Hawk 2/5/14

Finding positivity in her past Lexi Homa shares her story about overcoming her father’s alcoholism

THE HAWK

Features, pg. 11

February 5, 2014

Saint Joseph’s University | Volumn XCII | Est. 1929 | www.hawkhillnews.com

Is 1,500 THE C answer?

KATRYNA PERERA ’16 Assistant News Editor

onsidering the recent budget shortfall and financial problems facing Saint Joseph’s University, the Board of Trustees and senior administration members have decided to increase the enrollment for the incoming Class of 2018.

The current freshman class is comprised of 1,275 students.

Next year the university aims to enroll 1,500 — an extra 225 undergraduate day students. The ever-increasing cost of college education and the zero net revenue of the university precipitated this decision.

“We thought that [projected enrollment] was a reasonable plan for next year’s freshman class given other alternatives, and other alternatives could have been cutting of student services, reducing staff, [and] layoffs,” said John Smithson, senior vice president.

Last year, the university had a goal of enrolling 1,300 freshmen for the Class of 2017, but fell short and were only able to enroll 1,275. When asked if he is worried that the enrollment numbers will fall short again, Provost Brice Wachterhauser said that he is not worried.

“We will be able to present a balanced budget next year even without 1,500 students,” said Wachterhauser.

Continued ENROLLMENT, pg. 3

Discrepancy in CPLS tuition charges CAT COYLE ’16 Managing Editor The College of Professional and Liberal Studies is currently investigating an issue concerning several students’ tuition being undercharged by the University.

Mid-January, Saint Joseph’s University discovered an inconsistency between the amount that students were being billed and the set rate of tuition for the CPLS and day courses they were registered in.

“When you look at the number of credit hours [students are] registered for and billed, and then you look at the general ledger, where the money is posted, there is a discrepancy,” said Cary Anderson, vice president of student life.

While the reason behind this issue is currently being investigated, Anderson said that part of the issue had to do with the difference in course rates between undergraduate day course rates and CPLS course rates.

For some students that take classes during the day, a “bridge rate” is applied. Right now, according to Anderson, it is thought that the bridge rate was not applied to several CPLS student bills.

Continued TUITION, pg. 6

Mass employee email restricted

ERIN RAFTERY ’15 News Editor Amidst a series of financial issues at Saint Joseph’s University, a new restrictive employee communication policy has been introduced.

Joseph Lunardi, vice president for marketing communications, and Fran DiSanti, chief information officer were tasked with rewriting the Mass Email Guidelines (May 2005), and sent out an email presenting the new Mass Email Policy effective on Jan. 17.

C. Kevin Gillespie, ’72, S.J., wanted the policy to be in alignment with the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, which stated that there must be an opt-out option from getting mass emails. Gillespie also wanted to have a more effective method of communicating.

The new policy restricts the use of the employee@sju.edu, empfac@sju.edu, empstaff@sju.edu, and FYI@sju.edu aliases that were previously accessible and used to send emails to all members.

Ann Green, Ph.D., professor of English, said, “I think faculty pretty consistently in the shared governance report [Spring 2013] spoke about how we don’t feel heard and I just think this is another example of us not being heard.”

“It’s symptomatic in what some say is the breakdown of the shared governance system,” added Robert Moore, Ph.D., assistant professor of sociology and faculty senate president.

The administration created “This Week” on mySJU as an alternative to “classifieds” and previous personal messages that allegedly cluttered the employee alias. Requests can be sent to thisweek@sju.edu for consideration to be published.

“The volume of unsolicited, non-essential email was deemed excessive. The ability to convey time-sensitive official and accurate information was deemed cluttered by the volume of unsolicited messages,” explained Lunardi.

The administration offered another alternative to the employee alias by creating a section on mySJU called “Town Hall” where faculty can raise concerns and the administration can answer them.

“It’s certainly harder, or less convenient, to get to the Town Hall site, so you know because it’s somewhat more difficult it is therefore less effective,” explained Joseph J. Feeney, S.J., Ph.D, professor of English.

Only authorized users and division and department heads can deem an email essential and send it through “employee” if used for the purpose of spreading the university’s mission, addressing an urgent issue regarding safety, and is applicable for most recipients.

Continued EMAIL, pg. 4

2 | News

February 5, 2014

The Hawk

Department of Public Safety Reports (Jan. 24 - Jan. 26) January 24 Public Safety confiscated alcohol from a St. Joe’s student inside the lobby of Villiger Hall.

Public Safety confiscated alcohol from a St. Joe’s student inside the lobby of Ashwood Apartments.

Public Safety was notified regarding a theft of a wallet belonging to a St. Joe’s student in the Hagan Arena.

Public Safety was notified by Facilities Management of a damaged mirror inside of Villiger Hall on the second floor.

Public Safety was notified of a suspicious person near the Rashford parking lot. Public Safety Officers and Philadelphia Police responded but were unable to locate the individual.

Public Safety was notified regarding a found wallet in Post Hall. Public Safety officers secured the wallet at headquarters.

Public Safety responded to a fire alarm inside of Villiger Hall. Investigation revealed the alarm was activated by occupants cooking. No damage to report.

Public Safety confiscated alcohol from a St. Joe’s student inside the lobby of the Sourin Residence Center.

January 26 Public Safety was notified of an odor of marijuana coming from the fifth floor of the LaFarge Residence Center. A search of the floor by Public Safety and Residence Life revealed no signs of drugs or drug paraphernalia.

3|0

ALCOHOL RELATED INCIDENTS

On Campus

Off Campus

1|0

DRUG RELATED INCIDENTS

January 25 Public Safety was notified regarding flyers being placed on parked vehicles in the Mandeville parking lot advertising a “Hookah Lounge” in Manayunk. Public Safety Offices removed the flyers from the vehicles but could not locate the individuals.

On Campus

Public Safety was notified by Facilities Management of vandalism to a third floor bathroom inside of Villiger Hall.

Call Public Safety:

Public Safety was notified regarding unruly students inside of Villiger Hall on the fifth floor. Public Safety Officers responded. One student was identified and turned over to Residence Life.

Off Campus

610-660-1111

February 5, 2014

News | 3

The Hawk

Students and faculty concerned over enrollment projections Continued ENROLLMENT, from pg. 1 Additionally, according to Smithson, the university has a $2 million contingency in place in the case the 1,500 enrollment goal is not met.

To avoid extraneous tuition increases for students and prevent further cuts and layoffs, an increase in next year’s enrollment has been deemed necessary. An additional matter of concern is the university’s endowment, which, according to C. Kevin Gillespie, ’72, S.J., is currently $1.5 million and not enough for the size of St. Joe’s.

“Because endowment is low, we are more dependent on tuition, and in order to keep tuition low we have to accept more students,” said Gillespie.

One concern that has been stressed by numerous faculty as well as students is how this increased enrollment will affect St. Joe’s admittance rate.

According to Nicholas Paolizzi, ’14, student body president, to increase the incoming freshman class by 225 students, St. Joe’s admittance rate would have to rise to anywhere between 88 percent and 92 percent.

“People were concerned that raising the admissions rate… would seem like an open admission,” said Paolizzi.

Dennis McNally, S.J., Ph.D, chair of fine arts, commented, “If we reach the enrollment rate, it will basically be open enrollment.”

McNally went on to add that registering more students would take away from the standing of St. Joe’s as a small, liberal arts college.

“We’re more built as a smaller school,” said McNally, “Interpersonal relationships between faculty and students is really one of our most valued treasures as a school. It’s one of the reasons people send their kids here.”

Patrick Saparito, Ph.D., associate professor of management and international business, director of family business and entrepreneurship program, shares the same concern. He expressed that he understands the university is in need of revenue, but is fearful of the way the university is trying to attain it.

“If you’re bringing in a larger class by dropping the admissions standards, that’s one thing. If you’re bringing in a larger class because you have a greater number of applications, that’s a different thing,” said Saparito.

Saparito also voiced concern over the loss of high quality students as they will be accepted to more selective institutions.

“If you have an unselective school….then high quality students that are coming in, would they still want to come here?” questioned Saparito.

Concern has also been expressed over the quality of education being lessened as well as the capability of the

university to accommodate a larger class.

“The dean has already indicated that 1,500 freshman would require 60 extra sections,” said McNally. “In our department we don’t have enough equipment for that many students.”

Rajneesh Sharma, Ph.D., chair of the department of finance, also expressed alarm.

“I don’t want anything that’s going to hurt the quality of the education provided,” said Sharma.

He also conveyed concern over how an increase in students would affect class sizes.

“I don’t want to go to a school where we have 300 students in a class,” Sharma said.

When these concerns were conveyed to Wachterhauser, he assured that the academic profile of the extra students accepted would be very similar to those already at St. Joe’s.

“A high acceptance rate is not a predictor of lower academic quality,” commented Sharma.

Gillespie communicated that by increasing enrollment, students that would not have normally been accepted to St. Joe’s would now be admitted, but this has raised great uneasiness among faculty and students alike.

“The issue to me is, would we be able to keep the same student quality?” said Sharma.

Paolizzi also expressed worry, stating that he is afraid the university is not capable of accommodating these students in terms of resources and support.

“If we are bringing in these 225 more students that would not have normally been accepted here, they are going to have more needs,” Paolizzi said. “They may need remedial classes that we do not offer.”

Many faculty members are worried that they do not have the ability to provide for extra students, as they are already short on supplies and staff, but Wachterhauser replied that the solution is within reach.

“The question will have to be answered, are there ways which we can provide that excellent education that does not cost as much?…It will require creativity and commitment,” said Wachterhauser.

For some students, however, the decision to increase enrollment comes with optimism.

“I think [St. Joe’s] does a really good job at making each student not just feel like a number,” said Alex Ragozzino, ’16, “[and] as long as the university can still step up to those standards…more people here would just make a more diverse community.”

A larger freshman class will affect university housing as well. According to Kelly Bersett, associate director

of housing and admissions, the campus houses, which currently house upperclassmen and transfer students, will next year become freshmen living communities.

“The campus houses are kind of our flexible spaces,” said Bersett “[and] it will probably just be a few campus houses that are converted for the freshman.”

There is also a possibility of an increase in triples in freshman dorm buildings such as Sourin and Lafarge.

“If there would be a situation where the incoming class is huge…there are some rooms in Sourin…they are large enough…we can put a third bed in there,” said Bersett.

One of the biggest concerns among the St. Joe’s community with respect to the administration’s decision of increasing enrollment, however, is how it will affect the university’s academic reputation. Many expressed feeling that the university was putting its need for finances and increase in revenue ahead of academic standards.

“Is driving revenue to the institution more important than our reputation and our ratings?” said Paolizzi.

There is a fear that St. Joe’s will not be able to bring back its current status if it is lost by increasing acceptance rates.

“Reputation loss is very hard to regain,” said Sharma.

When asked if he had alternative suggestions instead of increased enrollment, Paolizzi responded, “There have to be other knobs to turn.”

“I understand we’re in difficult financial times with the university, and that’s something to be concerned about,” said Paolizzi, “and I understand that if we didn’t increase the enrollment for next year, we would have to take deeper reductions to our budget, which no one wants to do….but at the end of the day, I think you have to look at it from the perspective of, do we want our reputation to decline?”

A petition created by Paollizi that urges the university to refrain from enrolling 1,500 students in the class of 2018 was put online. Since it has been published, it has circulated throughout much of the St. Joe’s university community. As of Feb. 4, 1,092 students have signed the petition.

Both Wachterhauser and Smithson said they were aware of the petition but that it was unlikely any changes would be made.

“I don’t think we’re going to back away from the goal of 1,500,” said Wachterhauser, “and that’s not to say we won’t look at the petition and give it some thought, [but] at this stage I think it’s highly unlikely [that any action would be taken].”

News Briefs . . . . . .

Volcano

An Indonesian volcano erupted on Feb. 1 and caused 15 residents of Sumatra Island to perish. As the search of the active volcano continues, officials explained that hot ash clouds have made search and rescue efforts difficult. Among the dead were a journalist, a group of high school students and their teacher, and Sumatra residents checking on their homes. (New York Times)

Abortion rates drop

According to a new report, the abortion rate among American women dropped to a record low in 2011—lower than it has been in three decades.

In 2011, 1.1 million abortions were performed at a rate of 16.9 per thousand childbearing aged women, whereas in 2008, 1.21 million abortions were performed at a rate of 19.4 per thousand women. These new statistics follow a recent downward trend. (New York Times)

Philip Seymour Hoffman found dead On Feb. 2, 46-year-old American actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in his Greenwich Village apartment. Hoffman allegedly died of a drug overdose and was found by a friend. His death follows a long-time public struggle with addiction.

(The Washington Post)

Syrian conflict continues

On Feb. 1, ninety people were killed during a series of around 17 air assaults on Aleppo, Syria. The United Nations had estimated that more than 100,000 people have died in conflict since the start of the Syrian issues in March 2011. (The New York Times)

Fatal purse snatching

Early on the morning of Feb 2., a woman was fatally shot during a West Philadelphia purse snatching.

This is the latest violent purse mugging in the area in recent weeks, leaving two dead already. Police are urging women to be aware and cautious at all times.

(The Philadelphia Inquirer)

Welcome St. Joe’s Students WE HAVE PASSED THE TEST OF TIME!

Restaurant/Take-­‐Out Est. (215) Best Cake Bakery New York Bagels

1960 878-­‐1127 1964 878-­‐8080

City Line Delicatessen 1964 473-­‐6952

Shalom Pizza 1993 878-­‐1500 #1 China Take-­‐Out 1995 878-­‐8983

City Bar & Grill 2012 267-­‐634-­‐6190

Papa John’s Pizza 2012 473-­‐7272

The Haverford Avenue Shops

City Ave at Haverford Ave – 1 Mile South of Campus

4 | News

The Hawk

February 5, 2014

Faculty and staff raise objections to new Mass Email Policy Continued EMAIL, from pg. 1 Dennis McNally, S.J., Ph.D, chair of fine arts, raised concern over this new change by claiming that having to get an email approved by an administrative officer or department head is, “really censorship, and if it has anything to do with academics, it’s academic freedom. If it has anything to do with freedom of speech, it’s a second amendment.”

“I would say it’s a more effective use of freedom. Freedom comes with responsible communication and responsible communication is meant to be focused so that I have your attention, you have mine, and so we can really work toward a resolution more efficiently. If I’m getting all these other stuff my mind is not as attentive as it would be,” answered Gillespie.

“The path may be a little bit different and for some, maybe a little bit more indirect, but it’s again the nature of any organization that the email system is [supposed] to serve business and the academic business of that entity, that’s the reason it’s there,” added DiSanti.

However, faculty believe that this is not a more effective way of communication.

“I think the way to think about it is whether or not it’s fair or right for one group to tell another group by what means they can communicate... While the university might see it as ‘Oh, we’re streamlining communication,’ the faculty might see it as ‘We’re having to ask permission to communicate,” responded David Parry, Ph.D, associate professor and chair of communications.

Faculty have found a different path through the HSB alias as well as the CAS alias, in which one member can CC the other to copy all faculty members into mass emails.

However, this excludes adjuncts and visiting faculty and staff members.

“We’re excluded from any wider conversation, we can’t see how that could be considered just,” said Caroline Meline, adjunct of philosophy and member of the Executive Council of the Adjunct and Visiting Faculty Association.

Staff members of the university are also excluded from this roundabout alternative and the new policy.

In an email, Evelyn Minick, university librarian, explained how she misses the employee alias because it kept her informed of programming, faculty scholarship, and

utilization of the library resources.

Lunardi justifies the change for four main reasons: accurate information, professional internal communications, best practices, and because of an incident in the spring semester of 2013, in which around 500 undergraduates in the Haub School of Business received personal information, including other students’ GPAs, which is in violation of FERPA law.

However, in the midst of continuing budget problems, members of the university raise concern not only over the policy, but also the timing of the policy.

“Given that tensions have been increasing lately between faculty and administration, it would seem to be the worst timing to decrease communication or change means of communication at this time,” said Philip Schatz, professor of psychology.

“I don’t think this is punitive in any way or a personal opinion, I just see it as a way that the university is in compliance with a federal mandate, and for us to be able to be more effective in how we communicate,” countered DiSanti.

Lunardi added that this new Mass Email Policy is more similar to comparable universities’ policies. It’s most comparable to the University of Notre Dame, but 11 others were analyzed as well.

However, faculty of the university cited this recent policy change as a broader issue of the mistrust in administration and a lack of understanding of their decision-making.

“The email policy is not the problem, it’s the symptom,” explained Ken Weidner, assistant professor of management.

It is believed to be a symptom of lack of communication between administration and faculty during troubling times.

“I think people just want answers, and they want the truth, and I don’t think people are satisfied that they aren’t getting either one right now,” summarized Weidner.

Despite concern over the new Mass Email Policy, the administration is not considering repealing the new policy at this time and encourages the alternatives on mySJU to be utilized.

Cat Coyle ’16 contributed to this article

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February 5, 2014

News | 5

The Hawk

Is this the end of the Holy War?

Villanova stops selling “Holy War” t-shirts in school bookstore AVERY CARTER ’16 Special to the Hawk Word has recently spread throughout campus that Villanova and Saint Joseph’s University both have decided that no more “Holy War” t-shirts will be sold in their respective bookstores. According to Joseph Browne, director of auxiliary services, which oversees the bookstore, St. Joe’s is in fact still selling the t-shirt; however, Villanova is not.

It all began with Villanova professor and history department chair, Paul Rosier. According to Rosier, there is no fun element to a holy war and religious violence.

“Employing the language of war to describe a sports rivalry is bad enough, especially during a time of global violence based in part on religion,” said Rosier. “But to situate two Catholic institutions, which supposedly promote peace and social justice, within that context of violence debases the teams, the players, and the universities and sends the wrong message to younger fans.”

Four years ago, Rosier contacted local media and asked that the term not be used anymore, which most local networks agreed to. Rosier did not stop there; he contacted Villanova’s men’s basketball coach, Jay Wright, via email, and Wright allegedly agreed wholeheartedly that a stop must be put to using the phrase “Holy War.” This year, a walk past the Villanova bookstore had Rosier thinking more about the issue. He noticed a shirt in the window celebrating the upcoming game, and decided more action had to be taken.

Rosier expressed his thoughts to the Villanova bookstore manager, Rachel Maciag, who also disliked the term “The Holy War” and agreed to take holy war shirts off of the website and out of stores. St. Joe’s is still selling their own Holy War shirt in their bookstore, however a possible contest for a new nickname for the rivalry is in the works for next year. Maciag may work with the St. Joe’s bookstore manager to create a new slogan.

Some St. Joe’s students do not understand this change, as the “Holy War” has been embedded into St. Joe’s sports lingo for decades.

“The Holy War is something that defines St. Joe’s sports teams,” said Melanie Magras, ’16. “Everyone knows that Villanova is our rival, and it is very apparent between all D1 schools in Philadelphia.”

“I think maybe people think that our rivalry has been taken a little too far,” Magras continued. “Maybe it’s an effort to keep things a little more peaceful between St. Joe’s and Villanova. Sure we are rivals, but that doesn’t mean that we all can’t keep the peace, and maybe they think that stopping the selling of these t-shirts will put forth an effort in doing that.”

C. Kevin Gillespie, ’72, S.J., commented that, “there is a way in which I like to say I want us to have the rivalry, but I don’t want it to be destructive.”

Some students have voiced frustration in the break in the tradition.

“The Holy War has been a long standing rivalry, but at the same time, tradition be-

Photo by Shannon Adams ’16

tween St. Joe’s and Villanova,” said Christina Bachinsky, ’16. “It goes back so many years and we are all proud of our schools and proud to be a part of such a tradition. The fact that there might be plans to stop selling these shirts will definitely upset some students who are die-hard fans. It takes away the schools’ competitive spirit in a small way.”

Victoria Brandimarte, ’14, agreed.

“At St. Joe’s, the rivalry has always been big,” said Barndimarte. “Taking a piece of that away from students takes some of the fun out of it. After being accepted to St. Joe’s, I always looked forward to having a Holy War shirt of my own. It’s a tradition and potentially getting rid of it is a disappointment.”

Other St. Joe’s students have mixed feelings about the change.

“It’s not a huge deal in the big picture, and it doesn’t affect me,” Anthony Capelli, ’16, stated.

With Villanova ridding themselves of “Holy War” shirts and St. Joe’s trying to think of a new slogan for the famous rivalry, some students now ask: could this be the end of the “Holy War”?

Interviews contributed by Erin Raftery, ’15, and Katryna Perera, ’16.

Two colleges combining

CPLS merges with CAS

CAT COYLE ’16 Managing Editor This semester marks the beginning of an end to the College of Professional and Liberal Studies (CPLS), which has educated adults and non-traditional students at Saint Joseph’s University since 1915.

Amidst the departure of two key CPLS figures, Patricia Griffin, the former associate dean for CPLS, and Margret Dugan, academic advisor for CPLS, major structural changes are taking place within the college.

Initial changes to the configuration of the college were made when all business degree programs were transitioned into becoming a part of the Erivan K. Haub School of Business (HSB) during the fall semester of 2013. The move to this new program—called Haub Degree Completion (HDC)—was made to deliver the best possible arrangement for the proper accreditation of business courses.

The switch also allowed for more programs and majors to be made available to HDC students. As part of the HSB, HDC students are now allowed access to places and programs they were previously not, like many new daytime undergraduate courses.

“Part of it was for accreditation purposes; the students who are taking business courses need to be under the business dean,” said Anderson. “But the other piece is, in both of these cases, it allows for more majors to be offered and less distinction between night courses and day courses. That will hopefully provide more opportunities for the CPLS students to take more courses and get more majors, and vice versa for more undergraduate day students to take more courses in the evening.”

This semester, the CPLS is in the process of investigating integration into the CAS. According to Anderson, this move was planned from the beginning. Initially, the transition into the HSB and CAS were planned for the same time period, but when William Madges, Ph.D., stepped down from his position as dean just before the spring semester of 2013, the CAS plans were postponed.

“Pat Griffin took a similar position at Boston College,” said Anderson. “Because of this transition, my recommendation was that we don’t hire a new associate dean until

we know what the structure was going to be, because that’s not really fair to an associate dean.”

At this point, it was decided that the CAS transition would restart when a new dean was appointed.

With the announcement of Loyola associate vice president for graduate studies Amanda McCombs Thomas, Ph.D., accepting the dean position over the winter break, the process has resumed.

At the Jan.16 University Council meeting, a mandate investigating the move was sent to the CAS College Council. At this meeting, the Academic Policy and Procedures Committee also received a mandate to investigate the larger implications of this transition.

Despite the many changes in the adult and non-traditional student education system at St. Joe’s, the enrollment staff has high hopes for the future of the programs.

According to Jim Sawyer, CPLS director of admission and recruitment, registration for CPLS rose for this semester, with the implementation of HDC. The CPLS hopes that the registration for both HDC and CAS students within the CPLS will continue to rise.

Due to the current budget climate of the university, and recent plans to amp up undergraduate day student enrollment to form a larger freshmen class next fall, Sawyer and his staff are investigating new recruitment strategies.

“I’m looking at all different possibilities for recruitment this year,” said Sawyer. “This year I am making plans to visit community colleges… I am also looking at what would be the best social media strategies to use, given the non-traditional students we are trying to reach.”

As the enrollment staff strives to continue with registration increases, logistics of the new programs must be worked out. Right now, there has not yet been an associate dean appointed to the CAS side of the CPLS. Despite the fact that the university is currently dealing with a series of budget cuts, Anderson says that the CPLS will eventually have a full staff.

“There will be staff hired or redeployed—different staff to different people—so in the end, CPLS will be adequately staffed, I have no doubts about that,” said Anderson.

6 | News

February 5, 2014

The Hawk

University strives to correct tuition misallocation Continued TUITION, from pg. 1

“

Some of those students were paying a lower rate,” said Anderson. “They were paying the PLS rate, even though they could have been charged a higher rate. Some of the money was charged by CPLS and was put into an account that was for undergraduate admissions, and so it looked like there was a shortfall. There were some programs and some courses that had a certain amount of tuition associated with it, but some policy and practice from some years ago, that wasn’t the amount being charged.”

As of right now, according to Anderson, no CPLS students have been notified of the issue, as it is an internal allocation issue discovered within St. Joe’s. Right now, it is uncertain if the University will contact undercharged students to ask for the remainder of the money.

“It will depend on why and what was going on,” said Anderson. “That decision will be made when we have all of the facts.

It’s not the intention to make it difficult for students, but it’s the intention to correct the practice.”

Office of Financial Affairs and Hawk Central are reconciling this issue and investigating exactly who was affected and how the issue occurred.

University President C. Kevin Gillespie, ’72, S.J., confirmed the issue, but could not make a comment on the situation.

Ready to Graduate?

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Erin Raftery ’15 contributed to this article

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Attend the Open House on Tuesday, March 11 from 5–7 p.m. in Connelly Center

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New mission statement in the works CAITLYN BOUCHARD ’16 Hawk Staff

YOU’RE INVITED: DOCUMENTARY SCREENING A NONPARTISAN LOOK AT THE NATIONAL DEBT

Tuesday, February 11, 2014 Please join the Travelers Institute, Conner Strong & Buckelew and Saint Joseph’s University’s Academy of Risk Management and Insurance for a screening of Overdraft. Overdraft is an awardwinning, nonpartisan documentary made for public television that presents a compelling explanation of America’s federal debt crisis, how it impacts American lives and choices to address the problem.

This event is part of the Travelers Institute’s national Overdraft University Symposia Series.

Immediately following the screening, attendees will hear from a panel of business, economic and policy experts on this important issue.

When:

Where:

6:00 p.m.

Overdraft Documentary Screening

7:00 p.m.

Panel Discussion on the National Debt

7:30 p.m.

Reception

Watch the Overdraft Trailer:

Haub School of Business Mandeville Hall, Wolfington Teletorium

RSVP via QR Code Join the Conversation on Twitter: #Overdraft

travelersinstitute.com The Travelers Indemnity Company and its property casualty affiliates. One Tower Square, Hartford, CT 06183 © 2014 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. Travelers and the Travelers Umbrella logo are registered trademarks of The Travelers Indemnity Company in the U.S. and other countries. M-17360 New 1-14

University President C. Kevin Gillespie, ’72, S.J., and the Academic Council for Mission and Identity began a discussion in Dec. 2012 about developing a new, more concise mission statement for Saint Joseph’s University.

A Task Force chaired by E. Springs Steele, Ph.D., vice president for mission, was created with the responsibility of developing a new statement for a presentation at the Feb. 28 Board of Trustees meeting.

Since the end of last July, the task force has held sixteen group discernments with faculty members, the Board of Trustees, and various campus groups to construct a mission statement that articulates the purpose of the university and the advantages of a St. Joe’s education.

The new statement will be used to guide the university in financial and resource allocations, as well as to provide a more attractive and concise purpose for prospective and current St. Joe’s students.

Steele stated that the task force began its work by developing an initial draft mission statement that was used as a focus for the group discernments.

It is anticipated that a description of the process will be discussed during an open forum that is tentatively scheduled to occur on February 20 during free period. The final mission statement draft will be posted on mySJU after approval from the Board.

The task force wants to give everyone in the St. Joe’s community the opportunity to weigh in on the draft.

Angelica Velikaris, ’16, agreed with the task force’s goal.

“I never really read our mission statement,” she said. “I have seen it but I never really read the whole thing, I just skimmed to get the jist. I think it will be really advantageous in the admissions process.”

Steele explains why there is a change in the mission statement.

“The purpose of the institution has not changed,” Steele explained. “We really tried to have a mission statement that was consistent with our current mission statement. It simply seeks to present it in a more concise way.”

According to Steele and those on the task force, the hope is that this change will draw more students to campus and allow them to better understand the mission of St. Joe’s.

February 5, 2014

The Hawk

Opinions | 7

Editorial Editor in Chief Garrett Miley ’15 MANAGING EDITOR Cat Coyle ’16 COPY CHIEF Molly Grab ’17 Business Director Teddy Ryan ’16 Faculty Adviser Dan Reimold News editor Erin Raftery ’15 ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Katryna Perera ’16 OPINIONS EDITOR Joseph Cerrone ’14 FEATURES EDITOR Karen Funaro ’16 Connie Lunanova ’16 A&E EDITOR Caoimhe Nagle ’15 FASHION EDITOR Gillian Murphy ’14 FOOD EDITOR Katie Smith ’15 HEALTH EDITOR Gianna Melendez ’16 SPORTS EDITOR C.J. DeMille ’16 ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Nate Vancil ’16 LAYOUT EDITOR Andrew Nguyen ’17 PHOTO EDITOR Shannon Adams ’16

Spiraling out of control: Higher admissions rate carries dreadful consequences The administration’s decision to admit 1,500 students next fall defies both logic and the academic principles our university is founded upon

W

hat is happening on Hawk Hill? Although the beginning of the semester should be a time of exciting developments on campus, we have instead been inundated with reports about the reckless actions of our university’s administration. The latest update in this long line of questionable decisions is the move to enroll 1,500 students next fall.

Despite the vocal opposition of the students and faculty of Saint Joseph’s University, our leaders seem determined to maintain this foolish course of action, which poses unforeseen consequences for our community.

A primary area of concern is whether St. Joe’s can support such a large increase in our student body. The administration argues that we have the capacity for more students, yet it seems clear that we do not possess the resources to academically support such an increase. There is a clear difference between the ability to squeeze students into classrooms and dorms and offering the individualized education in the Jesuit tradition that St. Joe’s is known for. With no plans to hire more professors, expand our academic offerings, or otherwise supplement our academic resources, this plan is heading for failure.

In addition to this weakness, there are also numerous adverse consequences this enrollment increase will have on our university. The rapid rise in our acceptance rate, which is estimated to be close to or above 90 percent next year, will make St. Joe’s less exclusive—damaging our reputation and discouraging students from applying. Current students and recent alumni are also seriously concerned about the value of our diplomas, which seems to be decreasing by the day.

Such a drastic change will also inevitably have deleterious effects on the quality of the education offered at St. Joe’s. Increased class sizes, caps on majors, and less personalized attention from professors will threaten our identity as a medium-sized liberal arts university. Unfortunately, the administration is determined to persist in its erroneous ways and denies this situation, illustrating that it is utterly disconnected from reality.

Despite the seeming hopelessness of the situation, there is a redeeming factor that has arisen out of this mess—the students. Instead of standing on the sidelines, students on Hawk Hill have been vocal and

hawk.editorial@gmail.com

persistent in their opposition to this change, taking to social media and signing an online petition in protest. Although the administration has stated that it will not take the student petition into consideration, the fact that students care enough to hold our leaders accountable is inspiring.

In particular, we commend the leaders of the University Student Senate, who have contributed greatly in bringing this issue to the attention of the student body.

Yet even this bright spot is tarnished by the administration’s arrogant attitude. Why don’t they care that we care? What makes them think that they are immune from judgment, criticism, and accountability for their actions? They are attempting to shut down criticism from faculty and students, insinuating that we are overreacting. But we should be mad.

We should voice our frustration. The administration would do well to remember that we are central to the university—our tuition dollars pay the bills, and our interest in learning fuels our academic environment.

Although administration officials often pay lip service to the idea of looking out for the interests of students, their actions reveal that these are no more than words.

Complaining about this issue is not enough; instead we have to be clear about what must be done. Firstly, the decision to increase next fall’s freshman class size to 1,500 should be halted immediately. Instead, a forum must be created for students, faculty, and administrators to discuss the issue and develop a mutually acceptable solution.

Most importantly, administrators must abandon their failed, topdown decision making system. Instead, they must respect the faculty’s right to shared governance and develop a structure to keep students updated on the important issues facing the university. One way to increase this accountability would be to hold frequent town hall meetings in which university leaders can present their perspectives to the community, but also receive feedback from faculty and students. In addition to including University President C. Kevin Gillespie, ’72, S.J., such gatherings must include other decision-makers, such as John Smithson, senior vice president, and Brice Wachterhauser, Ph.D, provost.

Unfortunately, the administration’s behavior over the past several years has illustrated that they are more likely to act in their own interest and pursue asinine solutions than to have a frank and honest conversation with the university community. This situation undermines our Jesuit values and sacrifices our academic excellence in favor of foolish and reckless actions that will perpetuate the vicious cycle we find ourselves in.

This is not who we are. This is not our purpose as a university.

This is not the magis.

—The Hawk Staff

8 | Opinions

The Hawk

February 5, 2014

Out with procrastination Tips on managing your time

Unfreezing princess movies A look at Disney’s “Frozen”

“

[“Frozen” is] the most progressive princess story Disney has ever made ... it represents a paradigm shift in how Disney writes its heroines and constructs its storylines.”

CARINA ENSMINGER ’14

T

Hawk Staff

o everyone who has not seen Disney’s “Frozen,” go watch it now. Go to the movies. Do some shady things on the Internet. I can wait.

To everyone who has already seen “Frozen,” yes, I am going to dedicate an entire article to my adoration for this movie. Why? Because it’s arguably THE MOST progressive princess story Disney has ever made. Does it have its shortcomings? Of course. But all things considered, it represents a paradigm shift in how Disney writes its heroines and constructs its story lines.

Let’s start with the power structure of Arrendale. Arrendale is a monarchy; not much of a change from Disney’s traditional princess movie recipe. Except for one not so tiny detail: Elsa is the sole ruler of the kingdom. Let me repeat: Elsa, not a husband, not an advisor, is the ruler of the kingdom. Though matriarchy is a huge change for Disney in and of itself, what makes this truly incredible is the reception of Elsa as queen; the people of Arrendale never once question her right and ability to rule the kingdom on the basis of her gender. She comes of age and is then coronated.

No big deal. Now please tell me that isn’t radical in a world where so many still joke that a woman president will blow up Russia when she’s PMSing?

Let’s talk about the message of the film. Unlike the classic Disney princess storyline, the journey of Princess Anna does not center on finding romantic love; rather it centers on reaffirming her love for her sister. Because their parents isolated Elsa since she was little; she and Anna grow up estranged.

This gives us an adult Anna who craves connection, and an adult Elsa who has learned only to fear and isolate herself. We think Anna is going to find the love she desires in her initial romantic interest, but that’s not the case. Hans and Anna’s speedy engagement is actually the impetus for Anna’s reconnection with Elsa. What’s more, Anna’s final act of true love is to sacrifice herself to save her sister, not to kiss Hans or Kristoff.

Frozen doesn’t just focus on familial love – it also focuses on loving and accepting oneself.

When Anna sacrifices herself to save Elsa, she only unfreezes her heart, not the entire kingdom. That resolution comes only when Elsa realizes that she must love, not fear, herself.

I cannot express how freaking important and radical a change in message this is. In “Frozen,” Disney screams “Hey everyone! You can find happiness and meaning in attachments that are not romantic! In fact, you can find it by loving yourself and your family!” Now look at the message of almost every other Disney princess movie. From Sleeping Beauty to Tangled, almost every story focuses on romance - the plots are resolved by the heroine and hero getting married or proclaiming

their romantic love for each other. The message in that: “Hey everyone! Find someone who loves you, ’cause that’s how you find meaning in your life!”

Now for some little things I love about the movie.

Did you catch the gay couple in it? If not, go back to the scene where Kristoff and Anna meet and take a closer look at the lodge owner’s family. It’s comprised of another man and four kids. Wahoo! Disney’s self-deprecating running joke is also fabulous!

Throughout the movie Anna is told that it is poor judgment to marry a man she just met. Someone should’ve told that to Cinderella, Aurora, Snow White, Rapunzel, Ariel, Jasmine, and practically every other Disney princess. We also have verbal consent in Frozen! Kristoff asks to kiss Anna before he actually does. Oh yes. I dig. I dig so hard.

Though I do love this movie, it is not perfect.

For one, it perpetuates our culture’s homogenized and unrealistic expectation for feminine beauty.

Princess Anna has huge eyes, long hair, and a thin, tall frame. Not exactly a radical departure from the usual Disney princess body type. Or really the body type we see lauded as beautiful every day.

“Frozen” also perpetuates unequal racial representation in media. Anna is white, no real change from their precedent. But beyond that, the movie does not have a single person of color in it. The movie is has a great message, but it’s as white washed as the snow that’s perpetually in the background.

I’ve gotten a lot of push back from people when I bring up this point. I’ve heard some argue, “But it’s set in the Netherlands in the 1800s, and there were only white people there at that time.”

Ignoring whether or not that assumption is factually true, I don’t bring up this point to suggest that there should be some kind of quota. I bring this up because I want people to become analytical consumers of media. I want people to wonder why “Frozen” couldn’t have been set in the mountains of Peru. Or in Alaska, with Inuit natives. I want people realize and then to question why the default in our culture is always white.

All things considered, I still think that this movie represents a great shift in Disney’s princess stories.

I am excited to see where Disney goes after this and sincerely h o p e that they continue to shatter both society’s and their own precedents!

MADISON DONCHEZ ’17 Special to The Hawk By this time in the school year, we all are settled in and the workload has finally come crashing down, reminding us that it is no longer winter break. A paper here, a test there; you could get pretty bogged down between all your schoolwork, sports, activities, and, oh right – friends.

With this in mind, I’d like to point out two little words that can make you or break you in college: time management. Yes, we’ve all heard these words before, but have we really thought about what they mean? We all manage our time some way or another, but the means by which we do it might not be the most productive. For example, reserving four hours of your day to watch Breaking Bad on Netflix or to explore Twitter is not the most effective way of spending your time. You need to think of ways to use your time effectively, while at the same time not wanting to bash your head in with your history textbook.

So here are some suggestions to effectively manage your time.

First, use your resources. Don’t have a planner? Get one! The best way to remember all the things you have to do is to write them down. If you don’t want to spend a whole whopping seven dollars on a planner, you could just use your phone. To remember important dates, you can use your calendar app to schedule classes, meetings, interviews, and everything else you have going on. Don’t forget to set an alarm to remind you, too. There are also other apps that you can purchase or download on your phone for free that allow you to input all your tests, homework, and activities. Check out iStudiez Pro or iProcrastinate. Some even come with an alarm to remind you when your work is due. All of these resources allow you to keep track of your work, and therefore help when managing your time.

Another resource we all cringe at the sound of is, of course, the library. That’s right folks; the library is one of the most helpful resources on campus. Now, how does this help with time management, you ask? It can keep you away from all the pesky distractions that you might run into when studying in your dorm. This way you can get your work done as quickly as possible and have more time for fun.

My second piece of advice is to take advantage of “in between” time. Waiting in line at Starbucks? Have five minutes before you go to class? Instead of checking Facebook or staring into space, use this time wisely. One way to utilize your time is to download the Quizlet app on your phone. Simply type in vocabulary terms or anything else you need to memorize for any class, and now you can now study on the go. This app lets you flip through flash cards anywhere, and they even have a website so you can study in the library (I know you cringed—it’ll get better) or in your room.

You can also take advantage of this time to check your emails.

This is perfect because it’s fast, easy, and needs to be done. Don’t let emails build up – let’s be honest, who wants 1,000 messages to sift through?

These are just a few suggestions, but there are so many more ways you can use your time to get things done. Just make sure you keep busy and stay productive, and you will feel much better at the end of the day. I hope some of these tips and reminders help you to manage your time more effectively.

What do you to manage your time and avoid procrastination? Let us know by tweeting your suggestions to us @sjuhawknews !

February 5, 2014

Opinions | 9

The Hawk

S.U.B. offers successful programs for all students

S.U.B. fails to reach most students through offerings

LIAM MCCANN ’16 Special to The Hawk

JOSEPH CERRONE ’14 Opinions Editor

What issues do you think we should tackle next? Let us know by emailing us at hawk.editorial@gmail.com or tweeting @sjuhawknews !

Hot/Not

COUNTERPOINT

POINT /

Because attendance at many events over the last few years has been largely comprised of freshmen, the S.U.B. has sought to attract more upperclassmen to their events this year. As a sophomore myself, I saw last year how mostly freshmen attended S.U.B. events. I personally enjoyed the events, as did my friends who came, but we never really heard much from upperclassmen on their views.

Has S.U.B. found success in attracting more upperclassmen with its revitalized schedule this year? I’d say so – I know many people, myself included, who go to their events, whether the event is a musical artist, a comedian performing at the Perch, or an off-campus excursion to New York.

I know for a fact I’m not the only upperclassman at these events. Take Big Money Bingo for example. Bingo has always brought in a large crowd comprised of all classes; it’s never been a freshmen-dominated event, and absolutely anyone can have fun.

And Bingo’s not the only event upperclassmen repeatedly attend! Musical artists and comedians have always seen a solid turnout from students at both the Perch and Landmark Americana. How much of that attendance is attributable to the promise of free food, I don’t know, but it still gets students to come. Since upperclassmen in general don’t have unlimited meal plans, free food is always a good excuse to get out of their dorms and apartments and enjoy some live entertainment.

S.U.B. continues to appeal to upperclassmen with the events they have planned for this semester. For many juniors and seniors, there is a 21 and older bowling night, allowing them to have fun bowling while having access to a bar with their friends. And if you aren’t 21, S.U.B. still offers their usual bowling trip. They have also scheduled some great performers for the #SJUbyU events – these events have always been described as events “for students chosen by students,” but it really seems that students’ voices were heard for this year’s events. One of these events is a performance by Aaron Carter, the ’90s pop star whose music a lot of us haven’t heard in quite a while. If anything, it’s a chance for us to reminisce about the glory of ’90s pop. Next, Dave Coulier of “Full House” will perform a stand-up routine in late March. Again, it’s a great chance for us to relive our childhood! Additionally, S.U.B. is bringing in the stars of Girl Code/Guy Code to put together a stand-up version of their hit MTV show. This event in particular is appealing to all genders.

So upperclassmen, mark your calendars – S.U.B. is doing a great job of providing events that we will definitely enjoy. Don’t miss out!

How many Student Union Board (S.U.B.) events did you attend last semester?

For freshmen, it may be easy to recall several events in The Perch that piqued their interest on an evening in the fall. However, for a growing number of students on Hawk Hill, the answer to this question is a simple one: none.

As in years past, it seems that S.U.B. is struggling to reach upperclassmen, many of whom simply write off the organization as one geared towards first year students.

This common perception was explicitly acknowledged by S.U.B. last year, when it conducted an internal review aimed at collecting student opinions and reforming its structure. Under its new mission, S.U.B. has announced it will decrease the number of events it hosts, allowing it to amass more funds to plan higher quality programs.

Although this was the intention, it does not appear to be working.

Besides a few large-scale events last fall, including a trip to New York City, many of S.U.B.’s events continue to follow old patterns and appeal to the same constituencies on campus. Occasional comedians, musicians, and similar performances do not represent the new and improved offerings many students were expecting. In addition to being disappointing, this situation brings up several serious questions about how S.U.B. is operated. A primary area of concern is who actually chooses these events and how this organization reaches its final decisions. With the largest budget of any student organization, S.U.B. should be directly accountable to the student body. Yet, instead of constantly seeking the voices of all students on our campus, S.U.B. members appear too comfortable relying only upon themselves.

Nevertheless, S.U.B. still provides a valuable service to our campus community; one which we would surely miss if it disappeared. With that in mind, there are several steps this organization should take to become more accountable and relevant on Hawk Hill.

An immediate way to make this organization more engaged with the student body is to allow students to elect representatives to S.U.B. Doing so would ensure that all segments of the student body have a voice in this organization. In addition to this form of indirect consultation, S.U.B. should promote more direct input from St. Joe’s students about the events and programs it offers. Last year’s survey was a great way to gauge student interest in the organization; such interaction must become a permanent component of the S.U.B. structure, allowing mutual communication between S.U.B. leaders and regular students.

Yet one of the most vital changes that must occur is ensuring that the largest number of students as possible can participate in S.U.B. events. While this may not seem to be an issue for poorly attended events in The Perch, it is surely a problem for large-scale programs, such as last semester’s trip to New York. With the limited number of tickets selling out rapidly, there are surely many students who were excluded from this event. Such a situation discourages students from participating in future S.U.B. programming, so if a few performances must be cancelled to double the size of these more exciting experiences, then that is what must be done.

The S.U.B. is an important part of student life on Hawk Hill. However, with the largest student budget and a largely dissatisfied student population, changes must be made to make this organization more student-friendly, accountable, and relevant.

Letter from the Editor

on Hawk Hill

Dear reader,

HOT

Snow Day, part three Once again, students of Saint Joseph’s University awoke to a winter wonderland on Hawk Hill on Monday, Feb. 3. With all classes cancelled and the university closed, this will be the third snow day of the spring semester. St. Joe’s has already had an average of one snow day per week so far, with over a month of winter left.

At this point, many students have only one thing to say: let it snow!

Hawks topple No. 21 UMass

After the publication of the Jan. 29 issue, it came to my attention that the article “Body Image: What’s wrong with our perception” in the opinions section was published under a false name. I am both outraged and saddened to learn that members of the editorial board had misled me, our staff, and most importantly, our readers.

The article was written by the Assistant Opinions Editor but was published under the alias “Lily Gershem ’16” with the knowledge of the Opinions Editor. When I learned the true identity of the writer, I made the decision to suspend both the Opinions Editor and Assistant Opinions Editor until this issue is resolved.

The Saint Joseph’s University Men’s Basketball Team won an upset victory against No. 21 UMass on Saturday, Feb. 1 in the Michael J. Hagan ’85 Arena.

The victory comes as the Hawks enter the home stretch of the season, hoping a few key wins could earn them a place in the NCAA tournament in March.

The Hawk is committed to producing the news of Saint Joseph’s University and to provide our readership with accurate information. In publishing this article, we have failed you. But we will work to ensure that this mistake is never repeated.

NOT

The Editorial Board has instituted a new policy that requires that all articles written with a ‘Special to The Hawk’ byline to be checked in the school directory before being printed.

University mischarges CPLS tuition It has recently been revealed that the university mischarged tuition for students of the College of Professional and Liberal Studies during the fall 2013 semester. This financial error represents one in an ever-increasing list of mistakes made by the fiscal leaders of our university.

Faculty mass email communications halted The administration recently suspended use of the mass email alias “employee@sju.edu,” which had allowed all faculty to communicate with one another regarding the status of the university. This move has been decried by professors as an attempt to stifle communication and debate about the issues facing the St. Joe’s community.

We are pleased to announce that former Opinions Editor Joe Cerrone, ’14, has taken over the role in the interim. Cerrone had no involvement in the situation and its circumstances.

Sincerely, Garrett Miley ’15 Editor in Chief

Features | 10

OVER The Hawk

February 5, 2014

UNDER

Men’s basketball starting forward, Halil Kanacevic, sat down with The Hawk to give some insight on being 6’8” tall, Justin Bieber, and why you should eat at Qdoba instead of Chipotle. When asked what celebrity he would like to be, Kanacevic responded with, “I’m going to have to go [with] DiCaprio and Derek Jeter. Have you seen Derek Jeter’s dating list? Derek Jeter’s dated about five celebrities’ wives right now. That guy’s the man, and DiCaprio’s the same thing, so that’s pretty awesome, and they live great lives, so 100%.” Kanacevic also left us with one caveat: Never put ketchup on your mac and cheese. “That’s not American,” according to Kanacevic.

KAREN FUNARO ’16 AND CONNIE LUNANUOVA ’16 Co-Features Editors Justin Bieber- “Overrated. He’s like 20 years old and just because he does outrageous things, people like him. I don’t know, he’s just overrated to me. Good singer and everything, but just overrated as a star.”

Being Tall- “Underrated. Definitely underrated. [How tall are you?] 6’8”. So yeah, it’s definitely underrated, I feel like. Me and him [Javon] are like the same height pretty much. His hair makes him a lot taller than he really is.”

Prizes in Cereal Boxes- “Underrated, definitely. 100% underrated. You can get some cool stuff in the cereal boxes.”

Sweater Vests- “Overrated, no.”

Making a wish at 11:11- “Overrated; it makes you feel better about yourself, but it usually doesn’t happen, so, overrated.”

Snow- “Overrated. I hate the snow. It’s disgusting.”

Boy Bands- “Underrated. We need more boy bands, the music’s great. [What’s your favorite one?] Of all time? N’sync. 100% [Did you have a favorite member?] No. [Are you a Justin Timberlake fan?] Yeah, definitely a JT fan.”

Jordans- “Underrated, because I think there are a lot of people that love Jordans, but then there are a lot of people that are on the other side. I think everybody should own a pair. Nah, I think everybody loves Jordans. Even people who don’t really like sneakers, [they] see Jordans and are like, ‘Oh, these are nice shoes,’ so I think definitely underrated.”

Philadelphia- “That’s tough. I’m not going to say either; it’s just in the middle for me. I’m from New York so I’m biased, but Philly’s not bad. It’s not like New York, obviously, but it’s the closest city to New York as you can get, so it’s not bad.”

Ferris Wheels- “Overrated ever since The Notebook came out.”

Trampolines- “Underrated, definitely. They’re dangerous as hell, but definitely underrated. Everybody should have a trampoline in their backyard.”

Hats- “Snapbacks are overrated. I hate snapbacks, I think the regular fitted ones are fine. If you like those, those are cool, but the snapbacks, people are going crazy with these hat designs.” #2 Pencils- “Overrated, everything should be done in pen. They have erasable pens, don’t they?”

The Macarena- “Underrated, everyone should know how to do the Macarena. [Do you do the Macarena?] No, but I definitely know how to do it.”

THIS/THAT: Jay-Z/Lil’ Wayne- “Jay-Z. He’s just…he’s Jay-Z. 100%. That shouldn’t even be a comparison.”

Chipotle/Qdoba- “Qdoba. I don’t really like Chipotle. Chipotle gives you more food, but I like Qdoba’s food better. Yeah, I just like Qdoba better, honestly, plus I heard that Chipotle’s meat is like processed, it’s not natural. Yeah, it just came out in an article, so I might’ve just changed your mind, too.”

Blondes/Brunettes- “Brunettes. I don’t know, just brunettes.”

Cats/Dogs- “Dogs. Cats – too much fur. [Dogs have fur, too]. Yeah, but cats like, shed, and it’s disgusting.”

Smoothies/Milkshakes- “That’s a tough question, actually. Smoothies. You get a bigger variety. There’s a tropical type of smoothie; you get like mango, banana, and strawberries, it’s awesome. I love it. It’s from this place called Smoothie King in the city. You guys should try it somewhere at some point in your life. Jamba Juice is alright, but Smoothie King is really good.”

Peanut Butter/Jelly- “Peanut butter, just because you get to eat it with more stuff. You get to do like peanut butter and apples, and bananas, but yeah you can use it on a lot more stuff. And you can have a peanut butter sandwich; no one’s ever had a jelly sandwich. Would you just eat cold bread, with jelly? That’s…that’s a little weird.”

Elevators/Stairs- “Elevators, obviously. But if you’re going to the second floor, you should just use the stairs, people used to piss me off in my apartment building. I lived on the third floor, and used to take the stairs, and people that lived on the second took the elevator, and I’d be like, ‘What are you doing? Come on.’ If it’s like an elderly person, then go for it, but if you’re relatively able to walk, then you should take the stairs to the third floor.”

New York pizza/Philly Cheesesteak- “New York pizza, 100%. Philly pizza is not good at all. My favorite type? That’s a good question. Artichoke pizza is really good. I’d probably eat pizza any time of the day honestly. Overbrook Pizza is not bad, it’s not horrible, it’s on 63rd Street. And then if you’re ever in Manayunk past 10 p.m., you should probably go to Mike’s Pizza. It’s not bad.”

Bars/House Parties- “Bars, 100%, because house parties here are like, whatever. They get shut down quickly, all that stuff, and it’s just not fun. Plus the house is usually hot, there’s no room, it’s really crowded, it’s really bad.”

Beyoncé/Destiney’s Child- “Beyoncé. Actually, let me take that back, I’ll take Destiney’s Child, because then you get her, plus Kelly Rowland and Michelle. You’ve got to know all three of them.”

Pepsi/Coke- “Pepsi. I’m a big Pepsi guy. My dad used to buy Pepsi all the time when I was younger, so Pepsi.”

February 5, 2014

Features | 11

The Hawk

True life:

Sophomore Lexie Homa turns growing up with an alcoholic dad into a postive situation

W

KAREN FUNARO ’16 Features Editor

hen Lexie Homa, ’16 was in the seventh grade, she gave her father an ultimatum – it was either alcohol, or her and her sister Chelsea. He chose alcohol.

As difficult as that is for a person to accept, Homa has embraced this reality with the utmost grace, deciding instead to ensure that this situation would have a positive effect on her life.

“It’s a positive thing that this has happened, because since he no longer lives with us, I’ve gotten so much closer with my mom and my sister, and it’s just a better environment, where I live,” said Homa.

Homa first noticed her father’s problem with alcohol when she was in the sixth grade.

During this time, he became increasingly absent in her everyday life.

“I just started to notice he would never be around much, and he would always say he was going out to wash his car. But really he had alcohol in his trunk. But then I started to notice that, like, at family functions, he wasn’t himself. So, I started to ask my mom questions and I don’t know how old I was, but I started to find beer cans under the couch in our basement.”

At first Homa didn’t want to believe that the beer cans she found were his. But when her father got so drunk at a party for her sister’s softball team that another family had to drive all three of them home, she knew then that he had a problem. In that moment it all became clear: her father was an alcoholic. Once her thoughts were solidified, it became evident that all those times her father wasn’t acting like “himself ” were due to drinking.

“He would get so overly extroverted to the point where it was embarrassing. He would try to be, like, the jokester and would be the one who stumbled and fell,” remembers Homa. “He never got violent but it was very embarrassing. I never wanted to be around him or have him around my friends, especially when it first happened at that party. I was so embarrassed.”

Homa’s mother tried to get their father help, but kept Homa and her sister out of that process as much as possible. However, her father didn’t think that he had a problem. He was soon drinking so excessively that Homa and her sister no longer wanted to be around him.

“My mom said that she was with him for as long as she was to try and keep the family together. She didn’t want us to be affected by it, but it got to the point where we were the ones noticing it, and we didn’t want him here anymore,” said Homa.

Her parents got divorced when Homa was in the eighth grade, and things have been

much better since.

“It was something [their divorce] all of us together [had] decided. It wasn’t like my mom sat down and was like, ‘Your dad’s leaving.’ It was me and my sister to the point of saying we want him to leave. I definitely think [we have gotten closer], me and my sister; she’s one of my best friends. And me and my mom too; we just call it a ‘girls party’ all the time, ’cause there’s no guys there [at home] ever. So, I definitely think it has brought us closer,” commented Homa.

When asked what the hardest part in coming to terms with her father’s alcoholism has been for her, Homa said it would have to be no longer being connected with her dad.

“I guess the worst part would be not having a relationship with him. Most people talk about their mom and talk about their dad, and I usually just talk about my mom and then I stop. I don’t even say, ‘Oh yeah, my parents are divorced,’ because it’s at the point where I don’t even want to mention him. He’s kind of not a part of my life at all anymore, so I think that’s probably the most negative, just having that missing piece,” said Homa.

Not being in contact with her alcoholic father has also brought to surface some very real fears for Homa.

“It makes me wonder, since we don’t have any form of communication, has he ever gotten a DUI? Has he ever hurt someone? ‘Cause I wouldn’t know. I guess even though we don’t have any connections, a part of me would still feel responsible. God forbid if he hurt someone, I’m his kid, I would feel responsible and kind of connected towards that.”

Her situation with her father has also caused Homa to have a heightened awareness to the dangers of alcohol.

“It definitely scares me, especially seeing people who get drunk every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. That makes me nervous. If they [students] talk about blacking out four out of the five nights they go out, I think there’s something wrong,” said Lexie.

Above all, the message that Homa really wants people to take away from her story is that alcoholism is much more common than one might think.

“I feel like people don’t really take it [alcoholism] seriously. I feel like some people talk about it, but they don’t understand the extent until you see someone that you cared once so much about go through it and it can destroy relationships.”

“They call it a disease for a reason,” said Homa, “and I don’t think people take that word seriously. Like cancer is a disease, but I don’t think people think of that at the same caliber as alcoholism, but it can do the same things [as cancer]: it can tear your family apart, it can kill you, and I don’t think people look at it in the same way as they would look at other diseases. That’s something I would really want people to take away.”

Radio 104.5’s Winter Jam Concert MICHAEL BERGAMINI ’16 Special to The Hawk On Jan. 25, thousands of alternative music fans poured into The Piazza at Schmidt’s for Radio 104.5’s annual Winter Jam concert. Despite the cold temperature and several inches of snow, the free annual music festival was a huge success for the radio station as usual. Local restaurants and bars lined the edges of the crowd, and above, residents of the apartment buildings took the opportunity to sit on their balconies and enjoy the free show happening right outside.

Every year, local Philly bands vie for a spot to open the concert and showcase their material for such a large audience. This year, the listeners of Radio 104.5 selected An Honest Year, who got the action started quickly with some pretty catchy jams. Halfway through the set, they raised the excitement through a cover of Radio 104.5 royalty, Jimmy Eat World’s “Sweetness.”

Shortly after, the indie rock band from New York, MS MR (pronounced Miz Mister), got ready to have a good time. Equipped with her neon green hair, eccentric sunglasses, and a smile as wide as the stage, lead singer Lizzy Plapinger began the set with the eerie “Bones” that was well received by the crowd. Their cover of “Do I Wanna Know?” by the Arctic Monkeys was nothing short of brilliant.

Bringing a European feel to Philly, a pop punk band from Denmark, New Politics, was a perfect addition to this lineup, adding some upbeat music that sent the crowd into

a dancing frenzy. Whether actually moving to the music, or just trying to reach closer to the stage, the crowd responded positively to this young band. Their hit song “Harlem” had the whole crowd screaming those catchy lyrics.

You may have heard of the next band to play, Switchfoot. Starting their set with their 2003 smash hit, “Meant To Live,” they were well received, especially with the audience members in their 20s and 30s who grew up with this band. Their seven song set list kept the crowd engaged with their rock sound. After bringing us back to the last decade, Switchfoot took us back even further with an awesome cover of the Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” halfway through the set. Closing with another massive track, the whole audience proudly sang “Dare You To Move” in unison with Switchfoot as they closed their set.

For those of you who do not know Twenty One Pilots, please do yourself a favor and blast their album Vessel in your dorm. Whatever genre of music you identify with, they have a song – whether it is pop, rock, rap, electronic, or even a ukulele jam. 364 days after opening Winter Jam 2013, Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun of Twenty One Pilots promised to blow the audience away with their headlining performance, and they did just that. Starting the set with “Fake You Out,” the crowd was ready for whatever this crazy band was going to play.

“Semi Automatic” is a song that people in the front of

the crowd will never forget. Halfway through the song, the crew took the drum set from the stage and placed it in the crowd. Josh Dun, the drummer, then proceeded to play the ending of the song while crowd surfing with his drum set!

As the drums were being removed from the crowd, “Holding on to You” began to play, but Tyler Joseph, the lead singer, was nowhere to be found. After the first verse, the crowd caught on; Joseph actually went into an apartment and was singing from one of the balconies! After making his way back to the stage, Twenty One Pilots finished the song and Joseph took to the piano for “Car Radio.” Ending the amazing set list with a song that they feel truly connects the band with the fans, “Trees” started off on a very slow and personal note, then grew to an insane level where the whole crowd was jumping and moving with every word sung. Again, the drums went into the crowd and both Joseph and Dun played in a battle-like style while crowd surfing, ending one of the biggest headlining shows in their short and still developing career in the music industry.

Based on the previous two Winter Jams I have attended, I am sure that Winter Jam 2015 will be just as successful, fun – and cold – as this year.

Features | 12

The Hawk

App Of the Week:

February 5, 2014

Disney’s Frozen to hit Broadway Photo courtesy Creative Commons

Venmo AMANDA LEITHEAD ’17 Hawk Staff The use of paper money and coins is becoming a rarity these days. Most people forgo the hassle of carrying bills and instead opt to travel light with debit and credit cards, which are widely accepted by just about every store. However, there are certain situations in which cards are simply not useable.

Have you ever been out to lunch with thirty of your closest friends and, for some reason, your disgruntled waiter refuses to split the check? Have you waited until the last possible second before your rent is due, only to realize that you can’t find your checkbook? Have you trekked to the nearest ATM and discovered that it’s out of service?

If any of these situations sound familiar, have no fear – Venmo is here.

Venmo is a free app that facilitates fast and easy payment. The app is linked with a bank account, debit card, or a Venmo account balance. Through the app, you can link with other account holders to either send money or receive payments.

These services may seem very similar to that of PayPal, another popular viral transaction service. In fact, Venmo is owned by eBay, which also owns PayPal. While Venmo is incredibly similar to its competitors, including Square Cash and Google Wallet, it stands apart in its unique incorporation of social networking features.

Venmo users can set up profiles using their names and personalized pictures. When making a transaction, users are able to write comments to accompany their transaction post. For example, if you send a payment to your landlord, you might add to the post: “Thanks for keeping a roof over my head!”

Your post is then made visible on a newsfeed, to which other Venmo users have access. These other users are also able to “like” these posts.

The social networking aspect of the app may raise questions concerning security, but Venmo assures that the app will protect your monetary transactions. Additionally, you may choose to make your account private so that your activity is not displayed on the newsfeed. Whether you choose to make your account public or private, Venmo will never display the amount of money paid.

When using Venmo, the only cost that you have to worry about is the amount that you owe someone.

Downloading the app is free, as are most transactions. Venmo users also will not be charged when receiving money. The exception is the use of credit cards, which involves a three percent fee.

Venmo is a quality app that puts a social spin on a trusted method of virtual payment. Whether the app is right for you is up to your discretion. Regardless, the app is definitely worth a download – if only for the entertainment that scrolling through the newsfeed of transactions provides.

F

KAYLA SODERS ‘15 Special to the Hawk

rozen, Disney’s most recent animated film, has become respected and admired by viewers just as much, if not more, than the Disney classics.

As adamant as the Disney lover may be that the “originals” are the best, directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee did not disappoint. Based on the Hans Christian Andersen story The Snow Queen, the film is a mix of comedy, love, and adventure suited for all ages. Frozen hit the big screen this past Thanksgiving and has been a tremendous success. So far, the film alone has a total domestic gross of $349.5 million, and over $775.9 million globally. Frozen also received the Golden Globe for “Best Animated Feature Film” and became the fourth animated film soundtrack to hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts.

Because the film’s endearing story has been coupled with enchanting songs, it is not surprising that it has recently been announced that Frozen will be moving to Broadway. After the incredible success of the film, there is much to look forward to with the transition from screen to stage. Disney not only had Broadway talent Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez help write the songs for Frozen, but also had three Broadway actors as main characters in the film: Idina Menzel, Johnathan Groff, and Josh Gad, giving Disney CEO, Robert Iger, all the more reason to take Frozen to the big stage. The film itself is already formatted like a Broadway musical, which is much more than simply having characters singing songs as well as speaking. Frozen’s structure is dynamic—the musical numbers

alone show distinct character. They help to advance the plot, establish the personalities of the characters, and are so powerful that they make up the first Disney soundtrack to hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts since 1995’s Pocahontas.

Not only do the songs make for a great Broadway production, but the storyline does as well. There is much more depth to the plot than just two princesses living lavishly in their castle, awaiting their “happily ever after.” Frozen features real-life themes to which the modern teenager can easily relate. Elsa and Anna were sisters who were extremely close, but grew apart. In the film, Elsa is struggling to cope with the changes her powers are bringing to her body. There is a symbolic relationship between the ice and snow and Elsa’s inner emotions. The sisters struggle with one another and within themselves to find the ultimate force of magic: friendship.

Perhaps the most empowering aspect of the film is the twist that writers Shane Morris and Jennifer Lee put on the “fairytale” aspect of true love. Anna and Elsa don’t need Prince Charming to come to their rescue—all the girls need are each other. This understanding alone makes Frozen a standout film; it gives the younger generation of viewers the sense that they don’t need a prince to be happy.

Frozen captures the classic Disney spirit of films such as Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast and will carry this magical enthusiasm all the way to Broadway. Whether it’s an inspired Elsa singing “Let it Go,” wise-cracking remarks that bring the whole audience to laughter, or the nostalgia of a classic Disney fairytale, there are countless reasons why Frozen is a must-see for all ages.

Overpriced textbooks

F

DENISE SCIASCI ’15 Hawk Staff

or most college students, feelings of stress and anxiety occur all too often.

One particularly common stressor for college students is the dreaded ordeal of ordering textbooks at the beginning of each semester.

Purchasing textbooks can strain the bank account of a student with an especially tight college budget. Those currently living on the “cold pizza and Easy Mac” diet can relate to the sort of anxiety particularly felt when it comes time to order those costly and often overpriced books.

In an effort to save money, many students choose to order their textbooks from websites such as Amazon or Chegg as an alternative to the bookstore. Although they can be less expensive than bookstore prices, these outside sources may be the least convenient method of ordering books.

Students of Saint Joseph’s University have strong opinions on the topic of ordering textbooks. Seamus Mooney, ’15, orders all of his books from the bookstore because it is the fastest method, and it works well with his busy schedule. Mooney remarked, “The bookstore is good for convenience, but not pricewise. I bought three books this semester and spent a total of $500 dollars.”

Mike McCahill, ’15, agreed that buying on-hand from the bookstore is the easiest way to ensure that the textbooks will be available at the start of classes. However, he sometimes makes purchases from Chegg.com McCahill stated, “I use Chegg.com if I find a textbook that is significantly less expensive, otherwise it’s just not worth the effort.”

McCahill also recognizes the issues that come along with ordering books from out-

side sources other than the bookstore. He commented, “Sometimes, I forget to send back my rented books from Chegg.com and it’s a bit of a hassle. But the website is usually understanding about it.”

Both of these students have had the experience of purchasing an extremely expensive textbook only to never use it in class. Mooney described this as an “awful feeling,” while McCahill called this experience “extremely aggravating.”

A way to avoid this frustrating and costly experience is to try to gauge the atmosphere of the class and the intent of the teacher before purchasing the book. The abovementioned students also agreed that waiting a week or so to order books is an efficient way to evade this issue.

Jennifer Ewald, Ph.D., associate professor in the linguistics department at St. Joe’s, chooses to use course packs in many of her linguistics courses. Course packs as an alternative to expensive textbooks can save students a great deal of money. Ewald mentioned that “most students seem to react positively to the relatively lower cost of course packs.”

It is ironic that books, which often serve as a course’s primary resource, can cause such student stress, not only at St. Joe’s, but at colleges nationwide. The many methods of purchasing these textbooks are, for the most part, left up to the student’s discretion.

It is important to realize that there are cheaper ways of purchasing textbooks than through the bookstore. Even though these methods may be timely for busy college students, being aware of the alternatives can save students a great deal of money each semester.

February 5, 2014

The Hawk KRISTEN PILKINGTON ’13 Hawk Staff

S

uper Bowl Sunday is one of the biggest party days of the year, and the food you serve your friends can make or break your celebration. Anyone can buy a bag of Doritos, so kick it up a notch with a recipe that goes above and beyond traditional fare and that doesn’t use up all of your week’s calories.

Making simple changes to a recipe will allow you to enjoy your healthy choices as you cheer on your team!

While these were the recipes for my Super Bowl party, the best part about appetizer-based parties is that these recipes can be used year-round. So, the next time you are thinking about just ordering a pizza, try one of these recipes!

Food | 13

Girl Scouts’ move into the future

........................................

Cream Cheese Frosting 1. Take one package of reduced-fat cream cheese, softened.

2. Place into small bowl.

3. Slowly add in two cups of confectioner’s sugar.

4. Blend together until smooth.

5. Add in 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract for extra delicious flavor!

Sugar Cookie Crust 2 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 2 sticks of butter, softened 3/4 cups Splenda Sugar Blend 1 egg white 2 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 frozen bread dough (thawed) 25 turkey pepperoni pieces 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 1 teaspoon oregano 1 teaspoon basil

Pepperoni Bread Bites

2 ripe avocados 1 teaspoon of salt 1/3 cup onion, chopped 1/4 cup diced tomatoes 1 teaspoon garlic salt 2 teaspoons garlic powder Ground black pepper 1 package of chicken breasts ¼ cup low-fat Italian Dressing 6 small whole wheat rolls

Mini Fruit Pizza

1. Roll out the bread dough, flat.

2. Line it with pepperoni and cheese.

3. Sprinkle the oregano and basil over the dough.

4. Roll the dough and place in a bread pan prepared with cooking spray.

5. Place in the oven for 30 min. at 350 degrees.

Guacamole and Homemade Tortillas

Italian Chicken Breast Sliders

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix together flour, baking soda, and baking powder.

3. Cream together the butter and Splenda Sugar Blend until it is smooth, in a separate bowl.

4. Beat in egg whites and vanilla.

5. Blend in the dry ingredients.

6. Take 1 tablespoon of dough, roll it into a ball and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

7. Take the palm of your hand and press down to flatten into a circle (mini-pizza).

8. Once you have your cream cheese frosting (sauce) ready and the cookies are cooled, you are now prepared for the best part of the process– decorating. This is where the creativity comes in. Decorate with any fruit or other toppings you would like.

1. In a small bowl, mash the avocado with a fork.

2. Stir in the salt, garlic powder and pepper.

3. Mix in the tomatoes and onions.

4. Serve immediately.

1. Cut the chicken breasts into 4 pieces in order to fit onto a slider roll.

2. Marinate the chicken breast in the Italian dressing for at least an hour.

3. Place the chicken breasts on a cookie sheet lined with foil.

4. Bake the chicken for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

5. Place on a slider roll with toppings of your choosing.

Wing Bowl thrives in Philadelphia

despite growing food insecurity I JULIA BURKE ’15 Special to the Hawk

f you were to ask people what they were doing at 4 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 31, they would most likely say that they were asleep. However, tens of thousands of Philadelphians got to the Wells Fargo Center at 4 a.m. on Friday for Wing Bowl XXII. Radio host Al Morganti came up with the idea for the Wing Bowl in 1993 after the Philadelphia Eagles failed to make it to the Super Bowl. He decided to create a wing-eating contest to give people something to look forward to in place of football-related events. Twenty-one years later, the competition has grown from two contestants eating chicken wings in front of a crowd of 150 people in a hotel ballroom, to last year’s 29 contestants competing in front of over 20,000 people gathered in Philadelphia’s largest sports arena.

The Wing Bowl, held the Friday before the Super Bowl at the Wells Fargo Center, has become a wildly popular event for competitive Philadelphians, who are drawn to the unbelievable amounts of food consumed by contestants each year. Since last year’s winner Jamie “The Bear” McDonald came in first after eating 287 wings, eaters who were interested in taking part in this year’s Wing Bowl had to get creative to ensure that they would qualify.

A contestant who calls himself the “Ukraine Train” qualified for this year’s Wing Bowl by scarfing down two Chipotle burritos in less than three minutes. Another Wing Bowl XXII hopeful who goes by “Uncle Rico” secured his spot in the competition by eating three pounds of salmon in seven minutes. These extreme displays of eating for sport eventually culminated in this year’s winner: 125-pound competitive eater and mother of four from Nebraska,

Molly Schuyler, was named champion after consuming a record-breaking 363 wings.

Yet, while Wing Bowl contestants were collectively choking down thousands of chicken wings at 6:30 a.m., other families in the same neighborhood were beginning their day—some leaving for work and school, some with stomachs full of breakfast, and others wondering if and what they could afford to eat that day.

Food insecurity is a common problem for the people of Philadelphia; about 1 in 4 Philadelphians lives below the poverty line.

According to the Coalition Against Hunger, as of September 2013, about 480,000 or 31% of the residents of Philadelphia County and 47 million Americans nationwide turned to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for help in buying groceries.

However, the recent $5 billion cut to SNAP nationwide on Nov. 1 greatly impaired the program’s effectiveness. As a result, nearly 3 million people in Pennsylvania and New Jersey saw and now deal with debilitating cuts to their benefits, with a family of four losing about 21 meals a month. Now, people receiving food assistance could be faced with another huge cut to the program: another $9 billion of food assistance lost nationally over the next ten years, if the new farm bill approved by the House of Representatives on Jan. 29 becomes law.

As of now, SNAP alone is not enough to help feed a family for the entire month. According to research conducted by the Drexel University School of Public Health and the Boston Medical Center, families frequently run out of food stamps after just 21days.

This leaves nearly two weeks with no guaranteed additional help in securing meals.

Many people needing further food assistance turn to local food banks and soup kitchens for their next meal. Philabundance, the most prominent combatant of food insecurity in the Delaware Valley, has seen the benefits of the Wing Bowl in the past. One of competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi’s sponsors agreed to donate $10 to Philabundance for every wing he ate in 2012’s Wing Bowl XX. Kobayashi came in first place, and his total of 337 wings eaten resulted in a $3,370 donation. Through Philabundance, one dollar goes toward serving two meals, which means that every wing Kobayashi consumed at Wing Bowl XX went to help provide 20 meals to those in the area who needed it most.

The Wing Bowl is not just a crowd-attracting spectacle of consumption. Promotions Director Bryan Cole tells The Hawk that Wing Bowl donates the proceeds of all ticket sales to various charities, including Eagles Youth Partnership, United Service Organizations, and the Anti-Defamation League. However, with such a huge sphere of influence in the Philadelphia area, which is a community that feels the effects of poverty and hunger year-round, maybe it’s time for the Wing Bowl to team up with an equally influential organization like Philabundance to fight hunger together in upcoming years. Adding food organizations to the Wing Bowl’s list of regular charities in the future would let Philadelphia know that the organizers of the event have not forgotten about people struggling to find a meal.

That addition may help to repair the disparity between a mother of three who is skipping lunch at the same time that thousands of wings are being eaten for sport just a few blocks away.

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons

KATIE SMITH ’15 Food Editor January ushers in not only the potential for snow days, but also my favorite season of all—Girl Scout Cookie season. As a former Girl Scout, I remember many chilly days spent going door-to-door, stacked boxes of Thin Mints in tow. I have a very vivid memory of 8-year-old me in front of my local Giant, trying to hustle an older woman out of her $10 in change in order to come in first place in my troop’s cookie sales.

Not surprisingly, I never made it past the “Brownie Scouts” phase—I far preferred the reward of eating cookies to the toils of selling them.

Over the years, Girl Scout Cookies have remained my traditional reward for suffering through the ferocity of winter. On a snow day, there is nothing quite like eating an entire box of Peanut Butter Patties with a cup of tea. (Trust me, I did so last week.) Though enjoying these delicious treats is a beloved, nostalgic tradition of mine, as I explored the Girl Scouts’ website this year I was surprised to discover the ways in which this tradition has changed since I was a child.

If, like me, you depend upon a table full of Caramel deLites or Trefoils at the local grocery store for your Girl Scout Cookie fix, there is now an app that will allow you to locate the closest cookie sale in your area. The Official Girl Scout Cookie Finder app uses your current location or zip code to find the sale nearest to you. It also advertises the local sale on your Facebook and Twitter so everyone can join in!

Furthermore, the app allows users to “meet the cookies,” which allows the users to see both the nutritional and promotional information for every Girl Scout Cookie, including two new cookies developed for the 2013-2014 season.

This season’s new additions only further highlight the ways in which the Girl Scouts of America are evolving in accordance with the needs of our nation’s cookie-eaters.

The new Chocolate Chip Shortbread cookie is made without gluten, so that the increasing portion of Americans with dietary restrictions can partake in this winter tradition! The cookies are made with real chocolate chips and butter, insuring that an alteration in the shortbread recipe doesn’t rob consumers of flavor.

The second cookie, called a Cranberry Citrus Crisp, seeks to satisfy the growing demand for organic and unprocessed ingredients. This crispy cookie is made with real fruit and 9 grams of whole grain, while leaving out high fructose corn syrup and artificial colors, flavors, and sweeteners.

While I’ll certainly give these new cookies a try, there is nothing quite as tasty as the classic cookies— Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs, Shortbreads, and Do-si-dos. These cookies aren’t just tasty treats; they remind me of home and the feeling of being a kid. I am glad that the Girl Scouts’ newly developed recipes allow the same traditions and associations to begin forming for a new

14 | Arts and Entertainment

February 5, 2014

The Hawk

The 2014 Grammy Awards HANNAH GIACOMETTI ’15 Special to the Hawk

Celebrating the old with the new

The 2014 Grammy Awards, held in the middle of the annual awards season, managed to stand out thanks to their commemoration of music’s longstanding artists and well as the legends of tomorrow. This year’s Grammy Awards ceremony was very performance heavy. Beyoncé and Jay-Z, everyone’s favorite musical couple, opened up the 2014 awards with a flawless performance of Beyoncé’s new hit, “Drunk in Love.” After their toned down performance, Katy Perry lit the stage on fire – literally – with her bewitching rendition of her newest song “Dark Horse,” featuring witches, fire, and interesting uses for broom sticks. Embracing her musicianship, Taylor Swift decided to slow things down, sitting in front of a piano to perform a rendition of “All Too Well.”

This year, it appears the organizers of the Grammy Awards hoped to use several musical collaborations to both drum up ratings and honor the uniqueness of the various genres of music and their influence. The first of these collaborations was the pairing of rapper Kendrick Lamar with alternative rockers Imagine Dragons for a memorable ren-

dition of “M.A.A.D City” and “Radioactive.” The performance was electric, and marred only by the network’s censors wreaking havoc on the lyrics, silencing more of the songs than necessary. In a nod to both music’s rich past and its future, Stevie Wonder jammed with Daft Punk and Pharrell on their Grammy Award-winning hit, “Get Lucky.”

Another memorable performance featured Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Mary Lambert, and Madonna collaborating on the Grammy-nominated “Same Love.” With the stage adorned with the same décor one would find in a church, this performance was memorable for more than the music as thirty-three straight, gay, and interracial couples were married in a ceremony officiated by Queen Latifah.

In keeping with the idea of special performances, the Grammys featured a reunion of two legends, former Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. Their song choice left something to be desired, however. Instead of busting out one of their famous singles, the two remaining Beatles chose to play a song entitled “Queenie Eye” off of McCartney’s latest album. Although it demonstrates that McCartney has retained the ability to write catchy pop songs, the night would have really been one to remember if a classic song was performed.

Although both Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus – two of the music industry’s most controversial performers – did not make an appearance, there was still controversy to be found. The final performance of the night featured a “who’s who” of today’s rock musicians, such as Lindsay Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac, Dave Grohl of Nirvana, and the Foo Fighters. Midway through their thrashing performance of “My God is the Sun,” the jam session was replaced with the closing credits for the Grammys. To accommodate the fifteen minutes that the show was already running late, CBS chose to run advertisements, essentially cutting the television feed of the performance. Several of the artists have since denounced the network’s decision to cut their performance short, defending their anger by pointing out that had it been Beyoncé singing, they would not have cut her off. The higher-ups at CBS have since apologized to the bands involved in the performance.

With so many performances given throughout the night, it was easy to forget that were actual awards distributed as well. The biggest award of the night, and therefore the last one presented, was Record of the Year, which was given to Daft Punk and Pharrell for their single, “Get Lucky.” Meanwhile, the recipient of the Song of the Year Award was Lorde for her single, “Royals,” which mocks the lavish lifestyles of the rich and famous.

The only apparent upset of the night was caused by Macklemore, who stated via Twitter that he “robbed” Kendrick Lamar of the Best New Artist Grammy Award.

Even with the predictability of the award winners and the surplus of performances from some of today’s top artists, the 56th Grammy Awards was still a success, and certainly one to remember.

Sherlock lives

The return of everyone’s favorite super-sleuth CAOIMHE NAGLE ’15 Arts and Entertainment Editor

After a two-year hiatus, BBC’s hit series “Sherlock” made its long awaited return to screens both in America and overseas in January 2014. When Sherlock Holmes, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, last graced television with his presence, he was tumbling from atop London’s Saint Bart’s Hospital after the maniacal ministrations of adversary Jim Moriarty threatened the lives of those close to him. Viewers were shocked by the suicide of the famed detective, and even more surprised when the last scene of the second season was one of Holmes watching Watson mourn his death. Fans felt every minute of those two years, spending their Sherlock-less lives formulating theories on how the titular anti-hero survived the famed “Reichenbach Fall.”

And survive he did. In the first episode of season three, “The Empty Hearse,” Sherlock’s unbelievable survival is explained, and then explained a different way, and finally in a third way. Writer Mark Gatiss, who also plays Mycroft Holmes on the show, expertly managed to include different explanations for how Sherlock managed to plummet several stories and live to tell the tale. One moment in the episode fans had been especially anticipating was the meeting between Sherlock and his loyal companion, John Watson (Martin Freeman), taking place after two years of the latter believing the detective to be dead.

The reunion scene does not disappoint, balancing humor with the right amount of violence, as Sherlock breaks the news of his survival in the middle of Watson’s attempts to propose to his girlfriend, Mary Morstan, who is Freeman’s real-life partner, Amanda Abbington. In fact, it takes the introduction of Watson’s fiancée to reconcile the two.

The remainder of the episode focuses on the duo foiling a terrorist plot with relative ease – “there’s always an off switch” – while still sparking as many questions as it answered. The most intriguing of these questions was the appearance of this season’s villain, Charles Augustus Magnussen (Lars Mikkelsen).

As a series, Sherlock has a history of having weak

second episodes, so with “The Sign of Three,” the creators strove to remain consistent over all three ninety minute episodes. This installation featured a wedding and all the events normally involved with such a ceremony: a bachelor party, a reception, and an unsolved murder case. Sherlock’s humanity and innocence take center stage over the bride and groom, and most certainly take precedence over the case of “The Mayfly Man” that the famous duo try to solve.

This is a new Holmes, a far more innocent self-described high functioning sociopath than previously depicted. He delivers a wonderfully stoic yet touching best man speech, composes a unique piece on his violin for the couple’s first dance, and even reveals his longstanding love of dancing. But despite this new side of Sherlock, all is not well in his life; this becomes evident as he departs from the reception early, unfortunately fulfilling a piece of foreshadowing casually revealed earlier in the episode.

“The Sign of Three” is the series’ funniest episode to date, focusing on the humorous and the dedicated relationship between Sherlock and Watson, yet manages to set up crucial plot points and character details that set the stage for the series’ third and final entry. Show runner Steven Moffat, notorious amongst fans for leaving a trail of destruction in his wake more often than naught, appears to have intended this episode to inspire a sense of false security among viewers, saving the emotional devastation for the third season’s denouement.

In the final episode’s storyline, all is not as it seems.

The concluding episode, “His Last Vow,” relies heavily on flashbacks and the infamous mind palace ploy in order to depict the faceoff between Sherlock and his various opponents. Both Sherlock and viewers come face to face with Magnussen, a spindly media mogul, whose prowess for manipulation and blackmail lands several characters in turmoil and one in the hospital, although it may be the mark he left on 221B Baker Street that leaves the worst taste in viewers’ mouths.

With the security of England hanging in the balance, it is the safety of his friend that motivates Sherlock into action when Magnussen, triumphant in his apparent outsmarting of Holmes, threatens to physically and mentally break Watson. Sherlock, only at his most human, performs his most inhumane act. Nary a few moments later, Sherlock, flying off to face certain death as a result of fulfilling his last vow, is brought back down to earth-quite literally – with the news of a return almost as good as his own. Moffat and Gatiss have outdone themselves this time around, ending on as painful a cliffhanger as in previous seasons.

Despite the third season’s storyline breaking the previous mold of balancing solving mysteries with establishing the relationship between Watson and Holmes, and the two-year hiatus, viewers were presented with the high quality television series they had come to love. Cumberbatch slips back into character as effortlessly as Sherlock dons his signature coat upon his return to England. He spouts off Holmes signature deductions one minute, revealing the detective’s inner machinations, and says more in silence the next. Earning acclaim in his own right is Freeman, the ideal foil to Cumberbatch, both on screen and in real life. As Watson, he overcomes his potential to be an everyman, balancing sarcasm with befuddlement, all the while letting no one forget he once was a soldier and still is a doctor.

The writers are clearly in their element, masterfully drawing on canonical Arthur Conan Doyle stories and adapting them to a modern day London. This, along with the series’ stunning cinematography, allows for the show to be attractive for more than just the actors starring in it.

“Sherlock” has returned with more action and depth than ever before, and is certainly satisfying its viewers cravings for phenomenal television.

February 5, 2014

Black History Month Word Search The Hawk would like to celebrate Black History Month by highlighting some of the nation’s most influential black leaders in a crossword!

Frederick Douglass: After escaping from salvery in the 1800s, Douglass worked as an orator and writer for equality.

W.E.B. Du Bois: Du Bois fought against racism, lynching, and Jim Crow laws in academic papers and in prolific fictional pieces.

MLK Jr.: King recieved the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for his work in the American Civil Rights movement and leadership in civil disobedience.

Thurgood Marshall:The first African American justice of the United States Supreme Court.

Barack Obama: The first black president of the United States.

Rosa Parks: Known as “the first lady of civil rights.”

Ida B. Wells-Barnett: Prominent African American journalist and suffragist.

Sojourner Truth: Born into slavery, Truth worked her way into becoming a famous gender inequality speaker.

Harriet Tubman: Rescued more than 300 slaves in the Underground Railroad.

Condoleezza Rice: The first female African American Secretary of State.

Malcolm X: Influential black Muslim minister and human rights activist.

Maya Angelou: Prominent American author and poet.

The Hawk

Puzzles | 15

16 | Sports

February 5, 2014

The Hawk

Blazing sevens

“

Hawk of the week

NATE VANCIL ’16 Assistant Sports Editor

Rugby Sevens” may be an unfamiliar term to many people who are not avid fans of the remarkably physical sport of men’s rugby. But after the recurring success of the Saint Joseph’s University men’s rugby sevens team, it may be worth your time to get acquainted with these Hawks; especially after their impressive finish in the 2014 Las Vegas Men’s Rugby Sevens Tournament. But first of all, what is the difference between normal men’s rugby and rugby sevens? Senior flanker Brendan Murphy has a relatable comparison.

“The way I always relate the two is like 3-on-3 basketball and regular 5-on-5 basketball. The games are shorter, and instead of having bigger forwards, we usually have faster, quicker guys in sevens. It is a much faster-paced game; everybody is always moving.”

After completely new tryouts and a lot of practice, the St. Joe’s men’s rugby sevens team headed to Las Vegas for the national tournament.

Although the Hawks have been on many big stages before in sevens tournaments, this was still a very daunting task. But to the surprise of many fans and spectators, the Hawks came out of the gates on fire in pool play. St. Joe’s defeated New Mexico State University 45-0 and then Lewis & Clark College 30-0. After those first two victories, the Hawks had an even more difficult task in front of them: the University of Notre Dame.

This was a more hard-fought game than their first two, but Saint Joe’s persevered and defeated Notre Dame 27-7 to go undefeated through pool play and advance to the quarterfinals, outscoring their first three opponents 110-7.

Murphy saw this as a pivotal point in the tournament for the Hawks.

“When we beat a big-name school like Notre Dame, it was a turning point for us in the tournament. We lost to them in sevens in the CRC’s (Collegiate Rugby Championships) last year. That was a big win for us. There were a lot of big-name schools and we were proud to get that far, and it gave us a lot of confidence

going into the next round.”

The Hawks impressive performance in pool play continued into the quarterfinals when they played Claremont. Claremont also played well in pool play, going 2-1 and outscoring their opponents 73-27; however, they were no match for the Hawks. St. Joe’s rolled through that game defeating Claremont 33-0 and moved on to the semifinals against the University of British Columbia. After a close game that went back and forth, British Columbia finally prevailed with a 10-7 victory over the Hawks. British Columbia eventually went on to win the finals against the University of Victoria, another Canadian team. Despite losing in the end, senior Brendan Murphy saw a shimmer of hope in this matchup against one of the nation’s heavyweight teams.

“Even though we ended up losing the game, during halftime of the British Columbia game we realized we can match up against any team and play with the best of them. Going into the game, even the spectators and fans were telling us that British Columbia was a much better team and we wouldn’t be able to even compete with them.

When it was 7-7 at halftime, we knew we had a good shot to win the whole thing.”

Although St. Joe’s did not end up winning the tournament, there are a variety of positive aspects to consider from this experience.

Reaching the semifinals of a national tournament is an impressive feat for the Hawks. Also, this success in sevens will translate to the St. Joe’s fifteens team and give them confidence going forward as well.

“To make rugby a varsity sport is a big goal of ours since it’s still a club team. In terms of this year, making it to Nationals is the most important short-term goal for us. The last three years we’ve made it to our conference finals, and all three years we’ve lost. That’s our biggest goal and we will keep working hard to make it happen.”

“To make rugby a varsity sport is a big goal of ours since it’s still a club team.”

Photo by Kati Polaski ’15

KAYLA CHARLES Womens track & field Junior Kayla Charles won the Ursinus Pentathlon last week at the Bakes Field House at Ursinus College. Charles was one of 13 athletes to compete in the Pentathlon. She took second in the 60 meter Hurdles, the High Jump, and 800 meters, and third in the Long Jump. She also set her personal record in the Shot Put at 7.19 meters.

A-10 Men’s Basketball Standings

A-10 Overall Saint Louis 7-0 20-2 VCU 6-1 18-4 George Washington 5-2 17-4 Saint Joseph’s 5-2 15-6 UMass 4-3 17-4 Richmond 4-3 14-8 La Salle 4-3 12-9 St. Bonaventure 3-4 13-8 Dayton 2-5 14-8 Rhode Island 2-5 11-11 Duquesne 2-5 10-10 Fordham 2-6 9-12 George Mason 0-7 7-14

Tanaka headed to the Bronx Seven years for $155 million dollars.

The New York Yankees signed pitcher Masahiro Tanaka with a $155 million contract over seven years. This signing also comes with the understanding that Tanaka has never thrown a pitch in the major leagues.

The Yankees spent much of last year watching Tanaka pitch for the Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan, where the right-hander went 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA while leading his team to the Japan Series title.

Tanaka’s new deal is unprecedented. It broke the record for the highest contract offered to a free agent pitcher, as well as the mark for an international free agent. It also makes Tanaka the fifth highest-paid pitcher in the history of Major League Baseball.

Many criticized the contract offered to Tanaka by the Yankees due to the recent failures of Daisuke Matsuzaka and Kei Igawa.

“We’re going to do what we’ve got to do to win,” said Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner in an interview with the Associated Press.

Duquesne Dayton St. Bonaventure Fordham Saint Josep h’s George Washington VCU La Salle Richmond Saint Louis Rhode Island UMass George Mason

8-1 6-1 6-2 6-3 6-3 6-3 5-4 5-4 4-5 3-5 1-8 0-8 0-9

16-6 13-5 17-6 17-5 17-5 15-7 17-5 10-11 10-12 8-13 6-16 3-19 6-16

Standings as of time of press on Feb. 3

New ace Yankees JACK GLOVER ’16 Special to the Hawk

A-10 Women’s Basketball Standings

A-10 Overall

“We’re going to do what we’ve got to do to win”

The Yankees were able to outbid other teams interested in Tanaka, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, and Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Yankees have had success with signing Japanese players in the past in the forms of Hideki Matsui, current pitcher Hiroki Kuroda, and current outfielder Ichiro Suzuki.

The Yankees hope Tanaka will be another success story. According to Tanaka, his main reason for choosing the Yankees is that New York appreciated him the most out of all the potential teams interested.

“They gave me the highest evaluation and are a world-famous team,” Tanaka said at a news conference in Japan after he inked the deal with the Yankees. When asked about coming to New York and pitching in Yankee Stadium, Tanaka replied, “I don’t speak English, so I’ll just have to win the trust and confidence of the fans with my performance on the field.”

The 25-year-old pitcher will be pressured tremendously to succeed immediately; however, he knew exactly what to say to the anxious New York fans. When asked what his immediate goals are now that he will be wearing pinstripes, he replied without hesitation, “To become world champions.”

February 5, 2014

Week in review GARRETT MILEY ’15 Editor in Chief

on Feb. 6 on the road against St. Bonaventure.

Halil hits 1,000 Halil Kanacevic, senior forward for the men’s basketball team, scored his 1,000th career point on Jan. 29 in a road win over the Dayton Flyers. Kanacevic became the third member of the current team to reach the 1,000 point plateau, joining teammates Langston Galloway and Ronald Roberts, Jr. For the season, Kanacevic is averaging career highs in points (11.2 ppg), assists (4.4 apg), and rebounds (8.7 rpg).

Sports | 17

The Hawk

Men’s Track Led by their upperclassmen, the men’s cross country team competed at the Penn State National Invitational this weekend. Junior Matthew McGarvey won the 1,000m even, edging out 12 other competitors in an IC4A-qualifying 2:28.36.

Senior Griff Roberts finished second in the 500m with a personal record time 1:04.50, while fellow senior Aaron Leskow ran the 3k in a personal best 8:18.16 to qualify for his third event of the season. Junior Logan Mohn crossed the finish line in 18th-place in the mile, recording a time of 4:34.13.

Kanacevic wasalso named the Philadelphia Big 5 Co-Player of the Week for Feb. 3.

Women’s Track He shares the honor The women’s cross counwith James Bell of Viltry team competed at the lanova and marks the Penn State National Inthird time this season vitational this weekend, that Kanacevic earned succeeding in a variety of the Big 5 honor. The events. Senior standforward from Staten out Lizzy Barrett won Photo by Shannon Adams ’16 Island, N.Y. averaged 13.0 points, 8.5 the 1,000m, finishing with a time of rebounds, and 4.0 assists in the Hawks’ two victo2:57.04, and led the 4x800 relay team that qualified ries over Dayton and UMass. for the ECAC Championships to lead the Hawks.

Fellow senior Erin Giampietro put forth the top Women’s basketball performance for the Hawks with a third-place finThe Saint Joseph’s women’s basketball team had its ish in the 5k, finishing with a personal record time four-game win streak snapped by the Saint Louis of 17:36.35. The distance medley relay (DMR) Billikens on Jan. 29 at home in Michael J. Hagan team comprised of junior Taylor Oskowiak, senior ’85Arena. The Hawks lost by a final score of 69-65. Mercedes Yanora, sophomore Jenna DeAngelo, Guard Natasha Cloud and forward Sarah Fairand senior Emma Slattery finished in seventh with banks each recorded a double-double in the loss. a time of 12:16.30, while the 4x400 team comprised of freshmen Courtney Foster, Katie Koss, The team rebounded in their next Atlantic 10 bout Ashley Gerald, and senior Jaclyn Kogut took 15th against the VCU Rams. Hawks senior guard Erin place with a time of 3:57.82.

Shields had a season high 27 points as the Hawks avenged an early-season loss to the Rams with a 70-51 home victory. The Hawks are next in action

Eagles defensive needs TIM STOECKLE ’14 Hawk Staff Bill Davis joined the Philadelphia Eagles coaching staff as the defensive coordinator in 2013. The hiring of Davis didn’t make quite as big a splash as did the hiring of Chip Kelly as head coach; however, Davis played a major role in the Eagles turnaround season.

The Birds switched to a 3-4 scheme and saw dramatic improvement on the defensive side of the ball as the season progressed.

Now, in the offseason, there are multiple needs that Philadelphia must address through the draft and free agency.

Safety The top priority for the Eagles in free agency should be signing a safety – more specifically, Jairus Byrd from the Buffalo Bills. Other options in free agency include Donte Whitner, Antoine Bethea, and Chris Clemons. Any of these players would be an improvement over Patrick Chung and Nate Allen. However, if the Eagles want to save some money, they could use their first round pick on HaSean Clinton-Dix from Alabama or Calvin Pryor from Louisville if they are still on the board.

Cornerback The Eagles secondary is where they may need the most improvement. Bradley Fletcher did a good job at corner, but if the Eagles can sign a player like Antoine Cason or Alterraun Verner, that would be an upgrade opposite of Cary Williams. There will also likely be a solid cornerback available to the Eagles in the first round of the NFL draft if they choose to go that route. Justin Gilbert (Oklahoma State), Jason Verrett (TCU), Louchiez Purifoy (Florida), and Darqueze Dennard (Michigan State) are all very reliable options in the first round.

Outside Linebacker This team is in need of an outside pass rusher who can get to the quarterback in their 3-4 defense. The only free agent who stands out is Brian Orakpo, but he may be too expensive. In the draft, Ryan Shazier from Ohio State could be a good pick. However, a player to watch is Kyle Van Noy from Brigham Young who is an explosive playmaker and could instantly become a fan-favorite in Philadelphia. If he’s available at the 22nd nd pick, and Clinton-Dix and Lewan are not, then Van Noy would be the best selection.

Jesuit showdown

Saint Louis comes to Hawk Hill NATE VANCIL ’16 Assistant Sports Editor Saint Joseph’s University Hawks (15-6, 5-2), vs. Saint Louis University Billikens (20-2, 7-0) When: Wednesday, Feb. 5, 7 p.m.

Where: Michael J. Hagan ’85 Arena (The Comcast Network, CBS Sports Radio 610 (WIP-AM)) RPI: St. Joe’s 55, St. Louis 21 The Hawks, coming off a big win against No. 19 UMass, are looking continue the trend against the Atlantic 10 leading Billikens of Saint Louis at Michael J. Hagan ’85 Arena in Philadelphia.

Getting to know the Billikens The Saint Louis Billikens have been on fire lately, winning 14 games in a row and posting a 20-2 record on the season.

With the Billikens’ only two losses this year coming to top-15 ranked teams in Wisconsin and Wichita State, they are a serious force to be reckoned with. Saint Louis is also undefeated in Atlantic 10 play this season, going unbeaten in their seven games against conference opponents.

Leading the charge for the Billikens lately is senior guard Jordair Jett, who just won A-10 Player of the Week honors this week for the second time this season. In games against Richmond and George Mason last week, Jett averaged 19.5 ppg and led

the Billikens to back-to-back victories.

Against the Spiders of Richmond, Jett posted 21 points and 10 rebounds to record his second consecutive double-double. In the following game, an overtime thriller against George Mason, the senior guard put up 18 points and came through in the clutch late in the game to help his team pull out a tough win.

Although Jett has been stealing the spotlight the past couple of weeks, senior forward Dwayne Evans has been the other consistent offensive powerhouse for the Billikens this year. Averaging 15 ppg, 6.5 rpg, and shooting 50 percent from the field and 76 percent from the free-throw line, Evans has been consistent in every facet of the game for Saint Louis this year.

The Billikens, with Evans and Jett as two contrasting and equally effective options on offense, are efficient in scoring points even if one of the players is having an offnight or being shut down by a dominant defender or consistent double-team.

Another fascinating aspect of the Billikens is their ability to facilitate the ball and distribute the scoring among a variety of players. Five players on Saint Louis are averaging over nine points per game, and four players are averaging two or more assists per game, including Jordair Jett, who is averaging 4.8 assists per game.

Keys to winning the game: The Unforgiving Charity Stripe Three of the Hawks’ starters, Halil

Kanacevic, DeAndre Bembry, and Ron- from the field and 33 percent from threeald Roberts, Jr., are doing relatively well point range. If the Hawks continue to in getting to the free-throw line this make every offensive possession count year; all three rank in the top 500 in the and take good shots, they have the ability nation in FT Rate. Unfortunately for to play efficient offense against the BillikSt. Joe’s, these are the team’s three worst ens and stay ahead throughout the game free-throw shooters on the squad at 55 and close it out in the end. percent, 56 percent, and 63 percent, reHalil Kanacevic spectively. Regardless of the fact that the The way Kanacevic has been playing Hawks get to the line frequently, shoot- lately, it is no wonder that the Hawks have ing 62.8 percent from the charity stripe been running their offensive through him on the year, which is last this season. He’s in the A-10, is not going to leading the team in cut it against tough teams rebounds with 8.7 at the end of big games. and assists with 4.4, On the other hand, Saint and is also third on Louis is shooting 71.5 the team in points percent from the charity with 11.2 per game. stripe, which is acceptable Over the last three for second in the A-10 in games, Kanacevic free-throw percentage. If is averaging 15.5 the Hawks want to be able points and 12 reto close out a tight game in bounds; including the end against Saint Louan impressive peris, they are going to have formance against to improve their shooting Richmond where from the charity stripe. he posted 21 points Efficient Offensive Posand 19 boards. If St. sessions Joe’s wants to pull One thing that the out a win against Hawks have the Billikens Saint Louis, KanacePhoto by Ben Lackey ’15 beat in is shooting percentage. vic is going to need to St. Joe’s is shooting 47 percent from the keep up his dominant play and get the floor and 39.5 percent from beyond the other Hawks involved in the offensive arc, compared to St. Louis’ 43.9 percent game.

18| Sports

February 5, 2014

The Hawk

The Hawk’s Great Win ALEXANDER HOUPERT ’15 Hawk Staff A team. A team, and its fans. A team, its fans, one damn loud arena, and one flapping Hawk. And one more ‘W’ in the win column.

Saturday night, at the Michael J. Hagan ’85 Arena, the Hawk’s 73-68 win over No. 19 UMass was a game blessed with a thrilling script – a dramatic ebb and flow of action that piqued the emotions of each and every attendee. The game was simply fantastic.

Rarely have the old floorboards shaken with such seismographic force. When the historic 2003-2004 undefeated team was honored during halftime, the student section seemed to roar and romp again with the old ghosts of the Fieldhouse; a resurrected ectoplasmic army donned in gossamer garb of crimson and grey joined us there shouting in the bleachers. As menacing as ever, the Saint Joseph’s student section (also known as “The Hawk’s Nest,” the “54th Airborne Division,” call us what you will) rose magnificently to the moment, and ferociously echoed ‘THE HAWK WILL NEVER DIE” to the rafters all night long. Every voice seemed doubled, and as the student section thundered and thoroughly spooked the Minutemen into a fright, the excitement of the basketball game reached a booming decibel. The players would not lose this game. Not on this night.

Saturday night was a night that should be long-treasured. The boys gave us what was perhaps the most thrilling home win of the season; all the better against our quasi-bitter rivals, the University of Massachusetts Minutemen. The two teams certainly do not like one another, and to secure a win in the rematch was sweet

revenge for St. Joe’s.

Camped in the left corner of the student section was a boisterous militia of UMass faithfuls; as the Minutemen crawled back from a 16-point deficit, ultimately to tie the game on a free-throw by Chaz Williams with 39 seconds to play, each “YEAH!” and “LET’S GO!” made me more anxious. I couldn’t shake the feeling of being haunted by the 66-62 loss on Jan. 8, when Saint Joseph’s dropped one on the road to UMass in Amherst. The Hawks lost the game in classic “lost-it-late” fashion. Suddenly, it seemed that the old ghosts had turned— they had started to haunt St. Joe’s, and Hagan went dead-quiet.

But ghosts have a funny nature. Ever seen Casper the Friendly Ghost? Not all ghosts are tormentors, and not all ghosts are reaping phantoms; some ghosts have wisdom, and some shades are benevolent. Glancing towards the rafters, I looked upon the banner with Jameer Nelson’s retired number, and hushed a quick prayer to the ghosts, a breath of a plea, “Hold on boys, c’mon, not again, hold on lads!”

With each tick of the clock, the student section’s sound swelled like an orchestrated crescendo, sonically deafening. Each passing second, the boom blast of Fox’s Drum and the cries of ‘The Hawk Will Never Die” appeased the old ghosts, who cheered alongside all the living. The desperate Minutemen had to foul.

After five clutch free-throws in the final half-minute, the game was over. A glorious, thrilling St. Joe’s win. We all jumped, I fist-pumped the electric air, and the stragglers and the faithful still stood and sang the hosanna: “Glory, Glory, What A Helluva Way To Fly.” Games like this remind us of the beautiful religion.

Looking Forward — With two more games remaining in “The Rough Stretch,” St. Joe’s braces itself for a fierce contest on Wednesday with the highly talented Saint Louis Billikens, who find themselves ranked No. 13 nationally.

Another dramatic win at home is certainly possible, but only if the student section shows up in peak form. I implore you all: buy your tickets. Be there. Believe in these Hawks. Believe in this beautiful religion.

Illustration by Alexander Houpert ’15

NBA halftime report JAY WADYKA ’16 Special to the Hawk As the NBA season reaches its midpoint, it is safe to say that the 2013-2014 season will be a memorable one. Even though the Miami Heat entered the season as the two-time defending champions, many believe the Indiana Pacers, who took the Heat to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals last year, should be the favorites in the East.

The Pacers have not disappointed this year; they have the league’s best winning percentage at .791 percent and hold opponents to the fewest points per game at 90.2. The Pacers have benefitted greatly from the emergence of guard Paul George as an MVP candidate. The tenth pick of the 2010 draft out of Fresno State, George has steadily improved every year in the league. He is averaging 23.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game and is an essential part of Frank Vogel’s defense.

Despite the success of the Heat and Pacers, the Eastern Conference is filled with teams that have not lived up to their preseason hype. Coming off their best year since the days of Patrick Ewing, the New York Knicks have proved to be the biggest disappointment in the NBA. The Knicks are 17-27 and are 10th in the Eastern

Conference.

The hometown 76ers have, as expected, been one of the worst teams in the league. The Sixers have a 14-30 record and allow opponents to score the most points of any team in the league – 109.5 points per game. Despite the poor showing, this season has not been entirely negative for Philadelphia. Guard Michael Carter-Williams may be the lesser known of the Sixers’ two first round picks, but he is making a very compelling case for rookie of the year. Carter-Williams is averaging 17.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game, and nearly had a quadruple-double in his debut. After being drafted 6th overall, center Nerlens Noel is not playing this year due to injury.

This year’s Western Conference is, without a doubt, one of the most competitive in NBA history. The last two Western Conference champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Seattle Spurs, are first and second in the conference, respectively. The Thunder’s forward, Kevin Durant, has looked like a man on a mission thus far and is scoring at a high rate. Durant is averaging a league best 31.1 points per game, complemented by a 50.8% field goal percentage. If these numbers hold up, Durant would be the first player since Michael Jordan in the 1991-1992 season to average 30 points and shoot

50% from the field.

The biggest surprise in the league, besides Knicks guard J.R. Smith untying his opponent’s shoelaces, is the Portland Trail Blazers. The Trail Blazers are 3312 and are third in the West. Over the years, the Portland Trail Blazers franchise has been synonymous with failure, poor drafting, and bad luck. Their list of shortcomings include drafting Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan in the 1984 draft and selecting Greg Oden first overall in the 2007 draft. However, this year marks a new chapter in the Blazers’ history. They lead the league in scoring and rebounding at 109 and 46.7, respectively, and have seen the emergence of last year’s rookie of the year, guard Damian Lillard, who has become a perfect complement to forward LaMarcus Aldridge. Aldridge is having a career year and is averaging 24.3 points and 11.5 rebounds per game, and along with emerging young players such as Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum, the Blazers are a serious threat in the Western Conference.

With an abundance of compelling possibilities, the conclusion of this season will be one that you won’t want to miss.

February 5, 2014

The Hawk

Sports | 19

This week in Hawk Athletics...

SJU Men’s Basketball vs. Saint Louis

Wednesday, February 5th at 7:00 pm - Hagan Arena

SJU Men’s Basketball vs. VCU Saturday, February 8th at 8:00 pm - Hagan Arena

SJU Women’s Basketball vs. La Salle Wednesday, February 12th at 7:00 pm - Hagan Arena

Follow us at:

@SJU Hawks facebook.com/saintjosephshawks instagram.com/thwnd youtube.com/saintjosephshawks The Hawk Will Never Die #THWND

20 | Sports

February 5, 2014

The Hawk

Little Giants:

Erin and Renie Shields play bigger games than their stature C.J. DEMILLE ’16 Sports Editor

Cindy Griffin knew exactly what she was getting in senior Erin Shields.

“Any time you can get a kid that you know exactly what you’re getting every day, that’s what you want in your gym,” said Griffin. “You know you’re going to get a great practice player, a kid that wants to be in the gym, that’s a gym rat, a kid that can shoot the ball.”

The five-foot, sixinch guard out of Archbishop Carroll is Philly throughand-through. After earning Philadelphia Catholic League and Pennsylvania Class 3A Player of the Year honors in high school, some may wonder why Shields would stay close to home at Saint Joseph’s University.

But for Shields, Hawk Hill is home.

“I grew up loving St. Joe’s, because of my mom,” said Shields.

Shield’s mother, Renie Shields, ’82, is the associate athletic director for varsity programs, senior women’s administraPhoto courtesy of Saint Joseph’s Athletics tor, and director of compliance. Before Renie Shields took up office in Barry Hall, Renie Dunne dominated the Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse as a four-year starter, a three-time All-Big 5 honoree, and Big 5 MVP during her junior campaign.

Renie graduated from West Catholic High School and decided to stay close to home and attend Saint Joseph’s University because of the atmosphere on campus. Twenty-eight years later, Erin came for the same reason.

“I think the family atmosphere really helped seal my decision,” said Shields.

Some players would have wilted under the pressure of having a Big 5 Hall-of-Famer for a mother, but not Shields.

“You come here and the only thing people know about you is that you’re Renie’s daughter,” said Shields. “It was cool because everybody knows my mom, but sometimes you feel like you need to be good because of that, but I feel like after the first two months, you’re your own person.”

Shields came in as a highly touted recruit and had an immediate impact on the court. She played in all 32 games, making 26 starts, and in her freshman season earned a spot on the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team. Shields was also eighth in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage at 39 percent.

“Erin’s the best shooter I’ve ever seen. She is really, really a great shooter.” said Griffin, “There’s always room for shooters, and she’s made herself into a versatile player, playing the point, being more of an all-around type of player.”

Shields garnered the Atlantic-10 and Big 5 Most Improved Player in 2013 after a stellar season in which she led St. Joe’s in 3-pointers and set the school record for freethrow percentage in a single-season.

Despite the individual accolades, Shield’s favorite moment as a Hawk is the same as her mother’s.

“I think [winning the A-10] was the best feeling,” said Shields. “It’s a culmination of all the work you put in and believing that you can win it. All season you have ups and downs, that’s what a season is, but to peak at the right time is awesome. The feeling representing St. Joe’s is just awesome.”

Erin and Renie also share a home court. “[Ciara Andrews] always jokes, ‘Your mom got a front row seat,” said Shields.

Renie has spent the last 20 seasons as a color commentator for radio broadcasts of Hawk home games. Many parents need to compartmentalize, and Renie is no exception.

“When I sit there and do the game, I do the game. I see Erin as a player,” said Renie. “I try to keep my roles separate.” “[Erin] raised a culture of a work ethic,” said Griffin. “She didn’t get this way because of natural talent. She got this way because she worked hard. That’s something other players can model themselves after.”

Shields has always been a hard worker and tough player.

“I remember being 10 years old and my parents didn’t care if I scored…as long as I played my hardest,” said Shields.

All the hard work has paid off. The Hawks are 17-6 and have already claimed the Big 5 title. Shields leads the team in scoring with 16 points and over three assists a game, and every time Shields takes the floor at Michael J. Hagan ’85 Arena for tip-off, Renie is sitting on the sidelines.

“Sometimes I do look at her,” said Shields. “I don’t look at the stands very often, but the only person I would look at is my mom. I would just say, lucky is what I feel.”

Photo by Shannon Adams ’16

Sweet revenge

Hawks outlast the Minutemen GARRETT MILEY ’15 Editor in Chief Senior forward Halil Kanacevic was the game-changer for the Hawks, leading the team with 18 points and five assists, on their way to a 73-68 upset over No. 19 ranked Massachusetts.

After the game, St. Joe’s head coach Phil Martelli commented on the uniqueness abilities that a player like Kanacevic brings to the offensive flow.

“It’s somewhat, to be honest with you, it’s somewhat bizarre,” Martelli said. “We’re throwing the ball to a 240 pound player and hoping that he can make a play, when guards are supposed to make those plays.”

While Kanacevic held the Hawks together, it was once again the balance on offense that propelled St. Joe’s to victory. The Hawks had four players in double figures and shot 46.2 percent from behind the arc.

The Minutemen started the game off strong on the road, taking an early 8-5 lead just five minutes into the game, but the Hawks began to pick it up and took over the first half of play and built their largest lead of the game, 17. A 3-pointer by DeAndre Bembry would tie the game back up at eight, and the Hawks wouldn’t fall behind again all evening.

St. Joe’s went on a 36-17 run to finish out the half and

take the first period by a score of 41-25 thanks to Bembry, as well as senior forwards Ronald Roberts, Jr. and Kanacevic, who ended the first half with 12, 10, and eight points, respectively.

Despite the strong performances from the trio of forwards, Martelli wasn’t pleased with his team’s offensive performance in the win.

“I’m concerned about offense,” he said. “This is the fourth game in a row where we’ve struggled offensively, and we’ve gotta get back to being crisp and sharp. That was neither crisp, nor sharp.”

UMass came out in the second half, playing much better basketball, opening up with an 8-3 run to cut the lead to just eleven points.

“I thought we played great basketball for 20 minutes of a 40-minute game, and probably the worst half of basketball we could play in the first half,” UMass head coach Derek Kellogg said. “From missed layups, to just not a lot of energy, to different things that you just can’t win on the road (doing).”

Senior Chaz Williams, a former teammate of Kanacevic at Hofstra when the two were freshmen, struggled for most of the night. He finished with 16 points on 4-7 shooting, after a strong second half of play. Williams did manage to dish out 10 assists to round out his performance.

Derrick Gordon and Cady Lalanne provided the bulk of Massachusetts’ offensive output, combining for 33 of the

team’s points on 1519 shooting. Gordon led all scorers with 21 points in the loss.

Foul trouble was an issue for both teams all night long, with 17 fouls called in just the first half of play and 45 whistles for the entire game. St. Joe’s finished 24-38 on free throws Photo by Ben Lackey ’15 in contrast to the Minutemen, who made just 9 on 28 attempts.

“I think it got away from them,” Martelli said of the officiating. “They had to keep going, the fifth foul on DeAndre Bembry was a joke. You’re not going to get that call anywhere in America.

“We both dealt with it, but it certainly made it choppy in the second half.”

The Hawks have two big games coming up against Saint Louis and Virginia Commonwealth at home. They take on the Billikens on Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. before facing the Rams at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8 at Michael J. Hagan ’85 Arena.