Loyola University • New Orleans • Volume 94 • Issue 21 • March 11, 2016
THE MAROON FOR A GREATER LOYOLA
Harry Connick, Jr. named commencement speaker for class of 2016 By Colleen Dulle mcdulle@loyno.edu @ColleenDulle
Courtesy of Loyola University
Harry Connick, Jr., musician and entertainer, will speak at Loyola’s commencement ceremony this year, the university announced in a press release March 7. Connick, who attended Loyola for a semester, will receive an honorary doctorate of music degree at the ceremony Saturday, May 21 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. “It’s a great honor for me—one that I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about,” Connick told The Maroon in an email. Connick said that his relationship with the university began early, and that his favorite memory of Loyola was taking piano lessons
here in his childhood. “Loyola has always been a part of my life,” Connick said. “I didn’t spend much time at Loyola—barely one semester—but I fondly remember my time there.” In his campus email announcing Connick’s appearance, the Rev. Kevin Wildes, S.J., university president, said he sees Connick as a qualified and exciting speaker. “Given Harry’s fascinating personal story and astounding international career, we know that our students welcome his advice and insights as they ‘go forth and set the world on fire,'” Wildes said in the email. Graduating seniors may hear Connick echo this St. Ignatius Loyola quote, a graduation favorite, in his commencement address, as the singer was educated by Jesuits both at Jesuit High School and Loyola. Connick cited the Jesuits as a great personal and philanthropic influence. “The Jesuits are strong believers in charity and helping others. They work hard to communicate this to their students. I was lucky to have studied with many great teachers at Jesuit and Loyola,” Connick said. Though Connick has expressed his excitement about coming to Loyola, students have had
mixed reactions. Adam Gerber, music industry studies senior, believes the university should be worried about other issues than its commencement speaker. “I just think it’s hard to get excited about a commencement speaker while the school is facing so many challenges,” Gerber said. “The whole thing seems like window dressing, trying to spruce up deeper structural flaws with window dressing.” Others, like Francesca Vaccaro, chemistry senior, are excited for Connick to speak, but hope to ensure diversity in Loyola’s choice of speaker. “My mom is excited; my sister is excited. Honestly, they may be a bit more excited than me, but it is exciting to have someone who is wellknown. I just wish that in the future, they would have a woman speaker, since it seems to have been a while,” Vaccaro said. Loyola has not had a female commencement speaker since 2008. Despite these concerns, Connick said he doesn’t take his position at commencement lightly. “Please know how excited I am to be able to speak to the 2016 graduating class. I take the responsibility seriously and I’m absolutely thrilled to have been invited,” Connick said.
SGA is trying to eliminate college presidents unconstitutionally By Nick Reimann nsreiman@loyno.edu @nicksreimann
For the second time in four years, Loyola’s Student Government Association is attempting to reduce the amount of seats in the SGA Senate without constitutional authority. Students will be allowed to run for the positions of president, vice president, senator at-large and senator by college, but there is no option to run for the position of college president. The SGA by-laws describe the role of the college president to be a sitting member of the SGA Senate that “represent the interests, voices and needs of the students within their college to their respective dean.” Maria Calzada, who has served as dean of the College of Humanities and Natural Sciences since 2013, and served as the college’s interim dean from 2011 to 2013, said she has never had any interaction with an SGA college president. “I learned about the position this week from the Maroon,” Calzada
said. She also said she is not aware of any students that are interested in taking the position. The position of college president is explicitly stated as part of the SGA Senate in Article 6, Section 6.02, Subsection III of the SGA Constitution, which states that there will be representation in the Senate by “one (1) College President from each of the colleges within Loyola University New Orleans excluding the College of Law.” There is currently a constitutional amendment on the ballot that, if passed by Loyola’s student body, would eliminate the college president position. But in the meantime, the position still constitutionally exists, and students cannot run for it. This isn’t the first time that SGA has attempted to eliminate seats without the approval of the student body. In 2013, SGA attempted to cut the number of representatives by more than half by drafting a new constitution during a closed-door meeting. They also did not include several constitutionally granted positions
on the ballot that year, including college presidents. After the ensuing controversy, many of the proposed constitutional changes failed to pass the student body, saving the college president position for the time. Bud Sheppard, current SGA Chief Justice who approved this year’s election code, believes that leaving the position off of this year’s ballot is a way of eliminating a role that is seen as unnecessary. “It was just one position for each college in the Senate,” Sheppard said. “The president’s duty was to meet with that college’s dean and also, I guess, do the SGA senator job as well. It was just like a title, it wasn’t anything big. It’s not like the senators can’t just reach out to the deans as well, and so it just sort of seemed like extra blow to the system that wasn’t really needed.” Allison Rogers, former SGA director of communication and 2015 SGA presidential candidate, agreed that the college president position wasn’t being utilized very well. But she believes that this is due to serious institutional dysfunction within
the SGA. “Eliminating the college president position is only treating the symptoms, not the root cause,” Rogers said. “The real solution to the problems in senate would be to address the actual problem: student apathy. Why don't students want to run for senate and why can't we seem to fill all of the positions? It's not that we have a student body full of unmotivated and unconcerned students - we routinely see students expressing their concerns outside of SGA whether it be through a petition to replace Father Wildes or a Facebook group to discuss unstable Wi-Fi. The issue, then, seems to be that students do not see SGA as the body that will address their concerns. And why would they? SGA does not pass initiatives that address common complaints on campus, SGA does not routinely meet with administrators to discuss upper level concerns and SGA does not seem to play an active role in even the lives of those who are members of the organization; a ten minute senate meeting every week doesn't count.”
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Along with the four college president positions, the SGA Senate is also composed of senators at-large, elected by the entire student body, and senators by college, which are only voted on by students in their respective college. Article 6, Section 6.2, Subsection II of the SGA Constitution defines representation by senators at-large as being “proportional to one (1) senator-at-large, rounded to the nearest whole number, per eight hundred (800) students of the total spring enrollment of the university, excluding students enrolled in the College of Law,." It defines representation from senators by college as being “proportional to one (1) Senator, rounded to the nearest whole number, per two hundred (200) students of the total spring enrollment in that college.” Using enrollment data obtained from Loyola’s Office of Institutional Research, there should be three senators at-large representing the entire student body.
See PRESIDENTS, page 3
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March 11, 2016 The Maroon
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Former professor produced for the stars By Chasity Pugh cmpugh@loyno.edu @chasitypugh_
Lisa Martin, Loyola graduate and former mass communication professor, has been taking her career to new heights as a producer. From producing the “Oprah: Where Are They Now?” series on the OWN Network to gaining an exclusive interview with Abby Wambach after playing her final game against China, Martin’s career has allowed her to travel and opened doors to many possibilities in the world of journalism. Martin’s career began after she graduated from Loyola University’s School of Mass Communication and landed her first job as a production assistant at WWLTV. “I got to travel all around the world and meet new people. I really liked it. I knew that this is where I was supposed to be,” Martin said. Later, she was offered a job at WTVJ in Florida as a news and special products producer and she was later nominated for one of the first National Emmys in 40 years. After spending a few years traveling, Martin returned to New Orleans to pursue her Masters Degree at Loyola and during her last year, they asked her to teach while Microsoft also offered her a job. “I took the teaching job and I don’t regret it to this day. The students hated me at first thinking that I was too hard on them but when they did get the hang of it, they became great writers,” Martin said. Cathy Rogers, Shawn M. Donnelley professor for non-profit communications, said that she enjoyed having Martin as a colleague and students grew to love her during her time teaching. “She was very supportive. I knew that if I sent a student to ask her questions or to enlist her support that she would always be responsive,” Rogers said. Martin said that the experiences that she had while teaching at Loyola greatly impacted her. “The best thing for me was seeing how amazing young people are. You can turn on the news and see all of these bad things about millennials but it’s untrue. This generation has intelligence and a passion about life and learning,” Martin said.
Martin recalls various times where students helped her prepare for interviews with artists and celebrities. “I remember I came into class one day and told my students I had to interview Method Man & Redman and Christina Aguilera. I didn’t know much about them but my students provided me with so much background information on them that I aced the interview. I even made them laugh,” Martin said. While teaching, Martin also became the director for the Center for Intercultural Understanding, a job that required much more time and effort than teaching students. “One day, I was sitting and grading papers and decided that there was a whole world out there and I’m just sitting in this little office. So I called my sister, who always insisted I keep teaching, and told her I wanted to quit. She thought it was a great idea,” Martin said. Bob Thomas, director of the Loyola Center Environmental Communication, said that Martin is a dear friend and valued colleague who is excited about her recent endeavors. “She is doing what she loves. As a professor, there were restraints that sometimes prevented her from doing the work she enjoyed as a producer. She can now do it full throttle,” Thomas said. The end of Martin’s teaching career marked new beginnings as she went on to do production for Hillary Clinton. She also has worked with ESPN to cover the Saints vs. Falcons and interviewed Pelicans players, such as Anthony Davis. Recently, she interviewed cast members of the television series Scream Queens. She also interviewed duo Kid ‘n Play for Oprah’s “Where Are They Now?” series. As for advice she would give graduates and students currently pursing journalism, Martin said to make connections, bring your A-game and most importantly, be on time. “Find a person that you admire on the news or television and contact by phone or email asking to shadow them. This way, you can see if this is something you really want to do. It looks glam, but it’s a lot of work,” Martin said. Martin says that she is happy to see the School of Mass Communica-
Courtesy of Lisa Martin
Lisa Martin relaxes after covering a Falcon game. Martin, who both graduated from and taught at Loyola, has taken her producing skills from WWL in New Orleans to national networks, such as OWN.
tion thriving and producing the new generation of journalists. “The students in the School of Mass Communication at Loyola have the opportunity to be who they want to be and be better than those
before them. You can’t go anywhere without finding a Loyola grad. All of the experiences I gained there allowed me to spread my wings and fly. I love flying,” Martin said.
PRESIDENTS, continued from page 1
CONT’D: SGA is trying to eliminate college presidents There should be five senators from the College of Humanities and Natural Sciences, three senators from the College of Music and Fine Arts and two senators each from the College of Social Sciences and College of Business. With four college president positions also on the SGA Senate, this means there are 19 seats available. Nine students currently sit on SGA Senate. Sheppard, who has been a part of SGA since he was a freshman, said he has noticed this decline in senate participation during his time there. “When I was here as a first-year, the legislative branch was a lot more robust,” Sheppard said. “We’ve sort of seen the legislative branch kind of have a decrease in numbers. We’re not really sure why. We’re trying to figure that out.” Rogers believes that the reason for this decline is because SGA is viewed as inept by the student body. “The student body does not trust SGA as the body that will advocate for their interests,” Rogers said. “Where was the SGA advocacy and request for student input as Loyola was creating its new version of the common curriculum? Where was SGA when students began calling for the replacement of Father Wildes? Where was SGA’s partnership with BSU when they were developing their concerns to present to the administration?” Kaylen Lee, current senator atlarge, feels that it’s time for students to come forward and take positions on the SGA Senate. “It’s just all about the students coming forth and wanting to actually do the work,” Lee said. “We’re always looking for new senators. It’s just about students having good faith that want to step up and help out their student body.” Rogers feels that there is a simple solution to reviving the SGA Senate. “Bottom line: rather than eliminating positions and generalizing roles within the Senate, SGA needs to become the advocating body that it is structured to be.”
University Honors Program grows despite less overall enrollment By Seán Brennan shbrenna@loyno.edu @Sean_TheMaroon
With 83 first-year students enrolled in the University Honors Program for the 2015-2016 year, the program has continued to grow. There was a boost in the program’s size in the Fall of 2015, with the total enrollment in the program reaching 250 students. This is a jump from last year’s 220 honors students, and marks a positive trend in the program’s numbers. Chinh Ngo, administrative assistant for the University Honors Program, said this improvement in honors enrollment jumpstarted in 2013, when the number of first-year honors students doubled from 40 to 80 from the previous year. From there, the program contin-
ued to grow. Naomi Yavneh, director of the University Honors Program, confirmed both years’ increases, and attributed the lift in numbers to the unique learning environment that the program offers to prospective students. “We have a very strong honors program that adheres not only to the best practices in honors in general, but was revised a few years ago to conform to the ‘essential characteristics of a Jesuit Honors Program,’” Yavneh said. “Not only is our program designed to work with every major at Loyola– from music industry studies to chemistry/pre-med– but every student participates in our core curriculum.” Yavneh, who is also a vice president on the National Collegiate Honors Council, said this curriculum includes various courses that revolve
around the Jesuit learning ideals of social justice, ethics and community-engaged learning. Kyra Young, associate director of admissions, also acknowledged this unique learning experience as a strong selling point for the program. “Prospective students are definitely interested in the Honors Program, and we find it’s something that many students want to get involved with when enrolling here at Loyola,” Young said. “The emphasis on co-curricular learning, giving students opportunities to practically engage within their academic interests, is a pillar of not only this program, but of a Loyola education.” While Yavneh and other faculty make themselves available to potential students visiting campus, the majority of marketing for Loyola’s honors program happens after first-
year admission. “We send students letters congratulating them on their abilities and telling them about honors. We invite them to campus for honors experience day, or just to come and spend a day in honors,” Yavneh said. “I feel like our current Honors students are the best marketing tool out there!” Members of the program make themselves readily available to spend time with prospective students, and it’s this sense of community that attracted students like Brianna Daniel-Harkins, history freshman, not only to honors, but to Loyola. “I love the inner connections and how our program still feels small,” Daniel-Harkins said. “I like the small groups and the honors-specific things, like the mentor-mentee program, and how connected the program is throughout all the years.”
The mentor-mentee program pairs up older members of the honors community with new students, and is just one aspect that helps to create a tight-knit support system that is inclusive of all grades. On top of a unique curriculum and strong sense of community, Yavneh also attributed the program’s appeal to its financial opportunities, like the four-year full Ignatian scholarship. Overall, though, Yavneh accredited the success of the program to the dedicated honors students at Loyola. “Yes, we have great academics, but even more than that, we have great people in a great communitythe honors floor, the caring, engaged professors, an adviser who stays with you from recruitment through graduation. And, of course, Beau,” Yavneh said.
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WORLDVIEW
March 11,2016 THE MAROON
RÉMI SORBET / The Maroon
Apps swipe left to traditional dating An alternative way to meet Mr. and Miss “Right” is taking over the dating scene with “swipe” apps like Tinder and Grindr
By Gabriela Morales gemorale@loyno.edu @GabrielaMo1996
With the swipe of a finger, Millennials are re-defining the dating culture with the help of dating apps on their phone. Aaron Didier, psychology freshman, said he uses Grindr, a social networking app for gay and bisexual men, as his preferred dating app. “Meeting someone in person isn’t easier. It’s just easier to find someone to meet on an app,” Didier said. However, while dating apps can be helpful in meeting new people, Sara Feldman, A’15, who previously used apps such as Tinder and OKCupid, said they were best used for a causal fling or short-term relationships. “My last relationship came off of Tinder, but other than that, I’ve never had any long-term relationships. It’s mostly been just like one or two dates,” Feldman said.
According to a Pew Research Center study conducted in 2015, 22 percent of 18 to 24 year-olds admitted to using mobile dating apps compared to the 5 percent that reported using the apps in 2013. While these apps are ingrained into the hook-up culture of the Millennial generation, Chuck Genre, licensed relationship counselor, said there are emotional and societal risks that can come with using them. “I think that one of the things that is at stake with exploring relationship possibilities electronically is our sense of empathy for others,” Genre said. “It’s so easy to lose empathy for the person on the other end of the electronic exchange. So much nuance and context is lost through electronic comunication because, when you think about it, most communication between humans is nonverbal.” In a 2015 study done by Global-
WebIndex, it was discovered that 42 percent of Tinder users were either married or in a relationship. Genre said that dating apps create a blurred line between commitment and casual connection. “What I often find with young people who are exploring potential relationships through online means is that they find themselves in this very ambiguous state. Often, they are in an ambiguous state of having a relationship online, maybe multiple ones, that gives them the luxury of not feeling alone, but they also don’t benefit from the richness of building an intimate relationship,” Genre said. “It’s easier to live in that in-between state when we can objectify the person on the other end, so swipe left, swipe right, right? You don’t have to really feel. You don’t have to really be invested.” According to a 2014 Pew Research Center study about Millennials and adulthood, approximately 26 per-
cent of 18 to 33 year-olds are married. This compares to the 36 percent of Generation X, 48 percent of Baby Boomers and 65 percent of the Silent Generation who were married at that age range. While there are many factors that go into the decline of marriage, Genre said that dating apps are helping to change the meaning of marriage and relationships. “I think it affects the willingness of people to take emotional risks. I see this commonly with clients. To build an intimate relationship with someone whether it’s marriage or not-- it takes focus; it takes commitment. It takes discipline; it takes risk,” Genre said. “And what’s happening more and more is that people are being less willing to do those things when they have several new possibilities on the side. They can scroll through their electronic devices and check out somebody else, checking out the prospects and possibilities.
Genre said because dating apps make it easier to connect with other people and Millennials are dependent on their technology, it allows this generation to deal with unwanted feelings with objects and other people instead of managing it with self-care. “One thing about electronic media is that we have constant access to people and relationships. It’s so easy to distract yourself from discomfort, anxiety, sadness, from difficult emotions by going to text somebody. I think it’s a basic skill of self-care in managing anxiety that Millennials really struggle with,” Genre said. “They don’t know how to be by themselves. And as such, they become more dependent on a relationship, on somebody else to make them feel better. I mean, it’s not wrong, but it cheapens the depth of human engagement when we have to go through something electronic to meet the other person.”
Budget issues burden Orleans Public Defenders Office By Zach Brien and Gabriel Garza zjbrien@loyno.edu and jjgarza@loyno.edu @zbrienphoto and @gabegarza13
Funding issues for public defender offices across Louisiana have increased workloads for attorneys such as Adrienne Cousins, staff attorney for the Orleans Public Defenders. “I think it’s made the problem with public defense that’s always been there even worse. It has always been a system of triage where you cannot devote as much time to every client as you should be able to,” Cousins said. According to Derwyn Bunton, chief district defender of Orleans parish, 85 percent of defendants are represented by public defenders. In parishes across Louisiana, these offices are underfunded, in some cases causing offices to suspend operations. Attorneys’ caseloads have risen and forced the offices to turn
down cases at their discretion. Public defender offices in Louisiana are largely locally funded, with two-thirds of the funding coming from traffic tickets. The issues have structural roots, according to Susan Guidry, New Orleans city councilwoman of District A. “The public defender started to come to the city seeking funding. The city had no legal obligation to fund the public defender and they wouldn’t,” Guidry said. The city goes by the calendar year on budgeting. Bunton said the projected local funding for the Orleans Public Defenders was short $300,000 in 2015. For 2016, the Louisiana Public Defender Board is reducing funding for the Orleans Parish Defenders by approximately $700,000. In Plaquemines Parish, the public defenders office was forced to shut down due to its own financial instability.
Virginia Ryan, client advocate for Orleans Public Defenders, said the funding system for public defender offices in Louisiana is unfair and discriminatory. “It has definitely made it seem like, based on your region, you are given more access than other states to get fair representation, ” Ryan said. Without the proper amount of money, public defenders cannot adequately represent their clients. As a result, attorneys are taking up higher or heavier caseloads, making equal representation difficult. Chris Pourciau, client service fellow at Americorps, said he is unsure of how of people will seek representation now that the public defenders’ office is turning down cases. “We don’t really know. It’s a brand new venture for us. We don’t really know what’s going on,” Pourciau said. Cousins said that she can handle anywhere from 100-130 cases per
month of felony cases. While working in municipal court with misdemeanor charges, she was handling 400 per month. According to city of New Orleans 2016 budget, the public defenders office projected caseload for felonies per attorney in 2016 is 200 cases. Guidry said that with the state continuing to limit the funding of the public defender, the office has to turn down cases. The National Association limits their caseload for public defense that requires them to not stretch their public defenders too thin. “They have to make serious decisions as to not taking up representation. People have a constitutional right to representation,” Guidry said. “So they have to make difficult decisions as to not taking up representation or to continue to go way over the limit that they should have as a workload.” On Jan. 14, The American Civ-
il Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the Orleans Public Defenders on behalf of three defendants who were detained in Orleans Parish Prison without being “formally charged” with a crime. The lawsuit asserts that the Orleans Public Defenders forced the plaintiffs to “languish indefinitely in jail without counsel until OPD secures adequate resources to provide them with an attorney.” Cousins said that she recognizes that this is a serious issue. When people are not granted representation immediately, they miss opportunities in fighting the charges against them. “Part of being appointed counsel in the beginning is being able to get in there, investigate a case, find witnesses, surveillance footage and evidence that may be out there to maybe support their case that may not last a long time,” Cousins said.
March 11, 2016 THE MAROON
C R O S S W O R D
THE MAROON
ACROSS
1. Pure joy 6. Fairy tale bear 10. Athletic org. founded by Billie Jean King 13. Sports channel summary 14. Apple’s shuffle or touch 15. Melville captain 16. *Mozart and Robin, in their their own way 18. Fancy airport ride 19. Poker declaration 20. Last word of many fairy tales 21. Fundamentals 24. Recliner feature 26. “Xanadu” rock gp. 27. Not on time 30. Bird feeder supply 31. Like the accent in cliché 33. Loading dock access 35. Graceful bird 38. Echoic first name of Olympic hurdler Jones 39. Number associated with the ends of answers to the starred clues 40. Pet gerbil’s home 41. Simple 42. Rounded hammer end 43. “Casablanca” actor Peter 44. Land surrounded by water 46. “Star Trek” helmsman 48. Gave grub to 49. Fiesta food 52. Irish playwright Sean 54. Threepio’s pal 55. Swindlers 58. Fortuneteller 59. *Windy day ocean condition 63. Canadian Conservative 64. Gravy vessel 65. Craze 66. Supergirl’s symbol 67. Repairs with turf, as a lawn 68. Nail file material
DOWN
1. Texter’s “Gimme a sec” 2. Lion in the night sky
3. Far from friendly 4. 2005 horror sequel 5. Website with timed trivia quizzes 6. Calf-length dress 7. Zoo primates 8. Gourmet mushroom 9. YouTube annoyances 10. *Earth-sized collapsed stars 11. Makes less unruly 12. Scrub, as a launch 15. Outdoor, as cafes 17. Curiosity-launching gp. 20. __ of Reason 21. Memphis music festival street 22. Metal wrap giant 23. *Best female friends 25. “Around the Horn” channel 28. Lemon or lime 29. Roof edges 32. Film that introduced Buzz Lightyear
34. List of dishes 36. Think alike 37. Emotionally demanding 39. Made haste 43. “I’m just so fortunate!” 45. Poet __-tzu 47. Script “L” feature 49. Tentative bite 50. Twistable cookies 51. “Bless you” prompter 53. Tea region of India 56. __ hog 57. Chooses, with “for” 59. “Madam Secretary” network 60. Opposite of WSW 61. Put on television 62. For example
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Life &Times
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March 11, 2016 THE MAROON
Film • Arts • Food • Music • Leisure • Nightlife
CHINESE FESTIVAL LIGHTS UP BOTANICAL GARDEN
ZACH BRIEN/ The Maroon
China Lights at New Orleans City Park transformed the Botanical Gardens into a Chinese lantern display, created by a team of over 100 artists and the technical staff at Si-
chuan Tianyu. The festival features pieces designed in Zigong, China and will be running from February 23 through May 1, 2016.
Loyola strikes a major chord with music therapy program By Nick Morea and Rebeca Trejo nbmorea@loyno.edu & rdtrejo@loyno.edu @nick_morea & @rtrejo_maroon
Loyola’s College of Music and Fine Arts keeps New Orleans’ musical legacy alive by creating programs that offer students the opportunity to pursue a wide variety of practices within the industry. Not only are the music industry degrees nationally recognized, but the college is also home to one of the nation’s first music therapy programs. Founded in 1957, the program’s blueprint is made to promote wellness, alleviate pain, manage stress and more. According to Joy Allen, assistant professor and coordinator of music therapy, the program’s core, which includes a combination of psychology and music, is designed to bridge the connection between the two professions.
“As a music therapy major, our students are taking coursework in music, which would include basic theory, music history and their applied instruments,” Allen said. “They are also taking the psychologies, so they are going to have intro to psychology, abnormal, developmental, research and clinical psychology as well.” Allen, whose work in the field has led to several awards including the Music Therapy Research Award and Outstanding Contribution to the Field of Music Therapy from Temple University, said all students have to be on-sight in the clinic every year to complete a coursework of about 35 to 50 hours. “This past semester the program did over 1,000 hours of community engagement,” Allen said. Madelynn Webb, music therapy senior, said that music as a treatment to relieve or heal a disorder is
something that has been ingrained in her ever since she began pursing her major. “A child with cerebral palsy can vocalize to chords on a guitar, or a cancer patient can write a song to share their life experiences with others,” Webb said. “Music on its own is a powerful medium of communication and giving it a therapeutic purpose allows therapists to help their clients speak out in one of the most universal languages.” According to a recent clinical review published by a scientific journal named Cell Press, the neurochemistry of music shows that playing and listening to music holds clear benefits for both mental and physical health. The analysis led by Daniel J. Levitin, PhD and Mona Lisa Chanda, PhD, said that listening to and playing music improves the body’s immune system effectiveness and reduces stress.
Nicole Goldin, who works as a board certified neurologic music therapist, said music serves as an allied health profession in which music is utilized as the primary means to achieve non-musical goals. She added that a therapist’s job can range from using music as a tool for systematic desensitization in patients suffering from trauma-related mental health disorders to reducing pain during chemotherapy, or even playing a rhythm and beats for stroke patients to be able to walk again. “Music, as a stimulus at the neurologic level, is processed simultaneously in most every section of the brain, contributing to the reasoning behind why music is so deeply rooted in most individuals,” Goldin said. “It is ideal to use it as a tool in creating alternate pathways to heal and re-route ones that are currently lacking or deficient.”
Goldin, who earned her music therapy master’s at Loyola in 2013, said this field is effective when dealing with substance abuse, depression, speech and language training, cognitive impairments and motor rehabilitation because it’s heavily processed in the midbrain, which is known to be the most primitive animal-like area of the brain in charge of sensory integration. “It is for this reason that music therapists can work with most every population that has a need or a goal to achieve, making this such a flexible career path –rewarding to both the Music Therapist and those who benefit from it,” Goldin said. “Music Therapy can be prescribed to individuals of all ages, all socio-economic backgrounds, and of all diagnoses or situational needs.”
THE W RKS
March 11, 2016 THE MAROON
The Maroon's section of student art. Contribute at letter@loyno.edu
PHOTOGRAPHY
FICTION
Respectable Solutions by Anna and Emma
“MULTITUDINOUS DIMENSIONS”
PART IV By Patrick Gallagher pjgallag@loyno.edu
Dear Lady Macbeth, To be honest, there’s a good part of me that thinks writing this letter is not one of my better ideas, considering that the last time I wrote you a letter you managed to convince me to commit regicide and murder my friend and his entire family - most of his family? Idk, I’m sure I’ll be fine. Anywho, I asked the witches and they said it was a “pretty good idea” (4.1.1720). You might be asking yourself what is the purpose of this letter - God knows you never asked me my opinion about anything. But if I were to venture a guess I would say that it has to do with the fact that this is a cyclical and toxic relationship that we only agreed to for some vague political justification: you make fun of me for being “infirm” and then I get all self conscious and commit murder to make myself feel secure (2.2.714). THAT IS NOT HOW A RELATIONSHIP WORKS. I know what you are thinking: Wow Macbeth. A letter? I mean, I knew you were soft but wow. I’m just saying you could do better. Well, darling, I would have said all of this to you in person but you don’t believe anything I say unless it is in a letter: you believed that I saw some witches when I wrote you in act one, but when I told you I saw a floating dagger in act two and Banquo’s ghost in act three all of a sudden I’m crazy. Also: I have no freaking clue where you are! It’s act five and I haven’t seen you since act three! How’s is that even possible? We live in the same castle in the middle of Scotland surrounded by nothing but sheep and rocks. Anyway, I gtg because, apparently, Birnam wood has come to Dunsinane - we’ll talk after. Love, Macbeth
“Respectable Solutions by Anna and Emma” Patrick Gallagher, english writing junior
“Multitudinous Dimensions” Mathew Deitrich, visual arts senior
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RELIGION
March 11, 2016 THE MAROON
Alumni celebrate engagement in faith through encounter By Seán Brennan shbrenna@loyno.edu @Sean_TheMaroon
TAYLOR GALMICHE/ The Maroon
Lauren Poiroux, sociology senior, A’niya Robinson, political science senior, and Patricia Boyett, director of the Women’s Resource Center, read along at the Interfaith Prayer Vigil on Tuesday March 8, 2016. The prayer vigil was a part of the Feminist Festival put on by the Women’s Resource Center.
Prayer vigil demonstrates feminine representation By Dari Zelster dezeltse@loyno.edu
At Loyola’s feminist interfaith prayer vigil, “Celebrating the Feminine Divine in Me,” students and professors got the chance to explore their faith and what divine femininity means to them. Held in the Ignatius Chapel, the vigil began with a welcome from Patricia Boyett, director of Loyola’s Women’s Resource Center. The crowd was composed mostly of women, both students and professors. Boyett explained that the vigil would include brief prayers or rituals from four different faiths: Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam, each led by a member of Loyola’s community. Naomi Yavneh, director of the University Honors Program, represented Judaism and asked the crowd to stand. She led a song called “Ozi v’Zimrat Yah” whose lyrics loosely translate to, “My strength balanced with the Song of God will be my salvation.” Michaela O’Connor Bono, Resident Priest and Co-leader of the Mid-City Zen sangha, represented Buddhism and began by sharing the story of the Buddha’s aunt, Mahapajapati Gotami, who demanded that women be allowed to become priests. She gathered 500 women and with them fought for the right to be ordained, eventually making the Buddha give in, according to Bono. The crowd then learned about “Sophia,” a theological concept for wisdom, from Laura Broders, Spiritual Director of the Ignatius Chapel Community, Alliciya George, communications junior, and the Rev. Bridget Tierney of the Christ Church Cathedral. Broders explained that in Christianity Sophia is another aspect of God that is largely ignored as a result of patriarchal themes within the religion. George and Tierney then led two prayers: one call-andresponse and one communal. Munirah Alyahya from the Loyola Intensive English and International Program represented Islam. She discussed the way God transcends gender in Islam. While Alyahya said that Islam defines God as separate from
all of his creations, the wife of the prophet Muhammed was the source of many Islamic teachings, and tradition made it so Islam was seen as a masculine religion. Finally, Alvaro Alcazar, Liberation Theology professor and Director of Urban Partners for the Twomey Center for Peace Through Justice, led an interactive interfaith prayer. Mary Arias, English freshman, attended the vigil and said it taught her a lot about women in religion. Arias went to a Catholic school before Loyola, but said she never heard that much about women in Church. Anahi Herazo, biology freshman, described herself as a feminist and also as very religious, but never thought of combining the two. “Normally, people think of men doing everything, men being priests,” Herazo said. “It’s not all about men; it’s also about women.” Elizabeth Goodine, professor of Women in Christanity, sees themes that run through both feminism and religious faith. Feminism focuses on liberation for all people, specifically women, and many religions also focus on that same idea, Goodine said. She points out that Christianity and all of the world’s major religions have grown up in a patriarchal culture. Feminist scholars are working to reinterpret biblical women in a more empowering way and others are working within the Church to raise the position of women, especially to allow them to be ordained within the Catholic Church, according to Goodine. She said this work is slow going. The importance of the vigil is expressed by Anne Daniell, who teaches Eco-Feminist Theologies. She begins by explaining the way religions are shaped by the context in which they grow up. “Religions have been very patriarchal throughout history,” Daniell said. When religions start everyone must take leadership roles, women included; it is only as the religion becomes more institutionalized, that it becomes more patriarchal, Daniell said. According to Daniell, feminism can be part of pointing out and criti-
cizing that patriarchal culture. “Patriarchy should not be central to the religion,” Daniell said. “Misogyny should not be central to the religion. Human dignity should be what’s central to all religions, or one of the central themes.” On the topic of divine femininity, both Goodine and Daniell were hesitant to run with the idea of a “female God.” “The divine is neither masculine nor feminine, so I would shy away from anything that interpreted that as a female God,” Goodine said. Daniell brought up the point that the concept of divine femininity is more an issue of representation than the actual identity of God. Daniell discussed the issue of using only male pronouns to refer to God. “It’s not that you want to replace the maleness of God with the female, it’s to open it up,” Daniell said. “If you can only see the male, then even if you say you know God isn’t male, if that’s the only pronoun you use, you’re stuck in it, and you’re really only imagining the male.” She commented on how being able to see the “Ultimate Power” as not only masculine can change the whole image of God and allow us to think about power differently. She acknowledged that there are problems with expressing the feminine divine as the nurturing, caretaking part because it seems to perpetuate preexisting and oppressive ideas. Still, she maintains the importance of characterizing God in a way that women and girls can see themselves represented. “I think it’s important to image the divine in a way that affirms a little girl—that affirms all of us,” Daniell said. A’Niya Robinson, political science senior, and Lauren Poiroux, sociology senior with a minor in women’s studies, were on the committee that organized the vigil and gave their own reasons for its importance. Major religions tend to be male centered and feminine involvement is on the outskirts, Robinson said. For her, the idea of divine femininity is a way of rethinking her faith-life. “It’s thinking and growing and evaluating,” Robinson said. “It’s
bringing in the marginalized and putting them in the center.” For Poiroux, the vigil brings new ways of praying or acknowledging divinity. She also said that it can also help people who have never connected with religion before find a deeper spirituality.
TAYLOR GALMICHE /The Maroon
Munirah Alyahya sings about gender equality from the Koran at the Interfaith Prayer Vigil. Alyahya participates in the Loyola Intensive English Program, where English is taught as a second languge.
Since his tenure at The Vatican, Pope Francis has emphasized openness and empathy to all people of faith, and Loyola alumni want to learn more. Alumni gathered on campus Wed. night, March 2 to learn and converse about Pope Francis’ concept of the “Spirituality of Encounter,” in the third installment of the 2016 Lenten Series. Co-sponsored by the Alumni Association and University Ministry, the Lenten Series is a course of weekly presentations that invite Loyola alumni back to campus throughout the season of Lent. The goal of the series is to “share together in the spirit of the season,” and this year’s theme is “the Year of Mercy and the spirituality of Pope Francis.” Tom Ryan, professor and director of the Loyola Institute for Ministry, led an alumni-filled Ignatius Chapel in a talk about the “Spirituality of Encounter,” a major ideal of Pope Francis. “The goals of tonight are to grow an understanding of Pope Francis, consider the challenges of encounter for you and have a good conversation,” Ryan said. According to Ryan’s presentation, a spirituality that includes encounters with others is a necessary part of all faiths, because it focuses on taking risks to achieve nearness to others and to God. “The problem is the church turning in on itself, and encounter is the solution,” Ryan said. “Through encounter, we are liberated into openness.” This notion of openness was one of the driving points of Ryan’s presentation and is part of practicing this spirituality of encounter. Ryan emphasized the importance of being open to life, and quoted Pope Francis several times to drive home this message. “The church, in order to survive, must stop living within herself, of herself, for herself,” Pope Francis said. “The Gospel tells us constantly to run to the risk of a face-to-face encounter with others.” Throughout the presentation, Ryan used various written works from the Pope to help explain and analyze the concept behind the “Spirituality of Encounter.” He showed videos from The Vatican and eventually opened the talk up for a conversation with the alumni and other attendees in the chapel. After presenting, explaining and conversing about the “Spirituality of Encounter,” Ryan and the alumni came to a simple conclusion on what they thought Pope Francis wanted out of this concept: for one to go out and meet others. Diane Blair, Manager of Admissions in the Loyola Institute for Ministry, attended the presentation to learn more on the Year of Mercy and to see returning alumni. “As several mentioned during the discussion, we live in such a polarized society,” Blair said. “A spirituality of encounter can help us build bridges to people, cultures and ideas that are seemingly very different from our own and make them less distant.”
SPORTS
March 11, 2016 The Maroon
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Sports briefs Women’s basketball earns second straight SSAC Tournament title The No. 2-seeded Wolf Pack took on the No. 4 seed Martin Methodist College in the Southern States Athletic Conference Championship. It was a back and forth affair early on as the Wolf Pack trailed 21-20 after the first quarter. At the half, Martin Methodist hit a buzzer-beater that sent both teams to the locker room tied at 35 each. The third quarter had both teams struggling to build a lead larger than three points. Down 46-44, the Wolf Pack managed to gain some momentum as they ended the third quarter on a 5-0 run that gave them a 49-46 lead heading into the final ten minutes of play. Midway through the fourth quarter, Loyola finally managed to take control of the game as they put together an 11-2 run that gave them a 60-51 lead with 4:03 remaining. The Wolf Pack held Martin Methodist College to eight points in the final minutes to earn the 69-59 victory. In three victories, Loyola led the tournament with 41.7 rebounds per game, while ranking second in scoring offense and field goal percentage offense. Forward Caroline Gonzalez led the Wolf Pack with a career-high 23 points and was named tournament MVP. Gonzalez averaged 14 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.
Men’s basketball season comes to an end with loss to Faulkner University
ZACH BRIEN / The Maroon
The Loyola women’s basketball team celebrates on the bench during a victory against Martin Methodist College on Feb. 11 (top). Kylah Jones, junior guard, drives to the hoop for a layup against Xavier University on Feb. 17 (left). Caroline Gonzalez, junior forward, shoots a jump shot during the winning game against Xavier University (right). The women’s basketball team will take on The Master’s College on March 16 at 10:15 a.m. in the first round of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Division I Championship.
Women’s basketball heading back to NAIA tournament By Gabriel Garza and Mark Robinson jggarza@loyno.edu & mtrobins@loyno.edu @GabeGarza13 & @_mtrobin
The Loyola women’s basketball team is returning to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Division I Women’s Basketball Championship for the second consecutive year. The Wolf Pack will be playing their opening game against The Master’s College on Wednesday, March 16 at 10:15 a.m. The tournament will take place in Independence, Missouri and is composed of a 32-team field.
On March 5, the Wolf Pack won their second-straight Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament title with a win against Martin Methodist that qualified them for the NAIA Division I tournament. Kellie Kennedy, head women’s basketball coach, said that winning a second-straight SSAC tournament title is not an easy feat and she is proud of her team. “We had so many different players step up to play a huge part in those three days, and we did it without our leading scorer,” Kennedy said. “It was truly a team effort and I can’t say enough about their deter-
mination and energy.” Going forward for the Wolf Pack, the team will need a combined effort from veteran team members such as Caroline Gonzalez, who was named MVP of the SSAC tournament. Gonzalez said that the team talked about the topic of returning to the same point they were last year and how they could get better for this season. “That was the goal and always has been the goal. We met expectations and now we have to exceed them,” Gonzalez said. Kennedy praised Gonzalez’s performance this season for her de-
fense and her rebounding. “Caroline was good, especially down the stretch. She was more focused than at any other time this season,” Kennedy said. The women’s basketball team fell in the first round of last year’s NAIA Championship, losing 73-54 to the University of Great Falls. The Master’s College has a record of 24-5 on the season with this being their tenth appearance in the NAIA Division I tournament. The Wolf Pack’s record on the season is 23-7 with an in-conference record of 15-4 in the SSAC.
The No. 8-seeded Wolf Pack faced off against No. 4-seeded Faulkner University in the Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament Semifinal on March 4. Both teams exchanged baskets early on as the Wolf Pack managed to keep the score close at halftime with a score of 35-29. Loyola managed to cut into the lead early in the second half but Faulkner responded with a 12-3 run that gave them a 54-41 lead with 9:12 remaining. With 42 seconds left in the game, Nick Parker hit a three-point field goal to bring the Wolf Pack within five points at 69-64. Faulkner University hit two free throws to finish the game and end the Wolf Pack’s season with a 74-69 loss. Next season Loyola will return all five starters from this year, including all-conference honorees Johnny Griffin Jr. (First Team), Nick Parker (Second Team) and Tre’von Jasmine (All-Freshman Team). The Wolf Pack finish the season at 19-14 overall and 10-8 in conference play.
Peyton Manning retires after 18 NFL seasons Weeks after winning his second Super Bowl title, the NFL’s all-time passing leader announced his retirement. Manning’s latest Super Bowl victory gave him an NFL record 200 career wins. Manning set NFL records for passing yards and touchdowns during his 18 NFL seasons. Additionally, Manning also became the first starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl with two different teams.
EDITORIAL
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March 11, 2016 THE MAROON
OUR EDITORIAL
BURN THE BALLOTS ... again
The majority opinion of our editorial board
HOWLS & GROWLS HOWL to Harry Connick, Jr. speaking at Loyola’s commencement ceremony GROWL to shady election procedures HOWL to Maria Sharapova taking responsibility for failing a drug test GROWL to Obama skipping Nancy Reagan’s funeral to speak at SXSW HOWL to four of Uptown’s six big drainage projects ending this year GROWL to a potential sales tax on Mardi Gras beads
EDITORIAL BOARD Mary Graci Lauren Saizan
Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor for Print
Lester Duhe
Managing Editor for Electronic Properties
Sidney Holmes
Maroon Minute Executive Producer
Naasha Dotiwala
Design Chief
Linda Hexter
Photo Editor
Emily Branan
News Editor
Rebeca Trejo
Life & Times Editor The Works Editor
Starlight Williams
Wolf Editor Worldview Editor
Gabriel Garza Jamal Melancon Gage Counts
Sports Editor Religion Editor Opinion and Editorial Editor
Nick Reimann
Copy Editor
Colleen Dulle
Senior Staff Writer
Zach Brien Senior Staff Photographer
The upcoming Student Government Association elections are illegitimate. The SGA is not allowing students to run for positions which are constitutionally guaranteed to them. In the world outside of Loyola, this is called fraud and people go to jail for it. Here, it’s called the norm and student fees pay for the people most responsible for it. The SGA’s Constitution guarantees that there are elections for a position called the College President. The College President is a member of the senate which is supposed to represent the best interests of their individual college in addition to the students. The SGA passed an amendment getting rid of this position, but before this amendment is anything more than a proposal, it has to be approved by the student body during a campus-wide referendum. The reasoning behind this is that the students should get a say because it directly impacts them. This we call democracy. The SGA skipped this step and decided for us that we don’t need to have a say if we want less representation in the Senate. They justify this by saying the College President seats aren’t being utilized, so the bloat in Senate should be trimmed down. This is the opposite reaction that they should
have. What they should be doing is charging forward and finding competent people to fill these positions; instead, they’re retreating and giving up on the position entirely. If they want to get rid of these seats in a transparent and legitimate way, they should still advertise this position and hold elections for it. If the amendment getting rid of the College President passes, no one would be inducted into those positions. On the other hand, if they just ignore this position and the amendment fails, no one will have the energy to hold another round of informational sessions and elections, so there probably won’t be one held — as has happened before. Last semester, the SGA neglected to hold elections for freshmen senators because they wanted to start an educational program for them. As we reported and editorialized then, they broke procedure for that as well. They said they would hold elections for freshmen in the spring, but we’re now halfway through the semester, no elections have been held and they have no plans to hold any. Freshmen have been effectively robbed of representation for three-fourths of the year, so
there’s no reason to think that the SGA would hold elections correctly for the other positions they’re taking from us. Seniors might recall that when they were freshmen, the SGA was caught not holding elections for positions that the student body hadn’t given them permission to get rid of. In the spring of 2013, The Maroon ran a front page editorial saying the same thing that we’re saying again now. The amendments being proposed in 2013 were defeated by the student body. The SGA didn’t hold elections for the positions they failed getting rid of then, either. Electoral fraud seems to be one of our most prevalent traditions. We’ve also learned from a former member of SGA’s executive staff that they considered doing this last year. Thankfully, they restrained themselves from doing so. Still, following due process and allowing students to vote for positions that they are entitled to shouldn’t have been up for debate. The Maroon can afford to report this every few years: it makes for exciting news and it’s a great resume builder. But can the student body afford to be repeatedly and routinely disenfranchised? We think the answer is no. Members of the
SGA have said that they don’t understand why the Senate isn’t as robust as it used to be. There are many reasons to this, but it probably isn’t a coincidence that the branch which the SGA tries to decimate every few years is the one that they’ve seen the numbers decreasing in. Also at issue is the lack of student voices in this discussion. The issue of representation is an important one, and decreasing that representation makes it so much more urgent and necessary that the student body has a dialogue about it. The amendment to eliminate four seats from the Senate — we currently have nine senators — was voted on in the Senate at their Feb. 17 meeting: over three weeks ago as of this printing. In this time, the student body hasn’t heard a word from them about it. Students should have the time to seriously consider this amendment. Dropping it on us right before elections doesn’t give us the time to do that. Failing to engage the general population of Loyola on this sends the message that the Student Government Association has nothing to do with the student body. If attempting to lessen our representation in the Senate doesn’t say that voters don’t matter to the SGA, then not even giving us the chance to vote before making major changes definitely does. The SGA needs to open the applications for College President. Only then do they have any legitimate claim to call themselves our student government.
EDITORIAL POLICY The editorial on this page represents the majority opinions of The Maroon’s editorial board and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Loyola University. Letters and columns reflect the opinions of the authors and not necessarily those of The Maroon’s editorial board. The Maroon does not represent the opinion of administration, staff and/or faculty members of Loyola. Letters are subject to editing for length, grammar and style. Please limit submissions to 400 words. Submissions are due no later than 4 p.m. the Sunday before publication. Please send all submissions — The Maroon, 6363 St. Charles Ave., Box 64, New Orleans, LA 70118. Email us your letters — letter@ loyno.edu. Submissions may also be made online at www.loyolamaroon.com.
The Student Government Association is attempting to hold unconstitutional elections for the second time in four years. Unless students force the SGA to change, we will have one of our rights taken from us.
OPINION
March 11, 2016 THE MAROON
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IN MY OPINION Students sharing their opinions on topics
Spotify allows musicians to grow audience SAMMY ODELL music industry sophomore sodell@loyno.edu
Big names artists like Taylor Swift have brought attention to the newly hot topic of streaming services asking whether or not the service’s payments fairly compensate for what artists have created and shared. This question produces a deeper concern for artists who worry they will never make a decent living solely from their performance career. The argument itself has become a critical discussion over the past
couple of years because industry professionals are looking for the best way to move forward after more than a decade of declining recorded music sales, post-Napster. Notably, the artists who have most recently spoken against the use streaming services are big names like Taylor Swift, Thom Yorke, Prince, and Neil Young, artists who do not necessarily “need” the money. Realistically, lower, mid-level artists use Spotify and similar platforms to create awareness of their presence in the industry. Following the rule of thumb: make your music accessible so listeners can find you easily. Whether or not streaming services, like Spotify, are positively impacting artists’ careers is an emotional debate. The discussion is
dominated by gut feelings, data of questionable quality, and isolated opinions. Most arguments begin with a number that signifies the amount of money an artist is paid according to number of plays. For example, musician, Sam Duckworth recently explained how 4,685 Spotify plays of his last album gave him $19.22, which is $0.004 per album stream. The evidence ends here, leaving readers with a horrified notion that big, corporate industries are creating a listening world that we have graciously taken part in. There is no further research that shows how much the streams of the album will earn him over the next 10-30 years. In addition, there is no measureable way to indicate how many new fans Duckworth may have gained by making his music
so easily ready to the masses. Did these fans travel to his website, buy merchandise, or share his music on social media to their own followers? While this could be counteracted with saying the same thing could be done with sharing or telling friends about a physical record, the convenience, simple sharing, and listening ability is lost. Artists need to build themselves a core fanbase – fans who will always be willing to buy more than a concert ticket or a record every other year. Streaming services have created this exact opportunity more accessible than ever. The streaming market provides artists with the advantage to direct traffic to personal and pre-order web sites. Streaming services are in place trying to create a system where artists will earn royalties forever for
quality music. The timeline differs from previous products we are more familiar with like iTunes making us uneasy and apprehensive to this change. Streaming is by no means a replacement for digital sales, and to blend the two is a mistake. Streaming services do not present threats to incomes of lower, mid-level artists, but instead, act similarly to file-sharing: a convenient way to discover new music. Addicted to the simplicity and convenience of the universal jukebox, most people are willing to support its growth, but also desire to find a way to respectfully aid in their favorite artists’ careers.
Austrian influence on decline despite value to Loyola MATT SEAMAN economics sophomore mseaman@loyno.edu
While students concentrate on schoolwork and spend free time with family and friends, an ongoing conflict of ideas without any geographical limits has engulfed the academic community. I am referring to the struggle between different schools of thought in the economic world. At the moment, the Austrian, Neoclassical, and Keynesian
schools of economics are all vying to win the hearts and minds of not just the American people but the world. A current hotspot between these doctrines is right here on Loyola’s campus. Besides being a popular destination for music students and aspiring lawyers, every year Loyola attracts people to the business and social science schools looking to get an education in all economic viewpoints, including the Austrian school. Unlike most universities, Loyola utilizes a curriculum spanning a broad spectrum of theories and ideas. A look at Professor Barnett’s syllabus for his Macroeconomics class reveals that his course will expose students to Irving Fisher’s Debt-Deflation Theory, a precursor
to Keynesianism, but also to the Austrian Business Cycle Theory. Through these theories, Austrians have developed their own beliefs about the economy. The unique aspect of Loyola’s economics department was the presence of many Austrian economists. Perhaps the strength of the faculty reached its peak in 2010, when enough support was mustered to propose a master’s degree in Austrian Economics and received support from over 330 students. However, the Austrian tradition has been dismantled. Over the summer, famed Austrian professor Dan D’Amico left in order to take up a new position at Brown University. Then, a few weeks ago, Austrian finance teacher Stuart Wood vacated his position at Loyola for unclear
reasons. For now, economics students must rely on the lectures of Professors Barnett, Block and Krasnozhon to gain any insights from the famous practitioners of the Austrian school. Economics is the study of how humans satisfy wants from scarcity. As a subset of economics, Austrian economics is not merely a set of ideas but a way of looking at economic interactions. Austrians use praxeology, a deductive, stepby-step approach in order to form conclusions about how economies operate. While neoclassicals tend to agree with Austrians over the necessity of a free market, they apply quantitative methods in an effort to find structural issues within an economy. Fortunately, the tradition up
until recently at Loyola has been for students of economics to abide by praxeological standards rather than those of mathematics. In sciences such as physics it is feasible to arrive at constants since material objects behave in a predictable manner. But in the social sciences, in particular economics, math can’t precisely predict human action, merely give insight into the probability of what behavior may occur. Methodology aside, Austrian economics has the potential to occupy a pertinent role within a Catholic institution like Loyola University. I would still argue that, based on the history of economic thought and our university’s own identity statement, there is a place for an Austrian doctrine in the friendly confines of Loyola.
EDITORIAL CARTOON
DREW SHENEMAN / MCT Campus
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March 11, 2016 THE MAROON