Vol. 8 (Dec. 7, 2017) by University News

Vol. XCVII No. 8

A student voice of Saint Louis University since 1921

December 7, 2017

News

December 7, 2017

INSIDE SCOOP:

Sia album art for “Everyday Is Christmas”

ARTS

Not Quite A Sia Christmas Page 5

James Coyne / The University News

CHRISTMAS ON THE QUAD: A student gets his face painted at Saint Louis University’s first Christmas ot the Quad.

SPORTS USMC Partnership with Athletics Page 10

OPINION Issues on America’s College Campuses Page 15

SLU starts new Christmas tradition

Christmas books to children. Lastly, Dr. Pestello was present, mingling and interacting with guests as they sipped hot On Saturday, Dec. 2, Saint Louis Univerchocolate and ate cookies. sity hosted its inaugural “Christmas on the The highlight of the night was the lightQuad,” a Christmas themed event that took ing of the Christmas tree in the middle place from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., opening with of the quad. Covered in lights and settled Mass at St. Francis Xavier College Church between two fake snow generators, with and a homily that focused on advent, fora Nativity scene in front of it, the Univergiveness and giving. Afsity Christmas Tree was ter the mass, the festiviwhat everyone gathered A tradition that ties moved over to the around in the darkness. quad, where a variety of brings our entire Candles were passed out activities were present. though the crowd, and SLU family With a multitude of staeveryone waited for the tions—such as an inflattogether, our lighting of the tree. able bounce house, fires “It’s the hope that toalumni, our stufor s’mores, a bubble is the beginning machine and face paintdents, our faculty night of a new holiday tradiing—there was plenty tion here at SLU,” Tony and our staff. for both the young and Minor, the assistant vice old of SLU’s community. Tony Minor president of alumni & Also in attendance donor engagement said were three important while beginning the tree lighting ceremoguests. The first was Santa, found wanny. “A tradition that brings our entire SLU dering throughout the quad, taking phofamily together, our alumni, our students, tos with students and children alike. Mrs. our faculty and our staﬀ.” Claus also attended, sitting within the Also speaking before the lighting of the Historic Samuel Cupples House, reading tree was Dr. Pestello and Father Collins, By EM MILLER News Editor

“

who discussed SLU’s history and bicentennial along with the upcoming advent season and what that meant for the University. As Father Collins began to speak, he commented that “Lots of people have a lot of aggression and anger, even, in their lives that they get weighed down by, and it just seems like it continues to escalate. And it’s exactly in that context, I think, that we come together for real, in friendship, to offer something diﬀerent to the world.” To begin the lighting of the University Christmas Tree, Father Collins and Dr. Pestello gathered all of the young children present into a group before the Nativity scene. Slowly, they began to light the candles that each child was holding, as the whole community prayed in the silence. The lit candles were used to light the candles of others, until everyone present stood with a lit candle and prayed for others. Breaking the silence, the choir began to sing, and the tree was lit. As Dr. Pestello closed the ceremony and children took the chance to play within the falling fake snow, the choir broke into song as people began to disperse into the festivities, and a new SLU tradition was born.

News

December 7, 2017

The upcoming net neutrality battle By SAVANAH SEYER Staff Writer

Tannock Blair / The University News

BALANCED BREWING: Matt Foster from Kaldi’s Coﬀee Roasting Company teaches SLU students how to brew the best coﬀee with limited resources.

COFFEE COACHING: Spoon SLU event success By TANNOCK BLAIR Associate News Editor

Last Wednesday night, Nov. 29, the Spring Hall community kitchen was filled beyond capacity by eager coffee enthusiasts of the SLU community for Easy Ways to Make Great Coffee. The event was organized by members of Spoon University SLU in collaboration with Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Company. The wholesale coffee trainer for Kaldi’s, Matt Foster, came to teach SLU students how to make the best coffee possible with minimal time and a meager budget. Foster simplified the coffee-making process into two different inexpensive and effective methods: the immersion method and the hybrid method. The immersion method is perhaps the one that most of the “uninitiated” would understand and involves using the French press. Foster explains that it is important to use a coarse grind, or larger particles of coffee, for this method, as too fine a grind would make the coffee astringent. He also recommends waiting for four minutes instead of immediately plunging once the water is poured on the coffee. The immersion method creates a heavy body coffee and sometimes has an oily or somewhat gritty texture. The hybrid method is less common and perhaps more popular to the coffee enthusiast crowd and involves using a more recent contraption: the Clever Dripper. It is called the hybrid method because it combines the immersion and drip method. It uses a paper filter to stew the cof-

fee in the carafe and then drips the brew into a cup—at two and half minutes, according to Foster. Unlike the immersion method, fine grinds of coffee work better because it extracts more nuanced flavors. The hybrid method creates a light to medium body coffee with a smooth texture. When it comes to buying coffee, Foster emphatically discourages buying preground coffee. Obviously, a huge aspect of coffee is personal preference; however, Foster explains that the roasting process can have a huge impact on flavor. Typically, dark-roasted beans tend to have a tougher flavor, while lighter-roasted beans give better aromas. He explained that coffee oxidizes quickly, so preground coffee loses its oils (an essential part of the flavor). When it comes to coffee shelf-life, Foster compares a bag of coffee to that of a loaf of bread—around two weeks. Foster recommends using blends and medium roast coffee with the immersion method and single-origin and light roast coffee with the hybrid method. Foster also went on to explain the coffee-making process. It takes four to five years of growth for a Coffea, a coffee plant, to be ready for harvest. The fruit is hand-picked, and two beans can usually be extracted from each cherry. On average, there is about one pound of coffee per plant. The coffee beans then go through the roasting process. The event was a huge success, with many students walking away with a greater respect for the craft of coffee-brewing and practical applications for the student lifestyle.

Have you received an email today? Checked Facebook, watched Netflix, looked at an article on Wikipedia, accessed the library database, sent a Snap, liked an Instagram picture, or checked blackboard? How about all of the above? You probably know that the fact that you are able to do all these things and more is because you are connected to the internet. You are not just connected to any internet though. You are connected to a free and neutral internet. The words “net neutrality” have been thrown around quite a bit in the last few months, and many people are left wondering what exactly “net neutrality” means and what the big deal is. Net neutrality means that all data and information on the internet must be treated the same. For example, your posts on Facebook, by rule, are just as important as stock reports online, or Amazon sale data, or the second season of Orange is the New Black on Netflix. None of these things can be slowed down or pushed to the back of the internet. A free and open internet means that we can post and share and see everything that we want, whenever we want. We all receive internet through ISPs, which are companies that we pay to provide us our internet service. When we pay this fee, we expect that the company is not manipulating the websites we visit or meddling in our service to make it run less eﬃciently. This neutral internet is a protection given to United States citizens that we often take for granted. In the past, there have been incidents where certain ISPs have slowed down and blocked certain websites because they are at odds with the company or because they want to promote their own service. For example, in 2013, the ISP Comcast was embroiled in negotiations with Netflix. While the negotiations were happening, Netflix’s download speed for Comcast users decreased by 25% until the two companies reached agreement in early 2014. In 2015, during the Obama administration, the Federal Communication Commission, or FCC, instituted rules to protect the internet’s freedom. The FCC put out three “bright-line rules” when the regulations went through in 2015. The rules prohibited any internet

service provider from “blocking, throttling, or engaging in paid prioritization.” Blocking is exactly what it sounds like. It is when a service provider blocks certain websites and data from its users. Throttling is when an ISP slows down certain sites and speeds up others. Lastly, paid prioritization is when companies speed up selected content in exchange for payment. While these regulations were a huge win for net neutrality supporters, the debate was far from over. ISPs and telecommunication companies have worked to overturn the rules and have been involved with lawsuits ever since. This year, the new FCC Chairman, Ajit Pai, appointed by President Trump, has announced that the FCC plans to abolish the rules set in 2015, and therefore, abolish net neutrality. Before his appointment to the FCC, Pai was a lawyer for Verizon, one of the telecommunication/ISP companies most opposed to net neutrality. Pai called for a complete rollback of the net neutrality protections, saying that the rules only protected against a perceived harm, and that no ISP has or would engage in the prohibited behaviors and that the regulations stifled creative and innovative company growth by forcing ISPs to provide only one internet package instead of being able to oﬀer users multiple options. Opponents of net neutrality argue that the rules are useless, and that no ISP companies will engage in paid prioritization, throttling, or blocking because it is simply not in their best business interests. These practices could be considered anti-competitive, which would get an ISP in trouble with another government agency, the Federal Trade Commission. Telecom companies such as AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast have stated that they would not participate in any of the prohibited behaviors and would be transparent with users. However, supporters of net neutrality point to examples such as Comcast/ Netflix to state the case that there is incentive for ISP’s to treat data diﬀerently. Large online companies such a s Facebook, Google, and Amazon have spoken out in support of an open internet and called for internet users to speak up against the threat to net neutrality. See “Net Neutrality” on page 4

December 7, 2017

News

Let Us Introduce You: Anna Krueger By EM MILLER News Editor

Anna Krueger is a sophomore from Eagan, Minn., and she is an active member in the service community of SLU. Her dream is to travel the globe, helping to develop communities and their healthcare systems. Currently majoring in public health, Anna is hoping to go to graduate school in order to get her masters, but is considering taking a gap year to work at a surgery center and orphanage in Honduras. Krueger is currently the President of Kappa Delta, a sorority on SLU’s campus. Recently, the Kappa Delta chapter at SLU held their fifth annual Kuts for Confidence on Sunday, Dec. 3. Kuts for Confidence is a yearly event focused on cutting hair and collecting hair donations that are eight inches or longer. “We accept hair donations to donate to Pantene Beautiful Lengths.” Krueger said, “It was really great this year, the opening ceremony was pretty packed. We had two girls and one boy shave their heads during the opening ceremony, then kicked oﬀ the donation period.”

While not participating in Kuts for Confidence this year, Krueger did participate last year, cutting oﬀ nine inches of her hair and donating it. Kappa Delta also does a significant amount of service. Two of the sorority’s national philanthropies are Prevent Child Abuse America and Girl Scouts of the USA. The SLU Kappa Delta chapter works with a Girl Scout Troop where members have one or more parents incarcerated. To Krueger, the most rewarding thing about being in Kappa Delta is “coming into a group of girls that I didn’t know and watching everyone grow together. Becoming more confident, more comfortable, and honestly happier.” Krueger is also a member of the Honors Learning Community and works as an Honors Link Mentor. Krueger has lived within the LC for two years and enjoys being part of the community. “I love being in Honors,” Krueger commented. “It’s a really conducive environment for studying, and everyone constantly motivates each other to be on top of their work.”

Krueger also actively participates in service in the St. Louis Community. For the past two years, she has participated in Make a Diﬀerence Day with her sorority, and participated in LC Day of Service. Along with large service dates, Krueger also does smaller, regular service and has been working as a tutor for Overground Railroad for two years. Krueger’s favorite part of tutoring is spending time with the kids, specifically “the energy that the kids have. You can tell that it’s towards the end of the school day for them, so they’re really hyper. So sometimes, before we go work on homework, we go to the gym and shoot hoops or play tag. They wear themselves out, so it’s a lot easier for them to focus on their work.” Outside of her volunteer work, Krueger enjoys watching sports. A huge hockey fan, Krueger supports the Minnesota Wild. “I get a lot of smack talk thrown my way, especially when the Wild are playing the Blues,” Krueger commented, “but they’re my team.”

Net neutrality Continued from Page 3

Supporters also point out that net neutrality could be a much bigger issue than slow Netflix. Many people worry that, without net neutrality, small businesses, content creators, and activist groups could be stifled online due to costs. Without a free and fair internet, the idea is that ISPs could charge large fees to companies and services in order to give them high-speed delivery. While large companies such as Netflix and Amazon are in a good enough position to face high costs, small start-ups and community organizers are not always as well oﬀ. On Savetheinternet.com, the website states, “The consequences would be particularly devastating for marginalized communities [that] media outlets have misrepresented or failed to serve. People of color, the LGBTQ community, indigenous peoples and religious minorities in the United States rely on the open internet to organize, access economic

and educational opportunities, and fight back against systemic discrimination. Without net neutrality, how would activists be able to fight oppression? What would happen to social movements like the Movement for Black Lives? How would the next disruptive technology, business or company emerge if internet service providers only let incumbents succeed?” The FCC proposal is expected to go to a vote in the coming month. Before the vote, however, the agency opened their website up for comments from the public.This proved to be a mess as the agency received a large amount of fake comments, which has delayed and discredited much of the comment period. The FCC is set to vote on this proposal on Dec. 14. For those passionate about the subject whether in support or in opposition, send messages to you representatives and to the FCC online before the vote.

Photo courtesy of Anna Krueger

Krueger, hanging out with her dog ,Cal.

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

Monday, Dec. 4 11:47 a.m. Accidental Injury At 11:47 a.m., a male student injured his finger on his right hand while playing a game of basketball at Simon Recreational Center. The student was brought to SLU Hospital ER by a DPS mobile, and Pro Staff was notified. Monday, Dec. 4 “B” Watch No Incidents to Report Monday, Dec. 4 7:44 p.m. Burglar Alarm The alarm on the loading dock overhead at Earhart Hall was set off around 7:44 p.m., possibly by the wind. A check of the building indicated that everything was secure. Be a Responsible Billiken STOP. CALL. REPORT. 314-977-3000 witness.slu.edu dps.slu.edu

Arts&Entertainment UNews

Christmas with Sia album. “I just was having so much On Nov. 17, pop singer- fun because it’s already there, songwriter Sia released her all of the concepts, you just eighth studio album, “Every- have to expand on them,” day is Christmas,” consisting she said in the interview. “It’s of 10 original holiday songs. not like you have to have an The festive album came as a original idea to begin with. surprise to many fans of Sia, It’s like, ‘okay, so Christmas, who is known for songs, such mistletoe, right, okay ho-hoas her 2014 hit “Chandelier,” ho, right okay yeah, Santa with intense subject matter Claus, Christmas lists, elves.’ and dark lyrics. By creat- You’ve got all of the subject matter.” ing a holiday With that album, Sia in mind, Sia wanted to Unfortunately for branch out listeners, Sia’s rushed got to work, and before from this mawriting process and too long had terial and do finished s o m e t h i n g lack of original subject a “It more fun. matter are apparent product. was easy and In a “Beats on “Everyday is fun, so we 1” interview did it in two Christmas.” with Zane weeks” she Lowe, Sia retold Lowe. vealed that Unfortushe went into the studio to record the album with the nately for listeners, Sia’s intention of creating original rushed writing process and songs, as well as covering a lack of original subject matfew Christmas classics. Once ter are apparent on “Everyshe got to work, she found day is Christmas.” The album the Christmas songwriting lacks a sense of direction, process to be easier than she and seems to feature a ranBy ALEXIS STOGNER Staff Writer

thought and ended up with an entirely original 10-track

See “Sia” on Page 7

Album art: Sia “Everyday is Christmas

December 7, 2017 arts@unewsonline.com Natalie Riopelle, Arts Editor Chandana Kamaraj, Assoc. Arts Editor

‘Justice League’: It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s a pretty average movie...

Courtesy of Warner Bros. inc.

SUPER: DC Comic’s headlining heroes hit the big screen this month as one powerful team. By KARL O’BRIEN Staff Writer

“Justice League” is the latest film in the DC Extended Universe, or DCEU, and DC Comics’ attempt via its film distributor, Warner Brothers, to try to catch up to the high-flying success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe of Disney. While it is by no means of “Wonder Woman” quality, “Justice League” is nonetheless a fun romp that should be seen, if only for the promise of what lies ahead. The film revolves around Bruce Wayne/Batman’s (Ben Affleck) repeated attempts to assemble a team of super-powered individuals to defend the Earth from extra-worldly threats. Inspired by the example of Superman (Henry Cavill) and motivated by his tragic death at the hands of the monstrous Doomsday, Batman becomes more committed to forming his team when he encounters a Parademon, a bug-like servant of the galactic tyrant Darkseid, while on patrol one night. Realizing that the invasion he fears may be more imminent than anticipated, Batman teams up with Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gal

Gadot) to track down his candidates for team membership: Barry Allen/The Flash (Ezra Miller), Cyborg/Victor Stone (Ray Fisher), and Arthur Curry/ Aquaman (Jason Momoa). The team soon runs afoul of the villainous Steppenwolf, a mad warlord who seeks to unite three Mother Boxes, ar-

As a whole, “Justice League” was not a bad movie,” but it does have its fair share of problems. tifacts of tremendous power, to strengthen himself so that he may destroy the world as he nearly did centuries ago when the Amazons, Atlanteans, and human heroes stopped him and divided the Boxes, hiding them for themselves. In desperation, the team resurrects Superman to help them more eﬀectively face the threat, but they have reservations about doing so. As a whole, “Justice League” was not a bad movie, but it does

have its fair share of problems. Because the DCEU has not had the ample time Marvel has had to introduce characters who may be unfamiliar to audiences unfamiliar with comics, they rely on recognizable characters like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman to carry the weight of publicity. As a result, when the movie references important characters, the shocking eﬀect of hearing the name is lost. An example of this occurs when Steppenwolf commands his minions to carry out his bidding “for Darkseid.” Darkseid is essentially the embodiment of evil in the DC universe, ruling over the hellscape of Apokolips with an iron fist and seeking only to eliminate all life in the universe. “Justice League” also featured cameos from many beloved characters like Police Commissioner Gordon of Gotham City; Mera, Aquaman’s love interest and one of the most powerful of the Atlanteans; and at least one of the Green Lanterns. These characters, however, are only seen for a few minutes when they are on screen and See “League” on Page 7

December 7, 2017

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Arts

New Louis; New Ed

Louis Tomlison ft. Steve Aoki â&#x20AC;&#x153;Just Hold Onâ&#x20AC;?

By MADISYN SIEBERT Staff Writer

Two well-known British artists released new stand alone singles last week that need to be on your radar if they arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t already. Ed Sheeran released his new single, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Perfect,â&#x20AC;? on Nov. 30. This single is not just Sheeran alone, though; it is a stripped-down acoustic version of the song off his album, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Divide,â&#x20AC;? that features Beyonce. The song is currently No. 1 in the digital sales chart according to Billboard. Sheeran has already been promoting â&#x20AC;&#x153;Perfectâ&#x20AC;? from his album, but released another version of the song for fans to enjoy. Sheeran also shot a music video for the song that features himself and Zoey Deutch skiing on a mountain in a very heart-warming and innocent love story. Sheeran and Beyonceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s voices complement each other perfectly on this new single, and it is beloved by fans of both Sheeran and Beyonce. This is not your typical Beyonce song; it showcases that her vocal range and ability to do more soulful performances is still present and also keeps her fans excited since she has not released any new music recently. Sheeran just released his album, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Divide,â&#x20AC;? in March earlier this year, he recently dueted with Taylor Swift on her new album, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Reputation,â&#x20AC;? and he also announced his guest appearance on Eminemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new album, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Revival,â&#x20AC;? that will be released Dec. 15. Hopefully, these two will be able to do a live performance of the song in the near future so we can see their dynamics on stage together. Also, on Friday, Dec. 1, Louis Tomlinson released his fourth single from his upcoming album. The song, titled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Miss

You,â&#x20AC;? is a rock-pop song that has early 2000 punk vibes mixed with lyrics that more closely resemble the current style. This unique sound is much different compared to Tomlinsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s other songs that were released earlier this year/late last year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Just Hold Onâ&#x20AC;? is a collaboration between Tomlinson and the EDM DJ, Steve Aoki, and features EDM beats mixed with pop elements. His next single, another collaboration with pop singer Bebe Rexha titled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Back to You,â&#x20AC;? is a full-on pop song that showcases Tomlinsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vocal range. The third single, released just for the fans, is â&#x20AC;&#x153;Just Like Youâ&#x20AC;? and is a softer pop song that elaborates on Tomlinsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s connection to his fans. Tomlinson recently performed â&#x20AC;&#x153;Miss Youâ&#x20AC;? at the Royal Variety Performance for the Duke and Duchess, William and Kate. He performed alongside other acclaimed artists such as The Script and James Blunt. Being asked to perform at the show is a huge honor in the UK. Tomlinson also performed the new song for the first television recording for the X Factor UK on Dec. 2, going back on the stage where he competed as a contestant on the show seven years ago with his band, One Direction. He was on this stage last year as well, debuting his first single ever as a solo artist, just three days after his mother passed away. The performance was shaky and Tomlinson looked more timid. This year, though, he was confident and had more control of the stage. Tomlinson is currently filming the music video for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Miss Youâ&#x20AC;? with plans for it to be out before Christmas. His debut album is also projected to be released in early 2018. Sheeran and Tomlinsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new singles are worlds apart from each other in sound, but both will be songs you have on repeat for the rest of December.

Ed Sheeran â&#x20AC;&#x153;New Manâ&#x20AC;?

Arts

‘League’: Passably okay

seeing “Justice League” may not be fully invested in what happens to them, leaving their team-up feeling forced. All things considered, though, the serving as throwaway references for despecial effects and scenery was of good voted fans and plot devices for everyquality in, making it visually pleasant, one else. Filming these scenes without and many jokes from different characregard to the familiarity many auditers acknowledged different aspects of ence members would have only serves their comic histories. This made them to alienate viewers who stick with people who were could possibly give rave fans entering the film, reviews to their friends Viewers unfamiliar DC and the characterization and create publicity and with the characters that was present, particuticket sales for the film, something Warner Broth- before seeing “Justice larly from Flash and Alfred ers definitely needs if their League” may not be Pennyworth, was endearing the board, allowing DCEU is to be a viable opfully invested in what across for some opportunities for tion for making money. happens to them, laughter in an otherwise Sadly, the main Justice leaving their team-up bleak atmosphere. League also suffered from In conclusion, “Justice poor characterization. feeling forced. League” leaves much to be The only exposure the desired, but was an acceptteam members had before able run for the first theatrical team-up this film, with the exception of Superof the World’s Greatest Super-Heroes. man, Batman, and Wonder Woman, was The post-credits scene, which I won’t on brief footage from Lex Luthor’s comspoil, presents an opportunity for the puter in “Batman v. Superman,” leaving DCEU to redeem itself down the road, much to be desired about their motivawhich could finally push it into serious tions and personalities. Thus, viewers competition with Marvel. unfamiliar with the characters before Continued from Page 5

To do in STL

December 7, 2017

Sia: Making Christmas meh

“Snowman,” in which Sia uses a melting snowman as imagery for a troubled relationship, and “Ho Ho Ho,” in which she sings about drinking with her holidom selection of Christmas buzz day guests before leading a chant about words and imagery over upbeat, whiskey and bourbon. These two songs cheery music. The traditional format are definitely not ideal Christmas songs of most Christmas songs does not fit for kids, but the first two songs are not Sia’s unique vocal style, exemplified exactly for adults; so, who is this album by the nearly unintelligible verses of for? the first track on the “Everyday is Christalbum, “Santa’s ComThese two songs are mas” just doesn’t seem ing For Us” (a title which is more vaguely definitely not ideal to make a lot of sense. threatening than fesChristmas songs for It contradicts itself by both serious and tive, in my opinion). kids, but the first two being silly; the light hearted, “Candy Cane Lane” songs are not exactly cheery tracks can’t be has a chorus that seems like a better for adults; so, who is taken seriously, and the darker, more serious fit for an elementary this album for? tracks prevent the album school Christmas from just being pure, fespageant than the sective fun. ond track on a GramIt’s no secret that Sia herself is an exmy-nominated songwriter’s eighth tremely talented vocalist and lyricist, studio album: “Candy Cane Lane, so I’m not sure where she went wrong bring a friend this holiday / Bring a with this album; perhaps it was the lack friend who loves to play, we’ll eat all of time, or the lack of originality or the candy canes”. pressure to fit the mold of the style of The light, playful attitude of these other popular Christmas songs. While songs make them seem like a betsome songs are fun and festive, the mater fit for children, however the rest jority feel rushed and underwritten, of the album does not remain as upand do not live up to some of her other beat. “Everyday is Christmas” takes original, non-holiday content. a darker turn with songs such as Continued from Page 5

The Christmas Killer Comedy Dinner Theater

Nov. 31-Dec 31, 7 p.m. Lemp Mansion Restaurant and Inn

The Nutcracker presented by Saint Louis Ballet Fri. Dec. 15 - Sat Dec. 23 Touhill Performing Arts Center

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Release: Fri. Dec. 15

U.S. Bank Wild Lights

Sun. Nov. 24 - Sun. Dec. 31 St. Louis Zoo

Migos & Lil Wayne Fri. Dec. 29 - 7:00p.m. Chaifetz Arena

Album art: Sia “Everyday is Christmas”

8 December 7, 2017

Celebrating Christmas at SLU

Photography

By EMMA CARMODY Photo Editor

Every SLU student can expect to see Christmas decorations to be up by the time they get back from Thanksgiving break, from the red ribbons on each lamp post to the garland hanging in the Business School. Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lunch spot by the koi pond is occupied by a Nativity scene surrounded by lights on every bush and shrub, and everyone who drives by campus sees the larger-than-life Nativity outside of Grand Hall. Anywhere you go, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clear that SLU is full of Christmas spirit. This year, SLU even kicked off the season with the first annual Christmas on the Quad complete with carolers, bonfires, a Christmas tree lighting and kids writing letters to Santa.

Monica Ryan/Associate Sports Editor

James Coyne/The University News

Emma Carmody/Photo Editor

Photography

International Photo Contest winners announced December 7, 2017

By EMMA CARMODY Photo Editor

Many students study abroad during their time at SLU, and what better way to document their experiences than with some great photos. Each year, the Office of International Services holds a contest for students studying abroad to submit their photos whether theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re at SLU Madrid or another countryâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; or from another country studying in St. Louis. They have five different categories: Wild Card/Funny, Unique Cultural Experience, SLU Spirit, Landscape and Cityscape. Check out the 2017 winners from each category.

Wild Card/Funny Remy Arnold- Jerusalem, Israel

SLU Spirit

Kim Webb- Rome, Italy

Unique Cultural Experience Kathleen Gyore- Iceland

Landscape

Carolyn Rorer- Lake Bled, Slovenia

Cityscape

Alex Bielewicz- Madrid, Spain

Sports

December 7, 2017 sports@unewsonline.com Bobby Stilwell, Sports Editor Monica Ryan, Assoc. Sports Editor

Capt. Thomas Pinnell, USMC GRIT: The United States Marine Corps put Women’s Soccer through a competition as a part of their intersquad challenge.

SLU Athletics gets a taste of the Corps By Erin McClelland Staff Writer

There is a lot that goes into competing as a Division 1 athlete, and similarly, there is a lot that goes into being a United States Marine. Both are prestigious in their own right but each have very similar necessary skills to be successful: Fitness, leadership, and teamwork. The Marine Corps started working with the Saint Louis University Baseball Team this past August on the team’s fitness as well as their team culture. Captain Thomas Pinnell, a SLU alumnus (class of 2009) and baseball student-athlete, was recently stationed back in St. Louis and decided to reach out to the baseball coaching staﬀ about sharing some of the ideals that the Marine Corps has because of their reputation for incredible teamwork and leadership. Soon, word spread to other coaches in the athletic department, including the Women’s Soccer Team, Field Hockey Team and Softball Team, who also expressed interest in working with the Marines in their training.

So far, the Women’s Soccer Team and the Baseball Team have had activities and workouts with the Marines but other teams have events scheduled in the coming semester. The soccer team participated in the Combat Fitness Test, a test that includes a half mile sprint, ammo can presses and an obstacle course that includes various partner activities like a firefighter carry. The girls were broken up into teams and raced each other through the tasks while being sure to support their teammates through the rigorous fitness component. Freshman Haley Cox said, “The workout for the Marines was pretty intense and competitive and I loved it. It helped our team because it made us work together, step up and show leadership by cheering on our teammates, and it tested our team mentally making it stronger.” She also wants to give her team a shout out for winning the tasks for the day. Cox said, “I would tell other teams that do this to push yourselves to the limit because it only makes you better and stronger. [Strive] to pick each other up and

cheer them on when they’re struggling to lift an ammo can above their head for the 50th time. Have fun with it and surprise yourself with how well you can do.” The baseball team had a more involved encounter with the Marines which included three diﬀerent days of fitness training as well as leadership seminars following the workouts. Freshman baseball player Ben Livorsi said, “[The workouts] were tough, but we struggled through them as a team, and I think this team-building training will benefit us in the season. It helped us not only get physically stronger, but it helped us build our mental toughness.” Two of the workouts that the team participated in was a run at Art Hill in Forest Park as well as a circuit workout which included various stations with diﬀerent exercises at each. The exercises were followed by short, 20-30-minute leadership workshops to improve the team as individual leaders, but also as a whole team with building trust and reliance on their teammates. Captain Pinnell said, “We want to teach

the teams how to think outside the box in leadership and to trust in each other. It is a leader’s responsibility to foster that trust and we want them to think diﬀerently about operating as a team.” The Marine Corps often recruits athletes after they finish their undergraduate, collegiate experience because it involves extremely physically and mentally challenging skills that are developed while playing a sport in such a competitive environment. As a recruiter, Captain Pinnell is looking for potential oﬃcers and athletes who are “biased to leadership.” Captain Pinnell joined the United States Marine Corps after graduating from SLU because his whole life he had the identity of “baseball player,” but when he graduated he no longer had that label. “I wanted a challenge and I wanted to be a part of something bigger and better than myself,” said Pinnell, “I like to compete and I wanted an identity I could be proud of.” You don’t need to be a collegiate athlete to be a Marine after graduation. What you need is drive, determination, fitness, strong leadership and the ability to work as a teammate. “The Marines are made up of high-caliber people,” said Pinnell. Despite this being the first year SLU athletics has worked with the Marines, the success they have seen so far is enough to foresee a continuation of the partnership into this spring as well as next school year.

Capt. Thomas Pinnell, USMC COACH: Marine Corp member explains a drill to junior Maddie Pokorny.

Sports

December 7, 2017

Saint Louis University Athletics

STAREDOWN: Freshman guard Jordan Goodwin challenges a defender in the game against Harris-Stowe. Goodwin tallied 20 points against SIU.

Men beat SIU, snap long four-game losing streak By Bobby Stilwell Sports Editor

SLU Men’s Basketball traveled to Butler for a non conference game on Saturday, Dec. 2, losing 75-45 in Indianapolis. Butler started the game with an 8-0 run, never losing the lead afterward. Junior guard Javon Bess posted a career high 22 points (19 in the second half), tying his record, with a career-high 10 rebounds. Bess notched his first career double-double. Freshman guard Jordan Goodwin chipped in seven points and five rebounds in the loss.

CHEER

SLU next hosted the Southern Illinois Salukis at Chaifetz Arena on Wednesday, Dec. 6. The back-and-forth battle in the first half ended with a 74-69 winner for SLU. SLU got off to a rocky start, trailing by as many as nine with 12:16 to play. SLU tied the game up twice in the closing minutes, before sophomore forward Jalen Johnson hit a pair of FTs to give SLU its first lead of the night (27-26) with 4:04 to play. Goodwin completed a 3-point play to increase the SLU lead to 30-26 with 3:04 to play. SIU jumped back out 33-30 in the closing minute, before graduate center Rashed Anthony hit his first

WHO TO CHEER GREEN BAY PACKERS The Packers have had a rough stretch, losing a bunch of their top players. Despite these setbacks, the team was able to pull off a win against Tampa Bay last Sunday, Dec. 3.

FG of his career to close the SLU deficit to one with 41 seconds left. An SIU trey in the final seconds of the half sent SLU to the locker room trailing 36-32 in a close fight. Goodwin started off the second half with a jumper for SLU. The two teams traded buckets before Anthony completed a 3-point play to bring SLU within one at 16:27. A Hines jumper capped off the 5-0 rally, giving SLU the lead at 15:53. Former Billiken Marcus Bartley hit four free throws to extend the SIU lead to 57-52 at 7:57. SLU bounced back within one before SIU jumped back out.

JEER

A red shirt junior guard/forward Javon Bess trey tied it up 61-61 with under five to play. SIU rallied back and the game became tied again. Freshman forward Hasahn French hit a critical slam dunk, to give the Billikens a 6563 lead at 2:28. Bess chipped in another trey for a 68-63 lead just seconds later. SIU charged back, closing within two, but SLU hit six of their final eight from the charity stripe and held off a charging SIU to secure the victory. See “Big” on Page 13

FEAR WHO TO JEER

WHO TO FEAR

FOOTBALL, TEXAS Bleacher Report has started a parody series entitled “Football, Texas.” This series pokes fun at the culture in Texas surrounding the lives of high school football players; a culture that has been praised by previous shows such as “Friday Night Lights.”

ST. LOUIS BLUES The Blues have been off to a fiery start this season, and have spent plenty of time in the top slot of the league. The Blues currently sit two points shy of first in the league, and one point shy of first in the conference.

12 December 7, 2017

This week in Sports

Sports

Friday, Dec. 8

Saturday, Dec. 9

Tuesday, Dec. 12

Saturday, Dec. 16

Sunday, Dec. 17

Tuesday, Dec. 19

Friday, Dec. 22

Women’s Basketball 7 p.m. @ Mizzou

Men’s Basketball 7 p.m. v. Houston

Men’s Basketball 7 p.m. v. Murray State

Men’s Basketball 9:30 p.m. @ Oregon State

Women’s Basketball 2 p.m. v. Lipscomb

Women’s Basketball 5 p.m. v. Tulsa Men’s Basketball 7:30 p.m. v. Campbell

Men’s Basketball 6 p.m. v. SEMO

Saint Louis University Athletics

BREATHE: Sophomore Grant Streid takes a breath while swimming at a meet. Streid and his relay group finished first in the meet at Indiana State on Dec. 2.

Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving take first By Megan Hammond Staﬀ Writer

This past weekend, the Billikens completed their last meets of the year. They will return Jan. 13 to play against UMSL locally in St. Louis, with time and exact location still TBD. On Nov. 29-Dec. 2, the men competed in the USA Swimming Winter National Championships, finishing eighth. Both the men and women participated in the Indiana State Relay Meet on Dec. 2. The men finished first out of three;

the women were first out of 4. At the Winter Nationals, SLU finished in the top ten for their second consecutive year. Ryan McCoy, Isaiah Williams, Grant Streid and Collin O’Brien outperformed themselves, placing sixth in the 800 free relay with a time of 6:38.89—the fastest in the A-10 and the season’s best for the Billikens. In the 200 free relay, O’Brien, Williams, Justin Mars and McCoy were sixth (1:22.72). McCoy was breaking records left and right. He was 12th in the 100 fly (47.41),

finishing with the A-10’s top time for the event. He placed 15th in the 500 free with 4:28.18, a new school record. In the qualifying event for the 100 free final, McCoy finished with the top A-10 time of 44.68. Additionally, in the 800 free relay, he led the four with his 200 free time of 1:36.92, another A-10 best. Also in the Nationals, T.J. Halliburton finished 22nd in the 100 back (49.39) and first in the 200 back (1:47.96), rendering him second in the A-10 and second alltime at SLU. Williams placed first in his

heat for the 100 fly (48.58) and qualified for the 200 fly final with a time of 1:48.15. Halliburton, Mars, McCoy and O’Brien placed first in the 200 medley (1:30.57). The men were eighth overall, but all members of the team recorded strong performances. At the Indiana State Relay Meet, the men and women both finished first, beating out Indiana State (for the women), Eastern Illinois and Maryville. The men handily deSee “Breaking” on Page 13

Sports

December 7, 2017

“Big win”: Ford, Goodwin, and French all excited for rest of season Continued from Page 11

Goodwin is excited to see what the future brings, and says the team is working better as a whole. “It’s a big win for the whole team. We’ve learned how to trust each other more.” French went into the game knowing that there was a losing streak hanging over the team, but the team is making some changes to make themselves better. “There’s always frustration if you’re losing. We make sure we all stick together and start to gel even more.” SLU head coach Travis Ford thought the meetup was a “hard fought, competitive game between two teams that wanted to win badly.” He also said that players have been putting in extra effort. “We had guys showing up while it was still dark outside…

on their own. We got back to trusting each other on the court and playing through mistakes.” Senior guard Davell Roby ended up injured, but Ford admired the determination of the team. “We showed a lot of character to move on [after Roby went out] and control[led] the things [we could] control.” SIU’s head coach, Barry Hinson, was even complementary of the effort by SLU: “You have to give credit to St. Louis. When Roby went out, they had a sense of urgency.” The next matchup for Men’s Basketball will be on Saturday Dec. 9. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. at Chaifetz Arena against non confernce foe Houston.

Women win at home, edge Little Rock By Erin McClelland Staﬀ Writer

The Saint Louis University Women’s Basketball Team won their first home game of the 2017-18 season in a low-scoring game against the Little Rock Trojans with a final score of 48-45 last Friday. The win brings the Billikens’ season record to 4-5. Senior Jackie Kemph led the Billikens in scoring for the sixth time this season with 11 points and senior Maddison Gits earned her third double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds. The game started with SLU controlling the tip followed by six consecutive possessions with no score until Little Rock scored first. The score was only 8-6 in favor of Little Rock after the first quarter of play. Kemph sunk a buzzer-beater going into the half down just two. The Billikens had a big advantage at the free-throw line shooting .78 making 14 of 18 attempts compared to the Trojans 7 for 15 (.47). Free throws played a big role in the game as the minutes ticked away because SLU trailed by eight going into the fourth quarter. The game was tied three times in the last quarter before Kemph made what turned out to be the game-winning field goal with just 18 seconds left in the game. Little Rock turned the ball over into the hands of junior Jordyn Frantz who was fouled and converted a free throw to give the Billikens a three-point lead that held for the final buzzer. Little Rock controlled the lead for 26:51 compared to just 4:33 for Saint Louis. SLU’s largest lead of the game was just

three points which didn’t come until just .05 seconds were remaining in the game. The women are next in action in Pullman, Wash. against Washington State University on Monday, Dec. 4 followed by a match-up in Columbia, Mo. against Mizzou on Friday, Dec. 8. The Saint Louis University Women’s Basketball team traveled to Pullman, Wash. for a matchup against the Washington State University Cougars last Monday night. The Billikens were coming off a win at home, but were unable to carry the momentum into a win and ended up falling to the Cougars, 85-63. The loss brings their season record to 4-6. Senior Paige Rakers led the offense for the Billikens with a career-high 14 points shooting five for eight overall and two for three in 3-point attempts. Jenny Vliet and Aaliyah Covington also scored double digit points, both with 12, in the contest. Junior Tara Dusharm grabbed a careerhigh eight rebounds. Jackie Kemph led the team in assists with four, followed closely by freshman Tasia Jeffries with three. Washington State was able to get a 9-1 edge early in the game and never lost the lead in the game. The closest margin the Billikens were able to achieve was just four points, twice in the contest. At the half, the Cougars led 39-26, but they were able to get a double-digit lead over the Billikens with just under seven minutes remaining in the game, and held on to that for the remainder of the game. In the fourth quarter, the Billikens were able to come with 13 points of the Cougars, but soon Washington State jumped to a 15-4 run giving

Breaking Records: Swim/Dive continues to make history Continued from Page 12

feated Eastern Illinois and Maryville with 228 points. The women’s competition was closer: SLU scored 214 points, narrowly winning against Indiana State, which had 200 points. The women won a total of five events. Katie Schmude, Mina Glenesk and Savannah Nichols competed and placed first in the 300 fly relay (2:54.25). In the 800 free relay, Natalie Daniel, Glenesk, Erica Morris and Elaine Mahon recorded a time of 7:46.80. Mary First, Morgan Parkinson, Olivia Wanasek and Lindsey Turner were first in the 500 free relay, clocking in at 4:49.31. For diving, Kalley Schwab and Kolbe Schendl won both the 1-meter (409.65) and 3-meter (405.08) diving relays. The men’s team won ten events, all relays. In the 300 fly relay, Streid, Williams and McCoy placed first with 2:29.09. Keegan Paulson, Stephen Cole and Halliburton took the 300 back relay (2:45.17). Luke Van Gorp, O’Brien and Mars fin-

ished the 300 breast relay with a time of 2:54.06. Tyler Guist, Peter Hurst, Christian L’Italien and Scott Street in the 800 free relay placed first with 7:10.17. In the 500 free relay, Michael Kehoe, Mitch Ellis, Andy Maginn and Kevin Daniels recorded 4:19.43. Halliburton, Mars, Williams, and McCoy clocked 3:19.98 in the 400 medley relay. Van Gorp, Guist, Sean O’Connor and L’Italien finished the 200 free relay with 1:27.61. The 100 medley relay quartet was Paulson, O’Brien, Streid and North, placing first at 43.07. Guist, L’Italien, Van Gorp and O’Brien finished the 400 IM relay with 3:20.21. Finally, Streid, Williams, Mars and McCoy won the 400 free relay, recording a 3:01.42 time. The Billikens had a spectacular first half of the season. After winter break, they return to compete in four more match-ups. The season will culminate in the A-10 Conference Championships, which are scheduled for Feb. 14-17.

Saint Louis University Athletics DRIBBLE: Redshirt senior Paige Rakers pushes around a Fordham defender. them a commanding lead in the dwindling is set for 7:00 p.m. The next home game for minutes of the game. the Women’s Basketball team is on SunThe team remains on the road for Fri- day, Dec. 17 at 2:00 p.m. against Lipscomb day’s game in Columbia, Mo. at Mizzou University. for an in-state rivalry matchup. Game time

Opinions&Editorials December 7, 2017

opinion@unewsonline.com

It’s the most wonderful time of the year— for hyped-up music and bad acting

Grant Mayfield Identity Editor

The best part of the Christmas season for me are all the cultural artifacts we Americans compulsively consume every year. So before you all head back to your parents’ homes in the suburbs of Chicago to celebrate this year, here are three of my favorites. “Santa Clause,” the Movie I’m sure you remember this legalistic Tim Allen classic about the implications of accidentally killing the big man from the North Pole. As it turns out, whoever is responsible for his death is legally obligated to put on his suit and finish out the night, whereby they literally become Santa Claus. I’m talking weight gain and full beard. But hey, that’s the way it works according to the unbelievably antiquated “Santa Clause.” That’s right, clause with an ‘e.’ Obviously this movie is a completely bonkers concept that made it through Disney focus groups because of its “family values” revenue model, but my problem isn’t actually with Tim “The Toolman” Taylor’s satisfactory performance. My biggest beef is with the absolutely terrifying Jack Frost character created in “Santa Clause 3, the Escape Clause.” Martin Short plays a bonechilling (ha) version of the B-list holiday creep. In all honesty, the “Council of Legendary Figures” carries the film (although I’m not sure how the Sandman made the cut alongside the Easter Bunny, Cupid and Mother Nature). If you have a few slow days over winter break, brew some peppermint tea and enjoy the jingle jangling, absolutely jolly, downright cheerful Santa Clause franchise. But for the love of God, skip “Santa Clause 2.” The Twelve Days of Christmas So this song sucks. It turns what started out as a grand metaphor for the approach-

ing birth of Christ into a memory test that you fail every time. Is it “ten Lords a Leaping” or “eleven?” And do the drummers drumming come before or after the maids a milking? You don’t know and that’s fine because, regardless, it’s a garbage song. Everyone has tried to pull off this song from the cast of Phineas and Ferb (look it up I beg you) to Frank Sinatra, but everyone has failed. You can’t make this song good because no one knows what to do with 17 birds of five different species(I counted). It’s unrealistic. And don’t even get me started on that Straight No Chaser monstrosity that completely disrespects the sanctity of “Toto” by Africa. Perhaps the only redeeming version of this song is the collaboration between The Muppets and timberline tenor, John Denver. That man and those puppets can do whatever they want and I’ll buy it. No questions asked. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey Before you read this, go listen to this unreal piece of Christmas culture. If you’re not near your Spotify account, let me just walk you through it. The song starts with a delicate, tinkling xylophone riff and then *BAM* in comes a swelling cymbal drum and Carey’s silky smooth vocals. The exposition of this song is a hit by itself but after the Goddess of Garland herself smacks you around a little with her pitch perfect falsetto, the party really starts. You are tossed into a song which I can only assume was inspired by an office holiday party right before it got sloppy. There’s a baseline that rivals “Ice Ice Baby,” backup singers that “ooh” and “ahh” like sweet cherubs hovering over Christ’s manger and literal jingle bells through the entirety of the song. But as we all know, the crown jewel of the song is “that note.” You know the one. You can’t hit it. Neither can your friend that sings in mass choir. Only Mariah can hit it. Because she invented it. Just like she invented Christmas. Don’t @ me. Honorable mentions include: Elf on the Shelf, eggnog, the holiday Google doodle, Starbucks cups, giant Santa blowups, people who decorate their cars—and as always—Melissa Joan Hart in “Holiday in Handcuffs.”

VISIT JIMMYJOHNS.COM TO FIND A LOCATION NEAR YOU

OPINIONS & EDITORIALS

December 7, 2017

Why Calculus? Letters to the editor

Arjun Bagai Contributor

When asked about math and calculus, students start to shiver and tremble. When seniors see their university’s math requirements, they get frustrated and worry over the courses dealing with variables and numbers. Of course, calculus requires a new way of thinking and looking at relationships, but it is not impossible. Calculus is the mathematics of change. Calculus is unique and diﬀerent from other courses in that it now focuses on how quantities change with respect to time as well as how quantities are approximated. Calculus is broken down into three main branches: limits, diﬀerentiation, and integration. Each is important and significant for many applications. Calculus was created in the 17th century by two mathematicians: Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz. Isaac Newton is a famous mathematician and physicist who created the three laws of motion. He was born in United Kingdom and attended Cambridge. Gottfried Leibniz is a famous mathematician and philosopher born in Germany. He attended Leipzig University. There was controversy over who created calculus first and Newton received most of the credit despite the amount of work Leibniz contributed in the field. Ultimately, the mathematics of change was created and would be significant up to the 21st century. Limits are the first important calculus concept. Limits deal with approximating values rather than getting exact answers. It is almost impossible to get an exact answer when quantities are continuously changing. If there is a function 1/x and one had to find the value of y when x=0, it would not be possible to determine the answer by plugging 0 into the function since the function is not defined at that point. However, taking the limit allows us to ask what value is approximated when plugging x=0. Of course, it would be infinity because as x gets closer and closer to 0, y gets closer and closer to larger and larger values. A finite number cannot be placed so infin-

ity is appropriate. Limits can save time by approximating rather than spending hours figuring out the exact value. Limits are crucial when looking at derivatives and integrals. Differentiation refers to change in slope or gradient. It looks at rates. For example, if x changes by 5, by how much does y change? Differentiation lets us look at infinitesimal changes in inputs and outputs. The notations of differentiation are f ’(x) and dy/dx. Mathematical applications of differentiation include graphing by hand, optimization problems (finding maximum and minimum quantities) and related rates (how does changing a quantity change another quantity). An important use of derivatives involves population sizes in ecological niches. Population sizes follow a logistic or sigmoidal growth, which means that population increases until a certain point. The formula dN/dt=rN((KN)/K) represents the logistic growth of a population. r is the per capita growth rate, N is the population size, and K is the carrying capacity. The carrying capacity is the maximum population size the niche can handle given limited resources. One can plug values of N given a known r and K to figure out the population growth rate. As N gets closer and closer to K, the rate (dN/ dt) decreases and decreases. Integration refers to the summation or addition of quantities. If x=5 and y=10, what is y when x=12? Integration lets us look at infinitesimal sums of rectangles and trapezoids. The notation of integration is ∫ dx. The long s of the symbol denotes summation. Mathematical applications of integration include finding areas of functions (area under the curve) and volumes of solids (volumes of revolutions). An important use of integration involves electric fields. An electric field is the electric force per unit charge. If the electric field passes through a cylindrical hose, the amount of the field that passes through the hose is the integral of the cross-sectional area times the length of the hose (dx). Looking at infinitesimal changes in length, we can find precisely the amount of the electric field that passes through the hose. This quantity is known as the electric flux. Calculus may seem intimidating and difficult at first, but after practice one can get the handle of it. Calculus has many applications in the fields of biology, physics, chemistry, astronomy, engineering, and much more. Before complaining, you should give a chance to see what the course has to offer. Ultimately, calculus shaped mathematical modeling and how concepts are explained today.

The University News reserves the right not to publish any letters that are deemed intentionally and/or inappropriately inflammatory, more than the 300-word limit or unsigned by the original author. The following are letters and/or website comments. Because the identities of website posters cannot be verified, all website comments should be treated as anonymous. Actual letters to the editor may be submitted online at unewsonline.com or e-mailed to opinion@unewsonline.com. Please include your cell phone number.

Happily Collegial, Even in Conflict As I sat down to read the November 16 issue of the UNews, I was struck by the luminous constellation of student-authored op-ed pieces in that issue. Among them, Grant Mayfield, Jaryn Blackshear-Bryant, and Betsy Daly addressed some of the most pressing and difficult issues of the day on America’s college campuses. By turn, each one of them exhorts our own campus community to dialogue and accountability around separate sets of issues that are the stuff of both my personal and professional life. From the Clock Tower Accords to handling campus bias incidents, from the 353 Redevelopment plans to efforts to create and maintain communities in which respectful, vigorous and civil disagreement remains possible, these are among the matters that occupy considerable amounts of my workdays as VP of diversity and community engagement. On an almost daily basis, doing this work requires me to navigate broad differences of identity and ideology within our community. It requires me and my staff to listen intently. To recognize the underlying emotion to the words. To understand fears, anxieties and joys. To see opportunities to act constructively and collaboratively. But there was something else about these op-eds that struck me. They brought me back to my undergraduate career as a young student and activist. When my most important CSO memberships were to the Organization of Black Unity, the Third World Center, and the People’s Front for the Liberation

of South Africa. (And, yes, the People’s Front was a CSO at Princeton.) I hear in the voices of Betsy, Jaryn and Grant a sentiment best characterized as the “fierce urgency of now” first invoked by Martin Luther King, Jr. on August 28, 1963 in the same moment he articulated his famous intergenerational dream for his children. Through these contemporary voices, I hear again the important position occupied by college students; by a young generation that always spurs us to faster action and greater accountability to dismantle the large structures of racism, racial health disparities, urban poverty. When I think back to my college activist years and the times my friends and allies passionately and fiercely shared our urgency, our relationship with Princeton’s leadership was more often adversarial than collegial. I am grateful now that this is not the fundamental character of my administrative relationship with our student activists. The work I am charged with has provided me the chance to sit with and have long conversations with Jaryn, Grant and Betsy about life, activism, education, and social change. We have done so with honest, constructive dialogue about how our identities and ideologies overlap and diverge. I do not expect, or even hope, that we will all come to a moment when we agree on every point of policy, politics, or process here at SLU or in our nation. Instead, I believe that we can work to achieve a community in which all of our voices are fully honored; a community in which each voice can fully participate as coworkers who aﬀect change on and oﬀ our campus. Best, Dr. Jonathan C. Smith

16 December 7, 2017