No. 8 (Dec. 6, 2018) by University News

VOL. XCVIII No. 8 / December 6, 2018

slu alum lAUnches to new heights cover story on page 3

NEWS

TRAGEDY BEFALLS SLU NURSE WORKING EXTRA SHIFTS TO BUY KIDS’ CHRISTMAS GIFTS

(Ashlee Kothenbeutel/The University News)

By RILEY MACK News Editor St.Charles County mother was on her way to work an extra shift at SLU Hospital when she was killed in a car accident on Nov. 24, according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Thirty-one-year-old nurse Sara Shepard was picking up extra shifts at work before Christmas in order to afford presents for her children when the accident occurred at around 6:30 p.m. As Shepard was driving eastbound on MO-364, a man in a pickup truck hit Shepard’s sedan. The two cars struck the guardrails as they were pushed off the road—the pickup truck was overturned.

The two passengers in the truck, a 39-year-old man and 32-year-old female were transported to the nearest hospital, and seemed to have sustained minor injuries, according to Fox 2 St. Louis. However, the reason for the accident is still being investigated. Shepard’s family, still grieving the loss of their beloved sister, daughter and granddaughter, can only put on a brave face for her children. Shepard’s brother, Dave Hill, told Fox 2 that “right now it’s all about them,” and that “they are the ones who are suffering the most out of all of this.” “Sara had already picked

out a Christmas list for the children,” Becca Hill, Shepard’s sister-in-law, said to Fox. “Her whole life was her kids, everything she did was for her kids.” Shepard’s children are currently in the custody of their father. T o only add to their devastation, just seven months before the accident, Sara and Dave’s brother, James, also died. “We’ve learned

“Sara had already picked out a Christmas list for the children”

a lot about grief through this whole process,” B. Hill said. In a statement to the press, the SLU Hospital Communications team stated that “our hearts are

broken to hear of the sudden passing of Sara Shepard,” and that Shepard was the embodiment of a nurse: “talented, knowledgeable, compassionate and dedicated.” According to her obituary at Hutchens Funeral Homes, “Sara fiercely loved her family, going to concerts and sporting events.” Shepard also devoted time and care into helping two of her cousins, Timmy and Michael, who struggle with Huntington’s Disease. It also stated that Shepard was pursuing her master’s degree in adult acute care nurse practitioner in order to specialize in neurology. “Sara will be dearly missed by all who knew her. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family at this time,” said SLU Hospital to the community. To donate to Sara Shepard’s family and help her children, please visit https://www.gofundme.com/ sara-shepard-memorial-fund.

03 News SLU ALUM MANAGES NASA’S SUCCESSFUL MARS MISSION By TANNOCK BLAIR Associate News Editor

n Monday, NASA’s InSight robotic lander made contact with the rocky red ground of Mars’ surface. The event went somewhat viral after a St. Louis-born engineer involved in the landing was filmed celebrating with an NFL-inspired victory handshake. The event had another St. Louis connection in the form of SLU graduate, Fernando Abilleira. Abilleira served as the deputy mission design and navigation manager for the mission. Working in NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Abilleira has supported multiple flight projects and studies, such as the Mars Telecommunications Orbiter, Mars Science Orbiter, Mars Netlanders, Mars Sample Return and preliminary manned missionto-Mars studies.

WORLD NEWS

UPDATE By REBECCA LIVINGI Design Editor

FLYNN CASE UPDATE In a court filing for Trump’s former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, prosecutors wrote that Flynn “deserves credit for accepting responsibility in a timely fashion and substantially assisting the government.” Last year, Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about conversations with the Russian ambassador. Since then, Flynn has cooperated throughout 19 interviews.

According to NASA’s website, the InSight mission is attempting to understand “how a rocky body forms and evolves to become a planet,” as well as determining “the rate of Martian tectonic activity and meteorite impacts.” The Mars lander, InSight, which stands for “Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport,” is currently settled in Elysium Planitia, a region of the planet that is rather flat. There, it will conduct its studies for a planned two-year mission. Abilleira’s involvement in the mission includes the formulation, design and implementation of the lander and its project. Although originally from Madrid, Abilleria has been working at NASA for 17 years. Before that he attended SLU. There are multiple faculty members still in SLU’s aerospace program who remember working with Abilleira during his time at the university, including John George, Ph.D., K. Ravindra, Ph.D., and Mi-

chael Swartwout, Ph.D. Swartwout, who was on Abilleira’s Master’s thesis committee recalled his “boundless enthusiasm,” stating that Abilleira was always “very excited to learn about space exploration and was [both] eager [and] hopeful about making his own contributions.” According to Swartwout, Abilleira also had an “amazing attention to detail.” For his Master’s thesis, Abilleira, appropriately, designed a human colonization project for Mars. While most students picked one or two elements to focus on and left the rest largely unexplored, Abilleira did everything. According to Swartwout it was an “astounding amount of work,” including orbits, rocket selection, payload sizing, landing sites, human habitation modules and resource consumption plans such as water and energy. Abilleira was also known to have tremendous determination in overcoming obstacles. As a foreign national, he faced great difficulty getting into the U.S. space program. This is a result of concern over po-

FORMER PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH DIES AT 94

HARVARD SUED

On Wednesday, Dec. 5, former president George H.W. Bush was honored at Washington National Cathedral following his death on Friday. His son, the 43rd president, George W. Bush, gave a eulogy filled with personal jokes and memories. At the end, Bush became choked up, visualizing his father in heaven. “Dad is hugging Robin and holding mom’s hand again,” the younger Bush said, referring to his father’s wife, Barbara Bush, who passed away in April, and their daughter, who passed away in 1953 at the age of 3 from leukemia. According to NBC News, Air Force One will return Bush’s body to Texas for burial, where a second private funeral is scheduled to take place.

On Monday, Dec. 3, three anonymous Harvard students, a Harvard sorority and four national fraternities and sororities filed a lawsuit regarding 2016 sanctions penalizing students in “Unrecognized Single-Gender Social Organizations” by barring them from holding campus leadership positions. The University created these sanctions in response to sexual assault incidents at all-male final clubs. In an interview with Radio Boston, Rebecca Ramos, 2017 Harvard graduate and former president of the University’s Delta Gamma Chapter, said, “A lot of these organizations have really great resources both in terms of support but also in terms of prevention ... I think that taking away these spaces is detrimental to Harvard’s attempt to end sexual assault on campus.”

tential sharing of technological secrets. While NASA doesn’t have any official security clearances and is technically independent of the federal government, space programs still require an element of public privacy. Despite these severe hiring limitations, Abilleira was undaunted, continuing to push until he was able to secure a job at the laboratory. Swartwout calls Abilleira’s optimistic perseverance “admirable.” “I’m sure we share the same, common inspiration,” said Connor Morris, a current aerospace engineering student at SLU who is currently interning with NASA. “We are pioneers, who else will discover the unknowns of our universe except for us?” During his time at SLU, Abilleira earned a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering in 1999 and then a master’s degree in the same field in 2001. He went to work for the laboratory in 2004. To learn more about Fernando Abilleira and the InSight mission, visit https://www.nasa. gov/insight.

RIOTS IN FRANCE

A Response from a SLU Student Studying in Lyon: “At the heart of the “gilets jaunes” are people who are protesting against Macron’s decision to raise the price of diesel and petrol. Since most French cars are fueled by diesel, many people found that they could no longer afford to make their daily commute. Additionally, the plan to raise diesel and petrol prices again in January 2019 would only make their situation much worse. Most of the manifestations have been non-violent, such as blocking roadways and marching through cities. Unfortunately, people called “casseurs” use these strikes as an excuse for destruction and defilement.” So far, three people have died as a result of these riots. L’arc de Triomphe, a symbol of the French Republic, was defiled with graffiti and hammers by the “Yellow Vest” Movement (les gilets jaunes).

NEWS

STRESS STRIKES AGAIN AS FINALS WEEK LOOMS

SAVANAH’S

SGA UPDATE DEC. 5, 2018 The past week at SGA Senate has been an eventful one. Here are some of the announcements coming from our student governing body: SLU’s Title IX Coordinator Anna Kratky came to speak about the new proposed changes to Title IX. She covered several of the Trump Administration’s proposed changes, including protocol for reporting incidents of sexual harassment or assault, standards of proof/evidence used in cases, live hearings, cross-examinations and informal resolutions. Kratky emphasized that the rules are not yet set but are still being reviewed and commented on by universities. There are no changes set in stone yet. Legislation passed: Project Period, a group that works to further menstrual equity and provide menstrual products and education, was awarded Wellness Funding. Iota Tau Alpha, the Athletic Training Honor Society, was awarded Wellness Funding for their speaker series. SLU Mock Trial was awarded Charter Funding. A resolution to remove gendered language from SLU SGA communication and to establish commitment to non-binary, trans+ and gender non-conforming inclusive language was passed. SGA Annual Funding Directives were established.

(Ashlee Kothenbeutel/The University News)

By SAVANAH SEYER Staff Writer

ith final exams coming up, this is the most stressful time of year for most college students. The last few weeks before winter break are often jam-packed with last minute assignments, papers, reviews and exams. All of this cramming and studying causes one major issue for most students– stress. “I’m stressed at a 10 out of 10,” said SLU senior Brenna Salen, “Finals is the last chance to make up [grades]. It’s also very stressful for seniors as it’s down to the wire on deciding what to do after next semester.” SLU sophomore Gracie Simon said that this year’s finals week is especially hard for her. “I have two massive finals and I’m preparing to go abroad,” said Simon, “It’s been hard to balance the two out.” Stress can be extremely harmful for the mind and the body; unfortunately, most college students experience high levels of stress throughout the year, but they are at their highest during final exam season. Students often stay up all night studying for exams, but

stress itself can cause lack of sleep, stomach and headaches and can cause students to become less focused and more forgetful, a terrible side effect during exams. The close proximity of most college students to one another can also exacerbate the problem. “I think that it’s very overwhelming. A lot of professors also forget that students are in nine to 15 other hours of class,” said SLU senior Marissa Schiro, “I especially get stressed out when things aren’t posted on Blackboard or when I don’t know where I am in a certain class. I want to know which finals I should prioritize over others. I know that we only have a week for finals, but it would be great if professors would spread out their deadlines.” Tony Buchanan, Ph.D., associate professor of an experimental program on cognition & neuroscience and director of SLU’s neuroscience program, researches stress. In an article for the SLU website, he said that he discovered that even being around other people who are highly stressed can cause someone to become more stressed out and anxious, even if they were not experiencing stress before. According to a study done by the American College Health Association in 2016, close to 35 percent of students indicated that stress had a negative affect on their academic performance. Stress can also affect students’ long-term physical and mental health, causing anxiety and depression, high blood

pressure or even weight gain and diabetes. Here at SLU, there are many students experiencing this finals week stress–but also many others who are doing their best to try to alleviate some of it. Just this past week, the Graduate Student Association and Campus Rec and Wellness held Winter Wellness Week. Tuesday and Wednesday, the groups put on several events, such as free yoga, massages and pottery painting, to give students a chance to take a break from studying, relax and enjoy themselves. “I rely on self-care things like making a healthy meal or going for a run,” said Schiro. Many students attest that taking study breaks are a great way to destress while preparing for finals, as long you stay on top of your study plans. Simon says that she tries to stay on top of her time management in order to keep stress levels down. “I like to make a to-do list of things I need to get done,” said Simon. “I just take it one day at a time.” Buchanan said that there are some effective ways to reduce stress, including getting out of the “stress bubble.” Being around your friends that are stressed can cause you to be stressed. He also suggested that changing your mindset about finals and exams can do wonders and that you will get through them.

News

DPS REPORTS On 11/29, a student briefly lost consciousness due to an existing medical condition at Kelly Lecture Hall. The student was escorted by DPS officers to the Student Health Center. The student was uninjured.

SANTA’S HELPERS SPRUCE UP

WEST PINE TREE By KIRTI VEERAMACHANENI Staff Writer s night fell on Dec. 1, people began to gather on the Quad. One of the first things visitors noticed were the masses of bubbles that floated through the rapidly darkening sky. People were gathered at tables, enjoying food from Zia’s and Cardinals Nation food trucks, and were congregated by the warm fire pits lining West Pine. Small children in face paint–courtesy of Santa’s workshop at Griesedieck Complex–ran through the bubbles and enjoyed the bounce house set up near DuBourg Hall. Free sugar cookies and hot chocolate were offered to attendees. A bright Nativity scene that was slowly set up over the course of weeks helped light up the area. The

Cupples house was open for people passing, and guests could be seen taking pictures with Santa inside. S’more kits were also available for purchase, with the proceeds going to the Students Helping Students Scholarship. Attendees were also invited to donate toys for charity. At 6:30 p.m. children could listen to “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” by Mrs. Claus inside the Cupples House. The second annual Christmas on the Quad kicked off this past Saturday at 5:30 p.m. with a Mass held at St. Francis Xavier College Church. During mass the first advent candle was lit, and tours of the church were available after Mass ended. From there, people gathered on the Quad and enjoyed all of the activities. All were invited to participate, and a wide variety of people attended: families, alumni and guests, and large groups of students. One such family of a current SLU student came to the event to celebrate with their daughter.

Photo Courtesy of Riley Tovornik

They stated that they loved the event, especially the dinner at the food trucks, the free hot chocolate and cookies available and watching the “wall of bubbles”. Around 7 p.m. people began to gather around the Christmas tree in front of Pius Library for the blessing and lighting of the tree. After student carolers drew a crowd to the tree, President Pestello thanked the singers and the crowd for attending. Dr. Pestello received an enthusiastic welcome from the crowd before saying “I wanted to start a tradition, a tradition where we came together as a SLU community.” Pestello asked the crowd to “think about the light of our faith” and to let that light shine brightly throughout the holiday season. After blessing the tree, the children in attendance were invited to the front near the tree to “give their power” for the lighting of the tree. The crowd counted down until the magical moment, and as the tree lit up they erupted into cheers and clapping.

On 12/4, a student called DPS while operating a University van, as he stated that he was traveling eastbound on Lindell when a car struck the van’s passenger side. The student was unaware of the collision until a passenger notified him that the mirror was damaged. The van was carrying six other students during the accident. DPS searched the area, but no nearby vehicles had fresh damage on them.

Arts and life

YOUNG THE GIANT HITS HOME WITH THE AUDIENCE By CHANDANA KAMARAJ Arts Editor

n Wednesday, Nov. 28, Young the Giant returned to St. Louis for the fourth time since their “Home of the Strange” tour. After performing at the Pageant during the fall of 2016, they returned in the spring to Hollywood Ampitheater. They were also WashU’s WILD free concert in October. Young the Giant is always a treat to watch and their performance last week at The Stifel Theatre was no exception.

DUO IN HOHO SHOW SHARE LOVE FOR ST. LOUIS By MADISYN SIEBERT Associate Arts Editor The Point continued their string of HoHo Shows at The Pageant with the duo of lovelytheband and Bastille Thursday, Nov. 29. The combination of the two bands was something that I would never have put together first, but the two performances ended up being a perfect pair. The sold-out show was packed with fans of all ages, showing the diversity of the audience. The general admission floor was even blocked off from allowing more people to enter the pit. The sides of The Pageant were swarming with people, and everyone in the stands had to get cozy with whoever they were sitting next to for the next 4 hours. Lovelytheband first waltzed out on stage with a casualness, that made them appear cooler somehow. The LA-based indie-pop band quickly rose to fame this summer with their single “Broken” being played across all major radio stations.

105.7 The Point’s series of HoHo shows began last week with Smashing Pumpkins, followed by Young the Giant in their countdown to Christmas. Since then, The Point has hosted Bastille, Nathaniel Rateliff and within the next few weeks, Meg Myers, The Revivalists and Dirty Heads. As everyone started to trickle in at the beginning of Wednesday’s 7:30 p.m. show, the curly-haired Grandson took up the stage starting with his song “6:00” from his only EP, “a modern tragedy vol. 1.” But his confidence wasn’t dampened by the fact that he was a newcomer because he had a bigger message to spread. Before each track, Grandson compared the relevance of

the lyrics to the national scene, especially in this political climate. Once he started, the crowd went wild as he began to mesh together slow rap and ballads that energized into trap music and loud guitar riffs that almost create the passionate child of Twenty One Pilots, a responsible voice in mental-health for example, that needs to be heard. By the time Grandson had finished, a larger crowd had filled the auditorium with the anticipation for the appearance of Young the Giant. For a slightly underwhelmingly-sized audience, Sameer Gadhia opened “Oblivion” with a bang—to which the audience roared and rightfully so.

Mitchy Collins, the lead singer came out and chorused the rest of the band into two songs, before he took a second to pause and introduce their group. He also explained their excitement to be back in St. Louis again. Collins shared his disappointment with the crowd, stating the fact that he slept through the trip to Sugarfire with the rest of the band. The band then slowly wandered into their next song, “Coachella.” As the show continued, lovelytheband seemed to have this relaxed energy about them, almost like the boy who would show up for your first date with no plan, but still give you the best first date of your life, even if they do come off a little narcissistic. Collins even explained at one point that they treat gigs like a “first date,” wanting to impress the people who have never seen or heard of them before. Collins then explained his love for karaoke on dates and the band went into a cover of the song, “Pony.” Their set slowly came to an end but Collins explained their excitement to stay and watch Bastille perform, thus getting the crowd even more hyped to see the main act. Soon, the moment came and the band members slowly trickled on stage one by one; Dan Smith, the lead singer being the

last to jog up on stage. Smith had a whole new level of energy that moshed with the pit—the man jumping and running from each side of the stage to show every inch of the crowded venue love. After a couple songs Smith explained their mutual excitement to be back in St. Louis and how they love the opportunity to play smaller venues like this. He also talked about their visit to the City Museum and Smith explained the tragic story of how he got stuck in one of the many tubes there, that clearly was meant for small kids, but he took as a challenge. Smith also showed off his many skills as a Renaissance man, including range of playing the piano, acting and playing the drums. Smith also clearly knew how to keep a crowd entertained from randomly appearing in the balcony and swinging his legs over the edge as he sang down to the crowd below and around him. He also jumped from table to table on the main ground and walked in the middle of the mosh pit, everyone loving the excitement of what would Smith do next.

(Chandana Kamaraj/University News)

Read the rest of this article online!

(Madisyn Siebert / The University News) Read the rest of this article online!

IT’S A HAMILTON CHRISTMAS

arts and life

THIS WEEK’S

FAVORITES

By MADISYN SIEBERT Associate Arts Editor

owell Hall kicked off their Christmas celebrations Sunday evening with a 90-minute set from Leslie Odom Jr., who is most famously known for his role in the smash hit “Hamilton,” as the original Aaron Burr. He was backed by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Kevin McBeth. From the moment you enter Powell Hall, you are normally greeted with stunning architecture, but now it is fully decked out in Christmas decorations. The Hall is a place I recommend you take a night to spend in during the season. It fully brings you into the season and it was one of the best ways I could imagine kick-starting my holiday. The SLSO started off the show by performing three Christmas classics beautifully, making sure you recognize that you are in the presence of a full orchestra. McBeth took a couple minutes to address the crowd after that, thanking them for joining them tonight and teasing at the fact he may be the only person in the world who has not seem “Hamilton” yet. He made a quick remark before Odom took the stage, saying the singer had laryngitis only two days before the show that day and could not even speak a word, let alone sing. After that he soon welcomed Odom to the stage. Odom graced the stage with his laidback and jolly personality. He immediately went into it and right off the bat began to perform songs from his Christmas album, “Simply Christmas.” He took a second to pause after the first couple of songs and took in the audience. He began to poke a bit of fun at the audience and their love for “Hamilton.” “I’m only going to do one Hamilton song,” Odom told the

(photo courtsey of Nathan Johnson) audience before he went into a rendition of “Wait For It.” Odom gave praise to the show, knowing he would not be where he is today without it. He also promoted the new and upcoming projects of his fellow cast members. A topic that he took time to discuss was the fact that people often ask him what he wanted to do after “Hamilton,” and he said he wanted to make the music that Nat King Cole would make today. Those are the exact words that got Odom his current record deal with S-Curve Records, who produced his albums “Leslie Odom, Jr.” and “Simply Christmas.” Odom even said, “What that sounds like? Honestly I don’t know.” To honor Cole he went into a beautiful melody of songs, my personal favorite being “Unforgettable.” He made sure to make a couple of jokes throughout the show as well, showing that Odom can be playful and also more relatable. He had someone come between songs and cut tinsel off his mic stand. He also embraced his cold and paused a song so he could take a second to cough. The crowd cheered him on as he did so. One thing the night was also not short of was Christmas music, Odom performed favorites such as “My Favorite Things,” “First Noel,” “The Christmas Waltz” and many more. He also took a minute to recognize a lot can change in a year and that we may have lost some people

that were here with us last year who are no longer with us. He took the time to sing “Auld Lang Syne.” The pure emotion in the room was felt by all as Powell Hall sat silently. Odom recovered and lifted people’s spirits by going into the song “Dear Theodosia” from “Hamilton.” He stated he knew the audience deserved to hear another song from the musical and he was happy to oblige. He then thanked the symphony and briskly walked off stage as the crowd gave him a standing ovation. Odom returned to the stage almost two minutes later and finished the night off with a soulful and elegant version of “Ave Maria.” The singer sang elegantly throughout the night, his voice full of soul but also full of his classical training that matched the work of the symphony behind him. Odom continually praised his small band along with the symphony. The Broadway actor was surely the star of the show, but his humble self wanted to honor the musicians behind him. Even though he probably would not have called that night his best performance, the people of St. Louis fell head over heels in love with him again.

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EVENTS

Garden Glow Saturday, Nov. 25 - Friday, Dec. 14, 2018 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Missouri Botanical Garden “Celebrate the season with over one million dazzling lights, fun new experiences and traditional favorites! Enjoy s’mores, festive drinks and great photo opportunities that will delight crowds of all ages. Garden Glow tickets now include admission to the Gardenland Express Holiday Flower and Train Show.”

BOOKS

Once Upon a River By: Diane Setterfield Published: Dec. 4, 2018 “A dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the Thames. The regulars are entertaining themselves by telling stories when the door bursts open on an injured stranger. In his arms is the drowned corpse of a little child.”

MUSICALS Les Miserables Tuesday, Dec. 11- Sunday Dec. 16 The Fabulous Fox “Cameron Mackintosh presents the new production of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s Tony Award-winning musical phenomenon, Les Misérables, direct from an acclaimed two-anda-half-year return to Broadway.

FOOD

Balkan Treat Box Opened: Mid-December Where: 8103 Big Bend Blvd. The food truck that serves Turkish cuisine is soon to be a restaurant and find its home when it takes over what was Stratton’s Cafe in Mid-December.

CINEMA

Welcome to Marwen Release: Friday, Dec. 21 “When a devastating attack shatters Mark Hogancamp (Carell) and wipes away all memories, no one expected recovery. Putting together pieces from his old and new life, Mark meticulously creates a wondrous town where he can heal and be heroic. As he builds an astonishing art installation—a testament to the most powerful women he knows—through his fantasy world, he draws strength to triumph in the real one.”

Arts and life

JOSE ANTONIO VARGAS HUMANIZES THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT NARRATIVE By CELINE REINOSO Copy Editor hen immigration is a hot topic in the news— and the Twitter feed of President Trump—Jose Antonio Vargas offers an enlightening narrative of immigration issues in the United States. “Dear America” tells the story of an undocumented American and his feeling of homelessness in a country he’s only ever known as home. Vargas’ memoir begins with him as a young boy, sent by his single mother in the Philippines to live with his grandparents in the land of opportunity, dreams and success. All he wished for, however, was taken away from him at 16 years old when he found out his green card and passport were fake—leaving him without an identity and with a multitude of questions. His story develops over the years in a sequence of circumstances that leave him with no choice but to lie about his status. Vargas shares every unpredictable situation about his college decision, his employment opportunities and his ability to remain in this country, making apparent his feelings of fear, loneliness and shame. In one instance, he obtained a driver’s license despite having no green card or passport to show. Vargas found that Oregon was the only state that did not require a green card or passport, only a school ID, birth certificate and proof of residency in the state. The only obstacle, however, was that he lived in Moun-

(photo courtesy of the Baltimore Sun) tain View, California. With the help of some of his most trusted mentors, he found a mutual friend who lived in Oregon, used his address and obtained an Oregon driver’s license. This driver’s license enabled him to begin his journalistic career, one that included a paid summer internship at The Washington Post. Vargas’ life was founded on lies—lies from his mother promising to follow him to America, lies about the alien registration number on his green card and lies he had to tell for fear of his security. Amidst the lies, he lost any sense of identity left in him; which is why he worked so hard as a journalist—to protect the only identity he knew to be true. Working at the San Francisco Chronicle, The Philadelphia Daily News and The Washington Post helped Vargas soon become a well-known journalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter. In the book, Vargas writes about the contrasting feelings of success in his career, those of pride for doing well despite resistance and shame for a job he believed he did not deserve, a job he “stole.” His memoir, he says, is only one story of 11 million undocumented Americans. He ultimately aims to humanize the undocumented experience, one that too many misunderstand. In “Dear America,” Vargas reclaims his narrative and refuses to let another one tell it. After years of

choicelessness and lying, he makes perhaps the hardest choice one can make—to tell the truth. Alongside his personal anecdotes, Vargas briefly explains important immigration legislation in the history of the United States—and how he could not benefit from any of it. In 1986, the Immigration Reform and Control Act was signed, allowing many undocumented immigrants to become naturalized; Vargas, however, came to the U.S. in 1993. Another significant development for immigrant rights was President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which protected many individuals who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children. This policy seemed like the perfect solution for Vargas’ situation, except that he was four months older than the 30-year-old cutoff age. By including these justifications in his memoir, Vargas shows just how difficult it can be to “get legal.” These factual notes combat the false single story of illegal immigration that is made known by the government and media. Throughout the book, Vargas resists the use of “illegal” to describe him or others in similar situations, instead using “undocumented.” “I am here illegally,” he writes. “But as a human being, I cannot be illegal because that doesn’t exist. People cannot be illegal.”

The book encourages readers to shift the conversation about immigrants, identity and citizenship through Vargas’ story, but more importantly through his non-profit, Define American. Vargas has created a platform for many other unjust, misunderstood and undignified immigrant stories. “Too often, we’re treated as abstractions, faceless and nameless, subjects of debate rather than individuals with families, hopes, fears, and dreams,” he wrote. “Dear America” is not just another beautiful, human story. It’s one that launches change, it promotes acceptance, it forces Americans to question how their dearest homeland is unconstitutionally treating its people. It puts readers in an uncomfortable place, imagining the terror of being stripped of their dignity and humanity. Vargas challenges people with the question, “If you wanted to have a career, if you wanted to have a life, if you wanted to exist as a human being, what would you have done?” That challenge, however, is exactly what our country needs—compassion.

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DEC

SLU STRING ORCHESTRA CONCERT @ XAVIER HALL THEATRE

Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basketball against oregon state @ chaifetz 2:30pm

womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basketball against mizzou @ chaifetz 5pm

international student christmas party @ des peres hall 2pm to 4pm

7pm to 7:45pm

taste of ignatius: advent @ spring hall 6pm to 7pm

fresh gatherings new employee interviews @ allied health building

9am to 3pm

finals study day

last day of finals

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

games

University News 12/6/18 Crossword

Across

14 15 13 1 Psychic power 4 Fragrant oil 17 18 16 9 Tom Cruise flick, 21 19 20 ___ Good Men 13 Tarnish 22 23 14 Oar pin 15 Musical mark-up 26 27 28 29 16 Sorority letter 31 32 33 17 Enticed 18 Hesitate 35 36 37 19 Berate 21 Make, as a CD 38 39 22 Sandwiches for 40 41 dessert 23 17th century 49 46 47 48 English Protestant 50 51 52 53 26 Kitten’s 56 54 55 plaything 27 Romeo’s rival 59 58 30 Bio bit 31 Reddish brown 62 61 horse Copyright ©2018 PuzzleJunction.com 33 Bonehead 35 Olive branch 10 ___ of youth 60 Fr. summer 38 Eyelashes 11 Hosp. units 61 Father 39 More docile 62 Stick-on 12 Diminutive 40 Draft pick 15 Egg on 63 Poetic adverb 41 Wilkes-___, Pa. 20 A dwarfed 42 Duds Down ornamental tree 46 Formulates 21 Greyhound vehicle 49 Home of the 1 Wield 23 Lift, so to speak brave 2 1943 Bogart film 24 Bug-eyed 50 In the center of 25 Butterfly catcher 3 Undercoat 51 Dreadful 4 Rand McNally 27 Historic beginning 54 ___ point product 28 Scents 56 Bay of Naples 5 As a result 29 Direct elsewhere isle 6 Suit material? 32 Wood sorrel 57 Elephant grp. 7 Downwind 33 Dander 58 Oafs 34 Laments 8 Like roses 59 Bay window 9 Mites 35 Stack

Last Issue’s Solutions

PuzzleJunction.com

7 1 3 8

7 4

6 1 7 8 5 1 3 9

30 34

5 9 4

7 5 4

PuzzleJunction.com

Animal Farm

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photography

One Million Lights Brighten Botanical Gardens Photos and Story By TRENTON ALMGREN-DAVIS Photo Editor From Nov.17 - Jan. 1, the Missouri Botanical Gardens is hosting the Garden Glow. The National Historic Landmark’s annual festive display features over one million lights throughout its 79 acres, according to the Missouri Botanical Gardens website. Joyous music accompanies the event-goers as they “follow the glow.” In between the light attractions, various Christmassy activities make up the path as well: make wishes beneath an upside down hanging tree in the garden gazebo; design ornaments in Henry Shaw’s 1850 house; and meander through a vibrantly lit labryinth. Beautiful, colorful reflections fill the centerfold pond marking the beginning and ending of the Garden Glow. The Glow is open from 5 -10 p.m with last entry at 9 p.m.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Christmas Comes to SLU Community Photos By TRENTON ALMGREN-DAVIS Photo Editor

Read about Christmas on the Quad on page 5

Photography

STUDENTS DESTRESS WITH HOLIDAY FUN Photos and Story By EMMA CARMODY Photo Editor

On Wednesday, Dec. 5, SLU students gathered in the Simon Recreation Center to relax during a stressful week leading up to final exams. SLU Recreation and Wellness put on a Holiday Pottery Painting Party to make sure students were taking time to take care of themselves. Students spent the night painting holiday ornaments ranging from gingerbread men to “mom” and “dad” ornaments. The ornaments and paint were provided by Imagination Pottery in Wentzville that has done other events for SLU Recreation and Wellness in the past. After they were done painting the ornaments, they labeled them, left them to dry, and Imagination Pottery took them back to glaze them just in time for students to take them home for winter break. Hot chocolate was also provided along with toppings such as whipped cream and marshmallows. Santa Claus even made an appearance, decked out in SLU blue to add to the holiday spirit and take photos with students. The event had a great turnout, with students filling the tables in the bottom level of the Recreation center, celebrating the holiday seasons with their friends. Everyone needs a study break during this stressful time of year and SLU Wellness put on a great event to do just that.

sports

Billikens Defense Overwhelms Butler in signature win By Carter Chapley Sports Writer

With six minutes to play, Butler upped their defensive pressure, enforcing a full-court press fter a huge victoon the Bills, a strategy that killed ry at Seton Hall, the Billikens in their recent loss the road-tested to University of Pittsburgh. While Billikens returned SLU was able to consistently find home to face an ways to break the press, the Bullelite-level oppodogs were able to shrink the lead nent. to 7. The Sat The Billikens refused to urday afternoon tilt with the Butler break, though, as they found a Bulldogs served as one of the marway to sink 7 clutch free throws in quee non-conference games for the the final minute to ice the game Billikens this season. Butler has been and capture a 64-52 win. a power house program in the Big Chaifetz Arena played a East and a mainstay in the NCAA massive factor in the Billikens efTournament over the last decade fort. With a sold-out crowd and a making 10 of the last 12 tournamassive student body attendance ments, including a stretch of 4 conon hand, the Billikens home secutive appearances. crowd was consistently able to The Billikens were able to hold the momentum over long jump out to an early lead, but were stretches and was on multiple ocunable to hold back the Bulldogs for casions able to influences shots long, as their efficient offense was to their advantage. able to open up an eight-point lead. Postgame, Coach Ford optButler, a strong three-point shooted to play down the “revenge” asing team, was the benefactor of early pect of his team victory, and intransition opportunities that lead to stead praised his team’s defensive easy buckets. When forced to a halfeffort as the key to the Billikens court slower offense, the crushing upset win. “I thought that was one Billikens defense were able to get of the better defensive perforstops. mances I’ve been a part of in my Meanwhile, the Billikens of23 years as a college head coach,” fense struggled mightily to get going said Ford. ”I thought it was just an early in the contest, as they shot just incredible performance.” 1 of 6 from beyond the arc. The Billikens strong de The lone three pointer fense has become a calling card came off a wide open look for fresh- Senior Javon Bess had 18 points in SLU’s 64-52 win over Butler. He also shined on the of sorts, allowing 70 points only man forward Carte’are Gordon, who defensive end, holding the Bulldog’s top scorer to just six points. (Trenton Almgren-Davis/ once this season. recorded his first career three as a The University News) Javon Bess stood out on Billiken with the shot. both ends of the court, providing said die. An attitude highlighted by via a 5-0 run by sophomore guard While the outside shots 18 points on offense and locking an outstanding effort from freshJordan Goodwin. weren’t falling, the Bills were able down anybody who came at him. man guard Fred Thatch Jr. Thatch The defensive battle conto get strong looks down low with Bess earned high praise from his swung the momentum of the game tinued through most of the second Hassan French and D.J Foreman. The head coach, who called him one late in the first half with a steal and half, as there were multiple stretches dominant display of moves in the of the best defensive guards in the one-handed tomahawk. The emof over three minutes where neither post resulted in SLU outscoring the country. phatic slam resulted in a 12-0 run team could manage to get a bucket. Bulldogs 16-8 in the paint. The 6-1 Billikens will head over the final five minutes of the The Billikens were able to The Bulldog offensive atto Southern Illinois University at half for the Bills, and they took a break through the slop through an tack was led by junior forward Sean Carbondale on Dec. 5 to take on 30-24 lead to the locker room at outstanding effort from senior guard McDermott, who seemed unstoppathe Saluki’s, before returning to half time. Javon Bess. Bess lead all scorers with ble in the first half. He racked up 12 Chaifetz Arena on Sunday Dec. 9 to Whatever Billikens head 11-second half points and was able points, shooting four of six from the take on the Oregon State Beavers. coach Travis Ford said to the team to knock down critical 3-point-shots 3-point-line. at half clearly worked, as they in order to extend the Billikens lead Despite visual signs of frusquickly extended their lead to 11 to 15. tration towards officials, they never

sports

BILLIKENS SMASH MULTIPLE RECORDS AT FIRST INDOOR MEETS OF SEASON

Senior Ann Harlos broke a school record in the 60-meter hurdles at the Titan First Chance Meet in Bloomington, Ill. Photo courtesy of Saint Louis Athletics

he Saint Louis University track and field team competed in their first indoor meet of the season on Saturday. The Billikens traveled to Bloomington, Ill. for the Titan First Chance Meet at Illinois Wesleyan’s Shirk Center. The weekend saw a handful of school records fall, giving fans some insight on the season to come. In his debut, freshman Myles Gascon surpassed the previous school record in the 60 meters with a time of seven seconds flat. This was .04 second faster than the previous record set back in 2009 by David Whelan. Senior Ann Harlos was an-

Sophomore Jake Johnson completes the long jump during an outdoor track meet. Photo courtesy of the Saint Louis Athletics.

By Sam Glass Sports Writer

other Billiken to overcome a longstanding record. Harlos managed to top the 2010 record for the 60-meter hurdles by .01 seconds with a time of 8.81. The standout hurdler has been consistently coming up big for the Billikens, and now holds the record to show it. Another freshman Billiken came out with a big personal win in the 300 meters, as well as a thirdplace meet finish. Danny Hopkins completed the race in 35.40 setting the school record and narrowly missing a second-place finish by a half second. The final Billiken record breaker was junior Ethan Erusha, who broke his own previously held record in the triple jump with a mark of 14.18 meters, or 46 feet and 6 inches.

“All the work we’ve been putting in since the summer is actually coming to fruition,” said Erusha on the team’s success at the first meet. “If we keep up the work, we will be able to ride this into the 2019 season as well.” Other Billikens made their mark on the meet with several firstplace finishes. Junior Megan Kress won the mile with a tie of 5:09.33, over 12 seconds faster than the next contestant. On the men’s side, junior Jon Schaefer won his mile race with a time of 4:22.11. In the women’s 200 meters, senior Avery Pacella came out with the win, completing the race in just under 26 seconds at 25.99. Freshman Margaret O’Brien won the 3,000-meter run with a time of 10:39.50. From the field, the Billikens

also saw some great success. Sophomore Alex Oleson took the firstplace win in the high jump with a height 1.98 meters. To put that into perspective that is as tall as jumping straight over Javon Bess. Sophomore Katie Wissing won the long jump with a 5.70 meter leap, approximately the same length as three Jordan Goodwins stacked on top of each other. Erusha rounded the jumps out with a win from his record-setting triple jump. The Billikens are back in action this weekend, as they travel to Hoosier Open at Indiana University on Friday and the Saluki Fast Start at Southern Illinois.

sports

FRESHMEN STAND UP TO NO. 1 UCONN, CLARK HAS CAREER GAME WITH 18 POINTS By ERIN MCCLELLAND Sports Editor The Billikens shot 62.5 percent from the strip, 25.8 percent from the field and 22.7 percent from beyond the arc for their 42 total points. On the other hand, UConn shot above 50 percent from every category, including 52 from the

UConn schedules teams that are near the hometown of their seniors, and Incarnate Word Academy graduate, Napheesa Collier, is a team leader for the Huskies. She led her team with 22 points in front of her family and friends, the first time she has gotten to play close is Geno Auriemto home since going ma’s University of to Connecticut. Connecticut HusThe Huskies have kies, but the Billikbeen to 11 straight ens were anxious for Final Fours, winthe opportunity to ning a record four put themselves to straight titles from the test and improve 2013-2016. They their game. It was the hold a 123 consecfirst time the Billikutive regular seaens and Huskies have son win streak, with ever met in women’s their only losses in basketball. The Husrecent history going kies were coming off to Mississippi State a decisive win over on a buzzer beater in the at-the-time No. the Final Four in the 1 team, Notre Dame. 2016-2017 season, a Recently the AP poll loss that ended a 111 has renamed UCostraight win streak, nn No. 1 and Notre and to Notre Dame Dame No. 2. in the Final Four last Chaifetz season. They hold Arena faithful and the record for most basketball fans alike consecutive road showed up for the wins for both men’s game to see what and women’s with 53, the Billikens were a streak that is still made of, with the atcounting. tendance over 7,000 Coach Auriempeople. The game ma holds an incredwas a huge jump for ible .884 winning the women, with last percentage with a year’s average atten- SLU Freshman Myia Clark led the Billikens with 18 points in their matchup with No. 1 UConn. It was the first meet- 1035-135 record, dance at 1,729 for ing for the teams and the game was scheduled to allow O’Fallon native and UConn senior Napheesa Collier the the highest of any women’s basketball chance to play close to home. (Billiken Athletics) NCAA basketball games. coaches, women’s field, and scored a whopping 98 The Huskies jumped to an man showing, Brooke Flowers had or men’s. points. early lead at 4-2 and never looked two blocks, and she and Evan Zars The Bills will finish out their SLU freshman Myia Clark back, averaging 24.5 points per tied for a team-high in rebounding, four-game home streak against No. posted a career high 18 points and quarter, holding SLU to just 10.5. with four each. 23 Missouri this Sunday at 5 p.m.

he SLU women’s basketball team could have easily turned down the opportunity to play against the dynasty that

fellow freshman, three-time Atlantic-10 Rookie of the Week, Ciaja Harbison added 12. All 20 of the first-half points for the Bills came from freshmen. All but five of SLU’s total points came from freshman. Adding to the impressive fresh-

sports

Billikens’ offense stalls, drops game to SIU By CARTER CHAPLEY Sports Writer

iding high off the upset win over Butler, the Billikens traveled to Carbondale, Ill. to take on the SIU Salukis. The matchup stands as only the third road game for Billikens, and only the second not at a neutral site, and despite being the favorite entering the Wednesday match-up, the Billikens’ offense was simply not good enough to match the Salukis dropping their second game of the season by a score of 61-56. The Billikens only managed a meager 33 percent from the field and were only able to cash in on four of nine free throws. A far cry

from the efficacy and creativity they displayed in the Butler game. Hashan French lead the team in scoring racking up 13 points and nine boards, but was hampered by foul trouble all game. Senior guard Javon Bess, who missed practice to rest an injured ankle after the Butler game, seemed unhampered by the ailment, leading the team with the 15 rebounds and six assists. Despite the strong individual performances, the Bills simply couldn’t overcome the 16 turnovers and shooting a lowly 23 percent from the three-pointline. The Billikens were simply unable to establish an offensive pace for the entirety of the game, only leading for 12 seconds in the matchup. The highly touted Billik-

ens defense, though, was able to continue to give the Bills opportunities to get back into the game, only allowing the deficit to reach as high as 12 and narrowing the SIU lead to only four with less than a minute to play. Despite the Salukis missing key free throws down the stretch, however, SLU simply wasn’t able to close the deficit. The strong Billikens defense has the ability to keep them in any match up they will face this season, with strong examples from their efforts at Seton Hall and at home to Butler, but their inconsistent offense is proving to be a point of concern as this is the second game they have dropped a matchup they were expected to win after making a statement win in their previous game. Similarly, over Coach Travis Fords tenure at SLU the Billikens are only 1-24

in games when scoring less than 60 points. That being said, the Billikens in both losses (Pitt and SIU) have showed resilience in late game situations, where in both matchups the Bills have given themselves opportunities to win the games late. An attribute that will be valuable in conference play and beyond. The Billikens will now look forward to their next matchup at home against Oregon State. The game is this Sunday at Chaifetz Arena with a 2:30 p.m. tip-off. The Beavers hold a 6-1 record of their own and are similarly ranked in the KenPom this season, sitting at 67th nationally compared to SLU’s 76th after their second loss.

AQUA BILLS RECIEVE A-10 HONORS By RYAN LEFNER Associate Sports Editor wo Billikens earned Atlantic 10 weekly honors for their respective performances at the USA Winter National Championships. Sophomore and St. Louis native, T.J. Halliburton, received the A10 performer of the week award for posting a 57.68 mark in the 100 backstroke. The honor was Halliburton’s first of the season. Janssen Gamilla received Atlantic 10 men’s rookie of the week honors for his outstanding performance at the Indiana State relay meet on Saturday. Gamilla played

t Sophomore Hashan French led the Billikens in their second loss of the season to SIU in a close game last night. (Trenton Almgren-Davis/The University News)

an integral role in two separate Billiken victories at the meet, posting a 2:36.93 mark in the 300 butterfly, and a 3:33.20 mark in the 400 medley relays. Gamilla’s award was similarly his first of the year, as well as the first of his young career as a Billiken. Halliburton, Justin Mars, Grant Streid, Isaiah Williams, Collin O’Brian and Keegan Paulson represented the Aqua Bills at the meet. Six members of the SLU men’s swim team traveled to Greensboro, N.C. for the USA Winter National Championships. The men will be back in action Jan. 11 at the Western Illinois University meet in Macomb, Ill.

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Opinion

PREVIEWING THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

By JAKOB BENEDETTI Staff Writer f you thought you could forget about politics for a while now that the midterms are over, think again. The first stages of the 2020 election have already begun in the form of the “invisible primary,” where potential candidates analyze the race and attempt to sway party leaders and donors to their side. There are as many as two dozen potential candidates on the Democratic side—a few of whom have already announced their intention to run. So far, candidates who’ve already declared they’re running include Maryland Congressman John Delaney, West Virginia State Senator Richard Ojeda and New York entrepreneur Andrew Yang. Although none of these candidates will likely end up winning, the fact that the 2020 primary field is already almost as large as the 2016 field foreshadows a potentially massive list of candidates vying for the chance to take on Donald Trump.

Speaking of Trump, he’s the only Republican who says he’s running, however a number of Republicans have expressed an interest in running against him in the primary. These include outgoing senators Jeff Flake and Bob Corker, as well as John Kasich, outgoing governor, who has also floated the idea of running as an independent with Democrat John Hickenlooper, a fellow outgoing governor. In my opinion, anyone who runs against Trump in the primary will be absolutely demolished—no chance at all. Anywhere between 81 percent and 88 percent of Republican voters approve of Trump’s performance. As for the s p l i t- t i c k e t idea, if the goal is to spoil the election in favor of the Democrats, then it will surely succeed, but no Republican is going to be president in 2020 except for Trump— b a r r i n g extreme circumstances (looking at you, Mueller). But let’s go back to the Democratic side. As we said, there are as many as two dozen potential candidates, and the media has been speculating for months who will actually run. To make this easier, we’re going to separate the potential

candidates into three tiers. The first tier is made up of candidates who have a large national profile, who have taken actions that presidential candidates usually take and who have expressed at least some interest in running (this is not an exhaustive list, don’t @ me). This includes Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar, Sherrod Brown and former Vice President Joe Biden. These are candidates who’ve written books, who’ve travelled to Iowa and New Hampshire (the first two primary states) and who’ve been open in building their national brands and organizations. The only question is which of these candidates will ultimately decide to run. The second tier of candidates are those with smaller national profiles, but who’ve gotten their name into the mainstream by holding some lower elected office or catching the media’s attention. These include John Delaney and Richard Ojeda—who I mentioned before—as well as Congressman Tim Ryan, outgoing governors Terry McAuliffe, John Hickenlooper and Steve Bullock. Former NYC mayor, Michael Bloomberg; New Orleans mayor, Mitch Landrieu; Los Angeles

“In my opinion, anyone who runs against Trump in the primary will be absolutely demolished”

mayor, Eric Garcetti; and former Obama-staffer, Julian Castro, as well as failed U.S. Senate candidate Beto O’Rourke are also included in this tier. The eventual winner of the primary is unlikely to come from this group, but it’s still entirely possible. Obama was considered a low-tier candidate in 2008 and he ended up winning. However, the number of candidates from this group who end up running will probably only determine how large the primary field is—thus how split the vote is between the more well-known candidates. The third tier of candidates are those that have no real business becoming POTUS, in my opinion, and basically are only in the conversation because of the media. These include Michael Avenatti, Tom Steyer, Mark Cuban, Howard Schultz, Oprah and Dwayne Johnson. Right now, it looks like Avenatti and Steyer may very well run, which should make the primaries more interesting at least. The 2020 elections are already shaping up to be even more crowded than 2016, and maybe even more raucous with Trump looking at a potential attempt to primary him and the Democrats having an extremely wide field to choose from. In my view, if the Republicans were smart they would try to primary Trump, however it seems like any such challenge would fail. If the Democrats were smart and wanted to be sure they could defeat Trump, I think they would nominate Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren and stay away from corporate Democrats and candidates in the third tier.

Opinion

WAR ON CHRISTMAS?

By LEXI KAYSER Staff Writer

t’s the most wonderful time of the year—and recently, also the touchiest. The past few years have engulfed jolly well-wishers in a fairly intense inter-religious crisis. According to many Christians, there’s a “war on Christmas” going on with Jesus as the main point of conflict (or, at least his name). Many people are angered at the gravitation toward “Happy Holidays!” rather than “Merry Christmas!,” believing that this is blatant disregard for the true meaning of the season: Christ. Christians are fighting back viciously against this modern trend. We’ve all seen that “Put Christ Back in Christmas!” bumper sticker and heard of the controversy surrounding Starbucks’ plain red “holiday” cups that didn’t ink Christmas across their fronts. As someone who was raised Christian, I just want to

invite everyone to step back from the situation, relax and have a little bit of empathy. We don’t need to “put the Christ back in Christmas.” You may do that, in the comfort of your own home and your own place of worship, if you so please. You may read the Bible before opening any presents. You may sing “Silent Night” in place of “Frosty the Snowman.” You may set a Nativity scene up on your front lawn. You may do all of these things because to you they make the holiday more meaningful, memorable and magical. But doing these things will not have the same effect on everyone because not everyone is a Christian, and not everyone c e l e b r a t e s “Christmas” as the birth of Christ. Yule was, at first, a holiday coined by German pagans that wanted to celebrate the longest night of the year, the Solstice, from which point onward the days would become sunnier and brighter. Holly and mistletoe were hung to represent the “seed of the Divine.” Yule logs were burned, Yule trees were decorated, Yule feasts were enjoyed and Yule gifts were exchanged. Sound familiar? The line between Yuletide

and Christmastide traditions have been blurred over the many, many years of their celebration. Not only that, but other holidays such as Hanukkah and Kwanzaa happen to share the same time frame with Christmas. It just isn’t fair to allow Christians to monopolize this season of giving and happiness. And why would we want to? By saying that this season is only for Christmas (or, our Biblical ideas of what Christmas should look like universally), we’re basically saying that the authentic joy of waking up to see what Santa brought on Christmas m o r n i n g , of baking gingerbread cookies and of stringing up lights across our eaves is reserved for children that were brought up Christian. Even worse, we’re saying that those in other traditions—who just don’t care to celebrate Christmas or Yule at all—are invalid for believing the things that they believe and choosing to celebrate a different set of holidays. This is such a smallminded worldview to have. I truly believe that we don’t fully choose our religions for ourselves. If you were born where

“It just isn’t fair to allow Christians to monopolize this season of giving and happiness.”

someone else was born, you would believe what they believe. Isn’t it a tad coincidental that God placed you and all of your loved ones into the “right” religion, but birthed billions of others into the “wrong” one? Isn’t it a bit unrealistic to think that the only way to seek a higher power or serve a greater glory is to do so your way? See, this situation of “Christmas” versus “Xmas” runs much deeper than a minor discrepancy in verbage. The issue rests on the idea that Christianity is right and everything else is wrong. Meanwhile, elsewhere in the world, Jewish people believe that Judaism is right and everything else is wrong, Hindus believe that Hinduism is right and everything else is wrong and Muslims believe that Islam is right and everything else is wrong. Who are we to really say? It’s okay if people want to celebrate a season of warmth and family without celebrating Jesus simultaneously. It’s okay to believe in reindeer and not in redemption. It’s okay to give gifts without a single mention of gold, frankincense or myrrh. Let people have their holiday, and let them have it their way. Arguing simply takes the holly jolly out of everybody’s everything.

Opinion

A SWEET TOOTH’S GUIDE TO DITCHING SUGAR

By FIONA CLAIR Opinion Editor

ow that the holiday season is upon us, it is time for everyone to start loosening their belts and giving up on their diets until New Year’s rolls around again. Or at least that’s always my game plan. Who can blame me when I am constantly surrounded by copious amounts of candy and delicious homemade meals? Well it turns out my sweet tooth isn’t so cute. As a country, we consume too much sugar. Three times the recommended amount actually, according to the American Heart Association, who recommends 38 grams of sugar a day for men and 25 grams for women. Despite these warnings, the average American consumes 82 grams every day. How is it possible that we all race right past the recommended amount of sugar? Well, it is not actually that hard to understand considering a

12-ounce can of Coca Cola has 39 grams of sugar–more than anyone is supposed to have in one day. So what is all this sugar doing to us? Some of the most serious health risks associated with a high-sugar diet include higher risks of obesity, type 2 diabetes, poor cardiovascular health and teeth erosion. Sounds delicious right? Obviously something has to change, so I wanted to see if I–a selfproclaimed sugar addict–could go 14 days without added, artificial or substitute sugars by embarking on David Zinczenko’s “Zero Sugar Diet: The 14-Day Plan to Flatten Your Belly, Crush Cravings, and Help Keep You Lean for Life.” His book details the ridiculous nature of the food industry, and its obsession with added sugars. It then outlines the diet with recipes and guidelines for success. Basically, the diet cuts added sugars, while allowing for natural sugars (such as fruits, veggies and dairy) and foods with an equal or greater ratio of fiber to sugar. After the 14 days, the book claims that I will feel more energized, burn fat more easily, feel less hungry, have a flatter stomach, decrease my risk for diabetes and improve my muscle mass and health. To be honest, it was easier than I expected. During the first

week, I noticed that I wasn’t craving sugar like I normally do, I had fewer headaches and stomach aches and I did not have the same aversion to dairy as I usually do. The only cons I experienced were that I did not notice an increase in energy– which was the main reason I did the diet–and that I was a little crabby by the end of each day. By the second week, I was a little less gungho about the whole thing. My irritability skyrocketed. I still was not feeling energized, a n d everything I was eating felt boring and repetitive. While I still was not exactly craving sugar, I was definitely getting frustrated about all the foods I could not eat because of unnecessary added sugars. I survived 14 and a half days without sugar, breaking my previous record by about 14 days and 11 hours. My stomach was definitely flatter, I felt generally lighter and I was really proud of my accomplishment. I honestly did not think I was going to make it, especially since I had to endure two family birthday parties during the 14 days, but miraculously I did. The more food I had to steer away from, however, the more I understood that

“I survived 14 and a half days without sugar, breaking my previous record by about 14 days and 11 hours.”

all the blame couldn’t rest on me. The U.S. Federal Food and Drug Administration did not even begin including the daily nutritional value for sugar until this year, and added sugars are purposefully hard to find. I was frustrated to no end when I went grocery shopping, but it taught me the important lesson to read everything. If you want to join me on the quest to find a healthy relationship with sugar, I do have a few helpful tips. The main reason I was able to make it through the diet was because my mom was doing it with me. Finding a brave accountability buddy to do the zero sugar diet with makes it a lot easier–misery loves company and all that. If you find yourself in an emergency sugar craving, try turning to natural sugars like fruit to dull the itch. Finally, if you find yourself an irritable mess like I did, try exercising. It may be the last thing your cranky, sugardeprived body wants to do, but exercise does release endorphins that might make you feel a little better. This cold-turkey styled diet is not for everyone. It’s hard, and it feels much longer than 14 days, but it did make a huge difference in my perspective on the food industry to the point where I have chosen to brave the diet every month for seven to 14 days. I think it is important that we understand what we are putting into our bodies, because if we want anything about the food industry to change we need to be informed.

Opinion

THE WOES OF GRAND FOREST 3434

By MONICA RYAN Managing Editor live in Grand Forest. Please don’t stalk me. Just kidding, it’s 3434 we’re having a party on Friday night. See you there. Just kidding again, I’m babysitting because I have to make that bread. Anyway, as a woman who has to go out and make that bread, I need to dress decently to go to the homes of the rich and bored in St. Louis County to look after their children. In order to do this, I have to wash my clothes, but alas, Grand Forest has kept me from being able

to do this for over three weeks. I am one of the lucky ones in Grand Forest 3434 who has loving parents with a full refrigerator just 20 minutes away from SLU. In my rare free time as finals approach I go over to good ol’ mom and dad’s to do my laundry, but for the rest of Grand Forest 3434, not having a working washer and dryer has been a large inconvenience. My roommates Aubrey and Mimi, you can stalk them, have to find a time where one of our fellow residents is home, go to their apartment complex and do laundry, come back to 3434 to do homework—or, let’s be honest watch Netflix. They then either have to be entrusted with the key of the sweet keeper of the laundry, or text them, make sure they answer, walk over and be let in to switch their laundry. Another 40 minutes later, this process is repeated when my roommates go to pick up their laundry. We have put in multiple maintenance requests asking for this problem to be resolved, along with many of the other people living in 3434. This isn’t apartment C’s

only problem. Because my parents live decently close to campus, I have been willing to overlook and persevere through the issues going on in the basement with our washer and dryer, but now me and my roommates have run into another snag in our day-to-day lives. We are three healthy gals and thus we like to cook as such. We consistently make meals at home and so we need a working sink. A simple request from some humble college students. Let’s cut to the chase, the sink won’t drain, but we have to eat, so the sink has potato skins floating in water. It’s not a good look. We have also put in maintenance requests for this as well. It’s been five days like this. It’s gnarly. I just want to live in a place that has working amenities! Please! Please! Please! Freshman year, I was oh so lucky to live in Walsh, “one dub,” if you will. Me and my lovely roommate lived directly above the laundry room. It was so hot in our room that I slept in my ever so gracious friend’s room on her futon in order to be comfortable throughout the night.

My father, a man that single handedly keeps the air conditioning industry thriving, was livid when he found out about this. Think “Daddy’s Home 2” when the annoying step-daughter keeps turning up the heat and all of the fathers find some common ground on this one issue, the thermostat. Dads like it cold, and I guess the older I get the more I am turning into my dad. I like it cold as well. This leads me to hopefully my last issue with Grand Forest. My apartment is incredibly cold. I love it cold. A nice 68 degrees in the apartment, wonderful! But I have had to continue to wear my winter jacket as I come in from walking back home after class. My roommate, Aubrey, even bought a space heater so that we can be a little more comfortable. My hands are actually cold as I write this. Needless to say, maintenance, these conditions are bananas. I just want things to work. I don’t need the Hilton rewards member amenities, just some average stuff that works. Since it is the holiday season, and in the spirit of giving, could you give Grand Forest 3434 a new washer and dryer? And to all a good night.

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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