No. 19 (March 24, 2017) by University News

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Thursday, March 23, 2017

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Vol. XCVI No. 19

University-wide layoffs SGA Oath of Inclusion leave staff dismayed suspended

By KRISTINA DEYONG Staff Writer

floor. This idea is at the core of the changes that have been The SGA recently passed pushed in recent weeks. a resolution that suspended “Because the Oath of the use of the Oath of IncluInclusion was an initiative sion by nonstarted by students at students for SLU, claimstudents, Because the Oath ing that many memof Inclusion was an several debers of Seninitiative started partments ate and their were using by students for constituents the Oath in students, many find it troupromotional bling that members of materials to the Oath is Senate and their deceive miused by deconstituents find nority stupartments to it troubling that dents. solely gain “I hear the Oath is used greater repover and resentation by departments to over that first of minorsolely gain greater year black ity students representation of students on campus,” minority students feel like they wrote SGA were tricked on campus. President and lied to. I Kevin Lynch, SGA President Kevin Lynch feel like SLU in his most tried to write recent upa check for date. inclusion and it bounced; Since the decision passed, there is a gap between what comment threads have been we say we are and what we actually are,” said Senator See “Oath” on Page 2 Noelle Janak on the senate By JUSTIN SEATON Staff Writer

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Emma Carmody / The University News

PESTELLO: Before break, staff, faculty and students had an open discussion forum. there was a number, and we knew there would be layoffs, but we were not told what that number was or how the decisions were being made to reach that goal.” She said that this caused an unpleasant work environment as people worried, discussed layoffs and looked for new jobs.

“That kind of thing really colors the way you feel coming into work,” she said. “We sat in that kind of work environment for several months.” Rubén Rosario, associate professor of theology, expressed a similar frustration with transparency in his department. “They act like we can’t question the funding,”

Rosario told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “We’re only seeing what they allow us to see.” Students were less prepared for the upcoming layoﬀs. “My boss [Dr. Alex Wulﬀ ] sent us an email See “Layoffs” on Page 2

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On March 7, just a few days before spring break, President Fred Pestello sent out an email calling students’ attention to an issue that had been on staff members’ minds for months: the 120 layoffs made in order to combat SLU’s current $16 million deficit. As a result of this deficit, consulting company Bain & Co. was hired last year to help identify points of financial waste and to provide possible solutions to these problem areas. In short, their suggested budget cuts were too large to be met without layoffs. Staff members had known for months that the layoffs were going to take place. According to one staff member who wished to remain anonymous, her department was notified in January. They were told that there was a “magic number” that had to be met and that this number was large enough to necessitate layoffs. “The truth is, they were both communicative and not communicative,” the staff member said. “We knew

SLU medical school on life support Accreditation despite probation On March 14, Saint Louis University Medical School accepted a status ruled by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education — LCME for short — which established the medical educational program noncompliant with six of the twelve standards, thereby placing it under a probationary period. The LCME survey team conducted a visit for full accreditation in early October of 2016, concluding deficiencies strictly involving that of documentation, missed opportunities for a self-directed learning environment, curricular management discrepancies, and an abridgement of central oversight; because the educational shortcomings related solely to curricular content and not to that of patient care or physician medical practice,

the medical school remains fully accredited. “We are fully accredited from the standpoint that all students have the same right as any other student in a diﬀerent medical school to

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All our students and any future students we enroll will continue to exhibit the same rights during this probational period.

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By MEREDYTH STAUNCH Associate News Editor

Dr. Kevin Burns, Dean of SLU school of Medicine

sit on a national board and enter the National Resident Matching Program,” Vice President for Medical Aﬀairs and Dean of SLU School of Medicine Kevin Behrns, M.D., said. “All our students

and any future students we enroll will continue to exhibit the same rights during this probational period, but there are areas we need to fix to strengthen our educational program —there are certainly things we could improve upon.” Of the required remediation that is necessary for the medical school to retain its accreditation status, it must comply with the missed standards following a 24-month span before it is reevaluated. These missed guidelines specifically include, but are not limited to, the mentioned: mission, planning, organization and integrity; academic and learning environments; competencies, curricular objectives and curricular design; curricular management, evaluation and enhancement; teaching, See “Probation” on Page 3

Courtesy of SLU

ACCREDITATION: SLU med is on probation for 24 months beginning in March.

INSIDE SCOOP: Women’s Basketball advances to National Invitation Tournament

A tribute to St. Louis icon Chuck Berry Page 5

ARTS

Trump’s budget cuts to have longterm ramifications Page 9

Page 7

SPORTS

OPINION

2 March 23, 2017

NEWS

Chris Gardner addresses students about his pursuit to ‘happyness’

One wouldn’t expect Gardner to be formerly homeless as he is a large For Chris Gardner, it all man, wearing sleek clothes started with a desire to bethat showed oﬀ his figure. come world-class. He made His voice was authoritative, that decision at a time when explaining how his dark days he was living out of a transitwere behind him. But he vivstation bathroom with his idly remembered the experiinfant son. ence and used it to motivate The odds were not in others. his favor, but with a posiSitting down with Gardtive work ethic and love for ner before he went on stage, his son, Gardner was able to the conversation started get a job as a casually as stockbroker Gardner and eventuwas asked if The truth is, the ally start his he had ever most important own multibeen to St. things in all of million-dolLouis. Gardour lives are lar firm. ner replied, the universal He pub“Oh yeah.” lished his When the experiences, the autobioglack of a birth of a child, raphy, “The football team a graduation, a Pursuit of was brought wedding, a new Happyness,” up, Gardner job or business in 2006. The chuckled. book became opportunity, a new “Even when a New York you had a home, the loss of Times bestteam… you a loved one...that seller and didn’t really create a family was made have a team.” called humanity. into a movie A f t e r Chris Gardner starring Will Gardner Smith. was asked G a rd n e r what he became financially successwould want someone who ful through his firm, but afhad no idea who was (“Now ter Gardner’s wife’s death in who would that be? Was he 2012, he decided to pursue a locked up for the past ten career in happiness. He has years in solitary confinewritten two more books on ment?” he joked) to rememthe subject and travels 200 ber him by, he said, “That days out of the year to speak guy was real. He was real, to audiences about reaching and he was talking to me. their full potential. Through At some level, he was talkhis story, he hopes to show ing to me. The truth is, the people that it is possible to most important things in all be successful, but only with of our lives are the universal hard work. experiences, the birth of a On Thursday, March 2, child, a graduation, a wedGardner shared his story ding, a new job or business with students at SLU. opportunity, a new home, By BRANSON FOX AND LUKE VEST

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Emma Carmody / The University News

PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS: Chris Gardner speaks to students about his experience with homelessness and journey to happiness. Through hard work, Gardner became a stockbroker and started his own multi-million dollar firm. the loss of a loved one. Those are the universal experiences that create a family called humanity. Now they feel the same, no matter where you are on the planet.” Gardner relayed a story about a man that he had encountered once. While on set in San Francisco with Will Smith, Gardner and Smith met a man on the street named Theo. Theo said that he was on the streets because he still had something to learn. Gardner described Theo’s interesting talent. “You know a typi-

cal Coke bottle? Well, Theo could stand on his head, on an upside-down Coke bottle. Will and I looked at each other. Mother fu… If he can learn to do that, he can learn to do damn near anything. He wasn’t ready, that’s all.” After being questioned about how he embodies the “American Dream,” Gardner promoted his new book, “Happyness 2.0: Love, Spiritual Genetics and the New American Dream.” “When you’re trying to write, you have to block out a whole lot of other stuﬀ. You

have to ignore a lot of static. You know static? That’s probably before your time,” he said. Gardner shared that he had been dealing with a lot of “static“ recently. Gardner elaborated, “Ideas don’t come spontaneously. You have some idea of what you want to write. The ideas are marinating, they’re simmering… and then you get a catalyst, the pen gets hot! I do all my work longhand.” Questioning Gardner whether “luck comes into play at all,” Gardner chal-

lenged the claim to a hypothetical run on a treadmill. “One of two things will happen. Either you’re going to quit, or I’m going to die, trying to beat you,” Gardner explained. “I got that attitude by knowing that that’s what it takes.” Gardner also shared how he thinks we can change the world. “When you recognize that [someone homeless] is ready… Stick out your hand. That’s how you change the world, one person at a time. People that are ready will receive.”

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Layoffs: Further Oath: SGA says restructuring to come meaning of oath has changed abuzz with concerns over the fate of the Oath which, up until now, many students and alumni believed was untouchable. “The Oath of Inclusion is not being changed. We’re not setting it on fire,” assured Jay Hardin, Vice President of Internal Aﬀairs. The Oath of Inclusion hasn’t been changed, but how it can be used has. The process of coming to this decision was complex. Senators Tommy English, Noelle Janak and George Tharp drafted and proposed the resolution on March 1 which, “after much healthy debate and discussion,” passed 20 - 3 - 1, according to Lynch. The original resolution proposed that the Oath of Inclusion be renamed the “Oath of Tolerance.” “[The Oath] holds students to a standard. By changing the name, what you’re doing is changing the standard. You’re lowering the standard that students are being held to,” said Andrew Budd, one of three senators who voted against the final version of the bill. There followed two amendments to the resolution. The first proposed that SGA reclaim the rights to the Oath. “SGA actually owns the Oath,” said Hardin. “We are the people that drafted it. It is ours.” The second and final amendment revised the bill so that the Oath’s name would remain the same, but

its use by administrative offices would be suspended going forward. That final amendment passed as a “friendly amendment,” meaning that the authors agreed with the amendment, and it would go through without debate. Budd took issue with this process. “I think I could’ve been swayed into passing,” said

“We’re hoping that by making them come in and get it approved, the Oath will mean more to them than just a marketing tool. So they’ll actually stand behind it when they try to get more diverse students,” said Hardin. The task force will consist of an odd number of members, some of whom will be non-SGA representatives, who “have a depth of knowledge on inclusion,” according to the minutes of last week’s We’re hoping senate meeting. that by making “They will have a prelimi[administrative nary conversation with whooffices] come ever is requesting approval, and my vision of this is that in and get it they would oﬀer an opinion approved, the Oath on whether this individual will mean more or department should be to them than just able to use [the Oath], and a marketing tool. that would be presented to So they’ll actually the entire Senate. The entire Senate would have the final stand behind it call,” said Lynch. when they try to Senate has requested that get more diverse the first task of the soon-tostudents. be-appointed task force be to Jay Hardin, VP of Internal Affairs explicitly state their criteria in determining whether or not the individual or department is working toward a Budd. “But there was no distruly inclusive environment, cussion on suspending the according to Lynch. Oath going forward.” As developments conHowever, the Oath’s use tinue to roll in via the ofthas not been suspended overlooked SGA weekly upwithout exception. Lynch dates, members of the SGA proposed the creation of a hope that students will begin task force, named the Stuto take an interest. dent Government Associa“We’re trying to get more tion Task Force for the Stupeople pumped up about dent Inclusion Initiative, the Oath. We’re trying to get which would hear requests people to live the Oath,” said from administrative oﬃces Hardin. More details about to use the Oath in promothe task force are to be retional materials. leased soon.

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Continued from Page 1

letting us know that he was cut and that he will miss us,” said Celia Hall, a junior who works for University Writing Services. “The email was a shock to me and broke my heart,” she said. “It’s also upsetting because his wife is having a baby next month.” According to Hall, there is confusion about exactly how University Writing Services will function in the future, but she believes that they will now be absorbed by the tutoring department. “The fallout of all this is a lot of uncertainty,” the anonymous staff member said. According to her, similar efforts are being made in her department to consolidate certain roles in order to increase efficiency. She also said that remaining staff members will likely be taking on extra responsibilities that previously belonged to employees who no longer work for the university. “It’s tough for staff because we know we’re always the dispensable ones,” she said. “You certainly can’t have a university without students, so they’re always the priority. You can’t have a university without professors, either, so faculty comes second. That puts staff on the bottom of the totem pole. Of course, the fact is, you can’t run a university without them, either.” Pestello expressed a desire to go about the layoffs in a way that was respectful of the staff members who were let go. “I know this situation generates angst and anxiety,” Pestello wrote in one letter. “It is our hope that frequent communication and continued transparency, which includes sharing the timeline for separations as it

is known, will aid in releasing some of the tension you rightfully hold.” Students expressed dissatisfaction with the way the layoﬀs were handled. “I thought the email [about the prayer meeting] was a sad excuse for an explanation and apology to the SLU community,” said senior Tory Schleper. “You cannot pray away the pain that the families aﬀected are going to feel when they have no money

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It is our hope that frequent communication and continued trasparency...will aid in releasing some of the tension you rightfully hold.

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Continued from Page 1

Dr. Fred Pestello, President

for food and shelter.” “The way I see it, it’s their choice as to what they do financially,” said senior Andy Southern O’Brien. “What really got me was that email... As an institution, SLU has to own their decisions, not try to play both sides. If you’re going to fire 120 people because you overshot your budget, fine. But don’t stand there praying for them. [It] seems woefully dramatic.” A lower enrollment rate combined with a higher cost of operation is what the university cites as the reason for the $16 million deficit. SLU profile reports show that enrollment has dropped from 13,287 in 2014 to 12,949 in 2017, a diﬀerence of 338 students. According to the anonymous staﬀ member,

this does not seem like a significant enough difference to cause the deficit. “We went from no deficit at all to a $16 million deficit,” she said. “That is a serious number! I feel like we’ve never been given a direct answer about where this really came from.” “I don’t understand how one of the explanations can be that we have low enrollment, but then they can justify building two new residential halls. I can understand one, but not two,” Schleper said. “If we are in such a budget crunch, then why did we spend millions on new logos?” “It seems like the administration is really out of touch with what students actually care about,” O’Brien said, “and enrollment is showing that.” “Money is being put into those giant resident halls and other cosmetic campus changes,” said Hall. “Chill on the flowers, the fountains, etc. Instead, maybe pay my professors and faculty. Maybe give me a nice selection of classes. I’m offered three upper level French classes next semester. That’s so sad. SLU needs to prioritize people over the dollar.” The layoffs are not enough to reach the budget cuts, and additional methods will continue to be considered. According to the PostDispatch, the university will have to contemplate methods like cutting or combining programs or requiring a higher number of credit hours to graduate. SLU Provost Nancy Brickhouse told the Post-Dispatch that if a program is picked to be cut, the university will make sure that current students are able to finish their studies.

NEWS

March 23, 2017

Let Us Introduce You: Dan Carter By MEREDYTH STAUNCH Associate News Editor

Junior Dan Carter—newly-nominated SGA president and intern for the U.S. Embassy in Vienna—has a range of political expertise which stretches beyond the academic setting, aiding in his victory for the student government presidency, but his passion for philosophy and governmental aﬀairs was originally instilled in him as a child by his parents. “My parents have been the most influential people in my life, the people who have shaped me,” Carter explained. “I like to tell this story because it makes me laugh, but my dad studied philosophy at SLU as well. His whole thing was to find things out on your own. I asked him in grade school who a Quaker was—most people would give a direct answer in a couple sentences, but my dad said ‘That is a really good question; find out and let me know.’” Initially, the indirect re-

Emma Carmody / The University News

LUIY: Junior Daniel Carter is majoring in philosophy. sponse upset Carter, but reminiscing on the event, he acknowledged the valuable life lesson his father taught him: that of asking and answering your own diﬃcult questions. Education was a primary priority within Carter’s household, with his mother reading to him daily as a

baby and his father encouraging him to pursue philosophy while at SLU. “I never took philosophy in high school, so I had no exposure to it and had no idea what I wanted to study,” Carter said. “I thought that maybe I would want to be a lawyer or judge, but my dad told me I

should look into philosophy too.” Following his first philosophy class freshman year with Scott Berman, Carter was confident with his decision to pursue the major. “[Berman] almost exclusively discussed Socrates,” he explained. “He took these timeless ideas Socrates had and applied them to the modern world and modern philosophical discussion.” With the mindset of continuing his education at law school, Carter wishes to further his “pursuit of truth through the greater glory of God” as he continues to look to his dad for guidance. “My dad is my role model in my life,” Carter said. “I don’t even think of it as a cliché because it’s true for so many people—a cliché is something people don’t put that much thought into and just say it, but I truly value my dad. He taught me what the pursuit of truth was, without putting it into those exact words, and I couldn’t have been more thankful and appreciative for it.”

Beloved English professor passes away peacefully By CALEIGH HORAN Contributor

On Tuesday, March 2, the Department of English chair Dr. Toni Benis sent an email announcing the passing of Dr. Georgia Johnston. She focused on women’s and gender studies and was a Virginia Woolf scholar. She had battled cancer for many years, and during spring break she fell ill, passing away in her sleep on Monday night. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. this Saturday, March 25, at Trinity Episcopal, 600 N. Euclid St., in St. Louis. Johnston’s death came unexpected to many. She was still teaching classes and working on a new book project about how evolution can only explain certain changes in society to a point. Radiant, eclectic, undeniable: three of the best adjectives one can gather to describe the storybook character that was Dr. Georgia Johnston. As soon as she entered a room, she commanded attention with her bright, wackily patterned clothing, but what truly defined her presence shone through when she began to speak. Similar to the literary characters Dr. Johnston taught about, she was entirely multifaceted. Her quickpaced mind bounced freely from novels to plays to po-

etry, leaving students wondering what could possibly come from her next. Her Modern Literature class oﬀered one of the most well-rounded and comprehensive portraits of a literary era one could receive. Johnston provided a wealth of knowledge, not only in literature, but in history, psychology, culture and life. According to SLU student Bri Super, “the only thing you could really do wrong is play things too safe” when it came to Dr. Johnston’s classes. She constantly asked more of her students, both as readers and as writers, encouraging discussion and throwing counterarguments their way any chance she could. This persistence bordered on unbearable at times, but there was a method behind her madness, as this was the type of pressure that had the potential to turn coal into diamond, pushing students to become more clear and eﬀective in analyses. Johnston did not necessarily strive to teach the popular works of the time, she instead opted to showcase the most thought-provoking and unique pieces, another example of her pursuit beyond the mundane boundaries of everyday life. For many of her students, Dr. Johnston’s classroom was a source of comfort, where they could come to

supervision, assessment and student and patient safety; and finally, student selection, assignment and progress. Behrns elaborated on his strategy to remediate the work plan, which will consist of a two-part system. “Phase one will work to address the citations while phase two will look at a continuous quality improvement program for medical education,” he explained. Behrns further elaborated on phase one exhibiting an overall steering committee to oversee the process. Underneath this steering committee, there will be work groups designed to address the citations. These citations

are centered around three groups, that which consist of documentation, curriculum management and central oversight. “There will be a work group for each of the citations, with curriculum management having a larger group because we have a fair amount of citations centered around it,” Behrns said. Currently, SLU School of Medicine is the sole accredited medical institution placed under probation. However, Baylor and George Washington exhibited the same determination prior, with both of their rulings lifted when assessed by the LCME following the remediation period. The question might be raised, however, as

Q. What has been your funniest memor y while at SLU? I went to a festival in Stuttgart, Germany, with some friends and when going back to Heidelberg, I fell asleep on the train and ended up in Frankfurt. Q. What is one of your favorite hobbies? I really enjoy music, especially singing. I was in an a cappella group in high school and sang in a choir, but I don’t do it in an organized setting anymore. I really like the composers that came out of the Romantic period, all rock, and have a soft spot for metal—a mixed bag of genres. Q. What other clubs are you involved in other than SGA? I’m a member of APO, the Campion Society, which usually has a talk, dinner and mass, and am also a member of the Office of Admissions.

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

Tuesday, March 7 1:32 p.m. INFORMATIONAL Office staff contacted DPS to report an occupant in a room had attempted to trick her into letting him into his roommate’s bedroom—roommates have a history of animosity. Res Life responded with DPS to speak to the student. During the interview, officers noted scratches and pry marks on the door. Res life staff made the decision to relocate the student temporarily to another apartment. The owner of the room responded and confirmed the marks were preexisting.

Monday, March 20 5:54 p.m. ACCIDENTAL INJURY Student injured his nose by colliding into another player while playing basketball. The other player was not injured. Student did not request Emergency Medical Services and was transported to Saint Louis University Hospital by his friend. Prostaff was notified.

Courtesy of SLU

JOHNSTON: Dr. Johnston passed away in her sleep Monday night after fighting cancer for many years. be challenged and inspired by a warm and positive spirit. Whatever struggles she induced with her rigorous teaching technique were counteracted in tenfold with kindness and humor. She was unapologetically larger than life and expected her students to be the same way, bringing out the best in all. Like many of the greatest storybook characters, Dr. Johnston’s story is one

that has ended far before it should have, leaving many wishing to experience her light for just a little bit longer. However, it is certain that the lasting impression she has left on her students in just half of a semester runs far deeper in generations of students and loved ones. One does not forget a force of nature like Dr. Georgia Johnston. May she rest in peace.

Probation: Med school status Continued from Page 1

Q&A with Dan:

to why just this year is the medical school not meeting its standards previously accommodated before — what has changed? While Behrns cannot fully answer these inquiries as he started his position as VP of Medical Aﬀairs and dean in January of 2017, he elaborated that “when you look at the curriculum, you have opportunities for each classroom course or each clinical rotation that a medical student has. There needs to be a well-documented set of objectives for that course, and the evaluation must follow the objectives of the course […] Then, we need to do an assessment of how we’re teaching the topic material and use that information to inform us

about whether the students are really getting what we’re trying to teach or whether we have gaps.” While addressing these “gaps” in learning, he mentioned that there are areas which need to be assessed for improvement to create a more robust learning environment regardless of the LCME’s order. “These accreditation findings are unacceptable,” said Behrns, but he is utilizing them as a push to achieve a stronger medical education program in general. In taking the next steps, SLU is constructing a new hospital which, according to Behrns, will not be aﬀected by the medical school’s probation.

Monday, March 20 10:20 p.m. INFORMATIONAL Student’s doorknob was broken, entrapping two students inside their dorm room. Maintenance responded and attempted to remove the lock. Student did not request any medical attention. Prostaff was on scene.

Tuesday, March 21 2:00 p.m. INFORMATIONAL A student contacted DPS to report that she had received a threatening message via Instagram. Investigator Chambers responded to meet with the Office of Student responsibility to identify the student and make a threat assessment.

Tuesday, March 21 7:22 p.m. THEFT FROM MOTOR VEHICLE Between 03/18/17 at 10:00 p.m. and 03/19/17 at 08:30 a.m., person(s) unknown broke into a student’s vehicle off campus and stole his Saint Louis University identification card and his garage door opener. The student delayed in reporting the incident until his friends advised him to do so. Dispatch deactivated the student’s card. Saint Louis Metropolitan Police was notified.

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

4 March 23,

GAMES

Games Across 1 5 8 11 12 13 15 17 19 20 21 23 27 28 29 30 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 42 44 45 46 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 57 59 64 65

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Indie 500 Champs

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Last week’s solutions

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ANDRETTI

GOUX

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BRACK

HARROUN

PARSONS

CHEEVER

HILL

PETILLO

DAWSON

HOLLAND

RICE

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HORNISH

ROBSON

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LOCKHART

SOUDERS

FRAME

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UNSER

FRANCHITTI

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Arts Entertainment

March 23, 2017 arts@unewsonline.com Natalie Riopelle, Arts Editor Tom Bergan, Assoc. Arts Editor

St. Louis’ rock pinoneer Chuck Berry passes By MARY ADCOCK Staff Writer

After 90 years of life and rock ‘n’ roll, St. Louis native Charles Edward Anderson Berry, also known as Chuck Berry, has been confirmed dead by the St. Charles County Police in his home on Saturday, March 18. While he played riﬀs and duck-walked across the stages of the world, he helped create the first generation of electric sound and rock music, inspiring the generations to follow with his songs about cars, girls and rock ‘n’ roll. Since his 1955 song, “Maybellene,” to his songs that appeared in movies like “Back to the Future” and “Pulp Fiction” and being covered by the Beach Boys, the Beatles, Elvis and the Rolling Stones, Berry has left his mark on American pop culture. Some of the many recognitions he acquired during his lifetime include the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1984, Kennedy Center Honors in 2000 and being named the sixth best guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine. There is also a statue of him in St. Louis’ Delmar Loop. Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones inducted him into the Rock and Roll Hall

Mary Adcock/ University News

LOOP LEGEND: The statue of Chuck Berry, situated in The Loop of St. Louis, was adorned with flowers and memorials after the announcement of Berry’s passing.

of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio in 1986. “It’s hard for me to induct Chuck Berry, because I lifted every lick he ever played,” Richards said. Berry’s passing brought dedications from many of Berry’s famous fans who were inspired by his work. “R I P. And peace and love Chuck Berry Mr. rock ‘n’ roll music,” the Beatles’ Ringo Starr said on Twitter. Starr covered Berry’s “Roll Over Beethoven” on the 1963 album “With the Beatles.” Bruce Springsteen posted his condolences on Twitter as well. “Chuck Berry was rock’s greatest practitioner, guitarist, and the greatest pure rock & roll writer who ever lived,” Springsteen said. Berry’s music has remained on tour in outer space. “Johnny B. Goode” has been on golden records, part of a collection left for extraterrestrials to discover when the unmanned spacecrafts Voyager I and II were launched in 1977. Berry’s success is made further remarkable by the state of the racial climate in America in the 1950s when he entered the music scene. His charisma and sense of humor helped him overcome many of these barriers. Although much of the United States was segregated during this time, his energy attracted audiences of

all colors. His songs “Brown Eyed Handsome Man” and “Promised Land” subtly display racial pride and images of the black experience in the 1950s. The decade before the Civil Rights movements that occurred in the 1960s saw a civil rights movement starting in popular music. “They (black and white musicians) jived between each other. All were artists, playing foolish, having fights and making love as if the rest of the world had no racial problems whatsoever,” Berry said, according to his website.

On Oct. 18, 2016, Berry’s 90th birthday, he announced he would be releasing a new album. A statement made Monday on Chuck Berry’s Facebook page said, “For months now plans have been in place, and preparations have been made with our friends at Dualtone Records, to reveal further details and music from the album this week. As a tribute to Chuck Berry, and with gratitude to his fans around the world, we will be following through on those plans in the coming days.”

Mary Adcock / The University News

STAR: Chuck Berry’s star from the St. Louis walk of fame is covered with flowers to honor the rocker.

In the ‘Shadow’ Wolverine’s final bow stuns Game of the Year in 2015, and rightfully so; it adhered very much to the established Warner Brothers Interacbook and film canon of the tive Entertainment is set to Tolkien universe, included do it again, it appears. On stunning visuals, utilized Aug. 22, the company will a unique soundtrack combe releasing the video game posed of waterphones and “Middle Earth: Shadow made use of a fluid gameplay of War,” a sequel to 2014’s reminiscent of the “Batman: wildly successful “Middle Arkham” series. “Shadow of Earth: Shadow of Mordor” Mordor” was also revolu(rated M), the most successtionary for its Nemesis sysful Tolkien-based game ever tem, in which players could (sorry, diehard fans of “Retrack individual Uruks (deturn of the King” on PlayStascribed as “nastier Orcs”) tion 2). A gameplay preview who either killed or escaped was released on March 8, but the player, and fight them first, a little catching up is in after they were promoted order. to captains. Defeating these “Shadow of Mordor” is Uruks helped the player upset in the sixty-year interim grade, but being killed by between “The Hobbit” and them would result in them “The Lord of getting stronthe Rings,” and ger. However, is meant to exthe game’s Talion eventually online server plain the finer details of how defeats the Black notified playthe Dark Lord Hand and declares ers’ friends of Sauron, the their deaths, his intention to main antagoand friends nist of the se- create a new Ring of could carry out ries, returned Vendetta misPower. to power in sions to kill the Mordor. The Uruks, which plot revolves gave rewards around a Gondor Ranger to both parties. Also, players named Talion whose family could brand Uruks and inis killed by one of Sauron’s terrogate them for informacaptains, the Black Hand, tion about the weaknesses of who intended to use them to captains, and even convert summon the wraith of Cethem to their side. lebrimbor, an Elf Lord who The gameplay footage was manipulated by Sauron of “Shadow of War” gives a into forging the nineteen tantalizing glimpse into the Rings of Power, by which alpha gameplay (usually a Sauron sought to control the rough cut) of the game. The races of Middle-Earth via player is taken to an attack his own One Ring. Instead, behind enemy lines on the Celebrimbor merges with “terror-fortress” of Seregost. Talion and revives him, and The gameplay footage is very relays the story of how Ceinformative, giving briefings lebrimbor tried to steal the on each enemy and resource One Ring but failed. After at each side’s disposal. The winning the loyalty of severplayer can switch between al notable allies, including an diﬀerent weapons, usually outcast Ranger named Hirspecific to either Talion or gon and the female warrior Celebrimbor’s wraith, as well Lithariel of the pirate kingas use the two characters sidom of Nurn, Talion eventumultaneously mid-combat. ally defeats the Black Hand A significant revision of and declares his intention to the Nemesis system is that create a new Ring of Power to rival Sauron’s own. See “Shadow” on Page 6 “Shadow of Mordor” won By KARL O’BRIEN Staff Writer

By SEAN KELSO Staff Writer

Featuring Hugh Jackman’s final appearance as Wolverine, “Logan” shatters superhero norms and delivers a stunning and personal finale for the beloved character. Directed by James Mangold, who also helmed 2013’s “The Wolverine,” “Logan” picks up in 2029 and finds Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) in a dystopian future where mutants have been hunted and are now on the brink of extinction. Logan and Xavier are hiding out on the southwest border between the United States and Mexico, with a fellow mutant survivor, Caliban (Stephen Merchant), trying to avoid their dark pasts and keeping interaction with society to a minimum. While “Logan” is a departure from the mainstream superhero industry in many regards, it remains reliably faithful to the comic book

material, and uses its R ratcaused by his degenerative ing fully by offering the aubrain disorders. dience the most violent and Thus, “Logan” presents visceral Wolverine movie itself immediately as a sharp thus far. contrast to the modern suThe R rating was a big perhero genre — presenting risk for “Logan,” but the convulnerable characters tied to fident screenplay and perhumanity, instead of mighty formances guide this film galactic gods. and use the violence, action, From the opening, “Loand language to further degan” flaunts its R rating and velop this intimate story and gives longtime fans exactly environment. what they As a huge fan wished for, in of the X-Men intense acSeventeen years an franchise, and tion set piece s p e c i f i c a l l y, after his debut, Hugh that pulls no the WolverJackman brings punches and ine character, incredible complexity shows WolverI found myself ine’s ever-presand depth to overwhelmed ent anger. Wolverine. by this final inWe soon stallment, as it learn that Lodelivers everygan has been thing I wanted working as a and more. limo driver, saving up money After all the events of past to take Charles and himself X-Men films, “Logan” shows away from the modern world Wolverine and Xavier at to live out their final days on their weakest, both displaya boat at sea. ing stark signs of aging and However, fate brings a suffering. Logan is not healdangerous yet mysterious ing as thoroughly or quickly child, Laura, into his life. as he used to, and the senile With the evil Reavers now Charles Xavier suffers exafter Logan for harboring tremely dangerous seizures Laura, he and Charles set off

with Laura to try and save her from the villains and the corruptness of this world. Thus “Logan” quickly becomes a family-focused film, centering on the forming bond between Logan, Charles, and Laura as they all try to escape their pasts for a better future. After two viewings of “Logan,” I cannot speak highly enough about the acting in this film. Seventeen years after his debut, Hugh Jackman brings incredible complexity and depth to Wolverine that bring this story home. Patrick Stewart gives his best performance yet as Xavier, giving us a heartfelt, yet surprisingly comical look at the elder professor. Boyd Holbrook did a great job as one of the villains, Donald Pierce, oﬀering a charismatic character that will keep your eyes glued to the screen. A true standout performance in “Logan” was that of Dafne Keen as Laura. Keen brought a lovable ferocity to her character, See “Mutant” on Page 6

Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

ADAMANTIUM: Boyd Holbrook, pictured above, gives a dazzling performance as Donald Pierce, who is on the search for Laura in order to retrieve her.

6 March 23, 2017 What’s up in STL this week?

Conor Oberst March 25, 8:00 p.m. The Pageant The man behind Bright Eyes and many other projects will have a setlist ranging from solo material and his other endeavors.

“Song to Song” Tivoli Theater

ARTS

Much more ‘Beauty’ than ‘Beast’ in remake By CHANDANA KAMARAJ Staff Writer

Bill Condon (“Breaking Dawn”) crafts the timeless tale of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” and creates a visual masterpiece with a star-studded cast in the liveaction version of the film. Maintaining the memorable love story between the intelligent, warm-hearted Belle and seemingly fierce and cold-hearted Beast, Condon delves deep into the story by adding complexity to the characters with multiple twists along the way. The film starts in France with the enchantress, Agathe (Hattie Morahan) who comes to the prince’s mansion during the debutante ball disguised as a beggar. Agathe ultimately curses the charming prince by turning him into a beast (Dan Stevens) after she is refused hospitality by him, and then turns all of his servants into living objects. Many recognizable stars lended their voices to the film: Ewan McGregor as Lumière the candelabra, Stanley Tucci as

Maestro Cadenza the harpsichord, Ian McKellen as Cogsworth the mantel clock, Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts the teapot, Audra McDonald as Madame de Garderobe the wardrobe, Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Plumette the feather duster and Nathan Mack as Chip the teacup. Af-

Watson portrays Belle as a courageous and practical woman who...fights for what she wants. ter the enchantress gives the beast a rose, she states that the beast must find true love before the last rose petal falls to break the spell. Meanwhile, practical Belle (Emma Watson) residing in the village of Villeneuve, strolls around with her nose in a book, seemingly out of place, her only company being her inventive father, Maurice (Kevin

Kline). Everyone in the village skeptically stares at her as if she is simply funny and knowledgeable, and she is frequently noticed by the narcissistic, handsomelooking Gaston (Luke Evans) always accompanied by Disney’s first openly gay character LeFou (Josh Gad). Minding her own business, Belle seeks a better life for herself inventing things like a machine so that the horses can do the laundry while she has time to read and spread her knowledge. Soon enough, Belle is sets out on a mission to rescue her father who is captured by the beast and ultimately takes his place before finding true love and breaking Agathe’s spell. Condon turns around a 25-year-old classic favorite into one for the younger generation with a handpicked cast. This is the biggest film for Emma Watson after the Harry Potter series and she has flawlessly undertaken the role of Belle. Through the characterization of Belle, Watson was able to move away from the uneasy situation of what

Terrence Malick’s new film stars Ryan Gosling while using music hub Austin, Texas to bring a welcome twist to the classic love story.

“Motown” Through March 26 The Fabulous Fox The jukebox musical takes patrons on a trip to Detroit to tell the story of Motown Records.

Courtesy of Disney

CURSED: In the classic scene from the original film, Belle and the Beast share a waltz in his castle.

Mutant madness

Courtesy of Disney

BONJOUR: Emma Watson stars as Belle in the live action version of the “tale as old as time.” may be termed as “Stockholm Syndrome” after Belle falls in love with the beast after being taken in as hostage. Instead, Watson portrays Belle as a courageous and practical woman who doesn’t easily fall in love but instead fights for what she wants first, making the love story increasingly charming. She is complemented by a talented cast, familiar faces seen earlier in “Downton Abbey,” “Star Wars,” and “The Lord of the Rings.” Both Gaston played by Luke Evans and the Beast played by Dan Stevens stand out on their own with their powerful characterizations. Gaston is held as a strong and angry man, justified by the terror of his war stories as a soldier, but is submissive at the sight of Belle. The Beast starts out the same and develops himself by eventually learning the meaning of love. The cast helps bring in inclusive elements to the story including Disney’s first gay character LeFou, played by Josh Gad, who shares a strong rapport with Gaston and ultimately find loves with one of the Beast’s servants. The cast is also noticeably diverse and the director immaculately creates a loving environment that is seemingly unforced

in both the village and the Beast’s household. The astounding cast makes the film a visual and musical delight with revamped versions of the classic hits such as “Belle,” “Be Our Guest,” and “Days in the Sun” sung by the cast themselves. With the detailed choreography and visual eﬀects, each piece is made into a magical treat. “Be Our Guest” stands out with with a choreography piece led by Lumière the candelabra and completed with dancing dishes tossed into the air and overwhelming amounts of food. The composers Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, and Tim Rice managed to tack on more ear-candy with musical pieces such as “How Does a Moment Last Forever,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “Evermore” sung by Celine Dion, Ariana Grande John Legend, and Josh Groban respectively, enchanting the audience. With the visuals and the actors of the film, Condon extraordinarily heightens the enchantment of the original “Beauty and the Beast.” If you have grown up alongside this charming tale, this live-action version is a fascinating interpretation you won’t want to miss.

‘Shadow’ of promise

Continued from Page 5

Higher Ground Open Now Sheldon Art Galleries Washington Park Cemetery, in North City, is the focus of this multimedia exhibit, telling the story of social injustices that have hit the historic grounds.

resonates on a human level about what it means to live displaying great strength a fulfilling life, and touches and emotion, especially for beautifully on tough topa twelve-yearics like death, old actress. loneliness, and “Logan” ‘Logan’ took great love. While it took great risks by setting hurts me to risks by setting imagine a difitself apart itself apart from the ferent actor as status quo, but we Wolverine or from the status quo, but are all enriched by even Professor we are all enX after these its story. riched by its seventeen story since it great cinematic delivers on so years, I canmany levels. It delves into not imagine a more fulfilling one of the most iconic superending than which “Logan” heroes, yet tells a story that presents. Courtesy of WB Games

MORDOR: The video game, which is due to come out later this year, promises to enthrall gamers with its beautiful graphics and gameplay. Continued from Page 5

Vicia Cortex Center, CWE Open March 28 Set to be one of the hottest reservations in St. Louis, the new restaurant is the mastermind of two renowned NYC chefs.

Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

BLADES: Hugh Jackman stuns in one of the finest superhero movies in years

the player’s computer-controlled allies are more in control of their own destinies, being able to choose how to help or harm Talion, as opposed to the simplistic bloodshed-driven narrative of “Shadow of Mordor.” Additionally, all major enemies are unique to each player’s region and can customize their own combat arenas. New powers granted by the new Ring give the player the ability to dominate beasts and convert or depower terrified enemies. Taking all the forts in a region gives the player more experience, loot, resources and followers, as well as a base to use for training new forces. After a victory, one of the fol-

lowers who aided in the attack must be appointed the new overlord of a fortress, which adds diﬀerent fortresses for each player in the Nemesis system, as each ally

‘Shadow of War’ will not only appeal to obsessed MiddleEarth fans, but also fans of fantasy, RPGs and combat games. has unique abilities to aid in the war against Sauron. This adds even more options for the story’s procession than the previous game allowed. As of yet, the game is only available for pre-order on

the Xbox One and comes in three editions, with an optional DLC pack available. Overall, the game looks fantastic for the alpha stage, and is as graphically stunning as “Shadow of Mordor,” with the same fluid gameplay appearing to be present, and the violence as bloodily realistic, right down to Orcs’ blood being black. If my article wasn’t spoiler-ridden enough or made the game even more appealing, check out the footage at shadowofwar.com. “Shadow of War” will not only appeal to obsessed Middle-Earth fans, but also fans of fantasy, RPGs and combat games in general. It is a fitting expansion to its universe, and hopefully a worthy successor to “Shadow of War.”

Sports

March 23, 2017 sports@unewsonline.com Lauren Tondl, Sports Editor Vivek Gorijala, Assoc. Sports Editor

Baseball approaches A-10 play with 15-4 record By VIVEK GORIJALA Associate Sports Editor

While most SLU students were finishing up midterms and then going away for spring break, Billikens baseball played 11 games, moving to a 15-4 overall record before the start of Atlantic 10 Conference play. From Friday, March 3 to Sunday, March 5, SLU played three games against Farleigh Dickinson, managing to win all three. Farleigh Dickinson came into the games 0-7, while the Billikens were 8-1 up to that point, so the Billikens were expected to win. However, the Billikens only won the first game by three runs, although SLU did manage to blow their opponents out 8-0 in the second matchup of the three-game series. Farleigh Dickinson put up another good fight in the third and final game, with SLU only winning 7-5 in a high-scoring aﬀair. SLU then played a single game against SIUE, and again came out on top to extend their winning streak to seven games. While SIUE had a winning record coming into the game, at 8-5, SLU were still favorites thanks to their 12-1 record. SLU easily handled SIUE, winning by a score of 12-3. The Billikens then had a three-game home series at the Billiken Sports Center against Northern Illinois. The Billikens won the first two games to extend their

winning streak to nine. However, Northern Illinois then won the final game of the series by a score of 2-0, blanking the Billiken hitters, to stop SLU’s winning streak. After a game on Tuesday, March 14, against Missouri State was postponed due to weather, SLU then played a game against Western Illinois, once again at home, which they won in a close contest, 7 runs to 6. Finally, just this weekend, SLU played a three-game series against Butler in Indianapolis, Ind. SLU lost their first series of the year, by dropping the first two games against the Bulldogs before recovering to win the final game by a score of 4-2. However, SLU lost the first two games only by very close scores of 6-3 and 6-5, which provides solid scope for improvement as the Billikens begin conference play. The current team has one of the top oﬀenses in the NCAA. They are ranked 23rd in walks, 19th in doubles, 27th in on-base percentage and 39th in slugging percentage. Junior infielder Nick Reeser leads SLU with a .367 batting average. Junior catcher James Morisano holds first place for the Billikens’ slugging percentage with .636. Junior Aaron Case has the team’s top on-base percentage at .484. Defensively, sophomore pitcher Miller Hogan boasts a 3-0 record with a 1.16 ERA, 27

strikeouts and 11 walks in the 31.0 innings he’s pitched. Next up for the Billikens will be a three-game home series against St. Bonaventure at the Billiken Sports Center. These games will mark the first Atlantic 10 action of the year for SLU baseball, and SLU will be aiming to win all three games in order to start oﬀ their bid to win the conference on a positive note. Then, after an away game in Bloomington, Ill., SLU will take on the Rhode Island Rams in a three-game series, once again at home. As the conference picture begins to take shape, SLU will play conference games against Fordham and Massachusetts in mid-April. SLU’s regular season will end with a road trip to the George Mason Patriots in Fairfax, Va., for another three-game series. Afterwards, the Atlantic 10 Championships will take place at the Billiken Sports Center, on Wednesday, May 24 through Saturday, May 27. SLU baseball also released another interesting piece of news recently. Billiken baseball coaches and student athletes will be hosting a Labor Day Camp for 10 local highschool aged teams. Each team in the camp will play four games, and all participants will receive technical instruction from the participating coaches and student athletes.

Saint Louis Athletics

HOME RUN: Junior outfielder Parker Sniatynski celebrates with teammates as he crosses home plate at Billiken Sports Center. The men hold a 15-4 record this season.

Women’s basketball falls in second round of WNIT

Softball faces two extra-inning battles By BOBBY STILWELL Staff Writer

By LAUREN TONDL Sports Editor

Over spring break, SLU Softball saw action at the Tiger Classic in Memphis. First for the Billikens was a pair of games on March 17. The Billikens faced Eastern Kentucky, losing 4-2. Eastern Kentucky scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning, and added an unearned run in the third. SLU didn’t get on the board until the sixth inning when sophomore Kaylyn Breitbach drove in a run oﬀ a pinch hit single with two outs. In the SLU seventh, senior catcher Hailey Weavers was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, cutting the Colonels lead to 4-2. SLU didn’t score the rest of the inning. Next up was a 13-inning battle against Memphis. Junior infielder Allie Macfarlane batted in two runs oﬀ a double, but Memphis answered with a run of their own. Senior infielder Alex Nickel scored on a double steal in the third to give the Billikens a 3-1 lead. Memphis tied the game in the sixth, and scored the winning run in the 13th on a squeeze bunt. SLU lost 4-3. SLU concluded the Tiger Classic with a pair of close losses on Saturday, March 18. SLU fell to Eastern Ken-

The women’s basketball team finished their post-season play with a quarterfinal win against Fordham, 68-58, and a semifinal loss to Dayton, 75-65, in the Atlantic 10 Championship. However, due to their impressive performance over the course of the season, the Bills earned a place in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament and advanced to the second round. Their season came to a close with a loss against Indiana, 71-53. SLU’s quarterfinal game was a battle in the first half. In the first quarter, the Bills came out strong when they took a 12-8 lead in just two minutes. They led the Rams, 18-14, at the end of the first period. Fordham stayed close behind in the first half, but SLU was able to come out on top before intermission, 31-28. Sophomore guard Jordyn Frantz squandered the Rams’ chances with a 3-pointer three minutes into the third quarter and gave SLU the permanent lead, 34-32. The women finished the game with a double-digit lead in the last seven minutes of the game. The true test came in the semifinal game when they faced their rival, Dayton. The

CHEER

Saint Louis Athletics

SAIL: Junior infielder Alyssa Tarquinio follows the ball as it leaves her bat after a hit at Billiken Sports Center. tucky 4-2 and later fell to Memphis 3-2 in an eightinning battle. SLU Softball hosted Arkansas for the home opener on Wednesday, March 22. Despite a great defensive stand in the first few innings, SLU fell to the nationally ranked Razorbacks, 5-2. Both teams were unable to get runs on the board, until an Arkansas player hit a two-run home run in the

JEER WHO TO CHEER UNDERDOGS Wisconsin, Michigan, Xavier and South Carolina were among the teams to pull the stunning upsets that give March Madness its name. They all managed to knock off highly seeded teams, and with a little more luck and a continuation of their form, they could keep the madness going throughout the tournament.

top of the fourth. The Billikens tried to mount a rally in their half of the fourth, using a bit of strategy to try getting some runs on the board. Nickel singled, and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by senior right fielder Emma Buckles. However, this was the only oﬀense the Billikens See “Softball” on Page 8

first period proved promising for SLU, with a 21-12 lead after the first quarter. However, Dayton found their spark late in the second quarter and outscored the Bills 25-10 to take the lead at half. The Flyers continued to pull away, taking a 62-49 lead in the third quarter. SLU could not find a way to recover the deficit. The women did not draw within five despite a late 9-1 spurt in the fourth quarter.

The Billikens ended another remarkable season with a record of 25-9. While the conference season came to a disappointing end, SLU still had a chance to redeem themselves in the WNIT. The Billikens hosted IUPUI on March 16 and stole a 62-57 win after a late rally in the second half. The women trailed early when IUPUI went on a 9-0 run to take the lead, 16-12. SLU still could not find a way to switch the momentum in the second quarter, but they remained hot on the Jaguars’ heels and only trailed by five going into halftime, 31-26.

SLU finally took charge of the game when senior center Sadie Stipanovich converted on a three-point play to take a 43-41 lead for her team. The play was the push the women needed to keep the momentum going into the fourth quarter. SLU went on a 6-0 spurt to lead the game, 51-43, and held oﬀ an answer from IUPUI with four points in a row from junior guard Jackie Kemph in the last few minutes. SLU’s final game was a battle against Indiana on March 19. The Bills began the game on the front foot, leading 18-15 at the end of the first period. However, Indiana found a rhythm in the second quarter and took the lead for good, holding a 40-22 advantage at halftime. The women could not draw within any closer than 13 points of the lead, losing the match, 71-53. The Billikens ended another remarkable season with a record of 25-9. Stipanovich concluded her time at SLU with 1,585 points, earning the top spot on the career scoring list, and 890 rebounds, earning second place on the career rebounds list. Senior forward Olivia Jakubicek also said her goodbyes with 671 rebounds, earning an eighthplace standing on SLU’s career rebounds list.

FEAR WHO TO JEER ADAM SILVER The NBA commissioner sent a memo to all NBA teams mentioning serious consequences for benching players for nationally televised games. However, those benchings are one of the only ways to give older players rest for playoff games. Corporations shouldn’t rule sports, and Silver should reconsider his stance.

WHO TO FEAR JAPAN The World Baseball Classic still has one unbeaten team in the form of Japan. While some say that the team isn’t as good as the 2006 and 2009 Japanese teams that went on to win the WBC, getting to the semifinals unbeaten is still an achievement and sets the team up well to win the entire tournament.

8 March 23, 2017 Tweet of the week

@marchmadness South Carolina is heading to the #Sweet16 for the first time in school history! #MarchMadness

Scores from the week Men’s Basketball Billikens 72 Duquesne 71 Billikens 46 GW 53 Women’s Basketball Billikens 68 Fordham 58 Billikens 65 Dayton 75 Billikens 62 IUPUI 57 Billikens 53 Indiana 71 Softball Billikens 1 Murray State 2 Billikens 2 Eastern Kentucky 4 Billikens 3 Memphis 4 Billikens 2 Memphis 3 Billikens 2 Eastern Kentucky 4 Billikens 2 Arkansas 5 Baseball Billikens 10 Northern Illinois 5 Billikens 0 Northern Illinois 2 Billikens 7 Western Illinois 6 Billikens 3 Butler 6 Billikens 5 Butler 6 Billikens 4 Butler 2 Men’s Tennis Billikens 2 Illinois State 4 Billikens 0 Southern Illinois 4 Billikens 5 Quincy Women’s Tennis Billikens 7 Missouri State 0 Billikens 7 Western Illinois 0 Billikens 7 Murray State 0 Billikens 4 Drake 1 Billikens 1 Southern Illinois

SPORTS

This week in sports Thursday, March 23

Friday, March 24

St. Louis Blues 7 p.m. v. Vancouver Canucks

Track & Field Raleigh Relays @ Raleigh, N.C. Baseball 6 p.m. v. St. Bonaventure

Softball: Drops homeopener to Arkansas Continued from Page 7

would see in the fourth. In the fifth inning, Arkansas drove in two more runs to take a 4-0 lead over the Billikens. However, SLU started chipping away at this lead in the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run from freshman Kaylea Chappelle, the designated hitter. SLU put two more runners on base in the bottom of the fifth with sophomore second baseman Mackenzie Lawson reaching on an error, and freshman left fielder Megan LoBianco hitting a double. SLU changed pitchers in the top of the sixth, with Chappelle replacing junior Maddie Baalman. Arkansas drove in another run, going up 5-1. SLU tried to rally back in the bottom of the sixth, capitalizing on another Arkansas error to put junior first baseman Alyssa Tarquinio on first. Singles by Macfarlane and senior center fielder Mackenzie Peter sent Tarquinio to third. Weavers grounded into a fielder’s choice, and Tarquinio scored. Chappelle gave up a walk and a hit to Arkansas in the seventh, but the Billikens otherwise shut down the Razorbacks in the final inning of play. Down 5-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Billikens again tried to rally, but the only oﬀense was a double from Nickel before a lineout to Arkansas’ second baseman ended the game. SLU begins A-10 conference play with a three-game road series in Philadelphia. Saturday’s doubleheader and Sunday’s single game against Saint Joseph’s start at 11:00 a.m. The women will host their first conference games of the season against Dayton on Wednesday, March 29.

Saturday,March 25 Sunday, March 26 Monday, March 27 Tuesday, March 28 Wednesday, March 29 Women’s Tennis Softball St. Louis Blues Baseball 9 a.m. @ Bradley 11 a.m. @ St. Joseph’s 8 p.m. v. Arizona Coyotes 4:30 v. Illinois State @ Softball Baseball Bloomington, Ind. 11 a.m. @ St. Joseph’s 12 p.m. v. St. Baseball Bonaventure 2 p.m. v. St. Bonaventure Men’s Tennis 6 p.m. @ Arkansas

Softball 2 p.m. v. Dayton 4 p.m. v. Dayton

Men’s basketball wraps up, shows promise for future By BOBBY STILWELL Staff Writer

SLU Men’s Basketball traveled to Richmond for the final game of the regular season on March 4. Despite rallying to tie the game four times in the final 10 minutes and trailing by one with less than two minutes to play, the Billikens couldn’t grab the lead. SLU lost 72-62. Richmond’s largest lead was 12 in the first half, but SLU slowly started bouncing back, pulling to within four of the lead oﬀ four straight free throws from junior guard Davell Roby. Richmond headed to the half with a 33-26 lead. Freshman forward Elliot Welmer got the Billikens started in the second half, scoring 10 straight points on a pair of treys and a pair of dunks. SLU came within one of the lead. Freshman guard Zeke Moore hit consecutive treys midway through the second half, tying the game for the

first time, 50-50, with 8:58 left. Senior guard Mike Crawford tied the game back up at 52-52 several minutes later, but Richmond answered each time, never trailing. A Welmer layup pulled SLU within one point of the lead with two minutes to play, but Richmond went on a 10-1 rally to secure the victory. Crawford led the Billikens with 19 points, sh o o t i ng 8-17 from the field. Welmer chipped in 17 points, with eight rebounds. Moore chipped in 12 points, shooting 4-4 from the field and 3-point range. After a brief break, the Billikens traveled to the A-10 Tournament in Pittsburgh. First up was a matchup against Duquesne on March

8. SLU trailed by as much as 18 points in the second half and was down by five with 24 seconds remaining before rallying for the 72-71 win. Roby capped the comeback with a tip-in with 1.6 seconds to play. SLU trailed by 16 several times in the first half, but rallied back within 10 at halftime. SLU closed within five early in the second half before a 13-0 run by Duquesne put the Dukes on top 55-37 with 15:20 remaining. SLU chipped away at this margin, keeping it a one-possession game for most of the final 10 minutes. A pair of Crawford buckets in the final seconds erased a five-point Duquesne lead, followed by the Roby tip-in to secure the SLU victory.

SLU finished the season with a 12-21 record, going 6-12 in the A-10.

Welmer led SLU with 17 points and eight rebounds, shooting 7-8 from the field. Crawford chipped in 16 points, shooting 7-13 from the field. Senior forward Reggie Agbeko was one rebound short of a double-double, scoring 15 and pulling down nine rebounds. On March 9, SLU faced George Washington in the second round, losing 53-46. SLU jumped out to an early 12-4 lead and led most of the game, but a 11-3 run in the final two minutes clinched the victory for GW. SLU held GW to 13 points in the first half and staved oﬀ several GW rallies in the second half. GW took the lead for the first time with 2:07 to play, but freshman forward Jalen Johnson buried a trey to put SLU back on top 4645. GW’s Jair Bolden scored with 1:26 left, and GW hit their free throws in the last minute to seal the win. SLU finished the season with a 12-21 record, going 6-12 in the A-10.

Men’s tennis drops to 6-7 on the season By LAUREN TONDL Sports Editor

The men’s tennis team suﬀered three losses to fall to 6-7 on the season. The Bills faced IUPUI, Illinois State, Southern Illinois and Quincy. SLU faced IUPUI on March 3 in Indianapolis, Ind. and lost, 4-1. IUPUI took the doubles victory to head into singles play with a 1-0 advantage. Junior David Ferragut was the sole victor for the Billikens on the day, defeating Jac Newis, 6-2, 6-1. IUPUI locked in wins at the fourth and sixth spots, and

the final match was a tight three-set showdown at the third spot. Junior John Nogalski could not pull oﬀ the win to keep the Bills in the game despite a second set comeback. He lost the match to Steven Christie, 7-5, 5-7, 6-3. The men started out the match against Illinois State on March 5 a little stronger despite a 4-2 loss. Ferragut and junior Juan Calero defeated Dylan Steﬀens and Urh Krjnc Domiter, 6-0. However, the other two SLU teams were unable to come out on top to give the Billikens the doubles point.

Again, Ferragut was the only SLU player to win his singles match. He won, 7-5, 6-4, over Domiter. The other Billikens lost in straight sets, but freshman Justin Nogalski came close to a victory in a three-set loss to Peter Foersom, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. The Billikens traveled to Carbondale, Ill. to take on Southern Illinois on March 9, dropping the match, 4-0. The men were unsuccessful in doubles play, and Southern Illinois made quick work of the singles matches, claiming victories at the second, third and sixth positions. Calero lost to Wilder Pimen-

tel, 6-4, 6-3; John Nogalski lost to Michal Kianicka, 6-0, 6-0; and Justin Nogalski lost to Param Pun, 6-4, 6-3. The men are on the back end of their season, with just four regular season matches left. They will take on Arkansas on March 25 in Fayetteville, Ark. at 6 p.m. On March 30, they will face UMKC at 2 p.m. in Kansas City, Mo. Their last two matches of the season will be at their home court, Dwight Davis Tennis Center, against Lewis and Clark Community College on April 5 at 3 p.m. and William Woods University on April 13 at 2 p.m.

Women’s tennis slaughters competition with three straight 7-0 victories at home By VIVEK GORIJALA Associate Sports Editor

SLU women’s tennis moved to a greater than .500 record over the past two weeks, winning four matches in a row before losing again. Their overall record now stands at 9-7. SLU women’s tennis has compiled their winning record largely behind stellar performances at home at the St. Clair Tennis Club in O’Fallon, Ill., where they are now 8-1. However, SLU women’s tennis’ poor away game form has held them back from loftier heights. They are now 1-5 on opponents’ courts, and 0-1 on neutral courts. SLU’s winning streak began with three straight sweeps of opponents that were clearly overmatched. The first 7-0 win came against Missouri State, with not a single Billiken needing three sets to win their singles matches. Doubles also went smoothly for SLU, as the Billikens registered 6-2 and 6-1 victories. The next match came against Western Illinois, and finished with an identical 7-0 victory for the Billikens. While one SLU student-athlete did require three sets to finish the performance, there were several standout sequences of play from the Billiken tennis players. Senior Aspen Cervin blanked her oppo-

nent, going 6-0, 6-0 and not allowing her opponent to win a single set. The doubles matches also went well for the Billikens, with SLU winning two of them 6-0 and the third by a score of 6-3. SLU then continued their dominant string of results against Murray State, managing another 7-0 sweep of the opposing squad. Two singles matches for the Billikens went to a third set, although SLU tennis managed to take both of them. Cervin continued her dominant stretch, winning the first set 6-0. Senior Verginie Tchakarova also managed to win a set by a score of 6-0, as did sophomore Ally McKenzie. The partnership of freshman Cassie McKenzie and Cervin also dominated their doubles match, winning 6-0. However, the other two doubles matches proved to be closer contests, with seniors Eleonore Tchakarova and Verginie Tchakarova only winning 6-4. Meanwhile, Ally McKenzie and freshman Mariluz Rojo Domingo lost their doubles match in a close affair, 7-5. SLU could not continue their 7-0 streak, but still won 4-1 against Drake. SLU won all of the completed singles matches, although the matches on the top two courts went unfinished. The doubles point, however, went to Drake, as two

of Drake’s teams won while only one of SLU’s teams was able to come away victorious. Then on Friday, March 17, SLU’s four-game winning streak was put to the test and then halted by Illinois in a sound 4-1 defeat. SLU won the doubles point against the much larger Big Ten conference school, but the singles matches proved to be SLU’s undoing. SLU could not take a single point from the singles matches

against Illinois. Next up for the Billikens will be matches against Southern Illinois in Carbondale, Ill., and against Bradley in Peoria, Ill. Afterward, SLU will take on Davidson in Dayton, Ohio in a matchup of A-10 members. The Atlantic 10 Conference Championship will take place on Orlando, Fla., from Wednesday, April 26 to Sunday, April 30. Until then, the Billikens

will be hoping to show more of the form that led them to four straight victories, including three straight 7-0 sweeps, while avoiding some of the poor showings that have contributed to their 1-5 away record. If the Billikens can take their home record to Orlando, they will be in prime position to hold their own against any of the Atlantic 10’s top women’s tennis programs.

Saint Louis Athletics

DETERMINATION: Senior Aspen Cervin focuses in on a tough forehand at Dwight Davis Tennis Center. The women now have a 10-7 record for the spring season.

Opinions Editorials

March 23, 2017 opinion@unewsonline.com Trevor Rogan, Opinion Editor

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

White House budget would make America less great Last week, the White House released a preliminary budget proposal for 2018. The plan demonstrates adherence to a large part of President Trump’s campaign message—to make America great again through increased investment in defense—but abandons other ideas that the president frequently promoted, such as increased spending on infrastructure. In addition, many popular programs would suffer large budget cuts, while others would lose all of their funding. Overall, the budget plan prioritizes military might but sacrifices much of what makes America truly great. In order to bolster America’s image as the country with the most expensive military in the world, the president intends to increase the Department of Defense’s budget by 9 percent. With this increase in brute strength, however, would come huge cuts in programs that contribute to American soft power, which refers to diplomatic efforts that the U.S. uses to encourage American ideals across the world. Much of American soft power is employed through the State Department, which would suffer a 29 percent cut under Trump’s plan. Funding for programs like Meals on Wheels, which delivers meals to individuals at home who are unable to purchase or prepare their own meals, would also be sacrificed for increased military spending. Meals on Wheels receives partial funding from the Community Development Block Grant program, which the budget plan cuts. Mick Mulvaney, the White

Trevor Rogan / Opinion Editor

House budget director, provided a cold answer for why the White House plans to reduce funding, saying that the federal government cannot afford to fund programs that “[are] not showing any results.” Funding for Meals on Wheels represents a miniscule portion of the federal budget, and yet it is singled out for being inefficient. The Department of Defense, with its bloated 2017 budget of $587 billion, in contrast, could certainly survive budget cuts. A December 2016 report from the Washington Post found that the Pentagon covered up information about $125 billion that could have been saved over five years. Although this wasteful spending occurred under the Obama administration, the inefficiency, which was the result of unnecessary expenditures on bureaucracy, was the result of the Department of Defense doing all it could to prevent spending cuts. It could have used resources more wisely with less fund-

ing, and increased funding will only lead to greater inefficiency. Ineﬃcient use of resources will have real consequences for important programs that allow the U.S. to compete with other countries through technological advances. Trump’s plan cuts $6 billion in funding to the National Institutes of Health, which uses over 80 percent of its budget to sponsor research at universities and other scientific institutions. Scientists are preparing themselves for huge setbacks, and these setbacks mean America could lose its edge on the world stage. According to Peter Hotez, the dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, reduced funding “would bring American biomedical science to a halt and forever shut out a generation of young scientists.” Another important part of America’s future is its infrastructure. Despite campaign pledges to increase

spending on America’s crumbling bridges and highways, Trump’s budget would eliminate a program that provides $500 million per year to rural communities to build and improve water, sewer, trash and streetdrainage systems, according to the National Rural Water Association. The president has displayed obvious disregard for concerns about the environment, claiming that global warming is not a true phenomenon and restarting work on the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines. His budget also cuts funding to the Environmental Protection Agency by 31 percent. Loss of funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service would particularly hit home for St. Louis. AmeriCorps St. Louis, which has its headquarters in Soulard, employs 35 Emergency Response Team members and three VISTAS. Together, they service the community’s needs, from responding to natural disasters, to staﬃng a warming shelter that provides relief from extreme weather. Trump’s plan does not invest in the future of America. Instead, the budget appears to satisfy simple, shortterm wants. Building up the world’s largest military is a short term solution, and not the best one by any means. The future of America lies in the sciences, in the environment, in U.S. infrastructure and in the education of U.S. citizens. All of these aspects of what makes America great now and what will make America great far into the future would be under threat if Trump’s plan come to pass.

Letters

to the editor The University News reserves the right not to publish any letters that are deemed intentionally and/ or inappropriately inflammatory, more than the 300word limit or unsigned by the orginal author. The following are letters and/or website comments. Because the identities of website posters cannot be verified, all website comments should be treated as anonymous. Actual letters to the editor may be submitted online at unewsonline.com or e-mailed to opinion@unewsonline.com. Please include your cell phone number.

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Quotes of the Week

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We’re hoping that by making [the administration] come in and get it approved, the Oath will mean more to them than just a marketing tool. Jay Hardin, VP of Internal Affairs, page 2

Few students know that Saint Louis University ranks as one of the top 10 most romantic colleges in St. Louis, Missouri Alex Rader, junior, page 10

Actions, not oaths, needed for real change On March 1, 2017, SLU’s Student Government Association suspended the Oath of Inclusion in order to “ensure the Oath of Inclusion better reflects its actual meaning and purpose on campus.” The Oath was developed by the SGA in the wake of several bias incidents that occurred in the spring of 2010. In 2012, then-Vice President of Diversity and Social Justice Kripa Sreepada told The University News that the SLU community “felt extremely broken” and needed to encourage that all students are respected at SLU. “One of the demands that came out of that was that we create a kind of statement of commitment from the students and the University to combating discrimination and prejudice,” Sreepada had said. The Oath was a proper

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and eﬀective response by the student body to the situation at the time. However, it was never meant to be a one-time solution to the problems that this university faces regarding minority inclusion and diversity. We believe that the words contained in the Oath embody an ideal that we must strive to achieve, but we are skeptical about the extent to which the Oath alone creates actual, meaningful change in the SLU community. The Oath is most likely to be influential on students who are already involved in organizations that promote social justice— but it has little impact on the day-to-day life of the average SLU student. In order to change the behavior of those who need it most, we need more than just an Oath. We need concrete action. The University should embrace real changes that

encourage an inclusive environment. SLU should encourage student growth, for instance, by implementing requirements for courses that foster dialogue and expose students to people who are diﬀerent from them. If there was a more specific and consistent requirement in SLU’s curriculum for exposure to diversity, perhaps students would pay more attention to the need for inclusion on this campus. A requirement that every student take a class in African American Studies, for example, or Women and Gender Studies, would better students’ understanding and represent real change. Instead, the College of Arts and Sciences only necessitates three credit hours to satisfy the Diversity in the U.S. requirement, and the classes that satisfy the requirement vary greatly. Included among the classes

that satisfy the requirements are Native American Literature, Reading the Female Bildungsroman, Repairing the World: Social Justice through the Lenses of the Jewish Tradition, Ethics in Politics, and Disability Theory and Politics. Although these classes all explore different aspects of American diversity, each obviously discusses separate issues. Oppression intersects and overlaps many groups, but the experiences taught in these classes are indeed distinct. The SLU curriculum should not stop at the diversity requirement and exposure to new ideas should remain a consistent part of the SLU experience. Another possible way of exposing students to different people and beliefs would be through requiring more dialogue between students, perhaps through the

SafeZone Program, or more classes like Intergroup Dialogue. The SLU experience should reflect a consistent eﬀort to broaden its students’ understanding, so this too would need to be more than a one-time session. Continual dialogue, not just for those who seek it out, would best serve the SLU community as a whole. Finally, students could learn more about others by serving in their St. Louis community. Some classes and programs already require that students serve the community, but requiring a more rigid and focused service experience might better introduce students to new ideas. If the University wants its students to be exposed to situations and people that will cause them to grow the most, it will have to restrict the opportunities to serve to those that will allow them to

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This is the biggest film for Emma Watson after the Harry Potter series and she has flawlessly undertaken the role of Belle. Chandana Kamaraj, staff writer, page 6

grow. Providing a wider variety of ways to serve may, like the diversity requirement, make it easier to satisfy curriculum needs, but if the University wants to most eﬀectively impact its student body, it may have to create a more rigid service structure. The Oath of Inclusion provided SLU students with solidarity in a time of need. However, words without the necessary actions to complement them will have no effect on students if they are able to ignore them. There is a large number of students who strive to make SLU a more inclusive place, but there are many students here that don’t understand the need to change their behavior. Unless SLU takes actions to reach all communities, not just those who are seeking change, we will not see the inclusivity that the Oath describes.

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10 March 23, 2017

OPINIONS & EDITORIALS

The joys of hammocking at Saint Louis University

John Schaefer

Imagine this: You have reached a state of complete and total relaxation, but you are not on an exotic vacation; you are experiencing feelings of intense euphoria that surround and overcome your physical being, but you have taken no psychedelic drug; you are suspended in midair for what seems like forever, but you possess no superhuman ability. Between you and the ground, a pair of burly trees flex their bulging muscles back and forth to ensure that you do not feel the slightest fluctuation of the elements, as you are wrapped between their arms on a well-manufactured tarp, a gift from the heavens—a hammock. Hammocking is rapidly becoming one of the most popular hobbies that college students are adopting, and for good reason. Inside a hammock, time seems to temporarily freeze as stress evaporates and friendships—along with memories—solidify. As the frequency of warm weather increases and expands across the city of St. Louis this spring, so will the quantity of hammocks that occupy trees up and down West Pine. These hammocks dress the limbs and trunks around campus in every color under the sun. They also possess a melodical quality, as their inhabitants are typi-

cally loquacious college stuher vast knowledge of the dents, catching up with one craft, she oﬀered, “Don’t be another and untangling the too ambitious your first time mysteries of life, one converslinging your hammock up. sation at a time. Stick to one hammock per I recently had the chance pair of trees or else you’ll to converse with various end up on the ground like I hammockers to find out why have! Once you have some they relish in this pastime experience, be as ambitious and what tips they may ofas your heart desires!” fer for new hammockers Like anything, a little at Saint Louis University. practice can go a long way Freshman physical therapy in seeing improvements. Restudent, Hannah Siemer, gardless, just about anyone willingly joined the converwho has ever hammocked sation by saying, “My favorknows that about 80 to 90 ite part percent of a b o u t hammocking h a m is mental. It m o c k i n g I would highly encour- is all about is that I age anyone who is mild- a c h i e v i n g can be of ly interested in taking on aco degree outside, n f i d e n ce r e l a x hammocking as a hobby in which you and be no longer to give it a try. with my fear what is friends, below, but all in the rather bask same setting. Seeing all the in the glory of what lies heads turn and interactabove. In closing, after talking with students passing ing to all these hammockers by is awesome as well.” It is and being an avid hammockno wonder why the heads er myself, I would highly turn either; on an “island” encourage anyone who is located outside of Simon mildly interested in taking on hammocking as a hobby Recreation Center, there are to give it a try. It’s amazing sometimes as many as six or how much relaxation and more hammocks strung beenjoyment can be found in tween three trees. However, the trees. don’t be fooled by the look of A few tips to consider ease that these hammockers from the pros: display while setting up their Bring snacks and water if community among the treeyou are planning a long aftops. It takes a great deal of ternoon in the treetops. skill to build up to this level Coordinate for someof hammocking; just ask one in your group to bring Katherine Kopriva. a wireless speaker for music. Kopriva, a freshman in If you are pressed for SLU’s nursing program and space, test out the double a seasoned veteran on the decker approach, in which hammock, has spent a great two hammocks share a set of deal of time enjoying the trees. Leave adequate space art and had some advice for as a courtesy for the bottomup-and-coming hammocktier hammock. ers at SLU. Sorting through

Weekly dose: The opiate crisis

Branson Fox

In 2014, a record-high 47,000 people died of drug overdoses. This was not due to cocaine, nor was it due to meth. Heroin wasn’t the culprit either. The overdoses were mainly the result of natural and semi-synthetic opioids such as oxycodone and hydrocodone, drugs obtained in as little as one doctor’s visit. Of the near 50,000 deaths, more than 6 out of 10 were caused by opiates. There is a near 2-1 ratio of deaths caused by legal opiates to illicit ones. The greatest indicator of opiate misuse is a previous prescription to an opioid. Users of prescription opiates are 40 times as likely as non-users to develop a heroin addiction. Prescriptions have quadrupled since 1999. Over a quarter of a billion prescriptions for opiates have been written, roughly equivalent to the entire adult population. Unsurprisingly, overdoses have followed in direct correlation to prescriptions, meaning rates of overdoses have also multiplied by a factor of four. Opiates work by binding to opioid receptors in the nervous system. They decrease the feeling of pain and produce significant levels of dopamine, a euphoric hormone. By hijacking the reward system in the brain, the body adapts to new levels of dopamine, and users become dependent on the substance. Without the substance, they will experience

severe withdrawal symptoms. From their rise in the 90s, opiates were touted as being “safer” and “less addictive.” By the early 2000s, these claims were proven to be false, and companies like Purdue Pharma, manufacturer of OxyContin, were required to settle hundreds of millions of dollars. Amidst the public health crisis now labeled an “epidemic,” advocates are calling for opiate prescriptions to be reduced drastically. While this would reduce the rate of death by opium, it leaves doctors without a viable option to treat pain. A highly controversial and politically polarizing debate is at hand for its potential replacement: medicinal marijuana. While opiates kill thousands annually, marijuana has yet to record its first death by overdose. Despite this, conservative administration isn’t budging. Jeﬀ Sessions, the attorney general appointed by Donald Trump, said marijuana is “only slightly less awful” than heroin. This isn’t just an American problem either. Canada has seen a sharp spike in the amount of opiaterelated deaths. The opiate of choice in Canada is fentanyl, a prescription medicine used for pain. The drug most often comes from illegal Chinese manufactures. It’s a global issue. Needle shares and Narcan have been controversial issues amongst the opiate crisis. Due to the nature of IV drug use, dirty needles are often shared and serve as

a vector of infection. Many of the people using heroin intravenously are at an increased likelihood of testing positive for HIV or hepatitis. Nine percent of IV drug users already test positive for HIV, and they are likely to pass the disease to other IV drug users. It may not matter, though, because overdoses kill many users before HIV or hepatitis has the chance. Narcan, the brand name for naloxone hydrochloride, is considered by emergency medical staff as a “life saver” in the event of opiate overdoses. The World Health Organization put the drug on a list of the most essential medications. Some critics argue that putting naloxone in the hands of addicts and their peers encourages riskier behavior. Data suggests otherwise, and in naloxone administration efforts users trained to use Narcan did not consider reinjecting heroin. Naloxone currently faces many regulatory challenges that make it hard for those who need it to obtain it. Prior to leaving office, the Obama administration requested billions in aid against the heroin crisis. Trump’s solution is to build a wall in hopes of stopping opiates from coming from the south. Democrats are skeptical, citing legal painkillers and domestic cooking operations. Trump also stated “we will expand treatment for those who have become so badly addicted.” He has yet to elaborate on what he means.

Users of prescription opiates are 40 times as likely as non-users to develop a heroin addiction.

SLU’s top four date locations Alex Rader

Few students know that Saint Louis University ranks as one of the top 10 most romantic colleges in St. Louis, Missouri. This is in part due to the many great date spots hidden around campus. Here, I have compiled a list of the best places for an oncampus date for those couples that don’t want to go far to go out. 1. Starbucks: Who hasn’t had a date at Starbucks at least once? It’s the quintessential “my mom said she’d drop me oﬀ downtown at 2 and we can just walk around after that but I only have $7 and she’s picking me up at 4” date. Centrally located, dimly lit and just expensive enough that you seem generous, this is a classic spot for a first date. Possible downsides include: the noise from the blenders, long lines and excessive bathroom trips if they order any size above a ‘tall’. Do: Impress your date more by ordering a trenta cup of espresso beans and eating it as quickly as possible. Be sure to mention that this is something you do frequently. Don’t: Climb over the counter and insist on making your date’s drink yourself. This is especially true for those lacking the two hepati-

ment to your date. That extis A shots required for food act statement is up to you, service jobs in the state of feel free to clarify by tagging Missouri. it on any flat surface with a 2. The Unisex Bathroom can of spray paint. in the Lecture Hall Stairwell: Do: Acquire matching One of the most intimate hardhats and label them locations at SLU lies in the “Wire Guy” or “Mr. Paint” bowels of the lecture halls. so that no one stops you on Mysterious and private, this your way in. Leave the date special spot will have your midway through and mendate asking “Why is this tion that it’s time for your here?” and “Is this two-ply?” union mandated break. With its chic industrial atDon’t: Attempt to show mosphere, it’s up to you to your date how strong your soften the mood. teeth are by biting copper Do: Pull out a can of pipes. Your workers comFresh Fall Pumpkin Febreze pensation does not cover and say “just in case.” Bodental injunus points ries. if you can 4. The place it in One of the most intimate S e c r e t the room at before the locations at SLU lies in Room date. Soften the bowels of the lecture the Top of the lighting halls. Mysterious and the Clockt o w e r : by striking dozens of private, this special spot H i g h l y matches in will have your date ask- s o u g h t as a rapid sucing “Why is this here?” after date spot, cession. and “Is this two-ply?” the secret D on’t : room at the Attempt top of the to find clocktower an outlet is something of mythology. to use your hairdryer and Legend tells that any couple charge your portable radio. who kisses at the top will Firstly, your hair should be marry either each other or dry when you arrive for the George Clooney. Lit by a date. Secondly, FM signal is single ever-burning flame, poor that far underground. this room is populated by Be sure to prepare cassette a lone white rat, trained to tapes prior to the date. wind the clock at midnight Notice: This date location each evening. is reservation only. Do: Bring a puree of goat 3. Future Room 403 in milk and steel cut oats to apGrand Hall: With windows pease the rat. If he is pleased and facades going up, this with your oﬀering, he location is only going to get will add a year to both of more popular. Currently a your lives. Be prepared to shell of steel beams and exanswer a series of riddles. posed wiring, a date in what Don’t: Arrive bearing rat will soon be room 403 in poison or an unwilling heart. Grand Hall makes a state-

‘More Life:’ A playlist by October Firm

Harita Abraham

On Saturday, March 18, musical artist Drake dropped his recent 22-song project “More Life.” The project premiered on iTunes Radio at 5 p.m. Drake calls his latest project a playlist and not an album because of the lack of flow in the overall project; there is a wide variety of music styles and genres. It was truly an eclectic mix of music. Unlike typical albums, “More Life” does not tell one big cohesive story. A good way to describe “More Life” is to describe it as Drake’s current Pinterest board of music because it is kind of everywhere with his current musical interests. We see a lot of influence from the U.K.’s grime scene as well as some Caribbean influence on “More Life.” While it is always pretty risky to experiment with sound, Drake succeeds and delivers some unique sounds and tracks with “More Life.” There are a couple of tracks that really captured my interest in the project. The first song that held my interest was “Passionfruit.” When I first heard this song, I felt like Drake threw me into the middle of a game of “Ocarina of Time” or “SuperMario 64.” The beat was bouncy and light. The overall song sounds happy despite the lyrics being a depressing story about an apparent relationship falling apart. “Passionfruit” is one of the tracks that has been influenced by the island sound

that Drake is experimenting with. In fact, a good chunk of the first half of “More Life” utilizes the bouncy beats of island-esque music. “Blem” is another song that utilizes the sound of Caribbean dance hall. Drake also played around with South African house music in his track “Get It Together.” This song features Jorja Smith, a low-key artist that was brought to the forefront of the scene with this feature. If there’s one thing I appreciate about Drake, it is his ability to find talent in some of the least mainstream places. The man always has his ear to the ground. This song, like the previous songs I mentioned above, is also bouncy and light. These tracks are truly the kind of songs you would get up and just kind of dance to. You can’t help but bob your head at a quick pace to these songs. Another major style that Drake dabbles in is grime. Grime is a genre that emerged out of the U.K. and draws its influence from Jamaican dancehall and hip-hop. Rapping is a huge component of grime and yet grime does not sound like the kind of hip-hop we hear in the United States. “No Long Talk” is a good example of what Drake can accomplish under the influence of grime. He features Giggs and Skepta, two artists from the U.K. we would have no idea about over here in the states. So, like with Jorja Smith, we see Drake introducing some more unique artists into the mainstream. I absolutely loved the tracks that featured these British rap artists and it definitely got me hooked and looking into more grime music. One of my favorite songs on the project is “Portland.” I liked this song because it was

goofy in some aspects but still brought a pretty bumping beat. The song sounds like Drake hired a fourth grader to play a recorder in the background throughout the song. The soft fluty sounds combined with the hard beat and bass was a dichotomy that was pleasant to my ears. This track also features verses from rapper Quavo and Travi$ Scott. Both of these features fit perfectly onto the beat. Both artists are also hype, so I was very excited to hear this track knowing that these two were featured on it. Some o the lyrics even made me laugh, but in a good way. My favorite song on the entire project above all else is “Lose You.” The song is slow and the beat reminded me of Drake’s older stuff. I am a sucker for older and slower Drake which is probably why I vibed with this song the most. In this song, Drake is rapping and singing from the heart. The song is Drake asking his loved ones if he lost them in his journey to become a successful rapper. If there’s one thing Drake is known for, it’s for getting in his feelings. He is just so good at it and this song is proof. Overall, I was really happy with “More Life.” I think that even though Drake globe-trotted for the sound of this project, he still sounds like himself and that’s something I can really appreciate about the project. I think a lot of people are not used to the random mix of genres, but I think it’s important not to let that hinder one’s opinions. This project is nothing like his older stuff so there is no comparison. “More Life” is definitely different but it’s an amazing different and it makes me even more excited to see where Drake is taking his music.

March 23, 2017

WE DELIVER!

Earn credit at STLCC this summer

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March 23 2017

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