Dec. 4, 2019

Dec. 4, 2019

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Volume C

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Est. 1929

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www.sjuhawknews.com

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The Student Newspaper of Saint Joseph’s University

Small businesses on 63rd Street affected by local crime

Students and parents seek information following robberies across from Pennbrook Apartments

Kimey Moon, who owns Bill’s Market on 63rd Street with her husband, interacts with Sophia Mirza ’21. PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

ALEX HARGRAVE ’20 Digital Managing Editor LUKE MALANGA ’20 Editor in Chief Shee Yuan Chinese restaurant, located next to Overbrook train station, was robbed at gunpoint on Nov. 6 and again a week later on Nov. 12. In the restaurant’s 13-year-history, its owners said it has never been robbed before.

A few doors down, Kimey Moon, who has owned Bill’s Market with her husband for 16 years, was robbed at gunpoint in her store on Nov. 12 by a man fitting a similar description of the suspect in the previous robberies. The offender pointed a gun at Moon, demanded money from the cash register and fled with cash. It was also the first time their store had been robbed.

As of press time, there was no arrest for these crimes.

The recent robberies have sparked

conversations throughout campus and in the shops on 63rd Street about the safety of the area and the role of the Office of Public Safety and Security in patrolling and communicating crime incidents that occur on campus and in the surrounding area.

Both Shee Yuan and Bill’s Market are part of a strip of stores across from Pennbrook Apartments. The Office of Residence Life calls the area West Campus. It is about a mile south from Main Campus on City Avenue.

West Campus consists of Pennbrook as well as Merion Gardens, an apartment complex primarily for upperclassmen, according to Residence Life.

Owners of the stores said many of their customers are students—234 St. Joe’s students, mostly sophomores, currently reside in Pennbrook.

As Philadelphia Police responded to the robberies on Nov. 6 and Nov. 12, students living in Pennbrook watched from

their windows and wondered what was happening. One of the main concerns among students in West Campus was the lack of prompt communication from Public Safety regarding these incidents.

Kyle Knapp ’22 lives in Pennbrook but was not in his apartment the night Shee Yuan was first robbed. When he arrived back on campus, he said he was “shocked” that the incident occurred right across from when he lived.

“My first reaction was, ‘Why didn’t I get any text messages from St. Joe’s?’’’

Knapp said. “There was no alert sent out. I probably wouldn’t have even figured it out if my friend didn’t say anything, so it had me worried a little bit.”

Lauren Rossi ’22 said she saw officers draw their guns in front of Shee Yuan, which made her assume it was a robbery.

Her step father, who is a dispatcher out of Camden County, told her the specifics of the incident the following day.

“It was a little terrifying because it’s directly across the street,” Rossi said. “The fact that there were guns involved is a little scary because we are so close to it.”

According to Art Grover, director of Public Safety, the robberies at Shee Yuan and Bill’s Market do not have to be reported in Public Safety reports as part of the Clery Act, which requires universities receiving federal aid to disclose crime statistics and security information, because the incidents took place in off-campus retail establishments and on private property.

The Clery Act also requires timely warnings for Clery reportable crimes that occur within the university’s Clery Act geography that are reported to Campus Security Authorities or local police agencies.

CONTINUED ON PG. 2

Student experiences religious intolerance in the classroom EMILY GRAHAM ’20 Managing Editor

Earlier this semester Sehar Macan-Markar ’22 was surprised to hear offensive comments about Islam made by one of her classmates in her Islam class, one of 13 GEP religious difference courses offered in the fall 2019 semester.

The most violent of these comments, according to Macan-Markar, was when the white male student said to her, “When we go there [the mosque], we should act Muslim and kill everyone that we disagree with,” Macan-Markar said.

Visiting a mosque is a required part of the course.

“If I had said something like that about Catholicism or Christianity, it would have

been really serious,” Macan-Markar said.

“You didn’t have to take this class. You chose to take this religious difference class.

You chose to talk to me knowing I was Muslim, and then you chose to be disrespectful. At that point, it feels targeted.”

Macan-Markar said her friend reported the incident on her behalf in mid-October. The Office of Public Safety and Security then contacted Macan-Markar, she then met with Mary-Elaine Perry, Ed.D., Title IX coordinator, and Wadell Ridley, interim chief inclusion and diversity officer. Both are members of the Bias Activity Response Group, a four-member group that meets to assess bias incidents.

The Bias Activity Response Group then passed the case to Community Standards, where Macan-Markar decided she would accept a suggestion by Bill Bordak, director of Community Standards, to go with a re-

storative justice option to address the bias incident. She then met Bordak and the student who made the comments.

Perry said restorative justice is an alternative option for any bias activity reports.

“It’s more of a conversation,” Perry said about the restorative justice option.

“It’s more understanding what happened, why it happened, why it was painful for the complaining party, does the responding party understand that, and are they willing to take responsibility for what they did. It’s trying to heal the community as opposed to necessarily punishing.”

Perry added Bordak is “writing his dissertation on restorative justice in student discipline.”

“He is working on building a model for us to do this more regularly,” Perry said.

“So we’re hoping at a point we’ll have people who are trained outside of Community

Standards to do this work as well.”

According to Perry, the other two options for responding to reported bias activity are a Community Standards hearing or an academic hearing. Macan-Markar said Bordak told her a hearing would be more formal, involve more work and could go on the student’s graduate school applications or employment records.

Macan-Markar said she did not find the restorative justice process effective, as the student did not show signs of remorse during the meeting. The Hawk reached out to the student, but he declined to comment, writing, “I’m sorry but I would not like to be involved with or speak to you about any comments.”

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FROM PG. 1: SMALL BUSINESSES ON 63RD STREET AFFECTED BY LOCAL CRIME According to the Clery Center, universities should have pre-established policies defining when to notify the campus community of incidents outside of Clery requirements.

The 2019 annual security and fire safety report details St. Joe’s timely warning policy, which states that the decision of whether a notification is issued is a caseby-case determination by the director of Public Safety, or a designee in light of all the facts surrounding a crime, including, but not limited to, the possible risk of compromising law enforcement efforts.

“Although the Clery Act does not define ‘timely,’ the intent of a warning is to enable our University community to protect itself,” the report says. “This means that a warning is issued as soon as pertinent information is available so that it can be used as a preventive tool, and not solely constitutes a description of the incident.”

Grover said Public Safety reports on and notifies students of crime incidents beyond the requirements of Clery in certain circumstances.

“This is a big campus, more than 100 acres and it’s spread out over a long distance,” Grover said. “Judgement is always involved when you’re going to communicate.

When we see multiple incidents, patterns or when the police tell us we’d like to let you know about this, we’re going to do that.”

A notification from Public Safety was posted on The Nest on Nov. 14, two days after the second robbery took place at Shee Yuan and Bill’s Market, detailing the incidents and description of the suspect.

SJU Safe, an app with resources from Public Safety, is a new addition to Public Safety’s efforts this semester. The app provides push notifications for safety alerts, but the last notification on the app was a Test of the Emergency Notification system at noon on Aug. 29.

Students like Anna Kalafatis ’22 are urging for more communication. She said St. Joe’s “doesn’t really tell us anything” re-

garding incidents around campus. Kalafatis, like many other students on campus, relies on an app called Citizen which alerts users of crime in their area. The information is sourced from police scanners and updates on the app are controlled through operators at Citizen headquarters.

“The Citizen team monitors 911 communications, reviewing every alert in real time before you receive it,” a Citizen spokesperson said in an email to The Hawk. “Citizen keeps you safe and informed by delivering real-time notifications on nearby safety incidents including but not limited to fires, car collisions, and searches for missing persons.”

The app has changed the way community members, including students, learn about criminal activity in their area as updates are now almost instantaneous.

“It actually told us up to the minute updates of when the Chinese place across the street got robbed and when [Bill’s] market got robbed and when people get mugged at gunpoint and stuff like that,” Kalafatis said.

Area residents were also notified of a reported abduction at the intersection 54th Street and City Avenue on Nov. 22 by Citizen, across from Lannon Apartments and just outside the gates of Main Campus.

St. Joe’s Public Safety and Philadelphia Police responded to the incident. Public Safety did not send an alert to students.

That night, students who had seen the reports on Citizen talked with one another about the possible abduction. Some wondered if a student was involved.

After The Hawk reached out to Grover on Nov. 25, he said the incident was unconfirmed and “police reported their belief that the incident may be domestic related.” Grover added that there was no indication that students or any university affiliates were involved in this matter.

Helen Tom, whose daughter, Kayla Tom ’22, lives in Pennbrook, said she

A screenshot of the Citizen app showing the alerts from the robbery at Shee Yuan on Nov. 6.

A screenshot of the Citizen app showing the alerts from the robbery at Bill's Market on Nov. 12.

found out about the incident in a Facebook group called “Saint Joseph's University Parent to Parent Connection.”

In the group, one parent said she called Public Safety to see if the incident involved students. Tom said she thinks there should be a more centralized place for students and parents to get information about incidents around campus.

“They’re not children,” Tom said. “But because the neighborhood is not a safe area, the school needs to take a bigger role in that and assume some responsibilities.”

Charles Leone, executive director of campus safety services at Temple University, said Temple sends TU Alerts to students, faculty and staff in events of robberies, fires, power outages and shootings via text messages and emails.

on the incident),” Guthorn said in an email to The Hawk.

Moon and other store owners in the area said they’ve noticed a decrease in patrol from Public Safety beginning this year.

Grover said there have been no changes in their deployment or patrol in the area.

According to Grover, Public Safety has seven patrol zones. Patrol zone #29 covers the area of 63rd Street and City Avenue.

“These zones are drawn to provide coverage across the campus and its immediate perimeter of about 100 acres and is supplemented by additional vehicle patrols and armed police which the University hires from the Philadelphia and Lower Merion Police Departments,” Grover said in an email to The Hawk.

Cops in the area frequent Bill’s Market,

Philadelphia Police outside Shee Yuan on Nov. 12 following the robbery.

PHOTO: LUKE MALANGA ’20/THE HAWK

“The patrol area serves as a guide when sending TU Alerts,” Leone said in an email to The Hawk. “We also make quick determinations depending on the totality of the circumstances for sending alerts outside the patrol boundaries.”

La Salle University Public Safety sends out notifications via text message regarding incidents that are within their “Clery Act geography” or off campus within their patrol area, according to La Salle Assistant Vice President of Public Safety, Amanda Guthorn, J.D. “Decisions for sending out warnings are based on several factors: nature of the crime; continuing danger to the community, and the possible risk of compromising law enforcement efforts (for example, if there are undercover officers working

and many are friends with Moon, she said.

She acknowledged there’s only so much Public Safety and Philadelphia Police can do.

“Even cops, they can only do so much,” Moon said. “They can’t be around here all the time.”

Jennifer C., one of the workers of Shee Yuan Chinese Restaurant who declined to give her last name because her wallet and ID were stolen during the robbery, said she would like to see more of a St. Joe’s Public Safety presence in the area near Overbrook train station, as well as more communication.

“If anything happens in the area, we really want to know what’s exactly happening,” Jennifer C. said. “This community, we’re connected with students and neighboring stores, and safety is the first thing.”

edness,” Yazicioglu said. “I don’t want students to close themselves off. I want them to be open-minded and willing to challenge the stereotypes they might have heard, but I also don’t want them to be afraid of asking any kind of question.”

Although asking questions is important, Jacob Bender, executive director of the Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American and Islamic Relations (CAIR), said free speech does not encompass derogatory remarks.

“We believe that there is a line that can be drawn between free speech and Islamophobia and that has to do with the inherent violence in racist language,” Bender said.

“When people use language like that, they are doing it to intimidate and strike fear into people who are perceived as the other or foreigners in American society.”

Bender also said he would urge St. Joe’s administrators to take a clear stance on Islamophobia on campus.

“The reasons for the importance, I would argue as a non-Jesuit, is for the university to take a position against Islamophobia,” Bender said. “The necessity of owning

up to the history of the past and learning about bigotry, one hopes that it prevents it from rearing its ugly head again.”

Sehar Macan-Markar’s father, Thahir Macan-Markar ’88 ’91, completed his undergraduate degree and graduate degree at St. Joe’s. Thahir Macan-Markar said he did not experience any Islamophobic comments when he attended St. Joe’s in the late 80s and early 90s. He said he was shocked to hear about what happened to his daughter.

“They’ve got to come up with a plan to discipline students or so that people know if they do things they won’t get away with it,” Thahir Macan-Markar said. “I feel like people are doing things and getting away with it, so they feel emboldened that there are no repercussions.”

While Sehar Macan-Markar said the incident was documented in the student’s St. Joe’s record, she ultimately was disappointed with how restorative justice was used to address her situation and is second-guessing reporting the incidents in the first place.

“It is very mentally draining, and I have to keep explaining again and again what happened,” Macan-Markar said.

FROM PG. 1: STUDENT EXPERINCES RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE IN THE CLASSROOM “In my opinion, if someone is not open to being educated, you can’t really force them to learn, so it felt like I went through all of that for nothing,” Macan-Markar said.

“You are telling me that it is my job to educate him, but it’s okay that he as a white student doesn’t know what he is saying.”

Macan-Markar’s friend, Sil Alexander ’22, said this process put a lot of pressure on Macan-Markar.

“The worst part about it is that it is such a long process for there to be no outcome,” Alexander said. “It is weeks upon weeks.”

The incidents were first reported in mid-October and the last meeting with Bordak took place on Nov. 19.

Tiffani Tucker ’22, Macan-Markar’s roommate, said she remembers Macan-Markar returning to their residence hall room after these meetings feeling frustrated with the process.

“It is heartbreaking,” Tucker said. “We have done so much as a community and as minority students to combat these issues and say this isn’t okay, and then it happens to a close friend of mine. You just see this happen, and there is no results from it.”

Macan-Markar said she does not know any other Muslim students with whom she could share her experince. There are no current statistics on the St. Joe’s website about the breakdown of religious affiliations of students.

Umeyye Isra Yazicioglu, Ph.D., associate professor of theology and religious studies, said there used to be a Muslim Student Association four or five years ago, but it did not carry on after the students who started it graduated.

Yazicioglu, who is the professor of the Islam class where the incidents took place, said students in her Islam classes are typically open to learning, and she tries to foster an environment where they can ask questions freely.

“If you take an Islam class, you have a good opportunity to learn about the basics and history and see that some of the myths about Islam,” Yazicioglu said. “But then there are lots of students who don’t take this class or who need more context and information.”

Macan-Markar said she told Yazicioglu about the incident. In class, the same student had joked about “ripping off ” the professor’s hijab, according to Macan-Markar.

“I tell them I am expecting open-mind-

News

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Dec. 4, 2019

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First Spanish mass held on campus EMILY GRAHAM ’20 Managing Editor The first Spanish Mass on campus was held in the Chapel of St. Joseph on Nov. 24.

The Mass, attended by approximately 25 people, was proposed by Juan Camilo Cheng ’20 and made possible through the help of Campus Ministry. Cheng said he felt it was important for young Spanish speakers on campus to have a place to connect with their faith and become more involved at St. Joe’s.

“People who speak Spanish as [their] first or second language should have a space to share their faith, especially if it involves the most important aspect of Catholicism, the real presence of Jesus and His sacrifice for us,” Cheng said in an email to The Hawk.

Cheng said there has been a Spanish

speaking prayer group on campus the past three years, but he wanted to go beyond that.

With the help of Jessica Kerber, ACJ, campus minister, Cheng proposed the idea of a Spanish Mass to Campus Ministry and reached out to the head of Spanish ministry at Villanova University for guidance.

Bill Rickle, S.J., campus minister of athletics and student life, who learned Spanish while studying theology in Mexico and Jesuit studies in Spain, was asked to preside over the Mass. Rickle said he and Cheng were both pleased with the outcome of the first Mass.

“When I was talking with Juan Cheng, I said, ‘How many people do we want to expect to have?’” Rickle said. “He said, ‘Well I’d be happy with 10 people because Villanova has 25 and they’re much bigger than we are.’ Well we had about 25 people here tonight.”

Bill Rickle, S.J., said the Mass in the smaller chapel within the Chapel of St. Joseph.

PHOTOS: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

Cantors from the chapel choir sang songs in Spanish during the mass.

For Rickle, offering Mass in Spanish was an important opportunity to show that the Church speaks more than just one language.

“None of us have ownership,” Rickle said. “All of us are part of the community and this is one way of expressing that universality and that welcome.”

Paul Ammons ’20, a lector during the Mass, said religion is an important aspect of Latino culture, so offering Mass in Spanish gives him and other students a sense of belonging on campus and in the Catholic Church.

“For me, coming from a Latino/Latina community and having that part missing from my life, this gives me a sense of home on campus,” Ammons said.

Ammons said he hopes more Spanish Masses will be offered and more people will attend, whether they are part of the Latino community or not.

“I look forward to expanding the community who does come to this Mass, so seeing more people use this as an opportunity to get to know Latino/Latina culture on campus and this community,” Ammons said. “I think it’s a perfect way to make that contact.”

Cheng’s goal is to hold a Spanish Mass at 4 p.m. one Sunday a month so the Spanish speaking community at St. Joe’s can continue to grow in their faith.

“Going to Mass is more than just the religious activity for Sundays,” Cheng said. “In it we learn to forgive, become a better version of ourselves and strive for salvation. I believe the Spanish community, and whoever else would like to attend, should have the opportunity to deepen its faith.”

Mitchell Shields ’22 contributed to this article.

Primera misa en español llevada a cabo en campus EMILY GRAHAM ’20 Managing Editor CAROLINA GONZALEZ ’20 Translator La primera misa en español fue llevada a cabo en la capilla de St. Joseph el pasado 24 de noviembre.

La misa, a la cual fueron cerca de 25 personas, fue hecha posible tras una propuesta sometida por Juan Camilo Cheng ’20, y con la ayuda de Campus Ministry.

Cheng dijo que sentía que era importante que jóvenes hispanoparlantes en el campus tuvieran un espacio para sentirse más conectados a su fe y poder involucrarse más en la comunidad de St. Joe’s.

“Las personas que hablan español como su primero o segundo idioma deberían tener un espacio para compartir su fe, especialmente si involucra el aspecto más importante del catolicismo, la presencia de Jesús y Su sacrificio por nosotros,” dijo Cheng en un email a The Hawk.

Cheng también dijo que en la universidad, por los pasados tres años, ha habido un grupo de oración para personas que hablan español, pero que deseaba ir más allá de eso. Con la ayuda de Jessica Kerber, ACJ, ministra del campus, Cheng propuso su idea, y contactó al director del ministerio en español de Villanova University para recibir consejos y ayuda.

Bill Rickle, S.J., ministerio de deportes y vida estudiantil, quien aprendió español mientras estudiaba teología en México y estudios Jesuitas en España, fue dado la tarea de dirigir la misa. Rickle dijo que él y Cheng estaban satisfechos con el desenlace de la primera misa.

“Cuando estaba hablando con Juan Cheng, dije, ‘Cuántas personas esperas que vengan?’” dijo Rickle. “Y él dijo, ‘Bueno, estaría contento con al menos 10, porque a la de Villanova van alrededor de 25 personas y ellos son una universidad más grande.’ Bueno, esta noche cerca de 25 personas lograron asistir.”

Para Rickle, ofrecer una misa en español fue una oportunidad importante para poder demostrar que la iglesia habla más de un idioma.

“Nadie es dueño [de la iglesia],” dijo Rickle. “Todos somos parte de una comunidad y esta es una de las formas en que podemos manifestar la universalidad y el sentido de bienvenida de la misma.”

Paul Ammons ’20, quien llevó a cabo una de las lecturas durante la misa, dijo que la religión es un aspecto importante de la cultura latina, y por ende ofrecer una misa en español le brinda un sentido de pertenencia a la iglesia y al campus, tanto a él como a otros miembros de la universidad.

“Para mi, que vengo de una comunidad latina y siento que esa parte de mi vida me hace falta, esto me ayuda a sentirme un poco más como en casa aquí en campus,” dijo Ammons.

Ammons dijo que espera que se ofrezcan más misas en español y que más personas acudan a la misma, irrespectivamente de que sean parte de la comunidad latina.

“Espero que el número de miembros la comunidad que acudan a esta misa logre aumentar, y ver que más y más personas utilizan esta oportunidad para conocer un poco más sobre la cultura latina dentro de este campus y nuestra comunidad,” dijo Ammons. “Creo que [esta] es la

manera perfecta de sentar esa base.”

La meta de Cheng es que se lleve a cabo una misa en español un domingo al mes a las 4 p.m., para que la comunidad hispanoparlante dentro de St. Joe’s continue fortaleciendo su fe.

“Ir a misa es los domingos más que una actividad religiosa,” dijo Cheng. “En la misa, aprendemos a cómo perdonar, a ser mejores versiones de nosotros mismos y alcanzar la salvación. Creo que la comunidad hispanoparlante, y quien más sea que quiera asistir, debería tener la oportunidad de continuar fortaleciendo su fe.”

Mitchell Shields ’22 contribuyó a este artículo.

Bill Rickle, S.J., leyó el gospel en español en la capilla. PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

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News

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Dec. 4, 2019

St. Joe’s launches Center for Addiction and Recovery Education LUKE MALANGA ’20 Editor in Chief The Institute of Clinical Bioethics (ICB) announced the creation of the Center for Addiction and Recovery Education (CARE) on Nov. 12.

Stephen Forzato will be the first director of the newly established center, which will be housed at St. Joe’s. Forzato formerly worked as an undercover agent for the Montgomery County’s district attorney.

At St. Joe’s, Forzato’s office is tucked away in a corridor on the first floor of Barbelin Hall.

“I’m used to being hidden,” Forzato joked. “I’ve been undercover for pretty much my whole life.”

Forzato’s role with CARE is a continuation of the efforts he has been part of his whole life: tackling addiction. Forzato spent much of his time undercover interacting with drug dealers and buyers.

“I got a bird’s-eye view of the drug scene from wiretapping, undercover work, interviewing hundreds of people involved in the drug trade,” Forzato said. “Over time I learned about the drug epidemic.”

Forzato recalled one particular memory when he responded to an overdose death of a young man, seeing his lifeless body and the residue of the heroin on his bureau. It was that scene, and others he had witnessed before, that eventually pushed him out of his undercover role and into his current position.

“Clearly, St. Joe’s needs to consider making a priority the epicenter [Kensington] that’s only 20 minutes away,” Forzato said.

“There’s going to be work that we will do with students, with researchers, with policy thought, about how to address the opioid crisis in our backyard.”

The new center, fully funded by benefactors, will examine education, research, policy and community engagement on all types of addiction. It will serve as an arm of the ICB, which is headed by Peter Clark, S.J. Both Clark and Forzato have spent years looking at ways to tackle addiction, particularly the opioid epidemic in Philadelphia. In 2018, 1,116 Philadelphians died from overdose, according to the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.

Forzato said the main goal of CARE is to work actively within the St. Joe’s community as well as the surrounding areas on issues of addiction.

“The bottom line with what we do here at St. Joe’s [with CARE] is we want to raise awareness,” Forzato said. “By raising awareness and keeping people interested in the topic and keeping the discussion open, I think we can share the facts that will help prevent new initiates to the heroin and opioid use and also step up efforts on getting people into treatment.”

Clark also highlighted tackling alcohol addiction as another priority of CARE. He said the deaths surrounding alcohol are “one of the best kept secrets.”

“There is an initiative of possibly starting a sober house on campus,” Clark said. “This is a very broad center so it’s going to encompass many different types of addictions.We’re in the process of investigation to see if we can start such a house as of September.”

Mike Fontana ’20, a fellow of the ICB, said he sees CARE as a great opportunity to act as a resource for students, much like Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) does.

“College campuses are a large component where addiction mostly goes unnoticed because of the culture around alcohol, drugs,

Steve Forzato was selected as the first director of the Center for Addiction and Recovery Education.

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVE FORZATO

social activities on campuses,” Fontana said, adding that starting an initiative to address addiction on campus is a great opportunity for students to spread awareness.

Forzato, who went to graduate school at St. Joe’s, said he thinks CARE aligns with the university and Jesuit mission.

“There are many universities addressing this crisis,” Forzato said. “It is the number one public health crisis, not only in Pennsylvania, but nationally. We are unique. We

have mission-driven university that cares about the whole person.”

After spending much of his adult life in law enforcement, Forzato said he believes awareness is a priority to reduce stigma.

“They’re really not criminals,” Forzato said. “They really aren’t. They may break the law by possessing drugs or needles, but that’s all they’re doing.”

Department of Public Safety reports (Nov. 15 - Nov. 28) Nov. 15 Public Safety confiscated a quantity of alcohol from a St. Joe’s student inside the lobby of Lannon Apartments. Residence Life notified. Community Standards notified.

Nov. 16 Public Safety was notified by the Philadelphia Police Department regarding the arrest of a St. Joe’s student on a charge of burglary. The burglary occurred in the 5400 block of Woodbine Avenue which is occupied by St. Joe’s students. Residence Life notified. Community Standards notified. Investigation continuing by the Philadelphia Police Department.

Nov. 19 Public Safety was notified by a St. Joe’s student in regards to being approached by a suspicious elderly male in the 2700 block of N. 54th Street. The elderly male asked the student to come in to look at his renovated home. The St. Joe’s student declined.

Public Safety officers responded into the area but were unable to locate the male.

Incident under investigation.

Nov. 20 Public Safety received a report of an incident where an unknown person posted a bias comment on an article in The Hawk student newspaper online suggesting that Spanish should only be spoken

in certain areas of campus. The comment was removed from the article. Public Safety forwarded the information immediately to the Bias Activity Response Group and Community Standards.

Nov. 21 Public Safety received a report of a bias incident where an unknown person emailed members of the athletic department’s administration describing the St. Joe’s men’s basketball team with offensive, anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric. Public Safety forwarded the information immediately to the Bias Activity Response Group and Community Standards.

Nov. 22 Public Safety was notified by an area resident of a loud party involving St. Joe’s students taking place in the 5800 block of Woodcrest Avenue. Public Safety and Philadelphia Police responded and dispersed the crowd. Community Standards notified.

Public Safety was notified by a St. Joe’s student in regards to being approached by a suspicious male while inside her vehicle which was parked in the Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurant located on City Avenue. The student said the suspicious male pulled on the passenger door and then fled the area.

The student was not injured. Philadelphia Police were notified and responded to take a report. Incident under investigation.

Nov. 26 Public Safety was notified by an area resident of a loud party involving St. Joe’s students taking place in the 5700 block of Woodbine Avenue. Public Safety and Philadelphia Police responded to the area and were able to speak with the students. Community Standards notified.

Public Safety was notified by Residence Life of a confiscation of a small quantity of marijuana from a St. Joe’s student’s room in LaFarge Hall during a room inspection.

Community Standards notified.

Public Safety was notified twice by Residence Life of a confiscation of a small quantity of marijuana from a St. Joe’s student’s room in the Morris Quad Townhouses during a room inspection. Community Standards notified.

Public Safety was notified twice by Residence Life of a confiscation of drug paraphernalia from a St. Joe’s student’s room in Pennbrook Apartments during a room inspection.

Community Standards notified.

Public Safety was notified three times

by Residence Life of a confiscation of a small quantity of marijuana from a St. Joe’s student’s room in Villiger Hall during a room inspection. Community Standards notified.

Public Safety was notified by Residence Life of a confiscation of a small quantity of marijuana from a St. Joe’s student’s room in the Townhouses during a room inspection.

Community Standards notified.

ALCOHOL RELATED INCIDENTS

11 0 On campus

Off campus

DRUG RELATED INCIDENTS

10 0 On campus

Off campus

Call Public Safety:

610-660-1111

Opinions

Dec. 4, 2019

The Hawk Newspaper

5

Responding to religious bias

The need for religious tolerance at a Jesuit institution

Editor in Chief Luke Malanga ’20 Managing Editor Emily Graham ’20 Copy Chief Kaila Mundell-Hill ’20 Faculty Adviser Shenid Bhayroo Contributing Adviser Jenny Spinner Senior Editor Charley Rekstis ’20 Digital Managing Editor Alex Hargrave ’20 Copy Editor Angelique Frazier ’20 Copy Editor Jackie Collins ’21 News Editor Cara Smith ’21 Assistant News Editor Carly Calhoun ’21 Opinions Editor Devin Yingling ’22 Assistant Opinions Editor Hadassah Colbert ’20 Features Editor Kaitlyn Patterson ’20 Assistant Features Editor Zach Dobinson ’22 Sports Editor Sam Britt ’20 Assistant Sports Editor Ryan Mulligan ’21 Assistant Sports Editor Matt DeLeo ’20

Education seems to be the knee-jerk reaction people have when asked how racism, sexism, religious discrimination or homophobia can be addressed. One would think that requiring a religious difference General Education Program (GEP) course would be a step in the right direction in promoting an education that values people of all backgrounds and religions, especially at a Jesuit institution.

However, the most recent bias incident (read pages 1 and 2), happened in a classroom.

It occured in a religious difference course that aims to explain Islam, and the attack took place against a Muslim woman of color.

At an institution that promotes social justice and acceptance of all people, and within a course that specifically seeks to address the religion of Islam on a catholic campus, this incident contradicts the very mission of the school and the attitudes it hopes to build within the students that are enrolled.

The stereotypes, stigmas and discriminatory acts the Muslim community faces are not isolated to this campus, but rather reflect a nation-wide sentiment against those who practice the religion. The population of Muslim students at St. Joe’s is marginal. Therefore, the support for this community must stem from allyship.

Past bias incidents have opened a conversation on how to turn words into action, and a vital action that all members of this community can take is to become an ally.

It should go without saying that the standard at this university is that all peo-

ple must respect those who hold different religious beliefs, especially since we are heading into a new decade and increasingly progressive era. But evidently, it is worth reiterating. Just because this is a Jesuit institution does not mean Catholicism is the only accepted system of beliefs on this campus, or even beyond.

At St. Joe’s, we are taught to embrace differences—there is an entire GEP requirement set to understand and accept the

“Incidents like this are not tolerated on this campus.

We stand with those who face religious discrimination and encourage others to do the same...” differences between different religions.

At St. Joe’s, we are taught to respect others and accept those who may be different than us. It’s in our mission statement that we “strive to be an inclusive and diverse community that educates and cares for the whole person.”

It is difficult to change the hearts of those who have such a deep-set hatred against others. However, we can change how we act and how we each respond in situations where our peers are put in oppressive and discriminatory situations.

Be an ally to those who face religious discrimination. Stick up for students who are put in uncomfortable situations where their identity is under attack, especially if it takes place in a classroom setting which should be the ultimate safe space for all to thrive in their education.

Hold your peers accountable for what they say and how they act. Don’t associate yourself with those who find it acceptable to attack others based on aspects of their identity, whether it be race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other applicable identity.

Incidents like this are not tolerated on this campus. We stand with those who face religious discrimination and encourage others to do the same and to be an ally to those who face oppression based on their way of worship or system of religious beliefs.

—The Editorial Board This week’s Editorial Board is comprised of the Editor in Chief, Online Editor, Photo Editor, Special Projects Editor, Copy Chief, Sports Editor, Assistant Features Editor, Assistant News Editor, Digital Managing Editor, Features Editor and Copy Editor. This editorial reflects the views of the Board and not the entire Hawk staff.

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

Letter to the Editor The St. Joe’s faculty unequivocally condemns racism and bigotry in all forms.

We name recent events racist because they were perpetuated with racist intention: historically, the use of racist slurs by white people has been used to justify violence and perpetuate white supremacy.

Racism is not consistent with our values as a faculty, as an institution and as humans; we stand in solidarity against it. As faculty, we seek to address racism on our campus and beyond through the education of our students, the outcomes of our schol-

arship and our service to the community.

We are grateful for students’ efforts to combat racism on our campus, and we acknowledge that the university’s recent forum on race and racism was a step toward moving our institutional conversation forward. We urge the university to pursue real reform in a timely manner to work toward a campus climate free of overt racism, discrimination and microaggressions.

Racism is a pervasive part of U.S. culture, and unlearning racism is an ongoing process. We commit to engage in this pro-

cess along with our students. We commit to educate ourselves on power and privilege.

We commit to reflect on personal, cultural and systemic racism. We commit to undoing racism on our campus and in our world. We commit to striving for justice.

Hate has no home here.

Signed, Faculty Senate

Special Projects Editor Nick Karpinski ’21 Photo Editor Mitchell Shields ’22 Online Editor Alex Mark ’20 Social Media Manager Natalie Drum ’20 Assistant Social Media Manager Julia Koerwer ’23 Business Manager Angela DiMarco ’22 Assistant Business Manager Collin Messenger ’22 Distribution Manager Gavin O'Reilly ’20

YODA: BUT MAKE HIM TINY The new baby yoda meme has been all over social media this past week because he is simply too cute to handle. He’s already been made into countless memes that are wholesome and hilarious at the same time. We have to stan an icon.

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS...THE END OF FINALS Ah yes, after a week of relaxing, catching up on homework, and eating anything but Campion, we are all back for the final two weeks of the semester; undoubtedly the most stressful two weeks of the year. You can do it everyone. Only two more weeks until winter break and a few weeks without deadlines.

ENGLISH BULLDOG TAKES FOR THE WIN Thor, the English Bulldog, has been named the 2019 winner of the National Dog Show. At the moment, very few things are cuter than baby yoda, but a cute dog always takes the cake; and apparently first place. Congrats to this fellow Pennsylvania native, quite the well deserved win.

DONE WITH THE DECADE This is the second to last “hot or not” of the entire decade. Let that sink in. If you have high prospects for the roaring 20s, then maybe the change in the decade is a “hot” for you. But, if you’re feeling a bit existential after thinking too hard about the change, it’s quite frightening.

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Dec. 4, 2019

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Nothing but a Rolex and a Speedo

How #MeToo men get away with it OLIVIA CLARK ’22 Columnist

He got away with it. He was tried in the American justice system, and he got away with it. The new Netflix documentary “Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator,” reveals the scary truth behind the leader of one of the most famous and sought-after yoga practices in America.

The director, Eva Orner, details the terrifying tale of Bikram Choudhury, a yogi from India who brought a new twist to intense Los Angeles workout fads. This documentary tells the true story of the diabolical leader who gained fame and a cult-like following for his degrading style of teaching.

From insulting the shape of a client’s body to refusing to let them use the restroom, the boundary of innapropriate comments and verbal abuse did not exist inside this “torture chamber,” as the yogi describes it himself. With this following and idol-like status, Choudhury preyed on young women who took his classes by raping, abusing and sexually harassing them.

As Orner shows, this punishing 90 minute class was widely seen by celebrities and LA natives alike as a rejuvenating and life-changing experience. They became addicted to the environment, and even more

to the style that Choudhury presented.

After years of abusing various women, one woman stepped forward into the media and the civil court system to expose Choudhury’s pattern of rape and sexual violence. After her, a string of other women followed. These women risked everything, including their livelihoods as yoga instructors; they were ostracized from their communities and vilified by their friends and coworkers, and they got very little out of their legal efforts.

This documentary presents a unique look at how powerful men manage to get away with sexual assault and violence in modern society. It is a pre #MeToo era film that is presented in a post #MeToo world.

Orner shows how powerful predators

To this day, reporting sexual abuse continues to be stigmatized to the point of keeping women and men from ever naming their assailant or coming forward about the trauma they experienced. Repeatedly, when a woman comes forward about an assault, she is questioned about the clothes she was wearing, the drinks she had or the way she was behaving.

For male survivors, the shame of being labeled a victim is debilitating. Men and women both feel that as survivors, they share the blame for any sexual violence that happened to them.

However, the recent public attention and prosecutions of powerful men for their attacks has created a minute shift in the way society looks at assault.

“There is still much work to be done, and it is important to be aware of the power dynamics and mind games that many powerful men use to corner their victims and to continue their pattern of dangerous and traumatizing behavior.” create environments of hostility, rife with sexual abuse and intimidation, followed by a cult-like community supporting them, in order to keep secrets. This ensures that when victims speak out, supporters are quick to condemn survivors’ stories and instead back up their leader’s behavior.

The number of reported sexual assaults here at St. Joe’s has increased from one report in 2017 to seven reports in 2018. While this looks like more assaults are happening, it could really mean that more people are reporting when it does occur.

According to the St. Joe’s Climate

Study from 2017, 66% of survivors said they felt responsible for their attack. Of the pool of survivors, 59% told a friend, and 41% did nothing. The most alarming reality from this study is that the survivors articulated that the reason they did not report was because they felt that the violent conduct they received was “not serious enough to report.”

As a community, our rate of reporting has increased, which is a positive thing because it shows that we are at least improving the comfort people feel about coming forward. However, there is still much work to be done, and it is important to be aware of the power dynamics and mind games that many powerful men use to corner their victims and to continue their pattern of dangerous and traumatizing behavior.

Bikram Choudhury was tried in several civil cases and found guilty, yet he fled the country and has since been considered a fugitive of the U.S. To this day, Choudhury is continuing to teach Bikram yoga and he still holds teacher trainings where vulnerable women and men blindly follow his lead in the hopes of changing their lives through yoga.

It takes courage for victims to speak up and talk about their assault. Let’s stand with those who take the leap and risk everything for the truth, and believe women when they come forward.

The best comedian in all of Kazakhstan

Comedy as a “very nice” way to make a political point DEVIN YINGLING ’22 Opinions Editor Sacha Baron Cohen has always been Borat, the journalist from Kazakhstan, or Jean Girard who intimidated Ricky Bobby with his French accent and elite racing skills.

Baron Cohen has always simply been a comedian to me, and one with a sense of humor that treds on the thin ice of political correctness.

However, two weeks ago, his speech to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) made Baron Cohen more than just a comedian to me, but rather a comedian who has used his talent for joke telling in a way that benefits the greater good. Using comedy as a way to make a political point is of immense value in this society, and it was encouraging to see such an eccentric comedy figure use his platform to make valuable commentary on the principles of democracy.

Now don’t get me wrong, many of his jokes remain awfully vulgar, and he is a comedian that seriously pushes the limits on what you can and cannot make jokes about. He even acknowledges that not “…everything I’ve done has been for a higher purpose. Yes, some of my comedy, OK probably half my comedy, has been absolutely juvenile and the other half completely puerile.”

The key point of his most recent speech, however, is that the principles of democracy are being threatened by the profit-seeking silicon six, and because they refuse to censor spe-

cific messages off of their platforms (like Holocaust deniers, live streams like the shooter from Christchurch and propaganda supporting a genocide in Myanmar), they are doing a disservice to the country and the fundamental principles democracy relies on.

Baron Cohen relates this back to his comedy by arguing, “We have lost, it seems, a shared

Cohen makes a seriously good point here: satirical jokes like his are not funny if common facts are not shared.

Comedy and politics thus have an interesting relationship as Baron Cohen seems to understand. Comedy, especially stand up and satirical skit comedy, is another way for the citizenry to check political power. But comedy

ILLUSTRATION: KAITLYN PATTERSON ’20/THE HAWK

sense of the basic facts upon which democracy depends. When I, as the wanna-be-gansta Ali G, asked the astronaut Buzz Aldrin ‘what woz it like to walk on de sun? ’ the joke worked, because we, the audience, shared the same facts.

If you believe the moon landing was a hoax, the joke was not funny.”

Using comedy as a platform is an interesting, and I must admit, effective way to underscore serious political issues. And Baron

only works if facts and the truth are protected by the institutions in place. It’s an tricky relationship to navigate.

Comedy is relatable, and people are undoubtedly drawn to jokes and humor. By hinting at serious political issues or social injustices through joke telling, it lightens the load the audience is hearing, thus reaching a broader audience (if properly delivered of course).

Saturday Night Live has been doing po-

litical satire for decades, going back to the age of Chevy Chase portraying President Gerald Ford. And in more recent years, popular, bigname comedians like John Mulaney, Tina Fey, Seth Meyers, Kate McKinnon and Dana Carvey all have political segments in their standup specials or have nailed political characters in their skit performances.

Having popularized comedic bits that check the authority of the institutions is a necessity: consider comedy as having the same role as traditional media being an independent source for checking authority, but, you know, funny and easier to stomach when the topics get a bit heavy.

As Baron Cohen argued in a past interview, going undercover as Borat or Bruno, “the first aim is to be as funny as you can but occasionally you end up uncovering some unpleasant truths,” referring to racial, sexist, religious and homophobic stereotypes.

Appreciate comedy for what it is, but recognize the power it can wield in political life if done correctly. Baron Cohen used his platform for good in his speech to the ADL, and recognizes that while much of what he does is purely vulgar humor with no deeper purpose, much of what he does relies on exposing political and social injustices in the world.

Comedy is not only just for a good laugh, but much of the time it serves a deeper purpose and checks the power of political institutions in a creative way, reaching a broad audience that may have otherwise opted-out of political participation.

Opinions

The Hawk Newspaper

Dec. 4, 2019

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Don’t touch my hair

A black girl's experience with hair HADASSAH COLBERT ’20 Assistant Opinions Editor “Don’t touch my hair when it’s the feelings I wear … Don’t touch my crown, they say the vision I’ve found. Don’t touch what’s there, when it’s the feelings I wear. They don’t understand what it means to me, where we chose to go, where we’ve been to know.”

This poetry might be the lyrics to Solange Knowles’ song “Don’t Touch My Hair” from her breakout album “A Seat at the Table,” but to me these words are a manifesto.

Hair to black women has always been political, whether we like it or not. I am vexed that wearing my hair the way it grows forth from my scalp could be a political action, but it is one nonetheless. Unsurprisingly, this is something that stems all the way back to slavery.

In 18th century Louisiana, there was an increase of free black people in New Orleans due to an increase in economic opportunity, and black people were able to buy their freedom. The free black women were known to wear their hair in ornate elaborate styles that included jewels and feathers. This of course, attracted the gaze of many, including those of white men.

Because this threatened the social order of white society, the Tignon laws were put into place. Black and creole women were forced to cover their hair in order to be identifiable as a slave caste even if they were free.

Even currently, places like California had to enact laws that ban racial discrimination against people for wearing their natural hair, which disproportionately affects black women’s ability to wear natural hairstyles to work or school. The military and many schools consider things like box braids, dreadlocks, cornrows, Afro puffs and other

natural black hairstyles to be unkempt or unprofessional. However, I am here to say this is a load of malarkey.

Afro hairstyles are considered a political statement because it signifies nonconformity. When you see black women on news stations, their hair is never natural. That is because it’s difficult to get hired and be taken seriously if our hair is not straight. When we wear our hair natural it says, “I am fully comfortable in the skin I am in,” and that makes some white people uncomfortable.

Thus, many black women are forced to subject their strands to harsh perming chemicals or experience heat damage from excessive straightening and then are forced to cut all of their hair off, which can be emotionally scarring. All of this, just to be able to go to school and work without fear of retribution; for example, there has even been a report of a little black girl having her braids cut off at school.

This is why black women get upset when white people, namely white women, appropriate these hairstyles. When I wear these hairstyles it is considered “ghetto” or “unprofessional” even though these hairstyles come from my people. However when white women or non-black women wear them they are “edgy” “urban” “earthy” or “innovative.” With this, it is easy to see why we feel the way we do.

Hairstyles like braids have always had a

deeper meaning to black women for several reasons. For example, many African women would braid rice in their hair before the journey of the middle passage into enslavement. This technique was also used on the children of these women before they were sent to different plantations to ensure they could eat.

Yet, after all the scrutiny black women go through with their hair, random people love to stick their questionably clean fingers into it. You see “Don’t Touch My Hair” is a double entendre. It means don’t touch my hair as in please respect my customs, but it also means please do not physically touch my hair.

Black women are already made out to be a spectacle for simply existing. It gets even worse when strangers and even sometimes people we know touch our hair without permission. We are not petting zoos. If you want to touch someone’s hair, or just a person in general, you should ask for consent.

Who would have thought that something so trivial as hair could be the source of so many issues and pain. Black women are constantly analyzed and put down simply for being us.

So the next time you find yourself saying, “It’s just hair,” remember my words and that it might be just hair to you because your strands are not policed as heavy as mine.

ILLUSTRATION: KAITLYN PATTERSON ’20/THE HAWK

Senioritis Season

five tips from a senior on surviving four years KARLEIGH LOPEZ ’20 Columnist

A few weeks ago, I pulled one of those terrible yet not nearly as valorized almost all-nighters: working in the library until it closes at 2 a.m.

Alone and desperately staring at my computer screen hoping that a revised version of my Shakespeare paper would simply materialize before me, the exhaustion I had been experiencing for hours finally culminated into a single nagging thought: how many more nights like this will I have?

Like many of my peers, I am no stranger to putting off assignments until the last minute, only to have to deal with inevitable regret and self-hatred. But, even as I sat in the library wanting nothing more than to be back in my bed with a finished essay printed on my desk, I started to tear up at the thought of it all being over.

I realized that my senioritis, my “screw my GPA, I’ll graduate no matter what” attitude that I honestly have had since my first year has become all consuming. Instead of feeling miserable, I realized I need to cherish these moments because my time as a student will soon be over for good.

Confronting my own senioritis has allowed me to better understand and appreciate my time as a college student. As my

final semester at St. Joe’s approaches, I am finally able to reflect on my choices and give what I hope to be helpful advice.

I would ordinarily caution anyone before accepting my guidance, as my “full send” mantra has routinely gotten me into trouble. But as a senior who has lived through it all, this is my candid advice.

look through the course lists to see what else they teach that you might be interested in. Not only does this relieve any anxieties about not knowing a professor’s teaching style, but it is also helpful when your professor knows your learning style. I have grown so much as a student this way.

1. Make the most of your all-nighters.

It’s bound to happen, so there’s no sense in dwelling on your poor time management.

These nights, more than any party you’ll ever attend, will be the ones you remember the most. Do as I do: stock up on candy beforehand and take a lap every hour to socialize. Even if people think its gross, take your shoes off—it’s freeing.

4. Study in The Perch, especially during finals. The Perch is hands down the most “slept on” location on campus.

Cheap vending machines? The Perch has it. TVs and activities? It’s all there. A random stage to have dance breaks on? You bet. For some unknown reason, St. Joe’s students forget to make use of this amazing space, but it is my secret to de-stressing during finals.

2. My personal favorite: utilize your sweatshirt. Throw a big hood over your head then tighten and knot the drawstrings—faultless blinders. The perfect way to keep your headphones secured in your ears and to keep your eyes on your own work. When you finally crawl back to your dorm room after it’s all finished, be proud of the work you have done. It’s never easy and you pushed through.

5. Lastly, don’t count down the days until you get to go home. When classes get tough and you feel like ripping all of your hair out rather than studying for a test, we all start to forget that we are only here for four short years. Every time I have been stressed, all I wanted to do was go home, forgetting that home is here too. It’s cliché to say seize the day, but these years are so important to enjoy.

3. Take that one professor again.

One of the best decisions I have made as a student was registering for classes with professors I have had before. If you have taken a class with a professor you loved,

So take your shoes off in the library, bond with your professors, and don’t let senioritis get the best of you—there are so many moments you don’t want to miss.

TODD ERKIS Columnist ANNA LUBOMIRSKI ’21 Columnist My friend told me about a stock that he said was going to go up big. I bought the stock, it went up by $5 per share, but then dropped quickly below what I paid for it.

I was worried about losing more money and sold at a loss. How do I know when the right time is to sell so I don’t make that mistake again?

- Anthony V. ’22, mathematics major.

Erkis: Anthony, thank you for the question. I too have situations where I wished I would have sold earlier before a stock price fell. The straightforward answer to your question is that it is virtually impossible to regularly sell at the right time. This is because the market moves very quickly and you are up against investment professionals who spend more time than any individual investor can on the stock market.

I try to only purchase investments that I understand. Investing means purchasing the stock of a quality company that you expect to do well over the long run. Looking for a quick profit is speculation. Trying to time the market by buying before the stock price increases too much and selling before it drops may work out from time-to-time, but it will not work out on a consistent basis.

There is an old saying about investing in stocks: “Fear and greed move the market.” I try to keep this in mind when I am investing.

The goal is to buy low and sell high to make a profit. But many of us do exactly the opposite!

We buy high and sell low because of fear and greed. It is terrifying to watch a stock you own lose 30% or more of its value. Most people will want to sell immediately to save whatever is left. But if the company is a good company, it is often best to just hold on. Greed leads to buying the stock of a company you don’t know anything about hoping for a quick profit.

Lubomirski: I don’t own any stocks yet, but it’s always a great time to learn about them! When Professor Erkis talks about fear and greed, I understand how easy it could be to let emotions drive investing decisions. I too would be encouraged by gains and hit hard by losses. When I start investing for the first time, my mindset will be to invest a small amount and expect some losses. Then I won’t be disappointed if the price goes down.

This discussion shows that when making investments a person should try to keep emotion out of it. When I have money to invest, I am going to do my best to just let the investments sit over the long run and try not to check on how they are doing every day.

Contrary to what would likely be my initial instincts, calming down and stepping back is the best way to not make the common mistakes Professor Erkis talks about when investing over the long term.

Nothing stated in this column should be considered investment advice or an offering of securities. Stock investing has risk and you should do your own research before investing. If you have a question that you would like answered, please send them to hawk.editorial@gmail.com

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Dec. 4, 2019

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Look what they’re making her do Sexism in the music industry REGINA SCHLIEP ’23 Columnist This past summer, Taylor Swift’s former record label, Big Machine Records, was sold to record executive and music industry giant Scooter Braun. Braun is known for assisting Justin Bieber early in his career and for his close friendship and managerial status over Kanye West.

Along with buying Big Machine Records, Braun acquired Swift’s master recordings, which are the original pieces of work of a song or album. Of her first six albums, essentially her life's work catalog of music, she should have the rights to the master recording.

Many artists make the compromise of granting a label access to master rights so they can have the advantages that come with signing to a label and advancing their careers. Essentially, if a label owns the rights to a master recording, they can control where the music is used and the percentage of royalties the artist receives from the song or album. In the words of Prince, “own your masters, or your masters will own you.”

The unfortunate reality behind the practice of labels owning masters is that they are sometimes opposed to the artists who create said work. Swift’s case was plagued by sexism and fear instilled by Braun, who, as she expressed via a Tumblr post, was responsible for “incessant, manipulative bullying” along with Braun’s clients, Kanye West and Justin Bieber.

To disclaim, Swift was aware that by walking away from Big Machine to sign

under the circumstances that Swift would not re-record her past music to remaster them and she would stop talking about Borschetta and Braun would they allow her to perform her music at the AMAs. The notion that Swift, a very prominent and talented pop-star, is being controlled by powerful men is one that is dangerous and reflected in areas of the workforce for women. If Swift is experiencing this degree of control by men over

“The notion that Swift, a very prominent and talented pop-star, is being controlled by powerful men is one that is dangerous and reflected in areas of the workforce for women.” with a new label, she would compromise losing the minimal control she had over her past music, and she knew that the former label owner, Scott Borshcetta, would sell the label. She did not think that her former label, and by proxy almost her entire catalog of music, would be sold to Braun.

This situation only worsened recently, when Swift shared via Twitter that Braun and Borschetta would not allow her to perform her past catalog at the American Music Awards, where Swift would be recognized as the artist of the decade. Only

her hard work and talent, it is terrifying to think of the manipulation and control that men have over more amateur artists in the industry, and in the workforce in general.

Women in the music industry are no strangers to facing sexism. Pop star Billie Eilish, indie-pop’s beloved Clairo and Swift have all been accused of being “industry plants,” a term used in the music industry to describe successful artists as having advantages to their success and that men, such as their fathers or phenomena such as nepotism, were reasons

for their success. Not only is the label a direct invalidation of the women’s work, talent and success, but it puts men at the center of their achievements.

It is a goal of mine to work in the music industry. Being a woman and seeing the many instances of sexism within the industry is discouraging. It makes me wonder how we can put a stop to the control that men manage to have over people, and in the case of Swift, how men have so much control over work that they had no part in creating.

I can’t help but feel helpless at times when women as successful as Swift are facing situations where they are demeaned and their work is degraded because men feel they have power over both.

Although Swift has a very mixed perception in terms of her public image, the way she has been treated by the men of her former record label is something that should not be tolerated regardless of how anyone feels about her as a person.

The instances she faces as an artist only hold the threat of becoming a precedent for other women in the industry, but fortunately Swift being transparent about the situation via her social media can be a display for other artists and women to be cautious.

Jay Hova the “Business, man” Why Jay-Z is so successful ERON SWAN ’20 Guest Columnist The mogul genius, Jay-Z, didn’t become a self-made billionaire overnight. Rappers nowadays follow a specific blueprint, one that Jay-Z has embodied since his first album, “Reasonable Doubt”: create a record label, deliver the best product, take the money from those album sales and invest it back into yourself.

Jay-Z, or Shawn Carter, isn’t the typical business man considering he used to sell crack outside of the Marcy Houses housing projects in Brooklyn. Let me emphasize that I am not endorsing drug dealers. I am endorsing reaching new heights and investing in yourself. Carter took that same drug money and invested all of it in his record label, Roc-A-Fella Records.

Carter has been laying out the blueprint for creating a constant flow of income since the mid 90s. Being an owner of companies is what Carter capitalizes on in building his empire. After opening the clothing brand Rocawear, he stated that he made $80 million in just 18 months in one of his platinum hits, “U Don’t Know,” “And if somebody woulda told ‘em that Hov’ would sell clothing, not in this lifetime, wasn’t in my right mind.”

It is vital as a businessman to understand how to create a passive income versus active income. The best way to explain passive income is imagining if a water faucet was constantly flowing with water. It takes little to no effort for the water to flow. Jay-Z has mastered the understanding of passive income.

“I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man,” Jay-Z raps on the remix of Kanye West’s “Diamonds from Sierra Leone.”

Jay-Z has or had ownership in many different businesses and industries such as NBA teams, entertainment companies, streaming apps, alcoholic beverages, cloth-

ing lines and sports agencies. Don’t forget that he started out selling crack on the corners to make his pockets a little husky.

There is no true finish line and there is no satisfaction with Shawn Carter.

He’s creating revenue with little to no effort and giving artists like J. Cole the blueprint for opening their own label.

Carter’s last album, “4:44,” highlighted many economical lessons in its lyrics as Brittany Hunter claims in her article, “Jay-Z: The Great Modern American Capitalist.” In the second song of the album, “The Story Of O.J.,” Carter speaks on some of the reasons why O.J. Simpson lost all of his fortunes.

More specifically, the article explains that Simpson was spending all his money to get away from the crime ridden area he grew up in. Because he lived a luxurious lifestyle with no investments, all his capital was lost due to all of his mishaps. Later in the song, Jay-Z raps about how buying, holding, then selling is a great way to gain capital.

“I bought some artwork for one million, two years later, that s--- worth two million, few years later, that s--- worth eight million, I can’t wait to give this s--- to my children.”

Carter even speaks on market capitalism’s failures. Before gentrifying areas with higher than usual crime became a popular motive, Carter saw no reason to invest in his own area. In retrospect, he states that a building worth $2 million is now worth $25 million and he lacked the understanding of capitalism and social changes.

Hunter’s article explains that this verse, “Please don’t die over the neighborhood that your mama rentin.’ Take your drug money and buy the neighborhood. That’s how you rinse it,” has a solid point. Capitalism used for social change can and will be more effective than government intervention. Creating value and wealth from a product by selling it, then putting that money back into the community can make a huge difference in how much a community strives or struggles.

ILLUSTRATION: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

Investing in oneself and the community is a better alternative than having government intervention because nobody knows a community better than those living in it, the article states. Nonetheless, financial freedom is the only way to create opportunity for oneself and others.

This is why Jay-Z has become so successful; he has created immense wealth by initially investing in his own successes. It is worthwhile to take a page out of Jay-Z’s book of success and recognize the effective ways to better yourself and the community around you.

Features

The Hawk Newspaper

Dec. 4, 2019

9

Blue light glasses aim to reduce negative effects of digital screens SARAH MORRISON ’20 Special to The Hawk It’s nearing midnight and Kyle Knapp ’22 is scrolling through the last of his social media accounts before he turns in for the night.

As he finishes up, and his eyes start to get heavy, Knapp takes off his blue light glasses and puts them close by, ready to grab once he wakes up.

“I feel like I’m sleeping better and getting more hours when I’m just laying in bed, instead of struggling to fall asleep,” Knapp said of his new glasses. “I can fall asleep easier with them.”

Blue light glasses are an increasingly popular solution for helping people deal with their reliance on digital screens and the side effects of so much digital glare. The lenses in blue light glasses contain special filters in them that help to eliminate the amount of blue light that the retina absorb, minimizing headaches and eye strain while looking at blue light devices, and increasing melatonin levels.

Online retailer Amazon sells a wide array of blue light glasses, ranging in price from the $10 to well over $100. Knapp purchased his pair from Amazon for $15. The online glasses and sunglasses retailer Warby Parker also sells glasses with blue-light lenses.

Richard A. Stone, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, explained how the cells in a person’s retinas react to blue light and how interactions with screens can rewire the brain.

“The concern of blue light, with screens [like] your phone, tablet, computer, they do emit blue light and stimulate these cells,” Stone said. “Those cells really activate your biology throughout your whole body telling you it’s daytime.”

Julia Sinkbeil ’22 purchased a pair of

Blue light glasses, which filter out blue light, are becoming popular among those who spend more time looking at screens. PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

blue light glasses from Amazon for $13 to help eliminate the headaches she experienced while completing homework at night.

“They definitely help when I am doing my homework at night and looking at my phone,” Sinkbeil said. “Depending on how much work I am doing on my laptop is how much I wear them, probably like two to three hours a day.”

Jodi Mindell, Ph.D., professor of psychology at St. Joe’s, specializes in pediatric sleep psychology. Mindell said all light affects sleep, but blue light suppresses melatonin levels from rising, which presents someone from falling asleep faster.

However, Mindell said that although blue light glasses can have benefits for your sleep schedule, they are not the only solution.

“Your brain is super activated because you’re looking at social media, or an email that upset you, or engrossed in a video,” Mindell said. “[The glasses] probably have

some positive benefits and if someone uses them, tries them and thinks it works, more power to them, but I wouldn’t rely on them as ‘I can then be on my screen with no problem if I just wear blue light glasses that filter out blue light.’”

Many electronics have applications that allow users to enable a setting that filters out blue light without having to spend additional money on glasses.

A night mode feature, where the layout of a phone is darkened, is available on most devices. Settings are called “Night Shift” on Apple products and “Night Light” on Lenovo products. If creates a yellow-tint in the screen, the same effect that the blue light glasses have while looking at a blue light screen.

Sinkbeil said she utilizes the night mode setting most when she’s using her phone before bed.

“It has almost the same effect as the glass-

es so I find it helps a lot as well,” said Sinkbeil.

While Sinkbeil utilizes the free setting on her phone, Knapp said he prefers his glasses.

“They help the best because of the eye strain,” Knapp said. “I think that’s what affected me in not doing that mode at all and just resorting to the glasses.”

Knapp also said the glasses are useful for watching television and playing video games, because television screens do not have a night mode setting.

Mindell said with night mode, headaches could subside, but falling asleep may still be difficult. Her best advice: tackle the problem at its source.

“Getting off your screens is more important than just keeping a pair of glasses on,” Mindell said.

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Dec. 4, 2019

Features

The Hawk Newspaper

A little slice of family right up the street PATRICK HOTCHKISS ’20 Special to The Hawk Mid-afternoon on a Tuesday may not be the most popular time to get pizza, but the customers of Overbrook Pizza on North 63rd Street did not seem to notice.

A small set of stairs led them into a small sitting area with a lone bench. Overbrook Pizza customers tend to prefer take-out pizza and cheesesteaks anyway. They packed the small waiting area, greeting owner Jimmy Lambritsios, who juggled conversations about Monday night football, skipping classes and slippery roads while preparing food.

“When you’re here for so many years, you get to have a nice relationship with the customers,” Lambritsios said. “You get to know them. When they come in, they talk to you.

It builds up their confidence to come back.

They’re going to go to places where they feel comfortable to eat.”

Lambritsios’ 92-year-old father opened Overbrook Pizza 40 years ago after emigrating from Greece. Lambritsios was 8 years old when he came to the U.S. He learned to make pizza from his father. From the start, he and his father, mother and brother all worked at the pizza shop. Today, Lambritsios still works alongside his immediate family members, who can be heard from the waiting area talking about orders and coordinating deliveries.

Lambritsios’ customers come from the neighborhood and, when school is in session, include a loyal contingent of St. Joe’s students.

Natalia Rodriguez ’20, a regular customer, said she goes to Overbrook Pizza not only because of the convenient location but also because of the service.

“They all know my name,” Rodriguez

Located across from Pennbrook Apartments, Overbrook Pizza has established itself as a St. Joe’s staple. PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

said. “I’ve ordered so many times that when I call in and order over the phone, they greet me by my name.”

For Lambritsios, whose own children are college-aged, treating St. Joe’s students like family comes naturally.

“My brother’s kids went to St. Joe’s, my son graduated a few years ago, my daughter’s in college,” Lambritsios said, “They’re nice to us. We’re nice to them. We take care of them

like they’re our own kids.”

Laura Fuentes Pou ’21 also appreciates the service she receives at Overbrook Pizza and said she notices how much Lambritsios cares for his St. Joe’s customers.

“He remembers my name and says it in Spanish which makes me feel at home,” said Fuentes Pou, who is from Puerto Rico. “And they always take care of us and make us smile when we go in.”

Fuentes Pou said Overbrook Pizza is a welcoming environment because of that strong family bond.

“They all make jokes with each other and they just love and respect each other so much,” Fuentes Pou said. “Going into Overbrook is like going into their family’s home.”

CineHawk movie review: “Earthquake Bird” JAYLEN DOTSON ’21 Special to The Hawk The Netflix original “Earthquake Bird” is a tense, visually arresting thriller that aims to be like “The Girl on The Train” but instead set in Japan.

Directed by Wash Westmoreland and starring Alicia Vikander, Riley Keough

and Naoki Kobayashi, it tells the story of a translator living in Japan who is suspected in the disappearance of her friend, the other woman in a dangerous love triangle. The film, based on the 2002 book by Susan Jones, also provides a look into the culture of Japan during an era that is often unexplored in Hollywood depictions of the country.

GRAPHICS: KAITLYN PATTERSON ’20/THE HAWK

The film’s opening shot is fantastic, capturing the intersecting subways of Tokyo along with an assemblage of buildings. It brings the viewer right into the heart of the setting before introducing the main character, Lucy Fly (Vikander).

Her first shot beautifully blends her into the rest of the crowd while allowing just enough focus to clue us into her status.

With a gray, unassuming wardrobe, Vikander skillfully sells Lucy’s guarded, scarred intrigue with a touch of danger, enabling us to believe she could be capable of harming her friend. Lucy’s guard slowly breaks down, however, upon meeting the enigmatic Teiji.

Played by pop star Kobayashi in his debut international role, Teiji is a photographer, interested in capturing “water, buildings [and] reflections.” Yet, this does not stop him from snapping Lucy’s picture when they first meet.

There is an immediate synchronization between these two introverts, not hampered by a timely earthquake that pushes them alone together into Teiji’s makeshift shelter.

Kobayashi seems to play Teiji as stoic, though it is difficult to tell if his subdued delivery is an intentional character choice or an inexperience with dramatic acting, considering his previous film roles were action movies.

Rounding out the main cast is Lily Bridges, played by Keough. Lily is a magnetic free spirit with a charming naivete that thankfully does not metastasize into unberable as others in her character type often do. She and Lucy get off to a rocky start, but slowly come to a deeper understanding as they get to know and understand one another.

Lucy serves as Lily’s guide through the late 80s, pre-Lost Decade (a period of economic stagnation following the burst of the asset price bubble) in Tokyo. Keough expertly plays up Lily’s energetic fun side, making her just trustworthy enough to mask the chaos lurking underneath.

As for the eponymous avian creature, it is a form of bird that makes its presence known through a distinctive, boiling tea kettle-esque song following earthquakes, an all-too frequent occurrence in the Land of the Rising Sun. In a literal and symbolic sense, it is a calming force after an extremely chaotic, potentially traumatic event, a defiant and perpetual beauty amid overwhelming horror. As more of Lucy’s past is revealed (and the tension between the three leads escalates), Lucy’s ability to remain firm in the face of danger begins to echo the bird’s resilient nature.

“Earthquake Bird” is full of compelling, suspenseful performances, enhanced by foreboding direction and atmosphere, even if it shares some narrative DNA with others in its genre.

Features

The Hawk Newspaper

Dec. 4, 2019

11

Students Health Center brings awareness to epilepsy with training event MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22 Photo Editor According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 116,100 people over the age of 18 have epilepsy in Pennsylvania. Across the U.S., at least 3 million adults and almost half a million children have active epilepsy.

Active epilepsy is “those who reported a history of doctor-diagnosed epilepsy or seizure disorder and either were currently taking medication to control it, or had one or more seizures in the past year, or both,” according to the CDC. Speaking at a seizure training event in Doyle Banquet Hall on Nov. 20, co-hosted with the Student Health Center, Seamus Morgan, the greater Philadelphia resource coordinator of the Epilepsy Foundation of Eastern Pennsylvania (EFEPA) said one in 26 Americans have the condition, and it is likely there could be someone with the condition in an average classroom.

“College students are in the classroom every day, so it’s important for the classmates around them to know what to do,” Morgan said.

Morgan highlighted the importance of knowing how to respond in the event that someone is having a seizure. He also provided information about ways to support people with epilepsy and cleared up myths and misunderstandings about the disorder.

“It’s not as complicated as some people think, like what to do during a seizure,and how to spread awareness,” Morgan said.

“That’s why it's great to come out and educate people for a little bit.”

Morgan said the safety of an individual having a seizure is paramount, while bystanders remain calm throughout the seizure. When an individual is suffering from a seizure, he said they should be laid on their side, and all hazards such as glasses should be removed, their head should be padded and any light clothing around the neck should be loosened. The seizure

Morgan explins that accessories should be taken off during a seizure. PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22

should be timed, and, if it lasts longer than five minutes, 911 should be notified.

Lixa Rodriguez ’22 said she has friends who suffer from epilepsy, but she never knew much about the disorder. She said her friend had a seizure at a party, but Rodriguez was not present.

“I just wasn’t really well informed,” Rodriguez said. “I figured I should probably learn [what to do] if it happens to anyone in front of me, instead of panicking.”

The training event stressed that seizures are not always apparent. According to EFEPA’s website, over 50% of seizures are simple or complex partial seizures,

where only part of the brain is affected.

These can range from uncontrollable muscle movements, while the individual is still conscious, to them looking like they are spacing out or acting like they are under the influence.

Tonic-clonic seizures, where a person falls to the ground and convulses, only account for 23% of all seizures.

Eileen Bevilacqua, R.N., director of the Student Health Center, said many people with epilepsy are not comfortable talking about the disorder with others.

“Acceptance is key for the social aspects, so they don’t feel left out, and they

don’t feel bullied,” Bevilacqua said.

Bevilacqua said that the Student Health Center has protocols in place in regards to seizures.

“If a student comes into the health center who is having a seizure, or has seizure in the health center, we would notify 911 if we didn’t know what their history was,” Bevilacqua said.

For Morgan, epilepsy awareness on campus does not just end in the classroom.

Awareness extends to all areas of student life, in and out of the classroom.

“We want students to feel safe and welcome in their environment,” Morgan said.

Instagram hides likes to promote personal connection JULIA KOERWER ’23 Assistant Social Media Manager When she was a sophomore in college, Jenny Fritz ’20 started modeling and posting photos taken by local photographers on her Instagram, which she used as her portfolio. A year and a half later, Fritz was signed by a modeling agency.

After beginning her modeling career, Fritz said she began to feel the negative effects of social media—comparing herself to other models on Instagram. She said she got over that feeling by acknowledging that Instagram is not a reflection of real life: “You have to realize that this isn’t real.”

The topic of social media’s effect on mental health has been widely criticized.

Recently, Instagram made the decision to remove likes, which they say is to make the app have less of an impact on user’s mental health.

Fritz said she thinks at the end of the day removing likes doesn’t really make a difference. She suggested that a better solution would be for Instagram to promote mental health awareness rather than hiding likes.

“They should promote well being, mental health,” Fritz said. “They should actually be promoting self care and self help.

I think they should do something a little bit deeper than just hiding likes.”

Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, announced on Nov. 8 that the like feature would be removed from public view at the WIRED25 conference, adding that Instagram has been testing the removal of likes in other countries around the world, including Japan and Canada. With the removal of likes, Mosseri said a user can now see how many people liked their own post,

this method out before, and the photo editing app VSCO has a format in which users can only view their individual likes or reposts, but not others.

Phyllis Anastasio, Ph.D., professor of psychology, noted that the removal of likes on Instagram may be good for the mental health of users, if they use it the right way.

“It’s really up to us to use social media

GRAPHIC BY: LUKE MALANGA’20/THE HAWK

but not the posts of others’.

“The idea is to try to depressurize Instagram, make it less of a competition [and] give people more space to focus on connecting with the people that they love [and the] things that inspire them,” Mosseri said at the conference.

Hiding engagement metrics such as likes, retweets or favorites isn’t a new idea.

Facebook, who owns Instagram, has tested

in that positive, connecting-with-others way rather than to see it as a competition for who gets the most ‘likes,’” Anastasio said.

Camille Vasconcellos ’20, president of the Psychology Club, said for younger technology users, Instagram may be a place where they go to feel validated by their peers.

“If that validation isn’t there, they are seeking instant gratification, they are mod-

ifying who they are as a person,” Vasconcellos said. “I think it really brings up the point: is [social media] really helping or harming people?”

David Parry, Ph.D., associate professor of communication studies, said he is skeptical that this change in Instagram’s platform is for the benefit of the public. “[I don’t know] whether it’s so that people like Instagram more and use it more, or that it forces certain people to buy ads more, but I’m pretty sure they aren’t doing it for our mental health,” Parry said.

While Fritz thinks it is positive for Instagram to be addressing concerns of self-image surrounding social media, she is also skeptical about the effectiveness of removing likes. She thinks a lot of it comes down to personal mindset.

“It’s kind of them just trying to save face,” Fritz said. “Tt is more of an underlying thing. It’s more of a mindset.”

Whether or not Instagram is removing likes for the benefit of users’ mental health, Anastasio said people are still likely to use the app.

“Social media usage is not going to go away,” Anastasio said. “It’s up to us to evolve social rules, norms and attitudes towards their usage that will promote connection, not competition.”

12

Features

The Hawk Newspaper

Dec. 4, 2019

It’s the finals countdown ZACH DOBINSON ’22 Assistant Features Editor

A CITY SPRAWLING WITH MUSIC CULTURE

JAYNE BARAN ’22 Special to the Hawk Living in Philadelphia is a blessing and should be treated as such. Sure, there is a lot more garbage and noise in the city and maybe the city turns to chaos every time there’s a big playoff game, but by going to St. Joe’s, we have something students at Pennsylvania State University or the University of Scranton don’t: We have access to what Philly has to offer at night.

A big difference between living in Philly and living in a rural or suburban area is that we have shows to see. Philly’s underground music scene is already established, easily accessible and, to be quite honest, it’s sick.

Sure, in the suburbs and even rural areas, there is probably one big concert venue where all the big artists go when they come to town. Perhaps one is forced to drive an hour and a half to get to the said venue, or perhaps one just walks down their street to a nearby house for an intimate basement show. However, Philly has many places to experience show culture.

With dozens of venues under the same zip code, Philly offers unique music experiences for whatever you’re into.

What makes Philly really interesting is that venue size and atmosphere varies from place to place.

Whether you’re an avid concert goer or you’re new to the scene, here’s a crash course on how to know what type of experience you’re looking for based off of the venue.

THE BIG LEAGUE If your favorite artist comes to town and they’re selling out stadiums, chances are you’ll find the likes of Dababy, Elton John or Billie Eilish at Wells Fargo Cen-

ter, Lincoln Financial Field, The Mann Center or The Met Philadelphia (which just recently reopened).

Some artists will cost concert-goers a couple hundred dollars if they want to sit as close as possible. While you may be dropping bills to see them, these are the big guns. With these venues holding tens of thousands of people, you will be fully immersed in the concert experience.

Some experiences are just worth it.

In December alone, Lil Uzi is coming to Wells Fargo (12/8), and Madonna and PnB Rock will be performing at The Met (Madonna on 12/7, 12/8 and 12/11 and PnB Rock on 12/28).

DOWN A NOTCH? Seeing someone a little smaller? When looking to see performers like Brockhampton, Vampire Weekend or SZA, try venues like Union Transfer, The Fillmore Philadelphia or the Skyline Stage at thr Mann Center. These are medium sized venues only holding give or take a couple thousand people with ticket prices that most likely won’t break your bank, from about $160 and below.

This month, Union Transfer is having Twin Peaks and Cautious Clay (12/10 and 12/14, respectively), and The Struts are coming to the Fillmore (12/28 and 12/29).

EVEN SMALLER? Philly has a ton of small venues to see indie bands usually for a decently low cost, so if you’re looking for the likes of The Fruit Bats, SKATERS or Mitski, you’ll probably find them at venues like Milkboy Philadelphia, Boot & Saddle, Theatre of the Living Arts or Johnny Brenda’s.

With prices being more wallet friendly and these venues only holding anywhere from 300 to 500 people, these are

a nice way to dip your toe into the vast music culture Philadelphia has to offer.

For the month of December, Theatre of the Living Arts is having New Politics, The Plain White T’s and The Mowgli’s (all on 12/11), and Boot & Saddle will feature Thurston Moore Group (12/6).

With these venues being general admission, prices for all tickets are usually set anywhere from $20 to $40.

HEART OF PHILLY Looking for a step up from someone’s graduation party or that kid from high school’s basement to see bands like Mal Blum, Okey Dokey, Adult Mom or Chastity Belt? These tiny venues, holding 200 people at most, are the heart of Philly music culture. Underground Arts, First Unitarian Church Philadelphia, Everybody Hits and the PhilaMOCA are all great examples of this type of experience.

This month, VARSITY will perform at Everybody Hits Philladelphia (12/20), and both Thank You, Scientist and Beach Slang are coming to Underground Arts (12/11 and 12/12, respectively). Prices for these venues rarely go over $100 and are sometimes free.

Small bands are the heart and soul of live music culture, and being able to pay as much as you would for a poorly made shirt from Forever 21 or a Panera Bread salad to be one with the culture is something unique.

Even if the whole music culture idealism doesn’t necessarily resonate with you, it is still a good way to spend your time in the city.

So before you gear up for another night of not getting into the club or heading to a frat basement, maybe try out Underground Arts or Union Transfer for a new, interesting, maybe even transcendent experience.

With the holiday season in full swing, many will argue that it is the most wonderful time of the year. If you ask a college student, we are quickly approaching the worst time of the semester: finals. The season of finals is almost here, but don’t fret as this only means that winter break, a well deserved vacation and a chance to see your pet, is right around the corner.

Finals are enough to stress out even the most seasoned test takers. Whether you have no finals, one final or, god forbid, a final for every class, remember that breaks are a crucial part of studying. Being able to take a break from what you’re doing allows you to stay sane during peak stress times of the semester.

Something that can help you decompress, and arguably help you study, is music.

Regardless of how many finals you have this semester, don’t forget to take a break and listen to some music every now and then.

“Feelings by Cuco” A very layered song to match a very layered amount of exam material, ‘Feelings’ presents itself as an alternative treat. A spacey ambiance with jazzy undertones blocks everything and everyone else out to help you focus on your work without distracting you.

“K. by Cigarettes After Sex” “K.” doesn’t try to be anything other than itself, in the sense that you can hear all of it’s moving parts. This song isn’t over produced, but it isn’t acoustic and is dying to be understood. The next time you need something new to focus on, take a couple minutes and pick this song apart.

“Sorry by Original Demo by Beyoncé” The stripped back version of this song showcases the vulnerability of this self-confident anthem. With the vocals being the focus of this take, the production fades into the background, giving you a little bit of guidance as you annotate another chapter from your notes.

“Gbona by Burna Boy” Offering more of a coffee shop vibe, ‘Gbona’ has a jazzy beat with slow, smooth vocals. Fusing hip-hop with Afrobeat, Gbona mellows a listener out by simply being smooth and guiding them through the rhythm of the song.

“Loving Someone by The 1975” All things are not as they seem, much like this song. The chorus is slow, but the verses are fast-paced and full of powerful lyrics. The story this song tells could be the subject of your next English paper, but to put it in a nutshell: living your life by expressing yourself is the purest form of art. Take a minute or two and listen to this song’s story.

“Eastside by benny blanco, Halsey and Khalid This song instantly hurls the listener of the nostalgia of a summer that has come and gone. Sit back and fade into this summer memory while pages are turning, papers are being printed and coffees are being swallowed up by the cup in the library this finals season.

Sports

The Hawk Newspaper

Dec. 4, 2019

13

Women's ice hockey brings in young talent LILY STEELE ’22 Special to The Hawk After going undefeated last year, the women’s club ice hockey team has been working to rebuild this season.

On Nov. 24, the club won their first game against Slippery Rock University at the East Coast Showdown in Aston, Pennsylvania. Their record is now 1-4-1.

“We have been working a lot to get here over the past few months, and it paid off,”

said club president and sophomore Clara Tomann. “I’m so proud of how far we’ve come, and we are really excited for more games in the spring.”

The women’s hockey team is coached by Sydney Flemister ’17 and Taryn Francischet-

The women's club ice hockey team is in its ninth season. Photo courtesy of Clara Tomann

ti, a 2018 Drexel University graduate.

Tomann said this year’s team has a lot of new players, including five new freshmen: Sarah Gotthelf, Sydney Schreiber, Carlie Shorr and Kate Engel.

“We had a lot of older, experienced girls last year,” Tomann said. “This year we have girls who have never played hockey before on the team.”

Sophomore Jordan Finkelstein said those new players are already tapping into the team’s potential.

“Most of our girls this year had barely skated and now they’re playing competitive hockey,” Finkelstein said. “It’s really incredible to see how quickly they learn and grow in the sport.”

Shorr said despite the team’s losses this season, they always try to make the best of it.

“I look forward to playing with my teammates and facing new competition," Shorr said. "It’s all about new experiences,” Players on the team said the club is not well known on St. Joe’s campus, and sometimes that lack of recognition can be discouraging.

“I tell people I play for the women’s ice hockey team and a lot of times I get, ‘I didn’t even know we had a girls’ team’ in response,” Tomann said. “Hopefully, we can get stronger as a team and build a reputation on campus.”

The team plays at Oaks Ice Center and has practice once a week. Their playoffs begin in February 2020.

“Expect it to be a very fun game to watch,” Shorr said. “We would love to have people come watch us and cheer us on, so come and bring friends.”

Gfeller finds role in sports communications department CHRIS KLINE ’23 Hawk Staff If you follow sports at St. Joe’s on social media, chances are you have heard of and watched Kevin Gfeller ’20, the athletic department’s sports reporter.

He covers a multitude of sports through post-game interviews and commentating, giving fans more information about players, coaches and teams.

Gfeller started his passion for reporting this year by signing up for a reporting camp with ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio in May. The camp gave him ample reporting advice on how to ask the right questions and how to report correctly.

“I’ve always been interested in broadcasting,” Gfeller said. “It hit me last year that I wanted to pursue it and looked for camps from the sports marketing club.”

Gfeller also took a camp with Marc Zumoff, sportscaster for the Philadelphia 76ers, and learned even more about the craft of sports broadcasting.

Gfeller said he learned that he wasn’t very good at all. Zumoff told Gfeller to keep practicing, because he was not going to get better until he did it over and over again.

“I knew I had a lot to practice,” Gfeller said.

Gfeller later took an internship with the Philadelphia Flyers in their sales department, and while learning sales was not for him he was able to stay close to his desired job. On lunch breaks, Gfeller would sneak into a suite and record himself practicing reporting.

Through that internship, Gfeller got in contact with Andrea Helfrich, the in-arena host of the Flyers, and was given a piece of advice.

“She asked me if St. Joe’s had any play by play commentary or post-game interviews,” Gfeller said. “She told me to reach out to the athletics department and see what I could do to start doing those post-game reports.”

Gfeller went on to ask Jack Jumper, the director of athletics communications, in hopes to find a role.

“Kevin reached out to me over the summer inquiring about a chance to potentially do some broadcasting and video content for us,” Jumper said. “With the upward trajectory of social media, and the desire for more inside views about our teams, I was really intrigued as to what Kevin was presenting.”

Since he started reporting for St. Joe’s in August, Gfeller has reported for the men’s and women’s soccer teams, the field hockey team, the women’s basketball team and a multitude of others.

Those close to Gfeller, like Brad Klier ’20, have watched his dream grow.

“Kevin [Gfeller’s] interest began in early 2019,” Klier said. “He was very aggressive with improvements and seeking out opportunities to learn from others to enhance his abilities in reporting. He wasn’t passive. He knew he wanted to improve and got after it.”

Gfeller said his post-graduation plans include applying to news stations and to continue hunting for more reporting opportunities. He said he plans to apply to a

handful of minor league baseball teams, and is prepared to pack everything up for a job in reporting.

“I know sometimes you have to move across the country,” Gfeller said. “I’m fully prepared for that.”

With the addition of Gfeller, the athletic department has been able to experiment with different kinds of social media content.

“This year, we have been trying to expand our social media exposure and create more content,” Jumper said. “With Kevin, we’re able to try some new ideas, especially with video content, and help bring exposure to more teams and student athletes.”

Gfeller has his own sports podcast as well. PHOTO: LUKE MALANGA ’20/THE HAWK

14 Dec. 4, 2019

Sports

The Hawk Newspaper

Junior forward ready to break out for Hawks JUSTIN KESSLER ’20 Special to The Hawk Basketball runs through the blood of St. Joe’s redshirt junior forward Lorenzo Edwards. Edward’s father, Kevin Edwards, had an 11 year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Miami Heat, New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic and Van-

couver Grizzlies and inspired his son to play the game.

“I had seen his highlights and his jersey,” Edwards said. “I was always drawn to basketball, but he never pushed me in any way to play. Basketball was just something I wanted to do.”

When it came time for Edwards to make his decision on where he would be playing college basketball, he said it was an easy

Edwards won the Robert F. O’Neill Award for the team’s Most Improved Player last season.

PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

choice considering who he had watched on TV that March 2016.

“They [St. Joe’s] were in the tournament that year,” Edwards said. “I was definitely drawn to that. The area too. I like Philly and the city. We have the Big 5 which drew me in too. I wanted to get away from home for a little and see the East Coast. A combination of all that led me here.”

Now in his third year playing and fourth year on Hawk Hill, Edwards’ experience plays a major factor in developing this year’s young Hawks team.

“I take more of a leadership role now,” Edwards said. “I have been here and I know what to expect so I do help the younger guys out more.”

Building upon the preparation for this season, Edwards noted that he took a different approach to offseason workouts than years before.

“My dad and I worked out at the Bulls facility with a couple of their coaches and I really got after it,” Edwards said. “I turned it up a notch. I put in a lot of work this summer to play well this year. I am definitely a lot more confident this year.”

There are two main areas Edwards credits as the best parts of his game. On defense, he emphasizes his ability to block shots, while on offense he said his best skill set is shooting, which he thinks will continue to improve.

Edwards’ teammate and roommate, redshirt junior Ryan Daly, recognizes Edwards’ shooting ability.

“He is extremely competitive and one of the best shooters in the Atlantic 10,” Daly said. “Since day one, we have immediately clicked on and off the court. I am really happy he is on our team and my close friend.”

In Head Coach Billy Lange’s offense, there is an added emphasis on shooting from beyond the arc. Even forwards like Edwards and junior Taylor Funk are required to be adept from three point range.

“I think for all of our bigs it plays to our advantage,” Funk said. “Not a lot of big men who are our height can shoot as well as us.

We want to shoot a lot of threes, and I definitely think it will helps us.”

Putting up a career high 23 points on the road against Old Dominion University, Edwards credited his poor shooting performance in the St. Joe’s home opener against Bradley University as to why he feels he caught fire that game.

“I was pissed because I went 0-6 [in three pointers] in the home opener,” Edwards said.

“I was so [upset] about that. I worked a lot on shooting that week. A lot of shooting the ball after and before practice. I wasn’t really thinking about 0-6 too much, but it definitely pushed me to put in more work.”

In the Hawks win over the University of Connecticut on the road, Edwards played a key role in securing the victory. It was not his statline of five points, three rebounds, and a block that contributed the most, rather a quick steal with a resounding dunk at the 1:31 mark in the second half that put them up by 12 and sealed the victory for the Hawks.

“That was amazing," Edwards said. "It was a great feeling playing on that stage on national TV and closing out the game. Finishing it was a great feeling for me and my teammates. I feel like not a lot of people expected us to win, but we brought it. It was a great feeling and a great win for the program.”

Assistant coach has championship aspirations RILEY FRAIN ’21 Hawk Staff For men's basketball Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach Brenden Straughn, the path to St. Joe’s and working with Head Coach Billy Lange has long been mapped out.

“It’s a crazy small world where 10 years ago when coach Lange was the head coach at the Naval Academy I used to work his basketball camps,” Straughn said. “We didn’t have a real relationship or anything, just it’s funny how 10 years later I ended up working with him here at St. Joe’s.”

However, before he would arrive at St. Joe’s in late April of this year, Straughn spent the 2018-19 season as an assistant with the Loyola University Maryland men’s basketball team. From 2016 to 2018, he worked as an associate head coach for an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) program, Team Takeover Basketball, a team that is nationally ranked, according to Coach Lange.

“Brenden [Straughn] has a unique background in that he was with arguably with the nation’s top or top five transfer program in Team Takeover,” Lange said.

Highly respected in the Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia (DMV) area, Lange said he knew Straughn would be a great fit for his coaching staff in his first year on Hawk Hill.

“I made some calls to some people that I know in the DMV and asked for young, up and coming, hungry, ambitious assistants that do a great job of building relationships and connecting and almost every person I called said Brenden [Straughn’s] name,” Lange said. “So I got on some interviews with him and felt pretty good about him and he is a great guy.”

And for Straughn, he said the opportunity to join Lange’s staff at St. Joe’s was not one to be passed up.

“He’s been at the highest level, he’s got a lot of world and life experience, and in my career I want to be mentored by someone who can make me better,” Straughn said.

On top of that, the chance to be at a tra-

in a basketball city,” said Straughn. “I felt it was a good opportunity to be at school were we can make an impact on young men’s lives, recruit good players, accomplish some great things and add onto the tradition that St. Joe’s already has.”

Straughn, who played a big role in helping redshirt sophomore transfer Myles

Straughn coached Team Takeover to a win at Nike’s Peach Jam basketball tournament in 2018.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SJU Athletics

ditionally high level basketball school with hopes of continuing that history and tradition spoke to Straughn.

“Obviously I’ve followed St. Joe’s as far as it’s a traditionally basketball rich school,

Douglas find a new home here at St. Joe’s, is highly regarded for his recruiting skills and ability to connect with students athletes.

“Coach Straughn coached me in AAU and that was the biggest thing for me, being

able to play my game here and be comfortable,” Douglas said.

For Lange, Straughn’s ability to connect with his players was one of his strengths.

“I think he tells the truth and I think he is as relatable as he is to today’s youth because he’s not afraid to tell them the truth and I think guys respect that,” Lange said.

“They respect him because he’s real with them and I think that’s what young people truly want.”

And for Straughn, he said the best part of recruiting is the opportunities he provides to these student athletes.

“For me, it’s giving the opportunity to set their lives up and being able to play basketball is of course a key to go to college and to get an education, to be debt free,” Straughn said. “I think that’s the best part.”

Straughn said he is ambitious, and despite this being his first year, he has set high goals for the Hawks’ future.

“We’re going to work hard at it and make sure that we can win [the] [Atlantic 10] championships, reach the Final Four, get to a national championship, [and] win a national championship,” Straughn said.

But Straughn said he understands there is much work to be done, and wants the fans to know that him, as well as the rest of the coaching staff are committed to putting in the time and effort to achieve their goals.

“Those are all big picture things but I don’t want to just get caught up in that, you’ve got to work to that,” Straughn said. “It won’t happen overnight, but we are committed to putting in the work and the process to try and achieve those things.”

Sports

The Hawk Newspaper

Dec. 4, 2019

15

St. Joe's basketball: Living and dying by the three JAMES MCCLOSKEY JR. ’20 Columnist For the fourth season in a row, the St. Joe’s men’s basketball team has done due diligence to honor the phrase, “Live by the three, die by the three.” From the 2016-17 season to today, the Hawks have attempted 2,411 three-point shots.

When Head Coach Billy Lange was hired in the spring of 2019, I hoped that the Hawks would forgo their dependence on the three-point line for an inside-outside style game. Utilizing junior forward Anthony Longpre, junior forward Taylor Funk and junior forward Lorenzo Edwards as playmakers in the lane to open the floor, allowing for plays to be made at the rim and from the arc.

However, my hope has become anything but a reality.

Through the first eight games of the season, not including the game against Lafayette College on Dec. 3, the Hawks have attempted 248 three-point shots, which ranks the Hawks sixth in the nation in three-pointers attempted.

Shooting 248 three-point shots in eight games would not be an issue if the Hawks were converting 35% to 40% of their threes, but the reality of the situation is the Hawks are scoring a mere 30% of attempted

three-pointers.

The Hawks rank 263rd in three-point field goal percentage. Compared to their ranking of sixth in three-pointers attempted, ranking 263rd in three-point percentage is atrocious.

There are only three Hawk players who have not attempted more than 12 three-pointers through the first eight games of the season—senior guards Tolliver Freeman and Greg Smith and Longpre. Each of the other eight players on the Hawks roster have attempted more than 12 three-point shots this season.

Junior guard Ryan Daly, Edwards and Funk have attempted a total of 44 shots each from three-point range. There is nothing wrong with having three starters shoot the most three-pointers. The issue arises when these three players are shooting a combined 39-for-132 from three-point range—less than 30%.

In the loss to St. Francis University on Nov. 30, the Hawks attempted 29 three-pointers, but converted only eight.

Similarly, in the loss to Loyola University Chicago, the Hawks shot 12-34 from the three-point range.

The Hawks have a problem. They seem to have a magnetic pull to the three-point line, but they are struggling to convert.

The Atlantic-10 Conference is looking

Ryan Daly and Lorenzo Edwards currently lead the Hawks with 14 made three-pointers.

PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/ THE HAWK

to be the best it has been in a decade. A team that relies on the three-point shot, but struggles to convert has a very limited chance to compete against teams like St. Louis University, the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Virginia Commonwealth University, who play a strong inside-outside game and can defend the three-point arc well.

Lange and the Hawks must develop a presence in the lane before continuing to

shoot 30 or more three-pointers a game. By getting into the lane, the floor will become spread, allowing for more open shots on the arc.

When you live by the three, you die by the three. It is time Lange and the Hawks wake up and realize that if they want to make noise this season, they should shoot from within 22 feet 1.75 inches.

Memphis' Wiseman faces unjust NCAA punishment MATT MIKESIC ’23 Columnist The NCAA handed down a 12 game suspension to the No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2019, University of Memphis center James Wiseman on Nov. 20. The suspension is a result of the discovery made by the NCAA that Memphis Head Coach Penny Hardaway paid Wiseman’s mother $11,500 in 2017 to cover moving expenses.

In addition to the suspension, the NCAA is requiring that Wiseman donate $11,500 to a charity of his choice.

In 2008, Hardaway donated $1 million to the University of Memphis to help build the Penny Hardaway Athletic Hall of Fame, making him a booster by NCAA definition.

And while the payment to Wiseman’s mother was made before Hardaway was hired to be head coach at Memphis, under NCAA rules, boosters are not allowed to give financial assistance to any prospective student athletes or their families.

In my opinion, Wiseman’s punishment from the NCAA is unwarranted.

For one thing, I think the punishment Wiseman is receiving does not fit the crime, a crime that he did not even commit. Because of the rules that he violated, Wiseman

GRAPHIC: RYAN MULLIGAN ’21/THE HAWK

is being forced to miss a good portion of this season, which is a crucial one for his life after college.

Right now, Wiseman is projected to be

high in the next NBA draft, potentially first overall, and missing time this season could hurt his draft stock and his future as a basketball player.

This suspension is unwarranted because in this case, the NCAA is enforcing a rule that is outdated. Right now, more and more states are voting to allow college athletes to be paid for their names, images and likenesses.

In the case of Wiseman, he is being punished for receiving money from an influential figure in a big name program. To me, this will be the direction that all college sports are heading, and the NCAA should stop wasting their time and hurting players’ careers by enforcing technicalities.

Wiseman’s suspension is unjust because the transaction did not even involve him.

The exchange of the money was between Hardaway and Wiseman’s mother, so why is Wiseman himself the one being punished?

The blame should fall on Hardaway, because he is the one who should have known better than to offer monetary assistance to a prospective athlete’s family given the amount of influence he had on Memphis’ basketball program at the time.

Overall, the NCAA’s ruling on Wiseman’s suspension is an outdated response to a modern situation. As college sports continue to evolve, and rules regarding players receiving money are changed, the NCAA will have to modernize their rulebook to avoid petty disputes like this one.

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16

Sports

The Hawk Newspaper

Dec. 4, 2019

Members of 54th Airborne hold a banner commemorating Fran Dunphy on Dec. 1, 2018 at the men's basketball game against Temple University. PHOTO: LUKE MALANGA ’20/THE HAWK

54th Airborne embraces Big 5 Tradition RYAN MULLIGAN ’21 Asstistant Sports Editor From the back of the St. Joe’s student section, a roll of paper stretches across the body of the raucous fans before it reaches the bottom. The snarky digs sprawled across the paper are displayed for the entire arena to see. It is aimed at the opposing school’s basketball team, student section, alumni and cheerleaders. Really, nothing is off limits in this Big 5 tradition.

The group behind the rollouts, the 54th Airborne, was established in 2010 and has spearheaded the Hawk student section ever since. The group is lead by its three co-presidents: Kevin Duncan ’20, Billy Legg ’20 and Sam Robinson ’20, who, according to them, haven’t missed an opportunity to assume their position under the basket for a home game in the duration of their time at St. Joe’s.

However, Big 5 games heighten their passion.

“It’s incredibly important for the city, first of all, and for the individual schools too,” Legg said. “We don’t always play ranked teams, but when we play Temple University or Villanova University or LaSalle it feels like it’s that type of game. The players prepare for a big rival. We have to do our own preparation and do some digging on details about other teams and the other schools and find something clever to say on these rollouts.”

The Big 5 student sections have been as intertwined into the city’s basketball lore as the Palestra itself. So much so, that Duncan sees it as a game within the game.

“It’s a great tradition and it’s a great test to see how creative each student section can be,” Duncan said. “It adds that much more flair to the competition. It’s not just the two teams competing against each other, it’s the student sections competing against each other.”

Despite what their rollouts may say, Robinson insists that there is a certain camaraderie between the student sections. At the end of the day, it’s all in good fun.

“Going back and forth with other student sections is fun,” Robinson said. “At the end of the day, our relationships with the

other student sections are all positive. We all have the same goals, we want to cheer on our team and watch them compete. That’s what we’re supposed to do, we want to make our home court a little intimidating for the opposing team but there is that mutual respect for those other schools.”

The banter hasn’t been confined to the court this year, however. Temple University’s student fan Twitter page, The Cherry Crusade (@cherrycrusade) tweeted out a flier for a “Hawk Funeral” on Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. at the Liacouras Center. Perhaps uncoincidentally, the Hawks are scheduled to take on Temple that day.

To this, the 54th Airborne (@54thAirborne) responded on Twitter, “10/10 for originality….we have NEVER seen @cherrycrusade do this before. @TempleUniv: a VERY creative school! I bet they’ll have totally original rollouts this year too!”

Last season, before the Temple Owls came to Hawk Hill, the members of the

54th Airborne were up until 3 a.m. the night before the game making sure their rollouts were done to perfection, according to Legg.

One of the products of that late night was a rollout reading “Fran Dunphy = Big 5 legend” to which the Big 5 hall of famer penned a thank you note to the St. Joe’s student section in response.

“We’re always going to take the time to make sure we do it right because that’s just how important these Big 5 traditions are to us,” Legg said.

For the 54th Airborne, they see this year as especially important to enforce their presence and show support at Michael J. Hagan ’85 Arena.

“We really need to get behind them and this is sort of a transition period,” Legg said.

“If we as students don’t show our support now, this transition isn’t going to work out.

If students show out for that, that’s what’s going to make St. Joe’s basketball successful going forward.”

Robinson, Duncan and Legg said they have been working closely with the St. Joe’s sports marketing department to make their goal become a reality.

“Always the number one goal is to grow the program and really get the student body involved and create those loyal St. Joe’s fans,” Robinson said. “We see it as the more the merrier. The more people that are there yelling, having a good time, supporting our school, it makes Hagan [Arena] an even friendlier place and creates that sense of community and unity in the student population. We can do that through these basketball games.”

Robinson also said they have big plans moving forward, but he couldn’t elaborate just yet on what those plans were.

“We definitely have some big things that we plan on rolling out midway through this year and into next year that could surprise some people,” Robinson said.

Members of 54th Airborne attend every basketball game. GRAPHIC: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK