Loyola University • New Orleans • Volume 97 • Issue 20 • March 15, 2019
THE MAROON FOR A GREATER LOYOLA
Jessamyn Reichmann and Freedom Richardson discuss their policies at the SGA debate on March 12, 2019. The candidates for president, vice president and senators all participated in the debate. [CRISTIAN ORELLANA] / The Maroon.
SGA election consists of changes, few candidates By Erin Snodgrass eesnodgr@my.loyno.edu @erinsnod
The Student Government Association kicked off election season with a set of voting changes, one presidential ticket and a slate of senate candidates, but not enough to fill the current number of open seats. Barring any unexpected changes to the elections process before voting ends on Thursday, March 14, Jessamyn Reichmann and Freedom Richardson, the only presidential ticket running, will clinch the position of president and vice-president when the official announcement is made on Friday, March 15. As opposed to last year’s three presidential tickets, voters will only have the one option for president and vice-president this year. The ballot does not provide a no option, a no confidence option or any place to write-in another name. Although neither the SGA’s election code or SGA constitution make any mention of unopposed candidates, Rana Thabata, chief justice and elections commissioner, said Reichmann and Richardson need only a simple majority or “one-vote” to win. Election Changes The elections process was quick this year. Candidates were only able to announce last Thursday, March 7, less than a week before voting was slated to begin. This allowed six days
of campaigning – only two of which were days where class was being held on campus. Thabata said the shortened timeline was chosen to allow an adequate transition period between the outgoing and incoming administrations. “With the new administration being sworn in on April 10, that only gives us about three weeks to transition them, and transitioning last year was only a day transition,” Thabata said. “I have already talked to the current cabinet about taking the new person on as a mentee and showing them the ropes.” Once the presidential team is chosen, they have a week to determine who they will interview for cabinet positions, and they’ll then have to choose within the following week to allow for that transition period. Another change throughout the process was the amount of voting time allocated to students. According to SGA’s election code, at least 17 hours must be provided for students to vote. Originally, Thabata only had one day of voting planned – March 14. But, after considering voter turnout and speaking with former SGA President Ben Weil, Thabata decided to extend the voting period to two days – 16 hours of polling sites and 48 total hours of voting in order to hopefully bolster number of voters. “We have such a small campus. In the past, I think we’ve gotten about 700 total votes, around there, which is not very representative of our
campus,” Thabata said. “We should try to get at least 1,000 votes.” In another unprecedented change, SGA will release voter percentages for all candidates and the total number of votes. While they will not release the vote count each candidate received, the numbers will be available for anyone wanting to do the math. Presidential Platform Reichmann, sociology junior and Richardson, political science junior, are running on a three-point plan that includes organization and restructuring, beautification and utilization, and a focus on Jesuit values. While Reichmann has no previous SGA experience, she expressed confidence in her ability to serve as president due to her three years of on-campus involvement in a variety of organizations like Black Student Union, Ignacio Volunteers and admissions, and the extensive network of authentic relationships she has built. Richardson, on the other hand, is currently serving as one of two senators at large in this year’s SGA administration. As vice-president, Richardson would be responsible for leading the Senate, a role that he said will allow him to make some necessary changes including being more formal in the way they structure their meetings, “We need to make sure SGA meetings are being advertised,” Richardson said. “We want to be in-
tentional about who comes into our senate meetings and make sure our decisions are being made as public as possible.” Reichmann and Richardson both answered questions posed by Thabata at the debate. The team emphasized their commitment to implementing their initiatives quickly once elected and being transparent and accountable to students. Both stressed that while they believe this year’s SGA administration had done a good job, they believed they could make important changes to better the system. Reichmann suggested that students on campus this year may not be aware of the current administration’s work due to a lack of communication and vowed to be more communicative and transparent. Richardson echoed her thoughts. “I think this administration has to be more intentional in how they’re being visible, how they’re being available to the public and making sure that the things we’re working to fix are tangible,” Richardson said. He also said he hopes to improve communication between the executive branch of SGA and the senators serving in the legislative branch – communication that he said is absent right now. “There was no sense of cohesion within our student government Senate. No sense of teamwork or collaboration,” Richardson said. “We definitely have to enhance that sense of cooperation and environment of collaboration and being intentional
in how we communicate those decisions.” The team admitted that they were surprised when they found out they were running unopposed, but that news allowed them to shift their campaign style to being more intentional in all that they do. “We don’t want to be seen as just walking into this position, so I think we need to make sure there is accountability,” Reichmann said. Richardson also saw the circumstance as an opportunity. “Something we can certainly do, regardless of having been faced with no formal challenger, is making sure that we confront these formal challenges as bluntly and honestly as possible,” Richardson said. “Instead of the theatrics of a typical student government campaign, we’re able to campaign more on the issues and less on the theater. Senators’ Initiatives After the withdrawal of Kevin Aguilar from the race for senator of the College of Music and Media, SGA has a ticket consisting of all female senate candidates. Gabriela Martinez and Chloe Dupleix are running for the two vacant senator at large positions. Emily Mccrory, Glory Tomi John, Brenda Valladeres, Samantha Sanchez, Brionna Adams and Jourdan Greene are running for six of the seven vacant senator positions within the College of Arts and Sciences. Taylor Fontenot and Sky Stubbs are vying for two of the seven
See ELECTIONS, page 3
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IN MAGAZ
STAFF
Sports Assistant : RoSha’e Gibson Illustrator: Justin Heiber Staff Writers: Alexandria Whitten, Greg Fortier Photographers: Angelo Imbraguglio, Marisabel Rodriguez, Jules Santos, Paola Amezquita, Alexis Reyes, Cristian Orellano Anchors: Jaime Jimenez, Henry Bean, Ariana Del Mar, Janneicia Harrison, Jade Myers, Anum Siddiqui, Shadera Moore Webmaster: Cristo Dulom
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March 15, 2019 The Maroon
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Residence ID fine policy met with mixed emotions By Jasper Roberson-Schulz jrrobers@my.loyno.edu
Matthew Currie, music industry freshman, shows his Loyola student ID when entering Biever Hall on March 5, 2019. Last month, a policy was implemented requiring students to show IDs upon entering a residence hall or face a fine. JAWDAT TINAWI/The Maroon.
A policy implemented back in January that fines students who do not show a Loyola ID upon entering a residence hall has been met mixed reactions. In failing to show an ID, students will receive one warning before a potential $15 fine charged to their account. Amy Boyle, director of residential life, said that the policy was implemented in order to improve campus safety and regulate residence halls. “We found we were receiving too many reports about students failing to show their ID or reporting a lost ID and not going to get a replacement ID,” Boyle said. She added that the policy technically permits the university to charge students $100 on an initial violation and $150 thereafter with a university conduct hearing, however the policy was adjusted in practice. “We adjusted that rather than pushing students through the conduct process for failure to show an ID to incur a $100 fine. We feel it is more realistic to start at a lower threshold and reserve conduct hearings and larger fines for more severe breaches of the policy violation,” Boyle said. According to Boyle, the recent attention on identification verification “helps the individual and the
Students start new photography club By Valerie Cronenbold vcronenb@my.loyno.edu
When finance freshman Chandler Boudreaux and general studies freshman Shamaria Bell noticed that there was no place for students to explore photography without academic pressure, they decided to create a group of their own: a photography club focused on group excursions and lectures. The ideology of the club lies in uniting students “just for fun, meeting people with the same passion for photography and finding a space to get creative,” according to Boudreaux. “I think this campus is perfect for that. There’s a lot of people already into art. Since the photography major already exists, that was probably why no one thought of this before. This will be purely recreational, for people who want to know how to use a camera without being graded on it.” The planning for the club started back in November, but bringing the new idea to a reality took longer than expected. “The hardest part of setting everything up was trying to write a constitution. I expected to have everything ready, I submitted the stuff last semester in November so it’s been a little while but now it’s official,” said Boudreaux. The club has already begun
community by holding us all accountable to keeping our ID in possession at all times. The fine structure also allows for students to ease in to the policy enforcement with a free warning before issuing a fine and does not require the student to go through the conduct process.” Emily Gil, English writing junior, said she understands the precarious situations that could happen if someone dangerous were to slip into a residence hall. “It is very necessary and responsible, because we need to keep our student body safe,” Gil said. But some students feel the policy has been too aggressive. Emma Fisk, business freshman, said she understands the need for campus security but is frustrated with some of the implementations of the policy. “There should be more flexibility. If the person at the front desk knows you and knows you live in the hall or go to school here, you shouldn’t need to show your ID.” Boyle said that few students have been issued fines and the Office of Residential Life will look closely at what the fine structure does for campus security. “The effects of the fine policy are still in the data collection phase, less than 10 fines have been issued to date,” Boyle said.
SGA, continued from page 1 vacant spots in the new College of Music and Media, while Carrie Elizabeth Smith is the only candidate running for the three open positions in the College of Business. Richardson acknowledged what he called “the elephant in the room,” and said his first priority once elected will be to fill the vacant positions that will remain in the senate after the election. Thabata said that depending on fall enrollment numbers, a third senator at large position may be necessary, but that decision will be made next semester. Senators spoke on platforms ranging from mental health awareness to providing business etiquette workshops, with a majority of senators mentioning food insecurity as a major issue they hope to tackle. Voting
Chandler Boudreaux, finance freshman, and Shamaria Bell, general studies freshman, lead the first meeting of the Photography Organization for Wolves on March 13, 2019. CRISTIAN ORELLANA/ The Maroon
meeting on Wednesdays, having attendees come in and learn about different aspects of the camera. Boudreaux added that the group is already planning photo outings to capture different subjects. “One of the first things we are organizing will be an excursion to Audubon Zoo, where we’ll have people break up into little teams and go to different sections of the zoo to take pictures of different animals,” said Bourdreaux.
He added that Hunter Cole, visiting professor of biological sciences, will act as the group’s adviser and share her expertise on bioluminescent artwork with students. While photography can be an expensive hobby, Bell said it does not have to be. “I’ve recently started shooting with a (digital single lens reflex camera) and it’s so fun but I can’t help but revert back to my phone’s camera. I love the iPhone X camera; it
has so much potential for shooting,” said Bell. No matter the equipment, they are determined to take great photos. “We are not requiring people to have a DSLR camera, because they’re expensive. Everyone has cameras on the phone they use all the time, this club welcomes everyone,” said Boudreaux.
Voting began on Wednesday, March 13 and continued through Thursday, March 14. Although four polling spots were originally scheduled, the site located in the Residential Quad was canceled on Tuesday night due to inclement weather and a lack of people to run the site. The announcement of winning candidates will be made during Crawfish in the Quad on Friday, March 15 at 3:30.
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WORLDVIEW
March 15, 2019 The Maroon
Loyola tries to shelve campus food insecurity
A sign leading students to the location of Iggy’s Cupboard. Iggy’s Cupboard is a location on campus for students needing food. CODY DOWNEY / The Maroon.
By Laciena McBride ltmcbrid@my.loyno.edu
Many Loyola students cannot afford to feed themselves which may be affecting their academic success, an administrative survey reported. The university is now organizing to address the problem of food insecurity, according to Loyola’s chief Diversity Officer Symbol Anderson. According to the survey, which Anderson organized, 48 percent of Loyola students say they experience difficulty affording food. “When we asked students, faculty and staff to identify priority actions to be undertaken by the community in the current year, all identified addressing student food insecurity as the top priority,” Anderson said. As soon as the results were presented last April, students in the College of Music Fine Arts set up a
food pantry in the music school box office. After the survey conducted to more precisely assess the nature and scope of food insecurity, Loyola organized a food insecurity committee to begin planning a permanent food pantry. With push from Heather Malveaux, minister for social justice and immersion programs, the food insecurity committee orchestrated the conversion of an abandoned basement office into a fully functioning and superbly stocked pantry in November 2018. The food insecurity committee also started a meal voucher program allowing students to eat in the cafeteria for free. “What I’ve been hearing from students is that meals are expensive on campus, you can’t really get a decent meal for less than ten dol-
The food supplied inside of Iggy’s Cupboard. Iggy’s Cupboard allows for donations from community members asking for items from food to health supplies. CODY DOWNEY / The Maroon.
lars, which is expensive when you’re doing it two times a day,” Malveaux said. “Food insecurity is not just a problem at Loyola, it’s a problem statewide, but also countrywide.” According to a 2018 report by the Jesuit Social Research Institute, Louisiana has the second highest rate of food insecurity in the nation and it is rising faster than the rest of the country. Food insecurity refers to the number of people who regularly run out of food, go at least a day without eating, or who do not know where their next meal will come from. The Food and Agricultural Organization, which is part of the United Nations, explains that food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access
to enough safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. Professor Angel Parham teaches food justice courses at Loyola and has a vested interest in food equity as the founder and CEO of a nonprofit called Nyansa that serves black low-income New Orleanians. “Food insecurity is related to several factors including poverty, low productivity and poor physical and cognitive development,” Parham said. Anderson agrees, “It impedes one’s ability to optimize one’s capacities for learning and retaining information.” She described the four dimensions of food security as availability,
access, utilization and stability. “When any of these is threatened, a person or population is food insecure,” Parham said. Parham thinks Loyola’s new programs are a step in the right direction. “It is so important to make this part of our conversation as a community so that people who are struggling with food access and affordability do not feel isolated. When we know that many are struggling, this gives all of us permission to talk about the problem and to take decisive steps toward addressing it,” she said.
Discussion of Mexico border wall continues By Jasper Roberson-Schulz jrrobers@my.loyno.edu
The government shutdown is over and life in the oval office proceeds without approval for wall funding, yet friction between the House of Representatives and President Trump is far from being over. Now, the conversation moves toward the likelihood of a wall being built and what would happen if it were. With a majority Democratic House of Representatives unwilling to approve of the eight million dollar bill that Trump asks to secure The United States’ southern border, he has been looking for other ways to fund the project. Sean Cain, Loyola political science professor, believes that Trump may have trouble with funding. “Trump has limited options on where to find funding for his plans for the wall, given the House of Representatives’ lack of willingness to abide by his request for outright government funding,” he said. “Where he currently looks for funding is from the Department of Defenses and Homeland Security which will cost him support, thus making it unlikely, in the current state of affairs, that a wall is actually
built.” For this reason, it seems that Trump has hit a metaphoric wall in regards to moving forward with his vision of improving border security. For Interim Dean for the College of Arts & Sciences and Latin American Studies Professor Uriel Quesada, the probability of building a wall seems equally slim. “I do not know for sure since the administration is not able to build agreements not only about border security, but also about the immigration system,” he said. “The wall is no longer a border security issue, but it has become a political issue. The emergency declaration will affect critical services in some states, and it has been challenged in court already. The 2020 budget may not be approved ... Washington has become a very chaotic and unpredictable place.” Another question often associated with the wall debate is what ramifications building a wall would actually create. Quesada believes that the effect of this creation would be negative. “It does not address immigration system problems or the reasons why people are coming the US,” he said. “I cannot talk of ‘positive’ effects,
Construction crews replace a section of the primary wall separating San Diego, above right, and Tijuana, Mexico, below left, Monday, March 11, 2019, seen from Tijuana, Mexico. President Donald Trump is reviving his border wall fight, preparing a new budget that will seek $8.6 billion for the U.S-Mexico barrier while imposing steep spending cuts to other domestic programs and setting the stage for another fiscal battle. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
but at least an interesting effect is that the wall has energized different groups, particularly those that advocate on behalf of minorities and individual rights and liberties.” On a political level, the drawn-out debate over the wall may be causing friction not only between parties, but also within the Republican party. To Cain, the funding for the wall plan is currently diminishing the
funding of Republican-backed programs, such as the Department of Defense, is a source of contention within Trump’s own party. “Senator McSally, Republican senator of Arizona, was worried that the money for the border wall would be taken from military construction within her own state,” Cain said. The conversation about whether or not the wall will be built has hit
a standstill following a decisive end to the national state of emergency, but the conversation is not over, but rather taking a transient break. For now, the game is waiting and seeing what happens next.
THE MAROON
March 15, 2019
C R O S S W O R D
Across 1 Fencing needs 7 Soup holder 10 Web creation 14 “Amen” 15 Complement for a tango 16 Sharp 17 Fill with love 18 Didn’t just knock? 20 Like a male lion 22 Housecleaning aid 23 Arctic trout 25 Completely erase 28 PC key above Shift 29 Barbecue dinner followed by dyspepsia? 32 Audibly amazed 33 Period 34 Bad Ems and Marienbad, for two 38 Animal protection agent 39 Public face 43 Muhammad’s son-in-law 44 Ready to drive 46 Contend 47 Trailer follower 49 Part for a robot vampire? 53 Prop for a Tell skit 56 Label caveat 57 Wandering the range, say 58 Thinking things 60 Game with 25 squares 62 Eagerly excited for an extended period of time? 65 Containing more lemon 68 O.T. book after Neh. 69 Pedi pinkie 70 French teacher 71 Remainder 72 “I think my love as rare / As any __ belied by false compare”: Shak. 73 Conclusion ... or, in three parts, what four answers in this puzzle unexpectedly do Down 1 Memphis-to-Mobile dir. 2 Outplayed an opponent
3 2010 health statute, informally 4 They may be nasty 5 Belmonts frontman 6 Thrown around 7 School org. 8 Hogwarts mail carrier 9 Discard 10 Simple island garments 11 “__ even!” 12 Bit of color 13 Landscaping tool 19 Taking customers 21 Completed 23 Boat, or the building of one 24 World Court site, with “The” 26 Car stereo conveniences 27 Continental currency 30 Dictionary on a phone, say 31 Scottish John 35 “King of the High C’s”
36 Dress style 37 “Iliad” topic 40 Party time 41 Costa __ 42 “Preacher” airer 45 Gladden 48 Independent of public utilities 50 Singer Horne 51 Tease 52 Self-reflective thought 53 Not so ham-handed 54 Verse alternative 55 Slacks 59 PD ranks 61 Bread with tikka masala 63 “That’s amazing!” 64 “That’s interesting” 66 Fish-eating bird 67 Brief rule?
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Life &Times
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March 15, 2019 THE MAROON
Film • Arts • Food • Music • Leisure • Nightlife
Student reflects on being Nyx goddess By Shadera Moore sjmoore@my.loyno.edu
Paul Roach, studio art junior, paints a mural for Superior Seafood. ROB NOELKE / The Maroon.
“It really was one of the best nights of my life.”
Roach stands on a platform among his painting supplies to reach the top of his canvas. ROB NOELKE / The Maroon.
— Shelby Seuzeneau 2019 Goddess of Nyx
Loyola student paints mural for Superior Seafood Spray paint cans littered a warehouse floor as one Loyola student made his mark on Mardi Gras. Paul Roach, studio art junior, was given
the opportunity to paint a mural to be displayed on Superior Seafood, a popular stop on the St. Charles parade route.
Paul Roach, studio art junior, takes a break from painting to smoke a cigarette and admire his work. ROB NOELKE / The Maroon.
Column: Mardi Gras can only live in the Big Easy By Andres Fuentes aafuente@my.loyno.edu
Another day of an ancient tradition swept through the streets of New Orleans. Skull and Bones rose from the grave to wake up the families of Treme and to remind them of their mortality. The Mardi Gras Indians danced and chanted their way through the streets of the Marigny and the Bywater, wearing the tales of their ancestors on their outfits. At the crack of dawn, the Zulus loaded up their armada of colorful,
vehicles before riding off on their route to deliver plastic necklaces and decorated coconuts to hoards of people across the city. What else were they supposed to do on Fat Tuesday? It was the last day for the cakes with the tiny baby inside, men walking the parade routes with torches and masked riders. Where else would such customs originate than the 300-year-old city below sea level with a mixed European, African and Hispanic culture with a craving for “mudbugs”? Like the oak trees along the parade routes, Mardi Gras is deeply rooted in the Big Easy.
New Orleans East native Shelby Seuzeneau, biology junior, grew up marching in parades during Carnival season, performing with her dance team and twirling batons. But this year, she rode through the streets of Uptown on a float as the Mystic Krewe of Nyx’s eighth goddess. “I’ve been kind of in the backgrounds of it since I was about fourteen,” said Seuzeneau, now 21. Her coronation in Nov. marked Nyx’s first legacy; Seuzeneau has royal ties through her mother, who founded Nyx in 2009 and reigned as the krewe’s fifth goddess. “[My mom’s godmother] was really big into Mardi Gras. She’d put on costumes and go out to the parades and stuff. And so, it’s just something that’s been kind of not taught, but in our blood,” Seuzeneau said. “We’ve also kind of instilled the Mardi Gras stuff into my brother as well, ‘cause he was a page in the Krewe of King Arthur last year. He had this little cap on, this little feather, and he was on the float with the queen.” For Seuzeneau, Carnival has always been a family affair. “It’s just fun family time, that, you know, you’re not worried about where this one (parade) is… everyone is together,” she said.
A member of the Wild Tchoupitoulas wears his traditional outfit for 3rd Friday in the Peace Quad on Feb. 15, 2019. Mardi Gras Indians have a tradition rooted in the holiday. ANDRES FUENTES / The Maroon.
Seuzeneau said the tradition of catching the infamous, hand-decorated pursues thrown in Nyx is a tradition that is near and dear to her heart. “It’s very time-consuming,” Seuzeneau said of the largely homemade purse-making process. “But it’s worth it to see the people’s faces when you give it to ‘em. Their faces just light up. You just see all the happiness.” From Seuzeneau’s perspective, there’s more to being a Nyx goddess than the glimmer and glamour that comes with the title. “Just to be a part of the history; you go down in the books forever, is what it boils down to. Just to be part of the rich culture, you know, is really a feeling you can’t explain.” Now, after the Carnival season has drawn to a close, Seuzeneau has fond memories of the most active part of her reign, which ends in Nov. “It really was one of the best nights of my life. Just to see everyone who came out was a great experience,” Seuzeneau said.
March 15, 2019
THE MAROON
Faculty and Staff
Catfish Friday returns to Loyola Friday, Jan. 10 in the Freret Room from 11:30 AM - 2:00 PM
$10.5o at the door or One meal Swipe The Freret Room is the former Faculty and Staff Dining Room Accepting Cash, Wolf Bucks and Credit Card
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SPORTS
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March 15, 2019 THE MAROON
A graphic showing the different locations where three different Loyola sports prgrams practice and compete. The track and field program practice at East Jefferson High School in Metairie, the baseball team travels to Segnette Field in Westwego and the tennis teams compete at the tennis courts in City Park. ANDRES FUENTES/The Maroon.
Always On The Road
Wolf Pack teams find a home off campus By Will Ingram wringram@my.loyno.edu @WillIngram4
24-MINUTE DRIVE 15-MINUTE DRIVE
LOCATION
Loyola’s home-field advantage is not really home-field advantage. With only the basketball, volleyball and swim teams competing in The Den, all other sports have to travel miles away to find their “home field.” The baseball, tennis and track and field teams have are in the midst of their spring competition. All 100 athletes across the three programs have to balance school work and practice schedules like other student-athletes, but with an added time for travel. The baseball team travels across the river to practice and play their home games. The track and field teams head out to Metairie to practice on a high school field and the tennis teams practice on the courts in City Park. That added time can cut into how many players stay the entire practice or even make practice. Doug Faust, head baseball coach, said that the team suffers from their long commute. “Between class schedules and the 30-minute drive each way, we are limited time wise,” Faust said.“They basically have 40 minutes to grab lunch, get to field, change clothes and be ready for practice.” Outfielder Charlie Seiter, business management senior, has learned to balance playing a sport and being an active student on campus. With active roles in the honors college, a Christian Life Community, Wolf Pack for Life, Catholic Men’s Fellowship and the Student Athlete
18-MINUTE DRIVE
DISTANCE IN MILES Advisory Committee, he tries his best to schedule classes around practice and his other activities. “If the classes I need are only offered during practice time, I have to miss practice and make sure I get my work done on my own time,” said Seiter. Seiter said the hardest time of each academic year is during the baseball season. “Studying and writing papers on a bus isn’t ideal, but we don’t have a choice. We have to maintain our commitment to baseball,” said Seiter. The tennis team doesn’t have to cross the river, but they also struggle with off campus practice. Coach Kyle Russell said the team has to build in an extra hour for the commute in the van that the team fund raised for themselves. “Even though we practice for two hours, it’s really a three-hour commitment with the commute,” said Russell. He wishes that there was a closer
location because it would not only help with attendance at practice but fans at matches. “We played one match at Audubon Park on clay courts, and we had a large crowd simply because it was within walking distance,” said Russell. Russell would like to see hard courts built near or on campus, but he said that, “it’s just not that feasible.” Despite the rough commute time, Russell still sees the silver lining in the situation. “The one benefit of the commute is that the players bond, and I also get to know them a little better,” said Russell. The track and field team has a different way of handling off-campus practice. Head coach Kevin Licht said that practice locations are based on what event the athlete does. “Our mid-distance and distance group runs around the local parks, streetcar tracks, and neighbor-
hoods. The sprints, jumps and hurdles group is primarily at East Jefferson High School, but occasionally is at the Sports Complex. The throws group splits time at East Jefferson or the Sports Complex,” said Licht. The distance runners might not have to travel to practice, but they do have early mornings. International business senior Hernan Espinal says that he likes working out at the crack of dawn. “Practice in the morning is nice because it gets me up and active,” Espinal said. “I usually go to bed between midnight and 1:00 a.m. It depends on my workload.” If he doesn’t get enough sleep throughout the night, Espinal likes to work in 27-minute naps to make up for the lack of sleep. Environmental studies senior Shannon Hester is more than just a javelin thrower this year, as she also serves as a student teacher. To balance the work and practice load, she treats it like she is back in high school.
“I go to school from 7:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. then practice right after school,” Hester said. Coach Licht and his assistant coaches help accommodate all the athletes and their schedules, which helps avoid time conflicts and other commitments from interfering with practice. “The only conflict would be early morning classes, but our coaches work with our athletes in rescheduling any practices that are in conflict with classes,” said Licht. Licht also said the practices would be the same no matter where they were, at East Jefferson High or in The Den. Unlike the other teams that do have a “home field,” the track and field team does not hold a home meet. “I wish that the school held a home meet so that other students can come check us out and cheer us on,” Hester said. “Every other team has a home meet or a meet close enough for everyone to come and support, so it would be nice for the track team to get the same experience.” Hester’s wishes may come true as the program is looking into hosting a meet in the area next year. “We’re in the early planning phases, the most important need is interest. I’ve had a few coaches express interest in coming. Our next step is planning the logistics and seeing where we have deficiencies and then solving those problems,” said Licht.
March 15, 2019
The Maroon
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EDITORIAL
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March 15, 2019 THE MAROON
OUR EDITORIAL
The majority opinion of our editorial board
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EDITORIAL BOARD Riley Katz Illustration by Ariel Landry
Lack of candidate choices for SGA signals bigger problems Members of The Maroon staff attended the SGA candidate debate on March 12. These candidates are qualified. They have creative ideas such as solving issues about food insecurity. They seem rightfully critical of the previous SGA administration. They strive for transparency and they are ready to invoke change. However, there remains a fundamental problem. This event was not a debate, nor is this election an election. All 15 people who are running for an elected position will be elected. There are not enough people running for SGA positions. These candidates have no opposition. Having healthy competition allows candidates to push each other, think on their feet and solidify true stances. Without competition, voters are forced to accept and trust the ideas of those running. Our only two options are to either trust in and vote for them – or to not vote at all. Not only is the election only a formality – these candidates will be elected no matter what – there is no alternative to voting for them. We are not provided a write-in option, a no confidence or a no vote.
To be fair, the presidential and vice-presidential candidates – Jessamyn Reichmann and Freedom Richardson – claimed that they would be active in finding qualified persons to fill the empty spots. They seem competent and well-intentioned. But the idea of unopposed candidates sets a dangerous precedent. What will happen when someone runs who is not qualified or we cannot confidently place our trust in them? What will happen when this person will automatically win because they have no competition and the system provides no other option? They will get elected, and that fundamentally is a failure in a system that is supposedly democratic. Our student government is no longer an elected student body – they are a volunteer organization at this point. A volunteer organization made up of people who seemed to know what they were talking about, albeit, which works for this year, but they are a volunteer organization nonetheless. The point of student government and student involvement is to have competition, choices and healthy pressure that fosters
leadership. This year, we don’t have that, despite the obvious qualifications of those running. This lack of candidates and involvement is not historically unprecedented in previous Loyola elections. But over the past two election cycles, we have had three presidential tickets. Now, we only have one. We should begin questioning why we don’t we have a wide variety of candidates. Why are not as many people running this year? This should signal to the student body that something went wrong in the previous administration. In the debate, Richardson, current senator at large and presumptive vice president, said of the administration, “There was no sense of cohesion within our student government senate.” Reichmann also criticized the administration’s communication with the student body, saying she felt that “there was a lack of communication, at least available with SGA and what they are currently doing.” If you feel like your voice was not completely heard through voting, or you chose not to vote due to lack of choice, we need to hold the
incoming SGA accountable. Even if they are qualified, they did not get the chance to prove themselves in a normal democratic election cycle. We owe it to them and they owe it to us to give them that sense of competition by paying attention to what they do. Senate meetings are every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. and they are open to everyone. This year, that was not advertised enough, but Richardson stated he wants to improve attendance, and moving forward, we ought to hold him to this. We acknowledge as an editorial board that our SGA coverage this year has been lacking. As a student-run media, we also have a responsibility to hold them accountable and ensure that they are challenged and questioned in a way that they were not in the election. Even though the election is over, this is not an end to student voices being a part of SGA. Fundamentally, it is on us as a student body to ensure that the governmental body representing us does so with integrity.
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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.
OPINION Missions are important to the Christian faith March 15, 2019 THE MAROON
CODY DOWNEY Mass communication junior cadowney@my. loyno.edu
Having grown up in the church since childhood, I knew about mission work, but I never thought I would ever actually do it. The closest I ever believed I would get to missions is putting money in the offering plate. God had other plans, of course. During the Mardi Gras break, I went to Piedras Negras, Mexico with Loyola’s Baptist Collegiate Ministry. Baptist Collegiate Ministry, or BCM, is an organization that I am president of that was chartered at the end of last semester. For this trip, our group partnered with students from other universities like Tulane University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. In Mexico, we partnered with a local ministry called Casa Oansa. Casa Oansa’s focus of ministry is to reach the children in the neighborhood. Over the course of only four days, we saw many children and were able to teach them about God. Some of the most amazing parts of this trip came from these children. Despite our group mostly not knowing Spanish, they were always patient with us and helped whenever we had trouble finding the words. They grew to love us in a short time. Because of them, I had no doubt about the importance of us being there. None of these children were forced to go there. They chose to come on their own. Some had parents who could care less about where they were or what they were doing. Others had legitimate reasons to not come but, instead, still came to us. Just as amazing as the love from the children was the love of the family leading Casa Ozuna. Every day, they cooked us lunch and dinner, encouraged us and showed unconditional love to us. Though we were far away from home, their love made us feel at home. This family was literally willing to die before letting anything happen to us. It honestly led many of us in the group to wonder if a group of missionaries
Being in college means making your money last, whether you have a job or not. The living-lean lifestyle can be great practice for the real world because it allows you to learn to save for a rainy day and spend money on what counts. Where the lean living lifestyle begins to fail many people is in not adequately addressing daily needs and demands, leading some to buy cheap products that do not
Find a better way to fund your organization By Michael Giusti mgiusti@.my.loyno.edu
A group of children make a suncatcher cross. The cross was meant to represent how Jesus is the light of the world. CODY DOWNEY / The Maroon.
from Mexico came to New Orleans to do work, would we be able to treat them the same way? As much as we went to serve, we ourselves were served. Not only from this family but from each other as well. Many of us barely knew each other prior to going on this trip. Through serving with each other, we all grew closer and encouraged one another in all that we did. This trip taught us many important things about doing mission work. First, don’t go in with preconceived notions. Many of the ideas of what the trip was going to be like were changed over the course of a couple of days. It is important to go in with an open heart and be willing to move past what we think. Second, put all of yourself into it. Nothing we did in this trip was done
passively. If you don’t do everything with an active attitude, everyone will lose out on the full experience of the trip. Lastly, it is important to be fluid and not flexible. To be flexible is to do things that are within your physical reach. To be fluid, however, is to move through anything without restriction. On this trip, there were many things we didn’t know ahead of time. We didn’t know how many children would show up. We didn’t know what kinds of children we would get. Sometimes, we didn’t even know how things were going to work out. So, we had to be fluid and allow ourselves to work around our limitations. In my opinion, going to church is an important part of being a Christian. However, this trip has shown me that it is even more important
to go outside of the church to be a Christian. If you aren’t showing the love of God to others, then why even be a Christian? To have the message and not share it is worse than to not have the message at all. Every Christian, whether they want to believe it or not, is called to mission work. Some may be called as far away as China or Afghanistan. Others may be called to places closer like Mexico or Canada or even somewhere in the United States. Regardless of where the location is, Matthew 28:19 says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
Buy products based on needs, not price RILEY KATZ Mass communication senior rdkatz@my.loyno. edu
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work for what they need. In my experience, compromising and buying a cheap product only leads to larger expenses down the road. For example, last semester I was in desperate need of a computer. My 2008 MacBook finally bit the bullet after a ten-year marathon of use. It was expensive when I got it, but the investment was worth it. After it died, I was desperate for a computer. Instead of sitting down and doing my research to figure out what met my needs as a commuter mass communication student who needed something powerful enough to edit video, I dashed to my local Walmart and grabbed the cheapest laptop I could find—a Samsung Chromebook for $149. At first it was great. I forgot what having a battery that lasted longer than an hour was like, and the light
Chrome OS operating system made things feel snappy. After about a week, the cracks set in — literally. The plastic encasing was cheap and cracked in my backpack, and the design of the product created an issue where the keyboard smashed into the screen every time I closed it up, creating permanent pressure spots on the screen. On top of that, the two gigabytes of RAM meant that video editing was never a possibility. I literally got what I paid for — a cheap computer that was riddled with problems and came nowhere close to actually meeting my needs. The laptop held me back constantly. Once the reality that the Chromebook would never suffice dawned on me, I sat down and took a hard look at what I needed out of a computer. I saved up for a new MacBook
that I use daily. I never feel limited by my new MacBook. Sure, it cost significantly more than the Chromebook I settled for, but now I have a device that meets my needs and helps me excel. Saving up my money and waiting for a better product was worth it, even if it meant living even leaner for a while. Of course, that’s not to say to put yourself in debt just to get a laptop or a phone or any other device because it costs the most. By all means, be honest with yourself about what you can afford. I simply urge you to think about your needs first, then think about the price later. Then find a compromise where your needs and price meet in the middle. Your wallet will thank you in the long run.
Every time I walk past a bake sale, I get a little sick to my stomach – not because I have some hatred of cupcakes, but because bake sales are economic malpractice. Hear me out. If you are a member of a club or campus organization, by definition there is something special about you. You may be a good singer, or a good writer. You may have good business acumen or be a skilled chemist. You are in that group because you have a defining trait. To my knowledge there isn’t a baking club or a cupcake-making organization at Loyola. So, why then is the first instinct for every organization to sell cupcakes whenever they need funds? Instead of leaping into something you have no special skill at, you should be using what business professors call your competitive advantage. Use that thing that makes you special to raise your funds. So, if you are the Quiddich team and you need money for new uniforms, say no to cupcakes, and instead, host a house cup between the dorms. The winner gets to say who is Hufflepuff for the rest of the year. Are you looking for funds for your literary journal? Why not host a spelling bee? Charge everyone a few bucks to compete, split the entry fee with the winners and make an event out of it. How about a music organization? Well, it’s a little late for Valentines, but you could have offered to serenade people who are having a special date. I’m sure you could have earned a few bucks. Video game club? “Fortnite” tournament anyone? Art group? How about flash sketches or caricatures in the quad? See, you should be employing that thing that makes you special to raise your funds. When we jump to the quick and easy world of bake sales, we are failing the campus twofold. First, you aren’t a special baker. All you are doing is going to Krispy Kreme and buying a box of donuts. That is their specialty, not yours. And second, you are depriving the campus of that thing that makes you special – makes you shine. OK, economics club, I hear your counterpoint already – “but what about arbitrage?” Fine. Economics club, you have a point. If your competitive advantage is that you can define arbitrage, then you can do a bake sale, but nobody else. Then again, on the other hand (see what I did there economics club), maybe you could use your skills to help all the other clubs develop business models of their own. The rest of you, go out and make the world a better place. Do that thing that makes you special. We already have a terrific baker on campus. If you haven’t tried the deserts in the Orleans Room, you are missing out. Leave the baking to the bakers.
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March 15, 2019
The Maroon
ADMITTED STUDENT DAYS Welcome to Loyola, Class of 2023! Loyola University New Orleans is a school like no other, in a city like no other, and we want to help you prepare for your next four years here. So we asked the Wolf Pack,
“What do you wish you had known your freshman year?” “Everything is slower in New Orleans, so take your time.”
– Gabby Pucci, ’19
“The Monroe Library treats me well during finals ... open 24/7 and with free coffee!”
– Emma Contreras, graduate student, ’20
“Don't let yourself eat at City Diner three times a week.”
– Sam Reich, ’19
“Get out of Uptown and explore!”
– Tori Wilson, ’20
“I wish I knew that every Friday was Catfish and Mac & Cheese in the OR [Orleans Room Cafeteria].”
– Jessamyn Reichman, ’20
“It’s easy to get involved in the community [here] because everyone is so enthusiastic and excited about being here.”
“Great music, better people, late night drives, and Friday's at the Fly [the local waterfront park] ... what more could you need?”
– Brette Baughman, ’20
“There are hundreds of clubs on our campus! Get Involved!”
– Chloe Dupleix, ’20
“You don't have to choose between what you love and your major. You can have it all here.”
– Zontre' City, ’21
– Caitlyn Morrison, ’22
Submit your enrollment deposit today at loyno.edu/deposit
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