Maroon October 7, 2022 Issue

THE MAROON

Man sues Louisiana prison citing cruel and unusual punishment

By Ava Acharya aaachary@my.loyno.edu @avaallene

Tomarcus Porter said that he is unable to exercise properly, treat his mental health, sanitize his en vironment or protect himself from harsh weather conditions while incarcerated in solitary confine ment at Rayburn Correctional Center, according to a civil action lawsuit, which he filed against the correctional facility in response to these conditions.

The lawsuit, recorded Sept. 9 in the Eastern District Court of Lou isiana, was also filed against Head Warden Travis Day, Warden of Se curity Kevin Luper, and Rayburn’s Administrative Warden, Karla Wheat, according to the lawsuit’s official paperwork.

The suit’s paperwork further details Porter’s desperation. He claimed, in the lawsuit, that he at tempted to report within the cor rectional center before deciding to file the suit as a final plea for justice.

“I ask the war dens for change, and we inmates on disciplinary segrega tion still have not got ten the right change,” Porter wrote in the lawsuit, referring to his being in solitary con finement.

According to the Lou isiana state legislature, civil action lawsuits are offi cial requests for the enforcement of a legal right. In his paperwork for the lawsuit, Porter specifically cites the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution as a reason for filing, since it outlaws cruel and unusual punishment.

A representative from Ray burn Correctional Center wasn’t

immediately available for com ment on the case.

Loyola University New Orleans’ Jesuit Social Research Institute re cently partnered with Rayburn in order to provide college education to those incarcerated at the center.

Annie Phoenix, the executive director of Loyola’s Jesuit Social Research Institute said that the institute is involved with the Stop Solitary Coalition, a statewide group dedicated to ending the practice of solitary confinement within Louisiana prisons. Spe cifically, Phoenix said, Loyola is involved with the section of the group that focuses on reform through Catholic teachings. She said that the program is not specif ically involved with this case but that she stood in support of Porter and his claims.

“We affirm the life and dignity of the human person and believe that we are one human family,” Phoenix said.

Porter said in his lawsuit filing that incarcerated people living in solitary confinement at Rayburn are supposed to have one hour of yard time per day, during which they can exercise outside. Howev er, according to Porter’s filing, peo ple incarcerated in his cell block are denied yard time if it is raining outside and instead must stay in their cells. Porter also said that, when they are let outside, he and other incarcerated individuals are kept in restraints, which he argued limits movement, preventing ef fective exercise.

Porter said, in the suit, that not being able to exercise properly “causes health and cardiovascular damage to the human body.”

Additionally, according to Porter’s court filing, those incar cerated in cell confinement are only allowed one hour of yard time per week, while those not in cell confinement are often denied yard time based on the whims of guards.

He said that “most of the time, the officer will flat out refuse to put you on the yard.”

In his filing, Porter asked for adequate yard time without con

Animals blessed by The Rev. Daffron, S.J.

straints so that he and others can properly take care of their physi cal health.

Additionally, in the records, Porter said that he and others have had limited access to men tal health social workers. He said that psychiatrists make weekly rounds with the inmates but that beyond that, their care is limited. Porter wrote in the lawsuit filing that he believes that this is cruel due to the extreme stress solitary confinement has on the human psyche.

According to Louisiana on Lockdown, a 2019 report which Loyola’s Jesuit Social Research In stitute contributed to, of the 2,902 people living in solitary confine ment who were surveyed for this study, 60.8% said that they had been diagnosed with a mental illness before being isolated and 53.8% said that their mental state worsened while in confinement.

Those on watch for suicide, homicide, or other mental health concerns only have access to their mattresses and sheets when the correctional center deems it nec essary, Porter wrote in the filing. The inmates also have no control over lighting in their cells, he said.

In his lawsuit, Por ter asked that peo ple incarcerated in solitary confine ment have greater and more regular ac cess to proper mental health counseling. He also asked that inmates on watch are able to keep their mattresses and sheets throughout the day “so that inmates can better themselves with the help of mental health staff,” he said.

Porter also asked that he and other individuals incarcerated in solitary confinement have access to televisions, magazines, books, and radios during periods of con finement, so that they may better occupy their minds and therefore mental health.

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CRIME MAP

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Drug Violation Broadway Campus/Cabra Hall Sept. 28 9:09 a.m.

Vehicle Burglary

Block of Zimple St. Sept. 29 10:05 p.m.

Sexual Battery Off-Campus

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Loyola University, Campus

The Maroon.

Students struggle with campus meals

By Natalie Thomas nethomas@my.loyno.edu

Although meal plans for off-campus students only include 250 Wolfbucks, Loyola’s meal plan requirement has re cently been criticized by off-campus stu dents who have dietary restrictions since they say a lack of options prevents them from using the plan.

The general manager of Loyola din ing, Charles Casrill, said that Sodexo has been a leader in creating new menu options for vegan, vegetarian, and those with allergies. Casrill added that Loyola and Tulane have recently committed to the Humane Society Plant to achieve a 42% plant-based menu by 2025.

But environmental science junior Ellie Redemann said that the current options aren’t sufficient. As a commuter and vegetarian, she said that the vegetar ian options on campus are limited, and that she has to go off-campus in order to meet her preferences. Regardless, Reed man is still required to pay for a campus meal plan.

“I definitely did not think that it was worth it for me,” she said. “The vegetarian options were never really great.”

Director of Residential Life Chris Rice defended the meal plan requirement. Rice said that student satisfaction and engagement are driving factors behind the requirement.

Public relations senior Sara Candia said that she does not support the re quired meal plan because she finds it unfair that students have to spend more money ordering food. She argued that on-campus options are not substantial.

“I like my veggies and well cooked food. On campus, it doesn’t feel like it’s much of an option,” she said.

Rice said that students who have dietary restrictions can address their issues through the Office of Accessi ble Education or by contacting Kelsey Rosenbaum, Sodexo’s regional campus dietitian, if the dietary restriction is not medically necessary.

Marketing sophomore Riley Keelty, who lives on campus, said that the pro cess to address these concerns is frus trating.

“I’m spending over a thousand (dol lars) this semester for these resources that I’m not using,” she said.

Danna Center basement raises concerns

By Kloe Witt kgwitt@my.loyno.edu

In the summer of 2022, Miller Ezell, who graduated from Loyola in 2020, sent a video to The Maroon which high lighted conditions in the lower level of the school’s Danna Student Center. She suggested in sending the video that The Maroon write about the “utter destruc tion that is the student center basement.”

Ezell described the Danna Center’s basement as a setting for a “horror mov ie.” Tiles were hanging from the ceiling and floors were falling apart, she said.

A member of the Delta Gamma So rority chapter while at Loyola, Ezell said that in her time at Loyola, she and other students had to spend plenty of time in the basement of the Danna Center be cause it is where the sorority closets are located.

“It made me feel like the school didn’t care about Greek life,” Ezell said. “It was disgusting, nasty, filled with mold and falling apart.”

And Ezell’s sentiments are felt by oth er students as well. Those on Loyola’s campus are hoping for renovation in the space, and Carol Markowitz, the chief operating officer at Loyola, sent out a campus wide email Wednesday identi fying the Danna Center as one of the pri mary projects slated for improvement as a part of the Institutional Master Plan.

Regardless, Ezell said the condition of the basement is a conversation the school should be having not only with each other but with future donors as well.

“There is no way down there would pass a health inspection,” Ezell said. “I just can’t imagine anyone seeing the basement of the Danna center and not

thinking it's something worth fixing.”

One of her main concerns with the state of the student center is the lack of utilization of the space available. Ezell believes that this could be a great spot for students to have, since she said there isn’t much indoor space designated for students.

“Satchmos’ can only go so far,” she said.

Murret said that she agreed with these concerns and that this space has potential to be an essential part of cam pus.

“A renovation will help to create a better environment for student activities and make better use of space,” she said.

Abby Robbins, a freshman film major, spent time in the Danna Center base ment for a class project. She, like Ezell, said that Loyola should utilize this space to create more indoor hang out lounges

on campus.

Robbins said she was frustrated with the lack of social space on campus, be sides Starbucks. She explained how Loyola is a small campus and the school should see use in every inch of space it has available.

She described being down in the basement as a “scary experience,” say ing that the area is one that needs to be addressed. Robbins said she feels that changes need to be done soon because it creates a negative look on the school.

“It’s a concern to me that they aren’t addressing the disarray the area is in,” Robbins said.

According to Murret, renovation of the center is possible in the near future.

“Renovation of the Danna Student Center is a long-term project that we hope to begin developing plans for with in the next year,” Murret said.

Students face issues with work study

By Maria DiFelice mldifeli@my.loyno.edu

Gabrielle Yenewine panicked earlier this semester when her boss at her work study job in Loyola’s library told her she couldn’t work there anymore. It was because she was told she didn’t qualify for work study this school year, and the graphic design sophomore left disap pointed and nervous; she had loved her position there.

Like most students who are a part of the work study program, Yenawine re lied on her on-campus job to help her pay for college, she said. So in order to move forward, she said she had to con tact financial aid in order to appeal the decision. And though she contacted the office right away, she said it was no sur prise they did not answer her. Instead, she had to go to the office in order to fig ure out what was going on.

When Yenawine got to the financial aid office, they told her there was noth ing wrong and that she could go back to working through the work study pro gram.

“I missed like, two days of work, because they never told me I had it al ready,” she said.

Yenawine is not the only student at Loyola who had miscommunications and issues concerning their work study jobs this year so far. Work study is a fed eral aid based program that Loyola par ticipates in to allow students who have financial needs to work and help pay tu ition and other expenses in on-campus jobs, according to Loyola's website.

Despite concerns, Anna Daigle, direc tor of financial aid, said that no Loyola student has been denied their work study that they had received in prior years.

“As of last week, all returning students

eligible for work study had received their previous work study assignments if they have been approved for eligibility,” she said.

Daniela Martinez, a sophomore jour nalism major, said that they received work study last year in the equipment room on the fourth floor of the com munications building. Like Yenewine, they were told by their boss earlier this semester that they could not get sched uled for their work study because they weren't eligible this coming school year. Martinez said that it was frustrating to hear that, because they need the job in order to afford school.

Martinez was out of work for two months until very recently when the of fice approved their appeal so they could return to their job.

A portion of the ceiling in the Danna Center basement pictured is collapsed on Sept. 20, 2022. Students have raised concerns about the state of the basement. Kloe Witt/The Maroon.

Sophia Baumann works the front desk of the Monroe Library on Sept. 30. Students often work this job as a part of their work study package. Hannah Darcey/The Maroon.

Attractive Nuisances

Experts weigh in on dangers of abandoned sites

By Maria DiFelice mldifeli@my.loyno.edu

Loyola students’ social media profiles feature photos of them posed at a variety of abandoned buildings around New Or leans.

But with both the recent death of a local teen over the summer and the buildings becoming known for hosting squatters and alluring crime, experts are now cautioning people against the illicit activity.

These buildings can be identified as “attractive nuisances,” as they often are intriguing to the young adults who choose to explore them. Now that the buildings are standing out as dangerous in the media, however, experts are moti vated to educate people on the dangers.

Loyola senior visual communications major Torrie Shuff has visited several abandoned sites across the city that she has visited, including the Market Street power plant, the abandoned Six Flags, and the Lindy Boggs medical center.

Shuff remains conflicted when it comes to whether or not people should visit these sites, saying that she thinks it depends on the location and the situa tion.

Shuff described how she and her friends would visit the sites to take pho tographs and “pick up fast food and go watch the sunset on the power plant’s roof.”

However, she does not take lightly the present dangers of visiting these sites, especially after the death of the Ben Franklin student. “It just takes one acci

dent or a bad interaction with scrappers or homeless people around these sites. You have to be really aware when going to one of these places.”

Randy L. Willson, the president of Community and Design Solutions, has worked as a Southern architect and said that though abandoned buildings attract young people because of their struc tures, they also house great danger.

Willson explained how many cities already have laws in place to deal with abandoned buildings like the Market Street Power Plant, where Anthony Clawson, 18, fell more than 50 feet to his death this summer.

The city of New Orleans has also im plemented legislation on this, saying that if the building is seen as a nuisance then the state has the right to gain possession

of it. Some buildings in New Orleans, however, are still owned by private in vestors, who are responsible for upkeep ing the buildings’ security on their own.

Lorretta Worters, vice president of media relations at the Insurance Infor mation Institute, is familiar with the con cerns about these buildings within her work, and she explained how in many cases there are no safety measures put into abandoned buildings. She said that many times, this can lead to violence in the neighborhood surrounding the buildings.

Wilson seconded Worters’ concern and said that there are ways to help mit igate the risks the nuisances may cause.

He highlighted how he helped multi ple cities with abandoned buildings by boarding up the broken windows and

Canal Street Starbucks closes due to high city crime rate

By Macie Batson mmbatson@my.loyno.edu

Loyola students, known for forming a line around the satellite Starbucks lo cation outside the university dining hall, will no longer be able to visit another branch of their favorite coffee shop in downtown New Orleans.

On Sept. 16, Starbucks announced the shutdown of its Canal Street location effective Oct. 2, due to staff security and safety concerns. As a result of New Orle ans' tremendous spike in violent crime, the business decided to close its doors.

Starbucks issued a nationwide state ment in July addressing the increasing issues communities around the coun try are facing such as personal safety, racism, lack of access to healthcare, a growing mental health crisis, and rising drug use. Additionally, according to the Metropolitan Crime Commission, New Orleans homicides are up 44% from this time last year and 142% since 2019.

“With stores in thousands of commu nities across the country, we know these

challenges can, at times, play out within our stores, too,” Starbucks said.

They also announced a new empha sis on safety in order to create "a wel come and kind” place for both employ ees and customers.

According to the statement, new tools will be implemented to combat the risk of workplace crime, such as safety train ing programs, optimizing store layouts, changing store hours, and if needed and in the case of the downtown store, clo sure.

Starbucks media relations repre sentative Sam Jeffries said that when it comes to "high incident" locations like the Canal Street store, there are only a few options when employee safety is a concern and that closing was the last option.

“These things take a long time to un fold,” he said, adding “You do a lot in the interim to try and make situations and your store environment better.”

Jeffries said that the decision to close the store was not based on a specific in cident or time period but rather on con

versations with the store's employees and their inability to meet expectations due to fearing their safety at the store.

“There are all of these things that are impacting communities across the

putting pictures there instead. Willson said that those simple tasks are a “great start to fixing the problems that these abandoned buildings bring.”

“It takes really thoughtful and bold leadership to realize that. Unless they change some laws and some financial incentives, these buildings aren’t going to do anything but continue to deteri orate. And then we see all the negative consequences that have been talked about already,” Willson said.

Night Out Against Crime negated

By Gabrielle Korein gfkorein@my.loyno.edu @gabie_korein

The Night Out Against Crime is a na tionwide event meant to bolster support for local, national, and federal law en forcement agencies, increase awareness of crime prevention tactics among civil ians, and decrease rates of crime within the community.

However, in light of tumultuous po lice relations and below-average crime clearance numbers in the city of New Orleans, people can view these events as performative, said Rae Taylor, Loyola criminology professor and chair of the department of criminology and justice.

country whether it’s mental health cri sis, crime and public safety or chronic homelessness – all of these things are affecting Starbucks as well,” he said.

A skateboard sits left behind in the back-loading area of the former Schwegmann's grocery store in New Orleans. Abandoned buildings, such as the old Schwegmann’s, have entered into the culture of abandoned building exploration in the city. Jackie Galli/The Maroon

A customer looks at a sign saying farewell to the Canal Street Starbucks location. The store is closing due to an increase in the city's crime rate. Arianna D'Antonio/The Maroon

Loyola's Pets Get Blessed

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

For the first time since the 1990s, Loyola revived the university's traditions of gathering the community's pets for a blessing.

“Blessing of the Animals” took place Tues day, Oct. 4 on the lawn of Marquette Hall. Open to the Loyola community and the public, people were able to bring their pets and service animals to participate in a group blessing hosted by The Rev. Justin Daffron, S.J., Loyola’s interim president.

The animal blessing was in honor of the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology and animals, according to Laurie Leiva, associate vice president for alumni engagement. The Loyola Alumni Association sponsored the gathering with the intention of bringing the Loyola community and their pets together.

With the exception of venomous animals, all pets were welcome at the blessing, and the alumni association provided a pet station with complimentary water and waste bags.

Lisa Collins, assistant professor of mass communication, attended the blessing with her dog, Oliver, and was surprised to see so many different animals.

“It was so nice to see a different side of the Loyola community,” she said. “Most of the pets were dogs, but I saw four cats and one bearded dragon!”

Daffron presided over the group and blessed the animals that participated. He said at the event that he was grateful to be able to celebrate St. Francis’ feast. Daffron was joined by his pet, Parleaux, who he trained as a ther apy dog for students on campus.

“It was a really joyful gathering,” he said, “Parleaux was super happy to welcome so many other animals to campus.”

The Rev. Justin Daffron, S.J. dips an olive branch in holy water on Oct. 4 at the Blessing of the Animals event. Daffron blessed the animals with the plant. Gabrielle Korein/The Maroon

Three dogs sit inside of a stroller on Oct. 4 at the Blessing of the Animals. This event took place on the front lawn of Marquette Hall. Gabrielle Korein/The Maroon

Event goers pose with the Loyola mascot, Havoc, on Oct. 4 at the Blessing of the Animals. This event returned to Loyola's campus for the first time since

Gabrielle Korein/The Maroon

Assistant Provost Elizabeth Rainey holds a bearded dragon at Loyola’s Blessing of the Animals event on Oct. 4. The event brought in a crowd of approximately 50 pet owners. Gabrielle Korein/The Maroon

Guarding the title

Reyes prepares for another national championship

By Matthew Richards mlricha2@my.loyno.edu\`

The men’s basketball team will be gin their season with a title that Loyola hasn’t had since 1945; the players enter the season as defending National Asso ciation of Intercollegiate Athletics na tional champions.

Head Coach Donald Reyes said that as he and his players gear up for this year’s season, he is ready to anticipate that teams will be looking out for Loyola, although he said the team has changed significantly, having lost ten players, in cluding the NAIA’s national player of the year, Zach Wrightsil.

“We understand that we’re going to get the opposing team's best shot each night,” Reyes said. “So we are really trying to focus on the small stuff and take every practice, weight session, as a chance to meet the high standards we hold our selves to in this program.”

This year’s team boasts a new head coach in New Orleans native Reyes and returns 10 players from last year’s team along with 10 new arrivals.

“It feels really good to have some fresh blood injected into the program,” said senior forward Jalen Galloway.

“With the ten new guys we brought in to replace the ten we lost, along with the ar rival of a new coach, especially one from New Orleans, it’s really exciting.”

Reyes said he learned while playing basketball at Tulane an uptempo style, and he looks to bring a lot of NBA con cepts into his coaching.

“I want us to play tough, hard-nosed defense, and really get after our oppo nents,” Reyes said.

Reyes added that the team is looking to blend the new energy with the return ing experience in order to repeat last year as both the Southern States Athletic

Conference and national champions of the league.

“We really want to find a balance be tween the newer guys and the more ex

perienced ones,” said senior guard Josh Tolbert. “And hopefully, by doing that, we can achieve a lot of success.”

The season begins Friday, Oct. 28 at

the University Sports Complex, where the Wolf Pack will play against Clinton College at 7 p.m.

Golf finds success at Florida tournament

By Abigail Schmidt acschmid@my.loyno.edu

The Wolf Pack golf team is already driving fast into this season as they at tended the Innisbrook Invitational in Palm Harbour, Florida, where they just barely escaped Hurricane Ian on Oct. 1.

The women’s team tied for second place with William Carey University, which ranked No. 6 in the National As

sociation of Intercollegiate Athletics, at a mere nine shots behind Cumberland University, which ranked No. 8. The men’s team finished 14th at the tourna ment.

And after three all-american players graduated last spring, Head Coach Cory Amory was eager to see newer faces on the green performing well.

“It was exciting to see some of the younger players compete,” Amory

said. “The team showed toughness and maturity throughout the three rounds of the tournament and their hard work at practice paid off with really good scores.”

All five players finished in the top 20 in the tournament, according to Amory. Freshman Catherine Singletary earned the women’s golfer of the week award, finishing T-4, or tied four fourth place.

Amory hopes to continue “doing the little things right to maximize (the

team’s) chances for success” for the rest of the season, and into the upcoming tournament at the Faulkner Match Play Invitational on Oct. 10 and11.

“We definitely left some shots out there, but there were plenty of good things to build off of going forward,” Amory said. The course “heavily penaliz es small mistakes,” according to Amory, but the team remained composed and put up a tough fight through the 36 holes

at Innisbrook.

The men’s team beat out a NAIA top 25 ranked team and was only 10 shots behind Dalton State University, which was ranked No. 2. Sophomore Arthur Mijic finished at T-12.

Amory said he is ready to continue to “implement good habits and attitudes” for a successful season.

WHAT'S UP NEXT WHAT YOU MISSED

OCT. 6 AT 6 P.M. E-sports vs. Texas A&M San Antonio

OCT. 7 AT 6 P.M.

Volleyball vs. Middle Georgia State University

OCT. 8 AT 12 P.M. Volleyball vs. BrewtonParker University

OCT. 10-11 ALL DAY Golf at Faulkner Match Play Invitational

Volleyball wins at Faulkner

The Women's volleyball team took home their second SSAC win in a row on Tues. vs Mid dle Georgia University

Swim hosts first meet since 2019

The swim team got to host Ouachita Baptist University on Saturday in the newly renovat ed pool.

Loyola senior Michael Harden faces off against his fellow teammate at a team scrimmage on Sept. 28. The men's basketball team is set to play their first game of the season on Oct. 28. Gabrielle Korein/The Maroon

sues Louisiana prison

Continued from page 1

According to Porter’s filing, incarcer ated individuals in solitary confinement at Rayburn are also de nied proper hygiene. He said that they are only able to sanitize their living quarters four days out of the week and do not have adequate access to per sonal hygiene products.

He asked, in the law suit filing, that he and others be able to sanitize their cells daily and be given better access to commissary goods, such as shampoo, conditioner, soap, lotion, and deodorant.

Porter added that those incarcerat ed in solitary confinement are denied proper clothing and resources for harsh weather conditions, and that during hot summer months they have access to ice

WORK STUDY:

Students face issues with work study

Continued from page 3

“It just sucks because I was depend ing on having a job, and I haven't been able to work for two months,” Martinez said.

water only twice a day while other wings of the correctional center have their own ice machines, which can be used freely.

At the correctional center, people “will go into a dizziness state and pass out due to not being able to cool their bodies with ice water,” he wrote in the filing.

Porter continued that during cold winter months, inmates are not given extra clothing or bedding in order to keep themselves warm.

Porter asked in the lawsuit filing that individuals in sol itary confinement at Rayburn Correc tional Center be given access to weather-appro priate clothing; this would mean jackets in the winter and shorts and tank tops in the summer. He also asked that they have greater access to ice and ice water.

Porter wrote in the filing that he believes that the cur rent conditions fall well within the scope of cruel and unusual punishment and that he filed this lawsuit in an attempt to invoke reasonable change.

CRIME: Professor condemns crime night out

“I think that conceptually it’s a won derful idea, and I know historically there has been a lot of success but this year I have some different feelings about it giv en the current context of things in our city,” Taylor said.

The purpose of this event is to create awareness of the state of crime in the city of New Orleans. However, after New

Orleans was reported to be leading the nation in murders for 2022, according to Nola.com, Taylor said awareness is the least of the city’s problems.

“We are in the midst of a crisis. We have exorbitant violent crime rates right now, and we have very low clearance numbers,” Taylor said. “The citizens of the city are very aware of the crime prob lem. We don’t need to come together to bring awareness, we need to be out solv

ing crimes.”

While the NOPD was celebrating Night Out Against Crime, at least two stabbings took place within 24 hours of the event in their jurisdiction, according to police reports from that day.

The New Orleans Police Department declined to comment on the events and the city’s current crime rate.

Daigle encouraged students eligible for work study to get their paperwork done before leaving for summer break. She said that this gives the office time to process all the information. She said that there was a google form sent out to students who received work study in previous years making sure they don’t miss out on their eligibility.

“99% of students at Loyola receive some form of financial aid. We provide work study positions to both incoming and returning students. Any continuing student who has questions about their eligibility status may contact the office of financial aid,” she said.

Event volunteers sit at the table for the New Orleans Gun Violence Prevention organization at the Night out Against Crime hosted on Oct. 4 in Arabi. Events like these take place in cities nationwide. Gabrielle Korein/The Maroon

"(People) will go into a dizziness state and pass out due to not being able to cool their bodies with ice water.”

— Thomas Porter Man incarcerated at Rayburn Correctional Center

O N

H

Cats vs. dogs: the debate of the century

Cats are empirically better

Nadir Benslimane English Sophomore

dogs are still the silliest pets, but guess who’s cuter? Sorry, but cats take the cake yet again. Have you ever seen a kitten? Kittens are literal tiny furballs with little doll eyes. Puppies are cute but kittens are just smaller, furrier, and have the cutest cries.

Dogs are man's best friend

Devin Cruice Mass Communications Junior, Executive Producer for The Maroon Minute

The debate between cats and dogs has been go ing on for decades, centuries, and even eons. But I’ll finally be able to answer this question with no bias whatsoever, completely based on empirical evidence and supported by every single intellectu al of our time.

The correct answer is cats; cats are the best.

Look, dogs are great. I love petting dogs and tell ing them that they’re good boys and girls, but they fall short in comparison to the superior pet: cats. First off, cats are much funnier than dogs. There are some question marks I’m sure, but generally dogs are funny because of their innocence and lack of awareness, but the cat adds one superior element: their smug arrogance. Cats are just as funny as dogs but they hold themselves with the air of a monarch. The dichotomy of this smugness and their absolute hijinks make them the most hilari ous type of pet to have.

Now, some dog fans are still acting like their

Maybe the cutest argument didn’t win you over, but how about this? Dogs are pretty gross. I’m sor ry, but dogs slobber all over the place, their fur gets everywhere, and they have terrible hygiene. Cats, on the other hand, are too small to put slobber on you, their fur is much easier to clean up, and they even clean and groom themselves.

Dogs might have cool tricks, and they want to play with you all the time, but guess what, I’m tired all the time. I don’t have the energy to constantly walk a dog everyday, and they’re so clingy some times. But the lazy cat does not bother me to walk it, they merely sleep and allow me to pet them be cause they’re way more chill than dogs.

You might say that dogs are still way better than cats even after my empirical and scientifically proven arguments, and to that, I say you’re wrong, bozo. So, look dog owners, you lost. Cats are just su perior in every single possible way, and those are just the facts. You might say I’m wrong or that I’m biased and I don’t like dogs and dogs are the best ,but you know what? Cats rule, and dogs drool.

Dogs outrank cats in virtually every topic, ex cept for internet popularity. Since debating which is better based purely on opinion is futile, I will choose to define which is better purely on facts. For all intents and purposes, dogs are more useful and therefore, as a whole, better.

For centuries, dogs have been “man’s best friend.” Take the Bonn-Oberkassel dog, which was found buried next to two humans and is dated to have been 15,000 years ago.

Cats, on the other hand, began bothering us around 10,000 years ago in the fertile crescent as humans farmed their future into fruition. In reality, cats helped to rid farms of pests. They also were a big limiter on plagues in the Middle Ages, namely the Bubonic Plague. Pharaohs were indeed buried with cats, but if you had an animal that could lim it plagues and keep crop output up wouldn't you worship it? Cats were honestly quite useful up until when the modern age hit.

The occasional dead rat present might be cute, but what about a home intruder? What will your silly little 2 a.m. zoomy monster do for you then?

Even my little Shi-Tzu, Buster, would at least let me know someone had broken in. Even in the service animal field, dogs still top cats. Sure, you can have an emotional support cat, but a cat that can smell cancer? No. A seeing eye cat? Yes, actually! But the problem with cats remains. They just aren't as big as dogs, nor as trainable. Dogs are physically able to perform CPR, pull or push humans, and com plete basic physical tasks, such as opening doors.

Let’s just say you don't care about your pet’s usefulness. You only care about spending time with your furry friend and occasional pets on their head. Dogs are more emotionally expressive than cats and are more likely to oblige.

Dogs also alleviate themselves outdoors, while cats need a litter box. Outdoor pet cats may seem as the best option, but they have the highest “turn over” rate as a pet. (Rest in Peace, Shadow.)

But I don’t have to go on forever. Dogs outcom pete cats. A study done by the American Heart Association, “Pet Ownership and Cardiovascular Risk,” states that cat owners were 9% less likely to do any walking for leisure than nonowners. This study basically concludes cats can make people lazy. With dogs, it is quite the opposite. Dog own ers were 64% more likely than nonowners to do any walking for leisure.

The use, the health benefits, and the love all point towards the dog as the better pet. They con tribute more to you as a person than turd-in-a-boxproducing felines.

Cats Pan and Aziz cuddle up for a photograph. They don't even need to be awake to prove that cats are better than dogs. Ava Acharya/The Maroon

Rey and Finn enjoy their "pup-cup" from PJ's Coffee in New Orleans. They are also enjoying being better than cats. Macie Batson/The Maroon.

Geaux vote, Loyola!

The time to register is upon us

Voter registration season is upon us, and it is time to go out there and make a differ ence! The problem is: it seems that many peo ple in our age range aren’t getting the memo. Historically, the 18 to 29 age group has some of the lowest turnout when it comes to voting, according to the government census. Of course, great strides were made in the 2020 elections, with the percentage of young voters participat ing in the electoral process rising 11%, according to Tuft’s Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. However, that doesn’t mean it is time to take the foot off the gas just yet.

We need to realize, as a generation, that we can influence the world around us by voting for what we care about. However, many of us aren’t as aware of our current political is sues as we should be. For example, on the bal lot in Louisiana this year, eleven amendments to Louisiana’s state constitution are up for vote. Of those, Amendment 7 centers on slavery. The

specifics of the Amendment would be to change language that had previously made slavery legal as punishment for a crime into an exception in the case of criminal justice. It’s the 21st centu ry, and slavery is still up for vote in the United States.

The fact of the matter is that it didn’t take much effort to learn about this Amendment. All that needed to be done was a quick search on the internet and bam there it was, along with all ten other Amendments.

As citizens and long-term residents of Louisiana, we at Loyola have just as much a say as anyone else living in this state. That is why registering to vote and then proceeding to vote is important. The Maroon has previously discussed how being aware of your local govern ment and its actions should be a must for every one at Loyola. Well, going out and voting is how you use the information you have gained and apply it.

In the state of Louisiana, registering

to vote is actually a rather simple process. If you have a Louisiana driver’s license or Special I.D., you can register online. However, many of us at Loyola probably don’t have either of these. The alternative option, open to all Loyola students, is to register in person or by mail. In fact, it’s so easy that you can fill out a form in the time it takes to walk from one end of campus to the other, though you’d probably want to be sitting down for that. All information for these options can be found on the Secretary of State’s website.

Early voting in the state of Louisiana begins on October 25 through November 1st for the Open Congressional Primary Elections. The General Congressional Elections voting period is November 26 through December 3. In order to be able to vote in these elections, you must be registered at least twenty days before the day you plan on voting. If we are to make a differ ence, then the time to act was yesterday, and the next best time is now.

HOWLS & GROWLS

HOWL to The Maroon being nominated for Pacemaker GROWL to nonanswers HOWL to Maroon by Taylor Swift GROWL to wisdom teeth HOWL to cats GROWL to the prison industrial complex HOWL to dogs GROWL to fascism

EDITORIAL BOARD

Gabriella Killett Editor-in-Chief Jackie Galli Managing Editor for Print

Domonique Tolliver Managing Editor for Digital

Devin Cruice Maroon Minute Executive Producer

Patrick Hamilton Design Chief Garbielle Korein Photo Editor

Ava Acharya News Editor

Sofia Luciano Life & Times Editor

Arianna D'Antonio Worldview Editor

Abigail Schmidt Sports Editor

Maleigh Crespo Equity & Inclusion Officer

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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.

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