No. 10 (Feb. 20, 2020)

U

THE UNIVERSITY NEWS

VOL. XCVIV No. 10 / February 20, 2020

SLUPER

TUESDAY

Candidates & Students Prepare for the SGA Election on Tuesday, Feb. 25

COVER Design by Rebecca LiVigni

NEWS

02

The three presidential candidates sitting in anticipation for the next question (Riley Tovornik / The University News).

SGA CANDIDATES PRESENT THEIR PLATFORMS AT DEBATE Presidential and VP candidates discuss their vision for SLU’s future

By COLIN THIERRY Staff Writer

n Feb. 18, the 2020 SGA Presidential and Vice-Presidential Debate was hosted at Carlo Auditorium. The candidates took time to outline the issues central to their respective campaigns and why they are worthy of votes from SLU students. While there was only one candidate running for three of the five positions, the President and Vice President of Academic Affairs positions had at least two candidates running against each other for the vote.

The candidates for SGA President were first up to the podium. The three candidates debating were Alhan Sayyad, Joseph Reznikov and Maggie Kenney.

Sayyad is a junior who currently serves as the Vice President of Finance for SGA. Sayyad touted her experience in SGA since enrolling at SLU as her main qualification for the job. One of Sayyad’s main goals is to “destigmatize SGA on campus” and to make it a more welcoming place where all students can get involved. Next year, Sayyad would look to “incorporate non-SGA affiliated students on university committees” so that more students can have their voices heard. As president, Sayyad wants to be “a voice and resource for students.”

Reznikov is a junior who, as part of his platform, wants SLU to be “more equitable, more transparent, more engaged with our St. Louis community and more mission-inspired.” He has been involved in SGA since his freshman year at SLU, with the majority of his commitments on the Academic Affairs. “I’ve really enjoyed collaborating with the administra-

O

tors, students, faculty and staff in these roles,” stated Reznikov. Through various leadership positions he has held at SLU, Reznikov believes he has engaged with SLU’s Jesuit Mission in “a real and intentional way” and looks forward to using his experiences “both inside and outside SGA to positively impact the student body.”

Kenney is a junior who has served as a Chartered Student Organization (CSO) leader the past three years. She believes that her experience in leadership roles working with SGA, the Student Involvement Center and other administrators has given her a clear idea of the changes needed to be made and has also given her “relatable insight into what students are feeling and thinking about their roles on campus.” Kenney said she is passionate about “making sure that SGA’s mission to be a resource and voice for all students is truly fulfilled by our members.” Kenney pointed to the efforts made by her campaign to reach out to every student organization on campus, ensuring “that every voice is heard.” She also stressed the importance of providing student organization leaders with the resources needed to be successful. As SGA President, Kenney wants to make sure that the Jesuit mission is emulated inside and outside the classroom “in a completely holistic sense” and to embrace student diversity on campus.

After making opening statements, the candidates answered questions submitted by the election commission and SLU students.

When asked about the role of the SGA president on campus, Reznikov said he

envisions the president as a “visionary” who, along with the cabinet and senators, would create a culture informed by SLU’s Jesuit Mission.

Kenney stated how as president she would want to encourage an inclusive, innovative environment where students “develop academically.” She also pointed to her desire to put an emphasis on students’ physical and mental health, which would help create this environment of academic success.

Sayyed elaborated on her desire for a more welcoming and equitable campus, especially for students from underrepresented backgrounds. She stated how SLU has had some problems with “diversity bubbles” within and around the university’s community. As president, Sayyed said she would work to break down barriers between groups at SLU and between students and the St. Louis area in general.

The only other contested position was for the role of Vice President of Academic Affairs, with Faith Nixon and Sophia Izhar debating.

Nixon is a sophomore who has held many leadership positions at SLU and currently serves as a committee chair on the Food Advisory Board. Nixon stated that her campaign is about “equity and inclusion.” She emphasized her campaign’s focus “on faculty involvement and development.” Nixon also pointed to the importance of providing more academic resources for students, particularly undergraduates. She put an emphasis on wanting to focus more on the arts and humanities at SLU as she believes that the university is “slowly focusing more and more on STEM.” Izhar is a sophomore running on Sayyed’s ticket who has served as a senator for the College of Arts and Sciences and has sat on the Academic Affairs Committee. Through her service in various leadership roles, Izhar said she has been able to see how SLU functions in an academic setting. One of the stated goals of her campaign is “making sure there is representation of marginalized identities” on all university committees.

Additionally, Izhar touched on how she wanted to centralize various student resources in one location so that they are more easily accessible for SLU students.

After Nixon and Izhar finished their debate, some candidates for uncontested VP positions went up to the podium to discuss their platforms. This included Armina Osmanovic (Vice President of Finance), Helena Cooper (Vice President of Communication and Internal Affairs), and Nandhineswari “Eshu” Senthikumaran (Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion).

NEWS

(Jack Johnston / The University News)

STUDENT-RUN SHELTER OPENS FOR SECOND YEAR

By CONOR DORN Associate News Editor his year, each We d n e s d a y during the month of February, a group of SLU student volunteers are hosting a winter shelter at Manresa Retreat Center. The shelter has successfully provided food, warmth and comfort to guests on the past three Wednesdays of this month and will be open for the final week on Feb. 26.

The shelter opened for the first time last year in January, as St. Louis experienced a polar vortex that saw single digit temperatures and wind chills well below zero.

In response to the dangerous drop in temperature, senior Devonn Thomas and a group of friends and associates negotiated with university administrators in an effort to put SLU’s resources to use. The shelter provides an emergency location for some of St. Louis’ unhoused population, the demographic at the most risk when temperatures begin to fall.

In just a few hours, the shelter transitioned from idea to reality.

As temperatures dipped below 10 degrees, the volunteers were able to secure the various resources necessary and space at Il Monastero Banquet Center for the initial run of the shelter.

On the first night the shelter was open, 11 individuals were served, eating meals provided by Sodexo and sleeping on cots borrowed from the Simon Recreation Center. Volunteers also brought blankets, coats, scarves and other winter needs. The shelter continued the following night, shifting location to Manresa Retreat Center, which was better equipped with basic necessities and was able to serve more guests.

According to graduate student Mae McConnell Curry, these

t

first two iterations of the shelter, though chaotic and frenzied, were a success. “We got people off the streets and we housed them, which was our goal,” she said.

Once the polar vortex passed, those who had participated in running the shelter began to look ahead for ways to make the shelter a more permanent resource for those in need. While the frigid temperatures spurred the SLU community to action, the core team’s goal was to institutionalize and solidify the endeavor so that the shelter might run on a consistent basis, regardless of the outside temperature.

The core group of volunteers spent the rest of the spring semester in meetings with faculty solidifying plans for the shelter for the next winter. They discussed the obstacles that they had faced the previous year and developed strategies to serve their guests most effectively.

One difficulty, especially given the impromptu nature of the first two iterations of the shelter, was that many of the volunteers did not know each other and thus lacked the mutual trust that is integral to the smooth operation of a shelter.

McConnell Curry said, “one of our biggest takeaways from last year is that in order to run the shelter successfully, core leaders and volunteers...

To read more of this article, please scan the qr code below:

03

By JACK JOHNSTON Staff Writer eports of food poisoning have arisen from multiple SLU students after eating at the Jimmy John’s on Laclede Avenue. This was accompanied by a closure of the establishment by the St. Louis City Health Department.

Jimmy John’s, the sandwich shop located on Laclede Avenue across from the Vandeventer soccer fields, is one of the few off-campus dining options for SLU students within walking distance— that is, until multiple students became ill shortly after eating at the sandwich shop, some even being hospitalized.

“I will never eat Jimmy John’s again in my life,” says Nandini Fonseca, a sophomore international business student. Fonseca claims to have gotten sick on Jan. 19, the day after eating a Jimmy John’s tuna sandwich.

Fonseca fell ill after attending a campus retreat for a SLU organization that was catered by Jimmy John’s. Following the retreat, Fonseca claims she “couldn’t even open a gatorade bottle.”

This account is similar to fourteen other students who attended the retreat, such as Baker Mitchell, a junior business student.

“From 7 p.m. on Sunday until about 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, I threw up twelve times,” claims Mitchell.

Eventually, Mitchell’s roommate had to take him to the emergency room, and he was hospitalized on the evening of Jan. 19 along with another student who

R

JIMMY JOHN’S SHUT DOWN AFTER STUDENTS HOSPITALIZED attended the retreat.

One week later, during the weekend of Jan. 25, the Jimmy John’s on Laclede Avenue was shut down. A City of St. Louis Health Department sign was soon posted on the door claiming an “Order of Cessation” for the restaurant.

The Health Department sign was soon taken down that weekend and replaced with a Jimmy John’s sign, this one apologizing for being closed due to a “water main break.”

Jeff Lewis, manager of the Jimmy John’s on Laclede Avenue, repeated this claim, telling the University News that Jimmy John’s was shut down due to a water main break in the restaurant.

Lewis stated the water main break did not affect the quality of food at that time, and he especially pointed out that the City Health Department sign was only posted to make the water main break “official.”

However, Kim Vanden Berg, Public Information Officer for the Department of Health, stated that the restaurant was closed because they “received complaints of persons experiencing gastrointestinal illness following dining from the establishment.” The City Health Department says that Jimmy John’s was able to reopen “after it was determined there was no risk to the public.”

With the “water main break” now fixed and all students from the retreat now healthy, it is unlikely that the SLU community will know what exactly caused the illness.

News

04

UNDOCUWEEK ENGAGES IMMIGRATION ISSUES

By SAVANAH SEYER Staff Writer his week, the Center for Service and Community Engagement and the Cross Cultural Center have teamed up to sponsor SLU’s second ever UndocuWeek, a weeklong series of events aimed at bringing awareness to the issues and circumstances surrounding immigration in the United States.

The first UndocuWeek, held in 2019, brought students from all corners of campus together to discuss the challenges that undocumented migrants face due to their status and the state of the immigration system, an ever-increasingly hot-button topic in today’s society.

For their second annual UndocuWeek, the events were planned and put together by a team of students and SLU Community members, including sophomore Andrea Somoza, who is the President of the Caribbean and Latin-American Student Association (CALSA), junior Grace Kanary, sophomore Joanna Williams, as well as seniors Marissa Ornelas and Jibril Muhammad, both of whom were involved in planning and creating the first UndocuWeek.

This year’s theme is centered around “Bridging the Gap: Distributing the Tools for Commu-

T

Attendees of UndocuWeek in 2019 (Riley Tovornik / The University News)

nity Empowerment.” According to Joanna Williams, a student in the College of Arts and Sciences and an intern with the Center for Service and Community Engagement, the theme is focused on “how attendees to the events can go beyond hearing stories or doing service and start to think deeply about what it means for a community to be empowered, and what different individuals can contribute to that empowerment.”

The first event, on Tuesday, Feb. 18, was “Chisme y Comida,” meaning “gossip and food.” The event was an opportunity for students to share food together and have a discussion about “community empowerment with the immigrant community as a focus.”

On Wednesday, CALSA hosted an event called “Barriga Llena, Corazon Contenta,” which means “full stomach, happy heart.” This was another event during which members of the SLU Community could share food, potluck-style, and engage in conversations with one another over the topic of immigration.

On Thursday, the keynote address will be given by Carolina Rubio Macwright, and the following day Macwright will host a “Know Your Rights” workshop.

Macwright was born in Bogotá, Columbia and moved to the U.S. at the age of 20, where she went to art school and then law school.

Macwright works as an immigration lawyer, an artist and an activist focusing on immigrant and humanitarian rights. She blends her talents and passions together in ways that reach those in need the most. For example, Macwright has developed workshops that “mix legal rights, empowerment and hands-on experimental arts mediums, such as clay and cooking.”

By bringing together different groups of people through hands-on and artistic expressions, Macwright—and all of the Week’s hosts—are able to educate and empower participants of their workshops.

(Jack Connaghan / The University News)

NEW WELLNESS CENTER OPENS IN PLACE OF LIBRARY ANNEX

By KLAUDIA WACHNIK Staff Writer n Feb. 11, The Wellness Agora, created by the Anthropedia Foundation and sponsored by SLU, opened their doors to the public. After being approached by the previous owner, the Wellness Agora is now located where the Library Annex once resided.

One of the main purposes of the center is to help people reach their fullest potential and relieve the stress that drags them down through a bio-psycho-social-spiritual model. The Anthropedia Foundation, which sponsors The Wellness Agora, was founded by Lauren Munsch Dal Farra, P.h.D., Sita Kedia, P.h.D. and Kevin Cloninger, P.h.D. in St. Louis in 2004.

Cloninger, Executive Director of the Anthropedia Foundation, as well as Lara Pennington, MSW, Director of Development and Community Engagement for the Anthropedia Foundation, felt that there was a lack of well-being, self-knowledge, meaning and purpose in today’s individuals alongside a world that is increasingly unstable.

“Twenty years ago when we were getting started, it was not obvious to anyone that these problems would be as bad as they are now,” said Cloninger.

Sensing the degree to which individuals’ stress was affecting

O

them, Cloninger felt that something had to be done to help, and The Wellness Agora was born.

The Wellness Agora offers various ways for individuals to not only learn how to reach their fullest potential and decrease stress, but also to teach others to do the same. These come in the form of coaching and different services that target an individual’s biological and psychological well-being.

By being coached, an individual can learn how to lead a better, more fulfilling life. By becoming certified in a training course, an individual can share what they’ve learned and help others to follow in the path of a healthier lifestyle and being.

“I went through the training with that personal development in mind, but also for the professional implementation of the curriculum. And I fell in love with the curriculum,” stated Pennington on her experience before joining the team in April of 2018.

Osha Chesnutt-Perry, a junior at SLU, reflects on her time with Anthropedia and The Wellness Agora with gratitude. “I have been fortunate to try some of these services in New York and have already reaped benefits in decreasing my anxiety and look forward to continuing to use what’s offered here to support my academic and professional pursuits,” stated Chesnutt-Perry.

The services offered by The Wellness Agora target an individual’s body and mind, seeking to help relax, renew and recharge.

Some of these services include an iso float, a thermal relax, infrared sculpt, biobalance and various other biologically based services.

For all services, students in the St. Louis area will receive a 25 percent discount. For all SLU students with a valid ID, they will receive a 50 percent discount.

(Jack Connaghan / The University News)

News

KARAMO BROWN BRINGS QUEER EYE CHRISTINA GREER GIVES TO SLU BLACK HISTORY MONTH ADDRESS

By MIKHAIL FAULCONER Staff Writer hristina Greer, P.h.D., Associate Professor of Political Science at Fordham University, gave a lecture titled “Challenges to Democracy: Activism, Education and the 2020 Elections” to a crowd of about forty SLU students, faculty and members of the community in the Busch Student Center on the evening of Wednesday, Feb. 19. She was the keynote lecture of SLU’s “Black Future Month.”

Greer’s research has focused on politics from the local to the national level, specifically on topics related to African Americans and urban communities. She is currently researching and writing a history of all African Americans who have run for electoral office in the United States.

Her lecture was divided into a few sections. She began with a slideshow of photos of Shirley Chisholm, a Democratic representative of New York, and Charlene Mitchell, who ran for president in 1968 under the Communist Party, two of the first black women to run for national political office in the U.S.

Greer used these figures to lead into discussing problems of intersectionality in the history of women’s and minorities’ civil rights, as well as discussing how alternative political parties are often ignored by history, even while their ideas are absorbed. She stated, “Just because someone didn’t win doesn’t mean that they should be erased from history.”

c

Following her discussion of the legacy and imperilment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965, Greer talked about the difference between descriptive and substantive politics and its relation to the current Democratic Party primaries. She defined descriptive as voting for candidates based on demographics and substantive as voting based on shared beliefs or policy aims, arguing that it is significantly more difficult for black voters and particularly black women to have both aspirations met in the same candidate.

Finally, Greer discussed some of the primary issues threatening American democracy. She argued that “extreme voter disenfranchisement” and declining separation of powers at the federal level were two of the greatest threats, but she also expressed optimism at grassroots organizing, increased voter turnout and the growing number of minority candidates.

One recommendation Greer...

To read more of this article, please scan the qr code below:

By LEAH GEORGE Staff Writer ast week, Karamo Brown, the first openly gay black man on a reality TV show, came to SLU as a speaker for the Great Issues Committee in collaboration with Rainbow Alliance and Black Student Alliance.

Brown is best known for his role in the mega-hit Netflix series, “Queer Eye.” The show is centered around the idea of helping everyday people become the best versions of themselves. Brown plays a key role in this show because he helps these everyday people improve internally by focusing on the social and cultural aspects of their lives.

At the GIC event, Brown reflected on the trials and joys he experienced in his life that shaped him into who he is today and gave him the desire to make an impact on others.

From the start, Brown distinguished himself from other guest speakers by introducing the interviewers instead of vice versa and pulling his chair closer to the students. Zahva Naeem, host of the event and Associate Chair of GIC, said, “The ability to establish that rapport so quickly and to show that he was genuinely excited to be there was one of the most impactful things about him coming.”

Brown’s authenticity and kindness are what stood out about him the most, Naeem said.

Brown spoke on his intersectional identity with the audience.

As a black, gay man, as the son of an abusive father, as a social

L

05 Photo Courtesy of Michelle Peltier

worker and as the father of two kids, he showed the audience the importance of proudly embracing these characteristics. Each of his numerous identities individually play an integral role in his life and holistically makes him who he is.

“Karamo described how realizing that you’re not just defined to one identity can help you realize your own positives which will push you toward self-improvement,” said Vandana Mishra, a freshman in attendance.

He then explained how he combined his two passions, acting and social work, to reach a larger audience. “Brown talked about how by being on the show, he learned how to listen and be present for each person,” Naeem stated.

On “Queer Eye,” many tears are shed by contestants because Brown is able to reach and connect with people on a deeper level. Still, Brown explained the depth of his own struggles and how he overcame them by accepting his identity.

At the meet and greets after the show, Brown established a quick connection with every person and told them he loves them and is proud of them. Naeem said, “Brown was received by SLU with open arms and love.”

Despite going through many hardships and struggles in his life, Brown worked hard to overcome them, setting a great example for SLU students in attendance.

“Having someone like Karamo, who has such a great influence and dedicates his life to this work, was so important for him to be able to tell us his story,” Mishra stated.

Overall, the lasting impression that Karamo Brown left on SLU is to appreciate ourselves, appreciate others, have empathy and listen more.

News

06

Photo Courtesy of Zhaoyi Li

INTOLERANCE EXPOSED BY CORONAVIRUS CONCERNS

By RILEY MACK News Editor ases of bigotry on college campuses across the nation have flooded news headlines for the past month—unfortunately, SLU was not immune to this insensitivity.

At SLU, the growing concerns about coronavirus have fostered an atmosphere of xenophobia towards international students on campus. Instances of intolerant remarks warranted a response from SLU President Fred Pestello, P.h.D. and the increased worry and uncertainty surrounding the virus was partially to blame for the cancellation of SLU’s annual Chinese New Year Celebration on Jan. 31, 2020.

In an email entitled “Walking in solidarity with our campus community members,” written on Feb. 5, Pestello stated that there were already reports of racist remarks to Chinese students while off campus. He concluded the email by reminding the community that “wearing a face mask in and of itself is not a sign of sickness.”

The bigotry experienced by international students may stem from a lack of understanding of Asian cultures. For one, wearing face masks is a common cultural practice in East Asian countries. These woven-cloth surgical masks have many everyday uses: to prevent inhaling airborne dust particles, pollutants and from spreading bacteria to others. US Center for Disease Control states that face masks are of little use in preventing coronavirus

C

because “most facemasks do not effectively filter small particles from the air and do not prevent leakage around the edge of the mask when the user inhales.”

However, students unfamiliar with this practice still make this fallacious connection.

While some students joke about the virus, they fail to take into consideration the tragedy at hand—according to CNN, the death count is currently over 2,000.

This unfortunate number is just another reason why the Chinese Student and Scholar Association (CSSA) ultimately decided to cancel their Chinese New Year event.

In another instance, “Barstool Billikens,” a comedic Instagram account notorious for commentating on SLU events, made light of international fears of a pandemic and posted an image of a face mask with a Billiken on it. The caption read “protect yourself from the coronavirus with school spirit.”

The CSSA hosts the Chinese Spring Festival every year to acknowledge one of the most widely celebrated holidays in China. Numerous students, staff and faculty attend the event, and attendees often include students from WashU, UMSL and SIUE. According to Lina Liang, the Minister of Public Relations for CSSA, the Festival “aim[s] to share this part of Chinese culture with the Saint Louis University community and hope[s] it can help SLU faculty and students form a better understanding of the Chinese culture.”

This year, concerns for public health and outbreaks of coronavirus in China led the CSSA to their decision to cancel the event.

“Considering what was happening in our home country, and whose students family members are in China, we are finding celebration to be difficult at a tragic time,” Liang stated.

This sensationalized concern for coronavirus in America, Liang states, comes from “shocking” and “overreacting” media coverage of the disease. “Influenza has a far more impacted population in the US. The difference is that influenza is well known but coronavirus (with flu-like symptoms) is novel,” she said.

The CSSA will continue to fight against intolerance from their peers. In response to some of the SLU community’s assumptions about and reaction to the virus, the CSSA hopes to educate against the misconceptions about their culture that might lead to bigotry. In collaboration with INTO and SLU’s Office of International Services, they are also fundraising to help Chinese hospitals at the forefront of the fight against Coronavirus. Please consider donating here: https://www.into-giving.com/support-us.

“Let us remember that we are a Catholic, Jesuit, international, urban, residential, research university with a mission that calls us to walk in solidarity with others,” Pestello wrote in his email to the students, faculty and staff of SLU. In such a time of this global health crisis, solidarity is essential to the success of a university-wide community.

DPS REPORTS On Feb. 23, a student left his backpack unattended at Cook Hall. Upon returning, the backpack was gone.

The next day, the student returned to look again and discovered his backpack in the bushes outside the building. All of its contents were accounted for except his laptop and phone charger.

On Feb. 18, an individual was reported soliciting students for cash on campus. A check

by DPS officers revealed the subject had active warrants out for his arrest and received previous warnings of trespassing on campus under other aliases. The subject was detained in a holdover cell in Wool Center until the STLPD arrived.

On Feb. 17, the victim exited a Metro bus and was followed by the subject, who grabbed the victim’s wallet from her hand. The subject then entered and exited the BSC. STLPD arrested the subject beside the Dog Park and the wallet was located.

Arts and life

GIVE IT UP FOR CHEER

By JACK JOHNSTON Staff Writer

“Cheer” on Netflix gives viewers the chance to tumble, chant and stunt alongside the cheer team of Navarro Community College in a journey that fosters trust, self-respect and faith.

I love a good documentary, but documentaries usually don’t involve character development in the plot. World War II documentaries are a goto for me, but they’re merely repeating facts.

Watching “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” (a documentary in its own way) is how I sometimes spend my free time, but it’s mainly just spectacle and drink-throwing. “Cheer,” on the other hand, cuts all the scrap away so that we can witness the toppling, intense and resilient Navarro cheerleaders.

The series follows the entire Navarro cheer team as it prepares for the 2019 National Cheer Championship in Daytona, Florida. But it also dives into the backstory of a select few team members.

This short article cannot even begin to represent the emotional range and variety of personalities that are shown during the six-episode series.

Each team member featured has a nuanced story and a unique energy that they bring to the team.

What allows this mix of people to be successful, though, is their head coach, Monica Aldama. Aldama has won multiple national championships during her time as head coach at Navarro, but, of course, that doesn’t make the 2019 competition season any easier.

Aldama handles every hurdle with grace and compassion. Jumping over cyberbullying, broken families, toxic attitudes and a diabolical human pyramid, Aldama shows us how she functions in her natural habitat. Each student on the team gives us a lense through which to view her leadership. Is she angry at you because you are cutting yourself and the team short? Is she checking in on you and your situation at home? Maybe she takes you to the side to see how comfortable you

are with learning a full routine in half an hour?

She trusts her students, and she expects them to trust themselves as well. Through “Cheer,” we can see the strong program she has established at Navarro College and how it has benefited everyone who has been involved with it.

This actually made me thankful for the Monica Aldamas in my life. We all have them. Throughout the series, I witnessed a woman mold and craft unsteady teenagers into people who could strive for more than what they had. I couldn’t help but see parallels between myself and some of the cheerleaders. The Monica Aldama in my life has taught me similar lessons to those portrayed throughout the series: trust in those around you, forgive those working against you and have faith in your own abilities.

I like to think that we can all imagine ourselves as one of these first-class athletes. It’s hard not to do so when “Cheer” gives such a precise and vulnerable look into their lives. Being a shaky and moldable teenager, after all, is not too far from my current situation, although I would like to point out that I am NOT currently preparing for a national championship in Daytona, Florida. But for these cheerleaders, this is a formative time of their life. Hopefully in watching this series, you will also come to gain trust, forgiveness and faith—just like a Navarro Cheerleader does.

07

Arts and life

08

Van Gogh’s Inspiration comes to st. louis

By ASHLEE KOTHENBEUTEL Illustrator Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry Night Over the Rhône” and Claude Monet’s “Haystacks” series are among some of the most recognizable and lauded works of art in the history of mankind. The maxim “standing on the shoulders of giants” certainly rings true for these pieces.

Jean-François Millet deeply inspired artists with his subject matter and composition. Van Gogh saw him as a mentor and copied 20 of Millet’s pieces as practice, refocusing them to be, as he called it, “translations in color.” Millet, van Gogh and Monet, along with countless others, can be found for a limited time at the Saint Louis Art Museum.

The Saint Louis Art Museum is in the heart of Forest Park, not far from Washington University St. Louis, and is home to every time period and genre of art you can think of. Whether you are looking for classical paintings, impressionistic or modern art, or even sculptures and cultural objects, the Saint Louis Art Museum is the place to be. This wonderful asset to St. Louis is visited by over a half

million people every year and is free to the public. Various exhibitions are shown in a seperate part of the museum for an additional fee but are free to the public every Friday.

The current exhibition featured in the museum, “Millet and Modern Art: From Van Gogh to Dalí,” was enlightening and thought provoking.

Until May 17, the works of 19th-century artist Jean-François Millet will be on exhibit. Millet, who was an exceedingly talented artist, inspired countless iconic works from Impressionism to Surrealism—most notably, the works of van Gogh, Claude Monet and Salvador Dalí.

These 19th and 20th-century artists, along with many others, can be seen side by side with Millet’s paintings and drawings. Millet uniquely expresses peasant life in rural France with his drawings, oil paintings and pastel work. What made Millet’s work revolutionary was not only his subject matter, but his use of defiant brush strokes, his composition in landscapes and his fearlessness to leave out detail. It was especially divergent due to its departure from the realism of Romanticism and Neoclassicism, where artists focused on almost photo-realistic scenes often

inspired from mythology and history rather than real life.

The basic layout of the exhibit groups subject matter of various artists with Millet, allowing you to see his strong influence on some of the most famous artists along with some lesser-known but incredibly talented artists. This influence can be clearly seen while journeying through the collection of artwork, making for an eye-openingly educational and enjoyable experience. Millet was radical for his “intelligent sacrifice of details,” as art critic Theophile Gautier once said. Impressionist paintings are often charged with the heavy responsibility of capturing reality yet being emotional. Millet’s paintings accomplish this but in a more subdued way, with delicate changes of color.

The landscapes at the exhibition are by far the main event. The viewer is drifted away to the countryside at different points in the day and throughout the seasons. One caption at the exhibit said it best: “No painter, in any school has pushed further the study and the art of foregrounds.” Beautiful fields, cliffs and farms take up almost the entirety of Milet’s compositions. This was a

(Ashlee Kothenbeutel / The University News)

game-changer for artists and allowed for the land to become the primary focus. Millet’s “Starry Night” painting transports the viewer to a quiet field in the rural countryside where one can see stars begin to glisten. While not as flashy and colorful as van Gogh’s interpretation, Millet captures the beauty of the sky in a subtle and effective manner.

Whether you are just looking to see one of van Gogh’s starry night paintings that came here all the way from Musée d’Orsay in Paris or you want to see the artist who greatly inspired him, the “Millet and Modern Art” exhibit at the Saint Louis Art Museum is the place to be.

“the slow rush” to tame impala’s new album

By SARA QALBANI Staff Writer After nearly five years, fans were blessed with Tame Impala’s new album “The Slow Rush.” The Australian band released their fourth official studio album on Feb. 14. Considering the band had not released an album since July of 2015, fans were beyond ecstatic to hear what the psychedelic rock band had in store for them.

Tame Impala actually only consists of one person, Kevin Parker. Parker believed if he labeled himself as a band rather than a solo artist, he would gain more recognition. Although multiple people are present on stage, the only voice you hear on

the album is Parker’s - he also writes, records and produces everything.

Tame Impala first began in 2007 when Parker released some of his music to Myspace, which then gained lots of popularity. Within the next year, Tame Impala was signed to a record label, and it only went up from there.

The highly anticipated album “The Slow Rush” is a stray away from the sounds of previous albums. There is not one way to describe this album, as there is a diverse range of sounds and styles. With a mixture of psychedelic, pop, rock, electric and many more sounds, the album as a whole is a long-awaited masterpiece. The album begins with the track “One More Year,” which talks about the meaning of time and not following its

constrictions and rather following a personal factor. The continuation of the lyrics “One More Year” emphasizes the need to not follow the restrictions of a societal timeline.

The finishing track “One More Hour” continues with the ongoing theme of time as Parker reflects on his past, present and future. In similarity to the first track, there is a repetition of the lyrics “One More Hour,” representing Parker’s realization that, instead of a year, there is only an hour.

Some of my personal favorites from the album include “Breathe Deeper,””Lost in Yesterday” and “Instant Destiny.” The album has performed beyond expectations and Parker’s hard work has truly paid off. In the week that it came out, it was battling

the number one position for album of the week against Justin Bieber, and it has also gained significant chart standings.

All in all, the hype that this album has received is well deserved. From the intellectual and personal lyrics to the diversity of sounds, “The Slow Rush” is not an album to be overlooked.

Arts and life

Sonic the Hedgehog:

09

From Green Hill Zone to Green Hill’s Own

By JACK CONNAGHAN Photo Editor our first kiss.

Learning of the death of a loved one.

Receiving your college admission letter.

There are some moments that will never leave us no matter how hard we try to forget them. These moments come infrequently. But when they arrive, they stay with us forever.

On April 30, 2019, Paramount released their first trailer for “Sonic the Hedgehog.”

Sonic’s visual design was hyped and highly-anticipated by fans. We all wanted one thing: Sonic, unfiltered and overconfident, ready to show us how fast the Blue Blur could go.

No one saw the real Sonic that day. No, we got something much worse. We had to live through one of those moments we would never forget.

On April 30, millions of Sonic fans were mortified to find that Paramount, in all of their corporate wisdom, had turned the beloved blue cartoon hedgehog into a hellish reptilian cryptid that hardly resemble anything made for kids.

Fans didn’t buy it. The poor reception on social media and the nearly 720,000 dislikes on the trailer convinced Paramount to scrap Sonic’s design entirely and hire a new visual effects team. The Moving Picture Company Vancouver, the same studio behind “Life of Pi” and “The Lion King (2019),” worked 17-hour days to give Sonic a more faithful and less harrowing design.

After post-production wrapped, MPC Vancouver was dissolved and all its workers laid off, despite salvaging the wreckage of a billion-dollar franchise.

To call the production of the Sonic movie troubled is an understatement. Now, almost a full year after the film’s first trailer, we have a clean, recognizable “Sonic the Hedgehog” that parents can feel safe showing their kids. Is it any good?

Really, it’s not half bad. However, if you were hoping for a traditional Sonic sto-

y

ry with no external moral quandaries, you won’t find it here.

After being forced from his home world of Green Hill Zone, Sonic the Hedgehog (Ben Schwartz) eventually ends up in small town Green Hills, Montana, where he

secretly spies on the local sheriff, Tom “Donut Lord” Wachowski (James Marsden).

While lamenting his loneliness one night, Sonic accidentally runs too fast and creates an electromagnetic pulse that shuts down Green Hills and draws the attention of the American military. As you might expect, hi-

larity ensues as Sonic teams up with Tom to face the evil Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey), who wants to use Sonic’s powers to enhance his futuristic technology.

The premise, while simple and silly, works.

Sonic feels like a natural inclusion to our world, especially when he gets in his feelings alone or with Tom. Not everything is so meaningful, however; it’s hard to buy into the film’s world when Sonic does the floss or when a character parrots an ad for Olive Garden.

Characters’ motives and backstories are never fully fleshed out, and when they are fleshed out, they come across as silly and undercooked (Sonic, for seemingly no reason, has an owl for a mother). Luckily, the performances are more than good. Schwartz creates an authentic adaptation of Sonic’s kiddish persona, and when it comes to pretending to talk to CGI animals, James Marsden is one of the best in the business (he recently starred in a similar role for “Hop”).

Sonic may be cute and fun, but the real star of the film is Jim Carrey’s Dr. Robotnik.

Carrey channels the same manic gusto from his roles in “The Mask” and “Ace Ventura” into the world of Sonic, making his performance the most memorable and cartoonish in a film where the main character is a literal cartoon hedgehog. Some scenes feel tailor-made for Carrey’s performance, and it’s easy to imagine how forgettable the film would be without him lending his A-list talent.

While “Sonic the Hedgehog” weaves a believable premise and sports great performances, it’s hard to fully enjoy a film with so much ethical baggage behind its production. Knowing that the visual effects team worked so hard just to be laid off before the film could release should leave a bad taste in anyone’s mouth. However, if you can stomach the mistreatment of industry-standard animators, you’ll discover a good movie adaptation of a video game. And those aren’t easy to come by.

Graphic (Jack Connaghan / The University News)

8

niversity News 2/20/20 Crossword

10

Across 1 5 10 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 25 26 28 32 35 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 46 49 50 54 57 59 60 62 63 64 65 66 67 68

Struggle for air Blabs Martial arts school Having the means Cantilevered window Effluvium Bubbly name Romance language Dutch commune Indian buzzard Argonon and cyanogen Fix Gawk at Nave neighbor Pokes fun at Cold war inits.

Deceivers ___ Khan Shopper stopper Twinges Fat unit Historic period None too brainy Walk in water Enjoyed Optimistic Lancelot and Mixa-Lot, for two After gun or road Bar request Nasty Rope-a-dope boxer Beside the point Bad to the bone Seaweed substance Restorative Chess ending Oodles Death row reprieves Downhill racer

To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box PuzzleJunction.com

games

1

2

3

4

5

6

14

15

17

18

7

8

23

27 35

29

36

30

43 46

49

47

48

57

60

51

58

61

52

62

64

65

66

67

68

Copyright ©2020 PuzzleJunction.com

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Spunky athlete Quarters Siesta Favorite Inebriates Olympic archer Turkish money Sanction Home run hitters Put out, as a fire Words from Wordsworth 12 San ___, Costa Rica 13 Tram loads

Last Issue’s Solutions

19 21 24 25 27 29 30 31 32 33 34 36 39 40

Strong winds Service award River to the Rhine Donkey relative African antelopes Zhivago’s love “Holy mackerel!”

Ditto Manipulates ___ Delano Roosevelt Moravian, e.g.

Seat holders Unrivaled Celtic underworld god

1 9 7 6 7 5 8 2 9 1 2 8 6 7 1 4 2 8 4

53

59

63

Down

1

3

4 8

University News 2/20/20 Word Search Copyright

50

56

5

2

31

40

45

42 45 47 48 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 61 62

Carpenter’s tool Willow twigs Bloviates Bright light Like some forces First-class Ticked off Iranian coin Proof word Social group, briefly ___ fide (in bad faith) A deadly sin Winery sight German resort

3 8 1 196 2

57

2

9

37

42

55

13

9

28

39

38

44

12

25

34

41

11

22

26

54

10

19

24

33

9

6

16

21

20

32

Solutions in the March 5th issue

must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

G P B K K H A N E M E R G E N C Y U

U M N J A Y Q L O U I Y D W L E A A

L M G P D T R I H S S J I A R U I I

F L N N V R R J W S A N I U M X D R

7 6

6 7 3 9 4

©2020 PuzzleJunction.com

PuzzleJunction.com

Hurricanes

O F M E X I C O E S N D S V Q S Z V G X Z Y L A A E T P A B J G E F E O E X U I S W E K P R C L A C N R D Y U E N G N I D O O L F E G L G A V J U Z ©2020 Y X LPuzzleJunction.com C S Q E D C T Copyright E M A B N I A R I V L A R H I T X L N D W Z N T R E E E Solution Y N S L E K T U F I Y D T R M S A A N R E I B K E S E E 2 9 3 8 7 1 5 6 4 D Z N F S X T B F T A U M D 4 6 7 2 5 9 8 1 3 E A F D C I E Y A Q D P O U 1 8 5 4 6 3 2 7 9 T S A N K A D U F E J P R A 8 3 2 1 4 6 9 5 7 J S M A N S C V B X P L A X 5 4 1 9 3 7 6 2 8 O M E L P A T R J L G I B L 6 7 9 5 8 2 3 4 1 A W F Y V R I O E L O E T P 9 1 4 3 2 5 7 8 6 Y G I E M S N R R U O S W V 3 5 6 7 1 8 4 9 2 P R E S S U R E M M M N E I 7 2 8 6 9 4 1 3 5

Copyright ©2020 PuzzleJunction.com

AIR PRESSURE ALERT BAROMETER CARIBBEAN DAMAGE DEADLY DEBRIS DISASTER DOPPLER EMERGENCY

EVACUATE EYE FEMA FLOODING GULF OF MEXICO GUSTS KATRINA LANDFALL NATURE OCEAN

Solution

3 6 5 9 4 8 1 2 7

8 1 4 7 2 5 9 3 6

2 9 7 6 3 1 4 8 5

4 5 9 1 7 2 8 6 3

6 2 8 4 5 3 7 9 1

7 3 1 8 9 6 5 4 2

RAIN SANDY SEASON STORM SUPPLIES TIDES VELOCITY WEATHER WINDS ZONE

1 4 6 2 8 7 3 5 9

5 8 2 3 1 9 6 7 4

9 7 3 5 6 4 2 1 8

20 21 22

FEBRUARY

“true justice: bryan stevenson’s fight for equality” @ Anheuser-busch auditorium 6 p.m.

presentation: the coronavirus: facts, prevention, & vaccines

RHA’s Gries mardi gras breakfast @ gries lobby 7 a.m.

12 - 1 p.m.

Slu men’s basketball vs. VCU @ Chaifetz arena

6:30 - 8 p.m.

8 p.m.

9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

25

SIc’s Slu in the city: ST. louis blues vs. chicago blackhawks @ Enterprise center 7 p.m.

26

Sab’s headphone disco @ St. louis room

Slu special olympics swim meet & wellness fair @ simon rec

Dame mary bruemmer’s 100th birthday celebration @ stl room 2-5 p.m.

features

12

Who’s Who? Meet your SGA Candidates Photos By RILEY TOVORNIK, Photo Editor Story by COLIN THIERRY, Staff Writer, and EMMA CARMODY, Editor-In-Chief

President

JOSEPH REZNIKOV

ALHAN SAYED

Joseph Reznikov is a junior studying neuroscience with minors in mathematics and Catholic studies.

He has served as a SLU 101 orientation leader, a university ambassador in the Office of Admission, a coordinator for the Oriflamme full orientation program and as the vice president for the PreHealth ambassadors program. One of Reznikov’s main goals as president next year would be “creating a culture within the Senate and student body that is empathetic towards our Jesuit mission.”

Additionally, as president Reznikov wants “for students to be more intentionally a part of the big conversations and the big things that are happening around campus.” The key issues that Reznikov believes SLU students are most concerned with are mental health, mission (Jesuit mission) and staying informed on what is happening on campus.

When asked about the biggest challenges that face the university, Reznikov once again mentioned mental health and mental wellness and how students think it is normal to be constantly stressed.

Another challenge Reznikov discussed is the core and the identity of the school, “What differentiates SLU from the other public institutions around us that we’re maybe a bit similar to.” Reznikov stated that he believes SLU is at a very critical time in its history, “What does it mean to graduate with a degree from Saint Louis University and how can we make that mean something more than just a set of classes you took?” Reznikov believes that the role of an SGA president is to create a culture where “senate members, cabinet members and students feel like they can have an active part in the decision-making processes and things going around the school.” Reznikov maintained that most importantly SGA should feel “accessible” to students.

Alhan Sayyed is a junior studying nutrition and dietetics on the pre-med track with a minor in biology. Beside SGA, Sayyed is involved with ISA and SLU Raas, and helps run the dance competition GTR. Sayyed states that her favorite part about SLU is “how welcoming the environment is and how nice everyone is.” In terms of her most valuable experience she has had with SLU, Sayyed cites the time she has spent with SGA in various roles the past three years. “Being able to serve in these different positions has allowed me to really see what our students are going through,” stated Sayyed. If elected, Sayyed’s main goals include being more of a voice for students and to make SGA less of an “evil source” on campus. Sayyed said how she really hoped to see students who aren’t involved in SGA “on university-wide administrative committees” so their voices can be heard. When asked about how her campaign goals fit the Jesuit mission, Sayyed pointed how she wants to look to other Jesuit universities in order to foster “a more forward-thinking SLU.” Sayyed believes that the issues students are most concerned about include understanding and interpreting the new core proposal and promoting more mental health resources on campus.

In regard to the challenges SLU as a university faces, Sayyed touches on SLU being enclosed in a bubble, also known as the “SLU bubble.” Sayyed points to how SLU has challenges “getting students to interact with the outside community” and “being less afraid of St. Louis as a city.” In regard to SGA’s role at SLU, Sayyed discusses how SGA sometimes sees itself “as the end all be all” concerning student affairs at SLU. Sayyed maintains that SGA should just serve as a resource for students and for student groups on campus, “At the end of the day, students run SLU, not us.”

MAGGIE KENNEY Maggie Kenney is a junior studying Political Science with minors in mathematics and Spanish. Kenney is the Secretary of Finance for the Model UN team, is involved with the Office of Admission and is an Oriflamme leader for SLU’s fall orientation program.

“The most valuable experience I’ve had here at SLU is working on the Model United Nations team,” said Kenney reflecting on her time and experiences with the club since her freshman year. Kenney has a four pillar plan to her approach if elected as SGA president. This plan consists of listening to other students on campus, empowering student diversity on campus, creating an LGBTQ+ task force on campus to make these students feel more included and safe and to improve Chartered Student Organizations’ access to SGA. In regard to the core and SLU’s Jesuit mission, Kenney stated that she wanted to “make a commitment to developing curriculum that will go along with the Jesuit mission,” if the core is indeed passed. Along with promoting sustainability on campus, Kenney’s main goal is to integrate curriculum that is inclusive for non-Catholic students and develops students as “people for and with others.”

Additionally, Kenney believes that promoting mental health resources on campus is very important.

“If we do not develop students as a whole person, they’re not going to be able to do their best in academics and extracurriculars.” The biggest challenges Kenney believes are facing the university include overcoming apathy from students and increasing trust in SGA with students. In regard to SGA’s role at SLU, Kenney references the organization’s mission as “a voice and resource for students.” Kenney believes this mission statement is what SGA should ultimately reflect here at SLU as students “should be heard and seen on campus.”

PHOTOGRAPHY Vice President Of Academic Affairs

FAITH NIXON

SOPHIA IZHAR

Faith Nixon is a junior studying international studies with a focus on the Middle East and global health and environment. Nixon’s current position in SGA is as one of the co-committee chairs for the Food Advisory Board.

Nixon stated she first ran for SGA because she “cares about students’ needs and wanted to be in a position where she could advocate for students.” The main issues that are central to Nixon’s campaign are the core and the development of the arts and humanities programs at SLU. If elected, Nixon’s main goal as Vice President of Academic Affairs “would be [to be] a resource to everybody I come in contact with.” Within this position in SGA, Nixon wants to be a resource that connects students through networking and to get students to places where they need to go for a better future. In regard to changes that could be made at SLU or within SGA, Nixon stated, “I think SGA is operating at a really great level, I can always see it going farther. I definitely know we can achieve that next year.” On the campaign trail, Nixon stated that the only thing she has found difficult has been getting her face out there and making sure every student knows her on SLU’s large campus. In terms of handling delicate and controversial issues between students and administration within SGA, Nixon stated that she would be advocating for students and is not afraid of administration.

If students are afraid of administration, Nixon would be willing to talk to the administration about it. When asked about what qualifications she believes she has for Vice President of Academic Affairs, Nixon pointed to how she was class president in high school for two years in a row, is an RA and a member of Model UN and currently serves as a committee head for the Food Advisory Board.

Sophia Izhar is a sophomore studying biology with a minor in Spanish. Izhar currently serves as a senator for the College of Arts and Sciences, is a co-chair for the Assembly for Sexual Assault Prevention, serves on the Wellness Committee and was a part of the External Affairs Task Force this year and last year.

Izhar wanted to become involved with SGA at SLU because she realized there was a lot of opportunity to help other students through the organization. “I saw that there was so much that could be done to help other people (through SGA),” stated Izhar.

Additionally, Izhar maintained that her experience serving on the Academic Affairs committee last year along with her experience as a senator this year greatly contributed to her desire to run for this position. The main issues central to Izhar’s campaign for Vice President of Academic Affairs include creating a centralized website or platform where students can access various resources, appointing different students from different marginalized identities to university councils, holding more town halls with students so that they can better understand the new core proposal, and working with different administration to make sure that mental health issues are more recognized across different departments. For example, Izhar would like to push for a statement on mental health support to be included on syllabi for SLU courses. In regard to changes she would like to see at SLU, Izhar mentioned how she wants to break the SLU “bubble” and how “at times we don’t venture to make sure we are interacting with our community, which is central to a Jesuit ideal.” When asked about what she found to be the most challenging part of the campaign process, Izhar talked about how it could be sometimes challenging to balance her pre-med schoolwork with running an SGA campaign. Finally, when handling delicate situations as Vice President of Academic Affairs, Izhar states that maintaining a foundation of respect and trust between students and administration makes SLU’s administration more willing to listen to the student perspective.

13

14

Photography

Valentines Day groove

1)

2)

4) Photos and Story by RILEY TOVORNIK, Photo Editor Although most couples enjoyed a romantic dinner, or maybe a movie on Valentines day, others chose to attend the annual music festival in Chaifetz. Seats were packed and the aisles were filled with dancing crowds, even between sets the music kept going with DJ Kut from local radio station 95.5 filling in between sets.

With classic rap and R&B acts, such as Bobby Brown and Blackstreet, the show was a hit for long time fans and couples alike.

3)

5)

1,2) Blackstreet + Teddy Riley, along with DJ Penny Lane, performed some of their classic hits. The band originally broke up in 2003, but in 2014 the original members got back together and continue to perform.

3) Doug E Fresh, best known for his 80’s single “The Show,” brought back his nostalgic 80’s style.

4) El Debarge opened the show, pumping up the crowd and setting a laid back yet energetic mood for the night.

5) DJ Penny Lane kept the crowd moving before Blackstreet came out, afterwards continuing to DJ for them during their act.

sports

15

BILLIKENS GIVE BACK CHALLENGE ENGAGES ALUMNI GIVING

By SAM GLASS Sports Editor

illikens Give Back Challenge is underway!

On Feb. 3, the annual Billikens Give Back Challenge started with a new set of lofty goals to engage Billiken Athletics alumni. The annual challenge is designed to increase alumni participation and to set goals for the amount of donors instead of the dollar amount raised.

The generous donations of Billiken alumni help fund the teams with anything from new equipment, like balls, to new grass for the soccer fields.

The challenge raised $25,000 last year and has raised almost $13,000 this year, as of Wednesday, Feb. 19. Last year’s challenge consisted of a single donor goal

B

for each sport to achieve, and the past success of teams like swimming and diving and women’s soccer led to individual teams having individual goals. Swimming and diving is currently in the lead with 96 donors out of their 100 donor goal. “That’s a testament to coach Haliburton and his relationship with his alumni,” said Director of Leadership Annual Giving John Edwards.

Edwards is at the helm of the event, helping to coordinate different social media surges and engaging with alumni to promote a family environment. Edwards said what sets athletics apart from other SLU alumni engagement is the family atmosphere. One of the ways this is promoted is through social media takeovers. SLU volleyball took over the official athletics Instagram account and had alumni share their stories. Danielle Rygelski shared some words for volleyball alumni.

Rygelski might be a familiar name to Billiken fans. A class of 2017 alumna, she holds the single season record for kills with 715.

Small things like this go a long way to help make alumni feel more connected to the place they spent four years growing and developing. Edwards said part of his job is to keep alumni connected to the program.

Often when a school reaches back out to people, they feel they are only asking for money. Though that is partially true, they are also asking to keep in touch with graduates.

The challenge wraps up March 7.

The Department of Athletics hopes to raise more than last year, and with just over two weeks remaining, it certainly looks achievable. Swimming and diving and women’s soccer currently lead the pack in total donors. Both teams have a 100 donor goal and women’s soccer has 39 donors. Volleyball is 77 percent to

their 50 donor goal and track and field is 35 percent to the 50 mark.

The challenge is a great way to get alumni connected with the school but also with each other.

Edwards uses Facebook groups to keep alumni updated on each other and SLU athletic events. This brings them together and creates that family community.

The Billikens Give Back Challenge helps improve SLU sports while bringing alumni back into the fold. “Everybody here has been through 6 a.m. weights, the grind, the blood, sweat and tears,” said Edwards. “That speaks volumes on our alumni.”

Photo Courtesy of Billiken Athletics

(Jack Connaghan / The University News) The swim, volleyball and women’s soccer teams currently lead the Billikens Give Back Challenge for most donor participation. The Challenge aims for donor participation rather than dollar amount.

Photo Courtesy of Billiken Athletics

sports

16

NG: RUNNER, STUDENT, ROLE MODEL

By JEREMIAH KIRSCH Staff Writer f given the hypothetical opportunity to go back in time and give her 8-year-old self advice for the future, junior Megan Ng would make sure that she proclaimed the following: “Continue to put in the hard work and long hours even if you feel like you are not having immediate progress; nothing is a waste of time.” Nowadays, Ng has little time to waste as a physical therapy major with a double minor in Spanish and sports business on top of being an athlete for the Billikens’ track and cross country teams.

Most students would consider obtaining a PT degree and competing as a Division I runner enough to float their boat, but the ambitious Ng chooses to maximize her time as a SLU student-athlete. She holds leadership positions in four organizations and is completing two minors. Ng is the Co-chair for the Mental Health and Wellness Commission, is on the Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), serves as the Vice President of Philanthropy for Students Today, Alumni Tomorrow (STAT), leads the Junior PT class as a student representative and liaison to the Doisy College administration and is the Vice President of SLU’s Doctors Without Borders.

Ng excels in the classroom, on the course and in all aspects of life. She is a well-rounded individual who makes a positive impact in the SLU community and beyond.

While most college athletes choose their school based on their sport prospects, the well-rounded Ng decided to focus her post-secondary choice based on academics and extracurricular programs, not her athletic abilities. Running in college was not her first priority. After choosing SLU’s direct-admit physical therapy program and arriving on campus in August of 2017, Ng reached out to former distance coach Tim Bradley to join the women’s team. Quickly,

i

Ng was on the course and running in meets with the cross-country team a few weeks later. Ever since, the walk-on has been a dedicated member of the team, putting in long hours running and lifting, spending time in the training room to recover and making sure her diet is where it needs to be. She is the epitome of a great teammate and model student-athlete.

Ng stands out not because of her accomplishments or her LinkedIn profile, but because of her desire for those around her to succeed. She thrives on seeing her teammates, classmates and friends do well in all of their endeavors. Her activities are permeated with her desire to help others become the best versions of themselves. A simple question about her favorite running memory revealed Ng’s true passion. She stated, “I just really like watching my teammates succeed in what they do.

It brings me a different type of happiness. It makes me happier than when I do well,” she said enthusiastically.

Ng is a person who leads in her own way. She finds ways to make a difference in many people’s lives while doing so with joy and exuberance. She is someone you want on your team, and she is a role model for today’s youth. She puts her heart into everything she does whether that is in school, running, student organizations or something else.

As a humble role model, Ng was asked to give advice to young girls today who could be in her shoes.

Ng’s response seemed to not only apply to young girls, but those of any age. Ng’s opinion on the mindsets of girls is to, “not be afraid to try hard in what you do. Don’t be afraid to put your best foot forward. Don’t be afraid of being judged because you’re a girl. Be proud of what you can do.” Ng has much to be proud of. She is the epitome of a true student-athlete, and she is a winner in all that she does.

Ng and the rest of the Billiken track team will be in action at the Medical Center Track the weekend of April 3-4 for the Billiken Invitational. She is excited to get back outside and kick off the outdoor season with fresh air in late March at the Bill Cornell Spring Classic at SIU on March 20.

The Indoor track season and A-10 championships will wrap up at the end of February before the Billiken runners head outdoors.

Megan Ng is the ultimate teammate.

The junior joined as a walk-on her freshman year and has been running ever since.

(Photo Courtesy of Christopher Penny)

sports

17

GETTING TO KNOW SLU’S TENNIS HEAD COACH, JUSTIN STUCKEY

By BRYNN BACHMAN Staff Writer

ast summer, SLU Athletics announced the hiring of a new coach to take over the Billiken tennis team.

At an early age, Justin Stuckey developed a passion for tennis. He began teaching younger players at the age of 14 through a summer tennis program he ran with his brother, only a year after picking up the sport himself. From then on, coaching tennis seemed like the obvious choice for Stuckey.

At the age of 22, immediately after finishing his master’s, Stuckey became a head coach at a Division III university. He was the youngest head coach in all divisions of college tennis at that time. With such an early start, Stuckey had many opportunities to coach at the Division I level. However, it wasn’t until he found SLU this past year that he decided to take that step.

“There were opportunities to be at Division I earlier on; it just didn’t seem like the right fit,” said Stuckey, “However, I quickly realized during the process of coming here to St. Louis that it has everything a student athlete could need.”

Stuckey was highly concerned with the quality of the school and program he would be committing himself to. He wanted to be proud of where he was coaching and he found that pride at SLU. His great passion for tennis, for his athletes and for the university are inspiring and motivating his coaching at SLU. Stuckey is working hard in order to help the team’s work on the court to pay off.

Coach Stuckey has his eyes set on

l

the A-10 tournament semi-finals at a minimum for the women’s team.

For the men’s team, Stuckey hopes to make it to the A-10 championships. As a program, both teams are hoping to improve overall records and are hopeful that Stuckey’s new implementations will help accomplish these goals.

“I think Stuckey is a very kind person and a great coach. He has pushed every single person on the team hard and facilitated us to work hard on our own, on and off the court,” said Cassie McKenzie, a senior on the women’s team.

Stuckey learned a lot from his past coaches and experiences. His college coach and his career playing college tennis taught him the importance of balancing athletics and academics. This is something Stuckey has kept with him and passed along to his players.

“I have a unique perspective of how academics really can fit in with tennis,” said Stuckey. “If you have the balance of academics, actually you perform better.”

With this perspective, Stuckey works hard to prioritize his players’ academic success. Stuckey feels that if he were to graduate a player in seven years who was on a four-year track, he would feel like he failed them. Stuckey admires how responsible his student athletes are and recognizes the importance of success both on and off the court.

This being Stuckey’s first season with the Billikens, he has great hope for what he and his team will be able to accomplish both this year and in years to come. He is passionate about tennis and strives to share that passion with his players. Stuckey’s background in both playing and coaching tennis have led him here

to SLU, where he hopes to bring great success.

“I definitely have a strong passion for the game of tennis,” said Stuckey. “This is all I’ve ever done.”

Justin Stuckey was chosen to be the next head coach of the Billikens tennis team. He has high goals for where the program can go under this leadership.

(Photo Courtesy of Billiken Athletics)

sports

18

SLU TEACHES FORDHAM LESSON ON EDUCATION DAY

By MISHAL MUSTAQUE Staff Writer ooking at a 7-5 chel Kent, the freshman guard, putdence was overflowing as shouts of Bills managed to get a point back conference reting up a three. “half-court” and “three” took on an and tied the game at 42-42 with less cord, the SLU Kent continued the scoring with a almost demanding tone. than 5 minutes left on the clock in women’s basketscooped finish a couple minutes latSaint Louis ran out the clock to regulation. The deafening cheers ball team needer. She was quickly answered with claim victory with the final score 59from the largely K-5 attendees beed to put out a a three from Cavanaugh. The game 49. Cavanaugh’s efforts could not came more audible as they sensed strong showing at continued with a steeping intensity, save Fordham in the end. The lack something special unfolding before home against the increasing with each point scored by of a team performance from Fordtheir eyes.

Fordham Rams. either of the teams. The three-point ham was reflected in the immense The Billikens were dominant on A St. Louis city shooting fired off late in the third 21-point haul from Cavanaugh and the floor with senior forward Kendra tradition, the Books and Basketball quarter, with SLU leading Fordham 16 from Downey, with everyone else Wilken putting out a strong showgame is the centerpiece of a day 39-35 at the end. trailing far behind if at all. That is in ing. A couple of threes from Jaidah out for the elementary school chilWith Fordham biting back at the sharp contrast to SLU, which played Stewart, the freshman and St. Louis dren around SLU. With festivities start of the fourth, it was a crucial with much more cohesion on the local, sent the home crowd into deplanned before, during field. Harbison again shone and after the game, Chaiwith 15 points, but was fetz Arena is as loud as it matched by Kent and closeever is during the season. ly followed by Stewart at 14.

Saint Louis lost its Former Billiken Kerri meeting earlier in the McMahan, now the video season at Fordham, with coordinator for Fordham, star player junior Bre spoke after the game on Cavanaugh carrying the what the Education Day Bronx team with a masfixture between SLU and sive 27 points and sevFordham means. “Every en rebounds. As a player single SLU-Fordham game, widely renowned as one [it] doesn’t matter how of the best in A-10, it was many people are here, if it’s crucial that SLU had an 10,000 or 100, the game’s effective plan to counter going to come down to the the star’s exploits. wire, and it came down to An enticing first half the wire again today. Coach on the court meant that Stone and Coach Gaitley SLU and Fordham were have both been in this tied 29-29 at the half. At league for 10 [or so] years that point, Cavanaugh now, so there’s no surprises. was only stopped from firEach coach knows what the ing off in the first quarter, other’s offense is, what the racking up 12 points to defense is; the only thing end the half. For the Bills, that changes is the personthe point distribution was nel.”

SLU’s bench celebrates in SLU’s game for Books and Basketball in front of thousands of elemenmuch more even, with With revenge completed tary-aged kids. (Michael Place / The University News) sophomore guard Ciaja Harand another great SLU-Fordham bison leading the team with game under wraps, it’s time for both two point possession for the Rams lirium and SLU into a massive eightnine points, scoring four of ten field teams to focus on their remaining before Harbison continued her point lead. goal attempts and one of two from games in the A-10. For Saint Loustrong performance with a strip of a Fordham had no answer as Saint the three-point line. is, that means heading to VCU on Fordham player and finished on the Louis went into an attacking flurry.

With only three games left in Saturday before they travel to Richcounter to put the Bills up by four Even a three from Downey could A-10 play, it was now or never for mond mid-week and take on Dayton once again. not stop the SLU storm. With a rapSaint Louis. The two sides had a the following weekend at home. The Fordham fought back to take the turous crowd supporting their every split all-time record at 10 each, and last conference game against Daylead again and did so thanks to a play, the Bills were responding on the challenge was as fierce as could ton on Feb. 29 is set to be a massive decisive three-pointer from Kaitlyn the court with resounding effort and be expected. The Bills started the encounter as the visitors are 12-0 in Downey, the starting forward. The persistence. For the audience, confiscoring in the second half with RaA-10.

l

WANT TO JOIN THE UNEWS TEAM?

The Truth is Worth it

WE’RE LOOKING FOR: WRITERS PHOTOGRAPHERS GENERAL MANAGER

EMAIL YOUR RESUME AND PORTFOLIO TO EIC@UNEWSONLINE.COM

Opinion

20

Wellness and "Wellness": Where do SLU's Priorities Lie?

By CONOR VAN SANTEN Staff Writer

With the permanent shuttering of The Library Annex (lovingly known as Lannex by the SLU student community), this past spring was an especially difficult one for bar lovers and Greek Life members alike. Like its many fallen compatriots (Diablito’s, Humphrey’s, Mi Caribe, etc.), it’s not exactly clear what caused Lannex’s downfall, but it left the student body with one less place to pass the time. When I reached out to Lannex’s Facebook page for clarification on the reasoning for its closure, the manager left me on “read.”

Perhaps more surprising than Lannex’s sudden disappearance is what has popped up in its place: The Wellness Agora. According to its business brochure, The Wellness Agora considers itself an establishment of “Wellness for the 21st Century.” It offers a broad array of services that aim to “Relax, Renew, Refocus and Revive” its clients. Services include a $40 “Cell Recharge” treatment that involves “pulsed electromagnetic fields” to “increase vitality and promote the body’s natural recovery.” One could also opt for a $60 “BioBalance” treatment that detects “imbalances” in the body and “gently restores equilibrium,” encouraging “relaxation and stress reduction.” In other words, a beloved staple of SLU’s social life has been replaced by a gimmicky, ineffective and pricey “wellness center.” All the while, the real well-being of students remains largely ignored by the SLU administration.

These events and others ought to spark a conversation about the general wellness of SLU’s students. Wellness comes in many forms, but the widely accepted categories are social, environmental, emotional, intellectual, physical and spiritual wellness. SLU, as an institution of higher learning, fills some of these categories in with relative ease. Exercise facilities can be found at the Simon Rec to encourage physical wellness, students attend classes to better their intellectual wellness, and the grounds are well-gardened and the residence halls main-

tained, which promotes environmental wellness. The areas where SLU falls short are social, spiritual and emotional wellness.

Socially, SLU has never been more isolated and uneventful than it is in 2020. With the closure of almost every bar within walking distance of SLU’s campus, students of the legal drinking age are forced to pay for an expensive Uber to get to a bar or club. Neutral sites that promote social interaction are virtually nonexistent— most cliques retreat into a friend’s apartment and surround themselves with familiar faces.

Greek organizations have to pay exorbitant fees for school buses to shuttle members to and from events. In terms of social mobility, SLU is sorely lacking. The infrastructure to promote a healthy social life simply doesn’t exist. While that may change in the future with the opening of the City Foundry and the general revitalization of the Midtown area, the current student body is often left feeling lonely and isolated.

Spiritually, SLU has room to improve. As a Catholic university, SLU offers regular masses to the student body, but little is done to promote spirituality amongst non-Catholic students. Organizations like the Muslim Student Association are left to their own devices in finding places of worship. Campus ministers, many of whom are not Catholic, are not widely publicized as being of a different Christian denomination than the general university, leaving people of Protestant faiths lost and confused. While not everyone considers themself to be a spiritual person, this facet of wellness often goes unnoticed and ignored in the 21st century, which can make people feel depressed, lonely and confused.

Finally, the SLU administration, by associating with The Wellness Agora, is undermining the mental health of its students. According to a statement from the SLU Office of Mission and Identity last year, SLU has established a “new affiliation” with the Anthropedia Foundation, the very company that 20 percent of the proceeds from The Wellness Agora go toward.

The nature of this new “affiliation” between the organization and the university isn’t clear, but it’s easy to suspect the intentions of any kind of arrangement given the services the Agora offers. According to the Anthropedia Foundation’s mission statement, it “teaches individuals, professionals and nonprofits ways to cultivate mental health and well-being in order to decrease rates of lifestyle- and stress-related illness.” Again, it’s hard to take this mission statement seriously given the pseudo-scientific “treatments” they offer. President Pestello even made an appearance at The Wellness Agora’s grand opening, according to its Facebook page.

All the while, the University Counseling Center (UCC) has changed little in the three years I’ve been a student here. While each student is entitled to 10 free sessions at the UCC every year, the wait time to get an appointment can stretch to be weeks after the initial call was made. For students in the midst of a mental health episode, such a wait time could be detrimental to their continued wellness and delay their path to recovery. Additionally, there is seemingly no accessible means for students to contribute in the process of professional development for therapists in the UCC. When I utilized the service last year, I wasn’t provided with a way to give feedback (e.g. a survey or form) about my experience.

To sum up: the SLU administration has proven and continues to demonstrate their indifference for the wellness of the student body by partnering with gimmicky and ineffective businesses like The Wellness Agora to rob the student body in the name of “treatments” with no proven medical benefit. All the while, the UCC, which has certified therapists who are free for the student body to access, continues to have a long waitlist and little direct accountability for the people who work there. See the problem?

Opinion

Where each 2020 Democratic Candidate Stands on the Policies that Actually Matter

21

By LENYA GODA Staff Writer As various states start voting in the democratic primaries, a terrifying question arises: who will you vote for? Trump, Sanders, Biden, Bloomberg, Buttigieg, Warren, Klobuchar, Gabbard, Steyer?

With so many names, it is very easy to get confused. If you are like me, you probably recognized two, maybe three, of the names. Here is a comprehensive index of three of the hottest topics—climate change, health care and immigration— and where each of the democratic presidential candidates stand on each of the issues.

First is climate change and nuclear energy. Will these presidents make strides to solve these issues, and if so, how? This is an important issue that we need to focus on. With temperatures rising, we need to be active in saving the planet if we want to prevent disaster. Second is health care. Are they promoting health care for all, or some? Perhaps they want to eliminate government-supported health care all together. This is an issue that will inevitably affect everyone. If they want health care for all, taxes will rise, but everyone will be covered. If they don’t, then perhaps you will not be covered in the case of an emergency. Last is immigration. During Trump’s presidency, he has started building the wall on the Southern border and cracking down on undocumented immigration. Where do each of these candidates stand? Do they support him or directly oppose his policies? These issues have included some of Trump’s strongest stances, and whoever takes over from him will have to decide how they want to move forward. They cannot remain neutral on this issue. The ways each of these three issues are handled will change the way that America functions and will change our individual lives. Now these three policies do not encompass anywhere near all of the issues being discussed or explain the candidates’ entire platforms, but it is a good starting point. Without further ado, let’s start with Joe Biden.

Joe Biden -For climate change, Biden’s main goal is to make the US economy run entirely on clean energy with no carbon emissions by 2050. He has a plan to accomplish this. As an alternative, he would like to use nuclear power plants.

-For government health care, he wants to expand Medicare to cover more people, specifically those without coverage, but does not want it to cover everyone.

-He supports the DREAM Act, which is a program where children brought into the country undocumented can pursue legal citizenship. However, he wishes to keep the immigration system nearly the same.

Michael Bloomberg -He thinks that America should work with other countries to solve climate change. He is also trying to close coal plants.

-He takes a slightly more moderate approach to health care than Biden.

He would expand it, but not for all.

-In immigration, he works to prevent families from getting separated at the border. He supports the DREAM Act as well.

Pete Buttigieg -Buttigieg wants to tax carbon emissions, as well as crack down on all emissions, so that we can have zero emissions by 2050.

-He wants to redo the entire Medicare system, specifically by reducing drug prices and expanding Medicare, while still keeping the private ones for those who want that.

-He supports the DREAM Act, but he also wants to decriminalize crossing the border to provide immigrants

with an easier and safer way to enter the country.

Tulsi Gabbard -She wants to cut fossil fuels entirely and move to renewable energy.

However, she wants to close down nuclear plants.

-She is an advocate for Medicare for all but has a plan to slowly take small steps to get there.

-She is one of the strongest advocates for the DREAM Act but hasn’t taken a strong stance on any other immigration issue.

Amy Klobuchar -To prevent climate change, Klobuchar wants to place government regulations on carbon emissions, while using nuclear energy as a new energy source.

-She wants to reduce the price of medications to make them more affordable. While she does want to expand Medicare coverage, she is far more moderate on this issue than most candidates.

-She supports the DREAM Act and argues for more leniency in the immigration process.

Tom Steyer -He works hard for green energy.

He pushes to transition toward sustainability and alternative forms of energy -He wants anyone to be able to enroll in government health care if they wish but does not want it to be required.

-He criticized the Trump administration’s border patrol, and how they treat people with cruelty. He wants to decriminalize crossing the border.

Bernie Sanders -He wants to close down the nuclear centers and impose government restrictions on carbon emissions to prevent climate change and protect the environment.

-He wants Medicare for all, which he says will be funded by taxing the upper class and the super rich.

-He has some of the most extreme beliefs on immigration. He wants to “decriminalize immigration and demilitarize our border.”

Elizabeth Warren -She stands with Sanders, wanting to impose restrictions on carbon emissions. But she would also ban fracking which draws the oil up from the ground, creating problems.

-She argues for Medicare for all, no matter the circumstance.

-She also supports making immigration legal, pushing the more extreme beliefs.

Both Sanders and Warren fall on the more liberal end of the spectrum. However, the main difference between them arises in economics.

Sanders is democratic socialist and tends to push those ideas, whereas Warren is a self-proclaimed capitalist through and through. Buttigieg is somewhere in the middle, more liberal, but not nearly as much as Sanders or Warren. Finally, on the more moderate edge are Biden, Bloomberg and Klobuchar. The democratic primaries for Missouri will be held on Mar. 10.

Your vote matters because whoever makes it past the primaries will be one step closer to becoming president and changing the world we live in.

America is a place where your voice can be heard. We are unique in this way, where we can speak out. Your vote matters.

Opinion

22

Should we put a price on nature?

Evaluating america’s economic system

By JORDAN BAILEY Staff Writer ow much is the world worth? As you look at the current state of America’s economic system, it becomes very clear that the U.S. market structure has failed to create an economy that is centered around what is best for the advancement and evolution of society rather than what is best for the advancement and evolution of capital. With things such as natural resources being used to the point of exhaustion, or the creation of goods and services that have huge negative effects on nature, the question of whether or not we should put a price tag or tax on the consequences that human actions have on the natural world remains imperative in determining how to put an end to the depletion of the environment.

H

The Pigovian Tax Theory The idea to impose a price tag on market goods that create externalities was first proposed by British economist Arthur C. Pigou. Essentially, Pigou advocated for a tax to be instituted within economic systems that would help exhibit the costs that are associated with producing a certain good or service. For example, the production of plastic has serious negative effects on the environment. From pollution that harms not only animals but our own health, to carbon dioxide and methane gas being pumped into the atmosphere, plastic manufacturing has had a huge impact on

nations, communities and the natural world. According to Pigou’s theoretical approach, the solution to this negative externality would be to put a price tag on the impacts that plastic production has on both society and nature. “In theory, the tax would correct the market distortion created by collective goods, since every consumer would be required to bear the full social cost of their behavior,” Lisa Heinzerling said, a professor of administrative and environmental law at Georgetown University. “By equating the private cost of an activity to its social cost, the tax would enable the pricing system to achieve the optimal allocation of collective goods.”

So is the imposition of taxes and price tags the only way to solve issues such as climate change?

At this point in time, I would say it is. According to Richard Gray, a journalist for BBC News, the main reason why plastic is still the primary source of packaging in production is due to how inexpensive it is to make. “One reason plastic is so dominant is its ability to do more, for less,” Gray said. Most plastic products use less material than environmentally friendly ones do as well, which is another huge economic benefit for companies. Unless we can find a better option than plastic to produce—one that is both ecologically safe and less expensive—plastic will continue to be the number one source for packaging goods and services within business. The problem is we haven’t found a cheaper option—hemp plastic, for example, is 60 to 70 cents per pound to make,

about 30 to 40 cents more than regular plastic.

Even though switching from plastic to something like hemp or biodegradable plastic is definitely a step in the right direction, most companies and businesses would never make that move because, unfortunately, everything truly is about money within America’s economic system.

Should Human Actions... Be Taxed?

It’s hard to determine whether or not nature as a whole can truly have a price tag on it, considering how invaluable and precious the natural world is to our survival as a species. The conclusion that I have come to is that the environment cannot be price-tagged, but human actions and the negative effects that they have on the environment can. As stated above, the best solution toward solving the global plastic production crisis is finding an alternative that is both eco-friendly and cheaper. But does that mean we should just wait until that alternative option has been created to finally solve the current pollution problem at hand? Taxing these negative externalities, such as pollution, that have a significant impact on nature will create an economic system that evaluates not only how goods and services are produced, distributed and consumed, but also how these goods and services impact the social and cultural constructions of our daily lives and the level of influence that the American economic market has had on these constructions.

Keep Up with the UNews Online...

Scan the QR code to subscribe to our weekly newsletter and recieve updates and articles in your inbox!

23 Opinion a PERSPECTIVE on the common core

By RUBEN ROSARIO RODRIQUEZ Faculty Contributor February 12, 2020 Dear Editors, I am writing at the request of several colleagues in the humanities at Saint Louis University, specifically colleagues in the departments of philosophy, theology and history, to express our shared concerns over the proposed University Undergraduate Core Curriculum and to say that we are very troubled by the elimination of a distinct ethics requirement.

Under the existing College of Arts and Sciences core curriculum, which, in one form or another, serves all the colleges and schools at SLU, virtually every student takes an ethics course. In fact, because of this strong commitment to ethics across the curriculum, SLU has assembled some of the nation’s leading scholars in theological, philosophical and health care ethics. Now, as part of a move to create a university-wide core curriculum that does not offer discipline-specific courses but seeks instead to satisfy certain “attributions” that can be fulfilled by any number of courses in any discipline, SLU is on the brink of having a core without an ethics requirement.

At the public forum to discuss the new common core proposal on Feb. 10, 2020, a professor from the Doisy College of Health Sciences asked whether his “Introduction to Patient Care” course could fulfill the ethics attribution. The answer from the University Undergraduate Core Committee (UUCC) was a resounding “Yes!” This is highly problematic, as the following scenario illustrates: some members of SLU’s ethics faculty also happen to be medical doctors. In the course of teaching medical ethics to undergraduate students, they often have to teach some physiology, anatomy, genetics or other aspects of medicine. Yet, one would not expect this course to satisfy a biology or health sciences requirement. Yet, that is precisely what the UUCC proposes in reverse: expecting someone teaching nursing or physical therapy to also teach “ethics.”

Degree programs in the Doisy College of Health Sciences, the Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing and the College for Public Health and Social Justice leave very little room in the curriculum for electives, so it benefits these programs to have ethics taught as an “attribution” within an already existing course

in the major. But if, as SLU’s mission statement declares, we are committed to the “dissemination and integration of the values, knowledge and skills required to transform society in the spirit of the Gospels,” we have to question the effectiveness of ethics as a mere “attribution.” The elimination of a distinctly Jesuit, Catholic ethics core requirement undermines that which distinguishes a SLU undergraduate education from other schools in the region.

What incentive is there for parents and students to spend $40,000 a year in tuition at SLU when they can get the same “general education” at the University of Missouri for about $10,000 a year? Why are our students seeking an undergraduate degree from a university—a research university, at that—if their sole motivation is professional training and job placement? There are other paths to gainful employment in technology and medical services. The reason students come to SLU is for the value of an undergraduate university degree, which at a Jesuit Catholic university means a demanding, interdisciplinary grounding in the liberal arts with requirements in history, philosophy, theology, ethics, literature, mathematics, natural sciences and foreign languages. This common core proposal devalues that which used to make a SLU education distinctive and valuable.

Finally, as a member of the Board of Directors of the Society of Christian Ethics, the leading non-denominational scholarly association devoted to scholarly work in Christian ethics, I can attest to the standing and excellent reputation of our ethics faculty in the profession. Given the world-class ethics faculty at SLU, it makes little sense not to draw upon their expertise. Given the cost of a SLU undergraduate education, it makes less sense to have ethics taught by attribution by non-specialist faculty with little expertise in ethics. To put it bluntly, the common core proposal was not designed to preserve and enhance SLU’s Jesuit Catholic mission, but represents the interests of those departments represented on the UUCC. It is worth noting that the UUCC did not have a single voting member from philosophy, theology or the Jesuit order.

Sincerely, Rubén Rosario Rodríguez, Professor of Theological Studies

UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITORIAL BOARD 2019-20 Riley Mack, news editor

Jack Connaghan, photography editor

Conor Dorn, associate news editor

DESIGN EDITOR REBECCA LIVIGNI Riley Tovornik, photography editorunews@unewsonline.com

Claire Battista, arts & life editor

Jacob Cunningham, copy editor

arts@unewsonline.com

copy@unewsonline.com

Sarah Steen, copy editor

Gracie Simon, social media editor

Celia Searles, arts & life editor Sam Glass, sports editor

design@unewsonline.com

sports@unewsonline.com

Ashlee Kothenbeutel, illustrator

Erin McClelland, associate sports editor

Jaskiran Singh, multimedia editor

Kelly siempelkamp, opinion editor

Emma Carmody, editor-in-chief eic@unewsonline.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MEREDYTH STAUNCH Rebecca LiVeic@unewsonline.com igni, managing editor managing@unewsonline.com

Sophie Perry, online design editor webmaster@unewsonline.com

design@unewsonline.com

VACANT, general manager

news@unewsonline.com

opinion@unewsonline.com

photo@unewsonline.com

Michelle Peltier, advisor

advisor@unewsonline.com

The University News was founded by Claude Heithaus, S.J. The Editorial Board of the University News recognizes Avis Meyer, PH.D., as the newspaper’s faculty mentor.

SPEND YOUR

Registration opens March 16!

It’s the campus you love – with less hammock competition.

WORLD-CLASS FACULTY FOCUSED LEARNING IN-DEMAND COURSES

May 18 –August 9 slu.edu/summer

20.046 Summer at SLU Ad.indd 2

40% of Delegates are on the line.

Come watch the election results come in with hundreds of other SLU students on March 3rd at the CGC. Doors open at 6:30pm!

2/19/20 3:32 PM