april 15 unews

The University News A Student Voice of Saint Louis University Since 1921

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Thursday, April 15, 2010

First copy, free. Each additional copy, $1.00.

Vol. LXXXIX No. 24

Xavier attack Financial was ‘brutal’ agenda sparks Victim was washing her hands SGA marathon when a man attacked from behind shock over what had transEditor-in-Chief pired.

“I want to make sure peoA suspect is still at large ple know this was a brutal and after attacking a female stu- life-threatening attack,” she dent in the second floor wom- said. “The email DPS sent out en’s bathroom in Xavier Hall significantly downplays the on April 12 at around 7 p.m. severity of what happened to Though an alert was sent to me on Monday evening.”

A call to Lauer Wednesday the Saint Louis University community the next day, the evening for comment about victim said that it downplays this new development was not how severe the assault actu- returned.

“There was a significant ally was.

The victim was washing struggle and thankfully I was able to her hands react and at the sink get myself when a man out of the emerged from situation,” a stall behind The email DPS said. her dressed sent out significantly she “The most in maroon downplays the important robes and a thing is I hat with a veil severity of what am safe, obscuring happened to me on but I want his face. The ever yone man allegedly Monday evening. in the grabbed her SLU comby the neck —Victim (anonymous) munity to and threw be aware her on the of this and ground. Upon the victim’s screams, the man take their own safety very seriously. This cannot happen to ran out of the bathroom.

This is the information con- anyone else.”

One of the victim’s close tained in the email sent to the SLU community by Depart- friends, as mentioned earlier ment of Public Safety, which in the article, was working was sent April 13 at 2:50 p.m. down the hall in the Xavier Director of Public Safety Mike Media Collaboration Center Lauer said the delay in notify- at the time of the incident. ing students was due to the She said the incident “refact that initial investigations ally hit home” since she often were done both the evening works in Xavier at times when of April 12 and day of April it seems like no one else is 13, and that they had re-inter- around.

“Personally, I’ve never viewed the victim and wanted to make sure their facts were been afraid to be at school, straight before sending out but these few days have been really tense,” she said. the alert.

She said it was scary to What wasn’t included in the email, though, was that, think that you could be in a according to a report by school building and yet have KSDK and a close friend of to be worrying about attacks the victim, after the suspect like this.

The official police report knocked her to the ground, he allegedly told her not to describes the suspect as bemake any noise or tell anyone ing a male, approximately 5 foot, 8 inches, and about 140 or he’d kill her.

In an email statement, the pounds. Investigations are victim said she was still in still ongoing.

By KAT PATKE

“

”

Funding meeting doled out more than $840,000

By KELLEY DUNN, SEAN WORLEY, JONATHAN ERNST and KRISTEN MIANO

After weeks of meetings and long nights of discussion, the Student Government Association’s Finance Committee released the Chartered Student Organization budgets for the 2010-2011 academic year. Not every CSO, however, was pleased with its allotted funding, which led to 15 appeals.

The first group to appeal was Great Issues Committee.

The committee requested an extra $1,000 for funding that the group would use to host a meal with the speaker.

Newly appointed Financial Vice President Tim Janczewski said that the funds were cut because the dinner was classified as an “internal social event,” and the funds were cut for similar events for all

CSOs. GIC Chair-elect Colin Shevlin said that, because the dinner is often in the contract of the speaker, it should be viewed as a cost of putting on the event, rather than an internal social event.

No one amended the bill, so GIC did not get the extra funds.

The next group to go for funding was SLU-TV, which was requesting more money to fund a new server, a new camera, three flip cameras to loan out to students, a Macbook Pro laptop to replace two older computers, memory chip readers and memory cards.

The first amendment was to raise the group’s funding to include all of the new requests, with the exception of the new server and power supply. That amendment was voted down by two votes.

The second amendment

Associate News Editor

and SEAN WORLEY Associate News Editor

At its April meeting, the Faculty Council of the College of Arts and Sciences passed a change to the Cultural Diversity requirement. Starting in the fall of 2011, one core component will become two new requirements: Cultural Diversity in the U.S. and Global Citizenship.

“Arts and Sciences in 1995 required a course in cultural diversity,” College of Arts and Sciences Dean Donald Brennan said. “The intention was to raise awareness of other cultures, but it was very broad and had over 100 courses approved.”

Brennan felt that many of the courses didn’t deal with issues of diversity effectively, so last fall he created a committee to create a new requirement.

The first new requirement, Cultural Diversity in the U.S., is designed to address diversity issues within our own country. Courses that fulfill this re-

quirement will include those that focus on issues of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, economic class, age, mental disorders and sexual orientation. These courses will analyze diversity conflicts, questions of diversity in relation to justice and equality, and will prepare students to be leaders in a diverse society.

The other new component, Global Citizenship, deals with issues of social justice in the global community. Courses that will fulfill this requirement will provide students with the skills needed to be aware of and understand the problems in the world today, and to address cultural diversity issues outside the United States.

“It’s good to have courses that will actually talk about the issues, as opposed to being a requirement that students can just check off,” Student Government Association President Michael Harriss said.

In addition to the reformation of the core requirements, a new major and certificate program is being added to

was to raise the funding to include the flip cameras, memory chip readers and memory cards, which failed by one vote.

Ultimately, the group was awarded extra money for the new laptop, in addition to the funds Finance Committee allocated to it.

Appealed CSO Budgets, Post Appeals Great Issues Committee: $134,000 Habitat for Humanity: $7,985 Asian American Association $4,649.37 Hindu Students Community: $6,250 Commuter Student Alliance: $1,665 Rainbow Alliance: $7,030 SLU Karate: $160 ISF: $14,993 APO: $9,525 Psi Chi: $2,500 KSLU: $5,765 SLU-TV: $8,635 BSA: $31,450 Una: $13,150

The amendment to give SLU-TV an additional $700 for new cameras failed with only 16 senators in favor.

In the end, SLU-TV’s appeal ended with the group being given $8,635.

Next was KSLU’s appeal.

The radio station wanted additional money to cover the costs of a new CD rack, payment for training and broadcasting with KDHX radio station, and payment for the costs of its annual trip to Manhattan for a radio broadcasting conference.

Janczewski said that SGA could not fund the request for more money for the conference because of the recently instated guideline that no CSO would be allotted more than $2,500 for conference trips.

Christan Skoch, one of the directors of KSLU, pointed out that they had not been notified of this guideline until a week after the budget was due.

“This is vital to KSLU,” Skoch said. “We have gone to this conference for the last 14 years. Students cover part of See “Funding” on Page 3

A&S core requirements revamped

By KRISTEN MIANO

Noah Berman / Photo Editor

Leaders of SLU-TV (from left) Steve Massey, Matt Wesselschmidt and David Koeller look on as SGA debates about the fate of their budget appeal.

Arts and Sciences. An African-Americans Studies major is up for review, and a new Latino Studies certificate is being made available.

The push to make AfricanAmerican studies a major is being headed by Karla Scott, director of the African-American studies program.

“The reason to initiate a major was because there was a gap in the curriculum,” Scott said. “It needs to reflect the reality of the world.”

Scott believes that the administration and students feel it is time for this major, due to an increase in interest on campus.

The Latino Studies certificate, created by Joel Jennings, a professor of sociology, is being created amid similar feelings that such a program is needed in this diverse world.

“We’re very excited to have it,” Jennings said. “A primary reason we’re pursuing this certificate is to promote diversity. We want to create an intellectual home for Latino students.”

The approval of these new additions arrived in the wake

of recent calls by the student body for the administration to take more action in regards to diversity issues on campus.

Sarah Holland, a graduate student in the School of Social Work and a leader in Students for Social Justice, thinks that these changes help to promote the Jesuit mission of the University.

“We thought these improvements were important because they would reach out and help students learn about diversity,” Holland said. “This is a good step in the right direction. For Dean Brennan to listen to the students about why this is important is crucial.”

While Harriss notes that this process had been going on for more than a year prior to the flurry of students’ outcries, he agrees that these changes couldn’t be coming at a better time.

“I think the changes are great,” Harriss said. “They’re a really bold response to what’s been going on on campus recently, and it’s happenSee “Core” on Page 3

UNews takes top title

By ERIKA MILLER Contributor

The University News was recognized as Best in State by the Missouri College Media Association this past weekend in Lee’s Summit, Mo., a title it has not held for 20 years.

Sixteen staff members also received individual awards at the MCMA conference held April 9-10.

The paper received first place in its division, Division 1, which includes schools such as University of Missouri, Washington University in St. Louis, University of Missouri-St. Louis, University of Missouri-Kansas City and Missouri State, among others. Best in State is decided based on a comparison of the first-place winners from each of the four different divisions of college newspapers.

Winning the Best in State award is external “validation for a staff that works really hard. They are all full-time students, on top of putting together [a newspaper] each week,” Editor-in-Chief Kat Patke said.

Three full issues of The

UNews from the 2009 calendar year were submitted in consideration for this award.

These issues are judged on the layout, news stories, strength of writing, student and community interest, and several other factors.

The Best in State win could be a starting point for earning national awards, according to Newspaper Production Coordinator Jason Young, who said that the staff is more than capable of earning such awards.

These awards reflect how far The UNews staff has come in the past few years, Young said.

“The students have rebuilt this organization into a quality program that the staff and the Saint Louis University community can and should be proud of,” he said.

Staff members won individual awards in the categories of News Writing; Investigative Reporting; In-Depth Reporting; Regular Column; News, Feature and Sports Photography; Entertainment Review; Sports Writing; Sports Column; Editorials; and Special Section.

This week in The University News »

News »

2

This junior dabbles in theatre and was on a Nickolodeon game show.

Opinion »

5

This week’s grab-bag of topics: biotech, culture, sex, God and careers. Enjoy.

Arts »

7

Ohmigod, you guys: “Legally Blonde” returns to The Fox Theatre this weekend.

Sports »

9

SLU’s soccer team is working on its 13th player.

2

News

The University News

Let Us Introduce You

James Canfield

Junior will dance in France, couldn’t beat ‘Legends of the Hidden Temple’ guards

Noah Berman /Associate Photo Editor

Junior James Canfield hones his acting chops from on high; he spends his spare time acting, dancing and reliving his stint on Nickelodeon’s “Legends of the Hidden Temple.”

By NIHARIKA GOPARAJU Contributor

On Saint Louis University’s campus, if you hear the word “Cougar,” it can be traced back to one person: James Cougar Canfield.

Yes, his acquired middle name is “Cougar.”

It started off as a joke with his friends, and then people started calling him “Cougs.”

But he didn’t think it was serious until he was at an audition at St. Louis Professional Theatre and someone said, “You’re James Cougar Canfield, right?”

The name suits him perfectly, as he is quite fierce when it comes to doing the things he loves, especially theatre.

Canfield, a junior, is currently in the process of attaining a Bachelor of the Arts in Theatre with a certificate in Drama Studies.

He is an actor, singer and dancer, and has done more than 20 shows with professional theatre companies. Some of the companies he has worked with are The Alley Theatre, St. Louis Shakespeare, Hot City Theatre and Saint Louis

University Theatre.

“As a kid, I always wanted to be an actor when I grew up,” Canfield said. “I started pursuing this in the fourth grade. I was originally a writer for this 30-minute show, and when an actor bailed out, I got to take his spot in his show. And since then, I haven’t stopped acting.”

When Canfield came to SLU as a freshman, he continued to act, sing and dance. As a freshman, he got a role in a play among all seniors, and he says that’s when he had a defining moment about his career.

“There was this moment at the end of the show when I was on the big note and I had this feeling of, ‘Wow, this is what I want my life to be like.’

This is it,” he said.

Canfield says that to learn about theatre, you have to know about every individual element. That’s why Canfield said that he is studying dance this summer through Washington University in St. Louis’ “Made in France” Program.

This program allows Canfield to research dance in Paris for the first half of the

month, and for the second half he will showcase dance in the French countryside.

“I love theatre. It is such a powerful art form, it is the only thing that is living; you are creating this whole world in front of people, you can affect them, and even make them cry. It’s such a good feeling,” Canfield said.

In 10 years, Canfield said that he really wants to be in New York, doing Broadway or different types of performances in different kinds of theatre.

“You really have to take initiative when it comes to theatre. That’s my advice to all the youth. Just go for it, ignore every con and put yourself out there,” Canfield said.

In his free time, Canfield loves to explore SLU’s campus, hang out with his friends and do service.

When asked for a random fact about himself, he had plenty to offer.

“Well, when I was nine, my sister and I filled out this form, took a test and made it to round one of Legends of Hidden Temple. That was very cool,” he said.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

News

Thursday, April 15, 2010

SGA: Senate debates CSO budgets until 2:30 a.m.

Continued from Page 1

the costs on top of the funding.”

After some deliberation about how to cut the costs of a conference in Manhattan and the value of the conference, the Senate voted to give KSLU $5,765.

Up next was the appeal for Rainbow Alliance.

RA was up to try to get more funding for various things, including the All Of Us Campaign poster event, more decorating money for HomOcoming and $1,000 for a Safe Zone training retreat.

“One of the goals of the All of Us Campaign is to act as encouragement for those not out to come out,” Thomas Bloom, RA’s president-elect, said. “The additional costs will make the posters more prominent.”

In the end, the vote tally gave RA the extra $250 it needed, raising the budget to $7,030.

Finally, SGA looked at the issue of the Safe Zone Training Retreat.

The Senate voted to give RA the extra $1,000, leaving the final amount at $8,060.

The next group up for appeal was the SLU Karate Club, which was awarded an extra $80 after its proposal for pine wood boards was denied.

Psi Chi, the National Honor Society for Psychology majors, presented its appeal for an extra $300 to fund undergraduate psychology research. Psi Chi’s appeal was not passed, and it received the original $2,500 for annual funding.

Next, the Hindu Students Community was then awarded an extra $800 to provide lunch for Gandhi Service Day. Janczewski quickly shot down the appeal.

The group was awarded $6,250 after the amendment was passed.

After a short two-minute stretch, the International Student Federation was allocated $1,030 for more transportation of international students around St. Louis.

The Annual Funding meeting for SGA continued with an appeal made by Una. The feminism-based CSO made appeals for funds to be allocated for poster production costs, production of sexual assault emergency cards, event programming costs, two speakers and one conference.

“Sometimes Una doesn’t want to be viewed as the angry feminist on campus,” member Lauren Araujo said.

The funding appeal for the event was focused on offering free massages for SLU students.

SGA presented four amendments to the CSO’s appeal.

All but one failed. The group ended up being allocated an extra $75 for the production of sexual assault emergency cards.

Una ended up receiving slightly more than $1,000 less than its previous year’s budget.

The Asian-American Association also appealed its annual funding recommendation and was successful in arguing for an additional $1,040.57.

This amount will be put toward travel costs for students to attend the annual Midwestern Asian-American Student Union Conference.

The service oriented CSO Alpha Phi Omega appealed its annual funding recommendation, and easily won after its request for $658 in travel costs was deemed a “friendly” amendment by Janczewski.

There were three amendments proposing more money for Black Student Alliance, all of which failed, though Morr encouraged the group to appeal at next week’s meeting, when more senators would be in attendance.

The final group of the night, capping the nine-anda-half-hour long meeting, was Habitat for Humanity.

The group wanted money for a conference that Finance Committee didn’t see as a “specific need” for the group.

Morr amended the funding that the group would ultimately receive to include $2,500—enough funds needed for the conference—which passed, ending the meeting at 2:30 a.m.

Core: SLU changes diversity requirement Continued from Page 1

ing at a good time.”

Core Cur riculum Committee Chair Ellen Carnaghan agrees.

“We’re hoping that faculty can adapt existing courses or create new courses on their own,” Carnaghan said.

Carnaghan expressed that the two newly added requirements will be able to be fulfilled by existing courses, but in the March before the changes are officially put into place, a course availability evaluation will take place.

The evaluation will determine if there are enough courses available to feasibly fulfill the new requirements.

“In the long run, it may be needed to hire new faculty whose main interest is [the diversity curriculum],” Carnaghan said. “But before

that occurs, the March evaluation will take place.”

Carnaghan did state that there are currently enough courses to fill the upcoming requirements, and the requirements can ser ve “double-duty” in the sense of cross-listing courses.

She said that this should help alleviate the possible stress on students in completing the core requirements that are already in place for students in the College of Arts and Sciences.

“If there are enough courses, it doesn’t really add to the course load,” Carnaghan said.

Carnaghan stated that if students are aware of what courses are available and strategically plan their schedules, she doesn’t foresee any new stress to the students’ core requirements.

The University News

Wilder speaks on diversity

Andrea Webber/Photographer

L. Douglas Wilder, the first elected African-American governor, spoke on April 12. For full coverage, including exclusive quotes, check out unewsonline.com.

3

Opinion

4 Thursday April 15, 2010

Talk to us: call Roberta Singer 314.977.2812, or e-mail oped.unews@gmail.com UNEWSONLINE.COM

The University News

Quotes

Quotes

of the week

of the week

“

“

I really like American audiences because they seem to like lots of different kinds of music and they dance a lot… I don’t like an audience who just sits there… I want them up and dancing.

I love theatre. It is such a powerful art form, it is the only thing that is living; you are creating this whole world in front of people, you can affect them, and even make them cr y. It’s such a good feeling.

”

-- James Cougar Canfield, student actor

See Page 2.

“

This is a good step in the right direction. For Dean Brennan to listen to the students about why this is important is crucial.”

-- Sarah Holland, about the changes to the College of Arts & Sciences core.

”

See Page 1.

Web Poll: Posted below are the results from the last issue’s web poll on The University News’ website. Be sure to check our website this week for our next exciting poll: What alternative form of transportation will you be using to get around St. Louis this spring? www.unewsonline.com

If you could create a new major, what would it be?

11 percent: Animorphology: the study of changing into animals.

44 percent: Media studies: Watching videos on YouTube and Hulu. For education, of course.

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20

30

40

Rachel Mezinis/Illustrator

Editorials Editorials are opinion pieces written by the Editorial Board of The University News.

The unsigned editorials printed in this space represent the opinion of The University News. Commentaries and Letters to the Editor represent the opinions of the signed authors but do not necessarily represent the opinions of The University News.

New global diversity requirement bolsters cross-cultural understanding Maybe it would seem like our generation would be culturally aware; after all, we laugh at Gabriel Iglesias and Tracy Morgan, we grew up with multiracial cartoon characters and we elected a black president, for goodness sake. Yet when it comes down to it, some of us remain remarkably sheltered and still remarkably racist, as evidenced by the recent events at Saint Louis University.

That is why it is so necessary, and so timely, that the Department of Arts and Sciences has created new requirements to increase students’ cultural awareness. Up until now, we had a loose “diversity” requirement, which could be fulfilled by taking a single anthropology or sociology class. With the freshman class of 2011, however, the department will mandate two classes from specific genres: Cultural Diversity in the U.S. and Global Citizenship.

This is partly in response to demands

from student groups like Students for Social Justice, who want to create more cross-cultural understanding among the student body by diversifying the coursework. Although this new requirement won’t transform the University overnight, it is still a small change toward better educating the population, one that needs to happen because people rarely change their opinions on their own; it would seem that the only way to instigate real social change would be to require them to sit in classrooms and listen.

But the University can only show us that global awareness is a priority. From there, it is up to us. We can blow it off, we can sleep and we can go home and continue to laugh at non-white comedians and consider ourselves worldly. Or, we can try our best to understand the new material offered to us and to use it to further our understanding and tolerance.

Recently, a number of violent incidents victim and then type it up in an email. Send have taken place on our campus, from armed us later updates, if need be, as the investimuggings in the alleyway behind Iggy’s to an gations progress. We have a right to know assault in a women’s bathroom. so we can be on the lookout ourselves.

There’s no doubt that living in an urban Not only that, when reporting a crime on campus in Midtown St. Louis comes with its campus, we want to know all the details, share of risks. In attending a University in an particularly if there was a threat against a urban environment, each student, whether student’s life. he or she realizes it, accepts the fact that it In addition, in January, DPS notified stucomes with elevated crime statistics. dents of one mugging, but then neglected This much, we realize and accept. With to send out another that, we have to take email about a second into account that that mugging. Under their also makes it a more difreasoning, since the ficult job for our secuhad been So we have to wonder, suspect rity personnel here at apprehended, there Saint Louis University, how many armed robberies was no threat to the who do their best to and so or other crimes have been community keep students safe, but students didn’t need simply can’t be present taking place right outside to know. everywhere, 24 hours we have to wonour doors ... with none of us der,Sohow a day. many armed However, we do take robberies or other any the wiser? issue with the notificacrimes have been taktion system. ing place right outside If a student has our doors all these been attacked in Xavier Hall, we want to years with none of us any the wiser, simply know about it when it happens, not 20 hours because DPS felt that catching the suspect after the fact, as was the case this week. As negates our need to know? a newspaper, we appreciate a need to check Ignorance may be bliss, as the saying facts. But when there are still students in goes. Yet we’d still rather know what’s hapthe building when it happens and potentially pening around our campus when it happens other students who could cross paths with around our campus, regardless of whether the suspect in the meantime, we have a right the suspects have been apprehended, and to know something has happened as soon as regardless of whether the details might be Department of Public Safety can talk to the unpleasant to our not-so-young ears.

“

22 percent: An actual degree in being undecided

50

percent of the vote

“Freedom of the press—print, online and broadcast—is a basic right in a democratic society and is valuable in promoting the development of students as socially responsible persons ... The University News is a student voice, not the student voice. The views of The University News are the expressions of the students involved ... If [The University News] can represent a point of view around which discussion may develop, it serves a legitimate and needed purpose.”

From The University News’ Charter The University News is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press, the Student Press Law Center, the College Media Advisers and the Missouri College Media Association, a division of the Missouri Press Association.

”

See Page 7.

Bliss from ignorance is overrated

22 percent: Paranormal Investigation certification.

Who you gonna call?

0

-- Vieux Farka Touré, singer/ guitarist from Mali, who will be performing at The Billiken Club.

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editor-in-chief KAT PATKE eic.unews@gmail.com News Editors KELLEY DUNN Jonathan Ernst Assoc. News Editors Sean Worley Kristen Miano slunews@gmail.com op/ed editor ROBERTA SINGER oped.unews@gmail.com

Arts editor Will Holston Assoc. Arts editor Ashley Jones arts.unews@gmail.com Sports editor BOBBY SCHINDLER sports.unews@gmail.com photo editor Noah Berman photo.unews@gmail.com

“

The email DPS sent out significantly downplays the severity of what happened to me on Monday evening.

-- Anonymous victim of an attack in the second floor bathroom in Xavier Hall.

“

”

See Page 1.

If you have gotten caught up in tr ying to finish all of those papers before their due dates, stop. Go buy yourself a nice iced mocha, sit on a bench and for just a moment remember that you are young, that it’s warm outside and that ver y soon it will be summer.

-- Dorotea Lechkova on all the students who are moving forward into the real world soon.

“

”

See Page 5.

It’s good to have courses that will actually talk about the issues as opposed to being a requirement that students can just check off.

-- SGA President Michael Harriss on the new diversity core requirements.

“

”

See Page 1.

I am anticipating that the students will be really happy with the outcome.

Hopefully they will like how SAB is tr ying something different in order to accommodate what they want to see on campus.

-- SAB President Cara Crowley on the upcoming Spring Fever concert.

”

See Page 7.

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The Editorial Board of The University News recognizes Avis Meyer, Ph.D., as the newspaper’s faculty mentor.

Opinion

Thursday, April 15 2010

The University News

5

Christian vocations should aim for life of love, sacrifice The French The specter of sexual abuse by those who have been entrusted by the People of God has once again reared its ugly head. These scandals rocked the Catholic Church in the United States about eight years ago, and now the churches around the world are feeling the aftershocks of the latest unveiling of accusations and past sins.

For the victims Commentary and the perpetrators of these horrendous crimes, I pray, with a sad heart, for healing and reconciliation. Along with the investigation of how David Moore these atrocities happened and how they should have been prevented or remedied come those people, particularly in the media, who say that celibacy is the root cause.

This assertion of celibacy as the root cause of sexual abuse leads me to ask the question: Do these naysayers of celibacy understand what it is and why many men and women around the world choose this way of life? I would have to say no, they do not understand.

However, I also do not think that many Catholics fully understand the vocation to the celibate life.

When I was 22 years old, as I first embarked seriously on the investigation of my vocation, I attended a discernment retreat held by Diocese of Austin, Texas. In a conversation with the priest leading the retreat, I asked him how it is that an unmarried man can counsel a married couple. He told me that both the priest and the married couple have the same vocation: they are to live a life of sacrificial love.

Now, I am not saying that one should negate the importance of a professional marriage counselor, nor can the priest with this understanding solve all marital issues. The reason why I mention this is that I believe in order to fully understand the celibate vocation, one must fully understand the married vocation, and vice versa. And, given the trend of the increased number of divorces among Catholic marriages, I think that I could say that many Catholics

don’t hate us, after all

Rachel Mezinis/Illustrator

do not fully understand the vocation to marriage, either.

As a teenager I always had the assumption that I would find a woman to marry and we would then have a family together. No one ever told me I had to discern between marriage and celibacy (most often lived as a member of a religious community or a priest), and God would be calling me to choose one over the other. In order to choose one, one has to understand what they are.

How do we come to understand?

We seek the Lord’s guidance and

put His will above all else, not making any assumptions of what we are to do with our lives. St. Ignatius Loyola says that whatever choice we make must be for the praise of God and for the salvation of our soul.

So, I reflect upon my own call to live out my vocation as a Jesuit, the path that I have traveled to get where I am today and the mission God has given me to give myself away for the service of others.

I hope that my efforts to live out my faith and vocation sincerely will help others to get to know Jesus and God’s love for them. I hope that

when all Catholics reflect upon their vocations that they have the same hopes.

Often I hear people at Mass praying for an increase in vocations, which is a most excellent prayer.

I propose that when we pray for vocations, we pray that all men and women are earnestly seeking the Lord’s will in the choice of their vocations: to live a life of sacrificial love.

David Moore is a fifth-year undergraduate in the College of Philosophy and Letters.

Biotechnology won’t solve world crop shortages An article in the March 17 issue of USA Today gives a Spartan rundown of the controversy over genetically modified crops. They Commentary frame it in terms of two opposing sides: Those who suppor t biotech because it increases yields and economically benefits the farmer, and those who Roberta Singer are wary of any type of genetic engineering because it hasn’t stood the test of time and been proven to be completely safe. (These folk are likened to parents who, no matter what, will not get their children vaccinated.)

What the article completely misses, not entirely surprisingly, is the new form of agro-colonization that biotech creates. Large seed companies like Cargill and Monsanto patent all the brands of genetically engineered plants and sell it back not only to farmers in the United States, but to all farmers abroad who want to include their product on the global market. Farmers must buy new seeds every year instead of using their pre-existing seeds for free, and must worry excessively about cross-pollination (and thus illegally creating a new breed of alreadypatented plant).

All autonomy is stripped from the farmer. In her book “Stolen Har vest,” Vendana Shiva writes how biotech companies took bas-

Rachel Mezinis/Illustrator

mati rice seeds from rural Indian farmers, patented it, then forced those same farmers, the original cultivators of the crop, to buy the rice seeds back from them year after year. Many went bankrupt, and something that was a living part of the culture and heritage of the community, not to mention

a major dietary staple, was stolen and renamed under the ethics of capitalism. It’s simple theft.

The entire idea of patenting plants is not only morally offensive but completely unsustainable. It puts all of the power in the hands of the few companies, to which any grower must continually return.

It defeats the entire idea of local innovation as a means to build community and generate revenue in developing countries—if we want people to grow their own food and make their own money, we are undermining them by giving them no choice but to buy from biotech companies if they want to participate in the market.

USA Today mentions none of this. It dwells on how China is shifting the market in favor of biotech as it buys more and more breeds of rice, and on how we will never be able to feed the world without these innovations. Maybe this is true. Maybe we can’t feed the world without genetic engineering.

Is it horrible to say that maybe we shouldn’t? That there just shouldn’t be 10 billion people on the planet?

That’s a weighty statement, because I will not be the one suffering because of it. It will be the people in those developing countries, those who are already star ving and rioting over food shortages.

America and the West will not go hungry for a long time.

Still, it doesn’t seem like biotech is helping starving people. Most of that food still ends up in the hands of Westerners, who continue to get fatter and fatter off it.

Maybe, instead of trying to patent new and improved crops and sell them off, we should focus our priorities on helping people build up their local agricultural infrastructures. That’s a future I’m willing to invest in.

Roberta Singer is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Summer jobs, internships can aid in quest for future career No matter where you are in your schooling, it is important to plan for life after graduation; thus, summer is the perfect time to work Commentary on your future career.

Are you still looking for a job?

If you already have an internship or job, does it provide opportunities to develop transferable Kim Reitter skills? Having a positive attitude and creating an organized plan can make the difference in the timing, success and ultimate positive result of the process.

Consider this question: What kind of job do you want? If you answered “I’ll do anything,” think again. Answering like this indicates

that you haven’t taken the time to clearly identify your career goals.

Instead, the most important thing to do before starting a job search is to identify what career you are targeting.

Consider why you chose the major you did and what gifts you bring to the world. If you could do anything in the world, what would it be? Your answers to these questions can help lead you to a career path and give you a sense of your targeted job.

It can help to see a career counselor. For example, as a senior English major, Aaron worked on and off all semester on the job search, but to no avail. Finally, he saw a career counselor to get some advice, and discovered that he had no idea what he wanted to do. He knew that he liked his major, but he hadn’t thought about how his skills could transfer to a number of

different jobs in dozens of different industries.

By working with a career coun-

“

In addition to the job or internship search... you can talk to people who are actually working in those jobs [you desire].

”

selor, he was able to reflect on and analyze his skills and qualities and come up with a career direction

that focused his job search. Now he is working as a customer service representative with a telecommunications company.

In addition to the job or internship search, there are a number of other things to do over the summer to help you identify your calling. After determining some tentative careers, talk to people who are actually working in those jobs.

Informational interviews can be a great way to see if the job is what you expected, and to see if your interests, skills, values and personality fit into that career. Plus, you will establish a networking contact should you decide to pursue that career in the future.

If you are still unsure about a career utilizing your major, check out Focus 2 at careers.slu.edu.

This computerized career exploration system takes you through some assessments to discover more

When I talk to friends and family at home, they often ask me if I have found the French to be hostile toward Americans.

Commentary Despite the stereotypes of the snobby Americanh a t i n g Frenchman, the French people I have met seem to have a surprisingly posiSara Brouillette tive interest in the United States and American culture.

After telling someone here that I’m an American, I have never received a negative response.

Instead I often hear, “America?

Really? Which state are you from?”

I tell them, “Nebraska, but I study in St. Louis, Mo.,” and while I often receive in response a blank stare totally lacking in comprehension at my not having said “California” or “New York,” I have met a few who know of these obscure areas in the vast American Midwest. For the record, I usually have more luck with St. Louis or Missouri than Nebraska.

Young French people especially seem to have a pretty good understanding of the geography of the U.S. I recently discovered that high school students have to study the American states and their capitols for the Baccalaureate, a large and ver y difficult exam that the French need to pass in order to go to college.

A lot of the students in my university also have a ver y keen knowledge of American politics. I am currently taking a contemporar y religions class, and one of our assignments this semester was to present a 20-minute exposé on a topic of our choice.

Two students gave ver y detailed and accurate presentations on topics dealing with American politics: one on religion in President George W. Bush’s discourses, and the other on religion in President Barack Obama’s discourses.

Granted, a lot of interest in the U.S., at least where young people are concerned, stems from the dominance of our cultural exports: music, movies, television shows, fashion, etc. French kids are just as familiar with the Black Eyed Peas and Lady Gaga, and even groups like the Kings of Leon and Band of Horses, as the average American.

They play American music in their grocer y stores; they blare it from their car stereos and iPods.

At least half of the films showing in theaters here come from Hollywood, and ever y day I see someone walking down the street wearing an Abercrombie shirt or hoodie.

But even more so t han films or fashion, my French friends love American TV. There are ver y few French sitcoms or dramas, so many turn to American shows instead. Some of the most popular ones here I have noticed are House, Friends, How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, Gossip Girl, The Simpsons and Chuck.

I have even stumbled upon French-dubbed episodes of Walker Texas Ranger and MacGyver while channel sur fing on my French TV. I often feel guilty that French people my age know so much more about my culture than I do about theirs. I have learned so much since I arrived in August, but I know there is still a lot more to discover. I am so thankful that I have felt welcome as an American here and have made so many great French friends.

Sara Brouillette is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, studying in Lyon, France

about yourself, identifies majors that fit with your interests, values and skills, and provides information about different careers. Another great resource is the O*Net, which gives information about the economy and the world of work.

That website can be found in the resources section of Focus 2.

Above all, pay careful attention over the summer to your interests, skills and values. As you are going about your day, what brings you joy? What duties or chores do you dread? Remember that Career Services is available throughout the summer to help you figure out your career path. To schedule an appointment, come by Career Services in the Student Success Center, Busch Student Center, Suite 331, or call 314-977-2828. Remember the saying, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life”? Make this the summer that you begin the rest of your life.

Kim Reitter is the Director of the Department of Career Services.

Games

6 Thursday April 15, 2010

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Arts

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7 Thursday April 15, 2010

The University News

Spring Fever set to sweep campus

By KAITLY EDMISTON Contributor

Trevor Traynor

Vieux Farka Touré is the son of renowned Malian guitarist and singer Ali Farka Touré, and will play at the opening ceremony of the 2010 World Cup.

West African sensation comes to SLU

By WILL HOLSTON Arts Editor

Audiences at The Billiken Club are in for a treat.

Vieux Farka Touré, a singer and guitarist from the West African country of Mali, is coming to The Billiken Club on April 17. His latest album, Fondo, was released last year to great acclaim, and he is scheduled to perform at the opening of the 2010 World Cup alongside the Black Eyed Peas, Carlos Santana, Alicia Keys and Shakira.

Touré’s stop at The Billiken Club is part of his current national tour.

“It’s tough. It’s wearing.

It’s stressful. But every night

I get to go on stage, and that’s what performers love to do,” he said.

One of his favorite parts of the tour has been the reaction from American audiences.

“I really like American audiences because they seem to like lots of different kinds of music,” he said. “They dance a lot and jump and scream and jump around … I don’t like an audience who just sits there … I want them up and dancing.”

Touré’s music—a unique blend of reggae, rock, blues and African beats—is as hard to describe to the uninitiated as it sounds, and he isn’t interested in coming up with a classification for it.

“Basically, it’s my music,” Touré said. “There isn’t a way I would define it in a particular way … It’s just my music.

It is distinct, and it is what it is.”

Touré’s musical inspirations are as diverse and wide-ranging as the music he plays.

[I listen to] just about anything you can name: rock and roll, funk … I love it all,” he said. “I listen to everything people my age listen to, despite my name.” (‘Vieux’ means ‘old’ in French.)

Son of renowned African musician Ali Farka Touré, he grew up in a musical environment, a factor that Touré says

shaped his interests.

“It’s a pretty amazing way to grow up because you hear the music all the time. … There was always music being played in the house and there was always radio. … It really forms you,” he said.

Nevertheless, music wasn’t always a certain part of his future.

“Basically, I’ve always, always, always wanted to be a musician … There were three possibilities. I either wanted to be a musician, in the army - which is what my father wanted- or a truck driver,” he said. “I tried the army for a year. It didn’t work out, which left music and truck driver.

Music won.”

Now that he is a working musician, Touré can’t see himself anywhere else.

“I was born in it. I was raised in it. I will probably die in it,” he said.

For more information about Vieux Farka Touré or to hear samples of his music, visit his official website at www. vieuxfarkatoure.com, or his MySpace page at www.myspace.com/vieuxfarkatoure.

The Billiken Club is located on the ground floor of the Busch Student Center in Salsarita’s.

For more information about The Billiken Club’s upcoming schedule of performers, visit thebillikenclub. wordpress.com.

As the weather warms and daylight hours grow longer, Saint Louis University students are beginning to find more reasons to linger outside in their flip flops. Student Activities Board has planned a fun-filled week to kick back with friends and celebrate the splendor of the season.

The annual Spring Fever week kicks off with the much anticipated “Ben Folds and a Piano” concert on Friday, April 16 at Chaifetz Arena.

SAB utilized student surveys and artist availability to determine this year’s Spring Fever performer. This year, instead of taking place at the end of the week, the Spring Fever Concert will serve as the kick-off event.

Ben Folds has been around since the late 1980s, and is known for his piano skills. His concerts usually include audience participation and music that will entertain all types of music fans. Matt Pond PA will open his performance. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the concert begins at 7:30.

SAB President Cara Crowley says the organization tried a new strategy by working with the Chaifetz Arena.

“We partnered with the Arena to try to get a bigger artist than we have had in the past,” Crowley said.

Depending on the outcome and general student satisfaction of the concert, SAB will continue to collaborate with the Arena and attract more popular artists.

Crowley appears optimistic.

“I am anticipating that the students will be really happy with the outcome. Hopefully they will like how SAB is trying something different in order to accommodate what they want to see on campus,” she said.

SAB made a large effort to

See “SAB” on Page 8

Fey, Carell save passable Date Night Two of television’s funniest personalities, Steve Carell (“The Office”) and Tina Fey (“Saturday Night Live” and “30 Rock”), Chief Film Writer are getting to share more than N B C ’ s Thursday n i g h t timeslot in the new comedy Date LANDON BURRIS Night (20th Century Fox).

Directed by Shawn Levy (the Night at the Museum films), Date Night tells the story of the Fosters, a bored married couple living a suburban life in New Jersey. After their friends, the Sullivans, confide in Claire (Fey) and Phil (Carell) about their divorce plans, both Claire and Phil Foster realize that they are headed down the same path. In a spur of the moment decision, the couple decides to spend a romantic evening in Manhattan. When they steal a reservation at a posh restaurant, a case of mistaken identity gets the Fosters involved in a dangerous scandal.

The film’s basic premise and familiar storyline involving crooked cops, a district attorney in league with organized crime, and the righteous detective determined to end corruption, lends itself to plenty of jokes. Essentially, Date Night is a buddy cop movie. However, instead of being cops, the leads are a married couple. Everyone knows what is going to happen; the fun is in getting there.

This is Date Night’s strong point: While the film is noth-

ing special and ultimately forgettable, it is jam-packed full of gags and cameos that make it a worthwhile time at the movies. Carell and Fey play well off of each other, and their comedic timing and delivery turn a potentially disastrous film into something that is ultimately enjoyable. Though they are essentially playing the same roles they always do, Fey and Carell still make it work.

Aside from the notable leads, Date Night also features a string of celebrities in bit-parts that are often hysterical. One of the film’s best moments comes when the Fosters run into the people whose identity they stole: a trashy couple who go by the names Taste and Whippit.

Taste is played by James Franco, pitch-perfect as the presumable drug dealer who fell in love with a stripper, Whippit (Mila Kunis), who is now his girlfriend.

Another great moment comes when the Fosters sneak into a strip club owned by a mob boss (Ray Liotta) and run into District Attorney Frank Crenshaw (William Fichtner, “Prison Break”), a bicurious sex addict who takes a particular liking to both Claire and Phil. The results of this encounter are bizarre but hilarious, and Fichtner easily steals the scene.

Though Date Night is basically forgettable, it provides a brisk 88-minute escape for moviegoers looking for some laughs.

Joan Marcus

Becky Gulsivg plays the unlikely Harvard Law student Elle on tour with “Legally Blonde.”

‘Blonde’ is dumb, still a lot of fun

Myles Aronowitz/Twentieth Century Fox

Tina Fey and Steve Carell play married in Date Night.

“Omigod, you guys!”

“Legally Blonde,” the Broadway musical based on the 20001 film, hit The Fabulous Arts Editor F o x Theatre from April 8-11, and, for a night of lighthearted musical t h e a t e r, there’s litWILL HOLSTON tle to complain about.

The stor y—for those unfamiliar—follows college student Elle Woods as she makes her way to becoming a law student at Harvard Law in an attempt to win back her boyfriend, who thinks she might not be serious enough

to help with his political career. In the process, she has run-ins with a number of characters who—in different ways—show her that she just might have it in her to be a lawyer, after all.

When adapting Hollywood movies to the Broadway stage, there’s always a danger in trying to tweak or cuteup a story so much that it ultimately falls apart. Though some of the book’s tendency to tie up too many threads is to its detriment, the musical’s biggest change—bringing Elle’s sorority sisters into the entirety of the story as a kind of self-described Greek chorus—might actually be a narrative improvement that the musical medium provides.

In the film, the sorority sisters only appeared primar-

ily at the beginning and end of the film, but here their appearance throughout the musical in various musical numbers adds spunk, humor and energy to the proceedings. Particularly impressive is Rhiannon Hansen, a contestant on the 2008 reality TV show “Legally Blonde-The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods,” who takes the role of the dumb blonde as far as it can go without falling off the rails and does it amazingly.

In the title role—and what is “Legally Blonde” without its Elle—Becky Gulsvig, who understudied the role on Broadway, is bubbly and infectious, and the musical is in good and capable hands See “Blonde” on Page 8

8

Arts

The University News

Band mixes music, message

Blonde: Show is a harmless good time

By ASHLEY JONES Associate Arts Editor

Flobots is a band with a mission: to put a message in the music.

With the release of their sophomore album Survival Story, the band’s members hope to show listeners that the change can be made.

They hope to do so with songs like “White Flag Warrior,” an anthem about a different kind of warrior.

“We can build a generation of people that are nonviolent… [that] refuse to kill people to solve problems,” Guitarist Andy Guerro said.

The band collaborated with Tim McIlrath from the band Rise Against the Machine for the song.

“He believed in the song and the message and what the band was about,” Guerro said.

In addition to putting a message in the music, the

Continued from Page 7

with her. Without her performance, the musical would fall apart, and, luckily, there’s nothing to worry about on that front.

“Legally Blonde” is not a perfect musical. The end tests the realms of believability, and a couple of the songs, particularly “Ireland” in the show’s first act, seem like they could have used more work in the production stage, but fans of musical theater looking for a breezy night out could do worse than getting swept up in the story of Elle and her rise through the ranks of Harvard Law. Many of the songs are catchy showstoppers that you’ll find yourself humming on the way out—particularly “Whipped Into Shape,” which may be the first musical number to feature the coordinated use of jump rope. Actress Coleen Sexton and members of the ensemble deserve a lot of credit for managing to sing and jump rope at the same time. It’s a ridiculous concept, but, in the universe of this musical, it fits.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

band also has a non-for-profit organization, flobots.org. This is an organization founded in Denver that uses music and arts as inspiration, and gives young people the means to make a difference for themselves, their community and their world.

Guerro explained that Survival Story is more of a conceptual album than the band’s first, Fight With Tools.

“It’s more about telling stories,” Guerro said.

He said that the title had several different meanings.

The fight for survival in the music industry inspired one of these. Another was inspired by the survival story of the world.

Flobots’ second album Fight With Tools, which debuted in 2008, sold 300,000-plus copies, and the digital version reached number two on the iTunes Hip Hop Countdown.

The single “Handlebars” was number 10 on the iTunes Hip

Hop chart. “‘Handlebars’ was way bigger than we thought it would be as a single,” Guerro said.

He said that, in comparison, Survival Story shows a lot of growth in the band.

However, he couldn’t say if it would be as successful as the debut album.

“Only time will tell … They are two different animals,” Guerro said.

Survival Story hits stores and digital platforms on April 16. The band will also be performing in St. Louis at Webster University on the same day.

Guerro described the live shows as high energy.

“People can come expecting to have a good time, Guerro said.

For more information about the band, visit the official website, www.flobots. com, and for more information about the non-for-profit, visit www.flobots.org.

Joan Marcus

The musical features two highly trained canine actors.

Oh, and in case you haven’t heard, there are dogs in this show. Anyone hoping for the dogs to freak out will be disappointed. I don’t know how someone does this, but those dogs seem to be consummate professionals.

I wonder if they have

understudies, too.

For more information about the tour of Legally Blonde, visit www.legallyblonde-themusical.com For more information about The Fox and its current season of shows, visit www. fabulousfox.com.

SAB: SLU gets case of Spring Fever Continued from Page 7

adhere to the suggestions of the student body when planning the Spring Fever week events. Due to requests for more free food, Ted Drewes frozen custard will be served at Relay for Life on Saturday, April 17 at no cost to students.

A Las Vegas-themed Casino Night will take place on Monday, April 19 in DuBourg Hall Room 157 at 7 p.m.

The annual blood drive will take place on Tuesday, April 20 in the Busch Student Center’s Saint Louis Room from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. In order to participate, students can visit sab.slu.edu and click on the

registration link to schedule an appointment. Free cookies and juice, as well as a free T-shirt, will be handed out to students who donate blood to The American Red Cross.

More information can be found on SAB’s Blood Drive page on Facebook.

The Billiken Music Festival will continue on Wednesday, April 21 as the SLU amphitheater hosts Elsinore. SAB collaborated with Grand Center to produce the festival, in an effort to bring students outside and introduce them to a wide range of local St. Louisbased bands. Free soda and popcorn will be distributed beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The week-long celebration ends with Quad Day, which

will begin in the Quad at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 22.

Festivities will include the annual Chartwells Dinner, laser tag and a showing of Avatar at 9 p.m.

Crowley hopes that this year’s Spring Fever will reflect the wishes of the student body.

However, she reminds her peers that it is their responsibility to share their opinions with SAB. “I really encourage people to voice their ideas. Come to a meeting. Talk to someone in SAB. The organization exists for the students,” Crowley said.

The full schedule of events can be found online at sab. slu.edu.

Flobots

Flobots, a band that will be performing at We b s t e r University in St. Louis on April 16, has a Denverbased nonprofit called f lobots.org that attempts to use music and art to inspire kids.

The band released its latest album, Survival Story, last month.

Sports

Talk to us: call Bobby Schindler 314.977.2812, or e-mail sports.unews@gmail.com UNEWSONLINE.COM

9 Thursday April 15, 2010

The University News

Billiken baseball combo tops the A-10 charts Senior first baseman Danny Brock has anchored the Billikens lineup all First Base season long. In addition to the t h r e e categories on the right, Br ock is also Danny Brock among t h e Atlantic 10 leaders in several other categories. He ranks third, with 48 hits, 23 walks and 96 total bases, and fourth in runs scored (35) and on-base percentage (.510).

Bobby Schindler / Sports Editor

The Billikens have seen solid production from the opposite corner of Third Base the infield as well.

Junior t h i r d b a s e man Jon Myers is fourth among all A-10 Jon Myers players in doubles 12. His 55 hits rank him 34th in the nation, and his 10 homeruns prove good enough for 41st.

The 99 total bases that he has ranks No. 19, nationally.

-Bobby Schindler

New soccer coach searching for ‘12th man’ McGinty plans to bring excitement to SLU soccer

By ANDREW BUSH Senior Staff Writer

Mike McGinty, new head coach of the Saint Louis University men’s soccer team, is a busy man.

Here are some of the more important items on his to-do list right now: --Communicating a new mentality and culture to his team before the end of the five-week-long spring season.

--Preparing his team for the next spring game, this Sunday, April 18, at 3 p.m. at Hermann Stadium against Washington University.

--Recruiting potential newcomers to join next year’s squad.

But McGinty and the men’s soccer program are also prioritizing something else this spring—and that is increasing fan support and creating a buzz about the Billiken soccer team.

Two seasons ago, when McGinty was an assistant coach at the University of Virginia, the Cavaliers set a NCAA record for attendance.

He and his staff believe that this kind of environment can exist at SLU if they, the players, and the school do all they can to get behind the team.

Assistant coach Tim Kelly has been doing all he can to take advantage of the resources at SLU to maximize fan support for the team.

He and McGinty have met with Legion 1818, the student club that supports the soccer program, to discuss ideas and promotions for next season.

Kelly has also reached out to SLU’s temporary students from the Madrid, Spain campus and encouraged them to support the team.

“The Spanish students were itching to have more involvement on campus,” Kelly said. “Being born and raised in Spain, they grew up in a place where soccer is the main sport. We’re trying to get them more involved with the team here.”

All of this emphasis on fan support is backed by a proven

Noah Berman / Photo Editor

theory in sports—that crowd noise and formidable support impacts success.

“The 12th man theory is true,” Kelly said. “If you’re a player and it’s the 85th minute and you’re gassed, hearing a loud crowd behind you means that you don’t have to say anything as a coach.”

McGinty acknowledges that there is enough space on the north end of Hermann Stadium to construct more stands.

“If we sell lots of tickets, we can put those stands behind the goal,” McGinty said.

“Above all, we want students at our games getting loud and supporting the school.”

Sophomore Mike Roach knows that the best way to get fans to attend a game is for the team to perform to the best of its ability.

“It starts on the field. The most important thing is winning games so that people

Above: SLU men’s soccer head coach, Mike McGinty looks on as his Billikens battle to a 1-0 loss to Missouri State on April 14.

McGinty hopes a raucous crowd at Hermann Stadium will help his team in the fall.

Right: Junior Charles Bryce battles for the ball during a game against Missouri State on April 14.

Bryce, who voluntarily did not play in 2009, will return to the team for the 2010 season.

See “McGinty” on Page 10

Men’s soccer evens out exhibition record Missouri State loss gives SLU 1-1-1 slate

By BOBBY SCHINDLER Sports Editor

In a rematch of the opening round of the NCAA tournament, Saint Louis University squared off against Missouri State University, Wednesday, April 14, as part of the 2010 spring exhibition season.

However, unlike last year, the Billikens did not walk away with a victory, losing 1-0 at Robert R. Hermann Stadium.

The loss was the third of five games on the Billikens spring slate. The next competition in the exhibition sea-

son is on April 18 against The Bills got goals from Dice’s goal came at the Washington University St. senior James Dice and fresh- three minute mark when Louis at Hermann Stadium. man Adnan Gabeljic. Gabeljic sophomore Mike Roach Sophomore David is a new recruit that gradu- crossed a dead ball into the Buckenheimer scored midway ated high school a semes- box and Dice headed it into through the second ter early the back of the half off a deflection and began net. Gabeljic’s goal First Base First Base on a cross from classes at came off of a free sophomore Jordan SLU in the kick as well, with Hoffman to give spring. the freshman bendthe Bears the lone The new ing it over the wall goal of the match.

Billiken in the 58th minute This game was h e a d to tie the game at the second chance coach was 2-2. for Billiken fans to pleased Freshman Alex see a team helmed with what Sweetin scored the by new coach he saw in only goal in the 1-0 Mike McGinty at Sweetin Dice his new victory over SIUE. Hermann Stadium. team’s first Sweetin’s goal The loss brings game. came in the 79th the Billikens spring record “I was happy with the minute when he buried a pass to 1-1-1 after playing to a 2-2 effort, attitude and mentality from Roach into the back of draw on March 28 against of the group. We were aggres- the net.

AC St. Louis, a member of sive and tried to keep scoring The Billikens will conthe United States Soccer goals. We are still trying to clude the exhibition season Federation Division II profes- figure out who plays well with when they travel to Missouri sional league, and a 1-0 vic- whom, and for our first game Valley foe, Bradley University, tory over Southern Illinois on we got a lot accomplished,” on April 24 to take on the April 3 at Busch Soccer Park. McGinty said.

Braves

Noah Berman / Photo Editor

New season; same lofty expectations There’s something you have to understand about St. Louis. This is a baseball town.

Always has been, always will be. When the Redbirds take the field each night, Commentary this town lives and dies with each swing of the bat.

This is St. Louis, w h e r e baseball isn’t for Derrick Neuner fun, it’s for life.

This is St. Louis, where in 2006 we opened the new Busch Stadium with a World Championship—fitting for a place known as “Baseball Heaven.” This is St. Louis, where in 2007 and 2008, we were both humiliated and furious when that team from Chicago, the one that hasn’t won a championship in over 100 years, finished ahead of us in the National League Central and enjoyed post-season berths.

On Wednesday night, April 14, I joined 35,000 of my closest friends to watch the St. Louis Cardinals take on the winless Houston Astros.

We enjoyed hotdogs and Budweisers and serenaded each other with “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” We also won 2-1.

I’m open to debate as to whether or not there may be a better team in the majors.

But let me tell you that you’re wrong. I can sum up my argument in two words: the Machine.

Albert Pujols is undeniably the best player to hit the diamond in the last decade, perhaps even in several decades.

Fans here in St. Louis have always been treated to great baseball players (Stan Musial, Lou Brock and Ozzie Smith, to name a few), but lately we’ve been spoiled by El Hombre’s ability to put on an effortless show and keep his team in contention year after year after year. Trust me, MVP Award No. 4 is well on its way.

In fact, Pujols’ best competition for the award could very well come from fellow Card, Matt Holliday. Holliday, plus sophomore Colby Rasmus and Gold Glove recipient Yadier Molina, could be the best hitting lineup in the National League. Not to mention future Hall of Famer Tony LaRussa also has Gold Glove candidate Brendan Ryan and Skip Shumaker on his scorecard.

Again, I’m up for debate, but name me a better lineup, one with the same potency, agility and versatility.

Let’s not forget the Cardinals also feature the best 1-2 pitching punch in Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright.

Arguably, Carpenter should be a twotime Cy Young Award winner and Wainwright finished third in last year’s balloting. With the addition of Brad Penny and newcomer Jaime Garcia, the Gateway’s finest may also have the best pitching in the league, certainly in the NL. Sit back and watch the Birds on the bat go boom.

No. 11, here we come.

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Sports

The University News

Sports Shorts:Billiken Briefs Men’s Tennis The Billikens will head to Monroeville, Pa., just outside Pittsburgh, this weekend, April 16-18, for the Atlantic 10 Conference Championship tournament. SLU is seeded fifth and will take on No. 12 Fordham in its opening round match. The match is set to begin Friday morning at 7 (CT).

If the Billikens were to win that first match, the team would then do battle with No. 4 Temple University at 1 p.m. the same day in the quarterfinals.

The semifinal and final matches are slated for 10 a.m. starts on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

The Billikens (9-5) hope to build off of last year’s strong performance when they finished a program-best fourth in the conference tournament. SLU’s lineup is led by two 2009 first-team All-Conference selections, seniors James McArthur and Ken Nordheim, Nos. 1 and 2 singles, respectively.

Strong doubles play could be the key for a Billiken run in the conference tournament.

SLU registered a 30-11 (.732) in dual-meet doubles action during the regular season.

The team took the doubles point in 10 out of 14 matches and won all three doubles tilts in eight contests.

SLU only faced off against two conference opponents during the regular season.

The team easily dismissed Dayton, 7-0, on March 27 in Ohio, but lost 4-3 at Xavier on March 26.

Xavier is seeded second and is looking for its third consecutive A-10 Championship.

George Washington is the top seed and Duquesne, the host, has the last top spot at No. 3.

Men’s Basketball Head men’s basketball coach Rick Majerus officially announced that Rob Loe, the 6-foot-11 recruit from New Zealand, has signed a National Letter of Intent to attend Saint Louis University. The big man had previously only given a verbal commitment to SLU.

“Any discussion about [Loe] has to begin with what a high-character young man he is,” Majerus said. “He is all about team and will be an excellent fit with our players.

[Loe] genuinely cares about people, respects his parents and plays the game for all the right reasons.”

Loe became the youngest player to ever play for the New Zealand national team at the age of 17.

Associate head coach, Porter Moser, withdrew his name from consideration for the open head coaching job at the University of WisconsinGreen Bay, according to Tom Timmerman of the PostDispatch. Moser was one of five finalists for the position and interviewed there on Monday, April 12.

The final interviews were conducted April 14 and a decision could be made as early as today, April 15. “[The decision is] something I really struggled with,” Moser said. “My wife and I talked about it, I talked with other coaches, I talked with Coach Majerus. I know head coaching jobs are so hard to get. Green Bay is in a league, the Horizon, that’s ranked 11 out of 33, so it’s up there. I came in on the day [Majerus] came on, and we’ve come so far. I feel so vested here, my wife loves it here. I’ve spent so much time recruiting, developing players to get into this position and I want to be a part of it. As much as I want to be a head coach, I want to do it at the right time.”

Moser’s name has been mentioned as the successor to Majerus at SLU when Majerus’ five-year contract expires at the end of the 20112012 season. Majerus has publicly voiced his support for that exact transition.

“There are no guarantees I’ll ever get this [SLU] job.

[Majerus] has been positive and outspoken about me, but there are no guarantees. But I’m not ready to walk away.”

Moser said.

Baseball The Billikens are in the middle of a four-game road

trip after sweeping Atlantic 10 rival Temple in a threegame series last weekend, April 9-11. It was the second straight season that the Billikens swept the Owls in a three-game series.

Senior Bryant Cotton went the distance on the mound and fellow senior Danny Brock provided the pop with a solo homer in a 5-4 triumph in the first game. Alex Alemann worked a complete game in the second game of the series, and Jon Myers drove in a pair of runs in a 6-1 Billiken win. The finale saw a true team effort from the Billiken offense, as everyone in the starting lineup recorded at least one hit in a 13-4 victory to deliver the sweep.

Alemann’s strong work did not go unnoticed, as he was tabbed the A-10 Rookie of the Week for April 4-10.

The Billikens lost to Southern Illinois 17-10 on April 14 to bring their overall record to 19-15 (6-3 A-10).

Next up for the Bills is a three game series in the Bronx, N.Y., against Fordham University. The opening game is set for 3 p.m. Friday afternoon.

Volleyball SLU head volleyball coach Anne Kordes was recently named the lead head coach for the U.S. Girls’ Select A1 National Team by the USA Volleyball High Performance Indoor Department.

The squad, comprised of girls age 14 and 15, will compete at the USA Volleyball High Performance Championships July 26-30 in Wisconsin Dells, Wis. Kordes has been involved with the USA Volleyball High Performance program for years as an assistant coach.

She was involved with the U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team, which competed at the 2007 FIVB Girls’ Youth World Championships in Mexico.

In 2000, she served as an assistant for the U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team, and in 2001 she was an assistant for the U.S. Women’s Junior National Team.

-Bobby Schindler

McGinty: Coach wants winning atmosphere Continued from Page 9

want to go to the games,” Roach said.

Kelly agrees.

“The environment we create depends on the success of the team,” Kelly said.

Freshman Nick Maglasang said that having a new coach means that the players have a new chance to prove themselves—not only to McGinty, but also to the fans.

“We want to show our Saint

Louis soccer fans and supporters that we’re out here working hard. We also want to show the college soccer scene what we’re all about,” Maglasang said.

Back on March 28, SLU played its first spring game under the tutelage of McGinty against AC St. Louis, the new expansion team in the North American Soccer League. The result was a 2-2 draw.

But to Roach, a conversation with a referee stood out

to him more than the result.

“The [referee] told me that he could see the new mindset and determination in our eyes,” Roach said.

After the game against Washington University on Sunday, fans will be invited to a reception at Humphrey’s with free appetizers.

That is the kind of interaction and sociability that the men’s soccer team is hoping will become commonplace at SLU.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Billikens struggle on the road

Sophomore pitcher Kelcie Mateso and the Billikens reached the 20-win plateau on Wednesday, April 14, when they split a double-header at Indiana State.

The Billikens (20-18) lost the first game 4-1, but captured the 20th victory with a 3-2 win in the nightcap.

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Thursday, April 15, 2010

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Thursday, April 15, 2010