As students wrapped up their summer and settled back on campus, President Xavier Cole had his own story to tell about his summer: the chance to meet Pope Francis.
Cole and his wife, Susanne DeBerry Cole, went to Rome for a seminar with the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities along with other Jesuit University presidents.
“We thought we'd just see him for a few minutes, but we found out when we
got [to the basilica] that we were going to have almost close to an hour,” Cole said.
Cole said the experience fostered conversation between academic leaders.
“Our job as educators is to help our students understand context, to be informed about the issues, about the conversations for us to build spaces for conversations,” Cole said. “Where we can hear each other and talk through our differences, but also find some common ground because we are a community and we need to be in community.”
Members of the group had the op-
portunity to ask the Pope a question. Cole asked him what guidance he has for leaders in Catholic higher education to address the issues in Gaza and how universities can create spaces of trust for authentic conversations that don’t end in anger. According to Cole, the Pope responded with a thoughtful 15-minute response, mentioning that he has a daily scheduled call with the provincial in Gaza who represents the Jesuits there. Cole said the Pope stated the call is part of his efforts to offer support, clarity, and a sense of peace regarding the situation, with the hope of ending the war. Cole
said the work is difficult; it was never meant to be easy.
As Cole’s time asking questions with the Pope came to an end, the Pope closed their meeting with something that Cole said made him emotional.
“He did something completely unexpected, he said, ‘Well, I know our time is coming to a close. Would you like to pray the Our Father together?’"
Cole said his heart was struck by this simple question.
Scan code for video interview with President Cole
Pope offers wisdom to Cole
from p.1
“I just cried through the whole thing. I prayed, and I was able to get most of the words out, but the scope of the moment just overtook me,” Cole said.
In this moment, Cole said, he thought about his late mother and how important it was for everyone to come together and pray one of the most powerful prayers.
“Having my faith affirmed in this way,” he said, “the impact of that is my connection to my own faith, my connection to the Catholic Church, to the Catholic global Church, to all the people who are in the room, and my connection to just
humanity.”
Cole recognized how meaningful it was to share that moment with not only other university leaders but with the Pope himself.
Cole has reflected on how he has led Loyola so far and said he wants to bring more solutions to any tensions on campus.
“There was the benefit of what I think religion is all about. Bringing people together, helping us see commonalities, help us make choices that are person centered and God center their base in love and not hate, just very basic things about treating the other well,” Cole said.
While working to maintain campus
VP candidates face off
By Alana Frank anfrank@my.loyno.edu
Vice presidential candidates faced off for the first and likely the last debate in what was a substantive but largely cordial conservation.
The national vice presidential debate was broadcasted in New York City at the CBS Broadcast Center on Tuesday, Oct. 1. The vice president debate was held three weeks after the national presiden-
tial debate in Philadelphia. There, Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota and Senator JD Vance of Ohio, faced off. Walz, who is Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate and Vance, former President Donald Trump’s running mate, were asked a series of questions by moderators, Margaret Brennan and Norah O’Donnell of CBS News.
The rules of the debate were agreed upon by both candidates:
The debate would run for 90 minutes. Campaign staff could not interact
tension regarding the war, Cole said he found peace standing in the room with the Pope.
“There were no fights, there was no war, in that moment, there were no arguments,” Cole said.
Cole said he felt connected to the Pope and had found clarity.
“There were no protests there, there wasn't accession. It was just people who were looking to be inspired and looking to be led by, you know, God. Good. And love.”
The university president also mentioned that he spoke about Gaza and war with the Pope.
“Many world conflicts are still present, not only what is happening in Gaza
with the candidate during the commercial breaks.
There would be no audience, and candidates could not bring pre-written notes, but be given a notepad and a pen.
The candidates were allowed two minutes to answer a question and two minutes to respond. They were given one minute to rebut the other candidate's statement.
The microphones were not muted during this debate, unlike the presidential debate, but CBS News could turn off the candidates’ microphone if needed. There were no opening statements, and Vance went second with his closing statement, following his victory in the
and Israel, but in Sudan, Ukraine, Haiti, and much more that we don’t hear enough about in the news,” Cole said.
After his experience with the Pope, Cole hones in on spreading awareness about worldwide issues with students.
He said he strives to put the university’s best intentions forward.
“Part of my solution as a leader of a university is making sure our faculty and staff are putting you guys in the best intellectual position to understand what's happening and then be able to posit a solution,” Cole said.
Cole said he plans to invite more guest speakers on campus to talk to students about lifestyle topics inside and outside of school life.
virtual coin toss on Thursday, deciding to close out the debate. Each candidate had two minutes of closing remarks.
During the debate, the candidates faced questions about the war happening in the Middle East, the destruction left by Hurricane Helene, immigration, gun violence, reproductive rights, housing, and the economy.
CBS decided to cut both Vance and Walz’s mics once while debating over Haitian migrants in Ohio, which included a fact check from moderators.
Outside of that moment, both candidates focused most on the facts, policy, and substance rather than personal attacks toward each other or the presiden-
Another goal Cole said he has for Loyola is to create a space that provides a balance and has ground rules so students can discuss opinions with each other and listen to other people's perspectives.
Cole prompts students to consider how to incorporate faith and Catholic values when facing conflict between our students.
“I think we need to really focus more on talking about Loyola as a joined community, that there are many more things that bind us than set us apart,” Cole said. Violet Bucaro contributed to this report.
tial candidates.
There were also moments during the debate where both candidates used similar tactics to appeal to voters. They used biography throughout the debate and touched on where they came from, and how they grew up. The two candidates were cordial throughout the debate. Vance consistently talked about Harris’ stance on border security, while Walz talked more about Trump’s stance on abortion rights. On certain issues, candidates were able to find a common ground.
Continued
Loyola President Xavier Cole shakes hands with Pope Francis. Courtesy of Cole
CAMPUS
department levels up with $700,000 grant
Clean-up Day sparks neighbourhood interest
By Lily Bordelon lmbordel@my.loyno.edu
Around 200 Loyola and Tulane students cleaned up trash around the city, picking up an estimated 300-400 pounds of waste, according to Mark Tobler, biology research associate professor.
Environmental Studies Director Joel MacClellan said the annual World Cleanup Day was important to raise environmental awareness to the community. He noticed the neighborhood had shown interest in the volunteer work.
“I think this is about awareness raising. It helps the community know what's going on. We were stopped many, many times. ‘What are you doing? This is great. Who are you?’” MacClellan said. “There's word on the street now because of this, which is great, but also it gives our students a chance to be in the community because there's often not a lot of hopefulness in environmental studies.”
MacClellan said these events have the ability to bring students hope through the environmental crisis.
By Violet Bucaro vabucaro@my.loyno.edu
The digital filmmaking department has devised a plan to enhance the program with state of the art technology with a recent $700,000 grant.
Dean of the College of Music and Media Sheryl Haydel, Film Program Chair Miles Doleac, and film professor Nathan Tate collaborated on a multi-step plan over the next three years, from new cameras to a volume wall.
Doleac said the university applied for the grant from the Louisiana Entertainment fund to enhance the department’s equipment. At the beginning of the semester, the program received the grant.
Initially, Haydel came to Doleac with a suggestion to pursue an installation of a high-resolution volume wall for the film department with the grant provided by the film foundation. This installation is a giant LED television screen on which you can project an immersive virtual set, Doleac said.
The plan for the application was a phased budget allocating the funds across a three year period of disbursement. The grant is capped each year by the entertainment development fund.Loyola can receive no more than $250,000 in a given year.
Phase one of the application involved purchasing new equipment, including camera lenses and lighting, Doleac said. The department acquired Sumire lenses along with Red V Rapor cameras. Camera holdings, lenses, lighting, and all the accouter camera monitors have received significant upgrades, he said.
In the second phase, the department will install a volume wall. This 3-D interactive technology uses motion-sensitive cameras, light-emitting diode panels, and game engines to create virtual-world backgrounds. Students will be able to act in front of this screen with their own visual designs. This technology has been used in Disney and Lucasfilm’s “The Mandalorian,” according to a press release from Loyola. According to Doleac, current seniors will shoot their senior projects on the Red V Raptor cameras and the new lenses acquired as part of this grant.
Tate said the department chose those specific cameras for their global shut-
“I think that's actually a very fundamental part of doing good work to protect the environment. It's having a vision of a better future, and this sort of manifests that reality so much,” he said.
Ana Beatriz Paz, freshman and environmental science major, participated in the cleanup as a volunteer. As a new resident of New Orleans, she feels that working together with the community will help with the process of settling in.
“Being able to clean up the city and areas that I frequently visit really makes me feel like a part of this city and community, and I feel rewarded for being able to make a difference and bring some joy and peace to others’ lives,” Paz said.
Environmental science freshman and volunteer Abigail Silvas said she feels an obligation to help when she can.
“I just came to a new city. The school that I went to, they focused a lot on community and volunteer work, so I wanted to give back to this new community that I'm part of,” Silvas said.
ters. These cameras capture an image all in one instance as opposed to the top to bottom scanning of rolling shutter cameras. This upgrade combats the common issue of skewed footage with camera movement.
Doleac said the program once had antiquated monitors which caused disruptive monitor lag. Now, film students will have access to cameras used to shoot $100 million Hollywood studio pictures on high quality glass, he said.
Volume walls have been commonly used in bigger budget studios like Disney and Lucasfilms, the "Mandalorian" according to Doleac.
“This technology really is critical to the future of our industry,” Doleac said.
“This is an area that we felt like we needed to embrace.”
This advanced technology allows for motion tracking, which means that the sets can move with the performers in front of the wall. Location possibilities become endless, Doleac said.
“I think students are very excited about the volume wall, its possibilities, and the avenues it opens up for production,” Doleac said. “It really just opens up an entirely new production landscape for us.”
Doleac said the department’s intention is to instill industry standard technology for the students, so when students graduate they are prepared with the ability to use “real world” tools. With this upgrade, he said, “we’re really there.”
Current screenwriting and script-toscreen classes teach to write material that is logistically possible to shoot, and with the volume wall, users can write any location and create it virtually, Doleac said.
Phase two and three entail building a virtual studio with the led volume wall in Studio 422 of the Communication and Media Complex.
Experts will come to the school to educate students on how to build virtual world sets, bringing virtual production design to the classroom, Dolelac said.
“We want them to be more acclimated to the environment of, you know, actual production,” Doleac said.
Chapel invites students to
the tea
By Margaret Fielding mcfieldi@my.loyno.edu
Residential minister Ken Weber invites students to enjoy sweet treats and tea while sharing their thoughts or worldviews, judgment free, at SpiritualiTEA.
SpiritualiTEA takes place Wednesdays at 5 p.m. in the new St. Ignatius Chapel. The group is back by popular demand after a hiatus last year.
“It is to provide a context for students to grow spiritually in whatever way is best for them,” Weber said.
In the most recent gathering, Weber invited Professor Naomi Yavneh to come and talk to students about Rosh Hashanah. Yavneh introduced them to a Jewish tradition called Tashlich, a ceremony on the first day of Rosh Hashanah in which sins are symbolically cast away into a body of water.
After reflecting on the past year, students wrote down what they wanted to “cast out” on a piece of paper. Instead of throwing them in a body of water, Yavneh taught them how to fold it into a paper boat.
The evening wrapped up with apples and honey to symbolize a sweet new year.
Film students use the new cameras provided by the grant. Courtesy of film department
Students pick up trash on environmental clean up day, Sept. 21. Photo by Ava Dufrene
Ken Weber wears pride pin with a cross. Maria Oliveria Arbona/The Maroon
Copy Editors Morgan Matteson Alexandria Martinez Ramos
Production
Layout/Production Manager Kloe Witt
Front Page Designer Daniel Garces
The Wolf Creative Director Taylor Falgout
Photo Director Heidi Herrera-Wanke
Chief Illustrator Daryl Audrey Casas
Layout/Production Assistant Andrea Arroyo
UI/UX Coordinator Daniel Wong
Distribution Managers Sophia Renzi Eloise Pickering
Digital
Digital Director Francisco Esteves
Video Director James Hufnagel
Video Coordinator Christopher Nesbit
Anchor Mabel Regalado-Hernandez
Social Media Coordinator Jordan Higgins
Audio Director Kloe Witt
Sports Podcast Anchor Matthew Richards
PR & DEI
Public Relations Director Julia Bueno
DEI Officer Tanesha Taylor
Contributors
Writers: Pharrell Every, Alexandra Martinez Ramos, Carmen Tonry, Samantha Guillotte, Myles McWilliams, Dominique Campbell, Ruby Neider, Lonniesha Carroll, Maggie Lewis, , Chris Maldonado, Gavin Crehan, Janssen Van De Yacht, Chiara Faircloth, Sydney Piglia, Natalie Thomas, Alexandria Partin, Anna Therapondos, Eleanor Boucher-Ferry, Kaitlyn Gress, William Shepard, James Wyrtzen, Deja Magee, Alana Thompson, Volodymyr Lukianenko, Mary Ella Hastings, Lucy Cromwell, Alyria Pierre, Lily Bordelon, Valentina Russel, Macee Fielding, Maryelle Vasquez, Elise Beck, Adriana Escobar, Christopher Pouncy
Photographers: Rodrigo Delgado Jr., Carmen Tonry, Ryan Talley, Ashlyn Bobb Collins, Sophia Renzi, Sunny Bedford, Gana Mohamed, Sophia Santos, Zoie Jones, Olivia Sanyal, Adriana Escobar, Maria Olivera Arbona
Videographers: Carmen Tonry, Jenaleyse Waterman, Daniela Martinez, James Hufnagel, Cecilia Calderin, Gana Mohamed, Macee Fielding, Mary Ella Hastings, Olivia Sanyal, Christopher Pouncy, Maria Olivera Arbona
Our office is in the Communications/ Music Complex, Room 328.
ACROSS
1. Your under this in a courthouse
5. The month we’re currently in
12. Type of music Across 25 and Down
65 make
13. Hungry for brains
17. Making out in public abbr.
6. “of “ in French
19. Best muffin flavor!
21.Second Life abbr.
22. “To go” in spanish
23. Can be divided into 6 equilateral triangles
25. “King For A Day” ____ the Veil
28. “___ you gonna finish that??”
29. __- Berkeley
30. Sells a lot of leaves
35. You will need to sign this before getting with a celebrity
37. Blue
39. Agnostic
41. Comedy show started in 1975
43. Harp on
45. Lather this on
47. Meeting for people in recovery abbr.
48. A, E, I _, U (sometimes Y)
49. A network that masks online traffic
51. The total
52. Right Tackle abbr.
53. Leonardo Dicaprio and his girlfriends have large…
58. The 48th Vice President of the United States
59. Prefix for “within”
61. GET YOUR COSTUMES READY FOR THIS!
63. Harassment in a company is reported to this department
64. Rapid Eye Movement sleep
66. Tap dancing requires this clothing
67. Python programming language
Send mail to: The Maroon, Loyola University, Campus Box 64, 6363 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA 70118
The Maroon is published every Friday. Unless otherwise noted, all content is copyrighted by The Maroon. All rights reserved. First copy free to students, faculty, and staff. Every additional copy is $1.00.
The Maroon is printed on 30 percent post-consumer recycled content.
68. Cringe comedy show by Johnny knoxville
70. Atlanta is in this state abbr.
71. _-rex
72. Fiona from Shrek
73. Asia Minor
78. Word for God, “__WH”
79. Enchantress
80. Alien movie with Will Smith abbr.
DOWN
1. Greek king that was prophesied to marry his mother
2. “Bye Bye Miss ________ Pie”
3. “Side __ Side” by Ariana Grande
4. Ancient Greek Eta looks most like this letter in the alphabet
5. Euboean prince from Greek mythology
6. “You can’t see me!” Wrestler John 7. Genus of conifers, also referred to as hemlocks
8. First letter of the month we’re currently in
9. If this is high on your charts, you might need to exercise more
10. Erectile dysfunction and eating disorders are types of
11. Political get-together
13. Slang for pizza
14. Opposite of off
15. A unit of measurement for electrical charge
16. Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement abbr.
19. Son of the simpsons
20. Rip a page out
24. Flanders and Beattys
26. Council of Economic Advisers, abbr.
27. “Yessss her outfit ____!”
31. Noise in library
32. Home Equity Agreement, abbr.
33. Open Information Model, abbr.
34. Sound made to a cat on the street
36. No laws
38. Collection of information
40. Hair piece for men with bald spots
42. “See you ____!”
44. Starry Night painter
46. A sign something is about to happen
48. More than happy
50. Range ropes
60. Freshwater lake in Northern Ireland, UK
62. Peppermint, lavender, tea tree are these types of oils
69. __ke Palmer
70. First word in these 70s style boots
71. Open these at bars
73. This type of technology is replacing workers
74. Part of Bible with Jesus in it
75. Need this to survive Louisiana summers
76. Initials for famous pro-skater
Crossword by Max Schweikarth and Kira Phillips/The Maroon
LOCAL & WORLDVIEW
“ Free Store” provides necessities in the name of solidarity
By Rodrigo Delgado rdelgado@my.loyno.edu
The Fred Hampton Free Store aims to give the community what it needs. Run by Dan Bingler, The Free Store distributes food, contraceptives, clothing, and even clinic help to anyone in need.
As reflected by the name, the resources offered are free to whomever needs them. Bingler founded GNO Caring Collective in 2020 in response to COVID-19. The Free Store opened its doors over a year ago in the Lower Ninth Ward at 5523 St Claude Ave, previously a Family Dollar, and has aimed to create an environment where creativity and community flourish.
Works by local artists cover the walls of The Free Store.
“The best part about what I do here is seeing people bring their ideas here and creating something from it,” Bingler said.
Not only is The Free Store a communal space, but it also acts as a music venue for all-ages shows. It typically charges $10 for entry when doing shows, but no one is turned away for lack of funds, according to various posters.
“The most important thing I do here is get out of the way, so that other people can create within this space in ways that are non-monetary, that don’t have anything to do with money or capitalism or rent or fucking anything except for solidarity,” Bingler said.
In April 2024, The Free Store hosted a Palestine Benefit show with bands Terminal Tongue, Tweakhoney, and Thou on the lineup. The store raised and donated over $4,000.
“GNO Caring Collective is about adapting to community care and support needs from the people who we're supporting to whatever they express or whatever we end up capable of,” Bingler said, “Sometimes it's going to be a building, ...sometimes it's going to be Plan B and Flonase and Claritin. Sometimes it's going to be sharing a stage.”
Bingler plans to dedicate his future to providing resources to those in need.
“Five Years? Who knows, I will be living through or having died in the revolution,” Bingler said.“I see myself in five years radically sharing space with marginalized leadership, leveraging my privileges to get access to resources,
and then putting those resources in the hands of people who should have access to them.”
Every Monday, The Free Store opens for the community health fair. The event offers a free clinic, a free clothing boutique, and hot meals when the store can provide them. On Wednesdays, The Free Store opens for public skate nights. There is no entry fee, and occasionally there are free skates for attendees to use.
The Free Store provided the community with relief for Hurricane Francine. The store had power and remained open for whoever needed it. On Sept. 14, it served hundreds of free hot meals. There were also laundry detergent, non-perishable food, diapers and formula, and many other items available.
“It really is amazing to see all the different energy that comes into this space–all the power that is shared here. All the connection and community,” Bingler said, “I could not have imagined the first day I got the keys to this place what it would become, but I did imagine what it could become and it's still beyond my wildest dreams.”
Project 2025 sets conservative agenda
By Ecoi Lewis writeremail@my.loyno.edu
The 2025 Presidential Transition Project, popularly known as Project 2025, aims to reshape the United States through a series of conservative actions in the case of a Republican presidency.
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative DC-based think tank, created and funded the proposal. The foundation is the most broadly supported public policy research institute in the country, according to the U.S. Department of State.
Project 2025 is a 920-page outline giving direction for the potential conservative presidency. The outline contains mandates of four central doctrines. According to the Associated Press, Project 2025 "is essentially a government-in-waiting for the former president's return — or any candidate who aligns with their ideals."
The proposals of Project 2025 include:
• End federal funding for Planned Parenthood and all other abortion providers and redirect said
funding to health centers that provide healthcare to women.
• Reduce climate change/environmental regulations to favor fossil fuels.
• Get rid of the Department of Education and terminate or transfer its programs.
• Take complete partisan control of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Federal Communications Commission, Department of Justice, Federal Trading Commission, and Department of
Commerce, and dismantle the Department of Homeland Security.
• Use the Comstock Act of 1873 to send people to jail for buying contraceptives/abortion bills.
• Eliminate all coverage of emergency contraception.
• Cut Medicare/Medicaid.
• Remove protections against discrimination based on gender/ sexual identity.
• Prosecute “anti-white” racism, including affirmative action.
• Make diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and affirmative action obsolete.
• Greater monitoring of the National Institute of Health and cease funding research involving embryonic stem cells.
• Introduce tax cuts.
• Promote capital punishment and the finality in sentencing.
• Arrest, detain, and deport all illegal immigrants in the country.
• Criminalize the distribution, production, and consumption of pornography.
• Deploy the military for domestic law enforcement.
• Reject abortion as healthcare.
Attendees mosh at The Free Store Palestine benefit show on April 13. Rodrigo Delgado/The Maroon
Dan Bingler poses on the The Free Store floor. Rodrigo Delgado/The Maroon
“ Travelling the world in one room”
International fest unifies community with food, music
By Anna Seriot abseriot@my.loyno.edu
The International Student Association organized its annual international festival to honor the many cultures present on campus. With the help of the ISA and the Center for International Education, students set up stands in the St. Charles Room with food torepresent their countries, while professors answered questions about study abroad programs. Attendees enjoyed British tea, French crêpes, Italian bruschetta, Korean traditional noodles, Brazilian brigadeiro also called chocolate
truffle, German wrüstlers which are traditional sausages and many more dishes and treats.
“It's like travelling the world but in one room,” student Andrea Guffani said.
In addition to the friendly atmosphere present in the room, live music from Shella enlivened the event.
The next event organized by ISA will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 12pm in the Multicural Room in Danna Center. It will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month across Honduras over coffee and conversation.
Gordon Ramsay cooked, served, and ate
Reality TV Chef films segment on campus featuring student extras
By Taylor Falgout tafalgou@my.loyno.edu
Chef Gordon Ramsay made an unexpected appearance on Loyola’s campus last weekend to film a segment for his upcoming kitchen renovation show, “Kitchen Nightmares.” Ramsay invited students to try a new dish, a plant-based Impossible burger, which is one of the featured items at Kindred, an uptown restaurant known for its vegetarian and vegan menu. The excitement in the Peace Quad was palpable as everyone signed releases to allow their faces to appear on national television. While the crew reminded the students to steer
clear of the cameras and keep their phones away, the buzz of anticipation created an atmosphere of excitement. Some students lounged, others were chatting, laughing, and a few even did cartwheels. As students spotted Chef Ramsay arriving, they didn’t want to miss out, so they steadily moved closer to the action. Mary, a crew member, ushered them toward the library, where Chef Ramsay handed burgers to the eager students.
Loyola’s appearance on “Kitchen Nightmares” is expected to air on Saturday, Oct. 5, according to a crew member.
SHELLA, senior Isabella Cabal, performs at the event. Laci Barrow/The Maroon
Junior Harvey Quiddington serves students at the England stand. Isabella Castillo/The Maroon
Aurora Volkova hands out Russian sweets. Isabella Castillo/The Maroon
Juniors Valeria Samour and Juan Felipe Morales serve traditional Salvadorean food. Isabella Castillo/The Maroon
Students representing Colombia serve food. Laci Barrow/The Maroon
Gordon Ramsay grills Impossible Burgers on set on Sept. 28 in the Peace Quad. Aaron Covin/The Maroon
Second Line Sunday bounces through St. Charles
By Sophia Renzi sdrenzi@my.loyno.edu
Every Sunday, krewes from around New Orleans gather to parade through the streets in vibrant colors, dancing to the beat of a brass band. On Sept. 29, the Krewe of Good Fellas took over, shutting down St. Charles Avenue, then moved into the Central City neighborhood Sunday afternoon. Even after the New Orleans Saints loss in Atlanta, the krewe lifted everyone’s spirits with joy and dancing.
Good Fella member leaves the meeting point and receives welcoming cheers. Sophia Renzi/The Maroon
Top right: Parent tosses kid into air while paradeing down the street. Sophia Renzi/The Maroon
Right: Horn players fill the streets of Uptown. Sophia Renzi/The Maroon
Below: Community member dances on top of car as parade passes. Sophia Renzi/The Maroon
Above: Community members danced on structures around the street. Sophia Renzi/The Maroon
REVIEWS
A story of love, loss, brutal honesty, and hot priests
By Victoria Marino
"Go out and get some fresh air," the Ripley star tells EW with a laugh. "Stop watching. Stop crying. Stop crying in your room with your curtains closed. Do something better with your life. It's a great show, we all love it, but come on now, pull yourself together. Open the curtains and go outside." - Andrew Scott, a season 2 cast member, on people still watching Fleabag, from Entertainment Weekly
The girls have been tapping into Fleabag discourse for 5 years and counting since the release of its final season; twitter threads have absolutely exhausted this very topic. So after all this time, why hasn’t this witty and emotionally complex series gotten stale?
beloved hot priest’s advice, I am indeed writing this very review inside with the curtains closed all with the hopes to harp further. Fresh air will have to do without me for the next couple hours! Whether it be the allure of the manic pixie feminist, the undeniable chemistry of the ensemble cast, the intimacy of the broken 4th wall, or simply Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s charming, flawed, yet ultimately relatable character, Fleabag has very much remained within the cultural consciousness, or at least within my algorithm.
Although the series was made for the stage, and was born out of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s 2013 one-woman show, it’s surprisingly not a proclamation of
for someone like Phoebe Waller Bridge who, luckily for us, was blessed with unabashed honesty within her writing. She rejects the mold of what feminist writers should discuss; Fleabag breaks girl code, puts all of her self worth into sexual relationships with strange men, and would lose 5 years of her life if it meant she could have the “so-called perfect body.” The self aware nature of Fleabag is part of the reason audiences find her so likable. Her refusal to fake her desires and instincts, although at times problematic, is inspiring in a world where we’re supposed to be good feminists who couldn’t care less about the male gaze.
The series is much more than a
someone who grew up with a type-A older sister, I understand the sisterly dynamics between Claire and Fleabag perfectly.
The general lack of communication, the post-haircut melodrama, the stealing of the red sweater, and the inability to give one's sister a non-awkward hug is a seemingly universal experience. We hate each other and can hyper analyze our respective flaws, but we’re ultimately grateful to be stuck together. Who else would we make knowing eye contact with during a passive aggressive family dinner?
On a more serious note, it would be a disservice to the complexity of the series to not call out the headless gold statue in the room. All of the chaotic journeys
that Fleabag embarks on are ultimately mechanisms used to cope with the profound losses she has endured in her life. She is simply a grieving daughter and best friend who can’t figure out where the love goes after someone dies. She is proof that grief isn’t always heavy and melodramatic; it’s allowed to look like whatever you want it to! It can crack politically incorrect jokes and make others uncomfortable because it’s all yours, and it is nothing without the love it came from. This series is beloved because it’s about all kinds of love: how it can be small, big, misplaced, abandoned, taken for granted, and all consuming in both beautiful and painful ways. That’s the real reason we remain crying in our room almost 8 years later, even if they’re happy tears.
"Gravity Falls": a decade later, and still going strong
By Gabriela Santos gisantos@my.loyno.edu
Let’s go back to early 2012, a time when many of us were children glued to our TV screens. If you were anything like me, you were probably watching The Disney Channel. During the commercial breaks, a promo for a new series pops up
that piques your curiosity. The promo featured what seemed to be video entries of two unseen characters trying to get footage of a creature. Despite the lack of on-camera characters, we can hear them and get an idea of their personality traits. This promo promises fun but also mystery – of course, I’m talking about “Gravity Falls.”
“Gravity Falls” officially premiered in June 2012 and instantly became a hit. Created by Alex Hirsch, the series follows 12-year-old twins Dipper and Mabel Pines, who spend their summer in the little town of Gravity Falls with their great-uncle, Grunkle Stan. The town is filled with many cooky characters and places, but underneath the layer lies mystery, whether it be the cryptid monsters roaming around, or paranormal activities. The series’ biggest mystery kicks off when Dipper
finds a crimson journal cataloging these supernatural phenomena, the author’s true identity being the final piece of the puzzle.
In its span of 2 seasons, “Gravity Falls” earned a massive following thanks to its well-crafted and hilarious characters while having elaborate mysteries that the fans desperately wanted to answer, and some of these fans even did answer these questions before the series itself revealed it. With a series like this, it was no surprise when Disney announced that a new book, primarily catered towards an older audience, was being written that would expand the “Gravity Falls” universe. “The Book of Bill,” a book based on the character Bill Cipher, was published in July of this year, and many fans were getting their hands on it and looking for more clues, along with fun tidbits and easter eggs. Of course,
Hirsch knew his fanbase and decided to upload a mysterious website that made everyone go full-on Sherlock Holmes mode. This led to a resurgence of the series on social media platforms, such as X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok. Now, not a day goes by without my Twitter timeline or TikTok’s For You Page featuring posts of “Gravity Falls,” whether it’s fan art, memes, or easter eggs I’d never noticed before. I find it incredible how even after the show ended over a decade ago, “Gravity Falls” is still a hot topic and is regarded as one of the best animated TV series from the 2010’s. Some would even say it’s one of the best TV series, period! Its sudden popularity on social media demonstrated a key factor in this resurgence of “Gravity Falls.” The fanbase that this series had back in the day is now older and is looking back to their
childhoods. The young children who were laughing and trying to solve the mysteries of the show are now in their 20s. Yet, there doesn’t seem to be any sign of blinded nostalgia. It is genuine care that the fandom is still devoted to this series. Fans still discover new details and connections about “Gravity Falls.” Hirsch himself gives out new information and funny tidbits about the show, such as concept artwork along with funny images and memes, primarily based on Bill Cipher. It’s clear that twelve years after its premiere and 8 years since we last saw them on our TV screens, what was left is a legacy; a mysterious, yet fun legacy that many of us will look fondly upon.
Courtesy of the Disney Channel
Courtesy of Two Brothers Studios and Amazon Prime
SPORTS Who Dat? Photo students get to see Saints up close
By Eloise Pickering ewpicker@my.loyno.edu
Senior Siobhan Terry spent an “unforgettable” day assisting professional photographers at the first home Saints game of the season.
Professor and Director of Photography at the Times-Picayune and Nola. com David Grunfeld is in his sixth season of taking his students to Saints football games at the Caesars Superdome.
For each game, Grunfeld takes one student from his photography class, chosen by lottery. Each interested student writes their name on a piece of paper, which is then rolled into a ball. Grunfeld throws the names in the air, and the one closest to him is chosen for the day.
Terry, a public relations major, photographed the New Orleans Saints versus Carolina Panthers game on Sept. 18.
“While attending the game, I definitely got an inside look at what goes into live photojournalism reporting,” Terry said.
Grunfeld describes the day as a mentorship program, where students can see how professional photographers work in a sporting environment, while meeting reporters and photographers.
“The game is a great educational tool for students,” Grunfeld said.
The students main task throughout the game is to run the SD cards from the cameras into a computer so the photos are ready to be edited when the photographers come off the field at halftime.
Samantha Guillotte, Loyola journalism junior, went to the Sept. 22 game with Grunfeld, where the Saints played the Philadelphia Eagles. While at the Superdome, Guillotte met and conversed with other photographers to form new professional connections.
“It’s what you make it,” Guillotte said regarding the connections she made at the game. “If you didn’t reach out to other photographers and reach out to the media people who were literally there with you, then you probably wouldn’t have earned a lot.”
According to Guillotte, this opportunity at the Superdome reinforced her plan of becoming a professional sports journalist, a career she came to Loyola to pursue. While assisting Grunfeld during the game, Guillotte witnessed Chris Olave, a New Orleans Saints wide receiver, score a touchdown just a few feet in front of her.
“As someone who’s always loved football, watching Olave score the touchdown for the Saints was surreal, especially because it was right in front of me,” Guillotte said. “The energy radiating off the field was mesmerizing and made me want to find a career in sports even more.”.
Terry had a similar experience when she saw Jamaal Williams score a touchdown, “just ten feet” in front of her, as she described it.
“I had never been to a professional football game before, and it was fun to see how excited and into it the Saints fans got,” Terry said.
Following the experience, Terry said that she feels encouraged to take more photos after watching and working with Grunfeld and the other photographers on the field.
“This is an opportunity for me, who has been in this business over 40 years, to pay it forward, and give other people an opportunity to see what we do for a living and to witness it up close,” Grunfeld said.
Loyola student Samantha Guillotte stands to the left of Loyola professor David Grunfled at the New Orleans Saints vs. Philadelphia Eagles game on Sept. 22, 2024 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La. Photo courtesy of Brett Duke.
Loyola professor David Grunfled standing next to his student, Siobhan Terry, and Nola.com photojournalist Brett Duke. Photo courtesy of Siobhan Terry.
The New Orleans Saints line up for a play against the Carolina Panthers on Sep. 8, 2024 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La. Photo by Siobhan Terry.
OPINION
It's time to take voting more seriously
By Erin Gillen eegillen@my.loyno.edu
Less than 5% of undergraduate students voted for the current student government president and vice president.
In March, elections commissioner James Salinas announced the winning ticket, which received a mere 183 votes. Even worse for the Loyola community: in total, 9% of the undergraduate students voted in the campus election – not just for presidential candidates, but for senators-at-large, and senators.
Student voter makeup in 2024 SGA election:
8 College of Nursing & Health
36 College of Business
64 College of Music & Media
184 College of Arts & Sciences
Only 292 students voted. Only 292 students used a cellphone to vote via HowlConnect or stopped to vote in the Danna Center. Only 292 students paid attention. Were you part of the few?
This small part of the student population determined the direction of SGA for a full year. The Student Government Association runs the University Pro-
gramming Board, which puts on Stuffa-Wolf, Crawfish in the Quad, and Wolfpack Wednesdays. A puny number of students determined the executives that will select the next UPB Chairperson.
This fraction of 3,000+ undergrads decides who gets approximately $8,000 and $7,550 in compensation as president and vice president, respectively.
The 9% with their votes selected the ticket who will pick the cabinet. Each cabinet member will receive $2,400.
A few fellow students also determined that Senators-At-Large running unopposed will be reinstated and able to receive $2,000 stipends.
Loyola students say that SGA looks
like a popularity contest. If only 292 people vote, then those friends and cliques are being chosen. Also, undergraduate students might be unaware of the student government’s activities throughout the year, especially if they are not directly involved.
Evidently, only 292 students paid enough attention to vote. If Loyola students want a Student Government Association to fully represent the Wolf Pack, then we need to run to fill all seats. Over the three days of open polls, Wolfpack, I’m talking to you, vote!
This poor turnout, not only reflects on the campus stage, but on the national scale. Freshman design major reading
GUEST SERMON: CHRIST COLUMN
God's timing
We all have our goals here, whether that be a student or a teacher here at Loyola. If you haven’t set any goals for yourself, set some now, what’s that one thing that we’ve always wanted to accomplish? Sometimes we’re so focused on trying to reach that goal and achieve
it so badly that we forget that not every goal can be achieved in 24 hours. Sometimes it takes days, weeks, months, or even years. We never know when that day might come because it’s all in God’s timing, when He says it’ll happen. We need to stop trying to rush on reaching that goal and to just go at the pace God wants us to go at. It doesn’t mean that it will be easy, going through the process
this before class, do you know when Election Day is in November? Graduating senior, do you know how you’ll vote from your new job outside of New Orleans, LA?
Tuesday, November 5, 2024.
That’s when our campus will help decide the future of the United States by voting for a Presidential ticket, U.S. Senators, U.S. Congresspersons, and other local officials. If Loyola undergrads truly want to shake up the status quo, follow the path of the 292. Vote for a government that represents you.
of achievement. Every goal has trials and tribulations but the Lord said in Ecclesiastes 3:1 “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven:” In conclusion, always keep striving for what you want to do but also strive for what God wants and just remember that His timing is the best timing and that He loves you very much!
Daryl Audrey Casas/The Maroon
Trenton Watts Music freshman
EDITORIAL
Immigrants built this country, and immigrants built New Orleans. The Irish who arrived in the 1800s didn’t come solely to escape famine—they came to work, often enduring brutal conditions as they labored. Sicilian immigrants, arriving in waves in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, helped craft the culinary landscape of the city, bringing with them the flavors and traditions that birthed iconic dishes like muffulettas and cannoli, now inseparable from the fabric of New Orleans cuisine. Haitian immigrants, many of them refugees fleeing revolution, wove their rich cultural traditions into the complex tapestry of African and French influences in the form of jazz music.
New Orleans is a living monument to the resilience, creativity, and fortitude of immigrants who came in search of a better life. They left their homes, their families, and their pasts behind, all for the possibility of starting anew in a place that promised nothing except a chance. J.D. Vance, a sitting U.S. Senator, recently claimed that migrants in Springfield, Ohio, are eating cats and dogs—a claim that has been repeatedly debunked, including by Springfield’s Republican
mayor. So why does Vance continue to spread such baseless falsehoods? To "protect" the country, he says. Vance is not protecting anything. He is a man of profound moral elasticity, bending the truth to serve his pursuit of power. His willingness to peddle these lies reflects cowardice and a fundamental emptiness at the core of his political persona. This is a man who has built his career on a foundation of fear mongering and division, playing to the darkest instincts of a frightened voter base. In any other context, this kind of behavior would be disqualifying and unbecoming of even a mid-level Burger King manager, much less someone entrusted with one of the most important and powerful jobs in the world.
But why should New Orleans care about J.D. Vance? Because he will soon be visiting this city, and his very presence here is an insult to everything New Orleans stands for.
New Orleans—a city with over three centuries of history, a city that has stood as a testament to the power of immigration, a city that wouldn't exist as we know it without the contributions of people from all over the world—and Vance has the audacity to walk those streets while
peddling the kind of rhetoric that spits in the face of everything this country stands for.
Vance would like for you to consider him a sort of “everyman"—someone who understands the plight of working-class America, a class that is heavily populated by immigrants. Much like his fellow working-class Americans, he went to an Ivy League school and had his senate bid funded in part by a very generous donation from Peter Thiel to the tune of $10,000,000. In his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” he frames himself as someone who grew up with nothing—a true rags to riches story. All too often, though, in these stories, Vance also succumbs to the cliche of the man who’s grasps towards money and power supersedes his ability to relate to the place he came from.
Vance is of Scottish-Irish descent, which is ironic because his ancestors— the very people who built this nation brick by brick—are the same people he’s spent his career vilifying. How does someone claim to love America but hate so deeply the ones who laid the foundation for the roads they walk on? The food they eat? The music they listen to? New Orleans is a living, breathing example of
what happens when you welcome the world to your doorstep. The French, the Haitians, the Italians, the Africans, the Irish—they didn’t just come here. They made here. They created a culture that is unique in all the world, and it’s a culture that thrives because of immigration, not despite it.
But J.D. Vance? He wants you to believe otherwise. He wants you to believe that immigrants are a threat. He wants you to believe that the people who risk everything just for the chance to stand on American soil are somehow less worthy of that soil than he is.
J.D. Vance is married to Usha Vance, an Indian American woman, someone whose family, too, has a story of immigration, of sacrifice, of seeking opportunity. So how does he reconcile that? How does a man who, without his marriage, would view her presence as antithetical to what this country stands for get up and speak with a straight face about "protecting" America from the very thing that created it?
He doesn’t. He doesn’t because his version of America isn’t the one that exists. His version is one where fear is currency, where division is power, and where the truth gets twisted into whatev-
er it needs to be that day to keep people afraid of the "other."
There is no "other." Not here. Not in New Orleans. This country doesn’t have a single corner that hasn’t been touched, shaped, or outright built by the hands of immigrants. You want to talk about the American spirit? That spirit is made up of the people who risked their lives for the chance to be a part of something bigger than themselves.
To disrespect those people is to disrespect America itself.
J.D. Vance is un-American. He’s un-American because he’s forgotten—or maybe he’s just chosen to ignore—that America’s greatness comes from its diversity, its ability to welcome those who seek a better life, who work hard, who dream bigger. New Orleans is no place for the likes of him. Because here, in this city, we celebrate what makes us different. We honor the contributions of everyone who’s come here, past and present.
J.D. Vance can visit, sure, but he should know—his very presence here is an insult to the rich history and culture that has been brewing for over 300 years.
Daryl Audrey Casas/ The Maroon
Small acts of kindness can have a big impact in making people feel welcome. When we reach out and connect with others, we can build a stronger community where everyone – regardless of their background – feels like they belong. LEARN HOW AT
