Hawk 10/9/13

The Hawk Newspaper Health care breakdown

The10.9.13 Hawk Newspaper

More than service

What’s happening, who’s causing it, and why it matters

How volunteering benefits students on the worksite and beyond

Pg. 5-7

Features, pg. 12

Saint Joseph’s University Volume XCI

SHUTDOWN LETDOWN Karen Funaro ’16 Assistant News Editor

POSSIBLE LOSS OF CREDIT

Taking the court Junior tennis standout Aurora Davis takes first flights, talks inspiration

Sports, pg. 16

Est. 1929

LOSS OF

Government LOSS OF WORK stoppage impacts EXPERIENCE St. Joe’s students in D.C.

A

typical day of interning for Abby Boram, ’15, consists of some deskwork, research, computer work dealing with courtroom security, and various other jobs.

But when the government shutdown was announced on Oct. 1, 2013 at 12:01 a.m., all of these duties were put on hold.

Boram interns in Washington, D.C. with the judicial security division at the U.S. Marshals’ headquarters, a federal program. Like most other federal employees, she is no longer able to go to work.

A government shutdown occurs when Congress fails to pass a “spending bill,” causing the government to discontinue services that are not deemed “essential.” Examples of these “essential” services are police forces, fire departments, armed forces, corrections, and utilities.

When the government has a shutdown, federal employees become furloughed, meaning that they are not allowed to work and will not know if or when they will get paid. They also are not guaranteed compensation for the days in which they do not go in for work.

For the past 30 years, Saint Joseph’s University has been working with the Washington Center for Internships, a program which gives students the opportunity to spend a semester interning in Washington, D.C. Continued SHUTDOWN, Pg. 3

STUDENTS QUESTIONING CAREER PATH

University plan on track to hit benchmarks by 2020

T

INCREASED STUDENT RESEARCH

Cat Coyle ’16 News Editor

hree years ago, Saint Joseph’s University published a comprehensive plan outlining university goals leading up to the year 2020, entitled Benchmark 2020. This semester marks the completion of first phase of Benchmark 2020. Now, St. Joe’s will begin to plan for the next seven years with another phased plan.

The update on achievements of this plan, entitled “Benchmarks of Progress: Plan 2020,” was recently released to university employees.

A copy is also available for public viewing online.

One major facet of the original plan was to increase enrollment and retention rates through 2020. In Benchmark 2020, the projected enrollment rate for the fall 2012 semester was 4,655 undergraduate day students and for fall 2013 a planned 4,657. The actual enrollment data has surpassed these estimates, with 4,684 enrolled in 2012 and 4,700 enrolled in 2013.

The main focus points of the plan outlined in 2010 were: academic distinction and a transformative student experience, mission and diversity, global and community engagement, alumni involvement, and financial health. Although the specific goals under each of these large categories are likely to change in the next plan, the focus points are likely to stay the same, according to Kathleen Gaval, Ph.D., vice president of planning, and Dawn Burdsall, assistant vice president of planning and assessment.

NEW ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

ON THE UP AND UP

Continued BENCHMARK, Pg. 3

ENROLLMENT ABOVE ESTIMATES

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NEWS

The Hawk Newspaper

10 9 13

Department of Public Safety Reports (Sept. 27-Oct. 3) September 27 Public Safety received information of an odor of marijuana coming from a room inside of the LaFarge Residence Center. A search of the room by Public Safety and Residence Life revealed no signs of drugs or drug paraphernalia.

Facilities Management notified Public Safety that a water fountain in the LaFarge Residence Center was damaged.

Public Safety responded to a fire alarm in the Morris Quad Townhouses. The building was evacuated. Investigation revealed that the alarm was activated by unattended food left on the stove.

September 28 Facilities Management notified Public Safety in regards to a water fountain in the Sourin Residence Center having been damaged.

Facilities Management notified Public Safety about damage to a cement block located on the southwest corner of Cardinal Avenue and Overbrook Avenue.

A St. Joe’s student notified Public Safety about damage to a window in the McShain Residence Center.

An area resident contacted Public Safety regarding St. Joe’s students throwing trash out of the windows of the Ashwood Apartments.

Public Safety stopped a banned St. Joe’s student from entering the Ashwood Apartments.

September 29 Public Safety received information of an odor of marijuana coming from a room inside of Villiger Hall. A search of the room

by Public Safety and Residence Life revealed no signs of drugs or drug paraphernalia.

hallway by Public Safety and Residence Life revealed no signs of drugs or drug paraphernalia.

Facilities Management notified Public Safety about a person damaging the arm gate at the Quinn Lot. Public Safety was notified by St. Joe’s students of unknown people posting disturbing comments on the SJU Crush Page.

October 1 Public Safety was notified someone damaging the nozzle to a water cooler in the Barbelin/Lonergan building.

Public Safety was notified of a person accidentally damaging the gate box at the Hawks Landing Garage.

October 2

Public Safety was notified by a St. Joe’s student about finding a wallet of another student near The Perch. The wallet was turned into Public Safety.

Public Safety was notified of a St. Joe’s shuttle bus striking the retaining wall at the entrance to Merion Gardens Apartments. No injuries were reported.

September 30 Public Safety received information of an odor of marijuana coming from the hallway inside of Villiger Hall. A search of the

Public Safety responded to a suspicious person near the Lancaster Court Weymouth building. The person turned out to be a maintenance worker.

Philadelphia Police notified Public Safety that they responded to a loud party off campus in the Manayunk area. The group was

dispersed by the police without incident.

October 3 Public Safety was notified by an Aramark employee that her vehicle had sustained damage while parked in the Retail Parking Lot behind the Hawks Landing Garage.

Call Public Safety:

610-660-1111

4|1

Alcohol Related Incidents

On Campus

Off Campus

1|0

Drug Related Incidents

On Campus

Off Campus

NEWS

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University offers services for international students Emily Marussich ’15 Hawk Staff

G

oing to college in a foreign country is a major adjustment. Resources that help ease students into the college life abroad are vital in order to ensure success. In addition, a diligent work ethic is required in order to keep up with domestic students.

Among the estimated 4,670 undergraduate students and 3,580 graduate students, there are about 400 international students at Saint Joseph’s University.

Similar to the average undergraduate or graduate student applying from within the U.S., an international student has to apply, submit certain exam scores, wait for an acceptance, and, once at St. Joe’s, get acquainted with campus by deciding where to live and where to eat. While many aspects of the St. Joe’s experience are the same for all students, coming from a different country and immersing oneself in a new way of life can be an adjustment.

While St. Joe’s recently announced that SAT and ACT scores are no longer required for prospective undergraduate students, international students are still required to take the TOEFL, or Test of En-

glish as a Foreign Language. This exam is comprised of four parts: speaking, reading, writing, and listening. The most important part for admissions at this point is the individual score for each section. While some universities may only look at the total score, St. Joe’s says they check the students’ proficiency in each section to ensure their success at the university.

Once accepted, the students are then sent to the Center for International Programs (CIP). The same office that handles study abroad and study tour programs takes care of incoming students from other countries as well.

Aria Galletti, international student advisor at the Center for International Programs, works hands-on with the students, from helping them get their visas to assisting them in becoming accustomed to their new home.

“Although the CIP doesn’t primarily serve to help academically, they are always available and open to connect and funnel students needing any sort of help to the appropriate contacts and services,” said Galletti.

The day before the semester begins, there is an international student orientation hosted by the CIP. There the CIP commu-

nicates immigration rules and information about receiving health insurance, and also holds a resource fair for the students. Offices and organizations like Campus Recreation, Career Development, and Hawk Central run tables and invite students to learn more about how they can be used as a resource.

Abdulelah Sharahili, an English as a Second Language (ESL) student from Saudi Arabia who experienced the transition process last year, confirmed that the CIP is a helpful resource, saying, “It was such a big help going to the CIP.” He added that the CIP was a great place for getting help and finding solutions to any problems he may have experienced in his classes.

Although all students deserve equal access to resources offered by the university, a controversy arose when deciding whether or not it is fair for the international students to be provided only the same amount of time and help as native students, and if maybe a little more help along the way isn’t ethically wrong.

Although the Writing Center has trained tutors who are accustomed to working with ESL students, some, especially those in graduate school, have voiced how offering longer, more frequent time

slots would be helpful for smaller grammatical and spelling corrections that they may need more help with than other students.

Another area in which international students experience difficulty is while taking the mandatory theology course, Faith, Justice, and the Catholic Tradition.

Unlike most citizens of the U.S., who for the most part have a general idea of what Christianity is, international students often do not have this background knowledge.

This makes walking into a theology course centered on Catholicism even more overwhelming.

“Coming from Saudi Arabia, the mandatory theology course is out of my element,” Abdullax Algxamdi, ’16, said.

Algxamdi said that this is because in his country, learning about other religions is not commonly enforced.

St. Joe’s is addressing this concern due to undergraduate students from the U.S. as well as other ESL students voicing the same concern regarding this course.

While St. Joe’s certainly does much to welcome and accommodate international students, one may still ask whether more can be done to make their transition smoother as students.

D.C. semester students feel effects of the shutdown

St. Joe’s continues with university planning

Continued SHUTDOWN, from Pg. 1

Continued BENCHMARK, from Pg. 1

Although these internships are not limited to the political sciences area, many students who choose to spend their semester in Washington, D.C. work for various federal programs. Even though they are participating in unpaid internships, students who are interning for these programs are furloughed as well, causing them to become very frustrated and fearful over what is to happen regarding their internship credits.

“My worst fear was that they were going to take my internship credits away from me because of not getting the amount of internship hours I needed,” said Boram. “I am hoping they won’t, because it’s not like we can help the fact that the government shut down. I am paying for this, and I am trying to get the most out of this situation as possible, but it’s not really able to happen because I’m not allowed to go in and work.”

Another St. Joe’s student, Amanda Gomez, ’15, is interning with Voice of America this semester.

“I do feel that it’s really unfortunate that I’m not able to work.

The whole point of me coming to D.C. was to do my internship, so it’s been very upsetting,” said Gomez.

As an intern, Gomez is considered a non-essential employee, but some other people in the office are still working.

She said that she misses her internship as well as the experience itself, expressing her desire to go in and help out.

“It’s not so much a financial burden, because they are not paying me to work, but I wish I was there helping out my bosses,” said Gomez. “One of them e-mailed me this morning saying that they haven’t forgotten about me and that I was missed. That was nice to hear because I really love where I work; it’s just a bummer that I can’t be there to help them.”

Both Gomez and Boram said that they’ve been keeping themselves as busy as possible with classes, as well as with various workshops and programs the Washington Center has provided for other interns who find themselves in the same situation. But

they still wish they were working.

“I’ve been catching up on other work [since the government shutdown], I go through the Washington Center Program, and I’ve been catching up on class,” said Gomez. “The first day of the government shutdown I actually had community service at the Ethiopian Community Center, so I’ve been pretty much trying to keep myself busy.”

The Washington Center has been doing the best they can to help the students in this situation. In some cases, this means relocating some to other internship sites temporarily.

“The Center is trying to connect students with other internship sites that haven’t been directly affected by the government shutdown,” said Gomez.

“They are not relocating them indefinitely; they will return to their original internship site [after the shutdown] but they have set up a temporary shadow for some at another internship site.

They are trying to keep us busy and give us an experience as much as they can.”

While the government shutdown is affecting these interns, they are receiving a real understanding for what paid federal employees are going through, forcing them to think of the future and what life would be like if they were put in this position again.

“It’s a little frustrating, but at the same time this is how the government works and there are actual people working for the government, I’m just an unpaid intern,” said Boram. “They are dealing with the same thing, but this is their actual job, so if I was later to become a government employee, I may be in this situation in a different part of my life.”

Boram said that this experience has made her rethink her possible career choices.

“It has made me a little bit hesitant because I don’t know if I want to be stuck in this situation later in life, when I have, let’s say, a house to pay for, children, and other aspects—you know you can’t stop those bills,” said Boram.

The number of students engaged in student/faculty research has also overshot estimates. In 2010, the university stated that the goal was to increase the number of Summer Scholars from 90 per year to 150 per year by 2020. In 2013, there were 110 Summer Scholars, which Gaval says is right on track for the goal.

Students have been feeling the benefits of the opportunities that research with faculty members can provide them.

Laur Fiatoa, ’14, spent this summer researching communications trends in Egypt and in the Arab Spring with a faculty mentor, Mike Lyons, Ph.D., assistant professor of communication studies.

“I think this was a great opportunity for me to be able to not have to work for the summer and focus on something that I was interesting in studying, rather than just working on a menial job,” said Fiatoa.

Although student academic opportunities may be increasing, university diversity statistics are not improving across the board. In 2010, increased campus diversity was stated as a plan to coincide with the university mission. Overall, minority student enrollment has gone up in all divisions, with 15.2 percent of the student body as minorities in the 2008-09 school year and increasing to 18.1 percent in the 2012-13 school year. However, minority faculty, staff, and administration numbers have gone down. In the 2008-09 school year, 20.1 percent of the staff was made up of minorities. By the 2012-13 school year, the number decreased to 17.4 percent.

The change in statistics could be due to the number of faculty members hired since 2010: 27 new tenure-track faculty members were hired between the fall of 2010 and the fall of 2013. The increase in professors coincides with the amount of new program offerings for students. Benchmark 2020 stated a goal of nine new majors or minors by 2013. St. Joe’s has surpassed this goal, starting to offer 11 new majors, 16 new minors, and four new masters programs.

“That’s where all of those new majors came in to play over the past three years,” said Gaval. “People who transferred out said ‘I’m really looking for a communications major’

or ‘I’m really looking for neuroscience.’

[The programs] are what students wanted.”

Gaval said that more programs might be added in the upcoming years. According to Gaval, Jeanne Brady, Ph.D., temporary dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of education, tasked college faculty members with the creation of new majors and minors over the summer.

Another main component to the plan was to make sure the full implementation of the General Education Program (GEP), launched in fall 2010, would be in effect by the fall of 2018. According to James Boettcher, associate professor of philosophy and chair of the GEP oversight committee, this plan is on track.

Boettcher did, however, say that sometimes running first year seminar and writing intensive courses that are now staples of the system could be difficult for departments.

“I think department chairs are under a lot of pressure to manage costs, so for departments that perhaps want to run other courses that are small, sometimes there would be the disincentive to run GEP courses that are small,” said Boettcher. “With assurances from both college deans that they are still supportive of the GEP, I think chairs would be willing to use those courses.”

This week, the institutional planning committee will be meeting for the first time this semester to discuss the next phase of the plan. University President C. Kevin Gillespie, S.J., ’72, will address the committee on how he would like the plan to be shaped over the next three years. Gaval said that Gillespie’s goals will include increased student success and opportunities, but that any plans must be closely tied with the changing university financial model.

“He is going to ask us to make sure that however we build the plan, that it ties directly to the financial plan,” said Gaval. “This is so that what we do is achievable, but also provides us with a sustainable way to work in the future.”

Interviews conducted by Amanda Murphy, ’14, Managing Editor.

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News Briefs Not footing the bill Tri-state Area State assessment scores show decrease in reading and math proficiency The Philadelphia School District released its results on Oct. 4 for the state’s top standardized test: the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA). This is the second year in a row that the overall percentage of students scoring “proficient” or “advanced” on math and reading exams declined across all grade levels. The average math proficiency scores fell four points from 51 percent to 47 percent, while reading proficiency rates dipped 2.5 percentage points, from 44.8 to 42.3. (Philly.com)

Detective under investigation

Ron Dove, a Philadelphia homicide detective, has been removed from street work after allegedly tampering with evidence in a murder investigation in which his girlfriend is the main suspect. Dove has been reassigned to desk duty as police investigate whether he tried to help his girlfriend cover up evidence in the September murder of her ex-boyfriend.

(Philly.com)

PATCO ridership drops After a decade of steady growth, ridership on the Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO) commuter rail line is down 1.7 percent for the first eight months of 2013, compared to the same period in 2012. It is unclear if the drop in ridership is due to the escalator failure and train delays in recent months. PATCO carried 7.07 million riders through August this year, about 121,000 fewer than the 7.19 million in the same period last year.

(Philly.com)

Worldwide Migrant ship sinking On Oct. 3, a ship carrying about 500 migrants from Eritrea and Somalia sank off the coast of Italian Island, Lampedusa, leaving almost 200 people missing. The search for the missing people was resumed on Oct. 6, after a twoday suspension due to inclement sea weather.

At press time, the death toll had risen to 232.

Only 155 people are known to have survived the accident; many are still unaccounted for.

Authorities have denied allegations that they were slow to mount a rescue. (BBC)

Argentina’s president suffers brain hematoma Cristina Fernandez, president of Argentina, has been told by doctors to take a month off because of a subdural hematoma on her brain, forcing her to abandon campaigning for congressional elections this month. Fernandez, 60, was admitted on Oct. 5 to a Buenos Aires hospital. Fernandez’s spokesman said she suffered trauma to the brain in August. (The Guardian)

Student Senate asks Campus Recreation to fund extended O’Pake hours

Photo by Shannon Adams, ’16

Connie Lunanuova ’16

Hawk Staff If you didn’t take notice of the colorful flyers adorning the walls of the O’Pake Recreation Center last spring, then you probably weren’t aware that you had an extra hour to run that fifth mile on the treadmill, bench press another 10 reps, swim 10 more laps in the pool, or play another round of knockout on the basketball court.

Students were able to extend their workouts due to a petition that the University Student Senate (USS) put forward in the spring semester of this past academic year. The petition proposed that O’Pake stay open an extra hour in the evening, allowing the gym to close at 11 p.m. rather than at 10 p.m. The gym would also remain open an extra hour on Sunday nights, closing at 10 p.m. as opposed to 9 p.m.

A positive response from students encouraged USS to suggest that this extra hour remain a part of the gym’s schedule for future academic years, with Campus Recreation as the primary benefactor. This year, however, Campus Recreation did not budget enough money to fund the extra hour, and O’Pake’s schedule returned to its original closing time of 10 p.m.

The motive behind the increased hours was to allow students the opportunity to be able to work out at a time most convenient to them. Extended hours during which the gym is open and available for use provides flexibility for students with busy schedules. Because not every student is able to make a trip to the gym during the day, evening workouts tend to be quite popular, especially for students who wish to work out after a night class.

While the weather is currently cooperative for those who like to run outside, the fall/winter weather will soon kick in, driving students to exercise indoors. Students who only have time to run in the evening also run the risk of exercising in an unsafe environment, should they run off-campus These reasons were recognized by USS and acted as the catalyst for the Student Senate to push Campus Recreation to prolong

the hours that the gym remained open.

Because USS was the driving force behind O’Pake’s extension, the Student Senate contributed enough money to fund a three-week trial period in which the gym would be open until 11 p.m. this past spring semester.

During the trial period, USS observed how many students utilized that extra hour, and found the results to be successful enough for the funding to continue for the rest of the semester. The addition of another hour to the gym’s schedule provided students with the ability to take advantage of the gym’s many resources that aren’t available to them through the other workout facilities located in campus housing, such as a large amount of treadmills and elliptical machines, free weights, a pool, and basketball courts.

“It was considered a great success and voted the Student Senate’s most popular initiative at the end of the year,” said Student Senator Brian Lafferty, ’15, who took the initiative on the project.

In order to meet student requests for the extra hour, USS allocated $1,500 of its annual budget to keep O’Pake open an extra hour during this fall semester, according to Student Senator Nick Chingas, ’16. USS will also vote to see if they will continue funding into the upcoming spring semester.

“We’re hoping that because this is the second time we are stepping in to fund the extra hour, that Campus Recreation will [be allocated] more money to keep this extended schedule,” said Chingas.

“Currently, we have enough money to keep O’Pake open for another hour, but with our other commitments to the student body, and as the Senate will likely fund other expenses, maintaining this extra hour will eventually add up,” continued Chingas.

Corey Shannon, director of campus recreation, supports the idea of funding for additional hours, should the student usage justify the additional cost and staffing hours. Shannon said that the reason Campus Recreation could not fund the additional hour was because the budget set for the current academic year was already due during the last fall 2012 semester.

Because the proposal for the additional hours was not made until last spring semester, the costs were unable to be included in Campus Recreation’s requests for the budget of this school year.

“Campus Recreation has been more than willing to work with the USS again to bring back the extended gym because we both agreed that this was an important issue,” said Lafferty. “The extended hours are expected to be in effect after fall break and we are hoping that this will be a permanent change.”

In order to ease themselves from being the primary contributor to the new gym schedule, the Student Senate will approach Campus Recreation after the fall semester with the hope that the University Budgeting Allocations Committee will make room in the budget to keep this additional hour. According to Chingas, USS’s goal is to show the committee that this is a cause worth taking on.

New student web portal in the works Catharine Gaylord ’16 Hawk Staff

Saint Joseph’s University’s Technology Service Center (TSC) has been working on a new university portal to replace the current MySJU website.

According to an email sent to students from the TSC, the purpose of MySJU has always been to provide students with a “central location…to access all university websites and services in one convenient location. These services include: courses, timesheets for student employees, registration, online bill pay, grades, event information, and other student resources.”

The new portal will work to provide students with a central location allowing students to access everything with one login.

The current MySJU portal has been receiving many negative reviews from staff and students alike. Some parts of the site are still running off the technology from its first launch in 1999. Because of this, the Office of Information Technology decided to modernize the system and create a new university portal. Eventually, the TSC even hopes to have a mobile site operating as well.

“We want to get away from the negative reviews of MySJU,” said Lauren Adams, assistant director of customer service in the Office of Information Technology.

Students have asked for a more efficient, reliable system to find email, grades, and billing information.

“So many students depend on the website for their classes that it needs to be reliable as possible,” said Claudia Gallagher, ’16.

In addition to being more modern, the new portal will also be “…personalized and not as boxy as the one now,” according to Jeffrey Bachovchin, ’89, assistant vice president of information services.

To achieve this, the Office of Information Technology has made this project a collaborative one, reaching out to faculty and staff. They are taking their input, as well as that of students, into consideration when designing the portal. When the portal becomes operational, the TSC plans to put together student focus groups to help generate feedback before it is debuted to the rest of the university.

“The MySJU website has been cluttered and difficult to navigate for a while now,” said Mackenzie Silvestri, ’16. “I’m looking forward to seeing what changes

will be made.”

This project will be carried out within the next couple of months and hopefully will be ready for use by this upcoming February, according to the TSC. Initially, MySJU will be kept running alongside the new portal. This will ease the transition for students, at least for the first few months, according to Adams.

Because of a desire to increase student involvement and give the new portal a fresh start, the TSC is running a contest to have students name the new site. The top five submissions will be selected through student votes by Sept. 12, with their creators receiving a gift card for their efforts.

The winner will then be announced on Oct. 31, and the winning creator will receive an iPad Mini. According to the TSC, the contest has already yielded over 300 submissions within the last two weeks.

Although big changes are coming for MySJU, the TSC has noted the importance of the continuing efforts to better the website.

“This is not something that we launch and just go away—it’s something we want to continuously improve over time,” said Bachovchin.

NEWS

HOW [ The Hawk Newspaper

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will

The AffordAble CAre ACT]

affect St. Joe’s students

Laura Hurst, director of student health services, gave St. Joe’s students some fast facts on how and if the ACA will change the way they receive health insurance.

March 23 2010

President Barack Obama signs the Affordable Care Act.

July 1 2010

Healthcare.gov launches; uninsured people with pre-existing conditions are given new options to get insurance.

Sept.

2010

Young adults are given the chance to stay on parents’ plans until the age of 26.

What are the implications of the ACA for St. Joe’s students?

“I think we’re in a good position because all of our undergraduate students are required to have health insurance. We ask everybody to provide proof of health insurance, and if they don’t have it, we do have insurance that the university offers that meet the ACA requirements. Each year, we’ve had to change it to meet the health care laws, so it’s compliant with the ACA. Our undergrad students have insurance, so I don’t really feel like the ACA will be a burden to them. Some of our domestic graduate students may not have health insurance because we don’t require our graduate students to purchase insurance. Some of our graduate students that may not be covered under their parents’ plans anymore may be forced to purchase a [government] plan.”

oct. 14 2011

Why do undergraduate students need to have health insurance when enrolling at St. Joe’s?

“Part of our reasons for doing it was that we were finding that some of our students didn’t have health insurance. It was not a lot [of students], but it did put them at a risk. If they had any kind of accident or injury where they took a trip to the emergency room, it could be a real financial burden for them. It was mostly for the benefit of the students that we required, so they would get good health care and not be saddled down by a bunch of bills.”

March 2012

What advantages are there for buying into the St. Joe’s health care plan?

“I wouldn’t necessarily say there was an advantage or disadvantage. We provide basic health care coverage, so if you’re covered under a parent’s plan, you don’t need to purchase the university plan. It’s really designed for the person without health insurance coverage.”

HealtH care systems

around tHe world The Beveridge Model

The Bismarck Model

The National Health Insurance Model

The Out-of-Pocket Model

Health care is provided and paid for by tax payments through the government.

Health care is financed Health care is financed The government is too jointly by employers from a government-run poor or too disorganized and employees through insurance program that to provide any kind of payroll deduction. every citizen pays into. mass medical care.

Named after the British social reformer, William Beveridge. Here, health care is provided and paid for by tax payments through the government. The government, as the sole health care financer, controls what doctors charge their patients, which creates low costs per capita in the state. There are both private and public doctors, but all collect their fees from the government.

Like the U.S. system of health care, the Bismarck model works on an insurance system. This model is named after Otto von Bismarck, the Prussian chancellor who invented the welfare state. In the Bismarck model, insurers are paid for by employees through payroll deduction, like the U.S. However, the system strays from the U.S. in that insurance plans do not take in a profit and that they must cover everyone. Here, most doctors and hospitals are private.

Although there are many choices for insurers, tight regulations in many countries give the government cost control.

A combination of both the Beveridge and Bismarck models, this system is financed from a government-run insurance program that every citizen pays into. These types of plans are cheaper and plainer than the U.S. for-profit insurance program. These plans also control costs by making patients wait for treatment because they limit medical services offered.

The majority of nations are too poor to provide any kind of mass medical care. Many people go their entire life without ever seeing a doctor.

The Affordable Care Act now requires any federal health program to collect racial and ethnic data to help identify and reduce disparities and unfairness.

Jan.1 2013

The law gives new funding to state Medicaid programs that choose to cover preventative services for patients.

oct.1 2013

Open enrollment begins for the 2014 plan; healthcare.gov crashes due to mass visits.

Jan.1 2014

Coverage begins for those who sign up by mid-December 2013.

The law now prohibits plans from imposing annual dollar limits on the amount of coverage anyone may receive.

Also, most individuals who can afford it will now be required to buy basic health insurance coverage or pay a fee to help cover the costs of uninsured Americans.

March 31 Open enrollment closes 2014 for the 2014 plan.

oct. 15 2014 *Countries listed here are examples, not a comprehensive list.

Kathleen Sebelius, United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, states that the Department of Health cannot move forward with plans for Community Living Assistance Services and Supports program, or CLASS, a voluntary, long-term care insurance program to provide benefits to adults who become disabled.

Open enrollment closes for the 2015 plan.

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100%

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PoPulation covered by health insurance Australia Canada

Czech Republic

Finland

100%

Covered by government health insurance

The Hawk Newspaper

84.9%

PoPulation covered by health insurance

Denmark

Greece

Hungary

Italy

Israel

Ireland

United States

31.8%

Covered by government health insurance

53.1% Covered by private health insurance

the united states is the only developed nation without national health care coverage.

Japan

South Korea

New Zealand

Norway

Portugal

Solvenia Sweden

Switzerland

United Kingdom

OPINIONS

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The Hawk Newspaper

Students react to health care reform Pro-Obamacare

Anti-Obamacare

Human struggle illustrates need for Obamacare

Obamacare is a threat to sound economics

Erin Raftery ’15

Joseph Wutkowski ’16

Why I am I for Obamacare? Because it’s a human right. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right to health, including health care. And everyone means everyone, regardless of race, gender, or socioeconomic status.

The Affordable Care Act prevents insurance companies from discriminating against those with pre-existing medical conditions.

As someone with a pre-existing heart condition, this comes as a huge relief to me. The anxiety over whether or not I’d get coverage is now fully dissipated.

It allows people to be on their parents’ health care plan until they are 26. This also comes as a huge relief to most people our age.

Our generation is going to have a hard time landing a job right after graduation, and we will need that extra time to find secure health insurance.

According to a Harvard study, 45,000 Americans die every year because they do not have insurance. This should be a fact that horrifies everyone. As a developed country, we do our best to extend our average life span and prevent death amongst our population. The fact that so many Americans die from preventable reasons should be seen as tragic by everyone in our country.

The Congressional Budget Office predicts that 33 million Americans that would usually be uninsured will be insured by 2022.

This statistic also shows that the number of deaths in the country should decrease. Also, for families whose incomes are 400 percent below the poverty line, the premiums are capped. This means those families won’t have to pay more than 6.3 percent of their income in premiums. Thus, living up to its name of the “Affordable Care Act.” With Obamacare, millions of American people can get preventative cancer screenings and vaccinations with no added cost. This will extend the lifespan and provide a healthier life for more Americans.

Being in hospitals a lot, I’ve witnessed firsthand the failings of our health care system. I’ve walked by children with cancer who have been denied treatment because they don’t have enough money to pay for it. Take the movie “John Q” for example. Denzel Washington’s character had to hold a hospital hostage to get his son on the list for a heart transplant because he couldn’t afford the surgery since his job demoted him from full-time to part-time. Is that fair to deny his son surgery because of socio-economic factors that he could not control? It’s not, and Obamacare prevents this fictional situation from turning into a real life one.

Although the exchange market had some glitches with its grand premiere on Oct. 1, officials are saying this was because of the high demand and traffic that the website for the exchanges, www.healthcare.gov, was receiving.

It’s time we join the rest of the developed world and have universal health care because it is a universal human right. It doesn’t discriminate, it creates a healthier society, and it makes health insurance more affordable.

At first glance, the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) doesn’t seem so bad. People who can’t afford healthcare are now able to see a doctor when they’re sick and people with pre-existing conditions no longer pay higher premiums on insurance. Obamacare looks good on paper. But we must look at how it will affect the most important thing right now: the economy.

The biggest problem most Americans have with Obamacare is its restrictions on our freedom. Nobody likes being told what to do and the American people are no longer able to make decisions based upon their own preferences. Instead, we will have to allow a 33,000-page book of rules and regulations to make a decision for us.

What exactly is in those 33,000 pages? As Minority Leader of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi said in March 2010, “We have to pass the [health care] bill so that you can find out what’s in it.” Since 2010, more and more people have realized that this law is very dangerous to the American economy.

There are thousands of regulations in this bill. Right now it is most important to focus on the regulations that would most affect us as young college students. We spent the last four years of our lives working hard so that we will be able to get a good job that pays well.

Being responsible young adults, we know it is in our best interest to buy a health care plan. Add this extra cost on top of our college loans, living expenses, and saving for the future, and we will quickly realize we have no disposable income to dump back into the economy. Instead, that extra money you earn from working hard all week long is going towards a health care plan that you didn’t agree to pay.

I know what you’re thinking: “Just don’t sign up for a plan.” If you choose to opt out of purchasing a health care plan, you can expect to be fined around $750. Although this fine will be applied through a reduction in your annual tax return, the government will still get its money.

Another problem is that under the plans available for purchase, we are all treated equally. That means if you exercise five times a week and eat three healthy meals a day, you are paying the same exact price as a man who smokes three packs a day and does not exercise. This is because insurance companies will no longer be able to charge based upon your health status.

Lastly, but most importantly, is the effect that Obamacare has on the backbone of the American economy: small businesses. Obamacare defines a small business as any entity that employs 50 people or less. These small businesses will now have to provide health care to all full-time employees. This may encourage employers to move full-time employees to part-time, or just lay them off completely. It’s pretty much self-explanatory how Obamacare will impact the job market. There will be mass layoffs and changes within small businesses all across America.

Overall, Obamacare fundamentally violates the very essence of capitalism and the free market system America has succeeded on.

Hawk Staff

Special to The Hawk

8

OPINIONS The Hawk Newspaper

10 9 13

Editorial

AWKISMS

Asserting the value of our education Editor in Chief Marissa Marzano ’14 MANAGING EDITOR Amanda Murphy ’14 COPY CHIEF Abby Riviello ’14 Business Director Hannah Lynn ’14 Asst Business Director Nick Gianfrancesco ’16 Faculty Advisor Dan Reimold News editor Cat Coyle ’16 ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Karen Funaro ’16 OPINIONS EDITOR Joseph Cerrone ’14 FEATURES EDITOR Shelby Miller ’14 SPORTS EDITOR Garrett Miley ’15 ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Frank Flores ’15 LAYOUT EDITOR Weiyi (Dawn) Cai ’15 PHOTO EDITOR Shannon Adams ’16 ONLINE EDITOR Robbie Cusella ’14 Joe Lacitignola ’14 SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Jillian Gardner ’16

Midterm week may be tough, but it is a great time to remember the value of our education It’s midterm week and the stress level on Hawk Hill is once again on the rise.

For many students, this week has been filled with long nights in the library studying followed by exhausting days in the classroom.

Unlike finals week, we do not have off from class to prepare for exams; instead, we must navigate a confusing labyrinth of classes, exams, papers, and presentations in search of our final destination: fall break.

The anxiety inherent in this situation is compounded by our focus on earning good grades. Finding the right balance between the assignments and tests for each class can also prove challenging, as too often professors plan their deadlines on the same day. It is moments like this when it is important to take a step back and recognize the opportunity offered by our college experience.

Although many of us may have grown up with the idea that we would eventually attend college, this is not the case for the vast majority of the earth’s population. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) estimates that less than 10 percent of the people in the world hold a college degree. In fact, only 40 percent of young adults in the developed world have this credential. Additionally, obtaining all levels of education is a challenge for many populations, with over 57 million children around the world living without access to primary education.

Even though it may be unbelievable from

our American perspective, in numerous regions around the world women and girls are prevented from receiving an education. The fight for gender equality in the classroom came into focus last year, when Pakistani student Malala Yousafzai was shot by the Taliban on her way home from school. This week, she was once again threatened by the Taliban; however, this constant danger has not diminished her commitment to fighting for children’s education.

Even though we may be struggling to finish our last essay, we must realize that education is an opportunity that some people around the world risk their lives to obtain.

However, this educational insufficiency can also be encountered in our own country. Economically disadvantaged communities often struggle to afford post-secondary education, even when their students have enormous potential. Many Hawks have encountered this situation when participating in service opportunities in our local area. Although we may not be able to offer a permanent solution to this crisis, our understanding of the problem and standing in solidarity with those in need are ways we can increase awareness and support change in our society.

The abundance of stress during midterm week may be discouraging for students, many of whom may lose hope in the face of a poor grade or an impossibly long list of assignments. However, even in times like these, it is important for us to remain mindful of the amazing experience we have as students of Saint Joseph’s University.

By taking advantage of our education and committing ourselves to our Jesuit mission to care for others, we will enter the world as citizens who support education for everyone, from the cities of the U.S. to the mountains of Pakistan.

The Hawk Staff

n. a term for slang used by students of Saint Joseph’s Univeristy to refer to places and spaces around campus.

East Shuttle - n - Students utilize this shuttle service to travel to various shopping centers located close to campus. The shuttle leaves from the Mandeville parking lot and stops include Target, Acme, and the Presidential Apartments.

West Shuttle - n - This shuttle service offered by Public Safety takes students from the main campus along City Avenue to the residence halls located farther down the road. Many students living in Merion Gardens and Lancaster Courts utilize this shuttle on a daily basis.

When confused about which shuttle to take always remember: “East is to eat and West is to rest.

Hawk Hysteria - n - This annual event serves as the official introduction for the men’s and women’s basketball teams. It is supported by Kisses for Kyle, an organization that supports families affected by pediatric cancer.

I’m going to go to Hagan early to get a good seat for Hawk Hysteria!

MySJU - n - This is the online portal that students and faculty of Saint Joseph’s University utilize in order to access their web accounts. MySJU allows students to pay their bills online, view their transcript, register for classes, and manage their affairs as students. The university is currently developing a new portal to replace this system by the end of the year.

I’m always afraid that I will not be able to log into MySJU when I need to register for classes.

The danger of forgetting Pakistan Stability relies on an oft-forgotten state Kevin Black ’15

W

Special to The Hawk

hat’s going on in Pakistan?

The United States government shutdown, possible diplomatic engagement with Iran, and alShabaab terror attacks in Africa have dominated the news lately, leading many people to overlook current developments in Pakistan.

Over the past two weeks, Pakistan has been plagued by suicide attacks from rebel insurgents, crippled by two separate destructive earthquakes, and forced to engage with India over attacks in the Jammu-Kashmir region. These developments, particularly the insurgency in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), have undermined Pakistan’s security.

Pakistan and the FATA are the home to multiple extremist groups including: Tehrik-e-Taliban (Pakistani Taliban), the Afghan Taliban, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Al-Qaeda, and the Haqqani Network. The FATA has been a sanctuary for these militants over the past several years. These groups are composed of Islamic extremists who carry out regional attacks in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India. While this conflict may seem like a regional problem, there are a number of global concerns that must be taken into account.

First, there is the fear of Pakistan becoming a “new Afghanistan,” where terrorist groups can operate freely in a safe haven. While U.S. drone strikes in the FATA have helped to eliminate key militant commanders, Pakistani public opinion towards these drone strikes reveals that

Illustration from wikimedia.org

such efforts may be futile. The Pew Research Center released polling data in July 2013 that shows about 72 percent of Pakistanis have an unfavorable view of the U.S. This anti-sentiment creates a hotbed for extremist recruitment, especially in the regions most affected by the drone strikes.

Second, peace talks between Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Tehrik-e-Taliban have thus far proven fruitless. Much like the attempted peace talks between Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai and the Afghan Taliban, talks are contingent upon the militants laying down their arms, ceasing all rebel attacks, and accepting each

country’s constitution. Unfortunately, the Pakistani Taliban has continued its assault on Pakistan. Recently, suicide bombings have destabilized Pakistani order as the conflict spilled out of the FATA and into cities like Peshawar. The Pakistani Taliban is demanding Prime Minister Sharif release all militant prisoners and withdraw troops from the tribal areas. However, conceding to these demands would directly undermine any remaining stability in the region.

Finally, the spillover effects into other parts of Pakistan, the Jammu-Kashmir region, and ethnic unrest in Baluchistan all indicate that the turmoil in Pakistan is far from over.

As instability spreads to more areas of Pakistan, Sharif ’s legitimacy will be questioned domestically and internationally. In order to regain control, Pakistan and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) must learn to effectively combat the roots of unrest and extremist ideology. Cooperation with these groups should not be an option because any agreement would serve as a mere band-aid to the problem.

As the U.S. continues to deal with Iran and Syria, our leaders cannot ignore the continued insurgency in Pakistan. While the footprint of the U.S. military has continued to shrink in the region, drone strikes have remained an important tactic in targeting terrorism. Yet, these strikes have incensed communities of the tribal regions and drawn heavy criticism from Pakistan at large. Therefore, it is time for the U.S. government to conduct a strategic overhaul of its military mission in order to determine how to effectively combat these terrorist groups, de-legitimize their ideology, and help bring stability to a consistently volatile region.

OPINIONS The Hawk Newspaper

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10 9 13

Unfiltered: {womanifesto} We asked, Hawks responded

H-I-J-K-LGBTQ The fluidity of sexual orientation Carina Ensminger ’14

L

Hawk Staff

GBTQIAP. We got the all the colors of the rainbow. Now we’re taking over the alphabet!

Wahoo!

I do love that more letters are being added to the acronym LGBTQ because it broadens our perspective of gender and sexuality. I hope that, with enough education, we may break everyone out of the tendency to think of gender and sexual orientation as static binaries.

You remember our decidedly not-so-friendly gender binary? Well, sexual orientation has been framed in a binary as well. The most visible and easily understood identities in the LGBTQ community are gays and lesbians. Why? Because they represent the binary opposite of heterosexuality, the omnipotent norm of our society.

It is easy for many to conceptualize gay and lesbian identities because they are seen as static opposites to heterosexuality. Lesbians are women who like women and gays are men who like men.

Simple. However, many have trouble conceptualizing fluid sexual orientations. We like our little boxes and labels, we like everything to be black and white. But our world operates in shades of gray, or shades of gay, as we’re talking about sexual orientation (I promise no more bad puns…).

Sexuality, like gender, is not entirely static because attraction itself is not entirely static. Perhaps it’s because I am starving, but this is the first analogy that came to me: you love Chinese food. Because you like Chinese food more than any other type of cuisine, you mainly order Chinese. But one day you find this incredible Indian restaurant! So you order out there for a while and it’s delicious and wonderful. Then you find an awesome Mexican restaurant that serves half-priced margaritas! And so you eat there and it is just as delicious and wonderful.

Now apply this to attraction. A person may find that they experience more pointed attractions towards a particular gender, but that attraction does not bar them from ever feeling any attraction towards another gender. Remember that the labels we identify with are just that: labels. They do not determine our experiences, but rather we use them to describe how we feel. So just because Mike identifies as straight does not mean he cannot feel the slightest bit of attraction to another man. Sexuality is fluid.

Also, realize that the gender of Mike’s sexual partner does not automatically reveal his sexual orientation. Just because you ordered steamed dumplings tonight does not mean you don’t equally salivate over tacos. Or curry. Or lasagna.

Before my stomach becomes a black hole, let’s get the rest of LGBTQIAP defined!

L and G stand for lesbian and gay, respectively. If you’ve been reading each week, you have a handle on the T, transgender. So that leaves B, Q, I, A, and P! I is for intersex. This identity has more to do with gender and sex rather than sexuality. Intersex individuals are naturally born with some combination of penis and vagina. Though many call intersex individuals hermaphrodites, the intersex community rejects this term because it is misleading and derogatory.

A is for asexual. Asexual individuals do not experience sexual attraction. Asexuality is not celibacy, which is the conscious decision to not engage in sexual activity. Asexual individuals may or may not be celibate.

Despite not experiencing sexual attraction, asexual individuals do experience romantic attraction.

B is for bisexual. Bisexual individuals feel physical and romantic attractions to both men and women.

P is for pansexual. Pansexual individuals feel attraction towards individuals regardless of their gender identity, gender expression, and sex. I like to think of pansexual as peoplesexual; it’s the personality that drives the attraction.

Q is for queer. We talked about gender queer last week, so I’ll focus on queer with regards to sexuality. Queer individuals experience sexuality as fluid; they are attracted to people regardless of gender or sex and prefer to not box themselves in to a specific orientation. If they had a motto, it would be, “I am who I am and I like who I like. “ I realize the distinctions get murky between bisexuality, pansexuality, and queer sexuality. But remember that we adopt labels to describe our experiences; the minutia of their discrepancies is not really what matters. What matters is whatever feels right, whatever clicks.

I have one last thing that I have to put in just for the sheer number of times I’ve heard it: asking same-sex couples which one’s “the man” and which one’s “the woman” is like asking which chopstick is the fork. Please don’t.

And now I seriously need to order Chinese food. Till next time!

We like our little boxes and labels, we like everything to be black and white. But our world operates in shades of gray, or shades of gay, as we’re talking about sexual orientation.

What is your opinion of the @StJoesCrushes Twitter account?

Karla Grande, ’15

Kelly Freund, ’14

Lindsey Stamer, ’16

Christina Lampert, ’14

Liz Daly, ’14

Brandon Gaal, ’17

“Some of them aren’t bad, but I don’t like that people’s names are in it; it’s like calling them out. I think it’s really gross.”

“I really don’t like this at all. I think that it could be cute, but people have taken it a bit too far and are writing things inappropriate for the internet and to be associated with the college.”

“I think it’s dumb. I think it’s really dumb.”

“I think it’s funny, at some points, to see what people have to say, but I also don’t think it’s extremely necessary.”

“I think the St. Joe’s Crushes Twitter is funny sometimes. I think a little of them go too far, but personally, I love when my friends get on it and I like to read those, but other ones are just a little too much.”

“It’s pretty graphic and degrading.”

What do you think?

Share your answer to this week’s Unfiltered question on Twitter!

Illustration by Weiyi (Dawn) Cai, ’15, Layout Editor

Tweet us @sjuhawknews

10

OPINIONS

10 9 13

The Hawk Newspaper

Spicing up your For freshman eyes only: Coping with stress relationship Keeping track of your romance on Hawk Hill Casey McBride ’16 Hawk Staff

Q: A:

I have been going out with my boyfriend for a while and it is becoming a bit stale and boring. What can I do to inject some new life into my romance?

After being with someone for a while, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut. You’re both comfortable with one another and you know the other person fairly well; at some point a lull is bound to happen. In order to get out of the lull, you have to break the routine. If you’re doing the same thing week after week, it’s bound to get boring! Vow to go out on a date or try something new once a week and go from there. Whether it’s an extravagant dinner in Center City or visiting a street fair on the weekends, anything out of the ordinary will be a change for the better. Spontaneity and surprises are also a good way to spice things up. The unexpected usually isn’t boring! Once you’ve been dating for a while, romantic gestures, even the little ones, mean a lot, so take that into consideration.

Q: A:

I find myself being pursued by two guys, both of whom I am attracted to. How do I choose which person to accept and which to reject?

I think sometime people forget that casual dating is still something to consider! In this day and age, people just assume that the realm of dating is being single or being exclusive, with no gray area in between. Take the time to get to know both guys and see which one you are more compatible with. When you find out which guy is better for you, that’s when you should take the time to accept one and reject the other. One problem I could see arising would be the guys not being okay with having competition. As long as both guys know they aren’t the only person you’re talking to, and they are okay with the situation, you should be able to get to know both of them simultaneously. If one of them does mind the competition, maybe they’re not the right guy and the decision is already made for you.

Q: A:

I have been in a relationship for a long time; however, I feel that I need to move on with my life. How can I end my relationship without hurting someone I care about?

When you’ve been with someone for a while, it’s hard to end things without someone getting hurt. If things haven’t been going well for a while, they may have predicted it and will understand where you’re coming from. However, if your decision to end things is coming out of left field, the unexpectedness of breaking up might make things worse. Break ups are hard for both people involved, so the way you go about it is key. Make sure you pick a private place and good time to talk out your decision. Be honest, explain your reasoning behind your choice, and see how the other person reacts. Depending on their reaction, there are two possible paths you can take: you can suggest staying friends if you left on good terms or you can cut them off completely. No communication seems like a difficult thing after all you’ve been through together, but it will end up being a lot less painful if you’re not being constantly reminded of what once was and no longer is.

Do you have a relationship question that you would like answered in an upcoming issue of The Hawk? Email us at sjuhawknews@gmail.com to see your entry published!

Catharine Gaylord ’16

W

Hawk Staff

ith half of midterm week under your belts, odds are you’re already counting down the days until fall break. After all, sleeping through all four days of break is the perfect way to deal with the stress of your first semester in college. Or is it? In fact, it turns out there are actually better ways to cope with the stress, or even avoid it all together.

Though sleep is an important part of coping with academic stress, we can’t always depend on fall break to come along at the perfect time to help us relax.

What we can do is make sure that we get enough of it consistently.

You might be thinking, “Everybody tells us to get enough sleep every night. We’ve been hearing this all our lives.” But that doesn’t make it any less true. If you decide to forgo sleep for studying, you’re going to be less productive, retain less information, and hurt your body in the long run. So go to bed at a normal time, get that extra hour or two of sleep, and see the difference. Not only will you feel rested, but you’ll be able to finish your work quicker than you would if you were sleep deprived.

As much as your body needs sleep, it also needs food and exercise. Why does this matter when dealing with stress? Actually, for many of the same reasons that sleep matters. If you’re only focused on how hungry you are during your cram session at the library, how much information are you actually remembering?

If you take the 20 minutes to eat,

then you can focus on the work and finish faster.

As for exercise, it simply makes you feel better. Focusing on something other than the work you have to do helps you to decompress, and there’s nothing better to get your mind off class than sprints and weights! When you exercise, you also release endorphins, which make you feel better. Even if it’s just for half an hour, exercise is definitely huge in

Although you’re definitely not going to be able to avoid stress all together, you can avoid a lot of it by staying calm and being proactive about your work. handling that midterm week stress.

A lot of times, just thinking about everything that we have to do is enough to stress us out and make us feel like there’s no way we can get it all done. Therefore, we should try to focus only on the things that are immediately due when we start to feel this way.

Now, I’m not saying that there isn’t importance to being aware of the long term. But in this case, being aware is doing more harm than good. So focus on the immediate future first, and then once everything is under control

we can start to worry about the things due further in the future.

Finally, don’t forget to use the resources available to you. It’s easier to go to a tutor or your professor than to struggle with something for hours by yourself. Not only will asking for help get you answers, but it will save you hours of stress and worry.

So you’ve got your stress under control for the time being, and you don’t want to end up that stressed again. What can you do to prevent future stress? There are a lot of things, actually.

Remember how we were talking about the benefit of being aware of your long-term due dates and commitments? Well, this is where it comes into play. If you start making lists—whether on paper, on Google, or on your phone—then you can always see what you have coming up and plan for the future. That way, if you know that you have three essays due the same week, you can start now instead of stressing out the weekend before they’re due.

As much fun as procrastinating is, it definitely causes more stress than it’s worth.

Although you’re definitely not going to be able to avoid stress all together, you can avoid a lot of it by staying calm and being proactive about your work. And don’t underestimate how much a positive mindset can help; if you think you can do it, you’ll stress a lot less! But when you do run into stress, especially during midterms week, remember to focus on the immediate future, get enough sleep, eat regularly, and exercise— and you’ll feel a lot better.

No work, no pay

It’s time to cut Congressional pay Joseph Cerrone ’14 Opinions Editor

Despite our political differences, the vast majority of Americans are completely fed up with the behavior on Capitol Hill. Our representatives in Congress have failed time and again to work in the best interest of our nation. Instead, they have focused on selfish motives meant to promote their ideological purity and ensure their reelections.

While the recent shutdown of the federal government is just the latest in a long line of misdemeanors committed by our leaders, this situation illustrates a grave injustice. Although approximately 800,000 federal workers were furloughed during the shutdown, members of Congress continue to receive their full salaries as they bicker back and forth.

This is an unacceptable affront to our basic sense of fairness. If hundreds of thousands of workers and their families are being forced into economic hardship, members of Congress should face this fate as well. Unfortunately, life in the political

sphere has become a well-paying career, instead of a humble opportunity for public service. Regardless of what politicians may say, these actions have demonstrated a complete neglect for the interests of the American people.

Although the federal government shutdown will eventually end, the pampered lifestyle of our members of Congress will not. With six-digit salaries and lifelong benefits, members of our government have come to represent a privileged political elite, most of whom do not face the same challenges as their constituents. To return some semblance of dignity to public office, a serious effort should be made to decrease political careerism and the isolation engendered by years spent in Washington. Lowering Congressional pay, reforming benefits, and imposing term limits are simple ways to accomplish these goals.

Nevertheless, it is extremely unlikely that our representatives would ever consider these proposals.

While such large-scale reforms may be out of reach for now, most Americans would support imposing a new law based on a simple principle: no work, no pay.

FEATURES

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10 9 13

The Hawk Newspaper

Place of the Week: Honeygrow

about five to seven minutes, de- a variety of fruits and toppings, Erin Cooper ’17 Hawk Staff

“Honest eating and growing local” is what makes Honeygrow stand out. Voted “Best Healthy Lunch” in Philadelphia magazine’s annual “Best of Philly” issue, this franchise offers a different spin on salads, stir-fry, smoothies, and the honey bar, giving the customers a plethora of delicious and healthy options to choose from.

When you walk in, you are greeted with a fresh, organic atmosphere and open floor plan. Murals on the wall behind the food counter illustrate the exact location of the farms from which Honeygrow gets their meats and vegetables— proving the farms really are local.

Everything is made-to-order right in front of customers and all the fresh ingredients are visible to the public. Honeygrow comes off as a very natural, very healthy option for customers. Even though it’s always buzzing with customers, the average wait time for food is only

pending on the amount of customers and the nature of their orders.

Ordering your meal is a very different experience compared to other restaurants. Two large electronic menus hang above the four touch-screen computers, which are located in front of the kitchen.

“I really like that you can personalize what you want,” said John Pernini, ’17.

Prices vary depending on what you want and how much of it you want. Customers can choose from one of the premade salads or stir-fries, or they can create their own, determining which vegetables, proteins, noodles, and sauces to add. Customers can also choose to add extras, which will raise the cost; however, the average amount is about $12 for a full meal, including fountain drinks or water.

Before or after creating a stirfry or salad, customers can look at the honey bar (on the ordering touch-screens) and choose from

Photos by Shannon Adams, ’16

such as Honeygrow’s homemade whipped cream. In addition, all of Honeygrow’s food options are healthy and accommodate allergies.

A fun fact about Honeygrow is that customers can charge their phones in one of the several compartments near the door, which contain outlets and stacked chargers. Honeygrow distributes keys to the customers who choose to utilize the store’s chargers to ensure their valuables are locked and safe. “[Honeygrow is] good quality food near campus that isn’t hard to get to,” said Pernini.

Located on City Avenue in the Bala Shopping Center, Honeygrow is open every day from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Just hop on the East shuttle out of Mandeville to get a taste of a different kind of homegrown cooking.

Honeygrow also has another location in Center City that is accessible to Saint Joseph’s University students via train.

Ode to oatmeal Kristen Pilkington ’14 Hawk Staff

Oatmeal is a whole grain with numerous health benefits. Nutritionists advise buying unsweetened oatmeal and adding your own honey, maple syrup, agave, or sugar in order to avoid the heavy starches, sugars, and syrups in packaged oatmeal. The healthiest type of oatmeal, also called coarse-cut or Irish oats, is made from whole-grain, steel-cut oats, which unlike those in packaged oatmeal, retain their nutritious bran layer.

Five reasons to eat oatmeal 1. It is a great source of fiber and is very filling.

2. Oatmeal contains the necessary daily dose of omega-3 fatty acids.

3. It helps to regulate blood sugar and reduce cholesterol levels in the body.

4. It contains antioxidants that promote healthy blood circulation in the heart.

5. Oatmeal helps maintain a healthy immune system.

For a tasty, hearty treat, try one of these two low-calorie, gluten-free oatmeal recipes!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Quick Bites Ingredients • One 15-ounce can of pumpkin • 2 cups of oats • 1/3 cup natural applesauce • 1½ tablespoons sugar • 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Baked Cranberry Oatmeal Ingredients • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce • 4 egg whites • 1½ cups organic brown sugar, tightly packed • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract • 1 tablespoon cinnamon • 3 teaspoons baking powder • ½ teaspoon salt • 2¼ cups almond milk (or skim, low fat, or whole milk) • 6 cups old-fashioned oats • 1 cup dried cranberries (or your favorite dried fruit) • 1 cup chopped almonds

# Leezus @bigL713 On the bright side, no parking tickets this week… Swaggggggg #NoParkingPassNoProblems #ThatsTheMagis Meaghan Harrington @youwannabeMEag Just swam in the lane next to a 76er #sju #hagan

Haley Fischer @haley_fischer

I got the magis in me when I hit the church the Jesuits come prayin’ at me #hawktalk #wereonthatjesuitstatus

Adam Booth @BlackHawkUp90 Directions 1. Mix all ingredients together, adding oats in last.

2. Let sit for 15 minutes and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3. Drop spoonfuls of mixture onto a greased baking sheet.

4. Bake for 12 minutes.

I feel the #SJUMBB will fly under the radar this year and that should be a lot better than being crowned before it even begins. #hawktalk

Caitlin Smith @turttweets

I wouldn’t change anything about where I am right now for anything in the world #sju #fifthfloorvilliger

Casey Leonard @Just_inCase_ Watching greys anatomy on Hulu and the Magis commercial for sju came on #thatsthemagis

Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13inch baking pan and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, mix applesauce and eggs together.

3. Add in brown sugar and stir until fully blended (appears smooth).

4. Add in vanilla, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.

5. Add the milk, blending ingredients well.

6. Stir in oats.

7. Add the cranberries and almonds.

8. Pour or scoop the mixture into greased pan and refrigerate overnight or freeze for 30 minutes.

9. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until center is firm.

Photo from Creative Commons

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FEATURES The Hawk Newspaper

Who’s helping who?

Celebrities, not supermen

Denise Sciasci ’15

Amanda Leithead ’17

Realities of Hollywood drug culture

Service experience impacts students Hawk Staff

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dministered by Campus Ministry, service programs at Saint Joseph’s University enable students to travel locally and globally to promote social justice and solidarity, as well as educate themselves on many important social issues.

Beth Ford McNamee, ’99, associate director of Campus Ministry for Service and Social Justice, said, “Through service, students are exploring where they are being called to use their gifts and talents to serve with people who are marginalized in our local and global communities.”

Through programs such as Weekly Service, Winter Immersion Programs, Summer Immersion Programs, the Appalachian Experience, and many more, St. Joe’s prepares students to be, as the Campus Ministry mission states, “persons with and for others.”

The weekly service program serves in partnership with 35 different community sites around the Philadelphia and Camden areas. Over 500 students currently participate in the weekly service program.

Scott Pyzik, ’14, student intern for the weekly service program, knows that being a part of service has positively impacted his life in many ways.

Pyzik said, “Various experiences have taught me that each person has a story. Conversing, hearing others’ stories, and sharing my own has allowed for joys and struggles to be the foundation of our relationships.”

Pyzik plans to take his experience with service with him in his future endeavors by pursuing a year of post-graduate service.

There are also many other opportunities to serve outside of the local community. Each spring break, over 500 students travel to sites along the Appalachian mountain range to work with local partnerships and assist in making a difference in the lives of the Appalachian people.

Under the direction of campus minister Matt Fullmer, the Appalachian Experience (APEX), is one of the most renowned programs on campus, and students of-

Special to The Hawk Photos courtsey Lindsay Hueston, ’17

ten return to the program year after year.

Kerry DiNardo, ’14, is looking forward to participating in APEX for her fourth consecutive year and is thrilled to be leading a trip in her final year at St. Joe’s.

She noted, “The hospitality and spirit of the people in Appalachia are second to none and I am always amazed at how much I continue to learn from the people there.”

DiNardo is also excited to be traveling to Guatemala this upcoming winter break with the Winter Immersion Programs (WIP).

WIP and Summer Immersion Programs (SIP) trips at St. Joe’s are centered around immersing students in a culture unfamiliar to them while simultaneously getting to know the people native to that culture.

Alexa Musumeci, ’15, has never been outside of the country, so she is anticipating her upcoming WIP trip to Guatemala with great enthusiasm.

Musumeci said, “WIP is something I never thought I would be participating in prior to coming to [St. Joe’s].

I am so excited to bring my [St. Joe’s] spirit to the people of Guatemala.”

Additionally, this past Saturday, Oct. 5, many students participated in St. Joe’s Community Day, which is a day of service offered once per semester when students travel to local sites and lend a hand by doing work such as painting and gardening.

Service programs at St. Joe’s help students to step outside of their comfort zones and challenge themselves to do something unfamiliar. Service is a great way for everyone on campus to get involved, regardless of religious backgrounds or beliefs.

Opportunities to promote the Jesuit ideals and reflect on issues in everyday society are widespread at St. Joe’s.

Pyzik said, “My hope is to continue to form relationships with others so that we can then work together to change the injustices of our world.”

Photos courtsey of Kristen Pilkington, ’14

It is no secret that celebrities use drugs. From song lyrics to press releases, we are constantly made aware of the recent rebellious natures of some famous names, particularly that of Hollywood’s younger stars.

You’re most likely aware of the recent affairs of Miley Cyrus, the singer and actress who has transformed from a young Disney Channel star playing “Hannah Montana” to an older, uncensored, and carefree musician.

Cyrus’s recent stunts in her music videos and live performances have been supported by open confessions about her love life, spirituality, and drug use. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Cyrus discussed her experimentation with drugs, stating, “Hollywood is a coke town, but weed is so much better. And molly, too. Those are happy drugs–social drugs. They make you want to be with friends. You’re out in the open.”

These remarks resonate with the lyrics in her recent hit, “We Can’t Stop.” There is speculation as to whether or not one line of the song is, “We like to party/Dancing with Molly/Doing whatever we want” or rather, “Dancing with Miley.”

In regards to the uncertainty, Cyrus stated, “It depends who’s doing what. If you’re age 10 [the lyric is] ‘Miley.’ If you know what I’m talking about, then you know ... You can Google me and you know what I’m up to—you know what that lyric is saying.”

The song also contains a reference to cocaine: “And everyone in line in the bathroom/Trying to get a line in the bathroom.”

“Hannah Montana’s” wholesome music and girl next door image have been replaced by provocative dress and lyrics about drug use and sex.

But many fans and media platforms are questioning this new image, namely Cyrus’s openly party-oriented lifestyle, and the influence it has on her as role model. Through her songs, Cyrus lightheartedly proclaims her belief in drug use and paints a picture of young, carefree fun, yet fails to acknowledge the ugly side of drug use—especially to her diverse fan base, which is composed primarily of teenagers and young adults.

But, Hollywood on the other hand, does not.

On July 13, “Glee” star Cory Monteith was found dead in his hotel room, along with a used hypodermic needle and a spoon with drug residue. A mixture of heroin and alcohol were recently determined as the cause of death. Fans of the popular show mourned the loss of the 31-year-old star.

Following his death, Monteith’s struggle with drug abuse became highly publicized by the media. He had been actively involved in illicit drug use since age 13, and despite several attempts to become clean, Monteith’s addiction continued until his untimely death.

While drug use in Hollywood has always been prevalent, it has reached an entirely new level these days. Many celebrities promote drug use, marketing it as an easy way to have a good time without any concern for the age of their target audiences.

Fans of all ages are witnessing the glamorized use and effect of drugs and alcohol, as well as the toll it takes on some celebrities. But many fans are not processing the realities of such lifestyles—addiction, health complications, overdose, and death.

Drug-related tragedies like Monteith’s death serve as a reminder that despite their fame and fortune, celebrities are not invincible—they are human, too.

Puzzles

The Hawk Newspaper

10 9 13

Word search Places around campus

ASHWOOD BARBELIN BELLARMINE BLUETT THEATRE BOATHOUSE BOLAND HALL BRONSTEIN CAMPION CARDINAL AVENUE CARDINALS RESIDENCE CITY LINE AVENUE CLAVER HOUSE CONNELLY DREXEL ARMS DREXEL LIBRARY HAGAN HAWKS LANDING HOGAN JORDAN LAFARGE LANCASTER COURTS LANNON LAPSLEY LANE LATCHES LANE LEARNING COMMONS MANDEVILLE MCSHAIN MERION

MERION GARDENS MOORE NICOLETTI MUSIC STUDIO OPAKE PENNBROOK POST QUIRK RASHFORD REGIS SAINT ALBERTS SAINT MARYS SCIENCE CENTER SIMPSON HALL SMITHSON FIELD SOURIN SULLIVAN SWEENEY FIELD TARA THE CHAPEL THE PERCH TOWNHOUSES UNIVERSITY PRESS VILLIGER WOLFINGTON WYNNEWOOD XAVIER

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SPORTS

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SPORTS BRIEFS

The Hawk Newspaper

The meaning of our mantra Alexander Houpert ’14

Men’s Soccer

Men’s soccer ties NJIT

Redshirt senior goalkeeper Andrew D’Ottavi made a save in the 108th minute in double overtime to preserve a 3-3 tie against NJIT. Midfielder Jake Nelson, ’15, scored on a penalty in the 76th minute. Mike Glazer, ’15, scored in the 26th minute off an assist from Jake Mulinge, ’15. Alex Critzos, ’15, scored the second St. Joe’s goal in the 53rd minute. The Hawks start A-10 conference play on Oct. 11 against St. Bonaventure at 7 p.m.

Women’s Soccer

Duffy scores in overtime match

Women’s Field Hockey

Hawks shut out Siena

Men’s Cross Country

Strong showing in 8k race

Morgan Duffy, ’14, scored the lone goal for St. Joe’s in a 1-1 double overtime tie at Fordham University on Oct. 6. Lauren Jancuska, ’14, had seven saves. The team plays next on Oct. 13 at George Washington at 1 p.m.

Eve Gekas, ’16, and Sarah Yerk, ’16, both scored goals off assists from Jordan Martin, ’15, to give the Hawks a 2-0 win over Siena College on Oct. 6. Rachel Barnett, ’15, held Siena scoreless to get her second shutout of the season. Marin Vreeburg, ’17, was named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week for her two goals against Villanova on Oct. 2 and her assist in the overtime loss to Rider University on Oct. 4. The team plays next on Oct. 11 at La Salle University to start their conference play.

The men’s cross country team took 12th place at the Paul Short Open 8k race on Oct. 5. The team was led by Aaron Leskow, ’14, and Logan Mohn, ’15, who finished 18th and 19th, respectively. John Mascioli, ’17, fnished 144th, and James Daniels, ’17, finished 193rd. The Hawks’ next meet is on Oct. 19 at the Princeton invitational in West Windsor, N.J.

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Hawk Staff

The most defiant cheer in college sports,” as mentioned by Sports Illustrated in their article “The 100 Things You Gotta Do Before You Graduate (Whatever the Cost).” A sheer refusal of defeat. The battle-cry of a campus, of a community. It is one thing to shout it mercilessly at a basketball game; it is another to jestingly supply a hashtag in front of such a proud mantra. “The Hawk Will Never Die.” Never die. While we know death to be inevitable, has anyone ever seen a dead Hawk? Throughout life, you might see a deceased Owl fallen on the forest floor or a road-killed Wildcat somewhere on I-76. Dragons (thankfully) don’t exist, and Explorers lost their jobs centuries ago when the corners of the map got filled in.

The only Quaker I know is the guy on the oats box and he doesn’t seem to be much of a fighter. But every time I look into the sky and see a Hawk circling, hunting, striving, some force swells from deep within. Something unconquerable. Something immortal.

An entity timeless in its breadth and persistence.

How, I wonder, do students embody and understand this sentiment? Our campus’ famous slogan is not just a simple refusal to lose; it is a way to avoid succumbing to the pressures of it all.

Death is such a foreign concept to us undergraduates, anyway.

Nineteen-year-old kids shouldn’t be thinking about mortality, but pondering immortality instead.

The ability to be defined not by your shortcomings but by your triumphant spirit that laughs in the face of danger, makes a mockery of the morose, and giggles a guffaw at getting down on oneself.

Think about it: to truly embody the Hawk philosophy takes an immense amount of determination

and flapitude. Embodied fully, each obstacle becomes reduced to debris and rubble.

While I was in the process of applying to colleges, I distinctly remember watching on TV one night the 2009 rendition of the Holy War, the annual bloodbath between nOVA and St. Joe’s. At the time, the Wildcats were the #3 ranked team in the country and the Hawks were the team that, throughout the course of the game, I was rapidly falling in love with. And that mascot! The Hawk! I had never seen anything like him! There was such a proud pluck to those feathers and the majestic might that accompanied each flap. The game turned out to be a high scoring affair, with nOVA ultimately winning 97-89.

But an eight-point loss in a Big 5 game is nothing to be ashamed of; in fact, watching the Hawks lose that game in the fashion that they did gave me my first glimpse into what “The Hawk Will Never Die” actually meant: unparalleled determination.

It was not just a hosanna resounding in the Palestra; it was a sort of unity of spirit that I could see went deep beyond the stern and focused faces of the players. It’s what makes Phil Martelli’s sideline scowl so formidable. The relenting flap flap flap of the wings of a bizarre mascot.

A Hawk with Nikes and human hands.

Such beautiful figure eights on the court during TV timeouts. Cutaways to the raucousness of the student section.

The grand bass drum. Painted faces and foam fingers. “LET’S GO SAINT JOE’S!!”

“C’MON HAWKS! HERE WE GO HAWKS!! LET’S GO BOYS!!” “OH WHEN THE HAWKS (BOOM BOOM) GO FLYING IN (BOOM BOOM) OH

WHEN THE HAWKS GO FLYING IN—” Now I ask the question: do we, the student body, fully embody this never-say-die attitude?

Are we as persistent and unrelenting as the Hawk’s wings? Is it even possible to always be flapping? Of course not; if it were, Ian Klinger’s arms would surely fall off. You can’t study all the time; you can’t even devote 100 percent of your effort to brushing your teeth.

Hawks don’t fly constantly; they do need to rest and sleep and eat.

But when hunting, when flying, when contesting nature for existence, their eyes expand, talons become more responsive, feathers quiver with a bit more control over the wind. When Hawks take off, their effort is the whole exertion of their bodies.

We all should be done with complacency. Mediocrity won’t help you survive – persistence will. It’s answering emails and hunting rabbits. Reading for an extra 15 minutes and flying an extra mile or two south because there’s a meadow, possibly with food in it. Midterms and migration. Exams and eagles to contend with. We are Hawks, soaring hunters who strive for more, to provide for ourselves and our fellows in the nest. Atop this hill we must fly together, unflappable and irrepressible.

Illustration by Alexander Houpert, ’14

Buzz is building for Hawk Hysteria Frank Flores ’15

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Assistant Sports Editor

buzz is surging around campus in anticipation of the beginning of basketball season. Student season tickets have sold out once again, and both the men’s and women’s basketball teams have started practices; Hawk Hysteria is fast approaching.

The event brings the student body together with the members of both teams to celebrate the upcoming season.

Student support of both programs appears to be strong once again, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed by men’s basketball coach Phil Martelli.

“I think the student body here has always been extraordinary in their support of these guys,” Martelli said.

“I hope that they see them [the players] as their peers and in some cases their friends. Not just number 11, number 15, or number 45—that would be disappointing for me on both sides because I want the players to embrace the campus as much as I want the campus to embrace the players.”

Players will get to put their talents on display for the student body at the event. Perhaps the biggest crowd pleas-

er, dunking, will be put on display when some members of the men’s basketball team compete against each other in a dunk contest.

“It’s a lot of fun; we just go out and have fun,” said Langston Galloway, ’14. “Especially the dunk contest.

That’s what we mostly look forward to. Well, the guys that can dunk, at least. We want to show the crowd a good time.”

Anyone who has watched the Hawks play over the past few seasons has witnessed the acrobatic and ferocious dunks that Ronald Roberts Jr., ’14, has put down, so anticipation for this contest should be very high.

Roberts said, “We haven’t really talked about it yet.

Obviously I love dunking, so when it gets closer to that time I’ll think about what I want to do.”

Other highlights to look forward to are the Shooting Stars competition and the Skills competition. These contests will allow players from both the men’s and women’s teams to showcase some of their skills and compete amongst each other in a spirited way.

In a different twist this year, students will be able to get directly involved by taking part in a shoot out with the basketball players. Colleen McGovern, who is marketing co-

ordinator for Saint Joe’s athletics and is in charge of Hawk Hysteria, says that the campus involvement with the event is widespread.

“Yes, each student group has been asked to send a single representative to take place in an on-court shoot out with the men’s and women’s teams,” McGovern said.

Galloway is excited about the student involvement with the event this year, and hinted that it may even be incorporated into the highly anticipated dunk contest.

“I think this year we’ll use the fans as props in different things and different dunks so it’ll be good,” he said.

Bringing students and student-athletes together to be able to compete in an athletic setting is something unique to Hawk Hysteria. This year is especially meaningful, as the event, which takes place on Oct. 18, will also be a celebration for both teams. The men’s team will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of their 2003-04 undefeated regular season, while the women’s team will be celebrating their Atlantic 10 conference championship from last year.

SPORTS The Hawk Newspaper

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SPORTS

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The Hawk Newspaper

Hawk takes first flight Strong influences drive Aurora Davis

Photos courtesy of Aurora Davis, ’15

Garret Miley ’15

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Sports Editor

he first singles flight is new territory for Saint Joseph’s University women’s tennis player Aurora Davis, ’15, but she has met all of the challenges early on. Davis took home the first singles flight title by defeating Fairfield University’s Monica Yajima, 6-0, 7-6 (3) and has her sights set on a higher goal at the season’s end. “[Just] like every year you set goals, for your team and for yourself,” Davis said. “Right now I’m looking to do well at regionals, but that’s a really tough tournament because you can play anyone from the ACC.” Davis first picked up a racket at three years old and has been on the court ever since. Her talents and love for tennis are rooted in her family history.

“My whole family plays,” Davis said. “My mom played when she was younger and she got my dad into tennis. My mom played up until the day I was born, so it was family-implemented.”

As she’s worked her way up to first flight singles during

her first two years at St. Joe’s, Davis has credited two extremely influential people to her success.

Women’s head tennis coach Ian Crookenden was a major reason Davis chose to come to St. Joe’s in the first place. He has the tennis star playing at a peak level.

“I really liked the coach,” Davis said regarding her college decision. “He’s a really good coach and he has a really good history. That was really important. I also liked the location, and the main goal was to go Division I, so this fit the best for me.“ The other major influence for Davis was the presence of former teammate Casey Robinson, ’13, who competed in the first flight singles for the Hawks last year and is now competing on the professional circuit.

“It’s always nice to have her on the team, but I was actually lucky to have her on the team my freshman and sophomore years, because she was someone good to look up to and have as an example at the first singles spot,” Davis said. “She worked really hard and it motivates me to do the same.”

Hard work and motivation are key for the success of

any Division I athlete, but tennis calls for additional work over the summer and other various times throughout the year away from the team that often goes unnoticed.

“I’ll probably play in some tournaments outside of school, but I made a lot of transitions this summer through switching rackets and working on my game a lot,” Davis said. “Keeping physically fit, too. I don’t really have a choice there.”

Playing in the first flight is something that has not changed Davis’ mindset, but she has noticed the difference in the level of competition that she faces. Taking on the top talent from other schools leaves very little room for error and relaxation, especially at this level.

“You always have people that are going to be tough matches, especially in the first flight, because everyone is good and you’ll never play someone that’s bad.”

Club baseball taking on new conference Rich McIntosh ’15 Hawk Staff

Expectations are higher than ever as the Saint Joseph’s University club baseball team begins its second season as a member of the National Club Baseball Association (NCBA) at the Division II level.

The Hawks proved themselves worthy of league competition by winning their conference this past season, the club’s first year of membership in the league. They competed against top-level competition in the area including teams like the University of Pennsylvania, Rowan University, Rider University, and The College of New Jersey.

“It was a big transition for us and we weren’t really sure what to expect from all of the teams we played,” said Thomas Messina, ’14, the club’s captain and a former Saint Joseph’s University varsity player. “We went 10-2 in conference which was pretty exciting for us and ended up making it to regionals.”

Despite strong play throughout the entire season, the Hawks did not manage to make it out of the regional playoffs for the NCBA, a fact which seems to have a left a bitter taste in many mouths on a roster largely made up of returning players.

“We definitely feel that not only can

Photo courtesy of Thomas Messina, ’15

we repeat our division title, but we can also make it out of regionals this year,” said senior Chris Mele, ’14. “We felt as though we should’ve made it out of regionals and to nationals last year so all the returners are going to be playing with a chip on their shoulder. We are also excited about the new guys we have brought in. With the amount

of returning players we have, and the addition of the new guys, we absolutely have high expectations for this season.”

Messina expressed similarly high expectations for the team going forward. “We hope that this year we can make it back to regionals, win regionals, and make it to the World Series which is down in Kentucky.

[Last year] was a pretty good experience for us, and we’re hoping for a better season this year.”

The team includes considerable age and experience, with nine seniors returning.

“The practice schedule is pretty tough for us because we have to work around with whatever varsity has,” Messina said. But the team is attempting to get onto the field for three practices a week in preparation for the beginning of the NCBA season.

The Hawks will begin division play against UPenn, whom they defeated 14-3 in the last year’s final matchup, with the series beginning on Oct. 21. They’ll try to get ahead in conference play before heading home for winter break.

“The rest of the conference we will play in the spring,” said Messina. “We will try and get a couple of practices in from time to time but it isn’t as serious as varsity. We try to make sure everyone is healthy because we start early in February. We want to make sure everyone is back in shape and in late January we will really kick is back into gear.”