.

Greta Shanley ’18 knits personalized hats for customers at St. Joe’s (Photo by Cassandra Muratore ’18).

“It means more to me using fair trade yarn and supporting small businesses,” Shanley said. “Meeting the people who actually make the yarn makes the knitting experience so much more exciting for me.”

Shanley has also combined her passion for mental health awareness with her love for knitting, as the tagline for G.G. Knits is “Colorful hats for colorful minds.” She likes to call the hats “thinking caps” because she wants them to reflect the person’s unique character traits and thoughts and what they bring into the world.

“The hats are something tangible you can see, and mental health is something you really can’t see,” Shanley said. “It’s not going

to cure someone’s depression or anxiety or giving healing power, but maybe it is a conversation starter.”

Shanley is trying her best to make the most of the time she has left on campus since St. Joe’s students are her main market.

However, she said she plans to continue to make hats in the future and hopefully expand her business to a larger market.

To those also interested in entrepreneurship, Shanley says to get running with it right away.

“If you have an idea or you have a passion, don’t be afraid to act on it now in college because it could turn into something amazing,” Shanley said.

Lifestyle

April 11, 2018

11

'Guitar is about muscle memory'

Legally blind student guitarist performs at local music venue REBECCA BARUS ’19 Hawk Staff Andrew Babin ’19 first picked up his father’s guitar at the age of six years old. His first performance before a crowd was at his sixth grade talent show. Babin played the guitar while his friend sang Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold.”

A number of years and venues later, the entertainment marketing major now performs frequently at the Grape Room, a local bar in Manayunk. Located at 105 Grape St., the Grape Room hosts live music five nights a week and stand-up comedy on the sixth night.

People in the crowd at the Grape Room are able to see how talented Babin is as he performs a set of 20 to 25 songs ranging from originals to covers. But what the audience may not know is that Babin can’t fully see the audience.

Babin was diagnosed with Stargardt disease at the age of 13, leaving him legally blind. Stargardt disease is a juvenile version of macular degeneration, causing a lack of central vision.

“It started as just a little dot in the center of my vision, and it has grown to a giant blob, essentially,” Babin said. “When I look at something, it doesn’t look like anything because my vision in the center is damaged.

It doesn’t exist, so it’s just a black blob in the center of my vision.”

Babin’s visual impairment has not deterred him from his musical endeavors. In fact, he said it has actually helped him gain a better understanding of the guitar.

“I’m not relying on my vision,” Babin said. “I have a map of everything that’s going on in my mind of what’s on the guitar, like different shapes, and how far you play

Andrew Babin ’19 plays his acoustic guitar in his home studio (Photo by Rebecca Barus ’19).

each fret. It’s all in my mind. I’m not relying on looking. Basically, it has made my mind completely understand the guitar.”

While Babin was already a natural at the guitar by the time of his diagnosis, being forced to rely on his mind has only made him a stronger guitarist.

“Guitar is about muscle memory, and I only really function from muscle memory,” Babin said. “I’m not thinking. I’m not looking.

A lot of people when they start playing the guitar, they are looking at the frets. For me, it’s just all muscle memory from my mind.”

Music has always been a staple in Babin’s life, and when he came to St. Joe’s in 2015, his music career really began to pick up.

About a year ago, Babin linked up with a family friend, Ryan Corcoran, in Philadelphia, and Corcoran picked up Babin as his guitarist. Corcoran has played at the

Grape Room 20 times, five to 10 of those times with Babin.

The Grape Room’s manager, Brian Hassinger, who goes by “Scooter,” said having Babin perform at his bar is always a treat.

“He draws a real nice crowd, mostly a younger crowd with a lot of friends and family in the mix supporting him,” Hassinger said. “He puts on a great show, real cool, real smooth vibe.”

Corcoran said he and Babin have a loyal fanbase at the Grape Room, and their audience comes from all different walks of life.

“We draw everyone from college students to our empty nesters,” Corcoran said.

“Recently they have started to recognize the originals and are singing along.”

Babin and Corcoran perform with a band named Stella Ruze. With Babin on the guitar and Corcoran on vocals, they produce

a show filled with a variety of songs from all different genres.

One of Babin’s favorite songs to perform is an original by Corcoran titled “Blueberry Muffin.” Some other songs on their set list include Smokey Robinson and the Miracles’ “You Really Got a Hold on Me,” as well as songs by Frank Sinatra, the Beastie Boys and “Baby Blue” by Action Bronson and Chance the Rapper.

“I would call it jazz-influenced rock,” Corcoran said. “The music has a relaxed hop to it, but builds to something more. That’s usually where Andrew will throw in a guitar solo.”

Corcoran described Babin’s style as sounding similar to John Mayer, who happens to be one of Babin’s biggest influences. Corcoran said he can always trust Babin to sound good. Even if he doesn’t know the song, he always plays on key.

“Andrew is extremely talented," Corcoran said. “Go watch him rip a solo, and I guarantee you are impressed.”

While Babin has always been inspired by musicians like Mayer, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan, right now his biggest influence is music producer Kevin Parker.

Babin looks up to Parker for his producing skills for the band Tame Impala. Babin’s end goal is to produce music and gain royalties in the industry, like Parker.

“I definitely will be producing music my whole life,” Babin said. “I don’t necessarily want to become a professional performer, but I would never turn down an offer to play anywhere. I know as long as I love what I’m doing, I’m never going to stop.”

While Corcoran and Babin will not be back at the Grape Room until June or July, they will be appear Bourbon and Branch on April 20 and World Cafe Live on May 18.

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Lifestyle

April 11, 2018

12

Sights outside the city

Adventure Club provides students with opportunities to explore NICK KARPINSKI ’21 Assistant Sports Editor After spending time in classes, meetings and dorm rooms, many students look for opportunities to get off campus. That is the appeal of the St. Joe’s Adventure Club.

With more than 600 members, the St. Joe’s Adventure Club enables students to come together in the outdoors, gain leadership skills through experiential learning and meet new people in the community. It is one of approximately 100 student run organizations on campus. The club organizes a wide variety of trips for a large group of people with diverse interests.

“We have a great range of trips,” said Matt Nowak ’19, one of the club officers.

“From something as simple as a hike to more complex trips like rock climbing, kayaking, canoeing and dog sledding.”

Kyle Rodier ’19, another club officer, said the Adventure Club is funded each semester by Club Sports, and they meet in Campion to go over things such as budgeting and ideas for planning trips.

There’s no need to be an outdoor enthusiast for admission into the club. All that’s required is the ability to be adventurous and try new things. Kayleigh McCorry ’20, also a club officer, said t the adventure aspect intrigued her the most.

“I was a member of the club my freshman year and went on almost all the trips,” McCorry said. “I enjoyed it and really liked the adventure aspect.”

This club provides students with an

Members of the Adventure Club at a rock climbing event (Photo courtesey of Angie Nagle).

excellent opportunity to get off campus and explore on the weekends. Nowak said he’s happy St. Joe’s has a club like this, especially because he doesn’t have a car to travel off campus.

“I was always interested in hiking and the outdoors throughout high school,” Nowak said. “When I got to St. Joe’s, I was really happy they had a club like this so there was something fun to do on the weekends.”

The Adventure Club is a great way for everyone, especially incoming students, to meet new people. Members make friends with people they may not have been able to meet otherwise.

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“When you’re hiking, there’s not much else to do other than talk to people,” Rodier said. “It’s great to take in the nature but it really makes you talk to others. This is an experience that you don’t typically get at a city school. It brings people together.”

Back when McCorry was a freshman, she said the club allowed her to expand her range of friends to more than just other freshman.

“As a freshman, I found that most people only interact with other freshman,” McCorry said. “It was cool to use the club as an outlets to meet a variety of different people that I would not have otherwise met.”

The Adventure Club provides students with memorable experiences they won’t soon forget. Ziplining and free falling are certainly amongst those. Students were transported on a cable from point to point on their on their ziplining endeavor. During the free fall, students jumped off an elevated platform while safely harnessed in.

“It was a great four-hour-in-the-trees experience,” Rodier said. “They had an amazing free fall jump. I didn’t expect to do something like that.”

Nowak said it was the most memorable trips he’s been on because he’s never experienced something like it before.

“I’ve never ziplined before,” Nowak said. “We got to go across a lake multiple times in addition to the ropes course. It was an awesome experience.”

Another notable aspect of this club is that it helps people to develop leadership qualities. Rodier said he’s learned how to better lead and work as a team.

“You have to be able to make sure everyone knows where they’re going,” Rodier said. “There’s areas where you have to really direct people. Everyone works together as a team.”

Through his experience in the club, Nowak said he’s become more aware as a leader.

“You have to have the awareness of a leader,” Nowak said. “You have to work hard in order to keep the club running.”

The Adventure Club is currently booking a New Jersey kayaking trip. Trips ranging from cave exploration to whitewater rafting are also in the works.

Lifestyle

April 11, 2018

Personalities that stick

A look at current laptop sticker trend on campus KAITLYN PATTERSON ’20 Creative Director In a world full of interesting people, it can be hard to stand out, especially on a college campus where one’s everyday outfit is often more an expression of convenience than of personality.

But when it comes to self-expression, laptops are a blank canvas, and students are covering them with stickers to say who they are.

Annamarie Atkinson ’18 said her favorite sticker on her laptop is a depiction of Vladimir Putin on a slice of toast. It represents two of her favorite things: Russia, where she studied abroad and learned the language, and bread.

“It’s a great conversation starter,” Atkinson said.

Atkinson’s laptop also features stickers from her favorite shows and movies as well as some that represent her political beliefs.

“It’s like how you wear an outfit every day,” Atkinson said. “It’s how I want to be seen.”

When Jenn Tague ’20 got a new laptop case, it presented an opportunity to make a statement.

Her once white, bare laptop now showcases stickers of her favorite band, The Head and the Heart, as well as Irish slang words.

“It’s a little bit of myself that I can show to other people,” Tague said.

Tague also has a sticker to show she is a member of The City Belles, the female a capella group on campus.

Other clubs and organizations on campus have started to pick up on the sticker trend to promote themselves.

Jenn Tague ’20 showcases her laptop case (Photo by Kaitlyn Patterson ’20).

In January, as the Writing Center was thinking of ideas for outreach, Megan Bevilacqua ’19, a tutor and the Center’s social media manager, immediately thought of using stickers.

“You see them all the time on everyone’s laptop,” Bevilacqua said. “I just thought that would be a really cool way to advertise in an informal setting.”

The Writing Center used a site called StickerYou to print its stickers, but for personal use, most students use a website called Redbubble to get stickers that cater to their interests. On Redbubble, independent artists can also upload their work for users to purchase.

Available in various sizes, the stickers are easily removable, making them perfect for the constantly changing minds of college

students. Prices range anywhere from $2 to $15 depending on the size and content of the sticker. Shipping costs are around $4.

For Nathan King ’20, laptop stickers were a new idea when he saw other students with them his first year on campus.

King’s favorite color is pink, and his laptop reflects that, as it is filled with stickers in various dark and bright shades of pink.

Placing them “took a lot of trial and error,” King said. “I like to lay them out before I peel them off and stick them on to make sure I have room for everything.”

King said laptop stickers make using his laptop more fun.

“It showcases my personality a little bit,” King said. “It tells people who I am without having to talk to me.”

Trivia night with a twist

Following the HQ Trivia trend at St. Joe’s VICTORIA GOTTLIEB ’20 Hawk Staff At 8:45 p.m. on a recent Tuesday night, Joe Kessler ’20 was anxiously texting his sister Victoria Kessler ’20 to meet him at his apartment in Lannon Hall. The clock was ticking, and the two-minute countdown towards 9 p.m. had begun.

Victoria Kessler arrived with a minute to spare. The siblings attentively listened to a voice eminating from their phones, glancing at each other for confirmation.

It was HQ Trivia time in Lannon Hall, a nightly ritual for some residents, who enjoy playing the popular live trivia game show on their phones. Once players download the app and create usernames, they can join daily games at 3 p.m. and 9 p.m.

The games, which last about 15 minutes, consist of a series of 12 questions with three

multiple choice options for each round. As soon as game host Scott Rogowsky begins to read each question, players only have 10 seconds to tap the correct answer on their screens. Creators of the game believe the 10-second limit makes it difficult for players to cheat and find answers on the web.

Once players answer questions incorrectly, they are immediately eliminated and can only watch for the rest of the game.

“I think the furthest I’ve made it was to question nine,” Justin Pauciello ’20 said.

Players usually work in large groups with an attempt for at least one of them to make it to the end.

“You gotta help each other out if you want to have a chance at winning,” Pauciello said.

Although the questions are simple enough in the first few rounds, towards the end of the game, they become more difficult.

“The questions at the end of the game

Students in Lannon Hall play HQ Trivia in the common area (Photo by Victoria Gottlieb ’20).

are just bizarre,” Joe Kessler said.

An example of a first round question is “Which of these is a U.S. state?” The three multiple choice options are “Chihuahua,” “Saskatchewan” and “Louisiana.” A final round question might be something like: “In a 1961 speech, JFK announced his moon ambitions, but also acknowledged which other strategy?”

The three multiple choice options for that question are “Navy SEAL training,” “Dismantling the CIA” and “Cambodia Opium Trade.”

The correct answer is Navy SEAL training.

“Unless you’re a history major, I don’t think people would know the answer to that question,” Victoria Kessler said.

If the player answers all 12 questions correctly, there is a prize of winning or splitting a cash amount. Recent cash prizes have been anywhere from $2,000 to $250,000. That big payout came on March 28, with over two million players itching for a slice of the prize. A total of 12 winners in that game each received over $20,000.

Despite their daily attempts, many St. Joe’s players remain a degree of separation from a prize.

“I’ve never won before, but my cousin did,” Pauciello said. “The prize was $2,000, but there were multiple winners so she had to split the money.”

Julia Taglianetti ’20 said she has a friend who won and split the cash.

“He only won $20, but it was exciting,” Taglianetti said.

When the app was first released last August, it only allowed players to cash out if they had won $20 or more, but as of January, players are able to retrieve their money no matter how much they have won by connecting their PayPal account to the app.

13

Sudoku

Sports

April 11, 2018

14

Flying over the competition

St. Joe's cheerleading team finishes third at nationals NICK KARPINSKI ’21 Assistant Sports Editor The St. Joe’s cheerleading team finished third place in the National Cheerleaders Association Intermediate All-Girl Division I Championship on April 6.

It took place over a three day period in the Daytona Beach Ocean Center. Out of the 14 teams in their division, only eight made it from preliminary rounds to finals.

St. Joe's capped off their championship run with a final score of 94.79. University of Maine Orono finished in second place with a score of 95.73 and Kennesaw State University finished in first place with a score of 97.63.

“The result exceeded my expectations,” said sophomore flyer Karleigh Lopez. “I’m really proud of the skills we hit. All I could have hoped for was to score as high as we

Senior Keri Beukers performs in a competition.

possibly could.”

Junior base Kate O’Neil said the team’s tight-knit bond separated themselves from previous St. Joe’s cheer squads.

“We had less people so I think that brought everyone together,” O’Neil said.

“Also, our seniors were tremendous. They brought so much emotion and positivity.

It made everyone want to reach higher and want to work harder.”

O’Neil said the atmosphere at nationals is incomparable to the atmosphere in Hagan Arena. She said there are a lot more people watching at nationals and it’s incredibly exciting.

“It’s a stage that many little girls dream of competing on one day,” O’Neil said. “Everywhere you turn there is another team that understands the amount of work that goes into making it to nationals, so everyone is very supportive.”

O’Neil said nerves at basketball games are very different than at competitions. She said in a competition, you only have one shot.

“You have one chance to hit your routine,” O’Neil said. “Once the music begins the nerves go away because we know what we’re doing. It’s muscle memory at that point and we know that’s the time to put on a show.”

Lopez said that the team put in a lot of hard work throughout the year, especially the week leading up to championships.

“Throughout the year, we’ve been practicing two to three times a week,” Lopez said.

“The week leading up to Daytona, we practiced every day. I even had practice on my birthday at 6:30 in the morning.”

Lopez competed as a cheerleader for the first time in her high school and collegiate career. She said that it was a big deal for her.

The St. Joe’s cheerleading team poses for a photo at nationals (Photos courtesy of Franki Rudnesky '18).

“This is my first cheerleading competition in general,” Lopez said. “This is college nationals. This is a big deal. This is what little girls in cheer dream of.”

O’Neil said the team is happy with their result. She said they wouldn’t have done anything differently.

“We’re extremely proud of how we ended up,” O’Neil said. “We knew it would be close within the top three. We said we want to make each other proud, our coaches proud, but most of all, we want to make our school proud. I don’t think there’s anything we would have done differently.”

Even though the season just came to a

close, players and coaches are still focused on building a good team for the future.

“We ended our last competition the other day and our coaches said the new season starts right away,” O’Neil said.

The Hawks are losing three seniors, two flyers and one side base. O’Neil said they’re looking for new talent.

“We hold tryouts on May 6,” O’Neil said. “We’ll have to wait and see what the outcome is.”

St. Joe’s will seek new talent for the future and continue to build off of what was a successful 2017-18 season.

Competitive self-defense

Judo club brings unique sport to St. Joe's MATT DELEO ’20 Hawk Staff Juniors Connor Waite and Connor English faced each other on a mat, prepared for battle in the in the multipurpose room in O’Pake Recreation Center.

Sweat poured from the two as they put each other in headlocks.

After four minutes, English declared victory, raising his arm into the air as Waite laid on the mat in defeat.

Waite and English are members of St. Joe’s Judo Club, which Angie Nagle, assistant director of campus recreation, estimated has been on campus for about three years. It is a club that many people may not know exists, however.

“Judo is a different animal than most of the other clubs because it is mostly practiced inside, which is hidden from many students on campus,” Nagle said.

Practiced in Japan since the 19th century, Judo differs from karate or Taekwondo. Judo moves are based on self-defense, and matches have a point system similar to wrestling. Judo Club coach Karl Mazzucchi compared learning Judo to learning a whole new language.

“Of course it is a language that we learn to speak with our bodies, but still it is about learning words and putting them together into sentences and making sense,” Mazzuc-

chi explained.

St. Joe’s Judo Club competes year-round with two-hour practices every Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights. The team also travels to tournaments at neighboring schools like the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University and West Chester University.

Many of the members who participate in Judo have been practicing since they were young. Others wrestled in high school or wanted to try a new club at St. Joe’s.

“We can sell Judo differently than any other sport or club on campus,” English said.

“You do not have to have prior experience to join.”

Freshman members of the team said the sport has helped them gain confidence throughout their first year in college as well helped them socially.

“I like it a lot,” freshman Adelina Alvarez said. “The club helps me gain confidence. The upperclassmen seem more like mentors than captains.”

As president of the club, English is one of those mentors.

“I really prioritize making the club a place for anyone to come to and be able to talk about their problems,” English said. “I want to have everyone feel accepted no matter what year they are or how much experience they have.”

Waite said the main drive is not to be

The Judo Club practices in O'Pake Recreation Center (Photo by Luke Malanga ’20).

competitive but grow as a team.

“It’s important to motivate each other to become better on the team,” Waite said.

Nagle praised English’s leadership for the club.

“Connor’s drive and leadership has led to club’s success,” Nagle said.

Ultimately, Mazzuchi said judo helps

teach students where their strengths and weaknesses are.

“You cannot practice Judo without being intrinsically true to yourself,” Mazzuchi said. “You also learn how to improve on all those points, and by doing so, you also learn to trust what you have and gain the confidence to build on top of that.”

Sports

April 11, 2018

15

Rookie of the fall and spring

Morgan Bower tears up the track and turf ALEX HARGRAVE ’20 Sports Editor Most students struggle to balance school with a social life and a few extra-curricular activities. This is not the case for freshman Morgan Bower.

Bower was recruited to be a soccer player at St. Joe’s, and she just made her collegiate track debut. In her first meet, she broke the school record in the javelin with a throw of 136’ 11”.

Women’s soccer head coach Jess Man-

Bower throws javelin (Photo by Tom Connelly).

nella and women’s track and field head coach Melody O’Reilly decided that Bower would join the track team by the end of last soccer season.

“I did track in high school, so it was always a possibility,” Bower said. “Once soccer started, I thought I had too much on my plate already, but then I talked to my coaches who talked me into it. I kind of knew I wanted to do it so they helped a lot. I like being busy.”

Bower earned Rookie of the Week honors twice in soccer and has already earned rookie of the week in track due to her record breaking performance. She also qualified for the Easter College Athletic Conference outdoor track and field championships, to be held in May. “I knew she would break the record eventually, I just didn’t think she would do it in her first meet,” O’Reilly said. “She’ll keep breaking her own record now.”

In her freshman soccer season, Bower was the team’s highest scorer with seven goals, tied with sophomore Gabrielle Vagnozzi, and she had two game winning goals.

Bower’s soccer skills run in her family, as her sisters Madison and Maci are soccer players at La Salle University.

Neither Mannella nor O’Reilly has seen a St. Joe’s Division I athlete compete in both track and soccer. Both coaches are working together to help Bower excel in athletics and also prevent her from being overworked.

The NCAA prevents athletes from

competing and practicing for more than 20 hours per week, so Bower splits that time between soccer and track.

“They [Mannella and O’Reilly] are always asking me if it’s too much, if I have enough time to do both or if I’m stressed out,” Bower said. “It takes a lot off my plate, because I don’t have to worry about if the coaches are ok with what I’m doing, so having them both on my side helps so much.”

Going from playing soccer to throwing javelin requires Bower to focus on different areas when she works out, but her natural athletic ability makes it possible. This is why she was able to break a program record in her first collegiate track meet.

“The best part of Morgan’s soccer game is how athletic, strong and fast she is,” Mannella said. “We knew she was good at the javelin, because throughout her high school career she did so well. It wasn’t surprising at all, even in her first meet. It was exciting to see.”

Her throwing ability also translates into her soccer game when it comes to taking throw-ins. The Hawks use her ability to throw the ball into the penalty box as an opportunity to make plays and score.

While her upper body strength that allows her to throw is important, the speed she brings to the soccer field is something that O’Reilly hopes can help on the track as well in the coming seasons.

“I would love to see if she can transition onto the track,” O’Reilly said. “She has really great 200 meter, 400-meter speed, and we’d

love to benefit from that in our program.

That’s when her soccer base would carry over.”

For now, Bower will focus on getting her feet in Division I javelin throwing and improving in both soccer and track with each season after making her mark as a rookie on both squads.

“It sets my own standards high, so I’ll have to try to prove myself better next year,” Bower said. “It allows me to have a starting point for my sophomore year and to know where I was in the beginning of my freshman year and see how far I’ve grown in both sports.”

Bower runs downfield during soccer season (Photo courtesy of Bill Ewart).

A winning mentality

St. Joe’s alumna Muffet McGraw earns NCAA Championship LUKE MALANGA ’20 Photo Editor On Easter Sunday, the University of Notre Dame women’s basketball team took the court against Mississippi State University in the 2018 NCAA Women’s Basketball National Championship. Though it took place over 400 miles west of St. Joe’s campus, the university had a vested interest in the game.

On the sideline stood head coach Muffet McGraw ’77, a graduate of St. Joe’s and once a star player on the Hawks’ women’s basketball team.

For McGraw, winning another national championship was special. After the championship, her phone filled with messages including many from the St. Joe’s community.

Her memories from St. Joe’s are still some of her fondest, she said.

During the 1976-77 season, McGraw helped lead the Hawks to the highest national ranking in St. Joe’s women's basketball history, placing third in the final Associated Press poll.

McGraw has led the Irish to 800 wins and 24 national tournament appearances in her time at Notre Dame. She was named AP College Basketball Coach of the Year for the fourth time of her career this season.

McGraw said she credits her players for their resilience and ability to fight

back from adversity.

“I think there are a lot of life lessons this team learned throughout the year, so I couldn’t be prouder of a group than I am of them,” McGraw said.

As Notre Dame’s Arike Ogunbowale put up the championship winning buzzer beater 3-point shot, fans that filled the arena held their breath. Among them, St. Joe’s senior basketball player Avery Marz sat behind the Notre Dame bench.

“In that moment there was almost a pause in the crowd,” Marz said. “When the shot went up you’re looking, your heads raising, you’re waiting and when it finally dropped and knowing it was Arike again, it was this feeling of euphoria.”

Marz said the win was significant for St. Joe’s because of McGraw’s connections to both programs.

“Muffet playing here and being a big part of our program, being part of Philadelphia we definitely were rooting for Notre Dame,” Marz said. “Everyone wanted to see a great game, but when Notre Dame won, I think it touched close to our hearts.”

McGraw’s office at Notre Dame sits one door away from St. Joe’s incoming athletic director, Jill Bodensteiner, who currently serves as a sports administrator within the women’s basketball team at Notre Dame.

McGraw was one of the first to know that Bodensteiner was looking into the position

McGraw talks with women’s basketball head coach Cindy Griffin (Photo courtesy of Sideline Photos, LLC).

at St. Joe’s, and she thought it would be a great fit for her colleague.

Something that drew Bodensteiner to Hawk Hill was the Catholic identity present in the community, and it is one that is similar to the atmosphere at Notre Dame, according to McGraw.

Bodensteiner said she wants to continue to keep high standards at St. Joe’s and grow upon the culture that is already established.

“I’m a really competitive person and I think part of making a good experience is

the opportunity to win,” Bodensteiner said.

“I value success in all forms whether on the court, in the community, in the classroom or otherwise.”

Bodensteiner’s colleague McGraw shares a similar view, and says her time at St. Joe’s is the reason she made it so far.

“Playing [at St. Joe’s] is really why I’m here,” McGraw said. “It was a great experience, I played for great coaches, I learned a lot and that’s what started me on my coaching career.”

Sports

April 11, 2018

16

A member of the Pep Band plays the trumpet during warm-ups for a men's basketball game (Photo by Luke Malanga ’20).

Music to their ears

A look inside the Pep Band’s legacy on Hawk Hill RYAN MULLIGAN ’21 Hawk Staff Tim Laushey is perched in the first row of seats in the east corner of Hagan Arena, his back to the court, gesturing to a group of musicians above him. Outfitted in hockey-style St. Joe’s jerseys, the band members cleanly execute the notes to “When the Hawks Go Flying In” and “Mine Eyes” as they inject the arena with the soundtrack of college basketball.

In fact, as one of five pep bands to appear in EA Sports’ “NCAA March Madness 2005” video game, the St. Joe’s Pep Band once really did provide EA Sports with the music of college basketball.

The band’s nationally recognized acclaim is hard to spot by taking a peek inside what could easily be mistaken for a janitor’s closet outside of Section 209 in Hagan Arena.

Laushey, the Pep Band director, runs his operation out of this humble room, which measures about 40 cubic feet and is overflowing with instruments, cardboard boxes that once held food for the 30 band members, and enough St. Joe’s band and basketball memorabilia to keep a basketball historian busy for hours.

Laushey swung open the door and somehow finagled a fold-up table the size of the room itself out of it and set it up in the hallway. He sat behind it with his wife, Sue, who helps him run the band’s day-to-day operations. The couple reminisced about the journey the band has taken them on.

It all began 25 years ago when Laushey was approached by a group of diehard St. Joe’s basketball fans who wanted to up the school’s game, so to speak.

“St. Joe’s was really playing, as they do now,

a very high level of basketball,” Laushey said, “but they had no band besides a bass drum, a trumpet player and a guy with a cowbell.”

Sue Laushey continued the story.

“They said, ‘We’re playing Division I basketball and don’t have a Division I Band,’” she recollected.

Nicholas Rashford, S.J., then president of St. Joe’s, along with athletic director Don DiJulia, attended the Final Four in 1993 and decided that acquiring a band would propel the program to the next level. Laushey was recommended by a group of alumni and was brought in to meet with DiJulia and former assistant athletic director Ellen Ryan.

“I walk out, and I’m thinking to myself, ‘That did not go well,’” Laushey said. “Mr. Dijulia caught me in the hallway and said, ‘Why don’t we try it for a year?’ At the end of every meeting for the last 25 years, he’s said ‘Well, do you want to try it for one more year?’ And so that ‘Let’s try it for a year’ has turned into 25.”

The last 25 years have witnessed an Elite Eight appearance, Atlantic 10 championships, NCAA Tournament runs, the standout careers of numerous St. Joe’s basketball legends and a lifetime of stories. Laushey, who admittedly was not a big basketball fan when he accepted the job, has turned into a St. Joe’s basketball fanatic himself.

For a man whose tenure standing courtside at Hawk basketball is only outdone by the legendary duo of DiJulia and head coach Phil Martelli, the memories are endless.

Laushey remembered the time in the historic 2003-2004 season during the NCAA tournament in Buffalo when one of the musicians forgot his trumpet, so he bought an antique off of the wall at the Anchor Bar, where buffalo wings were invented. Another time in 2016, he cut down the net after an

Atlantic 10 Championship at the Barclays Center. Once he received a ring after the women’s A-10 Championship.

There was that time NBA legend Bill Walton personally commended the band’s playing, and the time the band had to trade an A-10 Championship celebration for a red-eye bus ride back to Philly to play for a women’s game.

On any given game day, the Pep Band consists of about 24 current students and five or six alumni playing percussion, bass guitar and an array of brass instruments.

The numbers vary depending on the game, but Laushey always finds a way to electrify the arena with songs that have become a cornerstone of Hawks basketball.

The Pep Band plays both the women’s and the men’s games, making for a travel schedule that is among the most demanding on campus.

They also invoke the services of alumni, an aspect that is unique to a few schools.

Laushey pointed out that without a football team that uses a marching band and without a prominent music program, they are always happy to see old faces - and their instruments - return to Hawk Hill.

“There’s always that open invitation to come back,” said former Pep Band president and current alumni trombone player Caitlin Naylor, ’11, M.A. ’12. “They’re so understanding and welcoming, and it’s been awesome to be able to come back, play music and cheer on my Hawks.”

A diehard among Pep Band fans, Ed Fisher ’03 has not missed a game in 10 years, according to Laushey. Fisher is blind, but Laushey said Fisher “knows the ball is going in the basket before it goes in.”

Fisher has been a mainstay at men’s basketball games since the magical 2003-2004

season, his first year after graduating, which he said gave him a completely different perspective on St. Joe’s basketball and kept him coming back ever since.

“I don’t know that alumni anywhere else in the country get this chance to come back after they’re done and keep on playing,” Fisher said. “I love going to the games, and I love playing the trumpet, so it was a no-brainer to come back and continue playing every year.”

One of the draws for members of the Pep Band are the Lausheys themselves.

“Tim and Sue have built the program into a family,” Naylor said. “They really care about you and that really goes with cura personalis and the Jesuit ideals. I’ve met my best friends through the Pep Band, and the older alumni that come back and play have been huge role models to me.”

Anthony Savarese ’19, the incoming Pep Band president, also lauded the unifying power that the Pep Band has, touching on the solidarity between the band, the players and the students.

“The team is putting on the show,” Savarese said of the basketball players. “Then it’s the band’s job to fire them up and fire the student section up and really help with that community aspect.”

Like many of the band’s members, Savarese didn’t come to St. Joe’s to study music, but he brought his passion for playing the saxophone with him and uses the Pep Band as an outlet for that passion.

“I’m not sure how aware I was of Pep Band before coming, but once they said you get to go to all the basketball games and get to play music, what’s not to love about that?”

Savarese said with a laugh.