Edition VII
Contents From the Editor .................................. 3 Friends of the Poor.............................. 4 5 Student Spotlight................................. 6 Royal Studios Presents “Plan B�.............. 7 Athlete of the Week............................. 8 9 Swimming & Diving Preview................. 10 Wrestling Preview..............................
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Q&A with Scranton Foodie....................... 12 13 Voice for the Voiceless............................ 14 15 Joy for Open Ears ................................ 16 Intersession Grant Winners.................
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From the Editor Before this school year began, I was unsure of what role The Aquinas would play in The University community. The publication became a magazine last year, and there were mixed feelings about the change readers. Coming into this year, I was hopeful that the publication would continue to grow; After graduating all but three members of our senior staff, I knew this was going to be a bit of a challenge. As I reflect on the past few months as Editor-in-Chief, I am happy to say that this past semester has been nothing short of a success. Between summer and the first week of school, we were able to re-staff our editorial team, bringing the grand total to eight students ranging from first-years to seniors. For the first time since the publication became a magazine, we were able to publish three full color, 20-page editions in one semester. If all goes as planned, we hope to achieve our goal of publishing four editions next semester. In addition, we were able to incorporate advertisements into the publication for the first time since The Aquinas was a newspaper. Finally, we have increased our readership, as with each edition published there are less magazines left over. Of course, with another edition comes another round of “thank yous”, but our success truly would not be possible without all of the readers in The University community who support us every month. First, a special thank you to Jeffrey Kegolis, Ph.D., and Janet Schieber for always being so supportive and our go-to team. I’d also like to thank all of our readers who give us feedback after each edition gets published. Lastly, thank you immensely to our incredible staff for being the greatest. You all make my job so much fun. I hope everyone has a happy and healthy holiday season, and a safe winter break with friends and family. We can’t wait to come back next semester with a new edition to kick start the new year.
Lauren Gallagher & The Aquinas Staff
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Friends of the Poor
The holiday season can be especially difficult for people living
in poverty, but in the Scranton community, Friends of the Poor strives to alleviate those difficulties not only during holiday seasons but also on a day to day basis.
The nonprofit organization was initially started in 1986 by Sister
Adrian Barrett, IHM, but was taken over by University alum Meghan Loftus, ‘12, a year and a half ago.
“She saw how much poverty there was in different areas of
Scranton, so she hit the streets and tried to help people in any way that she could, and that ended up turning into our organization,” Loftus said. “And now it’s a million-dollar organization where we help tens of thousands of people a year.”
Before her work with Friends of the Poor, Loftus worked in eco-
nomic development and helped other nonprofits increase funds, but she wanted to see her direct impact on the community. During her time at The University, Loftus had done service work in Rwanda and Mexico. She realized Scranton had a lot of the same poverty and similar work could be done, so when the job opened to work for Friends of the Poor, Loftus knew it was a great opportunity for her.
“Our mission is to ease the burden of living in poverty. So we
on a daily basis try to provide for all basic necessities. We have 8 food pantries, and we do rent and utility assistance, household items, and clothing,” Loftus said.
Anyone is able to volunteer with Friends of the Poor to help out
with the day to day activities, like the food pantries, which are located at Jackson Terrace and Valley View Terrace in Scranton. There is also an after school program with The University students called Big Friends, Little Friends where University students partner with a “little friend” twice a week to help with homework.
The organization also offers larger seasonal events for people
living in poverty to participate in.
“We also recognize during holiday season that the impact of
poverty is even more extreme, and where people realize the difference Name Surname
between the socioeconomic classes. So we have a lot of seasonal events
Editor
that are aimed at children, families, adults and elderly,” Loftus said.
“
Last year I believe we served about 1500 kids and each kid got three gifts. Parents sign up for a time slot and typically line up outside the Byron. During those time slots we typically have a volunteer walk them through.”
December 18 TOY GIVEAWAY Join Friends of the Poor & Catholic Social Services in The University’s Byron Center to collect and organize hundreds of toys for local families.
December 20 CHRISTMAS FOOD BASKET GIVEAWAY
PHOTO COURTESY OF WNEP SCRANTON
Come help fill and distribute grocery bags of food for families to prepare and eat on Christmas.
If you would like to volunteer with Friends of the Poor send them an email: Friendsofthepoor@FOTP-IHM.org
Student Spotlight: KRISTÝNA REID
One University of Scranton junior forges her own path through her own combination of programs, jobs and research opportunities on campus BY JILL WALL
A
s
many
University
students
struggle to balance a 15-credit schedule
with
extracurricular
activities and a social life, junior Kristýna Reid has risen above and beyond all expectations of a 20-year-old college student.
Reid is an occupational therapy
major with a minor in biochemistry on the pre-med track. Her unique combination of studies was inspired by her love of science, and passion for natural healing and helping others. After earning her master’s degree in occupational therapy, Reid looks forward to attending medical school in order to become a doctor of
PHOTO COURTESY OF KRISTÝNA REID
osteopathic medicine. eryone always gets really excited about is
mentorship program for the first-year
that I could combine my love for biol-
that I’m trying to hatch ducks without the
anatomy and physiology labs, occasional-
ogy and also do occupational therapy at
shell which has never been done before.
ly acting as the teaching assistant for the
the same time,” Reid said. “In the future
So I’m really excited to see how far I’m
classes. She is also the student coordina-
I’m thinking maybe I could go to medi-
going to get with that,” Reid said. “But
tor for the Synergistic Activity Program
cal school and get my D.O. which I feel
the one that I’m really more interested
for Science Education (SYNAPSE), a new
like complements occupational therapy
in is pancreatic cancer cells, hepatocytes
program that allows college students to
and brings everything together. I feel like
which are liver cancer cells, and neuro-
interact with local elementary school
“I started to find a different way
[occupational therapy] is very holistic and blastoma, which is brain cancer and I’m treating them with this rare fruit.” a very natural way of healing and then a D.O. more looks at the whole person,
As if this was not enough to
similar to occupational therapy.”
keep the Robbinville, New Jersey native
In order to complete her degree, occupied, Reid also works three jobs on Reid loads her semesters with a minimum campus. She is both a campus tour guide
students.
“It was started by my research
lab group, but this is the first semester that it has expanded to the whole school so anyone can participate. We go to local elementary schools or the students get to
of 21 credits. She is also actively involved
and a Leahy tour guide evaluator through
in two research projects alongside Dr.
the Admissions office, a tutor through the ments for them.” Reid said. “It’s STEM so
Gomez of the biology department, spend- Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence and a student development officer ing at least two hours every day working
come here and we design these experiit could be science, technology, engineering or math, and we just do these experi-
in the labs.
for Phonathon.
ments with them and they absolutely love
it and it’s so cool to see that.”
“The [research project] that ev-
In addition, Reid belongs to the
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ROYAL STUDIOS PRESENTS “PLAN B” BY LIAM SHEA Royal Studios is not the most obvious activity when you come on campus. The TV station hides across the bridge on the 4th floor of the Loyola Science Center. What some people do not know is that the members involved work constantly to put out different programs throughout the year. Katelyn Moore, Eric Eiden, Laura Freedman and Mitchell Demytrk are eager for the release of their upcoming show. “The show’s name is Plan B, it’s a spoof on intramural basketball shot in a mockumentary style like The Office,” Demytrk said. “We chose to go full mockumentary this year, where last year on our show S.P.U.D.S., we did a pseudo mockumentary style where we experimented with different camera angles.” Eiden continued. Moore, is the video editor for the show, along with being the MVP of Royal Studios, which the rest of the team chanted. Freedman plays Tina O’Neal, a short, talented but underrated member of the intramural team. She also plays a shark. Eiden is the Director of Plan B, along with doing camerawork and also plays Steph, “a huge nerd who can’t play basketball at all.” Demytrk plays Coach Jerry, a basketball coach hired off of Craigslist unaware the team he is coaching is intramural. The idea for the show came
from another member of the Royal Studios team, Brian Lavin. Lavin plays Derek, the Dwight Schrute of the team, who takes the sport far too seriously. He had just lost in intramural basketball and the other team stood outside making jokes after the game. “So, our idea was let’s make fun of that because that’s ridiculous.” Eiden said. It has not always been smooth sailing for the Royal Studios team throughout production. “The biggest issue we ran into, along with people flaking, is just trying to get everyone there on set at the same time. There’s seven main characters, so just trying to film around the schedules of seven college students isn’t easy,” Demytrk said. “Even the people who are extremely committed,” Freedman added. “We are a very big ensemble cast and on those days, we need extras we need over ten people.” “And it’s not an easy commitment to make,” Moore said. “At the start of the year, like at club fair, it’s something you might think works for you, but once your schedule starts going it’s hard to set aside three hours at a time to film.” “We really wanted a loose, laid back atmosphere for the show, Eiden said. “And it’s hard because there are some really funny moments in the show for the audience, but you have
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to stay serious while you’re filming so that it can be funny for the audience,” Freedman explained. “We had this scene in the show that got taken out but the characters are doing suicides up and down the basketball court and one of the characters trips and starts calling for an ambulance. At that point kids playing pick up where we were filming rush over making sure everyone was ok,” Eiden noted. The whole team agreed that they are very excited to see their finished product. Moore explained, “If we can get people to watch it, we can create more of a buzz around Royal Studios where you have opportunities to gain experience working with state-of-theart cameras and editing software, and most people can’t get that experience if they’re not in that major. Hopefully, it will get more people interested and involved in the club.” Plan B will be available to watch on the Royal Studios YouTube channel, where viewers can also watch professors reading Rate My Professor reviews, along with the first Royal Studios production, S.P.U.D.S. A lengthy blooper reel will also be released, as there is a second camera on set used for B roll footage which also catches the funny moments on set. The whole team agrees it will be hard to follow up with a season two with the way the show ends. In addition, Eiden and Moore graduate next semester. The team has already come up with ideas to continue with Royal Studios next year, which anyone can get involved with. Joining Royal Studios is as easy as reaching out to any of the people interviewed. The first episode of Plan B will be available on February 11 at 8 p.m.
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROYAL ATHLETICS
BRIDGETTE MANN is a Senior guard for the Scran-
MEGAN GALLAGHER is a Sophomore on the
ton Women’s Basketball team. She has started in every game while at The U and has averaged 13.3 points and 3.4 assists per game. She ranks first in three point field goals made at Scranton. SEASON SO FAR: The season has been off to a really great start. We’re starting to really figure out our chemistry on the court together. I think our defense has started off well and if we keep that up, we’re going to be difficult to beat. PREGAME RITUALS:One ritual I have is the night before game day, I go to the Long Center and take 20 free throws and shoot around the perimeter twice (about 15 minutes) just to settle my nerves down. FAVORITE MEMORY PLAYING BASKETBALL AT SCRANTON: There are so many great memories I’ve had playing for the Lady Royals, but I would have to say my all-time favorite memories were freshman year making it to the Elite Eight and winning three Landmark Championships. PRO ATHLETES YOU LOOK UP TO: Pro athletes I look up to are Carson Wentz and Klay Thompson. I look up to Carson Wentz because he’s a very humble individual and the way he carries himself is very respectable. I look up to Klay Thompson because he’s not the star on his team, but he shows up every night and gives his all to prove himself and be a good teammate.
Women’s Field Hockey team. She has started every game in her career at Scranton. In 2017 she was named All-Landmark Conference Second Team. She was recently named First Team All-Conference and All-South Atlantic Second Team. She finished this season with 5 goals, 17 points and 7 assists. This year Megan was named Landmark Athlete of the Week twice. THOUGHTS ON SEASON: I think we did very well this season. This was the second time in school history this team has reached the conference championship. FAVORITE MEMORY AT SCRANTON: My favorite memory is definitely beating Catholic this year in the Landmark final. I scored the game winner which was an amazing accomplishment. PLANS AFTER SCRANTON: I want to go to physical therapy school to get my DPT FAVORITE SPOT ON CAMPUS: My favorite spot on campus is probably the third floor DeNaples Dining Hall.
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CAMPUS COMMENT University members react to the 2018 Christmas tree on the Dionne Green “Among our most beloved traditions is the lighting of our communal Christmas tree on the Dionne Campus Green. The tree for this year is not in place, and, from what I understand, some folks are finding it wanting, even suggesting that it be replaced.” -The Rev. Fr. Scott Pilarz, SJ
BY COLLEEN BOYLE
2 0 1 7 PHOTO COURTESY OF LIV DAVIDA
VS.
“First they run out of chick fil a sauce...now this.” -Anne Claire Stone ‘19 “I’m sometimes self-conscious about the way I look. A couple days ago I woke up and I wasn’t feeling too good about myself. But then I saw that tree and I immediately felt like a ten.” -Nicholas Yanni ‘21
2 0 1 8
“It’s the limp handshake of Christmas trees.” -Ralph Rezza ‘19 “This size of the 2018 tree is the largest blow to Christmas in Scranton since the 2016 tree fell over. While no one was physically hurt in these two tragedies, spirits were crushed. Prayers to Scranton.” -Elenor Barton ‘19 “I like it.” Kevin Duque ‘19
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTINA BRANNON
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WRESTLING PREVIEW
BY LIAM SHEA
The Scranton Wrestling Team began their season at King’s College in Wilkes-Barre. The Royals finished 10th out of 16 at the Ned McGinley Invitational, following senior Daniel D’Agostini’s second overall finish at 197 lbs, leading the team to 51 points. PHOTO COURTESY OF SCRANTON ATHLETICS
At 165 lbs, sophomore Kyle Shaffer came back from a round one loss to force two straight pins. First-years Justin Weimer, A.J. Sortino and Matthew Murawski all got their first career pins at the tournament. York College won the tournament with 206.5 total points. Senior Kevin Merle and first-year A.J. Sortino both won two matches and Junior John Sheedy won three times. PHOTO COURTESY OF SCRANTON ATHLETICS
On October 11th the Royals hosted the Electric City Duals, which included Lackawanna College, Temple University, Keystone College, Muhlenberg College and SUNY Oneonta. The Royals defeated Lackawanna, Temple and Keystone and fell to Muhlenberg and Oneonta. Senior Daniel D’Agnostini went 5-0 in the tournament and was named Outstanding Wrestler of the day. PHOTO COURTESY OF SCRANTON ATHLETICS
Wrestling 2019 Home Matches: Tuesday January 8 vs. Elizabethtown Sunday February 3 vs. Lycoming
SWIMMING & DIVING PREVIEW
BY JILL WALL The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams look forward to continued success as their seasons progress and the Landmark championships grow closer. The women’s team, who is coming off a 11-1 record and a third place finish at the Landmark Conference Finals for the 2017-2018 season, has one goal in mind: capturing first at the Landmark championship in 2019. The goal seems highly achievable as noted by sophomore standout Lauren Byrne, who had been named Landmark Conference Athlete of the Week for back-to-back weeks in late October and early November. “It’s hard at the beginning of the season because you’re trying to figure out all the new people coming in, who you’ve lost and figure out the team dynamic, but we have done really well so far which is just fun to see at the
beginning of the season,” Byrne said. “Our goal really is just to try to win Landmark Conferences this year, which I know is big but it seems so reasonable and so doable at this point.” The team, who started its first five meets of the season with an impressive 4-1 record, is led by senior captains Lucy Fulton, Claire Mason and Suze Neggia. The men’s 2018-2019 campaign, which has gotten off to a notable 3-2 record through its first fivemeets, follows an 8-4 finish on the regular 2017-2018 season with a seventh place finish at the Landmark finals. The men’s team is led by senior captains Dan Muenkel, Mike Ramsthaler and Chris Whalen. Muenkel noted that similarly to the women’s team, the men have set their goals high for the season,and they plan on putting in the work to achieve them. “As the season progresses, we’re looking forward to potentially sending some swimmers to NCAA championships and bringing the team to a more competitive level in our conference,” Muenkel said. “We have set many lofty goals and we look forward to continue putting the necessary work in to reach them all at the end of the season.” He also remarked that both teams have seen great improvement thus far, especially when it comes to strength and endurance. “Since the end of last season both teams have been focusing on improving in the weight room. We are confident we are getting the results we need in the pool and that extra time in the weight room will help us compete better at Conference Champs,” Muenkel said.
PHOTO COURTESY OF STAS POSTOWSKI
Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving 2019 Home Meets: Sunday January 13 vs. Elizabethtown Saturday January 19 vs. Drew
Q&A
WITH SCRANTON FOODIE University senior tastes her way through Scranton and beyond
BY COLLEEN BOYLE
Q
: Tell me a little bit about yourself, specifically your life as a student here at the U.
A
: My name is Sabrina Olivo and I am senior strategic communication major with a track in public relations at the U. I am a transfer student, which I think is pretty unique. I transferred to The University of Scranton after taking some time off from school in Jersey City and started here in the Spring of 2017, which was the second semester of my sophomore year. I am also a commuter. My family is from the Dominican Republic. I live in Mount Pocono, I work in Stroudsburg and I go to school in Scranton, so traveling is a part of my daily life. I think my experience here is different from a lot of other students because I am not tied to the campus, so the most time I spend on campus is when I’m here for class or work study. Although my time on campus is limited, I’ve had a great experience since transferring to The University, and have met a lot of awesome people. The professors and advisors are super helpful, and the students are really supportive of each other, which is something that my old school was lacking.
Q
: What made you want to create your food blog on Instagram?
A
: I have always loved food. Food can change your mood, it can bring you closer to people, it can open your eyes and taste buds to different cultures around the world, and it can even be a reason to travel. I decided to start my food blog @FoodForSab because I was already taking pictures of my food and I was already exploring different restaurants around North Eastern Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey, not to mention my personal Instagram feed was pretty much taken over by other food pages that I just drooled at. So this past summer I interned at PBS39 in Bethlehem, and I brought up the idea of starting my food blog to my fellow interns and they gave me the push to do it. I named it @ FoodForSab as a play on “food for thought.” Another reason I started my food page was to get more acquainted with growing a social media presence. Social media is a huge part of the field that I want to pursue a career in, and this project has given me a lot of insight on what it takes to manage a social media account.
SENIOR SABRINA OLIVIO SIPPING PINEAPPLE AT THE STATE FAIR MEADOWLANDS
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Q
: What is your favorite meal you’ve had in the Greater Scranton area? In the world?
A
: The best meal I’ve had in the Scranton area was about two years ago at a Mexican restaurant called Don Pancho Villa. I had a traditional plate with rice, beans, fried sweet plantains and carne asada, which was really tasty, but what was most special was the dessert. It was a grilled sweet plantain with sweetened condensed milk and cinnamon. I had never had sweet plantains like that before... and I’ve eaten sweet plantains all my life. Unfortunately, I never got a picture of that meal and the restaurant has since gone out of business, so I will never enjoy that meal again. My favorite meal that I’ve had outside of the U.S. was these pork ribs from a restaurant in Puerto Rico called Casita Miramar. They were glazed with a guava B.B.Q. sauce, and it even had coffee beans in it! It was a flavor I had never experienced before, but it was definitely the best pork ribs I have ever had.
Q
: If you opened up your own restaurant of recipes that your family makes, what would be your most popular dish?
A
: If my family opened a restaurant it would be a Dominican one, because my family is from the Dominican Republic and we have to represent (haha). Our most popular dish would be Sancocho, which is a traditional Dominican stew. It has a mix of root vegetables like yucca, plantain, pumpkin, corn, and its in a meaty broth made from pork, chicken and
beef. It’s served with white rice and sliced avocado. This dish would definitely not fly with the vegan or vegetarian communities, but it’s so good I recommend you try it next time you come across it.
Q
: What is the craziest meal or snack you’ve ever tried?
A
: The craziest meal I’ve ever had, was the infamous taco pizza from Tony Boloney's in Hoboken. It’s only available on Tuesdays (#TacoTuesday) and it costs $85. Here is the description from Tony Boloney’s: The Taco Pizza begins with our secret 120 year old great- great- greatgrandmother's six hour Jewish brisket turned carne asada chipotle sauce, hand pulled queso Oaxaca Mexican string cheese & a sh#tload of tacos (18 on our XL or 24 on our slice pie) piled on and finished off w/ guac, pickled jalapeno crema & esquites.I took my mom and my cousin with me, and met up with three other friends from Jersey just so we could this pizza. It has so far been the most epic food experience I’ve had and it has the most likes on my food blog.
Q
: How do you see your foodie blog growing?
A
: I want my food blog to grow and be a go-to page when you want to look for something to eat. One of my inspirations for creating my food blog is the page @DevourPower, which is run by a couple who makes a living off posting what they eat, and @CheatDayEats. If I could make money and support myself by traveling the world, eating food and posting it on Instagram, I’d
be pretty content. But for now, my focus for the page is to grow it organically without fake followers, get it to over 1,000 at least before I graduate, and make it a fun learning experience for myself. I try to set small goals for my page because I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself, and I’m not yet at a place where restaurants will give me free meals in exchange for a feature on my Instagram blog. My food blog has also opened me to the idea of possibly pursuing a career as a public relations professional in the food and beverage industry.
BAO BUNS FROM FLIP SIGI IN N.Y.C.
Q
: Is there a way for others to get involved with your food adventure?
A
: The best way to get involved with my food adventure would be to follow my food page on Instagram @FoodForSab. I also encourage people to use my hashtag #FoodForSab and tag me in their food posts so that we can all share and experience each other's food journeys. I am thinking of starting to repost other pages/posts on my IG Stories or even dedicating an entire post to another food page, like a shout out, to grow the sense of community on my page. I mainly want to encourage others to go out of their comfort zones and eat new foods and experience new flavors that they normally wouldn’t seek out. For example, I drove an hour to Allentown’s Vegan Festival and I tried a vegan hot dog and vegan korean BBQ, and previously to that the closest I had gotten to eating vegan or plant based was a salad. So, I think the best thing you can do is break away from your norm and try new things.
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BANANARAMA’S VEGAN ICE CREAM IN BETHLEHEM
TACO PIZZA FROM TONY BALONEY’S IN HOBOKEN
BANHKOK ICED TEA FROM THAI THANI IN STROUDSBURG
SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS MAJOR CHRISTINA BRANNON AT INDRALOCA WITH GOATS MADDIE AND VANNA
VOICE FOR THE VOICELESS
Founder and President of the Compassion for Animals club incorporates compassion for animals in all aspects of her daily life. BY CHRISTINA BRANNON My high school experience was most comparable to walking on a tightrope while wearing clown shoes. I was always a little too opinionated concerning things I was passionate about and always too much of a non-conformist to the mold that some of my peers desperately tried to force me into. I stood out, but not in the cool millennial way where individuality is empowering and celebrated. Since I attended the alternative universe and twilight zone that is Catholic high school, standing out was the big red target over my face, signaling “open season” to those who could not bear to see me being “me.” Now, as a pink-haired “take me as I am” status-quo anarchist, I look back at these high school trifles and laugh. Twenty-year-old me loves to stand out and is totally cool with not fitting into whatever cookie-cutter is all the rage at the moment. However, I understand why my 16-year-old self was distraught at the seemingly endless bullying that I became accustomed to. I was just beginning to form my identity and everywhere I turned there seemed to be a keyboard warrior with an iPhone ready to call me mean names on Twitter. Of course, I thought that there had to be something wrong with me. I felt voiceless and alone. It felt odd that a building where Jesus, Prince of Peace, hangs on all of the walls, was actually my very personal brand of hell. It seemed like everyday was worse than the last, and the incessant hate coming from my bullies felt never-ending. After one particularly rough day of bullying before Homecoming, I realized a decision had to be made; Would I let the hatred shown to me make me hateful, or would I change my fate with love? I felt like a part of my spirit had been broken, and I thought that my redemption could come from ensuring that no one would ever be made to feel the way I did. Even if I could have a little part in helping one person not getting to the rock-bottom place where I once dwelled, I would feel like my suffering had served an essential purpose. I decided that, through conscious and continuous acts of unconditional kind-
ness, my mission would be making everyone feel loved. We don’t always know what others are going through, and sometimes a simple act of kindness can be a life-jacket in tsunami-like waves of hate. I wanted to be a voice for those who felt voiceless. And after more intense soul-searching, I felt I would be a hypocrite if I limited my circle of compassion to merely those of homo sapiens status. I mean, after all, who is more voiceless than an animal who literally cannot use their voice box to articulate how they feel? I began to immerse myself in volunteer opportunities with sanctuaries and shelters, and soon I found true solace and happiness within caring for these animals in need. I quickly became friends with the animals I cared for and heading to the sanctuary became the highlight of my week. My heart needed healing, their hearts needing healing, and we were more than willing to comfort one another. Even though I was supposed to be the one providing therapy and comfort to the animals, I actually was the one receiving the much-needed love from these gentle and sweet creatures. I’m no scientist, but I would definitely consider this the most fulfilling symbiotic relationship. One of my best friends was a goat. Her name was Maddie, and we met at Indraloka Animal Sanctuary in 2015 when she was rescued from the life of abuse that was hidden under the guise of “humane farming.” I remember seeing her hobble weakly around the barn, getting used to her new home free from the suffering she was cruelly subjected to. She had arthritis and a swollen belly, from the years that she was forced to breed, only to have her babies taken away to be killed for food. Her feet could barely hold her up anymore, but she had an undeniably light in her eyes that said, “I’m still here, I’m not giving up.” Over our time spent together, we created a special bond. She loved my Indie music and would always sit by me when I played it for her. Her purest smile would be on full dis-
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play when I brought her banana peels and gave her unlimited hugs and kisses. I would tell her about my day and I could tell by her head snuggled in my lap that she was listening and that she understood. Honestly, she understood me better than most people. This was probably because we both knew what it felt like to be hopeless, yet we knew we had to forge forward with love anyway, because isn’t that what life’s all about? She, during her years in the farmas I going to ing industry, was labeled. She wasn’t Maddie. let my high She was simply referred school bullies to as “grass-fed,” “pasture-raised,” or “cage- have a victory over me? free.” Her dignity and in- Or was I going to rise up dividuality was stripped above my insecurities away with these names embedded from high that denied her basic school and fight for empathy. I realized we were alike in this sense. the dignity of these Those who disliked me creatures’ lives? wanted to erase my identity, and for a while I felt silenced with no purpose. But, together, Maddie and I rose above these labels and sought the life of love we always dreamed of. As her smile started to brighten and the years of pain she endured washed away through the peace she found at Indraloka, I realized my smile had emerged again as well. Truly, I credit my finding of this happiness all to Maddie. Learning about all she had been through and seeing her still be able to trust and love humans made me want to be better: more like her. And even more so, it made me want to fight for justice for all animals, who, like Maddie, deserve unconditional love and freedom from suffering. So, an animal advocate (not a star) was born. Animal advocacy is something so intrinsic to my identity now that it carries over into all aspects of my life. Because, caring for animals is so much more than just that, it is a stance against injustice toward those who are helpless. And I think we can all agree that our world really needs that right now. Even when you perform the simple act of kindness of bringing that spider that found its way into your dorm room outside instead of squishing it with the nearest newspaper, you’re making a stance on the dignity of life in all of its beautiful forms. The first major move I made on campus was founding Scranton’s first animal advocacy club, Compassion for Animals. As a first year who barely could find her classes without asking for help, this seemed like a difficult feat, to stand in front of the school senate and petition for something I was so fiercely passionate about. After all, I had spent four years in high school being pressured into silence. But I had to find my voice again and speak up for those who could not speak. Was I going to let my insecurities be the barrier that stopped me from standing up for the innocent creatures who are harmed on the daily because their lives are considered “not as valuable” as our own? Was I going to let my high school bullies have a victory over me? Or was I going to rise up above my insecurities embedded from high school and fight for the dignity of these creatures’ lives?
Long story short, I woman-ed up, took that risk, faced my fears and founded this club that now boasts a membership list of over 100. Through our volunteer and service events, we promote a compassionate and empathetic lifestyle that values equality for all creatures. Every day I try to be a little kinder than I have to be, I try to give a little more love than I have to and I try to look for little opportunities to interject some joy that might not have been there before. But, I don’t credit myself for this lifestyle. My lifestyle is simply an emulation of the wonderful animals I care for. They have taught me what true kindness is. Because of them I follow the mantra of “ahimsa,” the Hindu belief of universal benevolence, or, in layman’s terms, the belief in causing no harm to any creature and living with an unconditional compassion. Don’t believe me? Tell me one dog you’ve met that doesn’t just ooze this kind of love. I bet you can’t. And the even more awe-inspiring thing is that when you open up your own circle of compassion to all kinds of animals, not just our domesticated friends, you’ll come to see that the creatures we share this earth with have much to teach us about loving one another. We all deserve happiness. We all deserve a life free from suffering. The life of a caterpillar is no less precious than your own, and the life of a pig is no less treasured than the life of your beloved family pet. We are all equal in our desire to love and be loved. And the best part is that we all have the power to replace hatred with love through even the smallest acts of kindness. When we reclaim our power and find our voice, we can shake up the world for the better. Just think, a simple smile can change someone’s day for the better. A compliment can give someone a killer shot of endorphins. A helping hand or an understanding ear can be a lighthouse in a storm for someone who feels alone. I am so grateful for my high school struggle. I am so grateful for those who tried to silence me. Because of them I found my voice and I found my power; the power of love that can never be concealed or stripped away. I feel blessed to be a voice for the voiceless.
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RUPERT THE COW FROM INDRALOKA ANIMAL SANCTUARY// PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHRISTINA BRANNON
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JOY FOR OPEN EARS The world of music at The University may be hidden to some, but is a source of great enjoyment to all who have found it
BY DOMINICK M. MELARA The University of Scranton does not have a music major. When students talk about Scranton, the music program might not be the first thing to come up. However, there is something special happening within the lower level of the HoulihanMcLean center. On any given evening you can hear Scranton students embracing their love for music. Whether it’s choir, concert band, jazz band or orchestra, there is an undeniable joy involved with being a member of performance music. Despite not being the biggest program in the area, Scranton music is still able to put on multiple shows throughout the academic school year and have the ability to work with incredibly talented guest artists from all over. With few rehearsals scheduled during the week for each group some might think that would translate to shorter concerts, or songs with little musical rigor. This could not be farther from the truth. Performance music shows feature a wide range of
rigorous songs, and various musical styles. The final product is a truly special concert brought forth by the effort and talent of Scranton students. At the center is Performance Music Director Cheryl Boga. Having been at the helm for over 37 years now she still feels an innate sense of joy working with Scranton students. I recently sat down with Boga to talk about music here on campus. I felt the best place to begin the interview was by talking to Boga about how this year of performance music has gone so far. The first thing she mentioned was how right off the bat the students involved in choir and band had to learn half a semester's worth of music in time for the inauguration of the Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J. “It was a huge challenge on top of the usual rigor of our weekly rehearsal time. That amount of music in that short of a time was no small feat, but this group prevailed through it. They made it work and it turned out great.” Boga said.
To accomplish such a difficult challenge the current group of singers and musicians had to be up to the task. Boga explained that she does manage a lot, but it is The University students that define the music program. “There was a real sense of adventure among this group. After I explained the deadline for the inauguration I was not met with questions and nervousness, but rather a willingness to get the job done and do it well,” Boga said. “They showed great spirit in such a difficult situation.” Boga explained how that same spirit has carried over into the new season and has directly resulted in some great concerts. “If a student were to attend a concert put on by the music program, they should expect to see the product of the hard work and commitment put in by their fellow peers. You can hear it in their performance. They all have a deep love for music.” Boga said. When asked what she wanted students on campus to know about performance music, Boga’s answer was simple. “They should be in it. If you have a love for music, you don’t need the talent. Our goal is to spread the joy of music to just about anyone who will listen, and we’ll give them one heck of a show,” Boga said.
STUDENT IN UNIVERSITY CHOIR WARM UP BEFORE REHEARSAL FOR THE 51ST ANNUAL NOEL NIGHT, LED BY SEAN BATZEL
Intercession 2019 Grant Winners Dr. Maureen Carroll Geometry in Motion Dr. Will Cohen Aarhus 1964 and the Dialogue between Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Christians Eleni Gousgounis Why do new futures contracts succeed or fail? The case of the FTSE Emerging Index Futures (EMF) contract Dr. Christian Haw The Development of an Institutional Memorandum Toward Proposing a Prison Education Initiative, entailing an Associate’s and eventual Bachelor’s Degree, through The University of Scranton Dr. Hengameh Hosseini Misinformation in Youtube Videos about Sarcopenia and Frailty in Older Americans: Content and Network Analysis Dr. Andrew LaZella Status-Nominalism and The Problem of Universals Dr. Mohammad Maktoomi Dual-Band RF Energy Harvesting Circuit for IOTs Dr. Sufyan Mohammed The Evolution of Social Media Use by Corporate India over the Past Decade: How the Top 500 Companies in India Utilize Digital & Social Media for Customer Relationship Management (CRM) & Media Relations Dr. Masood Otarod Factorization model: Dimensionally reduced dispersion model for the performance assessment of packed catalytic reactors Dr. Ann Pang-White Knowledge, Virtue, and Akrasia in Early Confucian Ethics Dr. Janice Voltzow Structure and Function of Abalone, Delicious, and Beautiful Snails
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Lauren Gallagher MANAGING EDITOR Samantha Calderone GRAPHIC DESIGN Colleen Boyle SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Laura Freedman PHOTOGRAPHY Lasha Basadzishvili EDITORIAL TEAM Dominick M. Melara Liam Shea Jillian Wall CONTRIBUTORS Christina Brannon Sabrina Olivio Kristýna Reid
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LOOKING TO JOIN THE AQUINAS? EMAIL OUR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF LAUREN GALLAGHER : LAUREN.GALLAGHER@SCRANTON.EDU