Post Crossing opens for students
Pharmacy students honored at 2024 White Coat Ceremony
The Philadelphia College of Pharmacy (PCP) held its annual White Coat Ceremony for the doctor of pharmacy Class of 2028 Sept. 28 in the Athletic/Recreation Center (ARC) at the University City campus.
Eighty students received their white coats and pins from PCP faculty, after which they recited the Oath of a Pharmacist.
Chichi Ilonzo Momah, PharmD, founder and CEO of Springfield Pharmacy & Medical Supply and keynote speaker at the event, said the white coat symbolizes students’ resolve to become pharmacists. Momah opened Springfield Pharmacy, which provides personalized services, medications and vaccinations, in 2012.
“The white coat, for me, is a symbol of dedication, discipline and determination,” Momah said. “You’re making a commitment to be part of this profession.”
Momah, who graduated from Temple University in 2006, said her advice to the Class of 2028 is for them “to stay the course, hard work, be open to learn.”
Among those staying the course is Maya Ahmed ’26, PharmD ’28, who said the white coat reminds her of why she is in the program and lets her know that her efforts have been worth it.
“At the end of the day, if I work hard for my goals, that’s what really matters,” Ahmed said. “Even if I struggle now, it’ll all be worth it in the end.”
Rehab Abouseada, Ahmed’s mother, said Ahmed wanted to be a pharmacist since she was in the fifth grade.
“She loves this career, and she wanted to be a pharmacist to help people,” Abouseada said. “Since she was a child, she wanted to create something to cure cancer.”
teach safety practices
awareness on how to react in stressful situations, according to Allen York, Public Safety certified security officer.
The Office of Public Safety & Security (OPSS) is implementing a new response training program, ALICE, to educate St. Joe’s students, faculty and staff members about how to respond to critical situations with five steps: alert, lockdown, inform, counter and evacuate.
The ALICE program is designed to teach the safest courses of action during a crisis situation, expanding upon the university’s current “run, hide, fight” active shooter protocol, said Public Safety Lieutenant Nicole Smith. ALICE involves interactive training sessions and role-playing scenarios to help members of the St. Joe’s community practice protecting themselves.
Smith said the main idea of the ALICE training is to give trainees the tools for evaluating a critical situation to help themselves and others.
“You only have a split second to make a choice, and that split second can either be lifesaving or fatal,” Smith said. “At the end of the day, the first and most important person is you. If you cannot save yourself, how can you save others?”
ALICE training began in 2000 as a school security training company. Now a part of Navigate360, an organization that develops safety and wellness preparations centered around active shooter preparedness, ALICE is used in over 6,000 schools across the county, providing training and preparation for active shooter events.
Implementing a new crisis response training program can also help raise
“Some people [have] never heard a gunshot before. Some people [have] never been in a stressful situation,” York said. “By reenacting some of these things, when the time does arise, they won’t freeze.”
David Finnie, assistant vice president of Public Safety, said it is important for everyone in the St. Joe’s community to attend training sessions like ALICE because “public safety is everybody’s responsibility.”
“It was a university goal last year to revise or have a brand new emergency operations plan for the university, and I really believe that’s what kicked us off,” Finnie said. “In support of ensuring that we have a safe campus, the ALICE program complements that because we wanted to ensure that community members had the necessary tools and skills to help themselves in an active shooter incident.”
Milton O’Brien ’25, president of the University Student Senate, said the ALICE training will be beneficial for St. Joe’s community members, and reflects what Student Senate has asked Public Safety in regards to crisis training.
“I think Public Safety is taking the right step on making sure that these type of programs are available to the students,” O’Brien said. “I’m really, really happy to see Vice President Finnie and the new Director [of Public Safety Brandon] Pasquale are taking this direction and making sure that our community is informed.”
Public Safety plans to hold ALICE training sessions throughout the semester, Finnie said.
The Student Newspaper of Saint Joseph’s University
Anastasia Kunicka ’28 examines why women are choosing the bear over the man.
Students cross underneath City Avenue from the Lower Merion side of St. Joe’s Hawk Hill campus to its Philadelphia side through Post Crossing, Sept. 30. PHOTO: MADELINE WILLIAMS ’26/THE HAWK
ALEX ANDAHAZY ’25 News Reporter
LIV BIELAWSKI ’27 News Reporter
‘This event allows students to know that they are special’
“WHITE COAT” FROM PG. 1
Similarly, Andrew Mizgerd ’26, PharmD ’28, said he chose pharmacy because it allowed him to help people without being in the spotlight.
“I like pharmacy because it’s a very low-key, background field,” Mizgerd said. “Not many people realize how much work a pharmacist puts in. I like that aspect of getting to help people, but not getting as much recognition, because it’s not about the recognition.”
Danea Ellison ’26, PharmD ’28, said the ceremony felt like everything coming together after a difficult two years.
“The white coat just screams ‘doctor,’” Ellison said. “Walking into the ceremony, I was tearing up a little because I didn’t even think I’d make it here today.”
Dean of PCP Edward Foote, PharmD, said the white coat ceremony sets students up for the next phase of their education.
“This event allows students to know that they are special, they’re different as they enter this new phase,” Foote said. “Prior to the white coats, they’re students, and now they’re student pharmacists. It’s really to get them excited and passionate about all the training and the work that’s in front of them.”
Department of Public Safety reports (Sept. 21-Sept. 27)
Sept. 21
Public Safety notified of a liquor law violation at Villiger Residence Center. Incident was investigated. Community Standards was notified.
Public Safety notified of a liquor law violation at Sourin Residence Center. Incident was investigated. Community Standards was notified.
Sept. 22
Public Safety notified of a liquor law violation at Villiger Residence Center. Incident was investigated. Community Standards was notified.
Sept. 23
Public Safety notified of a minor disturbance at Ashwood Apartments. Incident under investigation.
Sept. 24
No incidents to report.
Sept. 25
No incidents to report.
Sept. 26
No incidents to report.
Sept. 27
Public Safety notified of a liquor law violation at Lannon Hall. Incident was investigated. Community Standards was notified.
GRAPHIC: STEPHANIE SAVELA ’25/THE HAWK
COMPILED BY: ALEX ANDAHAZY ’25/THE HAWK AND LIV BIELAWSKI ’27/THE HAWK
Danea Ellison ’26, PharmD ’28, stands with her parents Derrick Ellison (left) and Javona Soares (right) after the White Coat Ceremony for the doctor
HAWK
Editorial: New underpass connects campus
Community unites in care for others
Members of the St. Joe’s community gathered at the Chapel of St. Joseph for the Mass of the Holy Spirit Sept. 26. The mass came near the end of an emotional week, after a St. Joe’s student was struck by a car Sept. 23. After another parent set up a GoFundMe to raise money for medical bills and other expenses for the Hollister family, the student’s mother thanked the St. Joe’s community for their prayers, generosity and support. This outpouring of support is precisely what the Mass of the Holy Spirit celebrates, bringing together members of the St. Joe’s community, paying homage to the university’s history and celebrating its evolution into a more diverse and advanced center of learning.
Last year’s mass doubled as the beginning of the inauguration of the
university’s first woman president, Cheryl McConnell, Ph.D. This year, the Mass of the Holy Spirit marked the opening of Post Crossing, the underpass connecting both sides of the Hawk Hill campus, two years after construction began in July 2022.
For seniors, the grand opening ushers in an even more scenic campus than the one they entered years ago. For juniors and sophomores, it concludes a massive undertaking that has been present their entire time at St. Joe’s. For first-year students, it brings St. Joe’s one step closer to the campus they were promised as they made their college decision this past year. Now, every member of the St. Joe’s community can admire the architectural beauty of the new campus fixture and take advantage of the practical benefits it confers.
But for the entire St. Joe’s community, the opening of Post Crossing means something more. It marks the culmination of years of sacrifice from everyone — from the university’s financial investment to the construction crew’s tireless efforts to the students’ forfeiture of Villiger Lawn. This underpass is a reminder of what is possible through the collective will of the entire community. On a day of annual celebration, during a week that offered a sobering reminder of why this project was a necessary investment, the opening of Post Crossing was a poignant example of a community coming together. And that, more than any benefit that comes from the existence of the underpass, makes the investment well worth it.
Political violence and polarization The real threats to democracy
With the 2024 election approaching, the United States is entering one of its most politically divided eras in recent history. Political polarization has continued to increase over time, with both Democrats and Republicans shifting away from the ideological center. Consequently, political violence and extremism have risen as well. Weeks ago, former President and current presidential candidate Donald Trump faced a second apparent assassination attempt, calling into question the extremity of our current political sphere.
Parties today have become a form of tribalism intertwined with individual identities, creating partisan animosity. This has altered the perception of opposing parties from “left versus right” to “good versus evil,” and when people see their political opponents as enemies, violence is more likely to occur. Our leaders have the
power to incite division and enmity with their rhetoric, and when campaigns are run on labeling the opposing party as an existential threat, people will inevitably feel victimized by this perceived loss of rights and democracy.
These attitudes create an environment where violence is almost morally acceptable — if everything important to someone’s country and rights depends on defeating the opposing party, anything, including violence, becomes easier to justify. And while there are many variables that influence the complexity of political violence, there is one urgent component within college students’ control to address as the next generation of voters: our rhetoric.
Navigating political conversations in an era of polarization is challenging, but there are opportunities to prevent fueling the fire. First and foremost, we can become more involved by researching policies beyond a social media post, approaching opposing ideas with an open mind and, most importantly, voting. To keep democracy alive, its most basic principles must be
re-established and normalized. Instead of playing into “cancel culture” and harvesting animosity toward those with different opinions, we should revitalize respectful, bipartisan discourse.
Tolerance can exist simultaneously with the condemnation of political violence and extremism. We can find a balance between holding passionate beliefs and having civil, productive disagreements. At the end of the day, democracy is in the hands of the people, not the political violence that ensues.
Why ‘person’ is actually plural Understanding our relational existence
SAHR KARIMU ’26 Photographer
I am not me without you, and you are not you without me. You and I are intertwined within a fundamentally relational existence. THAT is what it means to be a person. While I have pondered this concept independently, I started crying tears of joy when my professor recently expressed it formally in my theology class, Encountering the New Testament.
My professor told us about the etymology of the word, “person.” It is derived from the Greek word “prosōpon,” which can be defined as “face” or “mask,” in reference to the character masks worn by classical theater actors. This tells us that a person is a relational concept. One does not wear a mask in isolation from others. One’s mask is for others to gaze upon. In the theological sense, the word “prosōpon” describes the idea of the divine being turned toward mankind. It speaks to how God looks at us. More importantly, though, it can also be used to express the
“encounter of each of us … face to face.” These “face to face” encounters demand from us a relational consideration in our each and every action, and in our each and every word. Jesus’ concept of “love your neighbor” speaks directly to this.
To love our neighbor fully, we must consider our relational existence with one other. This consideration requires us to understand that we are each in our own miniature universe with sorrows, joys, frustrations, jubilees, disappointments and dreams.
To “love your neighbor” is to love your neighbor in spite of anything and everything. I am not saying this is easy or simple. Despite my aspirations to become more Christ-like, I struggle with this. The world can be an ugly place. But, it is only through a constant battle with myself that I will learn to love like Jesus does, and seeing others in the relational sense is an imperative first step toward achieving this. I choose to take these steps, to extend my vision to see others from a place of love.
MCKENNA GRAHAM ’27 Guest Columnist
GRAPHIC: CARA HALLIGAN ’25/THE HAWK
GRAPHIC: CARA HALLIGAN ’25/THE HAWK
Pro-birth vs. pro-life: Conservatives are disregarding circumstances
CAROLINE TRIMBLE ’26
Hawk Columnist
Although Project 2025 hails the overturning of Roe v.Wade as “the greatest profamily win in a generation,” this is only the beginning of the conservative agenda to rid the nation of abortion access. According to Project 2025, the next conservative president elected must coordinate with Congress to “enact the most robust protections for the unborn.”
These so-called “protections” infringe on a woman’s right to privacy. One problematic reform proposed by Project
2025 is against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s current “abortion surveillance and maternity mortality reporting systems.” Project 2025 urges the Department of Health and Human Services to collect the following data on abortion: how many abortions are performed within a state’s borders, the gestational age of the terminated pregnancy, the woman’s state of residence and the reason for and method of abortion. The policy mandate also calls for this data to be categorized by how a pregnancy ends, including “spontaneous miscarriage; treatments that incidentally result in the death of a child (such as chemotherapy); stillbirths; and induced abortion.”
Project 2025 is littered with misinformation surrounding the mortality rates associated with abortion procedures, like taking specialized pills. While Project 2025 is correct that mifepristone, a drug that blocks a hormone necessary for pregnancy, has been associated with 26 deaths since its approval over 20 years ago, this is nowhere near the number of deaths from illegal abortions prior to the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. In fact, there were 119 deaths from induced abortions in 1963, 99 deaths in 1965 and 39 deaths in 1972, numbers which dropped significantly after the Roe v. Wade decision. Each of these numbers is from one individual
year, making 26 deaths across more than 20 years an ineffective argument for banning mifepristone.
The abortion reforms put forth by Project 2025 are disturbing efforts from conservatives to control women and their decisions. The reforms are made under the guise of protecting life, but they do just the opposite. If conservatives were really “pro-life,” they would not disregard why women choose abortion over protecting an embryo. That is probirth, not pro-life.
What is fracking, and why does it matter for the election?
Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is a term that has been gaining national attention since the presidential debate Sept. 10, but many Americans are unfamiliar with what exactly it is. Fracking is a drilling system used to extract gas and oil from shale rocks using water, sand and a mixture of chemicals. There are concerns these chemicals, which are often unknown to those beyond the government and fracking companies, are leading to mass contamination of groundwater that people consume.
Pennsylvania is the second-largest
natural gas producer in the nation. It is also one of the key swing states in the upcoming presidential election, so all eyes are on major policy issues important to voters in the commonwealth. fortyfour percent of Pennsylvanians support fracking, 40% oppose it and 16% are unsure of their views.
As of July 2024, there are approximately 220,175 drilled and proposed wells in Pennsylvania. Studies have shown that fracking has helped reduce energy costs and provide more jobs, but there are still concerns about unknown chemicals causing harm. Health effects include a higher likelihood of leukemia in children living near wells, lung diseases among workers from inhalation of sand particles and increased preterm births due to
The bear or the man?
contaminated drinking water. Recently, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro implemented a policy requiring fracking companies to disclose the chemicals they use, but this did not include chemicals consideredproprietaryor“tradesecrets.”
Because the Sept. 10 presidential debate was held in the swing state of Pennsylvania, where fracking is a popular topic among voters, Vice President Kamala Harris had to outwardly oppose a complete ban on fracking in order to retain Pennsylvania votes. However, former President Trump criticized Harris for switching her position on fracking. In 2019, Harris said she would ban fracking andsupportedtheGreenNewDeal.
Both candidates’ focus on fracking as more of an industry issue rather than a
potential health problem ignores a major complication with fracking that needs to be addressed. Since many voters in swing states still support fracking, the candidates will continue to appeal to this group rather than addressing these implications.
Sexual assault is the nation’s problem, not a woman’s problem
“Groped.”
“Forced.”
“Touched.”
“Grabbed.”
“She probably deserved it.” This language is all too familiar to women.
In a country that preaches being safe, free, independent and equal, why is it that one in every four women has experienced attempted or completed rape? Why is it that over 430,000 Americans every year are sexually assaulted or raped, with 90% being women? And why do we always blame the women when they are?
When an online trend asked women to choose if they’d rather be stuck in the woods with “a bear or a man,” women often chose the bear. This is because one mantra women are fed regarding sexual assault consists of three of the most infuriating words: “To remain aware.”
To be a woman in the United States means always being “aware” of your surroundings. To be a woman in the United States means your case will probably be ignored if you choose to come forward. To be a woman in the United States means your assaulter could still be out there. At least a bear wouldn’t tell a woman to just “remain aware.”
It’s simple enough: being “aware” of your surroundings doesn’t do shit. You are always “aware,” but that doesn’t mean you are safe. And even if a woman is vigilant, is she permitted to talk about her assault? No. When we see a statistic on how many women are sexually assaulted each year, we ask ourselves why these women didn’t come forward. This is because society responds by telling them they deserved it. That the assault was somehow their fault because of how they looked or what they wore.
Sexual assault is not a woman’s shame to carry — it is our nation’s. The next time you see a poll that explains why many women prefer the bear over the man, take a second
and wonder why. There is no correct way in society to be a woman, but what we need to remember is how much stronger we are when we’re united. It’s time we stop teaching women to be vigilant and start teaching society to stop excusing violence.
Members of the St. Joe’s community seeking support are encouraged to contact the following resources:
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), 610-660-1090
Campus Ministry, 610-660-1030
The Office of Student Outreach & Support, 610-660-1149
The Jesuit community, 610-660-1400
Employee Assistance Program, 866799-2728
ANASTASIA KUNICKA ’28 Guest Columnist
GRAPHIC: STEPHANIE SAVELA ’25/THE HAWK
GRAPHIC: STEPHANIE SAVELA ’25/THE HAWK
GRAPHIC: STEPHANIE SAVELA 25/THE HAWK
TAYLOR STECH ’25 Columnist
South Africa Stories
Foster mother provides forever home
‘I take them as my own’
Features Editor
Vosloorus, South Africa — Khethiwe Mtshali’s home looks like any house filled with children: school portraits positioned on counters, My Little Pony toys atop the TV, well-adored teddy bears nestled on each of the three bunk beds in the house and a pink baby bottle in the middle of Mtshali’s own colorful bedspread.
But the children in Mtshali’s house arrived there because they were orphaned, abandoned or removed from their biological families. Mtshali is their foster mother. In addition to a biological adult son, who does not live in the home, Mtshali currently cares for four children — ages 2, 4, 8 and 18 — and will soon receive two more.
“The relationship is good,” said Mtshali as a group of children, her own and others from the neighborhood, crowded around her knees. “We are connecting. We respect each other.”
Mtshali is employed by LIV Thokomala, a community-based foster organization focused on providing vulnerable children with holistic family care. Under LIV Thokomala’s foster program, which is headquartered in Durban, children identified by various child welfare organizations are placed with foster mothers in one of the 11 homes LIV Thokomala operates throughout South Africa. Four are in townships just outside of Johannesburg.
Private foster homes are not uncommon in South Africa. There are over 300,000 children currently in foster care throughout the country. By comparison, in the U.S., there are about 400,000 children in foster settings despite having a population five times larger than South Africa.
LIV Thokomala differs from many South African foster organizations in its mission to
provide support for children past the age of 18, according to Natasha Saminathan, a social work supervisor for LIV Thokomala.
Under the South African Children’s Act, a child is considered an adult at 18. Once a child reaches this age, they are often asked to leave the foster care system. But LIV Thokomala operates differently.
“With LIV Thokomala, we don’t force a child to leave the home at 18,” Saminathan said. “We continue caring for them and try to get the child into a skills development program or some study program. When the child is ready to leave and able to care for themselves, then they leave. The goal is really to provide the child a forever home and meet all their basic needs.”
This ongoing support can be seen in Mtshali’s home, where Mtshali’s 18-year-old foster daughter receives guidance on applying for further education from Precious Maleka, a social worker at LIV Thokomala who is responsible for the four Johannesburg-area foster homes.
“I’ve already started the process of assisting her with the application so that she can further her studies when she completes grade 12,” Maleka said.
Mtshali’s foster daughter said Mtshali’s motherly love can be felt throughout their home. She wants to become a social worker after she graduates from high school.
LIV Thokomala also differs from many foster care organizations because it does not receive government funding. Rather, LIV Thokomala is self-sustainable, with the exception of government foster care grants given to the children that Mtshali collects for their care.
“Our founders of LIV are big on self sustainability, so they have opened up little business ventures where all of the profits come to supporting the children,” Saminathan said.
to vulnerable children
“We have second hand stores and coffee shops that try and generate an income every month.”
Additionally, LIV Thokomala requests funds from various companies and businesses. All funds, regardless of origin, are used to pay for clothing, bedding, school supplies, toiletries and other necessities.
LIV Thokomala’s focus has shifted over the years. When it was founded in 2002, the organization’s main priority was caring for children orphaned and affected by HIV/AIDS. Over the years, Saminathan said, the organization realized a broader crisis lies with abandoned and vulnerable children, even if they’re not afflicted with HIV/AIDS.
Saminathan said LIV Thokomala’s foster care system attempts to give these children a sense of normalcy.
“The children have regular lives,” Saminathan said. “They attend your local school, they shop in your local shopping centers, they use the local transport, like your buses and taxis, use the local library, everything, as we do in our own communities. That’s the life we try to create for the kids: as normal as possible.”
Stability also comes with consistency. Saminathan said the children live with their foster mothers 24/7, with the only exception being when a foster mother takes a day or weekend’s leave and a temporary relief mother is brought in.
“That model is basically an attempt to create stability within the home and to create the family setting that we want,” Saminathan said. “We want the child, when they come to LIV Thokomala, [to] feel like, ‘This is my home. This is a place that I belong. This is my foster mother. These are my foster siblings.’ Just so that, emotionally, they can feel secure and stable.”
In Mtshali’s home, this security and stability manifests in many forms. Mtshali
provides meals and attends to her foster childrens’ basic needs like clothing and shelter. But she also is a source of emotional support for her foster children.
“We share, we talk, if we have a problem,” Mtshali said. “They talk with me, I give that support.”
Still, this isn’t always simple as the foster children LIV Thokomala works with often have experienced trauma.
“You find children who are having problems,” Mtshali said. “They don’t want to talk sometimes. Before, their families were having problems, maybe they were neglecting them. It’s not easy to engage them. But when times go on, the social workers help us to get psychologists so that you will build relationships with your children.”
In addition to helping children find a “forever home,” LIV Thokomala actively supports family reunification when possible. Maleka said this consists of supervised family visits throughout the duration of foster care.
“If they want to be out there and go to their families, we don’t want to be the stumbling block for them,” Maleka said. “We will still support them until they are in a space where they can say, ‘I’m independent enough.’”
While reunification is a goal, Maleka said she wants the children to know they have a family with their foster mothers and siblings.
“We don’t want the children to lose contact with the family, but we also want them to grow up knowing that … they still have a family [with us],” Maleka said.
This familial love illuminates Mtshali’s face as she talks about the children who call her mom.
“I take them as my own children,” Mtshali said, scooping one of the children into her arms and cradling her on her lap. “I don’t see different.”
HANNAH PAJTIS ’26
Precious Maleka (left), a social worker at LIV Thokomala, and Khethiwe Mtshali (right), a foster mother, play a game outside the home where Mtshali currently cares for four children.
PHOTO: LILLI DELLHEIM, M.A. ’25
Family clothing business threads perseverance with community care
Anchorville, South Africa — When the Saloojee family opened their first men’s clothing store in 1972 in the mining town of Westonaria, about 30 miles from Johannesburg, they had to find a white man to put his name on the business documents.
Even though the store was their idea and they ran all aspects of it, under the apartheid laws of the time, the Saloojee family could not own a business. They had to find a “nominee” to legitimize their store, which they called Bambinos.
“Before we got our freedom to do business, you had to have a white face to do it,” Suliman Saloojee said. “You did all the hard work. You put your finances down. But you needed a white man to do that.”
Suliman Saloojee now heads Klevas and K-Star 7, a thriving family clothing business that aims to be the “trendiest clothing brand in South Africa,” according to its website. The business, which Saloojee launched in 2002, also recently acquired the license rights to Diadora, an Italian sportswear and footwear brand. Its headquarters, located in Anchorville, a suburb of Lenasia, a large apartheid-era township designated as Indian, includes a showroom, a warehouse and a distribution center.
The original store is still in the family, owned by Abdul Jalil Saloojee, one of Suliman Saloojee’s older brothers.
After apartheid laws were repealed in 1991 and democratic elections were held in 1994, Suliman Saloojee said Black South Africans like his family saw “drastic change.”
The name of the clothing line, Klevas, comes from a colloquial word commonly used to refer to a well-dressed street smart
person with a hint of a gangster aura. In the brand’s early days, it was these township men the company sought to dress with stylish but affordable clothing. The company has since aimed to include a younger demographic with K-Star 7, which launched in 2008. Both brands feature a line of men’s clothing, footwear and accessories, and are sold in stores around the country and online.
Suliman Saloojee said he learned a lot from his family’s first store in those early years, which was run by his parents and one of his older brothers, Jomo Saloojee.
“My mother played a very important role,” Suliman Saloojee said. “She was an entrepreneur of note. She taught me a lot about how to buy products, how to sell products. My brother … kept the family together in terms of payments. He taught me a lot in terms of management skills, how to look after your product, how to look after your customer.”
Two of the most important lessons Suliman Saloojee said he has learned as a Black entrepreneur in South Africa are perseverance and surrounding himself with talented people. He currently has eight employees on his development team, three in marketing and six in sales.
“The reason why I’m where I am today is because of my team,” Suliman Saloojee said. “I think you cannot grow on your own. To grow as a unit, everybody must be part of it. That’s important.”
Suliman Saloojee sees himself as the “creative” part of the team. He said he wakes up every day thinking of new ideas. He checks out what young people are wearing to try to keep up with the latest fashion trends. But he also relies on other members of his team with different talents to keep him in check.
Khalil Ebrahim Saloojee (left) and his father, Suliman Saloojee (right), outside their company headquarters in Anchorville. Each credits the other with different talents that help make the family business successful.
Marchant Pretorius, who has been with the company since its beginning and now manages the Diadora brand, said everyone who works for the business becomes like family.
PHOTOS: ZACH PODOLNICK ’26/THE HAWK
SHEKINAH DAVIS, M.A. ’24
Special to the Hawk
“KLEVAS” FROM OPPOSITE PAGE
“Whatever you want to do, you look at your strengths, you don’t look at your weaknesses,” Suliman Saloojee said. “And if you build on your strengths, and you get people around you, they can work on your weaknesses[and]youaregoingtosucceed.”
Suliman Saloojee also said a key to his company’s success is not only continually investing back into the business but also doingrightbythepeopleheworkswith.
“God can forgive you for everything, for anything you do,” Suliman Saloojee said. “But if you’re taking a chance with people’s money and integrity … make sure you pay everybody. That’s been the greatest success of my business, making surethatyoupaypeopleontime.”
Other family members have since joined the Saloojee brothers to help run the company, including Suliman Saloojee’s eldest son, Hamza Saloojee, who serves as chief financial officer, and his younger son, Khalil Ebrahim Saloojee, who works on the development team. Like Suliman and Jomo Saloojee, the next generation of brothers each contribute something differenttothecompany.
“I’m more of the financier and the planner,” Hamza Saloojee said. “Then, [my brother] and my dad are all about moving new fashion and new styling and newfabricsandnewcolors.”
The Saloojee sons are also learning from their elders. Hamza Saloojee credits his uncle and father for honing his businessacumen.
“I think the main thing that I’ve learned from them is composure, patience and how to be astute in terms of navigating your way through the business world,”
Hamza Saloojee said.
Though not related to the Saloojees, Marchant Pretorius has become family. Suliman Saloojee created an opportunity for Pretorius when he launched Klevas two decades ago, first employing him to do Information Technology work. Pretorius, who now serves as head of development and manages the Diadora brand for the company, referred to Suliman Saloojee as a “second dad.”
“Everybody who comes in is part of the family,” Pretorius said from a desk in a suite of offices filled with clothing samples. “That’s what we try and do … because if you work in family, it’s easier than working for a boss.”
Brighton Mhlongo, a Diadora brand ambassador and former goalkeeper for the national South African soccer team, said “family” is what draws him to promote the company as well.
“We’re just pushing one big family,” Mhlongo said.
For all of the Saloojees, an important aspect of their company’s philosophy is giving back to the community, whether that comes from donating clothes or food to the community, or taking a chance on new sellers who may not have the necessary capital to buy product when launching their businesses.
“When you give, God gives back, and I believe in that,” Suliman Saloojee said.
Jomo Saloojee echoed his brother.
“It’s not all about the money,” said Jomo Saloojee, seated in a conference room overlooking a vast warehouse filled with boxes of merchandise ready for distribution. “It’s about values.”
Classified by the apartheid government as Indian, Suliman Saloojee said his family
was involved in the anti-apartheid struggle, specifically with the African National Congress. Their awareness of racial and economic inequalities has guided Suliman Saloojee’s business practices and what he sees as the role of the family business.
“I think as entrepreneurs, we must think big,” Suliman Saloojee said. “We must have an understanding that we need to grow, we need to create employment, we need to create [jobs for] people to have a good, honest living.”
Suliman Saloojee, in the showroom of his clothing business, Klevas and K-Star 7, says his mother, father and older brother taught him lessons he now utilizes in running his own company. PHOTO: ZACH PODOLNICK ’26/THE HAWK
Racks of winter products hang in the Klevas and K-Star 7 showroom.
PHOTO: ANNA KALAFATIS ’22, M.A. ’24/THE HAWK
Reclaiming dignity
Nonprofit builds first camp for city’s waste pickers
Johannesburg, South Africa In the shadow of a multi-story office building, eight men emerge from a small wooden cabin at 4 a.m. each Monday through Thursday. They don reflective jumpsuits and head to the streets to gather discarded plastics, aluminum cans, paper and glass.
At the end of their workday, they will return to their camp in Parktown, a suburb on the northern end of Johannesburg, having collected just over one ton of recycled materials from residential and industrial garbage bins placed outside homes and businesses. On Fridays, the men sort their haul.
In South Africa, these men, known as “reclaimers” or “waste pickers,” are responsible for 80%-90% of recycling management in Johannesburg and across the country. They are not employed by municipalities, which are widely criticized for not adequately funding or prioritizing waste management, including recycling operations.
Instead, the reclaimers have organized themselves, said Sifiso Gumbi, a former reclaimer who oversees recycler relations for the nonprofit Urban Surfer South Africa.
“They’ve established their own informal system,” Gumbi said. “The guys have a network and a system of working that they established themselves.”
Gumbi founded Urban Surfer in 2019 to provide support to reclaimers and their families.
“Waste pickers are at the very bottom of the chain, but they play the most crucial role,” said Gumbi. “These people are self-employed, and they should be supported.”
Located along the busy M1 highway, the reclaimer camp where the eight men sleep and sort their recyclables is the first of its kind in South Africa, according to Gumbi. Construction of the cabin and surrounding wooden walling began April 10 and was completed April 29.
At one end of the camp, there is a solar-powered baler and stacking area, followed by designated stalls for each man
to sort what they collect. These stalls are filled with black heavy-duty polypropylene bags for each type of recyclable. At the other end of the camp is a camping stove, the cabin, an outdoor shower and a toilet.
“Before, we were out in an open space, and this helps,” said Kabelo, one of the men living in the camp who asked that only his first name be used. Kabelo has been a reclaimer for 10 years. By early afternoon one day in mid-June, his phone had logged over 25,000 steps.
There’s no official data on how many reclaimers there are in South Africa, but they can be seen everywhere, pushing carts piled high with waste along city and township streets. Many are unhoused or undocumented and have no other formal employment. Most reclaimers live unsheltered on the streets, “curled with the rats,” said Gumbi.
Urban Surfer guesses there are about 140,000 reclaimers in South Africa, each recycling about 24 tons per year.
Gumbi rattled off nicknames for each type of recyclable material as he showed visitors around the camp one afternoon.
“The most valued recycled material is aluminum,” Gumbi said, pointing to a black bag full of crushed cans. “This is gold. That’s why you won’t find as many cans laying around. Paper’s the least valuable, but paper is still valuable. You know why? Because recycling is a game of volume.”
Pat, who asked only to be identified by his first name, said he used to sleep under a bridge before the opening of the Parktown camp.
“Camp has improved our living conditions, and it brings back our dignity,” Pat said. “[We] need money to feed and support ourselves and support our loved ones. Covid-19 hit us so bad. Some of us lost our jobs, which was our main source of income.”
The unemployment rate in South Africa was 32.9% for the first quarter of 2024, according to a Statistics South Africa’s quarterly labor force survey.
Pat, like many other reclaimers, said
he resorted to waste reclaiming in order to provide for his family.
“It’s better than doing crime, so you find that a lot of people see it as the most attractive thing to do,” Gumbi said.
In addition to the camp, Urban Surfer also provides the men with GPS-tracking trolleys with their names on them, in an effort to personalize the identity of workers who are often ignored and dehumanized.
Two months after the camp opened, the eight men living in the reclaimer camp covered 373 miles, according to their trolleys. Gumbi said they have brought in an average of six to 10 tons of waste per week.
“Everything is data-driven,” said John Kullmann, who is in charge of Design and Development at Urban Surfers. “The more data we got, the more ammo that we have going forward.”
Urban Surfer plans to use its verifiable data to expand the development of sustainable reclaimer camps and continue to increase public knowledge and visibility around waste reclaimers, Kullmann said.
“What we are trying to do is create sustainable self-employment for reclaimers,” Kullmann said. “If we can double a reclaimer’s income, that is what our mission is at the moment.”
To help fund the camp, Urban Surfer partnered with Hollard Group, a privately-owned insurance and investment company that occupies the office building that sits on a hill above the camp, and Polyco, a nonprofit that promotes the use and reuse of plastic packaging by investing in organizations involved in recycling in South Africa.
“The partnership demonstrates the effectiveness of the Urban Surfer model, and creates a sustainable and dignified way for the reclaimers to earn an income,” wrote Kyle McWilliam, head of Group Shared Services at Hollard, in response to written questions from The Hawk.
One Parktown waste reclaimer named Masiza, who is from the Eastern Cape, about 518 miles south of Johannesburg, said the biggest benefit of recycling is the ability to support his family and save money to make it home for Christmas each year. Masiza has been a reclaimer for 18 years, 15 of them at Parktown.
“The industry has never let me down,” Masiza said through a translator.
This story was updated to include a response from Hollard Group
ANNA KALAFATIS ’22, M.A. ’24 Hawk Staff
Sifiso Gumbi (center), who founded the nonprofit Urban Surfer South Africa, stands with some of the men who live in the cabin Urban Surfer helped to build for them. PHOTOS: ZACH PODOLNICK ’26/THE HAWK
Kabelo, one of eight men who live in South Africa’s first-ever reclaimer camp, shows the space where he sorts his collection of recyclables.
Exhibition melds African American art and spirituality
‘The call here is for us to recognize those who are voiceless’
HANNAH PAJTIS ’26
Features Editor
The Frances M. Maguire Art Museum welcomed over 30 paintings, sculptures and other artistic works as part of the “Queens, Gods and Devotees” exhibition Sept. 26. The exhibition, featuring works from the Petrucci Family Foundation Collection of African American Art, was centered around the intersection of African American experiences and spirituality.
“Queens, Gods and Devotees” was curated by Susanna Gold, Ph.D., a Philadelphia-based curator and art advisor. Gold said the Maguire Museum stood out as a potential place to host the exhibit because it hosts other spirituality-based works.
“They have a lot of pieces that have to do with religion, with spirituality, and it seemed that it would be an interesting pairing to have this particular show complement some of the themes that they already have represented in the museum,” Gold said.
Some pieces, like Claes Gabriel’s “Queen of Time,” are more abstract, utilizing a wide variety of colors, designs and shapes. Others, like Tyler Ballon’s “This Too Shall Pass,” recontextualize biblical scenes with the members of the Black community.
Claudia Volpe, director of the Petrucci Family Foundation, said when picking pieces to feature, she considers quality and technicality, but also what voices are represented.
“We want to show the comprehensive story of African American art and the way that it’s evolved and practiced in the States,” Volpe said.
Volpe said the exhibition’s location in the Maguire Museum is especially relevant given the museum was previously the Barnes Foundation, which primarily
featured modern European classical works.
“I think there is a little bit of confrontation of what this museum used to be and what the institution is looking to do in the future,” Volpe said. “So I’m glad we’re getting to pave that way.”
One particularly noteworthy aspect of the exhibition, Gold said, was that it features “so many Black artists in one place,” with the years of chosen works ranging from 1900 to 2023.
“This is a huge range in time over chronology,” Gold said. “To be able to see so many different artists of African descent that have been working in the American art history tradition for over a century, that’s really impressive.”
One of these artists is Imo Nse Imeh, Ph.D., whose painting “Feeding the Veins of the Earth (Grounded Angel),” is part of “Queens, Gods and Devotees.” Imeh, who is of Nigerian descent, said his identity, along with current events, inspires much of his artwork.
“I have been unable to separate what I do as an artist from the things that I see in the world around me,” Imeh said.
“Feeding the Veins of the Earth (Grounded Angel)” was created in 2020 during the covid-19 pandemic as commentary on the police brutality Black men face. The large-scale painting, utilizing red, brown and gray colors, depicts a Black man, who is an angel, kneeling and suspended in an “amorphous space,” as described by Imeh.
“I started creating them out of a kind of despair,” Imeh said. “The despair was fueled by what I was seeing, not just with the death of people because of the virus, but the hypervisibility of what Black communities were going through, especially with violence against Blacks and social injustice. I decided to construct a series of angels that would behave as witnesses for what Black
people were experiencing here on Earth.”
Imeh said bearing witness in the face of injustice is a significant theme of his painting, which is part of a series of works he considers prayers. The idea of bearing witness was made especially clear to Imeh during the pandemic, as the lockdown accentuated the visibility of racial violence.
“The pandemic, for me, demonstrated that the world really can watch,” Imeh said. “They can watch some of the worst things happening to a community, because there was nothing else to do but watch. We were all on lockdown. We were all glued to our phones, and we all watched a man suffocate to death in nine minutes, an agonizing death.
“We also watched the world stand up and say, ‘This is wrong.’ And so, this piece
really summons the idea of these angels as witnesses, but [also] this kind of collective body of witnesses to what it is we’re seeing. And then [it] begs the question, ‘What can we do?’”
Imeh’s work, which functions as a historical record, reminds viewers to take action and use their voices to incite change.
“In the image, there is this divine figure that is behaving as a witness for a group of people who I deem to be voiceless in a lot of ways,” Imeh said. “The call here is for us to recognize those who are voiceless, especially if we are able to offer voice and strength on their behalf.”
Students found chapter of mental health organization
‘We just want to make an environment that is good for the community’
TESS MARGIS ’26
GAVIN KUEBLER ’25 Assistant Features Editor
For many, college is a stressful time. That’s why Dom Rossi ’25, president of St. Joe’s chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is hoping to promote mental wellbeing and help students manage their anxiety.
NAMI is a nonprofit organization “dedicated to building better lives” for those affected by mental illness, according to their website. Rossi, who founded the St. Joe’s chapter, said he was inspired after volunteering at NAMI events in Philadelphia and seeing NAMI chapters on other local campuses.
“One of their programs is NAMI on Campus, which are positive mental health clubs on college campuses,” Rossi said. “There’s one at Temple, there’s one at Drexel, there’s one at UPenn, but there wasn’t a St. Joe’s one. I thought I would bring that to St. Joe’s and start their chapter.”
Rossi says the chapter is planning on hosting de-stressing events, such as painting and yoga, over the course of the semester.
Valerie McLaughlin ’25, vice president of the St. Joe’s chapter of NAMI, said one
of the club’s goals on campus is to build a positive environment for discussion about mental health.
“Our goal is to improve mental health on this campus and improve the way we talk about it,” McLaughlin said.
McLaughlin added that some of the club’s events will partner with the broader NAMI organization, including upcoming appearances from guest speakers.
“It’ll be really, really helpful to hear other people outside of St. Joe’s talking about [mental health],” McLaughlin said. “But [it] also opens the space for St. Joe’s students to talk about their experience with things like ADHD or anxiety or other things like that. I think those speakers are going to be a really cool opportunity.”
Darian Krug ’25, events coordinator for the St. Joe’s chapter of NAMI, said a central idea of the club is to promote a stress-free environment where members don’t have to worry about making it to every event.
“[With] some clubs, you do stress out about having to get to events or [else] you’ll be on probation,” Krug said. “I found it really important to be involved in the club. The main idea is: do not stress. You don’t have to come to the
events if it’s going to stress you out. We just want to make an environment that is good for the community and help them in any way that we can.”
Krug said she hopes NAMI will help destigmatize mental health conversations, leading to more open discussions about the topic on campus.
“It’s so important to have more
conversations about the importance of mental health and break down the stigma surrounding mental health,” Krug said. “I think it’s really great that we’re able to bring that on campus and have more conversations about it.”
St. Joe's National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) chapter’s executive board Emily Horan ’25, Valerie McLaughlin ’25, Dominic Rossi ’25, Shodd Rivers ’25 and Darian Krug ’25 PHOTO: MADELINE WILLIAMS ’26/THE HAWK
Artist Imo Nse Imeh poses in front of his painting, “Feeding the Veins of the Earth (Grounded Angel),” Sept. 29. PHOTO: ZACH PODOLNICK ’26/THE HAWK
CineHawk: ‘Transformers One’
JAYLEN DOTSON ’21 Hawk Staff
Returning to theatrical animation for the first time since 1986, “Transformers One” is an animated epic that takes fans back to the very beginning of Cybertronian mythology. It follows Orion Pax and D-16 on an incredible and heartbreaking journey as they become the bitter and iconic rivals we know as Optimus Prime and Megatron. Directed by Josh Cooley from a screenplay by Eric Pearson, Andrew Barrer, and Gabriel Ferrari, the film stars Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key and Jon Hamm. It is currently playing exclusively in theaters.
The film’s narrative stands apart from previous iterations of the franchise and uses familiar iconography to tell a new story, the heart of which is the friendship between Orion Pax, voiced by Hemsworth, and D-16, voiced by Henry. Their status as low-ranked Energon miners in the beginning gives audiences a new avenue to connect and relate to these larger-than-life characters. Orion is brave but reckless, while D-16 balances him out with a cautious approach to situations that occasionally let slip a simmering resentment at his friend’s antics. Though the script could have benefited by opening the story with their first meeting, it succeeds in getting viewers invested enough in this bond that it is all the more heartbreaking when it inevitably falls apart.
Cooley’s directorial style proves wellsuited to the “Transformers” franchise. The CGI animation, while not at the same creative caliber as films like the “SpiderVerse” series, is still a delight to watch
and enables some of the best action the franchise has seen. The fight scenes are kinetically creative and brutally impactful, thanks in no small part to composer Brian Tyler’s score.
The lineup of actors boasts some big names, but hearing their performances will quell any fears of stunt-casting. Hemsworth may not be the most seasoned voice actor, but he believably embodies a younger, less experienced version of Optimus Prime. Key is as funny as ever as B-127, while Johansson’s Elita-1 provides an anchor of stability for her troublesome comrades. Henry is the standout, imbuing the fledgling Megatron with pathos and vulnerability that soon gives way to vengeful rage,
even if his story is somewhat rushed. Overall, “Transformers One” is a superb installment and provides an outstanding foundation for the franchise to build on.
CROSSWORD: Towns and cities in Pennsylvania
Across 6. Home to the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, Inc.
7. The “sweetest place on Earth”
8. Hometown of global pop star Taylor Swift
10. Has more bridges than Venice, Italy, giving it the nickname “the city of bridges ”
Down
1. LocationofthenewestadditiontotheSt.Joe’scampuses.
2. In the 18th century, Congress stopped here to adopt the Articles of Confederation.
3. With mountains, lakes and nature galore, this town is known for its ski resorts and waterfalls.
4. “In West _______, born and raised
5. Aka “Happy Valley ”
9.Shares the name of one of the U.S. Great Lakes.
Hispanic Heritage Month
DEREK RODRIGUEZ AGUILAR ’27
Special to the Hawk
National Hispanic Heritage Month, starting Sept. 15 and ending Oct. 15, celebrates what it means to be Hispanic American. This month is dedicated to celebrating the beautiful and rich culture all Hispanic countries hold while also honoring our ancestors and their work throughout time. Through these songs, the Latin Student Association hopes you gain access to a little bit of Hispanic culture while celebrating these amazing artists.
“Vivir Mi Vida” – Marc Anthony Released in 2013, Marc Anthony blew it out of the water with this song. As part of his album titled “3.0,” “Vivir Mi Vida” was an automatic No. 1 hit in many Latin American countries and won Record of the Year at the 2013 Latin Grammy Awards. The song is about being yourself to the fullest, feeling happy, dancing and celebrating life, and it’s a great way to cheer people up in times of sorrow and unhappiness. The catchy lyrics, nice rhythm and melody all make this song what it is today: legendary.
“Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” – Karol G Colombian artist Karol G has taken the world by storm over the last five years. The lyrics of “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” are about reflecting on a missed opportunity and what could’ve been if you met someone earlier. The catchy and upbeat tempo can make anyone want to get up and start dancing. With the launch of her most recent album “Mañana Será Bonito,” Karol G has reached an audience she never previously touched and won her first Grammy for Best Música Urbana Album at the 66th Grammy Awards.
“Danza Kuduro” – Don Omar (feat. Lucenzo) Released 14 years ago, this iconic song is one of the party anthems of the Latin community and became the soundtrack to a viral TikTok dance. Many celebrities, news broadcasters and public figures were doing the dance, which helped the song reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart for 15 weeks. The mix of reggaeton and Afrobeat makes it stand out in the best way possible, making it an iconic, global hit.
“Hips Don’t Lie” – Shakira (feat. Wyclef Jean) Although this song is in English, Colombian singer Shakira and Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean capture the essence of Caribbean sound in this single. The reggae beat and drums never fail to make us stand up and shake our hips like Shakira. This song broke through the Latin countries and made it to No. 1 in the charts across 56 different nations, including the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
GRAPHIC: STEPHANIE SAVELA ’25/THE HAWK
GRAPHIC: CARA HALLIGAN ’25/THE HAWK
HANNAH PAJTIS ’26
Features Editor
Q&A with men’s basketball assistant coach Phillip Lawrence-Ricks
MONICASOWINSKI’26 Sports Reporter
Phillip Lawrence-Ricks, assistant coach of player development for the men’s basketball team, was one of 10 coaches and administrators selectedtoattendtheNCAAEliteStudent-Athlete SymposiumforMen’sBasketball.Thesymposium provided athletes with seminars and networking opportunities to prepare them for transitioning into a professional basketball career. Sophomore XzayvierBrownwasoneofthefourteenDivisionI players in the NCAA invited to attend the three-day symposium. The Hawk sat down with Lawrence-Rickstoaskabouthisexperience
TheHawk:Howdiditfeeltobeoneofthe 10coachesselectedtoattend?
Lawrence-Ricks: It felt great when [associate head coach for men’s basketball] Justin Scott texted me and told me I’ll be attending with Xzayvier. Me and him are very close. It was good to go with him, to be a lendinghandandhelphim.Itwasanhonor.I met some good coaches there, [and] was able totalktosomegoodpeoplefromtheNCAA.I couldn’tbemorethankfulfortheopportunity.
The Hawk: What was the structure of the symposium?
Lawrence-Ricks: Saturday and Sunday was a bright morning, early, starting at eight withspeakers.Wehadaboutthreespeakers,as well as, each day, the guys had an activity to do. One activity was mock interviews, dealing with the media and how they can answer questions correctly. Another activity was players at the pro level dealing with money they gave. Each player had to pick a card that had their salary, their signing bonuses, their endorsement deals, and they had to manage their money … to simulate how money works at a professional level
when you make a certain amount.
The Hawk: What are some things you learned and hope to implement within the St. Joe’s program?
Lawrence-Ricks: One big thing I got from the symposium overall is that if you have aspirations of playing at the NBA level, the scouts from the NBA will do their due diligence and research you. It’s a business at the end of the day, and they’re investing a lot of money, [because] then you can help their
team. They’re going to go to talk to your middle school teacher, your high school janitor, the lady at the front desk. They’re going to talk to everybody to see exactly how you are as a person.
The Hawk: What does having two people chosen from St. Joe’s say about the men’s basketball team and the culture?
Lawrence-Ricks: Coach Lange has developed a culture here of making you a better person on and off the court. It
definitely says that St. Joe’s is in the right direction and trajectory. We know we can have a player of that caliber be invited to that prestigious event with notable players, such as Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby — prominent names in the NBA that have been invited to that — and that Xzayvier Brown was invited too. It’s a testament to Coach Lange and the whole coaching staff that we are on the right path to continuing to build this program up.
GRAPHIC: MINDY CHOI ’25/THE HAWK
Sophomore Xzayvier Brown and assistant coach of player development Phillip Lawrence-Ricks pose at the 2024 NCAA Elite Student-Athlete Symposium for Men’s Basketball. PHOTO COURTESY OF SJU ATHLETICS
‘We want to leave a
legacy
here’ Six Hawks return as a ‘little family’ for their fifth year at St. Joe’s
MIA MESSINA ’25 Sports Editor
When fifth-years Sam Dumont, Rachel Brown, Katie Cappelletti, Natalie Nevins, Chloe Khelil and Maddie Anderson first arrived on the St. Joe’s campus in the fall 2020, the only certainty about the upcoming year was they were going to be spending a lot of time together.
The six newcomers to the St. Joe’s women’s soccer team didn’t get a fall season that year, but they still spent nearly every minute of their first year together because of the restrictions placed by the school during the covid-19 pandemic.
“It was an everyday thing. We woke up. We ate breakfast. We went to classes together. We went to practice, came home, and it was kind of a rinse and repeat thing,” Khelil said. “Obviously, it was not the easiest time for all of us. Because of covid, we couldn’t do a lot, but I think it brought us close. We only had each other to lean on, and that helped us build a strong bond.”
And now, after four years together, the six Hawks have used their fifth year of eligibility and are playing together for one last season. They’re currently 4-3-4 (0-1-2 Atlantic 10), as of Sept. 30.
Nevins said that at 22 and 23 years old, five years is a long time to have been in each other’s lives.
“We’ve seen the highs and lows of each other for the past five years,” Nevins said. “I feel like we’ve grown to become a little unit, a little family, and I think all of us wanted one last time to do this together.”
Between the six of them, the group has played about a combined 320 games and over 22,000 minutes. With Cappelletti in net, Khelil and Anderson as defenders, two forwards in Dumont and Brown and Nevins playing midfield, the Hawks believe having six players with the experience this group has is a strong advantage in the Atlantic 10
and beyond.
The group also has helped build the Hawks’ culture, a culture that made them want to stay for another year.
“We stepped into a program that didn’t really have an established culture. Sophomore year, we actually hired a culture coach to come in and walk our team through all the steps toward building a culture,” Brown said. “This season, in particular, we’re starting to see it pay off. I think that was one of the leading factors into why a lot of us stayed, like, to see all of our hard work come to fruition and determine the legacy that we left as a class.”
Anderson added: “We created such a strong bond with not only ourselves, but with our team, and that wasn’t necessarily something we had our freshman year, so I think we just really weren’t ready to leave here yet and not have those connections with everyone.”
Cappelletti said the culture they’ve helped to foster relies on the fundamentals of “P.U.S.H.”: purpose, unity, strive and hard.
“That’s kind of how we navigate and get through hard times off the field, or hard times on the field when, maybe we’re not having success or not winning,” Cappelletti said. “The six of us knowing what that took and how much we put into it is what keeps us going and drives us to have success.”
With only two seniors on the team, Lauren Hatt and Dani Stuart, Dumont said the fifth-years are trying to pass on their experience to their younger teammates.
“We want to leave a legacy here,” Dumont said. “Imparting any words of wisdom, because when we’re gone, we want it to stay this amazing program where everyone feels included and welcomed and safe.”
While how their legacy will fare five years from now is to be determined, the six Hawks have made their mark on the program in the past five years, but, more personally, have made their mark on each other.
“I feel so blessed that we got another year together, and I wouldn’t trade our experience, even if it was so hard and so challenging initially for the world,” Nevins said, turning to her teammates. “Going through the things we went through together has made me a better person, and it’s made me grow in so many ways I didn’t think I could grow. I wouldn’t be who I am
without these five girls. So I really do love them with all my heart.”
An earlier version of this article was first published by the Philadelphia Inquirer Sept. 25 as part of the Inquirer’s college correspondent program.
Natalie Nevins is a copy editor on The Hawk staff.
GRAPHIC: MINDY CHOI ’25/THE HAWK
Back row, from left: Maddie Anderson, Katie Cappelletti and Chloe Khelil. Front row, from left: Natalie Nevins, Sam Dumont and Rachel Brown. These six players have been with each other since fall 2020 and returned for the fifth-year of eligibility
PHOTO COURTESY OF NATALIE NEVINS ’24, M.A. ’25