No. 23 (April 14, 2016) by University News

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Response from the men’s baseball team

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Thursday, April 14, 2016

A student voice of Saint Louis University since 1921

Vol. XCV No. 23

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Baseball team at center of online bias incident Administrators prescribe restorative justice for affected parties

In May of 2015, a racially biased exchange occurred between a current and former member of the Saint Louis University baseball team. The conversation took place in a pitchers-only GroupMe, a group messaging application, while the team was on a trip to Washington D.C. The thread of messages included insensitive racial comments and stereotypes. One player took a photograph of the messages and sent it to his roommate, Brenden Twomey, an African-American senior at SLU and former manager of the baseball team. Twomey viewed the message, but he kept the photograph to himself for almost a year. “When I received that screen shot, obviously I knew it was wrong, but I was in a tough situation because I didn’t want to necessarily hurt anybody,” said Twomey. During his time as manager, from the start of the spring 2014 semester until the spring of 2015 semester, Twomey said he experienced a culture of racial insensitivity. “You become close [to the players] because you do spend so much time with them, so you overlook [that],” he said, adding: “At the same time, I felt extremely disrespected. I knew there should be some sort of punishment,

but I didn’t know how to go about that.” It wasn’t until late March of 2016 that Twomey addressed the incident. His friend, Dominique Morgan, a fellow SLU student, saw the photograph of the conversation on his phone and prompted him to file a biasrelated incident, which the University defines as “any act or behavior that is a violation of the Code of Student Conduct and/or the Policy on Harassment and reasonably believed to be motivated by

“

I was in a tough situation because I didn’t want to necessarily hurt anybody

“

By EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM Associate News Editor

-Brenden Twomey, Student

a consideration (real or perceived) of race, sex, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, disability, age, sexual orientation, marital status, military status, veteran status, pregnancy, or any other protected classification.” On April 4, the pair filed the report with the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity. According to Dr. Mona Hicks, Associate Vice President and Dean of Students, the University handles bias-

related incidents on a caseby-case basis. However, she explained that in all incidents reported, the University documents the initial report and moves forward by gathering more information and context of the incident from all parties involved. Hicks said in this case, after Twomey and Morgan filed the initial report, the pair spoke with the investigator, who was activated by the bias-incident response team, the next day, on Tuesday, April 5. But Hicks added that the case still warranted more investigation. “Like in any investigation, we need to talk to all parties. In this case, some of those parties were not here. Either no longer enrolled [at SLU] or not in the city of St. Louis by the virtue of their role on campus, i.e. away game, away game, away game.” Hicks said. The baseball team was out of town for away games from April 5 to the 10. By April 11, Twomey and Morgan had not received any additional information about the status of the report or the investigation, which they said lead them to assume that action was not being taken. “We waited a week, and then we decided to contact BSA [Black Student Alliance],” said Morgan. “We went public because we felt like it was being swept under the rug.” Morgan sent the photograph of the messages to

Taken from Facebook

GroupMe: Two members, one current and one former, sent insensitive racial comments during an exchange on a trip to Washington D.C. in May 2015. BSA along with an email, supplying context from their perspective. Jonathan Pulphus, the incoming president of BSA, then posted both the photo of the messages and the email on Facebook, saying that the intention was to raise awareness about these events. Although the reporting

parties felt that seven days was too long not to hear back from the University, Hicks said that the this timeline was typical for these investigations. “On Monday [April 11], we scheduled a meeting for Tuesday, and in the transition of Monday to Tuesday, that note became a writ-

large notification to the campus because of the interpretation that there was too much time [that had gone by],” said Hicks. “That was a misunderstanding on our parts. On my part, I think that’s quick.” Hicks has since met with Morgan and Twomey and updated the pair on the status of the report. According to the biasrelated incident-report log, the investigation into the incident was closed on April 7 and referred to Dr. Jonathan Smith, the Special Assistant to President Pestello for Diversity and Inclusion. It was also labeled not applicable for disciplinary action. Due to the nature of the incident, since it was a private conversation rather than a message directed at one person, Hicks did not believe that it met the criteria for adjudication. “If I were to directly state to you, ‘You suck because of all of your social identities that God gave you.’ That would be wrong. That would require some adjudication,” said Hicks. “We also need to respect laws. This was a private conversation, or at least the perception of private between in-group parties.” Since the messages went public, the baseball team met with Hicks, Smith and other administrators to dis-

See “Bias” on Page 3

Breel spotlights mental health through humor Comedian tells his version of overcoming depression

Emily Higginbotham / The University News

BREEL: The comic performed in the Center for Global Citizenship on April 11, speaking about the depression he recounted in a viral TED Talk three years ago. By LUKE VEST Staff Writer

In an age where social media makes people appear to look so happy, twentytwo-year-old comedian Kevin Breel confronts an uncomfortable issue: mental health. On Monday, April 11, Breel visited Saint Louis University on a nationwide tour promoting his book “Boy Meets Depression: Or Life Sucks and Then You Live.” The event was hosted by SLU Wellness in the Center for Global Citizenship. Breel spoke to an audience of hundreds of SLU stu-

dents at the Center for Global Citizenship. He described his childhood depression, which was fueled by his father’s alcoholism and the death of a close friend. “I didn’t know how to help myself,” he said. “I spent all of my time in my room.” After years of suppressing his illness, Breel decided that he would commit suicide in February of 2011. While writing a note to his family, he realized that he had never told anyone the things that he was writing. “They’re just things that I’m afraid to talk about, and I just had this thought, which

was that I shouldn’t quit on myself if I’ve never tried to help myself.” He told his mother about his thoughts the next day, and she took him to counseling. He described the counselor as a mirror, “an angle that can show you a different part of who you are.” After a year of treatment, Breel finally felt at ease. But then a seventeen-year-old girl in his community committed suicide, and for the first time, Breel knew that he was not the only one who dealt with depression. “I had spent four years of my life really thinking that I

was alone in the struggle and that I was weird and sort of like the only person dealing with that.” Breel began researching mental health seriously, and found that in his native Canada, suicide is the number one cause of death for persons ages 17 to 25, and that there were more than one millions suicides worldwide within the previous year. He struggled with these facts and felt compelled to act. His counselor told him that “All of us in our life are living our own version of a story… and with that, you can either share it, or you can be ashamed of it.” Breel chose to share it. In 2013, Breel gained international attention with his TED Talk, “Confessions of a Depressed Comic,” which today has more than four million internet views. He received thousands of emails in response to the video, most of which were from people who related to his story. He found that the red thread connecting all the messages was that “Not only do people struggle with [this], but they don’t know how to talk about it and they really just don’t think they can.” During a visit to his mother’s house, Breel found old journals that he had written in as a teenager. “I would

See “Breel” on Page 3

nuclear-waste dump By PAUL BRUNKHORST Editor-in-Chief

Weldon Spring, the downtown site, the Latty Avenue site, West Lake Landfill, Coldwater Creek: these are all terms used frequently in the documentary “The First Secret City,” which will be shown in the AnheuserBusch Auditorium of the John Cook School of Business on Wednesday, April 20 at 7 p.m. And they are used frequently for good reason; it is at these sites that nuclear material and its waste have been produced and disposed of since the U.S. government hired St. Louis-based Mallinckrodt Company early in the 1940s to purify uranium for use in an atomic weapon – the weapon that would be used to bomb Japan during World War II. In fact, as filmmakers Alison Carrick and C.D. Stelzer – the makers of “The First Secret City” – say, since the 1940s, when the government first hired Mallinckrodt, the process of dealing with the waste from this purification of uranium – which Mallinckrodt did for the government until 1967 – has caused a great deal of environmental and human damage and has led to frustrating confrontations with the bureaucratic juggernaut of local and national politics. As Carrick and Stelzer outlined in an interview with The University News, since the 1940s, the radioactive

waste produced by Mallinckrodt during the period in which it purified uranium has been shuffled to various locations and has been illegally dumped in the West Lake Landfill in Bridgeton, Missouri, which was capped by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2008 and currently has an underground fire ravaging its space – a fire which Carrick and Stelzer say is approaching the nuclear waste that was dumped there. Indeed, they said, this is the story the film tells: how nuclear waste was produced in St. Louis, how it was moved around to many places – including Mallinckrodt’s downtown site and the residential areas near Coldwater Creek in north St. Louis County – and how the various local governments and the federal government, both of who have a stake in its cleanup, have not acted. “The reason we looked into this is because in every newspaper article … it would just say [that] it was illegally dumped, [and] it would use the passive voice,” Carrick said. “So we began to think, ‘Well, how could this happen? Who did this? Why weren’t they even fined?’ … And what we ended up finding out … our theory is that, because they were all these small little fiefdoms out there … and they were kind of See “Nuclear” on Page 3

NEWS

April 14, 2016

Tech on deck: An update on the Library Commons Committee members detail Pius’s future paper-digital convergence

Courtesy of Kyle Collins

SLU Law: Scott Hall hosted a conference on taking legal action against the practice of human trafficking worldwide. By TIM WILHELM News Editor

As The University News reported in February, a committee of faculty and staff is developing an Academic Technology Commons that will occupy 14,000 square feet of Pius Library’s main floor and beyond. This endeavor follows a $2 million project, completed three years ago, that encompassed new carpeting, grounded electrical outlets, light fixtures and furniture. “It really was not a renovation as much as a refresh,” said Martha Allen, a research librarian and Chair of Research and Instruction Services at Pius, of the previous project. “This really is the next step, and the renovation was always step one

of the process to re-envision the space to meet the users’ needs.” She revealed that renovating sharply increased the number of library users, from 500,000 “gate counts” per year to 650,000. “The library has always been a space for community,” she said. “This is a natural fit to bring in tech, because this is where so many people are.” She called the Commons a marriage of the physical and virtual library. According to Vice President, CIO and Chief Innovation Officer David Hakanson, the Commons will be “an exciting space to engage our faculty and students with the latest advancements in technology, and with the tools to support innovation and entrepreneurship.” Kyle Collins, the director of ITS Enterprise Resources who spearheads the project,

said it will establish a “true collaboration” between ITS and the library. “I believe it’s the future of libraries,” said Mikael Kriz, another research librarian. “Why shouldn’t the library still be the place you go if you have to do a video instead of a paper, or you need to create a digital artifact? So, this just kind of brings everything full circle, so that students—no matter what project they’re working on— will come to the library. The library has the content, subject expertise and then now we’ll have the IT expertise to help people navigate that environment.” The committee chose the architecture firm Ratio Design, led by Kevin Huse, who specializes in libraries. Representatives came on-site for two days and conducted visioning sessions, which provided student and faculty

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input, which became key to the design. “It really has been driven from that perspective,” said Collins. “This wasn’t [Allen, Kriz and me] just sitting down, cooking up an idea of what would we like to do next. It was really engaging with our community, saying, ‘What is it you need, what’s your vision, what would be exciting in this space that would really drive innovation, drive new ideas, drive adoption?’ ” This design includes an innovation studio equipped with cutting edge technology, such as 3D printers and hologram projectors; a printing service; work stations; two recording studios; and 20 small-group collaboration and study rooms (there are currently four on the main level). Students will also have three-walled rooms fitted with floor-to-

ceiling whiteboards and interactive technology, like Smart Boards. Mobility figures heavily in the Commons’ concept: furniture and the walls will let the technology move around as needs and opportunities evolve. “The space is intentionally going to be fluid,” said Allen, “enough that it’s going to respond to needs of end users as they change, as they ultimately will. And they’re changing at an alarmingly fast rate. The ability to reconfigure walls and meet the needs of the users is very important.” The Commons will also extend outside, transforming Pius’s sheltered perimeter into small rooms with appropriate seating and electrical outlets, so students can work outdoors and take advantage of nice weather. “Our goal is not to take over other technology spaces,” said Collins, citing the Parks Tinker Lab and other specialized pockets of technology. “We want to meet the widest variety of needs possible, but we also want to bring students and faculty together in cross-disciplinary ways.” In Allen’s view, “It’s really a convergence of talents and expertise that separately work well, but together as partners have the potential of just totally supporting the user needs.” She identified a core network of content, service, and information technologists who provide tools to create new things with the content, and librarians, who together “create a brand new model for service and teaching.”

Collins, Kriz and Allen stressed the pioneering nature of the Commons. “There isn’t anything like this anywhere, not in an academic setting,” said Kriz. Committee members visited other university libraries for inspiration, but according to Collins, “While they’re great libraries, they don’t have something like this,” in which librarian staff, faculty and IT staff work in collaboration. He continued: “Our architects are already talking to other universities about this. They’re using this as a model, like this is where things need to go. We haven’t even built it yet and they’re already talking about using our collaboration as a model for other universities.” All three attested that President Pestello and the provost were “very enthusiastic” about the Commons, as was Dave Cassens, Dean of Libraries. “That really speaks volumes of where our leadership is, where they put the university,” said Collins. While the committee is still working on the project’s timeline, they hope to have it finished before SLU’s bicentennial. “Our ultimate date is going to be driven in large part on getting the right donors and support,” said Collins. “We’re not going to walk in on finals week and start knocking down walls.” Until the plan’s physical implementation, the committee is keeping fiscal responsibility in mind, buoyed by “extremely enthusiastic” students and “encouragement from every sector,” according to Kriz.

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NEWS

April 14, 2016

Nuclear: looking the other way when their buddies did a bad thing, in this case dumping radioactive waste, [and] they didn’t get fined. They didn’t get punished. And we’re paying the consequences years later.” “There appears to be a political unwillingness to deal with this issue, either on the cleanup side or on the whole issue itself – whether we should have nuclear power plants,” she added. Carrick and Stelzer stressed the complexity of the issue. Mallinckrodt began processing the uranium before the war, and continued to do so for decades later, but after the company stopped purifying for the government, other companies swooped in to either assist in the disposal of the waste or claim it – as is the case for a mining company in the Belgian Congo, the original supplier of the uranium to the U.S. government. In this mire of agencies and companies, the radioactive waste from Mallinckrodt’s government work was bought and sold – shifting responsibility for it to different parties at different times – and it was dumped at sites

throughout north St. Louis county – most notably near Lambert Airport and at a location on Latty Avenue in north St. Louis County, both of which are within the watershed zone for Coldwater Creek, a tributary that winds through residential areas. “The radioactive waste was dumped at two locations next to this creek,” Selzer said. “And of course the stuff doesn’t stay in place – the wind blows it, rain falls, it erodes, the surface water drains it into the watershed, it goes into the ground water and … disperses that way – so it’s moving around in the environment multiple different ways … so the radioactive waste has been found to have contaminated areas several miles downstream from both the Latty Avenue and airport site.” The fire at West Lake Landfill in Bridgeton, MO, is another important – and pressing – problem presented by the nuclear waste, and it affects many people living and working nearby, the filmmakers articulated. This is true for Dr. Vincent Casaregola, professor of English and director of the Film Studies Program at SLU, who worked to organize the showing of the film at the

University. “The landfill, where nuclear waste has been mixed with other materials, has gone through the hands of different companies and no one seems to take responsibility for it,” he said in an email. “A fire has been burning within the landfill for some time, and should that fire reach the nuclear waste, it is possible that the results of combustion that might emerge from the landfill (gases and particulates) could spread radioactive contaminants into the air and the water in the St. Louis area and beyond. This is a crisis that we all face now--it is in everyone’s backyard.” “On a personal note, my wife works for the Special School District as a SpeechLanguage Pathologist, and she is assigned to Pattonville High School, which is only a short distance from the landfill. Every day she tells me of odors and fumes from the landfill, and she fears for her health and the health of her students and colleagues. This is not just a public policy issue for me, but a personal one,” he also stated. The film seeks to tell these stories – the communal and the personal. It features people from all of

the affected areas in north St. Louis County and takes the viewer on a “road trip,” as Stelzer put it. In doing this, Carrick and Stelzer sought to create a story that both describes the past and stresses the implications of the present problem. “I think with the film, what we wanted to do … was make it be like a mystery, be like a story, and kind of draw people in,” Carrick said. “… and I know there’s no way to sugarcoat it in the end – it’s not a cheerful subject – but I think we really did try to approach it like a story, like a mystery, and [we] ask those questions, ‘Why did this happen? How could this happen? What’s going on now?’ And I think that there are so many interesting personalities within the film, that I think that takes the edge off [of it] … we needed to create a narrative engine that would bring people in and not turn them off because it’s too depressing.” Indeed, Carrick and Stelzer see the need for this “narrative engine”; they lamented the lack of media coverage the issue has garnered, and they iterated that the dilemma of radioactive waste in the St. Louis area is not one to be dismissed. It is

Bias: Team offers apology cuss the incident and the steps that would follow. The individual players involved and Head Coach Darin Hendrickson could not be reached for comment. However, the baseball team, collectively, has taken responsibility for the messages. The team captains, Michael Bozarth, Josh Bunselmeyer, Matt Eckelman and Braxton Martinez, wrote a letter to The University News conveying their regret and apologies to the communities affected and the rest of the SLU community. “The leaders and captains of the team would like to extend an apology to anyone

“

sive community.” offended by the bias messagThe baseball team has es. We, too, are frustrated agreed to and feel participate that the in a restorcomments The leaders and ative jusdo not actice process curately captains of the team to make reflect the would like to extend amends for values that an apology to anythe meswe hold. sages. This In light one offended by the process will of the inbias messages...the require the cident, the comments do not team, as SLU Basewell as the ball proaffected ingram and [our] values. dividuals, athletic -Baseball team captains M o r g a n departand Twomment are ey, as well working members to actively of BSA, to engage in a faciliaddress and thwart any actated dialogue. tion that threatens our inclu-

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Continued from Page 1

“In this instance, we want to bring together parties that have been responsible for degree of harm with parties that have been harmed. In a restorative justice process, we bring those groups together to decide both what the nature of the harm is and what needs to be done in order for the community to be restored and in order for justice to be attained,” said Smith. It is the University’s policy not to comment on any individual’s disciplinary action. Also, Smith said that the timeline for the restorative justice has not been established yet. That decision will be made by the parties involved.

On April 7, at the Center for Global Citizenship, former “Texan of the Year” Reuben Garcia shared his experience working with immigrants since 1978 in El Paso, Texas, through a program called Annunciation House. Garcia was introduced by Bryan Sokol of the Center for Service and Community Engagement – himself a former yearlong volunteer at Annunciation House – and the president of Alpha Sigma Nu, the organization that hosted the lecture series, which seeks speakers whose lives exhibit “the spirit of the Gospels.” Garcia, a graduate of a Jesuit high school, college and graduate school, felt that he was on “home turf ” at SLU, since it is a Jesuit institution. Jesuit education, for Garcia, helped convince him that “all are called to place themselves ‘on the line.” Garcia stressed that “one of the challenges of the first world is that we convince ourselves that we are indispensable,” and that when we engage in service, we believe “that we have a lot more to offer [the people we serve].” One crucial point that Garcia shares with all yearlong volunteers at Annunciation House is that “you do not live your life without coming to terms

with the reality of the poor in the world.” Three quotes served as the main points of Garcia’s talk. The first was from the former Archbishop of Los Angeles, Cardinal Mahoney, who promised in a letter to US Senators that if they were to pass a bill making it illegal to help undocumented migrants in the US, he would encourage all parishes in his diocese, the largest in the country, to disobey the law. For the highest-ranking member of the Catholic Church to encourage civil disobedience, according to Garcia, is simply to adhere to the “pride of place” that the poor, widows, orphans and aliens are called to have based on the teachings of Christ. The second quote was much longer and came from a human right affidavit given by a migrant to the US, who was kidnapped by a Mexican gang, held hostage, stripped naked and beaten along with 64 other migrants. The gang was seeking to extort their families for money. One of the child hostages was killed by the group, who cut off his arms, legs and head before placing the body parts in a trash bag and burning them. The kidneys of hostages deemed healthy enough were removed by a small medical team working together with the gang. Garcia shared the

report as on of many horrifying experiences of those who seek to enter the US in order to flee violence in their home countries. The final quote offered by Garcia was the story of the Good Samaritan and its meaning for Americans today. Garcia explained how anyone who crosses the border today is the injured man from the Gospel story, and that American citizens have “become the robbers with our laws, policies and fear of the poor.” The poor, for Garcia, are “giving us an invitation to walk into that world that Jesus is talking about.” In the gospel story, it is not a coincidence that the man who calls the Samaritan his neighbor is a lawyer from a theocracy. It is the lawyer who realizes that breaking the law meant being neighborly to another in need. When the Immigration and Naturalization Service was founded around 1894, of the 180 officers it allocated to the new government department, 140 were sent to Ellis Island, 39 to other parts of the American border and just 1 to the border with Mexico. That said, for hundreds of years, people have gone back and forth across the Mexican border. It was a “non-event,” but then, according to Garcia, “we started to change.” Garcia challenged those in attendance

in health sciences, environmental sciences and environmental law, SLU is able to respond to these issues with both moral authority and professional expertise. I think that, especially during the week in which we celebrate Earth Day, we need to be raising awareness of such issues and calling for both immediate and sustained action.”

Breel: Humor for healing outlook Continued from Page 1

use those journals as kind of like this safe place to go and say things that I didn’t have the courage or the bravery to say to a real person.” He kept them hidden inside a closet, within a shoebox buried under clothes for fear that would someone would f i n d them. Breel spent the next year writing a book that imitated the style of the journals. It was published by Random House in SeptemKevin ber of 2015 and gained critical acclaim, being reviewed by news sources such as The Huffington Post and NPR. “I would love to stand up here and say that’s because of me, or because I’m a good writer or something like that, but it really isn’t. It’s because for the first time ever, people are willing to have this conversation.”

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Mental health is a topic that people are hesitant to talk about. Breel aims to break the stigma. In an interview after the show, he said that “The concept of honesty and vulnerability is something that we never really teach kids at all from a young age … so when you grow up, you feel disconnected from [a] s o c i ety that seems to be so perfect and so happy.” Breel’s t a k e h o m e message was that people should not be afraid to Breel seek help for their mental health issues, which he communicated with a delicate mix of solemnity and humor. Depression and other treatable mental illnesses plague college campuses, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Breel encouraged the audience to help those in need. “You can be a bridge between somebody and hope.”

When you grow up, you feel disconnected from [a] society that seems to be so perfect and so happy.

THE SLU SCOOP All Information Provided by Department of Public Safety

Tuesday, April 12

10:32 a.m. TRESPASSING

Garcia’s lessons on the poor By PATRICK HYLAND Senior Staff Writer

a real health problem, they said, and action is required. Casaregola echoed this sentiment. “St. Louis is now facing a critical environmental problem that could, any day, expand to be a local and regional environmental crisis,” he said. “As an institution committed to a mission of service to others, with a strong commitment

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Continued from Page 1

to ask themselves: “Who are we? Who have we become?” Garcia believes that removing the Statue of Liberty is in order because it is no longer our truth as a country. “We are no longer that anymore. We do not want the tempted, the tossed, the poor. We want one to five milliondollar business investors. That is more reflective about who we have become.” Immigrants are drawn by the illusion of protection that the US is believed to be able to offer them, but these same immigrants are often turned away at the border, or detained while the credibility of their claims is investigated. Garcia gave an example of one such detainee, an 18-year-old Guatemalan, Giovani Fuentes, whose family has already passed a “credible fear interview” but who is still being detained by immigration officials. Garcia finds it unacceptable that “All of this has been done in our name” and is currently putting pressure on the field director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and another immigration officer who both have the authority to release Fuentes. Garcia closed his comments by sharing once more his conviction that, “Every last one of us is called” to be our authentic selves and to help make a difference. For

Saint Louis University grounds personnel notified the Department of Public Safety in regards to wtinessing an individual dumping brush on the property. The subject had left the property; however, a license plate number was obtained. The St. Louis Police Department Problem Property Supervisor, district #2, was notified.

Tuesday, April 12

8:12 p.m. ACCIDENTAL INJURY Male student injured his pinky finger on his left hand while playing soccer. Student refused medical attention and was conveyed to Barnes Hospital by a friend for treatment. Pro Staff and Res. Life were notified.

Tuesday, April 12

9:14 p.m. PROPERTY DAMAGE DPS officer observed a discolored spot on a ceiling tile located outside of room #306. Maintentance was notified and discovered a small water leak from a pipe above the ceiling tile. Photo of damaged tile was taken.

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

Garcia, the poor and migrants he has worked with have taught him about life, justice and faithfulness, and he said that he knew nothing until he started working with

them. The people that Garcia has worked with –and what they have given him – motivate him to continue his fight for immigration reform.

Games April 14, 2016

NEWS

To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

Across 1 5 9 13 14 16 17 18 19 20 22 24 25 26 29 33 34 36 38 40 42 43 45 47 48 50 52 53 54 57 61 62 64 65 66 67

They, in Trieste Turkish title At a distance Voting group Excitement Cousin of a mandolin Murray of What About Bob? Kidney secretion Jockey’s whip Stabilized Clutches Persia, today Race unit Turkey’s highest peak Third tonsil Fall behind Like Chicago Kind of ink Picnic pest Citadel student Sparkle High points Man with a mission Compass pt. Nova Scotia capital Steel man Carnegie Author LeShan “Gimme ___!” Toddler Hair style Son of Jacob and Leah Driving hazard French bread? Lover of Aphrodite Postal scale unit Train station

Think about writing for

68 Drill 69 Orders to plow horses 70 Stereo knob Down 1 2 3 4 5

Trails off Narrow opening Seafood selection French pastry Mediterranean arm 6 Clover color 7 Full house, e.g. 8 Pal for Pierre

9 10 11 12 15 21 23 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 35

Famous gangster Wraps Above Gym set Vantage point No-win situation Eastern royal Aquatic plant Dressing type Old World lizard African antelope Like Easter eggs Slacker Cheers role California wine valley

37 39 41 44 46 49 51 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 63

The University News!

Over again Broadcast Rookies Fries, maybe Begrudge Red River city Execrate Compel Thick slice Matinee follower Say for sure Glazier’s item Garage occupant Vitamin additive Easy gait Big galoot

email: managing@unewsonline.com

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS

Solution

Very Emotional

AGITATION

FRUSTRATION

PITY

ALARM

GRATITUDE

PRIDE

BOREDOM

GUILT

REGRET

COMPASSION

HATE

REMORSE

CONFIDENCE

HONOR

SADNESS

COURAGE

JOY

SARCASTIC

DEPRESSION

LOVE

SHOCK

DISGUST

MELANCHOLY

SORRY

ELATION

NEGATIVITY

SUFFERING

FEAR

PEACE

YEARNING

UNews

Arts Entertainment

April 14, 2016 arts@unewsonline.com Tess Brock, Arts Editor Natalie Riopelle, Assoc. Arts Editor

Foxing wows with hometown blowout Tancred, whose sound was minimalist between their three members. Despite this fairly minimalist approach, the band packed a whole lot of aggression into their songs – mainly through singer Jess Abbott’s biting vocals, storytelling lyrics and guitar playing that was just as vicious as her voice. It was their first

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Tom Bergan / The University News

STL: Foxing were welcomed home with open arms and a sold out show last Friday, April 8. By TOM BERGAN Senior Staff Writer

When bands play in their hometown, it is hardly ever a “normal” performance. There is a special atmosphere and energy that seems to manifest itself within the venue where it happens, and Foxing’s Friday, April 8 per-

formance was no exception. The first clue that this was not going to be an average show was the venue, The Luminary on Cherokee Street. While yes, they have a stage and host concerts semi-regularly, it is known first and foremost as an art gallery. The current art installations were on display Friday night

and included everything from sculptures to videos. While I will be the first to admit I rarely “understand” contemporary art, I can still appreciate it nonetheless and loved viewing the various pieces on display before venturing into the crowd. Once entering the crowd, I was taken aback by the warm

Saint Louis Ballet’s ‘Swan Lake’ soars By Abigail Halter Contributor

On the first weekend of April, Saint Louis Ballet took the stage at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center to perform its rendition of the acclaimed ballet, “Swan Lake.” The company’s rendition of the ballet featured choreography by artistic director Gen Horiuchi, in addition to the classic aspects that have appeared in the ballet since its beginning. “Swan Lake” was originally set in 1875 by the famous Russian composer, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The first time that the ballet saw the stage was on March 4th, 1877, performed by the world-renowned Bolshoi Ballet at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, with choreography by Julius Reisinger. The origin of the story of Swan Lake is often disputed, but is said to have been derived from both “Der geraubte Schleier” (“The Stolen Veil”), a story by German author Johann Karl August Musäus, and the Russian folktale, “The White Duck.” In each production of “Swan Lake,” there are four main characters. The main character, Princess Odette, also known as the White Swan, is the lead ballerina role, most likely to be held by a dancer who is a principle dancer within in the company. The ballet is the story of her falling in love with Prince Siegfried, whose role is played by the lead male ballerina. Von Rothbart is the main antagonist in the story. He has turned Princess Odette into a swan, for reasons that are unknown,

as he is an evil sorcerer. Von Rothbart’s daughter is Odile, who is also known as the Black Swan, and who strives to be like her father, joining in on his evil ways. The story starts off with a prologue, in which a young Princess Odette and Prince Siegfried are playing around when the powerful Von Rothbart comes upon Odette and casts a spell on her while the Prince has gone away to talk to his mother. This is then followed by two acts. In the first scene of the first act, Prince Siegfried’s birthday is approaching, and as a gift, his mother gives him a crossbow, and tells him that he must choose a wife. The Prince, frustrated that there is no one he loves, leaves his castle to go into the forest, where he sees a group of swans fly by, and sets off in pursuit of them with his crossbow. The second scene starts with the Prince aiming his crossbow at the swans when he notices a beautiful swan, and realizes that the swan is Princess Odette from his childhood. The two dance together and the Prince vows that he will marry her at the ball, which will dispel Von Rothbart’s curse. The second act opens at the castle during the birthday ball for the Prince. Von Rothbart arrives with his daughter – who is disguised to look like Odette – and the Prince mistakenly professes his love for Odile, rather than Odette. The final scene consists of Siegfried going with Odette to where the swans gather, and apologizing for what he has done. Von Rothbart arrives and tries to kill the Prince by throwing him off

a cliff, and Odette chases after him, leaving the swans to overcome Von Rothbart. With him no longer alive, all the swans are able to break the curse and turn back to their human form, and the Prince and Princess are allowed to live together happily. The Saint Louis Ballet’s version of the well-known ballet was of course nothing less than spectacular. The Dance of the Little Swans was a remarkable highlight, which consists of a quick “petit allegro” (meaning small jumps), where four swan members of the corps must rapidly do many repetitions of “pas de chats” and “entrechats,” all while holding hands together and simultaneously moving their heads in various directions. Another magnificent moment during the ballet was the thirty-two “fouette’s” (an advanced turn, in French meaning “to whip”) done by the Swan Queen, Odile, who was played by Lori Wilson of Lubbock, Texas. The thirty-two “fouette’s” is iconic in the ballet world, and is something that most ballerinas aspire to master. During this performance, the incredible feat was followed by an eruption of applause for Wilson’s impressive ability. Overall, The Saint Louis Ballet’s version of “Swan Lake” was a stunning sight to see, from the costuming, to the set design and the beautiful dancing. The final curtain was met with a long, standing ovation from the audience, which was most definitely impressed by the strong performance of the ballet dancers.

It was a night in which emotions were worn on the sleeves of the band, and the crowd went along on a journey...

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colors that were displayed on and around the stage. White walls surrounded the stage, along with a white backdrop and pink and green lights displaying the bands playing. It was a stark contrast to the usual very dark venue, with blues and other dark colors dominating the color scheme presented. It was yet another art decision probably made by the Luminary that I didn’t fully get, but loved nonetheless. The next aspect of the concert that signaled something special was in store was the fact that it was the last show on a fiveweek-long tour. All of the bands took at least a minute of their set to give their thanks to all of the others involved on the tour, and the substance of the thanks made it clear that there was true love and admiration between all four bands that made up the tour. Speaking of the other bands, I unfortunately did not catch the set of the first band Adjy, but if it was anything like their recently released EP “Prelude (.3333),” then it was a conglomerate of heavy percussion mixed with crazed vocals and surely made for a great show. The next artist on the bill, and the first that I saw, was

performance in St. Louis, and the warm welcome that they received is hopefully an indication that they will be back soon. Emo veterans O’Brother were up next on the bill, and I was a bit nervous going into their set. I could never get into their studio albums despite multiple attempts. Luckily for me, their live show brought their music up an infinite number of levels and garnered a new amount of respect from me for their music. Between their three

guitars, growling vocals and extension of songs in which chaotic noise was presented in the best manner possible, the band certainly won over any skeptics (especially me). This set, which had a perfect ebb and flow to it, set the stage nicely for the hometown heroes, Foxing. As the band was setting up, an electric energy took over the Luminary, and only was realized in full as singer Conor Murphy sang the opening lines to “The Medic.” From there on out, it was a night in which emotions were worn on the sleeves of the band, and the crowd went along on a journey that echoed their sentiments. One fan had commented to me, “I’ve been searching for these tunes all my life, and finally found them when I listened to Foxing.” Pulling from both their phenomenal debut “The Albatross” and last year’s equally as beautiful “Dealer,” Foxing showcased how they can go from playing at a whisper to going absolutely berserk in the span of jusr one song. Though the entire set was mind bogglingly good, there were some obvious standouts. See “Foxes” on Page 6

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

April 14, 2016

OUT

Chairlift shimmers at Firebird

On The

ArTs ediTOrs’ Picks

Music Lucero, John Moreland Off Broadway April 14, 7:00 p.m. Mumford and Sons Scottrade Center April 16, 7:30 p.m. Lupe Fiasco The Pageant April 19, 8:00 p.m.

Noah Gunderson The Old Rock House April 20, 7:00 p.m.

Andrew Bird The Pageant April 22, 8:00 p.m.

Movies Demolition In theaters Currently Everybody Wants Some!! In theaters Currently The Boss In theaters Currently Born to Be Blue Chase Park Plaza Landmark Tivoli Theatre Currently Hardcore Henry In theaters Currently

Theater The Bridges of Madison County: The Broadway Musical Chaifetz Arena Through April 17 Importance of Being Earnest University Theatre April 15-16, 22-24

By MACK KORRIS Copy Editor

Since dipping their feet into the waters of modern mainstream music after their 2008 single “Bruises” was featured in an iPod Nano commercial, Chairlift has always felt like a band whose music transcends their stature in the landscape of popular music. While critics have always looked upon the band favorably, Chairlift has never been able to achieve much commercial success. The band has never scored a Billboard Hot 100 single, and has only recorded one Billboard Top 200 album. Still, recent albums “Something” and “Moth” have earned the band plenty of admiration and respect, and lead singer Caroline Polachek is an established solo artist in her own right. In 2014, she released her debut album “Arcadia” under the pseudonym of Ramona Lisa, all while penning a track for Beyonce’s self-titled 2013 album the year prior. Combining elements of inventive pop, synth and dreamwave with homage to some of the deepest idiosyncrasies of 80’s pop music, Chairlift is a Brooklyn-based duo comprised of Polachek (lead vocals, keyboards) and Patrick Wimberly (vocals, guitars, bass, drums). Rising from the same Brooklyn music scene of 2008 that produced indie music dandies such as Vampire Weekend, Yeasayer and MGMT, Chairlift brought their show to the Firebird on March 31. Kicking off the set with the ethereal “Look Up” from the recently-released and critically acclaimed “Moth”,

Courtesy of Chairlift

NEW MUSIC: Chairlift’s new album “Moth” features singles “Ch-Ching” and “Romeo.” Chairlift turned to a couple of their more slow-burning, brooding numbers to begin the show, holding a couple of aces up their sleeves for safekeeping. After making their way through “Polymorphing” and the quirky yet deceivingly dark “Sidewalk Safari”, the first ace was dealt. The ace — and Moth’s second single — “Romeo”, came fifth in the set, sounding all too big for the 400-capacity Firebird. “Step up, lover. Big talker, take a number. I’ve got all day to wipe the smile off your face,” Polachek confidently and mischievously crooned. Quickly following were the dreamy “Ottawa to Alaska” and a pair of infectious singles taken from 2012’s “Something” –”Amanae-

monesia” and “I Belong in Your Arms”. Here, Chairlift showed off a rendition of “I Belong in Your Arms” that was slightly more restrained than the album version, going a long way to help the ebb and flow of the setlist that had suddenly gained a lot of steam since its almostmeditative beginnings. Multi-instrumentalist and opening act Starchild & the New Romantic — also known off the stage as Bryndon Cook — joined Chairlift onstage for the emotional and vulnerable “Crying in Public”, dueting with Polachek throughout the song’s chorus. Cook himself graced the stage with an exceedingly debonair demeanor throughout his 45-minute opening set, channeling the

Album review: ‘Cleopatra’ not up to par By TODD JOHNSON Staff Writer

It’s been four years since the Denver-based The Lumineers released their premier, self-titled album, which blew up overnight with a myriad of “ho’s” and “hey’s.” Founding members Wesley Schultz (lead vocals, guitar) and Jeremiah Fraites (drums, percussion) started the band in the heartfelt mourning of friend and brother Josh Fraites in 2002. From this downcast origin, the band slowly developed into what we know today, acquiring cellist and vocalist Neyla Pekarek in 2010. On April 8, The Lumineers released their greatly anticipated sophomore album, “Cleopatra.” It takes on a far more serious tone than “The Lumineers” and sounds as though the band is trying to move away from the lighthearted, foot-stomping fun of their hits “Ho Hey” and “Big Parade.” Unfortunately, what is lacking from “Cleopatra” is the sound

that kept people listening to The Lumineers’ first album. Their original songs had enchanting percussion and unique vocals that made you want to listen to the next track. Clearly, they weren’t all hits, but it was a pleasant album with a positive, uplifting mood. “Cleopatra” could be described as the debut album’s less fun, overly dramatic brother who complains about his ex-girlfriend when you ask how his weekend went. The albums don’t sound entirely dissimilar, but other than “Ophelia,” which is the only potential hit, there is a significant lack of percussion that The Lumineers excelled at in the first album. Albeit, a change of tone and content could be the direction the band wants to take; they drew lyrics from a deeper, more emotional place. The lyrics tell stories of past loves, missing home and the disappointment of what fame truly is. Many of the songs are reminiscent

of the past, and others seem to be full of regret, with no apparent reason to the order of the songs. In fact, the closing song is a short instrumental piece titled “Patience” and is an undeniably disappointing ending to the album. It almost feels like The Lumineers have no idea where their initial success came from and are under the impression that folk music has to be quiet, slow and totally absent of coherent lyrics. Admittedly, the overall sound of “Cleopatra” is pleasant and without any unlistenable tracks, but it simply isn’t up to par with their first album. Despite the surprising dullness of this album, two of the eleven songs on the album stuck with me. “Ophelia” has a unique, energetic piano part and deftly utilizes Schultz’s unique, gravelly voice. It also holds onto to the joyous tambourine and stomping sound from the first album. “Ophelia” gives us a relatable and under-

Bill Burr Fabulous Fox April 22 The Sound of Music Fabulous Fox April 26-May 8

Jersey Boys Fabulous Fox May 18-22

spirits of artists such as Prince and Dev Hynes with his moody, pop-tinged R&B. Chairlift brought their main set to a close with an exclamation point, dusting off the timeless “Bruises”, a nuanced near-replication of the studio recording that resulted in a massive singalong. “Bruises” segued into the absolutely infectious and danceable cut “Moth to the Flame”, with handclaps, shimmering synths and all. While the band did indulge the audience with a few tracks from their earlier albums, they showed a preference to let recent material dominate most of the setlist, and rightly so. Though one track from 2008’s “Does You Inspire You” and three standout tracks from 2012’s

“Something” were played, the vast majority of the songs played at the Firebird were from “Moth”, Chairlift’s most refined album to date. As the band exited the stage, the audience made it clear that they weren’t ready to leave the venue just quite yet. Amid chants of “One more song!,” Wimberly returned to his drum kit and Polachek to her keyboard, promising not one, but two more songs. To begin the encore, the band treated the audience to a new song not found on any of their studio releases in “Get Real.” Not entirely dissimilar to “No Angel” - the track that Polachek penned for Beyonce’s self-titled 2013 album - the song slowly crescendoed among its fusions of pop and R&B, allowing Polachek to show off her voice’s upper registers. After thanking those in attendance one last time, the band broke into the gigantic “Ch-Ching”, the lead single from Moth. “Getting what you want can be dangerous, but that’s the only way I want it to be,” Polachek sang over the song’s heavily percussive beat. There wasn’t a song that was more warmly received than the closing “Ch-Ching”. Chairlift brought a nearperfect hour-long set to the 400 people in attendance, showcasing all of their songwriting strengths, saccharine melodies and artistic energies. But yet, somehow, it’s impossible to shake the feeling that Chairlift would be perfectly at home playing to an audience five times the size of the Firebird, making this intimate show feel even more special.

Wikimedia Commons

FOLK TRIO: Jeremiah Fraites, Wesley Schultz and Neyla Pekarek performing in 2012.

standable story of falling too deeply in love too soon – as opposed to some of their others, such as “Gale Song,” which mutters nonsense at the audience until a grand climax of a guitar strumming slightly louder than at the song’s beginning. The second track on “Cleopatra” that caught my ear was “Sick in the Head.” It starts off with some vocals different from the usual acoustic sound, and it seems as though it was altered slightly, giving a very different feel from most of The Lumineers’ music. Even with the slow, qui-

etness of the album, which can be a bummer at times, “Cleopatra” still comes across as a solid album of background tunes. Unfortunately, it simply doesn’t compare to The Lumineers’ first album, and likely will have been better received had their debut album not set the bar so high. The more loyal fans that The Lumineers acquired over the past four years will likely enjoy this new release, but I’m afraid that it will not pick up a fresh audience. If you haven’t yet listened to “Cleopatra” you should give it a shot, but don’t expect to be blown away.

Foxes: STL Continued from Page 5

The fans crawled on top of each other, becoming a sea of motion, and the In “Bit By a Dead Bee band thrashed around on Pt. 1,” guitarist Eric Hudson stage as the lines between screamed his backup vocals the two were blurred, everyw i t h one screams u c h ing at the intentop of their sity that lungs “So The fans crawled he was why won’t visibly on top of each you love me drained, other, becoming a back?” having sea of motion, and Though given up the whole every the band thrashed show was ounce around on stage ... impre ssive, of enerthis song was gy. And bliss in its yet they purest form. moved The band then said one final forward, powering into thanks, a common thread “Night Channels” and then throughout their set, and left “Indica,” two of “Dealer’s” the stage. finest tracks, showcasing The fans piled out onto the wide range of the band. the street, just awaiting the To top off the set, which was next time Foxing gets to come more of an hour-long victohome, so that the magic that ry lap than a normal show, Foxing creates can be experithe band ended with the fan enced once more. favorite of “Rory.”

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TOWn

UNews

Sports

For continued multimedia coverage of Billiken sporting events, visit unewsonline.com or follow us on Twitter @TheUNewsSports

Baseball losing streak extends to four

member of basketball staff

By LAUREN TONDL Associate Sports Editor

By EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM Associate News Editor

The SLU baseball team experienced their first conference losses of the season against a strong Richmond team on April 8-10 at Pitt Field in Richmond, Virginia. Despite falling to the Billikens in the first game, the Spiders won the series after winning the last two games of a three-game set. The Billikens took the first game 13-7, hitting three home runs overall. Senior right-handed pitcher Matt Eckelman notched the win for a 6-2 record on the season. SLU got on the board right away when redshirtjunior outfielder Trent Leimkuehler ripped a single to right field, scoring senior infielder Josh Bunselmeyer. Senior outfielder Michael Bozarth hit a solo home run in the top of the third. The majority of the action came in the fourth inning when SLU scored six runs, including a run from Bozarth stealing home. In the sixth and eighth innings, Bunselmeyer and sophomore James Morisano each blasted a home run, resulting in an offensivelycharged 13-7 win for SLU. Bozarth now has 16 stolen bases on the year. Bunselmeyer’s home run was his ninth of the season. He is at the top of the list for most home runs this season, and SLU has scored at least one home run in 12 of their last

On Friday, April 8, new men’s basketball head coach Travis Ford named Will Bailey as the first member of his coaching staff. Bailey, a Chicago native, joins the Billiken team as an assistant coach after serving the last six years on the staff at La Salle. The decision to leave La Salle was influenced both by the potential of working with Ford and St. Louis’ proximity to his hometown. “I saw an opportunity to work with Coach Ford, he’s a great coach and does a great job, so it was the opportunity to learn from him, as well,” said Bailey. “The opportunity to get back closer to home really excites me most, and the ability to recruit from Chicago—that’s where, really, most of my contacts are from.” During his tenure at La Salle, Bailey helped coach the Explorers to a run in the NCAA tournament, where they made it to the Sweet 16, snapping a 20-year tournament drought. Bailey was known for developing the Explorers’ backcourt through his work with guards Earl Pettis, the A-10’s Most Improved Player of the Year in 2011-12, Ramon Galloway (A-10 first team 201213) and Tyreek Duren (A-10 second team 2012-13 and 2013-14). While Bailey’s coaching role at La Salle was primarily

Saint Louis Athletics

ROUNDING THE BASES: Senior outfielder Michael Bozarth rounds the bases in the 13-7 victory over Richmond. 14 games. The Billikens’ bats were not getting the job done on Saturday, as they lost their first conference game, 4-2. Freshman right-handed pitcher Miller Hogan recorded the loss to fall to 3-4 this year. The game was not exciting for either team; Richmond scored a lone run in the second inning, and neither team scored again until the eighth inning, when the Spiders connected a string of hits to bring three runners home and take a 4-0 lead. It appeared that SLU was making their way back into the

game in the top of the ninth, however. Junior left-handed pitcher Devin Mahoney finally got the bat on the ball and hit a double to get Bunselmeyer across the plate. Morisano followed up with a sacrifice fly to bring Martinez in. Unfortunately, the offensive spark was squandered, and the Spiders’ defense put the game away. SLU had one final chance to break the tie and take home the series with a win on April 10. However, a single homer from BunselSee “Baseball” on Page 8

April 14, 2016 sports@unewsonline.com Lexie Vasos, Sports Editor Lauren Tondl, Assoc. Sports Editor

focused on the development of guards, he said that it is still being determined how he will operate alongside Ford and the rest of the staff here at SLU. “Right now, we’re still in the process of trying to get to know the team and Coach Ford is trying to figure out the staff. We’ve still got a couple of spots to fill on the staff,” said Bailey. “I know he’s real big with the guards as well, because he played a guard position. I’m just anxious and excited to learn from him. I’m here—whatever he needs me to do, I’ll do it.” In addition to his history of developing guards and his recruitment connections in Chicago, Bailey believes his experience within the conference is another asset he brings to the coaching staff. “I’ve been in the conference for six years and we played every single team. I think having a feel and a pulse on each team and kind of what they do, what their strengths are and what their weaknesses are [is important],” said Bailey. “For the most part, just having a good feel for the way each team plays and knowing how we can defend them [is the focus].” Before his time at La Salle, Bailey spent seven seasons as an assistant coach at Eastern Tennessee State University. He helped lead the Buccaneers to six Southern Conference titles, three

NCAA Tournament berths and an NIT appearance. Bailey also served one-year stints at Maine (2002-03) and Chicago State (2001-02.) Bailey played at the University of Alabama-Birmingham for two years. As a senior, he led the team in assists, and helped his team to an NIT appearance as UAB’s top defensive player that season. It was also at UAB where Bailey’s coaching career began. The team made an appearance in the NCAA tournament while he was on staff. Now, Bailey is focused on the future of the men’s basketball program at SLU. “I think that SLU is a sleeping giant. I think that this is a program that has had a lot of success in the past,” said Bailey. “We have a vision to build a championship-type program and the goal, obviously, is to win the Atlantic 10 Conference and Championship and get to the tournament and try to make a run to the Final Four. I think that this is a program that has the ability to do that.” While Bailey admits that this change won’t happen overnight, he is confident that with Ford at the helm, the Billikens will make a return as a top-tier team. He added, “Coach Ford is a great coach, he’s a winner. He’s won everywhere he’s been, and he’s going to bring that winning mentality here

Softball starts slow, then steamrolls Rhode Island, SEMO By LEXIE VASOS Sports Editor

Saint Louis University softball hosted Atlantic 10 Conference opponent Rhode Island on April 9. Rhode Island notched an early 3-0 lead in the first inning on account of a bases-loaded double, and added another run in the third on a solo home run. Junior shortstop Alex Nickel put an end to SLU’s offensive drought with a two-out RBI single in the fifth. The Bills cut the deficit to two in the seventh, after a pinch-hit RBI double from junior infielder Taylor Meeks. They threatened to tie the game, but were unable to bring the runners home. SLU fell to Rhode Island 4-2. In the second matchup, SLU scored three unearned runs in the second inning. Meeks brought home a runner with a fielder’s choice and Nickel hit a two-run double. SLU plated two more runs in the third. Junior outfielder Mackenzie Peter started the inning off with her 11th home run of the season, which tied Nickel’s career single-season record. Senior third baseman Elizabeth Everingham also singled in a run. SLU upended Rhode Island in the fourth inning, scoring six runs. Nickel hit an RBI

CHEER

single, which was quickly followed by RBI groundouts by Peter and senior pitcher Brianna Lore. Sophomore infielder Allie Macfarlane hit her fifth home run of a season with a two-run shot. Nickel capped the scoring with a bases-loaded walk. SLU shutout Rhode Island 11-0. Senior pitcher Laney Kneib successfully completed her third win of the season. The victory was also her second career shutout and the Billikens’ first shutout of the year. Kneib allowed one single, struck out four batters and recorded no walks. In the third and final matchup on April 10, junior catcher Hailey Weavers put the Bills on the board in the second inning with her second homerun of the season. Rhode Island tied the game in the fourth inning, but Lore quickly put an end to Rhode Island’s scoring by getting the final out with the bases loaded. SLU gained a one-run lead after scoring an unearned run in the bottom of the frame. SLU went on a scoring frenzy in the fifth inning. Everingham hit her fifth home run of the season with a two-run blast. Weavers followed with a triple that tallied two runs, making the score 6-1. Senior outfielder Madeline Brungardt brought Weavers home on

JEER

FEAR

WHO TO CHEER: STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS The National Hockey League Playoffs are back, and the St. Louis Blues are playing the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round. Chicago goalie Corey Crawford is ranked among the top in the league. On the other hand, the Blues are said to be one of the best defensive teams in the NHL.

Saint Louis Athletics

HIT: Junior first baseman Emma Buckles cracks the ball to the outfield versus Rhode Island, who they defeated 11-0.

BACK TO THE BENCH: Junior catcher Hailey Weavers strikes out in the three-game series against Rhode Island.

a single, and Nickel hit the game-winning homer, which was her sixth home run of the season. SLU conquered Rhode Island 9-1. Lore was credited with her eighth win of the season and broke the Saint Louis University career record with her 145th pitching appearance. SLU returned to the Billiken Sports Center on April 13 to take on non-conference competitior SEMO. They won both games, 12-7

However, SEMO found their way back into the game when they hit a three-run homer in the top of the third inning. Another RBI allowed them to tie up the game, 4-4. In the fourth inning, Nickel hit a sacrifice fly to bring her team up by one. SEMO returned the favor in the fifth with two home runs to take the lead again, but SLU tied it up with another RBI from Nickel. The women sealed the

and 6-2, respectively. The Billikens struck gold first from the plate in the first inning, scoring two runs from the bat of Lore, who doubled into left field. Peter and Nickel scored on the play. Nickel ripped a home run to left field just three batters into the lineup to slap another two runs on the board for the Billikens. She and Weavers crossed the plate as a result.

WHO TO JEER: JOSH GORDON Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon failed another drug test early this month. Gordon tested positive for marijuana in a diluted sample, which resulted in the denial of his reinstatement into the NFL. The NFL told Gordon that he could reapply in August in order to try to pass a future drug test.

deal with a whopping six runs in the sixth inning to put the game away. In the second game, SLU took advantage of their early runs late in the game to break a 2-2 tie in the last two innings. The team scored three runs in the fifth inning, and SEMO could not come back from the deficit. The women now sit at 1621 on the year and return to conference play in New York on April 16-17.

WHO TO FEAR: CHRISTIANO RONALDO Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has not backed down on the soccer field. He scored two goals in two minutes against Wolfsburg on April 12. Ronaldo also scored the winning goal on a beautiful free kick to give his team a 3-2 victory. Ronaldo’s hat trick allows Real Madrid to move on to the UEFA Champions League semifinals.

April 14, 2016

SPORTS

This week in sports Tweet of the week @SBNation

Even Kobe’s haters are going to miss him when he’s gone

Scores from the week Softball Saturday, April 9 Rhode Island Billikens Rhode Island Billikens

4 2 0 11

Sunday, April 10 Rhode Island Billikens

1 9

Wednesday, April 13 Southeast Missouri State 7 Billikens 12 Southeast Misouri State Billikens

6 2

Baseball Friday, April 8 Richmond Billikens

7 13

Saturday, April 9 Richmond Billikens

4 2

Sunday, April 10 Richmond Billikens

5 3

Tuesday, April 12 SIUE Billikens

6 1

Wednesday, April 13 Murray State Billikens

9 1

Men’s Soccer Saturday, April 9 Missouri State Billikens

From the sports desk:

When will sexism end in sports?

By LEXIE VASOS Sports Editor

Sexism has plagued society for as long as anyone can remember, but there is no place more unequal for women than the sports world. Mention the idea of women’s sports, and the response you will most likely receive is “nobody cares about women’s sports.” Not only are women paid less than male athletes, they are also misrepresented on a broader scale. For instance, how many women sports analysts are on TV? I am not talking about the women who have to chase down players to get a postgame interview, I am talking about the actual analysts who break down the games at halftime. Anybody can stand on the sideline and ask athletes questions that were most likely written by a group of men, and then passed along to the female reporter – so why are women’s critiques of the game not welcomed? Even in women’s sports, many of the analysts are men. If women are not “qualified” to speak about men’s sports, then why do men like Alexi Lalas appear on the U.S. Women’s Soccer halftime report? The 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament was the first time I had ever seen a female sports analyst on the halftime show; needless to

Baseball: 2-1 loss to Richmond Continued from Page 7

0 0

Player of the week Ann Harlos

Track and Field

Billiken Media Relations

Freshman hurdler Ann Harlos was named the Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Week. She won the 100-meter hurdles as well as the 400-meter hurdles with times of 14.74 and 1:02.68 respectively. She was also a part of the 4x100meter relay team that finished in second with a time of 48.65. On the A-10 performance list, Harlos sits in third place in the 100-meter hurdles (14.58) as well as the 400-meter hurdles (1:01.92). The track team will be split this weekend between the Azusa Pacific and Mizzou Inviationals.

say, I was stunned. Of course, it was a round-of-64 game that did not bust a thousand brackets, but it was a step in the right direction. The most appalling event that occurred during the 2016 Women’s NCAA Tournament was that instead of covering the games, ESPN was covering WWE Raw. Wrestling is not even a sport, as the WWE is staged, in terms of creating storylines and already having the winner decided before the wrestlers enter the ring. How does anyone expect women’s sports to get more viewers when major sports networks cannot even give the games airtime? Women’s sports have the odds stacked against them, and, especially in 2016, this is unacceptable. There has also been recent conversation about the U.S Women’s Soccer Team suing U.S. National Soccer for wage discrimination. The players involved include stars like Hope Solo, Carli Lloyd and Alex Morgan, and they are suing because, although women’s soccer generated over $20 million more than the men’s team, the women are paid roughly a quarter of what the men make. How is it that a team that won the Women’s World Cup could be paid so much less because of their sex? How can the sports world degrade

meyer could not carry the team past the Spiders, and SLU dropped the game – and the series – with a 5-3 loss. Bunselmeyer opened the game with a home run to left-center field to get the first two runs for the Billikens, as Bozarth was on base before Bunselmeyer went up to bat. Sophomore outfielder Parker Sniatynski also helped SLU score in the seventh inning when he hit a sacrifice fly to center field to allow Morisano to score. The three runs were not enough to overcome Richmond’s five, and the Spiders took the victory. Bunselmeyer now has ten home runs on the season, which puts him as the coleader for most home runs in the conference this year. Morisano is hitting an impressive .419 in conference games. Martinez extended his on-base streak to 17 games. The losing streak stretched to three for the Billikens on April 12 with a loss to SIUE, 6-1. The game got off to an exciting start when each team had a run a piece in the first inning. Leimkuehler singled to the left to bring in sophomore

shortstop Alex King. Both fielding teams kept their opponents at bay for the next five innings, but SIUE finally broke through in the sixth inning, putting three runs on the board. SLU could not find a way to rally, only earning two hits in the rest of the game. SIUE scored twice more to earn the win, 6-1, over the Billikens. The men fell to 16-17 on the year. However, sophomore infielder Michael Cusenza went 3-for-4 in the game, which is a career high for him. Leimkuehler had his 13th multi-hit game of the season, and Martinez extended his on-base streak to 18 games. SLU faced Murray State on April 13, losing 9-1. The Billikens started out strong as before in the first inning when Leimkuehler hit an RBI single to put the Billikens up 1-0. This did not discourage Murray State, however, who earned three runs in the third inning and two more in the sixth inning. SLU could not find an offensive streak, allowing Murray State to capitalize at the end of the game with four more runs. The men travel to face Illinois in a three-game series on April 15-17.

the talent of the women’s team when they are clearly the breadwinners? This, of course, is not the only instance of wage discrimination, nor is it limited to athletes, as women everywhere are fighting to be paid for the same amount as their male counterparts. Not only is there wage discrimination, there is also image d i s crimination. H o w many times is Sere n a Williams going to be t o l d t h a t s h e looks like a m a n before we realize that only women are criticized for their body image? When was the last time you heard someone call Pablo Sandoval fat? This is because women are expected to not only live up to the athletic expectations of men, but are supposed to do so while maintaining their “feminine figure.”

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If it is not a female athlete’s talent under fire, then criticizers turn to the “flaws” in her body image. Women are constantly being sexualized. Players like Abby Wambach have been criticized for their short hair in that they do not look as feminine as other players, such as Alex Morgan. It is also sad that even when someo n e does mention Alex Morgan, it is normally b e cause of her looks , rather than h e r skills . I have never heard anyone mention LeBron James’ looks without first mentioning his basketball skills. This double standard of women being expected to look feminine as well as be talented players in order to earn any sort of status in a male-dominated sports world is blasphemy. If anyone believes that this

The women had a significantly better season than the men’s team, even getting a bid in the WNIT, yet they do not receive the same resources as the men’s team.

“

sexism does not occur outside of professional sports, they are wrong. These concepts can be easily applied to Saint Louis University Athletics. For instance, why does the men’s basketball team receive more coverage by FOX Midwest than the women’s? The women had a significantly better season than the men’s team, even getting a bid in the WNIT, yet they do not receive the same resources as the men’s team. Also, why is it so much harder to get fans to attend women’s games compared to men’s? I don’t see the men’s soccer or basketball teams handbilling on West Pine in order to encourage people to attend their games. Of course they don’t, because female athletes have to encourage people to be attend their games because, remember, “nobody cares about women’s sports.” It’s about time the sports world became equal. There is no reason why that in 2016, female athletes are paid significantly less than men. There is no defense for the criticism they receive based on body image. Sex should not be the deciding factor because, after all, the foundation that sports is built on consists of talent, skills and work ethic, yet the sports world is not holding to this standard.

Track and Field continue to dominate By LAUREN TONDL Associate Sports Editor

The Outdoor Track and Field season started off with a bang at the Billiken Kickoff Meet on March 19. Many schools came to the SLU Medical Center Stadium to partake in the event, such as Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Lindenwood and Valparaiso. The women dominated the meet with a first-place finish, and the men also succeeded with a second-place finish. Some first-place highlights on the women’s side included a 100-meter dash from sophomore Mackenzie Bon with a time of 12.65. Junior Hannah Rhode took the title for the 400-meter run with a time of 59.54. Senior Laura Schlueter won the 800-meter run with a time of 2:16.51. Junior Emma Kidd finished first in the 1500-meter run in 4:42.65. Freshman Elise Marker took the 5000-meter run with a time of 17:30.89. Senior Stephanie Uhrich earned the top place in the high jump at 1.61 meters. The men fared well in the competition as well. Freshman Wes Schoenthal placed first in the 800-meter run as well as the 1500-meter run, with times of 1:54.73 and 3:53.61, respectively. Junior DeeJay Owens beat his own triple jump record and earned second place in the

meet with a mark of 13.88 meters. Freshman Will Hinegardner won the high jump at 1.96 meters, almost surpassing the current school record. The success only grew from there for both teams, as they traveled to California for the San Francisco State Distance Carnival, and to Texas for the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays on March 31-April 2. They shattered four school records despite being away from home. Freshman Manuel De Backer hauled through the 10,000-meter run with a time of 30:01.32. Schoenthal improved his 1500-meterrun time to 3:51.59. At the same time, other teammates back home were competing in the Washington University Invitational. Bonk cut down on her 100-meter-dash time by .47 seconds, reducing it to 12.18 seconds, and Owens improved his triple jump by .15 meters, improving it to 14.03 meters. The team kept moving forward into the following weekend for another home meet at the SLU Medical Center Stadium on April 8-9. Both teams took first place by at least 40 points each. Schoenthal again beat his 1500-meter run time. He ran a 3:51.30, improving his time by .29 seconds. Kidd shattered her own personal

record in the 1500-meter run with a time of 4:36.96. Marker again took the reins on the 10,000-meter run, finishing first with a time of 36:43.31. Freshman Ann Harlos dominated in the 100-meter hurdles and the 400-meter hurdles with times of 14.74 and 1:02.68, respectively. Uhrich took the high jump honors with a jump of 1.63 meters. Junior Griffin McCurren took the title for the 400-meter run with a time of 49.91, and on the long distance side, freshman Matt Prest earned first place in the 10,000-meter run with a time of 31:36.98. One freshman in particular is making a name for himself in the long-distance area of both indoor and outdoor competition. Manuel De Backer was named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week on April 5. He currently holds SLU’s record time for the 10,000-meter run, with a time of 30:01.32, almost 19 seconds faster than the record that had been held by Brian Holdmeyer since 2012. This time is also the fastest in the A-10 as of now, and De Backer is showing no signs of stopping now. Both teams compete again at the Azusa Pacific Invitation in Azusa, California and the Mizzou Invitational on April 15-16.

Games this week , April 15

, April 16 Saint Louis Athletics

BATTER’S BOX: Sophomore infielder Michael Cusenza prepares in the batter’s box against SIUE on April 12.

Saint Louis Athletics

LAUNCH: Freshman Ann Harlos launches herself over the hurdles at the SLU Invitational on April 8-9. She was named the Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Week on April 12.

UNews

Opinions Editorials

April 14, 2016 opinion@unewsonline.com Kyle Smith, Opinion Editor

Editorials are opinion pieces written by the Editorial Board of The University News. The editorials printed in this space represent the opinion of The University News. Commentaries and Letters to the Editor represent the opinions of the signed authors, but do not necessarily represent the opinions of The University News.

Letters

Course selection at SLU a mess With course registration well underway for the upcoming fall semester, SLU students are once again digging up their sheet of degree requirements, reevaluating their graduation plans and confronting the multitude of questions that inevitably arise this time of year, such as: What classes do I need to take? Do I have room for any electives? And, perhaps most importantly: How can I avoid taking any 8 a.m. classes? Navigating the world of college academics is difficult enough as it is. However, SLU’s academic advising is woefully inadequate when it comes to assisting students with the registration process. Nearly every member of the Editorial Board could attest firsthand to the frustrations students experience when selecting classes and planning for graduation. As it stands now, disorganization, excessive bureaucracy, and a lack of interdepartmental communication means that many students are left to manage their schedule and graduation plans essentially on their own. SLU’s academic counseling system makes perfectly good sense on paper. All students are assigned a single faculty advisor to assist them with the core requirements of their particular college as well as a mentor professor from the department of each major and minor they have declared. (Those involved in honors or scholars programs may have additional counselors as well.) Before registering for classes each semester, students are supposed to meet with each of their mentors, who sign off on their proposed class schedule and inform them of the remaining requirements. They then deliver the signed forms

Sophie Lappe / Design Editor

to their advisor, who will make sure the core requirements are being met. If so, the advisor will remove the hold on the student’s mySLU account, allowing them to register for classes. In practice, however, the process is rarely as smoothly as intended. Getting all the necessary signatures can be a tedious process, and even once it’s finished, discovering a “mystery” hold remaining on your account the day of registration is by no means an uncommon experience. In addition, academic advisors, who focus on core requirements, are usually unfamiliar with the specific requirements of individual majors; pre-registration meetings are more akin to marking off a checklist than actual advising. On the other hand,

department mentors are understandably more focused on the classes they teach than assisting students with course selection. While mentors may teach in the same department as the students assigned to them, there’s no guarentee the students will ever take a class they teach. In some cases, mentors may specialize in an entirely different concentration than what the student is interested in. It isn’t unheard of for students’ only interaction with their mentors to be the brief biannual meetings before registering — if that. Though the problem seems to span across multiple colleges within SLU, it seems especially pronounced in the College of Arts and Sciences. Unlike STEM programs, which are usually tightly structured and require spe-

cific course progressions, the liberal arts are more openended and offer students a greater degree of autonomy when choosing classes. While this bodes well for those seeking a well-rounded education, disorganized and outdated course listings make something as simple as planning a class schedule rather stressful. For example, many of our editors have had trouble with discrepancies between courses that are required and ones that are offered. Sometimes courses that are needed to satisfy certain degree requirements may not be offered for years; meanwhile, other, newer classes that cover similar or identical subject areas may lack the “official” designation needed for them to fulfill the same requirement. Though many courses are offered on regular intervals, such as every spring or once every three years, this information isn’t always made clear to students. A lack of communication between different departments makes things especially difficult for certain cross-discipline majors and minors, such as legal studies or political journalism, as required courses may be offered at the exact same time, despite counting towards the same degree. To be clear, none of this is meant to disparage individual faculty or professors. The vast majority of advisors and mentors are extremely knowledgeable and receptive to students’ concerns. Like most SLU employees, they seem to genuinely care about helping their students. But inefficiency and disorganization within the advising system prevents them from giving students the attention and assistance they often need.

Re: Letter to the editor/Editorial on March 17 With the exception of two army years and attending grad school at Oklahoma and Michigan, I am a regular reader of the UNews. I want to share with you the same thoughts about Jay I most recently communicated with Dr. Pestello and Fr. Collins. Jay’s parents, Virginia and Gerald Nies, were fellow students in the geography dept., which, at that time, was located in DeSmet Hall. They graduated after me, with Jerry going to grad school. Jay was the youngest of several children to bless the Nies family. However, at Jerry’s loss due to cancer while Jay was quite small, I remember his great concern that his youngest offspring would not remember him. Many made sure that would not happen. When I became president of A&S Alumni in 1994, Jay joined and became our publicity man. Started a publication called Focus, that at times had problems with the University’s office. Jay performed valiantly. Focus more than survived. Your liberal political persuasion is quite obvious in what you report, how you report, and the editorial page. I know you write for the current student body. However, the University is bigger than any single part. Jay’s letter reflects the thoughts of many former students who still stay in touch with their alma mater. May many other letters such as Jay’s continue the Jesuit tradition of true discourse. The final paragraph of the editorial just next to Jay’s letter is true liberal balderdash. In 1964, I was a very active member of the Young Democrats chapter on campus. The UNews is as incorrect in its assessment of Mr. Trump as many of us were in believing that Republican candidate Senator Barry Goldwater would be part of ending this world in a nuclear disaster. Wrong many in ‘64, and the same for ‘16. I have experienced the gradual transformation of the Post-Dispatch, a great reporter of the news, yet quite liberal on it’s editorial page, over the past two decades. The editorial page philosophy has now overwhelmed the newsroom. I know you adore Dr. Meyer, but the UNews is an absolute reflection of the P-D in format, which is wonderful, and content. Not good for objective reporting. Best to all. Love my frequent visits to campus. Roy Gillyon, A&S ‘64, Grad ‘66

Panama Papers show irreplaceable role of newspapers “Hello. This is John Doe. Interested in data?” So began an encrypted online conversation between an anonymous source and the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung in early 2015. The whistleblower, who claimed to fear for his life, promised to turn over a large cache of sensitive banking data to the paper under the condition that his identity remain anonymous. More than a year later, with the help of the International Consortium for Investigative Journalism, over 11.5 million documents from a Panamanian law firm have been made public in what has

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been labeled as the biggest data leak in history. These socalled “Panama Papers” detail the secret offshore dealings of some of the richest and most powerful people in the world, including current and former world leaders, powerful businessmen and even popular celebrities, such as Lionel Messi and Jackie Chan. The political consequences for those implicated in the reports have been swift and severe. Massive protests in Iceland led to the resignation of Prime Minister Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson, who was exposed as a significant investor for several Icelandic banks with ties to the government.

In the UK, Prime Minister David Cameron — a longtime advocate for government transparency and closing tax loopholes — has been facing criticism for dodging questions as to whether he personally benefited from an offshore holding company owned in his father’s name. The Papers also shed light on the rampant corruption among political elite in Russia, China, Brazil and dozens of other countries. As journalists continue to comb through the mindboggling 2.6 terabytes of data, new revelations will surely continue to emerge in the weeks to come. There are

many questions that remain unanswered, such as the reasons behind the relative lack of Americans included on the list. But one thing is for sure: the Panama Papers will go down in history as one of the biggest and most significant leaks in history. There is a long legacy of news leaks causing massive political turmoil. From the anonymous inside source known only as “Deep Throat,” who helped reporters from the Washington Post expose the Watergate scandal in 1972, to Edward Snowden leaking NSA documents to the Guardian, whistleblowers, with the help of newspa-

pers, have exposed scandals, brought down presidents and sparked international dialogues. The digital age has fundamentally altered the way in which we store and share information, but whistleblowers still choose to disclose their revelations via traditional media outlets. There are several reasons why newspapers are indispensible in data leaks such as the Panama Papers. Newspapers offer a certain degree of trustworthiness and legitimacy that an anonymous online posting may lack. Reporters can provide context and summarize the documents in order to make them accessible to

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the public. In addition, newspapers can stagger the release of new information over time, ensuring that the issue remain timely and relevant. But perhaps most importantly, newspapers are able to properly vet the material and redact anything deemed to be irrelevant or unfit for public scrutiny. One of the criticisms levied against sites like Wikileaks is that unedited documents may contain information that could put American lives at risk. The Panama Papers show, even in digital age, newspapers remain society’s best bet for holding powerful individuals accountable to the public.

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April 14, 2016

OPINION & EDITORIALS

Baseball: Letter to Political literacy vital to a healthy democracy SLU community SLU Community, “I will foster a community that welcomes all by recognizing the inherent dignity of each person.” –SLU Oath of Inclusion Recently, the SLU baseball program has been connected to a bias incident. The incident involved a racially biased exchange of group messages on a group text thread between a current and former member of the team. The exchange occurred in May of 2015, and was recently disclosed to the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity. The leaders and captains of the team would like to extend an apology to anyone offended by the biased messages. We, too, are frustrated, and we feel that the comments do not accurately reflect the values that we hold. In light of the incident, the SLU baseball program and athletic department are working to actively address and thwart any action that threatens our inclusive community. To ignore such an incident would be remiss and detrimental to the SLU community. Recently, the team, coaching staff, Athletic Director Chris May and Senior Associate Athletic Director Janet Oberle sat down and discussed the incident with Dr. Jonathan Smith, Special Assistant to the President for Diversity and Community Engagement, and Dr. Mona Hicks, Associate Vice President and Dean of Students. Dr. Smith spoke about the privilege and responsibility of representing the University. As ambassadors of the University, the impact of our individual actions has a ripple effect. An action represents not only the individual, but also the team and campus community. Dr. Hicks challenged us to not only consider the impact of actions, but also the value of restorative justice. Dr. Hicks and Dr. Smith are working directly with the baseball program to organize opportunities for dialogue on diversity, equity and inclusion. SLU athletics and the baseball program will continue to proudly represent the SLU community and restore those who have been harmed. Each member of the SLU community takes the Oath of Inclusion. The Oath is a living organ within our student body. It beats constantly as a reminder to live and serve the mission of diversity, equity and inclusion. Members of our SLU community possess diverse backgrounds and identities. Our capacity and willingness to understand these differences enriches the culture of our University. The Oath teaches us to recognize the inherent dignity of each person. It does not specify a particular sect of persons to treat as dignified, but rather encourages us to identify with and appreciate each person. The vision is to project our own experiences and acts of inclusion on others long after we leave SLU. As members of the athletics department and of the student community at large, we will continue to work to live the values that SLU holds close. We will strive to be men for – and with – others. Respectfully, Michael Bozarth, Josh Bunselmeyer, Matt Eckelman & Braxton Martinez SLU Baseball Team Captains

Trevor Rogan

Bertolt Brecht once said, “The worst illiterate is the political illiterate.” The famous poet and playwright referred to those who ignore political events, those who know not that “the cost of life ... depends on political decisions.” Because we live in a representative democracy, as citizens, we have the responsibility of making decisions about our country. A condition of that responsibility is maintaining political awareness. With only one vote, making a difference might seem futile, especially because our officials are elected through a single-member district system. Also described as winner-take-all elections, a large portion of voters will not be represented; only the candidate with the most votes is elected. However, despair is not going to solve the problem. Our government serves us: we the people. We finance them, and we should not relinquish our power to assemble en masse in favor of what we want as a country. By saying, “Oh, it doesn’t matter anyway,” we’re giving up any chance we ever have of engaging our constitutional

Adjuct professor union would ensure fairness

It’s happening everywhere, even in St. Louis. Across the country, universities are depending more and more on contingent faculty who have access to zero job security and low wages with scant benefits. As a sixth-year adjunct at Saint Louis University, I’ve seen it up close. But it doesn’t have to be this way. According to the American Association of University Professors, “contingent faculty” (or “non-tenure track faculty”) currently comprise over 76 percent of instructional faculty that are responsible for teaching across America’s college campuses. Yet while making up a majority, contingent faculty all share a common set of setbacks: employment that is unstable and inconsistent, a lack of health care and other critical benefits, and financial insecurity. The titles of these contingent faculty vary from school to school. Some may be called “adjuncts” or “instructors” or “non-tenure track faculty,” but they are all caught up in an unrelenting trend across higher academia: the reliance on part-time people to do full-time work. This same pattern is at work within the faculty at Saint Louis University. The majority of college instruc-

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These facts and figures speak personally to me. Currently, I teach part time at multiple universities in the St. Louis region to help make ends meet and provide for my family. On average, I make around $3,200 a class, which isn’t enough to cover important things like health insurance, college loan payments and rising living expenses. My classes can be cancelled up until the first day, which makes financial planning virtually impossible. I feel strongly that teaching at SLU is a valuable part of my higher calling to educate for the greater good. Yet I am tasked with delivering quality instruction without access to socially just compensation, health benefits or job security. My colleagues at the University are going through the same struggles. In light of these urgent problems, it is essential that the voices of SLU’s contingent faculty be heard and that more organized steps be taken to address these highly important issues. Following the strides of other schools across the country, and in keeping with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ position on union organizing, conversations have begun with Faculty Forward, a project of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). As one of the largest contingent faculty unions in the country, the goal of SEIU faculty members is to improve the employment standards and working conditions of contingent faculty and, in the process, respon-

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Jameson Ramirez

tion on SLU’s campus is given by highly qualified non-tenure track faculty. As of 2014, around 62 percent of the University’s faculty are not on the tenure track. This hardworking group of contingent faculty is made up not just of part-time adjuncts, but also full-time professors who are not allowed to gain tenure. The heavy reliance on contingent faculty, coupled with the fact that the university dedicates only 32 percent

of its total expenses towards funding student instruction, places great burdens on parttime and non-tenure-track faculty. As a result of such insecure working conditions, contingent faculty face greater challenges to providing quality instruction to SLU’s students. We have less of a voice and role in our respective departments, have less time to prepare for students’ courses and face greater limitations on the types of resources we can access to be able to focus on the needs of SLU’s students.

sibly ensure that teaching always remains the focus of higher learning. Now is the decisive opportunity for not only members of SLU’s contingent faculty, but also SLU’s community at large, to join other institutions of higher education in St. Louis that have already formed contingent faculty unions to work toward equality and respect, including Washington University in St. Louis and St. Louis Community College, and other schools like Duke University, The University of Chicago, and Georgetown. Saint Louis University’s rich history of Jesuit activism in the community and world at large is grounded in the core value of social justice. The University’s Mission Statement states explicitly the goal to “maintain and improve the quality of life for all persons” and “strive continuously to seek means to build upon its Catholic, Jesuit identity and to promote activities that apply its intellectual and ethical heritage to work for the good of society as a whole.” We are the members of the SLU community, and it falls upon us to affirm and live out the Jesuit social justice tradition by calling out that all faculty, regardless of their position, be treated with dignity and fairness. To students, faculty and other members of the St. Louis community, we need your support to help us attain a seat at the table and have a voice in the conversation. The cost of doing nothing is just too high. Jameson Ramirez is a sixth-year adjunct at Saint Louis University’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology.

rights. The political decisions We must talk about these we vote on reflect many facets issues. Have a conversation of our day-to-day lives, and about politics with a friend. some of these decisions mean It’s good to know where you life and death to our citizens. stand. It might enlighten From the military, to eduthem. Sharing your opinions cation, to infrastructure, and may seem scary, but we have to medical care, our country’s the capacity to be rational in budget is under our scrutiny our conversations. It’s imporand willpower. This is a willtant that we listen to one anpower we should care about, other and explain our stance too, because we pay for it. with civility. Make sure you Whether or not your opinion look at the truth of situations. is an increase in the funding The amount of misinformaof one thing or the decrease tion spread by word of mouth of another, it’s important that and through social-media we unoutlets with derstand their own agenthe probdas is rampant, The political decilems that so we should sions we vote on face our expose them as countr y, such. Tell your and the friends that ways they you think their can be source is wrong these decisions fixed. By if you think it is. standing You might just idly by, change their we act as life. bystandPeople from ers to the all walks of life issues we and our fellow citishould discuss these issues zens face. because they affect us all. We From an individual standcannot escape the reality that point, we can decide that we political decisions affect us, are going to pay attention to from the propositions our the issues and what’s going on cities have about topics such in our country, and encouras school funding or tobacco age others to do the same. taxes to the President of the We should hold each other United States. To say, “I’m accountable. Of course, one not going to vote because I individual cannot shape sodon’t care about politics,” is to ciety alone, not even a figure say you don’t care about how as eminent as the president. politics affect you. Everyone However, if we realize that we should make the effort to unhave the ability to cooperate, derstand the issues. They do form groups and tackle the ismatter, and your efforts to get sues, we can accomplish our others to care about these isgoals. sues can make a difference.

“

Editor’s note: The following is a statement made on behalf of SLU’s baseball team by captains regarding the recent bias incident. For more information, see page 1.

April 14, 2016

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