The Maroon March 1, 2024 Issue

BLACK EXCELLENCE

NAACP rolls out the red carpet for Black students in ceremony

By Pharrell Every pjevery@my.loyno.edu

The Loyola Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People hosted an awards ceremony to celebrate Black excellence on campus.

The awards were aimed to acknowledge all of the ways that Black voices, creativity, arts, and sciences contribute to the university.

Nyla Cunningham, president of the Loyola chapter of the NAACP, said “These awards were chosen based on the talent we see with the black community. We wanted to make sure that there was a broad spectrum of categories in order to make sure that everyone was included.”

The categories that were awarded include changemaker of the year, musician on the rise, singer on the rise, lyricist on the rise, dance and theatre arts award, STEM award, filmmaker award, griot award, visual arts award, and NAACP advancement of excellence award.

Cunningham said, “There is so much talent within our community that goes unnoticed and these awards provide an opportunity to honor that talent.” She also goes on to say, “I hope to accomplish creating a safe space where we are welcomed, celebrated, and honored by our own community. A space created for us, by us.”

She feels that the event was a complete success and that it will be back next year “bigger and better.”

Many of the event’s attendees shared similar sentiments, saying

that the awards are necessary, and that there should be more events on campus to highlight the achievements made by students of color.

For criminology and justice freshman Paris Hayes, these awards mean a lot because it means that the Black community on campus is being seen, heard, and recognized.

She said, “I would love to see more events like this, this honestly means a lot, when I was watching everyone perform, dance, get nominated, accept their award, it felt encouraging for me to do more.”

The recipients of these awards have a mutual view on both the importance of events like these, and the fact that events like these exist mean so much to them.

Makayla Williams, president of the Black Student Union, said she sees the awards as a representation of hard work and excellence. She said, “I have put in countless hours and energy into all organizations I’ve been involved with. It is truly a great feeling and accomplishment to win the changemaker award.”

In the coming year, Williams will use what she has learned from her time at Loyola and her time as president of BSU and apply it to her masters program. She feels that she represents this category well through her efforts to shape BSU into the organization that it is today.

“This year while being the president of BSU one of my main goals was make BSU a safe space for all [people of color] on campus,” she said. “It was stated before that some students felt like BSU wasn’t

inclusive to every black person on campus due to different friend groups, personalities, etc. It was my mission to change this and I think I have done just that.”

Jordan Bush, junior jazz studies major and recipient of the musician on the rise award is incredibly grateful for winning the award and recognizes the awards as a symbol that he is “doing something right.”

Bush said, “It gives a validation and platform to artists who are hardworking, creative, talented, and graced by God. I pray this community flourishes as we create, build and change this world that we’re in, through words, notes, movements, sculptures, every medium possible.”

He represents this award through the work that he does as a musician, “I play music, using instruments as a tool to express what’s in my heart and expose what’s in my mind.” Bush believes that his younger self, from ten years ago, would be proud of where he is now.

He wants everyone to know, “The dark places will not last always because joy comes in the morning. Seek companionship and community, find who you are safe with.They are out there. Don’t fear rejection as it builds resistance and gets you closer to the greatness destined for you. Love is abounding in quiet places. You are seen. You are heard. You are loved. Be blessed.”

Kennadi Allen, popular and commercial music senior and recipient of the singer on the rise award, feels that she represents this category through the work that she has done through her

major. She proudly indulged in the opportunities that were presented to her, and as a result of her work with various Black artists, feels proud to continue the legacy that they have created.

For her, the singer on the rise award means perseverance. Allen said, “Aside from being a darker toned Black woman in a male dominated industry, there are many inconsistencies artists face. It’s well known to not be believed in unless you’re an established or signed artist. However, with the support system like the College of Music and Media at Loyola and the NAACP organization on campus, we’re appreciated and acknowledged by our peers and professors who look like us and see something in us.”

Jaylin Darby, theater senior and recipient of the dance & theatre arts award, feels that these awards show how much power there is in showing up for yourself and your community. In the coming year, she plans to exemplify this category by continuing her work in acting, directing, producing, and teaching theater.

Darby said, “To exemplify black excellence, it means showing up authentically and being excellent as you are and I have no doubt that the work I will do will display these values. I am excited for the art I will continue to make and the communities I will be able to serve.”

100 Years of

Mass communication freshman Kennedy James dances at the awards ceremony on Feb. 23. The event was NAACP’s first award ceremony. Laci Barrow / The Maroon

Loyola-Sodexo unionization efforts pay off

By Maleigh Crespo macrespo@my.loyno.edu

Jacqueline Harrison, who has been an employee of Loyola-Sodexo since 2011, said she grew up in the ‘70s watching her father, a union manager, leading strikes and advocating for workers’ rights.

“He didn’t know, but it meant a lot to me to watch him stand up and fight for what [workers] deserved,” she said.

When Harrison caught wind of Samantha Henry’s efforts to form a union, she knew she needed to step in because she has some of the fight in her that her dad had.

“I know what’s right, and I know what I – and my coworkers – deserve,” she said.

And after nearly two years of union organizing and months of contract negotiations, Loyola-Sodexo workers won their union and most recently, had their union requests granted in an agreed upon contract.

The contract, which was ratified Feb. 5, offers Sodexo workers an average raise of $1.75 per hour upon ratification, with some of the lowest paid employees getting more than $4 an hour raises upon ratification, and scheduled annual pay raises. It also offers healthcare with no deductibles, more paid time off, and a pension, a union representative from UNITEHERE said.

Harrison said they got a good contract. “It’s a big milestone,” she said. “We went from having a 401K to a pension.”

Harrison also said she used to be one of six employees who had health insurance, and although she does not know the difference in price, insurance is less expensive now.

Union members are also now offered short-term disability insurance at no cost, according to Harrison.

Professor bridges arts, science, and accessibility

By Angel Martinez afmarti2@my.loyno.edu

Edouard

Raised in New Orleans, Crago's early exposure to academia came through his mother, who served as a chemistry professor at Loyola.

"I grew up on this campus," Crago recalls, reflecting on his formative years. "You could say I developed a fondness for both art and science right here."

Throughout his tenure, Crago has emphasized the importance of accessibility

Commuter students share their experience

By Nadir Benslimane nmbensli@my.loyno.edu

Graphic design sophomore Ameer Joseph said they chose to be a commuter student to save money.

However, being a commuter has led them to feel “cut off from campus life.” They said their campus involvement is limited outside of the Esports team and events announced by their professors or involve free food.

Graphic design junior Shay Smith, who isn’t involved in many campus activities, expressed similar sentiments.

She said, “I feel very disconnected from campus life even if I’m on campus for most of the day.”

"Being a commuter isn’t so bad when there’s a good space to go when you have free time," Smith said.

“The worst part is when we get kicked out because people decided to have a class in a community space,” she said. “Like, there are multiple places they can go, but they chose the only commuter space.”

Satchmo’s Lounge, which is a space for the Loyola community in the Danna

Center basement, is a hub for commuter students and where the Commuter Association office is located.

Ameer said that they utilize the space for online classes or studying whenever it is quiet.

Visual communication sophomore and commuter student assistant Jamilah LeCense recognizes the need for improvement in the lounge.

“[We] need a more comfortable place to go when we’re not at home,” she said.

LeCesne said that her day to day usually involves staying in Satchmo’s and making sure it’s organized, has resources, and events are posted.

Smith, who was unaware there were commuter assistants, said she feels there is a lack of communication between the commuter students and the Commuter Student Association, an organization to help commuter students with the complexities of university life.

LeCesne said that if commuter students do not receive information from the Commuter Student Association that “it is on us to continue to notify them and make sure they know we’re here.”

See COMMUTER, page 17

in education, advocating for equitable services and resources for all students. He stresses the need for continuous adaptation to address diverse needs within the academic community.

"As an advocate for accessibility, I believe in the importance of continually evolving to meet the needs of students," he said.

With a background steeped in both disciplines, it was only natural for Crago to gravitate towards a career that embraced the intersection of art and science.

"Teaching is not just about conveying information; it's about sparking curiosity and fostering discovery," he said.

"Whether in the role of an academic advisor or a professor, the essence remains the same—engaging in a dialogue that encourages students to explore and question."

In the classroom, Crago leads by example, infusing his lessons with a sense of wonder and inquiry that transcends traditional boundaries. His course "Chemistry and Art" serves as a testament to this approach, offering students a unique opportunity to explore the connections between scientific principles and artistic expression.

Women's Resource Center director to leave

By Shelby Perkins srperkin@my.loyno.edu

After nine years, Patricia Boyett is leaving her position as director of the Women’s Resource Center.

Formerly a visiting professor at Loyola, she became director of the WRC in 2015 after being recommended by the former director, Sarah Butler. She is currently an associate professor of history with a focus on gender and race in her research.

As the director, Boyett has had many achievements, but she is particularly excited about a panel at the Peace Conference called “Remember Afghanistan,” which aims to bring together women’s rights activists and provide more global connections for the center.

During her time as director, she has overseen many feminist events for Women’s History Month, turning a magazine into a podcast, and helped to run both Empower Her, a panel that allows successful African American women to discuss how they navigated racial and gender obstacles in their lives, and Take Back the Night.

Take Back the Night, which started at Loyola in the ‘90s, has been run by the WRC, the UCC, the Women’s Studies Minor, and the Office of Mission and Identity to respond to sexual assault on campus. The event stands up against sexual violence and gender-based violence and provides an opportunity for survivors to speak up.

Boyett is the chair of the committee for the event and helps Loyola collaborate with other schools and organizations.

Students frustrated over printer availability

By Christopher Nesbit cwnesbit@my.loyno.edu

Recently several students noticed that Loyola has eliminated multiple printing stations around campus, leaving students with only the library to serve their printing needs. This unannounced change has left several students confused and looking for answers.

In the past, printers could be found in Satchmo’s Lounge and on the first floor of Monroe Hall. Now, students can only use the printers on the first floor of the Monroe Library.

Psychology freshman Mia Nieto struggled to find a printer on campus over Mardi Gras break, a time when the library was closed.

“I noticed that if there are breaks, then people who live on campus cannot have access to anything,”Nieto said, “There are many times that we need to use the printers during weekends or breaks, but the library is closed.”

With the reduction of available printers, students are now experiencing issues that were previously unheard of on campus.

History freshman Julian Conravey spends a considerable amount of time in the library and avoids the printers.

“I’ll often see a line at the printer, but it's usually because people are struggling to print something,” Conravey said. “I’ve tried to print, but it takes way too much time, especially when your class starts in 20 minutes. With only two printers, the lines can get pretty long.”

The Information Technology department did not respond to requests for

comment on the printing service changes in time for publication.

Monroe Library Hours

• Mon-Thurs 8 a.m.-2 a.m.

• Friday 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

• Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

• Sunday 11 a.m.-2 a.m.

Edouard Crago teaches Chemistry and Art class on Feb. 20. Rodrigo Delgado/The Maroon

Professor

L. Crago, a faculty member at Loyola since 2010, boasts a unique background blending both art and science.

Dash Hazzard stands behind student in line at a printer in Monroe Library on Feb. 8.

Violet Bucaro/The Maroon

See BOYETT, page 17

See CRAGO, page 17

See SODEXO, page 17

ACROSS

1. Civil Rights gure Martin Luther ____ Jr.

5. “Sorry if I seem tired, I’ve got _ ___ on my plate!”

9. Whoever _____ it, dealt it.

14. American Society of Association Executives, abbr.

15. Machu Picchu’s location

16. Watering spot in the desert

17. Seized car

18. Alternative to Dr. Pepper is Mr. ___

19. Point a nger at

20. Weapon used by the police at protesters that causes pain in the eyes

22. One of the largest civil rights events was the _____ __ Selma

24. Goal in Spanish

25. “Car ____” by Twenty One Pilots

26. Orange, apple, banana, etc.

29. Blow on this ower to make a wish

33. Civil Rights gure ____ Parks

34. ___-Kat

35. “__ ____ the work will take a week.”

36. Anti-Müllerian hormone, abbr.

37. Opposite of truth

38. “If You Seek ___” by Britney Spears

39. Expression of grief

40. “I _____ to lose you to love me” by Selena Gomez

42. If you kept the gender assigned to you at birth, you are ___gender

43. Business Administration Legal Studies, abbr.

44. American troops in the 1950s were sent to ght the _____ ___

46. A little moon or satellite

47. “ ey look identical! I can’t tell them ____.”

48. ___ favor

49. Latin plural of platypus

52. Underground railroad abolitionist ______ Tubman

56. Café con ___

57. First, reverse, neutral, etc.

59. ___ the Spiderverse

60. It hangs in your throat

61. Green monster in Marvel

62. Aunts in Spanish

63. Half-human, half-goat

64. ___ leches cake

65. German male name for wealth

DOWN

1. Mario___

2. Words from a psychiatrist

3. ____ Auto Parts

4. State where Martin Luther King Jr.

was born

5. To horrify (British spelling)

6. Hawaiian ower necklaces

7. Magical sphere

8. Underground railroad abolitionist Harriet ______

9. State of not drinking

10. A civil rights activist ________ X

11. Islamic baby name meaning Alive

12. Luxurious stretched-out transportation

13. Lady ____ Mei, an early Hollywood actress that was "the screen's only Chinese star

21. “What I ___” by Sublime

23. _____ Family (*snap *snap )

25. “Oh sh–! A ___!”

26. Father in Shameless

27. e worst Montague in Shakespeare

28. Super Bowl Half-Time Performer

2024

29. Opposite of live

30. e inhabitants of Iowa

31. “_ ___ Mio” by Luciano Pavarotti

32. Trial that bombs, informally

34. Every time I see a Corgi I want to do this illegal action

37. is year has February 29th!!!

38. __ Jordans

41. Harry Potter and the ______ Hallows

42. Feline

43. Popular Mexican place on Oak Street, “Juan’s Flying _____”

45. ____ Brothers to y the rst airplane

46. Legends of Runeterra, abbr.

48. Civil Rights gure Rosa _____

49. Opposite of minus

50. Units of money in Bulgaria

51. “I deserve _ ___ (split) of the money!”

52. Lucy ___ played Aria in “Pretty Little Liars”

53. “I’m __ __ to win it!”

54. State in French

55. Spiced medicinal sake traditionally drunk during Japanese New Year celebrations

58. USD to ___

For weekly puzzle answers, download e Loyola Maroon Mobile App

Apple Store Google Play

Crosswords and Maroon Libs by Max Schweikarth & Kira Phillips

It’s a ________(adjective) day and you decide to bring your ________ (adjective ending in -ly) _______ (noun) to sit in the res quad. _______ (verb) down with _________ (situationship name), you enjoy seeing the grass being a vibrant _______ (color) and looking at the ______ (adjective) sunbathers. All of a sudden, there comes a _______ (adjective) stench from the ______ (noun). ________ (situationship name) starts to _______ (verb) and everyone else is __________ (verb ending in -ing). Someone must have disturbed the wolfpack! You ___________ (verb) to the Danna Center for safety as you see people run on all fours like a/an __________ (animal). Inside the Danna Center, you see what started the ________ (verb ending with -ing) as you see the ________ (food event) sign.

"Poor Things": The absurdity of the human condition

By Aaron Covin ajcovin@my.loyno.edu

Filmmakers have been attempting to portray the human experience in its totality for as long as there has been film to capture, yet it is an extremely difficult task. Even if I think it's been expressed more poignantly, I don't think anybody does it better than Yorgos Lanthimos when it comes to incorporating a sense of surreal humor into something as universal as the traits that define our species.

"Poor Things," which is based on Alastair Gray's novel of the same name, is a stunning portrayal of mankind seen through the quirky eyes of Emma Stone's

eccentric character Bella Baxter. Bella's "father," Godwin Baxter (referred to unsubtly as "God" throughout most of the film), portrayed by Willem Dafoe, is not only a father figure to Bella, but also her creator. Bella goes through life with the confidence of a child who is unaware of the concept of shame, and she proceeds to give us a completely unfiltered look at the world through the eyes of someone who cannot understand why there is so much injustice and why everyone seems to be content with living in it.

In this manner, we might understand Bella's point of view, and perhaps even agree with it, but at the end of the day, we are not immune to the complicity of suffering. “Poor Things” presents us a world full of the vibrancy and often

senseless logic of a child's world, but with all of the misery of an adult jaded by the mess that is life as a human. Cinematographer Robbie Ryan captures this sense of whimsy in a variety of ways, including the use of color and saturation to heighten not just the fairytale character of the universe, but also to emphasize the significance of color when he takes it away from us. For example, the film completely desaturates the color to represent Bella's total ignorance of the world before she sets off to explore it on her own. When she finally leaves God's house, her surroundings are a riot of color, and the delicate strings that make up the soundtrack abruptly burst into grand orchestral pieces. The grandeur of the world cannot

be overstated, even though the whole movie was almost filmed on soundstages. This impression of size is created without requiring the viewer to enter expansive scenes with plenty of people and buildings through the use of music and cinematography. The several ways Bella engages with the movie frequently serve as a representation of its scope. Her fascination in learning about novel ideas and thoughts inspires a spirit of exploration that can contribute to the world's continual development. Even though it may seem imaginative, this world is a reflection of the one we now inhabit. By absurdly heightening our behaviors, Yorgos delves into the core of human understanding, leaving us absolutely baffled as

to why anything about the movie seems so familiar. It's completely bizarre, yet it feels grounded in reality, much like a dream. It's possible that Yorgos meant for this effect—having shown humanity in such a basic way that it compels the audience to consider what makes our lives so unlike those of the characters in the movie. Even though “Poor Things” appears to have absurd imagery just for the sake of being strange, it is nevertheless grounded in truth.

“Poor Things” is nominated for Best Picture at the 96th Academy Awards aaaaa

"The Zone of Interest": Meditations on complicity

By Chris Maldonado cwmaldon@my.loyno.edu

The sound and shape of evil are elusive ones. A common refrain whenever a horrific event happens nowadays is, “They never seemed like they were capable of (insert horrific act).” And it seems to be something that is so perplexing that we search high and low for answers about how people can be complicit and partake in stomach-churning actions when everything about them appears so mundane and matter of fact. The nature of complicity and the capacity for evil is the subject matter that Jonathan Glazer exceptionally and chillingly examines in his newest feature film, “The Zone of Interest.”

The film, set in 1943, follows the lives of Nazi Commandant Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel), his wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller), and their children as they settle into their new home right next to the Auschwitz concentration camp. As the film progresses, the daily lives of the Höss family is shown in great detail ranging from their recreational activities, the parties they host at their new home, the gardens they tend to, and Rudolf’s careerism which causes marital difficulties between him and Hedwig. This all occurs while, obfuscated by a giant cement partition, smoke billows nonstop from the chimneys of Auschwitz and the steam of trains arriving incessantly at the camp rise over the tree line.

“The Zone of Interest” is a slow film that opts for a glacial pace in order to not only show the mundanity of the lives of the Höss family but also their ability to act blissfully unaware or down right apathetic of the horrors taking place just next to their home. This film is a genuine horror film masquerading as a thriller with the major caveat being that all the brutality and vile actions occur around the edges of the frame. In the same way that the Höss family is willing to push the horror aside to live their life the viewer is forced to

see the atrocities tucked away at the edges in order to truly understand the complicity with which this family lived and benefited from the torture and extermination of others. This film examines the horror that takes place in silence and the people who willfully indulge in such silence.

These themes are handled with technical excellence through the cinematography of Łukasz Zal and the sound design of Mica Levi. The idea previously mentioned in this review regarding “tucking away” the horrors of Auschwitz is represented incredibly well through Zal’s visuals which place an emphasis on the focal point of shots and are composed in a way that puts the horizon at the top of the screen so as to draw the viewer’s eye away from the “family drama” elements of the film and asks that the viewer bear witness to the brutality occuring at the edges of the frame. The cinematography excels thanks to Zal’s simple yet effective shot composition which works in conjunction with the narrative to draw the viewer in and,in a way, ask that the viewer do what the Höss family is unwilling to do. Very rarely does Zal use close ups, perhaps a conscious decision meant to reflect the unwillingness of some to truly examine the nature of their actions or look closely at just what exactly they are complicit in. Zal’s subtle camerawork and shot composition is a premium example of politically conscious visual storytelling and the film is made infinitely more harrowing and engaging as a result.

Similarly, English musician Mica Levi does a fantastic job not burgeoning the film with any sort of unnecessary melodramatic score but rather allows for a large period of silence and natural noise to fill the scene before crescendoing in transitions that are both jarring and deeply unnerving. Large crescendos of booming bass work in chilling conjunction with Zal’s night time sequences that opt for a black and white night-vision display, creating an underlying sense of dread

and a greater sense of hunter vs hunted. The dialogue of the film is sparse but present with each interaction between characters, revealing their internal schemas. This allows them to go about their day to day lives in a way that is not really a deluge of information but rather a slow trickling out of the characters’ psyches. Christian Friedel and Sandra Hüller are exquisite in their performances, with Friedel perfectly embodying a careerist everyman who goes about his work with ruthless banality and Hüller embodying a housewife whose desire for security and status ultimately outweighs her conscience and empathy to a disturbing end.

“The Zone of Interest'' is an impeccable, disturbing, and engaging film. But what’s most astonishing about it is that it is clear that Jonathan Glazer and all who were involved with the film weren’t interested in making a saccharine melodrama that exploits the horrors of the Holocaust like “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas,” but genuinely wanted to examine how individuals can be complicit in systems of violence and oppression even when the result of their complicity is endless suffering and death. Glazer is probing for the “How” and “Why” of people’s capability for banality and complicity in the face of evil as well as how this behavior is echoed in the 21st century. There is no film more incredible and timely than “The Zone of Interest,” a film which demands to be seen for the sake of the world we live in and for the sake of those who are still suffering as a result of our banality and complicity in systems that would rather horror go on in silence.

“The Zone of Interest” is showing in some select theaters and is nominated for Best Picture at the 96th Academy Awards.

Sophia Maxim/ The Maroon

STAFF

Assistant Editors: Patrick Hamilton, Rodrigo

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Happy Birthday, Heather & Taylor!

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I Will Break The Tempo

Nadir Benslimane

You drive on miles of cement and asphalt/ Millions of bumps and potholes/ Until the red octagon holds you / by the letter of the law

You look at your radio/ The music irks you so, you grimace as you turn the dial/ But I catch your eye

so here I am/ Buried in the debris of lives long forgotten/ I hold up a hand from the rubble like the Terminator but I do not have a thumb on that hand

Your car edges closer to me/ To inspect me/ To dissect me/ From the safety of your constructed steel and glass, clean and smooth/ Like a baby

I am not a baby/ I am malnourished and gangly/ Enveloped by the city’s layers of dirt and grime

The windows go down slowly, half-open/ My stench already penetrates your senses/ You wish you could vomit, but you just cleaned your car/ You want to blast the air/ You want to close the window/ Your hand reaches out

But I put my fingers on that clear barrier.

You want to close the window and cut my fingers into little sausages.

But you are stuck/ in the tempo/ by the letter of the law

I am not because I have been forgotten.

“Hello…could I have some spare change?”

My voice is weathered and dismal.

The words crack on dry lips, my yellow teeth soaring and plunging up and down, jutting and receding in and out.

Without rhyme.

Rhythm.

Or reason.

My eyes rest on yours as my other hand, the one with a thumb, points over to the pile.

“I have a dog, you know?”

I tell you, for your consideration.

The dog is a mutt, ribs exposed and yellow fur matted. His tooth was infected and his eyes pathetic, so I took him with me.

Because I know that people are more likely to give me pity

If I have a dog.

Because I am forgotten, but the dog

Is universal.

“I’m sorry for bothering you…I know my stench is unbearable. It hurts me too, you know?”

I want to shower, I want to be remembered / I want that tempo.

But I have two left feet, I was born with them. From my father’s side.

So my tem/ po is/ Rud/ imen/ tary see?/

If I could shower and go to the free community center dance classes. I would, you know?

But the city only gives provides free acid rain showers

And I could be allergic to acid.

I don’t have enough money to pay for allergy medicine either.

“While we’re here, would you like to hear a story?”

I step closer, I push the window down. My fingernails are chipped and my hands are rough.

My hand holds a vice grip, buried in that carapace.

Because maybe my words can be imprinted in your mind.

Beyond my zombie rank.

But you have broken/ tempo/ 20 dollar bill

A blessing/ upon my hand/ and yours

Because I can eat with my dog/ And you can speed to your tempo/ on miles of asphalt

The other cars/ would follow your tempo/ and hand me change/ 50 cents

I wish I could have talked with you for longer. Maybe I could have gotten a shower.

And finally dance again.

Just like my mother did.

When I was considered a treasure.

Dressed for Success

Career center hosts professional dress fashion show

By Ecoi Lewis ealewis@my.loyno.edu

The category is … Professional Dress!

The Career Development Center held its first Style for Hire to help students learn how to dress in today’s working world. The event showed how to rock a professional look while letting your personality shine.

The event began with a fashion

show, which featured Loyola students as runway models wearing professional clothes. Following the show, there was a wide-range of stations to visit and learn from, including a pop-up closet with free upcycled clothing and a photo booth to take headshots for platforms.

Loyola’s Theater Department had a booth teaching students how to sew a button, take measurements, and tie a tie.

Stylists from Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute were giving tips on hair and makeup.

Dress for Success, a global nonprofit that works to support women in professional development and economic independence, was offering advice on interviews and how to dress for them.

Psychology sophomore Claire Clement rocks the runway at Style for Hire in the St. Charles Room on Feb. 22, 2024. Laci Barrow/The Maroon

Biology junior Tofarati Okenimkpe holds up a gray shirt from the pop-up closet at Style for Hire on Feb. 22, 2024. Laci Barrow /The Maroon

Freshman Coco Zehm struts down the runway at Style for Hire on Feb. 22, 2024. Laci Barrow/The Maroon

The Dress for Success New Orleans table at Style for Hire. Laci Barrow/The Maroon

Presidential Polling Update

Polling numbers for the presidential primaries of five states have been gathered and recorded by the Associated Press. The numbers are as follows:

• President Joe Biden (D) - 206

• Donald Trump (R) - 122

• Nikki Haley (R) - 24

• Ron DeSantis (R) - 9

• Vivek Ramaswamy (R) - 3

The five states are Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. The democratic primary for Iowa has not been held yet. These numbers are proportional to the votes cast for each candidate in these states.

The Associated Press has declared Trump the winner of the republican primaries for all five states. Of the four states’ democratic primaries, Biden has been declared the winner.

Ocean heat provides glimpse of warming world

Off the charts heat in the North Atlantic ocean and record-smashing Antarctic sea ice lows last year are far more severe than what Earth’s supposed to get with current warming levels. They are more like what happens at twice this amount of warming, a new study said.

The study’s main author worries that it’s a “harbinger of what’s coming in the next decades” and it’s got him wondering why those two climate indicators were so beyond expected."

“The climate of 2023 with all the disasters, you know, with all the wildfires in Canada and all the flooding events in Europe and everything, you can interpret this as what we will have every year,” said study author Till Kuhlbrodt, a climate scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Sciences and the University of Reading in England.

By mid-March, the North Atlantic will have gone a full year of non-stop, record-breaking sea surface temperatures, McNoldy said, adding “it’s not just record-breaking, it’s blowing past records.”

The Associated Press Contributed to this report.

Nicaraguan crisis: Activists discuss at Loyola

By Sophia Maxim svmaxim@my.loyno.edu

Editor’s Note: Quotes from Téllez were translated by Pablo Zavala, event host and Spanish and Latin American studies professor.

Loyola hosted Nicaraguan political activists Dora María Téllez and Ana Margarita Vijil who shared their accounts of the human rights crisis. The pair urged support from the Loyola community.

Téllez and Vijil spent 20 months in solitary confinement at El Chipote, a prison known for its inhumane conditions, as described by the U.N. They were some of 222 political prisoners released and exiled in February 2023. Dictator Daniel Ortega’s government deleted Téllez and Vijil’s birth certificates and confiscated their assets.

The activists were arrested the same day as other leaders of their opposition party, called Unamos, including President Suyen Barahona Cuan and Vice-President Hugo Torres. Torres, a military leader in the Sandinista revolution alongside Téllez, died in prison in February 2022. Torres had helped free Ortega from prison in 1974.

These arrests followed 40 opposition leaders, activists, and journalists detained by Ortega to ensure his unconstitutional re-election, Téllez said. Around 120 political activists are in prison as of February 2024, Vijil said.

“Whoever opens their mouth goes to prison,” Téllez said.

Téllez, a historian who joined the faculty at Tulane in September as a visiting researcher, participated in the 1979 uprising as a Sandinista guerilla commander against the Somoza dynasty. She served as health minister during the revolutionary government before turning against Ortega. Vijil, a lawyer, served as president of the democratic Sandinista Renovation Movement.

Vijil said the day of their arrest, June 13, 2021, she had been waiting at home. Over 100 people invaded her house. Vijil said they beat her niece, and her family recounts herself being beaten, but she has no memory of the event. Ortega’s forces abducted Vijil in a truck bearing the Sandinista political party flag instead of the national flag, she said.

Téllez said she was convicted in a twohour trial in which she spoke for one and a half minutes with no defense lawyer. She was never shown the accusations, and three retweets were used as evidence against her, she said. She was found guilty and sentenced to eight years in prison.

For the first 80 days, the government held the imprisoned activists incommunicado, sharing no information between the prisoners and their families, Vijil said. She said reports from international organizations became “the voice of [their] families” and pressured the prisons into allowing limited external communication.

“The worst thing was not the condition [of the prison],” Vijil said. “The worst thing was the scarce time that we were able to see our families.”

Vijil said her mom had a cancer recurrence while she was in prison, and she found out 44 days later. Six months ago, Vijil’s mother died while she was in exile.

Téllez said unity formed against Ortega’s regime in April 2018 after two crucial instances – the regime revoked social security pensions for the elderly, and Ortega ignored a spreading forest fire. A series of protests and police violence followed.

“There was a moment in which everyone said ‘Oh my gosh. It's not possible for us to live this way,” Vijil said.

“Your grandfather and your grandmother work their whole lives, and then one day [Daniel Ortega] decides that [they] will not receive pension,” Vijil said. “So these senior citizens, they went to the streets, and they were beaten.”

"Ortega has lost support from even his most loyal base, "Téllez said.

“[Ortega] doesn’t care that the public opinion is against him. They simply do whatever they want because nobody can do anything about it,” Téllez said.

In 2018, police killed at least 328 people involved in anti-government protests, according to Human Rights Watch.

“[Daniel Ortega] decided to attack and to kill. There was a regime of terror in Nicaragua after that.” Vijil said.

A 15-year-old was fatally shot for handing bottles of water to student protesters in April 2018. He was alive when he arrived at a hospital, but Ortega ordered the hospital not to provide medical care to any protesters, Vijil said.

Hundreds of thousands of mothers who lost their children to protest massacres marched on Mother’s Day in May 2018. Fifteen of these mothers were killed at the march, according to The New York Times.

Vijil said Bishop Rolando Álvarez was “really important in saving lives” during the time of terror. Alvarez was imprisoned for over a year and exiled in January 2024.

The prominent Jesuit Universidad Centroamericana was shut down by the state in August 2023. At least 26 universities have been dissolved by Ortega’s regime, according to Associated Press.

“Imagine that they closed Loyola for being a nest of terrorism, for being taught how to think critically,” Téllez said. “That’s what happened to Universidad Centroamericana in Nicaragua, which was a high-quality institution.”

Téllez and Vijil both studied at UCA.

“For me, it’s really important for me to be here at Loyola because I come from a Jesuit university that doesn’t exist anymore,” Vijil said.

From 2018 to now, more than 10% of the Nicaraguan population has fled from the country, Vijil said. Vijil described the psychological hardship immigrants face and asked for help, compassion, and solidarity to those people during this election year. The speakers also requested support toward persecuted activists from the Loyola community.

“I cannot imagine, work, or live in a place where democracy isn’t possible, where I can’t say what I think or improve the place in which I live,” Vijil said.

Tensions high as U.S. vetoes Palestinian-Israeli conflict resolution draft

By Micaela Hood mmhood@my.loyno.edu

As the death toll in Gaza surpasses 29,000, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, the United States has drafted a resolution in support of a temporary cease-fire that would call for an immediate release of all remaining hostages taken from Israel since the attacks on Oct. 7, and to cut all restrictions on humanitarian aid into Gaza from Israel.

Following the rejection of an Arab-backed Algerian resolution draft by the U.S., this resolution proposed on Feb. 19 suggests that Israel’s major ground offensive planned to enter the city of Rafah in southern Gaza should not proceed, as over a million Palestinian citizens have fled there for safety.

The draft states it “would help to create the conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities.” The Arab-backed draft that the U.S. rejected was voted on by the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, Feb. 20, representing 22 Arab nations. The resolution failed due to the U.K. abstaining from a vote and the U.S. voting against it.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that the Israeli military will continue offensive measures until they reach “total victory” against Hamas after the Oct. 7 attacks. The Israeli military says they have killed over 10,000 Hamas militants but have provided minimal withstanding evidence for this number.

The war has also brought almost daily reciprocations of fire between Lebanon’s Hezbollah Militant group and the Israeli military. A member of Netanyahu’s war cabinet, Benny Gantz, warned Hamas that the Israeli military would expand into Rafah if every hostage is not freed by the beginning of March, which also marks the start of the Muslim holy month, Ramadan.

President Biden stated that Israel is willing to halt the war during Ramadan if Hamas agrees upon a deal to release hostages.

The Israeli government has stated that it is planning to evacuate Palestinian civilians from Rafah. Still, it is unclear where they would evacuate to as large land areas of the territory have been devastated.

Egypt has warned the public that any mass evacuation of Palestinians into the country could threaten its peace treaty with Israel and has sealed its border with Gaza.

A Hamas official, Khalil al-Haya, restated the military’s demands for the release of the hostages.

He stated the demand for an end to Israel’s military opposition, a withdrawal of Isreali soldiers from Gaza, the immediate release of Palestinian prisoners, which includes top Hamas militants, and that regional security depends on a foundation of a fully sovereign Palestinian state, but did not explain what that would look like geographically.

Loyola University New Orleans has not made any pervasive statements regarding the conflict since Jan. 16th, despite numerous peaceful pro-Palestine and pro-Israel events planned on and around campus, causing students to speak their concerns about Loyola’s beliefs.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Dora María Téllez, Nicaraguan activist, speaks at Loyola regarding the political crisis occuring in Nicaragua. Sophia Maxim/The Maroon

Ana Margarita Vijil, Nicaraguan activist, speaks at Loyola regarding the political crisis occuring in Nicaragua. Sophia Maxim/The Maroon

Ignacio Volunteers grow through community service

By Eloise Pickering ewpicker@my.loyno.edu

Numbers, when in relation to social issues, remove a sense of human connection in reforming policy and evoking change. Loyola University’s Community Action Program and Loyola’s Jesuit Social Research Institute have organized students to actively bridge the gap between statistics and personal relationships.

LUCAP hosts semesterly programs including a trip with a group of student volunteers known as Ignacio Volunteers.

“We're the people who actually go out and volunteer and actually work with the community,” criminology freshman Simon Bunkers said.

Bunkers is in his second semester working with Ignacio Volunteers.

“ roughout the semester, you'll meet and learn about topics. Last semester was immigration. is semester, it's mass incarceration,” Bunkers said.

Following a semester of studying and discussing the subjects, the students round out the topic with a volunteer trip.

rough JSRI, Ignacio Volunteers spent the entirety of last semester learning about immigration before traveling to New Mexico in December of 2023 for their transformative immersion experience.

e immersion experience itself, which lasts between ve and seven days, is intended to spark enthusiasm that is already present within students,

according to Jacob DeRusha, Loyola’s minister for social justice and immersions.

“A transformative immersion experience is something that, I think, takes … a seed that's already there. A passion of wanting to make an impact. And I think [the experience] creates a path for how this particular student

New Mexico, where he used to live, to volunteer with the students.

“Going deeper into the immigration system after not living there … was eye opening for me,” DeRusha said. “But also there's a sense of, I think, pride, because a lot of the nonpro ts that we visited were really connected with one another. And so it was really commu-

who were detained or recently released.

“We went to a detention center and spent the day with detainees, we had conversations, we played games with them. … We played [with the] kids that were there, we helped make food.” Bunkers said. “We went to the wall, which was really important … at was

“It just really brings what you have already into your mind – it makes you more grateful,” Bunkers said.

DeRusha urges students to get involved with LUCAP and apply for Ignacio Volunteers and JSRI at the start of each semester, as spending time with people, especially those in need, allows for personal connection, he said.

Ignacio Volunteers cleaning trash in New Mexico during their transformative immersion experience volunteer trip. December, 2023. Courtesy of Loyola JSRI

Amplifying Afrofuturism

f/504 partners with Dillard to highlight the importance of Black creativity and identity

By Mia Oliva mfoliva@my.loyno.edu

New Orleans creative collective, “f/504" (pronounced f stop 504), which was founded by Loyola student Lillian Wilkin and alumna Emilee Chubb, prompts connection and collaboration for local creatives free of charge. Their events include seasonal clothing swaps and monthly photo events hosted in eclectic locations like Hotel Peter and Paul and New Orleans Opera Guild Home.

f/504 has joined forces with Dillard University’s Afrofuturism club to highlight the importance of Black creativity and identity.

“Afrofuturism,” a concept coined 30 years ago, places emphasis on the preservation of African-American ancestry and Black liberation by means of futuristic expression.

Though widely perceived as a subgenre of science fiction, every discipline of art and field of study is encompassed by this

movement to some extent.

It’s nothing short of a lifestyle, according to founder and president of the club, Mikayla Weary. The local collective collaborated with the Afrofuturism club for an event on Sunday, Feb. 25 at the Contemporary Arts Center of New Orleans, where creatives utilized the museum’s exhibition to celebrate Black History Month through photography, modeling, and even music. The event was titled “FOR US BY US: Past, Present and Future.”

it raise the question of how the future looks like for Black people, it puts it into perspective,” Weary said.

Weary and fellow club leader, Sai Rothleutner, began attending f/504 events their sophomore year, where they forged a connection with co-founder Joliet Morrill, allowing them to expand their opportunities beyond Dillard’s campus and community.

“There are a lot of movements where we see ourselves in the past and the present, but we don’t really focus on the future enough.”

— Mikayla Weary President of the Afrofuturism club

“There are a lot of movements where we see ourselves in the past and the present, but we don’t really focus on the future enough, and in the arts its very important that we get that representation, because not only does

“Mikayla and I had been to f/504 events before, but over the summer I went to one where I actually got to meet Joliet and everyone else and I was like ‘okay, y’all are really cool so hopefully we can have an event or come up with ideas for one,’” Rothleutner said.

Morrill said her main interest was breaking down the ideas of limitations on

access and of utilizing spaces within the city.

“So like, how often do you get to do a photoshoot in a museum? Or how often do you get to do a shoot at the opera house?” Morrill said.

People might hear the term Afrofuturism and arrive at a preconceived notion that it's limited to narratives like “Black Panther” or the works of Octavia Butler. However, according to Weary, Afrofuturism exceeds both time and what is tangible to the senses, especially in a city like New Orleans.

“Black people have turned all these complex emotions and hardships into things and forms of expression that can say a lot without even having to use words. Creating things out of resources that you already have is Afrofuturistic in itself,” Weary said. “I see that in anything and everything here in New Orleans, you know? The same bricks Black people laid thousands of years ago in Tremé are still there.”

An array of photos are displayed at the Contemporary Arts Center of New Orleans. The event's theme was “FOR US BY US: Past, Present and Future.” Mia Oliva/The Maroon

Final Scores

Beach Volleyball @ Coconut Beach, Feb. 24

W 3 - 2, William Carey University

W 3 - 2, vs. University of Mobile Women's Basketball vs. William Carey University, Feb. 24

L 70 - 78

Men's Tennis vs. Xavier University of Louisiana, Feb. 25

L 1 - 4

Women's Tennis vs. Xavier University of Louisiana, Feb. 25

L 2 - 4

Men's Golf @ Ram Spring Invite

T-5th of 9, Feb. 26

3rd of 9, Feb. 27

Women's Golf @ Ram Spring Invite

1st of 8, Feb. 26

1st of 8, Feb. 27

Baseball vs. Southern University at New Orleans, Feb. 27

W 11 - 1

Men's Basketball vs. Middle Georgia State, Feb. 28

W 65 - 58

Upcoming Games

Men and Women's Track and Field

Feb. 29-March 2 @ NAIA Indoor Championships @ Brookings, SD Beach Volleyball

March 1 @ 12 p.m. vs. St. omas University & 2 p.m. vs. Ave Maria University @ Ave Maria, FL Baseball

March 1 @ 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. vs Blue Mountain Christian University @ Blue Mountain, MS

Men and Women's Tennis

March 6 @ 1 p.m. vs. Bethel University @ Mobile, AL

Women's Golf

March 7 vs. Lawrence Technological University @ Opelika, AL

Campus yoga provides place to de-stress

By Alana ompson anthomps@my.loyno.edu

After seeing yoga in the Peace Quad, computer science junior Amorè Clark’s interest was piqued, leading him to want to participate.

Upon joining the group, he followed the lead of the instructor and remained with them for the duration of the session. It was his rst time trying yoga, but it would not be his last.

“Never in my 20 years of being alive I thought that I would do yoga,” Clark said. “I just kind of gave it a try, and I’ve been

enjoying it so far.”

Clark is one of many students who began taking one of the three yoga classes o ered on the second oor of the University Sports Complex.

Yoga instructor Nancy Maguire-Rambo guided students in her semiweekly “Vin to Yin” classes for an hour with the focus on Vinyasa yoga, a ow that emphasized meditation, movement, and breathing work/control. e purpose for these classes were more than just an exercise class for Maguire-Rambo.

“I wanted to provide the students with a safe place to go inside, and realize their

own truth,” Maguire-Rambo said.

Each Tuesday and ursday at 12:30, the classes enable students to go at their own pace. is aspect of her class makes students, like Amorè, feel comfortable with approaching di erent yoga poses.

“She allows you to go to what your body allows you to go,” Clark said. “Everyone has di erent bodies, so what I cannot do, other people can do, and you can have leeway with it.”

e yoga classes provide students with an outlet to de-stress from the daily challenges that they endured.

“Today, for example, I was angry for

no reason,” Clark said. “ e class just clears my mind. We do a lot of breathing and a lot of stretching, so by the end of class, my mind is not bothered by anything.”

Maguire-Rambo believes that yoga is helpful for anyone and hopes to continue to guide people to “ nd their inner peace.”

“I think the most important bene t for college students as well as any of my students, faculty, sta , or the community, is to be in the present moment, to still the monkey mind, and of course, to have a sense of community,” she said.

Coach's experience influences cheer and dance

By Samantha Guillotte & Ecoi Lewis slguillo@my.loyno.edu & ealewis@my.loyno.edu

Some may think cheer and dance are one team at Loyola.

According to head cheer and dance coach Courtney Cadore, at Loyola, the di erence is simple: they are two separate National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics competitive sports.

Coach Cadore said both teams implemented a few changes this school year.

“We have new competitive cheer and dance choreographers who have expe-

rience with NAIA routines and two additional practices to our practice schedule," Cadore said. With her time as a collegiate cheerleader and current NFL cheerleader, Cadore had ten years of professional and collegiate cheerleading experience when she joined Loyola.

With her experience, she has made it a point to develop both of the teams in many di erent aspects of their sport.

In the fall, the cheer team attends home volleyball games in order to prepare for basketball season, which in-

volves both cheer and dance teams. e student-athletes are also required to participate in virtual team meetings, as well as workouts during school breaks, according to Cadore.

As a result, the teams have a more vigorous practice schedule. ey have new choreographers for game day and competition routines and have begun recording and watching practices. ey have also gained professional development and have made it a point to develop both teams' cheer and dance routines.

A member of the cheer team being tossed into the air at Xavier University, Feb. 2, 2024. XULA hosted The Battle of the Big Easy Cheer and Dance Competition where Loyola's cheer and dance teams, led by coach Cadore, competed. Heidi Herrera/The Maroon

Rachel Berzas strikes a pose at Xavier University. XULA hosted The Battle of the Big Easy Cheer and Dance Competition where Loyola's cheer and dance teams, led by Coach Cadore, competed. Heidi Herrera/The Maroon

English senior Emma Santangelo attends yoga class in the University Sports Complex. The USC o ers yoga classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 12:30p.m. Maleigh Crespo/The Maroon

Certified

BOYETT:

Continued from page 2

Each year, there is a keynote speaker who is a student at one of the participating universities and a survivor of gender violence. Survivors are encouraged to stand up and speak up about their experiences in a place where no media is present to ensure that everyone’s privacy is protected.

According to Boyett, there have been more reports of sexual violence made after Take Back the Night, highlighting how impactful this event is for many people on campus.

Boyett has said that working with professor Negina Khalili, associate director of the WRC, and the students has been the most rewarding aspect of being director.

She remarked that seeing students succeed after school and seeing a feminist space created on campus was the most gratifying part of her job.

e most challenging part that Boyett has to overcome as the director is balancing the di erent workloads from her three jobs as a professor, director, and uno cial o ce manager of the WRC. is is why she is leaving her position as director. By leaving the WRC, she would still be able to contribute while focusing on her research.

She hopes that, in the future, the WRC will be able to expand and be able to employ more people to make it more successful and have more of a global outreach.

Boyett hopes that she will be able to still contribute to the WRC and help create a network of all the women who have been involved with the center to form a global network so the center can help more people around the world.

Additionally, she has a proposal for a social justice center that involves the WRC and di erent social justice organizations on campus which will have more perspective and networking opportunities available.

She plans to continue contributing to the WRC and use her extra time to do more research that her schedule didn’t allow her to do. She also plans to continue writing her second book, a follow-up to “Right to Revolt: e Crusade for Racial Justice in Mississippi’s Central Piney Woods.”

While she feels that her leaving the WRC is bittersweet, she believes that she is fortunate to work with so many extraordinary students and she aspires to continue to help create a global network of feminists at Loyola.

EXCELLENCE:

Continued from page 1

Darby’s mission is to continue to ght for underrepresented and marginalized voices, not just those in theater but all voices. She looks forward to pushing for a change through her many roles of dancer, future playwright, performer, and director.

To her, receiving the award shows that the work that she has done leading up to this moment has genuinely touched people. is award is a reminder, “to keep going and not for the sake of another shiny award, but for the sake of the people that are in need of the light that I am able to shine in this world.”

e recipient of the STEM award, biology senior Liana Tarte, represents her category through her work in the healthcare eld. Tarte said, “Coming from an underrepresented background it made pursuing a career in healthcare really

di cult. I often felt lost when I asked for help and had to advocate for myself way more than I realized any of my other white peers did.” She now serves as NAACP’s health committee chairwoman and works as the clinical coordinator in cardiovascular research at Ochsner Hospital. For her, the award means a lot, but being a part of the NAACP means even more. Tarte said, “I love being a part of a national initiative that encourages the advancement of underrepresented minorities like myself.”

She is dedicating her life’s work to ensuring that other workers in pre-healthcare can have support while beginning their careers. In the coming year she plans to exemplify this award through her work at Ochsner, and continuing to serve as a resource for students and patients to break barriers.

Visual communication sophomore

COMMUTER:

Continued from page 2

“Outside of the o ce, we are assigned clusters of commuter students, and we give them all information that they usually don’t get from anybody who isn’t involved in commuter life,” she said.

She added that the Commuter Student Association utilizes email and GroupMe to help inform commuter students about important information concerning commuter life and monthly

SODEXO:

Continued from page 2

As for the pay increase, she was making a few cents more than $14 an hour, and now she is making $16.50 an hour, which Harrison will see soon, as the pay raise was e ective immediately.

Despite achieving this milestone, the path to get there wasn’t easy, as union workers, alongside a union rep, met with the company to negotiate their contract four or ve times, Harrison said.

But she said she wasn’t going to give up because in past attempts, their unionization e orts failed, which she blames on fear from coworkers.

“When you don’t know your rights, you’ll let them put fear in you,” she said. is time, however, Harrison said she was motivated by her coworkers, some of whom have worked for the company for 30 or 40 years.

“I work with a group of good people,” she said.

However, calling and knocking on coworkers’ doors after hours is something Harrison never thought she’d do.

“A phone call is one thing,” she said. “But when you go into their house, that’s something else. But I didn’t get no doors closed on me, which was good, but that’s what was going through my head.”

Harrison said her coworkers were open-minded and willing to listen. She credits their openness as the reason their union e orts were successful.

Harrison said she’s proud of her group of coworkers.

“ ey stood up, and we succeeded,” she said. “And they are proud of themselves. And I’m proud of them. ey really did good.”

Harrison said she also appreciates the e orts of students, which helped a

AWARD-WINNERS:

Changemaker: MAKAYLA WILLIAMS

Musician on the Rise: JORDAN BUSH

Singer on the Rise: KENNADI ROSE

Lyricist on the Rise: ANIYA TENO

Dance & Theatre Arts Award: JAYLIN

DARBY

Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Award: LIANA TARTE

Griot of the Year: MORGAN LOVE

Visual Artist of the Year: JAMILAH

LECESNE

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Advancement of Excellence Award: AKILAH TONEY

and recipient of the visual artist of the year award, Jamilah LeCesne is a photographer both in and out of school. Beyond that, through her work in photography she “makes people’s visions come to life.” For her, this award means being seen and recognized for the work that she does.

In this coming year, she is dedicating herself to, “making art and representing my school and fellow black artists as best I can.”

History sophomore Jeremiah Simmons said he sees the awards as something that serves to sow unity among the Black community on campus and to highlight the strengths that they bring to the university. “[ ese awards] signify an acknowledgement of the e orts of the Black community.”

CRAGO:

events.

Smith said that commuter students need more events to be involved in, along with better accommodations regarding meal plans and parking.

Parking is often a problem for commuter students who have to drive to campus every day.

“Parking around campus is so complicated to nd if you aren’t paying for a permit to park in the garage,” Smith said. “Personally, if I arrive on campus after

7:30 a.m, I have to park far down on Saint Charles to get good all day parking.”

Joseph adds that commuter students should also be taken into consideration when it comes to registration. Commuters should have more priority when it comes to registering for classes due to the need to travel to campus every day, they said.

“Our job may seem small, but it’s bigger than everybody thinks,” LeCense said of commuter assistants.

"By encouraging exploration and discovery, we can work towards building a more equitable and compassionate world."

— Edouard Crago Chemistry and Art professor

Continued from page 2

"What makes this class unique is its focus on interdisciplinary learning," Crago said. "Students have the opportunity to investigate the connections between two seemingly disparate elds."

Beyond the classroom, Crago is actively engaged in various artistic endeavors, including sculpting, graphic design, and ceramics. He views art not only as a means of self-expression but also as a vehicle for understanding and interpreting the world.

"Art o ers a unique lens through which we can explore and interpret our surroundings," he said. "It provides a platform for examining complex ideas and concepts."

lot. With their contract con rmed, Harrison said she will now be able to a ord to keep her family home that she inherited from her grandmother.

“ e area that I’m in is a good area, and you can get a decent amount of money, but I didn’t really want to do that,” she said. “My parents worked hard. And they didn’t owe a mortgage or have to re nance it. I didn’t want to have to do that either.”

Harrison said now she’ll be able to a ord renovations to maintain the integrity of her home and get homeowner’s insurance, which she couldn’t a ord before, even though her home is in a ood zone.

Before the union, Harrison said to maintain her family and household, it was normal for her to work up to three jobs at a time.

With the new pay increase and bene ts, Harrison no longer has to do that.

Similarly, Dedra Wilborn, who's been a Loyola-Sodexo employee for a year, is happy to have a union to support her.

And she said she’s now able to work toward getting reliable transportation.

“I have to take the streetcar just to get to work, which isn’t always easy,” Wilborn said. “Now that we have guaranteed raises, I can work towards buying myself a new car.”

Harrison said employees are continuing to join the union and not just new ones.

“We still have work to do,” she said. “UNITEHERE is a union, so we have to stick together.”

Maria DiFelice contributed to the reporting.

Looking ahead, Crago sees education and art as powerful catalysts for societal change. He believes in inspiring curiosity and creativity in others to foster a more inclusive and vibrant society.

"I am committed to empowering students to think critically and creatively," Crago said. "By encouraging exploration and discovery, we can work towards building a more equitable and compassionate world."

Crago brings a wealth of experience and a dedication to interdisciplinary learning to his role at Loyola. His commitment to accessibility, exploration, and lifelong learning is evident in his approach to education and art.

“Every being deserves to be treated with compassion and respect. Let us continue to strive for excellence, both in our own endeavors and in our commitment to others," he said.

Elinor Upham contributed to the reporting of this article.

Crago demonstrates a chemical reaction to students in his Chemistry and Art class on May 4, 2022. Isabella Castillo/The Maroon.

Students dance at the NAACP award ceremony, including freshman Mia Nieto and junior Royale Baez. Laci Barrow/The Maroon.

A Tinder testimony: I met the love of my life on Tinder

Morgan Love Psychology senior mglove@my.loyno.edu

When I first entered college and welcomed my new age of 19, I found myself in search of companionship and…dare I say…romance.

Prior to college, I had never had a real romantic partner---emphasis on real. After fruitless situationships, meaningless crushes, and multiple failed talking stages, I was in need of something electric, a rush to excite me and reassure me that love still existed and was obtainable.

This is where I found Tinder. Now, I know the stigma around this app is chaotic and people don’t know how they really feel about it. Is it a place to find a quick hookup? Maybe it’s a place to find new friends or “sesh buddies”?

Or is it a place to find your life partner?

A cheap thrill, maybe? Or is it a place for validation? Looking for some compliments to fill a void? I’ve found that Tinder is a place where you can look and seek some of your innermost desires, even if it’s just to find a new friend on campus.

I can say, without shame, that I was one of many people on Tinder. Don’t worry, if I saw your profile on it, I won’t tell anybody, our little secret! But as I used it, I found that I was more likely to find a new friend than a new romantic partner. To the girl at Xavier who shared with me the steps and products in her makeup routine, I’ll never forget you! Up until November of 2022, I had managed

to go on a few dates and dated someone for a few months, though nothing serious spurred from it. I was over the dating scene and unfortunately, I held no more room for gaining new friends. My time with Tinder was slowly, but surely coming to a close. However, on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, I matched with a woman that I would soon fall in love with.

She had a black and white photo of herself smiling on her profile, looking absolutely beautiful. I was captured by her beauty and I took my chances and swiped right. Oh! Luck must have been on my side, because she swiped right on me! The Tinder match had been made and the true work begin thereafter. I wasted no time texting her first.

“hi pretty”

If someone would have told me that those two words would lead me to some of the happiest moments of my life, a love so grand and deep…I wouldn’t have believed them.

After weeks of texting each other, we agreed to have our first date during the winter break. The day of our date, I remember being so nervous, butterflies swarming in my stomach. When I was applying my makeup for the date, my hand had a slight tremor. I was a bundle of nerves, but I was also extremely excited to meet her. I was literally praying that our date would go okay. When she told me that she was outside my house, I gave myself a quick pep talk in the mirror and went out to meet her.

She greeted me with a hug.

An act so small yet it comforted me so much. An act that told me that our date was about to be like no other.

Our date consisted of us going to the local park at our city’s reservoir and painting. We sat infront of the water, a beautiful sight when the sun is setting and reflects off the water. We painted and talked and then painted and talked some more. It was the easiest conversation I had ever had with someone and it flowed endlessly. We never ran out of words to say and if we did, the silence wasn’t awkward, but comforting and warm. Our date lasted for numerous hours and I remember wishing for it to never end. It was, by far, the best date I had ever been on.

We ended up meeting everyday after for two weeks straight. By the end of the winter break, I knew that I wanted her, needed her, in my life. She was the most amazing person I had ever met. We were head over heels for each other, literally buying a bear from Build-A-Bear to share between us two weeks after we met. I know the rumors about WLW (women who love women) moving too fast are always circling, but I didn’t care then and I don’t care now. Everything with her feels so damn right! The following April, I asked her to be my girlfriend, and now, we are two months shy of being with each other for a full year.

The last year of my life has shown me so much love and I owe a lot of it to my girlfriend.

She has taught me so much about love and life and I cannot wait to learn more. She is the love of my life and that is something I am absolutely sure of. Often times, we joke about being in a Tinder commercial and telling the story of how we met on the app. Until then, I hope this does it justice.

And to the Tinder employee who may see this, thank you dearly, for my life has forever changed for the better.

The OR should have take-out options

Cecilia Calderín Journalism sophomore ccaldera@my.loyno.edu

The Orleans Room. A place where most students go to and rely on for their daily meals. One of the most important aspects of the university experience, but also one of the most unfair.

As students, we invest a lot of our time and money to be able to fully immerse ourselves in the college experience. One of these investments is the meal plans we pay for, designed to provide us with easy and convenient access to food while we deal with our hectic academic and personal schedules. However, I believe it’s time to face the facts and realize that there are some inconsistencies between what a dining hall is meant to do, and what our dining hall imposes on us. With the amount of money we pay for our meal plans, we are victims of unnecessary policies implemented by the university: the inability to take food out of the OR.

This policy goes completely against what a meal plan is meant to do. If we are paying for the food with a meal

swipe when we come in, why are we not allowed to simply take our meals outside? This restriction is not only incredibly nonsensical, but it also fails to acknowledge the realities of college life.

Since the OR works on a very specific schedule, there are times in which students will be in class while the dining hall is open, and after class, the dining hall is already closed. The policy also neglects to recognize that a lot of students have schedules that are packed with other commitments, and forcing students to remain in the shackles of the OR for meals is unrealistic and inconvenient.

Whether the need for taking food outside the premises be because of a previous commitment, a dietary restriction, or simply wanting to enjoy your food in another atmosphere, the university should recognize that they are imposing on students by forcing them to adhere to the dining hall schedule and its rules.

Plus, if you’re dining in the OR, you’re able to take more than one plate from any station, so why not implement that for takeout food?

"The moment we began putting the food in the container, we were yelled at as if we were little kids..."

To let you know why this problem irks me so much, let me tell you the experience me and my friends had. The one and only time I’ve attempted to take food from the OR was because one of my friends was sick and we wanted to bring her some food so that she didn’t have to spend money ordering anything. We thought that, since the OR has a take out option on the Everyday app, that it would be fine to bring our own food containers and take what was served to us by one of the workers. The moment we began putting the food in the container, we were yelled at as if we were little kids and made to throw away the food we were planning on taking. This is not only wasteful, but completely unfair as well.

Moreover, it's not like being allowed to take food from the dining hall means that we will be taking food from other students. Since the OR workers are the ones that serve most plates, we won’t even be deciding our own portions.

To remedy this, the university should take these points into consideration and create new policies that would allow for us to take food from the dining hall, albeit, with reasonable limits. Doing this would result in a happier student body and a more enjoyable dining experience.

Lizzy Hadley /The Maroon

Letter from the Editor: The Maroon is a space for everyone

Maleigh Crespo English junior & Editor-in-Chief macrespo@my.loyno.edu

When I applied to be editor-in-chief of The Maroon, my primary goal was to cultivate a newspaper with coverage representative of our entire student body and to uphold that standard by leading with compassion, grace, and inclusivity. With that said, it disheartens me to have read anonymous assertions from students on Instagram via @LoynoConfess. I do not take these comments lightly and recognize the impact our team and newspaper have on the Loyola community. And I intend to take the criticism from the community we serve and use it to inform our coverage in a way that is representative of our broad campus. But in that same breath, there’s some things I’d like to clarify.

First, our news coverage should not be mistaken for opinion and review, which offer perspectives from the entire Loyola community and are not representative of the opinions or beliefs of the paper’s editorial staff.

As far as our newsroom goes, we are continually making strides to be more inclusive of our campus community, including but not limited to race, sexuality, major, and year. Since my freshman year, I’ve heard the outward perception of the newsroom’s exclusivity, but as long as I'm the editor, that exclusivity does not exist here.

Any and everyone can contribute to The Maroon. If you have opinions, ideas, or stories that you want told, reach out to us directly at maroon@loyno.edu instead of tagging us in anonymous social media posts.

We need to appreciate the heart of Loyola

At the core of our decision to join Loyola University lies a fundamental truth: the vibrant community. Yet, as we navigate our academic journeys, it's essential to change our focus and appreciate the role played by often-overlooked heroes behind the scenes.

While we readily recognize the professors who champion our academic pursuits, it's time to shine a spotlight on the dedicated staff whose contributions enrich our university experience in countless ways.

In the whirlwind of our daily routines, it's easy to pass by these essential contributors without a second thought, underestimating the profound impact they have on our lives. However, with the new year here, it's crucial that we pause and reflect on their invaluable presence. We need to change our look at Loyola from negative to positive.

From the Sodexo staff making sure we’re fed each day to the custodial crew maintaining the condition of our campus, each person plays an indispensable role in shaping our university life.

While we may recognize their friendly faces, how many of us have taken the

time to learn their names or understand their stories? The small interactions, from asking students about their day and remembering details later on, can brighten anyone's day. Yet, their efforts often go unnoticed. Do we take time to listen to the workers talk about their lives? As students, we don’t appreciate everything the workers do. We aren’t the ones making appreciation posts for everything they do, we just say thank you and move on. We should do more.

It's time for us, as members of the Loyola community, to turn the spotlight toward these unsung heroes. Their jobs are far from easy, and they deserve the recognition for being the backbone of our university.

And let’s start now – National Employee Appreciation day is March 1 and a great day to make the first step by writing notes to the Sodexo staff and showing them we care.

But, we should do the same for other staff departments at Loyola. We can’t forget about the electricians, mechanics, and custodians.

Let's express our gratitude not just through words, but through meaningful

actions. Let's make a concerted effort to learn their names, greet them with genuine warmth, and engage with them on a personal level. Behind every task completed, every meal served, and every facility maintained, lies a human being deserving of our respect and appreciation.

And this doesn’t diminish the importance of expressing gratitude to our professors. They are integral to our education, and without them, our learning journey would be incomplete.

In a community as diverse and dynamic as ours, inclusivity and unity are paramount. Let's celebrate the contributions of every individual, irrespective of their role or title, and foster an environment where everyone feels valued and acknowledged.

So, the next time you encounter a familiar face in the hallways or share a meal in the dining hall, take a moment to pause, smile, and express your gratitude. In these simple gestures lies the true essence of our community—a place where each person, from faculty to staff, contributes to making Loyola not just a university, but a home.

COLUMN: We need to build a village beyond bricks

Heather Rabassa Sociology senior hnrabass@my.loyno. edu

In the past two semesters, The Maroon has released several articles about the general campus construction, almost all of it in a poor light, and I echo similar sentiments as written in Christopher Wiseman’s letter to the editor about our campus newspaper's negative coverage of the construction.

To be frank, I find all of this negativity to be rather selfish. This short-term thinking of how campus has been ruined is the exact kind of thinking that has led to our ever-growing global environmental issues.

Yes, the campus doesn’t look great. Yes, it is inconvenient and expensive.

Yes, this construction is going to take a long time, and most of us won’t see the fruits of this labor. (I would also argue that this same line of thinking is used by

those who disagree with student loan forgiveness because THEY didn’t have the chance to receive it.)

But all of this is to better Loyola. If we said no to every initiative that did not look pleasant or took too much time, then we can forget ever trying to solve our global dilemmas. If all we want is unproblematic, fast, and easy, then please, get in line and continue to perpetuate these issues.

As a campus that headlines its social justice efforts, where has that gone? We have to be selfless and think with a bigger picture in mind. The inconvenience is a fair complaint, and I would argue there probably is an insurmountable amount of difficulty for those who are disabled or handicapped in some way, and that should absolutely be addressed. But this general negativity has to be stopped.

Construction aside, our administration also bears the brunt of our criticism. Based on past publications, our professors are portrayed quite favorably and deservedly so, but our administration, our Student Government Association, the leaders of our campus, are held up to quite the critical lens. I want to make it clear that while there are things we need to ensure

people are being held accountable for, the announcement of successes when administration gets it right are too few and far between.

Some of you might remember Sister Madonna, a well-respected presence on campus who recently retired. When I interviewed her once for an assignment, and she learned I worked at The Maroon, the first words out of her mouth were, “where has the positivity been lately?”

I felt ashamed at her question and my lack of an answer, and it has haunted me ever since. Every issue we have published since, her words stalk me.

“Did we do good enough?” “Is this really how our campus feels?” “Did we make the right choice?”

I have stayed quiet, believing our job as journalists to be simple observers, documenting what we witness. However, if these are truly objective reports, then The Maroon reflects the attitudes of not only the newsroom, but the wider population of Loyola, and that is an attitude I have to take a stand against.

The job of a journalist is to report on critical issues, but also the issues that go unseen. The quiet victories of the night. I

HOWL to platform Converse

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HOWL to new perspectives EDITORIAL

Maleigh

Sophia

Daniela

Dajah

Zach

Laci

Sophia Renzi

Tanesha

Elinor

Maria

Eloise

Mia

June

Ecoi

believe we owe it to our community to celebrate these victories; we owe our campus some good news. But not just for the sake of delivering good news. If we only notice the big victories, but then let both the big and mundane defeats get to us, we are doing a disservice to ourselves. The mundane, everyday victories deserve their place in the world, too. They deserve to be celebrated.

Lent is now upon us, a time of contemplation and self-reflection. It is when we ask ourselves how we can do better. Loyola, I am asking you to remember and hold fast to our Jesuit values. Where is our appreciation of things great and small? Where is our pursuit of excellence, our respect for the world, our hope-filled vision? I’m not asking you to suddenly find your faith in God, I am asking that we find our community again, one rooted in goodwill and justice.

So let us keep making the world a better place by holding those accountable who deserve to be held accountable, but let’s not forget this is not the only way to make the world a better place. Let us remember that it takes a village for everything in life. Let us rebuild that village.

Sunny

Ruth

Heather

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.

Shandrell Simpson, Sodexo worker, posing for a photo at Loyola University on February 26, 2024. Sophia Maxim/ The Maroon

David Smith, Sodexo worker, posing for a photo at Loyola University on February 26, 2024. Isabella Castillo/ The Maroon

Hung Le, mechanic, posing for a photo at Loyola University on February 26, 2024. Sophia Maxim/ The Maroon

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