Sept. 16, 2020

Sept. 16, 2020

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Volume CI

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Est. 1929

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www.sjuhawknews.com

| The Student Newspaper of Saint Joseph’s University

Stories from quarantine and isolation Katerina Calvo ’24 looks out from her window in Moore Hall, where she isolated. PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

JACKIE COLLINS ’21 Editor in Chief Three days into the fall semester, Aidan Dowling ’23, slept on a wooden bench in front of Mandeville Hall for two hours. He was surrounded by several bags of supplies that he packed in preparation for two weeks of quarantine after a close friend tested positive for COVID-19.

It was 10 p.m., and Dowling was exhausted, having spent most of the evening on back-and-forth phone calls with university representatives trying to figure out what he needed and where he was going to quarantine.

“There was no communication to me about what was happening, which honestly was a little scary,” Dowling said. “I was already upset about having to go into [quarantine] housing. The fact that the school couldn’t tell me what I needed to bring and how I was going to eat, where I needed to go, how I was getting there.

Everyone I called just seemed to have the same level of confusion. They didn’t know either.”

Communication mishaps Dowling had inadvertently boarded the wrong shuttle at his Merion Gardens residence and ended up stuck at Man-

deville Hall. He was told by someone at the Office of Residence Life that a shuttle would pick him up from his Merion Gardens residence at 9:50 p.m. and transport him to Sourin Hall, one of the university’s isolation buildings.

After several phone calls to sort through the shuttle mixup, and a nap on a bench, another shuttle arrived at 11:30 p.m., nearly 90 minutes after the first one dropped Dowling off. Instead of Sourin, he was driven to the Homewood Suites on City Avenue, where some St. Joe’s students are quarantining.

Dowling is one example of a student who struggled with transitioning to quarantine.

For many students, the experience is

marked by a lack of communication, food delivery service errors and challenging conditions with their accommodations and for classes. The Hawk spoke to three students who were quarantined or isolated since the start of the semester who reported these difficulties.

As of press time, the St. Joe’s COVID-19 Dashboard reported 17% of on-campus isolation and quarantine spaces were occupied. The university is using Sourin and Moore Hall on campus as isolation locations, and the Homewood Suites as a quarantine location.

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University enhances contact tracing protocols The university enhanced its contact tracing measures to deal with the increase in COVID-19 related cases on campus. As of Sept. 14, the university had a total of 67 cumulative cases, according to St. Joe’s COVID-19 Dashboard.

There are now nine full-time contact tracers, five part-time and two supervisors, all of whom are members of the St. Joe’s staff and administration, Kelly Welsh, executive director of communications, wrote in response to questions from The Hawk.

Welsh added that all contact tracers com-

pleted the Johns Hopkins University contact tracing course.

As of Sept. 11, the university’s contact tracers had “been in touch with over 500 individuals” though “not every contact is a candidate for quarantine or isolation,” Welsh wrote.

The team of contact tracers serve approximately 1,738 residential students and about 2,800 students living off campus, Welsh wrote.

“Contact tracers are equipped with University-issued mobile phones and computers,” Welsh wrote. “They continue to earn their regular salaries and their usual workloads have been scaled back.”

Contact tracing, first implemented at St. Joe’s on Aug. 18, is the process in which trained individuals keep track of who is at risk for contracting COVID-19 based upon who has tested positive already.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), someone who is considered a close contact to an individual infected with COVID-19 is “any individual who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to positive specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated.”

Cheryl McConnell, Ph.D., provost and

vice president of Academic Affairs, said the university begins the process of determining who needs to quarantine or isolate with contact tracing, after which the Office of Residence Life helps to facilitate a move if students choose to stay on campus.

“The contact tracer is the one that makes the determination of whether someone is a close contact, and then the isolation and quarantine process begins from there,” McConnell said.

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Sept. 16, 2020

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Stories from quarantine and isolation FROM PG. 1 According to Cheryl McConnell, Ph.D., provost and vice president of academic affairs, there are approximately 200 spaces for quarantine and isolation. So there are about 34 students currently occupying those spaces. This does not include students who opted to isolate or quarantine in their permanent homes.

McConnell said she did not know the total number of students in isolation or quarantine, as “it changes every moment and every day.”

The Hawk reached out to Cary Anderson, associate provost and vice president of Student Life, with questions about the COVID-19 quarantine and isolation procedures.

Kelly Welsh, executive director of communications, responded to The Hawk’s questions in an email.

Welsh wrote that the goal is for the student to be relocated to a quarantine or isolation space “as quickly as possible.” That was evidently not the case for Dowling and others.

After he settled into his room at the hotel, Dowling tried to get some sleep. But he still wasn’t sure how he was going to get back to the Student Health Center to receive his scheduled COVID-19 test.

“No one gave me direction on how I was supposed to be tested, only that I needed to get tested,” Dowling said. “I was a little worried because everyone I knew who was quarantining could just go to CVS or their doctor at home but I initially had no clue where I would go. I eventually got an email from Starfish telling me to make an appointment with the [Student] Health Center. Then I was worried about how I was supposed to get there.”

Dowling didn’t find out any information until an hour before he got picked up by a shuttle to go to the Student Health Center.

A day after Dowling took his COVID-19

test, a university announcement from Anderson stated that a student is required to isolate if they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and awaiting test results, or if they test positive. If a student tests positive, the isolation period is 10 days. The announcement added that a student is required by the university to quarantine if they have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or someone who is symptomatic and awaiting test results. The quarantine period is at least 14 days after possible exposure.

Gabriela Lorenzo ’23 was asked by a representative from the Office of Resident Life to isolate in Moore Hall after testing positive for strep throat and being asked to take a COVID-19 test.

Lorenzo said it was difficult for her to get answers from the university. She reached out to the Student Health Center at 10 p.m. with questions regarding her situation, and didn’t hear anything back until 3 p.m. the following day.

“I just think [the university] could have done a better job because there’s only two departments handling this right now,” Lorenzo said. “It’s the [Health] Center and Res Life, and they’re not in very good contact with each other.”

Food delivery service errors Along with the lapses in communication and coordination that Lorenzo and Dowling experienced, other students in isolation and quarantine spoke about their frustration with complications in the food delivery service.

Students in on-campus isolation or quarantine locations are delivered meals from Good Uncle, the new food delivery service St. Joe’s offers.

Katerina Calvo ’24 was asked to quarantine in Sourin Hall after coming into contact with someone who tested positive. She was then transferred to isolation in Moore Hall after experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Calvo said she had problems accessing meals. She was not delivered breakfast on her first morning in Sourin Hall.

“I just remember I was hungry that night,” Calvo said. “When I woke up there was no food. [Good Uncle] ended up shipping lunch to me at around 11:30 [a.m.] because I had called and called and called saying, ‘I am hungry. I have been up since 7 o'clock for my 8 a.m. class.’”

Welsh wrote that students receive a meal pack daily containing three meals. Students can either use one swipe per meal with their meal plan, or pay $10 per meal.

This means that students who quarantine for 14 days will have to pay $420, or use 42 swipes from their meal plan. Not wanting to use 21 swipes from his 45 swipe meal plan, Dowling was billed $210 for meals for the seven days he spent in the Homewood Suites. But, he spent most of his first day without food.

On the night he arrived at the Homewood Suites, Dowling got an email at 1:15 a.m. informing him that he must respond with his food order by 7 a.m. He was asleep between 1:15 a.m. and 7 a.m., so he did not get food delivered to him until 4 p.m. that day.

Instruction challenges Once in quarantine or isolation, students said they experience additional struggles.

Dowling said his biggest difficulty was attending and participating in his online classes. The WiFi at the Homewood Suites was unreliable and he heard construction noise above his room.

“It would kick me out of Zoom classes all

the time,” Dowling said. “And then I couldn’t rejoin, so there are a couple classes that I just missed completely after signing in. And then, the construction was so loud and I couldn’t participate in classes because if I turned my mic on no one could hear me and I could barely hear anything even with headphones.”

Irrespective of the modality of their classes, McConnell said that faculty, “100% are expected to accommodate every student in isolation and every student in quarantine.” But the reality for some students is that these accommodations do not adequately replace an in-person class experience.

Dowling said that his professors did accommodate him, but there were still some difficulties.

“My [professor] had set me up on a laptop in the corner of the room,” Dowling said.

“It was a discussion class, and I could not understand a single thing she said. She was asking me questions, and I could barely hear my name. Then she ended up making one of the students type everything that was happening in the class to me in the Zoom chat.”

Calvo said two of her classes did not offer a Zoom option for her during her isolation.

“One class only uses Zoom on Fridays, so I had to follow Canvas on my own and then catch up with everyone on Friday,” Calvo said.

“Another one of my professors met with me after class and then she caught me up.”

Welsh wrote that isolation and quarantine protocols are being followed closely and the university “continues to enhance these experiences for impacted students.” But so far, the transition to isolation and quarantine spaces has been stressful for some students.

“It’s a very anxious process,” Lorenzo said.

“Maybe it’s because I was scared that I wasn’t sick and I was being treated like a sick person, that maybe gave me more anxiety. It causes a lot of anxiety and it’s a stressful process.”

University enhances contact tracing protocols FROM PG. 1 St. Joe’s students reported varying experiences with contact tracers who called to let them know they had been in close proximity to someone who tested positive for COVID-19.

Julianne McGuire ’23, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Aug. 26 and went home to quarantine, said she had a positive experience with her contact tracer, and found the process fairly simple. McGuire said although the thought of dealing with COVID-19 was stressful, she was appreciative that the contact tracers were doing what they could do to help. “[My contact tracer] was very willing to help me if I needed help with anything or guidance or if I wanted to just talk,” McGuire said. “I spent almost an hour on the phone with some of these people every single day, so it was nice that they were able to take the time out of their day to not only ask me who I was in contact with, but also to see how I was doing.”

Ashley Leone ’24, who lives in Villiger Hall, said her friend began to show COVID-19 symptoms on Sept. 2. Two days later, Leone, her friend and a third friend decided to go to an urgent care facility off-campus to get COVID-19 tests. Each test cost $75. Both of Leone’s friends tested positive. Leone tested negative at the time.

“I was just in my dorm trying to figure everything out and calling my mom,” Leone said. “Then I got a call from a contact tracer who basically just explained that I either have to go to Sourin, or I have to go home.

She just gave me really basic information.”

Even though the university posted a list of what students should bring when making the transition to quarantine, on the Hawk Hill Ready website, Leone said she

was too distressed to remember the advice.

She said neither her contact tracer nor the representative from Residence Life who called her told her how to make the transition into Sourin Hall.

“I didn’t know I needed bedding, so I had to go back and forth and there wasn’t a cart,” Leone said. “It was just really stressful because I was lugging all of my stuff. It just didn’t cross my mind in the midst of that, and I forgot all my textbooks and everything too, so it’s been stressful.”

Leone left Sourin Hall after one day to quarantine at her parents’ home where she went for a COVID-19 test, which came back positive. She continued to quarantine for another 10 days. Leone said she did not hear back from a university contact tracer.

“I think they could have done better because they just, basically, told me to go in [to Sourin], and that’s it,” Leone said. “If I leave, I tell them, but they never told me what happens when I come back to campus. I had to call the Health Center [for that].”

After quarantining at the Homewood Suites for seven days, Aidan Dowling ’23 said he left the hotel and quarantined at his permanent home for the remaining three days. He said he wasn’t sure who exactly granted him permission to do so.

“I asked [my contact tracer] how I would go about leaving and she told me she would take care of it,” Dowling said. “No one stopped or questioned me when I left [the hotel].”

McConnell said students have a choice whether they utilize a university quarantine space or quarantine in their permanent home.

“If a student and the family decide to go out of university quarantine into home quarantine, we absolutely are amenable to that, if it can be done safely,” McConnell said.

“If it’s not, if there’s somebody vulnerable in the house or if the family is not amenable

to that, then we certainly wouldn’t facilitate that. But they absolutely can go home.”

Dowling already received his negative test results before going to quarantine at his permanent home. But McConnell said that a student does not need to wait to get their test results back before transitioning to isolate or quarantine in their permanent home.

Although the number of students testing positive and the number of students in quarantine or isolation shifts daily, McConnell said the university is streamlining the process of bringing people back to campus if they choose to come back.

“We actually have enough students coming out of quarantine now that we’ve designated one individual for a return coordinator,” McConnell said. “We have a returning coordinator now who is facilitating those students that are coming out

of isolation and quarantine back into the university community.”

The Hawk reached out to three contract tracers to talk about their personal experiences with their new roles and responsibilities. Each contact tracer redirected The Hawk’s request to the Office of Marketing and Communications. In response to a question from The Hawk about whether contact tracers were allowed to talk to The Hawk, McConnell said there was no restriction.

“There’s no prohibition,” McConnell said. “It would be up to [the contact tracers].”

Leone said she understands the university is currently addressing the spread of COVID-19 on campus reactively, and contact tracers are trying to keep up. “[My contact tracer] was just given a script, I feel like, and did the best she could,” Leone said.

A group of students walk past Villiger Hall, where clusters of the virus appeared.

PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

News

The Hawk Newspaper

Sept. 16, 2020

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University updates COVID-19 dashboard NICK KARPINSKI ’21 Multimedia Editor St. Joe’s updated its COVID-19 Dashboard on Sept. 10 to provide case totals on a daily basis, as opposed to a weekly basis, which it had done previously.

The updated dashboard provides “new daily cases” and “cumulative cases” with a breakdown of residential students, non-residential students and employees.

As of Sept. 14, the dashboard showed 67 positive COVID-19 cases among students, with two new cases reported on Sept.

13. That total consists of 56 residential students and 11 non-residential students.

“To date, the University has administered more than 4,648 tests, but tests taken outside of the campus testing center and through the student health center are also being counted in our daily dashboard,” Kelly Welsh, executive director of communications, wrote in an email to The Hawk.

Most of these tests occurred during campus-arrival testing when the university strongly recommended, then mandated, COVID-19 testing. Currently, the university only tests students on campus if they are symptomatic or have been exposed to someone who tested positive.

Laura Crispin, Ph.D., associate professor of economics, said the new dashboard is more useful than the old version.

“I’m grateful to the administration for listening to the concerns of the community about accurately conveying this information,” Crispin wrote in an email to The Hawk on Sept. 10. “Because the virus and the reporting of information are constantly in flux, it makes sense to report daily numbers and I appreciate that it was separated into broad categories.”

The Hawk reached out to Cary Anderson, Ed.D., associate provost and vice president of Student Life, to inquire about

the number of students the Student Health Center is testing daily, as well as the number of students who have returned home to quarantine, rather than quarantining on campus. Anderson referred The Hawk to the Office of Marketing and Communications and said he passed the questions along. By press time, nobody from the Office of Marketing and Communications had responded.

The updated dashboard now includes

number was hard to pin down because the situation is so fluid. That’s why the percentages work best, she said.

“It changes every moment and every day,” McConnell said. “It just depends on the situation of students that test positive because we quarantine all the close contacts. That could be from one student to 10 students. Then the number of students that come out of quarantine are cleared.”

McConnell said as the number of

St. Joe’s dashboard provides daily updates on COVID-19 cases. PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

the percentages of “in-use” and “available” on-campus quarantine and isolation spaces, but not actual numbers of students in those spaces. As of Sept. 13, the dashboard showed 83% of spaces “in use” and 17% of spaces “available.”

Cheryl McConnell, Ph.D., provost and vice president of Academic Affairs, said she did not know the total number of students in quarantine and isolation, and that the

COVID-19 cases grew on campus, the dashboard needed to be enhanced in order to provide the university community with access to additional information.

McConnell said she’s working to provide additional enhancements in the future, including collaborating with Kathleen Garwood, Ph.D., associate professor of decision and system sciences.

“We’re working on a couple of differ-

ent models that could be interesting and are enhancements to the [current] dashboard,” McConnell said.

One enhancement Salvatore De Rienzo ’22, would like to see is the volume of testing per day.

“We don't have a denominator,” De Rienzo said. “I realized that there could be difficulties in getting accurate denominators just because tests are going in and out so rapidly, but it is important to have that denominator just because you want to know the infectivity rate. Numbers don’t mean much unless you know it’s out of how many.”

Other area university dashboards provide this feature, including Villanova University’s, which communicates total daily testing, daily surveillance testing and daily diagnostic testing on its dashboard. Additionally, Temple University provides the number of tests done on a weekly basis.

Augusta Danley ’21, said she wants the university to more directly convey the information from the dashboard to university members who may not be looking at it or know where to find it on the university’s website.

“I want to see the university making sure students are aware of the dashboard,” Danley said. “We just got the one email saying ‘Hey, there’s a dashboard’ but then we never heard anything about it again. I want updates from the university.”

Danley said ideally those updates would include information about outbreaks in residence halls.

“There should be information on residence halls,” Danley said. “Students may have come in contact with individuals, even if it’s slight. Symptoms often show up later rather than earlier, so there can be grey areas in contact tracing. There should be data that shows what residence halls are being affected.”

Department of Public Safety reports (Aug. 28-Sept. 12) Aug. 28

Sept. 2

Public Safety was notified of a fire alarm at Lannon Hall. Public Safety Officer responded.

No incidents to report.

Preliminary investigation revealed the alarm was activated by a student cooking.

Alarm was reset.

No incidents to report.

Aug. 29 Public Safety was notified by an St. Joe’s student in regards to person(s) unknown vandalizing her personal vehicle which was parked in the 2200 block of N. 57th Street. Philadelphia Police were notified. Incident under investigation.

Aug. 30 No incidents to report.

Aug. 31 Public Safety was notified of a fire alarm at the Landmark Americana Tap & Grill. Public Safety Officer responded.

Preliminary investigation revealed the alarm was activated because of the exhaust system not being turned on. Alarm was reset.

Sept. 1 No incidents to report.

Sept. 3 Sept. 4 Public Safety was notified by an area resident of a noise complaint in the 2000 block of Upland Way. Public Safety Officers and Philadelphia Police were notified, responded into the area and spoke with the students. Community Standards notified.

Sept. 5 Public Safety was notified by an area resident of a noise complaint in the 5600 block of Wynnefield Avenue. Public Safety Officers and Philadelphia Police were notified, responded into the area and spoke with the students. Community Standards notified.

Public Safety was notified by the Pennsylvania State Police/Liquor Control Board of an off-campus party on the 1100 block of N. 66th Street. Two St. Joe’s students were issued citations for underage drinking. Community Standards notified.

Sept. 6 Public Safety was notified by the

Pennsylvania State Police/Liquor Control Board of an off-campus party at Jamestown Avenue in the Manayunk section of Philadelphia. Four St. Joe’s students were issued citations for underage drinking.

Community Standards notified.

Public Safety was notified by a St. Joe’s student in regards to person(s) unknown vandalizing her personal vehicle which was parked in the 5600 block of Woodcrest Avenue. Philadelphia Police were notified. Incident under investigation.

Sept. 7 No incidents to report.

Sept. 8 Public Safety was notified of a fire alarm at Lannon Hall. Public Safety Officer responded. Preliminary investigation revealed the alarm was activated by a student cooking. Alarm was reset.

Sept. 9 No incidents to report.

Sept. 10 Public Safety was notified of a fire alarm at the Science Center. Public Safety Officer responded. Preliminary investigation revealed the alarm was activated by a student accidentally. Alarm was reset.

Sept. 12 Public Safety was notified by an St. Joe’s student in regards to an unknown female person gaining access to a personal vehicle in which the student was sitting in, parked in the 5600 block of Woodcrest Avenue. The driver of the vehicle, a St. Joe’s Alumni, was able to accelerate the vehicle and move forward forcing the female out of the vehicle. No injuries to report.

Philadelphia Police were notified and responded. Incident under investigation.

ALCOHOL RELATED INCIDENTS

7 4

On campus

Off campus

DRUG RELATED INCIDENTS

1

On campus

0

Off campus

Call Public Safety:

610-660-1111

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Opinions

The Hawk Newspaper

Sept. 16, 2020

Really, do better Isolation conditions must improve 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

As part of their return to campus, St. Joe’s students were reassured that plans would be put into place for designated quarantine and isolation facilities when, inevitably, COVID-19 cases were detected on campus.

Not unexpectedly, COVID-19 cases are rising on campus, along with the number of students asked to quarantine and isolate. Students who test positive are expected to isolate for 10 days in either Moore Hall or Sourin Hall, while students who are informed that they may have been exposed to the virus are required to quarantine in the Homewood Suites on City Avenue until at least 14 days after possible exposure.

A number of students and parents reached out to The Hawk to share stories of their quarantine and isolation experiences— and many of these stories are concerning.

Students expressed frustration with inconsistent communications from university representatives about quarantine and isolation procedures that leave them confused and scared.

In one instance, a student unknowingly boarded the West Shuttle, shared by other people in the community, because he was told a shuttle would pick him up from his residence. Instead, he should have boarded a shuttle that the university is using to transport students to quarantine or isolation locations. Could this detail have slipped through the cracks because so many students are being transported to quarantine and isolation locations; because security officers weren’t fully briefed on procedures; because com-

munication broke down among those responsible for students’ well-being?

Whatever the reason, the error left a worried and confused student alone on a bench with his belongings for more than 90 minutes late at night.

Other students reported being charged for meals when they ran out of meal swipes during their quarantine, accruing unexpected and costly meal expenses amounting to up to $30 a day. Other problems include students not receiving meals until the day af-

“Conditions in the isolation locations do not live up to the Ignatian values St. Joe's promotes.” ter they moved into their quarantine room.

Others reported feeling pressured to return home rather than remain on campus.

Conditions in the isolation locations do not live up to the Ignatian values St. Joe’s promotes, namely “the care of the whole person.” Not living up to these values, while deeply problematic in and of itself, may also serve to prevent students from coming for-

ward about their health concerns due to a fear of having to quarantine or isolate under such conditions.

The university decided to bring us back to campus amidst a global pandemic. We knew this would be challenging, but the student stories that have emerged suggest that the university is continually one step behind, underprepared and under-resourced to deal with the conditions on the ground.

We encourage those university officials who are not in a vulnerable group or who are not immunocompromised to actually visit classrooms, residence halls, dining facilities and other spaces on campus where students live, work and stay. Perhaps doing so will lessen an endless spout of talking points from the university that ignore the reality of what the campus community is actually experiencing. Perhaps, too, these conversations will push the university to reevaluate the conditions for students who have to isolate or quarantine on campus and then do something to remedy the ongoing problems.

It bears repeating that, yet again, the university must do better. The university can do better.

-The Editorial Board

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

Assistant News Editor Christine DiSanti ’21 Opinions Editor Tayler Washington ’22 Assistant Opinions Editor Sehar Macan-Markar ’22 Features Editor Giana Longo ’22 Assistant Features Editor Nenagh Sheehan ’21 Assistant Features Editor Elaina Wall ’21 Sports Editor Riley Frain ’21 Assistant Sports Editor Tyler Nice ’23 Graphics/Illustrations Editor Casey Wood ’23 Photo Editor Mitchell Shields ’22 Social Media Manager Sam Jenkins ’21 Business Manager Angela DiMarco ’22 Assistant Business Manager Colin Messenger ’22 Assistant Business Manager Danny Remishevsky ’23 Assistant Business Manager Jillian Bodemer ’23

Five questions for University President Mark C. Reed, Ed.D. On Sept. 8, the university released a blog post, “President Mark C. Reed, Ed.D., Discusses His Approach to the Return to Campus,” in which Reed responded to five questions posed by his public relations team. The questions covered his rationale for opening campus, along with reassurances that the university was doing everything it could to keep the community safe. Here are five questions we hope Reed will answer in his next blog post, or better yet, in an interview with us. The invitation stands.

1

Many Philadelphia area universities agreed with St. Joe’s stance that COVID-19 isn’t going away anytime soon, and that higher education is important, yet they still moved to remote learning to protect their students, faculty, staff and

surrounding communities. What makes St. Joe’s uniquely positioned to remain open (compared to, say, LaSalle University or the University of Pennsylvania or Temple University or West Chester University, which have all gone online)?

2

What are you doing to frequently engage with students, faculty and staff who are outside of your administrative team to acknowledge their worries and stresses about returning to campus amidst a global pandemic?

3

St. Joe’s is located in a high density area with many vulnerable communities, namely BIPOC (Black, Indiginous and people of color) communities. When

reopening campus for students to return, how did you apply St. Joe’s Ignatian values, considering specifically the vulnerability of BIPOC students, faculty and staff and those residing in the surrounding neighborhoods?

4

What are you doing to follow up with students, faculty and staff who did not take the mandatory campus arrival test and ensure that they do so?

5

How are you addressing the St. Joe’s community’s concerns about the lack of proper cleaning procedures students and faculty have witnessed? Who has taken responsibility for those missteps and what has been done to rectify ongoing problems?

Opinions

The Hawk Newspaper

Sept. 16, 2020

5

Two versions of America Two Americas are on the ballot this November PAUL KOENIG ’22 Columnist The founding of America was not commonplace. It was not a normal occurrence for a group of subjects to rise up and to declare their independence from their ruler. Even more so, it was not exactly commonplace for a revolutionary disbandment to take place on the basis of rights and equality. This was a daring move, a move to bring the conceptual into conception.

The U.S. is not just a country, it is an idea. It is an ongoing experiment still in the midst of trial runs. Perhaps the experiment will never reach a conclusion. However, that does not mean that it will not have been worth it, for the American idea—the attainment of life, liberty and justice for all people—is one worth fighting for.

It is this belief in the American idea that great Americans, such as Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr. and Frances Perkins, understood. It is this belief in the American idea that former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden seeks to uphold. It is this belief in the American idea that U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to whitewash.

It is for this reason that this upcoming presidential election is not merely a difference in policy, but a choice between two ideologically opposed views of our nation’s founding, what makes our nation great and how we as a country ought to proceed.

President Trump’s rhetoric is marked by phrases such as “law and order,” “America First,” “Make America Great Again” and my personal favorite, “Make America Great Again, Again.”

He tweeted about four congresswomen of color, telling them to “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came.”

Following the death of George Floyd, President Trump quoted 1967 Miami Police Chief Walter Headley and segregationist Governor of Alabama George Wallace, saying, “When the looting starts, the shooting starts.” President Trump seems to disagree with the lofty conception of the American idea, arguing in his own way that America is America because of its culture, traditions and language.

These markers of national identity that President Trump implicitly, and sometimes all too explicitly, embraces are

“The U.S. is not just a country,

it is an idea. It is an ongoing experiment still in the midst of trial runs.” all ways to limit the breadth of America. It is the belief that America’s soul flitters among the prose of “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness” that allows all people—no matter what race or creed—to identify with America and to find a home here.

Our Protestant founding, our English language and our celebration of national holidays are not what make us American. Our “American-ness” is defined by our common belief that all people are created equal and are entitled to human dignity. Because all Americans—no matter their race, religion or place of birth—are given the right to live their lives, safeguard their liberties and pursue happiness.

Now, this is not to say that the U.S. has always lived up to

these lofty foundational goals. In fact, it is to say the opposite at times. It is to say that we have failed and will continue to fail, but it is our duty as a nation to keep trying.

I completely disagree with President Trump’s attempt to place limits or define a border on American greatness. The beauty of America is that it is for all.

While President Trump desires for women of color, with whom he disagrees, to “go back from whence they came,” Lincoln in 1858 sought to welcome and inspire the immigrants of America. In his famous “Electric Cord” speech, then Senate candidate Lincoln addressed the Chicago crowd, proclaiming, “When [immigrants] look through that old Declaration of Independence they find that those old men say that ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,’ and then they feel that moral sentiment taught in that day evidences their relation to those men.”

I am not saying that Biden is the next Lincoln, and I am sure he would be the last person to say so. However, I am saying that these two men hold in common their belief and unfettered devotion to the American ideals. Biden demonstrated this at his convention speech, saying “America isn’t just a collection of clashing interests of red states or blue states. We’re so much bigger than that. We’re so much better than that.”

This November, we, not just Biden, are in the battle for America’s preservation. It is up to us to decide whether our future ought to be marked by an “us versus them,” or a plain and simple, just “us.”

Weekly 2020 election updates The conventions in retrospect PATRICK ADAMS ’23 Columnist Both the Democratic National Convention (DNC) and the Republican National Convention (RNC) concluded at the end of August with much fanfare all around. Although, if style points determined the election, U.S. President Donald Trump’s open-air speech in front of a crowded White House lawn, which ended with a giant firework show at the Washington Monument, blew the DNC Zoom meetings out of the water.

Nonetheless, the DNC actually received slightly better TV ratings than its Republican counterpart; collectively about 24 million people watched each of the conventions.

More so than any speech at the conventions, the contrast in presentation alone shows just how far apart both parties are, especially in regard to the coronavirus pandemic. The Democrats opted for safety and social distancing, while the Republicans still wanted to put on a show, coronavirus or not.

While still trailing the former U.S.Vice President Joe Biden and Kamala Harris ticket, President Trump and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence did receive a slight uptick in the polls post-convention. As shown in the national polling average from FiveThirtyEight, President Trump is still down 7% from Biden’s consistent 50%, giving Biden an even stronger edge than Hillary Clinton had in the 2016 election. However, as 2016 shows, winning the popular vote does not guarantee the presidency. Pennsylvania, Florida, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and Arizona are going to be the make-or-break swing states in this election.

Just like the 2016 election, where President Trump only received 46% of the popular vote, he still has a pathway to victory by winning battleground states. The coronavirus, its impacts on health and the economy, crime and the national conversation on racial justice in the wake of George Floyd’s death have already taken center stage in this election. On these four issues, Biden and President

Trump could not be farther apart.

Biden slammed President Trump’s leadership during his term, especially for what Democrats see as President Trump’s mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic, with the U.S. still leading the world in total number of deaths and infections. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, the U.S. currently makes up only 4% of the world’s population, yet is responsible for 25% of all coronavirus deaths, statistics that Biden believes highlight how President Trump has

ILLUSTRATION: CASEY WOOD ’23/THE HAWK

done a poor job.

As Biden said on Sept. 4, “The common thread? An incumbent president who makes things worse, not better.”

In addition to this, Biden argued that President Trump has not only failed to contain the coronavirus, but also to handle its economic impact on working-class Americans. “For all his bluster about his expertise on the economy, he is unable to explain how he’ll actually help working families hit the hardest. You know, he’s quit on you, and he’s quit on this country.”

Finally, Biden has actively and repeatedly called for an end to systemic racism, visiting Kenosha, Wisconsin to talk with Jacob Blake and his family after Blake was shot and paralyzed by Kenosha police during an arrest.

On the other hand, President Trump visited Kenosha for a different reason. He has begun to make crime the main issue of his campaign. He visited Kenosha to curtail the rioting that happened after peaceful protesting over the shooting of Blake. He held a campaign stop about crime, instead of meeting with Blake or his family. For the Republican Party, racial justice is on the backburner, while discussions on curtailing the sharp rise in crime in major cities has taken center stage.

Amidst calls to defund the police by their opponents, the Trump campaign pointed out that the top 10 cities with the highest rates of violent crime are all run by Democrats.

Additionally, nine of the 10 cities with the most violent crime per capita are as well. This corresponds with the sharp rise in violent crime across the U.S. this summer, with murder up 25% nationally. Philadelphia experienced a similar 32% increase in the homicide rate, putting the city second only to Chicago in total homicides this year. For Trump, this crime wave in Democrat run cities speaks volumes.

With November quickly approaching, one thing is clear: at this point in the campaign, President Trump and Biden could not be farther apart on the most important issues.

From what we know so far, Biden has a clear early lead, but as the candidates head into debate season starting Sept. 29, we will soon see what issues will sway American voters.

6

Sept. 16, 2020

Opinions

The Hawk Newspaper

Third party voting

Younger generation oppposed to two-party system SEHAR MACAN-MARKAR ’22 Assistant Opinions Editor Many of the younger, more progessive citizens in the U.S. are registered Democrats, yet do not feel a significant amount of loyalty to their party, according to The Hill. These self-proclaimed leftists, largely comprised of millennials and Generation Z, don’t feel comfortable using the label Democrat because they feel it does not show a holistic view of their wants. Even those who are planning on voting for former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden are doing so with little enthusiasm, declaring #SettleForBiden as their slogan.

Biden is doing the bare minimum to excite young voters and his policies cater towards older Democrats. He opposes “Medicare for All,” is hesitant to claim support for the Green New Deal and many feel that his main selling point is that he isn’t U.S. President Donald Trump.

A large number of younger voters are considering voting for third-party candidates that they feel better represent their views.

However, younger Democratic voters are not the only ones who are in favor of voting for third-party candidates. Many registered Republicans are not fond of President Trump, or Biden either, believing that they are both candidates they cannot vote for.

People usually vote third party for two reasons, and it’s never because they believe their candidate will actually win. The first

reason is for future gain. If third-party candidates reach the critical threshold of 5% of the popular vote, they will qualify for public funding campaign assistance. This gives candidates access to increased funding and a larger platform. Reaching this threshold means that in the future, a third-party candidate could be elected as president.

The second reason is to make a statement to both politicians and other citizens. People are hoping that by not giving their vote to either party, the system will change. They believe that Democrats and Republicans will modify their policies and platforms in order to appeal to them. These voters are hopeful that other citizens will be inspired to follow in their footsteps and vote for candidates they truly want rather than settling for the lesser of two evils.

The two main third-party candidates are Jo Jorgensen of the Libertarian Party and Howie Hawkins of the Green Party of the United States. Both of these candidates run on a platform stating that both Democrats and Republicans have damaged the U.S. They cite trillions of dollars of debt, a broken healthcare system and high racial tensions as a few examples. Jorgensen believes that a smaller government will solve many of these problems, while Hawkins thinks that more progressive, socialist policies are the solution.

Looking back on the 2016 election, where President Trump defeated Hillary Clinton, third-party candidates had few votes relative to the two party candidates, yet played a vital role in the outcome of the election. If the peo-

ple who voted third party voted Democratic, President Trump would not be in office right now.

I understand not being happy with the two major candidates in the upcoming election. Both have their faults and no candidate is perfect. But to me, there is a staggering difference in the definition of faults. The impact that another four years of the Trump Administration will have on our country is something that we cannot afford.

President Trump further heightened racial tensions and allowed for an uprising of white supremacy. He is handling the current coronavirus pandemic terribly. He is pushing the judicial system to become more conservative by placing conservative judges on both the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the Supreme Court of the United States. That barely even scrapes the surface.

Voting for a third-party candidate is idealist at best. At worst, it is trying to maintain a sense of moral superiority while hurting people in this country on a large scale. I understand the frustration. I understand feeling like your vote doesn’t matter. I understand wanting candidates that actually represent your viewpoints. What I do not understand is how people can throw their vote away in what could be one of the most crucial elections in American history.

Is cancel culture working?

Cancel culture is doing more harm than good CATIE MOFFETT ’22 Columnist Cancel culture is a new concept, but it has quickly grown to become part of our daily lives. Originally stemming from Black Twitter, cancel culture is essentially a digital modern-day boycott where people withdraw their support for a person or a company after they have said or done something offensive or wrong. Over the years, we have seen numerous people and companies on the chopping block, receiving criticism regarding their actions. But cancel culture is not effective.

Holding a person or a company accountable for their wrongdoings is completely normal. In fact, it is what helps people and companies understand the error of their actions and elicit change. It gives people the opportunity to understand why their actions are harmful and allows them to grow to be more inclusive and mindful.

However, cancel culture feeds into the idea that no matter what they do to remedy the situation, either through a heartfelt apology or withdrawing from the public eye to reflect and educate, they will always be reminded of their harmful actions. With a mindset like that, it leaves no opportunity for people to learn, understand and grow from their mistakes.

As makeup artist Matt Bernstein pointed out in his Instagram post, the punishment does not fit the crime. For both people who do not regret spreading dangerous ideologies and people who are genuinely sorry for their ignorant posts, the punishment is the same. Cancel culture treats everyone who makes mistakes the same way on the same platform, equating an ignorant comment with a crime.

I believe that the original concept of cancel culture was good-natured. People wanted

powerful individuals to step down from their positions because of the harm they caused others. As Lisa Nakamura, Ph.D., professor of American culture at the University of Michigan, states in a New York Times article, “It’s a cultural boycott. It’s an agreement not to amplify, signal boost, give money to. People talk about the attention economy—when you deprive someone of your attention, you’re depriving them of a livelihood.”

But that original concept rarely works since “canceled” powerful people continue to have platforms. For example, Woody Allen continued to make movies despite being accused of sexual assault. Mel Gibson earned Academy Award nominations despite spout-

ing anti-semetic slurs and beliefs. U.S. President Donald Trump won the 2016 election despite spitting out hateful rhetoric and beliefs.

The idea of “canceling” someone does not make them learn from their mistakes, it just shakes their feathers. In the past few years, celebrities and companies have been canceled numerous times, yet they still have large followings. This demonstrates the ineffectiveness of cancel culture and how “de-platforming”

celebrities and companies does nothing to make them understand the harm behind their remarks or actions. It essentially stunts their opportunity to grow.

The original concept of cancel culture became lost in translation by people attempting to purify themselves by consistently going after every person accused of wrongdoings to make themselves look better in comparison.

As Black feminist Loretta Ross pointed out in a New York Times column, cancel culture has done nothing to properly justify the criticisms of dangerous individuals, but rather serves to score points for the “self-appointed guardians of political purity.”

Just because the idea of cancel culture

ILLUSTRATION: CASEY WOOD ’23/ THE HAWK

is ineffective does not mean that we should abandon our efforts of achieving social justice.

Everyone is human, and everyone makes mistakes in the past, but that does not mean that we should be constantly judged for them. We are capable of acknowledging our wrongdoings and making efforts to become better people. We need to focus our efforts on affairs that truly need our attention.

TODD ERKIS Columnist How do I become rich in the stock market? I feel like there is money to be made, but I don’t know what to do. Jay J. ’21, finance major.

Welcome back to Money Matters, the 2020-21 school year edition. We are happy to be back for another year. I hope you will keep sending in your great questions.

Jay, last year I wrote a few columns about how to open a brokerage account and how to invest in stocks. All of last year’s columns are on the The Hawk Newspaper’s website so I encourage you to read them.

I believe the best way to invest is by purchasing an index fund like the S&P 500. The S&P 500, or a similar index, is not sexy, but has historically returned 6-8% per year. A 6% return will lead to your money doubling in about 12 years.

But say you want to take more risks and invest directly in some individual stocks. You may be able to get higher returns by taking more risks. If you’re willing and able to take some losses, then buying individual stocks can work out quite well.

Some people feel they have to take extreme risks to make real money, but this is not true. I strongly advise staying away from options like the triple return and leveraged funds that supersize daily stock market returns. Those “investments” are for professional investors and have extreme risks. They are not appropriate for the average, or even above average, investors.

Let’s look at Amazon as an example of how one can become wealthy by choosing a good company and holding it for a number of years. I am sure we all know Amazon as the premier online retailer. Amazon also has a number of other businesses, like cloud services and the recent purchase of Whole Foods. Amazon’s stock was recently trading at $3,400 per share. Five years ago, in 2015, the stock was trading at $650 per share and 10 years ago, it was at $150 per share. A person who bought 10 shares of Amazon for $1,500 10 years ago would have stock worth $34,000 today if they held it and did not sell. This is a return of almost 37% per year.

Is there an Amazon out there now? I believe the answer is yes, and likely more than one. The trick is finding it. Warren Buffett, one of the great investors of his generation and one of the richest people in the world, said to invest in what you know, buy great companies and hold on to them.

That is greatest advice on how to get rich through the stock market.

Anna Lubomirski ’21: Before investing, it’s important to decide how much risk you’re willing to take. I found that index funds, single investments composed of a number of stocks, are slow in terms of returns but are less risky. They also involve less maintenance, which I think makes keeping track of them easier if you’re new to investing. However, someone willing to have higher involvement and risk in their investments in hopes of quicker returns might opt to purchase stocks individually. Overall, more than one way exists to make money from the stock market, but you need to find the way that is best fit for you.

Features

The Hawk Newspaper

Sept. 16, 2020

7

Black female artist shares the unknown stories of Black women ELAINA WALL ’21 Assistant Features Editor “Just like a Woman,” an exhibition by Lavett Ballard, M.F.A., is currently displayed in Merion Hall until Oct. 1. Ballard utilizes collages and mixed mediums to share the powerful and unknown stories of Black women throughout history.

Ballard created the theme of the exhibition to showcase the often underappreciated work and responsibilities of women. She chose pieces that illustrate women’s vital role in society, as matriarchs, healers, teachers and leaders.

One piece in the collection, “We Shall Not be Moved,” which was commissioned by Time Magazine for the 2020 Woman of the Year edition, is being exhibited for the first time at St. Joe’s. Ballard said this piece, based on the women of the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955, with Rosa Parks as a central figure, truly represents the spirit of the exhibition.

“We really look at Rosa as the spearhead for [the civil rights] movement, but there were other women doing the same thing she did, that didn’t fit what people thought would be the mold of someone people could follow and back up,” Ballard said.

Ballard made a point to include Aurelia Browder, Claudette Colvin and Mary Louise Smith, three of the women who helped launch the Montgomery Bus Boycotts, in “We Shall Not be Moved.” They are represented in images, newspaper headlines and clippings from their actual court cases.

Taylor Stokes ’22, the University Student Senate’s secretary of inclusion and equity, said Ballard’s work is not only important to highlight issues of representation at St. Joe’s, but it was also personally meaningful."

“I would say it’s very powerful coming from a predominately white institution,” Taylor Stokes said. “I always get that representation is important and sometimes, if there is no representation in artwork, or representation in faculty, or representation in diverse leaders, people may not feel comfortable.”

The canvas for many of Ballard’s pieces are reclaimed wooden fences which represent division, and the incomplete understanding between society and others’ stories. “[Fences] can keep people in, but they can also keep people out,” Ballard said. “I can have a full blown image on one side of the fence and tell the stories on that side, but then I can flip it on the other side and just share a little nugget of the story on the opposite side. There’s always more to the story, just like people.”

Nicole Stokes, Ph.D., associate provost for diversity, equity and inclusion in the Office of Inclusion and Diversity (OID), said she hopes that people who visit the exhibit are inspired by Ballard’s art.

“I’m hoping any person of a different identity who walks through this space can say, ‘Wow, is that fencing? I never would have thought to put art on a wooden fence,’” Nicole Stokes said. “And that it opens up creative thought and maybe inspires them to do a little more for themselves or for others.”

With increased protests in support of The Movement for Black Lives this summer, the Art and Art History Department wanted to support the fight for racial justice on campus, according to Jeanne Bracy, gallery curator.

“Lavett’s work is storytelling through art, and the images and magazine cutouts she uses shares the story of a Black female artist,” Bracy said.

Nicole Stokes said OID’s collaboration with the art department to host the exibition also included purchasing one of Ballard’s paintings called “Redbone.” Stokes said

Ballard speaks about her art in Merion Hall on Sept. 11. PHOTOS: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

this was a way to demonstrate intentionality about showing Black women’s work.

“This will be an amazing opportunity to start us with that long-term goal of bringing more women of color, bringing a different image to art,” Nicole Stokes said. “I appreciate a lot of what Professor Ballard said about African American women often being ignored or not considered as subject matter for art.”

Ballard also shared the images of anonymous Black women because they are often exploited and photographed as objects, not people.

“I purposefully use anonymous women because when it comes to Black women, a lot of times we were objectified in photos,” Ballard said. “I want to give the women a voice that the photographers didn’t give them.”

Ballard hopes that viewers will search for the true message of her work.

“I load my images with so much paint and extra adornments so that you have to sift through it all to find that one part in the story that you can relate to and take that with you,” Ballard said.

Kaylah Hernandez ’23 contributed to this article.

Ballard’s collage “Blues Baby” is displayed behind her as she speaks about her journey as an artist.

Ballard’s Time Magazine commissioned piece, “We Shall Not be Moved,” features Rosa Parks.

8 Sept. 16, 2020

Features

The Hawk Newspaper

Good Uncle brings quick and healthy meals to students GIANA LONGO ’22 Features Editor After having to delay their spring debut due to the coronavirus pandemic, Good Uncle, an independent food delivery service division of Aramark, is now offered to St. Joe’s students as of Aug. 24.

Dylan Gans, Good Uncle’s director of growth & marketing, explained the company’s process, and how it differs from other food delivery platforms.

“We have a team of amazing chefs that prepare all the food in the regional kitchen, and then it is loaded into high-tech delivery vehicles that you will see rolling around campus,” Gans said. “Then, when a student places their order, we actually finish the cooking process in the vehicle.

Your food is right out of the oven, so it is piping hot.”

Good Uncle’s services are available seven days a week, from 5 p.m. 12 a.m.,

Students pick up hot, fresh meals from Good Uncle, a food delivery service. PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

closing later than any other dining option on campus. Gans said Good Uncle meals are priced around $12, with no delivery fees.

Students can use up to $35 of their Dining Dollars from their meal plan on Good Uncle, Kevin Bargeron, marketing manager for Aramark at St. Joe’s,.

Amanda Boehme ’24, said she ordered the penne alla vodka after a night of studying.

“It was a nice portion too,” Boehme said. “I could not finish it all so I gave it to my roommate.”

Bargeron said after conducting student surveys last year, Aramark realized students wanted something different on campus.

“They were asking for more flexibility and more options in general,” Bargeron said.

“One of the things that kept coming up was a food truck, or more food truck options.”

Gans said one of Good Uncle’s goals

is to compliment the dining halls on campus. There are “drop locations,” where students can pick up their food order on North 53rd Street between Lannon Hall and Rashford Hall, in the McShain Hall parking lot and outside of the Francis A. Drexel Library. There is no door-to-door delivery through Good Uncle.

“We want to be there when the freshman is too tired or too lazy and wants to stay in their dorm and get something delivered,” Gans said. “Then we want to be there for the off-campus students that do not have access to [delivery] options that are built into their school plan.”

Along with food, Good Uncle is bringing professional opportunities to students on campus. Vraj Thajar ’22 has been working with the company since March as a campus revenue lead, acting as a liaison between students and Good Uncle.

“They are very open and just trying to help out in any way they can,” Thajar said.

“They are very good people.”

Gans said they are trying to do the right thing for their customers, embodying one of the Good Uncle’s pillars, “do good.”

“We donate to local food banks whenever we can and all of our packaging is compostable,” Gans said.

Thajar said he is working with student ambassadors to promote Good Uncle on campus.

As the semester progresses, Good Uncle hopes to continually adjust to campus and adhere to what the students want.

“We love hearing from students on social media and in our customer support chat, we always respond to them,” Gans said.

New group addresses food and basic needs insecurity on campus NENAGH SHEEHAN ’21 Assistant Features Editor HawkHUB, a food and basic needs resource center for members of the university community, officially opened last week in the Writing Center in Merion Hall.

Run by students and faculty, the center provides primarily nonperishable food, personal products and school supplies to students, faculty and staff facing food and basic needs insecurity.

The center is funded entirely by donations from the university community.

The group launched a pilot program last spring but ultimately closed about a month after campus shut down. This year, students formed an official club, overseen by faculty members Becki Scola, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the Political Science Department; Jenny Spinner, Ph.D., professor of English; Brian Yates, Ph.D., assistant professor of history; and Janée Burkhalter, Ph.D., associate professor of marketing.

Scola pointed to a research study conducted on campus which showed that 11-12% of the St. Joe’s undergraduate population had difficulty affording food, 12% had difficulty affording housing and about 35% were financially challenged.

“The idea was to open up a space for people who are experiencing dif-

ferent challenges to have some of those needs met,” Scola said. “The first one that we decided to address was food insecurity, but the goal, of course, was to grow it into something that was even bigger, that would look at other needs as well.”

Dylan Judge ’20, HawkHUB treasurer, said the resource center is mainly addressing food insecurity, but also “any other insecurities” that affect people unable to acquire basic needs.

“St. Joe’s does have this population that is silently struggling with meeting basic needs,” Judge said. “We are just trying to help out our community, especially now with COVID-19.”

The club also is hosting Fresh Food Friday events, with items donated from Einstein Bros. In the future, the group might also include donations collected by another group on campus, the St. Joe’s chapter of Sharing Excess, which plans to collect excess food from local farms, Aramark, Saxby's and Campion Dining Hall to distribute to various pop-up locations on campus.

HawkHUB President Madeline Demarco ’22 said a lot of other departments on campus are addressing issues of food insecurity, and HawkHUB wanted to contribute in their own way.

“Dr. Scola and Dr. Yates were sure there was food insecurity happening

amongst students, faculty, and staff, but they needed to ask around other departments to see,” Demarco said. “A lot of departments on their own were having granola bars in their department office or they had extra textbooks. We wanted to extend the resources they were providing.”

HawkHUB is open in Merion Hall

162 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 3-6 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4-8 p.m., and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. No-contact pick-up, via a Google order form, will be available on the club’s website.

Carly Calhoun ’21 contributed to this story

HawkHub is located in the Writing Center in Merion Hall. PHOTO: THE HAWK

Features

The Hawk Newspaper

Sept. 16, 2020

9

Coronavirus pandemic limits coping strategies for eating disorders ELAINA WALL ’21 Assistant Features Editor Mental Health experts report a rise in eating disorders due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) reported a 70-80% increase in the number of calls and digital chats to their hotline service in recent months.

Greg Nicholls, Ph.D., director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), said CAPS also expects an increase in the number of students seeking counseling for eating disorders and other mental health concerns related to the pandemic, but it is too early to tell how social distancing at school will impact students’ mental health.

“When we compare the first two or three weeks this year compared to previous years, pre-COVID-19, the numbers are similar,” Nicholls said. “We will have to see how it goes because this period of isolation is going to continue to take a toll, especially for students in quarantine.”

Kristin Szostak, M.A., the site director of the Renfrew Center of PhiladelphiaCenter City, a treatment center for girls and women diagnosed with eating disorders, said eating disorders can develop from feelings of discomfort stemming from the uncontrollable parts of a person’s life.

“An eating disorder is an emotional disorder in which people often feel out of control due to other circumstances in their life, and they try to regain control of their body or find comfort with food,” Szostak said.

Alexander Skolnick, Ph.D., assistant

professor of psychology, said trauma can be a precursor to eating disorders and the pandemic has accentuated traumatic experiences.

“We are traumatized by what is happening around us, especially if you have lost a family member, or you lost your job,” Skolnick said. “The pandemic could be traumatizing for certain people, and then that could also be a trigger.”

The additional environmental stressors and traumas experienced by people of color, specifically women of color, make them more vulnerable to developing an eating disorder, according to data from NEDA. Despite the increased vulnerability, stereotypes surrounding eating disorders prevent communities of color from receiving proper care and treatment, according to Nancy Linden, marketing manager for The Emily Program, a national treatment center for eating disorders.

“There is an untrue stereotype that only young, thin, white women experience eating disorders, when in reality, [eating disorders] cut across all ages, races and backgrounds,” Linden said. “There is a screening bias that a lot of healthcare providers do not even screen people who are not within that stereotype.”

Szostak said quarantine restrictions limited people’s ability to socialize with others.

“Eating disorders thrive in isolation, and with COVID-19 forcing quarantine, it put everyone in involuntary isolation,” Szostak said. “This limited people’s access to their support systems, whether it be

ILLUSTRATION: CASEY WOOD ’23 /THE HAWK

support meetings they were going to, or just spending time with friends and family.”

In order to cope with increased stress that worsens symptoms, Szostak recommends college students create routines for themselves and try to find a sense of community while following social distancing guidelines.

“It’s important to have structure, but don’t be so rigid with your schedule,” Szostak said. “Also, socialize with others. Social distancing doesn’t mean social isolation. With all the new technology, there are lots of creative ways to socialize.”

At St. Joe’s, CAPS provides telehealth counseling sessions through a secure version of Zoom, and recently released

MindWise, an anonymous mental health screening questionnaire on their website.

“A student can anonymously access these questions, and get feedback and resources based on how they respond to questions about symptoms,” Nicholls said. “They could be recommended to seek professional help because of how they responded.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, you can call the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) Helpline at 1-800-9312237. To schedule an appointment with Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at St. Joe’s, call 610-660-1090.

10 Sept. 16, 2020

The Hawk Newspaper

Sports

Opting out of college football season is the right choice MATT MIKESIC ’21 Columnist

St. Joe’s lands Erik Reynolds, highest rated recruit since 2010 Reynolds held 12 other offers before committing to St. Joe’s. PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIK REYNOLDS

TYLER NICE ’23 Assistant Sports Editor High school junior guard Erik Reynolds committed to the St. Joe’s men’s basketball team on Aug. 29 becoming the team’s first commit in the class of 2021.

Reynolds, who attends Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland, chose St. Joe’s over Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Richmond, George Mason University and Xavier University. Due to COVID-19, Reynolds committed to St. Joe’s without visiting campus. However, he said he is confident in his decision because the coaching staff was devoted to recruiting him.

“I just looked at it as who was putting the most effort to show me how much they want me, and show what plans they have for me,” Reynolds said. “It’s about how well I can fit in at the school besides just basketball.”

Reynolds did take a virtual tour of campus, guided by the men’s basketball program.

“It was through Zoom, and they showed me different buildings,” Reynolds said.

“They showed me where the library is, the dorm buildings, academic courses. It was difficult because I couldn’t get a real feel for it, but I tested it.”

Over the past year and a half, Reynolds has exploded onto the national recruiting scene. The recruiting platform 247Sports ranked Reynolds as the 70th player in the class of 2021 Prospect Rankings at the time of his commitment. Since his commitment, 247Sports updated its rankings and now lists Reynolds as the 159th player in his class. For Reynolds, a player who played sparingly as a freshman to one that accumulated a dozen scholarship offers, his rise in talent throughout high school is a byproduct of increased confidence.

“My sophomore year was way better than my freshman year, but then going into

junior year, my confidence went through the roof,” Reynolds said. “I felt more comfortable with the ball and more comfortable making certain decisions.”

Bruce Kelley, varsity basketball coach at Bullis School, said when Reynolds was in middle school, he played with a collection of future Division I players. As a result, Reynolds was, according to Kelley, “just another guy” and not heavily recruited by the top basketball high schools in the Washington D.C. metro area. But, according to Kelley, his talent and potential were always evident.

“All [of a] sudden, he would just do something that catches your attention,” Kelley said. “He’s got this fast-twitched explosiveness that just shakes you out of your doldrums. He would make you say ‘Woah!

If that kid could put it together, he could do it more often.’”

Another integral factor in Reynolds’ decision was his relationship with Assistant Coach Brenden Straughn. The two became familiar with each other, as both were a part of Team Takeover, a Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) AAU program in the Washington D.C. area. When Straughn joined the Hawks’ coaching staff last spring, he began to heavily recruit Reynolds.

“Knowing that I had someone here that I’m more than comfortable with was great,” Reynolds said. “And just knowing the type of community [St. Joe’s] is, based on how much information he gave me, made me even more interested.”

Kelley acknowledged that while Straughn was integral in building the relationship between Reynolds and St. Joe’s, Head Coach Billy Lange’s interest in Reynolds’ character set St. Joe’s apart.

“Coach Lange made Erik [Reynolds] a priority, and he really cared about him as a human being. [He] cared about his growth as a man who’s going to be an eventual fa-

ther and contributor to society,” Kelley said.

Matt Gifford, who operates the 247Sports basketball blog “Hawk Hill Hardwood,” contextualized Lange’s recruiting approach, in which he values recruits as both players and people.

“I do think a huge piece of this that’s probably worth mentioning is really every player that I’ve spoken with in terms of signing out of high school really stressed the fact that with Billy [Lange], they felt a human connection,” Gifford said.

Reynolds said another priority was choosing a program that fit his play style.

“The way I play, getting into the lane and creating shots for myself and my teammates, could really help out what coach Lange wants to do for his offense,” Reynolds said.

“The way he runs his offense gives me multiple gaps to create and do what I do best.”

Gifford said Reynolds’ commitment aligns with Lange’s vision to play an up-tempo game with many playmakers on the floor at the same time.

“You could expect to see a lineup that has [Greg] Foster, [Dahmir] Bishop and [Cameron] Brown, Erik Reynolds and Jordan Hall as your big guy, which is just a very perimeter-oriented team,” Gifford said. “But one that could do a lot of weird, fun things offensively, play some zone defensively and just run.”

Reynolds is eager to get on campus and experience what the St. Joe’s community has to offer.

“I just want to get up there and handle my business on the court and make friends and connections for life,” Reynolds said. “I want to call that place another home for me.”

With select college football conferences already starting their seasons, and others gearing up to start in the coming weeks, there is still a considerable amount of uncertainty about how this year’s season will develop due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Notable conferences, such as the Big Ten and Pac-12 Conferences, have already taken precautions to protect their players and coaches by postponing their fall seasons.

Additionally, many players on teams who plan to play this fall have already opted out of the fall season, with some players citing personal health reasons and others wanting to prepare themselves for the 2021 NFL draft. Players are doing the right thing by opting out of this year’s college football season.

First, this season will be shortened for a majority of teams. If everything goes according to plan, only the American Athletic and Sun Belt Conferences will play a normal 12 game season. Every other conference that hasn’t postponed their season will play a shortened season against only conference opponents. Also, for many players, a shortened season means a diminished opportunity to impress the NFL scouts before next year’s draft.

Even though many teams’ seasons are shorter than usual, there is no guarantee that the college football season will be completed. Many schools already stopped holding in-person classes due to the spread of COVID-19, but are still participating in this college football season.

A survey of about 1,200 athletic trainers conducted by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) reported that 59% of the trainers said athletes were “somewhat” following COVID-19 protocols, and 46% said coaches and staff were “somewhat” following COVID-19 protocols.

This survey should cause concern for players’ personal health. If a team is going to avoid an outbreak of COVID-19 in the locker room, it falls on each individual player and staff member, not just a majority. Each team’s season depends on their willingness to comply with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s safety protocols. Based on the results of this survey, not nearly enough players, coaches or staff members are taking these protocols seriously.

As the season starts, teams could potentially miss multiple games if players and staff need to quarantine due to exposure to COVID-19. In this case, a scheduling nightmare would ensue if a team has to miss games. Missing one or more games would end a team’s season. Because of the extremely physical nature of the game, it would be unsafe to schedule more than one game per week to try and make up for missed games.

Many college football players are making the right decision by opting out of the fall 2020 season. The personal health risks are too great, and, as of right now, the threat of seasons getting shut down due to COVID-19 is still high. Hopefully players and coaches who have already started their seasons will take care of themselves and their peers.

Sports

The Hawk Newspaper

Sept. 16, 2020

11

Dunkley and Johnson recieve Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award TYLER NICE ’23 Assistant Sports Editor Dumonde ‘Slam’ Dunkley, a graduate student on the St. Joe’s men’s rowing team, and Tim Johnson ’20, former St. Joe’s baseball outfielder, were named recipients of the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award for the 2019-20 athletic year by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.

The award was established to “honor undergraduate students of color who best exemplify academic and athletic achievement.”

Arthur Ashe, a Black tennis player who played professionally during the 1970s and 1980s, was a fierce advocate for social justice issues during and after his tennis career.

Like Ashe, Dunkley is passionate about increasing awareness of the struggles and obstacles people of color face. He hosted a panel last month on environmental racism and also gave presentations to student-athletes about white privilege. Dunkley said the university has neglected Black thought and needs a plan to fight racial injustice on campus.

“My main point is that there is a lot going on right now, so if you’re not actively fighting for something and you’re just living a passive life, you’re an obstacle to the success and the protections that could be forwarded to future generations,” Dunkley said. “I’m just trying to motivate everyone and inspire everyone to live an active and engaged life.”

Dunkley said this award means a lot to him because it acknowledges the work that he and other students of color at St. Joe’s have done to make the campus community more inclusive.

“Sometimes it feels like your work isn’t getting noticed because the problems are so big,” Dunkley said. “But I’m excited to get this award.”

Ian Crookenden, head coach of the St. Joe’s men’s and women’s tennis teams and Ashe’s doubles partner at UCLA, said Ashe was an intellectual who believed it was his duty to fight for justice.

“An important barrier for him to tackle

Johnson at-bat during the 2020 Brittain Resorts’ Invitational. PHOTO: BRIAN WESTERHOLT FOR SJU ATHLETICS

was apartheid,” Crookenden said. “Arthur was constantly involved in civil rights [movements], sit-ins and protests and felt that it was his duty to make his position clear.”

Fritz Hamburg, head coach of the St. Joe’s baseball team, said Johnson’s work ethic and intangibles were admired by many in the program.

“Tim [Johnson] was about as complete of a person as anybody I’ve coached,” Hamburg said. “He was outstanding in regards to the person he is, his work ethic, discipline and character. He was an ace to say [the] least.”

Hamburg said Johnson’s maturity and ability to lead by example left a lasting impression on his teammates and coaches.

“He was a consummate professional and very work-like,” Hamburg said. “He treated every day like it was his last day, and that daily delivery is what everybody will remember about him.”

Both Johnson and Dunkley also represent Black excellence in academics. Croo-

kenden said Ashe supported education reform for communities of color.

“Arthur supported education and athletics so much because through that knowledge, people could have a much clearer understanding [of race] before they allowed any emotional responses or actions to be detrimental,” Crookenden said.

Dunkley said the best way for white students at St. Joe’s to be allies to people of color is to learn about underrepresented cultures through immersion.

“It could be physically going into the inner city to jazz clubs,” Dunkley said, “or decolonizing yourself and realizing that your skin carries privilege.”

Dunkley receives an award during the halftime of a men's basketball game. PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

John Griffin III earns promotion to associate head coach RILEY FRAIN ’21 Sports Editor On Sept. 3, St. Joe’s men’s basketball Head Coach Billy Lange announced the promotion of Assistant Coach John Griffin III to the position of associate head coach for the 2020-21 season.

As a graduate of St. Joseph’s Preparatory School, Griffin is a well known member of the St. Joe’s community. Griffin’s father also served as head coach of the men’s basketball team from 1990-95.

“The promotion is an honor,” Griffin said. “I’m grateful to both coach Lange and [Director of Athletics] Jill Bodensteiner for the opportunity to represent St. Joe’s men’s basketball and be a major part of the history of this program.”

Lange said that Griffin’s personality made him the right choice for the role.

“I hired him because of his character, his culture [and] I know his loyalty,” Lange said. “I trust him and his talent.”

Griffin’s promotion was part of a larger plan, according to Lange.

“When we hired him here, it was always under the premise that he would be the associate head coach,” Lange said. “But we wanted to give it a year with him here before we did that.”

Although Griffin has a new title, his dayto-day role won’t change much from last year.

“[The coaching staff] is working together to give our players the best opportunity to be successful,” Griffin said. “That entails player development, program organization and echoing coach Lange’s philosophies.”

For many players on the men’s basketball team, the relationships they built with Griffin helped them to succeed.

“My relationship with coach Griffin is really good, we get a lot of extra work in together and I can text him whenever I want to work out,” said redshirt sophomore Greg Foster Jr. “He’ll always ask me how the guys on the team are doing, so I feel like there’s a good connection and a lot of trust between us.”

Griffin’s players know to expect hard work and high energy from him, according to Foster.

“Even before the promotion, he’s been one of the hardest workers on this whole staff,” Foster said. “He gets in extra work with all of us, I think his promotion is just a result of all that hard work, and it’s not going to stop now just because he got promoted.”

While this new promotion is exciting for Griffin, he is still striving for the men’s basketball program to be among the top programs in the nation.

“We want to reach a level of success nationally that makes the alumni of Hawk Hill proud,” Griffin said. “We are looking to create a bas-

Griffin on the sidelines of Hagan Arena with Head Coach Billy Lange. PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

ketball environment that becomes marketable to players who want to compete at the

highest level in college basketball and in the NCAA tournament.”

12

Sports

The Hawk Newspaper

Sept. 16, 2020

Training in the age of COVID-19: Field Hockey RILEY FRAIN ’21 Sports Editor With the cancelation of fall sports by the Atlantic 10 (A-10) due to the coronavirus pandemic, the St. Joe’s field hockey team is unable to pursue a fourth consecutive A-10 Championship title and fifth consecutive A-10 Championship appearance.

St. Joe’s sports teams are required to follow new guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19, even though they aren’t actively competing, and the field hockey team is no exception.

For the players, these new guidelines and restrictions might not be the easiest to adjust to, but the team has adhered to the changes, and is thankful for the opportunity to be back on campus, according to senior back Nicholl Fenton.

“So much is changing weekly, I feel like the restrictions are easing up every week because we’re following the rules to the best of our ability,” Fenton said.

“But it’s just so exciting to have a stick in our hands again, it seems more normal than anything.”

While the guidelines may be easing up as the team continues to follow new protocols for everyday training, there is still a process each individual student-athlete must follow in order to participate in daily practices.

“The first thing we have to do is check in with our trainer to get our temperature taken and [we must] wear a mask, and then we’re only allowed a certain [amount of] people in the locker room at a time,” said senior midfielder Cassidy Atchison. “We have to wear masks for the whole training and then we’re in pods, so those are smaller groups [for training].”

Pods are small groups of student-athletes for training sessions. Their purpose is to make sure only certain student-athletes come into contact with one another during practices, as well as limit the overall number of people in a given training session.

Not only have these new guidelines affected how the team prepares for daily practices, but also the specific types of training routines that they are allowed to do.

“We’ve been doing more technical work because we can’t even play full on defense,” Atchison said. “So, we’ve been doing a lot of individual skills, not too much game play, and then we run and we lift.”

These guidelines have presented chal-

Teams must train in small groups or “pods” in order to limit interaction. PHOTOS: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

lenges in finding ways to get the players out on the field together. However, the coaching staff is helping to maintain stability in training for the student-athletes.

“We can’t really scrimmage because you can only do three-on-three’s and even then there are restrictions with how close the girls get,” said Assistant Coach Martu Loncarica. “Within our sport we’re lucky because there isn’t a lot of contact, but we’ve had to think of a lot of different exercises that you can do within the new rules to maximize training.”

Despite all these changes, Loncarica said her team is resilient and is committed to training regardless of new rules for practices.

“They have been super flexible and they don’t question things,” Loncarica said. “For instance, nobody complains about wearing masks, they just show up and do what they’re supposed to do. So we’re pretty happy with how they’ve adapted.”

Student-athletes are required to wear masks during all training sessions.

Although they might not complain during practices, when asked what the most difficult adjustment has been thus far, both Atchison and Fenton had similar messages.

“Definitely wearing a mask and running around,” Fenton said. “I personally didn’t train like that over the summer, so that’s something I would have changed.”

Atchison said conditioning and playing with a mask “alters the intensity level.”

As uncertainty remains as to whether sports will be allowed at all during the 2020-

21 school year, the field hockey team continues to practice with the same dedication.

“The coaches have done a great job and I think everybody’s trying to maintain a clear vision, even though what the near future will look like is uncertain,” Atchison said. “But we were in the midst of everything being changed all summer, so I think as a team we’ve adapted well to that.”

New guidelines are in place for teams to train amid the coronavrius pandemic.