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Independently Publsihed By Loras Students Since 1922 Vol. C Iss. XIII
April 28, 2022 - Dubuque, IA
Honoring the Remarkable Dedication of Students Student Life and Government host Co-Cirricular Awards Ceremony to celebrate the hard work of students and organizations a program that primarily focused on the social aspect to build community at Loras. The winner of the Outstanding On April 25, Student Life and Contribution to a Vibrant Campus Government hosted the Student Community was DuProv. Awards Ceremony to honor the hard The fourth award handed out was the work and accomplishments of student “Outstanding Educational Program” organizations and leaders. The meaning award, given to the student group, behind this was for “recognizing the committee, etc. who has implemented impactful work student leaders and an event or program designed to organizations have exemplified across enhance the academic experience the Loras community”. The ceremony outside the classroom. The winner of was hosted in the Ballroom and the Outstanding Educational Program was filled with distinguished guests award was the League of United Latin including Dr. Art Sunleaf, Provost and American Citizens (LULAC). Academic Dean Donna Heald, and The fifth award handed out was President Jim Collins. the “Community Impact Award”, an The ceremony kicked off with a award that recognizes a student group’s few remarks from Assistant Director philanthropic or community service of Student Life Kelsey Callahan and photo by LORAS COLLEGE efforts that made a significant impact Brett Batkoff. After a few remarks, Dean of Students Dr. Art Sunleaf speaks at the awards ceremony on April 25. in serving others in the community. Dr. Sunleaf gave short speech This ceremony honored students and organizations for their work throughout The winner of the Community Impact the 2021-2022 academic year. congratulating all organizations and Award was DuDawgs. student leaders for their hard work committee, etc. that has embodied the principles The sixth and final award handed out was the and dedication throughout the past few years. This of innovation, collaboration, and motivation in the “Collaboration Award”, which recognizes a student was the first time the award ceremony was hosted in creation of a new, outstanding program or event. The group, or committee that has exemplified effective person since the start of COVID-19. Dr. Sunleaf also winner of the Innovative Award was the Pickleball and impactive collaboration with another Loras made a gesture asking myself to do a wall-sit during Club. member, organization, department or a local his speech, but I politely declined. The second award handed out was the community group. The winner of the Collaboration The first of the awards given out went to student “Outstanding Cultural Impact Award”, given to Award was the College Activities Board (CAB). organizations. The first award handed out was the the group that is recognized for efforts that have Before moving on to the student awards, the “Innovative Award”, given to the student led group, enhanced the campus climate as it Advisor of the Year Award was handed out. relates to race, gender, gender identity, The Advisor of the Year Award is given to the sexual orientation, religion, culture, organization advisor who has exceeded his or her socioeconomic status, disabilities, obligations in the support of a student organization wellness, and more. The winner of the and the students within that organization. The Outstanding Cultural Impact Award Advisor of the Year Award was given to Tania was Forward Thinking. Tauseef. The third award handed out was The next set of awards given out were student the “Outstanding Contribution to a leader individual awards. The first award handed out Vibrant Campus Community”. This was the “Emerging Leader Award”, given to a student award was given to the student group, Continued on page 2 committee, etc. who has implemented by KEEGAN A. GODWIN executive editor
Newly Elected Student Government Leaders for 2022-23 President: Ava Bradley Vice-President: Andrew Martinez Director of Finance: Ryne Anders Director of Communications: Diego Rodriguez Athletics and Recreation Chair: Sara Hoskins Housing & Aesthetics Chair: BethAnnie Hartman Academic Chair: Amber Forbort Diversity Chair: Jose Cardenas Campus Life Chair: Savannah Paisley Good luck to all elected members!
Elon Musk Buys Twitter In a move that had been in the makings for a while now, Tesla CEO Elon Musk purchased Twitter for $44 billion. On Apr 25, Mr. Musk purchased shares of Twitter’s stock for $54.20 a share. This page 2
French Students Trip to WI As I sat in the parking lot outside of Hoffmann in the twelve-passenger white chevy van, I checked the weather on my phone. The rain that was loudly pelting the roof and the windshield was forecast page 3
Meeting Tall People One of the things I have learned in my many years of being seven feet tall is, many people simply have never seen someone that tall before. Apparently, my height is rather rare. An article in The page 4
Senior Edition Update Graduation is approaching! With the end of the semester approaching, we here at the Lorian are working hard at putting together an edition to commemorate our seniors and their hard work. As we are working on this edition, we are asking seniors to send us your best photos and memories that we can place in the paper. Please email lorian@loras. edu with the subject line “2022 Senior Edition” so we can include your photos and stories in the paper. We ask that you keep these stories and photos appropriate so we can publish your memories.
A Note From the Editor I would like to start off this note by saying thank you to every single one of our readers. Over the last three years, I have worked at the Lorian to help create a sense of community here on campus. I have used to the paper as a way for page 8 everyone here at Loras to
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Honoring the Hard Work: Co-Curricular Awards Ceremony Continued from page 1
who exemplifies leadership and Duhawk pride on the job. Staff and Faculty have the opportunity to recognize a student assistant who has gone above and beyond their normal duties to help their area. The winner of the Excellent Student Employee Award was Dani Keller. The fourth and final award handed out was the “Outstanding Student Leadership Award”, given to a student who has made exceptional contributions to the Loras community through leadership, collaboration, integrity, and community service. The winner of the Outstanding Student Leadership Award was Brett Batkoff. Congratulations to all student leaders and organizations for their amazing accomplishments throughout this academic year!
photo by LORAS COLLEGE
LULAC holds their award for Outstanding Educational Award.
Elon Musk Acquires Twitter in Historic $44 Billion Deal by KEEGAN A. GODWIN executive editor
In a move that had been in the makings for a while now, Tesla CEO Elon Musk purchased Twitter for $44 billion. On Apr 25, Mr. Musk purchased shares of Twitter’s stock for $54.20 a share. This purchase came just after Mr. Musk became Twitter’s largest shareholder. In a statement, he said “Twitter has tremendous potential — I look forward to working with the company and the community of users to unlock it.” According to CNN, Twitter unanimously approved Mr. photo by SPACE.COM Musk’s offer on Apr 24. Twitter Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently purchased Twitter for a historic $44 billion. Mr. independent board chair member Musk’s move to purchase the company has drawn criticism from many different Bret Taylor said that Mr. Musk’s sectors. purchase was “the best path forward removed Mr. Trump, creating an have failed to turn a profit for eight for Twitter’s stockholders”. Twitter is immediate backlash. Mr. Musk himself of the last ten years, according to the home to 217 million daily users, not has been in trouble with Twitter New York Times. The tech giant lost as big as competitors like Facebook moderators on a number of different $493 million in 2021. While many are and Instagram, but is often used for occasions. Republicans throughout split on Mr. Musk’s purchase, those political statements from politicians, Congress cheered Mr. Musk’s purchase closely tied financially to Twitter are celebrities, and other users as well. of Twitter, believing that he will hoping that he can bring a complete Following the purchase, Twitter’s stock end big tech censorship. Tennessee turnaround to the company. With shares rose 6%. Senator Marsha Blackburn stated “I financial troubles looming for the tech One of Twitter’s biggest am hopeful that Elon Musk will help giant, Mr. Musk has a long road ahead controversies surrounds the banning rein in Big Tech’s history of censoring of him if he wishes to solidify Twitter of former President Donald Trump users that have a different viewpoint”, into the realm of Meta, the company from their app. Following the Jan 6 ironically, posted on Twitter. that owns Facebook and Instagram. Insurrection in 2020, the app quickly On the financial side of Twitter, they
Don’t Say Disney - Why Florida Revoked their Special Tax Status to NPR, the system was created to relieve Florida tax payers from the costs of Disney’s expansion. The happiest place on Earth? However, the new bill now puts the According to Florida legislators, no burden of paying those taxes not on more. On Apr 22, Florida Governor Disney, but the state – the taxpayers. Ron DeSantis signed a bill that With the Florida counties taking effectively revokes Disneyland’s over the Disney territory, they will special tax status. According to the be inheriting Disney’s “$1 billion Reedy Creek District website, “In bond debt”, according to NPR. In 1967 the Florida State legislature, this scenario, “homeowners here working with Walt Disney World could see property taxes jump by Company, created a special taxing 20% to make up the difference”, district – called the Reedy Creek according to Danielle Prieur of Improvement District – that WMFE Orlando. would act with the same authority The new bill takes effect on July and responsibility as a county 1, 2022 but the sweeping reforms government”. By eliminating this would not take place until June special tax status, Disney would be 2023. Disney now has to look to applicable to the Florida laws which photo by TAMPA BAY TIMES the state for approval in expansion. could raise taxes throughout the Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signs the controversial Parental Rights in Education That means any theme park, hotel, bill in March of 2022. DeSantis’s fued with Disney revolves around the corporation’s Disney Corporation. public criticism of the bill. waterpark, rides, or restaurant But why did Disney have their would need to be approved by an special status removed? In Mar the bill… We were opposed to the bill from the outside party, not Disney themselves. There is an 2022, Mr. DeSantis signed the highly controversial outset, and we chose not to take a public position opening for renegotiation, however. Until 2023, the Parental Rights in Education law which “prohibits because we felt we could be more effective working state and Disney have the opportunity to recreate classroom instruction and discussion about behind the scenes directly with lawmakers on both and redraw the districts. It is unclear whether the sexual orientation and gender identity in certain sides of the aisle”. Mr. Chapek’s criticism of the bill state will renegotiate with Disney beforehand. elementary school classrooms”, according to the New led to outrage from conservative lawmakers almost York Times. Critics of this bill have dubbed this the immediately. Mr. DeSantis said in an email, “If ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill. Many teachers and members of Disney wants to pick a fight, they chose the wrong the LGBTQ+ community were outraged by this bill, guy”. one that was praised by conservatives. The special status that Disney had allowed them In response to the bill, Disney’s Chief Executive to essentially be their own county. This allowed the Bob Chapek told media “While we’ve been strong corporation to have its own services where they were supporters of the community for decades, I know responsible for building roads, water and electricity, that many are upset that we did not speak out against and providing police and fire services. According by KEEGAN A. GODWIN executive editor
H ealth This is the fourth part in a series from Skyler Landry (not their real name). Skyler is a transgender student at Loras who is not living openly. Skyler hopes to eventually reveal their self in a future column.
by SKLYER LANDRY staff writer
Let me start with a question that has been going around the internet for a few months that I would like to answer: Is it transphobic to not date a trans person? Short answer: No. If you are not attracted to trans people, are you transphobic? This one is a bit more nuanced. Have you ever seen a picture of someone that you thought was hot and then found out they were trans? What was your reaction? If you immediately shuddered, said “eeeew,” or were turned off by their appearance, you might have a tendency towards transphobia. I’m never going to say anyone is a transphobe if they personally do not want to date me, a trans person. However, when you base that unwillingness to date solely on me being trans, that is different. Let’s say you are a man who is only interested in biological women. You can show that you are not a transphobe by just saying, “I am more inclined to date a woman who was biologically born a woman.” That is not a transphobic way of thinking as everyone has their own tastes, preferences and wants in a relationship. One argument I hate is: “I want a woman who can produce a baby and trans women cannot.” According to the Center for Disease Control’s website, 19% of women between the ages of 15 and 49 are unable to get pregnant in their first year of trying. Are they not “real women?” I remember arguing with someone about this before. He became upset that I pointed this out and said his argument was based more on how trans women will never be able to give birth to a baby. Okay – but that’s not your original
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Not Dating Someone who is Transgender is not Transphobic argument. Womanhood is not determined by the ability to menstruate or give birth. What truly makes a woman? A uterus? What makes a man? A penis? That makes everything binary and gendered. According to U.S. News and World Report, the Florida attorney general released guidelines last week regarding how people under age 18 should be medically and emotionally treated when it comes to gender. The article said, “The Florida Health Department on Wednesday released new guidance saying gender-confirmation care should not be available to minors, undercutting – and criticizing – the federal government’s recommendations.” In addition to advising that hormone treatments for minors should not be available, the Florida Health Department said, “that social gender transition, including name, pronoun and clothing changes, should not be a treatment option for the age group (minors), instead offering social support and counseling as alternatives.” So, I guess that means that minor boys can only wear pants and minor girls can only wear dresses or skirts, right? Are they serious? Let’s talk about clothes. With this Florida report, yet again, we’ve hit the same wall we always have and always will. Gendering clothes. Clothes are literally just pieces of material sewn together. How is what a trans person chooses to wear some sort of propaganda? As a trans man, I do find it very difficult to live my life because I feel as though I’m constricted by the outside world. Personally, I feel like I cannot go out and buy men’s clothes without feeling weird about it because of the norm’s society has decided upon. I know one of my friends told me about their girlfriend buying clothes from the men’s section. She ended up being chastised
about it when she wore them to school. In a historical sense, men wore skirts, heels, and crop tops before they became “women only clothes,” so how exactly is telling people not to wear something of the opposite sex going to change how they feel? Sometimes, making something off-limits actually makes people want it even more. Clothing styles change over time so, claiming one set of clothes as only male or only female is nonsense. Some women can only fit in men’s cut shirts and some men prefer the fit of a women’s cut shirt. Why is it such a negative for people to wear whatever they want? Have you ever seen an event called the Scottish Games? It’s sort of an ode to old Scotland where, mostly, burly and bearded men toss large heavy objects. Most of these burly-bearded men are wearing plaid skirts, also known as kilts. Does anybody care to approach one of these guys and tell them they’re dressed like a girl?
photo from ERIE.COM
On the Road: French Students Trek to Wisconsin Capital
photo by MARK MEDERSON
The students stand by a replica of the “Liberty Bell,” in the Wisconsin state capitol building rotunda. by MARK MEDERSON faculty advisor
As I sat in the parking lot outside of Hoffmann in the twelve-passenger white chevy van, I checked the weather on my phone. The rain that was loudly pelting the roof and the windshield was forecast to stick around. Not a big deal, except I would be loading the van with ten students who are visiting Loras this semester from France. The weather gods simply weren’t showing us much love. When I heard early in the semester that the students were taking a field trip to Des Moines to see the Iowa state capitol, I thought, perhaps they would like to see the Wisconsin capitol as well. All thirteen of the students visiting from France this semester were offered the opportunity to go. Ten signed up to take the trip. “I wanted to be part of the trip to visit Madison,” Charlotte Vernis said. “Even if the city is not very far, without a car it was impossible [for us] to go there, so this was the opportunity.” Anyone who has made the trip east on highway 151 knows, there is not a lot to see and Vernis noted, the pouring rain created some foggy windows in the van, which obscured the view. “I saw a lot of farm and fields,” Florent Guichard said.
After arriving in Madison, our first stop was Collectivo Coffee on State Street at the edge of the University of Wisconsin campus. Surprisingly, the barista behind the counter spoke French! “I ordered a hot chocolate [and] a chocolate croissant,” Lea Marchand said. “I wanted to see if the American chocolate croissant shared any similarities with the one in our country … I think it’s the best chocolate croissant I’ve ever had in my life.” As we left the coffee shop, the rain was still pouring down. Our walk up State Street to the capitol was a soggy one. As we approached the building, the students noticed the similarities between the Wisconsin capitol’s appearance and the national capitol in Washington, D.C. We arrived in time to take the 11:00 a.m. guided tour. Of note, as we followed the tour through the capitol, were several elements of the building’s interior that have connections to France. “The guide mentioned France very often,” Vernis said. “I don’t remember how many times, but he remembered very well the marble and, of course, the bell.” On display in the capitol is a replica of the famed “Liberty Bell.” The bell in the capitol was a gift from France. Lea Marchand said the capitol tour was her favorite part of the trip to Madison. While she enjoyed both the Iowa and the Wisconsin capitol tours, she thinks the Madison building is slightly more appealing. “The color of the marble was wonderful,” she said. After the official tour of the inside of the building ended, we took an unguided side trip of the building. One of the lesser-known aspects of a Wisconsin capitol building tour is the opportunity to walk around the outside of the building’s rotunda. We made our way up a narrow, metal spiral staircase to access the observation deck. As we walked around the exterior of the rotunda, the only remnants of the pouring rain, besides the cloudy sky, was a Mallard duck who had made the railing of the deck a temporary perch. “When we went up on the roof, the 360-degree view was quite
impressive,” Charlotte Vernis said. We left the capitol and walked back down State toward the U.W. School of Journalism and Mass Communication in Vilas Hall. Once there, the SJMC director, Dr. Hernando Rojas, treated us to a presentation on his research – social media and political polarization. “I really liked the presentation – it was so clear and … even if polarization is a phenomenon that everyone knows, it was interesting to go deeper into [its] causes and repercussions,” Florent Guichard said. Rojas treated us to pizza and salad from Ian’s, including the restaurant’s iconic mac and cheese pizza. “The pizza lunch was so good,” Guichard said. “… the macaroni and cheese pizza doesn’t really exist, or is not famous, in France. I tried it … but my favorite was the [barbecue] chicken pizza.” Our next stop was Wisconsin’s 105-year-old football stadium, Camp Randall. Many of the students agreed that the tour was a tad long and hampered by the fact that one end of the stadium is under construction. This required the turf field to be removed so the field resembled a parking lot rather than a football playing surface. One more thing the students needed to see was the iconic U.W. Memorial Terrace with the colorful chairs. It was too chilly and wet to sit outside, so we sat inside and enjoyed two large orders of fried cheese curds. “I tasted one. It was good but a little too fatty,” Charlotte Vernis said. With that, it was time to load up the van and make our way back to Loras. As we rumbled down highway 151 back toward Dubuque, one of the students shouted, “There’s the sun!” The weather gods finally decided to help us out. As the sun began to peak through the clouds, I couldn’t help but smile. This enjoyable and informative day would be capped off by a clearing sky and the warm rays of the sun. Merci, Mother Nature. Finally!
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University of Wisconsin track star Sarah Shulze dies at 21
The Do’s and Don’ts for Meeting Tall People by DAVID GRINTJES
by CHANTAL DA SILVIA
staff writer
nbc writer
One of the things I have learned in my many years of being seven feet tall is, many people simply have never seen someone that tall before. Apparently, my height is rather rare. An article in The Atlantic said, “According to the U.S. Census, of the 40 million prime-age men living today, only 70 eclipse the quasi-mythical 7-foot threshold. Seven-footers, you are the 0.00017%.” Wow! That is a very small percentage of people on the planet, which leads to the excitement some have when they see a tall person, shall we say, in the wild.
A student-athlete from the University of Wisconsin-Madison died by suicide, her family said. Sarah Shulze, a star runner on the women’s track and field and cross-country teams at the university, died this month at age 21.
While we all have certain things that make us different, many of you probably don’t get noticed in the way that I do. And one of the things about standing out is, perfect strangers seem to feel comfortable pointing out my novel size – to my face! I hope this is particularly helpful if you decide you must ask them the same questions that I’ve been asked every time I go to the store, the movies, or out on a date with a girlfriend. This short list will contain the dos and don’ts for a respectful and successful “giant encounter.”
Her family said they had been left “shocked and grief stricken” by Shulze’s death. “Above all other things, Sarah was a power for good in the world,” they said. In a separate statement posted to the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Badgers Twitter account, the school said its athletics community had been left “heartbroken” by Shulze’s passing.
Rule Number 1: Don’t Stare There have been many moments in my life where I walk into a Walmart or a bar, and I immediately feel eyeballs on me. I get it. I am literally a head and shoulders above everyone else. I understand that, to some people, a “me sighting” is as rare as seeing a sasquatch. But, please be respectful and take a gander at the tall person, if you must, and then just go about your business. Nothing makes me more uncomfortable than looking around the room and seeing people pointing and talking about me. Rule Number 2: The Dreaded Question This is the nuts and bolts of the issue that many tall people face. Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoy meeting new people and even answering the question, “how tall are you?” But other tall people have told me they’re a little sick of this question. Here is an example of a time I was NOT happy with this question. I was in Whitewater, Wisconsin buying groceries, just minding my own business when I noticed there was someone following me. It was a girl and her boyfriend. They followed me through six aisles before finally asking me how tall I was. Don’t do that, just come up and immediately ask the question. Rule Number 3: Ways to make the question more fun for the tall person This one is for the tall folks. In some circumstances it gets to the point where you get asked about your height so much that you need to change your tactics from being polite to seeking financial gain. I have come up with a game to play with people. The rules are simple. The person gets one free guess. After that, each guess will cost five dollars. I tried this while I was in Alabama on spring break and one person got up to fifteen dollars. It’s a win-win. They get their question answered and, in this case, I got my dinner paid for. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not whining about being tall. I wouldn’t have it any other way. It has its perks but it also has its disadvantages (don’t get me started on public transportation and how small the seats on a bus and airplane are). But at the end of the day, tall people need to realize that they are an interesting specimen to someone of average height or less. There is nothing wrong with being curious but if you can be curious without being disrespectful, that would be great. I’m just like everybody else except maybe a foot or two taller. And, just one more: No, the weather is not any different up here. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.
In a statement posted April 15 to a website dedicated to her life, her family said she had died just two days before, on April 13. “Sarah took her own life,” the statement said. “Balancing athletics, academics and the demands of every day life overwhelmed her in a single, desperate moment.”
“Sarah was a beloved daughter, sister, granddaughter, friend, teammate and Badger student-athlete,” the school said. “We extend our deepest sympathies and sincere condolences to Sarah’s family, friends and Badger teammates during this extraordinarily difficult time.” Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for college students, according to the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention. In 2020, it was among the top nine leading causes of death for people ages 10 to 64 and was the secondleading cause of death for people 10 to 14 and 25 to 34, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Just last month, the parents of the star goalkeeper on Stanford University’s women’s soccer team announced that their daughter, Katie Meyer, had died by suicide. Meyer, 22, was from Newbury Park, California, and had been studying as an international relations major and history minor. In an interview with NBC’s “TODAY” show, Meyer’s mother, Gina, said there had been “no red flags” prior to her daughter’s death. “She was excited. She had a lot on her plate. She had a lot going on. But she was, she was happy. She was in great spirits,” she said. Shulze, who was from Oak Park, California, also had a promising future, earning All-Big Ten honors in 2020 and 2021 for cross-country and in 2021 for track, according to her profile on the university’s athletics page. She had initially made her mark as an athlete in high school, competing in national and state level events, her family said. They said she had received a scholarship to race for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which was “an ongoing source of pride for Sarah as she entered her third season with the team.” Shulze’s family said she was also a member of the student-athlete council and had interned at the Wisconsin state Legislature. She had also volunteered as a poll worker for the 2020 presidential election. “These experiences helped develop her deep love for politics, social causes and women’s rights,” they said. “Sarah regarded herself as a champion for all women, as did the many family members, friends, students and athletes who surrounded her,” they said. In the wake of her death, Shulze’s family has set up the Sarah Shulze Foundation, which they said would help other student-athletes and support a number of causes she was passionate about, including women’s rights and mental health.
Secrets from the Seminary 5: Liturgy of the Hours by GREGORY KINSER staff writer
I can’t talk about the Seminary life without talking about the Liturgy of the Hours. The Hours are the meat and potatoes of each and every day in the Seminary. The Hours are the prayers that the Church asks all the faithful to pray throughout the day. Clergy members are required to pray the Hours every day and the lay community is encouraged to as well. If one were to pray every Hour of a day, they would do the Office of Readings and pray first thing in the morning, then pray at midmorning, midday, midafternoon, evening, and night. That’s a lot of prayer! The most important Hours are the Office of Readings and Morning and Evening Prayer. Clergy members are required to do at least those as well as either one of the Daytime Prayers or Night Prayer. If you’ve never prayed the Hours before, I will break
down the contents of an hour. Each hour begins with a hymn, followed by three excerpts from the Psalms, a reading from Scripture (could be Old or New Testament), a Gospel Canticle, intercessions, an Our Father, and a concluding prayer and blessing. There are some differences between various Hours, but that is essentially how each Hour goes. The beauty of the Liturgy of the Hours, in a similar way as the Mass, is that it grounds and immerses one with our Church’s liturgical calendar and includes each individual praying them in the prayers of the faithful all around the world. As a convert to the Catholic faith from a Protestant upbringing, I have a great love and appreciation for traditions like the Hours that help to ground
one in the teachings, traditions, and Holidays of God’s Church. Unstructured, more personal prayer is great but structure and consistency in prayer are also important. Sometimes, we don’t know for what or how to pray, and that is why the Church has provided the Liturgy of the Hours for us! If you want to start praying the Hours or are simply curious and want to look into it, there are two main ways to do so: by the book or by the app. The beauty of the book set is that it is a more immersive experience: you have to find each element yourself. The beauty of the app is that you don’t have to find each element yourself; each Hour is assembled for you, and it’s free and more mobile. I encourage all to explore the Liturgy of the Hours!
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The struggle between self and others Johnny Depp and by ARJA KUMAR staff writer
In my all-time favorite film, 8 ½ by Fredrico Fellini, there is a striking scene at the very end before the main character attempts to annihilate himself. Guido, an existentially-suffering filmmaker and burned-out man, gets in the car for a short escape with Claudia, his ideal woman and apparition-like figure. During the car ride, Guido lets go of himself and his inhibitions, and has an honest conversation with Claudia, who is interestingly, driving the car. He throws back his head in a daze, and questions, “You’re so beautiful. I’m at a loss for words. You make my heart beat like a school boy’s. You don’t believe me, do you? You inspire such deep respect… Who do you love? Claudia, who are you with? Who do you care for?” When Claudia reassures him, he questions again, existentially, “Could you leave everything behind and start from zero again? Pick one thing, and one only, and be absolutely devoted to it? Make it the reason for your existence, the thing that contains everything, that becomes everything, because your dedication to it makes it last forever?” Claudia does not answer and instead questions him back, “And what about you? Could you?” They ride to an abandoned village, where they stop and walk around. There, Guido explains to Claudia his idea for his new film about a burned-out man
who finds salvation in his ideal woman. Claudia expresses interest in Guido’s idea, but ultimately disapproves of it, saying the protagonist is unsympathetic because he lacks the capacity to love another human being. Guido is offended, and Claudia laughs that he cannot take the least bit of criticism. He bemoans that he no longer believes in love and that he no longer feels like telling another pile of lies. Claudia reflects his true self to him with the repetitive line, “Because he doesn’t know how to love.” She finally brings out the harsh truth that Guido is a fake and that there is no real film that Guido is making – it was all a ploy just to converse with her. He nods and says, “You’re right. There isn’t…There’s nothing anywhere.” This scene from the gorgeous surrealist art film is a beautiful example of what lies at the heart of what many of us grapple with on a day-to-day basis and how to come to terms with it. The struggle between ourselves and the surrounding world and people around us is a passionate one. As an individualistic society, we try to put on a tough face and fend for ourselves always. When those we love or value upset or disappoint us, we want to abandon them completely and say, “I don’t need you!”, thinking that loving ourselves and living as an individual is fulfilling enough. All the people in Guido’s life are inadequate to him. In his dark self-dug hole, he shuns his family, friends, and all those in between. He does not see the people in
his life for who they truly are, but rather as distorted images who are constantly judging him. In turn, he copes by judging others. Moreover, he fails to accept them and their imperfections as human beings. Claudia, who appears to Guido from time to time as a vision, representing the voice of reason, is just as disappointing as everyone else in Guido’s life. Guido’s mind turns her into an annoying shadow. Her innocence and laughter is mocking to him, the existence of her goodness, a deriding joke. But Guido still takes solace in her imaginary support. In fact, he needs her and depends on the wisdom she gives him. What we often get wrong is that part of our nature as people that we need others. When we constantly judge others, we are unable to see what they contribute to our lives. It is only instead when we accept and love others that we are able to live in harmony with life. There is no peace for Guido until he comes to terms with both himself and others around him. In fact, at the end of the film, Guido is called to a circus-like rocket ship launch at the beach. He realizes then that he needs everybody who enters his life and he cannot do without their love. Rejecting self-destruction, he accepts the solution that leads to his vision in the final scene, “I do love you; I do accept you,” he cries. “How simple it is,” he says, joining hands with everyone in a circle running around in a ring, “Life is a holiday; let us live it together.”
Richard’s Picks are Back! Time to Binge by RICHARD HERNANDEZ staff writer
For many of us, binge watching was really not a thing. But then, BAM! Along comes the lockdown and we were left at home with not much more than our TV or tablet. All of a sudden, many of us fell prey to “the binge,” (can you say, “Tiger King”). I hope you enjoy these new shows to watch. This is the third installment in my series, Richard’s Picks. I like a wide range of themes when I binge watch – everything from horror, to sci-fi, to comedy, to action. I am a huge binge watcher and I have probably binged more tha a hundred series so I speak from experience. Here are my latest must-binge shows. I hope you all enjoy! #1 The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix). This is a very scary show but also amazing! It is about a fractured family confronting haunting memories of their old home and the terrifying events that drove them from it. It switches between the past and present – from terror-filled memories of what happened to what’s happening today. The show not only has a dark storyline, it is filmed in a way that makes everything look dark. The series premiered in 2018 with a second season in 2020. One of the things that make the show unique is that episodes don’t have a standard run time. The episodes of Hill House run from 58 minutes to 71 minutes long. If you’re a fan of horror, check this one out. I have a feeling that once you start watching it, you won’t be able to stop. Some actors that play in it are Victoria Pedretti, Kate Siegel and Henry Thomas. #2 The Umbrella Academy (Netflix). If you are big into action and super hero shows then I think this could be your go-to show. While some shows start a little slow, this one does not. The first episode will likely get you hooked on this one. There are three seasons which is great for binge watchers. Each episode is about 45 minutes long. The main theme is about these orphans who get adopted by this super rich man who becomes their father. It turns out that each one has a unique super power and talent. While, like most super hero themed shows, “The Umbrella Academy” is action packed. But, one of the things that really made me like it is, it also is full of funny moments. It premiered in 2019 and has a lot of actors that you may be familiar with like Aidan Gallagher, Elliot Page and Robert Sheehan. Check it out. You won’t be disappointed.
#3 Hannibal (Hulu). This series is based on the iconic 1991 psychological thriller, “Silence of the Lambs” which starred Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter.“Hannibal” continues with the murder mystery, psychological horror and thriller genre (it’s kind of hard to nail down a specific genre for this one). It is about a famous psychiatrist, Hannibal Lecter, and a young FBI criminal profiler who has the unusual ability to understand serial killers. Be forewarned: this one is full of action and full of blood. Overall it is an amazing show. It used to be on Netflix but it is now available on Hulu. There are three seasons and each episode is around 45 minutes long. Some actors that are in this show are Mads Mikkelsen, Hugh Dancy, Hettienne Park and Gillian Anderson. This show premiered in 2013. #4 V Wars (Netflix). This show is about a rapidly spreading disease (which was released when Arctic ice melted from global warming) that turns humans into vampires – kind of a monster meets zombies’ story (are you hooked yet?). “V Wars” pits two best friends against each other in a fight for humanity. It is a cool mix of sci-fi, horror, thriller and drama. I highly recommend watching this. It premiered in 2019 and, unfortunately, there is only one season. The episodes range from 36 minutes to 56 minutes. Some actors you may know that are in this are photo by DEADLINE Ian Joseph Somerhalder, Jacky Lai, Adrian Holmes and Nikki Reed. #5 Shooter (Netflix). This one is based on the novel, “Point of Impact” and the 2007 Mark Wahlberg move of the same name. It is about a highly decorated ex-Marine sniper, Bob Lee Swagger, who gets framed for murder. If you saw the 1993 movie, “The Fugitive,” it’s a little like that. Swagger is falsely accused of a crime so he’s on the run. At the same time, he’s trying to figure out who is out to get him. Oh, and he is also trying to prevent the assassination of the president. Based on that, I hope you can tell that this one is action-packed and full of twists and turns. I love this show. It has a great story line, good plots and it is very touching as well. Some actors that are in this series are Ryan Phillippe, Omar Epps and Cynthia Addai-Robinson. This show came out in 2016 and has three seasons. Each episode is 45 minutes long. There was talk there would be a season four but, unfortunately, it never happened. While I list these shows from one to five, you decide which one you want to dive into first. Consider the genres and what you normally like and pick your starting point. Or, just follow me and start with one and go through five!
Amber Heard: The Effects fo False Accusation by JAKE SINATRA staff writer
Domestic abuse is a major issue in any relationship, and should not be tolerated or accepted by anybody, anywhere. However, it is often portrayed in America as domestic abuse being one-sided: Male on Female. The standard in all societies has been that men are the aggressors, and are the ones being physical in relationships. This is what was assumed in the relationship of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. The two Hollywood movie stars got married in 2015, but a nasty divorce followed in 2017. Amber Heard filed for divorce, and issued very vocal public statements about Depp’s supposed abuse against her. She cited physical and emotional abuse from her husband in the entire 15 months of their marriage. Headlines everywhere began to read about their divorce, and the accusations against Depp did not go unnoticed. Johnny Depp was fired by nearly all of his employers, including Disney (specifically his role as Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies) and Warner Bros. Pictures (his role was as Gellert Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts franchise). Five long years later for Depp, his defamation lawsuit against Heard has begun in the Fairfax County Courthouse in Virginia. I have watched a majority of this case, and certain aspects of it multiple times. Depp is not only refuting the claim that he abused Amber Heard, but it is becoming increasingly clear that she was abusing him. I think it is absolutely ridiculous that Johnny Depp has to deal with any of this, and I fell there is an unnecessarily strong movement to immediately cancel any men in the United States as soon as a female says anything negative about them. One aspect of the case that stands out to me as very despicable is the fact that there are phone call recordings of Amber Heard admitting that she hit Johnny Depp multiple times on multiple different occasions, and she was insulting him for becoming upset about it. On one particularly violent night for Heard, Depp removed himself from the scene by leaving the house and spending the night elsewhere. In an informal therapy session that was consensually recorded on phone audio, Heard says “I f**king was hitting you… I don’t know what the motion of my hand was, but you’re find, I did not hurt you, I did not punch you, I was hitting you.” When Depp proceeded to explain that he left the house that night, Amber Heard once again insulted him, saying “You are such a baby. Grow the f**k up.” The fact that Amber Heard is an outspoken advocate for women’s rights and against domestic violence, it is absolutely disgusting that this is how she spoke to and treated Depp. All the lies that Amber Heard has spread about Depp nearly ruined his career and reputation, and the belief that people are innocent until proven guilty has basically been discarded in the country. And this is becoming a trend. Ex-Baylor football player Shawn Oakman was one of the highest prospects in the 2016 NFL draft, when a false rape accusation put him behind bars. The woman who sent him there admitted in 2019 to friends, and then publicly, she had made it all up during the height of a sexual assault scandal on campus. There are countless other examples, and the normalization and lack of punishment for false accusations that can ruin people’s lives has become disturbing. I would consider myself an advocate for victims of abuse anywhere, whether physical, sexual, or emotional. However, this is becoming, in my opinion, a “boy who cried wolf ” type of situation. When a woman is lying about any sort of abuse, it not only hurts the person she is lying about, but when the truth comes out, it makes people like myself more skeptical to believe the stories of women who may be telling the truth. You can not call yourself an advocate if you are hurting the cause you are fighting for. I hope for the best for Johnny Depp, and I hope women like Amber Heard learn that they are creating a system in America for actual abuse to go unnoticed.
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The Lorian
Apr 28, 2022
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The Ghost of Kyiv: Uplifting story or glimpse into our weakness for misinformation? by DEVIN VIZE staff writer
If you have been paying any attention to the news media surrounding the Russia-Ukraine war, chances are that you have heard the tale of the “Ghost of Kyiv.” The Ghost was an internet story about a fearless lone Ukrainian fighter pilot taking on the Russians with great success. The Ghost’s confirmed kill count varies depending on what version of the story you hear, but all the stories agree that he has downed numerous enemy jets. While it is a feel-good story it, unfortunately, seems to be nothing more than that – a story. There is no independent confirmation of the Ghost’s existence. But many people still cling to the story as if, or are simply hopeful, it is true. Stories like these have something incredibly important to tell us about our attitude toward objective truth in the modern world. In many aspects we live in what is referred to as a “post-truth society.” Post-truth thinking refers to our tendency to place more importance on what we believe the truth to be rather than what the truth actually is. In the case of the Ghost of Kyiv, this story is very popular here in the west. Perhaps it is because we love an underdog. We love to watch people overcome terrible odds to rise above their oppressors. This story also works to strengthen our support of Ukraine. The Ghost also seems to match well with the Bible story of David versus Goliath, with the undersized Ukrainian David slaying the mega-powerful Russian Goliath. The story is just too good so many of us will post it on social media. Far too often we allow ourselves to completely abandon the process of investigating the credibility of truth claims in favor of what beliefs make us feel good. Maybe we don’t investigate because we don’t want to discover it’s not real. This tendency to not investigate is a major contributing factor as to why we are so susceptible to fake news, internet hoaxes, and superstition. Why does it matter? Even if the Ghost story is not true, what does it hurt? Allowing this type of thought process to take hold and become habit in our pattern loving minds creates shortcuts that the brain is sure to utilize again and again in situations of increasing importance. Our brains are trained to work quickly and to take the path of least resistance until we make the conscious effort to do otherwise. We cannot let belief without regard for what reality truly is take root and become the norm. Left unchecked, post-truth thinking in too many people grows into what we call a “post-truth democracy.” A post-truth democracy is born when we allow the
majority belief – whether true or not – to decide what the truth is. That is, if more people believe the lie it doesn’t matter because it’s the belief of the majority. It becomes true by a majority vote. Returning to the example of the Ghost of Kyiv, many of us believed the story to be true. Thus, in the public sphere, it artificially became true. The concern should not be with the story itself but with where it can lead. When we allow ourselves to get into the habit of erroneous thinking, bad things happen. Unfortunately, many of those who participate in this post-truth information spread cite religion as their reason. Take the COVID vaccine. We all likely know someone who is not getting vaccinated. A story in USA Today in September of last year noted that many people were not getting the shot because they believed it matched the New Testament’s reference in Revelation to the “mark of the beast.” Without regard for the scientific truth, the religious falsehood, for many, took precedent. Many cite their religion as the reason they are against LGBTQ+ rights or even getting educated about LGBTQ+ people. We can see this fear when it comes to the representation of gay characters in education. There have been a spate of LGBTQ+ book bans in school libraries across the country. Many parents have a misguided belief that simply exposing their child to information about gender and sexuality will influence their kid to be gay or transgender. Many people believe this, not because it is true, but because the group has decided this is true. Another word for this is, counterfactual. If something sounds right, many believe that it is. An example of this is, abstinence-only sex education in public school systems. Many believe that by teaching teens about contraception and sexually transmitted diseases it is tacit approval to participate in sexual behavior. But statistics have shown that school systems that enact abstinence-only teaching policies end up with higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy. A story published by Reuters in March of 2019 cited
photo from THE INDEPENDENT
statistics to back this up. According to the story, “For every $1.00 per pupil increase in funding for abstinenceonly education, the teen birthrate rose by 0.30 per 1,000 in conservative states compared with moderate states, the researchers found.” The story said that sex education has the opposite effect of what many believe. “For every $1.00 per pupil increase in funding for pregnancy-prevention education, the teen birthrate went down by 2.42 per 1000 in conservative states compared with moderate states,” the story noted. What can we do about this? The simplest answer is to be more careful about what we call truth. As a society, it would seem as though our idea of what is true and what is false has been diluted. We need to remove our opinions, particularly our political ones, from our evaluations of truth claims. Truth should not be democratized. PreSocratic philosopher Protagoras has been credited with saying that “man is the measure of all things.” In other words, our perception of reality creates reality. Most would rightfully scoff at such a sentiment, but why should we take them seriously when so many of us move through life putting this to practice every day? If man is not the measure of all things, we need to behave, think, and speak like we are not. At the end of the day, the news media are not, as Donald Trump proclaimed, the enemy of the people. Our own tendencies towards erroneous evaluations of truth claims are the enemy of the people. As “Pogo” said in Walt Kelly’s comic strip: “We have met the enemy and he is us.”
In the Name of the Father: Review of “Father Stu” by SETH CORRIGAN staff writer
“I’m going to be a priest,” Mark Wahlberg’s character, Father Stu, says in the film of the same name. “For Halloween?” his mother responds. This clever line in the marketing was enough to make me want to see this film. Unfortunately, one line does not a film make. “Father Stu” was appropriately released in theaters on Easter weekend. It’s based on the real-life story of Stuart, Stu, and Long. The film stars Mark Wahlberg, Jacki Weaver, Teresa Ruiz, and Mel Gibson as Long’s father. The story follows Long, played by Wahlberg, who is nearing the end of his boxing career and is looking for what’s next. Long decides to head to Hollywood to attempt a career in acting, which does not go very well. It’s there that he meets Carmen, a devoted Catholic. Carmen convinces him to get baptized in the Catholic church. Everything seemed to be going well when Long experiences a near-fatal tragedy. The experience strengthens Long’s faith so much that he decides to become a priest. As noted in the first line of this critique, even his mom questioned his new career choice. Long’s mom and dad, played my Mel Gibson, are portrayed as atheists in the film. Long is then faced with another setback when he is diagnosed with a rare muscle disorder. It is very clear that this film is very important for Wahlberg and his earnestness is evident on the screen. As a Catholic himself, Wahlberg truly believed this story is
one that people needed to hear. “I couldn’t find any reason to not want to make it once I was actually smart enough to realize that this was an amazing opportunity not only to tell a story but to do something that would be focused on my faith and giving back,” Wahlberg said in an article in the National Catholic Reporter online. As Long, Wahlberg’s arc throughout the film is very clear. Long is portrayed at the start as someone who only cares about himself and what’s best for him. He then has an epiphany and turns into someone who wants to serve the Lord who he believes gave him a second chance at life. Gibson, who isn’t a stranger to faith-based films, having directed the controversial, “The Passion of the Christ” in 2004, felt like being a part of this film was a no-brainer. “That was an interesting journey to understand that there’s a real thirst for this kind of content out there,” Gibson said in Variety magazine online. “People want it, and they respond well to it. So, it’s a privilege to be a part of that delivery.” One of my biggest issues with this film is the length of it. The film feels to be about twenty minutes too long. I believe this is mainly due to the storyline of Stu’s dad, played by Gibson. He left Stu when he was young and had dealt with being disappointed with his son for most of his life. That is, until he became sick. His arc that he is given throughout the film is good to see and is very apparent, but I don’t think it was truly necessary to include as much
of it as the producers did. It just doesn’t to the story. I have to wonder if Gibson’s status as a big star, or perhaps Gibson himself, made the role more prominent than it needed to be. It felt forced into this storyline. If you are looking for a good redemption story, or a film about religion that isn’t preaching to you about it, I highly recommend you check out Father Stu. Otherwise, for general movie goers this film is only average. It is rated R with a run time of 2hr 4 min. It is playing AMC in Dubuque with various showtimes throughout the day.
photo by IMDB
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April 28, 2022
The Lorian
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Red Bulls Drive Ferrari Back Down to Earth on Home Turf by CAMERON MENINI staff writer
As the incredible first three races of the 2022 Formula One World Championship have been completed, round four of this young season found itself landing in the home territory of Ferrari: Italy. Ferrari’s fanbase, known to the racing world as the Tifosi, are arguably the most passionate in any sport across the world, the loyalty and commitment to supporting the team through thick and thin unmatched. When the season travels to Italy every year, it is wholly expected to see droves of red in every grandstand cheering as loud as humanly possible for the cars also in that same shade of red. And this season’s Emilia Romagna Grand prix at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari track did not disappoint in this aspect. However, those fans in red would be feeling a weekend of pain as Ferrari failed to capitalize on an important round in their title challenge against Red Bull and saw their leads in both cut dramatically. The forecast for the track predicted many spurts of rain throughout the weekend, offering hope that mixed weather conditions would create the perfect atmosphere for a scintillating grand prix weekend. Additionally, this round of the championship was the debut of the sprint weekend format for 2022, a new play to study different ways to increase fan engagement through the race weekend. The way this differs is on a normal grand prix weekend, qualifying would be run on a Saturday after two Friday practice sessions, with the grand prix to follow on Sunday. With the new sprint format however, this changes to have normal qualifying run on a Friday. After running this, the results from that qualifying would be used to set the grid for the sprint race to run on a Saturday. For this sprint, it is run at a third of the race distance of the full grand prix and the first eight finishers would score points, eight points for the winner down to one point for the 8th place finisher. Then the results from that sprint race set the final grid for the full grand prix on Sunday. This format is in its second trial year, as it was used in three races last season. Whether it will complete the goal intended by Formula One is yet to be determined, but it is a promising alternative. Come Friday practice for the first running of the weekend, the forecast indeed did turn out to be correct, the track drenched for the entire session. To the early delight of the Tifosi, Ferrari stormed to the top of the table, seeming to be fully in control of their cars in the very adverse conditions. Finishing a whopping second and a half clear of the 3rd and 4th place Red Bull’s, it was an ominous marker for how the weekend could potentially play out if the other teams could not find grip with their machines. However, come qualifying, the script
was entirely flipped. Still in very poor weather conditions on a rain-soaked track, finding the ultimate pace of their cars would test every skill the drivers had in them. And quite a test this was, the qualifying session breaking the record for the most red flag stoppages in a full session in the history of Formula One, with five drivers crashing out. Much to the dismay of the fans in red, one of those five was Carlos Sainz of Ferrari, who slammed into the barriers at the tricky Variante Alta chicane and took himself out of the fight for pole. The scintillating pace the other Ferrari of Charles Leclerc was unable to be found in the worsening conditions as well and he had to settle for a P2 start to the sprint behind Max Verstappen of Red Bull, a whopping eight tenths of a second ahead. Sainz would take a P10 start to the sprint, the pain quelled slightly as the second Red Bull of Sergio Perez was also unable to unlock pace, starting P7 for the sprint. For the debut of this sprint weekend format for the new generation of cars, anticipation was high for the start. As the lights when out, Charles Leclerc found the most grip off the line and was able to brilliantly overtake Max Verstappen for the lead. He held this lead almost the entirety of the sprint, as there are no mandatory pit stops for this short of a race distance, it varying between one and two seconds between the two young drivers. However, as the race began its closing stages, the gap started to shrink little by little lap after lap, bringing an unfortunate sign for the leading Ferrari. With the much quicker pace Max Verstappen was able to sustain in those closing laps, he was able to masterfully overtake Leclerc into the first turn for snatch pole position for the grand prix out of the home team’s grasp, with Charles Leclerc settilg for a P2 start. Further down the field there was less action, however brilliant drives from the two second drivers at Ferrari and Red Bull saw Carlos Sainz overtake to P4 for the start of Sunday’s race and Sergio Perez recover to P3 respectively, setting up a titanic showdown of the two dominant teams this season for the race. Even though the sprint race saw glorious weather to run in, it turned for the worse quickly on Sunday, again seeing a rain-soaked track surface to begin the grand prix. With this, every team opted to start on the grooved Intermediate rain tires, promising an incredibly unpredictable start due to the lack of grip available for the cars. And incredibly unpredictable it was, much to the chagrin of the Ferrari fans again. As the five lights went out so signify the start, both Ferraris struggled mightily off the line, both drivers dropping multiple places immediately. Following the run down to turn one, the McLaren of Daniel Ricciardo braked slightly too late int the corner. He clipped the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz into the exit of the corner, sending him spinning, beaching
his Ferrari in the gravel trap and ending his race before the first corner. In front both Red Bulls masterfully started the race, taking advantage of Ferrari’s early woes and setting up a dominant early 1-2 running with both drivers. Charles Leclerc dropped to P4 and found it very difficult in the early stages of the race to find his into a podium place. However, midway through as the rain began to cease, the track began to dry relatively quickly, forcing the drivers to come into the pit lane for their sets of dry slick tires for the remainder of the grand prix. The Ferrari of Charles Leclerc momentarily gained P2 as a result of a later pit stop but was immediately usurped by the charging Bull of Sergio Perez. This order held station until the closing stages, however in a major gamble Ferrari opted to pit Leclerc from P3 onto a fresh set of tires, forcing the Red Bull ahead to cover and pit for the same strategy. This seemingly set up an incredible battle to the checkered flag with the chasing Prancing Horse looking to bring something to celebrate in an otherwise difficult weekend. Unfortunately, in this enthralling chase though, Leclerc took too much speed into the very same Variante Alta chicane and damaged his front wing as he hit wall. This forced him to pit for a new wing and by the checkered flag could only recover to take P6 in the race. Max Verstappen led a relatively lonely but dominant race from lights to flag, securing his second grand slam of his career and leading the first 1-2 finish for Red Bull since 2016. It was a weekend to forget for the home team, as with this finish with only a P6 to show saw their constructor’s championship lead that was once 50 points slashed to only 11 at the conclusion of this weekend. On the other side though, this was a massive weekend for Red Bull, clawing back crucial points in a title race they are very much back into contention for. For the driver’s championship, Charles Leclerc even with this less than stellar finish leads by 27 points to Max Verstappen, who is now slowly bringing himself back into contention as well being down by almost 50 points just a race before. Following this race, round five of the world championship will dawn in a brand-new city and a brand-new track in two weeks’ time on Sunday, May 8th. The Miami Grand Prix makes its Formula One calendar debut as the second race in the US on the newly constructed Miami International Autodrome circuit built on the premises of Hard Rock Stadium. As both championship titles have now become the tightest they have been this season, Miami will surely be another titanic and exhilarating battle for which team can come to grips best with streets no team has ever raced on before. The championship battle is fully on and this new race will surely be an incredible installment in the already heart-pounding 2022 Formula One Season.
Coach Kent Murphy Approved Start to MLB Season by JAKE SINATRA staff writer
The 2022 MLB Regular Season is underway, and the fans couldn’t be more excited. Pitchers and hitters, young and old, are breaking records and setting the standard for the next generation of ballplayers. There has been a slew of great things to talk about, so I am going to highlight some of the most important information from the start of the season. On Saturday, April 23rd, veteran and future Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera got his 3000th major league hit, which is one of the most prestigious milestones in baseball. Cabrera has been regarded as one of the purest hitters ever, hitting for both power and average over a span of 3 different decades now. Being one of the 33 players in MLB history to get 3000 hits is impressive enough, but Miguel Cabrera has done even more than that to solidify his place among the greats. In 2021, Cabrera hit is 500th homerun, making him now one of 6 players ever to reach both milestones. Additionally, Cabrera now joins Hank Aaron and Willie Mays as the only 3 players to have 3000 hits, 500 homeruns, and above a .300 career batting average. And with his achievement of the Triple Crown in 2012 (leading the league in Homeruns, RBIs, and batting average), he is the only players to have 3000 hits, 500 homeruns, and this accomplishment. Needless to say, Miguel Cabrera has solidified himself as a 1st ballot HOFer, and possibly a unanimous decision. The Dodgers are off to the strong start they were expected, posting a 10-4 record to start the season. Perhaps the most unexpected thing to happen for them so far this season was the outing that veteran pitcher Clayton Kershaw had in his first start this year. Kershaw has struggled with injuries for a few seasons now, and hasn’t been at full health since 2018. He is one of the greatest pitchers of the 2010s, with
Cy Young awards in 2011, 2013, and 2014, as well as a 2014 MVP award. He is considered by many to be a Hall of Fame lock, but has not produced much in recent seasons. That all changed on April 13th in his first start of the season, where he had a Perfect Game going through 7 innings, and 13 strikeouts. However, to many fans and player’s dismay, manager Dave Roberts pulled Kershaw before going into the 8th inning, despite having a pitch count of only 80 pitches. Social Media blew up around the country, with a majority of baseball fans criticizing the manager for pulling Kershaw. However, Kershaw stated after the game he supports Dave Roberts’ decision, saying that photo by MOTOR CITY BENGALS focusing on the Perfect Game is Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera reached an impressive “selfish”, and “we’re trying to win”. milestone - 3,000 career hits. Cabrera has had an impressive career Kershaw knew that he did not have that will for sure get him elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame. the built-up stamina or arm strength attached to his shoulder. The flame throwing pitcher has to go two more innings, and although they might have topped at 104mph off the mound, and sits around 100mph won the game either way, he is needed for a postseason on his fastball. What makes him unique is that he is a run, and any injury that would have occurred could have starting pitcher, and can throw at this unfair velocity for prevented that. The baseball community is expecting a an entire game. In only his second appearance this season, huge turnaround for Kershaw, as he is currently 2-0 and Greene threw a record-setting 39 pitches over 100mph, has posted a 3.00 ERA this season. and at only 22 years old, the club is hoping this young man On the other end of the age spectrum, rookie-prospect has a bright future ahead of him. The Cincinnati Reds are phenom Hunter Greene made his Major League debut. currently the worst statistical team in baseball, but with Drafted out of Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, the help of Greene and other young prospects, the club is CA in 2017 to the Cincinnati Reds, Greene has a canon looking for a turn-around season.
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April 28, 2022
The Lorian
A Look Back on the Last Year, from the Editor by KEEGAN A. GODWIN executive editor
I would like to start off this note by saying thank you to every single one of our readers. Over the last three years, I have worked at the Lorian to help create a sense of community here on campus. I have used to the paper as a way for everyone here at Loras to express themselves through words and writing. This is my first full year as the Executive Editor here at the Lorian. I inherited the role from Jon Quinn, one of the best to ever do it. Over this past year, it has been difficult, to say the least. The Lorian has had many of our best and longest-serving members graduate here, leaving us with a big hole to fill. I knew that I needed to assemble a team of editors that could help me throughout this year to put an amazing paper together every week. Although there are not many of us, my team of editors have done a fantastic job this year with what we have had to work with. I would like to personally thank Devyn Shea, Mary Fellers, Cameron Arvidson, and Calasandra Spray for their amazing work as editors. Aside from the editors, I would like to thank Arja Kumar, Jake Sinatra, Cameron Menini, Gregory Kinser, Skyler Landry, Richard Hernandez, David Grintjes, and Seth Corrigan for being our best and most consistent writers. And thank you to all those who have been guest writers for us this year. A final thank you goes to our faculty advisor
Mark Mederson. He has been the biggest supporter of the paper and everything we do here and we could not do it without him. Without those above, this paper would not exist. My biggest goal when I accepted the role of Executive Editor was to make the Lorian a part of our culture here on campus. This paper used to be one of the biggest organizations on campus, long before I was here. And while I may have not succeeded in my first year, I did learn some valuable lessons along the way. I learned that in order to integrate the Lorian back into the Loras culture, it takes more than just us here at the paper. One of the most challenging parts of my job is recruiting more people to join our team here at the Lorian. I believe that many people think that since they are already doing enough writing in classes, they simply do not have the time nor energy to write for the paper. But the thing is, the paper is not something you would write about in class. At the Lorian, you can express your beliefs and interests. You can write about
EDITORIAL STAFF executive editor: KEEGAN GODWIN executive copy editor: MARY FELLERS
photo by LORAS COLLEGE
essentially anything here. If you are going to attend a campus event anyways, why not write about it and get paid for it too! The Lorian provides a great opportunity for you to express yourself and get paid for it. Write about sports, interview your friends and teachers, write about a hot political topic you believe, write about whatever you want! The Lorian looks great on resumes, as well. There is always room for writers, editors, or both! If you are interested in helping rebuild the Lorian’s presence in the Loras culture here on campus, please email loras@loras.edu or me personally and we will help you get started for next semester here at the Lorian. Thank you all and good luck with finals!
NBA Sources Dish on Ben Simmons Turmoil, Steve Nash’s Future in Brooklyn by KEEGAN A. GODWIN bleacher report
The Nets entered this regular season as the odds-on favorites to win the NBA title. Tuesday morning, Brooklyn woke as the only playoff team swept out of the first round. The Nets roster that dropped four consecutive games against Boston was far from the juggernaut that general manager Sean Marks assembled entering training camp. Kyrie Irving forfeited his ability to play much of this 2021-22 campaign by choosing not to comply with New York City’s vaccine ordinance. Irving’s status was one of many factors that influenced James Harden to request a trade from the franchise in February. Nets figures are also quick to point out the critical loss of floor-spacer Joe Harris, who played just 14 games thanks to an ankle injury. Ben Simmons’ absence from this postseason has garnered the most glaring spotlight of all. Before the Celtics series began on Easter Sunday, league sources told B/R the 25-year-old three-time AllStar and Nets personnel were confident he was on track to play as early as Game 3. Then his purported timeline became Game 4. That is until Sunday, when Simmons informed Brooklyn staffers he was experiencing back soreness, one day before Monday’s fateful Game 4 defeat. Simmons, in theory, could have risen Monday morning and determined his back felt good enough to play. There had been various people close to him encouraging him to retake the floor, even under limited minutes, to establish a deeper connection with teammates ahead of next season, sources said. By all accounts his ailing back is not 100 percent healthy, but few NBA players at this stage of the playoffs are free from some form of nagging pain. Members of his representation and other close contacts even advised Simmons to at least sit on Brooklyn’s bench in his uniform and team warm-ups rather than the gaudy outfits
that became a spectacle. Instead, the Nets ruled Simmons out of Game 4 altogether, sources said, as a sense of fatigue from the situation and general disappointment seemed to permeate the franchise. After visiting the floor for pregame warm-ups prior to Game 3, Simmons did not partake in any pregame work Monday and was not present on the bench alongside his teammates for Game 4, which one source told B/R was because of his lingering back discomfort. Simmons certainly wouldn’t have debuted on the road in front of a hostile Boston crowd for Game 5. Could he have appeared in Game 6? We’ll never know. But for all the ramp-up concern and rightful consideration of back issues that have plagued Simmons for multiple seasons, it’s quite clear that the mental aspect of Simmons’ return to game action is the biggest hurdle standing between him and an NBA court. Throughout the tumultuous season, Simmons shifted his explanations for sitting out—the vitriol from Philadelphia’s fanbase, Doc Rivers’ post-Game 7 comments, wanting to be the centerpiece of his own team, back soreness—but consistently balked when any moment to rejoin the floor arrived. Sixers officials made repeated efforts to welcome Simmons back into their program, and it was clear to members of Simmons’ representation that returning to the court would have boosted his trade value, and therefore the likelihood of his wish for a trade being granted. But Simmons was still resistant, sources told B/R, and seemed dead set on sitting the remainder of the season if Philadelphia hadn’t moved him before the deadline. Similar patterns of uncompetitive behavior date back to Simmons’ collegiate days at LSU, when draft evaluators wondered if he was a better bet than Brandon Ingram for the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA draft. Simmons’ current case, a distinct mental block of some capacity, has
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now become the subject of discussions in graduate-level sports psychology classes across the country. Any front office ousted from the first round, especially for a team that failed to win a single game, has to consider wholesale changes. Naturally, there is already speculation around the league on whether Brooklyn would entertain trading Simmons this summer. But if teams were lowballing Philadelphia to acquire Simmons, viewing him then as a distressed asset, it’s hard to fathom any interested suitor offering Brooklyn the same packages after this postseason debacle. Minnesota was considered the most aggressive team in pursuit of Simmons, but the Timberwolves have since found success elevating Anthony Edwards with more on-ball opportunities. Sacramento consistently called on Simmons, only to pivot to acquire Domantas Sabonis from Indiana. Would the Cavaliers still stomach a Simmons addition after dealing for Caris LeVert and soaring to the top of the Eastern Conference before injuries curtailed a breakout year for the franchise? “Brooklyn just has to play it out a little bit. You don’t really have a choice,” one general manager told B/R. “I just don’t think [Simmons] has any real trade value. He hasn’t been accountable for two franchises. He hasn’t played an entire season due to a back injury. How can you do a trade with the chance he reports and then says he can’t play because of the back again?” How Simmons approaches this offseason will be telling: If he remains in Brooklyn at the team’s sprawling Industry City practice facility, rehabbing his back and working on-court with Nets staffers, or if he spends the summer away from the franchise enjoying a celebrity vacation mindset, as he was prone to do during his tenure in Philadelphia. It’s obvious which scenario the Nets would prefer.
opinion editor: DEVYN SHEA sports editor: CAMERON ARVIDSON health and wellness editor: CALASANDRA SPRAY advertising: COLIN KLAPPERICH
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