Young runaways, immigrants become trafficking victims BY CORALINE PETTINE Writing Managing Editor
This is why so many young individuals are susceptible to becoming trafficking victims. Kim said, “You don’t need force to get a juvenile to sleep with X, Y and Z. It’s a distorted version of love. That’s all it takes for them.� Trafficking is not just limited to sex trafficking young, impressionable women. Trafficking can also be a result of extortion or exploitation. Stephanie Blakeman, case manager in the Anti Human-Trafficking Unit at the Nationalities Service Center, said trafficking— specifically labor trafficking in the agriculture field— is very common among immigrants. Immigrants and foreign nationals can be labor trafficked because their statuses leave them in fear of deportation and prevent them from reporting employers for exploitation. Thousands of immigrants come to the country under false promises and are exploited by employers. “The vulnerable populations, first and foremost, are individuals who come to the U.S. on temporary guest worker visas,� Blakeman said. “The other vulnerable group is undocumented immigrants who come from various sectors.� These workers sign contracts with employers where they agree on wages and living conditions; however, with foreign and immigrant labor trafficking victims, the employer uses their lack of ties, low education, limited language knowledge and the legal system against them. “The job will be different. The wages will be lower. The living and working conditions will be quite poor,� Blakeman said. “Because the person has few ties to the community, they might not know their rights. They feel they have no other option but to stay.� These exploited workers, in addition to poor working conditions and being underpaid, also do not receive overtime and can even miss entire paychecks. Human trafficking is an ever-expanding epidemic. Human trafficking rose more than 35 percent in 2016, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. Human trafficking is on the rise because it is a lucrative field. Profits for human trafficking come in at roughly $150 billion a year for traffickers, according to the International Labor Organization. Hugh Organ, associate executive director of the Covenant House, explained that human trafficking is the second largest, fastest growing criminal industry in the world. Organ said, “The only thing more profitable is the drug trade, and we suspect it will surpass the drug trade, because, ‘Once I sell this drug, it’s gone. I can sell this kid again and again and again. And I don’t have to have my drugs shipped in from wherever; I can go to the King of Prussia Mall or go to a foster care home.�
According to the Congressional Research Service, there are more than 1 million homeless youth living without supervision on the streets, in abandoned homes and buildings, in shelters, with friends or even with strangers every year. This estimation is considered to be lower than the actual number of homeless youth because this demographic is difficult to track. The majority of these runaways are female. These individuals are at an increased risk of physical abuse, mental health issues, substance abuse, sexual exploitation and human trafficking. Pearl Kim, former senior deputy attorney general, human trafficking advocate and keynote speaker at Cabrini’s Anti Human Trafficking Symposium on Tuesday, March 16, explained to the audience that more than 15 percent of runaways become sex slaves. “Sixty-eight percent of runaways were in social services or foster care, and one in six runaways in 2014 were likely sex trafficking victims,� Kim said. Young adult runaways frequently become the victims of human trafficking not through physical force but through emotional and mental manipulation. The human trafficking and pimping business is so lucrative, individuals can purchase instructional books on Amazon. According to “The Pimp Game: Instructional Guide,� the human trafficking of young girls begins when the pimp, or trafficker, earns the trust of the victim when she is vulnerable. He conditions her to associate sex with rewards, buying her gifts after intercourse. Author Michael Royal writes that the pimp must train her to crave the intimacy until the pimp has “broken her spirt [and] she has no sense of value.� When the time arrises, he convinces her that she needs to sell herself to support them— and, often, their addiction— and she becomes a full-fledged prostitute, addict and human trafficking victim. Kim elaborated on how normal, young women become prostitutes. “When you’re dealing with juveniles in particular, you can see how vulnerable they are. If they’re running away, who knows what their circumstances are,� Kim said. “And then they meet this guy, and this guy tells them, ‘You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Let me take care of you.’ And next thing you know, ‘Honey, you need to help me. We need some money and this is what you have to do.’� Kim said it does not require kidnapping or violent threats to traffic a young woman. It only takes an emotionally v u l n e rab l e person and a manipulative m a n .
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HOPE DALUISIO / VISUAL MANAGING EDITOR INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL RUNAWAY SAFELINE, EQUALITY NOW AND DO SOMETHING
EDITORIAL
2 | THELOQUITUR.COM
THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2018
WE ARE THE
LOQUITUR 2017-2018 Editorial Staff EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ANGELINA MILLER WRITING MANAGING EDITOR
CORALINE PETTINE VISUAL MANAGING EDITOR HOPE DALUISIO NEWS EDITORS EMMA RODNER-TIMS KELLY BUSH SPORTS EDITOR JOHN WILLIAMS LIFESTYLES EDITORS ERIC STONE KAITLYN D’AMBROSIO PERSPECTIVES EDITOR LAURA SANSOM WEB EDITOR SHANNON FINN ADVISER JEROME ZUREK
MISSION The Loquitur student newspaper and website are integral parts of the educational mission of the Cabrini communication department, namely, to educate students to take their places in the public media. Loquitur Media provides a forum of free expression. All members of the univeristy community may submit work to the editors for possible inclusion. Publication is based on the editorial decision of the student editors.
ERIC STONE / LIFESTYLES EDTOR
Saint Patty’s Day or Saint Party’s Day? No matter their backgrounds or ethnicities, people far and wide get together and celebrate on March 17. To a vast majority, that date marks a day reserved for drunken celebration and green-themed activities. In actuality, March 17— or better known as Saint Patrick’s Day— is a religious feast day to remember the death of Saint Patrick; it is a day to commemorate the evolution of history and culture in Ireland. Patrick, born in Roman Britain, first touched foot in Ireland as a captured slave. After escaping and finding safety in a French monastery, he converted to Christianity. Then, after entering the priesthood and eventually being ordained a bishop, was sent to fill Ireland with the Gospel. Over the course of 40 years, during the 400s, Saint Patrick built churches throughout Ireland and converted all the country to Christianity, using the famous shamrock, or
three-leafed clover, to talk about the Trinity— the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Saint Patrick had a burning love for the Lord and made it his life to carry out the Word. His love ran so deep that he had complete and utter trust in the Father. To Saint Patrick, he knew that God’s plan was what was best for him. This trust ran so deep that nothing filled him with fear— not even death. And maybe that is why we should celebrate him so deeply. Because he found something that steered his life and gave it purpose. He is an example of fulfilling life and engaging in the common good. What Saint Patrick did for the country of Ireland, and the Irish culture as a whole, is no small feat. It should be celebrated. But, not with green jello shots and barely-there green clothes. Irish culture should be highlighted. Perhaps, we should learn to understand why
the shamrock stands as the symbol of the holiday. Because its purpose is not to be the name of the famous McDonald’s drink Shamrock Shake. Its celebrators should understand what it must have meant for Saint Patrick to return to a country where he was once a slave. It takes someone with a truly pure heart to foster something with love that once hurt you. Instead, people far and wide, Irish or not, get drunk to the tune of Irish music and party until the sun comes up. But, why? Not to celebrate the change catalyzed by Saint Patrick, but because it is a day marked on their calendars for blacking out. Yes, the Irish culture is known to enjoy a good time and an even better Guinness, but they do not forget the history of their culture. So, next Saint Patrick’s Day, when you’re drinking green-dyed beer, think about why there’s a day celebrating the color green.
Uber, Lyft contribute to city taxes BY ALLIYAH MADURO Assistant Lifestyles Editor
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Loquitur accepts letters to the editors. They should be less than 500 words, usually in response to a current issue on Cabrini University’s campus or community area and are printed as space permits. Name, phone number and address should be included with submissions for verification purposes. All letters to the editors must be e-mailed to loquitur@ cabrini.edu
Ride-hailing services, such as Uber and Lyft, have threatened the taxi industries and public transportation in the past few years all around the country. Public transportation pays for some of the city’s expenditures. Since ride-hailing services have swept the nation, the income for public transportation has went down tremendously. According to an article in the New York Times, many cities— such as Chicago, Philadelphia, Massachusetts and New York— began to tax Uber and Lyft riders. Some individuals feel ride-hailing services should not pay taxes because it is not Uber’s and Lyft’s responsibilities to improve the cities. ANGELINA MILLER / EDITOR IN CHIEF “That shouldn’t be Uber’s job. Uber and Lyft users across the country may face additional taxes when using the apps. That should be our government’s and the city’s job to pay for the “People get on Uber to try to get to work for a reasonable price. streets and buildings,” sophomore black studies major Yseli If they raise the prices, they are just going to lose out,” Rivera said. Estevez said. However, the state of New York projects that this extra fee could Massachusetts was the first state to implement a tax on ride-hail- generate $605 million per year to help the subway system. ing services, adding a 20 cents tax. Philadelphia taxes 1.4 percent of “People won’t really notice the extra charge. A lot of companies the ride’s charge and New York is still on the verge of taxing their do it,” Philadelphian Uber driver Danielle Murray said. ride-hailing services. Philadelphia’s tax charge for the ride-hailing services is projected “I do not think it is fair. We already get taxed a lot,” Philadelphian to lead the city to raise $2.6 million in 2018 alone for public schools. Uber rider and junior English major Alondra Rivera said. CONTINUE READING ONLINE Manhattan is considering adding a tax on Uber, seeking to charge MADUROALLIYAH@GMAIL.COM anywhere from $2 to $5 extra per ride.
THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2018
NEWS
THELOQUITUR.COM | 3
Deportation tears family apart Editor’s Note: The surname of a subject in this article has been omitted to protect his identity. BY KELLY BUSH News Editor Imagine waking up to go to a court date and then being brought to an unfamiliar place. Then imagine not talking to the person you love for a whole day, being left only with their belongings with no clue where they are. This is what reality is for Johhny and his girlfriend. This last year has been hard on Johanny Lebron, Johnny’s girlfriend of three years. During the middle of her spring semester, Cabrini senior Johanny’s life was changed.
“We were just so happy and ICE came and took our dreams away,” Lebron said. When Johnny was taken into custody by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, Lebron started to reach out for help and wanted to tell their story. The immigration system and immigration policies in the United States have been considered flawed for a long time. According to Pride Immigration, deportation usually occurs when a person violates the law and they are aware of it. ICE is the United States federal government law enforcement agency charged identifying and eliminating border, economic, transportation and infrastructure security flaws. Currently, Lebron has someone who is dear to her in detainment. “Over 300,000 immigrants are deported each year, so tens of thousands of families are separated by deportation each year,” Abel Rodríguez, assistant professor of religion, law and social justice and immigration specialist, said. After being stopped for a traffic violation, Johnny was given several court dates and probation sentences. When Jonny appeared for his first probation visit, he was told his probation officer was in a meeting and ICE wanted to speak to him. Unknowingly, his probation officer was never there and ICE took him away minutes after arriving. It is common for ICE and the state to work together to detain immigrants, especially those who may get caught up in the court system. Johnny was always open and honest about being an undocumented immigrant. He was brought to the U.S. at a very young age by his parents. Johnny thought that if he demonstrated, he would not be punished. CONTINUE READING ONLINE
KELLYBUSH97@GMAIL.COM KELLY BUSH / NEWS EDITOR
This picture is a symbol of unity amoung immigrants, their fight against deporation and their goal of freedom.
The dark side of college: Depression and anxiety Editor’s Note: The name of a subject in this article has been omitted to protect their identity. BY WILLIAM MORGAN Staff Wroter The college experience can be filled with all sorts of excitement, freedom and wonders; however, this may not be the case for all students. A recent study by the American College Health Association indicated that one in five college students suffers from depression or anxiety. There are many factors that play in to these students feeling the way they do, but it is truly impossible to understand what they are going through unless you have experienced it yourself. “Lonely mornings, miserable afternoons and sleepless nights,” said an anonymous junior student. “I kept telling myself, ‘Tomorrow will be okay,’ but then inevitably wake up in the same misery.” A major factor for students developing depression and anxiety is feeling homesick. This typically is found with first year or transfer students who are still trying to mold into the college atmosphere and living away from home. Using your phone too much can typically lead to students transferring or withdrawing from school as a whole. Too much screen-time can also lead to anxiety and depression. Students from all universities love to broadcast on social media how much fun they are having. It is certainly easy for other students to feel insecure or isolated while
seeing their peers having a good time. This generation especially thoroughly enjoys posting their experiences instead of living in the moment. “Stop scrolling and start living,” said junior political science major Matthew Loparo. “Too many people are so caught up in recording moments on Snapchat that they start to lose sense of reality.” Another stress that can help spark depression or anxiety is the use of drugs.
Some college students seek drugs and stimulants to help them perform or function. This typically rises around mid-terms, finals and major exams. In 2016, 9.9 percent of college students admitted to using Adderall to help enhance their performance in the classroom. Similarly, 2.4 percent admitted to using Ritalin. “Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses and can be presented in many different ways,” said sophomore psychology major Mattie Porter. “Being able to recognize a friend or a loved one is struggling is the first step in helping them out of the darkness,” Porter said. As Good Charlotte’s Benji Madden said, “We all bleed the same way that you do, and we all have the same things to go through.” “Be kind to everyone you see,” said sophomore marketing major Matt Nestler. “You never know what someone else may be going through.” For more assistance and information, readers can visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org or call 1-800-273-8255.
BILLYMORGAN22@GMAIL.COM
HOPE DALUISIO / VISUAL MANAGING EDITOR
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LIFESTYLES
THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2018
Male sexual abuse: OVERLOOKED AND MOCKED Editor’s Note: The names of the subjects in this article have been changed to preserve the privacy of those interviewed. Language and description in this article may trigger those who have been sexually assaulted. The sources in this article were interviewed exclusively through personal messaging on Reddit and not directly in person.
BY ERIC STONE Lifestyles Editor
The #MeToo movement has effectively unraveled some of the untold stories about celebrity abuse, and according to PBS, has become a trending hashtag in over 85 countries. It is noteworthy, however, that the #MeToo movement predominantly centers around women, while male sexual abuse still remains significant. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in six men experience some form of contact sexual violence in their lifetime. Of these men affected are Alex and Tim, two men who had been repeatedly sexually assaulted and betrayed by the people they had put all of their trust and care into: their own family members. Alex in particular had never shared his entire story with anyone before as he explained what his half-sister did to him at a very young age. “When I was seven or eight years of age, my half-sister, who is a few years older than me, abused me for a period of around a year and a half,” Alex said. According to an article by GoodTherapy, it is reported that up to 93 percent of children who have been sexually abused know their attackers and over a third of the abusers are family members. Alex recalled that it started one night when his parents were absent and his sister was left to babysit him. After they had left, his sister began forcibly kissing him on his bed and covering the two of them up with a blanket. “I hated every second of it, but she was my older sister,” Alex said. “I felt like I shouldn’t tell her to stop because it was probably what most siblings did.” Alex noted that, while this was the first time he can remember it happening, he did not believe it was the first time it happened. Alex recalled it frequently happening after that first instance, as his sister’s actions continued to become more obscene. “She started to make me touch and kiss her breasts. Then that escalated into her making me touch her vagina,” Alex said. “I felt disgusting and awful and I knew what was happening was wrong.” Though Alex came to this realization, he was too afraid to tell his parents, in fear that he would get in trouble for even participating, so he instead chose to stay quiet. “Eventually, she moved on from forcing me to touch her and she started to touch my penis,” Alex said. “It wasn’t until one night when she left her clothes on the floor in the basement that my parents finally discovered what was going on.” Alex’s mother confronted him about his sister being naked, though Alex initially denied this accusation out of fear. Alex’s mother later questioned him about inappropriate things they were possibly involved in together. Alex finally broke down and admitted to the events in question. This put an end to his being abused. Tim suffered from a similar case of abuse. However, he unfortunately was met with less sympathy than Alex was. Tim was repeatedly abused by his cousin and uncle from the age of 7 to 10. “I really liked spending time in this uncle’s house,” Tim said. “I’d stay at his house during my summer vacation and that’s when it all started.” Tim recalls that one night, while he was staying at his uncle’s for the week, his uncle called him into his guesthouse and made him close his eyes. “I thought we were going to play something. Then he told me to get on my knees,” Tim
said. “Then, he and my cousin took turns raping me.” Like Alex, Tim recalls that he didn’t know exactly what happened but instinctively knew that it was wrong. “I spent the entire night not knowing what had happened once it was done, but I felt used and just horrible,” Tim said. The abuse would continue throughout Tim’s stay at his uncle’s house, and when he finally returned home, Tim revealed to his mom what had happened. Much to Tim’s dismay, his mother refused to believe him and scolded him for lying. The next summer, against his own will, Tim was forced to stay at his uncle’s for another week. The abuse worsened. “It happened again. This time worse, and they told me horrible things and made death threats against me,” Tim said. “Let’s say I have a burn mark on a very personal part of my body.” This continued to happen for years after but eventually stopped. Tim was left feeling defeated and depressed, feeling as though he couldn’t share his story with anyone because of the way his mother had responded to him. Both Tim and Alex suffered similar outcomes: symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and major depressive feelings. Alex himself picked up on subtle changes following his abuse that contributed to his trauma, such as wearing baggy clothes because he felt exposed in anything tight, isolating himself from people and feeling hyper-sexualized as a child. According to a study by the National Violence Against Women Prevention Research Center, almost one-third of all rape victims developed PTSD sometime during their lifetime and more than one in 10 rape victims still have PTSD today. “One example of this was at a sleepover when I was a kid and my friend took his penis out as a joke,” Alex said. “I really wanted to go over and touch it, but I didn’t because there were too many people around.” Alex also proceeded to ask his friends if they have ever “had sex with themselves,” — alluding to masturbation — because he believed that was normal for an 8 year old to do. His friends were confused by his question, and he did not bring it up again. Alex’s failure to understand what exactly had happened with his sister led to him putting much of the blame on himself, feeling as though he was involved in those actions willingly. Tim suffered with putting his trust into other people, following his mother’s response to his sexual abuse. “I just lost the whole ‘loving your family’ thing that supposedly everyone feels after what happened, really,” Tim said. “Because of this, I’m suffering from chronic depression, PTSD and a particularly unfortunate personality disorder I wouldn’t like to refer to.” Though it has been years since the abuse, Tim and Alex still find it tough to move past. Alex only recently checked into therapy, after having a series of nightmares involving his sister. The two men agree that while sexual abuse amongst men and women should be treated with the same amount of weight and care, sexual abuse towards men is far more overlooked and treated less seriously. CONTINUE READING ONLINE
ECSTONE31@GMAIL.COM INFOGRAPHICS BY HOPE DALUISIO / VISUAL MANAGING EDITOR
LIFESTYLES
THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2018
THELOQUITUR.COM | 5
Snapchat update causes major uproar BY CONNOR TUSTIN Assistant Sports Editor
Once again, Snapchat has updated the look and feel of the popular social media app. Change is typically not welcome to those who become attached to one way of doing something. If you are active on any social media platform other than Snapchat itself, there has been no hiding from the the wealth of complaints over the last two weeks. Snapchat’s most recent update is certainly a significant one, but it is nothing new for the company to make changes like this. Ever since Snapchat’s inception in 2011, the app has gone through multiple staggering changes. The changes began with the name itself, starting out as Pictaboo, instead of Snapchat. After about a year of the app being available and the name change to Snapchat, the craze started to catch on. For a large majority of the app’s existence, it allowed users to send still picture messages, with only one line of text, for up to 10 seconds. That format itself has altered completely since the beginning stages. Today, users can send pictures and videos, with multiple lines of text and can make the messages available for as long as they want. Although these changes may have been welcome to many, no c h a n g e comes without some backlash. In 2013, the app added stories, a feature where users
could add pictures and videos to their profiles for up to 24 hours. Once again, this was a welcome change to many, as the app continued to evolve. Fast forward to 2015, when Snapchat added the Discover tab. This feature gave users the ability to check out stories from various platforms like CNN, ESPN, Daily News and more. This addition was considered annoying by many, but users would eventually get used to it. Ever since that 2015 update, it seems like each time Snapchat decides to update the app, users tend to complain. In 2016, when video calling was added, people complained that it had no place. In 2017 when SnapMap was added, people complained that the feature was creepy and should be taken off. In comes 2018, when Snapchat altered how stories are viewed, causing a major uproar once again. The newest update features friends stories directly next to their name in the messages tab, thus combining both the snap feature and story feature. Justin Sillner, an admissions counselor at Cabrini University, helps to manage the Office of Admissions Snapchat profile. He cited that the new update initially saw a decrease in viewership for the profile, but the numbers are starting to rise again. “At first, we lost a good 30-40 viewers per story,” Sillner said. “Now that everyone is getting adjusted to the change, the views are starting to come back to where they once were.” Over one million people have signed an online petition calling for Snapchat to revert back to the old format. Unfortunately for those Snapchat fans, the chances of the company reverting the app back to the last version are slim. As long as people continue to use the app, nothing is going to happen. “I haven’t even updated the app yet because of how many negative things I’ve heard,” Melissa Hefferan, a sophomore early education major, said. “I like how the
HOPE DALUISIO / VISUAL MANAGING EDITOR
The Snapchat interface before the change. setup is now, and I’m planning on hanging on to it as long as I possibly can.” Like past updates, in a few weeks, everyone will most likely forget that the changes even took place. The first few weeks of the update will be strange and feel weird to many, but after some getting used to, it will feel normal. “At the moment, I am not a fan of the changes,” Victoria Vernon, a freshman secondary education major, said. “It mixes stories up and shows me ones I don’t really care about.” TUSTIN.CONOR1013@GMAIL.COM
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BY SYDNEY LYNCH Assistant Lifestyles Editor
In the wake of tragedy, kids are ready to fight. After the horrific act of violence at Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 students and faculty members were killed, the students are calling for change. At the front lines, students are calling out politicians and advocating for gun control. Since they are high school students, many are not old enough to vote. This begs the question: Should the voting age be lowered to 16 years old? The 26th Amendment of the United States Constitution states: “The right of citizens of the United States, who are 18 years of age or older, to vote, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of age.” Originally, the voting age in the United States was 21 years old. In 1971, President Richard Nixon signed the 26th Amendment, allowing 18-year-old United State citizens to vote. Voting is so important. Whether it be a local election or the next presidential race, every vote matters.
PERSPECTIVES
THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2018
When you’re 16 years old, you begin the view the world differently. At the age of 16, you can get your driver’s license. This is the first of many milestones in a teenager’s life. When you turn 18 years old, you, legally, become an adult. I believe this is the appropriate age of a first time voter. When I was 16 years old, I was uninterested in politics because I didn’t think it affected me. Politics weren’t a commonly discussed topic in high school, so I never took the time to understand what was happening in the world around me. I look back on it now and cringe at my own immaturity. I was so immersed in my own world that I didn’t care to learn. MICHELLE GUERIN / ASSISTANT NEWS EDTIOR It wasn’t until I entered college that I realThere is a maturity level essential to votized the importance of voting. I gained a pering. The older you get, the more life you expespective of what was happening in the counrience you have. Through experience comes learning and understanding. The more informa- try and created my own political opinion. As an 18-year-old, I became educated on tion we are exposed to, the the differences between political parties and more informed we are as learned where my principles aligned. I citizens and voters. realized that my vote matters. I wasn’t According just voting for myself, but for the futo the Center for ture of the nation. Information and I don’t think 16-year-old kids Research on should have the right to vote, Civic Learning but I think those of us over 18 and Engageshould exercise our right. ment, only We must be the advocates for about 50 perthe next generation. We must liscent of ten to what they’re saying, because eligible young they’re right. If you can vote, go out people, between and do it. the ages of 18 and Things need to change, and we 29, voted in the 2016 LAURA SANSOM have the power to change them. presidential election. PERSPECTIVES EDITOR This mixture of millennial and generation z participants made up about 19 percent of the voters in the election that determined Trump SYDNEYLYNCH929@GMAIL.COM would be president.
“Love, Simon” brings LGBT representation to cinema BY LAURA SANSOM Perspectives Editor
“Love, Simon,” starring Nick Robinson in its titular role, premiered on March 16, 2018. It’s your typical coming-of-age romantic comedy but with a twist: the main character is gay. Gay characters and characters on the LGBTQ+ spectrum are typically uncommon as leads in films. According to a study released by the University of Southern California, one percent of leading characters in films released in 2016 were LGBT. This one percent falls entirely to the main character in the film “Moonlight.” There is still very far to go when it comes to LGBT representation in film, especially when it comes to protagonists, but Simon Spier is a relatable start and a step into a genre that does not often see LGBT leads. The fact that Spier is gay is very important, but is not his
only character trait, as may be seen in LGBT characters in other films. Much of the plot hinges on Spier’s attempts to keep his sexuality secret, but just as much is focused on his relationships with his family, his friends and, of course, his love interest. The people that surround Spier are all presented as real people with their own personalities, interests and problems. Their lives do not revolve solely around Spier and they have clear motives for all of their actions, right or wrong. So few movies of this genre use an ensemble cast to their highest potential, but this one does. Viewers get to see his parents’ relationship with each other and his sister’s love for cooking. They get to see how Abby Suso, one of Spier’s best friends, adjusts to moving to a new school senior year, how Leah Burke feels like an outcast and how Nick Eisner struggles with his feelings towards both girls. When Spier’s friends feel he 20TH CENTURY FOX
wrongs them, their reactions make sense, because the audience knows them as people, not just as his one-dimensional friends. The audience finds themselves rooting for Spier, but also seeing themselves in his parents, sister and best friends. The movie also has twists that keep its audience hooked. After reading an anonymous post on his high school’s gossip site from a boy that admits he’s gay, Spier strikes up a friendship with the writer over email. Eventually, this friendship turns into love, all with the two boys not knowing each other’s identities. Spier signs his name as Jaques. His love interest is known only as Blue. It’s an LGBT movie, but it’s also a really good teen movie. LGBT people rarely get to see representations of themselves on the screen. It is even rarer that the representation that they do get ends up being positive. CONTINUE READING ONLINE LAURALEESANSOM@GMAIL.COM
SPORTS
THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2018
Sports Source Editorial Column
Should the Sixers play Fultz? BY JOHN WILLIAMS Sports Editor
The Markelle Fultz situation is something that has been unprecedented in sports. For months, it appeared Fultz lost the ability to do the one thing that he did better than any other player in his draft class: shoot a three-pointer. After a strong NBA Summer League performance, Fultz came into training camp with a completely different shot. After Fultz was sidelined for months to try to rebuild his shooting form, fans and media alike were skeptical, speculating that his shoulder was still hurt or that his problems were strictly mental. All of a sudden, though, Fultz’s shot has improved tremendously and looks about the same as his form from when he played at the University of Washington in the 2016-2017 season. The question now is whether the Sixers should bring him back for the rest of the season. Head coach Brett Brown was non-committal towards Fultz’s availability for the rest of the season. “I truly don’t know,” Brown told Philly.com last week. Some argue that Fultz returning to the lineup at this point in the season could hurt the team, since he is a rookie who needs the ball in his hands and would be joining a set rotation that is in rhythm just weeks away from competing in the playoffs. But the Sixers have looked a bit tired down the stretch and Fultz would give the lineup a spark that they desperately need. They do not have to worry about falling out of a playoff spot, since, as of this writing, their magic number to clinch a playoff spot is four— that is a combination of Sixers wins and Detroit Pistons losses. They also play just three teams that currently find themselves in playoff position in their remaining 13 games. They are going to be playing bad teams, so this is the perfect time to give Fultz an opportunity to get acclimated to game speed so he can contribute in the playoffs. By doing this, the team could give players such as Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid fewer minutes in their remaining games so they can be well-rested for the playoffs. Going into the season, many fans would tell you that if we didn’t see players like Fultz, Simmons and Embiid continue to develop, regardless of their record would be at the end of the season, the year would be a failure. Hopefully the Sixers do not lose sight of that sentiment.
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Sports video games Athletes in the real and digital world BY JUSTIN BARNES Assistant Lifestyles Editor
Video games are a very popular form of entertainment and come in a variety of genres, such as action, first-person shooter, survivor, massive multiplayer online, sports and so much more. Video games related to sports have also proven to be popular, especially among athletes. Sports games cover a variety of sports and leagues such as the NBA, PGA, NCAA and a plethora of other real life sports leagues. According to FOX Sports, the top five sports video games to date include “FIFA ’07,” “NBA 2K17,” “Backyard Baseball,” “Mario Kart 64,” and “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater.” Business management major and men’s tennis player CJ LaMantia is fond of a variety of sports games, such as “NBA 2K,” “Madden NFL” and “NHL” as well as a bunch of tennis related games. He likes playing these games because he says it is really fun when he does it with friends. To him, the games can get intense and competitive; however, LaMantia is more fond of playing sports in real life rather than in the digital world. “I’m a super competitive kid who loves to go out and play a nice competitive game of basketball,” LaMantia said. “You don’t
get the same feeling if you are just sitting down playing a game in the sense of entertainment level.” In addition, LaMantia feels that all sports games are the same in terms of gameplay and the updated graphics are the only changes he sees. Writing major and theatre minor Johnny Myers, a former baseball, basketball and football player, also likes to play “Madden NFL” and “NBA 2K.” He’s especially fond of “NBA 2k18” because of its more immersive story mode called “MyCareer,” as well as the customization options for his character. “You have an entire online world to explore with clothing shops, tattoo parlors, barbershops, music studios and more,” Myers said.” It’s really fun to play online and upgrade my player. My friends and I get super competitive.” Myers is and has been looking forward to a couple of new sports games that are coming out soon, such as “MLB The Show 18,” which will be released on March 27, 2018, and “Madden NFL 18,” which was released on August 25, 2017. He is excited to play them because he loved playing these sports in
real life and they have nostalgic value to him. Senior marketing and finance major Brandon Weaver is also very fond of “NBA 2k18” and “Madden NHL” and loves to play them with his friends; however, like
LaMantia, he prefers to play sports in real life than on a console, as he grew up playing sports such as baseball, basketball and football.
“I love my video games, but I prefer to play sports in real life,” Weaver said. “Half the reason that I’m playing is that I love that sport.” Despite athletes preferring to play sports physically instead of digitally, it appears that athletes and average gamers are very fond of sports video games. In addition, it appears that Madden and NBA 2k are the most popular out of all the sports games series. “I like being able to play with the greatest athletes in the world,” Weaver said.
JUSTINWANNABARNES@GMAIL.COM
VISUAL ILLUSTRATION BY EMMA RODNER-TIMS / NEWS EDITOR AND HOPE DALUISIO / VISUAL MANAGING EDITOR IMAGES FROM THE CREATIVE COMMONS
JAWILLIAMS1224@GMAIL.COM
Sports video games, such as NHL, combine real life sports with interactive gaming.
SPORTS
THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2018
THELO QUITUR.COM | 8
Cabrini University basketball coaches
reveal their formulas for success BY RENIN BROADNAX Assistant News Editor
Cabrini’s basketball teams have been very successful this year, causing everyone to wonder where this success comes from? Both coaches Kathleen Pearson and Timothy McDonald have been named a CSAC coach of the year. We reached out to them to dive deeper into how they manage to do it.
Kate Pearson
A
Tim McDonald
Q
Why were you named a CSAC coach of the year?
“The biggest reason I was named coach of the year is because our women’s basketball team has performed well all year. We finished with our regular season conference with 16-0 record in league play.”
A
“I believe I was able to win the award because we have really talented players who come together and take my instruction and criticisms extremely well. They have taken the floor each day and have competed at a very high level.”
Q
How did your team’s success this year play a part in you being honored with this award?
A
“A number of factors have contributed to [the team’s success] but the main one is our team chemistry.”
Q
A
“We prepared for the championship the same way we prepared for any other game.”
A
“The success of the team has everything to do with me receiving this award. I can draw up a million plays and implement any defensive style in the world but if the players don’t go out and play well, it really doesn’t matter.”
How did you prepare for CSAC ?
Q
A
“The same as we did for every single game, mentally and physically: come in and play our best.”
What emotions come to mind when thinking of being named coach of the year?
A
A
“Humbled and grateful, since my colleagues voted on it, but honestly, there are so many other great coaches. The award should go to the team because they are the ones who deserve all the credit.”
Q
“To be honest, I was just happy for our team and our assistant coaches. It is exciting. It just shows how hard we worked and is a symbol of the success we have had this season.”
With being name coach of the year is the pressure on to win CSAC?
A
“I do not think the coach of the year award creates the pressure to win; I think it is more that our team is expected to win because we are the top of the seed. We have to head into the championship with confidence and have that same expectation to win.”
A
“That is one of the greatest things about coaching and working at Cabrini. There is always pressure and expectations to win CSACs.”
Q
How are you going to prepare your team for next season?
A
“In order to keep the success going, we plan to rely on our core values. Commitment, loyalty, grit, gratitude and
MICHELLE GUERIN / ASSISTANT NEW EDITOR
A
“The same as we do for every year: go out and recruit
MICHELLE GUERIN / ASSISTANT NEW EDITOR