No. 14 (January 21, 2016) by University News

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Letters, page 9

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Organizers ask if administration’s gesture is enough

Provost’s office present to SGA with differing statistics.

Nov.

Some adjuncts receive raise in compensation.

Oct.

Sept.

Adjuncts hold ‘Teach-In’ to inform students about adjunct conditions.

Oct.

Aug

Holds ‘Fast for Faculty’ along with Jesuit Universities to get the Pope’s attention.

May

SLU offers adjuncts reduced parking rates, orientation session, and compensation for cancelled classes.

April

Adjuncts present petition to administration for better pay and conditions.

Two open fora held with Lewis and Pestello for adjuncts to voice concerns.

Feb.

SLU adjuncts decide to organize.

Jan.

WashU adjuncts successfully unionize.

15 Timeline

Design by Casey Waughn

A little less than a year ago, in February of 2015, Hillary Birdsong and two of her adjunct colleagues were sitting in a café discussing what they could do about their working conditions as part-time faculty at Saint Louis University. In the year that followed, a back and forth between the adjuncts and administration brought differing statistics and blurry definitions of what exactly qualified as adjunct faculty. However, in late November 2015, a change was made that both sides can consider a step toward progress. While adjunct professors were informed of an increase

in some of their compensations, Provost Nancy Brickhouse publicly announced these changes via email to the SLU community. These bumps in pay were given to adjuncts in both the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Professional Studies, specifically to those who have worked at the university consistently for three or more years. The increases were given as followed: a six percent or $200 increase to adjuncts with three-to-four years of service per three credit-hour course; a 13 percent or $400 increase to those with five-to-six years; and finally, a 23 percent or $700 increase to those with seven or more years at the university.

“In addition, we will proPresident for Faculty Devide funds to support anvelopment, it had been a nual adjustments to adjunct lengthy process to come to compensation within each this decision. The question School or that led the College administraconsistion to the tent with move they the annual made on merit pool. the issue And every was: “When three years was the the Deans last time and I will we gave review adany type junct comof increase p e n s at i o n in adjunct -Hillary Birdsong, rates overcompensaadjunct professor all,” said tion?” Brickhouse “Nobody in her email to students on could figure out when that the morning of Jan. 19. was. It’s obviously been a According to Michael long time,” said Lewis. “So Lewis, the Associate Vice

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I thought, ‘Wow, this would have never happened if we hadn’t been organizing.’

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By EMILY HIGGINBOTHAM Associate News Editor

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Sports, page 7

Adjuncts receive bump in compensation

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Thursday, January 21, 2016

A student voice of Saint Louis University since 1921

Vol. XCV No. 14

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the people who have been with us the longest and who have stayed with us and have gone all this time without an increase in compensation, we decided to reward those people the most.” For Birdsong, an adjunct professor in the Languages, Literatures and Cultures department who has been very vocal throughout the current organizing process, her reaction to the newly announced increased compensation was one of mixed emotions. On one hand, Birdsong said, “It’s kind of crazy because really when I saw that email about increasing adjunct compensation, I thought, ‘wow, this would have never happened if we hadn’t been organizing.’” But on the other hand, Birdsong, like other adjunct faculty, thought that while this was a step in the right direction, it was not quite big enough . “Everyone was kind of like, ‘huh.’ I guess we were kind of poking the bear a little bit,” said Birdsong. “It’s not much … I mean it’s still not enough to have a family. It was a nice gesture for sure.” Prior to this increase in pay, adjuncts who taught in the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Professional Studies received $3,000 per course. Birdsong is teaching three courses this semester and will be receiving a combined wage of $9,600 — a wage that she cannot depend on solely, so she will have to continue working two other jobs. “[In regard to] the specific See “Adjuncts” on Page 3

SGA Meeting: Overview By GRETA PUTNAM Contibutor

The Saint Louis University Student Government Association (SGA) kicked off the spring 2016 semester with their weekly meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 20, where the main focus was an enrollment and management update. Jay Goff, Vice President of Enrollment and Retention Management, started off the meeting by presenting the 2012-18 Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) Plan for SLU. “Ultimately, our goal is that we would never admit a student that we could not be prepared to graduate,” said Goff. In 2011, over the course of a year, students, faculty, administrators and alumni came together to create The Bicentennial Billiken Plan as a way to map out the future and the goals of the university. The plan highlights five main objectives used as a roadmap for how to achieve the student body they want by the bicentennial. The vision of the University is to increase the academic profile of the freshman class, increase diversity of the undergraduate student body, maintain a strong Catholic population, optimize University service capacities in order to limit tuition increases and increase student retention and graduation levels. In order to fulfill the goals of the SEM Plan, Goff said they would like to have all 50 states represented by the See “SGA” on Page 3

After misfortune strikes co-workers, departments lend a hand By TIM WILHELM News Editor

After a medical emergency and floodwaters befell the housekeepers that work alongside them, the faculty of the Departments of Sociology and Anthropology; of Psychology; and of Languages, Literatures and Cultures have combined efforts to lend support. On Dec. 23, Ashlee Dorsey, of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology’s administrative staff, alerted neighboring departments of one housekeeper’s family medical situation, organizing efforts to lend support. Dorsey, who has worked at SLU for four years, has become a friend and confidante

of the housekeeper. “If anything’s going on, usually she comes to me first to try and help her figure things out,” she said. Debra Escota, who has worked for the same departments for the past eight months, lost her home to the floods that swept through the St. Louis region in late December of 2015. Within two hours of being warned of the oncoming flood, she saw rescue teams in boats. She monitored the water every four hours as it reached the porch, and then the windows of their apartment. Escota lives in Fenton, Missourit, roughly 20 miles southwest of SLU, not far from a levee overtaken by the rising water. She and her

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family moved to a nearby motel. Within two days, the water rose to the roof of their home. Her landlord urged her not to worry about possessions. “I just left everything behind, because it’s not worth it, you know?” she said. “I told the rescue people to… rescue … my mom’s ashes, and they told me they had more important things. “I went back and I got my jewelry and my ashes, the ashes were safe,” she said. A shelf protected them from the water’s reach. Organizations such as the Salvation Army and Red Cross have given her roughly See “Help” on Page 3

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It seems that we need to be focusing more on the type of community that we want to be, a community where people feel that they’re accepted, community where violence is not an answer ... we need to also be providing the psychological services to people who struggle to find a place at the university ... Dan Kennedy, S.J.

Flickr / Paul Sableman

INUNDATED: Rising water levels encroached on a stretch of road near River Des Peres. Last month’s floods halted highways and damaged numerous homes in the area.

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I don’t think that’s a great idea — to have that many firearms on a college campus. Things in college sometimes get crazy, and so if we’re allowed to carry guns, I think that’s just asking for trouble eventually.

Kevin Lynch

s C öö DPS does a respectable job protecting our campus. Thus, I don’t think it’s necessary for campus stakeholders to carry firearms. In addition, I would be nervous for our at-risk students.

Jay Bryant

NEWS

January 21, 2016

Teacher Feature: Torrie Hester

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www.slu.edu

By PATRICK HYLAND Senior Staff Writer

Not all professors have their area of research debated both nationally and internationally as frequently as Dr. Torrie Hester, a professor in SLU’s History Department. Hester’s research concentrates on U.S. deportation policies from the end of the Civil War to 1924. She has also studied contemporary deportation policies, focusing on repatriation agreements between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, as well as the influx of immigrants from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras seeking entry into the U.S. Looking historically at the

issue of immigration creates opportunities to puzzle out solutions not just for North America, but potentially for Asia and the Middle East, too. Hester became inspired to study the Western U.S. by Brian Dippie while she was an undergraduate student in Canada. Later, while in graduate school at Cal State in Los Angeles, Hester worked with Francisco Balderrama, whose research focuses on the U.S.’s deportation of Mexicans in the 1930s. Dr. Hester’s hope for US immigration policy is that it can better meet labor demands with a flexible system of immigration. While the U.S. does provide support

fession. Outside of the academy, Hester values her time spent as a volunteer with Catholic Charities, specifically in their legal aid office, where she worked with victims of domestic abuse. The Violence Against Women Act protects immigrants whose immigrant status is being used against them by their abuser, but it requires a lengthy application process. Often having to meet for 10 onehour sessions with a single victim in order to record a narrative that documents such Hester abuse, Hester walked victims of domestic abuse through the required vow application. When asked what she would change about SLU, she wishes that there were more scholarships offered, although she noted that one of the differences between the U.S. and Canadian higher education systems is the greater amount of funding available for graduate students in the U.S. Students interested in learning more about the history of U.S. immigration policies are invited to a lecture on Feb 12, when Madeline Hsu will lecture on the topic of her new book, “The Good Immigrants: How the Yellow Peril Became the Model Minority.” Hsu will cover the history of pathways to both entry and citizenship for immigrants as well as the exclusionary and recruitment policies of the U.S. in targeting desirable immigrants.

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for refugees and immigrants, it is often easier to criticize than other countries because of the sheer size of its operation. The U.S. is also the largest donor to the UNHCR, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees or UN Refugee Agency. As a scholar of immigration, Hester confessed that it is easy to criticize everybody. In her work with undergraduates, Hester has found that students actually enjoy d e v el o p i n g their analytical voice in order to understand history more deeply, using -Dr. Torrie the lenses of gender, race or other power dynamics. She noted how rewarding it is to see a shift in students even just over the course of a single semester. Dr. Hester also noted that it is not just students who major in history who find such analytical skills helpful. To students interested in pursuing work as college professors, Hester encourages them to seek out mentors for all reasons, since professors often have different strengths themselves. She noted just how rewarding work as a professor is, being able to work with other smart people, to learn new things every day, as well as to have the privilege to work with students. Anyone who finds such work sustaining, although it can be difficult at times, is encouraged to pursue it. Hester added that resilience and hard work are a must to succeed in the pro-

JANUARY Events Calendar Thursday, Jan. 21, 1:30 p.m.-3:00 p.m. -

Friday, Jan. 22 24. -

Sunday, Jan. 31, 9:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

NEWS

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Certainly, everybody was operating in good faith and we did what we could do.

juncts at SLU. Despite their differing statistics, and differing definitions, Anderson-Gutierrez said that it did really matter how many adjuncts work at SLU; they should be compensated with a living wage, regardless. “We’re talking about real people who are living in marginalized conditions and that are not receiving living wages for work that they do,” said Anderson-Gutierrez. “We’re talking about highly educated people with masters and PhDs who are not making a living wage at this institution that we feel should be taken care of better.” Moving forward, the adjuncts look to unionize. They hope to follow in the footsteps of the adjuncts at Washington University who successfully unionized last year, and an event that originally inspired SLU’s adjuncts to organize. Anderson-Gutierrez concluded that unionizing is the next step in achieving their goals, saying: “The reason why we’re working toward a union is that because it seems to be the only way to force the hand of the university to enter into a serious conversation about compensation and working conditions.” According to Lewis, the administration has not taken a stance on the adjunct’s move to organize, saying: “The university does not have an official stance, I guess if that’s the direction the adjuncts end going [in] and they end up filing a petition with the NLRB (National Labor Relations Board) is what I think they’ll end up doing, the university I’m sure will have a position.” Birdsong and AndersonGutierrez both said that unionization will be possible by the end of this semester or by the beginning of fall 2016.

SGA: University welcomes talented freshmen Continued from Page 1

Bicentennial, along with 1518 percent of SLU’s students to be international. The University would also like to continue to support students from a socioeconomic standpoint and maintain one-fourth of the student body as low-income students. SLU has also made an effort to improve transfer and adult students’ access to the university through the School of Professional Studies, as well as weekend, evening and online programs. In addition to increased diversity, SLU is working to maintain its Catholic population by reaching out to and supporting strong Catholic communities. The goal is to have about 45-50 percent of the student population have a Catholic affiliation. Goff said that in addition to attracting a diverse and academically talented class, his department would also like to see an increase in the retention and graduation rate of the students who decide to enroll at SLU. The Department of Enrollment and Retention Management is making an effort to ensure that the University is efficient with the resources it has in order to limit tuition increase. Twenty-four percent of SLU students are considered low-income, and 50 percent of students at SLU attend with no federal, state or student loans. In fact, last May, 41 percent of all undergraduates that walked at graduation graduated with no student debt due to financial aid leveraging. At the time of writing the SEM Plan, Goff said they weren’t retaining as many students as they wanted. Since implementing this plan, rates have gone up

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It’s humbling to know how many people here have actually taken the initiative and care.

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

Wednesday, Jan. 13 5:02 a.m. TRESPASSING

Officers responded to a call of an unknown white male trying to gain access to the Reinert Hall lobby. Upon arrival, offers met with the subject who was not compliant and acted belligerent. The subject was detained and SLMPD was notified. SLMPD took custody of the subject and took him to SLU ER for pyschological evaluation. A REJIS check was conducted and found nothing active on the subject. Subject is a white male, wearing a black jacket, black pants, black stocking cap and tan shoes.

Saturday, Jan. 16 10:02 p.m. STEALING

Vendor (photographer/ photo booth) working in the arena during a WBB game indicated that during the closing of his photo booth he noticed several items (props) missing. These items included sunglasses, feather scarf and miscellaneous hats. He is not sure when they were taken. He may have been distracted by an individual during the evening while another person took the items.

Ryan Quinn / The University News

STATS: Jay Goff, VP of Enrollment and Retention Management, addresses the semester’s first SGA meeting to elaborate on recruitment strategies for incoming students. from 84 percent to 90 percent, putting SLU into one of the top 50 institutions in the country in that regard. The graduation rate has also gone up from 70 to 76 percent. The final goal is to hit an 80 percent graduation rate, which, if achieved, would move SLU to the top 75 percent of National Research Universities. Along with the five objectives of the University, three SEM Councils were created: Research and Reporting Council, Recruitment Council and Retention and Student Success Council. According to Goff, the University is using a kindergarten through graduate school approach (k-20). The first step is promoting college awareness in younger students: rising first graders coming to campus for various day camps. College readiness is the next step, which starts with middle school-aged kids and

leads into the most successful recruitment strategy for high school students: the campus visit. Goff informed SGA that they want to enhance the campus visit experience at SLU by engaging technology and the history of the University at the same time. The University has a New Student Visit Center at Queen’s Daughters Hall. This student center has an interactive globe display to highlight the numerous study abroad locations, Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Tablets providing information about SLU while reducing paper usage, an Ideum Dual Boot Coffee Table, which provides an interactive way to learn more about the university with pictures, and mounted multimedia screens to inform visitors about SLU facts and figures. Also included in the campus visit are iClick photo booth kiosks, which allow

students to personalize their experience with pictures and videos of themselves on campus, and the new Evolution Labs Registration System, which will help perspective students through their visit. Towards the end of his presentation, Goff mentioned that it has been a tough time for higher education across the country. Since 2010, the number of high school graduates has been falling an average of 4-7 percent every year due to a smaller student-aged demographic in the overall population. “There were simply fewer children born 18 years ago,” Goff stated. However, contrary to other schools in the area, SLU brought in its secondlargest, most academicallytalented freshman class this past year, and the University is on track to bring in a similar class for the fall of 2016.

Others have offered nonkitchen items like a vacuum, a table and stools. Schier es$1,000 to cope with the damtimated that the department age and her family’s needs. has already collected about Dorsey, of the Department half of the items of their list of Sociology and Anthropolof items. ogy, gave her clothes. “There’s been a lot of en“People are great here,” gagement, which is great,” Escota said of the faculty she said. Their housekeeping that she works with. Adminstaff, she said, “adds a lot to istrative staff in the language the department. I think that and psychology departments they add a positive energy to collaborated in collecting the whole department.” items for her family—gesDorsey echoed similar tures that have surprised observations, stating, “It’s her. “I think they were more humbling to know how many worried than me!” she joked. people here have actually “Since my mom died, I’ve betaken the come less initi ative attached and care,” to material she said. stuff.” “Because Heathit seems er Schier, like a lot of the Deof times par tment the houseof Lankeeping guages, staff are Literajust kind tures and of ghosts. Cultures , They ’re said that here to the idea -Ashlee Dorsey, pick up came from Administrative Secretary your trash the chair, and clean Dr. Anup after nie Smart, you, but to actually have who asked if Escota would be people care this much, it’s comfortable with and benfantastic. And I’m so grateful efit from their efforts. They for all of it. It’s been someultimately decided to focus thing that has made me have on kitchenware. “When you a new light in people and the think about it,” said Schier, way we function, because a “there are a lot of little things lot of times we’re all just gothat make a kitchen run.” ing about our lives in tunnel Faculty have provided utenvision. So to have people acsils, Tupperware, a coffee tually do this is really great.” maker, a toaster and knives. Continued from Page 1

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compensation that’s been offered … to put it in perspective I think it’s insulting to think that two hundred dollars extra or even seven hundred dollars extra a semester per course constitutes any kind of meaningful change,” said Sheri Anderson-Gutierrez, an Assistant Professor at SLU. While Anderson-Gutierrez is not an adjunct, she has been a consistently vocal figure of the adjunct movement. She continued, saying: “Two hundred dollars over 4-5 semesters comes out to about fifty extra bucks a month and that’s not really… that’s how much gas costs to get here. It’s not significant change… in helping adjuncts create any kind of stability in their lives or in their work situation.” Like Birdsong, AndersonGutierrez acknowledges the progress that her group has achieved in the past year, saying: “Obviously we are making some kind of impact because the administration is responding. I’m proud for the adjuncts because we are finding a voice.” In response to the adjunct’s reaction that perhaps this amount of money is not enough, Lewis explained that while he would like to do more, there is not much more to offer due to the financial issues that the university is experiencing. “I don’t think anyone thought that we were going to make everyone happy, we had to see what the university could afford. Certainly, everybody was operating in good faith and we did what we could do,” said Lewis. Anderson-Gutierrez admitted that she believes that administrators like Lewis do want to do more, but like other explanations that the university has given for their actions on these issues, she

doesn’t think Lewis’ holds might be higher numbers up. and some semesters might “We keep hearing about be lower,” said Birdsong. the budget crisis … Fine Anderson-Gutierrez also that’s good … We can appreattributed the discrepancy ciate and understand that,” to their use of more of a nasaid Anderson-Gutierrez, tional average rather than a “It’s a matter of priorities … number that was specific to we understand there might SLU. Additionally, a factor not be an immediate change, that has contributed to adbut there needs to be a long junct and administration’s term plan.” mutual confusion has been This back-and-forth has the exact definition of what been a defining characterisan adjunct is. tic of the adjunct movement “They admitted a very in the past year. The adjuncts convoluted process in even and administration dishow employees in this instiagreed on two main points: tution are categorized and the stac a t a tistics l o g e d ,” and a said Anclear defdersoninition of G u t i the term errez. “ a d Apparjunct.” ently, In a there are presenfive to six tation to categoSGA in ries of October profes2015, the sors who provost’s qualify office -Michael Lewis, Assoc. V.P. as adcl aime d juncts, of Faculty Development that the but not statistics all of the adthem are j u n c t ’s depenhad been presenting during dent on their professorship their events were incorrect. for their main source of inWhile the adjuncts said that come. the percentage of professors An example given by Anteaching at SLU as adjuncts derson-Gutierrez was that totaled 41 percent, the adthere are lawyers who teach ministration said that there a course and are compensathad been 627 adjuncts at ed by the administration, but that time out of 2187 total also want to use these hours faculty, which constituted 29 teaching as the community percent of the professors at service they are required to SLU. do for their occupation, so Birdsong and Andersonthey donate the money inGutierrez were able to presstead. ent later in November in or“We’re not talking about der to explain their statistics these people … we’re talking and how they came up with about people who are trying that number. to make a living, pay rent, “We presented to SGA have a car and families and that that number is in flux live a life based on the inconstantly. Just because of come that they receive from adjuncts contracts not being teaching classes,” she said renewed… some semesters of the different kinds of ad-

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Continued from Page 1

January 21, 2016

Sunday, Jan. 17

12:05 p.m. PROPERTY DAMAGE (NON-CRIMINAL)

DPS was contacted by Saint Louis University maintenance personnel about a water leak on the west side of the second floor in Monsanto Hall. Maintenance advised the source of the water leak was the result of a frozen cord on the roof air handler unit. DPS was notified by Saint Louis University students within the building about 1:20 p.m. about another water leak in laboratory 25 which was on the east side of the basement level. Room affected by the leak were 203, 204, 205, 206, 101, 102, 103, storage rooms #7 and #22 Room Air Handler #001 and Laboratory 25.

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

January 14, 2016

NEWS

Games

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

Across 1 5 10 14 15 16 17 20 21 22 23 25 27 31 34 35 37 39 41 43 44 46 48 49 51 53 54 55 58 62 66 69 70 71 72 73 74

Beer buy Celebrated Scarlett’s home Starch Be wild about Door sign Smelly snack Levitate often Family room Barbecue offering Cotillion girl Gherkins Unskilled servant Hail, to Caesar Chip away at Slant “Ick!” Awful Fable writer Painting holder Jeans brand Wreckage Dec. 31st, e.g. The Belles of St. Trinian's actor Alastair Batman and Robin, e.g. Kind of instinct Muscat native Cuban dance Musical score Headliner Just beat out at the wire Fashion magazine Whig’s rival Twisty turns A whole bunch

Think about writing for

Down 1 Baby elephant 2 Seed covering 3 Japanese wrestling 4 Start out 5 Distant 6 Periphery 7 Low digits 8 Bungles 9 Time period 10 Driver’s aid 11 Gave the boot 12 Greet the day 13 Egyptian solar deity 18 Serviceable

19 24 26 27

47 50 52 55 56

African howler Ice mass Wren or hen Sunblock ingredient Like some walls Discontinue Tender spots Unkempt Mentally quick Sophia of Two Women 1988 Meg Ryan

38 40 42 45

Must have Wails Lawn starter Rap sheet listing

64 65 67 68

28 29 30 31 32 33

57 59 60 61 63

Actress Dern Free (from) Paths Essence “Render therefore ___ Caesar ...” Ivan the Terrible, e.g. Andy’s radio partner Famed loch Arrow poison Manufacturing plant Tree trunk All over again Attempt QBs’ goals

The University News! email: managing@unewsonline.com

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Arts Entertainment

Pizzeoli: Pizza from a pro By PATRICK HYLAND Senior Staff Writer

After gaining experience as a baker, Scott Sandler became inspired to open his own pizza place, Pizzeoli. Opening in October of 2014, the wood-fire, Napoletanastyle pizza has been delighting customers at the corner of S. 12th Street and Allen Avenue. Unless you have spent time in Italy, like the owner, you probably have not had pizza quite like this. What makes Pizzeoli, and Napoletana pizza in general, unique is the dome style of the oven it is cooked in, for just 60 to 90 seconds at 800 to 900 degrees. Finely milled flour, known as 00 flour, creates a dough that is especially soft, often requiring a knife and fork to eat it. The house-made mozzarella provides the finishing touch to most pizzas, which, in order to be authentically Napoletana, can only be of three varieties, margherita, marinara or margherita extra. In addition to his time spent studying the pizza culture in Italy this past September, Sandler also spent one week in Los Angeles training with the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, or AVPN: the teaching, training and regulating arm of Napoletana bakers, which has headquarters in Naples, Italy. In true Italian fashion, most customers at Pizzeoli order and eat their own pizzas. Each pizza is made and cooked by Sandler himself, who considers what he does now as his calling and mission, seeking to give customers an authentic experience. He feels called to serve people and uses food to do so. From his position behind the counter, directly in front of the oven, Sandler can see just about every customer at the restaurant, creating an intimacy between cook and customer that rivals that of grandma’s house. Sandler

loves the essential nature of food, saying “food is primal” and “food is life.” Sandler’s sense of mission goes beyond just offering great customer service. A firm believer in and a follower of Indian philosophy, Sandler felt that being a vegetarian would be a must — not just for himself, but for his restaurant as well. Diners may not even notice that all of the pizza offerings at Pizzeoli are vegetarian because of the variety and tastiness offered. Although the margherita pizza is the cheapest and best seller at the restaurant, also offered are unique combinations like the Funghi, which features three varieties of mushrooms: crimini, shiitake and yellow trumpet. The Soulard is another favorite, which is topped with vegan sausage and chili flakes. Occasionally, but not often, customers will leave once they realize that meat is not offered as a topping. Sandler compared eating meat to a philosophical experience of merging with an

animal, including the fear, anxiety, stress and even disease that it may have experienced prior to its killing. To eat meat, then, is to consume violence. A small shelf in the restaurant features a painting of Indian spiritual master Sai Baba, as well as a statue of Ganesha, known as the remover of obstacles. Ganesha is featured as having an elephant head, with its big ears signifying that this deity hears everything. Also featured on the statue is its trunk, which is meant to symbolize discernment, able to both pick up a peanut and uproot an entire tree. Elephants, fittingly, are also vegetarians. Pizzeoli is closed Sundays and Mondays, but open for both lunch and dinner on all others days of the week. Although the restaurant does not offer delivery, Postmates offers a delivery service for a fee. So whether you head into the restaurant or have Postmates deliver, get ready to enjoy a pizza experience that you will not soon forget.

Courtesy of Pizzeoli

ITALIAN: The Margherita pizza is a simple and delicious dish featuring fresh mozzarella, bail and olive oil.

January 21, 2016 arts@unewsonline.com Tess Brock, Arts Editor Natalie Riopelle, Assoc. Arts Editor

G-Eazy and hip-hop bring

Tom Bergan / The University News

BEATS: G-Eazy headlined a jam-packed lineup at the Fox Theatre on Jan. 15. The artist sang popular hits like “Tumblr Girls,” “Me, Myself & I” and “I Mean It.” By TOM BERGAN Staff Writer

Walking into The Fabuous Fox Theatre on the night of Friday, Jan. 15, I couldn’t help but wonder why a rap concert was being held on a stage usually reserved for touring musicals and dance productions. G-Eazy and A$AP Ferg were the main event of a sold out show, which proved to exceed all of the expectations that I had going into the evening. Before the two main rappers, the crowd was treated to two opening acts, Nef the Pharaoh and Marc E Bassy. Nef, a 20-year-old from the San Francisco area, had an undeniable charm and charisma about him. He had some technical difficulties during his set, but bounced back and did not let that derail his performance. If I were to put money on it, Nef the Pharaoh might be blowing up pretty soon. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about the night’s

next act, Marc E Bassy. Walking on stage wearing a duster jacket and looking like a GEazy imitator, he attempted to mix R&B with rap, but was ultimately unsuccessful. His songs were fun to dance to in the moment, but as I write this article, I can’t recall one distinct moment from his set. Though his live band added an extra flair to the set, they couldn’t save it from being very unmemorable. My hopes were high for the nights’ next act, A$AP Ferg, the self proclaimed Trap Lord. Part of the Harlem collective of artists and rappers known as the A$AP Mob, including the hugely successful A$AP Rocky, Ferg has a unique style of rapping, mixing his influences from the ‘90s with a sound that is ahead of the curve of most other rappers today. He walked out on the stage and, after the first song, instructed everyone to fill the aisles of the theatre

and to get ready to turn up. The crowd happily obliged, and from there on, it was a relentless 45-minute set of high intensity songs, one after another. Ferg had no need for a hype man or backtracks, something far too many rappers rely on in their live shows nowadays. His flow does not lose anything in the transition to the stage, and he is able to create a crazy environment all by himself. He brought out a special guest, Wale, who was performing at the White House at the State of the Union just two days prior. Sadly, the crowd, who did not seem well versed in hiphop, did not get as hyped for this guest appearance as they should have been. Nonetheless, A$AP Ferg cemented himself as a heavy hitter in hip-hop of today and worthy of his title of Trap Lord. See “The Fox” on Page 6

‘Beasts’: Moving war drama Swift vs. Lamar “Beasts of No Nation” is a gorgeous film. The narrative of a boy, Agu (Abraham Attah), who is robbed of his family and conscripted into the combat unit of one African Commandant (Idris Elba), “Beasts” manages to be heart-wrenching and beautiful, oftentimes in the same instance. Writer, director and cinematographer Cary Joji Fukunaga captures the devastation of an African country torn by civil war; its vibrant use of color and imagery is formidable, and Fukunaga, perhaps most known for his work on the first season of the HBO hit television series “True Detective,” proves himself a to be a more than capable filmmaker. His excellent eye for image is apparent from the film’s opening, as young boy Agu (the film’s hero) observes the children of his town playing soccer through the broken frame of a television set that he stole from his father. It’s a striking image, and one that works on a variety of levels. In one way, it captures the idyllic nature of Agu’s life with his family before things go horribly awry; in another, it breaks a kind of barrier that lies between the audience and the action onscreen. The television frame has no glass or

material screen – you can of a man willing to coerce reach your hand through it, children without families to no problem. fight in a war that they have The events as viewed no business waging. The through the screen are in Commandant’s motivations this way rendered that much are treated with as much closer, or real. Fukunaga, attention as Agu’s, and one from the first frame, issues gets the sense that “Beasts” his audience a kind of warnwould not quite be the exing: they are about to get ceptional film it is without close, unbelievably so, to the capable performances the action, to Agu and to the of both Elba and Attah, who mud and the blood that is provide a backbone to the featured so prominently in narrative. every painstakingly staged Apart from some minor shot. “Beasts” is a film that issues with pacing (the tranwants to sition from affect its the second viewers, act to the ‘Beasts’ manand for third hapthe most pens a tad ages to be heartpart it too quickly), wrenching and accom“Beasts” has beautiful, oftenplishes only one real just that weak point: times in the same with asnarration. instance. toundIntermiting gustently, Agu to. will narrate, Perby way of haps the v o i c e o v e r, most prominent figure of the how he feels about any givfilm besides Agu is the Comen situation; when a friend mandant — the charismatic, is killed and Agu is sad, he frightening and somewhat says as much. When Agu is darkly hilarious leader in conflicted after cleaving the charge of Agu’s unit of dishead of an innocent man, possessed and adolescent he lets you know. This will foot soldiers. He is a vividly often happen either during drawn character, an illusor immediately following tration made all the more pivotal moments in the film, impressive by Elba’s incredand besides being distractible performance. Elba is ing, it broadcasts too expliccaptivating here, as he deftly itly Agu’s inner conflict and portrays in equal measure lays out too plainly the film’s the humanity and depravity themes. This is perhaps a

“

By COREY MINOR Contributor

roundabout way of attesting to Attah’s performance, as he so embodies the character of Agu that it is easy, from his body language, interaction with fellow soldiers, physicality, etc. to read how he feels. There is enough information portrayed on screen that the monologues come off as overly hand-holdy. It is worth noting that there is one moment towards the end of the film where the usually unnecessary internal monologue takes a turn that is compelling (Agu’s narration is typically addressed to God, or some undefined “other” – in this instance it is specifically a person from his past), but it is far too little payoff for so much nothing beforehand. This is perhaps owed to the fact that “Beasts” is based off a book of the same title, written by Uzodinma Iweala, and is thus a holdover from the way the novel is written. But one would hope Fukunaga has enough faith in his actors to act without having to fall back on explicit telling. These are, of course, only minor quibbles. By and large, “Beasts of No Nation” is successful in what it sets out to do. It is a powerful film, one that, if nothing else, stays with you, and encourages its audience to invest in the lives of its characters in such a way that is intensely personal and affecting.

By MADDIE SIEBUM Staff Writer

If you are going blindly into the 2016 Grammy Awards, be aware of two names that I’m sure you’ve heard before: Kendrick Lamar and Taylor Swift. Lamar has a whopping 11 nominations, only one behind Michael Jackson’s record. Swift is right on Lamar’s heels with nine. At first glance, Lamar and Swift appear to be completely different artists. Lamar, who released his album, “To Pimp a Butterfly,” in March of 2015, has one of the most

Courtesy of massappeal.com

powerful voices in rap. “Butterfly” covers topics such as black-oppression, God and his own struggles with his race and fame. The standout track from the album is “All Right,” which has become an anthem for the Black Lives Matter movement. Swift released her newest album, “1989,” in October 2014, and it went on to spend 11 weeks at number one on the charts. Swift’s songs are about lost love, New York and, of course, shaking it off. Her cleverly See “Grammys” on Page 6

Getty / Kevin Mazur

STARS: Lamar and Swift teamed up for the remix of “Bad Blood,” which earned two Grammy nominations.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

January 21, 2016

On The

TOWn ArTs ediTOrs’ Picks

Music Tool with Primus and 3TEETH Chaifetz Arena Jan. 22, 7:00 p.m. Hop Along Off Broadway Jan. 25, 7:00 p.m. City and Colour with Greyhounds The Pageant Jan. 26, 8:00 p.m. Yo La Tengo The Ready Room Jan. 31, 8:00 p.m. Pokey Lafarge with Nick Africano Off Broadway Feb. 4, 8:00 p.m.

Movies The Revenant In theaters Currently Brooklyn In theaters Currently Sisters In theaters Currently The Big Short In theaters Currently The Danish Girl Chase Park Plaza Cinemas Currently

Theater The Lion in Winter The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Until Jan. 31 Sunset Baby The Black Rep Until Jan. 31 Newsies: The Musical The Fabulous Fox Until Jan. 31 Shining City Upstream Theatre Jan. 29 - Feb. 14 Million Dollar Quartet Peabody Opera House Jan. 30

By LOGAN MCNEIL Contributor

With locations in the Delmar Loop, downtown Columbia and via a food truck that travels throughout St. Louis, many SLUdents have already had the pleasure of trying the up-and-coming Korean-Mexican taco joint, Seoul Taco. However, there are still many among us who don’t get the opportunity very often to get off of campus and sample the local cuisine and thus have not had the pleasure of trying this taco lover’s paradise. As you might have guessed, Seoul Taco is best known for their tantalizing tacos, which combine Korean salad mix, green onion, Seoul Sauce, crushed sesame seeds, a wedge of lime and your choice of either steak, chicken or spicy pork, giving them a taste that is uniquely its own. Depending on your meat of choice, the tacos can range greatly: from your classic all beef taco with a splash of Seoul Sauce sweetness to a one of a kind spicy pork taco that provides enough zest without leaving you with an irritating burning sensation. This is a truly delectable balance that few restaurants of any caliber or type have attempted, and even fewer have mastered. Luckily enough for us, though, Seoul Taco’s short but stout menu doesn’t stop there. They also have quality quesadillas, bursting burritos and nectarous nachos, along with their diamond in the rough: the gogi bowl. Gogi bowls are a combination of rice, fresh veggies, fried egg, carrots, green onions, sesame oil and spicy Gochujang pepper sauce, which creates a taste that is truly tantalizing. Gogi bowls are perfect for those of you out there who love to enjoy a flavor-filled meal without all of the extra calories. As you can guess, with all of these delicious different types of platters available,

Seoul Taco has been doing quite well over the last few years, especially as of late. In 2014, owner and CEO David Choi moved his extremely popular KoreanMexican restaurant to its now current location in the Delmar Loop. Even more recently, Choi announced that on Jan. 16, he planned to close Seoul Q, a higher-end Korean barbecue restaurant that was housed with Seoul Taco in the Delmar Loop, in order to add dining and cooking space for Seoul Taco. Current lunch and dinnertime lines for Seoul Taco can stretch well out the door, and by nearly doubling the square footage of Seoul Taco, Choi hopes to eliminate most of this congestion. The renovation of Seoul Taco is slated to be finished by mid to late February, and Seoul Taco will remain open during the construction. Even with all of the added distractions of expansion, Seoul Taco continues to bring an excellent Korean restaurant experience to St. Louis that many have enjoyed and will continue to enjoy for years to come. As for an overall rating of Seoul Taco, they earn a 4.3/5 for several reasons— the first and most important being size. When you walk into the restaurant, you immediately feel cramped due to the fact that two restaurants are trying to operate simultaneously in an already small building space. However, what Seoul Taco lacks in size it makes up for in price and flavor. Starting at just $2.50 for a taco, there are few who can turn them down. The menu increases only marginally to $8.00 for their most expensive items, a burrito or nachos. As for flavor, all there is to say is that they simply don’t take any short cuts. They make truly great food — but don’t take my word for it. Make your way down to 6665 Delmar Blvd and find out for yourself.

The Fox: G-Eazy Continued from Page 5

He played both new and old songs during his 90-minThough the crowd’s reute set. Just a few highlights sponse to the first three acts of the show were his slow of the night was positive, it anthem “Lets Get Lost,” paled in comparison to the which took the mood from obvious star of the night. the brink of insanity to a surWhen G-Eazy, came on prising calm. stage, the sound of screams Another high moment was was so deafening that I queshis remix of the banger “I tioned if my ear drums had Like Tuh,” with its magically been blown out. ridiculous chorus of “I like I was astonished at how ratuh, make money, get turnt.” bid his fans were. I knew they Though his lyrics might not w e r e be anything d i e groundhards, breaking, G-Eazy’s set was the but not G-Eazy puts one that surprised this diehis all into hard. Gevery one of me most ... He has E a z y ’s his songs. a swaggering stage set was Whether presence that makes the one it’s a warnthe crowd swoon. that suring about prised how he can me the steal your most in girlfriend, terms of or an anhow great it was. them about his humble beHe has a swaggering stage ginnings, he leaves it on the presence that makes the stage. crowd swoon, while also My question as to why the having a flow that is insanely show was in The Fox was angood in comparison to most swered by G-Eazy near the other rappers’ live shows. end of the set. He explained Though he did not have that six years ago, he opened a full backing band, the DJ for Drake in the exact same and drummer added a ton theatre with around 200 in rounding out G-Eazy’s people there to see him. sound. At one point early on Now he had every single seat in the show, I caught G-Eazy filled. staring up at the top of the After telling his story, I balcony, and he had a twinkle caught G-Eazy looking up at in his eye and a massive grin. the top of the balcony again. Seeing that in an artist is a He’s got his eyes set on the magical thing, because you top, and after that Friday know he is enjoying every night, I am convinced that single moment of the show. nothing can stop him.

“

Fey & Poehler reunite

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

COMEDY: In “Sisters,” Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, a comedic duo and real life best friends, play sisters who decide to throw one last party in their childhood home. By CHANDANA KAMARAJ Staff Writer

When Tina Fey and Amy Poehler come together in a comedy film, it undoubtedly becomes a party-house, and that is proven again with the laugh riot, “Sisters.” After the hit “Pitch Perfect,” Jason Moore makes his mark again as he directs “Sisters,” which is written by Paula Pell (screenwriter of “Saturday Night Live”). Opting for a more feminine vibe than of similar flicks “Neighbors” and “21 Jump Street,” Fey and Poehler mirror their off-screen relationship as they effortlessly slip into their characters as sisters. The film begins as Maura Ellis (Amy Poehler), a recently divorced nurse, gets a message from her parents telling her that they are going to sell the family home in Orlando. A very responsible Maura is then told to refrain from telling her irresponsible older sister Kate (Tina Fey). Kate, a stylist who barely makes the ends meet as a single mom, is kicked out of her friend’s apartment. She is constantly concerned for her teenage daughter who lives elsewhere, but refuses to let her mother know where. The sisters then travel to Orlando to learn that their parents have already sold

the home, and they have only a few days to clean the place up. Kate fondly remembers her childhood in the house, where she constantly brought boys home and partied, where Maura instead spent quiet nights reading books and writing in her journal. Wanting to relive the glory days, Kate convinces Maura to pay a final tribute to their childhood home and have a party so that Maura can create some fun memories of her own. All the rules for having the “best party on the block” are followed: they craft their own invitations, screen their guests and make sure that they have enough alcohol and drugs to keep the party going. But, the hilarious ways in which the sisters do this are what makes this movie unique. The scene where they both go to the clothing store to buy clothes that are definitely not age appropriate is wonderfully hilarious. The duo does a choreographed performance at the party, dancing to Snow’s “Informer.” Guest appearances made the film fun and nostalgic at times. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler felt at home as various guests from “Saturday Night Live” pleasantly show

up at the party, only adding more humor to the comedic duo’s spotlight. Sometimes, though, the characters seem to force out the comedy, especially the comical sequence by Bobby Moynihan as Alex, who simply seems way too desperate to get attention. Other characters include John Cena, as Pazuzu, seemingly strong but actually sensitive, and Ika Barinholt, as James, Maura’s love interest. This romance between Maura and James added additional substance to the film, making this movie more than just a comedy. Although it’s incredibly awkward at the beginning, bringing out the unnatural flirtatious side of Maura, the romance inspires her to move on from her recent divorce and come of her shell. Although the humor seems sometimes forceful, and the film drags, Jason Moore is able to balance the humor, while showing the audience how strong the relationship with family really is. Through multiple mishaps at the party—resulting in a basically broken home—both Maura and Kate are forced to confront their flaws. They learn that they have to grow up and cannot stay the same twelve year-olds that they try to live through in their personal diaries.

Grammys: 2016 Continued from Page 5

written lyrics and magnetic voice have given way to an impressive six singles from the album, which are still being released more than a year after its debut. Although it can be determined that Swift and Lamar make completely different music and come from opposite worlds, they actually collaborated this year on Swift’s single “Bad Blood.” That’s what makes this year’s Grammys interesting: Not only are Swift and Lamar fighting for Grammys against each other, but they’re also hoping to win a few together. Swift and Lamar are directly competing in two Grammy categories, album of the year and song of the year. That is pretty straightforward, but when it comes to “Bad Blood,” things get tricky. “Bad Blood” is nominated for Best Music Video, as is Lamar’s video for “Allright.” So, technically, Lamar is vying for the Grammy against a video that he is a part of. It’s Kendrick Lamar versus Kendrick Lamar, which is a strange matchup. Either way, I believe that he’ll come out a winner in the category. I’m hoping that it’s for “All Right,” which is almost cinematic in its black and white portrayal of Lamar completely

“

defying the laws of gravity. Album of the Year is always the biggest award. Swift won the award in 2010 for the album “Fearless.” If Swift wins this year, she would make history as the first solo artist to win two Album of the Year awards. She has tough competition from Lamar, however. “Butterfly” tells a story throughout the album, with one song weaving seamlessly

Swift and Lamar were powerhouses in their respective genres this year, and both of their albums made waves in not just the music world, but throughout society.

bums made waves in not just the music world, but throughout society. If any of the other three artists do get the Grammy, it would be a major upset, which isn’t uncommon when it comes to the Grammys. Song of the Year is a different story. While I’m pushing for Lamar in the album category, I think that Swift will win here. Song of the Year focuses solely on songwriting. When it comes to lyrics, I think that “Blank Space” takes the cake. Swift manages to poke fun at her own persona and the media while also telling a compelling story that a lot of people can relate to. She jampacked so much into one great song that instantly became a hit. While “Alright” became a phenomenon in its own right, I don’t know if its powerful lyrics can beat Swift’s witty and personal “Blank Space.” At the end of the night, I have faith that both Swift and Lamar will come out winners. They both deserve a Grammy, and if for some reason they get beat by underdogs, I can still hope that they win together for “Bad Blood,” which is also nominated for Best Pop/Duo Performance. Despite their obvious differences, they managed to combine their sounds and create an amazing collaboration, which can hopefully earn them a shared Grammy to commemorate their memorable year.

“

OUT

Seoul Taco: Lets taco ‘bout it

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into the next. Although “1989” is Swift’s best album to date, I do not think that it can beat “Butterfly”’s social impact and Lamar’s incredible storytelling and rapping. Yes, there are other albums nominated for this coveted Grammy. Alabama Shakes, The Weeknd, and Chris Stapleton are also up for Album of the Year, but I don’t think they have a chance to win. Swift and Lamar were powerhouses in their respective genres this year, and both of their al-

UNews

Sports

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

January 21, 2016 sports@unewsonline.com Lexie Vasos, Sports Editor Lauren Tondl, Assoc. Sports Editor

Women’s basketball defeats Dayton in front of record crowd of 9,985, achieves 5-1 record By LAUREN TONDL Associate Sports Editor

The women’s basketball team wowed a crowd of 9,985 on Jan. 16 at their Pink Out game against rival Dayton, winning 70-56. The Bills had four straight wins under their belt and gave Dayton their third straight loss of the season. SLU jumped on the lead early with a 6-0 run in the first quarter. Back-to-back three pointers and a jumper gave the women an 11-5 lead to successfully take the first quarter 13-10, despite Dayton’s late run in the last two minutes. The Flyers played a little tighter in the second quarter, staying close behind the Billiken’s lead the entire ten minutes. They snatched a lead once midway through the quarter with a threepointer, but sophomore guard Aaliyah Covington answered with another three-pointer after nearly three minutes of scoreless basketball to put the Billikens up again, 21-19. The first half of play closed at 24-23 in favor of the Billikens. SLU scored 11 points in the third quarter, and nine of those points came from their bench, while only a single point was scored by their bench players out of their 13 points in the first quarter. Nothing seems to be changing for the Billikens’ play in the third quarter, as they always come to life when it rolls around — the same was true for this game. Senior center Denisha Wom-

ack sunk two three-pointers early on to push SLU’s 14-3 run in the crucial first five minutes of the second half. This was their first doubledigit lead, 38-28. The women racked up ten more points during the remainder of the quarter, and the Flyers could only come within nine points by the end of the third. The fourth quarter continued steadily for both teams, with a 58-46 Billiken lead with 4:35 left in the game. Another trend for the Billikens continued, as they sunk nine of their 14 free throws in the last 90 seconds of play. Despite Dayton’s efforts, they could not come within even ten of the Billikens, and SLU took the victory, 70-56. Standout Covington had the most successful game of her career with a career-high of 21 points, which was also a game-high. She was later named Atlantic 10 Conference women’s basketball Player of the Week by College Sports Madness. Senior guard Jamesia Price scored 13 points. As a team, more records continue to be smashed, a norm for the Billikens this season. They are now 5-1 in conference for the first time in history. They have a whopping ten victories by ten or more points this year alone. The women had 17 offensive rebounds and had a 22-7 upper hand in points from turnovers. The women continued into Wednesday night

searching for their fifth consecutive victory. They traveled to Philadelphia to face the Saint Joseph’s Hawks on Jan. 20. Saint Joseph’s returned three starters from their 10th place team last season. They had a threegame winning streak before losing to Fordham on Sunday, Jan. 17. They keep the ball well, as the team leads the A-10 and ranks 13th in the nation in fewest turnovers, 12.6 per game. SLU was looking to slowly reverse their losing record that they had against the Hawks. Saint Joseph’s leads the series 8-3, but the Bills have won the past two meetings. However, the Hawks lead 5-1 in games on their home court. Last year, SLU took the victory in a buzzer beater by Sadie Stipanovich. Their previous matchups proved to be the same when the game started. Neither team had more than a three-point lead for the entirety of the first quarter. SLU finally took the first big lead in the beginning of the second quarter to get the momentum going. They went on a 6-0 run, with sophomore Jackie Kemph leading the way. A Covington layup gave the Bills their first double-digit lead at 39-29. Covington had another three-pointer to make the gap even larger, 44-31. From there, the Billikens kept a substantial lead

Saint Louis University

RECORD: The SLU women’s basketball team dominated Dayton 70-56 in front of a record crowd of 9,985 fans on Jan. 16 for the annual Pink Out game. The Billikens improved to 13-4. and went into halftime at a comfortable score of 46-33. In the third, the Hawks struggled to get any closer than ten points until about halfway through the quarter, when St. Joseph’s came within nine points after a jumper. Some crucial free throws and layups gave the Billikens a cushion and confidence going into the last ten minutes. The Hawks stayed within a ten-point range for the majority of the fourth quarter; the Billiken defense never gave them a chance to see victory. SLU put another win under their belt, 77-66.

Men’s basketball: Bishop’s performance not enough to defeat George Mason By Lexie Vasos Sports Editor

The team is now at 15-4 overall and 5-1 in A-10 conference play. This is their best conference start in history, and they look to continue their success to go into post-conference play just as strong. SLU faces La Salle at Chaifetz on Saturday, Jan. 23 with a tipoff set for 7 p.m. The Billikens will be chasing their sixth-consecutive conference victory. They will move away from their typical Wednesday nights to face George Mason next Thursday, Jan. 28 in Fairfax, Virginia. Tipoff will be at 7 p.m.

Swimming tops Evansville medley relay, along with Cano, as the second leg with a time of 26.11, and was the The men’s and women’s anchor leg in the 200-yard swimming and diving teams freestyle relay, anchoring started the year off strong with a time of 21.72. He won with two wins against Evanstwo individual events: the ville at the Simon Rec Center 50-yard breastroke (27.09) on Saturday, Jan. 16. This and the 100-yard breastwas their first home meet stroke (1:00.02). this season, and they proSophomore Ryan McCoy tected the house well, winran away with three individning 25 of the 28 swimming ual event events. titles: the S L U ’s 100-yard men’s team Senior Shane Cano butterf ly won 205(50.20), was victorious in 76. Senior the 100four of his events. Shane Cano y a r d He took the gold was victorifre estyle ous in four in the 200-yard (46.27) of his events. and the medley relay as the He took the 50-yard leadoff leg. gold in the butterf ly 200-yard (23.42). medley relay He locked as the leadin anothoff leg, finishing with a time er win with Cano and Kane of 24.41. Cano won two sinas the second leg in the 200gle events, the 50-yard backyard freestyle relay with a stroke (24.66) and the 100time of 21.31. yard backstroke (52.63). His Freshman Isaiah Williams final event was the 200-yard was off to the races at his first freestyle relay as the third home meet as a Billiken, with leg, which his team won with a first-place finish in three a time of 1:24.85. Senior Jack Kane also performed well for the men. He See “Swim” on Page 8 placed first in the 200-yard By LAUREN TONDL Associate Sports Editor

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Ryan Quinn / The University News

TRIPLE THREAT: Freshman guard Jermaine Bishop has been deemed the Phantom of Chaifetz do to his face mask. He was among the starters against George Mason. 20. Although George Mason took advantage of their next two possessions to get to the basket, Bishop responded for the Billikens by hitting a three-pointer, and Crawford added a bucket of his own to give SLU a 26-24 lead. George Mason took the lead once again after an 8-2 spurt that gave them the 32-28

JEER

advantage, which was cut to 34-31 by halftime. George Mason came out of the locker room on fire to begin the second half. SLU fell into a 3:16 offensive slump, which allowed the Patriots to gain their largest lead of the game, 57-46, with 11:25 left to play. The Billikens hung on and found

themselves down by only eight, 60-52, with 8:54 left in regulation. The Patriots gave themselves some breathing room after draining two threes as well as a pair of free throws to make the score 68-54. SLU’s offense found their stride in the following See “Men’s” on Page 8

FEAR

WHO TO CHEER: CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS The Chicago Blackhawks extended their win streak to 12 games on Jan. 19 after dominating the Nashville Predators 4-1. This is a franchise record for the Blackhawks, who currently sit atop the Western Conference with a record of 32-13. The Hawks hope to continue their streak against the Lightning.

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The Saint Louis University men’s basketball team continues to face adversity throughout their Atlantic 10 schedule. The Billikens hosted George Mason on Jan. 17, without sophomore forward Brett Jolly. Coach Crews revealed that Jolly has been suspended due to internal business, and the length of the suspension is unknown. A new starting lineup was featured this game, with freshman guard Aaron Hines, freshman guard Jermaine Bishop, and freshman center Matt Neufeld lining up at half court for the tipoff alongside senior guard Ash Yacoubou and junior forward Mike Crawford. Hines is a former walk on, while Bishop and Neufeld are both freshman. This lineup was a drastic change from the Billikens usual starting five, and it showed as George Mason led for most of the first half. They had a seven point advantage on two different occasions before the Billiken offense regrouped and put together a 12-4 run, taking the first lead of the game, 21-

CHEER

The women shot 48.1 percent from the field, but a lower 67.6 percent from the free throw line. They had a rather low 11 turnovers. The Billikens clearly put away their chances and were consistent on the offensive side of the ball, as the Hawks shot 95 percent from the free throw line, outrebounded the Bills 40-34, had two more steals than SLU, and also had 11 turnovers. Kemph had a game-high as well as a career-high 24 points, and Covington followed with 13 points. Senior guard Jamesia Price had the most assists at 7.

BY LEXIE VASOS, SPORTS EDITOR WHO TO JEER: MIKE MCCARTHY Packers head coach Mike McCarthy slammed running back Eddie Lacy in the season-ending news conference. McCarthy stated that the running back “cannot play at the weight he was at this year.” McCarthy blamed Lacy’s lack of success this year on his weight, but isn’t it the job of the the conditioning staff to make sure he is at the correct weight?

WHO TO FEAR: SMU BASKETBALL The SMU basketball team has nothing to lose this season, as they have already been banned from the postseason, but that has not stopped them from dominating their opponents. The Mustangs defeated Houston 77-73 on Jan. 19. Currently ranked No. 8 with a record of 18-0, SMU will continue their schedule against Temple.

January 21, 2016

SPORTS

This week in sports Tweet of the week @ glyndaviesmp Not match fixing at Wimbledon! Surely not!...

Scores from the week Women’s Basketball Saturday, Jan. 16 Dayton Billikens

56 70

Wednesday, Jan. 20 Saint Joseph’s Billikens

66 77

Men’s Basketball Sunday, Jan. 17 George Mason Billikens Wednesday, Jan. 20 Davidson Billikens

92 79 87 96

Women’s Tennis Friday, Jan. 15 Wichita State Billikens

6 1

Player of the week Ryan McCoy Swimming

Men’s: Billikens stun Davidson Continued from Page 7

five possessions in an 11-3 spurt that diminished George Mason’s lead to 71-65. Although the Patriots only had a 78-71 lead with 2:01 left in the game, sharp shooting from behind the free throw line allowed George Mason to seal a 9279 victory. Crawford had a careerhigh 22 points, shooting 10of-19 from the field. Hines also had a notable game, scoring a career-high 14 points and shooting a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line. Bishop scored 15 points and recorded a teamhigh five assists. This performance earned Bishop the A-10 co-Rookie of the Week, as he has averaged 18 points per game in two games last week. The Billikens hosted Davidson on Jan. 20. Jolly was seen warming up before the game. SLU kept the game close in the opening minutes. Yacoubou hit backto-back threes making the score 9-8. Roby made his return to the court after 4:30 had passed in the game. This was the first time Roby has played since the first half of the game against Duquesne on Jan. 13. The Billikens trailed Davidson 23-14 with 11:44 left in the first half. SLU hit

a slight offensive drought, making only two of their eight field goal attempts, but still kept the score within ten. SLU tied the game at 34 with 5:33 left in the half. Jolly entered the game soon after. Bishop once again came through for the Billikens, draining a basket to give the SLU the 47-46 advantage at the half. The Billikens 47 point rampage was the most points that have been scoredin one half at Chaifetz, which the team began playing at in the 2008-09 season. Hines started the second half off with a quick basket that gave the Billikens the 49-46 lead. SLU fought for an eight point lead, but after the Wildcats completed a three point play from the free throw line, the lead was cut to five. SLU continued to attack the basket to add onto their already 26 points in the paint. Although SLU led the game 64-58 with 13:30 left in the game, fouls allowed Davidson to shoot the rest of the way. Yacoubou’s amazing performance kept the Billikens in the lead 77-68 with 7:32 left on the clock. With just under two minutes left in the game, Davidson hit a crucial three to pull them within five, 87-82. Davidson launched a full court press and quickly fouled Bishop on the inbound pass.

Ryan Quinn / The University News

CONTESTED: Freshman guard Aaron Hines attempts to get a shot off in the paint against a George Mason defender. The Billikens fell to the Patriots at home by a score of 92-79. Bishop drained both free throws. Davidson continued to press and foul, but the Billikens shot well from behind the free throw line to hold the lead. With 41 seconds left Crawford was sent to the line, but could not convert on the free throw. Fortunately for the Billikens, Dayton could not knock down another three and had to continue to foul in order to

preserve the clock. Bishop was fouled on a defensive rebound and sealed the game with two more free throws. Davidson continued to foul, but the damage was already done and they could not recover. SLU defeated the Wildcats by a score of 96-87. Ash Yacoubou led the offense with 27 points, a career-high. Bishop contributed 23 points, which was a

career-high for him as well. This game marked the first time since 2002 that the Billikens had this kind of high scoring game. Agbeko recorded a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. As a team, the Billikens shot 54 percent from the field. They also shot an astounding 41 percent from behind the the arc. The Billikens will travel to Massachusetts to play UMass on Jan. 23.

The state of the men’s Swim: McCoy is unstoppable basketball team Sophomore swimmer Ryan McCoy was named the Atlantic 10 Conference swimming and diving Performer of the Week. This is the fourth time McCoy has earned this accolade in his career, which is more than any other swimmer in the A-10 conference. McCoy dominated in the pool on Jan. 16 against Evansville, sweeping all his events. He finished the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 50.20, 100-yard freestyle with a time of 46.27, and the 50yard butterfly with a time of 23.42. McCoy also swam the anchor for the 200-yard freestyle relay, and the team won with a time of 1:24.85. McCoy is ranked in the A-10 top five in five individual events: 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle, 500-yard freestyle, 100-yard butterfly and 200-yard butterfly. He also currently holds the A-10’s top time in the 200yard freestyle with a time of 1:39.47 and 100-yard butterfly with a time of 48.47.

Games this week , January 22

, January 23

, January 24

, January 27

By LEXIE VASOS Sports Editor

The Saint Louis University men’s basketball team has had another struggling season. With the team now consisting of almost solely head coach Jim Crews’ recruits, questions have arisen over Crews’ ability to coach this team and if the Billikens will ever have a successful season with this group and coaching staff. In the Jan. 17 matchup against George Mason, it was announced that sophomore forward Brett Jolly was suspended on the grounds of “internal business.” What is the team hiding? Is what Jolly said so embarrassing to the program that they cannot release the details of the situation? These curious whispers add fuel to the fire, and more doubts arise about Crews’ control over his team. Even the lineup was a reflection of Billiken basketball flailing, as former walk-on Aaron Hines, freshman guard Jermaine Bishop and freshman center Matt Neufeld were all among the five starters. This drastic deviation from the usual lineup is especially concerning given that there is so little experience between these three players. Although Hines and Bishop posted impressive numbers, Neufeld looked gassed by the first media timeout and basically just served as a tall body on the court with little to no purpose. In 16 minutes of playing time, he shot 0-5 from the free throw line and was 0-3 for field goal attempts. Although he did have three rebounds, his impact was

run the rapid fire offense has led to turnovers, which have been plaguing the Billikens as of late. Although SLU had only two turnovers against George Mason, they gave the ball up 21 times in their previous game against VCU. The offense is not the only issue hindering the Billikens. Rebounds have been a problem since last season. Against George Mason, SLU was outrebounded 43-34 overall, 34-20 defensively, and gave up 9 offensive rebounds. The Billikens cannot continue to give opponents extra scoring opportunities if they want to be successful in the Atlantic 10. Although SLU put up a good fight with boards in the first half, they were dominated in the second, 22-11. Whether or not this was due to the fatigue of the players is debatable, but this connects back to the question of why Crews did not utilize his other big players. The Billiken defense under Crews is very different then it was under Majerus. Once known as a program rooted in defense, SLU just let the worst shooting team in George Mason, who usually averages 63 points per game, score 92 points. The only time that SLU was able to stop the Patriots was when they reverted back to the man-to-man defense that Majerus implemented throughout his coaching career, which, for Crews, included a full court press that resulted in two turnovers in the final two minutes. The Billikens still have some time left in their A-10 schedule to make some improvements, but these kinds of beatings take their toll on the players. The A-10 is not an easy conference, and many teams do not have to deal with the growing pains that SLU faces due to its young roster. Although the players say that the mood in the locker room is positive, frustrations are evident in post-game interviews. It is just a matter of time before the feeling of helplessness sets in.

yard medley relay and the 200-yard freestyle relay, finishing with times of 24.38 events. He dominated in and 24.61, respectively. She short and long distance racwas successful in two longeres: the 1000-yard freestyle distance individual events as (10:10.30) and the 200-yard well: the 200-yard freestyle IM (1:59.18). He also placed (1:57.27) and the 500-yard fourth in the 100-yard backfreestyle stroke with (5:10.31). a time of SLU finJunior Olivia Gar55.80. ished in The Bilrett won two the top two liken womspots in single events and en held up nearly every two team events. their end as event. She was the third well, finishT h e y ing the meet leg in the 200-yard have a quick with a 182turnaround medley (1:50.01) 92 victory. to their next with an individual Junior Olivia home meet, time of 25.97. Garrett won which is two single against Truevents and man State two team events. She was on Jan. 22 at 5:00 p.m. Both the third leg in the 200-yard teams travel to Fishers, Inmedley relay (1:50.01) with diana for the Butler Invitaan individual time of 25.97. tional two days later at 11:00 She also started things off for a.m. to continue their althe 200-yard freestyle relay ready successful season. team (1:39.85) with an indi“I’m pumped for what I vidual time of 25.29. Garrett think this team will be able put away the 50-yard freeto do at conference,” said style (25.09) and the 50-yard Kane. “We lost a lot of talent with last year’s senior class, butterfly (26.71) with ease. but I believe we have what it Sophomore Mina Gletakes to step up and be even nesk joined Garrett in the better than we were in the relay victories. She was the past.” anchor leg of both the 200Continued from Page 7

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Billiken Media Relations

not even close to the performances from some of the other “bigs” on the team, like sophomore forward Milik Yarbrough and sophomore center Austin Gillmann, who did not see the court at all. Coach Crews has been known to tweak the lineup from game to game and is a big fan of testing different combinations throughout the game, but there are consequences to this game plan. Instead of developing a strong starting five, Crews now has a bunch of average players and does not seem to want to put in the effort and time that it would take to refine the skills of some of his players. There is also the dual question of why sophomore guard Davell Roby was also among the players who did not receive playing time against George Mason and has recently been a rare sight on the court at all. Roby has shown his work ethic on the court and is a dynamic player, but continuously finds himself on the bench. Crews is being rather disrespectful to his talent by starting players with far less experience. Not only is Crews’ player choice questionable, but so is the offense he is attempting to execute. Crews worked under Indiana coach Bob Knight and is a big fan of the ball screen offense, but his plan isn’t coming together with the talent that he currently has with this younger group of players. At times, the offense appears to be in a frenzy, storming up the court and taking quick and bad shots without even attempting to run the offense. The other scenario seems to be that the players are running the offense too quickly and are unable to get set, which would allow for open shot attempts. Even when the Billikens do get good looks at the basket, they don’t fall, and the team experiences long periods of offensive droughts. This was evident in the game against VCU, when the Billikens only had two field goals in the first half. The inability to

Saint Louis University

FREESTYLE: Sophomore swimmer Ryan McCoy is SLU’s number one swimmer and swept all his events on Jan. 16.

UNews

Opinions Editorials

January 21, 2016 opinion@unewsonline.com Kyle Smith, Opinion Editor

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

Letters

What’s the deal with Oregon?

Picture the following scenario: A group of armed terrorists seize a U.S. federal building. They issue their demands, threatening to shoot anyone who attempts to remove them, and they demonstrate an apparent willingness to die for their cause if necessary. The occupation goes on for weeks. How would the country react? If you said that the event would briefly grab headlines, then fall from the news cycle and be largely ignored by both law enforcement and the public, people might think you were crazy. And yet, that is exactly what is happening

right now. On Jan. 2, a militia brandishing weapons seized the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, Oregon, in protest of the federal ownership and use of land; they have been lodged there ever since. Though government officials have condemned the occupation, there has thus far been no attempt by law enforcement to remove the estimated 40 protesters that currently occupy the refuge, as they have sworn to respond with violence to any attempt to do so. Although the situation has been going on for several

weeks, you’d be forgiven for not realizing that. One reason for the relative lack of attention is the remote location of the standoff. Harney County, though the largest county in Oregon, has a population of only 7,700. In fact, with over 500 ranches, cattle outnumber people 14-to-1. The local sheriff ’s department has a staff of only five law enforcement officers. Another major reason why the confrontation has been disregarded is that it is fairly difficult to describe what is actually occurring. The protest began when two local ranchers, Dwight and Steven Hammond, were charged with arson for setting fires on federal land. The militia has listed the release of the Hammonds as one of their demands. But the primary issue—federal land ownership—is something that many would find nuanced, obscure and, frankly, boring. It has little impact on the lives of most Americans. But in many rural parts of the country, particularly in western states, it’s a major source of tension. For example, in Oregon and Nevada, the government owns as much as 53 and 81 percent of the total land area, respectively. As such, the government has the authority to regulate its use—which often leads to conflict with those who make their living off the land, such as hunters, loggers and ranchers. What is happening in Oregon, however, has expanded far beyond its original scope. Whatever legitimate grievances about federal land-use policy may exist, they have been largely overshadowed by the nature of the protest and the personalities of those

President Obama’s final State of the Union speech last week was a clear indicator that his time in office is drawing to a close. Though the country now looks to the future, we wanted to take the opportunity to look back at the last eight years to evaluate Barack Obama’s time in office and predict what his legacy might be. Obama was first elected to the White House in 2008 on a wave of popular support, decisively defeating his Republican opponent, John McCain, with 365 electoral votes and 52.9 percent of the popular vote. Hoping to distance himself from his unpopular

predecessor, George W. Bush, Obama campaigned with the word “Change” as a recurring theme, a message that resonated loudly with voters. But “change” was more than just a clever slogan; to many, this one-term Illinois senator from Hawaii represented a new type of politician. He was the first African-American presidential candidate in history to represent a major political party and one of the first politicians to effectively utilize the Internet and social media to appeal to young voters. With great charisma, he promised a break from the past and laid out a new vision for the coun-

try. Many Americans truly believed that Obama was the candidate that was going to change everything. Eight years and two terms later, we must ask ourselves: Did he live up to our expectations, or does he leave behind a trail of broken promises? Is America a better place because of him? Is the world? The answers, of course, will vary greatly depending on whom you ask. As with any political leader, Obama’s legacy will continue to be controversial for years to come. But there are some aspects of his presidency Arguably, no president in modern history has in-

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involved. The militia group, which refers to itself as the “Citizens for Constitutional Freedom,” has framed itself as an organization of righteous “patriots” standing up to a “tyrannical” federal government. Most of the protestors aren’t even from the area. The leader and initiator of the standoff is Ammon Bundy, a rancher from Nevada. If the words “Bundy” and “standoff ” sound familar, it’s because Ammon is the son of Cliven Bundy, the center of a confrontation with Bureau of Land Management in 2013. As seriously as the group takes themselves, they’ve gotten considerably less respect from the general public. Twitter users have compared the rural ranchers to Islamic extremists, with creative hashtags referring to the group as “Y’all Qaeda,” and “Yeehaw-dists.” Though comical, the militia group is still committing several major felonies with their continued occupation. And yet law enforcement is simply watching. Part of their reluctance to remove the protestors is a fear of escalating the violence. The memory of the disastrous 1993 Waco siege, in which 76 people died, is still fresh on many people’s minds. A similar incident would only strengthen the militia’s cause, and ensure more situations like this occur. In this case, the government’s response isn’t cowardice, but prudence. The siege won’t last forever; the group is bound to run out of energy— or supplies—at some point. With armed militia, much like whining toddlers, sometimes the best response is to simply ignore their cries.

herited greater challenges so soon after arriving to the White House. The financial crisis, which had come to the forefront of the political arena in the final months of the election, was crippling the economy. Our military was fighting two costly and unpopular wars halfway around the world that showed no signs of abating. America’s international reputation was at a historic low. Despite these hardships, Obama proved to be a capable leader early on. He helped stabilize the economy, rescuing the country from the Great Recession. He put an end to the war in Iraq and brokered a

The University News reserves the right not to publish any letters that are deemed intentionally and/or inappropriately inflammatory, more than the 300-word limit or unsigned by the original author. The following are letters and/or website comments. Because the identities of website posters cannot be verified, all website comments should be treated as anonymous. Actual letters to the editor may be submitted online at unewsonline.com or e-mailed to opinion@unewsonline.com. Please include your cell phone number. I enjoyed Emily Win’s commentary on discussing sex, or the lack thereof until marriage. Not because I agree with the premise, nor do I know who she cited when she said that chaste people are healthier -- no, I liked her article because I agree that we don’t have the opportunity to discuss sex on campus. In my four years at SLU, the only dialogue regarding sex I attended discussed the myth that is virginity. The lack of discussion on campus isn’t enforced by SLU administrators either; the gatekeepers preventing healthy discussions of sex are students, afraid of the repercussions. There should be spaces where people can comfortably discuss the power dynamics of sex, threesomes, BDSM, masturbation and yes, chastity. A subject as important to college students as sex shouldn’t remain taboo. -Ryan McKinley Okay, enough is enough. I came to St. Louis in the fall of 1969 and garnered three degrees from SLU. I’ve been connected to the University as an undergrad, grad student, adjunct instructor, Simon Rec Center member or basketball season ticket holder ever since. I have seen a lot of Billikens come and go, from the scrappy, kind of mean spirited looking one of the early seventies to the darling, welcoming, fully formed, crinkle-mouthed one of recent times. But I have never seen such a bland and soulless rendering as this new exanimate logo foisted upon our community this past month. Chris May’s inanity, “... this newest identity system is perfect for today’s era of collegiate sports,” (“identity system”?) exposes the lifeless quality of this new design. The old Biliken was a CHARACTER; the new one is a SOULLESS GRAPHIC. May also said that the new Billiken “embodies the spirit of our iconic, one-of-a-kind mascot.” What’s maddening about this is that it precisely does not! There’s no spirit involved in the new flat, two-dimensional, arbitrarily shaded caricature. What it embodies is some unconnected graphic artist’s corporatized vision of what a hip, new logo should be. Bring back the old Billiken—at least he was fun! -Michael Bartz

nuclear deal with Iran. Under his administration, gay marriage became legal, Osama bin Laden was killed and the Affordable Care Act brought much needed reform to the country’s health care system. However, political opposition from the right remained an ever-present threat to the president’s plans. Many of his key policy positions, such as gun control legislation and the closing of Guantanamo Bay, failed to pass Congress, forcing the president to either abandon his promises or resort to unilateral action. His reliance on executive orders, though necessary, means that anything he implements

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can easily be undone by his successor. Perhaps more so than any president in history, Obama’s presidency was marked by gridlock, partisanship and resistance at every turn. The growth of “rancor and suspicion between the parties” during his time in office is something Obama described “one of the few regrets” of his presidency. Perhaps the aspect of Obama’s presidency we will miss the most when he leaves office is the man himself. With outstanding charisma, President Obama set the tone for the nation in times of crisis and celebration alike. For that, we say: Thanks, Obama.

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January 21, 2016

OPINION & EDITORIALS

John Kasich: A reasonable Republican? Cruzes of the world. He is willing to put aside partisan differences and make actual political contributions. As a Wall Street Journal article about the Medicaid expansion details, “The episode speaks volumes about Mr. Kasich’s leadership style. He is a Paul Brunkhorst center-right Republican who is willing to defy conservative On Tuesday, Jan. 19, fororthodoxy, use all levers of exmer Alaska Governor Sarah ecutive power and stick to his Palin lent her support to Reguns in the face of criticism— publican presidential candieven from his own party. Mr. date Donald Trump. Kasich’s willingness to reject “He is from the private the party line has made some sector, not a politician,” she Democrats view him as a poquipped. “Can I get a Halletentially strong general-eleclujah?” tion candidate.” And, later in her speech, Indeed, Kasich does not she asked the crowd, “Are you kowtow to the current script ready for a commander-inof the Republican presidential chief who will let our warriors candidates – to put down the do their job and go kick ISIS’ last eight years as entirely unass?” productive, as detrimental to She also iterated that, A m e r i c a’s with Trump g re at n e s s . as president, Kasich exthere will panded be “no more Indeed, KaMedicaid pussy-footing because he sich does not around – our thought troops deserve kowtow to the that it was the best. You current script the right deserve the of the Republithing to do. best.” His actions can presidential It was were not a hard to watch candidates--to betrayal of – Palin’s atput down the last the Repubtempts to exeight years as lican Party. cite the crowd They were entirely unproducand Trump’s the work of smirking tive, as detrimena politician and giving a tal to America’s who is seekthumbs up begreatness ing lasting side her. But solutions this has beto societal come reality problems. for the RepubAs Kalican Party in sich said in an interview postthe 2016 race: buffoons maked by Ohio Capital: ing outrageous – and often “You know, because people rather violent – claims. Like, are poor doesn’t mean they we need to carpet-bomb ISIS. don’t work hard,” he says in Or, we have to build a wall. the video. “Because people are Better yet, we must prohibit poor … it sometimes means Muslims from entering the they couldn’t pull themselves country. The field seems inunup by their bootstraps at some dated by a pusillanimous mepoint in time. The most imnagerie of candidates – people portant thing for this legislatoo weak to make any actual ture to think about: Put yourpolicy suggestions, relying inself in somebody else’s shoes. stead on fear-mongering and Put yourself in the shoes of a hateful speech to gather votmother and a father with an ers. adult child who’s struggling. This is why a recent arWalk in somebody else’s mocticle by Nate Cohn of The casins. Understand that povNew York Times is refreshing. erty is real … John Kasich, a lesser-known “I had a conversation with Republican candidate – and … one of the members of a much more reasonable one the legislature the other day. – may be gaining support in I said, ‘I respect the fact that New Hampshire, the site of you believe in small governone of the earliest primaries, ment. I do too. I also happen Cohn says. to know that you’re a person “A new poll from the of faith. Now when you die American Research Group and you get to the meeting … shows John Kasich surging with St. Peter, he’s probably into a strong second place in not going to ask you much the Republican race with 20 about what you did about percent of the vote,” he writes. keeping government small, Who is John Kasich? He’s but he’s going to ask you what the current governor of Ohio, you did for the poor. You beta real politician – Hallelujah! ter have a good answer.” – who actually has some exYes, we’d all “better have a perience and ideas for how good answer” – especially in to help people – assets that who we as a country choose to are crucial to being president. be our next president. Sorry, Kasich is known for his efSarah Palin, Donald Trump is forts to expand Medicaid unnot that answer. der the Affordable Care Act, In the New York Times even after the Supreme Court article, Cohn admits that the ruled in 2012 that states could results showing Kasich’s rise opt out of such expansion. In in New Hampshire could be doing so, Kasich bucked the flawed. trend of other Republican “The American Research governors, most of who adaGroup has an unusually mantly oppose the health law lengthy record of high-profile and will do anything to not misfires, including for almost follow its provisions. Kasich’s all of the 2008 Democratic actions made him a pariah primaries and in the 2012 among the Republican lawgeneral election,” he writes. makers in his state, but he Let’s hope, though, that went through with his decithe results of the poll come sion anyway. And this makes true, that Kasich – the best him the most viable RepubRepublican in the field – belican candidate – though he comes a winner and trumps unfortunately is being overthe competition. shadowed by the Trumps and

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Answering MLK’s call in the era of Facebook activism But then, as I am sitting there in the beauty of this chapel, I remembered that the night before a black man was shot by a police officer on Grand and Gravois. Only a short drive from here. And in an instant, I’m angry. Why are we not talking about that? Is it Audrey Manners too political? Wouldn’t sit well with the big donors? Some days I am so angry. I don’t have an answer to Angry that the words don’t any of those questions. But, come out the way I want. AnI do know that the keynote gry that there are kids in my speaker, Jason Purnell, spoke own zip code that go to bed about how King’s work inhungry. Angry that some perspired him throughout his son I barely know posted a own life and three of King’s completely off-the-mark artruths that struck a chord for ticle on Facebook. And some him. The first was that after days I am so angry that this MLK spent a long time in passion is not a fuel to my prayer, he felt the Lord say fire, but rather a gust of wind that he must stand up for justhat extinguishes it all togethtice and for truth, the Lord er. Why bother? All of these will be with you until the end. things will always happen, reThe second comes from King’s gardless of what I do. mountain top speech: “You’ve In honor of Martin Lugot some difficult days ahead ther King Day, I attended a of you rememnow, but brance it doesn’t c e r So, in remembrance of matter emony a truly inspiring man, now beheld by who calls us all to accause I’ve Wa s h seen the ington mounU n i tice, resist the urge to t a i n versity be an angry advocate top. I’ve called, seen the “How promise Can We land. We may not get there Reclaim the Wisdom of Martonight, but we will get to the tin Luther King Jr. to Move promise land.” And lastly and Forward?” People wore forprobably not surprisingly, Dr. mal attire as they listened to Purnell talked about the many powerful voices echo through times in MLK’s various letters a beautifully ornate chapel. It and speeches when he talked seemed like a beautiful way to about love. remember the life of such an Maybe history has made inspirational man.

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some of King’s messages more pleasing to the majority, and like all history, it is likely whitewashed in some way to keep from offending the powers that be. I do not deny any of these things. But I also think that Martin Luther King Jr. in 2015 would not call us to angry, patronizing Facebook advocacy. I do not think he would “share” a condescending “list-icle” that politicizes race relations and ostracizes the uninformed. I think it is easy to think in our day and age that sharing heated posts on the Internet is enough action. I myself have thought from time to time, “Oh, I’m educating someone who doesn’t understand the issue.” But was I? The answer is probably not, if the article demonizes the other side and slights the uninvolved mod-

erates. Who clicks on those links? Not people who are looking for understanding. It’s the people who already have opinions and are either ready to rally behind you or unfriend you immediately. So, in remembrance of a truly inspiring man who calls us all to action in the fight for justice, resist the urge to be an angry advocate. Resist the urge to share the condescending news article on Facebook and start a face-to-face, respectful discussion instead. Get involved with an organization fighting for justice or stand in on a peaceful protest. Because, in the words of Martin Luther King Jr., “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter” and Facebook arguments are not the best way to raise our voices.

In our Wildest Dreams...

you would write for the UNews!

A historic encounter

Kyle Smith

“As our loyal viewers know, of course, our show is all about left versus right, black versus white, paper vs. plastic, Red Sox against the Yankees.” So begins an episode of Crossfire, a political debate show that ran on CNN from 1982 to 2005. The show featured two pundits from either side of the political spectrum, who would discuss current events, present and challenge each other’s opinions and interview guests in rapid-fire manner with hardhitting questions. During an episode on Oct. 15, 2004, however, things took a slightly unexpected turn. The guest that night was Jon Stewart, comedian and thenhost of The Daily Show. The Crossfire hosts explained he was there to promote his latest book. Stewart, however, had other motives. “I made a special effort to come on the show today, because I have privately, amongst my friends and also in occasional newspapers and television shows, mentioned this show as being bad,” Stewart began. “I felt that wasn’t fair, and I should come here and tell you that … it’s not so much that it’s bad, as it’s hurting America.” Stewart launched into

a scathing, on-air diatribe against the show, the network and media as a whole for neglecting their “responsibility to public discourse.” He accused them of “partisan hackery” and “theater.” He criticized their methods, mocked their presentation and questioned their integrity. At one point, Stewart literally clasped his hands in mock desperation, begging them to stop what they were doing. Stunned by the comedian’s derisive remarks, the hosts responded by accusing Stewart of asking trivial questions of the many noteworthy guests on his own show, such as presidential candidate John Kerry. Stewart countered that as a comedian, he did not share the same journalistic responsibility as them. He expressed surprise that “the news organizations look to Comedy Central for their cues on integrity … If you want to compare your show to a comedy show, you’re more than welcome to.” Crossfire was cancelled shortly after this infamous feud. Although Stewart was never explicitly mentioned as the reason for the cancellation, the CEO of CNN, Jonathan Klein, stated in interviews that he sympathized with Stewart’s stance and wanted to change the tone of the network. Jon Stewart may be off the airwaves at the moment, but that doesn’t mean his legacy is over. He is reportedly in talks with HBO for some sort of future project. In the meantime, viewers can enjoy the newest era of satirical TV shows blur-

ring the lines between humor and news. The Daily Show (now hosted by Trevor Noah), The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore (which replaced The Colbert Report in 2014), The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver are just a few of the shows that owe their existence to Stewart’s legacy. Obviously, comedy is an effective means of catching people’s interest. But these shows are more than just good television; these satirical news programs are remarkable cultural and political forces. Despite identifying himself exclusively as a comedian, Jon Stewart was ranked as the fourth most admired journalist in America in a 2007 poll conducted by the Pew Research Center. Commentators have suggested that many viewers use his show as a legitimate news source; in fact, some studies suggest that viewers of The Daily Show are more informed than those who use other sources of news. This may lead us to entertain the notion that these mock news programs may in fact be better than the real ones. John Oliver, a Daily Show alumnus, has garnered widespread critical acclaim for his show, Last Week Tonight. In particular, the show was praised for its coverage of topics largely ignored by most American media outlets. More global in its approach, it has done stories on topics such as the 2014 Indian general election. And as an HBO show with no corporate ties, Oliver has no qualms about

attacking powerful companies and organizations, such as the NFL. But these shows’ real strength is their unique ability to comment on and criticize other news outlets. Satire has long been used as an effective tool for criticism, and the fake news programs practice it abundantly. Fox News, MSNBC and other 24-hour news channels are specifically targeted and ridiculed for their political and social biases, poor news coverage and misrepresentation of the facts. Comedy news programs are free to drop the pretensions of appealing to a certain political demographic. And though all news necessarily relies on a combination of information and entertainment, programs like The Daily Show are able to express the entertainment aspect overtly as comedy. “Real” news outlets, however, tend to disguise it by sensationalizing and polarizing the facts. Or, as Stewart would call it, “theater.” “How old are you?” Stewart interrupted suddenly, at one particularly heated moment during his infamous Crossfire confrontation. “Thirty-five,” replied the host, confused by the unprompted personal question. “And you wear a bow tie,” Stewart said, much to the amusement of the audience. “This is theater.” According to Stewart, this mockery is done purely for the sake of comedy. But in a society where mainstream media has become a joke, maybe it’s time to start taking comedians a little more seriously.

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January 21, 2016

From the UNews archives Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what was making headlines in the past

January 1943

Great Scott! Y u

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rite

r u

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January 21, 2016