No. 7 (Nov. 29, 2018) by University News

VOL. XCVIII No. 7 / November 29, 2018

credentials stripped: slu doctor put on trial

NEWS SLU HOSPITAL DOCTOR JAILED AFTER IMPREGNATING MINOR 02

Photo Courtesy of Trenton Almgren-Davis

By RILEY MACK News Editor

doctor has resigned from his position at SLU Hospital in the wake of receiving serious criminal charges earlier this month. Dr. Ashu Joshi, a 46-yearold resident of Sunset Hills, Mo., was arrested in October after impregnating a 16 year old and was charged with child pornography and transportation of a minor across state lines for sexual purposes, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. When the Kentucky teen found out she was pregnant, she admitted to police that Joshi was the baby’s father and that he had proposed to her, as stated by Sgt. Adam Kavanaugh of the St. Louis County Special Investigations Unit. In court, Kavanaugh also stated that Joshi brought the minor across state lines at least twice for sexual relations in his St. Louis County home.

Joshi was initially released on bail after paying a $15,000 bond and signing a contract stating that he would not be in communication with the 16 year old. He is currently on trial for all charges. Joshi met the girl through her mother, who was a patient of his. The 16 year old initially wanted to discuss how Joshi became a doctor because she was considering it as a future career. After meeting, the pair hit it off and the teen became a babysitter for Joshi’s children— where the relationship between the two began.

She admitted to the police that [he] was the baby’s father and that he had proposed to her. According to court records, the teen’s mother knew that her daughter was “dating” Joshi, but she stated that she did not want the relationship to progress the way it did.

In early November, details of the relationship were released when Joshi appeared in court. The pair communicated over Facebook, where they exchanged hundreds of photos and videos. These included child pornography—both of the teen alone and of the pair together. They had also discussed sexual matters and plans to get married in their messages. Joshi’s lawyer, John Schleiffarth, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Joshi is a “respected physician and member of the community.” Although, respect did not save Joshi’s career—he was reportedly suspended from SSM Health SLU Hospital after the arrest. As of Nov. 1, Joshi resigned from his position in the Internal Medicine Department of the Hospital and is “no longer affiliated with Saint Louis University” according to an announcement to the SLU community by the public relations team. Jeff Fowler, vice president of SLU’s Marketing and Communication refused any further comment on Joshi. “He looks forward to vindicating his good name,” said Schleiffarth to the Post-Dispatch. Regardless of Joshi’s professional reputation, the extent of damage dealt by his actions remains to be seen and his sentence is yet to be served.

News FAREWELL TO A COMPASSIONATE FACE OF SLU

Sketch courtesy of Ashlee Kothenbeutel

By NADIA SIRAJUDDIN Contributor nnie Neidel, Ph.D., program manager of the Honors Program, passed away on Nov. 15 at the age of 41 due to breast cancer. However, her legacy at SLU will live on with every student and coworker that she has touched.

WORLD NEWS By REBECCA LIVINGI Design Editor

Paul Manafort “Lies” After allegedly “lying on a variety of subject matters” to federal investigators on Mueller’s Special Counsel, prosecutors filed a motion to sentence Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chairman, for 2 counts of criminal conspiracy. Prosecutors argued on

Talking with students and coworkers, it’s clear that one cannot talk about the upbeat positive Neidel without mentioning her compassion and sincerity. What truly seemed to set Neidel apart from the crowd was her inimitable level of genuineness that was evident in everything she did. Neidel had numerous roles at SLU, including professor for an Honors class, advisor for scholarships and grants, boss and coworker. More than that, in all those different roles, she was also a friend who cared. “She was someone who brought an aura into an office or classroom,” said Robert Pampel, director of the Honors Program. Ester Gilbert, a senior Presidential Scholar at SLU, remembers Neidel as the face of SLU, because she was the first professor Ester met upon moving in; Neidel had arranged a small welcome ses-

Monday that Manafort’s “crimes and lies” constitute a breach in his plea deal and will not delay his sentencing any longer. This court filing suggests that prosecutors no longer classify Manafort as a credible witness in their Russia inquiry.

Trump Administration Releases Climate Report on Black Friday The Trump administration released the second volume of the National

sion for her Crossroads class. She was always a professor that taught and practiced the Jesuit mission by welcoming people of all backgrounds. She focused on the importance of reflection and encouraged her students to apply knowledge to all aspects of life, whether it was family or career related. According to Gilbert, a word to describe Neidel would be “informative.” Because of her compassion and understanding, Neidel really took the word “informative” to the next level and gave it a new meaning. For the past four years, Neidel had been teaching all the first-year Presidential Scholars the Honors Crossroads class. Ester calls Neidel “the lynchpin of the Presidential Scholars,” a presence that was uniform to and bonded all the scholars and thus one that will be heavily missed in the Presidential Scholars community. As an advisor for competitive scholarships and grants, Neidel always made it known to her students that she was ready and willing to have an appointment

Climate Assessment (NCA) on Friday, detailing the possible economic and health risks that increasing climate change will impose in the upcoming years. Public reactions included concerns over Trump’s Thanksgiving Day tweet, stating “Whatever happened to Global Warming?” when many Americans faced the coldest weather on Thanksgiving in over a century. Many raised questions over the timing of the release of the report, a holiday weekend, and whether or not the Trump administration intentionally tried to hide the findings of the report.

03 anytime. The Honors Program hopes that they can find someone to fill in Neidel’s large shoes, for she was an advisor with “compassionate listening skills,” according to Pampel. She would listen to students pour out all their ambitions, and then artfully channel them to the right opportunities. Abby Block is a senior who never experienced Neidel as a teacher, but rather for the past year and a half worked at the front desk of the Honors office. Although Neidel was her boss, Block prefers to think of her as more of her mentor. Neidel made coming to work something to be excited about with her warm and lively greetings in the morning. Neidel was someone who you could “always count on to bring cheerfulness and optimism to the office,” said Pampel. Block remembers Neidel as someone whose office she would feel comfortable to pop into randomly because she was “super receptive and open to just chatting” about anything, whether it was about your weekend or new hobbies. More words that have been used to describe Neidel include charismatic, supportive and loyal. She was loyal to her friends and family as well as to the Jesuit mission that SLU upholds. Those who were privileged to personally know Annie Neidel are lucky. To those, like me, learning about Annie only through anecdotes, she is truly an inspiration with exceptional qualities we can hope to learn to master in our own lives someday.

Missionary Killed John Chau, a 26 year old from Washington State and a member of a Christian ministry, was killed on Nov. 15 by the Sentinelese tribe on the remote North Sentinel Island. While people are not allowed to go within 5 nautical miles of the island, Chau continued to pursue his mission of converting the tribe to Christianity. He wrote in a diary before he was killed, “Lord, is this island Satan’s last stronghold where none have heard or even had the chance to hear your name?”

NEWS

NEW INTERIM VP FOR ENROLLMENT ANNOUNCED fresh perspective, has experience leading an enrollment division and whose strengths suit the needs of our campus and the culture of our ERM team”. In addition, Pestello has stated that they found “an experienced, creative and collaborative interim VP” in Davis. SLU’s Division of Enrollment and Retention Management is tasked with working together with the various departments in the University to attract and retain students who are dedicated to changing the world and exemplifying SLU’s mission. The ERM also supports the Strategic Enrollment Management plan, which works to integrate University ideals and its mission into recruitment – including diversity and academic success in the freshman class.

SAVANAH’S

Photo Courtesy of Saint Louis University

By KIRTI VEERAMACHANENI Staff Writer

n an email sent to the SLU community earlier this month, President Fred Pestello introduced Kathleen Davis as the Interim Vice President for Enrollment and Retention Management (ERM). Davis was hired in the place of Jay W. Goff, who began as VP of the department in August 2011. There have been no announcements from SLU regarding the reason for replacing Goff yet. Pestello stated that there was no time to select someone permanently as the VP for the ERM as it takes many months to begin the process, with steps that include forming a search committee, creating a job description, advertising the position, building the candidate pool, going through the vetting process and ultimately, selecting a person for such a position. Previously Davis worked at Canisius College, located in Buffalo, N.Y., which is also a Jesuit school, as the VP for Enrollment Management for four years. There she worked to implement policies that would guarantee the delivery of good financial aid for the college’s students as well as attract

students that would uphold the college’s ideals. She was also involved in hiring and training individuals and worked to create an efficient and effective team. According to Pestello’s announcement to the SLU community, Davis “believes that transparent information sharing and a collective approach” is important to achieving the best results when it comes to attracting students to recruit. At Canisius College she met regularly with deans, faculty, staff, students and others in order to achieve this, according to Pestello. Before she began work at Canisius College, Davis held several positions relating to admissions at colleges, including St. Joseph’s College, St John’s University and Clarkson University. Davis is also currently working as a North American Enrollment Advisor for the Global Student Recruitment Advisors, located in New Jersey, which works with universities to help provide solutions to assist in recruiting international students. She is also a member of several organizations relating to college admissions and has received a Master of Business Administration from Clarkson University. Pestello has said that, as the University is in the process of recruiting students for Fall 2019, “It is imperative to appoint an enrollment professional who will provide a

SGA UPDATE NOV. 28, 2018 The past week at SGA Senate have been an eventful one. Here are some of the announcements coming from our student governing body:

Legislation passed:

SLU Aloha, a group focused on promoting and sup porting Hawaiian students and culture, was char tered as a Chartered Student Organization.

American Medical Women’s Association SLU Pre-Medicine (AMWA), a group that works to support female representation, and all students in the SLU Pre-Med student body, was chartered as a Chartered Student Organiza tion. The SGA Constitution was updated, edited and re-established.

News

05 Photo Courtesy of Madalyn Leakey and Samantha Kiss

DPS REPORTS BILLIKEN BOUNTY PANTRY BESTOWS RELIEF TO STUDENTS By SAVANAH SEYER Staff Writer hile most college campuses have many different restaurants, dining halls and other options for students to purchase food, there is a growing number of college students that are experiencing food insecurity. In response to this need for healthy and easy-to-obtain food, SLU students have started the brand-new Billiken Bounty Student Food Pantry. The pantry, located in the Busch Student Center, is a place for students to get healthy and easyto-store food, as well as hygiene products. The only thing necessary is a SLU ID. The pantry was started by SLU students Madalyn Leakey and Samantha Kiss, in cooperation with Dean of Students Mona Hicks. In a SLU Newslink interview, Kiss said that she wanted the pantry to be a “place of dignity” for SLU students, and somewhere they could see “friendly faces.” Before starting the pantry, the students sent out a survey to

the student body and found that around 20 percent of SLU’s student population are in a position where they could face food insecurity during their four years at SLU. The survey also indicated that there were SLU students who went full days without a meal. This is not an uncommon finding, as there is a growing number of students on college campus across the country that are facing food insecurity according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. There are a number of reasons that students can face food insecurity, even at a place where there are many options for food: the rising cost of tuition and housing, costs of car payments and bills. Many non-traditional students such as those with families, often find it hard to make ends meet while studying at college, which makes it even harder to find meals for themselves. SLU joins other schools in Missouri, including Mizzou, UMKC and UMSL, that have food pantries on their campuses as well. The pantries are funded and supported largely through the school communities. Billiken Bounty was supported and kick-started through SLU community groups. Billiken Backers held a drive that donated over $5,000 and many departments

throughout the University have donated as well. One example is DPS, which has become a large supporter, and even sponsors a shelf at the pantry. SLU students also donate their time to help at the pantry, with around 20 students currently volunteering at Billiken Bounty. “It’s nice that we can serve a community that’s close and with Billiken Bounty, we can’t be closer to our community of SLU students, our friends and peers,” Leakey said in SLU Newslink. “Everybody I have come across is so passionate about helping our students and improving our SLU community.” Many SLU students think that Billiken Bounty is a long overdue and much-needed addition to the SLU campus. Sophomore Mary Beal said that she knows many students who are in need of a resource like Billiken Bounty. “Many colleges do this [pantry program] already. It will help those students who are not able to go home for break,” said Beal. Beal said that even though food insecurity is often a well-hidden problem at higher-cost schools like SLU, she knows of students who have been forced to refrain from participating in extracurriculars because the cost could keep them from having meals. “In my short dabble of being interested in sororities and Greek life, many girls told me that they dropped [their sororities] because it became expensive and they were concerned about buying food,” said Beal.

On 11/16, DPS officers witnessed two Chik-Fil-A employees fighting and separated them. They were taken to Sodexo’s Human Resources department. One employee was terminated, and the other was suspended. There were no injuries reported. On 11/19, at the Dental Education Center, DPS officers were called because an individual had a concealed handgun. The subject was a retired St. Louis City Police Officer, and medical staff allowed the man to stay because he was in the middle of a dental procedure.

DPS responded to a call from the Kelly Auditorium at 9:20 a.m. on 11/26 when a student became ill and vomited. The student reported that he ate at Grand Hall and the food made him sick. The student refused medical attention and left to rest.

Arts and life

Fantastic Beasts roars in theatres By CHANDANA KAMARAJ Arts Editor fter much laid out background information in the first Fantastic Beasts, the director David Yates comes back with “Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald,” written by J.K. Rowling. The sequel includes much-needed substance delving into the lives of the Dumbledores, many of whom we soon learn about in this sequel. The first part of the five-part series barely keeps the audience hooked especially those who seek fulfillment as a hardcore Harry Potter fan. “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” introduced us to Newt Scamander and his love for animals along with his two friends he finds along the way, Dan Fogler as Jacob Kowalski and Alison Sudol as Queenie Goldstein playing out the Harry, Ron and Hermione trio who have already gone through the comingof-age part. But beyond setting up the time scheme that sets the narrative before the Harry Potter series, finding Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston) a love interest and revealing that Percival Graves (Colin Farrell) is actually Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp), the protagonist of the five part series, it seems as if there isn’t too much to take away from part one. There is, however, a multitude of details in the last 15 minutes that goes unnoticed until the sequel. Crimes of Grindelwald gives us some answers but equally leaves us with an abundance of questions. The second part of Fantastic Beasts skips a couple of years and begins with Queenie and Jacob finding

Newt where Tina has left him due to a miscommunication in the local paper that showed Leta Lestrange (Zoe Kravitz) bonding with Newt instead of her fian-

ce— h i s brother. We also rediscover Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller) who is now on a quest to search for his mother. On this journey, the audience learns that Tina and Yusuf Kama (William Nadylam) are hunting down Credence with the intention to kill him, believing that he is the last of the Lestrange Family. The plot continues as Newt seeks to put an end to Grindelwald, but also ties in the secrets of the the Dumbledore family, especially Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) and his relationship to Gellert and Credence. To say that J.K. Rowling is a mastermind is an understatement. The

details placed in the Wizarding World are endless, and experiencing the same universe at different times proves just that. Although the character development may not be quite convincing with all these details and a change in the cast, all the actors exceed in their roles with the limitation present. A casting choice that continues to stand out is Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald. With other films in his repertoire where he is unrecognizable (Edward Scissorhands, Sweeney Todd and The Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland, to name a few), being cast in this five-part series can be very unsurprising—almost as a move that was too easy—but in fact essential. Depp effortlessly falls into this role as a dark wizard to be equally matched with the cruelness of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. A surprise casting, on the other hand, was Jude Law as young Albus Dumbledore who, other than his name-sake role, did not have too much scope to show for his diverse talent. But the true winners of the this film were all the leading ladies. As Harry Potter fans who were deprived a strong Hermione-like heroine in the first Fantastic Beasts, J.K. Rowling answers our requests with Leta Lestrange and with another dimension to Queenie Goldstein’s character, who manages to unravel her many layers in this sequel. Kravitz plays Leta with such subtlety continuing to surprise the audience with her decisions, truthfully revealing her pains and her loyalty. “Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald” digs deep into the Wizarding World, pulling out narratives the audience hadn’t even thought to ask about. With a larger and talented cast and intelligently-weaved details, “Crimes of Grindelwald” brings in the Harry Potter fans who almost dropped out last time and more.

arts and life

THIS WEEK’S FAVORITES BOOKS

STARWOLF SHINES AT BLUEBERRY HILL By MEREDYTH STAUNCH Editor-in-Chief aden with undertones from songs of the 1980s, Starwolf’s music successfully works indie with synth pop. The St. Louis band released its debut EP “Ti Amo, Stargazer” on Nov. 9, which features six songs–its cover song “Ti Amo, Stargazer,” “Take It All,” “Guilty Pleasure,” “Heartbreak Woman,” “Tu Es Belle” and “The Meaning of Life.” The band premiered its newly released album at Blueberry Hill’s Duck Room on Nov. 23 at 8 p.m. and was opened by fellow St. Louis bands The Free Years and Old Souls Revival. Starwolf members Tim Moore, Max Sauer and Chris Rhein performed at Loufest in 2017, and since then, have worked to amplify their retro synth vibe by incorporating saxophone, falsetto vocals and traces of groove-inspired piano and bass runs. As someone who solely listens to songs from the early 2000s and prior, my primary genre of music consists of alternative and rock from Green Day, Foo Fighters and Elton John. Needless to say, Starwolf has not been on my radar as much as other St. Louis residents. Though my taste has not aligned with much of the current music, I would make room for Starwolf on

(Meredyth Staunch/ The University News)

my Spotify playlist. The band name might give it away, but Starwolf’s tone reminds me of something along the lines of Star Wars–but with influences from Phil Collins. Yes, quite an unconventional combination, but its opening song “Mysterious Love” had all three musicians busting out with electronic music. As the band progressed to the chorus, Rhein’s singing became smooth and Moore’s drumming turned into what some call the “gated reverb,” a staple of popular Phil Collins’ songs, such as “In the Air Tonight.” Other notable songs included “Heartbreak Woman,” which similarly starts with a synth piano solo and crescendos to a steady drum beat integrated with some spurts of techno runs. I particularly enjoyed “Guilty Pleasure” because it deviated from some of the synth tones that the band is well known for. The song started with a short piano solo and led into a drum beat and Rhein singing, with the occasional three higher-note runs on the piano, which worked in tandem with Rhein’s voice in falsetto. Though “Guilty Pleasure” did not employ as many electronic tones, the ending resembled that of a machine shutting down. Given the two opening bands, I was not expecting Starwolf to exhibit a chill wave beat with interspersed climbs. The Free Years was a huge disappointment. Maybe this was be-

cause the Duck Room was a little bare as people were starting to file in and grab drinks; maybe this was because lead singer Matthew James missed some higher notes. Periodically, James would try to engage the audience by making jokes that only resulted in crickets. He also told the crowd to move closer to the stage. One audience member moved up and was dancing alone. It was a rather comical sight. After The Free Years performed, Old Souls Revival walked onto stage. My thought: ‘I hope this band, and Starwolf, are better than the first.’ Thankfully, Old Souls Revival exceeded my expectations. As a frequent listener of “Weird Al” Yankovic, Old Souls Revival’s lyrical parody style reminded me of the former artist. Compared to Starwolf’s jazz and techno combo, Old Souls Revival was more within the rock genre. Lead singer Neil Luke had some growl at the end of his voice. His engagement with the other band members and lack of awkwardness, compared to James, got the audience dancing and ready for Starwolf to perform. The venue itself was great for a relaxed concert atmosphere–I could grab a drink, dance and mingle with others. I enjoyed two out of the three bands, and believe I am a testament that someone can enjoy listening to a music genre he or she is not familiar with.

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Nine Perfect Strangers By: Liane Moriarty Published: Nov. 6, 2018 Nine people gather at a remote health resort. Some are here to lose weight, some are here to get a reboot on life, some are here for reasons they can’t even admit to themselves. Amidst all of the luxury and pampering, the mindfulness and meditation, they know these ten days might involve some real work. But none of them could imagine just how challenging the next ten days are going to be.

FOOD

The Chocolate Pig Opened: Nov. 9, 2018 Where: 4220 Duncan ave., St. Louis, MO 63110 The Chocolate Pig offers modern, casual style dining that includes moderately priced entrées from menus featuring a mix of classic cuisines inspired by the restaurant group’s cocoa bean roots.

CONCERTS The Smashing Pumpkins Dec. 1, 2018 Stifel Theatre Part of 105.7 The Point’s Ho Ho Show series, the Smashing Pumpkins return to St. Louis.

EVENTS

The Mistletoe Market Dec. 2, 2018 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm Copper Pig 4611 Macklind Ave. St. Louis, MO 63109 The holiday season is among us! If you haven’t started your holiday shopping yet, then why not get started at The Mistletoe Market! Join Popup STL for the third holiday market at Copper Pig featuring your favorite local vendors!

CINEMA Mary Queen of Scots Release: Dec. 7, 2018 “Mary Queen of Scots” explores the turbulent life of the charismatic Mary Stuart (Ronan). Queen of France at 16 and widowed at 18, Mary defies pressure to remarry. Instead, she returns to her native Scotland to reclaim her rightful throne.

THE MESSAGE OF ‘RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET’ CLICKS By LEIANNA TANEDO Contributor alph Breaks the Internet,” the long-awaited sequel to Disney’s “Wreck-It Ralph,” crashed into theatres on Nov. 21. Hype for the film built through teaser trailers, primarily featuring familiar interfaces like iPad apps, social media sites, and of course, Disney princesses. “Ralph Breaks the Internet” stars John C. Reilly as Wreck-It Ralph, a gentle video game villain, and Sarah Silverman as Vanellope von Schweetz, a spunky princess of a racing game. In their world, arcade game characters can explore each world freely—as long as their game is plugged into a power strip. In the film, the power strip is designed like a train station with exits to each game. Beloved characters from video games such as Sonic the Hedgehog and Pac-Man make cameos, appealing to the older generation. When Vanellope’s arcade game breaks, Ralph and Vanellope venture into the Wi-Fi router to retrieve a new steering wheel for the game.

SLU THEATRE PREVIEWS “THE CRUCIBLE” By MOLLY JACKSON Contributor The second show of Saint Louis University’s Theater Season opens on Thursday, and runs through Dec. 2. “The Crucible” is a play based on the mass hysteria caused by the Salem witch trials. Written in 1952 by Arthur Miller, this show was also inspired by McCarthyism and the accusations or “witch hunts” that occured in the early 1950s. The plot of “The Crucible” follows the spiral of events that occur once hysteria begins to spread in the community. It all begins when a group of girls are caught dancing in the woods. One of the girls falls ill, and it is suspected to be caused by witchcraft. The events that follow allow some characters to thrive amid the paranoia, but at the expense of

Arts and life

In the film, Ralph is willing to do nearly anything to help Vanellope stay in the arcade world. But when they go to different parts of the Internet, Ralph panics since they hadn’t been separated in six years. Compared to a cushy arcade, the Internet world is never-ending and—in Ralph’s perspective—dangerous. Although Vanellope reassures him that she will be fine, Ralph’s insecurity is a persistent theme throughout the film. He is not worried about threats to her safety, but threats to their friendship. As a previously estranged video game villain, he clings to Vanellope because she was the first person who appreciated him for more than his role in society. Beyond the plot, Ralph and Vanellope illustrate the expansive spectrum of healthy relationships. Vanellope remarks that she doesn’t know who she is without her video game, which essentially provides her role in society. Ralph tries to comfort her by stating that she is his best friend, which she says “isn’t enough.” This deeply offends Ralph; however, Vanellope was merely saying that she has to be more than a game and more than a friend to someone else—instead, she is seeking a higher purpose. On the other hand, Ralph is content with his daily rotation between work and hanging out with her. He fills his life with one single person, which is not uncommon. He also becomes threatened by new friends in her life, which, again, is not uncommon, but festers into spite and

anger. As Ralph takes a valid emotion and turns it into a hateful reaction, he provides a clear image of an unhealthy relationship. On the other hand, Vanellope explores a world beyond the arcade and Ralph, reassuring him that they are still friends and asserting her own independence. She provides security in their friendship while understanding that she needs to do something for herself. Disney tackles the issues of codependence so candidly in “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” which I haven’t seen before in a film targeted to kids. “Ralph Breaks the Internet” depicts the root of unhealthy relationships: insecurity. Because both Ralph and Vanellope didn’t have a secure sense of self, they fell into a code-

other characters who fall victim to the witch hunt. The cast and crew at Saint Louis University Theater have produced an interesting and exciting take on “The Crucible.” The set and the costumes are simple, but purposeful. The set is made up of three movable structures that effectively create different environments for each act. In addition to the set, the lighting design is used strategically to set the mood of each scene. Different colors and shadows give each scene that extra touch, adding to the overall mystery and suspense of the story. Another interesting touch to the environment is music that begins to play during particular scenes. The music gives the play a modern element without being too overwhelming and adds a contrast to the more intense scenes. The cast wears all-grey costumes, which allows the story and the characters themselves to be the main focus of the show. Given the dark themes of this show, I think the set, lighting and costumes create a perfect environment for the actors to take

advantage of. While the set and costumes are great, the real selling point of the show is the student actors. Many of the roles are extremely difficult to pull off, with highly emotional and intense scenes. The actors’ execution of these scenes is impressive to say the least. They convincingly scream, cry and act influenced by the devil, something no average actor could pull off. The character Abigail Williams, played by Carlee Cosper, drives the main conflict of the play, as she accuses people of being witches and fills the main character, John Proctor played by Ross Rubright, with guilt over their past relationship. Cosper brings the perfect balance of insanity and deviousness to the role of Abigail. Ross Rubright, as well, movingly brings to life John Proctor by giving emotional depth to the role, making him the ultimate tragic character. Elizabeth Proctor, played by Molly Meyer, was another character that stole the show. Meyer delivered an extremely solid performance as she

pendent relationship that is ingrained in the turns of the story. Overall, the media doesn’t do a great job of defining healthy relationships, but this film depicts the turbulence of codependence and even makes it a central plot point, which I certainly applaud. So, as always, Disney didn’t just make a “kid’s movie.” Adults and kids can enjoy the mix of meta jokes, meme references and clever humor that tethers the film and prevents the plot from becoming too campy and the messages from becoming too preachy. Above all, “Ralph Breaks the Internet” is a comedy film with emotional highlights and a valuable message about friendships.

flawlessly worked through the emotions of dealing with an adulterous husband, getting accused of witchcraft and finally seeing her husband close to death. Her emotions are mirrored by Reverend Hale, played by Andre Eslamian, who slowly spirals into grief and madness over his role in sentencing so many people to death for witchcraft. I must say that each and every member of this cast gives an outstanding performance and brings something unique to this play. I highly encourage everyone to make time to see “The Crucible,” taking place in Xavier Hall. The highly talented actors, crew and faculty members have put together a moving and unforgettable show that you definitely won’t want to miss. I know I will be returning once the show opens to get another taste of this fascinating show.

01 03 05 Winter supply drive tabling @ BSC

6pm

10:30am to 2:30pm

Six eight a capella concert @ St. Louis Room

Write for Rights @ Cook hall 240

12pm to 8pm

2pm to 5pm

SLU LIONs Club fundraiser @ bsc main lobby

9am to 4pm

3pm

KD Kuts for Confidence @ BSC

English colloquium @ BSC 256

7pm to 9pm

02 04

DEC

Christmas on the Quad @ SLU Quad

Grads-giving potluck @ allied health professions multipurpose room

5:30pm to 8pm

University News 11/29/18 Sudoku

Across 1 4 9 13 15 16 17 19 20 21 23 24 27 28 31 33 35 37 40 41 44 45 46 48 49 53 54 56 58 59 62 64 66 69 70

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

games

University News 11/29/18 Crossword

PuzzleJunction.c

PuzzleJunction.com

13 14 60 Minutes network Tel Aviv-Yafo port 17 18 Physics calculation Swiss peaks 20 E.T., e.g. 23 24 Blue-pencil Percy Shelley’s 31 32 “bird” poem Scruff 37 38 Gymnastics apparatus 41 42 Bath powder 44 Summer hrs. in D.C. Much ___ About 46 Nothing Sign before Virgo 54 53 “Kapow!” Clancy hero Jack 59 60 Coach Parseghian 64 65 Woolen fabrics Willow trees 69 Mayflower Compact signer 72 Kipling’s tales for kids Venus Beauty 71 Mexican snack Institute filmmaker 72 Showroom model Marshall 73 Folksy Noises 74 Half a score Clandestine GPS heading Down Word of regret Building annex 1 Lucy Gayheart Chaney of horror author films 2 Like a Halloween Three, in Sicily film Barbary beast 3 Ancient Greek city English cathedral 4 Crow’s cousin city 5 Completely Bucketed water 6 Decree wheel 7 Savage Kismet 8 Leg bracelet Denis Glover’s most 9 Restaurant handout famous poem 10 George Eliot’s first George Orwell’s novel alma mater 11 Small intake Muse of love poetry

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22 27

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University News 11/29/18 Word Search

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12 ___ Anne de Beaupré 14 Conscription org. 18 Mauna ___ (Hawaiian volcano) 22 Star Quality was his last play 25 Oration station 26 Creme cookies 29 Fruity drinks 30 Internet provider inits. 32 Boot camp reply 34 Torcher’s misdeed 36 Napoleon’s sister 38 He and Addison co-founded England’s The Spectator in 1711 39 Acrobatic feat

41 The doctor in Northern Exposure 42 Harriet Beecher Stowe title character 43 Unique person 44 Philosopher Lao-___ 47 Move unsteadily 50 Riata 51 Pricing word 52 Add spice to a dish 55 India’s ﬁrst P.M. 57 Chang’s Siamese twin 60 Preﬁx with phobia (foreign) 61 Bring up 63 Choose 64 G-man 65 Broke bread 67 Subway letters 68 See 30 Down

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photography

The crucible Written By Arthur miller Directed By Lucy Cashion PHOTOS By TRENTON ALMGREN-DAVIS Showtimes: Thurs. Nov. 29-Sat. Dec. 1 at 8 p.m. Sun. Dec. 2 at 2 p.m. Location: The University Theatre

READ The Preview ON PAGE 8

photography

Winter Pandemonium on the Quad

Photos and Story by TRENTON ALMGREN-DAVIS Photography Editor As the clock struck 12:20 p.m., students scooped up their wintery ammo. A free-for-all snowball war, declared by SGA, ensued.

avoid the incoming projectiles while also returning fire.

All at once, handmade snowy spheres and joyous laughter filled the November air.

The battle grounds stretched from Pius XII Memorial Library to DuBourg Hall. Temporary alliances formed and quickly dissolved as friends turned on friends in cold betrayal.

Ducking, diving and dodging partakers tried to

President Fred Pestello and his executive board

participated in the playful combat as well. Pestello endured some impact. Water droplets splattered his glasses. Embracing SLU spirit, students sculpted a snow Billikenâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;possessing the iconic ears and smile.

PHOTOGRAPHY

SLU “DECKS THE HALLS” IN PREPARATION FOR CHRISTMAS

Photos by EMMA CARMODY and TRENTON ALMGREN-DAVIS Photography Editors

TRAVEL

Spanish holidays Make it Easy for Students to Travel

Emma Carmody / Photography Editor

Once in Europe, it is easy to find cheap flights and hostels to other countries, so many students, permanent and study abroad, will use this time to travel to different countries or travel to different cities in Spain. “I feel like I grew up in a little bubble and I wanted to travel and see more of the world,” Avery Dillon, study abroad junior from Loyola Marymount University, said. “I have traveled a bunch…Spain was the obvious choice and here I could improve my Spanish. Also, I wanted to be in a city and Madrid seemed cool.”

Students at SLU-Madrid take advantage of all the Spanish holidays and puentes by traveling to different countries in Europe.

SLU-Madrid has many school organized trips, where campus ambassadors, along with a professor, show students around different cities and students get the opportunity to explore different places. Some school-organized trips include day trips to cities like Segovia, Toledo, Ávila and Salamanca, which are cities near Madrid.

SLU-Madrid celebrates four Spanish holidays in the Fall semester and some are celebrated as a puente. A puente will usually occur when a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday. In Spain, some workers and schools will take the Monday or Friday off to create a long weekend. This is usually when students will travel and Spaniards will usually take this time to go home and visit their families

“I’m a campus ambassador and got to go to Segovia with some students,” Ilyssa Otto, sophomore, said. “They split us up into groups with the campus ambassadors as leaders and wandered around the town. It was a good way to meet new students and see new places. The professor gave us some cool information about the city on the bus ride there and at a few different sights.”

“Usually I go home during the puentes because I want to see my family and friends,” Carla Alvarez, junior, said. “When I go home I like to go out with my friends, walk around the beach and rest in bed. The puente to me, is just a nice break to take off school, work, etc., so you can relax.”

For some students, it is harder to travel the whole weekend because they like to take advantage of the long weekend to study. These students will usually choose a day trip over a whole weekend vacation because it gives them the chance to explore and travel, but just do it in one day.

Story by PALOMA GONZALEZ Travel Editor

“I personally love traveling and try to take advantage of long weekends to travel, however, usually after long weekends I have presentations or papers due so instead of spending the weekend out of town, in general, you can do a lot in a day,” Aljawhara Alhasan, sophomore, said. “I went to Ávila, it is a small town and you can finish it in a day, so is Salamanca and Segovia.” SLU-Madrid also offered a trip for the Model U.N. club, where students got to go to Belgium and meet students from other European universities. The Model U.N. was divided into different groups, for example, NATO, Humanitarian, International Business, etc. They were each assigned a country to represent and had to debate different issues with people in their groups. “The point is to make a conclusion that you can all agree on,” Otto said. “It is hard because all countries have different values and cultures, so you have to cover a lot of topics and reach pretty far and make negotiations. It was really fun.”

sports

Women’s Basketball wins over UVA, Harbison earns second Rookie of Week Honors By Erin McClelland Sports Editor he SLU Women’s Basketball team came out of the week of Thanksgiving with a 2-4 overall record, with the second win of the season coming over the University of Virginia in a thrilling game that went down to the wire. Before the Billikens headed to Charlottesville, Va., they traveled south to Tulsa for a matchup with the Golden Hurricanes. The Bills led at the end of the first quarter with a 23-16 edge after an 11-3 run started by junior Kendra Wilken’s layup with a little over three minutes to play. The second quarter was not as productive for SLU, with the Golden Hurricane going on a 7-0 run to start the period. They lost the lead and went into the halftime locker room trailing by 11, 47-36. After halftime, Tulsa came out with the same fire they had in the second quarter and stretched their lead to 56-38 with about seven minutes to play in the third. The Billikens then rallied to score 19 points and hold the Golden Hurricanes to just nine for the remainder of the quarter, but still that only cut the lead to 65-57, in favor of the home team. Chloe Rice’s three-pointer to start the fourth quarter lit a spark for the Billikens, who went on a 17-2 run to take the lead at 71-67 with just four and a half minutes to play. They couldn’t extend the lead to more than four points and eventually Tulsa tied the game with just two minutes left. Neither team was able to capitalize for a game-winning shot and overtime was needed to find a winner. Tulsa took control in the overtime period, scoring on six of their nine possessions, and a strong defensive showing held the Bills to just three points in the overtime period to win the game for the home

SLU Graduate Student, Kerri McMahan, had a career high 10 rebounds in a 10-point loss to University of Tennessee, Chattanooga last week. She had five offensive boards in the effort. Photo courtesy of Saint Louis Athletics team, 86-75. The Billikens fell to 1-3 on the season before heading to Charlottesville for the Cavalier Classic at UVA to take on Chattanooga and UVA. First up against Chattanooga, the Bills again took an early first quarter lead but were unable to sustain it and went into the second quarter with a two-point disadvantage. The Mocs went on an 8-0 run to start the second and stretched their lead to 10, but two Jordyn Frantz three-pointers led a Billiken charge back to just a onepoint deficit. However, it wasn’t enough for the Bills to come back and they went into the locker room down 38-31. In the third, SLU was able to come within eight of the Mocs but were then outscored 15-0 to give Chattanooga a 57-36 window with SLU trailing by as much as 24 points in the fourth quarter. The

Bills went on a 10-0 run that cut the lead to 64-50 with a little over four minutes left, but that would be all the scoring for SLU. The final ended up 71-61, bringing the team to 1-4 on the year and their fourth consecutive loss. The Billikens snapped their losing streak at UVA against the home Cavaliers in two last minute buckets by freshman Ciaja Harbison. SLU was able to take the first quarter lead with a 16-13 buffer on the Cavaliers and in the second quarter were able to extend that lead to 22-13 on a few threes from the start. UVA was able to close in on the lead but were unable to take it and the Billikens took a 40-29 advantage into the locker room. After a free throw in the third, SLU was able to gain its largest lead, but UVA was able to ride back in and come within two of the lead. The Bills held on for a 51-47 lead into the final quarter. The Cavaliers took the

lead in the fourth with a 17-5 run with just three minutes remaining, but Myia Clark stole not only the ball, but UVA’s momentum with it. Frantz and Amber Lindfors both made crucial buckets to pull the game within two with two left to play. Harbison tied it with 1:08 left and then also hit the game winner with just 17 seconds left on the clock. After Harbison’s big plays during the week of Nov. 19-25, she was named Atlantic-10 Rookie of the Week for the second time in the young season. She averaged team highs in points, assists and steals in the three games of the week and shot 80 percent from the freethrow line. The Billikens head back to Chaifetz Arena Thursday against Southern Illinois at 7 p.m. to start their four-game homestand.

HISTORIC WOMEN’S SOCCER SEASON HAS FOUR BILLIKENS NAMED TO ALL REGIONAL TEAM

sports

Photo courtesy of Saint Louis Athletics the previous record of nine set in 2004. An integral part of both By RYAN LEFNER the streak and the team’s school Associate Sports Editor record 18 wins were outstanding individual performances from he 2018 seamultiple Billikens. son was a Freshman Hannah Friehistorical one drich, junior Alli Klug, junior for the BillikCourtney Reimer and senior Maden women’s die Pokorny were all named to all soccer team, regional teams, marking the first as they set time the Bills have ever had four school replayers placed on all-regional cords in a host of team categoteams in a single season. ries, as well as had a number of Klug earned her way onto record-setting individuals. the first team all regional for the Most notably, the ladies second straight year by being held the longest winning streak named Atlantic 10 defensive playin the nation for the last three er of the year, as well as receiving weeks of the season. By the time first team all-conference honors the streak was brought to a halt it for the second straight year. She had reached 14 games, breaking

Alli Klug via Saint Louis Athletics

Maddie Pokorny via Saint Louis Athletics

also played a key role in the team’s minuscule 0.6 goals against average, which lead the A-10. Klug’s contribution on defense helped the Billikens to allow just 123 shots this year, which lead the A-10 and set another SLU record. Joining Klug on the all-regional first team was forward Pokorny. She received the honor for tallying the second most goals in the Atlantic 10 and matching a SLU single-season record with 13 goals. Her offensive outburst in the Atlantic 10 tournament of four total goals and a hat trick in the championship game also earned her A-10 tournament MVP honors. Pokorny also had two assists on the season, putting her near the top of another category in the SLU record book for single season points, with 28. Reimer earned second team

all-regional and second team all-conference honors for her five goals and 11 assists in the 2018 campaign. Reimer was instrumental in the Billikens’ record total of wins, as she put two game-winning shots past opposing keepers, as well as recorded three game-winning assists. The Billikens last, but certainly not least, freshman Friedrich received second team all-regional honors. Friedrich had a season to remember, breaking the SLU record for points in a season, with 30 in her first campaign. Not surprisingly, Freidrich’s 10 goals and eight assists were top 10 in the NCAA amongst freshmen. Friedrich will return for the 2019 season along with 17 other Billikens from the 2018 team.

Hannah Friedrich via Saint Louis Athletics

Courtney Reimer via Saint Louis Athletics

sports

BILLIKEN MEN SPLIT EAST COAST ROAD TRIP, CONTINUE UNBEATEN STREAK AT HOME By CARTER CHAPLEY Sports Writer

hen the Billikens left St. Louis for their first road trip of the early season, they knew they would be facing their largest and first real challenge of the year. A road matchup at Seton Hall in Newark, New Jersey and a neutral site battle against the University of Pittsburgh at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn would give the Bills an opportunity to show who they are against potential NCAA Tournament teams. The Billikens first true road game of the year came against the Seton Hall Pirates, a Big East Conference power who has been a staple in the NCAA Tournament as of late, having been a tournament team in the previous three years. The Billikens impressed early, jumping out to a 5-point halftime lead in Newark motivated by strong performances by Tremaine Isabelle Jr. and Javon Bess. The Billikens were able to open the lead to as large as 10 points late in the second half. However, a theme in the Billikens early season reared its head again as the Bills struggled to put the game away and allowed the Pirates to narrow the lead to 1 with only 11 seconds to play. The Bills were able to hit their free throws late and pulled out its first road win of the season and moved their unbeaten record to 4-0 beating the Seton Hall Pirates 66-64. Dion Wiley had his first stand out game of the season going 4-5 from the field and providing three clutch three pointers late in order to seal the win. The Billikens then moved on to a neutral site location in order to take on the University of Pittsburgh Panthers. Brooklyn’s Barclay Center was the host for the bout between the two unbeaten squads. The game provided another opportunity for Head Coach Travis

SLU Freshman Carte’Are Gordon has been an impact player for the Billikens in all of their games so far this season. Photo courtesy of Saint Louis Athletics Ford’s team to gauge their ability against a major conference power. The game also provided the opportunity to get used to the Barclay Center, where the A-10 conference championships will be taking place in March, a tournament that Coach Ford no doubt has marked on his calendar. Unfortunately, though, the Bills were unable to continue their early winning ways. The team was plagued by foul troubles early, an issue which forced Coach Ford further down his bench than he originally planned, as well as the absence of star guard Isabell, who did not play in the first half for ‘disciplinary reasons.” The Billikens fell to the Panthers by a score of 75-73. The Billikens had an opportunity to tie the game up late, however they were unable to seal the deal when they missed the necessary free

throws. In a game filled with quirks and odd circumstances, guard Jordan Goodwin felt it was the team’s lack of physical play that put them in trouble. “They really punked us…it’s crazy I’m saying this about our team, but I think they out physicaled us tonight.” The Billikens did not waste time returning to their winning ways though, when they returned to Chaifetz Arena for a battle against the Central Arkansas Bears. The Billikens continued to enjoy the home cooking, improving their home record to 4-0 with a 73-61 win. The win did not come easy though, as after an initial double-digit lead opened up for the Bills, the Bears held them and made SLU work for everything, cutting the lead and holding it to one possession for most of the second half. Coach Ford describes his team as

elite for 20-25 minutes of a game, and average for the other 15. A trait that is obvious by their ability to stop any offense and play the lock down defense this team was touted for early. They simply lack the ability to put away games, though with the Central Arkansas game as an example, the Billikens were able to go on a run in the right time and open the lead to double digits, just what they needed to get away from the pesky Bears. So the team may be developing and eliminating some of its flaws now six games in. The Billikens will need all of their elite potential Saturday when the Butler Bulldogs come to St. Louis. Butler is a nationally recognized power program that rose to fame after back-to-back NCAA tournament finals in 2010 and 2011, and have since continued to be one of the strongest and most consistent mid-majors in the nation. The Bulldogs will be the toughest test so far for the Billikens and will be one of the more marquee matchups the Billikens face in the non-conference schedule. The KenPom national ranking lists Butler as the 27th best team in division one (compared to SLU’s current 84th) with the AP coaches and media poll agreeing, with Butler currently receiving votes in both polls. Last season, a decimated Billikens lineup was blown out by the Butler Bulldogs when SLU visited Indianapolis to the tune of a 75-45 loss. This time around, the Billikens look to be far more themselves, as last year’s injuries and suspensions led to the Bills only having six scholarship athletes and eventually resorted to walk-ons to close the game out. The Billikens welcome the Butler Bulldogs on Saturday, Dec. 1, for a 4 p.m. tip off at Chaifetz Arena.

sports

CAIJA HARBISON STANDING OUT EARLY IN CAREER By CARTER CHAPLEY Sports Writer

iaja Harbison is, in some ways, much like a lot of college freshmen at SLU and across the nation. She has a strong connection to her family, has had trouble adjusting to the new college lifestyle and loves to dance with her closest friends. What separates her from the rest of the pack is a strong 3-point shot, jaw dropping handles and all of her best friends are also her teammates. The freshman point guard has started all six of her college games thus far and is proving herself to be a vital member of the young Billiken squad. The native of Louisville, Kentucky already has a signature moment in Billiken lore, providing consecutive threes to tie and take the lead in an upset win over the University of Virginia Cavaliers. The Male High School alumni has been a notable bright point for a Billiken team who has been going through some early season growing pains. But being a starter in her first year hasn’t come without its challenges. “The tempo of the game

changes, it’s a lot faster, the girls are a lot stronger, smarter,” Harbison said. But to an uninformed observer you’d be hard pressed to see her affected in any drastic way as she leads the team in minutes played, steals and assists. Harbison also praises her coaches and the team as a whole as a calming influence on her transition to the team. “(Coach Stone) always preaches we versus me, we play as a team, it’s been so much fun,” she said. Harbison comes from a basketball family, with her dad being a JUCO player in his college days and her younger sister right behind. She has been in love with basketball since she

was a baby and couldn’t get enough of it in her time before SLU, not only playing for her high school team but travelling extensively with her AAU team. The high school standout was ranked as the 90th best prospect in the nation in her senior year and she earned a second team all-state accolade. What truly puts Harbison above the rest is her dedication to her academics. Harbison has one of the most unique majors of all of the athletes in the school. She is a nuclear medicine technology major and accredits her love of science and her opportunity to shadow a friend of her father’s, who works in the healthcare industry, as to why she came to this line of study. While this is an unusual path for some student athletes, for Harbison it only makes sense. She has a track record of academic

success, as she was awarded the Donna L. J. Murphy award in high school for her accomplishments on the court and in the classroom. The rookie point guard is looking forward to leading her team into conference play, knowing that it’s going to be tough but that the team is ready for the challenge. The Billiken women have a unique opportunity coming up before conference season opens. Few teams have been as dominate as the UConn women’s basketball team in the last two decades and they come to visit Chaifetz Arena on Tuesday, Dec. 4. Harbison knows how big of an opportunity for the team this is and believes in her squad. “I’m really excited, we’re going to have a huge crowd, which will be a real first for me,” Harbison said. “But we’re going to come out ready and play them tough, were ready for them.” Very few freshmen get the opportunity to impact a program in as large a capacity as Harbison has already done. It is an opportunity that she is not wasting. You can catch Harbison and her teammates next when they take on Southern Illinois tonight at 7 p.m. Next, they host the SIUE Cougars Saturday, Dec. 1.

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Opinion

REFLECTING ON 2018’S “OCTOBER SURPRISES”

By JAKOB BENEDETTI Staff Writer merican politics are unique, and not in a good way. Anyone who spends time studying our electoral process and how we choose to conduct our elections will quickly find that there are many facets of our system which are the way that they are simply because that’s the way things are. This resistance to new and changing ideas about how democratic elections should be conducted has led to numerous idiosyncratic tendencies and concepts that are unique to American politics, such as the electoral college, the twoparty system itself and the system of legalized bribery we have that passes for campaign finance. These are mostly nonexistent in other developed democracies. It doesn’t help that the Founding Fathers literally wrote the Constitution with the purpose of stifling efforts at popular reform, but I digress. One such anomaly of the American political process is the

concept of an “October Surprise.” This basically applies to any major political or media-driven event in the month leading up to a national election that has the power to potentially alter the outcome of said election. Famous examples from history include Nixon’s fake peace agreement with Vietnam in 1972, the Iran-Contra indictments that contributed to Bush’s loss in 1992 and Mitt Romney’s famous “47 percent” tape in 2012. One could also point to the letter that James Comey sent to Congress weeks before the 2016 election which significantly dampened Hillary’s already dismal a p p r o v a l rating. All of these events were unforeseeable by the general public and likely had significant impacts on the election r e s u l t s — though not all necessarily altered the outcome. In 2018, there were at least two events that happened leading up to election day that I would classify as October Surprises: the Kavanaugh hearing, and the caravan. The Kavanaugh hearing, while a loss for the country, succeeded in shifting the political discourse of races around the country from larger

issues like healthcare, education and the economy, to cultural issues like abortion, sexual assault and the role of women in society. Although it served as yet another episode in the #MeToo movement, women and allied voters who lean democratic and who would’ve been motivated by this were already extremely enthusiastic for the midterms. However, I would argue this shifting of focus towards cultural issues which typically motivates GOP base voters did just that, and at the very least reduced the numerical and enthusiasm advantage the Democrats had headed into the final stretches of the election. It seems to me that the Republicans should nominate alleged sexual predators at every chance they get since their voters don’t seem to care (remember “Grab ‘em by the pussy”?). The caravan was also clearly a win for the GOP, but unlike the Kavanaugh debacle—which at least was a relevant event that deserved people’s attention—the caravan was clearly a total farce invented by Trump to further drive Republican base turnout. It was 100 percent enabled by corporate media. Not only was the

“‘It doesn’t help that the Founding Fathers literally wrote the Constitution with the purpose of stifling efforts at popular reform, but I digress.”

caravan thousands of miles from the U.S. border when Trump began talking about it, but it was also still thousands of miles from the border when he sent troops there. On top of that, he and nearly everyone in the media stopped talking about it literally the day after the election. If that doesn’t make it as clear as day that it wasn’t actually a real issue and was just a talking point manufactured for cynical political purposes, I don’t know what would. Just because the troops were willing to spend Thanksgiving in the desert, that doesn’t mean they should’ve had to because their commander-in-chief had no qualms with wasting tax dollars and separating them from their families. All to stoke more fear and division before an election. Obviously, stuff happening right before an election isn’t unique to the U.S., but the notion of an “October Surprise” is because of the failure of the media to do accurate, issueoriented journalism. As 2018 showed us, politicians have learned they can manipulate the media to totally shift the narrative surrounding an election as long as they’re willing to abandon all principle and integrity. My advice: vote 100 percent of the time, but never, ever take what the media or the candidates are saying at face-value.

Opinion

WE CAN’T ALL BE FRIENDS

By LEXI KAYSER Staff Writer

n grade school, when the only opinions that we hold have to do with boy band members and ice cream flavors, it’s remarkably easy to be friends with

everyone. In college, well… not so much. Suddenly, everyone has an opinion on everything, and everyone believes their opinion to be the only one that is right. It’s gotten to the point where discussions of politics are seen as impolite, simply because they aren’t entirely productive. Everyone is so cemented in their ways that it’s hard to bridge mutual understanding without causing someone to feel as if they have to make a moral compromise. My Facebook feed is always littered with posts claiming that you can, indeed, be friends with people that have differing political opinions than yours. Many say that to cut someone off for what they believe is immature, rude and disrespectful. While I believe in civility, attempting to find common ground and treating everyone’s viewpoint with introspective empathy, I find it fairly challenging to be friends with

people that are across the spectrum from me politically. The way that someone votes can tell you a lot about their character and their values—which just happen to be the very aspects of a person that we evaluate to find out if we’re compatible. I know that I speak for more than just myself when I claim that my political opinions are direct reflections of my heart. I believe in love; therefore, I believe in marriage equality. I believe in equality; therefore, I believe in civil rights and feminism. I believe in bodily autonomy; therefore, I believe in the pro-choice movement. I believe in freedom of worship; therefore, I believe in the separation of church

“The way that someone votes can tell you a lot about their character and their values—which just happen to be the very aspects of a person that we evaluate to find out if we’re compatible.” and state. Politics are not separate from the person engaging in them, they are a fully functioning part of the mind and soul that guide us towards the creation of a world which we would be proud to live in. It’s absurd to say that someone’s political opinions have no weight on their overall identity. In reality, it is our political opinions that dictate our interactions with

the world, and therefore, the way that we treat each other. I’m easily able to dig out the aspects of life that are the most important to them after just one discussion about politics. The fiscally conservative tend to value hard work and self-discipline, the socialists tend to value understanding and giving. Those opposed to gay marriage and abortion might use their religious experiences as the breeding grounds for their thoughts, whereas those that are proponents of them may be reliant on more personal experiences and connections. We need to stop acting as if politics are separate from the person speaking about them. These conversations are vital to understanding one another, and we can learn so much simply by listening. It is okay to distance yourself from friends with differing opinions, however, if their ideals directly oppose your personal moral code. We should continue the discussion between Republicans, Democrats and everyone in between instead of keeping quiet for the sake of maintaining a bond. I do, quite frankly, lose respect and affection for a person when I learn that they believe in the restriction of or infringement upon basic human rights. To me, all people are equally worthy of a safe, healthy and happy life. When someone contradicts that opinion that is so dear to me, I certainly maintain cordiality and attempt to understand what led them to feel that way, but I know deep down that I could never grow close to someone that hates my innermost love. That’s OK. Maybe we can’t all be friends, but we can all be friendly, and we can share a mutual admiration for all who speak their truth, no matter what the words are that flow out.

Opinion

AN HONEST REVIEW OF THE IPHONE XR By ARJUN BAGAI Contributor

hile it is exhilarating to get a new phone, it can also be pretty frustrating to figure out which phone to buy. Top phones include the iPhone XR and iPhone XS, Samsung Note 9, Samsung Galaxy S9 and Google Pixel 3. The iPhone XR is a versatile phone with many of its defining features. The iPhone XR is unique in many ways. First off, it is thin. It has dimensions of 0.33 inches by 2.98 inches by 5.94 inches, and it weighs only 194 grams. Colors for the phone include red, yellow, white, orange, coral, black and blue. One of its defining features is the display. It consists of an all-glass display enclosure, specifically a liquid retina HD display. Watching videos and playing games look so much richer and well resolved as a result of this feature. Most of the older phones do not have this kind of display. With its HDR, taking pictures has become more than just taking pictures. Each picture is rich in detail,

both of the subject and the background. Depth and shadow have become more significant when taking pictures and the iPhone XR provides such features. Also, taking pictures in the dark is possible with the new technology. Portrait mode allows one to take a defining photo of the individual while keeping the background blurred. With this phone, one can also do some fun things. One feature is creating a memoji or an animoji. One makes an avatar that resembles his or her personality and it can be used for messages or pictures. The camera identifies the gestures and applies it to the memoji, so it becomes more realistic. Another feature is its amazing battery life. It lasts a whole day and only needs to charge for two or three hours. I had the LG Stylo 2 before this and I found a significant difference. It also uses an A12 Bionic chip. This chip gives the phone its performance and speed. Playing games has never been as good, and virtual and augmented reality has become

possible and realistic. The phone uses face recognition as a new security advancement. Instead of always typing a code or using a fingerprint, the phone recognizes the face and eyes and unlocks. This feature has also been useful for certain websites. For instance, when I try to log on to Blackboard, it uses face recognition and then logs me in. Face ID is also important for Apple Pay, which is a service that allows one to make a payment via the phone rather than to have a physical credit or gift card. Credit cards are confidential, so security is of utmost importance. Setting up the phone is a breeze. Whether you had an older iPhone or an Android, the iPhone XR provides the options of syncing all data from one device to another or starting fresh. Another cool feature is group Facetime. Rather than just video calling one individual, one can call up to 32 individuals.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why would buying the iPhone XR be better than buying the iPhone XS? It all boils down to the price. Buying the new iPhone XS is at least an extra $200, which is hefty.â&#x20AC;?

This is effective for various purposes such as group projects or conference meetings. Why would buying the iPhone XR be better than buying the iPhone XS? It all boils down to the price. Buying the new iPhone XS is at least an extra $200, which is hefty. The iPhone XR serves the need of a person who texts, calls, uses the internet, and many other things. Apple still provided many rich features in this phone, so quality is not sacrificed for price. If I were you, I would head to the Apple store and purchase a new iPhone XR.

Opinion

A RESPONSE TO “NO VOTE: STILL POLITICAL”

By DAMEN ALEXANDER Contributor n the last edition of the University News, there was an editorial piece titled “No Vote: Still Political.” The author of the piece explained their decision not to vote in the most recent elections. The piece agitated me, but I still read it several times just to make sure I could understand where the author was coming from and what

they were thinking. The author offered an analogy of love and voting. They say, “Love is hardly ever a oneway street. It must almost always be a two-way thoroughfare, to accommodate two different people.” Voting can’t be a two-way street or a “collaboration,” as the author describes, without people voting. If voting is meant to be a two-way street and a collaboration, protesting the system provides nothing to it. I offer another analogy in response: choosing not to vote is like refusing to go to class because the professor doesn’t pronounce your name correctly. In both situations, you have to actively be involved to get any real benefits. You gain nothing from not participating. The right to vote is one of the most consequential; it’s

an ability to participate in a democratic process. In the west, we often take our democracies for granted. Our right to choose our leaders is a privilege that is not given equally to all countries. In the United States of America, we are so privileged to even be able to use the right to vote without fear of punishment, that in itself should be an encouragement to vote. And even though sometimes our democratic p r o c e s s may seem undemocratic, that is still no excuse not to participate. Some of my closest mentors have often repeated to me, “If you aren’t at the table, you’re on the menu.” That is an analogy that crosses partisan lines. Whatever issues you care about, whatever your opinion on anything, whether

“I am not privileged enough not to participate.”

you’re Democratic or Republican, Socialist, Libertarian, Independent or Undecided, you have to show up and voice your opinion. Our democracy is healthier because of discourse and deliberation, not weaker. We have to show up to vote. I am not privileged enough not to participate. Someone died for my right to vote. I do not have the luxury of standing on the sidelines because something doesn’t go my way. As an African American male, I represent a group who received the full right to vote only 60 years ago. For 189 years in this country, a majority of its existence, people who looked like me were not fully able to vote and I’ll be damned if I squandered that right. I am obliged to participate. Our democracy works most efficiently when we all participate. The “collaboration” only works if you participate.

UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITORIAL BOARD 2018-19 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MEREDYTH STAUNCH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF eic@unewsonline.com MEREDYTH STAUNCH eic@unewsonline.com MANAGING EDITOR MONICA RYAN managing@unewsonline.com

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The University News was founded by CLAUDE HEITHAUS, S.J.

The Editorial Board of the University News recognizes AVIS MEYER, PH.D., as the newspaper’s faculty mentor.

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