No. 6 (October 6, 2016)

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SLU professors open up about discrimination

By JAYDE ROSE Contributor

Cornelia Horn is the former female theology professor here at SLU who last month won a $367,000 suit against the University for sex discrimination. Dr. Horn alleged that in her time at SLU she was subject to multiple incidents of bias from her male colleagues, as well as being denied tenure because she reported the incidents of bias to the University.

She claimed the decision to deny her tenure was based heavily on a recommendation against tenure written by the then-chair of the theology department, Fr. J.A. Wayne Hellmann. Hellmann cited Horn’s lack of “collegiality” for his recommendation against promotion. Horn was a professor at SLU from 2004-2012 and since her departure, SLU has changed presidents and has also promoted a new chair to its theology department.

It should be noted that the University is not satisfied with the results of the case, and is currently exploring its options for moving forward.

The case has the potential to be ongoing and, therefore, many details have not yet been released.

As a private institution, SLU is not required to publicly release information such as salary and promotion

records. It was only through an informal study done by Penny Weiss in the Political Science and Women & Gender Studies departments that it was discovered how very few female faculty have been promoted to full professors at SLU. At the time of her study it was more likely that a female professor would have been hired as a full professor with tenure than to be promoted to full within their department.

Within the College of Arts and Sciences, tenure is based heavily on three components: research, teaching, service, advising; knowledge of the field; and collegiality.

For research it is generally required that the professor has published a book, or the equivalent of a book in articles. Research is the component most likely to hold back a candidate. It is considered rare for a candidate to pass on research and not on another component. After the department votes on whether or not to endorse an applicant for tenure, a letter is always written by the chair of the department, and the department’s vote and chair’s letter are sent to the greater college Rank and Tenure Committee.

Dr. Horn offers an interesting case as she was deSee “Lawsuit” on page 3

Humans of New York creator Brandon Stanton speaks at SLU

By KYLE SMITH AND LUKE VEST

For Brandon Stanton, it all goes back to a bad photo of a green lady.

“There was a time when I photographed a woman and she was dressed in all green,” he said. “And it wasn’t a good photo.”

His subject, an elderly lady, is eye-catching, to say the least. She was, in fact, clad entirely in bright green: jacket, leggings, scarf, gloves.

Even her hair was dyed to match.

Still, he knew that this particular portrait was not his best work. “She’s off in the corner, it’s kind of awkward,” he said. “I remember being disappointed after I took it.”

At the time, Stanton had recently lost job as a bond trader in Chicago. “That was surprisingly a good day,” he told the audience in a packed Wool Ballroom. “I started thinking about what it was that I would do with my time if prestige didn’t matter, if money didn’t matter and I could just choose what I wanted to do.”

So that’s what he did.

Stanton made the decision to move to New York and become a photographer — a bold move, considering he had previously never picked up a camera in his life. He

Michelle Peltier / The University News

BRANDON STANTON: Humans of New York creator speaks to SLU students. began working on a project, which he called a “photographic census.” The idea was that every day, he would go out and take photos of random New Yorkers off the street.

The photo of the “green lady” was never intended to make it to his blog. But the following day Stanton was bedridden with the flu and had no choice but to post it on Facebook anyways. On a

Cupcake Wars: Students walk out on West

By KRISTINA DEYONG Contributor

The floor seats in the Center for Global Citizenship (CGC) were brimming with white. If someone had walked in unaware of the controversy that surrounded Allen West’s appearance on SLU’s campus, the hint of it

was there in the audience, dressed row after row in a uniform of white shirts.

“If someone were to directly insult your religion, church, and the entire population of individuals who believe what you believe, would you stay quiet?” said Sheena Mohammed, MLK Scholar and member of the

Thursday, October 6, 2016

SLU Muslim Student Association (MSA).

Students organized a protest last Thursday night in response to West classifying SLU MSA as a “stealth jihad radical Islamic campus organization” on his blog.

The protest consisted of a walkout, a charitable cupcake sale, and a group of

Courtesy of Amelia Maxwell

PROTEST: Protest participants gather around the Clock Tower for solidarity.

Muslim students who stayed until West’s talk let out, hoping to speak with audience members about the realities of Islam.

Protesters arrived early to fill the floor seats and much of the higher seating for West’s speech. Just before he was introduced, representatives of the College Republicans announced that they were aware of the plan to walk out of the event.

The group challenged those who might disagree with West to stay instead and hear what he had to say, stating that a walkout would be disrespectful toward West, toward inclusion of conservative ideas and toward freedom of speech. After West was introduced and came onstage, protestors quietly stood and walked outside, row by row.

“We decided to peacefully walk out because we weren’t trying to disrespect Allen West as a person, especially since he was a lieuSee “Protest” on page 2

whim, he decided to include a snippet of his conversation with the subject — something he hadn’t done before.

“She said to me, ‘I used to be a different color every day.

But then one day I was green, and that was a good day. So now I’ve been green for 15 years.’”

The photo was a turning point for Stanton. It was the first time he had posted a quote along with a photo,

and people seemed to be responding well to it. In terms of Facebook “likes,” it outperformed all of his previous posts (relatively speaking, of course — on a page with 2,000 followers, it had “maybe 65 likes or so”).

But more importantly, it changed the entire nature of his project. For the first See “Stanton” on page 2

West speaks amidst protest of the College Republicans, Dylan McCloskey, said he wished more protesters had Last Thursday, hundreds stayed to hear West and his of people attended Lt. Col. perspective.

Allen West’s talk about forWest addressed his coneign policy and Islam. Many troversial statement by asheard about the event beserting that he did not say all forehand because of the Muslims are evil. He stressed controversial flyers used for that Islamic advertising terrorists the event and exist, and West’s comFor whatever they are an ments about exi stenti al reason, we are the Muslim threat to allowing this Student Assothe United ciation. incredibly violent States, and Hosted Muslims ideology to come by the Colneed to reto these shores. lege Repubnounce terlicans and rorist orgaLt. Col. Allen West sponsored nizations by Young such as the Americans Muslim Brotherhood. for Freedom, the talk was McCloskey said the Colheld in the Center for Global lege Republicans considered Citizenship. Although many changing speakers a week people came to hear West before the event, but it was speak, others participated in already too late. They chose a peaceful walkout protestWest because of his military ing him. and government experience.

Most protesters left once The event was not intended West came on stage, but some stayed for the entirety See “West” on page 3 of his speech. The president

By MEGAN HAMMOND News Editor

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Vol. XCVI No. 6

INSIDE SCOOP:

ARTS

Ghost gives audiences a good spook

Women’s soccer defies odds

Congress subject to dire consequences for veto

Page 5

Page 7

Page 9

SPORTS

OPINION

2 October 6, 2016

NEWS

Stanton: ‘Humans’ offers unfiltered look at life time, he realized that what people were responding to were stories, not photos.

“That was the moment I realized that there was something to learning about these people. That’s what was really interesting to people.”

With its newfound focus, his blog, called “Humans of New York,” quickly began to find a following. He continued to post photos of the people he encountered, but he began to interview them as well, sharing select quotes and stories from his interactions with them.

Stanton’s subjects include all types of people, from immigrants to homeless people, ordinary working people to some of New York’s most eccentric residents. Their stories are equally diverse: some heartwarming, some funny and some sad. But nearly all of them display a surprising level of honesty.

His interviews often last up to an hour or more. What has been most surprising was people’s willingness to open up to him.

“When you’re in a hourlong conversation with people, even if you had something you were planning to say, that’s used up in two minutes,” he said. “During that conversation, there are some very quiet, unexpected, genuine moments.

Sometimes the person is thinking about things they never thought about before, never had to think about before, or haven’t thought about in a long time.”

Today, just six years since it first began, “Humans of New York,” has amassed over 20 million followers across its various social me-

dia platforms, with fans from around the globe.

Stanton has become a virtual celebrity himself; he has interviewed Syrian refugees, Hilary Clinton, even President Obama. Stanton noted that his blog has become especially popular in places like Pakistan and Iran — countries that he says have gotten a particularly negative reputation in the media.

Though he says fans sometimes do recognize him on the street, Stanton says his newfound fame hasn’t changed his methods or prevented people from being authentic and genuine. In fact, he said, “I find that the page’s notoriety allows me to interview people that would have otherwise said no be-

fore, because they’ve heard of ‘Humans of New York.’”

His popularity has also granted him more artistic

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Sometimes the person is thinking about things they never thought about before, never had to thnk about before, or haven’t thought about in a long time.

Brandon Stanton

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Continued from page 1

freedom as well. No longer as dependent on likes and shares as he once was, Stanton will sometimes take a few

weeks to focus on “heavier” material. For example, in his most recent photo series, Stanton focused on veterans suffering from PTSD. “You can actually feel the audience pulling back from it, in the numbers. You can see the ‘likes’ going down.”

Above all, Stanton stressed the importance of doing something you love. “I get to wake up every morning and chose the work I want to do that day.” But he made a special point to emphasize the word “work.”

“You know how many people thought this was going to be a good idea? Nobody,” he said. “If I had just waited for the idea of Humans of New York to become ‘Humans of New York,’ it never would have happened.”

Courtesy of Brandon Stanton

Courtesy of Brandon Stanton

HONY: Two of Brandon Stanton’s earliest photos, pictured above, inspired what would later become the blog known as “Humans of New York.”

Protest: MSA, Free to {Be} and the Leadership for Social Change Learning Community sell cupcakes for Syrian Refugees tenant colonel,” Mohammed said. “We were protesting against the hate speech that he and his supporters were using. The night may have been different if Allen West and his supporters were willing to have a dialogue.”

“We wanted to show others what Muslims are truly like: peaceful,” said Maariya Ahmed, co-president of MSA. “Islam is a religion of peace, and we wanted to portray that in our protest by silently walking out.”

Outside, students marched to the Clock Tower, where they were thanked by several representatives of MSA for coming out to show support and solidarity. A smaller group stayed

outside the CGC to wait for the event to let out. They held signs that read “Ask a Muslim,” hoping to speak with those who had attended West’s talk. As the crowd began to file out, they handed out informative brochures and snacks to the audience members.

“We stood outside the CGC for hours so that those who wanted to speak with us about Islam or had any questions could approach us,” Ahmed said. “We are open to different ideas and the hard topics, but the remarks made towards MSA were simply bigoted and false.”

The walkout portion of the protest was accompanied by “Cupcakes Against Hate,” a cupcake sale in response to a post West wrote

on his blog. The post retheir solidarity with the Musferred to SLU students as lim Student Association,” “little cupcakes [who] ask said Samantha Kiss, memfor a ‘safe space’ where they ber of Leadership For Social don’t have to Change. hear opposAccording views.” ing to Kiss, According Islam is a religion the sale was to the post, brought toof peace, and we West felt that gether by the wanted to portray combined efhis freedom of speech forts of MSA, that in our was being eadership protest by silently LFor encroached Social walking out. upon when C h a n g e he was asked Learning Maariya Ahmed, senior by a UniverCommunity, sity adminisand Free To trator to re{Be}. frain from using the phrase The cupcake sale gener“radical Islam.” ated a profit of over $2,000 “Rather than be ashamed to be donated to the Immiof being called cupcakes, the grant & Refugee Women’s students decided to embrace Program of St. Louis. their values and demonstrate “By selling cupcakes

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Continued from page 1

and donating the money to the Syrian refugee crisis, we showed that, no matter what, we will always stay true to what our religion teaches: peace and support for others,” Mohammed said. “One of the 5 pillars of Islam is give charity. We accomplished this by selling cupcakes while also breaking down the idea that we would be mad that he called us ‘a bunch of cupcakes.’”

Some have been critical of the protest as disrespectful or in opposition to free speech. SLU’s Facebook page received a swell of one-star reviews in the wake of the demonstration.

“You cupcakes are weak and worthless and really stupid. This doesn’t prove anything except you believe

in silencing somebody who would dare to have a different opinion than yourself,” said one reviewer. “You are a perfect example of what’s wrong in this country today.”

Students who helped to organize the protest were aware of the pushback but saw the issue of freedom of speech differently.

“The walk-out was orchestrated not to demonstrate intolerance of a conservative speaker events on campus, but rather to demonstrate intolerance of hate speech,” said Kiss.

“West was tipped ahead of time and found out the details of the protest, so he tried to paint the MSA and other students as intolerant, uneducated, anti-conservative students.”

PROTEST: Various campus groups assemble in the CGC to protest against Lt. Col. Allen West. Protesters remained outside the event to answer any questions about Islam.

Joseph Eckert / The University News

Michelle Peltier/ The University News

NEWS

October 6, 2016

Let Us Introduce You: Racheal Amelung

By AGNIESZKA GORCZYCA Contributor

This year’s seniors are starting to look at graduate degree programs and potential jobs as their graduation draws closer every day.

Racheal Amelung is no different—except for the fact that she just turned 19 at the beginning of October. As a credit senior, Amelung could even graduate after this semester. The only thing that stands in her way is the fact that she hasn’t been at SLU long enough.

Amelung started her journey in seventh grade when she was placed in eighth-grade math. After taking Algebra 2 her freshman year, she was accepted to the Missouri Academy program at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Mo. The program is a two-year, early-entrance college program for exceptional students.

While there, Amelung took courses in STEM with the intent of becoming a microbiologist but ended up falling in love with po-

Joseph Eckert / The University News

LUIY: At nineteen years old, senior Racheal Amelung hopes to graduate with her master’s degree next year. litical science after taking a government class as part of her core curriculum. She graduated from the Missouri Academy program in the spring of 2015, and transferred to SLU, where she is now studying political science.

Her main interest in political science is in interna-

tional relations, especially with East Asia and Russia.

Inspired by one of her professors, she hopes to complete an internship with the United Nations after graduating with her master’s degree next year. She’s also interested in working for the State Department, or a foreign relations think tank.

Besides all her academic endeavors, Amelung also fills her days with involvement in Model United Nations, political roundtables, Kappa Alpha Theta and serving on the Panhellenic Judiciary Board.

Despite her busy life, however, Amelung names a feeling of culture shock as one of her greatest challenges here at SLU. The Missouri Academy program had strict rules, and an 8:30 p.m. curfew on weekdays. “We pretty much lived in a nice prison,” she said.

The fact that she didn’t have to be accountable for anyone but herself was also different. “For the first month or two, I probably lived under the old curfew anyway,” she said.

But despite the transition, she’s thriving. After all, she’s done it before. “Most people would think that moving away at 15 would be really difficult, but I’ve always been one of those more independent people,” she said. “It was probably more difficult for my parents than it was for me.”

West: Speaker warns against ‘violent ideologies’

Q&A with Racheal Amelung:

Q. Who is your role model and why?

My role model would have to be Margaret Thatcher. Not only was she a strong woman, but she was a strong leader. She never flinched at doing the unpopular right over the popular wrong.

Q. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was little, I used to think I would one day marry Steve Irwin, a.k.a. the Crocodile Hunter, so naturally I wanted to be a herpetologist, or a reptile and amphibian specialist.

Q. If you could be guaranteed to succeed in any profession, what would you do?

Despite what my current and past coursework has been, I’ve always been a big theater buff. I was even a main cast member in a couple musicals in high school. So, if I could choose, I would definitely want to go back to that.

THE SLU SCOOP All Information Provided by Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Wednesday, September 28 3:58 p.m. INFORMATIONAL Female student reported that for about the past four (4) years she has had a bad relationship with a male subject (Aunt’s boyfriend) who has been verbally and emotionally abusive to her within that period. Student stated that she was receiving text messages earlier this date from the male subject concerning her academic progress. Student declined any type of counseling service offered by the University. Dean of Students was notified of the incident.

Friday, September 30 10:13 a.m. THREAT

Joseph Eckert / The University News

WEST VISITS SLU: Lt. Col. Allen West addresses hundreds of students in the Center for Global Citizenship. He talked about the Muslim Brotherhood and its threat to national security and his military experience.

Continued from page 1

to be controversial, and instead was meant to be a critique on President Obama’s foreign policy. They also considered inviting Newt Gingrich or Ben Shapiro.

Department of Public Safety officers and Student Involvement Center employees were stationed at every door in the building to make sure the event ran smoothly.

McCloskey stated, “The Student Involvement Center was involved from the very beginning, and even more during the event because of the controversy surrounding it.”

During the questionand-answer period, a female student attempted to ask a question by raising her hand, but was turned down because everyone was required to write their questions and turn them in to be reviewed then read aloud. She eventu-

ally walked out, but McCloskey said that West talked to her after the event and answered her questions.

McCloskey stated that if it were up to him, he would have conducted an open mic question-and-answer session, but the Student Involvement Center thought it would be best to review and ask the questions in a nonconfrontational setting.

West began his talk by saying, “Tonight is a history lesson.” He continually referenced historical events and figures. West also spoke about his military experience and several tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.

He recalled the fondest memory from his tours: after the fall of Saddam Hussein and the Taliban, West enjoyed “watching little Afghan girls go to school.

Something I know they did not have the chance to do.”

He stressed the importance

of realizing there are groups of Islamic extremists that are terrorists and a threat to the United States.

He spoke about terrorists on 9/11: “Those planes struck the World Trade towers and the Pentagon… no one went in looking for Republicans or Democrats, no one went in looking for blacks, whites or Hispanics.

They went in to kill Americans.”

With Islamic terrorism, West said we are often told “we can’t rush to judgment.”

He referenced Ferguson, Mo. and stated that “a lot of people rush to judgment there.”

West continued by speaking about the Islamic threat and stressing the importance of freedom and liberty in the United States.

“We have to start looking at the real enemy out there that is the enemy of liberty, the enemy of free-

dom. There is a reason why people come to the United States of America from all over the place. It’s because they believe they will have safety and security. They believe they can participate in the American dream and for whatever reason, we are allowing this incredibly violent ideology to come to these shores.”

Although the event started out being controversial, McCloskey was glad with the reception of West at the end of the event.

West received a standing ovation, and many people rushed to speak with him after his speech. McCloskey thought the protesters were respectful and not overly argumentative.

Some protesters were selling cupcakes with the proceeds going to Syrian refugees. McCloskey said he bought a cupcake and West donated money to the cause.

Lawsuit: Changes coming for theology department Continued from page 1

scribed as a “research star” by her colleagues, having already published multiple books and articles at the time. The department also did vote positively for her tenure, but it was the letter with its reference to the view that Dr. Horn was not a team player that caused the Rank and Tenure committee to decide against promotion.

Julie Hanlon Rubio, a fe-

male tenured full professor at SLU who was promoted in-department, was the first mother within the Department of Theological Studies in just 1999. This calls attention to the fact that demographics within the University have only recently begun to change. Universities are beginning to examine their dominant cultures and practices in order to assess how they can be truly welcoming of racial and gender diversity

within their faculty. Women and scholars of color may study in the field topics not traditionally considered to be within the main components of their discipline, or they may challenge the classic perception of what it is that makes a good professor.

Change is the watchword of the moment. Moving forward the theology department has mimicked SLU’s change in leadership with the appointment of a new chair,

Dr. Peter Martens. There are currently two women sitting on the search committee with Dr. Martens to conduct the hiring process for the department. Intentional steps have been made, such as updating the rank and tenure requirements for the department, and the creation of a diversity hiring plan in order to create a diverse pool of applicants for two open positions to move the department forward.

3

A staff member reported receiving a phone call from a current patient regarding his medication, threatening to “shoot the place up” if he could not get an additional dosage. When the staff member’s supervisor spoke to the patient, the patient indicated he was not serious. St. Louis Metropolitan Police responded and a report was generated by that agency. The building manager, as well as SLU Care administration was notified.

Saturday, October 1 2:08 a.m. VMCSL Received a call from Pro Staff requesting assistance with a smell of marijuana. Units arrived at DeMatt to assist. Pro Staff entered the room of a SLU student and found drug paraphernalia in plain view. The owner of the room was present and was found to have been involved in previous incidents of marijuana. The paraphernalia was taken by DPS.

Sunday, October 2 6:31 p.m. INFORMATIONAL While a student was attempting to obtain her ID card to swipe into the south desk, she accidentally sprayed Mace. The students that were present at the time and contacted refused medical treatment. One student was not contacted. The RA advised that he would continue to try to contact that student and if she wished medical treatment, DPS would be notified. The Mace was seized. The area was aired out with no trace of the Mace remaining.

Tuesday, October 4 9:49 a.m. ACCIDENTAL INJURY A patient who fell forward while utilizing the restroom suffered a broken arm when she tried to break her fall. The patient was transported by St. Louis Fire Department Ambulance to Saint Louis University Hospital Emergency Room. The building manager was notified of the incident.

Be a Responsible Billiken STOP. CALL. REPORT. 314-977-3000 witness.slu.edu dps.slu.edu

4 October 6, 2016

Games

Last Week’s Solutions

GAMES

&

Arts Entertainment Young the Giant rocks the Pageant spired by Franz Kafka’s novel of the same name. With noticeably expressive lyrics, Young the Giant creates the When I was properly introcharacter “Titus” in “Titus duced to the world of indie Was Born,” who goes to find music, I perused through his place in “Amerika” while a large selection of bands. embracing the uniqueness of Some bands had loud sounds his identity. Young the Giant from the electric guitar and flawlessly delivers a message synthesizers, others with to all listeners through the soft, acoustic melodies. But underlying narrative and the one band that has the pertimeless tracks from the alfect blend of both, creating bum. timeless tracks, is Young the Young the Giant played Giant. a sold-out show at The PagThis five-piece group, coneant this past Thursday to an sisting of Sameer Gadhia as ecstatic crowd. lead vocalThe concert ist, Jacob Tilley and Eric The group explored started with Ra Cannata on their sound in the first Ra Riot hyping us up with the guitar, Payam two albums, but told tunes “Water,” Doostzadeh on bass guitar their own story in their “A b s o l u t e l y ” “Dance and Francois latest album. “Home of and With Me,” just Comtois on the Strange” to name a few. drums, flawThe mosh pit lessly proved started jumptheir ability ing around to the riffs of guito create an album compiled tarist Milo Bonacci and the with various layers of sound strong voice of Wes Miles. brought together by a true What made the sound truly and honest theme in their unique was the chamber feel most aspiring project yet, supplied by violinist Rebec“Home of the Strange.” ca Zeller. The sound was also The 12-year-old band enhanced by bassist Mathieu was created after passionSantos and drummer Kenny ate lead vocalist Gadhia Bernard. dropped pre-med at StanAfter the audience was ford to pursue music. The all riled up by Ra Ra Riot, group explored their sound Young the Giant unfailingly in their first two albums but continued the passionate told their own story in their atmosphere with the first latest album, “Home of the drum hit of “Jungle Youth.”

Strange.” Each band memThroughout the song, the ber found their new home band brought out their echere in the melting pot of centrically vibrant side with America.

Gadhia’s free-spirited dance For example, Gadhia is moves in his bright orange an Indian-American, which jumpsuit. From there, the most people don’t know. band mesmerized the audiTheir stories about their new ence who sang along to each home, termed as the “Home song. A great mix was played of the Strange,” are told in the album of the same name and are emphasized in the piece See “Young” on page 6 “Amerika,” which was in-

October 6, 2016 arts@unewsonline.com Tess Brock, Arts Editor Natalie Riopelle, Assoc. Arts Editor

Contemporary Art Museum under fire for ‘racist’ exhibit

By CHANDANA KAMARAJ Senior Staff Writer

Megan Anthony / The University News

CONTROVERSY: The new exhibit in the Contemporary Art Museum has been criticized for its insensitive — and some say racist — artwork, the meaning of which the artist, Kelley Walker, has given no substantive explanation.

By MEGAN ANTHONY Staff Writer

The high white walls blend in as if they are meant to be in the middle of the room. The only thing giving them away is the warning sign standing at the opening. For the curious, or the angered, going beyond the obtuse walls reveals the plight of African-Americans in the United States, from a white man’s artistic perspective.

The walls, in fact, are part of a ‘don’t want to see, don’t have to see,’ solution the Contemporary Art Museum (CAM) has put into effect regarding an outcry

of dissent from the community following the Kelley Walker exhibition, “Direct Drive” and an unsatisfying question-and-answer session with Walker.

The exhibit features photographs of African-American history that have been modified by Walker, seemingly with no meaning. The pieces of the collection that have caused outrage are “Black Star Press” and “Schema: Aqua Fresh plus Crest Whitening Expressions.”

The first piece is rotated 90 degrees so that it is lying sideways, and features a photograph from the 1963 Birmingham protests depicting a white police officer letting

a dog loose on a young protestor. It’s a photograph that has been a staple in history text books, and easily comes to mind when thinking of the Civil Rights Era. However, Walker has splashed it with melted white, milk and dark chocolate, rendering it almost unrecognizable.

“Schema”, features the cover of a men’s magazine, “King,” with the image of an African-American women in a bathing suit. Much like in “Black Star Press,” Walker modified the cover using toothpaste that he transferred onto the image. The baby blue and pink, along with white, are smeared all over the woman’s body.

The exhibit opened on Sept. 16, 2016, and immediately raised a lot of questions pertaining to Walker’s intentions and decisions to use certain images. The museum decided to hold a Q. and A. session in order to give concerned patrons an explanation. However, the session backfired, primarily because of Walker’s attitude towards the audience. “He refused to answer simple questions about his work, and became combative with multiple audience members in attendance. Chief Curator Jeffrey Uslip chose to See “CAM” on page 6

Ghost: Devilish band, heavenly music

By NATALIE RIOPELLE Associate Arts Editor

Worshipping Satan doesn’t have to be a full-time job—yes, I know you were wondering. All it takes is a pair of headphones, a solid internet connection and a decent sense of humor. Once these three things are in place, you’re ready to listen to Swedish band Ghost. Oh, liking metal also helps.

The Pageant hosted this “satanic” group on Wednesday Sept. 26, where an eager, nearly-full crowd awaited their performance. Ghost (also known as Ghost B.C.) is a doom/black metal band made up six members, all of them anonymous. Five members are referred to only as “Nameless Ghouls,” all wearing identical masks, and the sixth, the frontman and singer, is given the title Papa Emeritus; essentially, he is the anti-Pope. Papa Emeritus is now technically named Papa Emeritus III, as Papa is “replaced” with every new album, even though the singer himself does not change—it’s all part of their tongue-in-cheek charm or their demonic enterprise, you can pick. Papa’s outfit is a bit more complex than the others’: elaborate face paint (and apparently prosthetics) cover his face and identity, while he is cloaked in an in-

Ryan Quinn / The University News

HAUNTING: Papa Emeritus III (above) of Swedish heavy metal band Ghost crooned to the ecstatic crowd which packed the Pageant late Sept. 26. Dramatic and compelling, Ghost’s frontman entranced the crowd. tricate robe strongly resembling a priest’s vestments.

Well, except Papa’s are black with an upside-down cross embossed on them. Better not tell grandma.

Ghost opened their show with “Square Hammer,” a single off of their new EP, “Popestar.” Holy hell, I love

this song. It’s a bizarre mix of old psychedelic rock and heavy metal and boy, oh boy, does it sound heavenly.

It was obvious to me, while looking around the crowd, that not everyone present was as well-acquainted with their new single as I was.

“Noobs,” I thought to myself,

despite the fact that, amidst the sea of skeletal makeup and snake tattoos, I looked like I’d gotten lost on the way to a Super Target.

After “Square Hammer,” they moved into more familiar territory with “Cirice,” the Grammy Award-winning single from their previous

album “Meliora,” and then launched into other songs from this album like “From the Pinnacle to the Pit.” As he intoned, Papa Emeritus moved across the stage in a stately glide, arms outstretched to his “followers” below. If nothing else, Papa and his cohorts are show-

men—always in character and always fervently entertaining.

At one point, Papa Emeritus disappeared from the stage—it was brief, but noticable given his massive stage presence. Thankfully, he swiftly reappeared; this time not in his flowing robes, but in a tuxedo.

Just as Papa is “replaced” with every album, so too is the band’s overall look, manifesting itself this time in some devilishly dapper black-tie attire.

The set ended, as it always does, with “Monstrance Clock” from their second album “Infestissumam”— I guess it’s supposed to be Latin for “the biggest threat,” in reference to the Antichrist, duh. Regardless, the crowd sang loudly along to the ominously melodic song as Papa sashayed atop the stage. I almost wanted to call it a religious experience, with so many people chanting out the words to an echoing song, but then I remembered that someone might actually believe I’d become a Satanist—I’ll let that remain unconfirmed.

All this secrecy and various devil-related shenanigans would all seem very See “Ghostly” on page 6

6 October 6, 2016 What’s up in STL this week?

ARTS

CAM: Kelley Walker show

James Bay

By SAM WILSON Contributor

The Pageant Oct. 7, 7:00 p.m.

British Grammy-nominee James Bay makes his first stop in St. Louis.

“Queen of Katwe” In theaters A young Ugandan girl is introduced to the game of chess, introducting her to a new world.

Color Photo Pioneer International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum - 3415 Olive Exhibit of photos by influential photographer Ernst Haas closes on October 8th.

Spotify offers ‘Daily Mixes’ to please your various music tastes

Courtesy of CAM

OUTRAGE: Above is one of Walker’s pieces featured by the CAM. The bright colors are smeared toothpaste.

Continued from page 5 interrupt audience members, end the Q. and A. session, and shut the space to intellectual discourse,” says Saint Louis University art history and African-American Studies professor, Dr. Olubukola Gbadegesin.

Professor Gbadegesin also believes that it is a failure on the part of the CAM, its curator and Walker for not “facilitating the audience’s encounter with artwork—that is the very mission that they are charged with.” There was no effort to address concerns until a local African-American artist, Damon Davis, known for his depictions of the unrest in Ferguson, took to his Facebook page. Davis decried the

exhibit and the artist for being insensitive to the history of African-Americans in the United States and the museum for not taking the art down. Davis is now calling for a boycott of the museum.

“This is a major part of the criticism that CAM, as an institution, ought to interrogate. In fact, it’s an indictment of the reactive or altogether silent approach that a number of institutions in St. Louis City take towards Black voices and concerns,” says Gbadegesin.

The exhibit is set to run through Dec. 31. In a city such as St. Louis — a city still attempting to bridge the divides between races — the toss-up comes to respecting the arts and respecting the people the art inspired.

If you are a regular Spotify user, you may have noticed that they rolled out a new feature last week. Their home page reads, “Wish you could just press a button to get the perfect lineup of tracks?

Introducing Daily Mix. The music you love, minus the effort.” On Sept. 27, the well-loved music streaming service introduced a radio feature called “Your Daily Mixes.” This feature automatically generates one to six playlists based on your listening history. While this sounds very similar to the “Discover Weekly” feature, these playlists regenerate within a day, so you do not have to wait a week for new mixes.

The cool thing about these playlists is that they are split up by genre. So, if you are like me and have a music taste that ranges from metal to EDM to something that can only be described as an indie-folk vibe, you won’t have to worry about the weird feeling you get when the entire musical ambience changes with the genre.

The way this works is slightly simpler than it seems.

The software analyzes what you’ve listened to recently, compared to what you have listened to in the past, and combines key tracks with similar tracks that you may have never listened to before.

So unlike “Discover Weekly,” it incorporates the new with the familiar.

Unfortunately, this fea-

Young the Giant

Tess Brock / The University News

VARIETY: Spotify will create for you up to six different daily mixes based on the different genres you listen to. ture is currently only available on the mobile app. But to access it, simply click “Your Library,” then “Your Daily

The software analyzes what you’ve listened to recently, compared to what you have listened to in the past...

Mix,” select a playlist and tap it to enjoy. The feature also allows you to improve your mixes by “hearting” a song you like and removing songs or artists that you do not.

Overall, my personal view on this feature is that it is fantastic. It has a sort of Pandora feel to it, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.

Ghostly heavy metal Continued from page 5 gimmicky—and they very well could have been—if these guys weren’t so talented. Now, instead, their attire and mysterious persona have become representative of Ghost’s fearless music-making. If you like metal, rock,

“Distracted”

One advantage Spotify has here is that it allows you to see all the songs in the playlist, unlike Pandora. However, it is similar to Pandora in that it now offers a blend of artists you know and artists you may like.

While I personally love the “Discover Weekly” feature to discover new music, it is also really nice to have new music blended with artists I know that I love. This new feature completely bypasses “Discover Weekly” in that aspect.

If you are new to Spotify and do not have any playlists available to you, don’t worry. The app will make them available to you once it has gathered enough data on your listening tastes. So, keep listening, and the app will tailor a playlist to you soon enough.

having your mind blown, go see them. It might not be possible during their current tour as they’ve swiftly left Missouri, but fear not, I have a feeling they will return.

But, who knows, perhaps that’s just the devil whispering sweet temptations in my ear.

The University Theatre Oct. 7 & 8, 8:00 p.m.

Oct. 9, 2:00 p.m.

“Distracted” details a young boy’s life with ADD.

Tess Brock / The University News

MUSIC: Young the Giant visited St. Louis on tour for their latest album, “Home of the Strange.”

Continued from page 5

Fest-of-Ale Missouri Botanical Gardens Oct. 14 Celebrate fall with local beer and by strolling through the gardens.

from the belting of “Something To Believe In” and “Silvertongue” to the beautiful harmonies of “Elsewhere,” “Titus Was Born” and “Art Exhibit,” which began with the same ukulele solo performed in their “Art Exhibit” video from their “In the Open” series. The special part of all these compositions when sung live is that they are very true to the recordings, and the changes that are made live are subtle ones that elevate the ambience.

Even though many of the songs are very direct when pushed by the beats of the drum and riffs of the guitar, the elegant harmonies in the

upper register are placed in the right places, which creates even more of an impact.

Young the Giant is a unique band in the sense that they compose music to tell a tale that is carried through layers of Gadhia’s passionate voice.

These memorable melodies were what created the passion and love at the concert. The band took it back with some old favorites like “Mind Over Matter,” “Cough Syrup” and “Apartment.”

Gadhia asked everyone to take out the flashlight on their phone or lighter, during their song “Firelight,” creating a heartfelt bond between the audience.

The highlight of the concert, though, was when a couple got engaged during the song “Crystallized.” The concert ended on a strong note with everyone singing to their most popular hit “My Body.”

Young the Giant is a unique band in the sense that they compose music to tell a tale that is carried transparently through the layers of Gadhia’s passionate voice. Each piece is composed in such a way that each person is able to feel the emotions that the band had when writing it.

Ryan Quinn / The University News

DEMONIC: Each one of the five Nameless Ghouls wears the same mask to protect their anonymity.

Sports

October 6, 2016 sports@unewsonline.com Lauren Tondl, Sports Editor Vivek Gorijala, Assoc. Sports Editor

Women’s soccer make history against Dayton, take down Rhode Island

By VIVEK GORIJALA Associate Sports Editor

SLU women’s soccer team opened their Atlantic 10 conference season with a 1-1 draw against Dayton, before defeating Rhode Island 2-1 in their second A-10 matchup this season.

The results brought women’s soccer to an 8-2-1 overall record, including a 1-0-1 record in the A-10.

The Billikens went into the Dayton Flyers matchup with a good historical reason to be nervous: in the past nine games between the two squads, the Billikens had lost all nine. In addition, this year’s game was to be played on Dayton’s stomping grounds, Baujan Field in Dayton, Ohio. At first, the match appeared to be following a similar path, as Dayton opened the scoring in the 29th minute and held their lead going into halftime. However, five minutes after the break, freshman forward Evie Lavelle set up sophomore forward Lindsay Sands for the tying goal, and the game ended at 1-1 after double overtime.

Despite the fact that the Billikens ended the Flyers’ nine-match series winning streak, and even though SLU improved their record in A-10 opening matches to 6-3-3, they could be ex-

cused for being a little disappointed in only coming away with a draw. In the first half, SLU outshot Dayton, 8 shots to 6, and in the second half, SLU extended their dominance with 9 shots to Dayton’s 5. The overtime period, however, did see the same number of shots from both teams, with 2 apiece.

The goal against Dayton moved Sands up to a tie for second place on the SLU team for points so far this season. She is tied with freshman forward Alyssa Seitzer, who, like Sands, has 4 goals and 8 points. The only player ahead of them is senior forward Danielle Tolmais, who has an astounding 15 points, nearly double the count of Seitzer and Sands.

Her 15 points have come from 7 goals and 1 assist.

After the Dayton draw, the women’s soccer team returned home to take on the Rhode Island Rams, another Atlantic 10 foe. The first half was relatively quiet as both teams felt each other out, but both the Billikens and the Rams grew into the game as the second half began. Tolmais was the standout performer of the match, scoring a goal in the 50th minute to help SLU take a 1-0 lead.

Dayton responded quickly, equalizing in the 59th minute. However, five minutes into extra time, in the 95th

Saint Louis Athletics

SCHOOLED: Senior midfielder Cristina Rodriguez dribbles past a Rhode Island defender at Hermann Stadium on Oct. 2. They beat the Rhody Rams in extra time, 2-1, with both goals scored by senior forward Danielle Tolmais. minute, Tolmais sealed a Billikens victory with an unassisted goal.

SLU opened the match strong, registering a total of 6 shots in the first half,

compared to Rhode Island’s 3. The second half proved to be an even more lopsided affair, with Saint Louis recording 12 shots to Rhode Island’s mere 5. Overtime then

Cross country surpassed by SIUE in John Flamer Invite

proved to be a tense affair, with only two shots total, although both came from the Billikens and the last one was Tolmais’ goal.

Interestingly, the Rhode

By LAUREN TONDL Sports Editor

SLU’s men’s cross country team earned the firstever regional ranking in SLU cross country history, sitting at No. 15 in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Midwest region with their victory in the National Catholic Championship at Notre Dame. In that competition, SLU managed to put six runners in the top 25.

SLU’s runners beat out those from strong programs such as Notre Dame, Dayton and Marquette.

According to head coach Jon Bell, “The men put in a lot of hard training this summer, and they have continued training well this season.

They have seen the results of this training by winning both meets we’ve competed in this fall. It is great to be recognized by the USTFCCCA for these efforts. Our goal is to continue this work ethic, produce results and compete for a championship at the Atlantic 10 Conference meet at the end of October.”

Having earned that honor, the men’s cross country team, along with the women’s cross country team, traveled a short distance to SIUE for the John Flamer Invitational in Edwardsville, Ill. The John Flamer Invitational took place at the at the

The men’s soccer team turned in their first conference win of the season by beating La Salle at a game of efficiency on Oct. 1, 2-1.

Despite being outshot 18-7, bested on corner kicks, 9-3, and playing a man down in the last five minutes of the game, SLU was able to find the back of the net twice to take the three points.

SLU had the slight edge for the first portion of the game. The backline kept the La Salle attack at bay until the 24th minute when senior midfielder Joe Saad found junior defender Jair Hernandez on a corner kick, which he battled into the back of the net. Hernandez earned his first goal of his SLU career. The men kept the upper hand for a solid 15 minutes until a La Salle player ripped a shot past junior goalie Sascha Otte to bring the game to a tie just minutes before halftime.

An entirely new La Salle team came out to challenge the Billikens in the second half. Their attack was on fire with 13 shots and 8 corner kicks. However, the Billiken backline gladly greeted the challenge and held off the Explorers’ relentless pursuit for a game-winner.

SLU’s hard work on the

CHEER

FINISH STRONG: Sophomore Matt Prest presses forward in the Forest Park Cross Country Festival in St. Louis, Mo. The SLU men’s team lost by a point to rival SIUE. SIUE Cross Country course.

The women’s team ran a 6K racecourse, and senior Nina Razavi posted the Billikens’ strongest time with a 23:07.60 race. The men’s team, on the other hand, ran on an 8K course. Junior Hiob Gebisso was the Billikens’ top runner, posting a time of 25:43.46.

Bell commented on the meet afterwards. “Today’s meet was a great opportunity for our younger student athletes to gain some experience,” he said. “Our freshmen

JEER WHO TO CHEER ICHIRO SUZUKI After reaching 3000 hits at the age of 42 this season, Ichiro Suzuki has played longer and achieved more than most baseball players can dream of. As it turns out, he will be back. The Miami Marlins have exercised their option on Ichiro, and we’ll have at least one more season to witness this legend play America’s pastime.

women got their first chance to race 6K. For the men, we were able to run a different lineup to get them experience in our scoring five. As a staff, we are pleased with the progress this group of student athletes has made thus far. From day one of the season we have prioritized the conference championships.

We knew going into this weekend we would be running a different lineup, but we made sure our program got better, and the athletes who raced today did exactly

that.”

The meet was scored as a dual, as SIUE and SLU were the only two NCAA Division I teams competing in the event. SIUE managed to beat SLU by a single point in the men’s competition, and also slipped past the Billikens in the women’s competition.

The Billikens will travel to Peoria, Ill. next week to compete in the Bradley Pink Classic at 2 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 14. SLU will look to continue to improve as the postseason approaches.

See “Soccer” on page 8

Men’s soccer lands first conference win

By VIVEK GORIJALA Associate Sports Editor

Saint Louis Athletics

Island victory has become the fourth golden-goal win

defensive side of the ball paid off in the 56th minute when a SLU player drew a foul in the box to force a penalty kick. Senior midfielder Max Karcher finished off the goal with ease to pull his team ahead once again.

The Billikens’ lead on the road put La Salle on edge, refusing to lose on their home turf. SLU had to ward off many quality chances from the Explorers. In the last five minutes of regulation, Hernandez earned a yellow card, his second of the match, to get himself kicked out of the game. The men were forced to finish the game with ten players.

After a valiant effort and incredible performance in goal from Otte, the Billikens bore down to hold onto the win, 2-1. But, the last few moments of the game were not ones of sportsmanship.

A fight broke out between the two teams, resulting in a straight red card for a La Salle player, a yellow card for sophomore midfielder Lennart Hein and a yellow card also for another La Salle player. Overall, six yellow cards and two red cards were issued throughout the game.

The Billikens now sit at 1-0-0 in Atlantic-10 play.

The men travel to Dayton on Oct. 8 and will take on the Flyers at 6 p.m. to continue their winning streak.

FEAR WHO TO JEER CLEVELAND BROWNS We’re four games into the NFL season, and, to the surprise of no one, the Cleveland Browns have worked extremely hard to attain the only winless record, 0-4, in the league. Next up is a returning Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, so barring a miraculous upset, the Browns can confidently expect an 0-5 record.

WHO TO FEAR CLEMSON TIGERS ACC upstarts Louisville have played well to start the season, behind the Heisman-worthy play of quarterback Lamar Jackson. However, Clemson knocked off Louisville in a close game, 42-36, behind the performance of quarterback Deshaun Watson. If Clemson continues, they can win the ACC.

8 October 6, 2016 Tweet of the week

@joemfox Can’t tell if it was a bottle or a Labatt, but someone threw something at Hyun Soo Kim #WildCard

Scores from the week Men’s Soccer Billikens 2 La Salle 1 The men collected their first win of the season with a victory over the La Salle Explorers on the road. Junior defender Jair Hernandez had his first goal of the season after finishing a header off a corner. Senior midfielder Max Karcher put the game-winner away on a penalty kick in the second half. SLU held onto the win despite losing a player in the last five minutes to a red card.

Volleyball Billikens 0 Dayton 3 Sophomore outside hitter Monica Loftus recorded six kills and six blocks against the Flyers, equaling SLU’s best blocks total in a match this season. Meanwhile, senior outside hitter Danielle Rygelski recorded her ninth double-double of the season, earning 17 kills and 11 digs. Unfortunately, their efforts were not enough to defeat the defending Atlantic 10 champions Dayton.

However, the Billikens did manage to record more blocks at the net than the Flyers did.

Field Hockey Billikens 0 Lock Haven 7 The Billikens dropped the decision to the Bald Eagles despite having four quality chances on goal, one off the post from freshman midfielder Sophia Cheever.

Sophomore goalie Jessie Bryan made three saves, giving a total of 73 on the season. She’’s ranked fifth in the NCAA with 8.33 saves per game.

Cross Country Billiken Women 38 SIUE 18 Billiken Men 28 SIUE 27 The SLU women were bested by SIUE in the John Flamer Invitational on Oct. 1. Senior Nina Razavi led the way for the Billikens with a 6K time of 23:07.60.

Junior Hiob Gebisso took the first position for SLU in the 8K with a time of 25:43.46. Many younger Billikens were able to particiapte in this race and turn in quality results for the Billikens to prepare them for the rest of the season.

SPORTS

This week in sports Thursday, Oct. 6

Friday, Oct. 7

Saturday, Oct. 8

Sunday, Oct. 9

Women’s Soccer 6:30 p.m. @ Richmond

Swim/Dive Show Me Showdown @ Colombia, Mo. Volleyball 4 p.m. @ Fordham

Men’s Soccer 6 p.m. @ Dayton Volleyball 6 p.m. @ Rhode Island

Women’s Soccer 1 p.m. v. George Mason

Soccer: Tolmais earns two

By VIVEK GORIJALA Associate Sports Editor

that the Billikens have had since the start of the 2015 season, with two of those four victories now coming against Rhode Island. The victories show a team that is stronger both mentally and physically from previous years. Before the 2015 season, from 2008 to 2014, SLU did not manage a single golden-goal victory.

Tolmais’ two-goal effort was her second two-goal game this season, with the first coming against Fort Wayne. Senior forward Cristina Rodriguez’s assist represented her first point of the season, and Rodriguez became the second player to record at least one point this season.

The Rhode Island win also showed that the women’s soccer team has made Hermann Stadium a fortified sanctuary this season. So far, the Billikens are a perfect 5-0-0 at home. Of course, the home fortress trend may be a continuation from previous years. SLU is now 9-21 in A-10 home openers, and they have won five of their last six.

The Billikens victory only extended SLU’s dominance over the Rhode Island Rams.

SLU is 9-2 overall in the series, including 7-0 at Hermann Stadium.

Up next for the Billikens will be an Oct. 6 away matchup against Richmond in Richmond, Va at 6:30 p.m. The Billikens have put together an impressive first eleven matches this season, losing only two and drawing only one. SLU will hope that their outstanding performances continue when they face off against the Richmond Spiders.

A ninth double-double this season for senior outside hitter Danielle Rygelski was not enough, as SLU fell three sets to none against the Dayton Flyers, at home at Chaifetz Pavilion, on Saturday, Oct. 1. The loss was the first in SLU’s Atlantic 10 matches this season, and it brought the Billikens to a 7-11 overall record, although that record includes a now 2-1 conference mark.

The double-double for Rygelski came behind 17 kills and 11 digs, showing her offensive and defensive prowess. Her outstanding performances began in the first set, as she recorded six kills and five digs. However, despite her dominance, SLU still lost the first set by 7 points, 25-18.

The second set went a little better for the Billikens, who had a strong defensive effort at the net. SLU had four blocks in the set, with three of them coming from sophomore outside hitter Monica Loftus. However, the stout defense was not enough for the Billikens, and the Flyers took the second set 25-20 to open up a commanding 2-0 lead.

After the break, the Billikens once again improved incrementally from their performances in the first two sets. However, the Billikens still could not pull out a victory, and fell 25-22 in the third set to fall to a 3-0 sweep to the Flyers. The loss in the set came despite Rygelski’s seven third-set kills.

Overall, Loftus had one of her strongest games on record, with six kills and six blocks in the match. The six blocks equal SLU’s season-

Field Hockey falls to Lock Haven The SLU field hockey team traveled to Lock Haven, Pa. for a conference match on Oct. 2, losing 7-0 to the Bald Eagles.

Senior midfielder Caitlin Gibson took the first shot of the game off a penalty corner from sophomore midfielder Carly Kissinger. The Bills had another quality chance in the 11th minute with a shot from junior midfielder Morgan Crowe off Kissinger’s penalty corner. However, Lock Haven beat the Billikens to the board when they put away a penalty corner in the 19th minute.

Sophomore forward Amanda Clark responded just a minute later with a shot on goal, but the Lock Haven goalie came away with the save. The Bald Eagles notched another goal on the board in the last seconds of the first half off a loose ball from a penalty corner squabble. SLU went into halftime facing a 2-0 deficit.

SLU faced major setbacks in the beginning of the second half. Lock Haven made it clear that they were not going to take it easy on the Billikens, as they put three goals in the back of the net within eight minutes to take 5-0 lead.

SLU only put one more

Tuesday, Oct. 11

Golf Swing Dancing 10 a.m. Golf Tourna- 8:30 p.m. Tuesday Night ment for Room at the Inn Swing with Lindy Hop at Westborough Country Saint Louis @ Kranzberg Club Arts Center

Wednesday, Oct. 12 Men’s Soccer 7 p.m. v. Rhode Island

Volleyball swept by Dayton, fall to 6th place in Atlantic-10 standings

Continued from page 7

By LAUREN TONDL Sports Editor

Monday, Oct. 10

shot on frame when freshman midfielder Sophia Cheever hit the post in the 56th minute. The Billikens were unable to muster up any offensive push in the last minutes of the game and eventually let in two more goals to lose with a final score of 7-0.

The women put a total of four shots on the board and earned three penalty corners. Sophomore goalie Jessie Bryan made three saves in the match, adding to her 70 saves on the year. She has played over 500 minutes this season and is currently ranked fifth in the NCAA with 8.33 saves per game.

Sophomore midfielder Molly Feid currently leads the pack with four goals and two assists, and Kissinger is a close second with three goals and three assists.

Freshman Alison Pinnock has two goals on the season.

Senior back Maya Bentley, Cheever and sophomore midfielder Jess Dunlap all have put one goal away for the Bills this season.

Up next for the Billikens are two home games against La Salle on Oct. 14 and Central Michigan on Oct. 16 at Sportport.

Later in the season, the women will face Davidson, Saint Francis, VCU and Richmond before the A-10 Championship on Nov. 4.

Saint Louis Athletics

REACH: Sophomore setter Camila Rivas flicks the ball past a blocker in Chaifetz Arena. The Bills dropped to 2-1 in conference with a 3-0 loss to Dayton on Oct. 2. best for blocks in a match. In addition, her six kills came on only 10 attempts, and she committed only one error.

This led her to a .500 attack percentage in the match.

Overall, blocks proved to be a strength for the Billikens as a team, as SLU out-blocked Dayton 8.5 to 7.5.

Coming up next for the Billikens will be more Atlantic 10 conference matchups.

Saint Louis will take on a pair of Rams next, Fordham on Friday, Oct. 7 and Rhode Island on Saturday, Oct. 8.

Both will be away games, so the Billikens will travel to Bronx, N.Y. for the Fordham

match and to Kingston, R.I. for the Rhode Island match.

Despite the loss to Dayton, SLU is still positioned well to make an impact in the conference championships. Dayton has moved ahead in the Atlantic 10, but with the majority of the conference matchups left to play, first place is still winnable for SLU. However, importantly, SLU’s 2-1 record puts them at sixth place in the conference, which would still be good enough to make the Atlantic 10 Championship tournament.

Considering that the conference tournament will be

held here at Chaifetz Pavilion, SLU will want to quickly rebound from their sweep against Dayton in order to climb up the standings.

Ahead of SLU are several teams also vying for a good postseason seeding. VCU is also 2-1, but ahead of SLU in fifth place due to their 11-8 overall record. Duquesne is in third place and Fordham is in fourth place, both with 3-1 records. Dayton is in second place with a 3-0 record, and Rhode Island tops the table with a perfect 4-0 record so far. Rhode Island will prove to be a tough test for the Billikens in Kingston.

Swimming succeeds in first dual meet of the season

By VIVEK GORIJALA Associate Sports Editor

The Billikens will hope that the Butler Duals, which took place on Sunday, Oct. 2, will be a strong springboard for the rest of their season, as the SLU men’s swim and dive team went 3-1 and the SLU women’s swim and dive team went 3-2. Just prior to the Butler Duals, on Friday, Sept. 30, the Billikens competed in their first dual meet of the season, against crosstown rivals Wash. U. Against Wash. U., the men won a tight competition, 116 points to 107 points. SLU posted a number of race winners in the meet. The 1000-yard freestyle went to sophomore Isaiah Williams, who recorded a time of 9:52.24. Junior Ryan McCoy won the 200yard freestyle, with a time of 1:43.47. Meanwhile, senior Austin Nguyenphu won the 200-yard IM with a time of 1:55.76. McCoy stuck again with a 47.14 time in the 100yard freestyle. The 500-yard freestyle was then won by junior Jeremy Goodison in 4:47.48. Finally, sophomore Brian North, senior Nick Jessee, freshman Collin O’Brien and junior Ryan McCoy won the 200-yard freestyle relay in 1:26.32.

The women had some race winners against Wash.

U. despite losing their meet, 130 points to 109 points. Junior Riley Kirby, freshman Emily Kishish, senior Olivia Garrett and freshman Mary First finished in first place in the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:49.67. Junior Mina Glenesk won the 1000yard freestyle in 10:38.02, and Kirby struck again in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 58.73. Glenesk won the 500-yard freestyle in 5:10.31. Finally, Kishish won the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:08.93.

In the Butler Duals, the men’s team went 3-1, defeating Valparaiso, Western Illinois and Xavier, but losing to Wright State. The women defeated Butler, Valparaiso

and Western Illinois, but fell to Wright State and Xavier, for a 3-2 record.

The Billiken men had several winners. The 200yard IM went to Nguyenphu, who swam the race in 1:54.93. Williams won the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 1:54.56. Nguyenphu then won again, this time in the 200-yard breaststroke, swimming the race in 2:08.18. Meanwhile, the women had a couple race winners as well. Freshman Savannah Nichols won the 200-yard butterfly in 2:10.70, and Elaine Mahon won the 100-yard freestyle in 52.14.

Next up for the Billikens will be a trip to Columbia, Mo., for the Show-Me Showdown on Oct. 7.

Saint Louis Athletics

BREATHE: A SLU men’s swimmer battles hard in a freestyle race in the Simon Recreation Center.

&

Opinions Editorials

October 6, 2016 opinion@unewsonline.com Trevor Rogan, 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.

Congress overrides presidential veto, fails to conceive consequences

Letters

to the editor 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 orginal 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.

On Wednesday, Sept. 28, Congress voted to override President Obama’s veto of a bill that gives families of the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks the authority to sue Saudi Arabia over allegedly supporting those attackers.

By a nearly unanimous 97-1 Senate vote and a 348-77 House vote, the congressional chambers bypassed the president’s veto. This was the 12th time Obama used his veto power, and the first instance in which he was overridden in his two terms in office.

Although both Democrats and Republicans supported the bill, the Obama administration thought the bill posed risks to the U.S. White House spokesman Josh Earnest did not limit the bill’s impact to U.S. relations with Saudi Arabia. He said the Obama administration is “deeply concerned about the impact that this bill would have on the U.S. relationship with countries all around the world.”

Because the bill allows Americans to sue not only Saudi Arabia but any country for involvement in terrorism, there is the possibility that other countries could create laws allowing their citizens

to sue the U.S. for sponsoring terrorism. With its many military bases and such a broad influence abroad, the U.S. could be at a greater risk for these legal suits. American military officials, then, could be drawn into foreign courts, and sensitive material could be leaked.

These risks outweigh the benefits of this bill, and despite the bill helping give voice to those who lost loved ones in the Sept. 11 attacks, the country’s national security is more important. In addition, the bill passed with such strong support, likely because opposing it would be a bad political move; who would do something to take freedom away from the families of 9/11 victims?

Supporters of the bill even had qualms about supporting it, such as Republican Lindsey Graham. “We’ve got diplomats and soldiers and American business-people all around the world,” the senator said, “so we’ve got to think long and hard about not opening up Pandora’s box to our own people.”

But Graham voted against Obama’s veto anyway.

In retrospect, over two dozen senators from both parties signed a letter re-

questing revisions to the bill, which has now become a law. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who was among the letter’s signees, went as far as to blame Obama for the passage of the bill, saying that he “dropped the ball.” McConnell contended that the White House did not effectively communicate with Congress on the bill’s downsides.

Such a statement is outrageous. The Obama administration argued against the bill fervently. To shift blame to the president for a bill he vetoed dips into the absurd.

McConnell’s statement displays the ability of many politicians to twist their actions and those of others in favor of themselves. The senate majority leader will say he supports families of 9/11 victims but also uses the bill to criticize his opposition in government.

The actions of the U.S. Congress resembles those of post-Brexit voters who leaned toward leaving the European Union. In the same way that the voters did not know what they were supporting or what the implications were, each member of Congress did not read the bill’s contents or conceive of

its flaws. While voters should ideally understand what they are voting on, members of Congress certainly should.

Our representatives should represent the best of us. We trust our leaders to make educated decisions.

What may be most frustrating about the veto is that both parties resisted the president’s veto. In the senate, only Harry Reid stood in unity with the president, an act of loyalty and one without ramifications—he is not seeking reelection in November.

Senators Tim Kaine and Bernie Sanders did not vote.

This means neither party thoroughly considered the law’s possible effects. All but three U.S. senators ranked the consequences abroad below their ability to say they supported a bill assisting 9/11 victims’ families.

Bipartisan support is usually a good thing. Gridlock slows progress. In this case, however, it would have been for the best if senators had separated themselves from the pack. It would have been for the best if they had said, “I support the victims’ families, but I do not support this bill. I will not protest the president’s veto.”

“ “ “ “

Quotes of the Week

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My greatest enjoyment was watching little Afghan girls go to school.

Allen West, conservative activist, page 3

” ” ”

The walls...are part of a...solution CAM has put into effect regarding an outcry of dissent... following the Kelley Walker exhibition.

Megan Anthony, contributor, page 6

We cannot say we are men and women working for the common good of others and also allow invited speakers to dehumanize significant populations of our community.

Denish Jaswal, junior, page 10

Trump: immune to most controversy, but still vulnerable On Tuesday night, Indiana Governor Mike Pence deflected blow after blow from his opponent, Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, in the 2016 Vice Presidential Debate. Kaine repeatedly referenced controversial comments made by the governor’s running mate, Donald Trump, including the businessman’s badmouthing of Senator John McCain’s military service.

Since being chosen as Trump’s running mate, Pence has specialized in damage control, softening extreme comments made by Trump and broadening the appeal of the Republican ticket. With Trump’s ceaseless blunders, one would think that Pence could not correct his running mate’s every mistake, especially when Trump is so unpredictable.

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However, Trump’s polling numbers have been, for the most part, consistently competitive. Since May, Trump has remained, on average, within 10 points of his competitor, Hillary Clinton, according to RealClearPolitics. He currently polls at about 44.2 percent of the vote on average, compared to Clinton, who polls at 48.1 percent. In spite of hateful rhetoric and alienation of several voter groups, the two candidates are essentially tied in the polls.

Is there nothing that damages the Republican candidate’s viability? Can he say anything and expect the voters to back him?

This candidate has made misogynistic comments about women, called Mexican immigrants rapists and claimed the Chinese in-

vented global warming. He suggested President Barack Obama is not eligible for office, a myth that persists today, and has individually besieged countless people from his Twitter account.

Although many people loathe Trump and detest his remarks, his voter base remains intact.

Pence isn’t as effective at damage control. Trump, rather, survives each mistake because his voters frame these comments not as bigotry or unpreparedness, but as their candidate being forthright. Donald Trump says what he means.

Another dimension of Trump’s voter base is their distrust of Clinton and the political establishment to which she belongs. In this way, Trump’s candidacy is a protest of American politics.

Americans are willing to dismiss his controversial comments by focusing on their distaste for Clinton. They think she is corrupt and ineffective. These Americans, fed up with the same political procedures, want drastic change in government and expect Trump to accomplish this.

What breaks Trump are attacks from people who identify with his base. Established elites can’t touch him.

His supporters look at them and see bias. People like the Khans, a Gold Star family, can hurt Trump, especially when they bait him into attacking the identities of his base.

Trump criticized the Khans, the Pakistani-American parents of United States Army Captain Humayun Khan, who was killed in Iraq

in 2004. He suggested that Mrs. Khan was unable to speak at the Democratic National Convention because of her religion, despite her saying that she didn’t want to speak—talking about her son’s death made her cry.

He compared his business prowess to military service, claiming this was sacrifice.

In polls following his criticism, his numbers plummeted. On July 27, his polling average was 45.7 percent, but by July 9 the average dipped down to 39.9.

Clinton has managed to maintain a low profile and let Trump hurt himself for the most part. She has much more to lose when it comes to making mistakes, and she is held to a much higher standard. However, Trump’s attack on the Khan family displays his vulnerability.

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Although his numbers have climbed since August, Trump’s attack on military personnel reveals his weakness. If Trump alienates his base, such as those involved in the military, he loses support. Republicans already do not carry African Americans and Latinos, so losing them will not strongly impact him this far into the race. If Clinton can lure Trump into damaging his relationship with his base, however, especially military personnel, he will be hurt much worse.

Trump may elude the restraints of normal politicians, but his interaction with the Khan family demonstrates he is not invincible. Even the masterful damage control of Mike Pence won’t protect the Republican ticket from alienation of the conservative base.

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OPINIONS & EDITORIALS

Pay-to-play soccer prevents rise of urban players in U.S.

Michael Tettambel

There is a great issue that exists in the United States, and that is pay-to-play soccer. In many cities, such as St. Louis, the only way to catch attention of collegiate coaches and earn opportunities is to join a soccer club. If a child wishes to be recognized and move up the ranks in the soccer community, one would have better chances of doing so while on a club team. Many private club fees range from $500 to $900 but may extend to thousands for external expenses.

The general price of joining a club immediately prevents a large group of kids from participating in club soccer. Fees exclude those who cannot afford to pay them and parents to the kids who play often have to pay much more than the standard fee. The system is aimed to a generally white, middle-to-upper-class audience. There are thousands of gifted athletes that live in African-American, Hispanic and immigrant communities. It is odd to see the under-representation of latinos in the higher levels of soccer despite such great popularity of the sport in their culture.

Moreover, the pay-toplay dynamic acts as a racial and class barrier, but soccer is a game for everyone. The game spans across all barriers of race, language and culture. It is a universal language. And in many less af-

fluent communities, soccer is central to identity.

Some of the most talented players across the world arose from impoverished communities. Lionel Messi grew up in the destitute city of Rosario, Argentina. Cristiano Ronaldo was also born into a poor family in a poor neighborhood. International superstars in the soccer community came from poverty.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic grew up in a slum located in Malmo, Sweden. Many other players share the same background as these three. Zinedine Zidane said in an interview with the Guardian, “I was lucky to come from a difficult area. It teaches you not just about football but also life. There are lots of kids from different races and poor families. People had to struggle to get through the day.”

Zidane was a talented player from France. However, it is extremely rare to hear similar stories to theirs in the United States. And I believe it is because of the pay-to-play system. Just imagine if these players had to pay thousands of dollars in order to be given a chance to rise the ranks in the soccer world.

Therefore, the pay-toplay system is hindering American children, especially in St. Louis. A trend of viewing soccer as a white suburban sport emerges.

Even as diversity increases, there is still a gap. St. Louis is home to over 200,000 immigrants, according to

the American Immigration Council. I am sure these people have great talent.

If only they were given the chance to play and excel.

If the United States wishes to compete on an international scale, pay-to-play soccer must be a way of the past. In an article featured on the MLS’s website, half of the US Men’s National team are immigrants or children of immigrants. Now imagine if paying to play was not an issue. Soccer should be equitable, not equal. Give players a fair chance to excel regardless of financial status or social standings. There are gifted players within urban areas and they need to be identified, whether it be by a principal or neighborhood leader. Talent must not go unnoticed.

There are multiple ways to combat pay-toplay soccer. Luckily, the pay-to-play model is slowly being left behind, but not fast enough.

The easiest way is by bringing soccer into urban centers. As of right now, soccer is only available to those who can afford it. Bring the game to those who are less fortunate. Send in coaches and form teams with an affordable price or no price at all.

Create a grassroots movement to bring attention to players who have a bright future. Coaches need to put money aside and let the kids play. Do not turn this sport into a business. Do not let so much talent go to waste just because of money.

If the United States wishes to compete on an international scale, pay-to-play soccer must be a way of the past.

Allowing hate speech conflicts with Jesuit mission

Denish Jaswal

“Higher Purpose. Greater Good.”

With these words, Dr. Pestello closed his email to SLU last week. He reminded us what commitment to our University’s purpose and values looked like, following crass comments made against the Muslim Student Association (MSA) by invited speaker Colonel Allen West. Though he personally condemned the remarks, SLU’s commitment to the free enterprise of ideas obligated Pestello to allow Lt. Col. West to speak.

As President of Political Round Table, I understand how critical differing thought is to discovering truth. Without a medley of distinct ideas, even the most well-crafted roundtable becomes a pulpit. I respect finding common ground between free speech and our Ignatian values. But with the utmost respect, I completely disagree with Dr. Pestello’s statement. There are two reasons why.

The first is the incongruity between hate speech and our University’s commitment to both the common good and sense of community. Lt. Col. West, in response to alleged “censorship” by the University, wrote multiple posts on his website, calling MSA a “stealth jihad radical organization” intent on “waging a civilizational jihad” to “destroy Western civilization from within.” This hateful speech fundamentally undermines the legitimacy of the widely peaceful religion of Islam. He transmutes our

fellow classmates, the brothers and sisters we are supposed to work for and with, into objects of terror, the omnipresent enemy we must stomp out at any cost. Allowing this speech on campus is inconsistent with our values. We cannot say we are men and women working for the common good of others and also allow invited speakers to dehumanize significant populations of our community, especially not in a building committed to global citizenship. At least, we can’t say this without being called hypocrites in the same breath.

But let’s put hate speech aside and accept that SLU has a commitment to freedom of speech, and this freedom of speech is in itself indicative of our mission of intellectual inquiry. So naturally we’ve had a continuous history of allowing controversial speakers on campus to broaden perspectives, right? Wrong. This is one of the few times that SLU has used its commitment to free speech to justify a controversial speaker. SLU is well-documented in clinging to its Judeo-Christian values to deny speakers. The most salient examples from the University’s recent history include denying Planned Parenthood speaker Linda Raclin and the Vagina Monologues for their lack of adherence to our Jesuit-Catholic values. Worse, still, is the precedent denying events like these has established in the culture of campus conversation. Political Round Table, for instance, is a group that discusses “conversations that matter” by engaging students in dialogue about issues beyond campus. But even we don’t dream of having conversations about abortion and atheism because we know these conversations, though popular, would never get past University mission-

based standards. SLU has historically created a dichotomy between our mission and free speech—the two are regarded incompatible, and when in conflict, Jesuit values reign.

However, in light of Dr. Pestello’s email, it seems SLU has reversed these standards and declared this dichotomy false. No longer can we deny speakers based on the content of their speech—we simply must adapt and treat all their views with courtesy and legitimacy, even if they stand to fundamentally degrade our students’ humanity. It seems we are left with two options: either (1) Lt. Col. West and his speech are an exemption to SLU’s commitment to its values, or (2) there is a new precedent on speaker engagements that Dr. Pestello is intent on rolling out. If it’s the former, we have obvious issues to address. If it’s the latter, then is there any limit on what speakers can be brought to campus? Can we bring back Linda Raclin, bring back the Vagina Monologues and do away with the silly speaker agreements which force all speakers to adhere to SLU’s Jesuit values? The answer at this time is, sadly, unclear.

Values and ideals do not gain their power from their invocation or mindless repetition, whether in emails or speech. They gain their power through the actions committed with their guidance. If we are to become a University who prides itself in allowing every speaker— even speakers who preach hate—to come to our campus, then that is fair. But we cannot live in this hypocritical middle ground where we pretend to also be living out our Jesuit Mission. We must make a choice. In the protests against West, SLU students made their choice.

I respectfully urge SLU’s administration to do the same.

An open letter to Allen West

Maggie Cipriano

Dear Lt. Col. Allen West, As you know, on Sept.

29, Saint Louis University students flooded the auditorium—the same auditorium where Martin Luther King Jr. spoke about civil rights and race relations almost 52 years ago. The Center for Global Citizenship was a sea of white, as students held a peaceful walk-out protest in white shirts based off of the comments you made earlier in the week about our fellow peers and friends. For us, this was not acceptable.

You claimed that SLU was censoring your views while stripping you of your First Amendment right: free speech. To counteract this, you claimed SLU students were “little cupcakes”–whatever that means. What was even more disgraceful was how you addressed a group of students of whom you have never met, our Muslim Student Alliance, as a “stealth jihad radical Islamic campus organization... an affiliate of the Muslim Brotherhood.” Unacceptable.

Before you entered the stage, the woman that introduced you mentioned the Oath of Inclusion. She explained that we were being shameful because we were going against the Oath by not keeping our minds open— that we were being “intolerant” of your views—when the exact reason we were in that room was because there was a group at SLU who was being discriminated against,

which is the entire opposite of the Oath. Discrimination is the reason the Oath was formed, and any student, alumnus or staff member would know that.

While we left the room, peacefully, you were discussing Syrian refugees. At the exact moment I silently walked by you, you said “I guess you don’t care about Syrian refugees.” Well, now that would not make sense, since right outside the door were SLU students with cupcakes ($1 suggested donation). The revenue is all going to Syrian refugees, which you know, because following the previous comment about refugees, you exclaimed that you had a donation as you held out a $20 bill.

Now, all of these aspects mixed together may seem like a recipe for a disaster, but I am actually here to thank you. Thank you for creating an extremely powerful night that will forever be in our minds. Thank you for creating a community closeness that I—along with other students and staff— have never felt before. Together, we sat in peace as we were ridiculed by others and yelled at by the crowd. In a recent video, a woman says, “Get out of here, assholes,” and that is just what we did.

Together, we left.

As we left, a member of the MSA told us, “It’s okay, it’s okay… it’s over now.”

Then, the president and other members of the MSA personally shook hands and thanked every person wearing white. Fifty-two years after MLK spoke in that same room, one would hope to see change in America’s race relations. Sadly, as seen tonight, this is not a reality.

People are still being profiled for having darker skin and for being part of a religion that is not fully understood

in America. As your opener said to us, if you believe in “diversity, stability and open discourse,” allow us to peacefully show you how we feel about your views. Allow us to have our own beliefs, and hear us out without being “intolerant.”

Post speech, the students in white met outside of the CGC. The array of students from different backgrounds all coming together was extremely refreshing after enduring the hate we sat through prior. We made our way down to Saint Louis University’s landmark, the Clock Tower, behind a white banner that said, “Free speech does not equal hate speech.” We piled on the steps as the MSA presidents spoke to us. Co-president of the MSA, Maariya Ahmed, thanked us and told us that “the amount of love we have here is greater than the hate in there.” A speech has never been more simple, more true or more emotional.

Since I thanked you, Lt. Col. Allen West, I also want to thank the MSA for orchestrating such a compelling protest. Although hate was being brought to the campus, you drove the student body to combat that with peace and love. Also, I want to show gratitude to students who came in white to send a message to West; Saint Louis University does not tolerate those who denounce our peers. We came together to counter hate, as so many have and so many will. As Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. rightfully said in our very own Center for Global Citizenship so many years ago, “We have come a long, long way, but we have a long, long way to go before this problem is solved.”

Peace, love, more, A Liberal Cupcake Maggie Cipriano

Unequal funding disservices students in poor, urban schools

Trevor Rogan

Not everyone receives a quality education in the United States. Many public schools are underfunded, especially those in poor, urban areas. I am concerned with the means by which public schools receive funding, and how location inherently promotes the success of some schools over others. I believe that our country’s prosperity depends on education, but equality of education is not given the attention it deserves in this country. Our representatives should allocate more resources toward education, especially toward poor areas, in order to equalize opportunity.

I tutor students at Vashon High School, where more kids dropped out of school during the 2014-2015 school year than graduated. This school is attended almost exclusively by African-American students who come from low-income families. Despite receiving extra funding through the Full Service Program, which provides nutritional, social and educational assistance, Vashon still lacks the capacity to provide an education on par with other schools around the St. Louis area.

Public schools derive much of their funding from local property taxes. I went to a suburban school in St. Louis County. Because the residents where I went to school own homes more expensive than those from which Vashon receives its funding, the school district can hire teachers with high-

er levels of education. The school district retains proficient teachers by offering higher-paying salaries and providing a multitude of services absent from Vashon.

Noticing this difference in my education compared to those of students attending Vashon, I realize my chances to succeed were much higher than theirs. I had more opportunities because of the wealth of my community. Students from poorer areas should not miss out on opportunities that I was afforded because of the situation into which I was born. They deserve more funding.

Since the early 1970s, almost every state has faced at least one lawsuit over how it pays for schools, and whether the result is fair or adequate. In the U.S. Supreme Court case San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez, the plaintiffs argued that any school-funding system dependent on local property tax revenue is fundamentally unfair to poorer districts and is in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. In a split 5-4 decision, the court said the federal government has no obligation to enforce equal funding and left these decisions up to the states.

Justice Thurgood Marshall wrote in his dissent that he could not “accept such an emasculation of the Equal Protection Clause in the context of this case.”

Funding differs from state to state. Some states provide more funding for

poorer districts, while others do little to help. Even in poorer districts, the numbers can be deceiving. Despite greater funding, they still need more assistance.

Students in these districts lack access to certain goods and services because of their family’s income, and the school needs to help them, otherwise their education suffers. It’s difficult to learn when you’re hungry.

Many schools in poor districts cannot satisfy the needs of their students. They cannot provide students with the quality of education conducive to success. This is not the best education our nation can provide. An insufficient education leads to more high school d ro p o u t s , higher unemployment, more people on welfare and medicaid and more people imprisoned.

These costs on society outweigh the costs of a quality education.

Our society needs an educated population in order to be the most effective.

Whether it is economic or political, engagement with one another increases in frequency and efficiency the more educated we are.

We contribute more to the economy and make smarter decisions about our elected officials. In the end, our society benefits greatly.

Where you are born should not determine the education that you receive.

The odds should not be stacked against you from birth. We need a more equitable way to fund our education system.

Students from poorer areas should not miss out on opportunities that I was afforded because of the situation into which I was born.

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