The Hawk March 24, 2021

March 24, 2021

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Volume CII

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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

A look at COVID-19 vaccines

GRAPHIC: CASEY WOOD ’23/THE HAWK REPORTING: CARLY CALHOUN ’21 SOURCES: Pennsylvania Department of Health, The Centers for Disease Control, Our World in Data and NPR. Compiled March 22, 2021

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OPINIONS

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Leslie Quan ‘22 urges people to stop assuming the ethnicities of Asian Americans

SPORTS

FEATURES

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Read about the struggles women in STEM face at St. Joe’s

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St. Joe’s graduate becomes three-time American Ninja Warrior competitor

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March 24, 2021

News

The Hawk Newspaper

St. Joe’s students receive COVID-19 vaccines CHRISTINE DISANTI ’21 Assistant News Editor Some St. Joe’s students have started receiving COVID-19 vaccines, both in the Philadelphia metropolitan area and in their hometowns.

Many college students in Pennsylvania are currently ineligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. But students in the 1A phase are eligible in Pennsylvania, and students in phase 1A or 1B are eligible in Philadelphia and New Jersey. Students in these phase include those who work in front-line jobs, such as health care or child care settings, and those who are immunocompromised.

St. Joe’s recommends students get vaccinated as soon as they are able to, but does not require them to do so.

Amanda Lucas ’22 received her first dose of the Moderna vaccine in her hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania on March 3, after hearing about appointment openings from her mom, an elementary school teacher.

Even with the two hour drive to Scranton, Lucas said her experience getting the vaccine was relatively quick.

“It was actually pretty simple, I just walked into the pharmacy and because they already had the appointment scheduled, it was easy,” Lucas said.

Lucas said she was conscious of not taking a vaccine from someone in Philadelphia who needed it.

Pasqualina Defeo ’23 holds her vaccination card.

PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

“If people have an opportunity to go home and get it, I would suggest doing that, so that way people in Philadelphia, who don ’t have the means to go somewhere else, have the opportunity to get the vaccine,” Lucas said.

Racial and age disparities in vaccine distribution are two main issues in Philadelphia and nationwide. Ineligible college students have contributed to the disparity by receiving the vaccine prior to being officially eligible, according to The Daily Pennsylvanian. Some University of Pennsylvania students received the vaccine from the Federal Emergency Management Agency

(FEMA) vaccination site at the Philadelphia Convention Center, despite not qualifying for either phase 1A or 1B, The Daily Pennsylvanian reported.

Pasqualina Defeo ’23 is from Connecticut, but she received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in Camden, New Jersey.

Defeo said she heard about the New Jersey vaccination site from family members in New Jersey, and said the process was efficient.

“It was so fast, I just drove to the Camden Community College campus, and they directed me,” Defeo said.

Defeo, who has Type 1 diabetes, qualifies for the vaccine in the 1B phase and signed up to receive the vaccine through the Cooper Hospital Health Portal.

“I actually made an appointment for October, which was really far, but then I kept checking, and I was just able to bump that up as soon as possible,” Defeo said.

Defeo said a number of her friends have also received the vaccine, many of them at the FEMA vaccination site at the Philadelphia Convention Center.

“It’s really important for the elderly population to be protected first, but also I think younger people are probably more likely to be spreading the coronavirus,” Defeo said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), while COVID-19 affected predominantly older adults at the beginning of the pandemic,

by last summer and into fall, young people aged 20 to 29 accounted for more than 20% of infections and were more likely to spread the virus. Scientists have continued to debate whether young people, because they are more likely to spread COVID-19, should be prioritized for vaccination.

Alexa Romanella ’22, a psychology major, is researching St. Joe’s student attitudes toward the vaccine. Romanella created a campuswide survey as part of an independent research project approved by the university to examine which students are most likely to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The survey consists of three sections: vaccination history, general vaccine attitudes and attitudes specifically toward the COVID-19 vaccine.

Romanella, who works in a cardiologist’s office, qualified in Philadelphia because of her job and received her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at the FEMA site. Students getting vaccinated when the time comes is extremely important, Romanella said.

“My biggest hope is that the university is going to be able to use this information to really push whether or not they believe students should get the vaccines,” Romanella said. “And, if there is a large majority of students that aren’t planning on getting the vaccine, to consider advocating for the vaccine and requiring some education.”

Expectations for students’ behavior after COVID-19 recovery NATALIE NEVINS ’24 Special to The Hawk Like many students who have recovered from COVID-19, Lauren Bush ’22 has relaxed when it comes to the virus.

One of the first confirmed cases on campus last fall, Bush tested positive on Aug. 19 during early arrival testing. She said she was symptomatic for four to five days with what felt like a “mild flu.” Bush said she now takes fewer precautions than she did before she got the virus, going out more and stressing less.

“I definitely feel more comfortable doing things now that I’ve had it because I feel less scared of getting it,” Bush said.

As of March 19, 832 members of the St. Joe’s community tested positive for COVID-19, according to the SJU COVID-19 Dashboard, which began releasing information on Aug. 20, 2020.

Faith Sakkos ’23 also tested positive for COVID-19 early in the fall semester. She came down with the virus the first week of September and, like Bush, experienced mild symptoms.

“For a second, it scared me,” Sakkos said. “But when I had it, it wasn’t bad.”

While Sakkos acknowledged she could get a worse case if she contracts the vi-

rus again, she said still does not worry as much if she forgets her mask or if she is out among people.

“I feel like my outlook on it is so awful, but at the same time, I don’t think it’s awful,” Sakkos said. “It’s what most college students feel.”

Sakkos is not sure exactly what the science says about how long she is “invincible,” maybe three months, she guessed. Many students who recover from COVID-19 talk about a three-month or 90-day shield that they think protects them from getting COVID-19 again.

But Dr. David Pegues, professor of medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, said just because someone had COVID-19 does not mean they cannot get reinfected. That 90-day period after testing positive “is not magic,” Pegues said, and people should “continue to do the right thing.”

Pegues said it is true, though, that most people are protected after getting COVID-19, at least for a while.

“The vast majority of people are protected for a minimum of 90 days following infection,” Pegues said. “You may be protected for longer depending upon how your body’s immune system reacted to the initial infection, how much antibody you made and how your other infection-fighting cells

and cell mediated immunity works.”

Cary Anderson, Ed.D., associate provost and vice president of Student Life, wrote in response to written questions from The Hawk that the iCare Pledge still applies to students whether they tested positive for the virus or not. The iCare Pledge requires students to participate in university testing programs, practice social distancing and wear masks while on campus.

“Just because someone has had COVID-19 previously, they shouldn’t let their guard down,” Anderson said. “Although rare, there are cases of reinfections.”

Anderson said students who have tested positive in the last 90 days do not need to participate in campus surveillance testing-a policy that seems to fuel students’ idea that they cannot get COVID-19 again within 90 days of contracting the virus.

Anderson said students who have had COVID-19 must still fill out an exemption form if they are selected for surveillance testing within 90 days of infection.

Pegues also emphasized the importance of people who have had the virus continuing to use personal protective equipment (PPE), such as masks.

“Because you’ve had an infection is not a reason to stop protecting others from yourself,” Pegues said.

Blaise Doyle ’23 tested positive for COVID-19 early last November with symptoms he described as a “really bad flu.”

Even after recovering from the virus, Doyle said he continues to take safety precautions, including wearing a mask.

“If I catch it again, I’m most likely fine, but out of respect for others who are high risk and are more vulnerable, I wear my mask,” Doyle said.

Doyle said his mentality about the virus, and his actions, have not changed after he contracted the virus.

“I'm still trying to be conscious of who I’m around,” Doyle said. “I never got an antibody test, so I don’t know if I still have the antibodies or not.”

Still, Doyle said he relaxed a little when he went home for the winter break because he had already tested positive and knew he was not bringing it home to his parents.

“Knowing I had at least three months to spend time with my family and not necessarily worry about giving them COVID, that’s probably the best part,” Doyle said.

Now Doyle said he tries to balance having a social life while still considering others.

“I’m not a saint,” Doyle said. “I still go out. I still try to have fun. At the same time, in terms of my friends, I try to be aware [they] are more vulnerable to the virus.”

Campus faces unprecedented uptick in positive COVID-19 cases DEVIN YINGLING ’22 News Editor With less than two weeks until the start of Easter break-the only full break during the spring semester—the university is facing a significant uptick in positive COVID-19 cases on campus.

On March 22, the SJU COVID-19 Dashboard reported “estimated active cases” on campus as 82, with a total of 258 cumulative cases so far for the spring 2021 semester. The On-Campus Isolation and Quarantine Daily Space Snapshot showed 19% of on-campus spaces in use.

The largest spike recorded in the fall 2020 semester was on Nov. 16 with a report-

ed 25 positive cases. This spring, the largest spike in reported cases occurred on Feb. 14, with 21 reported cases. The second-largest spikes were on March 9 and March 19, with 18 cases each day.

Cary Anderson, Ed.D., associate provost and vice president of Student Life, wrote in a March 19 university announcement that students should “avoid non-University-sanctioned events and gatherings” as well as comply with symptomatic testing.

“A number of factors are contributing, but the most concerning is that our students continue to attend unsanctioned events and gatherings,” wrote Anderson in response to written questions from The Hawk Jacob Vucinaj ’24, a rower on the St. Joe’s

men’s crew team, was exposed to COVID-19 from a teammate who tested positive, and went into quarantine on March 19. Vucinaj said while his teammates and other students have seemed to be working to stay safe, he said the spike is likely coming from an increase in activity on campus.

“I think people go out more because they’ve been stuck inside all day with not really much to do,” Vucinaj said. “Other than that, I feel like mostly everyone I know is being really careful because we just want this to be over with.”

Throughout the city, COVID-19 cases have been steadily on the rise since Feb. 14, according to the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) COVID-19

Overview. Most other universities in the area have not experienced a similar spike in cases this week, although the University of Pennsylvania is currently operating at Alert Level 2: Heightened Awareness as the cities’ positive case numbers increase. LaSalle University experienced a bump in positive cases on March 19 with 10 cases reported.

Anderson said students need to be more vigilant in upholding safety precautions, especially with such a short window before they are planning to go home for the Easter break.

CONTINUED ON PG 3

News

The Hawk Newspaper

March 24, 2021

3

Professors experience inconsistent vaccine eligibility NICK KARPINSKI ’21 Multimedia Editor St. Joe’s faculty and staff who are eager to get COVID-19 vaccines are finding they have inconsistent access to the vaccine due to their varying residential zip codes, underlying health conditions and age ranges.

Officials in surrounding counties such as Chester, Delaware and Montgomery, where many professors live, warn that it could take several months to vaccinate residents in phase 1A, which consists of people 65 years and older and people with high-risk conditions. University faculty and staff are considered a part of phase 1C in these counties.

“I look at the entire vaccine rollout as a failure to act as one country,” said Susan Liebell, Ph.D., associate professor of political science. “In my opinion, the vaccine should have been rolled out according to national standards because we’re one nation and they should have set those standards.”

University educators are categorized differently than K-12 educators, who are currently eligible to get the vaccine.

James Garrow, director of communications for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH), said part of the reason for this prioritization is because a lot of university-level instruction can take place virtually while students in K-12 learn better in the classroom.

“We’re prioritizing the groups that have the higher levels of adverse outcomes, from being stuck in their house,” Garrow said.

Aisha Lockridge, Ph.D., associate professor of English and Faculty Senate president, said she agrees with this prioritization.

“Most of us have a two- or three-day schedule. We can at least work with the school to get a hybrid course or try to get a course

online,,” Lockridge said. “We have a lot more room than educators for younger students have.”

The uncertainty surrounding vaccination is driving faculty concerns about plans for the fall 2021 semester. Some faculty are reluctant to commit to in-person teaching now without knowing if they will be vaccinated by the fall.

Students begin registering for fall classes on April 6, and faculty had to submit course modalities prior to that.

When asked how vaccination rates will affect the university’s recommendations for faculty as they plan for their 2021 fall course modalities, Gabrielle Lacherza, public relations manager, wrote in response to written questions from The Hawk that “student need and public health guidance” will govern methods of instruction.

Additionally, Lacherza said she expects current instructional methods to change over the summer as guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the PDPH are updated.

“There will be an expanded drop-add period in August because of expected instructional method changes,” Lacherza said. “We will be on ground as much as possible to meet student interest.”

Lockridge said that as the St. Joe’s community gets closer to herd immunity, it is reasonable to insist that classes occur in person.

The CDC defines herd immunity as when a sufficient proportion of a population is immune to an infectious disease (through vaccination and/or prior illness) to make its spread from person to person unlikely. The specific proportion for COVID-19 is not yet known, according to the CDC. “I do think professors need to have some level of choice based on their own health con-

cerns,” Lockridge said. “That’s not going to be forever. We have to put a timeline on it. But we need to be careful about putting students and faculty into unsafe situations.”

Sally Kuykendall, Ph.D., chair of the health studies department, is part of the Vaccine Working Group, a university committee led by Cary Anderson, Ed.D., associate provost and vice president for Student Life, and was created to follow updates surrounding vaccine distribution.

Kuykendall wrote in an email to The Hawk that current estimates are that 70-85% of the geographical region, not just faculty, need to be vaccinated in order to achieve community immunity.

“Achieving 85% vaccination of faculty will not work if student vaccination rates are low,” Kuykendall wrote. “Furthermore, people who are vaccinated may carry the virus asymptom-

atically or the virus could mutate to develop immunity against the vaccine.”

Lockridge said the university has applied to be a vaccination site. “[It] would give faculty, staff, students and community members better access,” Lockridge said. “I know those types of things are being advocated for on a regular basis. Students want to be on ground and I think professors are nervous to be on ground without a vaccine, but recognize the need to be [in person] and how helpful it is for students.”

Kuykendall said the university does not have adequate “clinical facilities” to offer a vaccine clinic.

“This is not to say that the university would not entertain conversations if the opportunity arose,” Kuykendall said. “The infrastructure to support mass immunization is simply not on campus right now.”

A woman receives the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a city sponsored vaccination site on March 22.

PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

University discusses vaccination distribution DEVIN YINGLING ’22 News Editor As the COVID-19 vaccine slowly becomes more widely available, the university is currently assessing how to distribute and make the vaccine accessible to the community while planning ahead for the fall semester.

As of March 20, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19, Moderna COVID-19 and Janssen COVID-19 vaccines have all been approved for distribution under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).

According to a Jan. 20 email from Cheryl McConnell, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs, when a vaccine is being used under EUA, the university cannot mandate community members receive it.

Cary Anderson, Ed.D., associate provost and vice president of Student Life, wrote in response to written questions from The Hawk that once the EUA classification is lifted, the university may add it to their mandated list of vaccines.

The university currently requires vaccines for MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella), Tetanus/Diphtheria, Polio, Meningococcal Meningitis, Varicella and Tuberculosis (for certain groups), while strongly recommending vaccines for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis A and Menin-

gococcal B. Exemptions are only allowed with documented health or religious reasons.

“There is no official position of the university on this topic,” Anderson said. “It remains in review and discussion.”

The university is currently recommending that everyone who is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine should get it.

Those currently eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in Philadelphia County are only vulnerable populations classified in phase 1A or 1B. Those who work or attend a college or university are classified under phase 1C, which includes “essential workers with lower risk of exposure and persons 65-74,” according to the Philadelphia Department of Health (PDPH).

Gabrielle Lacherza, public relations manager, wrote in response to written questions from The Hawk that while the university cannot guarantee that all community members will receive a vaccine by the start of the fall semester, the possibility looks “hopeful.”

“That said, if members of the community do not have a vaccine by fall 2021, we will assist those members in locating resources to do so,” Lacherza said. “Perhaps by then we will be able to offer a clinic on campus.”

Sally Kuykendall, Ph.D., chair of the health studies department and a member of

the university’s Vaccine Working Group, said the university does not have the clinical capacity to run a clinic.

Lacherza added that the university is currently unable to act as a vaccination site for community members.

James Garrow, director of communications at the PDPH, said in order for a university or any community organization to distribute the vaccine, they need to have adequate capacity and resources to do so.

“I know some universities, especially those that are affiliated with hospitals, makes it a lot easier because they’ve essentially got medical staff on site and they have storage capacity and the capacity to do these things,” Garrow said. “But, that doesn’t obviate nonmedical universities from finding a partner who has the capacity to do this and setting up clinics to be able to push these things out.”

Garrow said there is not a firm timeline that the city has to determine when those in phase 1C in Philadelphia County will be approved to start receiving the vaccine.

“Philadelphia Health Commissioner, Dr. Farley has said that he has hopes by the end of April or sometime in April to be able to move to phase 1C,” Garrow said.

The rest of Pennsylvania, except for

Philadelphia County, is distributing the vaccine to only those classified under phase 1A, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Montgomery County, where half of St. Joe’s campus is situated, is currently distributing the vaccine only to those in phase 1A, according to the Montgomery Department of Health.

The university has implemented a “voluntary reporting survey” for students, faculty and staff to disclose their vaccination status, in order to track the number of community members who have received the vaccine so far, according to a March 19 university announcement from Anderson and Zenobia Hargust, M.S., SPHR, chief human resources officer.

“This survey will allow the university to provide asymptomatic community members who have been vaccinated with customized quarantine procedures and excuse them from surveillance testing” Anderson and Hargust said. “Without providing this information, vaccinated community members will still need to follow University quarantine and surveillance testing protocols as we will need proof of vaccination to make exceptions.”

Campus faces unprecedented uptick in positive COVID-19 cases

CONTINUED FROM PG.2 “For those planning to go home or elsewhere over the break, we are now entering the timeframe when you may not be able to travel if placed into isolation or quarantine, and you may risk placing friends and roommates in quarantine impeding their ability to travel for the holiday,” Anderson said.

The Hawk requested an interview with Eileen Bevilacqua, RN, BSN, director of the Student Health Center. Bevilacqua said she was not available for an interview, but with the rise in cases, she stressed the importance of reporting symptoms as soon as possible.

“When students walk around symptomatic for days they continue to spread the virus,” Bevilacqua wrote in response to written questions from The Hawk.

Anderson also said that the spike in cases can be attributed to students’ delay in reporting symptoms and exposure.

All community members are required to complete a COVID-19 Self-Disclosure form “immediately when experiencing symptoms, upon receipt of a positive test result, or when exposed to a non-campus or unknown individual,” according to the Hawk Hill Ahead website.

In addition to reporting symptoms,

wearing a mask and social distancing, James Garrow, director of communications for the PDPH, said there are other ways students can mitigate the spread of the virus on campus.

“Probably the easiest thing that folks at the university level can consider doing is, if you’re going to get together with people, do it outside,” Garrow said.

Anderson said prior to Easter break, students will be able to take a free test on campus from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 29 or March 30 outside of Barry Hall. All residential students will be required to take another test after Easter break from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on either

April 7 or April 8 in the Maguire Wolfington Welcome Center tent.

While the university is encouraging students to get tested, Anderson said “this is about personal responsibility and care for the St. Joe’s community,” so there is more that can be done to minimize transmission.

“We cannot let our guard down,” Anderson said. “Despite the vaccine rollout and warmer weather, we must maintain vigilance with all safety measures including masks and distancing.”

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March 24, 2021

Opinions

The Hawk Newspaper

Ethics of vaccine distribution

Our role as part-time Philadelphia residents Editor in Chief

Jackie Collins ’21 Managing Editor Ryan Mulligan ’21 Copy Chief Cara Smith ’21 Faculty Adviser Shenid Bhayroo Contributing Adviser Jenny Spinner

Copy Editor Celia Hegarty ’21 Copy Editor Carly Calhoun ’21 Multimedia Editor Nick Karpinski ’21 News Editor Devin Yingling ’22 Assistant News Editor Eddie Daou ’22 Assistant News Editor Christine DiSanti ’21 Opinions Editor Tayler Washington ’22 Assistant Opinions Editor Sehar Macan-Markar ’22

The national rollout of COVID-19 vaccines has disproportionately benefited white Americans, despite Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) being disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. As St. Joe’s students, we are shortterm, predominately white residents in our West Philadelphia neighborhood, which is a primarily Black and brown community.

Therefore we must be mindful of our privilege and think about how we need to give priority to long-term residents so that the most impacted and vulnerable receive the vaccine before ineligible St. Joe’s students receive them.

Systemic racism and racial inequities built into the U.S. health care system is a major factor in why BIPOC communities are most impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. This explains, in part, the unequal vaccine distribution as this system fails to provide adequate services to communities of color.

Within the first month of vaccines being administered in the U.S., approximately 13,000,000 people received the vaccine; 60% of those people were white Americans. Philadelphia, a primarily Black and brown city, reflects these national trends with 164,057 residents being fully vaccinated and of those vaccinated, 26.42% are white, compared to 13.6% being Black, according to the City of Philadelphia as of March 21.

According to the 2019 U.S. Census data, about 34% of residents of Philadelphia county are white. Data from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health indicates that 19.4% of 1,579,305 Philadelphians were partially vaccinated as of March 22. Of those who are partially vaccinated, 26.2% are white, 26.8% are Asian, 13.6% are Black and 11.2%

are Hispanic.

In order to address the racial disparities seen in the already limited vaccine distribution, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) opened walk-up vaccinations for 22 underserved zip codes, primarily BIPOC communities, in Philadelphia. While this expanded availability was made to support these underserved communities, it has actually widened the gap between white and BIPOC vaccinations.

“...we need to acknowledge the disparities in vaccine distribution and live up to our duty to live and act for the greater good.”

Half of St. Joe’s campus is located in one of the underserved zip codes, 19131, which is a primarily Black and brown area designated by FEMA to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. St. Joe’s students, a predominantly white community, must be cognizant of the vaccine distribution gap between BIPOC and white people.

Yes, St. Joe’s students who fall into the 1A or 1B category made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which includes individuals who are immunocompromised or working high-risk jobs, should use this opportunity to get vaccinated. However, for those who do not fall into these categories, using one’s nonpermanent

zip code, such as 19131, to get the vaccine earlier creates ethical dilemmas. If there is an inadequate supply of vaccines in your zip code, making vaccine appointments in your neighborhood takes away opportunities for permanent residents who need it the most.

Again, this is not to say that students should not get vaccinated. While we encourage everyone to get vaccinated if the opportunity arises, when it is their turn, we also want members of the St. Joe’s community to be aware of our privilege.

The website Extra Vaccine Notifier allows you to sign up for extra vaccines that become available in your area, vaccines that are likely to be thrown out due to the short shelf life of the COVID-19 vaccine. Using a resource such as this allows for you to have a chance at getting vaccinated while not taking appointments away from BIPOC communities such as the ones surrounding St. Joe’s.

As a university, we need to acknowledge the disparities in vaccine distribution and live up to our duty to live and act for the greater good, especially in the interests of those who are most vulnerable.

-The Editorial Board

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

Assistant Opinions Editor Maggie Brennen ’22 Features Editor Giana Longo ’22 Assistant Features Editor Nenagh Sheehan ’21 Assistant Features Editor Elaina Wall ’21 Sports Editor Riley Frain ’21 Assistant Sports Editor Tyler Nice ’23 Graphics/Illustrations Editor Casey Wood ’23 Photo Editor Mitchell Shields ’22 Social Media Manager Sam Jenkins ’21 Business Manager Angela DiMarco ’22 Assistant Business Manager Colin Messenger ’22 Assistant Business Manager Danny Remishevsky ’23 Assistant Business Manager Jillian Bodemer ’23 Distribution Manager Alec Mettin ’24 Distribution Manager Deborah Duong ’24

Correction: In the March 17 issue of The Hawk, the News piece titled “Increase in anti-Asian hate crimes impacts community” incorrectly stated that Christine Nasife was a member of the class of 2023. She is a member of the class of 2022.

Letter to the Editor A Statement from the Chair of the Department of Theology and Religious Studies I am writing in support of and in solidarity with the LGBTQIA members of the Saint Joseph’s University Community: students, staff, faculty and alumni. I am writing on my own behalf.

The Vatican’s recent statement that same sex unions could not be blessed because “the Church cannot bless sin” was worse than unfortunate. It was sinful. It continued the hierarchy’s pattern of rejecting and erasing loyal and faithful followers of Jesus Christ.

In refusing to bless these unions, the Church has added pain upon insult in its refusal to ritually acknowledge the reality of the love of Christ for gay, lesbian and other couples who do not embrace heteronormative identifiers as they live together under vows of love, fidelity and mutual support.

Thus, once again, the Church hierarchy has failed some of its most vulnerable members. This calumny of calling vowed, faithful love seeking ecclesial blessing “sinful” reflects the true state of episcopal authority, desiccated and rendered nearly irrelevant by its catastrophic failure to protect children during decades of abuse and coverup.

However, that sad truth does not mitigate the suffering this most recent insult has caused. Those of us who enjoy privilege and authority at the university need to work even harder now in the service of inclusion and empowerment for all of the members of our community.

I would close with one undeniable Truth: anyone who has received the gift of a life partner who cherishes, honors and

loves only them for as long as they both shall live knows that such a gift comes from the Source of all Love. What God has joined together let no Church put asunder.

Paul F. Aspan, Ph.D. Chair and Associate Professor Department of Theology and Religious Studies Saint Joseph’s University

Opinions

The Hawk Newspaper

March 24, 2021

5

Reflecting on the impact of BLM Keep the momentum going CONNOR MIGNANO ’23 Columnist With the killing of Breonna Taylor passing its oneyear anniversary, and the killing of George Floyd following not too far behind, the topic of police reform and racial justice has reentered the public arena.

This is true especially as the country watches the recent proceedings in Minneapolis as the jury for the trial of Derek Chauvin, the officer who has been charged with the killing of Floyd, is being selected, and Floyd’s family has reached a $27 million settlement with the city.

The settlement of the Floyd family’s civil suit against the city of Minneapolis demonstrates something that many people realized at the beginning of the racial justice movement: we are witnessing a profound change in the way that this country both discusses race and handles issues pertinent to it. This reality is best summed up by the statement given by the family’s attorney, Ben Crump, J.D., in which he says that the settlement “sends a powerful message that Black lives do matter and police brutality against people of color must end.”

When the protests first began, it struck me as incredible that so many people could turn out to fight for a cause that they believed in. Many of them were facing the risk

of protesting during a pandemic, and others had to deal with incidents of police brutality during the protests. I think it is truly telling that despite these risks, the movement that we saw unfold over the course of 2020 turned out to be one of the largest protest movements in American history. The number of people that came out to protest peaked at 26 million in early June.

Unlike many of the other racial justice protests that sprung up over the last decade, real policy changes were made in some cities to correct police use of force.

The mayor of Atlanta, for example, released a series of reforms to police conduct last year to “build trust between law enforcement and our communities.” It is also important to mention that many of the

“It has woken up those who were once apathetic to issues facing people of color in this country and it has brought about real change in both our politics and our laws.”

What is even more telling is that the support for the racial justice movement, particularly for Black Lives Matter, continues to be high, with 55% of U.S. adults supportive of the movement. Unfortunately, the number has gone down since the beginning of the movement, but the data still indicates that a majority of Americans side with the calls for racial justice.

We live in a time in which our focus is constantly being shifted from one big event to the other. The unique and inspiring nature of the racial justice movement that sprung up last year is that it was able to surmount that and bring large swaths of the country to the prolonged attention of this pressing issue.

mayoral races throughout the country, from Minneapolis to Boston, have been impacted tremendously by the racial justice movement. Whether a candidate supports police reform or not is the determining factor of their electability in many of these races.

All of this is to say that the momentum of the racial justice movement has not died down and most likely will not any time soon. It has woken up those who were once apathetic to issues facing people of color in this country and it has brought about real change in both our politics and our laws.

Whatever the outcome of the Chauvin trial may be, I feel confident in saying that the momentum of change will not slow for some time.

Dear Pope Francis In response to the Vatican’s declaration on same sex unions ZAC DOBINSON ’22 Guest Columnist Dear Pope Francis, I had such high hopes for you and, like so many other Catholics, you let me down, you let my community down and you let history down.

Any and all hopes and dreams I had dared to let myself have for the Catholic Church under your time as Pope are now flatlining and resuscitation seems incredibly bleak. However, I should be used to nothing but disappointment from the Catholic Church when it comes to the lack of the simple, but clearly not easy, act of fully accepting someone’s identity.

Upon hearing the news of the Vatican’s declaration against the blessing of samesex unions, which you approved, I couldn’t help but immediately see the hypocrisy of this statement: “But he does not and cannot bless sin: he blesses sinful man, so that he may recognize that he is part of his plan of love and allow himself to be changed by him.”

I’m not here to try and teach you, Pope Francis, about what any part of the Bible means. I’m merely here to say that you have no business renewing a hateful, barbaric and idiotic way of viewing people.

There are no exceptions here, and your hollow acceptance is neither desired nor required. This is conditional acceptance, and there shouldn’t be conditions to be met for basic human decency. There’s nothing “to be changed by him.” I’m not disappointed that the Church doesn’t view me as an equal. I’m

disappointed that heteronormative and cisgender people have a prolonged, false sense of superiority that I so desperately hoped future LGBTQIA+ generations would only have to read history books to understand, not experience firsthand.

Words have power, and you have abused that power. When something is labeled as wrong, different or a sin, it’s being given very dangerous connotations. Ideologies like this

Before I even knew what queerness was, I grew up feeling a kind of pressure to be someone who could be accepted and loved by my family. This pressure would eventually metastasize into feelings of depression, shame and self-hatred. I personally feel this happened, in part, because a religious outlook on queerness was driving the status quo for so long that it became present in my family dynamic, just like so many other families.

“I couldn’t care at all what the Bible says of me or my identity. But if you, Pope Francis, are going to try and demonize my existence, don’t you dare do so by hiding behind your deity.” can create, and have created, religiously motivated extremism like conversion therapy, which I would liken to modern-day toRture.

You have just solidified the placement of unnecessary burdens and obstacles in the lives of countless members of the LGBT community, as a life of inadequacy due to archaic teachings with even more archaic interpretations may be thrust upon them.

Within my own family, I grew up with some very devout Catholic family members.

I don’t know if they would be proud of me for coming into my own identity because of what they are told to believe. I don’t know if my grandmother, who recited the rosary prayer nearly every day until she passed away, were to meet me today would hug and squeeze me like she always did, or shun me.

I love my parents and sister and they love and accept me, but this came after leaping over many hurdles. These hurdles forced us, myself included, to untangle our lives from Catholic teachings in order to truly see what our coexistence meant. I was being denied access to myself, and my family was being denied access to their son, brother and grandson. All of this was subconsciously and supposedly in the name of God. I couldn’t care at all what the Bible says of me or my identity. But if you, Pope Francis, are going to try and demonize my existence, don’t you dare do so by hiding behind your deity.

Sincerely, Another disappointed queer person

TODD ERKIS Columnist Todd Erkis is a visiting professor of finance at St. Joe’s who writes weekly columns answering students’ financial questions.

My friend told me about how she is buying NBA videos and making real money off of them. Is this real? - John A. ’22, marketing major John, yes, it is real, the buying NBA videos part anyway. It’s called NBA Top Shot. The NBA Top Shot website (www. nbatopshot.com) describes itself as “NBA Top Shot, officially licensed digital collectibles. A new era in fandom has arrived-beyond repping your team, or loving your favorite player. Now, own basketball’s greatest MomentsTM with NBA Top Shot.”

To understand what is going on, we first have to get a bit technical. Likely everyone has heard of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency. Bitcoin and the other cryptocurrencies work due to the blockchain. The blockchain can be thought of as a public database spread out all over the internet containing the history of who owns something, called a token. With a cryptocurrency, the token is “fungible,” meaning that all are the same and interchangeable. For example, paper money is fungible since it does not matter which specific dollar bill I have, it can be used like any other dollar bill.

However, a token does not need to be fungible, it can be unique and attached to basically anything. These nonfungible tokens (NFTs) have been attached to many digital things. People have attached them to cat memes, tweets and, most famously, art. You may have heard that on March 11, 2021, Christie’s, a very real auction house, sold a digital artwork by the artist Beeple for $69,346,250. No, that is not a typo-$69 million for a JPEG! Really, it’s for the NFT attached to the picture. If you are interested in the backstory of this sale, I encourage you to listen to the fascinating NPR Planet Money podcast from March 12, 2021 on this subject.

The NBA videos and Top Shot use the same NFT concept. The basic idea is that you can own a video highlight of an actual play that happened in the NBA. You can’t stop others from viewing that highlight or even own it like you can copyright it or anything. But you own the NFT attached to that highlight and can sell that NFT to others-although at this point, you need to sell it on the NBA’s platform with the associated fees and expenses.

What is the NFT that is attached to an NBA highlight worth? My answer is that the long-term value is not known at this time. I suspect that many highlights, like an average play during the season from a wellknown player, will have little or no longterm value. But I did see that there was a dunk by LeBron James that went for more than $200,000. And the $69 million for that Beeple artwork is certainly eye-opening.

Those are their current market values, but this is now when this technology is new.

I would like to remind my readers that a pristine Beanie Baby© used to be worth thousands of dollars too, but the hundreds of them that I am holding on to in my attic for my kids are not worth nearly that much now! That is the problem with something that has value as a collectible.

In the moment, it seems like it’s really rare and worth a lot. This is especially true when the market is telling you it’s worth a lot by its current price. But in the long term, most collectibles end up being close to worthless.

Of course, Pokemon© cards are starting to interest people again. If I had only kept that mint, holographic, first edition Charizard card my son sold years ago.

6

March 24, 2021

Opinions

The Hawk Newspaper

Oscars 2.0

Celebrating more BIPOC and women in the film industry FAITH COWELL ’22 Columnist The Oscars don’t hold a lot of weight in cinema anymore. They’re less important than international film festivals. The Oscars don’t nominate enough people of color or celebrate female filmmakers, they read the wrong film for best picture and the list goes on.

Last year, when the nominations came out, I wrote about how no female directors were nominated for best director, and how the academy overlooked really wonderful films and performances from people of color. I wrote that I wouldn’t be surprised when some boring film directed by a white guy won best picture. Oh, how I loved being proved wrong.

Last year, “Parasite” took home best picture and best international feature film, with director Bong Joon-ho scoring the award for best director, and a woman took home the award for best original score (which is a rare feat) with Hildur Guðnadóttir winning for her work on “Joker.”

This year, the nominations look even better and more diverse, with movies I actually enjoyed watching. In the directing category, Chloé Zhao scored a nomination for directing “Nomadland,” and she is the first woman of color to be nominated for best director (and she’s predicted to win).

Emerald Fennell is nominated for directing “Promising Young Woman,” making the 2021 Oscars the first to ever have two women nominated in the best director category. Only one woman has ever won—

Kathryn Bigelow for “The Hurt Locker.”

Also, two Black women are up for best actress, for the first time since 1973: Viola Davis for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and Andra Day for “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.” For the first time ever, two men of Asian heritage are up for best actor: Riz Ahmed, who is British and Pakistani, is nominated for his performance in “Sound of Metal,” and Steven Yeun, who was born in South Korea and raised in the U.S., is nominated for his acting in “Minari.” Ahmed is also the first Muslim man to be nominated for best actor. As you can see, there are quite a few exciting firsts this year.

to Arkansas so the father, played by Yeun, can follow his dream of becoming a farmer to provide for his family. What’s more American than farming in Arkansas? But the academy surprised me this year—maybe they read my scathing article from last year.

Also for “Minari,” Yuh-Jung Youn earned a nomination for best supporting actress for her role as Yeun’s mother-inlaw. Youn is the first South Korean actor to do so last year, when “Parasite” was up for best picture with an entirely South Korean cast, it garnered no acting nominations at all. This year is also the first time two Asian directors are nominated in the best director

ILLUSTRATION: SADIE HENZES ’24/ THE HAWK

Before the nominations came out, I was ready to write an article on how wrong it was for the Golden Globes to put “Minari” in the category for best foreign language film, when the movie is, in its purest form, a story about the American dream. It tells the story of a Korean-American family moving

category, with Lee Isaac Chung nominated for “Minari” and Chloé Zhao nominated for “Nomadland.”

There are some snubs, however, mostly towards Black actors and directors. For their performances in “Judas and the Black Messiah,” LaKeith Stanfield and Daniel Kaluuya

were both nominated for best supporting actor, when Stanfield is the lead and not a supporting actor. Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods” was snubbed almost entirely, picking up only one nomination for best score, and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” didn’t garner a best picture nomination either. “Judas and the Black Messiah” is the only drama led by Black actors to have made the cut for best picture.

Still, the nominees this year are a far cry from last year, where movies about white men directed by white men dominated the nominations.

However, the Oscars should still be less about praising white men for the films they’ve been making and remaking forever.

It’s not that women and people of color aren’t making films that are Oscar worthy, it’s that the academy and the mainstream media don’t always pay attention to those films.

Lee, after his snub for directing “Da 5 Bloods” at the Golden Globes earlier this month, summed it up perfectly: “In no uncertain terms, we’ve seen many more voices and films reflecting—a better reflection of this mosaic of the United States of America.”

We need to continue encouraging people to make, watch and enjoy those films.

Only then will the Oscars look more like Lee’s mosaic metaphor, and only then will I not need to criticize award shows so much.

All of the “firsts” this year are amazing, don’t get me wrong. But we need to push for award shows and film praises where women and Black, Indigenous and people of color at the forefront of awards is considered the norm instead of a record-breaking event.

Don’t assume my ethnicity

Experiences as an Asian American woman LESLIE QUAN ’22 Columnist During my first semester at St. Joe’s, I asked my roommate, “When you were looking for a roommate, did it matter to you that I’m Asian?”

“No, why would it?” she replied. My roommate had a good point. It didn’t matter if I was Asian or not.

This internalized fear of judgment because of my ethnicity all began when I was added to the “SJU Class of 2022” Facebook page. Almost everyone who posted on the page was a white student.

I came to St. Joe’s with an awareness of the lack of diversity. In my first post to the Facebook group I said, “I’m Vietnamese and Chinese, and would love to meet other Asians who are attending SJU.” I reached out to a handful of students who had similar interests as me, but whenever someone didn’t message me back, I felt like it was because they saw my picture, realized that I’m Asian and decided they didn’t want to room with someone who looked like me.

Perhaps these internalized fears aren’t true. However, my previous experiences with microaggressions force me to always be aware of any xenophobic remarks and actions that are targeted against me.

When I was about 10 years old, I remember I was shopping at the mall and looking at baby clothes for my twin cousins, when a white woman called me a “b----” out of nowhere.

I was genuinely confused until I heard her turn to her daughter and say “Oh don’t worry, she wouldn’t understand me anyways.”

This white woman felt like it was necessary to call me a b---- because I supposedly got in her way while I was looking at clothes and taking them off the rack. Not only that, but she assumed that I didn’t speak English because I’m Asian.

fight against racism and I would not stand to have another person experience what I had experienced.

That white woman made me feel angry that people actually believe ridiculous stereotypes. In her mind, all Asian people don’t speak English, therefore, it is completely justified for her to call people whatever expletive she wants. This is completely ignorant and

“I am Vietnamese and Chinese, and I would prefer if people asked about my ethnicity rather than assuming what my ethnicity is.”

At such a young age, I couldn’t even believe that I had encountered a racist individual. I couldn’t even find the right words to explain what happened so I began to cry to my parents. My tears caught the attention of one of the employees. Luckily, the employee who came to check in on the situation was an Asian woman. While I fumbled with words to tell her what happened, the Asian woman seemed to already understand what was going on and she forced the white woman and her daughter to leave the store.

This happened almost 10 years ago and I still think about that encounter. I remember she left in a rage and I was left completely shattered. When I got home that night, I remember that I promised myself that I would

wrong on so many levels.

People often make assumptions based on how I look. The first thing that comes to most people’s minds when they think about an Asian person is someone who is Chinese.

However, being Asian includes people from over 40 countries. Not all people who look Asian are Chinese, and not all people who look Asian are actually born in an Asian country. I am Vietnamese and Chinese, and I would prefer if people asked about my ethnicity rather than assuming what my ethnicity is.

I used to work at a sushi restaurant in my hometown and I had an older white man say “xie xie” to me on the way out, which means “thank you” in Chinese. This completely frustrated me because he assumed my ethnicity

and he believed that saying “xie xie” to me was more appropriate than just saying “thank you.” It’s remarks like these that are becoming normalized and we must fight against this to condemn this type of behavior.

When I was in high school, I was told by my one friend that I “look white.” Even though I was thoroughly confused on why she thought that, at the time, I took it as a compliment because all I wanted to do was fit in with my white peers. However, looking back on that conversation, I wish I would have told her “No, I am not white I am Vietnamese and Chinese and it is completely inappropriate to assume someone’s race and ethnicity based on how they look.”

We cannot strip away people’s culture, identity and ethnicity all because of how they look. Even if you apologize for assuming someone’s ethnicity, I can promise you that they will not forget that encounter. At least in my experience, I think that it’s appropriate to ask about someone’s ethnicity.

Most people are proud to share that information because that’s usually a big part of who they are. Take those opportunities to learn something new about someone.

Everyone has a different experience, even within their own culture. And those who are open and willing to learn don’t just have a better understanding of the people around them, but they have a better understanding of the world.

Features

March 24, 2021 7

The Hawk Newspaper

Women to follow for Instagram @drmalikagrayson Twitter @MalikaGrayson

Editor’s Picks: A selection of women influencers in STEM

Instagram @girlchangetheworld Twitter @STEMpreneurlife

Instagram @dreamtobeot

Liked by Elaina Wall ’21, Assistant Features Editor

Lorena Soriano is the founder and CEO of every

POINT ONE, PBC, an initiative that shows STEM companies how to be inclusive, diverse, ethical and unbiased. She is a Forbes 30 Under 30 Fellow and was featured in the Forbes Trailblazer series. She utilizes her Instagram and Twitter to share her journey and experience working in STEM and entrepreneurship.

Liked by Elaina Wall ’21, Assistant Features Editor

Instagram @simplexcode

Dr. Malika Grayson is the founder of STEMinist Em-

powered LLC, an organization focused on empowering women of color in pursuit of graduate degrees “through graduate mentorship and personal statement reviews.” In her book, “Hooded: A Black Girl’s Guide to the Ph.D.,” she offers personal accounts of her time as a doctoral candidate in STEM and provides tips and advice for Black women in higher education. She is a global keynote speaker and provides career advice and motivation on her Instagram and Twitter.

Nenagh Sheehan ’21, Assistant Features Editor

Temi Olukoko is a software engineer. She offers advice for tech and coding software, so it’s simple and accessible to more people. Her Instagram helps people learn the language of coding, and she offers career advice and resource guides for people entering the STEM field, especially in computer science and programming.

Liked by Nenagh Sheehan ’21, Assistant Features Editor

Katalyna's content helps people prepare for grad

school and gives occupational therapy tips. She is in her second year of the Master of Science in occupational therapy program and will graduate from Seton Hall University in 2022. She also documents her shadowing at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and offers tips and tricks for mastering online school in the STEM field.

Women in STEM: Bridging the gap SARAH HARWICK ’21 Hawk Staff Lillie Bennett ’23 first considered a career in computer science when she was in high school at Columbia Secondary School for Math, Science, and Engineering in New York, New York.

There, Bennett attended conferences hosted by Google or Microsoft where she learned how to code.

Bennett saw a future for herself in the women who helped to host these conferences.

“I loved the community and the support of women in the field and how much people pushed me and other girls to stick with math or the difficult subjects that we get into,” Bennett said.

Identifying with female role models is key to more women pursuing careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).

According to research from the American Association of University Women, female mentors play an important role in strengthening a young woman’s attitudes and self-concepts towards science and math, leading girls to consider STEM fields as viable career options.

“It’s difficult to find that path of going from high school to college to a career in something where there’s not as many mentors, people to look up to or role models who are women who did the same thing,” Bennett said. “It’s hard.”

After her exposure to coding and to women in tech, Bennett decided to stick with computer science, declaring computer science as her major at St. Joe’s. It seemed like a natural fit for her.

“I love puzzles,” Bennett said. “Throughout quarantine, I’ve been doing puzzles, and computer science is a lot of that. Programming is just taking little pieces and different concepts and figuring out how to make this bigger thing work in the way that you want us to.”

In her STEM classes at St. Joe’s, though, Bennett said sometimes doubts kick in.

“For me, I’m often nervous to participate because if I’m wrong, I don’t want to

be that one dumb girl who’s participating,” Bennett said.

Bennett looks up to her professors because she can relate to them.

“I’ve had two professors in computer science that are women so that is really a unique part of our program that makes it more welcoming,” Bennett said.

Bennett said a culture of maleness that surrounds STEM continues to impact spaces that women in STEM inhabit.

“The energy in a classroom can feel more supportive towards men,” Bennett said. “I think a lot of that is just how men in classrooms work in technology. They often don’t have that sense of questioning ‘If I’m wrong, I can’t stand up and say anything.’”

For Tetyana Berezovski, Ph.D., professor of math and director of graduate programs in mathematics education, the lack of female class participation is a product of our culture.

“To change culture takes time,” Berezovski said. “Ten to 20 years ago, girls would say, ‘Oh, I don’t know math,’ and moms would be supportive of that claim. Now girls take it.

They have really changed in the world.”

Due to gender disparities, girls and women are systematically tracked away from mathematics and science throughout their education with girls losing confidence in math by the third grade, according to a report published by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Without gender-focused interventions at the elementary school level, a woman’s long-term education is affected, limiting her training and options to pursue those careers.

To counteract this trend, Berezovski makes a point to call on female students and encourages female participation in order to help encourage a culture of answering questions.

Iswarya Vel ’21, a biology and business intelligence and analytics double major, said the problem is more apparent in majors where men outnumber women. In biology, she said she is surrounded by women and

Iswarya Vel ’21 conducts research in a bio-lab. PHOTO: DANNY REMISHEVSKY ’23/THE HAWK

that boosts her confidence.

Vel’s advice for other women in STEM majors is to seek one another out for support, especially when they experience bias.

“It’s important to find people who are in similar situations as you,” Vel said. “Talking to other people helps you know it’s not in your head. You can talk it out. It’s really helpful.”

Maria Johnson ’21, a biology major, credits The John P. McNulty Scholars Program for Excellence in Math and Science for assisting female students who want to pursue careers in STEM and providing them with valuable support.

The McNulty program was established in 2008 by Anne Welsh McNulty and has been awarding young women pursuing a degree in the natural sciences, mathematics or computer science, full- and partial-tuition scholarships at St. Joe’s. Besides financial support, McNulty sponsors weekly seminars as well as early research experiences.

“We have that extra support system, in terms of the choices we make and the endeavors we pursue,” Johnson said. “I’m rather lucky in the sense that I don’t feel out of place.”

Vel has found that support among fellow participants in the McNulty program as well.

“We’re all like-minded females in STEM,” Vel said. “We already have a group of people that we can talk to and have similar experiences with.”

McNulty aims to address important needs for women in STEM: the opportunity

to do research, and the support of a mentor.

Vel said she had benefited from both.

“McNulty really likes to promote us doing research and being involved in research in general,” Vel said. “They’ll provide funding for us to do research on campus in the summer. They’ll provide funding if we were to go and present our research at a conference. They’ll pay for the fee to enter the conference, which is really helpful, compared to all my peers, who have to find other means of pursuing research. We also have a McNulty mentor. They’re there to just help guide us just in terms of leadership and what we want to do that is outside of a regular academic advisor.”

Berezovski said if women in math are interested in doing research, it is important for faculty to “build a pipeline for them to succeed.”

Ultimately, though, Johnson said it is up to women to ignore the bias against women in STEM and to believe in their capabilities.

That is what she does.

“I have the skills and the ability, and I deserve to be here just as much as anyone else,” Johnson said. “It’s something you have to think about constantly, to remember that just because other people don’t have confidence in my skills doesn’t mean that I can’t have confidence in my own ability to accomplish goals.”

8 March 24, 2021

The Hawk Newspaper

Features

Photography Without Borders: Through the lenses of Philadelphia youth RYAN MULLIGAN ’21 Managing Editor A group of eight energetic middleschool-aged girls settled into their Zoom class on March 8.

One student posed a question, asking the rest what they would have been in their past lives.

Another student answered that she would have been someone who was on the front lines, fighting for equal rights in the 60s and 70s. The other girls chimed in in agreement.

This exercise kicked off a meeting of the media class in a program called Photography Without Borders, a nonprofit organization that puts cameras in the hands of the youth in some of the most disenfranchised parts of Philadelphia and gives them a chance to tell their own stories. Founded in 2009 by Tony Rocco, a former computer science teacher with a passion for photography, the program is based out of John B. Stetson Charter School in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia.

Stetson is a member of ASPIRA, Inc. of Pennsylvania, which seeks to create bilingual community leaders in some of Philadelphia’s low-income and high-crime neighborhoods.

The Photography Without Borders media program is currently comprised of all Stetson middle school students, but Photography Without Borders runs its Shutterbug Photography program in Stetson, fellow ASPIRA member Eugenio Maria de Hostos Charter School and with the organization Taller Puertorriqueño, “the cultural heart of Latino Philadelphia,” hosting workshops about telling personal stories through photography and documenting the pandemic.

Rocco teaches the media class with Rich Gretzinger, who has an extensive background in documentary and television production as well as photography. Rocco said the two instructors try to relate everything back to the real world and equate their brainstorming to professional television executives discussing the most important issues that audiences want and need to know.

A clip from the media program’s “I Have a Dream” video. PHOTOS COURTESY OF TONY ROCCO

“This is all about them and it does make it a little more challenging sometimes because they’re used to being told what to do, but now everything’s turned around,” Rocco said. “I love that they’re getting the opportunity to make their own choices about what they think is important. I love that it all comes from them. They’re so imaginative.”

This class recently finished production of a video titled “I Have a Dream” in which they touched on issues of racism, colorism, body shaming, environmental protection and LGBTQIA+ rights, among others. Each student voiced what their dream was based on their own personal experiences and inequalities they witness in their everyday lives.

“We make these videos so we can put the word out in the world at a young age to people,” said seventh grader Annalise Agosto, who has been working with Photography Without Borders for three years, making her the veteran of the group. “We want to send a message to them so that they keep it in their

Before the pandemic, Rocco worked hands on with students to produce media.

mind and they take it to heart.”

When it came time to brainstorm an idea for their next video, the group quickly and unanimously pointed to the holiday taking place that day of that Zoom class: International Women’s Day. For their next video, they want to pose questions to a panel of Philadelphia area female activists.

The girls said they hope the video will deconstruct gender norms they already find themselves fighting.

“What makes this important to me personally is that we can share it to the world so that they can know what women go through,” said fifth grader Amaselis Rivera, who has been in the program for a few months. “A lot of women go through rape and body shaming and pregnancy at a young age. So I really think this project that we’re doing, it can help men to understand what women and girls go through in their lives.”

The girls also have dreams of creating change in the city and pushing out their message to as many people as possible.

“This means a lot to me because women live in a tough society right now,” said seventh grader Jalyssa Moll. “It’s a good message for the world because there are a lot of toxic people in the world and I think this project will send a message to a lot of people.”

These aspirations of relaying a message to a wide audience aren’t unrealistic, according to Shoshanna Wiesner, the program director. She said when she visited the organization in 2019 as part of the Philadelphia Cultural Fund, Rocco had invited the staff of council member Maria D. Quiñones Sánchez to view the students’ photos.

“They were moved to tears by the way that these young students were documenting the opioid crisis right outside their front step,” Wiesner said. “That for me, was incredibly powerful. Photography Without Borders is giving young artists a voice and getting it out to a larger audience beyond even their classroom.”

Rocco and Wiesner said that the program not only challenges traditional norms in the media but also flips the structure of a normal classroom. In Rocco’s media class,

the ideas for the videos come completely unprompted by the instructors. “[We want] to help them develop their own vision of what social justice means for them,” Wiesner said. “This is such an interesting conversation because we’re not going to tell them what the problems are and what they should be looking at. We really want them to figure it out for themselves.”

Before the coronavirus pandemic, students had hands-on experience shooting photos and videos, but now the class is able to focus more in-depth on the topics for their videos. For the majority of the class, their video production experience has been limited to Zoom, with the girls brainstorming ideas, writing scripts and narrating the videos via Zoom. But Rocco is in the process of planning socially distanced photo trips for the girls.

For the girls, the creative process flourishes because they are able to share a close camaraderie and also simultaneously discuss serious topics. Rocco calls the class a family. It is often filled with laughter, jokes and hearts typed into the chat, but when serious topics arise, the girls are all business.

For Brianna Rojas, a seventh grader who said she is getting more and more comfortable being in the class, it is as much about speaking out about injustice as it is having a safe space to talk freely.

“I just love how we could be ourselves, talk about whatever,” Rojas said. “When we’re making videos, we’re making them to bring something out to people, like racism or the one we’re working on now about women.”

Rivera said that when she saw Agosto walking around with a big camera in fifth grade, she didn’t know a simple question about where she got it would lead to her finding a second family.

“In the beginning I was shy but I got used to these people because not only do we talk in class, but we talk outside of class,” Rivera said. “Outside of class, we’re really close to each other and I never knew I could have a big family like this and I’m very grateful for that.”

Features

The Hawk Newspaper

March 24, 2021

9

SJU Theatre Company stages outdoor performance of ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ KEVIN GILL ’22 Special to the Hawk While Broadway and other theaters have remained closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the show must go on at St. Joe’s.

“Jesus Christ Superstar,” a rock opera detailing Jesus’s final days, will be performed by the SJU Theatre Company in the Claver House parking lot to sold-out audiences at 7:30 p.m. on March 26, 27 and 28.

Typically the company performs in Bluett Theatre, but this semester’s audiences will pull up in their cars, tune in to their radios and watch the actors perform on a small stage to the left of Claver House, home to the university’s Honors Program.

Actors will wear masks at all times during the performance but will be using wireless hand-held mics in order to better transmit the sound to the audience members’ radios.

Anastasia Korbal ’22, who plays the female lead role of Mary Magdalene, said she is excited to share this unique experience with the audience.

“I’m looking forward to having the chance to just perform, regardless of what it looks like, where it is or the constraints that are put on us,” Korbal said.

Last semester, the SJU Theatre Company streamed a radio play performance of “It’s a Wonderful Life Radio Play.” Renee Dobson, M.F.A., associate professor of performing arts and artistic director of Bluett Theatre, said she appreciated the opportunity to direct a streamed performance but pushed for a return to an in-person show this semester.

“Especially for the musical theater students, it was important to at least try or make an effort to do a live performance,” Dobson said. “Zoom is all well and good, but it’s not really live theater.”

Discussions about a live outdoor theater production began last summer, according to Dobson.

“There have been numerous [meetings]

with the dean of arts and sciences, and through the provost’s office,” Dobson said. “There was more time discussing and meeting than there was in rehearsal.”

Dobson said she collaborated with Cary Anderson, Ed.D., associate provost and vice president of Student Life, to find an initial location for the performance, which was the roof of Hawks’ Landing.

“We thought that would be kind of interesting to do something on a rooftop, a rooftop type of concert, but [Dr. Anderson] got word that there was a zoning issue,” Dobson said. “The location was then changed to Claver House’s parking lot.”

Korbal said performing in an outdoor setting as opposed to a traditional theater pushes actors to adapt their methods of acting when developing their characters on stage.

“We’re performing for people in cars, so everything has to be even more over the top,” Korbal said. “Not in a bad way, but so that it’s readable.”

As the production team discussed the logistics of the outdoor location, the cast spent many practices in Bluett Theatre in small pods. No more than eight people out of the 16 members in the cast were on the stage at any given time.

“The most challenging thing is just your natural instincts,” Korbal said. “At one point they didn’t want us facing each other directly, so there’s a lot of things that would come naturally that we had to work around.”

Adhering to the university’s iCare Pledge, which requires all members of the St. Joe’s community to wear masks in indoor and outdoor spaces, the actors had to wear masks while rehearsing.

Giacomo Badalamenti ’24, who plays the titular character Jesus Christ, said it took time to get used to that.

“Singing with a mask has definitely been a little weird,” Badalamenti said. “It sometimes falls off your face a little bit.”

Dobson said she adapted the staging,

The SJU Theater Company practices for its upcoming performances.

PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

the positioning of actors on a stage during a performance, to ensure that minimum contact is made on stage.

“I approached it as a hybrid of a full staging and a concert,” Dobson said. “In some cases, they’re doing choreography, but there’s minimal contact.”

The actors also participated in weekly surveillance testing to ensure that practices were kept safe, according to Dobson.

Over the course of the entire process, one person in the cast and crew tested positive for COVID-19. The cast paused rehearsals for a week while they waited for test results.

“If I wasn’t a proponent of masks before, and I was, I certainly would be after that because the fact that no one else tested positive had to have happened because of masks,” Dobson said.

Despite these challenges, the cast said COVID-19 protocols have not affected the participants’ camaraderie.

“Even though we haven’t been all together and the rehearsal process has been kind of strange, there still is that sense of community among the cast members and

the crew,” Korbal said.

Dobson said she is most proud of the students’ perseverance and tenacity during the rehearsal process.

“It’s not easy for them,” Dobson said.

“There’s always that aspect of having to be very cautious. I love them for being able to create an experience here that’s uplifting for them, and maybe for the audience.”

While this semester’s production will be one of a kind, both the cast and the crew are hoping to return to Bluett Theatre in the near future.

“I do hope that we will be back in the theater, even if there’s still social distancing going on,” Korbal said. “Just being back on a stage, not outside, in that element, is something that I’m definitely looking forward to.”

Whether or not the company will be allowed to perform in Bluett Theatre next semester, Korbal said she is just happy for the opportunity to perform.

“This is definitely an experience that we’re all going to take with us for the rest of our lives,” Korbal said.

Faculty Foods: Lisa Baglione’s, Ph.D., mother’s lasagna recipe ELAINA WALL ’21 Assistant Features Editor Due to the coronavirus pandemic, people have spent more time in their homes trying new recipes. The Hawk will feature recipes submitted by St. Joe’s faculty members to connect with one another through food.

Lisa Baglione, Ph.D., professor of political science, shared her mother’s lasagna recipe with The Hawk.

“It was certainly something in my house that was always a big treat when I was growing up that my mother made,” Baglione said.

“It was a very important dish. We always had it as a first course, whether it was Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter.”

Baglione said she cooks this recipe to remember her grandmother, who immigrated to the U.S. from Italy as a young child, and her mother. Baglione said she wants to continue to pass the dish down to younger generations within her family.

“It is really important to share the food, and to have that connection with my side of the family, because my side of the family isn’t really around anymore,” Baglione said. “I think about them when I make the sauce and we eat the lasagna.”

BAGLIONE’S LASAGNA Start to finish: 1 hour 30 minutes (25 minutes active) Servings: 9–12

Ingredients: Sauce: ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced One 6-ounce can tomato paste Three 28-ounce cans crushed or “kitchen ready” tomatoes 2 tablespoons dried or fresh basil 3 tablespoons sugar Optional: crushed red pepper or oregano, to taste Optional: 1 pound hot Italian sausages Lasagna: One 16-ounce box lasagna noodles 2 pounds ricotta cheese 2 eggs ¼ cup grated Romano cheese 1 pound mozzarella cheese Optional: ground black pepper and parsley, to taste Directions: Sauce: Make the sauce, or “gravy” (sauce with meat), about 40 minutes before making the lasagna.

Optional: Put the burner on medium-low to brown hot Italian sausages at the bottom of a large saucepan for about 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until partially cooked and the whole sausage is browned.

Take sausage out and discard excess fat.

In the same saucepan, pour extra-virgin olive oil.

Add minced garlic. Put the burner on medium-low until the garlic starts to simmer.

Turn down the heat to low and add tomato paste. For a thinner sauce, use only half

of the can.

Stir the paste into the garlic and oil mixture until fully mixed.

Add crushed tomatoes and continue to stir.

Add fresh or dried basil and sugar. Mix until semi-blended.

Optional: Add additional spices.

Optional: Add the partially cooked sausages, cover and let the “gravy” cook on low for one hour. Cook on low for 30–40 minutes if no meat was added. The sauce should slightly thicken and be well-blended when it’s finished.

Lasagna: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch pan with olive oil or a nonstick spray.

While the sauce is cooking, boil 6 quarts of water in a large 8-quart pot with a dash of salt and a splash of olive oil so the noodles don’t stick together.

Add the lasagna noodles and cook for 4 minutes less than the box recommends (they will continue to cook later on in the oven).

In a large bowl, mix the ricotta, eggs, spices and Romano cheese.

Grate the mozzarella cheese and mix half of the grated cheese into the ricotta mixture.

Drain the noodles when done and pat them dry with a paper towel.

Add a small amount of sauce to coat the bottom of the prepared 13-by-9-inch pan.

In order, layer noodles, three horizontally across the pan and one cut to fit vertically in the pan, ⅓ of the ricotta mixture, 2–3 ladles of sauce and a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese.

ILLUSTRATION: CASEY WOOD ’23/THE HAWK

Repeat this layering 2 more times for 3 full layers.

Add the last set of noodles on top and add sauce.

Sprinkle additional Romano cheese and the remaining mozzarella cheese, to taste.

Cover with aluminum foil and add toothpicks to prevent it from touching the cheese on top.

Poke holes in the aluminum foil with a knife to let air escape, preventing the noodles from becoming too mushy.

Bake for 35–40 minutes. If the lasagna looks too “soupy,” take the aluminum cover off for the last 5–10 minutes.

Let the lasagna sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with extra sauce, meat and Romano cheese. Enjoy.

10 March 24, 2021

The Hawk Newspaper

Sports

Hawks baseball sets records on the diamond CHRIS KLINE ’23 Hawk Staff After the 2020 season ending just 15 games in, the St. Joe’s baseball team has returned with momentum, touting a 5-2 record. Off to their best start in over 10 seasons, the Hawks are led by some power hitters at the plate, managing 11 home runs in their first seven games.

The Hawks started their 2021 season exactly one year after their previous one was canceled. Taking on Towson University, the Hawks secured a 12-3 win, including six home runs. Those six home runs broke the program’s single game home run record, previously held by the 2016 team with five home runs.

Last year, the team struggled early on, carrying a 5-10 record before the season’s cancellation. Although disappointing, players like sophomore right handed pitcher/ first baseman Brandon Drapeau said they used this time to learn from their mistakes.

“We’ve all been working really hard, especially during the pandemic,” Drapeau said. “Guys really reflected on what they’ve been doing wrong, what they needed to work on to get better and what we can do as a team to get off on a hot start.”

Drapeau’s season is off to a strong start, with a home run against George Washington University and holding the No. 4 spot on the team with 5 RBIs. Among the sluggers was Luca Trigiani, a sophomore infielder who hit two home runs and added five RBIs in the matchup.

Trigiani, a native of Brooklyn, New York, played with Regis High School, where he hit .402 and won the Mayor’s Cup MVP as a senior. Philadelphia Baseball Review named Trigiani a Player of the Week after finishing his first four games going seven for 18 with 12 RBIs. “It felt pretty awesome,” Trigiani said.

“Obviously, it’s only for one week. We have a lot more ahead of us and I’m trying to stay focused on the rest of the season.”

The team has faced its fair share of adversity during the offseason, including following NCAA and SJU Athletics COVID-19 guidelines. Junior catcher Andrew Cossetti said the team had to jump through many hoops to succeed.

“We weren’t able to get inside and lift a lot because of social distancing,” Cossetti said. “Not only that, but our field was covered in snow up until two weeks ago, so we’ve been doing what we can to practice and only

The Hawks broke the program’s single-game home run record. PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

trying to control what we can control.”

The Hawks will look to continue steamrolling through the season. Although losing a close 6-4 battle to University of Connecticut on March 19, the team quickly bounced back with a 9-8 win over the Huskies the next day.

According to Cossetti, the outlook among the team is high for the remainder of

the season, but the team is still taking things one game at a time.

“We want to win,” Cossetti said. “We have the ability right now to make it further than years past. The team has caught on to that, and we’re doing what we can to win each game.”

Don’t text your ex Martelli thrives at University of Michigan TYLER NICE ’23 Assistant Sports Editor One of the cardinal rules of love is don’t text your ex.

Better yet, don’t even keep up with your ex’s exploits. Why? Picture this: It’s been a little over two years since you and your ex went separate ways. Since then, your love life has been in the dumps. You claim that you’re “working on yourself ” but in reality you’ve been on the market, it’s just that you’ve struck out on love more times than Ryan Howard at the plate.

You know that they’ve been dating someone new for a few months and you heard that things are going well. But when their Instagram feed loads, you simply cannot believe your eyes. Wait, their new significant other looks like that? For the rest of the night, you lay awake thinking about your ex’s success.

They’re a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament, they’re in the Sweet 16 and their chances to win a national championship are as good as anyone’s.

Phil Martelli is St. Joe’s ex. During his time on Hawk Hill, he was an assistant coach for 10 seasons before he was hired as head coach, a role he served for 24 seasons.

As Head Coach Martelli compiled 444 wins, led St. Joe’s to nine seasons with 20 or more wins and has the second most Atlantic 10 (A10) wins of any coach in the league’s history.

In March 2019, after consecutive subpar seasons, Martelli was fired after Director of Athletics Jill Bodensteiner, J.D., decided that a change in leadership was necessary. The

move devastated Martelli and admittedly left him with his heart “cut out.”

Martelli is now the associate head coach at the University of Michigan. He was hired to the Wolverines’ coaching staff in June 2019 by newly appointed Head Coach Juwan Howard, a former player and first-time college coach. Howard wanted an assistant coach with plenty of experience to help his coaching transition to college basketball.

Martelli fit that mold.

In Martelli’s second season and first full season on the Michigan bench in 2020-21, the Wolverines won the Big Ten Conference men’s basketball regular season championship and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament for the first time since 1993. After Howard was ejected in the second half of a game against the University of Maryland Terrapins earlier in March, Martelli took over head coaching duties and led Michigan to a 13 point victory. It was the first time that he patrolled the sidelines as a head coach since his last game at St. Joe’s in the 2019 A-10 Tournament.

On Hawk Hill, the story has been quite different. The Hawks have gone 11-41 over the last two seasons. Part of the program’s struggles can be attributed to the roster turnover after Martelli’s firing.

Guard Lamarr Kimble transferred to the University of Louisville, guard Jared Bynum transferred to Providence College and forward Charlie Brown Jr. entered the NBA Draft. Recruits that Martelli planned to bring in, like Hakim Hart, who had committed to St. Joe’s under Martelli, and 2021 A-10 Player of the Year Nah’shon “Bones” Hyland, who allegedly planned to commit to St. Joe’s had Martelli not been fired, decided to attend the University of Maryland

Michigan has had big wins with Martelli on their bench. PHOTO COURTEST OF MICHIGAN ATHLETICS

and Virginia Commonwealth University, respectively, instead of St. Joe’s.

Hawks fans grew impatient with the team’s lack of achievement during Martelli’s final seasons. They longed for the success that consistently put them near the top of A-10 standings and made them a force in the Big 5. Now, coming off the two worst seasons in St. Joe’s men’s basketball history per the teams’ winning percentage, the St. Joe’s faithful long for the nostalgia of the Martelli era. Even with the knowledge that a program rebuild under Head Coach Billy Lange would take several years, they’ve grown increasingly restless with each passing loss, while Martelli enjoys the heights of college basketball success at Michigan.

That’s why it’s important that St. Joe’s fans remember another cardinal rule of love and apply it to their current frustrations:

don’t compare relationships. You’re going to be in a lot of relationships during your life. Odds are, the people you’ll be in relationships with are going to be a lot different from each other. With some, you might click right away. With others, the connection may happen more gradually. Whatever stage of a relationship you’re at, it’s important that you embrace where you are with your person.

You never know how close you might be to finding love.

Root for your ex, cheer for your ex, it’s OK to even miss your ex, just don’t text your ex. Don’t be jealous of them either. I know it’s hard. But, I promise you this: when you find love again, it’s going to make the struggle of letting go a whole lot sweeter.

Sports

The Hawk Newspaper

March 24, 2021

11

Field hockey still hungry after No. 16 national ranking AARON TULLY ’23 Hawk Staff The St. Joe’s field hockey team’s strong start to the season has been a team effort.

Senior forward and team captain Jordan Olenginski said that the delayed start to the season gave the team time to further their connection off the field, which has led to success on the field.

“Not having games in the fall was helpful for us to grow as a team and to build those connections off the field,” Olenginski said.

“Off the field, this is the closest that any team has been during my four years at St. Joe’s.”

With a record of 2-1, the Hawks have picked up wins over La Salle University and the University of Delaware, on their way to a No. 16 national ranking which is their 32nd consecutive appearance in the poll since September 2017.

Head Coach Lynn Farquhar said being ranked is always exciting, but the team’s motivation should be found elsewhere.

“It’s encouraging because you can see your hard work is paying off,” Farquhar said.

“However, I think this group is just excited to better themselves and the team.”

Farquhar said the team is competitive this season because underclassmen players have stepped up due to a supportive team culture built throughout the program.

“The goal is to get the best group out there that we can,” Farquhar said. “We need everybody to compete and share their strengths.”

Olenginski said the coaches emphasized that everyone on the roster has a role. The

underclassmen in particular have adapted well and adjusted seamlessly to playing at the collegiate level, making them an instrumental part of the team’s success.

“They’re not timid or afraid,” Olenginski said. “It’s just the beginning for them, and they’re going to do awesome things for us this season.”

Two underclassmen already were recognized as conference standouts. Sophomore goalkeeper Robin Bleekemolen was named the Atlantic 10 (A-10) Defensive Player of the Week for March 16, and freshman midfielder Celeste Smits was named A-10 Rookie of the Week.

But for Bleekemolen, this is just the start. She is thankful for her success, but like the rest of the team, still recognizes room for growth and improvement.

“I wouldn’t say yet that where I am right now is where I could be,” Bleekemolen said.

“I still have a lot to prove and improve on.”

The team is drawing motivation from past Hawks teams as well. Bleekemolen said one reason for her success is what she learned from two-time All-American goalie Victoria Kammerinke ’20 last season.

“She was a great influence on me,” Bleekemolen said. “Her influence makes me want to succeed as much as she did.”

Farquhar said her players keep each other focused amid the challenges that the team has faced this season.

“I’m really proud of their resiliency. They have come in with this positive mindset,” Farquhar said. “We’ve hit some hurdles and performance barriers. And with COVID, there’s

The Hawks picked up their first two wins of the season over La Salle and Delaware.

PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

been some unexpected hiccups in the road and they keep pushing through.”

Farquhar added that her team’s willingness to trust each other has been a big factor in their success.

“What we’ve faced off the field has really helped this group,” Farquhar said. “This group decided that they wanted to improve as individuals, as teammates and that really helped us.”

Bleekemolen said the team has worked together to get through any setbacks they’ve faced and turned them into opportunities for growth.

“The ranking definitely motivates me,” Bleekemolen said. “It motivates everyone on the team to keep giving their best effort each day, on and off the field.”

Olenginski said she and her teammates thought they were ranked lower than they should have been and they are still on a mission to prove themselves.

“The ranking made us even hungrier going into the weekend playing Delaware,” Olenginski said. “Seeing the number 16 ranking makes us hungrier to prove that we are a better team than the ranking shows.”

The Hawks recently had a game against No. 15 University of Massachusetts postponed and a matchup with No. 6 University of Connecticut canceled this past weekend due to COVID-19 protocols. They will return to play on Sunday, March 28 at Lock Haven University.

SJU’s greatest female athletes turned coaches RILEY FRAIN ’21 Sports Editor In honor of Women’s History Month, The Hawk highlighted some of the most prolific female athletes and coaches to have played or coached for SJU Athletics.

Through their legendary collegiate or professional careers, these women laid the foundation for women in coaching positions everywhere.

Elaine (McGillian) Van Blunk ’86 - Women’s cross country and track and field Van Blunk, the first All-American in women’s track and field at St. Joe’s, secured eight individual track and field records and placed sixth at the 1986 NCAA Division I Women’s Indoor Track and Field Championship in the mile.

Subsequent to an illustrious career as a student athlete, Van Blunk would serve as an assistant coach for both the St. Joe’s women’s track and field and women’s cross country teams for eight seasons from 1988-96.

At the same time her coaching career began at St. Joe’s, Van Blunk became a worldclass runner as a member of the United States Track and Field Team. In 1989, while still a member of the women’s track and field and cross country coaching staffs, Van Blunk won first place in the 1989 USA Track and Field Championship in the 3000 meter race.

Jess Mannella - Women’s soccer Currently in her 20th season at St. Joe’s, Mannella has been instrumental in the reconstruction of the women’s soccer program since her arrival on Hawk Hill. Inheriting a program with just one win during the season prior to her arrival, Mannella turned St. Joe’s women’s soccer into a highly competitive team in the Atlantic 10 (A-10).

Mannella took over a program that had never seen a postseason trip, and has now led the Hawks to 10 postseason appearances, three coming in her first five seasons as a member of the women’s soccer coaching staff.

From 2012-19 Mannella’s squads have only missed one A-10 postseason appearance. The team’s best finish came in 2016 following an undefeated 9-0-1 campaign.

As the 2016 A-10 Coach of the Year, Mannella also coached many student athletes who have found individual success, including 10 Hawks who attained all-region honors and 29 players who earned all-conference accolades, including four Rookie of the Year award winners.

Muffet McGraw ’77 - Women’s basketball McGraw, a four-year starter as a guard on the women’s basketball team, helped guide the Hawks to a 23-5 record her senior year.

This record was good enough for a top 3 national ranking in the final 1977 AP College Basketball Poll, the highest in St. Joe’s women’s basketball history.

After graduation, McGraw would go on to play one season of professional basketball in 1989 for the California Dream of the former Women’s Professional Basketball League.

From there, McGraw joined St. Joe’s women’s basketball as an assistant coach from 1980-82 before earning a head coaching opportunity at Lehigh University from 1982-87.

In 1987, McGraw was hired as the head coach of women’s basketball at the University of Notre Dame where she went on to become one of the most successful basketball coaches of all time. Guiding the Fighting Irish to 26 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances during her 33 seasons in South Bend, McGraw is a two-time NCAA Champion with her first title coming in 2001 and the second in 2018.

McGraw is one of five coaches in men’s and women’s NCAA basketball history to win over 930 games. She was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011 before stepping down from her position as head coach at Notre Dame in 2020.

Renie Shields ’82 - Women’s basketball, women’s cross country and softball Shields was a three-sport athlete in her time on Hawk Hill as a standout on the women’s basketball, women’s cross country and softball teams. With basketball being her primary sport, Shields was a four-year starter at St. Joe’s and a three-time team MVP, earning a 1991 Big 5 Hall of Fame induction.

Following her expansive career as a student athlete at St. Joe’s, Shields joined the women’s basketball team as an assistant coach in 1987. She coached the team to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 1987-90, advancing to the second round three times. A staple of the St. Joe’s women’s basketball coaching staff at the time, Shields would work as an assistant until her retirement from coaching in 1993.

Shields is currently the senior associate athletic director for Student Experience at St. Joe’s. She has worked in the administration of SJU Athletics for the past 27 years and previously served as associate athletic director for varsity programs before her promotion in 2018. As one of the administrators for women’s basketball, field hockey, women’s soccer and softball, Shields remains an important member for the teams she has both played on and coached during her time at St. Joe’s.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SJU ATHLETICS

12

March 24, 2021

Sports

The Hawk Newspaper

Megan Johnson ’15 first ran on American Ninja Warrior in 2018. PHOTO COURTESY OF MEGAN JOHNSON

St. Joe’s grad becomes three-time American Ninja Warrior competitor RILEY FRAIN ’21 Sports Editor As a competitor in the National Ninja League, Megan Johnson ’15 has been invited to participate on the show “American Ninja Warrior” three times, with her first attempt at the 2018 Philadelphia City Qualifiers.

“When I found out that [American] Ninja Warrior was a thing, I got hooked,” Johnson said. “I went to the [ninja] gyms and the community is amazing so I just thought I’d apply to the show and it worked out, it’s become a whole lifestyle now.”

The sport of ninja is a competitive parkour sport which consists of running through a course of increasingly difficult obstacles which competitors look to complete in a set amount of time. The sport culminates into the popular TV series “American Ninja Warrior” on NBC which has been running for 13 seasons.

Johnson was heavily involved in campus life during her time at St. Joe’s as an undergraduate student.

“I was in Alpha Gamma Delta and I did a bunch of the service trips,” Johnson said. “I wasn’t an athlete at St. Joes, I mostly just lifted weights and I was on the club swim team for a while.”

Following graduation Johnson attended a baccalaureate certification pro-

gram at the University of Pennsylvania for medical school. Upon completion, Johnson was accepted to medical school at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine , just down the street from her alma mater.

According to Johnson, it’s during this time where she would find her love for ninja.

“I can’t say there’s some inspirational story how it came about, it’s kind of just something I fell into,” Johnson said. “I had a friend [who] asked me to go to a rock climbing gym and then it later became a parkour gym and I was just immediately hooked.”

According to Johnson, training for ninja competitions is quite the regimen, but is a part of her day-to-day life. She said this can be challenging to maintain while balancing a medical student’s schedule.

“There’s a lot of different ninja gyms in the area, believe it or not,” Johnson said.

“So when possible, I try to get to a gym two or three times a week.”

In addition to attending several ninja gyms such as Centercourt Club & Sports in Lawrence Township, New Jersey, Johnson said there are also a number of different types of gyms she will visit to supplement her unique workout program.

“There was a parkour gym in Philly [that] COVID took out, but for a while

parkour was a big part of the regiment and rock climbing is also a big one for the grip strength,” Johnson said. “So normally on a good week [I’m] training ninja two to three times a week, rock climbing two times a week, doing parkour once or twice a week and I also do gymnastics.”

Among her many endeavors, Johnson is also a second lieutenant in the United States military and said she hopes to use the skills she’s obtaining to work in a military hospital after graduation.

“My number one job is to finish medical school,” Johnson said. “[The military] does not require too much of me while in school, but I did have to do 10 weeks of basic military training. Once I graduate, I’ll go into a residency at one of the Army hospitals and then finish my residency and serve as a doctor for the Army.”

Jane Greenebaum, a friend and training partner of Johnson, said Johnson’s passion for ninja makes her an excellent member of the community.

“We have training groups when it comes to ninja because it’s a lot more fun that way,” Greenebaum said. “We push each other and [Johnson’s] really awesome because she definitely pushes you to be the best. She has a really great positive attitude and she makes it a lot of fun too.”

Cara Mack, another training partner of Johnson and the founder of Ninjababes, a podcast turned organization formed to help empower women in ninja by focusing on sport performance, said Johnson excels at understanding the strategy of ninja. “[Johnson’s] been so encouraging to train with, we’ve trained together for close to two years,” Mack said. “She’s such a great person to talk to you to motivate and to figure out what part of the obstacle we need to focus on better and how to then accomplish it and succeed.”

While Johnson continues her training and development in ninja, she highlighted the community aspect that the distinctive sport has formed. She said as it’s become such an intertwined part of her lifestyle, she will be working towards another American Ninja Warrior competition.

“Once you get into it, it’s a lifestyle and the community is amazing,” Johnson said. “You don’t know for sure that [American] Ninja Warrior will bring you back to the show for every season because you have to reapply every year, but I can only hope that I can continue on the show and I’ll continue [training] in the offseason.”