April 25, 2018

INSIDE PHILADELPHIA’S

OPIOID EPIDEMIC PART FOUR SEE PAGES 7-10

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News

April 25, 2018

Department of Public Safety reports (April 13 – April 19) April 13 Public Safety confiscated a quantity of alcohol from several St. Joe’s students inside the lobby of the LaFarge Residence Center. Residence Life notified. Community Standards notified.

Public Safety confiscated a quantity of alcohol from a St. Joe’s student inside the lobby of the Villiger Residence Center. Residence Life notified. Community Standards notified.

Public Safety responded to a fire alarm at the Villiger Residence Center. Investigation revealed the alarm was activated by students cooking. Facilities Management was notified.

April 15

Public Safety was notified of a disorderly St. Joe’s student inside the lobby of Lannon Hall. Public Safety officers responded and resolved the matter. Residence Life notified. Community Standards notified.

Public Safety was notified of a disorderly person (non-St. Joe’s) inside the lobby of Hagan Arena. Public Safety officers responded and resolved the matter. No police report at this time.

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On campus

Public Safety was notified by Residence Life of an odor of marijuana coming from a 3rd floor room of Sourin Hall. Public Safety Officers responded to the area. A search of the area revealed no signs of drugs or drug paraphernalia. Community Standards notified.

April 14

ALCOHOL RELATED INCIDENTS

April 18

DRUG RELATED INCIDENTS

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On campus

Public Safety was notified by a St. Joe’s student in regards to a small group of people gathering near the area of Lannon Hall approaching students regarding their religious beliefs. Public Safety Officers responded to the area and escorted the group off campus without incident. No police report at this time.

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Off campus

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Off campus

Call Public Safety:

610-660-1111

ELECTION 2018 Voting in the Pennsylvania primary elections ALEX MARK ’20 Assistant News Editor In Pennsylvania, primary elections for both parties will occur on May 15, 2018 from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Primary elections decide which candidates from each party will advance to compete against candidates from other parties in the general elections later in the year, which will take place on November 6.

Primary election ballots have been finalized since March 20, the filing deadline for candidacy.

What do I need to be able to vote in a primary election?

The deadline to register as a Pennsylvania voter passed on April 16. Anyone who did not register to vote by this date will not be able to vote in the primaries.

For registered voters, the eligibility criteria for primary elections vary from state to state. In Pennsylvania, citizens who wish to participate in the primaries for either political party must be registered and enrolled with that party.

In addition, registered voters are eligible to cast votes in any sort of special election occurring around the same time as the primary election.

First-time voters may be asked to provide some sort of identification when entering the polling place, but it does not have to be a photo ID. Acceptable forms of

identification include Pennsylvania driver’s licenses and permits, student or employee ID cards, and a U.S. passport, etc.

Although poll workers may ask for identification, they are not allowed to stop people from voting based on their ID alone.

What if I can’t make it to the polls on May 15?

Pennsylvania is one of a few states which do not allow early voting, so there is no designated time to vote in-person before the election date.

Similarly, Pennsylvania does not allow no-excuse absentee voting, meaning that, without an excuse for missing election day, a citizen cannot vote by absentee ballot.

People who are eligible to vote by absentee ballot include college students living at school, people on vacation, people with disabilities which make it impossible to get to the polls, and people observing religious holidays, among others.

If someone is a citizen of another state besides Pennsylvania and cannot make it back in time for that state’s primaries (dates vary by state), that person can submit an absentee ballot according to that state’s rules. These rules vary from state to state.

In order to obtain an absentee ballot in Pennsylvania, it is required that the voter submit an application by the Tuesday before the election and return the ballot by 5:00 p.m. on the Friday before the election.

What if I have a problem at the polling place?

If a voter’s eligibility is cast into doubt, that person may need to cast a provisional ballot. This kind of ballot will record a vote, but will not be counted if the person who cast it turns out to be ineligible to vote.

Voters may need to cast a provisional ballot if their name does not appear in the poll books (district registers) but they claim to be registered, if they do not present a valid form of identification at the polling place, or if an election official

claims that they are not eligible to vote.

The only citizens required to vote by provisional ballot are those ordered to do so by the court, and those who are casting their vote late as a result of a preapproved polling place extension.

Citizens voting by provisional ballot will receive a receipt with information about their ballot. Seven days after the election, a provisional ballot voter may contact or visit the Department of State.

By preasenting the information on the receipt, provisional voters can find out whether or not their votes were counted.

Graphic by Kaitlyn Patterson ’20.

News

April 25, 2018

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Growing diversity in Student Senate Creating a more inclusive campus

ALEX KARPINSKI ’20 Assistant News Editor The 18th University Student Senate (USS) was sworn in last week with the most diverse group of student senators to date.

The elections have prompted a cautious optimism from some student senators concerning the balance of fulfilling the Jesuit mission and the importance of fostering a diverse and inclusive campus.

Tyler Jackson ’18, who has served on the Student Senate for the past two years, is excited for the incoming class and the potential they bring with them. In his first year on Student Senate, Jackson was the only African American male. Today there are three.

“Excited is the word, that's the best word I can use for this new beginning,” Jackson said. “Knowing these people, I love the energy they bring, I love the passion they bring to see things change within the university, and they sought the correct office to make that big change happen.”

Gabby Stevenson ’21, one of the new faces Jackson is referring to, is a newly elected senator who is excited to be part of an increasingly diverse senate.

“Not only is it a diverse senate, but you have a large demographic of students that are involved in the Office of Inclusion and Diversity,” Stevenson said. “This will allow for the senate to push for more initiatives like the Campus Climate Survey and give perspective as to why we need to push this as class senators, and as well how to make this campus a little more inclusive.”

With more representation in the senate, Stevenson thinks that people whose

Rachel Cox ’19, Steven Bradley ’20, Kelley Corbett ’21 and Kali Efstration ’21 during a Senate meeting (Photo by Luke Malanga ’20).

voices may have been overlooked, will now have fair representation at the university.

“I think that by having a body of people that can advocate for a large demographic of students that we tend to kind of overlook here, now we have the people in place to sit in the room and be part of the discussion of how do we make sure that everybody on campus feels included,” Stevenson said.

Rachel Cox ’19, a current senator, who served as the senate Diversity & Inclusion Chair in the 17th USS, has a similar out-

look. Cox believes the recent student senate elections will result in immediate action that will foster and improve diversity and inclusion on Hawk Hill.

“With the recent elections there is a lot more representation on the senate,” Cox said. “I think that there will be direct action as a result. Sometimes it feels like there is apathy from higher administration to fix some of these issues [of inclusion and diversity]. I think Senate has a very vital role in fixing that, and being the mediator between people in the adminis-

tration and students.”

Although the senate continues to diversify, the USS will face a number of challenges going forward, and on the forefront will be the Senate’s important role in promoting inclusion and diversity at St. Joe’s.

“It has improved but we still have a lot of room to go,” said USS president Jason D’Antonio ’19. “The senate is a good mirror of our school. So as the school becomes better at bringing in students of different backgrounds and race, things of that nature, so does the senate, and the senate becomes reflective of that.”

Cox is looking forward to future candidates who may be encouraged to run for office based on this year’s senate.

“This is the most visibly diverse senate that we have had, because I can’t ever say for certain how other people have identified in the past,” Cox said. “And I think that is exciting because it will be inspiring to a lot of other people to maybe run for senate themselves.”

Stevenson understands the responsibility that comes with her position, and knows she, along with other members of the senate, will be instrumental in promoting change and a more inclusive and diverse St. Joe’s.

“At St. Joe’s, we have a lot of work and progress to be made as a community,” Stevenson said. “The progress is going to come, but it has to be prompted by somebody. It has to be a group of people that care about St. Joe’s. I do care about St. Joe’s, and I want us to have a more inclusive environment.”

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News

April 25, 2018

A new era in the office of the provost

Peter Norberg, Rajneesh Sharma appointed as associate provosts NICK KARPINSKI ’21 Assistant Sports Editor The office of the provost announced the appointment of two professors as associate provosts. Peter Norberg, Ph.D., professor of English, is the new associate provost for faculty and academic support, and Rajneesh Sharma, Ph.D., associate professor of finance, is the new associate provost for assessment and strategic planning.

Both appointments were announced

by Jeanne Brady, Ph.D., provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, via email on April 13. Norberg and Sharma officially begin their tenures on June 5.

Paul Aspan, Ph.D., the current associate provost for faculty and academic support, will officially resign May 31. He has served in this position since 2014.

The appoint of two associate provosts is historic, as there has traditionally been only one. Sharma’s appointment signals an effort to bring both schools together and focus on online education. “[Brady] has done a terrific job in seeing the needs in academic affairs by creating the second position for associate provost,” Aspan said. “To have both Dr.

(Left) Rajneesh Sharma, Ph.D., associate professor of finance (Photo courtesy of Rajneesh Sharma).

(Right) Peter Norberg, Ph.D., professor of English (Photo by Luke Malanga ’20).

Sharma and Dr. Norberg in place says a lot for the vision of the provost.”

Aspan has never stopped thinking of himself as first and foremost a teacher, just like Norberg and Sharma.

In his newly appointed role, Norberg

T H E U N I V E RS I TY O F S C R A N TO N

MORE THAN A

MASTER’S DEGREE The University of Scranton, a Catholic, Jesuit institution, is a nationally recognized university known for outstanding academics, state-of-the-art facilities, and an exceptional sense of community.

The University offers more than 30 graduate programs accredited by 10 professional associations.

G R A DUATE PROG R A MS I NC LU DE • Accountancy (MAcc) • Business Administration (MBA and DBA) • Chemistry (MS) • Counseling (MS) • Education (MS) • Finance (MS)

scranton.edu/gradeducation gradadmissions@scranton.edu

• Health Administration (MHA) • Health Informatics (MS) • Human Resources (MS) • Nursing (MSN and DNP) • Physical Therapy (DPT) • Software Engineering (MS) • Theology (MA)

will also lead the Office of Teaching and Learning, Fellowships and the Faith-Justice Institute, according to Brady’s email.

“In my role, I will help advocate for academic support,” Norberg said. “I will also help to support academic develop-

ment in both the College of Arts and Sciences and Haub School of Business.”

According to Aspan, Norberg will bring research and administrative experience along with strong Jesuit values to his new role.

“I look forward to continuing the Jesuit mission,” Norberg says. “I also want to have a strong focus on the Liberal Arts education.”

Sharma will oversee online education initiatives at St. Joe’s as a part of his newly appointed role.

“I want to focus on quality in our online education,” Sharma said. “There are different ways to make improvements. At the end of the day, improving quality is the main focus.”

Sharma is excited for the coming semester and and is looking forward to his new role.

“I’m excited to begin addressing certain areas. I’m honored to have been considered for this position.”

Sharma said he’s thrilled to work alongside Norberg in the near future. He said he looks forward to making an impact.

“Dr. Norberg is a great friend and colleague,” Sharma said. “He’s an exceptional person that I look forward to working with.”

Opinions

April 25, 2018

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Don’t be afraid to engage

Jesuit values in a changing political environment Editor in Chief Ana Faguy ’19 Managing Editor Nick Mandarano ’18 Copy Chief Rose Weldon ’19 Faculty Adviser Shenid Bhayroo Contributing Adviser Jenny Spinner Copy Editor Hayley Burns ’20 Copy Editor Kaila Mundell-Hill ’20 News Editor Charley Rekstis ’20 Assistant News Editor Alex Karpinski ’20 Assistant News Editor Alex Mark ’20 Editorial Page Editor Annie Clark ’19 Assistant Opinions Editor Dominique Joe ’19 Lifestyle Editor Amber Denham ’18 Assistant Lifestyle Editor Emily Graham ’20 Sports Editor Alex Hargrave ’20 Assistant Sports Editor Nick Karpinski ’21 Photo Editor Luke Malanga ’20 Assistant Photo Editor Matt Barrett ’21 Creative Director Kaitlyn Patterson ’20 Social Media Manager Kelly Smith ’19 Assistant Social Media Manager Erin Castellano ’20 Business Manager Jarrett Hurms ’18 Advertising Manager Richard Bell ’18 Distribution Manager Addie Guyer ’19

Opioid Issue Matt Haubenstein ’15, M.A. ’18 Editor Emeritus Cover Photo Caption: A young woman holds a sign that reads "Addiction is a disease it wants us dead" during the "March in Black." The march, held on International Overdose Awareness Day on August 31, 2017, was the first of its kind in Philadelphia and allowed participants to share stories of their loved ones who died due to an overdose.

Olivia Heisterkamp ’19 Special to The Hawk Opioid Graphic

Specific phrases that are part of our Jesuit mission here at St. Joe’s stick in our minds, some so well that we can repeat them verbatim; “with and for others,” “finding God in all things,” to name a few.

We are reminded of them on the walls of Campion, on retreats, in our general education curriculum, and in the tight-knit, supportive nature of our community here on Hawk Hill.

That is fitting, of course; we are a Jesuit university, and all aspects of our campus life are deeply informed by our Jesuit mission and values. Over the past year, students have taken to the streets in displays of activist support for causes such as women’s rights (the Women’s March) and gun control (the March for Our Lives).

As a university, we have started to become more focused on political engagement, hosting a historic talk by Congressman John Lewis, who worked alongside the Rev. Martin Luther King’s closest allies in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, and a lecture from former Vice President Joe Biden, who has been an outspoken advocate for federal initiatives such as the It’s On Us campaign to eliminate sexual assault on college campuses.

As St. Joe’s continues to expand, it seems fitting that we evaluate how we are evolving as an institution with respect to both our academic programs and our Jesuit values, as well as the intersection of the two. Jesuit values and activism do not have to be mutually exclusive, but can inform one another.

As students at a Jesuit university, we

do not have to be afraid of engaging With in activist causes. Students are mobilizing in support of causes all over the country, and as Congress begins to weigh more and more issues that affect college students and young people, such as gun control legislation, protocol for how colleges handle allegations of sexual assault, and laws which govern federal student aid.

These are causes that affect all of us; we do not have to be afraid of campaigning on behalf of them, regardless of which political party we typically associate with them.

Over the past year, university President Mark C. Reed, Ed.D., sent several emails out to the St. Joe’s community in response to ongoing events that potentially affected members of our student body. These events ranged from the Sept.

2017 executive order calling for the elimination of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) to the June 2016 shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, FL, which targeted Latino members of the LGBTQ community.

Reed’s statements linked our Jesuit mission with our collective commitment to progress causes that support all members of the St. Joe’s student body, writing in one statement that “as Jesuit, Catholic institution, it is our responsibility to defend and advocate for the dignity of all human beings,” and asking that we “continue to be vigilant to the marginalized within our community.”

These statements can serve as models for how we as a community can continue

JOE BIDEN On Tuesday, April 24, the former Vice President under the Obama Administration, Joseph R. Biden came to campus. He visited to deliver the 2018 Carfagno Lecture as a part of the annual Carfagno Lecture series on the promotion of civic engagement and leadership. We were excited to have the former vice president visit our campus, and are excited to see what other speakers may visit Hawk Hill in the future.

LAST FULL WEEK OF CLASSES We are in the final stretch of classes here on Hawk Hill, and soon we can all breathe a sigh of relief and take a well-deserved rest for the summer. We know we are looking forward to a nice summer outside of the classroom. Seven more days, the last of hurdle before finals, and then we are free for summer. So go strong and study hard this last full weeks of classes.

MEN'S LACROSSE SET NEW PROGRAM RECORD There is someething to celebrate on hawk Hill this week. The Men's Lacrosse Team has set a new overall program of 9-3. We congratulate the Men's Lacrosse Team on what we are sure is a sign of more success to come. If you see a lacrosse payer around campus, congratualte him on a hard-fought season and record-breaking season.

Go Hawks!

to advance the founding mission of St. Joe’s as a Jesuit university.

“With and for others,” one of the most essential pieces of our mission statement, directly ties into causes that we have seen students campaign on behalf of this year.

“Cura personalis” focuses on the whole person; all aspects of someone’s identity.

Even someone uninterested in politics can utilize their commitment to Jesuit values to progress a cause that affects their classmates and other members of our campus community. Politics is a complicated, loaded notion with all sorts of connotations, most of which are negative.

However, we do not need to shy away from engaging in causes that we care about just because they are affected by political discourse and legislation. Partisanship may not have a place in how we advocate for one another and support one another at St. Joe’s, but activism is vital to the continuance of the Jesuit mission.

—The Hawk Staff

The Hawk welcomes Letters to the Editor, typically no more than 300 words. They can be emailed to hawk. editorial@gmail.com.

ALLERGY SEASON IS HERE It seems that while we have been given warmer and warmer weather over the past few days, we were also given pollen. Allergy season is now alive and well on Hawk Hill and we aren’t loving it. While the flowering trees and freshly-cut grass are nice and Instagram-worthy, the pollen that is polluting the air isn’t so nice. Grab your tissues and allergy medication, because it’s only going to get warmer.

THE PILES OF WORK AT FINALS This is that dreaded time again when the library stays open later and students begin to look like zombies out of “The Walking Dead.” We're talking about finals. With the immense amount of preparation, final papers and final presentations piling up as well, finals being around the corner feels like a death sentence. But try to keep your heads up.

Get some caffeine in your system and power through. Even though finals seem like a long slog, summer is on the other side.

MOVING AWAY FROM HAWK HILL With finals fast approaching, something none of us really want to be thinking about, we are also forced to think about something else truly saddening. Our seniors, the Class of 2018, will be leaving us.

Their commencement is May 19, and then they are off diploma in hand. For many seniors, this will be their last time on Hawk Hill, and we are all very sad to see them go. Happy travels to our seniors, but know that you always have a home in this nest.

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Opinions

April 25, 2018

Why names matter

I own my intent, you own my impact ALIM YOUNG ’19 Guest Columnist On April 16, St. Joe’s concluded a yearlong commemoration of the 50th anniversary of a speech delivered by Martin Luther King Jr. on campus Oct. 26, 1967. Wideyveline “Taicha” Morin ’20 was selected to share a reflection that would introduce King’s mentee, Congressman John Lewis (D-Ga).

After offering reflections, Morin was followed by University President Mark C. Reed, Ed.D. Reed told the story of how he first met Morin. He admitted that at the time he could not pronounce nor remember her name.

In an effort to be personal, he decided to call her Brooklyn, because that was where she was from.

Morin said she wasn’t offended when he did that. “I knew it came from a genuine place and showed an appreciation for me, but I do see the bigger picture issue,” said Morin. “I knew from the moment that he said it, the backlash it was going to get because that’s something that happens to us [students of color] on campus all the time.”

No doubt this was an unscripted effort to be heartfelt and personal, demonstrating humanity and the fondness that Reed has developed for Morin.

But, the next day a white, cisgender male, Catholic student, made a statement that left many members in the Center for

Inclusion and Diversity speechless.

When the student entered the space he addressed Morin.

“Hi Wavaline!” said the student.

Seeing how this was not uncommon, Morin corrected the student.

“That’s not my name” Morin said she said to him, “That’s not my name, you know that.”

“Well Dr. Reed doesn’t know your name either,” the student responded.

“I think I’ve got immune to people butchering my name over the years,” said Morin. “I like ‘Brooklyn.’ I’m proud of who I am and where I am from.”

The problem is, this “renaming” perpetuates the erasure and reconstruction of marginalized identities by the dominant narrative to fit what they are most comfortable with and what works best for them. As usual, those marginalized individuals are simply expected to acquiesce to these changes.

Had Morin herself addressed any personal feelings of degradation, whether significant or not, in regard to such a minor part in this historic event, would she have been dismissed? Deemed overly sensitive, aggressive or ungrateful and unworthy of such a privilege of recognition?

In other words he was arguing that if Dr. Reed didn’t know her name, then, why should he [the student] use her preferred name.

When individuals like this student have already chosen not to be aware by ignoring the bigger issues at hand: institutional racism, white privilege, and masculinity, they affirm this privilege. In this case the student asserted his white male privilege.

Morin said she has been called a lot of less favorable names than Brooklyn over the years, like “Wolverine,” “Wide-Line,” “Ta-Chia pet,” and “Taca.”

Moments before taking the stage, Dr. Reed taught Father Daniel Joyce, S.J. how to pronounce Morin’s name, so Father Joyce would introduce her correctly. With Reed’s own lived experience, and his willingness to help Father Joyce, this narrative could have played out differently, but it didn’t.

We must all acknowledge our privilege and the power that it yields. When Dr. Reed decided to use the unscripted reference calling Morin “Brooklyn” there were consequences he could not have foreseen.

One might even make the assertion

that either way this series of events has turned into a learning experience for both Reed and those of us who are not consciously aware of our implicit biases.

In the few days after the event, many conversations have been ongoing among students of color and woke white students, faculty and staff about Dr. Reed’s story about his nickname for Morin, and the young man who deliberately misnamed Morin.

Had Morin herself addressed any personal feelings of degradation, whether significant or not, in regard to such a minor part in this historic event, would she have been dismissed? Deemed overly sensitive, aggressive or ungrateful and unworthy of such a privilege of recognition? Maybe.

It should not be on marginalized people to continuously correct bias, implicit, or otherwise, perpetuating a cycle that allows others to write the stories of our struggle as we tuck our head low, ensuring that we don’t make waves.

Our names are more than just letters randomly placed together. They are an extension of who we are, given with an intention to be valued and respected. At the same time Morin, doesn’t want the correction to define her either.

“I just hope this teachable moment doesn’t create false narratives about people. I’m not a victim. Reed isn’t a villain.

He’s human,” Morin said. “It’s a teachable moment. The moral of the story, we are worth being remembered and learning our names.”

More than just a chant Incorrect notions of cheerleading

MADDY BRIDGES ’20 Guest Columnist A sport is defined as an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment. With that definition in mind, it confuses me how schools across the nation fail to consider that cheerleading, the activity I have devoted my life to, is a sport.

I must say though that this article is not meant to be a sounding board for complaints about how I do not get the same opportunities as the other athletes at this school, because I am very grateful to be able to represent my school while supporting other athletes and being able to be a part of such an amazing program. This disparity, though, should be acknowledged because my teammates and I work just as hard as any other athletes on campus.

My teammates and I physically exert ourselves in a combination of gymnastics, acrobatics and dance all crammed into one 2 minute and 30 second routine. We spend

hours and hours on end perfecting our “skill” and technique to be able to perform in front of a huge crowd at the national collegiate competition in Daytona, Florida. Yet there is a real disparity in treatment of the cheerleading squad vs. other sports teams at St. Joe’s. And this disparity can be seen in the simplest of things, such as course registration.

Those recognized as athletes at St. Joe’s are given a 7 a.m. pick time for classes so that they are able to work with their practice

ed at 3:20 p.m. and one that ended at 5:55 p.m. By the time I picked my classes, all that was left was the class that ended at 5:55 p.m. which was not an option because of 6 p.m. practice on Wednesdays. I had to contact the head of my department, who in turn had to contact my coach before I could be placed in the other section. This has been the reality for many of my teammates as well, but it has even larger implications.

I think that these disparities boil down to a larger issue for cheerleaders across the

Stereotypes and a lack of understanding of our sport have perpetuated the notion that a cheerleader is not equal to other athletes like a basketball player or a lacrosse player or a hockey player. schedule, their merchandise and uniforms are paid for and they are given priority gym time for their practices. Unfortunately, this is not the same for the cheerleading team.

Last semester, I had a 3 p.m. pick time.

One of the classes I needed for my major was only offered in 2 sections, one that end-

country. Stereotypes and a lack of understanding of our sport have perpetuated the notion that a cheerleader is not equal to other athletes like a basketball player or a lacrosse player or a hockey player.

Our sport, like many others, is a test of strength, skill and stamina. In 2 min-

utes and 30 seconds, we lift our teammates above our heads, throw them through the air as they twist and flip, we execute gymnastic skills, we dance and so much more in between with no room for error.

The difference between a cheerleading competition and a basketball game is that in a basketball game, if you make a mistake, you can make up for it in the second half and come back to win. In a cheerleading competition however, you get one chance, and if you mess up there is no coming back; all you can do after those 2 minutes and 30 seconds is hope that the other teams do not do better than you.

And while there are these disparities in treatment for athletes on St. Joe’s campus and there is this incorrect notion that cheerleaders are not athletes, the recognition of our sport and athleticism is continuing to grow.

My team and I will keep competing and honing in on our skills. My hope, though, is that this article brings not only awareness to the disparity of treatment, but also more recognition to my sport and all we have to offer.

INSIDE PHILADELPHIA'S

OPIOID EPIDEMIC

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April 25, 2018 PG. 7

10th annual Recovery Speak Out Students in recovery discuss importance of allies

CHARLEY REKSTIS ’20 News Editor The Flock held its 10th speak out, titled Stand Up 4 Recovery, where two students and an alumnus spoke about living on a college campus while being in recovery.

The speak out is a student-led event, organized by students in the Flock with panelists who have experience with recovery and their allies.

Sarah Lathrop ’19, president of The Flock, has been in recovery for 13 months and shared her story on the panel.

“Things spiraled really quickly,” Lathrop said. “End of freshman year I realized I should get in check. Sophomore year I started to get my act in check a little bit. Even being involved with that [The Flock] I thought I could do it on my own which I couldn’t. It doesn’t work like that.”

Lathrop had a friend in The Flock, Sara Fuller ’19, take her to her first meeting and she has not “turned back since.”

The panel focused on four things: experience in college as an ally or student in recovery, how to have fun, how to tell future employers or not about being in recovery, and how allies have helped.

“A lot of it’s about the importance of allies,” Lathrop said. “Not a lot of people are in recovery on campus, but a lot of people know someone that is. The importance of being a good friend and being there.”

Chelise Lomax ’19 was an ally on the panel and spoke about how she has been

From left to right: Sharon White, M.A. ’19, Katie Bean, Sarah Lathrop ’19, Connor Finaucance ’17 and Chelise Lomax ’19. (Photo by Luke Malanga ’20).

there to help her friends who are in recovery.

“An ally is just a person who knows that other people struggle with certain issues and you’re just there to be a supportive person and show your humanity,” Lomax said. “We all have our own struggles; my struggles are just different from yours. I am not going to judge you for that I’m going to have a real conversation and see how we can bring this issue to light.”

The other panelist was a recent alumnus Connor Finucane ’17 who spoke about ap-

plying to law school while in recovery.

“One thing that was really hard and a place I had to be careful was applying to law school,” Finucane said. “I had to explain the weaknesses in my application as well as disclose disciplinary stuff or any legal stuff and I had a rap sheet from when I was hurting myself and other people.”

To conclude the panel, there was an open mic in a fireside chat style where one person sat in the speaker chair and one sat in the listener chair and the speaker then shared feel-

ings, experiences and support. The listener would then become the speaker and a new listener would come up.

Sam Sauter ’21 attended the event because of a curricular enhancement program (CEP) requirement and went up to listen to Finucane in the fireside chat.

“I was blown away by how intelligent Connor was and how unbelievable I think he’ll be in the future and how much of a comeback he had,” Sauter said. “It was just really profound.”

Sauter now believes he wants to become an ally to help those who are seeking one.

“When you’re contributing to people you’re living at the highest level and that’s what I felt here tonight,” Sauter said. “And I think what Connor’s doing and how he turned his biggest weakness which is addiction to helping other people, I just know that will serve him. He’s devoted his work to helping others and it was so profound for me being here struggling with my own things just to have somebody be open like that.”

Bean said that out of 41 people there, only three were a part of The Flock, the rest were people who wanted to hear people’s stories about recovery and she even met people in recovery that she did not know.

“I hope people realize that there are many people impacted by substance use disorder all around us,” Bean said. “I hope they realize people need compassionate and empathetic listeners to share their story. I hope that people realize that everyone can play a role in supporting those in our community that are impacted by this.”

Learning to save lives

Philadelphia offers citizens Nalaxone training classes VILMA FERMIN ’20 Hawk Staff Naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, has become an important tool in the fight against opioid overdoses, and the city of Philadelphia has begun to train citizens to administer it. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Naloxone, is an easy to use reversal agent distributed in the form of a nasal spray, and has helped reverse more than 26,000 overdoses in 2014.

Katie Bean, assistant director of student outreach and support and head of Wellness, Alcohol and Drug Education (WADE), said that is an easy training to do, but that not everyone has to attend a Naloxone training session.

“You don’t need to have an extensive medical background,” Bean said. “I don’t think it's something where every person on campus should go through it. For a lot of people I do think it would be very valuable.”

Bean added that training people to use Naloxone won’t solve the problem of the opioid epidemic, but it will help an overdose situation.

“It seems like a simple and obvious solution,” Bean said. “Not a solution for the problem of substance abuse disorder, but a solution to an acute overdose situation.”

Naloxone takes two to five minutes to take effect to reverse an opioid overdose and may require more than one dose. The reversal tools reserves or blocks the effects of the opioids.

“It is a very user friendly mechanism. It is not complex,” said Christine O’Leary, adjunct

A box containing Naloxone (Photo by Matt Haubenstien ’15, M.A ’18).

professor in the interdisciplinary health services major in the department of health services. “It comes in a ready to use nasal spray that simply needs to be put into the nose of the person who has overdosed and it administers a life saving dose.”

O’Leary further said the Philadelphia Department of Health has created free sessions to train people to use Naloxone.

“Community members could be trained easily with power to help a friend or a family member, which is where formal training came from” O’Leary said.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP), when Gov. Tom Wolf declared the opioid epidemic a statewide emergency in January 2018, the declaration empowered emergency service providers to leave naloxone behind after a 911 visit.

Act 139, also known as David’s Law, “al-

lows first responders acting at the direction of a health care professional authorized to prescribe naloxone, to administer the drug to individuals experiencing an opioid overdose.”

The Pennsylvania Department of Health issued a Naloxone Standing Order which ensures that anyone who may experience an opioid overdose, or is a family member, friend or in a position to assist someone experiencing an opioid overdose, has access to Naloxone. The Standing Order allows people to have access to Naloxone from a pharmacy if they do not receive it from their health care physician.

O’Leary added that a person could not be denied a prescription to Naloxone.

“You can walk into any pharmacy in Pennsylvania and ask for Naloxone without a prescription,” O’Leary said.

Evan Mullen ’17, a former Flock member and now an AmeriCorps Volunteers in

Service to America (VISTA) volunteer, said training community members is important.

The Hispanic Family Center, where Mullen currently works, co-hosted a free Naloxone training session.

“It’s important to train the community to save lives and to make sure you’re ready for an overdose, which you may see,” Mullen said. “Everywhere you can be a bystander to someone overdosing. It’s just as important as CPR training.”

Prevention Point Philadelphia, an organization that provides Naloxone kits to people who are uninsured based on their willingness to pay is “a private nonprofit organization providing harm reduction services to Philadelphia and the surrounding area,” according to their website.

“There has been a huge push in the last few months, people are going to start seeing a lot of the impact now,” Mullen said. “A lot of policy makers have noticed the issue. The awareness that people have whether they live in Philly or Jersey, awareness has made a huge impact, being more knowledgeable.”

Naloxone is an evidence-based approach to reversing the overdose said O’Leary. The training sessions allow the people who will be exposed to the situations to help.

“It gives a person who has overdosed another chance, it gives the people in the community something active they can do,” O’Leary said.

Naloxone training sessions at Prevention Point, 2913 Kensington Ave, are free and open to the public. The PA Department of Public Health, located at 500 S Broad Street also offers free training sessions.

INSIDE PHILADELPHIA'S

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OPIOID EPIDEMIC

April 25, 2018 PG. 8

Philadelphian raises awareness of epidemic MATT HAUBENSTEIN ’15, M.A. ’18 Editor Emeritus Shortly after attending a 12-step meeting in April 2016, Reenie Dugan noticed people running through the streets of the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia where she had grown up.

The neighborhood’s residents, as Dugan discovered, were racing to raise money for Saint Laurentius, a 136-year-old Catholic parish begun by Polish immigrants in the late 19th century. Two years earlier, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia had closed the parish church, stating that it was in danger of collapse. The run participants were going door to door, asking for donations to support the school attached to the shuttered church.

As Dugan watched the runners knock on doors, she found herself focused on the stories of the people inside the homes.

Perhaps some of their stories were dark, as hers had once been, marred by the pain of substance abuse.

Seeing the neighborhood’s residents running to keep their parish school alive gave Dugan an idea.

“Maybe we can have a race around the neighborhood to raise money for the opioid epidemic,” she remembers saying to herself.

Six months later, Dugan and other neighborhood residents hosted the first Pink Elephant 5K to raise awareness about the opioid epidemic in Philadelphia and to fight stigmas surrounding drug and alcohol abuse. That race is now an annual event sponsored by The Pink Elephant Movement, a nonprofit Dugan started in January 2017 to provide assistance to children and their families who are impacted by addiction.

As Dugan knew well, substance abuse disorder is the elephant in the room that people see but don’t want to acknowledge.

That elephant appears pink, so the saying goes, when the onlookers are drunk or high.

It is a color associated with intoxication.

“Everyone wants the perfect family,” Dugan said, “but at the end of the day, this thing is not discriminating against anybody.”

It did not discriminate against Dugan herself.

In 2004, when Dugan was a sophomore on the Chestnut Hill College women’s soccer team, she tore her anterior cruciate ligament or ACL. After surgery to repair it, she was prescribed medication to manage her pain. She took the medication until the bottle was empty and continued to refill the prescription.

By the time her refills ran out, Dugan realized she could not live without the medication.

“It was too late,” Dugan said. “I was already physically hooked and was too afraid to ask for help. It went on for seven years after that.”

In 2007, Dugan dropped out of Chestnut Hill before completing her senior year.

Eventually, she became suicidal.

“I just didn’t like the way I felt when I was sober,” Dugan said. “I was at a place where I thought that the only way I was going to find peace was to kill myself,” In 2011, convinced death was the only way out, Dugan began attending 12-step program meetings to find some solace. Her son had also been born that year, and she wanted to get better for herself, and for him.

At one meeting, a woman stood up to share her life story and her battle with substance abuse disorder. Dugan recognized the woman from growing up in Fishtown.

Dugan holding a picture of Dana and her son Benny. Dugan is also wearing the shirt from the first official Pink Elephant 5K Walk-Run held back in October of 2016 (Photo by Matt Haubenstien '15, M.A '18).

“There’s no way you can be that happy and sober,” Dugan remembered thinking, noting the woman’s energy.

After the meeting, Dugan talked to the woman, opening up about her own drug abuse and her desire to combat it. The woman became Dugan’s pillar of support in her battle against the pills.

In 2014, Dugan finished her degree online at Ashford University and found a job.

But she wasn’t yet sober--even though she had convinced herself that she could be any time she wanted. If she was in any type of emotional or physical pain, she turned to drugs to bring her back to a place where she felt good.

But she kept attending meetings. She leaned on her recovery community.

By 2015, Dugan was clean and sober, and she remains in recovery.

Over 400 runners participated in the first annual Pink Elephant 5K on Oct. 1, 2016, including people hoping to make a change in their lives, as well as families and friends affected by a loved one’s substance

abuse disorder. They brought photos to the run of people they’d loved and lost. Those photos were framed and displayed throughout the course, a silent reminder of why participants were running.

The run began at Cione Playground in Fishtown. Leaving the playground, participants ran down Lehigh Avenue towards Kensington Avenue. They then turned left down Kensington and headed up towards to Norris Street, making their way to Girard Avenue, then Aramingo Avenue, and finishing back at Cione Playground.

The course has significance for Dugan: Participants run on the same streets where dealers sell drugs. They pass by houses where someone inside fought or continues to fight addiction.

The first race raised “thousands of dollars” — Dugan did not want to specify an amount — that went towards helping the families of those who had lost loved ones to drugs and alcohol and who were struggling to get by. The organization donated money to families during the holidays as well as

provided tuition assistance to local elementary and high school students. Last October, around 700 runners participated in the run, with more than 1,000 people in attendance.

Again, the money raised went to assist families affected by addiction.

“We are just trying to bring light and joy into people's lives who’ve kinda been flipped upside down from this nightmare,” Dugan said.

Dugan has lived the nightmare on the other side too. Early in her recovery, Dugan met a 20-year-old woman named Dana Rosney, whose drug of choice had become heroin. The two women became close friends, bonding over their disease. Over time, the women started dating.

Rosney was a gifted soccer player. She had played on her high school varsity team at Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls and eventually the U-17 U.S. National Team. She became a stand-out player on the Manor College Women’s Soccer team.

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April 25, 2018 PG. 9

Rennie Dugan addresses "elephant in the room" – substance use disorder Beneath her successes on the soccer field, however, a darkness lingered. When Rosney was in grade school, her father had died, a tragedy that marked the beginning of a long spiral into drug abuse. She never graduated from college.

In 2012, Rosney reached out to Dugan after seeing her at a 12-step meeting. Dugan began driving Rosney to meetings after that “We just had a connection,” Dugan said.

“There were times where I was struggling, and she was doing well. Then there were times when she was struggling, and I was doing well. There were times where we had God in our relationship and doing fine. But then she relapsed and wasn’t able to get back.”

It wasn’t easy for Dugan to be with Rosney, though. Dugan loved her, but Rosney’s frequent relapses and drug use were hard on Dugan. Yet Rosney still ran in the first Pink Elephant 5K in 2016, showing her support because she lived on the front lines and knew firsthand the horrors that resulted from substance use disorder.

About two weeks after the run, Dugan and Rosney attended a bingo fundraiser.

Dugan said the two had a good time at the

fundraiser. Afterward, they went back to Rosney’s house where Rosney broke the news to Dugan that she was using again. Overcome with sadness, Dugan left and told Rosney she needed time to think things over.

Over the next few days, Dugan kept her distance from Rosney, limiting her communication with Rosney so she could think about their relationship.

One afternoon the next week, Dugan was sitting at her desk at work when she received a text from one of Rosney’s friends who was staying in the same recovery house as Rosney. The friend had tried calling Rosney, but Rosney wouldn’t pick up. The door to Rosney’s room, which, according to house rules was supposed to be unlocked, was not.

The light in Rosney’s room was on, and her phone could be heard ringing on the other side. There was still no response.

Dugan told the friend she didn’t want to receive any bad news via text, so she went to find a place to call her. Already distraught, Dugan asked her boss to make the call for her.

“He asked them if she was gone,” Dugan said. “He just turned and shook his head at me, and I broke down.”

Residents and staff of the recovery residence on Kensington Avenue found Rosney her room. She had overdosed on heroin. She was dead at the age of 23.

Dugan thinks about Rosney often. In her life prior to sobriety, Dugan would have gotten high to avoid dealing with the sadness and pain of a loved one's death. Now, though, Dugan said, she doesn’t try to avoid the pain.

“I embrace pain just like I embrace joy,” Dugan said. “Where our hearts are broken, the light goes in.”

Raised in an Irish Catholic household in Fishtown, Dugan said in recovery she has found faith in her own way. God is her “buddy,” who helps her through her struggles.

“I rely heavily on my faith and my relationship with God to keep me going and help me to continue to grow,” she said.

After Rosney’s death, Dugan’s desire to fight her disease is stronger than ever, she said. So is her determination to help others through The Pink Elephant Movement. One of the organization’s goal is to eliminate the shame that keeps members of the community silent in the face of their own, or their loved one’s, substance abuse.

“There’s things going on behind closed doors that people don’t want anyone to know about,” Dugan said. “However, the next door neighbor could be going through the same exact thing.”

When she was a child, Dugan told herself that she would never be the person drifting in and out of consciousness, begging for change on the sidewalk, dependent on drug. For a time, she was. But the person she is now, in recovery, wants to open the public's eyes to substance abuse disorder, and to the current opioid crisis that plagues so many others in the city.

For Dugan, open eyes mean an open heart. They mean suspending judgment.

“Just because they are making decisions that you wouldn't make doesn't necessarily mean that they are not trying their very best,” Dugan said. “I knew I was doing my best before I ever picked up a drug. I knew I was doing my best when I was getting high every day. I knew I was doing my best when I was absolutely crazy and sober. Because that was the best I could do at that time."

“Today, my best looks different.”

The mural created in Rosney's memory located at Memphis and Tucker streets in Fishtown, around the corner from her mother’s home (Photo by Matt Haubenstien '15, M.A '18).

April 25, 2018 PG. 10

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Spiritual practice helps those in recovery Yoga classes provide relaxation

DAVID HANSLER ’20 Hawk Staff For the fourth consecutive semester, St. Joe’s offered students the opportunity to participate in a free yoga program called Yoga for Recovery.

Although it is open to all students, Yoga for Recovery is geared towards people struggling with substance abuse disorders as well as anxiety and depression.

This semester, the program has taken place monthly in the group fitness room at the O’Pake Recreation Center.

“Research shows it helps anybody dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, any of that, because yoga is physical, but also a mental and spiritual practice,” said Katie Bean, assistant director in the office of student outreach and support and Wellness, Alcohol and Drug Education (WADE).

Bean is also the advisor to the student organization The Flock, whose goal is to act as a support system for anyone who has dealt with or is currently dealing with a substance use disorder. In the fall of 2016, The Flock organized the first Yoga for Recovery event alongside the Office of Student Outreach and Support.

A nonprofit called the Transformation Yoga Project has been responsible for providing St. Joe’s with yoga instructors for the program. The group’s mission is to bring yoga to people in recovery.

Their practice is designed specifically for relaxation, according to Susan Albano, the yoga instructor currently running the program at St. Joe’s this semester.

“I’ve taught two classes so far, and they really enjoy the breathing part of it,” Albano said. “I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from it, and then the feeling that

they’re safe where they are. I think that’s the primary feeling is to give them that feeling of safety.”

Sarah Lathrop ’19 president of The Flock, said she felt those relaxing effects when she participated in the program herself. Lathrop described yoga as a peaceful way to unwind.

“You really get to pay attention to what your body is telling you, which as a college student, we kind of get distracted with school and everything,” Lathrop said. “We don’t take time to take care of ourselves.”

Albano welcomes all students to her yoga classes. Classical hatha yoga, the specific type of yoga being taught in these classes, focuses on mindfulness and regulation of breath but isn’t exclusively beneficial to those in recovery, Albano added.

The last Yoga for Recovery of the semester will take place May 8.

Susan Albano teaches Yoga for Recovery classes (Photo by David Hansler ’20).

St. Joe's offers ally training

Student Outreach and Support provides support for those in recovery RYAN MULLIGAN ’21 Hawk Staff The Office of Student Outreach and Support began hosting a series of training sessions, called Allies of Recovery in mid-February in order to help members of the university community better understand and assist people with substance use disorders.

“The goals around it are to understand the different impacts of the stigma around substance use disorder and how we can have influence over that and how we can help change the culture, and therefore help people who struggle,” said Katie Bean, assistant director in the office of student outreach and support and Wellness, Alcohol and Drug Education (WADE).

The program was introduced last year in response to suggestions from the student-led organization The Flock, which supports anyone affected by substance use disorder. The most recent training, which

was open to all members of the university community, was held April 17.

As of April 23, 104 members of the university community have already been through the training and are now certified allies, according to Bean. Many of them are listed on the Allies of Recovery training website, and they include faculty, staff and students.

Niki VanAller ’17, who went through the training last year before graduation, explained its applicability and advantages.

“You never know what other people are going through,” VanAller said. “It is easy to assume everyone has the same experience with drugs and alcohol when that is not necessarily the case. The most important thing is to make an effort to communicate with a person in recovery.”

The training is particularly relevant to college students, both Bean and VanAller pointed out. VanAller, who is less than a year removed from college life, described how central alcohol and drugs can be to

the college culture and the ensuing experiences that may result, whether it be with those actively recovering or actively using.

George Frattera ’20, who has gone through the training, pointed to the university’s Jesuit mission as reasons for people in the St. Joe’s community to do the training.

“The opioid epidemic has, in some way, touched every life on this campus,” Frattera said. “It is vital to the preservation of our Jesuit ideals, specifically Cura Personalis, that each and every one of us pledges to help spread awareness about this issue and the unnecessary stigmas that surround it.”

Another aspect prioritized at the training is the significance of language when dealing with people in recovery.

Using person-first language, or placing a person before his or her disability when describing them, can make a big difference when dealing with an issue as sensitive as this one, Bean and VanAller said.

More importantly, Allies are taught not to

avoid the issue but rather work around the obstacles that recovery may cause socially.

“Don’t stop inviting people to things because they are in recovery,” VanAller said. “You still want to be saying come to this party with me because chances are they already have mechanisms to prepare themselves for these situations. If you do go to a party offer an alternative besides alcohol.”

One of the biggest takeaways that substance use disorder presents and one that the program addresses head-on is the stigma around the disease. Bean said she is looking to help lead a movement at Saint Joe’s to delegitimize the negative perceptions that these victims deal with everyday.

“Substance use disorder is a disease like any other disease,” Bean said. “Before, we dealt with it as a moral problem. We didn’t offer any support or resources. We just said ‘do better’. That’s ridiculous. But now thankfully, people are looking at it as a public health issue and saying ‘what can I truly do to help people?’”

Opinions

April 25, 2018

Beyoncé outdid herself again Beychella: black excellence at its finest

KAILA MUNDELL-HILL ’20 Columnist Beyoncé slayed Coachella’s main stage for two weekends as the first black woman to headline the festival. Although her comments about this feat may have gone unheard by those mesmerized by Queen B’s electric performance, she did not take this enormous milestone with a grain of salt.

Beyoncé is undeniably one of the greatest performers on the planet, and as a black woman who is a prominent figure in pop culture she made her performance memorable paying tribute to popular aspects of black culture.

On April 14 and April 21, Beyoncé opened her set strutting along a catwalk dressed in an ode to Egyptian monarch Nefertiti, fully embracing the title of Queen B. As geometric lights lifted above the main stage, a full marching band with majorette dancers lined a pyramid which would remain a permanent fixture throughout her performance. Beyoncé’s first outfit (out of four total) included a yellow sweatshirt with greek letters “BΔK” or “Beta Delta Kappa”. These letters spell out “back” signaling Beyoncé’s homecoming, her return to the stage.

Accompanied by the marching band whose horns echoed throughout her hit tracks like “Crazy in Love” and “Formation”, and the majorettes who fiercely danced behind their line leader, Beyoncé brought an HBCU homecoming to Indio, California. Over 100 black musicians, dancers, and singers graced the stage as Beyoncé gave us a drum line, probate, and step show all in two hours time.

Despite her mother’s hesitations at the majority white Coachella audience not being receptive to this performance,

be celebrated. She even sang songs from her second studio album “B’Day,” which has been heavily neglected during her many world tours.

One part of her performance that may have gone unnoticed was her acapella rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing”, often referred to as the Black National Anthem. This powerful moment featured in between “Freedom” and “Formation” songs with powerful messages and visuals to match, places her performance as one of the most important to ever happen on

Beyoncé reminded everyone that black culture is beautiful and deserves to be celebrated.

Beyoncé decided to put on a show she felt was important for the world to see.

As a young black woman I was proud to see so many aspects of black culture paraded on the main stage, as Beyoncé made us ignore the fact that we were screaming to some songs that are almost 20 years old (including Destiny’s Child’s “Say My Name”) With new choreography intertwined with old moves I’ve danced since I was a child, and dance breaks I’ve been thinking about for the past two weeks, Beyoncé reminded everyone that black culture is beautiful and deserves to

the Coachella main stage.

Before she performed her verse in “Top Off,” her recent collaboration with DJ Khaled, Jay-Z and Future, Khaled’s voice rang over the crowd as he exclaimed, “Coachella gotta rename Coachella to Beychella.”

Beychella will no doubt remain the highlight of Coachella 2018, as well as the most talked about performance of this festival season, and even those to come.

Each and every time Beyoncé graces the stage she outdoes herself, reminding us that anyone who dares doubt the Queen will always be proven wrong.

The Hawks will get to March Madness Expecting a strong 2019 men's basketball season

JOSEPH PANICHELLI ’20 Columnist Although the National Championship was over two weeks ago, I continue to hear bad-mouthing of Villanova University in the hallways, online and within my group of friends.

“They’re not a Philly school.” “I hate Nova.”

For whatever reason there is this notion that all kids from Villanova are sheltered and privileged preppies who have no right to celebrate in “our city.”

I have some news for those unwilling to grant props to a local school who has been far superior to ours in basketball.

They won, again.

It’s over. Wipe off the tears and get ready for another season. And for those suffering with frustration over the success of their team, attacking the character of the student population won’t bring the title to Hawk Hill.

With the conclusion of another mediocre men’s basketball season, we can genuinely look forward to a prosperous 2019 season. Mark my words, the Hawks will be competing in March Madness next year, and I’ll tell you why.

For starters, injuries killed us this year.

Charlie Brown is someone that I think we will see in an NBA jersey in the near future.

Without him, the entire structure of the

team withered. He’s long, extremely athletic, a fantastic shooter from both near and far and just has that edge, that look about him that scouts and coaches discuss.

Lamarr Kimble, having been unfortunately glued to the bench with a foot injury this season, averaged 15.5 ppg in his sophomore season. He can facilitate better than anyone on the roster and could possibly be the best point guard in the A-10 next season. His presence was really missed

Lastly, a newcomer. Ryan Daly, a 6’5’’ guard transfer from the University of Delaware recently announced his commitment to St. Joe’s. Daly was the leading scorer for the Blue Hens as a sophomore, the CAA (Colonial Athletic Association) Rookie of the Year, and scored 1,000 points in just two seasons. Daly will sadly miss the 201819, because NCAA regulations deem him ineligible. That being said, his presence at practices will up the ante of competition.

With the conclusion of another mediocre men’s basketball season, we can genuinely look forward to a prosperous 2019 season. Mark my words, the Hawks will be competing in March Madness next year. this year. He brings poise and stability to a Hawks team that often appeared rattled and overwhelmed in tight situations.

We also witnessed some flashes of stardom from the two towering freshmen Anthony Longpre and Taylor Funk. These two guys created so much space with their size.

Funk especially stood out as someone we can look to when we need a bucket. Funk averaged 11 points per game this season andwas reliable for multiple three’s a game.

The addition of Kimble into the roster next season, will create even more opportunities for him from the three point line.

We can look forward to having him around in 2019-20.

With all this being said, I strongly believe that next season could be, and should be, one of our most prominent in recent history. With Villanova’s Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson declaring for the NBA draft, next year’s “Holy War”which has seemingly lost its intensitycould be one for the books.

For those who still hate Villanova, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

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A night of fashion and culture MARLY RENÉ ’19 Guest Columnist As the Treasurer of the Caribbean Students Association (CSA), I along with the rest of the E-board strive to spread the awareness of the Caribbean and its culture to those who are of Caribbean descent and to others who are not.

The CSA decided to educate the student body on Caribbean culture, as well as celebrate the relatively unseen diversity of St. Joe’s students from different cultural backgrounds and countries of the world by holding a fashion show on April 20.

This fashion show was an event at which models strut down the runway, dressed in clothing by different designs in all types of styles much like other popular fashion shows that you may hear about, like New York Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week and Milan Fashion Week just to name a few.

The CSA’s take on this was a fashion show

In the end, though, not only was this a night of fashion and culture, but a night of unity. called “For the Culture,” a night of displaying clothing from different eras and countries.

The CSA truly delivered on the event’s promised dual purpose of fashion and culture for the night. They offered outfits that were fashionable but also culturally conscious and culturally proud.

Culture, simply defined as the arts of a country that represents their human intellectual and creative achievement, was exemplified that night. The CSA’s show was broken up into different categories, such as “Bougie,” “90s,” “Turbans,” “Black Out,” and “We are the World.”

In each category, there were outstanding outfits that each represented one’s own style, and reflected one’s own culture. Everyone was blown away by the men dressed up in suits in the “Boys to Men” category and by the women dressed flawlessly for the “Flawless” category.

In the final category, “we are the World, the audience gained a real taste of different cultures uniting as one in the fashion show, but more importantly campus, as all the models walked in cultural outfits representing his or her own country or someone else’s country with their respective flags. In the end, every participant of the show revealed his or her name and country, truly driving home the cultural diversity that St. Joe’s has to offer.

People witnessed a night of fashion with various styles from “bougie” to “hipster” outfits that blew the crowd away with a glimpse at culture, the principal theme reflected throughout the night. In the end, though, not only was this a night of fashion and culture, this was a night of unity. CSA’s fashion show revealed to us the diversity that exists on campus and the union of all of us working together. The CSA delivered on their purpose and more.

So let’s get ready for their second annual fashion show next year.

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Opinions

April 25, 2018

The effect of a life-changing educator A thank you to formative educator Tia Pratt, Ph. D.

LUCY HIGGINS ’20 Columnist To say that Tia Noelle Pratt, Ph.D., is a life-changing educator would be quite the understatement. Something in the nature of the classroom environment Pratt has created poses a challenge that students are jumping to take on.

Often times, going through the motions of completing required classes feels more like checking off a box. I had no awareness of the field of sociology until it was time to check off the “Social Science” box on DegreeWorks.

With the encouragement of Dr. Pratt's past students, I registered as a first semester sophomore for “Social Problems,” an introductory course on sociology pertaining to the ongoing issues surrounding our society.

What was so striking about Dr. Pratt’s class was her willingness to work with her students as opposed to working alongside them. I wasn’t afraid to learn in her classroom. Discourse became essential to our learning process. She wanted to hear our voices, our questions and our stories.

Students felt safe voicing what concerned them or what enthralled them about our weekly readings.

I felt like a person in the eyes of Pratt.

She is someone I could walk up to and ad-

mit I was struggling at times without feeling shame. Most importantly, Pratt felt like a person to us. She is strong willed, highly intelligent and always a woman for others.

The content of “Social Problems” was meticulously chosen, and no moment in Pratt’s classroom felt fleeting. Pratt unified students of all political, social and economic backgrounds with each lesson at hand.

Our classroom felt like a community, one where we knew the names and the faces of the voices posing questions. “Social Prob-

urgency for change and understanding. Yes, many of us walked away from her course as the same privileged students. However, we walked away with validation as intelligent thinkers and thoughtfulness as members of the greater community.

By the time registration rolled around that winter, everyone around me was buzzing to take another one of her classes. Pratt had started us on a powerful wave of learning, and we craved more. Of the four people I sat beside in “Social Problems,” all four

I felt like a person in the eyes of Pratt. She is someone I could walk up to and admit I was struggling at times without feeling shame. Most importantly, Pratt felt like a person to us. She is strong willed, highly intelligent, and always a woman for others. lems” was eye-opening, as someone who so often experiences the utmost privilege in life. What we learned about poverty, gender inequality, racism, and violence in today’s world felt personal.

As students, we couldn’t relate to all of the problems at hand directly. Pratt showed us, without simply just telling us, how interconnected we are with the happenings in our world. Through the sociological lens, we investigated injustice and realized the

registered for her “African-American Catholicism” course for the following semester.

It is vital to note that none of us were sociology majors, and only did we become interested in Sociology after taking Pratt’s class. We made room for this class in our schedules and anticipated the start of the new semester for months. I encouraged two of my closest friends to take the class as well; “She’s life-changing. I swear.”

I learned about two vital things from

“African American Catholicism:” The apparent, historical racism in the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, and the university’s definition of a professor’s value.

If you asked Pratt’s students to give you an amount of how much her teachings are worth, many of them would not be able to put her value as an educator into numbers though, it seems our university can, and the number they came up with was “zero.”

The decision not to renew Pratt’s contract leaves her students questioning the magis, questioning the community’s ability to live greater. Who exactly is living greater?

Who gets to experience the magis?

Only those who are granted with blind privilege, it seems.

I question both the standards and the goals of our learning environment now that Pratt is not recognized for her indefinable value, especially compared to professors who show inherent intolerance toward any diversity in their classrooms. I witness other professors leaving marginalised students in tears after mistreatment, and I see Pratt as a beacon of hope.

Thank you, Tia Pratt, for allowing everyone to feel safe in your classroom.

Thank you for opening the eyes of your students to the reality of the world around them. Thank you for your honesty, your integrity and your kindness. Those who have been impacted by your grace will never forget it.

Lifestyle

April 25, 2018

13

Ref lecting life

Professor and director Renee Dobson keeps students in tune ROSE WELDON ’19 Copy Chief Over the course of ten minutes in Bluett Theatre, the students in the spring musical “Songs for a New World” arrive for their usual Thursday rehearsal. At 7 p.m., they grab their songbooks and gather onstage, and music director John Grecia runs the 12-person cast through warm-ups and scales. Afterward, the four-part harmony of the opening number, “A New World,” echoes through the performance space.

At a table, also onstage, the show’s artistic director Renee Dobson, M.F.A., watches the music rehearsal. In the threemonth rehearsal process for “Songs,” she’s heard the number many times, and yet still smiles when she hears it.

Dobson, an associate professor in the department of music, theatre and film, is entering her 15th year as an artistic director for the SJU Theater Company, where she directs two musicals a year. Her theatre career has included performing in national tours, directing professional and student productions and teaching acting to aspiring performers.

Dobson began in the medium by acting in a grade school play, where she donned a blonde wig and yellow dress to play the lead.

“I was in ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” Dobson said. “And I was Goldilocks. So then I began performing as an actress, and then when I studied in college, most of what I studied was acting.”

Upon receiving a Masters of Fine Arts in acting from Ohio University, Dobson became a member of Actors’ Equity Association, the official union for stage actors, and performed in national tours. It wasn’t until 1994 when she was offered a position as director of the musical theatre program at Ohio Northern University.

“I had to direct there, because I was in charge of the musical theatre program,” Dobson said. “I had directed some little things, but I hadn’t really directed anything large. I was given this charge to direct two musicals during the year and one in the summer, and they were very large musicals because it was a very large per-

Renee Dobson, M.F.A., in rehearsal for “Songs from a New World” (Photos by Rose Weldon ’19).

forming arts center.”

Dobson’s first major directorial project was “Phantom,” the Maury Yeston-Arthur Kopit musical adaptation of “The Phantom of the Opera.” Over the course of her time at Ohio Northern, she oversaw several productions, from classic Rodgers and Hammerstein shows to the opera “Carmen,” which only solidified her interest.

“Now I’d always prefer directing over acting, because I just like the medium better,” Dobson said. “It’s a little bit more of a wider scope.”

In 2003, Dobson began work in the music, theatre and film department of St. Joe’s. During her term, musical theatre at St. Joe’s grew to be a concentration, and the department itself expanded in terms of vocal and acting professors, something Dobson credits for improvements in students over the years.

“Now, our music department has grown, and we have better vocal training classes,” Dobson said. “And what I’ve noticed in my time here is that they are more music savvy. I’ve seen the acting blossom and grow, too, to become a little more deeper and complex.”

Dobson’s own impact on students has been substantial as well. Meghan Cable ’16 first met her at an Accepted Students Day event, where two students performed a

Dobson works with cast member Alex Velasquez ’20.

scene from “Miss Saigon.”

“I met Renee immediately after, and told her how impressed I was,” Cable said. I was just struck by her professionalism.”

Cable would work with Dobson on seven musicals, starting with “Rent” in 2013 and ending with “Into the Woods” in 2016.

Jenn Tague ’20 is one of the cast members in “Songs,” and prominently worked with Dobson when she played Mrs. Lovett in last semester’s production of “Sweeney Todd.” Tague said the departure from book musicals is something that Dobson has helped the cast work through.

“This is a little bit different, because there’s not that much character development,” Tague said. “It’s definitely way more about the music this year.”

“Songs,” a revue scored by composer Jason Robert Brown, is the company’s first musical of 2018, and the first in a busy year for Dobson. The 2018-19 school year will see productions of Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt’s “Next to Normal” in the fall and the Disney classic “Beauty and the Beast,” which Dobson describes as a “beast of a show,” in the spring.

In between the SJU Theatre Company’s shows, Dobson is directing a production of “She Loves Me.” It may sound like a lot of time and work, but Dobson considers it a part of the job.

“I miss out on things, family events and stuff, because I’m at rehearsal,” Dobson said. “And sometimes I’m just not able to be home for a holiday. So sometimes that’s a bit of a drawback. But when you’re in this field, you sort of get used to that.”

Former theater company member Justin Russell ’17 said he remembered Dobson as professional, yet encouraging.

“When I auditioned for ‘West Side Story,’ she was all business, knew what she wanted to hear,” Russell said. “It was very hard to surprise her in any way. And when you do, it’s a good feeling. Because I feel that she gets it and gives you the impression. She really does want you to succeed.”

Cable, who is currently finishing up her final year in graduate school at Emerson College, where she is focusing on film and TV writing, said Dobson’s advice has stayed with her two years after her graduation.

“Whenever I got really nervous for auditions, she’d always say, ‘if you can show us how much you believe in yourself, then people will believe in you too,’” Cable said.

“I think that was a good thing to hear, and it helped me build my confidence in myself.”

In addition to affecting her students, Dobson seeks to inspire her audiences. She cited the 2010 St. Joe’s production of “Hair,” a Vietnam War protest musical often considered sensational for its music and staging, as one that left a reaction in audience members, some of whom were veterans of the war.

“Art can be powerful,” Dobson said.

“There are times when a lightbulb goes on, when you see an audience being incredibly moved by something. We have this gift, we can hold up a mirror to life and reflect it.”

This visceral reaction, Dobson says, is the reason why the long hours, intense rehearsals, meticulous technical planning and missed weddings are worth it for her.

“It’s being a part of something that transformative for human beings,” Dobson said. “It doesn’t happen all the time, but when it does, it is very rewarding.”

“Songs for a New World” will be staged in Bluett Theater on April 26, 27 and 28 at 8 p.m and on April 29 at 2 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door and can be reserved online at clubs.sju.edu/theatre/tickets.

Seven of the 12 cast members of “Songs from a New World” rehearse, with Dobson directing.

Lifestyle

April 25, 2018

14

A home away from home

Commuter Lounge serves students all day EMILY GRAHAM ’20 Assistant Lifestyle Editor On a Monday afternoon around lunchtime, a group of students sat in a cozy room at the end of a hallway in Simpson Hall, eating, talking and watching Black Mirror on Netflix.

“If we’re not in class, we’re here, 13 hours a day,” Fatmata Sakho ’21 said, laughing when asked how much time she spends in the commuter lounge.

For Sakho and other commuter students, the lounge is their rest stop between classes, meetings and activities. It’s where they go to “do homework, eat, sleep,” according to Marly René ’19, president of Hawks in Flight, the commuter student organization.

“We come here because it’s a place of home on campus for us away from our actual homes,” René said. “Honestly, though, we get here at 7 in the morning, and we’re not leaving until 9, 10 at night.”

The lounge is separated into two parts.

The door on the outside of Simpson Hall leads into the kitchen area, which has a fullsized refrigerator, microwave, sink, cabinets, a Keurig machine, and tables and chairs for dining. The other side is a study and hangout space with four computers and a printer, a large table, sofas and chairs.

In addition to the furniture, students have personalized the space with a whiteboard and bulletin board to write notes and post flyers for campus events. On the mantle above the closed fireplace sits a row of knick knacks and origami figures, which the students said are products of spontaneous arts and crafts sessions.

Many of the lounge’s features came from feedback and suggestions directly from the students.

“What the students told us loud and clearly was that they wanted a space of their own,” said Nancy Komada, Ph.D., senior director of Adult Student Life.

In its current location for about two decades, a space for commuter students was needed long before it was established, Komada said.

“I remember seeing students in the parking lots eating in the car,” Komada said.

Komada previously worked in Student Leadership and Activities, and while she was there, the office continually pursued initiatives to make commuter students feel more comfortable on campus. However, Komada said, many of these plans were not successful, including establishing intramural sports team, hosting commuters in residences halls for a night and placing lockers in McShain Residence Hall.

“All those things might have been great ideas, and a couple people liked them, but for the most part, people really wanted that space,” Komada said. “I think at the time, of all the initiatives that we did, that [commuter lounge] was one of the most successful.”

While the lounge offers commuter students their own space, it is not meant to isolate them from the rest of campus, said Beth Hagovsky, Ed.D. director of Student Leadership and Activities.

The lounge has two entrances: one that requires swipe access from the outside of the building, and an open door connected to a hallway in the Perch.

“We purposely did that because we didn’t want the commuters to feel or allow themselves to be closed off,” Hagovsky said.

“We wanted there to be that fluidity between the rest of the campus and them. We wanted resident students and off-campus students to feel that if they made friends with commuter students, they’re just as welcome in

Students eat and chat in the lounge during lunch (Photo by Emily Graham ’20).

their space as we would hope commuting students would feel in residential spaces with the friends that they make.”

Hagovsky said this location also offers commuters the ability to spread into the Perch and utilize that space as an extension to the lounge.

The lounge also offers the chance to form a community as commuter students.

Older students strive to help first-year commuter students by offering advice on a variety of topics, Vianca Salcedo ’20 said.

“We have conversations and a lot of debates,” Salcedo said. “We also do that to inform each other and educate, especially the newcomers.”

These conversations often focus on school topics in order to help first-year students still trying to adjust to college.

“We give them little tips here and there about what classes to take, classes to avoid,” René said.

Students not only go to the lounge to

pass the time, but they also form bonds with other commuters, in part through the efforts of the Hawks in Flight club. The activities they have organized include movie nights, a Hibachi dinner and a “Friendsgiving” celebration.

While some of the events occur off campus or in other locations, the commuter lounge is essential to the organization, as it serves as the connecting force between the students.

“It does give us some sense of belonging on campus because as commuters, just the title itself gets us outcasted,” Salcedo said. “We definitely use this space to come together and feel like we’re part of campus.”

For Sakho, the lounge has served this purpose.

“I’m a freshman, so it was hard making new friends, because everybody lived on campus,” Sakho said. “When I came here, everyone was so nice to me, and it felt like a second home.”

We are the world

Caribbean Student Association hosts first annual fashion show JILLIAN BUCKLEY ’20 Hawk Staff St. Joe’s Caribbean Student Association (CSA) put on their first annual fashion show in The Perch entitled “For The Culture” on April 20.

The show featured eight modeling scenes and one dance demonstration by members in the association.

The models in each scene walked on a paper “red carpet” to the stage where they posed and showed off exquisite dresses, suits, coats, and other apparel that displayed their different cultures.

“It was beautiful how it came together-stressful, but beautiful,” said the association’s president, Ckyam Saint-Cyr ’19, who said the association had to consider where to find participants, the price of renting clothes, and the expected turnout for the event.

Some of the themes the models walked to included “90s”, “Flawless” and “Boys to Men.” While each scene had its own individual style, the members of the association all came together in the final scene, which was called “We Are The World.”

“We Are The World” featured each model holding a flag that represented a country, such as Haiti, Vietnam, and Ghana, and then displaying how each country

said “hello” and “goodbye.” Audience and CSA members alike all agreed this was their favorite part of the show because of the inclusive nature.

“It’s so easy to get drowned in a space where you don’t see a lot of people like you, so to come here and go to an event and see how many of us there are in one central space, it’s so empowering,” said Taicha Morin ’20, one of the models.

In between each scene there were two hosts, Tyler Jackson ’18 and James Jackson, a counselor in admissions, who kept the audience entertained but also educated

them on different cultures.

At one point, they addressed the important distinction between cultural appropriation and appreciation, saying that the association wanted to provide a space where the different cultures on campus could be celebrated.

Moni Campbell ’19 and Inera Coleman ’19, who were members of the audience, both said it was nice to see everyone come together to share different cultures.

They also hoped the St. Joe’s community could learn more about cultural appropriation and how to respect different cultures

Participants of the fashion show on stage during the finale (Photo by Cherissa Allan ’18).

from watching the event.

Based on the positive feedback from the viewers of the event, CSA hopes to have more annual events like this one. Saint-Cyr said the association is looking to have the fashion show every spring semester, a gospel concert that includes worship in different languages, and a cultural food and appreciation event called Island T’ings.

While CSA members would have liked to see more attendees at the event, they all unanimously expressed their pride and delight in how the show had gone.

Terry Severe ’20 truly put the idea of connection into practice.

“My brother’s a designer, so this fashion stuff is his stuff, so I told him about it and I’m gonna send him a couple videos and hopefully see how he liked it,” Severe said.

Saint-Cyr said her overall goal for the night was to “get every single one of the participants a chance to express themselves through their clothes and their walks. Allowing each person to bring their own outfits, in my opinion, did exactly that.”

This event brought together the St. Joe's community to celebrate diversity, but also to recognize our similarities.

“We all come from different backgrounds, but at the same time, we’re all still one race- the human race,” Severe said.

Lifestyle

April 25, 2018

15

Writing for the future

Admissions Office offers college essay workshops CLAUDIA CAROLLO ’19 Special to The Hawk For the past two years, the university’s Admissions Office has been offering college essay writing workshops to prospective students during open houses, thanks to the idea of a St. Joe’s student.

Kasie Bourque ’18, a tutor in the St. Joe’s Writing Center, created workshops that allow potential students to have their college essays workshopped by admissions counselors and writing center tutors during open houses.

“Because I worked in Admissions as a Hawk Host, it just seemed like a natural thing to do, combine the two things I was really involved in on campus with this one event or workshop,” Bourque said.

Bourque and classmates Paulina Syr-

acuse ’18, Daniel Hughes ’18 and Gina Kokosky ’18 designed and presented the workshop in their Tutor Practicum, Writing Center Theory & Practice course, as well as at a national writing center conference.

“We framed it as like attracting students who weren’t even at St. Joe’s yet to writing centers and also making high school students who might not even come to St. Joe’s aware of what writing center is,” Bourque said.

Syracuse said the project was fueled by memories writing her own college essay and the stress she felt while doing so.

“No matter how good of a writer you are, you never really know what to write in a college application essay,” Syracuse said. “So having this workshop where you have the dos and don’ts of what to say or examples of things that stuck out to admissions counselors before is really beneficial and helpful.”

St. Joe’s is rare to offer such workshops,

Writing Center tutors review college essays with students (Photos courtesy of the Admissions Office).

A prospective students works one-on-one with a tutor.

which are not widely offered at open houses across college campuses, according to St. Joe’s Admissions Counselor Robert Cusella, who has been running the workshop since fall 2017.

“We are not just helping prospective students hopefully find a good fit at St. Joe's, but regardless of where they end up, when they come visit us, they’re gonna learn a little bit more about the admissions process overall,” Cusella said.

The workshop has been received positively by potential new students and their parents, Cusella said.

“Any kind of bit of information that helps demystify the college process especially for families who are going through this for the first time is always going to be helpful,” Cusella said, “I try to focus on in

my workshops really trying to help students discover like what is it about you that makes you unique.”

The advice Cusella said he gives most often to prospective students writing admissions essays is to give a true sense of themselves, outside their transcripts or resumes.

“So many kids have been cut from a softball team or lost the championship, or have had parents who have been divorced or lost someone important to them,” Cusella said. “We read thousands of essays that all have those same topics. What is it about your story, your experience, that makes you unique and that makes you stand out?”

The next workshops will take place on April 29 during Spring View, when high school sophomores, juniors and transfer students will visit Hawk Hill.

Spring in the city

Can't-miss events in Philadelphia AMBER DENHAM ’18 Lifestyle Editor As the semester comes to an end and spring weather is finally starting to show around the city, it’s the perfect time to take advantage of all that Philadelphia has to offer in the spring and early summer months. For those who will be leaving the area until the fall, it can become particularly overwhelming to fit the many unique events in the area into schedules, especially right before finals.

But don’t worry - to make your planning easier, whether you’re local or not, here are some spots to enjoy in Philadelphia over the next few weeks.

Philadelphia Black Pride: April 25-29 Towards the end of April, Philadelphia Black Pride will host the first ever Black Pride Parade and Rally. This multi-day event begins on April 25 with the “Unchained Rally” starting at aLOFT Hotel on North Broad Street and ends at City Hall.

This celebration appreciates a gathering of people of different races, ethnicities and sexual orientations. Complete with a diverse collection of events, this celebration is known to bring together thousands of members of the African-American and LGBT communities.

Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival: May 1- June 30 Returning for its third year at Franklin Square, this traditional festival will illuminate the historic district of Philadelphia with 15,000 LED lights covering 28 different displays that feature 1,500 various art displays.

This celebration of light and Chinese culture can be enjoyed for two months, where attendees can experience a variety of Chinese entertainment and art, including contortion, acrobatics and plate spinning, a “Dragon Beer Garden” for the 21+ crowd, the popular 200-foot illuminated dragon display and dozens of never before seen decorations.

Though Franklin Square will be free admission during the day as usual, starting at 6 p.m. the Chinese Lantern festival will become a ticketed event. The staff encourages guests to purchase tickets ahead of time to avoid long lines at the door, as this is an extremely popular event.

through the arcade era up until today’s web and console games.

Not only can guests play more than 100 games during the course of the exhibit, they can also learn how their favorite characters from Sonic to the Sims were created as well as the progression of animation over the course of the years.

Current day-time hours include adult tickets for $30 and children’s for $26, 9:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Evening hours are also included only Thursday through Saturday where tickets are $20 and $15.

South Street Spring Festival and Maifest: May 5 Returning for the 6th Annual Spring Festival, the South Street Headhouse districts enables thousands of interested guests to enjoy the fresh air and take part in a variety of springtime events in town.

Located at Headhouse Square and along South Street, this don’t-miss event includes a giant Maypole, a few dozen concerts, eating contests, a kids’ zone along with 100-plus vendors. In addition, visitors can enjoy the traditional Maifest, Brauhaus Schmitz’s German beer and dancing extravaganza, which holds activities that the whole family can enjoy.

Game Masters Exhibit at the Franklin Institute: Now through Sept. 3 Showcasing the work of over 30 innovative game designers, this unique exhibit allows for the inner child in all of us to experience an interactive journey inside some of the most popular and favorite video games. This includes nostalgic journeys

Philadelphians enjoy the weather at a dog park in the city (Photo by Alex Hargrave ’20).

Lifestyle

April 25, 2018

16

Break the silence

St. Joe’s holds annual Take Back the Night vigil AMBER DENHAM ’18 Lifestyle Editor The lights were warm and dim in the Chapel of St. Joseph on April 17, but the energy in the room was anything but low as St. Joe’s held its 18th annual Take Back the Night vigil. In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the vigil is aimed at raising awareness of sexual and physical violence.

Beginning with the first Take Back the Night movement in 1975, which started due to an increasing amount of violence against women, many of these marches and vigils primarily focused on “stranger danger,” focusing on victims not knowing their assailant. However as this violence progressed over the years, it became more common that individuals knew who assaulted them which furthered the importance behind the message of the night.

Organized by St. Joe’s Rape Education Prevention Program (REPP), the vigil included words from faculty, including Monica Nixon, Ph.D., assistant provost for Inclusion and Diversity and Millicent Feske, Ph.D., associate professor of theology and religious studies, along with students and alumni sharing their personal connections with sexual assault and violence. The vigil concluded with an open microphone segment, where survivors or anyone who has been affected by violence were invited to speak.

Raquel Kennedy Bergen, Ph.D., director of gender studies and co-facilitator of REPP, opened the evening to create a safe, non-judgmental space where survivors or anyone who has been affected by violence could feel comfortable being part of the night or sharing their personal stories. Bergen explained the importance and power of what this evening stood for.

Graphic by Kaitlyn Patterson ’20.

“This is one of the most important ways that we can honor the voices [of survivors] and give people a platform to share their experiences [and] make a difference in the lives of others,” Bergen said. “People will walk away from tonight hearing stories that will change their behavior, men who will treat women differently. [I want] survivors to have that space to feel love, to feel comfort, to feel like they’re finally understood.”

In addition to faculty involvement, students in REPP were instrumental in the planning of the evening as well. Brooke Boykas ’18, a general member of the program, has been involved in REPP in all her four years at St. Joe’s.

“This has always been an interest of mine,” Boykas said. “At a young age, my mom always taught me there’s a lot of things that you’ll never have, but your body will always be yours. Just to hear that someone violates that code blew my mind the first time you learn about things like that. Ever since then, it’s always been a really big interest and passion to make sure people still have those rights in tact, always.”

As a criminal justice major, Boykas explained being part of REPP and becoming educated on topics including sexual assault

and child abuse has pushed her to become involved in other areas, such as her current work in prevention of sex trafficking.

Not only did Take Back the Night bring together current St. Joe’s members, it also brought back alumni, some of which had the opportunity to speak during various portions of the night about their work to break the silence and stop the violence.

Two of the speakers included Jessica Heyman ’14, from the Victim Service Center of Montgomery County and Annie Karlen ’15 from Women Against Abuse.

In addition to the speakers, a few individuals had the opportunity to perform spoken word poetry. Among the artists was J.P. Hagerty ’16, who performed an original piece.

Although Hagerty did not know about the vigil until he was invited to speak at it two years ago, he quickly became immersed in the cause and explained the power of spoken word and how he wants to use the gifts he has to speak into these spaces through his faith.

“I use it as an opportunity to share hope with people, and the opportunity for healing through faith in Jesus, that’s my perspective on it,” Hagerty said. “I want to come into a dark place and a place where

people have experienced a lot of pain and hurt, and speak the hope that I’ve found through my faith in Jesus and invite other people into that. That’s my part in showing up and having the honor to speak.”

While it is encouraged for people to share their stories, it is understood that everyone copes with situations differently and may not be ready to speak out.

“I’d say everyone should take the opportunity to come, but if it’s not for you, that’s totally fine,” Boykas said. “Not everyone is ready to talk about their experiences or listen to these kinds of experiences, but just getting that door open and the conversation going is helping the movement.”

The recent #MeToo campaign, a movement against sexual harassment and assault that became viral in October 2017, was referenced in the Take Back the Night program in a quote from founder Tarana Burke, showing that the world is recognizing survivors of all diverse backgrounds and assuring that each story is heard.

“It’s obviously such an important night, and such a heavy night, but it’s interesting in the sense that there’s a lot of solidarity and comfort found in recognizing that you’re not alone,” Hagerty said. “I feel like that is one of the primary, if not the most valuable part, about this night. There’s a space where people can realize that they’re not alone in what they’ve experienced.”

If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual or physical violence, St. Joe’s offers a variety of support options to use as well as locations in the area: REPP Helpline: 610-733-9650 St. Joe’s Counseling Center: 610-660-1090 Montgomery County Victim Services Center: 888-521-0983

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Sports

April 25, 2018

17

Who is Hawk Hill Hardwood?

St. Joe's graduate brings fandom to journalism BRENDAN KILEY ’19 Special to the Hawk For years, the identity of the person behind Hawk Hill Hardwood was hard to find.

Most fans who followed Hawk Hill Hardwood, a website and Twitter account dedicated to keeping the St. Joe’s community in the loop on all things Hawk basketball, had no idea who was running it.

What was clear from Hawk Hill Hardwood’s analysis and from the account’s interactions with players, parents, coaches and other journalists, was that Hawk Hill Hardwood was an insider, somebody who really knows St. Joe’s basketball.

In fact, the man behind Hawk Hill Hardwood is a 33-year-old St. Joe’s graduate, Matt Gifford ’06.

Hawk Hill Hardwood is a part of 24/7 Sports, a sports news and analysis website owned by CBS, and Gifford is the only writer.

He also is behind the Hawk Hill Hardwood Twitter account.

An elementary education major and English minor in his time at St. Joe’s, Gifford now teaches fifth grade in New Jersey by day. By night, he writes for Hawk Hill Hardwood.

Although Gifford does not have a press pass, he manages to access what he needs and has become synonymous with St. Joe’s basketball in the eyes of fans. The only beat reporter for St. Joe’s men’s basketball, he is a must-follow on Twitter. There and on the website, he

provides analysis, beat coverage, recruiting news and insight about the program.

“Since we are such a small school we don’t get national coverage,” said Steve Oldenburg ‘19, an avid fan of Hawk Hill Hardwood and a fixture in the student section. “Having a source so close to the program is great for disseminating information throughout the community.”

Gifford is not only a journalist but also a fan of St. Joe’s basketball. Before he wrote about the Hawks, he was in the student section cheering on his classmates. His personal connection comes from this time as a student, particularly from St. Joe’s undefeated 20032004 season happened at just the right time.

In 2003, when Gifford was entering his sophomore year, he lost his father after a long fight with leukemia. Gifford wrote about the experience in an April 8 article, “The Season That Saved My Life,” for 24/7 Sports. In that article, Gifford identifies himself publicly as the person behind Hawk Hill Hardwood, writing about the grief he lives with and how the 2003-2004 undefeated season proved so important to him.

Throwing himself into that basketball season, Gifford and his mother directed their attention to the triumph of their team, and ultimately the disappointment of the Elite Eight exit against Oklahoma State. Basketball “brought order, optimism and a distraction to my life,” Gifford wrote in the article. “That was also the year that I fell in love with the sport of basketball.”

Gifford’s article was shared by men's bas-

ketball head coach Phil Martelli and by star of the 2003-2004 team and current Detroit Piston Jameer Nelson, driving considerable traffic to the Hawk Hill Hardwood site.

Gifford did not expect so much feedback, but is happy he got it, and happy his story brought people together.

“What sports can do for people, to get through the bad times, is amazing,” Gifford said. “There’s a beauty in fandom and sport that cannot be replicated.”

Gifford said he also recognizes the pitfalls of being too much a fan in his journalism. He said he counters that by trying to stay analytical in his writing.

“It is an interesting divide,” Gifford said.

“If there is something I do not agree with, I’ll try to use data to back it up.”

While teaching is his primary job, Gifford’s homework is for Hawk Hill Hardwood.

He attends games and analyzes stats.

“It’s great being justified watching high school basketball as work,” Gifford said with a laugh.

As the Hawk Hill Hardwood site has grown more popular, Gifford has struggled to do both his main job as a teacher and his work as Hawk Hill Hardwood during the school year. But he said the work is still worth it.

“I have never debated stopping doing it,” Gifford said.

Throughout the year and especially in the summer, he also covers St. Joe’s recruiting, giving excited fans glimpses of what could be next in St. Joe’s and Big-5 basketball.

Matt Gifford is the face behind Hawk Hill Hardwood (Photo courtesy of Matt Gifford ’06).

Kevin Roussey ’20, a student manager on the basketball team and a fan of Hawk Hill Hardwood’s content, said he especially loves Gifford’s journalistic due diligence with recruiting.

“He has it all,” Roussey said. “He is really straightforward. He does not beat around the bush.”

Gifford looks to next year with a “guarded optimism.” When pressed, his optimism becomes less guarded. His voice is a little more excitable, as the journalist fights the fan within him.

“If we stay healthy, I think we can be really good,” Gifford said.

No time for an off-season

SJU Dance Team prepares for next season BRIANNA GENELLO ’19 Hawk Staff While basketball season ended in March, the St. Joe’s Dance Team, known for their performances center court of Hagan Arena, is still at work. After all, creating a nationally ranked team is a year-round job.

Captain Heather Briody ’19 said the team practices twice a week from March to May, which is considered the team’s off-season. In addition, team members are required to attend workouts twice a week, usually lead by a junior or senior teammate.

“I would say our season never really ends to be honest,” Briody said. “We’re already preparing for next season by working on technique and advancing some tricks that we could use.”

When they are in season, the team practices five times a week, including weekends when they’re prepping for nationals, which takes place in January.

The team was Universal Dance Association (UDA) Division I Hip-Hop national champions in 2014, and UDA Division I Hip-Hop and Pom national champions in

2015. This January, the team placed third in Hip-Hop and fourth in Pom. Lucia Petrongolo ’19 said even during summer break, the team is on campus preparing for their upcoming season.

“We’re here all the time,” Petrongolo said.

“We give our everything all year round.”

The team is currently made up of 20

women. Various senior members of the team said having what is considered to be a small team allows the women to form close bonds with one another, as all team members lean on each other for support.

Petrongolo said the sport is very rigorous, so that support in and out of practice helps the athletes push each other to be their best.

The SJU Dance Team performs at a men’s basketball game (Photo by Luke Malanga ’20).

“It’s hard on our bodies and hard on our minds,” Petrongolo said. “Being a motivator for each other is really important, especially in this sport. We have to support each other. We are one big family.”

Dominique Ostermueller ’19 is a transfer student at St. Joe’s this year and a rookie to the team. She said she has had three dreams since she was 10 years old: attend St. Joe’s, be a food marketing major and being selected for the St. Joe’s Dance Team.

“I was extra nervous coming in as a junior,” Ostermueller said. “My adjustment was difficult since I didn’t know if I should become friends with the other rookies or become friends with the juniors, but now I feel like I could say anything to anyone on the team.”

Petrongolo said everyone on the team comes into practice each day knowing their reason why they are participating in a sport that affects them both mentally and physically.

“We've got to be the best that we can be,” Petrongolo said. “It’s all about getting each girl to believe in the fight and believe in themselves. Knowing that we’re a team really helps push the fight.”

Sports

April 25, 2018

18

A Division I experience

St. Joe's basketball and tennis teams host summer camps RYAN MULLIGAN ’21 Hawk Staff As the calendar turns to summer, a campus bustling with college students empties to make way for the hundreds of kids who attend athletic camps at St. Joe’s.

Each summer, 11 of the school’s varsity sports teams host summer camps on campus with the intention of teaching kids the game and giving kids of a wide range of ages the chance to hone their skills during the summer months.

Two of the most popular of those camps are The Phil Martelli Basketball camps, hosted by the men’s basketball team, and the High Performance Tennis Academy Summer Camp, hosted by the men’s and women’s tennis teams. The tennis camps run for six weekly sessions on the Maguire Campus, while the basketball camps runs seven sessions with five taking place at St. Joe’s and two in Avalon, New Jersey. Both camps are co-ed.

“My summer camps are done to hopefully expose young people to Saint Joseph’s university, to our coaching staff, to our way of teaching, to our way of interacting,” said men’s basketball head coach Phil Martelli.

“It gives them a chance to be on and around not only our basketball program but our university.”

Martelli staffs his camps with his current coaching staff along with local high school coaches who are familiar with the program and current players. They host a variety of specialized camps, including an

overnight team session, a “Skills and Drills” week, and a Coaches vs. Cancer benefit team camp in which a portion of each team’s payment is donated to the American Cancer Society. A week at camp costs about $225 per week per player, or $600 for a team.

Conor Porth, now a sophomore at Archmere Academy in Wilmington, Delaware, attended Martelli’s camp from fifth to ninth grade. He said the camp helped him to excel on the court, and he saw improvement in his play in just one week.

“When I first started going, I would say I was among the lesser talented at the entire camp,” Porth said. “Towards the end of the week, I felt confident in my abilities and was able to keep up with all the other kids there.”

Martelli also said the camps aim to encapsulate the storied tradition of basketball in the city of Philadelphia that St. Joe’s has always been a part of.

“We’ve used our camps more as a promotion of Philadelphia basketball and a promotion of Saint Joseph’s University,” Martelli said.

Kids from all over flock to St. Joe’s each summer to seek instruction from a coach with Martelli’s reputation. However, Martelli said he sees it more as a symbiotic relationship he has with the kids who come to learn the game of basketball through his eyes.

“I like interacting with people,” Martelli said. “To be around young people who are crazy about the game of basketball gives me

a lot of energy.”

The tennis program, which partners with the Bala Cynwyd tennis club High Performance Tennis Academy, is able to combine that professional expertise with the excitement of a college atmosphere The relationship that head men’s tennis head coach Ian Crookenden and the St. Joe’s tennis program has with HPTA has helped draw kids to the campus. The organization “pulls from their drawing power along with the reputation and name of Saint Joseph’s,” to attract kids to campus in the summer, Crookenden said.

“It helps to give the identity of the sport and Saint Joseph’s so people begin to make that association,” Crookenden said.

The camp, which runs for six weeks, costs $299 a week and is offered to kids of all ages and skill levels. Fifty to 60 kids participate each session.

Gary Cimperman, a staff pro at HPTA, said holding a camp at a school like St. Joe’s offers versatility. The camp makes use of the courts on Maguire Campus as well as the courts on Cardinal Campus by Hagan Arena.

“We have the ability at St. Joe’s to spread out,” Cimperman said. “We can bring in more campers. It helps us get into point play and ultimately develop our players a lot more.”

This relationship has ultimately benefited both parties, as the camp has prospered over the past years.

“For St. Joe’s, it gives them exposure,” Cimperman said. “There are these 16, 17

year-old soon-to-be college kids. They may not play in college, but the camp gives them a little bit of a college feel.”

One aspect of the “college feel” that Cimperman said kids enjoy the most is the food. Tennis campers are treated to lunch in Campion Dining Hall.

“The food is way better at St. Joe’s,” Cimperman said. “The kids really look forward to it.”

Crookenden and Martelli both said they use their camps to focus on passing their wisdom on to campers with a thirst to improve their game. The primary goal then is not to recruit players, but rather to focus on showing the kids the best possible time and teaching the sport they love at the school they call home.

“I want to make it the best experience they’ll have that summer, whether they be in fifth grade or 11th grade,” Martelli said.

Graphic by Kaitlyn Patterson ’20.

Men on a mission

Lacrosse has a decisive victory over Mount St. Mary's SARAH JOSEPH ’20 Hawk Staff The St. Joe’s men’s lacrosse team maintained their eight game winning streak by defeating Mount Saint Mary’s University on April 21.

The Hawks maintained an impressive lead against Mount Saint Mary’s, with an end score of 14-7, improving their record to 9-3. The senior class proved to be big contributors to this success, with Hayes McGin-

ley scoring three goals, Chris Blewitt scoring two, and Brendan McNicholas scoring his first career goal. This win makes it the longest winning streak in program history.

Head coach Taylor Wray was impressed with the seniors leaders and their ability to play as a unit from end line to end line.

“I thought Hayes McGinley played like a man on a mission," Wray said. “He was physical, he shot the ball well, and he is tough to stop when he plays like that. The usual suspects like Mike Rastivo, Chris Ble-

Senior attack Chris Blewitt is pictured on the field (Photos by Luke Malanga ’20).

witt, and Austin Smith did a great job, but our defensive midfielders, David Stoner and Will McNamara play 90% of the game and do so much for us. Those two guys are the heart and soul of our defense and were outstanding against the Mount.”

The Hawks started off strong in the game, scoring five points in the first quarter, and continued to focus on getting past the Mount Saint Mary’s goalie to have a clear victory. Redshirt freshman Mike Alder paced the Hawks in goal for all but five minutes of the game.

“Mike Adler did an excellent job in goal again,” Wray said. “He made a bunch of point-blank saves that changed the dynamic of the game pretty early.”

Senior midfielder Hayes McGinley said that senior leadership was in full force in order to get the win.

“The senior class did a really good job with not allowing anybody to get complacent and at half-time we just had to get out there like it’s a new game and take it to them,” McGinley said.

The Hawks’ win against Mount St. Mary’s marks the senior’s last regular season game on their home turf. For a senior class who has led the team to a historic season, it is a sentimental time.

“It’s a big family sport for me, McGinley said. “I grew up playing as a little kid and

Freshman Evan Campbell takes on a defender.

ended up here at St. Joe’s and it’s just been a great experience. My coaches and my teammates have all been great.”

With only one regular season game remaining, the seniors will look for another win going into the Northeast Conference Championships. The Hawks will face nationally ranked Robert Morris University.

We are going to have to be excellent in the middle of the field and the transition game,” Wray said. That’s where they score a lot of their goals and their a sort of endline to endline team, and we need to find a solution to defend against them.”

The team’s matchup with 19th-ranked Robert Morris University on April 28 will determine the top seed for the Northeast Conference Championship, starting on May 3.

Sports

April 25, 2018

19

Jumping to new heights

Basketball player Markell Lodge tries his hand at track and field ALEX HARGRAVE ’20 Sports Editor Junior Markell Lodge has spent his three years on campus as a St. Joe’s basketball player, but this athlete has chosen to expand his horizons and join the track and field squad.

Under basketball head coach Phil Martelli and track and field head coach Mike Glavin, Lodge is balancing two sports, along with his communication studies major.

This season is Lodge’s first with the track team: he’s been competing in the high jump and the long jump, and he completed his first 100 m on April 21 in 11.56 seconds. According to Lodge, he’s wanted to run the 100 m, but had to wait for Martelli’s approval.

Competing with the track and field squad will help Lodge’s athleticism come basketball season.

“Track helps me by doing the high jump, and I get to build my speed up even faster,” Lodge said.

Lodge competed in the high jump on his high school track team in Washington, North Carolina. In his collegiate track debut on March 31 at the Rider 5-Way Meet, he earned fourth in a field of nine in the high jump at 6’4 ¼” to help his team to a second place finish out of six competing teams. His collegiate debut in long jump was impressive as well, marking 17’ 10 3/4”.

Lodge earned a personal record in both the high and long jumps at 6’ 4 3/4” and 19’0”, respectively, at the Widener Invitational on April 21. He scored 4.5 points for the Hawks, with a fourth place high jump out of 27 athletes.

Despite having competed in only three meets, his potential is apparent to track and field assistant coach Teddy Meyers.

“In the few weeks that I’ve known Markell, he’s shown his raw talent and fierce competitive nature,” Meyers said. “He is a dedicated athlete who is learning and honing his skills every week.”

Lodge officially decided to try track and field after the end of the 2017-18 basketball season, in which the Hawks made it to the Atlantic 10 semifinals, where they fell to eventual runner up, Rhode Island University, 90-87. As a redshirt his freshman year during the 2014-15 season, he was able to hone his skills in practice as well as concentrate on the transition from high school to college academics.

In the 2016-17 season, Lodge was the only player on the St. Joe’s men’s basketball team to start all 31 games. In his three seasons playing for the Hawks, he’s totaled 163 points. Martelli said that the growth he has shown in four years is apparent.

“Markell came to us four years ago, and he was an introvert, at times felt like a fish out of water,” Martelli said. “To see him expand

Lodge competes in the high jump (Photo by Rose O’Brien ’18).

his horizons academically, socially and now athletically, I couldn’t be prouder of him."

Balancing basketball practice and track and field practices and meets along with school has proven difficult, according to Lodge.

“You don’t really have free time when you have to manage a schedule like that,” Lodge said.

Lodge’s basketball workouts are scheduled around his track meets and practices, but ultimately, Martelli said academics come first for him.

Despite the difficulty in scheduling, Lodge said his coaches have been supportive of his decision to take on another division I sport. Martelli, who has had just one basket-

ball player take on another division I sport, is especially supportive of and impressed with Lodge’s ability to handle such a schedule.

“When this opportunity arose for Markell, I couldn’t be more supportive,” Martelli said. “I think it’s fabulous for him, the program and the student body to see that our guys are more than just basketball players.”

For Lodge, the best part of being part of the track and field squad is collaborating with his teammates.

“Seeing how my team does things and how I do things [is my favorite part of being on the team]” Lodge said. “We do things differently, but we come together and help each other out.”

End of an era

Don DiJulia set to retire after impressive tenure at St. Joe’s SAM BRITT ’20 Hawk Staff After serving as St. Joe’s Director of Athletics for 35 years, Don DiJulia is retiring after the 2017-2018 school year.

DiJulia’s relationship with St. Joe’s began when he attended the school in 1964 to play basketball and baseball.

After his time as a student-athlete at St. Joe’s, DiJulia began coaching college basketball. He started at St. Joe’s and went on to coach other schools such as Fairfield University and George Washington University. It was in 1976 that DiJulia first became director of athletics for St. Joe’s.

“I was actually looking to get out of college sports totally,” DiJulia said. “But just that year, St. Joe’s athletic director stepped down and they called me about my interest in the position. I said no. But in the end, I put my name in the pool and I don’t think they had a lot of options. Due to some good fortunes, I ended up here.”

Over the course of that time, St. Joe’s has changed a lot. DiJulia remembers how in his early tenure at St. Joe’s, one of his main goals was the advancement of women’s sports.

“The one big change when I first took over was the university becoming coed,” DiJulia said. “So getting athletic opportunities up and running for women was a major priority.”

After stints as commissioner for the

Don DiJulia speaks at his induction into the St. Joe’s Hall of Fame (Photo by Luke Malanga ’20).

Eastern Coast Conference and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference DiJulia returned to St. Joe’s in 1988 to reclaim his spot as athletic director — a spot he would hold for the next 29 years.

Over the course of that time, DiJulia learned a lot about what goes in to being an athletic director.

“You have to be flexible and nimble,” DiJulia said. “The outside forces cause so many changes within collegiate athletics.

The phrase I like to use is audible. Being ready to call and audible because you never

know when the college sports world is going to change.”

Head basketball coach Phil Martelli said he simply looks around campus when he needs to remember how much St. Joe’s has changed since DiJulia became athletic director.

“To see the changes, all you have to do is look visually,” Martelli said. “Baseball didn’t have a field, now they have a field.

Softball needed a field, now they have a field. My office used to be a storage closet and now I have arguably the nicest office on campus thanks to Don. He has always put

our athletics department first.”

When looking back on his career, DiJulia remembers many moments fondly, like the 2003-04 men’s basketball season in which the Hawks boasted an undefeated regular season. Despite times like these, he struggles to pin down a specific moment that was his favorite. His pride was in something different.

“What I am most proud of is watching student-athletes succeed and that moment of joy when they were able to do something they didn’t think they were going to be able to do,” DiJulia said. “That is the most enjoyable part of working in this enterprise.”

Martelli credits this sentiment to the type of man DiJulia is.

“He is the most selfless person you have ever met,” Martelli said. “He has a love for this institution that has never been matched.

There isn’t a person who has met Don DiJulia who would say anything other than he isn’t a good man, he is a great man.”

DiJulia will officially be replaced by Jill Bodensteiner, who is currently senior associate director of athletics at Notre Dame University, on June 1.

As his time on Hawk Hill winds down, he is reflective of the storied career he’s had at the university.

“It has been an honor, a privilege, and a joy to work at Saint Joseph’s University,” DiJulia said. “It will always have a special place in my heart and my mind.”

Sports

April 25, 2018

20

Leading the pack

Mike Rastivo breaks lacrosse program record in career goals DAN MATRANGA ’21 Hawk Staff Graduate student Mike Rastivo, standout attack-mid for the St. Joe’s men’s lacrosse team, has made an impact on the program since his freshman year in 2014. Rastivo recently broke the all-time scoring record at St. Joe’s (124) and has accomplished a great deal throughout his career. Rastivo currently holds top ten slots in all-time statistics for the Hawks in shots, goals, assists and points.

Rastivo broke the record for career goals against Northeast Conference opponent Bryant University on April 14, in what would eventually be a 14-7 victory. He scored four goals in the game, his third one breaking the previous record of 120 goals.

While the accomplishment is big for him, his team’s success is more important.

“It was definitely a special day, but in the grand scheme of things I want to win a National championship,” Rastivo said. “I am not really concerned about records and accolades. I just want to win and help my team.”

Head coach Taylor Wray said he recognizes Rastivo’s commitment to becoming a better player and a team role model.

“Mike could not care less about individual glory,” Wray said. “He only cares about team success. Our program is defined by the commitment to a common goal, and Mike Rastivo exemplifies that attribute as well as anyone I have ever coached, at any level.”

Rastivo redshirted his junior season due to injury, giving him one more year of eligibility as a graduate student. He said he is appreciative of the current seniors who have taken him into their class and helped him lead the team this year.

“The seniors from this year took me into their class,” Rastivo said. “They welcomed me back with open arms and I can’t thank them enough. Every day the seniors are just as much of leaders.”

Rastivo started playing lacrosse when he was just five years old. Before committing all of his time to lacrosse, Rastivo took his athleticism to basketball court and the football field where he competed as a point guard and quarterback, respectively.

He was able to translate skills from these sports to his lacrosse game.

“The footwork really helped me out for my future athletic career,” Rastivo said. “I think just being on a team throughout my life helped me smoothly transition into lacrosse. I love the idea of working towards a common goal with a bunch of other guys.”

Though he is graduating, Rastivo hopes to continue to be around the sport he loves.

He has been given the opportunity to join the offensive coaching staff at Germantown Academy in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania.

Rastivo also plans on working for the HHH Youth Lacrosse Club to teach the game he is so passionate about.

Rastivo commits himself to be better

Rastivo looks to pass in a game on April 21 against Mount Saint Mary's (Photo by Luke Malanga ’20).

every day, as he understands the obstacles of being a successful student athlete. He was not highly recruited as a high school senior, but he decided to do a prep year, which led to Wray first recruiting him. Today, he is the team’s leading scorer.

Rastivo said he believes that the best way to lead his team is through example and being vocal, because he looks to improve his teammates’ play daily.

“I don’t want to be a guy who says what to do,” Rastivo said. “I want to make sure I do it myself.”

For Wray, Rastivo’s skill is not only in his game, but also in his character.

“What makes Mike special is that as terrific as he is as a player, his greatest contribution to our program has been the things he has brought to our team as a leader,” Wray said.

Rastivo and the Hawks will look to capture their first Northeast Conference Championship after their regular season ends with a game against Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh on April 28.

Ryan Daly returns to his roots

University of Delaware basketball player set to transfer to St. Joe’s NICK KARPINSKI ’21 Assistant Sports Editor Former University of Delaware guard Ryan Daly has signed a commitment letter and will officially be a part of the St. Joe’s basketball program.

Daly will have to sit out the 2018-19 season as a red-shirt. He will have two years of eligibility, starting in the 2019-20 season.

Daly’s late grandfather, Jim Boyle, played for the Hawks and coached them from 1981-89. His father Brian Daly also played for St. Joe’s, and his mother Tracie Daly is a St. Joe’s graduate.

Nick Karpinski: What was the main reason behind your transfer?

Ryan Daly: “I wanted to feel more like myself. I just felt like a change. I really enjoyed Delaware. It was a personal decision for me and I’m happy with St. Joe’s.”

NK: How much has your family history affected your decision do come to St. Joe’s?

RD: “Growing up going to St. Joe’s games definitely played a part. St. Joe’s made themselves available, there was a few others. When I narrowed my list down, I was pretty confident that St. Joe’s was the one. Family history played a part, but it’s not the only reason. It’s

cool to continue the family legacy.”

NK: What was Phil Martelli’s role in how you made your decision?

RD: “He told me the truth. He didn’t promise me any minutes or a specific role.

He said that he thinks the team has the opportunity to be really special over the next couple years. Everyone coming back healthy is the top priority. He said that he wants me to be a part of this team. He said he’s not doing me any favors. He believes in my ability to contribute to the program.”

NK: What is the benefit of you to sitting out a year?

RD: “Getting more athletic is something that I look to try and do. The A-10 is a better league top to bottom than what I’m coming from. A year sitting will help me to become more mature in terms of looking at the game from a different angle. At Delaware, I played most every game. I didn’t get the chance to see the game from the sideline. It’ll be interesting to see developments and how the offense works for a whole year.”

NK: How have two years of college basketball helped you to develop your game?

RD: “[Head] Coach [Martin] Ingelsby helped me a lot throughout my time

at Delaware. I wouldn’t be the player I am without him. You get thrown into the fire pretty quickly. Me and a couple of other players played a lot of minutes. You see seven footers when you’re going down the lane.

It made me a better player and I think it’s prepared me for St. Joe’s.”

NK: What can you bring to this team that no one else can?

RD: “St. Joe’s has a lot of ability. I’m just going to try to be as competitive as possible.

I’m going to try to be tougher than everyone in the league. I don’t want to change the way I’ve grown up playing. I’d be doing the people that helped me to get here a disservice.

I want to win as many games as possible.

Whether coach wants me to play one minute or forty minutes, I’m ready to do whatever it takes to win.”

Daly will play for the Hawks in the 2019-20 season (Photo courtesy of SJU Athletics).

NK: What does competing in the A-10 and against the Philadelphia Big 5 schools mean to you?

RD: “I played with a lot of those kids kids over the summer. It’s going to be cool to play against them. I didn’t play a lot of Philly schools except for Drexel sometimes.

I’m close with a lot of kids on those teams in the Big 5.”

NK: Even though you won’t be able to play next season, with a healthy roster, how exciting is it to be a part of this team?

RD: “I think it’s going to be really special. With this roster, I think we’re going to be really good. Health last year wasn’t that great. I’m very confident that if this team stays healthy, they can win a lot of games and surprise a lot of people.”