Oct. 21, 2020

Oct. 21, 2020

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GRAPHICS: CASEY WOOD ’23/THE HAWK SOURCE: CITY OF PHILADELPHIA

Community plans ahead for holiday break The day after Thanksgiving each year, Annie Winkler ’23 and her family get together at her grandfather’s favorite restaurant in Philadelphia to continue the prior evening’s holiday festivities.

This year, because of the coronavirus pandemic, Winkler won’t be having a large family dinner on Thanksgiving, nor a family get-together at McNally’s Tavern the next day.

Instead, Winkler will be physically distancing herself from many friends and family members while staying at home with her mother.

“Obviously things are going to look different this year,” Winkler said. “So, I’m most likely just going to go and stay home.”

St. Joe’s Thanksgiving break begins on Wednesday, Nov. 25 this year. Normally, students return to campus for classes the following Monday, but this year, the university is strongly encouraging students to stay home instead. In order to reduce the spread of COVID-19, all classes will resume in a fully online format on Monday, Nov. 30, and remain online through the end of the semester.

Cary Anderson, Ed.D., vice president for Student Life and associate provost, wrote in an Oct. 9 university announcement to students and parents that COVID-19 testing prior to traveling is a supplemental action to consider when planning to return home, though mass testing will not be offered by the university.

University testing is only offered to symptomatic individuals or close contacts

through the Student Health Center in partnership with Main Line Health, which requires health insurance in order to issue a test. There is no out-of-pocket fee for those getting tested who have health insurance.

“The university will continue to offer testing for students experiencing symptoms and require testing as part of the surveillance program,” Anderson wrote. “If you would like to be tested, many off-campus sites offer rapid testing for a fee.”

Anderson also wrote in the announcement that the university advises students to “wear a mask whenever you are in the presence of others for the first 14 days you are at home to avoid transmitting coronavirus to your household.”

For some students who live out of state, there are additional state-issued regulations to consider.

Pennsylvania is considered an area with a high level of community spread by Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Vermont, meaning those going home to those states from Pennsylvania must quarantine for a 14-day period upon arrival.

While Winkler is from Philadelphia and will not be traveling to another state, she said in preparation to go home, she plans to get a COVID-19 test and quarantine until she receives her results.

“Once I know that I’m COVID free, maybe I’ll be more comfortable seeing the rest of my family,” Winkler said. “But I’m just most likely going to lay low and really not try to see a lot of people.”

Dr. Valerianna K. Amorosa, a member of the Infectious Diseases Program at the University of Pennsylvania, said there is a

risk when sending a large number of students home for break. Amorosa added that although it is not easy to isolate from other members of a household when returning from school, trying to loosely quarantine and getting a supplemental test after being at home for a few days is the most cautious approach to take.

“In an ideal world, people can be tested seven days after they get home,” Amorosa said. “If they’re negative, then, it’s not 100%, but it would be a good sign that there’s a very low likelihood at that point that they are going to be intubating anything.”

Amorosa said college students who will be going home should maintain this awareness and caution as best as possible, but should continue to adhere to safety guidelines when choosing to socialize.

“Even though the weather’s poor, try to come up with creative ways to gather outdoors,” Amorosa said. “Whether it be with old high school friends in a park or something, outdoors is always going to be lower risk than something indoors.”

According to an Oct. 9 email to faculty and staff from Zenobia Hargust, M.S., SPHR, chief Human Resources officer, the university will technically remain open through Dec. 23.

“While students are highly encouraged to remain home during the last two weeks of the semester, many students will need to be on campus and are counting on us,” Hargust wrote.

Abby Pressley ’21 said she plans to travel home to Baltimore for Thanksgiving and maintain strong social distancing prior to that return.

But, Pressley said she also would like to continue to live on campus after the break ends because of concerns about her off-campus job and final exams. The university will allow residential students to fill out an extension request form if they choose to remain on campus for the remainder of the semester, according to the Office of Residence Life.

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News

The Hawk Newspaper

Oct. 21, 2020

Presidential Candidate Platforms AIDAN MCGAHEY ’24 Special to the Hawk According to a recent poll from Tufts University, young people hold the following issues as the most important heading into the 2020 election. Here’s where Republican U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden stand on these issues.

• Provide two years of community college or other • • •

job training for all Americans tuition-free Make all four-year public colleges and universities debt-free for all American families earning less than $125,000 a year Halve payments for federal student loans Forgive all loans for those who have responsibly paid for 20 years

• Cease federal government involvement in

College and Student Loans

• Expand access to health care for low-income

Americans, and reduce prescription drug prices

• Eliminate health care disparities based on race,

Health care

• Supports elimination of Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

prise fees and payments, creating a more transparent environment for paying medical bills

regulate and restrict emissions from oil, gas and transportation, and move to protect biodiversity on federal lands new technologies to effectively combat climate change

Black-owned businesses

• Support fair housing protections for Black Ameri-

• Removed climate protections and weakened power of the EPA and other regulatory agencies over the course of his presidency

• Loosened auto emissions requirements under the Clean Air Act

• Rejoining Paris Climate Accords

• Create economic and racial equity by supporting

• Supports Supreme Court case that seeks to

“regulatory burdens” from organizations such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Climate Change

• Sponsor investments in the development of

structure

that all Americans have health insurance

• Said the economy should come before what he calls

• Sign executive orders on first day in office to

• Establish racial equity in the U.S. • Reform criminal justice system and police infra-

• Repealed federal requirement under ACA declare the entire ACA unconstitutional, including protections for preexisting conditions and requirement that young people are allowed to be on their parents’ health insurance until age 26

• Forbid healthcare institutions from charging sur-

• Withdrew from Paris Climate Accords in 2017 • Argued that “nobody has ever done more” for the Black

Combating Racism in the U.S.

cans, diversity in education and a coronavirus response that recognizes the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on people of color

• Eliminate cost barriers surrounding COVID-19 relief, including providing free testing, making treatment more affordable and developing a vaccine to aid to those affected by shutdowns and other public health precautions

other Department of Education loan programs (as proposed in 2021 budget)

ing his commitment to protecting Americans with preexisting conditions (as under ACA)

gender or sexuality

• Extend COVID-19 response to economic issues

• Cut student loan forgiveness programs and

• Signed an executive order in September affirm-

• Support and expand Affordable Care Act (ACA) • Create public option, in which federal government can provide insurance for those who need it

providing higher education, or financing it

community than he has

• Saw lowered rates of unemployment for Black Americans prior to coronavirus. Passed legislation that raised funding for historically Black colleges and universities

• Criticized protests for racial justice, sending militarized unmarked federal agents to forcibly put down

• Continue current response to coronavirus • Develop a vaccine under already implemented Oper-

Coronavirus Policy

ation Warp Speed, in which the federal government gives billions of dollars to companies to research and develop a vaccine and begin manufacturing that vaccine before it is approved

• Incentivize more companies to

develop a vaccine, offset financial risk and have millions of doses ready for the American public as soon as a vaccine is approved by relevant authorities

SOURCES: joebiden.com, CNBC, studentaid.com, The Washington Post, whitehouse.gov, state.gov, The New York Times

GRAPHICS: CASEY WOOD ’23/THE HAWK

News

The Hawk Newspaper

Oct. 21, 2020

3

Community plans ahead for holiday break FROM PG. 1 “I haven’t made a final decision,” Pressley said. “That’s just what’s been going through my head: the ability to focus better in the dorms during finals week and being able to make a little more money with my job in Philly that I would [otherwise] lose out on.”

Kyle Knapp ’22 also plans to go back home to his family’s house in Lancaster, Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving, but because he lives in off-campus housing, Knapp said he likely will finish the semester at his off-campus house.

“Originally during the summer, I thought I was going to be home the entire time, but then I realized I’m still pay-

ing rent,” Knapp said. “So I don’t think it would be the smartest idea for me to stay home the entire time and not put my house [near] campus to use.”

Both Pressley and Knapp said they will continue to be cautious prior to their return home for Thanksgiving regardless of their plans for finishing the semester, because although their circumstances are an

incentive to come back to campus, keeping their families safe is a priority.

“Being really careful when people are still at school right before we go home is really important,” Pressley said. “I don’t want to bring anything home to my family. I just want to make sure I’m doing everything to prepare to keep them safe.”

University initiative to make textbooks more affordable CHRISTINE DISANTI ’21 Assistant News Editor For Kyra Kopacz ’22, books and supplies cost between $300 and $500 depending on the semester. This semester, Kopacz was left to decide between textbooks and necessities, with this semester costing close to $500.

“On Monday, I realized I had to get two more books for a class and I was really like ‘I don’t know if I can afford to get these,’” Kopacz said. “Even though you need them for a class, you’re like ‘I don’t know if I can eat now, I don’t know if I should spend this $83 on two books or if I should get groceries.’”

The University Student Senate (USS) sent out a survey on Oct. 13 to the student body as part of a campuswide initiative to address the cost of textbooks and class materials.

The survey is part of a larger study from the United States Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG), a nonprofit organization that aims to promote citizen activism through its coalition of statewide branches. From their last textbook survey in fall 2019, U.S. PIRG reported that 63% of students skipped buying or renting a textbook and 17% skipped buying or renting an access code needed for their course.

In response to the U.S. PIRG survey, St. Joe’s students, faculty and staff members are working on campus to reduce the prices of textbooks.

“Really, what this whole thing is about is to get affordable textbooks for students or have it be little to no cost for students to buy textbooks,” said Kali Efstration ’21, library chair of USS. Efstration has been working closely with Francis A. Drexel Library staff members to create more affordable book options for students. Efstration said she recognizes how textbook costs are a barrier to St. Joe’s students.

“We really want to get the student’s perspective on this because we want to get the facts that say St. Joe’s students need this,” Efstration said. “This is something that actually affects students, whether people think it does or not.”

The initiative to lower the costs of books started over a year ago, with the library taking

from campus, then we can figure out what is the best way to proceed,” Baldwin said.

CollegeBoard estimates that students spend $1,000 a year on textbooks between two semesters. These costs can negatively impact student success in and out of the classroom, according to Kim Allen-Stuck, Ph.D., assistant vice president of student

“Students generally spend between $300 and $500 on books [per semester].”—Kim Allen-Stuck PHOTO: LESLIE QUAN ’22/THE HAWK

the lead. Jenifer Baldwin, associate director for public services at the Drexel Library, said that the survey will raise awareness and allow her to pair the university’s survey responses with national responses.

“Once we understand what students need

success and support.

“Anytime you have something that’s adding stress to your life it’s going to displace something else,” Allen-Stuck said. “Energy that might have been put into school, fitness and getting a good night’s sleep, [when stress

is added to that it] is now bumping out some of those other things.”

Allen-Stuck said there is currently a fund for students struggling to afford textbooks. Students can use textbooks The Success Center has on hand, or The Success Center can help students pay for textbooks if they demonstrate financial need, Allen-Stuck said.

“I’ll be interested to see what the results of the survey are because, in talking to students, I feel like students generally spend between $300 and $500 on books [per semester], and I’d say $300 is really low,” Allen-Stuck said.

Currently, the library is advocating for two alternative solutions to expensive learning materials, Baldwin said. She recommends using open educational resources, which are academic textbooks published under an open license, or using the library’s own collection of e-books and articles that are free to students.

Baldwin said this initiative is aimed at faculty members to help them adapt their course materials for students, and some faculty members have already revamped their courses to use only these resources.

“We’re trying to help faculty understand the struggle that students face and to raise awareness that they have the ability to help students,” Baldwin said.

Kopacz said there are ways her professors have begun to adapt their course material to be more affordable, but there are still ways professors can continue to address the financial burden of textbooks.

“I feel like a lot of the time, there could be ways that professors could upload chapters, especially if you have a book that you’re not reading every chapter,” Kopacz said.

“Professors could upload PDFs of the book, or I have one class that has no textbooks and just [free] articles uploaded onto Canvas.”

Department of Public Safety reports (Oct. 9 - Oct. 15) Oct. 9 Public Safety was contacted by Residence Life in regards to an alcohol confiscation in Villiger Hall. Public Safety responded and confiscated the alcohol.

Community Standards was notified.

Public Safety was notified of a fire alarm in Rashford Hall. Public Safety officers responded. The preliminary investigation revealed the alarm was activated by a student cooking. The alarm was reset.

Public Safety was notified by an area resident of a noise complaint in the 5400 block of Wynnefield Avenue. Public Safety officers and the Philadelphia Police were notified, responded to the area and spoke with the students. Community Standards was notified.

Oct. 10 Public Safety was notified by a St. Joe’s student in regards to an unknown person removing personal items, including currency, from their personal vehicle which was parked in the 5700 block of Woodcrest Avenue. The investigation is ongoing.

Public Safety was notified by an area resident of a noise complaint in the 5700 block of Woodcrest Avenue. Public Safety Officers and the Philadelphia Police were notified, responded to the area, and spoke with the students. Community Standards was notified.

Oct. 12 Public Safety was notified by a St. Joe’s student regarding a suspicious male video

recording them while walking in the parking lot of the LA Fitness Center located in the Bala Cynwyd Shopping Center. Lower Merion Police were notified and responded. The incident is under investigation.

Oct. 13

ALCOHOL RELATED INCIDENTS

6 0

On campus Public Safety was notified of a fire alarm in Lannon Hall. Public Safety officers responded. The preliminary investigation revealed the alarm was activated by a student cooking. The alarm was reset.

Public Safety was contacted by an Allied Universal desk attendant in regards to a confiscation of a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia in the lobby of Lannon Hall. Public Safety responded and confiscated the items. Community Standards was notified.

Off campus

DRUG RELATED INCIDENTS

1

On campus

0

Off campus

Call Public Safety:

610-660-1111

4

Oct. 21, 2020

Opinions

The Hawk Newspaper

A reminder to students Our responsibilities before break 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 Copy Editor Olivia Giannetta ’22 Multimedia Editor Nick Karpinski ’21 News Editor Devin Yingling ’22 Assistant News Editor Eddie Daou ’22 Assistant News Editor Christine DiSanti ’21

In five weeks, we will officially be on Thanksgiving break, our first break of the semester. While many of us are eager to return home, some for the first time since the semester began, it’s important for us to remember that we are still in the midst of a pandemic.

While there are options to remain on campus, many students are eager to return home and take a break from the school setting. But as we’ve seen in the past few months, adults ages 18-24 have the highest carrying and transmission rate of the virus, and adults ages 60 and older and those with preexisting conditions are the most susceptible to the disease.

Therefore, it’s our job to take accountability and responsibility. We encourage students to understand the risks of their behavior over the next few weeks and to take all possible steps to mitigate the chances of spreading the virus to their families and communities.

Being able to go to our hometowns and visit old friends is tempting. We understand the difficulty that comes along with balancing health and safety guidelines and the substantiated human desire to be social with our friends and family. But, the high transmission risk with this virus implores us to consider the larger picture of our communities’ health and safety.

The U.S. has not moved past this pandemic. We have not solved this problem.

We are still facing hundreds of thousands of new cases each week, and in Philadelphia alone, there were 1,857 new positive cases as of Oct. 17, which is the city’s second highest daily total ever.

It is our job to make responsible deci-

sions if we choose to return home, otherwise we are putting our families, friends and communities at risk.

We understand this message may be ignored, just as it has been ignored on and off campus where many St. Joe’s students continue to see friends and not observe social distancing guidelines. We have witnessed firsthand, and seen advertised on social media,

“As we quickly approach Thanksgiving break, we ask that St. Joe’s students take care of each other, their families and their communities.”

not possible and wear your masks.

There are plenty of ways to still have fun with friends virtually and safely. Utilizing the new “GroupWatch” feature on Disney+, Netflix Party and one of our favorite online games, Among Us, are a few examples. Or, plan outdoor activities for friends and family who are within your social bubble.

It is a part of St. Joe’s Jesuit values to protect our communities and families. The responsibility to uphold the Jesuit mission does not fall only on the university. It is all of ours.

We’re not asking for students to completely isolate and avoid any human interaction prior to returning back home, or once you arrive home. But, we do ask for students to be safer and smarter when making their plans. We must put the health and safety of ourselves and others before our desires to conduct life as we did before the pandemic.

—The Editorial Board

the selfish behavior of students who party and congregate in large numbers. With over 200 confirmed cases on our campus in the past two months, it is clear that there is still work to be done on our end. If we want this pandemic to end, we have to do better.

As we quickly approach Thanksgiving break, we ask that St. Joe’s students take care of each other, their families and their communities. Before returning home, we encourage students to take a COVID-19 test to supplement their safe travel plans, avoid activities where social distancing is

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

Opinions Editor Tayler Washington ’22 Assistant Opinions Editor Sehar Macan-Markar ’22 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

FALL FOLIAGE CHECK It’s time to break out the sweaters and fall-scented candles. When we step outside and feel the crunch of crispy, colorful fall leaves under our feet, that’s when we know everything’s going to be okay.

NOT VOTING For many of us, this is the first presidential election that we can vote in, so make a plan and vote! Voting is so important and every vote counts. Not voting is NOT hot. Sorry, we don’t make the rules.

GONE HAMMOCKING The hammocks outside of the admissions building are the perfect place to hang in between classes, to get some work done or even to take a nap. We know you’re tired, we won’t judge. Also, the cute twinkly lights that come on at night? Cozy vibes.

NO FALL BREAK That no fall break feeling really brings the mood down. It’s not easy doing assignment after assignment with no break in sight. But when all hope seems lost, remember, Thanksgiving break is coming. But, make sure to read the editorial above!

HAWK HILL PRODUCTIONS Hawk Hill Productions (HHP) is on fire right now. If you haven’t already checked out HHP’s event schedule, do it! They are working extra hard to provide fun fall activities with the added challenge of following health and safety guidelines. HHP, we appreciate you.

WHEN YOUR CLASSROOM RUNS OUT OF WIPES POV: you walk into class, you stroll over to the container of wipes so that you can clean your desk and what do you find? Nothing.

The container is empty. There are no wipes. You sit back down in your germy desk, sad.

Social Media Manager Sam Jenkins ’21 Business Manager Angela DiMarco ’22 Assistant Business Manager Colin Messenger ’22 Assistant Business Manager Danny Remishevsky ’23 Distribution Manager Alec Mettin ’24 Distribution Manager Deborah Duong ’24

Opinions

The Hawk Newspaper

Oct. 21, 2020

5

The case against court packing A risk to our democracy CONNOR MIGNANO ’23 Special to the Hawk With the current controversy surrounding the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), the question of whether or not the court should be packed has once again entered into the national conversation.

Court packing generally refers to the idea of adding judges to a court. In the case of the SCOTUS, this would mean increasing the number of justices that sit on the bench from nine to 11, nine to 13 or even nine to 21.

Since the Constitution does not limit the number of justices, Congress has the power to add or reduce as many justices as it would like. The last time Congress exercised this power was in 1869 when it increased the number of justices from seven to nine.

That number was left unchallenged for another 70 years until the reelection of former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936. Frustrated by the court’s continuous efforts to strike down pieces of The New Deal’s legislation, President Roosevelt proposed a bill that would have effectively in-

creased the number of justices from nine to 15. His attempt to expand the court was the target of intense public and political criticism and was derided as unconstitutional.

80 years later, as the debate continues to swirl around this issue, expanding the court would be just as unwise as it was in the 1930s.

The biggest problem with President Roosevelt’s bill was that it was extremely

of the people is ignored on important issues like this?

The “pack the court” argument isn’t attempting to mend any inherent structural issues within the court. Rather, it is an attempt to subvert the independence of the judicial branch for political gain. Politicians who advocate for court expansion typically do so for their own partisan or political purposes, as was the case with Presi-

“Judicial independence is what makes our court so special.

It would be a grave blow to our republic if we were to let the other branches take away that independence by packing the court for political gain.” unpopular. It doesn’t seem like the consensus has changed much on this issue. Popular support for expanding the court is at 26%, which is 20 percentage points lower than it was in 1937 when President Roosevelt first announced his bill.

I don’t think there is much merit in passing legislation that would pack the court when so much of the public is against it. What would be the point of having a representative democracy if the will

dent Roosevelt and The New Deal in 1937.

While I understand the argument from those who fear that a 6-3 majority of conservative justices on the court could undo some of the major civil rights rulings of the last 50 years, I don’t think that the solution should be to turn the court into a cesspool of politics and partisanship.

Even if the Democrats were to win both Congress and The White House in November, and pass legislation that would expand

the court, who’s to say that Republicans wouldn’t just expand the court to their advantage next time they get into power? It just doesn’t seem like a road we want to go down.

Our federal system of checks and balances only works when there is complete independence among the three branches of government. Allowing the executive and the legislative branches to reform the structure of the court so that the party in power can get their way seems like a tyrannical overhaul of the system.

Justices sit on the bench to interpret the Constitution and nothing more. They do not, and should not, exist as pawns in politicians’ games for partisan hegemony.

As the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said, “We are blessed in the way no other judiciary in the world is… the safeguards for judicial independence in this country, I think, are as great or greater than anyplace else in the world.” Judicial independence is what makes our court so special. It would be a grave blow to our republic if we were to let the other branches take away that independence by packing the court for political gain. For that reason, we must reject any calls for packing the court if we are to maintain a sound system of government.

Supreme Court nomination hearings in summary JOHN SLUSSER ’21 Columnist Why are the hearings taking place?

After the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a champion of civil rights during her tenure as judge, there is now an open seat on the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS).

Since voting for the presidential election has started with early voting through mail-in ballots, Democrats want to wait to confirm a justice until after the election, hoping that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden will have the chance to nominate a new justice. Republicans argue that U.S. President Donald Trump should nominate a new judge, as he is currently holding the presidential office.

This is the exact opposite stance Republicans took in 2016 when former U.S. President Barack Obama attempted to nominate Merrick Garland at the end of his term with the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

President Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit with a conservative and religious background, to the court.

Highlights from the hearings There have been three hearings to determine whether or not Barrett should be

confirmed to the SCOTUS. Barrett refused to comment on several hot button issues.

For instance, when asked whether or not a president could single-handedly delay an election, she declined to provide an answer, stating that she would need to be exposed to the proper information and consult the right individuals in order to make a decision.

Barrett also refused to offer her recusal of cases regarding the Affordable Care Act and cases related to the upcoming presiden-

tial election. Additionally, she declined to take a position on the legitimacy of the hearing of Roe v. Wade, saying that she would not “grade precedent.” This means that she was unwilling to offer an opinion on the legitimacy of past court rulings.

She went on to claim to the committee that she would be able to set aside personal beliefs when making decisions in the courtroom. When asked about LGBTQIA+ rights, she utilized the term “sexual prefer-

ence,” which has been understood by the LGBTQIA+ community as a backhanded way of insinuating that sexuality is a choice.

Surprisingly, after being questioned

by Democratic Sen. Cory Booker, Barrett acknowledged that there is implicit bias in the justice system, stating that, “It would be hard to imagine a criminal justice system as big as ours without having any implicit bias in it.” While it was positive to hear her stance, she did not offer any possible disillu-

ILLUSTRATION: CASEY WOOD ’23/THE HAWK

sionment with or solutions to improve the justice system.

Barrett also declined to comment on the legitimacy of Griswold v. Connecticut, a piece of landmark legislation for accessibility of contraceptives.

Finally, Barrett took no position on climate change, again stating that she did not have a “firm” stance on the issue, and that her knowledge of the subject was not great enough to offer a response.

If Barrett is appointed If Barrett is appointed to the court, then the balance will lean towards conservative, which would be represented by six conservative justices to the three liberal justices. This appointment would make the court the most conservative it has been since 1950. This is potentially detrimental to civil rights laws, voting laws, health care, reproductive rights and the separation of church and state.

If Barrett is not appointed If Barrett is not appointed, the next nominee will be that of the next president. President Trump could try to nominate another judge before the election, but time is dwindling quickly and the public has already been apprehensive of his first nomination.

If President Trump is reelected his nomination will almost certainly be upheld and implemented to the court. If Biden wins the election, he will likely pick a much more liberal justice to fill the shoes of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Because SCOTUS terms are life long, the appointment will impact the lives of generations to come, for better or worse. It is an incredibly anxiety-inducing experience because it is entirely out of the hands of citizens. We’ll have to see what happens and deal accordingly with the outcome.

6

Opinions

The Hawk Newspaper

Oct. 21, 2020

Check that box Organ donation can save lives CARLY CALHOUN ’21 Copy Editor When I got my driver’s license at 17, I never considered how checking the “yes” box to be an organ donor would affect me. Eight months later, that “yes” became a reality when I needed an organ donor for a sight-restoring corneal transplant.

One and a half years earlier, at the beginning of my junior year of high school, I woke up one morning with pain in my right eye and sensitivity to light. Thinking it was just a migraine, I opted for glasses instead of contacts and went to school.

Later that morning, the pain became unbearable, so I went to the eye doctor the next day. After my doctor diagnosed the pain as a small abrasion on my eye, she put medicine along my eyelid, covered it with a patch and sent me home.

But about seven hours later that day, the pain was excruciating. Only when I took the eyepatch off did I realize that the scratch on my cornea, the clear layer on the outside of the eye which is meant to refract light, had become severely infected. I was blind.

I was forced to go to an infectious specialist at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia every day for months, miss-

ing six weeks of school because I couldn’t read. Once my infection was completely healed, I still had a large scar covering most of my eye, and while I was no longer fully blind, my vision was severely impaired.

I had difficulty doing some of the things I loved, like playing lacrosse and reading for long periods of time.

Less than 24 hours after my transplant, when my protective eye patch was taken off, my vision was significantly better. While I couldn’t actually see well enough to pass the first line of an eye test, my vision was the clearest it had been in two and a half years.

My doctor told me that the cornea came from a 14-year-old boy, and up until

“My doctor told me that the cornea came from a 14-year-old boy, and up until that moment, I hadn’t truly processed that someone had to die in order for me to see again.”

Come February 2017, my doctor suggested I could get a corneal transplant to improve my vision. I never considered getting a transplant before. I was resigned to the fact that I would live the rest of my life with impaired vision and a large scar on my eye. But after going over the benefits and possible risks, including a 30% rejection rate, I decided it was worth it if I could see again. I went into surgery for my corneal transplant in March 2017.

that moment, I hadn’t processed the fact that someone had to die in order for me to see again.

Although 95% of adults support organ and tissue donation, only 54% are actually registered donors on their driver’s licenses.

On average, organ and tissue donors can save up to eight lives and restore the sight of two people.

Losing a loved one is devastating, but knowing that they have improved the lives

of so many people should inspire everyone to register as an organ donor.

Many people are hesitant to register as an organ donor because they feel doctors will not try as hard to save their life because their organs could be used in the future. This is simply not true. Doctors are bound by oath to save everyone’s life until there is nothing else that can be done. Once that point is reached, your last decision could be one that saves and improves the lives of ten people.

I was fortunate enough to find out who my donor was. His name was Michael, and he was a boy who died from heart failure due to the same heart condition that my brother has. Due to his heart condition, Michael had to receive a heart transplant when he was a young boy, and as a result he knew my younger cousin, who also had a heart transplant, through a summer camp they attended meant for transplant recipient children. Along with this, Michael’s father attended St. Joe’s, and his picture hangs in Overbrook Pizza. The similarities between my life and Michael’s are too profound for our connection to be considered anything other than fate.

I am so thankful to Michael and his family for choosing to be an organ donor.

Though Michael’s donation did not save my life, he saved my vision, and completely changed my outlook on the simple act of checking “yes” on the organ donor box.

Add post to your Instagram story Examining the viral trend of posting infographics MAGGIE BRENNEN ’22 Assistant Opinions Editor If you've scrolled through Instagram in the past few months, you’ve likely come across aesthetically pleasing, multi-page posts educating users about current issues. These infographics can offer information on anything from how to vote to statistics about systemic racism. But are these graphics positively influencing social media users?

With everyone stuck inside due to the coronavirus pandemic, social media was flooded with support for The Movement For Black Lives after the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. Going beyond simply posting “#BLM” and a black square to show support, users began to share educational infographics with their followers, with many posts quickly going viral.

Sophie Williams, a 32-year-old writer from London with the Instagram handle @officialmillenialblack, was one of the first to create a viral infographic posted three days after Floyd was killed. The first slide reads, “Being an Anti-Racist Ally,” followed by nine slides with tips, such as “just listen,” or the difference between nonracist and anti-racist. Williams did not have a large following when she posted this, and had no idea it would be seen by hundreds of thousands of people and even be re-shared by Justin Bieber.

The format of infographics similar to Williams’ makes them easy to understand

GRAPHIC: CASEY WOOD ’23/THE HAWK

and digest, with just one piece of information on each slide, often accompanied by bold fonts and highlighted key words.

Artists have made infographics that are easy to understand for viewers. Pan Cooke, an Irish portrait painter with the Instagram handle @thefakepan, used a comic format to tell the story of Eric Garner, who was killed in 2014 by a police officer who put him in a chokehold as he pleaded, “I can’t breathe.”

“I decided to use the same comic format I had used during lockdown to educate myself about realities and stories I had been passively ignorant to in the past,” Cooke told Mashable.

Some have criticized the formats of these infographics, whether they use fun, colorful fonts like Williams, or graphics like Cooke, to discuss serious topics like racism and sexism.

The creators argue that they must use “Instagrammable” aesthetics and formats in order for the information to be spread on the platform. Some creators have also been criticized for spreading false information, as they may not fact check every detail.

However, since these infographics are so widespread, people have begun citing their sources on the graph-

ics. The creator of the Instagram account @soyouwanttotalkabout, who only goes by Jess, said in an interview with Vox, “I think what I did stood out in the beginning because I was including sources at the bottom of every slide. I’m glad to see more people doing that now, but I mainly try to source from .edu or .org websites, or even the actual U.S. government.” If there is an infographic without cited sources, one should definitely be wary of what they are sharing with their followers.

A major problem during these times when activism is expected of everyone is that it becomes performative activism. This occurs when people do something on social media, like post a black square on Blackout Tuesday, and do nothing outside of social media, like attend a protest or write letters to politicians.

I would argue that infographics are much less performative than posting a black square, as it not only shows support for a movement but aims to educate others. They can also be used to encourage activism outside of social media, such as guides about how to register to vote. However, it is important for users to utilize this information by turning it into action.

It is clear that Instagram is more than selfies and food pictures. It is a platform for activism. These infographics help to make activism more accessible and visible to those who aren’t completely civically aware. This “trend” is the first step in becoming better activists and allies.

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

By Colin McHale ’24: I went from being stuck in my home, to being stuck at St. Joe’s. Other than the occasional drive, my daily activities are limited to just a few locations on campus. The repetitive dayto-day process can feel dull after a while, so I do everything in my power to make each day unique. Writing has always been something for me to do when I feel the need to escape this strange reality of life.

Sometimes this starts when I wake up. I write down my dreams.

Other times, I sit down during my free time in the afternoon and compose some sort of fiction writing. This allows my mind to expand beyond the limited places of my world right now.

“Writing has always been something for me to do when I feel the need to escape this strange reality of life. ”

Colin McHale’s Map

I start every day with the smell of coffee from my Keurig. This, too, is something that gets me through each day. My online classes in the morning consist of sitting at my desk, overlooking the chapel and Barbelin Hall.

Natural light fills my room. No artificial lights in the room are on until nighttime.

“As I see it, life happens through relationships. Therefore, even though I cannot go to some places or do anything I want to do, I can still make an effort to see the people I care about. I made my map with this same mindset. ” After these first few classes, I have a break for a couple hours, and then I make my way to Merion Hall for English class.

It is a refreshing break from learning through a computer. The most engaging part of

Oct. 21, 2020 7

my day is when I go straight to Campion for a late lunch with friends. The same friends then come with me to the library to get some homework done. And so, I end my days back at my new home: Villiger Hall.

As I see it, life happens through relationships. Therefore, even though I cannot go to some places or do anything I want to do, I can still make an effort to see the people I care about. I made my map with this same mindset. It was inspired by the style of a graphic novel, representing the simple routine of life, while highlighting the exciting moments.

McHale is a food marketing major from Moorestown, New Jersey.

8 Oct. 21, 2020

The Hawk Newspaper

CineHawk Review: “Enola Holmes” JAYLEN DOTSON ’21 Columnist “Enola Holmes” is a fun, unforgettable historical comedy that adapts the critically acclaimed book series of the same name by Nancy Springer. It tells the story of Enola, the younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes, as she attempts to reunite with her missing mother and forge her own path in Victorian era England, all while trying to save a runaway noble from a sinister assassination plot.

Directed by Harry Bradbeer and written by Jack Thorne, the film stars Millie Bobby Brown as the title character and Henry Cavill as Sherlock, with a supporting cast consisting of Sam Claflin, Adeel Akhtar, Fiona Shaw, Frances de la Tour, Louis Partridge, Susan Wokoma and Helena Bonham Carter. The film is currently available to view on Netflix.

After the early death of her father and the departure of her elder brothers, Enola was raised alone by her mother. As she grew up, Eudoria Holmes trained her daughter in the ways of hand-to-hand combat, forensic science and disguise.

Then, Enola’s mother mysteriously disappears on Enola’s 16th birthday. While Enola wants to go out and search for her mother, her brothers Sherlock and Mycroft forbid it, as they wish to tame Enola’s wild spirit and conform her to the societal ideal of a lady.

However, upon deducting a clue left by the missing Eudoria, Enola runs away from home and embarks on a journey not only to locate her mother, but to uncover the mystery of an enigmatic group she allied herself with.

Along the way, Enola encounters new

friends and foes as she struggles to accept who she wants to be in the world.

Taking a page from films like “Deadpool” and “American Psycho,” Enola frequently breaks the fourth wall during the course of the film’s story. Not only is this mechanic hilarious, but it also gives the audience a clear, yet unique look into Enola’s investigative process as she encounters

face during this time period.

A major plot point in the movie is the real-life 1884 Representation of the People Act that would extend voting rights throughout the U.K. Eudoria is depicted as a member of a mysterious cell of radical suffragettes, and Enola even spends one section of the film in a finishing school that was common for many young women to

GRAPHIC: CASEY WOOD ’23/THE HAWK

more clues. Each time she reaches an epiphany, the film gives a visual display of her deduction, complete with detailed drawings accompanied by complex explanations. In some of the more exposition-heavy scenes, the use of illustrations makes what could have been a boring info dump into a creatively inspired montage that succeeded in holding the viewer’s attention.

The script shines in balancing its central narrative with the sociopolitical environment of the late 19th century. Enola’s journey to locate her mother logically and organically brings her into contact with the circumstances that women like her had to

attend. These scenes effectively convey just how oppressive and stifling Enola’s world is, and make her quest for independence all the more compelling and triumphant.

Though he has only limited screen time, Cavill makes a strong impression as Sherlock Holmes, showing a much more emotional and compassionate side to the character compared to other incarnations.

Enola’s narration in Sherlock’s introductory scene greatly builds upon his large array of skills and talents, but they end up barely being depicted on screen. While this is Enola’s story, the film would greatly benefit from a “show, don’t tell approach” in re-

Features

gards to her more iconic older brother. Claflin’s Mycroft Holmes diverges heavily from the novel’s depiction of a master detective of a higher caliber than Sherlock himself, instead being portrayed as a somewhat stereotypical British upper class man. Still, this does allow Mycroft to serve as a physical representation of the societal misogyny that our heroine is rebelling against.

Brown, who also doubles for the first time as a producer, imbues her role with a bright, youthful energy mixed with an eccentric, witty charisma. However, she is equally skilled at conveying the character’s more vulnerable side, but never losing her quiet determination. Even if period comedies are not your preferred genre, Brown’s performance alone is a compelling argument for at least one viewing of this film.

Acting opposite to her is Partridge, whose Viscount Tewkesbury exudes a kind but mischievous charm and plays off Enola in a friendship with palpable chemistry, even though the character himself could have used some fleshing out.

Overall, “Enola Holmes” is a fresh and insightful take on the Sherlock Holmes mythos, with a wildly entertaining mix of unconventional comedy, kinetic action and compelling characters.

Black Restaurant Week comes to Philly for a third year Black Restaurant Week is back in Philly for its third year, running from Oct. 16 - 25.

This event spotlights Black-owned restaurants and food establishments around the city. These four locations are the closest of participating establishments to campus.

Star Fusion Restaurant

This restaurant is a fifteen minute walk from campus and located on 63rd Street, down the street from Pennbrook Apartments. They offer a modified dinner menu of their American, Caribbean and Thai cuisine for restaurant week. They are also featuring three different cakes as dessert options. It is open Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Star Fusion Express

This is the second, counter take-out only location of Start Fusion and is a five minute drive from campus. It offers a three course lunch menu, and is open Monday-Saturday 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Imperial Caribbean & Seafood Restaurant

Imperial is a 10 minute drive from campus and is offering a dinner menu featuring their seafood, jerk platters and curry dishes.

They are open Wednesday-Friday 1 p.m. - 8 p.m. and Saturday 1 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Sooo Trucking Delicious LLC

This food truck serves soul food and is offering a chicken pineapple bowl as well as a chicken wing platter. They are a 15 minute drive from campus and open Tuesday-Saturday 3 p.m. - 8 p.m., but their restaurant week deal is only available 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Features

The Hawk Newspaper

Oct. 21, 2020

9

Students celebrate food and culture at annual Taste of the World ELAINA WALL ’21 Assistant Features Editor Students lined up on chalk marks, six feet apart, in front of four food trucks stationed in the various parking lots at the Wolfington Welcome Center, as they waited to taste Vietnamese, Indian, Mexican or Caribbean and American Soul food, on Oct. 14 for the annual Taste of the World event.

The event was hosted by Bridging the Gap (BTG), an organization that promotes “awareness of all diversities and underrepresented lifestyles and ethnicities in order to create a more welcoming and accepting environment at Saint Joseph’s University.”

Jessica Atoo ’21, president of BTG, said the Taste of the World event is an extension of the organization’s goal of promoting representation on campus.

“It’s important to have [the event] on campus to bring some recognition, not only to the cultures represented, but also the [Office of] Inclusion and Diversity, which is a little space in comparison to a lot of other things on campus,” Atoo said.

The African-Caribbean Student Association and Black Student Union, the Asian Student Association, the Hawks of India and the Latinx Student Association hosted the food trucks, which offered cuisine from their cultures.

Students waited eagerly in front of GiGi’s and Big R Caribbean & American Soul Food, QT Vietnamese Sandwich, Nafi Food Express and Dos Hermanos Tacos. A meal from each of these trucks cost $3, with presold tickets allowing students to collect food at 15 minute intervals. The intervals

and chalk marks ensured adherence to social distancing guidelines.

Stella Gonzalez ’21, president of Latinx Student Association, said food was a great way to represent different cultures.

“Food is such an essential part of our [Latinx] culture,” Gonzalez said. “It’s important to know [about food] when trying to learn about Latin and Hispanic heritage.”

In previous years, the Taste of the World event was held buffet-style, by several more student diversity organizations, in The Perch.

Despite having fewer organizations participating this year, Taste of the World still celebrated cultural awareness on campus, according to Sagar Pandya, graduate student and president of Hawks of India.

Pandya said Taste of the World is a place for student organizations to share their cultures with the St. Joe’s community.

“We are excited to represent our foods and culture at this event,” Pandya said, “and also to learn new things from the other student organizations represented.”

Hawks of India was represented by the Nafi Food Express truck, which served Indian dishes such as chicken tikka masala, samosas and chana masala.

After collecting their food, many students sat at socially-distantanced tables arranged under a tent, and on red chairs scattered around the Wolfington Welcome Center’s lawn.

Mikaela Thomas ’22, vice president of BTG, said she ordered from both GiGi’s and Big R Caribbean & American Soul Food and QT Vietnamese.

“They are both really good,” Thomas said. “It was different having QT Vietnam-

Nafi Food Express served Indian at Taste of the World. PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

ese, but it was good to branch out and have something that I never tried [before].”

Jessica Smith ’23, first time attendee of the Taste of the World event, said her friend suggested they come to the event and that she would have not sought out Vietnamese food on her own.

“Neither of us had ever tried Vietnamese food,” Smith said. “So it was a cool experience. It was awesome, we were both really surprised and we thought it was really good.”

GiGi’s and Big R Caribbean & American Soul Food food truck served its specialties of jerk chicken, fried chicken, fried whiting fish and, the fan-favorite, mac and cheese.

Anthony Fitzgerald, manager of GiGi’s and Big R Caribbean & American Soul

Food, said he hopes the students will spread the word to potential new customers after trying his food.

“If people like a particular type of food, they will do that,” Fitzgerald said. “Our food is good, so we want them to tell other people.”

BTG’s Thomas said she hopes students felt a sense of normalcy, and enjoyed the music, food and overall environment of the event.

“I want students to remember what it’s like to come together, have fun, meet new people, try new things and just get a chance to experience the different cultures that we do have on campus,” Thomas said.

Lecture series event inspires conversations about women in law NENAGH SHEEHAN ’21 Assistant Features Editor Doneene Keemer Damon ’89, the first Black woman president and director of the Delaware law firm Richards, Layton & Finger, spoke about her law career via Zoom to St. Joe’s students, faculty and staff on Oct. 14.

As part of the university’s 2020 Focus on Women lecture series, Damon offered advice to St. Joe’s students who are interested in attending law school after graduation.

Damon said, as a Black woman, she is often troubled when identified as a trailblazer because it’s disheartening that there are still firsts of anything in recent years.

“I’m humbled by it, but I also feel a tremendous degree of responsibility because of it,” Damon said. “I have a greater degree of responsibility to mess it up. From that perspective, it’s not about you, it’s how you are preparing the next generation behind you.”

Damon was an accounting major at St. Joe’s, but always knew she wanted to be a lawyer. She said she struggled because no one in her family worked in law, so she felt like she did not have someone to look up to.

However, Damon knew she had the skills to pursue a career in law.

“No career that you follow is going to be easy, and I’m a true believer that when you want to do it, you do everything necessary to achieve your goals,” Damon said. “Having the diligence to work hard and not to take a superficial approach, but a deep dive approach is critical to success.”

Kayla Evans ’23 was relieved to hear Damon say it is okay not to have specific career plans.

“She candidly shared her experience,” Evans said. “To know that someone so established didn’t even have an initial interest in law, but

accounting, made me feel like I wasn’t failing.”

The moderator of the event, Susan Liebell, Ph.D., associate professor of political science and pre-law advisor, said that when people think about law school, they often think about TV law, like attorneys speaking in front of judges in criminal cases, but there are so

“There are so many areas of law that you can get into,” Tague said. “From sports law to criminal law, there is definitely an opportunity for everyone. In the Zoom session, Damon taught me that whatever law school I choose to go to will shape the career path that I take.”

ILLUSTRATION: CASEY WOOD ’23/THE HAWK

many different routes law students can take.

“It’s tough for students to imagine all the different fields of the legal industry,” Liebell said. “Hence, it’s incredibly valuable for someone like Damon to offer her advice to young students who are considering going into the law industry.”

Aidan Tague ’22, member of the Hawk Hill Law club, said the event was an excellent opportunity to hear from an actual lawyer.

Damon said being your whole self in whatever postgraduate path you choose lets your colleagues, clients and everyone you come in contact with know you on a more personal level, leading to strong relationships.

“I have wonderful clients, I have a great career, but I’m also so much more than a lawyer,” Damon said. “I hope what I bring to my firm and clients are my whole self and not just Doneene the lawyer, but also Doneene the person.”

Elizabeth Sweeney ’21 said she decided to attend the event because she was impressed with Damon’s achievements and wanted to learn more about her professional journey in such a male-dominated, undiversified industry.

“She stressed the importance of being well-rounded and how taking care of one’s health intersects with the ability to have a long-lasting, fulfilling career,” Sweeney said.

“I do agree both health and professional development are key in being able to participate and make connections that catapult one’s career fully.”

Sophia Wooden ’22 said she attended because she is interested in law school and as a woman, she thought it would be beneficial to hear Damon speak on her own career path.

“As president of her law firm, she has made it one of her goals to increase wellness,” Wooden said. “She gave tips on how to keep your mental health in check. She believes it is important to know yourself and know your triggers.”

Damon shared an experience of when she interviewed at her current law firm. She pointed out that there were no minority lawyers or partners who questioned her. She said there was a diversity issue, and the interviewer agreed with her and wanted to use her to address the issue. He didn’t try to hide it or walk around it.

“We had a very honest conversation about what diversity should look like and what firms should be doing, and I was just honored that he was willing to engage in that conversation with me in that way,” Damon said. “I thought if this is the kind of person who’s at this firm, this is the firm where I want to be.”

10

Oct. 21, 2020

The Hawk Newspaper

Sports

St. Joe’s extends $100,000 grant to Gompers School RILEY FRAIN ’21 Sports Editor In an effort to build upon the rich partnership that both St. Joe’s and Samuel Gompers School have cultivated over the years, St. Joe’s has secured a $100,000 grant to help bolster the sports and science programs at Gompers, according to a press release from the university.

Gompers is a designated community school, which means they don’t only educate their students, but they also serve the surrounding community. The school plans to use the grant to support the school and the larger Wynnewood community, according to Rennie Parker, the community school coordinator at Gompers.

“We plan to open up our gates to allow the local kids to play basketball in our school yard,” Parker said. “Having physical activity being involved throughout the community, as well as in our school, is a huge plus. It’s definitely going to help kids fight obesity and help staff fight obesity. That’s going to be a definite health benefit for everyone.”

In addition to sports equipment, the grant will be used to help purchase facility upgrades, science equipment and additional playground space for students. It will also be used to hire a St. Joe’s graduate assistant who will work with the Gompers staff to develop more structured, nonacademic programs that are based on health and wellness, according to the press release.

Aimee LaPointe Terosky, Ed.D., associate professor of educational leadership, who has been instrumental in helping to coordinate St. Joe’s working partnership with Gompers for the past four years, said the initiative will help students at Gompers stay physically fit and in good social well-being, which will have long lasting effects on their success.

“Studies show that if kids are not feeling good in their bodies, or mental health wise, then they won’t be as successful academically,” Terosky said. “If you don’t take the whole child into account, then you’re not going to be as successful as if you address all areas of the whole being.”

According to Director of Athletics Jill Bodensteiner, J.D., the money for this grant was provided by Philadelphia Women’s Basketball 2000, a nonprofit organization originally set up to host the 2000 NCAA Division I women’s basketball championship in Philadelphia.

Following the recent dissolvement of the organization, the remaining funds were intended to be used to support youth in Philadelphia. Through former Director of Athletics Don DiJulia, who had connections with the organization, Bodensteiner was able to secure the grant and direct it towards Gompers.

“The group was formed in conjunction with some of the Division I schools in Philadelphia to bring the women’s basketball Final Four to [the city],” Bodensteiner said. “At some point, the decision was made to go dissolve the group. I’m really proud of the folks in Philadelphia who put this together and really tried to showcase women’s basketball.”

Terosky said this partnership and grant won’t only benefit the students at Gompers, but those at St. Joe’s as well.

“One of the best parts about the St. Joseph’s-Gompers relationship is that it’s truly reciprocal,” Terosky said. “This is going to provide a lot of opportunities for our students to apply theory to practice.”

Since the initiative focuses on fitness, athletics and physical activity, Bodensteiner said that student-athletes can become more involved in the Gompers community.

“I envision an opportunity to have [student-athletes] over helping Gompers staff

during recess or at after school programs,” Bodensteiner said. “Our teams and student-athletes are itching to get out in the community and I think they can play a lot of different roles with the kids.”

Parker highlighted the importance of this relationship and how many students at Gompers can look up to the St. Joe’s student-athletes. According to Parker, he sees this as an opportunity for student-athletes to be mentors and role models for students.

“Big shoutout to Jill [Bodensteiner] for continuing to allow us to use the field and wanting the basketball teams or the softball team to come show the kids what college sports are like or what teamwork is like,” Parker said.

Parker said updating the facilities will allow for increased opportunities for community engagement, aligning with the mission of Gompers.

“We’re finally coming into this new exis-

tence of new classrooms and new paint jobs.

We’re finally getting in a heating and cooling system within Gompers,” Parker said. “We’ll be able to extend our evenings as well as be able to have more after-school programs and of course, more summer programming as well.”

While the project and curriculum are still in the early stages of planning, as St. Joe’s and Gompers continue to cooperate with the city of Philadelphia’s COVID-19 guidelines and back-to-school plans, it is clear that both the university and Gompers are excited for the opportunities ahead.

“The opportunity to expand the minds of the kids at Gompers, and have a wellness talk, or a mindfulness and nutrition talk, or a walking club, or getting our dancers over there, I think there are so many opportunities,” Bodensteiner said. “We want to get them moving and prepare them for long and healthy lives, so we’re really excited.”

St. Joe’s and Gompers’ relationship goes back over 40 years. PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

Sports

The Hawk Newspaper

Oct. 21, 2020

11

Women’s soccer adds former pro to coaching staff CHRIS KLINE ’23 Hawk Staff Shelby Money, a college soccer standout, former professional player and seasoned coach, will join the St. Joe’s women’s soccer team as their new assistant coach, working specifically with the goalkeepers on the team.

After arriving on campus about two weeks ago, Money said she is feeling right at home on Hawk Hill.

“I love it here,” Money said. “I’ve only ever heard good things about the program and about the staff, so when the opportunity came up to coach here, I took it right away.”

Money discovered her love for goalkeeping early on in high school.

“One day I was thrown in goal and I never came back out,” Money said. “Eleven years later and I’m still here.”

Money spent her collegiate career at Rowan University, playing 57 total games with 36 shutouts, allowing a total of 24 goals over four years.

“Playing at Rowan taught me how to be vocal on and off the field,” Money said. “I really learned how to work with my teammates and how to bring the best out of them and the best out of me.”

During her time at Rowan, Money collected a handful of awards and accolades, including NJAC Goalkeeper of the Year,

CoSIDA Academic All-District, All Conference Team three times and All Region Honors twice.

While at Rowan, Money studied health and exercise science and said it allowed her to pursue sports and athletics regardless of whether or not she opted to go into coaching.

“I think I always wanted to become a coach,” Money said, “but majoring in health sciences really allowed me to just stay in the field that I love.”

After being a standout player at Rowan, Money advanced her career to the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in 2019 with the Washington Spirit as a reserve player, then as a non-rostered goalkeeper at Sky Blue FC and, most recently in 2020, as a non-rostered Goalkeeper for OL Reign.

“My time with NWSL has helped me grow as a goalkeeper and as a player,” Money said. “I’ve been able to use my experience to help the keepers I coach right now.”

In 2015, Money began her coaching career at The Keepers Institute in Sewell, New Jersey, helping young goalkeepers between the ages of eight and 20 perfect their game with personal and group sessions.

“The Keepers Institute is an amazing place to hone in on specific skills,” Money said. “I make sure that every player that comes in leaves as a better goalkeeper and as a better person.”

After five years at The Keeper Institute,

Money played collegiately at Rowan University. PHOTO SJU ATHLETICS

Money begins her tenure at St. Joe’s and now works with the goalkeepers on the team.

In search of new staff to add to the team for this year, Head Coach Jess Mannella said she knew that Money would be a great fit for the program.

“We knew we wanted a [goal]keeper coach,” Mannella said. “When I reached out to The Keeper Institute, they directed me right to Money and I knew she was it right from the start.”

Mannella said she’s excited to work with Money, specifically noting the enthusiasm

she brings and how important that is for the team as a whole.

“When I met [Money], I loved her energy and ideas,” Mannella said. “She has amazing ideas about goalkeeping and is always energized and helpful with the players.”

Sophomore Emily Cuccio, the team’s starting goalkeeper, works with Money every day in practice and admires her work ethic and leadership.

“She’s extremely motivated and professional,” Cuccio said. “Her attitude going into practice every day really inspires all of us.”

Good form, a little luck and a good flick of the wrist TYLER NICE ’23 Assistant Sports Editor The second St. Joe’s Campus Recreation cornhole tournament of the semester took place on the lawn outside of the Wolfington Welcome Center on Oct. 17.

According to the American Cornhole Organization, the game of cornhole originated in Germany in the 14th century, and then was rediscovered in the hills of Kentucky over 100 years ago. This fall, the historic game made its way to Hawk Hill.

Twelve teams of two students battled

for the bragging rights that accompanied being crowned champions of the double-elimination tournament.

Alex Kissinger, Campus Recreation coordinator, said students requested a second cornhole tournament after the success of the initial iteration over Labor Day weekend.

“It’s an easy sport to pick up and just have fun with,” Kissinger said. “You don’t have to be the best cornhole player to play.”

In Cornhole, contestants take turns pitching their corn bags at the cornhole platform until a contestant reaches the score of 21 points. A bag in the hole scores

Cornhole was rediscovered in Kentucky over 100 years ago. PHOTO: CHRIS KLINE ’23/THE HAWK

three points, while one on the platform scores one point.

On the lawn, three pairs of cornhole boards were placed parallel to each other, and three contests were playing simultaneously. The “cancellation” method of scoring was used in the tournament, meaning that if one team earned two points during a term, and the other team earned one, the score would be 1-0.

Rob Wilsey ’23 of the team named “Splash Brothers,” an ode to Golden State Warriors guards Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, said that the best cornhole players must have three key skills.

“You have to have a good form, a little bit of luck and a good flick of the wrist,” Wilsey said.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Campus Recreation altered its typical fall activities, like flag football and basketball, in favor of activities that align with social-distancing protocols. This semester, in addition to cornhole, Campus Recreation has hosted kickball, wiffleball and pickleball tournaments and a punt-pass-kick competition.

According to Assistant Athletics Director for Campus Recreation Angela Nagle, the goal of this fall’s myriad of tournaments is to provide students with the opportunity to engage in activities that allow them to compete on the level of their choosing, connect with their peers and stay active.

“Our hope is that, although the fall tournaments don’t include the traditional offerings of flag football and five versus five

basketball, students still will find value in competition and connection,” Nagle wrote in an email to The Hawk.

Reid Hartman ’23, Wilsey’s teammate, said he was coming back for revenge after a fourth place showing in the Labor Day tournament, and added that confidence and knowing your strengths and weaknesses are fundamental skills for a successful game.

Both Hartman and Wilsey found out about this weekend’s tournament through Campus Recreation’s Instagram account.

Wilsey said that the turnout and enthusiasm for the cornhole tournament is a product of its uniqueness.

“It’s something different outside of sitting outside of your room,” Wilsey said. “It’s a good time to get out and be active.”

One variable that would seemingly jeopardize the status of future cornhole tournaments is the turn in weather from fall to winter. However, Kissinger said that Campus Recreation has contingency plans to ensure that the tournaments still go on as scheduled.

“Our plan right now is to have a cornhole [tournament] outside, but we could always move it to the upper gym in O’Pake [Recreation Center],” Kissinger said.

Kissinger said she encourages students to give feedback on what types of activities they would like to see next.

“Reach out to Campus Recreation if you guys have any ideas or any interest in things,” Kissinger said. “We’re happy to hear from you guys.”

12

Oct. 21, 2020

The Hawk Newspaper

Sports

Women’s basketball revamps locker room TYLER NICE ’23 Assistant Sports Editor For the upcoming basketball season and beyond, the St. Joe’s women’s basketball team will be flying “first-class” in their new state-of-the-art locker room and lounge.

The program recently unveiled the new locker room and lounge to its supporters in a two-minute video posted on the team’s Twitter account. The crimson and gray, Nike-branded locker room features amenities such as a new sound system, a high-rise table that has enough seats for the entire team and a multi-colored lighting system.

Sophomore forward Gabby Smalls said that the renovated locker room makes her feel like St. Joe’s is a high-level program invested in the success of herself and her teammates.

“The locker room makes me feel like I’m a part of the Big 5 and that this team is a big deal,” Smalls said. “It offers the girls and I so many more opportunities to feel comfortable as players.”

At the forefront of the project was Sue Lavin, the director of player development.

She said that in addition to keeping facilities updated to remain competitive in recruiting prospective student-athletes, it was important to renovate the locker room and lounge to show the current players that the program is striving for excellence.

“Showing our players that we want to be that top tier, we are that top tier and we have the facilities to match is important” Lavin said.

According to Lavin, the program consulted with ZDESIGN, an award-winning residential and commercial interior design firm, to design the locker room and lounge.

Along with the initial blueprint that ZDESIGN sent, Lavin said she browsed YouTube and Pinterest to see the graphics and features in the locker rooms and lounges of some of college basketball’s top programs.

“It was a lot of research and putting together different pieces from a lot of Power Five conference programs,” Lavin said. “We liked some quotes that other programs used, and how some had video screens instead of photos.”

The locker room still has features that are personal to St. Joe’s. The trademarked sayings “Hawk Hill Philadelphia” and “The Hawk Will Never Die” are fixed on the walls. There is an area that highlights the program’s “Tradition of Success,” which includes standout players and championship teams. Pictures of current players and coaches are displayed in the lounge.

“We wanted to highlight what is important to the program, what the tradition is and what we want the future to be,” Lavin said.

Smalls said the personalization of the locker room to the St. Joe’s program makes the players feel welcome.

“I love the detail,” Smalls said. “I feel like they put a lot of thought and effort into making the locker room feel really homey for us.”

Aside from being a place where student-athletes can physically and mentally prepare themselves for games and practices, the locker room serves as a place where

St. Joe’s esports levels up RAEGAN DAVIES ’21 Special to the Hawk The St. Joe’s esports team began its first official season as a club sport, winning two of its first three matchups this semester.

The team participated in competitions in three different video games: Overwatch, Super Smash Brothers and League of Legends.

The Overwatch team lost to Bethel University, the Super Smash Brothers team prevailed over Thomas College and the League of Legends team secured a victory over Mississippi State University.

Following the completion and official opening of the esports lab in August 2020, located on the first floor of Merion Hall, the status of the esports team was elevated from a club to a club sport in the fall.

Esports is now one of the only club sport teams that is able to have a more or less normal season under pandemic conditions.

Super Smash Brothers team captain Bryce Becker ’21 said the club is grateful for the opportunity to keep competing.

“Not only are we a club sport now, but we are one of the only club sports running, given the circumstances. It’s pretty cool,” Becker said. “And, I think we are doing a good job so far representing, and putting our best foot forward.”

All of the players on Becker’s Super Smash Brothers team are taking virtual classes for the fall 2020 semester. Becker said the team is allowed to use the new esports lab, as long as everyone is still abiding by social distancing and sanitizing procedures.

“I'm really grateful that St. Joe’s is allowing us to go in and out,” Becker said.

team camaraderie is developed, according to junior guard Katie Jekot.

“It’s not like the locker room last year didn’t bring us together, but I think we’ll all spend more time in our locker room and that will help build our team chemistry,” Jekot said.

Both Smalls and Jekot agreed that a favorite amenity in the new locker room

is the sound system. Jekot, whose favorite artist is Chris Brown, said that the music taste within the team varies between country, pop and rap.

Lavin said that she foresees the team taking full advantage of the sound system.

“There’s going to be dance parties in the locker room, mark my words,” Lavin said.

The new locker room entrance highlights the team’s ‘tradition of success’. PHOTOS COURTESY OF SJU ATHLET-

League of Legends team captain Patrick Troise ’21 said that his team has continued to utilize the lab for about two hours on Wednesday nights for in-person practices.

“I’ve been writing a small agenda on the Viewsonic TV, it’s interactive like a SmartBoard to put what I wanted to cover during practice,” Troise said. “It also allows us to put gameplay on the screen and review it as a team. That’s really what practices are right now.”

Club member Mitch Kelley ’21 said that the uncertainty of the fall 2020 semester has not deterred the team from seeking opportunities outside of the St. Joe’s bubble.

“We’re absolutely trying to get each official team we have to participate in as many different tournaments and leagues as we can to bring more legitimacy to the program,” Kelley said. “Because we want our members

Co-Captain Ally Grenier ’21 led the team in their first Overwatch matchup against Bethel University. PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

to be able to have that experience.”

One of these opportunities is a collaboration on a fundraising event with the American Cancer Society called Gamers vs.

Cancer in which college esports teams livestream their competitions on a number of different platforms.

“My vision for our teams is that we could showcase all of our different teams,” Kelley said. “We’d set up all the equipment, we let each team come in and play for a couple hours and show what they’re made of, and really try and raise some money for a great cause.”

Co-captain of the Overwatch team and social media officer Ally Grenier ’21 said that along with their larger events, the esports club team is organizing virtual community game nights to further engage with the St. Joe’s community. The program would include games that allow for a large group of players in a less competitive setting.

“It would be a few hours long, and it would be over Zoom so that multiple people could play,” Grenier said. “It would all be games that anyone could play, not only Overwatch or only League of Legends.”

Kelley said that club esports hopes to become more enganged on campus once the university’s COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted.

“In the future, our vision is that the lab will have open free hours,” Kelley said. “We want to utilize those to do a lot more small scale tournaments.”

Becker said that the team is proud of its progress, and is optimistic for the future of St. Joe’s club esports.

“I definitely have very high hopes for the St. Joe’s esports organization.” Becker said. I think they’ve given us a fantastic opportunity. A month into the semester, [and] we have been making some good mileage getting ourselves involved in a league. It’s going to keep growing as an organization.”