Issue 8

Loyola University • New Orleans • Volume 94 • Issue 22 • April 1, 2016

THE MAROON FOR A GREATER LOYOLA

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The Complete Election Guide 2016 Q&A with the executive candidates - Page 7

Our Questions & Their Answers: A survey of the candidates - Pages 8 & 9

Advice for SGA - Page 14

Candidates make promises to improve and change SGA - Page 7

Meet the Senators: see who Opinions on SGA will represent from insiders you next year - Page 15 - Page 10

How students should vote on amendments - Page 14

LOYOLAMAROON.COM • FB.COM/THELOYOLAMAROON • @LOYOLA_MAROON

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April 1, 2016

THE MAROON

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Sexual Assault Cabra Hall

March 13

1:39 a.m.

Drug Violation Cabra Hall

March 14

8:54 a.m.

Burglary 2100 Palmer Avenue

March 24

12:26 p.m.

Burglary 6100 Block of St. Charles Avenue

March 25

12:19 p.m.

Sexual Assault Nashville Avenue/S. Claiborne Avenue

March 26

12:22 a.m.

Vehicle Break-In/Theft 5900 Block of Hurst Street

March 26

3:48 p.m.

Institutional Vandalism Cabra Hall

March 28

12:34 p.m.

Vehicle Theft/ Break In 7600 Block of Burthe Street

March 28

9:06 a.m.

E ST

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news

April 1, 2016 The Maroon

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College of Business begins code academy ByAlliciyia George atgeorge@loyno.edu @AlliciyiaG

Loyola’s pilot coding program seeks to bridge the gap between a liberal arts or business degree and careers in web development.

The College of Business’ Center of Entrepreneurship and Community Development hopes to help graduating seniors become more marketable through creating a summer-long coding program.

Katie McCrery, program manager for the Center of Entrepreneurship and Community Development, said the program will begin sometime after May 2016. She said the growing demand for people with these skills is what prompted the program to begin.

“The Greater New Orleans region especially has invested in economic clusters in entrepreneurship, technology and innovation without a corresponding investment by local universities in growing the corresponding talent pool,” McCrery said.

This program will be available to post-grad students, regardless of what degree they earned.

“Anyone can learn how to code, no matter what their background is, and coding skills can be used in any field,” McCrery said.

For people in New Orleans, those with jobs in the well-funded tech sector have far more stability and much more money than those in other fields, according to Wired.

“As the influence of software expands, its workforce hails increasingly from an increasingly diverse set of backgrounds. The ability to make technology, or ‘code,’ has become a critical and impactful enabling tool across disciplines. Coding skills are rapidly becoming a precondition of success in business and the 21st-century workforce,” McCrery said.

news briefs Cuban documentary to be screened at Loyola The Department of Languages and Cultures at Loyola is hosting a movie screening next week.

The Center For Latin American and Caribbean Studies presents a new documentary titled Codigo Color, Memorias. The documentary explores race relations in Cuba. The screening will be Wednesday, April 6 in Monroe Library at 5:30 p.m.

Advising starts next week Loyola will begin advising for the 2016 fall semester on April 4.

Students are encouraged to contact their advisor to schedule a time to meet.

Registration for the fall begins Monday, April 18.

Sexual assualt reported in residence hall A sexual assault was reported in Cabra Hall on Sunday, March 13, around 1:40 a.m. The report concerned three different rooms on the third floor. More information will be available on The Maroon’s website as the story develops.

Photo Illustration by ALLICIYIA GEORGE / The Maroon

A student works on preparing for the Law School Admission Test. The Student Goverment Association offers reimbursements for students taking graduate school entrance exams.

SGA offers to help students pay for grad tests

By Alliciyia George atgeorge@loyno.edu @AlliciyiaG

To encourage students to pursue advanced degrees, the Student Government Association allocates some money each year to reimburse students for graduate entrance exams, though many students do not know how to take advantage of the program.

Ryan Stanford, SGA director of finance, said 35 percent of the reimbursement budget was allocated to students.

Stanford said the program was started to help students achieve their goals.

“SGA decided to reimburse students because attending graduate school allows students to gain additional knowledge and experience needed in today’s workforce,” Stan-

ford said.

Yunuen Borja, psychology senior, said she believes SGA offers good services that most people do not know about like the fee reimbursement, blue books and scantrons.

“I think SGA has a problem that many other organizations have which is low student involvement which limits its effect. SGA is a government so the more the people participate the more services it will provide,” Borja said.

Borja took the Medical College Admission Test in April 2015, and attempted to submit a request for reimbursement with SGA. Borja said she thought the process of applying for the reimbursements was not user-friendly.

“I just went past the deadline to turn in the paperwork. It was sort of confusing to get to,” Borja said.

The finance committee reviews and votes each week on allocation requests from students.

“The allocation guidelines, posted on SGA’s Orgsync portal, explain in further detail how to submit a request and the rules that need to be followed,” Stanford said.

The finance committee makes sure all documentation is there so students can be reimbursed.

Courtney Williams, SGA adviser, said SGA encourages students to submit their documentation including receipts on Orgsync within 10 days of purchase or no later than 30 days during the academic year because of university policy.

“It takes about five to seven days after the finance approval for students to receive reimbursement,” Williams said.

For more than six years, SGA has

reimbursed students for graduate exam fees and software purchases.

Williams said SGA may reimburse students for graduate exam books and prep courses, if students advocate for that.

“Everything SGA does is based on student feedback, they didn’t wake up one day and say ‘let’s reimburse students.’ It comes from students talking to their senators,” Williams said.

In addition, SGA provides funding to students and Loyola organizations for conferences, programs, service and club sports. SGA documented everything they provide allocation for in Loyola’s student handbook.

“They can definitely take some steps to advertise it more,” Williams said.

Hoverboards banned on campus due to safety concerns

By Andrew Callaghan atcallag@loyno.edu

The use or possession of battery-charged self-balancing scooters, or “Hoverboards,” has been prohibited at Loyola due to safety concerns.

Electrical fires caused by faultily manufactured Hoverboards have spurred nationwide debate, and have caused dozens of universities to flag these devices as a fire hazard.

According to WILX, one of the latest universities to ban hoverboards is Michigan State University. The university banned using, storing or charging hoverboards on university property as of March 20.

Robert Reed, assistant vice president for student affairs, said that Loyola’s decision to prohibit Hoverboards on campus came as a result of a public statement issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission in December 2015.

Elliot F. Kaye, the Consumer

Product Safety Commission’s chair- sharp rise in the internal battery man, detailed the Comission’s active temperature. This can create an investigation to assess Hoverboards’ electrical flash fire.

According to Amy Boyle, director injury potential.

Kaye explained that aside from of residential life, the risk outweighs Hoverboard users being at risk of any benefits of allowing them on campus. spontaneous elec“Our goal trical fires, inexperienced riders often “My board is legitimate, but is to eliminate risk of fire and lose balance and it’s freaky that a bunch of life safety isfall. sues, so as re“Some of these them are exploding” sponsible adinjuries have been ministrators, serious, including — Cooper Schott we felt it was concussions, frac- Music industry studies freshman necessary to tures, contusions/ ban these deabrasions and invices until the technology is further ternal organ injuries,” Kaye said.

The majority of fire-related inci- developed with fewer complications dents occur during charging, as the or defects,” Boyle said.

High-profile young celebrities board’s internal lithium ion batteries cannot handle being “overcharged” like Justin Bieber, Wiz Khalifa, Kylie Jenner and Chris Brown publicized, past their full-battery capability.

Cut-off mechanisms are sup- sponsored and promoted Hoverposed to stop overcharging, but if boards via social media, fueling a the Hoverboard is defective, these Black Friday consumer frenzy in mechanisms could fail, causing a November 2015.

However, in December, Amazon stopped selling 97 percent of Hoverboards manufactured by their primary Hoverboard retailer, Skagway.

Overstock also pulled Hoverboards from their digital catalog.

Amazon is currently offering a full refund to anyone who purchased a faulty Hoverboard on their website.

Despite these Hoverboard boycotts by online retailers, sales surged on the Chinese e-market AliBaba, where non-brand retailers sold models for as low as $75.

Cooper Schott, music industry studies freshman, received a Hoverboard last Christmas, and is disappointed that he cannot bring it back to Biever Hall.

“I just wanted to roll around and show off my balance skills to my boys. Anyway, I assumed all of the boards that exploded were knockoffs. My board is legitimate, but it’s freaky that a bunch of them are exploding,” Schott said.

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WORLDVIEW

April 1, 2016 The Maroon

Heroin usage increases dramatically in NOLA

By Emily Branan embranan@loyno.edu @embranan

EMILY BRANAN / The Maroon

Patrick Coates looks at a list of all the medications he was on while he was a patient at BHG methadone clinic in New Orleans. As of 2016, there has been a spike in heroin use and overdoses in New Orleans.

Photo Illustration by Starlight Williams

The first time Patrick Coates, 64, tried heroin, he threw up.

He was around 16 at the time.

Coates said he later made a promise to his dad as a teenager that he would never do hard drugs.

“I had cousins that were fullfledged drug addicts, and I knew from watching them throw up in the commode and having these habits and watching them go through the things they went through. I remember watching them while smoking my weed, saying ‘man, I’ll never do that,’” Coates said.

It was not until he was 35 years old that he broke his promise.

After being hit by a car and receiving multiple injuries, he developed a dependence on morphine and Dilaudid, both of which are opiates, while in a hospital.

“I was hurting and every time I asked for something, they gave me more drugs,” Coates said.

He said he knew about the addictive potential of these substances from his cousins, who eventually encouraged him to inject both morphine and Dilaudid to get rid of pain faster.

According to Coates, knowing how to inject these substances was the first step in his struggle with addiction.

After the doctor stopped giving him a prescription for pain medication, he turned to heroin.

“Once I realized I had an addictive personality, there was no stopping me. I started doing the drugs like it was going out of style,” Coates said.

Coates’ story is not unique.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 45 percent of heroin users also experienced an addiction to opioid painkillers.

Officials from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office’s Narcotics division said many of the heroin addictions they see begin after someone has

been using prescription pills.

“Once people can’t get that anymore, then they start going to heroin. It’s a lot cheaper and it’s more easily accessible,” said an undercover narcotics detective, who cannot use his name to maintain anonymity.

The officer said there has been a spike in heroin use and overdose deaths over the past three years in New Orleans.

There were 66 heroin overdose deaths in both 2013 and 2014, according to the Jefferson Parish Coroner’s annual report.

In 2015, Orleans Parish saw 63 heroin-related deaths.

This trend can also be seen nationally.

Between the years 2002 and 2013, heroin use increased in almost every demographic group, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

While Coates struggled with the heroin addiction for the next 25 years, activists for pain patients said the pathway from prescribed medication to heroin is not predetermined.

Bob Twillman, executive director for the American Academy of Pain Management, said a recent study found that only about 3 to 4 percent of people prescribed pain medication go on to develop a heroin addiction.

Twillman said the American Academy of Pain Management is working to find solutions to both of the complex problems involved: chronic pain and chronic substance abuse.

“If we can make it possible for all clinicians to treat pain appropriately, using a patient-centered, multi-model, integrative approach, we can prevent a lot of cases of addiction from developing, while simultaneously providing more effective pain care than we have been able to do by using opioids and other medications alone,” Twillman said.

Coates said the worst part of

his addiction was how it changed his personality.

“I was never happy. I was always in a bad mood. I always thought somebody was out to get me,” Coates said.

After he was incarcerated because of heroin, he was able to get into the drug treatment program.

He then transferred to a halfway house in Monroe, Louisiana.

“When it got to the point where you had to hustle and steal to get it, and when it got to that point, I didn’t know if I was going to make it,” Coates said.

While he lived in Monroe, he was clean for five years.

However, after he returned to New Orleans and got in another car accident, resulting in prescription pain medication, he was hooked to heroin again.

“I was strung out all over again. It was like the drug never forgot me,” Coates said.

After overcoming his addiction once, he was back in the same place he started.

He said he blames his addiction on the doctors, since he never used before he was severely injured.

“I got out of the hospital with the intention of not doing the drugs, but it was like the drugs kept calling me back to them,” Coates said.

The Jefferson Parish narcotics officer said heroin is tough to stop using and described the recovery process as a “roller-coaster.”

Coates did eventually seek help at the Behavioral Health Group methadone clinic in New Orleans, which has allowed him to stay off heroin through using methadone and speaking with a counselor.

And things are going well.

“Yes, I walk with a limp. I walk slow. I have bad times, but I’m at the point now where I can really tell people about the drugs and what they can do to you,” Coates said.

La. lawmakers leave special session without decision on TOPS

By Mary Graci megraci@loyno.edu @MaryGraciMMJ

With the Louisiana Legislature entering its regular session on March 14, there has yet to be a solution to resolve the financial deficit for this budget cycle or the next one.

Earlier this year, the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, or TOPS, was faced with a major cut from recently-elected Gov. John Bel Edwards in an effort to fill the state’s upcoming budget shortfall.

The Legislature entered a 25-day special session, which ended on March 9, to discuss a resolution, but fell short of making a firm decision about TOPS. In order for the TOPS decision to be resolved, lawmakers would have to enter another special session, which likely would not happen until June, leaving many students worried about their future.

Edwards walked into the governor’s office with almost $2 billion in shortfall to cover before the end of the next fiscal year.

While Louisiana lawmakers struggle to compromise with Edwards’ myriad tax increases -- the most Louisiana has ever seen -- the governor also looked for ways to reduce spending, and TOPS was the first victim.

John Levendis, associate professor of economics at Loyola University, said that this is the worst budget crisis Louisiana has ever experienced.

With the responsibility to fix this crisis as soon as possible, the governor has admitted to aggressively attacking the state’s budget just days after taking office.

“Tonight I speak to you as no other Louisiana governor has ever spoken to our state, because the challenges have never been so great, nor the impacts so severe for all of us who live, work or go to school here,” Edwards said during a televised speech to the public.

After proposing a cut of 20 percent of TOPS funding, many local high schools, such as Riverside Academy in St. John the Baptist Parish, were left with an unsettling

question: how will our students be able to afford college now?

“You have your top 10, 15 that are going to graduate with a 28-30 on the ACT. That’s 40-something kids who will have to find another way to get a post-secondary education,” Perry DiCarlo, principal of Riverside Academy, said.

When state officials stopped all funding to TOPS on Feb. 11, students state-wide began to panic, wondering how they would pay for college without it.

“A lot of student loans, I guess.

That’s the only thing I can do if I want to finish school,” Buddy Duhe, senior at Riverside Academy, said.

Even though the state has resumed funding for TOPS, they will only cover 80 percent of the funds, leaving universities to make up the other 20 for the remainder of the current spring semester.

However, for high schoolers at the cusp of graduating and moving on to college, they may not have that option.

And with rumors of the state changing the merit requirements

for TOPS as well, high schools are wondering how much they may need to change their curriculum to help future students.

“It’s going to put more stress on teachers to make sure students get the scores they need,” DiCarlo said.

Teachers and administrators at Riverside Academy are concerned that any cuts or increases to the requirement to get TOPS may deter many students from getting a college education at all.

Meanwhile, seniors have already taken notice of what could happen without the program in place.

“If I don’t get TOPS, of course I’ll still go to school. I’ll just have to take out all these loans and I won’t have much money. I would have accumulated debt. It’ll be a lot harder to start my life,” Noah Gravois, senior at Riverside Academy, said.

To ensure the success of their students, high school counselors like Carrie Turnbull are finding new ways to equip students with what they need to continue their education after high school.

“We have students who dual en-

roll at Vo-Tech across the street if they’re interested in working as a P-Tech, as an operator, or instrumentation or welding. And so we encourage them to go and talk to Vo-Tech and dual enroll their junior or senior year in high school, and get an early jump if they can,” Turnbull said.

While the governor himself also awaits the verdict of the state’s lawmakers on funding to state colleges and universities, he said that he believes the only way to prevent further economic crisis is to reduce funding to TOPS. “The Louisiana TOPS scholarship fund is now so depleted that fewer high school students will receive awards and current recipients are in jeopardy of losing their existing scholarships,” Edwards said during a speech. “Even with additional revenue, higher education this year will need to cut $42 million. This will be combined with a $28 million cut in TOPS scholarship funds that the universities will have to absorb, resulting in the largest mid-year cut in Louisiana history.”

April 1, 2016 THE MAROON

C R O S S W O R D

SUDOKU

THE MAROON

ACROSS

1. Library recess 7 Brief amt. of time 11 Karaoke need, briefly 14 Slanted 15 With 34-Across, concert band instrument 16 Big fuss 17 Parody involving molten rock?

19 Sneaky job 20 APA member?: Abbr.

21 Med. test 22 Eight-time co-star of Joan Crawford 24 Teeth: Pref.

27 Note 28 Wind god’s whaling weapon?

33 Crybaby 34 See 15-Across 35 Arctic flier 36 Stalling-for-time syllables 37 Honor earned by 27 Super Bowl QBs 39 Light lead-in 41 Scoreboard fig.

42 Director Preminger 44 It borders It. 46 Sparkling wit 48 Blubbering Belgian?

51 8th-century Japanese capital 52 Runs while standing 53 Try a new color on 55 June portrayer in “Henry & June” 56 Repeat, but more softly each time 60 First name in shipping 61 Hollywood harlequin?

65 Java 66 Eclectic quarterly digest 67 Hard to read, maybe 68 Animal in some fables 69 He says to Cordelia, “Thy truth, then, be thy dower” 70 Cerebral __

DOWN

1 __ breve 2 Pastures

3 Home team at Cleveland’s “The Q” 4 Uninterrupted 5 Mph 6 Former PBS host LeShan 7 Place setting items 8 Tough march 9 1940s stage for Ike 10 __ eel 11 Apple with a Force Touch trackpad 12 Fan club focus 13 Lane-closing sight 18 Physical leader?

23 Gear on stage 25 Kind of tchr.

26 Buddhist state 27 Klinger’s first name on “M*A*S*H” 28 Vital supply line 29 Where to find Java 30 Magic show prop 31 __ the cold

32 Democratic donkey drawer 33 Litter cry 38 Wrinkly little dog 40 __ Royale, Michigan 43 Skin care brand 45 Pool party?

47 Be the subject of, as a painting 49 Furious 50 Not much at all 53 Indian noble 54 Love deity 55 Forearm bone 57 Egyptian Christian 58 “The thing with feathers / That perches in the soul”: Dickinson 59 Cameo stone 62 Suburban trailer?

63 The Trojans of the Pac-12 64 “Alice” spinoff

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RELIGION Easter 2016 parade rolls through quarter

April 1, 2016 THE MAROON

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“The Francis Effect” film explores Pope Francis’ background

By Nicholas Ducote naducote@loyno.edu @naducote89

A documentary film called “The Francis Effect” was shown to a small group of locals right before Easter break. The film featured Pope Francis’ rise to fame in the Church and in the world outside of his denomination.

Featured as a screening for Loyola’s Lenten series on Pope Francis’ spirtuality, the movie was shown from multiple points of view, including the priests that surround him. The film also went in depth with his stance on homosexuality, war, politics, the ecosystem and other current world issues.

“The Francis Effect” showed the pope’s background as a simple man from Argentina.

Pope Francis, previously known as Fr. Jorge Bergoglio, was a dark horse candidate when the previous pontiff, Pope Benedict, left his role as head of the Catholic Church.

When he was finally voted in and introduced as the Pope, he was reminded by a fellow priest on one simple rule “don’t forget the poor.”

The film highlighted the beginning of his South America tour, where he was often seen taking selfies with teenagers and paying the bill for his hotel rooms.

“The Francis Effect” gave a look into the Pope’s voice with not only world issues, but also problems within the church itself, like the public scrutiny surrounding the corruption within the Catholic Church over the past ten years.

Pope Francis challenged Cardinals and other high ranking priests to “come to terms” with their priesthood. He was quoted saying “are you a priest for the people and God, or is this to benefit you?” “The Francis Effect” is a deeper look into the man who is more than just the Pope, and the film can be bought or rented through Vimeo.

RELIGION BRIEFS Alanah Harris/ The Maroon

The 33rd annual Chirs Owens French Quarter Easter Parade took place Sunday, March 27. The parade began at the corner of Canal and Bourbon Streets and concluded on Canal Street at the Astor Crowne Hotel.

See Easter Parade, page 16

Lenten series concludes with a request for prayer

By Caleb Beck cmbeck@loyno.edu @CalebBeckIRL

The fifth and final installment of Loyola’s Lenten lectures took place March 16. in the Ignatius Chapel, rounding out the series with a reflection on forgiveness, prayer and judgment.

Father Ted Dziak, S.J. led a passionate discussion on Pope Francis and his strong roots in Ignatian spirituality, reading select passages from the Pope’s new book, “The Name of God is Mercy” and chronicling Francis’s rise from a trouble-making young Jesuit to the face of the Catholic church.

The talk was divided into ob-

serving three selections from “The Name of God is Mercy,” including “I am a Sinner,” “Who Am I to Judge,” and “Pray for Me,” which are all recurring quotes of Francis.

“I am a Sinner” served to remind the audience that the Pope is by no means a perfect individual.

“Francis says he made his mistakes, and they shaped him into a tough, hard, cruel individual. He was womanizing, vain and a hypocrite in his youth,” Dziak said.

It wasn’t until an epiphany he had after witnessing a Confession in Buenos Aires during September of 1953 that he felt compelled to follow the path of priesthood.

“Something strange happened to me in that Confession. I don’t know

what it was, but it changed my life,” Pope Francis later said.

“Who am I To Judge” centers on the Pope’s approval and welcoming of a homosexual person seeking God. Dziak reminded the crowd that his willing acceptance of these groups is a reflection of his Jesuit upbringing and teaching within the catechism, just as Ignatius was not a critic in the time of Luther.

“Francis has put the poor and disadvantaged at the center of his agenda,” Dziak said.

“Pray for Me” is a phrase Francis often uses to erase any sort of notion that he is bereft of sin or different from any other faithful person.

Dziak recanted that Francis is a

human being and therefore also in need of forgiveness.

“Gone are the days where people kiss the Pope’s ring,” Dziak said.

Dziak closed discussion with a few additional pieces of advice from the Pope.

“Immerse yourself in the world but withdraw daily,” Francis said.

“Ask yourself where was God in my life today? Where is God now? Where is God leading me tomorrow?”

The Lenten lecture series came to a close with an emphasis on Francis’s sympathy and compassion tying into the Divine Year of Mercy, which Pope Francis called for in April 2015 and which comes to a close on Nov. 20.

Justices seek to conclude birth control use dispute WASHINGTON (AP) —The Supreme Court is exploring a possible compromise ruling in the dispute between faith-based groups and the Obama administration over birth control.

Tuesday directing both sides in the case to file a new round of legal briefs by April 20. They’re being asked to examine the minimum that groups like the Little Sisters of the Poor must do to register their religious objections to providing contraceptive coverage.

The court suggested that they could tell their insurance company at the time they arrange for health insurance that they don’t want to include some or all contraceptive coverage.The insurer would notify people covered by the health plan that contraceptive coverage would come directly from the insurer, with no money from or involvement by the nonprofit’s health plan.

Attornies for the group say that shows that the court recognizes that the “government’s scheme forces them to violate their religion.”

ELECTION GUIDE

April 1, 2016 THE MAROON

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Q&A with the executive candidates Elisa Diaz is a political science junior who is running for SGA executive president.

She has not held a previous position in SGA, but is excited to take on this leadership role. She wants to improve communication between SGA and students and make the organization more transparent QUESTIONS: Q: IN THE EVENT YOU’RE ELECTED SGA PRESIDENT, HOW WILL YOU GET THE STUDENT BODY’S INPUT ON WHO THEY THINK SHOULD COMPOSE YOUR EXECUTIVE STAFF? A: On our first day of campaigning, Gabby and I actually tabled with a suggestions board so we can have students express their biggest concerns.

As president, my role is to advocate for our student body and that is why I want to provide a transparent administration where any student can come to me with a concern and I can aid in a solution.

Q: WHAT KIND OF COMMUNICATION WOULD YOU HAVE WITH THE STUDENT BODY ABOUT UPCOMING BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETINGS? A: I would be more than happy to keep up communication with the student body about university happenings. That is my purpose if elected.

Q: SHOULD THE SGA MEET REGULARLY WITH THE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT TO PRESENT STUDENT CONCERNS? A: Absolutely. I believe that we must utilize the opportunity to talk to the administration to voice any concerns, rather than trying to work against them.

President: Elisa Diaz

QUOTES:

“I’m a huge believer that leadership makes a difference in every situation.”

“I genuinely want to impact Loyola in a positive way.

If a student needs a reason to vote, I urge them to come talk to me about anything.”

“I’ve seen the trust in our SGA decline and I know I can turn that around.”

Gabrielle Henry is an accounting junior who is running for executive vice president.

She has previously served on the SGA’s University Programming Board.

She hopes to be transparent and responsive to student concerns.

She also hopes to make the SGA be more student-driven QUESTIONS: Q: WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT CANDIDATES FOR PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT BEING REQUIRED TO RUN AS A TICKET?

Vice President: Gabrielle Henry

A: I think the candidates being able to run on a ticket for president and vice president is a great idea. It gives the opportunity for two people to work together cohesively, instead of potentially two people who might have never spoken to each other before. It makes the transition into office smoother when two people are on the same page from the beginning.

QUOTES: Q: WHAT ROLE SHOULD THE VICE PRESIDENT HAVE IN ENFORCING THESE BENCHMARKS? A: As the vice president of SGA, my largest role is to preside over the Senate. I want to have an efficent Senate that the student body respects and trusts. Without any benchmarks enforced, how will we assess our performance?

Q: SHOULD THERE BE PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS IN PLACE FOR SENATORS SO STUDENTS CAN DETERMINE IF THEY’RE PERFORMING THEIR DUTIES WELL? A: Yes, it would provide a sense of accountability for the Senate.

“I hope to improve the Senate, motivate the Senators to participate in positive intiatives; assist Ellie in whatever she may need; lead our student government in the right direction so students believe in our SGA again.”

“I want to have an efficient Senate that the student body respects and trusts.

Candidates make promises to improve and change SGA

By Nick Reimann nsreiman@loyno.edu @nicksreimann

Every student running for a Student Government Association position in Spring 2016 will be doing so unopposed.

Elisa Diaz, political science junior, will become the next SGA president with her running mate Gabrielle Henry, accounting junior, becoming vice president.

The Senate will be occupied by 14 students, 10 of whom will represent the new College of Arts and Sciences. The remainder will be composed of two from the College of Business, along with two other senators at large that represent the entire student body. The College of Music and Fine Arts, which has 689 students, will have no senators because no one applied for the position.

Bud Sheppard, SGA chief justice,

was hoping for more participation in this year’s election.

“Personally, I wanted there to be a more robust and competitive election process,” Sheppard said.

“However, I think we should all look at this from another lens though— last year we had seven total students running for positions. Two for SGA President, two for SGA Vice President, and three for Senate. This year we have a united SGA President and Vice President running with fourteen senators.”

This year’s election is the first to feature a ticket system, where the president is required to choose a running mate. Diaz, the only student who chose to run for president, believes that this change was a key cause in the lack of presidential candidates.

“I think the reason that I’m unopposed is because that was just thrown into the elections code,” Diaz said. “Their reasoning behind

the ticket makes sense, but there’s things that could work that are approached in bad ways. A ticket essentially could have worked if they would’ve mentioned it earlier.”

Despite the fact that she will not face competition in the election, Diaz continues to actively campaign for SGA president, and views the sudden move to a ticket-based election as just one instance of the serious institutional dysfunction that plagues SGA. “There’s such a distrust between the student body and the SGA,” Diaz said. “I didn’t see anyone in my class trying to make any kind of difference about it, so I thought to myself maybe I should become the liaison between the student body and the changes we want to see in the SGA because, essentially, we are supposed to be a student-driven organization and I don’t think that’s something that’s been happening lately.”

Max Heimburger, political science sophomore that will represent the College of Arts and Sciences in the Senate, feels that SGA has very little credibility among students.

“I think SGA has failed the students. I want to be in SGA to re-establish the mission of SGA, so that it is fighting for student interest here on campus,” Heimburger said. “I hope to make the legislative body a credible organization. It has failed at its job to defend the rights and interests of students. I want SGA, specifically the legislative branch, to be an organization students trust to reach out to when change is needed.”

Diaz believes that making SGA more transparent and raising student involvement will help to bridge what she sees as the current gap of trust between SGA and the student body.

“People who are in leadership can’t expect somebody to know how to do something or be educated

about something if you’re not going to be willing to educate them,” Diaz said. “You can’t just walk around and say ‘oh hey, we’re doing this event, here’s this poster’ because there’s a difference between just doing that and talking to somebody about the reasoning behind it.”

The ballot will have three constitutional amendments – one to eliminate the college president position, one to add the First-Year Council as an executive standing committee and one seeking to eliminate the commissioner of elections position.

In order to be passed, each amendment must be supported by a majority of the student electorate.

A question and answer session will be held for candidates in Miller 114 during the window on April 5.

SGA elections take place on OrgSync between April 6 and 7. The results will be announced in the courtyard in the middle of the Danna Center at 3:30 p.m. on April 8.

April 1, 2016 THE MAROON

ELECTION GUIDE

8

Our Questions Their Answers Q

A

DIAZ

HENRY BLACKSTONE LEE ESPINAL MENA HEIMBURGER WOLLANTS SMITH CINNATER SCHEXNAYDER BUI ZALESKI GOODMAN ADAMS KELLUP

Have you held a previous position with the SGA?

Do you think SGA has been upholding its responsibility in being the voice of the student body?

Do you think the Senate could have done better in addressing student concerns and issues in the past?

Should SGA Senators be allowed to communicate directly with the media without permission from or going through other members of SGA?

April 1, 2016 THE MAROON

We surveyed the candidates to learn about their experience and opinions on SGA Do you think the administration is receptive to SGA representatives as leaders of the student body?

9

ELECTION GUIDE

Do you believe SGA currently operates as an autonomous organization and “in the form and standing of a university department�?

Position Key:

President Vice President Senator at Large College of Business College of Arts & Sciences Do you believe SGA should operate with the autonomy and freedom of a university department ?

EL

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Do you think the current budget allocation process is efficient?

Should the SGA constitution be amended yearly?

10

ELECTION GUIDE

Meet the Senators

EL

April 1, 2016 THE MAROON

ECTI

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KAYLEN LEE

JUSTIN BLACKSTONE

HERNAN ESPINAL

CAMILLE MENA

ANNA SMITH

Major: Mass Communication

Major: Digital Filmmaking

Major: Economics

Major: Physics Pre-Health

Year: Sophomore

Year: Freshman

Major: International Business and Finance

Year: Freshman

Year: Freshman

Senator at Large

Year: Freshman

College of Business

College of Arts and Sciences

Senator at Large

College of Business Lee has previously served as both a college senator and as a senator at large. She is running again because she wants to serve her student body.

“Even though I have held this position, I have a lot more to accomplish,” Lee said.

Blackstone has not been a part of SGA previously, but he said he was active in leadership throughout high school.

“I hope to get students more involved in community service-oriented projects,” Blackstone said.

This year, Espinal was president of the First-Year Council. He wants to address flaws he’s seen.

“As a senator for SGA, I hope to accomplish intiatives to make it easier for students to voice their opinions about the university,” Espinal said.

This year, Mena was a part of the First-Year Council.

“My goals in this position will consist of being a good listener, accurately representing my peers and acting on the ideas presented,” Mena said.

This year, Smith was a part of the First-Year Council. She is looking forward to being a campus leader.

“This is one way I can give back to a community that has already invested so much in me,” Smith said.

HANNAH GOODMAN

MAX HEIMBURGER

ANTHONY ZALESKI

PAOLA WOLLANTS

MYLINH BUI

Major: History Pre-Law

Major: Political Science

Major: English Literature

Major: Political Science

Major: Biology

Year: Freshman

Year: Sophomore

Year: Sophomore

Year: Freshman

Year: Freshman

College of Arts and Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences

Goodman is new to SGA, and is most looking forward to making a difference, no matter the size.

“My goal is to really help the enviroment here at Loyola. I want to find a way to limit waste and make the school a greener place,” Goodman said.

Heimburger has not held a previous position on SGA, but is eager to work to help the student body.

“I want the students to believe in SGA, that it is an organization on campus that can and will cause change for the good of the students,” Heimburger said.

This would be Zaleski’s first position on SGA. He wants to improve the communication about opportunities for students.

“I feel like that this will be a great opportunity for me to learn about other people, and lend my ideas to Loyola overall,” Zaleski said.

Wollants served on the First-Year Council this year. One of her ideas is to start an association for Hispanic students.

“I feel like there is not much connection between senators and students and I would like to change that,” Wollants said.

Bui has not been a part of Loyola’s SGA before, but is excited to become a representative for her college.

“If elected, I hope I can listen to the students within my college and work with other senators to help get the students what is needed to better the Loyola community,” Bui said.

NOTES: Rachel Meyer, biology freshman and senate candidate for the College of Arts and Sciences, is withdrawing from the race.

The number of senate seats are decided based on the population of each college. Every 200 students equals one senator.

BENJAMIN SCHEXNAYDER

MARGARET ADAMS

VICTORIA CINNATER

TROYJEA KELLUP

Major: History

Major: Environmental Science

Major: Biochemistry

Major: Political Science

Year: Junior

Year: Freshman

Year: Sophomore

Year: Freshman

College of Arts and Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences

THE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES: 1,994 students, 10 Senate seats THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS: 533

students, three Senate seats

THE COLLEGE OF MUSIC AND FINE ARTS: 689 students, four Senate

Schexnayder served as a senator before and wants to help find ways to make the student body happier.

“I feel that Loyola can be made better and that we need students to help in the effort,” Schexnayder said.

Adams has not held a previous position with SGA, but was active on her high school’s SGA. “I want to be able to help the student body have a great experience while here and be a representative for my college,” Adams said.

This will be Cinnater’s first position on SGA. “Many students will complain about issues, but never reach out to SGA. I hope to build relationships where people can approach me with issues and concerns,” Cinnater said.

Kellup is new to SGA, but is entering her first term with a desire to make a difference.

“If elected, I hope to accomplish changes that last a long time, so we have a stable body of government to refer to,” Kellup said.

seats

To read the candidates’ full answers, visit the maroon’s website

SPORTS

April 1, 2016 The Maroon

11

Sports briefs Loyola baseball defeats Blue Mountain College After splitting a double-header on March 25, the Loyola University New Orleans baseball team returned on Saturday to wrap up its three-game series with Blue Mountain College.

Ben Condara helped power the Wolf Pack to the 12-6 victory. Loyola won the series 2-1.

With the score stuck at 0-0 in the second, Condara connected on a double to score Alexander Lorenzo from second to put the Wolf Pack on the board first. With two outs, Lance Licciardi flied out to left to score Britt Pellegrin and put Loyola up 2-0.

The Wolf Pack’s offense surged in the top of the third, putting up five runs on seven hits to take the commanding 7-1 lead.

The Toppers quickly responded with four runs in the bottom of the third to cut the deficit to 7-5 heading into the fourth.

Both teams scored a run in the eighth inning to end with the Wolf Pack winning with a score of 12-6.

ZACH BRIEN / The Maroon

The women’s basketball team met at LaSalle Court before they traveled to Independence, Missouri for the NAIA National Championship. Zoie Miller, sophomore guard, drives the lane for a layup in the second half against Xavier University.

Women’s basketball finds identity after season

By Mark Robinson mtrobins@loyno.edu @_mtrobin

In the final seconds of the NAIA National Championship Tournament, the women’s Wolf Pack basketball team fell just short of advancing to the second round.

The women’s team finished the regular season at 23-8 and captured the Southern States Athletic Conference championship for the second straight year.

In spite of adding another championship to the program, Kellie Kennedy, head coach, said that the team must strive to be more than a oneand-done team.

“We have to be better than first round out, in my mind. The playing field is more level now than it’s been in recent history. We have a shot to go do something great, and that’s what I want for this program, and next year’s team,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy also said that the team has become accustomed to being a contender to reach the National Championship every year.

In the midst of this season’s championship run, Kennedy felt that the team came together more than they have at any point of the season.

“They kind of came into their own. They figured out who they were. I think we have a team where

so many different people stepped up for us in so many different ways, on so many different occasions. That was huge for us,” Kennedy said.

Because of the internal growth of the team, Caroline Gonzalez, junior forward, believes that this has been a season of progress.

“People expected us to have a rebuilding year and we exceeded those expectations by winning the conference tournament and making it to nationals. I’m very proud of us for everything we’ve accomplished,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez, the SSAC Tournament MVP, averaged 14 points and five rebounds during the conference tournament.

For the team’s young players, experiencing a winning season will help to boost the team’s confidence going forward.

With the team’s 2015-16 season in the books, Coach Kennedy believes that the foundation is set for the team to continue to build upon.

“Everyone loves a winner. We go out and tell kids, we go out and tell recruits we have a tradition and a history of winning in this program.

We just want to take that to the next level,” Kennedy said.

Coach Kellie Kennedy has 169 wins as the women’s head coach, just four wins shy of the all-time record by Jack Orsley.

Local man with disability runs in the Crescent City Classic

By Marie Simoneaux masimone@loyno.edu @MarieSimoneaux

For many, the idea of running a 10k race is daunting enough, but James Fernandez, 53, accomplished it without something most take for granted -- his sight.

Fernandez said he became blind after not receiving the necessary medications for his glaucoma four years ago. Since then, he has worked to return to a normal life, with the help of Caitlin Duckworth, a blindness rehab trainer.

When he lost his sight, he wanted two things, a place to live and to run a race, Duckworth said. He has now accomplished both.

“I want to show the kids to have strength, and to walk by faith not by sight. I am a living witness that you just have to be strong and have faith,” Fernandez said.

Prior to losing his sight, Fernandez was a skilled boxer, he said, and it was important to him to be able to continue as an athlete.

Fernandez and Duckworth ran

the race together, connected by a small tether. Duckworth said she was able to keep enough distance between them so Fernandez could run independently while still guiding him along the way.

“This is a big deal. He had to learn to be able to independently move, which is hard in itself. And then, to work out when you’re blind is also very difficult, because you cannot run alone. So he really had a lot working against him,” Duckworth said.

But despite his obstacles, Fernandez found a gym, trained on a treadmill and completed the 6.2 mile race in about an hour and 20 minutes, she said.

“He’s very strong and healthy, and I really admire him,” Duckworth said.

During the race, Fernandez did more than run. In order to communicate with and find his friends, he whistles, so they nicknamed him Birdman. Throughout the race, he would send out a whistle, and if his friends heard they would return the call.

“He’s so animated, and he kept calling out to people and dancing and doing his whistle, so it made it really fun,” Duckworth said.

Lainie Beoux, a friend of Duckworth’s, also ran with her and Fernandez.

She said she is not an experienced runner, and Fernandez’s energy helped fuel her to the end.

“I was very intimidated today by the last two miles, and just imagine running this whole race without being able to see. But he was just so excited to be there,” Beoux said.

Terri Joseph, 57, a close friend of Fernandez, said she couldn’t be more proud.

“I think it’s awesome. He has done more in two years than I’ve done in my lifetime, with eyes,” Joseph said.

Fernandez’s 53rd birthday was on March 27 and he said he has a lot to celebrate.

“God is great, God is good and I finished and I feel great,” Fernandez said.

Beck Flanagan named NAIA Assistant Coach of the Year In his four seasons with the Wolf Pack, Coach Flanagan has helped Loyola to an 83-39 record.

“I’m honored to receive this incredible reward and grateful for the recognition from my coaching peers and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA),” Flanagan said in a press release.

The Wolf Pack finished the 20152016 season with a 23-8 record.

Loyola also finished 14-4 in the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC).

Coach Flanagan has helped lead the Wolf Pack to three straight 20plus win seasons.

Briana Oglesby named NAIA DI All-American Honorable Mention Briana Oglesby has been a constant contributor for Loyola as she led the team in scoring averaging 12.1 points per game this season.

A First-Team All-SSAC and All-Academic selection in 2016, Oglesby scored in double figures in 17 games this season including two 19-point performances.

She ended the season ranked third in the SSAC in three-point field goal percentage (38 percent), ninth in three pointers made per game and 12th in scoring.

Oglesby leaves Loyola with the highest career three-point shooting percentage in program history as she shot 40.7 percent from beyond the arc this season.

Johnny Griffin, Jr. named NAIA DI All-American Honorable Mention

MARIE SIMONEAUX / The Maroon

James Fernandez and Caitlin Duckworth celebrate after finishing the Crescent City Classic. The race was held on March 26.

Johnny Griffin was named FirstTeam All-SSAC after tying the national record this season for rebounds in a single game.

Griffin ranked second in the league in total rebounds (287), third in offensive rebounds per game (3.41) and fourth in blocks per game (1.23).

Griffin grabbed 287 total rebounds to pass Brian Lumar (199495) for the most rebounds in a single season.

12

Life &Times

April 1, 2016 The Maroon

Film • Arts • Food • Music • Leisure • Nightlife

Courtesy of Grady Bell & ZACH BRIEN/ The Maroon

Students perform at the first Fools of April art and music festival on the St. Charles Room stage. The free one-day event will take place on Sunday, April 3 in the Peace Quad. Music begins at 11:30 a.m. and will continue until the last set concludes at 7:30 p.m.

Loyola music festival showcases student talent

By Caleb Black cmbeck@loyno.edu @CalebIRL The Fools of April music festival, organized to showcase Loyola’s diverse musicians, is back on April 3 in the Peace Quad.

The free one-day event brings together current Loyola students and alumni. The lineup for this year includes Naughty Professor, Grotto Girl, HOUND, Froyo-Ma, Elysian Feel, Alfred Banks, The

Shady Bunch, Josh Goins, Stoop Kids and Caddywhompus.

At the helm of the eclectic production are music industry studies sophomores Roger Siver and Amanda Seal.

According to Siver, their aim with the festival is to celebrate and showcase Loyola’s talented student body.

“A music festival is the perfect way to do that. As a labor of love for all those involved it will be a day of celebrating the talent that makes Loyola great. Truly a festival for stu-

dents by students,” Seal said.

Jack Long, band frontman and guitarist, said that he is thrilled to have his psychedelic punk band HOUND be a part of the lineup.

“To have our aggressive sound included is exciting. It feels great to be recognized by the Loyola community,” Long said.

With over a hundred confirmed attendees on Facebook and counting, the festival is expected to bring in an impressive crowd to pack the Peace Quad.

Claire McLaughlin, music industry studies sophomore, said she is looking forward to seeing all the artists perform live.

“There’s no one band I’m more excited to see than the others. I think what I find exciting is the fact that this is such a community-based event, and that it was created by Loyola students, for Loyola students,” McLaughlin said.

She said the fact that the festival doubles as a platform for artists to display their work is incredible, and

it definitely adds a really interesting level to the festival-goers’ experience.

While the musical acts, which will take place on Sunday, April 3 beginning at 11:30 a.m., will be the main focus of the event, there will be a range of food vendors, local artists and activities to engage the attendees. The festival will continue throughout the day on two alternating stages until the last act takes the stage at 7:30 p.m.

Boulder lounge provides new indoor facility for climbing community

By Anthony Alongi adalongi@loyno.edu

The New Orleans Boulder Lounge offers people a taste of the daredevil lifestyle without ever having to leave the city.

Bouldering is a term used to describe a type of rock climbing that is done without a rope or a harness. The lounge located in the Irish Channel has climbing surfaces spanning 2,500 feet and covering

the majority of the facility to simulate different levels of difficulty for participants.

Co-owner Garret Mortensen started his bouldering journey in 2008 and said he was immediately hooked. One of the things he said he likes the most about bouldering is the sense of camaraderie among fellow climbers.

“Bouldering is very community-driven. It’s not you against anyone else. It’s you against the wall

that’s there to be your nemesis. So everyone wants you to succeed, everyone,” Mortensen said.

According to the Climbing Business Journal, the New Orleans Boulder Lounge is one of 40 new indoor climbing facilities built in the U.S. over the last year, a 10 percent increase from the previous year. In total, there are now 388 indoor climbing facilities in the country that offer both indoor climbing and bouldering.

In addition to the rock climbing walls, there are also yoga classes everyday and a weight training room specifically geared towards climbers. For instance, the equipment helps strengthen the major muscles involved in climbing movements, such as calves, abdominals and forearms.

An all-day pass allows visitors to come and go throughout the day at their own leisure. For Geremy Stovall, a lounge regular since

its opening, the pass allows him to make a whole day out of the place.

“I love going there for the all day pass so I can climb, work out and meet great new people,” Stovall said.

A special student discount is offered every Thursday. For $10, a student gets to rent a pair of climbing shoes and has all day access to the gym. All-day passes are available daily and cost $12 for students and kids and $16 for adults.

April 1, 2016 THE MAROON

THE W RKS

13

The Maroon's section of student art. Contribute at letter@loyno.edu

DRAWING

FICTION

“SITTING, WAITING, WISHING”

Respectable Solutions by Anna and Emma PART V

By Patrick Gallagher pjgallag@loyno.edu

Dear Juliet, I know that, at the time, when we were younger than we are now, faking our deaths to escape our over-bearing, and let’s be honest here, over-dramatic families so that we can runaway and backpack around Europe and write whimsical folk music with each other seemed like a “pretty good idea” (5.4.1). But we have been together an entire year and a half- not including the three months that we took off to “see other people,”of course- and I have to say that I feel like we are moving in different directions.

I tried to convince myself to work though this. I even went back through my Insta so I could remind myself of all of the reasons we fell in love in the first place. Here I am killing your beloved cousin Tybalt, there you are chatting it up with Friar Lawrence.

Ah! And this is our first selfie! I remember that night so clearly: when I saw you for the first time I thought “Did my heart love till now?” (1.5.59). I was four years older than you but I didn’t care- you were very mature for a thirteen year old. Then again, Mercutio and I had been doing blow in the bathroom not ten minutes before hand, in which case, and with a year and a half worth of hindsight, my initial and subsequent infatuation may have been somewhat over zealous. I was in a really weird place.

Think of this as an opportunity. Assuming that you don’t contract syphilis, which to be honest is extremely unlikely, you have most of your life ahead of you.

Friends forever, Romeo.

“Sitting, waiting, wishing” Gabriella Sunyak, mass communication sophomore

“Respectable Solutions by Anna and Emma” Patrick Gallagher, english writing junior

EDITORIAL

14 OUR EDITORIAL

The majority opinion of our editorial board

SGA presidential endorsement

April 1, 2016 THE MAROON

EL

ECT I ON

Advice to our future president HOWLS & GROWLS HOWL to doctors performing the first HIV-positive liver transplant, which will give more HIV-positive patients access to organs.

GROWL to hijacking an airplane to speak with your ex-wife HOWL to the SGA funding student graduate exams GROWL to the FBI dropping its suit against Apple because they hacked into the iPhone without their help HOWL to advising GROWL to April Fools Day because it’s dumb

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

The Maroon was going to endorse a candidate for SGA president, but since there’s only one candidate, it would be meaningless and comical to do that. We could endorse candidates for the Senate, but there are more than enough seats for the number of students running for them, so they’re all going to get the seats by default. In effect, there is no race for any position in the SGA this spring.

Instead of making an endorsement, we think it’s much more relevant to explain to the candidates and the student body what needs to change.

The SGA doesn’t focus on the things that matter, while they matter. There were several issues this school year that had the students interested and willing to do something: major budget cuts, the Black Student Union’s petition, the vote of “no confidence” against the Rev. Kevin Wildes, S.J., university president and the perennial Wi-Fi issue.

The only one of these issues that was addressed by the SGA was the Wi-Fi, and it was weeks after the issue exploded on campus.

There were so many instances

where the SGA could have proved to the students that they listen to their concerns and promptly act to improve, but they didn’t. Students have learned from experience that the SGA isn’t going to solve their problems. Why should the student body devote their time to students who only want to play government?

The obvious counter-example to this is last spring, in 2015, when the administration decided they wanted to impose the meal plan on some commuter students who wouldn’t have gotten it without being forced to. Almost instinctually, the SGA acted and got that postponed. A small victory, but confidence in the SGA was at a high it never is. This goes to show that the SGA isn’t permanently irrelevant.

The SGA consistently fails at communicating to the students. Unless The Maroon reports it or someone has a friend in the SGA, no one hears about anything they’re doing.

Actually, scratch that. We always know when and where the free food is.

Their Facebook page shouldn’t be the primary form of communication, yet, that’s really the only

dents from running for a position which they plainly should have been allowed to because they’re pushing an amendment to get rid of that position. If the amendment fails, they probably would get the Senate to vote amongst themselves who should fill these positions, as is tradition. The problem with this is that their tradition also violates the constitution. How can anyone who wants to be involved come into this confused system and make heads or tails of it?

Our lack of endorsement for a presidential candidate isn’t meant to be a slight to the people running.

We have high hopes for Ellie Diaz and Gabby Henry because they are capable of making the changes that the SGA so desperately needs.

Still, it’s embarrassing that they’re the only candidates, and that all the senatorial candidates are guaranteed victory at the gate.

We have a non-race this year because of the deteriorating confidence in the SGA, and all of these issues are some of the contributing factors that the new SGA should put their energy into changing.

Students should vote “no” on SGA amendments Amendment to get rid of the commissioner of elections Of all the positions that the SGA wants to eliminate, the most bizarre one is the commissioner of elections. The commissioner of elections is the one who regulates the election procedure and makes sure it runs smoothly. If the SGA doesn’t find a commissioner of elections, the powers are vested in the SGA Chief Justice, which is how it’s done now. The amendment would make this permanent.

This election alone has been racked with unconstitutionality and confusion. In the ballot that students will be voting on, there is a position missing which is constitutionally guaranteed to them: the college president. This is fraud. Not only that, but the SGA dropped on

students the week before applications were due that they had to have a running mate to throw their names in for the presidential election. This is a bad idea on principle and had the effect of disallowing interested students the ability to run. They also forgot that the College of Social Sciences was being combined with the College of Arts and Sciences, which changes who votes for what candidate. Now, they’re scrambling to correct this.

All of this doesn’t even include their failure to allow freshmen to run for the senate in the fall, as was clearly written in the one single document about how to run elections.

What the SGA needs most right now is a commissioner of elections, not to get rid it of it! So please, Loyola, if you vote against any amendment, have it be this one.

Zach Brien Senior Staff Photographer

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.

place students can go if they want to know what the SGA is doing.

There isn’t anywhere that students can look to see who their representatives in the Senate are. It would be very effective to start an email newsletter, but that has apparently not crossed anyone’s mind. If no one knows what’s going on, how they can get involved?

The SGA’s procedures are unclear, ignored or changed on a whim. How the presidential election traditionally works is that candidates for president and vice president are elected separately, but often campaign with each other. This year, the election procedure was changed – unannounced and without student input – so that the candidates for president and vice president had to run as a ticket. By the time students were told about this, potential candidates only had a few days to find a running mate. There were people who wanted to run that were prevented from doing so because they couldn’t find a running mate in time. The rules should allow more people to run, not fewer.

In addition, the SGA ignored their constitution and barred stu-

Amendment to add the First Year Council as an executive standing committee The First Year Council (FYC) was a project by the SGA this year to let freshmen who would have run for the Senate during their first semester dabble in each branch instead.

The idea behind this was to let them learn how the process works before they took on any responsibility themselves.

Democracy doesn’t need training wheels. The best education comes from taking on responsibility and

learning how to manage it properly;,not watching other people do it.

If students vote for this amendment, they would be saying that freshmen don’t deserve their own elected representatives.

If the SGA has seen such stellar success with the FYC, they can keep it — as an ad hoc committee, just as it is now. It should not be a permanent addition to the constitution because it would prevent freshmen from being able to have their own elected representatives in their student government.

Amendment to strike college president position from the Senate The college presidents are Senators who serve as liaisons to the deans of the colleges. If there is ever something that a college could do that would affect the students, the college presidents would take it to the Senate and the student body, so they could be aware of it. If the SGA did something that could affect the colleges, the college presidents would approach the deans to explain the issue and get the deans’ support.

The SGA proposed this amendment because they’ve made it an internal issue. Instead of holding elections for the position — which is in the constitution and the only document about how to do elections — they’ve traditionally chosen amongst themselves who should be the college president. The SGA

thinks it’s good to get rid of this position because they want the senators to have more responsibility. The problem with this is that communicating with the dean shouldn’t be their responsibility – rather, obligation. The college senators represent the students. The college presidents represent the colleges. These are different titles which come with different duties.

The Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Maria Calzada, has said that in her time as dean, she has never been approached by a college president. This is probably because the people who became college presidents didn’t run for that position, so weren’t motivated to do that job.

This could be an extremely valuable position in the Senate – if used as it was meant to. Loyola should give it a try first before getting rid of it.

OPINION

April 1, 2016 THE MAROON

EDITORIAL ILLUSTRATION

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EL

ECT I ON

IN MY OPINION Students sharing their opinions on topics

Apathy isn’t an excuse not to do your job GAGE COUNTS economics sophomore rgcounts@loyno.edu

NAASHA DOTIWALA/ The Maroon

IN MY OPINION Students sharing their opinions on topics

SGA provides rationale for amendments BUD SHEPPARD economics senior jpsheppa@loyno.edu

Add the First Year Council as an executive standing committee First Year Council was an executive ad-hoc committee implemented this year as a trial run for engaging first year students. The purpose behind the FYC has been

to allow first year students to learn more about the different aspects of SGA and then to decide where they would like to be involved. The success of FYC is evident by the larger senator turn out in this election. A good portion of these students running for Senate as well as expressing interest in applying for the other branches and committees indicates that FYC did a great job at not only engaging first year students but retaining them in SGA. Removing the Commissioner of Elections The Commissioner of Elections has been removed from the Consti-

tution because the Executive Staff discussed the role of the position and concluded that it was redundant given the Chief Justice position on Executive Staff. The position was only needed during election cycles so we believed that the duties of the position could be added to the Chief Justice.

Removing the college presidents Within the past three years we have not achieved a full senate. The position was an internal legislative position and the Executive Staff as well as the Senate believed it to be moot; both branches passed the amendment. It was not something

the Executive Staff proposed unilaterally.

Pro: remove another layer within senate to give senators more personal responsibility. The idea that a senator would not be allowed to go speak with their college dean didn’t make sense to us. We believed that all senators should have more responsibility and not feel as if “it’s not their duty” to speak to a dean.

We wanted to remove any unnecessary red tape within the legislative branch.

Student body needs to demand action from SGA ALLISON ROGERS philosophy senior alrogers@loyno.edu

The Loyola Student Government Association has been underperforming for the last several years.

The average SGA Senate meeting lasts ten minutes, there are only about 5-6 initiatives proposed each year, and there is no advocacy to the administration on behalf of student concerns.

It’s no wonder that the candidates for SGA President and Vice President are running unopposed — the student body has no faith in SGA’s abilities. Why, then, do we not hold our student leaders accountable?

Why do we allow our student fees to contribute to an organization that does not fight for our interests?

From what I’ve witnessed in the last four years, I think I know why: we do not know any different. We have never seen a well functioning SGA, and in order to demand that our leaders do more, we need to know what we’re looking for.

I reached out to the presidents, vice presidents, and senators of Student Government Associations at various schools that seem to get it right — the College of William and Mary, the University of Washington,and UC-Berkeley, to name a few — and quickly learned that the problem is certainly not the number of senators we elect or the apathy of the student body as SGA would lead you to believe; the problem is a lack of direction from the leadership.

From the schools I reached out to, I learned a great deal about how SGA ought to function.

First and foremost, these student leaders were taking a whole lot more action than ours seem to have ever taken. On average, these organizations are passing 40 initiatives in a

given year, in comparison to our 6.

An initiative is a legislative action that improves some aspect of student life, like improving services in student health, partnering with dining services to provide healthier options, or installing cell phone charging stations around campus.

Your concerns ought to be turned into action, and each senator should be proposing at least two initiatives a semester based off of the concerns they hear from their peers.

The student leaders at these institutions also advocate for the student body when big issues on campus arise. 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?

The college presidents within senate should be meeting with

the deans of their colleges at least once a month to discuss common concerns within the college, the president should actually advocate for students in Board of Trustees meetings rather than sit silently and agree, and SGA should be present for University Senate meetings when faculty members are voting on issues that can and will impact the student body.

We need to take action. This election will not be the solution considering the candidates are running unopposed, but that does not mean that we must let another year go by with an ineffective SGA. Pressure your student leaders — whose salaries are paid with your student fees — to do more. Show up at senate meetings and demand that your representatives take action on your behalf and encourage your peers to do the same. Write emails to your student leaders to tell them that they must do more. Demand action, Wolf Pack. Make SGA something to howl, not growl, about.

In every organization I’ve ever dealt with — the ones I’m in and the ones I’ve communicated with for The Maroon — there is one comment made more frequently than any other: “Loyola’s student body is just so apathetic.”

That is the laziest and most irresponsible attitude that people with any amount of authority or responsibility can have.

Try a verbal exercise with me so you can see why I’m so frustrated with that statement.

Say, out loud, “Loyola’s student body is too apathetic for that.” It sounds reasonable, right? If you’re the leader of an organization, and you want to hold an event that won’t be an embarrassing failure, people have to be motivated to go to your event.

Now, replace what you just said with, “I haven’t figured out a way to get people to care about that.” Does that sound as reasonable? That’s what you’re actually saying when you say that Loyola is so apathetic.

An example of this is with the SGA. It’s no secret that the student body is mostly uninterested in what the SGA does — so uninterested that no one is even running for the Senate from the College of Music and Fine Arts, and the candidate for SGA President is running unopposed.

Sure, the student body is apathetic toward the SGA, but for that to be a helpful thought, you have to take the next step and ask why that is. If the answer is that the students don’t feel like the SGA does do anything meaningful to impact their lives, it’s completely rational for them to be apathetic to the SGA. If our student government wants to see people not be apathetic toward them, they should address the reasons why people think that.

Now that I’m getting older, I’m beginning to see there are two kinds of people. One defers responsibility to other people, makes excuses for themselves when something doesn’t go as planned and sees obstacles as insurmountable. People like this don’t move the world forward.

The other type of person assumes responsibility, has no time for excuses and sees obstacles as opportunities. These are the movers and shakers of the world, and they don’t blame lack of success on other people’s apathy. In other words, these are leaders.

I’m sympathetic to the plight of student leaders. It’s difficult to figure out what motives you, let alone an entire demographic of people.

My only intention in writing this is to show people that there’s more to Loyola’s inactivity than we assume.

Loyola does have a culture problem, but the problem isn’t apathy from the student body — it’s using student apathy as justification for not completely succeeding at your job.

April 1, 2016 THE MAROON

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Easter Parade continued from page 6

Alanah Harris/ The Maroon

Nicole Ragnone, Mary Dawes, Tippy Tippins, Erica Dewey, Arqn Podesta and Sam Capps-Martin pose at the 33rd annual Chirs Owens French Quarter Easter Parade on Sunday, March 27 (top). Student performers (bottom) and the NOLA Showgirls (right) marched in the parade .