No. 9 (Feb. 6, 2020) by University News

VOL. XCVIV No. 9 / February 6, 2020

SLU Students Prepare for Upcoming Democratic Primaries

THE UNIVERSITY NEWS

COVER Design by Rebecca LiVigni

NEWS

IOWA CAUCUS DEBACLE CASTS SHADOW OVER SLU WATCH PARTY

Photo Courtesy of Riley Tovornik

By COLIN THIERRY Staff Writer n Monday night, over 150 SLU students gathered at the CGC for the watch party of an Iowa Caucus that announced no official winner. The app used by the Iowa Democratic Party to relay numbers from precinct chairs malfunctioned, with none of the vote reported throughout the night. The app was coded by a tech firm run by former members of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, known as Shadow Inc. SLU’s Political Science Department with help from the Political Round Table and the Center for Service and Community Engagement was in charge of organizing the watch party. Steven Rogers, Ph.D., was the lead organizer for the event and has held that position since SLU’s first watch party in 2016. Along with the Iowa Caucus, SLU will be hosting watch parties at the CGC for the New Hampshire primary on Feb. 11 and Super Tuesday on Mar. 3. “Our events provide the SLU community a central place to discuss politics and learn about the American electoral process,” said Rogers, in regard to the central aim of the SLU watch parties. Rogers also hoped that these events will spark more interest in politics for many students and inspire them to “become politically in-

volved on-campus.” The event ran smoothly with a live feed of CNN’s election feed on the big screen in the CGC along with tables and bleachers for students to sit and watch the night’s events unfold. There was a food table in the back with free pizza, snacks and drinks along with various activities for students to participate in at their tables as they watched the election results. The event kicked off with Rogers giving a presentation on theories about elections and public opinion before turning back to the CNN feed for the remainder of the night. SLU students with differing political opinions and backgrounds all gathered together on Monday night to watch the events of the Iowa Caucus unfold. SLU’s College Democrats and College Republicans each set up tables to talk to students and watch the election along with various other university-based political and advocacy organizations. There were supporters in attendance for all of the

leading candidates in the field, including Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg, Joe Biden and Amy Klobuchar. David Miller, a sophomore Klobuchar supporter, said that he looked for a candidate who “wouldn’t restrict markets” and “allow for social welfare programs” without having socially conservative positions. Klobuchar is the senior U.S. Senator from Minnesota who is a part of the moderate wing of the Democratic field, along with former former Vice President Joe Biden and former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg. Sophomore voter Mccaully Bauer said she would support a candidate who was “pro-immigration” and who would establish “social and healthcare reform.” While undecided, Bauer states that what our country currently has in place “should be radically different” and explained that she leans towards candidates Sanders and Warren. Sanders and Warren comprise the progressive wing of the Democratic field

and propose more expansive social and economic policies. Sanders, senior Senator from Vermont, most differs from Warren, senior Senator from Massachusetts, based on his entirely grassroots campaign and his more comprehensive policy positions on Medicare for All, universal suffrage and free college/student debt cancellation. Senior Brett Jones, on the other hand, said he supports Sanders mainly for his policy positions. Jones asserted that Sanders is the “only candidate that supports Medicare for All unequivocally.” Jones also agreed with Sanders’ position on universal suffrage (voting rights for all), along with him being the only candidate who supports Palestine and does not take super PAC money. The general sentiment among SLU students in attendance was that they expected Bernie, Biden or Warren to win in Iowa that night. As the night wore on without any results coming in, the crowd of over 150 students progressively started to dwindle. Many students started to grow impatient that nothing was happening and left the watch party within a few hours. By the time the clock hit 10, there were only around 20 students scattered around the CGC. The watch party ended without anyone knowing the winner of the Iowa Caucus. SLU students will have a chance to vote for their preferred Democratic candidate during the Missouri primary on Mar. 10, a week after Super Tuesday. Since the Missouri primary falls on SLU’s spring break, any students registered in Missouri and will be out of town must vote early or with an absentee ballot. Visit headcount.org to register to vote and for more information on the Missouri primary.

HOW TO VOTE WHILE STUDYING ABROAD

NEWS

Illustration Courtesy of Ashlee Kothenbeutel

Studying abroad? Want to vote? Here’s a guide to exercising your civic duty internationally. By MIKHAIL FAULCONER Staff Writer

oting in the U.S. can be complex due to the variation in state laws regarding registration. The process can be further complicated by voting via absentee ballot, even more so for submitting an absentee ballot from outside the U.S. The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) reported that the turnout amongst eligible voting Americans abroad was only seven percent, significantly lower than the domestic 72 percent turnout. Moreover, only 30 percent of the gap was accounted for by logistical difficulties of voting while abroad. According to SLU’s Office of International Services, about 750-800 students participate in some kind of international program each year, with 159 students studying abroad during the fall 2019 semester. Al-

though the Office of International Services sends some information to students studying abroad on how to vote, the process can still be difficult. Senior Katie Ross, who studied abroad at SLU Madrid in fall 2018, stated, “It was slightly difficult to make sure I was doing the process all correctly and that I could complete it in time.”

Registration

The first step to voting in any election is registration. Voters can be registered for primaries and general elections. Missouri holds “open” primaries, meaning anyone who is already a registered voter can participate, regardless of party affiliation or registration. However, some states require that voters be registered as Republicans or Democrats in order to vote in their respective primaries. If one is not registered to vote prior to studying abroad, they can do so in person at the local County Clerk’s office or the DMV. Applications for registration, which usually require little more than basic personal info such as a permanent address and so-

cial security number, can also be requested by mail or printed and sent from home. Deadlines vary by state, and it is important to leave time both to confirm registration and to request an absentee ballot. Anyone can check their registration status at Vote.org, as well as a number of other websites that work to educate on registration processes and generate greater awareness of and participation in elections. The Secretaries of State of Missouri, Illinois, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Ohio and Texas, also all feature websites that allow residents to check their voter registration and potentially change their registered address.

Requesting an Absentee Ballot Abroad

After registering to vote, one must request an absentee ballot to be sent to their abroad address or to an email box. It is very important to request the ballot early enough to ensure that the ballot can be returned either by email or mail before the deadline. SLU’s Madrid campus assists students with questions regarding registration and absentee ballots. Ross

commented, “The school did a great job making it known that we could vote and providing resources on how to register.” Additionally, large voter mobilization organizations like “Rock the Vote” have volunteers and staff in Spain that can offer some direct assistance to students. Finally, the U.S. Department of State and the FVAP answer FAQs, provide guides and other information on a state-bystate basis. Despite the number of resources available, many students, like their colleagues at home in the U.S., chose not to vote while abroad. Ross said, “It was definitely easier to choose not to vote.” Senior Emily Chisholm, who was also at SLU Madrid in the fall of 2018, commented, “Those who chose not to vote thought it seemed like a lot of work and effort. Being so far from home, they also did not feel informed on the candidates ... the [Rock the Vote] volunteers in the cafeteria also did as much as they could to guide us through the process, and to be honest, guilt us into voting.” Both Ross and Chisholm stated that in spite of the confusion and red tape that voting internationally can entail, voting was and is important and meaningful for students even while abroad. Chisholm stated, “I think for those of us who did vote, we felt like it was our civic duty. I still cared about the status of our country even though I was temporarily away from it.” Similarly, Ross said, “All votes matter and practicing this right is a great way to stay connected to your home country and state. It will help give you a sense of accomplishment and you will definitely not regret casting your vote.”

News

FINAL COMMON CORE PROPOSAL RELEASED By CONOR DORN Associate News Editor ince 2018, the University Undergraduate Core Committee (UUCC) has been working towards a university-wide common core that every student, regardless of major or college, will complete. On Friday, Jan. 31, the UUCC released the final iteration of the Core proposal to the SLU community. The final proposal is the culmination of more than two years of hard work from the UUCC. After settling on nine Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) as the foundation for the common core curriculum, the committee began the core design process, a process that was multidimensional and collaborative. They drew input from the SLU community by sponsoring Core Invention Workshops and inviting students, faculty and staff to submit their own core designs. They also organized roundtables, bringing in core curriculum directors from Jesuit universities across the United States and invited leaders in higher education to give presentations on core trends at comparable undergraduate universities. Last August, the UUCC circulated a draft of the Core proposal to the SLU community, opening the floor for feedback and questions. The reaction to the draft was mixed, and several major concerns were voiced at university-wide open fora, faculty assemblies, and in the SGA senate chamber. Some students and faculty took issue with a perceived lack of emphasis on theology and philosophy, and the lack of an explicit foreign language requirement, which for many represent important pillars of Jesuit education. Another common concern raised at open fora discussions was a question of implementa-

tion and adequacy of resources. Many departments, some of whom already struggle with funding issues, felt that the implementation of a new core would introduce further financial strain, strain that they did not have the resources to cope with. The proposal was also met with a significant amount of support and encouragement. Faculty from across a wide range of colleges applauded the UUCC’s devotion to the arduous process of creating a university-wide core curriculum from scratch and praised the spirit of collaboration that had characterized the endeavor. With the release of the final core proposal last Friday, Jan. 31, SLU’s colleges and schools now have until Mar. 20 to hold a yes/ no vote on the question of adopting the proposed core curriculum. In the interim, the question on the minds of many is the degree to which the UUCC acknowledged and addressed the apprehensions raised. The most noticeable adjustment between the final proposal and the draft was a three hour reduction in the total number of credit hours constituting the core curriculum, from 35 to 32 credit hours. The difference was reached by reducing the first year “Ignite Seminar” from three down to two credit hours, making the second part of the...

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(Riley Tovornik / The University News)

MEET THE NEW

INTERIM VP OF STUDENT DEVELOPMENT By KLAUDIA WACHNIK Staff Writer n Dec. 13, 2019, Dr. Mona Hicks, the Associate Vice President and Dean of Students for the Division of Student Development at that time, ended her successful career at SLU. Dr. Kent Porterfield, the Vice President at the time, also stepped down soon after. Their leave left empty spaces in the division, and the university has since undertaken a search to fill those seats. While the search for an associate and permanent vice president will continue, Dr. Debra Rudder Lohe has taken on the role of serving as the Interim Vice President for the Division of Student Development. Lohe stepped into her new role with a considerable amount of experience. In her almost 25 years of serving higher education, more than 10 of those have been at SLU. While bringing along the skills and experience she’s attained from years in the field, she’ll also have the support and aid of the Interim Associate Vice President and Dean of Students, Donna Bess Myers. “Being able to serve as that support to Dr. Debie and moving things along—that’s what we’re here for.” stated Myers, when speaking of her and other staff members support for Lohe. “The full set of things that are really focused on students, that are not academic, that are not faculty in classrooms, all of that is under the umbrella of student development,” said Lohe about the function of the division. While many were concerned

about the changes that a new temporary leadership may bring to the division, Lohe described her and Myers’ role as only being to progress things that are currently going on in the division. “I think the way that [Myers] and I think about the interim role is we’re keeping things going, keeping the ships in the water, [and] allowing things that were already in process to continue to move forward,” said Lohe. The Division for Student Development is of the utmost importance to many students and staff, and both Lohe and Myers plan on keeping it that way. With pressing issues like student mental health and preparation for next year’s incoming class, the Division for Student Development aims to ensure that staff members feel supported and have all the resources they need to help students here at SLU. For the Division of Student Development, student’s mental health is at the forefront. “[Student mental health and wellness], that continues to be on the minds of folks in student development, and I think to the extent we can continue to be good voices for what are the kinds of programs we need, what are the resources we need, and how do we empower you to be helpful to each other, so I think student wellness is a big, top of the list,” said Lohe. Although Lohe is only serving as the Vice President for Student Development temporarily, she is here to serve nonetheless with the aid of Myers. “Anything for students, that’s the cool thing about our gigs, anything for students,” said Myers, reflecting on her and Lohe’s positions.

Photo Courtesy of Steve Dolan

News

SINQUEFIELD CENTER ENGAGES

ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY By SAVANAN SEYER Staff Writer ne of SLU’s newest centers for research, the Sinquefield Center for Applied Economic Research, began making its mark on the St. Louis community. The Sinquefield Center was established in 2019 thanks to a donation from Dr. Jeanne and Rex Sinquefield, and conducts research focused on “economic growth and social welfare than can inform public policy.” Michael Podgursky, P.h.D., the director of the Center said, “We are gathering longitudinal data on people. For example [the pipeline of] kids to school to work.” Data collected by the Center will range from jobs held by certain people based on their education levels, their gender and other distinctive features down to commuting trends of neighborhoods. Podgursky said that they were working to obtain data on a large number of topics, from many different unique sources, such as the Dese Department and the Department of Higher Education. The Center will use the data on a number of projects, including the current focus of workforce and educational development. Analyzing and evaluating education and employment data could help to discover what ways the education system can be improved to help individuals and communities grow and sustain economic development. “We are interested in human capital development,” said Podgursky. “We want to know where kids [in the education system] are

succeeding and failing. We want to find out how we can make education work better in the area.” Dr. Takako Nomi, who is an associate professor of educational studies, also works with the Center researching education data, is focusing on the inequalities in “high school-to-college outcomes” from schools and districts across the St. Louis region. Another facet of the Sinquefield Center’s research is directed towards economic growth projects throughout the area. One of the most exciting opportunities that the Center has for determining if the economic growth is successful is the brand-new National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) project being built in North St. Louis. Because the NGA project is an initiative that aims to bring employment and economic stimulation to the communities around it, the 1.7-billion-dollar endeavor allows the Sinquefield Center to have a unique “before-and-after” picture of the projects impact. “Imagine throwing a rock into a still pond,” said Podgursky. “That’s what we are doing. Looking at ripple effects and impacts.” The Sinquefield Center is also creating opportunities for students and faculty at SLU. The Center is bringing together faculty and graduate researchers from across the University to work on a number of different projects. For example, Enbal Shacham, P.h.D., is using the big data collected by the Center to research the different factors affecting health outcomes in the area. Beyond sponsoring faculty research, the Center hopes to hire more students, both undergraduate and graduate, and get them involved in the valuable work that they’re doing.

05 Graphic Courtesy of Jack Connaghan

LAST CALL FOR

SLU COLLEGE BARS By KLAUDIA WACHNIK Staff Writer he saying ‘bad things come in threes’ has never been more true. Three of the staple college bars around SLU have closed their doors since 2017, leaving university students without a traditional college bar in sight. The Library Annex, or “Lannex” as deemed by students, the vibrant late-night club and goto for students and locals alike, joined two iconic establishments of the Midtown neighborhood, “Humphrey’s Restaurant & Tavern” and “Mi Caribe” when it closed its doors in the summer of 2019. According to The Library Annex’s Facebook, the “last call” occurred June 8, leaving students without a familiar place to go when the fall semester started. Students of SLU knew these bars rarely saw an empty night on the weekends. If anything, they were gaining exposure from hosting student events and serving as the center of the social experience at SLU. Was this enough to keep their doors open? Megan Saksefski, a 2014 SLU alumna, discusses the previous student social life in Midtown. Although she was more than excited to talk about her college dive bar, Saksefski was disappointed to hear it had closed since her graduation. “Nearly every major celebration or night out began or ended at Humphrey’s. I would dare to say it was the social center of campus,” Saksefski said during

our interview. She was worried about the current situation of students traveling off-campus for night-life. Saksefski mentioned, “Going anywhere at night carries some risk, especially if drinking is involved. One of the reasons Humphrey’s was so great was because it was so close and within a safe walking distance. I worry for students that constantly have to travel long distances just to get together.” The Executive Director of St. Louis Midtown Redevelopment Corp., Brooks Goedeker, led the charge for “The Grove” neighborhood development, taking it from six businesses on the main strip to now 86 parcels of development. St. Louis developers would previously tell him, “Midtown is good only about seven to eight months out of the year when students are there.” This is how Midtown turned into a waiting game. They are waiting for that density to emerge from locals moving to Midtown, so they can attract new bars and restaurants, but it is not that kind of neighborhood, yet...

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Arts and life

Graphic Courtesy of Ashlee Kothenbeutel

BRACE FOR BACHELOR NATION By GRACE RAKESTRAW Staff Writer y hand reaches for the black mouse pad on my laptop while my brain screams “No!” One short tap and my life will delve into drama, the drama that “The Bachelor” provides. My hand continues its procession forward toward my laptop as my brain protests. Finally, my fingers tap the mouse pad and “The Bachelor” recap begins to play. Despite my suspicion of the show’s premise, I continue to watch the Bachelor, just as so many others do, but why? The Bachelor is supposed to be the story of one man finding love. This man has 25 to 40 beautiful women competing for his hand in marriage. To stay on the show, each woman must receive a rose at the revered rose ceremonies. Without a rose, the women often leave in tears and hysteria as their hopes of love are crushed. This is the story of “The Bachelor.” Now we ask why this story draws millions of viewers in every season. I have grown up around the Bachelor. In eighth grade, I stayed home sick and decided to lay in bed all day so I could watch “The Bachelor,” specifically Sean Lowe’s season. My friends were always sharing their favorite contestants in the hallway, and I was ready to join the “club.” I watched a few more seasons and then took a break. While I was not actively watching “The Bachelor,” it was everywhere. Every Monday night, while the weekly episode aired, the Twitter Explore page recounted the drama of the night. The last few seasons seemed to hold social media’s attention. I knew all about Hannah Brown’s night in the windmill and the religious debate that followed without watching an episode. Then I came to SLU and heard about a new Bachelor watch party

popping up every Monday night. Many people watch “The Bachelor” just to have a conversation with the legions of other people who watch. As we approach Valentine’s Day, one can make the argument that a few, rare people watch the bachelor for the romance it provides. Despite the suspicion that the romantic interactions are faked, the contestants seem to be convinced they can find love. Every week there is another girl admitting she thinks she is falling in love, while the bachelor (this year, Peter Weber, or Pilot Pete) repeats that he really likes her. As more drama unfolds, reaffirmations of trust are made. Despite all the trust that is exchanged, suspicion lurks around every corner as one man tries to find love in a sea of girls. As the season draws closer to the end, watchers pick their favorites and cheer for love to prevail. The last and most important reason to watch “The Bachelor” is the drama on the screen. With every new bachelor comes a new crowd of girls vying for his attention. This leads to drama including catfights, tears and yelling. The drama we see may be manipulated by the producers, but it provides for an entertaining evening. Despite the degrading nature of the show toward females, “The Bachelor” remains a pillar of reality TV. It has been popular enough to demand several spinoff shows, including “Bachelor in Paradise” and “The Bachelorette.” For better or worse, “The Bachelor” and its spinoffs are here to stay, at least for a few more seasons. When watching “The Bachelor,” it is important to remember that you do not condone the actions on screen and instead take it for what it is, the guiltiest of guilty pleasures.

Arts and life

ARTISTS INSPIRING CHANGE By SYDNEY COMPTON Staff Writer Every day we are notified of new issues surrounding climate change, racism, political arguments and more. We cannot escape the constant updates pinging our phones. Often times, we look toward celebrities or those with more lucrative finances to do something when a natural disaster strikes or human rights issues arise. But what I find more admirable are those artists who use their platform of music, art or acting to speak out about an issue and inspire their followers to engage in advocating for change by supporting creative works. From freelance illustrators to the royalty of England, here are some artists who use their work to create and inspire activism.

Ziggy Alberts An independent singer/songwriter from Australia with millions of listeners worldwide, Ziggy Alberts has reached a large audience. According to his Spotify bio, Ziggy creates “honest and personal music that explores his relationship both with others and the planet.” He is an avid surfer and environmentalist, and matters of climate and dangerous environmental issues push him to create music that brings to light important subjects like the bushfires of Australia. On Jan. 24, Ziggy released a new single titled “Together.” The song is inspired by many events in his life, but the final push to finish the song came in late 2019 when the bushfires in Australia were at their peak. Ziggy wrote on his Facebook announcement for the single that this “song isn’t just about the fires. It isn’t just about the irresponsibility of our governing body giving mining companies access to our limited drinking water. And it isn’t just about Australia. It is most importantly about putting fear aside and coming together. It is about freedom of speech, our freedom to protest, about our freedom to tell the truth: our freedom to ask questions.” For the first month, 10 percent of the streaming sales of this song will be donated by Ziggy to organizations involved in the Australian bushfire relief.

Meghan Markle Just about everyone is in tune with the surprising news of Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, disengaging from their royal duties. News about where they will live, what they will do and how they will pay back their debts to the English commonwealth are all in the latest news. But what I find more interesting is Meghan Markle’s agreement with Disney to do voiceover work on an unspecified project in the future. In exchange for her work, The Dutchess asked for a donation to the wildlife charity Elephants Without Borders. This organization is dedicated to the conservation of wildlife and natural resources with a focus on tracking and protecting animals from poaching. While some may argue that this is not the best move for the couple who has debts to pay back, the deal is admirable to say the least. While she comes from a place of privilege and is able to decline payment in exchange for a donation for that reason, The Dutchess does draw the public eye to an organization engaging in important efforts to protect the natural world.

DYKWTCA The project DYKWTCA (Do You Know Where The Children Are?) is a collaboration of over 100 artists. The artists were brought together by the Flores accounts of June 2019, an investigation conducted by volunteer lawyers, doctors and mental health experts who visited the U.S. Customs and Border Protection migrant detention center in Clint, Texas. These volunteers were sent to make sure the United States was not in violation of the Flores Agreement, a settlement from 1997 that ensured that detained migrants under 18 would be provided with a basic level of care by the U.S. federal government. The findings were devastating. Firsthand accounts from sick children, scared and unsure how long they had been detained, led to a 103-page report that inspired the art project DYKWTCA. This project serves as a call to action to connect artists with activism. The pieces incorporate a range of mediums. One piece includes a printing on a lice brush telling a first hand account of a guard threatening children with a lack of beds to try and scare them into doing what he said. The project’s aim is not to “aestheticize the atrocities, but instead create a physical record which generates direct change through financial support.”

Haley Kennedy A name known mainly through Instagram, Haley Kennedy, aka @shopsundae, is a Canadian freelance illustrator. Her colorful digital art and graphic designs caught my eye when scrolling through the Explore page one day. A huge advocate for mental health and wellness, it was not surprising when Kennedy created a line of T-shirts and bags for Australian bushfire relief. “Support Your Local Mother” is a collaboration she is a part of with actor Brooke Chamberlain and brand Girl Gang to support and protect the wildlife of Australia during this frightening time. 100 percent of the proceeds are donated to the WIRES Wildlife Rescue until Feb. 15, and I have to say the designs of cute koalas do pull on the heartstrings.

Arts and life

HOMEMADE PASTA: WORTH THE EFFORT By JACK JOHNSTON Staff Writer ne of my favorite books growing up was “Strega Nona,” the story of an Italian witch who owns a magic pasta-making cauldron. Only the “strega”—the Italian word for witch—has the ability to use the magic cauldron. This is a lesson that her helper, Big Anthony, learns too well when he tries to make pasta and ends up flooding the town with fettuccini. I’ve always been a Big Anthony in the kitchen. Even this last holiday season, I tried to make peanut clusters without my mom’s supervision and burnt the chocolate to create bitter ashy peanut blobs. But one thing my grandma gave me for Christmas was a cookbook. I had asked for it because I wanted to become a strega in the kitchen rather than a Big Anthony. While the lack of an oven or a stove in the Fusz kitchen has limited my cooking opportunities, I have a friend who was more than happy to show me how to make pasta from scratch. Using her kitchen, we were able to create a dinner of farfalle (bowties) and linguini (thick spaghetti). Here’s how we did it:

We were able to do the iconic eggin-a-pile-of-flour technique that is seen in the movies! After creating a bowl shape with our flour, we filled it with egg. Through mixing, we slowly incorporated the flour, and over time, the flour bowl disappeared.

By the time the flour was all incorporated, we had a large moist blob of dough. We wrapped the dough in plastic wrap and let it sit for around 20 minutes. This let the dough thicken and strengthen for the next step. We made a salad during the wait so that we’d have an appetizer.

REST!

This is the fun part, but it also required the most work. My friend told me

ROLL!

thumb, index finger and middle finger to cinch the middle of the square. To make linguini, just cut in long straight lines. It may seem weird to put raw dough in boiling water, but the fresh dough actually allows it to have a cook time of about three minutes (at least with our recipe). To know when it’s done, take a piece out and bite it. If it has a noodle texture on the outside but it’s still doughy on the inside, then you have cooked it to “al dente,” which is the perfect amount of cooking for pasta. I am still not an expert on how to sense this just by biting it, but my friend who has made this multiple times has the hang of it. Must be a strega thing...

Boil!

Now this is by far the most fun part. We happened to make a homemade pesto sauce, but if you don’t do that, then store bought is fine as well.

Eat!

that the dough should be “thin enough to read a newspaper through,” which seemed a little ambitious to me at first since it’s, like, dough. But we did it! If your wooden rolling pin malfunctions like ours did, feel free to use a glass bottle. And use plenty of flour throughout the rolling process.

MIX!

This was also a fun part because it’s when the pasta actually forms. Once your dough is rolled all the way out use a sharp knife to cut the pasta. To make farfalle, cut out squares and use your

CUT!

Every recipe has its own unique additions to this process (ours called for a special type of flour), but I think the general process is just as interesting to learn. I am still by no means a Strega Nona in the kitchen. But, thankfully, I was still able to witness a magic pasta cauldron (kind of) in the company of friends. And that, I will say, was the most fun of all.

University News 2/6/20 Crossword

Across 1 Rowan Atkinson role, Mr. ___ 5 Hindu princess 9 Jacuzzi 12 Diva’s song 13 Matures 14 Hitching place 16 2012 Christian Bale sequel, with The 20 Proof word 21 1982 Pryor, Gleason comedy, The ___ 22 Ended a fast 23 Sonny boy, in the UK 26 Goat god 27 Brusque 28 Smells 29 Setting of many jokes 30 Cantina cookers 31 Llama land 32 California’s Big ___ 33 Hangs around 34 1992 Michael Caine, Carol Burnett comedy 37 Grades 39 Mother Teresa, e.g. 40 Lily pad denizen 44 Domesticates 45 Address abbr. 46 Classic Alan Ladd western 47 Not quite shut 48 Shipwreck signal 49 Tiara 50 Real heel 51 Hoskins of Roger Rabbit fame 52 Make, as a CD 53 2012 sequel not starring Matt Damon 59 Takes to court 60 Kind of exam 61 Canyon effect

games

Solutions in the Feb. 21st issue 7

22 27

20 23

59 62

62 Small pouch 63 Wild oxen 64 Bridle part Down 1 2011 Cameron Diaz flick, ___ Teacher 2 Historic period 3 Tire filler 4 1967 Sinatra thriller, with The 5 2003 Costner, Duvall western, Open ___ 6 Exchange premium 7 Minus (Abbr.) 8 1987 Beatty, Hoffman comic flop 9 Nimble 10 Luau dish

Last Issue’s Solutions

11 2005 Ethan Hawke crime drama, ___ on Precinct 13 15 Aquarium ﬁsh 17 Barbra’s A Star Is Born co-star 18 Heavy weight 19 Movie scenery, at times 23 Prune 24 Citrus drink 25 Palme ___ (Cannes award) 26 2000 Stiller, De Niro comedy, Meet the ___ 27 1993 Stallone, Lithgow thriller 29 Greyhound, e.g. 30 Buffoon 32 Start of a cheer 33 Hit the jackpot 35 Approves, brieﬂy

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

8 1 2 87 9 3 3 8 6 5 9 3 61 6 2 5 3 9 49 2 71 1 3 2 6 7 4 3 2 8 8 9 4 7 6 6 7 9 5 4 7 1

PuzzleJunction.com

36 1991 Belushi comedy, Curly ___ 37 Indian aristocrats 38 1984 Mozart bio classic 41 “Far out!” 42 Inseparable 43 Jewel 44 Diplomat’s forte 45 1995 Liam Neeson, Jessica Lange remake 46 King 48 Paltry amount 49 Softens 51 Pear variety 52 Schnozz 54 Actress Benaderet 55 Gun grp. 56 First-class 57 Vital force of Chinese medicine 58 Over there

PuzzleJunction.com

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Poetry slam and musical jams

1) By RILEY TOVORNIK Photo Editor Members of the general public and the Black Student Alliance gathered in the Billiken Grill in the basement of the BSC on Jan. 31 to kick off Black History Month with some slam poetry. Poets from around St. Louis and members of BSA came and shared their poems, with topics ranging from personal experiences, to opression and racism.

Let me tell you about my fallen feathers They were loved by me Gave me the air I breathed And when they were on, my pain you couldn’t see They were there when I was all alone They were there when I needed hope They kept me lost in the cold But as time passed, I knew I had to let em go The feathers were hindering They kept falling at my feet I made sure I was getting them all up That wasn’t doing nothing, but making me weak I thought those feathers were keeping me out the way But closing myself from the world wasn’t making sure I okay Keeping me closed off from reality and my success I wanted my feathers to grow back, but they became less and less

1) Organizers, speakers and attendees pose for a group photo. 2) Mike G ended the night with a small concert performance. 3)Gloryonna Christian delivers a poem on personal empowerment.

So one day I got sick of it and said I’m letting them go And as time went on and I found myself New ones started to grow They were fuller, stronger and felt soft No matter how hard people pulled they wouldn’t come off I thought back to my old feathers and wondered why did those die? So God said to me “Those old feathers were keeping your new feathers from teaching you how to fly” -Gloryonna

Christian

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4) “Truth’s” slam poetry addressed race and class issues such as police violence. 5) Some poems addressed the Me Too movement and sexual harassment. 6) The size of the crowd stayed strong throughout the night, with students coming and going to enjoy some poetry as they ate their dinners.

10) 7) “Seven” talked about LGBTQ+ rights and pride in her poetry. 8) “Molly the Poet” performed twice during the event, and her poems were a huge hit each time. 9) Gloryonna Christian delivers a poem to a captivated audience. Students came and went throughout the night, all taking time to enjoy the poetry. 10) Rapper E2K sings the outro of his latest album.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Tim

Familiar Faces The Statues of Saint Louis University

By JACK CONNAGHAN, Photo Editor

You recognize them, don’t you?

Statues of all kinds pepper SLU’s Frost Campus, each with a unique story and creative vision. While some statues date back many decades, most of the campus’s bronze inhabitants were brought to life thanks to former SLU President, Fr. Lawrence Biondi, who served the University from 1987 to 2013. Biondi was criticized in his day for his taste in art, and the high cost of some installations led students to question their inclusion altogether. Some statues have been criticized for their provocative design, while others are derided for their tackiness. Regardless, all of these statues now define the artistic landscape of SLU. Be careful what you say around some of them; they may be listening.

Laurie

Tim, Laurie and the Daydreamer Michael Atkinson, the sculptor behind these three related statues, was one of the first artists to contribute to the Biondi Renaissance. The statues were brought to the university in 1988 and depict three young athletes in the moments after their performances. Atkinson wanted to capture the serenity in these moments by accentuating their tired bodies and contemplative faces. Tim and Laurie relax together at the Clocktower, while the Daydreamer rests between Pius Library and the Simon Recreation Center.

Cor ad Cor Loquitur This piece by James Michael Maher arrived at SLU in 1996 and now lives outside Xavier College Church. Originally commissioned by the Benedictine Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery in Yankton, SD, the statue represents how the sisters wanted to bring the love and care of Jesus Christ to those they worked with. The viewer is given the option to sit down next to Jesus and watch him care for the child, who was modeled after Maher’s own tenmonth-old son.

Daydreamer

Information courtesy of Saint Louis University Archives and Digital Services

Cor ad Cor Loquitur

Photography The Pilgrim This statue of St. Ignatius de Loyola, made by artist Vicki Reid in 2000, is one of two statues dedicated to Mary Bruemmer. Bruemmer served many administrative roles at SLU and continues to touch the lives of SLU students to this day. She wanted the representation of St. Ignatius to stand in the Quad, where the Jesuits used to congregate before going home to DuBourg Hall.

News from Marathon Delivered to SLU in 1994 by sculptor Kirk St. Maur, this provocative statue depicts the story of Pheidippides, the Greek soldier who ran from Marathon to Athens to deliver the news that the Greeks had won the Battle of Marathon. He is said to have fallen to the ground and died upon arriving in Athens. Though his statue hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fallen, his loincloth certainly fell somewhere along the way.

Robert Frost George Lundeen erected this vision of Robert Frost in 1996 outside of Pius Library. He looks to Grand Boulevard in search of inspiration. If you join Frost on his bench, you will find him writing a familiar piece.

Accordion Player Though the Accordion Player lacks a completion date or an artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name, he has no shortage of spunk and a lust for life. He happily plays his instrument for all who enter Xavier Hall and wears a smile at all times. In recent months, he was given the gift of sight by someone with spare googly eyes.

Blessed Virgin Mary This version of the Virgin Mary was commissioned in 1955 by the School of Commerce and Finance alumni in honor of Fr. Joseph L. Davis, S.J. Davis founded the school in 1910 and taught there to his death. The statue stands between Pius Library and the Chaifetz Business School.

For more information about the history of saint louis university, visit the slu archives office in pius library Open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., monday thru friday, in pius 308

sports

MAMBA OUT: GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN By JEREMIAH KIRSCH Staff Writer

he morning of Jan. 26 saw the world lose an all-time great. About 30 miles northwest of Los Angeles, a helicopter carrying NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, along with two of her AAU basketball teammates and their parents, crashed into the mountain side covered in thick fog. The group was travelling to the Mamba Sports Academy for a Sunday morning game. Tragically, all nine aboard the aircraft did not survive, including the pilot. Nine beautiful lives were all taken too soon. Despite the other seven fatalities, the death of Bryant and his daughter Gigi caused the most grief for millions across the world. The 41-year-old Bryant was a star who was larger than life. Taken 13th in the 1996 NBA draft, the 18-year-old went on to win five championships, two Gold Medals and an MVP, make 18 All-Star appearances, score 81 points in a game and receive countless accolades over his twenty year career. His trademark “Mamba Mentality” pushed him, and those in his presence, to greatness in all aspects of life. “Kobe Bryant was a legend both on and off the court.” said SLU women’s basketball head coach Lisa Stone. Despite his unparalleled oncourt legacy, Bryant transcended the game to millions around the world. From his own shoe brand, to his clutch shot-making ability, to coaching his daughter’s AAU team, many connected with and related to Bryant. He was a figure that millions desired to emulate but who they

could never replicate. That connection with Bryant is why countless kids wore “Kobe’s,” yelled “Kobe!” when shooting a piece of trash into the trash bin, wore the number 8 or 24, played with “Mamba Mentality,” or even picked up a ball and became a basketball fan in the first place. As SLU sophomore Avery Resuali put it, “he was such a model for me as a youth athlete.” Kobe was what Jordan, Lebron, Shaq, Steph, or D-Wade never were; he was a player that millions attempted to be like every day, on and off the court. “Kobe Bryant was a huge part of my family’s life, especially his work ethic and his mentality,” remarked SLU women’s basketball player Myia Clark. He was the playe r

2003 and a use of a homophobic slur in 2011, to his family life, his Oscar-winning film and his increased support for women’s sports after retirement, Bryant was a star who did so many great things, yet he was not without his missteps. Bryant grew up before our eyes, literally and figuratively. The Black Mamba was a kid when he came into the public arena, and he died as a well-respected man leading the move-

“His trademark “Mamba Mentality” pushed him, and those in his presence, to greatness in all aspects of life.”

Ashlee Kothenbeutel / The University News who millions of young athletes strove to be like. At some point, every young athlete dreamed of being Bryant. Bryant’s complete legacy is long and in some areas complicated. Almost a week after his death, ESPN was still mentioning Bryant with regularity. From his playing career as an amateur and professional, to a rape allegation and settlement in

was controversial at times. What made Bryant great was his ability to see and understand his faults and weaknesses of today while doing whatever it took to turn those faults and weaknesses into advantages and strengths for tomorrow. He never let yesterday define today. One moment never defined Bryant. He was an artist who painted an entire canvas; some areas of the canvas are not as pretty as some would like, but the work was a masterpiece, an unfinished one at that. To finish Bryant’s masterpiece is the responsibility of all those who have ever shouted “Kobe” when shooting something. Using the Black Mamba’s example of improving every day and never settling for less than excellence is our responsibility now. To not let yesterday’s mistakes define us is our responsibility now. To grow and support women’s sports is our responsibility now. To be #GirlDads is our responsibility now. To always compete in anything we do is our responsibility now. Continuing to follow in Bryant’s example is how his masterpiece is finished. It is how his canvas becomes complete. It is how we truly cement his legacy as one of the greatest of all time, on and off the court. On January 26, 2020 the world lost one of the greatest athletes ever, Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven of their friends in a helicopter crash north of LA. The entire world grieves for the loss of such an incredible inspiration. Mamba Out.

ment for the growth of women’s sports, specifically basketball. The Black Mamba’s true legacy is not how many championships he won, things he did for Women’s sports or the times he stepped out of line; it is a legacy that is of learning and growth each and every day. Kobe was never perfect. He missed shots. He got in legal trouble. He clashed with teammates. He

sports

SENIORS LEAVE LEGACY AT FINAL HOME MEET By SAM GLASS Sports Editor ighlighting the senior class is always a surreal experience for athletes, coaches, spectators, friends and families. On Saturday, Feb.1, SLU’s swimming and diving team celebrated their senior class in their final home meet of the season at Simon Rec. The 12 seniors were honored prior to the start of the meet against University of Missouri-St. Louis. The Billikens got a pair of victories for men and women, a fitting end to the final meet before the Atlantic 10 Championships in Geneva, Ohio. The Billikens have been putting up good performances the entire season and this pre-championship victory is sure to help push the momentum. The Billiken women were able to edge Tritons 141-65 and the men had a closer meet finishing with a score of 116.5-97.5. Two notable women’s performances came from freshman Pola Luckiewicz and junior Katie Schmude, who each had two event wins. Luckiewicz won in both the 50 and 100 freestyle with times of 24.57 and 53.90, and Schmude came out on top in the 100 backstroke and 100 breaststroke netting times of 59.43 and 1:09.65. The women continued to impress by taking first in every event of the meet. Individual Billiken first place winners were freshmen Lauren Payton in the 1000 free at 10:40.79, Sophie Kishish 200 at 1:57.13 in the 200 free, Tessa Horan in the 200 individual medley at 2:12.69, Rylee Stone with a time of 50.71 in the 100 butterfly, Sara Desing in the 500 free at 5:15.39 and Trinity Goertz with a score 198.56 in the 1-meter dive. Billiken relays also swept first with the 200 medley team of Emily Smith, Alexis Beine, Bri Hodgkins and Natalie Daniel. The team came up with a time of 1:48.58. The 200 free relay saw Olivia Tate, Daniel, Stone and Luckiewicz touch first

with a time of 1:38.85. Billiken men also shined at home with senior Collin O’Brien collecting two victories in the 200 IM and 100 breast clocking in at 1:56.16 and 57.44. O’Brien also earned another victory in the 200 medley relay with teammates Keegan Paulson, Janssen Gamilla and Grant Streid coming in at 1:32.52. Paulson continued the Billiken hot streak with a win in the 100 back at 51.40. While the 1-meter dive was captured by freshman Jason Ruka with a score of 112.70. As freshman shine on senior day, the future of SLU Swim and Dive looks to be in good hands. The current seniors hold a joint 13 records, including four relays. One thing Billiken fans can always look forward to is continual growth from the squad and this weekend’s meet showed that in action.

SLU Swimming and Diving hosted their final home meet of the season over the weekend on senior night. The Billikens swept against UMSL winning both women’s and men’s meets. (Joshua Kang / The University News)

sports

TAKE ME OUT TO A BILLS GAME By AUSTIN GLASS Contributor f you wanna be the wokest woke that ever woke, go to women’s sports events.” Abby Wambach came to speak at SLU last Tuesday and had these words of wisdom for the SLU community. As a longtime supporter of Billiken athletics and a big proponent of supporting both our male and female teams, hearing Wambach say this was incredible. It is no secret that sports see a gap between men’s and women’s teams, so I spoke with SLU students around McDonnell Douglas to learn more about where these gaps may come from and what it looks like on campus. My conversations pointed out some areas that SLU does well and maybe some areas of opportunity. Wambach came to SLU to speak about gender equality. She has been recognized on the same level as Peyton Manning and Kobe

Bryant, all receiving ESPY Icon Awards in 2016, but she has led a completely different lifestyle. Wambach’s net worth is $4 million while the other two have over $800 million in combined wealth. She shattered the idea that people do not care about female athletics, citing more revenue brought in by the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team than their male counterparts. These issues impact real women across the U.S. and globally, but it ultimately starts earlier than at the professional level. The NCAA makes public the nearly 3,000 fans per game gap seen in Division I basketball, so what does all of this look like at SLU? When I get asked about why I have spent hundreds of hours watching SLU athletes compete, I talk about going to support a friend from high school or a friend made in chemistry or biology lab—classmates. I am not unique in this. Many students I spoke with referenced a friend or

classmate that they like to support. Billikens support Billikens, and SLU students feel more inclined to show up for their friends than perhaps most other universities. This makes for a dynamic atmosphere while Billikens compete. Unfortunately, it can often be difficult to manage time in college. Senior biomedical engineering major Matt Hren has rarely made it out to watch Billiken athletes, but he frequents Washington University women’s basketball games to watch his sister play. Limited time or conflicts often prevent students from prioritizing a soccer or basketball game, but many SLU students clearly show up to support their friends. While this is a special aspect of university athletics, plenty of students show up for other reasons. The stereotypical image of a Big10 football match pops into my mind when I think about all the students who show up for Billiken

athletics for sheer love of the sport. However, it can be challenging to find those same people at women’s matches. I had noticed this two weeks ago during a Sunday basketball double header. The rowdy crowd which packed the student section at the men’s game quickly diminished to enough students to count on two hands before the tip off at the women’s game. SLU students are not immune to thoughts that women’s teams play with less pace or intensity. This is, however, not the case. If a player cannot dunk, they must find another way to get the ball in the hoop. If they cannot dribble through five defenders, there is an alternative way around. Show up to watch the women. See that they play with just as much heart and intensity as the men. We are not all 6-foot10 behemoths. It makes the sports interesting and exciting to see how teams adjust to their strengths. Wambach was correct in saying that people who want to fight for female equality should go to more female athletic events. Sports are the great equalizer because that person standing next to you at the basketball game does not care about your differences. They care that you are both cheering on the same team. At SLU, we are all on the same team. We go to class with our athletes. There is a unique opportunity to get students interested in female athletics because of their relationships with the athletes, so get out and cheer on your friends!

Abby Wambach’s message in her visit to SLU revolved around the need to go to women’s sporting events. Left to right: Megan Nixon, Brionna Halverson, Mary Neihaus (Riley Tovornik / The University News)

Sports

SOFTBALL OPENS SEASON IN MISSISSIPPI By MISHAL MUSTAQUE Sports Writer oftball season kicks off for the Saint Louis University Billikens on Feb. 7 when they take on Mississippi Valley State in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. With a 1933 record last year (12-10 in conference), Billikens softball shows plenty of room for improvement. That is better said than done, however, as this year’s schedule is as challenging as last year’s, if not more, as it includes seven teams who made the NCAA tournament in 2019. When asked about this year’s schedule, SLU’s head coach Christy Connoyer said, “We look forward to our spring season and the challenging schedule it presents. Our out-of-conference schedule demands preparation, both physical and mental, as our opponents will definitely test us. Playing a strong non-conference schedule will help us as we prepare for the rigors of the Atlantic-10 Conference season.” The softball team hosted its 10th annual pre-season fundraising dinner on Saturday, Feb. 1, with tickets costing $25 per person and all proceeds going to fund the softball program, and with the fundraiser done-and-dusted, Coach Connoyer wanted to put some perspective for the hopes and expectations of the season that lies ahead. “Overall, our goal is to grow and improve each weekend to better understand what it takes to compete for a conference championship at the end,” she said. “Each opponent provides us that opportunity, and we anticipate getting stronger and building momentum each weekend.” SLU’s softball program is clearly not to be held in the same heightened pedestals of, say, soccer or basketball. With records indicating a program needing a massive overhaul in both ideology and talent, it would be some miracle to see the

team playing in the A-10 championship at the end of the season, much less an NCAA berth. Nevertheless, with four new recruits in the roster of 16, there are signs of renewed belief and freshness. Seniors Kylie Hess, outfielder, and Kaylea Chappelle, pitcher, will need to provide leadership, and the other upperclassmen will be expected to do the same. “I expect us to win our first A-10 Championship. Our preseason is stacked with highly competitive teams and I think it will really push us to be the best team we can be,” said Hess. A-10 All Conference first team Sadie Wise is one of those upperclassmen expected to show up big this season. The junior infielder posted seven team high stats in the 2019 season, including 45 RBIs, 35 runs, .405 batting average and .655 slugging percentage. As a sophomore,

Wise set the record for doubles in a season with 19. Wise was also recently selected to “Justin’s World of Softball” national lists for infielders (No. 25) and among players (No. 111). Many of the incoming freshmen are also expected to impress in their first season as Billikens. Two local players coming onto the team should add some new flair to the veteren lineup. Tabby Cacheris and Kayla Swiderski are two native standouts. Swiderski comes in as a two-time second team All-State, four year captain from Lindbergh High School. The incoming players are expected to bring in speed and versatility according to Chappelle. Chappelle also said that she believes her team this year is going to be “scrappy and surprise a lot of teams.” The team also looks to set them-

selves up for success in the A-10 Tournament this spring by getting the highest seed possible because they will get to play on their home soil for the first time since 2012. “Making top six is the first goal,” said Chappelle, “winning it all is the next.” The Billiken Sports Center will be hosting the 2020 Atlantic-10 Conference Tournament from May 6-9. Overall, there is much to look forward to in softball as this season will likely indicate the direction for the program’s future. Junior catcher Alyssa Chavez is among the seven veteren players on the SLU softball team. The Billikens open their season this weekend in Mississippi against the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils and the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles. (Photo Courtesy of Billiken Athletics)

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Opinion

By REBECCA LIVIGNI Managing Editor ovel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has dominated the global news cycle for the last month, with live updates provided daily from nearly every major news source. The first case was reported in December of 2019 in Wuhan, China. Since the initial outbreak, which has been suspected to have begun in a live fish, animal and bird market, Chinese officials have put the latest number of deaths at 563 and the number of confirmed cases at 28,018 (at press). Cases have spread to 24 other countries, including the United States. Eleven states have seen confirmed cases and over 200 persons in the U.S. under investigation for suspicions of carrying the virus, according to the CDC press briefing released on Feb. 5. Dr. Nancy Messonnier, Director of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said, “Right now we’re aggressively intervening to contain introduction into the United States. If community spread in the U.S. is established, we’ll implement broader measures to mitigate the impact of the virus on our communities.” On Jan. 30, the World Health Organization declared a global emergency, officially a “public health emergency of international concern.” “The declaration comes now, because of fears that the coronavirus may reach countries with weak health care systems, where it could run amok, potentially infecting millions of people and killing thousands,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director-general. With fear of a pandemic rising, Chinese health officials are squashing negative press about the outbreak and encouraging positive relief efforts, the New York Times reported. To no avail, the panic has ensued and grown exponentially as more cases are being reported closer to home. The closest case that’s been reported to SLU is in Chicago, but Dr. Fred Pestello’s email on Feb. 5 about bias incident protocol confirms that SLU is just as affected by this panic. According to Pestello, there have been reports of racist remarks towards some Chinese students while off-campus and he encourages the SLU community to practice cultural awareness and empathy. “We urge you to remember that people in our community have family and friends in China and elsewhere, who may be impacted by what is happening there,” said Pestello. Researchers across the globe are actively publishing articles reporting their findings about Novel Coronavirus-infected pneumonia (NCIP). Through a surveillance mechanism for “pneumonia of unknown etiology,” established after the 2003 SARS outbreak, local hospitals in Wuhan were able to identify NCIP. The article, funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China and published on Jan. 29, found

what to know about the 2019 novel coronavirus evidence that human-to-human transmission occurred among close contacts since the middle of December 2019. Messionnier reports that the infected patients in the U.S. are doing well and some are even improving. Officials at the CDC believe that the incubation period of the virus is about 2-14 days. This means that travelers returning from high-risk areas in China are being quarantined and screened for carriage of the virus. Two commercial flights with passengers from Wuhan have landed and two will be landing tomorrow. “we do believe that we have a window of opportunity now to prepare the United States in case that there is a broader spread of this outside China as well as a broader spread in the United States. And so, as I said before, we’re preparing as if this is a pandemic,” said Messionnier. Patients with 2019-nCoV have reported mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, cough and shortness of breath. The severe complication that comes with contracting the disease is predominantly pneumonia in both lungs, according to a summary report released by the CDC. The New York Times also reported that the fatality rate for this virus is significantly lower than other coronaviruses at this point, with a fatality rate of less than three percent. Historically, respiratory viruses travel through the air, enveloped in tiny droplets that are produced when a sick person breathes, talks, coughs or sneezes. These respiratory diseases appear to latch on to proteins on the surface of lung cells, but previous outbreaks of viruses have shown to be more destructive to the lung tissue than 2019-nCoV. Despite extensive and timely research, much is still unknown about the virus, including how easily it spreads from person to person, and how many of those infected develop severe disease that can lead to death. Children seem much less likely to develop severe symptoms, according to a report published Feb. 5 in JAMA. At this point, the CDC recommends preventative actions, including avoiding close contact with people who are sick and washing your hands often for at least 20 seconds with soap and water. SLU’s Student Health Center and Employee Health are continuing to monitor the spread and have published a Health Advisory page with information and their plan if a case is contracted locally. “SLU has plans and protocols in place for pandemic situations. Student Health and Employee Health will continue to monitor the situation, and are prepared to work with campus partners and the local health department as needed,” according to their Health Advisory Page.

Opinion

The Problem By CONOR VAN SANTEN Staff Writer

The 2020 election season (finally) kicked off this past week with the famous Iowa caucuses. People from all over the state gathered in their local high school gym, church basement or other public venue to make their voice heard. But what the heck is a caucus, anyway? Caucuses have their roots in the early 19th century, when party leaders would meet and vote on their preferred nominee. These caucuses were closed off from the general public and were secretive affairs. Over time, the caucuses were opened slightly, but were still considered somewhat exclusive. Prior to 1972, a majority of states utilized the caucus method for their primary selection process. This changed after Hubert Humphrey lost in the general election to Richard Nixon in 1968. A commission recommended reform across the country to open participation to “rank-and-file” members. Over time, ballot voting replaced the traditional caucus method in most states. Iowa is a holdout from a largely bygone era. Since Iowa is the first state to hold primary contests during the presidential election year, the caucuses are truly a sight to behold. Remember those cheesy pep rallies your high school used to hold before a big game? Think of the caucuses as a bunch of big, messy pep rallies. People from each candidate’s camp gather in clusters in the space provided. Some groups even start cheering and chanting. Precinct chairs from each camp walk around and count up the number of people in their respective cluster before reporting back to a central figure with all of the numbers in-hand. To achieve “viability,” a candidate must have a certain number of people gathered in their corner. If a candidate isn’t viable, then the people in that camp must either realign with another candidate or form a new group with other nonviable contenders. This process goes on for several rounds, and the number of delegates allocated to a candidate from each precinct

with Iowa is determined by a mathematical formula before being reported back to the state’s central party. This year, the caucuses were a total disaster for the Democratic party. The Iowa Democratic Party decided to try and use an app for reporting rather than the traditional calling-in method using a phone. While that sounds good on paper, the party withheld the app from precincts until an hour before the caucuses were due to start to prevent any chances that the app could get hacked or compromised. The rollout was a mess. Precinct chairs reported that they couldn’t even download the app, let alone report their numbers using it. Most resorted to the traditional method of phoning their results into the central office. Despite utilizing a triedand-true process to report the results after the initial hiccup, the Iowa Democratic Party withheld any results due to supposed “inconsistencies” in reporting. What these inconsistencies entailed isn’t exactly clear, but they kept the candidates and the general public from knowing the results the same night of the caucuses. The chaos of this year’s Iowa caucuses reflects the inherent flaws of a process that should have been phased out years ago. Democracy is a messy process—there’s a ton of factors and information that go into a person’s choice of candidate. Given the publicity and prevalence of misleading media, the integrity of the United States’ democractic process is already in danger. The public way in which people are thrust into the caucuses allows for additional variables to be introduced to an already precarious method of collecting public opinion. Peer pressure, social isolation and general confusion can all play a monumental role in the way a person decides how to cast their vote. In addition to the caucus system being inherently flawed, Iowa’s primary contest is often (mistakenly) seen as a valid testing ground for candidates to find their footing.

While this also makes sense on paper, the fact of the matter is that the Iowa electorate is one of the least diverse in the country. At a population of just over three million, the state of Iowa ranks 31st in the union in terms of total population. Additionally, 90 percent of the population surveyed for the 2010 census identified as white. Only 3.4 percent of the population identified as black, while even smaller percentages identified themselves as Asian, Pacific Islander or any other racial minority. On top of all that demographic data, Iowa is the only state in the union that permanently disenfranchises people with felony convictions. To sum up: the antiquated process the Iowa Democratic Party uses has inherent flaws and ought to change sooner rather than later to avoid another catastrophe like this year’s primary contest. While this would likely mean Iowa surrendering its prized place as the first state in the union to hold a primary contest, it would also pave the way for more demographically representative states to set the momentum of primary season instead of Iowa.

Opinion

Why I Love, but Also ~Resent~ The Oscars By JASKIRAN SINGH Multimedia Editor The Oscars. One of the highest awards and honors that a film and filmmakers can receive. Filmmakers dream of it, hoping one day they can walk the stage to receive an Oscar with their name on it. I’m guilty of daydreaming about this as well. Even though, realistically, it’s not going to happen. I’m not basing that on my talent, but by the fact that I don’t see people like me walking across the Oscar stage. You see, I’m a young female filmmaker who’s not white. If you look at the people that the academy tends to admire and award, it usually isn’t minorities. If you follow the Oscars or the film industry in general, you know that this has been a trend. This trend has resulted in my lovehate relationship with the academy. The filmmaker in me dreams about winning the academy over one day. Truthfully, I’m always excited to watch the Oscars and to sit down to watch all the nominees before the award show. However, as a minority, I am also angry at the academy. The Oscars have had a lot of criti-

cism in the past about the lack of diversity in its nominees and winners. Alisha Haridasani Gupta of the New York Times went as far in as saying, “the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released the list of Oscar nominees and, unsurprisingly, it was overwhelmingly white and male.” This criticism is especially prevalent this year with the best director nominees all being male and Bong Joon-ho being the only person of color, even though this year saw many films from women directors. There’s a problem, but the problem is bigger than the academy or the Oscars. Yes, they fuel the problem by going along with it. But the problem is that minorities have been fighting against a system that’s been in place in the film and media industry for decades now. A system that favors older white men. So much so that less than one percent of film directors in 2018 were women of color, according to the Inclusion of Director’s Chair study. There hasn’t been much progress in film since then.

Sure there is the argument that the media today as a whole is slowly becoming more diverse. I agree, we see the diversity slowly becoming apparent when it comes to the media on streaming sites both on-screen and behind the scenes, which is a step towards the right direction. But why don’t we see the diversity at the Oscars? Because of the truth that rising in the film and media industry is an uphill battle that most don’t have the privilege to endure, especially minorities. Sure, minorities could find a place in an entry level position, but when they want to climb the ladder there are obstacles that many white men don’t face. Obstacles like lack of support, lack of money, networking, judgments based on stereotypes and receiving statements such as “you should just be grateful that you even made it this far.” That’s just the tip of the iceberg. It’s a world where male filmmakers are praised for being good leaders and for being passionate, while female filmmakers are faced with words like “lucky” or “ungrateful” for having the same work

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ethic. A film director’s role is inherently a role of power and authority, something our society has a hard time giving to minorities. The Oscars only have a few positions for nominees in each award section every year because they are an award show. So if the top of the film industry is majority older white men, their nominees are sadly going to reflect that. However, there are some things that we, as consumers, can do. We need to be more active as consumers than passive. We can go out and learn more about filmmakers that identify as women, people of color and/or queer. We can go out and support their films in theaters. We need to question the academy and why it’s voting poll is still not reflecting diversity. We can share our support on social media and have more conversations as to why the media industry is failing these filmmakers. It’s not just the academy letting down these filmmakers. It’s also us, the audience, because being passive consumers instead of being active consumers also lets minority filmmakers down.

Opinion Is “traditional” dating a thing of the past?

23 By TOMI DELP Contributor

ith the rise of “sliding into DMs” and “Netflix and chilling,” it seems that the traditional methods of dating are on the outs. While the specific aspects of dating are interpretive to each individual, there are some recent developments that have altered the entire concept. This has me asking: in the age of the internet, social media and dating apps, is “traditional” dating a thing of the past? Many young adults have turned to technology to meet others and to sustain these relationships. With the assumed shift away from “traditional” dating values comes new issues singles must face when trying these modern methods of meeting people. This isn’t to say that these values are gone, but because of the ease of the internet and normalization of hookup culture, priorities in the initial stages of a relationship have shifted, and the tell-tale signs of the courtships of days past have dissolved into antiquity, replaced by more modern methods of dating. With this new territory comes so many new terms and ideas that I still don’t fully comprehend. Dating apps, the impossibility of a blind date, “hanging out” rather than going on formal dates, “talking”, catfishing, ghosting, “DTR”, the list goes on. Many of these can be attributed to the pressure that comes alongside the more “traditional” ways of dating. “Dating apps aren’t necessarily the best method for dating in the traditional sense, but they’re good for casual dating and hookup culture,” says SLU senior Katie Lienemann. But with these newer concepts, it can be hard to actually conCreated by Ashlee Kothenbeutel nect with the real person on a date, rather than the version they put of themselves online. The internet and social media also serve as research platforms for investigation into the life, likes and occasional selfies that may have been posted by a potential date, at times before ever even meeting them. It can be hard to form meaningful connections because dating app users continue to swipe with expectations of something greater to come along. But it’s important to keep in mind that these profiles only serve as a highlight reel, not necessarily the most genuine, all-encompassing version of the person. With all the ambiguity surrounding modern dating, the priorities of such have shifted. It is definitely still possible to date “traditionally,” but not as common. So to answer my own question: I’m unconvinced that “traditional” dating is completely out, but I recognize the significant shift in the culture. Most of the time, whatever works will work. Love is love is love, no matter how you get to it.

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