November 18, 2020

Nov. 18, 2020

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Volume CI

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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

COVID-19 cases increase in residence halls Megan DiVittorio ’21 (left) and Savannah Jenks ’23 (right) video chat with their friend, Shannon Ward ’24, who was quarantining on the third floor of Moore Hall on Nov. 13.

PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

DEVIN YINGLING ’22 News Editor NICK KARPINSKI ’21 Multimedia Editor COVID-19 cases are spiking on campus, specifically in Villiger and LaFarge residence halls.

There are 80 active cases on campus, as of Nov. 16, with the largest upticks occurring on Nov. 12 and Nov. 13.

Cary Anderson, Ed.D., associate provost and vice president of Student Life, wrote in an email to The Hawk that the university cannot confirm the exact number of COVID-19 cases in Villiger and LaFarge.

“Our dashboard provides the public information available regarding cases at

the University,” Anderson wrote. “Like individual information, we do not provide specific details about organizations, teams and locations.”

Gianna La Palerma ’24, a resident in LaFarge, said she has felt safe since the start of the semester and was surprised that cases began to spread so quickly, especially since she saw students adhering to health and safety guidelines. As soon as a spike in cases began, La Palerma packed her things, left campus to go back home and subsequently tested positive.

“One by one, we went down like dominos,” La Palerma said. “Every single day a new suite was getting put into quarantine.

When one of our girls went, when she tested positive, an hour later we all packed up and we were off campus.”

Connor Thomson ’22, an RA in Villiger, said the Student Health Center has not been communicating to RAs which students test positive. Thomson estimates that four to five of his residents are in quarantine and/or isolation.

“My residents let me know,” Thomson said. “So I’m kind of relying on them to tell me, and it’s hit or miss.”

Anderson wrote that the university will not currently be quarantining entire residence halls, only those students who have been exposed to someone with the virus or who have tested positive. However, all residents of Villiger and LaFarge have been selected for surveillance testing, which means students are randomly selected to receive a COVID-19 test.

Anderson wrote to The Hawk on Nov. 16

that surveillance testing of Villiger residents is completed.

Anderson explained the decision whether or not to quarantine an entire residence hall is connected in part to the university’s capacity for isolation and quarantine. The university has 193 quarantine and isolation spaces, 44% of which are in use as of Nov. 16. Students who need to be isolated because they have tested positive for COVID-19 are housed in Sourin and Moore Hall. Students who need to quarantine while awaiting test results are housed in the Homewood Suites.

CONTINUED ON PG. 2

Students navigate mental health challenges CARA SMITH ’21 Copy Chief DEVIN YINGLING ’22 News Editor Joey Lam ’21 said video chat dinner dates with friends are one of the ways she continued her social life this semester while still abiding by COVID-19 guidelines.

However, Lam said her experience creating a new social routine had a “learning curve.”

“Personally, I experience a lot of loneliness living by myself in my apartment and not being able to have the social connection FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

@SJUHAWKNEWS

of being on campus and doing things with my friends,” Lam said. “It definitely takes a lot of effort to connect with my friends.”

Greg Nicholls, Ph.D., director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), said students are increasingly struggling with mental health as this year’s challenges continue, including pandemic-induced stress, depression and more external factors. This year, Nicholls said there has been an uptick in students utilizing CAPS, which is consistent with the current national trend for counseling centers.

“Students are very tired,” Nicholls said.

“They feel that they’re missing out quite a

bit on the full college experience. Therapists too, we’re more tired.”

Abby Shimanek ’21 said even traveling to campus is less enjoyable than previous semesters.

“We used to see so many people and see so many professors walking around,” Shimanek said. “It was just nice being able to see so many familiar faces. I know a lot of my friends have said, ‘I never go to campus anymore and I miss it.’ When we do go, it’s like you go to class and then you go back home and that’s it.”

Victoria Myers ’22 is learning virtually from home this semester and said the dras-

tic difference compared to her prior college experience has been difficult to adjust to.

“When I think of doing my work, I’m thinking about my different study spots on campus,” Myers said. “I’m thinking about managing my time with different activities and stuff that’s going on on campus. Being home is a very different space.”

Josephine Shih, Ph.D., professor of psychology, said students have to be more strategic in their plans for social interaction this semester.

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BASKETBALL PREVIEW INSIDE

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News

The Hawk Newspaper

Nov. 18, 2020

COVID-19 cases increase in residence halls CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 When asked for current numbers of students in isolation and quarantine, Anderson said the university does not provide information that way, only in “percentage format.”

The rise in cases at St. Joe’s aligns with a sharp rise in cases city wide and nationwide.

Philadelphia’s confirmed case total rose to 55,302, bringing the Pennsylvania statewide total to 269,613 as of Nov. 16.

On Nov. 16, the city announced new restrictions on business and institutions, such as colleges/universities and restaurants, to help curb cases.

In response, St. Joe’s moved all in-person instruction online, beginning at 5 p.m. on Nov. 20, according to a Nov. 16 university announcement by University President Mark C. Reed, Ed.D. On. Nov. 13, Cheryl McConnell, Ph.D., provost and vice president of academic affairs, sent an announcement to the university community encouraging students to observe a 14-day period of essential-only activity to align with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s recommendation for students traveling home for Thanksgiving.

“This is designed to minimize any transmission from our campus to students’ households as they transition home at the end of the semester,” McConnell wrote in the announcement.

McConnell wrote that the university has noted a delay in students submitting the

COVID-19 Self-Disclosure Form, regarding COVID-19 symptoms, a positive COVID-19 test or exposure to someone who may have COVID-19. McConnell said these delays are making transmission worse, and reminded students that contact tracing efforts will not result in disciplinary action.

McConnell also advised students to remain vigilant.

“Our contact tracing efforts point to a few trends in transmission, and this is where I’m counting on your continued vigilance: the times when we let our guards and masks down,” McConnell wrote.

Thomson has had to regularly remind students on his floor to put on their masks, especially in the past three weeks. He said students in Villiger have a mentality of “I’m not going to get [the virus],” which is a contributing factor to their “loosened” behavior toward safety and health protocols.

“More people will wear [their masks] throughout the week and come the weekend, people are just living their lives as if everything is normal,” Thomson said.

Thomson said he noticed increased social activity as the semester continued.

“I see from being on duty a little bit more activity later at night,” Thomson said.

“Kids are still socializing at 1 a.m. They’re definitely craving [social interaction]. I think they're looking forward to the spring semester and the possibility of there being stereotypical parties in college.”

Chanho Kim ’24, another Villiger resi-

dent, said there have been large gatherings in Villiger throughout the semester and students have become more lax with health and safety protocols.

“I’m sure everybody just gave up at this point, and they were thinking, essentially, they’re going to go home,” Kim said. “They were still cautious about wearing a mask, but I feel like everybody was expecting to go home so they kind of loosened up.”

Sadie Henzes ’24 lives on fourth floor Villiger, and left isolation from Moore Hall on Nov. 3. Henzes said throughout the semester, she felt comfortable being on campus and found her peers to be following

health and safety protocols well.

“I felt like it was safe,” Henzes said. “Obviously, it was a different college experience, but I’m also a freshman so I don’t really know what the true college experience is.

But it seemed like everything was fine.”

But Henzes said sometimes students forget that a small campus community is not immune to such a widespread virus.

“Just because you’re on a college campus thinking that you’re in your own safe bubble, you’re not,” Henzes said. “It’s the same thing anywhere in the world, you could get it at any time from anyone.”

A shuttle that transports students to and from quarantine and isolation spaces drives away from Moore Hall on Nov. 16. PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

Students navigate mental health challenges CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 “People have to recreate some of those social interactions because we do get a lot of positive energy and joy from just very short interactions with people, just waving at people when you pass them on campus,” Shih said. “I think we’re getting less of that now.”

For people who already have seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a subset of depression where people who already experience depression have increased depressive episodes during the fall and winter, the upcoming winter could be especially difficult in terms of maintaining good mental health, according to Shih.

Specifically, Shih said that SAD is mostly influenced by the lack of sunlight.

“We know it’s getting dark at 4:30 in the afternoon now,” Shih said. “That’s difficult for a lot of people, but that is especially true for people with [SAD].”

Dr. Jennifer Reid, psychopharmacologist and psychotherapist associated with Penn Medicine, said using a light box in the morning can help people with SAD. “We know that light getting back into the retina can really help to both treat seasonal affective disorder and even prevent additional affective disorder,” Reid said “It can really help to normalize your sleep patterns or anxiety levels.”

Reid said that this season could also be difficult for anyone struggling with any mental illness, and even for the general population.

“People that already have a history of depression, in particular, are going to be at higher risk of a recurrence,” Reid said.

“We’re going to find that their rates of depression and anxiety in particular are higher even for the general population, which is probably about threefold higher during this time.”

Nicholls said he has provided extra support to students of color since the 2016 election, in recognition of the visibility of levels of police brutality and racial injustice.

“As a Black woman in America right now there’s just so much to process,” Myers

said. “When you have that sort of larger fight for your literal life, completing assignments and schoolwork, it just seems so arbitrary to focus on schoolwork and do my part there while also trying to engage in some of those bigger problems, some of those bigger fights that we’re seeing in the world right now.”

With a longer period off campus between semesters this year for some students, Nicholls said CAPS will continue to provide support for students as they head back to their permanent residences.

“We will maintain connections with many of the students that we’re seeing,” Nicholls said.

“We’re not going to abandon anyone.”

Shih said planning ahead for this ex-

tended break at home is essential for students to maintain their mental health.

“If [someone knows] that being at home for a long period of time is going to be really difficult, then maybe the person wants to think about whether they can create a bubble with friends nearby,” Shih said. “[They] have other support or have places that they can go to rather than being at home all the time.”

Lam also recognizes that, for some students, home is not always the safest environment. Lam said this is something students must consider while supporting their peers during this period of transition.

“My biggest concern is for students feeling that sense of loneliness all over again,” Lam

said. “We all need to be mindful that when students are asked to be home, that might not be the best option for them. I remind myself to be extra mindful about how each person has a different kind of circumstance.”

Reid said it is important that everyone leans on their support network, whether that be family or friends.

“We’re going to be weathering [challenges], as a society, in the next few months because we’re all going through it together,” Reid said. “There’s something to be said of finding community and meaning as we go through these difficult times.”

SELF-CARE TIPS DEVELOP A ROUTINE

PRACTICE GOOD FITNESS *THIS CAN BE ANYTHING FROM

EAT WELL

OPTIMIZE SLEEP

REFLECT ON YOUR DAY *TRY TO JOURNAL OR MEDITATE*

GET OUTSIDE

USE A LIGHT BOX *AVAILABLE ON AMAZON AND INEXPENSIVE*

MEDITATION TO CARDIO*

MINIMIZE ALCOHOL INTAKE

DRINK WATER!

REACH OUT TO A MEDICAL

*ALCOHOL IS A DEPRESSANT*

PROFESSIONAL FOR ADDITIONAL CARE

SOURCES: Greg Nicholls, Ph.D., Josephine Shih, Ph.D. and Dr. Jennifer Reid GRAPHIC: CASEY WOOD ’23/THE HAWK

News

Nov. 18, 2020

The Hawk Newspaper

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How to return home safely as COVID-19 cases spike RYAN MULLIGAN ’21 Managing Editor MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22 Photo Editor As COVID-19 cases spike across the country, campus has matched this upward trend: as of Nov. 16, there are an estimated 80 active cases of COVID-19 on campus, according to the SJU Dashboard. Meanwhile, students are planning their return to their permanent residences for Thanksgiving.

In a Nov. 13 university announcement, Cheryl McConnell, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs, addressed the rising cases both nationally and locally.

“First and foremost, we need to focus on continuing our mitigation strategies and be guided by science,” McConnell wrote.

The Hawk compiled suggestions for what you should do in order to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and to safely plan for traveling back home.

How should I make a plan to return home?

According to CNN, unless a student has an “airtight” return-home plan, “infectious disease experts are urging students taking classes in person to shelter in place on campus.”

The university is continuing its surveillance testing protocols but has no plans to provide exit testing.

PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

The university has encouraged students to only partake in essential activities in the 14 days prior to Thanksgiving. With new Philadelphia city restrictions, St. Joe’s will transition learning to a completely virtual format on Friday, Nov. 20.

Wash your hands frequently, follow social distancing guidelines and wear a mask when you are on campus at all times. If you live in a residence hall, limit contact with other residents in the building as much as possible. In effect, students should be quarantined as much as possible in the days leading up to their return home.

Travel does increase the risk of trans-

mitting the virus. If you’re not driving yourself home, there are a few precautions you can take. If you’re driving with others, wear a mask and, if possible, drive with the windows down. This lets the air circulate throughout the vehicle quickly, reducing the chances of spread. If you’re using public transportation, keep your mask on when around others and, if possible, sit as far away from others as possible.

Should I get tested before I return home?

Currently, St. Joe’s is continuing both surveillance testing and testing only stu-

dents who self disclose symptoms. If you are not chosen for surveillance testing in the week leading up to your return home, free testing is offered through the City of Philadelphia. Students should quarantine until they receive their test results.

Iahn Gonsenhauser, chief quality and patient safety officer at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, told CNN that if you are getting tested, you need to be intentional about your actions before and after the test in order to ensure accuracy.

“Student[s] will need to quarantine for three to five days prior to testing and then remain in quarantine until a test comes back negative,” Gonsenhauser said.

What should I do once I’m home?

Avoid close contact with your family.

It’s optimal to quarantine or isolate in your room until you’ve received a negative test, although this may not be an option for everyone. Students should wear masks in their homes, especially if they are around older or more at-risk family members.

You should limit your contact to only those who you live with. Limit Thanksgiving to your immediate family and maybe even set up a Zoom call with those outside of your household so you can enjoy your time together, virtually.

How to transition into quarantine or isolation that nothing is official in terms of class accommodations until your professor receives a notification from the Success Center advising them of your remote attendance. The email doesn’t say if you are in quarantine or isolation, just that you will be away from class due to medical reasons.

CHRISTINE DISANTI ’21 Assistant News Editor Who are you in contact with during isolation or quarantine?

Whether you are quarantining or isolating on or off campus, the first two people students will hear from are their contact tracer and their care navigator. Contact tracers discuss COVID-19 exposure, symptoms and the general process and timeline of quarantine with students. They also serve as the main resource for students when faced with nonurgent health matters.

Care navigators serve as the main point of contact for moving students to their quarantine location at the Homewood Suites on City Avenue, or their isolation location in Sourin Hall or Moore Hall. Care navigators provide students with information on dining services, managing course work remotely and what to bring to quarantine or isolation. They also assist students with other practical or personal needs once in their quarantine or isolation location.

When to Get Tested If in quarantine, students are recommended to get tested seven days after exposure. Students with symptoms must get tested as soon as possible.

Students getting tested at the Student Health Center, located in Quirk Hall, can make appointments via Starfish. Students at the Homewood Suites can call Public Safety at (610)-660-1111 to schedule a ride from

Dining Services While in quarantine, students can request a daily meal bundle with three meals to be delivered to their quarantine or isolation location from St. Joe’s dining services.

Meal bundles consist of three meals, costing $30 dollars a day. Alternatively, students can use meal swipes for meal bundles, with one swipe equivalent to one meal. Students can order meal bundle plans through a Google Form sent by their care navigator.

For any questions about dining, students can email DiningDelivery_dl@sju. edu. For urgent matters, they can contact the dining manager on duty at (267)-207-7145.

Students have been transported to Homewood Suites to quarantine PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

their quarantine location to the Student Health Center to be tested.

Before scheduling their appointments, students should fill out St. Joe’s COVID-19 Self-Disclosure Form.

After completing their quarantine or isolation, the university does not require to be tested before resuming normal activities on campus.

Managing Course Work Students can fill out the COVID-19 survey under the accommodate page on The Nest to notify instructors of their quarantine or isolation.

Additionally, it is highly recommended that students reach out to their professors individually to let them know of their quarantine or isolation status. Note, though,

General Facility Questions For general questions, students can contact the on-call staff at the Office of Residence Life by calling Public Safety at (610)660-1111 and asking to be put in contact with the Residence Life on-call staff member.

Students at the Homewood Suites can contact the hotel’s front desk for any facility-related questions by dialing 0 on their room phone.

Department of Public Safety reports (Nov. 6 - Nov. 12) Nov. 6 Public Safety was contacted by an Allied Universal desk attendant in regards to an alcohol confiscation in the Rashford Hall lobby. Public Safety responded and confiscated the alcohol. Community Standards was notified.

Nov. 7-12 No incidents to report

ALCOHOL RELATED INCIDENTS

4

On campus

0

Off campus

DRUG RELATED INCIDENTS

1

On campus

0

Off campus

Call Public Safety:

610-660-1111

4

Nov. 18, 2020

The Hawk Newspaper

News

‘Changing the paradigm’ NICK KARPINSKI ’21 Multimedia Editor Environmental and social factors, which measure the societal impact of investing and corporate decision-making, are not a part of St. Joe’s finance department core curriculum, which troubles Carolin Schellhorn, Ph.D., assistant professor of finance at St. Joe’s.

Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) is an area of finance that helps companies understand the impact of their investments on the community at large in terms of environmental and social implications. Some systemic issues ESG focuses on include racial inequality and climate change. For example, a company that is guided by ESG principles might choose investments that do not negatively impact the environment.

Schellhorn teaches “Sustainable Finance” this semester, an elective that implements ESG into its course content. She said the current St. Joe’s finance curriculum, which does not substantially address ESG in its required courses, is part of a problem that finance departments in higher education, including St. Joe’s, need to address. “[ESG] should be in every single mainstream textbook,” Schellhorn said. “It has to be attacked from all angles.”

Financial sustainability curriculum at St. Joe’s One of Schellhorn’s students, Dominic Polidoro ’21, a finance major, is currently working with a classmate, Evan Campbell ’21, and an alumnus, Tim Ringelstein ’10, M.B.A. ’12, to research and present an action plan on how to address sustainability in the finance curriculum.

Polidoro said ignorance, as opposed to avoidance, has created a culture where ESG is not confronted in the Department of Finance. “[Professors] weren’t taught it, so they don’t teach us that it’s important,” Polidoro said. “They frankly don’t teach it at all. We’re the next generation of professionals, and we’re just going to continue the problem. We have a lot of power in the future, a lot of economic power as well.”

Upon graduation, students in the Haub School of Business will be influencing substantial amounts of wealth invested both professionally and privately, according to Tim Swift, Ph.D., associate professor of management and interim director of the Pedro Arrupe Center for Business Ethics.

“Our students have become more conscientious consumers [with] a commitment to patronizing sustainable, ethical companies,” Swift said. “As students become more ethical consumers, it’s critical that they understand they can invest with impact.”

Joseph DiAngelo ’70, Ed.D., dean of the Haub School, said programs such as finance, accounting, management and leadership, ethics and organizational sustainability all substantially address ESG in their various curricula.

“That’s the whole premise of what we did in the center for business ethics,” DiAngelo said. “We wanted the topics to be infused throughout the curriculum so students could be exposed to them while also

studying their disciplines.”

But applying ESG to investment decisions isn’t reflected in the finance curriculum or in the business school as a whole, according to both Schellhorn and Polidoro.

When asked how ESG is incorporated into courses in the finance department beyond Schellhorn’s Sustainable Finance course, Morris Danielson, Ph.D., professor of finance and department chair, declined to comment.

Swift said the Haub School relies heavily on GEP courses, including Moral Foundations, a course taught through the philosophy department, to help business students build a foundation in ethics. While all St. Joe’s students are also required to take an ethics-intensive overlay course, students do not have to fulfill that overlay with a business course.

In the fall 2020 semester, of the 37 sections of courses that qualify as ethics-intensive in the GEP overlay, seven of them were offered by the business school.

“I haven’t had a class that explicitly confronts those [sustainability] issues,” Polidoro said. “Sustainability when it comes to finance is something that is brushed under the rug and not enough people know about it. That’s the scary part for me. It’s our responsibility to just shed light on it because it impacts everyone.”

Neoliberal economics and ESG ESG has been an area of interest among “investment activists” since the early 1970s, according to Steve Lydenberg, the founder of The Investment Integration Project, which helps investors to align their strategies with ESG. “Corporate investing and social responsibility grew out of protest movements occuring in the 1960s,” Lydenberg said. “Concerns about peace, civil rights and the environment spilled over into the corporate world.”

Swift said the Haub School may not teach ESG extensively because the field is relatively new in the corporate landscape.

“It’s really developing and there really isn’t a standard way to incorporate it into our financial investment courses yet,” Swift said.

But Sandra Waddock, Ph.D., professor of management at Boston College, a Jesuit institution, has studied, researched and written about ESG since the 1990s. She said this isn’t a new topic and the research is widely available. Boston College also does not have required courses for finance students with a focus in ESG. “It’s been studied to death,” Waddock said. “What you see with economists and finance people is a certain mindset. It’s a belief system, and they’ve totally bought into that belief system. There are many ways they’re indoctrinating their students with it.”

The mindset Waddock refers to is neoliberal economics, which focuses on maximizing shareholder wealth without taking into account all stakeholders and the societal impacts of business decision-making.

Waddock wrote about neoliberal economic practices in a Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute article, “Reframing and Transforming Economics Around Life.”

“If you’re going to change the story, you’ve got to change the mindset so people can act differently and believe different-

ly,” Waddock said. “You’re going to have to come up with a new paradigm.”

In the current paradigm, racism is not nearly addressed to the extent it should be in university finance curricula across the country, according to Rohan Williamson Ph.D., vice provost of education and professor of finance at Georgetown University.

“We need to look at parts of the economy from equity standpoints, focusing on areas where [Black people] are unable to invest, help the economy grow and help firms,” Williamson said. “This is something that has been part of the country for 400 years, and much longer globally. [Addressing racism] will require a push from universities to do more to bring these topics into our direct way of thinking.”

Williamson said Jesuit universities have a heightened responsibility to be leaders in addressing these issues due to the nature of the institutions’ social values.

“We have to live up to our ideals,” Williamson said. “It’s one thing to say something, talk is cheap. Now do something about it. It’s the responsibility of those who say the most to lead in these efforts.”

Shifting the business paradigm Ringelstein works at Permit Capital Advisors, LLC and is collaborating with Polidoro and Campbell on their sustainability project.

Ringlestein said companies have started to shift their investment practices to incorporate ESG, especially over the past five years.

“You have to be incorporating tenets for sustainability in business or else you’re not going to survive,” Ringelstein said.

Lydenberg has researched the social and environmental performance of corporations since 1975. He said while certain companies are starting to adjust their practices, there has not been a fundamental change, which contributes to how concepts are taught at the academic level.

“We’re at an inflection point,” Lydenberg said. “We’re going to feel the effects of climate change tomorrow, not just in the long-term future. If you let problems that are systemic in their nature sit, it’s very difficult to get them under control.”

Both Schellhorn and Waddock echoed Lydenberg’s point, citing how investors continue to finance fuel companies despite “the growing carbon bubble,” and how this mindset is reflected in academic pedagogy.

Waddock referenced Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical, Laudato Si’, with respect to the correlation between Jesuit values and economics. The pope wrote, “maximization of profits, frequently isolated from other considerations, reflects a misunderstanding of the very concept of the economy.”

During faculty meetings, Schellhorn said she has brought up St. Joe’s finance department’s need to address and emphasize societal impact pedagogy, taking into account all stakeholders, like the pope references. She said she’s met with, “You’re so passionate about this.”

“I’m not passionate about it,” Schellhorn said. “I’m extremely worried about the current situation. This is very serious and very important for our continued survival. It doesn't get more important than that.”

Sources: NPR, National Resources Defense Fund and WisdomTree.

GRAPHIC: CASEY WOOD ’23/THE HAWK

Opinions

The Hawk Newspaper

Nov. 18, 2020

5

Mental and physical health and safety Our responsibility towards self care

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

For our last print issue of the semester, we want to remind students of the importance of protecting their physical and mental health, especially now during this time of stress as we transition from school to home.

There are many factors that played into the struggle of remaining mentally and physically healthy this semester, between the looming presence of COVID-19 and our time on campus cut short. And, of course, the national reckoning with systemic racism.

This semester has been stressful for everyone, with Zoom fatigue, COVID-19 fatigue and limitations on our social interactions. While focusing on our physical health and that of others, it’s easy to forget about the importance of our mental health.

Mental health seems like one more thing on our checkboxes of never ending things to be mindful of in 2020. But, mental health and physical health go hand in hand, and if we want to finish the semester on a strong note, we have to keep both in mind.

Mental health and going home The idea of going home for Thanksgiving break and not coming back until late January is sad for many of us. Although we are happy to see family members, friends and pets, remote learning through the rest of the semester is one more challenge we face. Some students find going home to be extremely stressful, and the idea of adding remote school work to that makes it even more daunting. Many of us are having flashbacks to our extended spring break last semester. It’s important for us to remember to prioritize our mental wellbeing when going home.

From COVID-19 anxiety to seasonal depression, generally referred to as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, this period is a difficult adjustment for many. In the midst of all of this, remember to take mental

health breaks and check in on friends who might be struggling. There are many online resources to watch movies and play games with friends despite being apart. Some of these resources include the app Bunch, where you can play games and FaceTime with friends, or the Disney+ group streaming feature. Keep these things in mind as we approach more possible isolation.

“Ultimately, it is our responsibility to take care of ourselves and others, in line with the Jesuit mission of St. Joe’s.

Remaining mentally healthy is equally as important as remaining physically healthy.”

Physical health and planning to go home The often reckless behavior over Halloween weekend, has resulted in a rise in COVID-19 cases on campus. With the SJU Dashboard reaching daily numbers higher than we’ve ever seen before, it’s important that we realize what is at stake as we prepare to return home. It is noteworthy that these data mirror the national trend.

A lot of students are concerned about taking the virus home to their family members, and are consequently taking precautions to limit their risk of contracting the virus. However, some students are not realizing the amount of people they are putting at an unnecessary risk by continuing to

party and congregate with others, without social distancing and without masks. Although we cannot control the behavior of others, we can control our own behavior.

Some students are taking a COVID-19 test before returning home and then taking another test a few days after they arrive home in order to be sure that they are not spreading the virus to their families and communities. Others are choosing to self quarantine before they go home, and thereby limit interactions, so they are able to lower their chances of getting the virus and then becoming spreaders.

We recommend continuing to follow health and safety guidelines promoted by the university, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. Although we cannot guarantee that we avoid the virus completely, especially due to the high numbers we’re seeing nationally, it is important that we take as many steps as we can to avoid becoming spreaders of the virus.

Ultimately, it is our responsibility to take care of ourselves and others, in line with the Jesuit mission of St. Joe’s. Remaining mentally healthy is equally as important as remaining physically healthy. Although the next few months seem daunting, prioritizing our health and safety and that of others will make for a much smoother spring semester.

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

MONTH-LONG BLACK FRIDAY Due to the pandemic, some stores, like Target, are offering Black Friday deals for not just one day, but for the whole month of November.

Deals, discounts and sales for a whole month? Our wallets are here for it.

BURNING YOUR TONGUE ON SOUP For those of you who are loyal followers of the hot or not section, you may recall that we placed “soup season” in the hot category last week.

As a follow up to that, we would just like to say that burning your tongue on said soup? Definitely not hot. One might consider this… too hot.

OBAMA’S NEW MEMOIR Former U.S. President Barack Obama’s new memoir “A Promised Land” about his time in the White House was released on Nov. 17.

Obama even made an adorable Instagram post about how he dedicated the memoir to Michelle, Malia and Sasha. Needless to say, we are excited to get our hands on a copy.

TRYING TO GET INTO A GEP SCIENCE CLASS If every student needs to take a science class to graduate, then why are they so difficult to get into? Even our second semester seniors had to fight their way to a seat. We don’t want to take science, but we have to, so why the difficulty?

MILEY CYRUS AND STEVIE NICKS DUET On Nov. 6, Miley Cyrus released a duet with Stevie Nicks titled “Edge of Midnight (Midnight Sky Remix).” Chef ’s kiss, this is a mash-up we didn’t know we needed until now. We truly cannot handle this level of talent in one song.

SQUIRRELS BREAKING INTO THE TOWNHOUSES For those of you who don’t know, there has been multiple incidences of squirrels breaking through the vents to get into the Townhouses. It’s honestly pretty rude of them. Haven’t they heard about the social distancing requirements? Sorry, Townhouse squirrels, we can’t keep you as pets right now.

Assistant Business Manager Colin Messenger ’22 Assistant Business Manager Danny Remishevsky ’23 Distribution Manager Alec Mettin ’24 Distribution Manager Deborah Duong ’24

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Nov. 18, 2020

Opinions

The Hawk Newspaper

Can a Biden administration restore unity?

President-elect’s ultimate challenge will be closing the divide CONNOR MIGNANO ’23 Columnist On Nov. 7, President-elect Joe Biden gave a victory speech in Wilmington, Delaware that outlined his vision for America.

He spoke to the pain and loss that countless Americans have suffered since the beginning of the pandemic. He spoke to his administration’s commitment to address systemic racism and injustice. Most importantly, he spoke to his desire to lead the nation to unity.

Unity will be at the forefront of the Biden administration. It was the driving force behind Biden’s message to “restore the soul of America” that was often heard during his campaign for the presidency. It was what I believe to have been the main reason many Americans chose to vote for him.

Hearing this kind of message from a man who was renowned in Washington D.C. for his ability to compromise on key legislation was refreshing. I have no doubt that the Biden administration will be steadfast on its goal to move the country away from divisive politics.

But I must admit that I doubt if his administration can accomplish such a lofty goal.

The problem is that division has seeped into the core of how Americans fundamentally view the country. The division between Republicans and Democrats is not solely about policy anymore. Polling from the Pew Research Center among U.S. President Donald Trump supporters and Biden supporters before the election showed that almost 80% of both groups disagree on what America’s basic values are.

Even more worrying is the fact that both sides cannot even agree on what the basic facts are. According to the same poll, 85% of Americans believe that neither side can agree on basic information.

It will take much more than a call to unity to bring Americans together. The possibility that our country is irreparably disunited is concerning. But despite all the pessimism that has surrounded my thoughts these last few days, I continue to hold on to a little bit of hope for the future.

I don’t know what steps the Biden administration will take to bridge the chasm that separates us, but I’m cautiously optimistic that his election might be a step in the right direction.

GRAPHIC: RYAN MULLIGAN ’21/THE HAWK

With the likely possibility of a divided government come January, we need a compromiser in the executive office now more than ever. America has fallen into a pit of divisiveness and partisanship that has only grown deeper over these last four years. Our country cannot continue down this path.

As President-elect Biden stated in his victory speech, “To make progress, we must stop treating our opponents as our enemy.

We are not enemies. We are Americans.” I don’t know if Biden’s words will reach those who did not vote for him. They may understandably question his credibility as a unifier

because he is not unique in his call for unity; these are words that have been used by countless politicians before him. But these are unique times, and we have to reckon with the fact that things will only get worse if we don’t begin to work for unity now.

Biden’s election will not be the ultimate unifying force that undoes the divide that has deepened in the last decade. But I remain optimistic that this shift in tone from the executive branch might be the catalyst for true healing and unification in this country.

Stories from Wilmington My experience at Biden’s election speech MAX GIULIANA ’24 Columnist For five long days I, along with countless other Americans, was glued to my TV for 24-hour election coverage. I witnessed a red-mirage of initial in-person votes, the late surge of blue mail-in ballots and unhinged press conferences from U.S. President Donald Trump. Then, on Nov. 7 at 11:25 a.m., the Associated Press called the presidential election for Joe Biden.

The call itself was expected, as the outstanding mail-in ballots that had taken days to count were coming in droves for the former vice president. However, just seeing the notification on my phone evoked a multitude of emotions; I felt relief as the marathon was over, pride knowing I had voted for the first time and surrealness because I was aware of how historic this moment was.

I wasn’t alone in my enthusiasm for the election; my entire family, even my 14-year-old brother, was on edge the entire week. So, as the election was finally over, my mom had a brilliant idea. She rushed over to me and said, “Hey, do you want to go to Wilmington?”

Just like that, my mother and I were in the car on our way to watch President-elect Biden give his acceptance speech. We walked through the modern and beautiful town

made all night, not because of the location, but because of the people that were there.

While we waited, my mother and I struck up multiple conversations with some extraor-

“Among all these stories was a common narrative: the kindness and care of America’s next president. He was described as having time for everybody, whether it be for conversation, a picture or a mere hello.” of Wilmington, Delaware to reach what we thought would be the president-elect’s speech stage.

My mother and I made the trip knowing that it was likely we wouldn’t be allowed in to see the president-elect, so we weren’t surprised when we were told we needed a pass to watch the speech in person. We were absolutely content to be among the supporters awaiting the speech that would be shown on two large screens.

Then, it was time to wait. We walked around to find a good spot and landed on an area close to the screen and the road where the president-elect and vice president-elect would later drive on. This decision was the best we

dinary people. One woman had worked on Biden’s first Senate campaign when the now 77-year-old was just 29. This woman and her daughter had pictures with the president-elect, incredible stories about his initial days in Washington D.C. and an unparalleled enthusiasm for the man. I later went on to find out that they had one of those exclusive passes to see Biden give his speech in person, but they gave it up to be with the people-a true testament to their values.

After hearing many remarkable stories, I learned a lot about what I believe was at the heart of Biden’s campaign: his character. Many know the story of Biden’s life; he is a man who has experienced tragedy that

no human should ever endure. Events like the death of his children and spouse shape Biden’s character. Even so, on that cold night in Wilmington, I got to learn about Biden, the local man.

Residents of Wilmington would tell me that they see the former vice president and his family all the time, whether it is when they are food shopping or getting their haircut. One woman even said she normally gets her nails done next to First Lady-elect Jill Biden.

Among all these stories was a common narrative: the kindness and care of America’s next president. He was described as having time for everybody, whether it be for conversation, a picture or a mere hello. Apparently, he is out and about conversing so much that the people of Wilmington just call him Joe. Stories like these don’t make national news, but they can say a lot about a man who is so often seen on a macro-level. Not only does President-elect Biden convey a message of empathy and decency to the nation, but he practices it. Say what you want about Biden’s foreign policy, economic plan or strategy to tackle climate change, but there is one thing you can never take away from him: his decency. And that, I believe, is a trait that will be welcomed in the Oval Office.

Opinions

The Hawk Newspaper

Nov. 18, 2020

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Ending police violence Nigeria's #EndSARS campaign SEHAR MACAN-MARKAR ’22 Assistant Opinions Editor Young people protesting against police brutality is not unheard of in the U.S. In Nigeria, protests aiming to end the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) have gained global attention.

SARS is a special unit within the Nigerian police force that was created to deal with robbery and firearm related crimes. The unit quickly became associated with illegal activity and harming citizens. While the government has vowed reform in the past, the promises have been empty; the SARS officers continue to abuse their power unchecked.

Although this violence has been going on for quite some time, what sparked widespread outrage was a video of a man who was attacked and had his car stolen by SARS officers. This video spread quickly, with #EndSARS trending on multiple social media platforms. After an “overhaul” of the unit in 2018 that had no effect on the behavior of SARS officers, citizens were opposed to reform and demanded disbandment.

Prominent figures around the globe, from celebrities to politicians, commented on this movement, demanding change as well as donating to medical aid and legal funds for those affected. But the people who deserve the most respect are the thousands of young people in Nigeria who bravely protested. They were met with more brutality, which was the very thing they were protesting against; authorities used water cannons and opened fire on the protesters. Twelve people were killed by police during these protests and many were beaten and wounded.

SARS is treating the citizens they

GRAPHIC: CASEY WOOD ’23/THE HAWK should protect with violence, with many cases of people reportedly being unjustly detained, tortured and killed. When citizens have to beg the police not to kill them, there is a clear infringement of human rights occurring. Between 2017 and 2020, Amnesty International revealed that there were at least 82 reported cases of torture and extrajudicial killings. Many Nigerian citizens who come in contact with the police feel extremely unsafe, and understandably so.

Younger people from low-income backgrounds are the predominant targets, as their poverty and vulnerability make them easier targets. When the officers see these youths who are dressed nice or have smartphones, they question them. The SARS officials immediately insist that any response they receive is a lie; if they do not have money to pay these officials off, they get injured, raped

or killed, and sometimes all three. Innocent people are living in fear that their supposed protectors will brutalize them. These officers have authority and power, and without payment, the Nigerian citizens are subject to harsh, undeserved punishments.

This squad is also known to “confiscate” items without reason and commit extortion; many times those that are detained are forced to pay huge bribes, so they don’t have to face torture. The victims cannot even receive justice, due to obstacles and threats from the police authorities.

The SARS officers are perpetrating the very crimes that they should be fighting against. It is sickening the way that this police force, whose sole duty is to protect people, has turned into the very opposite.

Unfortunately, police corruption is common due to codes of silence and neg-

ligent accountability within systems. Not a single officer has been held responsible for these human rights violations.

However, on Oct. 11, 2020, SARS was disbanded. The president released this statement: “The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police Force has been dissolved WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT.” Although this seems like what citizens wanted, many are nervous if actual change will occur, especially since the officers from the controversial police unit will not be held accountable and will be redeployed to other police units.

While SARS was what ignited the protests, citizens were also attacked by nonSARS police forces. The dismantling of SARS is not enough. The systemic corruption proves that Nigeria needs a complete overhaul of the police system.

The citizens of Nigeria should not feel unsafe by the people in charge of protecting them. The failure of authorities addressing the police brutality fortifies the idea of impunity.

Although social media sometimes seems inherently performative and unlikely to yield results, the global pressure had a positive impact. The people of Nigeria are fighting the system bravely, but it should not be upon their shoulders alone.

When people around the world come together to fight against any type of oppression and corruption, pragmatic change can occur. While disbanding SARS is a good start, there is more that needs to be done. Just because SARS has been dissolved doesn’t mean awareness and donations should end. This is only a step towards solving this problem, not the solution.

Money Matters: Car insurance premiums TODD ERKIS Columnist I pay for my car insurance and the bill seems really high. Is there anything I can do to lower the premium I pay?

Thanks. -Mary M. ’21.

Thank you for the question, Mary.

Car insurance has many things in it. The insurance coverage includes payment for damage to your car, medical expenses from an accident and payments you owe to others if you are in a car accident.

Car insurance also includes optional insurance, like money for a car rental after an accident, loss of wages after an accident or a life insurance coverage called accidental death benefit. The premium for optional coverages can add up and likely are not needed. If you decline those coverages, it will decrease your premium.

The main things that impact your car insurance premium is your age, the type of car you drive, your driving history and the deductible on your policy. Younger drivers are less experienced, get in more accidents and therefore, pay higher rates. Similarly, if you drive an expensive car, the cost of repairs will be higher. Speeding tickets and prior accidents will also lead to higher premium rates as those items suggest a higher risk of getting into an accident.

Your age is what it is, but you can

It is not worth it to increase your deductible if you cannot come up with enough money to fix your car after an accident.

Finally, be very careful about only getting the minimum car insurance required by law. These stripped-down policies can be cheap but usually only cover damages that you owe to other people. That means your insurance will not cover anything for your car’s damage. This means that in an accident, you would have to pay for the entire cost to fix your car. This could lead to you having no way to get to work or to school until you can afford purchasing another car.

GRAPHIC: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK control the other items. If you are shopping The deductible amount is what you for a new car, remember to consider that a pay every time you have a claim before more expensive car will also increase what the insurance company pays anything. For you pay in car insurance. Careful driving example, if you have a $500 deductible and also pays off. Some companies will offer get into an accident which costs $6,000 to a “safe driving” discount if you are willfix, the insurance company will pay $5,500 ing to put a GPS device in your car. This and you will be responsible for the remaincould lead to savings even if you have prior ing $500. Increasing your deductible will tickets or accidents, but generally drive in a lower your premium, but make sure the careful manner. deductible is at a level that you can afford.

Anna Lubomirski ’21: When I was getting insurance for my car, my insurance company had options to reduce the premium if I completed driving lessons, and offered different levels of discounts for different GPAs if you are a student. I would definitely recommend seeing if your insurance company offers anything like this or, if not, you could always try getting onto your parents’ policy where premiums will be cheaper overall.

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Nov. 18, 2020

Opinions

The Hawk Newspaper

The impact of Alex Trebek His bringing awareness to pancreatic cancer must carry on CELIA HEGARTY ’21 Copy Editor After the loss of Alex Trebek on Nov. 8, social media was flooded with clips of people’s favorite Trebek moments on “Jeopardy!,” most of which included him making jokes about the various questions and categories, or making witty comments about contestants for something they said. Along with showing Trebek’s sense of humor, there were also more serious and meaningful clips that demonstrated his impact. It is clear that Trebek impacted many lives and his loss was felt in homes throughout the U.S., including my own.

I didn’t know Trebek personally, but it feels like I did. Every weeknight at 7 p.m., my family and I would gather around our TV to watch “Jeopardy!,” our favorite game show. This time was important to me because it was one of the only times of the day that my family would all spend together, given our busy schedules. Growing up, I would even cancel or postpone plans solely so that I could make sure I was home to watch “Jeopardy!”

To me, “Jeopardy!” represents spending time with my family, which was made possible by Trebek. This tradition made it feel like Trebek was also part of my family.

Trebek’s death had an additional personal meaning to my family because of his

battle with pancreatic cancer. In 2008, my uncle was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer and passed away only four months after he was diagnosed, at age 43.

Last year, a family friend was also diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer and passed away at age 52, nine months after being diagnosed.

Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. In 2020, the five year survival rate of pancreatic cancer reached 10%, which is the first time it has ever gone above single digits.

One of the main reasons why pancreatic cancer is the cause of so many cancer-related deaths is because it is very difficult to detect at an early stage. The symptoms are not obvious and are often mistaken for other things. The location of the pancreas also makes it difficult for doctors to detect tumors. When pancreatic cancer is detected, it has usually already spread past the pancreas and has progressed to a later stage. As a result, it is very difficult to treat.

In order to effectively treat pancreatic cancer, it must be detected at an earlier stage, which requires more research into testing.

However, the research cannot be done without more awareness and funding. Increased awareness and funding for pancreatic cancer research needs to be made a priority.

Trebek announced his diagnosis of stage four pancreatic cancer on March 6, 2019, which was more than a year before his death. After his diagnosis, Trebek

ILLUSTRATION: CASEY WOOD ’23/THE HAWK

worked hard to bring awareness to pancreatic cancer by being open about his symptoms and experiences.

Trebek’s openness about his own experience helped to save other’s lives. After hearing about Trebek’s symptoms, a man named Chuck Paulausky realized that he was having similar symptoms and went to see his doctor. Paulausky was then diagnosed with a very early stage of pancreatic cancer and he was able to receive treatment.

Trebek brought hope to all those who have been affected by this horrific disease.

November is pancreatic cancer awareness

month. Trebek’s work of bringing more awareness to pancreatic cancer must be continued, so that one day, there might be a cure for this terrible disease. In order to continue Trebek’s fight against pancreatic cancer, visit the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network’s website for more information and ways to donate and get involved.

Thank you, Alex Trebek, for bringing hope to those affected by pancreatic cancer and providing my family and millions of other families with joy and laughter through “Jeopardy.”

Substance decriminalization in Oregon New legislation finally shows progressive drug laws JOHN SLUSSER ’22 Columnist After spending one trillion dollars, incarcerating millions and taking thousands of lives in a span of just under 50 years, the war on drugs has received what is perhaps its largest hit to date.

On Nov. 3, a 59% majority of Oregon voters supported the passage of Ballot Measure 110, otherwise known as the Drug Decriminalization and Addiction Treatment Initiative. The measure stands to ensure the decriminalization of all drugs within the state boundary of Oregon as well as reallocate funds to addiction treatment networks throughout the state.

This situation unfolds as citizens across the country are becoming more open to the possibility of the decriminalization of certain drugs, a position that is reflected in the recent legalization of marijuana in New Jersey, Arizona, Montana and South Dakota.

Oregon has long led the nation in progressive drug reform. They were among the first U.S. states to legalize medical and recreational marijuana and have just become one of the first states to legalize psilocybin for therapeutic use. This new measure is a big leap forward. So, how does it work?

First, it’s important to understand that decriminalization is not synonymous with legalization. Legalization would mean that there is no penalty of any kind for using particular substances. Legislation measures such as this are currently in place in many states with regard to marijuana.

On the other hand, decriminalization comes with more specifics. As interpreted in Measure 110, it means that the possession of small amounts of any substance (exact amounts are likely to relate to specific drugs) cannot be punishable by jail time. The user will instead pay a fine of about $100 and/or enroll in a treatment program operated by mental health professionals, medical doctors and addiction specialists with support from taxpayer revenue.

of whom have been placed there as the result of racial bias present in the U.S. justice system. Luckily, the projections for the effects of the measure are strikingly positive.

Experts suggest drug possession convictions in Oregon could fall by 90%, from 4,057 to 378. Racial disparities in arrests for drug related offenses would drop by approximately 95%. Finally, convictions of Black and Indigenous peoples would drop by 94%. Violence related to drug trafficking

“Now, the flaws of our justice system are more visible than ever and many are beginning to change their minds regarding the state of policing and incarceration. This paves the way for more progressive legislation that would rehabilitate rather than punish suspected drug users. ”

The revenue will be reallocated from tax money garnered through marijuana sales.

Additionally, far fewer people will be arrested, prosecuted and incarcerated. Expenses relative to such activities would drop dramatically and the savings would then be recirculated to fund these new programs. The lack of drug cases present in the state’s court system would allow the courts to proceed much more efficiently.

Further, the anti-carceral logic used to create the bill will be instrumental in reforming policing and incarceration in the U.S. Over 300,000 people are incarcerated for drug offenses across the country, many

and dealing is also expected to drop sharply.

Portugal is one of the few countries that does not punish the possession of drugs with jail time. Since 2001, substance possession has been decriminalized throughout the entire country resulting in some interesting findings.

In the span of 20 years, Portugal reported lower user rates than the U.S. and the rest of Europe, where very restrictive drug laws are prevalent. HIV risk decreased dramatically in Portugal, as 12% of new HIV cases globally are caused by intravenous drug use. Arrest rates for possession went down by 60%, while enrollment in rehabilitation

programs has increased by the same margin.

Drug overdose deaths have decreased considerably.

In Portugal, drug use is treated as a public health issue, rather than a crime. They are able to sustain this system by focusing on rehabilitation instead of punishment.

Portugal also has a complex network of counselors, psychologists, health care workers and social workers devoted to helping individuals face and overcome addiction. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, they have employment options for individuals affected by addiction that allow them to reenter society. Not only is this model less expensive, but it is more efficient with regard to both individual and societal development.

Back in America, we are still lagging far behind Portugal’s lead. Now, the flaws of our justice system are more visible than ever and many are beginning to change their minds regarding the state of policing and incarceration. This paves the way for more progressive legislation that would rehabilitate rather than punish suspected drug users.

The recent election in Oregon goes to show that change is possible, even if those in upper levels of the government are opposed to it. On this issue, the will of the people was truly represented, and huge steps towards national justice reform were taken. In the coming years, it is likely other states will take such measures, and the results of the experimental measure in Oregon will have a great impact on progress towards more just policing and incarceration policy agreements in the rest of the U.S.

Features

We asked first-year students at St. Joe’s, who have never attended a pre-pandemic campus, and only know it as a place of masks and brown paper dinner bags and tents and often empty common spaces, to capture the campus from their perspective.

Our ask is based on Bloomberg CityLab’s Coronavirus Map Project, which was published in June and features maps that people all over the world created to document their city, neighborhood or home spaces as impacted by the pandemic.

Of the more than two dozen maps we received, we find first-year students grappling, as they do every year, with trying to get to know their new home. We see sunrises and study nooks and running paths. We see exhilaration and loneliness, desires for connections and the relief of solitude. We see students coming to terms with a semester on Hawk Hill like no other, but still finding their way.

If you’d like to contribute a map to our series, please contact Giana Longo ’22, Features Editor, at thehawkfeatures@gmail.com for submission guidelines.

The Hawk Newspaper

Alec Mettin ’24: My map shows the great confines and boundaries of my life at St. Joe’s. My dorm room and Campion Dining Hall are marked with the largest circles because I find myself there most often. The bathroom provides coveted privacy, but I spend limited time there, so its circle is the smallest. And although I appreciate leaving my room each day and seeing my classmates in person, classrooms are monotonous and rigid: wipe desk, sit down,

“Despite finding home here, I feel like a stranger in some of the larger areas of campus. That is why I stick to my routine.”

Alec Mettin’s Map

“With time, I expect to clarify the blurred peripheral lines and expand my boundaries as I find comfort at the university and the masks come off.” leave. Campion and the Villiger fifth floor lounge are exciting areas for socialization, so I gave them color.

Despite finding home here, I feel like a stranger in some of the larger areas of campus.

That is why I stick to my routine. I walk the same routes to class or to Campion every day, see the same people and recognize faces. It lessens my feelings of being displaced. I run on the same path to save myself from getting lost in uncertain surroundings.

Nov. 18, 2020 9

I excluded the areas of campus that fall outside of what I call my new home, the places which I only observe as an outsider. An “X” marks places that I consider “off limits:” other people’s rooms, the Ellen Ryan Field and McShain Hall. In an age of social-distancing and limited social circles, entering into these places feels almost criminal. The bold question marks signify areas yet to be explored. With time, I expect to clarify the blurred peripheral lines and expand my boundaries as I find comfort at the university and the masks come off.

Mettin is an international relations major from Doylestown, Pennsylvania.

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Features

The Hawk Newspaper

Nov. 18, 2020

Hawks look forward to Thanksgiving break ELAINA WALL ’21 Assistant Features Editor

Thanksgiving is so close we can almost taste and smell the mashed potatoes, stuffing and delicious pumpkin pie. We can’t wait to go home for break. This week, The Hawk spoke with members of the St. Joe’s community about their plans for Thanksgiving and what they are most looking forward to this break.

What are you most looking forward to this break?

What are your plans for Thanksgiving?

“Thanksgiving is actually my favorite holiday, because I love to cook.

It’s a really great time to just gather and be thankful for what we have, and the fact that we can put food on our table this year is a big deal.”

“I’m going home. My family has a Thanksgiving dinner at Lake Wallenpaupack [in Pennsylvania].

My family recently bought a lake house up there and my family is very big, so we’re excited to have a place where we can all meet and spend quality time together while staying safe.”

Clint Springer, Ph.D. Director of Environmental Science and Sustainability

“For me, it’s a nice mental break, getting away from everyone. I’m really looking forward to being able to get up, make my own breakfast and see my siblings, my mom and dad.”

Donavin Gomez ’24

“My Thanksgiving plans will be a little different due to COVID, but every year my family cooks the Thanksgiving meal. Usually, every year my entire family on my mom’s side gathers together on Thanksgiving. This year, we are just inviting close family members.”

Major: undecided natural science Hometown: Wyncote, Pennsylvania

Isabella Picchini ’23 Majors: secondary education and English Hometown: Scranton, Pennsylvania

Tracy Heinze ’23 Major: finance Hometown: Yardley, Pennsylvania

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Features

The Hawk Newspaper

Nov. 18, 2020

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GET Café in Narberth fosters an accepting environment JACKIE COLLINS ’21 Editor in Chief

When entering Great Expectations Together (GET) Café, you walk past bookshelves packed with board games and decorated with signs that read loving and accepting messages like “Come as you are.” When approaching the counter, you are undoubtedly greeted by the smiling face of an employee, noticeable even behind a mask.

GET Café is a coffee shop located in downtown Narberth, a 10 minute drive from St. Joe’s campus. It is committed to the employment of individuals with disabilities, learning differences and special needs. The cafe is part of GETincluded, Inc., a local nonprofit organization that funds camps, classes and other support resources for people with special needs.

Founded in 2010, GETincluded, Inc. seeks to educate employers and community members in order to break societal

barriers and stigmas against individuals with special needs, according to the organization’s website.

“I would say the mission is really to get people with disabilities in this community to be part of society and to have them feel like they’re valued, to have a place where they could go and be treated fairly, treated like normal,” said Victoria Goins, the cafe’s manager.

According to a national study conducted by the Special Olympics, unemployment among people with intellectual disabilities is more than twice as high as for the general population. Similarly, people with physical disabilities are twice as likely to be unemployed compared to those without disabilities, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports.

Melissa Leonardi ’20, who was a Kinney Center SCHOLAR as an undergraduate and is now a GET Café employee, said employers are usually hesitant to hire people with autism spectrum

A cup of fresh brewed coffee sits outside of the cafe.

Bucciarelli crafts a coffee drink during her shift.

Ariana Bucciarelli bags a baked good during her shift. PHOTOS: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

disorder or a special need because they are considered “different” in our society. “[This] is kind of ridiculous, considering people with disabilities are some of the most kind-hearted, organized and detailed people I’ve ever met,” Leonardi wrote in an email to The Hawk.

GET Café employs volunteers, parttime and full-time workers of all abilities, Goins said.

David Block volunteered at the cafe in 2019 and became a part-time worker in 2020. He said his favorite station is the cash register, and that with being legally blind, he never thought he would get the opportunity to work using such a device.

“I’m very comfortable there,” Block said. “I find working the cash register very therapeutic. Sometimes I get nervous very easily. And when I work at the cafe, I’m not really nervous, I don’t have any anxiety.”

David Lockwood volunteered at the coffee shop in 2019 and became a parttime worker in 2020. His job responsibilities include, but are not limited to, running the cash register, restocking items and cleaning behind the counter.

“I make sure everything’s in place and smile,” Lockwood said. “I make sure our customer has what they want exactly the way they want.”

Lockwood said he hasn’t been able to build close relationships with other employees yet since he only gets to work once a week.

Goins said that employees would typically work at least eight hours a week. But now during the coronavirus pandemic, hours had to be cut to as little as a two hour shift a week for many employees.

“A lot of them don’t need the money, but it’s their place to come to help or just to have fun with other people, to be part of something,” Goins said. “To have that feeling and then get it cut completely out, it really affects them.”

Block received a master’s in journalism from Temple University in 2017. He said right now, it is hard for him to find work outside the cafe due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“I did secure a job this spring, which was teaching journalism to night school students, which was taken away because of the virus,” Block said.

Leonardi said that it is already difficult for people with disabilities to find a job, but it is even more difficult when you “add the mask.”

“Most individuals with a disability have sensory issues and have a difficult time wearing a mask [and] wearing a mask for an extended period of time can pose a problem for these individuals,” Leonardi said.

Leonardi said GET Café shows customers that just because someone has a disability, doesn’t mean they aren’t capable.

Goins said that the cafe has a lot of returning customers because they feel that same kind of acceptance that the coffee shop represents for their employees.

“I love coming to work,” Goins said.

“It’s really a happy place. People come here all the time, just to feel that acceptance. There’s no hostility. We’ve gotten so much great feedback. It’s a really great place to be.”

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The Hawk Newspaper

Features

Try This: Sweat It to Shred It, home workout review GIANNA CONSALO ’24 Special to the Hawk

I’ve been a dancer for 15 years, so staying in good shape and living an active lifestyle is second nature to me.

Initially, when I was forced to do athome workouts during quarantine, I worried I would not be able to maintain my fitness regimen and the difficulty level of my typical dance and gym workouts.

Throughout quarantine, I put almost all of the popular at-home workouts to the test. I tried Chloe Ting, Mad-Fit, Pamela Reif, Natacha Oceanes and Whitney Simmons Alive, an eight-week workout app. I also read Sweat It to Shred It (SITSI)

by Sarah’ Stevenson, which is by far the most effective.

SITSI was created by Stevenson, or Sarah’s Day, a health and fitness based YouTuber who promotes a holistic and balanced lifestyle. SITSI is a 92-page e-book, which costs about $70. Monthly gym membership fees can range from $20-180, and workout apps cost roughly $10-30 a month, so SITSI is fairly priced. The e-book is jam-packed full of custom workouts for eight weeks and is designed to not only transform your body, but to completely change the way you view exercise.

Unlike other at-home workouts, this program is easy to follow. SITSI

contains a context section with an intro, what to expect, the plan, a timeline and a progress report. When you click on any of the topics in the context section, it brings you directly to the spot in the book, saving you from scrolling through all 92 pages.

exercise and gives you a three-second countdown to finish each movement.

The program is composed of five different types of workouts: Sweaty Shredders, Toning Powers, Activity Days and Challenges. Sweaty Shredders are high intensity and designed to

ILLUSTRATION: CASEY WOOD ’23/THE HAWK

In addition, each workout is accompanied by step-by-step pictures of Stevenson doing each movement.

Still not sure how to execute an exercise? You can head directly to the Sarah’s Day YouTube channel where she has videos of her doing almost every movement. You can also download a companion timer app, where Stevenson counts down when to start each

burn stubborn fat. They consist of seven different exercises, each performed six times for 30 seconds. After my first one, I couldn’t walk for three days.

Toning Powers includes more defining exercises as opposed to the cardio ones in Sweaty Shredders. Both Sweaty Shredders and Toning Powers take roughly 30 minutes. Activity Days motivates you to incorporate fitness

into your everyday life, like walking with a friend or going for a swim. Challenge Days consists of shorter intense workouts, such as a 10-minute ab blaster.

The eight-week program starts you off slowly, allowing you to build endurance and muscle. Some early weeks only have three workouts, but by the end, you will be doing six workouts a week.

Because the program is laid out with a timeline, it holds you accountable. With SITSI, you check off each day that you completed the workout.

Seeing results occur so quickly made me want to keep going, too. I felt strong, motivated and in control of living a healthy and balanced life.

Although I was crushed I couldn’t keep my regular routine during quarantine, SITSI improved my physical health and kept me sane. Even as gyms started to open back up, I kept using SITSI’s killer workouts. The unique types of exercises included in the program have single-handedly transformed my body and endurance level.

Rating: 8 out of 10.

BASKETBALL IS BACK (MOSTLY) THE HAWK 2020 BASKETBALL ISSUE

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Nov. 18, 2020

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The Hawk Newspaper

New grad transfers join women’s basketball AARON TULLY ’23 Special to the Hawk Experience and grit. That is what the graduate transfers want to bring to the St. Joe’s women’s basketball team.

Graduate transfer Olivia Ramil played at Georgetown University from 2016-17 and Binghamton University from 2017-20, so she has experience against top programs.

“I’m a fifth year player, so I think my experience is my strongest asset,” Ramil said.

According to Ramil, she chose St. Joe’s because of the basketball program’s rich history.

“It’s been a great program over the last decade or so, and it’s a family environment,” Ramil said. “It was a perfect fit for me.”

Graduate transfer Alexis Santarelli, a native of South Philadelphia, wanted to return to the city she grew up in and play for a team she grew up watching.

“I used to go to the games,” Santarelli said. “Even as a little girl, I could always see myself playing at St. Joe’s.”

Santarelli brings experience as well, playing in over 90 games at Lafayette College. She said that her four years of experience for the Leopards, a positive mindset and a physical playing style are assets that she brings to the Hawks.

“My strengths are my interior presence in the post, and learning how to use my body and get physical,” Santarelli said.

Graduate transfer Alayna Gribble said she is also eager to play again, as she missed

her last season with the University of Pittsburgh due to an injury.

“The ability to step out on the court again is what I’m really excited about,” Gribble said. “Playing with this team under the

circumstances that we are in, I’m really excited to play some games.”

Gribble said she chose St. Joe’s for its academic benefits as well as the fit of the team.

“I thought that I would fit in well with the team,” Gribble said. “My skill set and what I bring as a player is a good fit, in addition to the coaching staff.”

At the University of Pittsburgh, Gribble finished top 10 in the school’s history for career 3-pointers made with 88.

“I would say my strengths are definitely my ability to shoot the ball and [my] mentality,” Gribble said. “I work hard.”

Both on and off the court, Gribble feels like she fits seamlessly into what the Hawks are trying to do.

“The team gets along really well, overall, the transition has gone well,” Gribble said.“Basketball-wise, I fit in really well with the system. It’s a good fit on both offense and defense.”

For Santarelli, her graudate season feels like a bit of a homecoming.

“Everyone here has made my transition so easy,” Santarelli said. “They’ve welcomed me with open arms and made me feel like I’ve been here for years.”

From left to right, Alayna Gribble, Alexis Santarelli and Olivia Ramil. PHOTOS COURTESY OF SJU ATHLETICS

Climbing from the depths A-10 men’s basketball conference preview RYAN MULLIGAN ’21 Managing Editor Last year, the Hawks found themselves dead last in the 2019-20 Atlantic 10 (A-10) standings in what many wrote off as a rebuilding year during Billy Lange’s debut season as head men’s basketball coach on Hawk Hill. The only way they can go from there is up, right?

The road to A-10 prominence, or even relevance, will not be an easy one, but one that the underestimated Hawks can take in the 2020-21 season. Hawks’ fans allowed Lange the benefit of the doubt in his first year after a mass exodus of talent from Hawk Hill preceded the season, but he won’t need the same allowance this year. On a condensed and urgent schedule, Lange showed a skill he was lauded for during his time at Villanova University: the ability to recruit.

St. Joe’s will take the court this year with a mixture of seasoned veterans and highly touted fresh faces. Jordan Hall and Dahmir Bishop, who led their teams to Philadelphia Catholic League and Philadelphia Public League titles in high school, respectively, will bring to Hagan Arena the same grit that saw them top the most competitive high school leagues in the state.

Hall was a 6-foot-7-inch facilitator at the point forward position on a Neumann Goretti High School team that was brimming with Division I talent and should be poised to make a substantial impact right away on Hawk Hill. The Hawks will also look for backcourt production from former three-star recruit and Gonzaga University transfer guard Greg Foster.

While the new faces may bring some unknowns, Lange and his staff know they can count on 20 points a night from senior guard Ryan Daly, who was snubbed from the A-10 preseason first team after leading

the conference in scoring last year. They can count on four-year starters Anthony Longpré and a newly healthy Taylor Funk to battle for rebounds in the paint. Sophomore guard Rahmir Moore will bring scrappy defense, and guards Cameron Brown and Myles Douglas will bring a steady composure to the run-and-gun style the Hawks will look to play.

The Hawks ranked No. 12 of 13 in the 2020-21 A-10 preseason poll, which was topped by University of Richmond, led by dynamic guard Jacob Gilyard, St. Louis University and defending champion Dayton University, who departed AP National Player of the Year Obi Toppin, but will now lean on guard Jalen Crutcher to maintain their spot near the top of the A-10.

The A-10 as a whole is coming off of one of its most prolific seasons in recent history.

The conference played home to the number one overall seed in the NCAA Tournament that never was in Dayton. The A-10 has had four teams post single digit losses in the same year only once in the last 10 years. Last year they had five.

An escape from the depths of the conference should be the Hawks' main goal, but they should set their sights higher. Despite their 6-26 record last year, they fought to compete in many games, specifically those against ranked opponents. They lost to Villanova University by 12 and Dayton by 13, two of the top 10 teams in the country by the end of the season.

The Hawks showed flashes of bright spots last year and, with their new additions, can creep out from the bottom of the A-10.

The conference may not be as cutthroat as it was last year, but for a team that posted only two conference wins last year, they’ll have to fight every time they take the floor.

One takeaway from last year that had Hawks fans hopeful for a more successful

season was that the team went to battle for Lange. They seemed to love playing for their coach’s high energy presence on the sidelines, and their gritty style of play reflected that, sometimes making up for areas where they lacked talent. This year they add talent, and will still be just as scrappy as they were in Lange’s first season.

Last year, the Hawks were grounded in uncertainty, a collection of last second recruits and transfers taking the court alongside veterans who were thrust into an abrupt rebuild.

The uncertainty is still there this year, but Daly, Funk and Longpré will ease the transition to let the likes of Hall, Bishop, Brown and Moore lay a sturdy foundation for Hawks basketball in years to come. While some may consider this another year in a rebuild, I think the Hawks reloaded and can surprise some people in a likely mediocre A-10 where they were picked to finish twelfth.

The Hawks are set to begin A-10 play on Dec. 30 against VCU. PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

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Bishop earns waiver, adds depth to Hawks TYLER NICE ’23 Assistant Sports Editor On Oct. 22, the NCAA approved St. Joe’s application for a legislative relief waiver for sophomore guard Dahmir Bishop, granting him eligibility to compete in the 2020-21 season.

Bishop transferred to St. Joe’s from Xavier University in early January 2020.

Typically, student-athletes must complete one full academic year, or two semesters, at their new institution before being eligible to compete in games. However, an institution can file a waiver on behalf of a player that grants them immediate eligibility. Bishop was granted a legislative relief waiver, which is granted “when dealing with an urgent, unforeseen and/or extraordinary circumstance on campus or involving a student-athlete,” according to the NCAA. “I feel real good about it,” Bishop said.

“I think I can help the team tremendously on both ends of the floor.”

Bishop said that it was difficult not knowing if he would be eligible for the start of the season as he waited for the NCAA to review his waiver application.

“It was real hard,” Bishop said. “I just had to keep going day-by-day and stay wishing for the best, but it was weird not knowing.”

With Bishop eligible for action, he joins fellow transfer sophomore guard Greg Foster Jr., from Gonzaga University, in a backcourt that has speed, length and the ability to penetrate the defense, according to Head Coach Billy Lange.

“What [Foster] and [Bishop] both do is they add elements of people that can put the pressure on the paint and force the defense to make a decision,” Lange said during a press conference.

Last season, St. Joe’s ranked third in the

NCAA in 3-pointers attempted per game.

Sophomore guard Cameron Brown said that when Bishop breaks down the defense, he has the passing ability to get the ball to an open shooter for a 3-pointer.

“On the offensive end, he can get into the paint and create shots for people, and really help in playing the style we want to play this year,” Brown said during a press conference.

Bishop said that it’s fun to play with players who, when he makes those types of passes, can knock down threes.

“Playing with the guys we have, it’s like snipers all over the court,” Bishop said. “I hand it off to those guys knowing they’re going to knock down shots.”

Bishop is a self-described “streaky shooter,” but has the ability to get hot if he sees a few shots go in.

“I’ve been shooting the ball pretty well lately,” Bishop said. “Once I see my first one or two shots go down, I’m going to keep looking for my shot.”

Bishop said that he looks to create an impact on defense with his arm length and motor. Brown said that Bishop utilizes his arm length on the defensive end of the court to contest shots.

“He knows how to use his length really well,” Brown said. “His closeouts are really crazy and he’s a really good rim protector also.”

Hawk fans should expect to see Bishop debut for St. Joe’s against Auburn University on Nov. 26 in the Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off. “I want all the SJU fans to really look forward to the season,” Bishop said. “We’re going to have something in store for them.”

Bishop is a Philadelphia native and attended Imhotep High School. PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

Daly named to A-10 preseason second team RILEY FRAIN ’21 Sports Editor On Nov. 10, the Atlantic-10 (A-10) conference announced their 2020-21 preseason awards and redshirt senior guard Ryan Daly was named to the A-10 Men’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Second Team.

Daly said after a season in which he was the standout for the St. Joe’s men’s basketball team that often struggled to put tallies in the win column, it was exciting to see his name on that preseason second team list.

“It’s a pretty big accomplishment,” Daly said during a press conference. “I was named third team all league last year and so to be named preseason second team is pretty cool.”

During the 2019-20 season, Daly averaged 20.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game and, more often than not, carried the load offensively for the Hawks.

Although Hawks fans may feel like Daly deserved a place on the A-10 Men’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference First Team, Daly said he uses it as motivation for the upcoming season.

“I don’t really focus on preseason rankings or stuff that happens before the season,” Daly said. “I want to circle back in March and see how everything stacks up.”

Daly said he understands basketball as a team game.

“It’s an honor to be viewed by those who voted as one of the best players in this great league,” Daly said. “But, as long as [the team] is winning and taking care of business, I think everything individually will fall into place.”

Specifically, during last season’s challenges, where the Hawks experienced injuries and lacked depth, the addition of new talent to the squad will help him and the team to be more efficient, according to Daly.

“Last year, obviously, I was forced to

Daly was named third team all league following last season. PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

carry a pretty significant offensive load that ended up with me not taking the best shots for our offense,” Daly said. “So, I’m really excited to get those [new guys], it’ll make me a better player and it’ll make our team significantly better.”

Sophomore guard Cameron Brown also said during a press conference that being able to share the ball and spread the floor will benefit not only Daly’s game, but the team as a whole.

“Really we just want to share the ball this year, if one person scores, we all score,” Brown said. “Going out there, and being able to share the ball and help my teammates out, that’s what I’m trying to do.”

After a year of being coached by Head Coach Billy Lange, Daly expects he’ll be more comfortable in Lange’s system, which he said suits the team’s strengths well.

“Coach Lange likes to play fast and shoot a lot of threes and this year we’ve got the horses to be able to get up and down faster,” Daly said. “This year we’re definitely going to be a little more comfortable with that [system] and put up some points.”

The offense as a whole will look to be more balanced this year, but Lange didn’t shy away from talking about the potential Daly has this season. “[Daly] could theoretically average more points [than last year] just because of the type of shots he can get,” Lange said.

“Does that mean he’s going to take 20 shots in some games like he did last year? It could if the ball finds him like that.”

The Hawks as a whole will look to improve upon last year’s 6-26 record. That will continue with strong performances from Daly, who claims he might have a few ideas on how to get the fan base excited for basketball on Hawk Hill, similar to his circus shot against Davidson College from last season.

“Hopefully games aren’t that close where we need lucky game tying shots,” Daly said. “But I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve this year.”

Nov. 18, 2020 2020-21 St. Joe’s Hawks men's basketball schedule *Nov. 26 vs. Auburn University FS1 4:30 p.m. *Nov. 27 vs. University of Kansas FS1 2:00 p.m.

Nov. 30 @Villanova University FS1 5:00 p.m.

Dec. 5 @Bradley University TBA 3:00 p.m.

Dec. 12 vs. Temple University NBCSN TBA Dec. 16 @Drexel University TBA TBA

Dec. 19 vs. Mount St. Mary’s University TBA 6:00 p.m.

Dec. 30 vs. VCU ESPN+ TBA Jan. 3 @University of Rhode Island NBCSN 4:30 p.m.

Jan. 6 @St. Bonaventure University ESPN+ TBA Jan. 9 vs. Saint Louis University NBCSN+ 6:00 p.m Jan. 12 @Davidson College ESPN+ TBA Jan. 18 @La Salle University CBSSN TBA Jan. 20 @George Mason University ESPN+ TBA Jan. 23 vs. George Mason University NBCSN 12:30 p.m.

Jan. 26 vs. University of Richmond ESPN+ TBA Jan. 30 @Duquesne University ESPN+ TBA Feb. 3 vs. Saint. Bonaventure University ESPN+ TBA Feb. 6 vs. La Salle University ESPN+ TBA Feb. 13 @University of Dayton ESPN+ TBA Feb. 17 @George Washington University ESPN+ TBA Feb. 20 vs. Davidson College NBCSN 12:30 p.m Feb. 24 vs. University of Massachusetts ESPN+ TBA Feb. 27 @Fordham University ESPN+ TBA Mar. 2 vs. University of Rhode Island ESPN+ TBA

* Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip-Off FS1: Fox Sports 1 NBCSN: NBC Sports Network CBSSN: CBS Sports Network

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Senior leader returns to Hawk Hill from Spain amidst pandemic RILEY FRAIN ’21 Sports Editor After the completion of the 2019-20 women’s basketball season, senior guard Lula Roig was excited to return home to Barcelona, Spain and visit family during spring break 2020 after grinding out a long and grueling season with the team.

But once she got home, everything changed.

“When I finally went home for spring break, I had to stay there because the school shut down,” Roig said.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, Roig was stuck in Spain, uncertain about a potential return to campus and worried about her teammates and coaches. Roig said some of the initial requirements put in place to safeguard the country’s citizens were strict.

“We were not even allowed to walk around,” Roig said. “The only thing we could do was one person per family could go buy groceries and that was it.”

In spite of this, Roig still found ways to keep her fitness up and work on her game.

“I had a [stationary] bike at home, so I would do some bike workouts and running on the stairs,” Roig said. “And I also have a basket, so I would practice with my brother and my dad.”

After six months in her hometown, Roig was finally able to return to campus and train with her teammates again at the very end of August.

Now looking forward to her senior season on Hawk Hill, coaches and teammates alike are excited to have the team’s only international student-athlete back in spite of this pandemic-filled season.

Expectations are high for Roig this year.

According to junior forward Elizabeth “Lovin’” Marsicano, she is a leader on the squad and always offers high intensity, whether in practice or during games. “[Roig’s] a really good leader, she really stepped up last year because we were such a young team,” Marsicano said. “Now she’s doing a really good job, even with everything going on.”

But most importantly, Marsicano highlighted Roig’s love for the game of basketball.

“She’s a hard worker and she loves the game of basketball,” Marsicano said. “She’s just so passionate about it.”

According to Assistant Coach Melissa Dunne, Roig is very knowledgeable about the intricacies of the sport, and is always offering up advice to teammates on how to run specific plays or handle certain situations.

“As a senior you’re looked up to and that’s definitely the case as this will be [Roig’s] fourth year with the program,” Dunne said. “She understands things at a different level so it’s definitely part of her role as a senior to lead by example.”

Off the court, Dunne sees Roig as very down to earth, someone that all the players on the team come to with problems or issues in basketball or life.

“She’s a great person and she has a great personality,” Dunne said. “A lot of her teammates are familiar with Lula [Roig].

They have conversations with her and share laughs with her as well.”

For her teammates, Roig offers stability that is often rare within the sports world these days, and ultimately the team couldn’t be happier that she is able to be on Hawk Hill for the upcoming season.

“I can always go to her whenever I need help with a play or on defensive switches and screens, really anything,” Marsicano said. “Even off the court I can talk to her, she’s one of my best friends and she cares about her teammates.”

Roig started in 27 out of 29 games for the Hawks last season. PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

New faces on Hawk Hill: rookie preview CHRIS KLINE ’23 Hawk Staff After an extended wait, the St. Joe’s men’s and women’s basketball teams are preparing for NCAA play, welcoming in two new freshmen to each of their squads. They will seek improvement from last season, which ended in losing records for both teams.

For the women’s team, freshmen guards Olivia Mullins and Emma Boslet are eager to make their debut.

Mullins, who played point guard at Rutgers Preparatory School, comes from Somerset, New Jersey. Mullins led her team to a 25-5 record her senior year and 102-18

record over her four years. Mullins averaged 10.5 points per game her senior season, and along with being a 2019-20 McDonald’s All-American nominee, she was also a repeat All-Skyland Conference First Team pick.

“I’m a very offensive minded player,” Mullins said. “I think my mid-range game is a lost art, so I think that’s very valuable to have.”

Mullins comes from a diverse basketball background. Her father, Lee Mullins Jr., played for Coastal Carolina University during the 1989-90 season where they won the 1989-90 Big South Championship. Her uncle, Tyrone Findley, played at Jersey City University, and her aunt, Camille Findley, played at Franklin Pierce University.

Both the men's and women's programs have welcomed new freshmen to their teams.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SJU ATHLETICS

“I was handed a basketball at a very young age,” Mullins said. “Just having people around me with love and knowledge for the game throughout my life has definitely influenced my game and passion.”

Boslet played for Saint Thomas Aquinas High School in New Jersey, where she is the all-time leader in points across both the men’s and women’s programs with 1,948 total points in her four years. Boslet led the Trojans to a 25-5 record during her senior season, scoring 16.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and averaging 1.7 assists per game.

“I think my versatility is the best part of my game,” Boslet said. “I can score, I can make a play or I can grab boards.”

Boslet collected a slew of awards during her tenure with the Trojans, including being a 2019-20 McDonald’s All-American nominee, Home News Tribune Player of the Year, All-County, All-Division First Team selection and led her team to the Great Middlesex County Championship title.

According to the freshmen, the team so far has offered a family-type atmosphere, and the upperclassmen on the team have been there for support, looking to create chemistry on and off the court.

“They really act like big sisters,” Boslet said. “Whatever and whenever I need something, they are there to help, whether it’s information or advice, they’re there for us.

Head Coach Billy Lange’s men’s team welcomes two freshmen: Jordan Hall and Jadrian Tracey. The two have been training with the team since the beginning of the school year.

Jadrian Tracey comes from Fort Myers, Florida, where he played basketball, football and baseball for West Oaks Academy. Tracey averaged 16 points, five rebounds and four assists per game and led his school to the 2020 Florida State title game, finishing the game with 19 points.

Tracey attributed his signing with St. Joe’s to the program’s commitment to him, as well as the school’s culture.

“I broke my hand and needed surgery, and they still stuck with me and believed in me,” Tracey said. “The school is a great place to be and is filled with opportunities.”

Jordan Hall, a New Jersey native, played for Neumann Goretti High School of the Philadelphia Catholic League (PCL). Hall led his school to a 45-13 record over the course of his junior and senior seasons. He was named First Team All-Catholic and First Team 3A All-State after leading his team to a highly contested PCL title his senior year.

“I can shoot, I can handle, I can pass,” Hall said. “I think my best skill is passing.

I’ve learned a lot since coming here, the physicality and work is much more intense than high school.”

Sophomore guard Cameron Brown noticed a fearlessness from both Tracy and Hall that impressed him right away.

“Both of them have come here and put the work in and shown that they’re not afraid of anything,” Brown said in a press conference. “They’re both going to grow and become better for themselves and for the team.”

Lange said that already, Hall has exerted a court vision that is among the best he has ever seen, both in the NBA and college.

“Jordan [Hall] is exactly what I thought he was, he’s as gifted of a passer and player as I’ve ever seen,” Lange said in a press conference. “He’s probably within the top seven in floor vision that I’ve ever coached or coached against.”

With the NCAA season for both men’s and women’s basketball set to begin on Nov. 25, all four freshmen await their opportunity to make their mark on St. Joe’s basketball.