No. 16 (February 16, 2017) by University News

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Thursday, February 16, 2017

A student voice of Saint Louis University since 1921

Vol. XCVI No. 16

Rita Passaglia

Rita is looking forward to the election process ahead and the exciting things to come for SLU SGA. The upcoming year will be crucial for rallying students to come together and tackle the challenges and opportunities that the year will bring. Some of our goals include improving communication with the student body, as well as placing checks and balances on the powers of Senate to best represent our constituents. This includes more direct conversations between SGA officers and a greater and more diverse population of the student body. As president, I would like to improve relations between SGA and other governing student bodies like IFC, Panhel, MGC and RHA to encourage more collaboration among these groups. Outside of Student Government, Rita is a member of Greek Life and enjoys reading and hiking. Let our team EMPOWER you!

My election will ensure student oversight with regards to the University’s Magis Operational Excellence Program, a Senate that prioritizes the concerns of SLU students, and leadership that will help guide Saint Louis University into its 200th year of existence... I have already drafted several pieces of legislation on topics ranging from transparency and campus safety to social justice and sustainability that will be enacted if I am elected. I am confident this legislation will benefit SLU students for years to come. Check out each proposal on my Facebook page (Daniel Carter SGA 2017) so you know that I mean business. Talk is cheap. Let’s create a better SLU for you; I’d be honored to have your vote.

Daniel Carter

SGA elections begin to heat up

Debate set for Monday in four-way presidential race

Dylan McCloskey

See “SGA” on Page 2

Dylan McCloskey is a rising junior at Saint Louis University. Hailing from Kansas City, Mo., Dylan is studying civil engineering and legal studies. He is currently serving Parks College as a Senator in the Student Government Association. Dylan is very involved on campus in the Mock Trial Team, Student Activities Board, and Concert Band, with leadership roles in Model United Nations and American Society of Civil Engineers. Dylan’s hobbies include running, practicing taekwondo, eating bread bowls, and watching The Office (with Parks and Rec as a close second). Dylan is the proud son of two Army veterans who served their country for a combined 29 years. Serving as a University Ambassador, the Vice President of Beta Theta Pi, and being selected as an Oriflamme Team Leader has taught me innumerable lessons on being a true servant leader, a voice to the voiceless. As SGA President, I will continue to be a representative for those students that often feel as if they are not being adequately represented. During serious times, such as the ones we are currently facing, it is critical to have an experienced leader to help make the appropriate decisions. As SGA president, I want to ensure that the SLU student body not only feels connected to the university but united within the entire SLU community. Elect Jay Hardin to lead the way!

Member of European Parliament talks politics Petr Mach is a member of the European Parliament and the leader of the Party for Free Citizens. Formed in 2009 by Mach, it is a classical liberal and right libertarian Eurosceptic (meaning wanting to leave the European Union) political party in the Czech Republic. Mach holds a doctorate in economics from the University of Economics, Prague and is a former professor. Also, he is the former chairman of the Young Conservatives, the Civic Democratic Party’s youth wing. This week, an interview was conducted to gain an inside perspective of how Europeans are reacting to the election of Donald Trump and the recent changes made, including the travel ban. Mach believes that Europe should enforce a similar ban and build fences at its borders. He stated that some countries in the EU have fences built on their borders,

but millions of migrants still make their way in illegally. “The European Union has issued an executive order to redistribute migrants to individual EU countries, however the Czech Republic and other Central European countries ignore this order.

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We don’t want to import Islamist terrorism and various problems associated with the Middle East culture to our country.

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By MORGAN HOWARD Contributor

Petr Mach, member of EP We have many migrants from Ukraine and Vietnam in the Czech Republic without any problem, and people here are very tolerant to foreigners. But we don’t want to import Islamist terrorism and various problems associated with Middle East culture to our country,” Mach

stated. When asked what it was like to experience the American election from Europe, he said to bet on the victory of Trump. Mach discussed his views toward former President Obama and what he thinks would have happened if Hillary Clinton had been elected. “I and many people in Europe see Obama’s administration responsible for the 2011 intervention in Libya, which toppled their dictator but gave way to chaos, the growth of Islamic State in Libya and the surge of migrants to Europe. If Clinton won, this catastrophic interventionist policy could go on. Many people were happy to see Trump defeat Clinton,” Mach said. Mach believes that no candidate is perfect for the job but wishes success for President Trump and hopes that he can help America in areas where improvement is See “MEP” on Page 2

Photos and bios courtesy of candidates. Bios edited for length.

SLU Alum develops hotspot tracking app By MEREDYTH STAUNCH Contributor

The 21st century is technology driven as passersby appear nose deep in their Apple and Android apps, mostly as a form of entertainment, but for Saint Louis University alum Ryan Talbert, this app-driven society is a lifestyle. The 2016 graduate earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in entrepreneurship, but in July he released his first app: Herdmap. “Our professor, Dr. Jerome Katz, gave us a really hard assignment to bring in a list of business opportunities for the next class, and [my buddy and I] locked ourselves in a room and started coming up with bizarre ideas,” said Talbert. “Then I thought, why not make an app to show where we can go to parties and have fun. Why has no one capitalized on that yet?” When presenting to his professor, Talbert did not

know all the specifics in retrospect to the app – rather, he wanted a map that could show people in real-time or in groups where particular hotspots in the area resonated to prevent boredom at home. “My friends and I

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Then I thought, why not make an app to show where we can go to parties and have fun. Why has no one capitalized on that yet?

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Jay Hardin

Ryan Talbert, app creator

would always get together to hang out and get all fired up to do something, but no one had an answer for what we should do,” Talbert elaborated. “An app would’ve made it so much easier.” Although Talbert had the initial idea for the app his

junior year, he mentioned he was afraid of failing and put it on the backburner until after graduation, when he contracted a programmer to build a prototype. “My first programmer didn’t have the level of skill I wanted at the time,” said Talbert. “Actually, when I was working a side-job at Home Depot, one of the guys who I worked with told me to contact his cousin who was a coding guru – he is still my current programmer today.” On Dec. 25, Herdmap 2.0 was released for Android and is currently being processed for the iOS. The new feature that Herdmap 2.0 offers is the incorporation of businesses: “Users can still post markers if something interesting is happening, but there are businesses that can sign on now,” Talbert explained. “There are real time coupons, so if a business wants to advertise for a secSee “App” on Page 2

INSIDE SCOOP:

ARTS

Grammys wows audiences

Softball begins with 3-2 record

Horses: Man’s best friend...or more?

Page 5

Page 7

Page 9

SPORTS

OPINION

2 February 16, 2017

NEWS

SGA: Candidates state their case

VP of International Affairs: Faisal Alateeg

VP of Academic Affairs: Jordan Glassam

I am running for the Vice President of International Affairs because of my involvement with international students on many levels, and I am excited to share this great experience with my friends in the Student Government Association. I committed to leaving great impressions on international students and make them feel welcome, and I am even more committed to share their experience, my experience, and support them in the Student Government Association.

I am running for Vice President of Academic Affairs because I am truly passionate about our academic programs at SLU and the experience that my fellow Billikens are having. Currently, I am a first-year student from Palm Springs, Ca. I am majoring in political science and philosophy while also minoring in Catholic studies. After graduating from SLU I hope to go to law school. I am currently a senator for the College of Arts and Sciences and I serve on the Academic Affairs Committee as well as the Facilities and Services Committee.

VP of International Affairs: Surabhi Swaminath

VP of Academic Affairs: Conor LoPiccolo

Surabhi is a Junior from Bangalore, India. She is majoring in psychology and computer science. She has served as a senator for International Affairs on SGA and is also part of the International Affairs Committee. She is also the chair of Finance on the E-board for the International Students Federation. Surabhi is very excited to be running for VP of International Affairs and be part of a platform based on empowering and helping students.

VP of Diversity and Inclusion: Tremayne Watterson

Tremayne Watterson is a sophomore in the school of Public Health and Social Justice. He is majoring in bio-statistics and public health, with minors in criminal justice and urban poverty studies. He has been a part of SGA since his freshman year. Originally serving as a committee representative, for his sophomore year he wanted a bigger role in SGA and became the DLC senator for Multicultural Affairs. He has served on the finance committee, the mission and ministry committee, and as the representative for multicultural affairs in DLC meetings and grand assemblies.

VP of Finance: Katlyn Martin

Katlyn Martin is a sophomore from Omaha, Neb. She is studying political science and international studies, with minors in Spanish and urban poverty. She has been a part of SGA since freshmen year, serving as a First-Year Senator, and then an Arts and Sciences Senator, as well as one of the CoChairs for the Student Outreach Committee. Along with her senator positions, she has served on the Finance, Student Organizations, Dining, and Academic Committees. She is very excited to be running for the VP of Finance on a platform based on transparency and greater accessibility for all student organizations.

VP of Internal Affairs: Emily Varner

Emily Varner is a junior from St. Louis, Mo. She is studying marketing and sports business. Serving as the current B-School Senator, she has enjoyed getting to know the extraordinary students and faculty who call the business school home. Emily has also served on the Board of Trustees Marketing Committee, HR committee, SGA’s Academic and Internal Affairs, as well as the chair of the Constitution and Policy Review committee. Emily wishes to use the expertise she has developed to empower students to change SLU for the better.

Students of SLU, my name is Conor LoPiccolo. I am majoring in English and theology while also minoring in Catholic studies. I’m originally from the St. Louis area. During my time at SLU, I have done my best to get involved in groups that both excite and challenge me. Along with my previous involvement in our Student Government Association as a committee representative and an Arts and Sciences Senator, I am also a member of the Zeta Tau Chapter of Beta Theta Pi, Oriflamme, and the Campion Society. As a committee representative for the Academic Affairs Committee I have developed a passion for our students and academics, and am already excited about the projects ahead for academics which is why I would love to be considered for this position.

Senatoral Candidates:

College of Arts & Sciences (Four Seats Available) Mikhail Faulconer, Paul Heinemann, Suzy Kickham, Spencer Laiben, Robert Lasky, Sequoyah Lopez, Grant Mayfield, John Meyer, Nia Sumpter Doisy College of Health Sciences (Three SeatsAvailable) Caroline Sauer, Megan Wieber School of Education (Two Seats Available) Madalyn Dischner John Cook School of Business (Three Seats Available) Michael Lampkin, Michael Winters Parks College of Engineering, Aviation, & Technology (Two Seats Available) Andrew Budd College for Public Health & Social Justice (Three Seats Available) Chandler Beck, Sarah Cerkvenik, Shanaya Shah, Ariana Song, George Tharp School of Nursing (Three Seats Available) Kateri Sheber Howard Commuter Students (Two Seats Available) Gabby Tucci

VP for Student Organizations: Alex Hernandez

Alex is a sophomore from Dallas, Texas. He is majoring in history and pursuing minors in Spanish and urban poverty studies. On campus, Alex found his first home in the Micah Learning Community and has since expanded his family to Oriflamme, HALO (serving as the Diversity Leadership Chair), and She’s The First. Alex also works on campus as a student brigadier for the Center for Service and Community Engagement. Besides this, he is a member of TRIO student services and very proud to be an MLK scholar. As VP of Student Organizations, Alex wants to create a better relationship with all organizations, including smaller groups across campus.

App: Ryan Talbert paves the way for future grads subscriptions for notifications. “It’s all capable with a ond, minute, day, week or simple push of a button.” even a month, it’s completeTalbert and his programly up to them – they can mer are working on improchoose the time and it genvising Herdmap even more erates a random barcode.” with a possible social media While users can still component. In the future, he post markers and others can explained his hope of providjoin the “hotspots,” “busiing a link connected to Facenesses can book and also make other social their own media sites, The feeling of accounts, so when creation has and those one presses always been markers are a Herdmap more inmy drive and hotspot butdepth,” Talton, it will the ultimate bert stated. update his or satisfaction of “Herdmap her status. helping to meet is a new and “I just others’ needs. eﬀective way want to keep to advertise Ryan Talbert, app creator i m p r o v i n g as businesses this app becan release cause I see coupons for a demand that needs to be any amount of time under met by businesses and peothe business owner’s stipulaple,” Talbert elaborated. “The tions.” feeling of creation has always “It’s all a work in progbeen my drive and the ultiress, but I hope to make this mate satisfaction of helping my career one day,” Talbert to meet others’ needs.” said. Not only can pictures For more information be updated to the Herdmap about Herdmap, follow it gallery for a destination on Facebook and Twitter point, but there are options @herdmap, or visit Talbert’s to look at businesses’ realwebsite www.herdmaps. time news feeds and receive com.

HERDMAP: 2016 graduate, Ryan Talbert, poses with his app Herdmap. The app shows hotspots in the area.

sympathize with the Islamic State. needed. Q: What do you think is See below the full interthe biggest issue the United view: States has or needs to adQ: Do you believe that dress currently from a Eurorelationships between the pean perspective? United States and European Mach: I hope the U.S. will countries will change? If so, be able to free its economy how? Are there any specific from overregulation and countries that support Presitaxation to become a healthy dent Trump more than othand fast-growing economy ers? once again. Mach: First, if the United I also hope that the UnitKingdom leaves the Euroed States reconsiders its inpean Union, it means that terventionist foreign policy. the UK will be able to negoRecent interventions in Iraq, tiate its own free trade deal Afghanistan, Somalia and with the United States and to Libya proved have its own to be a big friendly refailure with lations with I hope the U.S. will terrible conthe U.S. We sequences. be able to free can observe It is always its economy from that friendly better to overregulation and attitudes protect your taxation to become towards own borders a healthy and fastthe United than to try States in to change growing economy general and regimes all once again...[and] to Trump over the reconsiders its administraworld. interventionist tion specifiQ: Do you foreign policy. cally prevail believe that also in CenPetr Mach, member of EP your country tral Europe has changed – in couneither physitries like the cally, emoCzech Republic, Hungary, tionally or mentally due to Poland… Less friendly attithe recent election of Presitudes are in Western Europe, dent Trump? in countries like Germany, Mach: I don’t think so. France where many people There are similar political diand politicians resent the vides in all countries of our U.S., and particularly Trump. Western civilization. EveryQ: What are you most where there is left and right. worried about changing in On the one hand, there are the next four years? people who believe in more Mach: The European government, in elites, in varUnion was not able to proious interventions, in social tect its borders from miutopias and supranational gration and many terrorist government, and on the othattacks have been there by er hand there are people who Muslim migrants or by their believe in less government, children raised in Europe. in economic freedom, and in The European Union incommon sense of ordinary stead of protecting borders people. Any single candidate collects migrants at African is never perfect. Nor Trump coastline and takes them is perfect. But there is some to Europe. There are milhope that his administration lion illegal migrants only in will make America a better Germany and many of them country. I wish him success. Continued from Page 1

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Continued from Page 1

MEP: Migrants are key issue in Europe

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Emma Carmody / The University News

NEWS

February 16, 2017

Let Us Introduce You: Luke Wilson By ARJUN BAGAI Contributor

Luke Wilson is a freshman at Saint Louis University currently studying Flight Science. Wilson was born in Galesburg, Illinois (Carl Sandburg, a prolific poet was also born there). Later, he moved to Toulon, Illinois where he has a farm. Toulon is about 160 miles southwest of Chicago. Wilson and his family grow corn and beans. In addition to farming, he plays with his dog, Tank. Tank is a Rottweiler, a breed that Wilson loves. Ever since Wilson was a little boy, he has been interested in aviation and flying. Aviation goes down his family roots beginning with his grandfather’s passion for the wide-open skies. Wilson’s dad got a private license when he was in college. Now, Wilson is following in his parents’ and grandparents’ footsteps by also pursuing aviation studies. According to Wilson, “flying is an opportunity to explore the different lands and seas. From above, you can see the green lands and blue oceans uniting together to form the beautiful earth.” While Wilson is concen-

Gaby Lawson / The University News

LUIY: Freshman Luke Wilson is a Flight Science major. He hopes to fly luxury jets with a corporate company. trating on aviation, he also has many side interests. For instance, he loves to watch and play soccer. His favorite international team is Arsenal. Every week, Wilson and his friends go to the park and play soccer.

Wilson is also very conscious of what he wears. He aims to look smart, snazzy, and dapper. Wilson learns about trends and styles from GQ Magazine. Wilson was even prom king in high school. Not only does he

have fashion sense, but he also has a great personality. He is 6’ 5”. During his time at SLU, Wilson has done some fun things in St. Louis. He has been downtown and visited places like the Arch and Union Station. When he went to Union Station last November, he saw the Winter Wonderland. There were games, cookies and cupcakes, as well as mini activities like dancing and mini-golf. He also went to the Galleria and Delmar Loop. During the winter season, he frequented Steinberg Skating Rink. Located in Forest Park, the rink is known for its location and food. When asked what he loved most about SLU, Wilson responded, “Every person has a story, a unique story. People are genuine and caring. I love the food. I love Wednesday night brinners (bro-dinner) with my Reinert Floor buddies.” It is through this sense of community that Wilson connects to SLU. Although college only lasts four years, Wilson can acheive his dreams through SLU and can make lifelong memories in the process.

Diablito’s closes early due to ‘vandalism’

Q&A with Luke Wilson:

Q. Why do you prefer farming life over urban life? It’s where I grew up. It’s ingrained in me. I can get peace and quiet. I can get darkness. In the city, there is city light pollution. The countryside is quiet, filled with nature and stars. Q. What are your plans? I will sign on with a corporate company. I want to fly luxury jets; jets that are high quality. I will also be a pilot and fly for the rest of my life.

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

By MEGAN ANTHONY Managing Editor

On Saturday, Feb. 11, patrons of Diablitos Cantina were welcomed by a boarded-up door and a brightly typed sign, reminiscent of the inside decor, stating that the restaurant would be closing permanently due to vandalism. The closing of Diablitos Cantina had been announced earlier this month but it was originally scheduled to close on Feb. 14. Rumors quickly started to surface of broken mirrors and rowdy last hoorahs as the cause for the premature closing. However, the rumors seem to have no basis of fact. Former employee, Lucia DiLorenzo says, “We were told it was a mirror broken from an event we had hosted the night before, but I had personally cleaned the bathrooms (better than I ever had in honor of the final weekend) and there was no such damage beyond the usual college night wear and tear.” In fact, if one were to ask any former employees about the vandalism that occurred, they would be none the wiser. Mallory Francis, another former employee, listed a few damages, such as a paper towel dispenser and a toilet paper dispenser being ripped oﬀ the wall, but also noted that those are normal Friday night oc-

Wednesday, February 8 7:41 a.m. BURGLARY Between 7:30 P.M. on 02/10/2017 and Monday 02/13/2017 at 7:15 A.M., Persons unknown entered a suite and the lower level maintenance shop in the Center for Global Citizenship, removing multiple items and causing damage to several drawers and filing cabinets. Forced entry was attempted into several offices (but failed). Saint Louis Metro Police responded, Photos taken and attached to the report. Reference Saint Louis Police Report # 17-7016.

Wednesday, February 8 1:58 p.m. FIRE ALARM Emma Carmody / The University News

DIABLITOS: The planned closing of Diablitos was moved up to Feb. 11 due to claims of vandalism. A mirror was said to have shattered, but former employees are doubtful. currences. “Aside from that we’re unaware of anything actually happening,” she said. Since the announcement that Diablitos would be closing, DiLorenzo said that business had been soaring. Employees were receiving more hours and making lucrative paychecks, a nice bonus due to the fact that they would be on the job search soon. Unfortunately, the time to start the search began earlier than any of them expected. “At about 10:00 p.m. he [the executive

VANDALISM: This is the sign that was posted on Diablitos’ doors to announce their early closing date.

chef ] told us last call was formal closing left some at 11:00 p.m. (earlier than employees wondering what usual),” says Emily Schroedwent wrong, “Since I personer, “and after closing for the ally did not see the vandalnight he informed us that ism that was claimed as the we would not be reopening reason for early closure, and again. Within the hour, other since sales were so lucraemployees from the comtive that closing early didn’t pany were in to start moving make sense to me, I find furniture and close down.” something very fishy about DiLorenzo stated that she the situation,” DiLorenzo had gone home to take a commented. Her feelings break in between shifts. She are mutual with Schroeder’s, was due to “ It definitecome back ly seemed Since I personally to help close shady.” that night, The closdid not see the however at ing also left vandalism that 10:14 p.m. employees was claimed as she received feeling as if the reason for the a text mesthey were early closure, and sage from a being abansince sales were co-worker doned. “All telling her the employso lucrative that that the resees had truly closing early didn’t taurant was become my make sense to me, closed perfamily and I find something manently. it’s sad to very fishy about M a n y know we Diablitos won’t see the situation. employees each other Lucia DiLorenzo, were schedevery day Former Diablitos employee uled to work a n y m o r e ,” until the Schroeder previously said. announced closing date, Both the employees of which as of that fateful FriDiablitos Cantina and its day night, was still three days customers have many unaway. “I was scheduled the answered questions. As annext three days. They took other campus staple closes quite a few hours from me.” its doors, many are findSchroeder shares, “Personaling it hard to say goodbye. ly I was pissed oﬀ at the way DiLorenzo attests to that as it was handled, it came out she states, “The employees of left field and the way they are as confused as everyone expected us to help with the in the community and just shutting down after was iras sad we never got to say ritating.” goodbye to the queso and The unexpected and inthe place we called home.”

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DPS responded to a fire alarm activation, investigation revealed that an air handler pipe on the fourth floor became clogged backing up and dripping onto an electrical box on the third floor, shorting it out and causing a small amount of smoke. Maintenance responded and shut off the power to the electrical box and to the air handler unit. Alarm reset and building re populated.

Wednesday, February 15 10:52 a.m. CAR CLOUTING DPS received a call for an individual trying car door handles as he walked along Lasalle Avenue. DPS Officers were dispatched to the area. A DPS officer observed an individual matching the description given and detained him at the Rally’s parking lot. Other DPS Officers searched the area on Lasalle, east from Carr Lane to Virginia and discovered two vehicles with the driver’s windows shattered and the contents strewn about and one vehicle with the door unlocked. The detained subject was patted down and discovered to have broken glass and several dollars in U.S. Coin in his jacket pocket. The victims (students) from the two vehicles with the windows shattered were located. Each reported several dollars in U.S. Coin missing from their vehicles. SLMPD was contacted and responded to take control of the suspect. SLMPD Officer Holt reported the incident under complaint number 1774012.

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Kyle Smith / The University News

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

4 February 16, 2017

GAMES

Games Across 1 5 8 12 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 23 25 27 31 33 34 36 38 40 44 46 47 49 51 52 54 56 57 59 64 66 67 68 69 70 71 72

Actor LaBeouf Treat in a shell Pavarotti solo Line dance Inlet ___-pointe (ballet) Like some buckets Pizzeria ﬁxture Obliterates Rendezvous Car dealer’s offering Erie Canal mule Hero type Concert ﬁnale One-spots Perry’s creator Fender blemish Coarse jute fabric Smithy’s tool Greek letter Many and different Passé Moon of Neptune Palmist, e.g. Hide well Cravings Amulets Nonexistent Chicken order Melodies Atmospheres Paella pot Red vegetable Like krypton Allege as fact Son of Aphrodite Chain of hills Etta of the comics Director Howard

23 27

39 44 47

52 56

2 3 5 1 6 8 9

46 50

55 59 67

4 41

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

14 21 24 26 27

Down 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13

Highlander Icy coating Jet black Many moons Short story? Eye layer Uptight Carpenter's tool Sanity Bestow Seating request Pro’s foe

28 29 30 32 35 37 39 41 42

Amber or umber Salad green Train stop Stew vegetable Playwright Burrows Recipe measurement Hosp. areas Pitcher’s pitch Armageddon Scares Floor covering Snout Sandpiper Sermon subject

7 1

43 Asner and Begley 45 Castle area 47 Put on hold 48 Young raptor 50 Corrodes 52 Flowing outer garment 53 Judicious 55 Hideout 58 Handel opera 60 Condo division 61 Make over 62 Jason’s ship 63 “Let it stand” 65 Frick collection

2 5

73 Tugboat sound

6 7 9

2 3 3

Coffee

Last week’s solutions

6 1 2 9 7 4 8 3 5

9 8 3 1 5 2 6 4 7

5 4 7 8 3 6 1 9 2

1 3 8 4 2 7 9 5 6

4 9 5 6 1 3 7 2 8

7 2 6 5 9 8 4 1 3

2 6 9 3 8 1 5 7 4

3 5 4 7 6 9 2 8 1

8 7 1 2 4 5 3 6 9

BEAN

FRENCH ROAST

KONA

BLACK

GOURMET

LATTE

BREW

GRINDER

MILL

CAFFEINE

GROUNDS

PERCOLATE

CAPPUCCINO

GROWER

POT

CHICORY

HOUSE

SHOP

COLUMBIA

ICED

SIP

COSTA RICA

IRISH

SMOOTH

DRIP

JAVA

STIMULANT

EXPRESSO

JOE

TASTE

Arts Entertainment Grammys: Music’s elite shine bright

February 16, 2017 arts@unewsonline.com Natalie Riopelle, Arts Editor Tom Bergan, Assoc. Arts Editor

Guitar Gyro

Greek restaurant rocks on By Chandana Kamaraj Staff Writer

The week of Feb. 13, I discovered something that we do not have a lot of near the SLU campus, especially after Diablitos closed—an ethnic restaurant. Yiro Gyro, a Greek-Mediterranean restaurant, boasts a flavorful menu true to Greek culture and is conveniently placed right oﬀ the SLU campus on Vandeventer. With some friends who were incredibly excited that there is a new Greek place, I entered Yiro Gyro simply to support a new small business. I quickly learned however, that Yiro Gyro was more than just a business— it was a place filled with culture, family and tradition.

The space was decorated with an ornate light bulb motif exemplified by the light fixtures composed of single light bulbs hanging from black rods. The look was complemented by framed pictures of light bulbs and potted plants mounted on the walls. With a green and black color scheme, Yiro Gyro boasted a sophisticated look with humble beginnings. Intrigued by the look, I simply had to ask the manager of the location, Hardy, the idea behind the space. “When me, my friend and I created the space, we had an idea of a contemporary look [to adapt to the young SLU See “Super” on Page 6

Courtesy of Getty Images

BLESSINGS: Chance the Rapper, shown here accepting one of three awards given to him throughout the evening, is the first artist to win a Grammy award without being signed to a record label. By Maddie Siebum Contributor

The 2017 Grammys provided most of its drama in the last five minutes: Adele won Album of the Year. That’s right, for the second year in a row, a pop, lovesong album has beaten out a more deserving, ambitious and ground-breaking album. If you rewind to last year’s Grammys, you may remember that Kendrick Lamar’s complex album, “To Pimp a Butterfly,” which was a combined social commentary and introspective work of art, lost Album of the Year to Taylor Swift’s 1989. It was an upset, and it’s disappointing to see the situation repeated this year.

Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” Beyoncé in her acceptance was a lyrically stunning masspeech, saying, “But, my artterpiece that transcended ist of my life is Beyoncé, and the typical album, as it was this album for me, the ‘Lemalso released onade’ album, as a detailed was just so visual album. [Chance] somehow monumental.” Adele’s “25” made his performance It’s great to was a great folsee artists suplow up to her both highly energetic porting each previous al- and solemnly religious, other, rather bum after taksome even bringing up a than ing a break to of the TayChristian choir. raise her son, lor Swift high and her vocals school drama shined all the that has been way through. “Lemonade,” the theme of past award however, touched on femishows. nism, police violence and The Grammys, however, racism: hot button topics had gone on for three and relevant in our country. a half hours before we got Even Adele knows that to Album of the Year. What the Grammy voters made the happened during that long wrong choice. She praised duration of time? A multi-

tude of performances, some great, some bad and some completely unnecessary, and very few actual awards. Let’s start with the successful performances. Chance the Rapper, feeling triumphant after winning two Grammys, rapped a medley from his album “Coloring Book.” He somehow made his performance both highly energetic and solemnly religious, even bringing up a Christian choir as back up. Chance made Grammy history, becoming the first artist without a label to win. Bruno Mars never fails to deliver during an awards show performance. He has See “Awards” on Page 6

Courtesy of Yiro Gyro

GREEK: The newest addition to the Gerhart complex is Yiro Gyro, which serves up delicious cuisine.

‘Lego Batman’ delights audiences brick by brick By Karl O’Brien Staff Writer

When “The Lego Movie” premiered around this time three years ago, many questioned whether an animated film starring characters made out of Danish plastic building toys could make it with audiences. It turns out that they did, as “The Lego Batman Movie,” the first of at least two spin-oﬀs and one sequel set to build (no pun intended) on the success of the original, continues the resounding success of the initial entry. The film begins three years after the defeat and redemption of Lord Business with just another night in Gotham City—a large group of supervillains, led by the Joker, has seized a cargo plane of Lego explosives and planted them throughout the city. The villains couple this mayhem with their usual hijinks, keeping the police on their toes. All seems lost until Batman arrives and singlehandedly defeats the villains in just enough time before the city is destroyed. After some goodwill stops, the Dark Knight retires to Wayne Manor, where he eats his favorite dish, lobster thermidor, tells the picture of his parents that he saved the city again and lives the

Courtesy of Warner Brothers Pictures

BAT-BLOCKS: Will Arnett voices Batman, pictured above, in the new “Lego Batman Movie.” The film is the first spin-oﬀ from the massively successful “Lego Movie” of 2014. life of a cocky loner with totally shredded nine-pack abs. When he inadvertently adopts a young orphan named Dick Grayson, at the encouragement of his loyal butler Alfred, Batman must decide whether he can set aside his pride and work as a team and family with Alfred, Dick and Police Commissioner Barbara Gordon when the Joker unleashes an even greater threat—the combined forces of Lego evil that have been banished to the Phantom Zone by the almighty powers of Warner Brothers product licensing! As a near-lifelong fan of

both Lego and Batman, this film was an absolutely fantastic treat for me, and it is likely to please loyal fans of both properties, as well as fans of cinema. More than one of the regular villains Batman faces in Gotham have been lifted from the backwaters of comic book and TV obscurity, with such ne’er-do-wellers as Egghead, King Tut, PolkaDot Man, Gentleman Ghost, Calendar Man, Clock King, Catman, Zebra and Condiment King causing havoc alongside such legends as the Penguin, Bane, Mr. Freeze, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, the Riddler and Two-

Face. Much of the film’s humor stems from its nods to Bathistory, which came from such a plethora of sources as dialogue, music, voice casting and the costumes and tools in the Batcave. For instance, Billy Dee Williams provides the voice for Two-Face, acknowledging the fact that he portrayed Harvey Dent in Tim Burton’s 1989 film “Batman,” and Robin finds the infamous Shark Repellant, used on a dummy shark in the 1966 film adaptation of the Adam West TV show, in a forgotten corner of the Batcave. The voice casting was also impeccable for “The

Lego Batman Movie,” with Will Arnett returning from “The Lego Movie” to voice the Dark Knight, along with Channing Tatum’s Superman and Jonah Hill’s Green Lantern; several new cast members also proved welcome and well-suited for their roles, such as Michael Cera as Dick Grayson, Rosario Dawson as Barbara Gordon, Ralph Fiennes as Alfred, Zack Galifianakis as the Joker, Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman and Conan O’Brien as the Riddler. Much in the spirit of “The Lego Movie,” the film also seeks to impart valuable life lessons, this time about the

value of forming friendships, humility and being open about feelings. The original music written for the film consists of more of Batman’s praises of himself, with “Who’s the (Bat)man?” a shameless homage to the Caped Crusader from the one who thinks he knows him best: himself. “Friends are Family” is also potentially set to be the new earworm to replace “Everything is Awesome” for many fans. Overall, “The Lego Batman Movie” is a fitting homage to one of the greatest superheroes of all time and an irreverent take on a pop culture icon that just asks for multiple viewings to catch all the pleasant surprises. It truly does speak to the infinite childlike imagination that can stem from playing with Legos, with its extravaganza of unexpected characters and seemingly absurd situations, a welcome rehashing of one of the most lasting themes of the original film. “The Lego Batman Movie” expanded its own Lego universe well without losing itself, and if it is any indication of what to expect from “The Lego Ninjago Movie” coming later this year, then we are all in for a very pleasurable brick-building adventure.

6 February 16, 2017 What’s up in STL this week?

ARTS

Super Gyro Super Television Continued from Page 5

Feb. 21, 8:00 p.m. Blueberry Hill The pop-punkers from Florida make their way to St. Louis supporting their new album.

“Lion” Chase Park Plaza Cinemas Out Now The story of a boy who seeks out his family 25 years after losing them on the streets of Calcutta has left deep impacts on its audiences.

“

You Blew It!

a classic when it comes to Greek food. Something I community] and designed would like like to point out the place with self-built though is that all our sauces light fixtures, sustaining the are made in house,” Hardy light-bulb theme.” After I smiled with pride. ordered the Gyro Fries Box Along with the tasty filled with fries, feta cheese, sauces, the Yiro Gyro menu chicken and garlic sauce, has a combination of special I continued to ask Hardy dishes such as the Zemech about the inspiration and Bowl, which highlights the story behind this Yiro Gyro flavor of basmati rice, chicklocation. “I was raised in peas and tahini sauce and Germany, and was born into the Classic Gyro, bringing a Kurdish family. Eating a lot in the texture of pita bread, of Greek and Turkish food at yiro slices and tzatziki sauce. home, I remember at the age Even though the tastes and of five, my textures of family ate the ingrethe Doner dients have [I] realized that Kebab— been exthere aren’t a lot of which was perimentplaces near here the first ed with to dish on create the that have food like the menu specialty this, so I thought it composed items, Yiro would be perfect. of lettuce, Gyro gives tomato, the cusHardy, Manager at onion, red tomers the Yiro Gyro cabbage ability to and garcreate a lic sauce— and was simply personal taste with the cusvery happy with their meal. I tomizable menu. looked around and saw a lot Since Yiro Gyro is the of smiles in the family, and perfect place to take some that is something I hope to food to go and also to sit give here too.” in to enjoy the ambiance, I After looking up at the asked Hardy why he chose menu board and eyeing the to set up shop in this specific friendly family working belocation. “My girlfriend achind the counter, I asked tually went to SLU. So when Hardy about his favorite I thought of coming here, I menu item. “My favorite understood the dynamic and dish is the classic Doner Kethe people of the SLU combab, because it is something munity, but also realized that that inspired me to create there aren’t a lot of places this place.” I pried and asked near here that have food like about his favorite favorite this, so I thought it would be sauce. “I can’t really choose perfect here.” between the sriracha ranch, He isn’t wrong— with a which I think is a perfect contemporary look and demix of the spicy sriracha and licious food, Yiro Gyro is a [mellowed down] ranch and wonderful and diverse addithe tzatziki sauce, which is tion to the SLU community.

“A Doll’s House” Through Feb. 18 Tower Grove Abbey The classic Ibsen work is revived by the Stray Dog Theatre, who breathe life into the controversial 150 year old piece.

Courtesy of Gyro Yiro

SANDWICH: With a variety of toppings and meats to choose from, Yiro Gyro has something for everyone.

Spectacle and Leisure in Paris Kemper Art Museum Billed as everything from Degas to Mucha, this exhibit gives a glimpse into the thriving scene of 19th century Paris.

Vincent Van Doughnut The Grove The designer donut shop, which specializes in mouth-watering creations, opened up this Tuesday.

Courtesy of FX

MUTANT: The new FX show spins-oﬀ from the X-Men movies and extends the reach of its universe to the TV screen, focusing on the son of Professor Xavier. By Sean Kelso Staff Writer

With the perfect mix of fun and intrigue, FX’s new stylized psychological drama, “Legion” is a fantastic new addition to the competitive realm of superhero entertainment. Written and directed by Noah Hawley, “Legion” stars Dan Stevens as David Haller, the protagonist and mutant who faces great difficulty separating his dreams from reality. Based on the Marvel Comics superhero Legion, this show wastes no time introducing us to David, showing us the incredibly complex inner workings of his brain and his journey towards self-discovery. Set in 1970s America, the ambiance and visuals of this show are spectacular, with bright psychedelic colors and kaleidoscopic aesthetics seemingly inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s “A Clockwork Orange.” From the opening credits, “Legion” starts with a montage of David from his birth to the present, where he is now a young adult diagnosed with schizophrenia living alone in a psychiatric hospital. We learn David relies on his memories and dreams, which drive his psychological journey and make this show so interesting. “Legion” focuses not on the superpowers, but the mental underpinnings of David as a person in society. We learn that throughout his life, David has heard

voices and suﬀered from hallucinations and when upset, objects around him tend to levitate and explode. His telekinetic outbursts are presented by other people to be only imagined in his head, but we, like David, don’t know the real truth of his story. Since this show is told entirely from his subjective point of view, we are left trying to piece together the complete truth as the series progresses, which adds greatly to the fun. Thus, we find him highly medicated at the start, with a visit from his sister,

The ambiance and visuals of this show are spectacular, with bright psychedlic colors and kaleidoscopic aesthetics. Amy, wishing him a happy birthday. He responds by describing his birthday as, “my 260th Thursday as a passenger on the cruise ship Mental Health,” showing the eccentric nature of his mind. We meet some of his other friends in the mental ward, mainly Lenny (Aubrey Plaza) and a new patient, Syd Barrett (Rachel Keller), who each have their own distinct characteristics. Lenny adds a lot of humor to the show through her easy-going attitude toward mental illness, while

Syd sticks out through her anxiety about touching other people. David and Syd start a comical hands-oﬀ relationship, which shows us that Syd is quite diﬀerent too, and her complete set of powers is a mystery to be explored later in the series. David finds himself fighting not only his mental demons, but also many physical dangers. In true superhero fashion, “Legion” has some great villains from the opening, who come from the government and seem to want to weaponize David’s psychic abilities for sinister reasons. Watching David react to these threats is very entertaining, as his wits and skills are put to the test, with his quirky mind on display. Since the pilot episode merely introduces us to David and the bizarre world he lives in, there are many questions left to be answered. However, the open-ended nature of “Legion” works, since David is such an electric character to watch as he journeys to discover his true nature and reality around him. What I really love about “Legion” is its emphasis on his psychological condition, not his great superpowers that we know exist because of the comics. Focusing on his mental struggles makes him both grounded in humanity and more relatable to the audience, leaving us begging for many more of the captivating twists sure to come.

Awards: Queen Bey snubbed taneous and sweet, like she was genuinely enjoying performing her song. The Weeknd and Daft impeccable showmanship Punk performed together, and makes his choreograwhich was anticipated since phy look eﬀortless. Not only Daft Punk has been semiwere we treated to one perquiet since their Grammys formance from Mars, but performance in 2014. The two! Weeknd’s vocals were perHe first gave a low-key fect, but it seemed like a performance of his latest rather lacklussingle, “That’s ter showing What I Like.” It seems the considering all When I heard producers forget it the hype it rethat he was coming back is an awards show ceived beforeto perform and try to cram as hand. A coma tribute to many performances plaint that I Prince, I knew it was the per- as possible into their have with the Grammys is fect choice. time slot. that it seems Mars didn’t the producers disappoint, forget it is an awards show singing one of Prince’s hits and try to cram as many perand wearing an iconic purple formances as possible into suit. He managed to honor their time slot. The problem the late musician without with this is that the audience feeling too gimmicky. gets stuck watching unnecAnother notable peressary and irrelevant perforformance was from Katy mances instead of seeing artPerry, singing her new single ists win actual awards. “Chained to the Rhythm” for For example, Pentatothe first time. The staging nix, a talented and popular was interesting and Perry’s a cappella group, performed dance moves seemed sponContinued from Page 5

Courtesy of Getty Images

SLAY: Beyonce dropped jaws performing two tracks from “Lemonade,” an album that was shut out of the night’s major categories by Adele. “ABC” by the Jackson 5. It was completely out of nowhere and seemed like something I could have watched on YouTube instead. The Grammys has also been pushing mash-ups in recent years, and this year we were treated to many. The worst was Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban. I know that country artists must be spotlighted, but

their performance lacked sparks and was too upbeat for Carrie’s beautiful voice. Another head-scratcher was Lukas Forchhammer (known as Lukas Graham) and Kelsea Ballerini. Their songs didn’t mesh together at all, which makes sense since they’re from two completely diﬀerent genres. If I could make a suggestion to the Grammys pro-

ducers, it would be to cut out most of the mash-ups, and focus on a few longer, more intricate performances (Beyoncé’s nine-minute performance is a great example). They should also work on televising more awards, so more artists are recognized for their work in front of their peers. If anything, give Album of the Year to the artist who deserves it next year.

Sports

February 16, 2017 sports@unewsonline.com Lauren Tondl, Sports Editor Vivek Gorijala, Assoc. Sports Editor

Men make progress in record book against Duquesne, blown out by rival Dayton

Softball makes debut with 3-2 record

By BOBBY STILWELL Staff Writer

By LAUREN TONDL Sports Editor

Despite multiple problems with the game and shot clocks in the first half, SLU Men’s Basketball pulled oﬀ an 87-81 win over Duquesne on Saturday, Feb. 11 at Chaifetz Arena. SLU started their regular five: junior guard Aaron Hines, junior guard Davell Roby, senior guard Mike Crawford, freshman forward Jalen Johnson and freshman forward Elliott Welmer. SLU won the tip and got to work early. Hines hit a pair of free thows and a trey in the first two minutes. Duquesne answered with a trey of their own, but were called for goaltending (Welmer basket). Both teams were unable to score for the next minute until Duquesne hit a pair of free throws and SLU went on a 9-2 run, ignited by a Johnson trey, which put SLU up 16-7 with 15:31 left in the first. SLU took their largest lead of the night with 12:29 to play. Crawford hit two treys, while Johnson and senior forward Reggie Agbeko each contributed a layup. SLU led 26-12. Duquesne battled back with a 6-2 run to tighten the lead to 28-20 SLU with 9:13 to play. At that point, there was a five-minute stop in play while oﬃcials reviewed

lead. By the time the Bonnies went on a late run, they ran out of clock, giving SLU their first win in Olean, N.Y. The women made discipline their main focus of the game. They had a season low of seven turnovers, tallying their seventh game this season with a single-digit turnover total. SLU held the Bonnies to 34.5 percent shooting overall and 11.1 percent from the 3-point line. They shot 75 percent from the field in the first quarter alone and 71.8 percent on their 2-point attempts. However, their game from behind the arc was less than satisfactory, putting in only three of their 24 attempts. Junior guard Jackie Kemph went 8-of-13 from the field and surpassed her own school record for assists with 607. She also moved into 11th place on SLU’s career scoring list with 1,257 points. Senior center Sadie Stipanovich tallied 14 points and two blocks to move into third place on SLU’s career blocks list with 92. Junior forward Maddison Gits had a season-high nine rebounds. SLU traveled to Philadelphia to take on the La Salle Explorers on Feb. 15. The women took yet another

The Billiken softball team traveled south to Kennesaw, Ga. for their first games of their regular season, competing in the Rafter Memorial Tournament at Kennesaw State. They competed against Morehead State, Kennesaw State, South Carolina State and Austin Peay, bringing a 3-2 record back to St. Louis. The women began the weekend with a 1-0 win against Morehead State. Junior pitcher Maddie Baalman and the rest of the fielding squad were keys for securing SLU’s first win of the season. Baalman threw a two-hitter, and junior infielder Allie Macfarlane nailed an RBI single early on to secure the win for SLU. Senior outfielder Emma Buckles forced a walk with one out and stole second. Then, Macfarlane stepped up to the plate and struck the ball into right field to bring Buckles home. Morehead State loaded up the bases in the top of the third with two outs and put the pressure on the Billiken defense. Baalman remained collected on the mound and forced a popup to keep the Eagles at bay. Baalman kept her consistency throughout the game, retiring the seven batters in a row to seal the victory. Kennesaw State handed SLU their first loss of the season during a hot fourth inning. The Bills could only manage to get one hit throughout the seven innings of play. Sophomore pitcher Kallen Loveless conceded four hits and four runs in the fourth inning to put SLU at a 4-0 deficit. Sophomore infielder Mackenzie Lawson found the only hit of the game, bunting for a single. SLU allowed two more hits for Kennesaw State but managed to hold them at four runs for the remainder of the game. However, the Billikens were able to turn the scoreless game around the following day with a 10-4 victory over South Carolina State. The women took an early lead with a run off Buckles’ sacrifice pop fly, but South Carolina State replied with a three-run home run to take the wind out of SLU’s sails. The women fought their way back with an unearned run in the bottom of the second, eager to take back the lead. South Carolina made the gap slightly wider with a run in the third inning, but SLU snatched up another unearned run in the bottom of the third to make the game 4-3.

See “Women” on Page 8

See “Peter” on Page 8

Saint Louis Athletics

PROTECT: Senior forward Reggie Agbeko shields the ball from a pressing Dayton defender on Feb. 14 in Chaifetz Arena. The loss snapped the men’s four-game winning streak and dropped them to 4-9 in Atlantic 10 play. the game clock. Coming out of the review, Duquesne closed the lead further to six, but SLU continued to trade baskets with the Dukes for the rest of the half. SLU took a 43-37 lead

and the teams immediately traded baskets until a free throw by freshman forward Zeke Moore ignited a 5-0 SLU rally that put the Billikens up by 11 with 13:15 to play.

to the locker room at halftime. SLU got the ball to start the second half, and Welmer immediately hit a layup. Duquesne answered back with a layup of their own,

Duquesne started chipping away at this lead, capitalizing oﬀ turnovers by SLU. SLU’s lead dropped to See “Ford” on Page 8

Women rack up two conference wins, rise to second place By LAUREN TONDL Sports Editor

The women’s basketball team hit the road for backto-back conference games this week against St. Bonaventure and La Salle. On Feb. 11, SLU defeated St. Bonaventure, 74-58, to move to 10-3 in A-10 play and to take over second place in the rankings. The squad also achieved 20 victories on the season for the second time. They are after at least seven more wins to break the record of 26 wins from last year’s season. SLU made easy work of the Bonnies by taking the permanent lead just four minutes into the game, 9-7. They followed the lead up with a 15-4 spurt, started by senior forward Olivia Jakubicek, to take a 26-16 lead at the end of the first quarter. The women slowed things down slightly in the second quarter, scoring only 10 points. However, they held the Bonnies to just four points to take a 36-20 lead going into intermission. The Bills turned up the heat in the third quarter, as usual, increasing the lead 6035. In the fourth quarter, St. Bonaventure finally made their oﬀense flow, but it was too little too late, as SLU widened the gap to a 28-point

Saint Louis Athletics

BATTLE: Junior guard Jackie Kemph fights through two VCU defenders to get to the basket. The women are in sole possession of second place in the Atlantic 10 standings.

CHEER

JEER WHO TO CHEER WILLIE O’REE Known as the Jackie Robinson of hockey,Willie O’Ree became the first African American hockey player to play in the big leagues nearly 60 years ago. However, adding to his tale is that he did so while 95 percent blind in one eye, an injury that he did not disclose to his team, the Boston Bruins.

FEAR WHO TO JEER JAMES DOLAN The New York Knicks owner just lifted Charles Oakley’s lifetime ban at Madison Square Garden after Oakley caused commotion while at a Knicks game last week. However, while he is attempting to repair the situation now, Dolan should never have alienated a Knicks’ fan favorite in the first place.

WHO TO FEAR UCONN WOMEN The University of Connecticut women’s basketball team just won its 100th game in a row, an unprecedented and video-game like achievement. No men’s nor women’s team has ever achieved that many wins without losing, with UConn’s last loss coming in November of 2014 to then No. 6 Stanford.

8 February 16, 2017 Tweet of the week

@Chris_Cohen

When a stranger stops Ashley Barnes from knocking your son’s head off. #notallheroeswearcapes

Scores from the week Men’s Basketball Billikens 87 Duquesne 81 The Billikens put on a show against the Duquesne Dukes, breaking two big records in the process. They shot 61.4 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from 3-point range, earning four wins in a row at Chaifetz.

Billikens 63 Dayton 85 The men saw their home winning streak snapped after a tough loss to the Flyers. The team shot a very low 25 percent from the field in the first half, and they were unable to recover against a consistent Dayton squad.

Women’s Basketball Billikens 74 St. Bonaventure 58 SLU earned their 20th win of the season after defeating the Bonnies. Junior guard Jackie Kemph went 8-of-13 from the field and surpassed her own school record for assists with 607.

Billikens 79 La Salle 74 Despite a handful of late La Salle leads, SLU tallied their 11th conference win with solid free throw shooting and disciplined defense. Senior center Sadie Stipanovich racked up 28 points.

Softball Billikens 1 Morehead State 0 Junior pitcher Maddie Baalman started oﬀ the year by pitching a two-hitter.

Billikens 0 Kennesaw State 4 SLU only mustered one hit in the game against a tough Kennesaw State defense.

Billikens 10 S. Carolina State 4 Junior infielder Allie Macfarlane hit the first home run of the season in the win.

Billikens 4 Austin Peay 5 SLU was defeated despite a 4-2 lead early on.

Billikens 14 Austin Peay 5 Senior outfielder Mackenzie Peter hit a record-breaking three home runs.

Men’s Tennis Billikens 0 Northern Illinois 7 The Billikens suﬀered a shut out, with only junior Charlie Perry coming close to a win. He lost 5-7, 6-2, 10-4.

SPORTS

This week in sports Thursday, Feb. 16

Friday, Feb. 17

Saturday, Feb. 18

Swim & Dive A-10 Tournament @ Geneva, Ohio

Women’s Tennis 3 p.m. @ Dayton Baseball 3 p.m. v. Lafayette @ San Antonio, Tex. 7 p.m. v. Incarnate Word @ San Antonio, Tex. Men’s Tennis 7 p.m. @ Dayton

Track & Field A-10 Tournament @ Fairfax, Va. Baseball 11 a.m. v. Notre Dame Men’s Basketball 1 p.m. @ Fordham Women’s Basketball 7 p.m. v. Richmond

Sunday, Feb. 19

Monday, Feb. 20

Tuesday, Feb. 21

Baseball Fat Tire Camp Fire 2017 Fat Tire Camp Fire 2017 11 a.m. v. TBD @ San 6 p.m. @ Ballpark Village 6 p.m. @ Ballpark Village Antonio, Tex.

Wednesday, Feb. 22 Women’s Basketball 6 p.m. @ Dayton

Ford: ‘We’ve got to play with a chip on our shoulder’ Women: Defense leads to success Continued from Page 7

four with 7:14 left, and the teams traded baskets again. Duquesne tied the game at 76-76 with 2:18 to play, but SLU went on a 11-5 run to clinch the win. With four seconds to play, Crawford fouled out to stop the clock. Crawford later said that “I was closest [to the Duquesne player], and the closest person had to foul.” Crawford also acknowledged the support from the fans and said that the game was fun to play. Head Coach Travis Ford discussed the team eﬀort, saying “We had contributions from everybody.” Ford also oﬀered insight into why SLU has won four straight games at Chaifetz. In regards to home pride, Ford stated: “It’s something we talked about four or five games ago. If you start a game well…all the things you can control, that’s important.” Ford also believes there is room for improvement. “We’ve got to be overachievers. We can’t take any team for granted. We’ve got to play with a chip on our shoulder and team effort to play well.”

As a team, SLU shot 61.4 percent from the field. This is the first time since 2011 against Oklahoma that SLU shot 60 percent or better. SLU also shot 66.7 percent from the arc, the first time since 2009 at Fordham. Crawford led the team with 21 points, shooting 4-4 from 3-point range and 8-12 from the field. Roby scored 20 points, also shooting 4-4 from 3-point range and 6-8 from the field. Johnson was three rebounds short of a double-double, scoring 15 and pulling down seven rebounds. Men’s Basketball hosted Dayton for an A-10 matchup on Tuesday, Feb. 14. Despite a valiant eﬀort in the second half, SLU was never able to overcome a slow start to the game. The Billikens lost 8563. SLU falls to 9-17 overall and 4-9 in the A-10 with the loss. Despite starting their usual five (Roby, Johnson, Hines, Crawford and Welmer), SLU never led during the game and was only able to score 17 first half points to Dayton’s 46. This slow start showed in the first half stats. SLU shot 11 per-

cent from 3-point range and 25 percent from the field, trailing by 24 at the half. The Billikens rallied back in the second half, scoring 46 points, shooting 51 percent from the field and 63 percent from 3-point range. Roby led the Billikens, scoring 14 of his 18 points in the second half. Moore chipped in 11, making all four free throws. Hines chipped in nine points of his own, with seven assists. Coming up, the Billikens will continue A-10 play, traveling to Fordham Saturday, Feb. 18. Tip-oﬀ is scheduled for 1 p.m. Central Time. The Billikens will then travel to Richmond, Va. to take on the VCU Rams at 6 p.m. Central Time on Feb. 22. The Billikens will then return home for a two-game homestand, during which they will face St. Joseph’s at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25. That game will be televised on NBCSN. The other game at Chaifetz Arena will take place on Wednesday, March 1, against the La Salle Explorers before the Billikens retrace their steps to Richmond to face oﬀ against the Spiders.

Saint Louis Athletics

DETERMINATION: Senior forward Olivia Jakubicek drives past a VCU defender just inside the 3-point arc. Continued from Page 7

win, 79-74. The game began with both teams looking confident, but SLU took the upper hand at the closing of the first quarter, 18-14. The second quarter appeared much the same, both teams exchanging baskets with neither team able to pull far ahead. The first

half ended with a Billiken lead, 34-31. La Salle finally grabbed hold of the lead a handful of times in the final two quarters, but SLU’s discipline won out, especially at the free-throw line. The Billikens now sit on an 11-3 record in A-10 play. They will face Richmond back at Chaifetz at 7 p.m. on Feb. 18.

Men’s tennis wiped out by Northern Illinois, hold 3-2 record going into conference play By VIVEK GORIJALA Associate Sports Editor

The Saint Louis University men’s tennis team was shutout against Northern Illinois University this past weekend, while playing at home at the St. Clair Tennis Club in O’Fallon, Mo. The Huskies rolled past the Billikens 7-0, as SLU lost every singles matchup and the doubles competition as well. On the first court, SLU junior David Ferragut lost to NIU’s Bor Schweiger

Muzar by a score of 6-3, 7-5. The second court saw SLU junior Juan Calero fall to Georg Lundqvist of NIU 6-3, 6-0, failing to win a single game in the final set. The third matchup saw a closer game, between NIU’s Eric Marbach and SLU junior Charlie Parry. Marbach prevailed on the tie-breaking third set, by a score of 5-7, 6-2, 10-4. In the fourth match, Tom Hjertonsson of Northern Illinois defeated SLU junior John Nogalski 6-4, 6-4. The

fifth match, between SLU sophomore Oscar Pachon and NIU’s Carlos Manzanas also went the way of NIU. Manzanas won 6-3, 6-3. In the sixth and final singles match, SLU senior Paarth Dodhiawala was defeated by Louis-Philippe Hamel 6-4, 6-2. In the doubles competition, a team made of Marbach and Lundkvist defeated SLU’s Ferragut and Calero combination by a score of 6-1. Meanwhile, SLU’s Parry and Nogalski

were up 5-3 against Muzar and Manzanas, although that match did not reach its conclusion and went unfinished. Hamel and Hjertonsson of NIU swept Dodhiawala and Pachon 6-0. The loss moved SLU to a 3-2 record on the season. Next up for the Billikens will be a match against the Dayton Flyers in Dayton, Ohio, on Friday, Feb. 17. Then, in the same location, the Billikens will play against Duquesne on Saturday, Feb. 18. These matches

will be the first matches of SLU’s Atlantic 10 conference regular season. SLU will be hoping that the mixture of teams that they have faced up to this point will prepare them well for their A-10 gauntlet. Some teams, such as Northern Illinois, have defeated SLU without much trouble. Meanwhile, SLU has handled teams such as Quincy with ease. The real tests, however, will come when SLU takes the court against other A-10 teams.

Peter: Senior shatters record, blasts three home runs against Austin Peay in 14-5 win Continued from Page 7

In the fourth inning, SLU finally struck gold. Senior infielder Alex Nickel and senior outfielder Mackenzie Peter each had triples, and Macfarlane earned a home run, the first of the season, to tally four runs on the board for SLU. The Billikens sealed the win at this point, taking the lead, 7-4. In the fifth inning, SLU hit two RBIs to earn two more runs for the Billikens. They added the final run on a fielder’s choice in the sixth inning. The women had 13 total hits. Freshman pitcher Kaylea Chappelle was a key for the Billiken fielding team in this matchup. She recorded her first collegiate win on the mound, striking out five, allowing five hits and walking just one batter. SLU played Austin Peay in both of their final two games of the tournament. They lost the first battle, 5-4, but came back in the second matchup with a 14-5 victory. Austin Peay beat the Billikens to the board in the first game, earning two runs in the bottom of the second inning. Buckles answered with an RBI groundout in the third inning to trail by only one run. In the fifth inning, SLU changed the momentum by taking a 4-2 lead. Mac-

farlane nailed a two-run single, and junior infielder Alyssa Tarquinio tallied a single to bring in the third run of the inning. Just as SLU thought they had clinched the win, Austin Peay came back with three runs in the bottom of the same inning. SLU was unable to come back despite getting two runners on base. The Billikens got their

Lawson hit her first collegiate home run, Nickel slammed an RBI double...Peter hit her third home run...to break the school record. revenge in the second game with a school-record-tying five home runs to help with a 14-5 win. Peter opened up the game with a home run in the bottom of the first inning to bring in two runs for the Bills. In the second inning, Nickel notched a single to collect two runs. Buckles followed up her play with a double to add another point to their run-

ning tally. Peter was on fire with another home run to make a gaping 7-0 lead over Austin Peay. SLU scored the remaining seven runs in the third inning alone. Lawson hit her first collegiate home run, Nickel slammed an RBI double, Buckles connected on an RBI single, Peter hit her third home run of the night to break the school record and Tarquinio added another home run for the Billikens. Austin Peay made some attempts to regain control of the game with a few runs in the fourth and fifth innings, but they were subject to SLU’s relentless offense throughout the first half of the game. The game ended after five innings due to the eight-run rule. Upon the conclusion of the weekend, Chappelle was selected as the A-10 Rookie of the Week, the first award of the season. She recorded three strikeouts in the relief innings against Kennesaw State and carried the team against South Carolina State. She was perfect in the relief innings and added a strikeout against Austin Peay in their first matchup. Next up for the Billikens is the Chattanooga Frost Classic on Feb. 24-26. SLU will take on UT Martin, Western Michigan, Farleigh Dickinson, Northwestern State and Chattanooga.

Saint Louis Athletics

ROOKIE: Freshman pitcher Kaylea Chappelle winds up to deliver a pitch at the Billiken Sports Center.

Saint Louis Athletics

HOME RUN: Senior outfielder Mackenzie Peter swings for a ball at the plate at Billiken Sports Center.

Opinions Editorials

February 16, 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.

Trump’s America: It could be worse Despite much trepidation, the few weeks of President Donald Trump’s administration that have transpired have been mostly positive for the country as a whole. The stock market is at new highs, unemployment and inflation are lower and protest movements have drawn many people into political discourse. Although the stock market could change course and protests could fizzle, life for most people remains the same. Changes in the economy are not necessarily under the president’s control, and the unemployment numbers, which Trump earlier lambasted as being fabricated, are no exception. The stock market has likely rallied because of expectations of deregulation, which could result in growth of the economy, but it could also result in the same catastrophe that caused the housing crisis. But such deregulation has not yet come to pass. For now, let us focus on the pushback the president’s administration has received from organizations and people across the country. The Women’s March on Washington brought hundreds of thousands of protesters to Washington, and many more marched across the world. Saturday Night Live, as we detailed in last week’s issue, has become a force against Trump, mocking his every move. The American Civil Liberties Union, which fights to protect the rights of Americans in the court system, has received almost $80 million in online donations since Trump’s election. State governments, such as that of California Governor Jerry

Sophie Lappe / Illustrator Brown, have demonstrated intentions to resist the new administration. Republicans hold majorities in both houses in Congress, but the Democrats’ protests ensure the Republican agenda will not pass without a fight. As James Madison said, “Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.” From outside government and from within, anti-Trump forces are establishing a counter effort. With hope comes early signs of darker days ahead, however. Sean Spicer, the administration’s press secretary, took a hard line against the press. Trump’s campaign manager and now his counselor, Kellyanne Conway, advertised Ivanka Trump’s clothing line on live television, which is a possible violation of the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution. The nation’s highest office should not be used as a means to make money for the president’s daughter. Trump’s Chief Strategist, Steve Bannon, has been added to the National Security Council, a hugely unprecedented elevation in status of

which Bannon is not worthy. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has begun deporting undocumented immigrants who have not committed serious crimes but that have been caught in the crossfire. Internationally, the president’s actions have been mixed. Trump hung up on the Australian prime minister, and after a phone call with Trump, the Mexican prime minister cancelled a meeting with the White House. After North Korea launched a test missile that landed in the Sea of Japan, Trump aﬃrmed the U.S.’s commitment to Japan. “America stands behind Japan, its great ally, 100 percent,” he said. In January, Trump authorized a counterterrorism operation in Yemen that cost the life of Navy Seal William “Ryan” Owens and resulted in as many as 30 civilian casualties. Trump called the raid “successful,” yet if Obama had authorized such an attack, Republicans very well may have excoriated him. No such rhetoric was aimed at Trump from his party. It is yet to be seen whether Republican leadership will

break with Trump on some of his less tasteful rhetoric. Republicans could pass laws that contradict Trump’s executive orders, but this might cost the GOP. Republicans have not produced any major legislation yet, so it may be in the best interest of congressional Republicans to keep quiet in order to maintain cooperation and receive the president’s signature. Most Americans can rest easily, however, knowing that the separation of powers does not appear in danger. The courts suspended Trump’s executive order barring immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries, and Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch reprimanded the president’s criticism of the judiciary, calling his comments “demoralizing and disheartening.” Gorsuch was communicating to the executive branch and to the people that he will maintain the separation of powers as a judge and that the judiciary is here to stay as a limiting authority on the chief executive. The checks and balances that the framers created remain. The economy remains intact. Trump has not overextended the role of the executive branch as of yet; he has issued executive orders at a pace similar to Obama in his first few weeks of office. We should never stop protesting against what we see as unprecedented and unjust, but we should also keep in mind that many of the president’s actions, because they are so heavily scrutinized, are not so diﬀerent than past presidents but receive more attention.

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. This letter is in response to the recent articles covering immigration. My grandfather Albert Joseph Bialek came to the United States from Poland (Galicia) in 1910. According to the Ellis Island website he boarded the ship, Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse, in Bremen, Germany (formerly Prussia.) He had just completed his service in the Austrian Army. Poland at that time was divided into three spheres of influence by Austria, Prussia and Russia. Upon being discharged he returned to his father’s farm. Officers from the Austrian Army made an attempt to reenlist him but tradition dictated that he could remain at home so long as he was sorely needed on the farm. Immediately after the officers departed, Albert’s father gave him his brother’s travel documents and instructed him to immigrate to the United States. His father knew that war was coming and he didn’t want to lose his son to it. It took me longer to locate my grandfather on the passenger list because I had forgotten he was traveling under the name Jan and not Albert. Given the fact that Albert entered the United States under the name Jan Bialek and later burned his immigration papers, it is evident he was by definition an “illegal immigrant.” He went on to become a very hardworking brick mason and law-abiding citizen raising 12 children with the help of his Polish wife Mary (nee Mazan) and the rest (as they say) is history. Just as Cleveland is a city of neighborhoods, so is the United States a country of immigrants. In fact all the major cities of America (at one time) served as incubators for immigrants to not only become accustomed to the ways of this country but also to intermingle with each other (often prohibited in their native homeland). It’s a shame that the inner cities were handed over to the absentee landlords following World War ll. Just imagine how much stronger and united our country might have been had this unofficial tradition continued. Gentrification is not the answer. Preventing immigration is not the solution. Intense vetting is acceptable during these challenging times but to unfairly deny one person access to the United States makes us all orphans again. As a popular song goes: “let me in immigration man.” Joe Bialek, resident from Cleveland

Gender and sexual identification: Right and wrong? Over the centuries, the United States and the rest of the world as a whole have become more accepting of what were previously regarded as taboos. Some places and societies have lagged behind others in the path toward greater acceptance, and in places where “taboos” are accepted, everyone does not universally share such accepting sentiments. This week we wondered whether there should be a limit to the behaviors our society accepts. As we discussed diﬀerent sexual orientations, such as zoophilia and pedophilia, we began to find flaws in the way we looked at people with “strange” attractions. We had many questions about the diﬀerence between the acceptance of same-sex marriage but the rejection of a sexual relationship between a human and an animal.

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We asked, “If someone cannot change their attraction to the same sex, and this is fine, why do we look at the unchangeable attraction to children with such scorn? Why do we accept the former but not the latter?” Much of what we found was that we have inconsistent perceptions about sexual orientation. Over the past few decades, Americans have grown more supportive of same-sex marriage, but in the same period, rights movements for other people with unusual attractions have not intensified. It is against the law to commit beastiality in 42 states, and most people look down on people who exhibit zoophilia with disgust. But is zoophilia really too far on the fringes for us to accept? What makes zoophilia so wrong but same-sex marriage normal? If same-sex individuals

can demonstrate love for one another, why can’t humans and animals? Should we judge pedophiles so severely? A pedophile does not necessarily molest children; a pedophile only has to be sexually attracted to them. Many pedophiles do not act on their attraction. There are pedophilia support groups, such as a website called Virtuous Pedophiles, that work to prevent pedophiles from harming children. Many pedophiles actually look inward on themselves with disgust. The life for these people is lonely and painful. They fear sharing with others that they are pedophiles because of the risk of ostracization and potential reports to the police. In the end, this isolation may cause more child abuse to happen because of the lack of support for pedophiles. Support for pedo-

philes can prevent child rape from occurring. When a pedophile abuses a child, this is certainly a crime, but their attraction is not, and they should not be disparaged for something they cannot change. Pedophilia hurts children when pedophiles act on their inclinations. But does zoophilia do the same to animals? Animal rights activists believe this is the case. Animals cannot speak, so they cannot consent to sexual activity. But there are people who cannot speak. Can someone who is mute consent to sexual activity? They cannot speak, but they can communicate in other ways, so could an animal consent to a sexual act without words? These questions do not have easy answers, but they should be considered. We need to take a hard look at our views of what our

society perceives as deviant behavior. In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its list of disorders. The association still lists gender dysphoria as a disorder, which describes transgender individuals’ feelings of disconnect with their birth sex or gender. Should we continue listing this as a condition? With advocacy groups arguing that it should be removed, will we see gender dysphoria be the next “disorder” to fall oﬀ the list? In 2015, a scandal revealed that an NAACP activist was actually a white woman despite claiming to be black. She then argued that she was born white but had transitioned to being black—she was transracial. When looking at this issue, how should we view her claim? Minorities receive financial benefits that white

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people do not, so this issue holds extra weight. Is her transition from a white person to a black person legitimate, and should she be able to receive the same benefits (and costs) that black people do? Again, there is no easy answer. There are a number of other “strange” identities that our society has to come to terms with. What is “weird” and what is “normal?” Should we consider anything weird? Issues such as these require much discussion. In this discussion, we mean not to delegitimize the sexual or gender identities of any group. We only intend to think about how we accept some groups while incriminating the behavior of others. We will continue to question where the line lies between what we deem is right and what we deem is wrong.

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10 February 16, 2017

OPINIONS & EDITORIALS

DPS’s shady behavior Defending the Oxford Comma

Branson Fox

Saint Louis University prides themselves on keeping students safe. The Department of Public Safety is touted as the largest licensed regional group of security in St. Louis. On an urban campus, this is extremely important. As students tour campus and ask questions, guides and faculty are always sure to reinforce that students should feel safe because of the 80 DPS officers on staff who patrol at all hours. However, you should not blindly accept that a university department is only interested in your safety; DPS has many serious flaws. On Sunday, Feb. 5, I witnessed a large DPS presence on the corner of South Grand and Laclede. There was a female pedestrian lying in the street, apparently convulsing. DPS officers were quick to move students away from the incident, giving the woman some privacy and giving EMS room to work. I was curious as to what happened, so I waited until Monday to check the crime and emergency log. Peculiarly, there was no mention of this incident whatsoever. I immediately emailed DPS. Seven hours later, I received a bland reply: “Mr Fox (sic) a vehicular accident is not an incident that is required to be placed on a crime log. Thank you for your interest.” This sparked a moment of

internal outrage. Due to the Clery Act, enacted in 1990, after the murder of Jeanne Clery, any university receiving federal funding must record all reported crimes in a public crime log. The Clery Act does a good job defining the boundaries and crimes that need to be recorded, but certain exemptions such as “vehicular accident[s]” greatly reduce its eﬀectiveness. The intention of the act is to allow the public to understand the relative safety of a college campus. By not reporting vehicular incidents, we greatly reduce the usefulness of this information. This is not the only issue that plagues DPS. While re-

No one is really holding universities responsible for crimes and emergencies. searching policies for this piece, I was unable to access the St. Louis Campus Emergency Response Plan. The link is dead, leading to a 404 error page. The URL hints that the policy has not been updated since nearly seven years ago. I also noticed a troubling statement on the federal government’s website for campus safety. The crime data reported by the institutions have not been subjected to independent verification by the U.S. Department of Education. Therefore, the Department cannot vouch for the accuracy of the data reported here. No one is really holding universities responsible for

crimes and emergencies. There was also an incident that happened on Tuesday, Feb. 7. DPS arrested a subject for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of cannabis. The subject was acting erratic and driving a moped on West Pine. There was no notification from DPS that a subject was arrested on campus, nor was there a warning when it could have been a threat to public safety. This incident is on the log, however, it fails to mention that the subject was operating a moped at the time of his arrest. By not reporting the incident fully, it perpetuated rumors around campus, something that has happened before. I was told, but can not confirm, that SLU policy obligates reporting this incident. There was discussion of whether or not SLU obeyed its own policy. Vehicles should not get exclusion from the crime log. Bob Duﬀy, a professor in the Communication Department, knows the narrative all too well. Duﬀy is an avid cyclist, and on Feb. 7, between Laclede and Sarah, he was hit by a driver in a large, black pickup. The driver fled the scene. Whether you are a student, pedestrian, cyclist or driver on this campus, you have the right to know what happens when vehicles cause emergency situations. Saint Louis University and the Department of Public Safety need to clear up the transparency issues they are having. Even if it isn’t mandated by federal law, what do you have to hide by not reporting vehicular incidents? Non-action isn’t acceptable, but it’s a trait that DPS is known for.

Why I do not call myself a liberal

Trevor Rogan

I believe that words are important. We should be precise in our use of language and understand what it is we mean when we choose our words. A word that does not, in my opinion, exemplify precision is used in political context. This word is “liberal.” It doesn’t mean much these days. It is so particular to each individual’s perspective of the world that it holds little universal value. It is a placeholder for deeper analysis of our beliefs, and it only manages to communicate a vague notion about which group we identify with, not the more nuanced reality of who we are. I say this not to come oﬀ as pretentious but in an attempt to convince others that saying “I’m liberal” provides an image that is unclear and misleading at best and deceitful at worst. This word is contaminated by various perceptions of its meaning. One person might say “I’m liberal” and belong to a labor union. Another person might also identify as “liberal” but scoﬀ at organized labor. When people call themselves “liberal,” they assign themselves to one group or the other. The opposite in this scheme is typically “conservative,” and this word lacks meaning as well, but for now let’s focus on the word “liberal.” One usually chooses to be “liberal” because of their parents’ or friends’ views but might not take

the time to investigate the deeper understanding of this label. What does “liberal” really mean? Do I share the same views as other “liberals”? “Liberal” divides us into ingroups and outgroups. Ultimately, I believe this word confines philosophical and political conversation into two camps and impedes introspection. Let us explore this word and the philosophy behind it. Classical liberalism refers not to the policies espoused by the Democratic Party, some of which are wider freedoms for same-sex couples and a larger welfare state, but to political and economic freedom. This means a hands-oﬀ approach to the economy and to civil liberties. When one thinks of liberalism, one should think of figures like John Locke and Adam Smith. The actions of 20th century “liberals” like Franklin Delano Roosevelt would surely be seen as oppressive overreach by classic liberals. To call oneself a “liberal” today requires believing that the free market requires little to no government intervention. Most people don’t mean that they are classically liberal. Sure, words sometimes change in meaning. Today, some people use “literally” as an adverb that exaggerates a verb or noun. When used in this way, they mean something is “figurative,” not “literal.” But the word “literally” provides more hyperbole—a stronger, bolder metaphor— than to say “figuratively.” The problem is that one person sees “literally” as meaning “exactly” or “strictly as the word suggests,” but the other sees the word as an intensifier. The problem is that these people are playing diﬀerent games with language. This idea of a “language game” was formed by Lud-

wig Wittgenstein, an Austrian-British philosopher. He focused on language and communication throughout his life, specifically our failure to communicate. He believed that miscommunication occurs when people are playing different language games. These language games refer to the different ways we use words as tools in our communication with others. For instance, one type of game might involve discussing facts. The sentence “The Gateway Arch is 630 feet tall” deals with a game of facts. “You never listen to what I’m saying” is a sentence that deals not with facts but expresses an emotion. One feels as though the other does not pay them enough attention. These games are used for different purposes, and when two people are playing different language games and also do not recognize the differences in the games that they are playing, the meaning of the message is lost. When someone describes themselves with the vague adjective “liberal” or “conservative,” there is ambiguity as to what game they are playing and what they really mean when they use one of these words. I believe that we should describe ourselves accurately and take more time to find out what it is we really believe rather than connecting ourselves with an ingroup and an outgroup. Today’s version of “liberal,” even if you distinguish between social and the economic issues, is not descriptive enough to convey the complexity of one’s views. Giving a language monopoly to this word sacrifices clarity for simplicity, but this simplicity reduces our meaning too far. Saying “I’m liberal” only causes miscommunication.

Fiona Clair

I feel personally victimized by the Associated Press. I know I am dramatic, and maybe a little pretentious, but I am hopelessly devoted to the Oxford comma. For those who do not have to think about the rules of English grammar on a daily basis, the Oxford comma refers to the comma used after the penultimate item of list. Quite a trivial thing to get worked up over one may think, but we all pick our own battles. I was first introduced to this peculiar punctuation mark in seventh grade. My language arts teacher taught me everything I know about how to use commas, and she strengthened my writing in a way that was not paralleled until my junior year of high school. Before that course in seventh grade I would throw away and miss commas in practically every sentence I wrote, but I grew to love punctuation (by this time my “nerdiness” has been exposed, and this argument can proceed with dorky vengeance). My next encounter with the Oxford comma came at an ACT prep course. The instructor informed us that a sentence is correct with an Oxford comma or not, and my stance was made: I would use the Oxford comma for all of my days. This decision came about for a number of reasons.

First, I was, and still am, perpetually insecure about my grammar skills. With this mindset, I lean more towards overcorrection, hence the added comma. Second, I now had first-hand instruction of a grammatical rule, and I took it as ultimate authority. Case closed. I was not forced to revisit this decision until I began my journalism courses and extracurriculars at SLU. It was then that I met my new best “frenemy,” the Associated Press Style Book. This book contains every rule and guideline for journalistic writing, from how to deal with names and numbers in a story to, yes, my beloved Oxford comma, which is never to be used in AP-style writing. Here I am, starting my career in the field of journalism, utterly crushed by the loss of this cherished comma. Nevertheless, I intend to fight on behalf of the inanimate punctuation mark. The Oxford comma is practical above all else. It is sensible—a word I would not

I intend to fight on behalf of the inanimate punctuation mark. normally use to describe the English language. Triplets earned a smiley face in English class my freshman year of high school, so I tend to use them often in my writing. What goes best with a list of three? Well that would be the Oxford comma. Without the Oxford comma who would know if I meant

to include three separate things, one thing and one compound thing (insert Oxford comma) or some other combination of terms? I love clarity. I believe words hold an incredible power, and—as we have all learned from Spiderman—with that power comes a great responsibility. In the same way that becoming an adult with great responsibilities requires precision and heart, the art of writing requires clarity and direction. Words matter, notions matter (insert Oxford comma) and interpretations matter. Furthermore, as previously stated, I can acknowledge the fact that I enjoy a little pretentiousness in life. I am an artist, I like the cultivation perhaps even more than the end result. At an extreme it is a vice, but I believe that a little pomposity makes life more optimistic. The Oxford comma falls right into that sweet spot of upholding tradition and pomp without becoming greedy and gluttonous. Let it be known that I understand the Oxford comma is literally nothing more than a bit of ink on paper. I know that “saving” the Oxford comma should not be the primary concern of the world. I even know that I am a little crazy for being so concerned about a punctuation mark. But in a world filled with danger, hate, uncertainty (insert Oxford comma) and violence, it is important to stand firmly with our opinions and ideals. We cannot let the world knock us around. We cannot view our thoughts as insignificant. We cannot stifle the movement that lives within every one of us. I have a voice, and I’m going to use it.

There is more to life than Dark Kermit memes Megan Hammond

Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to give up my iPhone for a class assignment. It was only for three days, and I thought I’d be fine. When my professor announced this opportunity in lieu of keeping a media diary, I observed shocked faces in the class. One of my friends said, “I’m way too dedicated to my Snapchat streaks to do that! I have over 600 days with one person, I can’t leave them hanging.” If there’s one thing I like, it’s a challenge. Last year for my New Year’s resolution I thought it’d be a good idea to give up Snapchat for an entire year… I made it two months. For this assig nment , I was determined to succeed. With a sense of pride, I handed my phone to my professor for safekeeping and continued on with my day. The first negative effect I noticed was my jittery hands. During my commute, I’d instinctively fidget and reach to the place I normally keep my iPhone. Similarly, I would feel my phone buzzing in my pocket, but it wasn’t there. Instead of a relaxing, freeing experience,

I felt tense. Searching for an old, forgotten watch, a whole new set of worries and stress was added to my life. What if I was late for class? What if I was going to miss a call or text? What if I got stranded on the road? Would anyone be worried about me? After the first day, my fears were somewhat abated. I started to enjoy myself even. Standing in line for lunch at Fusz, I was approached by more people than when I would have my phone on a normal day. My commute turned into a time of self-reflection and contemplation. I didn’t feel rushed; there was no pressure to be constantly available to my friends. Normally, I go from activity to activity; there is no time for breaks. My phone was an escape, a way to forget about what issues are happening in my life. Pass by someone I don’t want to talk to? Take out my phone. Standing in line? Take out my phone. It’s the solution to all problems. T h e most difficult part of not having a phone was the extra work required to plan events with friends. Any meet-up was meticulously planned; I thought any last-minute changes would result in chaos. Throughout the three days, I realized that the world wouldn’t end if I didn’t have my phone. Amazingly, my life was more peaceful and calm without the cacophony of notifications. In a materialist society,

Fifty years from now, I didn’t want my grandchildren saying, “Yeah, never saw Grandma Meg away from that cell phone of hers.”

self-worth is being determined by how many Facebook friends or likes a person has rather than his or her personality. Celebrities define the latest trends: if Kylie Jenner says you must have something, then you must, right? Smartphones are a body appendage rather than a tool. Comparisons are a lifestyle. We all have that one friend (or possibly more) who travels abroad and looks like he or she is having the time of their life. While your friend is skiing in the Alps, you’re at home eating frosting and staring at a computer screen. There are benefits to technology and being connected, but there’s more to life than Dark Kermit memes. Once my phone was returned, I thought, “what do I want to be remembered for?” Fifty years from now, I didn’t want my grandchildren saying, “Yeah, never saw Grandma Meg away from that cell phone of hers.” In the wise words of Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller), “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.” Without technology, I was less concerned about who was dating who or what political views someone had; instead, I thought about events I wanted to go to or sports I wanted to try. During car rides, I developed a list of hiking trails and cities I plan to visit. I was more engaged with people and didn’t seek others’ approval constantly. Now I am less attached to my phone and plan to keep it that way. It’s a convenience, not a constant interruption. Instead of being a spectator of life, I will be a participant and encourage others to do the same.

February 16, 2017

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