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The adjunct faculty at Saint Louis University has moved one step closer to unionization. According to Hillary Birdsong, an adjunct instructor and one of the lead organizers of the movement, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has backed the adjuncts. The SEIU have campaigned for other adjunct groups at universities across the country. The group was essential in the unionization of the adjuncts at Washington University in January 2015. “Unionizing would give us a say in matters concerning our contracts and compensation,” Birdsong said in an email to adjunct supporters. The adjuncts have worked steadily over the past year to receive better wages and benefits. Adjuncts at SLU now start out making $3,000 per course, and those who have been working with the university for at least three consecutive years receive a bump in compensation—the amount of which increases with the amount of time an adjunct has spent working at the university. However, the moves the administration has made while trying to meet the adjuncts’ needs have not been
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quite enough, according to Birdsong. “Many of us have to work at multiple jobs to make ends meet. Some of us live paycheck to paycheck and worry about how to pay rent or utility bills. We have no way of knowing if we will even be teaching next semester,” Birdsong said. Birdsong has often stated that since her job at SLU is never certain, it does not allow her to focus completely on her students. “We teach the same classes that tenured professors teach, we counsel students about personal issues during our office hours, and we write letters of recommendation for them as they make their way into the world. Without us, the student experience would not be as rich as it is, and yet the wages we receive for our labor are not enough to live on,” Birdsong said. As previously reported in The University News, the adjuncts expect that they should be able to form a union by the end of the spring semester. Michael Lewis, the Associate Vice President for Faculty Development, commented in a previous interview that the university has not yet taken a stance on the adjunct’s plans to form a union.
Known today for the wineries and the vestiges of their pronounced German heritage, Hermann and other towns along the Missouri River Valley have been revealed, in an exhibition curated by German professor Sydney Norton, for the crucial role they played in the Civil War-era fight for the abolition of slavery. “Missouri has all these beautiful towns that are originally German, and often people don’t mention what their history is,” said Norton. “They say, Oh, you’ve got to go Hermann, the wineries are great, there’s Oktoberfest, they have a lot of German stuff.” A panel of text in the exhibit summarizes this overlooked facet of Missouri history: “Several politically active immigrants who arrived in Missouri during the
1830s—Friedrich Münch, Eduard Muehl, Carl Strehly, and Arnold Krekel—followed by a younger generation of exiles from the failed 1848 rebellions in Europe —Friedrich Hecker, Heinrich (Henry) Boernstein, Franz Sigel, and Carl Schurz—became editors of or contributors to notable German-language newspapers in Missouri. Their articles and commentaries against slavery and in support of the newly formed Republican Party were crucial for Abraham Lincoln’s election as president and in mobilizing German immigrants into Union volunteer units at the outbreak of the Civil War.” The “German Immigrant Abolitionists: Fighting for a Free Missouri” exhibit opened last Friday, Feb. 12 (coincidentally, Abraham Lincoln’s birthday) to an audience of approximately 75 students and visitors. The exhibit, which occupies two
Thursday, February 18, 2016
SGA update: Bryant opines on term President focuses on transportation, engagement By EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM Associate News Editor
In February 2015, SGA President Jay Bryant, along with his ticket Engage, ran on a platform of transparency and strong communication between the Student Government Association, the university and the student body. His biggest priority was to ensure student engagement on campus, as well as in the city and the neighborhoods surrounding SLU. Now, six months after taking office as SGA president, Bryant reflects on what he’s accomplished so far and what his focus will be on in the months before his term ends and he says goodbye to SGA and to SLU. During the election, transportation was a key point for the Engage ticket. Bryant proposed Upasses for the Metro and offering ways for students to get to places they want to go. “When we were campaigning, one thing that we heard was, ‘Well, we would love to explore the city, and the Lou, but we need transportation. We need access.’ So we tried to create that right off the bat,” Bryant said. For the most part, Bryant has delivered on those initia-
Ryan Quinn / The University News
SGA: Jay Bryant addresses the SGA senators at the weekly meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 17. Bryant ran on the Engage ticket during the 2015 election.
tives, moving toward a way to provide transportation for all students, through the shuttles and a pilot program with MetroLink. At the beginning of the Fall 2015 semester, the shuttles were rerouted and offered different stops for students, rather than solely Brentwood Plaza. “We rerouted the weekend shuttle to be more productive and used the students’ money better, because students pay for that ser-
Exhibit features early German abolitionists By TIM WILHELM News Editor
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A student voice of Saint Louis University since 1921
Union backs adjuncts By EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM Associate News Editor
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glass cases in the lobby of the Center for Global Citizenship in addition to a similar wall-length case in a rear seminar room, displays photographs, letters, military uniforms, maps and other period artifacts. “It was very festive,” said Norton. “There are people out there who really want to see things like this.” The exhibit is the culmination of two and a half years of research, visits to cultural institutions, and excursions to Hermann and other towns accompanied by descendants of the German thinkers represented. While her research focuses on 20th- and 21st-century German art and literature, Dresden, choreography and German Expressionism in the 1920s, Norton plunged headlong into Missouri’s German abolitionist movement after one of several trips to Hermann. At a museum there, she picked up
a historical manual on Hermann’s role as a center for progressive thought in the 1830s. She said that although she “knew the basics of what happened” during the Civil War, her research “completely changed” her understanding of it. “I didn’t realize how divided Missouri was and St. Louis was back in the Civil War, like real antagonism between blacks and whites and this notion of allowing slavery and not.” She saw a “real hatred” in the antebellum years. “They were kind of an island among themselves,” she said of the German abolitionists. Considered the radical wing of the Republican Party, these immigrants’ harbored memories of failed revolutions, which spurred them to embrace abolition See “Exhibit” on Page 3
Javier Muro de Nadal / The University News
ABOLITION: German professor, Sydney Norton points out some of the artifacts included in the Center for Global Citizenship’s presentation on German abolitionists during the Civil War era. The exhibition concludes on May 15.
vice,” said Bryant. “Then out of that, we can provide event shuttles for the Hispanic festival in Soulard, the balloon glow, Soulard farmer’s market, things like that, trying to get students out into the city.” However, perhaps a more notable accomplishment came early in the spring semester. On Jan. 11, metro Upasses for the MetroLink and MetroBus were made available to the freshman class, an initiative that is
working as a pilot program—which is meant to someday be inclusive of all SLU students—costing approximately $35,000 out of the university’s budget. “The metro pilot program like we’ve talked about was an idea that stemmed from last year’s executive board to administration, and then ever since last April, we’ve been working on it and havSee “Bryant” on Page 3
$LU $eeks $upport versity and aligns with SLU’s strategic plan. The program will be funded through a $1 In a progressively escamillion gift given to the unilating financial situation, the versity, which has been alloSLU administration is lookcated to this project. ing outward. “What we’re looking for On Monday, Feb. 15, is something brief. It doesn’t President Pestello anhave to be fully thought nounced ‘GrowingSLU’—an through, but just ‘what’s the initiative that prompts memidea?’” said Hakanson. “It can bers of the SLU community be something related to stuto submit ideas that could dent services or something increase SLU’s revenue. related to academics, or any “Initiative Four of the part really of the university strategic plan is “Being an or any idea that we have that Innovaaligns tor and with the Entreuniverpreneur s i t y ’s in All core misThat We sion and Do.” To aligned achieve of course this obwith the jective, stratewe must gic plan. nurture Any idea, the entrewhether preneurial it be very spirit and l arge, innovaor very tive thinksmall, we ing of our -Fred Pestello, want to f a c u l t y, President hear.” staff and There students,” will be Pestello several said in his email to the SLU phases of GrowingSLU, but community. currently, those interested Newly appointed Chief may submit their ideas—on Innovation Officer David the program’s website or Hakanson, who has presided by using the GrowingSLU as Chief Information Officer hashtag on social media—to since 2013, came up with the the advisory committee unidea for the program and coltil March 4. Individual and laborated with other adminteam submissions are welistrators and staff members come. to make it into GrowingBy March 11, after reSLU. He will be heading up viewing the submissions, the initiative, along with the the committee will select seven-other representatives from those ideas and ask on the advisory committee. those individuals and teams Hakanson said they reto provide more developed searched other programs business plans, which the similar to GrowingSLU, but university will provide rehad not come across anysources to help review their thing like this: calling out concept. university-wide to submit any kind of idea that will produce revenue for the uniSee “Growing” on Page 3 By EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM Associate News Editor
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To achieve this objective, we must nurture the entrepreneurial spirit and innovative thinking of our faculty, staff and students.
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Vol. XCV No. 18
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February 18, 2016
Banner Lecture focuses on ‘The Good Immigrants’ Professor discusses new book, legislative history Hsu noted how their preson Pearl Harbor, years later. ence was both productive Hsu mentioned how and problematic for Amerithe complications of war This year’s John Francis cans seeking to maintain the made for exceptions to such Bannon, S.J. Annual Lecture racial makeup of the counlaws, with foreign students was given on Friday, Feb. 12, try. Extensive land borders, suddenly stranded in the to approximately 70 people, then, as today, proved difUnited States, due to comin DuBourg Hall’s Pere Marficult to shutdown, with the munist victories in their quette current home countries. The ensug a l l e r y. immiing weapons and space race Madeline gration with the Soviets only enY. Hsu of station couraged Americans to alWith such exclusionary the Uniin El low international students immigration laws, and versity of Paso, to remain in the U.S. This Texas at a Border Patrol conTe x a s , exception also served the Austin sisting of about 20,000 origiimportant purpose, accordpresented n a l l y ing to Hsu, of proving to the agents, Hsu wondered some of built world that democracy could if even Jesus Christ the reto halt be compatible with, and supsearch for Himself would be able Chinese port people from, a variety her recent immiof backgrounds and culto enter the U.S. today. b o o k , gration, tures. Hsu shared how this “ T h e n o t would form the basis of what Good ImMexilater was coined the “brain migrants: can. drain,” aided by laws like the How the While the very name of 1952 McCarren Walter Act, Yellow Peril became the the 1882 Chinese Exclusion which made exception to Model Minority.” The subtitle Law made clear its intencurrent immigration restricfor her talk was “Restriction tions, Hsu felt that it was not tions for skilled workers. and Selection in Citizenship until the Emergency Quota Immigration preference and Immigration Law,” and Law of 1921 that the quantifibecame even more apparshe dealt with the competing cation of ent in 1965, interests often at play in the Ameriwith the case of immigration, as well c a n Hart Cellar as the link between immigraprejuAct, which tion eligibility and citizenPrior to the compledices capped imship eligibility. became migration tion of the transcontiPrior to the completion so apfrom any nental railroad ... Hsu of the transcontinental railp a re nt . particular road, a project completed pointed out that Hong This law country at by immigrant labor, Hsu sought 20,000 per Kong was effectively pointed out that Hong Kong to cap year – of closer to San Franwas effectively closer to San t h e which 75 sisco than San FranFrancisco than San Frannumber percent cisco was to Boston. There sisco was to Boston. of forwere to was no match between the eign imbe family 3- to 4-month voyage by sea migraof current between Hong Kong and tion at 3 U.S. resiSan Francisco and the three percent dents, 20 months required for the land of the 1910 consensus for percent specifically for emjourney from Boston to San that particular group. Hsu ployment, often in STEM Francisco. With Chinese imnoted how some claim that fields, and just 5 percent as migrants responsible for the this law, in conjunction with refugees. Helping prove that development of both railroad the Immigration Act of 1924, the process of immigrant and agriculture in the U.S., was the motive for the attack selection continues today, By PATRICK HYLAND Senior Staff Writer
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Hsu revealed that although only 10 percent of the population of India has at least some college education, 81 percent of immigrants from India to the U.S. have a college degree. Given such a complicated history, Hsu finds it ironic that immigration from Asia has recently surpassed immigration from Latin America, and with little notice. In the final slide of her presentation, Hsu presented an image showing global, international migration that helps demonstrate two principles of migration flows. The first was the flow of migrants from poorer to wealthier countries. The second was the importance of proximity, noting especially the amount of immigrants that pass from Mexico to the U.S. With such exclusionary immigration laws, and a Border Patrol consisting of about 20,000 agents, Hsu wondered if even Jesus Christ Himself would be able to enter the U.S., today.
February Events Calendar Friday, Feb. 19, 8:00-10:00 p.m. University Theatre, Xavier Hall The University Theatre will be putting on a production of “The Dead,” based on a short story by James Joyce about a Yuletide party in 1904 Dublin. Tickets are available to the general public for $10. Students $7. Faculty/Staff $9.
Sunday, Feb. 21, 5:00-7:30 p.m. Wool Ballrooms, BSC In honor of Black History Month, a Soul Food and Jazz event will be held in the Wool Ballrooms. The SLU community is invited to come learn about the history of jazz in the Black community and eat traditional soul food.
Wednesday, Feb. 24, 4:00-5:00 p.m. Outside Spring Hall
keep your head in the game read the UNews
Students, faculty and staff are invited to join in a “Topping Off” ceremony for Spring Hall. Construction will be placing the top on the new residence hall. There will be refreshments and a hot chocolate bar for all in attendance.
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February 18, 2016
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Growing: Administration welcomes innovation Bryant: A Review However, the committee will also rate the proj“We will look at that ects that they’ve deemed the business plan and the advimost successful, depending sory committee will review on outcome. A monetary which of those will best meet award for first place will be the purpose of the program $5,000, and then $3,000 for and have the best alignment second place and $1,000 for to revenue and the strategic third. plan, and Pesthose are tello inthe ones cluded in we’ll dehis email cide to t h a t f u n d Growb a s e d ingSLU off of the would be amount the first of fundof many ing we tasks for h a v e ,” Hakans a i d son in Hakanhis role son. of Chief T h e -David Hakanson, Innovacommittion Oftee will ficer, and m a k e Hakantheir deson concision on which projects to firmed that there would be fund by May 4. The indimore intitiatives to come. viduals and/or teams whose “From the strategic plan business plans receive fundperspective, there are seving will also receive a cash eral action committees that award of $1,000 and will be have been put together to invited to a private reception look at where do we move with Pestello, as well. forward in the different arIn May 2017, after one eas of the strategic plan, and year of operation, the advicertainly within innovation sory committee will review and entrepreneurship, we each funded project to deare looking at different ways termine its success and its to become more innovative produced revenue. If the and more entrepreneurial,” committee determines that said Hakanson. the initiative has not been “So this is one of many to successful, the funding will come and I anticipate that stop. Continued from Page 1
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I’m really excited to see the ideas that come from our student body, our faculty and our staff.
we will start communicating the others that are being announced as well once they’ve been fully developed.” In the meantime, students can learn more about GrowingSLU at the four information sessions that will be held about the program, the first of which taking place on Feb. 18 at 3:00 p.m. in the Learning Resource
Center, rooms 107 and 108. Hakanson cited his enthusiasm for the program and the possibility of student engagement, saying, “I’m hoping that students will submit their ideas, whether large or small, because I’m really excited to see the ideas that come from our student body, our faculty and our staff.”
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Courtesy of David Hakanson
CIO: David Hakanson developed the idea for GrowingSLU and will be overseeing the project in its entirety.
Exhibit: Southern camp borders future campus Continued from Page 1
by way of the press, education and military action. “They likened the slavery here to back home,” Norton explained. “They were very afraid that if the Union fell apart, then the same thing would happen here in the United States, that it would just be a bunch of aristocrats running the show, in this case plantation owners and slave holders.” She found a quote from Frederick Douglass saying, “I never knew a German who wasn’t abolitionist.” While the German efforts were likely known by some prominent black abolitionists, Norton said, “They were working together for a common cause, but I didn’t get the feeling they were sitting down at the same table.” Carl Schurz, a celebrity among German Americans, became a Missouri senator; Arnold Krekel founded Lincoln University for former slaves; and Friedrich Hecker, an immigrant to Illinois, rowed across the Mississippi River to join a volunteer regiment in St. Louis. “The German role in the Civil War in this area has been downplayed,” said Norton, likely due to their newcomer status. “Many people [at the time] didn’t really
want to give them the credit they deserved.” Norton began her research around the time of unrest in Ferguson, which seemed like an historical reverberation. “What I see is a lot of carry over from that,” she said. “I mean, we’ve come a long way, but I also see a lot of divisiveness that may in fact have started back then. But I think it’s also improving all the time, that’s just a problem we have in this country. And it’s not only a Missouri problem.”
The Civil War even embroiled SLU’s campus in conflict. In 1861, Union troops (80 percent of whom were German, said Norton) fought a pro-Confederate encampment of militiamen based at Camp Jackson; this was a plot of land near present-day Olive Boulevard, at the eastern fringes of campus. General Frost, after whom SLU’s main campus is named, belonged to this militia group. “It’s really hard to know what’s right, because you
don’t really want to erase history, but at the same time, some of the things that they stood for were wrong, but it was still part of history,” said Norton. A plaque representing this conflict overlooks the pond between Ritter Hall and the BSC. Norton said that a SLU security guard, an avid participant in war reenactments, lent a uniform to the exhibit. He believes this to be a good opportunity to change the faded, weathered plaque.
Continued from Page 1
ing conversations about it. So it’s exciting that it finally got launched.” Through Feb. 12, 529 out of more than 1,600 students have used their Metro Upasses at least once. Out of that number, 142 students have used their pass at least five times and 43 students have used it at least 10 times. In total, 2,359 taps, or uses, have been made by students. “We just need students to get them and start using them,” said Bryant. Bryant said in his time as president, he has tried to find the “Why’s”—why don’t students venture off campus? He’s made action to address the need for transportation. But he’s found that another answer to that question is that sometimes students are not aware of the events and activities available to them in the surrounding areas. One focus for Bryant has been a partnership with Grand Center, located just a few blocks off campus. “As much as transportation is a barrier to getting off campus, so is just knowing what events are off campus and how to explore St. Louis,” said Bryant. Bryant has worked to develop a partnership with Grand Center that will work to be beneficial for not only students, but also for Grand Center. Along with some SLU administrators, Bryant met with about 13 marketing professionals representing various organizations and venues in Grand Center to talk about this partnership. “At first, I almost felt like SLU and Grand Center were kind of defensive,” Bryant explained. Grand Center believed SLU students were not interested in visiting and faulted the university for not promoting the Center’s events enough. SLU claimed Grand Center did not promote to its students and did not offer enough student discounts. He continued, “Now it’s been nice, because throughout this, I’ve witnessed everyone letting their guards down and being open. Opening ears and
hearts as far as ‘let’s have this conversation so that we can better everyone.’” Through their conversations, Grand Center has added a feature to it’s website that Bryant called a ‘student filter’ on its events calendar. Students can now see when certain venues are offering a student night or have discounted tickets for students. On SLU’s end, the fee that is policy for external vendors to table in the BSC has been waived for Grand Center— allowing for the Center to market what the area has to offer students. On March 18, Grand Center will be tabling at the Clock Tower, offering a ‘Taste of Midtown’ with samplings from restaurants in the area, and will be giving away student tickets as well. “I think this is what needs to be done for students to know to go to Grand Center,” said Bryant. He advocated for the student-friendly activities available for students, like the $10 tickets to concerts at the symphony, student jazz nights at Jazz at the Bistro and beer tastings at Urban Chestnut. “It [Grand Center] could really heavily be utilized by students if they’re more educated about it. That’s what we are trying to do: break down those barriers.” As the SGA executive board election for the 20162017 school year comes into view, Bryant will spend the rest of his term making sure that what he has implemented will still be here even after he’s graduated. “Right now, I’m going to spend my last couple months making sure that the things we’ve done this year stay sustainable and transition nicely into next year’s SGA.” When his term is up, Bryant hopes to be remembered for putting his ideas into action. “I try to be a listener more than I am a talker because we have two ears and one mouth for a reason. And I try to be an activator: so listening, hearing and then turning that into action, and following up with students.”
THE SLU SCOOP
All Information Provided by Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Saturday, Feb. 13
2:50 p.m. INFORMATIONAL PIGGYBACKER ON THE LOOSE SLU employee at the Med. School Campus advised that she was notified by a coworker of a female (non-University affiliated) as entering the building behind her (piggybacking) after she card swiped into the building. Employee recognized the female as a student from another school that was involved in a lab program in 2015, but was advised back in August of 2015 that she was no longer enrolled in the program and not to be at any lab sessions. This incident occurred at about 0900 hrs. on 2/12/16, but DPS was not notified until 1445 hrs. After obtaining description of female subject a search of the building by DPS officers met with negative results.
Sunday, Feb. 14
Courtesy of Missouri History Museum
CIVIL WAR: Historic Old Camp Jackson. Camp Jackson, St. Louis, MO, with units of the pro-Southern Missouri Militia drilling, May 1861.
4:41 p.m. AUTO ACCIDENT HIT AND PLOW A SLU Grounds vehicle was plowing the lot when he scraped the front bumper of a SLU student’s vehicle with the passenger side blade of the snowplow. The owner of the vehicle was not on scene and a note was left on student’s windshield to contact Public Safety for their information. No damage was done to the grounds vehicle and the driver did not request any medical attention.
Sunday, Feb. 14
11:26 p.m. ACCIDENTAL INJURY WHOOPSIE DAISIES!! Student reported that he lacerated his left hand while trying to catch himself as he fell out of his dorm room bed. EMS was notified and transported the male student to SLU ER. Pro Staff was on scene.
Be a Responsible Billiken STOP. CALL. REPORT. 314-977-3000 witness.slu.edu dps.slu.edu Javier Muro de Nada / The University News
EXHIBIT: The display in the Center for Global Citizenship showcases the role of German abolitionists.
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February 18, 2016
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Games
To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.
Across 1 5 10 14 15 16
Golden, for one Small lizard Energy source Between ports Elaine’s last name on Seinfeld French Sudan, today Twinge Gives off Rainbow goddess Dismounted Daisy ___ Sheltered nook Maple genus The ocean, e.g. Cut of meat Have a bawl Shogun’s capital Driving hazard African antelope ___ de force Wrangles Buffalo’s lake
17 18 19 20 22 23 24 25 27 29 30 31 34 38 40 42 43 45 Position 47 Gasteyer of Mean Girls 48 Defective 50 Drool 52 Yellow or orange 57 58 59 60 61
Salon supplies Astronaut Bean Quilting party Brewer’s need Bill & ___ Excellent Adventure 62 Corkwood 64 Water color 67 Donald Duck’s nephews, e.g.
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68 69 70 71 72
Cay Beach feature Collar type Retreats On its way
Down 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Mountain pass Obstinate Opposite of hinder True inner self Beryllium, e.g. Stocks and such Friendly
11 12 13 21 24 25 26 27 28 32 33 35
Gypsy’s deck Martini garnish Scrooge Nettles Passion Walks Heartache Kind of blocker Raised railroads “Mangia!” Lock of hair 1966 Peck, Loren thriller 36 He was dressed to the ___ 37 Expensive 39 First name in a Defoe book
41 Dog Day Afternoon role 44 Henpeck 46 Extinct pigeon relative 49 Workhorse 51 Go around 52 53 Like Argus 54 Dashboard feature 55 Renter’s paper 56 Small wooded hollows 60 Derbies 63 Tennis unit 65 Fancy vase 66 Toward the stern
The University News! email: managing@unewsonline.com
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS February Birthdays
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Arts Entertainment
Grammys rule with tributes
February 18, 2016 arts@unewsonline.com Tess Brock, Arts Editor Natalie Riopelle, Assoc. Arts Editor
‘Deadpool’ delivers By LUKE VEST Staff Writer
Robyn Beck / AFP / Getty Images
SONG: Richie’s Grammy tribute included John Legend, Demi Lovato, Meghan Trainor, Tyrese and Luke Bryan. By MADDIE SIEBUM Staff Writer
Just in case you missed the three and a half hour spectacle, the 2016 Grammy Awards, I’m here to roundup the most important, funny and awkward events that took place on Feb. 15. I’ve been looking forward to the Grammys since the nominations were announced in December. Two long months later, I’m happy to say that the show did not disappoint. My high expectations were met, except for a couple of awards that I thought should have been given to different artists. One of the greatest and most hilarious moments of the night occurred before the show even started. Bow Wow, who you may remember from the early 2000’s, was in charge of kicking off the show. Unfortunately, it seemed as if his watch was a couple minutes off. With a minute and a half to go until the show started, he confidently stated, “The 58th
annual Grammy Awards are getting ready to start, now!” The viewers at home were then left to watch Bow Wow struggle to keep his cool until the show actually started, which he did by dancing around the audience. After the most unsuccessful beginning to an awards show, we were treated to a spectacular performance of “Out of the Woods” from Taylor Swift. The song concluded with glitter falling from the ceiling, coating the audience. The performance was amazing, but immediately Swift was spotted in the audience, wiping a tear from her eye, telling people around her that she “missed that note.” Luckily her date for the night, Selena Gomez, was able to console her. I had very high hopes going into the Weeknd’s performance, and he did not let me down. He started with an electric rendition of “Can’t Feel My Face,” which got the crowd on their feet and
Adele lip-syncing. He transitioned into his newest single, “In The Night,” but changed the melody to make it slower. He was accompanied by a pianist and a cellist, and his voice was pitch-perfect. I always find it refreshing when an artist sounds as good live as on the record, and the Weeknd definitely was. A defining element of this year’s Grammy’s were tribute performances. The first was dedicated to Lionel Ritchie, who was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. With five different artists singing through his most popular songs, the tribute seemed a little long. Demi Lovato was a standout among the others, belting Ritchie’s “Hello.” The performance ended with Ritchie himself crooning to the audience. It looked as if he had been itching to get out of his seat and sing his songs the moment the tribute started, and he totally owned the stage. Five performances later,
one of the most iconic performances in Grammy history happened. Kendrick Lamar, nominated for 11 awards that night, appeared on stage wearing chains around his wrists. Lamar theatrically took the audience through “The Blacker the Berry” and “Alright.” He even performed new material that covered the killing of Trayvon Martin in 2012 and modern-day slavery. Lamar brought intensity and gravity to the Grammy stage. He used his performance to raise awareness about issues, such as oppression, that are prevalent in society today. It was definitely one of the best moments of the night. Shortly after Lamar rocked the stage, a controversial performance came from Adele. Her album “25” was not eligible to be nominated for any Grammys this year, but she was still invited to perform. She sounded inSee “Grammys” on Page 6
After years of trying without success, Ryan Reynolds has finally brought to screen the beloved Marvel character Deadpool in his intended form: violent, vulgar and funny. This isn’t the first time Reynolds has portrayed the character on screen; he first played the Merc with a Mouth in the 2009 film “X-Men Origins Wolverine,” except without the mouth. The character was radically different from his comic book manifestation, upsetting many fans; but Reynolds has put their complaints to rest in this new R-rated film, true to the character’s source material. Wade Wilson is a dishonorably discharged veteran with over 40 confirmed kills. He makes a living as a mercenary in the streets of New York City. After threatening a teenage stalker in one scene, Wilson refuses to be paid, showing that he works for good, despite his less than reputable methods. Wade meets Vanessa Carlysle, played by Morena Baccarin, at the bar where
he finds work. They fall in love, and soon after, he discovers that he has terminal cancer. He goes to a mysterious doctor who offers to cure him and ends up with a massively scarred face and the mutant ability to regenerate. “Deadpool” is not the typical superhero film. While it has all of the necessary ingredients, including an origin story and a love interest, it goes where no superhero film has gone before. Deadpool uses guns and two swords to violently dispatch one of his enemies, and almost all of his quips (and there are a lot) are dark and raunchy. It is definitely not for children. Deadpool’s most interesting ability is not that he can regenerate, but that he can break the fourth wall. In other words, he knows that he is a character in this film and often speaks directly to the audience. This is where the film does its best work, often poking fun at the superhero film formula and the superhero film franchise See “Anti-superhero” on Page 6
Joe Lederer / Twentieth Century Fox
SUCCESS: “Deadpool” scored the highest opening ever for an R-rated movie at the US box office.
West brings brilliance with‘The Life of Pablo’ By TOM BERGAN Senior Staff Writer
Well folks, the day has finally come. Yeezy Season is once again upon us, and I sure hope you were prepared for what came with its arrival. Say what you will about Kanye West the person, but there is no way to deny the fact that West the musician is something truly remarkable. He has seven albums, and all seven have pushed the limits of the hiphop genre while giving us some of its biggest songs of the past dozen years. Even his album “808’s and Heartbreaks,” which was only mildly received upon its release, has gone on to be a massive influence on some of pop’s largest names, including The Weeknd and Frank Ocean. There is no denying that West is the largest, most influential name in hip-hop today. This past week, West released his latest album to the world, “The Life of Pablo,” and it is nothing short of a masterpiece. On “Pablo,” West is in top form, as evident in the opening track of the album, “Ultralight Beam.” Beam, which samples a four-year -old impersonating a pastor and features Chance the
Rapper, The Dream, and Kelly Price, is a five-minute homily in which we are taken to church and cleansed of our sins through the magical track. Heightened by a full choir, West proclaims “We on an ultralight beam, this is a God dream, this is everything” before handing the mic to Chance the Rapper, who delivers the greatest verse he’s written to date. The passion and flow that pump through Chance’s veins as he rhymes about everything from his baby daughter, to the devil, to his upcoming third mixtape. We get to see two of Chicago’s greatest musicians collaborate, and one can only hope that this is not the only time it happens. “Ultralight” is far and away the highlight of the album, which is a tall task for an album that is as phenomenal as this one. Throughout “Pablo,” we get to see both extremes of West: his massive ego that divides listeners into those who love him and those who hate him, as well as his introspective thinking and faith in God. That ego pops out especially in “Famous,” in which he makes a crude comment about Taylor Swift, while also saying that all of his exes are sad because they are not
Kevin Mazur / Getty Images
RAP: West debuted some songs from ‘Pablo’ at his Season 3 fashion show for Yeezy. famous. It also is apparent in “Highlights,” when West says that he and the Kardashians are the new Jacksons. With these bold comments, West has time to even poke fun at himself about the comments that make him so polarized by music listeners. In “I Love Kanye,” he raps about nothing but himself for almost a minute, saying “What if Kanye made a song about
Kanye… man that would be so Kanye… And I love you like Kanye loves Kanye.” It is a brilliantly created satire on all of those who think he is completely self-centered and narcissistic. Contrasting this ego, West also gets very introspective throughout “Pablo.” A consistent theme in his music since her death in 2007, West once again
mentions his mother Donda West in the spectacular “Waves,” and as in previous songs, his hurt resonates with the listener in a way most musicians could only imagine achieving. The other song that stands out, as West pours out all of his emotions, is on “Father Stretch My Hands pt. 2.” In a single verse, he talks about not having time to call his
wife, which is why his parents got divorced. It then gets into his father leaving when Kanye was three, and once more brings up his mother’s death. For any person to bare their soul in such a manner is impressive, but when that person is one of the largest names in music, it is astonishing in the way that West puts his feelings out so openly. After listening to the album six times in a single day, I can say with confidence that it is worth your time. In pure Kanye West fashion, he created an album that may just end up being the best of 2016. Incorporating parts of his style from each of his drastically different previous albums, “Pablo” is a culmination of three years of creative genius being poured out in the studio. As this article was being written, it was announced that he is still re-mastering parts of the album and that it is not officially done, which is something only Kanye West could get away with. In “Feedback,” West asks us to “Name one genius who isn’t crazy?” And while I can’t confirm that Kanye is sane, I can say with confidence that he is a genius – one of the greatest musicians of our generation, and possibly ever.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
February 18, 2016
OUT
Grammys 2016 Moon Taxi: A must-see
On The
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TOWn
credible singing “All I Ask,” but I must be tone-deaf because many people said she was off-key and did not hit any of the high notes. Adele later admitted on Twitter that she was not at her best due to a problem with the piano microphones. Many more tribute performances followed, but the most notable was Lady Gaga’s tribute to the late David Bowie. Everyone knew that Gaga would do Bowie justice, but we weren’t prepared for the spot-on performance. Gaga whipped through eight of Bowie’s biggest songs and incorporated amazing costumes and technology. She fully embodied Bowie, and her voice was fantastic. With a whopping 20 performances, the Grammys felt like a glamorous, tele-
ArTs ediTOrs’ Picks
Music Moon Taxi with Tidal Volume The Ready Room Feb. 19, 8:00 p.m. Hoodie Allen with Blackbear The Pageant Feb. 24, 8:00 p.m. Bronze Radio Return with Howard Duck Room at Blueberry Hill Feb. 26, 8:00 p.m. Wray Foam Feb. 29, 7:00 p.m. Wrekmeister Harmonies with Wild Belle The Firebird March 9, 8:00 p.m.
Movies Deadpool In theaters Currently Hail Caesar! In theaters Currently Kung Fu Panda 3 In theaters Currently Room Landmark Plaza Frontenac Currently The Boy In theaters Currently
Theater The Dead University Theatre Feb. 19 - 20; 26 - 28 Three Little Birds COCA Feb. 20 - 21 Beautiful: The Carole King Musical The Fabulous Fox Feb. 23 - March 6 Disgraced The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Through March 6 Heartbreak The Improv Shop Through March 19
vised musical festival. Only eight awards were actually presented during the show. The fight for Album of the Year was a two-man competition between Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp A Butterfly” and Taylor Swift’s “1989.” Many, including me, thought that Lamar deserved the award for his impactful album that discussed race in America and his struggles with fame. The album started a conversation in society, but in the end Lamar was beat out by “1989.” Despite the one award mishap, this year’s Grammy Awards was one for the record books. Outstanding performances consistently kept viewers on the edge of their seats, and the awards were given to artists who worked hard and produced amazing music in the past year.
Anti-superhero Continued from Page 5
itself. When speaking with two other Marvel Universe characters, Deadpool asks why they are the only two that he sees and guesses that “the studio” couldn’t afford another character. It speaks to the irony of a largely connected superhero universe that is divided by corporate ownership of characters, but mostly it makes audiences laugh at his self-awareness. With the recent spate of superhero movies, “Deadpool” was a breath of fresh air from the typical formula. The hero gains his or her powers, falls in love and encounters a villain who threatens to harm the hero’s loved ones. “Deadpool” lacked none of these things, but it arranged them in a manner that was fresh, weaving back and forth between his current mission and his origin for the first half of the film. Origin stories become dull fast after watching four or five superhero films, but
this film was able to fight that pattern. The film is the most entertaining after the origin concludes. The costume is donned for the rest of the time, and the jokes and action roll on continuously without hindrance. Given the character’s personality, this was the best Deadpool film that could have been made, but not necessarily the best film that could have been made. After two hours, the dirty jokes and killing began to wear thin; but despite the overt silliness, I still felt moved by the film’s more serious moments, but only slightly. The film is not meant to teach anybody anything, besides that looks aren’t everything. Rather, it’s meant to give a larger stage than the character has ever had, and it does well in that regard. But maybe, if you look closer, it does have a greater meaning. Just because a film has superheroes doesn’t mean it’s for children.
By TESS BROCK Arts Editor
Nashville, Tennessee has a reputation for churning out country music’s best new artists. However, the music scene down South is no longer exclusively home to country. More and more bands, from alternative to indie to pop, are adding diversity to the Nashville music industry. Hailing from Music City itself, the fivepiece alternative band Moon Taxi has conquered the stages of the South, making them a must-see when they return to St. Louis on Friday, Feb. 19. After meeting at Belmont University, Moon Taxi formed back in 2006. They grew a steady fanbase due to their fun sound, but their first album in 2012, “Cabaret,” is what helped them establish their presence in the music scene. The different elements of electronic, folk and rock made “Cabaret” more than just an alternative album. Only a year later, Moon Taxi released their sophomore album, “Mountains Beaches Cities,” which brought even more success for the band. The jam rock album is full of good tunes with hits like “Running
Wild,” “Suspicious” and “Morocco.” Now, over one thousand shows later, Moon Taxi is touring with their third album “Daybreaker.” The band spent months on the road for “Mountains Beaches Cities,” which gave them the perfect opportunity to collaborate with one another on new music. Their website bio describes their experience on the road as a time where they were “sharing personal experiences with one another, opening up about relationships, and becoming very aware of how powerful the human bond can truly be.” The band’s connection served as the main inspiration for the album. Bassist Tommy Putnam said his influences for “Daybreaker,” mainly “came from each other” and their “diverse musical backgrounds.” Clearly this collaboration on the road worked out well. “Daybreaker” is Moon Taxi’s best album to date. Putnam said the album name, “Daybreaker,” comes from “seizing the day/moment.” The first track, “Year Zero” quickly captures your attention. The song is a wonderful fusion of electronic and alternative, and the steady beat of the song
will have you swaying along and snapping your fingers. “All Day All Night” then brings a chiller vibe to the album; it is the type of song you would drive to with the windows down. Putnam said the song “has a great message about striving and desire.” Also, Putnam noted: “Spencer’s guitar parts during the verse were all one take. Very creative parts on the fly.” Another track, “Savannah” highlights Moon Taxi’s ability to find the perfect balance between upbeat and mellow tracks. The instrumental introduction paired with lyrics like “In the summer I was left behind / You’re across the ocean and never off my mind” give the song a relaxing beachy feel. “Red Hot Lights” takes the band back to their alternative roots, and the album ends with “Rooftops,” an acoustic, dreamy tune that is perfectly reminiscent of a summer evening. With “Daybreaker” added to their impressive repertoire, Moon Taxi is back on the road. They will be returning to The Grove’s The Ready Room on Friday, Feb. 19. Be sure to catch Moon Taxi and see for yourself as songs from “Daybreaker” come to life and why this band is taking the South by storm.
Courtesy of Rachel Fletcher
ALTERNATIVE: Moon Taxi will be taking the stage at many big festivals this summer, including Coachella, Firefly Music Festival and Forecastle Music Festival.
Bullet for My Valentine return to roots By TOM BERGAN Senior Staff Writer
All too often when an artist blows up in popularity, they get caught in a groove that restrains their musical output. Their songs do not take the risks that were once taken, and although the music is not bad, it does not have that edge that was once present in their older material. Luckily, not all artists fall into this trap—some make active efforts to avoid it. One act who has done an excellent job of doing exactly this is Bullet for My Valentine, a foursome from Wales who know how to make some exquisite metal music. The band is currently on tour supporting their fifth album, “Venom,” one that returns them to their roots and was one of metal’s best albums of last year. Lead singer Matt Tuck said that this time in the studio, the band had a set goal going in: “We were trying to recapture what it was like when we were first starting, super hungry and super ready to hit the stage.” He continued, “It’s hard to recapture that angst. We’re not broke anymore, and amazing as it is, it sometimes dilutes who you are. This time around, we wanted to get back that heavy metal edge. That’s what we were going for.” The product that came out of their last album re-
Courtesy of mtv.com
METAL: Hailing from Wales, Bullet for My Valentine consists of (from left to right) Michael “Moose” Thomas, Matthew Tuck, Michael “Padge” Paget and Jason James. cording, “Venom,” packs a punch that hits harder and longer than many of their previous records. While previous albums have songs that crescendo to a roar by the chorus, the songs on “Venom” go from 0 to 100 in a matter of seconds. In “No Way Out,” there is not even a chance to breathe before thumping double bass drums and riotous guitar riffs take over. The same ef-
fect is in place in other album highlights “Army of Noise,” which promises exactly what the title teases, as well as one of many songs that gives the effect of a sudden burst of energy, “Broken.” All in all, the band does an amazing job in “Venom,” creating a phenomenal metal album that makes you want to go run a marathon because of its nonstop craziness from beginning to end.
In order to achieve this sound that they aim for in the studio, the band pulls from a wide range of sources for inspiration. One might think that musicians are immune to guilty pleasure artists, but even Bullet for My Valentine enjoy the inescapable hair metal of the eighties. Tuck says that the development of their sound is something that happened early on and has
stayed pretty consistent over the years: “It’s something that happened in the bands infancy. The influences varied from Slayer to Def Leppard. We were all always into super heavy music but were suckers for that arena rock like Def Leppard and Bon Jovi so we incorporated a bit of that as well.” This sound that they developed so early on worked wonders for the band, as their first album was critically acclaimed and garnered them spots on tours with massive artists such as Iron Maiden and Metallica. All of the tours they were a part of in their beginning stages were important for reasons other than one might expect, Tuck said: “All of the high profile tours showed us how to act off the stage. Knowing what to say, what not to say. Touring with Iron Maiden especially, behind the scenes is super normal. No egos at all. It is not what you expect sometimes but we learned to be who you are offstage, offstage.” Though “Venom” was released last May, the band has shown no signs of slowing down. They are currently on a yearlong tour going everywhere imaginable, including a headlining show Feb. 21 at The Pageant. With support from the two metalcore bands, While She Sleeps and Asking Alexandria, it is evident that it will be a night of superb acts that should appease any fan of heavy music.
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Sports
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Women’s basketball sets program win record By LAUREN TONDL Associate Sports Editor
The women’s basketball team bounced back from a tough blow last week at St. Bonaventure when they defeated Davidson, 88-51, on Feb. 15. Not only did this win give them a boost of confidence going into the rest of the season, but it also was the tipping point past some major school records. They now hold the record for the most total wins and most conference wins in a season with 19 and nine, respectively. SLU already beat Davidson earlier in the year, 79-50. However, the Bills had yet to beat the Wildcats at Chaifetz until Feb. 15, giving SLU a lead in the series, 3-1. The Billikens led the game early on, getting ahead 9-6 at the halfway mark of the first quarter. A steal and a layup from sophomore guard Jackie Kemph gave the Bills an 11-6 lead. She turned around to grab a rebound on the next play, and sophomore guard Aaliyah Covington put down a jumper on the resulting possession to put SLU ahead, 13-6. Back to back three-pointers and a pair of free throws helped the Billikens dominate the first quarter, 23-12. Both teams came out in the second quarter rather slow offensively. Sophomore Maddison Gits finally threw in a layup at 8:27. Senior center Denisha Womack followed her with a steal and a layup on Davidson’s next
possession. Gits gathered two more baskets over the next few minutes to put SLU ahead, 31-12, at 6:04. Davidson scored their first points of the second quarter at 4:58 when they earned a pair of free throws. They went on to score 11 points in the remainder of the quarter, but the Bills outscored them in the same amount of time with 13 points. The Billikens led at halftime with a comfortable lead, 46-24. Womack started things off in the third quarter with a layup and a three-pointer in the first 90 seconds of play. The Wildcats moved slightly closer in the beginning of the third quarter with two field goals and two layups, but the Billikens kept the offensive surge going and extended their advantage to 24 points. Free throws gave SLU an even bigger lead, as they made it a 30-point gap with two minutes to go in the third quarter. The women took control of the game going into the last quarter, 72-43, giving the Wildcats’ close to no chance to make a comeback in the final ten minutes of play. The Billikens stayed consistent in the fourth quarter. They allowed only eight points for the Wildcats to their 16, 11 of which were scored by the Billiken bench. SLU sealed the win, 88-51. SLU’s 50.0 field goal percentage nearly doubled that of the Wildcats, who only shot 25.5 percent. This is the
second time they have shot at 50.0 percent or more this season. The key to the Billikens’ large second-quarter jump was their bench. They outscored Davidson’s bench, 16-1. SLU’s bench scored 47 points overall compared to the Wildcats’ 12 points. The Billikens also dominated in the paint, outscoring the Wildcats, 44-8. They also stripped Davidson 11 times, almost passing their season high of 12 steals. The 37-point victory is the largest this season for the women and marked the fourth win by 30 or more points for them this year. The staggering 88 points made for their highest scoring game in the conference. The Bills had a high of 23 assists, which tied their season high in the Atlantic-10. The Billikens also excelled individually. Kemph recorded her fourth double-double of the season and her fifth overall, with 19 points and 14 assists. Covington also had 19 points. Gits scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds, and Womack registered 11 points for the Bills. Senior guard Jamesia Price inched closer to the leader of most career steals at SLU. She needs only three more to steal the top spot. With this impressive performance after a tough loss against St. Bonaventure, the Billikens are prepared to take on the A-10 co-leader Duquesne on Feb. 18 at home, then they will travel to Fordham on Feb. 21.
February 18, 2016 sports@unewsonline.com Lexie Vasos, Sports Editor Lauren Tondl, Assoc. Sports Editor
Softball starts 2-1 By LEXIE VASOS Sports Editor
Softball season got underway for Saint Louis University on Feb. 13 at the Ramada UNI-Dome Classic. In their first game, the Bills faced Western Illinois, who took a 2-0 advantage in the bottom of the first inning. Junior shortstop Alex Nickel tied the game in the top of the third with a tworun home run. Although the Leathernecks scored on an unearned run in the third, SLU retaliated in the fifth. Junior first basemen Emma Buckles began the inning with a home run that was followed by two-run hit by sophomore infielder Allie Macfarlane. SLU tacked on three runs in the seventh as well. Once again, Macfarlane was successful at bat, hitting a two-run double. Senior third baseman Elizabeth Everingham helped the Bills score with two RBIs for the two Billikens on base. SLU defeated Western Illinois 8-3. Senior pitcher Brianna Lore allowed only two earned runs and seven hits in six innings. She also struck out two batters and did not walk any. In the second game, the Bills faced South Dakota State (SDSU). Nickel got the Billikens on top early with her third home run of the season. SDSU gained a 2-1 lead after hitting back-toback home runs with two outs. Lore tied the score in the fourth with an RBI double that leveled the playing field. Junior outfielder Mackenzie Peter had two-
Saint Louis Athletics
HOMER: Sophomore infielder Alyssa Tarquinio hit her first home run of the season against Nebraska on Feb. 14. run double that was quickly followed by a hit from Everingham, which put the Bills up 5-2. Although the Jackrabbits scored an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth, the Billikens responded with three runs of their own. Peter drove in the first run on a double and Macfarlane brought in two more with a single to give the Bills an 8-3 advantage. SDSU cut the lead to three with a tworun triple in the bottom of the sixth. Freshman catcher Kaylyn Breitbach had her first career hit, which was a double and scored off of a single from Buckles. SDSU rounded out the scoring with a run in the sevent, but SLU prevailed 9-6. SLU had a Valentine’s Day
matchup against Nebraska in which singles from Nickel and Macfarlane resulted in an unearned run that gave the Bills a 1-0 lead. Nebraska responded with three runs in the top of the second to gain a 3-1 advantage. Sophomore infielder Alyssa Tarquinio hit her first home run of the season in the fourth. The Billikens also scored on a wild pitch while the bases were loaded in order to regain a 4-3 lead. Nebraska went on top again in the sixth after hitting back-to-back home runs. They later scored two runs to defeat the Billikens 7-4. The Billikens will travel to Fort Myers, Florida for the Four Points by Sheraton Invitational Feb. 19-21.
Bishop propels Billikens to victory in OT By LEXIE VASOS Sports Editor
The Saint Louis University men’s basketball team continues to struggle this season. The Bills played VCU on the Rams’ home court on Feb. 13 and fell 8552. VCU jumped out to a quick start, taking an early 8-3 lead, which forced SLU to call a timeout less than two minutes into the game. Although junior forward Reggie Agbeko scored on back-to-back possessions to cut the deficit to seven, the Bills could not capitalize on the momentum. The Billiken defense kept the score close in the first. The Bills forced three turnovers and the Rams experienced a four-minute scoring drought with 11:57 left in the half. Both teams continued to struggle. With 6:29 left in the first half, both teams combined to hit one of 11 attempted field goals, during a stretch. It looked as if the Billikens would keep the deficit to just over 10, when VCU went on a scoring rampage. The Rams’ late 16-2 run gave them a demanding 44-24 lead at the break. The second half continued much like the end of the first, with VCU dominating on offense. With 11:52
CHEER
remaining in the game, the score was 57-31 and the leading scorer for the Billikens was junior guard Aaron Hines, with eight points. SLU continued to fight, but the damage inflicted by VCU’s offense was irreparable. SLU struggled from the field, shooting 35.1 percent from the floor. They also had difficulty maintaining possession; they recorded 21 turnovers, which VCU converted into 20 points. The Bills’ offense was led by freshman guard Jermaine Bishop with 16 points. Agbeko led in rebounds with seven. This defeat marked the fifth straight loss for the Billikens. The Billikens traveled to George Mason on Feb. 17. SLU took an early 11-4 lead at the first media timeout. The Bills extended their lead to 23-10 with 11:52 left in the first half. SLU continued to dominate the court and kept their lead in double digits. With just over three minutes left, the Billikens remained on top 35-18. George Mason clawed their way back into the game and cut the deficit down to 12 at halftime, with a score of 3927. SLU’s success in the first half could have been a result of the team only turning the
JEER
ball over four times. SLU called a quick timeout early in second half to regroup, but still lead George Mason 59-46. Four Billikens were in the double digits for scoring with 9:39 left in the game. What was thought to be a short 7-0 run for George Mason quickly turned into the Patriots pulling within three with just under four minutes remaining. Bishop was able to put a stop to the rally with a basket. With time dwingling, George Mason pulled ahead of the Billikens, 67-66. The Bills regained the lead shortly, only for the Patriots to quickly tie it up at 72 with 36 seconds to send the game into overtime. Neither team was able to take advantage of their possession opportunities, and the game continued into overtime. Yacoubou quickly scored a layup. SLU continued to push the ball, but George Mason refused to go down without a fight and kept the game within three. George Mason tied the game once again at 77. Bishop hit a huge shot for the Billikens with time running out to help the Billikens to a 79-77 victory. The Billikens (9-16 overall) will return home to play Fordham on Feb. 21.
Saint Louis Athletics
REBOUND: Senior guard Ash Yacoubou and sophomore guard Miles Reynolds fight to pull down a board. Yacoubou scored 15 points in the overtime win against George Mason.
FEAR
WHO TO CHEER: BAYLOR No. 25 Baylor defeated No. 13 Iowa State, 100-91 in overtime on Feb. 16. This is the first time that the Bears have scored 100 points on a ranked opponent since 2008. Baylor forward Johnathan Motley tied his career-high 27 points and was just one of six Baylor players to score in the double figures.
BY LEXIE VASOS, SPORTS EDITOR WHO TO JEER: JOHN CALIPARI University of Kentucky head coach John Calipari was ejected from a game against South Carolina within the first three minutes of play. Calipari seemed to make a comment about a call made by the referee, who went on to eject him. Calipari then attempted to attack the referee and had to be held back by his players – quite embarassing.
WHO TO FEAR: WASHINGTON CAPITALS The Washington Capitals upended the Los Angeles Kings 3-1 on Feb. 16. This is the Capitals’ 41st victory of the season, which ties the NHL record for the most wins through 55 games. The Capitals currently sit at 41-10-4 and atop the Metropolitan division in the Eastern conference. They have scored 86 points so far this season.
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February 18, 2016
SPORTS
This week in sports Tweet of the week @UKCoachCalipari I have never been more proud of a team. They are now empowered. They’ve proven that they don’t need me and I love it.
Scores from the week Men’s Basketball Saturday, Feb. 15 VCU Billikens
85 52
Wednesday, Feb. 17 George Mason Billikens
77 79
Women’s Basketball Monday, Feb. 15 Duquesne Billikens
51 88
Women’s Softball Saturday, Feb. 13 South Dakota State Billikens
6 9
Western Illinois Billikens
3 8
Sunday, Feb. 14 Nebraska Billikens
7 4
Men’s Tennis Sunday, Feb. 14 IUPUI Billikens
1 4
Player of the week Mackenzie Peter Softball
Swimming sits in the middle of the pack after day one of A-10 Championships By LAUREN TONDL Associate Sports Editor
The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams competed in the first day of the Atlantic-10 Swimming and Diving Championships on Feb. 17 in Geneva, Ohio. The event began with the Women’s 200-yard medley relay. Sophomore Kirby Riley, junior Morgan Parkinson, junior Olivia Garreyy and sophomore Mina Glenesk brought in a time of 1:43.92, earning them eighth place and 22 points. This beat their time in their last meet, which was 1:45.65. Glenesk swam the anchor and fastest leg of her team with a time of 23.69. This finish put the women at eighth place out of 11 teams. The men followed suit with the same race. Seniors Shane Cano, Jack Kane, Brendan Hulseman and freshman Brian North secured a solid fourth-place finish with a time of 1:30.20, giving them 30 points. They edged just past their previous time of 1:31.95. The diving team took a crack at the competition with the 1 meter dive, the third event of the day. Although none of SLU’s divers made it to the championship finals, they slotted into the 13th and 15th spots to put their team in sixth place out of eight teams. Senior Nick Livasy scored a 184.10 to earn four points, and sophomore Karl Schaenzer scored a 146.60 to earn two points for the Billikens. The fourth event returned to the women in a longer race, the 800-yard freestyle relay. SLU swam in the middle of the pack with a sixthplace finish. The team of senior Abby King, Glenesk,
sophomore Elaine Mahon and junior Alexa Gross completed the race in 7:27.56, just four hundreths of a second before St. Bonaventure, who finished in seventh. The team as a whole shattered their previous time by almost eleven seconds. They tallied 26 points to move into seventh place overall. The women are right on George Washington’s heels; the Colonials (50 points) have the upper hand over the Billikens by two points. The last event of the day was the men’s 800-yard freestyle relay. SLU clearly saved their best for last as they finished in second place, just three tenths of a second behind the first place team, UMass. Sophomore Ryan McCoy started the team off strong, and Hulseman, junior Nick Jessee and senior Patrick Schrauth fed off his momentum to stay consistent throughout the entirety of the race. They finished with a time of 6:32.63 and racked up 34 points for their team. At the end of the day, the men’s team sat at the number four spot with 70 points. However, they are still 28 points behind La Salle and St. Bonaventure, who are tied for second place. On the women’s side, Richmond has a four-point lead at the end of day one with 74 points, and UMass is dominating the men’s bracket with a 17-point lead with 115 points. The competition continues over the next three days. Only two of 15 sessions were completed after one day in the water, so SLU has plenty of time to improve their positions and continue their hard work and fight for an A-10 Championship title.
Men’s and women’s tennis extend streaks By LAUREN TONDL Associate Sports Editor Billiken Media Relations
Junior center fielder Mackenzie Peter was named the Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Week. Peter recorded a batting average of .389 this weekend when the Billikens went 3-2 at the Northern Iowa’s Ramada UNI-Dome Classic from Feb. 13-14. Peter’s had three doubles, four RBI’s, four runs, a walk and a stolen base. She had four hits in SLU’s five games and only struck out twice in the 19 opportunities she had a bat. This is the third Player of the Week accolade in Peter’s career. SLU will travlel to Florida to play in the Four Points by Sheraton Invitational on Feb. 19-21.
Games this week , February 18
, February 20
, February 21
, February 23
, February 24
The men’s tennis team continued to dominate through the end of non-conference season with a pair of wins over Western Illinois and Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) on Feb. 13 and 14. SLU started out strong in the doubles competition, only dropping two games in the three matches to earn the doubles point. Even more impressively in singles, SLU’s number four, five and six singles’ players didn’t drop a single game in all six sets. The top three singles players only gave Western Illinois five games total, easily taking the win, 7-0. The team of sophomores David Ferragut and Charlie Parry took their doubles match, 6-0. Sophomore Brandon Harris and junior Paarth Dodhiawala also won their number three doubles match, 6-0. Parry swept through his number four singles match, 6-0, 6-0. Harris followed suit at the fifth spot, refusing to let his opponent steal any games from him. SLU faced a tougher opponent in IUPUI on Sunday. Although SLU won the number one singles match, they were unable to succeed at the latter two doubles matches. IUPUI took the doubles point going into singles play. Parry had no trouble at the number four singles spot, as he won in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3. Dodhiawala sailed through his match as well at the number six spot,
6-1, 6-1. SLU needed just two more wins to pull off the comeback. Ferragut lost the first set at number one singles, 6-2, but he stormed through the second set, 6-0, to take things to a third set. He swung with the momentum to win the last set and the match, 6-2. Fellow sophomore Juan Calero continued Ferragut’s success at the number two singles place. He lost a tight first set, 6-7, but came back to crush the second set, 6-1. Calero stayed on top in the final set to take the individual and team victory, 6-1. The women added to their winning streak on Feb. 17 when they took down Arkansas State, 7-0. Although they did lose at number three doubles, the two other doubles wins were enough to give SLU the doubles point. The Bills finished strong in singles, taking every match. Seniors Madison Cook and Kelsey King only dropped one game each. The men sit at 8-1 on the year and in non-conference. They have a break until Feb. 27 when they take on Dayton and conference play at Sunset Tennis Center in Dayton, Ohio at 2:15 p.m. After four consecutive wins, the women now hold a 9-3 record. They face UMSL on Feb. 18 at 1:45 p.m. at St. Clair Tennis Club in O’Fallon, Illinois, and Missouri State on Feb. 26 at 1:00 p.m. in Springfield, Missouri. They begin conference competition on Feb. 27 when they face off with Dayton at St. Clair Tennis Club with a first serve at 3:15 p.m.
Saint Louis Athletics
SENIOR NIGHT: The men’s and women’s swim teams team celebrated their senior night Jan. 30, but these seniors still had the opportunity to compete at the A-10 Championships.
Saint Louis Athletics
FOURTH: The men’s team currently sits in fourth at the A-10 Championships. The Billiken’s best finish was second in the 800-yard freestyle relay, but have three days left to move up.
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UNews
Opinions Editorials
February 18, 2016 opinion@unewsonline.com Kyle Smith, Opinion Editor
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.
Letters
Sophie Lappe / Design Editor
Monday, Feb. 29 is Election Day for the Student Government Association (SGA), but you won’t be seeing any campaign posters or hearing any stump speeches. That’s because there isn’t any real “election” happening at all. This year, all of the candidates for the SGA Executive Board belong to the same party. And, every single one of them is running uncontested. The lack of candidate selection is apparent across the board, even in senatorial elections. Of the 16 total seats available, four will be filled in uncontested elections, while one will presumably go unfilled. And out of the 19 candidates who are running in competitive elections, only eight of them will not receive a spot. Uncontested elections are not unheard of in student government, and SLU is no exception. Just two years ago,
the executive board ran on a single unopposed ticket. There’s no institutional reason for this. While the SGA executive board is typically elected by party, there is nothing to prevent challengers from running for spots individually. In fact, candidates don’t even need to belong to SGA before running; only 50 student signatures are required for most positions, while presidential candidates must have served in an executive capacity in any Chartered Student Organization (CSO) or Greek life organization, in addition to collecting 100 signatures. It seems particularly strange that even the presidential race is uncontested. After all, the title of SGA President is more than just resume fodder. Perks of the job include a full-ride scholarship for their time in office (a privilege that was once also extended to the UNews Editor-in-Chief, but
has since been rescinded). This year’s election (or lack thereof) speaks to the growing disconnect between SGA and the student body they purportedly represent. But so what? Why should anyone care about the micropolitics of campus affairs? To the average student, SGA may seem like an insular club with little outside influence, akin to Model U.N. or a mock trial team. And perhaps there is some merit to these assumptions. Though races have been competitive in the past, voter turnout for SGA elections is notoriously low, ranging in the hundreds, for an undergrad student population of more than 8,000. If selected at random, it would seem likely that few students could name the current president, and even less the representatives of their particular college or community. But for all their anonymity, SGA members wield disproportionate influence over students’ lives. The SGA has the power to allocate funds (collected from the $55 Student Activity Fee, charged to every SLU student once a semester) to CSOs. Student groups must register as CSOs in order to reserve campus space or sponsor events. This means that nearly every group on campus—from a capella troupes to club sports to volunteer organizations—is affected by SGA’s decision-making in some way or another. (Though the UNews operates independently of SGA funding, a member of SGA is required to sit on our paper’s Advisory Board, which otherwise consists of faculty, administrators and industry professionals). Should we feel comfortable putting such control in
the hands of what are essentially unelected officials? In other respects, however, it’s questionable whether the senate is capable of effecting any real change at all. While it’s true that SGA has successfully passed minor initiatives, such as providing free metro passes for freshmen, it is doubtful whether they could pass legislation of any real substance without administrative blessing. In fact, even policies largely unpopular with the general student body, such as last year’s mandate to make SLU smoke-free, seem to garner the SGA’s approval with little opposition. In light of this, it seems that SGA is a source of token student representation in campus decision-making at best, and a rubber-stamp mouthpiece for immutable school policies at worst. This apparent contradiction—SGA’s control of funding versus their legislative impotence—is compounded by the lack of student engagement and raises the question: What should the role of student government be on SLU’s campus today? To be clear, there is absolutely no reason to question the qualifications, integrity or commitment of any SGA candidates or current members. This is not meant as an attack on SGA or to blame them specifically for the concerns raised. It could be the result of an apathetic student body, or an out-of-touch school administration. Perhaps declining political engagement is simply an irreversible generational trend, occurring across the country. We don’t presume to have the answers here. But maybe it’s time to start asking questions.
The University News reserves the right not to publish any letters that are deemed intentionally and/or inappropriately inflammatory, more than the 300-word 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.
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Quotes of the Week
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When we were campaigning, one thing that we heard was, ‘Well, we would love to explore the city...but we need transportation...’ So we tried to create that right off the bat. Jay Bryant, SGA president, page 1
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Questions for the SGA ‘election’
To achieve this objective, we must nurture the entrepreneurial spirit and innovative thinking of our faculty, staff and students. Fred Pestello, SLU president, page 1
With such exclusionary immigration laws... Hsu wondered if even Jesus Christ Himself would be able to enter the U.S. today. Patrick Hyland, senior staff writer, page 2
Beyoncé performance about empowerment, not politics Show of hands: Who was offended by Beyoncé’s Super Bowl halftime performance? Let me ask me you this: When did your outrage begin? Were you watching with an open jaw when Beyoncé and her dancers emerged in black leather outfits and berets, reminiscent of the uniform of the Black Panthers Party, a black power organization from the 1960s? Did you emit an audible gasp as they formed the shape of an “X,” referencing civil rights activist Malcolm X? Or was it when you read a viral blog post on your Facebook feed the next day that blasted Beyoncé for her “rac-
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ist” or “anti-cop” performance and told you why you should be angry too? Chances are, many of the people professing to be outraged by Beyoncé’s “shocking” or “disgusting” performance on social media missed the allusions while actually watching it live (if they watched it at all). And the rest of us were likely too captivated by Chris Martin’s singing, Bruno Mars’s dance moves, or theBeyoncé-fall-that-may-ormay-not-have-happened to notice or even care about any “hidden symbolism” during the show. But to some, Queen B’s song and dance represented
something much more sinister. Soon after the game, the hashtag “#BoycottBeyoncé” began trending on Twitter and plans were made for an anti-Beyoncé protest outside of the NFL headquarters. Even former New York Mayor, Rudy Giuliani, expressed his disapproval, calling the performance “outrageous.” Much of the anger has been directed at the performance itself. The “Black Panther” outfits bore the brunt of the criticism. In addition, a picture (allegedly unscripted) emerged after the game featuring some of the dancers making a “black power” salute and holding up a sign that
said “Justice 4 Mario Woods,” a young black man recently killed by police officers in San Francisco. In addition, the “Formation” music video, which was surprise-released just a day before the Super Bowl, included scenes such as Beyoncé and her crew dancing in plantation owner attire, images of Katrina-stricken New Orleans, a sinking cop car, and a young black kid in a hoodie dancing in front of a line of riot police, with the words “stop shooting us” scrawled on a wall. Though the video certainly makes her sentiments more explicit, it would certainly be
a stretch to label her or her work as “anti-cop.” Lyrically, “Formation” seems relatively innocuous. With lines like, “My daddy Alabama, Momma Louisiana/You mix that negro with that Creole make a Texas bama,” and “I just might be a black Bill Gates in the making,” the song features a bold, fierce Beyoncé unapologetically celebrating her unbridled success, her southern heritage and, yes, even her race. But to view that as “offensive” is entirely misplaced. Of course, it’s worth asking whether the Super Bowl halftime performance is an appropriate venue for political activism of any kind, re-
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gardless of content. Would we have been so supportive if an artist promoted a message we didn’t agree with? Say, an appeal to restrict gay rights, or an impassioned endorsement of Donald Trump? But, all art is inherently political. And besides, Beyoncé’s message isn’t necessarily partisan at all. She isn’t calling on people to vote a certain way or support particular legislation. “Formation” is about empowerment, not hate. It is a song, written by a strong black woman, calling on other black women to “get in formation.” It was never meant for angry white people to decide what it means at all.
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February 18, 2016
OPINION & EDITORIALS
BSA: CGC’s Scalia: Tribute to an unwavering ‘closet space’ Justice, from across political lines not enough ship, fundraising, and various intellectual-related resources. The CCC officials were resources. A communal space is paramount to the success of the black student community. The multiculturalist project cannot afford to provide communal space for black Jonathan Pulphus students. Black students need a space that is culturally speFellow Black students of cific to the ‘black’ community Saint Louis University, take a for all members of SLU to emmoment and visit Busch Stubrace black student language, dent Center, Suite 236. rich history, and lifestyle. Many will never know The offices within the CGC’s why the suite dubbed as the 70,000 square feet, millionStudent Government Assodollar facility, currently housciation (SGA) commons was ing multicultural student special for black students. At organizations, fails to be that present, one will see rooms space. Informally nicknamed for peer student leaders, cushy “closet spaces,� the tiny rooms couches forming a waiting cannot foster any of the aforearea and more rooms used mentioned communal activiby student organizations for ties. In contrast to these sufgathering. Imagining the hard focating rooms, there exists conversations, long meeta larger commons available ings and strong communithroughout the CGC. Howties that utilize this suite, one ever, these rooms are shared may conclude that this space spaces for all SLU students is special because of the role at a majority white school it plays in the SLU commufor studying, events and any nity under the guise of SGA. other imaginable activity. UnHowever, for many black studer the guise of multiculturaldents, this space was special ism and with the assistance of because it was a home. The black staff, black students are commons was a safe space for uprooted and kept from their Black Student Alliance (BSA) black communal space withand Muslim Student Assoout those responsible being ciation (MSA) before their viewed as being racist or havmove to the Center for Global ing anti-black student interCitizenship (CGC). Located ests. So much harm is done to within one of the busier cenblack students under the banters on campus, it was a Cross ner of diversity, social justice, Cultural Center (CCC) that and moderate-liberal thought provided communal space that it should stir confusion. for cultural students. This has The decision to move since changed and has had black students to the CGC various communal impacts. centered principally on a class Black students are limof white people using white ited in their ability to build in dollars for white interests at three areas of capacity withthe expense of black students. out communal space: social, The BSA president at the time, multicultural engagement and Monica Frazier, appealed to academic. First, in the area of the Cross Cultural Center to social capacity, black students no avail. The publicly adverare unable to engage each othtised concept behind the suite er without herculean effort. was that it would be used for BSA events that allow black student writing services— a students to campus recome together source that are powerall students ful but perihelp pay Under the guise of odic. SGA’s for. While budget cuts opposing multiculturalism... to the organithis would black students are zation lower seem abuprooted and kept its chances surd since from their black to intersect black stucommunal space blackness dents use without those reonto campus the reand with the source and sponsible being wider St. Louhelp pay viewed as being is city comfor it, the racist or having munity. This services anti-black student lack of space w o u l d interests means a siglater move nificant porits operation of black tions out to commuter make room students are for SGA. challenged to attend these (Unfortunately, we drank the events, given their schedules. Kool-Aid.) Keep in mind that Second, in the area of multiSGA is the same organizacultural engagement capacity, tion that expressed desire to black students are unable to get rid of BSA’s senate seats in unapologetically engage the the name of multiculturalism. SLU community with black The decision to oust MSA and culture. Many black students BSA was systemic. struggling to express their SLU has a duty to provide culture are forced into silence resources, spaces and assisor choose to leave SLU. Either tance to students who come way, they remain ill equipped from marginalized backto respond to a sometimes grounds to lift their voices up. hostile environment where There can be no meaningful anti-black bias incidents, education around black culmicro-aggressions and other ture without space for black challenges are ever present. students to build before enThird, in the area of academic gaging the larger university capacity, black students are community. Moving forward, unable to have face-to-face there needs to be more conconversation surrounding versation about giving BSA a intellectual resources. While new space in ways that cenBSA has one of the strongest ter black voice, acknowledge listservs available for sharthe unique needs of black ing information, this does students without filter, and not replace in-person peer re-define what social justice interaction around scholarmeans to SLU.
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Casey Waughn
I didn’t share opinions with the late Justice Antonin Scalia on most things. From his views on capital punishment, healthcare and gay rights, I often found myself in opposition to his interpretations. However, I still have endless respect for him as not only a Supreme Court Justice, but as a human being, patriot and pioneer of the modern legal system. Although the upcoming docket, set to take on issues like affirmative action, healthcare and women’s rights, and the separation of church and state, bodes well for those who didn’t agree with Scalia, his approach to handling cases will be missed. Scalia has changed the landscape of the modern court and the way that judges, all the way down through District Courts, interpret the law. In a rarely delivered opinion in the District of Columbia v. Heller case regarding the Second Amendment, Scalia outlined the principle of being an originalist and strictly interpreting the Constitution based purely on the text and language of the law, rather than by interpretation. With regards to the Constitution, Scalia viewed as dead and unless amended, to take strictly what the language said. It is because of Scalia that people are now referred to as “strict� or “loose� constructionists, and he has ignited a conversation over how statutes and the Constitution should be read and interpreted. In addition to shifting the legal landscape, Scalia made the Supreme Court and its decisions relevant in a way that no one could have imagined. He made boring, mundane legal topics exciting and anticipated by the masses. Rarely do average people follow court cases, and I highly doubt that most people could name all nine Justices, but Scalia is largely a household name. Because of his plainly worded, often feisty, sarcastic and scathing opinions, Supreme Court decisions are highly discussed by average Americans. In some sense, Scalia was like the Supreme Court version of Donald Trump (or rather, Donald Trump is the presidential candidate version of Scalia) – firm in his convictions, slightly bigoted and no doubt on the wrong side of history in some cases, but appealing to the American masses because of his plainspoken nature and passion for what he believed was right. One example of this was the 2003 case that struck down anti-gay sodomy laws. In his dissent, Scalia controversially wrote, “[m]any Americans do not want persons who openly engage in homosexual conduct as partners in their business, as scoutmasters for their children, as teachers in their children’s schools, or as boarders in their home.� While this was met with outcries and rage, and made some people fear gay people, it still got people talking and started a conversation. I believe that Scalia would have welcomed the fiery outcries and passionate opposition speech because it proved that people were standing up for what they believe in, as Scalia
himself always did. In addition to making the Supreme Court relevant, Scalia also, arguably, shaped the minds of his fellow Justices and the law-making community. Because of his tendency to disregard committee hearings and prior legislative history with regards to statutes, lawmakers had to carefully choose each word in a statute that would become law to ensure that it would stand up to Scalia’s scrutiny, as he placed emphasis on the wording itself, not the intent (as seen through the wording in “Obamacare� and recent court ruling). Moreover, Scalia also had great influence over his peers and wasn’t afraid to call them out when he thought they were wrong, or even when they were right for what he viewed as the wrong reasons. For this reason, it was rare that he could get five justices to agree with him; thus why he rarely penned opinions. His nonchalance about challenging his peers is best exhibited in an Atlantic article written by Garrett Epps, where he wrote of Scalia, “[h] e dismissed an opinion by his fellow Reagan appointee, Sandra Day O’Connor, by saying it ‘cannot be taken seriously.’ He attacked his own chief justice, John Roberts, for ‘faux judicial modesty.’ He was merciless in his scorn for Anthony Kennedy, another Reagan appointee, dismissing his marriage-equality opinion as ‘mystical aphorisms of the fortune cookie.’� Scalia didn’t care what others thought of
him, and was always willing to challenge others and voice his true feelings. Turn on any Presidential debate today – Republican or Democratic – and you will hear members of both parties accusing each other of flip-flopping their views and changing their beliefs on issues depending on their backers’ opinions. No one would ever accuse Scalia of that. Scalia was a man who refused to back down from a fight; he wouldn’t let up until his opinion was heard, and he didn’t care if no one else agreed with him. At the end of the day, Sca-
lia represents something that a small part of every one of us can admire: unwavering devotion to personal values, a sense of faithfulness to himself and loyalty to no one, and the belief that justice should always overcome. Perhaps liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg summed it up best when she said, “I disagreed with most of what he said, but I loved the way he said it.� Whether you agreed with his ideology or not, the effects of Scalia’s 30-year tenure on the bench will be lasting and his absence – both in ideology and in delivery – will surely be felt.
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February 18, 2016
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A look back into UNews history, from the archives
The University News has been serving the Saint Louis University community since 1921. Here, we go the paper’s archives to explore headline-making events of the past. From top left: A news article from October 1984 details the efforts of SLU’s “Resources for the Future” Campaign; the Student Government Association is front page news in 2002; and the Olympic torch for the 2002 Salt Lake City Games passes through St. Louis.
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February 18, 2016
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