The Hawk (April 15, 2015)

THE HAWK April 15, 2015

Explore the Kinney Center’s Autism Awareness Month initiative on pg. 9 The Student Newspaper of Saint Joseph’s University | Volume XCIII | Est. 1929 | www.hawkhillnews.com

Gender neutral bathroom signs to be implemented across campus

Community Standards investigates alleged softball team hazing KATRYNA PERERA ’16 News Editor

Graphic by Shannon Adams ’16, Managing Editor

JULIA CAUTELA ’18 Hawk Staff For many students at Saint Joseph’s University, choosing which Redfern recently came to Student Senate on behalf of the bathroom to use isn’t something they put much thought into. If a LGBTQ student advocacy group and presented the Senate with an student is female, she’ll walk through the door labeled “Women,” initiative to hire an adult professional on campus to administraand if a student is male, he’ll walk through the door labeled “Men.” tively represent and support the LGBTQ student community at St. But what about students who identify as both, neither, and/or an- Joe’s. other gender?

This professional representative would advocate for a more Many genderqueer people–those who do not subscribe to tra- inclusive campus environment, including such additions as the ditional gender distinctions–often feel uncomfortable using com- implementation of gender neutral bathrooms. Student Senate was munal restrooms and would often rather hold out for a single-oc- not able to immediately approve the motion to hire a professional, cupancy restroom. but as an immediate act of inclusion decided to implement gender “I do identify as genderqueer,” said Cameron Redfern, ’16, neutral bathrooms around St. Joe’s campus. “and so it makes it difficult to use either men’s or women’s bathAccording to Claire Tedesco, ’15, University Student Senate rooms . . . I felt uncomfortable.”

Continued GENDER, Pg.2

New background check requirements cause employee frustration All current and new hires expected to complete clearances by end of year New requirements for employee background checks have caused frustration within the Saint Joseph’s University community.

The background check policy that was approved by the Board of Trustees in December 2014 requires that by the end of the 2015 calendar year, all employees of Saint Joseph’s University must complete the Pennsylvania Department of Education clearances, which include the PA Criminal Record Check, the PA Child Abuse Check, and the FBI Fingerprint Check.

This new policy was enacted in order to be in accordance with new Pennsylvania state legislation, PA Act 153 of 2014 (HB 435), which states that all employees in post secondary institutions who have “routine interaction with minors” must obtain clearances.

According to a document published by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (PADHS), direct contact with chil-

KATRYNA PERERA ’16 News Editor dren or minors is defined as “the care, supervision, guidance or control of children or routine interaction with children.”

Additionally, according to the document, this legislation “excludes an individual who has no direct contact with children.”

Regardless of the terms and criterion put forth by the PADHS, the Saint Joseph’s Office of Human Resources (HR) is requiring that all faculty (full-time, part-time, and temporary), administrators, and staff of the university, regardless of whether or not they interact with minors, complete all three clearances.

Additionally, according to HR, these background checks are “a condition of employment and must be recertified every three years.”

In a document entitled “Background Check FAQs” published by HR, a frequently asked question is listed as, “What if I don’t work with minors?” HR’s response is that,

“Saint Joseph’s University seeks to comply with the PA Act 153 fully and, in doing so, is guided by and committed to the protection of minors in our community. There are members of our freshman class who are minors while attending the University, visitors to classes and campus who are minors, and programs running throughout the year that engage minors on and off-campus. A consistent institutional approach that seeks to ensure the safety of these minors is not only prudent, but consistent with our values and mission. While individual perspectives may vary, we are confident that Saint Joseph’s institutional path to compliance and ongoing commitment to the safety of minors is a sound and effective one.”

According to Sharan Eisenmann, vice president of Human Resources, “This is a change, as previously we had only required these clearances of individuals working with programs and activities involving minors.”

Continued CLEARANCES, Pg.3

On April 3, it came to light that an internal investigation at Saint Joseph’s University was underway regarding hazing allegations involving the softball team.

According to a 6abc Action News report, an unnamed source told the news station that students being initiated onto the team, particularly freshman, “had to consume alcohol, perform acts involving inappropriate touching, perform lap dances for upperclassman on the team, mimic various sex acts and other allegations too graphic to be outlined.”

Joseph Lunardi, associate vice president of Marketing and Communications, confirmed to 6abc Action News that the university was aware of the allegations.

A review and investigation is currently ongoing within the Saint Joseph’s Office of Community Standards, which released a statement last week regarding the student behavior violations.

“Saint Joseph’s University is aware of allegations involving members of the women’s varsity softball team. SJU has responded via applicable Community Standards procedures for investigating such allegations and, if warranted, determining disciplinary action,” said the statement. “While its investigation of the matter is ongoing, remedial actions have already been taken to assure the welfare and educational environment for all involved. Due to federal student privacy regulations, there can and will be no additional comment by the university at this time.”

Members of the softball team also released a statement last Monday to The Hawk in regards to the allegations and ongoing university investigation.

“As a team, we are devastated by the allegations and resulting reports that have come about in recent weeks,” the statement read. “We respect the ongoing investigation and the officials involved and cannot address specific allegations at this time. As you have likely seen, they are serious and not to be taken lightly—but the buzzwords reported by the media do not capture the spirit of our culture.”

The players said that they hope the students of St. Joe’s will use their intuition when forming opinions about the recent claims and that they intend to deal directly with the assertions.

“If you have a class with us, share a dorm with us, eat with us in the cafeteria, we ask you this: let your gut determine the kind of people we are, and hold off on judgment in light of recent reports…We are facing allegations head on and with our heads held high. Hawk Hill is too important to us to do anything less,” the statement read.

According to the St. Joe’s student handbook, hazing is defined as “any action or situation created intentionally, whether on or off campus premises, to produce mental Continued SOFTBALL, Pg.2

2 | News

April 15, 2015

The Hawk

Department of Public Safety Reports (April 3-April 8) April 3

April 7

Public Safety was notified by Residence Life that during a fire alarm at Pennbrook Apartments, an unknown person began yelling obscenities at a Resident Assistant. Public Safety officers responded but were unable to locate the individual(s). Community Standards was notified.

Public Safety was notified of a fire alarm inside Jordan Hall. Public Safety officers responded. Preliminary investigation revealed that the alarm was activated by a student using the microwave oven.

Facilities Management was notified.

Public Safety was notified of a fire alarm inside the Pennbrook Apartments. Public Safety officers responded. Preliminary investigation revealed that an unknown person pulling on the alarm box activated the alarm. Property Management and Community Standards were notified.

Public Safety was notified in regards to an unknown person shattering a student’s first floor kitchen window at the Ashwood Apartments. Residence Life and Community Standards were notified.

April 6 Public Safety was notified by a St. Joe’s student in regards to an unknown person removing currency from her wallet inside her room at Sourin Hall. Residence Life was notified. The incident is under investigation.

Public Safety was notified of a fire alarm inside the LaFarge Residence Center. Public Safety officers responded. Preliminary investigation revealed it was a faulty alarm that was activated. Facilities Management was notified.

April 8 Public Safety was notified of a fire alarm at the Morris Quad Townhouse. Public Safety Officers responded. Preliminary investigation revealed it was a faulty alarm that was activated. Facilities Management was notified.

Public Safety was notified of a burglary alarm activated inside the PNC Bank branch at the Campion Student Center. Public Safety officers responded. Preliminary investigation revealed the alarm was activated by an unlocked front door. Facilities Management was notified.

ALCOHOL RELATED INCIDENTS

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On Campus

Off Campus

DRUG RELATED INCIDENTS

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On Campus

Off Campus

Call Public Safety:

610-660-1111

New bathroom signs promise inclusion for genderqueer individuals Continued from GENDER, Pg.1 president, bathrooms to be labeled be gender neutral on campus are any single-occupancy bathrooms with a toilet, sink, soap, and paper towels. There are over 60 of these single-occupancy bathrooms on campus.

These bathrooms, however, are currently labeled as either “Men” or “Women.” According to the website amplifyyourvoice.org, a project as part of Advocates for Youth, an organization that helps young people make responsible decisions about reproductive and sexual health, making these bathrooms officially gender neutral would simply be a matter of changing the signs.

With the help of Student Senate, Facilities Management, and Mary-Elaine Perry, Ph.D., assistant vice president of student development, over 60 gender neutral restroom signs will be installed around campus before the fall of 2015.

The gender neutral signs will be placed on already-existing single-occupancy bathrooms and will denote that any person, regardless of the gender they do or do not identify with, can use the restrooms. Communal bathrooms with multiple stalls will remain labeled as “Men” and “Women.”

“I think it’s a great idea,” said Jess Lindemann, ’18, “because in today’s society…people who don’t identify as male or female, it might make them uncomfortable…when they have to choose a bathroom.”

There are other steps are being taken towards making Saint Joseph’s a more inclusive campus as well.

“Student Senate has just passed their own resolution saying that they want a student chair position for diversity inclusion to represent those students and their spectrums,” said Tedesco. She explained that the Chair of Inclusion and Diversity position would represent and advocate for students who may have been underrepresented in the past.

“The bathroom step is a good step,” said Redfern, “but there are still so many other [ones to be taken].”

The gender neutral restroom signs will be installed before the next semester and with the possible creation of a chair position for diversity inclusion, more changes will likely be implemented at St. Joe’s in the future.

Allegations of softball team hazing prompts responses and investigation Continued from SOFTBALL, Pg.1 or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule.” The student handbook also states that “Saint Joseph’s University prohibits all forms of hazing. The Anti-Hazing Law of Pennsylvania states that any person who causes or participates in hazing commits a misdemeanor of the third degree…[and] individuals found responsible of hazing may be fined, placed on probation, suspended or dismissed.”

The policy outlined in the student handbook also lists specific consequences for instances in which a university team or organization is suspected of violating the hazing policy: “Likewise, organizations, clubs, and teams may be fined, placed on probation or disbanded…Organizations, teams, or chapters may also face sanctions by university departments under which they function.”

In regards to the Community Standards process for dealing with documented incidents, there are multiple options available for case resolution, primarily depending on the seriousness of the allegations.

According to the Community Standards page on the St. Joe’s website, “When an incident report/complaint is received, the report/complaint is assigned to an administrator within the Division of Student Life.” The following options are then offered for case-resolution: an alternative resolution hearing, an administrative hearing, a Peer Review Board

hearing, or a Community Standards Board hearing.

According to the website more serious Community Standards violations are heard by an Administrative Hearing Officer or the Community Standards Board.

An Administrative Hearing Officer is most often a member of Residence Life or a Community Standards professional staff member, and in the case of a Community Standards Board hearing, the allegations will be heard by a three-person panel consisting of faculty, administrators/staff, and students.

Additionally, according to the website, “For these more serious Community Standards violations, a pre-hearing meeting shall be scheduled. This pre-hearing meeting is part of the Community Standards process.“ The website also stated that if the allegations involve a student organization, the case shall be heard by a Peer Review Board, which is a three-person panel consisting of students, plus a chairperson, or an Administrative Hearing Officer.

At this time, the university is continuing to investigate the allegations involving the varsity women’s softball team and will implement Community Standards processes in order to further explore the issue.

April 15, 2015

News | 3

The Hawk

New background check requirements causing confusion Continued from CLEARANCES, Pg.1 Prior to December 2014, the university did not have an official background check policy, but according to Eisenmann in an email, “[The Office of Human Resources’] practice since 2005 had been that all new hires are required to clear a criminal background check through an outside firm…later we required that if an individual was working with minors, they had to complete the PA Department of Education clearances [PA Criminal, FBI Fingerprint, and PA Child Abuse].”

Some members of the St. Joe’s community are not happy with this recent increase in clearance requirements and many claim that their interaction with minors, if any, on a regular basis is minimal and they are therefore confused as to why they have to complete the clearance.

Robert Moore, Ph.D., professor of sociology, said he did not have an issue completing these checks if he was dealing with individuals under the age of 18 on a regular basis, but since that is not the case for himself, he is simply confused.

“I have no problem with the background checks when dealing with minors, that’s standard operating procedure, it should be done; [but] if you’re not dealing with minors, I’m perplexed quite frankly why this is a requirement.

Moore went on to say that there is a possibility of slight interaction with minors at the start of their college careers but that overall the contact is minimal. “In the case of faculty here at the university it’s possible that one could be interacting with someone who is below the age of 18 in the beginning of freshman year or something like that but by and large for most of us there is no contact with minors.” he said.

Donya Coldwell, adjunct professor of College of Professional and Liberal studies (PLS) foreign languages, shared Moore’s view. “It’s simply inappropriate and you are forcing me to say that at St. Joe’s I have a significant likeli-

hood of regular contact with children; you’re forcing me to say that and it isn’t true,” said Coldwell.

Moore explained that he believes many institutions of higher education are now requiring that employees complete both minor and child abuse clearances in reaction to the Pennsylvania State University child sex abuse scandal that came to light in 2011.

“After the Sandusky thing at Penn State, more and more colleges started considering it [minor and child abuse clearances],” said Moore.

Moore understands this reasoning, but feels that the required clearances associated with minors undermines some basic rights to innocence. “It’s almost as if you’re presumed guilty until you demonstrate your innocence rather than the other way around,” said Moore.

Coldwell expressed similar concerns. “I feel that all of us are paying the price for the debacle at Penn State,” Coldwell said. “It [completing child abuse clearances] is not adhering to our constitutional guarantee that all Americans are innocent until proven guilty; this is assuming guilt or potential guilt, and guess what? I am not a criminal.”

There also seems to be distress among faculty about the requirement to complete the FBI Fingerprint Check.

“I can understand the criminal record check, that makes sense, you don’t want any criminals teaching your children,” said Coldwell, “but the fingerprinting, that is really forcing people who have committed no crime other than maybe a driving violation to be fingerprinted. That’s a real invasion of privacy…[and] it says that the people who are forced to be fingerprinted are extremely likely to commit a crime.”

Both Moore and Tim Swift, Ph.D., associate professor of management, pointed out that the clearances were an

inconvenience to the faculty that took time out of their day.

“The web-based stuff was a breeze,” Swift said, “but just the fingerprint stuff was a drag…there was a long line of faculty members that were waiting and I waited much longer than I thought.”

There are also fees that must be paid when completing each clearance. The PA Criminal Record Check and PA Child Abuse Check both cost $10 and the FBI Fingerprint Check costs $25.75. Each employee required to have such clearances must personally pay these fees up-front.

However, according to the HR website, all employees (full-time, part-time, and temporary) are eligible to be reimbursed within two weeks for these fees so long as the employee submits their three completed background checks along with their receipts for each to the Office of Human Resources.

Despite this reimbursement though, Coldwell expressed that for some, paying a total of approximately $45 up front may be difficult. “That [paying up front] is tough for adjuncts who teach at more than one place and perhaps have to do this for more than one school,” Coldwell said.

“It’s an inconvenience; I don’t like having to pay up front for something I’m being forced to do.”

There may be mixed feelings about the hassles of the new background check policy requirements, but many still seem to be happy that there is at least some level of examination in place.

“We might be overdoing it a little bit by having every single employee getting a background check when really very, very few of us interact with minors,” said Swift. “But on the whole, I’m glad we’re doing it because I think making St. Joe’s a safer environment, particularly for our students, is always a good thing.”

DO YOU NEED AN EMPLOYEE BACKGROUND CHECK? OLD PROCESS Before December 2014, only those working with minors were required to complete all three clearances.

ARE YOU WORKING WITH MINORS?

NO

YES

PA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION CLEARANCES required

No additional clearance required

NEW PROCESS ARE YOU WORKING WITH MINORS?

NO

YES

PA CRIMINAL RECORD CHECK

St. Joe’s now mandates that all new and current hires, regardless of whether or not they are working with minors, complete all three clearances.

FBI FINGER PRINT CHECK

PA CHILD ABUSE CHECK

Graphic by Sam Lukens ’17 Images courtesy of Creative Commons

4 | News

April 15, 2015

The Hawk

St. Joe’s gears up for Earth Month Numerous campus events will promote green efforts and sustainable living RACHEL QUINN ’16 Hawk Staff In celebration of Earth Month, The Saint Joseph’s University Green Fund has been working in collaboration with the Sustainability Committee and Net Impact in order to increase environmental awareness on campus.

Each year, these organizations aim for around seven or eight events to be held for this purpose, but this year the number of events has increased in order to provide St. Joe’s staff and students with a wide range of events to inspire the university community to get greener, including seminars, film showings, and even a dumpster dive.

On April 7, St. Joe’s hosted an event with the Triskeles Foundation, which focuses on creating a sustainable world through philanthropy. President and Executive Director of the foundation, Clemens Pietzner, discussed his company’s mission during the event in order to “encourage and support charitable giving through its innovate donor-advised funds,” along with other services.

The following day, The Green Fund held a viewing of the documentary “TINY: A Story About Living Small,” informing people of the benefits of living a life that minimally impacts the environment.

When asked about Earth Month and the upcoming events, students seemed to be optimistic and happy with the efforts being made.

“I think it’s awesome,” said Carly McGowan, ’16. “It creates awareness for people who aren’t usually interested in environmental issues. The more pro-green people, the better.”

There are still many upcoming events for St. Joe’s staff and students to attend. On April 16, The Green Fund is hosting a presentation from The Vanguard Group, the world’s largest mutual fund company, regarding corporate social responsibility. Dylan Skwira, ’16, president of the Green Fund, stated that this presentation will not only be interesting but will also help appeal to a large range of students by “showing the business side of environmental sustainability.”

Other upcoming events include the showing of two documentaries as part of the Earth Month seminar series. The first, being shown on April 15, is “Shored Up: When Human Nature and the Force of Nature Collide,” a film by Ben Kalina explaining the dangers of the accelerating sea-level rise from the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. The second film, “Landfall: Through the Eyes of Sandy” will be shown on April 22, which is known officially as Earth Day. This documentary chronicles Hurricane Sandy’s destruction of Stafford Township and Long Island Beach, New Jersey, while also focusing on the powerful community approach to rebuilding after the storm.

News briefs Hillary Clinton announces presidential candidacy On April 12, Hillary Rodham Clinton announced that she will run for president, establishing herself as the likely Democratic nominee for the 2016 elections. The announcement came near the end of a short video released around 3 p.m. If she succeeds in becoming the Democratic nominee, it will be the first time a woman has received a major political party nomination. (The New York Times)

The Green Fund is also using this time to put the finishing touches on their remaining projects for the semester.

“Basically, we’re finishing up all of our programs this month too, I guess you could say ‘fine-tuning’ them.” said Skwira. “This means the recycling program highlighted last month will be implemented, the signs and new systems are now in place and have increased our energy rates by about 15 percent, and the solar panels are fully functioning, which have generated 2 percent energy.”

On April 23, the Green Fund will also hold their annual dumpster dive in Sourin parking lot in which students are invited to sort through trash collected from a dorm room and an academic building to identify the items that could have been recycled.

“Many teachers are giving extra credit for the dumpster dive,” said Skwira. The Green Fund hopes that this will provide a fun incentive for students to join the environmental efforts.

Lizzy Ginsberg, ’16, seemed to share in the excitement of the upcoming events. “I’m really looking forward to Earth Month here at St. Joe’s,” she said. “The Green Fund does an amazing job at getting people involved and excited about saving the planet.”

Diane Phillips, Ph.D., associate professor of marketing, will also be holding a presentation on “The New Climate Reality,” in which she will discuss new scientific information on climate change and its impact on humankind.

And in other Earth Month news, the new Community Garden, located on the Maguire Campus between Paris Auditorium/Dining Hall, Connelly Hall, and Toland Hall, will be opening some time in the near future.

Although organized by an independent committee, the Green Fund also has a plot in the garden to highlight the importance of caring for plants that provide food and other benefits to the community.

Overall, there seems to be a positive outlook on green efforts and initiatives to promote Earth Month on campus. The Green Fund is also using this time to put the finishing touches on their remaining projects for the semester.

“I think that earth month is a great time for people to become more aware about our current environmental issues at hand,” said Taylor Farrell, ’16, “and [we can] take this month to learn how we can lower our carbon emissions and stop our drastically changing climate to ensure a better and easier life for our future family members.”

Philadelphia Archbishop to ride with Pope in Popemobile

As the host for Pope Francis’ visit to Philadelphia, Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput will have the privilege of riding in the Popemobile with the Pope during his September visit. This will be Pope Francis’ first trip to the United States since being elected as the head of the Catholic Church. The trip is part of the World Meeting of Families, which also includes stops in Washington D.C. and New York.

(NBC Philadelphia)

Oklahoma Deputy Sheriff charged with manslaughter

Oklahoma Deputy Sheriff Robert Bates was charged with second-degree manslaughter on April 13. The 73-year-old officer fatally shot suspect Eric Harris after an April 2 incident in which Bates mistook his handgun for a stun-gun. (ABC)

South Carolina officer charged with murder

Officer Michael T. Slager was charged with murder on April 7 after a video surfaced showing him shooting and killing an unarmed black man, later identified as Walter Scott, as he fled. Officer Slager reported on his radio that Scott had taken his taser after being stopped for a broken taillight, but a video which was shot by a bystander and was provided to the Scott family’s lawyer presents a different account. Officer Slager appears to place his taser next to Scott’s body after firing eight shots into the fleeing Scott. In North Charleston, where the incident took place, the police department is almost 80 percent white while the population is about 47 percent African American, according to data collected by the Justice Department in 2007. (The New York Times)

Drexel medical student robbed

Cory Heal, a 26-year-old medical student at Drexel, was golfing on Saturday in Norristown when his car was broken into and his backpack was stolen. Inside the backpack were his laptop, iPad containing all of his notes from his last two years, and text books he needs for the United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1, a critical licensing exam for medical students. A classmate created a Gofundme page to raise funds for Healy as well as his wife and two children. As of Monday afternoon, the page had raised over $2,000. (NBC Philadelphia)

Images courtesy of Creative Commons

April 15, 2015

Opinions | 5

The Hawk

Editorial Showing support for LGBTQ students on Hawk Hill EDITOR IN CHIEF Cat Coyle ’16 MANAGING EDITOR Shannon Adams ’16 COPY CHIEF Molly Grab ’17 BUSINESS MANAGER Emily Kelly ’18 FACULTY ADVISER Dan Reimold CONTRIBUTING ADVISER Jenny Spinner NEWS EDITOR Katryna Perera ’16 OPINIONS EDITOR Angela Christaldi ’17 LIFESTYLE EDITOR Katie White ’17 ASSISTANT LIFESTYLE EDITOR Kelly Wittman ’17 SPORTS EDITOR Anthony Panvini ’16 ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Joe Liciardello ’15 LAYOUT EDITOR Sam Lukens ’17 PHOTO EDITOR Matt Haubenstein ’15 DIGITAL MEDIA MANAGER Gianna Melendez ’16

University’s willingness to create gender neutral spaces reflects an atmosphere of inclusivity Saint Joseph’s University is taking important steps toward becoming a safer space for the LGBTQ community on Hawk Hill. It has recently been announced that the University Student Senate, in conjunction with the university’s Title IX coordinator, Mary Elaine Perry, has taken steps to implement gender neutral bathrooms on campus beginning next semester. This stems from an initiative that began last fall, when the discussion about the need for these types of spaces began.

In “Moving toward gender inclusivity,” an article published

by The Hawk on Oct. 22, 2014, the need for gender neutral spaces was stressed from Perry and members of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance. Members of the Saint Joseph’s community can now pride themselves on witnessing and being a part of the changes on the road to becoming an inclusive campus. The implementation of gender neutral bathrooms is a positive step in this direction.

While gender identity is a topic that is only recently gaining traction in society, it is an important issue that affects many of our students. Those of us who identify with the two generally accepted ends of the gender spectrum—male or female—do not have to think about which bathroom we will use. It is a given that we will use the restroom that aligns with our gender identity.

However, for students who identify as transgender or genderqueer, the seemingly simple task of walking through the door of a restroom is not so easy. These people must make the difficult choice between one of the two gendered bathrooms, while they may not feel comfortable in either place.

The fact that St. Joe’s is taking the needs of these students into account is an extremely progressive move that truly demonstrates our dedication to the idea of the Magis. While other

recent events have not been as supportive of the LGBTQ student community (including recent offensive tweets sent by one member of men’s basketball team), the plan to start implementing gender neutral bathrooms demonstrates that St. Joe’s is truly striving to be more inclusive.

It is especially important to note that a student organization is leading this initiative. This action demonstrates that the students on our campus truly do have power, despite what we may sometimes think. Our words do mean something, and we do have the means to shape the future of the university if we work diligently to make it happen.

In light of recent national events, the rights of the LGBTQ community have been thrown into the national spotlight, and those identifying as part of this community need to be supported more than ever. While the progress made at St. Joe’s isn’t a solution to a national issue, these actions certainly perpetuate a message of inclusivity that the university community strives for, and shows LGBTQ students that St. Joe’s has their best interests at heart.

College is a time to find yourself. Part of this process, for some students, is examining their gender identity and sexual orientation. Some students may have had previous home situations not inclusive to gender or sexuality exploration, or other students might have only learned more about the gender and sexuality spectrums when they came to college. It is imperative that St. Joe’s continues to create a safe environment for those who come to this campus to not only learn about the world, but also to learn and grow as individuals.

-The Hawk Staff

DIGITAL MEDIA TEAM Gina Falcone ’16 Kayla Lane ’17 Jessica Cavallaro ’18

A woman’s place is in the White House

Why Hillary Clinton’s campaign announcement matters for women everywhere ANGELA CHRISTALDI ’17 Opinions Editor

This past Sunday, Hillary Rodham Clinton, former Secretary of State, U.S. Senator, and First Lady, announced her intent to add another prestigious title to her already impressive list of credentials: President of the United States. As has been rumored for months, Clinton officially declared her candidacy for the 2016 presidential elections.

The Democratic Party supporters have waited for this announcement with bated breath; others, however, were not so enthused about Clinton’s presidential aspirations.

Her age has been brought up several times as a reason why she wouldn’t be a suitable candidate for president, but the most ridiculous reason people are opposing her candidacy is due to her gender.

Some believe that because Clinton is a woman, she would not make a good leader.

One of the strangest things that people use to support this claim is that her hormones would cause her to make rash decisions. To these people, I have one question: do you have any knowledge of the female anatomy? Clinton is 67 years old. She does not have to worry about PMS or period-induced mood swings. Menopause is a thing, everyone.

Regardless, she is a rational and intelligent human being; it’s not as if she’s going to start a nuclear war because she’s in a bad mood.

Clinton is undoubtedly the most well-prepared female presidential candidate that our nation has seen. Having occupied the offices of both the Secretary of State and First Lady, she has more experience within the White House than many other presidential candidates, male or female. She has proven that she can handle difficult situations with composure and grace, and she clearly knows how to interact with other world leaders. Clinton is well-educated and well-versed in politics—she obviously knows how to handle the job for which she is campaigning.

While there are other candidates for the 2016 election, Clinton is undeniably the most important. With the election of Barack Obama in 2008, the nation took a huge step forward: for the first time, a black man held the highest seat of power in the United States.

Obama’s term is coming to an end, but why turn back now? The ceaseless chain of white men in power has already been broken, so why don’t we continue interrupting the norm?

Representation matters. Young girls need to know that they are just as capable of ruling a nation as the boys they play with. Clinton’s announcement demonstrates to all of the girls and women in this country that they, too, are worthy of power. They can step into the spotlight and earn a leadership role. They are on an equal footing with every boy or man that surrounds them.

While you may not agree with Clinton’s politics, you cannot deny the fact that she is playing an important role in this election season. She is an older woman taking a huge risk and stepping out into the playing field for the most public position in the nation. This is a bold and necessary move; she is defying all of her critics and showing the public that women can do every single thing that men can do. Gender has not stopped her from achieving her goals, and age will not stop her now. People tend to disregard women, especially women over a certain age, but Clinton will not stand for that kind of treatment.

We, as women and as feminists, need to recognize the sheer importance of this act.

There is a very real chance that a woman will be the next president. Even the potential of this is monumental; if it happens, it will be one of the most groundbreaking elections in United States history. Sure, people will complain about it, but the truth will still stand: with Hillary Clinton in charge, the nation might be forced to finally accept the fact that women are equal to and just as capable as men.

6 |Opinions

April 15, 2015

The Hawk

Why so serious?

Avoiding jokes about sensitive topics KATHERINE GRYGO ’16 Hawk Staff We live in a world in which we can find humor in anything. We joke about our own awkward blunders. We relentlessly tease and mess with our friends whenever they do something remotely embarrassing. We jest about the appetizing cuisine Campion has to offer. For 40 seasons, “Saturday Night Live” has been joking about and satirizing a variety of topics from dysfunctional families to the inadequacy of politicians. We have a plethora of things to joke and laugh about, but are there things that are too serious to joke about?

We typically view a joke as something that is supposed to be fun and lighthearted. But sometimes, jokes are made about incredibly sensitive topics and situations. I have heard people attempt to make humorous remarks about serious topics such as the Holocaust, suicide, and rape. At one point in time during my middle school years, people were telling “dead baby” jokes. You can roll your eyes and tell me that I am being too touchy and that I have no sense of humor, but I believe that there are some things that should not be joked about.

If you really think about it, I’m sure you can recall a time where someone told a joke and instead of roars of

laughter, it was met with awkward silence and the distant sound of crickets chirping in the background. An important factor of a joke is how it impacts a boundary. The joke is all fun while it stays within the socially acceptable boundary of that specific audience who is hearing it. But the minute it crosses the boundary, everything turns sour.

This past winter, “SNL” came under scrutiny for one of its sketches. On February 28, when Dakota Johnson was the guest star, the opening sketch was a digital short parodying a Toyota Camry commercial of a father dropping his daughter off at the airport. The father was being incredibly sentimental and began to tear up at the thought of his darling daughter leaving him for the great big world. His daughter assured him that she would be careful and safe, and that he should not worry about her. When she gets out of the car she rushes over to a military jeep to join a group of people from the terrorist group ISIS. People were absolutely outraged by the show’s lack of sensitivity, because during this time the news reported that many teenage girls were fleeing to Syria to join the movement. People believed that the actors should not have poked fun at an issue this tragic.

Comedy is intended to be a forum for people to express themselves. If you ever get a chance, watch some of Chris Rock and Eddie Murphy’s early stand-up comedy work. They discuss their lives as black men, and point out how they are profiled because of their race. Though they are inducing laughter amongst the crowd, they are getting at the root of issues that plague our culture. Because they mention these issues, they bring a level of awareness that can spark discussion. Do I wish that people would stop making crude and offensive jokes? Yes, I most certainly do. But this may not be practical. Comedy and humor are completely subjective experiences. If we start to censor comedy based on one person’s attitudes, we begin to slowly kill humor altogether.

Unfortunately, no matter the joke, there is always going to be someone who finds it offensive. As we have heard time and time again, “You can’t please everybody.” However, I think we need to take our mothers’ advice and think before we speak. We all know that words have a lasting impact, so before telling that crass joke, we should take a moment and consider if it is truly funny.

No laughing matter

Why the backlash against future ‘Daily Show’ host’s past tweets is an overreaction JIMMY WYATT ’17 Special to The Hawk

Jon Stewart, the beloved host of “The Daily Show,” will be stepping down in order to give someone else a chance to take the helm and continue his legacy. Stewart’s replacement is young, South African comic Trevor Noah. When the announcement was made that Noah would take over, he received immediate, astounding approval. Just 24 hours later, though, he began receiving backlash. The backlash stems from some of his tweets, which many thought to be be anti-Semitic, racist, and sexist. Comedy Central has stood behind their decision of handing control of the show to Noah, but many people are not happy with the decision. Since the show delves mostly into political and social issues, should Trevor Noah be replaced?

No. Because Trevor Noah isn’t anti-Semitic, racist, or sexist—he’s a comedian.

Here is a little bit of background on Noah: he was born in South Africa in 1984, during the era of Apartheid. Noah’s mother is a black South African woman who is half Jewish. Noah’s father, however, is a white Swiss-German man. Simply by existing, Noah broke the law—during the Apartheid era, mixed-race children were illegal. His mother was fined and jailed for having a mixed-race child. There were times where Noah’s mother would have to pretend to not know her own son in order to prevent herself from going back to jail. The Apartheid enforced racism. Being racist was the law. Noah experienced racism firsthand for his entire life. Noah is not racist. Noah is a comic.

A necessary component of comedy is pushing boundaries. According to the popular saying, “Comedy is tragedy plus time.” It isn’t meant to please everyone. It is meant, however, to address social issues. It is supposed to step up to the line that everyone is afraid to cross. Nothing is off-limits for comedy, because the audience taking offense doesn’t matter to the comedian. There are three excellent examples of this. The first is Eddie Murphy’s 1983 stand-up special “Delirious.” Murphy began his routine by making a slew of homophobic comments, including slurs and general insults. Murphy did not apologize for his statements until 13 years later. Eddie Murphy is not homophobic; he is a comedian.

While it may have been inappropriate for him to say such things in a different context, “Delirious” is still considered a pioneering act of comedy and one of the best stand-up specials of all time.

Next is Kevin Hart’s 2009 stand-up special, “I’m a Grown Little Man.” In his routine, Hart does a very long bit about how rich white men laugh. During his skit, he implies that they all laugh like pompous, snobby jerks. Hart received absolutely no flack over this bit because it is clear that Hart does not hate rich, white men. He is simply a comedian doing his job.

The last example happened more recently. During Comedy Central’s “Roast of Justin Bieber,” which aired this past March, Jeff Ross made a joke about 9/11 directed at “Saturday Night Live’s” Pete Davidson, who lost his father, a New York City firefighter, in the attacks. While the audience collectively gasped, the camera panned over to Davidson, who wore a gigantic smile while clapping and laughing. Clearly, Jeff Ross is not pro-terrorism.

He is a skilled comedian.

Noah’s specific style of comedy deals with politics, beginning with his experiences back home in South Africa and spanning all the way to his experiences here in the states.

These experiences make him an excellent replacement for Stewart. If the issue is that a bigot should not be at the helm of a satirical news show, then there is no issue, because Noah isn’t a bigot. It is, however, an issue that Noah is being judged entirely off of some jokes from four to six years ago that didn’t land. I will admit that Noah’s jokes were not of the best quality, but they were jokes nonetheless. To take his jokes seriously and truly believe that he is an anti-Semite is the equivalent of trying to find an actual answer as to why the chicken crossed the road.

Noah’s jokes are just that—jokes—whether people choose to get offended or not. Let us not forget that “The Daily Show” is a satirical news source meant to push the boundaries of everyday political and sociological trends in order to get the viewer to think differently about the issue at hand. Its goal is not to just regurgitate the typical newsroom opinions. I stand by Trevor Noah becoming the next host of “The Daily Show.” The jokes he made on Twitter obviously do not reflect his true world views, political stances, or opinions, just as obviously as the movie “Shrek” does not make Mike Myers a green ogre with a talking donkey as a friend.

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April 15, 2015

The Hawk

Opinions | 7

Voices remain

unheard

Rolling Stone’s failure to properly investigate story leads to perpetuation of rape culture DANIELLE ZABIELSKI ’17 Hawk Staff Peoples’ opinions towards Greek life vary greatly, from extreme love and devotion to complete and total abhorrence. Feelings on sororities and fraternities aside, the one thing I believe everyone can agree on is that erroneous accusations about any organization or its members are inexcusable occurrences.

Pop culture magazine Rolling Stone recently came under fire for “A Rape on Campus,” an article from their December 2014 issue. The story relayed the account of a young woman named Jackie (a shortened version of her name used to protect the source), who reportedly survived a gang rape at a fraternity party at the University of Virginia. It was later revealed, however, that the details of the story were highly fabricated.

The magazine has since retracted the article and released multiple apologetic statements, one of which came directly from Sabrina Rubin Erdely, the author of the controversial piece. In her statement, issued April 5, Erdely said, “I allowed my concern for Jackie’s well-being, my fear of re-traumatizing her, and my confidence in her credibility to take the place of more questioning and more facts. These are mistakes I will not make again. Reporting on rape has unique challenges, but the journalist still has the responsibility to get it right.”

There is a fine line in journalism between a writer using the accounts of others to craft a thought-provoking piece and a writer crafting those accounts to fit the piece he or she wishes to write. In the case of the Rolling Stone article, the content was, at first, found to resonate with the general public, sparking important discussions about the growing problem of rape culture as well as the handling of sexual assault on college campuses.

As the validity of Jackie’s claims came into question, the story rapidly unraveled, leaving behind a tangled mess of confusion, deceit, and disparities. It became evident that the reputations of UVA and their Greek organizations have been irreparably damaged.

In addition, it is now possible that the claims of other victims of sexual assault will be automatically, but unintentionally, received with an air of caution or doubt. Erdely acknowledged this potential for disbelief in her statement, saying, “I hope that my mistakes in reporting this story do not silence the voices of victims that need to be heard.”

It is evident that Erdely used a narrative journalistic style in writing the piece; she was attempting to craft a story that was so abhorrent that no reader could ignore it. In order to do this, she painted a false picture that she felt would grip the reader immediately and would only let them go after shaking them up enough to make a lasting impact. I find it unfortunate that Erdely felt the need to stretch the story and skew details to fit the account she wanted to give, while thousands of terrible, truthful cases go unmentioned and thousands of voices remain unheard.

Erdely will continue to write for Rolling Stone. She was described by Jann S. Wenner, publisher of the magazine, as “a really expert fabulist storyteller” who was not given an adequate resource with which to work. Wenner attempted to explain that he was not trying to blame the alleged victim of the rape, but said “obviously there is something here that is untruthful, and something sits at her doorstep.”

It is so important that we lend a nonjudgmental, understanding, and open ear toward victims of rape and sexual assault, especially in today’s often-disparaging social climate.

Unlike the Rolling Stone portrayal of the rape at the University of Virginia, we must be honest in recounting these events, and, in particular, when recounting these events for public consumption. Whether or not the story was intended to raise awareness about the prevalence of rape culture on campuses is irrelevant. There is no room for falsification; the truth of the matter is that all rape is horrendous, regardless of the individual details.

forced actions ≠ friendship

Allegations brought against St. Joe’s softball team brings hazing into campus conversation ANGELA CHRISTALDI ’17 Opinions Editor As nearly every movie about college shows, hazing is just a part of everyday life— right? If you join any club or team, most especially Greek Life, you need to be prepared for people coming into your dorm in the middle of the night or being forced to drink whatever terrifying concoction the upperclassmen come up with. It’s to be expected, isn’t it?

It’s what we’ve been told will happen from the time we were old enough to start sneaking PG-13 and R-rated movies behind our parents’ backs. But this is not the truth. Regardless of whatever activity you choose to partake in, you should not be forced to do anything against your will.

It has recently come to the attention of the Saint Joseph’s University campus and the local media that the St. Joe’s softball team is being investigated for allegations of hazing.

According to a report from the local ABC News station, players were forced to “consume alcohol, perform acts involving inappropriate touching, perform lap dances for upperclassman on the team, mimic various sex acts and other allegations too graphic to be outlined.”

In response to the media attention, the team has released a statement saying that while they cannot discuss the allegations, they hope that their fellow Hawks will respect them, because the opinion of the campus means a lot to the young women. Throughout their statement, however, the team does not deny the allegations being brought against them. Little to no detail has been brought to light regarding the report, and the lack of denial does not bode well for the team’s reception on campus.

Because this incident happened so close to home, we need to recognize its importance.

Just because we have been, in a way, conditioned to think that hazing is “normal,” does not justify these happenings. For years, on campuses across the nation, upperclassmen have been found to be hazing the newest recruits to their teams or fraternities. Surviving this hellish treatment is proving to the higher-ups that you are worthy of being a part of their group, and making it through is like a badge of honor. You are officially accepted and you have a guaranteed group of friends.

There are several things wrong with this mindset, chief among them being that the people doing the hazing still expect you to respect them afterward. When you get through the forced drinking or various other potential acts, you are supposed to treat these people as your friends; they are your family away from home. If someone truly cares about you or your wellbeing, they would not force you to drink or perform any other uncomfortable or obscene acts. Friends do not force one another to do anything against their will.

While progress has been made in recent years, we need to continue our move away from the culture of hazing. Because it has been an issue for so long, it has become ingrained in college culture. We need to reevaluate the standards we have for ourselves and the people that we associate with. No one should be forced to do anything to which they have not given their full consent. Being accepted as part of a group should be based upon friendship between the members, not how many acts someone can be forced into performing.

The Hawk

8 Lifestyle

April 15, 2015

’

Poppin Poppin' Poppin Tags with with Tags Patience Patience Experimenting with your style without breaking the bank DANIELLE ZABIELSKI ’17 Hawk Staff Your first experience in a thrift store may have been when you looked for old clothes to turn into a Halloween costume. Perhaps your first exposure to the idea of thrift shopping was through the Macklemore hit single.

Or maybe you’ve never set foot in a thrift store, but are looking to update your wardrobe in an affordable and unique way.

Thrift stores are perfect for discovering clothing that you can’t always find in today’s chain stores. Sure, some of the clothes you’ll find while thrifting are name brand items; however, thrift stores often acquire vintage hand-me-down pieces that would be impossible to spot anywhere else. Name brand or not, the clothing in a thrift store is typically priced much lower than the clothes in a department store.

Your thrifting experience mainly depends on the store itself. Some thrift stores can be unorganized, making it difficult to locate specific sections or items. I like to think that the extra searching makes what you find more fulfilling. The organization of a store also depends on whether or not the thrift store accepts all donations or curates their clothing; some of the higher-end thrift stores will only accept hand-me-down clothing of a certain quality.

Once you find a thrift store that you like, it’s helpful to start your search with either a certain item of clothing

in mind or at least an idea of what you’d like to look for in particular. No matter how orderly it is, a thrift store can be overwhelming because of the sheer amount of clothes to go through. But if you enter with a precise picture of a piece in your mind, you’ll be more likely to look in the right areas and, ultimately, track down something similar to what you need.

It’s important, however, to go into a thrift store with an open mind—you might come across a piece of clothing that you never expected to like, but you simply fall in love with it. Now, I realize this somewhat contradicts my last point, but hear me out: as advantageous as it is to try to scout out specific items of clothing, it’s also a great deal of fun to come across an outrageous statement piece to buy on an impulse. Thrift stores are great for buying flashy fashions on a budget; you won’t feel like you wasted your money if you only wear the piece a few times. Or, who knows, it might become a new staple for your wardrobe!

That’s the best part about thrift shopping: you get to experiment with your style without breaking the bank.

You can discover clothes with a lot of character if you intently scour the racks. And when you find an article of clothing that immediately catches your attention and screams “Your name here!” you’ll understand that your patience was completely worth it.

So let your inner child come out and layer lots of

Photos courtesy of Danielle Zabinski ’17

clashing, patterned clothes, find a denim shirt to pair with your jeans, or buy a blazer with shoulder pads from the ’80s and wear it to class. You can find it all at your local thrift shop.

It’s what’s in the “sole” that counts Discovering your sneaker I.D. KELLY WITTMAN ’17 Assistant Lifestyle Editor The warmer weather is here to stay, so why not start training for your first 5k?

Saint Joseph’s University will be participating in the annual Relay for Life, in which participants will walk continuously for an entire night, living out the message that cancer never sleeps and neither should we. The ninth annual Kristin’s Krusade 5k run/walk is also being held at St. Joe’s this Sunday to support the Kristen Mitchell Foundation, an organization started by the family of the St. Joe’s grad in order to spread awareness about the dating violence that took their daughter’s life. Both of these worthy causes are close to the hearts of many Saint Joseph’s students and are deserving of participation from the student body. In order to get yourself in the best running or walking shape to show support at both events, you need the right pair of sneakers to carry you across the finish line.

3.1 miles can only be conquered in the appropriate pair of sneakers.

Putting your best foot forward on the track all starts with being able to choose the right shoe for your running or walking style. Whether you are a beginner or seasoned runner, it’s necessary to understand how your own feet tend to move in order to find the perfect fit for training.

Pounding the pavement can cause significant pain, and it all starts with pronation. This word means nothing when you are two miles into your run and can only feel the pain, but being familiar with this term will help lessen future pain and prevent injury. Pronation is the action of your foot’s movement as the body’s weight strikes at the heel and moves through the toes when you run. There are three classifications of pronators: underpronators, neutral pronators, and overpronators—all of which are fancy terms for a high arch, normal arch, and flat arch.

Underpronators and overpronators are the most prone to injury because

of the way their arch shifts their body weight. High arches cause bodyweight to be placed on the outer part of the foot rather than evenly spread throughout the entire foot, and the foot subsequently rolls outward. Runners with this particular structure tend to run on their toes and require a softer surface underfoot. Opt for a sneaker that is heavily cushioned and evenly disperses the placement of weight when it hits the pavement.

Runners with a flat arch normally run with their toes pointed inward or in the direction their weight is being shifted. The arch collapses through the foot strike, and if not counterbalanced with the appropriate sneaker, can cause injury overtime. Control shoes are ideal for this type of arch due to their combination of cushioning and extra support to provide essential protection. Asics designs their sneakers with prominent arches and cushioning, varying from light to heavy, that are ideal for those who need a more defined arch.

Neutral pronators, though not as prone to injury as the types previously mentioned, still need to protect their feet from defeat.

Support shoes are ideal for this type of heel because they combine cushioning with lightweight support on the inner side of the shoe to limit excessive inward rolling of the foot.

Before you set out to make a change and participate in Relay for Life or Kristen’s Krusade, be sure you know how your own running or walking style might be holding you back. Get the right sneakers so that you can perform you best on race day. Now go out and run to your “soles’” content!

Graphics courtesy of Creative Commons

April 15, 2015

Lifestyle | 9

The Hawk

BRING ON THE

BLUE

The Kinney Center kicks off Autism Awareness Month with a new campaign

KATIE WHITE ’17 Lifestyle Editor Since the spring of 2010, The Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support has been making strides in both offering support for individuals and families affected by autism as well as educating and training students in autism studies. In just five short years, the center has grown exponentially. It has expanded the number of families it serves from a little over a dozen to more than 800, increased its SCHOLARS (Students Committed to Helping Others Learn about Autism Research and Support) team from 14 to over 100 members, and grown its client base to include people from age three all the way to 60.

Given such remarkable success, it’s only right that the Kinney Center’s fifth birthday celebration be done in style—new events, a world record attempt, and opportunities to unite the entire Saint Joseph’s University campus under an important cause will mark the occasion. Accordingly, getting students excited to share in celebrating five years of achievement and take part in such an action-packed Autism Week has started off with a statement nothing short of loud, bold, and colorful.

Drawing inspiration from the Ice Bucket Challenge, the charitable project for the ALS Foundation that went viral during the summer of 2014, Ryan Hammond, executive director of the Kinney Center, came up with an initiative she believed would be equally as easy and effective in gathering support for autism awareness. Streaking Blue for Autism is a campaign that challenges students and supporters everywhere to color parts of their hair blue – the official color of autism awareness – by using temporary chalk dye and to post pictures on social media to urge their friends and family to follow suit.

Noticing bold hair trends among students, as well as the growing popularity of selfies, Hammond thought the blue streak challenge coupled with the hashtag #BlueHairICare would be a fun and exciting way to engage supporters while also encouraging them to outwardly display their support for the Kinney Center and autism awareness. Already, she is impressed with the campaign’s success.

“It’s really been great to see people get excited about it, to spread awareness, to streak themselves, to challenge family members, and also say, ‘I’m doing this is honor of the families

I work with at Kinney.’ So it’s been a really positive launch,” said Hammond.

She hopes the momentum from this campaign will continue to build during Autism Week, which takes place from April 17-25, and throughout the rest of the month, leading up to Kinney’s birthday celebration on April 23.

This celebration will feature the center’s biggest event: an attempt to break the world record for largest human letter. The record attempt, which will be recorded from above by drone, will include about 900 people coming together to form a “K” for Kinney.

From sharing colorful hair photos to getting recognition in the Guinness Book of World Records, Hammond believes that increasing visibility to the cause and drawing support from as many people as possible is an important part of building another successful five years and beyond for the Kinney Center, which has grown as big as it has largely by word of mouth.

“While we started small, we’ve grown because [the families we help] are really excited about the progress their children have made at the center and they’ve told other families. And that’s how our demand has increased. And it’s also how we really created our path to grow,” explained Hammond.

“So at the end of the month,” said Hammond, “if we realize we’ve raised more money for the center from new donors and that we’ve been able to create awareness just by nature of [the campaign being centered around] something visible you can see, and people ask questions, I think it’s a great thing.”

Catchy slogans, colorful streaks, and drone-recorded stunts aside, celebrating The Kinney Center’s birthday is truly a celebration of the families the center supports, the dedicated group of undergraduates and graduate assistants who have made it happen, and the university community that has been so welcoming these last five years.

Hammond emphasized, “We really are focused on finding a way that’s not just about us.

It’s about us and this community and how the community can come together to really make our success happen.”

You can join in this support throughout the month of April by streaking blue and keeping an eye out for upcoming on-campus events that benefit The Kinney Center.

Photos courtesy of Matthew J. Haubenstein ’15

10 | Lifestyle

April 15, 2015

The Hawk

It’s still rock and roll to me

Record Store Day celebrates musicians, music lovers, and their favorite indie stores

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons

MELISSA BIJAS ’18 Hawk Staff In 2007, independent record store owners and employees decided to spread the word about the distinctive culture surrounding independently-owned record stores. With the goal of exposing people to a new musical world, Record Store Day was born. Taking place on the third Saturday of April every year, it celebrates those who support the record store—customers, employees, artists, and the community.

In addition to celebration, some stores sell special vinyl and CD releases and have live entertainment. This year, for example, the record label Third Man Records will release The White Stripes’ fifth studio album, “Get Behind Me Satan,” on vinyl for the first time. They also plan to re-release Elvis Presley’s earliest recordings on vinyl.

This year, musician Dave Grohl, of Nirvana and Foo Fighters, will be the Record Store Day Ambassador. Grohl supports the event’s message because of a small record store in his suburban Virginia neighborhood that influenced his career and love of music. Buying K-Tel’s “Blockbuster 20

Original Hits by the Original Stars” and listening to Ed Winter’s “Frankenstein” for the first time in this small shop are moments that Grohl considers life-changing.

Grohl knows from experience that tiny record stores that are overlooked by some can influence their customers in unimaginable ways. This is the entire point of Record Store Day: to inspire others and to show them the hidden treasures that lay within their own communities. Our very own community is making some noise on South Street, where record stores are hitting high notes. Repo Records and Sound of Market celebrate the authentic sound of vinyl as well as various genres of music— jazz, hip-hop, and rock are all celebrated.

Though Record Store Day is a relatively new tradition, those who partake in the festivities are passionate about their music, art, and work. Vinyl, alongside independent record stores, is making a comeback that will benefit the public and bring them back to a time when music was not dominated by technology.

Photos courtesy of Angela Christaldi ’17

Recommended book of the week:

‘Me Talk Pretty One Day’ Photo by Matthew J. Haubenstein ’15

KELLY WHITE ’17 Hawk Staff So you’ve found yourself in the book review section. I take it you like to read—or not, maybe you came here by accident. Regardless of your level of enthusiasm, I think I can help you find a great book, because I’ve been through many ups and downs when it comes to reading.

A long time ago, I thought I hated reading; however, I eventually I discovered that reading is enjoyable if you care about what you’re reading. If you think reading is not your thing, like I did, you just probably haven’t found the right book.

Even if you like books, I understand there are times when cracking open a novel is the furthest thing from your

mind at the end of a long day as a college student. However, I’ve found that reading, even when you’re stressed, is time well spent. You just have to approach it the same way you choke down a bad meal: a little piece at a time.

Case in point, the 2000 David Sedaris’ classic “Me Talk Pretty One Day.” Sedaris is the writing world’s equivalent of a YouTube vlogger; he has made a living off of telling funny anecdotes from his life. “Me Talk Pretty One Day” isn’t a novel, but a collection of some of his funniest, most outrageous essays on childhood, awkward social interactions, and French language and culture. Not only will his essays have you laughing out loud, but because there’s no

overarching story, you don’t have to read the essays in any particular order. “Remembering my Childhood on the Continent of Africa” is my personal favorite.

“Me Talk Pretty One Day” is a must-read; pick it up when you have time. The book is even available online as a PDF file, so you don’t need to worry about library late fees.

Just as a precaution, Sedaris’ stories are meant to be exaggerated—not everything he writes is entirely true. However, that doesn’t detract from the book’s entertainment value. “Me Talk Pretty One Day” is the perfect book for both the avid and causal reader.

April 15, 2015

The Hawk

Puzzles | 11

Hawk Libs Grab a friend and fill in the blanks based on the descriptions below the lines!

_______ and _______, here at (plural noun)

(plural noun)

Saint Joseph’s University, we strive for _______ and _______. We en(noun)

(noun)

courage our _______ to explore (plural noun)

their _______ and to not be afraid (plural noun)

to _______. We are committed to (verb)

making our _______ feel _______ (plural noun)

(adjective)

and _______. Thank you for your (adjective)

continued support, as we strive to _______ our Jesuit _______. (verb)

(plural noun)

Crack the code

Tweet your answers to this coded question to @sjuhawknews for a chance to be featured in next week’s issue!

Bmfy nx ymj etinfh xnls tk Qzifhwnx?

Images courtesy of Creative Commons

12 | Puzzles

The Hawk

S U D O K U

CONNECT THE DOTS

April 15, 2015

April 15, 2015

The Hawk

NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED

McGee finalist for 2015 student athlete award ANTHONY PANVINI ’16 Sports Editor

On April 8, 10 finalists were selected for the 2015 men’s senior Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School (CLASS) award for collegiate lacrosse. All candidates must be NCAA Division I seniors who demonstrate success both on and off the field, and have prominent accomplishments in four different areas of excellence: community, classroom, character, and competition.

In March, a list of 30 candidates was announced and was later narrowed down to the shortlist of finalists. These athletes were selected by the national media. Fan voting, combined with votes from the media and Division I head coaches, will be tallied to determine the winner of the award.

One of the finalists for the award is Saint Joseph’s University graduate student attack Ryan McGee from White Plains, New York. McGee made it clear that he did not get nominated on his own.

“I owe Nikki [Philpot, assistant director of Athletic Communications] and the media staff at St. Joe’s a lot of ‘thank yous’ for putting in a lot of work to get my name in the running,” said McGee. “It’s a cool award and I am happy to be in consideration for it.”

Despite not initially being aware of the award, being nominated as a finalist was something that McGee very much appreciated. He explained that he feels especially honored because the CLASS award represents achievement in many areas outside of the playing field. “[The CLASS award] goes beyond just performance on the field and anything like that,” said McGee. “It takes a balanced person and I go to St. Joe’s, a Jesuit university, and that’s the kind of education that we are supposed to be getting here.

I think it definitely is an exciting award to be put up for because that is the kind of balance that I tried to have for my whole life.”

Community service involvement is a major aspect of each finalist that the award panel takes into consideration. This was no problem for McGee; he explained how much emphasis the lacrosse team places on giving back to the community. McGee explained that the team is always looking to give back in different ways. “…Any time you can get a large group together to engage in community service, you can get a lot more done,” said McGee. “[The men’s lacrosse team has] done things like tutor in after school programs and spend time with senor citizens in retirement homes, we’ve helped with clean up on trails and public parks and things in the area, we helped make phone calls leading up to the election a couple years ago; just tons of things like that.”

Photos coutrtesy of Sideline Photos, LLC

However, McGee also did some work of his own over the summer, consisting of working with organizations such as Project Home and Cradles to Crayons. He organized and put together boxes of donations for these charity organizations.

Sophomore attack Mike Rastivo explained that McGee has a natural tendency to want to give back to the community and is always looking to help others.

“He’s always looking to help people out and he welcomes everyone coming to him,” said Rastivo. “…With community service he’s always -when we do like Easter baskets or Thanksgiving dinners or anything –he’s always the first to volunteer.”

McGee also gave credit to St. Joe’s for instilling in him the desire to want to give back to those in the surrounding community.

“Our university, and specifically our lacrosse team, puts such an emphasis on service to the community that you just don’t get at other schools, not that they don’t care about it—its just not as stressed,” said McGee. Another requirement of the award is strong performance in the classroom. As McGee knows firsthand, balancing a schedule of classes, practices, and a social life is tough. However, with time management being something that McGee was used to before college, the transition wasn’t so hard. He now views the experience in a positive light.

“Both [academics and athletics] demand a lot of time and a lot of commitment, but growing up I’ve always played sports and dedicated a lot of time to sports...Honestly, I’ve always felt like that kind of structure from sports has helped me with my time management,” said McGee. “They’ve always kind of gone hand in hand for me—each one kind of helped me do better with the other.”

Along with these requirements, the candidate also has to show a competitive nature on the field as well as a strong display of character. According to Rastivo, McGee excels in both areas.

“He’s in my opinion the best leader on our team,” said Rastivo. “He was my mentor—we kind of have like a mentor system—and he kind of just took me under his wing since day one when I got to campus as a freshman…He’s just and all around great person. He’s always pushing people to do their best and especially in games he has a charisma about him on the field that just gets everyone excited.”

The CLASS awards will accept votes on their website through May 11.

Sports | 13

14 l Sports

The Hawk

April 15, 2015

Softball drops

series CHRISTY SELAGY ’16 Hawk Staff The Saint Joseph’s University softball team (20-12 overall, 6-5 A-10) was swept in the three games they played against the Dayton University Flyers (28-11 overall, 12-2 A-10) last weekend.

The Hawks lost their first game of Saturday’s doubleheader by a score of 7-1. The Flyers struck first in the game, scoring two runs on two hits in the top of the first. They

scored two more runs on three hits in the fifth inning. The Flyers then capped their scoring with three more runs on three hits and an error in the seventh.

The Hawks’ only run came in the bottom of the third inning. Sophomore Bella Picard led off with an infield single and sophomore Madeline Brunck then reached on an error by the Flyers’ center fielder. Brunck advanced to third on senior Nicole Palase’s fly out and junior Brandi Harkness hit a bloop double to left field to score Brunck. Junior

Sarah Yoos walked to load the bases with two outs, but the Hawks couldn’t capitalize.

Freshman Madison Clarke pitched seven innings, allowing seven runs (six earned) and twelve hits. Clarke walked three and struck out two.

The Hawks lost their second game on Saturday with a score of 9-0. The Flyers scored their first run in the second inning thanks to a lead-off double, sacrifice bunt, and single. The Flyers scored one run on two hits in the third as well. They scored four more runs in the fourth; eight players came to the plate in the inning, resulting in two hits, two walks, and one Hawks’ error. The Flyers scored an additional three runs in the seventh on a two-out, three-run homerun.

The team had five hits, only one of which was an extra-base hit. The Hawks struggled defensively as well, committing two errors. A bright spot came in the fourth inning when Picard made a leaping catch in center field with runners on second and third. The fly out did allow the runner on third to score, but the catch was an important first out in an inning that was tough on Hawks’ pitching. “I just wanted to catch it,” Picard said.

Picard also explained that she wasn’t concerned about the offensive slump the team has been in.

“The best players go through slumps, so I’m not worried about it,” said Picard. “They know what they’re doing. And Coach Brooke [Darreff], our hitting coach, she knows what she’s doing.”

For Picard, the most important factor in getting back to winning is keeping up the energy for the entire team.

“Compared to playing a soccer game, there could be two people who are fired up, and they could get all the goals, and set up all the goals,” Picard stated. “But softball, it’s not like that. It needs to be everyone all in it, energy up. So that’s what we’re trying to do, and we’ll get there.”

Freshman Nikki Alden pitched three and one third innings, allowing six runs (five earned), six hits, and walking one. Junior Anna Lauterbach pitched three and two thirds innings, allowing three runs, four hits, striking out two, and walking one.

The Hawks lost their final game of the series by a score of 6-1. The Flyers struck first for the third time in the series, scoring four runs on three hits and two errors by St. Joe’s shortstop. The first two batters in the inning grounded out and flied out, respectively, but an infield single started a rally for the Flyers, and their next four players reached base. The Flyers scored two more runs on two hits and an error in the fourth inning.

Photos Courtesy of SJU Athletics

The Hawks scored their only run in the fourth inning.

Junior Kerrie Kortmann led off with a double down the

left field line, and, two batters later, freshman Lauren Reilly drove in Kortmann with a double down the left field line of her own. It was the only earned run of the game.

In the top of the sixth inning, Dayton’s center fielder hit a ground ball that appeared to be destined for right field, but Yoos, who was playing second base, made a sliding stop, and fired to first in time to get the runner.

“I saw the ball going between first and second, so just try to make a play, and give your best effort on every play…

And sometimes you get lucky,” Yoos said.

Yoos also weighed in on the team’s offensive woes: “I think we just need to simplify what we’ve been doing, and remember we’re all good hitters, and just get back to doing what we do,” said Yoos.

Clarke pitched three and a third innings, allowing six runs (all unearned), six hits, and walking one. She took the loss to drop to 15-4. Lauterbach pitched three and two thirds innings, allowing one hit, and walking three.

The Hawks will play at Monmouth University on Wednesday and will then travel to the Bronx to play a three-game series against Fordham University over the weekend.

Head Coach Terri Adams declined to comment.

April 15, 2015

Sports | 15

The Hawk

Hawks lose on road

St. Joe’s Baseball drops three conference games to Rhode Island Photo courtesy of Creative Commons

CHRISTY SELAGY ’16 Hawk Staff The Saint Joseph’s University baseball team (10-17 overall, 3-5 A-10) was swept in Hamburg, however, doesn’t think Ponto is having any issues with the injury itself, the three games they played against the University of Rhode Island Rams (13-12-1 overbut with the process of returning to the field. “We’re trying to work him back, and the all, 6-3 A-10) this past weekend. time off has definitely delayed his progress,” Hamburg explained. “I think he’s just trying The Hawks and Rams started playing their first game on Friday, but it was suspendto get a solid feel for his pitches right now.” ed in the top of the sixth inning due to heavy fog. You read that right-the game resumed In their second game of the series, the Hawks lost by a score of 2-1. The Hawks once the following afternoon, and fortunately, the fog was not a problem for the rest of the again struck first, this time in the third inning. Sophomore Peter Sitaras led off with a weekend. The Hawks lost their first game by a score of 11-5. St. Joe’s took the early lead bunt single and advanced to third on two consecutive groundouts. Brue then doubled to when freshman Deon Stafford led off the first inning with a double. Fellow freshman drive in Sitaras.

Matt Maul drove in Stafford two batters later with a single up the middle.

The Rams struck back in the fifth, scoring one run on two hits. The next inning, they The Rams answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the first, courtesy of a scored another run on a bases-loaded, two-out walk. lead-off single, a stolen base, a wild pitch, and a sacrifice fly. They scored another run in Sophomore Pat Vanderslice gave up two runs on five hits and two walks in five and both the bottom of the second and third. Following the Rams’ run in the third, there was two thirds innings and took the loss. He also struck out one. a fog delay that lasted about half an hour. The Rams exploded for five runs on five hits in The Hawks lost their final game by a score of 6-3. The Rams scored two runs on the fifth inning, including a three-run homerun. three hits in the bottom of the first to open up the scoring. They added another run in In the Hawks’ half of the sixth inning, Stafford hit another lead-off double. Junior the next inning on a triple and a sacrifice fly.

John Brue followed with a single, which advanced Stafford to third. Maul hit a sacrifice The Hawks scored a run without a hit in the third inning. Junior Charlie Coghlin fly to score Stafford. Senior Stefan Kancylarz was then hit by a pitch, and the game was was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. suspended because of the fog. The game resumed from that point the following day, Coghlin scored when Boyd reached on an error that allowed him to get to third. and sophomore Cal Jadacki singled to load the bases, and an error by the Rams’ third The Rams scored two more runs on three hits and an error in their half of the third. baseman two batters later allowed the Hawks to score two runs. Sophomore Taylor Boyd They scored their final run in the fifth on a single, a stolen base, and a ground-ruled doufollowed, reaching base on an error by the shortstop, which scored another run for the ble.

Hawks.

The Hawks scored one run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly from Sitaras, and one run The Rams scored a run in their half of the sixth inning and two more in the eighth in the eighth on a sacrifice fly from Kancylarz. inning, ultimately sealing their victory.

Junior Joe Manion took the loss after allowing six runs on nine hits in four and one Stafford went 3-4 with two runs scored in the game. Head Coach Fritz Hamburg third innings. noted Stafford’s positive effect on the team.

Hamburg addressed the team’s issues head-on, saying, “We’re just not playing very “He’s really started to take a leadership role with this group… Deon is stepping up, well right now… We just were never able to get the momentum going on our side… and doing everything he can that way,” said Hamburg. “He’s having success at the plate, We’re not getting great starting pitching right now. When we do, our bullpen falls a little and… he’s doing a great job behind the plate, working with our pitching staff, learning flat. We’ve lost games on the front, lost games on the back, so it’s really a combination of how to call a game.” a lot of things.”

Senior Tim Ponto dropped to 1-5 after he pitched three and two thirds innings, The Hawks return to Smithson Field this week, where they’ll play one game against allowing three runs, six hits, and walking two. Ponto, who missed the past two seasons Saint Peter’s University on Wednesday and a three-game series against Atlantic 10 rival due to an injury, has had a rough time his past few starts.

Virginia Commonwealth University on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

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16 | Sports

April 15, 2015

The Hawk

The men’s lacrosse team started off last week with a game against Wagner University at home on Sweeney Field.

The game proved to be successful, as the Hawks recorded a major conference win. St. Joe’s dealt a one-sided performance, winning 14-3 thanks to attacks Pat Swanick and Mike Rastivo, a junior and a sophomore, respectively. Swanick and Rastivo together scored half of the 14 goals. On Saturday, the team travelled to Mount Saint Mary’s, where they won by a score of 16-4. Senior Mike Dougherty recorded three goals, accompanied once again by Rastivo and Swanick—who each had two goals respectively against Mount Saint Mary’s. The men’s lacrosse team looks forward to keeping this winning pattern going this week.

MEN’S

The men’s tennis team started off their week with a match being postponed due to rainat home against local rival La Salle. On Sunday, however, the Hawks took on the Saint Bonaventure Bonnies at home and were victorious in a 5-2 win. The Hawks were lead by sophomore Kyle Chalmers, junior Andres Urrea, and seniors Pierre Brondeau and Mike Fallone.

The golf team participated in the Princeton Invitational in Princeton, New Jersey this week. After the first day, they sat 11th out of the 14 teams in the tournament. However, by the end of Sunday, the team finished in the middle of the pack, where they tied for seventh out of 13 teams.

Senior Tim Goldshalk had a great individual weekend for the Hawks and posted a team-best one-over-par 71 on Sunday.

This past week was a busy one for the student athletes here on Hawk Hill. Both men’s and women’s teams faced a long week of games and matches.

WOMEN’S

THIS WEEK IN SPORTS

JOE LICIARDELLO, ’15 Assistant Sports Editor

The women’s lacrosse team also had long weekend of games. On Friday, the team traveled to Pittsburgh to play Duquesne. Unfortunately, the Hawks came up short, losing by a score of 15-8. From there, the team traveled to New York to play Saint Bonaventure University. They ended up dropping that game as well by a score of 15-10. Juniors Kelly Phelan and Bonnie McShane both had multiple goals throughout the weekend and continue to lead the Hawks in scoring.

The women’s tennis match scheduled to be played last Thursday against Navy was cancelled. On Friday, they hosted George Mason University and lost the match 3-4. After the tough loss, the Hawks managed to bounce back the very next day and pick up a 5-2 home win against Rhode Island. They then hosted Saint Bonaventure here on Hawk Hill and won that match 5-2 as well. Senior Aurora Davis and her doubles partner sophomore Alex Zachem racked up a bundle of wins throughout their various matches. The team ultimately proved to have a successful week.

The men’s and women’s track and field team participated in the Rider Invitational at Rider University in New Jersey. The men’s team ended up finishing in fifth place out of 23 other teams. The women’s team finished seventh out of 24 teams. Overall it was a good day for both track and field teams and they look forward to the Larry Ellis Invitational next weekend at Princeton University.