March 28, 2018

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INSIDE PHILADELPHIA’S

OPIOID EPIDEMIC


March 28, 2018

INSIDE PHILADELPHIA'S

OPIOID EPIDEMIC

21

Communities mobilize Crisis demands education and action

To our readers: Every day, more than 100 Americans die from opioid overdoses, a grim sign of a public health crisis that shows little sign of abating. That worries Peter Clark, S.J., Ph.D., professor of medical ethics and director of the Institute of Clinical Bioethics at St. Joe’s. “My fear is unless we address this issue, educationally and practically for protocols, we’re not going to go anywhere with this,” Clark said. “It’s only going to get worse.” It is already worse here in our own state, our own city. Between August 2016 and August 2017, the percentage of drug overdose deaths increased by 42.5 percent in the state of Pennsylvania, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Here in Philadelphia, the crisis is especially prevalent. In 2017, more than 1,200 people died of overdoses with 80 percent of those deaths involving opioids, according to the Philadelphia Mayor’s

Task Force to Combat the Opioid Epidemic in Philadelphia. Over the course of the next four issues of The Hawk, we will take an in-depth look at the opioid crisis and how this national epidemic is affecting our campus and city in particular. We will tell stories of individuals–students, roommates, family members, university administrators and staff, city police officers and activists–who are affected by the opioid crisis. Our stories will examine both campus and city-wide efforts to help people who have substance use disorders, and those who work to stem the rising number of overdoses and deaths. We will look at the language used to describe both the crisis and people who are suffering from substance use disorders, and why those words matter. Additionally, our work will examine the role race places in the epidemic, and why we are paying attention to the opioid epidemic but may have ignored other drug crises. In May of 2017, the Mayor’s Task Force to Combat the Opioid Epidemic in

Philadelphia issued a final report to Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney. “The opioid epidemic affects all of us in Philadelphia,” Kenney stated at the top of the report. “Drug overdoses, and overdoses involving opioids, are now a leading cause of death in our city. Opioids are also destroying families and relationships and undermining the quality of life in Philadelphia.” The Task Force’s report includes recommendations for short and long-term solutions, including opening safe injection sites in Philadelphia to help prevent overdoses. Since much of the crisis stems from prescription drug use, proponents of safe injection sites argue that it is next to impossible to eradicate opioid abuse. At a safe injection site, health providers can provide instant treatment for overdoses in the form of Naloxone (widely known as Narcan), which can treat an overdose in an emergency situation. As we explore in an article in this week’s issue, here on Hawk Hill, a group of researchers will soon present a plan to the city of Philadelphia on how to effectively

create a safe injection site. The researchers are hoping to eventually create a Center for Addiction at St. Joe’s, another story we cover in our series. Our series also includes stories about Allies for Recovery, a training program designed to help the university community better support people in recovery, and recovery housing for students. We cover these stories with hope for progress. As Katie Bean, assistant director of Student Outreach and Support and Wellness, Alcohol & Drug Education (WADE) Program, has cautioned: “Stay out of the weeds, focus on life now rather than life later. Know that recovery is possible.” We believe it is on us, the members of the Hawk community, to combat this crisis through arming ourselves and our readers with stories and information. Sincerely, Ana Faguy ’19 Editor in Chief

Language matters

New terms shift tone of opioid epidemic LAURA HANEY ’19 Special to the Hawk The latest edition of the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook, the language and style guide used in thousands of newsrooms and college classrooms worldwide, revised its style in favor of “person first” language, a move that affirms the importance of language when used to write about the current national public health emergency – the opioid overdose crisis. Katie Bean, assistant director of Student Outreach and Support and head of Wellness, Alcohol and Drug Education (WADE), is an advocate for the use of language that does not dehumanize those impacted by the opioid epidemic. “I just think that in the past, it was

looked at like you are an addict, and you would hear words like junkie [and] crackhead, these very stigmatizing, degrading uses of language,” Bean said. Since 2014, the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), a manual that helps mental health professionals appropriately diagnose patients, replaced the terms addiction, substance abuse and substance disorder, with the term substance use disorders. Though the shift seems small, advocates praised the change because it promoted destigmatizing language. “Before it was looked at like you had a moral failing, like you were not a moral person and were making bad choices,” Bean said. “It was very judgement heavy. When you hear the word addiction, it is still tied with that stigma.”

The term “substance use disorder” is not associated with this criminalized mental image to which addiction has always been linked. Instead, the new terminology frames the issue as a health condition that requires treatment. Since the term is relatively new, experts in the field and people in recovery still use the terms addict and addiction. Language shapes the tone of entire conversations, so when discussing the opioid epidemic and people who have substance-use disorders, it is important to use positive and recovery-focused language, according to Bean. Policy advocacy groups use language that shapes conversation in a way they feel will focus on recovery instead of perpetuating stereotypes.The word “addiction” carries stereotypes left over from the gov-

ernment’s catch-all approach to dealing with illegal drug use. “I think that the [opioid] epidemic has been going on for a long time, and the same thing was happening years ago, but with a different population, and we called it the War on Drugs,” said Bean. “And how different is that, when you’re calling it a war, and now we are calling it a crisis.” Bean said it is important to consider audience when writing and talking about the opioid epidemic, so that the conversation can be shaped appropriately. “There is a balance where you need to recognize who you are talking to,” Bean said. “We need to focus on life in recovery more as a society. We need to focus on the positive. People live happy, productive, satisfying lives all the time in recovery.”


The Student Newspaper of Saint Joseph’s University

Volume XCVII | Est. 1929 | www.sjuhawknews.com

March 28, 2018

Marches start conversations

Students take to the streets to protest gun violence

Sean Princivalle ’19 attends the March for Our Lives in Philadelphia on March 24 (Photo by Luke Malanga ’20).

CHARLEY REKSTIS ’20 News Editor LUKE MALANGA ’20 Photo Editor Thousands gathered in the Old City neighborhood of Philadelphia, including students, teachers, parents and children, to protest gun violence and speak out for gun control on March 24. The March for Our Lives, which hosted

its main rally in Washington D.C., was organized by student survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17. Grace Schillinger ’20, an elementary education and special education double major, went to the march in Philadelphia for her future students. “I personally felt that guns should not be allowed in schools at all,” Schillinger said. “I am always thinking about my own future classroom and I do not want guns in my fu-

ture classroom. I already care a lot about the safety of my students even though I haven’t met them yet so I felt like something needed to be done and this was what I could do.” The march in Philadelphia was one of over 800 sister marches worldwide. While it didn’t draw the massive crowds or the notable speakers as the D.C. event, Schillinger still found the march to be powerful. “I was not expecting it to be as big as it was in Philadelphia but I thought it was amazing the amount of people that came forth just to show their support,” Schillinger said. Sean Princivalle ’19 went to the march in Philadelphia because, as a student, he wanted to support his fellow students in their activism. “I wanted to be there with them, for them,” Princivalle said. “These kids are all around our ages and it’s powerful to see people making a difference.” Princivalle believes Americans have become numb to gun deaths and he hopes the marches will finally change that. “It’s getting to the point where you hear about a shooting and it’s something you’re used to, like ‘Oh it’s just another week in America’ and it’s a horrible thing that you shouldn’t be used to and that there’s been nothing to help prevent this is just absurd to me,” Princivalle said.

CLASS of

2022 6,639 students admitted

56% female 44% male

50

countries admitted

CONTINUED ON PG. 3

Memorials held for St. Joe’s student Community mourns loss of Mark Dombroski

ALEX MARK ’20 Assistant News Editor Mourners filled Saint Theresa’s Cathedral in Hamilton, Bermuda on March 23 to celebrate the life of Mark Dombroski ’21, according to a report by the Bermuda Broadcasting Company. Few of the Bermudian attendees ever knew Dombroski, according to the report, but all provided support for the grieving family. Citizens of the island had been actively helping the family since Dombroski, a graduate of Archmere Academy and Media, Pennsylvania native, was reported missing early March 18. A similarly crowded Mass was held on Palm Sunday at the Chapel of Saint Joseph, where, after the traditional liturgy regarding the death and resurrection of Jesus, Dombroski’s family received recognition for their loss. The Archmere community held a prayer service on their campus last Monday and gathered again for a memorial mass the next day, according to Archmere Academy’s website. During the Mass, the congregation sang “If I Could Just Sit With You Awhile” by Martin Doman, a song which calls on God for aid in times of pain. Last week, the Bermuda Police Service found Dombroski’s body in an empty moat

in Hamilton, Bermuda. An autopsy report determined that the death had been caused by a 35 foot fall into the moat, and that foul play had likely not been involved. “Mark is a tragic accident; it appears at this stage that he fell to his death and there is no sign as we speak of the evidence of foul play,” said Superintendent Sean Field-Lament in a press conference earlier this week. Forensic examination of the scene is still ongoing, according to the Bermuda Police

Mark Dombroski ’21 at a beach in Bermuda on March 16, 2018 (Photo by Daniel Yarusso).

Service, in order to exhaust all possibilities in the case. While the community continues to mourn, Dombroski’s memory is kept alive by his close friends at St. Joe’s. Mike Scanlon ’21 lives on the sixth floor of Villiger Residence Hall, one floor above Dombroski. The two met through mutual friends, and Scanlon remembers him as a positive and generous person. “He would always brighten a room when he walked in,” Scanlon said. “All the heads in the room would just have to look at Mark.” Khalil Thames ’21, who lived on the same floor as Dombroski, said that he remembers Dombroski’s unique ability to make people feel at ease. “He [Dombroski] would always be the first person to talk to you, the first person to make you laugh, so those things would just make your day so much better,” Thames said. “And without realizing it, he really just made such an impact.” Gerardo Rivera Colon ’21, another of Dombroski’s floor mates, said that now is an important time for people who had been close to Dombroski to keep in touch. “I know our RA told us we need each other in this moment,” Colon said. “Go to everyone, your close friends and family. Use them as a time to heal. It’s okay to be sad, things are going to get better.”

45 states

21%

students of color

11%

have a legacy connection to SJU Statistics courtesy of the Office of Admissions (Graphic by Kelly Smith ’19).


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News

March 28, 2018

Department of Public Safety reports (March 16 – March 22) ALCOHOL RELATED INCIDENTS

1

March 19

March 17 Public Safety was notified of a fire alarm inside Rashford Hall. Public Safety officers responded. Preliminary investigation revealed the alarm was activated by a faulty washing machine. Facilities Management notified. Public Safety was notified by an St. Joe's employee regarding person(s) unknown removing a box of cookies from an office inside Mandeville Hall. Incident under investigation.

Public Safety was notified of a fire alarm inside Sullivan Hall. Public Safety officers responded. Preliminary investigation revealed the alarm was activated by a student cooking. Facilities Management notified.

March 20 Public Safety was notified by an St. Joe's student regarding person(s) unknown removing her parking permit from her vehicle, which was parked in the Neuman parking lot. Incident under investigation.

On campus

0

Off campus

DRUG RELATED INCIDENTS

1

On campus

0

Off campus

Call Public Safety:

610-660-1111

ELECTION 2018 Candidates for PA 2018 midterm elections CHARLEY REKSTIS ’20 News Editor The deadline to file candidacy for the midterm elections in Pennsylvania was March 20. A total of 100 candidates are running for Congress, 59 Democrats and 35 Republicans. The candidates for the U.S. Senate are lsited below with their stances on higher education or why they are running from their websites. Also listed are the U.S. House of Representatives, State Senate candidates and State Representatives for the districts surrounding St. Joe’s, along with candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor Candidates for U.S. Senate Senator Bob Casey, Jr., incumbent (D) On higher education: “Senator Casey be-

lieves that higher education is a key to longterm economic growth and is often a ticket to the American dream. Anyone with the drive, fortitude, and desire to pursue the opportunities afforded by higher education should be able to realize that dream, regardless of their personal financial situation. Pennsylvania is fortunate to have the most institutions of higher education of any state and the rich diversity and economic advantages that come with them.” Congressman Lou Barletta, U.S. representative (R) On higher education: “In these tough economic times, it is clear we need smart solutions

Candidates for U.S. House of Representatives District 1:

Steve Bacher (D) Rachel Reddick (D) Scott Wallace (D) Brian Fitzpatrick, incumbent (R) Dean Malik (R)

District 2:

Brendan Boyle, incumbent (D) Michele Lawrence (D) David Torres (R)

District 3:

Dwight Evans, incumbent (D) Kevin Johnson (D) Bryan Leib (R)

District 4:

District 5:

Larry Arata (D) George Badey (D) Shelly Chauncey (D) Margo Davidson (D) Thaddeus Kirkland, Mayor of Chester (D) Richard Lazer (D) Lindy Li (D) Ashley Lunkenheimer (D) Dan Muroff (D) Mary Gay Scanlon (D) Molly Sheehan (D) Greg Vitali, state representative (D) David Wertime (D) Theresa Wright (D) Paul Addis (R) Pearl Kim (R)

Mary Jo Daley, state representative(D) Madeleine Dean, state representative (D) Shira Goodman (D) Joe Hoeffel (D) Dan David (R)

ALEX MARK ’20 Assistant News Editor to get our economy moving again and putting Americans back to work. I recognize that institutions of higher learning are critical to our nation’s economic recovery. They help ensure that students and workers have the tools they need to succeed in the workplace. Therefore, I am committed to finding long-term solutions for postsecondary education; most importantly, keeping college tuition within reach for our nation’s students. In order to grow and support institutions of higher learning, I am also committed to reducing federal overreach in higher education and promoting increased transparency to protect students and taxpayers.” State Representative Jim Christiana (R) On higher education: “Jim believes that it is shameful that only 40% of students who attend college make it to graduation and only 20% finish within 4 years. Those lucky enough to graduate from college are shackled with student loan debt for nearly half of their adult lives. Americans have $1.4 trillion in student

loan debt. That’s 40% more than credit card debt. Jim will bring a new vision for higher education to Washington. He wants more competition in the student loan market to drive interest rates down. He will encourage career and technical education and the lowering of the costs of higher education.” Dale Kerns (L) On why he’s running: “A free society is a prosperous place. Unfortunately, toxic Washington politics produce more and more legislation that further infringes on individual liberty. Politicians fail to protect individual rights and auction off your liberty to the highest bidder. This behavior puts special interests in control. Most politicians have no issue advocating for the use the force of government to dictate the most intimate and private aspects of your life. This must stop. It’s time Pennsylvanians have a candidate who fights to defend their liberty."

Candidates for State Senate

District 2:

Marcus Paul (D) Christine Tartaglione, incumbent (D)

District 4:

Art Haywood, incumbent (D) Armond James (D) James Williams Jr. (R)

State House: District 1:

Patrick Harkins, incumbent (D)

District 2:

Jay Breneman (D) Richard Filippi (D) Robert Merski (D) Timothy Kuzma (R) Laban Marsh (R)

District 3:

Ryan Bizzarro, incumbent (D)

District 4:

Curtis Sonney, incumbent (R)

District 5:

Barry Jozwiak, incumbent (R)


News

March 28, 2018

3

Concerns about van training

Certification for driving St. Joe's vans comes with difficulties REBECCA BARUS ’19 Special to The Hawk Caley Maloney ’18, like most students, needed to complete a defensive driver training course before being allowed to drive one of the university’s vans, yet after she felt underprepared. Over half of the students at St. Joe’s are certified to drive university vehicles, which are used for approved programs involving outreach, service, education and athletics, according to Michael Boykin, assistant director of Public Safety. For students to become certified to drive a university vehicle, they must complete a 70-minute training course consisting of review of the transportation policy, a video, a lecture and a written or oral test. The training does not require students to get behind the wheel of a vehicle. But for the students, that training is just not enough. Students who have completed the training program expressed frustration over the training. Their main concern is watching a video is not adequate. Instead, they would benefit from experience behind the wheel. Maloney was trained to be a backup driver in case of emergencies for the 2017 Appalachian Experience trip, which sees vans full to capacity. “I think it would be helpful to go out with a couple people from the class with a public safety officer and just drive the 12-passenger van around St. Joe’s, just to get used to the different gear shifts and stuff,” Maloney said. “For safety reasons this is probably better. I know a lot of people who have their driver’s license but that

Vans are stored in Hawk's Landing parking garage (Photo by Matt Barrett ’21).

doesn’t mean that they know how to drive.” Danielle Prioleau ’18, who trained her sophomore year, agreed experience driving the 12-passenger van would be beneficial. “It weighs a lot more so you have to stop faster, and when you turn the whole van will move faster because it’s heavier,” Prioleau said. “Just knowing that you have people in your car who you don’t necessarily know makes it nerve-wracking.” Katherine Long ’18, who was trained her freshman year and then again last spring when the two-year certification expired, would have liked to have driven the van for the first time with an instructor. “Personally, that would have helped me feel less anxious when I had to pick up my participants on my first day driving the van,” Long said.

Stacey Sottung, associate director of student leadership and activities and one of the defensive driver training course instructors, agreed the current training is not beneficial. “The most effective teaching method would be to teach every student how to drive a 12-passenger van,” Sottung said. “The most effective way would be to teach people hands-on.” Yet Sottung also acknowledged it would be unrealistic to get every student trained behind the wheel. “I’m not sure if we are in a place as a university to have an effective teaching method,” Sottung said. “Where’s the time? That’s not feasible or realistic.” Boykin concurred getting students behind the wheel is a time management issue.

“Unfortunately, there is no way to have enough time in order to get everybody that’s trained behind the wheel of a vehicle, meaning the 12-passenger van,” Boykin said. “I don’t think the university would be interested in hiring a full-time driving instructor for the training.” For students who do express fear of getting behind the wheel of a 12-passenger van, Boykin said accommodations could be made for those students. “If there is a need, then we could possibly see about starting a program to get those people who have the concerns in driving the larger vehicles just some hands-on time behind the wheel,” Boykin said. “That would be great.” St. Joe’s recently switched insurance groups from Hanover Insurance Group to PMA Insurance Group, Boykin said. Because of the switch, there is always a possibility that PMA could review the program and make changes to it, he said. Despite students feeling unprepared behind the wheel of a vehicle, Boykin said he believes the training method does suffice, in part because accident statistics bear that out. While he was not authorized to share a copy of the statistics from the insurance provider on the number of accidents involving students and university vehicles, he said that there are fewer than before. “We have not had any major incidents occur where someone was seriously hurt at the fault of one of our drivers,” Boykin said. “We’ve come a long way because one of the things we do get is information from our insurance provider, and we’ve been trending down for the past five years.”

Students take a stand against gun violence CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 In Philadelphia, teachers and parents and adults marched to support activism of the youth. Katie Chapman ’16 oversaw the programming committee and assisted students in the creation of the march and rally in Philadelphia. She was inspired by her two nieces, noting that one is the age of the Sandy Hook children when they died, and the other was born two days before the Parkland shooting. Chapman, advocating for a safer future for her nieces, wants this protest to spur continued action. “I don’t want it to end today,” Chap-

man said. “We have voter registration and we’re reminding people to please register to vote and if you are [registered] then go out and vote.” Other St. Joe’s students felt were motivated to go to D.C. to march. “We thought that we wanted to have a showing in Washington D.C. since that is kind of the heart of where our legislation goes,” Paul Ammons ’20 said. “So we wanted to physically be down there instead of attending the march in Philly.” Ammons attended the event because he wanted to be able to represent the Philadel-

March for Our Lives on 2nd St in Old City, Philadelphia.

Katie Chapman ’16 prepares speakers for the march (Photos by Luke Malanga ’20).

phia community affected by gun violence in the nation's capital. “People can be present in Philadelphia,” Ammons said. “But we don’t have enough voices in our capital for these groups and so as a member of the community I want to be there.” Ammons was most moved by the speech from Martin Luther King Jr.’s granddaughter, Yolanda Renee King. “To see all the pieces come together into this one event and have this one person who is in the same family that still is a major part of the advancement of civil rights in this nation, it was hopeful,” Ammons said. “It gave me hope. And it gave the other people in the

crowd hope, to see that hope renewed within the other people in the march was inspiring.” Ammons mentioned the lack of conversation about the communities that have been continuously affected by gun violence, even before the activism against school shootings. He wants to bring attention to the issues of gun violence in cities, such as Philadelphia, that have been underrepresented but are still struggling with gun violence everyday. “We need to start expanding what gun violence is in our definitions and not be caught up in this partisan politics and debates on which side is right, when gun violence affects all of us the same,” Ammons said.


4

News

March 28, 2018

The impact of Casey Doolin

Alumna remembered through annual 5K VILMA FERMIN ’20 Hawk Staff The Delta Sigma Pi (DSP) fraternity held its 4th annual Casey 5K, in honor of Casey Doolin ’12, on March 24. Doolin lost her battle against leukemia in 2013. While a student on Hawk Hill, she was a member of DSP, an orientation leader, served as a Hawk Host and participated

in a variety of different service opportunities through campus ministry. The Casey 5K donates its proceeds to the Casey E. Doolin Foundation. According to the foundation, the organization was started in honor of Doolin’s dedication to service and her compassion for helping those in need. The organization is based on 23 acts of kindness, one for each year that Doolin

Participants start the Casey 5K on the Sweeney Field track (Photos by Matthew Ehgartner ’20).

was alive. Part of the foundation’s mission is to ask that people perform 23 acts of kindness in her memory. The memorial fund provides financial assistance to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, St. Joe’s campus ministry, the Office of Student Life and the Worker School. Doolin was a brother in DSP, and members remember her importance to the fraternity, despite many of them not knowing her personally. “Casey was a really important part of our brotherhood,” said Anne Donnelly ’20, one of the event's lead planners. “Even though none of us have met her, from what we know about her from her family and alumni, she is a big reason why DSP is what it is.” DSP was able to raise over $8,000 through a combination of sponsorships from different businesses and the 5K. The event reached a record breaking total of 264 participants, surpassing its goal of 150 participants. “Our largest number we had in the past was 180,” said Kristin Thompson ’18, the other lead planner of the event. “264 was really great, it was from the support of our brothers in DSP, our pledges and from the orientation team as well being a part of the event, made for a really successful event.”

Chris Murray '21 and Kaitlyn Fulfaro '21 at the 5K.

A brother of DSP and a participant in the 5K, Christopher Copeck ’20, was excited to have a large number of participants at the 5K. “It’s really great, its the largest number we’ve had,” Copeck said. “Everyone seemed to have a great time. I know I did.” Copeck added that the Casey 5K creates a sense of community. “The 5K is one of my favorite events,” Copeck said. “It is great to see everyone come together for an amazing cause.”

A JUUL takeover

New e-cigarette gains popularity on college campuses CHARLEY REKSTIS ’20 News Editor A new trend has taken off on college and high school campuses called JUULing, a discreet e-cigarette originally made for adults trying to quit smoking. The JUUL, a small, sleek, rectangular stick that almost looks like a USB drive, is what college and high school students are using instead of cigarettes to get their nicotine fix. “The JUUL Labs’ mission is to eliminate cigarettes by offering existing adult smokers with a true alternative to combustible cigarettes,” according to the product website. Tristan Shoemaker ’20 said JUUL helped him kick his addiction to cigarettes. “I didn’t feel the buzz anymore from tobacco products, so I switched to something that still gave me the nicotine that made my body crave, but the buzz that my mind wanted,” Shoemaker said, with his JUUL present in his hand. Many students are using the JUUL not to quit smoking but because it is a trend that caught on and students want to feel like they are like everyone else. “It’s a fad,” said Audrey D’Amico ’21, who bought a JUUL when she came to college. “Everyone wants to do it because it’s cool, and then I think they actually get addicted to JUULing but they actually don’t know it and are doing it just for the fun of it.” A JUUL pod contains 0.7mL with 5 percent nicotine by weight, approximately equivalent to one pack of cigarettes or 200 puffs, according to the product website. Katie Bean, assistant director of Stu-

dent Outreach and Support and Wellness, Alcohol & Drug Education (WADE) Program, said that using a JUUL is still not good for someone’s lungs, even if it isn’t smoke from a cigarette. “It’s still damaging their lungs,” Bean said. “Anything that isn’t oxygen is damaging. People think vaping in general, or JUULing I’m sure it’s the same, is so much safer than cigarettes or so much healthier than cigarettes and I just don’t think it is.” Other chemicals in a JUUL include glycerol and propylene glycol, which have commonly used humectants in vaporization liquids and is what cigarettes use. It has natural oils, extracts and flavors like Virginia tobacco, cool mint, fruit medley, creme brulee and mango and also contains benzoic acid, a naturally occurring acid found in the tobacco plant, according to the products website. Dave Dobbins, Chief Operating Officer of the Truth Initiative, compares the difference in smoking a cigarette versus using a JUUL as jumping from a twenty-story building versus jumping from a two-story building. “It’s not very persuasive to say something is safer than a cigarette,” Dobbins said. “I think with that said, because the cigarette is such a uniquely terrible product it is most certainly true that if you are a pack a day smoker and you can switch to the JUUL instead, you’ve done yourself a big favor health wise.” Shoemaker believes that it is a way to stop smoking cigarettes or using chewing tobacco but since there is not a lot of research on it he

ALIM-KARIM KAMARA ’20 Special to The Hawk isn’t sure what it’s doing to his health. “I’d say JUULs are taking over the college campus scene,” Shoemaker said. “Basically everyone that smoked cigarettes or chewed tobacco switched over to a JUUL because there’s not a lot of research done on it, so they can’t really say all the harmful effects. So unfortunately for people like me, I’m kind of JUULing which I really don’t know what it is doing to my body.” Since the JUUL is marketed to adults, 21 or older, who are trying to quit cigarettes, the company does not approve of minors using their product. “We strongly condemn the use of our product by minors, and it is in fact illegal to sell our product to minors,” said a JUUL spokesperson. “No minor should be in possession of a JUUL product.” Bean wants people to know that there are resources on campus for people who want to

quit smoking and their addiction to nicotine. “For one, our office,” Bean said. “I have worked with students in the past who wanted to change their behavior with smoking and we’ll work through helping build that motivation and helping. They can also go to the student health center. They have worked with students in the past as well. Of course there’s the counselling center that always helps with someone wanting a behavioral change.” Dobbins said that long term effects can’t be determined yet because this is still new. “I would just point out to people, if you think the thing is harmless and there’s no risks, just keep in mind nobody knows what the long-term risk of using the JUUL is and you’re setting yourself up for a lifetime of addiction that literally will do nothing positive for you,” Dobbins said. “I would just encourage people twice before they think it is a good idea.”

Tristan Shoemaker ’20 demonstrates how the JUUL is used (Photos by Luke Malanga ’20).


Opinions

March 28, 2018

5

Facing the opioid crisis

Safe injection sites are a proven intervention Editor in Chief Ana Faguy ’19 Managing Editor Nick Mandarano ’18 Copy Chief Rose Weldon ’19 Faculty Adviser Shenid Bhayroo Contributing Adviser Jenny Spinner Copy Editor Hayley Burns ’20 Copy Editor Annie Clark ’19 Copy Editor Kaila Mundell-Hill ’20 News Editor Charley Rekstis ’20 Assistant News Editor Alex Karpinski ’20 Assistant News Editor Alex Mark ’20 Editorial Page Editor Ann Marie Maloney ’18 Assistant Opinions Editor Dominique Joe ’19 Lifestyle Editor Amber Denham ’18 Assistant Lifestyle Editor Emily Graham ’20 Sports Editor Alex Hargrave ’20 Assistant Sports Editor Nick Karpinski ’21 Photo Editor Luke Malanga ’20 Assistant Photo Editor Matt Barrett ’21 Creative Director Kaitlyn Patterson ’20 Social Media Manager Kelly Smith ’19 Assistant Social Media Manager Erin Castellano ’20 Business Manager Jarrett Hurms ’18 Advertising Manager Richard Bell ’18 Distribution Manager Addie Guyer ’19

Opioid Issue Matt Haubenstein ’15, M.A. ’18 Editor Emeritus Cover Photo Caption: Juan Rivera Serrano, 48, a former resident of a Philadelphia heroin encampment known as El Campamento, stands outside the gates of Philadelphia's Social Services Hub, created to help people struggling with homelessness and addiction. Serrano accepted the help that was offered. After going through detox and seeking medical treatment, Serrano discovered that he had pancreatic cancer. Now sober, he hopes to return home to Puerto Rico to continue to fight his pancreatic cancer. Olivia Heisterkamp ’19 Special to The Hawk Opioid Graphic Luke Malanga ’20 Photo Editor Back Cover Photo Caption: A used needle stuck in the grass outside the McPherson Square Library in Kensington.

Our country is in the midst of an opioid crisis, and if Philadelphia is not at the epicenter of this crisis, it is close. Pennsylvania has the fourth-highest overdose death rate in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Here in Philadelphia, more than 1,200 people died of overdoses in 2017. Around the city are encampments where individuals use opioids and live if they are experiencing street homelessness. As one aspect of a larger plan to combat the epidemic, the city is planning to encourage and facilitate the opening of safe injection sites, or what the city is calling Comprehensive User Engagement Sites. Safe injection sites are facilities that allows people to use opioids with the supervision of medical professionals and provide medical intervention, sometimes life-saving, as needed. Such sites are supported by those who advocate harm-reduction responses to substance use. Whereas the mandatory sentencing minimums of the war on drugs focused on disincentivizing drug dealers and users by inflicting stricter penalties, harm-reduction policies focus on preventing overdose deaths and limiting other adverse public health effects. Some Philadelphia residents have objected to the opening of a safe injection site in their neighborhoods due to concerns that

safe injection sites would draw more people using drugs and more crime to their area. While the community’s concerns ought to be addressed, and the opening of any safe injection site must be done with the constant consultation of the community where the site would be located, previous research shows that such concerns about a link between safe injection sites and increased crime, drug use and overdose deaths are unfounded. In Vancouver, Canada, where the first safe injection site in North America was opened in 2003, the area of the city around the facility saw a 35 percent reduction in overdoses, compared to just 9 percent in the rest of the city. Previous research by the city estimated that just one safe injection site in Philadelphia could prevent 24 to 76 overdose deaths, 1 to 18 cases of HIV, and 15 to 213 cases of Hepatitis C. The research also concluded that a single site might also reduce public injections of drugs. The city and its hospitals would save millions of dollars which could be re-allocated to further efforts in the opioid crisis. At St. Joe’s, we have a host of recovery supports, including the Allies in Recovery Group and on-site Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings. The National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Drug Abuse specifically recommends peer recovery support services as im-

portant treatment options for adolescents. The Hawk is also reporting that the Institute of Clinical Bioethics (ICB) is exploring the possibility of opening a Center of Addiction for the purposes of providing education, research and policy proposals for addressing substance use disorder as a public health crisis. Such a site would be a tremendous service to the city, and an imperative one at that. Though the opioid epidemic is already devastating, it is likely that we haven’t yet seen the peak of the crisis. Efforts by the city of Philadelphia to combat the opioid crisis prove the idea that some of the more controversial solutions are the best. With this in mind, St. Joe’s should further consider taking steps to open an addiction center and contribute to helping students and Philadelphians with substance use disorder.

—The Hawk Staff

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

Correction: For the article “Study draws mixed returns,” writer DeShawna Briscoe ’19 was given the class year 2020. Her actual class year is 2019. Correction: The caption for the picture in the article “It’s On Us” originally gave photo credit to Luke Malanga ’20. The photo was taken by Matt Barrett ’21. Correction: Alexa Pollice ’21 contributed to “Surge in youth activism” in the March 7, 2018 issue of The Hawk.

SIXERS CLINCH PLAYOFF SPOT For the first time since the 2011-2012 season, the Philadelphia 76ers have clinched a playoff spot in the Eastern conference of the NBA. With the remainder of the team's regular season not fairing too much of a challenge, the Sixers seem to be in a fantasitc spot for the playoffs. Especially with the addition of Markelle Fultz, No. 1 Draft pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, to the roster, the Sixers' are going to have a great postseason run. STUDENT ACTIVISM The student activism on display at the March for Our Lives was downright inspirational, and in general, students across the country on both sides of the issue have started speaking up in the wake of the Parkland shooting. The buzz of activism developing on college campuses and high schools is palpable and exciting, and the meme-based signs that students carried at the marched demonstrated the special flair that teens and young adults bring to their activism. ADMITTED STUDENTS DAY St. Joe’s is hosting admitted students on campus April 7-8, and we’re excited to meet them. It’s exciting every year to share our campus, school and experiences with a new group of potential students. Plus, the abundance of good food in Campion is an added benefit. BASEBALL SEASON The baseball season officially starts on March 29, and the Philadelphia Phillies play their first game of the season that day as well. Nothing screams summer like going to a baseball game with your family on a sunny day, and just the thought of a balm dollar dog night at the stadium has us itching for summer.

MARCH TO MAY With Easter break coming earlier this year than in years past, the long trudge to the end of the semester is looking longer than ever. And for seniors graduating in May, the month and a half to the ceremony on May 19 seems like a lifetime away. Still, when we think about all of the work we have yet to finish in the intervening time, the month or so we have left can’t possibly be long enough. APRIL FOOL'S DAY April Fool’s Day is perhaps the lamest day we celebrate in this country. Not one person bats an eye when flipping the page on the calendar from March 31 to April 1, and yet every year, companies and organizations insist on inflicting silly and usually lackluster pranks and gags on their users and customers. We’ll pass on those this year, thanks. COURSE REGISTRATION Juniors, sophomores and freshmen dread this time of the semester, when we have to stress about what classes we’re taking once we return in September. Pick times are a total luck of the draw, with those unfortunate enough to get 3 p.m. as their time having our deepest sympathies. MAKING UP FOR SNOW DAYS To make up for our two snow days, professors are scrambling to edit their syllabi in order to cram everything into the five weeks of classes we have left. It only means more work for us, unfortunately.


Opinions

6

March 28, 2018

Restrict choice, restrict freedom The necessity of a woman's right to abortion

BRITTANY SWIFT ’20 Columnist The state of Mississippi passed the Gestational Age Act on March 19, which bans most abortions after 15 weeks—the most restrictive abortion law any of the states. With only one abortion clinic in the entire state, Mississippi already poses unnecessary obstacles to women’s reproductive rights. Although this single abortion clinic has sued the state for violating precedent abortion rights cases—which prompted a federal judge to momentarily put a hold on the law— the Gestational Age Act could hurt many women in the state who already must go out of their way to find safe access to an abortion. Even more troubling, this new law does not provide exceptions for survivors of rape or incest—the only exceptions cover women facing life threatening complications during their pregnancy. In comparison, Pennsylvania allows a woman to obtain an abortion any time in the first six months of pregnancy. A 15-week maximum gives women less time to consider a life-changing decision, let alone actually obtain an abortion in the state (since about 91 percent of Mississippi women do not have an abortion clinic in their county). Governor Phil Bryant of Mississippi claims that this law is “saving more of the un-

born than any state in America.” While protecting the rights of unborn children should be a priority at some point, we should not sacrifice the rights of women or ignore the potential consequences of further impeding Mississippi women from obtaining a safe abortion during early stages of pregnancy. One unintended consequence of passing this strict law is the stress it specifically puts on poor women who want an abortion. As of

spread unless we demand a right to our own bodies and decisions. A choice is not present if a state has only one abortion clinic for all of its residents and can only perform an abortion during the first 15 weeks of pregnancy. Science still questions when a fetus becomes viable, and until we have concrete answers, we need to promote legislation that best protects all parties, namely mother and child. If a woman’s body cannot sustain preg-

We cannot sacrifice any woman’s rights to satisfy our own beliefs. 2017, Mississippi ranks as the poorest state in the country, with the most amount of people falling below the poverty line. Many women who want an abortion may seek one for financial reasons. The Gestational Age Act only further restricts these women from making their own choices and could further strain low-income populations in the state. Mississippi also has one of the highest maternal mortality rates during childbirth in the nation—about 40 women in every 100,000 women died between 2010 and 2012. Many of these deaths could have been avoided if these women had access to the ability to safe abortions. We need to look at the larger picture. Anti-abortion legislation and fervor is spreading in the United States and will only continue to

nancy, or if a woman chooses to obtain an abortion for another reason, she should have access to a doctor who can guide her through all the options and an available abortion clinic if necessary. As a country, we should remain concerned about restricting women’s rights to their own bodies. Strict laws like the Gestational Age Act could spread to more states if we don’t demand respect and a right to at least have an option. We cannot further restrict those without privileges or access to resources by only offering abortions to some women. We cannot sacrifice any woman’s rights to satisfy our own beliefs. We cannot let someone else restrict our freedom to choose.

Cambridge Analytica and Facebook Crafting your psychological profile

CARTER TODD ’19 Columnist A recent report by The Observer revealed that Facebook had worked with a British political consulting firm, Cambridge Analytica, relinquishing personal information of over 50 million users without their consent. To many, this comes as a huge shock to learn that such a large and well trusted tech company would so easily give away users’ data. Others may not be surprised by the lack of ethics displayed by Facebook. As many know, social media websites such as Facebook are collecting massive amounts of data on their users. We would like to think that there is an intense vetting process to make sure that the people who have access to users’ personal information are only those who need it., but this is not the case. Facebook is operated and controlled by a man who has once referred to Facebook users as “dumb fucks” simply for trusting him with their information. What’s truly unfortunate is that Mark Zuckerberg probably has a good point in saying this. Given the massive amount of data Facebook has stockpiled over the years, it’s easy to see why Steve Bannon and the rest of his pals at Cambridge Analytica sought out access to such information. Thanks to Facebook’s

“Graph API” platform, which the company describes as “the primary way to get data into and out of the Facebook platform,” Bannon and company had an unfettered path to over 50 million users’ personal information through Facebook. This data was used by Cambridge Analytica to craft a psychological profile of individuals to increase reach and find what makes voters tick. By simply knowing what voters “like” on Facebook, Cambridge Analytica was able to have a pretty good idea of other personality traits. Though simply “liking” a television show or a band may seem rather benign,

about you. Cambridge Analytica would use several likes, your location, age, etc to have a much more specific idea of who each of the 50 million people they exploited were. The idea that Facebook is accumulating so much data about its users is unpleasant enough. Knowing how lax they are in sharing this data with third parties is alarming., Many people will make a decision to delete their Facebook accounts as a result of these reports, while the vast majority will, as they have before, perhaps feel invaded briefly and knowingly carry on with the hand they’ve been dealt by Facebook.

We’d like to think that there is an intense vetting process to make sure that the people who have access to users’ personal information are only those who need it, but this is not the case. it actually could reveal more about you than you realize. In 2013, three researchers at Cambridge University published work showing how Facebook likes reveal other things about each user. For instance, the study explained that “users who liked the ‘Hello Kitty’ brand tended to be high on ‘openness’ and low on ‘conscientiousness,’ ‘agreeableness,’ and ‘emotional stability. This is merely one facet of understanding how much your online profile could reveal

Facebook’s reach is unlimited and deleting your account won’t change that. What’s more effective is to take a stand by action to help prevent companies like Facebook from giving up such information to those who are seeking it out only for selfish interests. Rather than dealing with issues like this by dismissing Facebook entirely, it is far more productive to ensure that they are held accountable for their actions.

Building relationships, not just homes KAITLYN PATTERSON ’20 Columnist Another “Appalachian Experience” has come and gone, and with the so-called “APEX high” lingering on the St. Joe’s campus, many students question whether people do service trips for the right reasons, or if service trips are even important at all. It’s tempting to sign up for a trip like APEX to get more involved, make new friends, or even to get a good Instagram post. But service trips, especially ones that St. Joe’s offers, provide something far more valuable than all of that. They provide opportunities not only to give, but to learn. Although I am a huge advocate for service trips, I’ve often questioned whether going on a trip like APEX or the winter and summer immersion programs is even worth it—not necessarily for the participants, but those who they are serving.

Service experiences put things in perspective, make us aware of our privileges and inspire hope to make the world a better place. We come back with new friends and a feeling that we did something good for the world, but what do the people we leave behind get? A new porch and the same situation they were in before we came. We pay $400 or more to drive down and serve people who make less than that in a month. Is what we do important? Does is actually help anyone? Why do we travel all this way just to build a porch? Why us? We go to listen to their stories and bring them back with us. We go to immerse ourselves into a community that differs from ours. We go to face the harsh realities of other parts of the world that are not as fortunate as we are here in Philadelphia. We go to build relationships. The reality of service trips is that it is not about what you are doing for the people you are helping; it is about what you are doing with them. The project we work on is the bridge that connects us, college students from Philadelphia, to people who may live a completely different lifestyle than us. We go to stand in solidarity with them and to support each other. Service experiences put things in perspective, make us aware of our privileges and inspire hope to make the world a better place. A service trip’s importance doesn’t lie solely in the porch you build, the walls you paint, or the roof you fix. The people you encounter, the stories you hear, the community you are invited into—that is the important part of service trips. It’s about bringing the lessons you learned back to your own life and using those lessons to make the world a little brighter each day.


Opinions

March 28, 2018

7

Gun violence in America

The hidden connection of identity, intersectionality and privilege VICTORIA TRALIES ’18 Columnist The first time I saw a gun, I was on a family trip in Arizona. Holding it between my hands, it felt heavy and cold, in comparison to the Phoenix heat. It was a privileged way to see something so dangerous for the first time. The second time I saw a gun, I left a family party distraught and in tears, struggling with a memory I wouldn’t soon forget. The March for Our Lives, organized by survivors of the Parkland shooting in Florida, took place on Mar. 24. Hundreds of thousands filled the streets of Washington, D.C. to fight for stronger gun control in America and eradicate the senseless violence that has taken so many lives. In 2016 alone, over 11,000 died in the U.S. because of a murder or manslaughter from a firearm, the BBC reported. Growing up, listening to news stories on recent gun violence felt normal from an early age, but seeing a gun in Arizona a few years later felt surreal. The memory faded in my mind until around age 14, when I went to a party at my cousin’s house and a young-

er second cousin – a child – led me to the basement. There were guns in a closet, and his broad excited eyes told me that they enticed his naïve curiosity. I hurried the kids upstairs, frightened by the accessibility of weapons in such a public situation. Gun culture and the violence it bears is nothing new in America. Mass shootings

them in full riot gear, and at times attacked them with tear gas. By contrast, the largely non-black student activists from Parkland have been invited to a CNN town hall event with lawmakers.” Hoffman’s argument rings true. The March For Our Lives seems more amicably welcomed by the American public,

Experiences of violence are deeply intertwined with privilege and marginalization, and gun violence shows divides in who it affects. represent some of the most gruesome parts of a trigger-happy culture cultivated by the National Rifle Association, which poured 203.2 million dollars into American politics between 1998 and 2017. But looking further into the gun debate shows that most gun related deaths involve identity, intersectionality, and privilege. Last month, on Black Voices, Sarah Ruiz Hoffman of the Huffington Post wrote: “When black activists have taken to the streets to protest police shootings, members of law enforcement have met

who largely appear more comfortable with the pacifism of white teens than their black counterparts. Experiences of violence are deeply intertwined with privilege and marginalization, and gun violence shows divides in who it affects. In a world where all women remain vulnerable and marginalized, domestic violence is a real problem. If that seems implausible, consider that 50 American women die by firearm from an intimate partner in an average month. Wondering if the women who are my

friends and relatives might ever wince or plead at the barrel of a gun makes me disgusted and nauseous. So does gun violence in Philadelphia taking victims on a daily basis; the thought that had I been born a different skin color, I might not feel like I could trust the police. The faces of 14 Parkland shooting student victims who never got to enroll in college or move into a dorm room reminds us of the awareness that some people prioritize the Second Amendment over others’ lives. There is the overwhelming fear that a loved one might be a victim of a gun-related crime. 20 dead children at Sandy Hook trusted they would come home from school that day. That afternoon back in 2014 when I sobbed outside my cousin’s house, and told my parents everything. I hadn’t told them until I burst into tears only ten feet from the house after my parents and I had left. It took minutes for me to explain that the guns in the basement scared me straight, sitting in an unlocked closet. I remember the look of my younger cousin’s eyes, full of interest and delight and the blood-curdling anxiety sunk in my own, at the fear of a deadly weapon and the innocence of a child.


8

Opinions

March 28, 2018

Listen to the kids

Taking young activists seriously ANN MARIE MALONEY ’18 Editorial Page Editor Since the Parkland shooting in February, we’ve seen a lot of student activism and students speaking out against gun violence. We’ve also heard from a lot of adults, even on both sides of the gun control debate, discounting these students because they’re “just kids.” It seems reasonable to be a little skeptical of taking suggestion from teenagers on a policy issue as complicated as gun rights, guaranteed in our Constitution. But here’s why I think we need to listen to the kids speaking up and take them seriously. In my political science classes, I’ve learned that good public policy needs to be informed both by academic and professional experts on the issue a policy is seeking to alleviate. Additionally the experience and suggestions of people who will be most affected by policy changes should be considered. I attended a small March for Our Lives event on March 24 in Norristown, Pennsylvania, a small city near where I live in Montgomery County. It was attended by around 400 to 600 people according to the organizers. The rally afterwards didn’t

feature any celebrities or politicians, other than a local candidate for the state House of Representatives and a few people who served on their district school boards and county Democratic committees. Instead, the rally became a sort of open-mic event, wherein the members of the community raised their voices against gun violence. The speakers I appreciated the most were, fittingly, the students. They were all from local schools, and spoke eloquently

The experience and suggestions of people who will be most affected by policy changes should be considered. on a range of issues, but especially emphasized the emotional impact of school shootings on themselves and their school communities. I was born in 1996 and remember the fear that 9/11 inflicted on my kindergarten class and older kids, who grew up learning about the constant threat of terrorism. But even my peers don’t know what it’s like to learn run, hide, fight strategies and practice active shooter drills in school every year starting at the age we were in 2001— just four, five or six years old.

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Though I remember experiencing 9/11, and people older than me remember running nuclear threat drills during the Cold War, I’m not sure we will ever be able to understand the devastating emotional impact of living in this era of school shootings. The students speaking up can. The Parkland students can tell us about the trauma of surviving a mass shooting, many students in Philadelphia can explain the trauma of losing friends and family members to gun violence and

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attending schools with armed guards school police officers, and students as young as preschoolers can tell us what it’s like to be taught to run, hide and fight by their teachers in school. Students also know that you have to do your homework before you can speak with authority on an issue. In the wake of Parkland, we have heard adult after adult say one uninformed thing after another—the most recent example being former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum saying kids should learn CPR so they can

respond to active shooter situations, even though CPR can’t keep someone alive if a bullet tears through their critical organs. At my local march, the student speakers demonstrated how informed they were on the issue. They discussed with eloquence the complexity of the problems like poverty and access to mental health care that contribute to gun violence in the U.S. In the month and half since the Parkland shooting, the Parkland students have worked to inform themselves on gun control policy as well as the political process and the influence of money in politics. They’ve shown how much they’ve learned in countless appearances on television, interviews with news media and meetings with government officials. Even Pope Francis has spoken of the students. In his Palm Sunday address, the pope said, “dear young people, you have it in you to shout.” We should make sure their shouts fall on ears willing to listen. Many of the students who spoke at both my local march and the D.C. march were 11 to 17 years old, most of whom will not be eligible to vote in the upcoming midterm elections, some of whom won’t be able to vote in 2020, but all of whom are committed to vote as soon as they are able. In the meantime, we can at least hear them out.


Lifestyle

March 28, 2018

9

The faces of the Kinney Center Kinney Center SCHOLARS offer support

TIFFANY LEVINE ’18 Special to The Hawk With approximately 30 of its SCHOLARS, set to graduate in May, the Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support is about to lose 20 percent of its student staff. Currently, 146 students participate in the SCHOLARS program, which trains undergraduates to assist with year-round programs offered by the Kinney Center. SCHOLARS stands for Students Committed to Helping Others Learn about Autism Research and Support. Destiny Green ’18 is one of those graduating seniors. She has been working at the Kinney Center since her senior year of high school. “This is the reason I chose Saint Joseph’s University,” said Green, who is an interdisciplinary health services major and autism studies minor. Green said she was drawn to learning more about autism after helping two cousins who are on the autism spectrum. “It sparked my interest to learn more, and I fell in love with it that way,” Green said. SCHOLARS used to be hired during a small application process that took place once a year, according to Christopher Fox, assistant director of programs at the Kinney Center. But since the Kinney Center has grown - now serving over 850 families SCHOLARS are hired year round. The Kinney Center also offers three trainings a year for SCHOLARS, in August, January and May. SCHOLARS are trained for a minimum of 20 hours. The work SCHOLARS end up doing is as varied as the programs that Kinney offers,

from assisting St. Joe’s students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the university’s ASPIRE program, to helping adults in the Adult Day Program who have aged out of the school system. About eight to nine SCHOLARS work closely with students in the ASPIRE program. Patrick Gorman ’18 has the distinction of both having been in the ASPIRE program and now working as one of the SCHOLARS. Last fall, he assisted the Kinney Center with a new robotics program for kids with ASD, a perfect fit for Gorman’s information technology major. “After one year of being a part of ASPIRE program as a student, I wanted to help give back to the incoming students,” Gorman said. Like Gorman, David Hummel ’20 is both a student with ASD and a SCHOLAR. “I wanted to join Kinney because that way I can not only be able to express myself more, but at the same time understand more about what it means to be autistic,” Hummel said. In addition to ASPIRE, SCHOLARS can work with programs such as Youth Social Skills, Transitional Social Skills, Adult Life and Social Skills, Family Night Out, Sports and Recreation, and summer programs, including Camp Kinney. “They work one-on-one with an individual with autism and they work on different social skills, different life skills, and just preparing them for some things that are outside Kinney,” said Alexa Musumeci, assistant director of program support. “They work all our different programs.” Julia Ford ’18 works with adults in the Day Program, and said she wished she had applied to be a part of the SCHOLARS pro-

Juliette Joseph ’20, one of the Kinney SCHOLARS, poses with one of the Camp Kinney attendees in 2017.

gram earlier in her academic career at St. Joe’s. “The learners make me smile every single day,” Ford said. “The kids here are genuinely happy and that makes the rest of the SCHOLARS happy.” Kinney’s summer camp programs need the support of about 110 to 120 SCHOLARS, according to Fox. A former member of the SCHOLARS program, Erin Breen ’19 worked at Camp Kinney in 2016 and 2017, the first summer with kids ages 7 to 11 and last summer with kids ages 3 to 5. “Camp Kinney is beautiful in its ability for the SCHOLAR to see their impact on the lives of the children and clients,” Breen said. “It is hard to put into words the feel-

ing of fulfillment and pride that comes with helping someone you've grown to really care about learn skills they will use for the rest of their lives. Gorman said the formula for success as a SCHOLAR is simple. “You need a willingness to work with sometimes challenging children and adults and a desire to help people,” Gorman said. The challenges also come with rewards for the students who choose to be SCHOLARS. “I think everyone that has been there has benefited somehow,” Ford said. “Those kids touch everyone.” That’s been the case for Hummel, too. “I just received so much strength and courage from it,” Hummel said.

Live from St. Joe ’s

St. Joe ’s reaches out to alumni across the country DAVID HANSLER ’20 Special to The Hawk St. Joe’s took a show on the road to Miami, Florida last month, hosting its first talk in a new series called SJULive. SJULive features lectures by university community experts hosted in various cities around the country. Alumni are invited to attend in person, but the lectures are also live streamed with viewers able to post questions and comments in real-time on Facebook. Lec-

tures are also available for later viewing on the SJU Alumni website. The inaugural lecture took place Feb. 7 and featured Richard Gioioso, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science and director of St. Joe’s Latin American Studies program, and John Caulfield ’73, former chief of mission for U.S. Interests Section in Cuba. The two spoke about “Cuba After the Castros,” discussing the future of Cuba’s political system after Raul Castro steps down next month. “The point of [the series] is for St. Joe’s to

Alumni gather for an SJULive series presentation (Photo coutesy of Tina Hennessey).

feature faculty, in this case, and in some other cases, to feature notable alumni and to connect with alumni in the environment where they’re living,” Gioioso said. “So, we’re not asking them come here, but we’re going there.” About 60 people attended the Cuba discussion in Miami. Many others, including current students, alumni and parents of students, tuned in online. The recorded lecture has now been viewed nearly 2,000 times. George Kamanda ’16 commented on Facebook during the lecture: “This program is great for the global image of Saint Joseph's University! As a global hawk, and a 2016 POL and IR graduate, I couldn't be more happier. Kudos Saint Joseph's University Alumni Association! I'm here to the end. This is exciting! #global Hawk #Magis.” The most popular lecture so far this semester is “The Power of March Madness,” which took place March 7 in Washington, D.C. and featured Joe Lunardi ’82, director of marketing and broadcast services for the athletic department, John Lord, Ph.D. ’71, professor emeritus of sports marketing, and retiring St. Joe’s athletic director Don DiJulia ’67. The video of the event has been viewed 2,045 times so far. Connor Dehel, assistant director of Alumni Relations, said that the series has been well-received by alumni so far, and many are looking forward to the upcoming events. “We’ve never really done something like this, so it’s a good opportunity for us here at St.

Joe’s to tell our story,” Dehel said. “We’ve been pretty successful. A lot of the feedback we’ve been getting is that it’s some of the best events that alumni have attended so far, which is always a great thing.” The next lecture, “Living in Limbo: Healthcare & the Undocumented Immigrant” will take place April 3 in Moorestown, New Jersey. Peter A. Clark, Ph.D., S.J., ’75, and fellows from the St. Joe’s Institute of Clinical Bioethics, will talk about the impact of deportation and increasing healthcare costs on undocumented immigrants. The last lecture of the semester will feature Tenaya Darlington, associate professor of English and director of the Writing Studies program, and her brother, Andre Darlington, with their topic being classic cinema. The Darlington siblings are co-authors of several books, including “TCM’s Movie Night Menus,” which discusses the role of cocktails in Hollywood films, and have appeared on the Turner Classic Movies channel to discuss films. “It’s a way for the new president to connect to alumni, to bring professors and writers to alumni and to create an unforgettable experience for people who went to St. Joe’s who might want to connect with each other and maybe the institution,” Darlington said. Emily Graham ’20 contributed to this story.


Lifestyle

March 28, 2018

10

Why we relay

Relay for Life prepares for their big event EMILY GRAHAM ’20 Assistant Lifestyle Editor Hagan Arena will fill with passion, excitement and hope for the 2018 Relay for Life, a 24-hour fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, on April 13. The Relay for Life organization at St. Joe’s works year-round to plan and organize the event, which features various activities and opportunities to donate the cause. Jillian Rogers ’18, event chair of Relay for Life, said extensive planning goes into every aspect of the event. “I’ve been planning since the day after relay last year,” Rogers said. “It’s an all-year event to plan and organize things, to get sign-ups from day one and to market the event. We still have a lot to do.” According to Rogers, the organization is made up of eight committees that handle a different responsibility. This year, Relay for Life has its highest membership ever, with either three or four executive board figures and over one hundred members in each committee. The executive board meets every Tuesday, while all of the committees meet every other Tuesday. The executive board members said they are grateful to have so many people to contribute this year. “We are being innovative and thinking of new ideas,” said Laynie Schaffer ’19, team development chair. “I have a really great committee, and they offer really great ideas, so it’s been a lot of fun working with them.” Many of the ideas come from group collaboration, including this year’s theme, which is board games. A new committee was created this year to focus on creating the theme.

Theme chair Kara Evans ’20, said the committee made a poll so the whole organization could vote on what theme they wanted. Now, they are working on making that idea a reality. “We’re creating decor and props basically out of budget,” Evans said. “We’re using the graphics room in campion and cardboard and stuff around that we have just to make the event space more alive and fun.” In addition to preparing the themed decorations, the team development and marketing committees have been working to promote the event through social media, fundraising events and personalized emails to encourage participants to return. “Our job is like being that support system for all the other committees if they’re planning an event or having some type of fundraiser,” said Katie Hoover ’18, marketing co-chair. According to Rogers, there are over 550 people registered so far, and they expect to reach at least 1,000 in the final weeks and the day of the event. Rogers said that as a senior, it has been moving to see the progress the organization has made since her first year. In her first year, the goal was $68,000, and this year, they are striving for $88,000. “I haven’t encountered one person who hasn’t been impacted by cancer at some point in their life unfortunately,” Rogers said. “It hits home for all of us, so come, and even if you can’t, signing up is your donation. The $15 is one ride to and from treatment for somebody who doesn’t have a ride to get there, so you’re directly benefiting somebody.” Relay for Life supports a well-known cause, but the members also said it is an impactful event to be involved in on campus.

Exec Board members with one of Relay's themes: the power of hope (Photo courtesey of Jillian Rogers ’18).

“Being at St. Joe’s no matter what committee or club you’re part of, [it’s] cool to see how all these people come together,” Hoover said. “You make a connection that way. Obviously it’s awesome to see the progress of the event and how it’s benefiting such a good cause, but also it’s nice to get to know so many different people.” For students who do not have a team to join, they can still register as an individual participant. Rogers said that is a concern that discourages many people from attending, but it should not be the reason someone doesn’t go. “Chances are even if you don’t think you know someone who’s involved in it or who’s

going, you’re going to walk in the door and see 50 different people you know,” Schaffer said. “It’s a good way to meet new friends, too.” Whether students attend as a team or [as an] individual, the Relay for Life organization hopes that everyone will experience the event at some point during their time at St. Joe’s. “Whenever someone hears cancer they think negative, but it’s such a huge event with so much happiness and positivity that you don’t really see it on the side of cancer,” Evans said. “It’s amazing to be a part of and to feel that kind of hope and happiness with the word ‘cancer’ plastered everywhere.”

Shine bright like the Diamond Club The Student Union Board held the 11th annual Black and White Ball on March 23 at the Diamond Club at Citizens Bank Park. The event included a buffet-style dinner, professional photography and a night full of dancing. Here are some of the highlights from the night.

Students get a wide variety of dinner options at the buffet-style food stations (Photos by Dylan Eddinger ’19).

Part of the night was set aside for taking professional photographs with friends under the ballpark lights.

In addition to the outside pictures, students took pictures inside in front of a beautiful backdrop.

On the dance floor, students dance beneath multi-colored lights.


Lifestyle

March 28, 2018

The drive to graduation

Google Drive limits outgoing seniors DAVID HANSLER ’20 Special to The Hawk As seniors look toward graduation in May, some are already preparing for the inevitable: losing their school email accounts and the contents in the Google Drive attached to it. While Morgan Hayes ’18 set up a personal Gmail account for herself in high school, once she came to St. Joe’s, she started using her St. Joe’s email and Google Drive account for “pretty much everything,” she said. Because she wants to keep the poems and creative writing she has stored in her St. Joe’s Google Drive, she has already begun taking steps to save that work. “I created a new email address and sent my important files to the new account,” Hayes said. The Office of Information Technology (IT) procedurally sends several emails to students post-graduation notifying them of the date their account will become deactivated, according to Olivia MacKenzie, associate director of IT service management. These emails also include links to resources that explain frequently asked questions, including how to backup data on the Google Drive. Jillian O’Neill ’18 is not waiting for those emails. She also has begun taking steps to save much of the work she has stored on her school drive, specifically papers, research and articles she can only access through the library. “If I do something in a Google Doc, I’ll

Seniors begin the process of transferring their Google Drive documents (Photo by Luke Malanga ’20).

copy and paste it into a Word document to make sure I have it,” O’Neill said. “So, I have everything on multiple different platforms just to make sure I have it backed up and saved.” However, Hayes and O’Neill may be more prepared than many of their peers. “We have a lot of people come in, and they have never backed up anything,” MacKenzie said. “So, they only have their stuff stored on their computer and if, god forbid, something happens to your computer, all of that is lost.” David Parry, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of communications studies, said students should consider having two Gmail accounts, one for school and one for personal content. “I think it’s smart for students to have one Gmail account they use for all their

work and share and participate in the Google ecosystem so that they can collaborate with their peers, send their instructors things,” Parry said. “But then have a separate account where they keep all their things not school related.” Students who have reached their senior year not having prepared for this issue can start sharing contents of their Google Drive folders with themselves, MacKenzie recommended. “It works pretty much the same way that you would share out stuff to one of your friends through Google Drive,” MacKenzie said. “You can just share the entire contents of your folder. But then you are also transferring ownership, so you make that other account the owner.”

What's the password?

Followed By a Bear presents Night of Scenes JILLIAN BUCKLEY ’20 Hawk Staff EMILY GRAHAM ’20 Assistant Lifestyle Editor Followed By a Bear, St. Joe’s student-run theatre company, put on their annual themed Night of Scenes on March 23. The theme was “What’s the Password?”, with students who were interested in submitting a script having to incorporate the phrase in their writing. The group’s executive board wanted to find a phrase that was relevant and had both positive and negative connotations, according to treasurer Kayla Evangelisto ’19. Evangelisto, who also directed the scene “The Soccer Moms,” added that the creativity shown by the writers was incredible because everybody had a unique take on the phrase. In the eight scenes that were performed, some scenes used the phrase in a comedic way, while others were more dramatic. Erin Denenberg ’19 acted in a scene entitled “Deadline” and also submitted a script of her own, “Woman to Woman,” one of the more serious scenes in the show. “[Woman to Woman] sort of stemmed from the ‘Me Too’ movement...I think it’s important that women support each other,” Denenberg said about the latter scene, which sees a novelist confront and later sympathize with her husband’s mistress. Preparation for the Night of Scenes was a collaborative effort. The process involved script submissions, script workshopping, director selections, auditions, and weekly rehearsals. Tom Smith ’18, president of Followed By a Bear, said he enjoyed watching the

scenes develop. “For the most part, it was the executive board’s job to throw the night together,” Smith said. “I got to see the scenes come together from the beginning, which was really cool. The go through a lot of growth.” Despite numerous challenges, including the placement of spring break and snow days, Evangelisto said the company still pulled off the event. “We always have a pretty dedicated bunch...I mean, you never can ask for more than that. People just really care a lot, which is really nice,” Denenberg said. Anthony Paparo ’18 has been involved with the group since his freshman year, and directed the scene “Set Up” for “What’s the

Password?” Paparo said Followed By A Bear is made up of talented and dedicated students, and that as a senior, he is assured that the company will continue to be successful. “The company should be in good capable hands, so I’m excited to see what they’ll do in the future,” Paparo said. Even though there was a large audience and positive feedback, Followed By a Bear always strives to expand their audience and their members. “We will never not want to talk to anybody,” Evangelisto said. “We want as many people that want to be involved to be able to be involved in the arts, because everybody should be able to follow their passions.”

Ceili Hamill ’20, Megan Gentleman ’20, Mattie Yoncha ’20 and Emily Newcomer ’18 as “The Soccer Moms” (Photo by Rose Weldon ’19).

11

Sudoku


Lifestyle

March 28, 2018

12

Good to know our Hawks

University-based podcast series focuses on faculty research AMBER DENHAM ’18 Lifestyle Editor Over the past semester, the Office of Marketing and Communications at St. Joe’s began a community-based podcast series titled “Good to Know.” This podcast, with its debut episode released on Jan. 12, focuses on a different faculty member each week in a 10-25 minute segment about expertise in their field where they have recently completed research, regarding a topic that is contemporary, or is just simply interesting. Jeffrey Martin ’04, ’05, M.A., senior associate director of University Communications and host of “Good to Know,” vocalized the importance of showcasing the professional work being done at St. Joe’s.

“It’s our mission here in the office of marketing and communications to promote St. Joe’s and all the great things we do,” Martin said. “One of the most important parts of that is to promote the great work being done by our faculty. We’re always looking for an interesting way to do that, and over the last semester, we came up with an idea to do a podcast where we featured faculty research.” Though the podcast is still in its initial stages, Martin explained that it’s the university’s goal to highlight professors of both the Haub School of Business and the College of Arts and Sciences right from the beginning. The first guest of “Good to Know” was Jennifer Tudor, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, regarding her research on the effect sleep deprivation has on the protein synthesis required for proper memory formation

The recording space is set up with show notes and microphones (Photo by Jeffrey Martin ’04, ’05, M.A.).

and the importance of getting a full eight hours of sleep. “I've only been on campus for a yearand-a-half, so I was honored to be considered,” Tudor said in an email correspondence. “My lab focuses on several different areas, but my sleep research is most relatable and accessible. Almost everyone experiences times when he or she is sleep deprived, so it was an easy choice.” While “Good to Know” has primarily focused on faculty research in the first five episodes of the series, the committee hopes to delve into what research students are working on in the near future. “We are certainly open to the possibility and excited about the possibility of interviewing students with any research that they’ve done,” Martin said. “It’s just the timing of when we came up with the idea for this, it happened to align with a bunch of faculty early on, but if there’s a student who has done some interesting research, we’d love to interview someone from there one day.” Student presence is still seen in the behind the scenes aspects of the podcast. Austin Sbarra ’18 created a special arrangement for the show’s theme song. “I got an email from Jeff [Martin], he said he wanted theme music [and] he wanted it to be an arrangement of our alma mater, so he wanted something based on already written alma mater,” Sbarra said. “My focus in jazz piano and jazz, which jazz involves a lot of taking a song and making different versions of it, so jazz musicians will all play the same song, but in different ways. And the whole time I was doing this, Jeff was giving me what he was hearing at the time and

I’d do my best to reflect that.” The unique style of “Good to Know” allows for the St. Joe’s community to get a glimpse of the wide variety of research to learn from in a short period of time. “I was an English major here, and got my Masters in Writing Studies - that’s my expertise, but to be able to hear the professors talk so passionately, I learn a lot from them and how good they are as teachers,” Martin said. “They can explain it [their research] really well in just those 20 minutes. You can get a good grasp on what their research is in a short amount of time, and I think that’s remarkable.” As podcasts are becoming increasingly popular in today’s culture, “Good to Know” arrives on campus at the perfect time. “I’m actually a big fan of podcasts, so I was pretty pumped when he [Jeff] told me the university was coming out with their own,” Sbarra said. “I’m a communications secondary major and I’m taking a class on podcasts right now. I’ve loved every episode so far, and not going to lie, I get a little kick out of hearing my credit every time too.” Despite this being her first podcast, Tudor described how the short, overall discussion of her research is just enough to engage the community. “I learned years ago that if I can deliver one point or one idea well to an audience, that one salient idea will last for a long period of time,” Tudor said. “It is a great way to get a ‘snapshot’ of the all the amazing work that is done on campus. If you listen, you may learn something new.” “Good to Know” is available to listen for free on many platforms, specifically iTunes and the St. Joe’s website.

Explore Philadelphia this spring Five things to do from March to June

ANNIE CLARK ’19 Copy Editor From Old City to Fairmount Park, Philadelphia is home to a wealth of activities. Here are just a few happening this spring: Fringe Arts, a local theater organization, hosts several productions throughout the year, as well as their annual Fringe Festival every September. Upcoming productions in March and April include the First Person Arts StorySlam, a slam poetry event with the unique aim of encouraging participants to share stories surrounding a specific theme, and April Scratch Night, where local artists can share excerpts from projects including theater, performance art and dance. The First Person Arts StorySlam will be held March 31 at 7:30 p.m., with the theme of “Parched,” and April Scratch Night will be held on April 2 with a time to be determined. More information about both events can be found at FringeArts.com. Eastern State Penitentiary will host its sixth annual Pop-Up Museum on March

30, running until April 8. This year’s theme, “Walls Make Good Neighbors,” is tied to the 100th anniversary of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The museum is an exhibition of the Penitentiary’s archives, photographs, and even magazines produced by former inmates. Tickets can be purchased at EasternState.org. A ticket to the museum is also included with the price of admission to Eastern State Penitentiary’s regular tours. For those 21 and up, Parks on Tap is a traveling beer garden whose first appearance will be in the Azalea Garden in Fairmount Park beginning April 25. Parks on Tap will visit 23 local parks in 23 weeks, featuring an outdoor barbeque and games at every event. More information, including times and dates for each location, is available at ParksOnTap.com. Night Skies at the Observatory at the Franklin Institute runs once a month until November, with the next event being held on April 10. Tickets are only $10 ($5 for members), and programming includes hands-on astronomy demonstrations, live presentations, sky

Logan Circle is a popular spring location in the city (Photo by Jarrett Hurms ’18).

viewing with real telescopes and showings at the Institute’s Fels Planetarium. More information can be found at FI.edu/Special-Events. Later on this season, Radio 104.5’s 11th Birthday Show will be held on June 17 at the BB&T Pavilion in Camden, New Jer-

sey. Featured acts include Thirty Seconds to Mars, CHVRCHES, Portugal. The Man, Misterwives, The Neighborhood and more. More information and tickets can be found at Radio1045.iHeart.com.

Follow The Hawk on social media @SJUHAWKNEWS


Sports

March 28, 2018

13

Emerging as a leader

A defining year for junior Tim Brennan DAN MATRANGA ’21 Hawk Staff Since freshman year, junior pitcher Tim Brennan has developed his game on the mound through solid preparation, consistent guidance and a love for the game. Coming into junior year, Brennan wanted to establish himself as an even more dominant player in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Brennan emphasizes his constant focus and preparation throughout the game. Brennan discussed how the first step of preparation is leadership. “This year was a big step for me,” Brennan said. “As I began to grow and mature, I realized that being a more vocal leader could enhance the team’s success on and off the field.” Brennan emphasized how leading his team seems easy, but it is a tough job. “The best quality of a leader is not caring if they are liked, but trying to demand respect,” Brennan said. In Brennan’s mind, after leadership comes the actual physical and mental preparation and focus before each game and practice. If an athlete is talented, he said, there is a natural obligation to work hard at improving their skill set. “As a baseball player, you can only throw so many balls,” Brennan said. “It’s not

Tim Brennan winds up for a pitch (Photo courtesy of SJU Athletics).

like basketball where you can put up 1000 shots. There is a limited number of chances to get better. The amount of focus I have helps me get more out of myself as a player.” Brennan’s work ethic and preparation does not go unnoticed by his coaches and teammates. Head coach Fritz Hamburg recognizes Brennan’s constant work ethic on and off the field. “Tim is driven to be great and has certainly had a nice career here,” Hamburg said. “Tim has definitely got a lot going for him in the future, and we want to see him succeed.” Hamburg emphasized his respect for

Brennan as an athlete but more importantly as a person. He also discusses the importance of pairing talent with a solid work ethic. Brennan describes his pregame ritual as being “pretty typical.” Before each game, he likes to listen to the same playlist, as most players also do, but he also likes to dribble a basketball or shoot free throws before a game to get loose and feel warm. This season, Brennan has focused on changing his game a bit. Playing in Cape Cod league last summer has improved his ability as a ball player. He has developed himself into more of a strikeout pitcher as

opposed to a ground ball pitcher. “A strikeout pitcher does not give the hitters a chance to put the ball in play,” Brennan said. “If you give guys a chance to make contact then errors could be made and guys get on. Striking a guy out gives them zero chance of getting on.” Brennan has made a giant step this year in improving his game. Going into this week, he currently has only two walks and 33 strike outs. While facing Florida International University last week, Brennan went into the ninth inning with only 67 pitches. His fastball ranges from low to mid 90’s with a lot of movement. Hamburg said Brennan’s playing gives hope to the team. “Every Friday when he pitches, we all know we have a great chance to win,” Hamburg said. “When guys like that are on the mound, everyone plays better and Tim always gives a great start.. Brennan’s main goal is to win an Atlantic 10 championship with his team. He also hopes to become the A-10 conference Pitcher of the Year and get drafted after his junior year. Brennan and his teammates will next play three conference games against La Salle University in Philadelphia, from March 28 to March 31.

Faith amidst the Madness

Behind the success of Jesuit basketball LUKE MALANGA ’20 Photo Editor Sunday masses and theology classes are staples of Catholic colleges. At Jesuit universities across the country, one other tradition holds as true as religious identity – basketball. Every year, come March, these small Jesuit institutions show their faithful devotion to basketball, consistently proving to be fierce contenders. Jesuit schools have historically been disproportionately successful in basketball, especially during “March Madness”. Of the 351 Division I college basketball teams, 21 are Jesuit. Every DI Jesuit school has made the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, and Jesuit teams make up five of the 35 schools that have won the tournament championship. Deanna Howes Spiro, director of communications for the Association of Jesuit College and Universities (AJCU), attributes the historical success of Jesuit basketball

programs in part to the presence of Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) basketball. “There’s a very rich history in the United States of Catholic youth basketball leagues,” Spiro said. “This starts at the grade school level and then colleges become a natural extension of that.” Frank Allocco, associate athletic director at the University of San Francisco, who is also the administrator of the East Diablo CYO League, believes that many Jesuit basketball teams are packed with players who have CYO roots. For Alloco, the playing experience is important, as are the valuable life lessons. The Catholic basketball tradition can be traced back to the early 1900s. An influx in Irish, Italian and Polish immigrants who lived in urban areas resulted in a culture of basketball among the poorer community. In Catholic urban schools, basketball became the sport of choice, foregoing football because of the expense. Jesuit schools, which were one of the first orders of educators within the Catholic Church, became the culmination of this

Junior guard Lamarr Kimble pictured with a tattoo of praying hands and a basketball (Photo by Luke Malanga ’20).

Catholic youth basketball upbringing. Now, basketball is part of Jesuit DNA. William Rickle, S.J. who serves as the chaplain to the St. Joe’s athletic department, believes the institutional values of St. Joe’s, rooted in catholic and jesuit tradition, tie closely to basketball. “When we just had schools for young men one of the sayings was, ‘You never know a student fully until you’ve seen him on the field or on the court’,” Rickle said. “And that is a reflection on the fact that ‘care for the whole person’ means seeing that student in all the dimensions of their life and not just the classroom.” Jesuit institutions are now using basketball as a way to highlight what makes their schools unique. Rickle believes that how the team performs, not just in terms of winning games, but in their respect for the sport, each other and their opponents, can help present the institutional values of St. Joe’s and its Jesuit identity. “Watching the coaches and their interactions with the players, they’re constantly urging them to practice teamwork, to have personal integrity, to be able to think on their feet, both on the court and off,” Rickle said. “If our players exhibit those characteristics that really does shine fourth, because not all teams do that.” According to Rickle, Jesuit schools are connected both through their institutional and catholic values as well as through basketball. Joe Lunardi ’82, ESPN “bracketologist” and director of marketing and broadcast services for the athletic department, wanted to figure out just how connected Jesuit basketball teams were. What he discovered was that Jesuit teams compete almost 100

times per season when you combine men’s and women’s games. The AJCU, with the help of Lunardi, established the Jesuit Basketball Spotlight (JBS) to use basketball as a way to shed a light on Jesuit higher education. According to Spiro, the goal of the program is to use basketball as a vehicle to raise awareness of Jesuit education. The ultimate goal is to someday host an all Jesuit basketball tournament. For now, Jesuit schools are using the spotlight of the NCAA tournament to show the country what it means to be Jesuits. Alloco believes Jesuit teams are “modeling how to play the right way and for the right reasons.” Graduate student Amanda Fioravanti, a forward on the St. Joe’s women’s basketball team, said acting selflessly on and off the court has led to success in the game and in life. “Being on a jesuit team challenges you to be more and do more for others,” Fioravanti said. “It’s not all about yourself. As a team you face a lot of challenges and you come together and you conquer that together.” This year, Loyola University Chicago has turned heads with their run to the Final Four. On the sideline sits their 98-year old chaplain, Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt. Each game she leads the team with a scouting report – and a pre-game prayer. Some are calling it a “cinderella” story, but there’s no fantasy to the team's accomplishments. It’s the same grit, and devotion that’s been behind Catholic basketball success since before the CYO days. Perhaps the holy grail of basketball culture still lies in the humble abode of Jesuit gyms and their faith-filled approach to the game.


Sports

March 28, 2018

14

Looking for a repeat

Rowing seeks another successful season ALEX HARGRAVE ’20 Sports Editor Coming off of successful seasons, the St. Joe’s rowing teams hope to have a repeat performance. In 2017, the men's rowing team's Varsity 8 boat earned second place at the Dad Vail Regatta, the largest collegiate rowing event in the nation with over 100 schools in attendance. Their silver-medal performance was the program’s best since 2003, and it earned them an at-large bid to Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) National Championship. St. Joe’s has not made it to the national championship since the late 1990’s, according to men’s head coach Mike Irwin. The Varsity 8 came in 22nd out of 24 boats, making them one of the top 25 in the nation. The program graduated five seniors, four of whom were in the three varsity boats. There are still numerous returning athletes who know what it is like to make it to the national championships and plan to get back there this season. “In earlier years, we weren’t at a level where we could talk about being at the national championship,” Irwin said. “We could talk about it as a long term goal but not a seasonal goal.” The men’s rowing squad boasts a roster of 38 athletes, more than most teams on campus. Their numbers give them depth

that allows them to have three varsity boats and a number of novice boats. According to Irwin, who has been in charge of the program for seven years, every member of the team is crucial to the program’s success. “It doesn’t matter if you’re in the top boat or the bottom boat, or even a spare to the bottom boat, there’s value to everyone in creating energy in the boathouse, energy in the room, energy in the water” Irwin said. “Our first Varsity 8 isn’t going to be successful if our second Varsity 8 isn’t pushing.” The Hawks place emphasis on the fact that even though their team hopes to make it back to the IRA championships, they are not the same team as they are last year. Irwin said that because the program is in its 64th year, they call themselves “Team 64.” Instead of comparing themselves to their opponents around the country, the team builds off of what they did in the past and be better than they were the previous year. “Each year we create our own identity,” Irwin said. “We don’t expect to be like team 63, because some of those people graduated, and we have some new freshmen coming in. Each year the team personality is going to be a little different, so it is about embracing that change where we’re not trying to be last year’s team. We’re trying to be the next step forward, whatever that may be.” The women’s crew team was young last season and still garnered success. Most

The Hawks compete on the Schuylkill River as their home river (Photo courtesy of Sideline Photos, LLC).

freshmen on the team competed at the Varsity level, but the freshman squad still went 9-1 on the season. “We had ups and downs as we got acclimated to being college freshmen and the rigors of division I training,” women’s head coach Gary Quinlan said. “We’re really looking forward to this season, because we were so young and still had a lot of success last year.” According to Quinlan, all of the team’s boats made it to the final in the Dad Vail Regatta, a feat that the team does not always accomplish. The Varsity 8 won a bronze

medal as well. The Hawks did not make it to the NCAA national championships, as they tied for fifth place in the Atlantic 10 Championships. This season, they hope to win it now that they have more experience under their belts and nine seniors to guide the effort. “I think we’re poised to do that for this year and the next few, because we’re still very young,” Quinlan said. The men’s and women’s squads will compete in the Murphy Cup in Philadelphia on March 31.

Gaining new leadership

Club basketball finds success without a coach RYAN MULLIGAN ’21 Hawk Staff With a heartbreaking loss to Princeton University in the regional semifinal last weekend, the St. Joe’s club basketball team ended its first player-coached season with its highest finish in recent history. Coached by senior captain Brooks Lloyd, the club basketball team is comprised of St. Joe’s students with experience playing basketball at a competitive level. They play throughout the fall and spring semesters and primarily face off against other local club teams in their conference, which includes the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, University of Delaware, Neumann University and Rowan University. However, with the departure of their former coach just before the beginning of the year, the players were tasked with managing themselves with Lloyd at the helm. “I would say that being a player coach is a little bit more difficult,” Lloyd said. “In game situations, you’re trying to focus on both things. Being on the floor, you’re usually just thinking about your own play.

Now I’m responsible for everyone’s play as well as managing the game.” The team has had a paid coach in the past, but due to funding cuts, they transitioned to a player coached team this year. About 50 percent of the teams St. Joe’s takes on are also led by students, Lloyd said. As a captain, Lloyd volunteered to fill the role with the help of two other co-captains. While he admitted to a changing role in game situations, Lloyd’s position brought its most unexpected challenges off the court. He had to shift his focus from simply playing, to now being tasked with running day to day operations. “Going into the year, we thought we were going to have a coach so we had to figure something out before the season started,” Lloyd

said. “As a player-coach, I stepped into that role and had different responsibilities. Scheduling the week was hard. I had to get gym time, schedule games, and get referees for games. I also had to run tryouts and make cuts, which wasn’t easy.” Having a player as a coach brings a different dynamic to the team and the game as a whole. It is one that the players themselves seem to prefer. Junior captain Jake Milligan, who has played on the team since his freshman year, saw a difference in the team this year with the players leading the way. “This is actually the first year we have been player coached and this is the farthest we have made it in the regional tournament,” Milligan said. Lloyd agreed, pointing to the team’s chemistry as a differentiating factor in their success. “I think a lot of our success this year is because we are a player

Graphic by Kaitlyn Patterson ’20.

led team,” Lloyd said. “The team is much closer as a group now and we can come together to make decisions in the team’s best interest.” Club sports offer a competitive alternative for athletes who want to continue playing their sport at a high level and continue to develop their skills. The basketball team follows the tradition of the varsity team and is one of the most select clubs on campus. “The majority of our team has varsity experience,” Milligan said. “But that’s not to say that you can’t play if you didn’t play in high school.” Milligan himself is one of the few players on the team that didn’t play on his school’s high school team. “I didn’t play basketball in high school,” Milligan said. “But I tried out the fall of my freshman year and now I am a starter on the team. Playing club basketball has helped me learn how to play real basketball. There is so much more to basketball than what you do in pick-up games, and that’s something I’ve learned through club.”


Sports

March 28, 2018

15

Remembering Mark Dombroski

St. Joe’s Prep and Archmere rugby teams pay tribute to player ALEX HARGRAVE ’20 Sports Editor As the game clock ticked down to zero, a hawk flew over Sweeney Field as if on cue as three communities - Archmere Academy, St. Joseph’s Preparatory School (The Prep) and St. Joe’s - joined together for the day to honor the life of Mark Dombroski ’21. Rugby teams from Archmere and The Prep faced off at the university on March 25. The Prep took down Archmere, 52-12, but the score was the last thing on people’s minds. The two teams came together to honor the life of Archmere graduate and St. Joe’s freshman Dombroski who died while on a rugby tour with his team in Bermuda over spring break. The Archmere and Prep communities came together to pay tribute to Dombroski just under a week after he was found

dead from a fall on March 19. The day started with a mass, where both teams and their families were welcomed, followed by a prayer on Sweeney Field. Hawks’ rugby head coach Dan Yarusso spoke on Sweeney about how the tributes should not end here and the community should continue to honor Dombroski’s legacy for years to come. Archmere was scheduled to play the Prep prior to this week, but after Dombroski’s death, the teams decided to have their match on campus. Campus Ministry was instrumental in organizing the event along with the Hawks’ rugby team. As chaplain to the Athletic Department, William Rickle, S.J. was involved in planning the tribute with Archmere and The Prep. “It’s another expression of solidarity,” Rickle said. “A good number of our students are Archmere and St. Joe’s Prep graduates.” Because Dombroski only graduated from Archmere in 2017, he played rugby

with the majority of the players on the field. Archmere wore black armbands with his initials, MD. Before the game, The Prep presented Archmere with T-shirts that have Dombroski’s number, 15, and both teams’ logos that read “with you.” According to Prep senior and rugby captain Brendan Heffernan, the gesture was one of respect. “Such a tragedy happened so close to our game, within a week’s notice,” Heffernan said. “One of our coaches thought it was a good idea to make the shirts with Mark’s initials.” The Prep is no stranger to tragedy, as the school had two students pass away in the past four years. “The rugby community is pretty wide, and we try to stick together,” Heffernan said. Despite the cold weather, there was a large turnout to honor Dombroski. The Hawks’ rugby team was in attendance, including sophomore Tanner McIlrath, who gradu-

ated from Archmere in 2016. He played rugby with Dombroski in high school and college. “It was great that everyone from Archmere got to come out,” McIlrath said. “It’s more than just St. Joe’s and Archmere because the whole Prep came and a lot of parents from the team.” The Prep beat Archmere by 40 points, but the teams joined together after the game for a reception with the Hawks’ rugby team and the St. Joe’s community. The game was a salute to Dombroski’s life with the game he loved. Assistant director of campus recreation Angie Nagle had a hand in planning the day, and she recognized the impact it made. “Having Archmere, St. Joe’s Prep and St. Joe’s rugby, along with parents and alumni and just the general St. Joe’s community [was important],” Nagle said. “I think today was a day about a tribute to Mark and the legacy he leaves.”

From left to right: An Archmere player wears a “with you” shirt, an Archmere player wears an armband with Dombroski’s initials, freshman Ryan O’Neil stands with an Archmere player (Photos by Luke Malanga ’20).

From the land down under to St. Joe’s

Freshman attack Stephanie Kelly starts her career off strong NICK KARPINSKI ’21 Assistant Sports Editor Freshman attack Stephanie Kelly captained the Australian Women’s 2017 U-23 Asia Pacific Lacrosse Championship (ASPAC) held in Fukuoka, Japan and Jeju Island, South Korea. Kelly also led the U-18 Victoria State team to a national title, a runner-up finish and a third-place finish. She was a four-time “Most Valuable Player” for the squad. Earlier in her career, Kelly was a representative for the 2015 U-19 Australian Women’s World Cup Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) in Scotland. She was Australia’s leading scorer, with 25 points as the team finished in fourth place. In her debut season for the Hawks, Kelly has established herself as a prominent player in the Atlantic-10. The two-time A-10 rookie of the week said that her technical play as a lefty and positive energy allow her to contribute on the field. “I’m a very strong lefty on the team,” Kelly said. “I also bring a lot of fun and excitement. I try to keep everything positive on and off the field.” Women’s lacrosse head coach Alex Kahoe said that Kelly has stepped up and established herself as a major part of the offense. “She has come in as a freshman and real-

ly made her mark on the offense,” Kahoe said. “She’s stepped up to be a key player for us.” As a result of her diverse lacrosse experience, Kelly said that international play is significantly different than college. “The coaching style is different in America,” Kelly said. “It’s a lot more insightful. Compared to games in Australia, it’s much more aggressive and fast-paced here.” Kelly said that her transition to college lacrosse was difficult at first. She said it was challenging to adjust to the level of play. “I’ve had international experience previously, but college is another step up,” Kelly said. “It was hard to get used to. You have to be quick otherwise you won’t do well. “ Kelly said that she has been able to grow as a leader throughout her experience at St. Joe’s. “I feel comfortable enough around players to say what I want to say,” Kelly said. “Since being here, my leadership skills have definitely improved.” Kahoe said that Kelly’s significant role in the offense has helped her to step up as a team leader. “At certain moments, She’s put in the role as the quarterback of the offense, “Kahoe said. “As a player behind the crease, there’s definitely times she needs to step up and be a leader.” Kelly said that she’s developed as a player throughout this season but she can still

make improvements. “I’ve definitely developed since I first came in,” Kelly said. “There’s still room to improve. During practice, I’m working on different positions so I can be everywhere on the field.” Kahoe said that Kelly needs to continue working on team chemistry to further herself as a player. “She needs to continue to build chemistry with her teammates,” Kahoe said. “She needs to embrace her role. Every day she’s

coming out of her shell more and more.” Even though Kelly is in the early stages of her college career, she said that she has bigger goals for the future. “I want to keep developing every year as a player,” Kelly said. “Once I graduate, I definitely want to play in the World Cup. After that, I’ll reassess.” Kelly and the Hawks will begin conference play on March 29 at home on Sweeney Field against University of Massachusetts.

Kelly runs downfield (Photo by Sideline Photos, LLC).


Sports

March 28, 2018

16

Jill Bodensteiner poses with the Hawk mascot (Photos by Luke Malanga ’20).

Welcoming Jill Bodensteiner to Hawk Hill St. Joe’s announces new athletic director

ALEX HARGRAVE ’20 Sports Editor It has been 30 years since the university has had to search for a new athletic director. The search came to an end last week when the university announced Jill Bodensteiner, J.D. as the next athletic director. St. Joe’s Athletic Director Don DiJulia is retiring after a 35-year career in Division I athletics. Bodensteiner’s appointment makes her the first female athletic director in St. Joe’s history. “If the fact that I’m a woman could help other women, that’s a great thing,” Bodensteiner said. “I’ve already heard from numerous young women who said ‘this gives me hope’ and ‘thank you for being a role model’ so if that’s an extra benefit, I’m really delighted to be able to play that role for them.” Bodensteiner, who graduated from the University of Notre Dame, will be among a mere nine percent of athletic directors who are female. At the start of the 2017 season, there were 35 female athletic directors out of 351 NCAA Division I schools. University president Mark C. Reed, Ph.D. was responsible for hiring Bodensteiner, along with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). According to Reed, over 50 people expressed interest in the athletic director position. After reviewing applications, the search was narrowed to 12 applicants and from there, they seriously considered three candidates. Bodensteiner will be working closely with Reed as the director of the university’s Division I athletic programs. “I was looking for someone that I would partner well with, that wouldn’t necessarily tell me what I wanted to hear but would tell me at times what I needed to hear,” Reed said.“Someone who could challenge me and someone who perhaps I could challenge going forward.” Bodensteiner began working at Notre

Dame in 1997, as an attorney in the Office of the General Counsel. She worked closely with athletics in this position, providing legal advice and handling coaches’ contracts until she made the move to the athletics department in 2009. Five years ago, Bodensteiner was promoted to senior associate athletics director. Bodensteiner has worked with the NCAA on issues such as financial support for student athletes. In the past, scholarships only covered their tuition. Bodensteiner’s work with the NCAA helped change the definition of a scholarship, as many institutions around the country now offer stipends for personal expenses for students who are on full scholarships. Most of her work at Notre Dame was done with women’s basketball as the team’s sport administrator. She worked closely with the program’s head coach, Muffett McGraw, a 1977 St. Joe’s alumnus. Bodensteiner has certainly left her mark at Notre Dame, and she intends to leave a legacy on Hawk Hill as well. “I want to put my own stamp on a place, and I couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity to do that here,” Bodensteiner said. “There’s a great foundation, and we’re going to think big. I’m really excited to put my stamp on it, but it won’t be just my stamp because we’re going to do this collectively.” What drew Bodensteiner to St. Joe’s is the sense of community along with the Jesuit tradition. Not only did she come from a Catholic institution like Notre Dame, but she also has a background of faith. Bondensteiner’s father is a civil rights lawyer, her mother was a therapist and her sister is an educator at Notre Dame Law School. “I was raised with primary values of social justice,” Bodensteiner said. “The whole notion of a holistic education and social justice is really what drew me to the Jesuit tradition.” For Bodensteiner, the Jesuit education offered at St. Joe’s is invaluable for student athletes.

“We will not shy away from issues of social justice, and we will embrace and model our inclusion and love for one another during these divisive times in our society,” Bodensteiner said. “We will strive to live greater.” The student athlete experience is Bodensteiner’s main focus coming into her new role, and she said it is why she is involved in college sports. Notre Dame is famous for its academics along with its athletics; in 2017, the university posted the highest NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) at 98 percent. Graduation in Bodensteiner’s eyes is a minimum requirement, but it should not be the only concern of an institution. The only way students will get the most of their experiences is if they immerse themselves in their education. “There’s a difference between getting a GPA and enough credits to graduate and engaging in the process,” Bodensteiner said. “What these student athletes are getting in exchange for all the wonderful moments they give us and our fans is an education, and if they don’t take advantage of it by truly engaging in the Jesuit tradition and a holistic education then they’re missing out.” Reed emphasized the academic expectation of student athletes as well, along with the

notion that they should feel confident in their ability to be successful in competition. “Winning and competing is for the student athletes; we want them to take the court, go out on the field, on the water, wherever it is, and feel good about themselves, feel that they’re prepared, feel that they have the support of the institution, and feel that we are doing everything we can to support them in their athletic endeavors and their academic endeavors,” Reed said. Notre Dame basketball is part of the Atlantic Coast Conference, and Bodensteiner is excited to be part of the Atlantic-10 and the Big 5 Philadelphia rivalry, which she referred to as one of the best in college sports. Bodensteiner’s athletic background is in basketball, as she played in high school and coached at St. Mary’s College, a Division III program for six years when she was practicing law. She considers St. Joe's to be a good fit for her because of its prestigious basketball program. “I’m a basketball person, it’s a basketball school, and I couldn’t be more excited to work with the basketball coaches, Phil [Martelli] and Cindy [Griffin],” Bodensteiner said. Bodensteiner will officially begin work at Hawk Hill on June 1.

Bodensteiner high-fives student athletes.


March 28, 2018

INSIDE PHILADELPHIA'S

OPIOID EPIDEMIC

21

Students research safe injection sites Institute looks to reshape addiction training and treatment

LUKE MALANGA ’20 Photo Editor More than 1,200 people died from drug overdoses in Philadelphia in 2017, according to estimates from the Mayor’s Opioid Task Force. This death rate is motivating the Institute of Clinical Bioethics (ICB) to take action through research of safe injection sites. Peter Clark, S.J., Ph.D. professor of medical ethics at St. Joe’s, is leading a team of researchers that include three St. Joe’s undergraduate students in the ICB, two medical residents at Mercy Health and four medical students at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM). The team is preparing a research paper that will, in part, provide specific recommendations to the city of Philadelphia on how to open and operate a safe injection site effectively. One of the ultimate goals of the project is to provide the groundwork for establishing a Center for Addiction at St. Joe’s. “There are some benefactors who are in discussion with the administration about possibly starting a Center for Addiction that would come under the Institute of Bioethics.” Clark said. “The center would be three pronged – focusing on education, research and public policy of addiction.” Philadelphia has become the epicenter of this drug crisis, according to Sonul Gulati M.D., a resident at Mercy Catholic Medical Center who is examining the medical implications of the opioid epidemic as part of the research project. “Though the city has tried its hand in a number of different ways at battling this intractable issue, it has failed as the number of drug-related deaths and infections here are rising in alarming numbers,” Gulati said. The 1,200 opioid overdose deaths are four times the number of homicides in Philadelphia in 2017, according to the Philadelphia Police Department. Fentanyl, a synthetic opiate, has been responsible in large part for the rapid increase in opioid overdose deaths. As a result, city officials are looking for new tactics to combat what has become the deadliest drug crisis in U.S. history. District Attorney Larry Krasner, Mayor Jim Kenney and healthcare commissioner Thomas Farley are all in favor of making Philadelphia the first city in the U.S. to provide safe injections. The site would allow

From left to right: Kevin Cooney ’19, Priscilla Rodriguez ’20, Olivia Nguyen ’20 and Peter Clark, S.J., Ph.D. discuss their opioid research (Photo by Luke Malanga ’20).

users to come to a facility and inject with clean needles while medical professionals carefully monitor their health. This harm reduction approach aims to prevent the spread of disease and reduce overdose deaths as well as provide services to connect users with rehab specialists. Sam Schadt ’14, now a medical student at PCOM, has been researching a safe injection site called Insite that has been operating in Vancouver, Canada since 2003. Schadt and the research team are examining Insite to see how a similar site might work in Philadelphia. “They’ve seen thousands and thousands of heroin addicts that come in and out and there have been multiple heroin addicts that have actually overdosed in the clinic, however no one has died,” Schadt said. “And it’s an opportunity for people to face their habit one-on-one because these clinics are staffed with healthcare workers as well as psychiatrics.” Despite support from government officials in Philadelphia, the practice of giving users a space to inject heroin and other opioids is controversial, according to Schadt.

“You’re allowing people to inject themselves with an illegal drug, a scheduled class one drug,” Schadt said. “But, if you look at the grand scheme of things, of what they're doing in Vancouver, they’re saving a lot of money and they’re saving a lot of people’s lives. So we are looking at that as a way to model a potential pilot project at St. Joe’s.” The research team plans for their paper to include a cost-benefit analysis of safe injection sites in Philadelphia. They are also examining how medical education can play a role in addressing the opioid epidemic and addiction as a whole. “This isn’t going to be corrected until we train new physicians in medical school, train the residents and even train the undergraduates,” Clark said. “Unless we address this issue educationally and practically through protocols, we’re not going to go anywhere with this – it’s only going to get worse.” Training on addiction has been a missing part of medical education, according to Schadt. “I didn’t receive any classes on pain man-

agement and I didn’t receive any education on addiction and specifically any information about the opioid epidemic,” Schadt said. While the education of future doctors is a focus, Clark and his team want to find a way to respond to the current opioid crisis. Clark said he knows the recommendations of their research study might be controversial and expects pushback. “I think it’s going to create chaos,” Clark said. “I presume we’re going to propose yes for the safe injection sites and that’s going to anger a lot of people. ‘How can a Catholic institution have these people proposing this?’ I think it at least will start the dialogue.” Clark, a Jesuit and an ethics professor, said he is “willing to take the battle” for safe injection sites amidst concerns from some catholic conservatives and other skeptics. “They’re going to have to listen to the facts. So I think our job is to present the facts on it,” Clark said. “If you truly believe life is sacred – we have the highest death rates due to opioids in the country – so why wouldn’t we try whatever we need to try in order to solve these issues?”

(Statistics courtesy of Mayor’s Opioid Task Force)



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