Behind the Curtains
Anna Hummel /The Maroon (Left to right) Kelsey Breaux, Taylor James, and Gaby Hawk perform in "God Help Them If We Wake Up" on Friday, Nov. 16 in Marquette Theater.
Theatre production sparks outrage and community dissaproval By Kloe Witt kgwitt@my.loyno.edu
Some cast and crew members were thankful when the final lines of the latest Loyola production rang through Marquette Theatre on closing night, ready for this addition to their resume to be over and move on with their lives. Loyola’s Theatre and Arts wrapped production of professor Ann Mahoney’s original play, “God Help Them If We
Wake Up” on Nov. 18. But students involved with the production expressed discomfort both on the stage and behind the scenes. Issues arose in several aspects of the play and production process, including what cast and crew members criticized as a negatively stereotyped Native American character, stories of students fainting backstage, and some advisors ignoring concerns, causing some students to lose their love for the produc-
tion all together. Objections from community Several characters in the production made the cast and crew uncomfortable to see performed on stage. Assistant costume director Justice Mosley said when she first decided to join the production, the costume director told her to read the script and to tell her whether or not she wanted to do
the show. Needing the experience, Mosley agreed to stay in, though felt she needed to go to someone to change parts of the script to make it more inclusive and less offensive. One character Mosley felt uncomfortable with was the “slave woman” character in the show. This character, who was not given a name in the original script, was written to be portrayed as an African woman
who worked on a plantation. The character isn’t on stage for long, as she is shot within moments of her appearance. Mosley said she did not like this portrayal and went to Helen Jaksch, assistant professor in the theater department. Eventually, after expressing concern, the character received the name “Peg,” but Mosley still felt this initial problem shouldn’t have happened to begin with.
See THEATER, page 9
Library no longer open 24 hours for finals, closes 2-7 AM access By Shelby Perkins srperkin@my.loyno.edu
Students will have to find some place else to pull all nighters studying during finals season this year, as the library will no longer be open 24 hours, as it has in the past. Michael Capella, Interim Dean of Libraries, said the hours changed due to the lack of students using the library
past 2 a.m., the time the library closes on standard work weeks. The library staff tracked the number of students that would come to the library between 2-7 a.m. and found that the average was only 6 students. Patricia Nugent, Associate Dean of Libraries, said some nights, there weren’t even any students at all, making it questionable if it’s necessary for the library to be open 24/7 during finals.
Additionally, a lot of finals have been online or take-home exams, making the library unnecessary for many students. Student workers on the late shifts would have to stay up all night working instead of studying for their own finals, causing stress, according to Nugent. Capella mentioned closing the library after 2 a.m. encourages students to value their own mental health and to rest to prepare for finals, rather than pulling
all-nighters. The Student Library Advisory Board, according to Capella, is in favor of this new change since it seems to use a lot of resources and effort for the number of students who utilize the library 24/7. “One thing that isn’t going to change is our welcoming environment,” said Capella. The library will be providing snacks and beverages to students in the evening and in the early morning.
The library is working to create a comprehensive list of alternative study options for students on campus. However, there is no option available for students wanting to study from 2-7 a.m.. The library staff encourages students to study in their dorms during this time.