Nov. 6, 2019

Nov. 6, 2019

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Volume C

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Est. 1929

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www.sjuhawknews.com

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The Student Newspaper of Saint Joseph’s University

Approximately 1,800 St. Joe’s community members gathered in Michael J. Hagan ’85 Arena for a campus-wide forum on racism. PHOTO: MITCHELL SHEILDS ’22/THE HAWK

St. Joe’s hosts University Forum on racism CARLY CALHOUN ’21 Assistant News Editor CARA SMITH ’21 News Editor A forum attended by approximately 1,800 St. Joe’s community members was held on Nov. 4 in Michael J. Hagan ’85 Arena in response to a series of four reported racial bias incidents that occurred on campus this semester.

Wadell Ridley, MBA ’19, interim chief inclusion and diversity officer, told the audience St. Joe’s has never organized a forum of this magnitude.

“It’s important to make sure that everybody knows how important it is, and that everybody really has a part,” Ridley said. “It’s incumbent on all of us to learn how to respect each other, respect culture, respect differences, respect race, sex, sexual identity.”

The two-hour forum included speeches from students, faculty, staff and administrators. The audience heard from 10 students of color from diversity organizations and two professors of color, who were invited to recount their experiences in prepared remarks.

Azizat Osinaike ’22, publicist for Bridging the Gap, said in her speech that she has experienced racism not only from students but also from her professors.

Osinaike recounted an experience as the only black student in her class where she was made to defend her race.

“Why am I made to feel uncomfort-

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able at a private institution that prides itself on inclusivity and diversity?,” Osinaike asked. “People think incidents of bias and racism only happen at a student to student level, but that is not the reality.”

Madelyn Rose ’22 said after the forum that hearing stories directly from students who have experienced racism was powerful.

“A lot of those people who spoke, I knew a lot of them,” Rose said. “Some of them were people in my classes, and it hits you personally to see if I was in a class and they felt that way in the classroom.”

Like many of the student and faculty speakers, Jane Ingram-Noel ’20, co-president of the Black Student Union (BSU), said in her speech the university needs to commit to action.

“I need St. Joe’s to act and work toward an inclusive community for all on this campus,” Ingram-Noel said.

Several of the student speakers told The Hawk they were required to allow administrators to see their speeches beforehand.

“I ad-libbed,” Ingram-Noel said. “I understand that they don’t want us to go up there and say anything that’s on our mind because it might not be filtered for them. But I also think if this is going to be a forum about the real truth and truth of it, we should be very open to it and not censor what needs to be said.”

Aisha Lockridge, Ph.D., associate professor of English, and Susan Clampet-Lundquist Ph.D., professor of sociology, were supposed to talk about anti-racism and reconciliation at the forum but ultimate-

ly did not participate. Lockridge said their segment was cut because the screens for the PowerPoint presentation were not working, which was essential to their presentation.

“Of course I am disappointed,” Lockridge said. “I think that an education piece was really important for today, and I think that it is missing.”

Despite classes and most on-campus activities being canceled, many members of the St. Joe’s community did not attend the forum.

“Take note of who is here and who is missing,” Zoe Welsh ’22, University Student Senate (USS) inclusion and equity council member, told the audience.

Adam Mullin ’20, president of USS, acknowledged during his presentation that those who attended the forum have a responsibility to carry the forum’s message to absent members of the St. Joe’s community.

“I hope that even if you didn’t come, the presence of your peers and people who work at this institution who were here tells you something about the community we stand for and that you’re either with us or you’re against us,” Mullin said.

Laura Crispin, Ph.D., associate professor of economics, said she attended the forum because it is important to be an ally to minorities in the community.

“I think at least, at the very least, everyone is being pulled together,” Crispin said. “I want people who are bystanders to step up and to speak out using their privilege for those people who feel like they can’t speak out for themselves.”

Some attendees said they wished the program had included an opportunity for audience members to share their own opinions and experiences.

“I think it could’ve been more open to people to just come up and speak if they wanted to, for maybe a short amount of time,” Andrew Finnegan ’23 said.

Finnegan and a number of other students left after the student and faculty speakers were finished and when forum organizers shifted to explaining the procedures for reporting bias incidents.

“I thought the main point of it was to hear the student perspective and the faculty perspective on it, and I think I got that,” Finnegan said. “I don’t really need to hear about the legislative part of it.”

Joseph DiAngelo, Ed.D., dean of the Haub School of Business, said the forum is a good start but more needs to be done.

“There needs to be more dialogue amongst the students, to see the pain that students go through when they experience this,” DiAngelo said.

Despite not being able to present her prepared presentation at the forum, Lockridge said she is glad the forum was organized. She echoed many of the students and faculty who did present, calling for change.

“We have to have something, something has to change, and I feel like this was the attempt to do that,” Lockridge said.

Alex Hargrave ’20 and Carolina González ’20 contributed to this story.

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Nov. 6, 2019

The Hawk Newspaper

News

St. Joe’s holds “Vape Escape” event

SJU Vape Escape was held outside of the Post Learning Commns and Francis A. Drexel Library. PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

ANNIE MEKO ’22 Hawk Staff About 27 e-cigarettes were dropped off at tables for the “Vape Escape” event set up outside Campion Student Center and the Post Learning Commons (PLC) and Francis A. Drexel Library on Oct. 30 as part of an effort by SJU Athletics and the department of health sciences to educate students about the dangers of using e-cigarettes.

Eric Laudauo, senior associate athletic director for high performance, said the goal of the event was to educate e-cigarette users and to create a safe opportunity for students to quit vaping.

“We want to create awareness and be

visible on campus and provide an opportunity and platform for anyone who is currently vaping to turn in a vaping device, no questions asked,” Laudauo said.

As reported in a previous story by The Hawk, the Student Health Center has urged students to stop smoking e-cigarettes immediately. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that the number of cases of e-cigarette related illnesses increased to 1,888 cases in 49 states as of Oct. 29. There have been 37 deaths associated with e-cigarette use in 24 states including Pennsylvania.

The CDC updates this data weekly.

Eileen Bevilacqua, R.N., director of the Student Health Center, said materials are

available to students about the dangers of e-cigarette use and how to stop, even if a student is not ready to turn in their device.

“The main goal is to encourage students to quit vaping,” Bevilacqua said.

“And to educate the students on the dangers of it.”

Carly Rodriguez ’23 dropped off her Blu and Juul e-cigarettes and said she hopes quitting her e-cigarette use will be a step in the direction of a healthier life.

“I realized there are a lot of teenagers and kids dying from vaping and there are a lot of mishaps going on,” Rodriguez said.

“I really wanted to put one foot forward and make a change hopefully not only to make myself better and healthier but ev-

eryone else healthier as well.”

The e-cigarettes were placed in designated bins for disposal by a hazmat company. According to Bevilacqua, the batteries from the e-cigarettes would be recycled.

Samira Toure ’23, a student working at one of the tables accepting vapes said that even if someone is not ready to fully turn in their device yet, there are still steps to take.

“I know that it’s hard, especially at our age,” Toure said, “If they’re not ready to turn their device in, we have stuff to get you to start [quitting]. I know friends of mine who are addicted to it, so I try to tell them, just go out for a week [without it] and see how that works. Sometimes it helps.”

Poets link Catholicism to poetry ANTHONY D’ANGELICO ’23 Special to The Hawk CARA SMITH ’21 News Editor Pádraig Ó Tuama, theologian and poet, and Marie Howe, the 2012 State Poet for New York, held a poetry reading in honor of those who are marginalized by the Catholic Church on Oct. 29 in the Cardinal Foley Campus Center.

“Moving Beyond Belief: poems and stories in conversation with Catholicism” was sponsored by the Faith-Justice Institute and the English department. Ó Tuama and Howe read three poems each, which focused on their personal struggles with religion and marginalization. At the end of the event, the poets held a Q&A session where students and faculty could ask further questions about religion and poetry.

Howe said there is a deeper meaning to poetry than what is portrayed in classrooms. “[I hope] that [people] will realize that poetry is for them and that it belongs to them,” Howe said. “That they can read it without suffering, without having to write a paper about it, or pass a test about it.”

Vithida Sok ’23 attended the event because she is currently studying Howe’s poetry in her English class.

“It was different being able to hear her read it versus when I was reading it,” Sok said. “It gave it a whole new perspective.

This is my first time being introduced to poetry and Catholicism.” Ó Tuama said his relationship with poetry helped him discover his own identity as a Catholic.

“I find that the whole hope of liturgy is that you’re creating something that gives you a sense of meaning,” Ó Tuama said. “Even, especially, if you feel that meaning is losing or fading away.” Ó Tuama, who identifies as gay, said it was frustrating when his religion came between himself and his sexuality. As a child, Ó Tuama was forced to participate in conversion therapies like exorcism.

“Communities that have felt marginalized have been feeling like our visibilities are denied and our voices aren’t amplified,” Ó Tuama said. “And so visibility of voices that aren’t divorcing faith and the truth about our sexuality and it’s an amplification of that.”

Similarly Howe’s brother, who also identified as gay, died of AIDS in 1989.

Since then, she has found herself writing in what she calls “the hole that his body left behind.” Howe feels strongly about how the LGBTQIA+ community is viewed inside and outside the Church. Ó Tuama hopes he can increase the visibility of the LGBT+ community through his writing and teach others how to be more accepting of themselves.

“I hope that they are listening to themselves,” Ó Tuama said. “I would never assume that I could open anyone’s eyes, but I

would hope that people might think, ‘Yeah, I listen to myself now.’”

After listening to the poems, Sok felt like Ó Tuama sharing his poetry made a statement of equity and inclusion.

“I think it is a really good way to reach out to the people because art can be really expressive,” Sok said. “Everyone should be included

regardless of their gender, race or sexuality.” Ó Tuama said he hopes that his audience gains more tools to engage with their religion.

“Everybody could benefit from a religious tradition that can muscularly engage with its own edges,” Ó Tuama said. “Hopefully people have some new verbs and some new permissions to speak about their own religion.”

From left to right: Ann Green, Ph.D., professor of English, Pádraig Ó Tuama and Marie Howe. PHOTO: THE HAWK

News

The Hawk Newspaper

Nov. 6, 2019

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Professors urge St. Joe’s to be environmentally conscious MORGAN MCFARLAND ’20 Special to The Hawk The departments of economics, environmental science, history and political science hosted a panel on Oct. 29 in Doyle Banquet Hall during which professors discussed how climate change could allow individuals to help solve environmental problems.

Speakers at the Climate in Crisis panel urged students at St. Joe’s to be part of a solution. Corinne Bocci, Ph.D., assistant professor of economics, said if students make little changes in their daily lives, these will be very beneficial to the environment.

“There are tons of little things that they can do,” Bocci said. “Things like recycling plastic bottles, and when they go to the grocery store they should use fewer plas-

tic bags. Little steps go a long way and if students are just a little more mindful, like keeping an ear out for news articles and how this relates to not only your life but someone else's and how it relates to the world is helpful in and of itself.”

Deirdre Taft-Lockard ’20, co-president of the St. Joe’s Green Fund, which co-sponsored the Climate in Crisis panel, said The Green Fund promotes sustainability and environmental awareness along with trying to implement those behaviors on campus.

“Overall, The Green Fund is trying to expand upon sustainability and environmental awareness on campus,” Taft-Lockard said. "So far, [St. Joe’s] has been very helpful about trying to implement these procedures.”

Cassidy Kovisto ’21 a coordinator for Common Grounds, which was also a

sponsor for this panel, hoped to facilitate this difficult conversation on how our climate is in crisis and how we can change the future of St. Joe’s. “[It was important] to have an informative and educational discussion concerning the current state that the world is in,” Kovisto said. “[Also], there needs to be more sustainability on campus and this panel was able to be a platform for students and faculty to communicate how they hope to see the future of SJU change.”

Taft-Lockard said there are a number of ways students and faculty can become more environmentally sustainable, from eliminating plastic to attending informative panels. “[Students and faculty should] limit or stop using single use plastic bottles and use a reusable bottle, especially since [St. Joe’s]

“Laudato Si,” is a document released by Pope Francis as a call to action for Catholics to push for sustainablity. PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

“Laudato Si,” has a lot of water bottle fillers around campus,” Taft-Lockard said. “Eliminate using plastic bags from the grocery stores. Instead, try and bring a reusable bag, try to reduce food waste, and in the dining hall take only what you think you can eat.”

Clint Springer, Ph.D., director of environmental science and sustainability studies, said a group of faculty was unsuccessful in lobbying the university administration to put resources into more sustainable environmental efforts.

“I think it’s a shame,” Springer said.

“Other universities have a chief sustainability officer, or they have someone whose job is it to make the university more sustainable in everything, not just programming and curricular things, but in everything. We don’t have anything like that, and it’s very frustrating.”

Springer said students need to make their voices heard, especially since St. Joe’s is a Jesuit school and Pope Francis wrote about climate change and environmental justice in his 2015 encyclical “Laudato Si,” meaning “Praise Be to You.” “You all should be showing up [at Regis Hall] every Friday for the rest of the semester telling them to get their asses in gear, because this is ridiculous,” Springer said. “[Climate change] has gotten worse way worse, we’ve done nothing globally, we’ve done nothing domestically, [and] were currently rolling back things that are exacerbating the problem even further.”

Emily Sokolowski ’20 said she was surprised by the graphs panelist shared that showed the effects that climate change is having on land and migration. “[The panel is] trying to get a cohort of students together to put more pressure on the university to do more things for environmental justice on campus and everything,” Sokoloski said. “St. Joe’s could do so much [more], especially listening to the faculty [about] using more renewable resources.”

Department of Public Safety reports (Oct. 25 - Oct. 31) Oct. 25 Public Safety was notified by an area resident of a large party in the 5300 block of Wynnefield Avenue. Public Safety officers and Philadelphia Police were notified, responded and dispersed the crowds.

Community Standards was notified.

Oct. 26 Public Safety was notified by a St. Joe’s student in regards to person(s) unknown removing personal property from his off campus residence located in the 5300 block of Wynnefield Avenue. Philadelphia Police notified and responded. Incident under investigation.

Oct. 27 Public Safety was notified of a fire alarm inside the Campion Student Center. Public Safety officers, along with the Philadelphia Fire Department responded.

Preliminary investigation revealed the

alarm was activated due to a faulty smoke detector. Alarm was reset.

Oct. 29 Public Safety was notified by Residence Life regarding person(s) unknown writing a sexually offensive phrase on a student’s whiteboard in the Villiger Hall.

Community Standards was notified. Incident under investigation.

Public Safety was notified by a St. Joe’s employee in regards to person(s) unknown vandalizing the second floor bathroom of Mandeville Hall. Community Standards was notified. Incident under investigation.

Public Safety was notified by a St. Joe’s student regarding several suspicious juveniles looking into vehicles parked in the Rashford Apartments parking lot. Philadelphia Police notified and responded, but were unable to locate the juveniles. Public Safety officers remained in the area.

Oct. 31 Public Safety received a report of a racial bias incident on Halloween evening at approximately 9:30 p.m. While waiting to exit the Campion Student Center parking lot, an African-American Public Safety officer was called the n-word by a driver of a vehicle who was blocking the exit. The reported offender also used an obscene hand gesture. A preliminary investigation

by Public Safety appears to have identified the potential student(s) and they are being interviewed at the time of this report as the investigation is continuing. Public Safety forwarded the information immediately to the Bias Activity Response Group and Community Standards.

Public Safety was notified during fire drill evacuations of drug paraphernalia inside a room on the fourth floor of Rashford Apartments. Public Safety and Residence Life confiscated the drug paraphernalia.

Community Standards was notified.

ALCOHOL RELATED INCIDENTS

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Off campus

DRUG RELATED INCIDENTS

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Call Public Safety:

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The Hawk Newspaper

Nov. 6, 2019

Opinions

Responsibility is on the students

What we all must do to address a racist culture Editor in Chief Luke Malanga ’20 Managing Editor Emily Graham ’20 Copy Chief Kaila Mundell-Hill ’20 Faculty Adviser Shenid Bhayroo Contributing Adviser Jenny Spinner Senior Editor Charley Rekstis ’20 Digital Managing Editor Alex Hargrave ’20 Copy Editor Angelique Frazier ’20 Copy Editor Jackie Collins ’21 News Editor Cara Smith ’21 Assistant News Editor Carly Calhoun ’21 Opinions Editor Devin Yingling ’22 Assistant Opinions Editor Hadassah Colbert ’20 Features Editor Kaitlyn Patterson ’20 Assistant Features Editor Zach Dobinson ’22

The St. Joe’s administration hosted a university sponsored forum on Nov. 4 from 2 to 4 p.m. The forum was held in response to the most recent racial bias incidents on campus.

The event began with remarks from Tom Brennan, Ph.D., S.J., English department chair, followed by an opening statement from University President Mark C. Reed, Ed.D., and a recap of the bias incidents by Cheryl McConnell, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs. McConnell then introduced student speakers from diversity organizations as well as faculty who spoke of their experiences of race and racism at St. Joe’s.

Members of the Bias Activity Response Group continued the conversation by articulating the process of handling racial bias incidents and hate crimes. In the later half of the forum representatives from University Student Senate and two white professors, spoke about their support for addressing racism at St. Joe’s. Reed then gave closing statements calling students to look around and empathize with each other.

When reflecting on the event as a whole, this was a decent start. It addressed surface level issues, because it was hinged on the most recent racial bias incidents that have been reported. There was factual information presented, along with firsthand accounts from members of the community that allowed some insight into their experiences and perspectives. It was a necessary preliminary action step.

However, approximately 1,800 people showed up at the forum. It was heartening to see the bleachers open up to fit more attendees, but on a larger scale, hardly half of the community showed up.

Moreover, this was supposed to be a forum that saw a large turnout. By definition, a forum is a place meant to exchange ideas and conversations. What happened on Nov. 4 was not a true forum, but rather a sanitized solution to addressing surface level issues.

What happened on Nov. 4 was not a conversation, but rather a scripted response to act as a springboard for further action. It was sim-

ply an assembly to touch upon the surface of systemic issues regarding racial injustice.

There were many administrators who left immediately after the forum ended and did not make themselves readily available to speak with the community. The arena emptied as fast as it filled, and a majority of the audience simply followed the administration’s lead in leaving the venue.

Moreover, before the event, student leaders who spoke out were asked to send what they were preparing to say for revising and refining. If these students were comfortable enough to “share their truths,” according to McConnell, then they should not have needed to have an outside source quite literally editing their experiences.

There is a difference between sincerity and superficiality. We acknowledge students, staff, faculty members and administrative members who are actively seeking and pushing for true change and conversation. These seekers of racial social justice exist, and they were absolutely present at the forum. We saw them, and we heard them.

Unfortunately, there are still students faculty members, staff and administration who remain passive and apathetic to our unjust campus culture. As many of the speakers said, “Silence is violence,” and being indifferent to these events does not make you neutral, it makes you just as active a participant in the culture of racism as those cited in bias incident reports.

These apathetic people are the very people that need these conversations and administrative interventions the most. It is on us who attended and participated in the forum to hear this call to action as it has been given time and time again, to take what we learn and put it to use.

This forum was imperfect, but it was a start. By no means is this an issue that will be solved overnight, but there are steps that need to be taken in order to address the issue, especially on the part of the white student body.

We have said it before, and we will say it again. Challenge your peers who think it

is appropriate to use the n-word in conversation or use it because it is a lyric in a song.

Moreover, recognize that microaggressions are not just saying the n-word, but are more subtle and understated comments and actions that are just as harmful.

Push back on those around you who argue they don’t need to attend discussions about racism, because, to them, “racism isn’t an issue.”

And hold everyone accountable at all levels. Administration, faculty and students are not exempt from racial ignorance and acts of racism.

So to the administration, you have room to grow in your approach to discussing racism on campus, but this was a necessary and thoughtful first step to addressing the campus culture. And to the student body: do better.

We showed strength in numbers at the campus assembly, so let us keep that momentum going. It would be a disservice to all members of this community to consider what happened on Nov. 4 a solution to addressing systemic injustices and microaggressions.

It is not the burden of marginalized groups to make the change, because the problem lies in privilege and whiteness. Let us heed the words of what we heard from administrators, faculty, staff and students and take action. Let us not suffer from burnt out activism. Change is possible, and it starts with us as a student body.

—The Editorial Board

This week’s Editorial Board is comprised of the Editor in Chief, Managing Editor, Senior Editor, Online Editor, Social Media Manager, Assistant Social Media Manager, Copy Chief, Copy Editors, Photo Editor, Features Editor, Assistant Features Editor, Opinions Editor and Assistant Opinions Editor. This editorial reflects the views of the Board and not the entire Hawk staff.

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

Sports Editor Sam Britt ’20 Assistant Sports Editor Ryan Mulligan ’21 Assistant Sports Editor Matt DeLeo ’20 Special Projects Editor Nick Karpinski ’21 Photo Editor Mitchell Shields ’22

Forum Feedback

Reflections on the Nov. 4 University Forum discussing racism on campus

Online Editor Alex Mark ’20 Social Media Manager Natalie Drum ’20 Assistant Social Media Manager Julia Koerwer ’23 Business Manager Angela DiMarco ’22 Assistant Business Manager Collin Messenger ’22 Distribution Manager Gavin O'Reilly ’20

Natalia Velazquez Lopez ’21: “I think they want an applause to do the bare minimum. They keep saying, “Oh, we are doing the forum and all this for next semester,” but what else? You keep talking and it’s not changing anything.”

Tim Stierle ’20:

Sofia Connor ’23:

Diego Ramirez ’22:

“It was very informative.

It opened up everyone’s eyes. Now, moving forward, everyone should pay attention to little details which can clearly make a difference for a lot of people out there.”

“I think it’s a good idea and it was awesome especially to hear from students. This is just one action step, and there’s much much more to be done.”

“I agree that the format of having people talk about their experience was a very good way to bring light to the situation and to other people who maybe don’t think about this a lot. They should.”

2 Nov. 6, 2019

Sports

The Hawk Newspaper

Coaching with an edge

Lange's teams at Navy lead the Patriot League in scoring in five of his seven seasons. PHOTOS: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

Lange set to take on first year as head coach SAM BRITT ’20 Sports Editor For St. Joe’s new head coach, Billy Lange, the road to Hawk Hill can be traced back to his childhood in Haddon Heights, New Jersey. He remembers, after a day spent at kindergarten, joining his father, Billy Lange Sr. at Bishop Eustace Preparatory School to watch his dad coach the basketball team. It was love at first sight.

“From that moment I just loved basketball,” Lange said. “I never really considered doing anything else, outside of playing which I knew wasn’t going to happen once I got done with college. I’ve probably had head coaching on my radar since fourth or fifth grade.”

For Lange, there wasn’t a singular thing that caught his eye. It was the complete amalgamation of all the different aspects of the sport that drew him to make it his career.

“I love the speed of the game,” Lange said. “I love the locker room, the connections, the strategizing, the relationship building, watching players get better with a real sense of purpose. I’ve been blessed to pick that stuff up from a young age and carry it through until now.”

Energetic. Passionate. These are the first words out of the mouths of Lange’s players when asked to describe him.

“He loves what he does,” senior guard Greg Smith said. “He loves his players and he loves the position that he is in.”

Lange was picked for the position of head coach of St. Joe’s men’s basketball, last spring after former Head Coach Phil Martelli was let go. He would become the 15th head coach in school history and the first new head coach in 24 years. For Lange, the opportunity to coach St. Joe’s was, in his words, “the Lord’s handiwork.”

“The chance to be the head coach at Saint Joseph’s, to me is a top job.” Lange said.

“I come to work everyday with the history of our university. There is real meaning and purpose here.”

Lange has always had a connection to St. Joe’s. His parents met on Hawk Hill; his wife, Alicia, once worked in the athletic department; and his brother, Mark, served as a basketball manager for four years. For Lange, being able to be around the aura of the St. Joe’s basketball program made the job appealing to him.

“I always thought there was an edge here,” Lange said. “I thought the players had an edge and the fan base had an edge.

A real fight. If you think about the spirit of The Hawk Will Never Die, it is clear it is an embedded mindset.”

This edge has been personified in Lange’s

personal motto: “Iron sharpens iron.”

“We are going to play harder than every team we come up against,” junior forward Taylor Funk said. “Maybe it won’t result in a win, but [Lange] isn’t going to settle for anything less. If you aren’t giving your all, you are going to be sitting on the bench because that is how he runs it.”

Junior forward Lorenzo Edwards described Lange as “real.” He said he thinks having a coach who is as honest as Lange will be important on a roster full of young talent.

“You don’t want a head coach who coddles you and is afraid to say something to you,” Edwards said. “You want a coach who

tells it as it is. I feel like Billy Lange is doing a great job getting them prepared both mentally and physically.”

As Lange exits the tunnel for his first career regular season game Tuesday night, he will look back on the path that brought him to this position.

“There have been a ton of little moments,” Lange said. “When I get dressed in the morning and I am standing in the mirror and I am wearing Saint Joseph’s gear; I’m this now. This is what I do. It’s exciting. It will be really cool on Tuesday, but it is not about me.

It is about this team and about this program.”

Lange has previously spent time as an assistant coach at two other Big 5 schools: LaSalle University and Villanova University.

Sports

Nov. 6, 2019

The Hawk Newspaper

3

Mary Sheehan carries on St. Joe’s family tradition ALEX HARGRAVE ’20 Digital Managing Editor The Sheehan family has been St. Joe’s basketball season ticket holders since 1990, making a home for themselves in section 204, row 2, seats 1-2. Once junior women’s basketball guard Mary Sheehan was old enough for her own seat in 2000, the family added on seat 3.

Daughter of former Hawk mascot Dennis Sheehan ’85, Mary Sheehan is a self-proclaimed “Hawk for life.” Her first memory of St. Joe’s is the men’s basketball team’s Elite Eight game during the 2003-04 season.

According to Dennis Sheehan, after being recruited by schools throughout the northeast, Mary Sheehan landed back at home: St. Joe’s.

“I started coming to coaches camps when I was four,” Mary Sheehan said. “I was one of the junior Hawks at [Head Coach Cindy Griffin’s] camps. I had a great relationship with coaching staff, and loved how close it is to home.”

The Hawks lost seven players to graduation, so Mary Sheehan will captain a young team as a junior. For Griffin, the choice to have Mary Sheehan lead the squad was “a no-brainer.”

“What we need from her is consistency with shooting the basketball and being our glue kid, keeping everybody together,” Griffin said. “As the leader she is, as our captain,

Mary Sheehan has been involved with St. Joe’s basketball from a young age.

PHOTO: LUKE MALANGA ’20/THE HAWK

we need her to keep us all together, especially when things get a little bit crazy.”

As a sophomore, Mary Sheehan averaged just over 18 minutes and 3.7 points per game.

Living close by as a Drexel Hill native, she said she spent much of her time over the summer in the St. Joe’s weight room.

“For me personally, strength is the biggest

thing,” Mary Sheehan said. “I usually have the speed, but I’m a little bit frailer than everybody else. I’m known as more of a shooter, so to be able to get down the lane, get fouled and get points that way has been a big thing for me.”

Dennis Sheehan said he and his family are filled with “great pride” when they see Mary leading her teammates by example on

the court.

“She’s not always going to be the leading scorer or the leading rebounder, but we always know we’ll get 100% from Mary,” Dennis Sheehan said. “That’s what being a Hawk is all about: giving 100% every time.”

Mary Sheehan graduated from Cardinal O’Hara High School in 2017, the alma mater of St. Joe’s alum and recent WNBA champion Natasha Cloud ’15 of the Washington Mystics.

When Mary Sheehan was being recruited at St. Joe’s, she said she heard from Cloud often.

Griffin said she sees parallels in their games.

“Both are hard-working kids, and both are great communicators,” said Griffin of Sheehan and Cloud. “You know they want to win, and I think that’s from those [Cardinal] O’Hara wins. I think they brought that winning mentality with them.”

A winning mentality will be critical for the Hawks moving forward, as the team was picked to finish 10th out of 14 teams in the Atlantic 10 coaches poll. Mary Sheehan sees the positives in her young team’s low ranking going into the season opener Nov. 7 at Columbia University.

“I think that’s great, because expectation-wise, there’s not that much pressure and we know what we have in this gym that other people don’t,” Mary Sheehan said. “And that just gives us an extra chip on our shoulder to prove everybody wrong.”

Sophomore forward granted waiver from NCAA RYAN MULLIGAN ’21 Assistant Sports Editor Redshirt sophomore transfer Myles Douglas spent his summer navigating the NCAA waiver process before he was finally granted a waiver on Oct. 12, making him immediately eligible to take the court with the Hawks this year.

Douglas transferred from the University of Central Florida and committed to St. Joe’s in April, which is when he began the process he described as “tedious.” Douglas has had a reunion of sorts on Hawk Hill with Assistant Coach Brendan Straughn, who he has known since he was an eighth grader. Straughn coached him on the AAU level throughout high school.

“This is a guy who was highly sought after coming out of high school,” Straughn said. “Everybody has different paths. His path took him a couple different places, but now he’s here and we’re going to make sure we make the most of that opportunity. He’s bought into the coaching staff, he’s bought into the program, and now he’s got to go out there and play his game.”

For Douglas, it was difficult training not knowing whether he would be able to take the court this season, but when he got the news, there was a certain switch that was flipped in how he approached and prepared.

“It put a lot of things into perspective, turned my focus up a little bit,” Douglas said. “The intensity of what I bring to practice and the way I approached the games and practice was a lot different.”

Douglas and Straughn both pointed to one specific aspect of Douglas’ game that

will be especially valuable: versatility. Douglas is a 6 foot 7 inch tall guard that will play a lot of point guard this year, but will also be moved to the wing and the post, according to Straughn.

“As a program we’re going forward with a big emphasis on size and versatility,” Straughn said. “With Myles going forward and his versatility, big long versatile players are going to fit the style of basketball going forward, and St. Joe’s will definitely be at the forefront of that.”

The relationship Douglas has with Straughn has flourished into a similar relationship with the rest of the coaching staff, which was one of the main reasons for Douglas’ decision to call St. Joe’s home.

“Coach Lange, with his history of coaching the Sixers and him telling me that I’d be able to have the ball in my hands a lot and be a point guard here,” Douglas said. “That was the biggest thing, me being able to play my game here, be comfortable.”

From Straughn’s perspective, he saw a similar dynamic unfolding throughout the preseason.

“Coach Lange does an awesome job cultivating relationships both on and off the court, so it’s a situation where he’s going to be pushed hard to be the best player that he can be,” Straughn said.

Douglas playing this year would not have been possible if it weren’t for the St. Joe’s compliance staff in the athletics department, who worked tirelessly to help Douglas and ultimately get the waiver granted.

“Our compliance staff members, Renie Shields and Ken Krimmel, have great expertise,” Jill Bodensteiner, J.D., director of athletics, said. “All of the credit goes to them

Sophomore forward Myles Douglas in an exhibition game against Arcadia University.

PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

for working closely with Myles and his family and the NCAA staff to get to what is the right result under the waiver rules. I really appreciate Renie and Ken, and am very happy for Myles.”

Douglas has experienced a dramatic shift in culture from UCF to Hawk Hill both on and off the court and one that he thinks he is handling fairly well so far.

“It’s a lot different [from UCF],” Doug-

las said. “Coming from UCF it’s 77,000 students so it’s different school wise. Then playing style wise, not playing a lot and not being a main focus in the offense and not having the ball in my hand, to now having the ball most of the time. There’s a lot of things I’m getting used to, getting adjusted to, but I think I’m adjusting just fine.”

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Pair of transfers add talent to Hawk’s roster JUSTIN KESSLER ’20 Special to The Hawk There will be many new faces on the St. Joe’s men’s basketball roster this year, including a graduate transfer from University of Maine and a highly touted sophomore from Gonzaga University. What drew them to St. Joe’s? The consensus answer: new Head Coach Billy Lange and his style of coaching.

“Especially my relationship with him,” sophomore guard Greg Foster Jr. said. “I have known him since I was in eighth grade so I had that connection already.”

Foster’s father is an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks where two St. Joe’s alumni, DeAndre’ Bembry and Charlie Brown Jr., play. That also played into Foster’s decision to come to Hawk Hill.

“I talked to them about it [St. Joe’s basketball] before I visited and they had a lot of good things to say about the program,” Foster said.

On Lange’s offensive coaching style, Foster compared it to Mark Few’s, head coach at Gonzaga University.

“We play more of an NBA type style here as opposed to a big man oriented offense at Gonzaga,” Foster said.

Graduate transfer Dennis Ashley also said Lange was one of the main reasons for coming to St. Joe’s from University of Maine.

“He pushes me every day," Ashley said.

"I came here because of him and the way he believes in me.”

Ashley said Lange’s system has a much

higher energy than the one he was a part of at University of Maine. It may be a change, but Ashley said it was a welcome one. “[It’s a] different concept on how we play,” Ashley said. “I feel like at Maine we played at a slow pace. Here we play more up-tempo style and a more aggressive style on defense and offense.”

Even though he is the newest member of the team, Ashley said he does not let it stop him from taking on a leadership role.

“I definitely take on a mentor role,” Ashley said. “I go out of my way to help some of the freshmen with shooting and finishing around the rim.”

While being denied a waiver, Foster still has much to give to this young team. In part because he comes from a program that was the consensus number one in the nation for a majority of the season last year.

“Being on a team like that taught me a lot about what it takes to have a winning team.” Foster said.

Coming from a storied program such as Gonzaga University allowed Foster’s game to develop quickly and step into the spotlight his freshman year. His quick development has not gone unnoticed by teammates.

“The people he played against are definitely more athletic than those in the Atlantic 10 so that helps,” junior forward Taylor

GRAPHIC: RYAN MULLIGAN ’21

Funk said. “I can’t wait to play with him next season. I wish he got his waiver. I am excited for next season with him.”

However, Foster will not let this year on the sidelines go to waste.

“I’m going to work to get better at thelittle things,” Foster said. “Iron those things out. Come back ready for next year.”

One of five returning players from last season, Funk, was uncertain about the impact of having many new faces in the program.

“I thought it was going to be a problem,” Funk said. “But the guys coming in, the freshmen, transfers, [a] grad transfer, they are all mature guys. We get along really well.

Locker room conversations are great. We all spend a lot of time together off the court.

That makes the transition very easy.”

Sponsored by the Faith-Justice Institute’s Joseph William and Madeline Eberle Klein Fund and the Latin American and Latinx Studies Program

Film Screening & Discussion Monday, Nov. 11, 2019 7 p.m.

Campion Student Center, Forum Theatre On November 16, 1989, six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper, and her 15 year-old daughter, were brutally murdered at the University of Central America in San Salvador, El Salvador.

In commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Jesuit Martyrs of El Salvador, join us for a screening of the film, Blood of the Martyrs, which reveals the definitive story in the words of the people who lived it. A moderated discussion will follow about the martyrs and how their sacrifice continues to affect Jesuit institutions and El Salvador today.

Sports

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5

Nov. 6, 2019

Athletics to change student ticket process again MATT DELEO ’20 Assistant Sports Editor St. Joe’s men’s basketball student season tickets will no longer require a request form to sign up, except for Villanova University and LaSalle University games, according to Jasmine Cannady, associate athletics director for marketing and fan experience.

For the other home games, St. Joe’s students can just bring their student ID to the 54th Street doors of Michael J. Hagan ’85 Arena and enter the game.

Cannady also discourages students from selling their ticket to the Villanova and LaSalle games.

“We will make sure students are not selling their ticket,” Cannady said. “Students will receive an email ticket and then you will have to show your student ID. If you don’t

show student ID, you won’t be allowed in. If the student ID does not look like you, you will also not be allowed in.”

Justin Pauciello ’20 said only needing a St. Joe’s student ID makes it easier since the games are now free.

“If I’m not doing anything on a Wednesday or Thursday I may as well go to a game if there’s one going on,” Pauciello said. “Before, I definitely would not go to see a bad team play.”

Will Rietzke ’20 said he also thinks free student tickets will make him attend more games.

“Now it is easier to go to games, and without a cost,” Rietzke said. “I will definitely be showing up to some games this year.”

Pauciello explained how he thinks free student tickets are long overdue, “especially given how poor the team has done the last three years.”

The original ticket plan involved selecting games to attend the week before.

PHOTOS: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/ THE HAWK

“I like that they made it free,” Pauciello said. “It’s not cheap to go here to begin with and they do not invest a ton of money in facilities or programs for regular students who are not student-athletes, so I think it’s a good gesture.”

Pauciello said he might go to a few games but that it will depend on the team’s on-court performance.

Rietzke explained the amount of basketball games he attends is based on the team’s performance as well due to how the team has struggled to clinch an NCAA tournament bid since 2016.

“Coming to St. Joe’s, the team was coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance,” Rietzke said. “Having to pay for a poor product was not ideal and I think the poor turnout at games last year showed that.”

Cannady did not want to give an answer when The Hawk asked her if the men’s basketball tickets will remain free beyond this year, because she did not definitively know yet. She said she would conduct a survey after the season to guage the response to the new process.

Paucillo thinks St. Joe’s should keep free student tickets long term beyond this year because it will enhance attendance and because most schools in the area follow this same gesture.

“We already pay St. Joe's enough over the year so the least they can do is make it free to see a basketball game at a school we pay tuition towards,” Paucillo said. “St. Joe’s always wondered why attendance was so low at games, and I think the lack of free student tickets is exactly why.”

Last season, student season tickets cost $84.

A fresh take on the freshmen: Young hawks will take over this season JAMES MCCLOSKEY JR. ’20 Columnist The St. Joe’s men’s basketball team began the 2019-20 season on Oct. 29 with three scholarship freshmen on the roster.

Freshman forward Chereef Knox, guard Cameron Brown and guard Rahmir Moore all enter the season with the opportunity to prove their ability to be impactful playmakers to not only Head Coach Billy Lange, but the entire Hawks fanbase.

The last time the Hawks saw anything close to this amount of freshmen take the court during poignant moments of a game was the 2015-16 season which saw now graduate guard for the Louisville Cardinals Lamarr Kimble ’19, Chris Clover ’19 and Pierfrancesco Oliva ’19 alongside Markell Lodge ‘19 who was a redshirt freshman.

Do Knox, Brown and Moore have as high of a ceiling as the 2015-16 freshmen class?

I think so.

The exhibition game versus Division III Arcadia University may not have been able to tell us the level of skill our newest Hawks have because of the disparity in ability level between the two sides, but it did show us something about our newcomers. They will be critical assets to the Hawks this season.

Brown finished the game with a statline of 13-3-5, Knox 14-0-3 and Moore at

17-2-3. These three freshmen scored 44 of the Hawks 100 points. That is more than one-third of the Hawks’ total offense.

Social media accounts, podcasts focused on the Atlantic 10 conference and sports writers who have covered the Hawks that transition over the off-season have been quick to label the Hawks as an inexperienced team that is doubtful to compete this season.

Are the Hawks inexperienced? Clearly.

Our roster consists of four players who saw meaningful minutes at a collegiate level last season, junior forward Taylor Funk, junior forward Anthony Longpre, junior forward Lorenzo Edwards and sophomore transfer forward Myles Douglas. Albeit, Douglas played limited minutes for the University of Central Florida Knights last season.

Lange is well-versed in player development. I have no doubt that he has worked throughout the off-season to get our freshmen prepared to compete at a collegiate level. From the exhibition game, it was clear that each player recognized and embraced their role on the team.

The youth of the Hawks can play to their advantage, especially with a new head coach being thrown into the mix. Knox, Brown and Moore do not have collegiate experience.

Lange has not served as head coach of a pro-

gram

since

take

on

Cam Brown soars to the rim during the Hawks’ exhibition game against Arcadia.

PHOTOS: MITCHELL SHIELDS '22/ THE HAWK

leaving the Midshipman of the U.S. Naval Academy in 2011. All of these individuals are being granted the opportunity to start fresh and learn together.

Knox, Brown and Moore will be critical assets to the success of the 2019-20 season for the Hawks. They will be thrust into roles typical of juniors and seniors from the start of the season. They will have the opportunity to learn and grow with each step they

the court, each shot that leaves their hands and each rebound grabbed from the glass.

By Jan. 2, when the Hawks open A-10 conference play versus the University of Richmond, the Hawks will have played 11 Division I games. Knox, Brown and Moore have 440 minutes of basketball to become “experienced” players.

Forty of those minutes have passed. It is their time to take over.

6

Nov. 6, 2019

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Young Hawks ready to play big role this season CHRIS KLINE ’23 Hawk Staff After an eight month span that saw St. Joe’s lose their top four scorers from last season, the question was if new Head Coach Billy Lange could bring in enough talent to make up for the deficit. Now, with the Hawk’s season underway, he turns to a roster full of youth, including the three freshmen that make up his first ever recruiting class.

The three have been training with the team since June and have high hopes for the progress that have come out of their hard work. The transition from high school to college basketball will be tough, but they know the learning curve will be rewarding.

“It’s been a really big growth for us, we came in and got together around June,” guard Cameron Brown said. “We’ve been working on our games and adjusting to college ball.”

The higher level of competition was initially a culture shock for freshman guard Rahmir Moore.

“Coming from high school, it was very easy for me to score the ball, now that I’m playing college ball, you gotta adjust,” Moore said. “You gotta do the little things on the court to stay on the court.”

The idea of independence and owning up to one’s game was strange to freshman forward Chereef Knox.

“It was kinda hard at first,” Knox said.

“There’s more accountability to it than high school, you’re really on your own.

The freshmen said they owe their progression to their older and more experienced teammates. The upperclassmen have taken the three under their wing, knowing that putting aside the time to teach them is for the better of the team.

“They’ve been big for us, helping us come out of our corner and mentor us.”

Moore said.

Brown said all of the work the team has put in during the preseason has been very educational.

“The upperclassmen have been such a big help for us,” Brown said. “We’ve all learnt so much from them.”

The biggest fundamental on the court is chemistry, and the Hawks have it, according to Brown. The freshmen came in together and have bonded non-stop since June.

“We hang out with each other outside practice and we have each others backs,” Brown said.

Moore thinks the group might be the most cohesive unit on the roster.

“Man, we probably got the best chemistry out here.” Moore said. “We pass the ball well and know what each other are thinking before they act.”

The three said they know their role as newcomers but know that when they’re on the court, it’s a team sport. Leadership is an emphasis this season, and every player knows it.

“It’s actually funny, coach Lange recruited us to be leaders and I feel we have filled those roles so far,” Brown said. “And I can see everyone on the team is working as a leader and pushing each other which is really important.

Knox stressed that leadership is crucial to the success of the team and himself.

“I need to do what I do best,” Knox said.

“And that’s going out and competing and helping my teammates.”

Moore said the leadership aspect should come naturally given his experience

Knox goes for a dunk against Arcadia University on Oct. 28. PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

in high school.

“Just being myself,” Moore said. “I come from a place where I have to be loud and I have to be the guy. Going to college you can’t be the guy right away, you have to start with the little things.”

Overall, the trio has high hopes for the season and their abilities, and they have

confidence that their team can succeed.

“We’re gonna be really good,” Knox said. “We’re always gonna have our doubters, but what we have is something special.

We’re gonna be scary.”

Sports

The Hawk Newspaper

Nov. 6, 2019

7

Freshman class prepared to begin college basketball careers

Players from the freshmen class from left to right: (top) Imogen Ayliffe, Claire Melia, Gabby Smalls, (bottom) Jaden Walker, Kaliah Henderson, Lauren Ross. PHOTO: LUKE MALANGA ’20/THE HAWK

SAM BRITT ’20 Sports Editor Young. Energetic. Exciting to watch. All words Head Coach Cindy Griffin used to describe this year’s iteration of St. Joe’s women’s basketball. For the 2019-20 season, the Hawks brought in a class of six freshmen and according to Griffin, they are expected to step in right away and perform.

“We are going to have two freshmen on the court most times,” Griffin said. “Sometimes three. With that, we are going to need great leadership, and we are going to need great tempo.”

One freshman Griffin expects to rely on is forward Claire Melia, who will be the team’s starting center.

Melia is from Monasterevin, Ireland and is coming off of a summer that saw her cap-

tain the Ireland’s national team to bronze at the Division B of the 2019 FIBA U-20 Women’s European Championships. Melia averaged 16.3 points and 12 rebounds per game during the tournament.

Melia said she believes having both this experience and experience playing against professionals in Ireland will help her acclimate to Atlantic 10 play.

“You are basically playing against some of the best college players here who went professional,” Melia said. “It helps you to improve your game as well.”

Melia is joined by fellow international forward Imogen Ayliffe who hails from Perth, Western Australia. For her, there was an initial shock from the transition from high school basketball to college.

“It was a lot more intense than I was expecting,” Ayliffe said. “It was foot on the

pedal right when you got here.”

That same sentiment was shared by freshman guard Jaden Walker.

“I never had to condition so much in my life,” Walker said.

However, for guard Lauren Ross, this freshman class has supported each other through the transition so far.

“It is definitely comforting knowing you are not the only one going through it,” Ross said. “If somebody is having a bad day, you might have a bad day next week so we can all lean on each other.”

Freshman forward Gabby Smalls credits the veteran for providing guidance to the younger players.

“They give out a lot of good pointers,” Smalls said. “If we mess up on a play they will direct us. They are really good at making sure we remember everything. They check up on

us and they are just there for us.”

To further this relationship between the newcomers and veterans, the team has implemented a sister program where an upper-level player will be paired with a first or second-year player and mentor them.

“Even though they are like the minority you don’t really feel it because they are always there helping you,” Walker said.

For freshman guard Kaliah Henderson, she is continuing to foster a relationship with her fellow freshmen and is also looking forward to what the group can accomplish in the future.

“We all hang out together,” Henderson said. “At first it was kind of [awkward], you know, but now we are coming together. It is going to be really scary for the next four years playing together. We are just going to get better and better.”

Spanish point guard learns through the language of basketball NICK KARPINSKI ’21 Special Projects Editor When junior guard Lula Roig stepped onto campus two seasons ago, she had never previously been to the U.S. Originally from Barcelona, Spain, Roig arrived alone. She didn’t know anyone and spoke

little English.

Now, entering the 2019-20 season, a lot has changed. Roig is primed to be the Hawks’ starting point guard, taking over for last year’s captain Alyssa Monoghan ’19.

However, looking back, Roig said parts of her journey have been difficult.

“In the beginning it was hard, and not

Roig was second on the team last season with 1.9 assist per game. PHOTO: LUKE MALANGA ’20/THE HAWK

knowing English was hard,” Roig said. “I didn’t know words that I needed to know in order to run the floor.”

In order to effectively lead the offense, Roig said she had to get a better grasp on the English language. She’s seen improvement by being around English-speaking people throughout her college experience.

Head Coach Cindy Griffin has seen the same thing.

“The level at which she needs to run the floor from a point guard standpoint is very challenging because her first language isn’t English,” Griffin said. “From an English and communication standpoint, she’s gotten a lot better.”

Junior guard Mary Sheehan said Roig’s improvement in communication has been a large factor toward better play on the floor.

“At first she may have been scared to speak because she didn’t want to make mistakes,” Sheehan said. “Now that she’s gotten better at it throughout her daily life, you can see that improvement on the court. She’s now able to comprehend what coach [Griffin] is saying and then shout it back out at us.”

Now that she’s improved on the communication front, Roig is ready to do the same in terms of her play. Over the past two seasons, there has been an upward trend in almost every one of Roig’s statisti-

cal categories.

“I’ve gotten stronger and smarter,” Roig said. “I’ve gotten used to the system and how coach [Griffin] wants to play.”

Sheehan has been witness to Roig’s growth in terms of play as well.

“Her composure has gotten much better, which is something that comes with experience,” Sheehan said. “She’s gotten so much better at understanding the court and what she needs to do.”

That composure is something that freshman forward Claire Melia looks up to. Melia is an international player as well, originally from Monasterevin, Ireland. Melia said it’s difficult for international players to adjust to the U.S., but Roig has been there for her.

On the court, Melia said the two have chemistry as well.

“I really enjoy playing with Lula [Roig], I don’t know if it’s a European connection or what,” Melia said. “She’s incredibly clear on the floor in telling us what to do.”

Being one of only four upper-level players, Roig said it’s part of her major responsibilities to help and mentor players like Melia.

“It’s on us to have to teach new players and help them understand plays,” Roig said. “We’ll show them the way coach wants us to play.”

"IRON SHARPENS IRON" -BILLY LANGE

Opinions

The Hawk Newspaper

Nov. 6, 2019

5

How to use white privilege

White St. Joe’s students have an obligation REGINA SCHLIEP ’23 Columnist I’m from a small town on the Jersey Shore, I’m white and I went to high school with not a single black person in a population just short of 400 students.

One of the things I knew about St. Joe’s before coming here is that its demographic makeup would be similar to my high school. Religiously searching its facts and figures page and its general reputation was indicative of its lack of diversity.

It would be ignorant of me to say that I didn’t think there would be undertones of racism within the student body due to its demographics, but I didn’t think that students would be so candidly racist. It is disappointing to be a part of a student body that does not foster equality among all of its members.

I am privileged because I’m white. There is absolutely no denying that. Although I believe I am not a racist person, I think anyone who shares this mindset must acknowledge that while we may not consider ourselves to be racist, we live in a system of institutionalized racism that we actively benefit from.

At St. Joe’s, white students see these benefits when we do not experience the added stress, on top of all the stress that naturally comes with college, of being attacked

by racism, bigotry and ignorance.

We were able to choose attending a college without taking the risk of it not being safe. We can exist in a community unapologetically and without our differences setting us apart. This should be the case for every single student at St. Joe’s, regardless of race.

Right now, it is our responsibility to acknowledge that it’s not.

I haven’t made it a full semester at St. Joe’s yet, but the aggravation and disappointment that surrounds these issues encapsulates the inexcusably lax handling of the incidents in the past and present.

Although white privilege is a constant in society beyond St. Joe’s, as is racism, I’ve seen it in action regarding the racist incidents this year. Students express apathy towards emails, headlines and discussions regarding the racial bias incidents, like disinterestedly scrolling through a social media feed.

“Oh that’s a shame!”

“I wonder what will happen next!”

“What happened?”

“What racial bias incident?”

“Class is canceled on November 4th!”

“Awesome.”

No one deserves to be in an environment encompassed by ignorance against their existence. No one deserves to be under the jurisdiction of a university that negligently handles instances of hate speech and inequality.

I am white, and my voice should not be

listened to over those who deal with these experiences here at St. Joe’s, but I know I am obligated to use my privilege in order to stand in solidarity with minorities in our community and to amplify their voices.

Call racism what it is, protect your fellow students and listen to their voices. If you witness racist language or acts, hold perpetrators accountable. Dismissing such discourse enhances a culture that is actively open to racism.

As necessary as it is for the university to thoughtfully and meaningfully address racial bias incidents, it is just as important for our students to uphold a precedent that promotes equity among the entire student body.

My privilege exists within this piece, in that I am writing about an issue that does not impact me the way it does others. With that, the frustration that myself and most students have is not the same frustration that is held by those within our community who are directly impacted by racism. This is also a privilege that we must acknowledge.

Times like this require us to sideline our empathy and allow those directly impacted by these instances to express their emotions and opinions in the foreground; their anger, their frustration, or any emotion they have, because they are justified in doing so.

We should stand by them and with them, echoing their voices.

Watching the throne collapse Kanye West's fall from grace

HADASSAH COLBERT ’20 Assistant Opinions Editor “I miss the old Kanye, straight from the Go Kanye, chop up the soul Kanye, set on his goals Kanye. I hate the new Kanye, the bad mood Kanye.

The always rude Kanye, spaz in the news Kanye.”

These are lyrics from Kanye West’s song “I Love Kanye” from his 2016 album “The Life of Pablo.” With each new shenanigan, West ends up in the media, and the more I feel these lyrics.

I have been listening to Kanye since the very beginning. Easter of 2004, my older brother and I received West’s breakout album “The College Dropout” in our Easter baskets and my life was forever changed.

That album was one my parents and my siblings could all enjoy together, and that CD would get played on long car rides.

“The College Dropout” includes so many classics that I’m sure my kids will hear during Saturday morning cleaning, including “Jesus Walks,” “All Falls Down,” “We Don’t Care” and “Slow Jamz.”

However, the West of “The College Dropout” is long gone. Debatably, I don’t think we have seen him since somewhere in between “Graduation” and “Watch the Throne,” his 2011 collaboration with Jay-Z. It seems as though ever since his mother, Donda West died after complications post-surgery in 2007, West has been on a downward slope.

Grief is an insidious thing and it manifests itself in several ways. West has admitted that he struggled greatly after his mother’s death and was battling addictions. West has also been relatively open about his mental health in other aspects and how he lives his life with bipolar depression, which was a huge theme of his 2018 album “Ye.” I have a bit of a soft spot for West, because I have been following him for so long and I grew up listening to him. So it makes me very

frustrated and partly confused to hear him say things like “slavery was a choice” and endorse President Donald Trump when these things are in total contrast with his past beliefs.

I miss the Kanye who said “George Bush doesn’t care about black people” on live national television. I miss the “Heard ’Em Say,” “Murder To Excellence” and “Spaceship” Kanye. The one who said, “My persona is that I’m the regular person. Just think about whatever you’ve been through in the past week, and I have a song about that on my album.”

It’s almost as if he’s a whole new person.

We went from West the regular person, to Yeezus who thinks he’s a god.

ator and Vince Staples. West helped a lot of others achieve hits, like when he produced Jay Z’s famous Nas diss track “Takeover.”

And, he made popular the concept of incorporating elements of rock, electronic and alternative music into hip hop and rap which you can clearly observe in artists like Lil Uzi Vert, Kid Cudi and Travis Scott.

However, all of these musical merits cannot distract from the fact that people need to stop asking West his opinion on certain things. West’s audience reaches globally, his platform is huge and some of the things he says should not be broadcast because they are dangerous.

ILLUSTRATION: KAITLYN PATTERSON ’20/THE HAWK

Musically, West is a god. The production on every last one of his albums, including “Jesus is King,” is amazing. He has never missed when it comes to samples either. West really knows how to construct a sound.

Which is also why he’s influenced so many huge artists like Travis Scott, Kid Cudi, Chance the Rapper, The Weeknd, Future and Young Thug to name a few. He truly has had a huge impact on a lot of the rap we hear today.

West popped out during an era when everything was bling bling, gold on your neck and gold in your mouth. And he stepped out talking about things like materialism, racism, religion and family matters, while single handedly bringing back the usage of old school samples which we still see used frequently today.

West also helped popularize skits between songs on albums which you hear with artists like Kendrick Lamar, Tyler the Cre-

Considering West has a wide young white following and many of them look up to him, saying things like “slavery was a choice” is very dangerous and could poison the minds of the youth. It also confuses and hurts the young black kids that look up to him.

West is so far out of touch with his roots to the point that he’s not even relatable anymore. He is no stranger to successfully using elements of gospel in his music as we have seen with “Jesus Walks,” “Ultralight Beam” and “Father Stretch My Hands Pt.1” but his newest album “Jesus is King” is not enough to redeem him from his social sins. The production as always is immaculate, but the lyrics are just not there.

I’m staying hopeful that one day my beloved Ye says “sike” and returns back to the Yeezy I know and love, but the future is not looking too bright.

TODD ERKIS, Ph.D. Columnist ANNA LUBOMIRSKI ’21 Columnist Welcome back to Money Matters. In this week’s column we answer a question about credit cards. If you have a question that you would like answered, please send them to hawk.editorial@gmail.com How do I get a credit card in my own name? I heard it is important to get a credit card to build up my credit profile. Is that correct?

— Emily R. ’20 biology major Erkis: In 2009, President Obama signed the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure (Credit CARD) Act. Among other things, this act made it illegal for credit card companies to offer credit cards to college students unless they have an adult co-signer or can qualify for the credit card based on their own credit.

This law makes a lot of sense as it is financially dangerous to have a credit card without a regular income. The law requires income from a job but it does not have to be a full-time job.

If you have income from a job and want to try, apply for a credit card with a low credit limit (like $500). The credit limit is the maximum a person can charge on a credit card. In the annual income line on the application, put in the income you will earn during the year. Do not annualize the amount if it is a summer job.

Many credit cards have an annual fee, which can be $35 – 75 for basic cards and a lot more for premium cards with perks like cash back. It’s best to apply for a card with no annual fee and perks like cash back, but those types of cards are not usually available to people with limited or no credit history.

Your best chance will be to apply for a basic card with the lowest annual fee you can find. If you are denied (which is likely), try your local bank to see if they will issue a card in your name with a limit based on the funds you have in savings at the bank. Don’t worry, the credit card companies will find you once you graduate, have a real job and are receiving regular pay checks.

Lubomirski: It’s very tempting to get a credit card, but as a college student who does not have a stable income, a credit card is not something I would sign up for. Credit card debt is one of the worst debts that you can have due to its high interest rates. I found through research that some cards have interest rates of 2% per month (24% per year!).

Note to self: whenever I get a credit card, pay it off in full each month! The law which Professor Erkis talks about earlier is actually a good thing to have, as I don’t think many college students realize the full cost of having a credit card. Perhaps the safest bet for a college student is to get a credit card that is under your parent’s account (if they’re okay with that).

Nothing stated in this column should be considered investment advice or an offering of securities. Stock investing has risk and you should do your own research before investing.

6

Nov. 6, 2019

The Hawk Newspaper

Opinions

Politics becoming personal

The power of voting in a state of polarized discourse

PATRICK ADAMS ’23 Columnist Baseball, America’s national pastime, merged forces with another American favorite: publicly shaming government officials. In his own nation’s capital during the fifth game of the World Series, President Donald Trump was booed by fans attending the event. Well stop the presses. People don’t like Trump? No way!

It’s not surprising that people in Washington D.C. dislike the president, especially considering he got 4% of the vote in the district—literally only about 12,000 people voted for him—but what’s more alarming is the growing trend of bitterness in U.S. politics.

From booing the president on national TV to kicking out public officials from a restaurant, polarization has turned personal. It seems some Americans no longer just disagree with people about politics, but now actively loathe the other side.

Trump does not help this issue, actively engaging in name calling and attacks.

But the danger of zero civility in politics can manifest itself in more than just boos and name calling.

Take the recent campaign against the former Rep. Katie Hill from California’s 25th congressional district. In a recent public scandal, Hill’s personal life and political career were simultaneously up-

ended when the right-wing publication RedState published personal texts and even sexually explicit images of the now shamed congresswoman.

Other publications followed suit and more and more intimate snapshots have found their way onto the internet. Hill was already under investigation by the U.S. House Ethics Committee for claims of an extramarital affair. The images only sought to put personal pressure on her to resign.

In fact, over 700 personal images were unnecessarily released across the internet by people who sought to ruin her life over

online to publicly shame or cause them harm—has emerged thanks to the internet.

And the targets of these bitter attacks have not been limited to Democrats either. Last April, a Democratic congressional staffer, Jackson Cosko of D.C., plead guilty to federal charges of doxing some of the highest ranking Senate Republicans.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, Sen. Lindsey Graham, Sen. Mike Lee, Sen. Rand Paul and former Sen. Orrin Hatch were just a few of his high-profile targets.

Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters of California had to be reigned in by Speaker Nan-

“This hateful rhetoric of exclusion only furthers to divide all of us. Inclusivity and real dialogue should be promoted over telling groups, “You aren’t welcomed here.” her politics. The congresswoman resigned on Oct. 27, just days after the investigation was announced and hundreds of her photos were released.

Hill was tried and convicted in the court of public opinion. As a result, the “evidence” is now publicly available for all to see. The same result could have happened if the same images were given to the U.S. House Ethics Committee first instead of the media. But, in today’s brutal political landscape, the most nefarious political actors have free reign to defeat the other side by any means possible.

This new phenomenon of doxing— uploading people’s personal information

cy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for her own encouragement of political harassment. As NPR reported on June 25 of last year, the public has been personally targeting members of the Trump administration. Former Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, adviser Stephen Miller, and White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders have all “been forced out, heckled or denied service in restaurants.”

This hateful rhetoric of exclusion only furthers to divide all of us. Inclusivity and real dialogue should be promoted over telling groups, “You aren’t welcomed here.” On this campus, especially, we should all be careful of marginalizing

groups and seek to discuss issues instead of attacking individuals.

Politics feels to be going more and more off the rails. The statistics even highlight this as the number of threats to members of Congress doubled from 2016 to 2017, reaching nearly 2,000, and daily death threats against the president continue.

Harassment, hatred, doxing and violence: these are the fruits of our country’s rotten political climate, creating a toxic dialogue that normalizes a whole range of ugliness. Insulting one another and booing the president has helped to create a climate that tolerates harassment and violence against individuals.

Politics has always been a touchy subject, but lately things have only gotten worse. The internet allows for more unique ways of harassment and division, and at a time when our country is more polarized. Luckily, there’s an extremely easy way to civilly voice discontent: vote.

If you hate the president so much, vote him out.

If you don’t like your congressional representative, do the same. We don’t need to stoop down to the lowest levels of propelling insults and making personal attacks on representatives in order to make political change.

Sen. Chuck Schumer said it best when he argued, “The best solution is to win elections, that is a far more productive way to channel the legitimate frustrations with this president's policies than harassing members of his administration.”

Celebrating genocide

What fall holidays mean for Native culture

DUMONDE SLAM DUNKLEY ’20 Guest Columnist As the moon begins to bring cold winds, the ground is slowly decorated by hues of reds, browns and oranges. We gravitate closer to one another almost instinctively as our bodies begin to yearn for a sense of warmth and comfort.

We crowd around bonfires or in the back of hay wagons telling stories and laughing, actively trying to embrace the last moments of nature before it gets too cold to enjoy.

For these reasons I will forever value the fall season. But as an Afro-Indigneous man, no other time brings me more pain, as it also sheds light on 500 years of colonization and genocide that is still perpetuating itself today.

For the past 82 years, America has begun its seasonal festivities by glorifying the “heroic” Christopher Columbus: a man who never discovered America but slaughtered, raped and enslaved those who he encountered in the Bahamas.

Grace Hauck explains in her article, “Columbus Day: Celebrating cultural heritage, or the colonization of Native Americans?” “At least eight states, 10 universities and more than 130 cities across 34 states now observe Indigenous Peoples Day as an alternative to the federally recognized Columbus Day...”

This is a good start; however, it is due time that the federal government makes an official change because what Columbus represents is the ideology of white supremacy.

I encountered a feeling of relief knowing that more people are becoming aware of the problems associated with Columbus Day. However, countless Americans

continue to mock Indigenous heritage and trauma. In the article, “Continuation of the Pocahontas Paradox,” Keestin O’Dell touches on a 2016 study that examined the major themes associated with Native American costumes.

She states that the descriptions of such attire are sexual in nature and purposed to attract men. Descriptions include “sexy,” “temptress,” and “pocahottie” according to Odell’s article. The problem with this is that Native women in this country are currently facing a hidden epidemic. The Missing Murdered Indigenous Women, #MMIW, Movement was created because Native women are being killed and trafficked far more than any other demographic in America.

To put this into perspective, in the 15 years of conflict in Iraq, the U.S. suffered 4,541 fatalities. This number of missing and murdered Indigenous women surpassed that in one-year and this number is climbing. Yet the U.S government continues to ignore the crisis.

The problem will not change merely by respecting Native culture when it comes to Halloween, but it is my hope that a sense of respect especially around this holiday will aid in changing colonized perspectives of Native women as sex objects.

The last of our favorite U.S. fall holidays has become a symbol of American culture.

Susan Bates tells us in “The Real Story of Thanksgiving,” that in 1637, 700 Pequot people gathered for their annual corn festival in present day Groton, Connecticut. As they slept, English and Dutch mercenaries surrounded them and set their longhouses on fire. Many were burned alive and those who ran out of their shelters were shot and clubbed to death.

When these soldiers returned home, the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, John Winthrop, declared “A Day of

Thanksgiving.” As the killings became more frequent, so did the celebrations. George Washington suggested that the Thanksgiving celebrations should be minimized, but it was not until the presidency of Abraham Lincoln that Thanksgiving became a single celebration we know today.

On the day he made the declaration, ironically enough, he ordered troops to kill the already starving indigenous Sioux people of Minnesota.

The fall represents change. A time we must adjust to even if we are not quite ready. A season that calls for love and empathy towards others.

For these reasons, it is important that we acknowledge the true history and traumas that are attached to the holidays we celebrate. Not doing so solidifies the narrative that Indigenous people don’t exist and/ or do not matter.

The foundation of America is based in slavery and genocide, which leads to the

sustained hate and bigotry we see on and off this campus. It is the duty of white people and students across the nation to use their privilege to deconstruct the systems put in place by their ancestors that actively oppress black and brown people.

It is up to people and students of color to uplift each other and to decolonize our minds from over 500 years of conditioned self-hate and submission.

During Thanksgiving break share this story. As for me, I will be in Plymouth, Massachusetts representing the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Nation at the 50th Annual Day Of Mourning in protest of the continued oppression of Native ancestors and Natives today.

I invite all of those who are done upholding the oppressive ways of this great country to come listen, learn, act and begin to invoke a change.

Wake up, our future depends on it.

Statistics according to The New York Times.

GRAPHIC: KAITLYN PATTERSON ’20/THE HAWK

Features

The Hawk Newspaper

Nov. 6, 2019

7

St. Joe’s celebrates diversity at Taste of the World amid racial incidents ZACH DOBINSON ’22 Assistant Features Editor Taste of the World, a biannual feast catered by student diversity organizations on campus, returned to St. Joe’s once again onOct. 31. Gathering in The Perch, nine student cultural organizations brought St. Joe’s community members together during a tense social climate.

For Izabelle Valentin ’20, co-president of Latin Students Association (LSA), the recent racial incidents on campus were on her mind.

She felt celebrating the diversity represented at Taste of the World empowers those who make campus diverse.

“I think the message overall is that there’s so much diversity to offer on campus and it’s really a way to embrace that diversity and celebrate it,” Valentin said. “It’s something nice considering the culture and the climate here.”

As attendees made their way through Taste of the World, they saw foods next to each other that ordinarily would be thousands of miles apart, such as dishes from Puerto Rico and the Philippines. Bridging the Gap (BTG) put together Taste of the World this semester to do exactly what their name implies: bridge the gap between cultures that exist on St. Joe’s campus.

Zoe Welsh ’22, president of BTG, said food offers a perfect way to celebrate and showcase one’s culture or community. The organizations that make St. Joe’s diverse were called on to provide the food BTG needed.

“Food is a way in which a lot of cultures express themselves and show who they are,”

Carla Rodriguez ’20 of LSA serves students at Taste of the World. PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

Welsh said. “I think Taste of the World culminates what the mission for Bridging The Gap is, and that’s to bridge the gap between different cultures and ethnicities and people on campus and bring them in to celebrate and learn and fellowship with each other.”

Supplying food for the event were the African-Caribbean Student Association (ACSA), Asian Student Association (ASA), Black Student Union (BSU), Bridging the Gap (BTG), Greek Club, Hawks of India (HOI), Italian Club, Latino Student Association (LSA) and Saudi Students Club (SSC). Attendees had a variety of options to pick from including chicken wings from BSU, rellenos de papa, a Puerto Rican dish from LSA, and lumpiang

shanghai, a Filipino dish, from ASA. Terry Severe ’20, vice president of ACSA, said when looking at the diversity at St. Joe’s, “We’re all one.” Despite this sense of unity, Severe also acknowledges the reality of St. Joe’s campus—it’s a white-majority institution.

“It’s St. Joe’s, the atmosphere is predominantly white, no one can deny that,” Severe said. “At the same time, events like this show us there’s people of this race, this ethnicity, this religion, whatever the case is. We’re present on this campus.”

Anna Damico ’22 said she felt as if she needed two plates to keep up with her first time at the event.

“There’s different clubs here each repre-

senting different backgrounds and for all of them to come together and just like to celebrate their cultures and their foods is a really awesome,” Damico said.

Stephanie Zellner ’22, vice president of SJUPride, said she appreciated seeing a diverse community around her considering the social climate currently at St. Joe’s.

“I love how it shows the diversity on campus even in times that are a little rough on campus,” Zellner said.

Valentin said she believes exposing people to the diversity of their community is the best way to bring them closer together as a whole.

“It really forces the students to think outside of themselves and outside of what they know and what they see everyday at St. Joe’s,” Valentin said. “The diverse organizations, to stand in solidarity and say, ‘We’re here and we’re not going anywhere.’”

Welsh said BTG had a mission for Taste of the World: exposing students to those who are different than them. By bringing food from South America next to food from Asia and alongside food from the Caribbean, she hopes people will want to be part of a diverse community.

“We want people to learn more about those cultures, embrace the diversity that St. Joe’s has and to learn about it and to engage with it,” Welsh said. “Not only through food but through conversation, learning [about] and experiencing people who are different from them.”

Donald Sullivan ’23 contributed to this story.

University Singers welcomes new voices under new leadership OLIVIA ROBINSON ’22 Special to The Hawk When John Grecia, the University Singers’ long-time accompanist, became director of the choir in August, one of his first tasks was to invite faculty, staff and alumni to join the predominantly student membered group.

“We opened the gates to include more of the fabric of Saint Joseph’s,” Grecia said. “In the past, there was a staff presence, one, two, three, four people that would sing with us, but I wanted to make that official this year and let it be a flagship choir.”

Grecia was named the new University Singers’ director after Thomas Juneau left to become director of choral activities at Wagner College in Staten Island, New York. Grecia, a two-time Grammy winner, had been the group’s accompanist since 2002.

Of the 40 singers in the co-ed choir, most are undergraduate students of all majors.

About six members that recently joined are faculty, staff and alumni.

The group practices on Monday nights in Nicoletti Music Studio.

“It’s not a big number,” said University Singers President Abi Ladipo ’22. “But the fact that they’re willing to show up every Monday night and to sing with us is an amazing show of spirit.”

Jennifer Falcon, executive assistant to the university president, has been at St. Joe’s for 18 years and joined the choir in September.

“It’s a great group of talented, energetic souls who love to sing,” Falcon said. “I look forward to being with the group during our Monday evening practices and am grateful that the students were so welcome to having faculty, staff and administrators join the group.”

Joan Aspan also joined in September. Her husband is Paul Aspan, Ph.D., associate professor of theology and religious studies. Joan Aspan said she has been singing her entire life, as well as attending concerts at St. Joe’s for the

Grammy award winner John Grecia, center, leads the choir’s Monday night rehearsals as its new director. PHOTO: DANIEL REMISHEVSKY ’22/THE HAWK

past 15 years.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever really been in a group of just students,” Joan Aspan said.

“They seem really friendly with each other.

They support each other, and they are there for each other.”

The choir is no longer accepting new members as it prepares for its big concert on Dec. 2, according to Hannah Krupa ’21, University Singers social chair.

“We’re not taking anybody else new because they would have to learn all of the music,” Krupa said. “But I think next semester, we’re gonna have a lot more, hopefully.”

That is Grecia’s goal as well: to entice people to attend the December concert and then hook them into joining the choir.

“We’re really gonna try and advertise the heck out of our winter concert and have a great attendance there,” Grecia said. “We’re going to restate that this is truly open to everybody, and if you want to join spring semester, join.”

While the group has primarily focused on classical music in the past, this year’s concert will feature a wider array of music.

“We do a variety of music, going back to what they call early music, the 1500s and 1600s, and then we move all the way up to

pieces that were literally written two or three or four years ago,” Grecia said. “[There’s also] music from different parts of the world, Caribbean influences, Puerto Rican, Christmas carols. We really do try and make it a diverse palette for the students to sink their teeth into.”

Grecia said he is excited about his new role with the choir, and with the new voices the choir has welcomed.

“It feels like a very nice path to be taking, and it just works so well for the students, and the faculty and staff,” Grecia said. “They all feed off each other, and it’s a beautiful thing to see.”

8

Nov. 6, 2019

The Hawk Newspaper

Features

Facing the forgotten Philadelphia artist sheds light on homelessness epidemic KAITLYN PATTERSON ’20 Features Editor There are approximately 5,700 people in Philadelphia that are considered to be homeless as of 2018, contributing to the 552,830 total individuals experiencing homelessness in the U.S. More often than not, this population is forgotten or ignored. Artist Carolyn Harper combats this problem with her new collection titled “Look Me in the Eye: Portraits of Homelessness,” which opened publicly on Oct. 30 at the Muse Gallery in Old City.

The exhibition aims to put a face to the problem of homelessness through hand-stitched textile portraits of individuals experiencing homelessness in the Philadelphia area.

Harper explained that she was raised to care about social justice issues, including homelessness, but didn’t explore these issues through her artwork until she became a mother herself.

“When my kids were little, I felt that they were entering into a world that was so unfair,” Harper said. “I wanted to try to do something to change it, but I felt helpless, and then I realized that as an artist I could address it in that way.”

Each portrait was accompanied by text telling an anecdote about the person and Harper’s experience talking to them. In addition, Harper paired each story with statistics and facts about homelessness.

Each individual’s story was different and touched on other issues like the LGBTQIA+ community, mental illness and drug addiction.

Tim Caison, a Philadelphia local, attended the gallery and said he was very moved by Harper’s work.

“Carolyn really captured a lot of different subjects as far as epidemics that are happening in the world today and then she puts it on a medium that’s really inviting,” Caison said. “It is something tactile, that you can touch and relate to, it makes it more relatable as she’s telling such sensitive stories and making awareness for the homeless population.”

To Harper, the act of hand stitching the pieces is extremely important in conveying the message of each piece.

“The works really come from my heart,” Harper said. “Every piece is hand stitched except for the borders. To me that’s really important because it represents more than a stitch. It’s representative of a person’s life and how hard life can be.”

Kathleen Gallo, another attendee of the exhibition, said the materials used to compose the portraits reminded her of materials that are often used to construct makeshift shelters, which helps amplify

Carolyn Harper, the artist, stands with her piece titled “Dobb.” PHOTOS: KAITLYN PATTERSON ’20/THE HAWK

the message. “[The artworks] remind me of a blanket or a tarp,” Gallo said. “I think [they] act to rehumanize these people.”

Not only do the portraits bring attention to the issue of homelessness, but they also act as a form of empowerment for the subjects. Harper explained another project she worked on at a homeless shelter where she made portraits of the people there, and gifted them with their portrait afterwards.

“I found that it was really empowering because they saw the portraits of themselves and they were able to see themselves as not just homeless or jobless, but as an individual that transcends those labels,” Harper said.

Often times, each person Harper talks to is grateful to be acknowledged. She offers her subjects money in exchange for having a conversation and taking a photo she can recreate into a textile portrait of them.

“I’ve never been turned away,” Harper said. “A lot of times I’ll ask if they want to have a meal with me, and sometimes that happens and they’re definitely interested in the money, but sometimes they’ll say to me, ‘You’re the first person all week that’s treated me like a human,’ or ‘thank you for talking to me.’”

She said she always tries to find the subjects of her larger pieces, which can take weeks to months to complete, but it can be difficult to locate them since they are living on the street.

Each piece, aside from the borders, is hand stitched, including this piece titled “Jayceom.”

Harper said conversation and finding common ground is the key to combating social justice issues like homelessness that plague our nation.

“We live in such polarized times,” Harper said. “I feel like the only way to get past that is to be open to those differences.”

Harper thinks people tend to be afraid of those who are different than them, but it’s about finding commonalities within our humanity. Harper explained that it

may be scary to approach a person experiencing homelessness, but it’s just about acknowledging them as a person and just saying hello.

“It was scary the first time I approached a homeless person,” Harper said. “But then I realized there’s not that much difference between us.”

“Look Me in the Eye: Portraits of Homelessness will be on display until Dec. 1 at the Muse Gallery.

Each quilt was accompanied by a text about the subject of each portrait, including this piece titled “Dave.”