No. 3 (March 25, 2021) by University News

THE UNIVERSITY NEWS

COVER DESIGN BY REBECCA LIVIGNI

VOL. XCVV No. 3 / March 25th, 2021

NEWS

(Claire Battista / The University News)

STOP THE HATE VIGIL CALLS FOR CHANGE The Cross Cultural Center hosted a Stop the Hate vigil Friday, March 19 to honor the lives lost in the anti-Asian mass shootings days before and to raise awareness of the 150 percent surge in anti-Asian hate crimes since 2019. By ZOË BUTLER Staff Writer

oi Lee, a junior at SLU, woke up Thursday morning too upset to make it to class. It was March 18—the heart of midterms and two days after a white male shot up three different Asian spas in the Atlanta area, killing eight people, six of whom were Asian women. “We couldn’t even focus,” Lee said. “We couldn’t even go to school. We couldn’t even live our normal lives.” Lee is Korean, and her roommate, junior Abby Kwon, is Korean-American. They found a small comfort in talking with each other in the days following the shootings, but mostly needed time alone to process the events. Later that day, though, they were already helping Luella Loseille, the program coordinator for the Cross Cultural Center at SLU, organize a virtual Stop the Hate Vigil, held Friday, March 19. It’s goal was

to commemorate the lives lost in the mass shootings and to address the wider problem of anti-Asian sentiment that has grown in the United States over the past couple years, focusing on what can be done about it. Earlier in the day on Friday, Lee and Kwon gathered with friends and fellow students in the quad, bringing armfuls of chalk and posters to create a make-shift shrine and callto-action. Phrases like: “Stop Asian Hate,” “Racism is the virus,” “Learn how to say our names” were written along the clock tower. One unidentified person, however, wrote “End Feminism” along a bordering wall in broad daylight. Because the security cameras around the clock tower haven’t been working for some time, the individual has yet to be held responsible. This sparked a fire in Kwon, and gave her the courage to speak out at the vigil consisting of around 200 participants. “I’m not usually a person who likes to public speak,” Kwon said. “At the vigil, I was just so heated, and I felt so compelled to speak up, where it didn’t really make me nervous. I had to say what was on my mind”...“I’ve never felt like that before.” Kwon believes the message echoed a misogyny that was showcased in the spa shootings, as the shooter claimed to have targeted the spas to eliminate his sexual “temptation,” according to the New York Times. “There’s a lot of misogyny and racism that we need to combat in our own communities,” Kwon said. “It affects us a lot closer than we think it does.” Both Kwon and Lee were studying abroad in spring 2020, when the coronavirus first impacted our lives. Kwon was in London and Lee was in Denmark, and both said they had experienced radical, racial wake-up calls in their time in Europe—before the outbreak of COVID-19, and after. Kwon remembered one night, specifically, where she was travelling on a bus in London, and a white man called her a slur, along with making many racially-charged sexual remarks. “Everyone thinks of study abroad as a great experience; you get to travel the world,” Kwon said. “But as a person of color, you have to think about how other people in that country are going to perceive you, and you’re not safe from racism.”

She had another similar experience in Barcelona. And then again in Scotland. They were different from each other, but all preyed on the fact that she was a young, Asian-American woman. SLU’s study abroad team hadn’t prepared either of them for these experiences. When the coronavirus became more prevalent, and the two were sent back to the States, the racist remarks picked up and packed more aggression as the culture of anti-Asian hate became normalized. Lee and Kwon both had countless stories of times people made vehement associations between their race and the virus. “One time during the lockdown, me and my friend went on a walk, and these two white men yelled at me and told me to go back to China,” Lee said. “It’s just like, you don’t even know me. How could you say things like that?” Kwon believes this blatant racism was made more mainstream when the news outlets were focusing on Wuhan, China as the epicenter of the disease, especially when former president Trump’s language about the virus was derogatory to Asians. Many people interpreted this knowledge to mean that China was responsible for the outbreak, which progressed into harmful stereotypes of Asian people, specifically surrounding their food and culture. “We’re still seeing the effects of it now, a year later,” Kwon said. As of this year, 11.4 percent of SLU’s undergraduate student body are Asian. It is a dismal statistic next to the 64.3 percent who are white, but it is still the second most common ethnicity at our university. Yet, APIDA students are feeling unheard. Kwon said that in order to move forward, SLU must realize how much they’ve benefited off of systemic racism and white supremacy, and find even the smallest ways to dismantle that. “The demands that we listed are good steps,” Kwon said. “I don’t think it’ll fix the damage that is already done, but it’s honestly the least that they could do.” Lee agrees, emphasizing a need for accountability. For the person who defaced the clock tower’s memorial. For SLU, itself. “I really hope they know that we’re here,” Lee said. Lee and Kwon let out a light laugh and then a deep sigh. “Yeah,” Kwon agreed.

News

VACCINES AT SLU:

WHERE ARE WE NOW? By MARK BURBRIDGE Staff Writer

n March 5, Saint Louis University issued a message to notify all students and staff that the University had acquired more doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine by way of the Missouri National Guard. This announcement also had a survey for students to complete regarding vaccine eligibility. COVID-19 vaccine research and development has been a prominent part of SLU’s plan to handle the pandemic within its own campus. Generally speaking, vaccine research is no small task, a point emphasized by Daniel Hoft, Ph.D., head of the Center for Vaccine Development, who elaborated on the long process of creating the vaccine. “It starts with identifying a potential target for a vaccine, of course. Is it a big enough problem to develop a vaccine? Are the consequences severe enough that we want to prevent it?” After addressing these preliminary questions, “then there is initial preclinical work that needs to be done. You need to know what type of vaccine you’re gonna make: are you gonna make a RNA vaccine, a protein based vaccine, a viral-vector vaccine, virus-like particle type vaccine, or other newer methods?” When COVID-19 was identified back in the spring semester of last year, there was no question for SLU researchers, led by Hoft, that a vaccine was in order, due to the mass disruption it caused through both its infection rate and economic disruption. “The magnitude in mortality as well as the complications that are occurring in many people in COVID-19, that’s affecting everyone in the world and it’s spreading like wildfire,” Hoft said, “paralyzed our economies, and that has become a divisive force in politics.” SLU got right to work researching potential treatments

for COVID-19, as well as potential vaccine technology. In March 2020, the same month in which in-person instruction was halted, SLU initiated an Adaptive COVID-19 Treatment Trial to determine the effectiveness of Remdesiver on treating COVID-19—with Remdesiver eventually being approved by the FDA during October. In August of 2020, SLU’s Center for Vaccine Development began recruiting participants for a Phase 3 trial of the Moderna vaccine in order to better understand its efficacy. According to Dr. Horton, by the end of the semester, SLU was monitoring the various research studies that were released. With the release of vaccines from companies like Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech, SLU began applying through the state to be a provider of COVID-19 vaccines. “Dr. Terri Rebmann and I led the efforts on that [applying for the vaccine],” Horton shared, “we got rejected five or six times before they [the state] finally said we got approved.” Regarding SLU being an approved vaccine provider for the state of Missouri, Horton noted that the university now stores some of the vaccine for the National Guard. “It’s a collaborative effort working and speaking with them about our needs, as well as seeing what their needs were,” Horton said, “when the Johnson and Johnson vaccine got approved, they were generously able to give us some of the Moderna vaccine that was given to them...”

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SLU African-American Studies Faculty (Photo Courtesy of St. Louis University)

AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES TO BECOME A DEPARTMENT By KLAUDIA WACHNIK Staff Writer A longtime in the making, African American studies is finally becoming a department at Saint Louis University, and is set to get full department status by the fall 2021 semester. Many in the SLU community have waited for African American studies to become fully departmentalized, and it was a prominent goal of both the Clock Tower Accords and the more recent list of demands from the Breonna Taylor Memorial incident last fall. In the 1970’s, SLU began offering their first African-American Studies classes, pioneered by Barbara Woods, Ph.D., who directed the SLU African-American Studies Program. Woods was known as one of the architects of Black studies throughout universities across the nation. As the African-American studies program solidified, SLU created a certificate and a contract major, where students put together classes that would be viable for an African-American Studies degree and had it signed off by a professor. In the 1990’s, SLU’s African-American Studies became a formally instituted program under the leadership of Karla Scott, Ph.D., and was granted the ability to graduate traditional B.A. majors through the program in 2010. In recent days, Christopher Tinson, Ph.D., the current director of African-American studies and other members teaching within the program have taken part in faculty meetings and conversations to make the African-American studies

program a full department. However, the road to becoming a department has not been smooth or quick. As movements for Black empowerment have gathered momentum, so too has the push for the departmentalization of the African American studies program. One obstacle that stood in their way was repeated questioning of the necessity of the program. Tinson responded, “We’ve been making the case over 40 years for why this is a viable area of study.” With departmentalization comes a more official footing within the university. Tinson elaborated on the benefits of departmentalization, saying: “It gives us more visibility and viability. And also, most importantly, it allows us to hire and tenure our own faculty who have lines in African American Studies.” The program is currently in the process of interviewing candidates for a joint position within African-American studies and the School of Education, as well as for community-based endeavors. “It’s definitely exciting,” said Clarke Taylor, senior and student worker within the African-American studies program. “Education and African descendants go hand in hand, and we always want to make sure people understand that [and] appreciate that. We’re here to celebrate that, as well as produce new people who can carry on that tradition. So that’s what we’re here for,” added Tinson.

News

POOR TREATMENT, QUARANTINE CONDITIONS REPORTED By RILEY MACK News Editor

Dan O’Connell, SLU’s Bandana Project founder, poses with his green bandana. (Sanjott Singh / The University News)

THE BANDANA PROJECT

COMES TO SLU

By MARTIN SHARPE Staff Writer arch 2021 is just over a year since the first confirmed COVID-19 death struck the United States. Since then, life has become drastically different; classes are either partially or completely online, and our social lives remain largely static as many worry about infecting ourselves or others with the virus. Each day we are met with countless unsettling statistics about new cases and death counts. Adding to our unnerving new reality is the rise of political unrest that continues to shake the nation, with social justice movements taking particular aim at police brutality and increases in hate crimes. Amongst all this turmoil is another problem that has seen extensive growth since the onset of the pandemic: deteriorating mental health. In a time when Americans are spending more and more time indoors without social contact, the negative effects on mental health are becoming apparent. In fact, a report by the US Census Bureau showed a 31 percent increase in people reportedly experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety between December 2019 and December 2020. Unfortunately, mental health is a topic still somewhat stigmatized and

its importance is often dismissed or erroneously discredited, despite growing efforts to encourage awareness of it. Thankfully, many students at SLU are making an effort to change this reality. The Bandana Project is a multi-campus, student-run project aimed at providing student-to-student mental health support to those at SLU and other participating universities. The project was first conceived and employed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison before making its way to SLU’s campus thanks to SLU student Dan O’Connell. O’Connell, a junior at SLU majoring in psychology, took the first steps in getting the project established on campus. “I reached out to the people at Wisconsin to see how we could get it started at SLU, and they sent us a packet of information about how they went about starting theirs,” said O’Connell...

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s COVID-19 struck Saint Louis University’s campus, safeguards were swiftly put in place, including an influx of quarantine housing and strict health protocols on campus. Soon after, students were exposed to the poor conditions of SLU’s isolation housing and the alleged mistreatment of Residential Advisors. On May 26, 2020, SLU’s fate was decided. Administration chose to allow over 11,000 students to return to the university, despite an increase in COVID-19 infections since campus was first shut down. In August, the wroughtiron gates of Saint Louis University creaked open for the school year once again, allowing a flood of students to move back to campus for an in-person fall semester. After a warm, socially distanced welcome, however, the mood shifted—SLU became intent on limiting COVID-19 infections to keep campus open for the remainder of the school year. In a plethora of emails from university administration to the student body throughout the 2020-2021 school year, the messaging began to transform from upbeat communications to a more harsh, reprimanding tone. One email from early February, entitled “Breaking point or turning point?”, detailed that SLU is “on the brink of implementing severe COVID-19 restrictions because some students, it appears, have just given up,” and explained that students should have “no more beer-pong parties,” among a list of other flagrant actions. “Don’t spend Mardi Gras ‘day drinking’ instead of going to class. (Yes, we’ve heard about that plan.) You asked for more mental health days in the calendar, and February 17 is the first one. Use it as it was intended, not recover-

ing from a day of partying,” wrote Debra Rudder Lohe, the Interim Vice President for Student Development at SLU at the time. “Come on. You know better,” she wrote. This pressure to bring case numbers down was especially imparted on resident advisors of the campus’ residence halls, who deal with COVID-19 safeguard violations first-hand. One resident advisor who has worked for the university for two years detailed the dismal conditions of her stay at Grand Forest Apartment quarantine housing. The student, who chose to remain anonymous for fear of losing their job at the university, is called Abigail. Abigail was randomly selected to be tested for COVID-19. When the test came back positive, she was rushed into isolation housing at midnight, where she would stay for the next 14 days. When she arrived at her temporary new home, the bathroom door was locked and the bed was without sheets, covered in unknown stains. Luckily, she said, she was given “a roll of toilet paper—thank God for that,” she laughed. She called the Student Health Center’s COVID-19 hotline to have the bathroom door opened, who said they would have to check if this was feasible and call her back. When they did get back to her, they said someone could arrive in two hours to fix it...

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News (Grace Dunlavy / The University News)

By CONOR DORN Associate News Editor

ince SLU first transitioned to virtual learning last March, the COVID-19 pandemic has upended almost every traditional method of teaching and learning across all majors and colleges. And while it is widely recognized that virtual learning is no substitute for faceto-face interaction, tools like Zoom and other creative means of content delivery have allowed learning at SLU to persist and even to thrive during the pandemic. As the pandemic has stretched on, there have been opportunities, across all colleges and disciplines, to incorporate the COVID-19 pandemic into course material and to draw on insights reached in the classroom to better understand the current moment. Predictably, courses with a STEM basis have had ample opportunity to study COVID-19, in classes on virology and epidemiology, for example. But disciplines in the humanities in a diverse range of fields have also studied aspects of the pandemic in the classroom and the insights reached are indispensable towards understanding the pandemic and the world it has made. If the pandemic has reaffirmed one thing, it is that the sharp divisions between academic disciplines that are often most accentuated within a university setting are less useful outside of it, especially

SLU COURSES & COVID

in times of crisis. For instance, questions early in the pandemic about the most effective way to stop the spread of COVID-19 from an epidemiological standpoint couldn’t be separated from questions relating to the economic or social impact of lockdowns or political questions about the responsibilities the government has to its citizens and their welfare. The rapid development of vaccines, including the cutting edge mRNA technology, were rightly hailed as extraordinary scientific achievements. But there remain other vaccine related questions, about inequalities in access, or the morality of patent laws on life-saving technology, that science cannot answer alone. To address these complex questions, an interdisciplinary approach is necessary, and as a Jesuit university, one which SLU’s, as a Jesuit school, is well attuned to. The University News spoke to three professors representing three different disciplines—Anthropology, English and History—in the humanities, all of whom have integrated the COVID-19 pandemic into their class material in some capacity. They shared insights that they and their students have reached so far this semester and the interdisciplinary approaches they have taken to do so. Amy Cooper, Ph.D., a professor of anthropology and sociology, teaches an introduction to Medical Anthropology course this semester. Listing some of the topics covered in her Medical Anthropology course that offer parallels for our

current moment, Cooper said: “We study how involuntary migration and poverty shape experiences of medical treatment for Hmong refugees in the U.S., how racism and class inequalities affect people’s attempts to build families through high-tech medical interventions in Ecuador, and how government policies meant to promote health actually dehumanize and traumatize generations of indigenous communities in the Canadian Arctic.” As Cooper elaborated, one of the central insights she hopes to communicate in her course is that illness is not strictly the result of a biological process, rather “health and illness are shaped by social, political, and economic inequalities, adding: “The way we organize society has created vast inequalities and hugely differential health outcomes, and a pandemic can exacerbate these inequalities when institutions don’t intervene to stop it.” Ellen Crowell, Ph.D., a professor of English, teaches a unique senior English seminar called “Reading AIDS in the Time of COVID.” Through weekly engagement with literature, film and music produced during the height of the AIDs crisis, students in Crowell’s class ask themselves each week: “When we explore how and why artists addressed the horrors of AIDS (institutionalized hatred, racism, homophobia, healthcare inequity, politicized medical treatment, the restructuring of human intimacy, etc.) what do we see about our own pandemic moment?”

05 The idea for the class came, Crowell said, as she was running on the SLU track. While running, Crowell began listening closely to a song from the 1980s and thought: “This song was about AIDS and I didn’t notice that then.” Another thought quickly followed: “The only reason I am noticing this now, is because we are again living in a pandemic.” A phenomenon that most people are no doubt familiar with is that as the pandemic has gone on, things which were once incredibly bizarre—extended isolation from friends and family, conducting meetings and ceremonies over Zoom, for example—have started to feel somewhat normal. But, Crowell said, “this is not normal—and in order to feel the strangeness, we need to get some distance; we need to attune ourselves to the atmosphere of now by immersing ourselves in another atmosphere.” Another class, taught by George Ndege, Ph.D., a professor of African history, also seeks to provide insight into our current pandemic moment through the study of the past. In his class “Peoples and Pandemics in History,” Ndgege explores various responses to pandemics in the past, drawing parallels between the challenges and complexities faced by those societies and our own. Ndege and his students have examined pandemics in the context of the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, Imperialism and the modern era, focusing on the ways that different societies have dealt with disease, ranging from discoveries of new scientific treatments for disease to the creation and implementation of public health policies. Naming just a few of the many projects his students are working on, Ndege said: “students are working on comparing public health responses to cholera epidemics in different world regions’’ as well as analyzing the “logistical response of the Red Cross to various pandemics across the globe.” Other subjects of study include “the psychological impact of polio on American children in the 1950s, the evolution of dentistry, midwifery and nursing across in specific periods and regions, and the cultural and economic impacts of the cholera outbreak in 1854 London.” Ndege added: “The current global pandemic of Covid-19 has brought to the forefront the complexities that scientists, the medical community, pharmaceutical companies and public health officials face when dealing with catastrophic outbreaks of disease” and he affirmed the importance of the study of the past for recognizing and addressing these complexities.

Arts and life

The tv shows that kept us sane during the pandemic By MARK BURBRIDGE Staff Writer With the world still under the threat of COVID-19, many individuals have lost a great deal of the things they used to take for granted: the friends they could see regularly, in-person social events, proper in-person education that fostered clear communication between instructor and student and much more. When life has been so limiting in the things one can do, it is only natural that many individuals have turned towards mediums like television shows to keep some semblance of sanity during these unpredictable times. Whether they be documentaries that provide opportunities to learn or fictional stories with captivating worlds, television series have become a prominent form of escapism in these depressing times of isolation. UNews reached out to several students who shared the TV shows that maintained their sanity during the past year; should you find yourself in another pandemic ever again, here is what you can watch!

The West Wing

“The West Wing” is a political drama that first premiered back in September of 1999, and ran for seven seasons before ending in May of 2006. The show, primarily focusing on the west wing of the White House, follows the fictional presidency of Josiah Bartlet as he, along with his White House Staff, handles the day-to-day tasks of governmental affairs. This administration is forced to balance their political and personal lives within the various domestic and international challenges they face. SLU student Sophie Thibault explained to the UNews how her interest to watch the show stemmed from her American Politics class during her freshman year at SLU. “My American Politics professor freshman year loved it, so he had gifs of it on slides and we would watch clips of it to explain things we were learning in class,” Thibault said, “once COVID happened at the end of my freshman year, I decided to watch it to see what the fuss was about.” The blend of comedy and drama within the show was also something that held Thibault’s interest, “The drama comes from the big decisions that had to be made, and there is no right answer to go about it; The comedy comes from the characters working together…they work together for

so long, they have little inside-jokes to balance the light-hearted and heavy stuff.”

TIGER KING

While it probably would have died out as an obscure documentary series under any other circumstance, one still has to acknowledge how the release of “Tiger King” at the beginning of the pandemic helped provide a distraction for many. The show is a true crime documentary series detailing zookeeper and convicted felon Joe Exotic, as well as his feud with Carole Baskin of Big Cat Rescue. The instant popularity of the show is what helped to grab photo editor Andrea Porter’s attention. “It was one of my Netflix recommendations and I saw that it was in the Top 10 shows to watch,” Porter said, “ I was interested in what it was about.” Porter said that untamed and uncut shows about people with exotic animals had always been an attention grabber, and how in spite of the fact that it is not the type of show to rewatch multiple times, “if a new season came out I would watch it!”

Schitt’$ Creek

“Schitt’s Creek” is a Canadian sitcom that first premiered in January of 2015 and lasted for a total of six seasons, the last wrapping up in April of 2020. The show follows the wealthy Rose family relocating to a small rural town known as Schitt’s Creek following the loss of their fortune from an embezzlement scandal. From there, they begin to grow as a family and learn to live alongside the other residents of Schitt’s Creek. As for what made this show captivating, one anonymous SLU student wrote to UNews that the humor was a big attention grabber. “This is a show that made me genuinely belly laugh out loud,” the student told UNews, “[it] is also incredibly heartwarming while talking about important topics related to modern society.” According to the student, the atmosphere and world built inside the show helped provide for great escapism, “It helped distract you and take you away from the world you were currently living in. Very engaging!”

(Celia Searles / The University News)

the office

Given its popularity, it should be no surprise that “The Office” has provided some students with sanity they needed during this pandemic. The nine season mockumentary sitcom details the workings of paper company Dunder Mifflin run by branch manager Michael Scott and follows the various dealings within this unusual paper and office supply’s sale company. Another anonymous SLU student told UNews that the various character dynamics throughout the show is what made it especially interesting. “The Office has evolving relationships,” the student said, “and crazy situations that always keep you on your toes.” Indeed, the ever-changing relationships between characters would certainly provide solace in a time when one cannot easily achieve these social interactions, and the student echoed this sentiment with, “The Office has always been my go-to and felt like my safety show during the pandemic.”

B ri dg e rton

The most recent television show reported by SLU students, “Bridgerton” is an eight episode period drama set within Regency Era London. The Netflix series follows the wealthy Bridgerton family, specifically the eldest daughter Daphne, as they try to enter her in the competitive marriage arena of 19th century London. The beautiful way in which the show portrayed its time period was highlighted by one anonymous upperclassman. “I loved being able to see how the scenes were decorated and the wardrobe that people may have worn back in the 1800s,” an upperclassman shared with the UNews, “It’s fun to imagine the past and compare it to how things have drastically changed.” Depicting a time period different from our current COVID-19 dominated world was not the only thing noted, as the diversity of the cast was also found to be appreciated, “Not many period dramas have any sort of diversity, but this show did!”

Arts and life WWYD: A Lockdown Reflection By SARA QALBANI Staff Writer As we hit the one-year mark since the beginning of lockdown, students look back at how they spent their time in quarantine. For some, this was a time for personal growth and reflection , but it was also a time period that took a toll on them mentally and physically. Not everyone’s experience was the same and each individual was faced with different challenges from a pandemic. outside the realm of their past experiences. When asked about any regrets they had post-lockdown experience, many students considered what they could have done differently. Sophomore Melissa Holland shares, “If I could redo quarantine, I would probably have tried to encourage myself to have a healthy daily routine. Looking back on it, I wasn’t very productive and the days seemed to blend together so that it felt like I wasn’t making any real progress. I think quarantine would have been much better if I had a set schedule that I maintained.” The sudden rush to isolate caused many peoples’ daily schedules to flip and resulted in a routine, or lack thereof, that was not suitable for many. Senior Beatrice Berne adds, “If I could redo my quarantine I would focus more on what I was doing and less on waiting for it to be over. I spent so much time anticipating going back to doing things that I forgot to set up good social, mental, and physical health structures. I wish I started adapting to my situation earlier, instead of wishing it was different.” One common theme amongst many students is the drastic impact the first quarantine took on their mental health. Sophomore Kenya Reeves says, “I spent more time alone doing nothing than I ever had before and I got medication for my depression and anxiety. Also, I got a new therapist and have been growing as a person.”

Prior to the pandemic, many people were overwhelmed by their fast-paced lives, and this was their opportunity to realize changes they wanted to make within themselves. Freshman Abby Minc adds, “The past year has been pretty difficult for me and I didn’t want to complain when everyone else was going through just as much, if not more. I’m just now getting to a point where I feel like I can talk to my parents about how I’m feeling and [have] them actually listen. As for if everything has helped me grow or not, quarantine definitely has.” The process of addressing mental health begins with oneself and for some, this step began in quarantine. Whether it was acknowledging that you needed help or taking the steps to get help, each stride should be celebrated, the little victories are still victories. Many students also shared their experiences of growth within themselves. “We were all going through a lot and I think I did the best I could at the time, ”remembers Sophomore Audrey Kelly.“I definitely think quarantine helped me grow. It gave me an opportunity to learn more about myself and take a step back from a lot of things.” Berne notes, “Although I, like everyone, had some not-great times during quarantine, those moments of frustration, pain, and, yes, loneliness helped me grow. You have to take care of yourself. Even though I’ve heard it, and said it, so many times, I didn’t realize that the extenuating circumstances of quarantining required me to do more in-depth, challenging, and reflective forms of self-care.” Although many students would have preferred to start their self-growth journey under different circumstances, at least the steps were taken that could positively impact the rest of their lives.

how will future generations view the pandemic? By AMAN RAHMAN Staff Writer Living through historically significant events can be a strange phenomenon. We go about our days realizing, but not fully acknowledging, that someday students will be tested over what we consider to be the most abnormal time of our lives. Each individual has had a different experience over the course of the pandemic and it brings up the question: what do I want future generations to know about my experience during this time? The United States has been at the epicenter of historical events this past year. From the handling of the pandemic to racial tensions, as well as an unprecedented election season, those living in the U.S. have faced many challenges. Future generations may not understand just how surreal these collective experiences were. “Being home with my family and opening up social media and seeing all the events happening in the world was a very unreal feeling,” said sophomore Miah Cramer. “That also speaks to my privilege because I don’t have to experience that in my own home. I think that future generations should know that even though we were seeing all this on social media, we were also encouraged to have these political conversations in our own household.” For many, the disagreements about the pandemic in the United States has been a source of frustration. Members of our society have had to face challenges such as unemployment, poverty and homelessness, often driving them to blame the government for the lack of preventative measures. Sophomore Kenya Reeves explains that she would want future generations to understand her grievances surrounding how the United Statedealt with the pandemic.

“If we as a culture cared more about the person instead of the profit, COVID wouldn’t have taken the toll that it did,” said Reeves. Individuals who practiced COVID-19 safety protocols since the start of the pandemic may feel like their efforts are unnoticed when it seemed that a large part of society was not. Students studying the pandemic in the future will not fully understand the perspective of individuals committed to combating the spread of COVID-19 transmission. Even today, foreign nationals may perceive that the entirety of the United States does not prioritize health safeguards, despite the fact that many people do. Sophomore Juliana Cortese feels that it is important to recognize these individuals. “I would want future generations to know that there were people doing the right thing,” said Cortese. “Even though it has dragged on for a long time, there are people that are doing the right thing.” For those not going through these events, it can be challenging to understand the mental health struggles of young adults during this time. According to a study done by KFF, four out of ten adults have reported feelings of anxiety and depression since the start of the pandemic. Young people during this time have felt isolated which in turn negatively affects their mental health. While this past year has been challenging for a lot of individuals, some have been able to see positives throughout this difficult time that may translate in history books years from now. “At first Covid felt like it was ruining my life and in a lot of ways it did but it taught me how to be with myself and evolve as a person,” said Reeves.

Arts and life

The Paegent: One Year Later By DANIEL BERNAS General Manager

(Sydney Compton / The University News)

While everyone has suffered from the COVID-19 pandemic, few industries have been hit quite as hard as the entertainment industry. Last May, I sat down with Patrick Hagin, managing partner of The Pageant and Delmar Hall, to discuss the impact of the shutdowns on the concert industry in St. Louis and at large. Now, almost one year later, the pandemic is in a vastly different stage than in May, and Hagin’s comments, as well as the state of the Pageant and Delmar Hall, have also changed. Fortunately, the tone of our most recent interview is far more optimistic than the first one. “We don’t have any plans on reopening in Delmar Hall until some time in the summer,” Hagin said, “but, at the Pageant, once we got into the late summer [of 2020] we got permission from the city of St. Louis to host some shows at a greatly reduced capacity.” While national touring is still currently prohibited, starting in mid-October 2020, the Pageant held weekend sets from local acts. While their normal capacity fits 2000 people, only 326 tickets were available for each of these shows, fitting pods of four and two people, each spread six feet apart. “That series was as successful as it could be. It’s not really a profit bank or even a breakeven project for us. However, a lot of the local artists really appreciated the chance to work and make some money, and it also kept our name out there, so from that standpoint it was successful.” Those shows are going to continue starting this April. “We’ll do that for a couple of months and just hope that if things go along and the restrictions start to ease up so we can slowly open up to larger crowds.” But the time from now until then is hard to predict. “A lot of it depends on the rate of vaccination, a lot of it depends on the severity of any particular variant outbreak, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed and hoping that by late summer we’re back to normal.” Of course, he uses the term ‘normal’ loosely. “Normal could be a full house with everyone wearing masks. Who knows?” In May, Hagin said that artists had financial incentives to postpone their shows rather than cancel them. However, the pandemic has lasted far longer than most expected at the time, forcing many to reconsider. “There are a couple

[shows] that are still on the backburner, but by the time we got into the middle of the summer [last year], most started just cancelling the shows outright. At that time in the summer there were rumors about this lasting until 2022, so I think a lot of people were just throwing their hands up.” For the acts that are still holding onto those show spots, many are pushing off into 2022. Others are having a hard time trying to find a spot among the countless acts who plan on touring at the same time once these restrictions are lifted. “If you look at our calendar from roughly September on, every day has five or six holds on it.” While there will certainly be a greater quantity of holds on a given spot, the industry standards on choosing who gets what date will remain the same. “You have to be fair about it,” Hagin said, referring to the process of maintaining hold statuses, where artists have their hold number based on what order they ask for it. “Normally, the first hold is there because an artist called you about that date first, but obviously it has to be appropriate. It has to be an artist who you and they believe is appropriate at your sized venue.” Beyond this, it’s a matter of who has the date first. “You do run into situations where you will have an artist who has the third or fourth hold who is potentially a better draw than the artist you have as a first hold, but you won’t last long in this business if you start cherry picking that way because then you will offend and irritate agents and management who feel like you’re not playing by the industry norms.” An even greater challenge has been honoring fans who’ve spent money on tickets for shows that were ultimately canceled. In our last conversation, Hagin said that Delmar and the Pageant were offering 30 day refund windows after these shows were rescheduled. Unfortunately, venues haven’t been able to hold onto the revenues made by these ticket sales. “There’s been a whole lot of refunds, and that’s been a real challenge across the industry.” Other challenges have been centered around how venues should screen attendees for symptoms upon entering a show. While Hagin is skeptical about the possi-

ees for symptoms upon entering a show. While Hagin is skeptical about the possibilities of having concert-goers prove their vaccination status, and predicts temperature checks will go away shortly, he does believe the mask wearing and basic questioning will persist into the near future. The main changes the Pageant will see are in their facilities. “We will most likely be installing disinfectant bipolar ionization units in our HVAC ductwork to help cleanse the indoor air.” Still, how venues can and will combat these issues is about as uncertain as the pandemic itself. “It’s still a little bit of the wild west out there as far as figuring out what works and what doesn’t. While the ‘hygiene theater’ is a buzzword, you don’t wanna waste money on stuff that doesn’t really do anything so you’ve gotta weed through all that to find out what you think is actually effective and what isn’t.” Additionally, it’s hard to rely on a consistently effective routine. “We can say ‘masks are required except when actively eating or drinking.’ How do you interpret ‘actively?’ Plus, the more people drink, even if they’re completely well intentioned, the more they let their guard down. That’s why the vaccines are so important.” Once these vaccines are fully rolled out, the shows themselves may not look the same artistically, either. In May, Hagin said that we’ll likely be seeing “less bells and whistles with the tours” once concerts are back on, with the artists stripping back to maximize profit and keep tickets at an attractive price. While he believes that to be true, he says it also depends on the genre, using country music as an example. “At our level, the average country show is more of a standard, simpler production than your average rock show. There’s not a lot of video screens, there’s not a lot of exploding pyrotechnics

or anything like that with the mid-level country artists. Once you get up to the arenas it’s all on the table at that point.” Surprisingly, government legislation has been one of the biggest contributors to venues across the country staying open long enough to even see those changes. “The Save Our Stages legislation was a monumental piece of legislation for our industry. The money still hasn’t been dispersed, we’re still waiting on that, but the legislation is there, the money is there, and the Small Business Administration (SBA) is just trying to determine the best way to deliver it.” Two of the biggest pushers of this legislation were Democratic Minnesota Senator Amy Klobochar and Republican Texas Senator John Cornyn, making it a bipartisan effort that got signed into law in December. Part of this legislation was the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG), a program which includes over $16 billion in grants to shuttered venues, to be administered by the SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance. “Once those dollars start to flow it’s gonna rescue a lot of venues, and really that’s why I’m optimistic.” Hagin is thankful for the government’s hand in this time. “I think that the government has done a pretty good job of taking care of people financially, I wouldn’t say great, but it’s been adequate. They’ve taken care of our employees with enhanced unemployment and by extending the unemployment multiple times to where people weren’t losing their apartment or starving, but I’m in no way glossing over the fact that a lot of people have gotten really hurt.” Last May, Hagin asked audiences for “a little bit of tolerance” and an “understanding of the situation” as well as for us to patronize our favorite restaurants, bars and venues once they open up, stating that “the ones that are left are gonna need as much love as they can get.” While that sentiment was haunting in mid 2020, I can happily end this article with a more optimistic message. “I think we all knew that a lot of places weren’t gonna make it, but I think now that if they got this far and they’re still here, then I think they’re in pretty good shape and there are grant programs that are going to make a lot of difference. It’s been rough, but if you’ve made it this far, you’re probably gonna get through this.”

Arts and life

Music in the Pandemic: How an Industry Kept Itself Going

By MATTHEW CHAMBERS Contributor (Sydney Compton / The University News)

The COVID-19 pandemic has turned several industries on their heads, but none quite like the music industry. With most of their primary sources of revenue too unsafe to continue, artists and labels had to react quickly in order to continue to earn a living. For many artists, their primary source of income was from touring. The logical solution to this problem was to move concerts online, with several artists producing online concerts to be enjoyed by fans across the globe. Artists such as BTS and Dua Lipa found massive success with this format, with BTS selling nearly one million tickets for their “Map Of The Soul ON:E” show and Dua Lipa drawing in over five million viewers for her “Studio 2054” concert. This also allowed musicians to test new technologies, with some artists such as Billie Eilish using augmented reality technologies designed to bring viewers a stronger viewing experience at home. With new COVID-19 restrictions giving artists more time at home, more music got written and released that may not have been created oth-

erwise. While some artists delayed the release of albums until after the pandemic, the concept of a ‘quarantine album’ was created and was met with several creative and successful albums. Initially led by British pop artist Charli XCX, her album “how i’m feeling now” was made and released within a month of the UK’s first lockdown began, and sparked buzz amongst music fans across the internet. Trying to make the album as collaborative as possible, Charli XCX would host Zoom sessions to vote on the best cover arts for the songs released before the album and make music video concepts with fans — all while everyone was at home. Later that summer, Taylor Swift announced that she had made an album while in lockdown as well: the massively successful “folklore”, which just won Album of the Year at the 2021 Grammys. Working with new collaborator Aaron Dessner and long-time collaborator Jack Antonoff, the album was a complete departure from her past sound and was met with massive critical and commercial success.

There was also support for musicians’ livelihoods found by distributing site Bandcamp, ushering in a new event titled ‘Bandcamp Fridays,’ which waived the site’s revenue share for musicians to earn every cent spent on their music. This was met with massive success as $4.3 million was spent on music and merch the first Bandcamp Friday and continued to grow, with its peak at $7.1 milion during the May 2020 iteration. But which pandemic innovations will continue on once we ease back into ‘normality’? As in-person concerts begin to return — with some venues, such as Wrigley Stadium in Chicago, returning as early as mid-July — it is unlikely virtual concerts will continue to be common practice. While mainstream artists found massive success through this format, smaller artists only found moderate success. The locations of concerts may change as well, with independent venues across the nation struggling to stay afloat with the extreme drop in income. However, many initiatives made to support musicians were met with

such massive support that they’re likely to continue. The aforementioned ‘Bandcamp Fridays’ were met with such high support that the company announced plans to keep the program until live shows start to safely return, with no indication of keeping the program for good being ruled out. Several ticketing companies have started funds to support live venues and its crews as well, including Live Nation whose ‘Crew Nation’ initiative has been met with massive industry support such as U2, Lady Gaga, BTS, Billie Eilish, Post Malone and others. These programs, innovations and collaborations were done in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but will forever impact the way the industry operates.

games

University News 4/16/20 Crossword

PuzzleJunction.com

Solutions on back page of this issue

University News 4/16/20 Sudoku

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Spring 2020 Sarah jaworski

Features

Photos Courtesy of Sarah Jaworski

By ANDREA PORTER Photo Editor arah Jaworski, a junior majoring in occupational therapy was super excited to study abroad, which was the main reason she chose to study at Saint Louis University. Going abroad is a big decision. Jaworski flew out from Chicago on Jan. 6, 2020, and arrived in Madrid, Spain on Jan. 7, 2020. She and three of her friends lived with a host mom, Pilar, near the metro stop Alonso Martínez. Jaworski made sure that she had her classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, allowing her to have a four-day weekend to travel and leaving Wednesdays open to explore Madrid. She was so excited to travel, she went

to eight different countries, including Spain. She traveled to Valencia, Sevilla, Switzerland, Dublin, Galway, Morocco, Milian, Florence, Vernazza, Monteresso Al Mer, Pisa, Barcelona, Paris and London. A couple of days after her trip to Italy, word began to spread about the new coronavirus. Many people didn’t know much about the virus due to a lack of information at the time, even though Italy would come to be an infamous hotspot. SLU students who were studying in Rome or any other places in Italy were sent home at the end of February. This left students who were studying in Madrid concerned. Anxieties and questions were raised: “are we

Studying Abroad During a Pandemic: How it started and How it’s going? Fall 2020 |Peyton marinelli

going to be sent home?”, “is the coronavirus going to spread to Madrid?”, “what is happening?” Not much information was given by the government of Spain and both SLU Madrid and SLU main campus administration, so many students were going on with their lives and traveling. As mid-March arrived, many were planning for their spring break trips since students were able to get a whole week to travel. SLU Madrid sent an email stating that the university was not going to close. If students wanted to leave they could, but as of right now and for the future, SLU Madrid was not going to close campus down. Jaworski’s mom came to visit her during spring

break and they planned to go to London. Since she and her mom already planned a trip to London they both flew to London on March 14 and Jaworski’s mom flew back to the United States that day. Jaworski decided to make the most of it and explored the city until she had to leave. On March 16, her departure date, she got to the airport four hours early. At the airport, since everyone was leaving and trying to get back to where they lived, the airport was asking questions before boarding the plane. Continue reading online.

to continue reading all the Study abroad experiences, please scan the QR code:

By ANDREA PORTER Photo Editor s the spring 2020 abroad program came to an end, this left questions for future study abroad students; “am I going to be able to go abroad?”, “what’s going to happen now?”, “it’s my only chance to study abroad, what do I do?”. Sophomore student Peyton Marinelli, studying nursing, wanted to study at Saint Louis University-Madrid. She started the application process late February of 2020 and completed everything before the March deadline. She has always wanted to study abroad and explained, “I wanted to see how dif-

ferent countries do clinicals and how they do their health care system to see the difference between different countries.” As nursing students they were allowed to go abroad only during their sophomore year. Marinelli chose to study abroad during the fall semester of 2020. On March 27, 2020, The Office of International Services sent out an announcement regarding COVID-19 and Fall 2020 Study Abroad. The announcement included, “SLU is proceeding as planned for Fall 2020 study abroad. We will evaluate all programs by June 15th. Although we are hopeful that these

programs will run in the Fall, we cannot predict if this global pandemic will have subsided by then.” As students were holding on to the hope of being able to go back abroad many were unsure whether or not they wanted to go or not. Marinelli was one of those students who was debating on if she was still going to go abroad or not. She is diabetic so that played a huge factor as she is more susceptible to COVID-19. Marinelli declared, “this is a once in a lifetime experience, and I really wanted to go.” There were a lot of factors to consider if you were a student who wanted to go abroad during a pandemic.

She knew that if she were to go abroad in the fall, she wasn’t going to get the full experience. She wasn’t going to be able to travel to other countries and not be able to do the typical study abroad activities that past students were able to do. With the uncertainty of not knowing what the decision was going to be, all SLU fall 2020 abroad students were given approval to sign up for both SLU Madrid class as well as SLU main campus classes. Continue reading online.

Features

By ABBY CAMPBELL Staff Photographer

PANDEMIC For Lauren Morby, going to school during the pandemic has been a challenge. She says it has been tough to do school work when it feels like the world is “blowing up around you.” Morby says that her mental health has deteriorated; she feels more anxious and stressed out than ever, and says that life “can get lonely.” For Morby, living in the pandemic has brought personal growth and strengthened relationships. Morby says she has learned to be patient and allow herself to feel her emotions fully. When asked what advice she would give to herself about living in the pandemic, she says to make sure to “ask for help if you need it.” -Lauren Morby, sophomore, she/ her

For Abby Funke, living in the pandemic has included themed dinner nights with family, listening to lots of podcasts and learning to communicate and interact with others in new ways. She describes this chapter of her life as “evolving” and says that she now realizes that she is stronger than she gives herself credit for, and can get through tough things she didn’t know she could. During quarantine periods, Funke spent a lot of time with family, and her family would have themed dinner nights, which she describes as some of her favorite memories from the pandemic time. To practice self-care, she journals, listens to podcasts and does facials. A piece of advice she would give herself before the pandemic is to “be open to change.” -Abby Funke, sophomore, she/her

Helena Cooper

Kent kleinschmidt

For Helena Cooper, this pandemic has been a period of growth and learning to take care of herself. She says that at the beginning of the pandemic, she forgot to take time to care for herself and recognize that she is just a student trying to cope with living in this pandemic. Life during COVID-19 has allowed Cooper to reflect and practice self care; she says that she has been dancing a lot and learning how to exist with herself. Moreover, she has learned to listen to her body and brain, and not focus on just “powering through” work without paying attention to her feelings. When asked what title she would give this chapter of her life, she says, “Dancing through life.” -Helena Cooper, junior, she/her

If he could go back in time and give himself a piece of advice for living in COVID-19, Kent Kleinschmidt would tell himself to make summer plans. Kleinschmidt says that after everything shut down, it was difficult to stay inside and be at home with nothing to do for such a long time. Even though he considers himself “not super social,” COVID-19 has shown him that he prefers to be around people, and it has been difficult to feel isolated at times. Because of this, Kleinschmidt states his mental health has gone downhill a lot because he lost socializing time that he really values. To take care of his mental health, Kleinschmidt says that he schedules time into his schedule to relax and do nothing and that “free time is just as important as school.” -Kent Kleinschmidt, junior, he/him

Abby funke

Lauren Morby

Features

Reflection

Sophomore James Tillman says that his mental health has gotten worse during this pandemic, but the experience has forced him to grow up and mature a lot. To take care of his mental health, Tillman says that he now meditates and takes time for himself. For Tillman, spending time with friends and family has been an important part of his self-care, and he says that one of his favorite memories from the past year was having a picnic with a friend on top of a parking garage. This pandemic has presented many challenges for Tillman, including adjusting to online classes and “looking better without a mask on.” -James Tillman, sophomore, he/him

This pandemic has been a strange time for everyone, and freshman Madison Seda says that a key part of taking care of her mental health has been finding a sense of normalcy amidst the chaos. She says that her mental health was affected more when spending time at home because she worried about the health of her family members, and spending time with friends at SLU has been a way for her to take care of her mental health. Throughout this whole experience, Seda has grown a lot as a person and says that she has learned that you don’t “have to do everything on your own.” -Madison Seda, freshman, she/ her

Adrian Ortiz

Alayna Parsons During this pandemic, mental health has been a struggle for many. Alayna Parsons says that she now feels more apathetic and fatigued than ever before. The experience has allowed her to reflect, and Parsons says she has learned to be content being by herself, and she “no longer relies on others for happiness.” For Parsons, living in a pandemic has been very challenging, but has had moments of happiness, and she would call this chapter of life “a pause.” -Alayna Parsons, junior, she/ her

Madison Seda

Junior Adrian Ortiz was studying abroad in Madrid during spring semester of his sophomore year when everything was first shut down. Ortiz says that he has learned to take care of his mental health by simply doing things that make him feel joy. He would title this chapter of his life “finding a better understanding of myself.” -Adrian Ortiz, junior, he/him

James Tillman (Abby Campbell / The University News)

Features

Spring 2021 Catlin Clemmons

By JACK JOHNSTON Staff Writer Photo Courtesy of Jack Johnston his weekend I visited Casa de Campo, a very large park in Madrid. There were a lot of people there—masked and physically distanced— but all enjoying the spring weather and clear skies. My host mom even made a tuna sandwich for me to take and enjoy in the park. My favorite area was a group of steep hills that, once climbed, had breathtaking views of the city. I was far away from the true hustle and bustle of El Centro (downtown Madrid) but from the top of my hill I could still make out the ornate details of the historic buildings and still appreciate the sprawling and very consciously laid out city beforeme. Studying abroad this semester at SLU's Madrid campus has been a very different experience than that of my friends who studied abroad in the past. I had heard so many stories from them about going out every weekend to the discotecas (dance clubs) and all about their experiences while traveling across Europe. In my time here, I have not visited a single discoteca nor have I even left Madrid. I mainly spend my time just walking around the city. This semester is different, but it’s what I needed. I turned 20 years old right after the pandemic started in March 2020, and I will soon be turning 21 here in Madrid. Of my 21 years of life, this past year has probably been the worst one: being forced home when I was expecting an amazing summer in St. Louis, my junior year of college reduced to online and distanced experiences and not to mention living through the most polemic and chaotic time in contemporary American society (there was a freaking coup attempt in January). I spent most of the year either cooped up in my childhood

T By DIANA JAKOVCEVIC Staff Writer Photo Courtesy of Catlin Clemmons unior Catlin Clemmons wanted to go abroad for as long as she could remember, but her plans kept getting set back. After two semesters with COVID-19-related cancellations, she was finally able to go this spring. She is currently studying at Saint Louis University-Madrid Campus, majoring in health management with a minor in Spanish. Traveling during a pandemic is stressful enough, but moving to another country is a whole different ball game. Clemmons mentioned, “I think that the only thing I was nervous about was ‘would I get the same experience?’ and ‘what would this experience look like for me?’” The application process was a lot stricter and detailed than the previous semesters due to the pandemic. Students were getting numerous emails every week with documents they needed to read. They also had to register for various websites that would give them details about the current restrictions in Madrid. She said that students had to do a lot of work in preparation for the spring semester so that “the people that wanted to be here, wanted to be here.” Risk and safety are big factors when it comes to traveling during a pandemic. An hour prior to students' flight to Madrid, they had to provide a negative PCR test in order to board the plane. Clemmons’ roommate was a couple of hours off and had to pay almost $300 as she scrambled to get another test and flight for the next day. On Clemmons’ first flight, every passenger had a row

to themselves and she said it felt very clean and safe. Whereas on her second and final flight to Madrid, they were “packed like sardines.” Clemmons’ host family lives on Grand Via, right in the city. For this semester housing protocols are different. Only two students are allowed to live with a host family and each host family also has its own COVID-19-related rules that the students must respect and abide by. “When we come in the house, she would always ask for us to put hand sanitizer on our hands. We keep the windows open, sometimes when we’re not here, or if we can during the day. She also would like us to respect the curfew and if we’re going to stay out we do need to let her know. This is something that she stresses heavily.” Going abroad during a pandemic brings new restrictions and protocols than in previous years. For example, “if you’re out past curfew, or if you’re out and you weren’t supposed to be, there is a €600 fine. The curfew and restrictions change every week.” Clemmons mentioned that it is recommended that you check COVID-related websites frequently because they give detailed protocols to follow. “There’s also the mask mandate all the time unless you’re eating or drinking. There are no large groups of more than 4-6.” These rules are for the overall country of Spain, but there are protocols the students must follow within the university as well as their host family homes. Continue reading online.

bedroom or cooped up in my apartment in St. Louis. Relationships with family members, friends and even myself changed drastically, and not always in a positive way. On Jan. 18, 2021, I was very ready to get away to Madrid. Most people I talk to from home treat my abroad experience like a beloved pet of mine who just died. “Oh, I’m so sorry this is happening—but if there’s anyone who can handle it, it would be you!” or “I really hope things improve for you, you deserve better.” I don’t disagree, but just because there’s an 11 p.m. curfew in the city with the most bars in the world doesn’t mean my semester is an automatic fail. A semester in Madrid is more than just getting drunk and jet setting across Europe (although I do really wish I could do those things). I have been going to all of the museums, eating all of the food and walking all of the narrow historic streets. My host mom is one of the best people I have ever met. She doesn’t speak English but we spend hours every evening talking about the city, Spanish politics and cultural differences between Spain and the rest of the world. After a year of disconnecting myself from the world because I felt suffocated from the pain, Madrid has given me a chance to take a deep breath. That’s what I found myself doing on the top of that hill in Casa de Campo, taking deep breaths. I made sure there was no one around, and I lowered my mask to fully taste the fresh air. I knew that the city I was looking at was very far away, and from that hill I could not make out all of the amazing experiences that other people may have had, but I could still see a beautiful city and see the community that has picked me back up.

sports

INDIANAPOLIS, UPSET CITY By ERIN MCCLELLAND Sports Editor ne of the best parts of March Madness every year is the Cinderella team that always emerges. You might remember VCU’s run to the Final Four in 2011 as an 11-seed or Loyola-Chicago’s trip to the Final Four in 2018, also as an 11-seed. While not everyone has the powers of Sister Jean like the Ramblers, the 2021 tournament isn’t short of any potential Cinderella squads. In the first round alone, nine double-digit seeds came away with a victory, busting just about every bracket created in the opening 24 hours of the tournament. Of those nine first round upsets, three managed to sneak into the Sweet 16 with upset wins, and UCLA got in over 14-seeded Abilene Christian, a team that made the second round after the biggest win in school history. It was the first time an Abilene Christian team had ever won a game in March Madness, a feat they achieved with a 53-52 win over in-state competition, Texas, by converting on two foul shots with 1.2 seconds remaining. According to the NCAA website, after just day one, only 121 perfect brackets remained across the five most popular bracket games—NCAA, ESPN, CBS, Yahoo and Sports Illustrated. Boydsbets.com estimates that roughly 70 million brackets are filled out every year. By that number, after just one day, 0.00017 percent of brackets remained perfect and it didn’t take long into day two to break some more hearts. But who of the four double-digit seeds will continue into the Elite 8 this weekend? It seems exceedingly unlikely that two 11 seeds, UCLA and Syracuse, will knock out 2-seeds Alabama and Houston, respectively, or that 15 seed Oral Roberts will surpass 3-seed Arkansas. This is just the second time in history that a 15-seeded squad has earned a berth in the Sweet 16. A 15 seed has never made it to the Elite 8. Another matchup to watch this weekend is going to be 8-seed Loyola-Chicago versus 12seed Oregon State. Loyola-Chicago is riding into the weekend off knocking out 1-seed, Illinois, a heavily picked favorite to win the whole thing. This isn’t the first time the Ramblers have made a name for themselves as a Cinderella team, and it isn’t the first time 101-year-old Sister Jean has seen her squad knock off top teams. In their run to the Final Four in 2018,

Loyola-Chicago defeated 6-seed Miami, 3-seed know the answer to these questions but it has Tennessee, 7-seed Nevada and 9-seed Kansas sure made for an exceedingly interesting outState before they fell to 3-seed Michigan. This come to watch for over the next few weeks. weekend they will actually be the higher seed At this point, it might just be easier to cheer when they take on Oregon State. for underdogs and subtly wish for the downfall The most interesting part of the bracket this of Gonzaga, Baylor, Michigan—the remaining year comes from the Midwest side. The remain1-seeds. How can you not secretly hope Oral ing seeds are Houston (2), Loyola-Chicago (8), Roberts will be the first ever 15-seed in the Elite Syracuse (11) and Oregon State (12). It has been 8? Before this started, I bet many people didn’t not only a bracket buster, but a bracket oblitereven know where Oral Roberts is even located, and now they are on the bandwagon because it’s ator. teams like this that make sports so entertaining. It makes you question, what is in the water in No matter who you have winning, this year it’s Indianapolis for these lower seeded teams? Does more about just being grateful the tournament it have something to do with the shortened seais even on. Now that we know what it’s like to son due to COVID-19? Were these teams seeded go a year without the Madness, let’s just hope it poorly by the selection committee? We’ll never 3/24/2021 HoosYourFavBilliken - Tournament Challenge - ESPN never happens again. Round of 64 March 19-20

1 Gonzaga 16 Norfolk St 8 Oklahoma 9 Missouri 5 Creighton 12 UCSB 4 Virginia 13 Ohio 6 USC 11 Drake 3 Kansas 14 E Washing… 7 Oregon 10 VCU 2 Iowa 15 Grand Can…

1 Michigan 16 Texas Sout…

Round of 32 March 21-22

Sweet 16 March 27-28

Elite 8 March 29-30

4 Florida St… 13 UNC Gree… 6 BYU 11 UCLA

2 Alabama 15 Iona

Sweet 16 March 27-28

Baylor 1

1 Gonzaga

Baylor 1

5 Creighton

4 Virginia 13 Ohio 6 USC

Villanova 5 4 Virginia 5 Creighton

Purdue 4 Villanova 5

WEST

2 Iowa

Baylor 1

SOUTH

6 USC 3 Kansas

Arkansas 3 Texas Tech 6

2 Iowa

Ohio State 2

2 Iowa 7 Oregon

Ohio State 2 Oral Robe… 15

Your Pick

Iowa 2 Iowa

1 Michigan

Championship Game: Indianapolis, IN

Winning Score

Loyola Chi… 8 Illinois 1

Losing Score

Illinois 1

Loyola C… 8 1 Michigan

Illinois 1

Oregon S… 12 Tennessee 5

5 Colorado 5 Colorado 4 Florida State

Oklahoma… 4 Oregon St… 12

EAST

1 Michigan

Illinois 1

11 UCLA 3 Texas

2 Alabama

Presented by:

2 Alabama

Oklahoma… 4

MIDWEST

Houston 2

Round of 64 March 19-20

Baylor 1 Hartford 16 North Car… 8 Wisconsin 9 Villanova 5 Winthrop 12 Purdue 4 North Te… 13 Texas Tech 6 Utah State 11 Arkansas 3 Colgate 14 Florida 7 Virginia T… 10 Ohio State 2 Oral Rob… 15

Illinois 1 Drexel 16 Loyola C… 8 Georgia T… 9 Tennessee 5 Oregon S… 12 Oklahom… 4 Liberty 13

Syracuse 11 San Diego… 6 San Diego… 6 Syracuse 11 Syracuse 11 San Diego… 6 West Virg… 3 West Virgi… 3 Morehead… 14 Rutgers 10 Clemson 7

10 Maryland

2 Alabama

Ohio State 2 Oral Rob… 15

Baylor 1

Predicted Score 1 Michigan

11 UCLA 6 BYU

Texas Tech 6

Florida 7 Virginia T… 10

7 Oregon

4 Florida St…

Purdue 4 North Texas 13

Arkansas 3

3 Kansas

2 Iowa

Round of 32 March 21-22

Wisconsin 9

3 Texas 14 Abil Chris… 14 Abil Christi…

10 Maryland

Elite 8 March 29-30

1 Gonzaga 9 Missouri 8 Oklahoma

3 Texas

7 UConn

Final Four April 3

Baylor 1

9 St. Bonave… 9 St. Bonave… 8 LSU

12 Georgetown

Championship April 5

1 Gonzaga

8 LSU

5 Colorado

Final Four April 3

Houston 2 Houston 2

Clemson 7 Rutgers 10 Houston 2 Cleveland … 15

Sports Editor Erin McClelland’s bracket was absolutely obliterated in the second game of the tournament when Oral Roberts upset Ohio State. Another tragedy occured when her national champion Iowa lost to Oregon in the second round. (Bracket from ESPN Tournament Challenge)

sports

IS PRESIDENT MARK EMMERT OUT OF THE NCAA? By ERIN MCCLELLAND Sports Editor hile the NCAA is a not-forprofit association of member institutions, it’s no secret that the March Madness tournament brings in billions of dollars every year. The redistribution model is built so that the money left over after paying the necessary employees in the headquarter office gets redistributed to the member institutions via their conference offices. The redistribution isn’t perfectly equitable between conferences as it is set up to reward the conferences that perform the best in the men’s basketball tournament. That’s what makes the Power Five so powerful. They have a number of schools that perform well, meaning they get more funding from the NCAA, which t h e n means they can recruit top talent, and thus the cycle of power continues. The man that sits atop of it all is NCAA President Mark Emmert. Emmert has been the

head of the NCAA for 11 years, coming to the post after a stint as the president of the University of Washington, his alma mater. Throughout his tenure, he has advocated for student-athletes in the areas of sexual assault prevention, greater support for student-athletes, providing more opportunities for student-athletes to participate in their own governance and many other areas. Yet, this week, during the first week of the March Madness basketball tournament, all of these achievements have been quickly overshadowed by a reckless and potentially career defining mistake. Across every social media platform, the NCAA has been ridiculed for their inequitable handling of the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. An Oregon women’s basketball player, Sedona Prince, released a TikTok that has now surpassed nine million views. The video showed the difference in weight rooms between the men’s tournament in Indianapolis and women’s tournament in San Antonio. The release of the TikTok started an outcry of women’s sports activists

across the country demanding that the women receive not only more weights and equipment, but respect for

the hard work that they put in to reach such a milestone in their careers. Not only was there outrage about the weight room, but also about the other inequities in resources and facilities between the two tournaments. The men’s teams were getting buffet dinners every night while the women were being served individually packaged mystery meat. The men received branded swag bags filled with items to keep themselves occupied while stuck in their hotel rooms between games and practices, while the women got generic bags with a few items. Worst of all, there was a difference in the kinds of COVID-19 tests that were being administered to the athletes at the two different tournaments. The men were getting a more accurate PCR test while the women were getting a daily antigen test that is considered to be less accurate. If a women’s basketball player tested positive, they would then confirm the positive using the PCR test. Not only were the women being treated as unequal in their sport, but they were also being treated unequal in regards to their health. Georgia Tech women’s basketball head coach, Nell Fortner, released a statement saying, “To the NCAA: Thank You!” Her statement came following her team’s upset win over West Virginia. She said, “Thank you for using the three biggest weeks of your organization’s year to expose exactly how you feel about women’s basketball—an afterthought.” She went on to sarcastically thank the NCAA and

President Emmert for outing themselves for their sexist actions and decision to blatantly ignore their commitment to supporting student-athletes. She calls them out for not recognizing women’s athletics, specifically basketball, for the valuable asset that it is. Fortner wasn’t the only influential voice speaking out about the injustice. South Carolina women’s basketball coach, Dawn Staley, also released a statement on Twitter with the hashtag “WHATMATTERS” calling out specifically Emmert and his staff saying, “Mark Emmert and his team point blank chose to create [the disparities]. The real issue is not the weights or the ‘swag’ bags; it’s that they did not think or do not think that the women’s players ‘deserve’ the same amenities as the men.” The most ironic part about this entire event is that it falls in Women’s History Month. Not only that, but it is just three months away from the 50th anniversary of the passing of Title IX. 50 years later and female athletes are still dealing with the same B.S. When is enough finally going to be enough?

sports

WHOSE BUBBLE IS BIGGER? By SYDNEY ALTEMOSE Associate Sports Editor fter a year-long hiatus, the biggest tournament in the NCAA is back. Teams have put in countless hours to see time on a court. They have given themselves the opportunity to potentially hoist the most prized trophy in all of college basketball. Of course, this year, it is important to note that the same opportunity is provided to men and women. Although, that does not necessarily mean they are provided the same means to attain it. The men’s tournament is taking place in a bubble in Indianapolis where the teams spend 24 hours of their day in a huge convention center. Within the convention center, there are practice courts, team rooms where teams can watch film, movies, bond, study and enjoy free time. But where they lift has become a huge source of contention in less than a week. The women’s tournament, taking place in San Antonio, looks significantly different from the men’s tournament. While the general

premise should be the same, the reality looks significantly different. On March 19, the first alarm of inequality sounded. The comparison between the men’s and women’s weight rooms were released to the public by athletes. The men’s weight room was enough to make any regular gym goer envious. With at least 15 racks, beautifully stacked weights and a dumbbell section longer than the men of the tournament are tall, the men of the tournament were understandably awed. For a few teams, the weight room for the tournament rivaled their school’s. Alternatively, the women were provided with a dumbbell rack. The highest weight of the dumbbells provided were thirty pounds. The worst part of the story, however, was that the weight room was not the only thing with severe imbalances. Quickly, comparisons of the food were leaked along with comparisons of the gift packages players received. While the men received, large, catered buffet meals, the women were given single serving meals with unidentifiable meat. While the men were given huge gift packages with a blanket, flag, plenty of toiletries and various other tournament-specific merch, the women’s package was comparatively miniscule. Given a

Kaitlyn Quezada / The University News

small towel, socks, a drawstring bag and a fraction of the toiletries men’s teams were provided, the women felt snubbed when it was made apparent that the men’s packages were larger. As if it had not been obvious enough, perhaps the biggest insult came through the puzzles that were given to every player. To the women—a 150 piece puzzle promoting the tournament. To the men—a 300 piece. Within the last year, social media has taken up a prominent role keeping people connected. It allows for the closest connection that can be provided during a worldwide pandemic. The players utilized it to their advantage. Sharing photos with one another and then eventually the public, the pictures provided the fuel for a fury of female athletes. Administrators, coaches, players and families took to the internet to voice their opinions and their disgust with the NCAA. The general sentiment: How can an organization that claims to champion female athletes put them in such an undervalued position? In addition to the athletes themselves, professional athletes, professional coaches and previous NCAA coaches, strength trainers (men and women alike), NCAA administrator, and athletes in the men’s tournament have all added their voices to the problems surrounding the inequality. Joined together, the outcry caused immediate action from the NCAA. Within 24 hours, the women’s weight room had improved considerably. For starters, there was one. Now the women have racks, dumbbells past 30 pounds and a designated area for strength training. While the NCAA has released various statements regarding the slipup, many feel the statements do not reflect the reality of the situation. A question posed by many was why the NCAA felt so comfortable with such an objectively awful situation. Was it that they simply thought no

one would notice? Is it that they assumed it would not be a big deal? Are they being honest saying they did not have the space to provide such resources? The whole situation has left a black smudge on the NCAA’s efforts claiming them as an equal showroom for athletes. In 2021, such blatant inequality is reminiscent of the pre-Title IX days. Albeit, there are positives that have resulted. For one, it signaled to female athletes that their voices can cause immediate change. Two, it serves as a reminder that there is always work to be done. If the one organization that has all the incentive to equally provide for its female and male athletes cannot do so without referees, it is important to make sure people are holding one another accountable. Finally, it has created a big conversation. What started as pictures and videos on social media has built into ammunition to change conversations. An example is the push to designate the men’s tournament as men’s and the women’s tournament as women’s. The calling comes from the idea that the women’s tournament has always been designated as such and the men’s tournament has become assumed as the default. March Madness has gotten its name for the chaos that ensues. Usually, that chaos comes from upsets and Cinderella stories. This year, the men’s tournament has drawn considerable attention for the upsets and overthrows but the women’s tournament holds plenty of madness in its own right. Ultimately, this situation has started the conversation for other means of improvement throughout the NCAA. This year’s madness will certainly be historic. The women of the tournament will continue to push for historic wins and historic change.

sports

RAMBLE ON, SISTER JEAN

“If God be for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31 By SYDNEY ALTEMOSE Associate Sports Editor oyola-Chicago has a secret weapon. It is not their experienced coach, Porter Moser. It is not their nation-leading defense. It is not even their offensive leader. In fact, it is not a person who is listed on their staff. Instead, it is a formidable 5 foot tall, 101 year-old nun named Sister Jean. By now, she has been working with student athletes for decades. She was made the team’s chaplain and has been with them through their highs and lows throughout seasons past. Sister Jean accompanied the Ramblers to their 2018 run to the Final Four where they would be bested by Michigan. The number 8-seed Ramblers have already pulled off a miracle —taking down 1-seed Illinois, and many suspect it comes from their personal miracle worker. Sister Jean’s role as chaplain is to guide them in prayers before their games and provide them advice. But Sister Jean’s role does not simply stop there. She loves basketball. She scouts the teams, gives the players valid advice and gives the team support from the sidelines. She can often be found wearing a varsity jacket accessorised by a maroon and gold scarf. In the latest pictures of Sister Jean, she seems to be dipping her feet into the world of fashion, putting on matching gold and maroon Nike sneakers. Simply put, Sister Jean is a beacon of light with the Ramblers basketball team. She has encouraged them to keep their grades up and stay NCAA compliant, while also guiding them spiritually and emotionally. In order to travel and attend the team, she received her COVID-19 vaccinations. At 101-years-old, she gives credit to the young people she serves for keeping her heart so young. She has taken the country by storm and has become the recognizable face of Loyola-Chicago basketball. Basketball fans from around the country know who she is and respect the impact and importance of her presence in March Madness. It seems almost normal now that when Loyola-Chicago takes down yet another highly-seeded team, fans assume it was the power of Sister Jean’s prayer that lifted them there. The Rambler’s nun may be the sense of normalcy they need to complete their run to a national championship. Outlets have strayed from calling them a Cinderella team this time around—their 8-seed took care of that. This time, the Ramblers are more well known, thanks in part to Sister Jean. They have a chance to take the opportunity of a college player’s dream—win a national championship ring. A treasure Sister Jean will certainly cherish.

Grace Dunlavy / The University News Sister Jean’s pregame prayer has been said to add the extra bit of heart the team needs. In fact, she called out Illinois’ weakness and encouraged the players to capitalize on them—with God’s help, of course. This week they will take on Oregon State, a 12-seed they will certainly not take lightly. With the help of Sister Jean’s scouting, expert pre-game prayers and a little extra comfort, Loyola has the chance to be crowned the champion right in front of their number one fan. There is nothing quite like college basketball. Every team has its thing. For the Rambler’s their thing is a who and that who is pretty import-

ant. Sister Jean’s century might just have given her words the extra miracle power they need to help the Rambler’s work pay off. Regardless of the outcome for the Ramblers in this tournament it is nice to see somewhat of a return to normalcy. Sister Jean accompanying the team to Indianapolis has been a welcome sight for fans, even if she is an ominous sign for the Rambler’s opponents. But in all, Sister Jean’s magic words seem to have the power to help Loyola win the big games. That power will certainly have LCU fans thinking, “Ramble on, Sister Jean!”

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Opinion

When Rhetoric Matters Analyzing the the impact words can have on our politics, our discourse and our neighbors

(Grace Dunlavy / The University News)

By JAKOB BENEDETTI Contributor year of the pandemic, while giving us many hopeful examples of human resilience and ingenuity, has also extracted a great toll on American society. Aside from the obvious physical and financial toll that the pandemic and ensuing economic fallout has incurred—the over half a million dead and counting, the eviction and homelessness crisis, etc.—the pandemic has also exacerbated the growth of social divisions in America. Even early on in the pandemic, following basic safety guidelines like wearing a mask and social distancing in public became politicized and ingrained in the never-ending culture war between Republicans and Democrats. The pandemic also coincided with a record-high level of hate crimes in the United States overall, following a sharp increase after Trump’s election. And there’s evidence now that anti-Asian hate crimes specifically have shot up during the pandemic, as highlighted by the recent attack on several Asian-American women in Atlanta, Georgia. I would argue that these increases in overall hate crimes, and antiAsian attacks specifically, are due at least in part to the rhetoric of former President Trump. As an article published last week in the University News pointed out, Trump repeatedly went out of his way to blame China for the pandemic early on. He’s repeatedly referred to COVID-19 as the “China” or “Chinese” virus, or as “Kung Flu,” a phrase that many Asian-Americans have been openly uncomfortable with, and which some activists have described as fanning the flames of anti-Asian bigotry. Although it’s true that this sort of scapegoating is baked into American society and

likely would have happened to at least some degree, it’s undeniable that Trump’s rhetoric contributed to a sentiment that the virus was either created by China on purpose somehow, or was simply caused by the lifestyle of the Chinese people. While I tend to avoid criticisms of Trump that center primarily on his tone and rhetoric, this is one area where the words of politicians really do matter, as it’s in times of crisis like a pandemic when presidents specifically are most important to national morale and the attitudes of the public. Trump went on nonstop about the “China virus” for the same reason that he talked about building a wall between Mexico during the 2016 campaign: blaming foreigners for our problems is a cheap and easy way to score political points without actually fixing any of the problems. In a crisis like the pandemic, the words of politicians can have a real impact on people’s lives, and their actions even more so. Trump realized he could trick his base into thinking he handled COVID-19 perfectly and that it was all China’s fault anyway, but doing

so meant rhetorically alienating an entire community of Americans— regardless of whether Trump was willing to acknowledge it or not. This isn’t a new phenomenon in American politics, however. Politicians have always used tropes about foreign countries or people from specific ethnic backgrounds as a way to distract the public from the real issues at hand. It’s much easier to win reelection if all the questions are about a war or a migrant caravan rather than things like homelessness or poverty, or how previous decisions led to current predicaments—like how Trump’s abolition of the Pandemic Response Team in 2018 made it harder for the U.S. to respond to the pandemic. Although I think it’s unequivocally good that Trump is out of office, and that Biden certainly has better rhetoric, I don’t think the new administration is out of the woods quite yet. President Biden was elected on a promise to “restore the soul of the nation,” to return to “normal,” pre-Trump politics and to use more unifying language as president. Although he has certainly succeeded in this regard already, I

don’t think having the right language alone is enough to eliminate these kinds of hate crimes in the long-run. Trump used hateful rhetoric to distract from his lackluster performance as president; if Biden doesn’t want to end up being accused of using good rhetoric to do the same, then he needs to fulfill the other core part of his campaign promises: passing bold, progressive legislation on a number of issues to address systemic inequalities and prevent mass shootings. During the campaign, Biden repeatedly talked about how he wanted to be the most progressive president since FDR, and even went so far as to hang a large portrait of FDR in the Oval Office. Despite this, he has failed to even propose many of the pieces of major legislation that he promised to pass in the first 100 days of his administration, including a comprehensive gun control bill which is intended to prevent tragedies like the Atlanta shooting. While Trump’s inconsiderate rhetoric is partly to blame for the recent uptick in hate crimes, especially towards AsianAmericans, it’s going to take more than the right rhetoric to heal the divisions within America and prevent crimes like the Atlanta shooting from taking place.

“In a crisis like the pandemic, the words of politicians can have a real impact on people’s lives”

Opinion

Gender Equality: The Newest Victim of COVID-19 By PENELOPE GARDNER Staff Writer hate men. The COVID-19 pandemic has further proven that this is a deserved statement because of how the divide in domestic tasks has grown even though both partners are home more frequently and have more flexibility with their schedules. In a Gallup study conducted from June to August of 2019, prior to the pandemic, the surveyors found that women still do almost double the amount of domestic work their male counterparts do in the United States. Worldwide, women are doing around three times as much domestic work as men according to the UN Women’s Progress of the World’s Women 2019-2020 review. While this divide is deplorable, the unpaid labor gap between men and women has shrunk since 1996. Knowing that this gap had begun to close gave me a somewhat positive outlook for the future. Now, with the arrival of COVID-19, the progress towards equality that had been gained is now lost. UN Women’s Deputy Executive Director Anita Bhatia explained in an op-ed how the last 25 years of work to mitigate gender inequality will be lost. One factor in this troubling trend is the reduction in size of the female-dominated industries of hospitality and care work, increasing female poverty drastically—13 percent of women and girls across the globe are in extreme poverty. Additionally, since many women are stuck at home because of the pandemic, abusers have more opportunities to lash out at their partners. This kind of behavior continues as women’s shelters struggle to remain open to new families because of the pandemic Activists working to close the gender inequality gap also focus on removing the stark inconsistencies of unpaid domestic labor that are exacerbated by the increase in household work, since children need help with remote schooling, frequent sanitation, grocery shopping, etc. In a BBC article published in November 2020, many anecdotal experiences were shared that showed how heavy a toll the pandemic has taken on females’ mental health. Teni Wada is a brand consultant and part-time

nursery worker who said in an interview with BBC: “I reached my limit almost every day, my daughter would be crying and then I’d be crying.” She is not alone in feeling completely overwhelmed by the need to raise her children while also working from home. Mothers also often then turn to their female children to help around the house, perpetuating gender stereotypes simply because girls have been trained from birth on how to get the tasks done. When parents are stressed, they don’t have the patience to teach their male children how to do these tasks as well. Though women are more stressed than ever, according to a Qualtrics study, 57 percent of men have said their work from home experience has been positive compared to only 29 percent of women. Additionally, 67 percent of men claim to have been more productive during this time compared to only 41 percent of women. Is it because women spend twice the amount of time on household tasks? Is it because in over half of U.S. households the mother is the primary caregiver for children while less than a third of households report that it is an even effort between spouses? According to a study by the Maven Clinic, there are 2.35 million extra cases of female burnout

(Grace Dunlavy / The University News)

simply because of the unequal demands of women both at home and at work. Women have to work harder to be taken seriously in the workplace and to get the same promotions men do. Mothers are also criticized for using the same parenting tactics that fathers do. I think the book “I Hate Men” by Pauline Harmange and translated by Natasha Lehrer sums this sentiment up best: “We have to stop praising men for such pathetically trivial things as leaving work early to pick up their kid from school. Do not forget that in exactly the same situation a woman is blamed and criticised, whatever her choice.” Women are taken for granted time and time again for their unpaid labor in child care and domestic tasks, both of which set them behind in the workplace. That same workplace then shoves women down and promotes men over women, making men the breadwinner of many American relationships. If that man becomes abusive within that relationship, the woman is unable to leave since she is wholly financially dependent on her abuser. Mothers pass these behaviors onto their daughters who, according to a study by the University of Michigan, spend two more hours per week on chores when boys are 15 percent more likely to be paid for doing these same chores. This horrible cycle of female poverty is amplified amid a pandemic while more women lose their jobs or take time off work to care for their children. This situation promotes male supremacy, which should not be tolerated. A UN Women’s study titled “Whose time to care? Unpaid care and domestic work during COVID-19,” indicates how other countries handled this problem. There were financial remedies such as monthly child payments in Argentina, cash benefits for parents in Canada, Spain and the Republic of Korea, and increased paid leave for parents in Costa Rica, Germany and Italy. Along with additional family leaves and ensuring childcare services will remain open are just a few of the ways that this gender disparity can be reversed for the remainder of quarantine. America can do better for its women.

Opinion

PlayDates and The Pandemic anxiety, substance abuse and suicidal ideation. Thankfully, the light at the end of the tunnel is becoming clearer these he pandemic has days. With restrictions loosening as been rough for us all. President Biden makes promises of Regardless of who you making vaccine disbursement more are, you were probably readily accessible to the people of negatively impacted by America, many are hoping that life the unfortunate turn will soon return to its normal preof events caused by the COVID-19 pandemic course. However, experts outbreak. You were likely met with like Dr. Anthony Fauci are saying that difficulties at work or at school, and it could be years before our societal were barred from seeing friends and regimen returns to what it was family for extended periods of time before the COVID-19 outbreak. In an while you spent all your free time at interview, Fauci emphasized that until home with not much to do. Life gets at least 85 percent of the population is painfully depressing when you no vaccinated, people should still expect longer have anything to look forward to wear face masks in public settings, to. There are no longer outings to social distance and take precautionary attend on weekends, countries to measures. Building capacities will explore or even drives to see family on still likely be reduced to minimal a major holiday. Hell, you can’t even quantities, and large gatherings such see the smiles of your colleagues at as weddings and concerts will be school or work. Whether you like it or encouraged to be held outdoors. Phooey. As I clicked off Fauci’s not, these things have likely taken a toll on how you feel about life. Since press conference and moped about the start of the pandemic, mental likely not being able to see Lana Del health diagnoses have skyrocketed as Rey go on tour this year, I logged an increasing number of people began onto Facebook. As I scrolled through developing symptoms of depression, my feed, I realized that I am at an

By ANASTASIA HANONICK Staff Writer

(Grace Dunlavy / The University News)

awkward age where some of my peers are either fundraising for their fraternities or posting their weddings photos. As I chuckled about this fact, a picture on my feed caught my eye. An old family friend had just posted a picture of her two sons aged seven and five, who were about to start their first day of in-person school. Both were wearing face masks and face shields to cover the masks. To caption the photo, the mother of the boys wrote a very sensitive post about how sending her boys off to in-person school was something that was scary and unfamiliar for them, but after months of her boys attempting to do school via Zoom, she and her husband felt like they had no other choice. She talked about how it had been months since the boys attended an in-person play-date, and how sitting in front of a computer screen for hours at a time daily was preventing them from putting maximum effort and focus into their classes. The mother also emphasized that this is an extremely crucial age for your kids to develop social skills so that they can learn how to make friends, communicate with elders and superiors and behave in public settings. As we all know, it is impossible to learn these skills when you are confined to the comfort of your home. As she wrapped up the post, she asked for good thoughts and prayers for her boys’ health and academic success for the upcoming semester. Touched by the Facebook post, it suddenly hit me that there is an entire population of fun-sized humans whose needs we have deliberately ignored throughout the course of the pandemic. With children slowly growing up to be tomorrow’s leaders and the future of the world, their well-being is extremely crucial during the developing stages of their childhoods. Arguably one the most important skills that a

COVID-19 and social development in children developing child needs to possess before reaching their adolescent years are social skills. The pandemic has significantly gotten in the way of this as kids are no longer exposed to the same social interactions they once were. During the first few years of life, children develop something called mirror neurons, which allow us humans to feel emotions such as empathy, sympathy and allowing us to physically mimic human emotions such as sadness, happiness and excitement. These neurons are only developed via social interaction. What people do not realize is that human beings are like chameleons; during our childhoods we learn how to show emotion through mimicking and responding to them from our peers and parents by reading each other’s faces. For example, if a child falls and a parent shows a startled response, the child will start crying. If a child is showing excitement and the parent smiles back, the child will demonstrate similar characteristics. This phenomenon was demonstrated through a series of experiments, known collectively as the Still Face Experiment, conducted by University of Massachusetts at Boston. In the experiment...

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Opinion

ARE WE THERE YET? Those “Mental Health Days” aren’t really cutting it By STEVEN LUM Staff Writer That jarring alarm goes off every morning. I drag my hand around my nightstand trying to find my phone while my eyes are still closed; it’s time for another day of classes. At this point in the semester, the days have blended together and the weekends fly by. There’s no such thing as balance anymore. I roll right out of bed, still wrapped in my blanket, grab something small to eat and join the class Zoom. Last October, the university announced the schedule for this semester. In the announcement, administrators said that it was designed to limit travel. In that respect, the schedule has worked... sort of. We still have the Zoom links to our classes, so someone could still travel to ski while also attending their classes. That’s something that I’ve seen on my personal Instagram feed. Vacation is impractical for most students though, so they stay on campus and keep doing what they’ve been doing for the past two months; namely, slogging through their school work.

It wouldn’t be unfair to assume that almost every student wants more than a random Thursday off. Some use the traditional week-long spring break as a time to completely forget about classes and schoolwork so they can relax. Others use it to work and earn money so they can pay their bills. Some do typical spring break things like go to Florida. Like everything else these days, our lives revolve completely around the pandemic. The university has been operating in this mode since March 2020 and they chose to skip out on spring break this year. We could’ve been sent out on break, like any normal year, and potentially have caused a massive outbreak in the dorms before spreading it to neighboring local communities. Or, we could have chosen to do what we are doing now. Obviously, we weren’t sent on break. I can’t blame the university for choosing this option because there were no good options anyways. From the beginning, it was damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Had the university sent us on break, it would have been the honor system keeping us from going to events jam packed with people. Looking at Florida, more specifically Miami Beach, that would’ve been unrealistic. The problem now is that the mental

health of many Americans has deteriorated significantly. Our giant Thanksgiving/winter break was two months, which is unusual, but we live in unusual times. In a Twitter thread by Dr. Jen Newton, Ph.D., the doctor simply stated that students should get an actual break. In the replies, some people asserted that people with jobs don’t get breaks. Some students angrily replied to these people by saying that they are both full-time students and workers. It’s not unrealistic to say that we’re in a better spot than we were a year ago. But how should we balance safe schedules and people’s mental health? Students aren’t alone in feeling the crunch. Scrolling through internet forums, professors and instructors across the country are just as tired as we are. The content of their posts highlights that they have a never ending fire hose of work aimed at them that has been made worse by the pandemic. Not having the motivation to do any work isn’t an uncommon feeling now. It’s something that I’ve felt on some weekends. Sometimes on the weekend, I do nothing for a day and instead spend it watching shows on Disney+. Is it a good idea? Probably not. But, it does help take my mind off of school work, even if it’s only for a few hours. Taking care of ourselves is especially important at this time, given the limited break days we have and the sensation of getting

blasted with information everyday. Some may bottle up their frustration or feelings because they have a sense that they don’t have it so bad compared to others. While that may be true, your experiences are no less important or valid than anyone else’s. While it certainly would’ve been nice to have had an extra break day, we’ve been given three. It’s also easier said than done to tell you to do x, y and z. You know what works best for you. Recently, a Yale student took their own life. His death highlights the reality of becoming overloaded with work, yet many are silent about it. I hope that this is a wake up call for universities to reexamine their approach to how work is assigned. In higher education, for some reason, there are people who take pride in how much strain that they can put on themselves and brag about how little sleep they get each night, or how much work they can do in one sitting.

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