UNEWS
?
unewsonline.com
Wheelchair tennis inspires SLU athletes
OPINION PAGE 11 The Greek sneak peek
Scotland to stay a united kingdom? - Page 10
A student voice of Saint Louis University since 1919
Vol. XCIV No. 3
SPORTS PAGE 5
Bicentennial Strategic Planning: Preparing SLU for the next two centuries By PAUL BRUNKHORST News Editor
Connect with The UNews:
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Job action: VERP revisited The program was launched due to concern over future budgets and was offered to certain SLU and In April, then-Interim SLUCare employees. VERP President of Saint Louis capped the number of SLUUniversity Bill Kauffman Care employees that could announced the Voluntary accept the lump sum at 30 Enhanced Retirement Proin order to keep SLUCare gram (VERP), which was functioning effectively, but offered to select faculty and there was no limit on the staff. The program consisted number of SLU employees of a lump sum retirement that could accept the deal. payment, along with the According to College of ability to stay on SLU’s medArts and ical plan for Sciences a limited A s s o c i ate amount of ...those people Dean Dontime and na LaVoie, a limited who took it 20 faculty reimburseseemed to believe members ment for it was a good deal. and 12 staff financial members planning. -Donna LaVoie, from the R e c e n t l y, Associate Dean, College college acthe numcepted the of Arts and Sciences ber of staff offer. and faculty A c members cording to that took LaVoie, “Anecdotally, those advantage of the VERP propeople I know who took it gram in the College of Arts seemed to believe it was a and Sciences was released. good deal.” However, even VERP was conceived by among staff and faculty that a committee consisting of didn’t take the offer, a reimmany stakeholders, includbursement for $2,000 was ing representatives of the offered for financial planStaff and Faculty Senate and ning, in order to determine recent retirees. This comwhether or not the plan was mittee, along with a human resources consulting firm, came up with and fineSee “Buyouts” on Page 3 tuned the idea. By VIVEK GORIJALA Associate News Editor
Courtesy of Michelle Peltier
SLU: Parts of the University’s strategic plan could include campus improvements encompasses many aspects of the university community, and the process will be run by the Strategic Planning Steering Committee composed of representatives from various facets of the university. This committee will be aided in an advisory capacity by a group of more than 70 university members, called the Strategic Planning Assembly. “The process is governed by a set of Guiding Princi-
A language by any other name... By HANNAH WILEY Staff Writer
For universities, including Saint Louis University, developing a name for an academic department that incorporates all the elements of the department can be difficult, especially if that department is home to all the language and cultural courses on a campus. The Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at SLU showcased its new name this fall—a name it hopes is a good representation of all its programs and offerings. The department was previously known as the Department of Modern and Classical Languages. The new name, department members hope, will provide deeper clarity of the department’s mission and goals and
be a better representation of the language, literature and culture classes that expand beyond the modern and classical languages. While other campuses choose to divide the language aspect of their curriculum into different sections, SLU holds one department that is home to a variety of languages with different roots. Languages include Italian, Russian, Spanish, Arabic, German, French, Classics, and Chinese. The department hopes the new name covers the diversity of each language and the culture it is connected to, which is what the faculty cherishes most about its division of academics. Dr. Angela Smart, department chair, is proud to reveal the name change that See “Language” on Page 3
Javier Muro de Nadal / Staff Photographer
Language: With its name change, the department hopes for awareness of its academic opportunities
ples that promote transparency, broad participation, and innovation as the process proceeds,” Porterfield and Weixlmann said. “The Strategic Planning Steering Committee will implement a structure and process that emphasize participation at every step as the plan develops.” And while—as Porterfield and Weixlmann stress—participation in what goes into the plan is encouraged for
every member of the university, the Planning Steering Committee and Strategic Planning Assembly have the role of actually putting the plan together, a power that required careful consideration on the part of the administration as to who would be a member of both the Committee and the Assembly. See “Plan” on Page 3
“
“
In 2018, Saint Louis University will celebrate its bicentennial—200 years of Jesuit education in Missouri. And, as SLU moves closer to 2018 and its 200 year anniversary, administrative leaders, along with other members of the university community, are beginning to prepare SLU for not only this momentous occasion, but for the future as well. “The President has asked a representative of faculty, staff, and student representatives to lead an effort to examine the environment in which SLU operates, assess its impact on the University, and identify the most appropriate strategic responses as the institution moves forward,” said Kent Porterfield, Ed.D, Vice President for Student Development, and Dr. Joe Weixlmann, professor of English at SLU. The two are co-chairs of the university’s Strategic Planning Process. The Strategic Planning Process is a yearlong, university-wide strategy that University president Fred Pestello and the rest of the administration see as crucial to SLU’s continued legacy as a top Catholic research institution. The planning process
Fishy business: Micah’s tilapia By JESSICA WINTER Managing Editor
In its mission statement, Saint Louis University pledges dedication to the service of humanity and innovative studies required to transform society. Helping to carry out this aspect of the mission is SLU’s Urban Outreach Greenhouse project – a program that works to promote urban agricultural sustainability. The Greenhouse project is one of many efforts attached to SLU’s Urban Project endeavor, an effort that started in 2009 and is spearheaded by professors Donald Stump, Richard Colignon, and Robert Cropf. The Urban Project aims to make advances in education and efforts in facing present and future urban issues. One of these current problems concerns food deserts, or geographic areas that struggle to obtain nutritious and affordable food. “The people living there often...end up eating out of corner convenient stores, but they never get any fruits and vegetables,” said Stump. “In fact, a lot of the people we work with, the children, have never seen a raw carrot.” In an effort to change this situation and people’s perspectives on food, as well as to alter the face of future urban eatery, the SLU Urban Project and the Micah Program in Urban Poverty Studies initiated a greenhouse plan to start educating people on sustainable agriculture. This plan in-
John Schuler / Editor-in-Chief
Sustainability: Dr. Stump works with the tilapia and plants in SLU’s greenhouse. Stump sees the project as an important model of future food production. cludes hands-on education of at-risk children, upkeep of a year-round indoor growing climate, integration of fish, invertebrate and plant culture system, and food production for underserved populations. The Urban Outreach Greenhouse project was initiated about two years ago and is starting to see some of the fruits of its labor – especially in the greenhouse located at SLU. Within the greenhouse are carefully-calculated ecosystems – between plant life
and tilapia fish. In a nutshell, aquariums containing tilapia fish provide nutrients through the water to the plants above them, which in return filter the water and maintain a clean aquatic environment for the fish. The Greenhouse Project hopes to uses these ecosystems to promote education on urban agriculture. “We’re interested in teaching children science, and what better way than to show them than a functioning ecosystem?” said Stump.
With ecosystems such as these, healthier food options become available and year-round food production is possible despite the geographic location. Transportation is currently a large factor in food production/ distribution, and the project is looking at how this will affect the future. “Essentially we’re looking ahead 50 years and saying See “Tilapia” on Page 3
2
THURSDAY, SEPT 18, 2014
NEWS
Let Us Introduce You: Claire Gilbert History professor discusses academics, world travels By JACKIE STACHIW & JESSICA WINTER Contributor & Managing Editor
By CHAD MAXWELL Contributor
This coming Friday, Sept. 19, balloons will fill the air in preparation for the Great Forest Park Balloon Race. The race, celebrating its 42nd year, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 20. There will be music, fireworks, and skydivers to add to the entertainment of the balloon race. The Great Forest Park Balloon Race is an old St. Louis tradition that has been wellattended for years. The festivities begin at Central Fields in Central Park 7 p.m. Friday. Those touring will have a chance to view all of the balloons, inflated and lit up by their burners. This is known as the Balloon Glow and will be followed by a free firework show at 9 p.m. that is sponsored by PNC Bank. During the Balloon Glow, onlookers can purchase tickets to the Humane Society of Missouri’s Glow in the
Park dinner. Proceeds of the dinner will benefit the Animal Cruelty Fund. The dinner will include cocktails and dancing, as well as the view of the balloons and fireworks. VIP packages are available for those interested. Saturday, at noon the festivities will kick off again with pony rides, dog shows, and the opening of the entertainment stages. The Miller Lite Skydivers will make an appearance at the event, landing in the launch zone for the balloons before the opening ceremonies. Finally, at 4:30p.m., the race begins. The race will be set up as a ‘hound and hare’ race. The hare balloon (role being filled by the Energizer Bunny Balloon) will take off at 4:30 p.m. It will then fly for 15 minutes and land. Wherever it lands is now the target for the ‘hounds’. The hound balloons, will begin to depart See “Balloons” on Page 3
Ryan Quinn / Photo Editor
“
fore-traveled horizons,” said Gilbert feels SLU is exGilbert. tremely lucky to have such a The prodedicated fessor enhistory couraged faculty students to that shares look at hisher exciteThere are tory in a exciting questions ment to new light to be asked about work with and even how peoples of the s t u d e n t s consider past experienced and promajoring or coming in to contact vides stuminoring in dents rewith other cultures it. “History sources to is endlessly undertake exciting. original Your history research studies will leave you wellprojects. prepared as a clear writer, Besides being a devout convicting speaker, and critihistory teacher, Gilbert is cal and creative thinker,” she looking forward to getting said. to know a new city even with
“
For history professor Claire Gilbert, traveling around the world is a common venture. From India to Argentina, Gilbert’s passion for history has taken her to five continents and now brings her to Saint Louis University. Having recently graduated from UCLA with a Ph.D, Gilbert is switching gears from student to professor and showing SLU what history has to offer. Raised in Alaska, Arizona and California, Gilbert has always had a passion for history. She took her interest in it to the next level when she majored in history at Stanford. “I had the opportunity to do my own research abroad. Working in European archives and writing an honors thesis in close collaboration with outstanding professors gave me the idea that an academic life of teaching and research would be very rewarding,” said Gilbert. The professor feels that her job has been just that: rewarding. She loves learning about the plans and passions of her students, especially the kinds of history that they are excited to learn, and she remains excited about her plans here at SLU. One particular course she anticipates teaching in the spring is Cultural Encounters in the Early Modern period. “ ... We will learn about what happened when technological innovation and political challenges motivated global exploration, sometimes along ancient routes, sometimes over never-be-
Flying in the city: Balloons over Forest Park
her dislike for the weather. In addition to attending a few Cardinals games, she enjoys cooking, reading detective novels and traveling. She hopes to one day revisit places like Bosnia and Egypt as well as venture to places like Antarctica and Australia. “Make studying abroad a priority,” Gilbert advised students. She stressed that there were few other periods in students’ lives that they would be able to spend such an extended time living in a different culture and traveling. See “Gilbert” on Page 3
Jessica Park / Chief Illustrator
T he S ain t Louis Universit y Board of Trustees requests th e honor
Fred P. Pestello, P h.D.
of your presence at the Inauguration of
as t h e 3 3 rd P residen t of Sa in t Louis Universit y
at 9 a.m. Fri day, O ctober 3 , 2 0 1 4 at Chai fetz Aren a
A luncheon will be held im m ediat ely f ollowing the ceremony. Cl asses have been canceled from 8 to 11:50 a.m. on Friday, October 3, so al l studen t s , fa cult y an d s ta ff can at t en d the Inauguration Ceremony.
Please R.S.V.P. for all events by Tuesday, September 23, by completing the electronic reply form at slu.edu/inauguration.
P lease also join us for a M ass of Celebration on the eve of the Inauguration at 3 p.m. Thursday, October 2, 2014 at Saint Francis Xavier College Church A reception will be held immediately following the Mass.
THURSDAY, SEPT 18, 2014
NEWS
Tilapia: Fish are friends—and food
3
Language: New department name to
Continued from Page 1
Continued from Page 1
John Schuler / Editor-in-Chief
Greenhouse: Stump sees the work done in the Greenhouse as a potential catalyst for future innovations in sustainable living. overall project beneficial. “I feel that the Urban Project is more than just an interesting research project...I believe that this project has the potential to, someday, serve
munities in an important way,” “People are sensing said Negley. that we have to learn Holzum is to eat better and we also looking towards the future also have to look out for the poor who have with the project. ““I just like a very hard time eating the whole idea better.” of what [the project] hopes -Dr. Stump, to become, and English professor hopefully it does become that,” she said. urban comStump hopes that the pas-
Plan: SLU leadership hopes to prepare university for the future Continued from Page 1
said. “We will hold town hall meetings, meet with a wide range of groups such “The President considered as the Council of Academic the many groups with an inDeans and Directors [and] terest in SLU’s future success the SGA…and interview key and selected a representative leaders—all of this in the inicluster of individuals who tial effort to identify major represent the University’s inthemes that should be develterests to serve on the Straoped in the plan.” tegic Planning Committee,” For that matter, it is imPorterfield and Weixlmann possible to say with certainty said. “[as for the Strategic what will be included in the Planning Assembly] … In plan since the process has mid-August, the President yet to develop fully. convened a retreat involving “It is, however, reasonable representation from across to expect that there will be the University. elements that The attendees deal with the were invited Jesuit identity based on their and university Planning must leadership pomission; acasitions, and demic excelincluded the lence and readaptable in order Un i v e r s i t y ’s search; student to be successful executive interests; Unileadership, versity respon-Strategic Planning academic sibilities to the co-chairs deans and dilocal, regional, rectors, facand global ulty assembly communities; and staff council leaders, and and efficient use of the rerepresentatives from student sources that are available to government … This group support SLU’s mission,” Porwill continue to function terfield and Weixlmann said. throughout this year’s proThe Strategic Planning cess as the Strategic Planco-chairs also stressed that ning Assembly, with major ambitious plans like this responsibilities for ensuring need to be flexible; the plan that input from the Univermight need to adapt from sity is integrated into a cothe 2015 report as future herent plan.” needs necessitate. But while the leaders of “A key planning docuthe planning process are alment will be generated in ready selected, Porterfield May 2015 that will culminate and Weixlmann stressed the expansive planning work that for the plan to be a sucof the 2014-15 academic cessful blueprint for the Uniyear,” the co-chairs said. “But versity’s future, participation we also recognize that the at every level is a must. environment in higher edu“The commitment to cation is constantly changan open, participative aping and change is coming proach to developing the more rapidly than ever beplan is absolute, as reflected fore. Thus, planning must in the Guiding Principles,” be flexible and adaptable in Porterfield and Weixlmann order to be successful.”
“
“
sion surrounding the program will continue to help drive efforts and promote change. By educating children in schools through exciting, hands-on experience with ecosystems, the Greenhouse project hopes to have a domino-effect in getting whole families to learn about healthy eating and sustainability –essentially, changing the future of food.
Balloons: Yearly event Continued from Page 2
Central Fields at 4:45 p.m. and will try to fly as close to the target as possible and drop a bag of birdseed on the target. Whichever balloon is the closest to the target, is declared the winner. The last two winners of the race, Joe Nusrala and Scott Wooge are both from St. Louis. Of the 41 years that this competition has taken place, the winners have been from St. Louis 16 times, more than any other city. The race has only seen one tie, back in 1976 and only has been canceled once in 1983 due to high winds that proved too dangerous to the ballooners. In 2000, the Great Forest Park Balloon Race was
inducted into the Library of Congress. It has been honored as a Local Legacy and represented the state of Missouri on a national level. The event has 44 sponsors this year and four different media sponsors. More than 150,000 spectators are projected to show up to watch 70 world-class balloon pilots compete. Admission is free and open to pets. Spectators are encouraged to bring some money for the food court that will be set up in Forest Park. SLU students will be able to get a good glimpse of the balloons cruising over campus. However, if weather will not permit the balloons to fly on Saturday, the race will be re-scheduled to Sunday, Sept. 21.
has been in the works for the past 10 to 15-years. “It’s difficult to find a common ground within all the programs offered. Our name puts all the languages and cultures under one umbrella. It better embodies what the department does, which is unite all the languages, literatures and cultures,” she said. Originally, certain aspects of the department were not reflected in the title, like the faculty’s approach to educating students in a different language. This approach involves integrating culture into the classroom and connecting it back to the language. By understanding that language is an expression of a culture, the students are better able to grasp the value of the foreign language they are learning and how to connect with it in a more meaningful way, the department says. By adding “Literatures and Cultures” into the title, the department better markets this unique aspect of its curriculum. “Studying languages and cultures is a transformative experience. It leads a student to think more about who he or she is. Both studying a language and studying abroad allows a student to decode the cultural differences of a country,” said Smart, who is also a professor of French. The name change follows the example of universities around the country who are taking the step to exemplify their aspects of their departments. The University of Massachusetts Amherst and Stanford University are two examples of universities nationwide that are rebranding their language departments. Smart believes the name change will also refresh the general knowledge of the department’s programs and
the diversity of the classes offered. “Our faculty is like a little U.N.! There are people from all different cultures, which makes for a vibrant faculty. All are actively engaged in both research and a dynamic learning approach,” she said. The department also offers opportunities to expand knowledge on cultures and languages outside of the classroom. The French program offers activities such as teaching traditional Parisian ballroom dancing, and the Italian program offers a weekly “Tavola Italiana” (Italian Table) for students to practice the language skills they acquire in class. Smart explained that the faculty provides unique opportunities to incorporate elements from each program into individual classes. Courses offered this semester include a class on Israeli culture and one on World War I, both of which involve many of the cultures individually offered in the department. Also fresh to the department is the name change of the Language Learning Center to the Language Resource Center. The LRC, now located in Morissey Hall, along with the rest of the department’s labs and faculty, is a place for students to work on group projects, rent cultural movies or work with tutors. Smart hopes the LRC will provide a study environment for students taking the classes in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. The department is also home to two M.A. programs, French and Spanish, and offers Latin American Studies and Classical Humanities Studies majors. The department, in addition to the changes it has already made, is also working to incorporate a Chinese minor into the curriculum.
THE SLU SCOOP All Information Provided by Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Tuesday, September 16, 2014 3:42pm Informational A SLU student became involved in an argument with two other SLU students after finding shaving cream on the door to her room. Res Life was on the scene. 10:10 pm Stealing under $500 A SLU student reported unknown person(s) removed the seat and rear tire from her bicycle while secured to the bike rack located on the east side of the nursing building.
Be a Responsible Billiken STOP. CALL. REPORT. 314-977-3000
Buyout: Early leave option with the “historical scholarly Continued from Page 2 world.” She added that there is a lot of exciting research being done on transnational history and intercultural When she is studies. not inspir“There ing students are exciting in the classquestions room, Gilto be asked bert uses the about how remainder peoples of of her free the past extime staying perienced -Dr. Claire Gilbert, true to her coming in to Associate Dean passion of contact with history. She other culis preparing tures,” Gilseveral talks bert stated. and articles about Spanish In fact, her upcoming Culhistory, the history of the tural Encounters class hopes Mediterranean, and Jesuit to tackle this exciting new history, as well as a book field of research. on the use of Arabic and While Gilbert does not the lives of Arabic translaknow where history will take tors in Spain after 1492. She her next, her current misalso likes to keep up to date sion is to inspire students to
“
“
‘what are some big issues?’ – well transportation is going to be a big issue,” said Stump. “On average, [each piece of ] the food on your plate...travels 1500 miles before it arrives at your plate. We can’t do that forever, it’s just way too much fuel that we’re burning up.” Stump and other leaders of the Urban Project want to give students a glimpse of what the world might look like in the future – and they believe greenhouses will undoubtedly become more popular. In urban areas like St. Louis, greenhouses will allow people to grow food through the winter, and it will be necessary to incorporate more efficient growing methods than just soil production. The greenhouses can also help to address the growing issue of obesity in inner-city neighborhoods, which can in turn help to increase food-related life expectancy of the people in these areas. “The food service has changed a lot over the years,” stated Stump. “People are sensing that we have to learn to eat better and we also have to look out for the poor who have a very hard time eating better – they have no access to it, they have no experience cooking.” The Urban Outreach Greenhouse program has seen animated support from students, who help in the upkeep of the greenhouse and building/promotion of the projects. Two such students, Zach Negley and Olivia Holzum, have gotten hands-on experience with the ecosystems and have found the
“Make studying abroad a priority”
Continued from Page 1
right for those staff and faculty members. This $2,000 was offered even to those members who eventually did not accept the offer. The University, however, does not expect to offer a similar program in future years, unless circumstances change. In addition, the offer wasn’t a financial necessity; although VERP was offered due to budget concerns, there was no immediate need, and SLU is still in strong financial health. According to SLU, there has been no need for furloughs or layoffs of employees that did not accept the offer. The staff members that have accepted the offer are still eligible for certain benefits past the lump sum
retirement payment, which consisted of one year’s pay plus two weeks of pay for each year past 25 years of service. One of those benefits includes the ability to remain on SLU’s health care plan until age 65, or for five years, at a subsidized rate. In addition, small perks such as discounted Billiken game tickets and certain library privileges, such as the ability to loan out books for three weeks, still exist. Finally, Billiken Bucks that were already loaded remain in the system and can still be used. The age limits and service limits for eligibility to the program were cut off at June 30, 2014, and the retirements were made official on July 1, the beginning of the school’s new fiscal year. These retirements have lead to an influx of new replacement faculty and staff.
4
THURSDAY, SEPT 18, 2014
GAMES
Games
Solution LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS
University News 9/11/14 Crossword
University News 9/18/14 Crossword
Puzzl
PuzzleJunction.com
Solution
Across 1 5 10 14 15 16 17 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 27 32 33 34 36 37 39 40 41
Prepare to be shot Monroe’s successor Cotton bundle Mimics City on the Rhone Devilish Bloodsucker Noted Virginia family Boola Boola singer Friars Club event Prize money Big name in mapmaking Mediterranean tree Joint problem Farmer’s worry Inclined Nobleman Smog Insect infestation Zig or zag Bar stock Summers on the Seine Commotions Informed Get wind of Reserved Olympic archer Chocolate source Not so bright
42 43 46 47 48 50 53 55 58 Basil, e.g. 59 Windward Islands isle 61 Kind of surgeon 62 Hammond’s instrument 63 Speechless 64 Fleshy fruit
/18/14 Sudoku
Copyright ©2014 PuzzleJunction.com
65 Intersection sign 66 Bridge option Down 1 2 3 4 5
Do roadwork Milky-white gem
Paranormal ability Composer Copland 6 Fears 7 Priests’ vestments 8 Nitty-gritty 9 10 White whale 11 Swear to 12 Empty promises
13 18 22 23
Ultimatum word Ticked off Tablet Ancient alphabetic character 24 Resolute 25 Holly Hunter show, Saving ___ 26 28 Porridge ingredient 29 Sculler’s need 30 Dutch cheese 31 Miscue 32 Fraternity letter 35 Coast Guard rank 37 Gallows reprieve
38 39 41 42 44 45 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 59 60
Rainy Low digits Audio effect Rose bush hazard Functional River separations Bridles After lamb or pork Young salmon Mythical craft Shade of blue Abridges Golfer’s bagful Soft shoe Mischief-maker
I T A S I L O L E L A D E D O E E L T S I P B Y A G R E W E A R N T Y W E D E V I D O P E W E
R T I A G I S H N O R U R I R E N S E E D O V E T A L T L E E R S S
C O L U M N
A G A M A
P E T A L
S E E N
P R I A L N A F Z I D O U N O
A C U T E
T A M E D
E R T E O P
L
M
K
Z
M
P
T
I
S
N
A
R
T
S
S
A
M
E
E
W
R
S
H
U
T
T
L
E
M
K
D
L
C
V
F
L
L
V
K
Q
N
M
N
N
S
B
K
T
T
T
O
B
K
I
U
L
T
Z
D
J
E
B
R
I
D
G
E
W
N
P
M
T
D
K
E
O
M
R
G
T
W
L
D
N
R
C
D
L
J
S
E
X
O
N
A
E
A
M
Z
F
I
I
H
L
U
A
C
N
H
R
K
I
N
T
T
M
O
L
L
T
N
H
C
T
R
R
C
S
L
E
Y
U
T
R
H
N
O
K
S
G
T
F
J
U
T
K
O
O
O
T
K
Q
O
O
H
T
PuzzleJunction.com S S S C T N F
K
S
E
O
U
C
Y
B
C
A
R
M
Y
R
R
L
T
R
B
T
R
R
M
O
F
Z
E
A
T
A
D
N
M
P
W
M
Y
A
V
G
P
M
R
S
R
C
R
T
I
J
P
Z
T
Q
W
T
P
T
W
X
U
C
A
P
O
D
M
L
K
F
U
R
L
I
F
O
T
H
E
T
F
K
T
Q
Y
G
R
G
B
M
R
O
D
L
N
R
P
G
E
R
E
D
I
R
N
K
E
P
V
N
L
X
L
D
X
N
L
R
L
O
C
A
L
L
M
M
I
R
X
T
X
C
S
P
A
S
S
E
N
G
E
R
S
T Search K N W Word University News 9/18/14
I
A
R
T
Z
B
R
E
E
N
I
G
N
E
To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.
Solution on next page
A L I B M U L L I G L O G S P A P O M M I D E A L I N D L A D S S C A A L O N D A R E D I G S S N I T
PuzzleJunction.com
Her Purse Items
Copyright ©2014 PuzzleJunction.com
Q
Z
N
B
Z
K
R
P
T
G
Y
L
M
S
S
O
L
F
F
N
K
T
W
E
E
Z
E
R
S
M
E
C
R
J
D
X
R
L
W
C
G
Q
R
Y
T
N
T
R
D
H
K
H
L
W
R
H
A
R
I
T
E
L
L
A
W
N
I
R
M
I
S
F
M
R
A
S
I
T
W
K
W
M
E
T
C
T
D
J
U
E
R
H
T
P
H
T
S
P
R
E
U
T
I
E
T
Y
N
K
C
R
O
Y
W
L
G
P
R
G
K
G
N
Q
R
O
G
L
C
D
T
N
T
L
I
C
I
D
W
T
E
P
H
W
L
O
G
O
L
N
W
L
S
G
A
L
I
Y
L
P
Y
L
A
T
D
M
U
J
R
N
Y
T
H
F
W
S
L
S
D
R
S
I
I
S
H
P
U
S
E
F
I
T
P
L
T
T
N
E
S
O
A
R
E
S
O
B
K
C
N
O
E
A
V
C
A
T
E
N
D
O
J
U
O
N
A
C
R
C
M
L
D
D
C
H
S
W
N
R
L
O
S
T
S
D
E
P
A
P
E
R
K
G
R
P
A
R
K
W
I
S
E
K
S
H
F
C
A
S
H
I
P
Q
B
I
L
O
N
Y
I
H
N
N
C
N
Q
V
L
L
M
J
D
M
N
H
E
F
L
T
P
I
C
T
U
R
E
S
Q
H
F
S
N
I
P
Y
T
E
F
A
S
V
H
J
C
W
P
W
©2014 PuzzleJunction.com
Join us! Email: eic@unewsonline.com or managing@unewsonline.com
Solution
BAND AID
FLOSS
PAPER
CANDY
GUM
PEN
CASH
IDENTIFICATION
PICTURES
CELL PHONE
IPOD
SAFETY PINS
CHARGER
KEYS
STAMPS
CHECKS
LIGHTER
SUNGLASSES
COUPONS
LIPSTICK
SUNSCREEN
DATE BOOK
LOTION
TISSUES
EYE DROPS
MEDICINE
TWEEZERS
FLASHLIGHT
MIRROR
WALLET
UNews
Sports Tennis supports wheelchair team By KYLE SMITH Associate Sports Editor
Saint Louis University has a good reason to be proud of its tennis players, and not just for their performance on the court. The men’s and women’s tennis teams both volunteered at the 2014 United States Tennis Association U.S. Open Wheelchair Championships, held at Dwight Davis Tennis Center in Forest Park from Aug. 26 through Aug. 31. “As always, it was a privilege to work at the U.S. Open Wheelchair Championships,” SLU head coach Jon Zych said. “Our student-athletes were inspired by watching the competition and enjoyed interacting with the players. It means a lot to have the tournament in St. Louis and to have an opportunity to help in any way we can.” The USTA has been committed to providing opportunities for wheelchair athletes
September 18, 2014 sports@unewsonline.com Casey Waughn, Sports Editor Kyle Smith, Assoc. Sports Editor
For continued multimedia coverage of Billiken sporting events visit unewsonline.com or follow us on Twitter @TheUNewsSports
Racers scoot past Bills women 1-0
to learn and compete in the sport of tennis since 1998. In fact, they claim to hold the world’s oldest wheelchair tennis tournament. For the past three years, SLU has been assisting in support of the Championships in St. Louis. The Billikens served as ball persons and assisted in general support of the event: helping athletes get their sports chairs to and from courts, assisting referees and players, and picking up trash after matches. SLU tennis has had an impressive year so far in its own right as well. The men’s and women’s teams began their season with the Billiken Classic, held at Dwight Davis Tennis Center on Sept. 5-6. Southern Illinois UniversityEdwardsville, University of Missouri-Saint Louis, and Lewis University were in See “TENNIS” on Page 6
By CASEY WAUGHN Sports Editor
Saint Louis Athletics
AIR BORN: Sophomore midfielder Shaney Sakamoto flies past Murray State opponents on Sept. 14.
The SLU women’s soccer team was defeated in their only game this week by Murray State 1-0 at home on Sept. 14. The game, which was scoreless until there were 11 minutes left, was the last of three straight home games for the Billikens. The loss moved the Bills to 3-4 on the season. Pavlina Nepokojova scored her first goal of the season for Murray State, which came in the 79th minute. The goal was unassisted. Both junior Michelle Schwarz and sophomore Kirsten Clemens had looks at the goal late, in the 80th and 87th minutes respectively, but both were denied a score. The late shot was Clemens’ third of the game, leading the team. Including those two saves, the Murray State goalkeeper had a total of seven saves on the afternoon. Junior goal-
keeper Hanna Benben had four total saves in the game. The Billikens travel to Chicago to play the University of Illinois-Chicago on Friday, Sept. 19. They then will head north to Kalamazoo, Mich. to play Western Michigan on Sept. 21. The Billikens next home game is against the University of Nebraska-Omaha on Sept. 27. This is the last game before the team begins conference play on Oct. 4. The team will open Atlantic 10 play with three-straight road games. First, the team will play Dayton, then they travel to George Mason for an Oct. 10 match, and lastly to Philadelphia, Penn. to play Saint Joseph’s on Oct. 12. None of the teams in the A-10 are currently ranked in the NCAA top 25 poll. The only team in SLU’s conference to receive a vote last week was George Mason.
No. 15 Billikens beat Evansville, UMKC
Saint Louis Athletics
TRIFECTA: (left to right) Senior defender Anthony Manning, junior midfielder David Graydon, and senior midfielder Raymond Lee were the three scorers in the Sept. 13 3-1 win over Evansville. It was all three player’s first goals of the season, making eight different Billikens responsible for the ten goals this season.
The Billikens, currently ranked 15th in the nation, hosted a successful campaign this past week with wins over both Evansville and the University of Missouri-Kansas City at home. The win over UMKC was head coach Mike McGinty’s 50th career win, and the 13th straight win at Hermann Stadium. McGinty reached the 50 win mark in only three seasons at Saint Louis. The two wins improved the team to 5-1 on the season. On Sept. 13, the men played Evansville at Hermann Stadium and came out on top 3-1. With the loss, Evansville moved to 1-3-1 on the season. The game, which saw no scoring in the first half, saw three goals in the first ten minutes of the second half. The first goal of the game came from SLU senior midfielder Raymond Lee less than a minute into the second half. Junior midfielder David Graydon quickly added another goal at the 52:09 mark to give SLU a 2-0 advantage. Evansville’s Charlie Macias quickly sliced into the lead, scoring at the 52:41 mark. Senior defender Anthony Manning finally sealed the game for the Bills in the 76th minute with a header off of a corner kick from Graydon. The three
CHEER
JEER
“
goals were the first of the season for each player was freshman goalkeeper Sascha Otte’s third for the Billikshut out of the season. ens. Otte also had four saves In addition on the night. to Graydon, Bryce found the back other Billikens of the net in the 27th mincredited with ute, assisted by Graydon. assists in the The assist was Graydon’s game were sefourth this season, which nior midfieldleads the A-10. ers William Kristo substituted Hidalgo and into the game in the secKingsley Bryce, ond half after sitting out and junior deagainst Evansville with fender Marco an injury. His presence Heskamp. Sewas felt, as he capped the nior forward game with a goal in the and Hermann 76th minute. The goal Trophy canwas Kristo’s first since the -Mike McGinty didate Robert season opener, but third Kristo sat out of the season. Head Coach, Men’s soccer due to injury. Kristo had help on his Evansville is goal from Lee and junior the second opdefender Filip Pavisic, ponent to score who began the scoring on the Bills this season at home. The other team play. to score on the Bills was Virginia Tech in a game With Bryce scoring, there are now eight difthat was decided by the same score. ferent Billikens who account for the ten goals The Bills handled UMKC by a score of 2-0 this season. when they came to town Sept. 16. The shut out “Offensively, we did a good job. I would have
Offensively, we did a good job. I would have liked one or two more on the board, but credit goes to their keeper for making a few point blank saves.
“
By CASEY WAUGHN Sports Editor
FEAR
WHO TO CHEER: BRYCE HARPER Bryce Harper and the Washington Nationals clinched a playoff berth on Sept. 16. During the champagne popping celebration, Harper put on a and goggles. So cheers to you, Bryce Harper for being kind of weird but always keeping it entertaining.
liked one or two more on the board, but credit goes to their keeper for making a few point blank saves,” McGinty said. “Tomorrow we’ll start looking at Creighton. We are expecting a great match at their place on Saturday night.” The team’s next game is in Omaha against current No. 3 Creighton on Sept. 20. Following the Creighton game, the team plays Central Arkansas at home on Sept. 27, and then faces No. 14 Indiana on the road on Oct. 1 before starting A-10 play. Besides SLU, George Mason is the only other A-10 opponent currently ranked. George Mason is 18th this week, after being 22nd the previous week. Other news from the team this week comes in the form of conference and national praise for junior defender Tyler David. David received weekly accolades from the Atlantic 10 following his play against Evansville and Louisville. David is the current A-10 co-player of the week and he was also named to the National Team of the Week by College Soccer News. David headed a corner kick by junior defender Marco Heskamp in the goal last week for his first career score the lone goal in the win over Louisville who was ranked No. 5 at the time. The loss was Louisville’s first of the season. David started every game his freshman and sophomore years.
BY CASEY WAUGHN, SPORTS EDITOR WHO TO JEER: FOOTBALL PLAYERS Is there a felon chromosome in football Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson, Johnathan Dwyer and Jameis Winston have all been arrested for felonies within the past year. Maybe instead of an intelligence test, players should be given an integrity test because these athletes should be role models.
WHO TO FEAR: The Billikens have beaten two top Dame and Louisville and are 5-1. The men have had eight different players score the ten total goals, and have shut out three of their six opponents. SLU won their 13th straight home game against UMKC
6
THURSDAY, SEPT 18, 2014
This week in sports Tweet of the week @DufresneLATimes “Life’s not fair. David Ash must give up the game he loves and Jameis Winston gets to keep playing a game he embarrasses. #Texas”
Scores from the week Volleyball Saturday, Sept. 13 Canisius Billikens
1 3
Saturday, Sept. 13 Airforce Billikens
1 3
Field Hockey Sunday, Sept. 14 Bryant Billikens
5 0
Men’s Soccer Saturday, Sept. 13 Evansville Billikens
1 3
Tuesday, Sept. 16 UMKC Billikens
0 2
SPORTS
Tennis: team volunteers locally Continued from Page 5
attendance on the men’s side, while the women faced SIUE, UM-St. Louis, and Illinois State. The tournament was conducted in a round-robin format. Freshman Brandon Harris led the men’s team with a combined 3-0 record. He earned two wins in the singles tournament, one in Flight 6 and another in Flight 7, and teamed with freshman Charlie Parry for a doubles victory in Flight 3. Freshman Juan Calero and junior Miguel Flores also had a successful weekend, both finishing with a 2-1 record in Flight 4 and 5 singles respectively. The women’s team also had reason to celebrate. Junior Madison Cook was undefeated for six matches in both singles and doubles; she went 3-0 to win the Flight 5 singles title, while she and sophomore Aspen Cervin took the doubles crown in Flight 1, 3-0. Junior Kelsey King and senior Brooke Urzendowski
also won singles titles, 3-0 in Flight 3 and 2-1 in Flight 4 respectively. Junior Natalia Yacaman and senior Maria Toro also took the Flight 3 doubles title together with a 2-0 record. The women’s good luck continued Sept. 12-14, at the SIUE Fall Invitational, where they won three singles titles and one doubles. Cervin took home the Flight 1 crown with a 4-0 record. King and Urzendowski also took home singles crowns, each with a 3-1 record in Flight 3 and 4 respectively. On the doubles side, Toro and Yacaman teamed up once again to win the Flight 3 title with a 3-1 record. The men will head to Edwardsville this upcoming weekend for the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Fall Invitational. After the SIUE Invite, the men travel to Norman, Okla. for the ITA Central Region Championships from Oct. 9-13. Meanwhile, the women don’t play until Oct. 16-20, in the ITA Central Region Championships in Stillwater, Okla.
Women’s Soccer Sunday, Sept. 14 Murray State Billikens
1 0
Player of the week Tyler David Men’s soccer
Saint Louis Athletics
VOLUNTEER: The men’s and women’s teams were ball persons for the U.S. Open Wheelchair Championships.
Volleyball continues seven game win streak
Saint Louis Athletics
HIT: Sophomore middle blocker Maryann Ejele hits over two defenders in a match at Chaifetz. By KYLE SMITH Associate Sports Editor
The Chaifetz Pavilion was the place to be this weekend, as the Saint Louis volleyball team swept yet another tournament. SLU defeated the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Canisius College, and the Air Force Academy to win the Billiken Invitational on Friday and Saturday, bringing its overall record up to 8-3. These victories make seven consecutive wins for SLU, the longest winning streak for the school since 2010. The Billikens entered the tournament after a victory over Mizzou last Tuesday. They carried this momentum into their first game against Omaha Friday night, which they won 3-0. Though they took the first two sets easily, 25-18 and 25-19 respectively, the third was hotly contested , but finally ended 31-29 in the
Billiken’s favor. “I think our team came out and played hard from the start,” Saint Louis head volleyball coach Kent Miller said after the game. “Coming off a big win on Tuesday, sometimes the next match is difficult, and Omaha is a very tough opponent. We were prepared for a tough match and we came out on top.” Omaha only managed to maintain a .086 attack percentage throughout the match; this is the third time this season SLU has held an opponent to a sub-.100 attack percentage. Saturday’s competition proved to be much tougher. The Billikens got off to a slow start that morning, losing their opening set to Canisius 18-25. However, they rallied and captured the next three 25-19, 25-12, and 25-19 to secure a 3-1 win over the Golden Griffins.
Last three standing Breaking down the Billiken Media Rekations
Junior defender Tyler David received weekly accolades from the Atlantic 10 following his play against Evansville and Louisville. David is the current A-10 co-player of the week and he was also named to the National Team of the Week. David scored his first career goal last week, the lone goal in the win over Louisville who was ranked No. 5 at the time. The loss was Louisville’s first of the season. David started every game his freshman and sophomore years, and was second team all conference lsat year.
Games this week , Sept. 19
That evening, SLU played the Air Force Academy. The match was very competitive; Miller described the contest as “a bit of a see-saw match with both teams trying to gain the upper hand, but in the end we were able to get the win.” The Billikens took the first set 25-20, but fell short in the second, losing 21-25. But Saint Louis prevailed in the end, winning the next two sets 25-21 and 25-20, with a .336 attack percentage over the match. Junior Megan Gilbert proved herself this weekend, with 35 kills and an attack percentage of .389 for the tournament. She was named the Billiken Invitational’s Most Outstanding Player for her performance. Miller had words of praise for Gilbert, saying, “She is really the heart of a lot of what we do on offense. It’s nice to see her break loose and have a great tournament. She’s really tough to stop. We know our opponents do a lot of scouting on her and she’s been able to overcome that and play at a high level.” Recognition also went out to sophomores Danielle Rygelski and Taylor Paulson, who earned AllTournament accolades. Rygelski had 33 kills and 21 digs for the weekend, while Paulson earned 24 kills, 10 blocks, and a .396 attack percentage. The Billikens will be looking to extend their winning streak next weekend, when they head to West Lafayette, Ind. for the Active Ankle Challenge. Purdue, Notre Dame, and Morehead State are the scheduled opponents. The Billikens’ next home game is Oct. 3 against Atlantic 10 opponent VCU. SLU opens A-10 play Sept. 26 in Philadelphia, Penn. against La Salle. By CASEY WAUGHN Sports Editor
playoff contenders
The NL Central continues to be one of the closest divisions at this point in the season, with three teams still playoff contenders, and only separated from each other by 5 games.
The Cardinals are in a similar position to where they were at this time last year, only the road to get there was a little different. After trailing the division most of the season, the Cards are currently 3.5 games up on the Pirates, and have no more remaining head-to-head contests with them. At 84-68 and 6-4 in their last ten games, St. Louis is proving that they really are an October team. Woes this year included injuries, and offensive struggles. The team is batting just .255 this season compared to .269 last season. The Cards need the meat of their batting order in Matt Holliday, Matt Adams and Yadi, to stay hot to propel them into the postseason. The series, that ends Thursday Sept. 18, against the Brewers will likely decide the placement of the division for the rest of the season. Luckily, following this series, the Cards have weak opponents for the chance in winning the division, then they play the Cubs, the weakest team in the division for Diamondbacks, who are sitting at fourth in the NL West.
After holding third place in the division for most of the season, the Pirates have wiggled their way into second place, 3.5 games back from the Cardinals. They are also currently second in the National League Wild Card Standings, 2.5 games behind San Francisco. Like St. Louis, Pittsburgh has been hot as of late, going 8-2 in their last 10 games. However, the Pirates have against Boston, the defending World Series Champions who are currently last in their division, but have a higher winning percentage on the road than at home this season. They then play the Brewers for what could end up being the battle for second in the division, and for the second National League Wild Card. They then play the Braves on the road, a team who has been dangerous all season, but has since cooled off. When the two teams squared off in August, Atlanta came out on top winning two of the three games in the series that took place in Pittsburgh. They close their season against the Reds. Josh Harrison and Andrew McCutcheon are currently crushing the ball, batting .317 and .310 respectively. Like the Cards, a hot offense will be the key to success for the rest of the season.
, Sept. 20 The Brewers, much to everyone’s dismay, led the Central for most of the season, hitting the 60 game win mark before the start of August. Milwaukee boasted the best record in baseball in April at 20-8 with a .714 winning percentage. The team now sits at 79-73, 2.5 games back of second in the division and 5 back from the lead. However, the Brewers are heading in the opposite direction of both the Cardinals and Pirates. They had a ten game losing streak from the division. The team needs to continue to rely on their offensive power, as they have four players who have played in at least 120 pitchers in the rotation have ERAs greater than 3.5, and only two have more than eight wins on the season. After their series with the against the Cubs, one of the teams who dismantled their run in early September.
&
UNews
Arts Entertainment
September 18, 2014 arts@unewsonline.com Maggie Needham, Arts Editor Katherine Kelliher, Assoc. Arts Editor
Forest Park hosts 110th anniversary of World’s Fair By GEORGIA KAYE Contributor
Meet me in St. Louis, Louis. Meet me at the fair… World’s Fare, that is! This past weekend not only marked the 110th anniversary of the 1904 World’s Fair, but also welcomed the first annual St. Louis World’s Fare Heritage Festival and Games to Forest Park. This free, three-day celebration channeled the spirit of the original 1904 World’s Fair, while also highlighting the rich cultural history of St. Louis. Over the weekend, Art Hill became a canvas decorated with artist booths, craft vendors and live art stations, while the Grand Basin lent its picturesque backdrop to various food vendors, culinary demonstrations and headto-head chef challenges. Local bands battled it out for an opening-act spot, while Fare attendees paid homage to the Games of the III Olympiad with tugof-war competitions, while embracing modern sports, such as skateboarding, as well. The 1904 World’s Fair Society was also on-site to appraise memorabilia throughout the weekend and to provide historical reenactments. The society also provided information for self-guided tours throughout the many historic locations in Forest Park. Families could travel across a bridge to Kid’s Island to experience hands-on, international activities and enjoy dance performances and cultural skits. Both local and international craftsmen and businesses also made an appearance in the World Business Expo area as they sold their wares and publicized their work. “Whether you’re one or 100, we’ve got something here for you. We’ve got
Andrew Trihn/ Contributor
World’s Fare: Attendees enjoy food and games in Forest Park at the festival, which celebrated the 110th anniversary of the 1904 World’s Fair. it covered,” Samantha Newman, World Business Expo Coordinator, said. “There’s historical aspects, there’s art, there’s music, there’s sports, there’s just so much going on that it’s hard to even encompass this all in one spot.” Newman also noted
the “green” aspects of the event and the heavy use of solar power, along with the utilization of newer technology, such as the Bonfyre app. Fare attendees were able to use this social app throughout the weekend to access event-specific schedules and maps and to
share photos and videos. A 360-degree view of the World’s Fare was also available through this digital program. Considering the vast size and various entertainment offered by the Fare, it is no surprise that extensive planning went into
Arkansas band ‘Knox Hamilton’
Courtesy of Sacks & Co. Knox Hamilton: This indie band is coming to play in St. Louis at the Demo on Sept. 25. By KATHERINE KELLIHER Associate Arts Editor
A new and upcoming band is making its way to St. Louis this month. “Knox Hamilton” will be performing at The Demo
on Thursday, Sept. 25. The band is currently on tour promoting their debut album set to release at the end of the year. Based in Little Rock, Ark. the band is composed of four members: Boots Copeland (vocals), 27, Cobo Copeland (drums), 26,
Brad Pierce (keys), 31 and Drew Buffington (bass), 29. The band formed about a year ago, according to lead singer, Boots Copeland. Boots and Cobo are brothers and have been playing together since they were kids.
They met Pierce and Buffington shortly after moving to Arkansas from Texas, and the band started playing seriously together about a year ago. The tour kicked off on Sept. 9. They will be touring to 30+ cites across the country. As far as how they categorize their sound; the older Copeland specified it as pop- alternative. Copeland identified a song from their newest album, “Rightfully So”, as their favorite to perform in front of crowds. However, they know most people are familiar with their debut single, “Work It Out.” “It’s always great to get a good reaction from the crowd,” Copeland said. When they are not traveling the country playing their music, the band members each relax in their own way. Buffington has a farm just outside of Little Rock; Cobo Copeland enjoys playing and watching sports; and Pierce is the movie buff of the group, according to Copeland he worked as a film teacher before joining Knox Hamilton. Their debut single “Work it Out” is available for purchase on iTunes. The Demo is located in the St. Louis Grove neighborhood at 4191 Manchester Ave.
organizing this event. Staff members and volunteers could be seen scattered amongst the Fare-goers all weekend, sporting bright orange shirts and readyfor-anything attitudes as they worked through the inaugural St. Louis World’s Fare.
“It’s the first year. Growing pains. People are doing this for the first time, so we have a lot of room for improvement,”
See “Fare” on Page 8
‘Boyhood’ takes By TESS BROCK Contributor
We all recognize it in movies. That moment where a teenager replaces the small scrawny kid 10 years in the future whose only resemblance to his younger self is his hair color. When having a movie stretch over a lengthy time, it is necessary to find an array of actors to play the same character at different ages. It may take away from some of the authenticity of the character, but how else would they film the movie? Well, writer and director Richard Linklater decided to break away from that routine. He gathered a dedicated crew and group of actors and decided to make a movie stretching over an 11year period. Boyhood is a one of a kind coming of age drama that follows six-yearold Mason Evans Jr.’s journey to adulthood. The unique filming process of this movie allows it to unravel the mystery of time and how it affects us. The direction and cinematography of the film allows the story to
take shape itself without being forced. Boyhood will tug at your heartstrings by capturing each character’s development with their selves and the changing world around them. In Boyhood, we see Mason, played by Ellar Coltran, grow up while encountering trials that many face in their youth. Mason questions his parent’s divorce and his mother’s choice in husbands. He struggles with the awkwardness of his physical appearance altering. He also experiences young love, peer pressure, and everything in between. Coltrane is riveting in this role. Never does his performance feel forced or phony. Coltrane did not have to sign a contract, so he could have backed out at any time. Yet, he did not. We are able to see the once innocent, naïve Mason turn into a creative, soulful young man. Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette and Lorelei Linklater all bring strong personalities that help
See “Boyhood” on Page 8
8
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
THURSDAY, SEPT 18, 2014
OUT On The
TOWn
Sweet dreams from SLUMA Exhibit showcases unique arts pieces
ArTs ediTOrs’ Picks
Theater The Piano Guys Oct. 18 8pm The Fox Theater
Movies Calvary Through Sept. 25 Tivoli Theatre Pride October 10 Moolah Theatre
Courtesy of SLUMA “The Dream”: Dasha Balashova’s piece “The Path” is one of 85 pieces highlighted in SLUMA’s current unique exhibit. By ABBEY NORTON Staff Writer
Music Rise Against Tuesday Sept. 23 Doors open at 6:30pm The Pageant Colony House Knox Hamilton Thursday Sept. 25 Doors open at 7:29 p.m. The Demo Chance The Rapper Saturday Oct. 4 Show at 7 p.m. Chaifetz Arena Bahamas Friday Oct. 3 Doors open at 8 p.m. Blueberry Hill
SLU events Billikens After Dark Harry Potter Trivia Thurs. Sept. 18 9:00pm Billiken Club
Festivals Taste of STL Sept. 19-21 Chesterfield Ampitheater
Due to having to analyze a piece of artwork for my English class, I decided to venture to the St. Louis Art Museum (SLUMA) for the first time. Lucky for me, a unique exhibit called “The Dream” was on display for me to discover, and, I must
say, this is one of the most intriguing and amazing art exhibits I have ever witnessed. “The Dream” exhibit was created by “The Dreamer”, Richard Winter, a SLU alumnus. The exhibit features 85 pieces of art, all unique, from 26 diverse artists. In the short synopsis
next to one of the pieces, it describes Winter’s search for artwork and how he was able to complete his dream by showcasing many different artists’ works and learning about their lives. Among the artwork, there are various paintings, photographs, and multiple sculptures of various Cardinals Hall of
Fare: looking forward to 2015 Continued from Page 7
Stacy Sedlack, Kid’s Island Director, said. One of those improvements involves volunteer support. Fare organizers reached out to several area schools, SLU included, but still had lower numbers than they had hoped for this year. They aim to gain more help for the 2015 event, especially from local college kids. Sedlack said that volunteers can expect to focus largely on hospitality, but that other responsibilities would include checking in vendors and helping with set-up and cleanup for various events.. Shuttle
service from Dwight Davis Tennis Center was provided this year, and volunteers next year can also look forward to food vouchers and a free T-shirt. Information will be available on the event website, www.stlworldsfare. com, for anyone interested in volunteering. Sedlack and her fellow staff members were happy with how the Fare turned out this year and are looking forward to a bigger and better event next year. Sedlack said, “I’ve just been walking around hearing people say how this is awesome, and I’ve been hearing it over and over again. I think we’re all really excited to get started planning World’s Fare for next year already.”
Fame players sculpted by Harry Weber. My personal favorites included “Le Réveil du Printemps” by Louis Justin Laurent Icart, “Shallow Creek” by Thomas Hart Benton, “Winter’s Day by the Open Window” by Misha Gorban, and “Talk of the Town” by Issac Maimon.
Out of all the unique pieces showcased, my absolute favorite would have to be Dasha Balashova’s “The Path.” To me, I felt that this particular piece of artwork captures the true essence of what it means to be a dreamer. The painting has an infinite path stretching down the middle, and within the painting there are inspirational quotes written by Balashova herself. One of the quotes inscribed on the painting is actually personalized for “The Dreamer” (Winter), thanking and dedicating the piece to him. This painting is a masterpiece in itself, and the text on it makes it even more special, along with all of “The Dream” artwork. I highly encourage each and every one of you to go check out “The Dream” exhibit at SLUMA. I assure you that it is well worth your time, and if it is not a good as you thought it would be, you aren’t losing anything, because the museum is 100 percent free. All you can get from it is a greater understanding of art, and maybe you’ll even grow to love it as much as I do. Plus, two artists from “The Dreamer” exhibit are coming to SLUMA to further explain their artwork: Edson Campos (September 18 from 5-7 p.m.) and Harry Weber (September 25 from 5-7 p.m.). So, I implore you to give it a try. You have nothing to lose, but plenty to gain!
WE DELIVER!
Boyhood: a journey in time Continued from Page 7
Mason shape his life. In this film, there is not a big plot twist or action scene that movies tend to use to reel in big audiences. Critics of this movie say that it is too long and that there is not a definitive plot. But, what makes Boyhood so remarkable is its realness. While watching this film, we are exposed to the intimate secrets of a family’s life that we do not typically see. No one’s life is filled with all the sparkle we normally see on the big screen. Life is made up of all the
little moments like getting your haircut too short, and having the awkward birds and bees talk with your dad. There is no smoke screen in Boyhood. You see a boy grow up into the world. Boyhood is relatable and will have you recalling your own similar memories throughout the film. Linklater masterfully pulls off this project. It is seamless as each scene goes by. Before you realize it, Mason has grown up. He has experienced the world and discovered himself. Go see Boyhood and reexperience the beautiful, simple, and yet complicated journey to adulthood.
FREAKY FAST
DELIVERY! ©2013 JIMMY JOHN’S FRANCHISE, LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
&
UNews
Opinions Editorials
September 18, 2014
Editorials are opinion pieces written by the Editorial Board of The University News. The editorials printed in this space represent the opinion of The University News. Commentaries and Letters to the Editor represent the opinions of the signed authors but do not necessarily represent the opinions of The University News.
The “new” face of the NFL
Letters
Wikimedia Commons
On Feb. 15, the then- Baltimore Raven Ray Rice and his then- fiancée, Janay Palmer were in a physical altercation. Janay was rendered unconscious by Ray after he struck her in the head with his hand. After being indicted by a grand jury in March, the couple stated that they were happy and in counseling. In May, both apologize for their role in the incident while speaking for the first time together in front of media. Initially, Rice was suspended for two games, which NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said wasn’t enough and that he “didn’t get it right.” The first suspension for domestic violence was increased to six games. Then, on Sept. 8, TMZ posts a video of the two trading blows before Ray punched her in the face, causing Janay to fall into the handrail. After the video was released, Ray was cut from the Ravens, to which the Ravens’ coach, John Harbaugh stated, “[the video] changed things, of course.” Later the NFL suspended Ray Rice from the league indefinitely. After the official script is where things start to get a little messy for the Rice couple and the NFL. There are reports that people in the NFL league office had in fact already seen the tape in the summer when the two game suspension stuck. This discrepancy in the narrative could show the NFL culpable of reneging a suspension only after the world could see it. If true, the report suggests that the NFL only finds domestic violence worthy of indefinite suspensions from the league if the whole world could see it. If the NFL saw the tape before the public, then the NFL is certainly culpable of hypocrisy. The NFL will give a slap on the hand and nothing more if the world doesn’t know, but since everyone could see, the NFL wanted to go beyond the rules of their league to make a scapegoat out of Rice. Many of us at the University News are wondering however,
As the first few weeks of classes draw on, the inevitable honeymoon phase between SLU and its students begin to fade to realistic expectations and grievances against the University. These potential problems can be trifling, such as, “why does that fertilizer smell so bad?” These problems can also be bigger, with such an example being, “Why can’t we serve ourselves at Gries anymore? We want more food!” Both of these issues, and the many more that will presently be discussed, deal with money. Money makes the world go around and that fact is no different, even for a university that is not-for-profit. Money is the truth, and people just have to live with it. Nonetheless there are also aspects of this University that give the average person pause, as they think, “Shouldn’t there be money to make this or make this better for students/staff/faculty?” We’re here to discuss the things at the University that
U unewsonline.com
Founded by Claude Heithaus, S.J. Busch Student Center Suite 243 20 N. Grand Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63103 Newsroom: (314) 977-2812 newsroom@unewsonline.com Advertising: (314) 977-2812 advertisng@unewsonline.com unewsonline.com facebook.com/theunews twitter.com/theunews
“why does the tape matter?” One doesn’t just become unconscious and the Ravens had to know from the police report that Ray Rice had hit his fiancée. How does this, according to Harbaugh, “change things?” While the NFL may be culpable of hypocrisy, the NFL and the surrounding culture of sports and elite athletes is already culpable of perpetuated violence, against women or not. There are the many high profile cases: Ben Roethlisberger raped a woman and then settled in court in 2010. Roethlisberger was given a six game suspension. In college football, Jameis Winston became the subject of another rape charge last year. He came out of an investigation unscathed (there were numerous reports of an inept investigation by campus authorities that didn’t even question Winston.) He became a Heisman trophy winner and will likely be a firstround draft pick by the NFL in the next couple of years. For those that played high school ball, this lenient response to poor, and sometimes violent behavior, is an extension of the idea that bad grades or other discrepancies are fine as long as they can play. This sort of behavior by coaches is also echoed by normal fans; before the video came out, Ray Rice’s appearance at a Ravens’ preseason game garnered standing ovations from the 50,000 plus fans in attendance. What this video did is make a violent crime that is usually behind closed doors public. No one sees rape or domestic violence, and we’re concerned that it took a video for the NFL and for the rest of the public to take this issue seriously. If the NFL will continue to treat violent crimes against women in this way, then this editorial board will be pleased with the increasingly vocal stance the NFL takes. Nonetheless, there is still a concern that the NFL only suspended Rice indefinitely to get the media and public off its back. If this is true, then the league hasn’t really learned anything at all.
makes us scratch our collective heads. Let’s begin. Our first grievance goes out to the professors that are wasting our weekend money (however we choose to spend it). A number of us have had professors that require students to print out every single article to be read in class, conveniently leaving out that most departments will print course materials for the courses for free. For those of us who don’t have a swank library job who can print articles, or make good friends with the department secretary who will print their articles, these print jobs present an undue cost on the cash-strapped SLU student. Come on professors, let us look online, or at least teach us how to cheat the system. Another thing is the obscure 11th edition of a book about economics that cost $90 and can’t be returned at the end of the semester because the 12th edition is already on the shelf. We know that the University or publishers are pressuring you
into exploiting us, but we think it’s time you make a stand. As for the landscaping, we all think we know that a wealthy donor chooses to give all his money towards the beautification of SLU. This is great. SLU is indeed beautiful, but why are we replacing our flowers and shrubs so often? Those tulips are great, but their shelf life on campus is a month at best. Instead, we think you should invest in some hardier, more sustainable, yet still beautiful plants and use that extra money for murals or other forms beautification on campus. We could go on and on, ‘forgetting’ to insulate the pipes of the third floor of a Village apartment, switching from security guards to students during night desk shifts, and adding taxes to credit card purchases at Aramark establishments. At some point we need to realize that despite the ‘nonprofit’ tag, SLU is very much a business and should be treated as such.
After reading the Opinion article in last week’s paper, I feel a responsibility to respond. I have been noticing on social media, mostly on Facebook, that many within the SLU community are disrespectfully attacking the article, and I feel that it’s undue. The section under which the article was written is titled opinion. One of the most fitting definitions of the word opinion is “a personal view, attitude, or appraisal.” This reflects the individual quality of an opinion. The great thing about opinions is that it’s your own and no one has to agree with it. You can hold onto your opinion, and not a single person in the universe has to agree with it. That still doesn’t make your opinion wrong. An opinion can never be wrong. It can be unfavorable to you, and you can disagree with it. But that is your opinion. What I am seeing on Facebook is a lack of respect for the opinion of others. I was raised to listen to the views of others under the pretense that it could expand my knowledge and teach me to be open-minded. Disagreeing with someone’s belief is not a just cause to disrespect him or her. When we come to SLU we are introduced to the concept of “Living the Oath”. This Oath was written to be an Oath of inclusion. This oath states: “We find higher truths when we seek to understand the complexity of our neighbors’ identities, we obtain greater knowledge when we consider the perspectives of our fellow students and we begin to strive for a better world when we build a stronger community.” This means that the non-Greek community is open to learning about the Greek community, and the Greek community is open to hearing the opinions of those that are not Greek affiliated. I believe that was the intent of Mr. McKinley. He states in his article that he encourages people to respond and open a discussion about SLU and the Greek community and its collective influence. However, the opposition that I’m seeing on Facebook isn’t opening any kind of discussion. Most simply say the article is wrong and close-minded and that no one should read the paper anymore so that the UNews learns its lesson publishing articles like this. Overall, I expected more civility and respect from those within the SLU community. I hope that this reaction does not keep the University News from publishing articles like this in order to appease the feelings of those who cannot learn to show respect the opinion of others. The University News reserves the right not to publish any letters that are deemed intentionally and/ or inappropriately inflammatory, more than the 300word limit or unsigned by the original author. The following are letters and/or website comments. Because the identities of website posters cannot be verified, all website comments should be treated as anonymous. Actual letters to the editor may be submitted online at unewsonline.com or e-mailed to opinion@unewsonline.com. Please include your cell phone number.
THE UNIVERSITY NEWS 2014-15 EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF JOHN SCHULER eic@unewsonline.com
SPORTS EDITOR CASEY WAUGHN sports@unewsonline.com
ONLINE EDITOR VACANT POSITION webmaster@unewsonline.com
MANAGING EDITOR JESSICA WINTER managing@unewsonline.com
ASSOC. SPORTS EDITOR KYLE SMITH sports@unewsonline.com
PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR RYAN QUINN photos@unewsonline.com
NEWS EDITOR PAUL BRUNKHORST news@unewsonline.com
ARTS EDITOR MAGGIE NEEDHAM arts@unewsonline.com
COPY EDITOR VACANT POSITION copy@unewsonline.com
ASSOC. NEWS EDITOR VIVEK GORIJALA news@unewsonline.com
ASSOC. ARTS EDITOR KATHERINE KELLIHER arts@unewsonline.com
COPY EDITOR DEIRDRE KERINS copy@unewsonline.com
OPINION EDITOR RYAN MCKINLEY opinion@unewsonline.com
DESIGN DIRECTOR VACANT POSITION design@unewsonline.com
CHIEF ILLUSTRATOR JESSICA PARK
GENERAL MANAGER MATTHEW PALKA gm@unewsonline.com ADVISOR MICHELLE PELTIER advisor@unewsonline.com
THE EDITORIAL BOARD OF THE UNIVERSITY NEWS RECOGNIZES AVIS MEYER, PH.D. AS THE NEWSPAPER’S FACULTY MENTOR.
“Freedom of the press—print, online and broadcast—is a basic right in a democratic society and is valuable in promoting the development of students as socially responsible persons ... The University News is a student voice, not the student voice. The views of The University News are the expressions of the students involved ... If [The University News] can represent a point of view around which discussion may develop, it serves a legitimate and needed purpose.” - From The University News’ Charter
The University News is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press, the Student Press Law Center, the College Media Advisers and the Missouri College Media Association, a division of the Missouri Press Association. First copy, free. Each additional copy, $1.00.
10
THURSDAY, SEPT 18, 2014
OPINION & EDITORIALS
Greek Orgs: Problems and solutions The first part of my article series on fraternities and sororities published last week talked about the size and inf luence of Greek org ani z at i o n s on campus. Ryan McKinley The second part will discuss the problems of fraternities and sororities and ways in which fraternities and sororities can choose to change to become more in line with Saint Louis University’s mission. In a New York Times debate in 2011, one writer recounted the saying from a former mentor, “Fraternities (and sororities) are a microcosm of American society.” I would argue the same thing. The problems of Greek organizations are therefore reflected in American society, and vice-versa. The first problem is a lack of racial, socioeconomic, religious, and experiential diversity. I challenge anyone in a social fraternity or sorority to look around at their next chapter meeting and think about what identities you see among the faces of your brothers or sisters. I’ve heard that diversity is a goal for many, if not all, fraternities and sororities, and that recruiting people who are different than the undeniable norm is an admirable goal. I just don’t think any group is really trying that hard. There have been numerous studies that suggest fraternities and sororities both attract, and recruit members most like themselves. That means that students who have an affinity for sororities or fraternities are both pushed by their own experiences to Greek organizations, and pulled into the group by these same organizations. So essentially these organizations have a
cycle where like-minded and similar people in appearance, faith, sexuality, socioeconomic status, and experience are joining every year. It’s important to note too that many Greek organizations were, in the case of fraternities, founded either before women could attend colleges, or, for both fraternities and sororities, before schools were desegregated. These institutions were literally founded on male and white privilege. There still hasn’t been much change according to one SLU student: “These organizations are [still] sustained on the ideals of celebrating racial and socioeconomic privileges, all of which are things that this University espouses to reform.” To illustrate this point of privilege, I extend the example of Beta Theta Pi’s national organization. Beta Theta Pi published a magazine detailing the demographics of their fraternity in the spring of 2014. The title of the lead article states, “Beta undergrads are: White, Christian, Conservative, Straight, American, Wealthy and Urban.” After showing statistics that did back up the claim that most Betas were, in fact, white, Christian, conservative, straight, American, wealthy and urban, the writer claims that this effort, “was never about creating or obstructing diversity. This was always about brotherhood,” (author’s emphasis). Brotherhood would be wonderful if the table they sat at back in 1839 had not disallowed anyone that wasn’t white, Christian, and straight. As seen by the demographics of Beta, and every other social fraternity and sorority, these legacies of privilege are not easily erased. This problem is tough to correct; exclusion is literally a historical tradition for most of these organizations. That doesn’t mean change is impossible. The first step towards change is recognizing
that exclusion is practiced within these organizations, consciously or not. The demographics don’t lie. The second step is correcting this legacy. It would be helpful if a panel of leaders in the Greek community could hold an open forum for the entire SLU community on ways that every chapter recruits new members, what each chapter’s stated values are, and then to discuss candidly how both could become more accommodating to others. The second problem is not unique to fraternities and sororities, but certainly worthy of discussion. That problem is sexual assault, harassment, and other misconduct. Numerous studies have shown that “the population on college campuses with the highest likelihood for committing rape is fraternity men,” (NY Times). Before I start hearing “Not all fraternity guys commit rape”, I know. However, from my own experiences I have seen a great deal of ignorance among many at SLU (sorority and fraternity members included) regarding questions of rape and consent. At a Title IX talk given to the Greek community last year, the students were presented with a skit concerning a potential case of sexual assault. The answers and questions from the Greek community showed a dangerous misunderstanding of who was at fault, often resorting to blaming the woman for drinking, as opposed to blaming the man who hypothetically raped her in the skit. As a member in the Sexual Assault Prevention Assembly, the ignorance, as well as the whooping heard from men when anyone said the girl should share the blame, disturbed me. What could be done SLU-wide, not just limited to fraternities and sororities, are separate classes for men and women immediately upon arrival to SLU. For ev-
eryone, these classes would entail learning exactly what the terms consent and rape mean in a legal and in a situational context. Such classes could also help men and women recognize dangerous situations for women as they are happening. Additionally, it could help women become more empathetic and accommodating to their sisters that have been assaulted, creating safe spaces within these organizations for victims. SLU also needs to do more by creating a physical hope and crisis center for all victims of sexual violence. Currently, SLU has no safe space for victims of assault. Federal authorities are investigating 51 universities due to mishandling of sexual assault cases. Story after story comes out detailing how inept universities are at handling reported cases of sexual assaults. Because SLU is not one of those universities does not mean they are exempt from criticism. There are attackers that have been reported, and many more unreported, who still go to school here. This is entirely unacceptable. Victims need advocates that are knowledgeable of the reporting and legal processes. A hope center can provide that service. Fraternities and sororities can actively support the creation of a hope center to show their commitment to eradicating this epidemic on our campus. Do all SLU students share a culpability in the continued exclusion of others and sexual violence against fellow students? Sure. We are all responsible for these ills. Nonetheless, I expect better from organizations that so avidly promote brotherhood and sisterhood on a campus purportedly dedicated to social justice and inclusion. These organizations have the resources to actively change the landscape of their own chapters, as well as the community at large. All that’s needed is the will.
My brothers’ keeper:
From the start, we are our “brother’s and sister’s keepers,” and, recalling the origin of that expression in Genesis, we share in God’s own anguish when God responded to Cain after he had cynically asked if he was his brother’s keeper, “Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground, what have you done?” An unarmed, young, African-American man, Michael Brown, who was shot to death by police – a too-common scenario in our society that unfairly vilifies young African-American males – summons us to responsibility for him. Our heart aches at the thought of his brief life cut short, and, because he has a claim on us, we cannot be indifferent to his death. We are impelled to find out what happened and hold those responsible for any injustice accountable. If there is no such accountability, no thorough and fair investigation, we would not take seriously the value of the life taken. Our sense of responsibility impels us to the level of legal judgment on which competing claims are adjudicated and court decisions determined. After his being shot to death, a tape was released supposedly showing Michael engaged in the “strong-arm” robbery of a store. This tape would, no doubt, be part of
a court’s deliberation, but it certainly does not warrant his being shot. In addition, this information about the supposed strong-arm robbery by no means diminishes our sense of responsibility for him. In fact, even if the tape is authentic, our responsibility for him would not stop. Although we do not know what Michael’s motives would have been for stealing the cigarillos or roughing up the store attendant, we can speculate We are about why he might have acted as the tape seems to portray him. C o u l d such actions be a way of defying or scorning an economic system from which he felt excluded? Could they have been a way of asserting a kind of masculine bravado? Philosopher Max Scheler explains that when someone is punished for crime, instead of assigning all the blame to the criminal, who may be responsible for his actions, and washing our hands of the situation, our sense of responsibility for the other person, our solidarity with all humanity, ought to lead us to think about how we as a society may have let that other person down. And so we can ask what if we as a society had given Mi-
“
chael more and better access to our economic system. Furthermore, could we as a society have provided him with a model of masculinity that might have expressed itself in taking responsibility for others, for example, instead of flaunting bravado? If it is too late to come to Michael’s aid in these ways, can we extend the responsibility we should have exercised on his behalf to other young men of color in similar circumstances? impelled Before we pass moral or legal judgment on o t h e r s – and responsibility for them and others demands that we do so – we are responsible for them as persons, and even after a final verdict is reached, we remain responsible for them. In the situation in Ferguson, there were many others for whom as persons our responsibility extended: those exercising their democratic rights by protesting, Michael Brown’s family, Officer Darren Wilson, Officer Wilson’s family, those seen on television looting stores, the owners of those stores, the personnel policing the streets in the evenings—and many others. At the same time, in the name of responsibility
“
By Michael Barber Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
for all involved, anyone who has unjustly injured others should be held accountable. One group that tests my own solidarity and sense of responsibility are those who have written what I take to be cruel and racist comments in the comment sections beneath the Internet reports of the events in Ferguson. One can indeed feel sadness for those who do not know how to respond with empathy to the human anguish and vulnerability we witnessed in Ferguson. One can mourn the fact that those writing such mean-spirited comments seem impoverished by their apparent lack of any familiarity with the goodness of African-American people and culture and by their lack of any knowledge of, love for, or friendship with any African-American person. Had they had such a relationship, it would never have allowed them even to think what they express in their comments. Beneath the level of moral or legal judgments, we are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. Legal and moral judgments must be made and people held accountable, but we are responsible beginning with innocent victims of violence and reaching even to those who deserve moral censure or criminal conviction. God’s anguish precedes us, extending to everyone, whether to innocent Abel, or even to Cain, whom God marked so that others would not kill him.
Aye or no? When I studied abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland, a year ago, t h e r e were already s o m e signs of division. A man in my literature c l a s s Maggie Needham wore a wristband with the words “YES 2014” on it. A woman performed a poem about Scottish nationalist pride at a pub open mic. A professor mentioned in passing the possibility of an independent Scotland. The atmosphere has escalated since then. One-word signs in shop windows proclaiming “yes” or “no” are enough to spark a heated debate among passersby. Rallies and marches fill parks and streets around Scotland. “Literally every conversation seems to come back to it,” a friend still in Edinburgh told me the other day. The people of Scotland are today being faced with the biggest decision they can make as a nation. The question on the ballot is deceivingly simple: “Should Scotland be an independent country?” The response to this question will decide Scotland’s future permanently, and the outcomes are not clear. The first question to ask: Why is this referendum happening? Why do the Scots want independence, if they do? Alex Salmond, the current First Minister of Scotland, promised this referendum upon his re-election in 2011. He is the Leader of the Scottish National Party and has been one of the biggest proponents of Scottish independence over the past few decades. The most compelling argument for Scottish in-
dependence is simple: Scotland should be ruled by the Scots. With a population of only five million, their opinions are quickly drowned out by the 53 million English voices in the UK Parliament. They have consistently voted differently than the rest of the UK, but their small proportion of the government means that their wishes never come to fruition. So sure, Scotland should be rules by the Scots. Their government should accurately represent their political views. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. If it were, 52 percent of Scots wouldn’t be planning to vote “no.” The pros and cons of independence are hard to weigh. I’ve been reading more Scottish news than American news these past few weeks, and my opinion is as divided as Scotland’s. Polls leading up to election day have shown the independence movement gaining more momentum, but it seems to close to call. The fact is that no one really knows what independence would look like. Will Scotland stay in the EU? Still use the pound? Maintain a stable economy? Salmond assures everyone that the answer to all these questions is yes, but there is little way of knowing for sure what the resulting country would look like. After reading so much speculation on how Scotland could or could not succeed in forging its own path, it’s become clear that no one really knows what the long-term implications of independence would be. I’m not Scottish, even by heritage, so my final opinion on the matter doesn’t make much of a difference. Like many other non-Scots have said, I just want Scotland to do what it feels is best, and I hope that, whatever they decide, they are able to create a better Scotland. That is what this referendum is all about, in the end.
OPINION & EDITORIALS
THURSDAY, SEPT 18, 2014
11
After the article titled “Greek Organizations at SLU: Introduction and Influence” was published last week, the UNews received a flood of responses with a variety of viewpoints. Out of the myriad the UNews received, we eventually chose two articles that represents the experience of Greek Organizations on campus. Other articles on this subject may be found online at unewsonline.com Patty Libby is a Senior in the Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority. Despite the chill, much of campus was boiling last week. I expected the outrage following last Thursday’s editorial. After all, talking about privilege is tough. The anger didn’t shock me initially, at least not until I heard a different voice echoing the same message. I spoke with a classmate in an upper level feminist theory course who was just as outraged as every Greek with whom I had spoken. The serious difference was that this woman isn’t Greek. She is, however, an ambassador. In the loosest of terms, she argued some institutions should remain beyond the reaches of critical commentary because of their relative importance to the University (SLU Ambassadors being one of them). My train of thought stopped so fast it practically derailed. Was I in the right classroom? We should be critical of everything, starting with this editorial. She could have been justifiably annoyed that the author—neither affiliated, nor an ambassador—presumed to speak with authority on her experiences. This is easily appropriation. The author also effectively labels this girl as marginalized when she had never self-identified as systematically disadvantaged—both paternalistic and disempowering. But then again, the girl was not angry for these reasons, and bias doesn’t nullify reality. This ambassador’s support for the institution was so pervasive that she managed to misunderstand the article at its core. At first, the fact that someone might see the example of Greek overrepresentation in Student Ambassadors as central rather than illustrative genuinely surprised me. The article is titled “Greek Organizations at SLU” and the forthcoming two-part criticism is one of IFC and Panhellenic
organizations. I expected Greek vitriol, but I didn’t anticipate the people the author sought to empower would link arms with the Great Greek Line. I did not account for the fact that, exactly as the article suggests, Greek issues and interests are unconsciously campus issues and interests regardless of personal affiliation. When you have a system that overrepresents or overstates the interests of a minority of advantaged elites who misunderstand that their reality is not everyone’s reality: you have patriarchy and privilege. When you have an institution that values a certain type of voice over other experiences in their hiring practices: you have institutionalized oppression. These are societal issues far bigger than SLU, but that does not mean we should feel compelled to accept them within our University. The purpose of the article was to show that SLU (in this example the Office of Admissions) has an unconscious bias which favors Greek students insofar as they are seen immediately as dynamic leaders with strong morals and a keen understanding of the university, all before they actually have to prove any of that is true. Greeks by virtue of affiliation are individually benefited by assumptions that they cannot control; they are privileged. The article was not meant to devalue unaffiliated ambassadors’ contributions to student recruitment. It seeks the opposite: a campuswide push to make the marketing and marketers of this school less Greek and more representative of the student body. When 20% of the campus is Greek (and 80% are not), while at the same time 50% of Student Ambassadors are Greek, then we have a problem. With a 1:1 ratio rather than 1:4, the concerns and interests of the 80% of non-affiliated enrolled students are seen as equally important as the concerns and interests of Greek affiliated members. A perfectly representative system would mean that non-affiliated students should
have a collective voice that is four times louder than their IFC and Panhellenic counterparts. As a result, they should have a much more important role in shaping and defining this campus through the recruitment of our future students than they currently have access to. So what now? In a perfect world, we could change the system. In a realistic one, we can change ourselves. To gravely oversimplify, we as Greeks need to remember (collectively and individually) that “with great power, comes great responsibility.” The article was a call for us to recognize and utilize our privilege to promote diversity and progress (internally and externally) because we are the ones who can make it happen. Privilege does not have to be negative! To close, I want to illustrate that perhaps the best display of Greek life’s privilege is that we have the option to ignore this. If we remain silent, inactive, and unaware of our privilege, absolutely nothing will happen. We are so established as organizations and tastemakers on this campus that negative opinions, even public ones through legitimate channels, are not enough to seriously threaten our status or security. If we want to create a better more balanced SLU, we can’t let opportunities for conversations like this slip away. We should not aspire to remain untouchable.
Jessica Park / Chief Illustrator Tori Watson is a Senior in the Delta Gamma Sorority I would like to begin by stating that I am all for intelligent dialogue about student organizations and ways in which we can strive to improve the SLU community. That being said, it is almost impossible to have these kinds of discussions without an accurate understanding of the groups and activities being called into question. As a SLU Ambassador and a member of the Panhellenic community, I was very disappointed by the negative and inaccurate statements made concerning both organizations in Ryan McKinley’s recent article “Greek Organizations at SLU: Introduction and Influence.” Let’s start with the numbers. There are approximately 8,600 undergraduate students currently enrolled at SLU. And, to quote McKinley, “about 20% of undergraduate students at SLU are in Greek organizations.” This means that there are around 1,720 SLU students involved in Greek life. These statistics are clearly communicated during SLU admission presentations and are also available on SLU’s website. We can therefore conclude that it is, in fact, very easy for a prospective SLU student to get an idea of the number of undergraduates involved in Greek life. Yes, 20% is a large minority. But there is another way to think about what it means for a university’s Greek community to have a “big” presence on campus. Students at many schools often feel that their college experience is defined by their Greek affiliation. This is not the case at SLU. Greek life at SLU is so unique because it not only allows its members to be involved in
other campus organizations, but also encourages it. McKinley even makes a point to mention the “many leadership positions members of [Greek] organizations hold.” Greek life at SLU is not restrictive. It’s empowering. To say that students “coming from fraternities and sororities” all have the same SLU experiences is a false assumption, and anyone who is at all familiar with the SLU Ambassadors would know this. Still, there seems to be some concern about the way in which the Ambassadors, specifically those who are involved in Greek life, represent SLU. Yes, SLU Ambassadors are essentially salespersons for the university. But there is another way to describe this job: we are recruiters. SLU Ambassadors recruit students to the university. Students who are involved in Greek life have ample experience recruiting college-age students to join an organization. Isn’t this a skill set that you would want your university representatives to possess? This isn’t to say that students who are not involved in Greek life do not make excellent recruiters, because they certainly do. However, it makes sense that members of the Greek community would be very likely to apply for and be qualified for this job. “Despite their training, I doubt any know all, or most of the cultural organizations on campus and the wonderful things they do.” Does McKinley have any basis for this claim? As a student who does not work in the Office of Admission, what relevant experience does he have with SLU Ambassador training to be able to criticize the process? We have an extremely diverse and well-informed group of students representing SLU as Ambassadors. No, we do not all have extensive knowledge of the inner workings of every campus organization or the curriculums of every major. But SLU Ambassadors are strategically
Temple designed by Daniel Turner from the thenounproject.com
chosen so that there are students to represent every aspect of campus life. I have never been presented with a question that I could not answer or direct to another more knowledgeable Ambassador. “The second way that fraternities and sororities exercise their influence is through rush.” Yes, this is correct. Fraternities and sororities have a recruitment process. These organizations could not continue to exist otherwise. The suggestion that Greek life is exerting too much influence on the SLU community by simply existing is not something that I can adequately respond to without a more detailed explanation as to why this is a problem. Finally, because I am struggling to keep this response to 800 words, I will say only this about the “stream of wealthy alums” that are supposedly supporting Greek organizations: my chapter was founded in 2001. It should come as no shock that we do not have 30-year-old millionaires throwing money at our sorority. To be clear, I am in no way insinuating that Greek life should not be challenged, or that this discussion is not a worthy one to be had. I simply believe that making false accusations based on stereotypes that do not apply to our university is an inappropriate way to spark meaningful conversation. I am disappointed that our university newspaper would publish a collection of gross generalizations and call it journalism. My hope is that future critiques of student organizations will be structured, researched and insightful.
12
THURSDAY, September 18, 2014
ADVERTISEMENT
List of organizations attending! Target Corporation Anheuser-Busch St. Louis Arc St. Patrick Center SLU - Graduate Admission Lickenbrock Technologies, LLC Adler School of Professional Psychology Ascension Health Senior Care Equifax Emerson Missouri State University Citi Graduate Recruitment Valparaiso University Law School Dewey's Pizza School of Labor and Employment Relations, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign The Resource Group Adaptive Solutions Group TriZetto Provider Solutions UNITED STATES NAVY OFFICER PROGRAMS PhysAssist Scribes Kaplan Test Prep Macy's Credit and Customer Service PLS Logistics Tinker Air Force Base Civilian Employment World Wide Technology RubinBrown LLP Dot Foods, Inc. University of Illinois Springfield Commerce Bank University of Memphis School of Law Menards Falcon Technologies Bullhorn US Peace Corps AXA Advisors Marine Corps DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION Washington University in St. Louis - Olin Business School Teach For America Thomson Reuters Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis FDIC DRS Sustainment Systems Inc Air Force Recruiting Walgreens HLK Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs Roosevelt University College of Pharmacy BJC HealthCare Robert Half Missouri State University Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) Saint Louis Science Center Executive Financial Group Anderson Pest Solutions Education First LMI Saint Louis University HR Thrivent Financial The School of Professional Psychology at Forest Institute Webster University Florissant Police Department
Ungerboeck Software Express Scripts FormFast Trans States Airlines Edward Jones Boeing Company Alberici Constructors, Inc. bioMerieux Saint Louis University CRB Consulting Engineers, Inc. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri GKN Aerospace Memorial Health System Kennedy Capital Management Lodging Hospitality Management SLU College for Public Health & Social Justice American Family Insurance Hub Group Burrell Behavioral Health Ronald McDonald House Charities of St. Louis Northwestern Mutual Financial Network - Gross Group Northwestern Mutual Rite Hite Corporation Ansira Engagement Marketing Avertest NISC (National Information Solutions Cooperative) World Pediatric Project Blueprint Schools Network Youth In Need Nine Network of Public Media St. Louis College of Pharmacy NISA Investment Advisors, L.L.C. Western Illinois University-School of Graduate Studies Twain Financial Partners LLC MassMutual St. Louis GL group University of Missouri School of Law City Year Stephen Ministries Missouri State Highway Patrol Saint Louis University School of Medicine Marquette University Graduate School AeroNavData Inc. Easter Seals Midwest Buckeye International Sigma-Aldrich Saint Louis University School of Law Monsanto Centene Corporation Mizzou Crosby MBA Program Chestnut Health Systems Monsanto St. Louis Metro Police McKendree University ExpressJet Airlines True Media National Park Service Washington University in St. Louis- Brown School Cass Information Systems, Inc. United Industries - A Division of Spectrum Brands The University of Tulsa Graduate Business Programs Martz & Wilson LLP