Sept. 2, 2020

Sept. 2, 2020

|

Volume CI

|

Est. 1929

|

www.sjuhawknews.com

| The Student Newspaper of Saint Joseph’s University

Students, faculty and staff check in for COVID-19 testing at Sweeney Field on August 24, 2020. PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

From highly recommended to mandatory: University pivots on testing JACKIE COLLINS ’21 Editor in Chief RYAN MULLIGAN ’21 Managing Editor The university community was in the midst of adjusting to an unprecedented first day of school on Aug. 24 when the university announced that campus-arrival testing, which had previously been recommended, was now mandatory.

Anyone living, working or learning on campus had until 3 p.m. on Aug. 28 to get their test done, according to the Aug. 24 university announcement.

Approximately 4,600 members of the

St. Joe’s community were tested by the Aug. 28 deadline, according to Gail Benner, director of Public Relations and Media, who answered questions from The Hawk that were directed to her by numerous sources who declined to answer.

Benner wrote in an email to The Hawk that the reason for the sudden shift to mandatory testing midway through the first day of classes was not for financial reasons, but a realization that the university needed to be more explicit about its expectations.

The university committed significant resources to the week-long testing effort, including staff and faculty time and training, supplies and test kits, Benner wrote.

Benner also referenced in her email

response the university’s iCare pledge, in which all St. Joe’s community members pledged and vowed to do their part in upholding the university’s Health and Safety Plan by following guidelines informed by the latest science.

“The university asked everyone to take the iCARE Pledge, committing to following health and safety guidance,” Benner wrote. “After the few days of testing, we realized that we needed to be more explicit about the expectations for testing.”

The Hawk reached out to Cary Anderson, associate provost and vice president for Student Life with questions regarding how the school would enforce the new testing mandate.

In response to those questions, Benner wrote in an email to The Hawk that the university does not have an accurate number of how many campus members have yet to be tested and is in the process of cross-referencing people who are learning or working remotely or who have a medical reason not to test.

As for a contingency plan for students who did not take part in the mandatory testing, Benner wrote that “the University will follow up with these individuals.”

CONTINUED ON PG. 2

Early COVID-19 cleaning and sanitizing inconsistent CARLY CALHOUN ’21 Copy Editor CARA SMITH ’21 Copy Chief One week into the start of fall semester classes, the university had received numerous requests related to cleaning protocols that had been promised in the Hawk Hill Ready Plan.

The plan specifies cleaning and disinfection protocols for high traffic areas on campus and promises at least twice daily cleaning of classrooms and dining areas.

FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

@SJUHAWKNEWS

Included in the plan were undertakings that “High-touch surfaces such as door handles, elevator buttons, and stair rails in busy public areas will be cleaned at a higher rate, several times per hour.” In addition, the plan stated: “Housekeeping Services will be cleaning and disinfecting certain areas two or more times per day, including high traffic areas such as hallways, stairs, elevators, public restrooms, residence hall bathrooms, classrooms, common areas, dining areas.”

But as indicated by requests, in documents obtained by The Hawk, midway through the first week of classes, bathrooms and classrooms had not been cleaned, san-

itizing wipes had run out or were missing from classrooms and offices, soap dispensers were empty, and promised hand sanitizer dispensers had yet to be installed at entrances to buildings.

Four days after the start of the semester, the men’s bathroom on the first floor of Merion Hall was finally cleaned. At that point garbage cans were overflowing, toilet paper rolls were on the floor, and the sinks were covered with discarded paper.

A bathroom in the basement of Franics A. Drexel Library was not cleaned for multiple days.

A classroom in Bellarmine had run out of disinfecting wipes.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, surfaces frequently touched by multiple people should be cleaned and disinfected at least daily. More frequent cleaning and disinfection may be required based on level of use.

The Hawk reached out to Ken Ogawa, executive director of Facilities Management, Mike Burns, supervisor for St. Joe’s ABM employees and Dennis Dankenbring, a member of the preparation task force, about COVID-19 cleaning protocols but were directed to Gail Benner, director of PR and Media.

CONTINUED ON PG. 2

Editorial

FEATURES

SPORTS

04

The Hawk Staff addresses unfufilled promises made by St. Joe’s

08

See what the class of 2024 has to say about starting college

12

Athletics dept. oversees development of new esports initiative

2

Sept. 2, 2020

News

The Hawk Newspaper

University pivots on testing FROM PG 1 While many community members received their test results within the promised 48-72 hours, some experienced sometimes up to a week in delays.

Skylar Morgan ’22 was tested on Aug. 23. At the time, she was attending in-person classes. When Morgan found out that she had interacted with individuals who later tested positive, she went into voluntary self-isolation. Five days later, she received her test results, which were negative for COVID-19.

“Thank God I was negative but there could also just be people positive that were walking around,” Morgan said. “I think it should have been mandatory beforehand just to kind of help the situation and also give the university a glimpse into what they were walking into.”

Judith O’Donnell, director of the Department of Infection Prevention and Control at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, said it would have been ideal for students to get their results before classes started, or even during their move-ins. The time between arriving on campus and receiving a negative test is crucial and not having community members quarantine during that period could counteract the goal of testing.

“If you don’t ask [university members] to quarantine, then you run the risk of having individuals around the campus who may be asymptomatic, spreading disease, or may become symptomatic while [they are] waiting for the test results to come back,” O’Donnell said. “You sort of defeat the best aspects of trying to do a population based testing approach by allowing people to move around.”

Mass testing is only effective when individuals are asked to quarantine until their

test results come in and when test results are returned in a timely manner, O’Donnell said.

“If population-based testing, like on a campus, is going to be effective, then when you would test individuals you would ask them to quarantine until their results are back in case they’re positive and they don’t know it,” O’Donnell said. “It’s the asymptomatic person who could be spreading who’s the risk in these types of closed populations. To keep everybody safe, then the test results should come back in a reasonable time period.”

The Aug. 24 university announcement did not state that individuals should quarantine while waiting for their results. And since classes had already started students, like Ellie Bleeker ’21, said they didn’t feel like they had much choice but to go to class while they waited for results.

Bleeker got tested on Aug. 22. By the time she received her results late in the day on Aug. 27, she had already attended faceto-face classes.

“I think it’s kind of odd that we were getting test results after we were already in the classrooms,” Bleeker said. “Because if one person tested positive, that probably would have wiped out five classes.”

The university has maintained the position that with masks and physical distancing in place in face-to-face classrooms, exposure risk is minimal.

For Todd Erkis, visiting professor of finance, campus-arrival testing helped him to realize he was infected with the coronavirus.

He was tested on Aug. 17, started feeling symptoms in the form of aches the next day and was ultimately informed he tested positive on Aug. 19. Erkis went on to inform all of his classes about his situation, as well as anyone he had recently been in contact with.

“I am glad the testing is being done and everyone should get tested,” Erkis said. “If the testing had to be mandatory for everyone to get tested, then that is a good thing in my opinion.”

While Erkis quarantined at his home, residential students who have tested positive were given the choice of quarantining at home, in a designated residence hall on campus or at a nearby hotel when the residence hall reached capacity. Some students who needed to quarantine have been transported by university shuttles to the Homewood Suites on City Avenue. There they are delivered meals and contacted daily by contact tracers and representatives from Counseling and Psychological Services to check on their mental health during their quarantine.

Benner would not say how many students are currently in quarantine in Sourin or at the hotel.

“We will not release exact numbers of students in various quarantine and isolation spaces for privacy reasons,” Benner wrote.

Throughout the fall semester, testing will continue to be available for students experiencing symptoms through the Student Health Center, according to the Aug. 28 university announcement. The university directed faculty and staff experiencing symptoms to their personal medical providers to get tested.

Benner confirmed that the university is in the process of determining further follow-up testing plans.

O’Donnell stressed that regular, frequent, mandated testing of all university members is important, as it can identify asymptomatic individuals.

“It’s not just a single test in time,” O’Donnell said. “It’s testing over time.That’s the most helpful way to utilize testing as a tool to prevent or mitigate spread, because

you test everybody at time zero, and they’re negative but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be positive two days later. If you’re testing regularly, then you may be able to more quickly prevent the further spread of the disease by identifying these asymptomatic individuals and quarantining them and preventing them from spreading it further.”

But O’Donnell said that a significant challenge is that the ability to test quickly and frequently is often “an idea, but not a reality for the United States right now.”

Vault, the company that conducted St. Joe’s campus testing, currently has individual tests listed at $150, but has bulk pricing available for organizations to purchase testing kits and conduct testing on-site.

Bleeker said it is important the university continue to invest in frequent testing.

“It’s definitely tough with how expensive these tests are, but I definitely think the university is able to allocate funds for frequent testing because that’s so important,” Bleeker said. “And a lot of people aren’t going to get tested again if they don’t have symptoms, and that’s not always the case with coronavirus.”

Benner wrote that the launch of a dashboard to track university-wide positive test results was published as planned on Aug. 28.

As of press time, the university reported 11 positive cases.

The dashboard is expected to be updated on a weekly basis, Benner wrote.

Benner said St. Joe’s plans to continue on-campus operations up to Thanksgiving Break.

“We are not planning to change course unless public health conditions absolutely warrant it,” Benner wrote. “Our positive case counts are very low and manageable, and we have health and safety mitigation strategies in place.”

Early COVID-19 cleaning and sanitizing inconsistent FROM PG 1 Benner wrote in an email to The Hawk, in response to questions about the HawkHill Ready plan and cleaning protocols.

“It’s hard to say exactly when each area was cleaned, as the schedule was staged for office, department and student arrivals,” Benner wrote. “All of the high-traffic areas are being cleaned twice per day.”

Benner wrote that “If you have a specific question or issue about an area, please submit a Schooldude [sic] ticket.”

SchoolDude is the work order system that St. Joe’s uses to track maintenance requests, submitted by students, faculty and staff.

Jeffrey Hyson, Ph.D., assistant professor of history, is teaching three hybrid courses partially in person and said professors are unable to tell if the proper cleaning protocols are being followed in the classrooms.

“Maybe that’s the first time they’ve been cleaned that day, and maybe it’s the fourth time they’ve been cleaned, it’s kind of hard to tell,” Hyson said. “It’s not like I can walk into a room and know oh ’There’s [a] virus in this room because somebody hasn’t come through and done the cleaning, but they said they were going to.’ There’s just no way for us to know that.”

Ashley O’Brien ’22, who lives in Ash-

wood Hall, said she doesn’t believe the elevator buttons or door handles are being cleaned enough per the university’s guidelines. O’Brien said that lack of cleaning shared surfaces puts students in a position to maintain proper health and safety. .

“That brings up a concern about people touching handles, touching buttons on the elevators and all that stuff could spread,” O’Brien said. “It’s up to the students’ responsibility to bring wipes and clean their areas and desks and stuff, but I don’t know if everyone follows that type of cleaning process.”

Benner wrote that prior to the start of the semester housekeeping had been preparing for the return to campus for months.

Tanya Dawson, a cleaner who has worked at St. Joe’s for 24 years, currently cleans LaFarge Hall. Dawson said the changes in cleaning protocols are an adjustment for all cleaners.

“It is very difficult, but we manage to finish the best we can,” Dawson said. “It is difficult, but we also are working in teams.”

Hyson acknowledged that many people across campus have had to “work twice as much” with the same amount of resources they had before the pandemic, and that includes housekeeping staff.

“Some of the least paid people on staff at a university are going to be asked to shoulder so much more responsibility for these

protocols,” Hyson said. “That’s a real question, not just of health and safety, but it’s a question of equity.”

Rose Weldon, who has been a cleaner at St. Joe’s for over 20 years, said all cleaners, no matter what building they clean, have been putting in extra work to achieve the cleaning standards set by the university “If I said that it didn’t feel different, I wouldn’t be telling the truth,” Weldon said.

“It does feel different. It’s a new way of life.”

But housekeeping staff do not have enough materials to disinfect all high touch areas and are therefore unable to take proper cleaning precautions, according to one member of the staff whose name is omitted to protect their employment status.

“The truth is that we do not have enough materials to work, and especially to disinfect the areas that everyone touches, which is where you should take the greatest caution,” the staff member told The Hawk.

In an Instagram post on Aug. 27, Saint Joseph’s University wrote, “Everyone in the SJU community is encouraged to wipe down frequently touched objects and surfaces like desks, phones and door knobs before and after use.”

When asked about the post, and whether students were now responsible for cleaning the spaces they occupy, Benner said in an email to The Hawk that the information

in the post is not new.

“We all need to work together,” Benner wrote. “Wipes are provided in each classroom for this purpose. Each building has been assigned a building liaison who is responsible for replenishing supplies as needed. If a student notices that something needs to be restocked, they can mention this to any member of the faculty or staff to notify the building liaison.”

Benner said members of the community should carry their own supply of masks, hand sanitizers and tissues.

“The Health and Safety Plan also notes that all community members should plan on supplying their own personal items on page 18,” Benner wrote.

Mia Nixon ’23 said there is risk involved in coming back to campus, regardless of the cleaning protocols in place because maintaining safe conditions is a transition everyone needs to make.

“The cleaning procedures aren’t going to be 100% realistic,” said Nixon, who rides the shuttle back and forth to Ashwood Hall.

“When [the bus driver] first arrived, he wasn’t expected to clean, so it’s something that everyone has to get used to.”

News

The Hawk Newspaper

Sept. 2, 2020

3

Students struggle with mixed modality course schedules DEVIN YINGLING ’22 News Editor NICK KARPINSKI ’21 Multimedia Editor Throughout the first week of the fall semester, students scrambled from class to class, struggling to navigate a mix of faceto-face, hybrid, hyflex and online classes.

Out of all undergraduate courses being taught this semester, approximately 17% of courses are face-to-face, while the rest are a combination of either online, independent study, internships, capstones, hyflex and hybrid courses, according to Gail Benner, director of Public Relations and Media. Hybrid courses move back and forth between face-to-face and online learning while hyflex courses simultaneously deliver content face-to-face and online.

Students like Mackenzie Bell ’22, a Spanish and marketing major who lives off campus and is taking five classes this semester, have struggled to move back and forth between the different modes of learning.

“I don’t think we would have wanted to come back if we knew how unorganized it was going to be,” Bell said.

On Mondays, for example, Bell has an online Spanish course at 11:15 a.m. and an in-person marketing class immediately after at 12:20 p.m.

Toward the end of her Spanish course on the first day of classes, Bell drove to campus and continued to listen to the Zoom audio of her Spanish class in order to make it to her marketing class on time.

“Even now, the first week is already done, and I don’t know what classes I have in person next week,” Bell said. “One of my professors decided the night before we would have class online as opposed to in-person. I planned out my week, and I worry if it will be consistent or if I’ll have to wake up everyday to see what’s going on and check my Canvas notifications to see if anything changed.”

The Hawk reached out to Cheryl McConnell, Ph.D., provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, requesting an interview to talk about, among other matters, whether or not professors have the opportunity to officially change their teaching modality after classes had already begun. The Hawk’s request was redirected to Benner.

“In mid-August, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health modified its guidance for classroom space necessitating a comprehensive recalculation of spacing and capacity,” Benner wrote in an email to The Hawk. “There may have been a few instructors who modified their modality due

to classroom changes.”

By now, though, Benner wrote, “modalities should be settling in at this time.”

Other students told The Hawk that classes officially listed as one mode were being taught in other modes. For example, some face-to-face classes are now either being taught as a hybrid course or have transitioned to fully online.

When asked if she is aware of professors unofficially changing their teaching modalities after the start of the semester, Benner said no.

While the university offered flexible modules to accommodate students with different schedules and needs, students like Mae Hughes ’23, an early education major, said that flexibility is actually a challenge.

Hughes is currently enrolled in five courses: two fully online, one hyflex and two hybrid. Hughes said taking courses in different modalities makes it difficult to participate in class, especially on Tuesdays.

“I had to go from the Science Center and scramble around campus to find somewhere to sit,” Hughes said. “I ended up going to the library for my online

class but it was impossible to talk. It was dead silent. It wasn’t comfortable for me to speak in class.”

The Hawk asked the provost how the university is continuing to accommodate students who are struggling to move back and forth from in-person to online classes. Benner responded on McConnell's behalf, referring to an Aug. 26 Hawk Hill Ready communication titled “Where can I study?”

The communication, sent on the third day of classes, provided a list of places on campus the university said was available for study purposes, including lounges in academic spaces, the Office of Inclusion and Diversity, The Perch, the common room in the Women’s Center, rooms in Post Learning Commons and in Mandeville conference rooms, along with spaces outside which the university said now has “enhanced WiFi.” Hughes said the university should have planned better.

“Of course there are tables you can sit at, but everyone’s looking for a space to sit and they get filled up,” Hughes said. “Eventually I just saw people sitting on the grass

and just doing their work on the ground.”

Tori Twohig ’21, an interdisciplinary health services major who lives in Merion Gardens, said the issue for her with a mixed modality schedule is not a matter of where to sit on campus. Rather, Twohig said the short time to travel between classes makes it difficult to get home for her microbiology lab that requires her to be off of campus.

“I have bacteria and my supplies at home,” Twohig said. “I can’t take that in the library. I literally have to speed home for that.”

Twohig said her overall experience is a fairly stressful one, and transitioning into a semester with a varying mix of class modalities and a short timeframe to get to and from each course is difficult.

“I just get so nervous and I keep checking the time towards the end of my class, I just keep checking my watch,” Twohig said. “I guess I don’t really pay attention to the last minutes [of class] as well as I should just because I get so nervous about where I’m going to take my next class.”

Students find places to study and take online courses around campus, including public tables outside of the library. PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

Department of Public Safety reports (Aug. 21-Aug. 27) Aug. 23

Aug. 23

No incidents to report.

No incidents to report.

Aug. 22

Aug. 24

Public Safety was notified by an area resident of a large party in the 5600 block of Overbrook Avenue. Public Safety Officers and Philadelphia Police were notified and responded into the area. Community Standards notified.

Public Safety was notified by the Pennsylvania State Police/Liquor Control Board of a large party in the 100 block of Shurs Lane, Manayunk, Pennsylvania. No citations at this time were issued by officers. Community Standards notified.

Public Safety was notified by a St. Joe’s student of a party in LaFarge Residence Hall. Public Safety Officers responded and met with members of Residence Life at which time Officers were advised of a student gathering that took place in a first floor suite. The students were disbursed without incident. Community Standards notified.

Public Safety was notified by an area resident of a large party in the 5400 block of Wynnefield Avenue. Public Safety Officers and Philadelphia Police were notified and

ALCOHOL RELATED INCIDENTS

responded. Community Standards notified.

Aug. 25 No incidents to report.

Aug. 26 No incidents to report.

4 2

On campus

Off campus

DRUG RELATED INCIDENTS

1

0

Aug. 27

On campus

No incidents to report.

Call Public Safety:

Off campus

610-660-1111

4

Sept. 2, 2020

Opinions

The Hawk Newspaper

Do Better Reacting to St. Joe’s lack of action 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 Opinions Editor Tayler Washington ’22 Assistant Opinions Editor Sehar Macan-Marker ’22 Features Editor Giana Longo ’22 Assistant Features Editor Nenagh Sheehan ’21

We knew it wouldn’t be easy coming back to campus in the middle of a pandemic. We know St. Joe’s leadership, faculty and staff worked hard all summer to make it possible for us to come back to campus in order to have as much of a “normal” semester as possible. We acknowledge all of this work and for that we’re greatly appreciative.

But the university’s lack of transparency and inability to follow through on promises made to ensure our safety has put all of us in a potentially dangerous situation.

The Hawk Hill Ready Health and Safety plan was released about two weeks before students returned to campus and promised cleaning procedures and health precautions that upheld the Jesuit values the university was founded on. The university assured us that measures would be taken to reduce the risk of the spread of the virus in order to continue in-person instruction “for as long as possible.”

These promises appear to not have been fully upheld. We are disappointed in this lack of follow-through on the university’s end of the iCare Pledge that all community members were required to sign. As we begin our second week of classes, based on our conversations with students, faculty and staff, we have identified three major shortcomings in the university’s plans for the fall semester Inconsistent sanitation agenda The university laid out explicit guidelines in the Health and Safety plan, including, “high touch surfaces, such as elevator buttons, handrails and door handles, being cleaned several times per hour and classrooms being cleaned twice a day.” Along with this, there was the promise of “sanitizing wipes being available in all classrooms and buildings on campus.”

We have not seen these cleaning measures being consistently fulfilled and many university members have had difficulty finding wipes in every classroom and building during our first week of classes. Who is to say these standards will be upheld later in the semester if they weren’t even fully in place during our first week on campus? We have numerous eye-witness accounts of students sitting in the same spot for extended periods of time and not seeing a single

door handle or table cleaned once, let alone “several times per hour” as promised in the Health and Safety plans. If the university knew it would not be able to sustain basic health and safety preventative measures necessary to keep us safe, they should not have had us return to campus.

Last minute pivot to mandatory testing At 2 p.m. on Aug. 24, the first day of classes, the university suddenly announced that anyone living, working or learning on campus was to take a mandated COVID-19 test. For two weeks prior to returning to campus the university’s message was that students were “strongly recommended” to take the university’s free test for “campus arrival.” By this point, students had already moved back to campus, been to classes and moved around in high traffic areas. This puts everyone involved at risk, including the community surrounding St. Joe’s campus.

Moreover, the amount of students moving back to West Philadelphia, on and off campus, is a concern for the families living and working in the area. The communities surrounding campus are largely Black and brown, at least on the Philadelphia side of St. Joe’s. Emerging research indicates that BIPOC communities are three times as likely to contract the coronavirus as white people, and nearly twice as likely to die from the virus. This alone goes against St. Joe’s Jesuit values of “making ethical decisions” by blatantly putting a high risk community in harm’s way.

We’ve considered the risks of allowing students on campus to begin with, and concluded that mandatory testing should have preceded students, faculty and staff ’s return to campus. We understand the expense and logistical issues the university is facing at this time, but this is an exceptional challenge that requires exceptional solutions. Now we are left to wonder if we were in contact with someone who tested positive before they took their test and wait for the next cluster of cases to break out.

Chaotic class modalities Students who have chosen to return to campus are taking a mix of face-to-face, hybrid, hyflex and online classes. When considering outside limitations such as transit,

safety and required courses, a mixed modality plan has proven to be, to put it lightly, rather impractical.

Having 15 minutes to get from a faceto-face class to an online class is unrealistic if a student doesn’t live on main campus.

St. Joe’s response to this problem was to provide “study spaces” on campus for students to conduct their online courses, but this defeats the purpose of having an online class because students still have to be in a public space and deal with the fear of being in an unclean facility. It would appear that this wasn’t completely thought through, and now students are left to deal with the repercussions of the university’s ill-planning.

By allowing students to return and making options for completely remote learning challenging, St. Joe’s is putting the on-campus community, and our neighbors, in a precarious situation. We know many students are uncomfortable with this.

In order to keep our community safe and uphold the Jesuit values we promote, St. Joe’s must be more transparent with its plans to keep everyone safe. All members of our community deserve to know what is happening on campus. We could start with daily COVID-19 infections updates on campus through a more user-friendly dashboard. The promises made to entice students, faculty and staff back to campus should be kept. The university should do more to uphold the Jesuit values in order to follow through on the mission of “with and for others” by taking responsibility for any possible COVID-19 outbreaks and not putting the full blame on student behaviors.

Students are willing to cooperate with the university so long as it is willing to 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 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

TEAM EDWARD FOR THE WIN Our 2010 selves are thriving seeing Robert Pattinson back on the big screen. Even though we were definitely “team Jacob” during peak “Twilight” years, we’re happy to see Pattinson in the spotlight as one of our favorite masked superheroes, Batman.

BIRD? PLANE? UGH, A LANTERN FLY Our favorite spotted planthoppers are back. On our cars, outside of our dorms and apartments and flying in our faces as we sweatily trudge across campus from our online class to our face-to-face class.

Hands down, one of the most annoying creatures since the stink bug.

PRE-MADE HAWK WRAPS? WIN! The new Campion Food Court line is definitely more efficient and a lot more health conscious. Not having food sitting out, exposed to whatever airborne germs are out there, is a big plus during these scary times.

SPIT TUBES Okay, we know we’re not the only ones who sat in 90 degree weather, without having had anything to drink in over 30 minutes, desperately trying to produce saliva. We are strong advocates for taking the test and promoting good health, but the amount of spit required in that tiny tube was just not a fun time.

GOOD UNCLE At least once a day, you can see one of your friends posting an Instagram story of their Good Uncle meal. If you haven’t used the fresh meal delivery service St. Joe’s has partnered with, then you’re definitely missing out. It’s a go-to when we feel ourselves reaching for another cup of Annie’s mac and cheese.

HYBRID CLASSES 2020 has been a year filled with strange things, but hybrid classes feel like some type of alternate universe where we’re just watching our in-person counterparts take the same class. Hybrid classes are a good alternative for those who cannot or do not wish to be in person, but it’s definitely a weird futuristic vibe all around.

Opinions

The Hawk Newspaper

Sept. 2, 2020

5

St. Joe’s mishandled COVID-19 testing University took too long to make testing mandatory FOX RYKER ’23 Guest Columnist St. Joe’s is mishandling testing protocols for COVID19. Even with mandatory asymptomatic testing in place, the first week is too late. We will still go online before midterms, and there will be no refunds.

I created a petition demanding that the university make asymptomatic testing mandatory. It has 150 signatures. I sent it to 18 out of 19 members of university leadership. I have received no response.

Testing for first-year residential undergraduates was conducted during the weeks of Aug. 17 and Aug. 24. The estimated wait time for test results is 48 to 72 hours after the company receives the specimen.

Therefore, most students didn’t receive their results until after classes began. This

means there might have been asymptomatic students who spread the virus during face-to-face, hybrid and hyflex classes. This is unacceptable, and university leadership knows it. Either they feign transparency or

was mandatory. Instead of initially making asymptomatic testing mandatory, St. Joe’s administrators relied solely on masks, social distancing and adapted class formats.

The university will neither mention,

“This means there might have been asymptomatic students, who spread the virus during face-toface, hybrid and hyflex classes. This is unacceptable, and university leadership knows it. Either they feign transparency or simply do not care.” simply do not care.

As of Aug. 24, asymptomatic testing

rative is placing blame on us, the students.

When we go online, our university will say they did everything they could to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on campus. They will say students are at fault. They want our money because they are suffering financially, as seen through the tuition hike this semester.

What matters now is confirming cases and contract tracing. As of Aug. 27, the university reported 11 positive cases of COVID-19. With most undergraduate students taking their tests on Aug. 27 and Aug. 28, they are receiving their results while already on campus.

Our university acted a week too late, and we will face the consequences of their actions.

recognize nor accept accountability for this decision. From the start, the metanar-

Hong Kong’s death blow The end of “one country, two systems” PATRICK ADAMS ’23 Columnist The last time we heard about Hong Kong, in Oct. 2019, the world was a very different place. Concerns surrounding the spread of COVID-19 have inevitably shut down many protests in Hong Kong over public health concerns.

However, the Hong Kong District Council Election in Nov. 2019 gave pro-democracy candidates the biggest win in history. A record-breaking 71.2% turnout marked the largest election ever held in Hong Kong, according to Foreign Policy Global Magazine.

Before the new protests in 2015, turnout was less than 50%, and pro-Beijing parties were elected to 70% of all council seats. Today, pro-democracy parties control 17 out of 18 of Hong Kong’s district councils after more than half of all seats flipped from pro-Beijing to pro-democracy.

So, why is Hong Kong back in the news?

Unfortunately for democratic activists, the district councils of Hong Kong have little power, especially now that the National People’s Congress has enacted a new national security law to reign in Hong Kong.

Mainland China has now superseded Hong Kong to extend their power to stop protests in the name of national security.

This new law gives police more power to crackdown on protesters. It changes the judicial system and seeks to suppress “subversion, secession, terrorism and any act that threatens national security,” according to the New York Times.

While China has maintained that this new legislation does not violate the one

ILLUSTRATION: CASEY WOOD ’23/THE HAWK

country, two systems policy, it clearly does.

The bill abandons the core principles of Hong Kong’s 1997 Constitution. This intervention by the Communist Party is a blatant violation of the Basic Law signed between the United Kingdom and China before the 1997 transition. Not only will this legislation give mainland China more power to intervene in the supposedly autonomous region, but it paves the way for an even greater control of Hong Kong in future legislation.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, with support from U.S. President Donald Trump, notified Congress on May 27 that The White

House no longer regards Hong Kong as autonomous from mainland China.

Under an existing U.S. law designed to protect human rights in Hong Kong, the city will have its special economic status removed, potentially putting 100,000 jobs created by U.S. companies in Hong Kong at risk. From the U.S.’ perspective, Hong Kong has already lost. Amazingly, the U.S. and China relationship has managed to hit a new low thanks to China’s desire to permanently reign in Hong Kong.

The sentence, “‘One country, two systems’ is the fundamental policy of the Chi-

nese Government for bringing about the country’s reunification,” might be written in the Basic Law of the People’s Republic of China, but China has clearly abandoned any commitment to it.

The United Kingdom agreed to return Hong Kong to China under this agreement, but now that authoritarian socialism is the new “system” of Hong Kong, it may be time to question if Hong Kong and China should be part of one country after all.

6

Sept. 2, 2020

The Hawk Newspaper

Opinions

From Ivanhoe to Zoom

How students form a bond through APEX MAGGIE BRENNEN ’22 Columnist When I decided to go on the Appalachian Experience (APEX) two years ago as a first-year student, I expected to have a great spring break where I would make friendships within my group and learn from the community I served, then return to the normalcy of campus.

It wasn’t until I was on the trip that I realized the second half of the spring semester would be so much more fulfilling than the first, as I would continue to spend time with my group and become more involved in service and Campus Ministry.

Naturally, I expected the same experience when I got in a big white van to head to Ivanhoe, Virginia last semester. As much as I wanted to make the most of our incredible week, I was also eager to get back on campus where I could have beautiful little moments, like grabbing Starbucks with my new friends.

I was heartbroken when COVID-19 hit.

While in Virginia, we were not only notified of St. Joe’s move to virtual instruction, but we were also sent home a day and a half early from our trip. While sitting in melancholic silence on the unexpected van ride home, I

thought about all I would be missing on campus. However, it turns out that I did not miss out on as much of the post-APEX experience as I feared.

My first of many Zoom calls amidst the

vironment in Virginia where we could talk about our spirituality and service experiences without fear of judgement. I felt the same level of comfort while looking at my Zoom screen.

pandemic was with my APEX group. After the shock of coming home from the trip early and learning more about COVID-19, it was extremely helpful to check in with the group about how we were feeling, just like we would have check-ins on our trip. It was helpful to know we were not alone. This openness was not new to us because we established an en-

ILLUSTRATION: CASEY WOOD ’23/ THE HAWK

Along with this intentionality came fun.

We figured out ways to play our favorite card games over the internet. We ended up having Zoom chats frequently by making sure to schedule meetings whenever there was a birthday in the group so that we could sing

horrible renditions of “Happy Birthday.” We then ended up chatting until we ran out of things to talk about, which took a long time.

The sweetest moment shared with my APEX group in quarantine was the exchange of affirmation letters. This is somewhat of a tradition for all APEX groups. Of course, this year, the logistics of mailing dozens of handwritten letters were too complicated, so instead, everyone received a Google Doc filled with pages and pages of affirmations.

After two months of sitting in quarantine, often feeling unproductive and lonely, the affirmation letters I received improved my mood like nothing else could. Writing a letter to everyone in my group reminded me of how lucky I am to know them and how excited I am to be able to hug them again one day.

Just like the people of Ivanhoe inspired me, my APEX group inspires me to become a better person. Our love for each other did not end when we got off of our vans on campus at 1:00 a.m. in March, but rather, it remains so strong that it can be felt through a computer screen.

The Tiqui-taca blues A rebirth of the beautiful game of soccer ALEX MANDUCA ’22 Columnist Though the 2020 UEFA Champions League will not soon be forgotten for the unique circumstances under which it was played, the 2020 campaign will primarily be remembered as the year an era-defining team changed the way we play soccer.

Midway through the Round of 16 in early March, COVID-19 struck Europe and brought the competition to a grinding halt.

The first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 match between Atalanta B.C. and Valencia CF, in which over 40,000 fans attended, was dubbed a “biological bomb” that led to the mass outbreak of COVID-19 in the town of Bergamo, Italy. The competition was then postponed indefinitely, and fans were told that they wouldn’t be allowed to attend matches in person for the foreseeable future.

The tournament was only allowed to resume five months later, in August. To minimize the chance of disease transmission, all of the remaining fixtures would be played without fans in two stadiums in a knockout-style tournament in Lisbon, Portugal. This year’s competition would certainly look different, but that didn’t matter. At last, soccer was back, and the remaining matches of the season were more highly anticipated than ever before.

FC Bayern Munich, the German machine that had just won its eighth consecutive domestic league title, was set to face Lionel Messi’s FC Barcelona, who have been titans both domestically and in Europe for as long as anyone can remember. The teams looked evenly

matched and neither were largely favored by the bookies.When game day finally came, Bayern Munich shocked the world. They annihilated Barcelona 8-2.

The soccer world was in a state of disbelief. Never before had a team with so many

Yet somehow, the 11 players that Bayern Munich started against Barcelona cost them a mere €100 million($119,422,000 million). To put that into perspective, Philippe Coutinho alone, a Barcelona player deemed unsuitable for the squad and promptly sent on loan to

ILLUSTRATION: CASEY WOOD ’23/THE HAWK

star players and such a legacy been defeated so completely in this stage of a major European competition. Barcelona was set ablaze. This result sparked protests against the Barcelona administration and a call for the mass exodus of FC Barcelona superstars like Luis Suárez, Gerard Piqué and nearly every other player in the squad.

Bayern Munich for a negligible fee, cost Barcelona €160 million($191,138,400). Ironically enough, Coutinho scored two of Bayern’s eight goals against Barcelona in the quarterfinal.

This team, which brought some of the greatest players in the world to their knees, found itself in an unprecedented debacle.

Over the course of soccer’s history, many

different styles of play have come in and out of popular use. Some of the most iconic styles, like the Brazilian “Ginga” and the Italian “Catenaccio,” were unprecedented when they were first used. Teams that utilized them enjoyed years of dominance. However, these styles’ weaknesses were eventually understood and teams that played with these styles were dismantled over time. For the past decade, the Spanish national team and, most famously, Barcelona employed a style of play called “Tiqui-taca,” which relies upon maintaining possession through a series of short and quick passes. Since 2009, Barcelona has achieved great success by religiously practicing the art of “Tiqui-taca.”

But Bayern Munich’s obliteration of Barcelona this year marked the definitive end of the “Tiqui-taca” era and ushered in a new age of soccer dominated by a strength and pacebased German game. Three out of the four managers in the Champions League’s semi-finals this year were German. Jürgen Klopp, manager of the English team Liverpool F.C., led his team to Champions League glory last year and, on his way, knocked the favorite Barcelona out of the competition. Though this new German style has not yet been named, we will surely see its rise continue in years to come and witness a new age in the history of this beautiful game.

Features

The Hawk Newspaper

Sept. 2, 2020

7

Lower Merion and Overbrook students join to protest education divide PHOTOS: DANNY REMISHEVSKY ’23/THE HAWK

A protester holds a Black Lives Matter sign at the start of the march.

Students walk down Bala Ave in Lower Merion Township.

DANNY REMISHEVSKY ’23 Staff Photographer On Aug. 30, students, faculty, staff and supporters from the Lower Merion and Overbrook school districts marched from Cynwyd Station Park in Bala Cynwyd to Tustin Playground in Overbrook in order to protest the funding divide between the two school districts.

The protest was organized by a group of current and former Lower Merion High School students, calling to “Break the divide of City Line.”

Hasadri Freeman, a Lower Merion High School alumna who now attends the University of Leeds, said the education system is “the effect of years of oppresion and redlining.”

“Everyone deserves a fair education, no matter where you're from. No matter if you’re from the suburb, or the urban city,” Freeman said.

Caitlin McGinty, a Lower Merion High School student, said these issues are not just a Philadelphia problem.

“Every institution in America is built off of the egocentric narcissistic capitalistic overly masculine ideals and so we really want to debunk that narrative,” McGinty said.

Students and supporters lead the march with signs down Bala Avenue in Lower Merion Township with other protesters close behind.

Protesters walk a flag past St. Joe’s campus on 54th Street.

Protesters holding Black Lives Matters signs march past Samuel Gompers School.

8

Features

The Hawk Newspaper

Sept. 2, 2020

Fresh faces: meet the class of 2024 First-year students share their thoughts on starting their first semester of college during the coronavirus pandemic.

Kendall Lightner ’24 Jacob Vucinaj ’24

Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland Major: biology

What advice have you received about starting college?

“Look for opportunities to get involved in student life and just do something different than I have the past four years.”

How do you feel about your unconventional first semester of college?

“I’ve been waiting to have that real college experience. It could be a little disheartening because I really wanted that first-year experience because I am a first-generation college student. My parents and everybody are living vicariously through me. It is a little sad to me.”

Interviewed by Sara Garstka ’22

Interviewed by Caroline Manyoky ’20

Hometown: Farmington Hills, Michigan Major: leadership, ethics and organizational sustainability

Madeleine Swietlik ’24

Owen Fabula ’24

Hometown: Bainbridge Island, Washington Major: criminal justice

Hometown: Fallston, Maryland Major: computer science

What are you most excited for this semester?

“I am honestly really excited for theology and ethics classes because I haven’t ever taken them before. I love discussion classes and expanding upon ideals and theologies. I love hearing what other people think.”

What are you most excited for this semester?

“I’m excited to meet new people and make more friends, but I’m nervous that we will be sent home early, especially with the already confirmed COVID-19 cases.”

Interviewed by Brenda Thompson-Wallace ’21

Interviewed by Nenagh Sheehan ’21 PHOTOS: MITCHELL SHIELDS ’22/THE HAWK

Features

The Hawk Newspaper

CineHawk: remembering a king JAYLEN DOTSON '21 Columnist When I heard the news that actor Chadwick Boseman died of colon cancer on Sept.

28, I was devastated. As the Black Panther, Boseman had broken so many barriers and inspired an entire generation of young creators of color. Suddenly, a man with boundless talent and charisma, a superhero, a king, was just gone.

Originally, Boseman planned to translate a love for drawing into a career as an architect.

During his junior year at T. L. Hanna High School in Anderson, South Carolina, something happened that permanently altered the course of Boseman’s life. When a member of Boseman’s basketball team was shot and killed, Boseman, to cope, wrote his first play,“Crossroads,” igniting a passion for storytelling.

Boseman pursued this passion by studying at Howard University, where he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in directing, and at the Digital Film Academy in New York. Taking work as a drama instructor while pursuing his directing, Boseman also began a steadily rising acting career. One of his first prominent roles, the character of Reggie Montgomery on the soap opera “All My Children,” turned out to be short-lived when he confronted producers about the racist stereotypes in the show’s writing. Undeterred, he booked roles on shows like “Law and Order” and “ER,” balancing his acting with writing plays such as “Deep Azure,” which scored a nomination for the Joseph Jefferson Award in 2006.

After 10 years, just as he was on the verge of leaving acting for good, Boseman received his first starring film role in the Jackie Robinson biopic “42.” His performance was so inspired and authentic that Robinson’s widow, Rachel Robinson, said she felt like she was

seeing her husband again after 40 years. Boseman brought his talent to several more biopics, including “Get on Up” and “Marshall,” but it was his performance in “42” that would lead to him getting his most iconic role.

"...Boseman will be remembered for his personal integrity and his boundless decency."

While the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) enjoyed much success in its early years, many fans clamored for Marvel Studios to bring more diverse stories to the big screen.

While there had been Black-led superhero movies in the past, they were still seen as a risk in the eyes of much of the film industry.

The Black Panther was the first superhero of African descent, T’Challa, the warrior king of a fictional, Afrofuturistic country known as Wakanda. Since 1992, multiple attempts were made to bring the Panther to the big screen, including with “Blade” star Wesley Snipes. An official film was finally announced in 2014.

Black Panther made his first appearance in 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War,” for which Boseman’s performance received widespread praise.

Directed by Ryan Coogler and co-starring Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Letitia Wright and Angela Bassett, “Black Panther” quickly became a global hit, grossing $1.4 billion. “Black Panther” was the highest grossing film by a Black director, winning multiple Oscars. It was the first film of the superhero genre to receive a nomination for Best Picture. Most importantly, for many young Black children and teenagers, including myself, it was the first time seeing a superhero who looked like them.

The film celebrated the cultural depth and majesty of the African continent in a way few films had, with the Wakandan landscape, ar-

chitecture and costuming offering a beautiful vision of an African culture that was not besieged by colonialism.

Unlike previous villains in Marvel movies, Erik Killmonger, played by the talented Michael B. Jordan, was a fleshed out, three-dimensional character whose motivations tied directly to unjust treatment of Black people and Wakanda’s refusal to intervene.

The film ended its central conflict not simply with the defeat of the villain, but with T’Challa’s understanding of Erik’s pain and lessons learned from the mistakes of his ancestors. As with his previous roles, Boseman produced a compelling performance that showcased not only the nobility of a warrior king, but also the vulnerability of a human being trying to do what it is right for his people.

Beyond his singular talent as a performer, Boseman will be remembered for his personal integrity and his boundless decency. During an appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” in 2018, Boseman listened in on fans discussing his impact on their lives, then surprised them.

During one of these moments, a young Black girl described how Boseman was empowering people like her to create their own art and she expressed her intention to make movies. The first thing that Boseman asked when he revealed himself was, “What type of movies do you want to do?” Out all the things he could have said to her, the first thing on his mind was to nurture her creativity. Where other celebrities would have basked in their own prominence, he chose to empower a young Black child.

That is who Chadwick Boseman was.

That is the legacy of the king.

A look at what’s new on Hawk Hill ELAINA WALL '21 Assistant Features Editor Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the university’s Health and Safety Protocols have drastically impacted students’ lives on Hawk Hill. New guidelines, construction projects, new and modified clubs and virtual events have made for a unique, unprecedented fall semester.

Health and safety modifications New physical distancing guidelines and reminders are posted throughout campus. To prevent overcrowding and to regulate traffic flow, arrows are posted on doors, stairways and hallways. Signs across campus read “Mask Zone,” to remind students, faculty and staff that face coverings are required inside buildings and outside when physical distancing is not possible.

Construction The construction along City Avenue closed the east sidewalk along City Avenue for the next three weeks, according to an Aug. 24 advisory on The Nest. The closure is between the Barbelin Hall driveway and 54th Street, and continues around the corner to the driveway at Mandeville Hall. Students, faculty and staff are asked to utilize detours and crosswalks at Hawks’ Landing, Lapsley Lane and Cardinal Avenue.

Saint Mary’s Hall, originally an oncampus residence hall located directly behind McShain Hall until spring 2018, was recently renovated. It will soon house the Office of Financial Affairs and The Office of Human Resources.

Campus Ministry Sunday Mass will be livestreamed weekly on Campus Ministry’s Instagram account, @sjucampusministry, at 6:30 p.m.

and 8 p.m. Limited seating is available for those who wish to attend in person.

Additionally, Engage, a new program for first-year students, offers the opportunity to hear stories about Ignatian spirituality from Peer Ministers and a chance to form new friendships. The first session will be held on Sept. 1 at 4 p.m. in the Chapel of Saint Joseph.

The Weekly Service Program, where students work with community partners in Philadelphia and Camden, will still be offered at virtual and physical locations.

Other programs, including the Christian Life Community, where student groups meet weekly for conversation, reflection and prayer, will be offered with significant virtual modifications.

Events on Campus The annual Activities Fair, originally scheduled for Aug. 30, was postponed. De-

tails regarding how the fair will proceed will be available this week, according to an email from Beth Hagovsky, Ed.D. The Office of Inclusion and Diversity (OID) is hosting open house sessions on Sept. 1 and Sept. 3. The sessions will feature walk-through components, raffles, bingo and to-go snacks. Updates can be found on OID’s instagram account @cidatsju.

The annual Study Abroad fair will be a series of virtual events held on Zoom from Sept. 8 to Sept. 17. Events will include general study abroad Q&A sessions, and drop-in and scheduled sessions with individual programs.

The full calendar of events is available on the Center for International Program’s website.

Students utilize outdoor spaces while studying. PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS '22/THE HAWK

Sept. 2, 2020

9

Sunday scaries playlist NENAGH SHEEHAN ’21 Assistant Features Editor “Happy & Sad” by Kacey Musgraves This is a bittersweet song that sums up many of our feelings about this semester: happy to be back on campus, but sad many of our classes are online and that life is just not the same. Musgraves’ song is the perfect blend of country, pop and alternative, and her soothing voice is ideal for a lazy Sunday.

“Canyon Moon” by Harry Styles One of the less popular songs from Styles’ most recent album “Fine Line,” “Canyon Moon,” is as catchy as it is underrated. This is a perfect song during a chill car ride, while working on homework or when hanging out with roommates. The line, “I’m going home,” captures the feeling of coming back to campus.

“Saturday Sun” by Vance Joy When the Sunday scaries hit, this song is a refreshing reminder of that weekend feeling that is just a week away. Joy’s relaxing voice will ease any stress about the incoming school week. Take a breath and listen to this upbeat yet calm melody.

“Circles” by Mac Miller Miller’s song, “Circles,” is a soft guitar melody that can put anyone to sleep in minutes.

One of his sadder songs from the posthumous album can be used to unwind after a long stressful week. It sounds perfect with headphones while lying in bed and just letting the music move you.

“Sunday Morning” by Maroon 5 The name itself is fitting. Listening to this classic by Maroon 5 on a chill Sunday morning with a cup of coffee will settle your nerves about anything that might be happening on Monday. The line “things just get so crazy living life gets hard to do” hits home on a stressful Sunday night, after cramming homework into one day. “Sunday Morning” can remind you that everything will be fine.

“The Less I Know the Better” by Tame Impala Some might say that this indie favorite is overplayed, but sometimes indie songs become popular for a reason. This song is perfect for hanging out by yourself or singing the lyrics with friends to brighten the Sunday mood. “august” by Taylor Swift From Swift’s newest alternative album, “Folklore,” “august” takes us through a magical love story. Although summer is slipping away and schoolwork is starting to pile up, listening to “august” is like taking a walk down memory lane. As you begin to reminisce about summer, listen to this song.

10 Sept. 2, 2020

The Hawk Newspaper

Sports

St. Joe's runners mask up for the fall TYLER NICE ’23 Assistant Sports Editor The St. Joe’s men’s and women’s cross country teams are required to wear masks during practices on and off campus this fall to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Women’s cross country Head Coach Melody O’Reilly said there will be obvious adjustments the team will have to make.

“It’s definitely hard to breathe,” O’Reilly said. “We may need to slow the pace a little bit and give them more recovery, but we will get it done.”

O’Reilly is unsure if other teams in the Atlantic 10 (A-10) abide by the same mask regulations as St. Joe’s does. She said the jurisdiction of local and state governments determine when a college team is required to run with masks.

“St. Joe’s is a city school for half the campus, and it is a Philadelphia rule to mask up,” O’Reilly said. “It’s not just an athletics rule.”

While for most of these athletes the wearing of these masks in necessary, there are a few exceptions to the rules.

“If we’re running in groups and we’re not running with people in our immediate household, we’re expected to wear masks for the entire duration,” said senior cross country and track and field runner George Steinhoff.

Each week, the cross country teams’ practices consist of interval workouts, tempo runs and long runs. Steinhoff said masks are especially bothersome on tempo and long runs.

“We have one really long tempo run of about six to 10 miles and a long run which is

Members of the St. Joe’s women’s cross country team practice with their masks on. PHOTO COURTESY OF SJU ATHLETICS

about 13 to 17 miles,” Steinhoff said. “For those runs, it’s really difficult. But for the easier runs, it’s less of a nuisance.”

O’Reilly said that while discussions of requiring a mask during all athletic activities began as early as April in SJU Athletics, it only became a mandatory rule within the past few weeks.

“It wasn’t even a guarantee that they were going to have to wear them while

training,” O’Reilly said. “It was only in the last month before we came back that we started talking about the possibility of the athletes wearing a mask while training.”

Steinhoff said masks specifically designed for athletic activity will be distributed to athletes shortly.

“The university will be providing us with two masks to wear for athletic use within the next week or so,” Steinhoff said.

“[The athletic masks] will be more breathable than the standard surgical masks."

The men’s and women’s cross country seasons were postponed by the A-10 on July 17. Indoor track and field, a sport in which many cross country athletes compete in, is scheduled to resume as planned in winter 2020.

Why holding a fall season wasn't worth the risk MATT MIKESIC '21 Columnist Since the coronavirus brought an abrupt end to all sporting events last spring, all eyes looked forward to the fall for the hopeful return of collegiate sports.

On July 17, the Atlantic 10 joined numerous other major collegiate sports conferences by announcing the postponement of fall sports, with the possibility of a return to play next spring.

Despite many athletes and coaches across the country voicing their desire to continue with the fall sports schedule as originally planned, the public health risks were simply too great.

It is important to consider all of the added financial and logistical stress on sports seasons in the middle of a global pandemic. Additional time and money must be allocated to tackle new problems, such as testing athletes regularly, completely sanitizing equipment and training facilities and other precautionary measures.

The extra resources needed to support a successful fall season would not be justified considering the risk that one positive test could end an entire team’s season. Additionally, considering that a university cannot even charge spectators to come to watch the games to offset some of the added costs, a fall sports season is even less appealing.

For example, the troubles facing professional teams in the MLB proves the only truly safe way to hold sporting events is to

cut teams off from the outside world. Multiple MLB teams have already had players and staff test positive for COVID-19 while traveling to games.

Meanwhile, the NBA and NHL have had no positive cases since being secluded to “bubbles” that are completely removed from the rest of society.

In the context of college sports, es-

pecially at St. Joe's, there is absolutely no plausible way for athletes and athletic staff members to stay completely isolated from the rest of the world in order to continue with their fall seasons.

Despite the fact that the outlook for a postponed fall sports season is grim, there is still plenty of hope that there could be a return to play in the spring. St. Joe’s, along

with many other schools, came up with a plan for a safe and healthy return to campus and in-person learning.

But ultimately, the plausibility of a return to play in the spring comes down to everyone’s willingness to comply with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines to try and mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.

Field hockey team plays Syracuse University in fall 2018. PHOTO: MITCHELL SHIELDS '22/THE HAWK

St. Joe's field hockey team celebrates an A-10 Championship win in fall 2019. PHOTO COURTESY OF SJU ATHLETICS

Sports

The Hawk Newspaper

Sept. 2, 2020

11

Professional teams boycott against racial injustice RILEY FRAIN '21 Sports Editor Which professional teams and leagues boycotted their games?

On Aug. 26, players across six NBA teams decided not to play in a slate of postseason games as a statement in the fight for racial justice.

A number of other leagues also followed the NBA’s lead. The MLB, MLS and WNBA all canceled scheduled contests.

Players felt it was best not to take the court, field or diamond in solidarity with the Movement for Black Lives agenda.

Why did the boycott begin?

What sparked the protests among pro-

fessional sports was the shooting of 29-yearold Jacob Blake, a Black man who was shot seven times by police on Aug. 23. The shooting occured in Kenosha, Wisconsin, only about 30 miles from the city of Milwaukee, home to the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Bucks elected not to take the floor for game five of their first round playoff series with the Orlando Magic, who later joined the Bucks in solidarity.

Many NBA as well as WNBA players alike protested in response to the injustice as well. Several players spoke at rallies or donated to organizations promoting racial

justice. In particular, WNBA players wore white shirts that read “Jacob Blake” and marked with seven red dots on their backs, to signify the seven bullets that police shot at Blake.

Will leagues continue to postpone their games?

The NBA agreed to return to action on Aug. 29 after long meetings and discussions between players. The WNBA made their return to the court on Aug. 28. Players continue to plead for change, citing the need for team owners to do more in creating social change.

Chris Paul, a guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder, stated in a press conference that for him, it’s all about setting a standard throughout the league.

“For the young guys in our league to get a chance to see how guys are really coming together and speak and see real change, real action, because guys are tired, and I mean tired,” Paul said. “When I say tired, we're not physically tired, we're just tired of seeing the same thing over and over again.”

12

Sept. 2, 2020

The Hawk Newspaper

Sports

Allison Grenier ’21 tests out the new esports lab equipment. PHOTO COURTESY OF MELISSA KELLY PHOTOGRAPHY

Esports initative fills void amid sports cancellations RILEY FRAIN ’21 Sports Editor In a school year that has already seen the postponement of fall sports, esports has offered a different outlet for SJU Athletics.

Luke Laperriere ’21, member of the esports club team, said esports arrived at an ideal time when other sports and recreation activities are canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Esports is a thing regardless of circumstances like COVID-19,” Laperriere said.

“You don’t need to be close to everyone you’re playing with. It really gives people an opportunity to be active and engaged in a community even if you’re not necessarily present at St. Joe’s.”

Esports are multiplayer video games which are played competitively to be viewed by spectators. Leagues or tournaments for esports are often based around specific video games such as League of Legends or Street Fighter, which are both popular in the esports community. Esports competitions take place all around the world, and can be played remotely, bringing in the greatest gamers from every corner of the globe.

SJU Athletics helped to oversee the creation of the new esports club team and their state-of-the-art esports lab in Merion Hall,

which features 24 high-end gaming stations, a coaching station, sound paneling and ergonomic chairs, as well as the development of a new esports marketing course, according to Director of Athletics Jill Bodensteiner, J.D. “We intend to keep it as a club sport but there are tons of opportunities within leagues and conferences to join and compete against others and we really want that to be student driven,” Bodensteiner said.

“We don’t want to create academic courses or clubs that don’t meet the students’ needs so we have really appreciated the input of student leadership so far.”

For Bodensteiner, the development of the esports program comes from three central ideas regarding esports and the future of the industry.

“First of all it’s fun,” Bodensteiner said.

“Number two, gaming has been demonstrated to develop skills like critical thinking, decision making, teamwork. People see it as an individual sport and it’s really not.

Third, hopefully [esports offers] preparation and access to some careers in Philadelphia, which is a super hot area for esports and the gaming industry.”

Last year, Comcast Spectacor announced

the plan to build a $50 million esports and entertainment arena adjacent to XFinity Live! in South Philadelphia. It will be the largest newly constructed, dedicated esports arena in the Western Hemisphere.

For Laperriere, St. Joe’s joining the forefront of the esports and gaming industry made a difference in his college experience.

“As a student and a member of the team, it’s really cool being on the cutting edge of what’s happening with esports,” Laperriere said. “In the past I haven’t been able to be involved with esports on a level I would have liked. But now that there’s the school support for it I can pursue it in a way that has more substance behind it.”

Bodensteiner said SJU Athletics hopes to build the esports program in the future.

“I would say that we’ll see both growth in the academic offerings and growth in how the club team competes at the intercollegiate level,” Bodensteiner said. “We’ll take some time to see what would be the best experience for our students, and I do believe the [university] will decide which additional courses to add into the mix.”

The esports club team is looking to compete in tournaments and leagues based

around three main video games, Smash Brothers, League of Legends and Overwatch. Pat Troise ’21, an esports club team member, said he is excited about the continued development of esports at St. Joe’s.

“The future of esports is looking really great,” Troise said. “At this school it’s very inclusive. I get to sit down with all five of my teammates and discuss the game we’re playing.”

Laperriere said the esports lab is a perfect place for video game lovers.

“Every person who loves video games dreams of having a room full of really nice computers where they can just go and play with their friends,” Laperriere said. “The esports lab has enough technology and computers and can be used for years to come.”

Overall, the creation of the esports program helped create a sanctuary for gamers looking to get involved in competitive gaming.

“Now that we have the esports lab it just feels really great to have a spot to play with the team, review games and really take a deeper look into how to improve the team,” Troise said.