The Maroon Jan. 27, 2023 Issue

DAFFRON TO MAKE BIG CHANGES

University’s interim president shares plans to improve Loyola

By Kloe Witt kgwitt@my. loyno.edu

Several changes are on the way to Loyola’s campus and community, according to interim president the Rev. Justin Daffron, S.J. at a town hall meeting on Dec. 8.

Daffron discussed several new initiatives at the meeting that he and his administration have developed to make the university more competitive with other institutions.

These initiatives include a broad compensation package for Loyola faculty that would be rolled out over the next three years, a new residential hall to be completed by 2025, and a multi-million dollar fundraising campaign that will help fund new projects across campus.

Daffron also enlisted a panel of experts to advise his administration on different ways he can create a more competitive marketplace for students and faculty. The ideas included partnering with other schools to reduce costs in areas such as human resources and information technology.

“We’ve had some internal discussions, but are still in the ideation phase of what might

inspire further change at Loyola,” said Daffron.

Funding Campaign

At the town hall meeting, Daffron said that most of the funding for these plans is expected to come from an ambitious fundraising campaign that will provide a $150 million investment in Loyola, and further outlined the three categories of investment: mind, body, and spirit.

Daffron said that $85 million will be allotted to the mind portion of the campaign.

“The campaign will provide investments in academics for faculty research and endowed professorships,” he said.

Daffron and the board of trustees said they plan to establish a “Faculty-Staff Excellence Fund” to reward the work of faculty and staff.

$30 million of the original $150 million investment will go toward the body portion of the campaign, Daffron said. This would include upgrades to existing buildings on campus, such as residential halls, athletic facilities, and general campus improvements.

$35 million will be raised to invest in the

“Jesuit, Catholic identity, as well as in diversity, equity, and inclusion” in support of the spirit portion of this campaign, according to Daffron.

However, Loyola’s administration offered no clear answers when asked where this money would specifically go and what investing in these criteria means.

Most of the money expected to be received during the fundraising campaign will offset the cost for the new residential hall, Daffron said.

Compensation Increase

As part of the new compensation plan, Daffron has proposed cost of living adjustments, retirement contributions, and addressing gaps discovered by a compensation study the university commissioned in 2021. While the study’s results remain confidential, Daffron said they will help create “pay structures that are both competitive in the marketplace and equitable for all employees.”

Hole left in campus’ heart after professor’s death

By Heather Rabassa hnrabass@my.loyno.edu

Loyola Criminology and Justice professor Kelly Frailing will be remembered most for her laugh and dedication to serving others, said Rae Taylor, an associate professor and chair of the department of criminology and justice.

Frailing died on Dec. 11, 2022 at 45 years old. She was loved and respected by all within the criminology department at Loyola, according to Taylor.

“She was such an incredibly dedicated professor who loved her students like they were family, and so that emotion will be here as long as we’re all here,” Taylor said.

Frailing was one of the world’s leading experts on crime and disaster, a field she co-founded, and also held deep knowledge in other areas, such as mental health in the criminal system and specialty courts, according to Loyola’s website.

Frailing received her PhD in criminology at University of Cambridge in England in 2010 before teaching at Texas A&M International University, and then at Loyola University in 2015.

Frailing taught at Loyola for over seven years, and developed a strong connection to the city after receiving her master’s in criminology and justice at Loyola in 2007, Taylor said.

Frailing started her master’s degree in 2005, right before Hurricane Katrina. Not having anywhere to evacuate to, Frailing was welcomed with open arms into the family of her mentor, Sociology, Criminology and Justice Professor Emeritus Dee Wood Harper, Jr., according to Taylor.

It was during this time that she became close friends with Harper’s daughter, Miriam Denis-Harper.

“When it became apparent that Katrina was coming our way, my parents suggested that I offer to bring Kelly with me to Birmingham, Alabama for the evacuation. We always loved to retell this story and had a whole Abbott and Costello routine down,” Denis-Harper said.

See FRAILING, page 2

Infographic by Patrick Hamilton/The Maroon

Stagnant construction frustrates students

By Maleigh Crespo macrespo@my.loyno.edu

Since the summer of 2022, Loyola students have had a view of tarp-covered fences in the heart of their campus.

The construction of the Chapel of St. Ignatius and Gayle and Tom Benson Jesuit Center began before students arrived on campus for the fall 2022 semester.

Phase one of the project was pile driving, which the university wanted to complete before students arrived on campus to minimize disruption, according to Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration, Carol Markowitz.

However, no progress has been made

since phase one was completed, other than the addition of hanging artwork by Associate Director of the School of Communication & Design, Daniela Marx, who said she made eight banners to “add visual calmness” to the community’s surroundings.

The banners were paid for by Sheryl Kennedy Haydel, director of the school of communication and design. Design sophomore, Miles Ainsworth, said he has to walk around the barricaded construction site every day to attend his design classes in Monroe Hall.

“I think that it is ridiculous that it's been roped off for so long and no construction has happened,” Ainsworth said.

After the initial pile driving, minimal

construction was to continue until the anticipated completion date of fall 2023, according to an email from the Rev. Justin Daffron, S.J., the interim university president. The construction was to take place Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the exception of a few Saturdays, he said.

Despite the initial plan, construction was halted in the middle of the 2022 fall semester due to the cost of construction materials, Markowitz said.

“We took some time to take a close look at our plans to ensure that we can keep the project within our allotted budget,” Markowitz said.

The project, which was fully funded by the Benson family, has raised student concerns since the announcement of its

construction.

“They shouldn’t have put the fence up until they were actually going to build it and not just have it sit there with a pile of dirt for two months,” Ainsworth said.

Markowitz said the second phase of construction is set to resume in the next two months.

The pause in construction has only added to students' issues with the project, and many of them feel that the university lacks consideration for its students with the building of the chapel.

“If the entire campus is against this building, then why are you building it?” Ainsworth said.

Patricia Murret, Loyola’s associate director of public affairs told The Maroon last semester that the university wants a

campus that speaks faith to a new generation, not only with words, but with structures and spaces.

Earlier in the school year, Tom Ryan, interim vice president for mission and identity, compared the new Chapel construction to the construction which previously occurred to build Monroe Hall.

“It was messy and inconvenient. But for me, looking at Monroe Hall now, what a gift that is,” Ryan said.

Loyola's administration was unable to respond to questions regarding student concerns about the construction. However, they plan to release a statement in the coming weeks.

FRAILING: Hole left in campus' heart after professor dies

tually introduced myself. It took only an hour or two to realize that we got along very well and so began an epic adventure.”

Frailing was well known for her deep laugh and witty sense of humor, a trait that she always managed to hold fast to, no matter the circumstances, Taylor said.

“Even in the darkest times here, she had a way of just laughing about things that were out of her control and would bring some much needed levity. And so that's what I guess I'm comforted by, is when I think of her immediately in my mind, that image is that big smile and a big laugh and cracking a joke or something like that,” Taylor said. “She was who she was.”

Continued from page 1

“I met Kelly at 3 a.m. at the front door of my parents' house. As she tells the story, I barged in and yelled ‘you unplug the AC, I’ll get the animals,’ but never ac-

Taylor added that countless students, alumni, and community members have since come forward after her passing to share stories of how she has helped and served others.

Harper agreed that Frailing was someone who embodied the Jesuit value of being with and for others. He said that Frailing worked quietly and never asked

for recognition, and that she gave her entire self to everyone and dedicated her life to educating those around her.

“Her humility as a person gets in the way of being famous. Although, anyone who worked with her, studied with her, learned from her will never forget her,” Harper said.

Frailing was known to be someone who always reached out to others whenever they needed, according to Denis-Harper. A phone call from her always came at the right time.

“To be near Kelly was to feel important, loved, and heard,” said Denis-Harper.

Family friend Shannon Cian said she met Frailing through the Harper family, yet they bonded even more after both women gave birth to their daughters around the same time.

“Our daughters were born roughly six months apart, so we frequently chatted shop about the joys and challenges of raising young girls/women at various stages of life.” Cian said. “She was an excellent mother and role model to her young daughter, as well as to her many

students and friends.”

Cian said she feels beyond fortunate that Frailing came into her inner-friend circle, and that she will miss her everyday.

“Her knowledge of the world was vast and deep, and positively impacted both students and friends. She pushed people to question and think beyond the base facts,” Cian said. “I am heartbroken that her time was cut short, and that we do not have the chance to continue learning from and laughing with her.”

Frailing has published numerous articles and book chapters, and currently has a journal article out for review that she wrote with one of her students, Harper said. He also said that Frailing has a new contract for the third edition of her book, co-authored by Harper, “Fundamentals of Criminology, New Dimensions.”

“I remain in awe of her intellect and work ethic. Without a doubt the hardest working university professor I have ever known,” Harper said.

Frailing’s memorial was held on Jan. 24 in the St. Ignatius Chapel. Many stu-

dents, faculty, and members of the community came together to honor her in a celebration of life.

Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs, Tanuja Singh, awarded Frailing the inaugural “Kelly Frailing Online Teaching Excellence Award”, an award that will be given to a Loyola faculty member each year for their contributions and improvements toward online learning.

“Kelly taught her students, especially her female students, to be courageous, to take up space, ask hard questions and generally to be a badass, just like their teacher,” Denis-Harper said.

Frailing has contributed more to research than most academics do in their lifetime, yet held her highest achievement as being a mother, according to Taylor.

“She was just this incredibly kind, funny, generous, warm person who found her greatest joy in being Matilda's mom, being a mentor to her students, and enjoying a Miller Lite with her friends,” Taylor said.

Two photos from the construction of the Chapel of St. Ignatius and Gayle and Tom Benson Jesuit Center are compared side by side. The photos were taken at the beginning of the fall semester (top left) and spring semester (bottom right) and demonstrate the lack of progress that has been made. Photo by Ava Acharya, design by Patrick Hamilton.

Staff photo of Dr. Frailing, courtesy of Loyola University.

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WORLDVIEW

Sober students tell their stories

By Violet Bucaro vabucaro@my.loyno.edu

College stereotypes may leave some questioning if sobriety as a student is sustainable but students, like Loyola alumnus Grayson Gibbs, said sobriety is infinitely more fulfilling than dropping $50 at The Boot.

Gibbs has been sober since Oct. 3, 2022, and said he found that asking and receiving help was easier than he expected.

“My substance use was starting to dominate all other fields of my life,” Gibbs said. “I watched my life slowly deteriorate, until I got help,” Gibbs said.

Gibbs said he believed the consequences of his disease rendered him a burden, but he learned people are enthusiastic to help others discover a new way of living.

—

“My world doesn’t have to revolve around the same three bars and vodka crans, because this city is a beautiful, diverse, and embracing community with something to offer for everybody,” Gibbs said.

Sobriety doesn’t hinder a social life, Gibbs said. He feared he’d miss out, but said that is a common misconception about sobriety. Gibbs said that his weekends consist of cooking, shopping, dancing, and watching live music.

“You can make anything fun while being truly present and sober,” Gibbs said.

Neuroscience sophomore Owen Alexander said he grew up around parents with addictive personalities. He saw it become unmanageable, which he said dissuaded him from ever trying substances.

“Take care of your body. There’s a lot of good that can come from sobriety as far as bettering how you feel,” Alexander said.

Alexander said being sober has been positive for his relationships. He said he often goes to jazz clubs, where drinking isn’t the main aspect of social interaction.

“It’s pushed me in a direction of circles of supportive people who make healthy choices,” Alexander said. “The people I’ve met while being sober and in sober circles have been some of the greatest people I’ve ever met in my life.”

Loyola public relations senior Craig Beatty said he has been sober since Dec. 26, 2019.

“I got sober at 21 and thought I could never have a social life without alcohol and drugs, especially here in New Orleans,” Beatty said. “But quickly I found people who were enjoying life without drugs and I was astonished.”

The best way to figure out if sobriety can work is to give it a chance, Beatty said.

“Even if you’re not sure you want to

be sober, try things out and talk to sober people. Sobriety has never made anyone’s life worse,” Beatty said. “Forget what you know about sobriety, recovery groups, and recovery programs because representation in the media is inaccurate.”

Jacob Goldberg, manager of the Tulane recovery community and licensed addiction counselor, said that one in seven 18

Students worry as carjackings increase

By Macie Batson mmbatson@my.loyno.edu @maciembats

According to WDSU, carjackings and break-ins have reached an all-time high in New Orleans, with over 400 vehicles stolen in just a little over three weeks into the new year.

These crimes are happening all across the city, including the uptown area, leaving Loyola students to question if they are safe from the crimes that are taking place so close to campus.

Vocal performance junior Kieva Banks said that while she has not had her car stolen or broken into, several of her friends have, and makes it a point to be hyper aware of her surroundings.

“I'm very cautious and always looking over my shoulder to make sure that no one is following me,” Banks said. “I have to quickly throw my stuff in my car so I can hop in and lock it, since that would be me at my most vulnerable with my back turned.”

Banks said that despite having emergency apps and tasers, she still feels anx-

ious when walking back to her car.

“As a woman who commutes back and forth across the river everyday and has late school hours some days, it is very scary and I always feel on edge when I'm walking to my car, even just outside the building,” Banks said.

According to Loyola Deputy Chief of Police Daniel Spangler, the Loyola University Police Department works with university facilities to ensure campus lighting is operational for better visibility at night. He also said that officers monitor the campus and nearby streets on foot as well as in vehicles - both marked and unmarked.

Spangler said that while there has been a recent increase in carjackings throughout the city, Loyola's campuses have not been targeted, and the last car break-in incident occurred five or six years ago in the West Road Garage during a holiday break, when someone smashed windows out of several cars and fled the area.

However, Spangler noted that Tulane and the New Orleans Police have recently worked on several similar crimes in

the neighborhood between Broadway and Carrollton, around Cohn Street.

“Typically, these are crimes of opportunity. Someone sees a vehicle in a particular area and decides to break into it,” Spangler said. “Naturally, if someone wants to break into multiple vehicles at one time they will go where there are more potential targets like a parking garage.”

Neuroscience sophomore Elizabeth MacKenzie said that she feels safe on campus during the day, but at night, particularly around West Road Garage, she feels unsafe.

“There’s almost no security, the lighting isn’t the best, and also it’s accessible from St. Charles, which is a major street and anyone can access it,” MacKenzie said.

Spangler said that vehicles are being burglarized throughout the city, from quiet neighborhood streets to parking garages in the business district. But he said that Loyola’s community members are active around the clock, making it more difficult for criminals to predict a “safe” time to commit break ins.

“Hopefully, the Loyola community will not fall victim to these crimes,” Spangler said. “Our garages are lit at night, there is typically a lot of foot traffic in our garages and campus in general, and our officers patrol garages both on foot and in vehicles.”

to 25-year-olds meet the criteria for a substance use disorder. He said there are solutions to substance abuse, and plenty of resources available. Goldberg manages the student recovery meeting open for Tulane and Loyola students each Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Warren Lounge. Goldberg added that a house on Calhoun Street will serve as a dedicated recovery communi-

ty center for students and will be opening soon. The center will have a diverse spectrum of support meetings with social activities, service, a safe space, and recovery housing, Goldberg said.

“The students who thrive the most in their recovery journey are of service to their communities and prioritize recovery over all else,” Goldberg said.

He said the best practice is to abstain from drugs and alcohol.

“You can still have the college experience, enjoy life, and have fun without substances,” Goldberg said.

Spangler suggested that some methods to keep safe on and around campus include being aware of your surroundings, parking in well-lit places, locking your car doors, and avoiding leaving anything of value or worth stealing in your vehicle.

“If you see something suspicious or out of the ordinary, call LUPD. And

please call as soon as it is safe to do so. If you call an hour later, whatever you saw probably will no longer be there,” Spangler said. “If you do not feel comfortable going to your vehicle alone, call LUPD and request an officer escort you to your vehicle.”

“My world doesn't have to revolve around the same three bars and vodka crans because this city is a beautiful, diverse, and embracing community with something to offer for everybody."

Grayson Gibbs Former Loyola Student

A car window was found smashed following a car break-in. This is one of many cars in the city that have been broken into in recent trends. Violet Bucaro/The Maroon

A student enjoys a cup of tea at Neutral Ground Coffeehouse. The Uptown coffeehouse serves as a non-alcoholic hub for locals and Loyola students to socialize and listen to live music. Photo Illustration by Sophia Maxim/The Maroon

“Sobriety has never made anyone's life worse.”

— Craig Beatty Loyola public relations Senior

“Typically, these are crimes of opportunity. Someone sees a vehicle in a particular area and decides to break into it."

— Daniel Spangler Loyola Deputy Chief of Police

Crescent City Homebrewers tapped some kegs during Winterfest

By Jackie Galli jegalli@my.loyno.edu

It’s the End of the Carafe as We Know it, Bow to the Absurd, and Bless Your Heart were just three of the dozens of brews offered at this year’s Winterfest.

Run by the Crescent City Homebrewers Club, Winterfest is an annual event where homebrewers get together to offer up some of their brews, and tasters get to vote on their favorite. There is also live music and food offered at the event that takes place at Deutsches Haus, right by City Park.

Guy Berch, a former Loyola graduate and a homebrewer, said while he doesn’t think he will ever participate in the event, he did love tasting some beer.

“I’m a small-time, small-batch brewer. I’m not as sophisticated as these guys,” he said.

Neil Barnett, the club's president, one of the brewmasters, said he has been brewing for over 30 years, and has been a member of the Crescent City Homebrewers Club for almost just as long.

Barnett entered six beers into the competition. One of his beers, The Golden Dragon, was particularly popular.

“I was in there trying to fix the keg. There was nothing wrong with the keg, it’s actually empty now,” he said. “It was full when I got here so it went pretty quick.”

The Golden Dragon is a saison style beer, which is a type of pale ale that is often known for fruity notes and high-carbonation.

“It’s a real good summertime beer. It was also very strong,” Barnett said. “I try not to make them that strong for the summertime.”

When it comes to how much his hobby costs, Barnett said he doesn’t like to talk about it.

“But if you think about it, if I had to pay for the amount of beer I like to drink, I’m saving money,” he said.

Eva Biggers, who has been homebrewing for about a year, said a great way to get into the hobby is to attend some Crescent City Homebrewers meetings and see if it interests you. The club meets the first Wednesday of every month.

“Everybody in the club is very nice,” she said. “They’ll give you some help and take you under their wings.”

Biggers entered a mulled wine into the event called Glug, which she said is the Swedish version of mulled wine.

“It’s a family tradition,” Biggers said. “We get our mixture in Kansas from a little store and we take some tawny port and some vodka and mull it over.”

Biggers’ mulled wine wasn’t the only non-beer drink on draft.

Craig Laginess, the club’s treasurer, said he entered three beverages, one of which being hop water. He said he made his hop water by steeping hops in water and adding freshly squeezed lemon juice. It’s a refreshing, non-alcoholic drink.

Along with various styles of beer, hop water, and wines, there was also a Belgian mead, Sake, and a hard lemonade.

“We do allow people to make hard teas, hard seltzers,” Laginess said. “Whatever they want to make for us, we want to showcase the hobby. There’s many things you can do.”

The Little Green Men make their arrival to Earth

By Abigail Schmidt acschmid@my.loyno.edu

Planet of the Little Green Men, a Loyola sophomore-led psychedelic rock band, released their first single, “Arrival/ Monsters in Your Head”.

The single dropped on Jan. 27 and was two songs released as one that the band wrote the first semester of their freshman year in 2021, according to popular and commercial music sophomore and the band’s lead singer Ben Heil.

“It’s about how you’re your own worst enemy,” Heil said.

The two songs were the band’s first collaborative project, Heil said. They have been playing together since August of 2021, the beginning of their freshman year, and in April of 2022 they played their first live show. Heil said he was eager to start a band before he ever got to college, so it was a top priority as soon as he came to Loyola.

Heil also said that while he’s the band’s main lyricist and composer, they write everything as a team.

“Arrival” started with an idea for a guitar intro by music industry major and lead guitarist, Anton Alvarez. He and Heil then “jammed around” and built off of it with guitarist Jack Owen, adding lyrics to play around with the idea of an alien invasion, according to Heil.

“Monsters in your Head” also started with an idea for a guitar riff, then music industry sophomore and drummer Hunter Croft pieced it together. Heil said the band often gets together with different ideas and builds off of them together, he said.

Heil added that the songs were recorded live in the Loyola studios and mixed and produced by music industry sophomore Giovanni Vantello.

“I’ve never done a psych band before, but it was a lot of fun and I hope to do it again,” Vantello said.

The band is excited to bring the psychedelic sound to Loyola, Heil said. He

and the band draw inspiration from the Beatles, along with punk rock and early hip-hop in his performing, he said.

“It’s a lot of weird elements meshed together that sounds really fucking good,” said political science sophomore Cesar Barragon.

Barragon heard Planet of the Little Green Men for the first time in August of 2022. He described going to Audubon park with his friends the night his plane landed in New Orleans, and bassist Caleb Hedemark started playing some “out there” music.

“I was like, ‘who is this?’ and Caleb

says, ‘This is us! This is our band!’ I was hooked the second I heard,” said Barragon. “The genre-bending experience was immaculate.”

Planet of the Little Green Men creates this experience with the help of their manager, popular and commercial music sophomore Diego Gutierrez. Along with getting their music on streaming platforms, Guiterrez said he books recording sessions, shows, and helps to develop the overall LGM brand.

“The main purpose of the position is to take away the stress and time that comes with licensing and booking so that the band can focus on giving the best product/performance to their audience,” Gutierrez said.

Once the single was recorded, Gutier-

rez said he devised a release plan to get the band on track for promotion. He said he also aids in the legal aspects and registrations for their music.

Gutierrez, Heil, and the band hope to grow their presence across New Orleans, according to Gutierrez.

“The city is filled with talented artists that embrace collaboration and create fantastic work,” Gutierrez said. The band is “taking it day by day” by writing more material and growing their discography, Heil said.

“Long term, I hope to see LGM grow to be a notable group in the psych rock community so that as many people as possible can enjoy experiencing their music as much as they enjoy making it,” Gutierrez said.

NOLA and Miss Universe benefit eachother

By Arianna D'Antonio asdanton@my.loyno.edu

For the first time ever, the 71st Miss Universe was crowned in New Orleans.

Recent Loyola graduate Aria Jackson worked as production assistant for the competition, and she said she believes that the competition was a great opportunity for New Orleans’ media and production, as well as for the candidates.

“With none of them being from New Orleans, they are getting a taste of the culture and city,” Jackson said. “From having Big Sam's Funky Nation perform to learning how to make gumbo, to walking in the Joan of Arc parade which kicked off Mardi Gras season, they are learning about a new culture by drawing similarities and differences to their own.”

Jackson said she wanted to work the competition to see the coordination and process of putting this large-scale event together.

“I've always heard about the competition and have even seen a few clips from previous years but never thought I would have the opportunity to work on the set,” Jackson said. “I usually perform on the stage, so being a part of the behind-the-

scenes crew is a new and eye-opening experience for me.”

The Miss Universe competition started out with 30 countries who entered, which has now skyrocketed to 84 country contestants.

Erin Elizabeth Husbands runs The Crowning Moment, a Louisiana pageant coaching resource, and Husbands said that there were a few ways in which the competition was guaranteed to be different this year.

“Since Anne Jakrajutatip bought Miss Universe Organization, there was already a switch in many things from their public relations to cutting ties with Steve Harvey and showing the finals on Roku instead of national television,” Husbands said.

Husbands also said that she liked the team of hosts for this year's event, since they are from pageant backgrounds.

“As a pageant coach, it's super exciting to be at ‘the Super Bowl’ event of pageantry,” she said.

This year, there are 84 countries represented to emphasize a message of women empowerment, Jackson said.

See UNIVERSE, page 9

Illustration by Emmory Bridges/The Maroon

Sophomore lead singer Ben Heil records Planet of the Little Green Men's new single in a Loyola studio. The songs released on Friday, Jan. 27. Courtesy of Ben Heil

“It's a lot of weird elements meshed together that sounds really fucking good.”

— Cesar Barragon Political science sophomore

Loyola students play at Cotton Bowl

By Alana Thompson anthomps@my.loyno.edu

Loyola students participated in this year’s Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic playing music instead of football.

On Jan. 2, Loyola band members accompanied the Tulane University Marching Band as the Green Wave faced the University of Southern California Trojans at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas. The experience was “magical,” said

senior trumpeter Cael Meilleur. Meilleur is a Loyola student who joined the Tulane University Marching Band two years ago looking for a “band family” and the camaraderie that came along with it. He said he played with the band on Saturdays at Yulman Stadium, but performing at the Cotton Bowl was incredible, especially considering how well the team performed compared to previous years.

“The energy was there in the fans, students, and in the band,” Meilleur said. “I don’t think many people are going to get a similar opportunity this soon. I think it’s a once in a lifetime deal especially for me since this is my last year.”

The bowl performance also resonated with jazz studies sophomore saxophonist Willa Rudnick. Joining the marching band in pursuit of the opportunities that came along with it, conceptualizing herself performing in the Cotton Bowl was

Women's basketball has best start in school history

By Matthew Richards mlricha2@my.loyno.edu

The Loyola women’s basketball team has continued their winning streak with the best start in program history at 16-0, and currently have a 17-1 record.

Their performance has earned them a ranking of 10th in the most recent National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics top 25 polls, their highest ranking since 2015 when they were seventh.

Head coach Kellie Kennedy said he has been proud of the team’s performance so far.

“The team has been great. We’re practicing really well, and they are all really focused and determined on what they want to accomplish this year and it’s shown up in our play on the court,” Kennedy said.

The team also has an undefeated record in Southern States Athletic Conference play and will look to continue their success in the conference as they seek to earn their 10th conference title in the last 11 seasons, Kennedy said.

Junior guard Jazmene McMillan said she hopes to go farther in the national tournament this year, as opposed to last year when they only made it to the second round.

McMillan leads the team in 3-point shooting at 44% from beyond the arc.

“We want to dominate our conference like we have in the past,” said McMillan. “We know that if we prepare and play the best we can during conference play, we’ll be ready for the national tournament when the time comes.”

Senior forward Sandra Cannady has led the team offensively averaging 15.6 points and 10 rebounds per game. Cannady also earned three conference Player of the Week awards this season.

“I’m really proud of it,” said Cannady. “I feel like I didn’t play well and wasn’t there for my teammates the way I wanted to be last year, so the recognition keeps me motivated to keep playing well

and helping my teammates.”

Another notable milestone during this streak came for senior guard Taylor Thomas, who became the third active member of the team to score 1,000 points in her career for the Wolf Pack, joining Kennedy Hansberry and Tay Cannon.

“It felt amazing to earn that accomplishment,” Thomas said. “I feel truly blessed to reach this milestone in my career and I want to thank my teammates for believing in me and helping me achieve it.”

The Wolf Pack will continue conference play as they head into the conference tournament which kicks off at the end of February.

“We’re still just taking it one game at a time,” said Thomas. “We just try to go out and compete in each game like it's our last one. We’ve had success with that strategy and I think it’s going to help us get where we want to be.”

something she said she couldn’t imagine before.

“It was pretty insane, I don’t think any of it really has sunk in even now because I’ve just been like ‘oh yeah, it’s just the marching band.’” Rudnick said. “The stadium is so big and having the experience [of] being able to play for all of those people was really, really cool.”

To prepare for their halftime performance, the band arrived in Dallas days before the Cotton Bowl, which was a sev-

en hour bus ride, according to Rudnick. Due to time passing since the last time they rehearsed, Meilleur said the band used that time to freshen up their drills.

To cap off their Cotton Bowl experience, the Green Wave upset the University of Southern California Trojans 46-45 by scoring the game winning touchdown with 10 seconds left to earn their 12th win of the season.

Loyola music education sophomore Taylor Mennenga plays the marimba in the Tulane University Marching Band at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, TX on Jan. 2, 2023. The Green Wave defeated the USC Trojans 46-45 for their 12th victory of the season. Photo courtesy of Makayla Lockhart.

Fifth-year guard Tay Cannon shoots a layup against Blue Mountain Christian on Jan. 12, 2023. The win was the Wolf Pack's 15th of their 16 game winning streak. Torrie Shuff/ The Maroon

“We want to dominate our conference like we have in the past,”

— Jazmene McMillan Junior guard

EXPANSION: University's interim president shares plans to improve Loyola

Continued from page 1

However, the administration acknowledged that they won’t be able to fix every gap identified in the study immediately.

Last September, The Maroon reported the average wage for all full-time faculty and staff at Loyola was 25% lower than the national average in higher education. Daffron's compensation plan seeks to quell professor concerns about an increase in salary, which many professors said they feel is long overdue.

Daffron told The Maroon that his administration had already begun to address some of these gaps last spring, with the lowest paid employees being awarded a one-time bonus. As of September of last year, Daffron said Loyola issued $1.4 million in one-time payments to

212 employees identified as receiving compensation below the target range for their position.

Daffron and the leadership team said they hope that by fixing the gaps discovered in the compensation study, Loyola will become a “go-to place” for workers in the region. Daffron also said that a new compensation plan will help promote professional development and a healthier work-life balance.

New Residential Hall

Another major plan discussed by Daffron’s administration was the goal to complete construction of a new residential hall by 2025. The new hall will become the largest on campus with a 600-bed occupancy, Daffron said.

In his town hall address, Daffron said

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that the “quality of residence halls has been a barrier to some students choosing Loyola.”

The new residential hall is an attempt to increase applicant appeal, revenue, and offer room to fix other buildings on campus. Daffron said he hopes this will help support his administration's broader enrollment strategies.

“All five existing residence halls are scheduled for improvements, with the most extensive renovations planned for Biever Hall and Founders Hall,” Daffron said.

Daffron previously said at the town hall meeting that he hoped for a specific timeline by January, however, he still has not provided a timeline for compensation plan, fundraising campaign, or other projects outside of the residential hall construction and renovations.

UNIVERSE: NOLA shows off

Continued from page 7

The pageant is highly competitive and can be intimidating for delegates, but Jackson said she enjoyed watching the delegates make friends and have fun despite the high stakes.

“Most don't see each other as opponents which ties into the mission of the pageant,” Jackson said. “The purpose is to bring women together from all over the world.”

“All of the delegates have a mission to their country in which they want to

inspire, serve, help, bring awareness to or amplify the voice of a cause taking place in their country that they are dedicated to,” Jackson said. “This is, in heart, the essence of the competition. Allowing these women to network with each other, learn about other countries, and help each other in whatever way they can.”

Campus expansion is good, but we need communication

Father Daffron has announced plans to make Loyola a “go-to place” for workers in the region. Included in these plans is the construction of a new, massive 600 bed residence facility on campus. This will be funded through a complex multi-stage fundraising campaign, planned to raise a staggering $150 million dollars. This came as great news for the students, seeing this as some much needed expansion to the relatively minuscule Loyola campus.

While not only adding much needed amenities to the Loyola campus, this also is a sign to the students that the leadership of the school genuinely cares about them, a feeling which cultivates both approval of the direction the school is going in and appreciation for the school’s leadership. Months later, the situation has changed considerably, and the expansion plans that once cultivated optimism and appreciation now cultivates confusion and concern.

Look down from the 6th floor of Monroe Hall, and you’ll have a good view of the construction site on campus. Unlike the construction you see going on at Tulane, there are no workers, no cranes, and no visible progress whatsoever. Rather, there are just a few measly support beams and a field that has laid dormant so long that the grass has begun to grow back.

This is just one of the university’s recent endeavors to renovate and improve the facilities on campus, and considering the state of the current construction project, many have doubts about how well future initiatives will be implemented. The university has already announced they will be building a new dorm in the place of Mercy Hall, renovating existing residential halls, and raising teacher compensation rates.

The new dormitory, the next planned construction project on campus, can be concerning to students when you consider

how the timeline of the chapel construction, which is already underway, appears behind schedule.

With this being said, transparency and communication are key. The timeline and progress of this next project must be communicated with the students better than the chapel construction has been. Most of the harsh responses from students following the chapel construction announcement could have been avoided with better, more open communication that prioritized how the project would benefit students and not just the university. The success of Loyola is tied to student satisfaction, and vice versa. We can get behind construction on our campus. We can deal with losing parking spaces and green spaces to accommodate it. We just want to know what the heck is going on.

HOWLS & GROWLS

HOWL to Mardi Gras

GROWL to deep fried daiquiris

HOWL to stimulants

GROWL to expensive king cakes

HOWL to Llama-dew

GROWL to authority

HOWL to Bird N Brine opening

GROWL to landlords

EDITORIAL BOARD

Macie Batson & Jackie Galli

Editors-in-Chief

Cristo Dulom Managing Editor for Print

Ava Acharya Managing Editor for Digital

Devin Cruice News Director

Maleigh Crespo Design Chief

Gabrielle Korein Photo Editor

Patrick Hamilton News Editor

Abigail Schmidt Life & Times Editor

Aron Boehle Worldview Editor

Matthew Richards Sports Editor

Lance Longo Opinion and Editorial Editor

Mia Oliva Reviews Editor Equity & Inclusion Officers

Victoria Hardy & Melody Newsome

Arianna D'Antonio Senior Staff Writer

Torrie Shuff Senior Staff Photographer

Hailey Young-Bao Senior Staff Videographer Copy Editors

Bella Kelley Social Media Coordinator

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.

Sophia Maxim/ The Maroon

Heather Rabassa & Violet Bucaro

Completion rates are destroying creativity

HEATHER RABASSA Mass communication senior hnrabass@my.loyno. edu

Many of the most popular, cult classic television shows would not be around today if they followed the current algorithm that Netflix is trying to push.

Completion rates are a measure of how many people watch a show from start to finish. However, for people who take their time to enjoy and absorb their entertainment, their data does not get counted. By using this form of measurement, it forces viewers to binge their shows and consume them entirely too quickly.

Shows like “Breaking Bad” and “The Office” would not exist if their success was initially gauged by completion rates. These shows did not garner attention immediately and took multiple seasons to build the fan bases that they are known for now.

This also means that television shows that make the top 10 most watched rank on Netflix are not even secured a renewal for another season. That list measures how many people start watching the show, not how many people finish it.

This way of measuring does not take into account that people have lives and cannot always be consuming entertainment at every waking hour of the day. There are also people, like myself, that

do not watch certain shows alone. Arranging schedules between two or more people and expecting them to binge the entirety of a season with a short time frame is unrealistic.

Gone are the days of slow burning mysteries that take seasons to unfold. This new algorithm is forcing shows to pump out in-your-face content that is high energy or else risk failing the standards set by Netflix.

There is no consideration for quality anymore. The only thing that matters is viewership. There is no more room for creativity in the entertainment industry and there hasn’t been for a while. The line-up of movies and shows for this year are almost completely taken over by sequels and remakes.

Where has the time gone of sticking your neck out to create a work of art that has never been done before? What has happened to the artistry that we now deem acceptable? While everyone should be able to enjoy anything they want to, we need to be holding our entertainment industry to a higher standard. I’m not asking for actresses and actors to complete 20 hour work days, all I’m asking for is a script and a production team that cares a little bit more about the content that they are putting out.

Let’s get rid of the notion that all content needs to be binged. Let me enjoy my show at my own pace. Netflix should have more confidence and ownership in the stories they are creating and stop worrying about whether or not I finish it on their timeline.

Student workers deserve more recognition

When I came home from school for break, I was excited to spend hours upon hours sleeping with my many cats. I hadn’t been home for longer than two weeks in almost six months. Unfortunately, even as I prepped to be home and relaxed, I was also haunted by the fact that I would need to start working again once I was home.

I have a work-study job (shoutout Holy Name of Jesus School) and I rarely get to be free from work while at school, but still having to work while at home can truly bum you out. I don’t get paid much in my work-study job despite a recent, much needed pay increase. I came home, and still needed to work at my dreaded job, sucking up my tears and hating every second of it. I feel for the students coming home to work more. It is not enjoyable, nor what many of us look forward to on our “workless” break. I often wonder why as a student I am constantly bound by work. On top of my academic work, my physical labor is just another added stressor to my life. How I wish I could be at home, curled up with CoCo, my eldest cat, rewatching Carrie Bradshaw fight for her relationship with Big while eating my mom’s homemade gumbo. How I dream that I could use each day to reintroduce myself to my home, my room, and most importantly, my bed.

Working as a student is a lot. It’s a burden to many, a choice for others, and a joy for those left. For me, working as a student is a constant gray cloud in my

life. It hovers over me often and never seems to leave. I love being a student, but I want that to be my only job. If I could throw away my financial issues and solely focus on my schoolwork, I would probably be more efficient in some of the areas in my life I’m struggling with. I would better manage my time, have better mental health, and have more personal time to write and explore the city. I could do a lot. Reality, though, makes these wishes harder to obtain.

Let me emphasize just how grateful I am to actually have a job. I couldn’t be more happy to have a job to come home to no matter how much I might dread going in. But with this gratitude comes exhaustion. To all student workers, you are a fighter. You are strong. You are diligent. And it’s okay to be tired. Those feelings of dread and anxiety that build in your chest when your schedule is posted or your boss assigns you another task? Feel them. Acknowledge them, and keep

in mind that you are doing your best and your effort is not going to waste. Find your moments to relax and rehabilitate. Give yourself “me-time” and and value those moments you do have to be at home and cozy. Those moments are so much greater when you think of them in your most saddest days. Kudos to you all, kudos to myself, and kudos to those days when you got up and got to work.

“I’m excited to get deeper into my studies and getting more involved in the New Orleans music scene and the Rose Bowl.”

Margo Weese/The Maroon

Distraught student worker overwhelmed while doing homework on the job. Photo illustration by Gabrielle Korein/The Maroon

Michael Chandler Religious studies sophomore

Princess Alex Psychology freshman

Katie Abraham Music therapy freshman

Ezekial Liberman Music industry studies sophomore

MORGAN LOVE Psychology sophomore

mglove@my.loyno. edu